Shadowshine Wolf
Medeia,
Malorne, and
Maiyun
Making due on their deal, Medeia and her troupe perform for Malorne’s family. Surely someone like Malorne would love a sadistic, dark display?
(I immediately realized a grammar mistake after I posted this, and I don’t want to double ping. The pinglist was here.)
--
Ignazio begrudgingly set up the venue while Rahasya watched, Varum played with cards, and Petr practiced obliterating grapes. So far, not too unusual from their usual pre-show preparations.
Varum flipped over a card and cackled. Medeia gave him an unamused look for him to explain.
“You know what I’m gonna say,” he pointed out. “My cards tell of doom and gloom and that’s only good for the people like Malorne.”
“So we can all agree this is a bad idea?” Petr asked, looking at the rest as he sat down grapes on a table. They had one of the nature gardeners grow them to be shaped like dragons—if the gardener had known they would be routinely squished to serve as cheap black comedy, they likely would have refused.
Medeia scowled, but her troupe—used to it by now, and aggravated at a choice she
had the right to make—didn’t respond. Instead, Rahasya left her side, half-flying over to give Petr some feedback.
Nevermind them. Malorne and her menagerie would be easy to please; they were all a delusional, sadistic bunch that only cared for their own ends. Medeia will come out of this
on top. She refused anything less.
…
The sun set over the stage, light now coming from torches Rahasya set up. Medeia stood out on the stage alone as Malorne and her family—including her mate, who only showed up for things of great importance to House Foxglove—and a skydancer with a wolf skin that Medeia didn’t recognize.
That skydancer must be the so-called ‘Shadowshine Wolf.’ Medeia wondered if she had the same kind of ‘past life memories’ so many of House Foxglove claimed to have.
Medeia introduced the show, and it officially began. Varum came out to prophesy the act’s events—to raise their expectations and give them something to look forward to. Petr arranged an entire scene with the grape dragons before Medeia ran a sword across half of them. Rahasya collected the ‘heads’ and served them to Malorne and her family, but at most her children just poked at them.
Whenever Malorne or Tiay prepared to stand up, Medeia ordered her troupe to play out some scene of past victory. If Lynx or Carcin yawned, she had Petr bring out more grapes and slaughtered them. It was as violent and sadistic as she could get, without actually endangering a dragon—and Medeia honestly
would kill someone if it showed Malorne that Medeia was superior to this…’Shadowshine Wolf.’
They put on the most gruesome, crude show of their lives, guided by their own interests and what they thought would bring in the highest shock and dark humor value. Medeia smiled—there wasn’t any way that could have failed. They were perfect.
She was perfect.
Malorne was the first to give some applause, and Medeia basked in it when the skydancer’s family joined. She lived for the attention, even if the audience was small.
“Good job,” Malorne said. “That was a stunning performance. You have every right to enjoy the attention.”
“Of course! No one can match—“
“Please hold off on the gloating,” the stranger skydancer said coldly. “That was revolting. Do you really think Malorne is so bloodthirsty?”
The question caught her off guard, silencing her. The Shadowshine Wolf stood up and walked onto the stage, standing taller than Medeia could. She addressed Medeia’s troupe, all around her and accepting the praise with even expressions.
“All of you have potential.” She glanced back at Malorne, who nodded. Her smile when she looked back made Medeia want to strangle her. “Might you show me around the area where you live? I haven’t been here for long—I need to get settled in as troupe leader.”
Medeia watched for a second, dumbfounded, as her troupe walked or flew away. She tried to go after them, only stopped by Malorne’s mirror children holding down her tail. Confusion or betrayal turned into rage, and she spun towards Malorne.
“You monster! That’s
my troupe,
my home! I’ll tell Mayel—you can’t do this to me!”
Malorne let out an amused, grim chuckle. “Yes, I can. Mayel’s been worried about your performances lately—you’ve had a good run, but I think it’s time to call it a day.”
“Pack up! Leave! Never return!” Malorne’s daughter chirped. “It’s the least you can do for trying to feed me grapes!”
“I—“
“
Go,” Tiay growled.
Medeia didn’t want to, but as soon as Malorne’s mirror children moved off her tail, she fled.
Fine, then. If no one would stand by her, she didn’t need them.
)
