Arctic Arcosians (Mint)

Punch after punch, tail-swipe after tail-swipe and his momentum wasn't exactly growing. Rather than a flow of attacks that would rain over his invisible target like a flurry in a snowstorm, it was more like he were a giant lobbing massive boulders at his foe from a distance! Trying to maneuver in this BULK was like trying to swim with any measure of speed through a pool made of syrup: Borderline impossible!

"Curse this form..." Frozen grumbled, lobbing another punch. "...How did Father master it...?" It WAS rare, but on occasion Froza had taken to his second-form to fight... Perhaps when there was an attempt at his life by radical isolationists or when intimidation was required to force indignant province rulers into seeing the bigger picture. Each time he took that form, Frozen had never seen him struggle or move so sluggishly... In fact, he might have been FASTER in this form! ...But what did he DO...? Did he just stay in this form long enough so that he'd gotten used to it, the same as their race's "first" form? Bah... What a bother... Whirling around, Frozen's tail would WHIP about, imagining his foe having appeared behind him... Only to realize someone actually HAD appeared behind him! The Duke's eyes would WIDEN, his teeth peeling back in an anxious snarl as he DRAGGED his body to a GRINDING halt, his tail stopping just short of the stranger's head mid-whip motion! 

Oh... By all measures, that was close...

"It would serve you well to keep your distance next time, stranger." Frozen would remark, retracting his tail and crossing his arms over his chest. "It is not wise to approach a man while he is-"

...Frozen stopped, realizing just WHO... or rather WHAT this person was! An ARCOSIAN, the first he had met since... well... being exiled! Could this be the mysterious "Azoth" he had heard so much about? And, if so, what was he doing away from his throne? 

...No, this could not be him... An Emperor as renowned and praised as he would not leave his throne unattended merely to visit some ice-caps in some backwater planet in the middle of nowhere-space. A potential underling, then...? Perhaps even a scout? He seemed not to fear the mighty second form of Frozen, regardless, having meandered this close to him! Could he possess power VASTLY beyond his own in his FIRST form? ...At this point, with what he'd seen on earth, Frozen would buy it. The stranger would speak, musing if this was Frozen just blowing off steam... or merely training. An honest enough question, if asked in a way unbefitting of addressing someone of Frozen's importance. The Duke would frown harshly, gazing down upon the much smaller Arcosian. 

"Perhaps a bit of both, I admit." Frozen muttered through tightly-pressed lips. "I am Lord Frozen, Duke of the Froza Empire and I have a question of my own: What brings you out here..." He would gesture with a hand towards the barren, wasteland surroundings. "...to such beautiful scenery?"

WC: 506
TWC: 834

Frozen wasn't too surprised by his countryman's declaration of his invulnerability. After all, most of his race took pride in the fact they were one of the toughest creatures out there... but that did not mean it didn't put him off slightly. Even if he believed himself to be as tough as he claimed, it still wouldn't have been nice to be smacked across the face, yes? The stranger did not even MOVE when he saw it coming. Reaching up to his ear as Mint continued to sing his own praises, Frozen would tap the scan-button on the earpiece of his scouter (why didn't it detect this man earlier?) and... nearly recoiled at the numbers as they rose! The shock on the Duke's face was less than subtle as his scouter read a power of nearly 60,000! SIXTY-THOUSAND and only in his suppressed form! That was even more powerful than Frozen had been BEFORE the coup that rendered his own power crippled! The Duke's eye twitched in irritation as the man appeared to casually mock Frozen's dominion, calling it a "minor dynasty" compared to "Azoth's Empire." There was that name again, "Azoth." It was starting to feel like this planet was as much his as any within his borders, what with his men and praise-sayers populating this place. This one, even, didn't appear to have any respect for his title! 

...How irritating... It seems this "Azoth" was neglecting public-relations-training in his soldiers.

"I will disregard your tactless comment about my lands and, instead, take it as a well-intentioned error on your part." Frozen rumbled, attempting to appear as if he had any sort of pull before this 60,000 monster! "My Empire is no more a 'lesser dominion' of yours as this planet is, ser. The Froza Empire is as independent now as it has been since its conception. You would do well to remember this."

Mint would then, in a nearly unintelligible way, remark that it was, by chance, that he would end up here, having been looking for someone else as well as a prime private resort-spot apparently. 

...Ah, yes. Isn't this always how it went...? No place was warded off by either weather or by guard on this planet, it seemed. 

"How interesting." Frozen would state flatly, his gaze hardening. "I do not suppose you know of a mechanical creature by the name of 'Blizzard' do you? He also claimed he was a part of 'Azoth's empire.'"

WC: 411
TWC: 1245

Frozen's eye twitched as Mint mulled over the origins of Frozen's empire RIGHT IN FRONT OF ITS TRUE RULER, the Duke losing his patience with this man's blatant disrespect! 

"I alone crafted my empire." Frozen declared, rebuffing the teal-arcosian's speculations. "From the strength of my own body and the silver of my own tongue did I create a union of worlds under me. Neither I, nor my family had anything to do with Azoth or his resources." It was a matter of pride at this point. How dare this man assume that his empire was the result of anything less than Frozen's hard work!? While his father was responsible for the settling and colonizing of their home-world, It was Frozen who brought the Froza Empire into its Golden Age! HIM! Not this "Azoth." The more he hears of this man's name, the more it grated on his nerves. It was as if he were being compared to him in everything or looked down upon because of him! He hadn't yet met the man, this Azoth, but the fact that his name was on everyone's lips made Frozen's temper flare. But then, Mint would pivot in his musings, instead openly offering Frozen a position in Azoth's forces! He promised him EVERYTHING: Power, prestige, a position a mere two steps below the hero-king Azoth himself... 

...And that was how he knew Mint was a poor negotiator. It was too good to be true and the cost was FAR too vast to consider! Give up HIS independence and subject his People to additional bureaucracy for something he couldn't even trust was genuine? Frozen snorted, barely containing a chuckle. Not in this lifetime.

"Truly you have given me much to mull over, friend." The Duke remarked, cupping his chin between his forefinger and thumb thoughtfully. "...But it is not every day I am offered a deal quite as... interesting as this. I would require time before I have my final answer. On that day, I will seek you out." Mint would then mention how, as Arcosians, they would do well to stick together as one single unit to fight back against the vicious rumors that surrounded their race: That they were prone to tyranny and autocracy! Yeah... and absorbing whole systems into your dominion will surely aid public perception regardless of the propaganda espoused by the parent-empire. Frozen had been at this game a long time and he understood what his life's work was worth and what it took to maintain. Of course, before he even had the authority to accept such an offer, he would have to take BACK his empire first!

Pivoting again, Mint would question if Frozen's empire was far from here. Ah! An intelligent question! At LAST! He knew his kinsman had it in him! 

"Yes, quite far. The border-worlds of my empire scrape the edge of this system." Frozen explained, his expression relaxing just a tad. "Our planets are specifically composed of diverse and, previously, backwater worlds. The idea is that, by breaking these worlds down to their roots and growing them again, their people will profit under superior guidance. It is an exercise in large-scale nation-building, you could say."

Mint would remark, with notable distaste, that he was a captain in Azoth's forces. His brazenness a subject of displeasure to the Arcosian, it seemed, commenting that he might not even HAVE that authority. Ah... so Frozen's speculations about him were correct. How helpful... potential leverage over him, perhaps...

"Our first meeting was... unfavorable." Frozen remarked, turning his head away. "He and a handful of Earthlings accosted me in the mountains near here. It was only when I transformed to defend myself and when Blizzard drew a weapon on me did your captain choose to reveal that he was non-hostile. His brazenness, as you have noted, ser, is quite... potent."

"...But what of you?" Frozen asked, turning his head back to face Mint. "Does YOUR position within your empire warrant you the ability to offer invitations for admittance? No doubt you yourself holds remarkable sway in Azoth's court if you were to offer a lord such as I an invitation."

WC: 691
TWC: 1936

"Perhaps one day, when I learn more about your people, I would be willing to share more about mine." Frozen would offer, gesturing an open hand at the MIGHTY teal arcosian. "...But, as it stands, we both have our secrets. It would be best for all, until official relations improve, that we keep our curiosity about one-another limited to just that: curiosity, hm?"  it was, somewhat flattering that Mint suddenly developed an apparent interest in Frozen's own dukedom and it's history but it was also a powerplay... By expressing interest in his empire, no doubt Mint was fishing for information he could leverage, explore or crack-open. If he were truly Azoth's second, fishing for this information would no doubt give his master an intelligence-advantage when it came to inevitable negotiations. Already Frozen had given away his ideal world-choice as a public-relations move so Mint had already gotten MORE than most others. No, he would play his cards closer to his chest from now on... 

Frozen would then cock an eyebrow as Mint commended him on his rejection of his offer, the arcosian recognizing and acknowledging the Duke's concerns as if he had spoken them! He would, however, suggest an alliance, remarking how it would be beneficial for both their people! Why... YES, an alliance was more agreeable... but who would be benefiting more from one...? Frozen, even at the head of his empire, would be entering into negotiations with a MUCH larger, MUCH more powerful and well-known empire in this region. He would be on the back-foot before the negotiations even began and that was a guarantee for an uneven treaty. 

"Perhaps, one day." Frozen would say again, offering Mint an unreadable smile. "But then, we both know so little about one another and what we need. It would be... difficult to establish a symbiotic working relationship between our peoples without having established any means of formal communication and trade." Mint would then elaborate on his leader, stating that he was a man of peace and, both due to him and the nature of this section of the galaxy, it would be quite difficult to strong-arm worlds into compliance. Frozen's face would then go dead-serious, his eyes sharpening once again at such an implication. THIS, he was not afraid to share. 

"Forcing worlds and their peoples into servitude is a foolish and short-sighted measure." Frozen stated coldly, crossing his arms again. "It is only a matter of time before they begin their own revolutions, ripping away crucial resources and man-power from the empire's center and forcing some kind of military-response which can only lead to a mass number of preventable deaths. No. Regardless of how wild and untamable this part of the Galaxy might be, conquest is a last-resort of the desperate. I believe in treaties and nation-building. Worlds inducted into my empire may need to be... 'razed' in order to scrape the scum off the surface, but I do not devastate the people nor their cultures. In the treaties they sign, I am given temporary ownership of their lands for colonizing and infrastructure work, that which strictly benefits the peoples that had lived upon it. This is why I target backwater worlds: They NEED what we have and we want what they can BECOME. A compromise in which both parties benefit. Interdependence: separate functions but reliant on one-another."

Ah, and then they came to Blizzard. What an... interesting character, that. Mint's remark about wanting to start a relationship with honesty (in contrast to Blizzard's suspicion) caught Frozen's attention. While he offered Mint an approving smile, the Duke acknowledge how he began this conversation: With a false invitation to join. Yes, he believed in honesty... either eventually or when it benefitted him. This wasn't to say Frozen thought ill of Mint. If anything, he was starting to believe the arcosian was a FAR MORE INTELLIGENT man that he first let on... that meant he was a worthy mental combatant...

...Perhaps one day they could sit down and play a game of chess together.

"Why Mint, ser, I believe you already have." Frozen would state, spreading his arms to either side of himself in a gesture of openness. "Just look at us now, two gentlemen having a fine, pleasant conversation. This alone is enough to remedy the unfortunate misunderstanding that was my first encounter with your empire. Please, by all means, consider the matter closed." Ah, showing forgiveness for, what was made out to be, a notable transgression. Forgiveness was a powerful tool to lower one's guard... Mint may or may not be able to read into that for what it was but, even if he could... it was likely Mint was already aware of the game they were playing. 

"Why, Mint, what a generous offer." Frozen gasped, bringing a hand to his lips! Mint had proclaimed he that yes, he had the autonomy to do as he wished (within his station) and bring Frozen into the empire. Surprising... Another piece of important information freely given. It seemed that Azoth had a much looser grasp on his number-two than Frozen would have suspected... Even HE hadn't given Chille, his own brother, that level of freedom before his treachery... "Knowing that I have such a generous ally within a foreign empire is quite refreshing indeed! Please, allow me some time to consider your offer. I may return with an answer sooner than you think."

...But here Mint was AGAIN, offering up more important information! He was a CRIME-LORD and Azoth inducted him as his SECOND!? Was this common knowledge? Was Mint's record scrubbed from common records...? Regardless, it must have been from here that Mint had learned how to play the game. Crime-lords... the scummiest of the scum, dressing up as proper noblemen only to order a dozen daggers to be flung at your back from the shadows. Frozen considered his own brother one... but what did this make Mint...? Not one to be trusted, that was for certain... And what did this make Azoth, lending his ear to a checkered-man like Mint...?

...Perhaps his "hero-status" wasn't as flawless as Earth made it out to be.

"You do me too much honor, Mint, ser." Frozen remarked with a grin, bowing before Mint thankfully. "...But you must serve quite an important function, having the ear of your emperor. No doubt you have convinced him on many-an-occasion to follow the correct path when presented with two."

WC: 1072
TWC: 3008
 

Ah... A non-answer! Finally, Frozen had found something Mint was protective of! The Duke took note of how... non-committal Mint was to his question, how he... danced around it and put Azoth at the center of his answer rather than himself. There was something about his position this Arcosian was a little TOO defensive over, almost outright refusing to give Frozen anything beyond "Master smart but I help sometimes." He didn't believe for a second that was the whole story... Mint had already made himself out to be FAR too smart to merely the royal "Suggestor" of Azoth's court and that Azoth believed in himself too much not to take Mint up on his advice... Either Mint had his fingers dug into Azoth FAR MORE than he was willing to admit (smartly)... or there was something he was ashamed of...? 

...Hm... Too difficult to read...

"Ah, I see... Then, your presence is merely... ceremonial?" Frozen would suggest, a seemingly honest flash of thoughtful curiosity touching his face. "After all, if your lord is as competent and truly secure in his decisions as you claim, it would seem to me that an advisor would be more of a... decorative roll, someone to ensure that the image of 'considering all options' is present within the court." 

Frozen knew that if he was as confident in himself as Azoth was painted to be, having a man being paid to offer alternatives would be a futile exercise. If anything, Mint had taken what pride there could be in a royal-advisor position and GROUND IT under his heel, almost as if to show some measure of humility to Frozen as if he were the one with power in this conversation. As Second to the empire, Mint appeared to be representing himself as a DISTANT authority to his master, that, in truth, his master cared more about filling positions and rolls than actually using them with purpose. Frozen tilted his head slightly, staring at his fellow Arcosian...

...Indeed... he was SURE Azoth knew what he was doing...

"Hm... What other duties do you perform, besides providing your liege with personal insight?" Frozen questioned, offering Frozen a smile once more. "Most certainly, your position higher up on the food-chain would require that you take on more than a single variety of duties, correct? For example, my second..." Before the blasted fool stole his empire... "...would tend to recently-acquired worlds, aiding in the integration of new citizens. He would also keep track of incoming and out-going traffic reports and relaying important information to me. I assume to do something similar for Azoth?"

WC: 435
TWC: 3443

Yes, yes... Frozen could easily gather that Mint's duties would include his insights into crime. After all, if he didn't use his history to benefit his lord, Azoth's competence would best be established by replacing him outright! Apparently, Mint was the hand in the shadows, the LEFT HAND of Azoth, as it seemed. Odd that the emperor would choose to nominate his left-hand to the position of second, especially since the whole point of a left-hand in the royal court was to be the spy-master, the one who worked in the shadows, the one nobody ever saw and got away with it. Perhaps Azoth just valued his secrets more than proper court-structure. Perhaps his right-hand was Blizzard and he thought that Mint was just a blatantly superior option. Or, what is most likely, is that Azoth chose a... south-paw style of governance that somehow works better in this part of the universe. 

"Yes, but having my right-hand function as my left and my left as my right would only threaten the balance of the empire, no?" Frozen would question. "For example, if I were to put someone such as you, with the skill-set of a Left-Hand, out with the public, no doubt your job would be infinitely more difficult than if you were safely out of public view. After all, one cannot properly attack what is in the shadows without first being enveloped by them." 

...Not in Frozen's empire, at least.

Right hands were the faces, the open extension of the Duke's will, his enforcers. They behaved as his knights, his messengers, his representatives, the ones everyone credits as the voices of their liege! Left-Hands were spy-masters, secretive and quiet. Rarely will the people ever see them outside of their mysterious duties with only their lord seeing them in person a few times more. Right hands were ALWAYS closer to the Duke, trained to be loyal and strong, charismatic but calculating, his body-guards as much as his councilors. They were the ones that his people knew of as Frozen's court while his Left Hands protected the empire from a very distant shadow. 

How could it be that the opposite was true here...? Where the Spymaster stood at his emperor's side as the face of the empire while his representative, his knight, tried to control things from a distance? 

Under what circumstances could this possibly work!?

"It is quite generous of you to tell me of your plan and mission, Mint." Frozen would acknowledge with a bow of his head, a slight twinge of annoyance touching his tone. It was as if he were in topsey-turvy land here... A spymaster as Azoth's right hand, one so freely giving away what should be secrets to a foreign lord... This was why Frozen had right hands for this kind of nonsense... They would eat this sort of interaction for breakfast and give the Duke a report refined down to the important bits. After all, one such as he shouldn't bare the awkwardness that was the first interaction with a backwards structure of a foreign nation. "Though... I am at a loss as to why you would tell me such a thing... Is it not in the nature of your job to keep such matters out of the ears of those who need-not hear it?"

WC: 551
TWC: 3994