CLOSED The King and Such

[Runfast]

The King of AbyssClan was in his den.
And he was thinking.
Simple though it may seem, he was thinking of many, many things.
The sort of things that left him wandering in a very dark part of his mind, angry and untrusting of anyone.
The tom's black fur bristled.

[Longstorm]

Like it was scripted, Searingeyes padded into the King's den.
"Troubled?" he asked in a light tone.

[Runfast]

The King turned his ice blue eyes the Powerful, coming out of the shadows in his mind.
"I've many shadows in my mind," he mewed after a pause. "Many...questions." They were doubts, but he wasn't going to say.

[Longstorm]

Searingeyes nodded as he stopped in front of the King. "Understandable. Many questions come with being crowned King. I could be of some help if..." The tom gestured for a place for him to sit since he was still standing, and technically uninvited.

[Runfast]

The King nodded to Searingeyes. "Thank you. That'd be..." He stopped. Should he say 'nice?' 'Helpful?' He wouldn't typically say that to a Servant when everything was under Shadowstar's rule, but this was the lead Powerful. Yet another one of his questions.

[Longstorm]

Searingeyes smirked (when did he not?). "I was going to say thanks," he sat, "actually." He pulled his tail in front of himself. "Your father - may he rest in peace - never thanked anyone. A king such as him or yourself," he flicked his tail at the King, "doesn't have to. You're not accepting a favor. They're accepting your favor, whether they know it or not." He shrugged.

[Runfast]

Instead of saying 'thank you', the King simply nodded. He was thinking about the fact Searingeyes had just come in out of nowhere. That smirk and knowing look in his gold eyes was unnerving.
"Did you...come here, because I you knew I had questions?"

[Longstorm]

Searingeyes' expression became serious, though there was still a faint smirk. "Yes. So tell me, King -" He looked thoughtful. "What should I call you? You can't just be 'king' all the time. Well, you can do whatever you please, but you know, calling you 'Scourge' might be a little obvious to other Clans..."

[Runfast]

The King fixed the tom with a stare as he thought about his answer. "Call me Plaag." He paused. "You will call me Plaag." Plaag nodded solemnly.

[Longstorm]

Searingeyes nodded, saying nothing about the King's - Plaag's - brief screw-up.
"Plaag. Plague, Scourge, Plaag. Nice choice.
Well, Plaag. What is your next move? You've successfully taken control of the Clan, and you seem to want the Servants and she-cats to have equal rights - but you haven't really gotten that point across."
He tilted his head as he spoke."You also have a disgruntled ex-warriors who will do anything to destroy this Clan and a City whose allegiance remains uncertain. I know you're sending a group of three out, there's the start, but what about forces beyond the City? The mountains?"

[Runfast]

Plaag sat in silence for a long minute, his icy blue eyes narrowed in thought.
"I will address the Clan of my intended changes in policy soon. And what do you mean, forces beyond the mountains and City? Explain yourself. We would have heard of forces near the City."
Or would we? Plaag knew that Shadowstar had firmly believed in the need-to-know policy. Plaag's true heritage was full proof of that. And of course, the Powerfuls would know all about anything Shadowstar knew.
Plaag found the thought more and more disturbing as he thought about that.

[Longstorm]

Searingeyes sighed. "Ah, yes. Shadowstar did love keeping things a big secret. But I love secrets too, and I think I may tell you many things." Searingeyes kept smirking as he thought about what he just said.
Well, that sounded mysterious. I'm not very good with diction, am I. But no one will question me, because I am a Powerful.

OOC: Hahah, he's stupid. And I seem to be parodying my own characters.

[Runfast]

Plaag's eyes widened then narrowed further. His neck fur bristled and he growled, "Are you telling me that the Powerfuls kept secrets from the King? This is treason." He clawed the ground.

[Longstorm]

Searingeyes' ears went sideways and he raised a paw. "Oh, rest assured, we kept Shadowstar well informed. In fact, he knew many of the things we never actually told him and he was well aware that we kept things from him. He was mastermind, you know. Nevertheless, Shadowstar kept us in his service even if he thought that we weren't fully on his side. But we were." Searingeyes nodded solemnly, though it was marred by his smirk.

[Runfast]

Plaag wasn't pleased. Something about the younger tom's warped expression angered him. "How can I trust you if not even Shadowstar, the King, my father," he spat the word, "didn't trust you? Why would you keep things from him anyway?" Another thought gripped his mind and made it's way into words. "Why shouldn't I kill you?"

[Longstorm]

Searingeyes lost his smirk and glared at Plaag. He spoke calmly. "Shadowstar trusted the Powerfuls to be ourselves when everyone else pretended. He trusted us to protect him from what his own Protector couldn't and to withdraw when we were told. He trusted us to obey and disobey him. To answer the next question, we acted not in Shadowstar's best interests, but in the Clan's. We're here to ensure the survival of AbyssClan. Shadowstar himself knew that his rule would be the downfall of AbyssClan. As for why you shouldn't kill me," he chuckled mirthlessly, "There's no good reason. You could kill me right now, if you like. But I'd like to stay alive and help you, if it's all the same to you."

[Runfast]

OOC" I'mma post something sooooonn....

[Longstorm]

OOC: HURRY UP!

[NKninja]

OOC: I call it procrastination.. AND I DO IT SOOOOOO MUCH!!

[Runfast]

Plaag lashed his tail in anger still, then was suddenly calm.
"Fine," he meowed. "I suppose there would be no point in killing you. You'd probably just come back anyways." His black tail gently twitched in a dismissive manner. "So. You say you'll help me. Fine. Tell me what's important."
The tom looked on with hard icy eyes.

[Longstorm]

Searingeyes nodded respectfully. "As you command. As you may know, we have an enemy. This enemy knows us since he was part of this Clan for some time. Falsecall. I know you remember him. He was the only cat from this Clan that was ever banished for disobedience (instead of being killed, which is the norm). He's been amassing an army for a fair number of seasons now, taking cats from the two-legplace and from the outskirts of the unclaimed lands. Since much of his force was underground for some time, Despairingcall's spies and your father's spies could only give a rough estimate of one hundred cats. This is probably inaccurate but not in the way you'd like." Searingeyes paused. "But you knew all of that. Here's something different, then. Your father was poisoned by Thornstar of DarkClan. Thornstar knew that he was sick and put forth a great deal of effort into infecting Shadowstar. He succeeded. Though how the sickness managed to knock down Shadowstar so many lives so quickly while Thornstar managed to run about is a mystery to me. Shadowstar and Thornstar were working together to plan a take-over of the lowlands. Naturally, they both planned on killing the other after the take-over was complete. With Shadowstar's death, and with Thornstar's death, this plan is now ruined. Regardless, Shadowstar always had little hope for the plan since it would always have to include a forester Clan helping before AbyssClan could take over, and Thornstar was treacherous. Shadowstar mostly worked with him in particular because his daughter, the blue-eyed she-cat, somehow knew where our camp was and threatened to use that information against us. She has since left DarkClan and her location remains unknown."
Searingeyes shifted his posture as he changed the subject. "The City is falling to ruin. Mudbloods have raided our sister-Clan many times over the last season and their Chancellor is incompetent. I believe he will need to be replaced in the near future. That is all I currently know of them." The Powerful stopped, waiting for Plaag's response.

[Runfast]

Plaag listened intently. He mulled over the Powerful's words for a long minute. "I understand why my father didn't trust you. With all you know, one little piece of misinformation could throw AbyssClan into turmoil." He shrugged. "Thornstar and Shadowstar? Truly?" Plaag shook his head. "How dishonorable. I understand why Shadowstar was reluctant. But a blue eyed she-cat knowing where our camp is? It's just as bad as that Tiger-whatsit knowing where we are. All the better that we're moving." He sighed. "Something must be done about Falsecall - but first, I want to know what the forester Clans will do about him, since he's attacking them instead of us." Plaag's eyes narrowed. "Falsecall..." He shook his head again, 'tsking.' "Shadowstar's plan would never have worked, as much as I hate to admit it. There are a hundred foresters in the lowlands while there was only thirty of us. In practically abandoning the City, we have abandoned our greatest resource. This must be amended."

[Longstorm]

Searingeyes nodded. "Wise words. What is your plan for the City? I know you are sending Paleclaw and others to CityClan, but what do you hope to achieve?"

[Runfast]

Plaag thought for a moment. "To reconnect, of course. Once, CityClan and AbyssClan were closer than the forester Clans at one of their Gatherings. I think it would be beneficial for both Clans if the lines of trade and communication and travel were reopened. More prey for the City, more Warriors for AbyssClan, better protection and quicker news - and so on. I know I only have stories to go by, but other stories say that you and your Powerfuls have lived through such times. Tell me - did you find them beneficial?"

[Longstorm]

Searingeyes slowly smiled. "Yes. It was as though AbyssClan and CityClan were one and the same. Rogues and loners came to fear the City and AbyssClan's continued prosperity was the envy and wonder of all the forester Clans." The brown tom spoke with a factual tone tinged with curiosity. Searingeyes could have wondered if Plaag really thought he could reunite the Clans, but of course, he already knew the answer.
"Do you believe that Paleclaw and the few others you're sending with him will succeed?"

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