Rising Dragons

9 Things the Organisation Know and 2 Things They Cause

The Organisation: The ones in the shadows, the one Fáelán leads

Enjoy this short (no longer that short) thing I wrote... Because why not.

Poem: At The Last by Witter Bynner

There is no denying
That it matters little,
When through a narrow door
We enter a room together,
Which goes after, which before.

Perhaps you are not dying:
Perhaps—there is no knowing—
I shall slip by and turn and laugh with you
Because it mattered so little,
The order of our going.

Scene:

Take place after the last scene we had between these two

1. Name

Fáelán coming from Faolán, meaning little wolf.

Wolf as in the animals that live in packs with a structure. Wolf as in wild and fierce. Wolf as in snarling teeth and slinking creatures. Wolf as in the creature that stalks in the shadows.

I dare anyone who knows Fáelán and actually knows him, to say that he isn't like a wolf. Graceful and a person shrouded by shadows. Strong and smart. Leader of a network of smaller shadows. Deals in secrets and favours and rumours and whispers. This is Fáelán – is it not?

2. Weight

Forever Fáelán has been tasked with reminding Galchobhar, Aldrys, Rys, of who he is. It weighs on him, pulls at his shoulders and tugs at his back. Fáelán remains standing, but when Rys leaves, certain of who he is once more, a frown will overcome his features, his shoulders – won't sag because Fáelán has an image to maintain, but they – twitch, and a weariness clings to him.

Often, after Rys is gone. Shadows of no importance to almost everyone, shadows small compared to their leader, will slip out and around and close down a business; redirect everyone elsewhere for an hour – longer if they can manage it.

3. Chess

In chess, the most important piece is the King – he who means everything, but can barely move. The next most important piece is the Queen – she who can move in any direction, she who is the most powerful, she who puts herself at risk. There are other pieces, but they are not important.

Fáelán stand at the head of a network, sits in the throne made for his shadow kingdom – still, he isn't the King. There are those hidden in the shadows who grin – fiercely, bravely, and sometimes bitterly and angrily – who call Fáelán their Queen, but here they have no King and they do not ask for one.

4. Birds

So many have never seen the fragile, two-winged creatures up close. They have barely heard of the names – of swallows, of sparrows, of hawks, of eagles, of owls, of pigeons, of so many birds.

Still, sometimes when they don't whisper 'Queen' to one another, they'll call Fáelán other names – names of birds that fly, that soar, that are strong and graceful and they have never seen. Fáelán is greeted with sparrow, with swallow, with hawk, with eagle, with owl, with swift, with nightingale, with crane, with stork, with albatross, with kite, and so many other names. Sometimes he's heard it before, sometimes he hasn't, but always does know that they call him a type of bird.

He's never asked why.

5. King

Who is the King? There is no King because life is not chess (well... maybe there is a King, but if so, they are a King to Fáelán only and no one else). There is, of course, a game master – me. I play for both sides and twist words and actions. There is no other side. This is not a game. This is life.