Board Thread:Role Plays/@comment-25389303-20191221164519/@comment-25389303-20191226114335

It was difficult for Diaboli to remain silent as Zanipher spoke. He hadn't been sure what to expect from this meeting, but this obviously wasn't it. By the time the Dragon finished speaking, Diaboli was positively seething.

"You're wrong," Diaboli said flatly, his single eye having frozen into a shard of ice during the course of Zanipher's speech. He took a single step forward. "About a great. Many. Things."

Struggling to speak through gritted teeth, he continued. "You think I haven't been keeping tabs on Vale, huh? You must not have as good a memory as that girl from auction. After all, you told me the state of your network months ago. And I have to say, I'm still not impressed..."

Diaboli began to pace across the open rooftop as he spoke. "You want to know the truth? Your allies are weak. They're scared. You think I wouldn't relish crushing them like all the others? The fact is, the only way any of you can survive is by hiding behind one another. You like to play yourselves off as dragons, but in reality you're just sheep - hoping the big bad wolf won't eat you in the night. But rather than become wolves yourselves, you instead hire a shepherd, in the hopes they will protect you."

He paused in his tracks, turning back around to face Zan. "For someone who preaches peace, you do have knack for stumbling from crisis to crisis, don't you? The Bluthardts are out of your league, Zan. They don't have allies - they have servants. Anyone they don't trample beneath their heels are bought off." Diaboli folded his arms and glowered with disgust. "How long will it be before you receive a marriage proposal, I wonder? How long, do you think, before you switch the name 'Hei'An' for 'Bluthardt'?"