Knighthood

The jungles of Atlantis were such a beautiful place. The plants located here were like no other on top the surface. Some were deadly and poisonous, bearing sharp thorns and tangling vines. Others were more subtle, releasing spores to daze and intoxicate their enemies. Still, others were more friendly, able to be used for healing or to fight of illnesses. Chlorophyll had never felt so at home before- the jungle welcomed here, the Atlantans shared much of her mindset when it came to plants. The raptor had little care what happened to the surface- if anything, she was thrilled. Bringing the jungle plants to the surface was an amazing idea, in her books. It had not taken long for her to gain the trust of their queen- and today, they would welcome her as one of their own.

At her side in the room they had been rushed off to to prepare slouched Apis. The yellow cryolophosaurus was less than pleased to be here, but kept on a pleasant smile on her face even as her thoughts turned sour. Damn Atlanteans. Did they have to make everything so festive? Couldn’t they just throw some badges on them and call it a day?

Mary was the third islander, and by far the largest. The red parasaur did her best to appear proper, but the effect was somewhat ruined by the fact she had to lie down to allow the oviraptors to access her face.

All around them ran a large group of oviraptors, frantically preening and polishing and attempting to get the islanders into ‘proper’ shape for the ceremony. A red, yellow, and green oviraptor introduced themselves as Paradise was busy mixing various warpaint in nearby canisters. Another oviraptor known as Maol was carefully preening Mary's tangled feathers, causing the parasaur to let out a soft sigh. At least there were some benefits to this awful ceremony. Feathered parasaur’s of were far too large to groom themselves, and often required the assistance of other herd members to help. However, Mary had been alone for a long, long time. The gentle preening was pleasant, and she couldn’t help but flash a smile at the grey and white oviraptor. Maol squeaked, blushing, before resuming their work.

Paradise finally stood, a stone tray of warpaint clutched in one hand. “Ok!” He chirped brightly, looking between the three. “Which one of you wants facepaint?” Chlorophyll raised her claws into the airsmugly. “Which color? Green, blue, purple, or red.”

“Green works just fine.” The raptor purred. Green was her thing- no point in having another color. “Leaf patterns, if you would please.” Paradise murmured an affirmative before approaching, gently beginning to plaster paint on with his claws.

Apis was mostly ignored by the oviraptors, the creatures too skittish to approach her- despite Chlorophyll also being a raptor, her green coloring and agreeable nature made her much more approachable to them. Fine on Apis’s end- she had no feathers to groom, and no wish for paint. Still, at the very least, it would not be a good idea to freshen up a bit. Apis settled for lapping at her scales a bit, attempting to clean some of the grime of jungle life off.

“There! How’s that.” Paradise stepped away before presenting the painted raptor a small bit of glass to observe herself in. 

Chlorophyll let out a coo of delight as she took in the green splatters across her face, wild and dense like the jungle itself. “Perfect. You do fine work.” She flattered- it was best to gain the support of the Atlanteans now, after all.

A trumpeting sound cut over Paradise’s stutters, causing Maol to perk up his head. “It’s time.” He softly instructed, turning away from Mary and urging her to her feet. “Best of luck to you.” The oviraptor dipped his head, before scurrying away- likely to rejoin the crowd. Paradise and the other raptors followed soon after, gossiping among themselves. 

That left the three islanders in the room alone, staring awkwardly at each other. None of them really knew- or liked- each other. Still. One had to lead. With a sign Apis rose, sweeping from the room with slow footsteps. Mary followed behind, leaving the smallest member to follow in last.

The pathway to the altar where the queen stood was just big enough for an iguanodon to walk through, flanked in potted plants of all shapes and sizes. A crowd of oviraptors, warriors, and court members watched from beyond the boundaries, mixed expressions across their faces. They assorted citizens seemingly lit up as Mary and Chlorophyll came onto scene, much more trusting of the plant loving raptor and herbivore than the cryolophosaurus. Well, fine then. 

Apis sank into a bow as she approached the queen, head dipping down low. Mary and Chlorophyll followed her lead, Mary dipping down onto all four legs and Chlorophyll bowing her long forelimbs out. 

Queen Rhys served them with a noble expression upon her face, the monkeys on her back chittering between each other. “Welcome, islanders.” The queen's voice fit her look- gentle but confident, comfortable in the position and power she possessed. “You come here before Atlantis to swear your fealty as a temporary knight- sworn to protect its kingdom and all its inhabitants. Do you accept this role?”

Mary nodded, before realizing she should probably speak out loud. “I do.” The red herbivore raised her head proudly, trumpeting out of her horn. The carnivores at her side repeated the oath, one more confident than the other. Chlorophyll seemed especially eager, a wide grin on her face.

“Then as the Queen of Atlantis, let me be the first to welcome you into our ranks.” Queen Rhys dipped her head down in her own bow back towards them. “We thank you for your service- what you have done so far, and what is yet to come.” Behind the trio, the crowd roared their approval- hesitation gone with the approval of their queen. “Now, let us feast!”