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[Geo]

The Headless horseman: Ronin

 

"Tonight, my friends, we... will make a good show!" Larius said to his teammates in the stall.

 

Larius was the one that likes to joust, and he was a very good one as well. He was going to make a good show with his people. He imagined the cheers and cries of his fellow fans that will watch him. If he wins, he will get a whole lot of gold and become richer than he ever was before. He was famous and he was wealthy. He had a nice life ahead of him thanks to jousting. Nothing will stop him from achieving his goals in life. He wore his armour and got his lance ready. His horse neighed and he took a seat.

 

"Ronin, get ready my steed. We're going to ride!" he cried.

 

The battle was about to begin. He was going to face a very tough opponent this time around. This didn't faze him that much since he knew it was all for the enjoyment of the people. Little did he know how much his opponent despised him. He wanted to crush his ego and make him taste bitter defeat. He will watch him cry as he is no longer the unbeatable.

 

Larius felt a little bit too confident this time around. He felt like he was going to win no matter what. He felt like this opponent was going to be just an ordinary weak plebeian that wished to gain wealth. 

 

He was given the "go" and headed towards the open arena. Crowds of people cheered as they saw the two knights arrive to do battle. He waved towards his people and gave them a thumbs up. Oh, he knew that this was going to be good.

 

"Stop daydreaming, boy" His opponent said, "You're going to lose to me if you keep doing that."

 

"Good luck. With that. Fool."

 

"You're such a twat, you know that, right?"

 

The battle started, and the two exchanged blows. They were equally matched and this was one of Larius' hardest matches he has ever participated on. It was until the final round where things got out of hand. His opponent attacked and with extreme force, it jabbed Larius' chestplate. The force was strong enough that it fazed him out of his horse. He lost his breath and his head was in pain.

 

Larius lost the match and his opponent went up to him saying, "Looks like your cockiness made you lose."

 

He couldn't stand up. He was on the floor, his head getting lighter and lighter. He can't feel his body and it was going numb. His horse was near him, and it neighed in a sad tone as it lightly kicked his body to see if he was okay.

 

Gale was watching the match and he felt like something was wrong with him. Everyone dispatched the area but Gale went towards him.

 

"Are you okay there?" He asked, but Larius gave no answer. "Hello? Can you speak?"

 

Larius couldn't move, his eyes were staring at this weird person. He had heard about him and the rumours. He was the reaper, the man who appeared when people were near death. Fear jolted throughout his numb body with his face giving distress.

 

"Dammit, this guy is dying... I only have 3 more spaces left in the void..." Gale muttered in disappointment. "Screw it. Sir, want to live again?"

 

With Larius' last strength, he nodded. The rumours about "The Reaper" made him look like a bad guy for some reason.

 

 

 

"I feel like this place is getting cramped." Razoriel noted as he saw Larius appear in the void.

 

"That's impossible. This place is practically a endless void." Protus replied

 

"I think it just loops around like a circle." Zodiar added.

 

"You guys give me a headache every time..." Violet complained.

 

"I hate all of you." Vangelus said to the rest.

 

"We hate you too, buddy." Protus said while thrusting his elbow on Vangelus' chest. "We hate you too."

 

"What the bloody hell is going on here? Where is my horse?"

 

Gale tapped into the void and heard all the ruckus that was going on in the void. They gave him a slight headache, but it was nothing too bad. He wonders if this is giving a negative effect on Omega's rest. He fears that they will wake him up someday.

 

"Hey, welcome to the void. You're horse is still in the realm of the living. Don't tell me that you want your horse in there too. I only have space for two more summons..."

 

"Please, I want my horse with me."

 

"Dude, what is with you and your horse? Don't tell me-"

 

"Can you please just give me my horse."

 

"Fine."

 

Gale touched the horse and it slowly melted away into the void. In order to save space, he fused the horse with Larius himself.

 

"Is it me, or did you make me a horse?"

 

"Correction, you fused with your horse and now your a "headless horseman". I have to save some space, and look, you're one with your lovely horse."

 

"Fuck you. I'm now a skeletal horse with a headless armoured skeleton riding me."

 

"Calm down man. Beggars can't be choosers. Anyways, I'm Razoriel, the wise guy is Protus, the guy with the snazzy hat is Zodiar, the complaining chick is Violet/Vionne, and Mr. Hater is Vangelus. I believe Gale didn't give you a name yet, what shall you be."

 

"Since I'm my horse, I guess I will be Ronin... Knave." 

 

"You cheeky bastard."

Edited by Geo, 01 December 2013 - 06:46 PM.

[Sir Flash™]

"Getting it ready, no butts included"

 

 

Once he had healed up from his wounds Darius would soon get ready to help out the others. As Diana gave the woman and the 2 brothers orders to help the others one came to him, "Oh how lovely, you want to heal me now, very funny. I can still use one arm do things too, I have salt and water." quite annoyed he thinks, "I have seen her somewhere before, but where? Why is this bothering me so much, ugh, I am getting a headache thinking about it." He then looks at the guy who was injured by the big cat, "I can probably help him."

 

Before he could take any action they all got ready to head out. "Well I get to keep my resources", with a smirk. *he is picked up again*, "Good Grief....."

 

---------------------------------------

 

When the tower is reached he was placed on the bed. "Oh how comfy for beds to be made", as the sarcasm became obvious." The first thing he notice was a young lady lying down. Not wanting to disturb, he looked at the new fellow who joined the group right after him. "Hmm, I wonder if he can be of use to me in the long run. Well for now I have questions I'd Like to know from Diana.".

 

He gets up to drink some water and then goes to the and heads toward the flight of stairs. Going up he see's the same guy who was injured, walk up under his own power. Darius decided to help him out a bit, "Hey, you seem to be struggling, care to have me help you up?", he says nicely. "Ah I never got a chance to introduce myself, I am Darius, what is your name?" asked nicely.

Edited by CM Flash™, 02 December 2013 - 08:51 PM.

[Geo]

Origins: Omega the Ancient Dragon

Time: The Deicide Age

 

The colossus, towering the landscape, marched towards the awaiting mage dragon, Omega. He flew around the sky, its flame tried to burn the giant down, but it had no affect with it's armour. Omega was one of the most powerful mages of his kin. No one knew why there was a colossus attacking the dragons, but soon enough, their question will be answered. He continued to soar around, dodging the armoured colossus' swings of it's dagger. The Colossus strangely then shrink down to it's human form, surprising Omega.

 

"Why hello there." A voice cried out, catching Omega's attention.

 

He turned towards where the voice was. A human stood proudly with a big smile spanning across the edge of his face. It looked like the smile was frozen into place.

 

"Who are you, pitiful salamander?" Omega questioned as he tried to claw the armour of the giant.

 

"I am the Hero of Light, dragon. I'm here to kill your kind." He replied with that ever static smile.

 

"Why are you doing this!?"

 

"For the sake of my race, my good fellow, I shall lead a revolution for human kind."

 

Omega felt like he was hiding something more malicious behind his smile. Even for a salamander of his stature, it struck fear in Omega. The Colossus jumped and took grasp on Omega, made a small cut on his arm while he was fazed.

 

"Like my pet of mine? I call him... Negatron."

 

The dragon tried to fight back, but the Colossus was too small to even catch. He circled around, using his magic to see if he can get the Colossus, and even trying to shake it off. He rained down lighting but it didn't even faze it. The bright glowing eyes stared coldly as it continued to slash at Omega. Omega dropped down to see if the fall would make it lose, he almost crashed down unto the ground. The colossus was too overwhelming for him. It was now that he had to go to his emergency plan.

 

"Just give up, my friend will end it quickly so it wouldn't hurt a bit."

 

Omega, being the one of the strongest dragon mage, was capable of using the powers of the void. He uses it's power to fight back easily. But using void magic was too tiring for him, and he knew if a human was to use it, it would probably kill him. He did a few more slices until he felt like he couldn't do much more.

 

"My, my, my, aren't you a tough one?"

 

Omega was getting too tired and the flapping of his wings to keep him flying was going more slowly than usual. The colossus took the chance a gave a large wound on his side. Blood spilled down unto the ground. It was hopeless to win, and he had to escape. But he was too tired to fly away and recover, so he has to use the rest of his energy to go unto the void. Omega ripped a rift and flew into it, dodging the colossus' final strike. His energy was drained and he couldn't move anymore.

 

"There he goes. Now then, my pet, let's continue on hunting." The Hero of Light said as he saw Omega flee.

 

The void was a quiet place. Omega made his own little personal space to lie down until he gets his energy back. He used too much energy during the fight and it would talk many years until he recovered all his strength. He slowly drifted away into a deep sleep.

 

 

 

Time: Six years before the present

 

Gale by that time, had found the remnant of his mother's staff. Despite being a mere fragment of what it once was; it still held a great power inside. He picked it up and concentrated with all his might to tap into the staff. He then woken up (mentally) in a dark place with a sleeping dragon.

 

"What is this place?" He asked in curiosity.

 

Omega woke up, and he was angry to see a human inside is little sancturary.

 

"What are you doing here, pitiful salamander? How did you even get here?"

 

"I don't know! I just tapped into my mother's staff!"

 

"You're mother...? What's her name?"

 

"It.. it was Aisha Kaloc."

 

"She was a strong woman. She supplied me energy while I gave her space for her summons. Perhaps you want to strike the same deal?"

 

"...yes, I want to be strong."

 

"Ah hah! Very well then, salamander... there will be only enough space for eight summons. Now you will give my your energy..."

 

 

 

Time: Present day

 

There was tons of noise and chatter inside the void ever since Gale filled up the spots Omega has given him. He regrets it as it has been somewhat difficult to sleep from all the complaining and fighting.

 

"QUIET DOWN!" he yelled

 

The skeletons jumped as they were afraid what he might do to them if they really piss him off. 

 

"I don't want to be burnt to crisp!"

 

"THEN STOP TALKING. LET ME REST."

 

He definitely regretted the contract, but at least Gale has been supplying him a good amount of energy. Soon he will finally be back to the way he was before..

Edited by Geo, 03 December 2013 - 12:25 AM.

[Inumori]

The City III

A Map of Hell

 

Caius prepared to climb down from the roof he'd used to search, but found himself caught on the vines he'd clung to for support. It seemed in his search he had managed to wrap them around his wrist unwittingly. No matter. And so the Courtier simply pulled himself free... but strangely, the vines seemed to almost follow his arm as he drew away from them. Uneasy about that reaction Caius sought a different route back down onto the street, a hole in the house's ceiling seeming to fit the bill. Not so, unfortunately. A quick peek down revealed a dense overgrowth of root and vine within the building, indeed it might've been all that was holding the place together. Before he had a chance to react however, the patch of roof holding him up gave way and the young noble fell what should have been a fair distance down through the destroyed second floor and unto the first. It was not so short a fall as he'd thought.

 

It turned out the vine structure had literally leapt out to catch him in a web of foliage. What in the...?! Caius was genuinely scared. No plant-life had ever responded so vigorously to his magic, and this was the Dusk. Fearing these vines may well have been patiently awaiting their next meal before he disturbed them the Courtier quickly lashed out at them, slashing and hacking with Serpent, the only weapon he could reach while held in the greenery's embrace. Shortly he would fall, landing just barely on a remnant of what used to be the second floor. The vines actively pursued him now, darting towards him through some unknown mechanism offering them such mobility. He sheathed his blade and leapt away from them just in time for the ground he was aiming for to give way. NO! Before slamming heartily into a pile what had likely been a kitchen once, the roots tore up from the very ground to catch him. The vines followed, and soon they had wrapped around him completely. A tremendous flower burst forth from the end of a vine and wrapped its petals around the Courtier's head. He barely had time to let out a muffled scream, and then everything fell silent.

 

A pulse, life pumping through a massive network of vessels. His own heartbeat echoing across the roots. He saw them, the vines, the roses, patches of grass, the odd tree. A veritable map of the city wherever the overgrowth had conquered. Footfall on unhappy grass, unwelcome trimming of healthy vines, signs of something traveling through the plants' domain. Movement, but is it our stragglers or...? It went on and on. The system went further down than he imagined it could. There were the walls, and a drop. The walls were astonishingly high, and below was a grand forest. To have climbed so far... how long has this land been abandoned? More moving plants. A mushroom with eyes and fear, though not of him. A cat. Little trees? No. Big mushroom. Huge cat. Trees that rustled in surprise at a visitor. More footfall, a powerful presence. Other survivors? It was too much. Caius' mind couldn't keep up, and such tremendous range was depleting his energy rapidly. It hurt, mentally and physically, and considerably. Then a sound. Plants don't hear, though that odd mushroom-being might. It was a collapse. The flower drew away and Caius gasped for fresh air. It had taken only a few seconds. Their altercation had taken many of the vines supporting the house away to catch him, and so the house fell. The Courtier was safe in a cocoon of foliage, but only just, as pieces of wall and ceiling collapsed within inches.

 

One last image. The flower could see him, or rather, it saw his heat. How? Why?  Caius asked weakly, the strain pushing him past his limits. It simply stared back at him. ...oh I see. You... you answered me. I asked, and you showed me. It remained still, though the vines wrapping him began to let go. ...Thank you. At this the plant seemed almost to bow. The massive sound of a building collapse was easily heard from the church though, and as Caius buckled from the strain of the entity's "assistance" it laid him down upon a clear patch of ground amidst the collapse. Fading from consciousness, the last image Caius had was of the vines and roots retreating into the ground. Whatever found him first would find the Courtier amidst the wreckage of a fallen home, utterly devoid of the life that once held it together.

Edited by Inumori, 19 December 2013 - 12:49 PM.

[Officer Judy Hopps]

[The Price of Loyalty] - Jeanne d'Luc

 

The transpiring of events was not something Jeanne had expected after her introduction. First, noone seemed welcoming at all in this motley crew. With Maiev simply glaring at the Knight as she stalked by, and the one named Gale declaring his distrust in her. Tilting her head curiously in response, blue eyes which seemed to constantly hold such a burning conviction looked at the man with a questioning stare for a few brief moments. Something just seemed a little...off with him. Though in this moment she couldn't quite place her thumb upon it. Dusting off the front of her clothes, the girl rose to a stand, and placed her hand upon the sheath of her weapon, slinging it so that it rested against the back of her hip once more. Shaking her head slightly in disappointment, she would finally respond to Gale quite calmly.

 

"Well, I am sorry that you decide to feel that way, perhaps I ca-" Rather abruptly, her face was suddenly taken into the grasp of another. The peculiar looking one, who finally upon closer observation beside that seemingly insane grin it held, she discerned that it was a 'he'. Raising up her own hand to take a surprisingly strong grasp of his hand, she pried it away from her face with a disgusted scowl lining her lips. Just what kind of people had her brother been working with? Muttering an impolite curse underneath her breadth as the one who was seemingly insane strode away, she finished her sentence; looking directly at the unbeknownst necromancer. "Perhaps I can earn your trust in due time."

 

Stiffly bowing at first, she turned to stride towards the exit of the church. Feeling that they had lingered there far too long, particularly when Fei was still kidnapped, and probably very much in danger. Cringing at the thought, she paused the moment she crossed paths with Maiev again. This time however, the woman's demeanor was different, almost even pleasant! "Easy there, soldier. That's not how normal people introduce themselves. Watch. Erhm! Hi! Maiev-Dalal, professional adventurer. Nice to meet you!" she proclaimed, and offered her hand. Uneasily at first, the Paladin extended her hand forward and finally firmly took grasp of Maiev's. Her silence continued for a few moments longer until she finally gathered her awkward thoughts to speak, and as such she warmly addressed her opposite.

 

"It is a pleasure to meet you then," she quietly muttered, studying Maiev for a few moments longer. She could've sworn that she could recognize the woman from another time; however, she couldn't quite place the where and when. With a curious brow crooked she opened her mouth to inquire, only to be suddenly interrupted by the sound of a crash in the distance. Quickly averting her focus to the rapidly changing event, she would call out for her brother to no response. Looking up to where he had walked off to, she soon discovered that he had disappeared! It only left one assumption, and that was he was involved in the crash.

 

"Caius!"

 

Drawing her sword in a flash of silver light, the Paladin looked behind her to the others of such a ragtag bunch. Flashing her gaze to the City Guard, and then Maiev, she weighed her options. What could she do? Milling her mind for what would be the proper tactical move, she looked over to the blonde boy with a steadfast stare. "Garm. Protect these people while I go retrieve my brother, do not allow any harm to befall them. I am trusting you with this." Then raising her helm to settle back upon her head once more, her grasp tightened about her blade as she marched forward into the Dusk. This time, alone.

 

Thankfully, finding her brother did not take much time. Falling to a knee next to him in the ruin of what had once been a home, her fingertips moved gently forward and pressed against the crook of his neck. Finding a pulse, closer inspection with her eyes found the rise and fall of his chest. He was unconscious, but still very much alive. Gently, a fingertip would nudge his form, and her voice would reach out to him gently; trying to usher him into a state of cognition.

 

"Wake up sleepy head, wake up!"

Edited by Trouble, 05 December 2013 - 02:51 AM.

[Rainbow Dash]

Terra Lifebane

“Why did you hurt yourself? We need to find a way out of here. Beating those walls won’t get us anywhere.”

Terra's eyes never focused or looked anywhere in particular. "Figured out why my healing hasn't worked properly the last few years", she said. "It was upsetting, to say the least".

The rabbit, now healed, immediately hopped away. Terra supposed it had wanted to avoid another scene like that one that had just happened. She knew she had until a few moments ago. "We're currently trapped within our own minds. We can't interact with the world here and my magic isn't working", she noted. "Only way I can see this ending is if one of the goons on the surface can get us released, but considering the most reliable of those is an inanimate object I am going to murder I cannot see it happening any time soon"

Terra looked down at her mangled hands. Although it was merely mental, they hurt just as they would have in real life. "Best strap yourself in. This could take a while"

[Crouching Bacon]

Soren watched the rabbit hop away.

 

"It wasn't dead after all."

 

He looked about the area. Strange, how a place so large and real was really just a prison cell.

 

"Our minds? This is your world, not mine."

 

Those so called goons of hers had better work quickly. The thought of ending up somewhere in another random memory was a horrifying prospect, made even worse by her presence. In his world, he was the rabbit.

 

In his world, kind young healers did not exist.

 

"Though I might get to see mother..."

 

He reached into his cloak and pulled out Animus to test if magic really did not respond. Odd flashes of memory ran through his mind, though they were a bit spotty here and there, the details slightly murky and the emotions all muddled.

 

"Mine still works. Though... what I have isn't really magic in the first place."

 

Her hands were in a dreadful state. Luckily it wasn't her feet; she wasn't dead weight yet.

 

"That Luna woman? She had a strong aura about her. What is she?"

 

If they were going to be here a while, he might as well learn something.

[Rainbow Dash]

Terra Lifebane

"Our minds? This is your world, not mine."

Terra moved her head slightly in his direction, although her eyes remained empty. "My world, but you're here aren't you?" The boy pulled something from his pocket and spoke, but Terra wasn't listening. It wasn't until he mentioned Luna that her thoughts returned to the conversation.

"That Luna woman? She had a strong aura about her. What is she?" he asked

She frowned and thought about it. "I'm not entirely sure. Either she is the staff, or the staff contained her soul", she explained. "She's a relic from the old kingdom, long before Empyria. She... was my friend"

Terra retreated into her own thoughts here, no longer caring to interact with the boy. Her mind ran through scenarios in which Luna really didn't screw up her magic, or where Luna causing her so much pain was only for the best and Terra would return far greater than she'd ever been before - but she knew them for fantasies. Still she imagined, she dreamed. Anything to take away the feeling of betrayal that so deeply cut her soul.

Memory-Terra began to move and pulled along by the invisible walls, Terra followed. She watched herself return to her room and prepare a small meal. She watched herself to go class. As the most talented student she was often called upon to demonstrate various healing methods to the other students while the teacher elaborated on their usage and technique. Terra remembered this part all too well.



The teacher - fully confident in Terra's skill - asked Terra to use the application of healing on the teacher's own arm. Swallowing her doubt, Memory-Terra stepped forward and send her magic into the teacher's limb.

Again, as with the rabbit, the magic backfired. Terra wasn't inflating her own ego when she said she had been the most talented cleric in the convent. Her potential may have even been stronger than her mother's. All that latent power flowed backwards, rotting the teacher's arm. In just a moment her fingers blackened and shriveled and pus ran freely from hideous cracks opened in the skin. Terra pulled her magic out immediately but the damage was done. The cleric screamed in agony and fell to the ground, grasping her dying hand. Terra leaned down, intent on sending the same negative magic that healed the rabbit into the teacher.

The woman threw her back. "Get away from me!" she howled. A pair of elder clerics drawn by the screaming threw open the door and rushed to the aid of the now crying teacher. Terra shrank back into a corner of the class, shaken and scared. Desperately she looked to her friends to comfort her - but none of the girls in the room would meet her gaze. None of them wanted anything to do with her. And so Terra for the first time discovered she was alone.



Standing at the back of the class, invisible to everyone, the real Terra stood watching silently. She knew what came after this. She hoped the tedium of being stuck here would blur the harsh memories opening old wounds but she knew it was futile. "I think we might be here a while"

[Geo]

Exxos

 

A normal sunny day in a particularly small town that was off the beaten trail. Birds were chirping, the breeze flowing around the empty streets. It was strange for the town to be all quiet; it was normally busy and full of chatter here and there. Gale wondered why as he took a stroll to see what is going on in the strange ghost town. He was quite fond of the town as well, knowing it had some friendly folks who never steered away from helping out strangers in need. He wanted to go back and say 'hello' once again, but that wasn't the case this time around.

 

"What happened here?" He asked himself as he looked through the alleys and all around. "There is bound to be someone here..."

 

A sudden shriek echoed throughout the town, reaching Gale's ears. It made him jump a little to hear such a terrifying cry all of the sudden in the quiet town. The cries came for help and Gale ran towards the person in need. One more yell from the person stopped abruptly as he heard a gruesome bloody noise soon afterwards.

 

"...what the hell‽" Gale yelled as he saw what he found.

 

There was a large man wearing heavy armour that was the night. It shined brightly with a large halberd stained with blood, which was piercing the soft soil below the armoured man's feet.  Behind 'it' was a mutilated body that once was an average man before he was slaughtered mercilessly.  Who knew how many lives he as taken over his whole life, but it was certain he was the one to desert the town for any inhabitants. The brute turned around, and he saw Gale standing there, petrified.

 

"Who are you? You will die if you get closer."

 

"Why did you do this!"

 

"They made me kill them... do you want to die to?"

 

Gale took out his scythe as the brute walked slowly towards him; dragging his large halberd which lead a giant trail as he advanced. His armour was too tough to even scratch it by the pure looks of the thing. It was probably the worse decision Gale thought of throughout his whole life; other than the time he left Maria behind selfishly.

 

Summoning Razoriel and Vangelus out of fear, he was ready for anything.

 

"You have friends with you? How nice."

 

The brute finally rushed forward and they fought for a long while. The armour was extremely durable and Gale can only do so much to do some damage. Vangelus and Razoriel was a very useful asset as their strength helped weaken the armour enough to hurt the guy.

 

"STOP HURTING ME!"

 

The brute yelled as he dropped his sword and ran towards Razoriel. He was faster than before and he took grasp of the skeleton and ripped him in half. The cracking and snapping of the bones continued to echo more as the berserker pulverized poor Razoriel into fine dust. Gale felt the danger the berserker was emitting as he turned towards Vangelus. The deathknight yelped, or what it was seemed to be a yelp, as he braced for impact. The foe jumped and slammed him into a flat metal sheet. The impact made a large crater, but it also broken off large chunks of the heavy armor. 

 

"Oh shit." Gale said under his breath as he turned to him for the next kill.

 

Luckily, since the chunks of the armour fell off, Gale can go stop him in his tracks. As the berserker ran, Gale sliced the exposed stomach. Guts spilled all over the floor as he fell down cold. Blood was everywhere on Gale's apparel, and he walked towards the berserker at last.

 

"I think you would been a great soldier with that strength of yours."

 

"Is this how it ends for me?"

 

"No, I can make things right for you. You got a nickname you like?"

 

"Ex..xos."

 

"Exxos, huh? Alright, you can serve me and your strength will be used for the better."

 

"...thanks."

 

A large pool of blood and guts stained the floor by the brute that once killed many. Gale sent him to the void where his strength will not be in vain and Gale knew that perhaps that guy might not have been that bad at all. Clearly, he had to learn to control his own emotions, but he could've been a nice guy living a happy life. Gale left as the smell of rotten flesh started to fill the whole area and never came back to see if people returned once again.

[SliceAndDice]

Markus

 

Medea wasn't waking up.  That was a bad thing. Markus bent down and started to examine her as lightly as he could. He thought back to the sparse first aid instruction he'd been given on the road out of the desert, but none of that had covered being in an airship that came under attack, started going down in flames, and then suddenly being transported elsewhere through no clearly explicable cause. Still, it did cover emergency treatment, so he did manage to recall a few things. Things like not disturbing someone who was unconscious unless they were in immediate danger. She wasn't, so he left her be. After all, if they moved her the wrong way, it could cause further problems. She didn't appear to be injured, but there could be internal damage, and if she wouldn't awaken...

 

"This isn't good. I really don't want to split up, but one of us needs to stay here and watch her while the other looks for help."

 

He turned toward Alexander again.

 

"Seems to me your combat methods would be better suited toward a stationary position rather than on the run. I'll go see if I can find some help around here, or at least find out where we are, you stay here and make sure nothing happens to Medea."

 

With that said, he rose up and started walking toward the stairwell that led to the circular room. He stopped briefly and turned back about halfway across the hall.

 

"One last thing. If Kryssa comes back by herself, it means we're in deep and you need to grab Medea and get the hell out of here any way you can."

 

A few moments more and he was taking to the stairs toward the dimly lit room...

 

 

[ShiroOuji]

Alexander

 

"Rise and shine sweetheart, we've got a problem or three." said Markus while poking Medea with his stave.

 

Alexander looked around to further grasp the situation but got nothing significant. It seemed Medea wasn’t waking up. Markus bent down and examined her condition. Alexander also sat down a few feet away from the two, while looking at Medea. She doesn’t seem injured, he thought. But it could be internal wound, which is really bad in this situation.

 

Nonetheless, he calmed himself, thinking which path, the big double-door or the stairwell, he should follow to find the exit or something else which can get them out of this situation. But they couldn’t just leave Medea here and followed both paths at once. As if reading his mind, Markus turned to Alexander and said,

 

"This isn't good. I really don't want to split up, but one of us needs to stay here and watch her while the other looks for help."

 

He also agreed with not leaving Medea alone so he just gave a simple nod to approve Markus thinking. But who should go? Markus gave an answer to his pondering saying,

 

"Seems to me your combat methods would be better suited toward a stationary position rather than on the run. I'll go see if I can find some help around here, or at least find out where we are, you stay here and make sure nothing happens to Medea."

 

Alexander thought about it for a while. Markus had Kryssa with him so if anything happened, he could send her for help. He could also protect the unconscious Medea. But is sending Markus alone fine? Shouldn’t he go instead of Markus because he got more “firepower” than him? But he concluded that protecting an unconscious person far more suited for him. And he could still look around this giant hall for some clue. It was really great the Markus could kept a calm and compose mind in this situation. So he said, “Okay, I understand.” to Markus and walked near Medea while Markus started walking toward the stairwell that led to the circular room.

 

Markus stopped briefly and turned back about halfway across the hall.

 

"One last thing. If Kryssa comes back by herself, it means we're in deep and you need to grab Medea and get the hell out of here any way you can."

 

He then walked towards the stairs which lead to the dimly lit room. Alexander had to disagree with the last thing Markus said. He couldn’t just leave someone and run away like a coward. He may not be a fighter but he had confidence about his bombs and he’s definitely not leaving a comrade behind if he was in danger.

 

“Sorry Markus, but I can’t agree with what you just said. You don’t think I’m gonna leave a comrade and run for my safety, do you?” he muttered softly and turned towards Medea. Alexander sat down beside Medea, while he readied himself to rush toward Markus if something happened.

[Liar]

The Fallen Sword

 

“This is starting to get boring.”

 

The words rang throughout the coliseum, and the hundreds of warriors that clashed in the arena faded to dust. The roaring crowd that were enjoying the spectacle soon followed. From his box stood the Swordsman looking down at the participants of his melee with a bored, lofty expression on his face. One moment he was merely standing there, but in the next, too fast for any of them to catch, he appeared inside the arena along with everyone else, a ring of dust rippling away from his feet.

 

“I’m actually quite disappointed. This is empire’s current generation of warriors?” The Swordsman frowned disapprovingly at Valerius. “Too weak. Much too weak.”

 

The greatest swordsman in the world removed his infamous two blades, eyeing each remaining human left with an excited gleam in his eyes. “I don’t care if you all jump me at once. I’m more than a match of all of you combined.”

[El Phantom]

Valerius Lyon

 

"Nah, I'm plenty", Valerius stepped forward with both blades in hand, ravelled in chains from the previous large kill. The chains were going to slow down his blades though, which was a problem against this man. Most would not be fast enough to warrant he need to take them off, in fact no one here but two maybe three people required it. Regardless of this he charged right in, his footwork was improving, almost matching the demonstration from earlier. The initial clash lasted a grinding half second before a flurry of slashes ensued, and before the sixth clash Valerius did a retreating spin, letting his father's blade come down, slashing out the chains. This was followed with the same sequence, but for the other arm, and just like that his hands were free from the extra weight. Twirling his blades he shrugged off what few pieces of the chains were left.

 

"There's a lot you gotta answer for... It's time you owed up to everything and tell us the truth...", was all he simply said. This wasn't about weakness, or a good fight. He's had time to think, all the way up to this moment. Did his father really betray Empyria? He believes it for now, but it's a rare chance to ask someone at the time, and to be honest he wants to believe his mother's heart was in the right place. He wanted to resolve all his questions today, and nothing was going to stop him. Nothing.

 

Though if this phantom of the past could really hold memories like a regular person... Then the stance he sees before him, was vastly different from what he saw within the arena, and of course, incredibly improved from their clash in the airship. It was still loose, seemingly open like always, but firmer, and suddenly much more difficult to approach.

 

"You said weak right? Maybe it would seem that way. I'm just a mercenary, I have no obligation to seem strong, only do what gets the job done. I'd be a horrible entertainer", he firmly stated. The stare-down began, both combatants eyeing each other, but also keeping the movements of the others in check. Any approach from either side if done wrong could end in complete disaster, or complete and total victory. Valerius though stronger, knew that the odds were still against them. That speed he saw earlier, he never saw that level of it back on the airship. Truly the arena was his home... The sand was going to slow everyone down, maybe a few of them won't have trouble moving in sand, but none have perfected movement in a sand arena as much as his father. It all came down to who would make the next move.

Edited by ~L~, 29 December 2013 - 02:02 PM.

[Maia]

~The Bracelet~

 

 

Finally the massive horde was called off, gladiators and spectators alike vanishing in a cloud of fine dust that spread across the arena. Now all that remained, at last, was Eckhart Lyon himself to challenge, a pleasure that Talia would relish. Well, as soon as she checked on the casters. Radin was still lost in a hysterical fit and completely useless; at least until someone could calm the boy down. With that thought in mind Tali reluctantly turned away from the center of the arena, though she had every intention of returning to it, stepped between Radin and Azelus, dropped her hands onto the boy’s shoulders and gave him a gentle shake.

 

“Listen to me now, it will not help your master if you continue to lose your composure like this,” she said softly, an oddity for her, drawing Radin’s attention. “What he needs right now is your focus and strength, not your tears. Be that for him, Radin.”

 

She held his shaking shoulders long enough to let her words sink in before she turned her attention to Iblis, purposely granting Radin a few moments to pull himself together without her watching, and caught Iblis' state of trance. “I cannot help heal him, Iblis-san, but I can remove his sense of pain.”

 

With that said she knelt next to the wounded man, hoping that Iblis had, in some way, heard her words, and pulled one of the hundreds of fine needles from the bracelet wrapped around her wrist. “Azelus-san, this will not hurt you. I am simply going to use this to take away your pain, and keep any further pain at bay,” she said in yet another oddly gentle tone.

 

Very carefully she sought out the correct nerve cluster that she needed and quickly and accurately inserted the needle, effectively doing just as she said; removing the element of pain the man had been feeling and looked down to study the wound. It was then that she found another way to help him. Another needle was pulled from the bracelet, but this one she placed near the gaping wound in the man’s side to insure the bleeding would not start once more during Iblis' healing process. Satisfied that the needles would stay in place she turned her blue eyes once more onto Radin.

 

“I have prevented further bleeding and pain, but it is only a temporary solution," she said, addressing the boy and the alchemist. “My needles can only do so much on a wound like this, so all I can do now is hope that the healing that Iblis is attempting will work. When he is finished have him pull them straight out, do not let them tilt or bend while still in your skin or it will cause severe damage.”

 

With that done she stood, nodded at Azelus and Radin, then began making her way quickly back towards the center of the arena, Kaminari and Inazuma held tightly in her hands, in time to see the Baka Bishie attack Eckhart. Well now, she couldn’t let him and the other two have all the fun, now could she? When the chains fell from Valerius’ wrists and he stopped, she stepped up next to him, her attention centered on Eckhart as she studied him, the Handsome Devil’s words barely registering in her mind. Up close she could see more of the striking resemblance between Eckhart and Valerius and she wondered what relation tied the two men together. Were they brothers perhaps? Maybe father and son?

 

“Interesting family reunion,” she muttered.

 

While she was uncertain as to how the Baka Bishie felt about the man standing before them, she had no desire to stand idle. The sand shifted under her feet as she shifted her weight, and like before, she attuned her senses to it. Eckhart was fast, very fast, that much she knew, and attacking him recklessly would be a foolish endeavor. If she could get close enough to him, she might be able to slow his movement with a well placed needle, of course in a place that would be difficult for the Swordsman to reach, that would allow the small group to have at least some advantage in the situation. The only problem would be getting close enough. She glanced sideways at Valerius for a moment, then at the other two, and finally back to Valerius, lifted her hand to brush her hair away from her face and making sure that the Baka Bishie could see the bracelet of needles.

 

“I only need a moment,” she whispered to Valerius, and it was true. She only needed a small window that Eckhart would not have his attention on her and she might be able to pull it off. She knew, oddly, that Valerius would be able to do it, but the other two she wasn’t so sure of. She had seen nothing of their skills save for the Leaping Baka, though only a small bit, but nothing of the third.

 

“Only a moment,” she whispered to Valerius once more.

Edited by Maia, 31 December 2013 - 09:23 PM.

[Viscoun]

Darken VI: It Comes To An End

 

Two weeks ago...

 

Prince Lysander's speech had lifted the spirits of the gathered crowd greatly, and all of them entered the dining hall with shining hearts and fierce appetites to accompany them. Such were the vices of men, concomitant with the feeling of glory and seemingly altruistic valor that the greatest of warriors surrounded themselves in, convincing themselves that the more they fought, the more they killed, the more they became agents of a greater good, one dedicated to the slaughter of the enemies of their home nation. Justice, righteousness, bravery… all euphemisms to honor those who lived to kill, to take lives, to rob futures. Seeking any justification for war, they would do anything to know the scent of battle once again.

 

The fools, thought the cloaked man as he sat, a dark hood shrouding his entire head, a long robe hiding the rest of his body. The collar of the black tabard he wore beneath his robe was the only visible piece of underclothing that he wore. The tip of the gold cross embroidered on the front of the garment poked out, and the man pulled up the neck of his robe to hide it. Beside him, men jostled for food, taking large swigs of drink, laughing heartily, indulging themselves in the commonest form of human greed. Oh, gluttony! If only you would take me with you, lost friend. The embittered man put a hand to his stomach, and felt the ridges and lumps that had taken hold of skin.

 

He was hideous, he knew. Born with a strange disease that had rendered him ugly to the world, all his life he had strived to make his actions speak louder than his face. But all who looked upon him turned away in disgust - even his own mother refused to look him in the eye, not even that day when she took him to the forest surrounding his home town, and had left him there to fend for himself. For two years he had staggered, feeding on wild meat and poisoned berries, till his stomach grew intolerant of food and all he knew was how to hunt, to take lives from afar and feast upon the flesh that remained. When a hooded man, the first proper human contact he had since childhood, appeared to him in the woods, he had been reduced to something perhaps even less animal than the animals themselves - a wretch, as what little remained of his self-humility had told him at the time. Seeing the use he could have for the wretch, the hooded man had subdued him, and taken him into his own home. He had cloaked him, placed a hood on him, and had granted him the freedom and the rights he had always yearned for, so long as he did not remove the hood.

 

And, the wretch being true to his word, the hood had never been removed.

 

The hooded man had revealed himself to be a scion of the southernmost Empyrean Province, the lands of Aurchsigund South. A councillor on the board of governors, he had served as an associate advisor to the incumbent baron-governess for years. Of sharp mind and quick wit, he had been observant enough to know that, although the governess, as a former captain in the Empyrean Army, was charismatic, inspiring, and made few enemies, those select few that did consider her an adversary consisted of many members of the higher echelons of the Aurchsigund South government hierarchy. And so, when the governess had announced her intent to join the Third Crusade and return to the battlefield once more, abandoning her post as governess in the process, he had quickly identified those who did not take the news well, knowing them to be amongst the ranks of those who had originally plotted to remove her from office. Now, with one part of the plan done, he realized that they intended to kill her.

 

And so, in return for his many years of aid and care for the wretch, the advisor had bade him go with Prince Lysander as a volunteer, partly to regain the trust of those in the advisor's service who did know of his true appearance, but mainly for one single, yet ultimately essential purpose. A purpose borne of the advisor's undying loyalty to the governess, Lady Ivis Fraughtsword.

 

Protect her.

 

He watched as Ivis made her way across the room, heading towards the massive double doors guarding the entrance to the dining hall. With a nod to one of the guards, the doors were opened, and she departed. Perhaps she had gone for some fresh air, or simply needed to relieve herself. Whatever it was, he would need to follow her.

 

At the same time, he noticed the eyes of a young child, chewing on a brown, honeyed biscuit. They, too, had been following Ivis' exit. Though he was now on alert, he assumed the best of cases. The boy was simply an observant one, and his attention would return to the table of food laid out in front of him before long. And yet, his expectations were to be betrayed - with an unusual abruptness, the boy stood, and also began making his way towards the exit.

 

The wretch stood, knocking over a servant carrying a plate of food as he trailed the boy, pushing through throngs of people who gave him momentary rude stares, and then returned to their conversations. Barreling through the double doors, he heard the footsteps of the boy disappear into the shadows of the dimly-lit corridor. Following the footsteps, his heart raced as he remembered the thrill of the hunt, still a part of his core even after years of civilization, years of education, years of humanizing. That part of him, that part of the wretch, could never disappear as long as he lived.

 

Without warning, the boy stopped in his tracks. From within his cloak, the boy produced a dagger.

 

The man placed a hand on his own sword. It was a gift from the advisor, a relic from ages past, he had said. Some say it contained ancient powers that could only be unlocked by the basest of heart, true wretchedness being the key to turning the sword towards the wielder's will. The advisor had believed the wretch had been through enough suffering to make the best of the sword's mystical abilities, if indeed there were any. It was blue in appearance, made of the truest silver, yet tinged with an azure that belied a far more sinister secret. The moment he had laid his hand upon the grip, the sword had glowed, and the advisor had smiled sadly. It has accepted you. Perhaps the pain you feel now was enough to awaken it. May it become so that one day, you return with the sword no longer in your hands. It has haunted me for long enough, but I have never had the will to give it away.

 

Go forth, my friend. Make the darkness see the light.

 

Of course, as the wretch had later discovered with some experimenting of his own conscious, it was not wretchedness that drove the sword's energies. No, it was something far greater than that, something no man could remove from their heart without going to great pains to do so.

 

It was guilt.

 

 

 

And so, sword in hand, the wretch went to battle with the boy, one who he had, perhaps mistakenly, believed to be an assassin. But no normal boy would embark on a crusade like this.

 

Taking one last look at the sword's blade, the wretch traced the carved name with his eyes, the only sense that had remained unharmed in all his life as an outcast.

 

With his last preparatory breath, he whispered:

 

"I will never forget your grace, Councillor Harbazweiss."

[The Illuminati]

Home

'When I could only see the floor, you made my window into a door. And you created in me, something that I never would have seen before.'

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

It was once more year's end, a time of frost and ice. A time of cold noses, blizzards... And family. A time when children exchanged gifts with their neighbors, and a time when many working husbands returned home to their wives. It was a time of love, reunion, and tenderness. A time of hope, of home, and of happiness.

It was also a time of tragedy. For footpads and highwaymen were common sights along the road. These fellows of ill intent, and poor moral fiber preyed on the rich and poor alike. Sometimes stealing as little as clothes, and tobacco from travelers. One could never be too careful in these dark times.

Speaking of dark, on this particular night -- while many families were busy reuniting with their beloved ones -- there was a little girl who still waited patiently by the frost-covered, glass window for dear sister to arrive. Her sister was a special person, seeing as she constituted a full one-third of the little girl's family, and had exactly one half of her love. It was already late in the day, and the sun had set hours ago. Yet still her sister had not yet come home. Many of the other houses on the street had begun putting out their fires, while the local pub could still be heard making merry in the distance.

"...wisest of advisors, violator of virgins,"
"Best and bravest of brave brawlers..."
"...weasel-faced bastard, and an ungrateful lout!"

The little girl could barely hear the words the strange men sang deep within their mead hall, much less understand them, but some of it she did hear. And did understand, and found exceedingly funny as she danced to the sound of their throaty noise and grunts.

"He faced a daemon dragon,"
"When other men would freeze!"
"And then, my lords, he took his sword,"
"And brought it to it's knees!"

"Hail to The First Emperor,"
"The greatest of our kings!"
"He broke the back of evil,"
"And made it go for a swim!"

"When the empire fell to darkness,"
"And shadows ruled the day,"
"With no sign of hope, he soldiered on,"
"And showed us all the way!"

"Hail to The First Emperor,"
"The greatest of our kings!"
"He never shook your faith,"
"Let every cup be raised!"

"He offered us protection,"
"When monsters roamed the land,"
"And one by one, he took them on,"
"And they perished at his hand!"

"Ulright little one, it is time ferr bed. That not be the sorta music u ought to be dancing too! ... Don't give me those beautiful puppy eyes o' urs, I be immune to them. And what if ur sister came back, and saw ye now -- who do ya think would be the one in trouble ferr ur shenanigans? Hmm?"

"When is she coming back? You. Said. She. Was coming back this week, but..." the little girl stopped, as she began counting on her small fingers.

As she worked through the problem, silently forming words with her mouth as she did so, her nanny decided to sit down next to her on the radiator cabinet. The little girl had a thing for climbing, unlike her old nanny who preferred to keep both her feet firmly on the ground. The nanny, 'Nana' for short, was a hard working woman of low birth. After immigrating to the empire with her family as a young girl, Nana travelled for many, wild years before finally settling down. This meant getting a proper job, and a family to work for.

Finally, the young girl turned to her adoptive mother and held up three of her stubby, little fingers as she exclaimed..!

"Yesterday."

"Yesterday?" The little girl nodded again, her eyes appearing larger than they actually were, behind her glasses. "She was supposed to come back yesterday, but u got -- One, Two, Three -- fingers up?" Again the little girl nods, not breaking the eye contact with Nana. "Oh, honey-child," the older woman sings in laughter, as she picks the little girl up and settles her on her hip. "One day, is yesterday. Two days, is the day beferr yesterday. And three days, is a long weekend!" She finished, swinging and dancing with the little girl around the room.

Just outside was the CRUNCH of snow being pressed flat under a pair of boots. Even over the child's giggles, Nana heard the sound and quieted down. After another second, she looked at the little girl with wide eyes and asked...

"Did you hear that?"

CRUNCH The little girl slapped both hands to her rosy cheeks as she gaped at the sound. The older woman made a similar face, minus the painful slap.

CRUNCH Again that sound, steadily getting closer to the small cottage.

"Who's'at, do u think? Is it sissy? Is ur sissy finally home?!" The little girl replied by throwing her tiny hands into the air, in a silent scream.

"Well, let's take a gander shall we. Yes, we shall. See who is coming up to our home, making ull that noise!"

Reaching deep into her large cleavage, Nana pulls out the keyring attached to the chain around her neck. From it, she uses one of the many keys to unlock the large, forward door. The moon was full and shone brightly down on the empire that night, and in the white snow infront of them, a slim figure strode foward without hesitation.

As the figure drew closer to the lights burning within the tiny cabin, NaNa continued to rock the tiny girl gently on her hip -- one hand still on the door. She waited patiently until those telltale tentrils of strawberry-pink hair confirmed the stranger's identity. Instead, the dark figure pulled her hood back to reveal her beautiful face, and trademark tiara made of flowers. Now clearly visible, The Handmaiden smiled dazzlingly at her little sister and Nana.

"Isn't it passed your bedtime?" she laughed as Maiev torpedoed through the snow, and into her open arms. "Good evening, little song. Oh, how I've missed you!"

"Dame Rosamond," Nana greeted with a small bow. "Ur late. U almost made us worry. Another day, and the little mistress would have set out after u."

"Nana, please, save the formalities for strangers! We are blood now, the three of us, here."

"Nonsense, ma lady. U wurked hard for ur titles." Again another short bow.

With a deep sigh of exasperation, the elder Rosamond knew it was hopeless to argue further, not with the way the older woman's eyes beamed with pride.

"Is that true, little song, would you have gone searching for me?" she asked her sister instead, changing topics. Maiev's only reply was a hug and a nod. As late as it was, it was amazing she was still awake. Returning the hug with one of her own, the elder Rosamond whispered that that was good to know.

"Worry not, little song, I will always return to you. I swear it." To the woman that had practically raised her, she whispered "Highwaymen. There was a group of them blocking The Emperor's Highway. A toll, they claimed. Collecting in the emperor's name no less!"

"When I arrested them for crimes against the empire, they resisted and..." Caressing Maiev's head with her hand, The Handmaiden couldn't bring herself to speak the word with her sister present. "I later found out there was a bounty on them, but donated it to the local village instead." Nana nodded her head in understanding and approval. Rosamond didn't relish violence, or the pointless taking of lives, but such was the way of the world.

By now, the younger Rosamond had finally drifted off to sleep -- secure in the knowledge that her sister was safe, and home where she belonged.

"Forgive ma rudeness, ma lady, but ferr how much longer do u intend to keep the young mistress hidden from the princess? Ah thought u two were the best of friends..?"

Frowning slightly at Nana's formal tone, and the new direction of their conversation, the elder Rosamond's face relaxed slightly as she combed her fingers through her little sister's long, dark hair. They had all moved back inside the cottage, and locked the wooden door against the cold night air. All three now sat infront of the house's only fireplace, staring at the embers as they tried to warm their bones.

Rosamond conceded quickly that nothing about this had been expected. First finding her parents, and then her sister. The possibility that there were more of them out there: other siblings, nephews, aunts, uncles, and maybe even grandparents. For so long, for oh so long, she had been all alone. Just utterly, and completely on her own. Living on the street, not knowing when she would next find a meal. Most times, her only choice was either to steal food or to sleep hungry.

And then she was there. The princess. Saving her, lifting her up out of starvation, and destitution. Like an angel on white wings, she literally saved Rosamond's life. And all she ever wanted in return, was for them to be friends. Best of friends...

Now here she was doing something similar for this little girl -- giving her a home to call her own, and a name by which to be know, and love. So much love, that she won't even know what to do with it. But unlike the princess, The Handmaiden's first reaction was to hide the little girl. Was it from sheer panic? Shock? Perhaps, just embarrassment. Being reminded of who she had once been not to long ago.

At the time, she told herself that until she had figured out what to do and say, she would keep the baby hidden and private. However, months slowly bled into years, and it just never seemed like the right time to bring her sister forward. Now there was The Second Crusade to worry about. The princess wanted to march, had seen a vision of some sort. How. How had it all gotten so complicated?

"If ur embarrassed by her..." Rosamond's eyes flashed with anger at the mere suggestion, but knew in her heart it was most likely true, and hated herself for it. Ol' Nan continued speaking as if nothing had happened, ignoring the torrent of emotions flowing through the young woman beside her, "...I could take her -- raise her as my own, give her my last name..."

"Nana..."

"Wait now, child. Let this old woman finish first. As it already is, most people think she's mine. The lords and their spies probably know better, but such as it is, it would be a small thing to let the rest continue believing so. Besides, she likes it here, outside the palace walls, where there are children her own age who she can play with."

"This way, you'll he able to refocus on your royal duties and friendship to the princess, and not have to worry about whether or not you might see little Maiev before she goes to bed at night. Or wondering how often you might see her in a week. You're too young for this, ma lady, too young. Much too young to be a mother to this child. And that is what she really needs right now!"

"Besides! Do you really want to go into detail about how you found her? You can barely speak about how difficult your own life was before the princess came to you, without getting red. And people are going to ask -- she is already asking. Just last month, she went on and asked about her real mother, about her real father. Don't put yourself through this. Not now. I can take her. Let me keep her, and ten-twenty years from now..."

"You're point being," Rosamond cut in for the final time, "to make life easier for the both of us? Don't you see... No, let us put an end to any further discussion on this topic." Nana had been about to say something, but stilled her tongue.

"Don't you see that it is precisely because our parents choose the less difficult path, that we are here now?" Rosamond finished tiredly, the day's exhaustion finally catching up to her. "Together... I believe in my heart that everything happens for a reason. This little girl was always meant to come to me, and I to her."

"More than that, I love her! Nana, I love her so dearly." Rosamond wasn't one to cry, having grown up on the capitals's streets, but tears sprang into her eyes she before she realized it, and let them flow freely. "I love her. Like... In a really, really big -- let her comb my hair, wear all of my clothes, keep me up all night when she's sick -- sorta way. Light help me, I'm not even making sense and more!"

"Love usually doesn't," Nana whispers as she pulls the younger woman in for a motherly hug. Mercifully, their little family would only grow from here and truly become something special. "Guess I can finally sell this ol' place, and just move in with you two, now." Hearing this made The Dame Rosamond laugh, Nana didn't know why, after all she was serious!

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Edited by Black Lilith, 12 January 2014 - 03:15 PM.

[Liar]

A BROKEN HEART

 

The floor Sashya had stepped into held the resemblance of an apothecary. Numerous plants filled the area, making it almost feel as though she had walked into the forest again. Some plants were unlike any seen within the walls of Empyria. Diana had her back to her niece, busying herself with a mortar and pestle. No doubt she was concocting the medicine she promised them. Despite her intrusion, the woman had no measure of reaction towards Sashya. It was as though she had expected as much.

 

“You remind me of your mother,” Diana finally said, chuckling a bit with mirth. “No matter what I tell her, her curiosity often seemed to get the better of her. It got the two of us in trouble more often than not. Though saying what she always thought out loud was always something I admired her for and something I wished I had been able to do in my time of living…”

 

The Huntress turned and faced her niece and the boy that seemed to genuinely care for her. A soft smile played at her lips, but it did not reach her eyes. “Make no mistake. I’m dead. Though I move about like I’m still amongst the living, my heart no longer beats. Perhaps it is because of the magic of this world I find myself in, but it matters little. Neither does bringing up the past. Tell me, even if I tell you what transpired, what makes you so sure that I speak the truth? Are you so readily able to believe the word of whom you thought was a traitor over that of your mother’s?”

 

However, before Diana could say a word further, a dark presence could be felt throughout the tower. Its inhabitants would experience a few moments of being suffocated by the thick, evil atmosphere that seemed to perpetuate around them. A look of frustration and anger filled Diana’s features, and she cursed.

 

“No, this isn’t good…” Diana rushed downstairs, startling the few that were resting. Her eyes scanned everyone, and she gasped. “Where is that one woman? The one that looks she could be from the north?”

 

Alvilda was missing.

 

The tower suddenly shook, making some fall to the floor. However, Diana was prepared and kicked open the front door. Fog surrounded the area, making it difficult to see no more than a few metres. She walked forward, her attention on her surroundings. Abruptly, Diana jumped backward. A serpentine neck came crashing down from the fog, smashing the bridge where Diana just stood, breaking it in half. The serpentine neck lifted itself up and turned towards Diana, revealing the head of a giant snake.

 

Its eyes glowed red and its scales were as black as nothing. It hissed, opening its large mouth, revealing the body of Alvilda. She was not conscious, and her legs and arms seemed to be melded into the mouth of the serpent. The golden snake ornament she had picked up gleaming in what little light there was.

 

Things had taken a turn for the worse.

[The Illuminati]

Supernova

'Two weeks before the start of the Third Crusade...'

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Alvilda Asgeir sat alone in a bar not her own, with her feet on the table and feeling... Dissatisfied. Life's questions were nagging at the edges of her mind, and the watered-down ale in her mug was doing little to silence their incessant barking. She was landlocked, you see, with nowhere to go, nothing to smuggle, and no wars to hire herself out to as a mercenary.

At times like these, all she had was her tavern to look after. A fine establishment by any measure, but painfully... Average. It didn't suit her -- free time, that is. It made her think. Made her wonder where she was going in life, and who she might be in the next ten years or so. It made her wonder if she wanted children. And reminded her how much she missed her siblings.

Suddenly very uncomfortable, she shifted in her seat as she resisted the urge to rub her belly and caress the phantom child that wasn't yet there. By the Light, oh how she suddenly wished she had someone intelligent to converse with. Instead, she was surrounded by drunkards, criminals, rapists, cheap beer, and stale piss. No doubt her father would be proud... Bah, it was time for her to leave. Her ale was warm, and she was dreadfully bored. Hopefully sleep would prove a better cure for her melancholy, than the swill she was trying to get drunk on.

"Oi, Oi! Chambers, look-it what we got ourselves here. A fione lass, this one. Aye?"

"Aye indeed, Mr. Bones. A fine eye you have there, not as fine -- of course -- as this little treat..."

"Little?! This one's as big as a tree, she is. Might need us a few more men just to lug 'err upstairs!"

"Upstairs? Why, Mr. Bones, you sir are truly a gentleman -- if'n I do say so meself. See now, I, wouldn't t'ave wasted the effort..."

Alvilda had to pinch the bridge of her nose to stop herself from laughing. She really wasn't in the mood tonight, and by the sounds of things, these 'gentlemen' didn't even have enough teeth between the two of them to finish a fight with her -- much less start one.

 
Magnar Everett eyed the exiled Northerner on and off, as she played with her blonde hair and brown ale. She had a distant look in her eyes as she slowly threaded the golden strands between her red lips, and sucked on them slowly before repeating the process all over again.

He'd ordered a few rounds of the tavern's finest to bolster his courage, and add a little bit of moisture to his already dry throat. Yet still he hesitated, unwilling to ruin the natural art work that now sat before him. Another reason was that he wasn't used to talking to women. Oh how he wished courtship were as simple as challenging women to a duel, and letting the spoils go to the victor.

It was then that she began preparing to leave, shifting her feet to the floor as she placed a few coppers on the table. If he intended to approach her, now was his moment. Unsurprisingly, there were also others who seemed to have had the same thought as he. Scoundrels by the looks of them, quick to chat up a girl but lesser men when it came to a real fight. How it was that they could dare to approach her, when Magnar himself could not, was one of the many mysteries of life.

Twiddling his large rock like thumbs for a moment, he made up his mind and quickly emptied the jar he was drinking from in one swig and set it down on the bar's counter again. Making his way through the crowd as the ale burned it's way down to his stomach, Magnar caught the tail-end of the crude comments meant to hint at the unsatisfied lust afflicting the two sailors.

The portrait they were attempting to drawn of what they would do, if they got their hands on the blonde woman, sounded more like the scratches of a cat on furniture. Magnar knew children with more imagination than these two, certainly better hygiene. The young woman was certainly no pushover, far from it. In fact, in his professional opinion, she looked like she could go toe-to-toe with many of the top fighters in the Empyrian Army. But that didn't necessarily mean he couldn't offer her his assistance.

"Care if I join in!" he proclaimed boldly once he was in earshot of the trio.

Normally he would have preferred to wait until the situation boiled over so he could get feel for just how well she could handle herself in a fight, but his urge to speak to her privately was greater than his patience for scouting new fighting talent. As capable as she looked, he didn't dare hope to impress her, but these pirates would at least provide him with the means to start-up a conversation with her.

With a low growl, Magnar charged at the drunk bastards like a frenzied mother bear protecting her litter from a dusk-borne demon. As he piled on the pain, more of their comrades foolishly joined in and before long there was a proper bar brawl in full swing.

 
"Care if I join in!" a deep voice grumbled somewhere being the two men.

'And here comes another one,' Alvilda thought to herself tiredly. It was probably high time she did something...

Looking up, golden hair still snared between her lips, her eyes caught sight of the large Northerner before he tackled the two filthy sailors into the hard wooden floor. Getting up quickly, he let a large elbow fly as he landed on the two men for a second time.

As he stood up once more, Alvilda felt her heart skip a beat at the brute's powerful display of social disregard and wanton mayhem. Raking her eyes over his large frame and piercing eyes, she felt a coy smile tug at her full lips. He wasn't her usual type of soft skin, and feminine looks, but maybe different was what she needed just then. The butterflies in her tummy certainly seemed to think so.

He looked like a chiseled stone dish of passion and aggression -- but looks could be deceiving. She was a lot of woman, and needed to be handled physically, but as a woman, and with a lot of passion. She needed someone as strong or stronger to make her feel vulnerable. She was curious to see if he could make her feel that way.

Just then a shadow moved behind her would be savior. Without hesitation, she grabbed her mug off the table, and lobbed it at the new attacker -- but not before dousing the occupants of the table behind her with the ale from her mug. To his credit, the tall stranger barely bat an eye at the utensil as it flew passed his head. Instead, he wordlessly turned around and began pummeling the rest of the pirates' crew.

Throwing herself from her seat at the table, Alvilda dodged another table as it landed on the chair she had just been in. Grabbing her attacker by his right hand, she pulled him onto the overturned table before turning towards a second attacker. This one had a knife, and slashed downwards. With her left hand, she deftly caught his attacking forearm. With her right, she grabbed his belt. Finally, in one fluid motion, she pulled the much smaller man up into the air and slammed him down on top of the previous guy.

But there was no time to do more, everyone was now a potential enemy. Back-to-back with the Northerner from before, they covered each other's blind spot and began making short work of the lowlifes in the bar. Less than an hour later, and the brawl had ended just as abruptly as it had begun.

 
The short battle had only served to wet the Black Bear's appetite. With sound of his blood screaming in his ears and the bar brawl still tingling his bruised fists, Magnar turned to his companion to see if she was of a like mine.

"Would you spend the night with me?" Magnar managed to cough up despite his blood boiling from the good workout. Hopefully, The Light was with him that evening.

The blonde heroine eyed him appraisingly, licking away blood from her bruised lips as she did so. He ached to take her for his own, but even in the Winter Marches the women had a right to choose their mate.

Without a word, she began to move past him. In that moment, his heart sank but he kept his composure strong. Even in defeat, a true warrior must always keep their heads held high. But just as she was almost past him, her left hand snaked out and gripped his with a force that was almost painful. A lesser man would have screamed and fainted, but this was The Behemoth.

Making their way outside, she lead him back to her room. There they tested the strength the oak bed and found it lacking. The frame shattered by the second round, and was splinters by the fourth. In the heat of passion they left many marks on each other -- her in particular. Wrapping her thick legs around his waist, she almost seemed to take pleasure in running her nails down his broad back as she bit into his neck.

Magnar didn't hesitate to return the favor as he marked her neck in like fashion, making the banshee scream in ecstasy. Bringing her hands up and into his hair, she started massaging his scalp as they began kissing furiously. Seizing the opportunity, he hooked his large arms under her thick legs and ended their dance with him the clear victor.

Before morning he would leave and return to protecting the empire from criminals like her, while she would set about finding ways to earn more dishonest gold and causing mayhem. Tonight however, only this moment mattered.

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[Maia]

~The Mouth of the Serpent~

 

Sashya stood there for what seemed to be forever before Diana, who continued mixing the healing herbs, finally spoke, a small chuckle following her words. Sashya, however, couldn't help feeling a slight pang in the region of her heart at being compared to her cold hearted mother, Artemis, and she looked down for a moment as Diana continued speaking, but she looked up again at her words, tears glittering in her golden eyes. She wanted to tell her, so much, that she was nothing like her mother, that she didn't want to be like her, but in a lot of ways her Aunt was correct. She was like her, save for one thing; Sashya, at least, had a heart and not a frozen lump of stone.

 

When Diana finally turned Sashya's own saddened smile was reflected back at her. She was hit with yet another slice to her heart as Diana confirmed her death, but somehow, even with that knowledge Sashya had the feeling that in her death, Diana was more alive than she had ever been in life. Sashya would have laughed scornfully at her aunt's next words, but she didn't want to insult the woman. Normally she probably would have been right, but somehow Sashya felt, given everything that she had seen, everything that had happened, the knowledge of what had happened could be the savings grace of the entire Third Crusade, so long as there were other survivors. As Diana's words stopped, Sashya took a small step forward, not letting her hand slip from Tyr's; her Wolf was keeping her anchored to reality.

 

"Truth be told, Aunt Diana, at this point, I would trust you more than Artemis, the woman called my mothe-" Sashya cut her sentence off as she caught the look on Diana's face, and she frowned, following the Huntress's rapid pace, releasing her tight hold on Tyr, down the flight of stairs.

 

Sure enough, Alvilda was gone, and Sashya let out an exasperated sigh as the building shook. From one danger to another because of foolishness. She pulled her bow and notched an arrow quickly as Diana kicked open the door and stepped forward, only to jump back a moment later as the bridge was completely decimated. By a huge... the creature turned... a huge snake. Sashya just stared at the thing with muted shock until the thing hissed and she saw the body.

 

"Well, what do you know, the snake has a taste for amazons," Sashya stated, drawing the arrow back so that the string was taut. "What do you think, Tyr? Shall we have snake for dinner tonight?"

 

She took aim right at the serpents's eye. "We need to keep that mouth open."

Edited by Maia, 20 February 2014 - 06:33 AM.

[I-Am-X]

Rayne Of The Bloody Mist, Don't You Dare Forget It!

 

 

This.....feeling....the...air can't.... Shooting right up in the bed, Rayne grabbed her throat as this wicked aura surrounded them, almost choking them. As the moment faded, Rayne, breathing heavily, "What in the hell is going on this time damnit?! A girl just can't get a goodnights sleep can't she? Just when I found a nice bed to lay in instead of that damned cell..." she grumbled. Just then, Diana rushed down the stairs, startling the few that were resting. Her eyes scanned everyone, and she gasped. “Where is that one woman? The one that looks she could be from the north?”

 

The north hmm...Now that you mention it... She thought as she started scanning the room herself, "That-" Just then, the tower suddenly shook, making the lot, even Rayne, fall to the floor. Though, Diana was prepared and kicked open the front door and walked forward but it wasn't long until she jumped backward as the bridge was just blown to bits. ?! Just then, A monsterous creature, a massive snake cake out from the fog as it stared their way with glowing red eyes and scales darker than night. But, that wasn't all, there was what seemed like a body in the serpents mouth as it hissed at Diana. Sure enough, it was no other than the Corpse of that damned amazon. The idiot had it coming...tch

 

As Sashya pulled her arrow the most it can go, she took aim at the beast. Blood boiling, I may have been beaten down and my bones broken...but like hell I'm going to let that stop me!!! I may not be able to wield a sword but... Looking around she noticed her bow, her mothers famed golden bow (used during the 2nd crusade) that she "borrowed" when she headed out of dodge, sitting on a table across from the bed. Hopping to the table using her good leg, she swiped the bow and made her way outside. Brushing against Sashya's shoulder, "Out of my way..." as she got in a nice position and stopped. With pained breathes, she glared at the monsterous snake as she tore some more clothing off as she gritted her teeth as she drew the golden arrow as far as she possibly could, enduring unimaginable pain as she used her broken arm to hold the bow at the end.

 

With a grin, "Like hell I'd let a few broken limbs stop me. Don't write me off just yet, Sashya." Taking a deep breath, she took aim at the creature and lined the arrow between the creatures eyes. This body is mine and as long as it's mine, whether I'm Beaten or bruised, bloodied and broken, I'll never give an inch. I refuse to let others do things in my stead. I'll push this body to the brink if I have to, I won't allow myself to use my pain as an excuse to run away. I'll endure it. I'm Rayne Of The Bloody Mist, and I'll make that damned beast remember it!! Grinning and bear the pain, she releases the arrow with all the strength she can muster.