Tales of the Betrothed (closed)

[Rada Han]

ImPeRfEcTiOn is в є α υ т у,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxⓂⒶⒹⓃⒺⓈⓈ is gєníus,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxand it is better to be absolutely ɾïḋïсυløυṡ than absolutely ๒◊ЯⅰиG.
.........




He groaned and tried to retract into his coat. All he wanted to do was sleep for just a few hours more. They hadn’t gotten a proper rest in weeks. The least Sonya could do was make it easy for him. No, she had to push and tug at him, and not even in the right spots. She left faint, red blotches on his face where she pinched him and he tried to shrink away from her prodding fingers to no avail.

“Stop,” He said, wriggling in his place. “Stooooop.” The prince whined until he gave up, forfeiting himself to her hands in the least desirable way he could think of at the moment. With frustration, he propped himself up on his elbow just as Sonya did, and looked at her with drooping eyes. He wore a patronizing grin with a tone of voice to match it.

“You’ve succeeded in waking me. What’s next?” Before she could answer, his gaze drifted to the fluttering tent flap in the distance, and realized that they had been left alone. Somehow, he thought of Cat and how she was supposed to be in the place that Sonya was. Adele’s absence was alarming. He couldn’t help but feel uneasy that his guard wasn’t there. At the same time, he still didn’t feel comfortable speaking to her after the recent events.

Jean-Baptiste quickly scrambled to his feet and stumbled over to the entrance of tent to peer outside. With all of the action – people scurrying about and such – he couldn’t see anybody he recognized. A furred wrist brought itself up to wipe the glaze from his eyes. Out of habit – although he tried not to at first – he scanned the campsite for his once loyal companion.

"Sonya," He said. "Have you seen where... Kora went off to?"



xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx《The Trickster Prince》
.........

[V I V L I O N]

█████████████████████████

ADELE MARIE VANADIS

█████████████████████████

xxxxxAdele had lost Chandar somewhere in the camp when they had been running from blame. The Asaphs didn't necessarily hold the other kingdoms in the highest regards. Surely, whatever respect they did have would completely dry up if they realized it had been the Zuleidian guard who had toppled one of the tents. So, understandably, the first tent that had been cleared for the royals and their companions that she found, she leapt into. Surprisingly, the make shift room was empty of anyone else. She had figured that the royals would all have been sick of each other and would have gone their separate ways to their respective tents. But, apparently, a couple of them still had some patience left for one another. Unlike the Zuleidian guard.

She was exhausted. She was cold. And she was miserable. Her throat was still raw and she could feel the beginnings of blisters. Even if she did go find Jean and whoever he was with, she wouldn't be able to talk. It would be best if she just called it a night. Grabbing all of the furs that had been left in the tent, she wrapped them around herself and laid down in front of the brazier, curling up into a ball. And, for the first time since crossing into Gradius, she didn't feel like she was going to freeze.

It was a restless night sleep. Her dreams were filled with the stories she had grown up on. Dark imaginings of a ship captain sent out on a suicide mission by his employer, a maiden held as bait for a prince, only to be killed when he set foot into the great hall where she was being held. It had been a long while since she had even thought of the tales, let alone heard them. Her father had denied her such nonsense shortly after she had started training. He had always claimed that such things would dull her wits. But still after, there had been nights where Adele had wished for one of her mother's bed time stories. As much as her father claimed they were fiction, surely there was some truth behind them. But, if that were so, they weren't in any history books that she had ever read in her lessons. Then again, neither was there any mentions of the magics that she had witnessed on their journey.

She awoke to the sounds of the camp coming to life. Any sense of warmth she had felt earlier, was now gone, the coals in the brazier barely even glowing any longer. For a moment, she thought about trying to go back to sleep. But, as she closed her eyes once more, she heard someone open the flap of the tent. "The Royals and their companions are to prepare to ascend to the gates of Gradius. Is there anything you will be needing for the trek?"

Adele sat up and stared blankly at the Asaph for a moment. She was unsure if she had just heard him correctly. Why were they leaving now? Did they even have a plan? They didn't even know what they were up against. Pushing herself on to her feet, she snatched up her sword and tied the sheath to her belt once more. As much as she was comfortable with her sword, it wouldn't do her any good for long range battles and, the few daggers she kept on her wouldn't do any good against a beast such as the ones they had encountered in Dradecus and Laelie. Perhaps it would be best to request another weapon if the Asaphs were offering her one. Finally, the blonde found her voice or, at least, a small string of it. "A long bow, perchance?"

The Asaph nodded and quickly took his leave. She assumed he would be right back. But she would not wait incase the offer had been no more than a formality. The blonde had other things to attend to than wait around in the tent. Luckily, the Asaph arrived back just after she finished washing her face using the wash basin that had been placed in the tent. There were no words exchanged as he handed over a beautifully hand crafted bow, as well as a matching quiver of arrows. Such a set was too good for her. Adele had been trained in archery but, it had never been her strong suit. Tossing both over one shoulder, she gave her thanks to the man before heading out of the tent to find Jean. But, it was a task easier said than done.

Adele hadn't thought that the camp would be so busy, but it seemed that everyone was awake and scurrying about. Horses were being led and pieces of armour and assorted weapons were being carried to various tents. Her blue eyes caught sight of a polished metal breast plate and she stared at it longingly until it was out of view. All she had was a select few pieces of her leather armour, the rest had been left to the flames in Bhegin. Perhaps she would be able to convince the Asasphs to part ways with some steel later on. But first, she still needed to find her charge. What use would armour do if she didn't have someone to protect?

Weaving through the throng of people, she looked desperately around for any sight of the Zuleidian prince. Or, at least for a familiar face that might be able to point him in the right direction. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of fire. Thinking that perhaps Jean had found his way to it, she kicked at the snow as she made her way closer. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips, as she scanned the small crowd of people and realized that her friend was not amongst them. She was about to leave and continue to stalk through the camp when she spotted a certain elf. Her brows furrowed in confusion and, a bit of amusement, when she caught sight of the sword in his hands. Moving over to him, she gave him a small nod. "Do you even know how to use that?" Adele asked jokingly. Pausing for a second, she swallowed uncomfortably, trying to force her voice to be more powerful. "Have you seen Jean?" She managed to get out.

I want to go back.
To when I knew who I was.
To when I knew who you were.
And where we stood amongst this wreck.

[jadeshaw88]

۪D۫۰۪a۫۰۪n۫۰۪i۫۰۪k۫۰۪a۫۰ "۪D۫۰۪a۫۰۪n۫۰۪i۫۰" M۫۰۪a۫۰۪r۫۰۪t۫۰۪i۫۰۪z۫۰xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mischief Makerxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Beware she's schemin'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
she'll make you think you're dreamin' xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You'll fall in love and you'll be screamin' dreamin'"xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And just like that the happy bubble of post-coital bliss coupled with the exhilarating rush of sneaking out burst under the smith's disdainful sneer and his cold words. She was going to have to find something him fast...either that or get rid of him entirely. She wondered if, as a lesser Gradian, he would be more susceptible to flame than the royals. At that moment it was a very good thing that they were at the base of the volcano and that the thing was frozen. Should she catch Chandar near the lava center, she may have to accidentally get clumsy. b*****d.

Her dark eyes narrowed in his direction and she lifted her chin. She was pretty sure that even her pathetic sister would have had enough of everyone looking down their nose at her. "Look, Gradian," she hissed the word as though it caused her pain, "I am cold, I am tired and I have spent half of the night looking for Jean and the other half, after becoming terribly lost in this mess of a camp, in an empty tent freezing nearly to death." A cool breeze found it's way beneath the warm Salorite coat just then, making her shiver to emphasize her point. "I have been nothing but kind to you so grow the hell up and learn some manners. Just because you serve royalty, it does not mean that you are one. It seems to mean that you fail even in that as your prince has scaled the volcano on his own without your protection. Where were you when that decision was made, eh?"

Shaking herself as if to rid herself of her anger, she then turned to the Rite and flashed her a brilliant smile. Dalena seemed to be a kind creature and she really did want to know more about the Salorites. Befriending both her and her gigantic partner would be in her best interest. "No, my lady, I have not seen the tall Rite since we first got here." She made the corners of her mouth twitch in what she hoped looked like a fond smile as though she were remembering something nice...or amusing. "I am unused to such cold climates and I am hardly dressed for it so I'm afraid I made quite a fool of myself when I caught sight of the furs." She sent the Gradian a cold look, daring him to comment before returning her smile to Dalena. "I ended up wearing what I believe was a very large bear. Your companion laughed at me and I can't really blame him. I'm sure I looked quite ridiculous." She shrugged. "He has a kind heart deep down, my lady, and offered me his coat instead. I fear I swim in it just as much as the bear skin though." She laughed in a friendly manner.

That said, she let her laughter be replaced with concern. "I do worry for him though. He had injured his hands rather badly. Actually I had meant to re-bandage them this morning. I could maybe help you look?" She let herself smile again. "I'm sure he won't be too hard to find. I believe he has at least few inches on the tallest Gradian."





~*~ That girl is poison ~*~xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Rada Han]

ImPeRfEcTiOn is в є α υ т у,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxⓂⒶⒹⓃⒺⓈⓈ is gєníus,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxand it is better to be absolutely ɾïḋïсυløυṡ than absolutely ๒◊ЯⅰиG.
.........




Jean-Baptiste’s curious eyes scanned the campsite for familiar faces and eventually caught sight of the back of a certain raven-haired dancer’s head. Before Sonya had the chance to answer him, he exited the tent and immediately took to running after her, until he was stopped by a lump of snow to the side of his head.

If he hadn’t been awake before, he was now. Flakes of snow were plastered on his face, and he turned his head to see what had attacked him, and was surprised to see that it was the young Gradian from the first day—the one he’d pelted before. The dark featured man wasn’t laughing, but he wanted to. Around his shoulders was a thick-skinned sack full of weaponry. It looked incredibly heavy, but he didn’t show it.

Shaking the snowy powder from his face and hair, the prince marched over to him with a wide grin on his face, as usual. “Touché! Can you explain to me the happenings of this morning, my friend?”

Humorless as ever, the man rolled his eyes. “You must’ve just woken up. I’m not surprised. Prince Kunal has ascended the mountain and opened the gates to Gradius. We are—“

“INCROYABLE!” Jean-Baptiste shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. He may have even hopped up and down a few times. “Already?! How easy that was! Let us go, this instant! Give me one of those weapons!”

The Zuleidan excitedly circled the man to dig through his weapons, but he was so tall that Jean had to yank down on the leather sack to get a good look at them, which nearly made the Gradian fall down into the snow again. The taller man shouted some foreign obscenity.

“What did the others pick?!” The prince sifted through the many well-crafted swords, which were really one of the only weapons that he had actually been taught to use.

“Ugh, mostly swords!”

“Damn! How boring! I have to choose something different!”

“Hurry up!!!”

“Aha!”

Jean emerged wielding a sturdy half-wooden, half-steel one-handed axe. It had a single blade on one side, and a spike at the other. It was a little heavy, but completely manageable. “Fantastic! Thank you kindly!” With that, he took off running to where he thought he’d seen Cat disappear to. So turned out that it was at the thick of the mob. He'd forgotten about Sonya, thinking that she was able to find her own way.

Although she turned out to have been in the company of two of his least favorite people, the Prince was in a good enough mood to great them all heartily. Coming up from behind, he threw an arm around Cat’s shoulders. “Is she running her mouth again? Don’t you ever shut up?” He laughed.




xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx《The Trickster Prince》
.........

[Lord_Lazlow]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx---- »» prince of dradecusтнє ℓα∂ιєѕ

☽xxx ❶ xxx❷xxx ❸xxx ❹xxx ❺xxx ❻ xxx❼xxx ❽xxx ❾xxx ❿xxx ☾

"Cin darling, hurry up and get into the bath!" Cin looked over at the beautiful woman who sat in the large, steaming tub. She gave him a sly smile and took a sip from the glass she kept just above the water. The prince smiled back and quickly removed his clothes, not one to keep a beautiful woman waiting.

The hot water of the tub felt great as he slid over to her side. The woman reached out the side of the tub and pulled up a bottle of liquor, handing it to the prince. "Ah, my favorite. How'd you know?" he said with a laugh before taking a big gulp. He leaned in closer and kissed the woman for a moment before his free hand slipped beneath the water.

"Ooh, you really are as naughty as they say aren't you?"

"Guilty, I'm afraid. Love, where's your twin sister?" Cin asked before taking another large swig from the bottle.

"Right here my prince," he heard. He looked over to see his tub-mate's identical twin getting into the tub. She slid under Cin's free arm, looked at him and said, "Cin, wake up and get dressed." Cin looked at her confused for a moment before speaking. "Sorry love, but... what?"

"Kunal has ascended to the gates of Gradius alone and the guards are preparing to follow him." the woman continued in a voice that wasn't her own, but was very familiar. Cin's mouth hung open now, staring at the woman. He turned back to her twin sister, the original woman in the tub, as if to confirm this was strange. When he met her gaze she pulled her hands out of the water and a pair of pants hit Cin in the face. Cin blinked a few times in complete shock.

"Hurry!" the original twin yelled just before both of them started pulling clothes out of the water and throwing them at the prince. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON?!" the prince roared, standing out of the tub. One final article of clothing came flying at him and finally cleared everything up. His shirt, with the metal flask in his breast pocket, came flying at his head. The room around him began to fade, along with the beautiful women and even the bottle of liquor in his hand...

Cin's eyes slowly opened, the flask sitting right next to his head. He looked over to his left and saw a woman walking toward the flap to his tent. "I'll be waiting ouside," she said. "Elya..." Cin said as he removed his arm from the layers and layers of blankets and rubbed his head where the flask hit him.

Cin slowly started to gather up his clothes and pull them on, assembling his normal attire, complete with his new heavy fur coat and darkened glasses. He strapped his sword to his left hip, not that it had done him any good on this trip yet, but maybe Reriic, Elya, and Bashirah can use it this time if he got kidnapped again by tapping on the blade and listening to the sound or something...

"Elya!" he yelled, throwing open the tent flap. "Remind me when we see my brother-in-law-to-be to thank him for ruining the dream I was having, which has been the best part of this journey by far..." He sighed and looked around the camp, his eyes still stinging despite how dark the lenses of these glasses were. He removed the flask from his pocket and took a swig, trying his hardest not to drain it all in one gulp. "Shall we head off to where the rest of our group is meeting my lovely?" he asked, extending his elbow in his most "princely" manner.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

[Ariiadne]

▐░ℬasℎiraℎ░▌
『 ℘rincess oƒ GRADIUS 』

If not for the hordes of servants at her disposal, preparation for departure would have taken much longer than it did. The Gradian princess was wrapped in durable, warm layers of cloth and armor, an off-white fur shawl falling over her shoulders and hanging down to the backs of her knees, contrasting her cinnamon skin. Her boots, thick and dark, rose up along her shins, high enough so that even the deepest of snows would have difficulty penetrating them. Her gloves found themselves paired with defensive gauntlets, and her long, obsidian tresses were folded into a large braid – more of a tactical design to keep it out of her face, but starkly beautiful nonetheless. And her face, stern as it was stunning, was painted with orange; on her forehead, down the bridge of her nose, along her lips and down the curb of her chin. Her eyes, too, were lined with thick makeup, as it was that this could help combat the glare of light off of the pure snow.

All of these things and more transformed Bashirah into a vessel for violence; not only did she look prepared and dangerous, but she was. Bhegin, Dradecus, Laelie… they had all prepared her for this moment she knew was inevitable. And it did not end with Gradius. As personal as this mission was, it was merely a mission in the grand scheme of things. Nevertheless, Bashirah had a reputation to maintain. She had an example to set. She had a civilization to save. Her people.

And Kunal. As much as her stomach twisted even thinking about him, Bashirah knew the longer she waited, the worse off her brother became, sitting at the icy gates. Within the span of ten minutes these changes had been made, and the Gradian princess marched through the camp towards its boundary nearest to the mountainside. It was there she waited for all those accompanying her to gather. With her back turned, her eyes on the volcano, Bashirah waited until she could confirm each individual was present before turning around.

“Alright,” she announced over the chatter, causing it to gradually dim. "We Gradians are known neither for our eloquence nor our verbosity, so I will keep this short.” She looked out at the group composed of royals, travelers, soldiers. “While this daunting task is not the first or the last we have or will encounter, I urge that all involved practice the utmost vigilance and caution. Our goal is to collect information regarding the state of Gradius and finding and helping its people. If the pattern runs true, and the sand beast we fought in Dradecus and the rabid insects of Laelie were any indication of what may be in store, I want to be prepared. My brother Kunal awaits us at the great gates of Gradius, and I find it unwise to have him wait much longer. So let us go now. Be sure you have everything you may need. This very well may be a one-way trip.”

[Musical Stereo]

Dalena xxxxx Snow

xxxxxxxxxxxxSomething ＡＬＷＡＹＳ brings me back to ( ｙｏｕ )
xxxxxxxIt xn e v e rx takes too long...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx⊰ No matter ⊱ what I ｓａｙ or ｄｏ
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxI'll still feel you here, 'til the xＭ x Ｏ x Ｍ x Ｅ xＮ x Ｔx I'm
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe

The Salorite just stared at Danika, just completely stared as she listened to the other, at first, hurl insults at Chandar. She blinked her eyes at the other, adjusting the frames on her face as she became immensely confused. What on earth did this man say to irritate her so? Well, she hadn't hardly even spoken to Chandar- so she guessed it must have been something else. He had been quite nice to her at the party in Dradecus, but that was the last time they had exchanged anything but words.

And then she started talking. Normally, Dalena would have considered herself a fairly talkative person- but this woman put her to shame. The blonde just blinked as she listened, listened to Danika talk and talk and did her best to at least try and respond. "You wore a large fur and he gave you his coat?" She questioned- trying to get the story straight. Wait, what was that about a kind heart? "Christopher is kind, when needed to be. I'm quite content though- he's not a generous type." In more than a few ways- but that was the old Christopher.

His hands... Dalena had remembered those injuries, the ones he had sustained from trying to dig Alexi a grave. It felt like a shot to the heart when she was reminded of it. "I fear that... he's missing." She breathed, eyes glancing to the ground as she thoroughly ignored Chandar- or at least didn't realize his presence. "I haven't spoken to him since we arrived- and because you saw him last I was just wondering if you knew... his whereabouts." Dalena admitted, although she became quite happy when Danika had offered to find him. "At the current movement that'd be... difficult." She had heard so much already- clearly their searchparty would have to be postponed...

Her mind had been immediately be distracted when suddenly Jean strolled up, arm around Danika and speaking so informally. With a sigh, she nodded her head to the other- she had (finally) gotten over the ridiculous childishness of the other. "Good morning." She added, before a small smile broke onto her face. "She's fine, it's nice to have someone who's talkative." Dalena simply stated as she brushed a bit of hair behind her ear. Gold eyes scanned around her, wondering when they'd have to leave.

For a second though, Bashirah's voice cut through the harsh winds of the newly frozen Gradius. Gold eyes blinked once, then twice behind the spectacles as they immediately glanced, listening to the Princess's seemingly strong voice. Well, it was an uplifting speech- although worry was still growing inside of her. Where was Chris...? Sure, it may not have been rare for him to wander- but it was really, really starting to frighten her. Although, when she caught a glimpse of Elya her worry temporarily disappeared. Before she could even make sense of it, she glanced away- causing the anxiety to return.



ＩＴ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＴＡＫＥＳ ＴＯＯ ＬＯＮＧ xxxxxxxxx ｉｔ ｎｅｖｅｒ ｔａｋｅｓ ｔｏｏ ｌｏｎｇ
ＩＴ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＴＡＫＥＳ ＴＯＯ ＬＯＮＧ xxxxxxxxx ｉｔ ｎｅｖｅｒ ｔａｋｅｓ ｔｏｏ ｌｏｎｇ
ＩＴ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＴＡＫＥＳ ＴＯＯ ＬＯＮＧ xxxxxxxxx ｉｔ ｎｅｖｅｒ ｔａｋｅｓ ｔｏｏ ｌｏｎｇ
ＩＴ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＴＡＫＥＳ ＴＯＯ ＬＯＮＧ xxxxxxxxx ｉｔ ｎｅｖｅｒ ｔａｋｅｓ ｔｏｏ ｌｏｎｇ

[SheIsCursedTea]

Elya || Meister
|| Royal Guard to the Princes of Dradecυѕ ||

__________________________________

While Elya waited, a cold wind blew through her and she wrapped herself tighter into Dalena's coat. Her mind wandered to the Salorite, wondering if she'd managed to find somewhere warm to sleep last night. Elya sighed, turning to look at the tent flap again. Cin was sure taking his sweet a** time to get ready. Her foot began to tap impatiently on the frozen ground, as her gaze was drawn towards the large gathering of people that was beginning to form. She caught a glance of blonde hair, but was left wondering if it was Dalena. She spotted Reriic too. In fact, a few people she recognized were all headed in the same direction. Elya frowned, wondering what was so special about that direction that all members of the betrothed group were heading there.

Her attention was drawn to the tent opening when Cin emerged, saying something about shouting at Kunal. Elya mock saluted him. "Yes sir," she replied, smiling widely, before looping her arm through his extended one and walking towards the group. It was then, walking towards the group, that she noticed a difference between the familiar faces. All were now equipped with weapons of some shape or form. Her free hand brushed the staff at her back, smiling to herself. Coming to a stop in the group, she lifted her head to observe Bashirah. Even in garb designed for war, she still looked radiant, her eyes holding strong. She looked prepared. Ready to face the battle that was sure to come before them. It was only now, stood with all the other people waiting to march up the mountain, that Elya realised she didn't feel ready. She cleared her throat, turning her head to look at Cin.

"Are you not in awe at your bride-to-be Cin? Though she is dressed for war, it is impossible to look past her beauty." She smiled, releasing her hold on his arm and straightening up, Her expression changed from the smile to a hard set face. She could not be weak this time. Now was her time to prove herself. A glance around caused Elya's eyes to fall on Dalena. She blinked. That's right. Becoming friends with the Salorite made Elya feel the need to protect her now too. One more person to look out for. And that was the thing, the further they got, the longer they travelled, the closer they would be. The more people everyone would want to protect. Looking around, Elya could see that it was already starting to happen.

"Come on! Let's get up this mountain and save the big bad Gradians from the snow," Elya muttered, grinning at Cin once more before pushing forwards towards the slope of the mountain.

__________________________________

[Angst Werewolf]

Well, this one sure did talk a lot. Chandar didn't bother to listen to any of what Danika was saying, especially after she mentioned how she had spent time looking for Jean. Well there's your problem. Even his guard didn't spent that much time looking for him, he grumbled to himself. It wouldn't be worth mentioning his thoughts out loud- it would probably cause the dancer to talk even more. But maybe if you spent less time in someone else's bed, you might actually do something useful for once. He settled for looking at her the same way he would look at a particularly nasty pile of dung.

But he couldn't let the last part about Kunal go without some sort of retort. Despite his the fact that his approval of the prince was dropping rapidly, his Gradian upbringing kicked in without a second thought. "Unlike most of the other royals in this group, Prince Kunal is actually capable of doing things without some simpering whore holding his hand," he growled.

Then Jean appeared and Chandar decided that he'd had enough. He'd been awake for less than an hour and things were already going downhill. The smith scowled once and turned on his heel, shouldering his way through the massing Gradians. He bumped into one soldier with an armful of helmets and snatched one from the man without a word. It, like every piece of Gradian smithing, was a work of art. The steel had been plated with gold and the sides were emblazoned with the wings of a phoenix. The bird's head graced the helm's crest; its eyes had been inlaid with rubies and obsidian picked out the finer details of the beak.

It wasn't of Hari make, but Chandar supposed it would do. For now.

He continued on towards the front of the group to where Bashirah had been speaking. She had done a magnificent job of rallying the troops. There was a strong sense of purpose permeating the air and for a moment, Chandar could almost pretend that he was a part of it and that Gradius really was his home.

As he approached the princess, one of the nearby guards held out a spear to stop him. Chandar graced him with an icy glare before grabbing the spear and forcibly moving it out of the way. The guard looked startled by the action, but Chandar was already moving towards his target.

"My princess," he greeted, bowing at the waist once he was in hearing range. "That was a rousing speech. Do not doubt that the men will rally to your side." He intentionally left out Kunal. While the prince had indeed opened the doors, it was Bashirah who was left to deal with the people and drag them out of the hole the frozen volcano had practically buried them in.

His hand slid down to his waist. "This is yours, if I was told correctly." The smith unhooked the dagger and its sheathe from his belt and held it out to Bashirah- it was the one Reriic had given to him back in Laelie to skin the wolf creature. The elf had mentioned getting it from the princess and now seemed a good a time as any to give it back. Gods knew they were probably going to need every weapon they could get their hands on.

[jadeshaw88]

۪D۫۰۪a۫۰۪n۫۰۪i۫۰۪k۫۰۪a۫۰ "۪D۫۰۪a۫۰۪n۫۰۪i۫۰" M۫۰۪a۫۰۪r۫۰۪t۫۰۪i۫۰۪z۫۰xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mischief Makerxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Beware she's schemin'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
she'll make you think you're dreamin' xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You'll fall in love and you'll be screamin' dreamin'"xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Choosing to ignore the smith, as he was insignificant to just about everyone including herself, Danika kept her attention focused on the Rite. She could potentially be important and she hadn't been insulting or rude at every opportunity. Dalena seemed to be confused and Danika couldn't really blame her. Up until recently, everyone thought of her as a stupid little dancer with such low moral standards that she would repetitively share a bed with the most annoying creature in the world. Now she was...well she didn't even know what they thought of her now that she was actually talking. Probably nothing good. Bastards. She didn't think this Rite would be so shallow though...of course, she could be wrong too.

When the girl mentioned that Chris wasn't usually one to be generous, she let her head fall slightly and she shrugged. "I fear I wasn't very polite toward him when he started laughing at me." She explained in a voice filled with both guilt and shame. "I do not know what has gotten into me. I have been in a foul mood since we left Laelie." She shook her head, still keeping her eyes averted from the other woman's face.

An arm descended around her shoulders and she gave a very real jump in surprise. She hadn't really been paying attention to her surroundings because of the chaos the camp was in so she hadn't heard anyone come up behind her. For a moment, she was afraid that the elf had lost his fool mind but it was very brief. Even if Reriic was feeling particularly amiable toward her now after what happened the night before, not likely after what she had done that morning, she doubted he would put his arm around her in public...or look at her at all, for that matter. There was only one person who had no issues of public....whatever the hell this was. It wasn't affection. Touch? She didn't know and, had she been herself and not Cat, she might have shrugged him off.

His words had her clenching her teeth over a retort. She had barely said anything before this. Certainly she hadn't said much without stuttering like an idiot. Yet it was just like a noble to overlook that fact. Just like a noble to take one instance and make it a person's personality. None of them could be bothered to actually pay attention to one such as her. Even with her wealth, her looks and her power, Cin and Reriic had absolutely no idea who she was. She wasn't even a peasant! She had damned noble blood in her veins. It was watered down, sure, but who the hell's blood wasn't in Dradecus?!

Dalena's agreement was only confirmation. For a second there, Danika had almost forgotten why she hated these people so much. It was good of them to remind her. They would all die on this adventure of theirs. She would make sure of it. Only those she deemed worthy enough to live would do so and even then they would serve beneath her. In fact, they would be so far below her that they would have to beg for the honor of licking her toes. Bastards.

She bit the inside of her cheek until it brought tears to her eyes and then turned in Jean's overly comfortable embrace to face him. "Your highness?" She said in a wild mixture of shock, relief and happiness. A far stretch from what she was actually feeling. Then her face fell and she looked away from him. "I have failed you twice now." Not that it mattered, the a** had probably been laying that whore again. Well good, she had taken the elf. Jean still owed her one, in her opinion. Not that she would ever discuss it with him. "I...I would understand if you did not wish for me to keep traveling with you..."

The princess' speech cut her off and when it was through, Danika had made up her mind. "Your highness...allow me to make up for my absence these last two nights." Her voice was determined and she nodded her head as if making a decision. "I was worthless in Laelie, I will do my best not to be so here. I am no fighter but I know a dance with daggers." She shrugged and blushed. "I do not know how much good it will do but I will try...only...I don't have any daggers." She let her shoulders slump as if her whole plan had just fallen to s**t. She did have daggers and other knives besides hidden in the seems of her clothing and in her pack but he didn't need to know that. Not yet.





~*~ That girl is poison ~*~xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[XSenkoX]

Adele’s arrival was surprising, and Reriic’s expression of utter disgruntlement melted momentarily when he looked over at her. He frowned when she mentioned his weapon and scowled when she mentioned Jean. She certainly had a way of ruining a pleasant moment.

“Does it look like I’d know how to use it? The last time I held one of these was when I was a child. They’re ungainly and not nearly as useful as magic, why would I bother?” he grumbled, careful not to just lash out at Adele because of his annoyance; she was just doing her job, no matter how exasperating Reriic found the fish prince to be. He was about to inform the guard that he’d yet to see her charge when the painfully familiar tones of Jean drifted to them from nearby. Pointing a finger over her shoulder at the blonde obediently, he sighed, “Over there. Enjoy.”

Thinking that the Zuleidan guard would go to her charge, Reriic retreated back to his contemplation of what he would do with the sword. He’d managed that faerie’s axe back in Laelie, so he could theoretically use the weapon if he really needed it, but it would be an unfortunate fight if anyone was hoping that he would resemble competence with it. Still, he was done holding it like some sort of snake and finally lashed the belt around his waist, struggling for a moment to make the decorative sash stop being disagreeable with the added accessory. He could only hope that he didn’t look as much of a fool as he felt, what with the scabbard resting heavily against his leg like some mutated extra limb. Reriic sighed and looked around the group gathered by the fire, eyes narrowed against the increasing glare that the rising sun cast against the snow; letting his gaze linger on the familiar figures he could identify amongst the throng of humanity. Chandar looked like he wanted to put a boot through Cat’s face, which amused the elf more than it likely should have considering their having shared a bed only a few hours prior. He did pause when he realized that Sonya was nowhere to be found as of yet… she usually managed to be where everyone else was well enough on her own in spite of her handicap, so where had the whore gotten herself to?

He was about to ask someone if they’d seen her when Bashirah finally arrived and addressed the crowd in typical understated Gradian fashion. Under normal circumstances, he would have scoffed at her speech but the princess had helped him save Cin, so he bore the hints of a grudging respect for her. It was at least enough to keep him from walking away while she was talking.

So with Bashirah’s speech came the call to move forward, and it was about damn time, too. Elya moved towards the slope of the mountain and Reriic followed her. The longer they stood around, the colder the elf got and the less interested he became in helping the Gradians melt their snow. It certainly didn’t help that the only decency he’d seen from them came out of their princess; everyone else was a raging d**k and Reriic wasn’t appreciative of their collective attitude. Catching up to his and his brother’s guard, he brushed her shoulder with his gloved hand, “You’re sure excited to go, Elya. We didn’t somehow manage to misplace Cin inside the volcano, did we?”

It made as much sense as any of the trouble that Cin usually managed to get himself (and often-times others) into on a regular basis, and could have been taken as a sincere question had Reriic not worn the ghost of a smile on his lips.

[Rada Han]

ImPeRfEcTiOn is в є α υ т у,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxⓂⒶⒹⓃⒺⓈⓈ is gєníus,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxand it is better to be absolutely ɾïḋïсυløυṡ than absolutely ๒◊ЯⅰиG.
.........



[[Jean / Danika]]

It was easier said than done. The sheer volume of people ascending the steps to the gates of Gradius, clad in armor and wielding weapons was terribly noisy, but nothing made it less cold. The axe in the Zuleidan’s hands only got heavier and soon even the visible steam of his breath had lost its allure. Jean-Baptiste took to clinging to ‘Cat’, locking to her arm for warmth.

To keep his teeth from chattering, he decided to make conversation, much to everyone else’s dismay.

“So, where in the bloody hell were you these past couple of nights?”

Danika didn’t care that the prince clung to her, though she bristled beneath her skin. His earlier insults had left her in a foul mood and she was reluctant to start a conversation. Cat was a simpleton though and wouldn’t have taken offense. “Well, the first night, I was collecting wood and then you...I thought you wanted to be alone so I just curled up at the edge of camp.” She shrugged. “Last night I got distracted by the really tall Rite and then I got lost. I mean...all of those tent things look the same. Finally I ended up in a tent with the younger Dradecan prince. He was grouchy but he let me stay.” She shrugged again and fell silent.

Jean-Baptiste nearly doubled over at that, but didn’t stop walking, for fear of tumbling back down to the foot of the mountain. “You mean Reriic? That sodding little--” Forest eyes darting around, he lowered his voice to a whisper that was at least loud enough for her to hear. “That sodding little p***k?! How are you still alive?”

Danika frowned, “I don’t know, he wasn’t too bad. Well, I was kind of mean to him at first and I guess that was funny? I don’t know. I also think he was lonely.” She dropped her voice as well and leaned closer as if she were telling a great secret. A secret he probably already knew, a**. “His...um...his companion stormed out on him just before I got there. I think they argued or something. She looked upset.”

He scoffed. “Bollocks,” Not only did he not believe that Cat could ever be mean in any way, shape, or form, he couldn’t believe that she was naive enough to think that a prince could ever be lonely. He sincerely hoped that she wouldn’t fall for such claims from a foul man such as Reriic. “Sonya, you mean?” The blonde frowned. “He hit her, you know. Left a good welt on her face. I would stay away from him, were I you, even if he is your prince.”

Danika gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, hiding a small grin, and her eyes watered with concealed mirth. Well, it seemed the whore got what she deserved. “That’s awful.” She said in shock. Then the rest of the prince’s words hit her and she lowered her hand, frowning. “Reriic is not my prince. I am a halfbreed, yes, but my princess is Kora.”

“Aye, I’ve forgotten. Now she is a good, noble woman.” Jean huffed childishly. “Stay near us from now on. I have no use for you if you aren’t here. I haven’t slept and it is all your fault.”

Danika bit the inside of her cheek so that tears formed in her eyes once more and she looked at the prince in horror. “I am so sorry, your highness. Truly, I did look for you.” She insisted. She highly doubted that he had had any trouble sleeping either night that she had been gone. Obviously he had seen the whore or he wouldn’t know about her welt.

A sly smile swept across his face. “I know how you can make it up to me. After Gradius, I would like to see you dance. A simple request, really. Have you ever danced for royalty?”

She shrugged. “There have been royals passing in the streets where I’ve danced but I could not say if they paid any attention. I danced in Dradecus...sort of anyway but the lights went out and I messed up. So I haven’t danced to the best of my ability that I know of for royalty, no.”

The subject was interesting and she had his attention, for once, but everyone knew by that time how incredibly difficult it was to keep his attention. “We shall make a game of it then. It will be your very first time, and you shall go down in history as having danced for the prince of Zuleidi at his request. If I’m unimpressed by your performance, I shall dismiss you permanently!”

That was not good news. Danika had practiced Cat’s solo dances and the dances she performed with that other half with but she wasn’t confident that she could emulate her sister perfectly. “Your highness...it has been a long time since I’ve danced alone and I do not know where Kiya has gone. I shall do my best, of course, but...I do not wish for you to dismiss me. I know I haven’t followed our agreement and I am sorry, with all my heart I am sorry. Please, do not do this thing.”

The Zuleidan was too busy grinning madly to care. Historically, Jean had never given ‘Cat’ much choice in anything. He simply ignored her plea, and as far as she was concerned, he wasn’t joking. “So it shall be! I’m quite sure that you don’t wish to be a part of this dangerous adventure anyway, so if you wish to be dismissed early, please-- feel free! I shall find another pretty maiden to dance for me!”

Danika wanted nothing more than to punch him in his stupid face, maybe break his nose again, maybe worse. Instead she hung her head and let out a loud sigh. “Yes, alright, I’ll do it.” She turned her head up to look at him again and frowned. “My country is in danger too, you know...or it could be. I’ve never had the chance to be anything.” She took another deep breath. “So I shall dance for you.” And tidy things up should he not approve. She assumed this dance would be private and she had always been good with daggers.



xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx《The Trickster Prince》
.........

[Overlord Gizmo]

E s t o n and K o r axxxxxxxxxxxx



It seemed it was too much to hope that she had forgotten about her question. Just his luck it would seem. He avoided her gaze, feeling some small amount of shame in just his reluctance to answer. (Though some of it may have been because of what the answer was.) He briefly debated on how to answer, as it seemed he would not be able to avoid the question as of right now, before he sighed. “It’s just stuff I learned as a boy.” It was an answer, albeit vague. It wasn’t like he owed her his life story anyways. It was just knowledge he picked up years ago that was finally proving useful in his life. (Though he had never expected it ever would.) He hoped that answer would be enough to satisfy the princess for now.

Silent for a moment as she mused, her mind guessed at Eston’s history, grasping at straws.  She worked at attaching the short sword to her belt as she thought.  After some effort and no small amount of guesswork, she finally managed to buckle the weapon onto her belt.  She was not all that sure how secure it was, but as it didn’t immediately fall away, she guessed that it was good enough for now.  Hanging at her side, the weapon felt just as out of place as it had in her hands. From what little she knew about Gradian culture, she was under the impression that the citizens’ paths in life were chosen for them when they were born.  And they trained their soldiers young.  “Were you being trained as a knight?” she asked, looking up at him after a moment.  

He rested one of hands on the hilt of his sword, awkwardly fiddling with the cloth wrapping over it. (While slightly berating himself for doing so; he was going to ruin the cloth if he picked up that habit again.) He cleared his throat before hesitantly answering, “... Something like that.” To say he had been trained as a knight seemed weird, he never considered going into the Gradian miltia the same as becoming a knight; a generic foot soldier feeling like a more appropriate term. Nonetheless, he was almost regretting showing any sort of knowledge on weaponry, as it seemed to lead to a topic he was not too comfortable with speaking about.

While she hadn’t meant for it to be, she could tell that the subject was obviously something he had issues with.  It seemed to be a trend amongst all the Gradians, to have serious issues involving their homeland.  Her hand rested on the hilt of the short sword, as she thought.  Wasn’t the position of a knight or soldier something to be proud of?  What was is that seemed to make him so uneasy about the subject?  

From what she knew about Gradius and its people, the paths their lives took were chosen for them, with no room for argument.  But as far as she knew, they had always been too proud to be anything less than ‘supreme’ in anything they did.  They seemed content to be just that.  There were no stories of any trying to do anything different.  The few who actually left were never allowed to return, and weren’t even ‘Gradian’ anymore in the eyes of their people.  She recalled his fervent insistence that he was Shastan, despite his obvious Gradian heritage.  

Eston had been chosen for something other than being a scholar.  And yet that’s what he was.  The vague pieces of his background began to fall into place, painting a slightly clearer picture of this man she hardly knew.  She watched him carefully for a moment, before speaking up, “You left..?”  It was more of a confirmation than a question, as she already knew the answer.  “Weren’t you afraid?  To leave everything behind like that?”

Why couldn’t this woman just be curious about something, anything else? Anything that wasn’t him and his past. Darn woman. “Yeah,” He replied, albeit hesitantly. The hand that wasn’t fiddling with the hilt of his sword had been brought up to mess up his hair. (Now he’d have a frayed sword grip and even messier hair. Good job Eston.) “A little.” That was certainly an understatement, but attempting to really describe the large range of emotions he had felt back then would be a long and arduous task that he was not the least bit interested in attempting at this moment. “... It was quite a while ago now.” Five years. He continued further messing up his hair with his hand, before returning his gaze back to the curious woman. “What’s with all the questions?”

Kora had not realized how far her questions had gone, and that she hadn’t caught herself.  Why was she asking so many questions?  It had seemed as though each question lead to answers that gave her more questions.  But why was she so curious?  She could feel a frustrated warmth spread across her face when she could not think of a valid reason.  “I would better know the only other Shastan left in our group,” she replied with a small shrug, hoping to cover that she did not truly know the answer to his question.  

Only other Shastan? Had he really not noticed that there weren’t any others among the group? (Poor observational skills there; he would have to try harder to be more observant.) He had to also wonder if he really did count, having not been born there. Though he was a legal citizen. “We’re the only two?” Less of an actual question, and more just something to confirm his guesses.

Kora nodded, before stopping in recollection, “Well... aside from the dancer.  She has a Shastan look, although I believe she is from Dradecus.”  There had been so few people from home on this journey.  Part of her wanted to talk to the dancer when she had the chance, and wondered how long she had been away from the city.  Reminders of home were rarer and rarer every day.

A Gradian soldier suddenly appeared out of nowhere.  There was a look of supreme dissatisfaction on the Supreme’s face as he supremely regarded the less than supreme pair.  His unexpected arrival made the princess jump, as she looked up at the soldier’s unblinking and unending glare.  She almost didn’t notice the food he was begrudgingly offering. “Oh...” was all she said, as she accepted what appeared to be bread and cheese.  The soldier looked between them for a moment, the grim lines of his face creating a permanent frown.  “The two of you better get some protection,” he said in a gruff voice.

A mildly startled expression crossed the Shastan’s features, but before she could say anything, the soldier added, “You’ll find the armor over there,” A gauntleted hand motioned a little ways further down the ranks.  Kora recalled seeing the stands of armor earlier, but had passed them by.  Without giving either of them the chance to respond, the soldier left.  Apparently he had other things to do, that were much more important than preparing the guests of the Asaph for whatever lay beyond the gates.

“Doesn’t anyone in this camp have any patience?” she muttered, mostly to herself.  It seemed that everyone in the camp had somewhere more important to be than where they currently were.  That soldier in particular had been... unsettling... for lack of a better word.

The guard left as quickly as he had come, dropping off his delivery and leaving as soon as he was finished. He had almost forgotten how typical Gradians behaved. So supposedly efficient. Honestly it seemed rather tiring and boring. “And people wonder why I left,” He muttered to himself as the soldier departed. Though it was true he needed some sort of armour, even if it was only minimal. Remembering he still had company, he turned back to her, feeling it the polite thing to do before departing. “Are you going to be getting armour as well Princess?”

“I suppose that I should...” she said slowly.  It would be reckless to go in without any form of protection.  Especially since they had the resources available to them; unlike their journeys into Dradecus and Laelie, where they barely had any chance to prepare at all.  They even had a whole army marching alongside of them.  She knew even less about armor than she did about weapons.  Perhaps there would be something small that would suffice, but she knew she didn’t have the physical strength for most of it.  She would just have to look and see.  With that thought in mind, she started off in the direction the soldier had indicated.  

She had only taken a couple of steps, before she stopped, and broke what she’d been given of the bread and cheese in half.  Turning, she held part of it out to Eston. “Here.”  Since he wasn’t a royal, she supposed the soldier had either looked him over, or simply hadn’t cared enough to offer him a share.  It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing, and she could spare.

Hesitantly, he took the food he had been offered. “Thank you.” Though he wasted little time in taking a bite of the bread. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he actually had edible food in his hands. The cheese was spicy, typical of Gradian foods, it was a hard kind of cheese to find elsewhere. He continued to eat the small amount of food as they walked to the armoury.

Kora offered a quick smile, before she continued walking as soon as he’d accepted the offering.  She chewed on the bread as she went.  It was a heavy traveler’s bread, meant to fill the stomach while on the move.  A recipe designed for function rather than taste.  It took longer to chew than she was used to, and still felt rough and grainy when she swallowed it.  At least the cheese had some spice to it.  It was something the Gradians were doing right.  She was done by the time they found the armor.  As she feared, there were a great deal of heavy looking pieces, most of which she didn’t know the name to.

Attempting to pick up a chest piece, the thing fell down into the snow, pulling her along with it, as soon as she slid it off the rack.  Eyes wide, she tried to pick it up again just so she could put it back.  It wouldn’t budge.  It remained partly buried in the snow, and would not be moved.  Trying one last time, not wanting to just leave it there for someone else to pick up, she accidentally bumped into the rack itself.  Before she even knew what was happening, the whole thing tipped over.  A helmet rolled a few feet away before it settled.  Gods help her, she wasn’t going to survive Gradius was she?  She wanted to use her earth magic.  Right now.  She felt powerful when she used magic.  Not like... this...  But there was too much ice and snow in the way.  She looked around for a moment before abandoning the piece of armor where it lay in the snow.  Hopefully they would think it was someone else who had knocked it over.

He watched, semi-silently, as Kora fumbled with the armour and the racks that held them. Trying to contain his laughter at her predicament, as well as finishing up the last of the bread he had been offered. He should do something to help her. That would be the right thing to do at least. Though, he was getting far too much amusement from just watching her struggle. Perhaps he could just. Let her struggle some more and just enjoy it a bit. Yes, this sounded like a good plan. For at least until he finished his breakfast. And then he would go get himself some armour and maybe tease her a bit if there was time.

Far too quickly he finished the bread, and true to the his previous plan, he would go get himself some armour. He didn’t want anything too heavy, nor full armour for that matter. Just the bare minimum, likely only some basic greaves and wrist guards. Preferably something not made of metal and thus very heavy. He was a terrible enough of a fighter already, he didn’t need to be slowing himself down with heavy armour. Finding something hadn’t been difficult at all thankfully, the leather armour being nearby. So there was an incomplete set of leather armour now, someone else could deal with that.

Kora wandered away from the toppled wrack as discreetly as she could, feeling guilty but knowing she would not be able to clean the mess up on her own.  At least it had been only one rack.  There were dozens of them after all.  She passed over almost everything, this time not even trying to pick things up to test their weight.  She eventually came upon a light chainmail shirt.  It was a little heavy when she picked it up, the metal startlingly cold in her hands, but it was manageable.  It would certainly be better than nothing at all.  

She was wearing a thick shirt and a borrowed jerkin made of oiled leather over her usual clothes.  She took a moment to unhook her belt and undo the laces of the jerkin, and set both aside.  Pulling on the chainmail shirt was more difficult than putting on a regular shirt.  The cold of the metal was a shock against the skin of her cheek and neck.  She snagged her hair between the links only once, before she managed to get it on.  It wasn’t as heavy as she thought it would be, and she imagined she would grow accustomed to it eventually.  When it seemed straight enough, she picked up the jerkin again, and pulled it on over the chainmail, redoing the laces up its front.  Only the sleeves and the bit by her neck were visible of the chainmail.  Once the belt was back in place over the jerkin, the short sword hanging at her side, she felt a little bit more prepared.

Armour obtained, he returned to check if Kora hadn’t accidentally knocked over the rest of the armour racks in the short time he had been away. Much to his (dis)pleasure, the only armour that remained knocked over was the one he had seen her knock over. Securing the wrist guards he had grabbed onto his arms, he walked over to her, still holding the greaves he had picked up. “What are those stuffy Gradians going to think when they find out you knocked over their precious armour?”

The princess had just finished straightening out her belt, when she heard Eston speak up behind her.  She turned to him, a mildly embarrassed frown on her face. “It’s not precious... just what they issue to their new recruits.  And they won’t find out.” She favored him with a pointed look before she added, “And it was an accident... I tried to fix it...”  Frowning again, she looked at the toppled rack that was a good distance away from her now.  She didn’t think anyone other than Eston had seen her knock it over, and the whole camp would be moving soon anyway.  Even so, she still felt a little guilty.

He lightly tapped her on the head with his new greaves. “Of courseee,” He said before deciding that he should actually put the greaves on, sitting on the ground to make putting them on easier. “Try telling them that when you’re being accused of ruining perfectly fine armour,” He continued as he secured the leather straps. He really hoped she knew he was only teasing her. He seriously doubted any of the Gradians here would punish a royal guest.

Kora blinked in surprise, before glaring at him for a moment. “It’s not--” she stopped when she saw Bashirah making her way through the camp.  The sight of her was unlike anything Kora had ever seen.  The Gradian princess marched to the edge of the camp.  “We should see what’s happening,” she said, before trailing along the edge of the camp until they were where the others were.  Kora was in complete awe as the other princess spoke with breathtaking confidence.  The woman was so terrifying and beautiful that it was almost hard to believe she was real.  In that moment she seemed more like a queen than a princess.  In comparison... Kora was... She made the mistake of wishing Zara was there.  Someone who would actually do a proper job of representing the kingdom of Shazgard.

The gathering army was beginning to take on a new kind of order.  There was a great deal less of the frantic running around, and more than half of the tents has been taken down.  The volcano stood before them, an imposing monument to both the unyielding culture it housed, and the task that lay ahead of them.  Even covered in snow, when it should have appeared defeated and desolate, Gradius was as stubborn and intimidating as one would ever expect. “What do you think we’ll find on the inside?” she asked, without turning her gaze away from the snow capped peak of the mountain.

Of course he had plenty of theories and guesses, but knew nothing for certain. They could find only the remains of a once proud city, now filled only with death. Or even a proud group of people still struggling to survive. It was hard to say for certain. Though given the conditions on the outside, he had to wonder what the chances were of those inside still being alive.

“... Who knows.”



“Where hav u bin all my lief?” she exclaimed, leaping through the air and wrapping her limbs around him in a spider like fashion. She held the sexy bookworm in a vice like grip as she petted his face. Gazing deep into his eyes, her voice turned husky, “Let me see your peacock...” oh bby. and then they had sloppy makeouts.

[K33LA]

Snow swirled like bitter memories, the wind was an icy slap, and even the rocks were his enemies. The world seemed as dark and dismal as ever, the shadows creeping over the horizon in the face of a setting sun. The light would soon be gone, replaced by nothing but a blackened sky in his heart. What was already dim had turned to dark...

Snowflakes fell in wild, lazy flurries, powdering Kunal in a blanket of white. His body was numb, the cold having long seeped in, and he looked wilder than ever before. Sodden, stiffening furs clung to his shivering shoulders, and his hair was plastered to his forehead. The tips had begun to frost over, and soon they would be as blue as his lips. The slightest motion sent daggers up his arms and legs and neck, piercing flesh, muscle, and bone alike. None of it was felt by Kunal.

In his chest there was a fire burning, hot and bright but ugly. They were creeping flames - nearly molten - and they tiptoed from his center to the rest of his body. Every shudder and chill only served to stoke the fire, to fan his anger. He was a fool lost in his own mad mind, and as it crumbled he fell apart with it. There was so little left of him, and despite his rage he felt small and insignifcant in the world. Kunal could not bear much more.

A deadly gleam ran rampant in his gaze, from the stark whites to the black, black pupils. They were dangerous eyes, and more bitter than they had ever been. His deterioration was apparent, clear for all to see. Yet he could not hide it, no more than he could recognize it. All was right in his depraved mind, coated in blood and steel. Kunal would be Gradian till the end, live or die.

Life boomed in the distance, and he knew his companions were on their way. He felt little else beside contempt for them, but there was nothing he could do without them. Without Bashirah. The only woman he had ever loved, would ever love. He hated her, too, but only because he loved her more. Together they would penetrate the impregnable Gradius, yet Kunal vowed to save it alone. A defiant gaze fixed on the barrier which denied his entry. That ape of a man was around somewhere, though Kunal paid him no attention. The snow would soon make him as white as that freakish mockery of humanity, and then they would be equals. The Prince of Gradius would become an abomination alongside him, inside and out.

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❁ There is ℓσνє in your вσ∂у but you can't get it out

It gets ѕтυ¢к ιи уσυя нєα∂, won't come συт σf уσυя мσυтн

Sticks to your тσиgυє and it shows on your fα¢є

That the ѕωєєтєѕт σf ωσя∂ѕ have the вιттєяєѕт тαѕтє ▶ ▷

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[PhantasmicRose]

The brunt of Zuleidi’s storm season had ended, and with its passing came an overwhelming tide of trade ships crammed within the harbor. Foreign sights, smells, and tastes were pressed into the growing marketplace as the weary seafarers finally returned from their voyages. The town burst into life and color like the refreshed gardens seeking the first true rays of sunlight. From her window Vera could just make out the sea and the billowing sails of merchant fleets. Orin promised to take her into the town square today, but first they had a guest to prepare for.

She was instructed to look her best today, and eager to please she would settle for no less than perfection. A gown of deep blue was Vera’s final choice, the color giving her eyes a brilliant tint and making her skin look delicate and milky. It took an hour for her to do her hair alone, the deep brown strands wet and twisted into a braid so that they fell in dramatic waves around her face when they dried. The maids helped her with her makeup, the one thing she’d never quite gotten used to here. They painted her face like a princess, exaggerating her eyes with layers of silver, blue, and white. Blush was dusted on her cheeks for color and a pale pink gloss brushed over her lips to draw the eye to them. Vera had her corset laced up tightly and her hem taken in to show her legs. She was draped in Orin’s jewelry like a walking store front.

Vera helped prepare the breakfast for their guest just as she’d been taught over the past few weeks. She set the table. She set cushions on the chairs. She even chose the candles and the centerpiece to accent the quaint sitting room they’d be meeting in. And all the while her heart soared in excitement. The sunshine filtering in through the windows kissed her skin and beckoned her out. Vera threw aside all the drapes to let it in.

“Lovely.” Orin’s voice came from behind her as she fiddled with the pot of steaming tea. She whirled around to see the master of the house with his guest, a short and slightly round man in his later years. He wore a loose-fitting open shirt with straining suspenders that clasped at his finely-tailored but abused black pants. A pipe in his hand clouded the room with its acrid smoke, but Vera didn’t let her polite smile falter as she gave a sweeping bow.

“Goodmorning, Orin.” Her gray eyes shimmered when she said his name. She nodded to the other man as the two sat. “Goodmorning, sir.”

“Mmm, lovely indeed,” the man replied as if he hadn’t quite heard Vera’s greeting. He was looking around the room, inspecting things closely like he was searching for error. His fat fingers twitched as he pushed a fork into a better position and adjusted a candle to a faint degree. Vera’s smile nearly faltered, but she quickly grabbed the tea and began to pour for the gentleman.

“This is Vera,” Orin introduced as the girl leaned over him for his cup. “She’s coming along quite well. She can cook, clean, and just the other day she was learning to ride a horse. Isn’t that right, darling?”

“Y-yes,” Vera muttered, head down as she concentrated on the tea. She felt the other man’s strangely judgmental eyes on her and it was making her hands shake. “Orin is… he’s teaching me many things.”

“Not bad for a street elf,” the man said, and his words made Vera’s hand jerk, catching his tea cup and sending it crashing to the floor. Her face lit up, the blush on her cheeks popping as she scrambled to clean up her mess. Neither man made any attempt to help her, and a quick glance up revealed a sour look on both of them. Orin seemed especially put off, his jaw strangely tight.

“She still needs some work,” the fat man commented quietly, looking right over her struggling figure to Orin. “But she looks decent. Better than Malloy’s girls.”

“Excuse me?!” Vera’s eyes were wide as she shot up straight, the bones in her corset creaking. She gripped the teapot in her hand, its spout aimed at the fat man’s head.

“I bet she’s mouthy. The elves are. I’ll fix that later if you fix… you know.” The man waved his hands at Vera’s abdomen, making her slide back from him in growing disgust and rage. “My wife won’t have any bastards running around. Especially elf ones, bless the makers.”

“Say one more word about me and I’ll rip your fat tongue out,” Vera hissed, but her eyes flew to Orin seeking help. She found none.

“She’ll be ready for you when you return from your vacation. I’ll have her brought out to your ship the night before you leave.”

“Excellent.”

Vera was stunned into silence and Orin moved before she could react. He’d jumped up from his chair, the force throwing it back as he leaped at Vera and wrapped his arms around her. This was no loving embrace. His fingers dug in her arms where he held her and wrenched her down to the table. Glass and food crashed to the ground as Vera kicked and screamed for her life, her breath cut short as Orin slammed a damp cloth to her mouth. Strange fumes went straight to her lungs, filling them with a drowsiness that quickly seeped into the rest of her body.

Sonya wasn’t at all surprised to find herself abandoned somewhere alone to find her own way. Again. No one had time for the whore unless she was warming their beds or their cold hearts, it seemed. No matter, this disability wouldn’t hinder her journey up the mountain. Silent, brooding darkness brought with it a bitter familiarity and acceptance like floodwaters during the storm season. It was her wish to stay in solitude, after all, and to live with the consequences that followed. And so no complaint left her lips as she buttoned up her coat- which had been opened slightly in her sleep from Jean’s groping- and ducked back out into the cold.

“Find me a weapon,” she demanded as she came upon the young man in charge of preparing the group for battle. Should a fight actually take place, the elf knew she’d be as little help then as she was before. Her dagger was still at her side, nestled beneath a few layers of fabric for protection, but a more blatant and imposing weapon hanging at her hip might at lease give her attacker some pause before they cut her down. She snapped her finger and jut out her hand when the Gradian made no move to hand her something.

“Well, come on!” Sonya tossed her hair with a breath of arrogance she only half faked. “Don’t you know who I am? Oh, of course you don’t. My Lord Reriic would certainly be in a mood if he saw his…. his court advisor being mistreated. And there’s no stopping him once he’s in a mood.”

Sonya stamped her foot and jut out her hand once more, chin tilted up with an air of importance until her demand was hastily complied with. She soaked in the moment a bit longer by loudly instructing the man to fasten the sword to her side, and then to fetch her an escort because she was feeling so ill and didn’t want to march up the mountain alone, lest she might collapse.

“The Prince’s Court Advisor,” Sonya reminded the man at any pause until her demands were met in full. And so the elf began her trek up the mountain like the others, but with her arm looped through a soldier’s as he grudgingly guided her through the snow like an honor guard with a princess.