Tales of the Betrothed (closed)

[PhantasmicRose]

“Quit your bitching.”
“I’ll pull out that hair of yours, b***h.”

“The world is in fact ending.”
“What’s new?”

“Your cattiness will destroy you.”
“Not the first time I’ve heard that.”

“Unfortunately, we do not know how to kill it.”
“So you’re utterly useless, then?”

“We're royalty, not fighters.”

“Uhg, you’re all useless!” Sonya finally howled just as a shadowy figure approached, blocking her hazed view of the torchlight for a few seconds. She felt the person looming over her and was reminded of the sensation caused by lurking eyes on your skin, that chill of the unseen but sensed predator. She paid no mind, however, to the cautious suspicion of her instincts and chose instead to focus on the weight of binds leaving her wrists. She sprang to her feet the moment the ropes were tossed aside, scowling at the dark world around her.

“Out of my way,” Sonya demanded, shoving aside the elf brother who freed her. The strange sleep had disoriented her temporarily, but the blurry light from the torches hugging the walls told her the exact shape of the room and where everyone was. She marched straight to the center, her face whirling around to everyone as if she’d meet their eyes.

“So you sewer rats,” she hissed, waving to the elf siblings, “want us all to believe that the fate of humanity rests in the fat hands of royalty?! I’m supposed to accept that these sniveling brats and their playthings are going to save everyone? Well I won’t believe a drop of that horseshit. They’re kids. Spoiled, sheltered, narrow-minded little children. Our lives are in their parent’s hands tightly enough. I wont let the last shred of my sanity go into hoping these idiots can make it out alive in the real world long enough to save humanity. Sorry kids, but I like myself way too much to let you fight for me. I’m going with you to make sure you don’t ******** everything up. Understand? Good.”

And with that outburst the elf threw up her hands, her face red and her hair a frazzled mess from all her gesturing and movement. Crossing her arms over her chest with a huff, Sonya turned away from them all and marched back to the wall to lean against it and mutter angrily to herself. It was obvious by her lack of further attention that she couldn’t care less what anyone had to say about the matter. She’d spoken her piece and that was final. Sonya did whatever she wanted, and what she wanted most of all was to keep surviving. It would be messy and unpleasant, but letting the royal children run off alone on their little adventure was equivalent to suicide. Sonya might have hated nearly everything, but she’d never die at the hands of royalty. Of all the things that could kill her, she’d make sure that was the last.

Not that she had much hope.

“We’re all screwed. Royally.”

[K33LA]

『 кυиαℓ ѕα'ιя мαнαραтяα 』
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx▶ ▷ Prince of gяα∂ιυѕ

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx❝ Without нσиσя I am ṉøτhïṉģ｡｡｡❞

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Kunal silenced himself immediately when his sister spoke. Bashirah was alive, and all was right. Yet the prince found his panic quickly replaced itself with shame. It was not correct to showcase his emotions in such a manner. It was a sign of a weak mind, body and spirit. Emotion was imperfection, and imperfection was... impossible. He was perfect. Perfect. Perfect.


k i l lxx i t . . .

He had to focus, to return to the situation at hand. Entertaining dangerous thoughts was a waste of time... Yes, a waste. As they all were released, Kunal absorbed the ideas bouncing back and forth, many of them ludicrous. When Bashirah refuted the plan offered by Remus, Kunal had to agree with his sister. Released from his bindings, he came to rest behind his sister, forcing his steps to match a comfortable, even rhythm; it would be shameful to appear over eager.

"Bashirah is correct. The idea of drugging that Goliath is idiotic at best, though the Shastan's abilities give me hope. The only way to control the beast is to control the sand beneath it - we should use Kora and Adora's earth manipulation to our advantage. Our best bet at victory would be to trap it, pin it down somehow, and vanquish it there where it is most vulnerable... besides the concern for the safety those consumed, which in all honestly seems rather arbitrary, there is still another problem. Even if we do manage to restrain it, where is its weakness? As my sister pointed out, it has no blood, no veins. Is there even a heart for us to cut out? We must first discern its weaknesses in order to--"

At that moment, Sonya's snarling voice cut clean through his speech. Kunal did not like being interrupted, especially by an elf. It was odd how far Sonya's personality had jumped over the last few minutes - had she not been gracious and respectful a short time ago? What kind of game was she at? All the more infuriating was the body of her rant. She dared to label Kunal and Bashirah idiotic and lazy? What did she know about the life they had lead, the hardships both of them had faced? He could care less about the other four royals present; as far as he was concerned, everything the elven woman spat applied to them. But himself? Never.

She knew nothing.

"Shut your mouth, elven dog," he said. Just then, a realization passed his mind, and Kunal scanned the room. His search was in vain, his suspicions confirmed. Out of all those present in the chamber, there was one who was missing.

"Where is Aurelia?" Kunal asked, voice blank. Although Kunal would never consider associating himself with a servant, he found Aurelia's absence disturbing. She had been with the twins as a constant companions since the two were young, her figure always looming in the background. In a way, the twins were closer to her than their own parents. It was odd to have regards of any sort to one so far beneath him. There was simply something about her he could not hate. Bashirah felt the same, he was sure. Her presence was... soothing. She rarely made mistakes. When she did, Kunal could never bring himself to be too harsh with her. He looked to Bashirah for a brief exchange. Lightly, two of his fingers brushed his temple. The thought that she was missing did not cause Kunal to panic; it was merely disheartening...

Yes, he thought, merely disheartening.



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[LoserGotLucky]

The e n d of one s t o r y. . .

The b e g i n n i n g of a n o t h e r. . .

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"....Who pissed in your ale?" Emmyth finally piped up, stretching his arms above his head as he sent an amused look over at Sonya. Sure, things looked bleak at the moment but by the Shadows what had prompted that little erruption? She'd been so nice before... "I don't know what's gotten your smalls in such a twist, Little Miss Sunshine, but I'm rather offended by that. I'll have you know I'm very well read."

His lips twisting into a smirk, the elf crossed his arms behind his back and sauntered over to his brother's side. "Good to see you in one peice, brother," he muttered quietly as he watched the group. Every word, every facial expression and every emotion had been carefully observed and commited to memory for later use; Emmyth's fingers were practically itching for paper and ink so he could start spinning their tale. If they were supposedly going to save the world from utter distruction, then by the gods he was going to make sure it was remembered. "You really going to risk your life for all this? Because you know mother and father will blame me if something were to happen to you." His smirk growing, Emmyth raised a finger to tap his chin. "I may have a few ideas on how to aid in this fight, but it depends on certain factors...I'll have to think on it and let you know when the time comes. Until then, let's just make sure that the people of our city don't try to kill us as traitors, yes?"

Scanning the group, Emmyth wandered over to where Miya was tending to her wounds. Crouching down beside her, the elven prince bit his lip as he looked at the bruises blossoming over her torso. "You okay there Miya?" he asked, an edge of concern in his voice. "You want some help wrapping those up?" He wasn't trying to be be sarcastic; both he and his bodyguard knew that he was terrible at any form of healing, even something as simple as dressing a cut, but with things looking so grim, he didn't want her hurting herself further if her injury came back to trouble her further.

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[Rada Han]

H e l p e r s a n d G u i d e s



Sol furrowed his brow when Sonya shoved him and even made a grab at the sword at his hip. “Ungrateful—“ He was stopped by the thinner brother, who gave him a look of disapproval and put a hand on his shoulder to still him. No one in her position would feel differently. Although the three elves may not have understood where she was coming from, there was still something extremely unfair about making a bunch of kids in charge of saving Yardis.

The truth was, the royals weren’t the most important part of the mission. Without their guards, they wouldn’t have escaped Bhegin as a group, if at all. Even the deceased Navid Malak played his part in their journey, as short as it was for him. For a group that for the most part couldn’t tell the blunt end of the sword from the pointy end, guards were incredibly crucial to their cause. If anything, it was the guards who were saving the world at this point, not the royals.

When the question was presented to the three, of what would happen to the people who had been swallowed to the beast, they all looked at each other like they hadn’t thought about it before. None of them had an answer. It was something that they didn’t know. The fate of those victims would be unknown to all of them until the monster was defeated.

Stella’s eyes were on Kunal. He appeared to have a great mind for strategy, much like his father. Sol was the warrior of the group, so he chimed in immediately, with great interest. The other two silenced.

“Ok, listen to this. I think I’ve got a plan,” He reached into the pack at his back and pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment. It was rather large, but when he unraveled it, it was obvious that it was a map of Dradecus. It was very old and was missing an entire corner. From his pocket, Sol picked out a piece of charcoal and it darkened his gloves when he held it in his hand.

“The monster is right here, in the main square, right in front of the palace gates,” He drew an ‘x’ there. “We’ll have someone be the bait. Forgive me, Sir Igalios, but I don’t think you’re the right guy for the job. If you get swallowed up, we might have to start over. We should get the faerie out there. Christalle, is it? You can fly around. It’ll never catch you!”

The elf scratched a little dot with tiny wings on the map right above the monster’s X. “You’ll lure it out and distract it. Long enough for...”

Then, he drew two Z’s, one on the left side of the monster, and one on the right side. “... The Zhaddaghs to try to capture its bones with the earth... But we’ll need reinforcements just in case.”

Sol stopped and looked up as if he was thinking. When an idea hit him, he smacked his fist down into the palm of his hand. “I forget that we’re in the Palace already. In the armory, we have a stockpile of collapsible turrets... Dradecan masterpieces! We can take a few of them and set them up on the rooftops.” Enthusiastically, the elf drew four circles on the map. One to the west of the beast, one to the east, one to the southwest, and one to the north, at the top of the castle.

“The Mahapatras and Igalios’ will run them into place. You’ve got some climbing to do, and make it quick.” They were tall, so their long limbs could certainly do the job for them.

“You,” He said, then pointed his nub of charcoal at Remus. “I don’t know your name, but you’re Zuleidan so it must be something fancy. You’ll follow Bashirah to the balcony of the Palace and give the signal when you see an opening to strike. You’ll only have one chance to fire at the right time... and if it breaks out of these restraints, you’ll have to do it again. Aim for the arms. Give your guards a clean shot.”

After that, Sol drew some arrows toward the front of the monster, and some to either side.
“Knights,” He began, and took a breath. “When Christalle lures the beast out, hide yourselves and your steel. The Zhaddaghs will hold it in place while the turrets are prepared. When they are fired and the beast is pinned down, aim for its face. We’ll see what happens when we crack its skull open.”

Inhaling deeply, as if preparing for the most difficult moment of his life, Sol rolled the map back up and held it in his hand. “Guards, Zhaddaghs and Christalle, come with me. Mahapatras, Igalios’, and fancy Zuleidan man, go with Lun. You—“ The warrior pointed directly at Sonya. His face held a sly smile, as did the face of his brother. “Stella has some business with you. You’d better stay here.”

[Rada Han]

H e l p e r s a n d G u i d e s



When Sol was finished giving his overenthusiastic plan rundown, his brother Lun felt it fitting to spring immediately into action.

“Move out of the way, please!” He said in a sing-song manner.

He stepped over to a spot on the wall that Adele had been linked to, and pressed in one of the tiles, causing a switch to sound and the ceiling to drop down to reveal a stairway. “Come along, pups!” He laughed, as he motioned with his hand for his group to follow him up the stairs.

That passageway wasn’t long. It took a few steps for them to run into a hatch, when opened, led to the Royal bedroom, where Ashcroft and Penelope slept. It was a grand place and uncharacteristally messy. There was sand everywhere, but there was no telling how it even got there. It looked like the room had been looted, or at least torn apart by someone very angry.

As soon as they stepped out of that room, there was a high-pitched yowl and collective gasps from the people who hadn’t left the palace since it was blocked off. There were servants, young and old, men and women, who stared at the group. Smiles appeared on their faces when they saw their Princes. Although Emmyth did not look the same as he did before, they still seemed to know him and love him.

Many servants bowed to them and one young girl even burst into tears. There were mutters among them. Exclamations that they were saved and that the royal family wasn’t gone after all.
“They love you guys,” The elf said over his shoulder at them as he guided them through the halls. “How’d you manage that?” The brothers probably already knew where they were going. It was their home, after all, except the whole palace was covered in sand. If one looked over the columns, they would see that the whole bottom floor looked as bleak as the outside. There were a few staff members laying in the sand. Some even made sand angels in their boredom.

They ventured down another stairway, through the guard’s commons and through the mess hall, into the armory, which when opened, was as pristine as they’d left it. There was no trace of sand anywhere. The turrets and their ropes and hooks were displayed on the wall in plain sight.
“Here you go,” The elf said as he hoisted each of them from the wall and handed them over. They weren’t ungodly heavy, but at least 45 pounds each. Wood, for carrying. He showed them briefly how to set them up, arm them, and instructed them on how to shoot the things.The best he could do in such a short amount of time.

“Now, you’re going to go to the towers surrounding the central square. They’re the tallest buildings there. You can’t miss ‘em. There’s usually ladders and such, but you might be unlucky and get one that doesn’t. Lady Mahapatra-- You’ll be going to the highest balcony of this palace.” He looked to Remus. “You’ll go with her, and take this with you.” The elf pushed a large, indigo flag into his arms. “Use it to signal the others. Go, get into position. Go!”

Then, when the other three had their turrets at hand, Lun opened up another trick door, one that was located behind the sword rack, by turning a hilt of a false weapon. “The advantage Dradecan soldiers have over all else—they know how to be discreet. You won’t see ‘em until its too late.” He chuckled and led them down yet another staircase, a longer one that when descended, felt cool compared to the rest of the palace. “Underground tunnels. Dradecus has a vast network of ‘em. They’ll lead you to different parts of the city. Pretty useful, eh?” At the crossing, in a setting that was very familiar to the tunnel used in Bhegin, the elf gave his final words to them before they set off. “Mahapatra, go left. Lucian, straight. Emmyth, right. The towers should be close to where you are when you emerge. Be quick, and stay out of the central square. Farewell, boys. See ya' when it's all over!” The man then saluted and ran off in the direction where they came.

[amethyst jo butterfly]

αιиє ¢няιѕтαℓℓє

Laelιe princess

Engaged to: Kunal Sa'ir Mahapatra, Prince of Gradius
Current crush: .Anna? Miyana?.. Who will it be moon child?.

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Aine grinned excitedly as one of the captors finally freed her from her cage. She couldn't help herself, it felt so damned good to be free of that damned thing! Her captors missed out by setting her free, however. Hell if they hadn't have freed her she would have sang, stripped away her clothing, danced, and promised them pleasures that only she a Fae could bring. Luckily she did not have to lower herself to such measures. She flew circles of joy in the air, a trail of falling fairy dust flying after her.

After a few minutes of this, she finally stopped and re-grew to her former height her wings vanishing away. She frowned upon hearing that her magic would be of little use against the beast. And then she blinked in surprise upon hearing the captors plan to use her as bate! she shivered somewhat, but if it was the only way she could be of use.. She may as well.. "I am a fast flyer." She mused aloud tapping a thin finger against her lips. "The fastest in the kingdom, as a matter of fact.I suppose I could be good bait.." She replied. Her attention then fell on Miyana, who appeared out of sorts.. was she ill? She cocked her head to one side as she witnessed the other woman pop a pill.. Ahh! So she was ill... she gingerly approached the other woman.. Why was she suddenly so nervous around the half elf? She reached out and gently grasped her arm.. "Miyana dear.. Are you alright?" She questioned.

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Current location:aside Miya
Current mood: nervous
Current company: the whole gang
Occ: sorry short
Current injuries: slight cut on the neck

[Rada Han]

H e l p e r s a n d G u i d e s



When Lun was gone with the turret crew, Sol pressed a tile on the opposite side of the room and the floor dropped from the center, revealing another staircase leading underground. It connected with the stairway that dropped from the upper floor. Before, there had been no exits or entrances. Now, one would wonder exactly how many there actually were in that secret room. The elf pulled that mysterious book from his satchel again, leaned over to whisper something to his sister and handed it to her. It glowed faintly in her hands.

"I expect that you're all armed already...?" If not, he'd pull his own sword from its hilt and hand it over to whoever needed it, and they'd get a pretty neat Dradecan souvenir to keep. Sol would flinch a little bit when he handed it over, but that's only because he regretted not being able to share the battlefield with them this time.

"Down we go," He said, before descending into the dark tunnels. These were the very same tunnels that Lun led his group into, only at a different part of the palace. It seemed that Dradecus had tunnels that led to absolutely everywhere. The path they descended into was in the middle of a long walkway and not at the end of any path, like the palace entrance was much more secret than the others were.

This time, there were only two paths. One straight in front of them, and one right behind them. There was dirt and sand all over the floors. Perhaps this was the pathway many people took to escape to the underground.

"Follow these tunnels all the way to the end. You'll come out near the gates on opposite sides of each other. Fight valiantly. It is not the Royals who will determine the fate of Dradecus-- it is you. Go and get back what that beast took from you." The warrior stated, as his gaze crossed paths with Adele's. Unlike his brother, he would stay to see them off.

[Rada Han]

H e l p e r s a n d G u i d e s



...And then there was one. When they all cleared the room-- Sol and his band of warriors, Lun and his group of runners... Only Stella was left, along with a sour elf merchant who found herself in a situation that she never expected to be in.

Stella stared at her with that same stoic expression on her face, as if nothing was of importance to her. She had such peculiar features, much like those on the old paintings of ancient times. In her hands, which she held hanging in front of her, her slender fingers clutched the mysterious tome and its light pulsed along with her heartbeat. She looked down at it and back at Sonya. It was an awkward silence, as if neither of them knew exactly what they were going to do. Little did the merchant know, Stella was busy making a decision that would make her life a little more difficult.

"I understand how you feel," She began, pausing once more. Her tone was not uneasy, but uneasiness is all she felt. "...To be included in something you did not have any part in. A thing that puts your life in danger, when it did not have to be. These Royal families have indeed put themselves into a situation that will punish both their children and their kingdoms. You may not realize your role in all of this, nor are you willing to accept it, but it is my task to ensure that everything falls into place."

"...Whether you like it or not."


Before Sonya could protest, Stella opened the dark book and the room plunged into darkness. In that darkness, the blind elf could see just as clearly as anyone with sight could. In Stella's place was a ghastly figure with clouded features, but crystal clear eyes that pierced into the soul and instilled fear into her heart.

[Angst Werewolf]

xxxxxx ♨ Chαndαr Hαrí
{{ The Gradian Smith Mercenary }}
"Haters will hate. It's the price one pays for being perfect."

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Location: The Tunnels- To The Beast!

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Everyone's restraints were removed and Chandar scrambled to his feet. He restrained from rubbing at his wrists- showing pain was a sign of weakness, and with the crowd in the room, he had to put his best foot forward. The merchant-gone-mercenary turned to greet Kunal properly, but the prince was gone before he got the chance. Bashirah, too, was led away by one of the elves and Chandar stomped his foot angrily. Why? Why was it so hard to greet his royals properly?

The Gradian patted the pouch at his waist to make sure all his gems were still there. He wouldn't put it past the elves to swipe his hard-earned goods while he was out. Thankfully, nothing was missing, and Chandar listened with half an ear as one of the elves explained the battle plan. At least Kunal and Bashirah would be out of the direct line of fire. While he wasn't thrilled with having to fight this beast head-on, if it meant the safety of the Mahapatras, he would do it. And the fact that the faerie runt was being used as bait pleased him to no end. Maybe they'd luck out and she'd be eaten.

The group was split up and Chandar shoved his way through the group and over to Sol. He may not be a formal guard (as everyone seemed to think), but he could handle a sword just fine. "Wait for it to be pinned, then rush in and stab it senseless. Got it," Chandar said, tapping the hilt of his sword. His vaporizing ability would be next to useless, so he'd have to rely fully on his sword. So be it. He was Gradian, a Supreme- some freaky sand creature wasn't going to do him in!

The group of guards was led underground and Chandar unsheathed his sword. He didn't know how long the journey would take and didn't want to be caught off-guard if the beast suddenly broke through a wall or something. They stopped and Sol said some sort of farewell speech. Chandar wouldn't admit it, but being told that the fate of everything was resting on their shoulders was nothing short of ego-stroking. Yes, of course it did. "This beast will not stand a chance," he growled, thrusting his sword out. Hopefully nobody was standing too close to him- it wasn't like he would have checked.

[Rada Han]

a t r i p i n t i m e

↘ all is lost again



In the Belly of the Beast: Part Two





The two men stared blankly at Aurelia when she gushed her testimony about the story of her terrible life to them in defense of the Dradecan King's pretty damn foolish statements. Not only did Jean feel a little bit awkward, seeing as he couldn't quite relate with the girl, but he was surprised to actually hear her say so much. Throughout the last couple of days, he'd only heard short sentences from the girl, all with the gentlest tone. Actually, he thought her voice was quite lovely when she was perturbed.

Ashcroft, however, had never encountered one of those 'slaves' before. Slave trafficking in Dradecus was a problem that everyone was aware of, but nobody saw happening. Most citizens turned a blind eye toward it and some activists would go so far as to track down the traders and burn their wagons to the ground. The problem was, these things were extremely difficult to track. Many of the royal guards and other natives were in on these operations and didn't say anything if they were paid enough. There was a multi-decade sentence for selling someone into slavery, but convictions were rare. It was extremely difficult to prove that someone had sold their child into slavery and that they didn't just run away from home.

Admittedly, the royal family hadn't done much to stifle the problem. It was one of those things that no one wanted to talk about. When Aurelia said her part, however, he didn't know it then, but it would have a profound effect on the King. He was struck silent by her and had nothing to say that had any value or could do any justice to her story.

"You're right, its childish," He admitted, matter-of-factly. He inhaled deeply before speaking further. Being the highest figure of authority in Dradecus and an overall pillar of strength for everyone in the kingdom, there were some things that were better left unsaid. Since their situation was bleak already, he simply ended his conversation with Aurelia with a confession that wasn't surprising at all. It was only surprising that a ruling figure would admit it. They were all going to die anyway. "The Mahapatras, Lady Christalle, the Zhaddaghs, the Laurents, Earl Ivanov, and we-- the Igalios'... We don't get along very well. Never have. These arranged marriages were our attempt to ensure that our children didn't make the same mistakes that we did. Distrust, selfishness, violent hatred for one another, in some cases-- we truly were the worst generation."

It would give no closure at all, but Jean of all people grew ever curious. "Wait... What happened to you guys that made you all hate each other, anyway?"

Instead of answering, in true Igalios fashion, Ashcroft stood up and took the sword from his wife, who had sustained some short cuts in her dress from the fight. Aurelia's outburst had attracted a great deal of attention from the rest of the people there, but they had nothing to say. Even Penelope had a strange look on her face and couldn't quite look the maid in the eye. The King was intent on dispelling this tension.

"You and I, Laurent," The elf said, as he tossed the sword from hand to hand. "I heard you've got a clever tongue, yourself."

"Well," Chimed in the only person who had absolutely no tact what so ever. Jean had a silly smile on his face and from the back, wrapped his arms around Aurelia warmly. "I'd never sell you into slavery."

"...Perhaps I was mistaken."

[0o0gizmo0o0]

x x x x x x x x x ✗ K o r a x Z h a d d a g h

Kora crossed her arms over her chest as the different ideas were tossed back and forth amongst those in the mysterious room. Eventually, the framework of a tangible plan began to rise to the surface. Sol, one of the elven siblings, was the one to lay everything out in an understandable order so that everyone now knew what it was that they had to do. Kora uncrossed her arms and bent down slightly to rest her hands on her knees as she watched the elf draw out the plan on a piece of parchment with some charcoal. The Shasta princess nodded every now and then, as different points of the plan were brought up. She straightened back up and squared her shoulders when the plan was at last finished, and followed the group led by Sol out of the mysterious room. Right before she left, she looked over her shoulder at Sonya, who had been directed to remain behind with Stella. While she wondered what business there was between the two of them, she knew that it was really none of her affair, and was quick to leave the matter behind to follow her and her sister’s group.

The princess only paused for a moment at the top of the newly revealed stairwell, as she was tired of all this time spent underground. She swallowed back her discomfort, and descended down into the tunnels. Unconsciously wrapping her arms around herself, she was grateful that the pain in her shoulder and the back of her head seemed to be receding. She couldn’t afford any distractions during their encounter with the monster. Kora didn’t even know if her and her sister’s powers would be enough to keep the thing above the ground. If either one of them lost concentration, then the monster would be free to retreat back underground, and all of this would have been for nothing. Not to mention, even if the people who had been devoured were still alive, that wouldn’t remain the case if they couldn’t stop the monster as soon as possible. It was only a matter of time before they succumbed to dehydration or starvation. Squaring her shoulders with newfound determination, she knew that this was their only real shot. No one could afford to mess up. Not if they wanted to rescue the people trapped inside the belly of the beast. “For what it’s worth, thank you,” she stated, before making her way down one of the tunnels. It was now or never.

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“I don't believe in fate or destiny.
I believe in various degrees of hatred, paranoia, and abandonment.
However much of that gets heaped upon you doesn't matter -
it's only a matter of how much you can take and what it does to you.”

[K33LA]

『 кυиαℓ ѕα'ιя мαнαραтяα 』
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx▶ ▷ Prince of gяα∂ιυѕ

Trailing after their guide, Kunal and the three other royals followed Lun through the depths of the palace. It seemed they would be the ones to pin the beast down with the turrets. Fortune seemed to be on their side for now, though the knowledge that he and his sister would be parted in such peril did nothing to ease his mind. As Lun showed and explained how to operate the turrets, Kunal made sure to take in every detail. They appeared easy enough to man, but he had the sneaking suspicion that it would be far more difficult pinning the thing down. Although he figured his aim was good enough, he doubted the creature would accommodate him by standing still.

Kunal was torn when it came to his assigned task. On one hand, he was glad to be out of direct danger - that creature was no laughing matter. On the other, he felt ashamed at not being chosen for the fighting squad. Did they think him not strong enough? Or maybe his royal title was the interloper? In the end, it really didn't matter. He was happy to stay as far away from that thing as possible. Further still, it was a relief to know Bashirah would be out of harm's way. Kunal knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but he couldn't help worrying about her safety. After this was all over, maybe the two of them could spar to let off some steam...

Once the explanation was over, Kunal was instructed to travel down a dark tunnel to the left. Now was the time for action, and he would delay no longer. Before disappearing down the tunnel, Kunal turned to meet his sister's gaze. In their own silent language, he spoke to her. Raising his hand to scratch one eyebrow, he left her with a parting message: be careful.

And then he was off, trekking down the pitch black tunnel toward wherever he was meant to go. The darkness was near suffocating, though it was also reassuring in a way. No one could see him in this place, not even himself. He was cloaked in blackness, hidden in shadows. In a place like this, no one could ever judge him, no impure thoughts could ever reach him. The world of light was one of pain, the pressure to maintain his perfection ever present. In the perpetual darkness, however, he did not exist. For a short time, he did not worry about his honor, nor did he punish himself for who he was...

"If only I could remain here forever," Kunal whispered. The statement surprised even him, as if he had not known what he was saying till the deed had been done. Was that how he really felt? He was proud to be a Gradian, to be a member of the Supreme, right? He scrutinized himself for speaking such weak words. That's not how he really felt, it couldn't be... Could it?

If only I could remain here forever...

Would it really be so terrible to never return to Gradius? To abandon his sister and lead his own life? The temptation was severe, and it shamed him greatly. How could he ever think to leave Bashirah? She would not be able to survive on her own, who else would look after her? What if she had a panic attack? No one would be there to hide her shame from prying eyes.

Yes, Kunal thought, I would have to stay. For Bashirah...

It was all a lie. Kunal knew he was the weak one, the one that could never survive outside his Gradian facade, the one who would crumble if Bashirah ever left him. In truth, Bashirah's weakness had always pleased Kunal... In a sick way, it made him feel stronger, more worthy. Had her break downs never occurred, Kunal would be trapped inside his own head, plagued by his own unnatural thoughts. But Bashirah provided him an escape route. He could ignore the severity of his own issues as long as hers were so potent, so dangerous. In helping to mask her weakness, Kunal also masked his. If Bashirah was fixed, Kunal would surely break...

Although he knew this all too well, although he had sifted through the same thoughts his entire life, the Gradian Prince would never admit to any of it. He kept it inside his head, and even there he kept it locked away. Denial was the only way he could survive. To avoid thinking too hard, Kunal would concentrate on the battle ahead, drowning his restless thoughts in musings of the fray. He would have no luck though, as his thoughts would soon shift to something darker than before. Laurent, the Zuleidian Prince, entered his mind, and he depicted him in great detail... severe detail...


k i l lxx i t . . .

No! He started, his brain coming to a sudden halt. I don't want to do this, not now.

Why Jean-Baptiste plagued his mind, he did not wish to acknowledge. Something about Jean had disturbed Kunal the moment he laid eyes on him back on that first night in Bhegin, and it seemed the feeling would not go away. He almost hoped the Prince of Zuleidi would die; maybe then Kunal would finally be normal...

The tunnel was beginning to get brighter now, and Kunal realized his trip through the dark would soon come to an end; it was both bittersweet and relieving. When he finally reached the exit, he would climb through whatever building or obstacle that opposed him. He would reach the roof and set up his turret, and then he would wait for his opportunity to strike. That is what he would have to do. If he could just concentrate on the task to come, maybe he would be able to leave his silly heart in this dark tunnel.

[Insanity Renaissance]

ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ I s a y comes out right
I can't love w i t h o u t a ʇɥbıɟ
No one ᴇᴠᴇʀ knows my n a m e
When I p r a y for sun, it suıɐɹ


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║████❚❚❚ ℳιγαηα ❖ Жεℓƒσяиѧї❙❙ ███x║
╚════════════════════════════╝

⟹ ❡✯ ❴ δяαδεͼυϛ βσδγɢμαяδ ❵

I'm so ʞɔıs of w a s t i n g time
But n o t h i n g ' s moving in my ᴍɪɴᴅ
Inspiration c a n ' t be punoɟ
I get up and fall but...xxxxxxɪ'ᴍ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ ❦

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Miyana rolled her eyes at the blind merchant, not even threatened by her statement. When Sonya proceeded to rant about how utterly incapable the children were, she was inclined to agree with them. Sure, her princes could handle themselves due to various barfights and constant wandering around the city of Dradecus, but they lived in the palace, not in some little shithole of a home with their life and well-being in the hands of a drunkard. They always had a nice place to go back to, so it was impossible to full understand the kind of hardship a normal person lived with. And the half-elf was sure that the other royals had even less expereince in the cold and the dark and the dirt. But with the guards... the royals actually stood a chance.

'In this situation...' Miyana thought, her eyebrow raising at the Gradian prince as he asked about his servant. 'They're just symbols. Useless people to be carried about. Like posters. Most of them are too niave of real-life problems to be helpful. Maybe a few can plan.. or something. Well, ones that were taught to do such.' Suddenly, the heterochromatic didn't mind the Gradians being there. 'At least Kunal was taught to do something.'

As Emmyth approached the petite half-elf, her blood went cold. 'Shiiiit.' When the prince spoke, there was no hiding the concerned tone in his voice. A soft smile danced across her lips as any signs of pain left her expression. "I will be fine, prince." As always, it was important to be polite to the Dradecus royalty. At least in front of others. "My rib was cracked, nothing more. It will not hinder me." Which was partly a lie. A cracked rib made it harder for her to breathe, and moving around hurt a bit, but she had gone through worse.

The three elvin silblings began to speak again, and Miya's attention was drawn away. A plan. 'Finally,' She thought. 'At least someone knows what we're doing.' The plan was simple, considering the magnitude of what they were trying to achieve. Bring it up, pin it down, do damage. Repeat as needed. Save the day. Maybe die. The thought of the creature tossing her like a rag-doll and breaking her neck did not make the assassin uneasy, but that came with the whole "psychotic killer with a license" deal. After taking the lives of so many others, it wasn't hard to see your death as something only a few steps down the road. 'What goes around, comes around.'

The fairy princess then approached the injured guard, and the silver-haired teen's mismatched gaze fell on her, but avoiding eye contact. Ah Aine, the princess who kissed her. The unpleasant and confusing memory swam to the surface of her mind, as if to say "Hey, don't forget about me!" only to be quickly shoved away again. Not even flinching as the young faerie took the guard's arm in her hands, none of the inner turmoil appeared on her dealthy calm face.

"I will be fine, my lady." Always with the polite tone and titles. "My injury will not hinder our plan." Gently pulling herself free of the girl's grasp, she rose to her feet, putting on her shirt again and re-equipping what weapons she had taken off her person. Patting Emmyth's shoulder, she ushered him and his brother to where Lun was going. "Good luck to you two idiots," She whispered so only the two brothers could hear her. While she did in fact insult the pair, her tone was light.

After Lun had left, his brother opened up another passage, entering it. Miyana followed without a word, enjoying the walk as if it were a casual afternoon stroll. The famaliar sound of steeling being drawn echoed behind her, and one of the many weapons of her person fell into her hands, ready to be unleashed on the enemy, but the girl had to remind herself that it was just a guard preparing for the battle yet to come. However, when the tip of a blade touched the assassin's back, not as an attack, but as someone blindly playing around with their sword, a level of irritation hit her. Said annoyance only increased upon realizing it was in fact Chandar, who she now thought to be one of the most annoying people she ever had the terrible mistake of encountering.

"Please be mindful of your surroundings," The heterochroamtic spoke through clenched teeth. "It would be exteremly... inconvient... if one of us were to be put out of comission merely because you were too foolish as to watch where you pointed your sword." Then, with a polite nod to Sol as he stopped, she proceeded to head to the end of the dark corridor.


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I'm ǝʌıןɐ, oh y e a h
B e t w e e n the good & bad's where ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ find me
buıɥɔɐǝɹ for h e a v e n!
I will ғɪɢʜᴛ, and I'll s l e e p when I die!
I live! My life! ɪ'ᴍ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ ~


「ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ✦ Transit to: the gates of Dradecus」 「ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ ✦ Scooby and the Gang & the Three Stooges」 「ᴍᴏᴏᴅ ✦ Cheerful, slightly worried」「ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs ✦ Oh we're off to see the wizard~」「ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ ✦ 802 words」 「ᴏᴏᴄ ✦ Sorry for the absence, had to deal with my cat needing surgery」