[centre][color=Gold][h3]Prince Rynek Darion[/h3][/color][/centre]

[b]"State your intentions, stranger!"[/b]

Well this was just plain odd. The same two pikemen who had been guarding the entrance the entire night without incident finally ran out of luck. Before them, clad in muddy cloaks, were two men who just didn't appear to be getting up to any good. Both of their faces were shrouded by the darkness and their hoods, leaving only two empty grins visible to the guardsmen. One shared a look with the other, questions darting between them despite the silence as each shifted uncomfortably.

[b]"If you don't leave then I'll have to run you through."[/b] The braver of the two suddenly piped up, turning his sharpened pike on the first of the men, a relatively small fellow compared to the hulking giant beside him. The poor man thought he was poking his pike at the least dangerous of the two. As the tip of his pike poked at the chest of the stranger, the man's grin suddenly dropped as he lifted his hand to his chin, silently rubbing the thin layer of stubble there as if he was contemplating his own existence. The bigger man let out a gruff sigh before taking a slow step backwards. Their breath frosted, dancing in the chill-burdened wind. Leather cracked, bending and breaking as the guard tightened his grip on the weapon in his hands. [b]"I said, state your intentions!"[/b] He barked, the whites of his eyes visible from underneath his helmet. The one whom he had his pike pointed at suddenly turned to his companion and gave him a... thumbs up?

The world blinked and the Bloody Prince lashed out. It must have been magic because no blade could ever leap from its scabbard, chop off some poor bloke's hand then return home in the blink of an eye. The clatter of his pike hitting the ground was muffled by the thin layer of snow that quickly ran red as blood splattered out onto its white expanse. The guardsmen could barely even respond as the grin returned, this time bearing some excitement in it.

[color=Gold]"You'll probably want to get that looked at, my dear friend! Ah fuck it, I like to think I'm merciful! Yax, hand me that linen cloth thing!"[/color] The voice was surprisingly cheery as the bigger man handed the smaller one a roll of white linen. The other guard was too confused to even move as the small man leaned forward, casually wrapping a bandage around where his partner's hand used to be. All along, the smaller man seemed to hum happily to himself before he tied the entire bandage together. Of course, it was a shit bandage and blood dripped through nonetheless.

Strangely, the smaller man pulled his blade out briefly before letting out an exasperated sigh and turning to the giant. [color=gold]"Yax! I thought I told you to clean my blade! There's muck and blood all over it! This poor fellow is probably well fucked now!"[/color] The guardsman finally remembered his situation and released a howl of pure agony as he gripped his hand. [color=Gold]"Oh great Yax, and now he's crying! We're going to have a very staunch conversation about this afterwards!"[/color] The situation was too surreal to even be processed properly. The other guard's eyes were filled with sheer terror as he looked between the two, his pike not moving whatsoever.

[color=silver]"Yax do good?"[/color] The bigger man asked, no sign of guilt present in his voice whatsoever as he stared at the smaller man, scratching the back of his head experimentally.

[color=Gold]"No Yax! You did very bad! This poor fellow will probably have to get his arm off now! You know how bad getting your arm off is? Well, it's a lot fucking worse than losing your hand, I'll tell you that! Now come along; we wouldn't want to leave my pretty new wife alone! I heard that bastard Edoric was at this and if he's not hanging from the chandelier then he'll be stealing my pretty, little Gem!"[/color] Although there was some disapproval in his voice, the man seemed to pass by the screaming guard without much care as his bigger companion trailed after him, lumbering like he was originally some great oak yanked from the ground. The sound of screams followed them as they pushed the heavy doors open and entered the warm embrace of the castle.

[color=Gold]"You better watch where you step in here, Yax. I hear rats don't like it when you stamp on their tails."[/color] He announced rather loudly as he sauntered down the hallway, his hood still covering his head. After a brief moment, he began to hum a merry tune, only serving to anger those present even more. Despite the angry looks, none seemed to bother him as he made his way into the larger ballroom.

[color=gold]"Well I'll be damned! Yax! The Scream Taker has finally decided that he's going to make some little Gem the happiest girl in the world! By Sorrak's balls; he's taking two!? Did someone hit the old bastard while he was away making war?"[/color] Chuckling, the hooded fellow elbowed his stocky companion in the stomach which seemed to do literally nothing. [color=Gold]"Better watch yourself around him! He's even more dangerous than no eyes and his little treat of a sister! Oh~ The things I would do if I could get between those legs! What am I talking about? I have a Gem waiting for me! Ever been to a Geminite orgy before, Yax...?"[/color]

And thus, their merry conversation continued before the cloaked individual finally found his man who was very closely guarding a silver-haired beauty. The guard seemed to be the double of good ol' Yax. The reasoning? They were twins of course! Like the first time he had met them, their leader briefly questioned what great creature birthed those two behemoths one after the other and if she ever lived to tell the tale. Probably not. Anyways! Gem!

Clapping his hands together in excitement, the estranged man fixed her with a long stare which was mostly hidden by his hood. In the light of the ballroom, it was exceedingly clear that it wasn't just muck that adorned his cloak - a more scarlet coloured stain covered the bottom of it. Approaching the young Geminite, his previous comedy dropped into the void; that's what terrified people about him. He could laugh with you one moment and rip out your spine in the next. Like Yax's single brain cell, the strange man's moods came and went indiscriminately.

He circled her like she was some dying creature that it was momentarily cautious of. When he realised she wouldn't bite, he moved in for the kill. [color=gold]"Well aren't you just delectable."[/color] He whispered, his voice dropping to a low and lusty growl. His hands settled on her hips as he took a step closer, pressing his chest up against her back. His hands roamed upwards, following the natural curvature of her body, going where they were mostly unwelcome. Finally, one settled around her stomach, dragging her back against him as the other gently stroked the hair away from her ear. Leaning in, his hot breath found her throat and danced momentarily, almost as if it was deciding whether to lash forward and end her there and then or simply feast on her subtle flesh. Instead, it continued upwards, closing in on her exposed ear. [color=Gold]"I would take you here and now if it weren't for our audience."[/color] He promised her, his words brutally etched upon his quickened breath.

Almost as a mark of control, his sharpened fangs suddenly cut into the tip of her ear, breaking her perfect skin and drawing a thin sliver of blood which he quickly extracted. Letting the delicious taste of iron fill his senses, he casually smiled. [color=Gold]"A little water Gem? Well isn't that just... captivating. You will do wonderfully! Your name, my sweet?"[/color]

[hr]

[centre][color=red][h3]Atallia Faeron[/h3][/color][/centre]

The rock of the carriage suddenly woke Talli from her slumber as her eyes flew open, inspecting her surroundings before making a move. She was alone in the back of the locked carriage. She already knew there was no chance of escape now but she didn't want to escape - everything that lay behind her was meaningless now. She had a job to do and she was going to do it, even if it killed her, which it undoubtedly would.

Letting her eyes fade closed, Atallia inhaled a deep breath, holding it in her lungs before releasing it as she pictured everything from her old life. Her home, her village, the little field next to them. She pictured every last one of them in her mind then she burned them to ashes, spreading the dust of their attachment to the four winds. She had no choice; the Drakkens would bury her home in blood and fire if she and her sisters failed. There was a war coming - although she was a child of fire, she could hear the fires from the deep earth crying out. The Drakken grew impatient with the Geminites and they would simply take what was not given. Or destroy. Either worked.

Surprisingly, she kept mostly tame as she was escorted down from her carriage by two guards. One [i]accidentally[/i] tripped and fell into his armoured comrade which caused a series of arguments between the two as Talli padded along behind them, smiling smugly. The Drakken were big but their brains weren't exactly the biggest.

Eventually, she was led directly to a side room which just seemed to confuse her as the majority of the other Gems she spotted had been led into a much larger room. Nevertheless, she wasn't alone in this private room as another Gem already stood waiting for whoever had claimed them. Briefly, Talli examined her, taking note of everything. Although it wasn't outwardly obvious, she could feel the fire flowing through the girl's veins which only seemed to calm her even further - she had an ally. The other Gem looked older and much taller than her as well. That was good though; she'd be perceived as the threat and their so-called husband would drop his defences so that Atallia could break the bastard. A classic diversion tactic.

The man that came through the door, however, was the last thing she expected. Atallia generally hated most of the horned bastards but whoever this man was, he was not something that inspired a great deal of fear so Talli found herself lacking in the hate department. Of course, he gave her all the fuel she needed for that department when he handed a collar and a knife each to the both of them. Did the bastard think that she would willingly put on a collar like she was nothing more than an animal?

It seemed that her companion had the same idea as her as she began to cut it up. Talli chose to be a little more flashy as she extended her hand with the collar in it and fixed the estranged man with a bored raise of her eyebrow. Suddenly, the collar sprouted into a whistling flame and was consumed in mere seconds before the fire disappeared, leaving naught but ash which she subsequently blew in his general direction.

She had no idea what to do with the knife but she imagined it would be useful so she kept it in her other hand and held tight, fixing him with a hateful gaze. If he wished to play games with them, then she would be more than willing to play along and destroy him in the process.