[center] [h1][color=bc8dbf]Lord Cuwarr Naxremis[/color][/h1] Husband of [color=82ca9d]Sorici[/color], his white lotus, and [color=f7941d]Kalani[/color] ([@karamonnom]), his auburn rose. Future husband (?) of Amalia Solair ([@Belle]) [hider=Summary] Sorici attempts to kill Cuwarr by slashing at him while they were eating at the dining hall. As Sorici tries to deal the final blow with her earth affinity, Cuwarr counters by blasting her away with winds. As Sorici is captured by the guards, Cuwarr instructs the woman's execution to be done outside. So, as Sorici runs for her life with Cuwarr aiming down at her throat, the unexpected happens: Sorici escapes the marksman's sights. The crowd mocks Cuwarr who thought to himself as to why he allowed Sorici to live by implanting his wind magic on the arrow to repel it before it could harm his former wife. As Cuwarr returns to the quarters with Kalani, he expresses his trust in his auburn rose. But, he still gives her the chance to flee-- better for her to break his trust now than in the long run where his urges as a drakken had been awakened when someone came [i]this[/i] close to severing the strings that kept him moving. [/hider] [/center] The day waned almost too quickly, and soon, Cuwarr found himself seated in the rapidly vacating long dinner table alongside his Kalani and Sorici. It wasn't surprising why the drakkens left for their rooms with their wives in tow, nor would it take a genius to realize what the brutes intend to do behind the closed doors. Well, hopefully, these brides survive the night unlike their sisters from last time. Cuwarr grimaced at the thought, chatting up his brides in an effort to distract their attention from the gloomy fate that sealed the destiny of their sisters. Thus, Cuwarr began talking about how much he appreciated the gemminite arts, marveling at how intricate and well-planned their pieces were. Music, colors, dances-- every single performance made the warlord's jaw drop in awe, and he couldn't help but lavish these joys on the two women who sat near him. "And, yes, dear," Cuwarr continued, munching a piece of chicken between his canines. Though he exhibits a demeanor unfitting that of a drakken, it would seem that even Cuwarr himself still held the drakken roots within him-- like, talking while chewing. "I bought all of those paintings. They all hang in my castle right now. I just couldn't stop thinking about those masterpieces; I really had to get my hands on them." Cuwarr looked at Kalani and Sorici, perfectly happy to be surrounded by his two wives. As the dinner went on, most of the drakkens and gems already went back to their quarters, leaving only the trio at the table along with some other drakkens who chose to finish the left overs. Cuwarr's storytelling went on and on, going from the gemminite arts to his prowess as a marksman. For some reason, most would realize why the warlord's bodyguards absolutely looked relieved that Cuwarr found himself brides-- this way, someone else would be forced to listen to his tales. But, really, he couldn't stop his mouth. Stories always piqued the warlord's interest, and he would gladly listen to any story offered to him. When he did try to ask some details from his brides, the two of them just kept mum and refused to tell him any. While it was understandable, he felt quite disappointed that he never really learned anything new about these two gems. But, if they do not tell him a story, then, by the gods, Cuwarr would tell them his. So, he reached the story of his gemminite mother, and how much he adored her when a sudden lash from Sorici stunned the warlord. "I suppose you really loved your mother that you didn't think about setting her free." Sorici interjected, a slight snarl in the way the words left her lips. Cuwarr took a moment to compose himself, feeling a stinging sensation down his core at the words uttered. If anything Cuwarr would have wanted to set his mother free, but it was not his decision to make. Still a fledgling, Stezius, his father, controlled everything that happened inside the Naxremis fortress. And, even if Cuwarr heard his mother's pained screams as his ruthless father ravaged her without mercy, he could do nothing but wait for the shadows to pass. After all, no dawn comes without darkness. Every bruise, every wound his mother sustained brought Cuwarr closer to plotting his revenge against Stezius, and everything came to pass when the bloke was dishonored. As a parting gift, Cuwarr shot his father right between the eyes as the older drakken was tied to the rear of a pig while his manhood twitched inside the swine's cavity. Brutality. The drakkens did it best, and Stezius should have thought of that before tormenting his mother to death. "Oh, I would have, my dear lotus, but I was not in power yet." Cuwarr forced a smile, taking into consideration that Sorici had always been the fiercer of the pair. "It is not beyond a drakken to not feel remorse. Just take a look at Lady Beneni. Why else would she come here to take a bride. Surely, it's not to be intimate with the gems. She comes here to safeguard the women from the blokes like Huron." The warlord glanced at Kalani, hoping that she felt more at ease with him. "But, I assure you, you shall not find the same tyrant in me as your husband." "It is useless to fool the crows, [i]Cuwarr,[/i]" The way his name fell off of her lips sent shivers down Cuwarr's spine. Her very voice was laced with venom, and she dripped insults with every syllable. "What you're doing-- all the stupid things you're doing... they are nothing but a facade. Pathetic. Do not taint the gemminite culture with your bloodline so rotten that a filthy pig would be a better husband than you can ever be. You know what a good drakken is? One that is hanging from the gallows whilst the birds feast on his bones." Sorici spat, a dark glint on her lips. "You want to be a good husband? Get a noose, and Kalani and I will help you out." At the onslaught of insults, even the stoic warlord's hand twitched. In any normal circumstance with other drakkens, she would have been planted face down on the table, clothes torn from her body while a knife plunged through her head. Her corpse would have been violated over and over again by the minions of the drakken lord she insulted. But, he couldn't bear to hurt her. His mother once lectured him on why gemminites were suppressed, maltreated. And, while he never really understood the effects then, he could surely see it now. Sorici, his white lotus, reddening with rage as her fingers clenched the table cloth. He wondered what the drakkens did to her for such a woman to this hostile to them, but he really tried his best to put himself in her shoes. He experienced the same rage against his father, and perhaps, he and Sorici were not so different after all. "I understand your rage, my dear lotus, but--" Cuwarr began, but was soon interrupted as Sorici shook her head. "I apologize for my behavior." Sorici bowed her head, causing Cuwarr to raise his brow in surprise. "Just, please, hand me the plate of chicken." A smile curved Cuwarr's lips, hopeful that perhaps Sorici would give him a chance before judging his being. "Of course, my dear." Cuwarr reached down the table, grabbing the plate with the chicken on it. The roasted poultry with a knife sticking out of it was passed down to Sorici, but before Cuwarr could let go of the plate, he realized he was too late to see the malicious intent behind Sorici's smile. "Thank you, my husband." In a flash, Sorici pulled the knife from the food, slashing it vertically at the warlord who failed to react in time. And, so, Cuwarr only had a split-second's worth to tilt his head backwards, causing the knife to slice at soft flesh beneath his jaw-- just a few centimeters away from his jugulars. Sorici knew how to handle blades, and if Cuwarr were any normal drakken, the slash would have proven fatal. As blood dripped down Cuwarr's throat, Sorici went in again, her hand gripping the knife in an ice-pick hold. She jumped at the warlord, landing on his torso as she raised her hand to bring down the knife once more in order to seal the deal. But, Cuwarr, having gripped himself, brought his arms up in a cross, effectively shielding himself from the knife as it dangled dangerously close to his forehead. Sorici had no intention to give Cuwarr time to recuperate, and channeled her affinity with the earth. Her eyes glanced at the spiked decorations dangling from the pillars, and since they were made from earth, she glared at the warlord with immense fury. The spikes ejected from their space, hurtling towards Cuwarr whose teeth gritted in frustration. At this point, the four deathsworn guards sprinted back inside the dining hall, just in time for them to see the lethal spikes heading for their master. Even the drakkens seated near the table began to stand up, but before anyone could do anything further, Cuwarr muttered out a deep incantation. The archaic words he spouted from his lips echoed in a chorus as a barrage of whipping winds lashed around him, deflecting the spikes and launching Sorici a few feet away. She slammed against the nearby wall, and before she could stand, the deathsword guards were on her, pinning the woman to the floor as Pezach unsheathed his blade. "You whore," Pezach snarled, raising his blade before deftly bringing it down towards Sorici's neck. "I'll teach you to harm our lord!" But, before the blade could touch Sorici's flesh, another burst of wind parried Pezach's sword which caused it to spin out of his grasp. The guard tried to mumble his surprise, but Cuwarr motioned for him to keep quiet. "No." Cuwarr strode over to Sorici, not sparing a glance at Kalani. "Why?" "I have seen my sisters lose the life from their eyes because of your kind! My sister is there, yet not complete. Never to be complete again." The woman spat at Cuwarr as she struggled out of the hold. "Like a ghost stuck in the mortal realm yet unable to pass on, my sisters have suffered. They died without a fight, but that will not be the same of me! I would rather die fighting than to die a coward!" Sorici began to laugh as a twisted look invaded her features. "You may kill me, but that mark on your throat will be a reminder that no matter how hard you try, you will [b]never[/b] be loved. You don't deserve to be loved, because you're a drakken. No drakken deserves peace!" "I've had enough!" Qiorach roared as he launched his fists at her, but an arrow soared past his fingers, prompting the guard to freeze in place. "I will not have her blood spilling these grand halls." Cuwarr instructed, his voice striking a tone colder. "Pezach, take her outside near the window. Bind her to the ground and come back at once." The instructions were quickly followed as Cuwarr strode over to the window overlooking the bound Sorici who thrashed against her ropes that pinned her to the earth. A crowd had gathered near the window as well, trying to get a glimpse of the execution. The warlord held his bow tighter as he passed by Kalani, pausing just in front of her. Cuwarr instructed the deathsworn to veer the crowd to his right side, leaving only Kalani and a few gemminites to witness the 'death' of their sister while being able to look at the full facial features of the enraged warlord. Cuwarr aimed down his bow using his left hand, notching an arrow in the right as he pulled back the string. A series of stretching sounds emanated as the arrow was pulled. Then, after a split second, the bolt soared through the air before striking Sorici's ropes, freeing the woman. "If you can flee without being struck, you may live." Cuwarr called out to Sorici as the drakken crowd was incited to an excitement at such a spectacle. Of course, the deathsworn knew that the woman would not live. Cuwarr possessed the keenest eye among all the drakkens, and there was no doubt that his arrow would fly straight and true. Sorici began her desperate dash as she sprinted barefoot through the clearing. Cuwarr notched another arrow, pulling it back before muttering something under his breath. The arrow flew with deadly speed, chasing after the woman. And, soon, the bolt was flying in the right angle that it would hit Sorici's back, but before it could touch her, the lone arrow spun out of control as it hurtled away from the fleeing gem. The crowd murmured in surprise at the missed shot, but Cuwarr only aimed down another arrow before, again, mumbling another set of silent chants. Once more, the second arrow tore through the winds as it neared Sorici's head. And, again, before it could strike her, the bolt flew away from Sorici as it was launched spinning into the air before dropping to the earth. By this time, the visage of the rogue bride had vanished from the horizon, and the crowd were beginning to boo and mock the archer for missing such a shot. "So, you're just all talk, master marksman?" one of the drakkens jeered before moving away. "I could have hit her. You're just as blind as your reputation." Another mocked as Cuwarr withdrew his bow. The warlord turned around, walking towards his room before looking at Kalani. "Come." It was an order; a command lacking the tenderness of his past requests. The deathsworn guards tried to stop Cuwarr, saying that Kalani could not be trusted. But, the warlord growled at them, sending them away as he headed for their quarters. Every slow step back to the room weighed on Cuwarr. For those whose eyes were sharp enough, they would have noticed that the two arrows would have definitely struck their target. But, then, just before it reached Sorici, the arrows would always bounce away. It wasn't because of Sorici or any divine intervention; it was because of the warlord himself. The mutterings he spoke as he readied an arrow was a wind spell which coated the projectile before being launched. Then, as the arrow would near Sorici, the winds would lose control, hurtling the arrow away from the woman. Why he chose to let Sorici live was beyond him, but the woman left a far more painful wound on him than just the incision near his throat. Words. They pierced deeper than any physical wound could. The bright warlord lost the spring in his step as he entered the room with Kalani in tow. He took off the eyepiece, setting it down on the dresser before he took a seat on the bed. His hands trembled-- shook violently-- as he took one of the bandages stowed in the nearby drawer, holding the gauze and the ointment in his hands. Cuwarr spoke nothing for a good few minutes, and neither did he try to fix his wound even though blood dripped down his torso. It was only when he remembered Pezach's instructions did he speak to the wife who stayed. "Kalani," His voice broke for a second. The warlord wanted to appear less shaken than he actually was. He twitched at any foreign sound, and his blood pumped through his veins in an effort to sate the bloodlust growing within. Sorici may have failed to end his life, but she killed some far more precious: his trust. Heated, rapid pants flowed out of Cuwarr's mouth as he tried to process his thoughts in attempt to stave away the haunting memories. "The night is waning, and we need to leave for the east soon." He turned to Kalani, his eyes trying their best not to forego the tears that were held in them. Though, a lone trickle ran down his face before it melded with his blood. "I need one more bride, but I do not think I can choose one... after what happened." Cuwarr shook his head before planting his face in the palms of his hands, the bandage and ointment falling to the floor. "Sorici was right." Cuwarr's voice was muffled by his hands, but it echoed clearly. "I am just trying too hard to be someone I am not. The urges," He grimaced, his fingers clawing at his forehead. "The urges are coming back." Cuwarr released a deep sigh as he raised his head, his blood now staining his hands. "We will find another bride from one of your sisters." Cuwarr spoke in a monotonous tone as his head hung from his shoulders. "You are the only one I trust as of the moment. I [i]plead[/i] with you, for both my sake and yours, do not break my trust." However, he turned to Kalani once more with a deadly gaze. "So, if you want to leave now, I will allow you to do so. I will slide you through sunbeams to send you back to Gemminia. It is better for you not to break my trust in the long run for it will ruin you more than it would ruin me." A beast can only be suppressed for so long before it lashes out of its cage.