Divinus will be a story about a pantheon of deities, their creations, and the world of Galbar as it is shaped by our collective actions.
Born from the mysterious and infinitely powerful entity known as the Lifeblood, each God represents aspects of creation that grew too influential to be bound by formlessness, and so decided to take matters in their own hand. Some gods will be born in the primordial times (turn 0) and rule over aspects such as fire, oceans, life, shaping the continents, the laws of physics and creating Galbar’s first inhabitants. They are the Primordials. Other gods will arise as mortals start to spread out and grow in intelligence (turn 1), and will rule over aspects such as the music, justice, war and knowledge. They will be known as Conceptionals.
Though they are all siblings with similar objectives of ‘world building’, each one has their take on how the canvas of creation should be painted, that is why they broke free from the Lifeblood after all, and while deities can cooperate, conflict and intrigue will be no strangers to them.
Though that what gave them life, could also take it. The more the Lifeblood is used, the more it grows unpredictable and dangerous. This vastness of power, limitless in potential, could also spell doom for Galbar. Will it be used with a careful, guiding hand? Or pushed until the breaking point? Only time will tell.
We would like to give some credits to where they're due and offer a brief history of the RPs that have preceded this one. Divinus existed even on the Oldguild more than 6 years ago, and in various forms it's managed to survive all this time. To any who are interested, here is a list of all the Divinus RPs that have come since then:
Divinus Mk. II, which still lives! (Yeah, it still does) Initially Gm'd again by @Kho, @Cyclone and @Rtron it has since been turned over to @Muttonhawk, @BBeast, and @Antarctic Termite. Though it still lives on, as some are still in the process of wrapping it up, it's slowed down to the point that many decided to launch Mk. III a year ago.
There was also a Divinus-inspired foray into the free section that was called Godspeed, launched by @Antarctic Termite. It holds a special place in my heart.
And Finally, Divinus Mk. III. which was Gm'd by @Cyclone, @BBeast and @Muttonhawk. Which is also still ongoing, but just like Mk. II, has slowed down considerably and is now being wrapped up. As such, (probably tradition now), we've decided to make this iteration, Mk. IV. It would not be possible, without everyone who helped from Mk. III.
Credits to everyone above; they all contributed greatly to the foundations of this latest attempt. To anybody who participated in any of those RPs we'd love to welcome you back to this new one, but to anybody new to the series, don't worry! This RP inherits the spirit of the past ones as well as some of their mechanics, but this RP will stand alone and you needn't be familiar with the lore or canon of any of those others.
So without further ado, the new GM team is myself, @Not Fishing & @Double Capybara. We've been writing the OP this time around, and have taken the torch with the blessing of the past GM's. We welcome you to take a look at our doc, to leave feedback and see what we've been cooking up. It has all the more detailed mechanics and need to know information for the rp. It might seem like a lot at first, but all of it is rather easily digestible.
The OOC will go live when we feel confidant that the time is right, so until then, please post your interest, and character sheets here. And come and chat with us on our discord so we can answer any questions you might have.
Our hope for this interest check is that we get some new faces, as well as old ones who feel like joining up again. so if you're interested, and even if you aren't, feel free to take a look.
The name continued to dwell within Vakk’s mind as it travelled north from Atmav’s little holding, following the beast that continued to sniff and claw along the continent. It knew that even despite Atmav being demoralized, she would bounce back and strike with a fury that only it knew that she could bare. It was merely a matter of when, and Vakk would bet on the fact that Atmav would refuse to die even if her people’s lives were at stake.
Soon, a howl brought Vakk back to attention as the beast looked down to see a group of the rock men that fit the memory that Vakk had seen. It nodded to the beast, who took off into the air, his job done for the time being. The god, on the other hand, marched towards the group, its arms folded neatly behind its back as an eyeless gaze inspected the chaotic rabble of rocks. Dissatisfaction grew as one decided to wildly charge Vakk, only to met with a tendril to the chest, knocking it back into the earth.
”Kalani, I have come to speak with you,” Vakk announced, the tendril that had hit the idiotic Ihokhur retracting to its place behind Vakk.
There was a rumbling of rocks, followed by a hollow laughter as the Ihokhurs moved aside to show the black one. He sat upon a rock, brandishing a terrible mace of orvium. His single gaze fell upon Vakk with impunity.
”Another god, come to ruin our fun? How unsurprising. Will you bash us apart? Send us flying? Curse us to do your bidding? Keep the small fleshy things safe?” the desolate one stood up, a sound of rock hitting rock permeated the area as he stood upright.
”What will it be this time?”
”I have come to aid you, great king,” Vakk stated, gazing up at the giant, with a twisted smile coming across its face.
”And what would you offer me?”
Vakk stepped forward, twisted smiling growing as it looked Kalani up and down before raising its arms to the sky. ”I can promise you an eternal reign over these lands, an army that will serve through eternity itself. Your forces have suffered much, I can tell. But they cannot serve in death, not without my aid,” it promised, turning to look at the rest of the rubble that surrounded them.
”You can hold the power to revive your campaign, so long as you pledge me to be your patron deity,” it continued.
The rock men were silent as they waited for Kalani to speak, and speak he did. “We are eternal, but death alludes even I. What is this power you command?”
”I control the very undoing of death, I control Undeath. Such a power will be needed for Atmav and her forces hold a power to split rock in two with ease,” Vakk stated walking closer to Kalani, stepping upon an invisible stairway until it was face to face was the Desolate Ihokhur. ”You and your men may be ageless, but you are not deathless. Nothing is deathless, no matter what you think. However, I can let you reverse this and give you the very seat of power to rule from,” Vakk continued, circling around Kalani as it spoke.
A low rumbling emanated from Kalani, as if he was mewling things over. ”Who is Atmav? And what power do they possess that could split even me?” he asked.
”Atmav is a wretched little creature who has subjugated Selka while harming support from the other gods, support that is rightfully yours. As for the power, it is not a natural one, but rather a metal that Kirron has gifted them, and it is able to do what most creatures cannot do, such as splitting you.” Vakk answered, before it stood directly behind Kalani.
”Without my aid, you are surely meant to lose. However, if you accept my offer to help, and make you a true king, you will win with ease,” the manipulator stated, leaning over Kalani’s left shoulder, as the voices spoke in unison.
Kalani rumbled in thought before saying, ”I will accept this gift, but only because this Kirron has backed this Atmav. I have seen what a God is capable of, no more shall we cower so afraid of their wrath.” he said, turning to Vakk.
The smile on Vakk’s face grew as it allowed for its tendrils to wander towards the ground. ”Excellent,” it said simply before its tendrils dug enter the dirt before dragging up the start of what seemed to be a pointed edge. That edge came up only a little before it expanded and expanded.
The Ihokhur standing nearby gazed down in confusion as the ground lifted from beneath them before running away. The tendrils glided over the sides, pulling more and more out of the ground until a massive blackened ziggurat shot into the air standing defiantly against the testament of the natural order. Vakk could only gaze up in pride at it before turning its head to Kalani.
”Your throne sits upon the top. When you sit upon that throne, you will control and raise the dead. This place is where the heart of your empire shall be, Emperor Kalani.”
Without saying a word, Kalani ascended the black steps. The promise of power too tempting to let go by. Power, in the end, was the only thing that could give him what he wanted. He looked upon the throne with his crimson eye and thusly sat down.
The Necromancer was born.
This is a post that happens. Kalani is gifted the power to do the undeath thing by Vakk. Yippe.
5 MP & 16 FP remaining. I don’t know what Lauder wanted to spend. Plz contact him.
”Aella…? Do you remember... What father looked like?” Arwen asked, her voice soft and absent. Hollow.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes were dimmed considerably behind her hair. Tired eyes, and behind those baby blues, a sadness dwelt, endless and shackling. Threatening to swallow her up completely. She almost wished it did. Her face was lean and gaunt, when was the last time she had had an appetite? Her hair was being brushed by Aella, one of the only good constant things in her life.
She opened her mouth to speak again, her lips seemed to move slowly. ”Or the taste of the sun?” she asked, moving her eyes to gaze upon Aella in the mirror.
There was the rustling of leaves, followed by Aella setting Arwen’s hairbrush down. She ran her fingers through the soft hair and sniffed a few locks. “The sun has a taste? What’s it taste like, sis? As for dad...” Aella pursed her lips and embraced Arwen from behind, resting her fern-colored face on Arwen’s left shoulder. “... He was reaally tall! And strong. He smelled kinda funny whenever he got back from the city. Um… I can’t picture his face, though. Has it been that long already?”
Arwen sighed and leaned into Aella. ”That smell was the reason he left you know. Or as… Or as the Queen Mother likes to say. But yes… It has been that long. Do you, do you ever miss him? The thought of him?”
Aella chuckled, ”I do! I miss his hugs and kisses and whenever he patted my head.” Her leaves rustled again and she rubbed her cheek against Arwen’s affectionately with her eyes closed for a moment before stopping and pouting, ”Mom never told me that the smell was the reason she kicked him out… She never really tells me much, I guess. Sometimes I think she sees me like she sees the potted plants in the rec room.” Aella said with a sigh.
Arwen blinked out of her daze and turned around in her chair, taking Aella’s soft face within the palm of her hands. She looked at her with a serious expression, her eyes glowing brighter. ”Don’t think such things Aella. You are so much more than a potted plant. It’s the Queen Mother who does not see you for the beautiful being you are. And that, sister, is her loss.” Aella stared at Arwen in surprise, before grinning and bouncing a little on her seat.
Of course, she stopped quickly. ”What about you, then? You’re beautiful and nice too but every time Mom summons you, you come back in a daze all sad! Tell me sis, what does she say to you? I will convince you of the opposite, you know!” Aella said with a nod to herself and fiery determination in her shiny black eyes.
At once the small bit of light in Arwen’s eyes faded again, and she quickly looked away, her face growing flushed with embarrassment. There was silence between the two for a moment before Arwen murmured, ”I c-can’t tell you, Aella. You wouldn’t understand. I’m sorry.”
Aella’s own spark faded and she looked down, her leaves lying flush against her skin. ”Sorry. I know you don’t like to talk about it, but she’s doing something to you and I worry about you... You’re not eating and we all know non-plants have to eat to remain healthy, right? I don’t… You’re not sick, are you?”
She looked up at Aella, taking one of her hands and said, ”I’m… Fine, Aella. Don’t worry about me.” she said, giving a gently squeeze, while feigning a small smile. Inside… her heart broke a little more but she couldn’t… Wouldn’t put her sister through knowing what their Queen Mother did alone to her.
Aella squeezed back and showed a smile of her own, relaxing and closing her eyes, ”I can picture all the smiles you’ve shown me right now, Sis. The big ones, the small ones, the weird ones and the subtle ones… What you just showed me however, wasn’t a smile.” Her smile faded but she kept her eyes closed and leaned forwards to lean her forehead against Arwen’s, ”I’m here for you, sis, I might not understand what you and Mom talk about half the time and I may not be very smart, but I’m here.”
She fought back tears as she whispered to Aella. ”I know. I know, and I love you for it. With all my heart.” she said, eyes shut tightly as she pulled away, and turned around. ”N-Now could you go see if there has been any more discoveries from the Hollow? I’m sure Elebeth would like you see you again.” she said, covering her mouth as her tears began to flow.
Aella stretched her hand toward Arwen but, at the last second, hesitated and let it rest on her lap. It took her a while, but eventually she stood up and left Arwen’s chambers.
When she heard the door shut, Arwen slowly got up from her chair and made her way to her bed. Where in she layed down and cried. She hated herself for what she had to do, but it was the only way to keep Aella safe. Right?
Li’Kalla gracefully went down the ornamented stairs, almost gliding through the air as she did so, and regarded the view of the Manor’s foyer with a self-satisfied smirk. What used to be a drab, unassuming foyer she had turned into a magnificent Hall, with a throne befitting her between the two curved stairs leading up to the second floor of the Manor. Gold coated the armrests, and cushions made with textile fibers mixed with gold were built into the headrest and seat, while the rest of the throne was made of silver-coated stone. Light reflected off it incessantly, and whenever Li’Kalla sat on it, the brightness would be enough to keep any mortal from looking at her too long.
Over time Li’Kalla’s hair had grown brighter. What had begun as simply white hair now actively and boldly emitted light. The same went for her skin, eyebrows, eyelashes and most importantly, her eyes. Her irises had grown so intense lately that a single look had once sent a lowly Vallamir into a coma for three weeks.
So she walked down the stairs, her eyes moving from her throne to look at the figure kneeling before the throne.
”Elebeth.” Said the Goddess Li’Kalla. The female kneeling twitched under some unseen weight placed on her shoulders by the words. Her own white hair seemed to glow slightly, a mere imitation of Li’Kalla’s.
Slowly and deliberately, Li’Kalla sat on her throne and lifted her chin up slightly.
Elebeth let out a small gasp of relief but did not lift her head.
”You may speak.”
Elebeth nodded with her head down, “Queen-Mother, the Vallamir named Oli has reported the existence of a rather interesting item in the Hollow. He says that after descending for half a day and reaching the lower level of the catacombs, he found a shrine dedicated to a golden artifact. Upon touching it, several predators were drawn to him immediately. Not unusual, of course, but when he and his team dispatched of the beasts and one of his subordinates picked up the blood-coated item... they…”
Li’Kalla raised an eyebrow, ”Continue, Elebeth.”
“I-I apologize. When one of his subordinated picked up the item, they seem to… Have turned into an ‘abomination’, and had to be put down.”
Li’Kalla perked up, ”Oh? And where’s this item?”
Elebeth kept silent for a moment, “He decided to leave it where it fell, in fear for his other team members’ safety. He requests guidance on what to do.”
”It should be evident. We must retrieve the item and bring it to the Capital for experimentation. It might be extremely useful if we can find a way to control the result of its apparent shape shifting capabilities.”
Before Elebeth could speak anymore, a young Valthumir girl wearing a simple white dress walked down the stairs and lowered her head as she spoke to Li’Kalla, “Queen-Mother, the bath is ready for you.”
”Beautiful.” Li’Kalla then turned to Elebeth and nodded, ”Thank you for your report, Elebeth. I trust you and your people will find a way to retrieve the artifact safely. You may go now.”
“Thank you, Queen-Mother.” Elebeth said as she stood up and walked out of the Manor. The massive front doors creaked closed behind her, and Li’Kalla stood up from her throne and went up the stairs once more with the young girl in tow.
Minutes later in the Manor’s luxurious, divine-sustained hot springs with artificial waterfalls and fancy fragrances wafting through the air, Li’Kalla relaxed. She exhaled a deep breath and watched with icy eyes as the steam from her breath mixed with that of the hot springs and eventually became one with it.
The water was deep enough that if she took a seat and relaxed her postune on the stone shelves along the edges of the springs, she would see most of her modesty covered.
Eventually the unassuming door to the rest of the manor opened and from behind the form of the young girl who had prepared the baths appeared. And trailing behind her… Arwen. Her daughter took an unassuming pose, back slightly hunched as she walked, eyes downcast, face devoid of any emotion. Her hair was tied in a bun and she wore a loose robe of white satin, tied at the waist with a black string.
The two entered the bath area, and Arwen said nothing as she silently derobed and went into the water. There was hesitation in her movements as she quickly sat down opposite of her mother, legs folded and arms crossed over her chest. She avoided Li’Kalla’s gaze.
”Arwen, you must walk with your back straight and gazing forward. It is the most attractive gait, and if you desire a worthy mate, you would do well to heed my advice.”
Without looking at her, Arwen spoke, her voice small. ”Yes, Queen-Mother.”
Li’Kalla huffed and stood up, the water gliding off her body as it was immediately replaced by her usual cold, rainy water. She spent a moment messing around with her hair to make sure it obscured none of her features, and then walked up to Arwen, looking down at her. ”You must put more spirit into your speech, as well. Truly, you’ve become quite the disappointment. As a living being you were given the best start one could ask for. With my blood running through your veins, granting you the beautiful body you live in… Giving you that smooth voice, those striking divine features… And yet you choose to act like a simple mortal. Afraid, weak...”
Li’Kalla sighed and sat down next to Arwen, her gaze never stopping its quest to meet Arwen’s even as she wrapped one arm around her daughter’s shoulders. Arwen seemed to shrink and constrict at her touch.
”That’s what you are, isn’t it? Weak. Sometimes I wonder if you are at all capable of...” Li’Kalla slowly brought her free hand close to Arwen’s belly and started tracing circles around her belly button with the tip of her index finger in an unnaturally cold and gentle set of movements. ”... Further refining our blood.”
Slowly Arwen looked at her mother, eyes hardened, face cold. ”It is not an act, Queen Mother. I am only Mortal. I apologize for being weak, Queen Mother. I am nothing compared to you, after all.” she said, blinking back tears as Li’Kalla’s radiance before she looked away out of discomfort.
”Oh, Arwen...” Li’Kalla smiled sweetly. ”Indeed, you are mortal. However, that does not mean you should act like one, especially when you are the daughter of a Goddess. You have so much potential...” The Goddess almost whispered, bringing her hands up to either side of Arwen’s head and forcing the young girl to face her mother. Li’Kalla could barely hold back her elation as she observed Arwen’s mixed expression. ”Such a perfect musculoskeletal structure… The symmetry, even when on the verge of tears… Yes, you may be only mortal, but you’re the best specimen I’ve seen, and you’re mine.”
The girl struggled at first but stopped, holding her mother’s gaze again, her pupils becoming but pinpoints. She gritted her teeth, ”I’m his too.” she said with defiance in her voice, but as soon as the words came out of her mouth and Li’Kalla’s expression hardened, she seemed to pale. Li’Kalla squeezed Arwen’s face and her nails started to dig into her skin. ”Q-Queen M-Mother I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” her voice faltered.
Li’Kalla’s eyes seemed almost ablaze with pure white flames, but she froze for a split second and then removed her hands from Arwen’s face, small beads of blood oozing out of the spots where her nails had penetrated the girl’s skin. She broke the unending eye contact with Arwen and looked into the mist again for a while, before standing up and wordlessly moving to the exit. The young handmaiden next to the door attempted to follow Li’Kalla, but was stopped by a dismissive hand gesture, and so she stayed behind… And as she went through the door, Li’Kalla stopped one last time and spoke over her shoulder, ”I might have to begin molding Aella into a proper lady. It is an undesirable situation, but with enough time I will ensure she can take your place as a viable female, Arwen.” And with that, she was gone and the door closed behind her.
Arwen touched her face, looking at her fingertips, at pinkish blood. It made her stomach churn, but she was numb to the pain as her only thoughts turned to Aella as she sunk deeper into the water.
She had failed.
Her heart beat quickly as she made her way through the hall. She thought it so loud it would alert the guards that she was there, but it was all in her head. The manor was dark, save for only the glow of distant lights. She arrived at the door and opened it quietly, being careful not to allow the hinges to squeak. Once she was inside, and the door was left cracked, she made her way over to the bed, a sleeping figure residing underneath the sheets.
She placed her hands on her sister’s shoulders and rocked her back and forth.
”Aella! Wake up!” she whispered loudly.
Aella groaned and groggily reached for Arwen’s face, running her hands all over it before opening her eyes. ”... hey… are we doing a sleepover or something…? Niice sis, it’s been so long, I wanna cuddle… Pet my head ok...” She said with a big yawn.
Arwen tugged at Aella’s hand. ”No no no, listen we have to go. Get up and grab your things.” she said urgently, desperation in her voice. At this Aella sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her leaves were sticking out in all directions and her nightgown was barely hanging on by one shoulder. She was a very active person even while sleeping.
”W-What’s going on, sis?” Aella asked as she scooted off her bed and stood up.
”I-I’ll explain when we’re out of the capital. Just know that we can’t stay here any longer. The Queen Mother is… She’s going to hurt you. I can’t let that happen.” she said, pulling Aella to her wardrobe. The fern-colored Foreas winced, but went along with Arwen and opened her wardrobe. There wasn’t much inside, apart from a couple nightgowns and two different, relatively simple and slightly revealing dresses. She quickly changed clothes right there and into a brown-colored dress that left her midriff, arms and neck bare, then she quickly swept her leaves into proper position and nodded before taking Arwen’s hand.
”Okay! Lead the way sis, my eyes don’t work too well in the dark.”
She smiled faintly and said,”I love you, Aella.” Arwen then squeezed her sister’s hand and into the dark of the manor they went. Only once they were outside would they be free to truly escape and run, but until then, they had to take it slow and methodical. There was no room for error.
They knew the Manor like the back of their hands of course, but at the end of the day it was essentially a part of Li’Kalla. Any foreign noise and unusual activity would alert their mother and if that happened at all, then they would have no chance to escape.
It was very late at the time. Outside, the strong reflections of light coming from Veradax barely shone through the thick cloudy skies. Chilly fall winds blew through the trees, around houses and down empty avenues… As the young girls walked down the dark corridors, a faraway whistle reached their ears, followed by muffled steps and a closing window.
Aella quivered a little and felt her knees go weak and her leaves start to shiver excitedly, so she stuck closer to Arwen.
They went straight down the corridor after leaving Aella’s room. Then it was a right as soon as they could and eventually, after sneaking down the cold corridors for what felt like an eternity, they reached the one lit place in the entire Manor. The Foyer, or recently, the Throne Room. The staircase was as clean and beautiful as ever, and below. On the ground floor, waited a very young girl, barely of age, wearing a simple dress and holding a bag on her arms. She seemed to have been asleep standing up, and as the girls stepped down the stairs, she gasped and looked up at them in fear.
Quickly, however, she relaxed and sighed out her stress. She had brown mousey hair and silver eyes, and her complexion was… Not the best, but that was natural considering her age.
So when Aella and Arwen went down and stood on the same level as her, she took in a quivering breath and extended her arms towards Arwen with a small grunt of effort, offering her the heavy looking bag.
”I-I was asked to umm… Give t-this to you two, m-my lady.” She whispered.
Arwen froze. ”B-By W-Who? Talen?” she stammered while gripping Aella tighter, who cooed quietly in interest.
The young maid gulped and nodded, eyes shut tightly as soon as she heard the name. She let go of Aella to grab the package, and walked around the girl, but stopped to say, ”This exchange, never happened. But all the same… Thank you.”
The little girl looked down at her feet and twiddled her thumbs. The last they saw of her as they left through the conveniently ajar front doors, was her yawning while not moving an inch from her spot.
Some time later, after running for longer than ever, Aella gasping for breath stopped and pulled Arwen’s arm. They were in a dark alleyway and the day was about to begin. Rays of light broke the horizon ever so gently… Not that they could notice it with how preoccupied they were.
“Sis... ! Tell me… Why? Why are we running? … This place is scary..” the Foreas asked in between breaths, looking around at the simple, slightly battered huts towering over them on either side.
Arwen quickly scanned the area, and opened the sack to see… plain clothing. She looked to Aella and held her face, ”Listen… I will explain everything to you, but first, we need to get out of the city, okay? Here, bless Talen’s heart, she packed us clothing. I don’t know how she figured out I would be leaving, but we don’t have much time, knowing mother. So come on, let’s get changed.” Arwen said, unbuttoning her cloak.
Aella pursed her lips and squinted her eyes, but sighed and shrugged and did the same. Eventually she managed to get into her new oddly itchy and dull clothes. Her outfit consisted of a pair of trousers with rough patches on them and a long white blouse that reached her mid-thighs, as well as sandals made of wood and plant fibre. The latter made her shiver in disgust as she put them on, so she immediately tossed them aside.
”I’m itchy. Like when Laven rubs her leaves against me, but it’s not the good kind of itch, you know?”
Arwen turned to her, now wearing a long brown peach colored dress, brown cloak wrapped around her shoulders. She handed another one to Aella and put her hood up. ”We’ll find better clothing, I promise. Now come on.” she said hurriedly, grabbing Aella’s hand.
It wasn’t until the crack of dawn while people were just beginning to come out of their abodes that the sisters managed to find their way out of the city and got on the main road, leading west. By then Aella had been quiet for a while, and was beginning to flag. It got to a point where she was falling asleep while walking and stumbled every few minutes.
Arwen was adamant about leaving as quickly as they could, but when she noticed Aella flagging she went to her sister and began to support her. ”Would you look at that… Aella? It’s beautiful.” Arwen said pointing at the sunrise. ”You’ve done a really good job today, Aella. Let’s go rest for a bit yeah?” and she led her off the road for a ways, until the found a nice clearing of grass. She helped Aella onto the ground, laying her sister’s head in her lap as she stroked her leaves. Aella mumbled happily as she lazily took off her blouse and went to sleep on Arwen’s lap, soaking up the light of the early morning.
It wasn’t meant to be a peaceful day, however. Eventually, a voice piped up from the treeline, somewhere around them. It was a gruff, deep and sort of hollow male voice.
“The Queen-Mother’s daughters alone in a forest without an escort. Quite the sight. Especially the plant…” The voice echoed, and leaves rustled and twigs broke all around the sisters. “I’ve heard rumours about the plants’ blood being valuable. Maybe I should take her to my friends up north and get myself some land in exchange for her life.”
Arwen sat up straighter, now on edge as she frantically searched the forest edge. She shook Aella, trying to get her to wake up but to no avail. She was out cold. ”W-Who’s there?” she said in a small voice.
“I,” Said the voice of the male, as a mountainous shape walked out of the shadows of the overgrowth opposite Arwen. He was wearing several layers of clothes which made his overall build and appearance uncertain and each of his steps seemed to shake the ground. Not even his face was visible under the massive, conical hat he sported made of weaved plant fibers.
“Am,” Echoed a second voice, this one younger, more energetic, but with the same hollowness. Out of the overgrowth to Arwen’s left walked out a much more average sized shape, wearing a heavy cloak and sporting black bandages covering his entire body except for his eyes, which shone a bright golden through the shadow cast by his cloak.
“To’Reya.” Said one last voice. Female and sweet. She walked out from behind the sisters, and was, similarly to the mountainous person, wearing an incredible amount of layers and a flat rounded hat as wide as her shoulders which obscured her face.
Arwen looked between the figures and took in a deep breath. Though she was incredibly afraid, she knew she had to be strong. ”And what do you want, To’Reya? I will not let you take her from me. It’s out of the question.” she said with a bit of defiance in her voice.
“Is that so?” Asked the female.
“If it is so, draw your weapon.” Mentioned the smaller male, hunching over slightly and reaching inside his coat.
“I shall see how skilled the daughter of a Goddess is.” Rumbled the massive one, kicking up some dirt and stalking closer to the sisters, balling up his fists.
Her eyes went wide and time seemed to slow down as she realized just how naive she was being. There was no way she could save Aella, even herself. This was not how things were supposed to go. And as time began to speed back up she knew what she had to do.
”AELLA! RUN!” she shouted, getting to her feet and stepping in front of Aella to shield her. She could buy a little time for Aella to escape, couldn’t she?
And yet in the blink of an eye all three broke into a dash toward the sisters, the very air starting to shimmer and weave and shake, and then…
“STOP! To’Reya!” Shouted a new female voice, hoarse. She burst through into the clearing wearing a coat and several heavy leather items of clothing as well as belts and accessories. She was a full on Valthumir, with white hair and silver eyes and a commanding aura even while panting. To’Reya stopped its advance immediately and turned its heads toward the mir woman. “They aren’t combatants, remember what Elebeth mentioned. Stop scaring them or you might actually kill them out of fright, you complete idiot.” The woman said before sighing and recovering her breath. A moment later, the three shadows turned away and disappeared into the forest. It was then that the woman turned to the sisters.
“Well? Are you two okay? Did they hurt you anywhere? Any stab wounds to take care of, any broken bones?”
At this point Aella stirred and crawled up to Arwen. She was breathing rapidly and her eyes were wide.
”Now you wake up?” Arwen whispered under her breath to Aella as she hugged her tightly. She then looked to the woman. ”We are… Fine, thank you for calling them off. Um… Who are you?” she asked inquisitively.
“Ja’Sanna. I’m Master Elebeth’s second in command and she assigned me the task of ensuring your safety. It looks like Master Elebeth the Cardinal of Exploration is interested in your particular situation. Enough so that she saw it fit to keep me around here while she went off on a suicide mission to retrieve a Curio in the Hollow.” The woman, Ja’Sanna, rolled her eyes.
Arwen furrowed her brow, ”How did she know I- We were going to leave?” Arwen asked suspicious.
Ja’Sanna shrugged, “All we were asked to do was to watch you and ensure no foreign factors threatened your safety. We just followed you once you escaped.”
Still suspicious she asked, ”So what now?”
“That’s a good question,” Ja’Sanna tapped her chin, “I would suggest making your way somewhere the Queen-Mother wouldn’t be likely to look for you in. A dangerous place, for both mortals and immortals.”
Arwen seemed to pale a little. ”Y-You don’t mean… The Hollow… Do you?” she said, taking hold of Aella’s hand, who by now was awake enough to look around in confusion.
“Who knows. What if I did indeed mean the Hollow? Would you feel comfortable heading to such a place? A place filled with Mir who are so loyal to the Queen-Mother that they’d brave the world’s throat never to see the light of day again? You would be wise to think twice, and even wiser to get rid of anything that could expose you as a member of the Divine Family.” Ja’Sanna looked around and then put her hands in her cloak’s pockets.
Arwen looked at Aella, her fears doubling, if not for her own life, but her sisters. By now their Mother probably knew they had run away. It was only a matter of time until someone came looking for them.
Still.
The Hollow was too dangerous and unpredictable. They would not survive.
”I… We can’t… It’s too dangerous.” she said looking at Ja’Sanna again.
Aella blinked and her leaves rustled erratically. “What’s dangerous, sis? Who is she?”
Ja’Sanna furrowed her brow, “I’ve strayed far from my orders already… But,” The woman stared at Arwen and walked towards her, hunched over and with her hands in her pockets until she was at arm’s reach, at which point she pulled out a little orb made of a translucent material. Inside there was a blue cone pointing off in a direction just a little bit off from north. Attached to its surface was a tiny, rusted, and half broken hook that gave away its original use as part of a necklace. Ja’Sanna held out the orb in an open hand for Arwen. “Take it. It’ll always point toward the Hollow, should you change your mind. Master Elebeth owns an institution there which may prove useful in hiding from the Queen-Mother’s eyes.”
Arwen took it gently in her hands, eyes going wide as she looked at it curiously. She handed it to Aella so she could see and said, ”Thank you, Ja’Sanna. We have… Some things to talk about, Aella and I.” she said, looking away.
Ja’Sanna nodded, turned around and started to walk away. “In that case, goodbye. I would continue watching your movements, but keeping To’Reya in check in the wilderness is difficult even for me, so this is as far as we go. We may or may not see each other again.” And with that, the cloaked woman disappeared into the foliage.
A moment later, Aella made a sad little whimper. ”She ignored me, too.”
She looked at Aella, with a kind smile. ”It’s okay, Aella.” Arwen said, rubbing her sister’s head. ”How are you feeling? You didn’t sleep long… Will you be good to continue on?”
Aella looked at her body, stretched, and slowly stood up. ”... Yeah. I’m good. I should get more energy as the day goes on… Where are we going?”
Arwen looked out at the blue sky before them, endless opportunity on the horizons. Then she looked at the orb and then to Aella.
”Come on, will talk as we walk.” she said, pulling her hand. And off they went, aimlessly, but at least they had each other. For in the end, family mattered.
Ten years have passed on Li Land as we see and older Arwen and Aella. Rau’Lien is gone and Li’Kalla has gone abusive. In a bid to get away from their mother, Arwen and Aella run away. This is just the beginning.
It was midday in Laurienna. The desert heat was hot, but comfortable to the starry skinned. They bustled about as usual, from bartering crafts, to slaves. Though, the markets were emptier than they had been once. After the coup, the plague and star fall… Laurienna had seen better days.
“Did you hear?” Came the solemn voice of a guard. Two stood watch at the market square, wearing the lowest tier armor and with spears of starlight. The Nebulite that spoke was a ruddy brown starred man and his fellow guardsmen was pitch black with blue stars. A strange pattern, for any Nebulite.
“What now Nefrius?” Replied his disinterested voice. He stared straight ahead, not giving Nefrius the time of day.
“They say Lord Zius is taking half the standing army to the Talmonese. Can you guess why?”
“Let me guess, to sell more concubines for some measly amount of gold?”
“By Ohannkeloi, how’d you know Vas?”
Vas, or Vasallis, turned to Nefrius with a questioning expression, mixed with boredom.
“Call it a well educated guess.” he said sarcastically, before looking back away.
“Oh come on Vas, don’t be like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like… Like you.”
“Like me? Really?”
“Well yeah, you’re always so glum. Maybe change that or something.”
“Nefrius, shut up.”
“Well I don’t mean anything by it, I swear on Orvus, Vas. You used to talk all the time, what happened?”
Vas snapped his head back to Nefrius.
“What happened? Do I really need to explain to you what happened? You’ve got be fucking kidding me Nef. Look around, this city is hemorrhaging Nebulites, our people, for a shiny object! It doesn’t do anything, you can only make jewelry out of it, and yet the damn Nobility, only care for themselves and sell us off. And don’t even get me started on how many of us have died over these last few years. If it’s not one thing, then it’s another, over and over again. There’s talk of the slaves revolting because they no longer fear our whips, we’re growing weak Nef. And weakness could swallow our city up into dust. I fear for the future of Laurienna, so I apologize if I don’t want to talk!” he shouted at the other man, who seemed to shrink a little.
“Sorry… Vas.” came Nef’s small voice after a moment.
Vas sighed, before turning to Nef. “And we stand around, guarding a dying market. Where did it all go wrong?” He finished, kicking a small pebble.
“Well... “ Nef leaned in and whispered, “Probably with the late Queen.”
Vas narrowed his eyes, before looking around to make sure their conversation was just between the two of them. “I spit upon her grave.” he growled silently. “What did she ever do but worsen things? I don’t know how any of us still respect her… But I will admit, don’t you find it odd when she died, the people she associated with the closest were declared rebels?”
Nef seemed to stand up straighter at the suggestion. “Now that I think about it… All were Lords and Ladies of her court, some even from the days upon the Eye. Would her closest allies, perhaps even friends try to overthrow her? And her children… There was a rumor… Someone spoke of five children, in the dead of night, being shipped off to the Talmonese. I thought nothing of it but now… What if… What if those were the other five children?”
Vas stroked his chin and thought a moment. “Where did you hear such a rumor?”
“From a slaver, probably dead now.” Nef shrugged.
“It is odd, don’t you think. A supposed coup to weed out Polyastera’s friends, allies… Her loyalists have you, in the guise of rebels. That would mean… Laurien… She lied.”
Nef looked shocked at the accusation, before suddenly grinning. “Vas… Does it really matter?”
Vas raised an eyebrow.
“The Queen was awful, her loyalists as you call them, were as equally bad. Maybe Laurien did us a good thing. Maybe by getting rid of those kids, Laurien reset the ruler to a more manageable position? Still… That wouldn’t explain why she disappeared, her house destroyed and her kids missing as well.” Nef stretched.
“You might be onto something there, Nef. As for Laurien… I don’t know how to feel about that. Perhaps she tried to rule behind the scenes and was found out? Or run off by something or someone? It’s all just speculation at this point. Still… The city is in the same downward spiral, even if that’s all true. It doesn’t help us.” Vas sighed.
Nef shuffled, leaning back into a shaded wall. “What we need is… I don’t know… someone willing to put the Nobles in their place. To make Laurienna what it always should have been. We need a better king, perhaps something even more than a king. I don’t know… I feel silly even saying this.”
Vas blinked quickly as Nef’s words lingered in his heart. "It's not silly… It makes sense Nef." The two then looked at each other, grins forming on their faces.
Perhaps things would change after all.
Two nebulite guards talk about current events in Laurienna, thinking about the future.
As the sun set, and the nebulite people found themselves enjoying the music of the Dreamers, another event was transpiring. One of the same joy, with the same merits. For the Vallamir of the Eye had been invited to attend, but had chosen not to. For their reasons were vague and uninspiring, but the truth was known in their hearts. For they had an event already planned, out of sight and out of mind. Though they had grown used to the Nebulites, the Vallamir of the eye remained close together, and thus, used this closeness to celebrate their being.
And now, it was the under the light of the garden, hidden away in the jungle, where they celebrated life and the heritage they shared. The children laughed and played, adults lulled about talking and eating and the stout guards watched vigilantly. For they were a small community( truly, for the adults were far outnumbered by small ones with pointy ears) and the threat that had been shared, though unseen, was still a threat indeed.
Myra stood apart from the festivities, her role that of a guard. This gathering had not been her idea, and she had argued against it, yet the others had been insistent. And although she had been trying to get them to form closer ties with the Nebulites, at the end of the day she still preferred the company of her own species.
Besides, they needed this, she had to concede. One of the gods who created them had died, mere days after his avatar had spoken to them about the possibility of returning them to… not quite their homeland, but a land where they would meet the rest of their kind. Most of them had no intention of going, but nonetheless… for one of their creators to perish so soon after establishing contact, it was a blow.
Then there was Karamir. The first of their kind. He had not stuck around. They had all been present when Arya brought him in, they had all prayed for his survival, and they had all hoped to speak with him after his recovery. Yet it was not to be. He had returned to Kalgrun without meeting them. Did he even know some of his kind resided on the Eye?
So, given the circumstances, she could not blame them for wanting to be alone, or wanting to lose themselves in the festivities. Yet some had to remain alert. Some had to be on guard. Either against predators or the other… creatures… they had heard were now lurking in the woods.
Kalmar dead, Karamir gone, Laurien a traitor, Orvus stripped of his divinity. Their protection now fell to the newly-ascended Arya. Myra considered her a friend, and knew she had everyone’s best interests at heart. Yet despite this reassurance, the recent events had soured Myra’s mood.
With a sigh, she turned her attention away from introspection, and back to her duty: keeping watch. Her job was not just to keep predators away, but to keep the kids in. If children came too close to the edge of the perimeter, Myra would warn them in a sharp voice to go back, and most respected her authority.
Most.
A rustling sound reached Myra’s ears. A quick turn of her head revealed nothing unusual. Well, nothing unusual except for the unusually shaped shrubs that Ælfward usually kept all around his hut. She could swear, his gardening skills kept getting worse year after year… Was that shrub supposed to resemble a person? Myra shook the thoughts out of her head and focused back on her duties.
And the rustling began again, coming from the shrubs. Myra snapped her head toward it and saw as the oddest shrub deflated and fell to the floor and three girls came out running from inside it, snickering.
Until one of them, the pale white-haired one out of the twins, stumbled and looked back at Myra, locking eyes with her for a split moment. In that moment, there was nothing but pure, sheer panic in the girl’s eyes. Egwyn was her name, and she had never run so fast, quickly catching up to her sister and friend and vanishing into the foliage.
“SHE SAW ME, ENGIL-”
And the voices were then dulled by the flora until they faded off.
“Agis!” Myra snapped, and one of the nearby adults who had been enjoying the festivities snapped to attention. “Take my place,” she commanded, before stalking off in pursuit of the foolhardy hooligans. She swatted aside the already-disturbed foliage, clearing a path for herself.
It shouldn’t be her job to keep somebody else’s children in line, yet here she was. Their parents had failed to teach them basic self-preservation, and now it fell to her to round them up. Now, of all times…
She shook her head. No doubt Egwyn had attempted another bizarre scheme, or perhaps Engil was just acting out again. The third girl, Dana, had likely been roped in by one of them. She always had a tendency to go along with what others were doing.
Her sharp eyes could still detect movement, and her keen ears could still pick up traces of their voices. She quickened her pace, breaking out into a run. “Get back here! Now!”
The voices grew louder and louder. Panting for breath, panicked speech. As Vallamir they were quite fast even as children, but they were no match for the likes of Myra.
Still, as Myra jumped over some overgrowth and time seemed to slow down… As she stretched her hand to grasp at Dana’s arm, Myra’s well trained eyes caught sight of the ground shifting beneath the girls’ feet. Something moved across the blades of grass…
Just a hair’s width away from grabbing onto Dana, Myra heard the peculiar sound of plant fibre rope going taut, and saw the girls’ ankles bound by it and pulled up in a split moment. There was a dull thud as Dana’s head hit against a rock as she fell over, and by the time they hung upside down from the tallest visible branch in the primordial tree, her eyes were unfocused and glazed over. She was silent, but the other two, the twins, weren’t.
“Uuugh by Kalmar’s shiny black claws! I told you Myra had this entire area trapped, Egwyn!”
“B-But-!”
“And look! Dana’s all crazy now! Wait, Dana?!” Engil gasped and flailed a little, trying to push Egwyn out from between them but failing to do so.
Egwyn instead tried to keep her flailing to a minimum and spoke in a shaky voice as she pulled her hand away from Dana’s head, covered in blood. “U-Um.”
“What?! Is she okay? Egwyn, speak you dummy!”
Myra’s eyes widened in shock, and she wasn’t sure which was worse: Dana’s head wound, which required immediate attention… or the fact that someone had deliberately made a trap. One that clearly wasn’t intended for an animal.
She came to a stop just before the girls, and in a flash her sword was out, glittering in the moonlight. She swivelled in place, scanning her surroundings for additional threats.
OINK.
Foliage rustled from three different spots. One to the north, one to the east and one to the southeast. Slowly but confidently, three stout, short, ugly, pink things walked out eyeing the three girls while salivating and snorting. Their eyes cast a sharp, dangerous glint, and so did the jagged and crude weapons of pain held firm in their hands.
Myra took a deep breath as the opponents came into view. They were not here to talk, that was clear enough. Although she had spent a decade training, she had always suspected it would be far from the real thing. To make matters worse, there were three of them, and only one of her. If she took them all on at once, she would surely be killed.
So, she didn’t.
She set her gaze northward, brandished her sword, and darted forward.
With a grunt, the piggut hefted a crude axe behind its shoulder, and then swung horizontally at the approaching Mir. Time seemed to slow down once more as Myra ducked underneath the axe’s blade and thrust her sword into the creature’s gut. It was a strange feeling, to slide her weapon into another creature’s flesh. She had done so while hunting, of course, but this was different.
The piggut squealed and dropped the axe. Myra attempted to pull the weapon free, but it was stuck. The piggut’s hands gripped her shoulders, attempting to push her away, yet his wound had made him too weak. She heard footsteps behind her, and knew the other two were nearly on her.
Suddenly, she turned, maneuvering the first piggut in front of the other two. In the same motion, she twisted the blade and yanked it free, a geyser of fresh blood striking her in the stomach, before she kicked the piggut toward its wounded comrades. It sprawled onto its back just before the two, and while one managed to avoid it, the third one tripped.
For now, there was only one foe to deal with. Unphased by the suddenly even odds, the creature rushed forward, and this time launched an overhead downward swing with a brutish hammer. Myra nimbly stepped to the side, the weapon harmlessly embedding itself into the ground.
The piggut pulled his weapon back and readied for another swing. Then, lightning quick, Myra struck. Recalling how her weapon had been stuck in her last victim, Myra chose to slash instead of stab, swinging her blade across the beast’s throat. She was rewarded by another spray of blood as the creature dropped its weapon and fell to the ground.
The remaining piggut rose to its feet. At the sight of a bloodstained Myra standing over the bodies of its fallen comrades, the creature evidently thought better of fighting, and instead turned to flee.
Myra did not let him. The piggut was quick, but Myra was quicker, and she drove her sword through its back, dropping to one knee as it fell to the ground.
It was then that she realized she had been holding her breath for most of the fight. Her breath was heavy, and her heart was beating like a drum. Her clothes and her hands were stained with blood. Fear belatedly flowed throughout her chest, and she felt a sudden urge to vomit. It took time to compose herself, and when she did, she rose on shaky legs and did another survey of the area.
Seeing no further threats, she gazed up at the trap from which the three children dangled.
Egwyn was shaking and wiping her eyes, her breathing heavy and head red; while Engil herself watched in amazement at Myra, stars in her teary eyes as she fist bumped the air. Engil hoisted herself up and tried to fumble around with the rope tied around everyone’s ankles.
“Myra…! I didn’t…” She grunted with effort, “I didn’t know you… Were so amazing! Teach me!”
Myra gawked at the child, who was seemingly unphased by the life-threatening danger they had just been exposed to, and were perhaps still in. She considered going back and getting someone - Agis or Jakri, perhaps - to help get the children down from the tree. But that would mean leaving them unattended, and more creatures might still be in the area. So, she had to find another way.
Her eyes followed the vines which had caught the children’s feet. She immediately saw they formed into a complex series of knots and wrap-arounds up in the tree’s branches. She tried to follow it further, and then saw that they eventually all converged on one thick, strong vine which led back to the ground, tied around a massive rock which had not been there previously.
Somehow, triggering that trap had caused the rock to fall, and its weight served as the force which had lifted the children into the air. She wasn’t entirely sure how the whole thing worked, but logically, cutting that one vine should cause the children to fall.
Such an act would be dangerous, however, because the children would be landing headfirst. One of them was already unconscious, and had a head wound. A sudden fall would surely kill her, without some way to slow it or soften the language.
She gulped. What she was about to do was dangerous, yet she saw little other choice. If she waited, more creatures might appear, and she might not win a second time. Or they might attack the other Vallamir, which meant they needed to be warned immediately, but she could not leave the children unattended to do so.
“Egwyn, Engil,” Myra called up to them. “Try to… try to lean upwards. Hold onto Dana, and protect her head. I’m going to get you down.” Egwyn started sobbing and held onto Dana, then Engil held both of them and together they managed to do as instructed.
“Egwyn, it’s gonna be okay, alright? You know dad knows how to deal with things like this, we’ll just take Dana to him!”
Myra, meanwhile, approached the boulder and took a deep breath. “Get ready,” she said, both to herself and to the trapped trio. “Three… two… one…”
She swung. The vine was strong, and thick. The blade did not cut all the way through, but that was for the best. She had weakened it, and knew it would not hold. She swiftly stepped onto the boulder and grabbed the vine above where she had cut.
When the vine snapped, Myra became the new counterweight, and was lifted upward as the children were lowered. Although she was lighter than the three children combined, her weight was still enough to slow their fall to the point where it would not be severe… And it was a success. As they landed in a heap on the ground, Engil quickly got at the knot and undid it and jumped to Dana’s side, checking her injury while Egwyn got up slowly in her dizziness. Myra returned the sword to its makeshift sheathe on her belt, and then rushed toward them.
“Myra! She doesn’t look good, she’s very pale and…” There was a squishy sound as Engil carefully prodded around the injury, eliciting a wince from the black-haired girl, “And I think uh, her skull’s broken or something… We gotta go back!”
Myra lifted Dana off the ground, held her close, and placed an unbloodied hand over the injury. “Yes, we do,” she said, her tone urgent. “Stay close.” She wanted to ask them what in Kalmar’s name they were thinking, but now was not the time. With the children in tow, she hurried back in the direction she came, going just slow enough that she wouldn’t accidentally trip or leave the twins behind.
It wasn’t difficult to get back, especially with the noises. Squeals and shrieks echoed in the night, growing louder and louder as they went. Myra slowed down, keeping the children close to her. They moved cautiously, afraid to make any sudden noises, fearful of who might be watching them. Myra eventually found herself at the edge of the clearing, the sounds horrible to her ears, like something crunching their food in a grotesque wa- She stopped, and looked upon a gruesome sight, one that made her stomach churn.
Agis was dead, two of the creatures sat, hunched over his body, carving his flesh with their weapons. She tore her eyes away, to see the same thing happening to three others, being butchered and carved up like an animal.
The sight horrified her. They had been her friends. No, her family. Her eyes stung with tears. Rage and grief threatened to overwhelm her. Once again she felt sick, and her legs nearly threatened to give away. She was torn between dropping to her knees and retching, or drawing her sword and rushing to avenge him. Then she remembered where she was and what she was doing.
Her responsibilities were to the living not the dead. The wretches had not noticed her yet, and attracting their attention would only danger those she was trying to protect. The rest of the Vallamir were gone, evidently having decided to flee, and thankfully there were no children among the dead. “L-look away,” she said to the twins, steadying herself and blinking away tears. “Stay close,” she said again. It was too late though, they had seen everything, and Egwyn had gone completely quiet, holding onto Myra’s blouse for dear life. Engil however grabbed the first stick she saw and held it with shaky hands.
They ran along the edge of the clearing, giving the creatures a wide berth. The creatures so preoccupied with their butchery that either they didn’t notice them, or they had but decided it was not worth the effort to pursue.
Once the four made it all the way around, Myra proceeded in the direction she knew the Nebulite village to be in. The dozens of footprints and torn shrubbery indicated the Vallamir had gone the same way. Then she realized some of the pigguts might have done so as well. But if she carried on in a different direction, they could get lost, or stumble into another group. And staying still wasn’t an option…
She gulped. Once more she had to take a risk.
She chose to continue onward.
The sounds of shouts, screams, squeals, and other foul noises were picked up by her ears. There was a battle taking place. She hurried pace and arrived upon another grisly scene. Dozens of the creatures fought against the Nebulites and Mir, striking and clashing crude weapons against stone spears and arrows. Many lay dead or dying at the edge of the town. There was no sight of the other Mir.
Myra could not join the battle; not when she was carrying a child and two more were following her. So instead she resorted to the same tactic. She skirted around the edge of the battlefield, avoiding combat, and the pigguts were too busy with the Nebulites to attempt to stop her. She continuously looked back to make sure the twins were still following her, offering what encouragement she could, and reminding them to focus on her, as she carried on into the village itself.
Eventually the sounds of battle were no more than a background, distant clanging of metal on stone and crackling of fire a reminder of the situation as they came upon a plaza of sorts. Made of carefully carved stone bricks and with a fountain in the middle.
Normally, the plaza would’ve been home to several stalls and merchants peddling goods with each other, but today it was home to dozens and dozens of people, laying on the ground on top of bloody sheets. Cries of pain came from everywhere around Myra and the girls. There were so many wounded and so little people capable of treating them…
“If only Dad was-”
Engil cut herself off as she saw the hunched over figure of her dad, kneeling over one of the wounded people.
“Dad! Daddy!” She screamed suddenly, tearing up and running up to her Dad, who set the bloodied tools he was using beside him on the ground and turned to look at Engil, a tired smile gracing his face. He was sickly pale and had bags under his eyes. Engil immediately launched herself against him and hugged him as tightly as she could, crying into his cotton shirt. It was wet and warm since before she even touched it.
By now Egwyn had walked up to the two and joined in on the embrace, her glazed over eyes slowly coming back to life and growing wet with new tears.
It was a difficult day.
“Daddy… I-I thought you… I thought you were gone…” Egwyn said softly, to which her black-haired dad responded by kissing her forehead and showing her that usual cocky smirk of his, the one that looked like Engil’s.
“Girls, I’m so happy you’re okay… So happy! Your mother is safe, too, she’s gone with others to take the most wounded to a safer place. Now, I-” He coughed up blood, and some of it landed on Egwyn’s cheek. She blinked and wiped it away with her left hand, looked at it and then looked back at her father, now realizing half his shirt was red, and the reason he was pale was because he was bleeding so much from his side.
“... D-Dad?”
He looked at Myra approaching and perked up. In a swift movement he turned back to his current patient, taking his tools and sewing up a big gash on his leg, then applying a strip of fabric tightly against the wound. Then he stood up and rushed over to Myra and began to inspect Dana’s condition.
“Myra, h-how did this happen?! Tell me, has Dana done or said anything at all since she got injured?”
“No,” Myra answered in a swift yet shaky voice, carefully handing the small child over to him. “Those beasts laid some sort of trap. She… she hit her head, and was knocked out.” She looked down at her hands to see that both were coated in blood - one in Vallamir, the other in Piggut. Once again, she gulped. “I don’t know if...”
The girls’ father nodded and grunted, finding an empty sheet to lay the girl on and putting her there in a sitting position with himself right behind her to keep her steady. Immediately he reached for his tools and grabbed the smallest tongs he had, and tried to move everything back to its place in the back of Dana’s head. Every piece of debris he could see was removed swiftly, and every shard of bone and flap of skin was moved around expertly.
It was grim.
He sewed more skin together that day than he ever wanted to, and when he was done with Dana he coughed up more blood and leaned his back against the fountain behind him.
Myra stared at the now-sutured wound, then had to force herself to pull her eyes away. “I need to join the defense,” she said. “Try to get them inside the houses. They’re too exposed out here.”
She pulled out her sword, and with that, she was off, back in the direction from which she came. She arrived back at the fight, the creatures had advanced considerably, but many lay dead or squealing as they died. The Nebulite guards had fared no better. White blood stained the ground and many more lay injured, defended by those who could still stand. It looked grim, it was grim, and Myra prepared to give her all, but then a voice shook the world.
”ENOUGH!”
Before Arya landed in between the two groups, in plain clothes Her arms were stretched out, but her attempt to stop the fighting was not met how she had thought it would be. The creatures advanced, even dared to attack her still. One particularly large one with tusks swung his cleaver at her midsection, only for the weapon to shatter as it touched her skin. Though Myra could not see her face, she knew the Goddess had a look of horror.
With a deafening clap her hands, the world exploded into quiet. The pigguts stopped and stared, before many dropped their weapons, and many more fell to their knees holding their heads. The tusked one in front of her, slowly dropped to his knees and looked at his blood stained hands.
”Go and never come back.” Arya said in an angry voice, before turning her back to them. She had tears running down her face, but she wiped them away as she went to the wounded. The pigguts, heads held low began to leave, dragging their dead and those that no longer had the will to walk into the forest, never to be seen again.
Myra stared in astonishment. The creatures, which had been on the verge of overwhelming the defenders and flooding into the village, were now fleeing. A retreat brought about by nothing more than words. Then the shock faded, and she felt numb.
She stared at the dead, and thought of the wounded back in the village square who might soon join them. Never before had she seen so much death and conflict. Her heart still raced, and tears began to form in her eyes. She lost her grip on the sword, and it clattered to the ground.
Arya looked to her, then at all the other dead and dying and she wept. Her tears staining the ground. She looked up at the Lustrous Garden and slowly lifted her hand to it. A strand of light seemed to shine down upon her, before coalescing into a ball of energy that she then lifted up higher, before crushing in her palm. A wave of beautiful warmth erupted from her palm and rippled out before diseapearing from view. The goddess then collapsed to her knees. All around her, sudden gasps as wounds began to heal and close.
Myra snapped out of her daze, and rushed forward to kneel next to Arya. “Wh-what was that?” she asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Arya smiled weakly as she looked at Myra. ”I’m not sure… But I helped them.”
She pulled her hand away, cast a worried glance off in the direction the pigguts had retreated in, then another back toward the village. “There are more wounded in the square… can you help them too?”
”I already did.” Arya said.
Myra blinked. “You mean… Dana… she’ll be alright?”
”Yes… All those hurt who… Held on, Myra.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “What about those creatures? What if they come back?”
Arya turned her gaze to the forest. ”They will never come back. Their actions… What they’ve done… It will haunt them until the end. I only wish I had done so sooner… Maybe I could have prevented...” her voice faltered.
Myra was silent, still not entirely sure what Arya had done. Wordlessly, she reached forward and put her hand back on the goddess’s shoulder.
”Thank you… Myra. Now could you please go check on those in the square?” she asked.
“I will,” Myra nodded, her resolve returning. She rose to her feet, retrieved her bloodstained sword, and began jogging back to the square where she had left the twins. Arya in the meantime, pulled herself to her feet, and went about making sure her people were safe.
Eye elves have their own festival while Nebulite hang with dreamers. They get attacked by Pigguts. People die. Arya shows up. Pigguts leave fucked up, and Arya heals wounded people.
Start 1MP & 6FP
-1MP(DIscounted by Compassion) To curse the Eye of Desolation Pigguts with Compassion/Remorse. -1MP To do a Divine feat, calling upon the Lustrous Garden’s power (Because no one ever taught Arya how to heal) and healing those wounded in the attack.
Laurien flew over the continent of Vakk's creation, passing far and wide of the lands minimalistic features. There was nothing immensely riveting about its features and the life was small an uninteresting. It paled in comparison to the Dragon's Foot and she was about to return when something caught her attention.
A village of sorts.
Had she been wrong in her initial assessment? Was there more than mundane life upon this land? It intrigued her, for Laurien was one to find mortal life to be the single most interesting thing upon Galbar. Who and what would these people be?
She flew closer to take a look.
Huts of rock spotted the stony cove beach, backing up to the jungle. A river cut through the middle. Laurien could feel a presence here, something existing in the negative space, watching from the in between.
As she neared the huts, a small gathering of the local inhabitants gathered about her. Golden skinned, chitinous bipeds without mouths or feet.
One steps forward and asks, “What are you?”
She tilted her head at the beings. She had never seen their kind before. They were strangely alluring, perhaps even beautiful and they had desires.
"I could ask the same of you. But as I am a guest here I shall answer thee. My name is Laurien and I am a traveling god. Now, what might you be?"
“I am Praz, seventh of Got. It is a silly sentence you just spoke. Why say that you could ask me, then imply you will not, then ask?” Praz, the Buzjell asked. Its eyes were full of curiosity and wonder, with perhaps a hint of understanding.
Laurien smirked. "Praz, seventh of Got." she mused. "Why do we do anything? Call it a way of communication. To be straightforward or not to be? Does it matter in the end if we find the answers to our questions?"
Praz’ brow creased. They opened their mouth wide to answer, showing rows upon rows of teeth. “No, it does not, but that is a paltry answer. I think the true answer is that you lost track of what you were saying while saying it.”
The crowd parted, and through the part walked a different Buzjell. There were no adornments to suggest status, but others moved for them. It stepped up to Laurien and looked her directly in the eye. There was curiosity there, with no small amount of sadness. It said nothing, but continued to stare.
She stared at Praz, scowling, before her attention fell on the newcomer. It's closeness did not bother her, in fact, she reached out to touch its face, an action which the newcomer mirrored.
Only, a mouth full of jagged, serrated teeth opened on the other in response to Laurien’s reaching. Whether in anticipation or threat was unknown.
A breath. Short and sharp. A prefix to some words.
”Why are you here? I am… I am not complaining that you are, though,” they said. Their mouth widened, ear to ear. A show of teeth, pointed, flat, serrated.
She gently ran a finger across the beings mouth and said, ”I am here, simply because I stumbled across this place and these people.”
The other bore the touch of the finger for a moment, then snapped at it, teeth closing. Laurien just smiled. This other returned the gesture.
”And what are you and your people called?” she purred.
The other spat out the tip of the finger. ”We are called Bujzell,” the other said. It's eyes were locked on the fingertip. ”You taste bitter.”
”My, that’s the first time anyone’s told me that.” she giggled, letting her hand drop to her side. ”Bujzell, is it? And who created your kind?”
”Yes, Bujzell, and one Bujzii. We know the god that created us has seven arms and no face, but not their name.”
”Seven arms and no face… Strange. I’ve probably heard of them by their name, but not by their description. And what exactly is the difference between a Bujzell, and a Bujzii?” she asked, putting a hand upon her chin in waiting.
The other looked to the crowd behind them. In particular, one who had no chitin. They were hunched over, slouched, trying to not take up eye space. ”I'm surprised you, a god, didn't notice before. Too busy with me, I suppose.”
After looking upon the strange creature, Laurien looked back at the golden Buzjell. She tilted her head, her face suddenly expressionless. ”Too busy, I suppose. Now, what do they call you?”
”Who are ‘they’?” the other asked.
”The Bujzell? That Bujzii?” she said, her tone flat.
”Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, mostly. You may call me that, but it would be a lie,” the other said, slowly.
”I see. Then what would I call you so that it wouldn’t be a lie?”
The other thought for a second, a wistful expression coming over their face. ”You may call me… Mastress Zisqe of the Bujzell.”
Laurien raised an eyebrow. ”Very well… Mastress Zisqe of the Bujzell. I am Laurien, Demigoddess of Desire. It is a pleasure to meet you.” she said, giving a small bow.
”Yes, I heard you before. It is good to hear from yourself,” Zisqe says. They watch Laurien bow with confusion. ”What is this? Why are you bending over?”
She rose and said, ”It is a greeting, one that portrays respect between two idividuals.”
”Oh… why?” Zisqe said simply.
She looked up into the sky for a moment before saying, ”I’ve been taught that mortals, such as yourselves, should bow to those that are divine. Why? Because the gods believe themselves to be the pinnacle authorities of this world, and they expect complete fealty, simply because they were the ones who created everything you see around you. You owe them everything for your existence.”
”Right,” Zisqe responded. They looked to the other Bujzell, then back to Laurien. ”Well I don't know you, so I can't respect you. How about we go down to the beach and talk, away from my people?”
”As you wish.” she said slyly.
Zisqe turned and walked down towards the water, where it sat. The waves lapped up around their legs, pulling sand out with them. Laurien walked up the beach a ways, just to where her feet touched the water, and sat down. She curled herself into a ball and said, ”So, what did you want to talk about?”
”What we were before, I was just tired of standing,” Zisqe said, off handedly. ”You're a Demigoddess. Does this mean a god created you, too?”
”Yes… I was created in an age long since passed. It feels like a lifetime ago… The god who created me, my father, is Orvus. The god of Desolation and Soul Decay. He told me many things… And then one day, I tried to kill him. I became a demigod, ten years later.” she said quietly.
Zisqe's eyes widened. ”One ca-,” they shook their head. ”Of course it feels like a lifetime ago. It is, after all,” they said with a chuckle.
”I lied before, I do know the old name of my god. A god called Vakk told me it was ‘Eurysthenes’,”
Laurien looked up at Zisqe. "Ah, that sounds about right. Eurysthenes is the God of illusions I believe. At least it was when the gods came here." she looked at the sand. "One can become divine of course… But the gods might punish you for it. They are a cruel bunch." she mused. "Is that what you desire?"
Zisqe shook their head. ”No… no I think not. That would not do,” they said, slowly at first, but surely. They sat forward, elbows on knees, head on hands, then looked at Laurien. ”Would you not know, anyway? You're a Demigoddess of Desire… surely,”
Gingerly she picked up some sand in her hand and showed it to Zisqe. "These are your desires." she said before slowly dumbing them back onto the beach. "You have too many, like this sand, some small and undefined and others large." she said as a rock fell from her palm and joined in infinity.
"Indecision, it plagues the soul. Some desires you don't even know you want. Others, at the cusp of your many tongues. But you are correct about one thing, you have no desire to become a God, only to live longer than one." she leaned back, using her arms to prop herself up as she stretched out. "It's intriguing that you want me, a stranger as you say, and one who has not earned your respect. Strange indeed, the desires of mortals, so different from one another in appearance and mind but altogether the same." she purred again.
Zisqe twisted onto their side to look Laurien in the eye. ”And it is an - intriguing, you said? - desire. The other Bujzell are all my children, I have not encountered this before,” they said, giving Laurien a long look, before turning to look back at the sea. ”But, I know one thing about it so far. I do not need to respect those who I see like this. Maybe it will come in time.”
"The heart wants what the heart wants. Just know that there are other gods who would be offended by such a breach of their supposed manners. I don't care, mind you. You are far too fascinating to be offended by." she sat up on her knees and looked at Zisqe again, her eyes inviting. "What will you do now?" she whispered.
Zisqe looked Laurien up and down. Every bit, muscle and curve. Her kneeling, the hot air of her whisper. It stood, looking down. ”Well, that depends. How fascinating am I?”
She nodded, her smile widening. "Very. You wish to do what most cannot an admirable quality. Never, ever, repress that which you want most in life. It would be so dull."
Zisqe smiled a faint smile. They walked a few circles around Laurien, before pausing behind her. ”Sage advice. Laurien, I would like it if you helped me realise what I want most in this moment, right now. Stay on your knees.” Zisqe said, reaching into the basket on the beach. They pulled out some rope.
The Demigoddess smiled devilishly.
Laurien visits the Bujzell and they talk in the bujzell way. It’s beautiful. Then ZIsqe shows up and they talk even more about many things. Zisqe and Laurien then go down to a beach and bang, the end.
”Well I don't know you, so I can't respect you. How about we go down to the beach and talk, away from my people?”
”As you wish.” she said slyly.
And so the pair walked down the beach and then they snogged and then snogged all night. They held hands and it was really very extremely romantic. And hot.
It would never be a sight one could adjust to - the waves upon waves of Nebulites coming out of the woods to settle on the beach. Dreamer performers typically didn’t have stage fright, but then again, crowds of this size had never been witnessed before. Sheepish tuning of instruments became deafened by the growing host of starry-skinned giants, and the singers wondered for a moment if they would even be heard at all.
General Ming scanned the bright crowd from the city ramparts, a hand resting grimly on the pommel of her sword. Beside her, Wenbo gave a silenced cough. “General,” he added after.
“My lord,” Ming replied in greeting. A pause followed.
“Will there be issues, you think?” Wenbo asked, a pinch of worry trickling into his voice. Ming frowned.
“It’s hard to say. Never before have I seen a number of people like this in one place. The lady Arya assured me that they would be civil, but…”
Wenbo looked at her sideways. “But?”
“... But nothing is certain, my lord. My guards will keep our people as safe as they can - it should be easier considering the children have been put in bed.”
“A very sound plan, by the way. Imagine keeping an eye on the toddlers in -that-!”
Ming cringed at the thought. “Please don’t make me think of it, my lord.”
The crowds seemed to slow down in front of the band. They were no doubt nearly fully accounted for. The celebrations could begin any moment. The general turned and gave Wenbo a bow. “I will give our guards one more run-through of the plan before we begin, my lord. Good luck.”
“And to you, general,” Wenbo responded before Ming went back down from the ramparts. He remained there for a moment longer, soaking in every detail of the star-people. They were fascinating, truly - to look so much like the heavens above, yet to also be a living, breathing creature; they could also fly, as demonstrated by a number of those who couldn’t get a proper spot. The dreamer lord prayed a silent prayer to Moksha above before he began making his way down to the beach.
“Arya? Arya?” Wenbo called. He stood in front of the band players and singers, all of whom were now soaked with nervous sweat. The lord eyed the front of the crowd, grumpily reminding himself to bring Babble along should he face a foreign crowd again.
The tall demigoddess appeared not long after he called for her. Now she wore a familiar dress of purple swirls and stars. Her hair done up in a bun with two strands falling down either side of her face. She smiled excitedly at Wenbo as she approached.
"Hello again!" she said walking over to him.
Wenbo sighed in relief and stepped over to meet her. “Oh, there you are. Fantastic. Has everyone arrived, then?”
She nodded gleefully. "Indeed they have, but do tell, where is my dear sister?" Arya asked, looking around.
“Ai? She was just here, I could’ve sworn--”
“Arya!” came a gentle, joyous voice and out of the corner of their eyes, Ai approached with a wide grin. She wore hanfu robes of red and her hair was wrapped in a disk on the back of her head. She held her arms out in a greeting embrace. “My sister, how’ve you been?”
"Ai!" Arya exclaimed happily. She then returned her embrace warmly and let out a little sigh. "I'm better now." she purred. "How are you?" she asked pulling away but still holding onto Ai.
“Oh, you know how it is - grandchildren, other children and manchildren - all a woman’s responsibility.”
Wenbo blinked. “H-hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, dear.”
Arya giggled again and smiled warmly at the two of them. "This brings back so many fond memories. Ah, those were simpler times." she mused. She then turned to Wenbo, "When will the performance begin?"
“Whenever everyone’s ready, I suppose,” Wenbo mumbled and gave Ai a shrug. She nodded back.
“Well, I vote for starting, then.”
Arya also nodded. "Oh I'm so excited! I'll go tell everyone to keep quiet!" she said before flying off.
Wenbo smacked his lips wordlessly in thought. Ai poked his shoulder and his eyes slowly shifted to her. “Shall I tell them to start?” she asked. After a moment, Wenbo nodded.
“I’ll have Ming keep a tight watch. Some of these look a little…” He hummed. “Anyway, you go on ahead.”
Ai nodded and went off to the band. After a brief second, Wenbo followed suit.
In lieu of a welcoming announcement, the Dreamer lord instead greeted everyone with a gentle whistle of his flute. The language barrier was thick, but music was a universal joy, he reasoned. The other players followed suit, and soon a neat little warm-up tune was playing. It was soft and gentle to the the ear, flutes, drums and harps coming together to form a neat little tune.
The nebulite host, which sat upon the beach and floated in the air, stared with curious eyes and a mix of expressions ranging from awe to surprise. Many whispered amongst themselves but most were content to just listen and experience what the strangers had brought.
Arya sat amongst the children, who laughed and giggled while remaining as quiet as they could be. Her own expression was thoughtful and here eyes were shut as she hummed along.
Feeling confident with the mood, the band looked upon one another with relief. The flutes and harps quieted and the men took the centre stage. For a moment, there was silence. Then, like hooves of tree-eaters, hands started to hammer the drums in with a step-like beat. The twangs of a two-stringed guitar quickly followed. The beat was joyous and lively, and was soon accompanied by throat-singing vocalists beating tambourines with small copper bells on them. The throat-singing was high pitched at first, then one of the singers broke into a flute-like whistle that was almost unnatural to the ear, considering he didn’t actually play a flute.
Arya began to clap in praise, followed by the children and then the surrounding Nebulites as they listened with wide eyes to the strange throat singing. Arya soon stopped clapping but most of the other Nebulites lacked the social cue to follow suite so the Demigoddess stood up quickly and turned around, using her hands to settle the crowd back to silence as the Dreamers continued.
In the midst of a particularly high note, a scream followed, sending an audible gap through the crowd as people turned to look at what caused the commotion. Arya stood up and her eyes fell upon a bloodied nebulite, his white blood flowing from fresh wounds. The music immediately stopped and multiple singers gasped in horror.
Arya quickly flew over to him, with supernatural speed, catching him before he could fall.
"My goddess… They came…" his breath raspy before his eyes shut. She looked at his back, finding a large crude gash upon his skin. Nebulites gathered around her as they watched. She dropped the man softly upon the sands and stood up.
"Knights! To arms!" She shouted, and several nebulites broke from the crowd, rushing back into the forest. Arya then issued several other commands before floating back to Wenbo and the Dreamers, her face sad.
"It's … it's not safe here for you." she whispered, head low.
Wenbo pocketed his flute. “W-what do you mean? Who’s coming?”
"Creatures of cruelty. Fighters and flesh eaters. I will not have your people die by staying." she said.
Wenbo swallowed and the band players already hastened to pack up their equipment. Ai came over and took Arya by the hand, squeezing it worriedly. “Will you be alright, Arya? Promise me you and your people will be alright.”
Arya returned the squeeze, looking to Ai. ”Most have been trained how to defend themselves, some have been trained how to protect. Do not worry for us. I… I love the both of you, with all my heart. This will… I hope, not be the last time I see you upon this earth.” she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Wenbo and Ai looked at one another. “H-hey, it’s… It’s not like we’re going anywhere. We’ll keep in touch, alright? Just make sure you live through this,” Wenbo said and grabbed her hand as well.
”O-Of course.” she sniffled. ”I’m just being sentimental. Don’t hesitate to pray to me, I’ll answer. Anytime.”
They embraced each other and soon, the Dreamers were once more back in their city and Chuanwang swam off to the distant seas. But Arya had not waited to watch them leave, instead, she was already gone- Back into the jungle. Back into danger.
A music festival happens between Dreamers and Nebulites on a beach. Things go well until a sudden attack by pigguts back in the Nebulite village. Dreamers and Nebulites, part ways.
The pure white hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and goosebumps covered her entire skin as she blinked her wide eyes and stroked her palm, which didn’t hurt at all. Her eyes shifted from the mushroom, to the excited gaze of Engil, her “twin” sister, and finally to Doron, their childhood friend with whom they had gone on most of their adventures with.
Finally, Egwyn looked back at the mushroom and sighed, “You guys always bring some crazy stuff back here, how am I ever gonna finish the last project we had when you always bring me cool things that get me distracted? Seriously, a zappy mushroom? Where do you even find this stuff?” And truly, it was ridiculous. Every few days her sister and Doron would bring her something completely nuts and awesome, awesome enough to get her to abandon project after project in order to sate both her and their curiosities.
The white-haired, gray-eyed, pale-skinned, soft-looking Valthumir girl sighed and smiled, “Okay, so what do you want me to do with this, guys?”
“Power it up! We’re gunna use it to shock those bullies who took your fishy thingy.” Doron exclaimed proudly.
Egwyn perked up. “R-Really?! Yeah, yeah let’s do that! I have just the thing! Sorcery, of the highest caliber! Wait here a second,” She said, cutting herself off and speeding upstairs towards her bedroom.
Engil turned to Doron and grinned, “Whaddaya think she’s gonna bring down? Maybe something cool like food for mushrooms or something?”
Doron shrugged. “Whatever it is, it’s gunna work!” he said with glee.
“Eek!” There was a sound like a rockslide, and several dozen things fell and clattered loudly on the floor just above them. After a few seconds, Egwyn shouted, “I’m okay!”
“... Or maybe she’s just gonna mess up our bedroom.” Engil snickered.
Seconds later, hurried steps echoed through the modest home and Egwyn carefuly stepped down the stairs with a heavy, unwieldy ball of a… Brownish material.
Once she went down the last stair she grunted and dragged her feet all the way to the other two, before sitting down cross legged in front of them and putting the ball between her legs. For a moment, she looked up at them with a glint in her eye. “Watch this, I had been keeping it a secret cause mom would throw this away if she saw it!”
And so she took a deep breath, concentrated and… Absolutely went to town rubbing the smooth ball with the palms of her hands. She rubbed and rubbed until she was wheezing and looked pale, and only then did she stop and immediately press her finger against Doron’s shin, giving him a tiny shock.
Doron jumped and then began to laugh. “How’d you do that without the mushroom!” he asked.
Egwyn gasped for breath, a feeling of relief washing over her body upon hearing Doron’s reaction. “I don’t… know… I cooked.... This mud and… This came out…” She said between heavy panting, pointing at the ball.
“Gwyn, you. Are. A. GENIUS?!” Engil exclaimed quickly snatching the ball from her sister and beginning to rub it with a passion.
Doron flashed Egwyn a smile and joined Engil, cheering her on to rub the ball harder.
“Yaaaaah!” Engil hummed and groaned at the same time, her shoulder length hair suddenly beginning to spike and float. “C’moon!”
Doron began to laugh at the sight of Engil’s hair. “Woah! Your hair looks likes the rocks in the cave!”
“And…!” Engil grunted and dropped the ball on the floor, then moved her hands close to the mushroom. Tiny arcs of energy connected her palms to the mushroom, and the latter grew bright and colourful. “Bam! Wapam!” Engil smirked and wiped some sweat off her brow, then leaned on Doron’s shoulder.
“Wanna try it to see if its zaps are stronger now, Doron? Bet you’re scared, huh?”
“Come on, don’t tease him like that, Sis.” Egwyn said with some pity toward Doron.
“Ah, whatever,” Engil shrugged.
“N-No, go ahead Engil. I’m ready.” Doron said nervously.
Engil nodded and chuckled “I’m gonna get you back for zapping me before, trust me.” And so the wild girl grabbed the mushroom by the stalk and slowly brought it up against Doron’s arm. It made his hairs stand on end. It was amazing. Just like that, Engil touched the shroom against Doron’s skin.
ZAAAAAAP!
He howled in surprise, and then pain as he jumped back and away from Engil. “Ow Engi!” he said, rubbing his arm. “That was powerful!” he gritted his teeth, as black tears began to well up in his eyes.
“Hehe! Gotcha!” Engil giggled. Egwyn on the other hand hurried to Doron and checked his arm with a worried frown on her face.
“A-Are you okay, Doron?” The frailest of the twins asked him.
He wiped away his tears with a free hand and said, “Y-Yeah… It just stung a little.”
“Aw come on, Gwynnie, Doron can take much more than that mushroom can deal out! Now, if it had been a centipede instead…” Engil snickered and Egwyn bumped her side with an elbow, “Ow!”
“Don’t be a meanie, Sis. Doron,” Egwyn turned to the boy again, this time with a spark in her eyes, “H-How did it feel? The zap? It looked really, really powerful!”
Doron seemed to deflate at the mention of centipedes, but puffed out his chest again when Egwyn asked how it hurt. “I felt it up my entire arm!” he said proudly.
“Wow…!” Egwyn gasped, then nodded and grinned, “Yep! This will be perfect, this is how we get back at those bullies!”
“I can’t wait to see the look on their faces.” Doron said giddily.
“Ok, ok, c’mon! Let’s look for those guys and scare them outta their pants, hehe.” Engil said, carefully adjusting her grip on the mushroom before grabbing egwyn by the wrist and walking out of the home.
And so the trio did, leaving the Vallamir houses behind as they walked towards the Marble Star. The trip was full of excited giggles and slight nervousness, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved. Doron walked in between the girls, as they made their way, eventually reaching the outskirts of the town. There, in a well situated bush, they searched for Egwyn’s thieves. It did not take them long to see the small band of Nebulite kids, varying in ages and heights, led by a bronze colored boy by the name of Salsonus, or Sal for short. He was a real jerk, and he didn’t mesh well with Doron. This would be a fine time for revenge.
“Okay, okay.” Doron said, turning to the two. “Here’s what we do. I’ll go up and distract him, and Engil can sneak up and shock him. Then, Egwyn can steal her thing back, okay?”
"Y-Yes!" Egwyn said in a jittery voice, and after Engil gave her a look, the black haired twin sister spoke.
"They're using the thing in the creek-" Before Engil could finish her sentence, however, a ruckus started in Sal's group.
"ACK! IT CAUGHT, SAL! WADDOIDO?" a short kid screamed.
"WHAT? Don't be dumb Bil, pull the thing out!" Someone shouted back from among the bushes, and Sal himself grunted and ran to the short kids' side, helping him pull the thing (net) out of the creek.
"Why is this dang fish so strong?! Help us you idiots!" Sal yelled, and the other kids ran up to sal and the short kid. In total five kids were pulling on the net and after a particularly mighty pull, they got it out.
The net was empty, and ripped.
"Gee!" sighed the short kid as he fell backward onto his bum and against someone else's shins.
Sal kept silent, his hand balled up into fists.
"I guess we couldn't expect anything else from that Egg girl, guys. Everything she makes ends up breaking."
Egwyn flinched back and shrunk a little at the sound of Sal’s voice and without hesitation, Doron lept from the bush with hands balled into fists as he approached the kids.
“You take that back! Everything Egwyn makes is wonderful! It’s not her fault you starlings don’t know how to use it!” He shouted angrily.
Sal turned and glared at Doron, “Well boys, look who we have here! Dork, the guy that can only be friends with the pointy ear freaks!” Sal looked down at Doron, scoffing, “What, did the freaky witch girl send you on an errand? Maybe she promised you a real dad if you did her work for her?” Sal shrugged and spit at the ground in front of Doron.
With a roar, Doron tackled Sal, sending the two into the creek as they fought each other. The other children began to scream in delight as they cheered on Sal.
“Beat him up Sal!” “Dork, dork, dork!” “Make him see stars!"
Sal was bigger then Doron, taller too but reach wasn't everything. They grappled with one another in the shallower part of the creek, punching when they could and several times connecting. Doron had a stout build but Sal's blows were heavy.
As the water splashed, Doron saw an opening and uppercut Sal, sending the boy stumbling backwards. In his momentary confusion, Doron tackled him again but Sal did not go down. Instead, he began to wail on Doron's back, prompting the golden haired boy to let him go or face more wrath. He managed to get away and both boys looked at each other as the kids grew silent with anticipation. Both held an offensive stance, poised to strike.
Sal scowled and slowly, he raised a hand to wipe at his bloodied lip. Then, a moment later, he dropped his stance. “Watch your back, Dor-”
Suddenly, a shape jumped down from above right behind Sal. “Huh-” The larger boy gasped as he turned around. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a wildly smirking Engil, and before he could jump back, he felt a wet, cold, bulbous thing press against his back.
“H-Hah! Guess she wants t-aaaAAAHHHHH!” His speech turned into a scream of surprise and agony, and soon arcs of pure energy formed around Sal’s body. His hair stood on end, his body darkened slightly, and there was the smell of burned skin.
“H-Hey, that’s cheating! Cheaters! Let’s get them, guys!” One of Sal’s friends suddenly yelled, and just like that everyone began to close in on Doron and Engil, having thrown Egwyn’s net away to focus on the fight.
And just as Sal fell on his side onto the shallow creek, eyes rolled back and drool coming out of his mouth, another voice piped up.
Egwyn’s soft, usually hesitant voice. “I have it! Run!” She shouted over the ruckus made by the other boys, lifting up her torn net to the sky so Doron and Engil saw it, and immediately ran off into the foliage.
Engil’s smirk turned into a shiny-eyed smile, and she turned to look at the bruised Doron, “Alright Dork, hope you’re not too beat up to keep up!” But unlike before, Engil swiftly jumped over the squirming Sal and grabbed Doron’s arm and pulled him into a run.
All of Sal’s little goons were confused, some looking at where Egwyn was a moment ago, others at Sal as he coughed and propped himself up on an arm, and others at Doron and Engil’s back as they parted into the forest.
After the three kids were long gone, one of the boys approached Sal, who was panting and had just sat up and put his hand on his shoulder. “Y-You ok, Sal?”
Sal sniffled and shrugged, “Y-Yeah! This is nothing! We will get them back, ok?! But first, uh… Anyone got some Firestem ointment?”
Engil and Doron broke the treeline to come upon their hideout. A large, hollow tree that they had arranged and cleaned to be a suitable place to meet and play.
Engil let go of Doron’s arm and stretched, letting out a little pleased mewl. “Well that went great!” She said with a chuckle, walking up to the tree and leaning against one of the sides of its entrance. “You ok? Sal beat you up real bad… Though that was the perfect distraction for me to sneak around.”
Doron turned away from Engil and growled. “It wasn’t meant to be a distraction.”
“Huh? Seriously?” Engil raised a thick eyebrow and tilted her head. “I mean… You rushed into a group of kids and tried to beat up the massive Sal for my sister?”
“Yes!” He said angrily, before his face flushed in bronze and he blinked, looking away. “I mean, I did it because… Because he was… mean.”
“Eeeh…” Engil’s smirk grew wider bit by bit, but before she could speak, Egwyn arrived. She was happily holding onto her bundled up net and walked past the two already there and sat down inside the hollow tree after tossing her net to the side.
“W-Wow, we really showed them!” She said breathily before blushing and scratching her cheek sheepishly, “T-Thank you Doron for defending me, by the way. Sal always picks on me…” After that, Egwyn looked at both Engil and Doron and tilted her head curiously,
“Huh, why are you smirking so widely, Engil?”
Doron seemed to light up when Egywn praised him, but then he crossed his arms. “You’re welcome.” he said, looking outside.
A short silence fell upon the group, until Egwyn looked down and shook her head, “Okay, I have to fix this net and then we’ll go catch some fishies. I reaaally want to catch those fishes with orange backs. What do you think they taste like, Doron?”
Doron didn’t say anything at first, before mumbling back, “Fish… Probably.”
Egwyn pursed her lips, “... Yeah, sorry. That was a dumb question, wasn’t it?”
As Egwyn searched through a small box for her tools, Engil took the opportunity to slap Doron’s arm and roll her eyes at him.
As Doron turned to protest, outside up in the Heavens, the stars began to fall and with it, everything would change.
A small short story showing old and new characters. Created jointly by Zee and Frettzo, Or Frettzee.
She stayed in Laurienna for a day before the curse caught up to her, this time in the form of a fox. It was easily snuffed out, but she did not want to know how challenging the creatures of fire would become and thus she left her city. Her loyal followers would ensure that the city would run as it always did and they would keep on indulging themselves in her power, becoming twisted as it took root. She was excited to see what their progress would look like.
With nothing else on her mind but staying quiet, she skirted off the desert and into the jungle of the Nanhe, taking careful note to be cautious as she approached the river. There was no telling where his lordship would be, and no doubt be now, everyone probably knew what she had done and Shengshi would no longer be so kind. Thus she traveled far over the Dragon's Foot, and away from the majority of his influence.
When she came to a boiling strait she was momentarily completed at the unique environment it had created. She explored it, stopping now and then to admire the kites(which she didn't actually know as kites but more like strange birds) and their many colors, before making her way on the land that the strait guarded. She knew not what was so strange with the land but knew the lack of diversity was noticeable. It felt as if it needed more, and her father's essence, faint as it was, was everywhere. It didn't take long before she found a clump of Orvium, the black metal was embedded in gray rock surrounded by newer dirt. Had chunks of the moon fallen here?
Aaldir approached the rock and said, "Why are we here Laurien? All we do is travel, we don't kill anything anymore and I hunger."
"We travel because you and I are cursed. Or did you forget about that? Honestly I don't even know why you feel like you are hungry. You're a sword, swords shouldn't get hungry." Laurien huffed, sitting down on a rock as she leaned forward, her arms resting underneath her chin as she gazed at an empty expanse of land.
"You were the one who let me taste ichor… and it was delicious." The sword said, floating beside her in silent vigil.
"Yes… I suppose it was me and you greedily lapped it up not even minutes after you were created. Your first taste of blood and now nothing else compares. I apologize." she said absentmindedly.
"Mhmm. Come, give me buy a little taste and make it all better." Aaldir said, floating closer to her.
Laurien turned her full attention to the sword and let out a sigh. "Like I've told you a thousand times already, the answer is still no."
The sword grumbled and the silence returned.
”And why is the answer no?” asked many voices from behind Laurien, none of which voiced any true curiosity over the subject.
She straightened her back at the sound of the voices and turned around as Aaldir entered her hands, hungering silently.
A tall, white figure stood behind her looking down upon her blackened form with its featureless form before it stepped back from its uncomfortable closeness. There were no others from which the voices could have come from as there was only the one being, unless there were more beings under the robes. It’s arms were folded behind its back as it reoriented its head to look past Laurien as it seemed to lose interest.
”What has brought you to Pāṟa?” the voices asked.
Laurien scrutinized the figure for a moment, lowering Aaldir as she didn't feel threatened. Then she spoke, "Pāṟa? Is that what they call this lonely place…" she tilted her head at the being. "Nothing's brought me here, save the wind."
”A traveler of nothing then,” the being commented before finally moving its head to meet Laurien’s gaze. ”And who might you be, traveler?” it asked with a slight curiosity.
She pursed her lips and thought a moment. She couldn't see what it's desires were, and that meant the being was of divine origin or shielded enough to escape her grasp. A God perhaps? But which one? She would have to be careful here. If it knew her name, she had to be ready.
Laurien suddenly smiled at the being. "My name is Laurien. Who might you be?" she asked.
[color=98168]”I am Vakk, Lord of Speech, and creator of the continent you stand upon,”[/color] it answered simply. It’s faceless head split as a mouth erupted to mimic Laurien’s sudden smile. The god began to step around Laurien, circling her as it seemed to study her. Her own smile did not waver.
”Now, where do you come from, Laurien?” Vakk asked as it evaluated, continuing to circle her as the many voices spoke.
Vakk. That was an old name. One Orvus had warned her about. She raised her guard slightly and said, "The Dragon's Foot, my Lord." she let herself be studied and only looked at Vakk when he was in front of her. His form was hardly unnerving, for she was used to such things. They no longer frightened her.
”Across the strait? Not many have quite the resolve to pass through such heat… not by mortal means, that is,” Vakk stated, stopping behind her. Its shadow loomed over her as it stepped towards her, arms still folded behind its back as indicated by the shadow. There was a moment of silence between the two before Vakk asked another question, ”Now, indulge me, what business does a spawn of Orvus have upon these lands?”
”Wasn’t that bad, I just flew.” she winked. ”As for this spawn of Orvus… Well, I’m afraid my answer is much the same. I travel, an unfortunate side effect of a curse.” she said.
”A curse?” Vakk asked with a clear interest, ”And what did you do to warrant such a curse?”
”Well, depending upon who you ask, I did something very, very bad.” she said, amused. ”Do you have any strong, particular love of your siblings? How would you react if, let’s say, a mortal attempted to kill a god?” she smirked.
”I care little for the other gods. They did kill me after all. If you attempted to kill a god then I would react with, perhaps, a modicum of pride,” Vakk answered, a light chuckle coming from its form before finally moving its arms to its sides. It seemed to be slightly more at ease as it took a step away from Laurien.
”You look lively, for one supposedly dead.” she giggled. ”But yes, I did try… And in doing so Arae finally decided to curse me and the blade that stabbed Orvus. I can never settle in one place for over a day, or flame creatures appear, growing in strength until they kill me. Hence, why I’m here.” she said forlornly and with a final sigh.
”Until you die…” Vakk echoed before taking a silent moment to think, ”Luckily for you, death is reversible.” It loosed another chuckle before sitting in front of Laurien, cocking its head to the side as it thought for yet another moment.
”It would seem that your death would be highly pleasing to the other gods, yes?” Vakk asked.
”Those that know what I’ve done, probably. I’m not sure who else might know now, but I wouldn’t put it past them.” she said, her hand tightening on her blade as she narrowed her eyes slightly at Vakk.
Vakk sighed as she narrowed her eyes, moving its head back up, ”Drop your unneeded skepticism, it will do you no favor with winning my favor.” It paused as it crossed its legs. ”Your death would make the other gods happier, gods that I detest, gods that would likely desire to see me put back into my grave. Killing you would bring me nothing,” it explained, the voices growing colder as it went on, ”I seek to make sure that death is something that is… reversible. I and my children are proof that it is.”
Laurien relaxed after a moment. Then she released her grip on Aaldir and said, ”Away.” and the sword flew off. A soft smile fell upon her lips as she looked upon Vakk again. ”I see, and how exactly is that possible?” she said.
”Attaching the soul to a corpse or object,” it answered simply before continuing, ”In the case of full vaporization, I do not know, but I believe that keeping the soul within an object would allow time for another body to be created, either from the object or… other means.”
”How does the soul resist the pull of the Vortex? Wouldn’t these… undead go insane?” she questioned.
”A long process that still fully eludes me. A reinforced soul, such as your own or my own, would be able to resist that pull. However, not enough time has passed for me to tell with my children.” Vakk stated.
”I’m sure with enough experimentation, a solution can be found for mortals. But I am curious… Are there any side effects? Does the soul remain the same as it was when alive?”
”It depends on how long one has been dead. I am sure that if the process was started when one has just died, the original soul can still be used. However, as is with my children, if all that is left is but bones and decay, then only a shell of the original can be replicated, but without emotion and desire to do anything unless otherwise ordered.”
Vakk let out a sigh at the fact, ”Sadly, emotion can be replicated and replaced within those souls, but the process is draining and unrefined.”
”It seems you have your work cut out for you, Lord Vakk. I am most interested in it, I do say. To die, but live on? Truly remarkable.” she said smoothly.
”I do thank you,” Vakk said, slowly returning to its feet before looking back upon Laurien. ”Perhaps I was wrong, it seems that Hermes was the only mortal that soured my view of mortals, for you seem to be the most reasonable. Even compared to the other gods.”
Vakk stepped toward Laurien, ”Perhaps a gift is in order to help you against this curse… Would you like an object that could reconstruct your body and bind your soul to it?”
She brought a hand to her chin and tilted her head as she thought for a moment. She then shook her head. ”I will have to decline I’m afraid. Life is… Precious to me and I am still unsure of what the process would do to me. Though, I am flattered that you would think of giving me a gift.”
She then blinked. Did you say… Hermes? If I might be so bold, my lord, when did you meet her?”
”I never did. She did, however, steal something from me. When I went to exact punishment, K’nell and… Shengshi fought and killed me,” Vakk explained, its voice growing slightly agitated at the memory.
”Mhmm. I see. No one ever told me the fate that befell you. I am sorry to hear it, only now.” she said softly.
”The victors often write history to make themselves seem better,” it said before stepping towards Laurien, ”Now, perhaps I can gift you something to stave off death, since you find you life so precious.”
The god looked to the ground before the tendrils upon its back emerged and planted themselves into the ground. It took but mere moments before the tendrils emerged with a chunk of orvium, bringing the substance to Vakk’s hand. The tendrils went back into the ground once more as Vakk began to crush the metal, grinding it between its hands before the expected explosion came, but rather than radiating out, the explosion seemed to be caught, and maintained, within a field. Vakk looked back to Laurien before explaining, ”A source of power.”
Eventually, the tendrils returned from the ground with a different substance, shining ever brighter as the tendrils morphed it into shape and smoothed its edged. A golden crown was formed and the explosion that Vakk held within its hands was forced and compacted into the size of a gemstone, its colors shifting from red to orange to yellow, only occasionally turning into a smoky black before the colors of the explosion were brought back. Vakk inserted the the gemstone into the front of the crown. The crown itself, was separated into three golden rows, only meeting to form a circle around the gemstone and connecting at the back .
”To protect you on your travels, it may not hold back the force of a god but it should be able to shield you from a great deal of punishment that might find its way to you.” Vakk said before setting the crown upon Laurien’s head.
She had watched the display with a child’s curiosity, her eyes wide and full of wonder. It was a beautiful crown, and when Vakk placed it on her head a small shiver went down her spine. She touched it gingerly, felt the golden rows and the gemstone of many colors. Her gaze then fell upon Vakk and she said, ”Oh thank you, thank you my lord! I will treasure his gift with all my life, I swear it.” her voice then grew softer and she briefly looked away before saying, ”But… What did I do to deserve such kindness?”
Vakk thought to itself for a moment, ”Perhaps it could be that I understand being hated by the other gods. You have shown an interest and understanding in what I do.” The Lord of Speech thought for another moment, ”Perhaps it could be that I wish to see the other gods suffer through you living… I do not know.”
It allowed for a hand to fall upon her shoulder as it spoke to her in a more pragmatic voice, ”Just do stay alive, you are the only mortal that I may actually bear the company of.”
”I can do that, my lord.” she said sweetly. ”I wish I could offer something in return, but I fear I lack the power to do so, at this time. In the future, should we meet again, or if I stumble upon them, I shall give a gift.” she said.
”Perhaps if you stumble upon Swahhitteh, maybe… that reminds me, do you know what happened to Tendlepog?” Vakk asked.
A confused look sprung on her face. ”What happened to Tendlepog?” she asked.
”It… is gone.”
”What do you mean gone? How does a continent disappear?” she asked bewildered.
”Then it seems like this is a mystery that I must solve. Another task on a growing list of things to do,” Vakk stated, folding its arms behind its back as it looked out to the horizon.
”This is where I make my leave. If you require my aid, all you need to do is pray my name, I will hear it for… not many pray,” Vakk said, looking back down at Laurien, before it disappeared to leave her to her own devices.
Laurien blinked as the god left. Her own questions coming into her mind. Tendlepog gone? She pursed her lips. It didn’t really matter, in the end.
Laurien travels to the kick because she's cursed to travel. Talks to her sword then Vakk shows up and they have a conversation about things and Vakk actually ends up liking Laurien I guess. He gifts her a crown because Laurien is Queen, after all.
Laurien & Arya; 1MP & 6FP Nothing Spent
Vakk; 8 MP & 16 FP -3 MP for creating the Crown of Protection, a crown that emits a telekinetic field that protects the user from many sources of damage. It cannot protect the user against attacks from divine but can protect against powerful magical and non-magical attacks that would otherwise kill the user.
The meeting had continued for another dreadfully slow hour until most of the nobles simply began their retreat back to their high tier estates. In the throne room remained only Helionna, face in her hands as she tried to stack small pebbles in an abacusian manner to evaluate the state of the state coffers.
"Helionna… I'm glad you remained behind." came Laurien's whisper in her ears.
Helionna perked up and jerked her head around in search of the voice. “L-lady Laurien?”
"Yes. I'm here." she said, floating down from the shadows to land in front of her. "I've taken an interest in you, little one."
Helionna swallowed. “M-me?”
"Of course." she said sweetly, standing before her now with a smile. "You did not bow, why is that?" she asked softly.
“It’s, it’s just…” Her eyes moved to the floor. It stared back with a stone-cold glare. “... You murdered her, didn’t you? My sister.”
"Your sister… What was her name?" the Goddess asked.
Helionna frowned. “Of course, you wouldn’t know…” She put the stones away and got to her feet. “I’m sorry, lady Laurien, but I have matters to attend to.”
With uncanny speed Laurien rested a hand upon her shoulder. "What was her name." she asked again, her smile turning into a neutral expression.
“Philia, my lady. Her name was Philia.” She twisted her shoulder. “Now would you kindly let me go?”
In the blink of an eye, Laurien's body changed to that of Philia and she smiled at Helionna. "She always was loyal to Polly." Her sister's voice said.
Helionna froze. “Ph-... Philly?” She reached out to touch her.
"Yes… and no." Philly said, leaning into her hand. "This is nice, isn't it?"
“... What… What’re you doing to me? My sister is… My sister--” She felt the warmth in her palm and felt her throat choke up. “... Am I dreaming?”
"Yes. I'm dead. And Polly got me killed by going insane." Was her response.
“Yes, she grew… Ill of mind towards the end of her life, but…”
“Lady Laurien,” came a call from the doorway to the throne room, through which walked Enigmaron, the Laurien-loving officer from earlier, and a small number of nobles. “We have come as you requested.” She eyed the tearful Helionna and the very familiar Nebulite next to her.. “Ph-... Philia? How are you--”
Philia molded back into Laurien's shape and the demigoddess left Helionna in tears as she walked over to the others. "Hello darlings. I'm glad you came. I was just asking Helionna some questions. She is not to leave the room."
The Nebulites stared in awe at the display until Enigmaron eventually broke out of the trance and saluted by hammering her chest with a fist. “Of course, my lady.” The officer next to her went over to stand behind Helionna, who had collapsed to her knees. “Now, how may we serve you?”
"I have a gift for my most loyal. One that can be used in many ways." she hummed. "Will you accept?"
“What is it?” asked one of the nobles.
"Power." she whispered seductively.
The nobles grinned at one another; Enigmaron couldn’t help but smirk. Helionna sniffed and looked up with furious eyes. “What--... What will we give in return?”
"Nothing but your loyalty and love. A simple thing really." Laurien said.
“I’ll accept it with all the joy and love I can offer,” Enigmaron exclaimed and bent the knee. The officer and the nobles did as well. Helionna remained frozen, not standing, but sitting on the cold stone floor while shiny trails of tears dried on her cheeks.
"Good." she whispered, looking at Helionna.
The sound in the room, suddenly ceased as the sun seemed to disappear, leaving the throne room eerily dark save for a dark purplish hue upon the sandstone, filtering in through the darkness outside the windows. Laurien rose her hands as she shut her eyes. Almost immediately afterwards, unearthly voices began to flood into the room, whispering a language none could understand. It was unnerving, and frightening and elicited a sense of fear so profound, the very air felt as if it could snap.
Laurien’s body began to shake- no, vibrate, as a purplish smoke began to course through her fingertips and onto the floor. It enveloped the floor of the room quickly, bubbling and rising, growing thick as the whispers became chants. Laurien continued to vibrate, her serene image becoming but a blur, growing in a ghostly light as a scream echoed throughout the chamber. The purple smoke then grew still, before pulling back to amass itself within a ball above the chamber. There was a loud clap of thunder, and Laurien grew still as the power that had amassed shot out and into the bodies of the loyal Nebulites in attendance.
The entire chamber, nay, the world began to flash in vivid scarlet before a simple snap, and everything was back to normal, as if what they had witnessed had never happened at all.
Laurien stood straighter, opening her eyes as a devilish smile graced her lips. She looked upon her people and knew that they were only the beginning. "Now listen… Listen and learn. "
She taught them how to use her dark magic, one she called, the Devil's Breath or the Blackness. She taught them how to manipulate it, how to use it to amplify their strengths and cure weaknesses through incantations. Words, sentences and letters that could be used to channel Devil's Breath properly. They had to speak what they wanted to do, but in time, Laurien told them it could be wordless. Then she taught the basics of hexing, small things akin to curses but not nearly as dire or far lasting, at least in the beginning, that was.
She merely opened the doorway and explained that the more they delved into the Blackness, the more powerful they would become. As more and more possibilities were explained, Helionna felt herself more and more drawn to this power.
“This… This power… Could I change, say, the direction of dice underneath a cup?” she asked quietly. The others laughed at her.
“Oh, here she goes again,” one of the nobles taunted.
“It’s a legit question!”
“I would agree if you weren’t already massively in debt to half the court. That gold necklace will be going soon, I reckon.”
Helionna clutched the medallion about her neck and swallowed. “N-not if this Blackness can fix this. Can it, my lady?”
"It can do anything you want. The solution to that problem could come in many forms. Practice and grow." she said with a smug smile on her lips.
“R-really?” Helionna whispered and looked down at her hands with a crazed look. “Th-then…”
“How do we practice it? Are there any rituals you can teach us?” Enigmaron asked.
"You practice like how you do anything else. Fighting, crafting, building and on and on. Do such practice in secret and with one another, there's no telling what could happen. Tell only those that can be trusted and do away with those who might speak unfavourably. I think you'll find that sacrifices are most useful. Rituals though… she mused, her smile deepening. "You will have to explore that route, but there is one I can teach you, one that should only be used as a last resort until you are powerful enough to control what comes after."
She walked forward and began to run her finger in a circle in the air directly in front of her. Following her finger, a glowing ring of inky purple materialized, etched with demonic runes not unlike the ones that now married her body.
"This is a minor summoning seal. This knowledge will be imprinted into your mind, but take note. Drawing the circle is only the first part. The second requires a great deal of power or a blood sacrifice, to properly activate the seal. Doing so will summon a demonic entity. Be wary, for at your current state the creature will not be able to be controlled. The larger the seal, the more will be summoned and the greater the cost. They are more likely to devour you then to obey you. Understood?"
“Forgive me, my lady, but… What exactly is a… Demonic entity? What do they look like?” Enigmaron asked. The other Nebulites nodded along slowly. “See, we have used the term often, but it’s more of an insult than an actual thing. Are they… Like us?”
"No… They are not." Laurien said as the ring pulsed. The letters warped into a shimmering opaque glass, before shattering out a creature withering in a mass of tentacles and eyes. It began to scream wretchedly from tiny mouths as the portal evaporated. Laurien looked at the withering thing and then snapped her finger, mutating the creature into a being of desire. The mouths and eyes retracted as it's flesh bubbled and grew. What began to take shape was a slithering creature of flesh, eyeless and mouthless. Like a giant worm, it slithered up her body and wrapped itself like a snake around her shoulders.
She stroked the creatures head, and from it a mouth of tiny, ripping teeth revealed itself as it smiled awkwardly.
"Any more questions?" she said after a moment.
“That is… Horrifying! What use will such a beast have for us? Can it create gold? Can it make me more beautiful?” The nobles broke into a disorganised rabble, aimed more inwards than at Laurien. Yet even those who didn’t join them appeared skeptical; the general frowned at the spell.
“With all due respect, my lady,” she went, “what use is a creature of might that will likely kill us and is only really useful for murder? We have slaves that can murder in our stead.”
There came some disapproving hums. Enigmaron glared. “Oh come on, everyone does it.”
"Be calm. Demonic summoning should only be used as a last resort. At least at your stage. But make no mistake, there will come a time when this city is under siege, when our enemies come crashing down with desire for revenge. All options will be considered to save yourselves and the people… Even if the option is unsightly and hungers. Let them feed upon your enemies." she said smoothly.
“What enemies? The Dari?” Enigmaron scoffed and many of the nobles laughed. “Savages with no concept of civility nor unity. They raid in packs because they cannot feed themselves - they are instinctively drawn to take from others. Such lowly life forms couldn’t possibly hope to form any army that would actually threaten Laurienna.”
The demigoddess began to pace as the demon around her neck lifted it narrow head to look at the General. "But what if they did? Would you be prepared to fight a united Dari army? And not to mention any outside threat you cannot see. Would you be prepared? Would any of you?" she said narrowing her eyes.
“There are no outside threats sizeable enough to challenge Asteria, Laurien. Starforged weaponry, flying soldiers, the protecting Natal - all of these have made our lands unconquerable. The only possible threat would be Talemon to the northwest, and we would be warned months before their armies would arrive.” The nobles nodded along confidently. Helionna swallowed and raised a hand.
“What?” Enigmaron asked.
“Apart from the summoning of demons, my lady, what other power can we use?” The others hummed agreeingly.
"If you say so." she whispered at Enigmaron before turning to Helionna. "Come here. The rest of you gather round."
Helionna approached her timidly while the rest did as they were told. Laurien smiled at her as the demon around her neck, curled tighter. "You desire coin, a stepping stone to greed or perhaps a coping method… Regardless, you need to quench it." Laurien reached out and tugged at the necklace around her neck, and then took it from her. Within the palm of her hand, and with a free finger, she drew a rune in inky purple in the air above it, and showed the symbol to Helionna. It looked like gibberish at first, but slowly she came to realize that it said, 'Forget me not', before the symbol leached into the necklace. Laurien then handed it back to Helionna.
"Put it around your neck." Laurien said.
Helionna blinked. “What did you do to it?” She lowered it down over her head and let it hang down over her chest.
Laurien snapped her fingers and the necklace ended up back in hand. She wore a smug smile on her face. ”That, my dear, is how you use a hex to get your fortune back.” she then handed the necklace back to Helionna again. ”One time use, you’ll have to hex it again for it to work. As you grow, however, I can see you expanding such trickery and put it to good use. Be careful now, for now they know a secret.”
Helionna blinked and rubbed her thumb over the sigil. “How… How will it help me gain all my wealth back? I’ve gambled it away, it’s long gone. Will it, perhaps, have it arrive back in my home vault?” She turned to the other nobles. “And stop eavesdropping, you!” They all grinned menacingly and rolled their eyes.
Laurien leaned in next to her right ear, "Sell it, or something else, and when you have the money and you know the item is out of knowing eyes, summon it back." she said, kissing quickly on the cheek.
Helionna flushed, looking at the medallion intently. “Yes… Yes, this is perfect. Laurien, thank you so much. Thank you!”
“Lady Laurien, if you would indulge me,” one of the nobles spoke.
Her eyes fell upon the noble in question, a man of starry green. "Yes, Alonis?" she asked.
“Would you oversee us practice for a spell? I reckon we could have a slave summoned up here and see what we can perform.”
“Oh, yes, a splendid idea,” a number of the others went. Enigmaron nodded approvingly.
"Of course my lovelies." she mused, petting the demon on its head.
“Guards,” Alonis called. A pair of palace watchmen, starforged halbers in hand, came over and saluted. “Go into the lower tiers and find us a human or something. Age is irrevelant, looks are irrelevant. If it breathes, it’s enough.” The guards, though reluctant, saluted again and ran off.
“A human? In the palace? An outrage!” a noble named Xenoluna shouted. Alonis wagged a finger.
“Now, now, my lady, it will not live long and it will be used to empower us, which is more than can be said for what it would be doing in the streets, gods be good.”
“The slaves will be scrubbing the floor for days after that filthy human’s been here,” Enigmaron sighed.
"Ah yes, an unfortunate side effect of nebulite reproduction. Oh well." Laurien said.
“Who’s idea was that particular quirk, if I may ask?” Xenoluna voiced in a surly manner.
"Orvus most likely." she shrugged.
“... Not to be rude to the gods, but… Was he, um…” Xenoluna made a face, “of a perverted character?”
Laurien giggled. "He molded all of you after me, so. Perhaps he is. I doubt any will ever ask."
“Odd creatures, the creators. I will be extra observant next Floodfeast to see if His Lordship brings any similar strange gifts this year.”
Thirty minutes passed before the guards returned, a maimed and struggling human child locked between them. She was crying, her rags sogged around the collar from the streams of tears running down her cheeks. She couldn’t say a word before the nobles all scoffed with disgust.
“Ugh, it’s so ugly! You just had to find the ugliest one, didn’t you?” Xenoluna complained.
“The lords and ladies made it clear that looks were unimportant,” one of the guards defended.
“Well, yes, but this? I would hardly wish to--”
“Be quiet, Xenoluna. Our subject is acquired. Lady Laurien, how should we proceed?” Enigmaron asked.
”What do you wish to achieve?” she asked, eyeing the child.
“Why, power, naturally. Human children are an untapped resource and let’s face it - they likely won’t live long after all. If what you say is true, we can trade the soul of this creature for magical might.” Alonis rubbed his hands together. “For now, I would like us all to achieve beautiful looks.”
"So be it. With the knowledge I have given you, create a circle with the child's blood and write the incantation runes within it, without killing her. That is vital. Her life force needs to consumed upon her death when the circle is complete and the words said. When the process begins… It will come naturally to you." she whispered.
“Fantastic. Guard, your dagger,” Alonis commanded. The guards brought the struggling child over as the nobles formed a circle. The closest guard unsheathed a knife and gave it pommel-first to Alonis, who held it high for all to see before sending it down in a swift motion to slice off the child’s hand. The girl screamed in agony and blood gushed forth onto the floor in multiple puddles.
“Ugh! I got some on my dress!” Xenoluna complained.
“Must she be so loud?” Enigmaron seconded.
“The faster you draw, the faster she’ll shut up. Guard, hold this.” Alonis gave the guard the still-attached hand, which the guard clutched tightly. The child sat on her knees, squealing, while the nobles dipped their fingers in blood and drew like their lives depended on it. Before long, a circle similar to the one Laurien had showed them before laid prepared. This time however there came new words in the form of runes. Each an expression of what was wanted; Beauty. The Breath began to take root in the seal, growing with power as it did so and glowing with energy as the child's blood filled the cracks and lines and began to have a mind of its own as it formed smaller, more precise runes.
Dark whispers began to flood the room as the fanatical process consumed their minds. Until at last the final rune was set within the circle. The seal began to glow brighter, signifying that the time had come for its completion.
“It’s working! It’s working!”
“I know it’s working! How do we complete it?”
“Shut up, you two - it’s supposed to come forth naturally, like an instinct.”
As they focused and let the Blackness guide them, the words deciphered into a phrase, over and over again; 'KILL. CONSUME. ENHANCE.' and one by one they began to chant the phrase in the devil's tongue. Alonis then took the mewling child from the guard, who by that point had lost far too much blood to remain wholly conscious. He placed the limp girl in the middle of the seal and the runes began to wrap themselves over her skin, becoming burned into her flesh as her body grew black and shrivelled, her life essence flowing freely amongst the Nebulites as they consumed it with glee. The seal then shattered as the girl died, and her body turned to ash before them. Laurien could hardly contain her giddiness as she looked upon the enhanced Nebulites… The beginnings of Devils.
After the Nebulite Noble meeting, Helionna sticks behind and is confronted by Laurien over some things. Helionna was the sister of Philia, who Laurien probably killed. Laurien then changes into her, and Helionna breaks down. The other loyalist Nebulites show up and she offers them power in exchange for their love and loyalty. Being the greedy fucks they are, they agree readily. She then gives them the ability to practice Devilry, (which I think I did a good job of explaining how it works in this post) and then teaches them how to do basics, before they ask to learn rituals and what not. SO she teaches them how to summon demons, but they don’t find the idea very appealing.
SO then Helionna asks for a specific spell, or hex, that can help her. So Laurien teaches her that and Helionna has some hope for once. Then another Nebulite asks if she can oversee them practice a ritual incantation, which quickly turns into a sacrifice. And so unbeknownst to them she teaches them how to do that.
Next thing you know, a human kid gets sacrificed so the Nebulite ‘devils’ can become more beautiful and it works. Laurien is giddy about this, and the post ends.
Happy Spooktober!
Laurien & Arya;
Start 3MP & 8FP
(Mutated a demon into a demon of desire for free, basically a Spy)
-2MP to teach Devilry to Laurien’s most loyal followers.
Member
Cyclone
Vec
Tim the Yeti
Fetzen
Crusader Lord
Enzayne
Timemaster
King of Rats