Saltwater Thief

Closed

Aw nuts, I kept meaning to post in response to Stern and never got to it. RIP.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Zeldria Miphras

Bride to Ineraz (@SilverPaw), Sister Bride to Sera (@Pupperr)
Interacting with Ineraz (@SilverPaw) & Sera (@Pupperr)

The time between their collection from the baths and the arrival to the capital was an absolute blur. Zeldria vaguely remembered being shoved into her room once again, this time finding a garment laid out on the bed and being order to dress herself in it. Brief inspection revealed it to be an evening gown, sewn mostly from black fabric but with some silver accents here and there, extending down to her ankles and leaving her shoulders bare. She remembered thinking the black was fitting- it was like she was headed to a funeral for her old life. Or perhaps it would be one for all of her lives.

She had no time to dwell on such thoughts, however. As soon as she was dressed she was marched out of the room and down to join the rest of the brides to be. They exited the fortress the same way they had entered, a time that seemed eons previously. The trip to the capital passed in speed and silence for her. Where other Gems filled it with tears, jitters, and worries, Zel retreated inside her own head, trying to find what little solace she could. But, before she could gather much beyond a shred, she was being paraded through the Drakken streets to the reaping feast.

Before much time had passed, she and another Gem were seized by a guard's iron grip and nearly dragged forward, until they came to a stop before a tall, lean, and somewhat gangly Drakken with pale skin and long, black hair. The guard addressed him as Beastmaster and seemed to rather mock the man with his bows and obviously feigned praise before savagely shoving them both forward. Zel took several stumbling steps before managing to catch herself and straighten up. The Drakken- her new husband, she corrected herself mentally, looked them up and down, seeming to linger slightly longer on her scarlet hair, before posing some questions to them.

“My name is Sera Makatza” said the other Gem, speaking first.

"And mine is Zeldria," she said in turn, bowing her head forward slightly as a sign of respect that required little space, "And it is as you say, fire is the element I was born to."

"The guard referred to you as Beastmaster," she said, "Am I correct in presuming that you're a hunter of sorts, then?"

Summary

Meeting the husband, neat.

Note for Silver; the question about hunting would have been asked after Ineraz responds to Sera's question about what to call him, for the sake of conversation flow.

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Wilhelm the Black Blade

Husband of Onyx (@Vesuvius00) and Amalia (@Belle)
Interacting with Onyx (@Vesuvius00) & Amalia (@Belle)

The Reaping Feast was always something of a droll occasion. Feasting, fighting, the clashing of egos and zealotry- everything that could be asked for in a large Drakken gathering, truly. Wilhelm actually found himself bemused by all the spectacle, in spite of himself. He sipped at a glass of dark red wine that might have been mistaken for blood depending on the light as he glanced about his surroundings, occasionally raising it in respect to some of the older Drakken he saw who he respected. Then, at last, the doors of the hall swung open wide and the procession entered.

In spite of his attempts to maintain his composure at all times, even Wilhelm found himself hungrily eying the Gems up for grabs this year. The Reapers could be disparaged in many ways, but their eye for suitable brides was not one of them. Unfortunately, it was not up to him to pick his own brides. Unless of course he sought to challenge another Drakken for one, but that was a tactic for younger, stupider Drakken. No, he would not debase himself so. Not in front of the Princes and Princess who would be deciding which among them would be ruling Drakka all too soon.

It was then that one of the guards approached him, two Gems in his hands. One was slightly taller with dark black hair. The other featured blonde wavy hair and, he noted, was still maturing physically. Not that it deterred him; she would grow into herself, and he was patient.

"Finally?" he asked in reproach of the guard's remark, "These are far from my first brides you halfwit. Still, do convey that the Crown may always rely on my sword to be raised in Drakka's best interest. On your way, if you please."

As the guard hurried off, Wilhelm found himself relatively alone with his two acquisitions. One of them, the blonde one, had closed her eyes in desperation as she'd been dragged forward, and as he stepped forward to examine her she opened them. There was a glint of surprise in her gaze, he noticed, as she looked on him.

"Were you expecting a drunken savage?" he asked, "A half-beast drenched in drool, perhaps? Hmph."

He extended his hands forward, placing an index finger under each girl's chin and lifting their faces to look up at him. His gaze traveled over each of their faces in turn, like a hawk's might drift over a rabbit's, taking in every detail. Mostly, he looked into their eyes and what shone therein. Would he find defiance? Despair? Or had the light gone out, their time in Shadow Worth having drained it from them and leaving only quiet acceptance behind? It seemed too early to tell, for both.

It was then that the blonde spoke. "Hello Milord. It is a pleasure to meet you,"

"Is it now?" he replied, "We will see if that is true in due time. I am Wilhelm, as you both no doubt heard. You will refer to me as milord or lord husband. For now, you will tell me your names, your elemental skill, and what sort of place you come from."

His tone made it clear he would brook no refusal.

Summary

Q&A time with the brides.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

I have gone far too long without a Wilhelm Post. The lot of you have my word that when I get to it within the next day you'll get the best I've got.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Zeldria Miphras

(Titles and Relations TBD)
Interacting with Xaelia (@Ellion)

“I find it strange,” Zeldria's heart jumped for a moment as one of her fellow Gems came alongside her and spoke, “That they would show kindness in the face of all they have done to prove that they are anything but.” The Gem in question had an exotic look to her, with dark hair and bronzed skin. Her body was toned as well, like a dancer's.

"Yeah," she replied, her new acquaintance voicing her very concerns, "That's what has me worried."

“Although I suppose even drakken have to agree that a dirty, travel weary girl would make for a poor prize,” the other Gem said in kind as she seated herself by one of the nearby pools.

“I’m Xaelia, by the way.”

"Zeldria. You don't... think there's anything in the water, do you?" she asked hesitantly as she crouched next to Xaelia at the edge of the pool.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter if there is or isn’t something there. We have to go in regardless.”

That, Zeldria thought, was something she hadn't considered. There were still guards about, and given previous instances,she doubted refusing the bath was an option. She still highly suspected some kind of cruel jest at their expense in play, but that was little more than suspicion, a phantom punishment that may not exist at the end of it all. The punishment for going against what she was told, however, was a vivid certainty.

"You raise an excellent point," she said as she stood up, took a breath, and then slowly unwrapped herself. She draped her towel over a nearby stalagmite and took slow, careful steps into the pool. She stopped, waiting for whatever horrible thing had been done to the water to show itself... and when it didn't, she lowered the rest of her body down and into the water.

A wave of warmth followed the surface as she sank into the spring, the water sapping away her fatigue by the second as her muscles relaxed and her cold skin warmed once again. She vaguely registered Xaelia following suit next to her, but for the moment she was lost in the sensations that brought pleasantry she'd become a stranger to these past weeks.

"It's... actually kind of nice;" she said, her voice passively sighing contently, "Really nice, in all honesty. Almost makes me forget where we are."

“Almost,“ Xaelia said in kind as her attention turned toward the wall of the cavern. Zeldria followed her gaze toward a pair of Drakken guards who'd clearly been taking their time watching the two of them undress and get in. The Gems stared ruefully at them, but that was all they could do. Not that it would deter the brutes regardless.

"Well, at the very least they seem to keep it to just their eyes. For now. Small raindrops in the summer, we used to say back home." Home. Now there was a forbidden word. But, she reminded herself, she had to stop thinking of such things. Clinging to the past would only make moving forward harder. Instead, she sank a little deeper into the spring and tried to let the water wash away her memories as well as her aches. But it seemed Xaelia had other things on her mind, as she stared intently at something along the side of the pool.

"What has you so interested?" Zeldria asked

“M’not sure.” Came the reply as Xaelia moved her hands about and caused the spring water to ebb away from where she looked. Zeldria pushed herself up and moved over to look as well. The light in the cavern was proving too dim, she thought, so she raised her hand and conjured a small flickering flame onto to for light and held it near the spot. There, carved into the stone, was some sort of writing, though Zeldria couldn't quite make it out herself. “We... are not.... things.”

"Things? Huh." Zeldria pondered that for a moment. Surely it couldn't have been a Drakken who did this. Things? The Gems had certainly been taught that they were things, not people. And its location in the springs, perhaps...?"You don't suppose a Gem made this?"

“Whoever wrote it... they aren’t wrong” Xaelia responded as she released her control and allowed the water to resume its shape.

"Yeah... they aren't." Zeldria affirmed as she put out her light. She turned and reached for one of the washing utensils at the edge and began to tend to herself. The scribbles in the rock had the right of it; they weren't just things to be toyed with, they were living, breathing beings. And even if their tormentors didn't agree with that, they had to retain that knowledge for themselves. It was one of the only comforts they would find in this land. Well, that, and kindred spirits. Zel had kept to herself mostly up until now, but being able to converse and connect with another Gem had proven to be precisely what she needed to keep going. Perhaps she could survive after all.

But, as the call came some time later to cut short their time in the spring, she was reminded of the constant menace. As she dried herself as best and as fast as she could, she was still glad for the time spent with Xaelia. She would need all the help she could get...

Summary

Lovely chat with Xaelia, and they found something in the spring. Little bit of an emotional booster, not quite as shrunken as she used to. Yay!

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Wilhelm the Black Blade

(Titles and Relations TBD)

Unlike many of the fighters, who chose to let the time before their bouts pass in the stands enjoying the food, drink, and company offered, Wilhelm spent his time in what was effectively the barracks, seated on a bench with his hands interlaced, his head bowed, and his sword in his lap. Meditation was hardly a Drakken pastime, and nobody would mistake Wilhelm of doing so, but over many years he'd found assuming the pose in a quiet place helped him to hone his senses and sharpen his focus on the battle that was to come. His opponent was not one of note; a young, hot-headed Drakken probably eager to prove himself for the first time. By all accounts, it would be little problem for the Black Blade to force his surrender. That, however, was no excuse to be lax. A single chip could snap a blade, and a single mistake could lose a duel. And so Wilhelm sat, honing his mind for a battle of blood, steel, and wits that was to come.

"Lord Wilhelm," came the voice of one of the guards nearby, "You're up next."

"Am I?" he replied without raising his head, "Quite a bit earlier than what I was originally told."

"There's been some changes. Some commotion just happened in the stands. Pit Master has orders to produce a good one so's to take the crowd's mind off it."

"And he relies on me to provide," Wilhelm said, finally raising his gaze to look the guard in the eye, "Is my opponent reassigned as well?"

"That's right," the guard replied, consulting a note, "It's to be Captain Stalgren."

"Captain Darius Stalgren? The Desert Reaver?" Wilhelm asked, his interest piqued.

"The very same. You have two minutes."

"Very well. Perhaps this will have been worth the time after all..." Wilhelm said as he gripped his sword and stood, stretching his muscles. Darius Stalgren was one of Drakka's best, an older fighter who still managed to shame Drakken half his age. His axe technique was flawless, his grit renowned, and his ferocity knew few equals. He was, to the bone, a true warrior. He and Wilhelm had battled once before, nearly 30 years prior- it had ended in a draw. And now, it seemed fate had conspired to bring them to blows once more. It was a good thing he had spent his time to focus; Wilhelm would need all of his ability to some out on top in this new battle.

Two minutes later he was striding out into the pit, head held high and eyes locked on the man opposite him. Darius was a little shorter than Wilhelm, but he was also stockier. The Reaver's beard remained immaculate, as always, and he still wore the scar on his nose like a badge of honor. And, as always, he carried his greataxe on his back, its size and weight terrifying even when not in motion. Even as the crowd roared, the two men only paid attention to one another.

"Captain."

"Your Lordship."

"I'm glad to see you can still heft your axe." Wilhelm said, half smiling and half sneering in good jest.

"Ha! It'll take another century yet before my arms give out. And I'll be fighting until the day they do." Stalgren replied, smiling in return.

"It is the Drakken way, is it not?"

"That it is. And someone needs to keep the young wolves in their place! Bwa ha ha ha!"

Wilhelm grinned again as he spread his legs and took a fighting stance. "You and I both know this will be no disciplinary meeting."

"True," the Reaver replied as he drew his axe and squared up as well, "You're not the kind of opponent I can afford to take lightly."

Stalgren's attention turned to the stands, where the jeers and yells had begun to reach a fever pitch. "The crowd's getting restless. Shall we give 'em what they want?"

"Naturally," Wilhelm replied as he swept his cloak off of his body, threw it aside to reveal his bare chest, and drew the black sword that was his family's legacy from its house at his waist. "It will be an honor to defeat you."

"Likewise. Now, enough talk!"

The Reaver surged forward with his axe in both hands, a battle roar filling the air as he closed the distance. Rather than flee or try to recreate the distance, however, Wilhelm lunged in himself and sent his sword snaking forward in a series of thrusts. Stalgren deftly knocked the point away with the axe's haft, but the swift counterstrike had forced his charge to slow. Wilhelm wasted no time as he pressed the advantage he'd earned, lashing at Stalgren's head and chest with a barrage of slashes and thrusts. His target evaded or parried them with little effort, but was still ceding ground as he backed away from the singing edge of the sword.

With another bellow Stalgren ceased retreating and swung the head of his axe up into Wilhelm's sword, knocking the tip high overhead and instantly sliding his hand down to the bottom of the handle as momentum carried the axe up and behind him. As soon as it reached its apex he swung, the axe head barreling downward with horrifying speed. With not a moment to spare Wilhelm leaped to the side as the axe came crashing down, shaking the floor of the pit with the impact.

As soon as he fully landed Wilhelm shifted his weight and ran toward Stalgren, aiming to strike before he could ready the axe again. He swung his sword up from the ground in a rising slash as he rushed toward his opponent's left side, to which the Reaver replied by clenching his left fist and swinging his forearm outward to bat the sword away. The edge bit into his arm in the process, but it was merely a surface wound that would cost him little. And as he swatted the sword away his other arm tore the axe from the ground and brought it around to swing from the side. Wilhelm, without missing a beat, righted his sword arm and passed it across his front to meet the attack with the flat of the blade. The lack of distance on the swing combined with its one-handed nature made it possible for the beat parry to work, and Wilhelm instantly moved from it into another assault!

But the bold defense hadn't been without consequences. The greataxe was still shockingly heavy, and displacing all of its weight had forced Wilhelm's hand to stall for just a moment. In that moment Stalgren had sprang backwards and away from the follow-up attack. Both men paused for a moment and regained their composure as the crowd roared.

"Is that all you've got, Black Blade?!"

"I've only just warmed up, old man!"

With that the battle resumed as both men surged forward and into the fray. This time it was the Reaver that took the offensive, bringing the axe to bear in a round of short swipes and jabs with the wedge as he advanced. Wilhelm danced from side to side as he weaved around the attacks, taking light wounds in the process but keeping the damage to a minimum. Finally, as Stalgren reared back and sent a large swing again, Wilhelm pivoted on his back foot and spun away from the axe's reach. As he came around again the black sword sang through the air once again, driving Stalgren back as he blocked as best he could.

As they clashed, however, Stalgren took one of his hands away from his weapon briefly and used it to conjure a fireball in his hand that he hurled directly at Wilhelm's face! Wilhelm raised his own hand and called a gust of wind to guide the flames away from him, but as his attention was divided Stalgren was upon him again with the axe driving down toward his head. With little time to react, Wilhelm made a costly error- he raised his sword to defend himself, wedging it beneath the axe head on the haft, but as soon as contact was made Stalgren ripped the axe back toward himself, catching the sword inside the head's curve and tearing it from Wilhelm's hands! With his sword sent tumbling away and his opponent still bearing down, Wilhelm had little time to think and less still to act. Before Stalgren could ready another swing Wilhelm surged forward, reaching both arms out to grab the axe himself, his hands right next to Stalgren's on the haft, and engaging the older Drakken in a battle of raw strength!

Muscles bulged in both sets of arms as they wrestled over the axe, each one twisting this way and that trying to force the other to relinquish their grip. The pair spun about the arena as the continued to struggle, neither giving an inch- but where Stalgren was entirely focused on Wilhelm and the axe, Wilhelm's attention occasionally flitted elsewhere. Then, as Stalgren made to twist the axe again, Wilhelm tapped into his command of the earth and willed the stone beneath his sword as it lay nearby to suddenly and forcefully jut upwards like a seesaw, flinging the blade through the air. At the same time he suddenly released his grip on the axe and backed away, letting Stalgren throw himself to the side as he had prepared to meet resistance that was no longer there. Before his opponent could properly recover Wilhelm reached up, called the wind to adjust the sword's trajectory, caught it out of the air, and immediately brought it slashing down across Stalgren's back! No flesh wound this time, the black edge carved a deep gash into the Reaver's shoulder blades, provoking a bellow of pain. Wasting nothing, Wilhelm drove his boot up into Stalgren's abdomen, forcing the Reaver to drop his axe and roll over, at which point Wilhelm's foot was planted on his chest with sword leveled at his neck.

And yet, despite the pain and danger, the elder Drakken found himself smiling. "Ha!" he laughed, "Nicely done!"

"You nearly had me old man," Wilhelm replied, "Your skills are as sharp as ever."

"And yours have only gotten sharper. Good. Drakka needs sons like you."

With that, Wilhelm sheathed his sword, stepped off of his opponent, and helped him to his feet. He retrieved his cloak again as the spectators roared and made his way back to the barracks. It seemed as if the rabble were satisfied. He certainly was, in any case.

Summary

FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT
Princess needed better fights. Crowd needed to be distracted from the assassination attempt that just happened. Decided hey, why not spin up an NPC for Wilhelm to have a good fight with? So here they are.

For reference;

Darius Stalgren, the Desert Reaver

Wilhelm's Black Sword

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Alexander

Alexander blinked several times as his brain processed Ryker's question. And then he again needed the support of the railing as he burst into a hysterical fit of laughter. It didn't last too long, however, as he managed to compose himself enough to realize it was probably extremely awkward for his new roommate. "Sorry, sorry," he said as he picked himself back up and brushed the hair off of his forehead, "It's just... oh man, Eleanor and 'stuffy' in the same sentence. Nah, she was just putting that on for your folks. Wouldn't do to have stuck-ups like them see how she actually is, she's as Nonsense as they come."

"Oh, right," Alexander interjected mostly to himself, "You haven't had the talk yet, so you have no idea what I mean by that. Won't be too long though, don't worry. Let's keep going to the room, shall we?" He grabbed Ryker's bag again and kept going up the stairs. A few minutes later they arrived at one of the mansion's many rooms. A twist of the knob sent them into... a room that was half clean, organized, and brand new, and half quite a mess. A few clothes were scattered about, but mostly it was logs in a variety of sizes and wood shavings. Some of them showed very clear signs of being altered or cut, and a space on the floor by the bed was strewn with wood shavings. One of the few clean places was the top of a nearby dresser, where rested a large, curved dagger in its sheathe laid neatly next to three metal files (author's note: as in nail file) with a bottle of sewing machine oil and a folded rag behind them. And yet, for all the seeming disarray, the other half of the room wasn't touched.

"Sorry about the mess," Alexander said as he beckoned into the space, "I, uh, I kinda like woodcarving. Takes me back to when I.... well, it takes me back home. Anyway, that side's yours. May not want to spend much time getting settled though, I bet Eleanor's going to come get you for the talk any minute now once your folks are gone. But, uh... welcome to your new home?"

@Siaya Dragalorn

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

I am for sure posting on Monday and if I don't feel free to slap me.

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

I'll be posting Friday after work. Should I have Alexander react to Eleanor or not just yet?

Closed

I'm about. Not sure what flight phase means or if it concerns me, but I'm here.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Zeldria Miphras

(Titles and Relations TBD)

The morning hike was far from a pleasant trip. The winds whipped and snapped while the cold air bit and chewed at any exposed piece of Zel's skin, and with the meager shielding she'd been provided covering up completely was impossible. The staircase was far from forgiving as well, being hewn from rough stone and tended to only as needed by the equally rough soles of a Drakken. All of this, combined with her ever-growing fears from the previous day, did little for her peace of mind. "There isn't a spring at all, is there?" she muttered to herself, her voice inaudible in the wind as she shivered, "They're just bringing us down here on a march to break us more, and they promised the spring so we'd get our hopes up..."

Having been ordered to leave everything but their towels behind only deepened her worries. Naked exposure to the elements, was it? More humiliation, on top of everything else? But again, she did as she was told; better to bear the ice and snow than whatever parallel to the scorches soles they had prepared for any Gems who refused. Or so she hoped. As they walked further down and came upon the large, imposing stone wall the fears were all but confirmed in Zel's heart. Any second now one of the Drakken would order them to gaze on the wall and its designs, point out how they signified the Gem subservience and worthlessness, and then they'd be ordered back up the stairs while the guards smugly looked on all of the crestfallen little girls who'd let themselves believe they'd get something nice in this frozen hell-

A sudden wave of heat and steam tore Zel's thoughts from her head as the stone slab swung open. The warm humidity she'd spent the entire climb down convincing herself wasn't there all but smothered her senses, and her mouth fell open in shock. She stood there staring, wide eyed and stunned, until another Gem bumped into her from behind walking forward. Zel shook her head and joined the procession again, looking around her with marvel... and with caution. This couldn't be real, she thought to herself. What was the catch? Where was the trick? But for all her looking, she couldn't find any sign that anything was amiss. For all intents, purposes, and appearances, this was a natural hot spring for them to enjoy, exactly as promised.

But even as the other Gems practically jumped into the water to begin bathing, Zeldria remained standing and wrapped in her towel, staring at different spots in the cavern. It didn't make sense. Why make such a showing of brutality, send the message that their well being meant almost nothing, and then present them with this? There had to be something, she just knew it. At the same time the warmth of the springs pervaded her, and the temptations to let the warm water wash over her and take her dirt and stress away for a time was every bit as great as her concerns that this was some sort of cruel joke. Paralyzed by indecision, she stood by the side of a pool, unsure of what to do...

Summary

Zel is standing near a pool, not sure whether she wants to get in or not. Somebody splash her.

Closed

Well, it's short, but it hopefully still counts. Will probably concoct an obstacle for the next section, but for now the glacier seems rough enough by itself xD