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mrneighbourlove · 3 months

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The War of Fire: Ch 10. The Flame of Death Whispers...

Walking across a bridge that led from the central castle to the main tower, Princess Rinku and Princess Leere stopped in the middle of the structure. The sun was setting down on Hyrule, a marvelous sky painted by orange and yellow hues. Each of the girls leaned over the railing, taking a moment to breathe in air that was clear, and hopefully just relax as teenage girls rather than warriors.

Pushing some of her hair out of her eyes, Leere took a long look over the homeland before. The lush green fields were vast and wide, rising up into the various mountainous peaks that Hyrule was famous for. With just the two of them here, she looked over to Rinku. “How are you feeling?”

The blonde princess looked over to Leere, and the presence Leere felt was as heavy as the weight of a surging wave. Did Rinku look tired? Or did she look old? Either way, her sister tried to counter the weight behind her eyes with a light smile. “My sword arm is sore. I really need to work on my shield arm some more to compensate.”

Leere felt like she could understand that. “Yeah…”

It seemed it was Rinku’s turn to delve into her thoughts. “Your turn. You look pale. And I’m not talking about your normal, pretty demeanor.”

The young necromancer slowly nodded in response, her shoulders sluggishly rolling downwards. “I never thought that becoming a princess would mean that I would have to one day become a soldier as well.”

Rinku had a tone that was gentle, yet firm as she asked Leere to continue. “Go on.”

Leere turned her gaze from the fields of Hyrule and looked downwards onto Castle Town. “I am so grateful that Zelda found me and rescued me from a terrible fate. She’s been the best mom I could ever have. Ganondorf helped me learn the magic, the skills I needed to protect myself. I know his methods aren’t traditional, or some mom certainly didn’t approve, but he’s been the dad I needed. And you…”

Leere watched Rinku wait, a small tension felt between them wavering as she collected her thoughts. “...I care about you. I care about this family I was brought into. Then as grew up more, the expectations came crashing in.” She was quick to shake her head at some intrusive thoughts. “Not from mom or dad. I could handle that. But from this society that I was brought into.”

“Makes you wonder if saving the ruling class is worth it.” “It’s not just the nobility, Rinku. I feel so different. If I was just a normal Hylian girl, I don’t think I’d receive the judgment I do from others. But because of the connections I have to the kind of magic that surrounds my life, the forces that stick with me, I know that makes anyone, not just nobles, uncomfortable with me. Then there’s the fact that I’m… the way I feel- felt…”

Leere trailed off, her thoughts a tangled and complicated mess of emotions. Her cheeks started to flush and feel heavy with heat. She snapped herself out of those emotions, needing to speak, or she’d be trapped in her own head again. “It was too much. I needed to focus on myself.”

“So you ended up isolating yourself. Did that help you focus? Or did you just feel lonely?”

Leere turned to look at Rinku again, frowning. “Both? Do you have wisdom on that?”

“More than you know.” The blonde hero crossed her arms, still holding onto the bitter memory of the argument they had before Leere left the castle. “I said it would be foolish to go alone. Being by yourself can be difficult enough for anyone, but with minds like ours, there can be consequences for such actions.”

“Like?”

“You get over the nightmares by yourself? Have you found any peace with the ghosts that haunt you?”

“I think we have very different ghosts that try to cling to us. And the nightmares don’t go away.”

“Then what was it that you got out of leaving?”

Leere felt her heart pull at that. The tone that Rinku held in ‘leaving’ implied that she wouldn’t return. Maybe initially she made it seem like that was the case when she did. Leere thought about her year away from the castle. Living off the land, honing her powers, and communicating with the other world. Both the good. And the bad. “I found understanding. Some acceptance I think.”

“Of what?”

“Of what I am. The witch girl, not only adopted by the royal family, but of all of Hyrule. Its spirits speak to me, cling to me. I help them. Be it talking with them, or helping them with a task so they can feel like they can finally rest. Some of the really bad ones… I either endure until they’re gone or ward them off. They’re part of a cycle that often goes ignored in Hyrule. They also helped me realize how important life is, how many of them regret not being able to truly live the lives they wanted.” Leere looked back at Castle Town, almost being able to imagine seeing every soul that lived down there. “I think… I think I’m like you Rinku, in some ways.”

“Oh?” Rinku’s voice picked up, a warm curiosity strong in her voice. It seemed she wanted to see if Leere truly understood. “In what ways?”

“The people look to the royal nobility to help them, but for you, for most of your lives leading up to this one, you didn’t have to have a title of royalty or even fight in the army. You had the power to help others and you took up a sword to do so.” Leere looked Rinku in the eyes, taking in the age and beauty behind this young face. “I can’t imagine what it is like to remember all the past traumas you’ve endured… but despite everything you’ve gone through, you’re still you. You don’t let the nightmares drag you down, and that’s so inspiring for me. I want to help the people of this land that took me in, even if not all of them want me. I have the power to do so.”

It seemed that Rinku, while moved by Leere’s statements, felt concern emanating as well. “But what worries you is what you’re doing with that power.”

She meekly nodded in response. “The killing. I meant what I said, that I can do it. The power I wield is a sharpened knife. It can certainly be done. But is that all I can do? Just be a killer? Rinku, I don’t want to get numb to that.”

“No one wants that.”

“Yet it seems you are.”

Rinku waved that away quickly. “This lifetime has already exhausted me and I’m not even twenty. There is a purpose with every cycle I find myself in. Before, when my duty was complete, it was easier to enjoy my rest. Yet now, even with this amazing family I have, there’s a large part of me that thinks I need to prepare for the next Link rather than live a life as ‘Rinku’. That I’m just the tool that’s used to settle strife in times of conflict, and if I’m lucky I will have my legend told down in future generations. Except it seems that the takeaway for that legend is for people to get on their hands and knees and pray for a hero to appear and save them! For me to save them!”

“Rinku, I-” Leere reached out in a gesture of comfort, but the Hero dismissed the act of kindness.

The princess noticed immediately the emotional pain that was caused. “I’m sorry, it’s not you Leere. I just get so tired and feel burned out whenever I have to save the world on more than one occasion in a single lifetime. These aren’t adventures. Saving the princess, the kingdom, or a loved one isn’t a happy story to live through. There are struggles.”

“But you persevere. You keep going and see those struggles to the end.”

“Leere, things don’t always work out like that. I’ve been unlucky enough to die a few times, only for a fairy or a shrine to resurrect me and give me the juice to keep going. There was one lifetime I did die and stayed dead. I found out in my next life some random stranger took up arms and beat the wizard that slew me. People mistook him for me and kept the legend going. I know it's my ‘destiny’ to be the Hero everyone needs, and I’m going to utilize all the skills I know to win this war, but there’s no guarantee that I will come out of this conflict alive. There’s no guarantee that there isn’t another conflict I have to fight in the next decade from now. It stresses me out of my mind to think about.”

Leere attempted to reach out an arm out to Rinku once more, this time being successful wrapping one close around her. “What else are you worried about?”

“Dying in itself isn’t what I’m afraid of. I have the courage to face death. Goddess help me, I might even welcome it at times, the idea of a glorious, heroic death if it means protecting what I love.” Leere’s heart sank hearing that, but she stayed silent to let Rinku continue. “What worries me is that I’ll die, and the danger will still be alive. That with me gone there will be no one to protect those that I care about.”

Leere nuzzled her head into Rinku’s neck, breathing slowly as she held her close. The princess of courage relaxed, allowing Leere the comfort to do the same. “Then how about we protect each other? That way we can continue to protect all of them?”

The young necromancer felt Rinku’s heartbeat slow down, relaxing to a steady beat. “I think that’s a good start.”

“All that’s right, all that’s bright, will be revealed in the light.’ Can any of you tell me which scholar said that passage from the Book of Nayru?”

Impa sat around the children of Zelda and Ganondorf, taking a reprieve from the conflict to check in on them until Zelda relieved the Sheikah of their duty. The bodyguard had a soft fondness for the children, even if she could never fully accept Ganondorf himself into his heart. Impa had been there to see Zelda become Queen, helped raise Rinku, and she would be there to see these five Gerudo children have the chance to grow up as well.

Princess Orana raised her little hand, speaking with a small lisp due to a gap between her baby teeth. “Is it Ma-ma?”

“No little one. It wasn’t your mother. She knows it by heart, but she did not write the passage.”

The next to attempt it was Prince Ralnor. “He wasn't a scholar, but a saint. Saint… saint…Mar…ch?”

“You are very close, Ralnor. But you are off by just the name.”

Finally, Prince Covarog raised his free hand, the other protectively holding his baby sister Kanisa’s hand. “The answer was Saint Marcus!”

Impa nodded, glad to hear that the crown prince was taking his lessons seriously. “Very good. That is indeed the correct answer.”

By the doorway, the Sheikah saw Ganondorf entering. She gave the King a quick glance before returning her attention to the children. “But knowing what an answer is alone will not generate true wisdom. Seek the meaning behind the words, and learn from the philosophy, and you will transform knowledge into wisdom.”

The children seemed to be grasping this. At least Impa hoped so. She wasn’t sure given Ganondorf completely captured their attention as he strode in. All the kids who could stand rose to their feet, hobbling over to him. Orana in particular was vocal. “Da-dad!”

“Hello my little warriors.” Ganondorf leaned down and scooped up Covarog, Ralnor, Orana and Kanisa in one armful, hugging them close. “Did you have a good time with your nan-nan?”

“She teach us Hylia scripture”, Ralnor said in his little voice.

Ganondorf’s nose furled, but he remained hospitable and gentle in his tone. “So she did. Well, I’m able to spend some time with all of you. How’d you like to play wizards and knights?”

The boys and Orana cheered, with Kanisa still being too young to fully understand the game, but still smiled nonetheless. Ganondorf glanced at Impa, giving the Sheikah a quick report. “Zelda wants to see you before she departs for the tundra.”

Impa still didn’t like the fact that Zelda and Ganondorf had chosen a protection detail of his men rather than the bodyguard. Maybe she could have one last chance to protest this to the Queen herself. “Thank you for relaying that information. I will depart at once.”

Ganondorf gave a simple shrug before turning back to his kids with an expressively goofy face. “All right! Who wants to be the wizard!” “You! I want to be a knight!”, Covarog shouted out.

“I’m always the wizard.”

“You make the best wizard dad!”

Impa smiled lightly, the expression hidden behind the cloth they always wore as she made her way out of the bedroom. As long as the children were happy with their father, the Sheikah could tolerate the King. Making their way through the halls of Hyrule Castle, she gazed out of the stained glass window, admiring the art of Zelda’s past. The Sheikah bodyguard felt pride at being able to be a part of this legacy.

Asking around, Impa discovered that the Queen was already at the stables, instructing the soldier’s that would accompany her the traveling route that they would partake on towards their destination.

A simple set up using a cube of hay, the Queen had a map laid over for everyone able to see. She used a ruler to point out and measure relative distances. “... for the purposes of our target, we are going to call the enemy location Fort Cinder. Myself and Commander Klinge will take a small division to sneak forward and investigate why the Kikai Empire is held up so far away from our capital and why they’ve chosen the tundra specifically. While we do this, Captain Appo will take the division and work with Captain Regan of the Rito Tribe to coordinate either an assault or distraction depending on the amount of Hasai that have rooted themselves. If their numbers are too great, you need not throw your lives away needlessly. All I ask is you keep the Empire on their toes and distracted long enough for my reconnaissance to bear fruit.”

The Hylian Captain nodded to Zelda, letting out a chuckle. “Don’t worry my Queen. We know how to put on a show. The Hasai won’t be able to keep up with our dance.”

Impa watched as the crowd of soldiers all got a laugh out of that. It seemed to produce a well needed smile from the Queen. “I’m glad I can count on all of you for this mission. We leave in ten minutes. All of you are dismissed from this meeting.”

The rush of soldiers vibrated the ground as they left the small section of the barn. Carefully, moving past them like a leaf in the wind, Impa approached both the Queen and the undead commander. While Klinge and the Sheikah never grew to like one another, there was a sense of mutual respect, least when it came to duty. Impa found Vaati too creepy and Ghirahim was unhinged in his loyalty to Ganondorf, at least Klinge could be more restrained and more blunt. Even so, Impa wished she could be alone with Zelda.

“My Queen, you requested my presence?”

The Queen nodded, a wrinkle on her face. “Indeed. I have a task for you. I need you to stay here and watch over my children.”

Impa felt their face heaton, but was able to keep the tone of their emotions well hidden. “I do think that my place would be better suited at your side. You’re going into hostile territory that the enemy has entrenched themselves into. As your protector, I need to be by your side.”

Zelda smiled with the kind of brow that seemed to convey understanding. Pity maybe? “Impa, I would feel far better leaving the castle knowing that you were here to defend them. Your job is to protect the next generation. When I was a princess, it was me. Now that I’m Queen, it’s them.”

A deep concern, the only window to emotion in Impa, filled her eyes. “If that is your wish, I will follow it. But know that I will never stop wishing to protect you as well.”

“You’ve always been good to me, old friend.”

Old friend. Impa closed her eyes, contemplating the order. The Sheikah could follow Zelda from the shadows to make sure their safety wasn’t compromised. Even with the training of heightening Zelda’s perception, Impa could do it without being caught. But a sense of shame came with that thought. It wouldn’t be right of them to do that. She would uphold her friendship with Zelda by maintaining trust. “Be careful.”

“I always will.”

Impa shifted her gaze as Klinge stepped forward, placing a hand on her broad shoulder. When he spoke, there was always a metallic, machine-like sharpness to his voice. “Do not worry yourself. I shall watch over the Queen with the eyes of a hawk. In your absence, she will be well protected under my watch.”

How Impa wished she could see the man’s face. He was almost always hidden behind one of his damned helmets, but she could feel the smug superiority he had. Her glare was intense as he wisely took his hand off her shoulder. “Best you do. You wouldn’t want your leash yanked by our King if anything happened to her.”

Least Impa could make out his micro expressions well enough. From the corner of her eye she was able to glance at his hand making a fist. “Best watch the castle carefully while we’re away. I’d hate for anything to happen to you as well in my absence.”

“I’ll make due.”

Zelda cleared her throat, a slight annoyance cropping up. “If you’re done commander, we have an operation to carry out.”

Klinge saluted with a hand across his chest, like a butler. “Of course my Queen.”

Impa wasn’t sure for certain if he spoke with sarcasm with that title or not. He was always on an edge. Vaati adored Zelda, Ghirahim would not admit she was his queen, but Klinge had a true hatred for Hyrule. Impa was sure that he could become a traitor anytime, but it seemed his loyalty to Ganondorf outweighed his hatred. For now, he was able to get away with any veiled disrespect.

After he walked away, Impa sighed. “I don’t like that he’s the one accompanying you. I don’t trust him.”

“I know Impa, but Commander Klinge has proven himself quite effective. And I think, by working together through times of war, I am gaining his acceptance.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. Just remember your own training out there and rely on that first and foremost.”

“I could never forget your training Impa.” Zelda took a breath to compose herself as she looked out a window, gazing at Hyrule castle. Looking back at Impa, she smiled lightly. “Take care of yourself while I’m gone Impa.”

“I will. You do so as well.”

~ Zannah was rather impressed by her brother’s airship. The blimp was incredibly large, with dozens of rooms, from a dining hall, several private bedrooms, and the engineering room where she was now.

At a workbench, the princess was working alone tinkering on her personal quarter blade as she liked to call it. A hilt that had the reach of a bo staff when both the blades were unsheathed by the press of a button or two on the grip. The precise gyros needed had to be calibrated every so often so that she wouldn’t find herself without a weapon.

When she worked, the other Romtan engineers gave her space. None wanted to upset her. In some ways, she was okay with the isolation. It gave her the time to just think and be at ease calibrating. But when she was done, that isolation turned to loneliness. One that she was too proud to break on her own. Seeing a glowing Sheikah core the size of a small rock on the table, she looked over some schematics and set to work trying to put together another blade.

Breaking the silence, her groove was thrown off by the cutting voice of her brother.

“Zannah. I didn’t know you had a fondness for engineering.”

The princess turned to look at her brother. Those sharp red eyes, tattooed blood coloured lines on his purple horns, and curved horns with golden tips and ornaments gave him a very defined and powerful look. Placing the hilt on the table, she got up, giving him his full attention. She wondered why she felt embarrassment being found here by him. It wasn’t like she went out of her way to hide her activities. “It’s a hobby that I picked up between training.”

“Just a hobby?”

There wasn’t exactly warmth in his voice, but he wasn’t sneering at her either. “It gives me comfort.”

Picking up the hilt she was working on, Nihilus scanned her work with a machine like precision. “Do you think you’re good at it?”

“I think with time I could be.”

“Hmm. When I become Emperor, perhaps your place at my side will be chief of engineering. It is good to have more than one skill that isn’t just fighting related.” Placing the hilt down, he turned his gaze back to his sister. Zannah could feel the intensity behind his stare, even when he was emotionally neutral. “It’s about finding balance. Balance that I wonder is still in you?”

Was she being tested? Zannah crossed her arms, not wanting to beat around the bush. “I assume you came here for me. Are we about to attack Hyrule?”

“In due time. But first, I need to test you. Go to the dojo. There you’ll find a uniform. I will be waiting for you.”

Zannah watched as her brother left, mentally preparing herself for a sparring session. She made an effort to clean her work table, then walked through the ship and went into the locker room to change.

At her brother’s request, she was garbed in light training robes. The clothing was far less restrictive than what she was used to, feeling as light as a balloon herself. Usually the chainmail she wore restricted her movements at least slightly. Standing across from her in the center of the dojo, her brother was waiting for her in a similar fashion.

In both his hands he had two separate bo staffs, and with a quick thrust of his hand, he threw one of them to her. Catching it with one hand, Zannah contemplated its weight. Lighter than her weapon of choice, given there weren’t any blades attached to either end, but the same principle applied.

Approaching, Nihilus seemed to study her closely, and when he spoke, he had a similar voice to father, only without the sickly, gravely tone that came with it. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen how you can perform in a fight. The walls are sealed by a heat absorbing layer. So don’t hold back your fire. If you have any still in you after losing Seras.”

Zannah knew that her older brother was goading her to attack. She didn’t care. With a snarl across her face, she used her bo staff to pole vault towards Nihilus with a kick. As she made the leap, she channeled fire into her kick in a ferocious display of power towards him to knock him off his balance. While her flames made contact, her foot was met with an open palm. She felt herself grabbed by her ankle, then redirected and thrown to the ground. With a groan, she landed on her backside. As she tried to get up, her brother’s tail lightly struck her across the face.

“Get up. Try again.”

The princess rose to her feet, her green knuckles turning a shade darker as she squeezed tightly around the bo staff. With a vertical slash, followed by several vertical slashes, she struck at her brother. Every attack she made he blocked.

“At least your movements aren’t stiff. But go faster. You really think that’s enough to take the head of Link?”

Zannah doubled her efforts, striking high and low. She was starting to get a rhythm when Nihilus made his first attack back. An overhead swing coming down on her. Easy enough to block, but she was then met with his tail latching around her ankle. Distracted for a second by the gesture, she looked down. It was long enough for him to strike at her with a knee to the stomach, bringing the princess a knee. This was rewarded with another slap of his tail to her face. Zannah felt her cheek sting from the strike, not just from the physical pain, but the humiliation behind the effort.

“Stop that!”

Her brother merely pointed his bo staff in her face. “You’re a princess of the Kikai Empire. Make me stop treating you like a brat and fight back properly.”

Zannah rose up once more, digging deep into her anger as she struck back. After a few counter blows from her brother that she was able to defend against, he cracked a smile at her. “I was wondering when you were going to take this more seriously.”

“I am taking this seriously, you prick.”

“Could have fooled me.” Nihilus threw a fist at her, but Zannah caught it with an open palm, although there was a struggle to do so on her part. “Was he like this?”

“Who?”

“Ganondorf. Overwhelming. Strength that threatened to consume you, as it did Seras.”

Zannah’s mind flashed back to how her brother was ultimately dominated by the King of Demons. The fear that filled Zannah, the fear of being powerless, made her realize that she had to consider all her choices in combat mattered. She had options, and it was her duty to utilize them wisely. As Nihilus was pushing her back with his natural strength, she let go of her bo staff to grab the arm she was holding back. Following this motion she used her brother’s own motion and strength to throw him over her.

The prince rolled over his Zannah. landing behind her. Even as she followed up with a knee to his face, Nihilus was already recovered. His hand blocked the strike, and he pushed her back a few feet with a push. Despite this, Zannah didn’t relent. She picked up her bo staff while kicking his weapon away from his reach.

She struck him over and over with a variety of angles, trying to hit him in the head or stomach, but Nihilus was quick to palm her strikes away, or just simply take the brunt force to his forearms. “Excellent. I feel the venom behind your strikes, but don’t tunnel your vision.”

Zannah took the training to heart, as she saw her brother’s tail from the corner of his eye scoop up his staff, curling around it. With a swift movement he had his weapon back in his hands, and he went on a fierce counter offense. Zannah was being pushed backwards as she worked up a sweat to simply not get hit.

Nihilus wouldn’t let up against her, frowning at her efforts. “Fight back. Use the unorthodox. Control my central line!”

Thrusting her hand down onto the floor, Zannah released a wave of fire against her brother. It caused him to step away, as he couldn’t quite see her in the moment through the wall of flames. With but a breath, he controlled the heat in the air around him, and gestured to the wall of flames, commanding its fire to die out. That was all the time Zannah wanted.

She only needed two seconds to produce a bolt of lightning. Thrusting her hand forward, the bolt danced forward towards Nihilus. As she launched her bolt, she saw her brother’s eyes flash with a small glow. It all happened so fast, one moment she was unleashing a deadly bolt of energy at her brother, the next-

An explosion of kinetic energy occurred, her lightning detonating between the two of them. The detonation forced Zannah to raise her hand to control the flow of fire to go around her. As she did, her mind was on overdrive. Thanks to this, she was able to make out the sudden and violent motion of a bo staff swinging at her neck. With her own, she was able to defend herself. Standing her ground, Nihilus stood over her, a fierce look of pride on his face.

The smoke settled, and the prince let out an exhale. “Well done.”

He didn’t offer a hand to lift her off her one knee. As a princess, she would have to carry herself. Standing up, she felt the air of battle dying off quickly between the two of them. Catching her breath, she held onto her bo staff for support.

NIhilus circled her slowly, his tail flicking up and down. “You have the skills needed to win this war. I have no doubt about that. Perhaps the power to. That was some impressive display of lightning.”

“You said to use the unorthodox. Would you have preferred a smaller dose of power?”

“No. What do you think would have happened had you hit me?”

Zannah’s gaze sharpened. Anyone else, maybe a closer range, she would have. “You would be dead.”

“Or critically injured.” Nihiuls stopped his pace right behind her. She could feel him looking right down on her. “Do you think your actions were appropriate in hindsight?”

Zannah cleared her mind, choosing to speak from the heart. “If you had, all you would have demonstrated is your weakness in the face of a half hearted attack on my end. In your absence under such weak will I’d gladly take command of both the mission and the Empire from you.”

A pause. Zannah wondered if she had made a mistake. But all her brother responded with was a chuckle. “Half hearted? Impressive. But you are right about one thing. We cannot afford to show weakness. Our enemies will take no hesitation in exploiting it.”

“That’s why we need to manipulate their weaknesses to our advantage.”

Nihilus was putting away his bo staff, but kept an eye on Zannah. “What do you have in mind?”

“The hierarchy of Hyrule acts as a family unit. By bleeding that family, we can have them disorganized long enough to make them create critical, deadly mistakes.”

“Two of their warriors you encountered are sisters, correct?” When Zannah nodded to her brother, his eyes went to a cold, impersonal place. “Then we tear them apart.”

Standing in the dojo again, he raised his hands in a fighting stance. Zannah braced herself, knowing that her brother was incredibly proficient in hand to hand combat. “Before we break between now and the mission, I’m going to spend the next ten minutes teaching you a few techniques. You will not fail against them again. Don’t hold anything back.”

Zannah gritted her teeth. Failure would not be a part of her foundation as a person.

The journey into the Tabantha Tundra was cold and turbulent. Riding on horseback, Zelda pulled up her balaclava as the snow started to come down on her forces. Checking her compass and map, she knew it wouldn’t be long until they started to get into a potential firing zone.

Holding up her hand and putting it into a fist, her soldiers came to stop. Strotting past the calvary to the front of lines, Commander Klinge and Captain Appo rode up to each side of their queen. Zelda’s steel gaze checked over the map before pointing out key sections to your chosen lieutenants. “The tundra is vast and wide. On the other side is the ravine that leads to the valley that marks a divide between our border with Labrynna and Danjur.”

Captain Appo nodded a little with a bit of shake. Zelda had sympathy for the man. All that armour must have made him feel as a cold as a polar bear. Yet Commander Klinge was still as a statue. “How do you wish to proceed?”

“Captain Appo, you will approach in a straight angle. When you see any Hasai, lead them to you. As for the commander and myself, we shall travel in a curve from here to here along the base of the Hebra Mountains.” Reaching into a bag, Zelda grabbed a tube, handing it to Appo. “Captain, take this.”

He grabbed it, almost pulling off the white cap. “What is it?”

“Careful captain. It’s a device that we were able to get through customs from Danjur. This new invention is used for non magic users to alert your allies by shooting a fiery flare into the air. All you have to do is pull the white cap off at the top and hold it into the air. When you engage the Hasai, pull this first one. If you feel that your forces are ill equipped, or that you need to retreat, pull this second one.”

Captain Appo nodded, taking both flares. “Neat invention. You can count on us, my Queen.”

“Good. Commander Klinge, I trust you have chosen a scout force to join us?”

“Indeed. This is Fang and Lash.” The Darknut pointed to two icy Lizalfos that blended in rather well with the snowy area. “They are excellent at camouflaged warfare, particularly in this kind of environment.”

“Excellent. Zelda turned to her forces, speaking loudly and firmly. “Ladies and Gentlemen. Be on your toes. The very tundra is against us. We can hope that our enemy has gotten acclimated, but we can not have any guarantees in this life. Stay alive! Now march!”

Zelda snapped the reins on her horse, marching her forward. Behind her, Klinge’s own mount ran behind her, flanked by the two Lizalfos. The tundra’s cold winds were sharp against Zelda’s eyes, but she persisted forward. It took about twenty minutes of galloping before she could make something out in the horizon. Positioned ahead was a makeshift camp.

Carefully getting off her horse, Zelda walked forward in her Sheikah garb, the special material of the cloth keeping her well insulated as she marched through the snow. She could hear the thud of Klinge jumping off his horse, but afterwards, he was remarkably silent for someone of his size. Getting closer to the structure, Zelda noted the material. Metal walls about twenty feet high. They made a pretty well fortified cube that dug into the mountain. “Commander Klinge. What do you make of this?”

The Darknut slowly scanned the area from left to right. “I would guess they’ve been here for a while. Latest I would say could be at least the start of the war. Knowing how isolated this area of Hyrule is from civilization, even the Rito, it could have been longer.”

Zelda felt both fury and curiosity bloom in her. If the Kikai Empire had been here even before the start of the war, that meant the security of her country had been exploited and abused long ago. But now she wanted to know the reason. What had brought the Hasai people to her country.

In the distance, a bright red light caught the attention of everyone in the area. Shortly after, what sounded like a gong echoed from the base. Following this, sharp gears turned and a door opened from the side facing towards the tundra. Zelda and Klinge immediately dropped to the ground and watched as Hasai soldiers raced out on mounted rides, ranging from horses to boars. The Skurge yelled to one another, Zelda was unsure if it was orders or merely hyping one another up. But the force that went out had to range from twenty to thirty men easily. She hoped Captain Appo would be prepared for enemy reinforcements.

Looking back at the walls, she studied them for any structural weakness she could spot. Atop the wall, there was some kind of metal wire with little barbs placed throughout. No doubt if someone tried to scale them, it would be painful, perhaps even deadly to be caught up in them. But the wire itself did not look thick.

Turning to Klinge and the Lizalfos, Zelda motioned to the wire. “Do any of you have a way to discreetly get past that?”

The commander held out his hand, then with the snap of his fingers in his other hand, he revealed an item of interest. It appeared something akin to a pair of pliers. “Take this. Fang and Lash can stick to walls. They’ll give you a boost up wards. Cut where you want.” As Zelda reached out for them, Klinge held them back. “Be careful, they’re sharp.”

With a smirk, she took them when he offered the handle. “So concerned.”

“I just don’t want you making a mess of the snow.” The Queen disregarded his sarcasm and made her way up. To her soldier’s surprise, she was able to scale the wall just fine. All it took was a running start to start kicking upwards. Despite this, both the Lizalfos were beside on standby in case she needed assistance. With a few precise snips, Zelda clipped away the wire. Thankfully, Klinge was able to grab it quietly as it fell to the ground.

Able to get a better look over the wall now, Zelda observed small metal boxes set up and drilled into the snow. Portable housing for troops and personnel perhaps? It seemed that all the doors were structured to go towards the center of the encampment, so that Hasai would either travel out of the gates into the wilderness… or into the cave the walls were built into.

Hopping down inside the camp with a soft thud, Zelda waited as the Lizalfos carefully crawled up and over. Finally, after about half a minute, Klinge had managed to hoist himself up with a hook. Carefully, he too scaled the wall back down instead of jumping.

Motioning her guard to follow her, they walked along the wall towards the cave. Sure enough, two guards were standing by, facing towards the gate on the far end. Zelda then grabbed some snow off the ground and imbued it with a little magic. Flicking it, the snow flew outwards, blowing past the two Skurge guarding the entrance. Turning direction, it blew into the cave, altering Zelda to any would-be additional guards. Luckily, there weren’t any. With a single gesture, she instructed the Lizalfos to take out the Hasai.

Rushing forward, the monsters were lightning fast in their approach. Before the Skurge could turn to retaliate, or even let out a cry, the pair of reptilians already had their jaws sinking into the necks of the soldiers. They used their hands to quickly pin them to the ground as their teeth shredded their lungs from their throat. It was a ghastly sight for Zelda, so she was quick to turn away. As quickly as they were killed, the Hasai were already having their bodies dragged away behind a tent to be buried under the snow. The queen had a sickly feeling that had more time been allowed, they would have eaten the bodies.

Quickly looking around, she waved for the commander to follow her into the ice cave. He made a swift order to the brothers to wait at the entrance. If anyone tried to enter, they had permission to kill on sight. Going through the cave, Zelda took note of how it curved upwards, how the wind barely echoed. Wherever they were going, it was leading to a massive excavated area. That knowledge gave the Queen severe pause. How long would the Kikai Empire have had to be here for?

It seemed that the commander felt similarly. When he spoke, his voice was pensive. “If the danger turns out to be too perilous, we turn to leave immediately.”

“Only if it comes to that.”

“Zelda, as Queen of this country, it is my job to protect you.”

The Hylian didn’t stop her pace, but her attention had shifted just enough. “Can’t help but notice you did not say ‘my queen’, Commander.”

“You are my Queen.”

“By technicality and marriage to your master. But not in your heart.”

The undead commander’s fist clenched as he walked forward, but his voice held its composure. “I serve Ganondorf. He is my King. I am a humble servant, but he is not my master.”

“Ghirahim doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he’s an actual blade while you named after one. You serve the same function.”

“The Demon Lord has far more fanatical ideals than myself. He would have burned the world for Ganondorf, for the darkness that rests in his heart.”

“And you? What would you have burned?”

“I would have killed the rest of Hyrule for the atrocities that your people did to mine.” Klinge stopped just before the next curve of the cave. Zelda didn’t waver in her gaze against him. There was a hidden sense of bloodlust that came from him, and she was suddenly aware of their isolation. Yet, as quickly as that bloodlust came, it fell away to apathy. “However, I am not King, and you seem to have been set on keeping your word in creating a better era for Hyrule. I fight for that better future. If you are necessary to fulfill that future, then you must live.”

Zelda supposed that would be the best comfort of loyalty she could muster out of him for now. However, whatever thoughts she had about Klinge were completely dashed as they rounded the corner of the tunnel to the vast openness of the ice cave. The eyes behind the commander’s eyes went wide as almost dropped his sword in shock. The Queen let out a gasp at the sight before them.

“What in Hylia’s name?”

Before them, a massive construct stretched across over a mile long, ancient and modern metal fused together to create a dreadful beast. It was like a massive serpent stretched outwards, with bizarre cylinders that acted as joints for arms periodically placed at key points on its sides. At the head of the construct was the frame of a dragon, glass over the eyes and a forked tongue behind the jagged teeth.

All around, dozens of Hasai were stationed on both the ground level and high on rafters close to the titanic creation, but amongst them were also strange darkly green machine creatures. The constructions had a strange energy flow through them that made the parts that made up their bodies detached, yet still able to work in tandem. The more Zelda looked at them, there was more than scientific curiosity egging her mind, but an odd familiarity she couldn’t shake.

This familiarity was drilling so hard in the back of her mind, she didn’t even notice a glow coming from her hand right away until her commander spoke up.

“Zelda, your triforce.”

The Queen looked down at her hand. The lower left triangle was indeed glowing on and off. The feeling she felt rattling in her skull was warning and dread. Her own reincarnation was unlike Ganondorf’s and Link’s, for whenever she came into a new life, memories of past lives never came back to her. Zelda always had to look to history for past knowledge. Yet, in this moment, it was as if the triforce was doing its best to remind of her a past danger in one of her lives.

Squeezing her fist, Zelda turned to Klinge, a slow moment of panic filling her. She needed more intelligence on what was being built here. “We will make our retreat. Now.”

“Agreed. You don’t make something this big under your enemy's nose unless it's a weapon.”

As the Queen and the commander were turning back around, loud alarms were suddenly set off. Red lights swirled around the work site and the Hasai were suddenly running around like hornets in a nest. For a moment, Zelda wondered if they had been revealed to the enemy, but from a glance, that was luckily not the case. But that didn’t give her any comfort as she saw walls opening in the mechanical monsters for the Hasai to rush inside.

“All personnel, man your stations. Van Kiryu takes off in t-minus 5 minutes.”

The voice of a Hasai echoed from the head of the mechanical dragon, vibrating around the ice walls around them.

“Repeat. All personnel, man your stations. Van Kiryu takes off in t-minus 5 minutes.”

Not wanting to stick around, Zelda and Klinge ran back to the entrance of the cave. Other soldiers of the Kikai Empire were scrambling out of their cabins, marching out onto the snowy fields towards central Hyrule. Reaching the twin Lizalfos, the Queen gripped the flair at her side. If she used it now, they would have a fight on their hands. “We can’t wait here. But we can’t call for backup until we make some distance from here.”

“Then it is in our hands to return.” Klinge snapped his fingers to the Lizalfos to get a move on and spoke quickly in a few clicks and clacks. “Stay close, I’ll flank you to guard our backs.”

With one more nod, Zelda braced herself. They needed-

That was when the mountainside started to shake and rumble. The ground beneath them vibrated as the Hasai inside the mountain were ready to make their grand entrance. Zelda and her team ran as far away from the cave and mountainside as they could. Rock exploded outwards and snow came following downward in a haze of confusion.

The Queen and the commander coughed through the debris as they kept marching forward. A large boulder came rolling down, unfortunately crushing Fang in the process. Gritting her teeth, Zelda channeled her magic to summon forth a large crystal shield just big enough to keep herself, Klinge, and Lash safe. She could feel more rocks bounce off the protection ward, but did not drop her guard for a while.

For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was her breathing and the wind of destruction around them as the earth settled. Through the haze of the mountain snow, she saw something come from the digsite. Curving around the rest of the mountain side like a snake, Zelda could make out the last of a mechanical frame as it disappeared from view.

Pushing the dread in her voice down, the queen steeled herself. “Commander. Get us back home, now. The country is in more danger than ever.”

Grand Admiral Bellum checked a pocket watch, flicking it closed as a grin flashed across his grin. Van Kiyru being activated for the first time was everything he could have hoped for. The vibrations of power that went through the entire war machine was exquisite. Years of discovery, understanding, luck, building and preparation led to this. And soon, very, very soon, the destruction it could unleash would be on display.

First, however, key pieces needed to be put in place. Prince Nihilus, Princess Zannah, and T0-D would just about be making their way over Kakariko for the assault. Yet before even that, he needed to order an assault of his own. Feeling his hand over the speaking stone, Bellum admired the magic in such a small and simple little rock. Rub two or more together, and you’d have the ability to communicate with others over any distance you wanted. Speaking into it, he calmly asked for an update.

“General Oppo. Are you and your troops ready?”

A dark voice filled with anticipation answered back. The Skurge considered himself the Grand Admiral’s opposite, a rival perhaps even, but so long as they both served their emperor faithfully, the general would obey Bellum’s orders. “Yes. We are positioned just over the clouds.”

“Then land your craft and begin the attack.”

Putting the speaking stone away, Bellum took a breath as he watched the craft ascend into the air. Soon, the Empire would ascend to such heights as well again. Ironic. The decline came with the death of the dragons. Now it would be a dragon of his creation that would give his people their newest golden age.

~ Ganondorf sat on his throne, fists clenched as he finally had a moment to sit down. The afternoon had been hectic, running about looking after his children and ordering troops to rout out Hasai camps. Truthfully, there was some concern that weighed on the Gerudo King’s mind. Reports brought back to him found that only skeleton crews had been purged. Where was the bulk of the empire’s army? He knew that they weren’t diminished quite yet.

The creek of the throne door echoed as a familiar face walked in. Ganondorf paused, his gaze freezing on Rinku. Truthfully, while he loved her as his daughter, there was now always this slight air of tension that could rise up between them now that they both knew who she really was. The war certainly didn’t make their relationship blossom. He knew that it brought the worst of himself in her eyes.

Still, there was so much good ground they had grown between them. He tried to not be the one to drive a wedge between them. “Rinku… are you well as of late?”

His daughter looked a little pained in her eyes, then shook it off rather quickly. “Of course. Bit of downtime is all I need, then I can get back out there and do what I do best. Kicking evil’s ass to high hell and back.”

Ganondorf watched as Rinku made a swing of her arm and a punch upwards to emphasize her words. The King could feel the true weight behind those words, however. Leaning forward with both his hands collapsed together, even so far away from each other across the room he was a towering presence. “Rinku, I’m not asking you to be my soldier.”

That seemed to strike the wrong nerve with her, a frown and a shrug being returned his way. “You sure about that? Because I saw the posters you printed of Leere and I. Props on getting our good sides.”

“Those are to raise morale. You’ve already done so much for this kingdom. Just your presence on a parchment on a paper can inspire so much hope.”

“You know that’s not my style.”

Ganondorf sighed, slowly closing his eyes and breathing deeply. “I know. Despite that, I don’t want you to burn out in this war of fire.”

“And what about yourself?”

The Gerudo tilted his head, curious. “What about me?”

“You aren’t worried about the flames of war eating you up?”

“My child, I doubt that these Hasai could kill me.”

“That’s not what I’m referring to.” Rinku walked closer, feeling the side of her head as if she had some sort of headache. “I don’t like seeing you on the battlefield. I don’t like the way you seem to live for bloodshed.”

Ganondorf felt his face stone up. Lifetimes of combat, rage, and, unfortunately, cruelty, flashed through his mind. Those lifetimes all ended violently by the one speaking to him now. Did she have the right to speak to him about bloodshed? The arrogance? Yet, looking at her, he saw more of his daughter who was concerned than an old nemesis who wanted to contain him.

Gripping the arm rests of the throne, Ganondorf leaned back in his seat. “Do I? Conflict is something that I have become a master of. I know that looking at the way I condone myself can be frightful from an outsiders view, but it is-”

“A necessary evil?” Ganondorf frowned at Rinku beating him to his point. “But why commit an act of evil in the first place?”

The Gerudo sighed, but felt a different kind of fatigue with this line of conversation than he usually had with Zelda. There was more sincerity with Rinku than with his wife. No, not sincerity. Innocence? Determination? It was hard to quantify. “What would you have me do? My power has never been gentle. Our enemies would never show mercy to us, so how could I afford the same.”

“Ganondorf.” She spoke sharply, a surprise to the King. His instincts jumped and he felt his old rival’s come out of his daughter. As quick as it came, however, it passed as her expression softened. “I don’t want to see my dad turn into a demon to fight other monsters. You’ve proven that you can be better than that now.”

Ganondorf rose from his seat, a wave of emotion following over him to prove her right. “Rinku, I-”

Suddenly, a servant bust through the doors, flanked shortly by two guards. “Your majesty! Princess!!! Castle Town is under attack!”

“What?!” The King and his daughter didn’t hesitate to rush out the door to look out through the window overlooking the town. Descending like demons, several war blimps were landing over buildings of the town as Hasai troops were unloaded. Glaring with a deep ferocity, the King roared out to the castle. “Everyone! Man your stations and expunge this plague upon OUR HOME! VAATI, GHIRAHIM!!!”

It took no time for the Demon Lord to heed his call, appearing in a dazzling puff of smoke and dark sparkles. “I am at your command master!!!”

“Ghirahim, I want you to go protect my children. I will not have another kidnapping occur under our watch. You are my best blade.”

“An honour that I will see to.” The Demon Lord couldn’t help but throw a cruel job at Rinku before disappearing. “I’ll show you how one protects a child, hero.”

It took a few more moments before Vaati appeared, running around the corner in a hurry. Ganondorf loathed the rat on a personal level, but as a wizard, the King had been convinced of the need for the wizard's skills. “My liege. I assume that this is the about the Kikai Empire attack?”

“Vaati. Use every source of power you know to knock those blimps out of the sky. Rinku and I will be launching an assault at the ground level.”

“I will do all I can.” With a flick of his robe, Vaati was on his way.

Turning to his daughter, Ganondorf looked to her, wanting to give her assurance. “Not for glory, not for enjoyment, but for the needs of the people.”

Rinku could only nod in response. Rushing through the castle, the two of them made a quick stop to the stables to ride their war boars, making a fast paced march towards Castle Town as the gates of Hyrule Castle were opened. Holding up an open palm, Ganondorf channeled his magic into a glowing sphere. When it was ready, he unleashed the might, firing the blast towards one of the blimps. The magic flew through the aircraft with enough force to tear a hole through metal and cloth. The aircraft had to turn and collapse outside of the town as it came slowly crashing down.

Inside the town wasn’t much better. Citizens were running around to hide inside homes, but many were running out as Skurge soldiers were setting fire to rooftops with pyrokinesis or throwing bombs through windows to set blazes. Hylian soldiers were fighting fiercely against the invaders, and here in the heart of Hyrule, the Hasai had to face a large cast of diverse and furious people.

Goron smashed with fists as large as the torsos of many Hasai, crushing bones with ease. Zora commanded water to douse out the flames or to knock the Hasai off their feet. One with shark-like features tore into the throat of one Skurge soldier as they were locked in face to face combat. Hoping off his war boar, Ganondorf roared as he slammed into the ground with an open palm, forcing a shockwave to knock several Hasai to their feet, or some that were closer to be blasted into the stone work of several houses around them, shattering their bodies.

From a pool of darkness, Ganondorf summoned forth two dual blades, snarling at the Hasai around him. “Get out of my country.”

The invaders who could immediately responded with fire, blasting a combination of explosive flame towards the Gerudo. Placing both of his blades together, Ganondorf could feel the metal heat up as the fire was reflected to each of his sides. With a roar, he dashed forward, cutting left and right as the screams of gutted Hasai filled his ears.

As he took the lives of these invaders, this was the hardest part for him. The feeling of pure vindication in taking these lives. With another swing, he dueled a Skurge soldier for about five seconds before his opponent made a mistake in his movement and was decapitated. Ganondorf moved like a demon, swift, ferocious, and the most powerful player on the field with sheer might alone.

Ganondorf finished this unit of soldiers flawlessly enough, flicking a scratch of blood off his cheek. As he wondered about looking for a new batch of enemies to kill, his mind thought of Zelda and Link. Being warned of enjoying the slaughter and the rush war gave him. Even now, he could feel his own excitement rising. In the past, he would have zero doubts. Here, he was acting as a hero to Hyrule instead of its conqueror. He should have felt more vindicated than ever. Yet their presence in this lifetime had shifted his core just enough.

The Gerudo King nearly stopped to contemplate this, but the timing was not ideal. For now, he would act in the ways he knew best for the sake of saving lives. The weight of his actions and how he felt would be sorted later.

Nihilus finished putting on his gosoku armour, feeling adorned in a snow white chest plate. The last piece he placed on himself was the face mask, a covering that made him look like a demon, but still allowed his eyes to be seen.

Behind him standing in the launch bay with him, Zannah was adorned in similar armour, but opted to go without the helmet or mask. If his sister felt speed was better than protection, that would be her call to make, or mistake to regret.

Each royal child of Malakath had their own beast to ride into battle. For the deceased Seras, he was happy with a basilisk. Zannah had taken after her mother, able to tame the incredibly brutal Manticore that she named Raam. Nihilus, however, had a far more deadly creature tamed. About 40 ft in length, the monster he tamed was known as a Baraki, known in other tongues as false dragons or fell beasts. From a glance, this reptilian beast with wings on sharp claws and fangs could be mistaken for a dragon, but its ilk was far more violent and animalistic in nature. He named his Makuta, bringer of ill tidings and spewer of green flame.

The blimp made its way towards Kakariko Village, and the crown prince watched as the bay doors opened. Stage one was ready to begin. With a slap of his reins, Makuta let out a deep snarl as he took off into the air. Behind him, his sister followed closely.

It didn’t take long for Nihilus to see Sheikah and Hylian villagers taking notice of them. Before panic or understanding could settle in, the prince landed on the rooftop of one of the houses, the weight of his Baraki shifting. With a snap of his finger, he commanded the slaughter to unfold. With vile power, the fell beast spewed dark, green crackling fire on the village below.

People screamed in terror, others in deathly pain as flames consumed them. Dismounting off his mount, Prince Nihilus jumped three stories downwards, as he was 10 ft from the ground, flames shot out from his feet, the force safely decelerating him as he made landfall. Already, the surprise seemed to be wearing off as Sheikah warriors started to surround him, holding short swords and spears. From a glance, Nihilus could feel that these warriors were experienced, or at the least they felt prepared. He would show them just how futile their preparations were.

Two of the warriors charged him, and Nihilus answered the call. On each of his forearms were bladed gauntlets ready to slice and dice his enemies. He danced around his enemies, palming away one man, then after blocking the strike of another, retaliated with a slice across the throat, spraying blood outwards. The red scarlet liquid stained his chest armour, giving the prince his desired intent of fright.

Satisfied by his initial warmup, Nihilus looked to the sky as his sister descended upon the village, firing a bolt of lighting to cause the door to one house to explode before she dive bombed inside. Looking at another Sheikah, the crown prince gestured with two fingers for the man to come face him in combat. The Sheikah drew something from a pocket throwing it at the prince, and there was suddenly a blinding flash.

Nihilus closed his eyes and let his instincts take over as he relied on his ears and sense of smell. The Sheikah were incredibly light on their feet, running at him with the faintest of pressure against the grass beneath them, but it was enough. With a dodge, Nihilus ducked low, his tail lashing out as the man missed a swing over his body. The appendage grabbed the man by the neck, squeezing around tightly. With a wicked twist, there was a defining snap as the Hasai broke the man’s neck. Opening his eyes, Nihilus took a deep breath as he released the body to the ground. Putting both his arms together in a cross position, he quietly let out one word as the rest of the Sheikah charged at him all around him.

“Burn.”

Releasing the energy building up in him, Nihilus thrust both his arms outwards to his sides, and a dome of fire exploded outwards from his being for 15 ft in all directions. The fire completely devastated his attackers, turning their bodies into burning corpses as they fell to the ground in flames, their lungs bubbling and death being quick.

The crown prince looked at the burning village in front of him as the flames flickered in his eyes. Above him, his war blimp hovered above, allowing his soldiers to descend from rope and cables. Warriors in shimmering black armour made landfall, the fire reflecting in their uniforms. With hand signals, Nihilus’ Theron Guard quickly made their way through the village, shooting down villagers with crossbows and systematically killing every citizen they could find.

Breathing in the air, Nihilus started walking towards the largest house in the village. On this day, he swore to himself that he would burn a scar in Hyrule so devastating that the land itself would never recover from. Fire was pain, devastation, and suffering. And he would share his fire with this country. He was Dorami, dragon in human form, and his fire would be known to all.

______________________________________________________________

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Previous Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/737698189393739776/the-war-of-fire-ch-9-the-crown-prince

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#the war of fire #Hasai #Legend of Zelda #Fictional Writing #War #Rinku #Link #Ganondorf #Impa #Vaati #Ghirahim #Zelda #Klinge #Leere #Zannah #Nihilus #Bellum #Comments appriciated!

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hatutannews · 5 months

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OJE 2024 bá PN $17.780.054 Passa iha Espesialidade, Hasai Ona Subsídiu Transporte

Hatutan.com, (15 Dezembru 2023), Díli—Parlamentu Nasionál (PN) liuhosi votasaun Orsamentu Jerál Estadu (OJE) 2024 iha faze espesialidade, aprova $17.780.054 bá PN ho rezultadu a-Favor 45, kontra 3 no Abstensaun 18. Continue reading Untitled

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#Hasai Ona Subsídiu Transporte #OJE 2024 bá PN $17.780.054 Passa iha Espesialidade

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lazarkist · 1 year

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We got the uhhhh biotech class doodles of my ocs (in order: Sakura Khani, Mitylene Amherst, and Hasai Amherst)

#art #commissions open #my ocs #traditional art #inhumane #sketch #mitylene amherst #mitt Amherst #mitt #Sakura Khani #Hasai Amherst

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ayay · 3 months

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i have a love-hate relationship with meeting other ainu people because why do all our families recycle the same 5-10 names. shima akan aya shin(taro) toya haru etc. can we get a fucking hasai in here please i can only do so much.

#signing

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pikahlua · 2 years

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MHA Chapter 358 spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

tagline 1 戦況苛烈‼︎対峙するは…⁉︎ せんきょうかれつ‼︎たいじするは…⁉︎ senkyou karetsu!! taiji suru wa...!? The severe war situation!! As for the face-off...!?

tagline 2 No.358 ちょっと進んだ男ナンバー358 ちょっとすすんだおとこ NANBAA 358 chotto susunda otoko No. 358 The man who progressed a little

tagline 3 堀越耕平ほりこしこうへい Horikoshi Kouhei Kouhei Horikoshi

1 逃げるだけか⁉︎ にげるだけか⁉︎ nigeru dake ka!? “You only run away!?”

1 ぐあ‼︎ gua!! “Gwah!!”

1 サンイーター‼︎ SANIITAA!! “Suneater!!”

1 だっ‼︎ da!! “Dah!!”

2 動き止めるな！移動し続けろ‼︎ うごきとめるな！いどうしつづけろ‼︎ ugoki tomeruna! idou shi tsudzukero!! “Don’t stop [your] movements! Keep on moving!!”

1 止まれば一瞬で呑まれる!!! とまればいっしゅんでのまれる!!! tomareba isshun de nomareru!!! “If you stop you’ll be swallowed in an instant!!!”

2 いなしつつ本体を狙うんだ‼︎ いなしつつほんたいをねらうんだ‼︎ inashitsutsu hontai wo neraunda!! “While you do that, aim for his true body!!”

1 脅威の手数だが代わりに奴は今あのオールマイト並の機動力を捨てているきょういのてかずだがかわりにやつはいまあのオールマイトなみのきどうりょくをすてている kyoui no tekazu ga kawari ni yatsu wa ima ano OORU MAITO nami no kidouryoku wo sutete iru “The number of his hands is a threat, but in exchange he’s throwing away that All Might-like mobility.”

2 忍法‼︎ にんぽう‼︎ ninpou!! Ninpou!!

1 破砕紙絲‼︎ はさいしし‼︎ hasai shi shi!! Crushing Paper Thread!!

1 これが"個性"じゃなく只の成長と言い張るのは無理があるぞこれが"こせい"じゃなくただのせいちょうといいはるのはむりがあるぞ kore ga “kosei” ja naku tada no seichou to iiharu no wa muri ga aru zo “It’s unreasonable to insist this is not a quirk but just growth!”

1 AFOの"個性"が定着すればする程オール・フォー・ワンの"こせい"がていちゃくすればするほど OORU FOO WAN no “kosei” ga teichaku sureba suru hodo “The more the All For One quirk becomes established [in this body],”

2 内に蓄積された"個性"群や多様な外的環境に見合うよううちにちくせきされた"こせい"ぐんやたようながいてきかんきょうにみあうよう uchi ni chikuseki sareta “kosei” gun ya tayou na gaiteki kankyou ni miau you “the more it counterbalances the set of accumulated quirks inside and the diverse external environments and such,“

3 身体が最適な形態を模索しているんだ紙原伸也からだがさいてきなけいたいをもさくしているんだかみはらしんや karada ga saiteki na keitai wo mosaku shite irunda Kamihara Shin’ya “and so the body is searching for its best form, Shin’ya Kamihara*.” (Note: *This is Edgeshot’s real name.)

1 この身体と力でこのからだとちからで kono karada to chikara de “With this body and power,”

2 全てがすべてが subete ga “everything will”

3 僕の掌の上となるぼくのてのひらのうえとなる boku no tenohira no ue to naru “be on the palm of my hand.” (Note: This is AFO speaking.)

1-2 僕かそれ以外の世界が生まれるぼくかそれいがいのせかいがうまれる boku ka sore igai no sekai ga umareru “A world [where it’s just] me or everything else will be born.” (Note: By “or” he means like “versus.” The world will be defined by how things relate to him. They are either him, or they are not him.)

1 姿も形も能力もすがたもかたちものうりょくも sugata mo katachi mo nouryoku mo “Even appearance and form and abilities.”

2 規格を失う程に分かたれたこの世界…… さかくをうしなうほどにわかたれたこのせかい…… sakaku wo ushinau hodo ni wakatareta kono sekai...... “This world that is so divided it’s lost its standards......”

3 行きつく先は断絶と崩壊だいきつくさきはだんぜつとほうかいだ iki tsuku saki wa danzetsu to houkai da “It will end up torn apart and collapsed*.” (Note: *This is the same kanji used for Tomura’s Decay quirk.)

1 大きすぎる差異はおおきすぎるさいは ooki sugiru sai wa “Disparity that is too large”

2 不理解を生むふりかいをうむ furikai wo umu “begets miscomprehension*.” (Note: *The nuance in this word cannot be captured in full with one English translation. In “furikai,” “rikai” encompasses within it connotations of “understanding, comprehension, appreciation, and sympathy,” of which I believe all are relevant in this sentence. The “fu” is a negating prefix, but I think it’s important to make a distinction between “not” and “bad” here. This is a subtle nuance, but I think “bad” is the correct meaning in this case. It’s not that the disparities create NO understanding between the divided parties, it’s that they create BAD understanding: wrong judgments, misinterpretations, lack of appreciation, and antipathy. That’s why I’m using the prefix “mis-” for this translation.)

3 不理解はふりかいは furikai wa “Miscomprehension”

4 畏れと排斥を生むおそれとはいせきをうむ osore to haiseki wo umu “begets fear and ostracism.”

1 その結果が今じゃあないかそのけっかがいまじゃあないか sono kekka ga ima jaa nai ka “Isn’t that result [what’s happening] now?”

2 僕が統括すれば皆等しく被搾取側だ！ぼくがとうかつすればみなひとしくひさくしゅがわだ！ boku ga toukatsu sureba mina hitoshiku hisakushu gawa da! (Literal) “If I control* [things], everyone will be on the side of those equally exploited.” (Contextual) “If I’m in control, everyone will become equal as my exploitees.” (Note: *This word means both “control/supervise” and “unify/bring together.)

3 ヒーローの望む平和な世界に一歩近づくとは考えられないか⁉︎ ヒーローののぞむへいわなせかいにいっぽちかづくとはかんがえられないか⁉︎ HIIROO no nozomu heiwa na sekai ni ippo chikadzuku to wa kangaerarenai ka!? “Can you not consider how this will be one step closer to the peaceful world the heroes desire!?”

1 てめーが今死柄木かAFOか知んねーけどよぉ… てめーがいましがらきかオール・フォー・ワンかしんねーけどよぉ… temee ga ima Shigaraki ka OORU FOO WAN ka shin’nee kedo yoo... “I don’t know if that bastard right now is Shigaraki or All For One, but...”

2 動き回って充分溜まった！うごきまわってじゅうぶんたまった！ ugoki mawatte juubun tamatta! I’ve moved around enough to accumulate/store up!

3 サポート科が作ってくれたこいつでーーサポートかがつくってくれたこいつでーー SAPOOTO-ka ga tsukutte kureta koitsu de-- With this thing the Support Course made for me--

1 聞くに堪えねーんだよきくにたえねーんだよ kiku ni taeneenda yo “I can’t stand listening [to you]!”

2 神野ン時から！一言一句‼︎ カミノンときから！いちごんいっく‼︎ KAMINO N’ toki kara! ichigon ikku!! “Ever since Kamino! Every single word!!”

1 面制圧重装機動めんせいあつじゅうそうきどう menseiatsu juusou kidou Mobile Suppressive Fire* Heavy Artillery (Note: Honestly, I have no idea what the kanji 面 is doing here. It could mean face, mask, surface, and a lot of other things, but I’m going with “surrounding area” and co-opting it into the meaning of “seiatsu” to make “Suppressive Fire”.)

2 ストレイフパンツァーーー SUTOREIFU PANTSAA-- Strafe Panzer--

1-2 俺が風穴ァブチ開ける‼︎ おれがかざあなァブチあける‼︎ ore ga kaza anaA BUCHI akeru!! (Literal) “I’ll freaking open an airhole!!” (Contextual) “I’ll tear him full of holes!!”

1 本体潰すぞ!!! ほんたいつぶすぞ!!! hontai tsubusu zo!!! “We’re gonna smash his real body!!!”

1 全員で‼︎ ぜんいんで‼︎ zen’in de!! “All together!!”

2 チームか……‼︎ CHIIMU ka......!! “A team, huh......!!” (Note: Mirko may be commenting on how she’s finally teaming up when in the past she’s been against teams, or she may be acknowledging Katsuki’s plan to go in for the kill as a team.)

1 物間と先生が「抹消」で"個性"封じてくれてる内にものまとせんせいが「まっしょう」で"こせい"ふうじてくれてるうちに Monoma to sensei ga 「masshou」 de “kosei” fuujite kureteru uchi ni While Monoma and Teacher are sealing his quirks with Erasure for us

2 上鳴たちがかみなりたちが Kaminari-tachi ga While Kaminari and the others

3 このステージ動かしてくれてる内に！このステージうごかしてくれてるうちに！ kono SUTEEJI ugokashite kureteru uchi ni! are moving this stage for us!

4 うあー！ uaa! “Waah!”

5 八百万たちがやおよろずたちが Yaoyorozu-tachi ga While Yaoyorozu and the others

6 足場補填してくれてる内に！あしばほてんしてくれてるうちに！ ashiba hoten shite kureteru uchi ni! are supplementing the scaffold for us! (Note: I put bold on the text that corresponds to the emphasis Bakugou is placing on his words in Japanese. “For us” is how I’m translating “kureteru,” which is a word that means Bakugou is receiving something as a gift or favor.)

1 不理解はふりかいは furikai wa “Miscomprehension”

2 畏れと排斥を生むおそれとはいせきをうむ osore to haiseki wo umu “begets fear and ostracism.”

1 でかすぎる差異もでかすぎるさいも deka sugiru sai mo “Huge disparities and”

不理解もオソレもふりかいもオソレも furikai mo OSORE mo “miscomprehensions and fear*” (Note: *Bakugou’s “fear” is written in katakana, not kanji. He’s trying to encompass something else with this term that’s different from what AFO is saying. You can look up all the kanji for “osore” to read through the possibilities. This may be a non sequiter, but when I tried to put this through Google translate, it spat out “swearing.” I couldn’t find another source to corroborate this translation, but if it’s viable I think it’d be an awesome tie-in for some other parts of Bakugou’s character.)

1 とっくに飲み込んだんだよ俺ぁとっくにのみこんだんだよおれぁ tokku ni nomikondanda yo orea “I swallowed* those a long time ago” (Note: This word both means to literally swallow something and to “understand, take in, catch on, learn, digest.” I left the word as “swallow” because I think the connotation carries through to English: Bakugou had to swallow that pill and incorporate it into his mindset whether he liked it or not.)

1 爆豪……！ばくごう……！ Bakugou......! “Bakugou......!”

2 そういうの全部そういうのぜんぶ sou iu no zenbu “Everything you’re saying,”

3 一歩進んだとこもう見てンだよいっぽすすんだとこもうみてンだよ ippo susunda toko mou miteNda yo “I’ve already seen one step ahead of it!”

1-2 時間食っても進もうとしてる連中がいる事知ってんだよじかんくってもすすもうとしてるれんちゅうがいることしってんだよ jikan kuttemo susumou to shiteru renchuu ga iru koto shittenda yo “I know of people who are trying to move forward no matter how long it takes.”

1 よって yotte “Therefore,”

2 余計なお世話だよけいなおせわだ yokei na osewa da “mind your own business,” (Note: Literally, this phrase means “your help is unnecessary/unwanted,” in reference to AFO’s proposal to unite everyone under his overbearing control.)

3 指金玉野郎!!! ゆびきんたまやろう!!! yubi kintama yarou!!! “you finger-balls*-bastard!!!” (Note: Yes, those balls.)

1 大・爆・殺・神… だい・ばく・さっ・しん… dai・baku・sas・shin... “Great Explosion Murder God...”

2 ダイナマイト‼︎ DAINAMAITO!! “Dynamite!!”

3 俺の新境地「クラスター」が通用するかおれのしんきょうち「クラスター」がつうようするか ore no shinkyouchi “KURASUTAA” ga tsuuyou suru ka “Does my new 'Cluster’ work?”

4 OFA相手は対死柄木・AFOへの一つの指標になるワン・フォー・オールあいてはたいしがらき・オール・フォー・ワンへのひとつのしひょうになる WAN FOO OORU aite wa tai Shigaraki OORU FOO WAN no hitotsu no shihyou ni naru “Fighting OFA will be one indicator of it against Shigaraki and AFO.”

1 ハウザーインパクト HAUZAA INPAKUTO Howitzer Impact

2 クラスター KURASUTAA Cluster

tagline 放つ必殺!!! はなつひっさつ!!! hanatsu hissatsu!!! He fires his ultimate move!!!

#my hero academia leak translations #bnha 358 #mha 358 #my hero academia manga spoilers #final showdown spoilers #katsuki bakugou #this chapter is diamonds #such nuance

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pukhtunistan · 2 years

Text

‎هغه قد د مجنون بید شو

Hagha qad da Majnun baid sho

Majnun has lost his stature

‎چه چینار وو يا نښتر

Che chinar wo ya nakhtar

Who was once as tall as the sycamore and the pine

‎بل به نه وي لکه ته يې

Bal ba na wi laka ta ye

There will be no other like you

‎هسې شوخ اؤ ځګر ور

Hasay shokh o zigar war

As lively and as brave as you

‎په غفلت دې عمر تېر کړو

Pa ghaflat de umar ter kṛo

You spent your life in negligence

‎نه رهرو شوې نه رهبر

Na rahro shwe na rahbar

Neither became a follower nor a guide

‎د دنيا په طلب ګرځي

Da dunya pa talab garzi

You seek the world

‎بولي ځان په قلندر

Bolay zaan pa qalandar

Yet call yourself a qalandar

‎کلمه په ژبه وائي

Kalima pa jaba wayi

You say the kalima

‎په زړه نه لري باور

Pa zṛa na lari bawar.

But have no faith in your heart.

📸: Jim Huylebroek

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sadumbpotato · 2 years

Text

Ya ba de hasay zargay bad wi

Ya ba de ma na bal kha mundale weena

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letterstosestrilles · 2 years

Text

Dear Tyko,

For once, I think one of my letters is going to put you in a good mood, which I’m delighted about, and hope you are too. Especially after the most recent spate, which I know you’re still recovering from.

After all our recent adventures, and knowing what we need strength for coming up, we all decided that we want to see pretty much everyone we care about, at least everyone we can arrange a convenient meeting with. We started, after some deliberation, with Bizza, spending a day catching up with him on Sumula Station and eating so many crepes I felt full to bursting. He’s doing well these days, and the business very well. He even said he’s gone on a date or two, nothing serious, but just testing it out, after how his last relationship ended, and I’m delighted for him.

Next, we went on to Honione. Maliah’s been back a time or two, on the rare occasions we’ve been apart, to say hello and get her bow tuned up, but I’ve always taken the opportunity to visit you on Sestrilles, or deal with some other business. Well, this time we both wanted to go, but I was the major impetus, because I’d been messaging with Sserit and Lian, now that I know Resurrection and have the means to gift such things to my friends. Do you even remember them? Sserit was the ghost who helped us in the adventure in HASAI, and Lian is her girlfriend, and they’ve been sharing a body since then, which they’re mostly fine with but is inconvenient at work, from what I gather.

Anyway, I offered the Resurrection, and after some discussion, they took me up on it, and we went through the bureaucratic process to get Sserit’s body exhumed and then let her move on for a few minutes so I could summon her from the proper place, which I did.

I cast Raise Dead during my service at Mishakal’s temple a few times, and Resurrection once, but I’d been warned in the literature at the temple that the longer someone’s been dead, the harder Resurrection is—not that it will fail, with consent, but Sserit could barely get out of bed for days and I felt, I suspect, not unlike Gaizka felt after they turned a black hole inside out, though thankfully without the dizziness. But I couldn’t so much as cast a Prestidigitation until I’d had a full night’s sleep, and I spent most of the rest of our visit in a hotel room quietly watching movies with a cool cloth pressed to my forehead. Still, though, it’s worth it to have watched the two of them get to hug each other and hold on, and then to see them holding hands several times (and just as many times see them give each other breathing space, especially at work, where they can go back to working on their separate projects more easily).

Once I was feeling better, I did get to tour around HASAI again, much more cheerful full of people and not in the midst of crisis. Fariya was excited to see my gloves, and everyone else was happy to talk about their research, and Maliah got her bow checked and was glad about it.

(I know, I told you this letter would put you in a good mood. Bear with me.)

From there, we moved on to Rugira Prime. First, a visit to Ekresh Veshteth, because I wanted to hear how the aliens in the Twilight of Cinders were getting along and wanted to compare notes on the demiplane Teleport variant Gaizka taught me as opposed to the pocket dimension access spell he cast to get us to the Twilight of Cinders. My variant doesn’t, alas, work to get us there, but he was happy enough to talk about spell particulars and then to tell me that the explorations in the pocket dimension are going slowly but well. All the aliens seem to have been picked up, Aji included, and no new ones have crashed, now that they aren’t being shot out of the sky. They remain something of a mystery, but maybe I’ll go back sometime, climb through that hole in the sky and go meet them properly. It’s nice to dream about, anyway.

Then it was Mashoy, which is at least a little cooler at this time of year than it was the last time I visited. Maliah and I spent a good amount of time visiting our friends at the Court of Flowers (who were all pleased to see her so much more sure of herself and happier than the last time we visited). We had dinner with Pika and her family, and they’re all doing well, taking care of themselves and each other just as we could have wished when she retired. I stopped by Midat’s shop, and we had a lovely long chat about her latest innovations and my gloves, since I didn’t even have Niko’s fabric the last time I came. Not to mention PA! They don’t have its model commonly in Mashoy, and she was delighted with the modifications I’ve made on it, and had some suggestions for interfaces for the arms I want to give it the next time I have time to devote to it.

But more than anyone else, I was in Mashoy to see Brennu, for two reasons.

The first, as I think I’ve told you, was to give him some water from the Deeping Wellemere, when the spell he was under left some remnants that make it hard for him to do what he wants to. He does look a lot better, not least because he doesn’t have a black eye this time, and asked me several questions about the water. I’d written to Ektarika and then when she didn’t have the answers to Cerunwe, asking about whether the water would do anything about mental effects of spellwork. Cerunwe though that anything chronic might be helped, but certainly not reversed.

Brennu also had questions about the longevity I mentioned, though I’m afraid I wasn’t much help there, saying that my best guess is that taking it frequently would be more likely to give him extra years, or taking it when aging was the biggest thing the water could find to fix. He said, wryly, that perhaps I should punch him again so we could see how fast the water would heal something on a regular mortal, and only laughed at me a little when I did a bad job of containing my horror.

In the end, he chose to take it, a sip at a time, and we talked until I was sure there wouldn’t be any immediate aftereffects (Maliah had come along as support and just because it seemed ridiculous that they hadn’t met, and I told him about her quest to keep Squirt, and she did deflect a bit to talk about how wonderful Squirt is, but did let me talk at least some about her heroics), and then I told him to eat a big meal and get some rest to let the water do its work and left him to take my advice with a promise to visit the next day.

And the next day, he said he didn’t have a headache, apparently rare, but that he suspected any effects would be felt more over the next few days as he tried and either succeeded or failed to do things he wanted to. And I, well.

I’d asked Maliah if it was wrong to ask him on a date, when we arrived in Mashoy, because I’d met him under such desperate circumstances and saved him, and since I’d come to help him more, and to act as a healer, no less. And she said that as long as he knew he could say no without anything changing, it was fine, so I plucked up my courage and I did it, I asked him to dinner and he said yes and didn’t even laugh at me when I immediately said he should probably choose the restaurant since I didn’t eat out much when I was in town.

And I’m so glad, Tyko. We’ve been writing ever since, and something about the way we met means that there haven’t ever really been that many things we can’t talk about. He’s always been honest about how he’s feeling, his experiences and what he feels responsibility for and a thousand other things, and so in return I tell him about the harder parts of my journeys in a way that really only you and Maliah hear, and oftentimes in different ways. We talk about books, and the instrument he’s learning, and about resurrection and the trials he had to testify at, and it’s so good to have someone outside of all of this, and outside my family too, who I know so deeply, and am known by so deeply.

Of course, as soon as he accepted, I was struck by a fit of terror, because, well. You know how I date—I date strangers, and if it ends, of course it’s sad, because I’d hardly have dated them if I didn’t like them, but I’m not missing a key piece of my life. But if I date Brennu and do something stupid and lose him someday, I don’t know if we’ll be able to be close in quite the same way we have been, and losing that is terrifying. Maliah, who finds first impressions much harder than lasting ones, the reverse of my feelings on the matter, was baffled and tried her best to comfort me, but I was very bad at being comforted until I actually went on the date.

By mutual agreement, we tried to keep that first date light, talk about all the things we skipped to talk about all the deep dark things in our heads. Brennu had picked a fairly nice restaurant (I was very glad I had an outfit I commissioned in the Feywild) and asked for a private room in the back, so we wouldn’t be bothered by press or other people interested in him appearing in public and me returning to town. We talked about his cousins, who he’s close to in the way I am to you, and about you and Alion and Tiriel and the children on Nosirion-1. I told him stories from before I met him that we’d missed out on, and he replied with the same, and we only talked a little bit about stars and what I’m doing next and all the baggage we’re going to have to work out.

I’m leaving Mashoy in just a few days, sending Niko off to a temple retreat and Maliah to visit Marsa and her mothers, going to Kirim and then to see you myself, but we’ve gone on a few more dates and talked more seriously about things again, the kind of things we talk about in our letters and the danger I’m in from what’s coming next. We’ve also made it clear that neither of us is particularly light or casual about this, but that we’re going to take it very slowly indeed, given what I have coming up and all the much easier baggage of living in different places and not quite knowing the shape our lives are going to take.

When I’m done dealing with Onver, though, and reassured everyone I’m still alive and dealt with the very immediate aftermath, we have a plan to meet somewhere quiet and private to talk a lot more, and I’m already looking forward to it.

There. Resurrection aside, isn’t this letter worth it? I’ll look forward to your teasing in a week or so in person, and will take it happily as long as I get to meet Lindanas again, and maybe even this book group you can’t stop talking about.

Love,

Elyn

#in character #in character: letter #letter to: tyko #episode 202 #person: maliah #person: mehrnikorsa(niko)#person: sserit #person: lian #person: bizza #person: ekresh veshteth #person: brennu zahin #location: sumula station #location: honione #location: rugira prime #location: rugira prime: mashoy #elyn and brennu

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dduane · 1 year

Note

the person who told me about Middle Kingdoms books told me about the wizardry and the queer polycule, which was a good enough reason to read them, but neglected to tell me about the solar-powered space dragons, which would have made me reach for them so much faster

your dragons are so freaking cool

Thank you! :) ...Hasai and his people are...a bit of a passion for me. (And yet another example of how I can not be stopped from dumping SF into my fantasy... or vice versa.) They are yet another silicon-based life form which would doubtless seriously perturb Dr. McCoy.

Their blueprints (a sadly imperfect digitized copy of my originals) are over here.

...A 1979 sketch:

#Hasai #Middle Kingdoms #Middle Kingdoms meta #Dragons

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mrneighbourlove · 4 months

Text

Glass Love and Desire: Ch 2. Return to Home

A week went by with Malakath healing his injured body. He took his medicine for the first few days, then added workouts, physically getting in shape again. Soon he’d have to practice his pyro kinesis again.

Chione had been keeping a close eye on Mally. On the following day, when she had found him trying to do push ups with an injured arm, she had chided him severely, and somehow managed to convince him to wait another day. The second day, there was no stopping him, so Chione sighed exasperatedly and informed him if he made it worse, she was not fixing his arm again. Yet, it was an empty threat. The third day, Mally seemed like he was bored and wanted something to do. Chione put him to work, showing him how to pull weeds out of her garden. Mally had balked at first, scowling and giving a small rant in his own language. She did not relent and thrust the basket into his hands, insisting he pull weeds if he wanted something to do. He sulked at first, but then pulled up the weeds with her.

Half the week had passed. The fourth day, Chione had found him looking through some of her books. She did not have many, most were about plants, but a few were on Naran culture. When Mally would point to a figure, she would give him the word in her tongue. He seemed especially interested with the pages about Daidan Drakes, eagerly pointing to the giant reptiles and then a map. Chione supposed he wanted to know where the drakes lived. The botanist could not help but laugh at his boy-like wonder over the drakes, but there was no chance she was pointing out where the reptiles lived on the map. A drake could swallow him whole! Drakes were not pets. The fifth day, Chione dragged Melly into the kitchen with her. She was trying to show him how to make fresh bread. He stood there, confused, until she showed him to beat and knead the dough. Once again, her efforts were met with a bit of protests, until she pointed sharply at the dough. Yet, he seemed to enjoy beating the dough like it was a punching bag. After the sweet bread came out of the brick oven, Chione offered him a piece with homemade jam. She wondered if he ever had jelly bun before as fast as he ate the treat. It was rather cute.

The sixth day was a bit different. Mally kept trying to walk to the river, and for a moment, Chione thought he would return to Nuabi's homeland under the water. Yet, it seemed he just wanted to take a bath. She had tried to keep him as clean as possible, but ultimately, she understood the desire to have a relaxing bath. When he suddenly stripped with intention to show off his body, Mally had stood there, almost like he was a preening peacock in the Patriarch's Palace. Chione was no stranger to a male's body and sat there on the bank, waiting for him. Yet, Mally was not having that. No, he had splashed her with the water, earning an outraged squeal from the botanist, before he tried to drag her into the river. Chione ended up dunking him under the water and scowling since her clothes and hair were soaked. Later, the smug man kept pointing to his hair and holding out a comb to Chione. Grumbling, the Nara took the comb and worked out the tangles in his hair before braiding it, calling him an insufferable brat the entire time, saying he was lucky he was still healing.

Now, Mally was almost healed. It was shocking to see his arm recover from being broken so fast, but then again, she assumed water sprite biology was different than botanist. As Mally proceeded to test his body's strength again, Chione sat on a bench nearby and sliced the fresh mangoes from the trees she grew.

Malakath had enjoyed some of his time here. Whole house work was normally beneath him, it did help him gain his strength back. More so, he was becoming more and more enamoured with Chione. She was a fine specimen of a woman in his eyes. Yet, he was still frustrated by a few things. First off, no one had seemingly come to find him. Yes, they were on foreign lands to hunt down Waku that spread out like weed's roots, but he was a prince. He was sure his father was frantic in finding him. Or at the very least his sister.

But perhaps that was the point. Was his defeat a weakness they couldn’t stomach? Perhaps his twin would take advantage of that to have the throne for herself.

Even if his family wasn’t looking, what about the army? Not knowing this foreign land wasn’t an excuse. They should have at least followed the river.

Then there was the language barrier between himself and Chione. All this care and attention and he couldn’t even hold a conversation. Sure they had communicated well with physical gestures and common sense, but Malakath wanted to speak to her openly. Although, it did, for now, have one advantage. He could speak plainly to her about anything with a straight face and he was sure she didn’t understand.

Grabbing the mango, he bit a large chunk of it. “I wonder if your lips are sweeter than this fruit.”

"Hungry again? I never knew Nuabi's children could have such appetites." Chione watched as he eagerly ate the mango. Peeling another, the botanist was usually careful with the knife as she sectioned the fruit into pieces. Yet, this time, her grip slipped from the juices and she managed to cut her index finger. Hissing softly, Chione shook her hand and then noticed the blood. "Damn it."

Malakath watched the blood closely. He found himself frowning at her pain. Wait, why should he care? He was a prince. Yet he did. Walking forward, he grabbed her hand, then held her finger.

“Hold still.”

Focusing intently, he allowed his fire to gently laser in from his palm into the cut. There was a warmth from a source she couldn’t see, but a bright yellow glow like the sun came out from his clenched hand. When he was done, he let go and her finger had stopped bleeding.

It looked as if her finger had been gently cartelized. Malakath let out a breath once he was done. “I believe that should suffice.”

"What are you doing?" Chione asked as he took her hand in his, inspecting her cut finger. She noted him frowning and staring at the blood. A small cut like this was not enough to maim her. Mally was acting as if she was terribly injured. It was rather endearing. "I'll be okay, it's just a cut---what?!"

The Naran woman was shocked when she felt his touch grow warm. The yellow radiating from his touch was unexpected. Yet, she did not pull away, too stunned to do so. As Mally released her hand, Chione did not realize he had fire magic, but rather thought it was some sort of healing technique. Her flesh looked slightly different around the cut, but it did not hurt. Perhaps this was why he could not heal himself, he was too weak, but now, his power had returned?

Blinking, Chione looked at her finger, curious, "How did you do that?"

“I am a prince. A lord of fire.” Malakath saw her point at her finger and assumed she wanted an explanation. He would reveal himself fully, he felt the power coming back to him. “Behold and witness me.”

Stepping back, he raised both hands into the air. Breathing the hot air around him and feeling the heat of the sun, he channeled and showed off an incredible display of fire. Rising high into the clouds, a tower of fire burned, a beacon of his power. With some alterations, he had it spread out to look like a Phoenix. Fitting, seeing he felt reborn.

Whoever Mally was, he most certainly was not a child of Nuabi, the water goddess. Startled, Chione stood up from her bench and backed away from the man, dropping her basket of fruit and peeling knife. What was this?! Was he a demigod? A fallen deity? A powerful magician? Answers eluded Chione for now, but she was more focused on not being turned into a pile of ash. While Mally had not threatened her before, she could not help but be cautious now.

Malakath stopped his display, all the flames dissipating. When he saw her reaction, he frowned. Was she afraid? She should be in awe! Stepping forward, he held out a hand. “You have nothing to fear from me.”

Chione glanced at him, and then at his hand. The botanist still felt a little unsure. Though, she supposed logic would argue if he wanted to hurt her with such fire, Mally could have potentially done so earlier. Slowly, Chione extended her hand to take his, still cautious, but also curious. She looked at his palm and then turned it over to look at the top of his hand. Where did the fire come from? Did he just... summon it from nowhere? While the Nara was initially a little frightened, her inquisitiveness was also getting the best of her. If this man was not a child of Nuabi... what was he?

"What are you?" Chione knew he could not understand her, but still voiced her questions. "... who are you?" Surely someone with such power was of great importance. Even so, what force could have washed him up at her doorstep in such a terrible state? "Are you a child of Atanna? Part of the blazing sun?"

He held her hand, another reaching to hold her by her shoulder. “I’m sure you’re fascinated by me. How I wish I could speak to you.”

Malakath felt his groin area burn looking at her. She was gorgeous and it was becoming harder and harder for him to deny. “In some ways it’s been nice the way you‘ve treated me without knowing who I am. There’s an honesty in that. But I’m selfish I suppose. I want you to know who I am. I want to know more about you.”

Was Mally trying to assure her with his hand upon her shoulder? It was a simple gesture, but a sweet one from such a powerful man. Chione gave Mally a soft smile as he spoke, not understanding, but figuring there were words of reassurance. Perhaps she could obtain a partial answer in regards to his fire magic.

"Atanna?" Chione pointed to the sun, trying to mimic being hot by waving her face. "You're a child of the sun? The fire in the sky?"

“Atanna?” Was that a god? He pointed to the sun and all around him. “My people were crafted by a God called Exodrum. The Father of Fire and Power. I am an avatar of power.” He pointed at himself. “I am a Hasai.”

"Ha... sa... e?" Chione had never heard of such a name before. How could clarify the meaning? Was it the name of his people? Or the name of his divine parents? She thought for a moment, then spoke. "Nara." She gestured to herself, making sure to note her horns and tail for emphasis, and then to him. "Hasai?"

At last. He had a name for her people. Assuming she wasn't a unique one of a kind. His hand went down her shoulder to around her waist. With his other hand, he gestured towards her horns. "A Nara. Hasai don't have horns. May I feel them? I'm curious by the texture."

"Nara, yes." It appeared Mally understood what she was trying to insinuate. "We are the descendants of Daidan, the first drake to rule the desert and his lover, the sorceress, Aliyah."

The sudden touch on her hip nearly caused her to jump. Chione was not expecting him to touch her so casually. Being a... Hasai, Mally left no thoughts to personal boundaries, did he? Maybe this was normal in his culture. Then once more, the man motioned to her horns and Chione turned slightly red. This was going to be harder to explain.

She tried her best, "Sensitive. Um..." Chione remembered how he grabbed her tail. She motioned to her tail, then to her horns with a bit of a flustered face. "Sensitive. Like my tail, okay?"

Was she blushing? Malakath felt a sense of pride. Of course she was. He was a specimen of his man and he would be well suited and cared for in his hands. Grinning like a scoundrel, he put on a polite face. "I'll be careful."

Gently, his hand went to her horn.

"Rrrrrrrrhhhhrrrrhnnnmmm." Chione could not suppress the purr rumbling up from her throat when Mally suddenly touched her curved horn. It was almost an automatic reaction from the pleasurable sensation. Snapping back to her senses, a shade the color of blood flooded her cheeks as she removed Mally's hand from her horn. "I told you my horns are sensitive, okay?"

Malakath was stunned by the *noise* that came out of her. All the bravado sucked out of him. Stepping back, he gulped down that insecurity. He then turned side ways, hoping she wouldn’t know his growing ‘Royal Rod’. “That was some reaction.”

"Oh, I'm not growling at you!" Chione noticed his surprised expression, and apologized. "It's just... a Nara's horns and tail are very sensitive, okay? It's an... erogenous zone." She wanted to smack herself. Sighing, the flustered botanist ran a hand down her face, hiding the blush. "I'm trying to explain this to you and you can't even understand me."

Taking a few breaths to calm himself down, he pointed to the outside world. “I can walk. I want you to show me where I am. Can you do that?”

"... you want to walk around?" Chione was grateful he was changing the subject per se. "Sure, we can do that."

Malakath strode out towards the smell of the river, not having a worry in the world.

"Is there something you want to see here?" Chione asked, noting him looking out over the river. "Be careful. I don't want to have to fish you out of the water again."

Malakath looked around, trying to see if there were any high peaks he could look from. “There has to be other Hasai around. I’m sure of it.”

"Are you looking for someone?" Chione noticed him glancing about the landscape. Was he trying to... figure out where he was? Maybe he did not know. She did live on the outskirts of the kingdom's capital. Maybe if she showed him on a map, he would have a better idea of where he was. "Here," Chione always took a map with her when gathering plants. It was easier to mark where spots were for gathering Kamazu plants or others for selling at the market. Opening her map, the Nara pointed to the river upon it. "Aaru. Aaru River."

Map seemed to be the size of the country. Or at least the territory. He gestured his arms out to have a larger size. “I need bigger.”

"A world map?" Chione noticed the gesture of his arms indicating he wanted a larger view. "I'm sorry. I don't think I have one, but..." She picked up a stick and started to draw in the mud from the riverbank. Firstly, Chione outlined the shape of Al-Daidan. Then, she etched Danjur. After that, she drew the borders which met her home of Omisha and Malus. Labrynna and Hyrule were last. Though, the writing was in her language. So, Chione did her best to clarify for Mally. "Al-Daida. Omisha. Malus. Danjur. Labrynna. Hyrule."

Malakath watched closely. He had names now for every country on the continent! So much territory! So much land outside the empire. And there it was. He pointed to a beach that was right on the border of Omisha and Al-Daida. “This is where we made landfall tracking the traitors. I was able to travel inland, to this jungle top. I must have fallen into the river here, and traveled all the way… here. To you.”

"Oh... here? The Kemet Beach?" Chione recalled the beautiful beaches with black sand. She tried to think of how many days it would take to get to that location from her home. The Nara held up three fingers, hoping he would understand. "Three days."

Three days? Or three weeks. Either way, the prince frowned at the information. Was that by mount? Or by *walking*? The thought disgusted him. Nevertheless, that was his reality. “I suppose we have quite the journey then.”

"Kemet Beach," Chione marked the spot Mally had indicated. She tapped her feet with the stick and imitated walking, following the river. Then once more, she held up three fingers. "Three days by foot."

Though, it begged the question, why did he want to go there? Nonetheless, if Mally deserved to leave, he was free to do so. Chione glanced upward at the sky and noticed the angle of the shadows. It was time to go to the markets! She had to hurry to set up her stall or her customers would be most dissatisfied.

She told Mally, "I need to go to work now. It's time to sell my plants." This would be difficult to explain. Well, it was best to make use of the riverbank's mud while she was here. The Nara jotted a picture of the market, and her selling plants. It was noticeable that the figure was her, due to her curved horns. Then motioned to herself. "I need to go to work."

“You need to help me.” Malakath pointed to himself, then her. He then realized something. Grabbing a stick, he drew a crown in the sand. He then pointed at himself more confidently. “I am royalty. You will be greatly rewarded for your time spent helping me.”

"You... want to see the Patriarch?" Chione blinked at the drawing of a crown, misunderstanding his meaning completely. She drew a Nara with long, angular horns underneath the crown, and gave Mally a look of puzzlement. "Patriarch of the Nara? I doubt he'll see you. He won't see us common folk."

Yes! She was finally clueing into who she was! “Yes! I’m royalty! I’m Prince Malakath! Come on, we can leave now!”

"...?" Chione heard him say his own name and then gesture to the crown. Wait, was he saying he was a noble? Perhaps the Hasai were demigods and lived a mortal life, even with such power. When Mally gestured to the beach again, the realization finally struck Chione of what he wanted. "Wait, you want me," She gestured to herself, "To take you," She then pointed to the spot on her crudely drawn map. "To Kemet Beach?"

The prince nodded his head with a great amount of enthusiasm “Yes! You know the land! You will be my guide!”

Chione busted out laughing at his enthusiasm to travel to Kemet Beach. At his expression of displeasure, the Nara uttered one word with a shake of her head.

"No." Chione shook her hand in dismissal. "No, no way. There's drakes, crocodiles, and venomous snakes along the river and I don't have a boat. There's no way I'm walking there."

Malakath had certainly learned what her word was for ‘no’ over the week. He took her hand again. “I can’t afford to wait. I need to go to my people now. They need me.”

"Crocodiles." Chione etched the reptile in the mud alongside a huge drake. Then, she shook her head once more. This was the only way to get him to understand. He seemed sincere, but she was not taking him into a death trap of a landscape. "Drakes. Not safe."

“I’ve killed Dragons.”

"Are you really that insistent upon going?" Chione sounded exasperated.

This was going to be difficult. She tried to think of a way to get him there without the river. There were sand rays, but that was a long shot. Sand rays were really picky about who they allowed upon their backs to be carried across the desert. Not to mention, sand rays required a token for their efforts. What could she offer?

Touching the jingling adornment one horn, it was all the jewelry Chione had left. Her family was gone. It was just her now. To part with it was nearly an unbearable thought. Sand rays adored shiny trinkets and she was sure it would be accepted. But... if Mally had to go, she could not deny him. After all, with that kind of power, he had to be someone important. Perhaps his Hasai deity would look upon her with favor.

It appeared she would not make it to the market today. The desert was just a short walk away from her own humble abode. Chione silently motioned for Mally to come with her. Returning to her home, she packed him a bag full of food to last the journey. Instead of three days, the sand rays could get him there in one. Once she was finished, she urged Mally to follow.

Malakath was pleased by this course of action. She was doing the correct thing in helping her. Once she was prepared, he followed her lead. Like it or not, she had part of his safety in her hands.

It was an odd structure to approach. There was a set of stone stairs leading to nowhere in the beginning of the vast desert. Chione stood still for a moment, taking in the surroundings. Then, she whistled as loudly as she could. A few minutes passed, but she waited patiently. It was only when the ground started rumbling horribly that she noted Mally's alarm.

"It's okay! It's okay!" Chione assured him. It was not long before the sand ray rose from the ground with a deafening echo emitting from its mouth. As the massive sand ray urged from the desert, Chione quickly knelt on the stairs to nowhere. Tugging Mally's shirt insistently, she nearly dragged him down as well. Sand rays were noble creatures, back from the times of the ancient nomadic days of her people. It was an incredible creature, larger than most dragons, but docile to most.

The gargantuan sand ray stared at Chione with those black eyes and then at Mally. It was waiting to see who summoned him. Taking off the adornment from her horn, she held it in her upturned palms as an offering with her head slightly bowed. She made sure to speak with the most elegance she could muster.

She asked, "Please, oh guardian of the desert, will you take my friend, Mally, to Kemet Beach? I believe there are some like him there and he wishes to return home. I offer you this trinket, adorned with black opals, as a tribute for his passage."

The sand ray clicked in response, eyeing the horn adornment. Pleased with the offering, the sand ray then extended one of its long whiskers to grasp the jewelry. Then, in a flash of an eye, it had absorbed the minerals from the gold and opal. To the sand rays, precious gems or jewels were a source of energy. Then, the beast lowered its head so Mally could walk onto his body.

Malakath watched in wonder at the creature. As he walked on, he turned to Chione, offering a hand. “Come on. We need to continue forward.”

As Mally extended his hand, Chione gave a sad smile and shook her head. It was rather sweet that he wanted her to come, but she could not. She held up one finger, then pointed to her horn, then to him. The trinket was only good for passage for one.

"I'm sorry," Chione gave a soft wave to him as the sand ray started to move. "But this is where we part ways. If you come back to Al-Daida again, come by to see me. I'll miss your company."

Malakath stared like a reptile, his gaze eying the gem she sacrificed to the creature. Was that what was required? A trinket?

Looking at his hand, the prince pulled off a Ruby ring that had been given to him by his father as a gift for his 18th birthday. He could simply get another one. He walked forward and placed it in her hand. “Use this. Come with me.”

"...?! What? No, no, no, this is yours!" Chione protested, not wanting to sacrifice the ring to the sand ray. If a Hasai was part of a divinity, even a small chance, it would not be right to take such a precious token from him! "I'll have to find a way back. It would be useless for me to go with you---hey!!!"

When Mally yanked her onto the sand ray, she saw the whisker take the brilliant ruby and break down the gem for energy. Well, so much for protesting. The stubborn man just had to get his way, didn't he? Chione gave him a brief look of annoyance before sitting down on the sand ray. She gave the immense beast's head a pat as it rumbled in appreciation. At first, the creature simply shifted through the desert dunes, getting a bit faster and faster... until with a giant flap of its wings, it started to soar through the sky.

Malakath watched in wonder as the creature took off through the sky! It was a marvelous feeling to have the air through his hair and hit his skin. Spreading his arms out, he laughed in triumph. “Yes! I’m king of the world!”

"Seems like you're enjoying your first time on a sand ray." Chione snickered a little at his awe of flying throughout the desert sky. Though, it was not a good idea to stand for too long. Gently, she tugged on his pant leg, indicating he needed to sit. "Brace yourself. When they land to get more speed, it will be bumpy."

Malakath took his seat beside her, his grin looking almost radiant. “Chione. This is magnificent.”

He found himself staring into her eyes, a little longer than normal.

"Ramlah Rayan." Chione patted the sand ray underneath her hand, speaking in her native tongue. It was what Mally heard as she spoke due to the language barrier. She was trying to tell him what the beautiful and majestic sand rays were called. "I loved to watch them in their flocks when I was small. You should wait and see when many of them travel together. Leaping and twirling, playing like kids."

Malakath found himself just liking the sound of her voice. Was soothing, like glass he supposed. He nodded along, eying the way her hair flowed through the wind.

It only took a few hours via sand ray to arrive at the other side of the desert. Kemet Beach had black sand from the nearby volcanic mountains which surrounded the Malus border. It was a lovely landscape, providing rich fertile grounds to the borders of Omisha as well. Stopping at another stairway to nowhere, the sand ray waited patiently while Mally disembarked. Chione soothed the sand ray with a few words of praise, asking it to stay nearby so she could have passage back home.

Stepping off gracefully, Malakath took Chione’s hand. “I suppose thanks are in order.”

"Yes, this is Kemet Beach," Chione assured Mally as she carefully took his hand to steady her steps while dismounting the sand ray. "This is where you wanted to come, right?"

Malakath looked at the sand she pointed out. He had certainly received reports of black sand, but had not seen this area himself. The location his ships made landfall on were full of yellow sand, not black. He walked around, scanning for signs of his people. “There has to be someone nearby…”

Taking a breath, he looked to the sky and raised his hands. Once again, he fired a pillar of fire into the sky. The flames burned brightly and acted as a prime beacon. As his flames fizzled out, he took a deep breath, glancing back at Chione as he took a seat. “I suppose we’ll just have to wait.”

Once more, Chione was amazed by the beautiful display of fire. Yet, she then noticed the crackling underneath Mally's feet. Excited, she tugged at his arm and gestured to the striking glass forming with streaks of colorful sand.

"Look! Look!" Chione bent down to observe the formation of glass, which was speckled with the various colors of black sand. "Isn't it beautiful? This can also happen when lightning strikes sand. It takes its own shape unless molded by careful hands. This is very expensive, all the nobles have a piece."

Looking down, Malakath's eyes widened. Sand meeting fire, of course! For someone of his talents, he could craft whatever he chose! Perhaps, a gift was in order.

Motioning her to step back, he fired a stream of fire at the sand. Carefully, and it took a few attempts, the end result was a necklace made of glass. Picking it up, Malakath could feel that it was fragile as it was dazzling, but it would hold its form as long as it wasn’t dropped. “Here. For you.”

"... you want me to take this?"

Chione carefully took the crafted glass and stared at the marvel of such a fine piece of jewelry. There were no precious gemstones or gold embedded into it, but nevertheless, it was still beautiful. Though, she mistook the purpose of the piece. Chione thought it was a head piece instead of a necklace. So, she took one end and attached it to the left horn and then the right, a small section of the necklace drooping over her forehead. Horn adornments were very popular in Naran culture, as a way to show off and to signal status. The more adornments, the richer the individual.

Malakath watched in wonder as she placed it upon her forehead. She made her own intent behind beauty. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone, even a Hasai, as beautiful as you my dear.”

"Thank you for the horn piece," Chione knew that a sign of thanks in Naran culture was to briefly touch heads. Females were usually gentler with approach, rubbing foreheads for a moment or so, while males were more heartier, maybe even a headbutt for those who were close. She did not think it would be a good idea to suddenly do this without knowing his people's customs. The last thing she wanted to do was offend. So, she could only smile as a token of thanks for the time being. "I'll be sure to wear it as often as I can."

Malakath looked around, spotting a good tree that could shelter them from the elements. “I’m going to set up a place for us to camp for the night. It shouldn’t be too long I hope until we see other Hasai.”

Nightfall at Kemet Beach was quite a scene to witness. The setting sun made the black sand sparkle with an iridescent light. Yet, since the beach was in proximity to the desert, the temperature was rather cold. Sitting in front of the fire, Chione really wished she had brought better clothes from her modest home. Then again, she really had not planned on accompanying Mally to Kemet Beach.

Turning the fish, Chione checked to see if the meal was done and then offered the largest one to Mally. When he stared at it, the botanist then took another fish roasting over the fish and eagerly bit into it. The flavor was wonderful.

For a treat, she had gathered a few coconuts from the surrounding palm trees. Now, that had been an amusing event. Mally had been ready to throw a fireball at one of the fruits, but Chione climbed the tree with ease. She was not sure if his sudden strident words had been from concern or surprise. With her strength, it was no feat for her to climb the tree nor to open the coconuts. The Nara simply bashed two of the coconuts to split the fruit in half.

Rubbing her arms, the Nara inched slightly closer to the fire. While she could tolerate extreme temperatures from the desert, the cold at night was not exactly kind.

Malakath was doing his best to not visibly shiver from the cold. His homeland didn’t have cold nights like these, so frigid and cold. Yet he would not look weak in front of Chione.

He kept the fire going, making it blaze bright with a snap of his fingers every once in a while. Looking to the Nara, Malakath flexed a smile. “It’s amazing you live in a country with cold nights like these.”

"Thank you for stoking the fire again," Chione offered Mally another fish and piece of the coconut. "At least the trees block a bit of the wind."

Malakath looked around, staring up at the stars. He liked to imagine he could feel the heat, even with them so far away. Scooting closer to Chione, the Ocho scratched his chin. "I wonder how much your people would be open to becoming part of the empire."

Chione noticed Mally staring at the sky. Was he looking at the constellations? Taking a small piece of driftwood, the Nara staring outline some of the stars. Then, she connected the stars to show the various constellations in the sky.

"Daiden the Drake. Aliyah the Sorceress." Chione named each for Mally. "Amek, the Mother of All. Temsah the Great Jaws of the River."

Was she pointing out constellations? Malakath supposed he could do the same. He pointed upwards, pointing at other stars. "Ghidorat, the Great Destroyer. Mothberra, the Cosmic Flame. Both in tandem, flying in each other's path."

Gently, his free hand reached out to grab hers.

"My father was an astronomer, and my mother sold flowers." Chione knew he could not understand her, but it still felt nice to talk. "He once gave my mother a piece of a fallen star as a gift. We buried her with it. Then I buried him with the piece of her horn." It made her sad to think of her parents. "I'm their only child, so... I miss them. But sometimes, when I look at the sky, I think they're still there. Watching from the heavens."

When Mally took her hand, Chione gave it a soft squeeze.

Malakath looked to see her expression soften. Her eyes seemed different, filled with remembrance. Something lost perhaps? When she squeezed back, he spoke gently to her. “I wish you would come with me. I know that every motion you’ve made has been one of kindness to help me, yet you seem content staying here. I could provide so much more for you.”

"It'd be nice if we could understand each other," Chione laid back on the leaves she had gathered earlier to use as bedding. "Maybe one day. Come, you need to rest." She patted the spot beside her. "Let's sleep."

Malakath eyed the spot beside her. Walking over and lying down, he took a breath and waited for her to lie beside him.

"I hope you sleep well." Chione slept curled up, with her knees to her chest. Most Naras slept this way to conserve heat at night. It was not long before she was snoozing peacefully.

Malakath watched her slowly shiver. She shouldn’t have had to be like this. Carefully, he wrapped his arm around her, providing body heat to the Nara.

“You’ll be okay.”

The early morning sunrise caused Chione to stir lightly. She did not want to get up yet, even though there was work to be done. Her herbs and flowers needed to be watered and weeds needed to be pulled. True, she did miss market day, but the botanist could always sell some goods to the local apothecary. Comfortable, Chione purred slightly at the warmth, not wanting to move, and snuggled further into the source. In her half-asleep mind, she had forgotten about being at Kemet Beach.

Malakath was in deep sleep, perfectly content as he rested. His body had naturally spooned Chione, holding her closely, his arm still comfortably around her.

Talking. Who was talking? Chione grumbled softly and started to blink open her sleepy eyes... when she saw men with weapons in front of the extinguished campfire. Alarmed, the Nara jumped to her feet, nearly tripping over Mally in the process. These men resembled Mally's race, but were a different color. When they brandished their weapons at her, Chione hissed, on edge at their sudden appearance. What did they want?!

One of them stepped forward, grabbing Chione by the foot and dragging her away. As she hissed and roared in defiance, the albino skinned soldiers pressed an ax to her throat.

Just as another raised a blade to strike her down, he was suddenly kicked away by Malakath.

“Away you fools!!! I command it! Lay a hand on her and you won’t see another sun!”

The other soldiers were quick to obey, fast to back away from the Nara. Once he felt that they were going to stay in line, Malakath walked over to her, helping her up on her feet. “Are you okay?”

Chione yowled when one of the guards dragged her, kicking him in the balls. When the other suddenly put the weapon to her throat, she froze, leaning her head back in the sand as far as she could away from the blade. Had she come all this way to die?! As Mally saved her from being hacked to pieces, Chione was still on edge, her tail spiked and her eyes narrowed. These men seemed to listen to Mally, but she did not trust them not to hurt her. Taking his hand, Chione got to her feet, and peeked over at the intruders, standing very close to Mally. It was obvious the Nara was frightened. Her tail curled around his leg tightly to prevent him from running off as she tried not to tremble.

"Soldiers. They're my soldiers." Malakath held her shoulders, rubbing them to calm her down. Bloody Skurge. Loyal Hasai, perhaps to a fault. He turned his gaze back to them. "And I'll ram my fist through the face of any who dare harm her."

"And who is she, that she's so important?"

The prince turned his gaze to who would dare speak in such a term. His eyes widened when another Ocho rode towards him on the back of a Griffon. "Sister?"

The Hasai Princess had green skin like her brother, except her hair was black with white streaks. Unlike her brother, she was adorned in fully battle armour, with arm bands that had emeralds in them. Her mount stared daggers at Malakath and Chione, ready to strike if given the command.

"Indeed. I must say I'm... happy, to see that you are alive, Malakath."

The prince cleared his throat, and stood up straight. Sure she was. She had a duty to look for him and bring him back home, but if he had died on this journey, that would only help her own plans as future Empress. "It is good to see family."

Turning to Chione, the prince gestured to his sister. "Chione. This is Princess Silvia. My twin sister." The prince made a motion that he and her were bonded together. "Silvia, this is Chione. She is a local that helped save my life and nursed me back to health. I would be greatly upset if anything happened to her."

Mally was trying to soothe her, Chione understood this. His words had a reassuring tone. Yet, Chione was still quite spooked from the incident. While her tension eased slightly, she stayed glued to Mally's side, eying the guards with disdain. When the woman on the griffon approached, Chione noticed the similarities between her and Mally. The beast did not seem happy nor did the lady. Who was she? Was this woman his family?

As Mally gestured to the woman and then himself, Chione hesitantly leaned forward a little and gave a few sniffs. Yes, his scent was similar to hers. The two had to be siblings. Yet, the woman had a radiating aura of malice. While Chione did not like her, she was being cordial for Mally's sake. She did not want anything negative with weapons to start again. When Mally spoke her name a few times, she tried the foreign title on her tongue.

"Sil... vi... ah." Chione repeated after him, asking for clarification if she was pronouncing his sibling's name properly. "Mally. Sil-vi-ah?"

“That’s good Chione. Silvia.”

“Mally? You pick up a pet Malakath?” The prince frowned, holding onto Chione protectively. Seeing that this was a subject to not be poked at, Silvia pointed to a boat pulling up by the shore. “Father wants to see you back at the homeland to report your findings. Immediately.”

Malakath slowly nodded, sighing. “Give me a moment with her?”

Silvia pondered this, before nodding back. “Very well. Two minutes. The rest of you, prepare for liftoff.”

Once everyone had given the prince space, he turned to Chione. He gestured to the two of them together, then the boat. “Will you come with me Chione? I know I can be good to you.”

Not protesting when Mally pulled her closer, Chione watched the woman with careful eyes. No, she did not like her. Something was *wrong* with that woman. As Silvia departed, Chione released a breath she did not release she was holding. She also did not mean to wrap her tail around his leg so tightly. It was a bit embarrassing to feel so afraid and then immediate relief. Sheepishly, she uncurled her tail from around Mally's leg so he could move freely.

However, when he pointed to the boat, then the two of them, Chione was very surprised. He wanted her to come?! Away from her homeland? She barely knew the man! What was he thinking? Those people just threatened her! No, it was bad to jump to conclusions. Perhaps things were different with his people. Something was causing all of them to be on guard. She helped him because it was the right thing to do, but was not going to follow him any further. While he was obviously important to his people, and Chione had no clue Mally was a prince, she was not ready to go with him.

"I'm sorry, but my home is here." Chione shook her head lightly, not wanting to hurt his feelings. "You are very sweet, but I know nothing of you or your people. You seem very important to them. You're a someone, I'm... a no one." She gave him a gentle nudge toward the boat. "You belong with them. I belong here."

Malakath had picked up on a few words from Chinone. Some numbers, and yes and no. Speaking in her tongue, he shook his head and held her hand to his chest. “You… are not… a no one.”

"You're sweetheart." Chione gave him a soft smile as he held his hand close to his heart. It was nice having company for a time. She was often by herself, with only her garden for company. "Go home. I'll be okay."

Malakath, placed a gold ring into her palm, shutting it close. "This is for you to give to the flying beast. You keep the glass I gave you."

The prince looked into her eyes one more time, letting go of Chione. For now. "And this, is so you don't forget me."

With one hand around her waist, and the other gently caressing a horn, he leaned in closely, planting a warm, pillowy kiss upon her lips.

Jewelry? Why was he giving her jewelry? Oh... the sand ray, it would need a trinket to take her back home. It was so kind of him to be considerate to part with a golden ring. Chione did not want to have to sacrifice the beautiful horn adornment he made for her. It was her sole treasure.

As Mally pulled her in closer, earning a loud purr from touching her horn, Chione allowed herself to be kissed by the strange man who was washed into her life by the Aaru River. Maybe this was a way his people said goodbye or expressed thanks. She was not sure, but she supposed one of her own customs was not harmful if he wished to try his. As the kiss parted, Chione rubbed her forehead against his as a sign of affection.

"Be safe, Mally."

Malakath longed to take her. But that was not his destiny as of today. Instead, he simply made his way back to the docked boat.

Getting on board the deck, Silvia was watching him closely. “Careful brother. A kiss can lead to a bond.”

“I know what I’m doing sister. Who I choose to love is my choice.”

“Just be careful.” Silvia went over and hugged her brother. “Don’t think otherwise. I was worried for you.”

The prince crossed his arms, unconvinced. “Really now?”

“When I become Empress, I want you to see my triumph.” Least she was honest, he thought. “Is there anything I can get you Malakath?”

The prince paused, an idea coming to him. “Yes… yes I do. Go along the shore until we find another Nara. We need a local that can teach us the language of their people.”

Silvia didn’t laugh at the idea, her own mind thinking it over. “You want to see her again, don’t you?Are her people a resource, an ally, or an enemy to the Kikai Empire?”

“They are a strong people. I think they have the blood of dragons, like us, sister.”

“…Fine. We can do that.” Silvia raised a curious brow. “You know, we could pick up a few others from this continent. Could do us good to get accustomed.”

Malakath nodded. Turning back, he saw Chione taking off back into the air. Clenching his fist, the prince made a promise. “I will see you again."

______________________________________________________________

Previous Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/738965846876160000/glass-love-and-desire-ch-1-foreign-prince-in-a

Next Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/741967992284381184/glass-love-and-desire-ch-3-folded-into-the

Prequel to The War of Fire, written with @ridersoftheapocalypse

#comments appriciated #Hasai #Nara #Malakath #Chione #writing

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bhaipinelight · 11 months

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Kun-Faya-Kun farmaa jaadan, asaan kol twada haasa Khshiyan hi chik mahi deti ty paasae paas gaaunsa Nafas paleet paleet keeta, Asaan asal paleet na aasa Furqat khair kharab keeta, aasan zaati hasay khaasa

Chirdaan een chareeda yaar, Waja Allah wali taar Waja Murshad wali

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hatutannews · 6 months

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Governu Kompromete Hasai Membru PNTL Sira hosi Grupu Oioin

Hatutan.com, (11 Novembru 2023), Díli-IX Governu Konstitusionál liuhosi Ministériu Interiór, sei hasai membru Polisia Nasional Timor-Leste (PNTL) hosi grupu oioin ne’ebé sira envolve hodi serbí de’t instituisaun, povu no Estadu. Continue reading Untitled

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#Governu Kompromete Hasai Membru PNTL Sira hosi Grupu Oioin #Ministru Interiór Francisco da Costa Guterres

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brainbakerymag · 2 years

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Hasai Mache shares vibrant 4-track offering 'Mr. Hunchback'

Hasai Mache shares vibrant 4-track offering ‘Mr. Hunchback’

Virginia’s Hasai Mache has returned with a new 4-track EP called Mr. Hunchback. Containing memorable vocals laid atop dynamic, colorful instrumentation, this project draws from an eclectic combination of genres including hip-hop, alt-pop, electronic and more. Showcasing his versatile sound and personality-rich songwriting, this project makes for a refreshing listen overall. The EP opens with the…

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bananaboat16 · 7 years

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Hasai!

#cats #gatoslindos #gatos #hasai #Arena

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startrekandwars · 4 years

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Comprehensive List of Force Users

Jedi Masters

Hu Aszong

Titles: High General, General, Jedi Master

Bio: A Kel Dor Jedi who has trained several Jedi before his padawan, Aurak’razi. Hu is a thoughtful man, whose lessons are not always what his headstrong padawan wants to hear. His age brought him a lot of patience to put up with a great deal and he often finds that being patient eventually means they will learn. He is not often one for a practical joke, though when the mood strikes him, he can become a menace to whoever chooses to enter the same room as him. Hu specializes in healing through the force which makes him perfect for dealing with headstrong padawans who get hurt a great deal. One of hu’s other padawans was none other than Almenia Costa.

Pavi Bevu Dooku

Titles: High General, General, Jedi Master, Countess of Sereno

Bio: A half Zabrak half Human Jedi Master who, by accident, is a second-generation Jedi Master. Her mother was half Iridonian and half Dathomirian, leading to Pavi getting the traditional Nightbrother Tattoos that were her blood right as an infant. She was apprenticed to Yan Dooku, partially out of Dooku’s guilt for what happened to her mother and partially because he wanted to train her so she could be the best Jedi she could possibly be. She lost both of her arms to an explosion as a padawan and had to relearn how to do most things relating to fighting and day to day actions. She trained Jedi Knights Alana Oreson and Ramirhe Jacora. She primarily teaches lightsaber combat forms to younglings and padawans in the Jedi temple. Pavi is a very centered Jedi who is more likely to have fun than people give her credit for. She spends a great deal of time keeping tabs on Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and the antics he has gotten himself into

Jaan Kuran

Titles: High General, General, Jedi Master

Bio: A Human Jedi Master who ended up taking on Matahd Sa as her third padawan. She is not the first Jedi to pick a fight and tends to be more relaxed when it comes to padawans. She is a fairly calm and relaxed Jedi who is willing to take the time to bring out the best in anyone, no matter how long it takes and no matter how odd it looks.

Arif Bageeh

Titles: High General, General, Jedi Master

Bio: A Mirakula Jedi Master who trained two padawans before Baves Urety. Arif spent much of his time before the clone wars traveling the galaxy to learn more about the force, which included spending several years on Dathomir between his first two padawans, as a result, sometimes when he uses the force it resembles Daothmirian magiks. Arif is very open about his feelings when it comes to his padawans. He is a bit less open about his relationship with fellow Jedi Master, Jaro Tapal, but that is a consequence of his time as a jedi. Even though Arif is blind, as all Mirakula are, he can still see through the force and specializes in force visions. He is a talented fighter who uses a dual bladed green lightsaber, though due to his relationship with Jaro Tapal, they often switch lightsabers to the point that some of his padawans don’t know which lightsaber is actually his. Arif had an almost eternally optimistic outlook that only shattered when he was around Jaro Tapal, or if his padawan was not present. Over the years he has collected a surprising amount of random skills, including fixing droids, ships, first aid, and how to mix drinks.

Almenia Costa

Titles: High General, General, Jedi Master, Hero of Corellia

Bio: She was a Togruta Jedi master who only trained Matahd Sa as her padawan. She spent much of her time arguing over little things with her padawan though cared deeply about him. She specialized in using shatterpoints in the force during lightsaber combat, and she had hoped that her particular specialization would help her teach Matahd how to let go of other’s emotions. Almenia was very proud of her padawan and was always willing to brag to any Jedi who would listen. She ended up dying over Corellia and left behind a holocron, lightsaber hilt, and robe for her padawan.

Jedi Knights

Alana Oreson

Titles: Jedi Knight

Bio: A half Mirilian half Human Jedi Knight who mostly helps with the younglings. She is a highly skilled healer who does not often go out into fights, finding she can help more in the temple, healing the many Jedi who get hurt during the course of the war. Much like her master, she is very calm and patient, though if the need arises she is a skilled duelist who is not to be trifled with. Alana often lets herself get roped into pranks lead by padawans and younglings against other Jedi Knights. She has considered taking on a padawan several times but never committed.

Ramirhe Jacora

Titles: General, Jedi Knight, Count of Clan Jacora

Bio: A Human who comes from Concordia. His family is a long line of proud mandalorians, and while he has read a great deal about them, he has only been to his home Star System twice. Ramirhe is a headstrong and selfless Jedi who would much rather put himself in danger than anyone else. He lost his left leg as a young knight protecting Senator Alyeil Laygos. Ramirhe, like his master, is a skilled duelist though he finds most of his comfort in a starfighter where it is less likely he will have an issue with his prosthetic leg. He has a mixed relationship with his origins, and he tries not to talk about it. Though his men all know that he is fluent in Mando’a and he does wear some pieces of traditional mandalorian armor as a part of his Jedi robes. Ramirhe ended up marrying Alyeil about three years before the Clone Wars began, and his marriage is pretty well hidden for the most part (though if you ask his Commander it’s as plain as day). He did train one other padawan before taking on Aubewem. His previous padawan barely becoming a Knight 2 years into the Clone Wars.

Ses Hasai

Titles: General, Jedi Knight

Bio: A Mon Calimari Jedi Knight who specializes in underwater combat. Ses is a fairly cheerful Jedi who is often found meditating or swimming if he can find a body of water that will allow him to swim in.

Jedi Padawans

Matahd Sa

Titles: General, Commander, Jedi Padawan, Jedi Knight, Jedi Master, Hero of Corellia, High General of the Rebellion, Vassal of House Organa

Bio: A Togruta Jedi Padawan who was first apprenticed to Almenia Costa, and then to Jaan Kuran. Matahd is too aware of other’s emotions to the point of it being overwhelming. As a youngling, he would sometimes lose focus on himself and see either what was happing to someone he was closed to or what might happen to someone he was close to. He often argued with his master, Almenia Costa about little things that in truth didn’t matter, though he did respect her. At the beginning of the clone wars he watched as his master and most of his men died in a fight over Corellia. He ended up barely winning the fight, though it almost cost him his life. As a result, any of his surviving men stayed in his command and were called the Corellia 200. He tends to be more reserved and he’s less likely to do something without thinking it through. He also refuses to send people into dangerous situations knowing it might get them killed. At some point, he realizes he has a crush on Clone Commander Eagle, though during the war he never admits this. With Jaan Kuran as his master, he was allowed to hop around different battle assignments to go where he was either most needed or to assist some of the Jedi he knows personally, his preference being Obi-Wan Kenobi or Anakin Skywalker. None of the Corellia 200 call him Commander Sa, they all call him General Sa even though he’s tried to get them to stop since he never makes it an order they don’t have to listen to him.

Shiro Isiabill

Titles: Commander, Jedi Padawan, Jedi Knight, Ambassador of Alderaan

Bio: A Human Jedi Padawan apprenticed to Plo Koon. Shiro was apprenticed to Plo Koon after personally traveling to Dorin to meet with his new master. Plo Koon agreed to take him on as his padawan. He seems to have an uncanny ability to find anything beautiful about a planet he goes to so long as he has had some time to sit down and meditate for a few minutes. Shiro isn’t necessarily likely to argue with his master, but he is very likely to question his master’s choices, mostly because he wants to understand why he is doing something. Shiro is a better pilot than he is a duelist, and as a result, he spends a lot of his time learning how to duel better. At some point, he realizes he has feelings for fellow padawan, Aurak’razi, and the two begin a hesitant relationship. This relationship is one that his master likely suspected even if the two never directly addressed the matter.

Aurak’razi

Titles: Commander, Jedi Padawan, Jedi Knight

Bio: A Twi’lek Jedi Padawan apprenticed to Hu Aszong. She is headstrong and is not afraid to voice her opinion when she believes older Jedi are wrong, though mostly this shows up with her arguing over choices her fellow padawan, Matahd Sa, made personally. Aura has a gift for befriending animals and people alike, even if she rarely uses it to her advantage. At some point, she realized that she had feelings for fellow padawan, Shiro Isiabill, and the two began a hesitant relationship.

Sari Nebi Dendup

Titles: Apprentice, Jedi Padawan, Commander, Princess of Onderon, Queen of Onderon

Bio: A Human Jedi Padawan, former Sith Apprentice, apprenticed to Obi-Wan Kenobi. A princess and heir to the throne of Onderon in the Japrael system, she was given to the temple by her parents as a toddler. Two years into her time at the temple, she was kidnapped by the Dark Jedi, Xanatos. As his apprentice, she learned the ways of the dark side and received some sith tattoos on her forehead and cheek. After Anakin Skywalker became a Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan had an encounter with the young Sari and managed to convince her to give up the fight. Obi-Wan talked her down from being a sith and she agreed to become his padawan. Shortly after, Obi-Wan and Sari had another encounter with Xanatos, leading to Obi-Wan getting knocked out. Sari killed her former master, leading to Obi-Wan being disappointed, though not surprised. Sari is primarily closed off and hesitant to trust people, though she does start to make an effort to be more open to the 212th, leading to a friendship with Waxer and Boil.

Baves Urety

Titles: Commander, Jedi Padawan, Jedi Knight, General

Bio: A half Mirilian half Mirakula Jedi Padawan apprenticed to Arif Bageeh. Baves is a fairly optimistic padawan, even if he sometimes stumbles because of his fear. He often feels safest near his master or within arms reach of any clones. He often acts like a little shadow. Given the right encouragement, Baves could be an excellent healer, though he rarely applies this as a skill. In high-pressure situations when he isn’t near someone he finds familiar, he will often panic or drift into an emotional state where he isn’t in full control, and instead of using the force he gets used by it. Most of the time, he spends his free time with Shade, pulling pranks on Commander A’doxx or learning what he can from the clones.

Aubewem

Titles: Commander, Jedi Padawan, Inquisitor

Bio: A Rattataki Jedi Padawan apprenticed to Ramirhe Jacora. She is a talented force user who has made it clear that she wants to learn from her new master. Sometimes she is very impatient and doesn’t often consider the multitude of reasons she might not be allowed to do something, instead she is likely to challenge her master, something he allows because it provides him with an opportunity to turn it into a learning situation. Eventually, Aubewem gets captured by the empire and spends over a decade as an Inquisitor until an encounter with Matahd Sa where he manages to talk her down and get her back to Ramirhe Jacora, where she relearns how to use the light side of the force.

Uneyu Sum

Titles: Commander, Jedi Padawan

Bio: A Nautolan Jedi Padawan apprenticed to Ses Hasai. She is very sweet and would rather spend her time listening to stories that people could tell than learning how to fight. She spends a great deal of time learning how to assess battles in 3-D environments, which includes underwater combat training- her least favorite task.

Other Force Users

Rosahi Tos

Bio: A Cathar who eventually meets Cal Kestis and gets trained by him. Rosahi was adopted by Greez, where they learned not only how to smuggle, but gamble as well. Rosahi’s unique ability to see shatterpoints in any situation makes them a formidable combatant, and often times it won’t even look like they did anything severe to a person.

Shosh’mebe

Titles: Commander

Bio: A Twi’lek who gets adopted by Eagle and Matahd Sa. She gets trained by Mat in both lightsaber combat and how to use the force. She is a skilled lightsaber combatant, who like her adopted father, opts to use two lightsabers in a fight.

Saseli Laygos Jacora

Titles: Countess of Clan Jacora

Bio: A Human Force user and the daughter of Ramirhe Jacora and Senator Alyeil Laygos born a few months after Order 66. Saseli was trained by her father in combat and in use of the force, though she later chooses to walk away from that and becomes the Countess of Clan Jacora House Kryze.

Tavidal Laygos Jacora

Titles: Ambassador of Lothal, Senator of Lothal, Commander

Bio: A Human Force user and the son of Ramirhe Jacora and Senator Alyeil Laygos born two years before the fall of the Republic. Tavidal was also trained in combat by his father, and uses a great deal of force persuasion in politics as he follows in his mother’s footsteps and becomes a senator under the name Tavidal Laygos. He does get involved with the rebellion and briefly is known as Commander Mirhe Jacora.

Jinn Nebi Dendup

Titles: Prince of Onderon, General

Bio: A Human Force User and the son of Queen Sari Nebi Dendup and Boil, born sometime after the fall of the Empire. Jinn ends up getting trained in the force by Aubewem, to his mother’s eternal amusement and dismay. Much like his mother, he is very sure of himself and will often do what he thinks is right, even if he’s not.

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