#Jetra Avaki
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OC-tober day one!
Prompt: Journey
Taglist: @talesfromaurea @hellishhin @thelaughingstag
And a special Event Tag for oc-tober: @oc-growth-and-development
For this one I’m doing two things! First, I finished the maps of the rest of Azeria and I’m too proud of them to wait to share haha. The heroes journey across a significant amount of this map throughout the story.
I’ve also included some snippets of each character leaving home for the first time, as it’s the beginnings of their journeys here.
Maps up first!! Behold, the full continent in all its massive size and glory. Super proud of all of this, I think it looks awesome. Also please excuse the repetition of the name labels and compasses and that stuff, I have the maps all on separate pages and wanted to make sure they can stand alone as well.
[Image Description: Six hand drawn maps, each showing a portion of a continent. Besides the northwest corner and a small exclave on the west coast, most of the land is of the country Azeria. The other parts are part of Leinos. The continent is covered in deserts, plains, hills, and rainforest/jungle. Off the western coast is the fog-shrouded sea of dragons, and off the eastern side is the vast ocean of Aksir-Atan. To the north is the Ikarron ocean./end ID]
Now for the snippets!
Gonna put them below a cut so this doesn’t get too long.
“Yep. I’m tired, Ardos,” Faulkron said, moving to push past.
“Of what, son?”
“Well first of all, that! Stop saying that, you know I’m not your son,” Faulkron said with a growl.
“Well first of all, that! Stop saying that, you know I’m not your son,” Faulkron said with a growl.
“Maybe, but I raised you, didn’t I?”
“I don’t care! I’m sick of all this! I’m tired of being here, with you!” Faulkron snapped.
Ardos’ face fell further, and his shoulders sloped. “You don’t mean that, do ya?”
Faulkron groaned and leaned against the wall, throwing his free hand into the air. “Maybe I do! I don’t know! I don’t even know who I am, Ardos! This town is all I know, but it isn’t me! How am I supposed to live like this any more?”
“Oh, a simple life ain’t so bad-“
“Yes it is, da— Ardos,” Faulkron quickly corrected, turning away.
“You almost called me dad,” Ardos said, a tiny kindling of hope in his voice.
“We all slip up,” Faulkron said, the coldness of the words making him almost regret saying them. Almost.
“You’re sure you wanna leave?” asked Ardos, voice much softer than it had been before, and laced with pain.
“Yes.”
“You even know where you’re goin’?”
“No. That’s the point. I’m tired of the things I know, I want something new.”
“I won’t stop ya, son.”
“I know,” Faulkron said as he turned back to face the door again.
“Come back and visit?”
“Ha. We’ll see,” Faulkron muttered, pushing past Ardos and out the door.
“Be careful!” Ardos called after him.
“Hmph.”
“I love ya, son.”
Faulkron didn’t respond.
•••
Fuego
•••
The fog lay, as it always had, like a heavy blanket over the island.
Fuego lit the lamp at the front of his boat with his fire, coaxing it to life and sending the fog hissing back, the slender ship’s front pointed out to sea.
He turned back to shore. His family, friends, the King even, were all gathered on the beach, similar lanterns in hand. The whole island had gathered to see him off as he sailed into what could prove to be a fatal journey.
Fuego took a deep breath, then spoke.
“People of Zul’Zagan! I promise you all, this great journey I’m taking now? It will be nothing compared go the glory of my return! I swear by my life I will sail the sea and find the fire to burn away the Shroud, the gods have decreed it and so that is what I go to do. I will keep you all in my mind, my heart, and my soul. I know these gifts are a thanks for what I’ve done, but it feels wrong not to thank you all as well. This is and always will be my home, and you are my people. I carry you with me anywhere I may sail.”
The king stepped forward, voice regal and booming. “And I pray for smooth seas and a forgiving sky on your quest, Fuego. We will not forget you either, lightbringer.”
The king bowed his head in salute, and Fuego returned the gesture. Waving goodbye to his family, he whooped as he unfurled his sail and his ship leaped forward into the unknown.
•••
Shakari
•••
“Shakari A’Tusaara. You have violated the laws of the Duulza, your people. You have stolen from the Vhamani, those who are your elders and who wield magic you are not yet strong enough to control. You show yourself to have dangerous hubris. Your ambition could be the downfall of all of us, you know this.”
Shakari hung her head. She couldn’t bear to look at her family, watching from the crowd.
“I am aware.”
“So then you know why we must exile you.”
“I do,” they responded, fury and pain boiling inside their chest.
“Very well. Shakari, you hereby lose your place among the Duulza. You are no longer your mother’s child, and have no home in Duulza lands. You will be sent into the desert alone. If you should return and you have not been humbled, you will be met only with blades. If you should return and have made right your crimes, then you will be welcome once more.”
The elder, a rugged-looking dragonborn with sandblown blue scales, stepped forward, magic swirling around their claws.
“I place this Mark on you now. When it has gone, return to us. Remember, you are not above the world, but part of it. A dragon’s ferocity is wasted on destruction.”
A searing heat pressed into their chest, a white-hot symbol appearing on their scales as the elder placed their palm over Shakari’s chest.
“It is done.”
Still wincing from the brand, Shakari turned her back on her tribe for the last time, and walked into the desert.
•••
Jetra
•••
Jetra scowled at the man on the street corner.
“Marakos, the Hero! He died for you, all of you! He fought off a bandit scourge, and sacrificed his life! Honor his sacrifice. Be a hero! Join the army of Leinos! Remember him, and fight!”
She was sick of hearing the army talk about her father like this.
Setting her jaw, she slunk through the crowded streets toward the recruiter.
She snuck up behind him where he was standing on some crates, and before he could spew another lie she kicked the crates out from beneath him.
He crashed to the ground, sputtering, and Jetra took off back into the crowd.
When she was sure she wasn’t being followed, she made her way back to their house.
Her mom wasn’t home yet, so she let herself in. She packed her stuff quickly, and when she’d finished, she waited.
When her mom finally opened the door, Jetra had already made a meal.
They ate it in silence for the most part. They were both tired, and their minds were making all the necessary noise.
When the food was gone, Jetra finally spoke.
“I’m leaving tonight, mom.”
“I suspected,” her mother sighed.
“I can’t take this anymore, and-“ Jetra started.
“Hush, love. The less I know, the better, remember?”
Jetra sighed. “I know.”
“You’ve got everything?”
“Yes.”
“Come here,” she said, opening her arms and standing.
Jetra walked over and sank into her arms.
“I love you, daughter. Please, be careful.”
“I will, mom.”
With that, she stepped out into the nighttime streets of Anikora.
As she walked through the shadowy streets, she saw a small glowing bird appear on a nearby rooftop. It flapped its wings once, then took off. She smiled, and followed it out of the city.
•••
Alejandro
•••
His parents didn’t say why they were leaving, just that it was today. Alejandro wasn’t sure how to feel. He would miss the village a lot. He waved goodbye to all his friends, his old house, the beach, and the rest of the village, as his dad held him on the horse they were riding. His mother was on another horse next to them, with all the stuff they’d taken with them. It wasn’t a lot, because they couldn’t afford that much more space.
When they’d reached the big city, they stayed for a while, before getting on a boat that took them across a lot of water and to another city. Then they were walking again, and they walked with some other people too, people Alejandro didn’t know. There was another kid too, and they played sometimes, but it was mostly boring. They all traveled for a really long time, and Alejandro quickly forgot which way it was to home.
#maps#not story#oc-tober#snippets#backstory#Faulkron Rhodes#the Unterras#Fuego Tamir#Zul’Zagan#Sea of Dragons#Alejandro de la Espada#Barreca#Jetra Avaki#Anikora#Leinos#Shakari#the Duulza tribe#Suraan Desert#Azeria#(Alejandro’s wasn’t as long because I already wrote the big important scene lol)#this was fun#such a cool prompt#first time doing this! hope I did alright
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Welcome to the Jungle
Song of the Seven Suns, Part 9
Summary: Our heroes continue and complete their journey to the Unandi, the Forest of Secrets. Ominous visions and worrying omens abound, and by the time they reach the jungle, they have realized something: they are not alone. They’re being hunted.
Taglist (let me know if you want to be added/removed!): @hellishhin @talesfromaurea @thelaughingstag
content warnings: threats, violence, death and animal death, some mild gore, nightmares, and a decent amount of cursing
word count: ~7000
The rain had stopped by sundown, and the only sign it had happened at all was the hanging gray remnants of clouds that were streaked across the sky. When the sun had finished its journey and the sky had carried its children off to rain another day, the adventurers settled down to rest alongside the world.
As she sat on watch that night, Shakari smiled looking around at her companions. They looked peaceful, in those fading hours of the evening. Alejandro and Faulkron were laying tentatively against each other. Fuego was curled next to the fire like a halfling-sized cat, and Jetra was sprawled among the soft dirt and grass, a ghost of a grin on her sleeping face. But as Shakari watched the fading embers and smoke of their campfire mingle with the stars above, she couldn’t help but be reminded of her visions. If what she had seen was true, then this peace wouldn’t last long.
When the morning broke and the sun lit up the drops of dew like shining silver beads, that same strong wind was blowing from the north, whistling across Shakari’s scales as they led the group forward. They were getting closer now, and Shakari could smell the anticipation on the breeze, bringing them ever closer to the rainforest. The tree cover was getting thicker, and the hills higher. A few days more and they’d reach the edge of the forest, and there’d be no turning back then.
As they made camp that night, Shakari found herself staring once again through the branches above and out at a sky full of shining shimmering color.
The branches swayed overhead, and the stars blinked in and out of view with each gust. She sighed. It was always so much easier to see the sky at home. She supposed she’d add it to the list of things she missed about the desert.
As they were gazing upwards, they heard Faulkron walking over to them. He sat down next to Shakari, looking toward the sky as well.
“What’re you thinking about?” he asked after sitting in silence for a few moments.
Shakari looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
“The stars.”
He nodded, still staring upward. “They’re beautiful here.”
“Yes, they are,” Shakari smiled. “Were they not beautiful in the Unterras?”
“Oh, no, they were, it’s just that the constellations are so different. It’s neat,” he said. “What were the stars like at your home?”
“Oh, they’re stunning. You feel like you can see straight into the heavens,” Shakari said, a wistful sigh escaping their lips.
Faulkron smiled at them. “Sounds nice.”
“It was.”
“You miss it?”
“Often.”
Faulkron hesitated, then cocked his head.“Then... why’d you leave?”
Shakari looked at him for a long moment before answering. “I had to,” Shakari said, turning back towards the sky.
He didn’t say anything further, just sat quietly. Eventually, she heard his steps retreat toward the campfire, and she closed her eyes, trying to ignore the gaping hole in her chest.
•••
Jetra slowly blinked her eyes open, groaning as she sat up from the ground. None of the others were awake yet, so she stood up and stretched, beginning to rekindle the fire to make breakfast.
As she was stoking the flames, she stared off at the landscape around. She’d woken up quite early that day. She wasn’t sure if it was because she just slept wrong or because of anxiety, but either way it was beautiful. The eastern sky was a pale blue that said the sun was on its way, the dawn’s rose-gold light dancing along the gathered clouds.
She turned back northward, the path they’d come from. Thoughts of Leinos swirled in her head, but she ignored them best she could, trying to stay in the moment.
And as she gazed toward the horizon there, she was struck out of her reverie.
A small figure stood on a distant hill in billowing clothing, too far to make out anything. Jetra scrambled to standing in a futile attempt to see better. When she looked again, the figure was gone.
So much for ignoring anxiety. She was on edge all day, and she checked for the figure again and again, but saw nothing. She wanted to dismiss it as a branch or some other thing mistaken for a humanoid, but she couldn’t shake the notion that someone could be hunting her already. She had no doubts the Crown could mobilize that fast, but for them to have already found her...
It was no surprise, then, that she couldn’t sleep that night. Since she wasn’t sleeping anyway, she offered to take first watch and at least make use of the time.
Her eyes were focused on the northern horizon the whole watch, but again nothing showed itself. Just as she’d begun to give up, though, there was a sudden rustling from behind her.
Sword out and magic at the ready, she whirled around, but it was no attacker.
Lying on the ground where she’d been sleeping, Shakari convulsed. She was curled into a scaled ball, sunlight pouring from behind her eyelids as she hissed.
Jetra cursed, dropping her sword, and ran to her friend, shaking her vigorously.
“Shakari! Shakari! Gods- Shakari! Wake up!”
•••
The sand blew strong across the dunes, grating against Shakari’s scales. They stumbled through the clouds of dust, searching for the place they knew they always returned. As they took struggling steps forward, they felt a sickening crunch. Looking down, Shakari could see their foot had crushed a withered skull. She looked down around her, and realized there were bones everywhere. Humanoid, beast, an impossible number. Around where Shakari stood, the dried husks of trees blew and broke in the wind. There, right in front of them, a single drop of water evaporated from the shadow of a pool in the cracked ground.
Horrified, Shakari fell to their knees at the bottom of the empty pool, searching for any sign of water, or the Spirit. Above them, the sandstorm let up, and the sky cleared for a moment. Shakari looked to the sky, hope restored, but the light did not last long. Within seconds, the world around Shakari had turned to darkness, no sun nor stars nor moons to guide their way. Above, in the center of the sky, burned a ring of fire.
As Shakari grimaced, shielding her eyes from the sight, a faint voice cried against the gales of hot wind. “The eclipse... it is doom’s herald just as you are my herald. It comes for you now.”
Shakari wrenched their eyes fully shut as the sun returned in a blaze of light and heat. Opening their eyes again, they were back in the jungle. The jungle remained still and silent, and Shakari fell backward into the foliage, disoriented.
As she stood again, she swore she could see the glint of blades in the shadows, flitting like birds amongst the trees.
“Beware, Shakari,” whispered the fading voice, rippling in the silence of the jungle. “Beware...”
•••
Shakari suddenly shot awake, breathing heavy, grabbing Jetra’s arm with an iron grip as she was shaking her.
A faint light was still receding from Shakari’s eyes as her breathing steadied and she slowly released Jetra’s arm.
“Are you okay? What in the nine hells happened?” Jetra scanned Shakari for any remnants of whatever curse took hold of her, but there was nothing.
Shakari groaned, sounding exhausted despite having just been sleeping. “I’m fine. Just a vision.”
Jetra stared at her with equal parts shock, amazement, and confusion.
“I- Not to be an ass, but that didn’t look like ‘just a vision’,” she said.
Shakari sat up, shaking her head. “It was more intense than normal, but not anything that will harm me,” they reassured Jetra with a sigh.
“Alright, well, you should get back to slee—“
“Jetra.”
Jetra stopped speaking as she saw Shakari stiffen, following their eyes across the camp to where Faulkron was sleeping.
There, their friend lay convulsing, sunlight pouring from behind his eyelids.
•••
Leaves and branches flew past as Faulkron ran through the jungle, dodging blurry indistinct projectiles as he made a mad dash toward an unknown destination.
What am I doing? I don’t run, he thought to himself, but he couldn’t stop, no matter how hard he tried.
He ran for a long time. Too long. So long that by the time his shadowy pursuers had fallen away, whatever they were, he had forgotten when he had started, or even what time it was. His surroundings were starting to blur away too, the jungle foliage distorting just enough to look real from a distance, and for Faulkron to get very very lost.
As he stumbled in some random direction, he heard a whisper come out of the brush, and as he turned to fight off whatever danger had come upon him, he saw an old man walk out of the forest.
Faulkron could not see his face, only ancient weathered skin, long elven ears, and a once-ornate walking stick and cloak.
“You have finally found us,” the old man said quietly.
“Who the hells are you?” Faulkron asked, not lowering his sword.
He got no response. Instead, the old man began to walk back into the forest, beckoning for him.
“Hey! You didn’t answer me!” Faulkron yelled at his back. “What the fuck...”
The old man kept walking, as if he knew something Faulkron didn’t. Faulkron groaned, then started off after him.
Twisting paths through the jungle opened and closed for them in a haphazard maze, until they reached their final destination. A grand obelisk, carved from ancient wood and marked with age-old inscriptions. The old man turned back to Faulkron at last.
“Journey here.”
“How? I don’t even know where ‘here’ is.”
“You will know. You will see the signs.”
•••
Faulkron awoke with a jolt to a clawed hand on his shoulder. Blinking slowly, he let his breathing slow as he remembered where he was.
Jetra peeked out from over Shakari’s shoulder as they both stared down at him. “What the fuck is going on, you two?”
“Why should I know? I just woke up! What’s happening?” Faulkron said, bewildered, turning to Shakari.
Shakari said nothing. She was staring at Faulkron, a curious look on her face, her expression unnervingly still.
Then, quick as her face had fallen still, she broke the hush that had fallen over the trio.
“What did you see?”
Faulkron raised an eyebrow. He’d seen a lot, but what was he supposed to say?
“It was just a dream, I don’t know, it was—“
“Different?” they cut him off, still eerily calm.
Faulkron raised an eyebrow. “What does it matter?”
“That was no dream you had, Faulkron. That was a vision.”
Faulkron stared at them, looking for any sign that they were pranking him and finding none. He chuckled nervously. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m afraid I am,” Shakari said, staring right back.
“But, don’t only people like priests and clerics get visions like that? Why would I get a vision?”
Shakari shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve had visions before, but not at the same time as someone else.”
“Great, that doesn’t clear anything up. I just want to know what’s going on,” he said, agitation beginning to build as he got more questions than answers.
“If you want to know the meaning behind it, remember what you saw. There’s meaning hidden in it, if it was anything like mine. I can help you decipher it, if you’d like.”
Faulkron hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Okay, thanks, I think. Do... do you get visions often?”
“No,” Shakari said, “But as we get closer to the Unandi I have seen... more than normal.”
Faulkron narrowed his eyes. “Good or bad?”
“Neither,” she said, meeting his gaze. “Some have warnings, some guidance. Some only have vague clues and metaphors. What I make of the things I am shown, and what fate awaits me, has yet to be determined.”
“That’s not much of a comfort.”
“The future rarely is.”
Faulkron grunted in agreement.
“So... what did you see?” Shakari asked again.
“An old elf, I didn’t know who he was. I was running from something, I don’t know what, but then I started getting lost. That’s when he found me. He came out of the jungle and he told me to find him at this weird obelisk. I asked him how and he just said I would know, all cryptic and shit, and then I woke up.”
Shakari frowned. “That is a strange vision. I think the meaning is clear, though. Find this elf, whoever he is, and speak to him.”
“Yeah, I thought you’d say that. I just don’t understand the rest of it. Especially the ‘how’ part of finding him.”
“I don’t either. I’m sure it will make sense in hindsight, but until then, I suggest we continue making our own way. If the man in your vision is to be trusted, we will find him somehow.”
“That’s good, I think.”
Shakari chuckled, but there was no smile in it. “Let’s hope so,” they said. “If you have any more visions, tell me. Such omens don’t do well when they’re ignored.”
“Will do,” Faulkron replied. He laid back down, shaking off his uneasiness and making yet another attempt at sleep.
•••
Shakari walked back over to Jetra, who had returned to sitting on watch as the other two spoke.
“Jetra, I’ll take the next watch.”
Jetra looked up at her from her position, cocking an eyebrow.
“You sure? You got woken up pretty roughly-“
“I won’t be able to sleep. I need some time to think anyway.”
Shakari could see Jetra scanning her face, and tried to push down any look of worry or turmoil she might have worn.
Jetra seemed to not notice, and she finally spoke. “Alright. I heard you talking about the visions and stuff over there, are you alright?”
“Yes, just need some time to process.”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll, uh... leave you to it. Wake me if you need something.”
“I will.”
Before Jetra laid down, she turned back to Shakari. “If you don’t mind my asking... what did you see?”
“I’m not sure how to describe it. In the simplest of terms, it was... bad.”
Jetra nodded, then promptly crawled over to her spot by the fire and passed out.
As Shakari waited for dawn that night, the scenes of her dream played over and over again in her mind.
The dried oasis, full of bones.
The eclipse. A false night, a ring of fire.
The shadows, the hidden gleam of blades.
The jungle, the silence, and the warning:
“Beware.”
•••
Over the next two days, the sun hid behind the clouds, only sharing its light in scattered moments when the blanket of gray pulled apart.
As they traveled through ever-tougher terrain, Faulkron occasionally shared a significant look with Shakari, and though neither said a thing, there was a silent understanding. Both were still on edge, searching the wilderness around them not only for danger, but also for any indication of omens or signs hidden among the hills and trees. Though Shakari found none, she couldn’t help but feel that her vision would be relevant sooner rather than later.
Shakari noticed that Jetra, too, seemed wary as they approached the Unandi. Every so often, she would look back over her shoulder, brows furrowed, and mutter something to herself before catching up with the rest of the group.
“You seem agitated. Are you alright?” Shakari asked, approaching Jetra as they broke camp on the second morning of cloudy skies.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I just... I thought I saw something.”
Shakari didn’t like the sound of that. Jetra’s voice had an edge to it that didn’t match It’s usual strength. “Saw what?”
“A couple days ago, I thought I saw someone, on a ridge some ways behind us. But when I looked again they were gone. I’m not even sure if it was just a trick of the eyes, but considering everything...”
“You think someone might be following us.” Shakari finished.
Jetra nodded, casting her eyes back to the north. Shakari scanned behind them as well, hoping her dragonborn senses might be able to spot something Jetra couldn’t, but the only movement there was the wind in the trees, the slow crawl of the clouds across the sky, and the swaying of the grass.
“I don’t see anything, but I’ll keep an eye out,” Shakari said after a minute of looking.
“Thanks,” Jetra said. Then she picked up her lyre and her gear, and they began the next day’s journey.
As they traveled among the hills that morning, however, it became clear they were not the first to do so. Faulkron was first to spot the signs of humanoid passage through the terrain; a footprint here, disturbed branches or brush there. He quickly pointed them out to Shakari, voice tense.
The group fell silent, and they began to creep through the long shadows of the morning, following the loosely connected trail. Shakari could sense the unease among her companions. The fact that a trail should be found just after Jetra mentioned being followed was a correlation she wasn’t excited to explore, and the trail was hidden enough that it was clear that whoever made it knew what they were doing.
“Be careful,” Faulkron whispered, crouching in the underbrush as he followed the trail. “The tracks are pretty fresh, they could be anywh-“
Suddenly he stopped. Just as Shakari looked over to see what was wrong, they felt cold metal press against the scales on their throat.
Faulkron slowly stood up straight, a similar blade against his neck, short and curved into a deadly edge. Behind the wielder of the sword stood an extremely tall figure, who stepped out from the trees as the rest of the companions froze.
The goliath wore light garments, with furred gauntlets and simple hide armors. His dark gray skin was covered in brightly colored tattoos, and he held a masterfully crafted spear. Shakari recognized the clothing. Azerian.
“Who are you?” asked the goliath. “Why are you tracking us?” He glared at Faulkron.
Faulkron only glared back, even as the blade pressed into his throat.
Shakari spoke up quickly before the situation could go sideways, calling the man’s attention away from Faulkron. “Friend, we mean you no harm,” she said, then hissed at the goliath behind her as the blade scraped lightly against her scales.
The leader turned toward Shakari, forgetting Faulkron for the moment. He gestured to the goliath behind them to lower the blade.
“Let them speak.” He paused, looking them over. “Are you a’azeri? Your clothing does not look like that of Leinos.”
Shakari nodded, rubbing her throat. “Yes, I am Azerian. Like I said, we mean you no harm. We were unaware of who we were tracking, and we had some unfortunate encounters earlier in our journey, so we were being cautious.”
“Hm. You seem to be honest enough, but I too must be cautious, and you have yet to explain why you and your friends here have come so far into the wilderness. Our lands do not often get friendly visitors from the north,” he said, his voice grim and stony.
“We seek to enter the Unandi, and I’m guiding them there. We’re heading south, out of your territory, and we had no intention of trespass. Now would you please release my friends?”
The leader gave a small nod, and the rest of the group was released by the other warriors.
“Forgive my quick suspicion,” he said as he turned to all of them. “I have heard rumors of our sister tribes in the Engawe deserts under attack by Leinai warriors, and did not want our people to befall similar fates. My name is Jaloda.”
Shakari froze. “Wait. What did you say?”
Jaloda raised an eyebrow. “Have you not heard? There has been conflict at the Engawe border. It seems the Leinai king may be attempting to reignite the war.”
A hush fell over the area, and Shakari felt a sickening feeling settle in her stomach.
“That can’t be right, why would they...” she trailed off, looking back at Jetra and Alejandro. They looked just as shocked and full of dread as she felt.
“It’s only whispers, but worrying ones nonetheless. If anything, it’s a few skirmishes. They may not become anything, but...” he trailed off, but Shakari understood. There was a history. It was better to be cautious. “But, since you and your friends are not assassins or mercenaries or otherwise, and do not seem to wish us harm, you may pass peacefully,” Jaloda said.
Shakari let go of a relieved breath. “Thank you, Jaloda. I am Shakari, by the way.” It was customary to trade names if one had been given, but in her shock she’d forgotten. “We’ll just get going,” she said, gesturing to her friends to follow as she walked away from the Goliaths, who hadn’t moved. As they left, she turned back to Jaloda. “May your people continue to be safe and strong.”
“And may your journey be well and swift,” he said with a small nod.
Shakari returned the nod, and they set off again into the woods, the tension of the encounter slowly uncoiling as the distance grew.
“What the heck just happened?” Fuego asked Shakari once they were a good space away.
Shakari sighed. “A lot of things. Mainly, we were mistaken for sellswords who were preparing to attack Jaloda and his people.”
“Well, we are sellswords, but why would we be after them?”
“Apparently, there’s been skirmishes on the eastern border. They were worried our presence might be another one in the making, and they acted preemptively.”
Fuego went quiet for a moment, looking off through the branches towards the eastern sky.
“Everyone keeps talking about the war. The King, the attacks, all these things. And when Jaloda mentioned it, everyone but me and Faulkron looked like they’d seen a ghost,” Fuego said quietly.
Shakari turned towards him, caught off guard by the waver in his voice.
“What...” he trailed off, frowning. “What happened? Why is this place so wounded?”
Shakari sighed. Old stories resurfaced in her mind, as she recalled the warnings and tales of her people when they spoke of the war. “Their people betrayed ours. They tried to conquer us and failed. Though we reached peace again, much was lost on both sides. It was a long time ago... but not long enough,” she said. “The wounds are still fresh, to some.”
Fuego nodded slowly. “And obviously, if it happened again, that’s really bad.”
“Right,” Shakari said. “Which is why the rumors about the border are so troubling, for all of us.”
Fuego pulled his gaze away from the sunrise and towards Shakari. “Then... what do we do?”
Shakari sighed. “I’m not sure.” Her mind returned briefly to her visions, and what this could mean, but she pushed away those thoughts for now. “My instincts tell me to continue on our current path. After all, if no one escalates the situation it will likely blow over. It’s not as if war has broken out just yet. And if it does... well, we’ll face it then.”
“Together?” Fuego asked, still taking it all in.
“Together.”
•••
As they traveled that day, they left the soaring, drier hills behind, descending into a maze of smaller forested valleys. Trees, shrubs, and wildflowers of all sorts and colors grew in frequency as they neared the jungle. As the morning turned to midday, midday to evening, and evening to night, the clouds only thickened, and it seemed rain was close at hand.
The next day only proved them correct. The clouds had darkened and begun to sprinkle rain before they’d even been traveling an hour that morning, and it rained most of the day, ranging from downpour to drizzle as the skies shifted. When they finally made camp that night, the whole group was wet and tired, and eager to dry off by what fire they could muster.
The horizon was impossible to see clearly, but a blanket of green seemed to barely linger there through the haze of the rain, and there was a buzzing in the adventurers’ hearts as they realized they could see their destination ahead.
Once a firepit had been made, and the kindling lit with a gesture from Fuego, the group lay about, recovering from the day’s exertion and enjoying the comfort of rest and shelter from the rain.
“Mm-mmh. That’s good stuff. Anyone wanna play dice?” Fuego asked, mouth still half full of the hare they’d caught and cooked that night.
There was a chorus of agreements as they all gathered around, and for a few moments, they all forgot about their worries. Whether it was the rain, the rumors of war, looming threats and promises, or just thoughts of home, all were forgotten as they sat around the fire, smiling and laughing and letting themselves relax.
Some time into the night, a particularly unlucky throw of the dice caused an uproar around the campfire.
Shakari had just, by some unfortunate stroke of fate, gotten the worst combination possible on the dice in the game they were playing. As the others all groaned in sympathy, she made a strikingly shrill undulating noise somewhere near a growl but not quite there. After a moment of shock, Jetra gave a hearty bellowing laugh.
“That was the most wonderful yet insane sound I’ve ever heard!” she cried.
Shakari, after clearing her throat and recovering from her slip, scoffed. “Yeah, you think that’s something? You should hear a baby dragonborn when they’re upset. Terrifying little shriekers,” she said, shivering as the others laughed.
Jetra smiled along with the group, then her eyes went wide. “Wait, Wait! I’ve got an idea!” she said, starting to rummage through her pack with frantic haste. In a few seconds she had pulled free her journal.
“Can you do that sound again?” she asked Shakari, a crazed but eager look on her face.
The others had stopped laughing now, curiosities piqued by the glimmer in Jetra’s eye.
Shakari shrugged and went along with it, interested to see what idea had struck their friend.
They made the sound again, and as they did, Jetra grinned, tapping her finger gently on her journal as she found a rhythm. She asked Shakari to do it a few more times, all the while scribbling in the journal with a feverish intensity.
“Your trill — if that’s what you’d call it?—has just inspired me to write a new song,” she said, grinning. “You’re all about to hear a very prototype version, but listen to this and tell me it isn’t awesome.” As she pulled out her lyre, she nodded to Shakari, and as the sound was made, Jetra played alongside it. Though it was rough in places, the combination produced a fascinating cadence, somewhere between a bird’s call and the buzzing of insects made into musical form.
They all agreed it was fascinating, and for a while as they sat around the campfire, they listened and experimented with it as Jetra scribbled notes. In time, they all returned to their game, but when it was over, and they had all begun to drift off to sleep, Jetra returned to the journal, refining the harmonies well into the night.
•••
That following morning, Shakari woke up before the sun. Again, they found their thoughts racing, unable to find true rest despite the calm of the night before. Three visions in so little time, and the last one more ominous than most they’d received so far. It was a worrying sign, and they might’ve turned back if not for the fact that the visions themselves were urging them into the rainforest. The edge of the forest was near, and the fog was laying heavy over the valleys.
As they stared up into the barely-lit gray sky, they thought over the events of the visions once again... and found they were still utterly confused.
Shakari let out a long sigh. What were they even supposed to find in the jungle? Why did the place keep showing up in seemingly unrelated visions? Why was Faulkron having visions all of a sudden? What did any of it mean? Too many questions, not enough answers. Internally cursing the Spirit’s cryptic habits, Shakari picked themself up from the ground, deciding that they might as well do something useful and hunt down breakfast.
She got up, heading to the edge of the camp. From there, she stalked the pre-dawn shadows for unsuspecting critters, focusing in on the hunt and attempting to rid thoughts of visions from her mind. Even as she moved among the trees, she could feel the doubts lingering at the back of her mind. She was distracted enough that she missed her first target entirely, and was forced to search the woods for her wayward hunting spear.
After finally finding it, she resumed her hunt, inching farther and farther away from the camp as she became more absorbed in escaping her thoughts.
Then, through the trees, they saw an okapi, grazing on the plants of the valley. It was not unusual for them to wander a little away from the jungle, but this one had chosen the wrong day to go exploring. Shakari readied their hunting spear, but just before they could hurl it at their prey, the creature shifted, walking forward and positioning itself behind a large tree, still entirely unaware but apparently very lucky.
Shakari growled quietly, moving back into the underbrush to get a better angle on the beast. This went on for a while, as Shakari quietly followed the apparently very flighty animal in its paths through the foliage. Finally, she had pursued it to the edge of a stream, and it had paused for a long drink. Now was her moment. She readied her javelin once again, preparing to strike. But in that moment, she hesitated, nostrils flared and ear-slits open. Something was off.
As she scanned the area again, she felt an uneasiness creep along her spine and settle into her gut. That’s when she noticed it: the okapi wasn’t actually drinking from the stream. It was only lowering its head near it and mimicking the motion. On the air hung a faint smell, a pungent undercurrent against the clear air of the woods: the scent of decay.
But before she could react to what she saw, she felt magic flow through the clearing. Ahead of her, the okapi began to burn from the inside. Plumes of dark gray smoke billowed away from it, searing the flesh away to reveal something beneath.
Shakari cursed, hurling her spear before the transformation could continue, but the spear simply lodged itself in the burning side of the creature. Its face, flesh receding to reveal the creature’s skull, turned toward her, smoke pouring from the eye sockets. Then the not-animal collapsed to the ground. Shakari growled, drawing her blade and summoning every ounce of magic she had, preparing for whatever the monstrosity she’d been unknowingly hunting would do next.
Crawling out of the haze was a hellish creature. It looked like a small ape, but Shakari knew it wasn’t one. Folded and bent on its back were ruined wings, and its fur was the color of the smoke that was filling the clearing. Its eyes were a bright, cruel red, and it regarded Shakari with a vicious, intelligent malice. A low rumble built in Shakari’s throat, every muscle tensing as she stared back at the monster. Never taking its eyes off of her, it crept slowly but steadily closer, barbed tail swishing behind it.
Then it grinned, awful and inhuman, eyes flashing crimson. In a flash of movement, it leaped at her, claws extended toward her throat.
She roared in response, exhaling and sending a bolt of lightning blasting the creature backwards into the stream. On contact with the water, the creature howled in pain, instantly leaping out of the creek.
It hissed at her, but she gave it no time to act. She leapt across the stream after it, slashing down with her sword. Her blade cut into flesh, but in place of blood she drew only wisps of smoke from the monster. The creature cackled, then swiped its claw through the air, sending the smoke swirling back around both itself and Shakari.
With another roaring exhale, she blew the smoke away, but the creature was gone, disappeared into the shadows of the woods.
They waited a few moments, searching their surroundings for any sign of the monster, but found none. Then her heart sank. She’d left her friends unguarded. Shakari began to sprint back to camp, adrenaline and electricity coursing through their veins in their haste.
•••
Faulkron had heard Shakari leave, roused from his light sleep by muttering and the rustling of gear. He hadn’t slept heavily that night, racing thoughts keeping him out of the deeper ends of unconsciousness. The early hours of the morning were in and out of sleep, and he knew Shakari was up, likely with a similar problem to his own. When she grabbed her spear and went hunting, he’d asked no questions, but taken it as a good reason to finally get up.
He wondered how often Shakari had visions like the other night, and if there was some correlation between their visions and their reasons for joining them. When he had left home he hadn’t expected he’d end up traveling with a prophetic dragonborn, but here he was.
Oh, how strange the path to glory is proving to be, he thought to himself.
As he prepared the fire for breakfast, his quiet contemplation was interrupted by a shuffling in the branches outside their campsite. Shakari couldn’t be back that soon... could she?
“Shakari? That you?” Faulkron called out.
There was no response.
Faulkron slowly reached over to his sword, grip firm on the hilt as he watched the brush for whatever unwanted visitor hid in there.
“Who’s th-“ he started to say. But before he could finish, a small mongoose popped out of the bushes; the source of the rustling.
Faulkron chuckled, relieved. “Oh. It’s just an animal.” It began to walk towards the camp, and he held himself still, not wanting to spook it. Once it had moved a little closer, and seemed comfortable with his presence, he spoke. “Hey little guy. Whatcha doin’ here?”
The mongoose looked up at him, cocking its head. “Talking to you,” it said, a small raspy voice echoing from its tiny mouth.
Faulkron blinked a few times in shock. Was he still asleep? Hallucinating?
“Did you just talk to me?”
“Yes. I’ve come to talk to you.”
Faulkron looked around him, but no one else had woken up. “No way. I’m imagining you, I have to be.”
“You’re not! I’m just as real as the rocks and trees, I’m afraid. I’ve come to guide you.”
Faulkron blinked a few times, but the creature didn’t disappear. “Alright, fine. I guess a magic mongoose isn’t the craziest thing I’ve seen so far. Guide me to what, though?”
“Your destiny!”
“That’s vague and unhelpful,” Faulkron said, unamused. At this point, he was more than tired of all the cloudy answers.
“And your current guide isn’t? The dragonborn with all the mysterious visions of cryptic futures? Please,” the mongoose chuckled, perching on a pile of rocks.
Faulkron felt suddenly defensive, though he wasn’t sure why. “Watch it,” he said, narrowing his eyes at the talking critter. “They’re my— I mean, I trust them.”
The mongoose put its tiny paws in the air. “I meant no offense! I’m only saying that your future isn’t with them. Your future is yours to seize! I’m here to help you capture it. All you have to do is follow me.”
Faulkron looked around at the others. They were still asleep, undisturbed by the conversation. As his eyes fell on Alejandro, lying peacefully nearby, something seemed to move and settle in him, like a gentle hand combing through soil.
“No.”
“What do you mean, ‘no’?” The mongoose hissed, leaning forward on the perch.
“I’m staying.” Faulkron said, finality resounding in his voice as he made eye contact with the creature.
“Fine. I’ll take you myself then,” the mongoose said, a sudden venom to its raspy voice. Smoke began to curl from the creature’s fur, a noxious cloud shrouding the rocks where it had been sitting.
“What the hells...” Faulkron muttered, grabbing his sword.
He quickly unsheathed it, but not fast enough to parry the barbed tail of the creature that leaped from the smoke. The barb sank into his shoulder, and it burned like twenty wounds. He cried out in pain, but the creature just latched onto him, hissing and clawing toward his chest and face.
Before the creature could attack him again, he locked his hand around its throat with a grunt. It squealed, trying to jab at him once more, but he held it away from his chest and threw it to the ground as hard as he could, shoulder still on fire. It slammed into the dirt with a thud, and while it was stunned, he took his chance, pinning its tail with his foot.
It struggled against him, clawing at the dirt and trying in vain to scramble away.
“No! How?!” It screeched and snarled at him, baring long fangs. “This isn’t supposed to happen! A thousand curses, you-“
Faulkron cut off its desperate wriggling by plunging his blade straight through its chest. As it squealed out its death throes, the tail twitched, and he twisted the blade for good measure. Smoke kept curling out of the creature, and before long most of its body had burned and boiled away until all that was left was blood-red ash and chunks of horrid flesh.
“What the fuck was that thing?” said a very grumpy-sounding Alejandro, walking over to look at the immolating carcass, clearly still groggy and definitely not happy about having been woken up.
“I have no clue,” Faulkron responded, still staring at the thing. He had thought at first that it might’ve been the sign he was supposed to be looking for from the man in his vision. Now that notion had been scattered, and Faulkron was unsure what to do as he stared down at the creature. What was left of it answered no questions; ragged wings, coarse fur, ape’s form, and vicious claws wasn’t exactly a common combination.
He’d never fought something like this before. Would there be more of them? What did it mean? And why did his shoulder hurt so damn bad- oh.
“Holy shit, you’re hurt,” Alejandro said, an almost frantic whisper overtaking his usual timbre. He moved Faulkron around to get a better look and gasped in horror. “Oh my gods, what is that stuff?”
Faulkron craned his neck to look at his shoulder, where he could see that the blood that seeped from the wound was quite literally boiling, pungent steam hissing off of it. Faulkron started to shrug, but the wound speared him with pain when he tried, and he quickly relaxed his shoulder again. “I dunno, probably some sort of poison-”
“Who’s poisoned? What’s happening?” Jetra said, sitting up. “Also, what’s that smell? Did Fuego eat too much again?”
“What? Huh? What’s going on, I’m awake, who needed me?” Fuego mumbled, popping up from his sleeping spot at the mention of his name.
“Both of you shut up and pay attention,” Alejandro hissed. “Faulkron got stabbed by some sort of scorpion-mammal monster thing, and it’s bad. Jetra, help? Fuego, keep an eye out for more.”
Fuego grabbed his sword, standing up on a rock to search the foliage around the camp even as he shook off a yawn. Jetra quickly got up and walked over to Faulkron as she grabbed her medicinal herb pouch, her face suddenly intense as she studied the wound. “Oh, gods. This isn’t a normal wound. This is... whoa. Yikes. Okay, okay,” she said, giving Faulkron a meaningful glance, “follow my instructions. I need you to hold still and think of something that means peace.”
Faulkron started to protest and question, but Jetra cut him off. “Just do it, man. I need something to focus the healing through. Memories and emotions are both easy and powerful focuses, but you gotta work with me.”
Faulkron sighed and nodded, closing his eyes and trying to find some sort of peace. Almost on instinct, he thought back to the moment before the thing attacked him, when he made the decision to stay: that settling, grounding, heavy calm that was still as nebulous as before.
When he opened his eyes again, the burning was gone. The wound was being bandaged and was still bleeding pretty badly, but the roiling venom was nowhere to be found.
Jetra gave him a small smile and gently patted him on the good shoulder. “See, wasn’t so bad, was it? Glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem,” she smiled. “I got your back.”
Faulkron felt that feeling creep up again, and as he looked around at his companions, he realized he had never been more sure of a decision before, and found himself smiling softly.
“Hey guys? Hate to interrupt but, uh... where’s Shakari?” Fuego asked from his perch, worry laced thick in his voice.
Faulkron’s spirit fell, his mind racing to concoct a thousand different dread answers to that question. He was about to respond when something came barreling through the growth.
“Look out!” Shakari yelled, brandishing her blade. “There’s-- ah.” She paused as she took in the site of the scuffle. “They already tried to ambush you?”
“Yeah,” Faulkron said, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, a little surprised at just how relieved he was to see Shakari okay. “Speaking of those things, since I guess you already know, what are they?”
Shakari’s battle stance faltered, and she deflated a little. “I wish I could tell you. The only thing I know is they aren’t natural,” they said, panting slightly.
Faulkron grunted in agreement, and the others began hastily breaking camp. He wondered if the old man from his vision could tell him what the creatures were.
“Do you think more will come, Shakari?”
Shakari sighed, tearing her eyes away from the shadows of the wood behind them to meet his.
“I don’t know, but it’s likely. Creatures like that don’t just attack for no reason.”
“So something bigger is happening here?”
“It would seem so.”
“Ugh, great. Well, they weren’t so tough this time, let’s hope it stays that way,” he said, taking one last look at the spot where the thing had died. “And we should stick together. No more solo hunts.”
“Agreed,” Shakari said, a look of deep contemplation set into their features. “Thankfully, we are heading into Azeria. We may be able to figure out what these things are there.”
Faulkron nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking. We need to find the man from my vision. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the vision had things chasing me, and then for us to be ambushed like this…” he trailed off, letting Shakari infer the rest of what he meant.
Their eyes flashed with grave understanding, and with a nod they all set off toward the jungle.
•••
They arrived at the rainforest around midday, cresting the final hilly remnants of the valley and staring through the low fog out over a sea of dense verdant green. As they pushed into the edges of the forest, the grasping walls of the jungle began to stretch into the hills, until the last visions of the rocky valley were lost to the brush and branches of the Unandi.
Even as they delved into the forest itself, they kept their eyes scanning the terrain behind them. Yet still they saw only the calm of the valley and the silence of the foggy trees. And in the back of their minds, they knew that calm was much more sinister than it appeared. Something was hiding there, following them; something truly wicked, waiting with claws outstretched for them to let their guard down just once.
Part 8 | Part 10
#Song of the Seven Suns#post 9#cw violence#cw death#cw animal death#cw gore#cw nightmares#cw cursing#alternative title: the gang gets anxiety#The Forest of Secrets/The Unandi#Azeria#Leinos#Shakari#Faulkron Rhodes#Jetra Avaki#Alejandro de la Espada#Fuego Tamir#very Shakari-centric chapter this go around#I’m excited for arc two y’all#thanks for reading!
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🧐 for the assorted wip asks! (For any OC)
Ohh okay so this is an interesting one! Thank you for the ask!
“Write an analysis of one of your characters from a reader’s perspective.”
Gosh this is hard. Okay. Gonna roll a dice and see which OC it is lol.
And the dice say Jetra! Here we go :)
Okay, so Jetra. Out of all of the characters, it’s clear she’s the most intricately connected to the setting itself. She’s a member of an illegal organization in Leinos, her father was an influential figure as a powerful adventurer, and she has been shown to have connections and history across Leinos (Horakes, whoever she sent that bird to, and everything that was said about her avoiding the law repeatedly).
And you’d think that she’d take an almost elevated role in the dynamic of the cast because of all her knowledge and the fact that she brought the group together, but she doesn’t, which is an interesting choice. But I think that says more about her than it does the author’s intent. She clearly was on a very personal quest that was urgent to her, but she wasn’t oblivious to the rest of the cast, and now they’re all friends in some capacity. I found it funny because it almost seemed accidental on the part of the characters. But I do think that’s a very common thing to see with casts of rpg characters, so it’s neat to see each of their personalities lending to that happy accident.
And as far as her character itself, she’s wonderfully chaotic for someone whose goals (and all the backstory we’ve got so far) are full of such serious and intense things as treason. I think her instant attempts at friendships/camaraderie with the other characters are also an important factor of uniting the rest of the group (considering how different they all are).
What I really wonder is what’s gonna come of all those connections I mentioned as they head into the jungle (and Azeria). The ordeal with Dymea doesn’t seem like everything Jetra’s backstory’s gonna throw at them, and I think it’ll definitely come back around, especially because of Horakes finding her amulet and sending that bounty hunter. I’m also curious to see if that whole “chaos and fun loving” thing she has going on lasts through the story. Hope it does, but who knows where the story could turn.
(wip ask game)
#not story#long post#character stuff#Jetra Avaki#ask game#ashen-crest#this was an interesting challenge#getting rid of everything I already knew to just focus on what I’ve posted so far was weird but fun#thanks again for the ask!
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Song of the Seven Suns, Part 8
Summary: The ragtag group of friends leave Koretion behind, deciding to head southward into the region known by the Leinai as the Forest of Secrets, a dense rainforest separating Leinos and Azeria. It is a long journey through the wilds, and as the group travels onward, events begin to be set in motion beyond our heroes’ vision.
Taglist (just ask to be added/removed!): @hellishhin @talesfromaurea @thelaughingstag
content warnings: death mention, trauma mention
word count: ~4800
That night, when the streets were still again, Jetra gathered her companions to explain all that had happened, as well as her own story. She had dragged them all into this, it was only fair.
Shakari had come to her room the night before, intent on making sure she was okay, knowing that the events of the last few days had been emotional. She hadn’t given any straight answers that night, but she had appreciated the comfort, and she did want to tell them.
The others were curious too, she could tell. It wasn’t so much whether or not to tell them, so much as how to tell them that was proving to be her problem. It wasn’t one she usually had, considering words were her specialty, but she was pretty sure gathering her friends around a table and just dropping her life story wasn’t quite the way to do it.
When they had all made their way back to the tavern and gathered in her room, she realized there was really nothing to prepare for. She just had to tell them. She wasn’t even sure why she was so nervous. She supposed it was because she didn’t want them to judge her for it all, or even worse, decide she was too much trouble to travel with. She really liked all of them, and she didn't want to lose this. It had been too long since she’d adventured with friends, and she wasn’t keen on stopping now.
With a sigh she sat down on the floor in the middle of the room, her friends mirroring her.
“Right. So, explanation.”
Alejandro leaned forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to, you know. I think I speak for all of us when I say it was clear that what happened was deeply personal to you. We’d understand if you wish to keep it to yourself.”
She smiled back at him, caught slightly off guard by his sudden sincere concern. She’d noticed he seemed to do that often, and it was comforting, if still a little off-putting.
“Thanks, Al.” He raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but she continued. “I think I’d like to tell you all though. It’s... important.”
Shakari leaned back, regarding her intensely. “Then speak,” she said with a nod.
Jetra nodded back and took a deep breath.
“My father’s name was Marakos. He was an adventurer in his own right, and a good one too. A lot of people believed he was blessed by the gods, and they were somewhat right. He, uh, he always told me that his greatest blessing was me, though. He was just... like that. All the time. My dad was a really good man. He was always helping people.”
Jetra looked down at her hands, fidgeting with them as she talked. She faltered, looking up again at the others to see all of them listening intently. When she paused, Shakari gave another small nod of encouragement.
She continued, trying to block the river of visions coming back to her as she talked.
“It wasn’t until I was a lot older that I realized how he always knew where and when those people needed help. He was part of a group of... informants, other adventurers, people who wanted to help others. The Company of the Blue Moon, they called themselves. I followed in his footsteps,” she said, waving her hand and dispelling the illusion that hid the crescent tattoo on her collarbone.
Recognition settled onto Alejandro’s face, but the look there was warm, one of familiarity and respect. She let out a small sigh of relief knowing that he was a friend to the Company, being the only other person from Leinos in their group.
“But, the Crown has... different... opinions on the Company, as some of you know. Traitors and terrorists, they call us. My father was a hero, and the crown wanted him for their own purposes. He refused, but they kept coming. They honored him many times over, but he always declined. ‘I am the people’s hero, and that I will stay,’ he’d always tell them. There were times where the Crown’s interests and his aligned, but he wouldn’t work for them. I think they must have suspected our family’s involvement with the Company, because they never stopped trying to get past my dad’s defenses. They tried to involve themselves in every adventure he went on, up until the very last, looking for evidence of his treason. And that’s how Dymea found him,” she said, clenching her jaw as she recounted it all.
“He was meeting a group of brigands that had been raiding around the Heartlands, and she sabotaged the mission. When he showed up ready to negotiate, they were already preparing to kill him. He fought them, because he had to, and he managed to defeat them... and that’s when Dymea killed him. In the aftermath, when he was weakened and off-guard. I know because I asked one of the bandits who was there.” She sighed, closing her eyes briefly, as the memories and the emotions flooded back.
“The worst part is, I had to figure out how my own father died entirely by myself. The crown hid everything from me and my mom. Even my dad’s friends, like the captain of the guard here, Horakes. He often has access to sensitive information, but even he didn't know what had happened. I don’t even know if the body they burned was actually my dad’s. They’ve kept up the lie that he died valiantly obliterating a fictional bandit king for 9 damned years, and they’ve been very clear what they think of me and the Company, what with trying to either enlist me or arrest me at every turn. They don’t like me following in the footsteps of my father while they use his death like a sick propaganda puppet. The only shred of who he really was that’s left... it lies in me and the Company. 3 years ago, I finally figured out the truth, and I've been hunting his killer since.”
A long silence permeated the air as the others absorbed what she’d said.
“I... I know what it’s like to lose people close to you. I’m glad you have avenged him, at least in part,” Alejandro said softly.
She wiped away the tears that had begun to gently trace down her cheeks, and found Alejandro’s face full of sympathy.
“Thank you. I, uh... I’m not done yet. A lot of things have gotta change before I can say he’s been truly honored.”
Fuego had a frown on his face, his brows furrowed. “Well, I for one support you. We’ve all got our purposes in life, you know? You say yours is helping people, making the world a better place, honoring your dad and creating change for the better? I’ll get behind that any day.”
The others nodded in agreement, and Faulkron clapped a hand on her shoulder, violet eyes bright and fiery, with a determined look on his face. He didn’t say anything, but she understood.
She smiled at them all. “I appreciate that, more than you know. For now though, let’s just rest. We’ve earned it. Not only that, we gotta decide where we’re headed next come tomorrow.”
With quick agreements and a chorus of soft goodnights, they all left her room for their own, and she was left in silence.
In that moment of stillness, she stared out the window at the night sky, lost in thought for a long time. Eventually, more out of habit than anything else, she reached for her medallion around her neck.
It wasn’t there.
A brief moment of panic later, she remembered she’d taken it off and hidden it beneath the bed. With a sigh of relief, she walked over and reached under the bed.
However, again, she found nothing. She furrowed her brow in frustration.
I could’ve sworn I left it here, did I forget it somewhere? She groaned internally. Asking around for it is a surefire way to get arrested, though...
Her train of thoughts stopped in its tracks, as she spotted something on the ground by the bed. A bit of cloth, the same color as the guards’ uniforms.
Fuck.
•••
Shakari was in the desert again. They sprinted as fast as their exhausted body could carry them, running for a seemingly endless time towards the hazy image of an oasis. They were breathing heavy and panicky, throat dry and scales too warm for even their liking. In a familiar pattern of desperation, they ran towards the water, drinking sloppily from the pool there, their thirst practically unbearable as the water splashed across their scales, seeming to evaporate almost the instant it left the pool.
As she drank, a familiarly strange voice boomed out over the sands, soft and melodic yet commanding and powerful.
“Herald.”
At the sound of the spirit’s voice, Shakari looked up. The familiar visage of the angel floating above the oasis pool was vaguely humanoid in shape, but shimmering like sunlight on the sea, without any definite form. The spirit’s many wings spread across the whole oasis, and their robes billowed all around them.
Shakari bowed her head. “Spirit.”
“My warning still stands. Dark days grow closer,” the spirit said, gesturing into the pool.
As Shakari looked into the crystalline water, it rippled and changed. In the water, images flashed. The savannas burning. Marching of armies. The darkening of the sun, and hundreds of thousands of souls marching across the stars and on to the afterlife.
Shakari pulled away from the visions, only to find themself in a shadowy jungle. The tangled branches and innumerable vines were utterly still. Nothing moved, no birds called out, nothing. The voice of the spirit faded to nearly a whisper.
“Go south to the Unandi, my herald. Bring the others. Danger surrounds, and dark tides are rising. This is how you change the future.”
Shakari snapped her eyes open, shooting upright in the bed of her room at the tavern.
It had been a long time since her last vision from the spirit, and the fact that one should come now, as they were planning the direction of their next journey, could not be a coincidence.
If the spirit willed them south, then south they would go. Shakari had had enough of running from the visions. They wouldn’t turn away now.
•••
The next morning, the group stood together on a rocky outcropping above Koretion, overlooking the hilly expanse beyond the town, wind ruffling their clothing as the sun crawled up the western skyline.
Alejandro smiled, eyes distant and thrill clear on his face. “So, where to next, my friends?”
“The wind... it seems to beckon southward,” Shakari said, raising one hand to test the direction of the breeze.
“That it does,” Jetra grinned. “We should follow it.”
Alejandro raised an eyebrow at Jetra. “The great rainforest is to the south. Azerian territory. Do you not want to stay here, continue your work?”
Jetra lost her grin and sighed. “Actually, I think I’m gonna need to lay low for a while. After all, it wasn't insignificant what happened here, and the Company was involved. What better place to hide than a place the King could never conquer? And hey, I can touch up on my Azerian.”
Alejandro nodded. “Fair enough.” He turned back towards the sunrise. “You know, I’ve never been south very far. I hear it’s stunning there.”
Shakari smiled. “It is. I should know.”
Fuego reached up to clap Jetra and Alejandro on the back of their arms, smiling as he stuck his head between them. “I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but I’ll never say no to the rainforest. That’s my favorite place to be. South feels right to me!”
They all looked to Faulkron as he thought over their options. There was no reason not to, and he had no business going anywhere else. Besides, he wasn’t very keen on heading further into Leinos. If Jetra’s tale and what had happened here were anything to go on, it wasn’t shaping up to be the calm and peaceful kingdom he’d heard about from the sailors. If anything, it seemed the place was rife with conflict and people vying for control. Not really somewhere he wanted to be, unless he was getting paid.
“I’ve got no problems with it. Where exactly are we going, though?”
“The Forest of Secrets. If we’re lucky, we might discover some,” Jetra replied with a chuckle.
“Uh, why is it called that?” Faulkron asked, unsure he wanted to go somewhere named so ominously.
“I second that question, actually,” Fuego spoke up, looking both intrigued and slightly alarmed.
“It’s called the Forest of Secrets because during the war with Azeria about 100 years ago, they never figured out how to get through it. It’s been the border ever since. King Akeron’s armies won nothing and found nothing in the forests,” Jetra explained.
“Ah. And you’re hoping they won’t find you,” Faulkron replied, the pieces clicking into place.
“Exactly.”
He paused again for a moment.
“Well, what’s in it for us? Won’t we get lost? Why go there?”
Shakari regarded him with intent. “For one thing, I am Azerian. I know how to navigate the forest, and I’ve done it before. When you know where you are going it is much easier to find things like those secrets you speak of. For another, Leinos is not the only place in need of heroes.”
On the word ‘heroes’, she gave Faulkron a pointed look.
Faulkron stared back at them, jaw set as he finally made up his mind. “I came to see the world, so I’m gonna see it. And if you all want to go, so will I.”
With a decision made, and their path set before them, they made their final preparations. Then they set out through the hills.
•••
The sky was clear as they marched ahead, and the wind blew strong across the landscape. Deep in Shakari’s bones, something fell into place, and there was a sort of thrill that hummed through her at the notion of finally going home.
As they led the way through the hills, they could feel the ever-present breeze, whispers of the previous night’s visions dancing on the air and leading them onward.
There was no road to follow once they were far enough from Koretion, besides the natural paths of the valleys and the worn roads of the animals. They went further into the wild every step they took, and it might’ve been scary if not for the encouragement of every part of Shakari to go forward.
There was a strange peace to be found in not knowing where you were going, it seemed, as Shakari looked around at her companions. The further they got from Koretion, they all seemed to breathe easier.
The sun rose and fell across the sky, swirls of color following it like great streamers, and in time night embraced the earth again.
The next day, Shakari rose with the sun, tail swishing through the grass with anticipation as they stood atop the hill they’d rested beneath. As they looked out across the shimmering landscape of the early morning, there was a break in the clouds, and the sun laid down across the hills and valleys, illuminating the vast wilderness ahead. As Shakari took in a deep breath, they could almost see a path, laid out ahead of them in golden light. She smiled, and she knew where to go.
•••
The day was peaceful, a welcome change after the events in Koretion. Faulkron found himself walking alongside Alejandro in an easy cadence, not always quiet but not always talking either. It was simple, and the day was hot but bearable. To Faulkron, the hills weren’t all that different from where he’d been raised, and he fell into the familiar rhythm he’d developed as he’d wandered away from home.
As the sun dipped past the helmets of the hills again, the group settled down in a copse of trees, and Faulkron let the rhythm fall away. Jetra played a song, Fuego told a story of some teenage shenanigan, and they all ate the deer Faulkron and Shakari had hunted down that evening.
It was nice, and Faulkron finally slowed down to appreciate it.
In time, the others had gone to bed, and only Faulkron and Alejandro remained awake, eyes cast up into the branches as they watched the critters of the night run their courses beneath the stars.
Before he could really think about what he was doing, lost in the beauty of the night, Faulkron slipped his hand into Alejandro’s. There was a moment of hesitation and surprise, but before long his hand squeezed back, and they rested together, each comforted by the presence of the other.
In time, after their watch ended, sleep overtook them as well. Hand in hand, they fell into peaceful dreams.
•••
The next morning, the group set out again, with eyes trained on the ever-shifting horizon. As they traveled on, the wind picked up again, swirling around them all as if beckoning them forward.
The hills were getting steeper and steeper as they traveled, their crests reaching further and further into the sky with each mile they walked. Fuego had never imagined he’d travel a world so impossibly large as this, and he welcomed the beauty of it all.
He was taking it all in with a grin from the top of another tall hill, wind ruffling the long blades of grass as well as his own robes. An old and weathered tree stood behind him, its gnarled roots expanding all across the crown of the hill.
His friends passed the hill below, and he waved giddily at them from atop his perch.
They all waved back with varying levels of enthusiasm at his early morning antics. Fuego smiled in return, beginning to run back down the hill towards his companions.
And honestly, the root was hidden. There were long shadows, and rocks, and tall grass. They should’ve been proud he only tripped halfway down the hill.
He tumbled end over end through the grass as his foot was swiped from beneath him by a large but easily missed tree root.
Eventually he rolled to a stop in front of his friends, spitting grass out of his mouth.
Shakari only sighed, and Faulkron shook his head.
Jetra just chuckled, “You’re damn lucky not to have brain damage right now.”
“Well, that’s not entirely guaranteed yet. Come on,” Alejandro said, offering a hand to help Fuego up.
Fuego accepted it eagerly, popping up and brushing his robes off.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. That was pretty fun though,” he said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
Before any of the others could stop him, he took off toward the next tall hill, laughing all the way.
By the time dusk came around, Fuego had gathered a significant number of (easily avoidable) bruises and scrapes from chaotic trips down the hillsides. Likely only through his halfling luck alone did he narrowly miss all the dung piles he rolled past. Regardless, it had at least been entertaining, and the southern horizon was that much closer.
Shakari huffed lightly with amusement as they all made camp. “I guess the wild beasts aren’t interested in eating fools.”
“Aha! See? Just protecting the group,” he said with an exaggerated wink.
They all shared a laugh at that, then finally settled down to rest for the night.
•••
The next morning, the five companions awoke to the oncoming of great clouds. The sun was mostly obscured that day, with only the occasional golden columns shining through the breaks in the clouded sky.
As they traveled onward, Jetra was the quietest she’d ever been.
She was leaving home to hide in a time when her people needed her, and that weighed on her like a hundred anchors. Still, she knew she had to keep going forward. She’d be no good to the Company, or to her people, if she was captured.
It had only gotten worse in recent years. She’d heard whispering among the Company that near the capitol they’d taken to just executing the prisoners, rather than interrogating them. Some said King Akeron III was looking more and more like his grandfather every day. The king kept talking of glorious future, and power to the people, but Jetra hadn’t seen anything of the sort. She was terrified to find out who he was really talking about when he said “people”.
Rumors among the Company’s scouts and spies said that the King was bolstering the cities along the borders, in an all-too familiar pattern. Rumors are rumors, of course, but the fear was real.
If this trend continued, things were only going to get worse in Leinos.
Jetra sighed, kicking a pebble and watching it tumble away. If she let herself fall into these thoughts, she’d be no help to anyone, so she did what she did best. She pulled out her lyre and began strumming a tune as they walked.
She let herself get lost in the music, as she so often did, until she wasn’t even thinking about what she was doing, just letting it all flow out.
In time, her reverie was interrupted by Shakari’s hand on her shoulder.
“Jetra.”
“Huh? What?”
Shakari smiled, eyes squinting with amusement. “Ah, I know that look. My father is a storyteller too. I’m sorry to interrupt, but there appears to be a village up ahead.”
“Oh, it’s fine. And a village, you say? Can you see anything else, or..?”
“Not much past the hills but a smoke trail from their hearth fires. I will say, it looks like it might rain soon, and it will be good to have another place to rest before the trials of the rainforest.”
Jetra nodded back at them. “Yeah, good idea.”
With that, the group made their way towards the smoke, clouds thickening overhead.
As they approached, they could see a small village nestled in the hills, small houses of dried mud and wood gathered around the banks of a stream.
Outside the houses, Leinai farmers and ranchers were finishing the day’s work, and the livestock were settling in for rain.
Faulkron nodded his head at the cows lying among the grass. “You were right, Shakari. Rain’s coming.”
Shakari hummed an agreement, but kept looking forward as they reached the village center.
Before long, an older villager rolled up to them in a wooden wheelchair.
“Strangers, welcome! We do not get many travelers this way these days. What brings you to our humble village?”
Jetra stepped forward. “We are travelers, looking to go further south. We seek only a bit of rest and good company.”
The villager patted her outstretched hand with a smile. “And you will find it here, friends. Come now, let’s get you settled in. I’m sure it has been quite the journey from your homes. You must tell us your stories!”
By sunset the rain had come. However, even as the sky rumbled and thundered overhead, the companions were safe and dry, gathered around a warm hearth with the villagers, sharing warm food and drink.
After they had eaten their fill, the old man spoke up again. “So now that you have been guests to us, we only ask you share your tales! What are your names? Where do you come from?”
Jetra began first. “I am Jetra, daughter of Marakos and Oedaia. I come from the capitol, though I no longer make my home there.”
The man smiled. “Welcome, Jetra.”
“I am Faulkron, son of Ardos. I come from across the Ikarron ocean and far to the west, in the Unterras plains,” Faulkron said, bowing his head slightly with respect.
The old man smiled. “You come from very far away. I do not know the land you speak of, friend, but you are welcome here nonetheless.”
“Thank you,” Faulkron said, looking back up. “Mine is... not a journey many have made.”
The old villager smiled and nodded to him, then turned to the others.
Fuego spoke up next. “I am Fuego, son of Ahar and Sora. I come from Zul’Zagan, an island to the west of here, in the Sea of Dragons.”
The gathered villagers went suddenly quiet, and confusion flashed across the old man’s face.
“I... In the Sea of Dragons?”
“Yeah.”
“It is a work of the gods that you are even alive at all.”
Fuego chuckled. “Maybe. But my people have learned to navigate the mists well.”
“It would seem so. You too are welcome here, son of the Hidden Sea,” the old man said.
Shakari nodded to the old man from across the hearth fire. “I am Shakari, child of Tusaara and Harutan. I come from the Suraan deserts, far south of here.”
“Ah! It has been a long time since we have had Azerian travelers here. We welcome you gladly, friend.”
Shakari smiled back at the elder, then looked to Alejandro.
“I am Alejandro, son of Sofia and Alvaro. I hail from Barreca, but I have not seen home since I was a small boy.”
“Then I wish you a swift return, if that is what you seek. In the meantime, you will be welcome here. All of you. Come, let us share the fire.”
Atolos, as they learned the old man’s name was, treated them well that night. Old customs of hospitality found the companions safe and warm that night, even as the storm continued outside. Many stories were passed over the fire by townsfolk and travelers alike that night, until they’d had their fill and headed to rest.
Despite her best attempts, however, Jetra couldn’t bring herself to fall asleep.
She let out a long sigh, sitting up and running a hand through her hair, thoughts swirling in her head. She again tried to reach for her medallion, but was only met with another reminder.
“You know, you think much louder and you’ll wake up the others,” came a whisper from nearby.
She turned to see Alejandro staring at the ceiling.
“Can’t sleep either?” she whispered back.
“Not really. Same reason as you, I’m sure.”
“Thinking about home?”
“Yeah.”
Jetra sighed again. “It kinda sucks, huh?”
“Yeah... A lot is happening.”
“No kidding. You said you were from Barreca, huh?”
“Yeah, and you’re from Anikora.”
“And here we are, way out here, as far from there as possible,” Jetra chuckled.
Alejandro shrugged. “That’s the life of the wandering hero.”
Jetra looked down, rubbing her arm anxiously and feeling the braced there. There was a short pause.
“You think we’ll be heroes?”
Alejandro rolled over to look her in the eyes. “I do. We’re working towards something now, you know? Even if we have to lay low for a while.”
“I know, it’s just... things haven’t exactly gotten better recently, what with the King shaping up to be his grandfather’s successor.”
Alejandro drew in a sharp breath. “Yeah. That’s why my parents moved us to Theras when I was little, as far away from the capitol as they felt comfortable, hoping to avoid all of... that.”
Jetra nodded. “Well you know, it’s never too late to join the cause. I just hope we aren’t too late, you know?”
Alejandro sighed. “Me too.”
After a long pause, he spoke up again. “Anyways, the revolution won’t be forced live or die tonight. We should get some sleep.”
“Yeah.”
Alejandro smiled at her.
“Have hope for the future.”
Jetra chuckled, a hint of bitterness in her tone.
“That’s the idea.”
“Goodnight,” Alejandro said, rolling back over.
“‘Night.”
Eventually, shrouded slightly by the remnants of the night’s rain, dawn began to spread across the sky. Rain still drizzled down like glimmering tears in the new morning sun to greet the companions as they gathered themselves that morning.
After another hearty meal, Atolos and the other villagers saw the group off as they treaded onward into the hills. It wasn’t long after they left that the dirt path that served as a road in the small village was overtaken by the wilds once more.
When the drizzle had finished, they stopped to eat their midday meal, and Jetra took a quick leave from the rest of the group.
Beneath a few trees, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She summoned up her magic, recalling her conversation with Alejandro the night before, and imagined home. She exhaled, feeling comfort wash over her for the briefest of moments, before a wandering wind scattered it, and a weight settled onto her shoulder. When she opened her eyes, a small bird made of magical light hopped over to perch on her outstretched arm. She grinned when she saw her summoning had worked.
“Hey there, little one,” she said, petting its head gently. The bird ruffled its feathers happily.
She grabbed some dried meat from her pack, offering it to the spirit. “Do you think you could deliver a message for me?”
The bird chirped happily and gobbled up the jerky.
Jetra smiled. “Great. Listen carefully. I need you to find Edysias, and tell them I said this: ‘I’m heading southward. I’m safe for now, don’t come after me. I succeeded, but was compromised. I’ll be back. Our time is running short.’ Got it?”
The bird chirped again and nodded, then flapped off, streaking into the clouds in a burst of light and celestial feathers.
Jetra watched it go, whispered a small messenger’s blessing, then returned to the group.
•••
Hidden in a small grotto outside of the village, a young man in white robes huddled, speaking in hushed tones into the shadows.
“Tell the Prophet that the boy has come home. We must find the temple quickly, he is led by an Azerian, a Duulza warrior. They will know the way.”
Out of the shadow, a small creature stepped forward. It was a pale-furred monkey-like monster with ragged feathery wings, clawed hands, and a scorpion’s barb on its tail. At the end of the robed man’s request, it grinned a malicious smile.
“Right away.”
The beast disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving nothing behind but the faint smell of rot. The figure drew up his hood and started to trek into the hills after the travelers.
The time had come.
Part 7 | Part 9
#Song of the Seven Suns#post 8#cw death mention#cw trauma mention#my wip#wip update#D&D story#Leinos#Koretion#The Forest of Secrets/The Unandi#travel#Faulkron Rhodes#Shakari#Jetra Avaki#Fuego Tamir#Alejandro de la Espada#ugh this took so long but I did it!!#yay!!#thanks for reading!
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Character hometowns!!
Inspired by @talesfromaurea’s post about the same thing! It was cool so I’m doing it too.
Faulkron: Esseta Village, Unterras Plains
Esseta is located in the dry plains of the Unterras, a massive basin area surrounded by mountains. North of Alandar, west of the shelf, and east of the Sayensa Coast, it’s smack dab in the middle of the farthest away from Azeria you could get. Esseta is tiny, made up of small homes & farms built into the hillsides, and hugging the banks of one of the rivers that border the southern part of the Unterras. To get to Azeria, Faulkron had to wander a very meandering and roundabout journey that lasted many months, before finally reaching a port where he found the chance to head south.
Alejandro: Hamos Village, Barreca Isle, Leinos
Located on the island of Barreca, just off the coast of Leinos, along the pristine beaches, is a small village called Hamos. Alejandro spent most of his young years here, in this tiny fishing town with its humble yet colorful houses and forested hills. Hamos isn’t too far from bigger cities (like the one represented by the picture above), so residents often venture there to sell things and pick up supplies.
(Alejandro, of course, was taken by his parents to a very similar coastal village, on the Western coast, leaving Hamos behind at about 8 or 9. And there’s not much left of the second village.)
Jetra: Anikora, Arkosa’s Shield, Leinos
Anikora is the capitol of Leinos. It is built on the coast where the original ships of the Wandering Kings made landfall after their voyage to bring their people across the sea. The city is one of many on the peninsula named Arkosa’s Shield, after the Leinai goddess of sanctuary and travel. Since then, Anikora has grown to massive size and become not only the capitol of the country, but a center for Leinai culture and a trading hub. The most prominent thing about Anikora is Sanctuary’s Keep, the castle of the king himself, where almost all governmental decisions are made.
Fuego: Zul’Zagan, Sea of Dragons
Zul’Zagan is a small but vibrant jungle isle somewhere in the Sea of Dragons. The city of Zul’Zagan itself is bustling, and the Halflings who live there manage to balance jungle life and city life well. They have learned of multiple ways to navigate what they call the Great Shroud, the blanket of fog over the entire Sea of Dragons. In this way, they can trade with nearby peoples. Since the nature of the mists makes even their methods very unreliable, though, they often stick to providing for themselves. Fuego is one of the first Zul’Zagani to journey to the mainland in 1000 years.
Shakari: Duulza nomads, Suraan Desert, Azeria
Located in central Azeria, the Suraan is a vast desert full of ancient Azerian ruins, monuments, temples, and tombs from days long past. It’s hot, rocky, and dry as it gets. In the center of the desert, around an oasis, lies a great city where all the tribes who live in the region meet for discussions of importance and to do trade. Many Azerians of the Suraan make their home there, but like all Azerian tribes, there are groups that keep to the nomadic ways. The Duulza are a tribe of blue dragonborn, and while many live in the city, Shakari was raised among a group who followed the nomadic lifestyle.
Taglist (just ask to be added/removed!): @talesfromaurea @hellishhin @thelaughingstag
#not story#character stuff#worldbuilding#wbw#Faulkron Rhodes#Alejandro de la Espada#Jetra Avaki#Shakari#Fuego Tamir#the Unterras#Leinos#Azeria#Suraan Desert#Sea of Dragons#Anikora
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The First of Many Journeys
Song of the Seven Suns, Part 4
Taglist (ask to be added/removed): @hellishhin @talesfromaurea @thelaughingstag
content warnings: slavery mention/discussion of slavery, descriptions of violence/murder
word count: ~ 5300 (it’s a long one)
“You in?”
Jetra, Faulkron, Fuego, and Shakari were standing around a table, under the shade of a large tree, Jetra’s map laid out on top of it with their destination marked. The bard was looking at Fuego and Shakari, awaiting their answer.
Shakari had already made up her mind. “I will go with you.”
Fuego looked at Shakari briefly, then back at the other two. “Same. Fuck those slavers, let’s do this.”
Shakari was glad to hear Fuego would be joining them, she quite enjoyed his company. Plus, she felt more comfortable in general traveling with people who didn’t like slavers. The ones she’d fought in the deserts of her home were always ruthless and violent, and they would fester like poison anywhere they went. She would be more than happy to stop such people from hurting anyone else.
As her mind wandered to her past experiences, her eyes caught one of the other mercenaries, Alejandro, leaning against a wall not far away. Shakari had seen him talking to Faulkron the previous day, and she assumed they knew each other. He was staring somewhere past the group, deep in thought. Shakari raised a scaled brow, watching him for a moment as he appeared to make up his mind about something, and strode forward, his eyes shifting to meet theirs.
“Buenos días, friends. I couldn’t help but overhear a little, have you found a contract?”
Faulkron’s eyes flicked over to Alejandro, surprise crossing his features at first, followed by a smile that was quickly smothered.
“Oh! Yes, we have. Ahem. Yeah, we’re headed to Koretion to deal with a group of slavers that are causing problems near there. Why?”
Shakari saw something in Alejandro’s eyes harden at the mention of the slavers, and his smiled faltered slightly. Something in his eyes she recognized, an immediate hostility, probably not unlike her own reaction. But there was something else there too, something deeper, a pain she could not decipher.
“I see.”
Fuego spoke up, grinning. “Yeah, we’re gonna fuck ‘em up. They don’t stand a chance.”
Alejandro chuckled slightly. “If it is not too late, I would like to come with you. I would take a great joy in getting rid of those assholes as well, if you’d have me?”
Jetra smiled, and Faulkron looked to the others briefly before turning back to Alejandro. “We’d gladly take another blade.”
Alejandro smiled at Faulkron. “Great. When are we leaving?”
Faulkron gestured around to the group. “As soon as we can. We’re already ready, most of us travel light.”
Alejandro smiled. “So do I. I do have to do one thing first, but I will meet you when I am ready.”
“Okay then, cool. I’ll be at the southern gate, once we’re all there we’ll go,” Jetra said as she grabbed her map.
“Fantástico. I will not be long.”
•••
Overall, Alejandro was pretty happy with how it all went. Was his decision impulsive? Yes. But he would be lying if he said it didn’t excite him. Now to finalize it, and be free of this city.
He strode his way toward Elikon’s quarters, dodging through the other stirring mercenaries as he went. He pushed aside the patterned curtain and walked in, attempting to hide the thrill he was feeling. “Elikon!”
Within a few seconds, the massive woman ducked through the doorway from her personal chambers. She smiled seeing him, and finished off a cup of water, placing it on her desk as she stood across from him. “Alejandro! Good morning, how are you?”
“I am doing fine, commander.”
“Good to hear. What did you need?”
Alejandro took a deep breath before he spoke. “I am leaving.”
“Leaving? Like on a contract, or leaving the company?”
“Leaving the company. With all due respect, I am in need of a change of pace.”
“Ah, that’s what it is. I understand. Ya know, you’re young, you got a lot of time to figure yourself out. Just make sure to take care of yourself, ain’t nobody been a hero without doin’ that.”
“Of course. I will.”
“Then may your road be gentle and the winds blow in your favor, Alejandro. Good luck, and goodbye.”
“Thank you, Elikon. You as well.” Handing over his medallion that signified his membership in the Icaon mercenaries, he walked out of the building and headed to pack his things, and then started for the south gate. It was time for something new.
•••
Faulkron didn’t realize he and Alejandro would be going to the same place after the little group meeting, so he waited for him to leave again before going into Elikon’s quarters.
As he pushed aside the curtain, still slightly sore from the fight the day before, he saw Elikon standing over her desk, closing a small wooden box full of medallions like the ones the mercenaries wore. She turned back around at the sound of his entry, grinning at the sight of him. “Ah, Faulkron. Did you sleep well after yesterday?”
“I did.”
“Good, good. What brings you visiting then? Did ya change your mind about joining up? There’s a new vacancy.”
“Unfortunately, no. I just wanted some... advice, I guess.”
“Oh, really now? What sort of advice do you need?”
Faulkron thought for a moment. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was here, but Elikon seemed to be a knowledgeable woman, and he was still very new here. It had seemed like a good idea to talk to her before he just ran off into a new land.
“Just general things. About mercenary work, or any dangerous monsters or people I should avoid here? I don’t know... what do you tell new recruits?”
Elikon paused for a moment, scanning his face. Faulkron started to wonder if he should leave, if this was a bad idea, but before he could turn around to leave she spoke. When she did, it was a lot quieter and less energetic than she had before.
“There are many, many monsters in this world. Some of them are just shitty people, some of them are terrifying behemoths that can rip you limb from limb. This profession is a dangerous one. No one just does this for fun. We’ve all got our issues, I see it in every person that comes through here. In the others who you spoke to, even in you. All I have to say, as I always have, is take care of yourself. No amount of skill can save you when you’re staring down death if you don’t take care of yourself. I’ve seen what happens. People don’t come back.”
Faulkron nodded, caught off-guard by the sudden intensity. He started to back away, still processing what she’d said. “Right. Okay. Um, thank you for the... advice.”
“Good luck wherever you’re going, Faulkron.”
“Thanks.”
As he walked out, he pondered Elikon’s words. In the end, he figured she was probably right. If he died from something stupid, what would be the point in all this? He knew it was dangerous to be a mercenary, he was ready for that. Taking care of himself wasn’t that hard, really. He didn’t need much. Food, water, sleep. Even then sleep wasn’t a big deal. He could skip on it if necessary. He could deal with all of those things. Other than that, all he needed to do was keep traveling and fighting and training, and he’d make a name for himself. He was sure of it. Now, he supposed, all there was left to do was to begin.
He made his way over to the southern gate, stopping by the market for extra food on the way. He had to admit, he already liked the fruits and new dishes in Leinos far more than what they’d had in the small town he’d grown up in.
When he arrived, he could see the others had already gathered, except Alejandro. Before very long, Alejandro came walking towards them as well, and they all gathered themselves a moment, before setting off on the dusty road.
According to Jetra, it was about 7 days’ travel south to Koretion.
As the sun traced its path across the sky that first afternoon, it found the five companions lost in thoughts of the path ahead. Before too long, however, a conversation was struck up, and the long hours became that much more bearable.
With the sun beginning to set, the 5 stopped for the day, setting up a small camp off the side of the road, within a copse of small trees. As they all settled down, the two moons and distant worlds became visible in the clear night sky, shedding a dim light across their resting forms.
Once the other three had gone to sleep, leaving Faulkron and Alejandro on watch, Faulkron began to brush his hands through the long grass. As he looked around, he could see the vibrantly colored flowers and grasses let their hues show even in only the soft light of the night. He’d always been able to see through even the thickest shadows, a benefit of being a dark elf, and so he always found the night far more striking in its beauty than the day. As he looked around, many of the plants and flowers were unfamiliar to him, but he would be lying if he said feeling land again wasn’t comforting after long months at sea.
As the night went on, a question began to form in the back of his mind. It was silent, and he let himself think for a while. However, not having an answer, he decided he’d rather talk about something than nothing, and so he quietly shifted himself over to Alejandro. Alejandro was staring down in the direction of the road and out to the horizon, absentmindedly stroking his chin as he stoked the gently glowing embers of their fire.
“Hey, Alejandro.”
“Hola, ¿qué tal?”
“I was only wondering... what made you come with us? You didn’t have to, you know.”
“Ah, I was wondering when you’d ask. It... let’s just say I find you interesting and I hate slavers. It was convenient.”
Faulkron studied his features in the dim light. He couldn’t tell what to think of being called “interesting” whatever that was supposed to mean, but he liked it, and he certainly wasn’t complaining that Alejandro had come along.
“Well, I’m glad you decided to join us.”
“So am I, Faulkron.”
There was a twinkle in Alejandro’s green eyes that caught Faulkron’s gaze. This was something more to him, that was for sure. Their eyes stayed locked, perhaps a little longer than they should have, but with his question answered, as well as some new questions to boot, Faulkron thanked Alejandro and turned his eyes back onto the surrounding landscape.
With the dawn of the second day, the group continued their journey along the road . As they got further from Corias, the road began to wind and branch, until it was barely a path through the high grasses and brush. Jetra was confident in her navigation, though, and so they followed her onward.
The third day came and went, heavy and hot with sun. It was unfortunately timed, as the road passed through miles of plains that day, and few trees were there to offer their shade.
Faulkron was fine with a bit of heat, the summers in the dry hills and steppes of the Unterras weren’t exactly mild. What he did resent was the brightness of the sun. He found that as he traveled more and more, he was left with headaches when the days had been too bright. It wasn’t enough to keep him down, but it was certainly annoying. He suspected he might have to suffer such a headache today.
Among all of them, even Fuego, Shakari seemed the most comfortable as they traveled that morning. Their gaze seemed unaffected by the blistering sun, and they strode through the heat as if it were a cool breeze.
Seeing the struggle of the others, she seemed to realize her oversight, and explained, “Oh. Oh no. My apologies, my people have lived in a sweltering desert for thousands of years. These—“ she pointed to obsidian-black scales that lined her eyes “—help me see regardless of sun. And my scales release heat far easier than your skin. We have many ways of keeping cool, including for outsiders. I can help you all, if you wish.”
Four sweaty faces eagerly nodded back at them. With Shakari’s help, the rest of the day was far more manageable.
Hours passed, the orange sun dipped down past the horizon, and another day came to a close.
The fourth day of travel on the path was a little more comfortable, and the sky was painted with colorful clouds that broke up the sunlight as it shone down on the five travelers. The trees began to increase slightly in frequency, occasionally crowning the hills the group crossed with their roots and canopies.
In between navigating with her map and leading the group, Jetra occasionally looked to the sky, humming a tune as she looked to the heavens.
Faulkron, walking beside her, became curious after hearing the same notes a few times. “What song is that?”
Jetra was startled out of her reverie. “Oh! It’s just something my parents taught me. I always think of it when the sky’s like this.”
“That’s cool. What’s it about?”
Jetra laughed, smiling fondly. “It’s an old song about an angel who became enamored with our world. She fell in love with the beauty of the sky especially, and eventually gave up her home in the celestial realms to live here. It’s a favorite of mine.”
“Oh. Interesting. I’ve never heard of something like that before.”
“Yeah, it’s quite the story. Do you want to hear it?”
“Sure.”
Smiling with barely constrained excitement, Jetra handed off the map to Faulkron, grabbing her lyre. As they all walked, Jetra began to play a soft melody, and then she began to sing. The words rolled off of her lips with practiced ease, and her eyes closed as she sang, her voice echoing around them. She sang with a deep passion and energy, and the other four fell silent as they listened, enraptured by the performance, almost like magic.
That night, as they all stared at the stars, they felt a comfort in their hearts. Faulkron swore he could still hear the gentle sounds of soft music lulling them to rest. They all slept soundly that night, as if they were lying on the softest of blankets.
The sun’s light cast through the clouds and tree branches the next morning, and fell across the rocks and hills like liquid gold.
As the companions continued their journey that day, the ups and downs of the hills got steeper, and the rocks and trees got bigger and more frequent again. The road got even rougher, but Jetra assured the others this meant they were getting closer, and so they continued forward. With the onset of evening, the clouds that had streaked across the sky collected, and the smell of rain pervaded the air.
As the summer storm rolled in that evening, most of the companions hurried to find cover. For a while though, Shakari simply stood in the rain, taking deep breaths and letting the water run down her scales. Before too long though, she too huddled around Fuego’s magically fueled flames. In time, the pattering of the rain soothed them all to sleep.
What little could be seen of the dawn on the sixth day shone down in rays of light across the dew-coated landscape. Alejandro and Faulkron woke up lying against one another by what remained of the fire. There was a brief moment of awkward realization before they scrambled away from each other.
Faulkron cleared his throat and started grabbing for his things. “Ah. Well. Better get ready for the day, you know? Gotta be, um, prepared.”
“Sí, sí, of course.”
Faulkron stayed extra focused on where they were going that day. Suddenly, studying the rocks was preferable to focusing on the man walking a few paces back.
They kept up their trek, and by afternoon the clouds had cleared from the previous night. As the sun began to set, it illuminated a lone cart coming up the path toward the group. A merchant was heading in their direction as night began to fall.
She raised waved as she approached their fire, calling out to the group “Hello there, adventurers! Mind if I share your fire?”
As she stepped into the light, she pulled her horse & cart along behind her. She was short and dark skinned, her hair shaved close to her head. She had long pointed ears draped with thin chains, and shimmering irises, belying elvish ancestry.
There was a shared look among the group, but before anything could be said, Fuego waved his hand to the fire, causing it to burn slightly brighter. “Of course!” he beamed. “We’d be glad to have you.”
“Wonderful!” said the woman, her ears rotating downward with elation as she smiled.
They spent the rest of the evening getting friendly with the merchant, who revealed her name to be Aranya. While Fuego and Shakari admired the jewelry she sold, Jetra, Alejandro, and Faulkron entertained her by the fire.
Eventually, as the night wore on, the adventurers began to head to sleep. When only Fuego and Faulkron remained awake for their watch, Aranya’s demeanor changed. She looked to the dark woods and hills with suspicion and fear. Fuego and Faulkron exchanged a look. Fuego walked over to Aranya, standing in front of her as she sat against her cart wrapped in a blanket, concern on his face.
“Hey. Is everything alright?”
“Yes, yes. I’m just... worrying. I mean, you’re adventurers, right? I’m sure you know about the bandits.”
Fuego’s mouth split into a grin. “We do! We’re here to get rid of them.”
“Oh, oh that’s great! Thank the gods. I’m sure you already know, but... they are not good people. Dangerous. Vicious. Greedy. I left Koretion because I was worried they would come for me. That’s half of why I wanted to camp with you all, it seemed safer than sleeping alone. They prowl these hills all the time, especially at night. And, ah, my thanks for your protection, of course.”
“Well, ya know. Least we could do.”
“Thank you.”
As the merchant laid down to sleep, Fuego made his way back over to Faulkron.
“Damn, these people are bad. We gotta get rid of ‘em.”
“Yeah Fuego, that’s why we’re here.”
“I know, I know. She just... she’s terrified. These slavers are no joke.”
With the final shreds of sunlight long gone, the night wore on, and the fire died out, leaving them in darkness to await what the next day would bring.
When the group had awoke and Aranya had headed on northward, Faulkron and Fuego shared what the merchant had told them.
Alejandro, after hearing of Aranya’s fear, set his jaw and gripped the hilt of one of his blades. “We’ll just have to keep a keen eye,” he said, his eyes scanning the surrounding scenery.
“Agreed,” Jetra nodded once to the group, strapping her sword on her back. “Be ready to kick ass.”
Weapons sharp and at the ready, the five companions pushed on through the rocky hills. As the hills got steeper and more crags of rock began to block their path, the trees began to thicken. All Faulkron could think was that it really was a perfect place for bandits to operate, with all the places to hide and set up ambushes.
Later that afternoon, as the group followed the road, it began to lead down between two rocky hillside outcroppings, craving through the terrain like a miniature canyon. Jetra and Faulkron looked at each other briefly, the meaning of their expressions clear. Now this was the perfect place for an ambush. Before Fuego could march forward without care, Faulkron put a hand in front of him. “Wait! Not yet. Rushing in there looks like a great way to get killed if we’re not careful.”
Faulkron scanned the trees and rocks, looking for any signs of movement. Jetra seemed to be doing the same, and it seemed as if everyone was holding their breath. As Faulkron kneeled closer to the ground, he thought back to his time wandering the wilder lands around his home in his spare time, or tracking down missing livestock. Searching the brush and rock, he found what he was looking for. With a bit of cautious satisfaction, he pointed it out to the rest of the group. “Multiple somethings have come this way, and recently. Hard to tell, but they’re big enough to be bandits.”
“Well, if they’d seen us already, I think they would have reacted, so we might still have the element of surprise,” Alejandro whispered, drawing one of his swords.
“True. So what’s the plan then?” Faulkron asked, looking to Jetra as he drew his own blade.
“I can sneak around and help take them out before they see us,” Fuego offered, grinning as he drew his scimitar and his fingertips began to glow with heat.
Jetra scanned the area another time before responding, “Good idea. Careful with the fire though, I’d rather not be burned alive before we even get there.”
Fuego, suddenly solemn, paused. “You have my word.”
Faulkron raised an eyebrow, but now wasn’t the time.
Taking a deep breath, Jetra turned to the rest of them. “I can be a distraction. I’ll pretend to be a cheery singing traveler. My music is my also my magic, but they won’t realize the difference ‘til it’s too late. Fuego can go along the hillsides, and once he gives me the signal, I’ll head in. What about you three?”
Faulkron thought for a moment. “I’ll go around the other side from Fuego and wait to surprise them. Ambush them before they can ambush us.”
Shakari hummed a low growl, “I will accompany you, Jetra.”
“And I will join you,” Alejandro said, looking at Faulkron.
“Great. Let’s do this.”
•••
As Fuego crept forward, he couldn’t help but feel a little worried. He had to be very careful with his aim. The last thing he wanted to do was start a forest fire and let his new friends down.
Before long, he spotted the first bandit hiding in the brush. They were waiting with daggers in hand, ready to leap down onto any unsuspecting travelers. Well, surprise surprise, the travelers were suspecting, and this bandit had no idea.
As Fuego moved closer, he could make out more of the details of the bandit. They wore a helmet with a gray crest on top, and they even had a length of chain around their torsos. Fuego nearly scoffed. Seemed like a bit much for a bunch of bandits to him.
He quietly climbed up into the treetops, blade out and glowing hot as he charged it with warmth. He was once again glad for his size, as he wasn’t sure what he’d do with himself if he was as big and unwieldy as the others. As he crept over the bandit’s head, he turned back to where the others were waiting. He lit a small fire in his hand as he perched on the branch, willing it dimmer so it was barely more than a candlelight. He hoped it was enough for them to see.
He watched with a smile as within seconds two figures began walking down the path. Fuego watched the bandit’s head turn, and took his chance. He dropped from the trees, landing in front of the bandit.
“Boo.”
The surprised expression on their face never turned into a shout, as Fuego’s blade slashed across their throat. Before the bandit could try anything, they collapsed to the ground.
At the same time, music began to echo through the trees.
As Jetra and Shakari walked along the path in false obliviousness, Fuego could see about 8 more bandits peek out from hiding spots along the road, weapons ready.
He felt a thrill rush through him at the realization that they had no idea what was about to happen, and let loose a woop as he leaped up, swung from a branch, and launched himself over the road next to the nearest bandit, blasts of fiery magic screaming from his hand into their chest as he soared, sending the now smoldering bandit tumbling backwards, unmoving.
At the sudden noise, all the bandits turned in Fuego’s direction. This proved to be a mistake, as before they could do anything, two more figures rushed them from the foliage. A swing from Faulkron’s sword sent one tumbling down onto the road, blood scattering on the rocks. There were two quick flashes of Alejandro’s blades as he danced through the trees, and one more bandit collapsed, blood pouring from their neck and stomach.
On the road below, Jetra’s music changed. She began to hum, and the tone amplified, and became deeper until it was barely audible. Fuego could feel the vibrations in his bones, and then beneath his feet, as the ground began to tremble. The rocky side of the road began to rumble, and a mini landslide tumbled down into the path, crushing the bandit who’d been lying there and sending 3 more of the bandits after them. The bandits who had just fallen started to get up, but as they looked up, their gazes were met by blue draconic eyes. Shakari looked down on the bandits as they started trying to run away, and the smell of storms filled the air. Lightning crackled along her teeth, scales, and horns, before blasting out of her mouth with a roar, blasting two of the terrified bandits onto the ground, lightly smoking. Fuego only grinned as his hair fell back down after the static, having seen the Shakari’s draconic nature in action before.
The one bandit who had avoided Shakari’s dragon-breath scrambled for the rocks in a desperate attempt to get back to the cover of the forest, climbing desperately up the newly made rockslide. Before they could get anywhere, though, Fuego threw a bolt of fire that knocked them back off the rocks, their leather armor burnt and charred as they cried out and then fell silent.
Faulkron ran towards the final two bandits, bringing his sword around toward the closest one. The sound of clashing metal rang out as the bandit, scared shitless as they were, managed to block his strike. Unfortunately, that left them vulnerable to Alejandro’s blades. The first sword pierced the armor of the bandit’s back, and the bandit looked at Faulkron with a shocked expression, before their throat was slit from behind, and their body tossed to the ground. Alejandro flicked blood off of his blade and winked at Faulkron, before turning to face the final bandit.
The bandit looked around at their fallen fellows, pissed themself, and promptly turned tail and fled. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t get very far.
Shakari leaped up onto the outcropping, climbing over the rockslide. They began chanting under their breath as arcane lightning charged along their blade and magical symbols began to swirl in the air around them. As they swung, an arc of lightning lashed out, and a boom of thunder like the crack of a whip sounded, sending the bandit flying into the underbrush. The symbols that had swirled in the air around Shakari faded, and the forest quieted once again.
•••
Faulkron suddenly felt far smaller than he had a few minutes ago. As he had watched the others unleash their magic, he realized the power he’d just witnessed. He didn’t fully know what to make of it yet, but these were good allies to have, judging by what just happened. He hadn’t seen this much magic happen at once, and certainly not in combat. It was... new.
Quieting his mind, he followed as the group navigated through the cascaded rocks, down to the path once more. As the group started to move the bodies off of the road and search the area for further clues, Faulkron stopped to look at Alejandro.
Alejandro had been silent since the battle, his face contemplative and his eyes intense. When Faulkron turned to him now, he was searching one of the bandits’ bodies in an almost frantic fashion. Faulkron watched for a few seconds as Alejandro searched, before Alejandro found whatever it was and quickly grabbed it from the corpse. Faulkron watched as Alejandro’s face fell, then steeled. Before Faulkron could get any closer, Alejandro stood up, his grip tight on his blade and holding the thing in his other hand. Either not noticing or not acknowledging Faulkron, he dragged the body further into the foliage, dropped it roughly, and walked off.
Gathered once more in the road, the group paused for a moment, looking at each other.
“That was great, guys. What a fight! We got them good,” grinned Fuego, breaking the silence.
“That we did,” Alejandro agreed.
“Well, we can celebrate the first step to getting rid of these guys tonight when we camp. I brought booze,” offered Jetra, a wide smile on her face.
Faulkron laughed despite himself. “Good idea. Let’s, you know, actually make camp first, though. There might be more nearby, so we should probably leave.”
Shakari nodded, gesturing to an area above the road. “I found some tracks up there. Might be from these ones or others. This place is probably an ambush hotspot. Regardless, it’s a bad place to be stuck in.”
“Exactly. Let’s get going, shall we?”
For the rest of the afternoon, they moved gently along the road, keeping a careful eye for any further ambushes. By the time night fell, Jetra assured them all that Koretion was only about half a day’s travel away. She was also significantly buzzed by the time night fell, having busted out the wine an hour or so beforehand. As they sat around their fire that night, flasks of wine in hand, Jetra grinned and stood suddenly.
“A toast... to kicking ass!” She shouted, raising her flask into the air.
Fuego smiled as well, standing and raising his cup, sloshing a bit out in his eagerness. “To kicking ass!”
Faulkron raised his cup as well as they all joined in.
As he lay his head down to sleep that night, he felt strange. The warmth of the fire was washing over him, and he felt his guard crumble just a little. It was scary. He wasn’t sure what this feeling was, with these people, but he suddenly trusted them that much more. It was an odd and unexpected connection.
While he laid there, waiting for sleep to come, he heard a movement and a shuffling. Opening his eyes slightly, he watched as Alejandro stood up from his watch with Shakari, walking past Faulkron and to the edge of the firelight. He stood there for a bit appearing to be thinking or mumbling to himself, Faulkron couldn’t be sure. A few minutes later, Alejandro took a small bag from his pouch, taking what looked like... coins? It was something similar at least, and as Alejandro looked down at the objects in his hand, Faulkron almost couldn’t see it, but his eyes caught the hint of light against the dark, a few tears rolling down Alejandro’s cheeks. Alejandro wiped them away quickly before turning around, his face stoic, but eyes filled with fear and anger. In the glimpse Faulkron had before he closed his eyes again, he saw a toughness, but not that of a warrior. It reminded Faulkron far more of a cornered animal.
Sleep took even longer to reach him that night, his mind once again full of questions.
Part 3 | Part 5
#Song of the Seven Suns#post 4#cw slavery mention#cw violence#cw murder#d&d story#my wip#fantasy#Corias#Leinos#Faulkron Rhodes#Alejandro de la Espada#Jetra Avaki#Shakari#Fuego Tamir#travel#plz let me know how I did with the travel sequence! i tried to make it interesting so I hope it was :)#no Faulkron does not have a good idea of what self care is#Elikon tried but alas this protagonist will not be convinced for a while#sorry it took so long to get this one out! life has been exhausting and this was a longer one#thanks for reading!
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Old Wounds
Song of the Seven Suns, Part 5
Summary: The gang arrives in Koretion, and they find things look to be more personal than they’d seemed for a few members. They gather information on their foes and prepare to confront the slavers.
Taglist (just ask to be added/removed!): @hellishhin @talesfromaurea @thelaughingstag
content warnings: discussion of slavery, discussion of death, discussion of childhood trauma, swearing, violence, murder, death, blood
word count: ~ 4200
The clouds were gathering again that morning, a looming promise of storms to come. As the first light of dawn peeked through the gray sky, Faulkron was sitting next to the remains of the fire, staring into the ashes.
He was awake first, a benefit of being elvish and not having to sleep, even though he often preferred to. Along with his keen senses and the fact that he rarely had to drink water, since his body stored it in a special set of vein-like vessels (which he’d freaked out about finding at age 7), made him quite the efficient adventurer.
The fact that sometimes his eyes glowed in the dark, or his blood gave off a faint blue light, was sometimes less helpful.
He looked around the camp at his companions’ sleeping forms. As he scanned around, he remembered what Elikon had told him. “No one does this just for fun. We’ve all got our issues...”
Fuego, who, fiery and rambunctious as he was, seemed almost scared when they’d told him to be careful of his fire.
Jetra, who had approached Faulkron and 2 other random mercenaries out of the blue one day, then ‘found’ a job the very next.
Shakari, an arcane warrior from a desert across the continent. Why was she here, in this place? Why did she care?
Finally, he turned to Alejandro. They’d met, hit it off, had a wonderful night. Faulkron was scared to expect any more, but a guy could dream. Then suddenly, he decides to go with him on a week long journey for a bounty? Not to mention whatever was up with last night. Out of all of them, Alejandro had to be the most mysterious to Faulkron, and he could admit he liked it. Even now, as he was sleeping, Alejandro seemed tense, restless.
Faulkron had no idea what any of these people were here for, but he couldn’t help wanting to know.
He looked down at his sheathed blade, lying on the soft dirt next to him. Even he was here for a reason, wasn’t he? Who were these people to him? Allies? Stepping stones? He thought he was here for money, but there was no legacy to be had with heavy pockets and no glory. So was he here for glory? He thought so.
The truth, the truth Faulkron was too scared to acknowledge, was that he didn’t know why he was here.
He stared for a long while at that sword.
Eventually, the gray of the fading night turned to brilliant blue, as the morning’s light spread across the landscape.
As the rest of the group roused from sleep, Faulkron began to gather his things, sharpening his sword and donning his armor, still quiet in his thoughts.
That day, tensions were higher, and the morning more quiet. They were all wary of another attack, and thinking ahead to their arrival.
By midday, the clouds had grown thicker still, but the rain hadn’t come yet. The road had grown wider and looked better traveled, but it was oddly empty, considering how close they were to town.
Before long, Fuego called out from his scouting position on a tree branch a little ways ahead.
“Hey! We’re here!”
They all sped up their pace, following where Fuego was until they too could see the town of Koretion up ahead.
It was a smaller mining town, carved into the side of the large natural pit that served as its stone quarry. The hills rose up, looming and rocky, all around. The huts and houses were made of carved stone, and most of the inhabitants were busy at work, from what the group could see.
Something was off, however. Rows of sharpened wooden spikes were shoved in the ground near the borders of the forest where the terrain dipped downward into the rocky center of the quarry, and the road was blocked by a large wooden barricade.
As Faulkron peered through the gaps in the sloppily built barricade, he could see that behind it stood 4 terrified-looking people. Two dwarves and two humans, armed with crude spears and repurposed pickaxes.
“Hey! Stop there! Wh—“ the dwarf who had spoken up coughed loudly and suddenly, speckles of red blood dribbling into their curly black beard, as the group saw them clutch a bandaged wound on their side.
As the other two steadied the dwarf, the third guard stepped forward, brandishing her spear. “Who are you? Why’ve you come? You’re not with them, are you?”
The five companions shared a few looks as Faulkron raised his hands. “We come in peace. We heard about your problem, we’d like to help.”
“Ha! You think we haven’t heard that one before? I’d bet my best goat—“ the dwarf interjected again.
The other militia woman cut her off. “Indroma, enough. You’re still hurt, you should really see a healer. If they’re here to help they’re here to help. If they’re not... well... we’re fucked, I guess.”
Faulkron looked to the rest of the group and shrugged. He wasn’t sure what was going on but it wasn’t getting them anywhere.
Jetra walked up next to Faulkron, her lyre in hand. “I can help with your wound, Indroma, if you let us through.”
No voice responded.
“As a way to prove we’re not with the bandits?” Jetra continued.
There was a bit of hushed arguing, but the barricade’s door opened regardless.
As they made their way past, Jetra approached the dwarf. Indroma sat down against the wooden fortifications, breathing heavily, still clutching a deep and partially infected sword wound. Jetra kneeled next to her, slowly unwrapping the bloody bandages.
As she placed her hand against the wound, she slowly exhaled, closing her eyes and whispering soft words that lingered in the air, motes of magical energy dancing around the two for a brief moment before disappearing. As Jetra stood back, Indroma’s wound had a fading light around it, and was now just a faint scar.
Indroma stared at Jetra in shock. “I don’t know what to say... thank you.”
Jetra only smiled. “Least I could do. If you don’t mind my asking, where did you get this?”
“Killin’ some of those damn slavers. One of ‘em got me good, but I don’t die that easy. Thanks again for helping me fight another day.”
“My pleasure.”
Jetra stood back up and rejoined the group. Faulkron looked around at the rest of the guards. “Is that enough to prove we’re here to kill the bandits?”
The guards looked at each other for a moment, but they all nodded silently.
“Thank you.”
With that, the five began to traverse the rocky side of the quarry down into the town.
•••
As they walked down the path, Jetra could see the militia members eyeing them warily. She wouldn’t expect any less, but it would draw a lot of attention. She wouldn’t be surprised if these slavers had lookouts on the inside, and she was willing to bet they’d single out their group rather quickly.
“Okay guys, here’s the plan. Keep a low profile and find us a place to rest, I’ll go find my contact and get more information.”
The others nodded, pulling up what hoods they had. They all huddled together and tried to look inconspicuous, making their way through the town once again. As they walked away, Fuego gave a thumbs up and a grin before blending in and disappearing entirely. At least he’d be fine. She was more worried about the 6 foot elf and the shiny sapphire dragonborn.
Jetra looked on and sighed. It wasn’t doing much, but she supposed it would be fine for now. She just needed to meet up with the captain of the guard, her dad’s old friend, Horakes. Then they could go after those slavers and free this town.
She’d been here once before, as a kid. She remembered being fascinated with all the patterns within the rocks, and how she kept asking the rocks what their paintings were about. Her dad had just laughed. Jetra sighed. She missed that smile.
But now, Koretion was far drearier. The people shuffled about, hands worn and ribs showing from hard work and long weeks at the mercy of the bandits who haunted the hills.
Jetra shook her head. Now wasn’t the time for nostalgia. Clearing her head as the sky darkened, she continued on, and before long found a large stone structure near the top of the quarry’s side. On top, a single wooden ballista sat dormant next to stacks of metal bolts. As Jetra approached the building, she was stopped by 2 more militia members.
Before they spoke, she waved them aside. “Don’t bother, boys. I’m here to see Horakes about your slaver problem.”
The militia men looked at each other for a moment in confusion, but she was already past them into the building, pushing open the door.
Inside, she could see various weapons, mostly spears and modified mining tools, but a few more finely made daggers and shortswords were scattered amongst them. There were stairs that led up to the top of the building, where the ballista was, and various cots on which wounded and sleeping militia members and townsfolk lay. Beyond a doorway covered by a ragged curtain, she could see a large table and the boots of an armored warrior, who she could assume was Horakes.
After drawing her eyes away from the wounded people, she pushed aside the curtain into the next chamber. On the table was a map of the area, and leaning over it was a graying dwarf with weathered skin and broad shoulders.
Without looking up, he grunted and called out, “Who is it?”
Jetra only smiled and said, “A friend of a friend.”
Horakes’ brows raised in surprise, and he smiled, turning to her. “Ah, you’re here! It’s been a while, Jetra.”
“That it has, that it has,” she replied, kneeling to hug him.
She gave a quick squeeze, and then Horakes pulled away. “I got your message, your timing was extraordinary.”
“Well, I do my best. I brought some friends, by the way. I think we’re ready to do this.”
Horakes looked her over. “Are you sure? I mean, I hate to remind you, but... this is the woman that killed your father, from everything we know.”
“I understand that, Horakes. That’s the whole point. I’ve been waiting to take this bitch out for years. Like I said, I’m ready,” Jetra said, trying her best not to look terrified. Somehow, hearing Horakes, stern, confident, Horakes, ask if she was ready was scarier than just her suspicions.
“Uh-huh. Whatever you say, kid. Now, what do you need to know?”
•••
Meanwhile, Faulkron and the others managed to find rooms without drawing too much suspicion. The Bedrock & Breakfast was a small inn & tavern they’d found was near the bottom of the quarry, just off the main road into the town.The barkeep was a smiling dark-skinned human woman, with brightly colored tattoos all the way up her left arm. The stump of her right arm was wrapped in a silvery cloth. When they came in, she greeted them without asking questions, and no one gave them any second glances in the quiet lantern light. Once they had all settled in, they met in the central room to wait for Jetra.
As they all sat, Alejandro’s jaw was tense, and he was drumming his fingers on the table, practically staring holes through the wood. He barely ate what food they had purchased, and didn’t speak except for the occasional phrase.
Fuego, in contrast, was practically buzzing in his seat, and ate everything Alejandro didn’t and then some.
Before the clear clashing of mood could become too awkward, Jetra entered the inn. She quickly made her way over to the table, grabbing her map out of her pack and a cup of wine from the barkeep and setting them on the table.
“Alright, I talked to the captain of the guard, here’s what he knew. First things first, the slavers are a remnant group of the—”
“—Mortal Chains,” Alejandro interrupted.
Everyone paused, and Faulkron raised a curious eyebrow, not recognizing the name. “Who are the Mortal Chains?”
“They’re... a terrible group of slavers and marauders. I’ve had experiences with them before.”
Jetra looked a bit taken aback, but she nodded. “Yeah... yeah. They’re ruthless. They were scattered about a decade ago, but remnants remain, and this is obviously one of them.”
Fuego leaned back, stroking his chin in thought. “Okay, how do we get rid of them?”
“Well, they figure they’re somewhere up in these hills. Based on the scouts who have actually come back, they’re set up somewhere in this area, but since we don’t know the exact location we’ll have to search it all. We can assume they’ve set up defenses, considering how well they’ve hidden themselves. The woman leading this group is cunning and devious, and these people aren’t your average brigands,” Jetra said, a clear venom to her voice as she noted the area on the map.
Shakari looked at the map a moment, then tilted her head, one scaly brow raised with an easy curiosity that was betrayed by the intensity of her eyes. “Jetra, you spoke like you know this woman.”
Jetra looked back at Shakari for what seemed like a moment too long, before looking back to the table, expression guarded. “I know of her. She’s dangerous.”
“Who is she?”
“Her name is Dymea. She has a reputation for her willingness to use any means necessary for her own ends, regardless of how dishonorable or underhanded it may be. And, seeing as her ends are usually murder and slavery, she’s a pretty nasty deal.”
Shakari nodded in understanding, turning back to the others. “I see. Should we head there, then?”
“No. We wait until morning,” Faulkron interjected. “If we go now we’ll be caught in the storm, and they’ll have the cover of darkness. They’ll want to attack during the night, that’s when they have the advantage. If we attack at the break of dawn, they’ll likely mostly be asleep, and we can surprise them,” Faulkron explained.
Alejandro’s brow furrowed. “And what if they attack between now and then? Why stall and put all of these people in danger?”
Faulkron locked eyes with him. “If we wait, we have the best chance of victory.”
“This is a badly defended frontier town that is entirely on the low ground. Are you sure we have the advantage?” Alejandro pressed, voice low.
“If it eases your mind, Alejandro, let’s just say they didn’t have us before. We shredded those bandits on the road. We can join the militia on watch if you want, but I’m certain we should wait. Bandits don’t really do sieges. Why would they? They’re milking all the resources they need from the town as it is.”
Alejandro sighed and shook his head. “You do not know these people like I do, Faulkron. They haven’t only been stealing objects, remember?”
Clenching his fist, he begrudgingly continued, “But, I will admit, we stand a far better chance together than apart, regardless of when the fighting starts. We wait until dawn, then.”
With that, Alejandro finished his drink, and stood up. “Now if you excuse me, I’m going to get some air and see how I can help the militia until night. I’ll be back by dusk.” Alejandro looked once around the tavern, then walked out.
As Faulkron sat back and grabbed his drink again, Fuego took his leave as well, pulling up his hood and ducking out into the storm-darkened streets.
Shakari followed not long after, stepping out of the inn with a nod.
When they had left, Jetra sat down next to Faulkron with her own drink. They sat in silence for a while, but eventually Jetra took a long drink and grimaced before turning to Faulkron.
“Are you sure about this plan? Alejandro is right, the Mortal Chains are dangerous. And he said he speaks from experience, gods only know what that entails.”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
Jetra finished her wine. “Very well. Take some time, have a drink. I’m going to go help out in what ways I can, maybe play some music to cheer up the townsfolk, and see to those that need healing.”
“Hey, that magic you did was pretty cool, by the way.”
“Well, magic is amazing. There’s lots of things you can do with a bit of imagination,” she winked, and walked out as well.
He didn’t realize until a little later than he probably should’ve that he’d suddenly sprouted a blue illusory beard.
•••
Fuego found it pretty easy to lay low among the crowds of miners and townsfolk. A benefit he hadn’t expected when he left Zul’Zagan for the mainland was how easy it would be to hide among all the big people.
He had seen earlier a figure watching them from the corner of the inn, and suspected nothing of it. Probably just some person who was real quiet and thought they were weird. Honestly, he would’ve agreed. They were all pretty weird. All these people were very quiet. Except the bard. Fuego loved her, she was great.
However, when Alejandro left, he noticed the suspicious person follow, and decided he should tail them, just in case they were a plant of some sort.
Now, as the rain began to drizzle down from the clouds and the afternoon sun was fully obscured by a curtain of storm, he was sneaking along the rocky walls of the quarry, following the figure as they followed Alejandro.
As he was sneaking along, he leaped across to another stone roof, accidentally sending some loose stones tumbling off. When they splashed into the mud, the stalker stopped walking suddenly, and Fuego froze.
The stalker turned towards the roof, but saw nothing, and continued on.
Flattened as much as he could against the roof, Fuego let out a breath. He kept his focus on the spell, remembering the unnatural fog that constantly surrounded his home, and his magic hid him seamlessly against the backdrop of the roof.
Now invisible, Fuego’s eye was trained on the stalker, and he followed them until they reached the area houses furthest from the mines. The muddy paths here were empty of life, and Fuego felt the onset of an uneasiness, one that had his skin tingling and his hair raising, even hidden as he was.
Before he could begin to back out, however, he realized that he couldn’t see Alejandro anymore, and it appeared neither could the stalker. Fuego started scanning the area, but he couldn’t see any sign of his friend from the roof. He began to wonder if he’d been ambushed, and drew his sword, which steamed and hissed as the rain fell onto the heated blade.
Down below, the stalker began to cautiously walk forward, drawing a pair of curving serrated daggers from within their cloak. Fuego felt a small rush of excitement that he had been right, but quickly refocused.
He watched as they walked forward, and he began to think that they looked far too much like an insect waiting to be crushed for this to be an ambush.
Or at least, for it to be an ambush for Alejandro.
As he began to realize what had happened, he saw the cloaked person suddenly get yanked into a small muddy alley between two stone huts and disappear from view.
Adrenaline kicking in, Fuego leaped over a nearby hut and looked into the alley, sword and magic at the ready. As he looked on, he could see Alejandro with one of his swords at the stalker’s throat.
“Hola, motherfucker. Surprised?” he growled, pressing the blade closer.
The stalker, a tanned elven man with a shaved head, only grinned.
“It seems I underestimated you,” the man hummed.
“It’ll be the last mistake you make.”
As Alejandro finished his sentence, he hissed with pain, as one of the elf’s blades sank into his side. His grip loosened just enough that the stalker was able to knock away the sword and start sprinting back down the alley.
He only got a few steps before Alejandro’s greaves slammed against his shins, and his legs were swept from under him. He went tumbling into the mud, limbs sprawled.
The elf grabbed at his daggers, clumsily swinging towards Alejandro, who parried them away before brandishing his swords and bringing them down towards the man. Even as the stalker tried to roll away, the blades slashed across his back and sent him falling into the mud once again. The mud was soaked through with blood, and the man cried out in pain.
Rolling onto his back, he kicked Alejandro firmly in the chest, knocking him off balance. Scrambling back to his feet, he held his daggers aloft again, breathing heavy.
“You can’t stop us. Our chains have already wound around Koretion. There’s nothing you can do.”
Alejandro laughed through a grimace of pain.“Oh really? I can kill your sorry ass.”
At that, he leaped forward with his swords.
Their blades clashed, and Alejandro spun behind him, holding his blade once more to the man’s throat. He grunted, holding the man still.
“Déjà vu?”
The elf chuckled. “Not for me, it seems. For you. I saw your brand. You-”
Before he could continue, Alejandro slashed his blade across the man’s throat, and he collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood. As Alejandro stood over him, bloodied and breathing hard, the bandit slowly stopped moving, face still contorted in a half smile.
Alejandro stared down at the corpse and spit on it. “You will not steal any more people away from their lives.”
Fuego let the fog fade from his mind and dropped from the roofs into the alleyway. “What was that?”
Alejandro quickly put his blades up again at the sudden noise, but lowered them seeing Fuego.
“Oh. It’s you. It was nothing, just... he was following me. One of the slavers, sneaky bastard,” he said, kicking the corpse over to reveal all the extra daggers and chains beneath the cloak.
“I mean, I wouldn’t call that nothing. A lot happened there.”
“Wait. How much did you see?”
“The whole thing. I was following the guy since the inn, thought he was acting weird.”
“Ah.”
“Did you know him or something?”
“Not personally, until now. Like I said, I have experience with this group.”
There was a bit of a pause. “Now, I don’t know about you, I’d like to get this treated, so let’s go?” Alejandro said, putting a hand over his wound.
“Right, yes, you’ve been stabbed, we should get you to a healer. Good thing we know one...” Fuego quickly agreed, leading the way out of the alley.
•••
Shakari was meditating beneath a large tree, on top of one of the larger hills that surrounded the town. They’d climbed their way up here in the rain, claws slipping and scraping on the wet stone and muddy hillside.
Now, they were meditating. Their breathing was slow, and the rainwater flowed across and between their scales, trails of water weaving like a tapestry across their body.
There they sat for a while, taking in the view and the clean air, letting the water wash away the sense of uneasiness they carried, the weight they felt, even if only for a moment. After a deep breath, they began to speak out into the storm.
“Brothers, though I am not with you, I am not far. May the dry skies give way to rain and bring you peace, life, and plenty, even if only for a day. I miss you all...” She let the sentence trail off, finishing her prayer in her mind. Her tribe was far away, but she still felt the weight of her exile with every breath.
A few more minutes of meditation, and then she came back down the hill, reflection over and her current task at the forefront of her mind.
•••
That evening, they all gathered at the tavern, Alejandro’s wound now just another scar among many, thanks to Jetra. There was another quiet toast to kicking ass, and then they left the central room to get some early sleep.
Faulkron didn’t need the early sleep like his companions, and so for what time he had to himself, he patrolled the streets, hood up as he walked among the shadows.
What Alejandro had said earlier had sat at the back of his mind, simmering just under the surface. He felt a responsibility now, weighing on his shoulders, and that hadn’t gotten any better when Alejandro was stabbed. He was sure he wasn’t responsible, but there was still a small seed of doubt and guilt that had started to sprout in his mind.
So he walked the streets, eyes flicking over every corner and shadow, unable to rest until he could be satisfied that he hadn’t made a grievous mistake.
The pattering of the rain was the only sound, and the light of the moons and stars was obscured by the heavy clouds. It was almost peaceful, in the stillness of the night, but the threat of storm and slavers haunted the darkness like an ever-present ghost.
Part 4 | Part 6
#Song of the Seven Suns#post 5#cw murder#cw violence#cw death#cw blood#cw death mention#cw slavery mention#cw trauma mention#cw swearing#d&d story#my wip#wip update#Faulkron Rhodes#Alejandro de la Espada#Jetra Avaki#Fuego Tamir#Shakari#Horakes Kiente#Dymea of Ilkata#Koretion#Leinos#plz! tell me ur thoughts#this one was difficult to write simply by virtue of the atmosphere#so tell me how I did :)#also I wanna know what y’all think is up with the Plot#b/c I’ve been in most of these characters’ heads and so involved in the plot for so long that I know exactly what’s happening#but I don’t know what it looks like to outside eyes#(basically I hunger for the feedback)#thanks for reading!
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Character Refs!
I finally finished them! Yay! I did my best so hope y’all like them, I’m pretty satisfied. Behold, a bunch of gay people with swords.
Aaand there they are! :D
Taglist (ask to be added/removed!): @hellishhin @talesfromaurea
#character stuff#not story#there’s so many different flavors of chaotic in this party#Faulkron Rhodes#Alejandro de la Espada#Fuego Tamir#Jetra Avaki#Shakari#can you tell I hate drawing feet/shoes#they’re all just standing in a low mist you know#obviously#same with hands lol#also#I’m not so good at faces though I try#so basically put these and the picrews together and you got a pretty good idea of what they look like#I also have figures in hero forge if anyone wants to see those
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Since my story is a D&D campaign, if people want to know, I will happily share some of the more game-y stuff behind the characters! (@talesfromaurea & @hellishhin i know you guys were interested! Here you go :D)
As of right now in the story, they’re about level 4! By the end of the campaign though they get to level 15.
Faulkron:
- Dark Elf/Drow Fighter (Champion)
- In a little bit (story-wise), my friend hit a lucky streak and the power of the protagonist™ kicks in. Faulkron gets... terrifying. He’s technically still “just a fighter” but he’s really really good at fighting. Like, scary hyper competent. I mean, he started with almost maxed strength, and it only got better.
- He did a lot of damage, consistently rolled high. Sadly, he doesn’t get better armor than leather for a while, but once he does he really wrecks the enemies’ shit, goes full Stronk™ and really starts just soaking attacks.
- He was a fun character for me to see my friend play because he had no clue about any of the “fighters are boring” things that people say, and so he felt free to just play without worry. He just had fun with him and went for it. He wasn’t the most complicated mechanics-wise, but he still was interesting and had personality, so it worked fine.
- Also, although he is a dark elf, and his parents were from the caverns beneath the earth like usual, he was raised on a small farm on the surface by a human, and so he is very different than many other dark elves, especially if they were raised in the Underdark. His darkvision is a little different due to his eyes having to deal with more light than most dark elves, and though he could do the elvish trance instead of sleeping he usually chooses to sleep instead, because of being raised by a human. (In my world, elves can choose to sleep if they want.)
Fuego:
Halfling Sorcerer/Rogue
- Being from Zul’Zagan, he is equivalent to a Lightfoot halfling
- His subclasses are a bit wonky: Draconic origins for sorcerer (although he doesn’t know it yet), assassin for rogue (eventually. We’re also not quite there in the story yet.)
- Despite what you may expect, does not only have fire spells. It is a near thing, but not quite. The variety increases as he gets higher up.
- He also wanted to do some cool flavor things (which I’m always game for) so his abilities look a little different than standard.
- An example, his sneak attack damage is reflavored to be him heating his weapon. He also wanted his draconic bloodline to be more dormant, so he doesn’t have any of the bodily alterations or know draconic, he’s just very good at fire (as far as he knows). That’s also why he doesn’t know what type of dragon he related to.
- Fuego was big on DPS but low on defense (of course) so he was usually having to be protected by/hidden behind somebody else (Shakari or Jetra most often)
Jetra:
- Human Bard (Valor)
- I would’ve done Lore bard because of her love for finding secrets, save the fact that I wanted her to have learned from both her parents. Her mother was a singer/performer and taught her to sing, and then her father, the Paladin, taught her how to create magic and how to fight. So she mixed that all up and boom, Valor bard.
- Jetra was definitely the most “utility caster” of the group. She had healing, buffs, pretty much something for everything. And a sword, if it came to that. She was easily the most adaptable of the group in and out of combat.
- She also spoke a bunch of languages, including Leinai (the one spoken in Leinos, since she was born there), Common, Celestial, Draconic, and was learning Azerian at the beginning of the campaign.
Shakari:
- Blue Dragonborn Fighter (Eldritch Knight)
- She was yet another Fighter, but she was designed to be more of a mid-range fighter so as not to get steal Faulkron’s spotlight. Since the khopesh could be thrown and summoned back b/c of Eldritch Knight stuff, it worked fine.
- They were very high DPS, especially with their spells/lightning breath, and then they’d finish the enemies off with a good ol’ sword attack (or just to help teammates out).
- At the later levels she takes some more utility spells (since she couldn’t those first few levels because of Eldritch Knight rules), but she’s still mostly damage.
- Also a neat lore note, Eldritch Knight is not called the same thing among her people, but it is a traditional position in the deserts she came from, and some of the other Azerian tribes.
Alejandro:
- Human Fighter (Gladiator*)
- *Gladiator is just a slightly modified version of the Samurai
- Unfortunately, I never had planned on Alejandro being a key NPC, so I had to come up with him over the course of the campaign. Thankfully, he ended up complementing Faulkron’s fighting style well (DEX based as opposed to Faulkron’s STR based build), and they made a really good tag team playing off of each other (once they trusted each other more, of course.)
- He ended up being a pretty formidable fighter in his own right, so he and Faulkron together was truly an intimidating duo. While Faulkron was tanking massive hits and dealing some of his own, Alejandro would run around with his bazillion attacks and chip away at the enemy with his swords.
- I also gave him a high charisma, being the gladiator that he was. But also just. Hot.
•••
Anyways, having three fighters in the group was probably not a great idea in retrospect, but that’s how it ended up. Everyone in the current party has swords and that’s sexy of them, honestly. Another funny note is that they all have decent charisma too, everyone but the main character. Shakari had 13 CHA as a dragonborn, Alejandro had a CHA 14 just as a stat investment (again because Hot), Jetra had 16 because she was a bard obviously, Fuego had a 17 because he was a sorcerer. Faulkron had the lowest at 9. He does end up increasing it over the campaign, it ends up at 16 or something so he’s fine, but for the first part of the story he’s not so good with people.
All in all, they had a good dynamic with lots of potential for ass kicking which they definitely utilized, so who cares? Anyways, just neat stuff.
#not story#d&d things#character stuff#Faulkron Rhodes#Alejandro de la Espada#Jetra Avaki#Shakari#Fuego Tamir
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Behold! Picrews!! (Thanks to @writing-is-a-martial-art for sharing their picrew links! I used this one)
Obviously these aren’t wholly accurate but I did the best I could and I like them :)
Faulkron:
Alejandro:
Jetra:
Fuego:
Human!Shakari:
Taglist (let me know if you wanna be added/removed!): @talesfromaurea @hellishhin
#not story#character stuff#Faulkron Rhodes#Alejandro de la Espada#Jetra Avaki#Fuego Tamir#Shakari#it’s the gang :)#sadly no dragonborn in the picrew lol#shocking
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Stranger In A Strange Land
Song of the Seven Suns, Part 1
Taglist (ask to be added/removed!): @hellishhin
Faulkron Rhodes was a long way from home. He stood on the deck of a small sailing ship, the golden light of the late afternoon sun glinting off of the sapphire waters, searing his eyes even as he shaded them with his arm. Looking past the glaring reflections of the sun, he could see the shoreline ahead, and a port city bustling with all kinds of ships. He was relieved to see land again, after being on the open water for so long. He had almost begun to regret his somewhat on-a-whim decision to cross an ocean and leave the land he’d grown up in. However, with a new land in sight, his faith was reaffirmed. Readjusting his leather armor and his greatsword on his back, he couldn’t help but be eager to see the new land ahead. As he stated at the port, he heard the captain of the ship called out to him from somewhere to his right.
“Hey, adventurer! We’re about to dock in Corias! Welcome to Leinos!”
From what the crew had told him along their journey, Leinos was a young country. Corias was just one of many ports along the coasts of a massive continent, and trade thrived there. Leinos had access to seas that connected it and every country Faulkron had heard of thus far, and more. An up-and-coming mercenary like Faulkron would do well there, he hoped. Supposedly, they were a peaceful nation since the end of the war between Leinos and the peoples further inland, so Faulkron hoped to have luck fighting problems they might not want to solve with their personal swords.
Eventually, the ship had docked, and as the sailors began to unload their cargo, Faulkron took his leave. He walked from the docks through the town, taking stock of the city. He could see tiled colorful roofs, and lots of hanging colorful cloths around the streets, partially shading the many people walking around, going about their business. Clay pots, cloths, art, all sorts of things in a variety of styles were being sold all along the streets, by people who looked to be from all over. He recognized very little of what was being sold here, and realized growing up on a small farm in the middle of the hills back across the ocean in Unterras probably wasn’t the best environment to meet new people. Regardless, he walked on through the city, taking in what he could. He saw numerous guards as well, dressed in silver-painted, hardened leather armor, with blue crests of dyed horse-hair adorning the helmets. An amount of guards he wasn’t expecting for a supposedly peaceful nation. In addition to the guards, he also thought he could make out some sort of fortress further inland, situated on a hill that overlooked the port, hanging banners depicting a blue flag with silver bordering, a stylized crest of some sort emblazoned on it.
He eventually found himself in a town center, with even more market stalls than by the docks. He could see storefronts of buildings on the edges of the square, as well as some sort of pavilion with what appeared to be people drinking and talking. He also noted a statue in the center of the square of a sitting man. He was well dressed, in long flowing robes. He had a thick beard, and curly hair down to his shoulders, his head adorned by a crown. Faulkron, in a remarkable display of intelligence, deduced this guy was probably important. He couldn’t read the plaque beneath it through all the people, but as he got closer he realized he wouldn’t have recognized the language anyways. He looked at it for a little longer, looking for some translation in Common, but was startled out of his search by a voice.
“Hey there. Noticed you looking at the statue, and I haven’t seen you around before. Who are you?”
Faulkron turned to the voice, looking for its owner. In front of him, standing significantly shorter than him (most people did, at his nearly 6 foot height), was a human woman. She was wearing simple light cloths and leather bracers. She had a lyre on her hip and a wooden violin case that appeared to double as a scabbard for the sword on her back. She had wavy brown hair in an undercut swept to one side that was dyed a vibrant purple at the ends, and tanned skin, like many of the Leinai he’d seen so far. He stared for a moment, still slightly confused as to who she was talking to, but she kept looking at him, and there was no one behind him but the statue.
“I’m Faulkron, Faulkron Rhodes. Who are you?”
“Well met, Faulkron. I’m Jetra, I’m a storyteller of sorts. This guy right here—“ she pointed at the statue “—is King Akeron II. He was the last king of Leinos. His son is Akeron III, the current king.”
“Oh. Didn’t know... Wait. Why’d you say you hadn’t seen me before? Isn’t this a trade city? Wouldn’t most people be unfamiliar?” Faulkron took a step back. He couldn’t help but be a little suspicious of the ‘storyteller’. She seemed overly friendly, and he wasn’t exactly used to just being approached and talked to like this. In response, the woman just laughed.
“You got me. I just thought you looked interesting. Plus, most of the people here are selling something, so that limits our conversational opportunities, know what I mean?”
Faulkron nodded hesitantly. Was everyone like this is Leinos? It would definitely take getting used to. He thought about leaving, but she began talking again.
“Well, what brings you to Corias? You look like the adventuring type, you going somewhere?”
“Not yet. I only just got here. I was thinking of finding some sort of job board, or maybe some other mercenaries?”
Jetra nodded. “Well, I can get you to either of those. I know a mercenary group that is based here in Corias you might wanna talk to, the Icaon mercenaries. And there’s a job board over by the tavern, near that pavilion there.”
Faulkron weighed the options, but decided a fully fledged mercenary company would probably pay better. “Let’s go to the mercenaries.”
“Alright then, come on.” Jetra began to weave through the crowds, heading further into the city. With a small shrug to himself, he walked off after her.
•••
Jetra was very interested in the adventurer she’d met in the marketplace. He looked to be extremely capable, judging by his extremely strong build. She’d quickly noticed he held himself with strength, and she knew she’d need it if she wanted to deal with her problem. She lead him to the Icaon mercenaries, walking toward their complex by the docks, where they trained and did most of their business. She turned back to her new companion.
“Okay, I’ve worked with some of the Icaon before, they’re generally pretty up-front. You shouldn’t have any issues. So, where are you planning on going? Thinking about heading inland?”
Faulkron thought for a moment, before nodding. “I guess. I just sailed here, so I figure that’s where I should head. Why, what’s that way?”
“Well, there’s the capital city, Anikora, to the east a ways, along the coast. Corias is actually the westernmost point in Leinos, other than the Ceana region down south, but it’s pretty far away. Between here and there is a massive rainforest, and you’d have to cross most of Azeria to get there. It’s a remnant of the war, seperated but technically still a part of Leinos. As far Leinai cities in this region, especially looking inland, there’s not much. Some farming villages, and I know there’s Kuretion in the hills before you get to Great Rainforest. We might find something near there. There’s a lot of land to explore, my new friend. I can help guide you, if you like. I’ve traveled quite a lot, gathering my stories. I’d be willing to help you get where you’re going, if you help me. You seem friendly enough.”
Faulkron took in what she’d told him. This new world was bigger than he’d expected. He figured it’d be smart to have a guide. Plus, if she betrayed him or something, he was sure he could easily take care of her. “Deal. We can travel together, at least for now.”
She grinned. “Great! Traveling is always more fun with someone to sing to, in my opinion. Well, before we set off, let’s see if we can get paid for it, huh?”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
Well, that was at least the first step done. And he looked like he had a somewhat solid idea of his own path forward, even if he was a bit closed off right now. She needed people who knew what they were doing if she was going to succeed.
As they approached the wooden archway that served as the entrance to the Icaon camp, Jetra raised a hand in greeting, and started to speak.
•••
Faulkron, walking behind Jetra, nearly stopped in his tracks. There were two guards standing watch at the gate, both human. One of them was leaning against the wall, barely paying attention to them at all, her eyes gazing vaguely into the distance. The other one, however, was a sight to behold. He had longer dark brown hair, tied into a small loose ponytail, skin that looked forged from bronze, and a sharp jaw with a fine dark stubble all across it. His chest was bare, save the leather strap that held on his shoulder armor. He was well muscled, and on his hips were two shortswords, and all of his gear looked like it had seen lots of use.
Maybe it was the fact that he’d been out to sea for so long, maybe it was the fact that the sun sinking in the west definitely complemented this man’s looks. Maybe it was the fact that his green eyes were so vibrant. Faulkron didn’t know, but he had forgotten for the moment about mercenary work and traveling inland. He was caught, in a cruel irony of words, entirely off-guard.
The man stepped forward, before they could enter. When he spoke, his voice had a rich accent.
“Hola. Why do you approach?”
Faulkron stood silently, still regaining his composure.
Seeing this, Jetra quickly responded, “Just to see if there might be any opportunities for me and my friend here. Figured this was a good a place to start as any.”
The man nodded. “Sí, you would be right. This is one of the few organized mercenary companies based in Leinos that hasn’t been assimilated into the military. We operate all along the northern coast. You can enter. Talk to Elikon, he’ll get you familiar. I’m off my shift at sundown if you need me, ask for Alejandro. I know my way around, if you need help.”
It was at this point that Alejandro’s eyes met Faulkron’s. They both paused, and Faulkron stumbled over his words before blurting, “Off your shift? Cool cool. I will definitely do that.” Mentally, he scolded himself. First hot guy you talk to in 3 years, and you’re making yourself look like a fool, he thought.
•••
Jetra turned around, surprised by how sheepish the massive warrior behind her sounded suddenly. She followed his eyes to the guard, and back to him, and realization dawned on her. She couldn’t help but crack a grin. “Faulkron, when you’re done talking to Alejandro here, come meet me inside?”
Faulkron nodded, still locked in some sort of awkward homosexual staring match with Alejandro. Chuckling, Jetra slipped into the compound.
•••
“Do you have something you’d like to say?” Alejandro smiled, watching as the elf in front of him quickly looked away, obviously flustered.
“I. So... yeah. What do you do? For a living. Wait no-“
Alejandro just laughed. You could always tell which ones had been stuck on a ship for just a little too long. He had to admit, the awkwardness of such an imposing warrior was quite cute. He was tempted to just walk inside, but he couldn’t skip out on another shift, he’d get thrown out of the company. And he was really trying to settle into a rhythm in his life, despite it not working at all.
“Listen, why don’t we talk after my shift? I need to do my job, boring as it may be. And I’ll give you a little time to collect yourself, maybe?”
The warrior just nodded, averting his eyes from Alejandro’s smirk. “Yeah. I’m gonna- Yeah.”
Alejandro stopped him before he went inside. “Wait. I never got your name.”
“It’s Faulkron.”
“Hasta luego, Faulkron.”
Prologue | Part 2
#Song of the Seven Suns#post 1#Corias#Leinos#Faulkron Rhodes#Alejandro de la Espada#Jetra Avaki#d&d story#sailing#drow#bard#queer fiction#we’ll get to Azeria soon#promise!#gotta get through the first steps of the campaign first#Leinos is supposed to be Greek inspired btw#also if you’re wondering#yes that first interaction with Alejandro played out exactly like that#my friend had seen a bunch of ‘seduce the guard’ memes#he thought it would be funny#and I was like fuck it. he’s super hot now#and you see how it went#two posts in one day :O#this is not how it will normally go#but I ended up writing and editing both and it just ended up that they were both done today#I’m wondering if this is too long or too short?#would love to know what you guys think#sorry for all the rambling in the tags#thanks for reading!
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Beginnings
Song of the Seven Suns, Part 2
Taglist (ask to be added/removed!): @hellishhin
(content warnings: violence, implied sex)
“So?”
“What?”
“You were making gay eyes at the guard. How’d it go?”
“I- Um. We’re gonna talk. Later.”
“Nice. Good for you.”
“Thanks, I think.”
“You’re welcome.”
Jetra smiled. A least Faulkron was quickly making friends. That would end up helping both of them. And honestly, what kind of bard would she be if she didn’t get her friends laid? Getting her new friend set up with somebody less than an hour after meeting said friend was a new record though, even for her.
As much as she enjoyed watching awkward gays at work, however, they had a purpose here other than flirting with cute mercenaries. Sighing and switching the subject to why they were actually here, she said, “Well, now that we’re here, we should see what trouble we can get into before the sun fully sets.”Seeing Faulkron’s reaction, she quickly amended her statement. “Metaphorically, that is.”
Faulkron chuckled a bit. “Hopefully it’s only metaphorical.” Then, he turned his amber eyes back towards the mercenaries, beginning to look around. “We should probably find whoever’s in charge first. Elikon, I think he mentioned?”
With eyes peeled for someone who looked important, the duo walked further into the compound. They could see mercenaries all around, some lounging, some sparring, some sitting intently around tables, planning jobs in hushed tones. Others were playing dice games or otherwise passing the time.
Jetra noted some other mercenaries around who looked promising. A particular halfling and dragonborn were sitting at a table, competitively playing cards. She made a mental note to talk to them later. She also noted a large wooden board, almost completely covered with papyrus scrolls nailed to its surface, likely detailing jobs and notices. Another thing to remember.
She was shaken from her scan of the place by Faulkron’s hand on her shoulder. She turned back to him, following where he was pointing with her eyes.
There in a small courtyard, in a pit of sand, stood 9 figures. The first 8 were standing in two rows, all of them standing dazed and sweaty. Standing in front of the two rows of exhausted trainees was a towering woman with a large spear in her hand. Her dark gray-brown skin was covered in white tattoos. The ones on her face were made like a stylized helmet, to match the gray mohawk that topped her head, as if it were the helmet’s crest. Jetra nodded her approval. Very cool. The woman watched as they approached, sizing them up as they got closer. When she spoke, her voice was rough and firm.
“Well, well, well. What’s this? Wait, hold on.”
She paused her regard of the newcomers to look at the trainees.
“Hey! You eight. You’re dismissed. Take a rest, get some water.”
While the trainees filed off to recover their strength, Faulkron walked forward, holding up a hand in greeting. “I’m Faulkron Rhodes, this is Jetra. Are you Elikon?”
The woman nodded, looking Faulkron and Jetra up and down. “In the flesh. What’s got you asking for me?”
Jetra had never really felt short before. She was happy with her height. However, given that Faulkron was nearly 6 foot, and Elikon was nearly 7 and a half, she was almost considering finding a box to stand on.
“We’ve come searching for opportunities. We were thinking about heading inland, most likely. We’d like to know of any offers, or jobs?”
“Hm. Well we’ve got a board up over by the barracks, you could look there. You’ll probably have better luck tomorrow though, new ones will probably be up by then, and I’m sure the best contracts from today have been taken already. You looking to join, or just here for the info?”
Faulkron bowed his head slightly as they began to back way. “We did not intend on joining, no. But thank you for your help.”
“Well that’s a shame. I could use a warrior like you... If you can back up all that muscle with skill, that is.”
Faulkron stopped.
“Are you insulting me?”
At his question, Elikon only crossed her arms and smirked. “Am I?”
Jetra watched as Faulkron’s eyes narrowed in response, and she suddenly was very glad she wasn’t standing on a box. It made it much easier to back the fuck away from whatever was about to happen.
So much for only metaphorical trouble. And this time it wasn’t even her fault. Which was, in itself, another record for the books.
•••
Elikon watched as Faulkron’s eyes narrowed in anger. She chuckled. “Don’t start this fight. I can spar ‘til dawn, and each mercenary here knows it, ‘cause they’ve seen it. I was only poking at ya. It ain’t worth the humiliation, kid.”
Faulkron felt his cheeks flush. He didn’t come here to fight, not technically. But he wasn’t gonna let this lady talk to him like that, no matter who she was. He’d take the challenge. And he definitely wasn’t gonna let her call him “kid”. Sure he was young for an elf, but not that young.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that at some point, most of the mercenaries had stopped their leisure activities to watch, and had even drawn a circle in the sand.
“I’m not a kid. And if you want to see skill, I’ll show you skill.”
Elikon chuckled. “Alright then. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She threw him a wooden sparring sword, taking a wooden version of her own weapon from a rack just outside the circle. Then, she quickly got back into a fighting stance. He tried to get into his own stance, but before he could, the butt of Elikon’s spear swung towards his temple. He managed to duck, leaping to the side and readying the blade.
Elikon laughed. “Not bad, not bad.”
Before she could go on the offensive again, he stepped forward, slashing downward with a heavy swing. It was powerful, enough to send sand spraying when it hit the ground rather than its target. Elikon was surprisingly nimble for such a large woman, and she had already sidestepped.
He turned back towards her, just in time to deflect away a jab with the spear and make a quick swing of his own. This one she simply knocked away with her gauntlet, before continuing her assault.
The fight went on, both fighters attacking back and forth, blow after blow. Faulkron could feel himself wearing out, but Elikon kept going, barely even winded. After quite a few minutes of intense sparring, Faulkron was panting, sweat pouring down his face. Thankfully, the sun had set, and it was cooling off now, but his muscles were aching, and the temperature wasn’t helping him much now.
He watched as Elikon stalked forward, spear held aloft. Before he could make another attack, she spun her weapon, aiming to slam the shaft into his side. Before the hit could land, however, he caught the spear, using his other hand to swing his sword forward with all his weight. She twisted to dodge, but she wasn’t fast enough, and blade cracked across her chest. Quite literally, cracked. Faulkron watched in shock as the other half of the sword fell to the ground, Elikon laughing all the while. There was no evidence, save the broken sword, that he’d even hit her at all.
“This skin’s tough, but that was a good one! I like the spirit.” He almost thought it was over, until his legs were swept from under him. He slammed onto his back, hard. Elikon just laughed again, before she offered a hand to help him up. Defeated and exhausted, he accepted. She pulled him to his feet easily, clapping him on the back. “You could use some training still, but you’ve definitely got skill. The offer to join up still stands, if you wanna think about it. You did well. Now go get some rest, and drink some water.”
As Faulkron made his way out of the courtyard with his wounded pride in tow, he saw Jetra talking to two more mercenaries, where it looked like they had been watching the fight. They were all sitting around a table with some game pieces scattered across it. Jetra stood as he approached, tossing him a cloth.
“If it makes you feel any better, it was at least one hell of a show.”
Faulkron sighed. “Not much, but thanks.” He turned to the other two people at the table. “Who are they?”
The first one stood on his chair at being mentioned, hands on his hips, bringing him to just about eye level.
“I’m Fuego Tamir. Sorcerer, assassin, and baddest bitch around. ‘Sup.”
Faulkron looked over Fuego. The halfling was dressed in dark robes with flame designs on it, and the chest and arms were open, showing off a startling amount of tattoos. The biggest one, right on the center of his chest, was a large stylized skull with “RUN” written beneath it, right between two small identical u-shaped scars just under his chest muscles. His hair was dyed a fiery red at the ends, and held up in a ponytail, shaved at the sides of his head to make room for more tattoos. He had a scimitar on his hip that also had crimson flame designs carved onto it.
“I’m Faulkron. And who are you?” He looked over to the blue dragonborn warrior who sat in the other chair. Her scales were a vibrant blue, but they were covered with various cloths that looked suited for desert travel. A khopesh hung off of their left hip.
“I am Shakari. You fought well, Faulkron.”
“Thanks.”
Jetra nodded. “They’re headed inland too. We were talking, and it looks they’ve both got experience with both magic and the blade. Figured they might join us. Could always use some extra swords.”
Faulkron nodded. “Ah, good idea. If you all don’t mind though, I’m going to go recover. Jetra?”
“I’ll see you in the morning. Come find me at the Spinning Compass, by the marketplace. We can devise a plan then.”
“See you then.”
Fuego called out as well. “When you need to find us, we’ll be here.”
Faulkron nodded in response. He eventually recollected himself, and began heading off to find some place to rest. Before he could leave the compound though, he was approached by Alejandro, who was smiling and holding two flasks.
“Hola! You did pretty good out there. I haven’t been here long, but it seemed you made a lot of good impressions. Most of the warriors that spar with Elikon last half the time you did.”
Faulkron faltered a bit, not expecting such immediate praise from Alejandro, or to be told he actually did well.
“Well, I’m sure you did really well too.”
“I’d like to say I did, but it wasn’t quite as spectacular as your fight.”
Alejandro paused a moment. “I’m sure Elikon told you drink water, would you like some?” he asked, holding out the other flask.
“Yeah, she did. Thank you.” Faulkron gladly accepted, gulping down the water. After he finished, he stood for a moment, unsure what to say next.
“I... you wanted to talk, right?”
Alejandro nodded. “Sí, I was thinking maybe we could go somewhere with less rules and less deadly weapons, and talk a while? Maybe have some drinks?”
“That... yes! It sounds good, yes.” Faulkron was starting to stumble over himself a bit, still a little tired and kind of in shock that this was happening at this specific moment.
“Good! Come then. If you haven’t already heard, the wine here is to die for. It’s one of the things I’ve got to give the company credit for, they did pick a good city for a bunch of thirsty mercenaries to revel in.”
With that, Faulkron followed Alejandro back to the pavilion in the marketplace he’d seen earlier, which was now far busier. They drank and talked for a while, and by the time midnight came around they were both grinning like idiots. They danced with the music as the night went on, occasionally bumping into each other or other dancers. Eventually, Faulkron stepped away from the pavilion a few paces, Alejandro just behind him.
Faulkron took a deep breath of the night air to clear his mind. He was far more relaxed now, and he was enjoying his night with Alejandro immensely. They had talked about a lot of things, from fighting to weapons to the ocean to the wine. Overall, it was going quite well. Suddenly, he had an idea. “Let’s go on a walk. It’s way too hot and loud here, and I’m sure it looks nice here at night.”
“I agree, it is perhaps a little crowded. And the city does look quite nice at night, though I’m not certain that it’d compare with what I’ve already seen.” Alejandro said it nonchalantly, but there was a flirtatious tone in his voice as he regarded Faulkron.
Faulkron could only hope Alejandro couldn’t tell how hard he was blushing.
Decision made, they began to walk off, snaking their way out of the crowded pavilion, through the marketplace and out into the silent torchlit streets.
They walked along for a while, enjoying the fresh air, the tapestry of shining stars in the clear night sky, and each other’s company, letting the effects of the wine trickle away.
Eventually, Faulkron turned to Alejandro. It was late, and he started to ramble on before he could stop himself.
“Okay, so I know it’s late so you should probably head back to the camp and sleep. I will be fine, because I’m elvish, but you need your sleep, you know? This has been fun, please don’t get me wrong, I really liked it, but I don’t wanna keep you up and-“
He was halted by Alejandro’s finger on his lips.
“Hush. It’s alright. I can sleep in. It isn’t that much of an issue. Plus, they don’t exactly allow swordplay in the compound barracks.” Alejandro winked at the word ‘swordplay’.
Faulkron felt his face flush again as he caught the meaning.
“Oh. Good point. Okay. Yeah. I mean, if you say so. Are you sure?” Faulkron laughed a little with nervousness. How in all the worlds is he still interested?
“I’m sure.”
Alejandro grinned, then slowly leaned forward, and placed a small kiss on Faulkron’s jaw. Faulkron felt it almost like a distant breeze, and his face got warm again.
Alejandro smiled at him again. “There’s more where that came from, you know.”
And Faulkron wasn’t about to say no to that.
With that, the two wandered off into the night.
Part 1 | Part 3
#Song of the Seven Suns#post 2#Corias#Leinos#Faulkron Rhodes#Jetra Avaki#Fuego Tamir#Shakari#goliath#fighter#d&d story#wip#violence cw#duel (kinda)#first date#if this counts#cw implied sex#queer characters#lgbtq+#btw yes#Fuego is trans#wasn’t sure how to describe it with just words but he is indeed trans#a short king#thanks for reading!
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Character Introductions for Campaign One: Song of the Seven Suns
Faulkron Rhodes. He’s the main character, a drow elven warrior from across the sea, looking for a home. He/him, gay
Alejandro de la Espada. Human mercenary, ex-gladiator, warrior, and flaming homosexual. He/him, gay
Jetra Avaki. A human storyteller and bard whose father was a paladin, hailing from Leinos. She/her, lesbian
Fuego Tamir. A halfling sorcerer with an affinity for fire and some skills in subterfuge, from a small island kingdom west of Azeria, deep in the Sea of Dragons. (Was actually played by a player who left later on due to personal reasons.) He/him, bi
Shakari. A blue Dragonborn sword-mage from the Suraan desert, with a strange past. She/they, bi
There will be more than just these lovely folks, but they will be the main cast for the beginning part of the Song of the Seven Suns.
These are short, I know, but I’ll elaborate more once I start writing the actual story! I don’t wanna give too much away just yet :P.
Taglist (ask to be added or removed if u want!): @hellishhin
#Song of the Seven Suns#Faulkron Rhodes#Alejandro de la Espada#Fuego Tamír#Shakari#Jetra Avaki#not story#character intros#queer characters#OCs#it’s so fun to get to revisit these characters#I can’t wait to share their stories again
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Hello, friend! 1, 25, 28, and 56 for the OC ask game
Hiya!! Thanks for the ask!
You gave me so many numbers and didn’t specify a character... long post time >:). Gonna answer em for everybody!!
1. What is your character’s greatest fear?
Faulkron: Death, in a roundabout sense. He’s scared of leaving behind no legacy, living a worthless or boring life, being average.
Fuego: Disappointing or hurting everyone he cares about and failing his quest.
Alejandro: Being enslaved again and also just Atticus in general.
Jetra: Not living up to her father’s name/failing to do him justice.
Shakari: Never being accepted back to their people.
25. Would you want to hang out with your character?
Faulkron? Yes after the story, but before he’d probably ignore me since I am but a peasant storyteller (and idk if he’d be all that fun to be around pre-character-development lol).
Fuego is a bean and I love him, yes I’d want to hang out. I am very familiar with his pure of heart dumb of ass energy, I’d be right at home. Also, fire’s fun.
Alejandro I would want to hang out with because I feel like we’d be able to just kinda chill and talk and that’s pretty cool. Also he’s, you know, hot.
Jetra is, of course, premium hang out material. I would kinda just be along for the ride but I’d enjoy it nonetheless.
Shakari for sure yes. She feels like a person who would give big stronk hugs. Also a very good friend in general. Maybe not that fun at parties but definitely a “let’s go explore the woods and watch the birds and catch some bugs” person you know.
28. What kinda pets would they have?
Faulkron: He would probably most like having a horse, cat, or dog since he is familiar with them and does like animals. Although, he would likely have an impressive rivalry with some cats (you know the ones).
Fuego: I think he would like having a monkey for a little chaos pal. Or a parrot (also a little chaos pal, but in a different way).
Alejandro: He’s definitely a dog person, loves em, used to have one. He’d definitely be the old man with an equally ancient dog for a best friend.
Jetra: I think she would like a hawk or falcon, some sort of bird at the very least. She just thinks they’re pretty and she likes the sky. (Also they can send messages and how cool is that! Maybe she could teach it songs.)
Shakari: Her first choice would be a lizard (though she does appreciate cats), preferably a large, spiny, and highly poisonous one that she’s sure is harmless since its teeth can’t pierce her scales.
56. What quirks do they have?
Faulkron: He’s arachnophobic! It’s less an in game reason than a meta reason, which is simply that the player was also arachnophobic, hence why there are no spider enemies in either campaign. It is funny though, cuz, you know, Drow. Kinda primed me to yeet the bad lore though so it all works.
Fuego: He’s like a hot water bottle. 4 feet of pure warmth. You need body heat, just get a hug from Fuego.
Alejandro: Has a big ol’ soft spot for kids. In the same vein, since a lot of his formative years were taken away from him, he’s been speedrunning adulthood for a while and sometimes acts very out of place without realizing he’s doing so (he still isn’t sure what to do at formal events or parties).
Jetra: She’s really forgetful. Not when it comes to like SUPER important stuff (and her navigation skills are fine), but in basic life she is often forgetful. (This is mostly because of her being ADHD)
Shakari: They get super mellow and smiley when they are allowed to get comfy on a nice warm/cool rock. You’d think they were on drugs but it’s just the sun. Comfy rock is the best way to bribe Shakari for anything.
#ask game#not story#character stuff#Faulkron Rhodes#Fuego Tamir#Alejandro de la Espada#Jetra Avaki#Shakari#thanks again for the ask my friend!
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Converging Paths
Song of the Seven Suns, Part 3
Taglist (ask to be added/removed!): @hellishhin, @talesfromaurea, @thelaughingstag
content warnings: slavery mention, sex mention
The sun rose over Corias, and 5 very different people rose with it.
•••
Jetra, adventurer and storyteller, had a mission and a plan. She’d successfully found some other adventurers, had gotten them acquainted, and now she just needed to get the ball rolling.
Unfortunately for her goals, most of them seemed to just be mercenaries, and she wasn’t sure “a dangerous group may or may not be active in an area pretty far from here, but they’re bad and we should stop them” would get them anywhere. Of course, it was more than that. A vicious band of slavers, led by the woman who’d killed her father. Her reason for doing this was part revenge, part keeping her home safe. She’d long awaited the opportunity.
However, she wasn’t sure any of the people she’d found would care about either of those things. Hopefully, though, her lead would entice them. Her contact in Koretion, an old acquaintance of her father’s, had said he’d pay her decently if necessary, so hopefully that extended to allies she brought along.
She sighed to herself as the stared out at the ocean, standing on the rooftop area of the Spinning Compass. She knew she couldn’t do this alone, but if she waited too long she’d be fucked. It was a lose-lose situation, unless this worked.
She steadied herself, taking a deep breath. She wouldn’t know until she tried. Time to go find her new friends and try to drag them into her problems. Couldn’t possibly go wrong, right?
•••
Alejandro woke up a good time later in the morning, still tangled together with Faulkron. A bit of a surprise, but not entirely unwelcome. The elf had his eyes closed, but his breathing was light, and his sleep was lighter. Alejandro was pretty sure that even a ghost’s touch would be enough to wake him. He tried his best to slowly extricate himself, moving as slow and gentle as possible.
Sadly, he was not nearly as weightless as a spirit, and his first attempt to move immediately resulted in Faulkron’s eyes fluttering open. He sighed.
“Sorry. Fuck.”
“We did fuck, yes.”
Normally, Alejandro would sigh at similar jokes, but in all fairness, he’d started it with his ‘swordplay’ comment. He was pretty sure he had gone to plays with less puns than last night’s activities, so instead he just chuckled.
“Thank you for the night. It was fun.”
“You’re welcome. We should do it again sometime.”
“Agreed.”
After a short exchange of goodbyes as they gathered their scattered things, they left the random dockside inn they’d wandered into last night and headed their separate ways through the busy mid morning streets.
Alejandro found his mind wandering, like it often did, as he made his way towards the mercenary compound. It had been a while since he had gone traveling, really traveling, walking towards a horizon without really being sure where you were headed. Letting the wind guide him, so to speak, rather than contracts and orders.
He missed it, and the thrill of the night spent with Faulkron had been a spark thrown onto a long dormant fire. He couldn’t help but be drawn to Faulkron, and his musical companion, even if it was just because of the fact that he was tired of the constant routine of the life he’d tried to find in Corias. He shook his head, thoughts loud in his mind. He almost laughed at himself, but he stifled it. He was going to leave a place he’d tried to stay in and find some semblance of order again, all to follow two people he barely knew on some adventure without any idea where they were actually going. It probably sounded ridiculous to everyone else, but Alejandro wasn’t anything but thrilled. He wasn’t sure he’d ever settle down somewhere, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to.
•••
Fuego practically leaped from his bed. New day, new opportunities, and possibly a new adventure. The bard (Jetra, if he remembered correctly?) he’d met the previous evening had intrigued him, and he was practically buzzing with excitement.
His gaze shifted down to the brand on his arm. Honestly, it was a win-win. Whatever remained of the Krizmani would have a much harder time finding him the farther he got away from Zul’zagan, and heading inland was a great way to do that. And he’d made 3 new friends at the very least, who were all very big and good with swords. That in itself was a huge advantage, as far as he was concerned. Not that he needed it, of course.
He smiled to himself. Maybe some other adventurer would be intimidated by being in a completely new land ,with the remains of a militant group after him, but not Fuego. In his time, he’d already stopped a coup, beaten a far more experienced sorcerer in a duel, and made an ally and friend out of the king of his island home. The Krizmani couldn’t kill him the first time, so he doubted they could now. They were scattered, and he’d only grown in power.
Confidence reassured, he began to get ready for the day. As he prepared his things, he rolled a tiny ball of fire between his fingers, careful not to set anything aflame. Fire had always felt comforting to him, but he wasn’t ignorant to its danger, especially being raised in the jungle of his home. He’d never been one for rules much, but those habits had stuck with him. As much as he loved fire, he didn’t want to hurt anyone.
Blade sharpened and magic readied, he sighed, satisfied. With his deep thinking done for the day, he wandered out of the small inn by the docks, admiring the golden colors of the sunrise for a minute before speeding off to find his dragonborn friend.
•••
Shakari was already awake, meditating on the scrolls where she inscribed the arcane symbols for her magic. Once their meditation was complete, they recollected their scrolls, returning them to the leather cases that hung off of their hips. Tail swishing with early-morning energy, Shakari made her way out to the courtyard to train. The wooden post they had been practicing with in the courtyard during their stay was looking a little worse for wear since they’d gotten here. She could see the marks from both her blade and her magic, and felt a small surge of pride just seeing it there, a small evidence of her skill.
Before they could get too full of themselves, however, they got to work. Hefting her blade, she went through the well-practiced motions, blade spinning and carving at the post, occasionally flying from her hand to sink into the wood, only to reappear with a flash into her claws. Shakari had just finished her practice, sparks dancing around her teeth as she caught her breath, when a familiar voice called out to them. Fuego, hair still a bit messy from sleep, but eyes bright, was striding across the courtyard, enthusiastically waving.
“Hey, Shakari! A stunning sunrise, huh?”
“Indeed, my tiny friend. Did you rest well?”
“I sure did. I’m excited to be going soon. What about you?”
Shakari smiled. She was very keen on going inland. They wanted to check on their brothers back with the clan, and to feel sand beneath their feet again. She had done a decent amount of mercenary work here, and all along the Leinos coast, but now that she’d earned the money she had, she was eager to put her talents to better use in protecting Azeria, her homeland.
“I am eager to leave as well. It has been a long time. The pair that approached us seem honest enough, and it will be good to travel in a group, if we go that route. We will soon see what is in store with them, and if it does not suit us I am content if we need to find our own path. In the meantime, while we wait for that decision, a round of Dragon’s Dice?”
Shakari was fascinated whenever they played this game. Fuego had introduced it to them, seeing as how they were dragonborn. Fuego had learned it while on the sea, a popular game from the Leinos coast. The two had played the game enough in the past few weeks that she knew she could out-strategize her friend all day, but his incomprehensible “strategy” of simply winging it was both frustrating and amazing to Shakari. No game was the same, but every game was a welcome challenge.
Fuego grinned, grabbing the dice from his bag. “Why not.”
•••
Faulkron said goodbye to Alejandro, heading off to find the Spinning Compass, and Jetra. He realized he’d only been here a day and so much had already happened. Things were finally speeding up, and he was grateful for that. 20 years growing up on a farm had been fine, but he wanted more out of life. If he was going to live for hundreds of years, he wanted it to at least be interesting. And, if his instincts were right, he’d finally found the place to do it. As he contemplated the future, he continued walking through the streets of Corias, eyes peeled for the Spinning Compass.
When Faulkron finally found the inn Jetra had mentioned, he made his way through the open doorway and began scanning the faces of the merchants, sailors, and other travelers who seemed to primarily use the Compass’ services. He didn’t have to look long for his companion, because the sound of Jetra’s voice was echoing from the other side of the room, leading half of the patrons in an upbeat song in the Leinai language, Jetra herself dancing among the tables as she caught the coins being occasionally tossed to her. Faulkron smiled at the sight, and waited for her to finish her song before approaching.
“That was a very interesting song, you sing well.”
Slightly out of breath from the dancing and song, Jetra smiled. “Thank you! I always enjoy a good song after a busy morning. Come, sit, we’ve got lots to talk about.”
Jetra lead Faulkron over to a table, still smiling and humming the song under her breath. She ordered another drink, before lounging on a chair. Her smile faded slightly as she pulled out a map of Leinos. “Before I was singing with those wonderful people over there, I got in contact with some people I know. I think we’ve got a job that will take us inland to Koretion, if you’re interested,” she said, pointing at the corresponding marker on her map.
Faulkron was a bit surprised. He’d kind of expected just going contract-shopping or something at the compound, but it couldn’t hurt to at least consider the offer. Plus, someone Jetra knew was probably likely to be a better employer anyways. “What’s the job?”
“They want somebody to take out a group of bandits, kidnapping people and selling them into slavery, near Koretion. Terrible stuff. I know a guy there, said he’d pay if necessary, but they really need rid of these slavers.”
Faulkron nodded. Didn’t seem to be too complex of a task. “How much?”
“He’s offering 50 ochmai in all to get rid of the bandits, whatever means necessary.”
Faulkron sucked in his breath. “Damn, that’s a lot.”
“It’s an important job.”
“Sounds like. Well, if we bring along the other two you found, I think we can take some bandits. You can use that sword, right?”
Jetra scoffed. “‘Can I use the sword?’ Yes I can, thank you very much. And, I might add, I have some talents manipulating magic as well.”
“You do magic too?”
“Yes, with my stories and my music. It’s more of an extension of my art than anything, really. But that’s besides the point.”
“Right. Well, let’s get started then.”
With their journey ahead decided, they finished their drinks and headed towards the mercenary camp, eyes set on a new destination.
Post 2 | Part 1 & 2 (version 2) | Part 4
#Song of the Seven Suns#post 3#cw slavery mention#cw sex mention#d&d story#my wip#high fantasy#Corias#Leinos#Faulkron Rhodes#Jetra Avaki#Alejandro de la Espada#Fuego Tamir#Shakari#ochmai are what they call the gold coins in Leinos#for those who might be wondering#(I tried to show some more characterization in this one! plz tell me what u think!)#thanks for reading!
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Hi! 11, 13 and 26 for the oc development ask game!
- dragon-swords-prophecies
Hello! Thanks for the ask!!
@dragon-swords-prophecies
11. In what situation was your character the most afraid they’d ever been?
I’ll do Faulkron for this one! As of right now in the story, he was most scared when, while he was sailing across the Ikarron Ocean on his way to Leinos, the ship encountered a hurricane. It was something he couldn’t fight, so he just had to hope the person at the helm knew what they were doing.
13. Is your character bothered by the sight of blood?
Not really (for any of them lol). All of them are warriors, so they see it pretty often. Alejandro is bothered by things relating to that (like bloody sand, or wounds from whips), but not necessarily blood by itself.
26. How does your character behave around children?
(Couldn’t decide on one so figured I’d just do al of them!)
Faulkron is very neutral towards them, he doesn’t really care. As the story goes on though, he gets a little softer.
On the other hand, Alejandro always feels very protective of children. Makes sense considering what happened to him, he never wants to see a child in a situation like that.
Jetra adores children. They’re always the best audience, in her opinion.
Shakari also loves kids, but they make them a little sad. They were planning to have babies before being exiled, but now that won’t happen.
Fuego is always entertained by children, especially the ones that are taller then him as a halfling. He just finds it very amusing, and he thinks that kids in general are just great.
(Questions from this ask game!)
#not story#asks#ask game#character stuff#Faulkron Rhodes#Alejandro de la Espada#Jetra Avaki#Shakari#Fuego
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