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Poke pt 2 - Attack on NY

“Kneel!” The word echoed through the world and to the open of the sky a swarm of Chitauri flooded the skies over the city of New York.

All around Stark Tower to the explosion of yellow mist a body racing up from the ground in a beam of light stirred elated gasps and cries from those down below as Venom leapt from your back to the nearest glider craft to devour the creature on top of it. 93 stories above at the top of the tower the confused raven haired Prince watched as the powerful duo and a young teen in a spider emblazoned red and blue body suit diverted as many creatures as possible between blasts from the Avengers.

“Mr Stark, she’s really not that bad you know!” The teen shouted in Stark’s repeated shout to have the duo leave this job to the ‘professionals’ only making her send a small swarm of caterpillars who wriggled their way against his better efforts inside his suit to make him land and have to get them out.

Clouds of bees soon blocked out the city below forcing the creatures just one direction, up. But not just them as now the armed Princes dueled and you avoided another arrow that Clint below fired off to the rapidly swerving hover crafts that the swarms buffered.

All of a sudden Nat was on one of them and a sudden bullet had you shriek out and grab at her knee in a panicked try to catch yourself in the collapse of your stairs that had her groan and strain to keep steady as you muttered, “Damnit Widow! So help me call off your pistol man or I will crash this ship.”

Her head turned to follow your glare at the metal armed masked man and she said, “He’s not one of ours,” to a stunned and uncertain tone.

“Oh you got to be fucking kidding me!” you said slamming a hand into the ground to grip a groove there as she used her free hand to help you onto the craft she turned sharply to avoid being in the view of the man below who raced to get back into line. “Alien portal in the sky let’s shoot at the teenager.”

“Teenager?” Nat asked in a glance at you behind her asking, “How old are you?!”

“Well I was fourteen the last time you aimed your pistol at me. Fifteen that star spangled moron dislocated my shoulder the first time. And Stark’s been the one with the oldest grudge, not that he could hit the broad side of the barn without blowing up the county!” you shouted the end of the last sentence flying past the Billionaire who flew by in a try to lure another swarm of aliens into a trap. “Oh ya I’m dangerous, why sell the bombs to other countries when you can blow it up yourself.” Her brow ticked up and you said in a huff, “My Therapist said it was good for me to vent. Or I clench my jaw and give myself migraines, which lead to insomnia and nothing good comes when I don’t sleep. I’m eighteen. Not that it really matters. Oh well, happy flying, off to see the Wizard.” You said and leapt off the craft. Just in time she turned to swerve from hitting another glider. Off of which she shot the rider in a split second grab of her gun while you raced up another staircase of glimmering bees.

Finally your foot hit the open helipad of the tower and another shriek left you in your body’s collapse to all fours in the sharp sting of the bullet that went through a gap in the armor on your thigh and sent the blonde Prince through the glass wall as the bullet lodged in his shoulder. Sudden rage had the raven haired Prince turn to fire off his scepter behind you at the building where the shot came from scattering those bees a moment to not take the hit. A diversion that covered your race over to the machine powering the open portal that allowed more Chitauri through. Down from a swing at your side Spiderman sped asking, “You ok, Bumble? Heard you shriek twice.”

“Other than the crazed metal armed gunman shooting at me, just peachy Peter.”

“Oh, well that’s um,” after a moment he stammered out, “Who’s Peter?”

“Convincing, very convincing. Just steer clear if that suit of yours isn’t bullet proof. Apparently aliens aren’t reason enough to wait in line to kill me today.” You said sliding to a stop as he swung off to help Nat on her glider at her call to take out more riders. Meanwhile Venom had used his webbing and a clever swing around another to fling one up and blow up seven more a mile above your heads that in a quick glimpse of the machine you bobbed and weaved to avoid falling debris.

“What are you doing?!” the green clad Prince shouted as he strode out of the inside after another check of his brother’s condition. Past the bubble barrier you stepped at the flickering blue pulse around the tesseract powering the portal machine for a pause worthy sight at its allowing you inside the field against Dr Selvig’s programming. Though Loki wouldn’t be fast enough as in a growing pulse of glittering yellow light your hands rose to circle the inner orb where the conductor above the tesseract rested sparking up brilliantly between your palms. And in a sudden jolt like a fired slingshot your bees shot upwards around the Avengers, Spidey and Venom sending all the whales and riders up into range of the portal again. That with the triggered implosion of the conductor between your glowing palms sucked them back into the portal.

Open mouthed the Prince watched helpless as the machine let off a blue pulse that knocked you into the air timed moments before the machine around the glowing cube exploded. And your adopted brother sped on his webbing as fast as he could with Spidey after him at the smoking trail following your body’s being fired off to the center of Central Park.

“I’m a Nurse!” muffled in your ears to the sound of dirt shifting and into the pit you had created in a woman and two firemen behind her slid to dig out and check the sporadic vitals of the young woman a kit was tossed down to aid. Tourniquet for your leg and a neck brace helped to keep the unconscious patient from the pit. Down at the edge Venom and Spidey used their webbing to hoist the board now holding the strapped down savior of the city who War Machine and Iron Man hovered above in their drop down to see where the girl had landed.

Tony said, “We have a medical wing in Stark Tower, she can be taken there.”

To which Venom stated, “In an aim to kill or imprison our Little One yourself no doubt.”

Tony said, “There’s a gunman on the loose, my tower is the safest place for Queen Bee at the moment.”

Venom said, “We will not go to Stark Tower. We do not trust you with our sister.”

To which Tony scoffed and the larger of the firemen stated, “St Herman it is. Next of kin beats money Mr Stark.”

And the duo simply flew overhead as Spidey remained fixed at your side holding your hand, “You’re gonna be okay Bumble. We’re right here,” Inside him and Venom climbed into the waiting Ambulance that had just arrived, with him hushedly talking to you even when you were taken into the hospital. Blankets were brought over by him as Venom helped to remove your layers and armor while leaving your mask on to protect your identity.

The slowing of the thunderously fast heartbeat replayed on the monitor was the music that flooded the room. Soon accompanied by orders from the attending Trauma Surgeon Dr Christine Palmer who took notice of the gunshot graze wounds and the broken Chitauri arrow lodged in your shoulder blade they rolled you into a private room with blinds drawn so the people from off the streets with more minor injuries couldn’t see your condition. Venom refused to leave and ended up in a gown and mask off to the side while the people in the halls caught sight of Spiderman pacing there in panic, soon joined by the Avengers who all grouped around him.

“She’s got an arrow in her back,” eyes shifted to Clint who swallowed dryly to Spidey’s adding, “Two bullet graze wounds and they put a neck brace on her but she couldn’t straighten her leg.”

“She’ll be fine kid. been trying to kill her for years now. She’s resilient.”

“Like children are,” Nat said turning her head, “On the hover craft she said she’s only 18. We’ve been trying to kill her for years. She’s 18.” Then she went to lean against the wall crossing her arms letting those words sink in.

“She knows my name, how does she know my name?” Spidey asks himself.

And Loki in Thor’s grip to support himself in his staggered limp from an earlier stab to his thigh heavily bruised here for his own checkup said rather casually, “Perhaps she heard about it in the halls, as school children do.”

And Peter scoffs, “No upper class men know my name.” Then he paused and asked, “What if she is? What if she’s like really cool and wanted to be my friend and I blew her off?!”

And coolly Loki said being pushed to an exam room, “Unless you pushed her off a roof I am certain those bonds will recover.” A Nurse came over to the green clad Prince with a cut on his nose and stated, “Your efforts are futile, these wounds are superficial at the least. My brother was stabbed and then shot with a projectile however,” in a hissing inhale he flinched to the sting of the alcohol swab being tapped to the cut on his nose. “Thank you,” he grit out and listened to his brother being wrangled to another bed where the second surgeon helped the bullet already wiggling it’s way out of his shoulder free to a metal tin and cleaned the wound that on its own began to scab over.

Thor stated in their move to clean the wound on his bloody thigh, “Our people are strong you should focus your efforts in the mortals.” A press of a swab to a tiny cut behind his ear by a nurse however had him trying to squirm off the bed to get away.

Meanwhile through the wall one of the nurses said in her try to pull splinters from the back of your legs and at the least fractured forearm from the crash through a tree’s branches in your crash landing, “They’re wiggling out on their own.” The surgeon glanced away from the arrow her long grippers released and she said, “The splinters.”

Another glance over the numerous wounds sealing on their own and in the silence they swore they could hear the faint sounds of bones resetting their own fractures. Enough to make their skin crawl until the flinch triggering thunk of the arrow that forced itself out of your upper back for a gradually scabbing wound for them to gawk at a few moments then get back to sanitizing your other wounds. “Ok, let’s wash these wounds to be certain we got it all and get a portable x-ray in here.” At her order the portable X-ray machine was brought over to hover and scan all across your body except for your head due to your mask.

“Stay still Little One.”

Venom hissed and you groaned as the Doctor eased the X-ray machine away stating, “Good news, Miss Misique,” her voice awkwardly in a forced sense of calm when stating your code name to make this seem like she’d treated a super powered being before. “Your fractures are healing and with a few bandages and some bed rest you can be back up on your feet again.”

“Oh that’s nice, I do have a novel I’ve been meaning to finish for about two years now.” With a careful hand she helped you to sit up as Venom did from the other side as your hair rippled to glimmering yellow again and in the open of your eyes their shimmering sea of an altered shade expanded to hide their true purple shade. “Good, thought I might get some resistance with that.”

“We just had aliens fall out of the sky. I’m good for a week.” Making her smirk and help you down as Venom kept the gown you were in closed across your bruised and scraped back with sporadic bandages taped across it. “Thank you.”

“The Avengers are here as well waiting for you.”

And you sighed heavily eyeing the hall they turned you down to get back to your intensive care room, “So much for rest.”

“They seemed concerned, the small red and blue one especially with the spider on his chest.”

“Spider-Man, newest recruit looks like.”

You said and at your room when you moved for your clothes the Nurse said, “You need to rest,”

“You need the bed. I’ll be fine. No need to waste more attention on me. Thank you though all the same.” Reluctantly they stepped out to let you get dressed saying for the bill they knew where to mail it like any other who wished to contact you. And within minutes other Nurses in the hall watched the group stiffen at your stiff stroll out at Venom’s side after he’d handed over the gown and little cap they gave him to a Nurse who said she would take them.

“Bumble! You’re walking!” Peter said excitedly.

With a nod you exhaled flexing your sore scabbed fingers in the snap of the strap of your left glove into place around your wrist. “I’ll be fine. Off home now, I have a bowl of chili cheese tots and a pizza and a stack of movies calling my name.”

Natasha asked, “You sure you should be up? We could call your parents to get you.”

“They don’t have land lines in graveyards or trust me I’d be living on that line.” Around the group you strolled as she lifted off the wall eyeing the arrow you had grabbed from the table you slid into the pocket on the side of your thigh with the face mask full of the bloody splinters to not leave any blood samples here if possible to be traced by Stark. Who you saw send a drone back to check the rooms in the hall you had left.

Stark said, “So, baby bee, who lets you out of the hive at all hours of the night?”

To his harsh tone Rhodey whacked his arm he waved a hand to focus merely on the answer. “I’m not the one who destroys half the city every time I suit up there Sparky.”

“Sparky, cute. Answer the question.”

“I’m an orphan,” you said turning your head to catch his gaze, “Like you.”

“Now that’s just cold,” he said to your back as you continued walking on facing forward again.

“No depending on if you managed to track down where Star Boy ran off to it’s cold or just fighting fair. Since you only give a damn about yourself and your toys.” He scoffed and you said in another glance up at him, “Or did I miss the day you took that shielding tech to coat the rest of the city around your precious tower just in case of attack?” He was silent a moment and you said, “Thought so. But no, you go ahead and keep building bombs for that suit of yours and I’ll keep using my ‘little hive’ you keep mocking in the press to protect the city you keep blowing up while spouting that I’m the evil one.”

“You kill criminals, just because they are bad guys doesn’t make it better leave it to the government.”

“Like you did when you became Iron Man?”

Rhodey chuckled and at Stark’s glance his way he said in a chuckle, “She’s got a point.”

Tony said louder this time, “Who takes care of you?! Who lets you do this?! Who trained you to do this?!”

And in a other turn you said to his face, “Perhaps you should get to know Black Widow a bit better. We are sisters in arms after all. She can answer that, though unlike her I’m not perfect, I killed them after they put me in the Soldier’s Tomb. I left them lined in rows in the Red Room.”

That had the trained assassin cover her mouth and had Tony turn and ask, Soldier’s Tomb? Red Room? Can we not talk in code?” He asked at your step through the door Venom opened for you.

“Bumble!” However the grip of his hand around your middle to Peter’s near tackle of you out of the doorway had Tony’s body at the bullet that bounced off his armored suit turn to face the metal armed assassin who cocked his gun again.

“I am gonna tear off that bastard’s arm and beat him to death with it.”

“Language!” Steve said.

To which you fired back shoving the door open you strolled through already with a baton in hand, “Oh fuck off, Propaganda Man.” In your other hand when you released the door you grabbed your other baton, now with the other you dropped at your side saying, “Let’s see what you got Star Boy.” Out of your jacket you shrugged and from his hand the gun moved to be holstered on the harness he unsnapped to drop on the ground behind him. “I’m warning you, I won’t pull my punches for trying my patience.”

And in the removal of his facial mask he said in thick Russian, “You will submit to your orders, White Dove.”

And at that you laughed aloud with an amused squeak at the end while Steve muttered the name of his previously assumed dead friend.

“They did not send the Winter Soldier after little me. I must have really pissed them off.” You crossed from the walkway to the parking lot where you faced one another as he squared up ready to fight, “And just think how pissed they be when I bring you down like the others they’ve sent after me.”

Loki hummed curiously to the amused tone in your voice he understood thanks to the Allspeak, “She seems amused to be hunted.”

Nat muttered, “She shouldn’t be. Not if they sent him.”

Steve turned to her, “You knew they were using Bucky?! All this time and you said nothing?!”

“That’s not Bucky anymore. No one is the same after. Not after what they did to make them obedient.”

His try to walk out and cut the fight off had Thor restrain him with a grip of his shoulder stating, “There are rules of engagement they have agreed to hand to hand combat you must respect that.”

Steve tried to fight only to find himself magically bound in a glowing green set of chains thanks to Loki who watched as Bucky advanced in the first blow. Barely visible to the mortals around them his fist jut out and with ease your head eased to the left and the dance began. Blow after blow missed with leg raises from him that were the only form of contact with your body shoved away quite effortlessly by your tiny self who even with the mask seemed to not break a sweat in the several minute stand off as the older assassin grew more enraged. Bruce lowly asked in your boot shoving his next kick away to spin him around, “He’s had the Super Serum, right?” His eyes trailing the growing crowd of spectators on the other side of the glowing barrier your hovering wall of bees provided in case he did draw one of his remaining weapons.

To which Nat answered, “So has she,”

“What?!” Tony and Steve asked in unison.

Nat, “I heard they wanted to try it in a girl, he was the only male who survived the serum, I didn’t think they’d give it to an actual child, I thought they’d wait till she was grown. But that would make her impossible to suspect, the White Dove Project. All my intel said it was marked a failure, not that she was rogue. I guess they grew impatient when I didn’t come back.”

“Tell me what the Red Room is!” Tony demanded as in his try to sneak a spare blow in a standing split your leg rose to tangle around his arm to drop backwards using his arm for support and in one move jerk his legs out. A hold you flipped out of as he fell to his back and for a few minutes was a flailing turtle of sorts until he swept a kick you hopped away from enabling him room to whip himself up in an arch of his legs and back to start a series of missed punches and tries to reach the arms you tucked behind your back between kicks you dished out to his chest and shoulder sending him back several feet to have him rush back again. A slow path to find his weakness as you avoided and paid attention before your oncoming barrage to send him painfully to the ground in an unlikely yield or his death.

Tony said in a glare at the woman analyzing your speed and strength clearly surpassing the Super Serum users around her who were fully grown showing your growth spurts and aging meant increased power, stamina and speed, “Nat!”

“It’s where they sterilize the girls they train, make us perfect. No chance to have a weakness.” And his jaw fell slack as she said, “Soldier’s Tomb is what they use for the serum. Only they survived going inside it.”

Tony muttered, “Just great, let’s dope up a kid then let it loose through puberty.”

A clear growl of frustration came from Bucky in the kick you gave to his back that sent him flying for the second blatant attack following a wince inducing roundhouse kick to his face when he tried to bend to get an attack at your legs for a try to throw you off. Sudden and hard his foot charged after yours and in a smooth plant of his foot and weight. His intention was a sudden left hook that with a raised palm his fist was caught mid air for a stunning halt of his attack that jeers and cheers to stunned gasps and even a strained squeak of an exhale from him was the response before your pivot and fling of the assassin hard into the lot again. It was clear this was your finishing blow as you charged and with a strained finger reach from Steve he set off a smoke charge from Tony’s arm control nearly into his thigh that freed his arm from the flickering chain enabling him to hurl his shield at his endangered friend. “Buck!”

Out of reflex the weary assassin caught the shield and groaned to your sharp pained squeak in the muffled cracks you heard of fractures spreading through your forearm and finger bones. The sound of that didn’t worry others as open mouthed everyone saw your fist cave in the shield that in a stagger back with a bite of your lip it hovered in a cloud of yellow mist. The force of the blow that broke Bucky’s fleshy arm dead in the center and flung him backwards in an awkward tumble ending on a sloppy knee top grimacing stance. His tear filled eyes watched as you shouted, “Steven Gingerbread Rogers! What the fuck?! He was doing fine before you interfered!”

Wide eyed the open mouthed first Avenger in a stunned squeak of a whisper replied, “You dented my shield?” Then looked from his friend to you again as you tried to hold back the tremble of the arm you wished you could remove to Loki’s doubling of the chains now entangling him once again tighter this time. “Gingerbread?” He squeaked to the Prince sealing the new lock on the chains then watched as you sent off the shield far into the distance out of anger.

From Tony’s shoulder a set of drones charged after it to prevent it being stolen to Rhodey’s comment of, “I think she heard your puberty comment.”

To the extension of glimmering lines of a brace that formed around your fingers to your elbow the same spread along Bucky’s that had him glance at that then to you again. Sharply you inhaled then muttered, “Fine. They want Star Boy they get Star Boy.” A couple steps closer you moved locking your eyes on his that rippled a flash of glittering yellow that overtook his iris’ and you said, “So, Bucky, I’m going to show you who they’ve made you forget.” Silence fell as confusion took hold at what you were doing until you blinked and turned leaving the kneeling assassin to shake his head as you turned to rejoin Venom at the group who wanted to scoop you up and carry you off right away seeing how tired and in pain you were.

To Nat you said, “Get the man a therapist, I erased his command words from his memory and unlocked everything else.” And your eyes shifted to Tony, “Get ready for the test of a lifetime on those defenses of yours. I just stole Hydra’s golden goose for your star spangled buddy.” And you said to Steve, “You interfere in my fight again you won’t live to regret it. Don’t let Stark rub off on you.” Venom as you spoke walked closer. Just a lift of your foot and his palm took hold of it lifting you against his chest to spring off the ground and swing you back off to Queens. “I’ll leave the press to you Sparky. Just how you like it. See ya Monday, Spidey.”

“Bye Bumble! See you then!” And to himself the teen muttered, “Monday, what’s Monday?” Behind you Peter said after his few paced steps and drew out his phone as it chimed with a reminder, “I’m gonna head back home now. I’ve got plans with my friend and a lego Palpatine.”

Stark nodded in his spring off and watched as Steve was freed to race over as Nat softly conferenced with Clint at her side and Rhodey asked Bruce, “How much force can Vibranium take again?” That had the Scientist let out a puff of air for the unimaginable force it would have taken to dent the shield as Bucky was helped up and shouts from Steve had them ushering him off to the Tower Medical Wing to have his injuries looked over. “It doesn’t like, wear out? It is old…”

When Steve was within earshot of the golden haired Prince Thor he heard the Prince say, “The very next time you see the Lady you owe her your sincerest efforts to remedy the insult you issued upon her honor.”

Steve, “Her what?! She was-,”

“Facing off against a formidable foe in one on one combat. The rules of which you are in breech. It was dishonorable to have provided a shield to him and not to her as well. You are heavily in her debts young Steven.”

Steve shook his head and helped the still confused Bucky who was taking in the city around him as if he’d woken up for the first time in decades now fully seeing it outside of its prior haze. “Let’s get you to the tower Buck.”

Loki glanced at his brother, “Tell me again why you wish to remain here?”

Thor stated, “Father had shared Midgard bears bonds of the soul for every creature upon it. I have met mine and I wish for you to discover your own. Even Mother bore curiosity as for whom her favored child might be bonded to.”

To which Loki replied as they settled inside the second car Tony had called to fit the whole group, “Mother may be curious however Father will never accept a Midgardian Princess.”

“That depends entirely upon the maiden and you know it. Have faith you shall find quite the incredible rush and bond in locating your Mate.” He said scooting over to allow Bruce to sit with the brothers while Clint and Nat rode with the reunited besties and Tony and Rhodey flew overhead. With a smile Thor turned to ask Bruce, “How did you come across your Mate, Banner?”

“Oh, um, we worked in the same lab, I went green and almost killed her. I went back to apologize after and it sort of clicked. Bit odd, at first, but we stay in touch.”

Loki, “You did not marry?”

Bruce replied, “She has a wife. And well, I go green. She wants babies, not a very safe choice anyways. Especially with this new team starting up.”

Down in the usual back way from this part of town to your street you snuck into the same abandoned building to change out of your costume with Eddie’s careful help after Venom hid himself again. “Let’s get you changed,”

“He threw him the fucking shield!” you whimpered in your shrug out of your long sleeved shirt soon dropped on top of the coat and batons Venom had collected on your way out of the lot. “Who would do that? At worst I shatter my arm, best? What’s the positive he takes the shield and bludgeons me to death with it?!”

“I don’t get it,” he said careful to remove the armored pads as you moved the brace you had made underneath it. “No benefits other than his buddy doesn’t get his ass beat any worse by you.”

“I hope Stark has strong controls on his drones I sent his shield halfway to Florida if they don’t cut off my bees.”

“Love to see him get that dent out. Wasn’t even your dominant hand, could have punched a hole through it with the other one.” From his back he eased off his large blue flannel shirt he guided around your tank top to help hide your bruises and scrapes, more importantly your braced arm after you’d tucked your bell bottom jeans over most of your boots. Braids were next to be let down to have your walls of raven unruly curls help the disguise along with your favorite bolero hat he settled lovingly on your head then hoisted up the duffel bag of spare clothes and the costume and ticked his head to the side in a loop of his hand onto your back. “Tots and pizza await.”

It would be a long ride home from here to Queens on the subway. And the whole while you listened and chatted with others about the aliens and now viral video of the fight between Misique and her latest attacker that had most amused by the notion she had been going easy on Iron Man and his crew all this time.

Like always when you were roughed up it was his place you stayed at that had the neighbors talking at first until they started to hear his blatant use of the word ‘Sister’ around the block and made it clear he was just adopting a fellow vagabond. You still lived apart but he kept the round couch loaded with pillows and blankets at your refusal to make him buy another bed just for you. “In your nest baby bird,” he said with a chuckle and watched you ease off your boots and go to painfully plop into the mess of blankets, amongst them the heated blanket he plugged in and switched on so you could cocoon away your pain.

“Now if they could make one that massages without feeling like someone’s dragging stones across your skin it would be perfect.”

“We could get one of those water tank massagers, like at the mall.” That had you giggle and watch his path to heat up the oven and return with a pair of drink pouches he added the straws to and handed you one and tapped his to. “Bottoms up, you got the last grape,” that had you groan and he chuckled in his plop back into his favorite chaise lounge, “I don’t know why they put so many fruit punches in the big boxes. Might as well just load up on the smaller grape and cherry boxes.”

After your sip you said, “But they only ever have one box of grape. They’re gonna stop selling it soon, always do when I like something.”

He switched on the tv and from the image of Stark talking to the press at a conference inside his still smoking tower with a crater on his former helipad where you had been blow off it he changed the channel to an action film marathon. “This is the fourth one, right?” He asked in Venom’s ease out from the side of his head at the film.

You answered, “Gotta be the third he blew up that car in the start of the fourth and cried about it the last half.” He chuckled and again took notice of your hand traveling to the pouch that held the small box, no bigger than an eraser in matte grey a couple of inches across and barely half an inch high that had a single button in the center of it in a pale mint.

“You should give your Mate a poke.” He said showing he lifted his own button to give his worried ex a tickle to let her know that he was safe, fully aware as always when he was on the news it could get deadly with Stark after him and you.

“Doesn’t even know me,” you said easing the box out that rested in the curves of your fingers to allow a smooth of your thumb around the button it dipped onto and gave it a result free tap, at least on your end.

And in the Stark Tower elevator Loki’s brows furrowed and he practically growled to those around him, “Which one of you just poked me?”

They shook their heads and Bruce asked, “You sure it was a poke?”

“I am not ignorant of the meaning-,”

Bruce lifted his hand, “N, no, not what I meant. Our Mate boxes, you can either poke or tickle your Mate. We didn’t poke you, had to be them.”

Nat said as the doors opened and she walked past him, “Congrats.” Heading for her computer to delve more into things to plan ahead as the old friends were already settled in the medical Wing and Rhodey was tasked with showing the Princes their new apartments here in the tower.

“Who would choose to poke their soul mate?” Loki asked exiting the elevator.

And Clint asked with an amused grin, “Would you prefer to be tickled?”

“Certainly not!”

“Wasn’t so bad, was it?” Eddie chuckled making you groan and stash the button in its pouch you set back on the couch beside you where you had left it.

“I just poked a complete stranger. It’s right up there with waving at a stranger who you thought was waving at you but wasn’t.”

That had him chuckle and reply, “Oh it will be fine.”

“I’m going to sound weird if I have to describe myself.”

“You will not,”

“I talk with an accent when I’m not killing people and I have a practically non-existent date life. I’m going to seem like I am putting all my eggs in my Mate’s basket.”

“Well we’ll just have to find you a few dates then. And what about that Jeremy guy?”

“The one who hooked up with his cousin’s girlfriend while he was supposed to be with me at the movies?”

“Yes, you have that moron and that other guy who asked you to the dance your freshmen year. So you’re just waiting for a more mature partner.”

“Now I sound like a sugar baby.” You said taking another sip of your drink making him give you a challenging glance.

“There’s a million people on this death trap of a state we can find you a couple guys to have shakes with.”

“Why don’t we find you a nice lady out of this death trap first?” That had him chortle and you said, “You have not been on Twitter in a while there’s tons of women who have the hots for Venom.”

“Whoa, what?” You nodded and he said, “That will be a topic we get back to in a very long time. I don’t need to date. I have a baby sister to look after.”

He said on his way up to answer the beeping oven now ready for what he aimed to cook first. And he simply shook his head to the grip of a bag of tater tops from his freezer as you said, “Which the ladies will love. So much better than a puppy, an actual living person makes you super domestic. Just post a picture of you in an apron and that cozy tan sweater you hardly wear and you’ll have them flocking in for cuddles and suppers in.”

“What we have here is a cupid stand-off. Let’s just let fate take its course.” The chime from your pocket had his head turn after adding the tray of tots to the oven he twisted the stegosaurus shaped timer you had bought him and set it down watching as you scrolled through the messages from the classmates you had shared your number with. “Something big? Your school phone, right?”

“They’re sharing with the local Viking that two real life Asgardian Princes are on earth.” With the easy slide of the screen up to reveal the keys you grimaced through the pain of typing back excited messages to video clips from the internet that you couldn’t wait to hear more about them one handedly. “We can only wonder at what Stark has in store for them.”

“Hey, why don’t you date that Spidey kid. You know who he is. Seems a bit jumpy but it could work, shared secrets and all that.”

You shook your head, “Peter’s a good kid, and a girl his year hasn’t made her move yet. Waited through his whole debacle with that Vulture guy who tried to break into Stark’s warehouse last year. Ruined his chance with the guy’s daughter. He should have something simple, plus if he found out who either of me are then he’d be hurt. He doesn’t kill people.”

Your eyes sank and then rose at his lean over and tap on your arm that had you smile as he said, “Hey, I love you. Stingers and all.”

“I love you too, man eater.” That had him laugh and sit up again and turn to face the screen as you continued to pretend through texts to be enthralled with every detail you heard. Food soon had your attention at the table loaded with trays and plates you both devoured to full your aching muscles and bones while you relaxed a bit at being able to bend your still stiff fractured but no longer broken fingers while your forearm was mending its lingering fractures under the brace made of linked bee shaped metal pieces.

Painfully under his pile of covers sprawled across his body he laid out eventually as you did across the round couch in your nest of pillows and blankets only to have your eyes open an hour to sunrise at the muffled explosion.

“I’m not going they can’t make me.” You muttered making the groggy Eddie chuckle and roll over as you did ignoring whatever it was going on outside your painful bubble. An alert from your printer hooked up to a mounted tablet had you groan and hunch yourself onto your knees to accept the printed sheet a glowing mechanical bee that woke up beside the printer in its usual job of passing you the news when you were here. “Not even twelve hours,” you muttered and then groaned in a lean over the side of the couch you pulled a laptop out from underneath it you powered up once open and linked up to your database. Across the screen following the blips of disturbances your eyes followed the names of the prison inmates who were still remaining in the prison that had just been blasted open by someone according to the footage who was stealing the vulture guy.

“What is it?” Eddie called from the other room.

“Prison break. I got it.” You replied with a sigh and to the type of a few keys you were in the security footage system and through the internet and electrical systems your swarms flew and around the prisoners they latched into every alarm system was set off to have every cop on duty to apprehend them.

The Vulture guy however had you get a bit more creative and send a glowing bee to latch onto his leg and set off a ping that had Stark up out of bed and suiting up to follow the ping in his system that one of his inventions had been taken. Confusion didn’t come close to the frustration that somehow his nemesis had broken into his system and back out again without a trace that he could manage to find. Enough to spoil the press conference after he called to state the city was safe again as you laid back down to the dim of your eyes and hair and got some more sleep until your and Eddie’s bellies decided it was time to get up again to make breakfast.

Halfway through your omelet you grumbled around a mouthful of food in another glance at the printer that went off, “no.”

Eddie smirked as he cut off another slice of his own stack of pancakes he added the slice of omelet to and shoved it between his lips while you swallowed and accepted the sheet from the mechanical bee that chirped gladly as you said, “Thank you, Buster.”

In his flight back Eddie asked, “What is it?”

“Post office, I have a package.”

“Ooh,” he said and you both smiled widely saying, “Super suit!” Both of you hurried to eat and he helped you pull your armor on you layered with a t shirt and flannel from him as your sweater was being washed to be covered by your usual jacket that had been soaked and hung to dry overnight you had to patch up some holes. Out the covered alleyway you both hurried and sprung against the groan worthy strain of your muscles. As he swung from lamppost to lamppost you raced and slid across the stairs and ladders you usually used of glowing bees overhead to waves and shouts from below. Peter along the way having foiled a car thief swung up to your side asking, “I thought the news said you were on bed rest?!”

To which you called back, “We have mail! Got to go fetch it!” Winning chuckles from those down below to his own chuckle.

“Ooh,” he said hearing a smoke alarm a couple blocks over and said, “See ya later, Bumble, bye Venom!” Swinging off to see how he could be of use as you both slid down the slide you made to the front of an old post office you had for your mail for Misique and Venom.

Inside the owners lit up with smiles as you spoke to them in their native Greek and signed for the large trunk that Venom hoisted on his shoulder and you took the bag of mail for yourselves and headed out past the surprised duo who entered behind you on your way out. The younger of which snapped a quick picture of you three for their social page you both waved for since your mask covered all but your eyes and the teen seemed to be bothered by Venom’s twisted tongue extended from his mouth he traded for a wide smile.

The way back was smooth and once safe back in his place you eyes the trunk from Wakanda, the King T’Chaka who owed you according to his own self after you had helped with the poaching problem in the continent and replenished more than twenty dying breeds of animals in your last summer trip there. You had run into them by chance in their own tries to aid in the problem and complimented by their tech yours had kept the reserve boundaries secure and lush with plentiful populations of animals to dwell happily there since you had left.

Out of the box you used the usual password they had given to you on the spinning dial lock the case lit up in its opening. Trays inside and a bottom drawer that sprung out of the side you squeaked wiggling out of your layers and usual armor to accept the honeycomb zigzag bracelets in rose gold that snapped in place on your left wrist for elegant decorations paired with a ring for both your middle fingers.

Folded to perfection in small squares you eyed the matte grey pants to the suit with pale yellow honeycomb patterns etched across it you lifted and stepped into. And eased up to cover your chest and arms that rippled closer to your skin you layered with the stunning bright yellow sleeveless hooded jacket with black wing designs across the back just like a yellow jacket’s. Already close to squeaking a wiggle of your fingers had the suit bond together as one piece and then ripple out higher to coat your neck fully that would match the new mask laid in one of the trays you lifted and eased to snap into place over your face. Securely with the metal woven section that would weave between your usual braids to keep the mask in place unlike your current ribbon secured style you had to repaint soon anyways.

Using the booklet of instructions you learned to control the mask so that if you wanted your mouth could be exposed to eat and drink, which had been a trouble when you had visited last as well as how to have the whole suit hide back in the bracelets entirely to be stealthy in your getaway. All based on your wish to be more modest compared to the pinup suits most of the female heroes wore in comics a belly panel disguised your bust. With zigzag patterns and honeycombs around a subtle two by two inch tall shimmering pale golden crown the panel stretched from your collarbone to the v belt to cinch at your waist. Not baggy or in a poof but almost like a chest plate, seen only detached at the belly from the side with your jacket removed. Details with coloring to match the leaf accents on the sloped skirt panels under the jacket that hung from that belt to mid thigh where they connected to there that in the front facing slit worked as both pockets and cover for another set of holsters for more weapons to carry around more comfortably.

“I have so many pockets!” You said dipping your hands into the hidden pockets in the skirt panels bouncing from foot to foot making Eddie chuckle. Loudly you gasped at the slip of your hands into the front panels sides across your belly, “It’s a pouch!” Many more pockets and holsters were down the inner flaps of your jacket you started to add your ridiculous supply of weapons to it and their usual spots across your legs and back while making use of the pockets for some more of your throwing wasp shaped daggers.

Off the table along the wall a unique ring sounded from your bee communicator Buster. Who flew over and hovered in front of trying both of you as from its back two folded bars popped up to form the holographic screen between them to the light of its eyes in a bright green to show you were being displayed on the other end. Venom when it flew over popped out to cover Eddie’s face to hide Eddie’s identity and you turned to see who was calling your private line from your short list of allies.

Shuri and her father’s faces popped up on the screen with a group of teen guards in training behind them, both who smiled widely at your elated squeak and statement in Xhosa of, “I love you guys so much! I’ve got so many pockets now!!”

T’Chaka laughed with his daughter and said, “Well after hearing your love of pockets we could not resist allowing Shuri to work her magic on the design.”

“Shuri I could just kiss you it’s more than I could have ever imagined!” You said giving yourself a hug making her chuckle again, “Huge virtual hug your way!”

“Thank you, and one for you as well.”

Her father asked, “We were also wondering. Did you get your box for your Mate?”

“Ooh, yes,” you said moving around the bee to grab your pouch that matched hers in a burnt orange box with a hazel button similarly hues to those of the guards behind her of the same age. The lot of you pressed your buttons to check if you were soul mates at the agreed upon thought shared when you had first met. “No pokes?”

“No,” rippled around the room and T’Chaka chuckled saying, “Fair start to the search for your young selves.” Then said, “And in consolation for not being there to offer our congratulations for your step into adulthood we have made certain to gift you a car as well.”

That had you gasp and say, “You did not get me a car!”

“The yellow keychain in the top tray.” Down you bent to collect the small box the size of a lemon you slid the top out to bring out the miniature car that you squeaked at the sight of the adorable miniature coupe sports car in a holographic pale gold and black paint scheme.

“Oh my gosh! I love it! I’m probably gonna be crushed by it but I love it!”

Shuri chuckled and explained how to control the expansion features and explained where the miniature holographic run through of the safety features on the car including the vibranium exterior to match your suit. T’Chaka said in the conclusion of that, “For your efforts to aid the recovery of our endangered species and the depleted forests of our continent this pales in comparison. Yet it is what we are able to accumulate to offer in return. Perhaps when you visit us again we might be able to discover more to share.”

“Thank you, again, really.”

“And you are well after the alien invasion?”

“Oh ya, fractured a few bones and got blasted across the city. Still sore, but I’m good. Still don’t know what the two Princes from the planet of Asgard are up to. But I’ll figure that out soon enough I’m fairly close to their newest Avengers member I can weasel it out of him with a few loose questions.”

“Very good, well we shall let you enjoy your new suit, car, stun blaster and daggers. We shall pass on news of the Princes and invasion we had been monitoring online.”

“I have a blaster and daggers too?” You said in an excited squeak and dropped to the fold of the screen as they ended the call to let you search the open trays to find the giggle worthy sight of the taser like gun you put in the clear holster for it on your hip under the jacket that would recharge itself and fire out tiny charged pellets you could easily make more of by use of the diagram they sent you. Soon added by the spare daggers you added to the inner liner holsters of your jacket and across your back underneath it.

Much like Spider Man had his own official YouTube account you had yours and with a video once you braided your hair and lit up you used to broadcast your new suit to spread the word. Keeping the source of which mum to simply a friend in gratitude of your aid in recovering animal and nature reserves. A gift that had Stark seething as he glared at the video on a play back on one of his holographic screens in his lab to discover what it might be made of and the spare layers and flaps could be hiding. Then got upset even more at seeing Spidey’s account complimenting the new outfit and saying he couldn’t wait to see it in action on one of your usual runs together.

From in front of you to its resting home again the hovering bee moved and chirped with glee to a second well earned bit of praise as you retracted the suit and mask containing all your weapons to easier fold the old suit and armor into the trunk Eddie helped you to carry over to your apartment.

“Come on, let’s celebrate with a film,” he said offering his hand you accepted to walk down with him to his garage to climb onto the back of his Harley for the drive to the mall.

The entire time you sat back against the back rest with fingers smoothing across the mistletoe decorated silver oval locket with a mirror and symbol of the Goddess Frigg inside of your mother’s with the twin silver owl face rings with sapphire eyes the killers had taken from your parents. Small things that meant the world to you as you felt your loose flannel and long braid whipping around to the wind that danced across your bared legs in the stretch of your sore legs in the sun thanks to your denim shorts and wedge booties to fit your usual style after having changed from your clothes from the day prior. Thoughts on them were painful but as you had crossed into adulthood the aching need for them didn’t seem to wane and as you recalled the small bit of years you had with them you hoped they fared better in the afterlife than you had found yourself, even with your new armor to help protect you from whatever was coming. And now that aliens had dropped from the freaking sky that could be a whole hell of a lot.

Pt 3

All –

@sherala007, @mariannetora, @jesgisborne, @knitastically, @catthefearless, @theincaprincess, ggbbhehe4455, @lilith15000, @alishlieb,

Not nsfw(smut) - @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore

X Loki - @pastelhexmaniac

#Battle of NY #Loki #Thor #Avengers #Tony Stark #Captain America #Hawkeye #Black Widow #Spiderman #Rhodey #Winter Soldier #Forced Temporary Allies #Dr Christina Palmer #Marvel #Eddie Brock #Venom #Secret Identities #Hidden Pasts

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spaceshipkat · 3 years

Text

part 1 of my Rea///lm Brea///ker recap will cover the prologue - chapter 8

prologue: we learn that no living mortal had ever seen a Spindle bc “the passages closed, the gates locked” and Allward is “a realm alone”. Andry, the narrator, says it’s a good thing and it should stay that way. Andry, a “honey-brown” boy (who is later also called “brown”), is a squire for Sir Grandel Tyr. it’s spring and at dawn. Companions of the Realm wait in a clearing below a hill, some guarding the “pilgrim road” and others waiting for “the enemy”, and still more patrol a temple where a Spindle once stood, though Andry doesn’t know where that particular Spindle once led. Sir Grandel doesn’t like being awake at “this Spindlerotten hour”. Andry imagines himself in Sir Grandel’s armor bc Sir Grandel is “a fearsome and stirring sight to behold,” and Andry wants to be a knight one day. they’ve been on the road for two months. Andry identifies one of the Companions as “Dom, a prince of Iona” and has a full name that’s “difficult to pronounce”. there are six Elders as well, who Andry says are easy to distinguish amongst the Companions. Elders are immortal. Elders call themselves Vedera. the Companion Dom happens to look up and catch Andry staring at him. Sir Grandel asks if immortals bleed and Andry says he doesn’t know. here’s information on the Elders and Companions. “Corblood princes” are descendants of the “old empire”. Cortael of Old Cor is introduced. Sir Grandel wonders if Corblood princes bleed, too, and says he supposes they’ll find out before joining the other mortal Companions, but Andry says he hopes they don’t find out if Corblood princes bleed. Bress the Bull Rider, a mercenary, likes to needle the knights, to Andry’s delight. Okran of Kasa, a man with “jet-black skin,” says that Andry should pray to the gods before battle. Andry says that he doubts the gods would listen to a squire, Okran asks if that’s what Sir Grandel tells him, and Andry apologizes for Sir Grandel’s mood bc they’ve been on the road for a long time (two months). Andry asks if Okran is afraid of “the thief and his wizard” and Okran says “the Spindle is the danger, not the men seeking it”. Okran explains that they’re there to guard the Spindle bc the Elder monarch and Cortael told them that they needed to. Andry speaks Kasan and Okran is surprised and pleased, and Andry explains that his mother was born in Nkonabo. Okran says that Andry should visit him in Benai one day and Andry, knowing he probably will never be able to, says one day. Dom joins Cortael and says he hears “them” and that there are only two. Bress says they should take precautions against the wizard and the immortals of Sirandel say they’re the precautions. Cortael says “the Red” is a trickster and then orders everyone to encircle the temple. Andry tells us that Cortael is mortal. Cortael gives a speech. the bell tolls immediately after Cortael says it hasn’t rung for a thousand years and vows it won’t for a thousand more. Dom insists it’s an illusion. something tells Andry to move far away from the bell but he doesn’t. two people approach on the road: the wizard is called The Red and wears a red cloak, and is also young and has red eyes. the other man is Cortael’s brother. Cortael calls his brother Taristan a “fool”. Taristan asks how long it’s been since they’ve seen each other, and then he says “since birth” when Cortael doesn’t reply, and says that Cortael probably had a cushy upbringing being Spindleblessed. Dom tells Taristan to return what he stole (the Spindleblade sword he carries that’s twin to Cortael’s). Taristan tells Dom to come get it himself. Cortael tells Taristan to surrender and he’ll be spared. Taristan says the Elders raised Cortael to be heir to rebuild the empire, which is evidently to do what Taristan himself wants to do: bring the Spindles back into crossing and rejoin the realms. Dom says to “tear a Spindle open is to put all the realms in danger,” and Cortael tells Dom to stop wasting his breath bc Taristan’s “fate is chosen” and Taristan retorts “my fate” in rage. Taristan info-dumps at us about Cortael’s past and purpose, chosen by the Elders. Taristan removes his helm and reveals he and Cortael are actually identical twins and everyone, including Cortael, seems surprised by this for some reason. Taristan reiterates that Cortael’s fate was chosen, not his own, and Cortael asks what Taristan chooses to do now. the wizard Ronin raises his hands at Taristan’s command. the Sirandels shoot three arrows each but they’re burned up before reaching Ronin. Ronin claps his hands and strange creatures begin to emerge from the temple holding the Spindle. a light pulses inside the temple and shadows race out of it. Rowanna of Sirandel says “the Ashlands,” which i gather is where these creatures are from. Cortael and Taristan are still fighting and Taristan declares the Spindle has already been torn and the crossing made. “foul, living corpses of the Spindle” emerge from the temple with weapons, though many corpses are already broken. the corpses circle the Companions and are likely going to overwhelm them as Cortael and Taristan keep fighting. Arberin, a Sirandel Elder with supposed immortality, is killed by one of the corpses. the Companions keep being killed by the corpses. Andry waves for Sir Grandel to run toward him and Sir Grandel does, and Andry shouts “with me” which is the Lionguard battle cry, and then Sir Grandel yells at him to run as the corpses catch Grandel. Andry frees the horses while Cortael and Taristan continue to fight and the other Companions die. Cortael stabs Taristan through the chest. the corpses and Ronin the wizard all stop to stare. Cortael asks for Taristan’s forgiveness and Taristan pulls the sword out of his own chest before standing up. Taristan says the bells toll for his god, for “What Waits”. Taristan stabs Cortael’s sword into the ground and then uses his own to kill Cortael. Taristan raises his sword to cut Cortael apart but Dom blocks the blow and says “leave him” and stands between Cortael’s corpse and Taristan. Dom looks up the hill at Andry on Dom’s white stallion, and Andry nods, and then Dom whistles and the stallion charges down the hill to go around the battle. Dom does some trick and tears Cortael’s sword from the dirt and throws it like a javelin. it lands in the grass and then Andry grabs it. here’s the excerpt.

chapter 1: we’re now in Corayne’s POV. Corayne is walking the “ancient Cor road” carved along the cliffs above the Long Sea, which crashes fifty feet below. it’s summertime. her guardian is named Kastio, and is old and weathered, and is also a Siscarian sailor (they’re both currently in Siscaria). Kastio asks if Corayne has had anymore dreams lately, and she lies and says she’s just excited, then tells us that she’s been having dreams and knows Kastio would only tell Corayne’s mother. she dreams of white hands, shadowed faces, and “something moving in the dark”. towers along the Empress Coast are still manned by old soldiers and sailors. they pass a tower and Corayne greets its keeper. the keeper says he saw two ships, but Corayne sees three and tells us that only those who knew where to look would see them. she pays keepers of other towers so she can keep them allied with her, as per her mother’s instructions. they enter the bustling port and we get more description of what it looks like. Corayne and Kastio head for the docks. we get more description of the docks and the ships moored there. the universal language for trade on either side of the Long Sea is called Paramount. Kastio says that Corayne has a head for business and that no one can deny that, and Corayne says she hopes so. she greets “Officer Galeri”, who we learn is fifty, ugly, and wealthy--which therefore causes sex workers to like him. she pays him off. Corayen notices someone at the stern and gives Galeri a paper stamped with a noble family seal, which is the cargo listing containing salt and honey. noble shipments can’t be taxed. Corayne is excited by the sounds of sailing. Galeri welcomes her aboard the ship and she tells us she’s now the ship’s agent. we meet the Captain Meliz al-Amarat, who is Corayne’s mother. Corayne and her mother start discussing what shipments will go where. her mother mentions a “misunderstanding” and Corayne tells us it led to three dead sailors and the Tempestborn, their ship, nearly sinking. we learn Corayne has “desert blood” in her. Meliz is bi, apparently. Corayne has golden skin like her mother, as well as dark hair and black eyes, but she’s not as lovely. Corayne starts to ask her mom something but Galeri interrupts. Galeri challenges her mom about markings on the shipments not matching up, and Meliz grins back in a sort of challenge she’s sure to win with her entire crew behind her while Galeri has only a few ill-trained soldiers. Galeri wisely drops the accusations. Meliz is referred to as “Hell Mel” on the open sea.

chapter 2: back in Andry’s POV, we learn he traded his chainmail for food, and his tunic is “little more than a rag” after his journey. he’s now in the capital and trying not to fall asleep bc he doesn’t want nightmares. he’s kneeling before the throne and recognizes the two Lionguards on either side of it. the Queen enters, sitting on her throne, and Andry clenches his teeth. she’s 19, thin, pretty, and strong-willed. Queen Erida greets Andry and tells him to rise, then asks if he needs a doctor, and he says no, the blood isn’t his. Queen Erida then asks if he’s seen his mother yet and he says no bc it’s late and she needs her rest. Queen Erida asks if Andry can tell her what happened to the others he was with, and he remembers his nightmares of “White faces, red hands, black armor, knives dripping blood, ash and smoke and rot—” and finds it difficult to speak, so the queen tells her Lionguard to leave. they’re shocked bc she’s rarely without them, loyal unto death as they are. one Lionguard protests but the queen says that she’s known Andry all her life and he’s terrified and doesn’t need an audience while recounting what happened. she tells them again to leave and they finally do. when the Lionguard leaves, the queen seems to relax and become her age again, not a queen. Andry remembers the queen when she was young and they played on ships. she says that she “answered the Elder call” and pulls a piece of paper out of her robes; Andry wants to burn that paper for what it says. we get a flashback of the call from the Elder being announced. the queen wishes she had ignored the call and her “own curiosity”. Andry comments how no one could have known. the queen says that she is to take the blame for what happened, since she’s the one who sent them to guard the Spindle temple. Andry tells us important information about Taristan and Spindleblades. he tells the queen everything that happened. he says he should have fought instead of running, but the queen says he survived and brought a very important message. she says that Allward was once a realm of crossing. she says she trusts him bc he’s never been a liar and that she’s sorry for what he experienced. she tells Andry to speak to no one about this. Andry protests that people need to be warned, and the queen interrupts and explains how it would cause panic bc Spindles are myth and legend to most people. Andry tells us what Ascal, the capital, looks like and what happened after the queen ascended the throne (lots of protesting bc she’s a girl). Andry says he doesn’t understand, for some reason, and she says that it’s not for him to understand, only for him to obey. she calls her Lionguard back in. he says okay and bows, and she thanks him for coming home and says at least his mom won’t have another knight to bury. the queen leaves, as does Andry. after a page break, we see Andry’s mom and get a description of her; she’s still beautiful despite being sick. she has dark skin and dark, curly hair. it’s hot in her room, but he still feels cold. voices tell him “It must be hidden” and “It must not be spoken of” and he tells the voices that “It is hidden” and that he hasn’t told anyone about “it”. the voices began when Andry was riding home away from the attack in the prologue. the voices say “This you are bidden. Keep it hidden” and Andry tells us that he hid the Spindleblade beneath his mom’s bed, a secret only for himself.

chapter 3: back in Corayne’s POV, she’s had two glasses of wine and is already drunk, “dreaming of lands beyond Lemarta,” and there’s more info dumping. they’re in a tavern, and with Meliz back, Kastio doesn’t have to “nanny” Corayne so he gets drunk, too. Kastio has “lightning-blue eyes”. the Tempestborn has two new crewmembers after losing four. Corayne tries to talk to her mom, but her mom interrupts and says that they need new oarsmen and wants Corayne to put out the word, to which Corayne says they can sail shorthanded. Meliz insists, Corayne asks about where and when, and Meliz says “are you my mother now?” and specifies that she wants good recruits. Corayne again asks where Meliz is going and again Meliz deflects. we learn the Jaiah of Rhashir has died and left 16 sons to viw for his throne, and there are different stories of how he died (old age, illness, murder). Corayne says that Meliz will be gone for months, if she’ll return at all, and Meliz says it’s a good opportunity and that they’ll leave in three days. Corayne begins to say “I must ask” only for her mom to interrupt her and say don’t ask, and Corayne says Meliz made a promise over the winter, and Meliz denies doing so. Corayne argues about being let to come along, explaining her skills and that she’s a year older than Meliz was before Meliz started sailing, and Corayne elaborates on how she’s more use on the water and how she is instrumental in making the Tempestborn become what it is. Meliz says her decision is final, that not even the gods can challenge it, and that Corayne doesn’t know what she’s asking for. Corayne says she does and continues to talk about being good at her job. Meliz says she won’t risk Corayne’s life on her dangerous profession. Corayne points out the latest two new recruits survived. the argument is really long and i don’t feel like summarizing it, so here’s the full excerpt. Corayne looks over the crew, notes they’re like a family of sorts, but recognizes the brutality they exhibit to the world at large, not someone who’s used to seeing it. Corayne knows her mom wants her to recognize the killing status of all the sailors, but Corayne refuses to be afraid, even after her mom says everyone’s a killer, herself included. Meliz says that Corayne doesn’t have the spine for her kind of life, and Corayne says that at least her dad only abandoned her once. after a page break, Corayne is on the cliffs overlooking the Long Sea. Corayne names all the stars and constellations in another info dump. she belatedly realizes she’s not alone on the cliff’s path. two hooded people approach and Corayne moves aside to let them pass, but instead they stop. one of the people has a wound on his face that’s still healing. Corayne says the port is behind them, this path is the way to Tyriot, and one person says they’re not here for anything in Lemarta. one tries to grab her but she wields her dagger and says to stay away. the person lunges and she doesn’t think she can do anything, and then he kneels before her and says “I beg your forgiveness and your mercy, Corayne an-Amarat”. the other person is a woman who snarks at whether or not the man intends to scare her. the woman also calls Corayne “mortal” in a way meant to imply that the woman and man are immortal. Corayne asks who they are and then immediately knows they’re Elders. Corayne again asks who they are and the man says he’s Dom, aka Dom from the prologue with Andry. he says he is the last of Corayne’s father’s Companions and seeks her aid, and has a story to tell.

chapter 4: now we’re in Dom’s POV. the horse he’s riding is dying, though he’s not sure how he escaped on one Companion’s horse. days pass and we get more world-building dumped on us as he travels. the city of Iona is home to thousands of immortals and hundreds of Glorianborn. the horse Dom’s riding dies at the steps of the palace after Dom leaps off her back. guards flank Dom, their prince. feeling like a failure, Dom enters the palace and walks toward the throne room to talk to his aunt, the Monarch. one of the councillors to the Monarch is Dom’s cousin. Dom kneels before the queen, who says she will not ask how they died bc she can see it weighs heavily on him. he says he’s failed and his cousin argues that he lived. Dom has known Cortael all Cortael’s mortal life. Dom is asked about what happened by one councillor. here’s info on what is coming now that the Spindle has been torn open. Dom says the warriors of this realm can still fight back against Ashlander and Asunder creatures. the Monarch says the Army of Asunder is inconsequential bc What Waits means to devour. info on Spindles and What Waits. Dom tells the Monarch to throw down the branch and take up the sword to destroy the Ashlander army, close the Spindle, put Taristan in the ground, throw What Waits back to His hell. the Monarch traces the cut down Dom’s face and says it’s not like them to bleed, and Dom says “you’re afraid”. the Monarch says they’re already defeated and no monarch would send their people to die. Dom says they die if they do nothing and says they’re of the Ward (Allward), to which the Monarch says no, Glorian awaits. Dom says Glorian is lost to them. the Monarch says the balance of Spindles is delicate and thus they’ve lost their way back, but the boundaries will weaken as Taristan tears open the Spindles. the Monarch says that if they can find the realm of the Crossroads or even Glorian herself they can find their way home. Dom says and abandoned Allward and the Monarch says it’s already lost. Dom says that the Monarch is a coward and her council is angry but she waves them down and says she’s sorry Dom thinks that. Dom leaves and the Monarch asks what he will do, if he has Corblood in him or a Spindleblade. he says that better men and women than him died in vain and it’s only fair he does too. after a page break, Dom’s cousin Princess Ridha (and the Monarch’s daughter) finds him in the stables as he mucks out stalls. Ridha is now decked out in armor. Dom asks where she’s going and she says that she wants to talk to every monarch and see if they agree in giving up like her mother. they discuss where they’ll travel first. Ridha says he needs Corblood and Spindleblade, and Dom says he knows where to get a Spindleblade (thinking of Andry). Ridha once slept with Cortael, as did many women, apparently. she says that he needs to find Cortael’s child, which Dom didn’t know existed, and he wonders if the child is a bastard or not, and how much Cortael kept from Dom. Dom says he can track down an assassin and torture him for info on how to find Cortael’s child. Dom says “Ride well” to Ridha and she says she always does. Ridha says she didn’t know Cortael had a twin, that her mother the Monarch separated them. Dom says he didn’t know either. Ridha says that she supposes her mother thought it was for the best to protect and raise one to be heir to Old Cor, which Dom doesn’t agree with. he thinks the Monarch did it for herself and for Glorian. Ridha and Dom bid each other farewell. Dom rides south.

chapter 5: we’re now in a character whose POV is someone named Sorasa. Sorasa stands over the bed of a fat, evil merchant king with a child bride. Sorasa thinks she’s doing the child a favor and cuts the merchant king’s throat. she removes his left ear and index finger, then tosses them onto the floor, which is the mark that proves the kill was hers. Sorasa escapes through the window by swinging on a whip. apparently it’s midday. a bell sounds to mark the merchant king’s death and the crowd surges. a hand grabs her, she twists out of its grasp, and she says “Garion” as the crowds thin. Garion says he didn’t take Sorasa for a thief and she waves him off. she says she stole a man’s life from him and wonders that the stealing is what concerns Garion. Garion says there are rules to follow and Sorasa wants to roll her eyes but simply turns and says that jealousy doesn’t become Garion. she prepares herself should Garion draw a blade against her. he says he’s not jealous, that she’s been named and inked, and no amount of blood will rewrite what has already been written. a tattoo down her side itches. it’s one she wasn’t given by choice. she tells him to go back to his cage and wait for another easy kill that she’ll steal from him, and he tells her to have caution. he mentions someone named Lord Mercury, who Sorasa fears, and she tells Garion again to go home. he pushes off his hood and reveals his blades and says that this is a warning. she asks if he really wants to do this in the middle of the street, and they survey each other. Sorasa comes up with how to kill him and escape. Garion tells Sorasa she should disappear. she tips her head back so the sunlight shines on her face so he can see the “long year written in her flesh”. he steps away and says that “few of us” get the chance to leave, and she says few want to. then he vanishes. after a page break, Sorasa leaves the inn where she had stashed her belongings, thinking about how she’ll never get the stench of it out of her clothes. she misses the simple days but knows “discord is a better shield than steel.” she walks toward the harbor and pushes her hood off bc she wants to feel sunlight on her face, and then she’s grabbed by a man who isn’t thrown off her her evasive maneuver. she throws a handful of “stinging blue smoke” and unclasps her cloak, running away with eyes and mouth closed while her attacker coughs from behind her. Sorasa runs away through the city, but looks back and finds the man is following her. he has golden hair and she adds him to her list of people to fear. the man is gaining on her quickly. a plan comes together in her mind. she wonders if he’s been sent by Lord Mercury. she ducks down another alley, dodging shit so she doesn’t destroy it, but her persuer doesn’t bother and is only confused when he’s reprimanded by the owners of the stalls he destroys. she feels excited that this will be her first real fight in a year. she scrambles over a pile of crates and then leaps from pole to pole of stalls and tents, believing he can’t follow bc he’s bigger, but he manages it easily and she’s shocked that someone so big can do what she does. she curses Lord Mercury and flips her hood over her head, the man just a stall behind her. she sees he has a scarred face, and he says he wants to talk to her, and she tries and fails to place his accent, though he speaks in Paramount. she says he’s speaking to her now and unfurls her whip. the guy says he’d prefer to talk somewhere else, and she says that’s a shame. he says he isn’t here to harm her and she says she’s heard that before, and he says he will if he must. she sees his longsword and knows it’d be difficult to use when they’re balancing on top of poles of a fruit vender’s stall. she says “try me, then” and he says “very well” and they fight and she remarks to herself that even though she’s been trained perfectly he’s somehow faster and better. he crashes into the fruit vendor’s place as she slips away on her whip, then grabs a new cloak and flips the hood over her head. the man appears to be scenting the air for her but she slips away before he can find her. she walks through the crowds thinking about how badass she is, leans against a pen full of black bulls, and removes her hat to bare her face. she bites into a peach as she finds the man in the crowd, easy to spot for his height and blond hair. when the guy sees her, he starts forward and she opens the bull pen, breaking a man’s teeth when he tries to stop her. she cracks her whip and sends the herd of bulls running, expecting the man after her to be trampled, but he instead stops a bull in its tracks by grabbing its horns, then tosses it aside with a broken neck and the rest of the herd parts around him, and Sorasa realizes he’s an Elder/immortal. she runs away as fast as she can, in as many places as she can, with as many disguises as she can. she keeps trying to get to the docks, but he’s always there, waiting for her, to stop her from boarding any boat or ship. they sword fight, she spits in his face, he stops to wipe his face, she tackles him and climbs onto his back, then manages to stab him but he throws her off. he again says that he’s not here to hurt her and only wants to talk and says “Come, Mortal”. he repeats it, she says no, and runs away again after dropping her sword. after a page break, she sits down at a table in a tavern. she orders a drink. Dom shows up and sits down at the table across from her. she slides one of the drinks she ordered to him, and he hesitantly takes a drink. she feels triumph when he downs all of it and then tells her that immortals are immune to poison, and she says it’s a waste of arsenic. he says that she’s tried to kill him three times today, she says it all amounts to once, so he says she came close three times. she then asks how he’s gonna kill her, and he says again that he isn’t here to hurt her. he then gives her sword back to her. he says he wants information and is willing to pay and pulls out a massive pouch of coins, then asks if a coin of gold will do. she wonders how she can measure how much info is worth if she doesn’t know what he’s asking for, and he says he’s searching for Corblood mortals and was told the Amhara will know. she says the Amhara are few and far between after taking three gold coins from his pouch. she takes coins as he says he’s searching for the bastard child of a Cortael and she says he’s no prince of any kingdom in living memory but tells us the name is familiar. she continues to take coins as he says the father is dead, so she won’t face any trouble from him. she says it’s not her father he should be worried about and tells us it’s the pirate, and he gasps that it’s a daughter. he tells her that’s enough coin and takes his pouch back, and she says she can find the daughter and has settled on a price. he smiles, she names her price (we don’t learn of it), the smile drops, but he still agrees.

chapter 6: back in Corayne’s POV, we learn that the last two chapters are basically the two characters recounting what led them to her. Dom is still kneeling while Sorasa paces, barring the way back to the port. Corayne wishes her mother or Kastio were here. Dom says that Sorasa led them both here to her bc she’s the only one who can save the world, and she says it was good to meet them and turns around to walk away, only for Dom to follow her. Dom says that the Ward will fall if Corayne doesn’t help, and Corayne says her answer is no, that they should return to Lemarta to find someone who believes in whatever tripe they’re sharing. Sorasa says she doesn’t believe Dom either, for what it’s worth. Dom says he swears on Iona that it’s true. Corayne says she’s no lady, Dom starts apologizing and says he’s not sure what her mom told her, and Corayne says she knows exactly who her dad is: Cortael. she says none of who he is makes her his daughter. Corayne tells Dom to give her the gold and go, Dom is confused, and Sorasa implies that Cortael must have left something to Corayne, but Dom says he has nothing of his to give to her, to which Corayne shrugs. Sorasa looks back at Lemarta, the port, and says that it’s no wonder what Corayne’s mom has the best ship: she had Cor gold to support it. Corayne feels afraid and asks if Sorasa knows her mom and Sorasa says she knows her reputation. Corayne says she can bring both Dom and Sorasa to her mom, since her mom knew Cortael better. Dom says it’s she they need and that it’s in her blood, and Corayne says she wants nothing to do with them or her dad. silence falls and Dom looks to his feet, then Corayne says she’s sorry for his loss bc she can tell that Dom is saddened by Cortael’s death. she apologizes to Sorasa, too, who says she’s not involved in any of “these dramatics”. Corayne opens the door to her cottage and Dom says that though she says she wants nothing to do with her dad or them but this (the cottage) can’t be what she wants either. Dom says that Corayne’s blood is of Spindles and distant realms and lost stars and that she wants the horizon, and that her dad was the same. she tells Dom to give her three days and shuts the door. after a page break, it’s the third day and Corayne is in the cottage making arrangements, looking over a map of the known Ward. she finds the place where the forgotten Spindle temple is, where her dad died. Corayne’s mom wakes up and makes a lot of noise, and Corayne knows she’s seeking attention, which Corayne refuses to give. Meliz (her mom) says that Kastio is late. Meliz says that Corayne needs to stay close to him while Meliz is gone bc the roads are dangerous, longboats are disappearing, and summer storms are sweeping in, and that the realm feels twisted. there have been things all over happening that are strange, and Corayne wonders if they’re coincidences or “chaos unfolding”. Corayne says everything is ready for Meliz’s departure. Corayne asks to go with her again, thinks that it might be the only thing to save her from whatever road she’s decided to go down, and Meliz says she will not. after another page break, Corayne, Kastio, and Meliz walk the path toward the port. Meliz says she’ll return in a few months with enough gold to keep them for a hundred years, and Corayne says they already have that, knowing everywhere that her mother’s gold is hidden and kept, and Corayne knows that it’s no longer money that sends her mother out to sea. Corayne says Meliz loves her life and wouldn’t give it up for anyone, even Corayne, and Meliz says that it’s still not a life she wants for Corayne. Corayne says Meliz doesn’t get to decide what Corayne does or wants. Corayne says that there’s something in her blood that won’t let her sit still and that Meliz knows this, and Meliz throws up her hands and wonders if now is the time Corayne wants to talk about her dad. Meliz says that she promises it’s only a few months and Corayne says “farewell” through gritted teeth. Meliz hugs her goodbye and says to keep her feet on shore and face to the sea. Corayne asks how fare the winds and Meliz says “fair” because they carry her home. after another page break, Corayne watches the Tempestborn disappear over the horizon, and Corayne tells Kastio she hears that Doma Martia has just received a few good barrels of wine, and Kastio says that it’s a bit too early for wine, even for him. she holds out a coin and says to try it for her, Kastio says “this is a bribe” even as he takes it, and Corayne says she needs to be alone for just a few hours. Kastio eyes her for a long time and then says Meliz was wrong not to take Corayne. Corayne goes looking for Sorasa and Dom, who find her first. Sorasa says “three days” and Corayne agrees “three days”. Sorasa isn’t wearing her hood today, so Corayne spends a long time taking Sorasa in, and Sorasa says there’ll be time for examination later bc they don’t want to keep the “immortal annoyance” waiting. Corayne wonders if Sorasa will call her “Spindlerot” the entire time or just today, and Sorasa says she’s still deciding. Corayne knows Kastio will know she ran away and that her mom won’t return even if she hears about it. Sorasa says it’s good Meliz left Corayne behind, that ti’s better this way, and Corayne asks why, and Sorasa says that Rhashiran civil wars are boring. Dom waits in the market and greets Corayne, but apologizes after calling her “my lady” and Corayne remarks that she’s heard him apologize a lot. she says that he needs her to save the realm, he agrees, and she asks how do they save the realm. Dom says that two things are needed to open and close a Spindle, and those are Spindleblood and a Spindleblade, and that the Spindleblade is in the Royal Court of Ascal.

chapter 7: this chapter is in the POV of Erida, the queen of Galland, who wishes she could burn the list of suitors for her hand. she knows that her beauty and wit aren’t what draw people to her but the crown. she’s ruled for four years and is nineteen years old. she’s been in the council chamber for an hour but is already sore from sitting straight thanks to her tight gown and the uncomfortable chair. Erida always holds the council in one of the high towers, even in summer. her councillors listen as someone named Lord Ardath reads a letter while coughing bc he’s old. they mock the author of the letter for being a bad speller, since he’s asking for Erida’s hand in marriage. the councillors argue and bicker but Erida lets them bc the longer they argue, the longer she can go without getting married. we learn it’s been weeks since Andry returned, and Erida continues to wonder if he told the truth. sitting next to Erida is Lord Konegin, who is a cousin to Erida’s father, and she asked him to join the council to keep an eye out for usurpers to the throne. Konegin eventually puts a stop to the bickering by saying to add the name of the letter’s author to the list. it’s pointed out that while the suitor is a second son, he would protect the northern border. Erida stands and approaches the map on the wall. Erida says that their armor is five times larger than his, the army of Trec, and that she won’t wed herself to a kingdom that needs hers more than she needs theirs. she also points out Trec’s own geographical disadvantage. it’s pointed out one other country hasn’t conquered in two decades, and Erida thinks “for now” and returns to her chair, saying that that emperor is older than she is and thus isn’t willing to gamble on his sons. she will also not send her soldiers to fight in another’s war, and the councillors praise her intellect. we learn a lot about another army’s strength. Konegin says the Galland armies are prepared to fight and defeat any opposing army and that they have something more important at hand, and Erida says he’s right even though she doesn’t want to. she asks if there are any other names to add or remove to the list of suitors. a cousin gave his intentions, as does a female clan leader of the Jyd. people can marry any gender, but not ruling queens, who need heirs. the Jydi choose their heirs rather than birthing them. one suitor can be crossed off the list bc he’s marrying someone else, and Erida wonders if she can’t be dangled a little longer bc she wants to give her soldiers more time to gather at the border to Madrence bc she wants to push to the ocean and doesn’t want the Madrentine prince to be wed to the Siscarian princess before Galland begins so she doesn’t have to fight two armies. we get description of where armies of Galland are moving and whatnot, and Erida asks how long the armies need to be ready and is told two months, so Erida asks a councillor to get her three with another suitor. she’d rather be bait than a prize, and Konegin says there are more suitors to discuss, but “talk of war always emboldened her” and she tells Konegin that none of the suitors tempt her. she wants a husband who will strengthen her throne and uphold her family’s legacy, which she knows is a high bar to hurdle, if possible at all. if such a man exists, she knows she’ll marry him. Ardath says there are funerals to see to, though the bodies of Tyr and the Norths haven’t been found. Erida says the knights are to be buried properly, bodies or no, and Konegin asks about Andry. Erida says she’s sure another knight will take him on. Konegin again asks what Andry told her when he returned. she says that what Andry said is for her ears alone, and we learn that she says the people Andry was with were killed by a horde of Jydi raiders. Konegin is angry bc he has no idea why anyone was sent to the temple bc Erida didn’t tell anyone why she sent them. one councillor points out that they hadn’t seen the Elders in a generation, so surely Konegin would have done the same as Erida had, though Erida knows that Konegin would have gone himself. Konegin says he wants to hear what Andry says for himself, and Erida says that his words are for her alone, such is the cost of the crown, and Konegin surrenders to it. after a page break, Harrsing, one of the councillors, sits alone with Erida in the council chamber and points out that Konegin hasn’t put forth his own son as a suitor. Erida says it’s bc Konegin would rather sit on the throne himself than have Erida marry his son. Harrsing points out that there are still suitable men, and Erida says that she decides who is suitable, and so far no one is. Erida says that before her dad’s death, he had only two wishes: that Erida choose her own husband, and that none be forced on her. even though Erida is a queen, she’s also a woman, and people think her lesser for it. Harrsing says that the council is behind Erida, but Erida knows that that could change if someone they preferred came along, even for Harrsing, who has known Erida from birth and served her dad before her. Erida asks Harrsing to send word to Andry and his mom that she’d like to visit, and Harrsing says after the petitions. Erida wonders how many present themselves as suitors, and Harrsing says only one but she hears he’s a looker, and Erida asks to be told something useful and all thoughts of Andry vanish in favor of the “demands of the crown”.

chapter 8: back in Andry’s POV, Andry makes tea for himself and his mom, Lady Valeri. he likes making tea bc it allows him to think about something other than blood and slaughter. his mother says “have faith in the gods” in their native tongue, and he helps her to sit down. we’re told that Lady Valeri is still beautiful despite her illness. Andry sits down next to her and thinks about his home. he’s happy to not be in the barracks anymore, where he was as a squire to a knight, but also wishes that the circumstances that allow him to live with his mother hadn’t ever happened. he continues to angst about what happened in the prologue (it’s fine, i just don’t feel like summarizing all of it). Andry’s mom asks how Andry’s petitions are going, since he’s been petitioning lords and knights bc he’s told her that he’s trying to find another knight to be squire for. he tells us that he’s sent letters, but not about being a squire. Valeri asks if there are any promising ones, and Andry says that Konegin’s son recently became a knight and will be in want of a squire. we’re told that the queen’s doctor is set to visit them today. Valeri says there’s no need, that the queen shouldn’t fuss over her, and Andry is annoyed and tells her that he’s university trained in Ibal, named Dr. Bahi. Valeri wonders why the queen is bothering with her, Andry says that Valeri served the queen’s mother and knew Erida from birth, and that Erida is compassionate. Valeri says that Andry knows the histories better than her and wonders if a ruling monarch of Galland has ever been known as compassionate. Valeri looks at the tapestries on the wall, one of which features the sword and shield of Andry’s dad slashed in two, and Valeri asks if that was the shadows of the old empire forged from compassion or blood. Andry says “Mother, please,” but Valeri stands up and tells us about her backstory: coming to the Royal Court of Ascal as a foreign bride, set apart thanks to her skin and voice. she says that she has not remained here in high esteem by being foolish and she won’t let her son be a fool either, and asks what Erida wants of him. Andry is “reluctant to put such a burden on an already burdened woman” and thus doesn’t tell his mom that the last time Erida visited, it was to try to get more information out of him as well as to warn him against saying anything about what he knows. so Andry tells his mom that she’s told Erida everything he’s told Valeri. Vlaeri wonders if Erida believed him, and Andry says he doesn’t know, but that everything she’s asked of him he’s already given, and Valeri wonders if that includes the sword he hid under Valeri’s bed. Andry is surprised and Valeri says she’s not foolish. he says he’s told no one of the Spindleblade, and his mom scoffs and says “not even me,” and he explains it was Cortael’s blade, to which Valeri says it’s “a fine blade” but wonders why he hasn’t given it to Erida or the Elders. Andry feels foolish but says that something in him tells him that he shouldn’t, and wonders if that makes any sense, and Valeri wonders if that voice belongs to the gods or simply his own instinct. he knows the voice isn’t his, and says that he dreams of what happened every night and wonders if his dad ever did the same after battles. we learn Andry was six when his dad died. Valeri says his dad never talked about it like this. Andry asks if Valeri believes what he’s said, what he’s saw, and she says “I do.” he says that they need to make arrangements, then, and be prepared for travel, and Valeri begins to protest but Andry says that they go together or not at all, and Valeri says “Then we go.” after a page break, Andry tells us he sees the shadow of the Hill of Heroes every day, and also hears “with me,” said by Sir Galland. Andry is walking with other squires for the funeral mentioned in Erida’s chapter, and one elbows him and says they’re talking to him. a squire who is called Lemon by the other boys says he deserves to know what happened, just as much as Andry. Andry says that Lemon has the right to be quiet and show some respect to the knights who died. Lemon mocks that Andry is too good for the rest of them and wonders if that’s why he survived the attack, which is being played off as an attack by Jydi raiders. Lemon says that they wouldn’t find him on the Hill, with his lord dead and himself still alive bc of the shame of it. Andry tells us that he feels shame every day, and continues to ignore Lemon’s jabbing elbow and jibes. the procession reaches the section of the Hill reserved for knights of the Lionguard, though the queen and her entourage hasn't yet arrived. three wagons bring the coffins to the Hill, draped in finery. the queen finally arrives with “a somber call of trumpets”. Andry wants to be overlooked even as he watches the queen and thinks about how he and his mother will escape. Andry decides he’ll tell the Elders what happened and give them the Spindleblade. this is what follows, about the voices.

#kat reads r breaker #spoilers #r breaker recap

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gameofdrarry · 3 years

Text

Wizards Hearts Smut Recs: BDSM

Wizards Hearts was a four-month-long Drarry reading fest. Players were given a playing deck of 52 tropes, and were asked to find 52 different fics to read and comment on to fill their decks. To prevent the same few fics from being read, fics were restricted to only being used for the game three times before being considered ineligible for further points. The tropes and submissions list can be found here. Players could opt in to an additional suit of 13 cards, all themed around various popular smut tropes.

Check out the masterlist of fics for this trope below the cut!

📜 We Take Care of Each Other by keyflight790 Rated: Explicit Words: 54308 Tags: BDSM, bdsm club, Dom Neville Longbottom, Dom Draco Malfoy, Top Draco Malfoy, Top Neville Longbottom, Bottom Harry Potter, although it might seem like hes a dom at first, Sub Harry Potter, Teddy Lupin makes an appearance, as does Luna and Rolf, but not...sexually, Set in 2009, So Teddy is turning 11, just for context, Draco is the only one who penetrates Harry though, in case you were concerned, but Neville is there.. a lot, Flogging, Rimming, Will tag all of these in chap notes as well, for squicks and such, this is pretty indulgent, For the Writer, learn all of keyflights kinks, by reading this fic, note: every BDSM club is slightly different, so if this isnt your experience, no problemo, but please don't judge the writer on their experiences, and notes and research, More tags to follow, dom/sub dynamics, Safewords, Sex Toys, past trauma discussions, TW: Panic Attacks, Panic Attacks, draco is a bit of a switch, but he doms in this fic, Spanking, Daddy Kink, TW: spousal abuse (Narcissa and Lucius mentioned in chap 10), TW: Breakdowns, daddy Neville Longbottom, Little Theodore Nott, Anal Sex, Praise Kink, Choking, Masturbation, self love, did i mention theres spanking?, theres spanking, harry gets spanked by, Daddy Dom Neville Longbottom, Talks of Death, Suicidal Thoughts, discussions of dying, Harry talks about his canon death and rebirth Summary: Draco has been having panic attacks for years, until his best friend, Pansy, welcomes him into a whole new world. And he thought being a wizard was neat. Being a dom was even better. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Don't Have to Say the Words by jeni_andtheafterthought Rated: Explicit Words: 2944 Tags: Established Relationship, Auror Harry Potter, Potioneer Draco Malfoy, Domestic, Angst with a Happy Ending, Insecurity, Anxiety, Healer Harry Potter, Smut, Anal Sex, they have a cat, PWP, EWE Summary: Draco is having a hard time separating his own insecurities from the difficulties in his relationship with Harry. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 The Hand That Feeds You by gracerene Rated: Explicit Words: 17381 Tags: Harry Potter, Epilogue Compliant, Non-Linear Narrative, Infidelity, BDSM, Dom/subTotal Power Exchange, Minor Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Dom Draco Malfoy, Sub Harry Potter, Collars, Praise Kink, Blow Jobs, Face-Fucking, Hand Jobs, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Subspace, Aftercare, Bondage, Sex Toys, Anal Sex, Bottom Harry Potter, Top Draco Malfoy, Ambiguous/Open Ending, H/D Food Fair 2018, Hand Feeding, Post-Hogwarts, Post-Second War with Voldemort, POV Harry Potter Summary: Harry needs something only Draco can provide. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Little Prince, Kneel by DragonGirl87 Rated: Explicit Words: 478006 Tags: BDSM, Dom/sub, Dom Harry Potter, Top Harry Potter, Sub Draco Malfoy, Bottom Draco Malfoy, Experienced Harry, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Head Auror Harry Potter, Lawyer Draco Malfoy, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Flirting, First Dates, Romantic Harry Potter, Sassy Draco Malfoy, POV Harry Potter, POV Draco Malfoy, Falling In Love, Harry Has Secrets, Not Epilogue Compliant, Harry Potter & Ginny Weasley Friendship, Teddy Lupin was Raised by Harry Potter, Magical BDSM, Rope Bondage, Shibari, Safe Sane and Consensual, Safewords, Shower Sex, Masturbation in Shower, Draco Malfoy Loves Dogs, Good Narcissa Black Malfoy, Sexual Fantasy, Discipline, Non-Sexual Bondage, Punishment, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Rough Sex, Anal Fingering, Anal Beads, Anal Plug, Riding Crops, Teasing, Dungeon, Orgasm Control, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Multiple Orgasms, Forced Orgasm, BDSM Munch, Master/Pet, Collars, Leashes, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Sex Toys, Improvised Sex Toys, Improved Use Of A Spatula, Protective Harry Potter, Possessive Harry Potter, Spanking, Prostate Massage, Power Play, Praise Kink, Aftercare, Sensation Play, Blindfolds, Subspace, Mild subdrop, Rutting, Wax Play, Angst, Pyrophobia, Draco Malfoy Speaks French, Harry Potter Speaks French Summary: Almost immediately after the war, Harry Potter took his godson and Andromeda and left England behind. He returned five, nearly six, years later; changed, healed, and a very different man altogether. Now an extremely handsome bachelor in his late twenties, and with a promising career at the Ministry, he suddenly finds his life turned upside down after unexpectedly bumping into his former school nemesis, Draco Malfoy, Prosecutor Extraordinaire. Is Harry going to be able to stay away from Draco? Does he even want to? And exactly how will Draco react once he discovers how the Saviour prefers to spend his free time? ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Misguided at Best by agentmoppet Rated: Explicit Words: 3011 Tags: Bondage, BDSM, POV Draco Malfoy, Dom/sub, Sub Harry, Dom Draco Summary: Draco has grown bored of the aristocratic fetish clubs, and decides to try something new. But he never would have expected to find Harry Potter, disguised and on his knees, waiting for him. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 The Gift by magpie_fngrl Rated: Explicit Words: 26069 Tags: Writer Draco Malfoy, Voyeurism, Sharing, Dildos, Blindfolds, Internalized Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Captive Prince Darker Themes: please see chapter notes, Bondage, Discipline, Sensation Play, Semi-Public Sex, Past Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Lack of aftercare in one instance, Explicit Sexual Content Summary: "‘You’ll give me an hour of your time and I’ll take your thoughts and your worries. You’ll let me take control; dictate your actions. One hour where you’ll blindly obey me—in return for… distraction. ’"Or, in which Draco is a writer struggling with his first novel, Harry is worried about something he won't reveal, and they both try to figure out how to put their tangled past behind them and move on. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Sweet Little Distractions by krystalliumm Rated: Explicit Words: 3103 Tags: Gay, Gay Sex, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Bottom Draco Malfoy, Top Harry Potter, Kinky, Established Relationship, Boyfriends, Rimming, Anal FingeringPlot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Dom/sub Undertones, Light Bondage, Fluff and Smut, that's literally all that this is, Don't Judge Me, Dorks in Love, AAAAAAi'm a simp for these two, just read it omfg, Light BDSM, Smut, Fluff, Soft Harry Potter, Soft Draco Malfoy, Hogwarts Era, Banter Summary: Draco thinks studying for his NEWTs was the worst—it's tiring, stressful, and exhausting. Luckily, Harry's there to be his sweet little distraction. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 A Man Like Him by darkestbliss Rated: Explicit Words: 60132 Tags: Post-Hogwarts, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Romance, Slow Burn, BDSM, Loss of Virginity, Virgin Draco Malfoy, Bottom Draco Malfoy, Sub Draco Malfoy, Experienced Harry Potter, Top Harry Potter, Dom Harry Potter, Anal Fingering, Anal SexRimming, Contracts, Impact Play, Flogging, Whipping, Suspension, Wax Play, Safewords, Biting, Oral Sex, Orgasm Denial, Subspace, Aftercare, Safe Sane and Consensual, Drinking, Smoking, Breathplay, Boggarts, References to ABBA, NSFW Art, Falling In Love, Porn With Plot, Harry/Draco Big Bang 2018, Community: harrydracobang Summary: Draco Malfoy has made a name for himself after the War as 'the wizarding world's best interior architectural designer' (his words), taking old, decrepit spaces and transforming them into exquisite homes for those who can afford the hefty price tag. His most recent assignment is number twelve, Grimmauld Place, which has only deteriorated more in condition since the elusive Harry Potter inherited it after Sirius Black's death. When he stumbles upon a collection of questionable items in one of Potter's wardrobes, he finds himself appalled, shocked, distraught, and just a little bit turned on. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Scars and Lions by kizkhalifa Rated: Explicit Words: 10411 Tags: EWE, Light Bondage, Teasing Summary: The one in which Harry Potter orders a "call guy" for dinner (+fun) and Draco Malfoy shows up. ❤️ Read on AO3

📜 Aftershocks by Lokifan Rated: Explicit Words: 1447 Tags: Fingerfucking, Anal Fingering, Bottom Draco, Sub Draco, Light Dom/sub, Dom Harry, Top Harry Potter, Fluff and Smut, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Established Relationship, Risk Aware Consensual Kink, Dirty Talk, fluffy kinkfic, Harry Potter is the soppiest dom of all Summary: Harry’s favourite time to finger Draco is right after sex. ❤️ Read on AO3

#drarry #drarry recs #game of drarry #wizards hearts #wh masterlist

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stellarcat52 · 4 years

Text

Timeless Blue Chapter Two

Okay so apparently I’m just gonna add this little bit to every chapter as a little authors note. So chapter two is here, and as I stop caring about what canonically is happening in whatever scene in writing, the more the style will reflect my normal writing style. On that note, does anyone care how much I deviate from the canon? Like change potentially important plot details aside? Cause uh... yeah I don’t have the greatest impulse control and might mix this with another Au I had in mind. Either way, I hope you enjoy.

Krel, Douxie, Claire, and a crystallized Jim free fall through the rift. Thanks to Douxie’s anti-gravity spells, no lasting damage aside from a crack in Jim’s crystalline savior was dealt.

Krel landed behind Douxie and beside Palchuck, barely being missed by Jim falling from the trees above a moment later.

“What happened?” Steve groaned from under Jim.

“Well,” Douxie started, “I just conjured and anti-gravity spell to slow our fall and keep us from dying. You’re welcome.”

“Douxie? Where is the flying castle?”

“Oh fuzz buckets.”

Knights in metal armor surround them, shouting and communicated within their own ranks.

“This means, we’re lost in time.”

“Time?! I know the geezer said the answers were in the past but time travel shouldn’t be technologically possible for any species yet!”

“What manor of sorcery is this?” A mounted knight demands.

Douxie reaches back and grabs Krel’s hand, “Don’t use your serrator, just follow my lead.” He whispers to the Akiridion, the message being conveyed to the other two as well. However, Steve freaking out did not help their case.

Douxie and Krel look up to see the Knight had taken off his helmet. “Sir Lancelot, um...”

“He’s so handsome..” Steve said, earning a questioning look from Krel and Claire before a sword was pointed at them.

“Wait! Aren’t you Merlin’s errand boy?” Lancelot’s sword crept closer to Douxie’s neck. “I hope you can explain why you are associating with a troll.” Lancelot points to Krel with his blade.

“Hey!”

“Apprentice, first of all, and Krel is not a troll.”

“He’s like an angel man.” Steve daydreams, leaning a little too much on Jim’s encasement. The green material shatters, waking him from his life-preserving sleep. “Woah!”

Douxie jumps up and away from Jim, Krel instinctively reaching for his serrator before remembering Douxie’s words.

“The devil-?”

As Lancelot leans back towards Jim, a red and black armored troll arm breaches the air.

“What? How did I-?”

“Jim! Are you okay?”

“Troll! Troll! To arms!”

Jim is met with two very different reactions, a hug from his girlfriend, and multiple swords being pointed at him.

Douxie starts to jump to protect Jim, a blue hand grabs the edge of his shirt too late to stop him. Douxie proceeds to try and convince Lancelot that Jim is a good troll, which is much harder to convince him of than Krel not being a troll at all.

“You will hang before the king for your insolence.”

====

Jim communes with Claire, Douxie, and his very reluctant cage-mate Krel to try and learn what’s going on before the group is brought before the king. Ending with a promise from Douxie that he’d explain everything once everyone was safe.

After a quick reminder to let Douxie handle this, introductions and explanations are due. Thankfully, Steve was more than happy to shut up once Krel reminded him there was no service in the dark ages and that if he said something wrong he wouldn’t be able to say bye to Aja.

“This is Claire of house Nuñez, and Steve of Palchuckia, a village idiot and uh knight in training.” Douxie starts, pointing to each person as he spoke, “and believe it or not, this is Prince Krel from house Tarron of Cantalupia.” Douxie cautiously opened the cage, bringing Krel out and implying Jim should stay there.

“I have not heard of Cantalupia.” Arthur watched every movement Krel made, from every step he took before standing behind Douxie to every subtle nerve driven shift in his weight.

“That’s to be expected. Before now-“ Douxie quickly gets cut off.

“I’ll have this supposed prince explain it to me.” Arthur snapped. “Explain why you are here, Prince Krel of Cantalupia.”

“Alright, well as the errand boy here explained, I am not a troll. I was cursed to appear like this and have been looking for a wizard to remove it. I would like to formerly request permission to stay here alongside my companions.” Krel gestured to Claire, and Steve, who were giving the Akiridion strange wide-eyed glances.

Arthur pointed Excalibur at the sunny patch in the middle of the floor. “Prove you are not a troll first. Step into the sunlight.”

Krel steps forwards, being followed by a pair of not-so-subtle knights every step until he stands in full daylight in front of the king. “I am no troll, or is this not enough to prove to you my story?”

Arthur’s tensions fade, his grip no longer iron on the hilt of Excalibur. “Alright.”

“Now that that is out of the way, I believe this beast deserves an explanation too, errand boy.” Lancelot pulled Jim out of the cage, forcing him to kneel in the shadows where everyone could see him. “He is most definitely not a cursed prince as your friend here seems to be.”

Douxie lets out a hissing breath, clearly not able to explain the troll. Thankfully, Arthur’s immediate rage was not aimed at anyone proven to not be a troll.

“A troll! I thought I made it very clear your kind is not welcome here when I banished you.”

“Don’t you mean betrayed?” Morgana steps out of the shadows, pushing her way into Arthur’s focus. “You gave the woods to enchanted creatures like these, would you break that vow?”

“These beasts care not of my vow. Especially not spies of Gunmar.”

“Stop calling me a beast!” Jim lunged forwards, held back by Lancelot and another knight. “Wait, Gunmar?”

“Uh, your highness,” Douxie coughs, “it’s good to see you again.”

“And who are you?”

“Hisirdoux, Merlin’s apprentice. I assure to you, he,” he gestures to Jim, “is no threat.”

“That is my judgement to make boy.” Arthur thunders.

Morgana lights up her hand, a ball of golden magic wandering as she speaks. “Trolls are born of magic, and you are of blood. How is their nature a crime?”

Krel had seen something like this before, the students standing up for him and Aja when Colonel Kubritz was looking for them in school.

“When they ravage our lands and take our loved ones from us? I made these laws to keep this fragile land together, and they will be abided.” Arthur shouted. “Leave the wood, the penalty is death. Bring this monster to the light.”

As Jim was carried to the light, protesting and claiming he wasn’t a troll, the entire group went to save him. Douxie attempting to reason with Arthur, Krel using his four arms to try and avoid being grabbed as well and prevent Jim from joining him under the sun, Steve starting to rush forwards but being cut off, and Claire protesting as she was grabbed just as quickly.

Everything happened too fast to understand. The shadows crept out of the corners and flooded where the light should be. In the corner of Krel’s eyes, Claire seemed to have blackened sclera until the light was gone, and the future Trollhunter was safe. Arthur, of course, blamed Morgana, who seemed to be the only person who wasn’t from the 21st century to realize it wasn’t her who had done this. Claire defended her boyfriend, claiming his innocence even if he was a troll.

“Evil is not inherited, it does not corrupt one species more than another. Claire is right to believe a troll, despite how evil you believe them, can be good.” The Extraterrestrial spoke.

“That means nothing Prince. This is my kingdom and I shall not fail it. These beasts are still dangerous, we are still at war."

“If you give into your fear, that is failing.”

“The girl and the prince speak truth. Please listen to them brother.”

Krel gives Douxie a questioning look, not seeing the family resemblance. Douxie shrugs, nodding but understanding where Krel was coming from.

“Fine.” Arthur decided. “I will show the troll mercy. He will live... in the dungeon.”

“Jim!” Claire attempts to follow as he is taken to the dungeon, being stopped and comforted by Douxie.

“As for you, Hisirdoux, shouldn’t you be with Merlin?”

“Well, yes, but you see...” Douxie raked his mind for something to say “I was-“

“I apologize, your highness, but Hisirdoux was busy attempting to help me. I have communicated with him and he intends to help me get back into my original body. If it is impossible, I’ll understand, however. While we are here, if I appear human or not, I do believe my friends and I can help with this war that Hisirdoux has mentioned before.” Krel flares at Douxie as this war had not been mentioned before, who in response glares back as the Akiridion had just interrupted him. “In my country, I am known for my intellect, and I do not wish to take from someone without returning something.”

“So in exchange for me helping him and his curse, he, Claire, and Steve, will help us in the war.” Douxie summarized, not entirely sure if Krel is capable of getting his point through with his sudden usage of fancier tongue.

“Alright. Sir Steve will work with the knights, Prince Krel I believe should work with you, Hisirdoux, and as for mistress Claire?”

“I will take her. I’ve been in need of a new handmaiden.” Krel sees the pleas of help and burning anger in Claire’s eyes as Morgana steps up for her.

“Alright. Now go, I have a kingdom to protect.” Arthur ushered them away.

“Okay Krel what was that?” Steve hissed before the separated, the threat of not seeing Aja again still holding its effect. “Last I checked, you didn’t act like a prince much.”

“Theater practice at school.” Claire starts. “Krel has gotten very good at improv.”

“You are in the play?” Steve was astonished.

“Yes, while you have been too busy complaining about Eli and Aja going to Akiridion-5, I was increasing my knowledge on human culture, of the present and the past, or would it be the future and the present.”

“It doesn’t matter. Krel, you did amazing. I was here during this time and I still wasn’t as fast as you to know what to say!”

“Did you just say you were-are here?” Krel asked.

“Oh fuzz buckets.”

The group separates, although partially unwillingly. Steve goes with Sir Lancelot, Claire with Lady Morgana, and Krel with a very nervous Douxie.

Part one Part three

#timeless blue fic #krel x douxie #drel #krelxie #douxel #krouxie #toa wizards #tales of arcadia #KREL JOINS THE PLAY AND HE LOVES IT

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scarletemeterio-thesecond · 4 years

Note

this is probably such an annoying ask - but i'm only on the beginning of season three but a SIMP for my mans zuko so if there is anyway you can do a cute little imagine where yn meets uncle iroh after dating zuko for a bit without spoilers? i wanna read all the fanfics but i cant yet :(((

Omg noo! Don't ever think that you're annoying! I love when people request! I decided to make it a headcanon because it was easier for me with like school and all my other responsibilities lol, but I hope you still like it! This is placed at the beginning of book 3, so let's just pretend that for some reason Iroh and reader are in prison together (and yeah, i know that in the fire nation prisons are not like these apparently, but for the sake of this hc let's pretend they are kinda like on wizards: toa) (if you haven't watched it you should, but they're like basic castle dungeons okay bye)

a/n: I tried to do this as spoiler-free as possible but this mentions things that happen up till episode 10 of book 3.

•••

Being in prison with Zuko's uncle

You and Zuko started dating when he was living in Ba Sing Se.

You were born in the Earth Kingdom, but you weren't a bender. However, you were really good at fighting.

So when Iroh began asking for help, you obviously agreed, especially because this was about your boyfriend.

You were so happy when you saw him at the catacombs. You were also confused about him being a prince and everything, but seeing him was more important for you.

Then, your heart nearly broke when he betrayed you and Iroh.

He'd said that you could join him and go to the Fire Nation as his guest, but you refused.

So now you were in jail with his uncle.

Obviously, being locked up was a bad thing, but it would've been a lot worse if you had been alone.

At first you didn't talk much, though.

You were tired from everything, and your emotions were a whole mess.

And seeing Iroh reminded you of Zuko, which was a bit painful.

He obviously understood how you feel, and was always very kind to you.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this, (Y/N)," he said once.

And you told him that he had nothing to worry about, that it wasn't his fault.

it was Zuko's.

You barely had any energy to eat, and you mostly stayed in one corner of your cell.

The guards could be ruthless sometimes, but you would never let them see you cry.

Sadly, you were getting used to being there, practically alone.

So imagine your surprise when Zuko went to visit you.

Actually, he went to visit his uncle, but you turned out to be in the cell right in front of him.

He tried to talk to you, too, but you just ignored him.

You were angry, but mostly, you were sad and disappointed.

When he left, there was a lot of tension in the air.

"I thought he was one of the good ones," you mumbled loud enough for Iroh to hear you.

"He is, he's just lost," he answered.

You looked at him with a soft smile on your face, with some tears already forming in your eyes.

"I really liked him, you know?" you started saying. "I think I might have started falling for him, even."

Iroh stayed silent, completely paying attention to you.

"Do you think he'll ever realize what he's done?" You wanted to believe he would, but you couldn't be too sure.

"I don't know, (Y/N), let's hope he can find his own way by himself," he replied.

Deep down, even though you had a lot of mixed feelings, you hoped he was right; you hoped Zuko could find his way.

You kept talking for a while, about your pasts and mostly about Zuko, since he was what you two more had in common.

He told you that you really ment something for his nephew, even after all that had happened.

When he said that, you couldn't help but wondered what could've happened if things had been different.

He also talked to you about Zuko's childhood a bit, and that helped you understand him a little more.

Once again, you were glad that at least while being locked up you had someone.

Then he said something that stayed in your mind.

"Never lose hope, (Y/N)."

It was something simple but at the same time very meaningful to you.

And that's what kept you going: hope.

Sometimes you'd hear Iroh exercising in his cell, but you never really thought much of it.

Until the day of the eclipse.

You were asleep, it was like any other day for you, until you were woken up by someone.

When you saw Iroh kneeled down next to you, you felt confused; you thought that you were dreaming.

"Come on, (Y/N), we're getting out of here."

He helped you get in your feet and somehow you managed to escape.

You never thought you'd feel the wind ever again

But you were out of that cell.

You were completely free.

You just hoped that, somehow, Zuko would be able to free himself so he could become the person you knew he was destined to be.

And maybe, just maybe, you could be together once again.

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jungle321jungle · 4 years

Text

Sleeping In The Woods: One

It was never in Virgil’s plan to be a camp counselor, he had never been a fan of kids.

It was never in his plan to learn to enjoy each of the boy’s company, he had never wanted to learn the truths behind their fake smiles.

It was never in his plan to get wrapped up in things he didn’t understand, he had always preferred to keep to himself.

None of it was ever his plan, but he’d do whatever he’d have to save everyone- even if it means risking himself.

Ao3

General taglist: @ashensanity @angels-and-dreams @ollyollyoxinfree @gattonero17

~~~~

One

Virgil had never been a fan of children.

They were loud, annoying, needy, and tried his patience to the point that driving off a cliff would be better than babysitting.

But when his mother had demanded that he get a job for the summer instead of: “becoming the newest piece of furniture in their home”, his father had unfortunately overheard. And of course because of truly cinematic timing, one of his coworkers had a son, Thomas, who would be working at Camp Storytime which was short a counselor.

Virgil already hated it at the sound of its name.

But upon research he had learned that due to being a camp for rich kids, the pay was very nice. So he had put on his best fake smile for that Skype interview where he had essentially lied to every question.

“Let's start easy, do you like kids?”

“Of course. Why would I be applying if I didn’t?”

The camp director had given a laugh, “So what age do you prefer?”

“I don’t really have a preference, but given I just graduated high school I’m not sure some of the older kids would really respect me.”

“Do you enjoy fairy tales? And all that goes with them? The younger kids are really into all of our themes. We have Pirate Days, and Royalty Days, and last summer we even had a Monster Day. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?”

“Yeah, it sounds fun. What’s not to like about being a pirate? Well, other than scurvy.”

Despite getting the job, Virgil was not one hundred percent he could pull off the facade necessary to get through the summer.

But with training ending and campers arriving in a couple days, he didn’t really have a choice.

“Alright now that general training rules and protocol have been drilled into your head, it’s time to find out which cabin you’ve got and get your rosters. So you’ve got the rest of the day to move in and start prepping.”

Virgil gave a heavy swallow as the papers were passed around. For the last few nights they had all shared one cabin while the others were being prepared for campers, but now he was going to have to move elsewhere and truly begin to prepare for responsibility.

Yay.

He just hoped he was paired with one of the more competent counselors.

“Oh I got the Prince Cabin with Jon,” Thomas commented handing the stack of papers to Virgil.

Virgil glanced over Thomas’s shoulder, “Nineteen of them, you enjoy that.”

Thomas shrugged, “What do you have?”

Virgil gave a breath and finally flipped through and pulled out the assignment sheet with his name in confusion.

While it clearly said which grade and cabin was his, 4th and Wizard Cabin, it only listed five names under campers.

“Only five?” Thomas asked in surprise. “There’s really not that many Wizards this year, huh?”

“I’m by myself,” Virgil realized after a short pause as he passed the papers on.

“Well yeah, the ratio is ten to one. So you lucked out with half that.”

Virgil blinked before looking Thomas in the eye, “But I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Fake it till you make it? But hey, if you really need help I’m in the Cabin next door.”

Virgil mumbled a thank you in reply.

Another thing Virgil had never been amazing at was decorations. And yet he had been tasked with decorating the cabin in a “wizard theme”. He wasn’t even sure he knew what that meant. So for now he guessed, and decided he was going to over use glitter, make some wands out of something, and maybe throw some glow in the dark stars up- was that too young for fourth graders?

Oh well, they would have to deal with it.

“Your stars are in the wrong places.”

Virgil’s mouth had opened and closed as the kid walked past him to sit on a bottom bunk bed. He looked at Virgil with a bored expression from behind his glasses, “This one says Dante but I want to sleep here.”

“Logan Ackroyd,” his mother chided before he held out a hand. “I apologize, you said it was Virgil, right? I’m Patricia Ackroyd, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Virgil nodded slowly before he pulled off the “Dante” sign and moved to the Logan one to switch them, silently wondering why the name sounded familiar.

“Oh you don’t have to,” his mother tried. “I’m sorry he’s being difficult.” She then sent her son a look which he stiffened at. “Usually he holds himself with a better demeanor.”

“It’s fine,” Virgil told her switching the signs. “I figured that I might get a complaint if I labeled things anyway.”

“I notice there’s only five names?”

“Only five kids apparently.”

“Interesting. Well Logan, let's get you unpacked.”

Virgil made awkward small talk as they did so before the next campers voices could be heard as they approached.

“But why can’t we be in the Prince Cabin,” groaned a small voice before an exasperated voice replied,

“That one’s for fifth graders.”

“But I don’t want to be a wizard!”

“Me neither!”

“Doesn’t matter what you want!”

The voices turned out to belong to the two twins which had been on his list. Roman and Remus Regis. Along with them were their parents- who did not look happy to be there. But then again the movie stars that they were, he guessed they didn’t really love the idea of being in a dirty forest.

“Sentor!” Their mother, Daniela Regis he recalled, cried suddenly excited going over to where Logan’s mother had been kneeling by a very small dresser (Virgil silently wondered the point of having dressers at all when each looked like they held four shirts at once). “It’s so good to meet you again.”

Senator?

Well, these were supposed to be rich kids.

Logan’s mother stood and gave a well practiced smile as she dusted off her skirt. “Hello Daniela.”

“You the counselor?”

Virgil turned away from the women to the man who had entered, movie star Michael Regis. Virgil hoped he was good at poker faces, “Yes. I’m Virgil.”

He nodded and set down the two suitcases beside the beds, “Keep them in check.”

“Got it...”

With that the man moved beside his wife to chat up senator Ackroyd.

“I’m Remus,” one the twins stated looking over to Logan. Virgil made a mental note that Remus was the one with a light patch in his hair. “This is my brother Roman. I’m gonna guess you’re Logan?”

Logan looked away from the conversation in front of him and gave a stiff nod, “Yes.” The boy said it with such finality that made it clear that he didn’t want to be spoken to, but that sentiment was apparently ignored.

“Have you ever been to a camp like this before?” Roman asked him.

“Do you like pranks?” Remus added.

“I’m gonna unpack,” was Logan’s reply as he moved to do so.

“Logan,” Mrs. Ackroyd tried, but the Regis’ were not letting up.

“Really? You know the director?”

For an actress Mrs. Regis was not very good at sounding as if she hadn’t rehearsed.

“Did you make the wands?” Roman asked appearing at Virgil's side.

“Uh yeah... I did. Why?”

The wands weren’t anything too special. He had simply taken a few cool looking sticks and cut them down with a pocket knife. And then Thomas had thought they were plain and had doodled on some mainly out of boredom.

“Ollivander said the wand chooses the person. And you chose for us.”

Virgil blinked, before he came up with a quick response, “You're not eleven yet. These are trainer wands.”

The boy seemed surprised by the response, but with that he backed off. Unfortunately Logan didn’t.

“Do we have to wear robes?”

“It’s summer so I think we can make an exception. Plus, we’re not British.”

Whatever was going to be his response was cut off by the sound of loud laughter from outside. And then moments later two women and a little boy entered. The first woman Virgil recognized as the head counselor as Delia, but the other woman looked like she should be anywhere but the middle of the woods.

She was tall, skinny, wearing a tube top and a very short skirt with tall heels. Her long dark hair was done in a fancy way and her make up was perfect too.

It just didn’t make sense. At all.

“I was coming to check in and I bumped into another one of yours,” Delia smiled. “This is Charlotte Ekans and her son Dante.”

Beside the super out of place looking woman Dante gave a smile and wave and Virgil forced himself not to stare at the boy’s half scarred face.

“I’m Virgil,” Virgil introduced. He then motioned to an empty bunk bed, “That spot over there is yours. Since there’s only five of you guys each get a top and bottom bunk to yourselves.”

“So you’re missing one?” Delia observed. “That’s not bad. Alright I’m heading to the next Cabin.”

“Michael! How are you?” Virgil’s attention was redirected as Mrs. Ekans walked up to Mr. Regis and pulled him into a tight hug. “How long has it been?”

“Hello Charlotte,” Mrs. Regis said as she gave a tight lipped smile. “I didn’t know your son went to this camp?”

“This is his second summer,” she replied letting go of Mr. Regis to hug his wife.

She pushed away near instantly, “We should be going Michael.”

The two left then with a few parting words to the Senator- and yet none to their sons.

“How are you Patricia?” Mrs. Ekans asked heading back to Dante to help him unpack.

“I’m fine,” Mrs. Ackroyd replied. “I do thank you for clearing my space to breathe.”

“You can always count on me for anything ... you know that.”

“Can I change my sign?” Dante asked Virgil. “I like to go by Dee.”

Dammit he should’ve thought about what the kids preferred.

“We have arts and crafts tomorrow,” Virgil started. “You could make a new one?”

Dee nodded satisfied as he pulled out his bedding, “That works.” He then looked to the other three boys in the room, “I’m Dee. What’s your names?”

“I’m Roman!” Remus answered eagerly. Wait. That was Remus wasn’t it? “What happened to your face?”

Virgil sucked in a breath quickly as he took a step forward, “Roman- Remus, either lets not ask people personal questions like that, okay?”

But apparently it hadn’t bothered Dee as he leaned forward on his bed, “Take a guess.”

Remus(?) gave a large smile, “You were abducted by aliens?”

“Nope.”

“Attacked by a shark!”

“No.”

“Wouldn’t something like a car crash make more sense?” Logan interrupted. “Or just being born with it?”

“But that’s boring,” Remus complained. “Ooo! What about jumping out of a speeding car?”

“Logan we mind our own business,” his mother stated sternly.

“It’s fine,” Dee told her with a smile. “And no to the speeding car.”

“Bear attack?”

“Nope.”

“Cannibal.”

“Nope.”

“Lochness monster- no Bigfoot!”

“Still no.”

“I’m going to figure it out,” Roman(?) replied.

“You won’t,” he smiled back before he pointed to the twin who hadn’t been speaking. “So he's Roman. What’s your name again?”

“Remus, I’m the one going gray from having the stress of a younger twin.”

Roman hit his brother with a pillow in reply.

Virgil blinked as he ran the encounter over in his head. How did he know that wasn’t Roman when Remus has introduced himself as his brother?

“Alright Lo, I think you’re all set,” Mrs. Ackroyd was saying as she pulled her son into a hug. “Remember the rules?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“All of them?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” she pressed a kiss to his hair. “Love you.” She went to leave, but she hesitated at the door. “Charlotte are you perhaps free this evening?”

The other mother gave her a smile, “I have plans. But I can walk out with you? And if you’re feeling generous enough, could you give me a ride back? We were dropped off.”

“Then how were you planning to get back in the first place?”

“Who knows.”

The two women left then leaving Virgil alone with four kids.

The living nightmare was beginning.

He gave a sigh as he sat on one one of the unused beds.

The pay is great. The pay is great. The pay is great.

“So what do we do now?” Roman asked him.

Virgil cringed, “Well the plan is just for us to hang out here for the rest of the afternoon until dinner. After that is a campfire then bed. Then tomorrow we have a full day with swimming, arts and crafts, games and other things.”

“Can we go explore?” Remus asked.

Virgil shook his head, “Sorry, but no. There’s only one of me and I need to stay here in case our last camper shows up. But we can all play a game in here?”

“What kind of game?”

“Um... that depends on what you guys like.”

“Let’s play mafia!” Dee cheered after a moment.

“We need more people for that,” Logan disagreed. “Are there any board games?”

“No,” Virgil answered. “They’re in a different building.”

“Let’s play quack-a-dilly-oh-my,” Roman suggested.

With that they had gathered in a circle on the floor and begun to play- until an argument about the lyrics had arose.

“It’s eat a marshmallow,” Logan said crossing his arms.

Remus shook his head, “No it’s your face is turning yellow!”

“It’s yellow,” Dee agreed while Roman nodded. “Right Virgil?”

Virgil shrugged, “I grew up with both.”

“See? He’s on our side.”

“That's not what he said,” Logan disagreed.

“Either way you’re outnumbered,” Roman announced. “So what does your opinion matter?”

“Everyone’s opinion matters,” Virgil tried but he didn’t think he was heard.

As the argument escalated Virgil gave a groan, thankfully he was saved by the door opening and a boy walking in beside Thomas.

“This one got a bit lost,” Thomas explained setting down the kid’s bag. “This is Patton.”

Patton gave a wide smile, “Hi! What are your names?”

While the other boys stood up to introduce themselves Virgil moved over to Thomas. “Where’s his parents?” He asked quietly.

Thomas gave a shrug, “He was just left at the entrance.”

Virgil gave an awkward nod and looked back to the boys.

“Patton, are the lyrics to quack-a-dilly-oh-my ‘eat a marshmallow’ or ‘your face is turning yellow’?” Logan asked.

Patton seemed confused by the question but he answered anyway as he put his small backpack on his bed, “It’s marshmallow- oh cool a wand!”

“See?”

“You’re still outnumbered,” Roman reminded him.

Logan gave a frown before he turned to Thomas. But Thomas was faster, “Well I need to get back to my own cabin.”

~~~~

Someway, somehow, Virgil managed to survive the afternoon. He had helped Patton set up his bed (before the twins because they hadn’t actually done more then dump stuff out) and then it had been time to take a small tour.

He showed them places around the camp, from the fields to the bathrooms, to the dining hall for dinner and a few others in between. And for a little while Virgil thought he could actually do this.

And then a scream woke him in the middle of the night.

Virgil shot up from his bed and promptly fell to the floor. He hurried out his room and into the next one hitting the light as he did. When he did he found Remus and Dee laying on the floor cackling beside Roman who was comforting a crying Patton. Meanwhile Logan gave the world a glare from where he had sat up in his bed.

“He’s fine,” Dee laughed.

“The spider is fake Patton!” Roman was trying.

“Can we reenact that?” Remus asked between gasps of laughter. “Virgil can take a video!”

“You’re all stupid,” Logan mumbled flopping back down and pulling a blanket over his head.

Virgil gave a deep breath calm down his now quick beating heart, but his fear as he did his worry was replaced by anger. “All of you, go to bed!”

“Some of us are trying!” Logan shouted back.

“It's the first night of camp,” Dee frowned. “Did you expect us to sleep?”

Virgil gave the child an annoyed glare, “I expect you to be quiet enough that I can sleep.”

“Have you ever been to camp before?”

“Get in your bed. I don't give a-” He forced himself to take a breath. “Just get in your bed and be quiet. All of you... Patton do you want water or something?”

Patton had calmed slightly and shook his head as he wiped at his eyes, “‘M okay.”

Virgil nodded and headed back to his room. “Just be quiet. No. Be silent. Understood?”

“Yes Mr. Virgil!” Remus mocked climbing into his bed.

It was going to be a long summer.

~~~~

One - Two

Welcome to yet another AU!

As with all my aus the original idea was to have happy fluff throughout because I realize I’ve done all the sides as kids except Dee. But if you can read the description that’s not where we will end up.

But welcome to the ride!

#virgil is already so done #angst will come #so will fluff #summercampau #kid fic #kid!roman #virgil sanders #kid!remus #kid!logan #kid!patton #kid!deceit #sympathetic deceit #character!thomas #sanders sides fic #sanders sides

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exhakunobest · 4 years

Text

Fate/EXTELLA ZERO Plot

Original text from http://www.typemoon.org/bbb/diary/log/201611.html

translation from: https://forums.nrvnqsr.com/showthread.php/5875-The-BAMBOO-BROOM-DIARY-%28Nasu-and-Takeuchi-blog%29?p=2540101&viewfull=1#post2540101

Fate/EXTRA/EXTELLA Character Outline ※ There's only one route, so Nero takes the role of saving, guiding, and helping Hakuno grow. Don't forget that this is a boy-meets-girl story. ・ Kishinami Hakuno (Protagonist) The archetypal protagonist who wakes up in SE.RA.PH to find himself caught up as a participant in the Holy Grail War. He has memories of life (daily school life), but no other memories. His abilities are extremely mediocre as a wizard. Fortunately, he has a personality that never gives up, holds no grudges, and always tries to do the right thing. Miraculously, he attains victory. In short, he's someone who can't quit. 　→→ First Spoiler (revealed in the middle and later half of the story) His identity is the same as that of the NPCs on campus, merely "recreated data from past humans." (It is less expensive for the Moon Cell to model NPCs after past humans, but the Moon Cell fundamentally cannot understand humans (intelligent life forms)) He gained a self and passed the preliminary round as a human, so he was registered as a Master. 　→→ Second Spoiler (revealed at the end of the story) The human he was recreated from is in cold sleep on Earth, neither alive nor dead. This is why the NPC managed to gain an ego and autonomy. (This has to do with where souls reside in TYPE-MOON, but that isn't explained in this story.) ・ Saber (Nero) The Servant who was summoned in response to Hakuno's call. (Summoning details are in Material, under Saber's entry.) A female knight who acts as she pleases and whole-heartedly glorifies life. Her speech and attitude are pompous, but at her core, she respects all that is beautiful. She appears condescending, but actually reacts to most things with a "wow, that's amazing. How impressive! But I won't lose, either!" attitude. Her physical abilities are below average for a Servant, but her Skill "Imperial Privilege" is powerful. A true genius displays her talents in all areas. Red Saber's strength can be considered her ability to learn anything that is possible through human levels of effort or talent. Saber is reluctant to reveal her true name. It is not because she wishes to conceal her identity as the infamous tyrant Nero, but because she is afraid that Hakuno will dislike or be disappointed with her if he knows her name. During the fifth round, she moves past this hesitation and reveals it herself. ・ Girl Classmate (Female Protagonist) A girl who occasionally crosses paths with Hakuno, leaving him a casual word of advice. She's always eating a noodle sandwich. She wasn't in the PSP version, so the audience would misread her as "a new heroine!?" 　→→ 　Spoiler (Round 7) The same entity as Hakuno. Personnel data: a NPC created by SE.RA.PH, modeled after Kishinami Hakuno. However, she was configured as a female due to overlapping identity. She gained an ego in connection with the same event for Hakuno, and advanced as a Master. (※ She didn't gain a soul. Hakuno gained a soul, and the aftermath of this awakened her ego.) Because her data was modified further after recreation, she quickly becomes aware that she is not a legitimate being. As a degraded copy, she cannot withstand the installation of an ego (soul), so she is destined to disintegrate. (※ Even if she wins the seventh round, she will then disappear. Only Archer deduces this.) ・Archer (Nameless) The Female Protagonist's Servant. He is a Servant summoned to a Master without a soul, so his summoning circumstances are also irregular. Half of his body is crumbling and burned. Knowing the Female Protagonist's situation, he helps her fight to the bitter end. 　→ Every time Hakuno is alone and in a pinch, Archer saves him. As for why he does this, if Hakuno dies, so does the female protagonist. Archer is trying to give his Master a conclusion where she doesn't lose until the very end, and accepts her end even though she couldn't survive. 　→→ Archer is partially destroyed, so Nero and Tamamo don't recognize him in the world of EXTELLA. Also, the Nameless that appears in EXTELLA comes from a world where the Female Protagonist won. ・ Rin & Rani Fewer appearances than in the PSP version, but their position is unchanged. ・ Leo The heir to the Western European Conglomerate. A perfect prince. The strongest foe in the PSP version. His role is the same in the PSP version, but this time he is defeated in the sixth round. 　→→ Foreshadowing Out of curiosity, Leo talks to Kishinami Hakuno many times, but several of the conversations are inconsistent. "Oh, didn't we talk about this before?" "Yes, I'm interested in you, too." He says things like that, because he's interacted with the Female Protagonist in the same way. Leo loses to the Female Protagonist in the sixth round, so this time, he realizes that the Female Protagonist has the potential to defeat him. ・ Saber (Gawain) Leo's Servant. Unchanged from the PSP version. ・ Julius Leo's older brother. An assassin who handles the dirty work. On Earth, he doesn't have much time left to live. He eliminates Leo's enemies without regard for his own survival. His position is unchanged from the PSP version. He is openly hostile to Hakuno, and is Hakuno's greatest rival. Julius' special animosity towards Hakuno (and the Female Protagonist) is because Hakuno is the same type of person as Julius. On a deeply subconscious level, Julius rejects the notion that a normal person, possessing nothing and chosen by nobody, could rise to become Leo's greatest enemy. It also stems from Julius' irritation that he was unable to do the same. ・ Assassin (Li Shuwen) Julius' Servant. Position is unchanged from the PSP version. ・ Matou Shinji ・ Rider (Drake) The opponent in the first round, which has the theme of fighting a friend. Unchanged from the PSP version. ・ Atrum The opponent in the fourth round. His Servant is Caster (Tamamo no Mae). A new Master for the EXTRA storyline that was reorganized for EXTELLA. A user of sacrificial magic that kills and creates life. Acquainted with Leo on Earth. In the world of EXTRA where fossil fuel resources have run dry, he lacks the cockiness and carelessness of his Fate/stay night counterpart. However, his basic personality is the same. A self-proclaimed feminist, but it's obvious in reality that he views women only as tools. He speaks respectfully to Caster, but also looks down on her. After the Moratorium of Round 4, he sends Caster to seduce Hakuno (to gain his sympathy). "You don't need win the boy over. As long as you can ensnare him, it'll be a windfall for us." "Me? I have things to do. Dirty jobs are a Servant's duty, right?" Casko wearily follows his order, replying "By your command." After dispatching Casko, Atrum accesses a proprietary hidden circuit to Earth to find data on Kishinami Hakuno, but fails to turn up anything. This troubles him. After Atrum loses to Hakuno in their duel, Atrum uses Caster as a scapegoat to avoid the destruction of his own body, and flees. After he escapes from the firewall, he is dealt with by Julius or the Moon Cell. ・ Caster (Tamamo no Mae) Appears as Atrum's Servant. From the start, she is aware that she is expendable to Atrum, but she does not resist fulfilling their pact. (Of course, if Atrum were to sever their contract, it would be a different story.) When she comes to Hakuno on Atrum's orders to seduce him, Hakuno asks, "...Umm, I don't understand why you're doing this," which confuses her. Fox: "I suppose, in short, that my Master's naive strategy is to have me drown you in my charms and end you in your sleep. Failing that, sympathy might still move you to carelessness during your final duel..." Having heard Casko's circumstances and taking issue with them, Hakuno becomes serious. Hakuno: "Have a seat, Caster." Hakuno kneels across from Caster. Casko does the same. Hakuno begins to give her a stern lecture out of concern for her well-being. This is the first event that leads to Caster falling in love. After their duel, Casko burns away, as Atrum's scapegoat. The protagonist then uses his Command Spell to try and save her. Casko is restored, without a scratch. "Ah, I'm finally free!" The way she easily withstands the assault of the firewall is similar to Arcueid's scene. Afterwards, she cooperates with Hakuno as his (self-declared) true Servant. Nero: "Damn you -- who let this raccoon- no, this fox into our den!?" Fox: "That's obvious. As if the curse of a third-rate Master could roast me!" ・ Dan ・ Archer (Robin) The opponent in the second round, which has the theme of defeating one's senior and mentor in life. Position is unchanged from the PSP version. ・ Twice Pieceman The final Master who awaits Hakuno in front of the Moon Cell's core, after the seventh round. Position is unchanged from the PSP version. However, to make his appearance less sudden, he would appear frequently throughout the story. ※ He could also interact with the Female Protagonist instead of Hakuno. PART II Continuing on... 　　◆ ■ Reorganization ※ This is basically meant to be a shorter version of the plot, so it only contains the essentials. Unfortunately, I have to cut the excess fat. ※ That said, in the end this is a reorganization of the Nero route. There are differences from the Tamamo no Mae and Nameless routes. For example, in the Tamamo route, the event that occurs on the path to the core is completely opposite. ・ Awakening ~ Preliminary Round ~ Servant Summoning From the top... "A girl falls on the water's surface, lying face up. It's the Female Protagonist before she disappears, after losing to Hakuno in the sixth round." This scene would be interesting to include. The audience would be misled to believe she was someone who died in the preliminaries, but the truth would be revealed in after the sixth round. ※ This is just meant to be a surprise scene, without any bearing on the story. It doesn't have to be included. The protagonist notices the incongruity in school life, escapes from the Inside of the World (the Inside of the Texture), fights a doll, and summons a Servant. Unchanged from the introduction to the PSP version. ・ Round 1, Beginning Round 1 begins while the mood is still carefree, while explaining SE.RA.PH., the Moon Cell, the Holy Grail War, and the state of Earth. The atmosphere of Round 1 is "this is a game," "this is a proxy war," and "this feels like a game." The opponent in the first round is announced. Hakuno faces Shinji. → In the PSP version, the opponent in each round was announced on a bulletin board, but if we have the budget, I'd like to make it more flashy this time. We could show the audience the tournament brackets and where each character is. Also, the Masters can casually face off in in the halls, and we can also have Casko smugly appear. ・ Round 1, Conclusion Events from the competition against Shinji, to the elevator ride, until the final duel. Demonstrates that this isn't a game, but rather a ruthless battle for survival. Drake: "Don't you all realize that you were dead as soon as you got here?" They were all a great herd of fools lured in by the colorful promise that their wishes would be granted. Of course, some were staking their lives on the competition, but the majority of them had been deceived. Even Hakuno is troubled. "What reason and wish do I have for fighting in this war for survival?" 　　→→ Point It left a bad taste in his mouth to join this tournament with neither convictions nor goals, and fight his own friend. It struck him that unmindful murder and innocent fights to the death → Real death. Shinji: "I thought it just granted wishes! Why do I have to die!?" Drake: "Look, that's just what it means to live. All people are unaware that they trample on the wishes of others." ・ Round 2 The heartbroken protagonist fights Dan, the old soldier. The old man who fights with regrets about his life, and the Heroic Spirit Robin who died in regret. ・ Round 3 Round 3 is unchanged from the PSP version. After Hakuno wins, his next opponents Atrum and Casko appear to put on haughty airs. "You face us next, oh ho ho." ・ Round 4 Atrum is a character related to both Leo and Earth, so he serves the supporting but important role of explaining much of the setting, such as the state of Earth, and how it ended in the 2030s. Atrum affects goodwill, taking the "you should lose, so that I can live to save the world" approach to sway Hakuno's resolve. Hakuno, who has no identity, hesitates. However, he overcomes Atrum's intimidation by realizing that although Atrum's words are true, Atrum himself is not. They fight as Masters. As a result of the duel against Atrum, Casko decides to help Hakuno while avoiding detection by the Moon Cell. She becomes a useful and helpful friend. Of course, she schemes to defeat Nero and take her place as the main Servant, given an opening. Nero is aware of this, naturally. Casko and Nero share a friendly, combative relationship. →Their relationship is changed from "heroines of different worlds" to "heroines in the same world." ・ Round 5 Hakuno fights Julius in the fifth round. Nero is rendered unable to fight by Assassin's Noble Phantasm. With Casko's assistance, Hakuno challenges Julius and Assassin on his own. Thanks to Hakuno's efforts, Nero recovers, and the story proceeds as it does in the latter half ot the PSP version. After Nero recovers, she tells Hakuno her true name. Her Noble Phantasm is finally unsealed. ・ Missing Chapter This is when CCC takes place. Casko remembers all of it. Nero only remembers, "Elizabeth is my lifelong rival. But which round did we fight in?" ・ Round 6 ~ early Round 7 Rin and Rani are defeated in round 6, and say their farewells. Hakuno anticipates a showdown with Leo next... but Leo is reported to have been defeated. Leo has fallen, but the name of the Master who proceeded to round 7 is hidden by jamming, and the Master is nowhere to be found. Casko and Saber attempt to investigate, but they are unable to either locate the Master or remove the mosaic obscuring its name. In a dramatic development, they realize, "what if they aren't hiding? What if their name was always this way to begin with?" They proceed on the assumption that their next opponent is nameless. They report this irregularity to the priest, but the priest answers, "No. In a sense, your next battle is fair." Hakuno enters the elevator, not knowing who his next foe will be. No one is next to him. When he arrives at the arena, it's a wasteland resembling the Grand Canyon. Hakuno and the Female Protagonist face off, separated by a valley. The enemy Master was his classmate. "Ah, I knew it," Hakuno says in understanding. The girl: "Let's begin, Archer. This is my final fight." Archer appears in response to her order, facing Nero. The girl dispels the texture concealing her true face. There she stands, aloof, her hair blowing in the wind. For a moment, the story switches to the girl's perspective. It's the story of a girl who suddenly woke up like Hakuno did, and strove to move forward in spite of her lack of self and her impending collapse. The Female Protagonist's fight against Leo is the same as Round 7 of the PSP version. → Even though it was against the Female Protagonist, Leo still lost to "Kishinami Hakuno." Round 7 concludes. Archer disappears along with the girl. The Male Protagonist inherits the girl's memories and details of her fight with Leo as his own. ・ End of Moratorium ~ On the way to the core While traveling the path to the core of the Moon Cell, Hakuno is attacked by a debugging program. Its target is Casko, not Hakuno. The Moon Cell is enraged that a Servant which should have been defeated is still intact. → Hakuno parts ways with Casko. The tone is similar to parting with Casko in the CCC Route of CCC. The debugging is powerful enough to actually erase her in CCC, but the debugging is light in this case, so Casko won't disappear. Casko schemes to capture the Protagonist's heart and affections by risking her life (which is in no actual danger) in a heart-rending farewell, after sharing a tender scene with him. Nero sees right through it. "Come back out here!" "I'll beeeeee baaaaaaaack!" "She'll live," remarks Hakuno, as he dons his sunglasses. Hakuno and Saber arrive at the Moon Cell's core. There, they face Twice. ・ Moon Cell Core ~ Savior Hakuno confronts Twice. Twice gives a long speech. ※ The events here are described in the final entry of the Material glossary. His thoughts breaking down, Hakuno has a showdown with Twice. T: "No Servant can reach me. After all, heroes are little more than flowers that bloom in each age. He who saves the world. My answer is he who saves humanity." The Servant Savior appears. The duel against Twice becomes a reflection on human history in the Common Era. "All this consumption and bloodshed, and this is the conclusion we reach?" laments Twice solemnly. "So what!?" roar Nero and Hakuno in defiance. Twice is correct. Humanity is not. Yet, the final role and responsibility to decide and enforce what is right belongs to the people living in the current era. It would be even more unacceptable to have it decreed by a ghost from the past. After Twice is defeated, the ending of the PSP version proceeds to the Saber Route ending of CCC, and the story feels like it connects to EXTELLA. It leads to a new beginning that collects all of the previous components.

#fate/extra #fate/extra ccc #fate/extella #kishinami hakuno

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lil-meow-meow-goes-rawr · 4 years

Text

Together

⚔︎ Previous Chapters: Trouble Brews, Illusions, Tragedy Strikes

⚔︎ Pairing: Jungkook x OC

⚔︎ Genre: Medieval Fantasy, Knight!Jungkook, Knight!Hoseok, Wizard!Yoongi, King!Namjoon, Prince!Taehyung, Prince!Jimin, Brothers!Yoonjin

⚔︎ Warnings: self-deprivation, self-blame, grieving, destruction

⚔︎ Rating: 13+

⚔︎ Synopsis: Finally reunited, the three unlikely friends make their back down the mountain in hopes of saving the kingdom from its impending doom

⚔︎ Word Count: 7.2K

⚔︎ A/N: This was meant to be a oneshot, yet here we are four chapters later. There is one chapter left. If anyone would like to be added to the tag list, leave a comment or send an ask and I’ll be happy to add you :)

⚔︎ Tag List: @ephemeralninon

⚔︎ Masterlist

A chill ran down my spine, though I doubted it was from the sharp night air. I had heard it. I know I had. Someone was there.

My breath caught in my throat as I strained to listen. It had been speaking. I was sure of it. The voice was frantic and unfiltered, spewing words I did not understand, yet it was there.

The voice came again.

I spun on my heels, searching the surrounding trees for a source to the noise. My ankle throbbed at the forced action, though I simply bit my lip against the pain. The ache was something I had quickly learned to disregard.

Still, there was nothing there. Perhaps I was imagining it all. Perhaps there had been no sound and the past several days of solitude were beginning to affect my head.

Blinking rapidly, I struggled to force my burning eyes to focus. Sleep was not a luxury I had been granted recently. Two days after the attack by the ogres, I woke to find Yoongi had disappeared. Left alone with a throbbing ankle and no idea how to navigate Blood Mountain, I was too afraid to sleep. Every tale that Taehyung had ever told, replayed in my head like a nightmare whenever I closed my eyes.

The reason behind Yoongi’s absence was clear. If I had been in his position, I would have disappeared long before he had. No one would want to be around the reason for their family’s death. Yet, if I had any inclination of not surviving Blood Mountain before, I was sure of it now.

Beating against my chest furiously, my heart raced as I forced my feet forward. The voice had returned. This time, I was sure I was not imagining it. Perhaps whoever was speaking would be able to help.

The chanting grew louder the further I ventured into the trees. The voice, I realized, was not one but many joined together. Their words slurred together, and the language was one I did not recognize.

It did not take long to find the source of the voices. I found them, nestled in a clearing, the ground torn away to create a trench in the earth. Uprooted trees lay tossed to the side, haphazardly thrown into a pile not far from the trench itself.

A strangled cry left my lips and I dropped to the ground once I caught sight of the creatures responsible. Spirits of all shapes and sizes manifested inside the trench. Most of them resembled people, though I saw a few animal-like creatures among them as well. These were the spirits which haunted the mountain. The people whose lives had been lost the night Blood Mountain earned its name. I fought to breathe as I looked down at the countless faces; knights, men, women and children, they were all there. Each frozen in the moments of their deaths. Torn clothes and charred faces did nothing to hide the anger rising among them.

In the center, a campfire burst to life followed by an excited uproar from the spirits.

They were dancing. Each of the spirits, though moving their bodies in different way, were all perfectly in sync.

Swallowing hard, I watched as they moved in tandem. Their heads swiveling in my direction, as if having been alerted to my presence.

“Oh no.”

One of the spirits stepped forward from the center of the group. His arm extended out in my direction.

The spirit looked familiar, though I did not understand how.

“The living,” the spirit’s voice rang out through the silent air, “one walks among us now.”

Cursing under my breath, I slipped away from the edge of the trench. How had they known I was there? It did not make sense, and yet, nothing on this mountain made sense. I had been a fool to follow the sounds of their chanting. If I had been but a bit wiser, I would have run the other direction, yet I had been hoping against all logic that I would find Yoongi among the voices. I was wrong.

“The living must be punished!” A cry rose up from amongst the crowd.

Cheering erupted in support of the statement.

I screamed when I felt a hand on my shoulder, another quickly slapping itself across my mouth to silence me.

Lips rested next to my ear and a quiet voice spoke, “You must truly be from the royal family. Only a royal could manage to make enemies quite as easily as you do.”

My eyes widened in shock as my head snapped around to find Yoongi kneeling beside me. “Where have you been? I have been looking everywhere for you!”

His eyes darkened. “I wanted to be alone.”

I froze, my own gaze dropping. Of course, he did. It had been a stupid question.

“Still, I could not simply leave you alone on Blood Mountain to fend for yourself. I have been following your movements to ensure your safety.”

Snapping my head up, I stared at him in shock, not sure whether to slap or hug him. Instead, I turned my attention back to the spirits who had begun to grow restless. “They know we’re here.”

“Spirits of the dead. The more powerful ones especially are incredibly perceptive. One should avoid crossing paths with them.”

I watched the wizard from the corner of my eye as he surveyed the scene below him. Something about him had changed. It did not take much for me to notice the spark in his eyes was gone. A part of him had died alongside his brother that day. Guilt weighed down on me like a crushing boulder. I was meant to be a leader for my people and yet all I seemed to be able to do was cause them pain.

“Quit staring. Did your mother not tell you it was an act of rudeness.”

I dropped my stare. “My apologies.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “We need to depart, before they begin searching for us.”

“There is no need.”

Yelping, I spun to find the same familiar spirit who had spoken earlier, standing directly behind us. Up close, I realized who he reminded me of. The sharp features, dark eyes and long nose; it was Hoseok. The spirit posed a scary resemblance to the knight.

Yoongi cursed under his breath. “We have not come looking for trouble. My friend simply became lost.”

“It does not matter to me how you wandered onto our sacred ground. All that matters, is that we now have two offerings, which is far better than only one.”

“Offerings?”

Yoongi shot me a cold stare, one that clearly told me to stay quiet.

In the bat of an eye, Yoongi and I were transported to the center of the crowd. Disoriented, I nearly fell into the wizard as I attempted to keep my feet beneath me.

Our arrival brought on an angry uproar. My breathing was jagged as I shifted my gaze among the many faces which sought revenge for the crimes committed against them.

“The crimes of those who spilled the blood of the innocent have long since cursed this mountain.” Hoseok’s look-a-like spirit shimmered into existence beside me. “Today, we shall right those wrongs and free ourselves from this prison! We have been granted not only a wizard whose magic will aid in our freedom, but a member of the royal family as well!”

Angry cries and jeering filled the air as the spirits began closing in around us. Though some spat their anger at Yoongi, most had their attention solely on me. For it was I who represented everything they despised. The royal family had been the cause of so many unfair deaths. Though I did not truly belong to the family, it appeared as though they did not care.

“How are we going to get out of this one?” I whispered to Yoongi who was standing limply beside me.

“Is there a reason to?”

I frowned. “Sorry?”

“Neither of us have anything to live for anymore. How long has it been since you left your kingdom to fight on their own? Do you truly think they have not lost the battle?”

I gawked at him, unsure of how to respond. “You aren’t suggesting-”

“It’s over, Emelyn. I fear it is time to give in.”

I froze. A part of me knew the wizard was right. It had been far too long. The battle would be long since over. There was no real need for me to continue on with this quest.

An all too familiar cry filled the air then, silencing the spirits and my own dark thoughts. Snapping my neck up, I peered into the dark sky. It couldn’t be, could it? Was he really here?

Yoongi turned to me as if in slow motion, shock written plainly across his face. “Was that…”

“A dragon?” An uncontrollable grin found its way onto my lips. “Perhaps it is not yet time to lose all hope.”

“Your friend,” Yoongi’s voice was quiet as his eyes grew wide in realization and his head fell back to search the night sky, “he’s here. The Phantom Knight.”

As if responding to his name, the dragon appeared overhead; its large wings covering nearly the entire expanse of the glade. Never once had I been so happy to see a creature that could very easily eat me for dinner.

The spirits were distracted, having turned to gawk at the massive creature in the sky. If Yoongi and I were looking for a chance to escape, this was it. Still, it would not be an easy task. We stood amongst a circle of angry spirits. Their attention may temporarily be on the dragon, but that would soon change if Yoongi and I were to take so much as a step in any direction. We had to try something though. It would be foolish to stand there and wait for fate to take the lead.

Grabbing the wizard’s hand, I brought my other hand up to my lips. He nodded in understanding yet gave me a questioning look, as if unsure of how I was going to get us out of the situation. I couldn’t answer him because I did not know myself. I was prepared to make it up as we went along.

Taking in a deep breath, I turned back toward the dragon. When he was almost directly overhead, I screamed. I screamed Jungkook’s name as loud as my voice would allow, pouring every inch of fear and desperation into it.

Yoongi yanked on my hand, attempting to draw my attention as I drew every eye in the glade to me.

As expected, I had also caught the attention of one very angry dragon. Its head shot down and its eyes locked on me. A gleam of recognition flashed across its eyes and I knew Jungkook was still in there, somewhere.

“Are you insane?” Yoongi bit out through clenched teeth. “You are going to get us both killed.”

I smiled lightly and nodded toward the sky.

Yoongi frowned in confusion as his eyes slowly traveled upward. I looked up in time to see the dragon fold his wings and dive.

Chaos ensued with the impending attack. The flames of the fire expanded, reaching nearly halfway up the trees still standing. Intense heat washed over us as the spirits began to scatter.

Yoongi drew me into his arms, turning his back toward the dragon in order to shield me from the incoming attack.

Seconds later, the dragon’s massive talons wrapped securely around both our bodies, lifting us into the sky and away from the vengeful spirits.

Yoongi didn’t say a word the entire flight. I had no way of knowing where the dragon was taking us, and it seemed as though Yoongi believed our doom to be set. I was still wrapped tightly in the wizard’s arms as the dragon’s talons had kept us from moving. It was strange, being so close to someone and yet feeling as though they were a million miles away.

I yelped in surprise when the dragon suddenly dove for the ground only to land lightly without ever placing any harm on either me or Yoongi.

Once the dragon released us from its hold, Yoongi rolled us both out of the way before leaping to his feet to stand over me protectively. I raised an eyebrow at his actions. One moment it was as if he hated me wholeheartedly, and the next he was ready to protect me from a creature ten times his own size.

Getting to my own feet, I cringed at the pain in my ankle as I laid a gentle hand on Yoongi’s shoulder. “It’s alright. If he wanted to hurt us, he would have done so by now.”

Yoongi’s expression was conflicted as he turned toward me. He was torn between feeling ecstatic to be near a real dragon and angry at me for managing to get us both into this mess.

“Trust me.”

“Why should I?”

His words stung yet I knew he had every right to be angry with me. Before I could answer, the dragon let out a low rumble that drew both our attentions.

I was surprised to find it staring in my direction, its eyes glued to my ankle. Swallowing hard, I took a step back. Having not been able to understand the expression in the creature’s eyes, I assumed the worst.

“He senses your wound,” Yoongi said, his voice filled with an awe that subdued all his fear, “you should allow him to approach.”

“Now you are the one who seems to have gone insane.”

Yoongi sighed tiredly. “Tell me, Emelyn. What was the plan after having the dragon fly us away? Just how did you plan on getting us both out of the nest alive?”

I pursed my lips as I took a tentative step forward. He was right of course. My plan had not extended past escaping the spirits. I fear I did not possess the same skills of strategy that my brother did.

The dragon cocked its head as it watched me slowly limp forward, its eyes remaining fixed on the swollen ankle.

Yoongi released a slow breath as he watched in pure fascination. “A dragon’s first instinct has always been to heal.”

I froze when the creature craned its neck back to rub the tip of its nose against the back scales.

“Even now, when faced with a creature that is not truly dragon nor man, the same need remains. His intentions are not to devour us, but to heal you.”

I bit my lip, praying as hard as I could that the wizard was right.

Bringing its head back around, the dragon produced a low rumbling sound in the back of its throat as it approached my ankle, its nose now covered in the oil from beneath its scales.

Hesitating, I hobbled back a few steps, just out of reach.

Yoongi appeared beside me then, slowly leading me forward once more. “It is alright, Emelyn. I can assure you this creature means you no harm. He is only attempting to help.” He breathed a small laugh. “I dare say his powers of healing may even surpass my own.”

Slowly, the dragon’s head rose, turning to stare out the cave entrance.

Confused, I followed its line of sight. My breath hitched and I quickly turned back to the creature. Sunrise.

Yoongi made a strangled noise behind me as the dragon suddenly shifted form. Moments later, the form of a young man replaced that of the dragon. My heart pounded wildly against my chest as he lowered his gaze to meet my own.

“Jungkook,” I breathed, relief washing over me as I took in his ruffled appearance. He looked to be as tired as the rest of us yet did not appear at all injured. For that reason alone, I felt the tears begin to build.

He offered me a soft smile. “Hello, milady.”

I choked out a small laugh. “You’re alright? Nothing is broken?”

Jungkook made a show of checking himself over before shaking his head. “All is well.”

Without stopping to think on my actions, I rushed forward wrapping my arms securely around him, my head burrowing into his neck. Tears stung my eyes as I felt him return the embrace, his arms looping around my waist. A part of me had begun to believe that I would never see him again. Yet against all odds, we had found each other once more.

Yoongi cleared his throat awkwardly behind me. I felt my cheeks heat up as Jungkook and I sprang apart.

“I’m guessing this is Jungkook?” Yoongi asked with a knowing smile before reaching out to tap Jungkook on the nose where the oil still remained. “You may want to finish what you started. I do not know for how much longer Emelyn will survive without your help.”

Jungkook frowned in confusion, dropping his gaze to glance over my body. “Are you hurt?”

“You do not know?” Yoongi asked. “The dragon certainly seemed to.”

“The dragon can sense things I cannot as a human.” Hooking his finger under my chin, Jungkook forced me to meet his piercing stare. “Milady, where are you injured?”

“It is nothing you should be concerning yourself over.”

Yoongi sighed tiredly. “She has been bitten by a basilisk. I fear she may not live for more than a few days more if it is not treated. You are her only hope now, Jungkook. If we were to attempt the journey back to my own house for the remedy, it may be too late.” Looking between the both of us, a soft smile appeared on his lips. “I shall grant you both a moments peace, though I would advise you to hurry. If we are to return to the kingdom in time to save it, we must act quickly.”

I shot my head around in shock. “You are going to help us?”

“I never said I wouldn’t.” With a polite nod of his head, Yoongi quietly left.

Swallowing hard, I turned back to Jungkook who remained exactly where he had been, simply staring at me. Waiting.

After a moment of tense silence, he spoke just one word. “Where?”

Sighing, I motioned down toward my ankle.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jungkook dropped to his knees. True to his nature, he silently asked for consent before rolling the edge of my dress up to view the wound. A sharp intake of breath was all I heard before he was helping me down onto the ground beside him so he could extend the ankle. He worked in silence, using the oils on his nose to spread across the wound. I bit my lip to keep from making a sound as he worked, fighting the urge to scream at the sensation of fire against my skin.

“Why do you so desperately avoid the help of others?” Jungkook asked, his focus remaining firmly on the wound. “Do you wish to die so badly?”

“My own troubles seemed to be so small in comparison to what was happening around me. There were other things which required my attention more than a snake bite.”

“A snake bite that may very well have taken your life.”

Dropping my head back, I took to studying the formations of the stones above me. “Answer me truthfully, do I have a reason to live on? People have died because of me. For what reason should I be allowed to live when their life was so cruelly stripped away?”

Jungkook’s hands stilled as I spoke. I did not want to look down for I feared the expression on his face. He most likely thought me a fool.

“Every life is precious.”

“Which is why one should strive to never take the life of another.”

“Was it your intention?”

“No,”

“Then you have every right to live.”

Shocked, I brought my head back down to find him staring at me, his eyes filled with a sorrow I could not begin to understand.

“Emelyn, life is cruel. It continuously throws us into situations we were not prepared for. Some things are simply beyond our control.”

Tears sprang to my eyes as I fought to steady my erratic heartbeat. “I have caused deaths on this mountain, Jungkook. No amount of reason will ever correct my mistakes.”

“Blood mountain is a dangerous place. The creatures here are even more so. Whatever happened, it was not your fault.”

“You weren’t there,” I spat at him as the tears finally broke through my defenses to cascade down my cheeks, “it was I who led the ogres to their door. I was the one they were trying to protect because I could not protect myself. Yoongi is now suffering because of me.”

Reaching up, Jungkook gently cupped my cheek, running his thumb across my skin to wipe the tears away. “Accepting a death is never easy, and it will take time for Yoongi to heal from this. However, he is not the only one who will need to heal. You too, Emelyn, will need to find your peace with it.”

“I do not know if I can.”

He smiled softly. “You will, someday. For now, you simply must not let it consume you. Focus on the task that must be done and allow the healing to take its time.”

I bit my lip to keep from shedding a tear, dropping my gaze down to my foot only to gasp when I saw it. “It already looks better.”

“Being part dragon does have its advantages.”

“As I said before,” Yoongi said, shuffling back inside the entrance, “a dragon’s power of healing is far greater than anything I could ever hope to achieve.”

Jungkook smiled sheepishly. “You are the wizard who practices dragon magic?”

Yoongi pursed his lips. “Yes, that is me.”

Getting to his feet, Jungkook bowed slightly to the elder. “Are you able to help?”

“I will see what I can do.”

Jungkook looked down to me, a large grin painted across his features.

I easily returned the smile as I slowly began moving my ankle in small circles. The pain was nearly gone, and I had regained most of the movement. It was still stiff, yet that seemed such a minor inconvenience to what had been.

“If you are finished healing Emelyn, I suggest we begin the process of healing you as well.”

Jungkook suddenly looked worried, shifting from one foot to the other. Frowning, I watched as he nervously fidgeted with his fingers.

“Jungkook?” I asked softly, pushing myself to my feet. “Is everything alright?”

“You do wish to be free of your curse, do you not?” Yoongi questioned.

Jungkook hesitated. “I cannot be completely free of it. Not yet. I only wish for you to return my ability to control myself during the day. If I am to help Emelyn regain her kingdom, then I will need the powers granted to me by this curse.”

A soft smile played on Yoongi’s lips. “You truly are the most noble of the knights. I shall grant your request and leave your powers to you. However, once the powers of the dragon begin to take control, they will not be stopped for long. This will be nothing more than a temporary solution. I will need to remove your curse completely one day soon, or it will take hold of you.”

“What would happen if the dragon were to take control?” I asked, knowing I would not like the answer the wizard gave.

“Ultimately, the mind of the dragon would overpower that of the man, removing any sense of humanity remaining. The kingdom will lose the Phantom Knight either way. It is up to you whether you allow the Moon Dragon to live on.”

Jungkook set his jaw, a look of determination settling in his eyes. “The dragon must not live to take any more lives. I will win this battle for our kingdom, then the Moon Dragon must perish.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. There was something about the way he said it, as if he were prepared to sacrifice his life in order to save the kingdom. I had allowed one too many deaths already. I would not allow Jungkook to die as well.

Yoongi smiled softly, his eyes holding a sorrow that seemed to cut me like a knife. “It is no wonder the kingdom feels so safe under your watchful eye. I have only known one other person who would be willing to sacrifice so much for another.” Closing his eyes, the wizard took a deep breath before quietly mumbling a string of words I could not understand.

My breath hitched as the air around Yoongi began to glow a soft green. For the first time since I had met him, the wizard seemed to be completely at peace. His expression softened, the words came to a stop and he sank to the floor. Yoongi’s eyes remained closed as he simply sat there.

“Do you think he’s alright?” I asked Jungkook, my voice barely a whisper.

Jungkook tilted his head slightly as he watched the wizard. “I do not know.”

“Should we check?”

Before Jungkook could answer, he let out a loud gasp and dropped to his knees.

A strangled cry sounded from the back of throat as I dropped to the ground beside him. “What happened? Are you alright?”

Jungkook nodded slowly. “I think so, I ju-” with another gasp, he shot his hands up to clutch at his chest, his expression darkening painfully.

Looking back to the wizard, I found him to be completely encased in the soft glow. His expression showed no sign of disturbance.

Beside me, Jungkook latched onto my arm as he sucked in a sharp breath. “The dragon,” he gasped, “it’s fighting against the magic.”

I reached forward to steady him but Jungkook slapped my hand away.

“Don’t. I do not know how the dragon will react any further. You must stay back, Emelyn. For your own safety.”

I blew out a frustrated breath as I sat back. I hated sitting idly by, unable to help. Despite his tranquil nature, beads of sweat began forming on Yoongi’s forehead. He may not have been showing it, but he was working hard to drive the dragon back. Every few minutes, Jungkook’s grip on his tunic tightened as he fought through the pain. Yoongi had warned us this may be a difficult process, yet neither of us had expected anything quite like this.

It was quiet and peaceful, the way Yoongi’s magic worked. A far different experience than Ryia’s magic. When Ryia performed magic, there were often vast displays of red sparks which danced around the subject. I had been able to hear the magic at work, yet that was nothing like Yoongi. The wizard worked in complete silence. Besides the soft glow, there was no indication that his magic was at work. Thinking back to the battle with the trolls and the time spent inside the tunnel, there had never been a moment in which his magic caused a display of any kind.

Both men collapsed to the ground, yanking me from my thoughts. The glow around Yoongi faded quickly as they both fought to catch their breath. I wanted to ask if they were alright, to demand they tell me what had just transpired between them, yet I could not find the words to do so.

Blood dripped from the corner of Yoongi’s mouth where he had bitten it accidentally from the fall. He sat up slowly, bringing a hand to his head as he glanced around, disoriented.

Jungkook remained unmoving. Worriedly, I shook his shoulder to gain his attention. When he did not wake, I turned to Yoongi as the panic began to grow. “What is going on? Why is he not waking up?”

Yoongi closed his eyes tightly for a moment before letting out a slow, deep breath. “The dragon inside of him is strong. It was not an easy feat to bring it down. Jungkook’s will is strong, but the battle he just waged inside his own mind has taken its toll. I do not believe he will wake soon. For now, it is best to let him rest.”

“And you? You do not look much better than he does.”

Yoongi forced a smile. “I will be alright. Dragon magic is a powerful force. When choosing to wield it, the witch or wizard is consciously choosing to act on something that may very well consume them.”

“Why would you risk your own life like that?”

“For this very reason,” he said, motioning toward the sleeping knight. “Had I not been able to help, the dragon would have destroyed him. Helping those around me, that is all I have ever striven to do.”

“I stand by what I said, you know, back at your home. You are good man, Yoongi.” He attempted to deny my words, but I quickly stopped him. “You are one of the kindest souls I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Not many would live their lives with the sole purpose of helping others. You do not deserve the fate handed you and I fear I am very much to blame for that.” Dropping my gaze, I began fiddling with my fingers, the words tumbling out of my mouth faster than I could fully process them. “Words cannot express the sorrow I feel for what I did to you and your brother. I truly am sorry, Yoongi. If I had not shown up outside your door, Seokjin may very well be alive right now. I did not mean for it to happen, and yet I will never be able to fix my mistake. All I am able to do is apologize and hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me.”

It was silent for a moment. I began preparing myself for the inevitable accusations, yet what came instead surprised me even more.

“Why would I need to forgive you when you have done nothing wrong?”

Snapping my head up, I stared at him with wide eyes. Had I heard him correctly? There was not a hint of anger in his voice. Instead, it was filled with a compassion I did not deserve.

He smiled kindly and gently took my hand in his. “Those ogres had been lurking outside the house for days before you arrived. They knew where we were and yet I did not move our location because I felt as if we were meant to be there, waiting for something important. I now realize, that important event was meeting you. We may not always like what fate has chosen our paths to be, but we must be ready to face whatever comes. We are in the heart of Blood Mountain, Emelyn. What happens here is not often within our control.”

“You do not blame me for what happened?”

Shaking his head lightly, he squeezed my hand. “And neither should you. What happened was not your fault.”

“You seem so calm about it all,” I choked out through the tears which threatened to fall, “how do you do it?”

“I miss Seokjin more with every passing second. He was the last remaining family I had, but he was more than that as well. He was my brother as well as my friend and mentor. Seokjin formed me into the person I am now, yet as much as I miss him, I know I cannot undo the past. Seokjin is gone and no amount of mourning will bring him back.”

“It seems there is much I have yet to learn in this life. People, love and life; it is all but lost on me.”

“No one ever fully understands any of this. It is why we are here together. For alone, this life would swallow us whole.”

“How did you become so wise?”

He breathed a small laugh, gently pulling his hand back. “I am not so wise. Most of what I know, I have learned from my brother.”

“You are modest.”

“I only live by what I know, which is that most people live their lives, striving for selfish gains. They strive only to please themselves. Yet that is not how we are meant to live. We are meant to put others first, to meet the needs of the ones around us.” He nodded toward Jungkook with a soft smile. “If I had not agreed to help this young man, he would not have lived to help you in your endeavor of saving your kingdom. Helping one person can inadvertently help so many more people.”

I stared at the wizard, unsure of what to say. He may not have thought himself wise, yet I had never heard words so profound. I knew plenty of people who had lived their entire lives placing others before themselves. That was the way in which Namjoon ruled the kingdom, yet even he could not match the selflessness that Yoongi had just shown me. Jimin was next in line to rule. Still, if I were forced into a marriage with Taehyung, I would become queen and the responsibilities that came with it would fall on my shoulders. I had to wonder; would I be able to rule so wisely? So selfless and caring? Would I even be a good queen?

Watching Yoongi care for Jungkook now, a man he had only met a few minutes ago, I knew. If I were to ever become ruler, Yoongi was who I wanted to be.

Jungkook woke a few hours later, just before sunset. Together, we worked to gather some provisions. Yoongi insisted on making a quick dinner for us all.

Jungkook remained restless, his gaze constantly drifting to the entrance of the cave. I could hardly get him to eat anything.

When I mentioned it to Yoongi, the wizard chuckled lightly. Shuffling around the small fire, he knelt before the knight. “Did I fail to mention, you will have total control of your own mind even with the transformation tonight?”

Jungkook’s eyes grew wide.

With a small hum, Yoongi nodded. “It will only last for the night, so I suggest you make the most of it.”

“What do you suggest we do?”

“The castle is nearly a three days ride from here and we don’t have so much as a single horse. By foot, it will take far too long. The castle could lie in total ruin by the time we reached it. It seems a nearly impossible task for any man, yet-”

“-not for a dragon.” Jungkook finished.

A sly smile graced Yoongi’s lips. “Not for a dragon.”

Bouncing his shoulders, Jungkook clapped excitedly.

I laughed at his joyous response, having never seen him look so happy.

“Do not celebrate just yet,” Yoongi reprimanded, though a smile of his own was visible, “we have yet to save the kingdom.”

For the first time since I had met him, Jungkook regarded the horizon with a gleam of hope in his eyes. The dread of the setting sun no longer sent a wave of panic crashing over him. For just a moment, he had been set free.

Getting to his feet, Jungkook padded over to the opening of the cave, his eyes glued to the setting sun. The corner of Yoongi’s mouth twitched up knowingly as he busied himself putting out the fire and gathering our things. With a tilt of my head, I turned back to Jungkook. His shoulders lightly rising and falling with each breath as he watched the sun set. Both men felt so at ease, so why was it I felt so anxious?

Just as the sun disappeared behind the trees, Jungkook turned to me with a large, excited grin. With an excited nose scrunch, he transformed back into the dragon. Something felt different about this change. Looking closely, I let out a soft gasp. His eyes, they were still his own. Jungkook was in complete control.

“Did you not believe me?” Yoongi chided, stepping up beside me.

I gaped at him, unsure of what to say.

“Shall we?” Yoongi asked, offering me his arm which I took after a moment. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we shall reach the castle. I do believe it is time we saved your kingdom.”

What had taken several days to journey up the mountain, only took a few hours to return upon the dragon’s back. Jungkook took pleasure in diving occasionally, only to hear me scream as Yoongi and I clung to his back for dear life. If dragons could laugh, I knew he would have been.

As we drew closer, I drew in a sharp breath at the sheer amount of destruction that had been caused. The land had all but been destroyed. Fields had been burnt down; homes and the underlying villages had all been pillaged and ransacked. Any sign of life had been sucked dry from the land. King Merek had not simply attacked the kingdom, he had devised an entire siege. Namjoon’s panic toward the impending attack all those days before, suddenly made sense. I had been too naïve to see it, yet the King had known.

Guilt weighed down on me, crushing the air out of my lungs as I watched the dead land pass beneath me. It was for this reason that Namjoon had insisted on the marriage. I saw that now, and yet it was too late.

“Jungkook,” Yoongi hissed suddenly, leaning forward as if to shield himself from view, “perhaps it is best that we land. There are those whom we must not alert our presence.”

Glancing down, I caught sight of what he meant. A line of King Merek’s knights patrolled the perimeter of the castle’s grounds, preventing anyone from leaving. They were attempting to starve them out. A lengthy tactic, yet an affective one. It had already been nearly eight days. I knew the kitchens were not fully stocked when I had left. If I knew anything about Jimin or Namjoon, it was that they always placed their people’s needs before their own. The moment they sensed any real threat of a siege, they would have sent as many of their people to the castle grounds as possible. They would not last for long, feeding such a large mass of people without first finding food.

Jungkook landed lightly amongst the carnage of houses just outside the castle’s view, while remaining out of view from the knights as well. With a soft rumble from his throat, Jungkook folded his wings against his back once Yoongi and I were safely on the ground.

“Your kingdom has been laid to siege.” Yoongi said, as if it were not obvious enough.

My heart pounded against my chest as I stared up at my home. With any luck, Namjoon and Jimin would both be inside, unharmed. Nelly, Hoseok, Alyse; were they alright? How many lives had already been sacrificed for my kingdom? How many more deaths must I atone for?

Jungkook nudged me lightly with the tip of his snout, a low rumbling emanating from him as if to ask what was wrong.

“If I were to presume, I would say our dear Lady Emelyn is once again taking the blame upon herself for the wreckage caused in the battle.” Yoongi said softly, as if reading Jungkook’s thoughts.

“Would I be so wrong if I were?” I asked, tears clouding my vision as I stared up at the castle.

“You cannot continue to blame yourself for the action of others.”

“And yet I know it to be my fault. The reason this fighting began, is because I refused to marry the son of King Merek. Fear kept me from protecting my kingdom, and now it lies in ruin.”

“Fear of what, may I ask?”

“The engagement.”

Jungkook snorted and settled down in the grass, his legs tucking up beneath him, much like a cat.

“Why would you be afraid of an engagement?” Yoongi asked, throwing a curious glance at the dragon.

Taking a deep breath, I clenched my fists at my side as I fought back the tears. “It is a fear which comes from memories of my past engagement to the Prince of the Vriven Kingdom.”

Yoongi gasped, realization dawning. “You were the maiden they held as ransom. It was you the prince nearly killed that night.”

“If Jimin had not arrived when he did, I would not be standing here today.”

“Strictly speaking, you’re sitting.”

Rolling my eyes, a small smile crept up my lips. “It was because of my own selfish fears that my kingdom was compromised. If I had only agreed to King Merek’s proposal, the kingdoms would still be at peace.”

“Would they?”

I scoffed. “You sound far too much like Hoseok.”

“Think about it reasonably, Emelyn. King Merek has attempted attacks on the Kim Kingdom a great many times before. The only thing that made this attack successful was the absence of the Phantom Knight.”

Behind him, Jungkook blew out a frustrated breath of steam.

Yoongi spun him so fast, the dragon shot his head up in alarm. “You are not to start now. It is no more your fault than it is Emelyn’s.”

I knew what the wizard was trying to do, and I was grateful to him. He was right after-all and though I doubted the weight of guilt would simply lift off my shoulders, I decided to push it to the back of my mind for now. I would face it later when I had a bit more time to think things through. For now, we had to focus on saving the kingdom.

My eyes scanned the surrounding area as Yoongi continued to berate Jungkook for doing the exact thing I had been guilty of. Of course, I did not blame the knight. He had been unable to control the dragon. By not arriving to the battle, he saved the kingdom from any further destruction. For that I was indebted to him.

I froze when my gaze fell on an approaching figure. Through clenched teeth, I hissed at the others to be quiet. “We have visitors.”

Yoongi cursed under his breath as he nearly tackled me to the ground. “We cannot allow them to see us.”

“How do you propose we do that? It will be nearly impossible with a fully-grown dragon beside us. Why do we have a dragon with us?” He groaned.

My eyes grew wide, ideas forming so quickly I could hardly keep up. “We have a dragon with us.”

“I just said that. Were you not listening?”

“No, listen. We have a dragon.”

Yoongi glanced at Jungkook before shrugging lightly. “I do not understand. How is this a good thing for our current situation.”

“You and I need to get inside the castle. There are a few things we need if we are to defeat King Merek’s army. To do that, we will need a distraction and what better distraction than the Moon Dragon himself?”

A sly smile crept up Yoongi’s lips. “I take it you have a plan.”

#The Phantom Knight #bts jungkook au #medieval!jungkook au #jungkook au #jungkook angst #bts au fanfic #bts au #bts angst #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #bts fic #bts fluff

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manage-mischief · 4 years

Text

Ground Zero

Part One: Fears

Read on AO3 here.

Summary: Two-shot. Though Tonks had been fantasizing about moments like this for months—moments when the two of them were in bed together—none of them had involved quite this much blood or mortal peril. In which Remus is injured during a mission and Tonks has to think fast to save his life.

Author’s Note: This will be a two-shot and perhaps part of a larger Remadora series. They are definitely one of my OTPs, and I feel like a lot of their relationship was glossed over in the books. This story attempts to place a timeline on some of their romance. It takes places soon after Order of the Phoenix, before the Half-Blood Prince. I envision it happening right before Harry arrives at the Weasley’s and sees Tonks and Molly there. I’m pretty new to fanfiction writing, so any kind comments would be appreciated!

“We’d like a room, please,” Tonks furiously attempted to steady her voice as she supported the injured man beside her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hoping the innkeeper would assume they were nothing more than two love-birds who couldn’t keep their hands off of each other, looking for a quiet night away.

“Just a mo’,” the woman behind the desk remarked, holding up a finger while flipping through a large, leather-bound journal. “Let me check what’s available, dears…let’s see let’s see…”

Tonks bounced her leg, irritated. It took all of her strength not to vault herself over the desk and strangle the old lady. This was a crisis, goddammit!

Breathe, just breathe.

Normally, Tonks prided herself on her ability to stay cool under fire. Normally, she’d be calm and collected, just like Moody had taught her. And she would have been, if anyone else had been leaning on her for support, dripping blood. Anyone else besides Remus Lupin.

Remus had underestimated her when they first met. He, like many other members of the Auror Department, the Order, and her own family, quickly wrote her off: too young, too frivolous, too clumsy to do any good. He would scold her constantly. “Nymphadora,” he’d sigh in his disappointed professor voice, shaking his head whenever she had said or done something undignified. Naturally, he’d annoyed the living shit out of her. She couldn’t stand his constant nagging. She’d even asked Moody for a transfer.

“The two of you work well together,” her mentor had grunted, clearly indicating that there was no conversation to be had. She had more sense than to argue with Mad-Eye about such matters. He was a stubborn arse, just like her. It was why they got along so well.

It wasn’t until Remus and Tonks’ first real, proper, hunt-for-Death-Eaters-and-try-not-to-get-killed mission that the pair had bonded. Together, they had taken down a small group of Voldemort’s cronies stationed in Muggle London. Tonks had saved Remus’s life, blocking an avada kedavra on course to hit him square in the chest and taking down four baddies in her wake. Funnily enough, Remus gained a bit more respect for her after that. She began to return the feeling.

Respect blossomed into friendship. And friendship, at least for Tonks, had evolved into something much deeper and much, much harder to name. Her heart began to flutter each time he walked into the room. Their banter made her blush. She found herself making excuses to get close to him, despite every logical, reasonable voice in her head telling her becoming romantically involved with her partner would be an absolutely horrid idea. She never had been good at listening to reason.

Romantic feelings aside, the duo had made quite an impact on the Order. Their latest excursion had been going quite well…until it hadn’t. They were camped out in the woods near a small Muggle town in Wales. The Order had received a tip that Fenrir Greyback and his gang were hiding there, planning some attack for You-Know-Who. Despite the life-or-death circumstances, their little camping trip had been very enjoyable. The witch and wizard had sat under the trees, sharing secrets and stories of past mischief well into the night. Tonks even thought she had felt Remus’s hand brush hers as they lay on their backs, looking up at the stars that shone through the branches above.

Then, they had been ambushed. Greyback had known they were coming. He must have. Three of his minions jumped them, just as their fire was beginning to die out. Tonks managed to defeat two of them in under a minute. She huffed, extremely pleased with her handiwork—until she heard a loud crash and a scream behind her. She whipped around. There was Remus, lying face down on the forest floor, bleeding profusely. The third member of Greyback’s pack grinned and darted back into the forest, leaving Tonks to take in the sight of her injured partner.

It was clear that their hastily-assembled campsite would be insufficient for tending to Remus’s wounds, so Tonks had Apparated to the village just beyond the woods. Her main priority was getting him to a safe and comfortable place. Running water and heat would be a plus. This inn had been the closest space she could find. The building itself was a bit run down, but the warm glow of the window lights and the steady stream of smoke emerging from the chimney had seemed promising enough. And so, she led her partner through the door, attempting to conceal the blood seeping through his shirt as though not to draw suspicion. The last thing she needed was the Muggle police getting involved. She was not in the mood to Obliviate anyone tonight.

“Hold on, we’ll get you fixed up,” she whispered in Remus’s ear, very aware of her own body pressed against his as he leaned on her for support. He nodded, his face paler than usual. Still, when the innkeeper looked up from her desk, he forced a smile, trying his best to keep up their alibi.

“Aha, here you are! Room 219, second floor. Should be a cozy place for you two to…relax.” The matron winked and flashed a sly grin. Tonks tried to laugh, but was sure it sounded more like a sob. “Thank you very much, ma’am.”

Tonks guided Remus around the corner. No elevator. Perfect. “Remus, we’re going to have to climb the stairs. I don’t think it’s safe for me to Apparate with you again. Can you do that?” Remus grimaced and nodded. Tonks adjusted her grip, holding up as much of his weight as she could. “Ok. One step at a time, Remus. Let’s do this,” she said, more as encouragement for herself than for him. This was not the time to be tripping up the stairs (as she had been known to do, on occasion).

Slowly, painstakingly, Tonks and Remus made their way up the stairs. Every step was agony. She could feel his breath hitch and his body tense at each movement. He winced, he groaned. Her heart felt as if it were being ripped into pieces. She couldn’t stand seeing him in this much pain. Get it together, Nymphadora! She scolded herself, using her hated first name. Focus, dammit! Why did emotions have to be so bothersome? This was just a mission. Just like any other mission. She had to resist the urge to break down. She refused to let her feelings…whatever they happened to be…get in the way of saving Remus.

Finally, they made it to their room. Tonks eased Remus onto the bed—of course, there was only one, because evidently the universe was determined to make Tonks’s life as miserable and humiliating as possible—and swung the knapsack she had been carrying off of her back. “Alright, I have a bit of Healer training. Let me see what we’ve got here…” she paused, her face reddening. “I’ll need to…um…expose the affected area….” Remus coughed. She chose to believe it was due to the exertion from stair climbing. There was certainly no awkwardness here. No sir. She was a professional.

“Okay then. Right. Um…” she kneeled in front of him and examined his injuries. There were three bloody gashes that began slightly left of his navel and wrapped around his left side before traveling up his back to his shoulder blade. His shirt was plastered to the area with a mixture of sweat and congealed blood. Scanning the rest of his body, she noticed a few more minor scrapes, as well as what seemed to be a large puncture wound on his left thigh. His breath continued in a ragged rhythm. Her hands began to shake.

“I’ve looked worse,” he chirped, cracking a feeble smile. His grin gave her a jolt of confidence. Reinvigorated, she stood and grabbed her knapsack, which had been enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.

“Debatable, old man,” she teased back. “I’m going have to get a better look at what we’re dealing with. Do you think you can take off your clothes?” Was it just a trick of the light, or had she seen some color return to his cheeks?

“I hate to ask, but… I don’t think I can manage it on my own.” He demonstrated a feeble attempt to raise the hem of his shirt, wincing. Tonks swallowed and nodded slowly. She plunged her arm deep into the magic bag and rummaged around until she found what she was searching for: a silver-bladed knife. “I hate to ruin your shirt…”

“I think we might be a bit past that point,” he quipped. Sitting down on bed beside him, she began to gently cut away the blood-soaked fabric. She worked as quickly as she dared—not wanting to tear away his skin, which clung to the sticky, formerly-white cloth. Finally, she was able to remove the garment, exposing Remus’ bare chest. This time, she felt her own breath hitch. Her eyes lingered, just for a moment, on his leanly muscular frame. She noticed streaks of white running crisscross over his bare skin: old transformation scars. She averted her gaze. This was no time to be ogling the half-naked man in front of her. Though she had been fantasizing about moments like this for months—moments when the two of them were alone in bed together—none of them had involved quite this much blood or mortal peril. Come to think of it, none of them had involvedany blood or mortal peril.

The gashes on his chest and back were pretty superficial, despite the bleeding, and did not seem to have punctured any vital organs. She would simply have to stem the bleeding and bandage them up. She moved to examine his leg. “Lie down,” she commanded, and assisted as he tried to move his legs up onto the bed.

Grow up, she thought to herself, as she helped guide him out of his trousers. Her heart sank. The wound was deep. Furthermore, she deduced from the greenish tinge surrounding the gaping flesh, the weapon that had made it must have been poisoned. Great. She knew she should have paid more attention in potions. Furiously rummaging through her knapsack once more, she pulled out several bottles and desperately read their labels, muttering to herself. “Bubotuber pus, no. Mandrake draught, no. Love potion antidote, no, why do we even have this?!” Despite his state, Remus chuckled. “Clearly, you’ve never had the pleasure of being under the influence of a love potion. Now that’s dangerous.”

“Okay, right now I’m trying to focus on saving your life, Lupin, but as soon as I’m finished, I want every, and I mean every detail of that story.”

“Fine, fine. If I don’t succumb to whatever injuries those prats inflicted upon me, you can hear the story. But, if I do die, I want you to promise you’ll mourn me properly. Black veils, wailing, flinging yourself onto my coffin, the works.”

“There’ll be none of that talk! I’ll have you up and running about in no time, grandpa,” Tonks joked back, though still frowning. Dumbledore said he had given them everything they could possibly need for their adventure. Surely, he must have packed them something to deal with poison. Suddenly, her fingers wrapped around another, extremely small bottle. She pulled it out of the bag and searched the label. All it said was “From Fawkes, for Order emergencies,” with a picture of a red bird on the label.

“What’d’you reckon this could be,” Tonks asked as she passed Remus the bottle.

“Fawkes is Dumbledore’s bird, I believe,” he responded, twirling the bottle in his hands, as if searching for a hidden message.

Tonks’s face lit up. “That’s it! Give it here!” She grabbed it out of his hand and hastily unscrewed the top.

“What is?”

She grinned up at him as she used the dropper top to apply a generous amount of clear liquid to his punctured leg. Sure enough, the wound began to knit itself back together, the green hue fading. “Fawkes is a phoenix, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but I don’t…of course!” his faced beamed with realization. They met each other’s eyes and simultaneously exclaimed: “Phoenix tears have healing powers!” A moment passed.

“Nerd,” Tonks remarked. Then, the pair burst out laughing, the tension from the night’s events pouring out of them with a relief. Remus winced again, drawing them both back to reality.

“I suppose we don’t have enough to use on my other wounds as well?”

“No,” Tonks replied, once again searching through the bottles surrounding her, “but we do have Essence of Dittany and bandages!”

“That’ll do just fine.” Remus smiled.

The next hour consisted of Tonks carefully dabbing Dittany onto Remus’s chest and back. Now that the immediate danger had passed, she could no longer ignore the chills coursing up and down her spine as she lightly brushed his bare skin. Once she had bandaged the last of the gashes, she allowed her hand to linger for a split second. She ran her fingertips gently down his uninjured back. He went unnaturally still. She pulled her hand away, quickly. “I’m glad you’re okay, Remus.”

Abruptly, she jumped up off of the bed, walked to the bathroom, and locked the door. She let herself sink to the floor, back against the wall, and put her head in her hands. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to slow her racing heart. There really was no denying it: she was deeply, madly, hopelessly in love with the man who lay beyond the bathroom door.

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thetravelerwrites · 5 years

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DuMont (Tiefling Barbarian)

Rating: Explicit Relationship: Female Elf Ranger/Male Tiefling Barbarian Additional Tags: Exophilia, Tiefling, Elf, Kobold, Half Elf, Human, Rogue, Bard, Barbarian, Ranger, Mage, Wizard, D&D, Dungeons & Dragons, Sex, Third Person Perspective Words: 5619

A tiefling left to die as an infant was raised in a cathedral tower with no contact with the outside. Once the person who raised him dies, he follows the voice of his patron god and finds new companions who teach him about the world. Among them is an elf woman with a surprising past.

Another super cool commission from @ocsmutpocalypse with amazing artwork from @sutexii (Follow them on Twitter)! Based heavily on D&D and featuring Rupert and Sanoh from a @momolady fic, which can currently be found on her Patreon! Please leave feedback!

The Traveler's Masterlist

DuMont hadn’t had the greatest start to life. He was born malformed, hideous even among his own people. Even as an infant, his cry was guttural and otherworldly. His parents, shocked at the sight of him, absconded with him in the dead of night, determined to get rid of what they saw as a mistake of nature. For tieflings, that was saying something. Upon reaching what appeared to be an abandoned cathedral, they were going to just leave the baby inside and let it starve.

They didn’t count on the fact that the cathedral’s elderly priest still lived and worshiped there, though he led a lonely existence since no one had come to receive blessings from him in many years. The discovery of an unfortunate child left on the altar of his crumbling church was less of an inconvenience to him and more of a gift from his long forgotten god, Montro. He therefore named the child DuMont, meaning “Son of Montro.”

The priest could not read, and as such, couldn’t teach DuMont to do so, either. However, he did recite the scriptures of Montro and several other gods in the same pantheon to DuMont, though in his advanced age, he often got them mixed up. DuMont was never sure which of the scriptures were true or not, or what scripture went with which god, but he thought it best not to question it.

Despite the lack of education and limited knowledge afforded to him by the priest, DuMont had an insatiable desire to learn. He was constantly asking the priest questions about this or that thing, much to the priest’s annoyance.

The priest had made it clear early in DuMont’s life that the world outside wouldn’t be safe for him, and that he would be safest in the tower. His own parents had left him to die, after all, so strangers couldn’t be expected to show him much mercy. Sadly, DuMont had accepted this. When not having scripture lessons or eating meals with the priest, DuMont spent his time in the cathedral’s tower, looking out of the broken slats at the world outside, barred from ever leaving.

He watched animals jump and frolic and play in the courtyard, many of which he had no name for. He watched people ambling down the roads, sometimes with horses and carts, sometimes walking. Some were human, like the priest, and some were tiefling, like him, but the other races he couldn’t identify. When he asked the priest, the old man merely told DuMont not to worry about it. He’d never leave this place, anyway, so there was no reason to concern himself with such trifles.

But, unknown to the priest, DuMont had been hearing a voice speak to him in the quiet of the darkness. It never said more than a word or two: wait, or be patient. There was always a bell that accompanied the voice DuMont was sure the priest couldn’t hear. Sometimes it was the rumbling toll of a church bell, other times it was the clear ringing of a hand bell, and still others it was the jingling, tinkling sound of dancer’s bells. DuMont didn’t know who or what the voice was, so he did not tell the priest for fear that he would reject him.

As he aged, he grew into a giant at nearly nine feet, far larger than the average tiefling. His muscles had grown massive from doing most of the heavy work for the priest, hauling marble reliefs and moldering pews by the stack. He still walked with a pronounced hunch, using his hands to propel him sometimes when his legs were too short to get the job done. His life was simple, and though he sometimes felt wistful for a different life beyond his reach, he was content.

Until one night while sleeping, he heard the voice waking him, resounding in his head like an alarm bell.

Go.

DuMont sat up, startled. That was a new one.

Outside. Now. It’s time.

Lurching to his feet, he felt compelled to obey the voice, and despite his nerves at never having stepped foot out of the church since the day he arrived, he went down, opened the doors, and, slowly, gingerly placed his foot on the cold stone steps outside.

The first thing that hit his senses was the cool night air, fresher than he’d ever breathed, blowing across his skin. The second was the sight of the priest who’d raised him, lying still and stiff on the walkway, his eyes open but unseeing.

Death. DuMont knew what this was; the priest had explained it, but he wasn’t sure what to do. Feeling heavy, heartsick, and a little confused, he picked the priest up, took him back into the church, and laid his body on the altar, kneeling and praying as the priest had taught him.

But… now what?

Go.

For the first time, DuMont questioned the voice.

“Where?”

Outside. Time to go. You are needed.

“By who?”

The voice was silent. DuMont did as he instructed, leaving what had been his home all his life with a pang of anxiety, and stepping cautiously toward the road, not sure what would happen.

He didn’t have to wait long. In the early morning hours, just as dawn began to break, he saw two figures coming down the road; one was human, with a freckled face, wild brown hair, and vivid blue eyes, and the other creature he couldn’t begin to fathom what it was, with it’s reptilian form and flowing blue frock. They were holding hands and talking, laughing, and leaning close. DuMont tried to parse out what such behavior meant, but came up with nothing.

Suddenly, they stopped, catching sight of him. The… female? She immediately drew a weapon, but the human put a hand on it and lowered it gently, shaking his head. He stepped forward and pushed the other creature behind him.

“Hello, friend,” He said, a little trepidatiously. “My name is Rupert. Can I ask you your name?”

DuMont was silent for a moment. He’d never spoken to anyone besides the priest, who had often told him that his voice was too loud and harsh for the ear, suggesting that he whisper instead.

“DuMont,” He responded slowly, quietly. “I am DuMont.” He pointed at the female creature. “What are you?”

“Well, that’s rude,” She said, hands on her hips.

“No, Darling, I think he literally doesn’t know what race you are,” Rupert said. “This is Sanoh. She’s a creature known as a kobold. They’re related to lizardfolk.”

DuMont stared blankly; then again, that’s just how his face looked. But he was genuinely perplexed.

“Um…” Rupert hummed, trying to get a feel for this. “We were looking for a place to rest. We’ve been on the road for a couple of days and have been sleeping on the roadside. Do you know where we could bed down for a while?”

DuMont turned and pointed. The crumbling cathedral sat on the hill.

“Do you live there?” Sanoh asked.

“Yes,” DuMont said, keeping his voice carefully modulated. “In the tower.”

“Would it be okay if we stayed a day or two? We could pay you for the trouble?” Rupert offered.

“Pay?” DuMont repeated.

Sanoh’s spiky eyebrows furrowed. “Just how long have you been in that tower?”

“Until today,” DuMont replied.

Rupert and Sanoh exchanged a look.

“Do you want to live there?”

DuMont thought about it. “No. I want to learn.”

“How about this,” Rupert said. “We’ll stay in the cathedral for a few days, rest up and everything, and then when we’re ready to leave, you come with us. It sounds like you could use some fresh air, maybe see the world a little. What do you say?”

Hunched, feeling slightly vulnerable, DuMont nodded his massive head in agreement.

Enania Enjor, princess of the Elven kingdom of Zylthana, had the best childhood a person could want. A legion of servants at her beck and call, as much food, wine, and money as she could ever use, the nicest clothes, the finest jewelry. Parents and siblings who doted on her, the unshakable love of her people. All of it decadent and indulgent.

All of it boring. Tedious. Dull. More adjectives. All the bad ones.

One day, Enania decided she was sick of it. Her older brother was the crown prince; they didn’t really need her to be around. Besides, they’d likely marry her off to some stuffy noble to strengthen their hold in the north, and she had no interest in that at all. So, plain and simple, she ran away.

In the middle of the night, she packed a light rucksack with clothes and a large sum of coin, dodged her retainers, and took off on her horse, a very expensive breed gifted to her on her eighteenth birthday by a lord hoping to gain her favor. Too bad he was just as boring as the rest of the prissy, fussy dandies of the court.

After deciding to change her name to Kharis for anonymity and cutting off her family’s signature black curls, she left a note asking her parents not to send anyone to follow her, that she’s come to visit, that she was fine and just exploring the world a bit and not to cramp her style. She signed it, “love you!” so, you know, that was good enough.

Fortunately, she had insisted the captain of her father’s guard teach her the best fighting techniques for a person of her height and build. Unfortunately, in just a few short months, she had made quite a name for herself in a few small towns. As in, she had been kicked out of them for theft and starting fights. At some point it became necessary to sell her horse to keep herself fed and a roof over her head at night. Even still, she was having the time of her life, loving the unpredictable aspect of it all.

One afternoon, after nicking her lunch from a particularly unobservant baker, she was wandering a long neglected country road, overgrown with weeds and brambles, when she stumbled upon an old, derelict cathedral sitting on a hill, surrounded by sinister looking trees. Any sane person would stay well away from that place. Naturally, she smiled and began to jog toward it.

Opening the front door, she peered inside at the interior. There were pews lined up as if service were about to take place, except they were all disintegrating and covered in mold. There were cobwebs in every corner, every archway. She felt like just calling out to whoever might be inside would send dust falling from the rafters.

Even still.

“Hello?” She said in a moderately loud voice, echoing throughout the great hall. “Is anyone here?”

There was a clattering and low voices from a room in the back. She followed them and came upon a tiny kobold woman and a tallish human man speaking to each other in an undertone.

“Hey,” Kharis said, startling them. “You guys priests here?”

“Oh, gods, no,” The human said. “The priest has died. The last keeper of this place has kindly allowed us to stay here a few days to rest before we continue on.”

“Oh,” Kharis said. “I’m Kharis. Who are you two, by the way?”

Rupert and Sonah introduced themselves.

“Where are you two headed?” Kharis asked.

“Shornstone,” Sonah said. “We’re meeting up with a mage friend of his.” She gestured at Rupert. “What about you. Why are you here?”

“I’m traveling, too,” Kharis replied. “I’ve been doing it alone, but I’d be happy for some company, if you two are up for it.”

Sonah glanced at Rupert and shrugged. “She seems like she’d be fun.”

Rupert looked at Kharis dubiously, but nodded. “Well, we’d be okay with it, but you should ask DuMont when he comes back in.”

“Who?”

“The church keeper,” Rupert said. “He’ll be traveling with us, too. The priest, the one who died, raised him.” He pointed out toward the cemetery. “He’s out there burying him now.”

“Well, then, I’ll go ask,” Kharis said, turning to head out of the side door.

“Ah, no, I don’t think that’s a good idea!” Rupert called after her. “The poor fellow is in mourning! Leave him be!”

Ignoring him, she strode out into the afternoon air, looking for the keeper.

He was hard to miss. There, kneeling near a newly filled-in grave was a massive beast of a creature, something she had never seen before, and being royalty, she had seen quite a lot. He sat there silently, with four wide, unblinking eyes of red sclera and yellow pupils, and the bone of his lower jaw exposed, clinging to his head by a few sinews and tendons, fangs jutting out. Muscle was exposed here and there down his chest, his skin red and looked gravelly to the touch. His horns, taking up all of the space on the top of his head, were swirled with what looked like veins.

She approached as quietly as she could, unsure of this… person… or what he might do if disturbed.

“…excuse me…” She said gently.

He sat up from his crouch slightly and turned his head to stare at her. He said nothing and didn’t move.

“Hello,” She said. “Rupert and Sanoh said I should come out and introduce myself, seeing as how we’ll all be traveling together. I mean, if that’s alright with you,” she added hastily.

Still, he said nothing, just stared at her with unnerving intensity.

“You are DuMont, right?” She asked uncertainly.

“Yes,” He said. His voice was guttural and as gravelly as his skin, but it sounded as though he was intentionally trying to suppress it.

“Not much of a talker, are you?” Kharis said, laughing.

“You are a stranger,” He said plainly.

She gave a conceding nod. “That’s true.” She held out her hand. “I’m Kharis,” She said.

He reached out a hand that could have easily twice the size of her head and took her tiny one in it.

“Hello,” He said.

“See?” She said, letting go. “Now we’re not strangers anymore.” She gestured at the grave. “I’m sorry.”

He nodded and returned to his mourning, silent once more, the conversation seemingly over. Kharis left him and went back inside.

The next morning, after a breakfast that was made up of half of what was left of the cathedral’s larder, the other half of which was packed up for the trip, DuMont joined his three new friends on the road. He brought with him one of the smaller church bells, roughly the size of a barrel, the only clothes he owned, a vest and trousers ripped short around his knees, and left everything else behind He took one last moment to look back at the only home he’d ever known and bid it a final farewell, then followed behind the others toward an unknown, uncertain future.

Months went by. Rupert met up with his friend, Norman, a half-elf with tan skin and dark brown hair escaping an unhappy marriage, and added him to the group. They became adventurers then, traveling the country and taking jobs from local towns, clearing out dungeons and castles of unwanted creatures and such, chasing bandits, bounty hunting, and just generally any job that paid enough to spark their collective interest.

After one particularly nasty job involving an ogre that had taken up residence in a local elf’s wine cellar who’d nearly bitten off Kharis’s head, they were sitting around a campfire, discussing the details and counting out the coins between them.

All except for DuMont. He didn’t understand the purpose of money. He had told them they could keep any money they found or were given as long as they kept him fed. He didn’t need much to be happy; seeing the beauty and strangeness of the world that he could only have guessed at in his tower was plenty reward for him.

It had taken DuMont some time to open up to his new friends, but he enjoyed their company, even learning to laugh and joke, though he was still careful not to startle anyone with his voice. He was still hesitant to join their conversations; they often used words he didn’t understand, and he was too embarrassed to ask what they meant, afraid they would think him simple-minded. If they didn’t already, that is.

“Some wizard you are!” Sanoh was saying at Norman. “That fireball nearly singed the scales on my tail more than it did anything to to ogre!” She was carefully cleaning her scales, polishing them to a emerald shine.

“It’s partly your fault for being so noticeable!” He said, gesturing at her gleaming scales and jewelry. “What part of the concept of stealth is lost on you!”

“Hey, I am plenty stealthy,” She retorted. “You just suck at magic.”

“Bullshit!” He said, sitting up from his prone position and rolling up his sleeves.”I’ll summon lightning right now.”

“Oh, I’d love to see you try,” Sanoh replied smugly, folding her arms.

“Honey,” Rupert said nervously, putting an arm around her shoulder and snugging her in protectively. “Do you have to provoke Norman?”

“Yes,” Said said staunchly. “You’re a better mage than he is, and you don’t even try.”

“You just watch,” Norman said. He gestured with his hands and muttered in Arcane. The other four watched him with interest and caution as blue energy formed around his hands. DuMont twitched his head curiously, Rupert leaned away as Sanoh and Kharis leaned forward, watching eagerly. The blue energy fizzled and cracked, and in a flash of blue light that made everyone close their eyes against it. The sound of yipping opened their eyes again.

There, sitting in Norman’s grip, was a small dog, a corgi, happily barking and attempting to lick his face. Norman sat there, dumbfounded.

“I cast lightning!” He exclaimed, not sure what to do with the wiggling thing now in his hands. He set it down, and the dog turned circles and ran straight for DuMont, who reached out gingerly to touch the dog’s soft fur.

“Maybe its name is Lightning,” Kharis said. Everyone laughed. “Besides, it wasn’t you that was the problem. Stupid here needs to learn to swing that thing better.”

She gestured at DuMont’s weapon, a large, thick rail that he had tied the church bell to as a bludgeon. Dumont’s hands stilled for a second, but he said nothing and continued to pet the dog, who had nestled in his lap and was sighing happily.

That night, the fire died a little and everyone bedded down. The dog, who they all agreed must be named Lightning, slept in DuMont’s arms, who slept on the cold ground with no covering. Kharis, nearly dozing in her bedroll as everyone else snoozed, heard the words, “I’m not stupid,” in a soft, gravelly tone. She also heard someone get up, the sound of a disappointed dog being deposited on the ground, and large feet stalking off into the woods.

Kharis lay there, thinking. She hadn’t meant it as an insult, really; she was just being playful. But if she thought about it, she did kind of assume he was not intelligent. He didn’t talk much, and when he did, it was simple sentences and basic answers. She hadn’t really given it much thought; she hadn’t really given him much thought beyond being the muscle of the group, assuming he was all mass and no substance, like the guards in the castle. Then again, maybe she was to quick to make such assumptions and it was just not something that she’d ever had to worry about.

Annoyed, though uncertain at who, she got out of her bedroll and tracked DuMont’s footprints out into the brush, not bothering to be quiet about it. But when she found him, she stopped short.

DuMont was sitting crouched with his knees drawn up, gently scratching the chin of a fawn, stroking its side and whispering to it softly.

For a moment, Kharis just watched. She had him pegged so wrong.

Then, when shifting her weight, she snapped a twig and both DuMont and the baby deer looked up. The deer took off, and left DuMont reaching after it in disappointment.

“Why did you do that?” He asked, still speaking quietly, like always. “I’d never seen a branch walker close up before.”

She was about to apologize when she stopped and tilted her head, confused. “A what?”

“A branch walker,” DuMont said. “At least, that’s what I call them. I never learned what they’re actually called.”

“How could you not know that?”

He shrugged. “Father Jor never told me. He was the only person I knew when I lived in the tower. No one else was allowed to see me, and he only talked about scriptures, so I don’t know much about the outside, even things as simple as what branch walkers are really called.”

Kharis frowned. “Why don’t you ask us when you come across something you don’t know?”

He looked away. “I don’t want any of you to think I’m stupid.”

Her frown turned to a grimace. “That was a deer,” Kharis said. “A fawn specifically, which is a baby deer.”

He turned to look at her. “Deer.”

“Right.”

“Hmm…” He hummed. “That,” He said, pointing to a rabbit in the distance. “What is that?”

“What do you call it?” She asked, crouching down next to him with a smile.

“A pawpopper,” He said.

She laughed, but not in a mocking way. “It’s a rabbit,” She said. “What else? I feel like I could do this all night.”

“Would you? I just want to learn,” He said. She’d heard him say that before, but she hadn’t realized how sincere he’d been. She did indeed spend the night walking through the forest with him, trading names of the creatures and plants.

DuMont opened up even more after that, talking more freely and openly, especially with Kharis. Whenever he was confused about something, he’d ask her about it in private and she would explain it to him. He thought she may have told the others, because they also went out of their way to point out interesting things and talk to him about new things he’d never seen. He was grateful they understood and never made him feel dumb.

Several weeks later, after another ogre job, they had all gone to bed for the night, when DuMont got up as everyone was asleep to relieve himself in the woods. When he returned, he noticed Rupert and Sanoh sneaking away from the camp, hand in hand. They had left their belongings, but there seemed to be an urgency in their steps. Curious, he followed.

Despite how large he was, DuMont could move extremely quietly, so the couple never heard or saw him approach. He squatted down, watching as Rupert and Sanoh pressed their faces together, their lips sucking at each other in an odd display. They began to disrobe, showing Rupert’s skinny body and Sanoh’s tiny but voluptuous one. They touched each other’s skin all over, stumbling their way to the ground. Sanoh lay on the ground with Rupert between her legs, his tongue out and pressed against a fleshy entrance located there. She gasped and writhed under him, and he held her hips in place as he suctioned his mouth to the spot, making her moan loudly.

Afterward, Sanoh, despite her petite size, managed to shove Rupert on his back, and DuMont saw his… staff, as he called it… standing straight up. DuMont’s own staff twitched under his rough-hewn trousers, which was a new sensation.

He watched as Sanoh climbed onto Rupert, pushing Rupert’s staff into her entrance and gasping. Rupert gasped as well and grasped her… DuMont didn’t have a word for those. They were scaled, but also soft and squishy and they both seemed to enjoy playing with them.

Sanoh bounced and rocked on Rupert, her breathing coming faster and faster. Rupert grunted and moaned under her, his hips thrusting up into her. After some time of groaning and whimpering, both Sanoh and Rupert cried out as if in pain, their bodies tensing and quivering, and they finally collapsed, Sanoh on Rupert’s chest, his arms around her. They didn’t speak, just lay together, breathing hard, recovering. After a while, Sanoh sat up and grinned down at Rupert, doing the face-pressing thing again. Then they got up and began to clean themselves and redress. DuMont decided this would be a good time to retreat.

As he returned to camp, he saw Kharis coming out of the forest, restrapping her belt around her waist.

“Where were you?” She asked. “Where’s Rupert and Sanoh?”

“They…” DuMont started, pointing. “They’re… I don’t know…”

Kharis’s face split into a knowing grin. “Ah, I see. I’ve caught them sneaking off a few times. They think they’re so discreet.”

“You know what they…?” DuMont asked curiously.

“Ohhhh,” Kharis said softly. “It makes sense you wouldn’t have had the sex talk.”

“Sex talk?” He repeated, tilting his head.

“Yeah,” She said, turning and waving at him. “Come with me, I’ll tell you about it in private, so we don’t wake anyone. It’s sort of an awkward conversation to have.”

He tilted his head the other way like a puppy, but followed her. She led him to the river nearby and told him to sit back against a tree. He complied and she sat down next to him.

“Okay, so, what did you see?”

He described the things he had seen Rupert and Sanoh do. “I thought they were hurting each other at first, but they seemed to like it.”

She laughed softly. “It’s called sex. Most people do it.”

“Why?”

“Because it feels good, most of the time. Secondarily, it’s to make babies.”

“Were Rupert and Sanoh trying to make babies?”

Kharis snorted. “I highly doubt it. Rupert’s in no shape to be a dad, and I have my doubts about Sanoh, too.”

“So, they were doing it because it feels good?”

“Yeah,” Kharis confirmed. “Rupert and Sanoh have been together for a long while, I’ve gathered.”

“Traveled together, you mean?”

She shook her head. “No, together together.”

He grumbled uncertainly. “I don’t understand.”

A shocked look crossed her face. “Oh. Oh boy, this is going to be more complicated than I thought. See… Rupert and Sanoh are in love.”

“Love?”

Kharis dragged her fingers down her face and groaned in exasperation. “Okay, so when people, usually two people, but it can be more than that occasionally, feel an attraction or a closeness to each other, and they care about them, it can turn into love. Love is… hard to explain.” She bit her lip and looked into the distance, thinking. “It’s like… I don’t know. I’ve never been in love.”

DuMont watched her flounder. He’d never known her to not be able to explain something. He thought she knew about everything.

“So sometimes people have sexual feelings. They want to feel good and they want to make their partner feel good, too. So they… have sex. People who love each other, who care very much about each other, tend to have sex a lot.” She tilted her head in thought. “Sometimes people don’t even care about the person they have sex with, though, they just want to feel good. Sometimes people can make themselves feel good. There’s lots of ways to feel pleasure.”

“What do you mean?” He asked.

She looked at him, intrigued. “Well, haven’t you ever… touched yourself?”

He placed a hand on his chest. “Like this?”

She laughed a little. “No, I mean…” She pointed at the crux of his legs. His staff jumped again.

“No,” He replied.

She shrugged a little mischievously. “Why don’t you try?”

“Right now?”

“Why not?”

He grunted. Slowly, he undid his belt and unlaced his trousers, opening them and letting his staff fall free. It was large, proportionate to his size, and made Kharis’s eyes widen.

“That’s a penis, by the way,” Kharis said with a smile. “I mean, there are other names for it, but officially, it’s called a penis.”

“What do I do?” He asked.

“Wrap a hand around it and stroke it up and down,” She said. “Like when you clean your rail after a battle.”

Tentatively, he reached down and took hold of it. It was soft, but was beginning to harden as he touched it. He had awoken sometimes with it hard, but he hadn’t known what to do about it and just waited until it went away. This was different than washing himself. It did… feel kind of good.

“Do you like it?” She asked, watching.

“I… I think so,” He said. “I’m not sure if I’m doing it right.”

“Then let me help,” She said, standing up and kneeling between his legs. He was surprised, and quite nervous, as she knelt there and took his… penis… in her hands. She needed both to get the job done, but it felt much, much better when she did it than when he did. She bent her head to lick it, and he gasped, his body tensing. She looked up at him and pulled her mouth off of him with a pop.

“Would you like to try what Sanoh and Rupert were doing?” She asked in a low, sultry voice.

“Do you love me?” He asked.

She tilted her head and considered him. “I care about you, DuMont. I don’t know if it’s love, but I care very much about you.”

“I… care for you, too,” DuMont said. “I have for a time.”

“So…? Would you?”

DuMont nodded. “I want to learn.”

She smiled and stood, beginning to undress in front of him. Her skin was flawless and smooth, unlike his. She seemed to him like a statue of a goddess in mortal form.

“You’re pretty big,” She said. “You might have to get me ready to take you.”

“How?”

“Remember what Rupert did to Sanoh with his tongue?” She said, sitting in the soft grass. “You won’t be able to use your mouth, but I bet your tongue is plenty talented.”

DuMont let his tongue spill out of his mouth. It was twice as long as her arm. Her eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, tha-that’ll do it.” She lay back and spread her legs. He looked at the flower between them and salivated. His thick tongue pressed itself there, and she moved against it, her head falling back in the grass. He followed her instructions, and before long, she was gasping for breath and begging him not to stop.

She stood up suddenly, dripping and flushed, and pushed him back, kissing his neck and chest. The contact felt different than before: it electrified his body and make his muscles tense. She sat him back against the tree and positioned herself over him, much like Sanoh had done with Rupert, and lowered herself down. Her brows drew together and her mouth opened as she slowly took him inside herself.

“Does it hurt?” He asked. He’d only ever seen that face on people who were in pain.

“No, it feels amazing,” She breathed back, situating herself on top of him. He was also experiencing an incredible feeling being inside. The walls were tensing and contracting around him, and it felt indescribable. At least to him.

“Thrust up,” She instructed him, and he obliged, careful not to hurt her until she shouted, “Harder!” They moved together wordlessly, huffing and moaning, and DuMont thought his heart might explode. This was bliss. This was more than any scripture or book could convey. This was holy. He heard the bells in his head and knew he was right where he was supposed to be.

“Hold me up,” She said breathlessly, putting her arms under her knees and pressing her knees to her chest. He put his massive hands around her sides, his fingers meeting in the back, and held her up, balanced on his lap.

“Thrust hard,” She commanded, and he obeyed. She howled in pleasure, and he himself began to grunt much louder than he intended. He wasn’t quite in control of his volume in this state, but for the first time, he didn’t care.

“Oh, gods,” She said between gasps. “I’m going to cum.”

He didn’t know what that meant, but he was feeling a pressure in his loins that was reaching a boiling point. As the wall of pleasure hit him, he roared for the first time, shouting out his ecstasy for the world to hear. She was also crying out as ribbons of his seed spurted out as quickly as it shot into her. He almost lost his grip on her, but she let go of her legs and tumbled forward onto his chest, wheezing. He was having trouble controlling his breath, as well.

They lay there, much the same as Rupert and Sanoh had done, and he cuddled her against his chest. He was still inside her and wasn’t willing to remove himself just yet. She was so warm against him.

Suddenly she sat up and looked around her in confusion.

“What’s the matter?” DuMont asked.

“Didn’t you hear that?” She asked him.

“No,” He replied. “What did you hear?”

“I could have sworn I heard a church bell tolling in the distance,” She said, still looking around. “It’s awfully strange for a bell to toll in the middle of the night.”

“It’s not strange,” DuMont said, smiling a little. “It’s a blessing.”

She looked at him with a dubious smile, but lay back down on his chest with a satisfied sigh.

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the-jade-cross · 3 years

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Journey to Middle Earth - Chapter 6

Summary – What if JRR Tolkien never gave Thorin a love story… because the person that was meant to be Thorin’s was not yet born when he wrote the Hobbit? Sara journeys from her world to Middle Earth after an accident, with a mission. To change something about the Hobbit story… but she is not sure what. What she does not know is that while trying to prevent something from happening, something new might arise between her and the dwarf prince….even if it is not on the agenda!

Warnings – None, no explicit scenes, some kissing, violence, frightening creatures, mentions of abuse.

Pairings – Thorin Oakenshield x OC

“We’ll camp here for the night!” Thorin called.

The dwarves all began to dismount and began to unsaddle their horses. Sara was feeling ten times better, so she dismounted herself, even though both Fili and Kili rushed to her side to ensure that she didn’t crumble. She smiled at them and patted both of them on the head.

“It’s alright, I’m fine now.” She assured them.

The two nodded, “We know, but we’re worried that you’ll get worse again!” Sara smiled and gave the two a quick hug each, “Thank you for your concern but I’ll be alright. Besides, if I get sick again I’ll know you two will be there.” Fili and Kili’s face lit up like fireworks and ridiculous grins spread over their young faces. Thorin had just dismounted and was unsaddling his horses when he saw this reaction and for some reason, it aggravated him.

“FILI! KILI! Look after the ponies,” he called, snapping the two out of their joy, “Be sure you stay with them.”

The two dwarves nodded obediently and headed off to do just that. Sara grabbed her backpack and slung it on her back before kneeling down in front of Mason. The puppy was getting bigger to the point where he was almost too big to ride in the saddle with Sara. He was damp but otherwise clean for the rain had kept all the mud from sticking to his fur.

Sara became aware of a demanding presence in front of where she crouched by Mason. She glanced up to see Thorin standing over her.

“You should get some rest,” he pointed out coldly. Sara nodded, “I will, just after you go talk to Gandalf. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of a possible brawl.”

Thorin raised an eyebrow at the girl skeptically, “Who says we will argue?” Sara shrugged, “It’s the tension in the air. It’s easy to read.” Thorin, deciding that Sara was not in the mood to converse with him, headed off to speak with Gandalf. She smiled to herself the moment she saw Thorin and Gandalf begin their heated argument on elves. She ruffled Mason’s ears and grinned.

“So predictable.”

Two minutes later, Gandalf came storming past the dwarves, his face red with fury. He stopped beside Sara and bent down to her petite level.

“I told you I would never ask you about the outcomes in the future but please tell me that one day dwarves will not hate elves so much!”

Sara smiled and felt the urge to laugh, realizing that if you skipped over Tauriel and Kili’s future romance, the next dwarf and elf who made friends were Legolas and Gimli…. About 60 years in the future!

“Possibly,” the girl replied, biting her finger to keep from laughing at Gandalf’s exasperated look.

“Gandalf where are you going?” Bilbo called, fully concerned.

“TO see the company of the only one around here who’s got any sense!” Gandalf snapped.

“And who’s that?” Bilbo pushed.

“Myself Master Baggins!” Gandalf hissed, “I’ve had enough of dwarves for one day.” The wizard began to walk off when he stopped and turned back to Sara, “You know what is to happen. Promise me you’ll keep your patience.” Sara shrugged, “I do not have the world in my hands. Who knows, maybe with my presence certain things will begin to happen or not happen. I can only try.” Gandalf nodded, obviously satisfied before storming off again.

Sara watched him, a rather amused look on her face. She bent down and wrapping her arms around Mason’s black form, hauled him into her arms. He was so large now that it felt like she was holding a young goat rather than a puppy.

“What were you talking with Gandalf if I may ask?” Thorin inquired, suddenly appearing behind her.

Sara shrugged, “He just asked me to not lose my head alone with a bunch of temperamental dwarves.”

“Do you have something against dwarves!?” Thorin snapped, eyeing the girl dangerously.

Sara smiled, not in the least way scared of the dwarf, “Not at all! I am rather fond of dwarves… when I’m not in their presence.” Thorin glared, “And what do you mean by that?” Sara just smirked and pushed past the dwarf prince, carrying the puppy with her. Thorin watched her go, completely flabbergasted at what had just occurred. Mason peered over Sara’s shoulder at him and Thorin could have sworn the dog smirked at him.

The next two hours were rather quiet. Bilbo had headed off to deliver soup to Fili and Kili but had only been gone about two minutes. Sara was seated against a rock, Mason laying on her lap fully asleep. It was rather amusing watching the dog for as a baby, Mason had no difficulty in fitting on Sara’s lap when he slept but now, he was as long as her legs, so half his body was dangling off her legs while his head lay on one of her arms.

“Care for seconds lass?” Bofur called. Sara smiled and shook her head, “No thank you Bofur.” “You’re looking a lot better lass,” Oin added.

Thorin looked up from where he had been sharpening his axe. It was true. The color had returned to the girl’s face and she was smiling again. Her eyes still looked a little glossy from exhaustion, but she was hiding it well. However, Thorin noticed a sense of alertness in the girl’s face. Every few minutes she glanced over at where Bilbo had disappeared into the woods and then she would look away, smiling knowingly to herself. Thorin had no idea what was on her mind, but it annoyed him that he didn’t know.

Suddenly, Fili came tramping through the woods, horrified and pale. “TROLLS!” The dwarves were on their feet in an instant, none of them noticing that Sara smiled and slowly got to her feet calmly, moving so as to not rouse Mason.

“Where?” Thorin insisted.

“They got the ponies… and Bilbo. Kili is keeping an eye on them.” “How did Bilbo get taken?” Gloin insisted.

“He went off to rescue the ponies,” came a soft voice.

All eyes spun around to see Sara standing there, completely calm and not worried in the least.

“How did you know?” Fili asked, shocked.

Sara grinned, “You happened to have the burglar with you Fili. Do you really think you or Kili would choose to do it yourself when you could easily convince Bilbo to do it?” Fili looked from Sara to Thorin, then to Balin then back to Sara, “Okay that is creepy. You know more about me than my mother does!”

“Probably because she has seen your dark side more,” Thorin huffed, “Let’s go.” Sara knew she would be no help and honestly, there was no point in her going but she didn’t want to appear suspicious so she grabbed her cloak, but a hand clapped on her shoulder. She was half expecting Thorin, but it turned out to be Fili.

“Please stay behind. You’re still recovering and we don’t want you getting hurt. Besides, you aren’t armed correctly and you haven’t learnt to even handle a sword.” Sara sighed and nodded, trying to act disappointed, “Fine. But if you are gone more than twenty minutes I’m following.” Fili smiled, “I wouldn’t expect anything less.” The two smiled at each other before Fili hurried off to join the others. Thorin had watched the whole exchange and he felt that there was something about how Sara complied to Fili’s short reasoning that almost seemed… off… he knew she wasn’t afraid for the look in her eyes carried absolutely no fear… but he wondered why she agreed to stay behind so readily.

Shaking the thought out of his mind, he turned and followed his nephew through the woods.

Twenty minutes passed and the dwarves were still not back. Sara considered staying and not going after them but then she remembered her promise to Fili and she felt she might as well just go see how far along the trolls were with cooking them.

Leaving Mason at the camp, knowing he would bark and reveal their presence, Sara crept through the woods till she found the camp. Sure enough, half the dwarves were on the spit and the other half were tied up in bags and on the ground.

She smiled when she saw Bilbo standing up in his sack, trying to talk sense into the dwarves… but something felt different. Sara glanced up and saw that Bilbo was at the part of the ‘plan’ where he brought in the worms and infections… but Sara saw no sign of Gandalf. Was something wrong? But Gandalf was supposed to be there… what if…. What if something changed because of what she told Gandalf before he left? What if he didn’t return soon enough like in the movie?

Sara began to feel anxious when the point where Gandalf should have appeared approached and there was no sign of the wizard.

She had to think of more diversion so that Gandalf had more time. Curse that wizard! Of all times to be late! Sara racked and racked her brains for a talent that could possibly help the dwarves. She knew gymnastics but it was dangerous around fire…. She had no weapon…then she remembered something. Sprinting back to the camp, she grabbed up her bag and pulled out the last thing she wanted to use but she had no choice… the pistol. Stuffing it into her belt, she ensured that it was full of bullets and gun powder before running back to the troll camp.

Sara felt nervous about using the gun because of the trolls could locate where she was, she was in trouble. Looking around, she spied the perfect tree behind where Thorin, Fili and Kili were tied up with the other dwarves and Bilbo.

She scurried over to the tree and looked at the lowest branch. She mentally cursed her petite size for there was no way she could get up there without help. Then she spied the unsuspecting Thorin and Kili lying not more than five feet away. Laying down on her stomach, she crawled towards them in the undergrowth before she gently tapped Kili on the shoulder.

The boy snapped around and would have said something if Sara hadn’t clapped a hand over his mouth. This caught Thorin’s attention who turned in surprise but relaxed when he saw who it was.

“Quiet, will you?” Sara hissed into Kili’s ear.

The young dwarf quieted and Sara released his mouth, “I need your help getting into the tree.” “How?” Kili whispered.

“Scoot back till you’re sitting against the tree and I’ll use your shoulder as a boost,” Sara whispered back.

“What will you accomplish by doing that?” Thorin whispered, skepticism evident in his voice.

Sara smiled warmly, surprised that it was genuine considering how annoying the dwarf was being, “Trust me.” Kili didn’t wait for his uncle’s approval but scooted back till he was seated against the tree. Thorin sat in front of him, trying to make sure that if the trolls looked, they wouldn’t notice anything. Sara made sure the trolls weren’t looking before she jumped onto Kili’s shoulder and onto the first branch. She could feel Kili and Thorin watching her climb up and she was at once thankful that she had learnt to climb trees as a kid.

When she was sure she was at a part where the trolls couldn’t reach her if they spied her, she sat down on a limb with her back to the trunk so she wouldn’t fall. She pulled out the pistol and removed the safety switch. She held it in her right hand and held the branch above her with her left to steady her.

She remembered all the things that her father and Pierce had told her when they taught her how to shoot. Keep your eyes open, breathe, keep your elbows straight, relax your shoulders. She did this twice before she finally fired the first shot.

The bullet struck the largest Troll in the shoulder and everyone, even the dwarves began to panic. The dwarves began to yell and shout, not sure where the noise was from and who made it. The trolls looked shocked when blood began to pour from the tiny wound on the troll’s shoulder.

“What in the world is that?” one of the trolls asked.

“I don’t know but it hurts a lot!” The shot troll groaned.

Sara fired again at the second largest troll and it struck him in the belly. She knew that they weren’t enough to kill the trolls, but they were definitely distracting the creatures.

“Where is that little beast?” the largest troll asked, grabbing his blade.

He reached over and grabbed Fili from the ground, holding the young dwarf by the neck with one hand and holding the blade to his neck with the other.

“I’ll kill him if you don’t come out!” Sara smiled. She sighted the next shot for the hand that held the blade. She didn’t want to risk Fili’s life by shooting the one that held him, so she aimed and shot. The blade tumbled from the troll’s hand as did Fili as the troll clutched his bleeding wrist and yelled.

The troll was about to grab his blade again when suddenly light began to stream into the camp and Sara could faintly make out the silhouette of Gandalf atop the rock. She sighed. About time!

***********

Sara felt a splitting pain going through her head and she felt incredibly weak. Was her fever returning or did she exert herself too much after recovering? She slowly slid down the tree before landing on the ground, but her head spun. Kili and Fili were at her side in an instant, supporting her.

“That was amazing Sara!” Fili cried. “How did you do that?” “What was that noise you made?” Kili asked. “Was it part of your weapon?” The two young dwarves were pushed to the side when Thorin came storming in their direction. He stopped in front of Sara and glared down at her.

“Hand me the weapon,” he demanded.

Sara decided the best thing was to humor him. Taking out the pistol, she made sure it wasn’t loaded before she placed it in Thorin’s hands. He seemed surprised at the weight of the small weapon. He slowly turned it over, eyeing each part and skillfully running his fingers over the parts.

“How does it work?” he asked, sounding interested.

Sara slowly took the weapon from him before opening it up to show him where the bullets go. “Small pieces of metal are placed it here. There is a little coiled piece of metal called a spring that makes the piece of metal shoot forward when I pull the trigger. It’s like a crossbow, but much more powerful.” Thorin stared at Sara a long time before nodding and turning away, “Don’t use it in future unless you have no other choice. We don’t want to draw attention to us.” Sara nodded and placed the pistol back in her belt underneath her shirt.

About fifteen minutes later, Thorin, Bofur, Gloin, Nori, Dwalin and Gandalf had gone off to check out a cave and the others were following. When they approached the cave, everyone took a few steps back at the horrible stench. Sara felt a deep queasy feeling in her stomach which she assumed was because of the smell.

The group took several steps back away from the smell and all sat down in a clump of trees to come up with a plan. Sara was kneeling down, trying to calm down Mason who had been a little upset that she had left him at the camp when a voice broke the silence.

“SARA!” Kili cried, “You’re bleeding!” Sara froze, half expecting herself to faint right then or a searing pain to appear… but nothing happened. She glanced down at her arms, her chest, felt her back and her neck…. Nothing felt wrong. Suddenly a thought dawned no her and she glanced down at her pants to realize that they were covered in blood. The source? Between her legs.

Sara let out an inaudible groan but put on a smile, “Oh it’s okay Kili.” “Are you kidding me?” Kili cried, rushing over to her. “That is a lot of blood!” The older dwarves and Gandalf had taken one look at Sara’s blood-stained pants and had not said anything else on the subject for they had witnessed that in female dwarves. However, Kili wasn’t to be swayed.

“I just need to get some things from Oin,” Sara replied.

“Well, let me help you patch it up then!” Kili cried.

Sara’s eyes widened and her face paled, “Uh Kili…. This isn’t something I can let you help with….” “I’m on it!” Kili cried, rushing off without letting the girl finish.

Sara stared open mouthed as the young dwarf ran off. Fili was at her side in an instant.

“Kili said you’re bleeding… what happened?” Sara sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, “It’s a feminine thing…” she started, thinking that Fili wouldn’t understand either.

However, the boy’s face showed pure understanding and his cheeks tinted slightly from embarrassment, “Sorry about Kili then… Ama never had that talk with him.” Sara shook her head, “It’s fine… I just need him to stop fussing over me while I fix this…” As if on cue, the young dwarf returned, dragging Thorin with him. Sara buried her face in her hands and groaned.

“Sara! Thorin is here to help! We’ll get you all patched up nicely before you lose too much blood!” Sara almost wished that she was injured just to make Kili feel better because the boy was so enthusiastic about helping that it was almost funny.

“Kili…” the girl sighed.

Thorin stood in front of the girl and for a split second, Sara saw pure worry in his face, “You’re injured? Where?” Sara sighed, “I’m injured by embarrassment,” The girl groaned. “It’s a feminine issue.” Almost immediately Thorin’s face went bright red from embarrassment and he averted his eyes from Sara which made the girl almost want to laugh for she had never seen Thorin embarrassed before.

“Kili you have a head of stone,” Thorin muttered under his breath, grabbing both his nephews by the collar and dragging them off.

Sara smiled warmly at the sight when Oin approached, holding out a handful of clean thick linens. Sara smiled and took them.

“Thank you Oin.” The old dwarf smiled warmly, “Your cycle must have been thrown off schedule when you arrived here.” Sara nodded, “That’s true. I’m afraid I’ve worried Kili though.” Oin waved his hand, “Thorin will take care of it. You should wash out your things before we head off too.” Nodding her head, Sara headed off to the river nearby. After changing into a fresh pair of pants and undergarments, she sunk her soiled clothes into the river and began to vigorously scrub the blood off of them. Luckily the blood hadn’t dried too much, so it wasn’t hard to get out.

Sara was just getting the last of the blood out when she sensed a presence behind her. Looking over her shoulder she saw Thorin standing behind her. His face was no longer showing any embarrassment and he was giving off a slight stench, so Sara guessed they had already been in and out of the cave.

“I found something you might need,” Thorin replied seriously.

Walking over, he stood next to the kneeling girl and held out a bundle wrapped in oilskin. Slowly Sara took it and opening the skin, she saw that it contained two slender dual swords. Elvish. Along with it was a quiver that was empty and a longbow. It reminded Sara of a compound bow because it was a lot stronger than most bows.

“Thank you!”

“I know there are no arrows… but Kili said he wanted to teach you at some point…” Thorin replied seriously in a gruff voice.

Sara smiled, “It’s alright. I’ll either make some or collect some along the way. Thank you for the blades though.” Thorin didn’t reply but tried to look everywhere but at Sara. That was when his eyes landed on the water swirling around in front of Sara which had a tint of red from the blood she had washed from her pants. At once his face went slightly red and he was glad that his beard concealed most of it.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asked quietly.

Sara smiled, “Yeah. Just groggy but nothing major. My first day is always the toughest.” Sara sensed that Thorin still felt out of place and nervous on the topic, so she decided to change it. Standing up, she stuffed her things back into her bag and slung it on her back before turning towards Thorin. She was just going to ask about the cave examination when the all too familiar noise of Dwalin calling out that something was approaching sounded. Thorin and Sara both rushed up to the camp but Sara didn’t move to draw her weapons, knowing what was to come.

*******

“THEIVES! FIRE! MURDER!” Radagast cried as he came tumbling through the woods.

Sara tried to suppress her chuckles but the least she could do was grin from ear to ear at the sight of the small brown wizard and his sled of rabbits.

“Radagast,” Gandalf sighed, having not drawn his sword when he saw Sara approach the scene with a calm but excited expression. “Radagast the brown. What on earth are you doing here?” As the two wizards conversed, Sara felt a presence next to her and saw Dwalin lean over towards her, not taking his suspicious eyes off the newcomer.

“So, Thorin give you those?” he asked, nodding towards the girl’s weapons.

Sara glanced down at the quiver that hung from her belt, the dual swords which she had strapped crisscrossed on her back and her bow which she had swung over her shoulder.

“Yeah,” she said, smiling at the huge dwarf.

Dwalin chuckled, “Know how to use them?”

The girl smiled, “Not really. I learnt the basics of archery in my world but not enough to hit a target consistently. I’ve never wielded swords before to be honest.” the dwarf grinned, “We should just place a battle axe in your hands! The orcs won’t stand a chance!” The girl grinned, pleased that Dwalin was in a good mood. Just then, Fili and Kili both poked their heads around the tall dwarf, huge grins on their young faces.

“I can teach you Sara!” Fili offered, holding up two of his knives and displaying a smug grin on his face.

Kili quickly pushed his brother’s head out of the way and rushed over to the girl, his arms full of arrows. “I found these in the cave earlier! Uncle said you had no arrows!” Sara smiled and took the arrows before slipping them into her quiver. Every five arrows was different and there were even a few goblin and orc arrows but she didn’t care. At least they got the job done!

“Thanks!” she chirped, “And I’ll take the two of you up on those fighting lessons.” The two boys’ faces lit up like little kids on Christmas morning.

“Really!? When!?” Kili asked.

Sara smiled, “Just as soon as it doesn’t feel like orcs are on our tails.” The two groaned before heading off with Dwalin. They had just walked away when Sara clapped a hand over her mouth. OH NO!!!! They had no idea they were being tailed by orcs! They didn’t find that out for a few more minutes when the warg scouts arrived! What if they caught on?

Sara was on the brink of shaking from worry and desperation to the point where she fell over when she felt two hands hook underneath her arms and lift her up. She was carried like a small puppy over to a log and set down in a sitting position. She lifted her eyes to realize that she had gotten dizzy and her vision slowly swam back into focus and she found Thorin standing over her, looking down at her with those bright blue eyes.

Sara felt her cheeks heat up at the calm, placid look on his face but the worry that shone in his eyes, “You alright? Maybe you shouldn’t exert yourself so much while you’re…. you know.”

The girl chuckled at the dwarf prince’s obvious embarrassment from the mention of her cycle. She nodded and sighed as she relaxed and sank on to the log, glad for the rest.

“You seemed kind of stressed out just now,” the dwarf pointed out, sitting down on a log across from her and leaning on his legs, clasping his hands together in front of him in an almost relaxed way. “What is bothering you?” Sara slowly shook her head, “I just feel like we’re being watched. I know everything has been peaceful… other than the trolls but I just get this dark feeling of foreboding… like when you’re walking into a dark room and don’t know what you’ll find inside.” Thorin smiled, “I know the feeling but I highly doubt anyone knows we’re even on this journey. We’re fine.” The girl nodded but inside her head she was rolling her eyes. ‘Wait for a few more minutes when warg scouts come charging down on us!’

Sara was snapped from her thoughts when she noticed Thorin staring strongly at her, brow slightly furrowed and a thoughtful look in his eyes.

“May I ask you something… about your world?” A smile appeared on Sara’s face and she nodded, her red curls bouncing.

“You mentioned some things about the cruelty of your world but… in your world or at least in your family, what was it like between family members?” Sara cocked her head to the side thoughtfully, “Why do you ask?” Thorin shrugged, “I was just curious as to whether families in your world are similar to what my family was like.” Sara smiled and she felt a soft feeling fill her stomach. “Well. In my family at least I was close with both my parents. I always looked up to them and admired how close they were and how much they loved each other and my brothers and i. As for my brothers, they were the other half of me. My brother Peirce was the only one near my age, but I was still close with them…”

Sara never got to finish for at that moment, Sara heard the all too familiar call of a warg. Mason, who had fallen asleep at her feet perked his ears up and let out a soft bark of warning. Thorin leapt to his feet as did Sara but Thorin planted himself in front of the girl.

“Was that a wolf?” Bilbo asked, “There are wolves out there?” Sara sighed, ‘only if you knew!’

“Wolves?” Bofur asked, “No that’s not a wolf!” Just then, a warg came crashing down the hill towards them but it never reached them. Instead it went flying over its head and landed hard on its side, an arrow in its scull. A second warg charged into the clearing but he too got shot down and landed right next to his fallen companion. All eyes turned to see Sara standing there, behind Thorin. Her bow was in one hand and she had just released both arrows.

Sara looked around at the wide eyes and dangling jaws and shrugged, “Sorry, I really wanted to do that.” Inside her head, Sara was mentally slapping herself for saying that. In truth, she had just acted on instinct and reflex, having known what was going to happen was a good benefit.

“WARG SCOUTS!” Dwalin yelled, “that means an orc pack is not far behind.” Sara was just waiting for Bilbo’s reply when she froze. Wait… wasn’t Thorin supposed to be the one to say that line? How come Dwalin was the one to say it? And why hadn’t Bilbo said his line?

“Orc pack?” Ori asked.

Sara felt herself jolt. What? Did someone change the dialog of the script… wait… this isn’t a movie anymore… it’s real life…. BUT WHY HAS IT CHANGED!?

The girl felt a soft hand on her shoulder and turned to see Balin standing behind her, a quizzical look on his face. She realized he had seen her grab her head and he probably guessed that something was bothering her.

“I’ll explain later,” she whispered, low enough so Thorin didn’t hear.

“Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?” Gandalf yelled.

“No one,” Thorin replied.

Gandalf huffed, earning a mental screech from Sara. What? What happened to the other half of the argument!? What?

“What is going on here?” Thorin asked.

“We’re being hunted,” Sara sighed, having enough of the messed up dialog and decided to just roll with it till she could talk to Gandalf later.

“We need to leave,” Dwalin pointed out.

“We cant!” Ori cried, “The ponies bolted.” “I’ll draw them off,” Radagast offered, determined.

Sara smiled. At least someone was following script!

“These are Gundabad wargs,” Gandalf replied, “you’ll get run over!”

“These are Ruscabel Rabbits,” The smaller wizard replied, happily. “They wont stand a chance.

Sara let out a soft groan that only Balin heard. ‘nevermind!’

#hobbit #lotr #thorin oakenshield x oc #thorin oakenshield #thorin x oc #thorin

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legolaslovely · 5 years

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Now and Forever

A/N: Some fluffy Thorin for you! I was watching OUAT for the thousandth time and thought this up! I hope you guys enjoy. Thanks for reading, and as always, feel free to tell me what you think! <3

Pairing: Thorin x Human!Reader

Word Count: 1,558

Warnings: fluff, kind of angst because sleeping curses are scary but literally all fluff

Summary: Thorin is placed under a mysterious sleeping curse while on the quest to Erebor and the company has to figure out how to wake him with an act of twoo wuv.

The sun was setting low in the hills when Thorin halted the company. “We will stay here for the night and travel at first light. We are only a few days journey more to Erebor.”

You dropped your pack on the ground with a thud, happy to get the weight off your shoulders. You were excited to finally get to Erebor. You wanted to see what it was like, especially after the dragon’s wrath. The legends say that every inch still stood because of the dwarves’ magnificent architects and carpenters.

However, you were most looking forward to seeing the dwarves in their homeland. They were so passionate about returning to the mountain, and after all the time you had spent getting to know them on the long journey, you wanted happiness for them.

As some set up their bedrolls, and others pulled cookware from their packs, you gathered some kindling to start a fire. As you worked, you heard Fili call you.

“Will you go gather firewood?”

You turned to the large stack behind you. “We have enough for the next few nights here.”

“Nope, it’s not the right kind,” Kili said, running up beside his brother. “We need bigger pieces.”

You slouched. Unbelievable, you thought. “Kili, with the tiny rabbit you caught today, you’ll need only twigs to cook it,” you said.

Fili pushed his protesting brother away. “(Y/N), just a few more logs. There were some down by the stream. Bombur will go with you.”

Bombur grunted, but gave a small grin when you looped your arm in his. “I think they’re trying to get rid of us,” you said.

“Good riddance,” Bombur said.

You led the way down the hill, giving most of the logs to the strong dwarf behind you. “That should be enough for the princes’ rabbits,” you said, rolling your eyes.

When you returned to the camp, all were huddled together, looking at something. “What’s going on?” you asked.

“It’s- it’s Thorin,” Kili said, rising from the clump.

You rushed over and took his place, seeing Thorin lying completely motionless on the ground. No visible injuries, regular breathing pattern, he was his normal self all day, you thought. “What happened? Did he eat something?”

“Aye, he ate this,” Oin said, holding out the remnants of a small, dull mushroom.

You grabbed it and studied it. You had seen your fair share of toxic mushrooms, but this one looked absolutely ordinary. “What is it?”

“It is poisonous,” Gandalf said, his voice calm. “It holds a sort of curse, if you will. Thorin has been put under a sleeping curse.”

Your eyes fell to his peaceful face. His long eyelashes rested on his dirt stained cheeks, his broken, rough lips were barely parted. How is the company to go on to Erebor without their leader and King? The entire point of this journey was for Thorin to again rule the mountain.

“How is the curse broken?” Fili asked.

“Only love will awaken him,” Gandalf said.

Your eyes snapped to him in frustrated disbelief. “Are you serious?”

“I am indeed serious. An act of love will save him-”

“Like a kiss?” Kili asked.

“Only if he too loves the one performing the act,” Gandalf finished.

“All this from a damn mushroom,” you mumbled. You thought about the fierce dwarf in question. Did he even have the capacity in his heart to love anyone?

Then, your head snapped to Kili and Fili. “Kiss him!”

“What?” They asked, brows furrowing and frowns deepening.

“Kiss him. You love each other. He practically raised you both. Wake him up!” You shouted, growing desperate for them to listen to you.

The brothers shared a look and then Kili said, “Family doesn’t count. Right, Gandalf?”

You saw something flicker in the wizard’s eyes. Annoyance? “The love of family is not strong enough to break the curse, no.”

“What love is stronger than family?” You rose from your knees and stormed around the camp, rubbing your face hard. “Has he ever even loved anyone? Has he ever been married or been… courted?” Your slim knowledge of dwarf customs was failing you.

The company shook their heads. “He has no one,” Balin said softly.

You ran and pushed through the crowd of dwarves and felt a hot tear run down your face. You swiped it away and knelt next to Thorin, holding his hand tight. “That’s not true. He has all of us. We will find a way to wake him.”

You felt comforting hands on your shoulders and heard Gandalf tell you to rest. “We will be off at first light,” he said.

You glared at him. Did he really expect you to leave Thorin here? “I’ll take first watch, then,” you grumbled.

One by one, the company left you. Fili brought you some food and forced you to eat while you wracked your brain to try and find a way out of this mess. Finally, when you were left alone and the rest of the company seemed to sleep, you took Thorin’s hand in yours once more.

“I don’t know how far away you are right now, if you can even hear me, but we won’t leave you,” you said softly, twiddling his heavy fingers in yours. You spun the thick, silver ring around his thumb and scooted closer to him, feeling a rush of instinct to protect him while he was so vulnerable. “It’s not true, what they said, that you have no one- that’s not true. There are many who adore you as their King and more who care for you like family, and some who just… love you.”

Again, you felt tears escaping your eyes. You let them fall, no one was around to see them anyway. You sniffed hard, feeling your lungs catch as you cried. Your tears fell down your cheeks and landed on his palm. You closed your eyes and brought his hand beneath your chin, leaning on it for some sort of strength.

“(Y/N), don’t cry,” you heard. Your eyes snapped open to see Thorin kneeling in front of you, brushing away your tears.

You gasped out loud, “You’re awake? He’s awake! Fili! Kili! He’s awake!” You called for them and laughed with relief. You stood and helped Thorin up, your hands on his strong chest. “You’re alright? Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes. I’m alright,” he said, smiling. You didn’t notice the adoration in his eyes.

Fili and Kili rushed over to you, faces blank with astonishment. “He’s alright!” you yelled to them.

“Did she?” Kili whispered to his brother.

“No, I was watching the whole time. She just cried,” Fili said with a shrug.

“She was supposed to kiss him!” Kili hissed at Gandalf. “This wasn’t part of our deal! How did he wake up without her kissing him?”

You stalked over to them, a fierce anger rising in you. “What deal?” They stared at their feet, hiding behind each other. “Did you do this on purpose?” Your fiery gaze turned to Gandalf. “Did you help them?”

“We just wanted you both to be happy,” Kili said, cowering behind Fili.

“You put the whole company in danger! Do you know what you put us through? You cursed your uncle! I’ve never been so terrified in all my life and I’ve taken on an entire pack of orcs with nothing but a stick!”

Thorin’s hand on your lower back didn’t register as you lashed out. “(Y/N),” he said.

“How could you do such a thing? And for such a childish reason!” You heard Thorin’s chuckles now and whirled around to him, your features softening a bit when you saw him smiling at you. “Don’t laugh! They risked your life!”

He slid his hands around your waist, pulling you away from his nephews. “I will deal with them later. I want to deal with you now.”

“Oh.” You blinked rapidly. Your nerves sent your hands shaking. “What did I do?” you whispered. You thought about everything you had done and said while he was sleeping. Could he hear all that?

He chuckled and led you away from the camp and under the cover of some trees. “You broke the curse.” He lifted his warm hand to caress your cheek. “Meaning, as much as you try to hide it, you love me just as much as I love you.”

You grinned, but quickly hid it away. “You can’t love me. I’m not a dwarf.”

“That hasn’t stopped me yet.”

He pulled you to him and kissed you. His rough lips were actually quite soft, holding yours protectively until you smiled hard against him. You felt his chest shake under your fingers as he chuckled. He drew away, but you glued your mouth to his once again, pushing your tongue past his and bunching his thick coat in your hands. His heavy breath matched yours until your fiery kisses calmed and you gave him one last peck on his lips.

When you opened your eyes, you saw his adoration for you sparkling in his. His gaze fell from your eyes, to your lips, to the ground. “It was true, what Balin said. For a long time, I have had no one.”

You cleared his thick locks from his face and cupped his jaw, forcing him to look at you. “Now you have me. Now and forever.”

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elanska · 4 years

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"you're just you" - Ibelin vs Latte

I'm a staunch Arwin x Latte supporter, and so often times I've been thinking about Arwin x Ibelin, just to see another POV angle of what could have been.

There are times when I read Arwin x Latte moments and I said to myself, he's supposedly to flirt with Ibelin instead and my heart starts to ache. and I determined to prove that Latte is a FAR SUPERIOR CHOICE (yes, I went on imaginary shipping war with myself. it's a fun activity)

Okay, so let's talk about original Ibelin x Arwin route. In original novel, Arwin is represented as pretty commoner mage boi who have been helping and protecting Ibelin with his magic from time to time in order to gain her affection. And THEN it turns out that this sweet mage boi is actually the most powerful mage. Lording over all the other mage (like, you know, the sweet boy next door is actually the powerful prince that can instantly solve your problem with bitch-of-a-rival! surprise!)

original novel!Arwin fall for Ibelin because of her beauty, kindness (she helps the poor boy in slums and have confrontation with the thugs who tried to steal it), and being different from all other girls(?maybe? this is usual setting for romance novel). anyway, she's superior from all other girls, so original novel!Arwin can't help but falling for her in every scenes. The Eirene dance ball where she dance gracefully, the Eirene street festival where Ibelin watch the ultimate bor....intelligent plays that set her different from other girls who just like shallow romantic/drama plot. The Eirene's Goddess selection where Ibelin show off her charm with her voice and beauty and make him falls harder for her.

As you can see from paragraphs above. Original novel!Arwin is BORING pretty much non-descript. just a human prop to show off Ibelin's charm as the female main character. There's practically not a difference from him, Kenneth, and Rondemio except the guys with different occupations (but all having powerfull status and extremely good looking) that fall in love with Ibelin who is perfect in everything. You can swap original novel!Arwin with other mage who hide his status as tower lord and pretend he's just a lowly friendly mage........and the story will not change much? since Ibelin is the focus here, we just need that non-descript (but still pretty) guy to fall in love with her and the plot will go on like usual (since Ibelin is the focus here, not him)

There's two critical line in Arwin's flag. 'you're just you' = somehow this mage invited Ibelin to visit his home, and Ibelin finds out that the nice, helpful mage is actually the lord of other mage. And that she's surprised, but Arwin is still Arwin. I will interpreted it as "you might be the magician's tower lord, but you're still the mage that kind to me")

And I'm promptly confused, because WHAT THE HELL that supposed to means? It's not like the tower lord title is something bad? unless if we're taken another interpretation that 'tower lord has awful reputation as crazy psychopath' and 'ta-da I'm /that/ notorious tower lord actually'. so that 'you're just you' line means = even though you're the rumoredly notorious tower lord, you're still my friend (well, he's still one of fish option at this point). And this is heartwarming to Arwin because he secretly thinks that no one will accepts him because he's notorious and everyone thinks he's a monster(?). So he questions this sweet, angelic goddess - if she also think he's a monster.

We're gonna pause a bit and explore Latte's route. As you all (y'all) aware, our favorite Arwin is a crazy bastard who enjoy entertainment more than anything and having ummm...an unique sense of humor, and apparently having no idea at all how to courting girls. Or maybe he do have /vague/ idea, but the line of somebody interesting-friend-goofy friend to hang around with-I kinda like this girl-I want her to like me back.......is so friggin’ blurry that we're not entirely sure when it ended in one category and began in another (and from what we read so far, neither were he)

oh by the way, this is same boi on Ibelin route's above. But instead in story where Ibelin's shining as female main characters surrounded by three generic cut-and-paste pretty powerful males, where his characterization fell into 'Arwin is selfish crazy (psychopath) bastard and powerful wizard's lord but *always* eating out Ibelin's hand' bracket, our murderous bunny get, like, "waitaminute. I *am* the selfish crazy (psychopath) bastard here, the *fuck** you telling me I should do again?" and proceed to wreck his bracket. Of course, bits and pieces of his original character still exist - like how he's a sweetheart when he's with the girl he likes. But instead "Hi I'm that notorious psychopath Arwin, but everytime my gal do something, I'll become devoted mob fanboy with swirly googly eyes meep meep at whatever she does" VS "Yea, I'm that notorious psychopath Arwin who likes A, B, C, and hates D, E, F. What's this? we encounter event D? well, with my characterization, I should go flying in rage, but but gal is here and it'll be /pitiful/ if she's crying, jeez. fine, I'll just let this slide (for you)"

(yes, it's cute to see him struggling like that)

sorry getting distracted there. the point is.....the point is....we like Arwin's characterization, we like how he's strongly struggling to stay consistent to his identity but also getting affected by his love for his gal (Latte) and bit changed for the better (hey, love makes you a better person). We like him as a male lead with distinctive personality instead love-interest!mob that exist solely to fanboy over Ibelin's time-to-shine-with-my-heroine-dokidoki-powaa events.

Which is why we strongly had question about the two critical lines-to-ensnare-his-heart.

"you're just you" = on Ibelin's route, Ibelin is a foreigner that came to Empire and therefore didn't know Arwin is 1. head of powerful faction; and 2. crazy selfish psychopath (since he's always nice when he's around her). She just shrugged and goes "hey you're nice to me. You're my friend" and Arwin goes *Doki* oh I totally fell for ya’.

Y'see, Arwin didn't have any reason to hide his position as the Lord of Magician's. And being magicians are pretty respectable. The /royal family/ even conduct business with them. Ibelin just never asks, and Arwin is not the type to flaunting his title around (power, sure, but not title). What about number two? From Latte's excerpts, Arwin never been anything but sweet and cute bunny when he's with Ibelin (her detractors meet grisly ends behind her back, like Iron Mentalle), like 'well I heard rumors, but it can't be that bad, you're very nice guy (to me all this time)" and Arwin goes *DOKI*. And I goes, hey bunny, you know it's not true, you know yourself not a nice guy, why do you fall just because a girl said you are *not* who you are?

(and sorry guys, I don't think he'll goes 'since I've met ibelin, I will strive to change myself to became a nice docile mage that helpful to everyone. Time for myself undergoes self-change to became a better man to fit this angelic Ibelin *doki* or some pretty sappy like that). In fact, this kind of scenario got quickly debunked in Latte's route wherein Ibelin command Arwin to be nice person to Latte and Arwin goes, like, 8 to -10 in instant. in a sense, Ibelin just told him to KNEEL! and like Latte said, it's too big of a dream. You can probably request the lord of magicians to vaguely crouched down a bit to help you search for contact lens that just dropped to the ground /per se/ - and if he's feeling nice and (particularly) likes you, mighta done it, but you didn't outright *command* him. He might also done it *within* time, like +20 years into marriage and had been tolerating each other for old long times already, but definitely not for a pretty stranger that, like, only been acquaintance for a month (and like we told you in the essay-that-I-don't-know-when-it'll-be-finisheddd-I'm-experiencing-writer's-block; Arwin has issues of being in power. He's rebellious edgy fish, this fish #3)

Where was I? oh yeah. and that *doki* question 'do you also think I'm a monster?' What the. Since when it's an issue to you Arwin? If you don't want other people view you as monster, then act nice to other people, hey you. But to be fair to him, Arwin seems indifferent with other people. He's used to people gawking at his out-of-this-world beauty, and used to people keeping their distance since he's the lord of magician's tower. the only thing we witnessed to support his scary reputation is his brutal treatment to dangerous thugs, which while makes you 'isn't that a bit excessive, dude? just hand them over to nearest guard (which never shows up, oh well)' but not exactly *le gasp!* 'what a monster! *flail flail* horrible! horrible! they just want to mug you and you chop their head off? poor them!' (ummm, I'm not the greatest example of showing compassion, so yeah.....)

So, anyway, even though people generally fear Arwin and might be crossing the other street when they see him, they're not exactly goes into 'hide the women and children!' level. Basically, I don't see what's the fuss and why I must adhere to people who call you monster just because you offed the mugger that wants to mug you. they can fret 'you should be nicer' but I will not cry and wailing pitifully because I dun wanna be called a monsteeerrr so I will goes ’tis me! mug me all ye want so I can proven my niceness and be accepted by the society!!'. And if me, the normal vanilla mortal thinks that way, I honestly cannot think the lord of magician's tower with ego that stronger than mine (and absolute power to back that up) will think that way.

So Arwin getting concerned with society's perception of him, having identity crisis and afraid of Ibelin also thought of him that way? bullshit. He /might/ be worried about Ibelin not liking him since she's his love interest and it's normal if you want to be liked by the person you like too. but society? can bugger off themselves. and Arwin is always nice/not monsterly to Ibelin, so I don't know where that came from/what it supposed to be. angelic!Ibelin sees Arwin went brutal to defend her and goes *le gasp* you monster?! - won't exist anyway since she's nice angelic girl. It's weird.

So let's talk about Latte's route. Latte, as you know, is the empire's citizen whom house is only 3 days and 3 nights away from the magician tower where Arwin's reside, so she pretty much know about his reputation (incidentally, Latte's knowledge about the original novel seemingly contradicts Arwin 'real' personality. She often thinks him as monster pychopath (chopping bishot's head off, chopping her head off - all over nothing). Arwin doesn't take offense from this even though it's pretty much rude (then again he likes Latte, and he knows what's his reputation and know for the fact that he is, in fact, ruthless (tho not as severe as the monster that Latte's imagined)

Arwin never be anyone but himself in front of Latte. In fact, he acted his worst reputation (= crazy psychopath bastard) right in front of her. Burning her hair tie to get her attention, free-falling force play, insist of calling her annoying nickname that she hate. He also acted his best in front of her (helping her cover for Cano, checking on her and fetching her ride home when she needs it most; actually asking for her /permission/ for a dance! - Arwin can *force* anyone dance with him with puppetry if needed to, but he can't make them enjoying it. And since he likes Latte, he wants her to enjoy her time with him, be it dance, or solving mystery together, or just casual banter. It’s a (BIG) shift from I’ll enjoy spending my time with her to I want *her* to enjoy her time with me too.

From what we see, enjoyment is big drive for Arwin. His friendship with Latte (which including her in 'won't kill because she's funny'’ friendlist started when he finds her amusing). He also making a big fuss upon the super boring play that Ibelin makes him attend - verbally lashing Latte for making him go through that (for 30 mins); he left Latte watching Ibelin's singing contest all on her own and told her to not including him next time for this boring shit.

SPOILER FROM NOVEL FOR AT LEAST +3-4 CHAPTERS AHEAD (where Latte will basically saying 'you're just you' and personal wild theories flinging)

so Arwin take Latte a tour on his abode. His house, his room, his personal perching spot. And Latte seems not really enjoy them. viewing the tower walls from outside? normal room, scary-since-it's-so-high loft space with lots of winds around-you-might-find-it-amusing-but-I-don't. He tried to make her comfortable - providing shield from the wind, providing fire so she's not cold, but it didn't change the fact that while he enjoy this place, Latte might not, and no matter what he do, he can't change it. It's like you‘re hardcore cosplayer frequently attending cons and your friend are 'I don't even understand' but then sighed and said 'yeah, you and your dumb shit, what else is new?' and help making your props/booking your ticket/etc anyway. That kind of old familiarity and acceptance and intimate feels of 'I'm so used with all your antics this doesn't baffle me'

As for Arwin, well, we had elaborating about he's not following society standards (if he is, he won't be crazy psychopath bastard that he is), so we're wagering he's using his own standard in relationship. And since we know he's definitely not doing boring/drab things just to please his significant other, the thought of Latte doing it for him ('I don't really like being here, but it's for you, so okay then') kind of touching. Probably. Uh we don't really understand romance.

and don't even ask me about 'do you also think I'm a monster' thing, because that shit is weird as fuck.

#miss not so sidekick #arwin hebrim #latte ectrie #ibelin dott #whoa man look at me rambling like a lunatic #this supposed to be like 2-3 paragraphs

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strangerivy · 4 years

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Double Life Strangers - Six

Summary: The company spends the day in Rivendell and Lillian speaks with Gandalf learning more about her past and who she is. Warnings: Swearing Pairings: Fíli Durin X Original Character (Lillian) Genre: 18+ | Fluff | Angst Word Count: 2781 Author’s Note: If you would like to be tagged in future parts let me know!

Links: || One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Masterlist ||

“Fíli!”

I had grown accustomed to waking up to Thorin’s booming voice announcing we were leaving but this was not one of those mornings. I felt an arm over my stomach pull me closer and a sleepy groan from behind me. I smiled rolling over to look at Fíli who was just now opening his eyes. He smiled leaning in to kiss me. BANG. BANG. BANG.

I nearly fell out of the bed if it wasn’t for Fíli’s arm holding me onto the bed. I looked at the door questioningly, another loud set of three bangs that shook the door each time. I looked back at Fíli his eyes widening.

“Fíli if you do not open this door at once! I will break this door DOWN.” Thorin yelled on the other side. Now it was my turn to panic. We both bolted out of bed getting our shoes on nearly falling over trying to get them on quickly. Fíli went over to the door opening it as I finished lacing up my boots to see a very pissed off Thorin. He came storming into the room looking at both of us.

“This is highly inappropriate for a prince of Erebor!” He yelled Fíli closed the door to not wake the rest of Rivendell with Thorin’s booming voice.

“Thorin,” I stood up to try and explain to him, he turned his head violently to look at me making stop in my tracks. I’ll leave this one to Fíli.

“Explain yourself, you are not even courting-“

“Actually, we are.” Fíli interrupted walking over to place an arm around my shoulder I reached up grabbing his hand and looked up at him smiling the memory of last night flash briefly in my mind. Thorin looked over at us confused and I turned my head to show the braid. Thorin tensed up eyeballing the new braid in my hair looking at the bead that clasped it together. “As of last night.” Thorin began to pace the room occasionally looking at the both of us.

“Fíli, this isn’t what we discussed,” My stomach was starting to not feel good at this point. Thorin was clearly upset with the situation and I had no idea what that meant for Fíli and me.

“What did we discuss uncle? I remember you stating your concerns and I chose to ignore them,” Fíli removed his arm from my shoulder stepping towards Thorin. Thorin looked at me and pity flashed through his eyes. Thorin stepped forward past Fíli standing directly in front of me. He placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him taking deep breaths from the small amount of panic running through me. He shook his head before leaving the room. I stared at the door after he left and Fíli moved in front of me pulling me into him. If it wasn’t for him, I might have collapsed to the ground. A sob broke through and racked through my body, I buried my face into his chest allowing the tears to flow freely. He stroked my back gently, shushing me as I cried.

“Don’t worry about him Lily, he’s only worried.” He whispered I looked up at him a million things running through my head at this point. I pulled away from him turning to look out a window.

“I think… I think I need to be alone.” I sucked in a breath and Fíli touched my shoulder and I grabbed his hand giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Would you like me to send Bilbo?” He asked his voice full of worry. I nodded my head not daring to look at him. It would only make me cry more. I heard him leave shutting the door behind him. I fell onto the bed my hands falling to knees. I leaned down rubbing my face. What am I doing? I don’t belong here. I’m not supposed to be here! I looked back around the room deciding to get dressed. As I was putting on the last of my clothes, I saw the corner of the small black diary in my back, I reached up over to it rubbing the initials again. A memory flashing in my head.

“I had the weirdest dream last night.” I was sitting in the cafeteria of the hospital eating with one of the other attendings, Nathan. He was a cardiothoracic surgeon. He raised an eyebrow in question as he was trying to eat his food quickly. He had surgery in 15 minutes.

“About?” he managed to get out between chews. I took a sip of my soda twirling the straw with my fingers.

“I was in middle earth, you know from that one movie and I was talking to someone,” I said looking over at him this made him laugh and shake his head. He stood up from the table grabbing his tray.

“And what were you doing there?” he asked clearly amused, I shrugged leaning back in my seat.

“Normal things, reading, and cooking. It was so strange it felt like I spent an entire day there! I didn’t wake up till the end of it.” This made him laugh, even more, I squinted my eyes at him. He patted my shoulder.

“You have the wildest imagination, Lillian, crazy to think you chose to become a doctor.” He then walked off leaving me alone.

I gasped dropping the book to the ground staring at it. That was it. That was the link. I got up heading towards the door to go find Gandalf when a small set of knocks stopped me. Shit. I opened it to see a worried-looking Bilbo on the other side who looks to have just woken up. I opened the door some more for him to come in.

“Fíli told me you need to see me and that it was urgent, what is the matter Lillian?” he asked throwing his hands up. I smiled at him shaking my head.

“It was nothing Bilbo just…” I trailed off staring at the door “Fíli and I are courting.” I turned back to face him with a smile. He smiled but with a slight bit of annoyance. He walked back over to the door opening it.

“That is hardly urgent but,” he paused turning to face me “I am very happy for you sister, truly.” I smiled nodding my head at him before he went back to the rest of the company. I walked out of the room, I would have gone into more detail with him about the events of this morning. But that would have to wait, I needed to find Gandalf. It was a beautiful day out. I looked around and decided to head towards where we ate last night. I almost passed the room he was in catching a glimpse of the old wizard. I stopped heading into the room.

“Gandalf, I have to speak with you!” I demanded walking up to him and gave me a soft smile turning to face me.

“Yes?” He questioned but with the smile, he gave me he seemed to already know what I was going to say. I sighed dropping my hands at my side giving him a wide smile crossing my arms.

“You knew,” He nodded shrugging his shoulder at me in a very amusing way. “Why not just tell me that was how…” I looked up at him confused about what to really ask. He kneeled to my height using his staff to help him.

“You needed to discover this yourself,” He said giving me a comforting smile, I shook my head at him.

“You would have saved me a lot of grief by just telling me you know,” He chuckled standing back up straight.

“Now where would be the fun in that Miss Lillian,” He said raising his eyebrows in a very amusing way. I laughed looking up at him my face suddenly serious as the thought of Fíli came to mind. Gandalf motioned his head for me to go on.

“Fíli and I started courting and well…” Gandalf looking at me in understanding where I was going with this, “What happens after I do what I am meant to do here?” He sighed walking over to a table that was in the room and taking a seat. He motioned for me to do so as well. I went over taking the seat next to him. He looked out at the city of Rivendell.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I nodded my head not sure where he was going with this. He turned to place his hands on the table. “Your mother came to me once; did you know that?” I looked at him questioningly

“No, I didn’t,” I answered

“Well, she did. She was concerned with your irregular sleep. Up for long hours at some points and would sleep longer on some nights. I explained to her what you were. You had a split soul.” I stayed quiet waiting for him to continue, he sighed.

“There are only a few records of your kind and I have only had the pleasure of meeting you. When the time comes, you will have a choice, Lillian. A choice to stay or to go back to the other world.” I looked at him in disbelief. How would I be able to make such a choice? I got up not sure where to go at this point. I wanted to ask more question and I was about to.

“Gandalf,” A voice greeted, I looked over at the doorway to see Lord Elrond he nodded towards me in greeting and I returned it disappointed by his arrival.

“I’ll leave you,” I mumbled walking out of the room. I walked back towards where the company was. When their laughs reached my ears it brought a smile to my face. I stopped just before the entrance. Taking in a breath. I looked out noticing a path down to the river I decided to head there instead not ready to face the others just yet.

As I reached the river, the sounds of nature took over, the water moving and the birds flying above. It was peaceful. I found a rock that looked comfortable enough. I sat down staring out into the woods. I don’t know how long I stayed down there just thinking. The sound of rocks moving pulled me from my thoughts and I looked up to see Fíli, his blonde hair shining in the sunlight as he smiled over at me. He looked so handsome like that.

That’s when I knew the choice was a simple one. I didn’t have this in my other life. I could only hope for it. But here, it was real. He was real. I got up from the rock walking over to him and he offered me his hand as we walked back up to the city.

“You worried me earlier, thought you might be having second thoughts.” I stopped, Fíli looked over at me giving me a confused look. I pulled him closer to me wrapping my arms around his neck ours noses almost touching.

“You have nothing to worry about,” I kissed him, and he pulled me closer placing his hands on my waist my arms wrapping around his neck. I grinned up at him when we parted. “I’m all in,” I whispered he pulled my head to his lips kissing it softly and then again on my lips longingly.

We walked back up to the others, Thorin walked over to us and I tensed up waiting for an outburst from him.

“We leave at nightfall.” Was all he said to us before walking away, Fili sighed turning to face me. He brought my hand up to his lips kissing my knuckles.

“I need to gather my things.” He said I nodded letting him go and headed back to my room to gather my things as well. I grabbed my pack off the floor checking to make sure everything was in it. I looked over at my quiver noticing it was now full. I smiled making a mental note to thank Kíli later. I sighed sitting down on the bed.

“I’m going to miss this bed,” I mumbled to myself falling back onto it. I looked out the window to notice the sun was now setting. I sighed closing my eyes letting myself enjoy the bed for just a little longer. A knock at the door grabs my attention. I open my eyes and sit up looking over at the door to see Fíli leaning in the doorway and Kíli smiling behind him.

“We’re about to head out.” He said. I nodded leaning over to grab my bag before walking over grabbing my bow and quiver. We walked back out to the others and once we were all there, we headed out of the city being sure not to be seen.

“What is with all the sneaking?” I whispered to Fíli, he looked back at me shrugging his shoulders. We made it out of the last hallway onto a path that would lead us out of Rivendell. When we made it to the last corner of the path that would lead us into the wilds Bilbo and I both stopped getting once last look of it.

“A shame we didn’t get to spend more time,” I whispered he looked up at me giving a sad smile before giving a small nod.

“It is,” He sighed I rested my hand on is his shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Mr. and Miss Baggins, you’ll want to keep up,” Thorin called after us. I waited for Bilbo to move and followed him.

“We’re stepping into the wilds now, be on your guard. Balin, you know this path lead on,” Thorin said as we walked out of the safety of the elves valley.

It was late into the night when we made it out of the hidden valley and I was ready for bed. Unfortunately, Thorin shows no signs of stopping. I groaned and grumbled silently as my feet started to ache, waiting desperately for the moment Thorin to say we were stopping for the night. At least, what was left of it. Fíli appeared next to me, startling me a bit. The lack of sleep was not helping me be aware of my surroundings.

“Please tell me were stopping soon,” I whined tiredly at him and he laughed in amusement at my grouchiness. I squinted my eyes at him not in any mood for jokes or laughter or anything really that didn’t involve sleep.

“Well stop here for the night,” Thorin finally yelled and I instantly dropped my bag relieved that we were done walking. I quickly took out my bedroll getting it ready, knowing well that we would only have a few hours to sleep. I heard some whispering and soft chuckling behind me causing me to look and see both Kíli and Fíli watching me. I raised my eyebrows at them in question my slightly tilted to look at their faces.

“What?” I blandly asked not in the mood. Why are they so awake? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of 48-hour shifts in the hospital, I was accustomed to lack of sleep but that was a very different situation then what I was in currently.

“We’ve just never seen someone move so quickly to get to bed,” Kíli managed to get out between giggles. I glared over at them unamused.

“I’m glad I amuse you,” I grumbled pulling out my blanket from my pack getting situated on my bedroll before covering myself. I pulled my pack back to use it as a makeshift pillow. Fíli walked over to me with a frown noticing my annoyance. He knelt touching my arm. I turned to look at him.

“We didn’t mean anything by it,” He whispered, I sighed knowing I was probably being a little too harsh towards them. Lack of sleep usually did that to me.

“She gets mean when she’s tired doesn’t she,” Bilbo said walking past us, I glared up at him before looking back at Fíli who was looking at me with a soft smile. He reached over grabbing his bedroll laying it out next to mine and taking his blanket and draping it over the both of us. I smiled at him turning over to face away from him but scooted closer to him, so we were touching. He draped his arm over my waist holding me close.

“Goodnight,” he whispered kissing my head. I rolled over snuggling into his cheat breathing in his scent. I smiled snuggling into his chest before drifting off to sleep.

#fili x oc #fili x reader #fili durin x reader #Fili durin X OC #fili durin fanfiction #fili durin #fili #fíli durin x oc #fíli x oc #fíli durin fanfiction #Fíli #Fíli Durin #the hobbit #the hobbit fanfiction #the hobbit fandom #the unexpected journey

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ariadnassecretdiary · 4 years

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The black swan lake (AU) - Second act

*Mun Ari: I’m so happy many of you seemed to enjoyed this idea! :’D I’ve been having this idea stuck in my head for MONTHS! It was until now that I was able to write it down and I’m very much pleased (even after the first version incident!) since I wrote it from cero and I inserted more detailed writing for you to enjoy~! I hope this second part won’t disappoint you :’3 (also...a tiny warning since it’s a long chapter ^^’)

Anyway, enjoy~

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

From that day forward, the young princess went every day to visit the swan prince. At first, it was hard to coordinate their visits: Ariadna once went when it was early in the morning and found Kino still in his swan form and of course asleep. She accidently woke him up and she almost got bitten by the furious swan. She then understood that during the day Kino was a swan, which meant he couldn’t speak and he would be asleep, while during the late afternoon and night he would be on his human form and therefore they would be able to spend time together. Ariadna was in a tight situation, since that meant escaping from the castle during the afternoons and coming back at night. Ariadna was afraid this would cause her problems, but she was very careful during her sneakins.

Then it was the fact that the young princess had to find the way to get along with Kino. He enjoyed teasing her, insult her and would even treat her as some sort of servant (even making her refer to him as ‘your highness’). Ariadna would try to do as he asked, reassuring herself that she was doing it all for the sake of her family’s ring. Ariadna had a hard time and could only see him as a spoiled, arrogant and mean prince.

Days turned in weeks since they’ve made the deal and their process seemed slower than a turtle. Not even when their visits became a daily routine. They met, they talked and they parted ways until the next day. Barely any progress was made.

“Tell me ‘your highness’” one time Ariadna spoke to Kino with a sarcastic tone.

“I’ll let that remark of yours pass this time ‘peasant’” he said in a threatening tone

“I’m sorry~. But I was wondering, are you seriously a prince?”

“What do you mean by ‘seriously’?”

“I mean…you refer yourself as ‘prince’, so I was wondering from which kingdom you came from?”

“I don’t think that is of your inconvenience ‘peasant’”

“Could it be you’re actually the swan’s prince? You rule over all swans?”

“No I’m not!”

“Well, I can’t seem to understand how you are able to turn from human to swan that easy”

“You’re saying nonsense”

“Then...are you perhaps a wizard?”

“I’ve told you I can’t control this transformations”

“Could it be you made a spell that accidentally went wrong?”

Kino then turned around.

“It’s more like a curse than an accidental spell”

“Why? Did someone did this to you?”

Kino sighed and suddenly sit down in a fallen tree.

“I’m getting bored of this conversation” Kino said.

(Why does he avoids the topic? Maybe I guessed and he was cursed by someone else?) Ariadna thought

“Is that so? And what would ‘your highness’ would like to do about it?”

“I don’t know, you should do something”.

“Do something? What you mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Entertain me”

“How?”

“I don’t know do something!”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you your highness, but I’m I afraid I can’t think of anything”

“You’re seriously helpless”

Ariadna started thinking and a tiny idea popped in her head.

“Well, we could try and talk a little? Is there any topic you like?”

“Would you be able to tag along?”

“Maybe? Or maybe you can ask me any question you like?”

“Is that the best you’ve got?”

“I’m afraid it is…”

“Unbelievable…”

“Then, what is it that your highness enjoy doing?”

“I used to be rather busy, so I rarely had any free time. Unlike others” Kino remarked his last words, making Ariadna felt attacked.

“Please ‘your highness’ but that felt rather rude”

“Oh? You felt it like it? Are you criticizing my way of speak?”

“I-I just...please regulate your tone. I felt attacked”

(Why the sudden rudeness? Is it because of the swan topic?) Ariadna thought.

“You think you have the right to tell me how should I talk? Who you think you are? May I remind you the reason you’re here is to entertain me only? Your opinions are irrelevant to me!”

Ariadna gave one step backwards. He was getting irritated and she didn’t intended it.

“T-That wasn’t my intention a-at all!”

“It sounded like that. Remember I have something of yours ‘peasant’...be careful with what you say”

“B-But I did nothing wrong! I just ask for something rather simple! I thought we could get along…”

“Yes, yet the only thing you seem to be good at is at making me angry. I should have known instead of wasting my time with such an annoying girl as you are!”

Ariadna felt really intimidated and so scared. His eyes shone dangerously and Ariadna really didn’t understand what she had done to annoyed him so much.

“I’m sorry, b-but I’m doing the best I can. However, I can’t do it all on my own. I-I’ve been doing what you ask, b-but all I received were insults and rudeness!”

“So you’re saying is my fault? You are the one here that has something to lose and you are making me very irritated”

“B-But!”

“Which makes me think: Why is that ring that important?”

“It’s my family’s treasure. It has p-passed through generations, so I can’t lose it”.

“Your family…why they have such a valuable treasure?”

“What you mean? Each family has its treasure and no one really knows how they’ve got it”

“Even yours?”

“What you meant with that?” Ariadna suddenly felt offended, what he was insinuating?

“Such a treasure could only belong to a very wealthy family, is your family that rich or you are hiding the true origin of that ring?”

Suddenly, Ariadna started having enough and that fear that she had been feeling was turning into anger.

“Listen ‘your highness’: what you’re insinuating is very disrespectful on your behalf. I ask you to stop insisting”

“Where you got that ring then?”

“I already told you: is my family’s relic! Why won’t you believe me?”

“Sounds suspicions if you ask me…”

“Well, it isn’t! I’m highly offended: are you trying to insinuate I stole it from some sort of wealthy family?”

“Maybe? I can’t believe a peasant like you would have such jewel with you”

“That’s it! I ask you to take that back! My family is highly respected and we wouldn’t do such a thing! Unlike you that, in fact, who actually stole my ring with the help of your bird friend!”

“So are you calling me thief!?”

“Then, how would you call such an act? That is MY ring and you took it from me and later on you threw it to the lake!”

“Silence! Apologize this instant!”

“I will as soon you do that as well! You were the first one to offend me!”

“I won’t and unless you want that ring back you’ll do as I say!”

“No! It seems that I got to know you even more: you think is just natural for everybody to do as you say without complains, is it not?”

“Of course! I’m a prince and they all should obey me”

“You’re wrong! No one is above or below somebody! So, I won’t apologize since I didn't start this discussion!”

“So you won’t do it?”

“No! I’m out of here!”

“If you leave you’ll regret it!”

“It doesn’t matter anymore! I’m starting to think you won’t give me my ring anyway. Why should I bother to keep this constant visits?”

“We made a deal!”

“We did, but I didn’t agree to be treated so poorly! I’ve had enough!”

Kino stopped her by grabbing her by the arm.

“You! You really enjoy making me angry, don’t you?”

“Let go of my arm this instant!”

“Apologize!”

“I WON’t!” Ariadna felt the anger boiled inside of her and she knew that the worst to do was to decide when one was blind with anger.

“You’ll regret it! Once I’m pissed I won’t be responsible for what I’ll do” Kino’s spoke coldly.

Ariadna had reached her limits: up until now he had shown no remorse and a huge amount of cruelty that made Ariadna wonder of what he could be capable of doing. Yet after all he had said just now made her show that rebellious attitude she had been hiding for a while now.

“Listen ‘your highness’: I think I’ve stand enough of your offenses these pasts days. You need to be nicer! No one deserves such treatments. Please think about your attitude”

“Don’t tell me what to do. I won’t let go of your arm until you are on your knees begging for forgiveness! Do it now or confront the consequences!”

With firm determination, Ariadna looked straight into his eyes. She wouldn’t kneeled, not before a despicable prince as he was.

“Never! I won’t kneel before a monster like yourself!”

“What you said just now!?”

“As you heard: you are a monster and I—!?”

Ariadna was interrupted when Kino slapped her, Ariadna lost balance and fell to the ground into a puddle of mud. She stayed there in shock, feeling her cheek burning hot from the impact and soon the ache came.

“Pfff Hahahaha exactly~! This suits you perfectly! Looking at me from below and dirty as you are~!”

Ariadna felt humiliated and hurt. What is it that she did to deserve this? No one had ever raised a hand to her in her whole life. A tiny feeling of bravery raised upon her. She stood up and with all her force she could she slapped back straight to Kino’s cheek as he was distracted laughing at her.

There was a moment of silence and they both stood there paralyzed. Ariadna then felt all that pain and humiliation rose again and tears formed in her eyes.

“I can’t stand it anymore! I hate you!”

Without giving him the opportunity to add something, Ariadna turned around and ran towards the exit. She pushed through the branches and then she went out the waterfall. She rode Night Star back to her castle as fast as she could. Her horse knew the way and so Ariadna allowed her tears fall as she cried all the way back home.

“Why…Why is he… so mean to me? How is it… possible for such… such a cruel person like him to exist?” Ariadna said between tears as she was approaching her home.

She wouldn’t go back to that forest, she didn’t want to see that cruel prince ever again.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Back at the forest, Kino stood there frozen from the shock. He took his hand to his cheek, where the mark of Ariadna’s hand had landed seconds ago.

“How dare she!? Who she think she is!?”

A squawk was heard and suddenly Yuri was standing in front of Kino.

“Kino, what did you do!?”

“You see what she did! She deserved it!”

“Kino, the circumstances are different now! Look how much time has passed and still there’s no progress”

“It will be a matter of time. She needed to learn her place! I’m a prince and she needs to treat me as such!”

“But we need her!”

“She’ll come back~ after all I have her stupid ring”

“Kino you are wrong. After what happen there is no way she’ll come back”

“She will. She has to…”

“Please take this more seriously! Look at us! We are still under the spell of that witch!!”

“Watch your language peasant!” a voice was heard and the atmosphere changed.

From a black and threatening cloud a figure emerge showing a young lady dressed all in black. Although her face was hidden under the cloak she was wearing, it was possible to see her long yet blond hair. As she approached them, she looked at them through her dark grey eyes.

“Oh~? What brings us the honor, like every single day, of your presence Sabine?” Kino greet the lady in a sarcastic way.

“So charismatic Kino. It seems you have the same attitude as always~” Sabine answered amused. “How are you doing dear~?”

“I was doing fine until you arrived”

“Oh~? It didn’t seem like it~” Sabine said getting closer to Kino and passing her slim fingers over his red cheek. “It seems that even the most loyal servant can become aggressive towards it’s master under this...pitiful situation~”

Kino pushed her hand away disgusted.

“Don’t touch me Sabine”

“Why so cold Kino? You didn’t seem to mind my attentions not long ago~”

“Last time you laid your fingers on me, I ended up as a swan. You tell me”

“Oh~ silly me~! It seems my touch can be very picky~”

Sabine touched Kino’s cheek again regardless his words and in a second his cheek was healed thanks to her magic. Yet Kino didn’t thank her.

“What is it that you want this time Sabine?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I want an answer to my question~"

“You should give up. You know the answer already. You keep asking the same question each and everyday since you brought us here”

“And I’ll keep doing it until I get the answer I want dear~ After all, it will be a matter of time before your desperation within you became so unbearable with each passing day that you’ll end up accepting my proposal. Don’t you think~?”

“Then let me ask you: how would you feel being cursed and trapped in this hellish tiny place?”

“Don’t be like that~ It’s such a beautiful place! I made it specially for you~ Sure, is small, but you can leave whenever you like…as long you come back each time the sun hides to this lake for you to recover your human form that is~"

Kino looked at her with hatred.

“What? May I remind you who got you in this situation?” Sabine’s voice changed from a playful tune into a serious one.

“It was you Sabine after you couldn’t handle rejection” Kino answered coldly.

“Oh no no dear: I can handle rejection, but what I couldn’t allow is the humiliation you made me passed through!”

Sabine was furious and her powers were altering their surroundings, but none of the three moved.

“Let me tell you a story dear. The story about a prince, a young lady’s proposal and a terrible decision.

Long time ago, there was a prince that had it all. He had a mighty kingdom, that he built on his own. He was strong, skillful with every weapon, intelligent and a great strategist which helped him expand his kingdom and achieve so many things at a young age. The neighbor kingdoms feared him: some became his allies while others were forced to submit to him. He was also very good-looking and rich and so many ladies were after him. Many kings wanted their daughters to marry him due to his wealth and power. He could easily get any women he could wanted.

There was this peculiar lady that fell helplessly in love with the young prince and did everything she could to win his heart. She devoted herself to him and one day she declared her love for him. He laughed at her, she humiliated her infront the nobility and simply rejected her the worst possible way.

‘Love? I don’t know what that is~’ he said and kept on laughing. ‘I can’t believe you seriously thought someone like you could be worthy of someone like me~ don’t make me laugh!’

The lady was heartbroken and you know the saying: ‘there’s nothing more dangerous than a heartbroken woman’. She then revealed her secret: she possessed magic. So that same instant she decided to give the cruel prince a lesson.

She placed a spell on the prince: During the day the prince would turn into a black swan and when the last rays of sunlight disappear he’ll recover his human appearance.

She was merciful as she could have transformed him into something worse like a cockroach, but she chose an elegant creature such as the swan. Then, she placed the swan prince into a safe place with the company of his most loyal servant. Not before leaving the witch said:

‘As you said you didn’t know what love is, the way to break the spell is by finding a lady that would love you just the way you are right now. If the lady loves you just as much as you do, she’ll have to prove it by declaring her love for you infront of everybody. Then the spell will be gone and you’ll get back everything that is yours’.”

The end~”

Kino felt his blood boiling with anger after Sabine finished the story.

“There was another way to break the spell, however: the prince could marry the witch and live happily ever after. So, from that day forward, the witch would come and visit her beloved prince and ask the same question. And she won’t give up until she hears the answer she wants” Sabine added “So you know dear: you could end your suffering by just saying three simple words~ But don’t worry: I’ll keep waiting~"

Sabine vanished into the air while her laugh faded away.

“Merciful? Don’t make me laugh!” Kino said in an irritated voice.

“She cheated by trapping us here, by hiding and erasing all traces of memory of nearby kingdoms and allies about our existence and keeping people away from this forest by spreading false stories…”

“And! Avoiding me from escaping, because in order for me to recover my human form I need to be in the lake, otherwise I’ll remain a swan. Damn it!”

Kino punched a nearby tree while Yuri looked at him. There was a moment of silence.

“You understand now?” Yuri finally spoke “unless you marry lady Sabine, you need to fix everything with lady Ariadna in order to break the spell”

“What exactly you want me to do?” Kino answered derrotated.

“Make Miss Ariadna stay. Not by the means of her ring, but rather by you. There’s no other way: she has to love you”

Kino looked at Yuri and then let a tired sigh.

“It can’t be helped…but for that she has to come back”.

“I hope she does Kino…I hope she does”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Ariadna entered the castle as silent as she could. When she reached the main stairs, suddenly the room illuminated revealing a rather angry Akane.

“Ariadna” Akane stopped Ariadna’s almost successful plan to reach to her room unnoticed.

“Y-Yes sister?” she replied as calm as she could.

“What happened to you? You are all dirty!”

“Oh…T-This? I-I was riding Night Star and I wasn’t p-paying a lot of attention, s-so I got hit by a branch and lost balance and so I felt in a puddle of mud” Ariadna lied to Akane.

“That could be very dangerous Ariadna. Please be more careful”

“I w-will, I’m sorry”

“Now that we are talking about the subject: Lately you’ve been spending a lot of time outside, may I ask the reason for it?”

Ariadna knew she had to find a good excuse as to explain her constant trips to the forest. Something more convincing than a so-call-prince that could turn into a swan that stole her family ring AND was manipulating her with it to make her visit him EVERYDAY.

“I…um…”

(think Ariadna think!)

“I’ve been visiting Naomi!”

“Lady Naomi? Why if I may ask?”

“W-Why? W-Well…I asked her for some extra e-etiquette lessons! Yes that’s it!”

“So you’ve been going all the way to the eagle kingdom just for etiquette lessons you could easily receive here with Miss Sonia?”

(She doesn’t believe it!)

“Y-Yes…I know it’s not proper for a lady t-to do so, but Naomi is such a lady a-and a very good teacher. I thought she was a good option…I’m sorry”

(please believe it…)

Akane remain silent. Ariadna’s heart was raising with nervousness.

“To go to that extent…Ariadna, don’t push yourself too much, ok? You are a lady already, you don’t have to train that much”

“I-I think you never have enough…”

“If you insist…”

“Yes…A-Anyway, I’ll go to wash myself before going to bed. If you excuse me…”

Ariadna smiled and was about to head back to her room when:

“I’ll write a letter to lady Naomi to thank her then. I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to invite her over as a sign of gratitude for everything that she has done”

“R-Really? B-But…!”

(Oh no! If she do that Naomi will tell her the truth and I’ll be in serious trouble!)

“But? I need to show gratitude in the name of our family”

“I mean, of course! H-However…with the upcoming ball you must be very busy, don’t you?”

“Well…yes, but still I must thank her”

“L-Leave it to me! I’ll tell her tomorrow when I see her in person! W-What you think?”

Akane paused to think about it and Ariadna was sweating at this point.

“If you insist…then I’ll leave it to you”

“Thank you sister! I’ll do it, trust me”.

Akane nodded and then left.

Ariadna was in serious trouble: now she needed to tell Naomi to cover her up, but knowing Naomi she wouldn’t accept doing such a thing without any explanation…and she also would ask the truth in exchange…

Ariadna cursed her bad luck: all because of Kino. She wouldn’t even come back and she had to cover it up anyway…it was all a disaster.

To be continued…

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

*Mun Ari: AHHH I love it! jajajaj sorry is just that this idea is my favorite so far and I couldn’t stop myself! Even if it’s 2:35 am here 🙂 jajajaja…I need help 🙃

I hope you liked it nevertheless! 🥰

Stay tuned and…oh! I think this will end up being a four chapter thing, I’m sorry but I couldn’t help it (is not sure yet, but there is a high possibility 🥺)

Stay tuned! 💕

#ariadnassecretdiary #inside ariadna's diary #ariadnaxkino #Ariadna Koizumi Martínez #Kino #black swan lake AU #chapter 2 :3 #very long!!#thanks for reading!!#to be continued~!#Mun Ari's crappy writing #diabolik lovers latino #diabolik lovers oc #it's 1:50 am and I just finished the last check up/correction before posting it O_o #jajajajja I need help .-.#mun ari speaks

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