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sirowsky-stories · 3 months

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The Old Prince

Part 13

Author's Note: It's been an intense week for me, my loves, (I quit my job of 9 years!) so this was severely delayed, but here you are!

Description: You're forced to make a really tough decision, and as the war rages, you finally realize what it's gonna take to win.

Rating: Mature 18+ONLY Warnings: Monster Oberyn Martell x Female Reader, AU fic, obviously Halloween themed, reader cusses. Angst. Severe injuries. Word Count: 6427 Author's Masterlist

You’re not quite sure how Simon’s managing to change the oceans so quickly, unless he’s concentrating all his efforts solely on the Atlantic, not trying to expand in all directions at once. Still, there is a lot of ocean to get through, and he’s advancing terrifyingly fast, turning thousands of square meters of the water into the same goop you saw in the Mexican Gulf, every few seconds.

This is what allows him to stay at the front of his army, riding a bizarre wave of dead things at the head of his legion, while Oberyn circles above, keeping just under the shadow of the cloud, as if itching to reach new land to destroy. Seeing him sends shards of glass through your heart. He’s not a spirit, which means your light won’t be able to save him, and you have to be prepared to kill him if you wanna win this war. There’s no other way this ends.

But no matter how badly changed he is, you still see your beloved prince when you look at him. Your heart won’t stop choosing to see the love he gave you. It just won’t. His gift will live on in you for as long as you survive this world, and in Day for the rest of all time, which is the only comfort you can find while you stand there in front of the now once more glowing lighthouse, waiting for the storm to hit.

He is lost. But not gone. You can still save one small part of him.

The cloud reaches over your heads just as the last rays of sunlight fade from the sky, no doubt a precisely calculated time-plan on Simon’s part, but the dragon pulls back then, remaining above the mass of the army as the gunk which replaces the sea makes landfall. You guess that he’s being held back so he won’t kill too many people before they can be converted and added to the ranks, but it makes no difference as the island itself rejects their arrival.

It’s more than a little satisfying to see the Darkling literally fall over when his wave of death is brought to an abrupt stop, as if hitting a wall, once it tries to spill over land. You can’t help but grin smugly at him when he glares at you while getting back up, which of course, only further angers him. But there’s no use. The light holds.

“That’s a neat little trick, Lux. But you won’t keep me out forever,” he growls, and the slight tone of incredulity in his voice tells you this is something he hadn’t anticipated.

Which must mean your spirit has never managed something like this before.

“I thought you were the new and improved dark one. The best one ever,” you taunt, feeling a tad superior to have finally found an angle he can’t immediately break through. “I thought you knew all my tricks and had already figured out how to counter them.”

“Like I said, it’s just a matter of time.”

You refrain from replying that you can reach around the entire world like this, since angering him further isn’t gonna do you any favors. Then Oberyn’s flame suddenly drops on you from above. As if spewed from one of those airplanes with water-tanks, used to combat wildfires, it cascades over the entire western coastline. The dragon is sick of waiting for his cue, it seems.

You can protect the island from the dark forces, which means he can’t land or swipe at people or animals on the ground, but his fire is just fire. Neither belonging to light nor darkness. The people aren’t frightened of it, so they just stand there as it hits them, melting their bodies in mere seconds.

If you don’t do something, the entire island will be destroyed. But the only thing you can do is try to kill the dragon. The thought fills you with pain and sorrow, and Simon immediately senses it.

“Poor little Boo. How awful it must be to know you have to kill your lover if you want to save these pitiful people.”

You can feel him prodding at your mind, trying to slip past the light so he can disrupt your power, but you’ve been down this road before and you’re still immune to him. Flooding your mind with all the happy memories, all the curious conversations in the beginning of your time at the castle, the immediate connection you’d felt with Oberyn and how it had eventually blossomed into love, you shove Simon out of your being with such force that it once again unbalances him.

And when the dragon lines up for his next run, you use your connection to all the people around you to increase the strength of your beam, before unleashing it from your chest. It hits him at the base of his throat before he veers off, but you maintain the beam, chasing after him until you’ve hit him again, leaving a glowing trail along his spine. He crashes somewhere to the northwest, and the sea of malice swallows him whole.

It’ll heal him, you know it will. He isn’t nearly damaged enough to be out of the game, but it gives you a while to think. And what you think is that you can’t fight a war by being only defensive. Your enemy can and will wait practically forever for your barriers to fall. His army isn’t dependent on food and water to survive, whereas yours is.

The only offensive measure in your arsenal is your light-beam but it won’t be enough to decimate Simon’s forces. You need to find a way to put a weapon in the hands of every living thing you’re connected to. But how? While you’re working that problem, the Darkling continues to let his evil spread through the ocean, killing millions of water-dwelling creatures in the process, and when you see the black goo travel past the island, you suddenly wonder why your light hasn’t seemed to reach the underwater population at all.

Reaching out towards Europe, you try to feel if your powers seem to have reached into the landlocked rivers and lakes, but the only answer you find is no. Which means, given time, all water on the planet will eventually be infected and undrinkable, killing everything no matter how much light you try and infuse things with. If you can’t find a way to protect the water, you’ll lose.

You can’t see Caelum anywhere, so you have to assume she’s hiding and waiting for her moment to strike. But you’re also highly aware the other spirits are absent as well, meaning Simon knows you can restore them and is keeping them out of your reach. Fuck! You need more time. There are too many unanswered questions.

Then something unexpected happens. A person on the beach below you loses his light, and the darkness instantly swallows him through the gap in your armor, giving it a foothold on the island. It can’t spread any further unless more people give in to it, but it still worries you. The dark one must be whispering to them, reaching into their minds just like he tried to do with you and just like you expected him to. But you didn’t expect him to succeed in persuading anyone so quickly. It’s only been minutes…

One problem at a time, that’s as much as you can work on, and right now, weapons take priority. You need a way to distribute light through something other than yourself. Another person falls, further inland, leaving a second beast in her place. It writhes and screeches, clawing at the invisible barriers which contain it, already hungry. Desperate to consume.

Consume… wait, that’s it! Using your hand, you shoot a highly concentrated beam at the newly formed creature down on the beach, turning him into glowing dust. Your light has now consumed and transformed him, just like the darkness does to the living. Except the dust he becomes also becomes a part of you, because it’s light.

Out of seemingly nowhere, Caelum suddenly swoops down over you, heading straight for the glowing dust and then beating her wings against it, sending it flying off over the blackened sea. Taking the opportunity given, you attempt to amplify the light of those little specks as they disperse, and it works.

Like fireworks, each and every particulate becomes a sizzling little bomb, which when it hits a creature of the dark, multiplies and creates a chain reaction which kills thousands in mere seconds. Simon manages to stop its rampant progression by throwing masses of thick vines in its path, essentially drowning the fireworks. But this time, you’re the one who can sense his fear growing, because this is an effective weapon, and one he won’t be able to wait out or prevent.

There’s no reason to hold back, so as soon as the first volley is extinguished, you launch a second one, and Caelum is right there, helping you disperse it with her microbursts of powerful winds. This time, you use both hands separately and aim your beam along as much of the front lines of the dark army as you can endure, before your hands are once again charred. But it pays off. The chain reaction which follows is massive, destroying at least a tenth of Simon’s army before he can halt it.

Then, just as the battlefield grows louder with the shrieks of anger from the decimated forces, there’s a rumble from below the semi-solid surface of the black ooze, and then Oberyn comes thrashing out of it. It holds him back, weighing him down with its oily muck, leaving him struggling to get his wings up, having to beat them hard repeatedly before enough of the shit has been removed to allow him to take off.

He comes straight at you, fully aware that you’re the one who brought him down and obviously eager to retaliate. It takes less than a second of seeing his distorted and enraged face glare at you, before your mind reverts into thoughts of grief and despair, and just like earlier, the moment you do, the Darkling pounces and tries to invade your mind. You’re not threatened by it, but it does scatter your resolve, leaving you frozen.

It tortures you. Seeing this, knowing that it’s your Oberyn but you’ll never get to see him proudly glide across the skies again. Knowing you’re the one who has to end him. There isn’t enough light in the universe to keep those thoughts away. He closes in so fast, and yet it seems to happen infinitely slowly. Jaws wide and the churning heat within, trained solely on you, needing to destroy with such desperation.

You wonder if there’s more behind it. His very existence depends on your obliteration, that much is easy to conclude, but somehow, you feel as though this need is fed by more than just the fear of death. It was the fear of losing you which brought him here, so it stands to reason the same fear is still what ultimately controls him, even if his memories are gone. But none of this really matters. It’s just thoughts, coming to you now as your own desperation is brought to a head. A last attempt to put off the unthinkable… but inevitable.

Stop..

An image flashes before your eyes, obscuring the jaws which are about to reach you, and you hear your own voice whispering inside your head, just as it had sounded back then, while something occurs to you on instinct. You’d made it stop that day in Detroit. The creature attacking the policemen. But it hadn’t been sunlight you’d put in its way. Once again you scream the word, not as loud as you can, but with all the might you possess… and the dragon stops.

He’s brought to a halt so abruptly that he flinches backwards and then crashes down onto the beach below you as if an invisible rope had snared and pulled him down. You look up, checking if there are reinforcements on the way to try and aid the dragon, only to see Simon’s face contort into pure rage at the sight of his presumed perfect weapon against you flailing as he tries to get back up. But the monster makes no attempt to help his minion.

Turning back to Oberyn, your breath is suddenly stifled as pain floods your being with the knowledge of what you’re about to do. He’s helpless to defend himself while you hold him down, pinning him to the sands as you try to prepare. Except there is no preparing for this. No amount of conditioning is going to make this one damned bit easier. You need to touch him to finish it, so although it’s the last thing you want to do, you start to walk down towards the beach.

He thrashes against the invisible chains you have wrapped around him, screeching through his ruined throat for his master to save him, but the dark one isn’t going to spare his resources on a lost cause. Whether he knows what you’re doing or not, he knows he’s powerless to stop it.

“Shhh…” you soothe, making your way to the once so mighty king of the skies, and his writhing eases up a little. ��It’s gonna be alright.”

By the time you’re standing in front of him, he’s completely stopped moving, laying his head down in the sand, staining the tiny crystals black with the oil that seeps from his ruined skin.

“It wasn’t the sun which stopped that creature in Detroit,” you explain, even though you know he doesn’t have the ability to understand you anymore.

You just need to. One last conversation. Your final chance to ever say anything to him again.

“It was conviction. In that moment, I truly believed myself strong enough to stand up to something so evil. And I believed it so completely, so fiercely, that my voice reached into its dead brain and sparked the idea that maybe there is something more powerful than darkness. That’s all it took to stop it in its tracks. Just an idea. The barest hint of a flaw in the fabric of reality woven by the evils of this world.”

Taking one final step, you lay your hands on the tip of his nose, ignoring the thick, oily goo you sink into slightly, and which starts to trickle down your lower arms in sluggish dribbles.

“Such a simple thing. And yet, I couldn’t convince you of it. Because around you, I didn’t think I had to be that person. With you, I thought I could just be… human,” you shrug unhappily, giving yourself just a few seconds to let the tears fall. “I should’ve known better.”

He watches you, giving no indication that anything you say is affecting him, and even though you knew it wouldn’t, it still hurts you to know he’ll never look at you with those big brown, adoring eyes again. Light flows through your hands and your chest, and you watch as he slowly dissolves before your eyes, until all that’s left is the glowing dust. And the love of your life is truly gone.

Pain overwhelms you, bringing you to your knees, but there’s no longer any fear within you. The worst thing that could ever have happened, has already happened.

What’s left is agony and loneliness, but this doesn’t concern you, because you now know those feelings won’t take away your love or your hope. That they don’t eliminate positivity, but each exist alongside one another instead. You now realize both are born from the same place. Equal parts of the same core, and each vital for the existence of the other. And this understanding makes you truly untouchable to the Darkling.

But you can’t force this kind of understanding on other people. It’s not something one can be taught, so there’s no way for you to render others equally untouchable. Oberyn’s final act was to make you invincible against the darkness, not so that you can singlehandedly stop it, but so that the forces of light will always have a leader. No matter how long this war rages.

“You may have temporarily weakened me, Boo,” Simon snarls then, “but so long as the spirits belong to me, you will lose. I have all of eternity to wait for you to recognize that.”

With those words, he and his army retreats, although the Atlantic remains ruined after their departure. He’s not defeated, not even close. He’ll regroup and head for another coast, another continent to try and infect, and he’ll keep doing that for however long he has to. Because he’s right. Without the spirits, you’ll never stand a chance.

As if knowing you’re thinking about her, Caelum comes to your side and lands in the sand beside you.

“We can’t let him drag this out,” you say through the tears and the snot which has accumulated in your nose, while you follow your enemy’s departure with your gaze. “I don’t know how, but we need to free your sisters and we need to do it soon.”

In your periphery, you see her nod decisively, probably also aware the longer this takes, the more people will eventually succumb to the darkness no matter how diligently you try to safeguard them. And perhaps even more importantly; the more of nature will be destroyed. As you stand there, a plan begins to take form inside your mind, and you wonder if she somehow speaks to you, because you don’t feel like all of this is coming from you.

“Has it ever been this bad before?” you ask her, turning to meet her eyes now.

She holds your gaze for a few moments, but if she replies, you can’t tell. You don’t know if she even remembers things from as far back as the last dark one, but you also feel like whether she does or not, she’s no longer the same thoughtless entity of raw emotion she’s meant to be. Her stoic stillness somehow feels like an answer, though, and not a good one. But however bad you might try to imagine things could get from this point; nothing could’ve prepared you for how truly awful they would become.

--=¤=--

You sigh heavily as you feel another person die. Not by the Darkling’s hand, though, this was natural causes. A young man somewhere on the northern Australian continent, you’re not sure exactly where. It stopped being important a while ago. The exact locations. They’re all just losses. Caelum senses it too, and you feel her sorrow, which annoys you. You’re not sure when you stopped being able to grieve the lost ones anymore, but it seems like a long time ago.

You still care, perhaps even too much. Because each and every one who dies feels like your failure, but after so long and so much death, it’s gotten harder and harder to let yourself feel it. To let your love for the world carry your burdens and lighten your heart. It’s so hard when you’re connected to everything, because people die, in all sorts of ways, every minute of every day. And even if it isn’t traumatic or horrible, even if they just die in their sleep, you feel all of them as they leave the light.

How long has it been? How many deaths have you felt at this point? The fight takes you all over the world, so time-zones have stopped having any meaning to you. You battle the dark for as long as you can, and then you find a place to rest, sleeping for what you assume are a few hours, and then you get back to work. That’s the routine. Day after day.

The world fights with you, holding off the black hurricane and the senseless death it protects, even when you sleep. Determined not to fail, feeding off the light you still pour into it with as much hope as you can muster. But for all their courage and strength, Simon’s power has not been weakened. You’ve made almost no progress in recovering anything he’s already corrupted, leaving the American continents his adult playground.

He’s frustrated, though. You can tell. His need to consume makes him crave fresh bodies. Living things to torture the light out of so he can feed his stale existence and give it purpose. His army is restless, spending its time tearing at itself in search of relief from such a pointless existence, needing to tear, rip, destroy something. At times it gets bad enough that they even start dismembering themselves, further mutating their bodies as the removed limbs grow back even more distorted.

Time, it seems, is no more their friend than it is yours.

Caelum has changed as well. She’s no longer limited to non-verbal communication, having learned not just how to speak telepathically with you, but how to remember things from one moment to the next. Ordinarily, she shouldn’t be capable of thought or reasoning of any kind, but circumstances have forced her to evolve.

“Please, stop,” you ask her without saying a word out loud, when she continues to grieve for the dead man, and her sharp eyes refocus on you.

“You are the one who recognizes the strength of caring,” she chides, not for the first time.

“I’m aware. But lingering on the dead won’t help, will it?”

She doesn’t respond to that, but something about her gaze makes you feel guilty.

“I just mean we need to keep looking ahead, find solutions. We’re not a single step closer to ending this war and it’s been… how long now?” you ask, genuinely trying to work it out but coming up short.

“Three and a half years,” she replies, and for a moment you just stare blankly at her.

Your own assessment was off by about an entire year.

“Fuck…” you sigh, bowing your head in recognition of your absolute failure.

It’s the fifth time since that day you’re back on Faial Island, standing in front of the lighthouse and looking out over the Atlantic. You had eventually figured out how to heal the ocean, and all water, once Simon had left, so today it glistens blue against the horizon to the west. It turned out that all you had to do was change the wavelength of your light for it to travel through water. But that’s also about as much as you’ve accomplished.

The plan you’d once had, to try and sneak back into the States and covertly reach some of the spirits by using your conviction to gain control over a darkened creature and use it as cover, had failed on multiple occasions, leaving you scratching your head for some other idea. Brute force wasn’t gonna work, because as much as the world would stand behind you, they couldn’t operate offensively and would be of little help to you. And powerful though you are, even if you could muscle your way past an entire army, you still can’t kill Simon.

But somewhere deep inside you, there’s a glimmer. A truth, or knowledge, you’re not sure which. What you do know is that this glimmer is the answer, if you can just tap into it and learn what it’s trying to tell you. Because there is a way to win, you’ve never doubted that, and you never will. You just need to find it.

“Hey,” a voice quietly greets from behind you, and you recognize it as Andreia.

She comes to stand next to you, and you glance at her with a polite nod and small smile. She always comes to see you whenever she sees you arrive by the lighthouse where she still works. That’s another thing which seems very odd to you. How the world still has to keep going as usual, even with the truest evil trying to devour it. How the stock market has been affected by Americas destruction, how the politics of the world have shifted.

It feels like all that should’ve just stopped. Been put on indefinite hold while you all band together and fight. But that’s not how it works. Oddly enough, the planet has probably never seen a more peaceful time in all its existence, with the entire population so devoted to hope. There are no ongoing conflicts, virtually no crime even on the smallest scale of offences, and people are generally behaving more helpfully and tolerantly.

What a strange world this is, where the end of this war will see it return to those darker traits in very little time.

“Any progress?” she asks, following your gaze across the sea.

“No, not yet. I’m… stuck. In my head, you know?” you ponder, grateful to have someone other than the owl to talk to, just because humans relate to you better and understand things which no spirit can. “I keep trying to look at the problem from new angles, looking for something I could’ve missed, but as much as I know in my fucking bones there is an answer, I just can’t find it.”

“Maybe you need to write it down.”

At first, you dismiss her suggestion, since you can’t see what difference it would make, but when she continues to explain her reasoning, you start to come around.

“It activates a different part of your brain, which sometimes helps with problem solving. Singing does too, but I don’t think there is a song for this situation.”

“I don’t know. People have been making music for ages, covering every topic under the sun. I’m sure if we looked hard enough, we could find something eerily appropriate,” you shrug, laughing lightly at the subject.

Ever since you lost Oberyn, laughter hasn’t come as easily for you as before. It’s harder to let yourself be happy when he can’t be there to share it with you. But it’s also so important that you do hold on to the good moments and allow their brightness to infect you.

“How about… Ironic by Alanis Morissette”, she offers, making you snicker.

“Definitely. Or Everybody by Backstreet Boys.”

She hums approvingly, and a few more songs are exchanged between you, getting more and more ludicrous.

“Mr. Brightside by The Killers. I mean, come on, both the song and the group are appropriate,” you suggest, and by now you’re both struggling against incessant giggling.

“Lose Yourself…” Andreia replies, but then forgets the artist for a second, “…by uh…Eminem!”

But your laughter dies then. Partly because while the song does fit the theme overall, the message you’ve always taken away from it is simply about living in the moment and appreciating what you have, however unimportant or insignificant it might seem to someone else, which doesn’t really fit with going to war against ancient evil. And partly because of how the woman herself doesn’t seem to know why she chose that song at all. The moment she said it, confusion flashed over her features and with every second since, she looks increasingly befuddled.

“Lose yourself,” you repeat on impulse, but this time saying it as a suggestion to yourself.

Immediately, there’s a strange little click inside your head, and then the glimmer suddenly comes into full focus, so distinct now that you know it. How did you never think of it before? Oberyn even said it to you, in your final conversation on your way north from Antarctica.

You cannot possibly think that anything but giving it everything you have is going to be enough to free them all.

Every word he ever spoke to you or around you, lives in your mind, remembered in such vivid detail you can even recall the slight tremor in his voice as he’d said it.

“Andreia,” you say, turning to face her and pulling her into a tight hug which she bewilderedly reciprocates. “Thank you. You may have just saved everyone.”

You pull back and smile at her, but before she can say anything, Caelum picks you up and flies off with you, having heard you call out to her in your mind the moment the realization hit you.

“Am I to head west, then, Lightbringer?” she asks even as she aligns her beak to the shrouded horizon.

“Yes. It’s time to end this,” you answer out loud, because these words should be heard. The time for sneaking around and whispering between shielded minds is over. “I finally know how to free your sisters.”

Your once again brimming confidence rubs off on the owl, and she sets a nearly impossible speed, excited by the prospect of seeing her fellow spirits restored to their rightful glory. It doesn’t take long before you’re back underneath the poisonous cloud, and right away you can tell that it’s changed since your last visit, maybe a year and half earlier. The air is so thick with soot and ash that it clings to your skin and colors you black, while also wreaking havoc on your lungs in mere minutes.

Undoubtedly, this is what the entire world would eventually become, once all life had been consumed and all that was left for the armies of death to occupy themselves, was to torture each other, flooding the air with their oily blood and mutated skin cells. You’re grateful to know that this will never come to pass, while you cough up some of the black goo which has already begun to accumulate in your throat and lungs. It doesn’t harm you since you’re continually healing the damage it does, but it hurts more than one might imagine.

Looking up, you can see that Caelum isn’t affected by it, beyond how it obscures her sight, so you do your best to help her navigate by trying to get a sense of where Simon is. You find him quite quickly, detecting a massive surge of energy as he realizes his enemy is back. Which is probably the only thing he’s had to be excited about in a very long time. Directing the spirit there, you instruct her to drop you from an altitude high enough that she’ll be safe even if Octopus should be around and attempt to reach her with its enormous tentacles.

“Such a fall will break many of your bones,” she notes, not really out of concern, but more like she’s just making sure you know.

“I’m aware. It’ll be fine.”

The weightlessness is strangely liberating. Instead of falling, it makes you feel like you’re soaring, maybe because of how hopeful your realization has made you. But still no more than a trick of the mind. Hitting the ground removes the illusion when your legs completely shatter, all the way up to your hips, and fractures to your spine, ribs and arms make themselves known moments later.

You can still move, though, and as you feel Simon approach, you manage to claw yourself up to a seated position, finding that ignoring the pain is easier than you’d thought this time, which gives you comfort even as your enemy reaches you, sporting a large smirk on his disfigured face. Whatever’s been going on here for the past three years, he’s clearly begun to mutate himself, because his features aren’t entirely recognizable as human anymore.

He still has two legs and arms, and only one head, but the true shape of the Darkling has started to emerge, and it’s fucking hideous.

“Eww… the hell happened to you?” you ask, breathing hard through the pain, but otherwise mostly disgusted by his appearance.

Unlike his minions, the dark one is dry. His skin is a pale grey and where it’s cracked from the lack of moisture, mostly on his arms and hands but everywhere else too, there are miniature faces growing out of his flesh. Not like images of faces, but rather as though tiny people are actually trapped inside of him, trying to crawl out through the gaps but held back by some thin, partly transparent film. He’s at least ten feet tall now, so there’s much more space for these trapped people to crowd around, but they’re still fighting each other for room.

“You don’t like it?” he asks, and even his voice is unrecognizable. “This is my collection. The ones I like the most get to live inside me. The ones who are the most frightened… they make such delightful music inside my mind.”

You were hoping it wasn’t what it looks like, but clearly, it is. He probably grows larger with each soul he devours, and since he couldn’t have infected any new people for a long time, these must be his own creatures. Which would mean, once the mutated body is destroyed, the original human soul is still there, to some extent. But not in a way that would enable them to be restored. Their bodies are gone and no power on earth could bring them back. But at least the destruction of the Darkling will set them free.

“You’re using them to protect yourself.. aren’t you?” you ponder, trying to buy time for the spirits to reveal themselves, but also hoping to understand more about him, since that will help you take him down. “You cover yourself with them to make it harder for anyone to reach your dead heart.”

“Well, of course. Who’s gonna try and reach into this mess of scared little people, so desperate to escape their hell, they’ll crawl into the skin of anyone who touches me, driving that person mad. Ingenious, wouldn’t you say?”

“I suppose. In a devilish sort of way.”

“You will make a very nice addition to the flock…” he pauses, and puts a finger to his lips as if trying to think of something which evades him, “…oh, what was it Oberyn called you? I only heard it once, but it was something Egyptian, wasn’t it?”

You don’t really wanna hear that name spoken by anyone else, but since you’re still not sensing any spirits, you play along.

“Kaivalya.”

“Ah, yes! Freedom. How insulting a name to give to a creature whose entire life has been doomed to this ending from before she was even born,” he laments, putting on a very noticeably fake tone of compassion just to irritate you.

His voice already grates your eardrums. It’s so dry and course he can’t get much volume to it, but it still manages to cut straight into your brain with how it breaks on the high notes. The fake sentiment only manages to mildly annoy you in comparison.

“It was a promise…” you spit through teeth held tight against the pain of your legs trying to realign themselves so that the bones can be set, only to hurt more when the angles they’re trapped in won’t allow the movements.

“A promise? That old prince promised you freedom, and you believed him?!” Simon squeals before starting to laugh, further abusing your ears.

“No,” you counter, once you’ve adapted to the new level of pain. “He didn’t promise me freedom… He couldn’t have, because I was never his prisoner. He named me Freedom because that’s what I gave to him. A heart free to love again.”

You can tell he’s about to counter, it’s easy because his smirk returns every time his own thoughts amuse him, but you’re done with this distraction so you continue before he can.

“That’s what you took from him. I gave him this amazing gift… and you ripped it out of him.”

“Prince Martell sealed his own fate by allowing his fears to rip him apart,” he challenges, no longer smirking, though. “He was so scared for you. So worried you’d lose and he’d have to live on without you. And so, the coward you loved, the man who knew better than anyone how important it would be to keep hope alive in the time of the Darkling, chose to die rather than fight for you.”

Fuck. He’s found your weak spot and thrown a knife into it. You shouldn’t care what he says but you can’t help how his words cut through you, because they’re the same ones you’ve battled with in your nightmares. The same ones you’ve been unable to answer ever since it first dawned on you that he’d turned. Why did he give in? He knew what would happen. How could he leave himself so vulnerable?

But this is why you’re here. To set things right, no matter what happened in the past. You’ll never get those answers, so all you can do is let the questions go. And just as you begin to calm yourself, you feel it. They’re coming. He’s summoned them to watch as he devours you. And to protect him, should you have some trick up your sleeve.

“Tell me something, Si…” you start, giving them time to come closer before you get this over with. “Did you really think you’d ever get me to surrender to you? Is that what all this flaunting of your achievements is meant to do? To win me over?”

He sours while he listens, clearly unable to think of a witty comeback because you’re right. He absolutely thought that this, beating you, would be such a triumph you wouldn’t be able to resist admiring him.

“I’m the fucking goddess of all light, you prick. I was never gonna bow to you, you’re nothing but a shadow under the bed, a cockroach hiding in the bottom of the sink. You named me Boo, remember? Because even back then, I was better than you.”

You’re not actually trying to antagonize him, you just really wanted to give him a piece of your mind before you get this show going. But true to form, he’s enraged by your insults and comes at you with his arms raised and ready to beat you into the ground. The nine all are there, too far away for your eyes to make them out in the dark and dusty air, but close enough that you can feel them, standing in a circle around you and their master. And Caelum circles directly above you, just as you’d asked her.

“Don’t hesitate,” you tell her, as you watch Simon measure his first punch.

“Your sacrifice will not be in vain… Kaivalya,” she replies, and unlike the Darkling, her use of your most beloved name shows you just how much she respects you.

Nothing else is said between you. Nothing more is needed.

The Ten Spirits of the World Air - Forest - Water - Stone - Night - Autumn - Winter - Spring - Summer.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! If you wish to be notified when this story is updated, follow @sirowsky-stories and turn on notifications, or just ask nicely, and I'll tag you.

@harriedandharassed @kittenlittle24 @joelswritingmistress @pedrostories

#oberyn martell fanfiction #oberyn martell x female reader #oberyn x reader #prince oberyn #game of thrones fanfiction #game of thrones au #au fic #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal character fanfiction #halloween writing #spooky season fic #halloween fic #sirowsky stories

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ashleyquinn03 · 6 months

Text

After a while of playing Tears of the Kingdom, I have some complaints. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved Tears of the Kingdom, but there are some things that I don't really enjoy. Some of these are things other people have stated they don't like, and some of these are actually something that are controversial.

Let's start with the ones people can agree with:

There are too few sky islands and there's almost nothing on them. There are a few exceptions like the Great Sky Islands, the entire way up and including the wind temple, the diving islands, etc. But the majority are copy and paste empty islands and all of them were Zonai related. I wish they added Monk Maz Koshia's sky island directly above the Great Plateau like in BotW's DLC, the islands from Skyward Sword, and the City in the Sky from Twilight Princess for some examples.

A real explanation of where Sheikah tech went. Like, we all know what the developers said: "they all vanished suddenly after the Calamity was over" we know that's bullshit because Purah and Robbie still use the ancient Sheikah technology for their towers, the Purah Pad, Purah's telescope, Robbie's mini Cherry, and the lone guardian on the roof of the Hateno Ancient Tech lab. Also it didn't just vanish after the Calamity as the true ending cutscene in BotW shows at the most a month after the Calamity and Vah Ruta broke down, not vanished.

The empty depths. I love the ruins and lightroots of the depths, but on the scale of the entire kingdom of Hyrule? It's empty. Up above you would find Koroks, small structures, different surfaces (sand, grass, rock, snow, etc), enemies and even citizens. I know that you can find mine ruins, the construct factory, Yiga outposts, and enemy mines; but the depths were so vastly empty with the exact same scenery no matter where you were. I would've preferred far smaller areas than the surface counterparts or even just have the Faron, Eldin, and Central Hyrule depths since that's all you actually need to go.

The Lightning Temple. Listen, I love the Lightning Temple. I just wish that they had used the Arbiters Grounds instead of a completely new dungeon. No, I don't mean I wanted Twilight Princess's Arbiters Grounds instead, I mean that there would've been some really cool, subtle lore that the Arbiters Grounds had been destroyed after TP and was rebuilt as the TotK Lightning Temple. Like, could you imagine seeing "The Lightning Temple: Arbiters Grounds rebuilt"

Sage abilities. How they implemented this was the absolute worst. If I were to redesign the sage abilities, I'd have it work more like BotW's champion abilities but with the same reload time as the sages. I'm going to say how I would've implemented each one. For Tulin's ability, I would've pressed the sneak button while in the air to gust forward. For Sidon's ability, I would've held down the block button like Daruk's Protection but swung the weapon while blocking to have the "water slice." For Riju's ability, when you use the bow, you hold block and instead of it Z-targeting the enemy, it would turn the arrow into a lightning arrow (a different type of arrow than electric arrows because it's used as Riju's ability to call down a lightning strike.) As for Yunobo and Mineru's abilities, they would've been the same as before. So, Yunobo basically is the only one with an Avatar and Mineru just follows you as is.

Dragon Tears. No, it's not because it's too similar to finding Link's memories in BotW, it's because you can find them out of order and before finding Impa. Yes, I am frustrated that the first dragon tear I actually investigated was the death of Sonia and I had no clue what was happening. I wish that it forced you to find the tears in order. Like, the geoglyphs would appear one at a time. Or maybe give the same cutscene as when the final tear appears. The light dragon has a tear drop and we need to go find it.

This one is the most controversial thought I feel like... Ultahand. Yup, I don't like ultahand. I don't like building my own vehicles. I don't like building robots. I just don't like engineering games. I love the Zelda puzzles, but when I had to build the solutions in shrines? I hated it. I prefer the BotW shrines where you find a solution by thinking outside the box. In TotK, there is no box to think outside of because whatever you try, it's possible with what we gave you. Make a bridge out of car wheels? Go ahead we love that! I would've personally felt more satisfied with finding a solution that wasn't intended, but in this game every solution was in fact, intended.

That concludes the things I didn't like about the game, everything else, though was absolutely fantastic.

#legend of zelda #the legend of zelda #tears of the kingdom #breath of the wild #botw #botw2 #zelda #totk #my complaints #nintendo please #tloz #loz

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fanartfunart · 13 days

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The Well of Memories

Summary: post Tears of the Kingdom, Zelda thinks back on what happened, and what she can and can not remember. Link makes a connection with the feeling.

Happy 1 year anniversary to Totk! Here's a short drabble

(Totk Dragon Tears spoilers)

Zelda looked out at the endless sky, brows knit together. She tried to tease out her hazy recollection of swallowing the stone and everything after, but it refused her. Each droplet of memory felt like it was encased in a bubble too far to reach. Something that happened but never did all at once.

The edge of a cloak fluttered against her shoulder. A pair of legs slipped off the edge of the sky island next to her and settled there. A warm presence against her. Link. She slowly allowed herself to lean against him. He let her stay there, cozy and comfortable.

"Rupee for your thoughts?" Link whispered.

"...I had scars. Before. The battle with Ganon had been- I had wounds I never thought would heal." Zelda raised her hand, tilting it in the light. The skin was smooth and seamless. "They're gone. As if nothing had happened…. It disturbs me."

Link nodded softly. Zelda dropped her head against his shoulder. He hooked his chin over the top of her head.

"I know it would probably be far too much to comprehend, but I just wish I could at least recall my time as a dragon. It- it weighs in my mind as this untouchable pool, deep and mysterious."

She looked up and traced a mindless path in the sky "Continually, I ask myself: Did I help anyone for those thousands of years? Was I a symbol of Hope? Or was I a symbol of Desperation for my ancient friends? Did I do anything in the light of the first Calamity? I had to have been there. Did- did it rouse any part of my humanity when I saw it? And our own-" Zelda clutched the fabric of her pant leg. Link's soft presence was warm and far too light. She felt a need, a craving for pressure.

"I know for a fact I never saw such a dragon as you described. But- but is that because I was not ready to See? Could you have, then? Would we have known what would be if you hadn't-..." She threw her hand up and shook her head "No. I- doubt it would've been apparent regardless…"

Zelda sighed, heavily, "It just- it was such a monumental, terrifying, heartstopping decision. I- I felt as if I was to die." Zelda clutched at the stone at her collar. "I almost was, in many ways. And- I- I can't remember the last moment. I can't. I don't know if I ever felt relief. If I ever knew peace, even just once, for those thousand years."

Zelda took a breath.

Link said nothing.

It was a curious sort of nothing, because he had gotten at least slightly more talkative recently. He still took his time to consider words in situations such as this. But he was quick with a comforting hum or something to indicate the thought being made. Instead, it was a stark rigid silence. It reminded her too much of his knighthood.

She ducked her head, "Apologies, I didn't mean to overwhelm you with my thoughts. … I feel as if I'm a cacophony of emotion. I know it would be difficult to understand…"

Link was still quiet.

"Link?"

One more agonizing beat of silence, and he shook himself from it, "I know what you're talking about."

Zelda blinked. How could he possibly know? Then with sudden clarity, it clicked. A near death. A rebirth without memory. "Oh. Oh! I'm so sorry I didn't mean to-"

He snorted and giggled softly at her. Zelda frowned, looking at him to protest the indignity of his amusement. He soothed a thumb- his left, she noted, despite his right being the first to move- over the crease in her brow. "It's perfectly fine."

He looked to the distance of sky for a moment, the thoughtful hum settling in the breeze. "I- I think they come easier, softer, when you let yourself breathe," he said eventually, "They may never come to you. Perhaps it's a gift. To rediscover old sights as new. To live with fresh eyes and enjoy the moment." Link smiled, eyes closed, face soft with light haloed in his wind-tossed hair.

Zelda smiled, keeping her gaze to what was close. In her reach. She wrapped an arm around Link's shoulders. "We'll discover together," she said.

Link smiled softly, "Yes, together."

#tears of the kingdom #legend of zelda #fanart's fanfic #loz fanfic

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monsieur-kazzle-dazzle · 9 months

Note

First kiss or ember Island for the prompts

“Momo, don’t eat that!” Katara scolded the lemur as he attempted to eat what appeared to be some sort of crab. The crab snapped at Momo as he stuck out an experimental paw, making all his fur stick up like he’d been electrocuted. Momo hissed at the crab, before flying up to land on Katara’s shoulder. “I did warn you,” she said, laughing gently as he squawked and soared off in the direction of the house, probably to go complain to Appa.

Katara took in a deep breath, taking in the salty air, and feeling the push and pull of the waves around her. A flash of light drew her attention to the training grounds, where Zuko, very shirtless, was ducking, twirling and weaving in the familiar motions of the Dancing Dragon. Not wanting to disturb him, she perched herself on the far wall, admiring his form. He had always been a powerful bender, she recalled, but after he had figured out how to communicate with the dragons, he had reached a whole new level. It had made him both an incredible warrior, and an amazing teacher. She had been zoning out, staring shamelessly as he commanded the fire that she didn’t notice him watching her. She met his eyes, blushing slightly. He raised a teasing eyebrow.

“Enjoying the view?” he called, wiggling his eyebrow suggestively. She smirked, shrugging her shoulders noncommittally, flushing slightly at the way his gaze roamed over her. His dark eyes met hers, and she could see the excitement. “C’mon, I wanna show you something.” He said, flashing her the crooked, toothy grin that she had become so fond of over the past few weeks. The one he saved just for her. She couldn’t help but return it as he slipped on his vest. He reached up to grab her hands, tugging her down from the wall.

“Where are we going?” Katara asked as she slipped her hand into his.

“You’ll see.” Zuko smiled, squeezing her hand. “It’s one of my favourite places on the island.” They hiked in silence for a couple minutes, before arriving at a small, seemingly untouched stretch of beach.

“OH!” Katara gasped, looking out, taking in what had to be one of the most beautiful sunsets she’d ever seen. The sky was a perfect ombre of vivid pinks, oranges and yellows, reflecting into the waves, where the sun was just moments away from slipping below the horizon. “Zuko, it’s beautiful.” she smiled up at him. He grinned awkwardly.

“Just like you.” he said, flushing a little bit. She chuckled, reaching up to place a hand on his cheek.

“You’re so cute when you get all red.” She laughed, dropping her hand from his cheek to lean against his shoulder.

“Wanna sit?” he asked, gesturing to a large driftwood trunk. She nodded, taking a seat. He wrapped his arm around her as she nestled her head into the crook of his neck. Zuko shifted slightly, rubbing her arm with his thumb. “My mother used to take me here when I was a kid. Before… you know. It was our special place. We would escape my father, Azula, and all the duties and expectations that came with being a part of the royal family for a couple of hours and just be ourselves. She taught me to swim here, and how to skip rocks. We’d make sand castles and she’d always find pretty shells or sea glass to decorate them with.” He said, gazing out across the sand wistfully.

“Thank you for sharing your special place with me.” Katara whispered, turning to face him. “I know she means a lot to you, and I can tell this place does too.” He took a deep breath, steeling himself before turning to meet her eyes fully.

“You mean a lot to me too, Katara.” he breathed, smiling gently as he reached up to brush a stray curl out of her face. She leaned into his touch, bringing her hand up to rest on his jaw, fingers brushing over his scar. They were closer now than they’d ever been before. She tilted her chin up, leaving him time to pull away. He didn’t, and instead closed the distance between them, finally connecting their lips. After just a moment, they drew apart, gazing at each other with adoration in their eyes. They’d been dancing around this moment for ages now. Katara could feel Zuko’s hand on her lower back, pulling her closer. She smiled as their lips reconnected, this time with more urgency. She let out a low sigh as his teeth grazed her lip, and she wiggled closer and closer to him until she was practically on his lap.After a few minutes, they broke apart, resting their foreheads together. Katara laughed.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” Zuko smiled, stealing another kiss. “Longer than I’d care to admit. Katara laughed, reaching up to smooth his hair.

“Me too. It really made it hard to despise you when you kept giving me those puppy dog eyes.” he chuckled.

“What, these ones?” he asked, working hard to hide his smile. Katara grinned, kissing his pouting lips and leaning her head against his shoulder. They lapsed into comfortable silence, watching as the waves lapped at the shore, faintly reflecting the pale afterglow.

“I hope I can meet your mother someday.” Katara whispered. “And properly meet your uncle. They seem like wonderful people.”

“I know they’d love you.” He said, squeezing her shoulders and pressing a kiss on the top of her head. “Someday. Once this is all over, and I’ve apologized to my uncle, I’m going to find her. She can finally live the life she deserves. We all can.” Katara squeezed the hand resting on her arm.

“I’m really glad you found your way to us Zuko.” she said, meeting his gaze so earnestly he flushed.

“Me too,” he whispered back, resting his head on top of hers. “Me too.”

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starlight-starfury · 6 months

Text

Fables & Falsehoods

Book: Blades of Light and Shadow

Characters: (F!Elf!MC) Raine & Kade

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Fantasy violence, blood, depictions of scarring/injury.

Length: 4.7k

Summary: Alternate timeline where Kade was shadow-scarred during the fight against the Dreadlord.

Tags: @lawrencebarkley @watatsumi-island @choicesficwriterscreations

A/N: This turned out wayy longer than expected 😅 For maximum emotional damage also read this fic.

It was morning when Raine set off towards the outskirts of Riverbend, with a light mist still hovering over the hills and the sky a pale shade of daffodil yellow as she followed the river upstream to the wild meadows.

The young girl crouched with her basket in hand as she found a patch of blue chamomile flowers, ignoring how the pollen made her sensitive nose itch while she recalled the instructions the farmer had given her.

Harvest them during early morning, when the dew has evaporated but before the sun is fully shining.

Their scent was reminiscent of the sweet hay kept in the village stables, and she took great care to gently remove the flower heads without damaging the stems before she placed them delicately in the basket.

Once she had collected enough and the sun was higher in the sky, she stood and followed the dirt path back to the village, with her basket bumping against the side of her leg as she went.

She skipped up to the old wooden cottage she and Kade lived in with the farmer, and left the basket on the table near the fireplace so he could use the flowers to make tea, having been unable to collect them himself in his older age.

When it was ready, she tentatively carried the mug to the small room they shared. Inside, Kade’s slight frame laid in bed shaking from fever, his limbs occasionally wracked with tremors as he coughed.

“Kade,” she whispered, unsure if he was asleep. When he stirred and opened his eyes, she sat down beside him. “I brought you tea.”

She helped him sit up enough to lean against the bed frame, and looked inside the mug where the drink had been infused with golden honey that shimmered and swirled within like liquified sunlight. It looked magical, and that gave the young girl enough hope in her heart that it could heal him.

Raine lifted the mug to his mouth so he could take a sip, only six years old and too weak to hold it on his own.

“It’s made with flowers!” She explained. “I found a whole field so I’ll pick some more tomorrow. The farmer said using them in this tea will help you feel better.”

Her expression filled with worry. “It is working, right?”

“Tastes good,” he murmured before glancing back down at the mug. “I’m drinking flowers?”

She giggled and placed the empty mug on the bedside table when he was finished. Kade sighed and laid his head back down on the pillow, and just when Raine thought he was going to fall back asleep, he opened his eyes once more. “Can you read me a story?”

“Which one?” She asked.

“The one about the dragon.”

She picked up the book he was referring to and sat close enough for him to see the penciled illustrations. “Once upon a time, at the top of a great mountain peak, there was a dragon of light whose scales shone brighter than any jewel…”

As she continued to read, dark clouds began to gather outside and her voice was soon accompanied by the soft pattering of light rainfall.

“…The nearby villagers feared for their safety and so they shot the dragon out of the sky, but they didn’t know it had been defending something. Not a hoard of gold but something far more precious, a shimmering egg that now sat alone in the darkened cave.”

When she glanced back up, Kade was fast asleep and raindrops trickled slowly down the window pane. She closed the book and traced a finger along the cover, where the dragon’s scales reflected the sky with an opalescent sheen that caused rainbows to ripple across its large body.

With a yawn, she put the book away and crawled into her own bed, and as she drifted off to sleep her head was filled with dreams of someday crossing paths with a dragon for herself.

A few years later, they were playing in an old stable where the worn grey bricks of the exterior were lined with moss, and eating berries they had collected from the nearby woods. Kade had recovered from his illness, but the elderly farmer had sadly passed and now it was just the two of them on their own.

“It’s broken!”

“What is?”

“My bow!”

Raine sat among the straw as she frustratedly tried to fix it. Although the stable had not been used for years and the outside looked uninviting, it was surprisingly warm within and filled with large bales of hay that were perfect for hiding and climbing.

She frowned when her attempts were to no avail. It was only a toy made of fragile wood, but the bowstring had snapped and she had no means of repairing it by herself.

“Every great adventurer needs a weapon, Kade!” She sighed. “And mine’s busted.”

“What about my slingshot?” He asked, holding up the one he’d crafted out of twigs that morning after seeing a drawing in one of his books.

She looked at it doubtfully. “That’s okay, you can keep it.”

“But slingshots make great weapons, look!” He picked up one of the berries and placed it in the sling before firing, and it hit Raine directly in the forehead before falling to the ground and leaving a small purple juice stain marked on her skin.

“Hey!” She rubbed her head with her forearm. “I’ll get you for that!”

As she glanced around the stable looking for something to help enact her revenge, she found a dark piece of wood sticking out from one of the straw piles. When she lifted it she saw it was a small toy sword, carved roughly but still intact despite being in the old building for years.

“I found one!” She said, her payback forgotten as she and Kade studied the sword.

“A fine weapon.” He nodded with approval. “It will aid you well on your quest.”

Raine giggled. “What’s my quest?”

He turned and pointed to the highest hay bale in the room. “Climb the great mountain and defeat the beast that lurks there!”

She leapt up onto the lowest pile, adjusting her footing as she climbed higher. She was almost at the top when she slipped and nearly fell, and a few loose strands of straw drifted to the ground. “Woah!”

“You can do it!” Kade cheered from the bottom.

With one final haul, she pulled herself up to the top and triumphantly waved her sword in the air. “I did it! I slayed the beast!”

“I knew you could!” He clapped as she sat there for a moment to catch her breath while her mind wandered off in deep thought, a look of immense concern on her features that looked unusual for the young girl.

“Kade, do you…” She said slowly before trailing off. “…Do you think even heroes get scared?”

“Of course. I know if I had to fight a massive dragon I’d be scared.”

“Then how do they do it?”

He was silent for a moment. “Because they care more about doing what’s right.”

Raine grinned, her eyes sparkling. “You’re such a goody-goody.” Then she brandished the sword at him and leapt from the hay bale, tackling him to the ground where they both collapsed into a pile of laughter.

Above their resounding joy, Raine heard a creak and looked up in time to see one of the large wooden beams from the ceiling swing and come falling down straight towards them.

With a squeal and a hard shove, she pushed Kade out of the way and rolled to the side just moments before it crashed to the ground, sending straw flying.

She sat up dazed and with a few pieces in her hair, and Kade helped her back onto her feet.

“That was too close,” he said.

She nodded in agreement. “I’m not sure we should play here anymore…”

“What would’ve happened if it fell on us?” He asked.

“Well, you’d probably have gotten a concussion at least.” Raine answered. “And you don’t need another one of those.”

Kade shuddered as they both remembered the time he’d been hanging upside down from a tree branch near the riverbank, and how he said he “wanted to know how bats slept that way” before he fell and landed on his head.

She laughed at his expression. “Come on, no more old buildings for a while. Or trees. If we’re not careful we’ll run out of places to play.”

He sighed. “The fields it is, then.”

“Race you there!” Raine said, and he was quick to follow, but both of them were too distracted to notice the wooden sword lying on the ground forgotten once more.

Time seemed to move forward in a blurred whirlwind after that, from the carefree joys of childhood to helplessly watching Kade get trapped in the Onyx Shard and the long, arduous journey it had taken to rescue him.

She had seen all the beautiful and treacherous places of the world in that time. The sun setting across the ocean at Port Parnassus, the glittering city of Undermount, even a place as harsh and nightmarish as the Deadwood held its own secret places of wonder.

Although she savoured every moment of the adventure, there was still a hollow ache through it all that reminded her they were supposed to be by each other’s side. He was the only family member she had left after what had happened to the farmer and her parents, and she couldn’t lose him too.

Her determination to save him ignited an ember in her heart, one that carried her onward through every challenge they faced along the way, no matter how perilous. One that led them all directly into the realm of shadow, a twisted land of darkness no one had ever returned from and to face an enemy proclaimed impossible to defeat.

For a brief moment, all of the danger lurking ahead was forgotten and the pain they had been through was worth it when she was finally able to save Kade. His weakened frame sat in a cold, lonely cell, bruised and beaten but alive, and seeing him alive was what had mattered to her the most.

Their quest led them to a chamber of ash and smoke, where the Dreadlord rose from his tomb while possessing the body of their friend, wearing her skin like a ghost and controlling her movements as a puppet with strings woven of shadow and malice.

Soldiers swarmed them like an oncoming tide of darkness, with magic rising and falling in turbulent waves and weapons that surged and clashed mid-air. Through it all, she could feel her strength waning.

With every soldier that fell a new row appeared, and she fought until she was wounded and bleeding, until her whole body felt like it was made of lead as she struggled to take each step.

The ember that had carried her so far began to fade out when her legs could no longer hold her upright, and she sunk to her knees, too weakened to fight any longer. She had used up all her strength on this journey, only to run out right on the threshold when she needed it the most.

“And here I thought you’d be more willing to put up a fight.” The Dreadlord spoke with a voice tainted by dust and rot, hovering above her as an omen of death. “How pathetic.”

It used Nia’s hand to summon a jagged lance of weaponised darkness, pointed and aimed straight for her heart. “Now you will meet your end.”

Raine’s body slumped forward as the lance soared through the air and she braced herself for the final hit, eyes closed as she expelled her last breath.

It never came.

She looked up to see a figure standing in front of her, with the lance meant to kill her piercing clean through his right side.

“Kade!” She screamed, and his fingers trembled as he reached for the wound, dark blood seeping across his hand as shadow slowly began to spread throughout his body.

Even in this state, he still managed a weak smile.

He was always smiling, she remembered. While bedridden as a child, running through the woods, and playing songs at the tavern. His optimism even under such dire circumstances throughout their lives often made her think he was more of a hero than she was.

She knew it to be the truth.

“You…always saved me.” His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke, and tears welled in Raine’s eyes before spilling down her cheeks. “Now it’s my turn…to save you.”

He swayed on his feet and she rushed to catch him in her arms before lowering him to the stone ground. “No, no.” She whispered. “Not again.”

His eyes fluttered closed as his breathing grew shallow, and she reached for his bloodied hand. “Kade, I…I can’t lose you again.” Panicked desperation took hold as she uttered a silent plea. “Please.”

He stirred for a brief moment before using all his remaining strength to open his eyes once more. “Leave me…Get to Nia.” He let out a painful sounding cough as blood dripped down his chin. “Be the hero I…know you are.”

With a strangled sob, she hauled herself to her feet with her weapon in hand. The rest of the battle passed in a blur, from wielding the Blade of Light to opening a portal back to Whitetower, all that mattered was ensuring her brother’s safety.

She called for a healer and helplessly watched his body be carried away, knowing that if she had just been able to hold on a little longer she could have prevented the worst of it.

He was too injured to attend the medaling ceremony, but Nia assured her that he was recovering. That he was talking and laughing with the healers when he wasn’t asleep, and although the shadow scarring would be permanent, he was going to be okay, and that was what mattered the most.

Raine took a deep breath as she gazed around the city, at everyone they had worked so hard to save. It might take a while but she hoped that maybe, someday, it would all be okay.

Kade wasn’t there when she was taken.

He was still recovering from his injuries, warring with the shadow while under the constant attention of the palace healers. The last time he had seen Raine was late afternoon when she came to visit, telling him she was going to the palace terrace to celebrate the Dreadlord’s defeat with a victory toast.

“Bring back a drink for me?” He asked, grinning.

“Of course,” she laughed, before turning her back as she walked out the door, and he picked up one of the large books she’d bought for him at the festival. He knew she still felt guilty, but hadn’t yet had the chance to reassure her that he didn’t regret taking the lance in her stead and that he would do it again if he must, even though he knew she would disapprove.

He was still reading when her companions barged into the room in a frantic hurry a few hours later, and he panicked when he saw she wasn’t among them. “What’s going on?” He asked, and everyone started speaking all at once.

“They took her,” Tyril scowled. “Back to the Shadow Realm.”

“A portal opened on the terrace and their army swarmed through.” Mal said.

“We weren’t strong enough to fight them.” Nia frowned, and Kade used all his strength to push himself from the bed, even though his body burned in protest.

“Kade, your leg-” The healer tried to warn him but he gritted his teeth as he leant against the wall, ignoring the sharp pain pulsing in his leg until it was too much to bear. “I have to…have to find her.” His eyes almost rolled back as he began to collapse and Imtura lifted him back over to the bed.

“You won’t be able to save her if you make yourself worse.” She said, helping him sit back down.

“We have to get her back.” Kade said, looking determinedly at the group before realising none of them had any answers, their expressions looking as hopeless as he felt. “How do we get her back?”

He wished he had been there, but he knew that even if he had, there wasn’t anything he could have done. He wasn’t a fighter or a mage, he couldn’t hold his own in a proper fight and he felt out of his depth and as helpless as he had been when he was a sickly child.

King Arlan permitted them access to the Royal Archives, and since Kade wasn’t in a state to go there himself he insisted they bring their findings back to him, and as weeks went by his room ended up a mess of scattered books and old scrolls where everyone gathered to share their resources.

As he slowly recovered he was able to visit the archives more frequently, being offered a position as the head archivist that he hoped would give him the information he needed to save Raine.

For a short while he performed at the taverns in Whitetower, always having found solace in music throughout his life. But the songs he sang of legendary heroes felt like a mockery, and the strings of his lute only strummed empty taunts that reminded him he could be doing more, that he should be doing more to find her.

Then came the day when the others decided the archives didn’t hold the answers they needed. They decided to set off to search the realms instead, and he had wanted to go with them but knew it was for the best if he stayed at the palace.

Someone needed to be there if she returned, he told himself, but it felt more like an unconvincing reminder he could still be helpful, that there were hundreds of books still unread that may yet reveal some small glimpse of hope and a way to bring her back.

The others patted him on the shoulder, telling him they would do everything they could to help save her and that they would be fine if he stayed. Kade promised them they were all welcome back in Whitetower and that they could use the archives at any time in the future again if necessary.

It was all he could offer.

And yet he knew it wasn’t enough.

Raine’s return was not a forgettable display for those who had witnessed it.

The guards were going about their usual business when a portal appeared, a vibrant shade of electric purple that crackled with energy before a figure flew through, as though she had tumbled through a storm and right into the palace throne room.

“I need to…see the king and his advisors.” She wheezed. “It’s…important.” Her vision began to flicker as she knelt on the cold, marble floor and before she knew what was happening, she found herself being pulled from the ground and into a pair of familiar arms.

“Raine, you’re…you’re really-” Kade’s voice sounded disbelieved, and although she returned the hug, she leaned back when his hands trembled and more people began to gather nearby.

“I’m…glad to see you too, but what’s going on?”

Kade shook his head as though he still couldn’t believe his eyes. “Raine, you’ve been gone for a year.”

“What?” Her voice barely came out as a whisper as the world began to sway around her. “What do you mean a year?”

Part of her wanted to believe it was some sort of joke, though a glance at his healed wounds and more polished outfit suggested that surely some time had passed, but a year sounded impossible.

Some of the shadow spread across his face had receded slightly, leaving scarred cracks across the skin, but it wasn’t healed. Nia said it would never be fully healed, but he did look healthier. He was standing upright now that his leg had recovered and he wore that same old mischievous grin on his face, all too familiar to her after years of causing trouble.

His right eye looked better too, almost swollen shut when she had seen him last but now fully vibrant, although the iris had been permanently changed from grey to amber.

“Kade, that’s…” She frowned. “That’s not possible.” She knew it was the truth based on what she had seen, but she didn’t want to have to believe it.

“I wish that was the case,” he sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, let’s talk about this somewhere else.”

Having multiple swords pointed in her direction wasn’t exactly how she imagined her return would play out, but was also the least of her concerns as Kade waved the guards down and led her to the indoor gardens away from the commotion that had begun to stir.

She sat down on the fountain’s edge, surrounded by flowering bushes as the water trickled slowly, too serene of a setting for the tumultuous wave of emotions crashing inside her.

“What happened while I was gone?” She asked.

He looked down for a moment, as though even the memory caused himself pain. “After you were taken, we spent weeks trying to find a way to get you back. When that didn’t work, the others went to search elsewhere. I was offered a job in the Royal Archives and I took it because…” he trailed off for a moment, uncertain, “because it was the only way I could help bring you back.”

Under normal circumstances he was sure she would have teased him about being appointed head archivist, that she would have been thrilled for him working in the palace of all places and surrounded by books all day as he’d always dreamed. Instead she was unusually quiet, glancing at her hands for a long time before she finally spoke.

“Everything is different now, isn’t it?” Her voice carried a solemness even she couldn’t quite place. She felt like a ghost brought back from the dead at his side, feeling alone in a world that seemed to just move on in her absence, a world where everything had changed.

“Nothing has changed,” he tried to reassure her, but they both knew it was a lie.

She looked at his arm, where the shadow marred and twisted his flesh. “Gods, Kade, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be, I don’t regret it. Not when it saved you.” He frowned as her gaze shifted to the floor. All their lives they had been inseparable, having always been side by side up until Kade had gotten trapped inside the Onyx Shard.

Ever since then it seemed like they were set on opposite sides of the same path, and it felt as though a series of cracks had begun to form between them, like fragile glass on the verge of shattering apart.

“I wasn’t like the others,” he spoke slowly, his voice low. “I didn’t want a hero, I just needed my sister back.”

Raine took a deep breath, trying to maintain her rising nerves. “I didn’t exactly ask to be trapped there, you know.”

“That’s not what I meant.” He took her arm, but she gently shrugged him away.

“Look,” she sighed, glancing out the ornate stained glass window before dragging a hand through her hair. “It’s getting late. We’ll talk about this in the morning.”

He gave a brief nod. “I’m sure you’re exhausted. I won’t get in your way.”

“Kade…” She shook her head. “Goodnight.” Her tone felt distant but she still took care to place her hand on his uninjured shoulder, giving him a half-hearted smile although she couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eyes.

“…Goodnight.” Kade whispered, and as she walked away they could both feel the cracks between them only growing deeper.

The next morning, the sun was rising over Whitetower and the palace was the first part of the city to awaken as its light painted the turrets a brilliant shade of gold, making the scarlet spires resemble rubies amongst the regal splendour of dawn.

Raine was making her final preparations at the castle entrance, tacking up a horse from the royal stables with a white mane that cascaded like snowfall when Kade ran towards her.

“Raine! I’ve been looking all over the palace for you!” He reached her side with evident relief on his features before confusion set in as he glanced at the horse. “Where are you going?”

“I have to gather the others,” she said firmly as she adjusted the leather bridle. “The Ash Empire is on their way and we need to stop them before-”

“You’re leaving?” The disbelief in his tone made her movements halt and look at him properly, seeing a flicker of betrayal in his gaze that only further stirred her remorse. “Raine, I just got you back.”

“I have to, Kade, I-”

“Why do you always have to be the one who saves everybody?”

Her pause was brief before she turned her attention back to the horse, and any softness in her voice had faded. “This is my fault, I’m the only person who can fix it.”

“You don’t have to do this just because you think you failed me.”

“And what makes you think that?”

“Because you look at me and all you see is guilt.” She stilled, her fingers trembling along the reigns, and they both knew deep down that it was true. “You’re scared of me because you think…you think I’m one of them.”

Dark images of the Shadow Court flashed through her mind, with sinister smiles and shadow pulsing through their veins, and she vehemently shook her head. “No, Kade, I could never-”

He took a deep breath. “I don’t want you to blame yourself, but you need to know I did it to save you, not so you could go putting yourself in danger again.”

“You know the risks at stake! Do you want me to just stand by and do nothing?”

“I never asked for any of this! I went to the temple with you so you could have the adventure you’d always dreamed about, and look where that got us. Do you think being tortured in the shadow realm is what I wanted?”

“Of course not!” She snapped, all her guilt and frustration rushing to the surface. “You know I would have prevented you from getting trapped there if I could, but I can’t do anything to change that. All I can do is try to make up for it.”

“And you think the best way to do that is by risking your life?”

“If the Ash Empire finds a way to the Light Realm they’ll destroy everything. I’m doing what’s best for us!”

His expression turned stormy, a dark contrast to his normally cheerful self, and one that made her blood run cold. “And how would you know what’s best for us? You weren’t even here!”

As soon as the words came out he wished he could take them back.

For her, it felt as though a knife had been cleaved through her chest, severing her clean in half and leaving her to shatter into a thousand pieces. She recognised the constriction forming in the base of her throat and the familiar sting of tears that threatened to spill before she pushed the feelings down, away.

“Raine, I didn’t mean-”

The wave of emotion froze over like a river in winter, and Raine was silent for a long moment before her eyes turned cold. When she spoke, her voice didn’t carry its usual warmth, but was instead flat and harsh like ice.

“I worked my ass off travelling across the continent to find a way to save you when I didn’t even know if it was possible, and I come back just to learn you’ve spent a year playing librarian?” Her tone was deathly still as she turned on her heel, barely sparing a sharp glance over her shoulder. “I thought you would have done the same for me.”

Before Kade could even utter an apology, she mounted the horse in one swift movement and took off, leaving him alone with regret festering in his heart as the coloured banners above swayed in an empty breeze.

Further south near the forests surrounding Riverbend, an ominous shadow was cast on the ground far larger than any cloud as a great beast soared overhead, the beating of its wings like the rolling of distant thunder.

And somewhere in an old stable, a wooden toy sword laid, burning.

#cfwc fics of the week #choices fic writers creations #blades of light and shadow #playchoices #playchoices fanfic #choices stories you play #raine nightbloom #kade #kade of riverbend

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puzzled-pegasus · 8 months

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I love wof but heres some annoying technical things I despise about it

The scaling of Pyrrhia is nuts. You're telling me they flew across the ENTIRE world in a few weeks?? Like bro. And Pantala is basically an island, not even a continent with how much space the damn Hives take up.

Also the populations? There should be MILLIONS of dragons but naw, just a few hundred of each tribe. What? I mean I guess the war and whatnot but like?? They're the dominant species of the world??? Can't tell me that RainWings are the largest tribe when SandWing have all that space too and SeaWings have the entire ocean, but naw RainWings. SandWings I can understand cause so many of them were killed but SeaWings aren't more populated??? SeaWings?????

The scaling of dragon to scavengers is completely inconsistent and drives me nuts. Are they the size of a mouse? A cat? A monkey? How do they compare to other animals??

SeaWings "turning on" their night vision. Girl how do you think eyes work?

SkyWings being red and orange instead of sky colors. I mean I guess if it was like males that were bright and females were more bluish gray, sure, but it seems weird they'd need to stand out so much. Though I suppose if you even see one it's too late cause they're so fast.

Surely dragons must have better senses of smell? It's not talked about much at all.

OH MY GOD THE TWO THOUSAND YEAR GAP WHERE DRAGONS ALL LOOK AND TALK EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEY DID. DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG TWO THOUSAND YEARS IS. TWO *HUNDRED* YEARS AGO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WAS WILDLY DIFFERENT. 2000 YEARS AGO, CORRECT ME IF IM WRONG BUT ENGLISH DIDN'T EVEN EXIST

Language evolution is a thing, Tui, especially over Two Thousand Years. Do you know how cool it would have been for Darkstalker to at least have an accent or speak Olde English but nooo. In the actual book Darkstalker, I understand; as making them speak a weird old language for the entire book would be exhausting and meaning is better interpreted if the language makes sense. But like? When he's talking to dragons 2000 years later? Some contrast would have been cool. Like every thirty seconds he says some weird extinct word out of habit and everyone is like ??

How come in 3000 years one species of dragon evolved into 10 tribes but 2000 years didn't even give them any new inventions or language changes. Ain't no way. Also there's no explanation of how or why they evolved that fast and adapted all their wildly different traits. A dragon tribe family tree would be so cool.

Not an unusual opinion but erasing animus magic. I had PLANS! Come on!

Why do IceWings have spikes? Why?

Also why are there IceWings named Penguin and also ones named Polar Bear. Penguins live in the SOUTH POLE. If this planet does not have a SOUTH POLE, there should be no PENGUINS. If it DOES have a SOUTH POLE, we need to MEET the SOUTHERN ICEWINGS.

Various other animal and habitat glitches: animals that live nowhere each other being used for names in the same tribe.

SEASONS???? SUMMER AUTUMN WINTER SPRING?? I'M SEEING THE NAME WINTER BUT I'M NOT SEEING A FKING WINTER?? RAINWING DRY SEASON WET SEASON?? SANDWING SEASON OF STORMS?? AUTUMN LEAVES? LIGHT SEASON AND DARK SEASON WAY UP NORTH WITH THE ICEWINGS?? HOLIDAYS IN THE DARK SEASON TO CHEER THEM UP?

Why do IceWings all have blue eyes if their blood is blue? Are they all albino? Has Tui ever heard of snow shine?? These poor dragons should all have eye damage cause their poor unpigmented eyes don't protect them from the snowshine burning their retinas

Why don't MudWings have fins or webbed talons? They don't need gills but they are semi aquatic so?

Every time it mentions HiveWings flapping their wings instead of buzzing I lose a week off my life expectancy

#wings of fire #rant post #wof

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totkdaily · 2 months

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Day 67: The Mark of the King

It takes me most of the day to find a small crack in the rock below Lulu Lake which seems to lead to the king's hideaway. This can't be how King Dorephan got in here - there's no way he'd fit.

Muzu is angry with me for breathing near him, as always. It's good to see him.

Dorephan… does not look well.

Muzu suggests that I'm lying about Zelda's disappearance, and I resist reacting. He says he saw the Princess here right after the Upheaval. I have a bad feeling about this…

Dorephan says Zelda came from the sky with a sludge monster - and attacked him?? I am hit with thundering certainty that I was right - there is an imposter. Zelda would never even dream of such a thing. In any case, whoever or whatever this is was seen in multiple places at once. Is it a network? A collection of… wait. Who do I know who can disguise themselves, and works to bring down Hyrule?

The Yiga.

Could they have done this? Maybe this isn't an effect of the Upheaval at all, maybe they're just taking advantage of it - or maybe they're somehow working with the Demon King?

I remember that map of their bases I found at Robbie's lab. Maybe I should seek them out once I'm finished here and find out what they're up to.

King Dorephan, bless him, is in hiding to save both his own reputation and Zelda's. Wounded as he is, he's considering handing the crown over to Sidon. In the meantime, he gives me some of his scales, the Mark of the King, to help with the riddle.

Before I leave I look for another entrance - I was right. There's a much larger entrance behind the large waterfall into Mikau Lake. That's how the king got in.

I return to Sidon to tell him the truth about his father. He agrees we must look skyward for answers. Now we just need to find the land of the sky fish.

On a hunch, I glide across to a nearby waterfall emerging from a sky island. Murky brown as it is, it's still swimmable.

Floating Scales Island is shaped like a fish on my map - good enough. Now, a droplet. Maybe I'm looking for something like the dragon tears? The island is just covered in sludge, but I'm loathe to use splash fruit unless I need it…

The glowing floating rocks around the island are unusual - are they anything? I climb to the centre for a good view… wait, there is something. From here, some of the floating rocks form a teardrop.

"Through this droplet, shoot an arrow with the mark of the King."

Here we go.

The scale flies into the reservoir, and emits a green beacon.

Well, here goes nothing. I glide across into the golden sunset, and drop into the brown lakewater.

Nothing happens. Hmm. I tread water for a moment, thinking.

I wonder if it needs to be a Zora who does the dive? I should go and find Sidon.

I take the easy route - Purah Pad to the tower and glide - to reach Mipha's Court again. It's only then that I realise I could probably clear the sludge on the shrine with splash fruit.

Anyway. Chroma and Khira have taken over purifying the water so Sidon and Yona can talk.

I join them, and Yona says Sidon should come with me to investigate the beacon of light. Sidon hesitates - is he reluctant to leave his people in this time of crisis? That's fair, but there really is no-one else.

Before he can say, we're ambushed by a monster- a sludge like. Is this what ambushed King Dorephan?

The sludge makes movement difficult, and it's a tough battle even with Sidon's water shield. Twice, I think it's all over. But we defeat the beast together.

Yona resumes her conversation with Sidon as if there had been no interruption, encouraging him to investigate the beacon with me. He's reluctant to leave her. She says: "You are yielding to the fear of losing someone you love again."

Wow. She and him must trust each other very deeply. He's clearly shared much with her. I'm glad he has her support. He's so worried to lose her, but she argues she can protect herself - and I'm minded to agree. She's formidable. He heads to the beacon.

But before I follow him, I must see to this shrine.

#totkdaily #day 67 #translation: that like killed me twice in a row #running in sludge is hecking hard work!#i know yona got hate from the sidlink shippers but like #this can be a polycule so easy #she's so good for him #totk #loz #zelda #legend of zelda

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icarusignite · 1 year

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An Eye for an Eye (part 14)

A/N: Comments and reblogs are appreciated, I love hearing y'alls thoughts <3

Word Count: 1817

All chapters: MASTERLIST

"Floris, this is Silverwing," Daenys took ahold of the young girl to make the introduction.

Floris reached out a cautious hand and allowed Daenys to place it on the large beast's side. The dragon held perfectly still and slowly, Floris moved her hand to pet her. A small smile stretched across her face as the dragon under her hand remained peaceful.

"See, I told you she was friendly," Daenys smiled.

"She's so big. How are we going to get up there?" Floris craned her neck and pointed to the seat on the dragon's back in awe.

After Daenys had ensured that Floris had climbed up and was seated safely in front of her, she took the reins.

"Soves!" Daenys announced.

"What does that mean?" Floris asked in confusion.

"It means fly. Hold on!"

Floris yelped as the great dragon rose and took to the sky. She clutched Daenys's forearms that had come up around her and squeezed her eyes shut.

Daenys laughed with exhilaration, "You need not be frightened. You are perfectly safe."

Floris slowly opened her eyes and gathered the courage to look down below her. The sight took her breath away. She had never seen Storm's End from this vintage point and in the dusky evening light, it looked almost magical. From the towering spires to the vast castle grounds, everything looked so minuscule. A lump formed in her throat. It was unfair that she had to leave it all behind.

"Daenys...," she ventured.

"Yes, Floris?"

"Would it...would it be possible for us to make one more stop before we leave Storm's End?"

"I suppose that would be alright. Where do you wish to go?"

"Could visit the sea shore? My sisters and I went sometimes when we wanted to sneak out of the castle. I wish to see it once more before I go," Floris's voice was thick with emotion.

"Oh Floris, I told you I'd bring you back to visit, as many times as you want. You're not leaving forever."

"But can we stop by, please?"

"Yes, of course we can."

Daenys landed her dragon on the sandy shores of Storm's End and Floris dashed away the moment her feet touched the ground.

"Stay within sight, Floris! And don't venture too deep into the water," Daenys hollered after her.

"I know how to swim, I'll be alright," Floris hollered back.

Daenys smiled in amusement. Looking after Floris felt like looking after her own younger brothers, with her cheeky responses and vivacious mannerisms. Watching the little girl sprint barefoot in the sand, and dip her feet in the gentle waves at the edge of the shore, brought back a flood of memories. Summers spent in King's Landing and that little island that she and her brothers snuck off to. All the sparring and swimming on hot afternoons. Daenys unlaced her boots to join Floris. The cool sand felt good between her toes and in this brief moment, she could forget about everything else. She raced Floris across the beach, the two girls shrieking with laughter. Eventually, Daenys dropped down to the ground to catch her breath, her legs sprawling out in front of her as she fished out the flask she always kept with her.

"Oh is that water?" Floris approached her curiously.

"No, I'm sorry I didn't bring any water. I didn't think we'd be making any additional stops," Daenys shook her head sheepishly.

"Then what is it?"

"It's medicine. For-"

"For your eye?"

"Well yes, I suppose that's one of the things it helps with."

"Does it help you see with that eye?"

Daenys chuckled, "No, nothing can help with that. This eye has no sight at all."

"Do you even have an eye inside there?"

"No."

"Can you get a new one then?"

"I suppose I can put something in there but it won't help me see," Daenys laughed at her curiosity and barrage of questions.

"What can you put then? Would you have to steal someone else's eye?"

"No, I don't have to steal anything. I can put in gemstones if I like. My......a friend of mine had a sapphire in his eye...." Daenys trailed off at the end of her sentence, not sure where the words or even the thought had come from.

"Oh, a sapphire? Is it like the one you wear?"

"I don't wear sapphires."

"Yes, you do. That little blue stone around your neck. You keep it hidden but it still shows," Floris responded matter of factly.

Daenys looked down at the simple sapphire pendant that hung around her neck. Her fingers involuntarily rose to touch it. It really was as Floris had said, a little blue stone hung on a plain silver chain. She frowned and tucked it away under her tunic.

"You don't like your necklace? It is very pretty though, but if you don't like it, you don't have to wear it."

"It's not that I don't like it..." Daenys didn't really want to talk about it and Floris took the hint to change the subject.

"You had a friend who also had no eye. Is that why you were friends, because you both lost an eye?"

Daenys was speechless for a moment. She cleared her throat and decided to just go with it.

"Yes, I guess we bonded over missing eyes."

The young girl laughed before coming to sit beside her, watching her carefully. Her eyes traced over Daenys's gruesome scar in wonder, making her look away in embarrassment. She felt self-conscious, having it on display like this, but any sort of covering only chafed and caused additional discomfort. She wondered if this was how Aemond felt, in constant physical pain, and plagued by the thoughts of how others perceived him. She wondered if the eyepatch chafed his scar and if he too had tremors due to the damage. He held his sword steadily enough so she supposed it didn't trouble him as much. Then her train of thought came to a screeching halt. Here in the salty sea air, her mind allowed itself to wander too far. She could not embark deeper into this because it would bring back other memories. Memories that would be too difficult to banish to the recesses of her heart. She turned her attention to Floris and found that she was still observing her.

"What is it?" Daenys raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"....Does it hurt?" Floris asked hesitantly.

"Does what hurt?"

"The scar. It looks painful."

"It hurts sometimes. That's why I drink this," Daenys shook her flask.

"It looks like they stitched it up. Once my sister Ellyn fell down the stairs and the maester had to stitch her leg up. She cried a lot. Did you cry when they stitched you up?"

Daenys smirked, "No. I did not cry."

"Liar!"

"I speak the truth. I did not shed a single tear!"

Floris giggled, "That couldn't possibly be true. You must have cried a lot."

"I am telling you I did not. When we reach Dragonstone, you can ask my mother if you like. She was there," the words were out of her mouth before she could think about them.

"Fine, I will!"

"On second thought, perhaps don't mention it to my mother. It will upset her."

"Aha! So you did cry then, and you don't want me to ask her for she will be the one to tell me the truth."

Daenys sighed with playful exasperation, "If I say that I did cry, will you promise not to bring it up in front of her?"

Floris nodded. It was quiet for a moment before she spoke again.

"Will you let me pick out your stone?"

"My stone?"

"Yes, for your eye. Maybe you can get a sapphire too, to match with your friend!"

"I'd rather not Floris," Daenys looked away awkwardly.

"Well I think you'd also look pretty with a ruby eye, and red is my favourite colour! Or perhaps an emerald?" Floris continued excitedly

"Definitely not emerald!" Daenys was quick to protest.

"Oh, you don't like green. How about a black pearl then?"

"When the scar heals enough, I'll let you pick alright? Whatever you like," Daenys smiled gently at her.

Floris's returning grin was almost blinding, "Oh how wonderful. I have ever so many ideas!"

"Can't wait to hear them."

"Are you tired already Daenys?" Floris's brows furrowed.

"Yes but worry not, we can stay for a while longer. This is the most peace I've gotten in weeks," Daenys murmured, her eyes closing of their own accord.

Daenys's last sight was of Floris running back toward the water. She closed her eyes again before wrenching them open. She needed to keep a watch out for her. She was her responsibility after all. She fought the urge to curl up right there and fall asleep under the darkening sky, but despite her best efforts, her eyes drifted closed.

Suddenly there was an earsplitting shriek and Daenys was jolted awake. She jumped to her feet, hand reaching for her sword. She looked around frantically. The guilt came in a debilitating wave; she had only been out for what felt like a moment and Floris was already in trouble. She would never forgive herself if that little girl had gotten hurt because she could not stay awake. She finally spotted Floris a few metres away from the shore, with the water up to her knees. She ran toward her, grabbing the girl by her shoulders and scanning her to check for injuries. She seemed to be unscathed physically, but her eyes were wide with fear.

"What? What's wrong? What made you scream like that?" Daenys was distraught.

"There--There's something here," Floris's voice trembled. "The tide came in and something just brushed up against my foot."

"Are you hurt? Did it hurt you?"

"No. I don't know what it is but it's still there. Please, please get it off."

Daenys sighed in relief, "Alright let's see what you've caught, shall we? I'm sure it's just some sea plant or something."

Floris made a face, "It feels leathery."

"A dead fish then? Disgusting but harmless. You'll be ok. Let me see."

Daenys sank to her knees in the water and groped blindly around Floris. The water was not clear enough to properly see the strange mass that had somehow wound itself around her foot. Daenys shivered, it was getting late and it was probably best they head home after this, lest they caught a chill. At last, she untangled the object and held it up above the water to examine it. It was unexpectedly heavy and she only meant to glance at it to ensure it was really harmless before tossing it back. However, as her eyes traced its curves and edges, she went completely still.

"Daenys. Daenys what is that? Why won't you say anything?" Floris shook her shoulder but received no response.

A strangled sound escaped Daenys before she dropped the thing back into the water and as it fell, something else that seemed to have been tucked into one of its folds also came falling out. At the sight of the second mass, her eyes grew even wider and a sob tore out of her. Her face was ashen and she swallowed the bile that rose in her throat.

_______________

Taglist (comment to be added/removed):

@m1tzifa1ry @blulemonades @bietchz @bugheadskid @applepyesworld @mrswhitethornbelikov @mysingularitybts @caspianobsessed @lotr-got @theekinslayer @vaf24 @feiwelinchen @dangerousbluebirdpoetry @hanabbrmpg @issybee0611 @lyannesworld @moni-cah @akinatrix @carryonmywaywardho @queenofbeingdepressed @cateyesinlove @frozenhuntress67 @bregarc @spicykimchii @stargaryenx @linevondensternen @koobratzy

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pianocat939 · 2 years

Note

Prompt 6 is has yandere Longan dragon vibes. You could possibly add on to the Longan dragon offering yandere story but that's just me.

Sorry for the long wait ;-; I’ve had so much music practice lately I don’t have as much time to write.

This is kind of an offering idea, but it’s still quite different. It’s primarily reader seeing Longan as a god.

Tw: Mentions that MC eats fish, Getting struck by lightning, unhealthy worshipping, Longan takes MC with or without compliance, MC almost drowns

Prompt 6: “Let me take you away~ All to myself for eternity.”

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Your eyes flutter open, the dawn’s early light beaming in. It burns, forcing you to close your eyes for a few seconds before once again opening them. Groggily sitting up, you take in your surroundings.

The gold-colored shrine stood before you, the offerings from yesterday still upon the small table. A painting of Longan Dragon hangs behind the furniture, its colors dimmed by the overhang of curtains. Their face dead with no emotion; piercing a slight terror into your being.

Ah how you wished they were here in front of you. You could witness their power and show your absolute devotion to their superiority. If only they had not locked themselves away in the depths of the sea.

You can imagine the celestial presence. Descending upon you as your heart lays bare for their taking. All you demand for is the acceptance of your love for them; to let you be to their service in numerous ways; for it was your purpose in this grotesque world called the Universe. Just how long must you wait for their arrival?

A few yells from the citizens from your yard brings your attention back to your place, in front of the shrine where your arms nestle on the table in a crossed state; the limbs numb from you sleeping on top of them. Outside, you hear the birds chirp wildly as the town awakens to a new day.

Looks like it is time to leave the divinity again.

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You were always curious about the world around you. Wanting to know how to create it, and the purposes of the creatures that live upon Earthbread. Many theories and explanations, detailed with evidence. Yet none seemed to satisfy the longing your heart held. That is until you find a data book at the deep end of a library.

Its writings overflowed with knowledge a mortal could not possibly muster on their own; the creation of the lands, the deities who ruled the sea and sky, the worthier beings who dominated the lesser cookies, and so on. It all unbarred an avant-garde perspective on you. Particularly, the five dragons who ruled the islands of Soda.

Their power was unparalleled to the cookies who also inhabit the same places. The heavens and underworld below sung in praise for their work in keeping those of uselessness below. Maintaining a level reign of hierarchy.

One may think they are the elite of the strongest. However, there is one who rules over the other four. Encased in gold and cream-colored silk--Longan Dragon held all the vigor possible.

Yet despite this prowess they hold, they still desire to succumb to the darkness of the waters and only awaken when someone dares to threaten their title: which is never. Leaving them in a slumber of eternity, unknown to the rest of the world except for their kin who scatter about on the islands surrounding their resting place.

They are what you have been looking for since the day you could think. The one who held knowledge of everything. The one who could answer all your questions. They are the key to your Enlightenment.

So, to achieve your ambition, you have started to worship them, in hopes of them appearing before you with the guidance you seek. Lamentably, they have yet to come. No matter, you will continuously wait for your celestial divinity.

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Your house is running out of food, especially fish. You sling a net over your shoulder. You then saunter over to a narrow boat. Cautiously entering in, you steady yourself along the sides of the wood. After checking items needed for fishing, you push off from the shore.

After drifting out on the ocean for a while, you throw out the net. Watching it descend like silk into the clear waters. After a few minutes of vigilantly sitting, you pull the net up, a bundle of fish appearing from the blue abyss. Loading the weight onto the boat, you open the trap. The fishes flap helplessly, desperately wanting to escape the demise of death. You hurriedly shove them into a box full of salt, keeping the freshness as well as possible.

You observe the vast blanket of liquid, noticing the waves rolling in slowly. It is peaceful, unlike the bustling village you reside in. Nothing seems to be in distress, just floating on the surface without care in the world. How ideal it would be, not having to worry about such problematic matters of civilization.

Without warning, lightning strikes down on the water not too far from your spot, causing sudden turmoil. The waves all at once crash towards your small little ship, making it wobble violently. Conveniently, you are skilled with these situations, paddling smoothly against the impact. Yet it is as though life has other plans for you.

On the spur of the moment, a giant creature shoots up from the depths, its long body twisting and turning. Meanwhile, appalled by the sight, you do not register the flash heading in your direction. It struck your chest, burning you.

You cry out in pain, toppling over the walls of the boat. In a mere second, the ocean greets you, enveloping your tiny body. Bubbles blow up from your mouth. Air floating out into the darkness.

This is it. You are going to die.

Looks like you will never get to see your divinity--Longan Dragon.

A sudden force then fishes you out from your near passing. You find yourself surrounded by a warm embrace, a contrast to the freezing water you were just in. It feels safe, like you are a newborn again. You instinctively curl up against it, exhausted from the incident.

“I apologize deeply, my worshiper.” A deep voice resonates, composedly picking each word. You open your eyes, only to be astounded by the sight before you. It is Longan Dragon. Your beloved god is carrying you, apologizing to you, and touching you. You could not have been happier.

Filled with joy, you squeal, “Longan Dragon?! Oh, how I’ve been anticipating your awakening! I’ve offered so many things every day; I just can’t wait to show all the poetry I’ve written for you!” You lace your hands together, starry eyes wide with faith.

“Mh yes, I suppose you can show that, but I have something to discuss with you first.” They float down angelicly, sitting on the structure you fell off moments ago. “You are the only one to notice my upbringing of power; therefore you are mine. Which means you shall leave your abode to reside in my palace.”

You did not answer, only nod.

They continue on, staring at you with a hint of adoration. “Let me take you away~ All to myself for eternity.” They stroke your hair, smiling deviously. “We have much to do, my precious devotee.”

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Your neighbors knock on your door. Asking nervously if you are well.

But only an empty shrine remains, abandoned by its owner.

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I wrote most of this in two days. Kinda proud but also not proud lmao.

- Celina

#cookie run #yandere cookie run #yandere #yandere x reader #cookie run ovenbreak #yandere longan dragon #longan dragon cookie #Longan dragon

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damianwho · 11 months

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Okay I'm just gonna put some Tears of the Kingdom overall lore thoughts and opinions out into the world cause I've spent to much time bothering @prosebushpatch with them.

I've done the whole story of TotK except the final battle against Ganondorf (which I assume is the end of the story but maybe there's more)

This is just an incoherent list. Feel free to embellish them with your own posts or whatever. Develop your red circle clickbait theory videos. Or, just argue with me about them in reblogs or comments. See them after the see more.

The Dragons look like Zonai. like with their face and ears and stuff. Maybe they are other Zonai that ate secret stones? Maybe Din and Farore and Nayru were Zonai?

Maybe Valoo was a Zonai? I could see him being the "Wind Waker" style version of a Zonai (comparable to WW Rito and BotW Rito)

The Rito Sage really just makes timelineing TotK impossible without just saying Zonai times also happens after everything which doesn't really make sense to me. Could the Rito just have existed and then died out and then came back? That feels also like reaching.

The amiibo hero clothes being in the Depths and signalled by the treasure maps that you get in the sky island make them real canon in a way I was fine with them not being in BotW when it actually was just from amiibos. Timeline theories are weak if they ignore them now imo.

The bargainer statues and the Gloom Resist armor, kinda look like Zant, I think. Maybe they are Twili? Or related to them?

This is not very well examined or supported but, I could see like, other realms being bridges to the different timelines. Like, imagine there is only as single Twilight Realm and every timeline accesses the same one. Maybe that's why the Bargainer Statues can sell you amiibo weapons and clothes.

I think that might be a way to formulate a merged timeline theory using the amiibos clothes as evidence instead of ignoring them.

Some people might have problems with putting the Zonai times part of TotK before Ocarina because of it meaning that "two" Ganondorf's were around at the same time, but the literal first two games in the series have two Zelda's so I'm fine with it. If I was the cosmic law arbitrating when people get reincarnated, I'd get bored watching people sleep.

Why does Beedle exist in the same karmic cycle as, like, Impa and Zelda and Link??? How is he at every stable simultaneously even though complains like he just walked there??? What is he cooking???

Do we think the Eight Heroine is supposed to be an incantation of Link? Or maybe Rauru, or just some other Zonai? or maybe even another Ganondorf? Careful reading of the tablet at the end of that quest gives me evidence for all three I think. Literally saying "the link is severed," talking about light and bravery (but not Courage or Power), implying it's related to the voe ban, plus talking about ears and listening. Just something to think about.

The awakening armor being "canon" is weird cause that implies Hoholint has some sort of metaphysical existence. Similar to Majora's Mask and Termina but harder to swallow.

#zelda #tear of the kingdom #tears of the kingdom spoilers #beedle #link #ganondorf #valoo #totk #botw #totk theory #zelda theory #zonai

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amberthefantasy · 5 months

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and the dragons danced?

chapter one: RHAENYRA I

The sun was beginning to rise, Rhaenyra had arrived at Dragonstone the morning before and had spent the day being informed of any important events since she left for King’s Landing. Nothing truly of any import had happened, they had only been gone for three days, and an eventful three days they had been. From securing her son's claim to Driftmark, to mending her relationship with Alicent, to her brothers and sons getting into a fight that forced them to leave the city, truly an eventful three days. Now she was taking a moment of rest before breaking her fast, her princely husband was seated in a nearby chair, reading as he usually did in the morning, ravens from his network of contacts she presumed.

Rhaenyra leant back in her seat, closing her eyes and allowing her hands to rest on her stomach. The roundness of pregnancy was known to her by now, after bearing five sons she had grown used to the discomfort.

Suddenly, a sharp cry cut through the usual sound of the island. Rhaenyra’s eyes snapped open, Daemon stood eyes scanning the sky out the window. Rhaenyra hadn’t heard that particular dragon’s cry in a long time, six years to be exact, since Lady Laena’s funeral on Driftmark. A few moments later the dragon appeared through the clouds, its golden scales shimmering in the early day light, “Sunfyre?” Rhaenyra locked eyes with Daemon, her husband's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “what is Aegon doing here?” Daemon just shook his head, with no answer himself.

“Ser Lorent,” Rhaenyra called, the door to the study opened, her kingsguard stood at attention in the entrance, “go and receive my brother, bring him to the main hall.”

“Yes, Princess,” Ser Lorent bowed.

“Let us go and receive my dear brother, and find what brought him to our rocky island,” Daemon took Rhaenyra’s arm and led her out of the room.

“We should also bring Jace and Luke,” Daemon suggested, “they should see how one would receive royal guests, for when they must do so.” Rhaenyra nodded in agreement.

The dragonglass throne was not the most comfortable seat, though she assumed it was more comfortable than the Iron Throne. Her husband stood directly to her right, eyes locked on the door. Jace and Luke had taken positions on her left, looking uncomfortable and like they didn’t know why they were here. Rhaenyra locked eyes with Luke, looking over his shoulder at her, and gave him a small smile. “Prince Aegon of House Targaryen, eldest son of King Viserys, the First of His Name,” Ser Lorent announced as he entered the room, her brother trailing behind him.

Aegon looked paler than she had ever seen him, which was something, the dark circles under his eyes darker and deeper, his pale silvery hair stuck to his head. When Rhaenyra looked down at his hands she noticed they were shaking. Aegon looked up at her, swallowed, and then spoke, “I must apologise for my… lack of decorum, there was no time to send word,” his voice almost cracked when he spoke, the muscles in his neck strained as he swallowed again.

It was rude to arrive unannounced but Aegon had always been rude, lacking in decorum. That she wasn’t surprised by. But arriving on his lonesome to Dragonstone, that she was surprised by, none of her siblings had ever visited her on Dragonstone. They were not particularly close, which she must admit was partly her fault.

"What can we do for you, dear brother?" Rhaenyra asked with a raised brow. "Or shall I assume this is merely a social call? Have come to apologise for your behaviour toward my sons and their betrotheds." She did not say this to be petty or rude. It could be the truth, given how she had left things with Alicent.

Aegon paled, if that were possible, “no, yes, no… if that is what you wish, they shall have my sincerest apologies.” That was… oddly worded, it made Rhaenyra feel slightly concerned, something about it. “May I say one thing first?”

“You may.”

“As you well know, Father had twenty years to name me heir. He never did. He steadfastly upheld your claim, through thick and thin. You are heir to the Iron Throne.”

Rhaenyra nodded along, that was correct of course by why… “Did something happen? To father?”

Her brother nodded, “I believe… The Stranger took him last night.”

Rhaenyra sucked in a breath. Her father, her poor, kind father. How it had pained her to see him as he was of late, the guilt of not being there for him in the past six years, was now joined by a stinging grief. She had not been there for him and now would never get to be.

Daemon’s voice interrupted her pained thoughts, “you believe? So he may not be dead?”

Aegon blushed, “I… I suppose that may be a possibility , I had no time to verify the whispers I heard,” he looked at Rhaenyra once more, “I had to come here.”

“Why? Why come without verifying the rumours?” Jace asked sceptically.

Aegon sucked in a breath, somehow it made him look even more winded. “Sister… I have no wish to rule, no taste for duty. I’m not suited. I know my mere existence is a challenge, that by drawing breath I invite revolt. But I will not do anything, I swear on my life. I will not even be in the Seven Kingdoms by the sunrise if you wish it, I will fly to Essos on Sunfyre and never return.”

Aegon reached towards his side, unsheathing his sword. Her guards reached for theirs.

“Uncle…” Jace said, voice a warning. Luke stepped behind his brother, eyes alarmed.

But her brother made no aggressive action, he dropped to his knees and held up his sword. For the first time Rhaenyra actually looked at the blade, Blackfyre’s distinctive pommel shimmered in the light.

The kneeling was unexpected, but the entire encounter had been, no? He held the sword up to Rhaenyra, head bowed. His eyes, so very wet and ringed with red, were fixed at a spot near her feet. "The smallfolk claim that such a blade belongs to a King. Please, take it. I have no desire for it. Have it. Have it all. Have the Iron Throne, have your birthright. All I ask in return is that you spare our siblings and my children."

Rhaenyra felt something ugly settled beside her grief and shock, “spare them… why do you ask such a thing of me?” An even uglier feeling had joined the first, and an ugly thought joined that.

Aegon gasped out a breath and began to cry, placing the sword at her feet he sobbed out words, “please my queen, I beg you. Do what you will with me but spare them please. My queen, I shall leave, I shall do whatever you ask but my children are innocent, our siblings are innocent please.”

Rhaenyra felt distinctly uncomfortable at this display, he had even slipped into valyrian during his tirade, “brother.” he didn’t respond, simply keeping on babbling. “Aegon, enough.”

Aegon ceased his speech, remaining where he prostrated himself. Trembling foregone in favour of a terrible stillness.

Rhaenyra stood and stepped closer to her bowing brother, “would you look at me?”

Aegon did not move for a moment, before he slowly looked up at her. His eyes full of desperation, tear stains on his cheeks. “I shall not put you, our siblings, or your children to the sword.”

Aegon’s expression didn’t change, though he looked very much like he did not believe her, “you will not?”

“No, of course not,” Rhaenyra leant down to help him up, but he flinched away as though she struck him, “you may rise.”

Aegon stood, slowly and shakily, his eyes fixed on the ground. Gods he looked so scared, Rhaenyra could not help but feel guilty, though she had not done this. The person who had filled her brother’s head with such lies was to blame, and she had a feeling she knew exactly who that was.

But she could deal with the rage bubbling in her at a later date, right now she needed to focus on her brother. He could not leave like this, in this terrified state. "Jacaerys, Lucerys, why don't you have a bath drawn for your uncle and find him something to change into. In an hour, we shall dine together and speak further," Rhaenyra decided.

Both her sons had conflicted looks on their faces, “yes mother. Come qȳbor ,” Luke motioned for Aegon to follow. For once, Aegon had nothing to say and followed his nephews meekly.

It was Daemon who picked Blackfyre from the ground. Rhaenyra could not bring herself to take it, it felt wrong to even look at. But it did not look out of place in Daemon’s hands, in a way it was the matching blade to his own Dark Sister. “What would you wish to be done with this, little dragon, ” Daemon’s voice was passive.

"I..." All she could see in her mind's eye was her brother, placing it at her feet whilst he cried, rendered to such a pitiful state by her. By what he feared so deeply from her. That ugly feeling surged in her gut with a vengeance, bile rising and burning a trail up the back of her throat. "Place it where you wish for now. I shall decide later. We have more pressing issues to deal with."

Her mind was clouded as she left the hall, slipping through corridors to reach their personal chambers. Once inside Daemon placed Blackfyre on a random table, and turned back to her. They stood in silence for a moment, but it wasn’t a long one.

“She has gone too far,” Rhaenyra paced around their chambers, clenching her fists in rage and gritting her teeth, “to poison my brother in such a manner, to make him fear me so. I can only imagine what she has been saying to Aemond and Helaena, and I am grateful that sweet Daeron has been spared from her venomous lies.”

She was aware that Alicent, and to a lesser extent Otto, had been working these past years to encourage animosity between their boys. Who else would have told Aegon and Aemond to call her sons bastards, to antagonise them so. They had gotten along well enough before that regrettable incident following Laena’s funeral, an incident she knew her boys still deeply regretted.

But this… this Rhaenyra would never forgive, could never forgive.

How could she, how dare she think so little of her? To suggest that Rhaenyra would ever harm her own family, her father’s children. And indeed that must have been what Alicent was telling her children, why else would Aegon fear her so? Drop everything and fly to Dragonstone at the mere notion that their father was dead.

Rhaenyra was estranged from her siblings, it was true, had never been close to them. But she was not that cruel. No matter what animosity lay between them, she would never harm her own blood. Even if Aegon had wished to rule, she would have done anything to avoid bloodshed, locked him in a tower or banished him but never put him to the sword.

Daemon watched her silently throughout her tirade, looking impressed for the briefest moment. “If the boy was under the impression that he would be put to the sword the instant my brother stopped drawing breath, then coming here alone was either incredibly brave or inconceivably foolish.”

From Aegon’s perspective it would have been a gamble, it was truly no wonder that he had broken down in a moment of pure humanity and begged for her mercy. If Rhaenyra was truly as ruthless as he obviously had been led to believe, she could have had him killed the moment he was away from Sunfyre. No one would know what happened to him, he had absconded in the dead of night, based on the time of his arrival, and it was improbable that any other member of his family new he had left. Rhaenyra felt her ire grow further. Alicent was most fortunate she was not currently present before her. Were she might have strangled her.

“Aegon should stay with us until we get this mess sorted out," Rhaenyra said. She did have concerns that, should she let Aegon merely run off as he had suggested, he may get caught by one of the Greens' allies and sent back to their side. They had been planning his ascension for decades, after all. They would not allow him to flee so easily. Rhaenyra was unsure of how well Aegon could evade such capture even with his Sunfyre, and it would be best not to take such a chance, for his sake and her own peace of mind.

“Those Hightower cunts would seek to crown him regardless of his own wants,” Daemon conceded, “they would drag him onto his place on their board.”

They absolutely would, if only to spite Rhaenyra. They had shown that they would even manipulate the one they wished to call King to the point that he lived in such fear he could no longer look upon his mandia . “He will be a guest, not a prisoner. We must make that abundantly clear.” If her little brother remained as he had been earlier, so full of fear, she did not think her heart could bear it. Not in addition to her father’s death.

Daemon nodded, accepting this. “Another thing we must do is confirm that the King is truly dead. It would be in poor taste to make preparations for your coronation if your father still lives.”

“I agree,” it was important to know whether her father was truly dead. She could not grieve without proper confirmation. Additionally, she did worry that the Greens might not give her father the funeral he deserved. They may even conceal his death from public knowledge while they made their plans and assembled their allies. Rhaenyra would not dare to think they would not stoop that low. "How do you suggest we go about that?"

"I believe that I may have someone in mind for such a task. Leave that up to me." Daemon stepped forward and took her hand. He ran his thumb over the back of it, back and forth gently.

Rhaenyra felt tears of her own come to her eyes at last. Grief finally overwhelming all else. When she leaned into her husband, he embraced her in turn, letting her rest her head upon his shoulder. His hand smoothed over her hair. He held her as she began to cry.

atdd masterlist / post masterlist

#fanfic #house of the dragon #rhaenyra targaryen

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