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Sheogorath do you have dairy free cheese for lactose intolerant folk such as myself?

no. shit yourself

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I don't write Rogier as a total manslut to titillate and be horny on main. I write him that way for one, to be another way he's an opposite to darian, which is just a personal interest of mine lol. But for two, because hypersexuality as a trauma response for him simply made sense to me.

I saw his emotional detachment and general disinterest in bonding with others intimately, and thought 'that guy's got a void in him.' I saw his single minded obsession with his research, and thought 'that guy's gonna fill that void with everything but difficult self-reflection and confrontation of why that void exists to begin with'. It'd be a challenging thing to do even in our modern world of medication and therapy, so I can't imagine him sitting down with someone and talking it out. And he simply doesn't work that way to begin with. When he goes to sleep with Fia, he doesn't break down crying about his own problems. He cries over an unsolved conspiracy that he's obsessed with, because he's not going to puke up his feelings directly. He didn't seek her out for emotional intimacy and healing, because he is much more interested in denying he has much of an emotional state to begin with. Emotional detachment is not 'I feel a bit numb sometimes', or 'I have some angst issues and have trouble talking about my emotional state, but I'd be pleased to help you out with your emotional problems :)' It's alarm bells and dread going off when someone tries to get 'deep' with you. It's your heart rate spiking at the thought of someone confiding intimately in you. It's disgust with your own emotions, if you can even identify them to begin with. It's being asked how you feel and defaulting to a pleasant response and breaking down if someone acknowledges your horrible feelings for you because that is NOT normal. Normal for you is ignoring all of that icky, uncomfortable stuff. Normal for you is laughing nervously and hoping the conversation moves away from talk about everyone's feelings, because you have no idea how to handle that. So if someone is going to bury and deny the emotional, they're going to seek the comforts and outlets for feelings that would normally come from such intimacy via other means. They're poor substitutes, but they don't come with that anxiety over trying to grapple with something you simply do not and never have had the mental capacity to deal with. You get the dopamine hits and relief from stress using these purely physical indulgences. Good food, booze, casual sex, whatever works, because without it that void in you where intimate connections and healthy introspection should be yawns, and yawns, and yawns, until you're sure it's going to swallow you whole. Better fill it with something, or there's not going to be much of you left that isn't a miserable husk.

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Started drawing more realistic things. Specifically animals.

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Im at a sleepover and this is what the diary of some random girl looks like. Should I be afraid?

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I might have a favorite character, chat.

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Drew my new profile picture on Procreate. Still can’t figure out digital art, but I’d say I did pretty good. Couldn’t make the colored version of the eyes look good, but this looks alright.

Yea. It’s great. Mhm.

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Now that i think about it, it's a little funny how Rogier's and D's (Darian) fan mischaracterisation seems to go to opposite directions

People tend to forget (or...miss the info i don't judge, there is a ton of NPC in there can't keep track of all of them) that Rogier's BFF impression is...well an impression. A facade. The few things we learn about him is that he acts with total detachment, and has been doing so for most of his life. His nice smile is as good as a poker face and a deleted side quests shows that being pitied is among the few things that can get him to show some biterness, when not even a terminal disease can get him to drop his facade). His facade has two edges : friendly enough to prevent agression and make conversations easier but distant enough to keep people at arm lenght. Or at least, that's how i see it (for real the last part is just my own interpretation don't quote me on that)

He slighty open up if you follow his questline but he has some manipulative bones in his body ("i can tell a good lie when i want to"). Not saying that the man is evil or something, just that his easy air is a lie. On the other hand people seems to be under the impression that Darian is basically a golden order version of Varré (the man is an hardcore golden order devotee which makes sense in his lore, and there is no doubts it makes him very biased (but tbh not anymore than most people in this story) but also he is never forceful and manipulative (or even mean) about it. ) He is not a walking sunshine but he stays polite, and even praise you sometimes, but he never try to make you join the golden order So basically people forget about Rogier's darker side and about D's nicer side haha

(for real, if you want an actual cinnamon roll, Roderika (Boc too) are there and for forceful cultist and murderous parties, Varré + the volcano manor are right there!)

Don't mistake this as Rogier hate (he is my fave, but his whole psychological mess is part of the package) or as me saying that D is flawless, but it's interesting idk.

[itwaskozki]

How to Write Strong Dialogue

(from a writer of ten years)

So you’re back in the writing trenches. You’re staring at your computer, or your phone, or your tablet, or your journal, and trying not to lose your mind. Because what comes after the first quotation mark? Nothing feels good.

Don’t worry, friend. I’m your friendly tumblr writing guide and I’m here to help you climb out of the pit of writing despair.

I’ve created a character specifically for this exercise. His name is Amos Alejandro III, but for now we’ll just call him Amos. He’s a thirty-something construction worker with a cat who hates him, and he’s just found out he has to go on a quest across the world to save his mother’s diner.

1.) Consider the Attitude and Characteristics of Your Character

One of the biggest struggles writers face when writing dialogue is keeping characters’ dialogue “in-character”.

You’re probably thinking, “but Sparrow, I’m the creator! None of the dialogue I write can be out of character because they’re my original characters!”

WRONG. (I’m hitting the very loud ‘incorrect’ buzzer in your head right now).

Yes, you created your characters. But you created them with specific characteristics and attitudes. For example, Amos lives alone, doesn’t enjoy talking too much, and isn’t a very scholarly person. So he’s probably not going to say something like “I suggest that we pursue the path of least resistance for this upcoming quest.” He’d most likely say, “I mean, I think the easiest route is pretty self-explanatory.”

Another example is a six-year-old girl saying, “Hi, Mr. Ice Cream Man, do you have chocolate sundaes?” instead of “Hewwo, Ice Cweam Man— Chocowate Sundaes?”

Please don’t put ‘w’s in the middle of your dialogue unless you have a very good and very specific reason. I will cry.

Yes, the girl is young, but she’s not going to talk like that. Most children know how to ask questions correctly, and the ‘w’ sound, while sometimes found in a young child’s speech, does not need to be written out. Children are human.

So, consider the attitude, characteristics, and age of your character when writing dialogue!

2.) Break Up Dialogue Length

If I’m reading a novel and I see an entire page of dialogue without any breaks, I’m sobbing. You’re not a 17th century author with endless punctuation. You’re in the 21st century and people don’t read in the same way they used to.

Break up your dialogue. Use long sentences. Use one word. Use commas, use paragraph breaks. Show a character throwing a chair out a window in between sentences.

For example:

“So, you’re telling me the only way to save my Ma’s diner is to travel across five different continents, find the only remaining secret receipt card, and bring it back before she goes out of business? She didn’t have any other copies? Do I have to leave my cat behind?”

vs.

Amos ran a hand over his face. “So, you’re telling me the only way to save my Ma’s diner is to travel across five different continents, find the only remaining secret recipe card, and bring it back before she goes out of business?”

He couldn’t believe his luck. That was sarcastic, of course. This was ironically horrible.

“She didn’t have any other copies?” He leaned forward over the table and frowned. “Do I have to leave my cat behind?”

The second version is easier to digest, and I got to add some fun description of thought and action into the scene! Readers get a taste of Amos’ character in the second scene, whereas in the first scene they only got what felt like a million words of dialogue.

3.) Don’t Overuse Dialogue Tags.

DON’T OVERUSE DIALOGUE TAGS. DON’T. DON’T DON’T DON’T.

If you don’t know what a dialogue tag is, it’s a word after a sentence of dialogue that attributes that dialogue to a specific character.

For example:

“Orange juice and chicken ramen are good,” he said.

‘Said’ functions as the dialogue tag in this sentence.

Dialogue tags are good. You don’t want to completely avoid them. (I used to pride myself on how I could write stories without any dialogue tags. Don’t do that.) Readers need to know who’s speaking. But overusing them, or overusing weird or unique tags, should be avoided.

Examples:

“I’m gonna have to close my diner,” Amos’ mother said.

“Why?” Amos growled. “It’s been in the family forever.”

“I’ve lost the secret recipe card, and I can’t keep the diner open without it!” she cried.

“The Bacon Burger Extreme recipe card?” Amos questioned.

“Yes!” Amos’ mother screamed.

“Well, that’s not good,” Amos complained.

vs.

“I’m gonna have to close my diner,” Amos’ mother said, taking her son’s hand and leading him over to one of the old, grease-stained tabletops with the ripped-fabric booths.

Amos simply stared at her as they moved. “Why? It’s been in the family forever.”

“I’ve—” she looked away for a moment, then took in a breath. “I’ve lost the secret recipe card. And I can’t keep the diner open without it.”

“The Bacon Burger Extreme recipe card?”

“Yes!” She still wouldn’t meet his eyes, and her shoulders were shaking. “Yes.”

Amos sat down heavily in the booth. “Well, that’s not good.”

The first scene only gives character names and dialogue tags. There are no actions and no descriptions. The second scene, however, gives these things. It gives the reader descriptions of the diner, the characters’ actions, and attitudes. Overusing dialogue tags gets boring fast, so add interest into your writing!

So! When you’re writing, consider the attitude of your character, vary dialogue length, and don’t overuse dialogue tags.

Now climb out of the pit of writing despair. Pick up your pen or computer. And write some good dialogue!

Best,

Sparrow

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What a stupid ending ...

.

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People playing Elden Ring and looking for the "good" demigod to root for are missing the point. Pick your favorite mass murdering war criminal megalomaniac with mommy issues and endlessly simp for them like the rest of us, cowards.

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Sorcerer Rogier X GN! Reader SFW Alphabet

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He dotes on you incessantly. He’s always touching you in some way, whether it be playing with your hair or holding onto your arm or laying across your lap while he pretends to be interested in whatever it is he’s reading. He’s a smooth talker with a silver tongue that he puts to good use; rendering you weak with just a few words. Rogier leans in close when talking to you or helping you with something, he’s acutely aware of the effect he has on his beloved and quite enjoys seeing you so flustered. Likes to lift your hand in his and gently kiss it, his lips roaming up your arm until he switches to your neck, where he will of course continue his upwards pursuit. 

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

He’d be a spectacular best friend. Rogier is a reliable, supportive, knowledgable and overall friendly guy! He’s great to hang out with. As for how it starts, maybe you need some help studying for something. Maybe you don’t understand the new scroll you picked up or you just can’t wrap your head around some obscure part of Lands Between history — Sorcerer Rogier to the rescue! He’d be more than happy to explain to you just about anything. Alternatively, I think a friendship could also stem from your shared interests in the Night of Black Knives, the dogmatism of the Golden Order, or just plain old Roundtable gossip. Swapping stories and getting in-depth details on petty rumors are his guilty pleasures. 

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Most certainly. Keeps at least one arm around you as he drifts off. He might shift around in his sleep but he still somehow keeps contact with you throughout the entire night. A drunken Rogier is twice as clingy. He’ll pass out on top of you, by your side with his face in your hair and half of his body covering you or with his head resting on your lower stomach. 

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Rogier isn’t sold on completely settling down, he’s much more interested in the partnership that spawns from a marriage than staying in one place and taking up a less dangerous hobby. He wants to be able to go on daring adventures and the like, and he’d love to have you with him! It’s just that he has some dreams he still wishes to realize. He’s set on marrying you, make no mistake. He’s pretty good at cooking, although he doesn’t do it much so he’s a little out of practice. It could be worse. He’s a fan of whipping up something quick to surprise you with; especially if he knows you’ve had a rough day. Likes it when you feed him and enjoys doing the same to you, he thinks it’s cute. 

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He's extremely respectful, keeps it lighthearted, promises to keep contact and actually does. 

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

If you both love each other and are content in your relationship, he’ll pop the question. Easy as that. He knows what he wants and is quite confident in his proposal. A healthy Rogier would wait around a standard time to propose, most likely a year and a half. However, towards the end of his life, he’d ask fairly quick (given that you are both comfortable in your relationship and it wouldn’t be random etc etc). He won’t be as slick or sure when proposing, instead he’s jittery and constantly stumbling over his words. He knows he’s dying soon, he knows it’ll be more than a little selfish to ask you to marry him when all has been said and done, but he needs to know if you’d be content being his. He wants to be your husband, if only for a little while. 

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Rogier is a very gentle lover. Physically his touches are always soft, kind and playful. He adores you and treats you with the upmost care. He’s just as tender emotionally, maybe even more so. You’ll come to him crying and he’s immediately swooping you into an embrace, tutting at you and kissing away any tears. 

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Of course! Any affection from his partner is much appreciated. He reciprocates it warmly but not without a few teasing words (“What’s this? Did my sweetness miss me?” “Such a clingy thing you are, my love”). He hugs you often. Every morning before parting ways, every evening when you are reunited with each other once again and anytime in between. He adores it. While he’s no stranger to kind words or friendship, he hasn’t known closeness like this before. The love you show him is truly unique. 

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It may take a while, at most 4-5 months. Until then he’s using “I like you” or “I’m fond of you.” Nothing too serious but shows that he cares. He’s such a charmer, constantly showering you with cloying compliments aplenty. When he does finally say those three troublesome words it’s like they mean nothing at all, yet they carry upon them the weight of his entire heart. He says them so calmly, so casually, it takes you by surprise. It was late, you were lying on his lap reaching up at and fumbling with the jewel that hung from his hat; admiring the way it’s dazzling light shone across his cheek. Your hand changes its course, choosing instead to run a finger over his cat-like smile. Its then that he captures your wrist in his hold, placing your palm on his cheek as he rubs the back of it with his thumb; tracing circles on your skin and looking at you with all the love in the world. He's lovesick and just can't seem to help himself around you, so when he next opens his mouth the cat's out of the bag. He's shocked when he realizes what he's said, but comes to accept the words just as soon as he'd uttered them. Yes, he loves you.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Feels more smug than anything when someone stares at you for too long; Rogier knows how lucky he is to be yours. He enjoys sweeping in and placing a hand on your hip just to add salt to your admirer���s wounds. If things get too serious or he senses any discomfort from you he’ll step in and thoroughly tell them off, maybe even make a show of it and obscure you from their view. 

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Bewitching. It’s impossible to keep track of how many times he’ll kiss your cheek in a day, it’s his way of saying “hello” or “thank you” or “how are you?” or … Well, it can mean a lot of different things. The point is he does it so so very often. He likes to kiss you anywhere, he loves you and that includes your entire body. If he had to pick his favorite spots to kiss you though they’d have to be your hands, cheek and neck. Forehead kisses are used as parting gifts and are also often used when comforting you. Likes kissing the inside of your wrist as well, it’s like his usual hand kisses but more mesmerizing. He’ll do these just to see you squirm. 

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Acts like his usual self but a bit softer. He loves children, thinks they're a special blessing to the ever-dreary Lands Between. Although he never wanted to be a father himself, seeing the world he inhabits to be too cruel to bring a child into, he does find his thoughts drifting towards the prospect when he's with you.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

It’s truly a wonder how Rogier is able to act so charming despite only getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night. He gives you a chaste kiss on the forehead once he awakes, humming a tender ‘good morning’ to you in that chipper voice of his. If you’re not much of an early bird and slow to rise, he’ll get a bit playful with his methods to rouse you. Such methods include blowing raspberries into your neck/chest or bridal carrying you out of your shared bed himself. 

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Nights with Rogier are relaxing, healing and blissful. He likes to take the night slow and puts in a ton of effort to make you comfortable. The night begins with a fragrant herb-strewn bath that you both take together, washing each other off before fixing each other’s hair and so on. Rogier learns your favorite flavor of tea early on and perfects the recipe, handing it to you at just the right temperature before settling into bed. These times will either be spent basking in each other’s presence or rambling about your interests/days. Rogier enjoys the latter, opting to snake an arm around your shoulders while his other hand plays with your hair. You will always be the first to fall asleep no matter what. Rogier stays up late studying, reading, learning etc etc … he’s a capital ’S’ scholar and tends to get a bit lost in his work. He’ll often get up and move to a nearby desk if he feels he’s disturbing your slumber. It feels like coming home when he finally gives in to exhaustion, dragging himself to bed and slotting his drowsy form against your side. 

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?) 

Oh dear. He’s a pretty open guy, just not with emotions. He tends to steer conversations far, far way from his inner turmoils. He won’t have any issue with you unloading all of your emotional baggage onto him —  he takes pride in knowing you talk to him about your own problems — it’s just that he never wants to go over his. 

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

 He’s a pretty lax guy. He doesn’t take what others say about him too seriously. He doesn’t tolerate any disrespect thrown on your name, however. 

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Rogier has you down to a science. He’s chatty, loves to learn, and you just happen to be one of his favorite topics of discussion. He remembers every important date, how long the both of you have been together, what sort of present you’d like for your anniversary etc etc … He acts very smug about it too. Knows just what to say or do to elicit his desired response. 

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Your first date! Oh to be searching for Deathroot with your crush clinging onto your arm because they're scared to death of the catacombs. How romantic. He lets no harm come to you whatsoever. He's a talented sorcerer, after all. He's also a perfect idiot; letting his ambitions spoil what was supposed to be a romantic and peaceful day for you both. While neither of you run into much trouble, he does sense that he messed up by putting his interests above your own and profusely apologizes. You have him pay you back by taking you on what you call a "real date," as if those imps weren't real enough. He obliges, of course, and goes well beyond anything you were expecting. Because of his excellent commitment to putting together the best date you've ever been on, you allow him to take you out adventuring again; so long as he gives you a heads up beforehand.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you?)

A normal amount. You’re both living in the treacherous Lands Between, there’s plenty of reasons for him to be protective of you. He has your hand in his when you go out, leading the way so that he’ll hopefully be the first to weather any hardship. He’s very much against the prospect of you leaving the Roundtable on your own. If he can’t accompany you he’ll charm some other capable Tarnished into doing so. Gives them a whole talk about it too. Ensures that whoever it is looking after you gives you proper space, but should you return with even a hair on your head harmed they will not be getting paid.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Rogier puts an absurd amount of effort into dates. He once collected and took care of a myriad of glintstone fireflies just to release them on a date for some ambient lighting. He likes spiffing up an area before taking you there, often covering your eyes with his hands as he leads you to it. He’s always showing off when it comes to daily tasks. He does them well, just adds that extra bit of flourish to boring everyday chores to see you smile — to hear you praise him. 

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Has a difficult time conveying his more negative emotions. He’s pretty guarded in that regard, usually because he’s ignoring his own problems or isn’t sure how to address them. Gets easily absorbed by his work, can be a little impish at times and not take things as seriously as they should be. 

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Not very, but he does want to look nice for you. He washes up well and combs his hair every day and whatnot. 

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

It depends on how serious the relationship becomes, but generally yes. It’s rare for Rogier to let his guard down completely around someone, and he’s become quite used to your affection. He’d be rather pitiful without it.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He’s playful and a huge tease. Loves to hold items out of your reach, exchanging them for a sweet peck on the cheek. Like to read books aloud to you in a theatrical manner, acting out scenes and changing the cadence of his voice to fit the scenario. He lives for your smile and will do everything in his power to see you beam up at him each and every day. 

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Closed mindedness, arrogance, etc … 

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Sprawls out, always has a leg or arm hooked over you. 

[itwaskozki]

the tyranny of messmer’s flame

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Since Messmer is descendant of shaman flesh, he was not born with the two buddy snakes. They became friends in his childhood, getting close to him by sensing his serpentine nature and some sort of kinship. They were not physically attached to him then, but in time, when his flesh started to see spontaneous wound (because of the suppression of the base serpent’s power in flesh), they stayed close to him for support… a bit too close… at the point to becoming fused with him. It was willingly. After that thy were trying to be of service as his eyes, and comfort, as his friends and advisors, already deciding to follow him even toward a doomed path. It was loyalty at first, It was for love at last.

[itwaskozki]

Hark, Lord Impaler - Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own any of characters or events from Elden Ring.

Author’s Notes: A little 800 words as a start. Just a little setup for the story that our main character will reminisce on quite often. Also, thanks @asianbutnotjapanese for being one of the few people interested!

Summary: Messmer saves a human child during an attack on a hornsent settlement.

Warnings: Violence, depictions of blood/wounds, depictions of war

Smoke swirled in the air like an evil veil, heavy and black, shrouding the town once bustling with everyday activity in a menacing darkness. The light illuminating the streets was not that of the setting sun, but the red glow of wild flames. The air was thick with the smell of burning; burning buildings, burning flesh. Charred bodies littered the ground, others were still dying. The wailing of women and children pierced through the clashing of steel and shouting of soldiers like the swords and spears ripping through bellies.

Messmer the Impaler watched this chaos ensue with no expression. The hornsent at his feet spasmed, attempting to curse his killer with its final breath, but all that came out was gurgling nonsense as blood bubbled from its mouth. The leader of the crusade pulled his wicked spear from the hornsent– its blood pooling at his feet– death throes now finished. 

Be it one man, be it a whole city; even the most horrific killing could become nothing more than a chore, given time.

The red serpents craned their heads around, observing the genocide– for this was no battle– on behalf of Messmer. Messmer saw through their eyes, as they were one with his body since birth, and he had no eyes of his own. Not anymore. Not since his mother gouged his only working eye and replaced it with her own seal. His fist gripped his spear tighter as his mind drifted to that memory. 

No, he should not feel anger, or dare he say hurt. That had been for the best. He was a danger to his mother and her Golden Order otherwise. He was a monster, and she had been right to seal that dark serpent away inside of him. Mother understood though, and would let him into her golden lands soon enough. Just as soon as he avenged her people.

A serpent hissed and Messmer blinked his way back to reality to see a child, wrists bound in rope, raise a dagger and plunge it into the back of her captor. The demigod raised his hand to kill her with his cursed fire when he realized she slew a hornsent, not one of his men. Not just a child, but a human child, and therefore someone he was obligated not to kill, perhaps even save.

The girl was rather scrawny, covered in grime and blood, and could be no older than four and ten. Perhaps the hornsent had taken her to be stuffed in a jar and melded as the savages did with so many.  Her eyes were wide with fear that was only amplified tenfold when she saw Sir Messmer. She trembled from terror and exhaustion but otherwise didn’t move, torn between awe and horror at the sight of the demigod until something finally pulled her attention away from him and had her try to run. She didn't make it far before she tripped over an object concealed with soot. The ash plastered to her skin as she wildly turned around to see a towering horned warrior of the hornsent slowly approach her, raising its great iron sword to cleave her in half, paying Messmer no mind, if it had seen him at all.

Messmer threw his spear at the warrior, killing it in a single shot. The spear skewered the hornsent with a splatter of blood and lodged itself firmly into the ground until the Impaler summoned it back to his hand. The body fell to the ground with a thud. He ambled to where the girl had fallen and let a serpent extend to allow him a better look. Her body lay limp and unconscious, her breathing rasped softly, the only indication of life in her yet. Blood– whether it was her own or another’s– had seeped into her clothes, dying the shawl around her shoulders a dark red, as if a gruesome mockery of Messmer’s own garment. Perhaps it was a sign from Marika. If so, it was a cruel one, but– he thought with a grimace– it was not outside of his mother’s nature to be cruel…far from it.

Her eyes fluttered open briefly and she groaned in pain. Messmer took a moment to locate one of his men, simultaneously noticing the battle was beginning to dwindle like the flames devouring the buildings. 

“Soldier,” he addressed the first of his men to come close, “Dost deliver this child unto one who may tend to her health.”

The soldier nodded in acknowledgment and came to carefully lift the girl in his arms and carry her off. Messmer watched as they faded out of view into the mist of cinders and ash. Once he had gotten to regrouping his troops and having it made sure that no hornsent remained alive, the girl was quickly forgotten. She did not cross his mind again until they were far from the smoldering ruins.

The Impaler looked at his most trusted knights, their armor gleaming, scarlet capes flowing behind them, untouched by most of the filth of battle. He thought again of the girl’s blood-soaked cloth and decided to thank his mother for the supposed sign.

Perhaps there was use to be made of that child yet.