#(even though one of these is freshwater. at least partially)

[veliseraptor]

Top 5 aquatic mammals? Can specify different subspecies

ooh fun and I get to include pictures for this one. I could've included pictures for other ones, but animal pictures are more fun.

1. Leopard seal. they're big, they're fierce, they're adorable, they have faces that constantly look a little smug. I love them sooooo much.

2. Orca. they're big, they're fierce, they're adorable. sensing a trend here? you are correct. also I'm just immensely fond of them because they live in my (former) area and that makes me very happy to have them there, hanging around. I saw a baby once, it was amazing.

3. Harbor seal. bit basic perhaps but I stand by it. say "classic" instead. they're so goddamn cute I can't handle it. I went kayaking once and they kept popping up around my kayak just checking me out. my mom does open water swimming with her friends and sometimes seals swim with them for a little while. absolutely perfect, who's doing it like them.

4. Humpback whale. gotta put a baleen whale on here, for fairness. I'm deeply fond of these guys mostly because they hang around my hometown and that makes me happy. they're locals! (some of the time.) big and beautiful and they sing.

5. River otter. sea otters get all the press (not that they don't deserve it!) but I personally am a river otter fan. something about the way they run and also the way they sleep in a pile is just irresistible to me. I was a docent at an aquarium for a summer and they had two river otters and one of them used to sleep with his tail stuck in his mouth, and one time I was standing by their enclosure and watched him take his tail out of his mouth, yawn, then put it back in and go to sleep. I think about that a lot.

thank you for giving me an excuse to think about aquatic animals and also look up pictures of them.

[aegor-bamfsteel]

How valuable a fief would Queenscrown be for a newly made lord?

After I wrote about Fixing Up Dragonstone, you want me to write another Medieval Home and Gardening post, this time Queenscrown edition?

The problems with Queenscrown are obvious: most of the houses have collapsed, the inn has only two standing walls, the oak doors of the tower are too warped to close completely (though the rest of the tower appears in good shape). So any new lord looking to attract people to the village is going to have to invest some money into rebuilding.

Jojen enumerates the advantages of the Queenscrown area in Bran III ASOS: “This is good land." Jojen picked up a handful of dirt, rubbing it between his fingers. "A village, an inn, a stout holdfast in the lake, all these apple trees . . . but where are the people, Bran? Why would they leave such a place?” While Bran says the inn was never much of an inn, that there was even a small one, partially made of stone (stone structures are rare in these villages), with a common room indicates there was some business from travelers/traders along the Kingsroad. The apple trees could provide some income, but as Bran’s chapter shows, the fruit is only available during the warmer seasons (which, unless seasons by the end of canon are changed to resemble those on earth, can last for years), and thus possibly unreliable (there’s possibly a business for making preserves). The thick oak trees are a potential source of timber, maybe to help rebuild the inn and some of the cottages. The lake provides fresh water, although there’s not mentioned to be fish/frogs for food there. At least some deer are around to make venison. From Queenscrown to the Wall are grasslands, “fallow fields…high meadows”, which do have value if someone were to replant or graze their flocks there come spring.

In short, I wouldn’t say Queenscrown is one of the wealthiest potential holdfasts (it’s not located near a river, near a mine, any crossing point for tolls) but has assets in its fertile soil (assessed as good by crannogman Jojen, and shown to support many apple and oak trees), its freshwater lake, the nearby fields and meadows, and its location near the kingsroad that has attracted travelers enough for an inn. If the new lord is willing to put in the work, I’m sure Queenscrown would yield more than subsistence once the wildling raids/War for the Dawn have ended. Considering 3 chapters have taken place there (2 of Bran and 1 of Jon, which may foreshadow their endgames as kings), and there are many references to how peaceful/fertile yet lonely/haunted it is without its people, it’s very likely Queenscrown will be resettled by the end of the series.

[sorceressferaly]

Hello fellow Mayalexer. I’d like to know what you think the long term consequences of the Ashland Volcano erupting would be? Sincerely, definitely not someone chronicling Jorvik.

Hello fellow Mayalex person who is definitely not a friend in real life to whom I hinted at that I wanted to answer this very question!

Something that is pretty interesting about large-scale volcanic eruptions is that they cause a lasting effect on the climate for the years to come.

"Little ice-ages" is a phenomenon that can be caused partially by volcanic eruptions, as the ashes linger in the stratosphere and block solar radiation. This leads to worldwide global cooling, which has resulted in harsh winters and poor harvests in the past.

In this post, I will compare a theoretical eruption of Garnok’s Fury with the eruption of an Icelandic volcano in 536, which had devastating consequences globally.

Warning: This might get pretty dark.

The year 536, volcanic eruptions were likely to be - or at the very least a major contributor to - the cause of a "darkening of the sky" where volcanic sulfur and particles coated the skies of the entire northern hemisphere and led to a major drop in temperatures for the next decade.

Catastrophic for the people alive by that time, and in the Mediterranean area a terrible plague named the Plague of Justinian* followed in the wake of the harsh conditions, killing millions.

“During this year a most dread portent took place. For the sun gave forth its light without brightness … and it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse, for the beams it shed were not clear.” - Procopius, Byzantine historian, regarding the disastrous year 536.

Volcanic eruptions pose a danger stretching far beyond the initial eruption. Garnok's Fury would indeed have consequences of global reach!

So what would that mean for Jorvik? Well, if we consider that the consequences of the eruptions of 536 have been speculated by religious scholars to potentially be the source of myths such as the Fimbulvinter**, I think we can say that Jorvik is in for their very own ice age.

However, it's difficult to predict climate change directly in Jorvik, since the climate on the island is influenced not only by volcanic energy but very much by the inherent magic that exists on the island.

For this reason, while I believe that Jorvik wouldn't be covered in ice that would make the island completely uninhabitable, the people of Jorvik would be in for a harsh time.

The most immediate effect, as I mentioned in my previous post, would be the destruction of the dam in the Great Reservoir, which is said to provide most of the electricity and drinking water in Jorvik.

While we don't know the exact size or volume of the Great Reservoir, we know that Lisa describes it as more of an ocean than a dam, and old Jorvegian tales have said that it is bottomless. "Bottomless" is a bit difficult to calculate though, so to find a real-life Jorvik comparison, I'm going to look at a pretty big dam instead.

Karahnjukavirkjun in Iceland is capable of generating 4600 GWh of power annually, which according to the US Bureau of Reclamation is enough to provide electricity to about 1.5 million people. Since the population of Jorvik is likely below a million as Jorvik is supposed to be a relatively small and overlooked island nation on the world stage (only about 350.000 people live on Iceland) this one generator should cover most of Jorvik’s needs.

However, Karahnjukavirkjun is meant to generate power to the Icelandic aluminum industry. Aluminum production requires a ridiculous amount of energy... but Jorvik has no such industry. In fact – Jorvik doesn’t seem to host much of an industry at all!

I asked @jorvegian-chronicler for a second opinion on the industries of Jorvik, and besides raising horses and manufacturing equipment for equestrian needs, it seems like the largest industries on Jorvik would likely be the drilling/mining of natural resources such as oil/gas and fishing/farming second. These industries would have far less need of energy than aluminum production, and thus, the Great Reservoir may be the only source of hydroelectric power production on Jorvik.

However, hydroelectric power is not the only power source on Jorvik. Just like Iceland, Jorvik is likely to have access to a great amount of geothermal power and may use that to provide central heating - which the Jorvegians will likely need once the sky goes dark. There are also the aforementioned great reserves of oil and gas around the island, but it seems like these resources are mainly mined by private companies and not used by the state to provide additional electricity (which they wouldn’t need anyway), so most of the fossil fuels produced on Jorvik might be export only.

Aside from electricity, Linda states in Darkness Falling that most of the drinking water in Jorvik comes from the Great Reservoir. The only canonical area we know that has its own water supply is Dundull and with no more information available we must assume that it is indeed the only local source of drinking water, and all larger settlements such as Jorvik City and Jarlaheim are completely dependent on the Great Reservoir.

We can also make the fairly safe assumption that any farmers on Jorvik rely on an irrigation system powered by freshwater from the Great Reservoir.

Armed with this knowledge (read: qualified guesswork) we can now start speculating what will happen in Jorvik’s own day after tomorrow.

When the dam breaches, it will release an enormous flood of water that will crush everything in its way, eliminating any settlements in the direction of the tidal wave of water that will mercilessly flow out of the broken dam. Canonical locations affected would be Meander Village and Pine Hill Manor. They would likely have some time available for evacuation, but so much for Mr. Sands.

The second effect would be the failure of most of the Jorvegian power grid. While central heating might be covered by geothermal power plants, light, household apparatuses, computers, and various entertainment systems would be shut down. There might be enough emergency power to provide power for an emergency broadcast or low-level lighting, but this emergency power wouldn’t last forever.

If Jorvik has any coal or oil-powered plants, they’d need to start working overtime to fill the power vacuum. However, with Jorvik being very environmentally conscious I believe they would have decommissioned most of the fossil-fueled power plants.

The third effect would be the loss of clean drinking water. You never realize how much water you use until the tap dries up. Mistfall lake seems to be an independent water source, and Silversong River could likely be fueled by meltwater from Dino Valley, but the largest cities in Jorvik – Jorvik City and Jarlaheim – would be without clean water.

There are wells placed around Jorvik that still would be fine to use, but those wells are mainly intended to provide water for the horses in Jorvik, not to provide water for the humans in the cities.

It seems odd to place all the eggs in a single basket by relying so much on this one dam, but I’m not one to question Linda on her knowledge of Jorvegian infrastructure.

A likely consequence is that the Jorvegians that can do so should seek their way to the countryside and smaller settlements. Any village with wells present has a source of groundwater which Jorvik City does not.

The Jorvegian government will have to arrange for water to be transported from other sources, and since Jorvik City is close to Dundull, giant tank trucks would likely be sent into the Mistfall national park in order to transport some of that water back to Jorvik City. . Perhaps GED can make a fortune here by selling Go! Energy Drinks?

Local wells wouldn’t be enough to support large-scale irrigation of agriculture, however, and it would be likely that harvests would fail all around Jorvik that year, as there wouldn’t be enough water available to provide enough for an agricultural industry.

This would be a huge hit to Jorvik’s economy, which relies on the fertile land for a large number of crops, and we all know that it doesn’t seem to rain nearly enough on Jorvik to make up for the loss of irrigation water.

If the harvests would be bad the first year, the subsequent years will be even worse, as the sun will be blocked out by volcanic particles which will lead to a cooldown over the entire northern hemisphere. Reports from the year 536 speak about crop failures and a “failure in bread”, implying that the large amounts of grain grown on Jorvik may not survive the colder climate.

Failing crops and poor harvests will lead to a huge economic deficit not only for the agricultural industry but for the equestrian industry as well. Much of the crops grown on Jorvik are not meant for the human population to consume, but rather to feed Jorvik’s obsession with the equestrian industry.

With an agricultural industry in decline over the next few years, it follows that the equestrian industry can no longer be supported to the same extent.

Several of the horse breeds imported to Jorvik over time may not have the build to survive the colder climate at this time and would need to be transported away from the island. Indigenous and cold-resistant breeds may have better luck, but with no agricultural industry to support them, it’s likely that the equestrian industry as a whole would need to downsize.

This would indirectly impact Jorvik’s tourism industry, as fewer young people would be spending their summer vacation in Jorvik for several years. In fact, Jorvik would likely not experience another summer for years to come!***

On the upside, Jorvik’s glue industry has a bright future ahead.

Fortunately, the fishing and fossil fuel industries wouldn’t be nearly as badly affected by the disaster. With crops failing, the fishing industry would be even more paramount for domestic food production, and Cape West might grow from a small fishing village to a large harbor to support the increased needs for fishing and shipping.

The fossil fuel industries would have to be relied on to provide domestic energy production until the dam can be rebuilt, as well as powering the boats used by the fishing industry.

This increased need for domestic use of fossil fuels would likely hurt Jorvik’s ability to export said fossil fuels, which may have far-reaching consequences globally, as peace never tends to be an option once oil is on the table. It’s unlikely that Jorvik makes up a major part of the global fossil fuel production, but such a sudden change in the worldwide fossil fuel distribution would likely have some consequences on the global market.

With the equestrian and agricultural industries failing, and the fishing and fossil fuel industries taking on more importance, more of Jorvik’s workforce would likely move to work in the industries that can offer them jobs. Carl Peterson is an experienced oil rig worker and would likely be forced to accept a job in the fossil fuel industry, leading to the Starshine Ranch falling into ruin.

Other people may be forced to leave Jorvik entirely, as the failure of the equestrian industry would mean the loss of tens of thousands of jobs in the whole country.

The construction industry would likely be staying strong. There would be a need to rebuild the dam around the Great Reservoir. Construction on the Kárahnjúkar Dam took five years to complete, so we may be looking at a similar timeframe. Hopefully, they will build it to be sturdier this time as to not break as soon as some Sun Circle teenager opens a portal to Pandoria, and also construct some backup plans in the other lakes around Jorvik.

All in all, there would doubtlessly be many years of hardship to face on Jorvik. Hardships that I’m not sure that druidic magic could help with as we’re assuming a completely natural eruption not caused by Garnok and the Hell Portal.

Linda may still be able to foresee the eruption, but if she’d try to warn anyone, she’d likely get the Cassandra**** treatment. Of course, perhaps there is something that the Soul Riders could do to stop it. We don’t know all of the magic that runs through Jorvik, and honestly, I’m sure Linda can find some ritual to banish the initial volcanic eruption to the moon. Moon Circle OP.

There would be a light at the end of the tunnel, as the sun would gradually grow stronger as the particles fade away, and warm, pleasant summers with plentiful harvests would return to Jorvik.

...

Whew, that was pretty dark.

These kinds of events tend to have far-reaching consequences, and I barely even touched on how the political, cultural, and social development could turn out following the eruption, destruction of the dam, and the long winter.

The forces of nature can be great and terrible, and I don’t think most of us tend to reflect on the awesome power of volcanoes nearly often enough. We are but specks of dust in comparison to the movement of the continental plates and the forces of the Earth. Hopefully, we will learn how to master them yet.

Thanks for reading – now please get some water, have a snack, and read something more lighthearted.

*Poor Justinian. For all he did as a Roman Emperor, his name lives on in a plague. Constantine got a city named after him. Julius and Augustus Ceasar each got a month. Justinian got the plague. That's rough, buddy.

**Fimbulvinter is the harsh winter that ends almost all life on Midgård and is the harbinger of Ragnarok in Norse mythology. It has been theorized that this myth was based on stories of harsh winters without any summers in between, that were passed down in oral tradition as tales of the future. Winter is coming, anyone?

***On the other hand, many might be happy that snow in Jorvik is finally back. Why let a little hemispherical disaster get in the way of enjoying the year-long winter?

****Cassandra was a seer and priestess of Apollo in the Illiad myth, cursed with the power to utter completely true prophesies but never be believed. I think Linda relates to her a lot on a personal level.

[her0brine]

What do you think the potions taste like? (You can do a handful you don't gotta do all of them)

I was honestly going to write something about this!!! This is the perfect excuse for me to finally finish the list that I had in my drafts 🤣 I also added what happens to a user if they drink any of these potions, and their physical sensations!

Awkward/Mundane/Thick: Depending on what main starting ingredient used (Nether wart, sugar, etc), it usually ends up just tasting like tainted water. It usually isn’t really appetizing, but it at least has no negative effects on the user who drank it.

Healing: Upon drinking it, the user will notice that it tastes like VERY rich watermelon, with very little notes of water in it. Soon, a warm sensation takes over their entire body, along with any wounds on them now immediately healing themselves by quickly growing new flesh or fixing broken blood vessels. The sensation is best compared to the feeling of being smothered by a recently heated up blanket, except it’s felt in your insides, not on your skin.

Fire Resistance: The flavor is best said to be quite citrusy, and the consistency of the liquid is more akin to a smoothie due to the creamy texture of using magma creme. After consuming it, the user will suddenly feel extreme heat in their body, easily exceeding 98°F. Ironically, the negative effects of exceeding that body temperature will not appear, and not even sweating will occur. It is still quite uncomfortable to be physically so hot, but if you’re using this potion in the first place, it’s safe to say you’re directly exposing yourself to even more intense temperatures, so the fever-like heat pales in comparison.

Regeneration: Basically the same to the physical sensation and effects of the Potion of Healing, but it tastes more like lukewarm salt water instead of the pure and strong tasting watermelon flavor. The healing factor is lightly longer as well, along with the user feeling more energized and upbeat.

Strength: As blaze powder is the main ingredient in this potion, it tastes like metal flakes mixed with hot water. It is not very tasty at all, and it even tastes like old copper, depending on who’s opinion you get. After drinking it, it is common to see a user suddenly tremble as more defined muscle mass develops across their entire body. This is more of a cosmetic effect, as the potion’s effect seems to focus more on arm strength than leg or core body strength, even though muscle mass still grows in those areas. When the potion wears off, the user will essentially deflate back to normal, implying that the suddenly gained muscle mass is akin to water weight.

Swiftness: Sugar water. It’s literally just sugar water. It literally makes it’s user run faster by making them develop a unnaturally high sugar rush, but there is no negative effect such as crashing when it wears off thankfully.

Night Vision: A very ‘filling’ potion, as it tends to make the user feel physically full after drinking it, due to how rich the flavor of carrot it is in it. It too is also quite thick, but more similar to jam than a smoothie. After drinking it, the user’s eyes will severely dilate, along with being incredibly reflective, even in lowlight situations. It is slightly disorienting when it wears off, as their vision will revert back to the way it should be.

Invisibility: Probably one of the more ‘acquired taste’ potions, due to fermented spider eyes being it’s main ingredient. It’s physically quite chunky, and just straight up tastes like rotten blood mixed with yeasty wine. Not only the flavor is intensely vile, but the effect inflicted on it’s user can actually cause some to pass out from the overwhelming sensation. A sharp cold chill will fully envelop it’s user, as it basically mutates their entire body to come off as invisible to any living being. Sometimes the frostbite-like sensation is so severe, some users have suffered heart attacks, panic attacks, or any other sort of medical emergency as the transformation takes place. Then again, this is a potion who’s effect is so potent that it ‘jumps’ across the user’s body to also transform their clothes into being invisible. Only users who have endured turning invisible by other methods (being shot by a arrow of invisibility or being cursed by a Illusioner for example) can mentally and physically handle drinking such a dreadful potion.

Water Breathing: One of the most popular potions out there, due to it’s extreme viability in water biomes, it of course uses a oceanic fish for it’s main ingredient. However since it uses pufferfish instead of cod or tropical fish, the flavor tastes like stripped clean pufferfish meat that was dunked in a bucket of warm saltwater. At least the water-heavy nature of this potion means it goes down quickly, and after numerous uses, a user can get used to the weird ‘fishy’ taste. It too temporarily mutates the user’s body by modifying their lungs to be able to process water, along with making small gills form on the sides of their neck. The pain is minor when this occurs, and isn’t as extremely overbearing when compared to the Potion of Invisibility. The augmented lungs and gills fade away after the potion wears off.

Leaping: Similar to the ‘meat being dunked in water’ taste the Potion of Water Breathing has, this potion instead tastes like rabbit meat that marinated in chilled freshwater. Similar to how the Potion of Strength can physically mutate the user’s muscle mass, this one makes the user’s legs more slender but still muscular, allowing them to have a increased jump height. Trembling is more minimal, as it does not effect the user’s entire body.

Slow falling: Certainty one of the more odder potions, due to both it’s main ingredient and it’s effect. The phantom membrane used in it is quite leathery, but also equally quite powdery when it’s processed. The flavor is hard to pin down, but it’s generally agreed upon it’s users to taste along the lines of chalk mixed with slightly salty water. It seems like no physical transformation occurs to the user’s body, and instead they’re ‘enveloped’ by a aura that allows them to gracefully fall to the ground if they fell from a tall height. The slightly visible aura fades away when the potion wears off.

Poison: Nobody in their right mind would willingly consume this potion, but if one were forced to drink it, it just tastes like blood and bile. Almost immediately after drinking it, it will immediately poison it’s user and make them suffer intense sharp pain in their insides, and even some nausea.

Weakness: Having nearly the same disgusting taste as the Potion of Invisibility, except it of course doesn’t turn it’s user invisible. It instead makes them feel fatigued, as they quickly become physically gaunt and tired. Any body mass that got effected by this potion is partially wasted away by sudden muscle atrophy and is permanently lost, even after the potion wears off. Because of this, it’s quite dangerous to be afflicted by it, especially after multiple uses in a row.

Harming: It too has the exact same taste of the Potion of Weakness, except it’s effect is ABSOLUTELY GUT WRENCHING. Upon drinking it, it’s user will instantly double over in complete agony, as their guts are literally ravaged from the inside. Drinking this is akin to drinking pure acid, especially as it’s main side effect is making it’s user vomit blood profusely, along with internal bleeding. It is a highly fatal potion, and should NOT be drunk at all costs.

Slowness: At this point, you should already know that any potion that uses a spider eye as it’s base ingredient will probably taste disgusting. This potion is thankfully one of the ‘less’ painful ones in the whole series that uses spider eyes, as it doesn’t cause extreme internal pain or damage to it’s user. It instead makes them physically bloated and fatigued, which in turn makes it uncomfortable to them to walk around. The bloating passes away when it wears off, but can leave it’s user still feel quite queasy and even sleepy.

Turtle Master: One of the ‘newer’ potions to be made, it features a very unorthodox base ingredient, a turtle shell. It tastes like a mixture of turtle meat and keratin, which makes it feel starchy and salty. It’s kinda..... chicken flavored but not in a good way, but at least in terms of texture, it goes down easy as it’s very watery. As one of the primary effects is slowness, the user will experience bloating, but the additional effect of resistance will cause the user’s skin to thicken up and become quite leathery, in order to become more protected. The change to the user’s skin will fade away, but it’s recommended to slather some lotion on, to potentially avoid having some of the affected skin still partially retaining it’s leatheriness.

[ask-the-clergy-bc]

What is handsome/pretty by ghoul standards? I have a tall buff lion looking immortal type guy and I hc the ghouls find him very handsome cause of how strong, hairy and intimidating he his lol

He’d be very popular among Air and Fire ghouls for sure! :D 

-

National Geographic on Ghouls - Physical beauty Standards 

A few notes to make about Ghouls! 

Ghoulish beauty standards tend to lean more towards what is considered ideal from an evolutionary standpoint. So traits that make a ghoul attractive can be considered ones that are good genes that can be passed from ghoul to kit. Features that are good for survival or indicators of strong elemental prowess are prized in all ghouls. 

It’s important to note that many human standards of beauty are not shared or acknowledged by ghoul society. Traits that are valued by humans like facial structures, facial features, superficial builds, and even very specific body types aren’t usually considered when studying a ‘beautiful/handsome’ ghoul. Now these traits CAN be considered attractive to individual ghouls, but typically, these aren’t sought after in general ghoul culture. 

On the flip side, traits humans consider ‘ugly’ are also not viewed the same in ghoul society! Humans have a horrible habit of being picky about scars, birthmarks, wrinkles, or even certain body types. But to ghouls, these aren’t even regarded as remotely unattractive! It is found when conversing with many ghouls that ghouls typically rarely find ‘ugliness’ in others- ghoul or human. The only ‘ugly’ that has ever been recorded has been attributed to strong biases against enemy tribes/elements, scents of unethical magic and practices, or scars brought on by disgraceful acts.  

General:

Shiny and Thick Horns - Horns actually show a lot about a ghoul’s health and physical wellness. Healthier ghouls have very shiny or naturally covered horns. Thicker horns are just an aesthetic preference for many, as it can make a ghoul look more sturdy and stronger. 

Bigger, Sharper Teeth - Color of teeth is never a factor- Just that the jaws and teeth themselves look ready to be able to fight and tear down prey. 

Sharper, Long Claws - Self explanatory. Like Teeth, claws are a factor for tribes to consider a ghoul with strong genetic traits.  

Fire:

Long Hair/Facial Hair - This one might seem odd to many, but long hair is particularly treasured in fire ghoul tribes. Mainly because it is a physical testament to one’s control over their element. Even with control over it, fire can come back and bite a ghoul- hurting or even killing them. One of the consequences of not controlling your fire element is losing hair and eyebrows. So a fire ghoul with long that’s not SINGED is very attractive. On that same note, as not all fire tribes wear long hair, having any type of well groomed facial hair is also very attractive. Again, fire can easily give you a clean shave too close for comfort- so this falls in the same boat! 

Battle Scars - Scars that are won in battle, hunting, and other honorable activities are actually prized amongst many fire tribes! Marks are a lifelong testament to a fire ghoul’s ability to survive whatever is thrown at them! The more scars the harder it is believed to kill that ghoul!  

Medium/Short but Thick Horns - A common ritual between fire ghouls is to head butt and lock horns. Normally you might consider longer, bigger horns to be the preference. But those are seen as easier to break and damage. Also the thicker the horns, the stronger they are! Shiny Black horns are the common color preference among fire ghouls. 

Aether:

Tattoos, Body Art, and Piercings - A lot of Aether ghoul culture is based around individual ghoul’s tattoos and piercings. They are very symbolic of one’s family, tribe, and even rank. Usually by adulthood, Aether ghouls can have a huge array of piercings or ink on their bodies. An aether ghoul is expected to at some point make at least one distinctive tattoo on themselves. The steadier hand and more attention to detail is better. Nose rings or an abundance of ear piercings are a popular choice for many tribes. 

Otherworldly eye colors - The aether is the very blood of these tribes, and sometimes this shows up in Quintessence ghoul genetics. Once in a while you will get a ghoul kit born with purple, electric blue, or even almost white eyes! These are all colors associated with a direct link to their element and are considered an unblessing from the Aether itself. Alternatively, one tribe prizes an entirely black eye above all! 

Partially shaved heads - A very fashionable way to have your hair in most aether tribes is to have it partially shaved. HOW and WHERE on the head it’s shaved varies amongst individual tribes. Some prefer mohawk like styles, while others will only shave one side of the head. 

Earth:

Bigger body types - Normally body types aren’t a common preference amongst ghouls. But Earth ghouls, especially forest types, absolutely adore bigger body types. Whether that be curvier figures, plush bodies, big muscles, or just large all around. Some have speculated that this could be tied to the forest tribe, who values fertility and the bearing of kits. While this preference does have roots in fertility, it is not unique to admire on just kit bearing ghouls. Aether ghouls, who typically are bigger and thicker in stature, are very popular among earth types for this reason. 

Longer or curled horns - Opposite to fire ghouls, Earth ghouls value the longest horns or most complex of horns! The ideal horn set is either like those of a goat or a deer buck. Antler like horns are the ultimate signs of attractiveness amongst Stone ghouls. They are considered strong, pleasing to look at, and easier to decorate. Alternatively, many Earth tribes prefer very curled, satyr-like horns. 

A bare chest - While more so fashion focused than actually body types- a chest bare of clothing is the most common way to dress in Earth tribes. Typically only covered up if a kit or part of a mated pair. Bodies are normally celebrated and considered a sign of a stable, trusting tribe of one another. Also a good indicator of mate status or availability. Some tribes may cover their chests in necklaces and other decorations instead of wearing shirts when in more humid or warm climates. 

Water:

Long tails - Particularly valued in Oceanic tribes, long tails are very popular. Long tails can actually be beneficial when swimming and are regarded as aesthetically pleasing. Fresh water ghouls tend to prize thin, longer tails with shiny scales while oceanic tribes prefer them to be thicker with barbs and long fins.  

Colorful or Shiny Scales - Shiny scales usually show a ghoul who is in good health and are just amazing to look at in general. But colorful scales can be popular in freshwater and land locked tribes. Colorful scales and markings typically only come from a few tropic tribes located in remote parts of Hell. So a ghoul who has them will be hailed as amazingly stunning! 

Legs - Whether they are long dancer legs, or thicker athletic legs- water ghouls have a strong penchant for legs! Like with tails, this is to go with their ability to swim and travel in both water and on land. Long legs tend to be the favorite in oceanic tribes. Muscular or thicker legs are a preference in swamp tribes. Wardrobes designed to show off legs are the most functional and preferred in these tribes. 

Air: 

Long Ears - Air ghouls tend to hair longer ears. It is Air ghoul belief that longer ears means you can hear their element better- which is crucial for a ghoul to figure out their environment or weather patterns. The longer the ears, the more prized. Long ears with a slight curve back towards the head, like a bat, is particularly favored among many. 

Pronounced shoulders - The attraction to strong or pronounced shoulders comes from the old times of more ancient air ghouls, who had wings on their back. Their shoulder structures tended to be a bit more strong than other elements. Even though wings have been nearly wiped from the Air tribes, the appreciation for where they once rested has not. 

Softened face - This one is a rather weird one to explain. When a softer face is preferred, it does not mean not wrinkles or blemishes or anything of the sort. Rather, Air ghoul territories tend to be very harsh and it can make many air ghouls look stern or solemn. So a ghoul who tends to regularly have softer expressions or features is considered a rarity. But it’s also hard to have to not seem weak in one’s tribe.

[theatresweetheart]

Glass Jars and Rolling Thunder

Warnings: Brief mention of beaching (no actual beaching), non-descriptive mention of blood, brief mention of non-specific medical tools, non-human character referred to ask an ‘it’ (though it is not malicious), fear.

Pairing: Platonic Analogical

Characters: Logan, Virgil

Word Count: 2628 words

A/n: So, I’ve been wanting to write something for MerMay and I finally got around to doing it! :D

                                         ——————————

The rocks were slippery as the veterinary student mindfully made his way down to the beach. The thunderstorm that rolled through earlier had dominated practically the entire day. Taking care in making sure he didn’t slip down the rock face leading down to the beach, Logan tugged his raincoat a bit closer to himself.

The reason he was heading down to the beach in the first place was of his own accord, but a habit he had made for himself.

As a veterinary student specializing in aquatic life, he felt as though it was important to make sure no marine life had ended up beached on the dry land thanks to the storm. Of course, “dry land” at this moment may be untrue but the weather could turn warm by morning. If the creature couldn’t get back into the water in time, there wouldn’t be a high chance of survival.

The least he could do was prevent such unfortunate events from taking place preemptively.

The overcast sky dulled the land in front of him, turning the colours grey and dark. Not to mention it was just past dinner, the rain hadn’t tapered off much later than that. It wasn’t an ideal time to be out on the rocks, but it was better than waiting overnight. Especially if he could prevent an animal from suffocating.

A‌ few stray droplets fell from the rolling thunder clouds above him every once in a while, but it was nothing Logan was concerned with. Working with marine life had made getting wet a day-to-day thing. He’d been splashed countless times while out for his practicum. Plenty animals were not happy with human intervention and would react negatively if they got too close too fast.

It seemed to him as though the storm had paused for now. Though, the dark clouds rising over the horizon told him that this may have to be quicker than he anticipated and wanted it to be.

Still, Logan had enough time to do a sweep of the beach and be back home before those clouds truly set in. And even if it did start raining—which was not a problem in the least—he had a raincoat. If worse came to worse and he was still out here by the time the second wave of rain hit, he wouldn’t be as soaked.

The sound of the waves lapping against the rocks and sand was comforting. A sound he had become accustomed to. Living about a ten minute walk from the beach was nice. However, he hadn’t picked this place for the scenery (not that it wasn’t a bonus), but that it was optimal for his profession.

After getting a degree in marine biology, Logan had pursed it to veterinary school. He’d already had a leg up in specializing in aquatic life.

The stroll down the beach was mostly uneventful. Which was relatively good news in his opinion.

And besides, those rain clouds were starting to roll in faster and the beach was growing darker by the second. Heading back home in the dark wasn’t a problem once he got back up to where lights dotted the walkway above this beach.

Grabbing his phone out of his pocket, Logan flicked the flashlight on just to be cautious—as it was better to be safe than sorry. Twisting an ankle was not an ideal option.

Logan stood in silence for a moment, wanting to make sure he couldn’t hear anything making sounds of distress. If there was anything nearby, he’d be able to pinpoint it. When he heard nothing but the continuous sound of the waves lapping against the sand, he deemed it safe enough to leave the rest of the beach till the morning,

Just as he began his walk back, he paused.

His hearing pricked as the soft sound of something hitting what sounded to be glass rose from somewhere behind him. Logan turned back to face the direction that led down the rest of the beach. It seemed to keep going up until he could distantly make out the shape of a cliff-face that led straight up.

However, the tapping against glass was not nearly that far away. It had to be just near his feet. Logan directed the flashlight down toward the sand just in front of him, before moving it up slightly and letting the light rest on a cluster of rocks that were wedged into the sand and facing the ocean.

The closer he got to it, the louder the sounds got. He also noticed that this cluster of rocks wasn’t entirely open, it was almost like a small cavern, hollowed out slightly enough to appear as though a child had done it to mimic a cave small enough to play in with their dolls. He pushed a little further forward, a small twig softened by the rain crunching slightly under his boots, and all of a sudden the sounds stopped again.

Whatever small animal this was, it now knew of his presence. It was possible it felt threatened. There were plenty of animals that felt threatened by human beings. A lot of them smaller and feeling as though they couldn’t defend themselves, but frightened nonetheless.

Logan stopped moving, he’d partially stopped breathing as well, just hoping that the silence he created would be enough to convince the small animal to restart its noises. The sound of glass was odd, he noted. Perhaps whatever it was had managed to get itself stuck in some trash left by tourists and families. The thought made him feel the slightest bit embittered.

Though the feeling was quickly washed away. The sounds had returned and if he didn’t know better, he would have said that they they almost sounded more desperate. Logan found himself creeping forward quieter, more aware of the area in front of him.

He let the flashlight sweep the cavern first. Of course, this time he wasn’t surprised the soft tapping stopped. It meant he’d found what he was looking for. The closer he got, the sooner caught the scent of something metallic and strong.

Blood?

That pushed Logan a little faster into action. If the animal was injured, he’d need to do something about that. He had some medical supplies back home that could help stabilize it if it were truly that hurt.

Logan knelt down into the sand before peering into the cavern of rocks and sand. It took only a second to pinpoint the sound of tapping and clicking against glass from earlier, as a glass jar filled halfway sat tucked snugly into the sand around it. The jar had a jagged edge, a piece of it broken off around the top. There seemed to be a smudge of crimson at the very top of it. The jar itself looked as if it had been packed in there fairly well. 

However, what was inside of it was what astonished him.

There, right there in front of him, was a tiny creature that almost completely resembled a normal human being. There was only one thing that kept the creature from being entirely human, and that was the deep violet tail that splashed the water in the jar in a nervous fashion Logan had seen other distressed aquatic creatures do.

His eyes flickered from the mermaid (merman?) in the jar for just a second, seeing the blue pail sitting innocent beside it. A part of him wondered if the creature had been unfortunately washed into the jar during the storm. 

Or, a separate part of him wondered, had the creature been caught and put into the jar maliciously, then just left there after the storm rolled in?

Either way, the thoughts were bitter. Whatever had happened to the mer—Logan could hardly believe he was actually categorizing something like that as a real thing—it had ended up in the jar. Tried to escape, by the looks of it, cut itself on the jagged pieces of the jar and was now bleeding from somewhere.

And who knew how long it had been like that.

As a veterinary student, Logan’s first reaction would be to take the creature home and find a way to help it, but the other part of him wasn’t sure exactly what to do with it after that.

It was clearly in distress, by the desperate movement of it splashing more and more of its water out of the jar. He assumed that distress was being caused further by himself. But Logan also couldn’t just leave it there to die in good conscious. Doing something would have to be the option he went with.

The mer had been trying to get out of the jar, as it was the most obvious reaction to getting caught somewhere. The ocean’s edge was right there and Logan assumed that if it had managed to get out, it would have been long gone by now.

Debating it after a second, Logan managed to prop his phone up in a place where it wouldn’t end up falling into the water, but gave him enough light to work with. The jar would have to go, so Logan settled on using the pail to the side of it.

He watched as the creature cowered away from him as he reached over it. Logan pushed the uncomfortable feeling of guilt that raised in him down. He retrieved the pail and pulled it out of the sand. He pushed himself up into a stand before refilling it with fresh seawater. He could only guess that the mer thrived in saltwater. Besides, he didn’t want to risk putting it in freshwater if it only ended up hurting the creature more.

The panicked sounds picked up again the second Logan had his back turned to the mer. It was painfully terrified of his presence. Whatever human had done this to the creature, they had certainly scarred it. For good reason, it seemed however.

Not that Logan could necessarily blame it either.

The second he turned back to it, the mer had ducked back down into the bottom of the jar, watching Logan with sharp dark eyes, almost glowing in the light the flashlight presented.

It was unprecedented and undocumented. It was fascinating.

However, those inquiries could be saved for a later time. Specifically when they were out of the dark beach and into a more controlled environment and Logan was positive that the creature’s health was stable.

He set the bucket down to his side, finding a flat enough place on the ground to keep it from tipping over. He knelt back down in the same spot from before, and leaned a bit further down. Trying to get a better look at the creature only proved fruitless as the light from his phone wasn’t enough—at least not in the position it currently was sat in. It was also proved fruitless by the fact that the little mer only ducked down further before flipping its tail and managing to splash water into his face.

Logan reared back in surprise, watching water drops slide down the frames of his glasses. So the specimen was aggressive. That just meant Logan would have to be more careful with it, perhaps actually explaining his actions would soothe it. Possibly see him as less of a threat.

He pulled his glasses off, the world blurring for only a moment. He silently cursed himself for not bringing one of his microfiber cloths with him, before relenting and using his shirt under his raincoat. When he put them back on, the world was certainly clearer. He could see some smudges in the corner of his eyes, but it wouldn’t be too distracting for the short walk home. After he got his…guest, he supposed, settled, he would be able to clean his glasses properly.

“I‌ understand you’re frightened,” Logan said to it, drawing the mer’s attention up to his own. “And telling you not to be frightened would be illogical, but rest assured that I‌ do not wish to harm you.”

The mer gave no indication that it could understand him. It just stared at him, those wide eyes soon narrowed into distrusting slits.

“I’m going to transfer you into the bucket.” Logan’s eyes flickered to it, showing the mer what exactly he was talking about in case it didn’t understand him. Maybe it could take visual cues?‌ Either way, they needed to get this out of the way. Not to mention, Logan would like to get home before it began to storm again, it would only make getting up the rocks more difficult then that task already was already going to be. “I’m going to take you to my home just to make sure you’re alright.”

In all honesty, the mer could be let go as early as lunchtime tomorrow. However, Logan didn’t want to let it go just like that. He would like to have some of his questions answered if they found a way to communicate.

With his explanations out of the way, Logan leaned forward again, this time consciously staying a bit further away from the mouth of the jar—which had been the right choice, as the tiny creature attempted to splash him again—and dug his hands into the caked sand around the base of it. After digging the jar out, he carefully lifted it.

He tried to keep his motions as steady as possible, not wanting to knock the mer around too much if it was dangerously injured. However, by the way it was angrily thrashing in the water, Logan wasn’t too sure just how hurt it was. It wasn’t giving him any displays of pain. Instead only happily showing its agitation.

Though, with the jar more in the light now, Logan could faintly make out the slight discoloration of the water. It was pinker, a dull red.

It was definitely bleeding then.

As tempted as he was to just stay knelt there in the sand and examine the fantastical creature in the jar, the rumbling thunder that rolled through the sky was a quick reminder to what was coming.

Without waiting then, Logan tipped the jar slow enough to make sure the mer didn’t freak out too much and took precaution to make sure that the jagged edge was facing upward, toward himself. That way, if the mer did flail, there would be less risk of it cutting itself again or making its wounds worse.

A small shout of surprise was the only thing in the air, other than the waves and the thunder, as the little creature splashed down into the bucket.

With that out of the way, Logan tucked the jar into one of his larger pockets, not wanting to leave it there as it was garbage and broken glass was a hazard. He also didn’t want another creature getting stuck in the same predicament.

He stood up, grabbed his phone and then stooped to grab the handle of the bucket. The water inside of it was unsteady as it sloshed against the sides, but there was nothing he could really do to stop that. Making his way back over the unsteady ground of the beach, Logan had come to the conclusion that mermaids were apparently real.

A part of him wondered if all of them were the size of this one, or different species came in different sizes.

Perhaps that was a question for another time. Though, his gaze did drift down to the bucket in question for a moment. Inside, the little mer was huddled down into the side of the bucket at the very bottom of it. Possibly for stability, and possibly from that residue fear of Logan himself.

Either way, he needed to do something.

Logan was sure the mer would realize soon enough that he honestly meant no harm. If it truly was sentient—which Logan suspected it was—then they would most likely eventually be able to reach some sort of mutual understanding.

[creative-classpect]

The Land of Frogs and Sway

LOFAS, the Land of Frogs and Sway, is a land flowing as effortless as the breeze. The islands and lilypads ebb and flow, swaying with each passing current on a sea of starlight. Consorts spend their days fishing and sailing and making themselves home along the twisting and turning currents. There’s always more to do and it seems like if the tides lull you into security, you might just drift away and never come back. 

It’s a big world. And a pond this big needs to be taken care of.

You see, LOFAS is a natural spring, a clean and clear freshwater world ripe with life and diverse ecosystems, from the seaweed forests deep below the surface to the ever blooming lily pads and flowers. Massive fish, colossal birds, and humongous insects find themselves at home here. Everything lives in relative harmony! Well… ok, well, save for the frogs. They just. Aren’t. As big. And it’s real hard being little frogs in a big pond. 

This world, so ripe with growth, so wrought with change, is messy for something so small. Even the would-be large Forge and frog temples scattered across the world pale in comparison to the creatures that call this place home. And with competition that big, the frogs just aren’t able to grow to their full potential.

That is where the Mage of Space comes in. There’s something off about LOFAS. While everything big is relatively peaceful, the frogs got left behind. And that is no accident. Something fishy is going on and it is up to them to figure out what.

It’s up to the Mage of Space to traverse the ever flowing land of Frogs and Sway, find the denizen responsible for the frog imbalance, and bring things back to balance!

Denizen: Aparna, the Hindu goddess of harmony, devotion, and divine power.

Features

Temple of the first frog

A weaving temple of colorful stones, half sunken and partially flooded, lies overgrown with vines and ivy. Consorts hold it in veneration, a sacred place that serves as both a home and museum to the eldest frogs on the land. Ancient hieroglyphs and symbols line the walls, though no one can read them, at least, not with their own limited understanding. Perhaps the other distant temples hold the translation key?

The sunken observatory

Deep into the waters of the world lies an observatory of marble and pearl, glowing incandescently in the cool dim waters at the bottom of the lakebed. It floats along the floor of the world, keeping its secrets away from any prying eyes. It seems to… swim. On its own. Come to think of it… it is vaguely tadpole shaped...

-  This post was commissioned by @help-mii-out !  If you would like to commission me or support my content, you can find me over @ https://ko-fi.com/kesscal !

[buysomecheese]

PLEASURE TO MEET YOU WIL I'M SUNNY AND YOU SEEM REALLY CHILL

I hope cheese is getting proper rest :) I'm sure he needs it!!

ahdhhdhd freckles are pretty, they always reminded me of little maps across ones skin (probably the sailor in me though, i have a love for the ocean and Adventure)

I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU IF YOUR OKAY WITH IT (and even tho i know a lot of people with did/alters I'm still not sure if i need to like introduce myself so like I'm totally willing to spew if you wanna hear it)

Haha I did get proper rest but now I’m not tired but the body still is lol that’ll be fun to deal with

I put a note for Wil next time he fronts saying that you wanted to get to know him more, he’ll most likely be cool with it!! I don’t think he knows much about himself yet though tbh lol, at least not that he’s told me

I think most people in our system that I’m aware of at least have an idea of who you are? Caleb (our gatekeeper and just general Cool Guy) is pretty good at sharing knowledge among us, but he also doesn’t let me switch out of front often (that’s also partially me being scared though lol) and wouldn’t even let anyone else talk to me until quite recently

And oooh, I’m also a Big Fan of Adventure!!! I also like the ocean a lot in theory but in practice the beach is a bit too much for me unfortunately. I’m more of a freshwater/forest/lake Adventure XD

Do you have a favorite type of ocean animal/creature?

[ghosstkid]

when i’m falling i’m at peace, it’s only when i hit the ground it causes all the grief

title from the song “falling” by florence and the machine 

this short goes hand in hand with this one, this one, and this one <3 

ao3 

The champagne tastes bitter, having lost its sweet, bubbliness nearly an hour ago. Now it is flat, swirling idly in James’s glass. He fidgets with the stem of his glass as he slowly moves along the edge of the manly room, filled with paintings of valiant victories and monuments to some battle James has forgotten the name of.

There are no roses.

He swirls his pitiful champagne, his fingers nervous and unsure of where they should be or what they should do. Without Ann to anchor him, he feels adrift in the large room, floating on waves of laughter and conversations that he can’t remember the start of. Catching sight of sunlight streaming through a tall window, he starts towards it almost desperately; a drowning sailor reaching for the glittering surface.

“Oh, Sir Ross!”

Sinking… drowning.

James stops, a strained smile on his face as he turns to the laughing officers.

“We were just talking about that poor lad who fell from his ship a few weeks ago and we were wondering... Have you ever fallen from your ships? I have not heard any stories but-“

“No,” James says quickly, perhaps too quickly. He averts his gaze to his flat champagne. “No, I have not,” James says. “I apologize for not having a better story,” he adds with a charming smile. “Excuse me.” He turns away, his smile falling when he’s certain no one can see him. He tries not to listen to whispers.

“Whatever happened to him?”

“He has not been the same since… well.”

“Part of him died in the Arctic too, so they say. A shame. He was such a good captain.”

James floats through the room, finally reaching the window. Now alone and looking out over the courtyard, he lets go of the pained breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His medals glimmer in the sunlight, the epaulettes on his shoulders shivering despite the warmth. He takes a sip from his champagne and grimaces; too bitter.

A small smile pulls at his lips. He had lied; he had fallen out of a boat once.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

“There has to be an easier way to see her, James.”

“No, Francis! This is the only way!”

“I doubt that.” The older man stood on the old dock that creaked and groaned under their boots. He watched James scramble into the little boat, the young captain nearly losing his balance before finally settling himself on the bench. James smiled up at Francis whose curls were aflame in the golden sunlight. His bright eyes glimmered with amusement.

“Are you coming? Or are you going to be rude?” James insisted as he grips the oars of the boat. Francis huffed.

“I do not trust that boat, James.”

“Oh come on, old man! It is fine! See! This little stream won’t sink us!” James sways side to side, the little row doing its very best to stay upright. Francis didn’t look convinced. “Fine, stay here then. Would you at least pass me the basket?” James asked, reaching his hand out to the little picnic basket resting by Francis’s boots. The older man sighed as he picked up the basket. He cursed James as he stepped down from the dock into the boat, gripping the sides tightly as it swayed side to side. James smiled brightly. Francis’s nervousness began to melt. James’s strawberry curls danced around his cheeks. His collar was loose, his cravat hanging out of his lovely, blue coat pocket.  

Tucked into the first buttonhole of his matching waistcoat is a pink rose; a gift.

Francis found himself struggling to look away from him.

When he finally looked away, he took in the glittering river, the willow trees dragging their long tendrils through the gentle ripples, the moths dancing in the summer light and the blue sky overhead. James rowed their boat gently down the river, knowing the way off by heart. Soon they will come upon a little stream, kept hidden by overhanging trees and wildflowers.

“I cannot believe you, James. Sneaking down a river to see a girl whose father despises you,” Francis said, crossing his arms. “This is the stupidity, James!"

“I’ve been doing stupid things for love for a long time,” James breathed as he leaned forward to press a kiss to Francis's freckled cheek, enchanted by the way his eyes fluttered and closed under James's soft touch. “And I will keep doing them.” He leans to the right, kissing his other cheek. “And keep doing them…”

“Will you watch where you are going? You’ll run us aground!” The boat wobbles precariously as James leans back, giving the oars another strong row, pushing the boat away from the rocky bank it had drifted towards. “I hope that isn’t an omen…” Francis laughed. James rolls his eyes.

“I can handle a boat, Francis,” James said, a sharp smile pulling at his lips. Francis turned his icy blue gaze back to the rippling water. He leaned over the side just enough to dip his fingertips into the water.

“Are you sure, James?” Francis asked quietly, watching the ripples dancing over his fingers. James frowned. “Are you sure that you want me here?”

“I’ve never been more sure,” James said firmly. “I want both of you here with me on this beautiful evening.” Francis stared at him partially in disbelief, partially from joy; amazed by the way James glowed in the evening, summer sun. “We are almost there,” James said with a glowing smile as he guided the boat towards the stream. The weak current was barely noticed as they coasted under the overhanging tree branches. The smell of flowers filled the air.

As if in a dream, a beautiful house emerged from the woods. Red brick glowed in the golden sunlight, the tall windows gleaming like the freshwater that surrounded their boat. Francis followed James’s hopeful, wide-eyed gaze to one of the windows on the top floor that overlooked the stream. It was open, the white curtains tumbling out of the window. Just inside the window, they could see a young woman sitting there, trying to read her book but every few seconds she would glance out the window, her big eyes searching the stream and the grassy bank below.

Her face lit up when she saw the little boat.

She disappeared from the window in a heartbeat, the pink ribbons on her dress fluttering wildly.

James smiled.

“I-Is she coming down now?” Francis gulped.

“Yes,” James nodded as the boat came to rest at the grassy bank, hidden from view of the house’s windows.

“How many times have you met like this?” Francis wondered. A knowing smile tugged at James's lips. "Have you ever been caught? Will we be caught?"

“James!” a sweet voice called out to them before James could answer Francis. He quickly stood up, the boat wobbling dangerously. The young woman made her way down the grassy bank, holding her white skirts up so as not to get caught up in them. The pink ribbon tied around her waist fluttered with every step. In her hand is her bonnet, no doubt grabbed in a hurry out of habit but with no real intention to put it on. She takes James’s outstretched hand and steps gracefully into the boat, settling on the middle bench between Francis and James.

Francis had met her before, only a few times, but every time he had caught himself watching her as much as James, his bright gaze flickering from angel to angel. Now, however, he found himself nervous for he had never been near her quite this close, with James just on the other side of her. Her white skirts spilt over their boots, her pink ribbon trailing over Francis’s knee.

“I-It is nice to see you again, Ann,” Francis managed to say and she rewarded him with a brilliant smile.

“Yes, it is nice to see you too, Francis.” She glanced at James for a moment before turning back to him. “It is such a beautiful evening, isn’t it? I am so happy you joined us.”

“You see?” James laughed as he pushed the boat away from the bank, letting the stream's lazy current carry them away. “I told you, old man,” James winked.

“Told him what?” Ann asked, turning to him with narrowed eyes.

“Francis was worried that you would not want him to join us this evening. I have been having a hard time convincing him otherwise,” James said with a dramatic sigh. Francis rolled his eyes.

“I just felt a little hesitant about sneaking around is all…” Francis muttered.

“Oh,” Ann giggled. “You have nothing to worry about, darling!” Francis stared at her with wide eyes, the sweet words like a sudden kiss on his sun-warmed skin. Ann giggled again. Leaning idly on the oars, James watched them. His heart felt as though it would burst from his chest.

The buttons on Francis’s coat shined like stars.

“Now that you have both of us stuck here on your little boat, do you plan to make off with us, James?” Francis asked as he rummaged through the basket for the bottle of champagne James had brought.

“You should not give me ideas,” James laughed. “You know, it was not that long ago, I was no better than dead in the Arctic…” He plucked the rose from the buttonhole in his waistcoat and held it out to Ann. “I intend to have all that life gives me now.” Ann smiled as she gently took the rose, twirling it in her fingers.

“Here,” Francis reaches for the rose. “I grew up with sisters that always wore flowers in their hair. But they could never reach where they wanted to tuck them in so they would ask me to help them,” Francis said as he gently placed the rose among Ann’s curls.

“Beautiful,” James smiled. Ann giggles, her cheeks turning a soft pink, just like her rose.

“Does your little boat have a name?” Francis asked as he poured the champagne into one of the cheap glasses they had bought for the occasion, handing it to Ann. “Perhaps we should name it after our lovely lady.” Ann laughed, shaking her head. “O-Oh… I’m sorry. I did not mean to offend-” Francis stammered.

“You didn’t, darling! I only mean that I never thought of having a boat named after me, even a little one like this,” Ann blushed.

“Well let us be the first then!” James insisted. He stood up suddenly, reaching for the champagne glass that Francis offered him. “We shall name this little ship the Ann Coulman! And she shall-” The boat wobbled under James’s boots.

Suddenly, he was falling.

“James!” Ann screamed as he tipped over the side, crashing into the cool water with a loud splash.

The stream was much deeper than he thought it was. He sank below the boat, dazed from the shock of the cool water. The tails of his coat swirled around him. The champagne glass sank to the bottom. What little air he had escaped his lungs, turning into bubbles that danced up towards the glittering surface.

Sinking… drowning…

With a strong kick, he propelled himself upwards, towards the shimmering sunlight.

A hand reached through the water towards him, the golden buttons on the cuff glinting.

James gripped Francis’s hand.

He gasped for air as he broke the surface, spluttering and flailing his arm. Glimmering water droplets soared through the warm evening air.

“James!” Ann cried, her voice frantic.

James gripped Francis's hands tightly as he hauled him into the boat. He landed in a sopping wet heap on the floor between Ann and Francis. His wet, strawberry curls clung to his face. Droplets of water fell from his suit. Ann reached for him, gently brushing his hair from his face as he coughed and gasped. Francis took off his coat and gently wrapped it around him.

“James? Are you all right?” Francis asked, rubbing his shoulders.

James let out a spluttering laugh, rivulets of water dripping from the tip of his nose. He could taste the stream; fresh and cool on his lips.

After a moment, Francis began to laugh too, leaning down to press his face into James’s wet curls.

“We should go back… You will catch a cold, my love,” Ann said gently stroking his wet cheek.

“I am all right… I can dry out in the sunlight,” James laughed. “I do not want to be parted from you. From either of you…”

“Then we will stay,” Francis said, rubbing James's shoulder gently. “We will spend this evening together.”

“Yes.. together,” Ann repeated, glancing up at Francis with a warm, thankful smile.

James closed his eyes as he leaned his head against Francis’s knee, the soft fabric of his trousers slowly becoming damp under his cheek. He could hear the birds sing, the soft murmur of the stream, Ann’s soft giggle and Francis’s voice floating on the summer breeze.

Yes… He would have everything life gave him.

A harsh laugh pulls James back to the cold room, back to his stiff uniform and the dull champagne. The sunlight streaming through the window is slowly disappearing behind clouds that will unleash yet another rainstorm.

James’s fingers slip into his pocket, curling around the button there. He turns his head to take in the room and the mob of navy blue and gold medals. He can hear the murmurings of new plans, new routes, new currents, new islands, new ships and new men to captain them.

James forces himself to finish his bitter drink. He sets the crystal glass down on the window sill with a shaking hand.

A laugh echoes through the room.

His jaw clenches. His grip around the button in his pocket tightens. For a moment he thinks it might split open his palm, the engraved edges digging painfully into his weathered hands. He closes his eyes, imagining that glowing stream, the sweet smell of roses, pink ribbons and curls the colour of embers. He can almost taste the water dripping down his face again, a taste he gladly shared as the sun sank lower in the sky and the crickets played a mournful song from the river banks. He wishes they could have stayed in that little boat forever. If only he had known then what was to come; he might have just made off them. He would have rowed that little boat far, far away; as far as it took to be free.

Yet he did not know and as darkness settled over them, Ann returned to her window and he and Francis would row back to the dock.

As much as life gave to James, it took just as much away from him.

[naruwitch]

Code Geass: Paladins of Voltron: Chapter 33: Island of the Gods

The sound of seagulls cawing and cold water lapping against her legs was what roused Nonette into consciousness. Blinking as the sun hit her eyes, she saw about a dozen of the birds circling above her.

With a gasp, she sat up. Looking around, she saw that she was alone, but there was no sign of Britannian troops or Knightmares anywhere. It was clear she was still on one of the islands if the sandy beach and glistening ocean was any clue, but it didn't seem to be Shikine Island. Otherwise, she was sure that she would have been picked up by now.

"How did I get here?" she muttered. All she remembered was fighting Zero in the Black Lion and then…

"It's no use," she growled, "I can't remember anything!"

Nonette knew that without any Knightmares, it was unlikely that she could call for help or request a rescue party. The best she could do would be to get to higher ground. She was sure that her unit was looking for her, and if what she remembered was correct and her other colleagues were here...

Prince Schneizel had some explaining to do.

Until then, though, she would have to simply survive, and the first thing to do in that case was to find some freshwater.

Hiking up along the mountain trail, the faint sound of rushing water caught her ear. Likely a waterfall. At least she knew there was a good water source here.

Turning around a bend, Nonette nearly leaped out of her skin as she came face to face with a large green lion head.

Under normal circumstances, she would have at least drawn her gun to defend herself, but the only weapon she had was her sword. She instinctively gripped the handle but not drawing it just yet, merely staring the lion down.

After about a minute of tense silence, Nonette slowly moved, realizing the lion wasn't moving. That likely meant whoever was piloting the lion wasn't inside.

That meant whoever was piloting it was somewhere in the area too.

Now on her guard, Nonette cautiously snuck towards the sound of the waterfall. She had no way of knowing if the pilot was armed or not. However, even if she didn't have a gun, all of the Knights of the Round were proficient with swords, or knives in Bradley's case. She would just have to make sure that she got in close to fight properly.

Sneaking as silently as she could through the foliage, she finally found the source of the sound, and as she expected, it was a waterfall.

What she wasn't expecting, though, was to see someone already occupying the pool beneath it, and she couldn't help but gasp.

It was a young man with platinum blonde hair. His bareback was towards her, so she didn't see his face, but what she could see was… horrifying.

Whip-lashes, bullet wounds, other crisscrossing scars (likely from knives)  covered the teen's back. There were also fainter, more straight lines. Surgical cuts. She could barely make out any clear, smooth skin. But most horrifying of all was right in the middle of his spine.

A brand. The symbol wasn't anything she recognized. If she had to pick a word to describe it, though, it looked like some sort of mutated, three-pointed claw.

This man had been tortured. Brutally. As well as experimented on and labeled as property. Of all of the cruel things she'd heard the Empire doing to the Numbers, she was at least glad that branding had been outlawed. Wounds and injuries could heal, but brands, they weren't easy to get rid of. Most were impossible to remove, and from where that one was located, it was unlikely it could be done safely for him.

She must have made more noise than she thought, as a moment later, the teen turned from where he had been bathing. His eyes widened when he saw her.

Her eyes widened in shock too when she saw his face.

"Prince Zephyr?!"

The Knight of the Round was in too much shock that she overlooked the blond reach for something behind him and fired it at her. Next thing she knew, she felt a cord wrap tightly around her, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground. Moments later, she cried out in pain as electricity ran through her body.

Then she blacked out.

On another area of the island, with a bit more of a rocky shore, Zero stood by, calmly observing the new location that he and Zen had somehow ended up. When he had come to, he had been unable to rouse his Lion. He knew she'd wake up on her own eventually, but what concerned him was that he was unable to contact the castle or the other Paladins. Something on this island was jamming the signal. The best thing to do for now would be to wait until Zen woke up to leave and regroup with the rest of the team manually.

"As I thought," he muttered, "This is another island… though the vegetation and climate are the same as Shikine Island. We can't be that far from it. I can't contact the castle right now. And with my face all over the news, I can't pass myself off as an ordinary person asking for help either. This is annoying."

His train of thought was cut off when he heard a noise to his right. Looking over, the person he spotted made him gasp.

'Euphie!'

The princess herself, soaking wet, also gasped as she came face to face with the mysterious masked revolutionary.

Nonette groaned as she regained consciousness for the second time that day. As she tried to move her hands, she realized that they were bound in what felt like hand-cuffs.

"Have a nice nap?"

Nonette gasped and looked up in surprise, the sun blinding her vision partially as her captor stood in front of her, now fully dressed in a black bodysuit and white and green armor. She noticed that they were by the Green Lion again, and the teen was perched on top of its nose.

Getting a better look at the teen now, there was no mistaking it.

"Prince Zephyr, is that really you?" she gasped hopefully.

The teen frowned and narrowed his eyes and pushed off the Lion's muzzle, landing on the ground.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, lady," he said severely, "My name's Rai."

"What? No, that's not…" she protested before pausing, "Don't you recognize me?!"

"Yeah, your name's Nonette Enneagram, Knight of Nine. A member of that bastard Emperor's personal watchdogs. It's hard not to figure it out considering how famous you are," he said, eyes still narrowed.

"That's not what I…" Nonette cut herself off and seemed to think for a moment, before looking at Rai again, "I see. If you don't remember… amnesia, maybe?"

Rai stared at the woman critically. It was evident that she knew him, but he had no recollection of her. Not from before or during his Galra captivity. She did call him Zephyr, though, which is what the other alien prisoners called him as well. That couldn't be a coincidence.

"Zephyr… what happened to you…?" Nonette whispered. Rai was surprised to see tears falling from her eyes. "Those scars… who did that to you?"

Rai gasped, his hand instinctively reaching around to the small of his back where the cursed brand rested. So she'd seen all of that? He hadn't even shown it to the other Paladins. The only person on the castle that had seen it was Coran, which he only saw due to performing a mandatory physical on each of them shortly after they arrived.

The Altean had been horrified, but not surprised that Rai had gone through such treatment. At the time, Rai had asked if Coran recognized the writing branded underneath the symbol. When the Altean confirmed he did, he asked to know what it said. Coran had hesitated at first, but Rai insisted.

According to the Altean, the script roughly translated to: 'Property of the Galra Empire.'

The Green Paladin begged the older Altean not to tell the others, and Coran agreed, knowing that these things were personal and sensitive to prisoners of war.

Now knowing that someone other than Coran knew about the brand made Rai unusually uncomfortable. Like he was exposed. Naked even.

As the Green Paladin's mind raced, all Nonette could do was bow her head as tears of joy and sorrow flowed down her cheeks. She'd found her prince, but what was the cost of it?

Zero's hand gripped the knife he had attached to his side as Euphemia continued to stare at him. He seemed to be her sole focus.

His mask hid the conflicted look upon his face. What on Earth was he supposed to say to her? Besides the hotel-jacking, this was the first time he was seeing his sister face to face. He remembered before their exile how he, Nunnally, and Euphie used to be. She was the first girl he had ever truly loved, besides his mother and sister. But now what did he do? He could use his Geass on her to make her forget she'd seen him, but that thought didn't seem too appealing right now.

"Lelouch," she addressed, taking him by surprise, "Lelouch, it's you, isn't it? I haven't told anyone about you, I swear! Please… let me see your face."

There was about a minute of silence before the Black Paladin moved. It wasn't to attack, though. Slowly and calmly, he let go of the knife and reached up to remove his helmet and mask, allowing the princess to see her half-brother's face.

Tears gathered in Euphemia's eyes as she cried tears of joy. Not wasting any more time, the princess ran forward and embraced her sibling.

Lelouch stood frozen for a moment, too stunned to move. Soon, his own emotions overpowered him, and two sank to the sandy ground, hugging each other close.

"I've missed you so much!" Euphemia gasped between tears.

"I've missed you too, Euphie," Lelouch whispered back.

Ocean and sand. That was all Kallen could see with her Geass as her vision swept around the area.

The second the Hadron cannon's attack had ceased, the rest of Team Voltron was shocked to see that not only Lelouch but Rai and both of their Lions had vanished! So had Nonette Enneagram and Princess Euphemia. And Kallen was getting increasingly irritated the longer her Geass couldn't locate them.

From what she  could  gather, the Britannian forces looked just as agitated. Several soldiers were scanning the area, likely looking for the princess and the knight.

She and the rest of the team still couldn't believe that someone would throw away and endanger their own men like that. True, in war it was inevitable that people would die, but it was a completely different story when soldiers were willing sacrificed like that! And the fact that the attack wasn't stopped by Princess Euphemia's interference!

"I can't find them!" she reported into the comm, "Not even my Geass is picking anything up!"

"Keep looking!"  Suzaku practically barked,  "They've got to be somewhere!"

"Hey, first of all, don't use that tone with me, Suzaku!" Kallen snapped back, "Second, I doubt looking in the exact same place for the fourth time, and yes, I counted, will bring different results! It's a little something called insanity, you know!"

"Plus, it's kind of hard to do a bigger search with all of the troops down there,"  Milly pointed out,  "They were clearly after the Lions, so they could try and ambush us again if we aren't careful!"

"Allura, has the castle picked up the Lions' location yet?" Shirley asked.

"No, nothing!"  Allura replied,  "Wherever the Lions landed, the castle isn't picking up their signal!"

"Maybe they both got knocked out?" Rivalz suggested.

"No, the castle would still be able to find the Lions if that were the case,"  Coran answered this time,  "Wherever they are, they're in an area that is completely blocking out their signal, in or out!"

"If it helps at all, I do sense that Lelouch and Rai are both alive. It's most likely that Zerith and Zen are with them wherever they went,"  C.C. spoke up, "Come back to the castle for now. It won't help anyone if you exhaust yourselves searching like this. The Knights of Round could still be in the area."

Kallen growled before spitting out, "Fine!"

With that declaration, the five remaining Lions turned tail and flew straight back to the castle.

Meanwhile, back on Shikine Island, the  Le Fay continued to float over the beach, overseeing the cleanup and search party down below. The Gawain had been recovered, but unfortunately, both the Black and Green Lions appeared to have vanished, much to everyone's bewilderment.

Inside the ship's main hanger, Cecile was busy typing on a laptop by the recovered Gawain. Next to it was also the Tristian, Mordred, and Galahad. She was going over the data the Gawain managed to obtain during the fight, but she still felt shaken over what had happened.

"So Nonette really just vanished?" the voice of Gino Weinberg, the Knight of Three, echoed through the hangar, and Cecile looked up in surprise.

"Without a trace," Anya Alstreim stated plainly, staring at her personal electronic diary.

"And the two lions that were in the area are gone too. The Prince won't be pleased with this," the Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein addressed gravely, "Are you positive you've looked through all the data?"

"No, Lord Bismark," Cecile addressed, "it's all just static in the Gawain's systems. No trace of what happened to Lady Enneagram or Princess Euphemia either."

"Hey, Mark, no offense," Gino suddenly said, eyeing the Knight of One suspiciously, "You didn't tell us that sacrificing Nonette like that was part of the plan!"

"Are you questioning the intentions of the Second Prince and Viceroy?" Bismarck challenged with a deadly gaze.

"But you also didn't intervene when you saw Princess Euphemia was there either!" Cecile couldn't help but point out in a rare burst of anger.

"If it wasn't clear for you to see, Miss Croomy, the three of us were also occupied with the other lions!" Bismark snapped. Cecile cringed back in fear of the Knight of One's wrath.

Before she could apologize, another voice entered the conversation.

"In all situations, priorities must not be forgotten either," Prince Schneizel acknowledged, walking into the room.

Cecile gasped, "Prince Schneizel! Y-You're here!"

"You impudent little…! How dare you look down upon the Second Prince of the Empire!" General Bartley exclaimed as he appeared as well.

"General Bartley…?!" Cecile lost her footing and slid down the stairs to land on her rear on the ground.

"Nice one," he commented.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Schneizel asked gently as he helped Cecile to her feet.

"Uh, thank you," she gasped as the prince helped her to her feet.

"Gah…! She's unworthy!" Bartley growled.

"You're quite the devoted subject, aren't you, General?" Lloyd observed.

"Primarily because the prince is the one who commuted my sentence and saved me from being chained up deep beneath Temple Tower!" General Bartley barked.

"I wish you'd stop thinking of me so formally," Schneizel told the General matter-of-factly, "You've been a great help to me in this current matter, as you were to my brother, Clovis. It is I who am grateful to you."

"M-my Lord!" Bartley gasped.

"Please, Bartley. Now my Lady Cecile, if you'll excuse me. Bismarck, Alstreim, Weinberg, please follow me. We'll discuss the events that transpired. In the meantime, Lord Asplund, you and Lady Cecile will use the Le Fay to locate Euphemia," the prince ordered before turning to leave the hanger.

"As you wish, Your Highness," Bismarck bowed curtly before he and his colleagues turned to follow the prince out.

Right as Lloyd turned to follow as well, Cecile spoke up, "Please wait! Were those orders yesterday issued by the prince?!"

"Silence! You don't want to be in contempt of royalty, do you?!" Bartley exclaimed.

"To be honest, I've been wondering about that too," Gino admitted awkwardly.

Despite the accusations, Schneizel responded anyway, "Those orders were mine, yes. I also fired the Hadron. Even in a situation like that, priorities mustn't be forgotten. The Empire is facing what is likely its most dangerous adversary. I saw an opportunity to eliminate the leadership, and I took it. I certainly didn't expect Euphie to rush out like that, but if something anomalous happened, we would have still been able to rescue both her and Lady Enneagram. That's what I gambled on."

"Okay… if you say so," Gino shrugged, but he still looked reasonably uncertain

"Yes, My Lord," Cecile nodded as well, "I understand now, and I sorely regret my rudeness. I accept any punishment you decree."

"Nonsense," Schneizel dismissed, "It's my fault for not protecting my subordinates. Can you ever forgive me?"

These were the last words Schneizel said as he left the hanger, but the Second Prince's mind was extremely troubled. While it was true that he ordered to have the experimental weapon inserted into the Gawain in an attempt to capture the Black Lion, somehow the machine had vanished, along with Zero, the Green Lion and its pilot, and Lady Enneagram. The Gawain didn't disappear, so it was a mystery as to why the two Lions vanished.

Something else was at play, and he hoped that he could somehow still talk the matter out with his brother before the situation became too dire to be reversed.

"How did you figure it out? Did Suzaku tell you?" Lelouch asked as he leaned back against a large stone. Euphemia was sitting on the other side, Lelouch's cape draped over her bare body as she had stripped out of her dress so that it could dry off.

"No. Well," Euphie stopped to think about her words, "he never specified you were Zero. He  did  say you were with Voltron, though. But I figured it out during the hotel-jacking."

She didn't see, but her brother nodded, "At the time, I said too much without thinking."

"Of course, I was never one hundred percent certain until now," Euphemia added.

"I see… I'm naive, as well. Even so, why didn't you discuss your suspicions with Cornelia or Schneizel?" he asked.

"I didn't because my sister never listened to me. And it never felt right to talk about it with Schneizel. Besides that… I think things are depressing enough as they are… Oh, Nunnally — how is she? Is she really all right? Suzaku said so."

"Yes," Lelouch answered, "She's better than she's been in a while, actually."

"I see… Can I assume that she knows everything? About Zero… and Voltron?"

"Yes," Lelouch nodded, "She knows everything, and why I'm doing what I'm doing."

"Lelouch I… I'm so sorry…" Euphemia stuttered, her voice cracking slightly.

"For what?" he asked, glancing back in confusion.

"For… for everything!" she gasped, holding back tears, "The hatred you must feel for us. The hatred towards the Emperor… towards us."

"No…" Lelouch answered, cutting Euphemia off, "Euphie, even after we were exiled, I never hated you. Of course, when I saw what Clovis and Cornelia became, I was scared at first that you changed too. But when I spoke with you at the hotel, I was relieved to see that I was wrong. You're still the same girl that would play with Nunnally and me at Aries Villa. You're still our sister."

"Lelouch…" Euphie murmured.

"I know you and Cornelia had nothing to do with my mother's murder. From what she told me, she investigated it extensively," he added as an afterthought.

Euphemia nodded, though, on the inside, she was relieved to hear that Lelouch and Cornelia talked. That meant her sister was still alive after all.

"Cornelia did think a lot of Lady Marianne and looked up to her," Euphemia said, "It frustrated her that she couldn't find who did it."

"Yes, I know…" Lelouch nodded again.

Suddenly, Euphemia's stomach gave a slight groan, and the princess looked down with a blush, "I believe feeling relieved has made me hungry."

Lelouch couldn't help but chuckle a little as he stood up, "Well, we're in luck. Somehow Zen was transferred here along with me. We should be able to find some provisions with her."

"Zen?" Euphie asked, confused as Lelouch went to gather her clothes.

"You'll see," was all he said with a light smile.

"Gotcha!" Rai shouted as he snatched another fish from the stream. Of course, it wasn't necessary to go hunting for food since Zerith had several packs of food goo stored inside her, but Rai wasn't going to let this opportunity slide. It had been ages since he'd had some decent Earth food.

"You know I can help you with that!" Nonette said. She was sitting by the shore, her hands still bound behind her, but she hadn't made any moves to get free. Rai's outer Paladin armor lay in a neat row beside her.

"Not a chance!" Rai couldn't help but snap a little back. He didn't care if the Knight of Nine claimed to know him; he wasn't going to take any chances while he was temporarily unarmed.

"Sheesh, were you always this stubborn before?" Nonette grumbled a little, but there was no malice in her tone. Instead, there was fondness and admiration as well.

"Oh my!" a now fully clothed Euphemia gasped as the two approached the still powered-down Black Lion in the forest.

"This is Zenobia," Lelouch introduced, "But I call her Zen for short."

"Well, hello, Zen," Euphemia greeted with a small smile.

Lelouch couldn't help but chuckle a little. He had yet to explain to Euphie how the Lions were sort of alive in a way, but he figured it would be easier to explain when Zen regained consciousness.

"I'll get inside and gather some provisions…" Lelouch trailed off, frowning a little. Sure the food goo would keep them alive for a while, but it wasn't exactly the best-tasting thing in the universe. But he wasn't in the mood to try and set any complicated traps right now. His physique may have improved over the last few months, but it was best to conserve as much energy as possible too, just in case he had to fight.

So he turned back to his sister, "Euphie, why don't you look around and see if you can find some berries or something? They would help improve flavor at the very least."

Euphemia blinked in surprise, "Does it really taste that bad?"

"No…" Lelouch shook his head, "It's just an acquired taste, let's just say that."

After a few seconds, Euphie shrugged, "All right, if you say so. I'll be right back."

"Be careful!" Lelouch shouted after her as she hurried off. As he lost sight of her, he sighed, looked at the head of his downed Lion, and then up at the sky.

"I just hope we're found soon…"

The atmosphere on the Castle of Lions was tense. For most of the night prior, the Alteans and Black Knights alike had been working non-stop to try and locate the Lions from above while the Paladins continued to scan on Earth's surface. Eventually, Coran made an executive order for the Black Knights and the princess to turn in for the evening, and they all did so reluctantly. They wouldn't be able to help Zero and Rai at all if everyone on the ship was acting like a gang of bumbling, sleep-deprived karjekals (whatever those were) by the time they  were  located Coran had said.

Now that the five remaining Paladins had come back, Coran had ordered them immediately to bed themselves, even if it was technically still mid-day down below. They protested, of course, which forced the older Altean to amend his statement and ordered at least a nap, which he promised to wake them from within a few varga.

Ohgi sighed as he picked at the food goo on his plate. He reminded himself that they wouldn't have to live off of this alone for much longer, as several of the seeds now in the new greenhouse had at last started to sprout.

He didn't want to offend the Alteans for their ways with food, but would it kill them to add at least a little seasoning to this from time to time?

He and almost everyone else in the dining hall looked up as Coran himself walked in.

"Still no sign of them?" Ohgi asked anxiously.

"Unfortunately no," Coran informed them, shaking his head, "The princess is continuously scanning the island and the area around it, but she still has yet to locate either the Green or Black Lions, which is deeply concerning."

"And you still don't know what happened to them?" Tohdoh asked who was seated next to Ohgi.

"No, it's like they vanished into thin space," Coran said solemnly.

"Um, you mean 'thin air' right?" Minami corrected.

"Ah-yes that!" the Altean corrected sheepishly.

"And it's isn't the result of a special ability on the Lions' part?" Tohdoh pressed further.

"Well… I wouldn't say one of the Lions doesn't have an ability like that, but it's highly unlikely that they used it given the situation."

"Do you think they could have wound up on one of the islands nearby?" Inoue suggested.

"We haven't picked up any signals from the surrounding islands yet. But once the Paladins are rested enough, I'm sure they'll start searching the other islands next."

"I beg your pardon Coran, but would that be wise?" Tohdoh asked. This statement drew the attention everyone in earshot, "Britannia will likely start to do the same, and the Green Lion is the only one equipped with stealth capabilities. Should the remaining Lions be too reckless and get spotted by enemy forces again, considering that several Knights of the Round are now present..."

"Colonel?" a small voice gasped from the entrance. Looking towards the door, Nunnally sat in her hoverchair, her eyes wide, "You're not suggesting that we stop looking for Lelouch, are you?"

Tohdoh blinked, and his gaze softened, "Of course not, Nunnally. I'm simply stating that we must exercise caution doing so. We can't afford to lose any more men, especially not another Paladin."

"Quite right," Coran nodded, "Rest assured, Nunnally, until we get solid confirmation that Rai and Lelouch have either been capture or, dare I say this, killed, we will not cease our search."

"Hell yeah!" Tamaki exclaimed, "There's no way those two kicked the bucket  that  easily!"

Biting her lip, Nunnally nodded, her heart hammering in her chest. She had just got her brother back not too long ago. If she were to lose him again so soon…

The princess's thoughts were cut off by a small hand on her shoulder. Looking up at the source, C.C. came strolling in.

"Well, for once you're correct about one thing, Tamaki," C.C. said, "those two are very much still alive. I can sense that they are."

"Thanks to that Geass thing they have, right?" Asahina asked.

"Yes," C.C. nodded, "So if the two are still alive, we can assume that the two Lions are fine as well. If Britannia had managed to capture either one of them, they likely would have made a statement by now."

"Even so, the fact that neither are responding on the comms is concerning nonetheless," Allura's regal voice said, calling everyone's attention to her as she walked in herself. Despite getting some rest herself, the princess looked a bit worse for wear with slight bags under her eyes. Her skin looked a little paler as well. "Coran, if memory serves correct, some of the shuttle pods are still equipped with the prototype stealth systems. If Lelouch nor Rai don't respond with the next twenty-four Earth hours, I suggest we use those to take to Earth and look for them ourselves."

"Very well, Princess. Does anyone object to this course of action?" the advisor asked the group as a whole.

No one spoke up, so Coran nodded, "Now Princess, please do sit down, you look like you're about to pass out!"

"I'm fine, Coran. Just… stressed," Allura protested.

"Well… aren't we all?" Coran sighed, several murmurs of agreement rippling through the group.

While this was going on, Nunnally couldn't help but bite her lip nervously. She was positive her brother was all right; she was sure she would feel it if he wasn't, but that didn't stop her mind from wandering to the worst-case scenarios.

  'Lelouch… where did you go?'

"Lelouch… what exactly is this?" Euphemia asked as she eyed the green goo curiously. It looked like mashed potatoes drenched in green food coloring, but she had a feeling that it wasn't anything like that. She managed to find a decent amount of edible fruit on the island, much to Lelouch's relief. Hopefully, this can help with the taste.

"This is… uh…" Lelouch hesitated. Come to think of it, Allura and Coran never mentioned what the goo was officially called, did they? Everyone on the ship simply called it 'food goo.' The name probably just stuck. "We eat this a lot when we're on the Castleship. It was our only food source for a while. Now that we're back on Earth, we've managed to sneak some trips to markets and grocery stores, and Coran has been working with Milly and Rivalz to set up a greenhouse too."

"I see," Euphie nodded, "That's quite resourceful."

"Thanks. In a pinch, though, this stuff will at least keep us alive. It's not five-star quality by a long shot, but it'll sustain us until help arrives. Fruit only lasts so long, and hunting can be unpredictable without the right tools, which we, unfortunately, don't have."

Euphie nodded as Lelouch handed her a plate with a small amount of the goo on it, along with a spork. The fruit was situated between the two in easy reaching distance, and after pouring his own portion of the goo, the Black Paladin dug in. He was more than used to the texture and taste of the strange space food that he could eat it without too much incident, but he was fairly curious about how Euphemia would respond to it.

According to Kallen, Cornelia had refused to even touch the goo the first few times it was brought down to her in her cell. She only starting begrudgingly choking it down when she couldn't take the hunger anymore. Euphemia wasn't necessarily a picky eater, so he really didn't know what to expect from his sister.

Euphie tentatively scooped up a small amount onto the spork, eying it cautiously. She slowly brought it to her mouth and almost immediately gagged. She brought a hand to her mouth to keep from spitting it out and forced herself to swallow.

"It's... delicious," she tried to say politely.

Lelouch chuckled in sympathy, seeing right through her, "It IS still pretty bad, though. I think Alteans focus more on the nutrition value rather than taste most of the time."

"I see."

"This is what they make you eat?!" Nonette asked in shock and disgust after speed shoveling the food goo into her mouth. At least the faster she ate it, the less she tasted it. The fish had been tasty, though.

Just like Lelouch, Rai raided Zerith's emergency supplies, which included several bags of pre-packed food goo. He managed to catch a fair amount of fish, but he also wanted to preserve the supply as much as possible.

Biting into the first fish he could grab from the fire when he finished, he forgot how delicious Earth food was. That greenhouse and possible… oh, maybe they could give aquaculture a try too.

The Green Paladin shrugged, unbothered as he took another bite, "Everyone eats it, even the Alteans. Most of the time, this is all there is."

...Okay, that last part was a bit of a lie, but C.C. guarded her pizza stash like a dragon guarded treasure. After Tamaki tried to sneak one out of her hiding spot his first week on the ship, the immortal nearly sent him to the cryopods in a fit of rage.

Rai chuckled at the memory. He would never have thought the cocky, loud-mouthed rebel would have such a squeally scream.

After that, no one dared touch, much less question where the stash was hidden.

"It's honestly not that bad once you get used to it," Rai continued, "There's way weirder food out there in space. One of the other Paladins had a space bug stew one time."

Nonette rose an eyebrow but shook her head, deciding not to think about it.

Rai then jumped when the Knight of the Round let out a large belch.

"...Did you just burp?" he gasped.

"What? It's a normal bodily function. A Knight of the Round can't do that?" Nonette jabbed with a smirked.

"Well, besides the family itself, you guys are practically royalty, making yourselves look good," Rai commented before frowning, "All the while hiding just how rotten you are underneath."

Nonette's smile faded. "You really hate Britannia? Can't say I blame you given what happened…"

"It's kinda hard not to hate Britannia considering it's mostly filled with narcissistic warmongers who'll do anything for victory!" Rai began. 'You're just like the Galra' went unsaid at the last moment.

Nonette sighed, "I'll admit, some of the Empire's actions have been anything but honorable."

Rai scoffed, "If you're so hung up about honor, then why do you still do it?"

"It's not my choice, not my call," Nonette quickly explained, "The Emperor's orders…"

"Of course!" Rai threw his arms out in exasperation. "It's always 'the Emperor this' or 'the Emperor that'! I swear if I ever see that bastard, I'm gonna kill him myself if Zero doesn't get the chance to!"

Nonette looked toward Rai in minor surprise, "You… you really don't remember, do you?"

This snapped Rai out of his rant, "Earlier, you called me a different name. What was it?" the Green Paladin asked.

"Yes, Zephyr. That's your name," Nonette answered.

Rai flinched back. So he wasn't mistaken. The same name that associated him as Champion…

"My name is Rai," he denied.

"No!" Nonette exclaimed, sounding almost desperate, "Your name, your  real  name, is Zephyr zar Britannia."

At this declaration, Rai stumbled back in shock. No… this couldn't be true! But if that  was  his name…

"Then, that means…"

Nonette nodded, "Your father… is Charles zi Britannia.

"The stars haven't changed, have they?" Euphemia said softly as she layed down on Lelouch's cape on the sand, gazing up into the sky with her brother, "They were the same back then. We all used to gaze up at the stars together. Remember that? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could live like that again? I'd be so happy then!"

The princess turned over to look at her brother better, "What are the stars like up there? Are they still like this from above?"

It took a few moments for Lelouch to answer, but he smiled slightly when he did, "Yes. If anything, I think they're even  more beautiful. You feel closer to them."

Euphemia smiled in wonder, "What else have you seen? Will you tell me?"

"I can try," Lelouch answered with an amused smile, "But you know I wasn't much of a storyteller. I'm still not."

Euphemia giggled as she listened silently to the story of Voltron.

Rai felt his hands shaking as he fully processed the words that came out of Nonette's mouth. ""No… that-that's not true…" Rai stuttered, "I can't… you're lying… you're lying!"

"I'm not!" Nonette exclaimed before her face became somber, "I'm sorry, but that's the truth."

Rai couldn't take it as he fell to his knees. The world seemed to be closing in around him as he clutched his head, a loud ringing in his ears.

"Zeph!" he barely heard Nonette shout along with a shuffling. Was she trying to get out of her bounds? And do what?

All further panic was lost as a loud roar echoed through the trees. The ground shook beneath Rai's form as a large shadow draped over him.

"What the hell?!" he heard Nonette scream as the Green Lion stood protectively over her Paladin, his distress calling her into action.

Another weight fell on top of the Green Paladin, but unlike before, where it felt suffocating, this one felt warm. The feeling of safe, safe, safe sang like musical notes in his mind, harmonizing with a gentle but powerful purr.

It took several minutes before Rai finally calmed down. Zerith didn't move that entire time, pressed her quintessence gently but firmly against his, almost like when Arthur rubbed his head against their knee.

"Thanks, Zerith," he whispered, getting to his feet.

The Green Lion chuffed before slowing sitting down on her haunches like she did in her hangar in the castle. The second he was out of her shadow, her particle barrier shot up, shielding the Lion from any other outside threats.

Nonette stared up in shock. She was positive that no one else was inside that Knightmare. So how did it…?

"Surprised?" Rai asked, cutting her thoughts off, "Though it's probably obvious by now, the Lions aren't any ordinary machines."

The loud roar made Euphie and Lelouch jump and looked towards where it seemed to come from. Lelouch recognized it as one of the Lions and frantically looked up at the sky. Had they been found? It certainly hadn't been Zen roaring; he would have felt her waking up.

"What was that?" he heard Euphemia ask.

"...It'll be dangerous to investigate in the dark. We'll check it out in the morning. If I'm correct on what it was, we may have found our way off the island," Lelouch answered before glancing at Zen. Whatever had been in that Gawain Knightmare must have really injured her for her to still be out of it. He only hoped she woke up soon, or the castle had some way of getting her back on board as well.

Rai took a few more minutes to calm down. Now that Zerith was back online, her presence certainly helped slow his heart rate.

Nonette still stared at the Lion, looking ready to bolt if she had to.

Rai sighed, "Calm down, she won't attack you unless she thinks I'm in trouble… but you already saw that, so…"

Nonette visibly swallowed, honestly not sure what the best course of action would be. She wouldn't do anything to hurt her prince, but it would be suicide to fight the Lion, especially not without a Knightmare.

"Hold on…" Rai muttered, before glaring at the knight again, "Something doesn't add up. If it's true that I'm supposedly a Britannian prince, how come there aren't any records of a 'Zephyr zar Britannia' in the royal archives?"

Along with Lelouch's own knowledge, Rai had been using as much spare time as he could to research the Royal Family, trying to see how many of them could become potential allies to the Coalition. So far, Euphemia was the best option, but other possibilities included Odysseus eu Britannia (official crown prince of the Empire) and Marrybell mel Britannia (current Viceroy of Area 24, formerly Spain). Of course, now that they had Cornelia in their custody, there was always the chance for her to have a change of heart and join their side. According to Nunnally, she was willing to fight with them, but several Black Knights were still doubtful.

But like he said, throughout his sweep of the family, not once was there any mention of anyone named 'zar Britannia.'

"That's because there officially isn't one," Nonette revealed, "The Emperor wanted to keep your existence a secret, along with your sister-Oh right, Sophie! If you're alive, then is she?"

Rai grimaced, but still answered, "I don't know. The last time I saw her, she was supposed to be sent off to a work camp. I haven't seen her since."

"Work camp? Where?!" Nonette growled, looking infuriated.

Rai scoffed, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. And I honestly don't know myself. Like I said, that's the last time I heard about her. Her current status is unknown to me too."

Nonette deflated at that, but Rai could still see the fiery anger in her eyes. It was clear that Nonette  did seem to know him and his family. She knew Sophronia's name, and he never mentioned it in front of her. Was it possible that she really was telling the truth? He wished his Geass functioned the same way Lelouch's did; that way, he could know for sure.

"...I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered to himself as he sat back down. Nonette looked up at him as he leveled her with a stare, "Look, I honestly have no clue if you're telling the truth or not, but… I need some answers, and an untrustworthy source is better than no source at all."

"I would never lie to you, Zephyr," Nonette insisted.

Rai didn't completely believe her, but he took a deep breath. He decided to start with something else he already knew, "What's my mom's name?"

Nonette answered immediately, "Erina Kurugui."

The world seemed to stop for the millionth time that day as he processed this information.

"K-Kururugi?" he stuttered.

"Yes," Nonette nodded, "Your mother was a member of the Kururugi family. The younger sister of the late Genbu Kururugi, in fact."

"What?!" he gasped, "Wait… so that means that Suzaku and I… are cousins?"

Nonette paused for a moment, then chuckled a little, "Huh, that thought never crossed my mind, but yeah, I guess you are."

Rai to take a breath as he processed this new information. So, in the span of less than an hour, he learned that not only was he Lelouch and Nunnally's half-sibling through that disgusting man, Charles zi Britannia, but now he and Suzaku were  cousins.

He wondered if Suzaku knew about this or not.

He quickly wiped that suspicion from his mind. Sure, maybe Suzaku knew about his aunt, but he never mentioned having a cousin named Zephyr. And he was sure Suzaku would have said something if he  had.  Unless… he had been sworn to secrecy. He had proven that he  was  good at keeping secrets, at least.

Rai groaned. He felt like his head was about to explode, but he had to keep going.

"So, let me make sure I've got this right so far. The Emperor of the Britannia is not only my father but he, a man who actively encourages racism and war, married a Japanese woman?"

"No," Nonette shook her head, "They never got married. Erina and His Majesty had an affair that was kept secret from both families."

"Okay… why?" Rai had to ask. It made no sense. If it were for political purposes he'd understand, but this sounded more like a one-night-stand sort of thing. Were they drunk or high when this happened?

"I don't know," Nonette honestly shrugged, "As far as I know, I'm the only one who knew about this."

"Okay, so why did you get to know about us?" he asked suspiciously.

"I was assigned by the Emperor to be your knight to protect you," she answered simply.

So that explained a few things too. Why she was so protective of him and so desperate to rescue him from Zero and how furious she became when he told her about where Sophie may be.

"Okay, so where did we live? Before we disappeared anyway?"

"It was on an island known as Fiji," Nonette explained, "It's in the Pacific, east of Australia."

"Fiji?" Rai asked, "I don't remember that island being part of the Empire."

"It isn't," Nonette shook her head, "Officially it's considered an independent nation even now. The fact that it's not in Britannia's territory is likely the reason you and your family were hidden there."

"Okay… so happened to us then? How did we disappear?" Rai almost demanded.

At this, Nonette looked down sadly, "I can't answer that because not even I know. Before you vanished, I had been called away on another mission to quell some riots in Area Sixteen, the nation once called the Philippine Islands. When I got back… you were gone. It's like you were never there to begin with."

Rai nodded. He felt a small tickling in the back of his skull. Something was fighting in his memories to come to the surface, but it felt like a thick pane of glass was keeping it back.

"I'm guessing you searched for us?" he guessed.

"Yes," she nodded fervently, "I talked to practically every local I could get my hands on but none of them seemed to know who I was talking about. Then I pulled some strings in the higher ranks of the Empire to find out if you had been moved unexpectedly, I tried every trick in the book. I found nothing…"

Rai stared at the knight as tears gathered in her eyes, but remained silent. He could tell she wasn't finished.

"When nothing turned up from my own investigation, I confronted the Emperor himself and demanded to know what happened to you all. I got nothing out him, and as punishment, he demoted me."

"And yet now you're a Knight of the Round, one of his elite," said obviously.

To her credit, Nonette didn't take offense and just shrugged, "I practically started over after that. I rose in the ranks of the military, and eventually, the Emperor offered it to me. I saw it as an opportunity to use the position to expose the Emperor's darker side. I figured if the people saw it, they would remove him from power. Maybe even by force."

Rai stared wide-eyed. He hadn't expected  that. She wasn't doing this out of loyalty at all! At least not to the Emperor.

"It's revenge," he realized, "You did all this to avenge my mom, my sister, and I?"

Nonette looked up from where she had been staring at the ground and looked Rai straight in the eye, "Yes. I'd avoid war if necessary, but if there were no other option, I would. I...I was your knight, assigned to keep you safe. And I turned my back for what felt like a moment, and you were gone. I failed you."

Rai remained silent, unsure of what to say. Here was a Knight of the  freaking  Round blatantly telling him that she will betray the Emperor she had swore to protect just for his sake?! Maybe… maybe he  should tell her about the Galra. Voltron had questioned whether it was possible to recruit any of the Knights. If they did, that would be huge!

But something still stubbornly stopped him. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth yet.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, much less believe me, and I understand if you don't, but that's the truth," she finished.

Rai bent down, his hands covering his face, fighting back a surge of bile rising in his throat.

"Are you all right?" Nonette asked with concern.

"I...I need a moment," he said quickly before practically sprinting towards Zerith. The barrier opened just enough to let him in, and the Lion bowed to let her Paladin enter her mouth.

He collapsed before he could make it to the pilot seat, breaths coming in heavy and quick. It was only Zerith's strong purr that prevented him from fainting. If she was flesh and blood, he had no doubt she would have been curled up on his chest and vibrating like a phone.

So many thoughts were racing through his head. He had finally learned his history, but at the same time, he wished he hadn't heard any of it. Despite learning all of this, more questions were still swirling in his head. The ones that Lelouch had brought up before the dual sprouted up again. How did he and his family end up with the Galra? Was the Emperor involved somehow? How was that possible, though? From what he could tell, once the Galra set their eyes on a planet, there were no negotiations. The planet either surrendered and became slaves, or the inhabitants fought to the very last man, and then the Galra took the planet anyway.

Like Coran had said, "You would know if the Galra had been there."

He was sure that the key was in his lost memories. If only he could  remember-!

Suddenly, Zerith growled urgently. It was enough to shake the Green Paladin out of what was likely the beginning of a panic attack. Looking up at the window, he saw through Zerith's eyes to see lights shining from another area of the island up.

"We couldn't find Lady Enneagram washed ashore on the other islands, so it's obvious we should look here," Schneizel reasoned as he directed the search party from the Le Fay's throne room.

We'll send a search party out in the morning," General Bartley replied next to him.

"Hmm… And this must be what you mentioned?" Schneizel questioned, looking at the structure down below.

"Yes! We uncovered it when the Shinjuku incident occurred," Bartley explained.

Ah… Yes, I can see why this would've attracted Clovis' interest," Schneizel realized with a nod.

As the morning sun peaked over the ocean's horizon, Rai silently lead a still bound Nonette up the mountain. The Knight of Nine still made no attempts to escape.

"Are you sure you really saw a light?" Nonette asked.

"Yeah, definitely," he answered.

Leaving Zerith behind in the jungle foliage for now, Rai figured if they were Britannian forces that he could just drop Nonette off and sneak back to look for Lelouch and join back up at the castle.

"It must be a search party," Lelouch reasoned as he and Euphie trekked up the mountain on the other side. Zen still hadn't woken up, much to Lelouch's disappointment. Maybe this the problem was something only Allura and Coran could fix.

"Once we learn who it is, we'll know how to deal with them."

"'Deal with them'?" Euphie questioned anxiously.

Lelouch grimaced at the wrong word choice, "I mean that we can decide what to do once we realize who it is. If it's part of Voltron, nothing bad should happen to you, Euphie. And if it's Britannia…"

"I may be able to help. I can approach them while you sneak back to your Lion," Euphie suggested.

Lelouch nodded. That sounded like the best possibility.

"A Thought Elevator, you say?" Lloyd asked as he, Prince Schneizel, General Bartley, and several other soldiers stood inside the cave. On the massive stone doors in front of them appeared to be very ancient hieroglyphics, but they weren't ones that they could identify.

"I'm afraid archeology isn't my strong suit, especially this paranormal stuff," the Earl confessed quite casually.

"Why, you… Show some respect!" Bartley barked in irritation.

"As I was saying, this is way outside of my field," Lloyd continued to complain, "I wish you could've asked Cécile about this instead."

"Please don't complain so much," Schneizel said sternly, "My father is fascinated with this as well. Isn't that right, Bartley?"

"Yes," General acknowledged when the Prince looked at him, "We've found artifacts similar to these in a number of places around the world. Except for this one that I discovered, all the other sites are directly under imperial control. This is mere speculation on my part, but I think the  real reason we're invading other countries is to obtain these objects!"

"And so, in order to analyze this ancient occult data, you're going to use the Gawain's Druid System, untuned prototype that it is?" Lloyd questioned before gesturing to the obtained and newly repaired Knightmare next to them.

"That's why we called you in," Schneizel answered.

"AH-HAH!" Lloyd exclaimed in understanding.

Unbeknownst to the men, one soldier eyed the monument critically, their yellow eyes narrowing in suspicion.

There was no doubt now. This was the source of that blockage. Now… how to remove it?

"I think it was around here," Lelouch muttered and he, and Euphemia approached a clearly at the top of the hill.

"Lelouch, if it is a search party, then will our time be over here?" his sister asked sadly.

Lelouch sighed, "Yes, it will. Only for now, though. I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again very soon."

"I sure hope so," Euphemia answered with a smile. Lelouch smiled back, but the moment was ruined when they heard rustling in the woods on the other side of the clearing. Lelouch quickly put his helmet back on and braced himself for a confrontation when the people appeared.

'Rai!' he thought in surprise as the Green Paladin emerge from the foliage along with Nonete Enneagram, who seemed to have her hands bound.

"Nonette!" Euphemia exclaimed happily, jumping up.

Nonette and Rai both gasped, "Princess Euphemia!"

"Don't move!" Zero exclaimed, grabbing Euphemia's arm and drawing his knife, "This girl is my prisoner!"

"Le-Zero!" Rai exclaimed.

"Just play along," Lelouch whispered as his sister looked at him frightened. He then turned to address the pair in front of him, "Back away from my subordinate Lady Enneagram. Do that, and no one gets hurt here."

"Zero, you!" Nonette exclaimed angrily about to charge the terrorist. She had just found her prince; she wasn't about to lose him again. She was stopped in her tracks as she felt Rai grab her arm and hold his Bayard against her back.

"Nonette, wait! Please!" Euphie shouted, escaped Zero's grasp, and running towards the knight.

"Euphie, wait!" Lelouch shouted, but the moment he stepped into the clearing, a massive glowing red Geass sigil formed on the ground, much to everyone's shock.

'A Geass?!' both Lelouch and Rai thought. Suddenly, both Paladins felt their own Geasses burning in their eyes, them having activated all on their own.

Rai suddenly felt a throbbing pain in his head as he fell on his knees, clutching his head as he yelled in pain. The Geass sigil was no longer in just one eye, but both!

"Zephyr!" Nonette shouted, her bonds suddenly breaking, freeing her hands. Before she could kneel to Rai's level, though, the ground underneath the group shook violently, and the floor began to descend.

In an unknown location, a young boy smirked victoriously as his two targets fell right into the trap that he had set up for them.

The Thought Elevator began to glow a bright red, much to the shock of the Britannians as the entire cave shook viciously.

"Oh, not good…" Lloyd muttered as the readings on the Gawain skyrocketed to off-the-chart levels.

Simultaneously, on the beach Lelouch and Euphemia were that same morning, Zenobia's eyes flashed awake, and she leaped to her feet.

With a deafening roar of both anger and fear, the Black Lion shot into the air and beelined towards the Thought Elevator's location, the Green Lion right behind.

"Princess! The Green and Black Lions!" Coran exclaimed, "we've finally managed to obtain their signal. And they're closing in on one of the islands!"

"Aw, and just when I was about to try my new feature out!" Milly groaned with a pout, her hand having barely left C.C.'s when the signal alarms blared.

"Paladins, to your Lions now!" Allura ordered.

"Yes!"

"Got it!"

"On our way!"

As the Paladins all scrambled to their elevators, Nunnally let out a sigh of relief, leaning on a pair of crutches this time. If they found Zenobia and Zerith, that means they could finally find Rai and her brother.

"Hang on you two," Allura said, "We're coming to get you!"

"My Lord, please save yourself!" Bartley exclaimed in a panic as debris continued to rain down everywhere. He attempted to pull the Prince away as a large platform slowly dropped down from above, carrying with it Zero, another figure in green armor, Princess Euphemia, and Nonette Enneagram.

"Lady Enneagram!" Lloyd gasped, shielding his face, "And is that Zero?!"

Seeing the terrorist and one of his subordinates, the soldiers quickly raised their weapons to shoot them, only to be stopped by General Bartley, "Don't you fools! Princess Euphemia's with them! Capture them! Capture them!"

Rai struggled to his feet, his eyes wide, but he managed to grip his Bayard unsteadily.

Scanning the crowd, Zero cursed.

"Quiznack, we're in trouble!"

Then suddenly, something else caught Zero's eye. One of the soldiers that had his weapon pointed at him. But one look into his eyes told Lelouch that that was no soldier.

Instinctively, Lelouch shot at the soldier with lightning, and just as expected, the soldier vanished.

"Wha-what?!" Bartley exclaimed, having witnessed this too. An annoyed growl drew the group's attention to the center of the cave, and the Paladins' blood ran cold.

"What?!" Zero gasped at the sight of Haggar's hunched form. Her gold eyes glared back at him.

"No…" Rai muttered, taking a step back, pure terror freezing his spine, "What are you doing here?!"

Haggar shouted in fury and fired a beam of quintessence directly at Lelouch. The Black Paladin barely raised his arms in time to try and block when another crash echoed through the cave. Two large paws landed on either side of Zero, followed by a ferocious roar, which seemed to make the entire mountain tremble.

Lelouch didn't waste one more second, instinctively grabbing Euphemia around the waist, and with a yelp, Euphemia and Lelouch were snatched into Zen's mouth.

"Princess Euphemia!" both Lloyd and Bartley exclaimed as they watched as the princess was seemingly swallowed whole along with Zero.

Just as Zerith was about to scoop up Rai, the Green Paladin felt something grab him around his waist. He didn't have time to register who or what it was before he found himself and Nonette sprawled across the floor in Zerith's mouth.

The Lions didn't waste any more time as the duo shot out of the cave entrance, sending rocks, stone, and Knightmare Frames flying. Then Zen pivoted in the air, facing the cave entrance and her mouth lit up with blue light.

Lloyd gasped.

"HIT THE DIRT!"

A couple of soldiers fell on top of Schneizel to shield the Prince while everyone else immediately hit the cave floor and covered their heads just as Zenobia's blast of quintessence energy hit the Thought Elevator point-blank. The structure exploded and collapsed into rubble, leaving nothing salvageable.

The little boy gasped when he felt it, the feeling of the Thought Elevator collapsing. He fell to his knees, and he clutched his head, his eyes shaking with shock and rage as he took multiple rabid breaths.

"No… no…" He stuttered. "They… they destroyed the Thought Elevator!" V.V. ranted like a spoiled brat, "No! How dare you…! Voltron… you dare! You'll pay for this! You'll pay!"

C.C. blinked as she felt the exact same thing happen as well. At first, she was shocked, as destroying a Thought Elevator was no easy feat, but her expression quickly morphed into a smirk. She could only imagine the faces V.V., Charles, and Marianne were making right now.

"I did warn them, didn't I?" she stated with a satisfied smile, smothering a giggle.

"Viceroy, are you all right?" one of the soldiers gasped as everyone got to their feet.

"Yes, I'm fine," he muttered, dusting himself off, "So… that was Zero?"

"Halt! Stop where you are!" another soldier suddenly shouted.

Looking towards the entrance, the Second Prince spotted the cloaked woman that seemed to spook Zero. She was staring out at the sky with a scowl, likely watching the Lions fly off.

"Identify yourself!" Bartley shouted as soldiers surrounded the woman.

She simply growled, annoyed, before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"Wha-what?!" Bartley exclaimed in shock, eyes wide, staring at where she once stood. Most of the other soldiers had similar reactions.

"Well… you don't see that every day," Lloyd commented.

Schneizel, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes, gaze calculating. Despite the loss of the Thought Elevator, he had learned two important things.

First, Zero was scared of that woman. Who she was, Schneizel didn't know, but it was rare that his brother showed actual fear to anyone. The last person to bring this emotion out of his brother was their own father.

And second… Those Lions had not had pilots in them when they had come to collect Zero and the green pilot. His logical mind kept saying that it was impossible, but he had seen it just now for himself!

Which allowed Schneizel to draw another conclusion he thought he never would in his life.

Those Lions weren't just advanced machines. They were  alive.

Schneizel's thoughtful expression soon shifted into an intrigued smirk.

"Well, well, this game just got  much  more interesting…"

Lelouch quickly scrambled to the cockpit and pushed Zen to fly faster. They had to warn the others, fast!

"Hailing Castle of Lions, this is Lelouch!" he exclaimed urgently.

"Lelouch! Are you and Rai all right?" Allura's voice carried over the speaker.

"Yes, we're both fine!" Lelouch nodded, "We're heading back as we speak."

"Heads up then!"   a voice inside his head exclaimed,  "We're coming to intercept you!"

"Wha-! Milly, is that you?" Lelouch stuttered.

  "Yep! Say hello to my new Geass, Lulu. I call it Absolute Telepathy."

"You made a contract with C.C.?" he asked.

"I knew I wouldn't have control over what the power would be, but I figured it was worth a try to see if it could be used to find you two," the Yellow Paladin explained over the radio this time.

"Wait, use what to find us?"  Rai questioned from inside Zerith.

"...Huh, there's a drawback already. I guess I can only talk to one person at a time,"  she deduced.

"We'll explore it's practical uses later," Lelouch said, "We'll meet you outside the castle. And Princess, inform the rest of the crew to expect some guests."

"Guests or prisoners?"  Allura asked for clarification.

"...One is for sure a guest, the other… I'm not sure. Rai?" Lelouch questioned.

"...We can decide when we're back on the ship,"  the Green Paladin said.

"Very well,"  Allura acknowledged,  "We'll see you a couple dobashes… I'm glad you're both all right."

With that, the intercom switched off, and Lelouch spotted several colorful figures heading towards him and Rai.

"Lelouch…" Euphie asked, noticing the frightened look still on her brother's face, "...Who was that? Down there?"

"Someone… very bad."

[bgn846]

Of Snakes and Men - FFXV Fanfic

Summary: Ignis gets kidnapped by a maralith during battle. However, when Ignis thinks he's about to die the maralith does the last thing he expects.

Work Text:          

Being crushed to death by a huge, monster snake was not how Ignis wanted to die. He’d only tried to help the glaive standing nearby when the thing attacked. Unfortunately, that meant Ignis had become the maraliths target instead. Memories of Noct’s gruesome childhood injury flashed through Ignis’ mind as he was lifted in the air. One pair of massive arms was solely focused on holding him while the other two pair kept fighting.

With his arms pinned down in the maraliths strong grip, Ignis quickly gave up on the idea of summoning his daggers. He’d most likely end up slicing his leg open and bleed out before anyone could save him. If they could save him that is, the situation wasn’t exactly looking hopeful.

What was supposed to have been a simple diplomatic trip outside the wall had quickly turned into a nightmare. None of them had been expecting a giant pissed-off maralith to appear and block the road. At least the prince was safe; Noct was at the citadel safe with the king. Though that thought did little to help Ignis now.

A loud boom sounded a second later causing Ignis look down; one of the glaives on the ground had set off a smoke bomb. Unable to escape the billowing cloud of gas Ignis began choking. Six, it was bloody tear gas. His throat burned but maybe it was having the same effect on the maralith. Wiggling experimentally, Ignis tried to push away the massive hands locking his body in place.

To no such avail, he was stuck, and breathing was becoming a real problem. During his coughing fit, Ignis barely registered the loud roar from the monster.  Guess it didn’t like the gas either. The thing just had to let him go, the fall would hurt but he’d be free of the blasted maralith.

However, that is not what happened. His lungs were burning and he couldn’t see properly due to the gas making his eyes tear up. Then, the only thing his senses were aware of was the dizzying effect of moving too fast. The gas mercifully lifted, but that wasn’t a good thing either. The maralith had simply fled the fight with Ignis still in his clutches.

Still unable to catch a decent breath Ignis tried again to work his way free. This time the maralith noticed and growled. Everything was blurry but Ignis was conscious of the landscape changing. Were they heading up a bloody mountain cliff?

The distant shouts of the glaives soon faded, replaced by howling winds. Suddenly, the light dimmed and they were surrounded by darkness. Ignis was going to die, he’d been captured by a monster and it’d taken him away. His vision was still clouded, but he realized the maralith had gone into a cave. Crying out in a desperate bid for life, Ignis wondered if he could reason with the monster.

Hope flickered in his chest when he felt the monster set him down a moment later. Taking his shirt to rub at his face, Ignis attempted to wipe away the tear gas residue. The sting was still great and he gave up after a few seconds, he needed relief but couldn’t see well enough to do anything more. That’s when he heard splashing water. Reaching out with his hand he immediately felt the icy touch of water.

Without pause, Ignis shoved his glasses up on his head and lurched forward to clean his face. Finally, the burn was going away and he could see something. The cave was nearly pitch black, aside from dim light coming from above. There must have been another entrance further up the cave wall. For now, all he could make out was the freshwater pool at his fingertips and the hulking shadow of the maralith twenty yards away.

The monster was scrubbing at his face and throwing water over its head. The thing was apparently unaffected by the freezing waters. Realizing this might be his only chance to get away Ignis scrambled to get up. If he could make it back to the entrance maybe he could slide down the cliff face. Wishing he’d been able to master warping like Noct, Ignis stumbled forward grasping clumsily at the rock sides, he couldn’t jet away to safety so easily.

He’d only made it a few feet when the maralith noticed. There was a loud shout followed by the sound of sloshing water. Ignis didn’t want to look behind him; he knew the monster was coming. Speeding up his pace caused Ignis to slip on the wet rocks. Managing to stay mostly upright he continued on, he had to try to escape.

Taking another step resulted in his foot slipping again, this time into the icy waters. Cringing at the sensation Ignis quickly stood up, however, the loose stone underneath his feet merely shifted further. A sickening crack was all that prepared him for the rock face giving way and sending him into the dark freezing pool.

The shock of the water temperature instantly numbed his senses as he sank into the depths. The pool was a lot deeper than it seemed. It took a few long seconds for his brain to kick into gear, he needed air. This is when another terrifying aspect of his current predicament came to light. His ankle was trapped underneath something. Something heavy, like a fucking rock.

It was becoming harder and harder to think as he struggled to free himself. Pulling at his leg did nothing to help, he wouldn’t last much longer. The lack of air was making his lungs burn, and just as he felt the world fading away something grabbed his leg.

--

The smell of burning wood was the first thing Ignis became aware of as he slowly woke up.  Prying his eyes open a second later caused his heart rate to double. Colorful scales of blue, green, and black were all around him. A makeshift wall of giant snake tail was looming over him. Suppressing the urge to yell he looked around. Maybe he could still escape if he kept his wits.

However, his brain was slow to catch up as he worked to control his breathing. Not only was he partially surrounded by the maralith, but he was also laying on it too. A smooth scaly pillow of sorts cushioned his head, and there was one under his knees as well. Then, when he noticed that most of his clothes had been removed, Ignis actually whimpered. Being covered by a blanket had prevented this fact from registering properly. He was well and truly fucked.

That’s when he started violently shaking; he was going into shock all over again. This of course alerted the giant snake-man to his troubles. A huge figure soon appeared hovering over him.

“Nocere tibi, movens subsisto,” the monster said in what Ignis was sure was a concerned tone.

Stunned by hearing him speak Ignis merely lay there with his mouth moving but nothing coming out.

“Adiuva me,” the snake man uttered softly.

Curse exhaustion for making him sluggish. Ignis was certain that the language being spoken was something familiar. In an old, ancient, lost civilization kinda way.

“Frigidus es?” The maralith asked.

Cold, that word he knew. This monster was speaking ancient Solheimian. What in eos was happening? Still unable to form a coherent thought Ignis waved his arm around helplessly.

The maralith tilted its head and spoke once more. “Frigidus es?”

“Uh, no, I’m not cold, erm, ego n-non frigus,” Ignis added when he finally remembered some of the old language. He’d studied it in college, all for Noct of course, for when he would go find the royal arms. Now was as good a time as any to use it, what little he could recall.

Surprisingly, the maralith smiled at the admission and turned to point at the brightly burning fire a few yards away. Squinting into the flames Ignis thought he saw crownsguard issue supply crates. Looking into the cave further, along the wall, Ignis spotted a rather large stockpile of crownsguard goods. This maralith had been pilfering supply trucks for months according to reports he’d read. Assuming their small convoy of cars wouldn’t interest the maralith had been a poor decision.

The fact that it’d been stealing goods also played a part in Ignis’ survival at the moment. Otherwise, he’d be freezing to death on a cold stone floor. No blanket and no fire. His shaking had subsided slightly when he understood that he wasn’t going to get killed. At least not right then and there.

Swallowing down his fear he attempted to remember what had happened. He was confused as to why he was still alive. He’d been drowning in a freezing pool. If the lack of air hadn’t gotten him then hypothermia surely would have set in. That meant the maralith had saved him. Even building a fire to keep him warm and removing his wet clothes. Which he spotted drying by the fire, laid out with care.

None of this made any sense. “Why did you help me?” Ignis asked as he rolled carefully onto his side. Curling into a ball made his body feel warmer.

“Non volunt occidere.”

Taking a deep breath Ignis worked to figure out the words. Something about kill, but it also had the word no. “You didn’t want to hurt me? Is that what you are saying?” he tried, hoping the maralith would understand.

When the snake man nodded and smiled again Ignis felt dizzy. He’d been kidnapped and rescued by a monster. “What are you going to do with me? I’ve got to get home.”

“Prima cura, reliqua opus.”

Those words were good, heal and rest, but then what after he’d done that, what did the monster have in mind? “Will you let me go?”

This time the maralith pouted and heaved a heavy sigh. All three pairs of arms were crossed in defiance across his chest, but after a moment he let them fall to the side and nodded.

“Do you have a name?” Ignis asked looking up at the monster. His human half had long dark hair and his eyes almost looked like amber in the firelight.

“Invocabunt me Gladiolus,” he answered with a slight bow. “Et vos?” he added gesturing towards Ignis.

Wondering if giving out his name would cause any issues Ignis threw caution into the wind and answered. “Ignis.”

The maralith, Gladiolus, became excited and pointed to the fire again. “Bonum nomen, tam pugnare tecum.”

Blinking stupidly Ignis worked to translate what he’d said. Gladiolus had complimented his name and told him he fought well. Guess this was a start to not becoming snake bait later. He was about to add more when a loud trilling noise filled the space. Gladiolus growled and immediately pointed to the clothes drying by the fire.

“Malum est magna!” he exclaimed.

Struggling to sit up Ignis wondered if he could drag himself over to his jacket to answer his phone before Gladiolus pounded it into dust. The maralith saw him move and immediately held out one massive hand to push him back. Ignis went to protest until he noticed Gladio grabbing the coat with one of his many other arms.

Holding out in front of him, Ignis searched the pockets for his phone. Surprised it was still working he scrambled to hit the answer button. “Hello! Don’t hang up I’m here!” he cried out.

“Ignis?! Thank the astrals, are you hurt? Where are you? I’m gonna rescue you! Can you walk?” The voice attached to the rather long list of questions was Noct. Ignis was sure he heard his voice crack over the line. He’d been fearing the worst.

“Noctis, I’m alright, please calm down.”

“I was so worried!” Noct breathed out in a rush. “Hey! He answered!” Noct shouted a second later to someone else in the room. “I told you he wasn’t dead!”

The phone sounded like it was being handed off before another voice came over the line. “Ignis, are you alright? What’s your status?” Cor asked in obvious relief.

“Uh, I’m unharmed,” Ignis offered.

“Do you know where you are?”

“Not really, let me ask,” Ignis paused and looked over to Gladiolus. “Might you let my friends come get me?”

Gladiolus narrowed his eyes and pouted again. “Fortasse…”

“Otherwise, you’d have to help me get back down the side of this mountain.”

“Ego auxiliatus sum,” he answered quickly.

“Ignis, who are you talking to?” Cor asked in a high-pitched voice.

“Gladiolus, the maralith that kidnapped me and then saved my life when I almost drown and caught hypothermia.”

“Huh, and you didn’t hit your head or anything?”

“Marshal, I’m well beyond my comfort level at the moment, so I’m trying to find a silver lining where I can.”

“I think I heard the word for help from your er, friend.”

“As did I, what do you suggest I do now?”

“Find out when he’s gonna let you leave and we’ll be waiting. We know the general area you should be in.”

“That doesn’t sound hopeful.”

“Silver lining Ignis,” Cor replied. “Are you sure you feel safe? I don’t want this to be our last communication from you.”

“I’ve already asked if he intends to kill me and he said no, correct?” Ignis added as he again caught Gladiolus' eye.

“Tutum, noli commoveri,” he rumbled authoritatively.

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but it appears I’m safe, with the maralith.” Ignis could feel his body starting to shake again. None of this was normal.

“Save your battery and call again when you have more information.”

“Yes, of course.” Before he could hang up Noct came back on the line sounding a lot like he’d been sniffling.

“I don’t like the idea of you still being lost out there. You sure you’ll be okay?” The prince asked.

“I hope so Noct, try not to worry. I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay, love you specs,”

For Noct to tell him that, meant he was truly rattled. Taking a calming breath Ignis answered kindly. “I love you too.”

The call disconnected shortly afterward, leaving Ignis with more feelings than he anticipated.  Setting the phone down he was surprised to see Gladiolus frowning at him. “You said you’d let me go, did you lie to me?” he checked with worry.

Instead of answering the question, Gladiolus asked one of his own. “Quis est? Amans tui?” the maralith almost looked hurt.

Thinking fast Ignis wracked his brain for what the words meant. Gladiolus wanted to know who he was speaking with and the other word amans that was familiar. Dear six, he’d asked if he’d talked with his lover! “No, no, uh frater, frater meus! My brother!” It was the best way to describe what Noct was to him, they’d practically grown up together.

Gladiolus sagged with obvious relief and smiled again. “Bonum! Tu es amans mei.”

“What? What did you just say?” Ignis checked, he could feel the blood in his body not doing its job. He was getting lightheaded and feeling dizzy. “What do you mean?”

The maralith only grinned at him, “Amans mei.”

Love me? What was he saying exactly? Then in a flash he remembered the saying, used so often in old ancient love poems. Amans mei, my lover. Groaning at the implications Ignis flopped back down on his back. Great, he’d attracted the attention of a maralith. Moving his arm Ignis weakly pointed to his clothes. “May I have them, I’d like to get dressed now.”

--

Staring out over the lip of the cave mouth was making Ignis’ mouth go dry, they were very high up, no wonder the glaive were unable to follow him when Gladiolus took off earlier.

“Curam,” Gladiolus said as he silently slithered up beside him.

That word Ignis knew the meaning of now, Gladiolus kept saying it even though he was fine, mostly. “I’m being careful,” he huffed.

Gladiolus pointed down and shook his head.

“I won’t fall.” Thankfully the maralith didn’t comment further while they waited. Ignis was looking for the convoy of glaive coming to get him. He’d managed to figure out his location once Gladiolus let him see outside. Apparently, he’d been very upset about seeing Ignis with a limp. Getting stuck underneath a pile of rocks will do that to a man. There were no potions in the armiger, and Ignis didn’t want to worry Noct any more than necessary by calling and requesting one.

Finally, when the trail of dust appeared on the horizon Ignis knew his friends had arrived. “It’s time, you’ll not attack, correct?”

Gladiolus shook his head and smiled. “Tutum.” The man’s smile was disarming, considering what it was attached to.

“Yes, as you’ve mentioned already, several times. You’ll forgive me if I’m slow to believe.”

“Tutum,” Gladio repeated, “Safe.”

Turning wide-eyed to the maralith Ignis waited to see if he’d say anything else. “Can you speak English?”

“No.”

Licking his lips Ignis couldn’t think of how to counter that statement. No was a pretty easy word to learn. “How will I get down?”

The maralith pointed to himself and held out two of his hands. Oh no Ignis was meant to be carried. Something about being trapped in the monster's grasp was a little heart attack inducing.

“Hurt, I hold,” he added slithering forward.

Ignis couldn’t help but yelp like a little kid when Gladiolus picked him up a second later. “Curam!” he exclaimed.

“Yes, careful.”

“You know English, you sneaky bastard!” Ignis huffed.

“No.”

Sighing in defeat Ignis had no time to prepare himself when Gladiolus slithered past the edge of the cave entrance and slide down half the mountain on his belly. Ignis was sure he screamed. He hollered when he road rollercoasters, this was no fucking different!

When they came to a stop a minute later Ignis found he was clutching Gladiolus' thumb for dear life. “Can you warn me next time?!” His brain caught up to what he was saying; there wouldn’t be a next time. He was going home never to see Gladiolus again.  Somehow that thought didn’t make him feel good.

Gladiolus gently placed him on the ground and hovered briefly while his knees stopped behaving like jello. Once stable he walked a few feet away and turned back. “Will you kindly stop attacking our convoys?”

The maralith shrugged and looked away.

“Please?”

The nod he received was almost imperceptible but it was there. Nodding back in acknowledgment Ignis waited to see if he’d say anything else.

“Et iterum autem videbo vos?”

Ignis heard something about see and the word again.

Oh.

“Are you asking if we’ll see each other again?”

Gladiolus nodded rapidly.

Taking a deep breath Ignis found himself uttering the most insane idea he’d ever had. “I could teach you how to speak English if you’d like.”

“Yes!”

“You know it already though, liar.”

“No,” Gladiolus tacked on with the most shit-eating grin Ignis had ever seen plastered on a monster’s face.

“I mus--.”

“Ignis! Are you alright?” Cor’s voice asked from behind him.

“Marshal! Thank the six, yes!” Ignis replied spinning around quickly. Running over Ignis stumbled, due to his bruised ankle, and promptly fell into Cor’s arms.

“I gotcha you’re safe,” he added while hauling him upright and slinging Ignis’ arm over his shoulder.

A worried shout from a nearby glaive alerted Ignis to the current situation. Gladiolus was right there scowling at Cor, his demeanor stiff and intimidating. “Amans?” He fumed.

“NO!” Ignis shouted. “You’re terrible, “Frater, dammit, frater!”

Instantly the maraliths face softened and he backed away. “Amans?” he asked again while gesturing to the crowd of glaive on guard.

“No, I don’t have amans.”

That blinding smile came back followed by a phrase, Ignis was learning, gave him heart palpations. “Tu es amans mei.”

After a few awkward minutes of trying to not say goodbye, because who did that to a monster, Ignis hobbled away with Cor supporting his weight, he was going home. Once they were safely in the car and on the road heading back to insomnia Ignis allowed himself to look out the back window. He could see Gladiolus making his way back up to his cave.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You seem pale.”

“A giant half-snake man told me I’m his lover, Cor. How do you expect me to be?” Ignis could tell Cor was trying not to laugh. “I understand things could have ended much worse, but I don’t have a clue what to do next.”

“First things first, you rest.” Cor rummaged in a bag nearby and produced a potion. “Take this and drink some water. Let us do the rest okay.”

Nodding his head in agreement, Ignis broke the potion bottle and felt his ankle heal. Nursing a water bottle Ignis let his mind wander. Would he come back to teach Gladiolus English? He’d not exactly promised to do so, but wasn’t his word good enough? Perhaps having a maralith as an alley would be a good thing.

[haunted-van-au]

Mythical Creatures-Aloja

((Note: I do not believe that Aloja have a religious aspect and are just standard mythical creatures, but if I am incorrect, please tell me. Google is not always a reliable source and I do not have a publishing company or anything making sure I know things like this. I do not want to twist religious figures or insult anyone by using them incorrectly. Aloja just seemed to fit what I wanted best.))

Aloja are water spirits that inhabit all types of bodies of water. (Not all water has an aloja, but many do.) They are not immortal but can live for thousands of years. They are shapshifters with many different forms. They can look humanoid, like different fish, or even like certain birds. They can also do partial shifts between these forms. They can look like mermaids, but they are not.

There are many different types of aloja. There is both emic and etic classifications and these vary greatly. Emic classifications (how aloja group themselves) typically have to do with the power of the aloja which can be related to the type of water they control but does not always. The etic classifications (how non-aloja classify them) typically have to do with what type of water they inhabit as well as how they interact with non-aloja.

Three Emic Classifications (translations in italics)

Tempfal’air (Those Who Make the Storms)

Tempfal’air are the most powerful aloja, and usually quite old. They typically inhabit parts of the ocean, but sometimes also control large rivers. Typically, they are in moving water and not frozen. Most chose their body of water, but some fought with other aloja for it. Typically, their bodies of water are not inherited.

Lesflux (Those Who Flow Through Nature)

Lesflux ar the standard aloja. Most fall under this category. They inhabit anything from small creeks to rivers. They also inhabit lakes and ponds but can also own slightly larger bodies of water. Things like icecaps are usually inhabited by them (if inhabited at all). Most Lesflux live in a sort of family system. They usually take over distributaries of their parents and often inherit their parents’ water when they die.

Fei’ Por (Those Who Inhabit the Well)

Fei’ Por are (relatively) a newer type of aloja. They inhabit manmade bodies of water. They are typically the least powerful to begin with and their deals with humans (seeing as the humas have more of a claim over their waters than the waters of other aloja) they tend to be even weaker. Usually, they were Lesflux children who left or were shunned by their family units.

Five Etic Classifications (by Humans typically)

These categories are often seen as derogatory as they are fairly dehumanizing.

The Blackened Aloja

These are aloja that are more vicious towards humans and typically other non-aloja beings. They do not like them and are unafraid to make this known. They are often ones who inhabit poisoned and/or particularly dangerous bodies of waters. (So, something like the Horseshoe Lake or Lake Nyos in our world.)

The Turbulent Aloja

These aloja can be vicious when they so choose. Whether they decide to kill someone or not is usually up to their whims. They are usually safe enough to touch from shore, but you shouldn’t drink from them, else you will earn their ire. These would be some parts of the ocean or particularly dangerous rivers.

Class C Aloja

These aloja are not typically cruel to humas unprovoked, but they have rules. One can drink from them (assuming they are freshwater) but are not allowed to carry water away under any condition. The nastier ones will drown people if they steal from them or pollute them, and the nicer ones will just not allow them to access their body of water again. However, they are typically safe to swim or bathe in. If people treat them with enough respect, they often enjoy having them in their waters.

Class B Aloja

These aloja are almost always kind to humans, though they still have some rules. Usually, people will not drown in them even when earning their ire. They will allow people to take away certain amounts of water, especially if they need it to survive, but will punish those who are greedy. If one knows an aloja well, it is often safe to allow children to swim unattended, as they will watch them and make sure they are not harmed.

Class A Aloja

This category usually coincides with the Fei’ Por category. These aloja usually inhabit manmade lakes or wells, but sometimes will inhabit certain natural ones. Their relationship with humas is more like they have been hired to watch and keep the water clean. Humans, especially in industrial areas get most of their water from Class A aloja.

[frostspoken]

HEADCANNON POST: BIOMES OF AMMOL REGION

Things to keep in mind: - Pokemon do change throughout the year and with the shifting of pokemon nests so the list below are concise though not always entirely accurate year round, Current pokemon data can be obtained from any three of the go leaders!

- Listed legendary pokemon are based completely upon rumor and data collection, Therefore are not confirmed in most cases.

DIAMOND PLAINS: The place in which the first cities and towns were built, Diamond plains are full of the usual pokemon you’d expect, From small roaming herds of ponyta to the wandering family of skuntank and stunky kits. Outside of the major city of opal, The grasses grow large and tall here though perhaps a bit dry so there is a few fires a year. It’s often considered the beginning route for trainers who have just joined the go initiative. Notable pokemon of diamond plains - Ekans (Common) - Meowth (Uncommon) - Pidove (Common) - Fletching (Recent addition) - (Rare) - Diglett (Common) - Bunnelby (Common) - Noibat (Only at Night) - (Uncommon) - Zubat (Only at Night) - (Common) - Plusle & Minun (Only at Day) - (Uncommon) - Sentret (Common) - Mareep (Uncommon) - Entei (Legendary) ---- ALEXANDRITE SWAMP: A place wedged in between a desert and the plains, Alexandrite swamp is not a big place, though it is a widely populated place with pokemon. Full of the oozing, Poisonous and weeping all in between, It’s a place people are known to get lost in if they go unprepared. There is no escaping without getting a little wet and hidden pitfalls are rumored to exist that lead to a wide underground cave system.

Notable pokemon of Alexandrite swamp - Corpish (Common) - Lotad (Common) - (Only at Day) - Grimer (Common) - Surskit (Common) - Vileplum (Rare) - (Only at Night) - Yanma (Uncommon) - Stunfisk (Common) - Whiscash (Rare) - Dewpider (Uncommon) - Carbink (Recent addition) - (Rare) - Venonat (Common) - (Only at Night) - Froakie (Rare) - Zygarde (Legendary) ---- CARNELIAN DESERT: The desert that is often revered as firmly wedged between hell and a inferno, Often reaching around 120 degree’s at least once or twice a year, It’s always a pretty staunch 80-90 degree’s, Minus nights when it becomes cold enough to wear a coat, Averaging about 20-25 degree’s. It’s full of feisty pokemon and some equally feisty humans! coming from tourmaline city. At night, it’s noted that some people mention seeing things that looked like portals. But it’s waved off as desert mirages

Notable pokemon of Carnelian Desert: - Trapinch (Uncommon) - (Only at Night) - Maractus (Uncommon) - (Only at Day) - Cacnea (Common) - Klink (Uncommon) - Woobat (Common) - (Only at Night) - Solrock (Common) - (Only at Day) - Baltoy (Common) - Hippopotaus (Uncommon) - Hoopa (Legendary) - (Only at Night) - Slugma (Common) - Torkoal (Uncommon) - Heliolisk (Common) - (Only at Day) ---- MOLDAVITE FOREST: The oldest forest on the region, Moldavite is a known and perhaps often feared dense woodland area that while full of pokemon, is also a place people more then often get lost and even more often aren’t found if you aren’t careful. It’s unknown as to why, but compasses and other electric devices often cease functioning or barely function here, If you go far enough, You’ll find prehnite town. It’s no longer inhabited, Although it used to be, Nobody knows what happened to the people that lived here. But it’s cautioned for ones own safety, to leave before dark. They don’t like visitors Notable pokemon of Moldavite Forest: - Phantump (Common) - (Only at Night) - Frillish (Fishing only) - Zorua (Uncommon) - (Only at Night) - Mightyena (Uncommon) - (Only at Night) - Murkrow (Common) - (Only at Night) - Noctowl (Common) - (Only at Night) - Dustox (Uncommon) - (Only at Night) - Dusknoir (Rare) - (Only at Night) - Serperior (Rare) - (Only at Day) - Yamask (Uncommon) - (Only at Night) - Gourgeist (Uncommon) - Litwick (Common) - (Only at Night) - Darkrai (Legendary) - (Only at Night) ---- AQUAMARINE LAKE & AZURITE POND: The largest lake of the region and it’s sister pond, These are located outside of Moldavite forest and are technically a sub-region of Sunstone fields, It’s the best place in the region to get what many consider freshwater pokemon! It’s also however a fun spot for diving as Aquamarine lake goes deeper then it appears and with proper equipment, You may even be able to discover something not yet explored. But it’s advised not to because some report feeling forgetful after going a certain depth. Notable pokemon of Aquamarine Lake & Azurite Pond - Magikarp (Common) - Wooper (Common) - Poliwag (Common) - Goldeen & Seaking (Uncommon) - Psyduck (Common) - Tynamo (Uncommon) - Chinchou (Uncommon) - (Only at Night) - Finneon (Uncommon) - (Only at Night) - Vaporeon (Rare) - (Only at Day) - Feebas (Uncommon) - Luvdisc (Uncommon) - Uxie & Mesprit & Azelf (Legendary - Only at Lake bottom) ---- SUNSTONE FIELDS: The fields that border Opal city and partially surround Malachite City, It is a pretty large field, Covered in flowers. A few small parks here and there, It grows a special flower gracidea that are protected carefully by those apart of the go initiative due to their scarcity. This field gets a lot of sun, Though it’s also bathed in moonlight at night and it shares some common pokemon with Diamond plains. Though it also has some unique additions all it’s own. Notable pokemon of Sunstone fields - Miltank (Common) - Bouffalant (Common) - Lunatone (Uncommon) - Tauros (Common) - Doduo (Uncommon) - Bellossom (Rare) - (Only at Day) - Bellsprout (Common) - Nidoran (m) & Nidoran (f) (Common) - Tepig  (Rare) - Blitzle (Uncommon) - Buneary (Common) - Shaymin (Legendary) ---- CHRYSOCOLLA SEA: The oceans that surround the Amolla region, It’s a vast, Deep set ocean that has a pretty quick drop off after only a short beach surrounding all sides. The waters are warm but only moderately and only one part of the region. There is colder water over by mount moonstone and even some small ice bergs & Ice floes. There is a single curved bay where all the seaside arrival takes place. There’s often some kind of farmer’s market of foreign travelers selling not to easy to achieve items that cycle monthly. It also rains a lot

Notable pokemon of Chrysocolla sea - Squirtle (Rare) - Seel (Common) - Krabby (Common) - Shellder (Common) - Seadra (Uncommon) - Staryu (Common) - Wailmer & Wailord (Uncommon) - (Only at Day) - Gyrados (Common) - Milotic (Uncommon) - Castform (Rain form) - Common - Shellos (West)  (Common) - (Only at Day)  - Manaphy (Legendary) ---- CHRYSOPRASE WOODS: A chilly forest located near Malachite city, It’s the easiest place to get ice types without daring Mount Moonstone, It’s still a place you should proceed with caution but that is less because of deathly conditions and more because of all the ice and Pokemon tricksters that would love to see you take a fall for their own amusement.

Notable pokemon of Chrysoprase woods - Piplup (Rare) - Vulpix (Kanto & Alolan) (Common) - Darumaka (Galarian) (Common) - Glaceon (Rare) - Eevee (Uncommon) - (Only at Day) - Cubchoo (Common) - Bergmite (Common) - Vanillish (Common) - Sandshrew (Galarian) (Common) - Swinub (Common) - Snover (Common) - (Only at Day) - Weavile (Uncommon) - Regice (Legendary) ---- MOUNT MOONSTONE: The infamous mountain that was named for how it seems to reach towards the moon, As if in itself was a giant moonstone, It reminds some people much of mount silver in how harsh it’s weather is and how unyielding it is to even those the most prepared to travel it. Though what makes this mountain really danger is how unmapped it is, It is widely unexplored and the fact pokemon have been seen mega evolved with no trainer.

Notable pokemon of Mount Moonstone - Mega Glalie (Rare) - Froslass (Common) - Vanillux (Common) - Beartic (Common) - Rhyperior (Common) - Tyrantrum (Common) - Mamoswine (Common) - Mega Abomasnow (Uncommon) - (Only at Day) - Metagross (Uncommon) - Aurorus (Uncommon) - (Only at Night) - Mega Houndoom (Rare) - Rampardos (Uncommon) - Articuno (Legendary)

----- REGION

CITIES/TOWNS (Add link ASAP)

[ruffboijuliaburnsides]

The 5 headcanons thing for a merfolk AU

Hmmmmmmmmmm......... do I go the traditional “Jaskier is a siren” route, or... AH! No, here we go.  (This got even more away from me than the soulmate one, whoops...)

1) Jaskier is a mermaid.  Well, merman, technically speaking.  I refuse to go with the whole “green hair and nipples” thing bc what, he has wide pale blue eyes the color of the noontime sky, just this side of inhuman, vibrant reddish scales and fins, and a long chestnut braid that floats behind him, woven with shells and shipwreck trinkets and pretty stones. He has the most glorious fucking voice, and he’s pretty damn well celebrated down in the depths, amongst the other merpeople and the sea witches and nereids.  But he’s dangerously curious, and goes to the surface all the time to watch boats and harbors and animals and trees.  He tries to steer clear of the sirens ‘cause frankly they’re not exactly friendly and they’re a lot more likely to have drawn unneeded attention.  He doesn’t want to get attention, he just wants to watch people.  And he’ll hang out under docks, out of sight, and listen, and he learns how to understand Common (slowly, slowly, but he has so much time to learn) and he learns the melodies to their songs.

2) And then one day, he’s gone up a large, isolated lagoon that was fed by a river at the far end, changing from the salty seawater that came through the inlet to sweet freshwater that he enjoys the taste and feel of.  It’s novel and interesting, and people never come there. He comes in the evening, because the stars will come out and he loves to look at them, and he hears a person. he hides, of course, ducking quietly under the water because he doesn’t want to be seen, but he creeps closer, waiting for the sun to set before poking his head around a stone, just barely lifting his eyes out of the water, and there near the shore is a horse and a campfire, and undressed and wading into the fresh water near the river mouth to bathe is the most beautiful human he’s seen in all the years he’d spent coming to the surface.

2a) it’s Geralt, obviously.

2b) Jaskier watches him bathe, then go back to his camp, redress, have supper, speak softly to his horse. Jaskier wants to get closer and hear what the man’s voice sounds like, but he dares not.  Dares not.  So instead he just sits and watches him. At some point he retreats beneath the water to the floor of the lagoon to sleep, falling asleep to poetic melodies and turns of phrase that might one day be a longing song about beauty that can’t be touched or possessed, only seen from afar. The sunrise wakes him and he comes back to the surface, just in time to see the man saddling his horse and starting to lead her off.  He feels a pang of regret that he wouldn’t see this interesting human anymore until he notices the man is actually leading the horse down the shore of the lagoon toward the sea.  And then he starts moving along the coast, cautious and watchful, so Jaskier stays out from the shore, careful careful careful.

2c) The thing is that he got too close without noticing, and Geralt’s medallion buzzed just the tiniest bit, and Jaskier splashed just the tiniest bit, and Geralt had subtly glanced out into the lagoon and seen a chestnut head and wide blue eyes in the light of the setting sun, far too close to avoid notice by a witcher, but clearly not aware of that. He kept an eye and ear out for the merfolk to get any closer, but he knows the difference between a merfolk and a siren, and the difference between cautious curiosity and the intent to harm.  He pretends to sleep until he hears it swim off and his medallion stops the faint vibration, then settles in to meditate.

3) Geralt’s hunting a small siren’s nest.  It’s in a sort of cave carved into a cliff by the waves, down the shoreline a few miles. Jaskier starts worrying as they get closer because the sirens will rip this beautiful human apart, but Geralt leaves Roach and straps on his swords and strides into the nest.  He tries to talk them down of course, though Jaskier can’t hear it, but they shriek and attack and he kills them, but not before one uses all her strength to fling him across the cavern into a rock pillar out in the water.  She’s bleeding out and will be dead in a minute or so. Geralt would be okay, if salty and waterlogged, except he hit head-first and is unconscious.  Jaskier sees it happen.  Jaskier is NOT about to let this happen. He darts through the water, desperate, and drags Geralt to the surface, then to the shore.  The tide’s still coming in and Jaskier doesn’t want him to be in danger from that, so he has to wriggle and writhe up on the sand to get Geralt above - or mostly above, at least - the high tide line. Then he goes back for Geralt’s sword.

3a) Geralt heals very quickly. Even from something like that, before Jaskier can get back from a) wriggling back down to the water and b) finding and retrieving Geralt’s silver sword, Geralt’s awake and trying to process everything. Jaskier manages to spot him from a distance, and he waits until Geralt’s gone stalking back to where the sirens are, looking for proof of success and also for his silver sword.  By the time he’s stalking grumpily and wearily back towards Roach, the silver sword is shining just where the waterline is, stuck upright in the wet sand.  And obviously Geralt can see the traces of the squirming body and handprints faintly left in damp sand that hadn’t quite been washed away yet, wonders if it might be the curious merfolk from the night before

3b) from way out in the waves, far out enough that he’s sure Geralt won’t be able to pick him out, Jaskier watches happily as Geralt retrieves his sword, examining it carefully and scanning the waves, not letting on that he sees the little smear of chestnut hair and pale skin peeking just above the water, before trudging back to his horse.

4) He goes to the sea witches after that, begs them to make him human, at least for a while.  He doesn’t know if he’ll be able to find the beautiful man, doesn’t know how far the land goes beyond the coast, how far or how fast the man will travel, or in what direction, but he wants to try. They turn him away and away and away, tells him to write his beautiful songs and forget the man (witcher, one of them says, she knows he must be if he survived fighting multiple sirens and had two swords). until one of them finally says she’ll do it.

4a) It won’t hurt, but she knows that following a witcher is asking for trouble, so she tells him that he won’t be able to speak or sing, lest his beautiful voice give him away and the witcher kill him. Not all are discerning of the difference between “creature that has no ill intentions and is not harming anyone” and “creature that needs to be killed to save lives”, after all. If he finds this witcher and sees all the witcher truly is and still truly loves and trusts him, Jaskier will be able to sing again. His voice will almost certainly give away his true identity, and if the witcher sees it and loves and trusts him in return, he’ll be able to speak again.  If the witcher doesn’t return his trust, he’ll lose his song again and have three sunrises to make it back to water that leads to the sea before the spell becomes permanent and he will not be able to speak or sing again for the rest of his life, trapped on land.

4b) obviously this is really overly complicated, and unnecessary because they could just turn him fully human with no caveats if they wanted to, and turn him back when he got back to the sea-*, but it was partially to dissuade him and partially to make it impossible for him to truly get in trouble on land by outing himself, because no way in hell would he ever be able to truly see what a witcher is and completely love and trust them, right?  Eventually he’ll crack and come back to the sea and they’ll give him back his voice and his fins, and everything will be fine.  Right?

5) Jaskier gets his legs. Pants are weird but he wears them. he has shoes but honestly he hated them so he left them behind on the beach.  The witch cuts his braid because it is so long and will get in the way and weigh him down so much more without the water to support it.  And he is put ashore close to the nearest port city to the siren nest, and he realizes belatedly when he gets there that he doesn’t know how to write the way humans do, how to spell any of the words he’d need to use to ask about a witcher.  But just his luck, Geralt’s actually on his way out of town on the very road Jaskier sat thoughtfully down on to think about his options, and Jaskier very excitedly runs up to Geralt and-- well he can’t talk, but he’s curious and starts essentially just examining Geralt up close.

5a) The magic is screened well enough that Geralt’s medallion only vibrates the tiniest bit, and only when Jaskier’s very much up in his personal space.  And listen, he can be dense sometimes, but while the young man’s eyes are a more natural blue than perhaps they were as a merman, the shade of chestnut is familiar, and the kid’s barefoot and basically seems to have no belongings and he apparently can’t speak? That’s odd, and not normal for merfolk as far as Geralt’s aware.  Geralt doesn’t trust him quite yet, obviously, and certainly doesn’t love him, but neither does Jaskier yet. (give it a couple of years and his songs will come tumbling out, and his speech will take longer, but the trust is there, and love has time to grow.)  But Geralt can clearly tell this is the same merman who, he assumes, saved his life and his sword a couple days earlier at the siren nest.  It’s not like Geralt doesn’t appreciate being saved. And it’s not like Geralt’s going to go chatting about someone being merfolk in disguise, that’s just asking for trouble.  So he doesn’t say anything about that.

5b) After circling Geralt and Roach a couple times curiously, Jaskier mimes between the two of them, and then walking, and then pointing down the road.  Can he travel with you, whoever you are?  And Geralt sighs, and all but lifts the strange little merman up onto Roach’s saddle, turning around to go back into town. “You need shoes,” is all his explanation.  And he’ll need more food to supplement his hunting or fishing.

Bonus: 6) Geralt doesn’t know what to call this strange thing, so for a few weeks he mostly just calls him “you” gruffly, or nothing at all.  But then they’re passing a wide field of wildflowers, sorts that don’t grow near the ocean usually, and Jaskier’s so wide-eyed and delighted, and rushes into it without a thought of safety (not that it’s dangerous, just, it’s clearly new, and he didn’t even look to Geralt for verification he could, and Geralt wants to be angry but he sees him flopped among merigolds and cornflowers (that match his eyes almost perfectly) and sending up a cloud of dandelion seeds, and he can’t stop himself from smiling just a tiny bit, while Jaskier’s too far away to see.

6a) and when Geralt finally gets Jaskier out of the field, there are still dandelion seeds all caught in his hair and Geralt shakes his head and reaches out to gently ruffle the Jaskier’s hair and send most of them floating down.  “Come on, Dandelion, we’re still a few hours out from town,” he says, sounding grumbly despite himself, but Jaskier brightens, because he knows a name when he hears one.

[flightfoot]

Dragon Falls Ch. 2

AO3

Light filtered through her eyelids.

 Kagami groaned.

 Sadly, groaning didn’t actually cause the sun to reverse and go into hiding.

 Against her wishes, she woke up the rest of the way.

 And very much wished she hadn’t.

 Every part of her body ached. She felt like she’d just been hit with a sledgehammer between her eyes, and her wings…

 She tried to shift them.

 Big mistake.

 Searing pain ripped through her, forcing her to let out a yelp. Craning her neck around, she got a good look at them.

 They appeared intact, but the joint of one of her wings was severely swollen.

 She winced.

 Dragons healed quickly, but an injury like that was likely to take a week or more to recover from. In the meantime, she was grounded.

 What even HAPPENED?

 Casting her mind back, she tried to recall.

 The memories were fuzzy, as they always were after a raid. The queen’s compulsions dulled higher order thinking, replacing it with her own will - mostly “get food”. Sheep were her favorite.

 While she’d been off hunting for the Queen numerous times, this was her first time going up against humans. These were by far the most dangerous hunting grounds.

 And now here she was, alone, in a valley, badly injured, unable to fly away, and-

A face swam across her vision, blond hair and a smirk, and then-

 The structure collapsed on her.

 She shuddered. Well, that explained the injuries. But what happened after that?

 Branches brushed against her, uneven ground occasionally causing her to stumble. 

 She didn’t pause, just getting up and running some more.

 All she knew was she needed to get far away from there, to somewhere safe.

 A short fall, trying to spread her wings and finding one wouldn’t move properly-

 And then she was on the ground.

 She faintly heard leaves rustling, but couldn’t bring herself to move.

 PAIN.

 Something CRACKED, going back into place.

 Flailing a little, she opened her eyes.

 THE BOY.

 Tried to get to her feet-

 And fell.

 He ran.

 She passed out.

 That crack… did that boy relocate her wing joint?

 And he hadn’t come back with backup, even though she was unconscious and helpless…

 Though that part might be due to it being night at the time. She had decent night vision, but from what she’d heard about humans, theirs was atrocious.

 Hauling herself up (and grimacing a bit at the soreness) she set about investigating her surroundings.

---------

 This area she’d fallen into was pretty nice at least. Only one entrance in or out (unless you could fly or felt like falling fifteen feet), with a small freshwater pond and some nice spots for sunbathing. 

 The single entrance made things tricky. On the one hand, it meant she couldn’t be surrounded by vikings. On the other hand, it meant that she had no escape route.

 Probably best to avoid it except for getting drinks of water. 

 Her stomach made her other needs known, giving out a rumble.

 She sighed. Hopefully prey was plentiful.

------------

An hour later she’d caught and eaten three rabbits and a squirrel. 

 Turns out they weren’t used to being sprayed with water or electrocuted. 

 No fire blasts. While that would certainly have done the trick as well, setting the forest on fire while she was in it didn’t seem like the best idea.

 Her ears pricked.

 Voices floated up from somewhere close by.

 She hid behind a bush as well as she could. Even injured, she’d probably be able to fight off a couple vikings, but best to gather intel first.

 “...you think it’s still there?”

 “Probably. It was hurt pretty badly.”

 A flash of yellow caught her eyes.

 A boy and a girl traipsed into view. 

 The boy… that hair looked a lot like what she remembered from before, with the attack.

 The brown-haired girl was new though.

 She darted out of the bush. The brunette raised her axe instinctively.

 Keeping an eye on her (the axe probably wouldn’t do MUCH damage, but it partially depended on where she was hit…) she faced the blonde. “Why didn’t you kill me before?”

 Both the humans’ mouths dropped open as their eyes bugged out of their heads.

 She tilted her head to the side. 

 What were they doing? Was this some human signal?

 She had a difficult enough time reading DRAGON body language, did she have to master human nonverbal communication as well?

 “YOU CAN TALK?!”

 They didn’t know that? “Of course I can-”

 Wait.

 They only ever raided the humans when under the Queen’s influence.

 And while being controlled by her, they were little more intelligent than the prey they hunted.

 “You’ve never heard us talk before.”

 The boy stared off into the distance. “Those sounds I heard you making before, the screams… I… I thought they sounded too human. I- I guess… I guess now I know why.”

 The girl put her hand on her chin. “I’ve been through a lot of dragon raids. One of the first things I learned was how indistinguishable dragon cries were from human cries and I just… no one ever thought, even CONSIDERED why that might be.”

 Blinking, the boy snapped out of his daze. “Well there was Alix’s brother’s theory.”

 “Jalil’s… oh right!”

 She turned to face Kagami. “Uh… you’re not secretly a banished viking, cursed to wander the skies in the shape of a beast, right?”

 Humans were weird. “I am fairly certain I am not.”

 “So why can you talk? Why haven’t any dragons talked to us before? Oooh can only SOME dragons talk? Why have you guys been raiding our town? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.”

A squeal emanated from somewhere close by. It took her a moment to realize it came from the girl.

 “Do- do you know what happened to my mom?” a voice asked quietly.

 His voice quavering with hope, the boy looked up at her, almost seeming to plead for her to say ‘yes’.

 She hated to disappoint him.

 But lying would hurt more. “This was my first raid. I know nothing about any specific humans.”

 He went quiet, looking down at his feet. The girl put an arm around his shoulder.

 “As for the other questions, it does depend on species. Most dragons can talk, but there are a few who do not have the intelligence required to do so, as well as a few others who communicate through other means. All of us who are sent to raid your village are able to talk, however.”

 The girl frowned. “Sent?”

 “By the Queen. She bends us to her will, forces us to hunt for her, to please her. Some have tried to escape-” She shuddered. “But few have succeeded. She- she can hypnotize us, make it so we have to follow her commands, even miles away. Anywhere her voice can reach, she can take control. And it can last for awhile - up to a day. Your village is just outside the edge of her sphere of influence.”

 She looked down. “While under her power, we cannot speak, can barely think. If we could keep our wits, keep our sense of self-” she spat, “-then we might be able to oppose her, to throw off her control. Her call suppresses that part of us entirely.”

 The two humans looked at each other. “The dragons - every time we’ve captured one, my father’s ordered them killed almost immediately. They- they never got a chance for the Queen’s influence to wear off!”

 The color drained from the boy’s face. “They were killed… and they weren’t even in control of themselves at the time.”

 The girl nodded. She looked like she’d hurl if she opened her mouth.

 A low growl escaped Kagami’s throat. She’d heard stories of the dragons who’d never made it back, mourned the fallen. 

 While she’d saved some of her ire for the Queen for forcing her subjects into such a dangerous situation in the first place, she’d also harbored some fear and anger for the humans who actually killed the dragons involved.

 But they hadn’t known.

 To them, it was no different than her killing those rabbits.

 “We’ve got to tell everyone!”

 The girl turned, started to head back. The boy caught her arm. “Wait. I want to stop this as much as you do, but do you really think they’ll believe you?”

 She let out a frustrated noise. “Well if a dragon’s TALKING, they’ll have to, won’t they?!”

 He shook his head. “If they see a dragon in the village, do you really think they’ll all sit down and have a conversation with her? Or just attack immediately?”

 “I am not entering the village,” Kagami interjected. No way she was being kept out of this conversation. “My wing is still injured and I do not know if I can trust them to just talk. And while you two seem friendly, I have not forgotten how often you humans have hurt or killed us. I accept that you may have done so based on limited information, but they are still dead.”

 The girl looked away and sighed. “Yes, but… but what about next raid?! I- I don’t want to watch someone get killed if I could’ve prevented it!”

 They all stood looking at each other awkwardly.

 She turned around and started loping off.

 “Wait, where are you going?!”

 “It does not look like anything will be settled here and I must explore the rest of the island, try to find a better resting spot. I do not wish to risk being discovered and murdered by a random human.”

 The boy called out again. “But- but how will we find you again?”

 She stopped, closing her eyes. 

 These humans honestly seemed like they wanted to help. Like they didn’t mean any harm.

 But she also barely knew them.

 “I will find you. My hearing and sense of smell far outstrips what you are capable of. If I deem it safe, I will appear.”

 She didn’t completely trust them yet.

 But she wanted to.

 Turning around again, she got two dragon-lengths away-

 “WAIT!”

 Again?

 “What’s your name?” the boy pointed at himself and then at his companion. “I’m Adrien, and this is my friend Alya.”

 Adrien and Alya…

 She mouthed the words for a moment, getting used to the feel of them.

 It made this feel more… official somehow. 

 They weren’t just “those humans”.

 They were Alya and Adrien.

 And maybe, just maybe

 In the future she might call them ‘friends’.

 “I am Kagami.”

 She raced off, this time without interruption.

 They all had a lot to think about.

[maverick-werewolf]

Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends Preview - Story 6, “Troubled Waters”

Interior illustration from The Hunt Never Ends story, “Troubled Waters”

We’re almost there - the book releases one week from today!

I am a very special kind of stressed, lemme tell you.

This preview is of the final story in the story collection and my personal favorite: “Troubled Waters.” If you didn’t know, this is a preview for my upcoming story collection, Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends. It’s a book, but it’s something in-between a novel and a short story collection.

Each story in the book is individual and stands on its own, but they also go in order and build upon each other. So I’m not sure if one should really call it a novel, but it’s also different than just unrelated short stories. It bridges the gap between the two mediums.

Anyway, here’s another preview - enjoy!

For more info on the book itself, you can also check out this post. Also be sure to check out the Hunt Never Ends tag for a whole lot more book previews!

And remember - Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends is available for preorder (digital only; physical available on release date) on Amazon.com!

Pre-Order Link

Please note that, while the ebook is now available for preorder, Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends will also be available in paperback on October 30 from the same Amazon listing! Paperbacks cannot be preordered using Amazon’s system, however.

Be sure to check back October 30 for the physical (paperback) edition!

If you’re interested in purchasing the book digitally, you can now pre-order it right here and have it immediately on October 30!

(Paperback edition will be available on Amazon on October 30)

------------

There were a lot of things Caiden knew how to do. Clean a sword. Maintain a bow or a crossbow, even customize the latter almost beyond recognition. Make his own arrows or bolts. Investigate a crime scene. Bandage a wound, make a tourniquet, brew a potion, hunt, forage, track, forge his own tools or weapons, carve wood, build houses or fortifications, command an army, cook meals…

But one thing he didn’t know how to do was read. And it pissed him off.

The beds in Castle Greywatch weren’t much. Some straw, changed daily, for a mattress, and some sackcloth to cover it. Any Venatori better off liked to buy their own beds, but Caiden wasn’t exactly drowning in coin. Following the dullahan encounter on Samhain, Kiya had given him a feather pillow as thanks – he didn’t want to think it had belonged to Relgar, but it probably had – and that was the nicest part of his sleeping arrangement in the castle.

He shifted his back against that pillow, currently squashed between him and the shoddy headboard and struggling to retain any fluffiness as a result. He tried to focus. Focus, he tended to be good at, but staring at the book in his hand almost made him wonder. It was a much smaller bestiary than the one Gwen had been given by Illikon, with a likewise smaller amount of illustrations.

If he had any sense, he would have just asked Gwen for help with reading. But his dignity – or maybe his stubbornness, or both – had long since thrown that idea out. He had all day to struggle with this, unless something came up. So, he reached to the nightstand beside him for the bottle of whiskey there. If there was something Castle Greywatch did have, it was decent booze.

Not that it seemed to be helping right now. It made things a little fuzzier, maybe. Slightly dulled that deep, gnawing, empty pain inside him, but not enough.

After they left Illikon, that feeling had grown louder, rowdier – tried to make itself more known. Whatever it was found claws to dig into his spine, using them to reach his skull. There, it chewed into him, left seeds of growing frustration – restless anger he couldn’t seem to muzzle. Any unwanted feelings of loneliness, of being lost, only got worse. A pulling, a need, telling him to do something.

After a few nights spent at Greywatch, it had grown to take a shape he almost recognized: hunger. Impossibly deep hunger that absolutely nothing satisfied.

That was why he couldn’t think. Not the drink. Not the page in front of him, covered in small symbols supposedly forming words, all of which made no sense. It was the smoldering flame in him turning into an empty inferno, and he had no idea how to put it out – or how to give it more fuel to burn.

Caiden’s eyes lost focus on the bestiary, staring at something inside rather than out. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, his grip on the book loosening, letting it droop.

Some tentative excitement came creeping up the stairs just outside the room. Caiden snapped the book shut and shoved it under his pillow, folding his arms and feeling an awful lot like a five-year-old trying to hide something embarrassing.

Except the bottle of whiskey. Couldn’t really hide that. Not like it mattered, anyway; she already knew it.

Gwen rounded the corner, peering into the room past the partially ajar door. She gave a few tentative knocks, eyes on him.

Caiden grunted. Yeah. Come in. You already have.

When she stepped into the room, Caiden instantly noted she was fully suited up, wearing her leather jerkin, belt of potions, weapons… Which for her, unlike him, was unusual to see when they were around the castle. Something was up.

Gwen paused, looked at him, followed his gaze to the far wall obviously in search of something interesting there, then at him again.

He met her stare evenly. “What?”

She shot the whiskey bottle a glance. “It’s a little early to be drinking, isn’t it?”

Caiden shrugged. Did that actually matter right now?

“Sure… Okay.” Cool worry filled the room, emanating from her, lapping jittery and mildly annoying waves against him. Gwen fumbled with a letter she’d been holding halfway behind her back. “Well, everyone in the great hall was talking missions, and a new one just came in. I snatched it up – thought it might be interesting. It’s not really like anything we’ve done before…”

An unnatural urge to snap at her, tell her to get on with it, rose in his throat and forced him to swallow it. Barely. It settled in his stomach, uncomfortable and heavy, and he tried to tell himself not to be a half-drunk asshole.

“What is it?” he prompted, voice coming out too flat as he struggled to find his usual patience.

That made Gwen screw up her brow at him more than a little, but she said, “There’s a village in the mountains not far from here – secluded little place called Norhaven. It doesn’t seem very noteworthy, except it has its own freshwater spring coming out of a mountain. But now a monster’s attacking them over the water, or that’s what they’re claiming. They say it’s been burning people, of all things, and it only attacks in the dark.”

For half a second, Caiden’s mind stuttered and ground to a halt. The first time he met something that only attacked in the dark, it had been his first monster hunt. It wasn’t something he liked recalling.

But he nodded.

“They… want us there as soon as possible,” Gwen added, almost tentatively. No, not almost. Definitely. Her nerves were frayed. She was worried about something, and it only seemed to get worse the longer she looked at him.

Caiden didn’t much like people worrying about him. He never had.

So he huffed, trying to figure out how to give what she might consider a ‘normal’ response. He stood and popped his neck in a short shock of painful relief. Even if it didn’t help the pinching headache he’d gotten from being bent over a book and trying to read for so long, it felt slightly better.

“Maybe we should wait until tomorrow morning,” said Gwen, still eying him like he was sick.

He eyed her right back. “I’m fine.”

“Caiden, you’ve drunk way more than usual lately – and that’s already saying something – and way earlier in the day. You know how terrible that is for you, right? And besides that, you’re talking even less.”

Gwen frowned. Some kind of hurt came off her then, enough to make his insides almost start to shrivel.

“You can trust me,” she said at length. “If something’s wrong, talk to me about it. Wouldn’t you be the first one to tell me that you need to know if I have something going on, so it doesn’t jeopardize our mission?”

Caiden’s jaw tightened, hard, before he gave it permission. You know she’s right. Yeah, she was right, and he couldn’t tell her. Every word, every phrase that came to mind sounded dismissive. Uncaring, or at least untrusting.

But Gwen gave up fairly quickly, still wearing a frown. She nodded and said, “Okay. Want to leave in an hour or two? It isn’t far to ride. We’ll get there before sundown and we can find a place to sleep.”

Caiden nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll meet you by the stables.”

With that, Gwen turned and left – though not without throwing a quick, and decidedly worried, look back at him over her shoulder.

(More preview under the cut!)

------------

“These attacks,” said Gwen, “do they usually happen around the spring, under the trees?”

Asger nodded. “Mostly.”

“And has anyone been in that cave since it started?”

“Where the source is? Gods, no. Gotta have a deathwish to walk into the dark after this thing.”

“Yeah,” Caiden said, already walking around the trees and toward the cave. Behind him, Asger sputtered, while Gwen’s quiet footfalls and building, anxious excitement followed in his wake.

“Go on back to town and get some rest, Asger,” Gwen called back to him.

Caiden stopped before the mouth of the cave and squinted into it, reaching for a potion on his belt: one to enhance his senses. Beside him now, Gwen shifted, tension radiating from her like constant lightning.

“If you drink that and that thing burns you, it’ll really hurt,” she said. “I heard some Venatori pass out from pain if something catches them with one of those.”

Caiden huffed. “I didn’t last time. I won’t this time either.”

Just as he drained the potion bottle, Asger’s panting caught up with them again as he stopped by their side, drawing his bodkin dagger and holding it up in a shaking hand. Gwen blinked at him, and Caiden furrowed his brow.

Asger’s face slowly drained of color as he stared at Caiden’s eyes – a side-effect of the potion was his eyes glowing. Not much, just softly, but it tended to scare the hell out of the average person.

“You probably shouldn’t come with us,” Gwen offered slowly, like she was trying to calm Asger down from some fit of panic. “Especially since… your weapon there looks like something my partner might pick his teeth with.”

“This’s a finely-made dagger, I’ll have you know,” Asger blurted. “And I’m the watchman here, this is part of my job. Let’s go on then—”

He stepped forward, but Caiden snapped one hand out and got a firm grip on Asger’s arm, stopping him in his tracks.

“I’m on point,” he said. “You shouldn’t come, but if you’re following us, then stay behind me. Gwen…”

“On it. I’ll cover your rear— I mean, the rear.” A blush quickly rose in her cheeks. “Tom ruined me,” Caiden faintly heard her mutter under her breath.

Caiden grunted. Then he turned and led the way.

Didn’t take long for his eyes to adjust, then to adapt, thanks to that potion. Faint moonlight spilling in let him see limestone walls slick with condensation and a violently gushing spring, churning the water on the far end of the cavern at the base of the wall. Spitting it out straight into the reservoir, the flow of it turning gentle by the time it left the cave.

Heavy mist hung in the air here, maybe kicked up by the water. But something didn’t seem right.

Then he realized why.

Fear washed down upon them like frigid rain – so much fear that, for half a second, it froze every muscle in Caiden’s body. His nerves pulled taut, ready to break and snap down on him like a whip, hard enough to leave a few more scars on his back. Hand shooting to his sword hilt in a white-knuckle grip, he drew in a sharp breath and fought the chill that ran fast up his spine and forced him to be afraid.

This wasn’t natural. Gwen, from the way she was suddenly fumbling with her gear, seemed to know it.

Asger, on the other hand, didn’t. He bellowed out a hoarse shout, nearly fell spinning around to face the exit, and ran for the cave mouth.

All around them, a shrill voice echoed, “Leave this place!”

It spoke the words very clearly – not the gibberish he’d been told about.

Everything happened at once. A rush of air ripped by him, trailing cold in its wake, like off the surface of the spring itself. Asger screamed, his heavy boots scuffing the stone as something made him stumble and fall. Caiden charged forward at a surging shadow, blade ready to swing.

And an arrow lodged itself in his upper arm with a hard lance of pain and a meaty thunk.

Caiden coughed out a grunt and staggered from the impact, the arrow locking up his sword arm and stopping him mid-strike. Whatever had come past him and attacked Asger seemed already gone, moving faster than he could even understand.

Gwen appeared beside him in an instant, hand on his uninjured left arm and sputtering apologies. “Caiden!? I – gods— I shouldn’t have tried to shoot it, it moved so fast—”

The cave around him was far from silent. Asger swore as he scrambled to his feet, Gwen kept on apologizing as she tried in vain to tug Caiden out of the cave until he, halfway in a stupor, finally staggered along after her.

Boots against stone. Grass under their feet, bright moonlight overhead. Plenty of pain in his right arm that twitched useless and limp at his side.

These sensations stayed, but something was missing.

He’d heard once that silence was golden. He had never understood what ‘silence’ entirely meant. This was the closest he’d ever come.

The whispers had stopped – the fleeting memories. All of it. The fear from the monster was gone – his, Asger’s, Gwen’s – he felt no terror from anyone, though they still looked afraid. Sounded afraid. Moved like it. But he couldn’t sense it. It didn’t invade his mind, twist into him, and try to make itself at home.

And he suddenly felt blind. Deaf. Neither of those things, yet both at once – because it was gone. A sense he had known for his entire life, something that was always there. Gone, no trace left. He felt dumb.

Caiden blinked. Furrowed his brow. His shoulders tensed, pulled against the arrow still biting deep into his arm, and made him wince.

What the hell was going on?

In the corner of his vision, he saw Gwen fumble for something in a pouch on her belt, only to draw out the shattered neck of a bottle. She swore and threw it aside, turning her attention to him instead as he stared straight ahead at nothing in particular.

“Caiden – Caiden, hey, look at me!” Gwen grabbed the harness around his shoulders and tugged on it hard enough for his eyes to snap to her and stare. Her face was pale. “That arrow was poisoned. Okay? You’re probably woozy right now; it’s very fast-acting…”

“Gwen—”

She sucked in a hard breath and blurted, “Caiden if you say ‘I’m fine’ I swear to Athena I will punch you in the stomach.”

He paused and cocked his head at her, his mouth ever so slightly ajar.

“Listen,” she said, voice quivering and straining to sound strong, “the bottle for the antidote I had on me broke – I have more of it, but it’s in my saddlebag. We have to get you to the inn so we can get that arrow out and I can give you the antidote. Okay?”

“Just pull it out,” Caiden mumbled, his words coming out slurred.

“I’m not doing that, you don’t just suddenly pull an arrow out – there are procedures for this!”

One sharp tug on his uninjured arm later, and he was following her back down the mountain path, both of them led by a stumbling Asger. The watchman looked at a deep welt on his forearm, his flesh twisted and reddened – what was left of it. Most of it had burned off entirely. Asger swore more colorfully than the average sailor, wearing a deep grimace.

He separated from them with a few hurried words to Gwen – words Caiden should’ve heeded, but paid no attention to – and disappeared into a nearby home. Gwen kept leading the way, up the stairs and into the inn, still tugging on Caiden’s uninjured arm.

“By Jove!” the innkeeper shouted, starting up in an instant from where he’d been sitting in his quiet tavern.

He quickly started throwing questions, which Gwen just as quickly deflected. She mostly did that by dumping a handful of coins on the counter and asking for two rooms. All the while, Caiden leaned his uninjured arm on the nearest table and pulled in one deep breath after another.

Pain quickly found its way across his body, tightening every muscle and settling heavily in his chest, like having molten lead poured into his lungs. It didn’t leave him any room to breathe, and that didn’t leave him much room to think.