#Basgiath War College

[lowytavis]

no but why do i also see garrick ruining xadens pride by going 'uhhh honey bear yeeees' everytime xaden does something impressive???

[justascrollingghost]

I just imagine Tairn and Sgaeyl narrating Xaden and Violet’s love life like they do on Big Brother -

Tairn: It’s 8:34 in the Basgiath murder college and the silver one is pretending she’s not about to mount the wingleader over her cereal

Sgaeyl: It’s 9:05 in the Basgiath murder college and the wingleader is pretending he’s not about to combust because the mind reader smiled at silver one

Andarna: IT’S 10AM IN THE BASGIATH MURDER COLLEGE AND IM STILL COOL AS FUCK

[illustratinghan]

are you ready to brave the dark?…because onyx storm is out TODAY! 🌩️⚡️🖤 @/rebeccayarros

time for me to slink off into the shadows and enjoy every second of this book!🙌 (and maybe get my heart broken, who knows…)

follow me on instagram! @/illustratinghan

[yelyahrodrigo]

happy valentine's day to the duke and duchess of tyrrendor

[lighthousepigeons]

Bodhi: I sleep with a dagger under my pillow.

Garrick: Weak. I sleep with two swords under mine.

Xaden: You are both pathetic.

Garrick, sarcastically: What killer weapon do you sleep with, Xaden?

Xaden: Violet.

[aclawthorne22]

Xaden 🤝 Tairn

Making people apologize to Violet in the most humiliating way possible for almost killing her

[stormcloudbringer]

[saintsanddevils]

Never Alone

Aaric Graycastle x Fem!Reader

Summary: After parapet, Aaric discovers his best friend followed him to Basgiath. (set during Iron Flame, no Onyx Storm spoilers)

Warnings: angst, swearing, Aaric POV

Author’s Note: onyx storm made me write fanfic & there isn’t enough Aaric fic out there

Posted on AO3

Part Two

Masterlist

————

-Conscription Day-

Oh, shit.

Aaric’s eyes widen as he watches the last person he’d ever expect to see at Basgiath storm across the courtyard.

No. Please, Zihnal, let it be anyone but her.

A prayer to the god of luck feels like a waste as he senses his imminent doom the closer she gets. Waves of rage seep off her like a tidal wave, forcing cadets to dive quickly out of her way.

Aaric tries to blink the image away, hoping this isn’t real. Maybe the exhaustion of climbing those never-ending stairs and crossing the parapet did something to his mind. This has to be a hallucination.

“You fucking idiot!” She’s suddenly before him, shoving him hard against the stone column. He barely registers the impact as he stares down at her, feeling her erratic breathing against his chest. He’s so focused on how she’s standing in front of him that he misses her hand sailing towards his face before it’s too late. The immediate, harsh slap swings his head to the side.

“I’m going to kill you,” she seethes.

Yep. This is real. And that is definitely who he thinks it is.

Working his jaw as the sting reverberates across his skin, he turns back to face her.

Y/N. She’s here. She’s actually here. By the looks of it, she made it across the parapet. Which means…

Aaric would’ve laughed if he didn’t feel the sudden weight of dread crushing him as he stares at her. “What the hell are you doing here?”

If he thought he knew what Y/N was like when she was angry, it’s nothing compared to the fury rising in her eyes.

“Are you kidding me?! What am I doing here?” She shakes her head, gripping his leathers as she crowds closer. “You’re an arrogant asshole if you thought you could disappear so easily. If you think, for one damn second, that I would let you do this alone, Cam-“

Aaric quickly slides his hand over her mouth to stop her. Noticing the crowd around them, he rushes to pull her away from prying eyes. With one hand around her mouth and the other arm around her waist, he pulls her behind the column. She begins to yell at him from beneath his hand before bucking and kicking as he makes his way down the corridor. Aaric curses as he holds her tighter against his chest. This is starting to look way worse than he hoped it would as he drags her away from the courtyard.

When he finds a secluded alcove away from everyone, teeth sink into the skin of his palm.

“Fuck!” He pulls his hand away with a hiss, stepping back as she twists out of his reach. “You bit me!”

“You were practically kidnapping me!”

Aaric rolls his eyes. “You’re so dramatic.”

She raises an offending brow. “I’m dramatic? Says the prince who just up and left in the middle of the night to fulfill some childish fantasy that he can go get himself a dragon and some fancy magic to save the kingdom. Really?”

He stiffens. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She laughs, cold and bitter. “Don’t I? I’m pretty sure I know you better than anyone. Hell, maybe even better than yourself.” She shakes her head, crossing her arms. “Your father is going try and find you. He’ll send everyone, tear this place apart-“

“No. He won’t.” His jaw flexes as he glances around, ensuring no one can hear them. “He might try, but it won’t matter. He can’t do anything. Especially after threshing.”

Her face blanches at the words. “Threshing… Oh gods, Cam.” She falls back against the wall, her earlier anger slowly dissipating. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

A wave of voices rises from around the corner, making Aaric step closer to her. Once they drift further away, he relaxes. Blowing out the breath he held, he stares into the eyes of the one person on this damn continent that he can trust. The one person he would never ask to join him. The one person he chose to lie to, to manipulate and betray in order to do what was necessary.

“I have to do this.”

The confession weighs heavily in his sternum. Solidifying his rattled nerves. The guilt he’s collected over the years still eats away at him, but now, without a shadow of a doubt, he knows this is what he’s meant to do. The second he stepped onto the stone parapet, he knew he had to be here. Cowering in the palace wouldn’t do anything. Being here, training, fighting, working to help their kingdom- it’s all he can do.

Her eyes soften from his words as if she can hear his thoughts. Understanding his worries and doubts, as she always has. The two of them grew up alongside one another. Her father is a trusted advisor to the throne, allowing him the privilege to have his family join him at the palace. Aaric has known her for as long as he can remember. And just like when they were kids running around the palace gardens, he’d do anything for her. Except for stay as far away from Basgiath as possible.

Of course she knew he’d come here. She wasn’t lying when she said she knew him better than anyone. It’s something he now wished wasn’t true. Her being here was proof of it. By the looks of her fighting leathers that outlined the dips and curves of her figure, she planned on this.

His chest warms at the thought, but he tries to push down the overwhelming need to touch her. He’s suddenly all-too-aware of how close they’re standing. How much his fingers itch to reach out and hold her. To hide her from all of this and keep her safe.

The thought of her following him down this path scares him more than his father finding him.

“Go home,” he quickly steps away. The longer he stands near her, the more she’ll convince him he’s making a mistake. He can’t let that happen.

The softening of her features is gone. The sympathy she was feeling is now replaced with that earlier anger. She clenches her jaw as she stands straight, glaring up at him.

“I’m staying. I crossed the parapet. I deserve to be here just as much as you do.”

Aaric shakes his head. “You can’t-“

“I can and I am.” She steps into his personal space again, and for a moment, he wonders if she’ll slap him again. A strange, small part of him wants her to. He shuts that thought down immediately.

“If you want to go be some sort savior of Navarre for your ridiculous hero complex, fine. You’re a grown man. You can do whatever you want. Especially as the prince,” she narrows her eyes. “But I’ll be damn sure if you’re gonna try to play the hero, I’m gonna make sure you don’t kill yourself doing it. Someone has to.”

He flinches. She must’ve caught the reaction since her face softens, as well as her tone.

“I’d never let you go through this alone, Cam. You know that.”

Flashes of whispered promises under a rose trellis as they pricked the skin of their palms come to the forefront of his mind. Their blood welled in their tiny hands as they made vows to one another. To always have each other’s back. To always be there for each other, no matter the cost.

The scar on his palm burns as he watches her storm past him, determination setting her shoulders straight. Gods, he wish he didn’t know her as well as he did.

The crowd of new cadets cheer in the distance, the hum of their voices growing louder as Conscription Day comes to a close. The shadows on the wall move in the afternoon light as he watches the one person he cares about more than anything walk away from him.

That guilt stings in his gut now, adding another person to the list of people he has to protect. If she’s here, he can’t make this all about his kingdom. He can’t even make this about himself. He has to ensure she stays alive. They both have to get through this.

There’s no turning back now.

Part Two

[midnight-magic-madness]

He is the Moment 🖤🖤🖤

[bookishlover23]

It is such a sibling thing to do!!!

[azrielsshadows42]

Violet: Tell me not to do something and I'll do it twice and take pictures.

---Later---

Mira: Stay. Away. From. Xaden.

Violet: ...

[visenyasdream]

After the Xaden POV chapter, I realized that the only person Xaden genuinely compliments besides Violet is Liam. He may have said nice things to the others sarcastically, but he directly tells Liam that the wooden figures in Monserrat are not as good as his, like a caring brother💔

[happyinternetcollector]

The Empyrean World By Rebecca Yarros

[illustratinghan]

one of the many perks of being a second year at basgiath war college - lazy sunday mornings with your best friend🌞☕️

vi and rhi’s friendship really is everything to me 🥹 @/rebeccayarros

follow me on instagram - @/illustratinghan

[auraisereigh]

Map of the known world; the Empyrean

suprise post! (because i got frustrated by this. anyway)

Small story of how this came to be: i was looking around for a map from the empyrean for the booklet im working on and either they were shit quality or not complete so i made a good quality, all complete map. (pls do let me know if i missed a place i made this on frustration y'all) more information below the picture!

Masterlist ☆ Dragon guide ☆ Star's story ☆ Empyrean guide ☆ Support me

color codes Borders: white dot lines Kingdoms: biggest text Provinces: medium text Navarrian cities: dark blue 💙 Navarrians outposts: red ❤️ Poromish cities: purple 💜 Rivers & mountains (including bay of malek): white text 🤍 Nature (the vale, cliffs of dralor and medaro pass): green 💚 Sea: light blue 🩵

for some things like rivers or certain cities you might need to zoom in but at least its good quality. Hope you like it ♡

Edits Edit 21/10/24: Added dot lines for the borders so it's clearer and i can't believe i forgot to add Elsum province first time around. Edit 31/12/24: New blue color version

old version:

[lighthousepigeons]

Tairn: I spy with my little eye, someone who needs to shut the fuck up.

Violet: Is it Dain?

Tairn: It's always Dain.