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webslinger-holland · 1 year ago

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The Emperor of Magic | Part 5

Summary: Now trapped inside their worst nightmares, the crows need to find a way out in order to stop the emperor. Thankfully, Kaz is always one step ahead and figures out a solution.

Warning: +18 Warning, verbally and mentally abusive parent, deceased relatives, blood, gore, many mentions of death, working in the menagerie, choking, attempted murder and suicide

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader

Type: Series

Word Count: 6.8k

Author’s Note: This is the end of the series! I really hoped you enjoyed reading this because I have had this story concept in my drafts for a long time. Let me know your thoughts and have a great week!!!

Series Masterlist

The emperor of magic stood in the center of six fallen bodies. She could feel a single bead of sweat rolling down the side of her temple, uncertain if it was from the blazing hot heat waves or if it was from mental strain. Her eyes remained shut as she struggled to keep the six crows under the veil of darkness.

Normally, it wasn’t hard to get inside someone’s head and drive them towards the point of insanity. But this time was different. She needed to take all six crows down, which was no easy task at hand. It didn’t help that they were all incredibly clever and intelligent; they weren't just dumb witted folk. This made the mental battle all the more challenging for her.

Despite this, the emperor was determined to succeed. She needed to keep them unconscious, forcing them captive within their worst memories and nightmares. With great struggle, the emperor managed to break the chains that bound her. She also was able to get loose from the customized straight jacket that had failed to hinder her powerless. She threw those to the side.

Afterwards, the emperor pulled the bag off her head. She discarded it by tossing into the heap of sand. She removed the final eye covering and ear pieces strapped around her head. She was now finally met with the blinding rays of the sun for the first time in nearly three years.

Wylan’s Nightmare:

As soon as his eyes changed black, Wylan’s body succumbed to a dream-like or comatose state. When he managed to regain consciousness, his eyes began to flutter open and he could see a completely different atmosphere. He quickly sat up upon realizing where he was.

The mansion was known to be one of the most beautifully constructed and decorated house in all of Ketterdam. It belonged to the a well-respected member of the Merchant Council which just so happened to be Jan Van Eck himself.

Naturally, Wylan recognized the house that he had spent his early childhood years in. It all came flooding back into his memory; the marble floors sparkled as they must have been polished to perfection and the high wooden beams that stretched across the ceiling held brilliant chandeliers. The furniture was the most expensive thing on the market at the time. The mansion couldn’t be anything less than perfect.

Now looking down, Wylan saw that he was dressed in one of his old beige suits which now explained why his collar felt so tight around his neck. He went ahead and loosened it immediately. He also realized that his wild hair was tamed and combed down like it always had been when he was a young boy.

In the short distance, Wylan heard a voice talking in the other room. He carefully rose to his feet and made it way over to the door that was slightly cracked open. Peering through the crack, Wylan’s eyes fell on the man he once called ‘father.’ And his breath caught in the back of his throat.

“You stupid, stupid boy.” Jan Van Eck said with a shake of his head.

That familiar pang of guilt shot straight to his heart; he had gotten too squinted with those words in his childhood. His father always shaming him, calling him stupid or worthless. He clutched the frame around the door, squeezing his eyes shut to keep the tears at bay.

“You’re a disgrace!”

All of the sudden, Jan Van Eck slammed his hands down and discarded everything that lay on the desk which included books, pens, and papers of the sort. The burst of fury only caused Wylan to flinch something terrible; something else that he still hadn’t grown accustomed to.

“Can’t read, can’t write.” Jan Van Eck scoffed to himself. He gritted his teeth together. “You’re absolutely worthless!”

Without thinking, Wylan burst through the slightly open door in a rage of fury. For once in his life, he was going to tell it straight to his father and he wasn’t going to let him push him around anymore. His fists were clenched at his sides and his jaw was locked.

Upon hearing the door slamming against the wall, Jan Van Eck turned to face his disgrace of a so-called son. He narrowed his eyes at his approaching figure, not expecting much from him anyways.

“You...” Wylan began, but he struggled to find his voice as it was laced with red hot anger. He pointed a finger at him accusingly. “You do not know me,” Wylan claimed with tears pricking the corners of his eyes.

“I know you’ll never evolve,” Van Eck spat. “Spent years trying to change you, trying to shape you.”

“I don’t need to be changed!” Wylan yelled back. His face turned beat red in his fit of rage.

“You weren’t enough,” Van Eck said with a shake of the head. “You could have been so much, but you're worthless.”

“We never were the same person,” Wylan seethed. He jammed a finger directly into the man’s chest. “I am not you and I was never going to live up to your name.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Van Eck’s lips shifted into a sinister smile. “Because I’ll still always be there to haunt your nightmares.”

Very slowly, Wylan took a step backwards in his place upon coming to the realization that he wouldn’t be able to get rid of the image of his father in his mind. It will always haunt him and he can’t change that. He suddenly became aware of the situation; that he was living his worst nightmare. And his worst nightmare was being stuck with Jan Van Eck.

Backing away, Wylan wanted nothing more than to leave. He hurried out of the room, charging upstairs to escape to the place where his old bedroom was. He closed the door behind him, twisting the lock in its place. He moved away from the door then. But he didn’t know of the dark figure that stood behind him, watching his every move.

Back in reality, the emperor was left standing and staring directly at Wylan’s limp body in the sand. She studied him carefully. She caught a glimpse of a small tear escaping the corner of his eye and rolling down his cheek.

Jesper’s Memory

When Jesper finally awoke from his unconscious state, he too was most surprised with his surroundings. He shifted into a sitting position, rubbing the back of his neck as if he had a kink in it. He came to realize that he wasn’t in Ketterdam and he wasn't in Ravka either. It almost looked like...

Upon further inspection, Jesper found himself in the middle of a field. He rose to his feet slowly. His long trench coat danced in the breeze. His heart sank in his chest. The memories of his childhood came flooding back into his mind.

These fields were all too familiar to him. Amid the wheat, amid the soft golden ears, moved the unseen wind. The wheels of straw rested on their earthen bed, soaking in the brilliant sunshine. Under the sky that is made all the more pretty for the scattered clouds, the white puffs that radiate white light. It was a simple scene.

His softened gaze fell on the small little house in the short distance. It looked like something from an old photograph; a deep memory that he had almost forgotten. His feet began to carry him to the house. The dark figure followed after him without his knowledge.

Coming to the house, Jesper lifted a hand to pull the colorful blanket away from the doorway. He stepped into the entrance. His hand fell to his side and his heart had never felt more heavy.

It was a small house in the sense that it was all one room. The ground was made of fresh orange dirt and the walls had been lifted by his father at one time. A small stove sat in the corner. And there was a little wooden table for eating. Two beds lay on either side of the room. One of them had an occupant.

“Mama?” Jesper asked just as horrified as the moment he had found her years ago.

His mother always wore the most magnificent colors that made her complexion glow. Her favorite color was yellow in which she was dressed in. She wore these orange and yellow heavy beads around her neck. And her hands rested on her chest. She must have been asleep.

“Mama,” Jesper called again. He felt the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. He approached her bedside, dropping to his knees to be at her side.“Mama, wake up. I’m here,” Jesper pleaded.

He took her hand in his own, bringing it up to his lips to press a firm kiss to it. He failed to keep his tears at bay, feeling them now cascading down the sides of his face. He shook her hand gently as if half expecting her to wake up and rid him of this horrid nightmare.

“Mama. Wake up. I need you,” Jesper cried. The dark figure stood looming over him as he was forced to once again grieve the loss of his mother.

Leaving the memory, the emperor of magic shifted her gaze away in order to face her next victim. The heartrender lay motionless in the sand with a hand near the side of her face. She looked so peaceful in the moment, but she knew she was already experiencing the worst thing she could imagine.

Nina’s Nightmare:

The Little Palace had been home for so many years. All the Grisha were sent to live at the palace after they had been tested for powers at a young age. Depending on which order one was classified into, they would be dressed in the appropriate color coordination.

Every room was created by the most beautiful and delicate hand. The hallway floors were made from the finest marble, sparkling in the early morning hours. Grand oil paintings hung on the craved marble walls. The quartz pillars upheld the vast ceilings in the grand staircase.

For some reason, Nina found herself walking through those hallways she used to call home. She felt a little disoriented because, with every turn, the palace just seemed so empty. She’d peek into rooms and poke around a corridor, but still, nobody was in sight.

She called out for others. “Zoya? Alina? Where is everyone?”

When Nina finally approached her old bedroom, she saw that the door was already cracked open and a blood stain painted the once golden knob. She pushed the door open gently, cautiously stepping into the old room. Her breath caught in her throat.

Because what Nina saw was something she hoped she would never have to see. All of the Grisha she had once known and who she had grown up with were laid lifelessly on the floor. Their colored uniforms were burnt, torn, destroyed, and soaked in blood. She couldn’t tell if it was their blood or soemone else’s.

Glancing past the bodies, Nina named every single face she saw. Her heart never felt so heavy and burdened. She choked back a sob because even though she had left the little palace long ago, she still called it home. The Grisha were her people; nothing would ever change that. But now, they all lay dead in front of her.

At one point, Nina’s eyes settled on the still body of her old friend Zoya. She rushed to be at her side, dropping to her knees. Her hands went to hover over her heart with every intention of helping her. But Zoya’s hand came up to clasp her wrist to stop her. Her pained eyes shifted to face the heartrender beside her.

“Y-You,” Zoya grunted through her teeth. She felt blood seeping past her lips. “Y-Y..You left us,” Zoya claimed.

“I-I didn’t want to,” Nina said with a swift shake of the head. “I never wanted to leave you behind.”

“But you did,” Zoya pointed out. “You abandoned us. And for what? A Fjerdan who only murders your people.”

“H-He’s not like that,” Nina insisted. She felt tears streaming down her cheeks. “No, Matthias would never hurt me.”

“It’s because of his people that we are left scarce,” Zoya said. “They came in the night. They slaughtered us.”

This comment made the heartrender glance around once more to see the familiar faces that surrounded her. She saw the red blood that painted so many faces. She felt only one heartbeat in the room besides her own.

“I didn’t know,” Nina claimed.

“No,” Zoya shook her head. “No, you knew. You’ve always known that they hunt people like us. That they kill people like us. You’ve known, but you chose to ignore it.”

“I-I’m so sorry, Zoya.”

“And now, you will have to live with the fact that you got us killed. You let them in and made us vulnerable,” Zoya claimed. “Y-You are the reason the Grisha will be extinct,” Zoya finished.

All of the sudden, Zoya began choking on her own blood. It spilled out of her mouth in waves. Though Nina tried to help her, it was already too late. Her body became relaxed after the coughing came to a halt. Her eyes were glassed over in a haze. And her breathing came to a final halt.

All at once, Nina felt an overwhelming amount of shame and guilt in her heart. She dropped her head down, feeling the tears streaming out of her eyes at a fast rate. She raised a shaky hand to cover her mouth in hopes of muffling her sobs. She squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to regain composure.

The dark figure that stood behind her took one final glance around the room. It took a single step backwards before choosing to return back to reality. Her eyes fixed on the person laying beside the heartrender.

Matthias’s Nightmare:

For some reason, Matthias thought he was dreaming again. He only thought this because he always saw her in his dreams. His dreams were quite often unsatisfying since he never really knew what he wanted. There were times that he dreamed of finally killing the heartrender that tormented him and then there were times he dreamed about how her lips felt when he kissed her. She was always a mystery to him, which made him realize that he didn’t know what he wanted.

Now Matthias didn’t know where he was or where he was going. He had a feeling that he must have been within Fjerdan territory since there was a blizzard waging around him. He could barely see in front of him from all the snow and wind blasting in his face.

For a moment, Matthias shifted his focus to his footing. He watched himself lift each foot in front of the other, trudging forward through the heaps of snow. That’s when he saw red.

The dark figure had been following him this whole time. She watched carefully for his reaction. The splotch of red in the snow must have been blood. He followed the trail of blood until his eyes fell on a body laying in the snow a couple feet ahead of him. His heart sank.

“Nina!” Matthias called out.

He hurried to her side, basically collapsing beside her in the snow. He was able to pull her body to lay on her backside before taking a look at her wounds. His hands hovered over her lifeless body, unsure of what to do in the moment.

Her face was so pale; her lips were already blue from the cold. Her eyes remained shut since they had been closed long ago. Her hair was frozen from the blood that leaked from her head. In fact, Nina’s body was covered with various wounds. She must have bled out from them.

His eyes fell on a particular wound near the junction of her neck. It honestly looked like some creature had taken a large bite out of her neck, which ultimately caused her to bleed to death. But those bite marks looked all too familiar.

When Matthias lifted his head, there was a grand grey wolf standing in the short distance. It stood calmly as the wind brushed past it’s striking grey and black fur. However, the wolf’s mouth was dripping with the blood of its victim. It was in that moment that Matthias realized wolves might not have been as tame as his people once believed.

“You did this?” Matthias said in utter disbelief. He stared at the wolf blankly. “W-Why? She didn’t do anything. She didn’t deserve to die like this.”

Slowly, Matthias looked back down to the beautifully calm woman in his arms. He held her tightly in fear of letting her go forever. He lowered his head to press it against her own. He rocked back and forth with his love in his arms, crying quietly to himself.

“She was all I had left. She was the only one to love me for who I was,” Matthias sobbed. “She loved me even though she wasn’t supposed to,” Matthias whispered.

All Matthias could do was press a soft kiss to the center of her forehead. He stared off into the distance for he was unable to look at the wolf the same again. He cried for what felt like hours on end and he refused to leave her side.

Inej’s Memory:

The Menagerie was most commonly known as the House of Exotics. This was mainly because the menagerie advertised the exotic beauties of foreign women. They always dressed as specific animals that came from their country or region.

The House of Exotics was almost always filled to the brim with men looking for a good time. They often smoked which filled the house with a thick cloud. There was always heavy liquor seeping from their lips, which made their breath smell awful and their discernment rather thin. The men were able to do whatever they pleased as long as they paid the right price.

During Inej’s time at the Menagerie, she had never felt so low and empty in her life. Now she stood there once again. She wore her old clothes which painted her out to look like a lynx. Her soft brown skin reflexed wonderfully against the brilliant purple silks that hugged her body.

With each step, Inej heard the little bells that wrapped around her ankles. She maneuvered her way through the heavy crowd, passing by drunks and other girls dressed to impress. She didn’t think to question how she got back there or the fact that she was just relieving her worst memory.

When she was there, she felt numb to the rest of the world. And she entirely was right then and there.

For the moment, Inej was leading this half drunk man upstairs to the private rooms. He had already paid her for her time spent with him. She felt the kruge jingling in her pocket. She brought him to one of the rooms, letting him inside before closing the door behind them.

It didn’t take more than five minutes for the man to emerge from the private room, still in the process of buckling his pants back together. He closed the door with a satisfied smirk on his face before heading back downstairs to the bar for another round.

Back in the room, Inej lay on the soft bed in a heap of sheets. Her beautiful purple silks had been discarded on the floor. She stare blankly at the ceiling, feeling entirely numb. She felt a single tear seep out of the corner of her eye.

Her core was filled with a sense of shame. Her legs felt weak as if she already knew she’d have trouble walking. Even her shoulder ached slightly since he had bitten down during their time together. She pulled the sheets to cover her bare body, shivering at the memory engraved into her mind.

For a second, Inej closed her eyes as if to wish she could just disappear into the next life. She hated being there. She hated the things she was forced to undergo. She just wanted to be free. Why couldn’t she be free?

The dark figure that stood by the window was looking directly at the saddened woman laying in bed. She even went to turn away from the scene, because it was too much, even for the emperor herself.

Back in reality, the emperor was truly struggling to keep all six of the crows under their own spell. She only needed to hold off for a little longer because they’d eventually discover that they’ll be stuck. They won’t be able to escape those nightmares. That is, not unless...

Kaz’s Nightmare:

When the black clouds came to settle around him, Kaz Brekker was able to get a sense of his surroundings. He had come face to face with his greatest demon. The familiar eyes of his dear deceased brother were staring right back at him.

Very slowly, Kaz found himself rising to his feet with the help of his cane. He stared at his brother blankly as if he wasn’t at all surprised to see him after all this time. He observed him ever so carefully because one wrong step could be the end for him.

“Hello Kaz,” Jordie said. His lips curved into a mischievous smile.

When Kaz didn’t say anything or do anything in particular, Jordie furrowed his eyebrows in slight confusion. He took a single step forward. He raised his hands in defeat.

“What? No hello for your long lost brother?” Jordie questioned.

“I know you are not real,” Kaz claimed. He still wore a blank stare on his face.

“Oh, aren't you the clever one?” Jordie almost mocked him. “Even if you think this isn’t real, you're trapped here with me until your brain starts to rot. You’ll never find the way out,” Jordie laughed.

Kaz’s lips twitched into a wicked smile. “Won’t I?”

Just then, Jordie’s face fell blank. He looked at his younger brother with a hint of confusion behind his eyes. He shifted nervously from one foot to the other. “Whatever do you mean?” Jordie laughed cautiously.

“You made one vital mistake,” Kaz claimed.

Though this time, Kaz wasn’t speaking to the image of his brother. More so, to the dark figure that stood behind him. In a slow manner, Kaz had turned around to face the emperor of magic herself who had been watching the conversation all along. Out of all the crows, Kaz had been the only one clever enough to notice her presence. She was slightly impressed.

“What mistake did I make?” The emperor of magic spoke through slightly gritted teeth. She clenched her fists at her sides to contain her anger because she hated being outsmarted by others.

“You discovered all our names,” Kaz began. He tipped his head to the side. “Through the same memory,” Kaz added.

Now the emperor tried her hardest to keep a straight face, but he could already see the small sense of panic hiding behind her eyes. She shifted from one foot to another in a nervous manner. She held his gaze strictly.

“Which means, all of these nightmares are connected in some way or another.” Kaz noted. He went to look at some of his surroundings, not necessarily recognizing where he was at the moment. “I wonder if they can hear me,” Kaz said mostly to himself.

“Who?” The emperor asked curiously.

“The other crows,” Kaz seethed through his teeth. He lifted his head to look towards the sky once more. “Jesper, Inej, Nina--” Kaz called for his crows loudly.

“You can’t get out,” the emperor said rather hastily. He directed his attention back to her.

Despite this, Jesper heard the message through his own memory. He raised his head and looked into the distance. All of the other crows were able to hear their boss too. Though it sounded more like a distance echo than anything else. They listened carefully to the conversation that followed.

“You're trapped here. You’ll never figure out how to get out,” the emperor claimed. She breathed a nervous laugh to cover up her slight fear.

“You underestimate me,” Kaz spoke. “Another mistake.”

Just then, Kaz took a single stride forward in his place. In a way, it was almost like he was taunting her or challenging her with knowledge of his own. Because if anyone knew something, it was that Kaz Brekker was always one step ahead of the game. He knew this was going to happen all along.

“Let me ask you something: when do you wake up from a dream?” Kaz questioned. He now stood directly in front of her, staring down at her through hooded eyes. “It’s always right before something terrible happens,” Kaz stated plainly.

The emperor couldn’t have predicted his next move. He immediately seized her throat with his glove clothed hand. She breathed a small gasp of shock as his digits began tightening around her neck. She clawed at his hand, desperate for some form of release.

“Sometimes, you get shot at. Sometimes, there is an accident. And sometimes, you fall.” Kaz recalled some of the dreams he once had and the ways he managed to wake up from them. “But you always wake up,” Kaz said while tightening his grip.

“And my guess is that if you die in this dream, you wake up. Is that right?” Kaz wondered. When the emperor said nothing, Kaz went to tighten his grip again. She winced at the contact. “Is that right?” Kaz repeated himself.

“Y-Ye-s-s,” the emperor struggled. “Y-You’ll w-wa-wake u-up.”

In the meantime, the other crows heard the entire conversation between the two of them in the distance. They finally understood what was happening and what they needed to do in order to get out of their nightmares. There was only one solution to waking up.

Without hesitation, Wylan found his old stash of chemicals in the floorboards of his bedroom. He riffled through various glass vials, searching for two in particular. He raised the two glass vials in his hands, seeing the bright colored liquid that they contained. If mixed together, those chemicals would create a deadly explosion. He popped the corks off them.

In the other dream, Jesper had been slow to rise to his feet. He looked down at the body of his deceased mother, still feeling the tears coming out of his eyes. He reluctantly pulled one of his shiny pearly guns out of his holster at his side. He cautiously raised the gun to the side of his head, squeezing his eyes shut in preparation for what was to come.

Now Nina was still sitting amongst the bodies of her dearest friends. She contemplated things for a moment, basking in the reality of the situation. She raised her hands in a particular manner, focusing all of her attention on the speed of her own heartbeat.

Meanwhile, Matthias discovered that he was moving towards the wolf that stared directly at him. He forced himself to place one foot in front of the other. He heard the wolf growling in a threatening manner. He knelt into the snow as if ready to accept his fate. He closed his eyes just as the wolf lunged for his throat.

In the menagerie, Inej had climbed to the rooftop of the institution. She peered over the edge, looking to see several stories below her. She climbed onto the ledge, keeping her arms out at her sides for balance. She put one step forward before falling to her death.

Back in his own nightmare, Kaz carried the emperor’s face a little closer to his own. He studied her carefully as if searching for any sense of faulty. He narrowed his eyes at her. He kept his grip firm, despite her desperately grabbing at the lapels of his trench coat. She was begging for release.

“B-Bu--t I’ll be l-long gone by then,” the emperor claimed. Her lips curved upwards into a smile. “Y-You’ll ne-never catch u-up to me.”

“You’re bluffing,” Kaz called it. Her smile fell. “You haven’t left yet. You’re keeping us under as long as you can. And once we are lost, then you’ll make your escape.”

And indeed he did call it.

“Y-You have n-no idea what y-your up a-against,” the emperor struggled to speak. She was quick to send a firm gab into his stomach, which caused him to release his grip on her neck. She ran past him as quickly as she could.

With the nightmares being connected, the emperor was able to open a portal into one of the first nightmares. She jumped through the portal, taking a brief moment to look at the scene in front of her. It was the old mansion.

But the once pristine bedroom was now covered in a thick layer of blackened ash and dust. The soft brown floorboard had been burnt, laced with an unknown chemical burning through the wood itself. The velvet curtains had caught on fire. And the wallpaper had been destroyed beyond repair. Amongst the destroyed scene was the small lifeless body of the demolitions expert.

“No,” the emperor whispered to herself. “He’s gone already.”

Which only meant that Wylan was awake in reality. In haste, the emperor went to open another portal into the next nightmare with every intention of stopping the next crow from waking up. All she was able to find was a limp body laying on the ground. The sharpshooter still held one of his guns in his hand, but a bullet had already entered his skull. He lay there as the blood spilled from the headshot.

The panic began to take over. The emperor dream hopped to the next one through the access of another portal. Amongst the bodies of deceased Grisha was the familiar heartrender. She lay peacefully amongst her own people, having chosen to slow and stop her own heart.

Now the emperor was growing agitated and frustrated. She went to open another portal which led her to the ice cold lands. She squinted through the blizzard storm only to find a wolf feasting on the body of a unmoving druskelle. The wolf raised its head and bared its now blood stained teeth.

Finally, the emperor forced herself to run as fast as she could through the final portal. She hurried to the edge of the building, being quick to peer over the edge. She spotted a motionless body nearly six stories below the building. She had jumped.

The emperor of magic had failed to keep them at bay. They all managed to escape their worst nightmares, which meant that they were all awake and ready to take her on in the real world. She needed to get out of this dream.

“You’ve lost. Admit it,” a familiar voice said from behind her.

When the emperor turned around in her place, Kaz Brekker was looking directly at her. He wore an infamous smirk on his face. He had followed her through every single portal, dream hopping right behind her. This also meant that he had seen each of his crows dead which couldn’t have been easy.

“They are back in reality by now. Getting ready to put a stop to you,” Kaz stated as a matter of fact.

“What about you? You can’t leave unless you die,” the emperor took notice.

“That was never part of the plan,” Kaz claimed. Her face fell. “The plan was to keep you under as long as possible because that is the only way you can be stopped from the outside. You can’t fight me in here and them out there at the same time,” Kaz explained.

Back in the desert, the five crows came to surround the emperor who stood in the center of them. The others turned to face the heartrender amongst them, giving her the signal through the form of a single nod. She raised her hands in a particular motion, slowing the heart rate of the emperor of magic.

In the dream sequence, the emperor grunted at the feeling of her heart being squeezed and slowed down. She clutched at her chest in attempts to stop what she felt. She lifted her head to look directly at the man himself. Realizing that she had been bested, the emperor was quick to turn around in her place and charge towards the edge of the building.

Without hesitation, Kaz followed directly behind her with every intention of stopping her from jumping over the side and waking up from this nightmare. Just as the emperor leaped from the ledge, Kaz grasped onto the emperor’s forearm to stop her.

From the mere pull of gravity, the emperor’s body slammed against the brick wall of the institution. He had been pulled down slightly, but he was still able to keep a firm grasp on her while hanging over the side of the ledge. She fought against his tight grip, trying to get loose so she could fall.

“I won’t let you,” Kaz grunted. He struggled to maintain his hold on her, but he shook his head at her careless behavior. “I can’t let you hurt them.”

“Then you’ll just have to come with me,” the emperor told him. She pushed off the brick wall with both of her feet. She used all of her strength to pull him over the edge of the building.

Together, both bodies began to plummet to the ground from the force of gravity. The two of them stared at one another, sensing that familiar feeling of falling to the ground with no control whatsoever. Just as the two of them would hit the ground, their bodies jolted awake back in reality. And the real challenge began.

It was rather odd. It was almost like the heartrender was holding the heart with her own two hands, forcing the heart rate to slow down. Just as Nina thought the heartbeat would come to a final halt, it was like she felt two hands envelope her own from within the chest.

Those invisible hands holding her own began to pry her fingers off of the heart itself. She eventually realized she didn’t have a grasp on the heart anymore; that it was probably back to its normal self in terms of heart rate. The feeling of those hands covering her own began to close in.

In a split second, Nina let out a terrible scream of pain as her hands got crushed by the ones that kept hers captive. The emperor of magic kept her hands clenched into tight fists as she broke every bone in the heartrender’s hands.

Naturally, Nina ended up dropping to her knees on the ground. She clutched her hands close to her chest for some form of comfort, but she wasn’t able to stop she blood from spewing from the joints in her fingers or the bones from poking out of the back of her hands. She never felt so much pain in her life.

“Nina,” Matthias called out to her.

Though part of him wanted to rush to her side, a bigger part of him wanted nothing more than to stop the emperor once and for all. With a mighty war yell, Matthias charged towards the emperor of magic who kept her back to him. He raised his two fists above his head and brought them barreling down.

But at the last second, the emperor spun around on the heels of her feet to surprise him. She drew her own fist back and sent it directly into the center of his chest. With the force of her magic, Matthias was forced backwards in his place. His body dragged across the desert sands as he felt the wind truly knocked out of his chest. His chest burned painfully.

Now the emperor went to face the other three crows standing amongst her. With Jesper drawing his two guns out of his holsters and Inej wielding her precious knives, Kaz waited to signal them to attack her with his cane. She went to take a step towards them, but was stopped when something hit the side of her head.

A bright pink powder escaped from the small glass vial that hit the side of her head. The powder sparkled in the bright sunbeams that beat down on them. She didn’t even realize that she managed to breathe the powder in, but it began to greatly affect her senses. She turned towards the small person who had through that at her.

In the short distance, Wylan went to grab another vial from his pouch. He hoped to hit her with something to make her sense weaken so it might be easier to take her down. Just as Wylan pulled the vial out, he felt an invisible hand wrap around the expanse of his neck. He was dragged forward by an unforeseen force until his neck made contact with the emperor’s cupped hand.

Without warning, Wylan’s body was slammed to the ground by the emperor. She went to straddle his chest, keeping him pinned to the ground. He grasped at the hands wrapped around his neck, desperately trying to loosen her grip on him. He gasped her air. He felt the life being squeezed out of him.

Before Wylan lost the oxygen in his chest, a gunshot rang through the air. The bullet managed to lodge itself directly into the emperor’s shoulder, which caused her to release her grasp on the boy’s neck. She slumped backwards in her place, reaching up to grasp the wound on her shoulder.

The emperor scurried to stand to her feet with every intention of finishing off these crows. Her vision began to blur and her head felt dizzy. Despite this, the emperor managed to raise her hands to put up a fight.

The three crows worked in a synchronous harmony, taking timed turns to throw different strikes. Now Inej was the first one to step forward with her knives drawn at her sides. She took a couple swipes which the emperor managed to dodge barely. Then Jesper fired a couple rounds from his pearly guns. He manipulated the bullets to fly exactly where he wanted, but the emperor waved her hands to direct the bullets elsewhere. Finally, Kaz went to step up. He raised his cane and swung with all his might. He struck her once or twice, but it wasn’t enough to take her down.

Suddenly, the emperor felt a large arm wrap around her backside which put her into a tight headlock. Her knees were knocked out from behind, forcing her to drop to her knees. Behind her, Matthias tried to maintain a tight grip on the smaller body. He grunted upon feeling her fight against him.

Slowly, Kaz went to approach her. He raised his cane in the air, bringing it towards her face. He stared her down carefully.

“Admit it,” Kaz repeated himself. “You’ve lost. We’ve bested you.”

The emperor choked upon feeling the grip tighten around her neck. “B-But I haven’t lost,” the emperor claimed.

“We’ll kill you,” Jesper explained. He came to stand beside his boss. He raised his guns to point directly at her head. “No hesitation,” Jesper stated firmly.

“And it will be slow,” Inej added. She pressed the edge of her knife against the emperor's check, swiping it away to leave a sharp mark. “And painful,” Inej said.

“You can kill me,” the emperor of magic told them. Her voice grew heavier as if the demon inside her was speaking. “But it will be your mistake because I always come back.”

Before the emperor could say another word, Kaz raised his golden cane above his head and brought it barreling down into her skull. The body ended up collapsing to the ground from the mere force of the swing. He continued to beat in her skull until there was nothing left, but a pool of blood and brain. The blood painted his face in a gruesome manner.

“Kaz!” Inej called out. She had hoped to bring him back to reality. He finally stopped beating the body to death. “It’s done,” Inej claimed.

The crows had gone through so much within the past few days. They had schemed their way back into the court and somehow managed to escape. They ended up having to relive their worst memories and became temporarily trapped in their own nightmares. They needed to escape those nightmares in the form of killing themselves. And they had to defeat the emperor after taking some heavy hits from her. Despite all this, they managed to survive, just like they always did.

But for some reason, Kaz just had a feeling that she’d be back just like she said.

THAT IS THE END OF THE SERIES! PLEASE TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS! SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO POST.

TAGLIST:

@d34drapunzel @adorawritesalot @vixythepixie @theghostofshadows @lonelywitchv2 @arcadialine @zeeader @cleverzonkwombatsludge @shara-ne @iloveinej @ireallydontcareanymorebrooo @mystic-mara @missymisha @tremendoushearttaco @home-of-disaster @gh0stgirl333 @harrydimples @marina468 @phoenix666stuff @grippleback-galaxy @mariar31 @theghostofshadows

#Kaz Brekker #kaz brekker angst #kaz brekker series #kaz brekker x you #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker imagine #six of crows #emperor of magic series #inez ghafa #jesper fahey #matthias helvar #wylan van eck #nina zenik #kaz brekker x inej ghafa

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incorrectredwallquotes · 2 years ago

Conversation

Matthias: this is Methuselah. living proof that dinosaurs once roamed the earth

#source: the emperor's new groove #redwall #book 1 #matthias #methuselah #brian jacques

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it-lives-in-westchester · 2 years ago

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Is there any TOH and It Lives fans out there....please talk to me

#it lives within #ilw #the owl house #toh #emperor belos #matthias mcquoid #look original content #only toh content I'll be making before ftf comes out lkjdsklj #god I hate leaks #it lives in the woods #it lives beneath

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tiny-librarian · 2 years ago

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Royal Birthdays for today, February 23rd:

Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria , 1417

Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary and Croatia, 1443

Salima Sultan Begum, Mughal Empress, 1539

Octavius, British Prince, 1779

Alexandrine of Prussia, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 1803

Naruhito, Emperor of Japan, 1960

Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland, 2012

#princess Estelle #emperor naruhito #prince octavius #Alexandrine of Prussia #Salima Sultan Begum #Matthias Corvinus #louis ix #royal birthdays #long live the queue

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planet-gay-comic · 1 year ago

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Homosexuality in History: Kings and Their Lovers

Hadrian and Antinous Hadrian and Antinous are famous historical figures who epitomize one of the most well-known homosexual relationships in history. Hadrian, the Roman Emperor from 117 to 138 AD, developed a close friendship with Antinous, a young man from Egypt. This relationship was characterized by deep affection and is often viewed as romantic. There are indications of an erotic component, evident in Hadrian's inconsolable reaction to Antinous's tragic death. Hadrian erected monuments and temples in honor of Antinous, underscoring their special bond.

Alexander the Great and Hephaestion The ancient world was a time when homosexuality was not as taboo in many cultures as it is today. Alexander the Great and Hephaestion are a prominent example of this. Alexander, the Macedonian king from 336 to 323 BC, and Hephaestion were best friends and closest confidants. Their relationship was so close that rumors of a romantic or even erotic connection circulated. After Hephaestion's death, Alexander held a public funeral, indicating their deep emotional bond.

Edward II and Piers Gaveston During the Middle Ages, homosexuality was not as accepted in many cultures as it is today. The relationship between Edward II and Piers Gaveston was marked by rumors and hostilities, demonstrating that homosexuality was not always accepted in the past. Their relationship is believed to have been of a romantic nature, leading to political turmoil and controversies. Gaveston was even appointed Earl of Cornwall by Edward, highlighting their special connection.

Matthias Corvinus and Bálint Balassi In the Renaissance, there was a revival of Greco-Roman culture, leading to increased tolerance of homosexuality. Matthias Corvinus ruled at a time when homosexuality was no longer illegal in Hungary. The relationship between Matthias Corvinus and Bálint Balassi is another example of homosexuality being accepted during this period. Matthias Corvinus had a public relationship with Bálint Balassi, a poet and soldier. Their relationship may have been of a romantic nature, as Balassi was appointed as the court poet, and it had cultural influence.

These relationships between the mentioned kings and their lovers are remarkable examples of the long history of homosexuality in the world. In many cultures of antiquity and the Middle Ages, homosexuality was not as strongly stigmatized, demonstrating that homosexuality was not always rejected in the past.

Text supported by Bard and Chat-GPT 3.5 These images were generated with StableDiffusion v1.5. Faces and background overworked with composing and inpainting.

#gayart #digitalart #medievalart #queer #lgbt #history #gayhistory #KingsLovers #manlovesman #powerandpassion #gaylove

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starberry-cupcake · 7 months ago

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I have made up from last time that was about only one chapter, this time we have 5 in a row. We finished act one, fam!

previously, in harrowbean the ninth:

this happened

I want to also thank you for all your nice comments and replies, I read every single one, I promise ♥

ch. 7 to 11 summarized terribly, here we go:

it's time to cross the river

difficult task to perform

as someone who lives literally surrounded by rivers, in every direction, I can relate

my rivers don't carry ghouls though, as far as I know

I mean, there are ghost and cryptid legends, but not ghouls that stick to the windshield of a spaceship like bugs

like these ones do

so harrow and yandere twin aren't doing fantastic

yandere twin loses it in like the first 2 seconds

harrow sees the ghosts of all the ninth kids who died for her to be alive

there's water also, but that part sounds very relaxing, actually

getting covered by water but not needing to breath

I'd be there forever tbh

but we can't, because ghoulies

mercygirl is still doing sound effects like kronk

btw we're changing her name to mercygirl because it's what I've been calling her now

I have been told by a number of you that mercygirl is your camilla so I apologize for disrespecting your blorbina

I might do it again, if the situation arises, though

mercygirl is piloting the ship and emperor the fool is just chillin' until he realizes harrow is walking about and doing theorems, which they didn't think she'd be in a state to do, so they didn't tell her not to do it

these people half-assing plans, who would have thought

mercygirl calls the emperor john

emperor johnnyboy tries telling harrow to come back from her state because she's in too deep and it's becoming dangerous

mercygirl stars talking about the death of cassiopeia (another name that's easy to remember)

says cassiopeia had a ceramics collection, which makes her worthy of all my respect

harrow was thinking "five", idk what it's about

next thing we know, we're back to our gideonless retelling of gideon

in this version, teacher explains things

he says the house was inhabited previously by "ten normal human beings of the Resurrection, though half were blessed already with necromantic gifts"

I'm tired of MATH

he says they left blueprints, he tells them about the Sleeper, he tells them how not to awaken it, he tells them about the trap door, he tells them what's under the trap door, he asks them to work together...

you know what this is like

it's like reading gideon was entering a new game and skipping every tutorial they give you

and reading this is like clicking every NPC's info and reading all that they say

ANYWAY, here is where ortus 1...

wait, this is going to be confusing

I want to call ortus from the ninth "ortus 1" and the new guy "ortus 2"

because ninth ortus was the first to show up

but new ortus is actually older and also is ortus the first

we're gonna go with ortus and lyctor!ortus, for now

so, as I was saying, this is were ortus starts becoming much more insistent in these "flashbacks" about him not being the right choice

which, he's not wrong

we know he's not wrong

and harrow is saying stuff like "unless you can summon matthias nonius" (matthias nonius is becoming a recurrent thing, let's remember harrow compared gideon to him at one point)

and ortus goes "I don't understand why you chose me" to which harrow says "there was nobody else" and ortus exasperatedly says "you never did posses an imagination"

VERY IMPORTANT THING

a skeleton turns around when they're walking and says "is this how it happens?"

we'll come back to that shortly

REMEMBER IT

(I know you all remember it, you've read this already, just act like I'm dora the explorer and play along)

next chapter starts in not!dulcinea's funeral

I'm sad I used the oliver queen grave meme already, I can't use it again to express my feelings

I'm gonna use the steel magnolias scene where they laugh at the funeral instead

so, we are introduced to the famous augustine who's name I will remember

there's some conversation about first and second generations and about not!dulcinea being chosen, and Emperor Johnny Bravo says "we were all there to meet her, all sixteen of us"

MORE MATH

I guess she was the last one of these, but maybe we knew that already, I feel we knew that already

apparently, not!dulcinea was the most reluctant to slurp her cavalier, but that didn't stop any of them, not even her, so

Emperor Johnny Quest says "for god's sake" and harrow thinks "the god who became a man and yet still invoked himself, apparently"

when she's right, she's right

that's better commentary than I could make

I have to respect augustine a little bit because he asked "which one of the kiddies did her in?" and I thought that was hilarious

he is called the saint of patience, which makes my previous comment about them being named via sarcasm very correct

it's like captain planet or the power rangers but chosen as funnily as possible

they start summoning lyctor!ortus by saying that he's interested in "you-know-what", which is both suspicious and childish and the vibes of these lyctors are all over the place

augustine thinks something's wrong, which is an understatement at this point, but ok

lyctor!ortus comes in as if summoned by the gossip and harrow calls him "the next terrible part of your life" which is saying something

lyctor!ortus comes with news of the seventh beast or whatnot that's trailing them

harrow bleeds from her ears and smashes her head on the next available surface to pass out

the mood

who could blame her

this lyctor job is terrible

it's like the end of drop dead gorgeous and harrow is kristen dunst

I'm not explaining that, in case you haven't watched a classic

we are back to the "flashbacks" and we've got a special appearance from the fifth

*studio audience claps and cheers*

they say they prefer to look into books than going downstairs, which is something one would consider if one had known what the fuck was downstairs from the start

abigail also does sound effects like mercygirl, it's catching on

abigail finds a piece of a recipe note that mentions an M and a Nigella

still no G&P

we know nigella is the cav of cassiopeia, the ceramics collector

I remember nigella's name because of the cook, which makes it funnier that it's a recipe

M could be mercygirl

abigail also gives harrow a note

abigail says that she'd like to summon the ghost of a lyctor but she's not sure how that could work or where they go when they die

ortus, magnus and abigail, in this gideonless version, are a polycule

I am convinced of that

while they're talking, magnus says "is this really how it happens?"

REMEMBER I SAID WE'D BRING THAT BACK

IT'S BACK

abigail starts telling harrow that she's got the energy of a lot of dead kids in her and harrow storms out

harrow gets angry when ortus calmly agrees about things and she doesn't want to look into why

I WONDER WHY THAT IS

harrow looks at abby's note again and now there's text on it

it's a longer version of the note she found before

it's a rant

it mentions dead eggs, implantation, some guy being sent after the OP, said guy taking pity on OP

OP is mad about all of this and doesn't use punctuation

what ortus reads isn't what harrow reads, once again

NOW THIS BIT

"ortus, I need a cavalier with a backbone" "You always did and I am glad, I think, that I never became that cavalier"

the gideon points keep adding up

harrow then goes to sleep and is like this

final thing in act I, in chapter 11, is harrowbean stabbing not!dulcinea again, which

always make sure, it's like resident evil in here

just in case, let's stab her a bunch of times

so, are these "flashbacks" happening in real time whenever harrow isn't conscious?

is it her trying to remember what actually happened?

or is it her trying to hide it?

was there actually a longer period of time between the defeat of not!dulcinea and the emperor Jon Arbuckle coming to pick them up?

a period of time in which harrow learned things that made her write those letters?

and in which something happened regarding gideon?

is the note of the implantation also related?

why was gideon born in space?

of course I'm not asking you, please don't spoil anything, I'm just asking the void of desperation and chaos right now

we'll see if any of this gets answered soon or if I just get more questions

also, guess who wasn't mentioned

see you on the next one!! I'll try to get back to the awesome replies I've been getting soon ♥

#luly reacts to tlt #harrow the ninth #harrow the ninth spoilers #tlt spoilers #the locked tomb #long post #gif cw

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tercessketchfield · 1 year ago

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MEN THINK ABOUT ROMAN EMPIRE. WOMEN THINK ABOUT HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

JUDITH OF BAVARIA (797-843) — Daughter of Count Welf I of Bavaria, Judith was a Carolingian Empress as the second wife of Louis I the Pious. Mother of Gisela and Charles the Bald, she foght for both her own influence at court and for the succession of her son over the claims of his elder half-brothers, the sons of Louis I from his first marriage. Charles became the Emperor in 875, after the death of Louis II, his nephew and a son of his half-brother Lothair / fancast: Annabel Scholey

MARIA OF AUSTRIA (1528-1603) — Daughter of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and Isabella of Portugal. She served as Regent of Spain both jointly with her husband, Maximilian (before their accession to the imperial throne), and in person, for her father, and brother, Philip II. Her children include two Holy Roman Emperors, Rudolf II and Matthias, over whom she held great influence, and queens consorts of Spain, and France / fancast: Olivia Cooke

EMPRESS MAUD (1102-1167) — Daughter of Henry I of England and Matilda of Scotland. Her first marriage to the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V, gave her the title under which she came down into history, and was a source of great pride to Maud. Rightful heiress of Henry I, she confronted her cousin, King Stephen, in the civil war, known as the Anarchy, fighting ferociously for her rights. She failed in this for herself but won for her son Henry, who became king and established the Plantagenet dynasty in England / cast: Alison Pill in The Pillars of the Earth (2010)

MARIA THERESA (1717-1780) — She succeded her father Charles VI as the ruler of Habsburg monarchy in 1740, and devoutedly defended it against its enemies in the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Year's War. Wife of the Holy Roman Emperor, Francis I, she was a forceful personality and a competent ruler herself, reigning first in her own right, and later, jointly with her son Empreror Joseph II. Her children include two Holy Romam Emperors (Joseph II and Leopold II), queens consorts of Naples ans Sicily, and France / cast: Marie-Luise Stockinger in Maria Theresia (2017)

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pruneunfair · 2 months ago

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My feelings on cry or better yet beg and the utter wasted potential for a psychological tragedy of the imbalance of relationships between noblemen and their mistresses

First off, if I was told I could only kill off one male lead, it'd be him

Lot of people rn especially on tik-tok probably would flame me for this with the "at least he loves Layla! He's so protective of her!"

"it's a dark romance! It won't be sunshine and rainbows you snowflake!"

"He just doesnt know how to express his emotions because he's so sheltered!"

No, just no, I don't care how "hot" he is, I don't care if he's your protective little bad boy. I don't care about his supposed character development, That's a straight up abuser who started off killing birds knowing it would damage to Layla to straight up assaulting her. (I don't know if that will stay in the webtoon, but it was in the novel) no character development can make me like a fucking rapist

Like how in the hell is Claudine considered worse than Mathhias, sure she isn't so peachy herself but goddammit to think of the fiance who if anything would be supported had she been the main protagonist, yes she's pretty demeaning, a bit shallow, and only views Matthias as the perfect Duke, but at least she's not going around mentally torturing a boy who can't do anything against her. I haven't gotten to her ending yet but from what I hear, it isn't a good one. She such a wasted opportunity since she is such a perfect example of a woman prepped and groomed to just be a Dukes wife would come out feeling that her worth only comes her husband.

Justice for Claudine, I just know there's a fanfic out there where you get with Riette, grow as your own person, and live a pleasant life.

You wanna know what really hurts me about this manhwa though? The fact that's it's so unintentionally accurate to how horrible it truly is to be a mistress in an era where women, especially women with no royal titles or status, were often treated by rich and powerful men. They would mostly have no right to say no to a man who decides he wants her, Layla romanticizing her abuse is not just heartbreaking but also unfortunately realistic as it's a coping mechanism for those who had endured nothing but abuse their whole life so they tend to shove their feelings in a box and pretend everything is okay (obviously this isn't the same for all victims of abuse, it's one of the many coping mechanisms people could develop)

In a lot of historical manhwa, there's usually the obligatory mistress character designed to be a dumb trashy bimbo to uplift the lead. Most of the time, the mistress in question is either a daughter of minor nobility that was chosen by a Emperor, crown prince, or Duke, or the mistress lived her life as a poor farm girl and in some situations lived a life where no one cared about her and was likely abused, the latter is often rare for these mistress characters since authors of those stories only want you sympathizing with the leads but in rare cases, the mistress did have a hard life but it ends up being undermined to further damage the mistress as torture/revenge porn or in Laylas case: used as an explanation to give a disturbing reason to why she ends up falling in love with Matthias which wouldn't be wrong if the story was written in a way that was a tragic one, not a romantic one.

you would think this kind of glamorouzation of abuse would only exist in the authors mindset and the degeneracy that is a junior high girls mind, but no, the ides that Layla is somehow the one in the wrong for her own abuse and reluctance of Matthias and there is even an Instagram post claiming she has BPD for being too "difficult" they sound like those 1950s doctors that find any reason to lobotomize a patient.

Laylas character does open the truths of what it's truly like to be practically owned by a nobleman, she's not like Rashta or Aisha from divorcing my tyrant husband where she's portrayed as a silly and cute strumpet with ulterior motives, she is genuinely upset but she can't do anything about it so all she can do is convince herself that Matthias loves her so she can keep her sanity, but where it goes wrong is that instead of portraying this as an unhealthy yet sole coping mechanism for an abusive relationship, the story just chalks it down to "silly Layla! You'll see that he's just misunderstood and you really do love him deep down!" Its frankly atrocious that the one time a story has a realistic pair of the typical women in this trope, the first wife who is classy and refined and the mistress who is young and free spirited ends ultimately destroyed yet again with a case black and white writting. One woman must be good and the other woman must be bad.

Frankly these characters are well written for the most part and until I realized I supposed to see Matthias as the love interest and not Kyle, I was fine with who Matthias was since he was presented more so as a villain, the art is also one of the prettiest cottagecore artstyles I've ever seen to the point where the 3D models look really good since it blends in perfectly, it's just sad that cry or better yet beg is a sick twisted tale equivalent to the average Colleen Hoover book.

#cry or better yet beg #Layla Llewellyn #anti matthias #Claudine von Brandt

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vladdocs · 6 days ago

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CD SHORTS: A Vatican Conspiracy for Vlad Tepes? An Interesting Speculation

Warning: for the first time, we are discussing speculation here! There is no concrete evidence, but it's worth a discussion.

It's a great mystery what drove Vlad to provoke a war with the most powerful army of the time. But what if the Pope and Venice had agreed to pay him to attack the Ottomans in the winter of 1462? In this way, they would have forced the hesitant King Matthias Corvinus, Tepes' overlord, to be more active in the crusade. The latter was not interested in war with the Ottomans under the conditions of tensions with powerful internal elites and with the German emperor Frederick III. What exactly were the conspirators aiming for? The Ottomans, who threatened Venetian interests in the Mediterranean Sea, were diverted to another front. Bosnia was also in great danger. If it actually existed, then the plan failed: the Ottomans did not attack Hungary, but only Tepes. Attacked in 1463, Venice would catastrophically lose the long war with the Ottomans. Regardless of what we believe, Tepes was just a pawn between the great powers: used, heroized, and demonized according to the situation.

#romania #history #vlad the impaler #wallachia #vlad tepes #vlad dracula #youtube #corpus draculianum #dracula

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hoppityhopster23 · 1 month ago

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On this Day: Vienna Congress Edition

October 5th, 1814

Political

A meeting with the main eight occurs.

it is decided that the opening of the congress is postponed until November 1st.

Other

A hunt occurs in both the Auhof in Mirabrunn and at the Imperial-Royal Lainzer Tiergarten. "Personnel for the hunt, which had been given brilliant new uniforms, received the monarchs with hunting music at the entrance to the tiergarten and accompanied them to their places. Over 100 wild boars and a large number of badges were shot.

Lunch was in the hunting lodge at Auhof

"In the evening, the court gave a small ball that lasted until 3 in the morning. Our Emperor even danced several times with the Empress of Russia, an unusual occurrence since this monarch never dances otherwise. The Emperor of Russia was the best dancer, but the other monarchs danced as well and even old Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen and the Archduchess Beatrix the Empress's mother, swung around the floor." -Wie der Rechnungsbeamte Matthias Franz Perth den Wiener Kongress erlebte by Franz Panzer.

#Series: on this day #vienna congress #historical

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probablyasocialecologist · 11 months ago

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3, 4, 5!

3. What were your top five books of the year?

The Future is Degrowth: A Guide to a World Beyond Capitalism by Matthias Schmelzer, Aaron Vansintjan, Andrea Vetter

Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052–2072 by M.E. O'Brien and Eman Abdelhadi

The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow

The Emperor's Gift, by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

Marx in the Anthropocene by Kōhei Saitō

4. Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

I loved Becky Chambers' Monk & Robot stories. Nate Crowley's Warhammer 40k novels are also great.

5. What genre did you read the most of?

Environmental or politics for non-fiction, sci-fi for fiction.

#asks #happytapirstudio also asked for number 3 #happytapirstudio #chadsuke

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webslinger-holland · 1 year ago

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The Emperor of Magic | Part 1

Summary: After years of planning, Kaz finally proposes the heist above all heists to his crew of crows. The crows can't help but see how oddly familiar this heist looks compared to the one they've pulled in the past.

Warning: +18 Warning

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader

Type: Series

Word Count: 1.8k

Series Masterlist

Each of the crows had been summoned to the boss’s office on the top floor of the club. The door was locked shut and the shades were drawn over the windows. Once the room fell under certain secrecy, Kaz Brekker pulled out the layout of the ultimate heist.

The five crows leaned forward to peer down at the plans. They took a moment to study them carefully, but there was something familiar about this heist. It was almost like...

“Hang on,” Jesper was the first one to notice. “This looks like the Ice Court Heist.”

Kaz chose to say nothing.

“These are the same maps that Wylan drew up,” Matthias said in his thick foreign accent. He placed a single finger on one of the maps.

“And we were breaking out a prisoner who was worth a fortune,” Nina added.

“Kaz,” Inej began. “This is the same heist.”

“Nearly,” Kaz nodded. “But things are different this time.”

“You mean, we won’t be leaving in a tank?” Jesper recalled since the tank was not part of the original plan.

“I liked the tank,” Wylan commented.

“I mean,” Kaz ignored the initial comment. “It’s different in a few ways. There is a higher risk--”

“Isn’t that lovely?” Nina scoffed. Kaz sent her a glare.

“The person we are breaking out of the court isn’t just an ordinary scientist this time,” Kaz placed his hands on the table to lean forward in his place. “They aren't Grisha, but they are more powerful than them.”

“More powerful than Grisha?” Wylan wondered. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Is that even possible?” Wylan almost scoffed.

“Like someone more powerful than the Shadow Summoner or the Sun Summoner?” Inej asked cautiously.

There was a long beat of silence. Each crow had turned their heads to look expectantly to the boss. He stared her down.

“Yes,” Kaz said slowly. “More powerful than the both of them combined.”

“But that means...” Inej’s voice trailed off. She was one of the few who knew exactly who he was talking about. “The Emperor is real?” Inej asked horrified.

The atmosphere of the entire room had changed in a split second. The sound of the stage coach approached could be heard from the street below. The boss went to approach the window. He pulled the shade to the side discreetly to make sure nothing was amiss. The small chandelier in the room swayed from an unknown draft which was only noticed by Matthias and Inej. An eeriness fell over the room.

“W-what Emperor?” Wylan asked. He glanced between Matthias and Inej as if looking for some kind of explanation because they both seemed disturbed by this.

“The Emperor of Magic,” Matthias seethed. “Is a wicked demon from the depths of hell.

“They are the only known person who is known to manipulate magic,” Inej said uneasily as if she feared the demon itself was listening in on their conversation.

“Not Grisha,” Kaz reminded them.

“How are they not Grisha?” Nina wondered. “We basically perform magic.”

“Grisha can only manipulate that which exists already. The Emperor has the ability to create anything out of thin air, manipulate anything or anyone, and destroy anything in their path at will.” Kaz explained.

“So remind me why we are breaking them out?” Jesper asked almost sarcastically because it didn’t seem like a very appealing heist to him.

“Because she is worth nearly 100 million kruge,” Kaz stated. The crows quickly directed their line of attention back to him, because they almost wondered if they had heard him right. But it couldn’t be real since...

“Who in the world has 100 million kruge to spend?” Jesper shrugged his shoulders at the thought.

Kaz smirked to himself. “The King of Ravka, the Queen of Shu Han, and the King of Fjerda.”

Knowing that Matthias was from Fjerda and still quite loyal to his country, Kaz glanced at him through the corner of his eye to watch his reaction. He inhaled sharply upon hearing the name of his king, but he tried not to allow his emotions to get the better of him. Kaz directed his attention elsewhere for now.

“What do you mean?” Inej asked, searching for some kind of explanation.

The boss proceeded to reach into his coat pocket and pull out a single piece of folded paper. He dropped that piece of paper onto the table to allow the crows to study it as carefully as he did these last few years. Jesper took initiative, taking the piece of paper and unfolding it carefully. He read the document silently, feeling Wylan’s eyes darting between him and the paper.

“Let me get this straight,” Jesper folded the paper to set it down again. “The kings and queen of these fine nations spontaneously decided to get together to sign a treaty regarding what to do with this so-called myth.”

“That's right,” Kaz nodded.

“I suppose nobody else knows about this then?” Jesper pressed.

“For the past three and a half years, I was the only one who knew about the meeting.” Kaz confessed.

“Where did you find this?” Jesper asked, holding up the paper in his hand.

“In a random vault in the Ravkan palace,” Kaz shrugged his shoulders. Jesper let out a scoff of disbelief, throwing his hands up in the air. “Left a copy so they wouldn’t get suspicious.” Kaz added.

“Of course. Where else would you get it?” Jesper asked sarcastically.

“I still don’t understand,” Inej interjected. “If the kings and queen created this treaty and have her in currently in their captivity, then how are we going to break her out? We can’t just demand that they pay us for her back,” Inej claimed.

“We are going to break her out,” Kaz explained. “We are going to make it look like she escaped.”

“H-How do we do that?” Wylan was the first to speak up, but his voice failed him.

“Once they are informed that she is missing, they’ll put a price on her head for her recapture. We’ll make our way down to Ravka to bring her before the king and demand our price,” Kaz stated simply.

“Say the King of Ravka doesn’t want to pay the 100 million kruge? Refuses to bargain with you. What then?�� Nina asked having grown up in Ravka herself.

“Then I threaten to unleash her,” Kaz claimed. The crows inhaled sharply at his comment, feeling insanely unnerved by his seemingly carelessness. “I don’t think she’d be too happy to come face to face with her captor,” Kaz said.

The room fell silent once again. The five crows searched for any flaw in the plan, coming to realize that this plan had probably been rewritten over a hundred times already. It most certainly was the most dangerous heist that they would ever pull off, but they had no idea how they’d be able to do it.

Each of the crows had turned their heads to looked at one another. They wondered if they were all thinking the same thing. One thing was certain: they all had a look of uncertainty on their face. They didn’t know what would happen, but they were most intrigued by the price tag attached to the heist.

“Alright,” Jesper was the first to speak up. “I’m listening.”

The leader proceeded to go through every single step of the heist, pointing out even the smallest details and every individual role assigned to the crows. The boss had already gone to great lengths to secure additional members to the crew, including men to sail the ship across the sea and a tailor who could alter their appearances so they could actually get into the court without being recognized. It actually looked like it could work. The only problem was...

“Wait,” Jesper interrupted. “You’re telling me that she can’t touch us, see us, or hear us throughout the entire heist.”

“That’s right,” Kaz nodded.

“Otherwise what? She can get into our heads?” Jesper questioned.

“And tear us apart,” Wylan said sorrowfully.

“From the inside,” Inej added.

“There’s no telling what she’ll do to us if we are compromised,” Kaz confirmed. “The ancient texts say she can see every thought. Some have reported seeing hallucinations under her influence. The very nature of our reality will cease to exist if she gets into our heads,” Kaz replied.

“How do we even protect ourselves then?” Inej asked as if it was merely impossible.

“She wears a customized straight jacket which prevents her from using her powers. It was made specially by a fabrikator,” Kaz explained. “She is also forced to wear ear, eye, and mouth pieces which prevent her from hearing, seeing, or speaking.”

“Where is she contained?” Nina asked, glancing back down at the map.

“She’d be kept here,” Matthias pointed to the center of the map where the White Island stood. “In the dungeons to be specific,” Matthias added.

“It’ll be heavily guarded which is why Matthias, Wylan, and I will go in disguised as druskelle,” Kaz informed them.

“Not to be rude but neither of you look anything like Fjerdan,” Matthias almost let out a laugh as he crossed his arms over his chest. It was true though as both Kaz and Wylan were from Kerch.

“Not to worry,” Kaz snarked. “Our tailor will do a fine job altering Wylan and I’s appearance.”

“She’s going to alter you guys?” Jesper asked slightly worried.

“It won’t be permanent,” Kaz reassured him since he knew he’d worry about changing Wylan’s appearance once again. “It will disguise us long enough to get us inside the cell,” Kaz insisted.

“Would it be easier if we were all tailored?” Inej wondered. “That way, if she does happen to see us, she wouldn’t know what our real faces look like.”

“She’d still get into our head,” Kaz shook his head at the notion. “She’d know everything about us: our names, our races, our thoughts. It doesn’t matter what we look like; we are vulnerable to her.”

“How do we get her out if we can’t touch her or talk to her without her getting into our heads?” Jesper pointed out, changing the subject. “I doubt she’ll come willingly,” Jesper scoffed.

“She’s attached to four heavy chains: two on the sides, one on her front, and one on her back. Each chain is connected to a larger metal cuff around her waist. Those chains keep her centered in the cell and are attached to the solid stone walls. It prevents her from moving around in the cell,” Kaz said slowly. He drew up the plans so they could visualize better.

Each of the crows leaned forward to get a better look at the designs he drew. It showed a faceless figure standing in the center of the room, wearing one large cuff around their waist. Sure enough, the figure was surrounded by four chains attached to the wall. It made more sense now to them.

“We break those chains and escort her out. We don’t touch her, only the chains. No matter what happens...we cannot touch her,” Kaz said to them all.

Kaz went to lean back. They looked at him expectantly.

“If we do...it’ll be the end.”

Author’s Note:

They’ll finally meet her in the next part, but what’s going to happen??? I hope you enjoyed this part of the series.

TAGLIST:

@d34drapunzel @adorawritesalot @vixythepixie @theghostofshadows @lonelywitchv2 @arcadialine @zeeader @cleverzonkwombatsludge @shara-ne @iloveinej @ireallydontcareanymorebrooo @mystic-mara @missymisha

#Kaz Brekker #kaz brekker angst #kaz brekker series #kaz brekker imagine #kaz brekker x you #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x inej ghafa #six of crows

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tragedybunny · 5 months ago

Text

The Song Divine - Chapter 2

༺Summary༻

Astrid was an opera singer with a glowing future ahead of her when fate crosses her path with that of Prince Folwin, youngest son of the Emperor. The two begin what feels like a romance from tales of old. The closer the two become though, the more Astrid is pulled into the deepening conflict tearing the Imperial Family apart from within. One fateful night will shatter it entirely, leaving Astrid alone in the world and a fugitive. Just as she begins to find solace among the companions who took her in, her and Folwin are thrust back together for a grim mission that will have them pardoned if they can see it through. While the dangers they face are great, the biggest struggle might be having one another close through it all.

༺Warnings༻ Setting appropriate violence, sexual content

༺Word Count༻ 3512

༺A/N༻ Hello Lovelies! I am back for Chapter 2. Thank you for continuing to support my little story. Huge thank you to @icybluepenguin for being my support, inspiration, and someone to shake some sense into when I'm feeling down.

And to the rest of my server crew as well! You all are the best!

Also on AO3

The backstage of the Opera House pulsed with expectant energy from what could have been a small army making itself ready for tonight’s performance. From performers to musicians to the stagehands; they were all united as one force, though everyone seemed to be a little more on edge than usual. Astrid stood a bit apart from it all. Though she had been at the Opera for a couple of months, living in the great dormitories many of the young artists at court lived in, she hadn’t made a many friends.

“Are you alright Astrid, you look like you look a bit pale.” The one exception had somehow snuck up on her, causing her to jump.

“Matthias! You nearly scared me to death.” she scolded the rising star and one of tonight’s leads.

“I think stage fright will do that first.” Matthias' warm brown eyes sparkled from under a mane of unruly dark curls. “If you pass out and miss your first part, everyone is going to think you’re cursed.”

Despite a rather shaky audition and her own crushing reluctance, Astrid had somehow procured her first role outside the chorus. She’d thought of running away rather than going through with it, but thinking of defying her father was like drowning in ice water. Besides, this was what she’d been trained for her whole life, she knew nothing else. If she could just get through this first time, it had to get easier. “I promise I won’t pass out.”

Matthias grimaced and Astrid felt a creeping dread. “I hope you can keep that promise,” Matthias paused for what seemed like an eternity, while Astrid held her breath. “Prince Folwin is out there.”

The world spun for a moment and she almost broke her promise. “What?” That strange incident in the Imperial Gardens had gone unmentioned to anyone, so there was no way Matthias was teasing her.

“It’s true, he’s up there in the royal box with a number of his retinue. Not a terribly shocking development, this is an opening night, and he is quite fond of theater.”

Astrid had heard that, though the Emperor was the one who officially sponsored the Academy and Court Artists, it was Empress Hellentia and the youngest of her five sons who were most vested in Elyssia's arts and culture. Well, there were a lot of things one heard about Prince Folwin, but this one seemed most relevant to her.

So Matthias spoke true, it wasn't surprising Prince Folwin was here, and Astrid silenced a voice inside that dared suggest he could have remembered his promise. "That seems more like your and Orianna's problem," Astrid deflected.

Matthias covered his heart dramatically and looked stricken. "Such coldness, you wound me." The sounds of an orchestra warming up filled the backstage. "Better ready myself. May Andriel's touch be with you, Astrid."

"And her pleasure dwell with you." The invocation to the Goddess of love and the arts was ingrained in her from her days at the Academy. Watching Matthias walk away, Astrid lost herself for a moment in panic, thoughts of the Royal audience washed away by the sheer number of others out there. She had to succeed though, this was her whole life and if she failed she had nothing. Even worse, her father was playing tonight, and she would humiliate herself in front of him.

When at last she stepped on stage, though her part was small, her voice was clear and true. "Breathe, don't look at them," she told herself. Sweat formed on her palms, her stomach clenched, and she was sure she went pale.

But she sang, and with every note confidence grew, and by some miracle of Andriel, she was lost in the song. The audience vanished, and it was just Astrid and the music, at last.

Still, it was a relief when the final curtain call came. Orianna and Matthias were met with a standing ovation and marched off the stage triumphantly. Astrid hung back as the rest of the cast followed, letting the last of the applause resonate around her, and for the first time, she dreamed of what the future could be, instead of dreading it. Stepping back behind the curtain, an excited buzz greeted her as she pushed through the stationary crowd, looking for Matthias. She stopped cold as she found the reason for the excitement in the center of the gathered onlookers.

Prince Folwin was greeting Orianna, a bouquet of red roses had been placed in her arms and she beamed up at him. “A glorious performance as usual, Madame Orianna.”

Astrid’s pulse turned to thunder in her veins and her heart pummeled itself furiously against her ribs – she needed to get away. If he saw her, he might recall that meeting and think she had been expecting him. How foolish would she look, the nameless singer expecting a Prince to remember her? Taking a step back, she turned, looking for the quickest route through the press of bodies.

“Astrid! There you are,” his silken voice exclaimed.

Freezing, she turned back, pulling her arms around herself, making her body as small as possible as all eyes fixed on her. The transition from her fears to realizing how wrong she had been made her head spin. But soon enough she wished she had been right, as no one looked away from the scene of the flamboyant Prince hurrying over to her.

“I was worried I would miss you somehow.” His hand captured hers, despite how stiffly she responded, and he brushed his lips against it, lingering for longer than was strictly polite. “Now you can’t tell anyone I don’t keep my word. Oh,” he snapped his fingers and one of his attendants hurried to his side holding a small bouquet of purple camellias, “these are for you.”

Gingerly, she let him place them in her arms. “Thank you, Your Highness,” she said softly with a small courtesy. “You honor me.” There was nothing she wanted more than to flee, to leave behind the gaping stares and the rising tide of whispers.

“Nonsense, I’m delighted to be here. Though I do know of a way you could return my kindness.” He gave her a dazzling smile, and Astrid realized he’d never let go of her hand.

“And that is, Your Highness?” The initial bout of being overwhelmed was wearing off and her mind was starting to catch up.

Prince Folwin leaned in, so that only she could hear what he said. “Join me for a little salon I’m hosting; performers, artists, writers. You’d make quite the impression on my friends.”

That scent of floral musk she remembered washed over her and she wanted nothing more than to say yes, to let herself be swept away by the shining Prince. Still, she couldn’t quite trust him: there was nothing about her that should draw him in so, she was no one. And how would it look to the world? “I can’t. Everyone will talk.”

Folwin chuckled quietly. “They’re already talking, my dear, too late for that.”

“But they’ll all think I’m trying to get ahead by… you know… with you.” There was every chance her words were going to irritate him, and she’d never see him again, which saddened her for some reason. She knew nothing about him for certain, except his name and station, but she found herself drawn to him.

“I assure you, no one will think that. Don’t make me beg it of you.” And then he did something entirely unexpected. Prince Folwin pouted, looking genuinely put out by her refusal.

Despite her every intention to keep refusing, Astrid felt herself cracking. Why should she deny herself what she was being drawn to? As he said, everyone was already talking, She nodded her assent before she could think about it more. “When?”

Then he was all smiles again, kissing her hand once more. “Two days. I’ll send for you, my dear.” Releasing her hand, he turned away, thankfully drawing the enraptured attention of the crowd with him.

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

Astrid wouldn't have believed a town the size of Abyssus could be as loud as it was. Every public space was filled with revelers, vendors, and the odd guards trying to prevent utter chaos. The Sending was in full swing and she wondered how exactly the sailors would manage in the morning after the drunken debauchery of tonight. Their little group wouldn't be around to find out though.

The inn they'd been staying at, the Broken Beast, was overflowing as a troupe of performers retold the tale of the town's founding. The four of them had their obligate tankard of ale and mingled with the locals, then they were gone. They gave a farewell to the landlord and claimed they would return after sampling the festival’s delights. They did all that with their bags obscured by a song Astrid had woven, and with eyes turned away by one of Brecken's folkweavings. The dust he had spread from his hand was a small act of magic from a natural, but not highly trained gift. The other was being an impossibly good shot, with the bow concealed at his back. Their horses were left readied in the stable, and Lyza led them through the thronging crowds to their target.

At the center of town were two buildings that had been there since Abyssus was founded, and the whole of the little town had grown up around them. The first was a humble temple to the Celestial Court. Astrid had stopped briefly yesterday during their walk, taking time to look pious, another bit of cover for them. While it was ostensibly a temple to all ten, some were featured more prominently. The Father and Mother were well represented: the statue of Elayra, the Mother, had eyes with the strangest painting effect that seemed to follow Astrid, while Fulnarsis, the Father, was simply there. Of course, there was also the iron box, veiled in black, that represented Chirax, the god who would swallow humanity if he could, dwelling in the Infernus. The scent of incense and intonation of the clergy reminded Astrid of the countless hours she’d spent in Andriel’s shrine, trying to pray away her stage fright. Now she wasn’t sure she believed in gods at all.

The second building in the square was the governor’s dwelling. Although he was technically the head of a whole province, it included miles of forest and a few hamlets even smaller than Abyssus. The post was nothing anyone from any truly great family would want, so it had been offered to a man who had risen up through the military on brute strength and iron will. Sir Thomasen, whose military career had been cut short by the loss of one arm and one eye. Tonight he was at the tavern owned by his daughter and son-in-law, reliving his glory days, and drinking to the health of Abyssus’s sailors.

And kept in his manor, for lack of anywhere better, were the taxes of the town, held all winter when the roads could become an icy graveyard. The Imperial officials would be here soon to escort them back to the Capital. They were in for a shock when it came to that.

Dancing, shouting, cavorting, and playing far drunker than they were, the four of them cut through the crowd without a second glance before sneaking their way to the side of the house and the servant’s entrance. Dark cloaks were drawn around them and the earthen tones of their clothes helped conceal them as they faded into the shadows away from the press of bodies. No servants would be here tonight, they too were given the night off for the festivities – just one clerk, and two guards at the vault.

Tallus took the lead. Lyza and Astrid tucked themselves behind the hedgerow, not even a small fence had been bothered with all the way out here. Brecken remained in the open, serving as an early warning. He stumbled and swayed, looking like a lost drunk while Tallus tested the door. All of them heard the soft creak as it opened immediately, no lock. Astrid thought the governor was either very brave or foolish. They needed no signal, all of them moving at the sound, Astrid and Lyza, sprinting from their hiding spot, and Brecken meandering. Tallus waited inside, impatiently gesturing at Brecken, who then took the small path to the door at a full-tilt run, a speed more than human.

The door shut behind them and the first part of the plan was done – they were inside in the small kitchen and pantry area used by the servants. “You’re up, Astrid,” Lyza reminded her. It wasn’t as though she needed it; this plan was one of many variations of the same.

Astrid headed through the door, up the short set of stairs into the main house. In a town this size, there was no separate building for administration, all of it was done under Sir Thomasen’s roof. Stopping in the entry hall, where the servant’s stairs emptied, she listened. No signs of life. Just across the hall lay her goal, the household office where the clerk would still be, and a door leading down to a guarded vault. Closing her eyes, and shaping her will and intent, Astrid began a slow, soft song. The clerk could likely barely hear it, but that would be enough. Instead of suspicion and confrontation, he would be drawn curiously to her.

Seconds passed and Astrid wondered for a moment if they’d miscalculated, or been found out and circumvented. Still singing, she resisted the urge to run and tell the others to abandon the job. When she could almost stand it no longer, a door creaked open.

“Who…who are you?”

He was so young, she allowed herself a moment of guilt for the possibility she was about to ruin his life. “A humble traveler, I’m lost. Can you show me the way?”

The door shut behind him, as he dazedly stepped into the hall. “Happy to help.” With glazed-over eyes, he meandered toward her, enchanted beyond hope.

The thing about commands was that proximity, and dispelling someone of their will beforehand, helped. “Then sleep, and do not wake until morn.”

The clerk's eyes closed without resistance and he collapsed into Tallus’s now - waiting arms. Behind him were Brecken and Lyza. Astrid shoved her hand into the Clerk’s high-collared overshirt and grasped for the chain around his neck. Giving it a tug, it broke away easily, and she presented a key to Lyza. It would get them to the vault room; the Governor had the vault key on him, but that was what Tallus was for.

“I’ll get posted up.” Astrid would stay as a lookout, ready to unleash a barrage of spells if they were cornered.

“We won’t be long,” Tallus said with a grin, settling the Clerk on the floor.

The three of them vanished and left Astrid alone in the darkened hall with her sleeping victim, and her thoughts. Lyza’s questions from yesterday kept coming back to her. The three of them had become family to her, and she wanted nothing more than to be with them. But this life, always in danger, always running, living to throw stones at the implacable mountain that was Elyssia - it could only end one way.

Not that her fate wasn’t already well sealed if she were caught. The sounds of a brief scuffle traveled up through the floorboards. Perhaps she could convince them to move on, or more particularly, convince Lyza. Something to bring up once they were back at the hoard. The door behind her burst open and the three tumbled out into the hall, laden with satchels full of coin.

“Let’s move,” Lyza commanded.

They moved as one, with an intimate timing built from months of operating together. Back down the servant’s stair, silent and swift, and out the door, no one the wiser. The crowd was in frenzy, dancing and shouting; not even a curious glance was spared for them. They weaved and bobbed, greeting and farewelling like all was normal. They reached the back of the inn and Astrid breathed a sigh of relief, they would be out soon enough. It was too quiet she felt, a sudden misgiving taking her. Even the horses were silent.

“Lyza!”

It was far too late, though.

“You four are really predictable.”

Lyza drew her sword, and Brecken echoed with his bow. Stepping out of the cloaking spell that had hidden them were six of the Emperor’s elite Wardens, their crimson armor almost black in the darkness. Their leader was a female with a deep burn scar down the left side of her face. Astrid swallowed hard hearing that steely voice again.

“Good to see you too, Astrid.”

The eyes of her companions darted to her for just a second, then returning to the looming conflict.

“Rayna, please just them go,” Astrid managed in a whisper, feeling as though she couldn’t breathe.

“It’s Captain Rayna now, thanks to you. And I won’t let them go, they’re part of this now too. But no one has to die, at least right. Surrender yourselves, and Emperor Maximilian will show you his mercy.”

She could see her companions do the math, and weigh their odds. Six Wardens, the most elite soldiers, against the four of them.

With a terrible cry, Lyza charged the closest one, and before she had struck, Brecken had knocked and loosed an arrow that drove itself into one's neck.

For a moment, their odds seemed fair.

Tallus was gone, almost melted into the shadows, as Astrid stepped back to sing softly, launching a bolt of force at Rayna. She'd been a determined young Warden during her days in Folwin's honor guard, and her dislike of Astrid had been painfully obvious. But she had an iron will and never backed down– she'd be the key to ending this quick.

The bolt struck an enchanted shield, and fizzled. Lyza was locked in combat with her target, and Brecken loosed a shot that went wide. Tallus seemed to have the same idea as Astrid and struck at Rayna with a dagger from behind. Seeming to sense him, she whirled with a vicious strike that sent him scrambling.

Lyza's sword found the weak point in the armor of the Warden, causing a gout of blood to gush from the joint beneath his arm. As she turned to the next, Astrid wove another song, seeking to ensnare Rayna while her attention was on Tallus. The notes were clear and high, words to bend the great essence of the universe to her whim, a song about the snares of life.

For a moment, there was sweet triumphant as Rayna's feet were bound and she crashed to the cobblestone below. Brecken moved, a viciously sharp short sword now drawn in place of his bow, heading straight for the downed Captain. Astrid turned her next spell to a Warden who was taking the fight to Tallus, shield forgone for a brutal two-handed blade that seemed to be of some black metal. Enchanted as well no doubt, and who knew what it was capable of.

The next words of her song spoke of fear, and the great sword hesitated. Tallus was merciless and ducked around the predictable swing to drive a dagger up through the throat of the Warden. At the same time, Brecken shouted as a shield knocked him sprawling, leaving him unmoving.

Astrid prepped another spell, but she began to falter. There was only so much magic you could be the conduit for, and Astrid was no great master of it. But Brecken’s life hung in the balance. Lyza had also noticed and shoved her opponent to the side to charge. Astrid’s voice was weary and quiet as she sang her first note.

“Enough!” The courtyard around them exploded in light, and Astrid felt an irresistible command to freeze in place, one that appeared to be shared by everyone else engaged in the current melee.

An old, pale man in a black cloak and another Warden were suddenly front and center, and Astrid felt true fear dig its talons into her. They’d never formally met, but she’d seen High Wizard Branagh enough from a distance.

“We don’t have time for your games, Rayna, apprehend them.” Wizards were rare, and they practiced the most complex and elusive of magics, unwoven. Their word and a channel were enough to focus their magic. Branagh leaned heavily on a great staff of willow, his particular channel. Elyssia probably held the greatest number of wizards, but many remained in a citadel in the Free Holds, pursuing a life of arcane studies. Astrid always thought they held themselves too highly above the rest of the world. “Now.”

The Wardens came free and Rayna rose, burning hatred in her eyes, but Astrid noted Branagh wasn’t spared her gaze.

“Put them in irons,” she spat at her remaining four, now five with the new arrival, Wardens. “And haul them upstairs.”

#original fiction #original fantasy #my writing #mutual pining #romance #fantasy romance #magic #court intrique #the song divine #story: the song divine

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