#FR: WillowShade

[lionsongfr]

A tale from the Clan of the Lionfish

The Silver Spun Grotto: Part 2

MaidenTide had given up all forms of grace at the sight of the SolarShoal running towards her and hurled herself to his side. He gasped for air upon the stairs, his sides heaving and eyes pinning in distress. She grabbed his antlers and pulled his face to hers.

“Tell me what is happening. NOW.”

“Wild magic attacking from two egg-like sources. Only TideSage is down there, getting help.”

“Useless,” she snarled before tossing the Captain back and pushing her way past him.

She reached out with her magic letting it flow out and taste the ethereal ebbs and flows. She could feel the wild magic thrumming in her blood, and the small flicker of her mate’s alongside it. The former she could feel rising to a crescendo and the latter slowly sinking. She shivered at the potential of the wild magic, both delighed and terrified at its strength, before turning her head to face WillowShade.

“Stay here and link yourself to the Acropolis heart stone and channel its power into me.”

The Skydancer tilted her head, a small smile crossing her beak,

“But my Lady, what of my bindings?”

MaidenTide turned and stepped closer to WillowShade, letting fury color her emotions. Insolent faerie!  She stepped closed and ripped the spell scrolls from the Skydancer’s wings, snapping the first of the bindings of power upon her.

“Betray me faerie and I shall flay your hide from your body and use it as my bath rug. Now channel the heart stone’s power to me.”

With a crash the power of the city came to her, surging like a sea during a storm. Even with a channel it was a heady drink and MaidenTide could feel it drowning her senses. As she stumbled forward, she could hear a feminine chuckle at her weakness. Snarling she ran down the stairs and into the cavern... Just in time to see a mass of tendrils bearing down upon TideSage.

She slashed her claws in the air, no time for intricacy, as she carved out the rune of Reflection. The vines ricocheted backwards, stunning the creature long enough for her to draw out a major rune of Drown. The large cavern began to rapidly fill with water, the sea boiling in from hidden fissures, carving pathways as it burst into the room. The coils of the monster began to lash upwards, seeking an escape but water soon poured in from the ceiling. 

With a burbling hiss of victory MaidenTide placed a Shield behind her, sealing the cave. Swiftly she swam towards TideSage to place another around the both of them.

He was badly punctured, but still he breathed. He leaned against her, his voice a mere whisper,

“You saved me.”

----------

TideSage had passed out at some point, but woke to the tugging upon his wounds with a barely concealed hiss. The healer, MistMystic, snorted and continued wrapping his wounds as he lifted his head to look around the cavern. It had been drained, though water still lay in puddles here and there, but what truly caught his eyes was the enormous willow that stood in the center of the room. Its size was not the only oddity of the tree, its silver bark and soft purple blue leaves radiated power. It reminded him of the trees of the Starwood Strand, mesmerizing and beautiful.

Many mages stood around the tree, laying numerous spells of binding with long scrolls of silk and ink. He searched the crowd and spotted his mate, who noticed his attention and slowly began to make her way to him. She elegantly laid by his side to face the work and placed a paw upon one of his own. She gestured to tree with the other,

“All of this caused by two creatures smaller than a Fae.”

He could not help but let amazement fill his speech, “Truly? Well, as the scholars say: from acorns come oaks. It is magnificent.”

A unlady like snort arose from his mate, “Those acorns nearly killed you. Those were not eggs, but rather breed change incubation chambers. We don’t know their species, but they are dragons and both Primals. Guardian spirits have been attached to the chambers, and Tidelord willing, the bindings will stick.”

“They won’t.” 

Both Imperials flinched as the Skydancer, WillowShade, stepped proudly before them with her proclaimation.  TideSage could feel a feral and chaotic magic arising from her. He distressingly noticed that her wing bindings had been removed, and slowly tried to move his body to protect his mate.

At his movement, MistMystic angrily huffed and MaidenTide moved her paw to his shoulder as she stood up.

“Your wings maybe unbound faerie, but you are still bound to me till you repay your debt- so watch your tone. Now, tell me why it will not work.”

“Because I know what those dragons are, they are Veilspun and that tree is a beacon.”

[lionsongfr]

A tale from the Clan of the Lionfish

The Silver Spun Grotto: Part 3

tw: abuse

MaidenTide was exhausted. The faerie Skydancer has picked a fine time for rebellion. The mages were tide up in the tree spell and the Trident Guard was out trying to calm the populace. Her own inner magic was at its ebbs and so was her mate’s. 

So she forced the anger to sleep in her belly, and let the waters of calm ripple. Better to confuse the empath who had let their own emotions run high in victory. She began to move forward, away from her mate, beckoning the Skydancer. 

“Let us move a bit away and have this conversation in private, Lady WillowShade.”

TideSage woobly began to stand, his ears pinned back in worry, 

“Wait, I should-”

MaidenTide looked her mate in the eyes and shook her head,

“Stay here, you are gravely wounded my love. What is happening now is between Lady WillowShade and I.”

Her mind called out to his, I want her away from the mages, I can deal with her. 

TideSage staggered back to laying, his eyes dull in pain,  Please be safe. 

They walked a good while back, though still within sight of the mages and TideSage, before MaidenTide slowly turned to face the Skydancer. 

And what may I ask is a Veilspun and if this tree is a beacon- then what I ask- does it attract?”

WillowShade flutter her wings in excitement and raised her head high,

 “They are Ancient Shadow dragons, powerful and mighty despite their stature. They form hives of hundreds strong, stealing dragons and changing them into their drones. These two here are to be a King and Queen, powerful enough to start their own hive. The beacon will call more to this lair and soon all will fall to their magic!”

At WillowShade’s words MaidenTide raised her claws as if in distress, trying her best to project fear and worry. It wasn’t completely a lie, she was worried about these dragons, being Primals made them doubly dangerous-but they were mortal dragons, not a deity or angry spirit or fiend. They would have a weakness.  Much like this faerie.

MaidenTide glanced at the large silver willow, it was hard to not notice. It was most likely the magic locus that had keep the dragons alive in their breed change chambers after all this time. A fine target.

“Well then, that is a worrying thought! I guess we shall just have to burn the tree and destroy the dragons before they hatch from their chambers. Good thing you warned us ahead of time.”

The Skydancer’s mouth dropped as she skittered towards her waving her wings in alarm,

“Wait, no, no, NO! Don’t do that, please don’t!”

MaidenTide began to move towards the tree.  “Ah, so they can be destroyed! Or are you worried we will fail? I assure you spells of destruction are so much easier than binding. I shall inform the mages now to switch over to that at once.”

The Skydancer raced before her and hastily kneeled with her wings splayed.

“Lady Duchess of the Abyssal Acropolis and ArchPriestess of Tidelord, please no! Please don’t destroy them!”

“And why shouldn’t I? If they are truly that powerful of a threat, they should be destroyed.”

“Please, my lady, please, I beg of you!”

MaidenTide sat back down, keeping her thoughts and emotions quiet as she reached over and with a claw lifted the Skydancer’s head so that her eyes meet with hers,

“Give me a reason why or I shall set fire to the tree myself.”

WillowShade shivered underneath her grasp and gasped,

“There is…there is a way to charm them, to trick them into believing you are the hive Queen and King. Pheromones and emotions… the pheromones made from wings of Lunar Lacewings, the antlers of Wispwillow Perytons, and black pine sap, thrice distilled on a full moon night. You must always project the emotion of command and power, no weakness… or else they will turn upon you.”

MaidenTide pulled the Skydancer closer, “That was not a reason. That was the arrow before the bow, the chart before the Trunker, the song before the melody. A reason is what I need.”

“It would not be right to slay another dragon!”

“I have slain many a dragon, and you have seen me do it.”

“Slaying such dragons would anger Shadowbinder!”

“Shadowbinder holds no power over the lands of Water, and they are Primals of Nature and Arcane- no children of hers are they.”

“They are powerful dragons, they would be powerful servants!”

“That is assuming what you are telling me is true-and it will require powerful magic to hold them. Furthermore, I have plenty of servants- such as yourself...Though it seems you have broken part of your bonds to me, do you plan to run free now faerie?” 

The Skydancer began to shake under her grasp, her antennae buzzing with her distress. 

“I, I...”

MaidenTide released her hold on the Skydancer’s head as it began to drop. 

“I....I will serve you...I will serve you for all times, my lady. Just promise me you won’t harm them. Please don’t harm them!”

“Swear your allegiance to me, swear it to me thrice upon thrice, and I shall swear an oath to not harm these Veilspun.”

Softly WillowShade intoned the vow of allegiance to MaidenTide nine times, binding her more tightly by the rules of the faerie than her own magic bindings ever did. She collapsed upon the final vow, weeping and curling herself into a ball of misery. 

Such drama, silly creature. MaidenTide sighed and turned back to TideSage, whose brow was furrowed in anger. One step forward, and two steps back, she thought.

[lionsongfr]

A tale from the Clan of the Lionfish

The Silver Spun Grotto: Part 1

tw: abuse/blood

MaidenTide languorously stretched her wings across her bed, savoring the comfort of its silken embrace. The nesting was done, and the three hatchlings now safely tucked into the nursery. She felt a smile cross her fangs at the success, not of the hatching- but of the fact she had convinced her mate to seek her out once again. Months of acting the saint, months of courtship and platitudes, trying to wear away his inane distrust and foolish pride.

“The Lord and Lady of the Acropolis should work as one,” she had whispered to him again and again. The smile faded; her mood soured as she looked back at all the work required to keep her mate bound to her. He still loved her, she knew it, so why was he so determined to push her away?

A small knock at the servant’s door pushed away her reveries, and she pulled herself upwards to a more graceful position.

“Come in WillowShade, I know it is you,” she commanded, her whiskers twitching a bit in annoyance.

The Skydancer opened the door swiftly and kneeled immediately to the ground with her wings splayed flat.  

The subservience pleased her, but the intrusion into her relaxation, a relaxation that surely the Skydancer must have sensed, aroused her ire. So MaidenTide waited. And waited. Letting the tension fill the air as the Skydancer began to tremble. Then she stretched back across the bed, releasing the emotion and letting amusement fill its place. These games should be below her, but pleasure was such a fleeting thing.

“Well then, why have you decided to disturb me WillowShade? The nesting was long and tomorrow I shall be hosting the Earthbreaker’s Ceremony, two things requiring great energy and concentration. I fear I shall be quite… displeased if this is something trivial.”

The Skydancer wisely did not rise from her kneel, her voice wavered from the floor,

“Lady Duchess of the Abyssal Acropolis and ArchPriestess of Tidelord, I stand before thee with news from the Secret Keepers!”

“Go on.”

“Captain SolarShoal has taken Duke TideSage to the Acropolis Depths, it seems the workers preparing for Rockbreaker’s unearthed something!”

MaidenTide slide from the bed to stand, her mind racing over the possibilities. SolarShoal would not have summoned TideSage unless it was something powerful or destructive. Of course, the impertinent beast did not think to send a guard to inform her too. Her claws unsheathed as she began to yank open the door…before slowly stopping herself.  It would not be good for the populace to see the Duchess running about like a messenger dragon, nor for her mind to be knotted like a frantic Spiral.

She breathed in deeply and settled her pace to a graceful slide. “Follow me.” She could hear the Skydancer rushing to her feet as she made way down the hallway to the stairs. As dragons stepped aside and bowed to her, it took all her composure to walk.

  -----------------------------

“Run now Captain!” TideSage hissed as the magic lashed out from the eggs and snapped another of his Shields.

He could feel SolarShoal hesitating behind him, so he snapped his tail and bellowed,

“NOW CAPTAIN. THAT IS AN ORDER.”

The racing of claws upon stone gave him a small mental breath of relief before his mind turned back to the ever-advancing threat.  He was alone now, the workers already flown and the Captain hopefully gathering every mage available that could help contain this thing. They would need it.

The green spiked tendrils roiled around his Shields, seeking a way past him and the cavern before coiling backwards and slamming into them. He winced as the Shields began to drain with each attack. He bit off a curse. His magic was low, too much had been spent during the nesting and what was left was quickly dwindling with the onslaught. He dared not use the magic from the Acropolis’s heart stone, if this magic leaked into the stone it would be disastrous.  

The magic churned once again, a combination of Arcane and Nature magic that crawled across the stone walls like a living thing. He swiftly placed another Shield on top of the others as a tendril smashed into the outer Shield. The Shield collapsed, its magic only trickling back into the middle Shields. This time he did curse, the thing was absorbing his magic.

He grabbed a dagger from his cloak slashed it across side, the blood sacrifice boosting his magic stores in a bright flare of red. It matched three more along his back and tail, and if he kept on doing this, he would not be able to flee when his Shields… failed. The thing must have sensed his fear for its attacks multiplied shattering two more Shields.

He steadied himself and raised his claws to place another Shield when the last one shattered and a tendril shrieked towards him. He dodged but it doubled back and pierced through his right wing, pinning him to the ground.  He frantically tried to dissipate his form, but he could hear the rustling as more tendrils rose around him in anticipation. It would be too late. 

[lionsongfr]

Crime and Punishment Epilogue

Part 1 / Part 2 /  Part 3 / Part 4  / Part 5

tw: abuse, death, suicidal thoughts

MoonShadow sharply raised her head at the sudden uproar coming from down the corridor. She began to unsheathe her sword as she surged forward, and then stopped a Guardian’s length away from the room entrance to listen closely.

 The sound was that of an Imperial, specifically her mistress MaidenTide, in a great rage and the sobbing of a Skydancer. She would have to be careful. She sheathed her sword, and then began to walk slowly and firmly towards the entrance. At the entrance she announced her presence with a deep bow and a forceful declaration.

“Lady Duchess of the Abyssal Acropolis and ArchPriestess of Tidelord, I stand before thee!”

MoonShadow keep her head low as she sensed the MaidenTide’s attention shift sharply to her, the killing intent rippling down her spines.  A low roar thrummed in the air and roiled into a hiss.

“What doooo you want servanttttttt?”

MoonShadow pulled off the bag from her shoulders and carefully placed the clanging package to the floor with both claws.

“I have done what you have asked of me, my Lady. This is the catch of my nets.”

The air began to cool as the Imperial’s rage dampened.

“Goooddd, rise my servant and bring them to me.”

MoonShadow swiftly rose from her bow and assessed the situation. The Skydancer servant, WillowShade, lay crouching behind MaidenTide. She had a thin trickle of blood dripping down her headfeathers and was quivering, but it looked like she could walk. What emotion to use?  Confidence. She focused on that word, that emotion, and raised her crest feathers upright with a strut. The Skydancer glanced up at her and nodded slightly. She understood. MoonShadow would divert MaidenTide’s attention and she would quietly leave. At least I hope she understand that.

 She raised the package high to MaidenTide with another short bow, and the Imperial ripped the bag from her claws. The Imperial’s voice still hissed as she opened the bag and looked upon the contents.

“Is thisss all of them?”

MoonShadow fanned her wings and bobbed her head, hoping she appeared eager to appease her lady. A show to drag attention away from Willow. 

“Yes my lady, every single bottle was caught and accounted for! Not a single one made it to its predestined clan or in the claw of another.”

She suppressed her battle hardened reactions as a large claw grabbed her by the throat and dragged her to MaidenTide’s face. She would be limp, she would be subservient…and hopefully Willow would get away.

MaidenTide’s voice rasped roughly in her ears. “It better be all of them, and the word of what liesss in them must be kept sssilent… or elssse.”

The Imperial’s claws opened and she landed roughly on the floor. She bowed deeply again with wings outstretch.

“I swear by the Spiral Keep that not one is left wanting and none know of what they hold except you and me. The secrets of this clan stay within this clan.”

She could feel the raking eyes of MaidenTide once again upon her back and she held firm in her bow. MaidenTide slide away from her and she quickly eyed around the chamber and sighed with a small bit of relief. Willow had made her escape out of the room, now to focus on saving her own hide.

Heat and flames roared from a fireplace as MaidenTide poured oil upon the fire. One by one she began to shatter the bottles and consigning the messages within to the fire. The Imperial eyed the writing of one and shook her head. MoonShadow keep her eyes on the floor as a whisper from MaidenTide reached her ears.

“My mate is a fool, a hopeless fool. But even a fool can be dangerous. It is only my love for him that keeps him and this clan safe.”

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

 TideSage raised his head as he viewed out the underwater balcony. A funeral procession took place below his view. Three deepsea barges carrying his children to their final rests. The glow of the pathway orbs caught his eyes. No, not at rest, they shall never be at rest. To have the final sleep and become one with Thousand Currents is something they will never have.

He stifled a keening call in his chest, he had no right to mourn for them, to cry out for them. His body quivered with that need, but he did not deserve such a compassion, not when it had been his hand that had killed them.

His body froze as a hefty claw touched his shoulders. He turned his head briefly to see SeaQueen as the owner before going back to watching the procession. He was not surprised that she had been able to sneak up on him, she was the clan leader, and his mind had been elsewhere. But her presence had disturbed him, and he could feel his muzzle lifting slightly in a snarl.

A small chuckle arose from SeaQueen, and he coughed and bowed his head.

“My apologies, my Queen.”

Her claw lifted from his shoulder as he turned to face her. Her head fins were drooped and tears freely fell down her face.

“Please no honorifics, my friend. I understand your distress, and we are two sailors on the same boat.”

His head dropped again and his jaw tensed as tears sought his eyes.

“I should have died, not them. It should have been my soul keeping the lights of the path alight.”

He gritted his teeth and his ears flattened,

“ME, NOT THEM.”

SeaQueen’s wing curled over his back as he began to shake. Her voice a soft murmur to his quaking sobs,

“My friend, you have the heart of a Guardian. You are no seer, but you must think of the future. What would have happened if you had died in their stead? Who would then stand up to your mate’s mechanisms? Who would maintain the balance of night and day for the clan? Who shall rule the Acropolis with a fair and even claw?”

“And what would I do without you my friend?”

His breath caught in his chest and he snarled out a response,

“Someone else could do it, anyone else could do it. I am just a dragon of many, one droplet in the sea.”

SeaQueen leaned into his body and sighed.

“Aye, aren’t we all? Yet my friend, together we connect and flow. Our actions affect others for good and bad.  And yet…”

“It is cruel of me to remind you of such, when thy pain is thy own. The clan is my Charge, and I feel every pain and grief along with every joy and happiness in my scales. Before I had made my decision in this matter, I had spoken with the seers upon the many flows of the future for my actions. This...this was one of those options that would lead to least destruction. I had known this would lead you to heartbreak, but not to your death.”

A bitter thought rose into his mind and he quelled it. He would not blame SeaQueen for this, he could have changed his fate with own claws if he had acted. He could have stopped this. She had only acted with for the good of the clan, for the good of him. He would get through this, if only for the sake of his own survival.  He turned his head to nuzzle SeaQueen delicately and rose from the ground. He bowed deeply to her.

“SeaQueen, clan leader of the Clan of the Lionfish, I beg a boon from thee.”

SeaQueen rose and raised an eyebrow before raising a fist to her heart.

“What is your boon do you ask for, Duke of the Abyssal Acropolis?”

“I have been remiss in my duties to the Acropolis and as a priest, I beg of thee punishment befitting those crimes.”

“Go visit TideJewel.”

Her immediate response left him at a loss of words. TideJewel? HER?  His whiskers twitched and he shifted his feet in a mix of fear and worry.

“She is more than what you think she is. She will give thee the punishment and the truth you need.”

He looked at SeaQueen with what he hoped was a look of discomfort. A snap of her tail jolted him, and he looked into SeaQueen’s eyes, they shimmered with the glow of the stars upon the night sea. Her voice echoed with her power as water curled around them and he accepted the power with obedience.

“TideSage, as Queen of the Clan of the Lionfish, your actions have been found lacking in the upkeep of your duties as the Lord and Priest of the Abyssal Acropolis. For this you are hereby ordered into the care of TideJewel, who you shall obey and listen to her till she deems you are fit for duty.”

The power caressed his body gently and he sighed at the cool touch of the sea soaked in his scales. He bowed deeply,

“I shall do what you have commanded of me, my Queen.

                     Thank you, my friend.”