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worldofwritingthings · 6 years ago

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Wings of Valor

Prologue

"Bring forth the prisoner!"

A set of huge doors opened wide as two soldiers dragged a man in chains towards the center of the room. The murmuring of the crowd was an appalling roar throughout the auditorium, filled with remarks of disapproval, laughter, and snarling. The guards threw him in the middle of the room - an open, circular area where he could see, among the crowd, five people sitting on a wooden tribune at the end of the room: these renowned individuals were known as the Magisters.

The men and women in charge of passing judgement remained unfazed at the sight of said prisoner; the hatred they felt grew exponentially as one of the soldiers removed the hood from the prisoner's head, revealing a middle aged man wearing a leather restraint mask that covered his mouth. His violet eyes looked at the tribune and turned his head elsewhere sharply just as his heart began to throb in anger. He took a deep breath and hung his head low in an attempt to keep himself from lashing out at them. It didn't work in his favor though.

"Well, well, well," the first of the Magisters spoke bitterly and rose from his seat. He was an old man, not near the age of two hundred years, whom bared the colors of the Roşu Army on his robes and the charm of the Lux Federation. The room fell silent as he continued, "Look what the Avians have brought us - a filthy rat. And a big one, no less."

The prisoner turned his head to the first Magister and snarled. He then tried to pry his mask off, to which the guards grabbed his arms and lifted him on his feet with arduous effort on their part. This made said Magister smile at the display in front of him, his chin rising while his mouth remained mildly agape for a few seconds before closing it.

"I think the rat wants to say a word," he said, turning his head from the prisoner towards his colleagues. "Wouldn't you all agree?"

"Yes," one of them said. It was a middle-aged woman, her skin marked with bright runes and completely hairless. The expression on her face was a combination of disappointment and bias as she glanced at the prisoner in the eyes without a single blink. She waved her hand in front of her and commanded, "Let him speak."

The mask disappeared from the prisoner's mouth and he was dropped again on the floor. He licked his lips a few times, hissing slightly at the taste of iron embedded on his tongue through the cuts that the mask made; he then looked back at the Magisters and spoke, "You are wasting your time with this nonsensical method of interrogation. There's no way you'll make me talk."

"Oh, I disagree with that," the first Magister said, sitting back down to his chair and glaring at him. "We have all the time in the world we need to hear the lies that shall come out of your mouth, filthy rat."

The second Magister stood up from her chair and rang a bell, a gesture symbolizing the start of a trial. She addressed the present crowd as she spoke loudly, "People of the Luna District, we gather here today to pass judgement on Frederic Casi, former Baron and Sage of the Solis Enclave, now a traitor of the Federation. The following crimes committed by his treason are murder, espionage, pillaging, conspiracy, trafficking, evasion of arrest, racketeering, among others. The Council will now hear the prisoner's defense on the charges that have been imposed on him."

"What, you mean like beg for my life?" Frederic said, disgust laced in his voice. "Ha! I never begged to anyone in my life and I won't start now. You wretched hags and codgers can stick it all the way up your bottoms and like it."

The crowd roared in protest at the insult they heard, forcing the guards to summon a stave around the empty space as few Mages attempted to reach the man in shackles, some with their wands, staffs or knives at hand. The Magisters frowned in utter disapproval at said man's remark and the reaction of the denizens as the Alban Royal Guard dragged them back through the railings by force, a method that did little to no effect pacify the masses.

"ORDER! ORDER!!" A third Magister spoke, his frail body rising slowly from his chair as he banged his staff on the floor with tremendous force that sent a message of obedience. The crowd, while returning to their provided spaces, regained their composure as he continued shouting, "ANY FURTHER VIOLENT OUTBURST WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THE PRESENCE OF THIS COUNCIL! DESIST THIS INSTANT!”

As the auditorium fell silent by the Magister’s words, Frederic barked a fit of laughter, earning the attention of everyone attending there. He looked up again and spoke between snickers, “You-You really have lost your sense of resilience, eh? Ah, typical of the Magisters: give them power over the denizens, and they’ll soften right up! AH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!!!”

“SILENCE!” A fourth Magister commanded, teleporting and giving Frederic a hard slap on the face as a warning to obey their command. Her eyeless face glimmered under the sunlight as she spoke, “Our resilience has never wavered us in times of peace and in times of war, and it will certainly not start now. Especially after your attempted insurgency against the Federation.”

“Oh, my sweet pea, that is where you’re wrong,” Frederic said. He stood up from the ground and turned towards the crowd, hands and feet still shackled together, as he spoke loudly, “You can all think that your precious Council can offer safety for you and your families; you can all think that they are capable to maintain peace with their neighbors for another century or two; you can all think that they can ward off any threat of invasion by the blessing of the Ancient Ones. But I can tell you all that you are wrong.” Another laugh escaped from his mouth as he continued, ”You are all insignificant worms who worship meaningless beings in the hopes of gaining blissful pleasure! YOU SHOULD ALL BE WIPED OUT LIKE THE DOGS YOUR KIND IS!! YOU AND YOUR PITIFUL DEMOCRATIC WAYS!!!”

Everyone remained in terrified silence as Frederic began to succumb slowly into madness, his knees trembling with every cackle leaving his throat until they could hold him no more and forced him to sit down on the floor. The Magisters interchanged glances with one another, their facial expressions presenting signs of worry as Frederic kept going, “WHY SHOULD THE MASSES BE GIVEN THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN LEADERS WHEREAS AN INDIVIDUAL CAN OBTAIN IMMENSE POWER FOR THEMSELF?! THE BEST WAY TO RULE OVER A POPULACE IS THROUGH FEAR AND WAR! NOT SOLIDARITY AND PEACE!”

The first Magister had enough of this affront and spoke, “And for that, you chose to betray not only our people but us too, as well as our allies? ALL OF THIS FOR POWER?!”

“We should’ve known better than to trust you after all these years, Frederic,” the fourth Magister spoke, teleporting back to the tribune in a blink of an eye. Her face grimaced as she remarked, “Only a fool would pursue such madness the world doesn’t ever need.”

Frederic glared at the Magister, his laughter replaced with a growl as he continued, “A FOOL SUCH AS YOURSELF WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND THE TRUE MECHANIZATIONS OF THIS WORLD! WHAT IT TRULY WANTS AND NEEDS! THAT POWER COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR GREATER PURPOSES AND YOU ALL SQUANDER IT AWAY WITH EMPATHY!! I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT ANY LONGER!!!”

The final Magister sighed deeply, taking into account the motive that drove him to rebel against his people and the aftermath that incurred once the coup was thwarted off. Her eyes glimmered in bright blue as she glanced at her colleagues, discussing the sentence of the accused through telepathy. Moments later, she stood up from her seat and directed her eyes to meet the prisoner’s as she spoke in profound voice, “Frederic Casi, for your crimes against the people of the Lux Federation and of the Central Abyss as a whole, this Council hereby sentences you to death.” She rang the same bell, signaling the masses that the verdict has been given. She addressed the guards and spoke, “Take him away to the Inanis District this instant.”

The guards obeyed her command and began to drag the prisoner outside the auditorium once more. Before they left, however, Frederic spoke, “You may kill me now but let me tell you one thing that I’m certain of: this doesn’t end with my insurgency. This is the beginning of your downfall.” He then began to laugh more loudly as he kept saying, “SAVOR THIS SMALL VICTORY WHILE YOU STILL CAN! MANY THINGS HAVE BEEN SET INTO MOTION IN CASE I FAILED MY PART!! YOU SHALL ALL SEE THE ERROR OF YOUR WAYS!!! HAHAHAHA!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAAA~!!!!”

As soon as he finished talking, the guards opened the doors and dragged him out of the building, never to be seen ever again as the giant doors slipped closed once more. The auditorium had an unnerving silence as the Magisters, upon hearing those words, tried to make sense of what the prisoner spoke of.

And pondered what it all meant for them.

(Translations: Roşu = Red; Luna = Moon; Solis = Sun; Lux = Light; Alb/Alban = White; Inanis = Void)

Tag List: @romanthewriter @sixstepsaway @ninjamidnight @faireladypenumbra @somewhat-honest-abe (Sorry for the long wait; please tell me if you wish to be tagged on the chapters.)

#novel series: wings of valor #story: wings of valor #creative writing #my writing #ocs #original #chapter

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susan-gampre · 7 years ago

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Foolish Lovers

The following story is a collab effort between @tomen-dawes and myself!

Mentioned: @renlavaye

Mood

With the swift leave of Eilithe and Kurel, Susan was left in the wake of a very tense Ren and an equally confused Tomen.

Perhaps it was just her, but she could sense it... She could feel his disappointment, Ren's, practically radiating from his person. She could see bulges of veins pronounced against his skin, restraining himself from what she would think to be lashing out at her. This entire week she had been feeling quite as she did now, completely selfish. Acting like a juvenile, not trusting in her confidants to help her in making decisions, just... Acting without thinking.

And now she was paying the price.

Quietly Susan downcasts her gaze, a frown etched onto her lips. The gesture did not go unnoticed, however, as Tomen slowly reaches to squeeze the woman's shoulder, his tone smothered in concern, "Somethin' wrong?"

Ren looked over his shoulder, tense as he mutters, "So many things Tomen," before leaving the office, slamming the door in his wake.

"... I don't like the sound of tha'--," Tomen turns and squeezes the woman's hand, aiming to comfort her, "What 'appened now?"

What happened...

What happened? She was a foolhardy girl pretending she possessed the intelligence and experience to survive these fucking games, that's what happened.

Susan simply closes her eyes, a sheepish smile twisting her lips,

"Preserving the Brothel while we still can has led me to make some unsavory business deals. Ones that... Wont necessarily gain us anything but support and alliances. Does little good now," she acknowledges quietly, "But in the long run could be our saving grace."

Visibly the bartender's lips weigh into a frown, his brow knitting as he listens to her sounding so... resigned. Moving in front of the madam, he squats some to bring himself eye-level with her, and takes both her hands in his, his voice soft as he muses to her, "Oi.. ye know what ye should do? Cut 'em all checks and then run away with me to a cabin in the woods or some shit." She, for a moment, damned his existence for being so absurd... It was a dream, something to wish and wanted for, surely-- And then it registered that he was only trying to distract her.

Thus, Susan let forth a timid chuckle, clearly amused with the fellow. Though the longer she stares into his eyes the more aware she becomes that... Maybe he isn't joking. Thus she'd frown, her brows knitting together, "A cabin in the woods? Like... For a weekend?"

Tomen smirks some and rolls a shoulder in an unsure sure, "Maybe? Or maybe if things get too 'ot around 'ere, and not in a good way, it could be longer, yeah?" Callused fingers wrapped around her hands tighter, and gave them each a tight squeeze - tight enough she might feel a bit of pain, but pain that was short lived.

She tenses beneath his stare, her gaze widening-- be it in astonishment of his honesty or frozen in pain by his squeeze, it is unsure. But either way her breath has hitched in her throat, her cheeks begun to fluster from a lack of oxygen.

Frowning deeply, his head ducked for a moment, eyes cast at the ground between them before he exhaled a sigh and lifted it to stare her down with some determination set within, "If somethin' 'appened to ye, Susan, or yer baby... I'd fuckin' lose it."

"You would?" she sounds doubtful, reasonably uncertain with his claim. Many times men have promised and sworn that they would love her unconditionally. So many times she had been told to fall back, that they would catch her and never let her fall only to be given a sharp reminder of reality when her backside would bruise after smacking the ground, their arms have never left their side in a feign that they had tried to help her naive self... She had been lied to before. She had loved so many times before, and been hurt over and over again-- But there was... Something in his eyes that she never saw in the others. Thus she did not immediately rip from his arms and high tail it screeching.

Returning to reality she comes to acknowledge as Tomen grunts, his stormy hues narrowing to near slits as he detects that doubt in her voice.

"Course I bloody would. I'd be a fuckin' dead man, 'cause nothin' else would stop me from goin' after anyone who 'armed ye." As his words went on, a growl built and spilled out with them, voice going guttural.

Susan would merely lean forward to rest her forehead against his own in a display of nonverbal comfort, her eyes fluttering shut midst tightening her hold around his hands in return-- though her squeezes are much more gentle. When her brow comes to rest against his, he exhales slowly to steady himself, and a bit of seriousness faded in favor of a small crooked smirk.

After a handful of moments of silence she murmurs, "We may just have to play it safe for the remaining months. So... A cabin in the woods... Doesn't sound too bad, actually."

Teasing, he voices, "Ye'd get right sick of me quick but.. 'least I know 'ow t' live in the woods."

"I could always just resort to kicking you outside to sleep in the dog house when you piss me off," Susan smiles impishly, quick to change the topic, eager to stave off that... butterfly feeling that arose when he showed genuine care. Nothing frightened her more than that effect.

"Ye can't kick me out if I walk out first!" Tomen grins wider.

In a grand show the smaller woman widens her eyes and shoves his hands away in a dramatic show, all qualms and wariness from beforehand dispelled, vibrancy returning to her person. She'd grow to be quite animated, indulging him with a teasing tone, "You'd -abandon- your pregnant girlfriend in the woods? All by her lonesome, just storm out?! Oh!" She scoffs, twisting around in her chair, "The absolute -gall-!"

Tomen leaned back and flailed his arms about, "Aye! I WOULD!"

Try as he might, he couldn't contain his amusement, eyes crinkled and lips wide, flashing his teeth. The barkeep's voice lowered conspiratorially after a pause, and he added while cutting her a sidelong dangerous squint, ".... and then I'd prolly’ sneak in through a back door or window and scare the shit outta ye."

Susan parts her lips and scrunches her nose, confounded by these claims.

"Ohhh! You are evil incarnate!" She accuses him!

"Muahahaha! Ye'll never see it comin'--!" The man tosses his head back, causing his greasy mane to whip with, and cackles like a maddened fiend.

"Don't start whimpering and whining when I chain you up outside for being such a naughty thing... Scary poor, defenseless women-- Bahh! What ever did I see in you?!"

Snorting at her threat, his head rolled back and he beamed like the doofus he was. Shaking his head, he went for her hands again, this time more cautious with the squeeze he gave them.

Still, with a light chuckle, he muttered, "I'm serious though, Suze. If uh.. ye know, aside from the baby, ye need any more motivation to get through the next months -alive-... well... ye better, so that way I'll be able to ask ye to marry me."

Susan smiles in the meanwhile of admiring the way his hands completely engulfed her own, that is until his last statement registered.

Now normally... She would stiffen. She would gasp, or laugh in good humor like a woman giggling at a joke. But instead of her normal response to such a milestone, she lifts her gaze to hold his own and... Smiles. A breathtakingly beautiful smile.

"Well... Between you and I, I have been looking into some real estate here in Pandaria. Find me a handsome little single family home somewhere in the Valley, or the mountains..."

Tomen was even surprised she didn't make some mean little quip, or shove at him, or even outright laugh in his face. Even if she had, he would have known she hadn't meant it, but for her to take his words to heart immediately had his thick brows inching upward. Cocking his head like a canine, he gave a thoughtful hum before rumbling, "As long as it's got a place for a garden, I don't give a shit where."

The little woman scrunches her nose up and teases, "And what makes you think you'll be invited to stay around there, huh? I don't need you hiking a leg and marking your territory everywhere!"

Perhaps what she loved about him most was how animated he was, like in this moment when he leans back and stares her down threateningly, though his impish grin dispels any thought that he genuinely was upset, "Ye better watch out, love, or I'll mark my territory on ye!"

"I'm not into watersports, love," the Madam guffaws loudly.

"Then that's too bad for ye, isn't it?!"

His quick remark momentarily stuns her, her eyes widened before she groans and opens both of her palms, dramatically wagging her hands in an effort to shake his off, "No," she whines, "Baby, please no! That's simply gross-- You're nesteh," she mucks up the term 'nasty'.

Tomen throws his head back again and howls in laughter. "Course I'm nasty! ... which reminds me." Picking his head up, a cheeky grin spread and he gave a big shrug with his stout shoulders before leaning forward to grip at her skirt, giving it light, annoying tugs, "Ye still owe me a bath. Alban said so."

She dramatically thrusts herself forth, rising to her feet with a soft, "Hmmph--! -Fine-..," she huffs, "But not because I want to!"

Tomen hops up to his feet and starts to awkwardly sway his hips side to side, and by sway it's probably more like jerking back and forth. Hands roughly smooth down his chest before he starts tugging his flannel shirt from his pants, and then outright rips it open, causing a few buttons to fire across the room and ping against the walls and a random vase. Susan flinched and squinted in an effort to protect her eyes when buttons went a flyin', her nose wrinkled in mock disgust as she watched the fellow wiggle and jiggle in ways that were... Absolutely unflattering for him.

He grins like a fool and tries to talk in his deepest, more ridiculously sexy tone, "Ye sure ye don't want yer 'ands all over -this-?"

Eventually, she lifts a hand, closing her eyes fully and sighing out a, "Just... Baby, please. Leave the sexy to me from here on out."

#Sumen #The Foolish Madam

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tipsycad147 · 5 years ago

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Yule, known as the Winter Solstice, Mōdraniht (or Mother’s Night), Alban Arthur, marks the longest night of the year. The Solstices are probably some of the oldest holy days celebrated by our species and monuments from around the ancient world were built to align with the sun on these sacred days. It’s a time to gather together in the warmth of each other’s good company and remember that we are interdependent with all life and death on earth. Continuing a project started at Lughnasadh, here’s a list of nine things that you might-do (or not) for Yule and the deepest dark of the year.

Extend the season for less pressure and more cheer. The winter holidays in many parts of the world are times for family reunions, harkening back to our ancestral impulse to gather together with kith and kin to make it through the season. It can be a lot of pressure to try and host everyone on one single day - so don’t. In my household, our Yule season comes to life slowly, really beginning to grow bright starting on the first of three Thursdays from Christmas (aka Knocking Night). For me an extended season of celebration helps me feel that I’ll time for company and time for cosying up under the blankets, the moon hound at my feet, a good book in my hands, and a cup of tea chortling beside me.

Tell stories aloud. Whether reading from your favourite book or making up a story from scratch, the long nights are ripe for the harvesting of stories. We are wired for storytelling and listening to a story is a unique sort of magick that can’t be replicated by solo reading or watching movies. Bonus points for telling a story only by candlelight.

Make your own decorations. You don’t have to make all of your decorations, but there is something very sweet (and very Pagan) when it comes to creating your own decorations from items from nature. Homemade decorations made from earth-centred materials help bring us closer to the world rather than separate us from it. Whether making pomanders, cutting out citrus stars to string about a tree, creating recycled paper chains, or bringing in evergreen boughs to decorate a room, festooning our house can take on the same spirit as dressing an altar.

Celebrate what you already have. From decorations that you’ve bringing out for years to using the same holiday recipe that’s been handed down through generations, practice gratefulness for what you already have in your life - and ones that are specific for the season. Of course, you can expand your gratefulness to all areas of your life, but it can be really helpful to get grateful about the particularities of your life that make the winter joyful - it can act as a buffer against the “must-have!” pressures of the culture at large.

If you buy new, buy small. I recently wrote about the profoundly positive impact shopping small can have on small business owners like myself. If you are going to purchase new items this year, support your locally owned businesses. Second choice would be to support your global network of small business creators. I can’t tell you how many times I am filled with gratefulness (and relief) when an order comes in at the right time and I am able to pay a bill, buy groceries, and continue to run my business. I try and support little and local more often than big and corporate and it pleases me greatly knowing that so many folks are participating in this powerful spell of interdependence and resilience.

Make sun-shaped foods. As the sun wanes until its weakest point at the Winter Solstice, practising a bit of sympathetic magick can not only help remind the big gaseous star in the sky that we like it very much, thank you, but also bring cheer to those of us waiting again for warmer days. Cakes and bread can all be shaped into little suns and shared at the festival tables and golden coloured drinks can warm us up from the inside out. Create your own candles. I like to make candles during the Yule season to use for the rest of the year, blessing them at the fire festival of Imbolc. Candlemaking can be a time to meditate on the ways that each of us are a candle in the dark - when we gather together our illumination and warmth grows - and how we care for and tend to the needs of our brightness and the brightness of others throughout the year.

Honour the Wild Hunt. Depending on your cultural orientation, there are many myths surrounding the Wild Hunt and ways of understanding Their work and purpose. One of the important functions of the Wild Hunt for me is that They are the wild-hearted crew which never forgets the names of the forgotten dead and those who have died too soon. In my personal cosmology They are the protectors and seekers of the Queer and Trans dead, bringing them home to peace on billowing clouds of stardust and cackles. They come to land on earth on Yule, after a season of sweeping over the land finding all the lost souls that They love so fiercely, bringing the Beloved and Forgotten Dead to the feasting table for the twelve long nights of Yule, moving on again at the end of December. Set a place at the table for Them, place candles in the windows, and wish swift passage to a place of rest and joy for those departed. In the long passages of dark it is good to remember that there exists a great many Someones who’ll never forget who we are.

Sing Together. It doesn’t have to be fancy, you don’t have to worry about being in tune, and it requires nothing but your presence and few simple songs, but singing with others is so good for us. Singing is an endorphin-releasing practice and when we sing together we are practising feeling good with one another. It isn’t a coincidence that so many of our movements for change have been held together with song (here’s a really dramatic and inspiring example) and so many moments of passage in our lives are marked by song (i.e. singing at birthday parties). Songs are a great way to pass on knowledge (modern Pagans do it all the time with our vast collection of ritual chants) and to be sweet and silly with others. There are so many songs for the Yule season that there is surely one that you can find joy singing with others as you sip a hot beverage and light candles for the glittering Hunt.

I’ve written a lot about winter and staying well - from building your winter apothecary to healing and magickal practices of the season. I’ve made a tarot spread for the season and shared a tea or two as well.

However your Yule season unfolds I hope that it brings you closer to the source of love in your life in the many ways that it manifests. That your merry and bright is enduring and ephemeral, sustaining and also open to the magick of a passing flash.

wortsandcunning.com/blog

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tinybibmpreg · 6 years ago

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Day 65 // ft. Maura, Oliver & Alban, and Lord Teigen & Ashara

#51 / Tickets

“Calm down! You’re scaring me!” Maura cried, near tears. Oliver dropped the pipe he was holding and turned to her. He panted, hands trembling. Looking down at the ground, he could see that he was standing in a shallow puddle of blood. His sandals were thick enough that it wasn’t touching his feet, which he was grateful for. His bearer had told him that blood from other people was dirty, and could get him sick, that any blood was a hassle to clean up.

Since he and his brother were always so ill and often coughed up blood, Oliver was certain that his bearer knew what he was talking about.

Their attacker lay dead at his feet, and Oliver didn’t bother to wonder why Maura hadn’t been afraid of him killing them. No doubt her master’s clan had killed many people in front of her as she grew. But her master’s clan had a code of honor, and hitting the corpse until it was nothing but a mess of gore was frowned upon. They held respect for the dead and their bodies.

Oliver’s people did as well, but he was a frightened child protecting his infant brother and their companion, so he did not follow the honorable path.

Still, he turned to the human girl and apologized sincerely. “I’m sorry I frightened you. I got carried away. I shouldn’t have.”

“It… It’s alright. He did surprise us.”

His brother whimpered, and Oliver quickly went to Maura’s side to peer at the baby. “How’s Alban?”

“He’s fine. I guess all that yelling woke him up. He’s cranky when he’s woken up, huh?”

Oliver nodded. “Yes. Our bearer says it runs in the family, though it skipped me.”

“Oh. I always wake easy. I find it difficult to fall asleep. I guess we should be grateful that Alban falls asleep so easy…”

He hadn’t gotten more than a few hours of sleep since he’d found his brother being stolen from his crib. His bearer had told him it was his reptilian instinct refusing to allow him to let down his guard when he was in danger. Oliver had whined and said his human half didn’t care about instinct, it needed sleep. At the time, his bearer had chuckled softly, and pulled him onto his lap to help him fall asleep. Oliver doubted his bearer would find it funny now that his half human physiology was starting to affect him even more negatively.

After killing a pursuer, he needed to rest, but couldn't. They had to get far away, find help.

Maura put a hand on his shoulder. “Oliver? Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t believe him, but didn’t say anything about it. “We have to keep moving. If we don’t get to the river by midnight, we’ll miss the ferry ride, and have to survive a whole nother day in the city.”

“I need to get rid of my sandals. They’re ruined.”

“There’s a dump up the street that we’re going to walk by. You can toss them in there.”

The ferry was neutral ground, and Oliver could have cried with relief as they paid for three tickets and got on board. The price for the tickets varied from person to person. Since Alban was a baby, they allowed Maura to pay his fare. Oliver handed over his sash to the masked person selling tickets, and Maura gave a sun shaped earring, along with both of her servant armbands.

Before they were handed their tickets, the person hooked the earring to the side of their mask, put the armbands on like bracelets, and wrapped the sash a few times around their head. They adjusted the earring, and gave Oliver all three tickets. He gave Maura hers and Alban’s tickets, and the three of them stepped onto the large boat.

Their tickets showed that the three of them were to be seated near the front of the boat, on the top level. People stared at them as they walked up the stairs, and Oliver knew that they were staring at him and his brother more than they were staring at Maura. She looked like any other servant girl, but he and his brother were not only Reptilian, but hybrids. Oliver was a partial albino chimera, and Alban was completely albino.

They reached the top of the boat, where there were cots and baskets of food laid out so they could look up through the glass dome atop of the ferry at the stars. After finding their designated area, Oliver was glad to see that there was a bassinet instead of a third cot for Alban. Two stones with heat charms on them were in the center of the little circle, along with their food basket and a container of water.

Settling down, he and Maura ate and drank. She gave Alban some water and soft food, and then let Oliver rock him to sleep. He laid his brother down in the bassinet, and put one of the stones next to him. Maura laid down on her cot, and Oliver took his place on his, pulling the other stone into his arms.

He fell asleep easier than he had in weeks, his stress gone for the night.

When Lord Teigen stepped up to the ticket booth for the ferry the next night, he was immediately taken aback by the sight of the seller. For as long as he’d known the crew of the ferry, they’d all worn the same uniform, a long black cloak and a white mask with large horns and a skull-like face.

They wore his clan’s servant armbands on their wrists, and a familiar silver earring on their mask.

“I need tickets for myself, my servant, and my entourage.” He handed them a bag of jewels. They took it and cooed.

His servant finally looked up at the seller. “That- that’s my daughter’s earring!”

“Quiet,” he hissed at her.

“Teigen, that’s Maura’s earring…” she whispered back, eyes wide. “Why is it wearing it?”

“Payment for a ticket. It’s the only thing of value she had.” Though it didn’t explain why the seller had her armbands as well. Perhaps she still had the hybrid baby with her. Without her earring, it would make tracking the two much harder.

Even quieter, she said, “That was her most treasured item… I can’t believe she would give it away…”

Teigen looked around, and then asked the seller, “How much would you want for the earring?”

“What are you willing to offer?” a cacophony of whispering voices asked.

Whatever it takes, he wanted to say. Instead, he replied, “Any reasonable price you ask for.”

They heard what he said within, and pointed down towards the ground. His servant looked at him in confusion, but he understood what the cost was. He rolled up his pant leg until he could unstrap his prosthetic leg. He pulled it off and placed it on the counter. A hundred different cackles rang in his ears as the seller took it and tucked it behind the counter. They removed the earring and armbands, and handed them to his servant. She quickly tucked them into her pocket.

He used his servant and his cane as support, and tickets in hand, made his way back to his entourage to pass out the tickets.

#oblio's fics #original #Maura (WRiE)#Oliver (WRiE)#Alban (WRiE)#Lord Teigen Cosmos #Ashara Spades #What's Right in Exchange

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writingrx · 8 years ago

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A gaggle of geese, a paddling of ducks, a chattering of chicks. What are your favorite collective nouns for birds and other animals? Here are 172 to consider.

Colorful expressions for collective groupings of life’s creatures have been used for centuries and they still have their place as useful metaphors and similes in what we say and write. Wikipedia lists 172 (see A-Z sampling (no X) below). Many were first published in the 1486 “Book of St. Albans,” in an essay on hunting attributed to Dame Juliana Barnes. Many were chosen simply for the humorous or poetic images they conjure up. A lovely, more contemporary book on the subject is James Lipton’s – he of “Inside the Actor’s Studio” fame – 1993 “An Exaltation of Larks.”

1. Apes come in groups called a shrewdness or troop 2. Buzzards come in groups called a wake 3. Crows come in groups called a murder, horde, parcel or storytelling 4. Debutants come in groups called a bevy or soir��e 5. Emus come in groups called a mob 6. Flamingoes come in groups called a stand, or flamboyance 7. Goldfish come in groups called a glint or troubling 8. Hyenas come in groups called a cackle 9. Insects come in groups called a rabble or plague 10. Jellyfish come in groups called a smack or brood 11. Koalas come in groups called a cling 12. Lapwings come in groups called a deceit 13. Mice come in groups called a mischief or nest 14. Nightingales come in groups called a watch 15. Opossums come in groups called a grin 16. Peacocks come in groups called a muster, ostentation or pride 17. Quail come in groups called a Bevy, covey 18. Raccoons come in groups called a gaze 19. Starlings come in groups called a murmuration or chattering 20. Turtle Doves come in groups called a pitying or piteousness 21. Unicorns come in groups called a blessing 22. Vultures come in groups called a venue or kettle 23. Wombats come in groups called a wisdom 24. Yellow Jackets come in groups called a colony 25. Zebras come in groups called a crossing, zeal, cohorts, or herd

I just made this up: A languor of ladybugs. Apropos writing: A lunacy of linguists.

#chattering of chicks #collective nouns for animals #what's your favorite?

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