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blossom-hwa · 3 years

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so I joined an ateez collab yesterday and was yelling to mai about a possible elemental kingdom au kind of like avatar but also not really anyway it doesn’t fucking matter mai was yelling back and now we have this. you have been warned

(I have bigger plans for seonghwa mostly because he’s the one I'm writing for this collab.............. seonghwa brainrot commence)

tagging: @applejongho @mangomingki @wingkkun because all of you need to see this SUFFER

anyway without further ado

ATEEZ ELEMENTAL KINGDOM AU OR WHATEVER IDK WHAT TO CALL THIS

tw: cursing

seonghwa

magma prince, born of an earth/water dalliance gone too far :/

lives in the water but is an outcast, so he’s forced to live on his own by the underwater volcanoes except when he has to come to the palace for ceremonies and such

doesn’t really manipulate water specifically but can control magma hence why I'm calling him a magma prince

he’s a prince because his mom was ocean royalty, anyway she disowned him so we don’t really care about her (fuck everyone who made seonghwa feel like an outcast :/)

has scales on parts of his body like the rest of the ocean dwellers because they descended from sea serpents, his range from black to deep royal blue which INFURIATES the court because those colors are the purest meant for ROYALTY like even his mom’s scales aren’t as deep/pure as seonghwa’s so ha in your FACE

except seonghwa isn’t a fan of the scales because it just makes him feel even more like he doesn’t belong in his own skin :///

friends with fire prince hongjoong and ocean prince san, both of whom are some of the few who treat seonghwa like an actual person and not just an outcast :/

takes very good care of the animals who live around the volcanic vents! a lot of the other ocean dwellers are scared of them because they look so different but seonghwa knows what it’s like to be an outcast so he keeps his little area as clean and welcoming as possible :)

it gets lonely around the volcanoes but honestly seonghwa prefers that over when he has to be at court for ceremonies n stuff. like yeah there might be water snakes around his place but they’re nothing compared to the snakes in the palace badum tss

hongjoong

fire prince of the dragon clan

there are two clans of the fire kingdom, one descended from dragons and the other descended from phoenixes, and they’re Rivals

dragon clan is allied with the ocean dwellers since sea serpents are related to dragons, phoenix clan is allied with the air dwellers because they all can fly n stuff

but anyway more on phoenix stuff in mingi’s part

has scales too, though his are more on the neck while seonghwa’s around around his ribs/waist, also they’re bright red/orange not blue

can produce and control dragon fire, which is destructive and primarily used for offense, so hongjoong’s been trained for an early age how to use it for max power/destruction

meets seonghwa on one of the few times hwa comes to the surface to chill in the sun and he’d just accidentally set fire to a small part of the beach and when he sees hwa he’s like HELP ME PUT THIS OUT

except hwa can’t control water he can only do magma so. yeah

san was nearby though and helped deal with it and later joong was like what the fuck kind of ocean dweller can’t control water and seonghwa was like. I'm half you dickwad

obviously they become friends after that. if they didn’t I'd give you permission to slap my face

but also after that hongjoong learns to keep a much tighter rein on his powers, like yes he’s being trained for destruction but he has masterful control over his abilities

could be considered a fire prodigy in all honesty

yunho

earth boy!! very powerful earth bender

can definitely do a lot of destruction with his powers but prefers to help things grow instead! talks to his garden and swears up and down that his plants grow bigger and taller when he does

good friends with both mingi of the phoenix clan and hongjoong of the dragon clan

earth dwellers aren’t allied with any side of the fire rivalry so they serve as the arbiters/judges when disputes come into place which is fair because earth is solid and stable and just (most of the time)

which is why yunho is able to balance this sort of friendship between the two boys :) does NOT meet with them together though that would be a recipe for disaster (not necessarily because of hongjoong/mingi themselves, they know how to behave, but the neurotic clan elders would throw a hissy fit)

runs a small restaurant in the capital that mostly caters to the working class, people always ask why yunho doesn’t try to do “more” with himself, that he’s wasted potential running a restaurant when he could potentially be a general or something in the army because of his earth bending prowess

but yunho doesn’t care, he’s happy where he is and he develops his bending as a way to protect and help himself and others, and from his friendship with hongjoong/mingi he’s pretty sure he wants to avoid clashing with earth royalty at all costs ksjndksjh

yeosang

air prince :) also he’s blond in this au you can’t change my mind

not particularly one of the strongest benders, but he’s very intelligent and wise which people value a little less than they should but yeosang doesn’t really care, he’s just going with it

imagine! yeosang in flows white robes!! floating on the wind!!!

yes air dwellers can fly sobs because they control the wind

and while yeosang isn’t necessarily the greatest at using his powers for fighting or whatever, he’s very good at flying and has a lot of fun with it along with air noble wooyoung

best friends with wooyoung by the way, no one really gets it because yeosang is quieter and doesn’t yell as much while wooyoung is the definition of Chaos

but wooyoung brings out the rowdy side in yeosang and their screams/yells echo in the air when they get together

a little wary of wooyoung’s friendship with san mostly because he’s a prince and understands the consequences of wooyoung, an air noble, being friends with the allies of their supposed enemy (water is allied with the dragon clan)

(maybe he’s a little jealous too)

but in the end it’s always still woo + yeosang against the world, floating in the sky and doing what they can for their people <3

san

WATER PRINCE WATER PRINCE WATER PRINCE

he’s actually the reason I birthed this au I couldn’t get ocean prince san out of my mind

flowy clothes and a crown of shells and pearls! likes shiny things and will trade with earth dweller merchants for new bits of crystal and jewelry!! tell me he isn’t a dream!!!

one of the beloved princes of the ocean, honestly probably the most loved because he’s so smiley and handsome and all around a very good boy until it’s his turn to perform the ceremonial dances and he turns into a demon

the brightest blue scales run up from his waist to his ribs, another one of the purest colors of royalty

uses his status to get away with being friends with seonghwa (aka people won’t yell at him if it’s obvious he disappeared for a while to the volcanic vents) but keeps their friendship kind of under wraps because hwa is afraid of retaliation when he has to visit the court :/

truly does not give a shit about hwa being half earth, if anything kind of envies it because he’s always curious to explore the volcanic trenches but as a normal ocean dweller the heat would be too much for him if he stayed too long

kinda scared of the animals near the trenches but he warms up to them after some periodic visits

friends with air noble wooyoung! even though it’s kind of (?) breaking alliances but neither of them really cares because they’re so much fun together :D

mingi

phoenix nobility, not quite a prince but close

phoenix fire has defensive and healing properties, so it can’t actually burn people but it can heal and protect from dragon fire/regular fire!

mingi is well-versed in the art of healing even though he’s a little clumsy sometimes :/ luckily phoenix fire doesn’t burn or there’d be major issues skjnsdkjh

can fly! phoenix descendants have a limited ability to fly, not as much as the air dwellers who can literally control the wind to help them, but it’s often enough to get them out of tight spots

only problem is mingi doesn’t like to fly very much skjndgjhn heights kinda suck

but when he does it’s fucking majestic, these orange flaming wings extending from his arms that clash beautifully with his red/orange hair

imagine seeing it at sunset oh my god that’s a dream

the phoenix and dragon clans are in negotiation with each other most of the time because ~hostilities~ but mingi doesn’t often participate in the direct talking because he’s better at working behind the scenes

ridiculously smart and likes to debate with yunho over things because seeing issues from a neutral perspective is very helpful and something mingi doesn’t think people do enough

what he’d really love to do is talk to hongjoong because an opposite perspective would be even better, but people don’t like that happening :/

secretly admires dragon fire because it’s so cool how dragon descendants can control so much destructive power with such ease

(he doesn’t know it but hongjoong admires phoenix fire just as much because god damn sometimes he wishes he was born to heal rather than destroy)

wooyoung

air noble!!!!! bitch if you thought I was making this man ANYTHING but an air dweller you do not know me

likes to watch the sunrise from his vantage point in the mountains :) sometimes wakes yeosang up to watch with him but only when he’s certain yeo won’t cut off a limb if he does skndjsgh

if yeosang is like the soft sea breeze against your face in the summer, wooyoung is the biting, almost playful nip of wind against your nose and cheeks in the winter

very playful! loves to make collect friends!!

can play the flute and absolutely 100% uses it to annoy said friends

you can often hear his screeching laughter and the yells of yeosang + others bouncing off the mountains skjdnsgk

is always on duty for patrolling the mountains because he’s one of the best at flying, but it’s fine because wooyoung enjoys being able to make his rounds and talk to people along the way

sometimes gets a little sidetracked with talking (and maybe eating the food people sometimes give him) but wooyoung is a lovable person no one can get mad at him for too long (which is a problem because he knows it)

thinks the rivalries between elements is dumb af, is literally friends with ocean prince san and earth dwellers 2ho and would like to make friends with mingi (yunho has mentioned him before) if he could just stop being in twenty places all at once

(mingi’s a busy guy wooyoung give him a break)

almost lost his shit when san told him he knew a magma controller, but hasn’t met seonghwa yet because hwa is shy and not very open to strangers

anyway I just think wooyoung air noble who has a personal mission to make as many inter-elemental friends as possible. shrugs

jongho

IF YOU TRY AND TELL ME THIS BOY ISN’T EARTH I WILL CLOCK YOU

earth boy and a prodigy at that! his bending is more advanced than some people twice his age

originally got stuck in training for the army because his bending was just that good, however he really hated having to use his powers solely for fighting so he left and became a blacksmith instead

why a blacksmith? here’s a secret

jongho can metalbend

which is why he sort of has this very good touch with metals and which types to use with which sorts of crafts

in very high demand for weapons like swords and such, but also makes jewelry and toys and pots and pans for regular day to day life

he also gets the “wasted potential” thing that yunho deals with a lot, but jongho has thick skin and those sorts of comments roll of his (broad) shoulders very quickly

LOATHES IT when generals and officials come to him with commissions and expect them to be done first and foremost like jongho doesn’t have around ten other projects hanging out in the background, but he just has to receive them with a smile

(maybe leaves a tiny unnoticeable dent in a general’s sword or something bc even if it’s unnoticeable, jongho knows it’s there and there’s some satisfaction in that)

friends with air noble wooyoung mostly because he is able to deal with woo’s bs, air prince yeosang is always asking for tips

meets yunho through wooyoung and 2ho strike up a nice friendship!

really just jongho stronk boy who can move the earth and will not hesitate to cause a subtle earthquake if some official gets uppity with him <3

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lubdubsworld · 4 years

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Change of Heart

Pairing : Taehyung x OC

[ Summary :

Times are changing.

After years of being oppressed, werewolves are taking a stand against humans , demanding equal rights and fair treatment. Heading the movement is Kim Taehyung, the breathtaking heir to the Kim fortune and one of the few remaining Alpha werewolves in the country. His disdain for the human race is well known and well warranted. They killed his family after all…..

He wants to change the world , to put humans in their place but when his five year old daughter takes a shine to their very human neighbor , maybe he has to start with a change of heart , first. ]

Pairing : Taehyung x OC

Genre : Romance, Explicit Content.

Warnings : None. ( Some mild violence but mostly off screen )

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3

Chapter 4

The Preserve had originally been an isolated island about 50 miles off the coast of the mainland. Over the decades, the land had been expanded with man made floats serving to support the extra buildings and complexes that cropped up to cater to the small human population that stuck around to help out.

The wolves still kept to the interiors, most of them having built huge cottage-villas which could house the entire pack, territories marked out clearly to avoid disputes. A few of the very traditional ones lived on the huge mountains that lined the northern end, opting to stay in their wolf-forms most of the time.

The island itself was beautiful, rich vegetation , a thriving fauna and a landscape that was lined with beautifully stark cliffs up high and private little coves and beaches scattered below.

Taehyung and his daughter lived on a beautiful beach side villa, which had its own vegetable garden , a staff of over 8 to take care of everything, a private jetty for trips to the mainland and a helipad/ airstrip.

True to his word, Taehyung did not stay around most days. He was busy with his campaign and I spent the first week recovering. The doctor visited everyday and by the end of the week, most of the internal injuries were healing well, the pain well managed with meds.

Luna had moved into my room, pretty much and I spent the days with her curled into my side, reading from her favorite books, stopping when she encountered a particularly difficult word, ebony eyes turning to mine for help. We read countless books, and she introduced me to all her best friends : Mr. Ted the bear, Kihyun the bunny and Momo the panda. The stuffed animals had a small baby carrier of their own and she liked carting them all around the house.

“She was really pretty. Mama....” Luna whispered one night, as we lay curled on the window seat in my room, a fur throw covering us up as we stared out into the rocky beach far below.

I felt my heart lurch in shared grief.

“Was she? What else do you remember about her....?” I asked softly.

“Her scent. “ Luna said quickly. “ She smelled just like you. Like home and fresh cookies with sugar sprinkles. And rainy puddles you can jump in.”

I bit my lips, mindful that Luna was just listing her favorite things. I didn’t know much about how weres scented other weres or humans. But i supposed it made sense that her mother’s scent should remind her of things that offered her comfort and joy.

But her next words threw me for a loop.

“Daddy didn’t like her much....” She said suddenly and I felt my throat close up .

“Oh-Oh?” I was genuinely shocked. Taehyung had looked devastated when he had told me about his wife’s passing....

Luna shook her head.

“My friend from school, Mina? Her mommy’s still alive and her daddy likes her. They kiss and stay in the same room. Mommy and Daddy never kissed. Mommy lived on the east wing.... That’s on the other side. Near the rose gardens.”

I bit my lips, feeling incredibly guilty for some reason. This information felt somehow private and not for stranger’s ears. I didn’t want Luna to get into trouble for saying this to me .

“I miss her sometimes. I’m glad you’re here.” She sniffled and i felt my heart crack in two. The girl was replacing her mom with me, I thought miserably. I couldn’t in good conscience let this happen.

But as the days stretched into weeks, with Taehyung out and busy most of the time, i couldn’t bring myself to leave. Luna did appear to be calmer, more grounded and happier with me around. She liked staying close to me, at touching distance and she often buried her nose into my neck, sniffing till I had to gently pry her off.

Although, absent physically, Taehyung called every day. He facetimed his daughter twice at least and I got a call every night at exactly nine. It was usually curt and formal but he did tell me what he was upto.

“The elections are coming up soon.... I need to work a bit more on the immediate reforms we’re planning to launch...I won’t be available this week, Luna’s keeping well?”

“Yes, she is. We made a modern recreation of red riding hood and the wolf today with play dough.”

Silence.

“Interesting choice of fairy tale, Mi Rae ssi...” He drawled.

I flushed at how my name sounded in that voice.

“It’s a bit different plot wise. In this case, the granny is just a meanie who likes to order Red about and the wolf is the one who rescues her.” I grinned.

He chuckled amicably.

“Bit of a stretch , that. But I’m glad you’re happy. I didn’t want to pressure you too much and i know its asking way too much of you . But Ms. Lee says that Luna is happier than she’s ever been and I do believe you’re the one I have to thank for that. “

I bit my lips. I wanted to tell him that Luna was getting way too attached. That I was afraid of what would happen when it was time for me to leave, but already i could hear voices in the background, people calling for his attention and I remembered that he was doing something important.

He was trying to build a better world for his little girl.

In the long run, all of this would be for Luna’s benefit only.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

it had been nearly a month since I’d last seen Taehyung . A whole three months since I’d moved into his villa. My paycheck as a nanny was three times what I was paid as a lab tech. But I hadn’t stopped working at the research facility either. I spent the days there, when Luna was busy with her school work . The vaccine had been successful but somehow, my father’s company had pulled some sort of nonsense with the patenting and not everyone had got the shorts.

I stared out into the murky blue waters as they crashed into the jagged black rocks that lined the private beach. The huge bay windows in the living space offered an unfettered view of the rocky beach.

Next to me, Luna was pretty much bouncing around, trying to find all her beach day toys. I watched her fondly, feeling something squeeze my heart when I thought about not seeing her again. The elections were done, the results were due any day now and Taehyung had already told me that he was looking to end this arrangement soon.

Luna had a mind like no other. A vibrantly curious child with the most incredible questions, it was clear that she adored her father more than anything else in the world. In the evenings, she liked to play near the small water inlet that fed into the Ocean. The water was shallow, barely an inch or so deep, the terrain covered in small smooth pebbles in every shade of brown of grey.

Luna and I spent most of the weekends exploring the small beach around the villa, foraging around in the coves while her caregiver watched me covertly from a distance. She clearly didn’t trust me much, but I tried not to let it get to me.

I wasn’t here to stay. Taehyung had sent me a mail the previous week, letting me know that I was no longer had to babysit, because he was planning to move to Seoul himself. He would be renting out a condominium there and hiring a full time nanny.

And that was fine. it wasn’t like i hadn’t seen that coming. I had a life of my own and i had to get back to it. My cottage near the research facility was fixed now and I was looking forward to getting back to my life, no matter how much it hurt to leave Luna behind.

I was a little upset that he had sent an impersonal mail to me instead of talking to me in person. Or maybe spoken about it over the phone at least. But I knew that he was just trying to make it easier for me to cut all ties.

Okay, fine, maybe I was a little bit bitter that Taehyung hadn’t even offered to hire me to take care of Luna . I wasn’t qualified , yes, but so far Luna had been a dream to stay with. She was so inquisitive and bright, so full of sunshine and happiness.

After three months of her unconditional love for me, the idea of not coming home to her vibrant laugh and endless giggles, it just felt so painful.

“Rae Rae, let’s gooooo....” Her voice broke me out of my thoughts . Despite endless protests from Ms. Lee, Luna insisted on calling me Rae Rae and I found it adorable.

I jumped a little, hastily moving to grab the sunscreen, the hat and gloves. While Luna did heal quickly courtesy her wolf-y genes, she was also incredibly prone to sunburn. The first few times, she had promptly shifted into her wolf form when i tried to put it on her, snipping my fingers angrily. The chemical was supposed to be unscented but her sensitive nose had clearly picked it up anyway.

It took a lot of bribing with delicious meat patties and steak bites, for the girl to shift back and let me apply it on her.

But now she was comfortable with letting me apply it on her when we went to the beach.

She picked up her backpack, a baby blue fur lined affair with twin bunny ears near the handle , and the small tote bag full of her collection of seashells and skipped out of the room happily. I finished packing the rest of her beach stuff : towels, napkins, hair pins and a change of clothes just in case.

We were just climbing down the huge stairwell, when Taehyung’s voice rang through the foyer, startling me badly. i hadn’t seen him in a long time and against my better judgement I almost half ran back to put some make up on at least. I probably looked like an ogre with smeared sunscreen and my hair uncombed and in a bun.

“Lu - Lu? Baby???” He called out, his deep voice pretty much reverberating off the walls .

“DAAAADAAAAAA”

I watched her almost tumble headlong the stairs in her rush to get into her father’s arms and I hung back, letting them have their reunion.

I waited till Taehyung called out for me, before moving to greet him as well.

The first thing that stuck me was how incredibly handsome he looked, hair now fully black, swept straight back from his forehead. He was dressed in skinny jeans and a loose black shirt, buttons undone to show the lines of his pecs and a pair of dangly earrings caught the light as he turned to stare at me.

“Mi Rae ssi....i see you’re all ready for Beach day?” He grinned softly.

There was something radiant about him, a definite lack of anxiety. He looked relaxed almost.

“You won?” i blurted out. “ You won didn’t you?”

Taehyung’s eyes glinted .

“Its not officially announced yet, but yes, the Commission called me today . They think I’ve won by a landslide.

Before I could rethink my impulse, I flung myself into his arms, genuinely thrilled beyond belief.

“RThat’s so incredible, Taehyung ssi...i’m so happy for you and-”

“Tae? Should I get the other suitcase?”

The female voice made me jolt, and I pulled away, arm still arapped around his neck, intensely aware of his hands on my waist.

Three feet away from us , stood an incredibly beautiful young woman. She was almost as tall as Tae, probably the same age as him and her eyes flashed red when she looked at me.

I flinched, stepping back like i’d been scalded.

“Just leave it sweetheart, one of my men will get it. Come meet my little girl.” Taehyung said casually, shooting me one brief intense look of.....anger? annoyance? I couldn’t figure it out.

Sweetheart? did he just call her-

Luna had shuffled to hide behind my legs now, her fingers gripping my waist as she refused to greet the newcomer.

“Luna, this is Ms Jihyun. She’s a very good friend of mine.”

Jihyun dropped to her knees, eyes flashing red again as she smiled a tight lipped smile.

“Hello, Luna. How are you doing?” She said seriously. Luna’s grip on me tightened.

“She’s a little shy.” I choked out, trying to tamp down the rising sense of heartbreak. No. i had actively fought against feeling this way. Every night here, I had told myself that I would not think about Kim Taehyung. Admiring him for what he did , for how hard he worked for his kind....that was one thing ....but this. This was madness.

Taehyung reached out around me to lift Luna up into her arms.

“How about we go to the beach with Jihyun and Ms Lee today?” He said casually, holding his hand out to me.

I almost did something stupid, like press my hand into his before realizing that he was asking for the bag i had over my shoulders. Wordlessly, I handed it over.

“I want to go with Rae Rae....” Luna said sharply, lips jutting out in a petulant little pout.

“Well, Appa and Ms. Rae need to talk about something and once we’re done, I’ll join you there okay?” He ruffled her hair softly and then gently placed her back down.

Luna gave me an imploring look.

“Are you leaving me?” Her lips wobbled.

I shook my head instinctively.

“Of course not baby, I’ll be right there. Just a few minutes, okay? Don't forget your sunscreen.” I smiled and Luna pouted again but moved to Ms. Lee’s side hesitantly.

Taehyung waited till the three of them began leaving before turning to me.

“Thank you.” He said quietly , gaze moving to me with the same intensity, and this time I knew what he was doing. He was trying to gauge what I was thinking and I remembered, weakly that Alpha wolves could sometimes sense moods, changes in a person’s body temperatures and things like that. It wasn’t like mind reading or anything but a perceptive enough werewolf could definitely guess what kind of mood someone was in.

I fought to keep my face neutral. There wasn’t much I could do about how clammy and cold my entire body had gone after meeting Jihyun. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to guess why I didn’t l;ike Jihyun there.

“It’s not you.” He said gently.

I swallowed.

“Sorry?”

“You’re beautiful. If we were.... the same kind of people.....I wouldn’t be saying this. But because of who we are.... I’m going to say it. It’s not a good idea.” He whispered.

I flushed, feeling like my entire body had been dipped in ice cold water.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said evenly.

He hummed.

“If you leave today, there’s a job waiting for you in the Research Center. It’s a level up from what you’re doing right now. I’ve asked them to put up extra security around your cabin and I’ve talked with the wolves here. No one will come anywhere near you. “

I nodded bleakly.

“Thank you.” I said quietly.

“You’re going to forget me and Luna in a few weeks. And I would rather that things end now, before Luna becomes more attached.”

I nodded.

“Can i talk to her before I leave?” I asked softly.

He hesitated.

“I don’t.... I mean, I would rather not have Jihyun be present for that. She’s.... well she’s someone I’m getting to know and she may feel -”

I wanted to kick myself in the face for ever having agreed to this whole thing.

“I understand. I’ll be back tomorrow morning to get the rest of my stuff and to say goodbye to Luna.” I said shortly.

Before he could reply, I brushed past him and ran up to my room. I had to get out of here as soon as I could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luna cried inconsolably and I was eternally grateful that no one else was there when I carefully unpacked the huge carton of snacks and toys , I’d packed for her. Taehyung had made things a little easier, by telling Luna that it wasn’t me who was leaving but it would be them. They were going to a new place so they would be leaving me behind because I had stuff to do here.

“I’m not going to be gone completely. I’m going to come visit you as often as I can alright and look....” I pulled out the small phone I’d brought her.

She stopped sniffling and held her hand out. I placed the flip phone in her hands.

“Theres just two numbers there. See the picture of the wolf? Thats daddy..... And see the one with the flower.....that’s me. If you want to talk to either of us, all you need to do is press this button.”

Luna hesitated.

“Daddy said, I can’t have any phones.” She said hesitantly. What a wonderful child, i thought fondly.

“Yes, but this isn’t the kind of phone that could hurt your eyes. It’s just a talking phone. Besides, your daddy already knows and he’s okay with it.” I smiled.

She nodded, turning the little device over and over in her hands.

“Daddy say’s we’re going to the city. Why don’t you want to come?” She said angrily and i sighed.

“Its not that I don’t want to come, baby. It’s just that my home is here. I help take care of the little pups here remember? Some of them get sick and I help make them better....” I smiled, ruffling her hair.

She nodded.

“Good girl...Now how about we go see the sandcastle you built yesterday...? See if it’s still there?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Life went on and I found myself busy enough to not dwell on Taehyung too much. The vaccines were rolling out much faster now and most of the cases were milder . i spent the days in the research center and went home to my cozy cabin. Taehyung had been true to his word an an electric fence ran around the perimeter , twelve feet tall . A security guard stayed near the gate at all times, a beta werewolf named Minjun.

Two weeks after Taehyung had moved out of the island, a distraction arrived in the form of one Jeon Jungkook . He was a year younger than me and finishing his internship before becoming a radiologist. He was smart , handsome and an alpha wolf with a deceptively cute bunny like smile.

Jungkook liked following me around when we had free time and I found his incessant noona , noona...endearing. But I was also not an idiot.

Jungkook was looking for a fuck buddy and I was convenient. The only female in the research center. Werewolves didn’t do one night stands with each other, because being intimate always left a scent and it would make things messy. So weres generally went to humans for no strings attached sex.

It wasn’t that I minded , but a part of me was terrified i would do something stupid. Like call him Taehyung in the middle of us fucking.

But of course, stupid decisions were my forte.

So I did end up sleeping with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Well, you look miserable.” Jimin commented mildly, as I stumbled forward to the counter. I hadn’t slept much the previous night and had nearly missed the ferry to the mainland in the morning.

“I’m fine oppa. Just frazzled. Give me something strong but sweet...” I begged, riffling through my bag for my wallet. Outside, the rain poured in torrents. I was still dripping water from my hair and my jacket, although I’d been out of the rain for a whole five minutes.

“Taehyung’s been asking about you....Why don’t you pick his calls?” Jimin said casually and I flinched.

“I did pick his calls. a couple of times....” I muttered .

That had been a whole experience. Taehyung had called me two weeks back, frothing at the mouth about something.

Apparently, Ji Hyun the lovely girlfriend that Kim Taehyung like flaunting all over town, was also the older sister on one Jeon Jungkook. And because we had had sex the previous night, Jungkook had smelled like me when he visited Taehyung and Ji hyun. Even Luna had picked up on the scent.

How on earth was i supposed to know?

Taehyung had been so furious that I’d hung up the phone midway through.

“And, what happened?”

I shrugged.

“And then I got busy. Why? I’ve been talking to Luna... I even met her a couple of times. It’s not like I have any other reason to talk to him.... “ I protested.

Jimin hummed.

“He’s still seeing that model. Jeon Ji hyun? I heard her brother works in the Research center?” Jimin raised an eyebrow, sliding my drink across the counter. I stepped out of the line but stayed near the counter, staring at him. Damn it. Had Taehyung actually told Jimin about it?

“Jungkook? Yeah. He’s a doctor... He’s doing his MD , radiology and he’s here for exposure , apparently...”

“Alpha?” Jimin continued flitting about, making orders but his tone held a note of sympathy.

I shrugged.

“Yeah, he is. But we don’t talk much. We went out one night but then he’s been aloof ever since.” I shrugged again hoping that Jimin was buying my nonchalant act. i still didn’t know how much he knew.

Jungkook was a nice guy and I was a little peeved that he didn’t seem to want anything more than a friends with benefits thing. But that had less to do with him and more to do with the fact that men, in general, never seemed to consider me as a potential girlfriend.

But then, the poor guy was in probably the most crucial part of his education. Relationships were probably the farthest thing from his mind.

Jimin stopped when the last customer in the line left. He stared at me.

“Taehyung told me Luna called you one morning and Jungkook picked the phone.”

I froze.

“What?!” I hissed, completely thrown. This, I hadn’t known.

“You went out? With Jungkook? And he stayed over , I’m guessing....I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you guys did not play Jenga all night?” He glared at me. I flushed.

“Fine. We slept together. We are sleeping together....its just consensual sex between two willing parties, . It’s no big deal.” I said flippantly.

“You don’t think that’s why Taehyung has been calling you? That’s his potential brother in law right there. It’s too messy. I think you should stop. ” He frowned.

I rolled my eyes.

“Listen it has nothing to do with me. I’m not going to marry Jungkook okay? I’m not going to be calling Taehyung my brother in law either. Its not going to happen. i just had this...stupid king of crush on him and he knew about it. He turned me down too, did he tell you that. He told me him and I were too different.... meaning I wasn’t a were so he wouldn’t consider being with someone like me. ”

Jimin groaned.

“you know why he feels that way. Don’t make this about you. It’s not personal.”

“Then why is it spilling into my personal life? I have no obligation to him. I can sleep with who I want.....”

Jimin rolled his eyes.

“Taehyung’s a were. He’s not going to see it that way.”

“Well, I don’t give a damn how he sees it, I’m having sex with a handsome young man who is attracted to me. That’s a good time, right there and I’m not going to stop having a good time just because it offends Taehyung’s delicate sensibilities.” I snapped.

Jimin shrugged.

“Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I went back to my cabin that evening, I found Minjun missing from his usual place near the gate. The gate was still locked so I didn’t think too much about it, merely slotting the rusty old key into the huge lock and prying it open.

I made my way to the door, opening it carefully.

i nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw who was there.

“what the- Seo Joon?” I said in disbelief, stumbling back when the tall alpha stumbled to his feet from where he was lounging on the couch.

“Well, look who’s here....if it isn’t the slutty little bitch who wants to sleep her way through every were on the island....First Taehyung and now Jungkook.....you sure know who to pick, huh.....? All powerful, influential wolves..... “ He slurred.

I stared at him. This wasn’t good. I turned on my heel, ready to run back out but he was faster than me. I groaned when he slammed into my back pinning me to the door with so much force that the wood splintered,.

While my bruised ribs had healed, they still hurt a bit. And the force of his actions left my mind reeling from the pain.

“Get off me!! “ I screamed, “ MINJUN!!!!! MINJUN HELP!!!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU WHORING BITCH!!!”

He slapped me right across the face, the strength of it sending me crashing into the side table. I whimpered as I tried to get on my feet, fingers fumbling for my phone .

“it was you wasn’t it? I was supposed to be the deputy minister.... Taehyung’s supposed to be my fucking friend. instead i got fired like some lowly runt ...... It was you wasn’t it? you convinced him that humans are our fucking friends....”

I shook my head, frantic.

“No...i swear I’ve not spoken to Taehyung...i didn’t say anything... Seo Joon please don’t...” I screamed when he reached down and grabbed my hair, yanking me to my feet till my scalp felt like it was on fire.

“Maybe I should fuck you too....since that's the thing people seem to be doing these days....Its because of your father isn’t it? That bastard has been all over the news, talking these past few weeks about how his precious daughter is doing a lot of work for the welfare of wolves....Maybe I should fuck his daughter too.... ” He began, reaching for my blouse.

I barely registered the nonsense about my father before a loud sound broke through the din.

The door swung open and the sound of gunfire made me scream.

I stared at the door only to see the security guard staring at us with wide eyes.

Minjun , panicked and completely overwhelmed , had blindly opened fire on both of us.

I felt the touch of the bullet to my shoulder, before the blinding explosion of pain.

But he seemed to have hit Seo Joon as well, enough times for the were to let go of me and I crashed to floor, clutching my shoulder in agony.

The sound of gunfire had attracted more people and through the throng I heard Jungkook’s voice.

“Noona.... Mirae noona is that you----???”

“Kookie!!” I croaked out desperately. Jungkook’s eyes went wide when he saw, me, pushing his way past the other wolves before letting out a snarl. The sound seemed to make the others cower and I remembered that he was an alpha too.

I gripped his arms when he reached me.

“Don’t tell Taehyung...” I gasped out, still clutching my shoulder.

“God, what the fuck.... We need to get you out of here...” He was already dialing for the ambulance. I waited for him to finish, gasping from the pain. Fuck, it hurt like hell.

“We’re going to get you to the research center first.” Jungkook said frantically.

I nodded, stumbling to my feet when he tried to lift me up.

“It’s okay...just...get me something to …” But he was already peeling off his shirt, wadding up to press against the bleeding bullet hole .

“Hyung is going to kill Seo Joon.” He said grimly.

For once, I didn’t particularly care.

My mind raced because I hadn’t thought about my father in years.

What did that tyrant want with me now??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Note : Me trying to finish all my fics and not lose my mind in the process :’(

#taehyung #taehyung fics #taehyung sm #taehyung fanfic #bts smut #bts fics #taehyung smut #taehyung au #taehyung x y/n #bts x oc #bts werewolf au #taehyung werewolf au

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fablefan · 4 years

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Pokemon ‘Religion’ Headcanons

Mainly because I’m bored and I’ve been thinking over this concept. Obviously, the Pokémon world regards Legendary and Mythical Pokemon as something close to deities, or at the very least mythological figures, so I’ve made a list of some ideas I’ve had involving the notion that they might have been worshiped as such.

Song and dance are very important parts of worship in Alola, Johto, and Unova. Alola is known for their bright songs and chants, fast and upbeat with quick hand-gestures and lots of foot-stepping, drums and percussion being big in their music. Johtoans are a lot more subdued, with elegant hymns and string instruments, outlining long, graceful movements, and slow, circling steps. Unova is known to have some surprisingly somber choirs, which echo in the tall cathedrals, along with the notes of the organs.

Most temples and shrines to Suicune have access to freshwater springs, or have fountains in the main foyer. Crystals are often a big feature of these churches as well.

Many followers of Suicune also place emphasis on self-care and emptying yourself of unneeded negativity. They often perform ritualistic acupressure and crystal placement on one another to release any ‘impurities’ or ‘uncleanliness’ that’s kept in the body. Recipients often state such treatments feel similar to stepping out of a shower, refreshed.

Kyogre followers have been known for their beautifully designed churches that are flooded with water from the waist down, as well as heavy waterfalls. They’re known to be excellent swimmers, and have often funded various projects that clean up oceans and protect the life within.

On the other hand, Groudon followers will often place their houses of worship close to mountains and cave systems. One of the most marked signs of passage for them is to put a print of your hand in red paint or dust on a part of a cave wall, where hundreds of other hands have been placed and printed through thousands of years.

Aura Guardians commonly worship Latios and Latias, although for differing reasons. Latias, for the aspect of seeing the beauty of how the Aura fills everyone with life, and Latios, for the desire to protect the Aura of creatures from those who would hurt them.

Heatran followers often times are blacksmiths, weapon-smiths, or steel workers, or at least have some knowledge of the forge. To make a trek to Stark Mountain and retrieve a volcanic stone or small piece of ore there is considered a great honor for them.

Unlike the other Legendaries, which often focus on an outward force, the Lake Trio sect in Sinnoh is more centralized on the concept of looking inward at yourself. While the sect is most popular in Sinnoh, Unova has recently been gaining and influx of interest.

Azelf’s followers are remarkably insensitive to the law, and as such, do not have a solid set of rules they follow themselves. They emphasize the importance of making your own choices, and deciding to do the right thing; not because of the law of the world, but because you yourself have chosen to do good.

Mespirit’s followers are told to ‘embrace emotion’ and enjoy the feelings they have, even the bad ones, because it means you’re being human and living a full life. Some modern followers have thought this to mean ‘live in the present’ and ‘YOLO’. In turn, they’ve gained something of a ‘party animal’ representation among others.

Followers of Uxie don’t truly have a ‘church’ as much they have a ‘religiously-centered-archive-and-library’, ones that keep texts of histories and biographies and myths. Those that live in the church, more often than not, wear blindfolds as a type of connection to faith. They believe that to perceive with eyes is deceitful for the soul; navigating by the other senses allows you to ‘see without sight.’

It’s because of this connection that their tomes and scrolls have textured paper to differentiate them all. It’s believed that the first followers were the first to invent a type of ‘brail’ system in the universe.

Followers of Darkrai and Cresselia often are seen with dream journals and interpretation books. Supposedly, the first followers could actually enter the dream world.

With the Palkian churches tracking the movement of the heavenly bodies and the star clusters, the Darkrai and Cresselia churches watching over dream patterns, and Lunala’s followers tracking the phases of the moon, there’s a remarkably accurate star chart of the sky in the Pokémon universe.

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simeramise · 4 years

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Every moon in the stars

This is a winter gift for @myidlehand , you know why my dear.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It was Yule night, the winter solstice, the longest night of all. Her silent and heavy cape of cold and snow, dark blue and soft, is draped upon every creek and hollow, mountain and meadow of the land.

It was Yule night, the winter solstice, the longest night of all and in her arms slept a lost keep, its grey stoned walls, old and tired somewhere in a mountain.

It was Yule night, the winter solstice, the longest night of all and in this keep, entwined, warmed by a low fire, laid two men. Shining with love and sweat, their dark hair are drawing a halo on the pale pillows. The feather-like fingers of the musician are tracing the scars of his lover’s face, the ones deforming every smile and laugh, every eye wrinkle. The ones born from love, hatred, cowardice, and bravery. The testimony of the man’s life and heart. The moon and her stars were shining bright, their cristal laughs carried away by the wind of the Yule night.

It was Yule night, the winter solstice, the longest night of all, and a bard loved a witcher. He sang and hummed while his caresses were drawing unknown letters on the witcher’s scarred skin.

Can you hear the mad wind, jealous lover, riding the Earth endlessly, mmm, mmmm mmmmmm mmm....

The witcher is a man of impressive build, hard muscles hidden under a soft and protective layer of fat. He might look like a bear but his school is the one of the wolves roaming the lands. He’s one of the very last wolves of Kaer Morhen, fierce, reliable, fast, silent. His medallion is resting on his dark chest. His strong arms are wrapped around the sturdy waist of his singing lover...

Can you hear the mad wind, jealous lover, mmmm, mmm...

He tightened his hold around him a bit more and hid his face in his neck, nuzzling the soft skin of his underjaw just here. It’s been a long time since they last saw each other.

“Jaskier,… what about Geralt ?”

“What about him ?” yawned the bard.

A silence. “Eskel, what about him?”

“You’re singing about the jealous wind in love, mad with it. I know he loves you, his fire for you is steady and strong, Jaskier. He has never loved so before. I know it, I know him. Does, does he know you... Did you tell him, about you and me, that we... I mean...” A shaky breath, eyes closed “Jaskier, does he know?”

He scrunched his nose, and straightened up, gently pulling himself out of Eskel’s embrace, his hair almost golden in the fire glow.

“Eskel… open your eyes for me, my love. My love, don't you know?”

He peered into those dark, dark yellow eyes almost brown in the low light and studied the frown disappearing into the soft brown hair.

“Don’t you know Eskel, how much Geralt feels for you?”

“He loves you Jaskier. He does. So much. And his stories about you, the light in him because of you, well, it made me fall for you, in a way...”

“Eskel, and he made me fall for you too. His stories about you, the light in him when speaking of you. My poet. I knew you before knowing you.”

The bard grabbed the paw-like hand of his fragile and strong lover and interlaced their fingers.

“Eskel, he has loved you for so much longer than I have loved him.” A kiss on the thick knuckles. “And I have loved him for so much longer than I have loved you. But it doesn't matter.”

He settled his hand carefully on the witcher’s chest, flat and smooth despite the lute callous and exactly above his heart that beats slowly, so slowly... And the wind is still howling outside. It’s Yule night, the longest of all.

“Love is what counts, Witcher... Love is the only thing that matters. Are my feelings any different than if I’ve known you for centuries? They’re not. Love is I’ve known you for all my life, for centuries and eternity. Love is I’ve been waiting for you, walking the Earth unknowingly to find you someday... Love is eternity. You’re part of my Path, part of my life, part of my soul. You are. And he is. Both of you in a completely different and yet the same way. He knows that. He does Eskel. And he feels the same.”

And slowly Jaskier settled back between the witcher’s arms. Resting his head on his heart. Like he belonged there.

“ Don't you feel how our energies are beating in harmony ?”

“ I do. I do. I thought… I thought it was just me, that I was imagining it. I saw you and Geralt. Geralt, my wolf, my brother, my…” He could feel his hand bruising the soft flesh of his bard’s hip and tried to relax it...

“Yours. Yours, Eskel. I know how you love him. There’s no need to hide your heart from me, my love. I know its truth. Yours.”

“Yes…” he whispered, “Mine. For so long it was just the two of us, you know. Before the trials, the older witchers couldn't tell us apart. We were... one.

And then, then,... there had been life and an ocean of silence and looks and misplaced anger and hurt in between. I was afraid, Jaskier, so. I had no right to love him. And, and...”

“It’s okay, my darling, it’s okay...” and he placed a butterfly kiss on his chin, and another at the corner of his mouth “it’s okay, take your time.”

“And I pushed him away every time I saw myself quiver under his silent concern and his soft worry. And when the world definitively turned against him after Blaviken, I was unable to reach him through the walls he had build around himself. Geralt… He has always been quiet even when he was younger. He’s so much with his whines, grand philosophical opinions, and loud dreams and hopes and yet… so, so quiet in a way? But it was not just that anymore. It was carefully build walls, thick and dark, so dark... And I was helpless at their foot. And then you came, young frivolous man out of nowhere, fresh like a bead of rose… and you broke down these walls, brick by brick, blowing on the dusty cement. And he was almost here again. When he came back for winter he had this lightness in his steps, this lightning in his smiles and jokes. He was as well-fed as one on the road could be, soft white silvery hair, soft tired smile. He was... beautiful.”

“He is...” breathed the bard, curling closer into his lover's warm body...

“Do you know Jaskier how I hated you for that? For making him happy as I could never, for making his heart warm, his smile bright and his swords precise and assured? But I loved you so at the same time for these exact reasons... And I thought let him go. Now, see how himself he almost is again. Hear the tunes hummed under his breath, hear how he speaks of him, see how happiness suits him... Forget your heart. That’s what I thought, that’s what I kept repeating to myself winter after winter, but...”

“You love him.”

“I do. And he, loves you.”

“He does.”

“And you love him.”

“I do.”

“We met and… “

“And my perfect body, angelic voice, and dark eyelash made it for you, is that it?”

“What? No! What are talking abo... Oh no, no stop that, Jaskier, stop” but the bard was cruelly ignoring him, tickling the tender spot above his right hip, and everywhere he could reach, giggling lightly at how the fierce hunter was wiggling in vain between his thighs “would you stop that now, you stupid bard, stop I said. Since when do you giggle like a brainless maiden, ngh, stop, you heartless idiot” and at last Eskel managed to grab the strong wrists and held them captive above his own head, high on the pillows.

Chest to chest, honey eyes in sea blue ones, humid heavy breaths shared in the small space between their smiles and the bard flopping dark hair.

They stayed here for a long time, as long as a Yule night.

“Stop it Jaskier,... I was serious”

And Jaskier, he closed his eyes and kissed his witcher slowly, softly, like the most fragile secret laid bare, let his lips linger and as slowly, detached them from his...

“I know you are. You love him Eskel. And I love you Eskel. Don't ever forget that.”

“I’m not the White Wolf, Jaskier. I’m just a witcher. But I thought I could be him, a bit, for you. I wanted to have you like he had. I wanted to be loved by you like he had. And I felt miserable for that... It was the furthest thing I wanted. I wanted you to love me, for me, for who I was…”

“I know. And you’re so very much like him. Scarred by life and combats, by yourself. Scared of yourself. Feeling so much and far too intelligent for your own good. Soft under all these hard muscles. Connected to animals and nature... Even some of your mimics are the same. You’re two sides of the same coin. Your souls are the same. And he’s so much more than you... and you’re so much more than him.

Your lives are different, your feelings are different, your hearts are... your hopes and desires, your fears, your favorite sword moves, everything and anything in you both is so unique to cherish and so beautifully you...

Eskel, when we met, when I met you, you were the one I wanted, the one I needed, without knowing it. Not Geralt. Not anyone else. It was you. I had a void inside me that I didn't know you fit perfectly. I don’t love you because I love him, but you, you are the one I missed… I knew it was you that I‘ve been missing all along... and I learned to love you for more than Geralt’s tales about you. And it was you. Only you.

My sweet brave witcher you’re not the White Wolf. You’re not Geralt, and you’ll never be. And I never ever want you to be. Each life, each beat of heart is so unique. Geralt is my first true love but my heart is big enough for more than one. Your flame is burning so high and so proud, how could anyone, how could I want you to be someone else. You’re you with all your flaws and with all your virtues. And that’s why I love you.

Oh no my darling, chase those tears from your eyes, I do.”

Freed from his lover’s grasp, his fingers were caressing his rough cheeks, his brow, smoothing back the straight and silky strands of hair.

“You’re mine, the both of you. I will never love you like I love him, Eskel. And I will never love him like I love you. Do you, do you understand ?”

“I do. I do.”

“You’re you and he’s him. Every love is different, every life, every person, every joy, every cry, every shout, every voice, every music is different. Every shining sun, every storm. The stars who made us are different. I love him and I love you. I know it can seem strange but my heart beats for you both, do you understand? Do you? My love is endless. Eskel, do you know how much I hurt and burn for you both? Please, my love, say some- humpf...”

For as long as time has existed, for as long as a Yule night can be, there had never been a better or more efficient way to reduce a loved one to silence than a stolen kiss. Hot, desperate, fierce and tender were the lips of Eskel on his bard’s, his strong nose digging into Jaskiers’s pale cheek, his hands tugging sharply where they were buried in the short wavy brand strand of hair.

He kissed him, again and again, pouring his heart in every nip and bite, every caress of his tongue, every breath shared... He kissed him.

“I do. I do. I do.”

He kissed him.

“I feel it too, Jaskier. You and Geralt, souls of my soul, lights of my life, I understand, I know. I feel it too.

I love you and I love him Jaskier”

“I love you and I love him Eskel...”

A shared smile. “... and he loves us both. No, don’t hide, come, come, my dear, the sun will not wake up soon, we have eternity for us, I have something to show you, come on...”

He jumped out of the bed, gathering clumsily the clothes they had discarded when the Yule night was young and feverish. Hair wild, pink cheeks and sparkling eyes, bright red hoses on, a long white nightdress hastily covered by a deep blue woolen doublet, Jaskier was a sight Eskel was unable to resist to.

He shook his head fondly and with much more care and method, the witcher dressed up, putting a plain green shirt on, with a thick darker vest over slack brown pants and his faithful leather boots. The last loop passed, and the last string tied Jaskier grabbed his wrist tightly and pulled him out of the bedroom, along the cold corridor. Across stairs and empty halls full of night he urged him, until they arrived into the courtyard covered in snow and stars, their hot breath swirling white around them.

The stable was lit, torches and lanterns projecting a warm light into the doorway.

The witcher halted, easily stoping the bard’s attempt to drag him closer to the low building. He turned his wrist to squeeze his hand gently.

“What the... No Jaskier, we can’t go out in this weather, it would be too dangerous both for us and for the horses. The night is too dark even with the Moon, later maybe, Jaskier, not now.” He cliqued his tongue “Since when are the candles burning inside? Did you lit them before coming to me? You know they’re precious, we can't waste wax like that, the winter is just beginning... who is here! Show your face!”

A happy laugh resonated in the night and the bard pressed a small kiss on the scarres marring his witcher’s face.

“Shhh, Eskel, it’s your surprise. Close your eyes for me, love, please? There you are, my dear. I know, I know, you don't like surprises, stop mumbling for a minute, right? You will like this one! Or I hope so... Don't cheat! Keep your eyes closed!

Geralt, Geralt my wolf, we’re here!”

The bard’s excitement was palpable in the cold air, filling it with a buzzing energy, almost sparkly on his tongue. Eskel licked his lips and shifted his weight, arms crossed over his chest, waiting, eyes closed.

There were hushed whispers and soon he heard the recognizable step of the White Wolf, sure, light despite his weight and imperceptibly favoring his left side, clear in the night. And following, other steps, unsure, clicking on the old stones of the keep.

A gruff voice, that had always send chills down his spine. Geralt. “You can open your eyes, Eskel”

And he did.

“We discovered her during one of our journeys, the merchant said it’s an alpaca? Or something like that... Anyways, he said he didn't want her anymore, said she was too stubborn, so we brought her back here. For you. Geralt thought that you’d like her... Right, Geralt?”

“She’s very gentle, curious, and attentive. She’s very strong headed and smart.” The deep voice became hesitant here “She, well, she looks a bit like you… She could keep company to your goat? You... you can touch her if you want, her muzzle is very soft."

“More than Roach's?”

“Wha..? Shut up Jask!”

“My darling wolf. Don't worry I know Roach is the only true one in that heart of yours."

But Eskel was no longer listening to them, his full concentration on the strange creature in front of him. She had very thin legs firmly planted in the ground and a long elegant neck. A thick chocolate fur covered her entire body except for her head on top of which it ended in a wild fuzzy mop. The creature would have looked ridiculous but the big black eyes lined with soft, long eyelashes were hiding a rare intelligence and infinite wisdom.

A trembling breath left him as he tentatively extended his hand in front of him, palm open, offered, and the alpaca stretched out her neck gently to sniff it curiously, her deep eyes not leaving his. Then, as delicately as a snowflake landing on a rosy cheek, she placed her muzzle against the open palm and closed her eyes for a brief moment.

A smile bloomed on his torn lips and he sniffed, trying to blink away the blur in his eyes. He met the warm yellow of Geralt’s, and Jaskier’s, shining bright blue with hope. The two of them were huddled against each other, Geralt’s arm around the bard waist.

He took a step back as the alpaca turned around, back into the warm stable.

There was no amount of stars in the night that could compete with the love he felt on this winter night. He was so full of it he thought he couldn't feel more than the one beating furiously in his chest, tearing at his seams.

Until he saw their open arms.

And he found himself falling in, closing their embrace and burying his face in the long white hair and wild brown curls of the two men his heart was beating for, deeply breathing their scent in.

After a moment, Geralt broke their warm hug and slipped a hand on his jaw, tenderly. He drew closer and placed a gentle cold kiss at the corner of his mouth, then after a breath of hesitation, another one... He withdrew a bit awkwardly offering a small sheepish smile:

“ Merry Yule Eskel, and happy birthday...”

And Jaskier tightened his hold around his two wolves, shielding them from the outside world, listening to the mad wind, jealous lover of the Yule night, riding every creek and hollow, mountain and meadow of the land...

It was Yule night, the winter solstice, the longest night of all and in a courtyard of an old keep, lost somewhere in a mountain, under the starry vault of the night sky, three men, a wild spirit and two wolf-hearted warriors loved each other.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

(Can you hear the mad wind, jealous lover, riding the Earth endlessly, is an old french winter lullaby)

#the witcher #the witcher fic #the witcher fic rec #jaskier #eskel #geralt #jaskier/eskel/geralt #geraskel #jaskier/geralt #geraskier #jaskier/eskel #jeskel #eskel/geralt #geskel #polyamory #my writing #my blabla #every moon in the stars

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yahooin-feature · 4 years

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10 Breath-taking Natural Phenomena Found in the Land Down Under

Nature has so much beauty to offer and that’s evidenced by the fact that when our country went under lockdown, the only thing filling people’s Instagram feed was the clear blue skies, the vibrant green trees and a series of animal appearances that would have been otherwise left unnoticed on any given day. Man has a deep relationship with nature and anything out of the ordinary strikes us. If a day with an AQI under 100 can fill us with such joy, can you imagine what would happen if you were to witness natural beauty in all its glory? If there’s one place on this planet that can boast for some of the best natural phenomena then it’s none other than Australia. Don’t believe us? Then continue reading:

1. Bioluminescent Plankton at Jervis Bay in NSW

I bet everyone reading this article would have come across pictures of shores with blue translucent light beaming on the surface. Well, at Jervis Bay, which is a mere 3 hours away from Sydney, this phenomenon becomes a reality. Due to a natural chemical reaction within plankton, the plankton become luminescent and emanate a blue glow. This unusual natural phenomenon, which can only be seen at night can happen at any time of the year but is more common in spring and summer months when the water is warmer.

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A post shared by Australia (@australia) on Jan 16, 2020 at 7:17pm PST

2. Min Min Lights, Outback Australia, Northern Territory

The easiest way to convince people that you saw a UFO or some supernatural phenomenon is by taking a picture of the Min Min Lights. These unexplained light phenomena literally will stalk you. Described by witnesses as floating, fast-moving balls of colour that glow in the night sky that stalk people, leaving some feeling confused and frightened, there is debate as to whether the Min Min Lights exist, or if they are simply an Aboriginal folktale that has been passed down for Generations. If you want to find out and investigate further, the only way to do this is by heading down under to outback Australia.

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3. Morning Glory Cloud, Burketown, Queensland

Wondering what Morning Glory clouds are? Well, think of contrails but make them big and close. Close enough to touch. And then multiply these in 2, 3, or even 4s! During September and October, the rare meteorological phenomenon referred to as the ‘Morning Glory Clouds’ roll across the Gulf and can be observed above the skies in Burketown. The cloud bank can be up to 1,000km long, 1-2km wide and can travel at speeds of up to 60km/hour. Although these clouds can be found in other parts of the world, Burketown is the only place where they appear frequently at set times of the year.

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4. Coral Spawning, The Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Once a year, on cues from the lunar cycle and the water temperature, entire colonies of coral reefs simultaneously release their tiny eggs and sperm, called gametes, into the ocean. Known as Coral spawning, this phenomenon creates an underwater blizzard with billions of colorful flakes cascading in white, yellow, red, and orange. An extremely crucial process in fertilisation, this lasts only a few nights, but travellers can take a night time coral spawning dive trip or join an overnight vessel during the coral spawning dates for another chance to view this weird and wonderful sight

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5. Cuttlefish Annual Aggregation, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia

Australia is the only place in the world where a mass of beautifully colored cuttlefish come together to migrate to the waters of the upper Spencer Gulf to breed. This annual migration, which takes place predictably every winter, is a sight to behold for every scuba enthusiast. Travelers can snorkel with the amazing giant cuttlefish at Stony Point between June and July, located on the coastline of the Upper Spencer Gulf Marine Park in the Eyre Peninsula.

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6. Australia’s Pink Lakes, South Australia, and Western Australia

Another Insta-worthy phenomenon, Australia is home to several pink lakes. From the outback of South Australia to the coast of Western Australia, few things are as beautiful and baffling as Australia’s pink lakes. Most of these stand-alone lakes get their vibrant hues due to the high concentration of salt in them.

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7. Aurora Australis, Tasmania

Much like the Northern Lights, the Southern light illuminates the Aussie sky in colors of green, blue, red, and even pink. The Southern Lights can be viewed all year round – although most commonly during winter, May to August, and during the spring equinox in September. You can head to Bruny Island, Satellite Island, Bathurst Harbour, and Cradle Mountain for the beautiful natural light show.

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8. The World’s Largest Dinosaur Footprints, Broome, Western Australia

It’s hard to imagine a world where dinosaurs roamed freely along with man. But if there’s one place where this becomes a reality it is in Broome, Western Australia. At 1.7-metres long, the fossilized dinosaur footprints here are 130 million years old and extend in patches for 80km along the coast. At the southern end of Cable Beach is Gantheaume Point, a scenic area of red sandstone cliffs where visitors can observe footprints of dinosaurs located on the flat rocks 30 meters out to sea and are only visible at low tide. This phenomenon is definitely for the bucket list.

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9. Horizontal Falls, Western Australia

One of the most fascinating natural phenomena on this list is Horizontal Falls, which can be found in Talbot Bay in the Buccaneer Archipelago. The first fall is about 20-meters wide, while the second is about 10-meters wide. The powerful tides in the Kimberley can reach more than 10-metres and the direction of the flow reverses ensuring the water flows two different ways each day, and a unique waterfall effect. A scenic flight or a sea safari is the best way to explore the Horizontal Waterfalls.

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10. Red Crab Migration, Christmas Island

Walk the red crab carpet on Christmas Island, off the far north-west coast of Australia. The island is home to an estimated 40-50 million bright red land crabs. Each year, at the start of the wet season (November - January), a spectacular awakening occurs. Mother Nature rolls out the red carpet as hordes of crabs emerge from the island’s forests and march their way down to the ocean to breed.

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Head over to the Land down under and experience these incredible experiences. If you need help planning your trip to Australia, check out these super helpful resources.

This content was produced in partnership with Tourism Australia.

#1197766856 #10016274

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bravonovel · 3 years

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Read The Alpha King's Claim novel online on Bravonovel

The Alpha King's Claim https://www.bravonovel.com/the-alpha-kings-claim-7339

The Alpha King's Claim novel is a Romance story about Aero and Serena McAllister.

Mysteriously transported into the werewolf world, my only hope of returning to Earth was by marrying their Alpha King, but he certainly needs a lesson—manners-wise and, well, bed-wise. As the Alpha King of all werewolves and lycans, Aero needed to be fair to all. He ruled with an iron fist, a steady head, and a balanced emotion. He was perfect in everything except for one—he had issues with the opposite sex. Since a child, he hated women. He never liked them and always avoided them. However, what if a woman suddenly materialized on his bed just as he was about to sleep? How could he avoid her then?

You can read The Alpha King's Claim novel on Bravonovel App.

The Alpha King's Claim novel Trial Reading

***< Serena >

Paintings.

I always love them. Whenever there was an art show near Manhattan, I make it a point to go check the artworks and possibly buy one. Or two. Or three of them.

What I look for in a painting were the strokes the painter uses, the use of colors and how they blend in with the picture in general, and of course, the drawing.

I had always been a sucker for fantasy-inspired paintings. Fantastical landscapes, mythical creatures, men and women wearing weird clothing, oh yes, I collected them all. They had always reached out to a part of my soul that I had been guarding since I lost my parents. They had always called out to a part of me that I wasn’t sure what.

Maybe, my parents as painters could be the reason. They influenced my tastes after all. But deep inside me, I knew there was always something special about these types of paintings I couldn’t quite figure out.

One rainy day, I ran across an antique shop in downtown Manhattan about to be closed by the bank for bankruptcy. The different antique displays were spread all over the street in the hopes that some passers-by would still buy them.

I caught sight of a beautiful painting of a landscape. Breathtaking it was and purely, for lack of a better word, out-of-this-world. The painting showed a mountain range with its slopes covered in autumn trees. In the center of this mountain range, just nestled on top the hill was a silver-plated castle. The details were extraordinary, magical even. I couldn’t resist its call, so in the end, I bought it. Plus, I didn’t want it to be wet with the rain. I wanted to give it a home.

The antique shop owner, an old lady probably in her late sixties, was gracious enough to give me a discount considering the painting had smudges on the edges due to its aged state. I was kind enough to refuse it. If she was in bankruptcy, at least my full payment of the painting would help her in some way.

“May the magic be with you always,” she said with a smile as we parted.

I just shrugged my shoulders never really thinking much about her words. I didn’t know then, it had meaning.

The first night the painting was with me, I dreamed about magical creatures: behemoths in the sky, beautiful mermaids swimming in the ocean, and fairies hiding in the woods. The dream was lovely. I didn’t want it to end.

The second night, I dreamed about the castle on the hill. It was beckoning me, wanting me to go there. I woke up in the middle of the night panting. Not knowing exactly what got me so worked up.

The third night, my dream brought me inside the castle. It was enormous with arched roofs and glass walls. In a blink of an eye, I was sent to a bed chamber. The sheets were covered with an embroidered insignia: a profile of what looked like an animal—a wolf—and around it were curves, lines and symbols I had never come across. It was beautifully colorful.

But what really captured my attention was the one lying on it. It was a man and from what I could gather, the king of the castle as he had a crown on top his head screaming almighty powerful.

Of course, that wasn’t the only thing that made my eyes pop.

……

Continue to read The Alpha King's Claim

https://www.bravonovel.com/the-alpha-kings-claim-7339/chapter-1---prologue-55920

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#The Alpha King's Claim #aero #Serena McAllister #Bravonovel #novel #romance #Alpha #story #book

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buttercup-of-kaer-morhen · 4 years

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Of Thorns and Buttercups

~Ch 1/?~ (Beauty and the Beast AU, Kiiiinda. It has definite elements of the original story cause I’m a sap for Fairytale AUs. I hope you enjoy. Also shout out to @sophiakuso1 for being my beta.) Warnings: Brief mention of violence, blood, and there’s a death scene... so there’s that, also, non-sentient animated furniture violence? I don’t know if that will bother anyone but they will kinda act like living things when they show up in the story, so... Primary Tags: Beast! Geralt, Belle! Jaskier, Memory Alteration Via Curse, It really only affects Jaskier right now Also on AO3!

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The roads down from the mountain had been quiet aside from the sounds of the woods and its inhabitants, although those too seemed muted and subdued now. The witcher had thought that once he was left alone, his life would just go back to the way it was before. That everything up until then wouldn’t make a difference, he’d walk the path alone and he’d be fine...But the absence of the bard hung heavily around him, like an albatross hanging from his neck. He finally had the blissful peace and quiet he had longed for but it wasn’t as blissful as he thought it would be. It only left him uneasy, looking over his shoulder and straining to hear even the softest of humming or the strum of a lute. More than just the noise that no longer followed him, the comforting warm presence of Jaskier was no longer at his side. And for the first time in his long life of making mistakes, he couldn’t push away the deep feeling of regret that tailed him like a hungry hound.

At first, during his descent down the mountain, Geralt had a moment of realization that his-- the bard could have easily gotten hurt--or worse, killed--heading down on his own without the witcher’s protection. He watched and listened for any indication that Jaskier had been injured as he walked on. As time went by, the wolf resigned himself to the fact that Jaskier was long gone, whether that meant alive or dead he did not know. It left a soft taste in his mouth and the feeling of bile in the back of his throat. The night he reached the base and set up camp, he briefly felt the urge to run and track down his lost friend, wherever he may be, but he held fast and let the urge pass. It was better this way. Jaskier deserved better. At least better than a wolf that only knew how to bite the kind hand he extended. If the bard wasn’t at his side then he was safer as well. No longer being put in danger by the monsters and battles that followed Geralt no matter where he went. He was undoubtedly happier too. He would find someone who knew how to actually give a compliment or a proper critique of his songs. It had to be true because that was the only thought that kept the witcher content as he laid awake through the evening. Geralt didn’t know why his parting with Jaskier haunted him more than his one with Yennafer but it did. Maybe because their bond wasn’t forged mostly by magic. Maybe it was because the bard seemed like such a permanent fixture in his life now. He pondered it until dawn but when the sun rose, he still had not found an answer. The following morning, he set off on the path in search of his next contract. He had no place specific in mind so he pulled Roach in the direction of the sea and let the siren call of it pull him towards his next job.

After a few weeks of traveling, he came upon a small town not too far off from the ocean that seemingly fell on hard times, although most villages seemed to have suffered the same fate nowadays. He was met with suspicion and distrust, not that he was unused to it, but this town in particular felt very quiet and reserved for it’s immodest size. People lurked in their homes instead of out on the streets or in their gardens and shuttered their windows and barred their doors as he passed. He could tell that poverty plagued the area and the sour smell of starvation was practically suffocating. He had made to go to the inn to check if there were any contracts posted, doubtful although something was so obviously wrong here, but a movement caught his attention. Looking in the subject that caught his eye, he spotted an elderly hag waving for him to follow before promptly disappearing down an alley. Wary of the situation, Geralt hesitantly followed with his hand ready at his sword. The woman kept ahead, only glancing back occasionally to make sure he followed, as she led him to a hut at the edge of the town. The door was left open behind her in invitation for him to follow but caution had him pausing just outside the hovel.

“Scared Witcher?” The bemused voice of the hag called out when he neglected to follow.

He grunted in response and crossed the threshold. Staying near the door, he crossed his arms as he waited to hear what the woman had to say.

“Not very talkative I see.” She spoke again as she settled atop an old stool in front of a decrepit hearth. He hummed with a frown, which only seemed to amuse her more before she continued on. “No work lies in the town for you Witcher, nor does a warm welcome. Poverty has cast a dark shadow on the folk of this place and they do not take kindly to strangers nor are they willing to pay them since they already have so little to spare. But I have a contract for you, which I am willing to pay greatly for if you are able to complete it fully.”

Geralt mulled over the words, doubtful of her promises due to her current state but curiosity won. He wondered what kind of job demanded such a steep price and so he nodded for her to continue. The hag grinned softly, a deep sadness in her eyes shown as she spoke. “There is a keep hidden deep in the forest. Within lies a curse that stretches out and brings ruin to the village. None can get close though, for a beast lurks in the stone halls of the old ruin. My magic has gone and been taken from me when the calamity hit. I was left with nothing but to grow old in this town, being the only one to remember the curse and the keep’s existence. If you can end the curse, I will be able to reward you with whatever you may desire once I have my magic back.”

Geralt thought over the offer but something was off. There was something still missing from her story. “If the misfortune only reaches the town, why not just leave? It wouldn’t have a hold over you then.”

“Ah yes… Sadly I must remain because all those who were in the town at the time of the curse are now held prisoner by it. We cannot escape even if we wanted to. Usually this place is forgotten and hidden by the spell from travelers but it seems you may have been destined to come here.” She clarified with a cheeky smile, the glint in her eye making him uncomfortable.

“What is the creature? It’s type?” He asked brusquely, wanting more details then the scraps she gave before he headed out. If he could, he would like to prepare for a potential battle or at the very least know what to expect when he arrived.

“None like any that you have heard of to be sure.” She responded lightly before awaiting his decision quietly.

A part of him told him to leave and not look back but a very small traitorous voice in the back of his mind pointed out that this was a way to get his--the bard back, if only to make sure he hadn’t died on the mountain. So he found himself nodding in acceptance and being directed on how to get to the keep.

As he made his way deeper into the forest, the sun slowly disappeared behind the thicket of trees, which seemed magical in nature due to the fact that the leaves on the trees wane more and more as though winter was setting in. He also had to be mindful of the underbrush for Roach’s sake. The nearer they drew, the more bramble bushes and winding tangles of thorny vines appeared. By the time he exited the forest onto the grounds of the keep, the air had chilled and snow fell blanketing the world in silence. No sound of birds or foraging animals penetrated the suffocating silence. “Yeah, definitely cursed…” He huffed quietly to Roach.

The witcher slowly made his way through the gardens which, although covered in thick blankets of snow, had hundreds of roses blooming all around. He found a small stable to shelter Roach in while he dealt with whatever beast laid in the keep and the curse. Making his way through the hold proved easy, too easy. No traps or surprises waited around every corner. That made him worry all the more though. If the source of the magic that imprisoned the town was here unguarded, then that meant whoever cast it was certain their beast could dispose of any threat that may come. Another peculiar fact that Geralt took notice of was that there were no signs of previous battles in the halls. Only beautifully crafted and luxurious objects fit for royalty with all their gilding and detail lay about along with vines of roses which crept through the cracks, taking home amongst the decorative stone carvings. He ignored the warm well lit rooms, obvious traps with their enticing music and delicious smelling foods. Instead, he made his way further in. When it came to a divide in the two wings, he went to the west which lay in disrepair compared to the other. The welcoming cheer disappeared as he passed broken furniture and ripped portraits. Even in all the wreckage, there was still no sign of blood, and dust invaded his senses, keeping him from scenting out what creature may be lurking. Down the vast walkways, staircases, and passages, all the rooms were worn and barely accessible. With every passing second, Geralt’s anticipation grew, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he expected an attack and yet still none came.

The final room he came to seemed to be the master bedroom which he cautiously crept into. The bed was a mass of tatters and heaps of cloth, not that unlike a nest, and the rest of the furniture had been reduced to splintered piles of wood and metal. The object that caught his eye though was a faintly glowing bell dome that looked frosted over in ice as it sat on a small lone table in front of the windows. It felt like he was being pulled towards it. That was it, it had to be, the source of this curse. A creeping anxiety filled him as he crept closer to the object. This was all too easy and still no sign of the monster. When he was right in front of the delicate glass, he paused briefly to take in the wilted rose, if you could call it that, that only had a singular petal still attached to the stem. A sense of loss and mourning filled him as he reached out.

Before his hand could touch the glass however, a growl snapped him back to the room around him. He turned quickly, unsheathing his sword and striking the creature that had leapt at him from its hiding place near the bed. His sword thrust with a meaty thunk into the center of the monster’s chest. Decades of hunting and swiftly taking down monsters meant his aim was true and there was no saving the beast now. It was only as the beast crumpled to the floor did Geralt notice it’s claws had been retracted, showing it had had no real intention to harm. If it had wanted to, it could have easily snuck up on him while he was enthralled by the dome and gotten in at least one good hit. “Fuck…” He swore under his breath, realizing his mistake and stooping low to get a better look at the creature. It’s body was like that of a lion but it had swirling horns that curled back over it’s mane and it’s pelt was as black as the charcoal left from a forest fire. It struggled to turn onto it’s back, wheezing wetly, until Geralt took pity on it and helped. Lichen grew in patches along the horns and across its face and pelt, one eye almost completely covered. It blinked blearily up at him as it coughed up the blood that was starting to pool in it’s lungs. He didn’t know what to do, the beast did not seem crazed or ferocious. When he looked it in the eye, all that showed was mournful regret.

The creature breathed deeply to collect itself before it opened it’s jaws and the voice of a man came out. “I am finally free-- ” It paused to cough before continuing. “You have saved… me from my torment--” Another coughing fit came and went. “But I fear the curse is yet undone… You--” The creature’s breath stuttered and a large claw fisted in Geralt’s shirt, pulling him down so he could hear it’s final whisper. “--You will be the making of your own curse… break it before the last petal falls.” As it’s voice petters out, the beast goes limp as it’s life falls away.

Geralt barely had time to process the words before a burning in his chest bloomed and rapidly made its way out to his limbs. He felt like he was burning alive just before his vision went black. When he came to, he felt heavy. Heavier than normal and his body ached as though he had just burned through one of his potions. He slowly ambled to his feet, feeling his armor shift in odd ways but the heavy weight of his medallion was missing. Before he could truly go into a frenzy searching for the silver piece, the small table caught his eyes. Instead of the frosted bell glass, a bird cage now stood in its place, the frost mingling with the silver that made up the twisting and curving bars that reminded him of the twisted thorn vines from the forest. As he stepped closer he saw the wilted flower was no more, instead replaced by a small bouquet of… Buttercups? Where the door of the cage should have been, the shape and design of his medallion sat. Upon seeing this, the witcher felt something heavy lower in his chest. He scrambled for any kind of reflective surface, noting his hands were now large white furred claws, thankfully still with opposable thumbs. Grabbing a shard of mirror from beside the bed, Geralt stared at the monster who looked back. The large yellow eye shown out from the thick white fur, dark horns curved back over his head, and large sharp teeth shown through when he grimaced. The mirror slipped from his hands as he stumbled and sat down heavily on the bed frame which groaned in response. He thought over the beast’s last words as the cold crept in around him.

The anguished howl echoed throughout the seemingly enchanted woods. All the animals quieted in fear while a young man hastened in the direction of the cry. The curiosity called out to him and drew him closer to a castle he had not noticed before. He needed shelter for the night from the sudden cold storm that had brewed and the blue and yellow flowers nestled in the snowy gardens were enchanting. He wondered what he would find inside as he came upon the darkened doors as night settled in around him. The snow now fell steadily and he wondered what destiny had in store for him.

#geraskier #Witcher #the witcher #witcher netflix #fanfic #geralt x jaskier #gerlion #Beauty and the Beast AU #beast!geralt #Buttercup's Writings

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magiskasyskon · 4 years

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Name: Rigmor Strid

Name meaning: ‘(name of a) queen’ (Swedish), ‘mighty spirit’ (medieval Danish). Rig is a nickname she gets from everyone, as not everyone finds her name easy to pronounce, especially her friends who don’t speak Swedish. She considered changing it to a name that rather begins with a vowel and not a rolled R, as well as because of the fact that she used to believe it was an old woman’s name as a teenager, but has decided to keep it. She later discovered there was a character with the same name in The Elder Scrolls, and became further fond of the name. As for Strid, the Swedish word for war, she believes it fits her and her siblings perfectly, describing their exact relationship with their parents and the nature of their lives.

Age: 26

Ethnicity: Swedish

Nationality: Swedish

What time do they usually get up in the morning?: Rigmor starts work around 10 AM and likes to have an hour to have something for breakfast and brushing teeth and putting clothes on, so she gets up at 9.

What is their morning routine?: Showers, brushes teeth and hair, goes for a jog/does some exercises, has breakfast (usually muesli or toast and black tea), plays with her cat Krabba.

How long does it take them to get ready?: Between 5-10 minutes, up to 15 when she’s sleepy.

What time do they usually go to bed?: A little before midnight.

Do they fall asleep easily?: Usually depends on the day Rig has been through. If she has had a day with darker thoughts, it takes her a while to fall asleep, and she may have trouble falling asleep. If she hasn’t thought of anything bad, she’ll be asleep within seconds.

What position do they sleep in?: On her right side, or on her back

What is their handwriting like?: When she isn’t rushed for time, Rigmor’s handwriting is an elegant Monday Routines (example here). When in a hurry, it resembles The Coastal more (can be seen on the same page).

Do they prefer typing or writing things?: Though she often draws using a tablet and a computer, Rig prefers writing things by hand. She keeps the correspondence with the couple of pen-pals she connected to in high-school written, as well as any letters to closer friends.

Are they an artist themselves? What kind of art do they do?: Rigmor is, aside from a tattooist, an artist, and she likes to paint and draw with ink pens and crayons and charcoal, often images from nature like plants and animals, and also do embroideries and knit and sew things, though she isn’t as good at sewing as she is at drawing or painting. Rig has also made pottery several times, and likes to do it from time to time so she can either make extremely ugly-looking pots and smash them and let go of her anger, or make exquisite vases and mugs and then paint them and give them to friends as gifts. In her free time, she also does make-up art, and is very fond of it.

What are some of their favourite books?: Poetry, comic books, biographies, new adult fiction, young adult fiction, mystery, crime, thriller, horror, historical

What genre of movies do they like?: Adventure, fantasy, documentaries

What music genres do they enjoy?: Folk metal, glam metal, melodic death metal, funk metal, heavy metal, viking metal, grunge, punk, rock, hard rock

What are some of their favorite musical acts?: The Greatest Showman. She doesn’t watch a lot of musicals

Do they prefer their music to sound a certain way?: Rigmor enjoys the music she listens to to have a good rhythm and meaningful lyrics, though she can easily enjoy music with no lyrics such as classical pieces by Beethoven or Rachmaninoff for example.

Do they enjoy music from certain decades? If so, which decades?: 90′s, 80′s, classical music

Are they a musician themselves?: To an extent, I guess? Rigmor can play the guitar and sing beautifully, and has partaken in duets with her brother, Arvid, or trios of them and their sister Robyn, but hasn’t actively recorded music or gone on gigs. She does like to play the guitar when the mood strikes, though, and draws the art for her brother’s albums.

What are some of their favorite pieces of clothing/outfits in their wardrobe? If not applicable, what do you think would be some of their favorite pieces of clothing/outfits?:

How much are they willing to spend on clothes?: Not much, really. Rigmor likes buying cheap but pretty outfits, sometimes from second-hand shops, but most often from little shops close to her home.

What colors and patterns are prominent in their wardrobe? What colors and patterns do they wear the most often?: Blue, most often dark blue, and black, or purple, with an occasional dash of red.

What kind of clothes do they like?: Shirts and jeans, as well as hoodies, but also skirts and dresses in her favourite colours.

Do they wear makeup? What type do they wear?: Usually Rigmor can’t be bothered to wear more than an eyeliner and mascara, but when going to a celebration, or out with her friends, she often likes to wear eye shadow.

Do they wear/do you associate them with clothes from a certain decade? If so, which?: 90′s - the early 00′s

What font/fonts do you associate with them?: Baskerville

What colors do you associate with them?: Light and dark blue, light and dark purple, black, dark and light green, silver

What natural elements (geographical features like mountains, animals, seasons, locations, plants, etc.) do you associate with them: Spring; its freshness and the fascination of newborn life. Nature awakening from its winter sleep. Winter; the calm winter evenings in front of a stove. A cup of hot chocolate or coffee. A starless night with just the moon brightly shining. The calmness and quiet of an ocean at night. Lupine. Rose. Flower crowns for Midsommar, one of her favourite celebrations. Felines, especially bigger cats. Vulpines. Beaches, in the late afternoon when people are leaving and there’s barely anyone, as well as late at night.

Tagged by: stole this kinda older post from @dethqveen

Tagging: See this? You wanna do it? Steal it & tag me

#dash games #about the witch ( hc + facts. )#// gonna do that for arvid & robyn too #// maybe later tho cos i'm starving

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mythologyfolklore · 4 years

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Your cowardice made us the monsters we are

(A/N: A little drabble from the POV of Loki and his children from their banishment/imprisonment until Ragnarök.)

Loki: My blood brother, do you remember? When in ancient times you and me mixed our blood and swore sacred oaths? You had just been betrayed, a lonely leader of a family which had banished you. And I was on the run from an abusive kin. We met after you gained the runes and gave your eye to drink from the well, but before you knew the prophecy. You knew not as much as you do now. Do you remember? You were wandering through the worlds and had nowhere to go. You were alone. Just like me. Do you remember? I saved your life. You had just sacrificed your eye and hung yourself from Yggdrasil. You, the first of the Aesir, looked at me, a fire giant too small-framed for his kind, and you smiled. I offered you to become your brother. I told you that I wouldn't abandon you. We mixed our blood and became siblings, not by blood but by oath. Do you remember? We made so many promises to each other. We promised to be brothers, to be a family. To share meal and drink. To support each other in battle. To share our knowledge with the other. To share each other's joys and woes. And so many other things, that are meaningless now. But there was one promise more. Do you remember? I do. You promised that my children would be yours as well. I promised the same. I remember. But you have forgotten, haven't you? I remember what happened then. You went to Helheim, to seek the advice of a long dead Völva. I waited for you at the gates of the land of the dead. You came back, paler than a ghost. The prophecy of the Völva shook you to the core, didn't it? You got all the knowledge that you have now. But was it really worth it? I didn't know what you had seen or heard, but I saw how shaken you were. So I comforted you and told you stories to cheer you up. I have always been good at that. You were so grateful. But now you're not grateful anymore, are you? You don't even remember what gratitude is. You have forgotten that, just like your promise that you would accept my children. You didn't accept them at all. Especially not my children by my beloved Angrboda. So what if they don't look like you Aesir? They're beautiful nonetheless. My oldest son, Fenrir. He is the wolf of wolves. He has my eyes and voice, my wit, magic and temper. When he takes his human form, you can see that he also has my freckles and ears. His blond hair and his strength are his mother's. But as a wolf, he has fluffy black and red fur. His teeth are almost as big as me. Fenrir is half as tall as the mountains of Utgard by now. But he will always be my little puppy. My second son, Jörmungandr, only ten seconds younger than Fenrir. He is the biggest snake the world has ever seen. He is so big that he encircles Midgard, so everyone calls him the Midgard Serpent. He has my eyes and hair and my intelligence, everything else he got from his mother. In his human form he's tall and lean like his mother. Fitting, in his animal form he's a very long snake after all. In his snake form his eyes are red, like my hair, and his scales are green, like my eyes. When the sun shines upon them, they shine so beautifully. When we were torn apart, his head was as high as my legs. Now, according to Thor, his pupils are bigger than an oak. But he is still my little Jörmi. My only daughter, Hel. Hers is the underworld, she is its queen. Inside her dwells the ancient, unhallowed and boundless power of the netherworld. She is neither dead nor alive. She is just Hel. She has hair of two colours. On her right side, it's silver blonde, like her mother's. On her left side, it's black. The right side of her face is rosy, fair enough to rival Freyja's. The left side of her face is dark from decay. Normally, that is. If she's angry, it turns skeletal, if she's happy, the left half of her face is as fair as the right half. She has my intellect, cunning and humour, but other than that, she is every bit her mother. But none of this matters to me. She is my beautiful little girl, my sunshine, and she always will be. And then there is Sleipnir, my middle child. Sadly, I'm not his father, but his mother. I gave him to you, because I hoped that it would save him from suffering the fate his older siblings had. Well, at least that worked out. Using my son as your steed, because he's an eight-legged, talking horse is just fine with you, huh? But you didn't treat my children with your daughter Sigyn any better, oh no. Even though they were Aesir, like you! My youngest twin sons, Nari and Narfi. They are-no, were their mother's spitting image. Black, starry curls, a small but strong frame. Safe for the green eyes that were mine. And they had my magic. I … I didn't even get to see what they would have been like, had they lived into adulthood. And look what you did their mothers! Angrboda, the Lady of Járnvidr, the greatest of witches. At least she didn't have to see what became of our children. She probably got the most merciful ending in our family. You hated her, because she refused to share her wisdom and her dark magic with you. But to me, she was the first woman I ever truly loved. The second one is Sigyn, the wonderful, boundlessly loyal, hot-headed tomboy at my side. I can't even remember how many tantrums she has thrown because of me. But no matter how angry she was at me, she was always there, standing up for me, even when everyone turned against me. Even now, after everything I have done, she's still here. This petite goddess is stronger than all of you. Angrboda is dead, you killed her. Fenrir is bound, chained through magic and your perjury. The magical chains cut into his flesh and you stuffed a fucking sword into his mouth so he can't bite you. You banished Jörmungandr into the ocean that encircles Midgard, threw him into it like a broken doll. It's cold in there, too. Not fit for a snake, no matter how big my son is. Hel is all alone in the underworld. Well, she is not alone. She has her subjects and her servants. But she can never see her family and we can't see her. Sleipnir is the only one you treat well, because he's useful to you. You turned Nari into a wolf and made him tear apart his own brother. Then you killed him. And Narfi didn't even get a proper burial. No. His guts are what my chains are made of. I've been chained to these fucking rocks with the entrails of my own son, for … how long? I don't even remember. Hard to tell, it's always dark in this cave. A few metres above my head, a snake is bound and her acidic venom drops onto my face, no thanks to Skadi. Fucking whore. It hurts like a bitch, when the venom hits my face, it burns my skin. But Sigyn is here, holding a bowl over my head, keeping the poison from dropping onto my face. She suffers so much, deserving none of it. My poor, dear Sigyn. You made her watch, as her sons were killed and I was bound with the guts of one of them. You told her that everything happening was my fault. I admit, part of this is true. But let me tell you this, I'm not sorry for killing your precious Baldr. Or for framing his twin, which lead to him getting killed as well. I was envious of them, both of them, I'm not ashamed of admitting it. I hated Baldr because you loved him for being sweet, innocent and beautiful, while you scorned my dear children for not being like that. Everyone praised him, looked up to him, when he hardly did anything to deserve that! It was me who did all the work for you! Not him! Me! And he got all the love and attention! And do you know what I hated most about your third youngest son? That he didn't become a conceited and arrogant prick over it. On the contrary, he hated it! I saw it in his eyes. And you didn't even know, being the superficial bastard you are. You just saw the pretty boy. Only his blind twin and I saw the miserable wretch he truly was. I hated Hödr, because you loved him for being so content with living in Baldr's shadow (literally, because he was the god of darkness and winter). He was the only person your beloved Baldr truly cared about, aside from his own child, of course. But most of all I hated him for being so much like you. He was much kinder and more sensible, but he was your spitting image. Even his gloomy, calm and aloof demeanor was just like yours. Just looking at him reminded me of you. I hated it. To cut it short, I hated them, because they were your children and because you loved them. Before I murdered Baldr, he and I had a little talk. You don't know, but he knew that I would be his murderer. You'd be surprised at how casual he was about it, after making such a fuss about his nightmares. He wasn't even resentful towards me. He smiled and still called me 'Uncle'. It was unbearable. And I realised something that terrified me: As much as I envied him and his brother, I loved them as well. I realised that I was becoming something like a surrogate father to them. I couldn't allow that to happen. I should hate them for being your sons. They didn't deserve to die, but I had to cause their deaths. I had to get them killed, before they could become like you. Baldr and Hödr were too good for you anyway. And my daughter Hel will take good care to keep them that way. There is no doubt, she is better for them than you are, much better. You don't deserve them. You took away from me what I held dearest. So I did the same to you. When you bound me, you asked me if we were even. I laughed at you. I told you that to get even, I would have had to kill Thor, Vidarr and Hermódr as well. You told me that I never would have accomplished that. I laughed again. Told you not to underestimate me. But the truth is - I could never bring myself to kill Thor. I've grown too attached to him. That's why my son Jörmungandr will do it. He has open business with him anyway. Both of them will die. Will I cry for Thor as well as for Jörmi? I don't know. I would love to kill you myself, my dear blood brother, but my son Fenrir has already called dibs. He will kill Tyr and you. I will laugh, as he devours you. I will weep as Vidarr avenges you and kills my eldest child. Will Sleipnir survive? I hope so. He doesn't deserve to die. But then again, when have the Norns ever cared about that. And then I will turn to the person who has always despised me, my dear nemesis. The relationship between me and Heimdallr is so complicated, you would never understand it. There is a strange freedom in trusting the enemy. We will kill each other. And we will meet again, in Helheim, where my daughter waits for her brothers and me. I remember the jokes and games we used to make about it. Kind of like you and me when we were young. When we became blood brothers, you had that mischievous glint in your eye, much like myself. There was a warmth and integrity in your smile that made me believe everything you said, even when I knew that you were lying. Now all of this is gone. You hate me. But that's alright, because I hate you too. You call us monsters, my children and me. That's true. But it was your cowardice that made us the monsters we are now. See you at Ragnarök. See you in Hel. I will never forgive you, Odin. Never. Fenrir: I trusted you. I was apprehensive after you had taken me away from my mother, but I trusted you. When we were brought to Asgard, you were the one who took care of me, when dad couldn't do it. I respected you. You were the only one brave enough. Brave enough to spend time with me. Brave enough to come near me. Brave enough to be fond of me. Do you remember, how you used to play with me? How you used to pet me and stroke my fur? How you and your wife spent entire days trying to clean it? I remember the smiles on your face, the laughter in your eyes. I remember how you were only one of three gods in Asgard who were allowed to call me "puppy" (the other two being dad and Sigyn). You used to play fetch with me, not with small sticks, that'd be ridiculous, you tore small trees out and used them as sticks. Hey, I'm a huge wolf, gimme a break! I looked up to you, like one would look up to a surrogate father. In a way you were mine, because dad was often busy. One day I turned into a human, just for you and dad. It was your birthday. I turned human, because making a gift is hard when you're a giant wolf. You were happy and you ruffled my blond head, while dad fawned over how cute I was. Kinda odd that I'm a blond, considering that my fur is black. Even my siblings liked you. You didn't mind when Jörmi snaked around your legs and you could look at Hel without cringing at the left side of her face, which is something only me, Jörmi, dad and Sigyn could do. Those were happy times. For a while I forgot that you and the other Aesir had taken us away from our mother. But then came that one time dad went on a particularly long journey for old man Odin. One day, I noticed that my little brother Jörmungandr and my little sister Hel had gone missing. I asked you about it. You said that you didn't know where they were. I noticed that glint of sadness and guilt in your eyes, but I was still a naive child and I trusted you. A few days later, you finally told me that Odin had sent Jörmungandr to the sea around Midgard, because he was growing to big for Asgard. As for my sister Hel, she was going to rule a world of her own. You didn't say that it was Niflheim and I, in my childish naiveté, thought of her being a princess with pretty clothes and lots of servants who would read every wish from her lips and one day I would be her bodyguard and protect her, because I'm her strong, big brother. You said sure, everyone who'd want to harm Hel would be scared away by my size and strength and I would be her hero. It makes my heart bleed to remember that. Looking back, I know why you lied. I was still a child, still a puppy. I wasn't ready to face the cruelty of the world. But a few weeks later, Odin accompanied you. I winced at the cold gaze in his grey eye. He said that I was growing too big for Asgard and that I would be moved to an island that was far away. I didn't understand most of it, but I did realise that it meant that I would have to move away from you and that I wouldn't be able to visit you, dad, Sigyn and my new baby brothers. I begged him to let me stay, I would be a good boy and do all kinds of things for the gods, just like my dad. He said no. At least I got to say goodbye to Sigyn and the kids, before I was moved to an island that was more than big enough to hold me and give me all the room I wanted. Said island was called Yngvi and was located in the middle of a lake named Amsvartnir, which itself happened to be in Niflheim. Yeah. I was alone there for weeks, until you and the other gods came back. You brought chains. Big, heavy chains. Odin told me that this was a game and that I would be famed for my strength, if I could break them. I was young. Still naiv, only a teen at this point. And man, did I ever want to prove myself? You bet! By this time I was already twice as big as Thor and probably twice as strong as well. I shattered the chains with ease and rejoiced. A few weeks you gods came back with even bigger, heavier chains. Odin suggested playing the game again. I looked at the heavy iron chains and thought for a moment. They were stronger than the last ones, but then again, I had experienced another growth spurt during the past weeks, and I had confidence in my strength. So I allowed them to bind me again. Breaking these was a little harder, but still easy. I quickly shook them off. But I noticed something strange. None of the gods seemed to be happy for me, not even you. That got me thinking. Next time you came back, years had passed and I was growing HUGE!!! What you showed me this time made me blink. A thin, hardly visible golden band that looked like it was made of silk. A silken band after two heavy chains? Now that was fishy. But they taunted me, questioned my courage and I didn't want to lose my pride and reputation. So I agreed to let them bind me, but only under one condition: one of them would have to place his right hand in my mouth, if they tricked me, I'd bite it off. They hesitated. Now it was my turn to taunt them. After all, if they were playing fair, they didn't have to fear for their hand, right? Right. In the end, you stepped forward. Again, you were the only one brave enough. But you had tears in your eyes. They were full of sorrow. It terrified me. They bound me and, just as expected, I couldn't break them. The gods didn't free me. They laughed. Except for you. Partly because you were feeling guilty for betraying me (yes, I could tell from the look on your face), but mainly because I bit your hand off. You didn't scream. You didn't shed a tear. You didn't even flinch. You just looked at me unhappily. And I hated you in that moment. Hated you, because despite loving me, you still managed to betray me, to put these false gods over everything else. I thought that it was your fault that I was bound, a prisoner. Now I know that it wasn't your fault. It was all Odin's fault, for being such a fucking coward. But I'm still angry at you. I was an innocent child, until you made me a monster. I will kill you, Tyr. And when I have done that, I will kill Odin, that one-eyed piece of shit. Jörmungandr: These Aesir are all pieces of crap. I mean, what did my siblings and I do to deserve this? First Odin throws me into the sea, like I'm some broken doll that a girl throws away. Then he sends my sister to the netherworld, literally. And as if that wasn't bad enough, they fool my brother Fen into thinking that they like him, only to betray him and bind him like he's a madman in need of confinement. Oh, and according to Fenrir, they have also bound our father and are torturing him for killing Baldr. And to add insult to injury, they killed our little brothers and bound dad with the entrails of one of them. Those disgusting trash bags. Why did they - no, why did Odin do all this? Why does he do this to us? We were just children, not normal, but still children. And if he had bothered to actually get to know us, he would have realised that Fenrir and I can be human too (and devilishly handsome ones too, if I may say so). Hel can look like the other girls too, if she tries hard enough. Heck, she could surpass that wench Freyja in beauty any day! But nooo, he was so appalled by what we really look like, that we were promptly banished. He fucking threw me into an ocean, I still can't believe it, after so many thousand years! I hate this place. It's cold and dark and with me being a snake, that doesn't go well together. I turn into a human very often, just to get into the warm sun and enjoy a little bit of freedom. Otherwise I'd always be stiff and have cramps. And don't even get me started on how there's not enough food for a snake of my size in this dirty puddle. Gha. It's also very lonely here. I'm the only one of my kind and since my family can't visit me, I have no one to talk to. Before dad was bound, he and Sigyn used to sneak away to visit sometimes. I remember that one time, after we were imprisoned, when she visited me in my exile and asked me for a token to give to my father as a means of comfort. Of course it was the middle of the night and yes, she totally had "borrowed" Sleipnir from Odin. I told her to pick one of my smallest scales. I heard from Hel that the Asýnja came to her and Fen as well, with the same request. The next time my father managed to sneak away (I wonder why Heimdallr tolerated this), I noticed that he was wearing a necklace with the scale Sigyn had taken from me, a tooth from Fenrir and a yellow and black curl from Hel's hair. I love my step-mother. If anyone is worthy of following in my mother's footsteps, it's her. She is the only decent person in Asgard, if you ask me. Well, at least the only decent one I know. She didn't care that we were two huge animals and a half-dead girl. She spoiled us anyway. Like we were her own kids. And I don't even know how old she is or when her birthday is. That's kind of sad. I never got around to ask her, no thanks to Odin. I can't believe that she's actually his daughter. I mean, she looks nothing like him! Sure, she's black-haired, but she's tiny, her eyes are dark blue and she has stars in her hair! How amazing is that! We always called her Sigyn of the starry hair. I swear, she must be a daughter of Nótt or something like that! She gets angry and yells a lot (mostly at dad and the other Aesir), but she has a good heart. Sadly, she's the only one I know up there of whom that can be said. I mean, isn't that what the Midgardians about Thor as well? Hah! How am I supposed to see the good in someone who took me and my siblings away from our home and mother? And speaking of him - I still have that scar on my head, where that bastard bashed my skull in. Seriously, what did I ever do to him?! I mean, get this! I'm swimming around, minding my own business, when suddenly something gets caught in my mouth, that tastes like beef. And when I come to the surface to see where it came from, something comes flying at me and then I feel this infernal pain on my head! I feel dizzy for a moment, before my sight clears and I recognise Thor in a little boat, about to swing his hammer again. There is a jötunn next to him, pale as a corpse. Come on, I don't look that frightening! Just because I'm a giant snake! But back to Thor, that bastard. That Asa actually bashed my head with this hammer! If I wasn't so huge, that blow would have killed me! Needless to say, I immediately dived under and refused to come back up. Good riddance, jackass! By the Norns, I hope that dad gave him a good ol' lecture, when he came home! Hmph. Trying to kill me for no reason, really. Just wait until Ragnarök, Thor. Then I will kill you! And I will do it for a reason. Yes, I will kill him and as many Aesir as I can, if it's the last thing I do. I know, it will be. But I still want my revenge before I die. Hel: Cheer up, you said. You're going to be a queen, you said. With a fancy golden crown on your head and pretty dresses, you said. You're going to have a kingdom, a castle, servants, subjects and riches beyond imagination, just for yourself, you said. Your family will come to visit you a lot, you said. You're going to like it there, you said. It'll be fun and pretty, you said. Lo! Here I am, in this cold, cold world full of dead people. The sun never shines here. When I leave my castle, it's hard to see my own hand in front of my eyes, that's how thick the fog is. And of course, my only conversation partners are the souls of the dead and my two old hand servants, Ganglot and Ganglati. "Fun and pretty", huh? You Aesir say a lot, when the days are long, don't you? And you know what the funniest thing is? I actually do like it here. Hah! Take that, morons! The dead have so many stories to tell and reading their souls, when they come in front of my throne, is way more entertaining than any book could ever be. They're not repulsed by my half-dead, half-alive visage. No, they worship me, they adore me! Ganglot and Ganglati are old and slow in their work, but they are special, very special indeed. Sure, the sun never shines here, but my world has a sun of its own - the underworld sun is like a huge black light. Pretty cool, huh? And inside, the souls of the stillborn provide a brighter light than that precious upperworld sun ever could. Bright to me, that is. But they wouldn't understand that. It's quiet here, not like noisy Asgard, but it's a nice kind of quiet. Little does Odin know that I'm wiser than him. I possess the knowledge of all who lived. Odin gathers many warriors in his hall but manier come to mine. But that doesn't make me any less upset. I can't believe that you lied to me. I can't believe that you took my family away, which was the most important thing in the world for me. Don't you Aesir know that family is the greatest, most powerful treasure a child can have? That nothing is stronger than familiar bonds? Aren't you such a tight-knit group? You despise us and our father. We're not like you, you say. As if you're ones to talk! How many other races is the community of the Aesir composed of! Jötnar, Vanir, Álfar, Midgardian… But you hate us because we're not as pretty as you. Do you even know how subjective beauty is? No, you're too superficial for that. My brother Fenrir is a giant wolf. No one looks more majestic than he does in his wolf form. Jörmungandr, my giant snake brother, is mightier and more imposing than any dragon could ever be. But they're not monsters! They're my beloved brothers! And it's not like they can't be human too! And I'm not a monster either! I'm not dead or alive! I'm Hel! Look at me from the right or make me particularly happy and you'll find that I can be fairer than Freyja! And as if that wasn't enough I had to welcome my half-brothers Nari and Narfi, who told me that you killed them and bound father with their entrails! They were innocent children! They were Aesir, two of you! Does your depravity know no bounds? And had my father not reason to kill Odin's beloved son? Was it not his right, after Odin tore us out of our parents' arms? And is Baldr not better off being with me than with you? He wasn't happy with you. You didn't give him what he needed. You didn't understand him like I do. He was your most precious light, now he is mine. He didn't want to go back and I didn't want him to go either. So I gave you an impossible task. But my father spoiled your meal again, didn't he? Hehe … you get it? He spoiled your meal and I eat from a table called hunger with a knife named famine? Hehe … meal jokes. They never get old. Anyway, since one creature refused to cry for Baldr, he stays here. And he will stay here until Ragnarök has passed. Then he will leave me again, as much as it hurts to think about it. But until then … I will enjoy his presence. Until then, he will be mine. He belongs to me. I love him. Surprised? Didn't you tell me that EVERYONE loves Baldr? Well, I'm no exception! And do you know what's the frosting on the cake? He loves me too! Now that's knocking you off the horses, huh? No offense, Sleipnir, hehe. But seriously. Even if you had succeeded, he would refuse to come back with you. He wouldn't go without his twin Hödr. By the way, Baldr angry at you guys for killing him. Hödr was one of you too, you know. But you don't care, do you? No, you only tried to ransom out Baldr, but not him. Seriously, dick move. (Baldr thinks so too) And then there is Nanna. She's pissed at you too, also for killing Hödr. At first we hated each other, but now we're gal pals. Hödr himself? Oh, I assure you, he's fine. he doesn't mind my relationship with his brother, in fact he supports it (you know, because he is awesome). See? They're much happier with me than with you! Hah! What does that tell you? If I was the monster you take me for, would they happier with me than with you? No! It's you who are the monsters! You mistreated my family, bound my older brothers, killed my younger ones, killed my mother and torture my father. You think I'm a monster, because you're a bunch of cowards. You were afraid of my power, weren't you? Were my father and my stepmother Sigyn the only ones who weren't? Ah, Sigyn. Yelled a lot and liked to punch dad, but she thought that WE were cute. She was one of a kind and a wonderful stepmother. I remember that one time she managed to come down to the underworld, only to ask me for a curl of my hair, just to cheer dad up. That was so sweet of her. I miss her, just like I miss the rest of my family. But at least I have my little brothers with me. But after Ragnarök, I will have them again. When they're all dead, I will give them a home. And we will be happy and together forever. Except that Baldr and Hödr will be gone. It hurts to think about it. But perhaps they will come to visit little ol' me. But it's long until then. And when the end of the age comes, I will lend my troops to father. I won't be there myself, I'll be too busy ruling Hel and Niflheim. Besides, I have to receive you all when you die. See you then, you worthless, hypocritical bastards. Nari and Narfi: We just don't know what went wrong. Our family was so happy. Mum was always there and loved us. Dad wasn't, but when he was, he spoiled us and told us cool stories. When we were really small, our big half-siblings came to live with us for a while. Mum spoiled them. They were weird, but it was fun to play with them, especially Fenrir. His fur was fluffy and he always let us ride on his back. And suddenly they were gone and no one told us where to. But dad was so sad afterwards. He cried almost every night. Then mum gave him a present and he got a bit better. The other Aesir seemed to like us. Our uncles Baldr and Hödr always taught us cool stuff, just like dad always did. And uncle Thor played with us and gave us piggy-bag rides. And suddenly uncle Baldr and auntie Nanna were dead. Then, a year later, uncle Hödr was dead too. They said that it was him who killed uncle Baldr. But that's impossible! He loved him so much! A few decades after that, they arrested dad. Then they dragged us out of mum's arms and took us to a far away place. It was only then that we learned that it had actually been dad who had killed Baldr. And then Odin said 'An eye for an eye' and turned Nari into a wolf. It hurt, being transformed into a wolf. Suddenly I saw Narfi and forgot that he was my brother. A few minutes later, I stood over his intestines and dad was screaming and I suddenly realised what had happened. But before I could grief, Odin pierced me with his spear. The last thing I saw was how they bound dad with Narfi's guts, then I died. We found ourselves in Helheim and in front of Hel's throne. We had never really seen our older sister, even in Asgard, because she had always hidden away. Now that we saw her, first she was a bit scary with her half-dead face. But she is so nice to us. Actually, she's the best big sis ever. She is so badass and lets us live in her palace, we can do whatever we want and she plays with us, when she has the time. Uncle Baldr and uncle Hödr are there too. They always have time for us and keep teaching us awesome stuff. Hel does so too, but she is very busy ruling the underworld. They all know a lot and Hel knows so cool magic, just like dad. And then there is our … uh, other mother? Angrboda. She is the mum of our older siblings minus Sleipnir, a powerful Jötunn witch and very nice, but also very scary. She's even smarter than Odin, at least we think so. She knows everything. Hel too. Maybe she got that from her. But we miss mum and dad so much. But that's okay, because Hel says that we will have them back eventually and Hel never lies. Sleipnir: Sometimes I wish I had never been born. Sometimes I curse the family I've been born into. Sometimes I regret that I can't just be a normal stallion. Hehe, nope. I'm a magical, talking horse with eight legs. Also, my mother is a shapeshifting trickster whose blood-brother is my master. Oh, and I have three monster siblings and two younger human siblings. Don't worry, I can turn into a human too. Woohoo. Joy, joy. I only met my siblings when they were taken from Jötunheim and stayed in Asgard for a while. It was actually them who taught me to transform into a human shape. I'm a grey horse with a dark grey mane and my mother's green eyes. When I turn human, my skin is pale, my hair is still dark grey and my eyes still green, but for some reason I have … freckles? Must have gotten that from mother too. Oh, and my mother is actually a guy. At least everyone thinks so. I'm not so certain, I mean he's a fire Jötunn and a shapeshifter, perhaps he's gender non-binary. Anyway, my older half-siblings soon were taken away and suffered fates they didn't deserve, just because the Aesir didn't like the way they looked. Dick move. Mother was so distressed. No. Distressed isn't the right word, more like mad with grief. He was in a dazed state for months. It was so scary and I was only a foal back then. Mother recovered afterwards, but I could practically smell the hatred boil inside him, the evil schemes he was plotting. He was never one to think logically. Oh mother, my dear poor mother, you're such a fool. You wanted to avenge Angrboda's children and murdered Baldr, the most beloved of the Aesir. Then you sabotaged his return. And then you rubbed it into their faces. And now you're chained to not only one but THREE rocks with the guts of Narfi, my little half-brother. Everyone in my family is gone and I alone am still here, serving Odin. I miss you so, my dear mother. And I miss you too, my siblings, even these of you whom I hardly knew. I will see you at Ragnarök, my dear family. And we will be together in Helheim. At least I hope so. I don't know, if I'll die at Ragnarök, but I hope that I will. I just want to be with you again. I miss you.

#norse mythology #loki #loki's children #fenrir #jörmungandr #hel #sleipnir #nari #narfi

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sparklingichigo · 4 years

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BEACH VACATION

Part 7

So here they are in the grocery store, the only missing thing is cheese but apparently Diavolo and Asmo decides to make things worse. Poor Luci...

Asmo: Are you sure that’s a good cheese? I think mozzarella is better!

Diavolo: Oh? But I bought Cheddar earlier.

Lucifer: [sigh] Just get both.

Asmo: Okay! Oh, I also want to get-

Lucifer: No Asmo, no drinking...

Asmo: But-

Lucifer: No, we will not have alcohol. It may harm the humans

Asmo: Solomon’s a good drinker though?

Lucifer: I’m not talking about him! He can get drunk for all I care!

Asmo: Ichigo’s a good drinker!

Lucifer: [smacks Asmo] No! You will not harm the girls!

Diavolo: If you want alcohol so badly I have wine in my room

Lucifer: Don’t encourage him!

Diavolo: Oh don’t worry, I’m sure we’re all responsible drinkers right?

Lucifer: I wouldn’t say that if I were you, Diavolo...

Asmo: You have wine?! Okay! We’ll your wine then! Let’s get paying and get this party star-

Lucifer: Asmoooooooooo!!!

Asmo: Okay, okay!

Meanwhile at the twin’s room, Beel and Ichigo are snacking on french fries that he orders, mostly Beel because he’s quite hungry.

Ichigo: I think that’s enough Beel, the barbecue party is soon and you might get full

Belphie: Bold of you to assume he was ever full

Ichigo: I know but this mountain of fries?

Belphie: Just leave him be, if he doesn’t get “full” he might get cranky and destroy this whole hotel

Beel: No, of course not! I won’t!

Ichigo: [sigh] Beel, we’re gonna have barbercue anyways, do you mind sharing it with the others?

Beel: I think I should, does Asmo want some? Satan? Levi? I bet the wants some while watching his anime

Ichigo: That’s a good idea! Let’s go! You coming Belphie?

Belphie: I guess, so I can have more pillows

Beel: Let’s go then!

Before they can even go, they hear a knock on their door. Of course Beel being Beel he opens the door and sees Solomon there.

Solomon: Have you guys seen Asmo?

Beel: Not that I know off, why?

Solomon: We were sleeping together earlier and now he’s gone

Ichigo: Who is it Beel?

Beel: Oh it’s Solomon, he’s looking for Asmo!

Ichigo: Oh he went to the grocery store with Lucifer and Diavolo

Beel: Yeah, as she said

Solomon: Oh thank God-

Beel: Solomon no-

Solomon: My apologies... oh thank Simeon

Suddenly a heavenly portal opens up with Simeon peeking from it

Simeon: For what?

Solomon: Oh nothing, these guys forbid me from saying the “God” word so I’ll just use you for it

Simeon: Don’t???

Solomon: Why not??

Luke: OMG SHUT UP DONT MAKE ME ASK SIMEON TO PULL YOU HERE!!

Solomon: Please don’t-

Luke: Exactly

Simeon: Oh well, I’ll go back to work

The portal closes with Beel and Solomon staring at it awkwardly. Well that’s a ride...

Beel: So... we’re going to Levi’s room later you coming?

Solomon: Sure, I’m lonely anyways.

Ichigo: Normally Solomon, normally

Solomon sighs and closes the portal he just opens.

Ichigo: Why waste on your magical energy when you can just walk? It’s just two rooms away anyways.

So all four of them go to Levi’s room to join him to watch Anime, there Levi and Mammon are still arguing on which anime to watch.

Mammon: Can’t we just watch this one? I thought we both like TSL!

Levi: I’ve watched that one! Let’s just watch Ruri’s newest episode!

Mammon: But-

Before he can even continue, Mammon hears a knock on the door so he annoyedly opens the door.

Mammon: What do ya want?!

Ichigo: Hey, can we join you?

Beel: I brought snacks and there’s Belphie and Solomon too

Levi: Oh? You normies wanna watch too? We’re not watching TSL though.

Ichigo: That’s okay^^ If you wanna watch Ruri’s newest show we’ll go with that

Levi: [happy crying] S-So moe...

Belphie: Stop your simping already, can’t we get the show on the road? I’m getting sleepy!

Levi: O-oh right, let’s go!

Levi lets them in to watch the show while they’re waiting for Lucifer, Asmo and Diavolo to return. Meanwhile with Satan and Reika, the two are walking around the shore with the beach wind blowing and the moon shining beautifully.

Satan: Aren’t you cold? You seem to be shivering the whole time?

Reika: N-no.. I’m fine^^

Satan: [sigh] Why didn’t you use your jacket? It’s gonna be cold at night

Reika: ...

Satan: Oh why do I bother, here use my jacket.

Satan takes off his jacket and puts it around Reika so she won’t get cold.

Reika: But what about you?

Satan: [shrugs] I’m a demon and I use this jumper so I’ll be fine.

Reika: Oh okay, thanks a lot!

Reika gives a peck on Satan’s cheek as appreciation causing the avatar of wrath to turn slightly red, he was not used to such affection.

Satan: Yeah.. you’re welcome^^

He was calm on the outside but inside he’s freaking out. It even causes Reika to stare at him confusedly because he’s so quiet after all his intellectual talk.

Reika: Are you okay?

Satan: Yeah, I’m fine. Anyways, as I was saying...

Satan continues to explain about the wonders of the ocean from the books he read back in devildom, he barely visits the human world so finally seeing everything in real life is so fascinating to him.

Reika: Maybe I can take you on human world trips some time?

Satan: Unfortunately the one with human world’s acces is only Lucifer, I can’t open such portal, it needs great power and even Mammon can’t open it.

Reika: Then I’ll ask Diavolo

Satan: You sure? There’s no need for that^^

Reika: Alright then

Satan: Oh my, what time is it?

Satan checks his phone and turns out it’s 8 p.m

Satan: Oh no! It’s already 8! Let’s go back!

Reika: Oh, alright! Let’s go!

But on their way back, Reika turns thirsty and ask Satan to accompany her to buy some drinks. Luckily the two find a minimarket near the hotel. Satan ends up with coca cola dan Reika buys sprite. Reika is about to pay for her drinks but Satan stops her.

Satan: Don’t worry, I’ll pay for it.

Reika: Noo, there’s no need! I have enough money for this-

Satan: Come on, Reika, it’s our date. It’s the least I could do

Reika pouts and nods agreeing to Satan paying for their drinks. After that they return to the hotel with Lucifer glaring at the two of them.

Lucifer: Where were you?

Satan: So? She’s with me anyways! She’s not in danger and even if she does I can protect her!

Lucifer: That’s not why I’m worried! I’m aware of your powers, what I’m worried about is YOU being with HER, ALONE!

Satan: How is that your business?! Yes, we are dating! And so what?!

Diavolo: There there, Lucifer... it’s okay, they’re just hanging out. She’s not harm now is she?

Lucifer: [sigh] Fine...

Lucifer storms away leaving the three of them alone. Reika is worried because the fact that they’re dating just ruin their brotherly love.

Reika: Lord Diavolo, is Lucifer okay?

Diavolo: He’s quite cranky ever since Beel ate the cheese... maybe it’s the stress... he keeps on overthinking everything.

Satan: That’s Lucifer for you

Diavolo: In your case, the least you could do is tell some of them about where your abouts so he won’t get worried!

Satan: [sigh] I’m a grown adult! Why can’t he just not be overbearing for once?! Just because he’s my biological dad I ended up being his brother anyways!

Diavolo: Alright then, I’ll let you calm down. Just let us know if you’re up for the barbecue party

Diavolo leaves them alone going to his room to comfort Lucifer after all the stress he’s having. Poor Lucifer... he shouldn’t be overthinking things but that’s just his nature.

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karimthewriter · 4 years

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Rosalinda and the dragon by Karim Khayal

Resting at the foot of a large forest sat a small village called Puffington. It was the most peaceful village you could imagine, a village with little smoking chimneys, tiny but lovingly decorated houses, a beautiful cozy little marketplace and even a town house with a fat rosy- cheeked mayor. In this town called Puffington lived the hero of our story, an ordinary man called Luke. Luke wasn’t a hero like in the classical stories of old, a hero with shining colorful armor, a handsome moustache and a large sharp sword glistening in the morning sun. In fact, Luke was nothing like you might imagine a hero to be. He was just an old little man with deep dimples in his cheeks, bushy eyebrows and a mop of unruly white hair. He didn’t hear very well and the once bulgy muscles in his arms had turned into old man pudding. Every Saturday the people of Puffington would see Luke slowly shuffle through the market place, picking a fruit here, discarding a worm-eaten apple there and bargaining with the savvy market people. The market people knew Luke very well and with a little smile hidden in the corners of their mouth, they would gently pretend to be bargaining hard while always (well, most of the time) giving into Luke’s bargaining price. They did this because Luke was well loved in Puffington, especially by its children. Oh, the stories he could tell! Stories about deep and wide oceans, fairy queens and walrus kings, pirate treasure and ancient grizzled giants living in deep icy mountain caves. Though he was certainly not a classical hero, Luke was indeed the hero of Puffington’s children, an old gentle hero with an endless supply of stories and home-made (it had been his mother’s secret recipe) ice frosted chocolate pudding. Many nights the children would sit around Luke’s rocking chair, while burning logs sizzled and cracked in the old chimney and the old secretive grandfather clock made tick-tock tick-tock…dang dang. Even the striped neighborhood cat would gently purr along to Luke story. Now and then the cry of the old owl living in the large willow tree in Luke’s garden would make the children jump up in fright, but Luke’s soothing voice would always pull them back in to the adventure of his story. It was after all only a story.

Even though the people in Puffington thought that they knew everything about old Luke there was to know, Luke had kept one secret hidden away all his life. It was a secret he kept locked away in a little box inside his heart, where it was safe from prying eyes. The secret was that Luke was still madly in love with his neighbor Rosalinda. Rosalinda had been Luke’s childhood friend since the time he had been a wee lad with ruddy cheeks, a stick in his hand and a chocolate smeared mouth. They had grown up together, caught frogs and salamanders in the forest-creeks together, climbed hills and trees together, howled at the moon together and had shared many secrets while clutching hands on the forest swing. Rosalinda’s hair had been red like fire burning in the chimney, with a beautifully freckled face and a gap-toothed smile that shone like the sun on a beautiful spring morning. Growing into a young man, Luke had come to love Rosalinda more each year, his heart melting at the mere sight of her. She had grown into a beautiful and lively young woman, possessing the deep roaring laughter of a melon farmer, the thin long legs of a Gazelle and short fingers as quick and strong as those of a monkey. She had indeed been a very special person and love-smitten Luke had known it.

One sunny afternoon, Luke had finally confessed his love to Rosalinda. They had been sitting together on a green meadow, enjoying the warm sun while happily talking about this and that when Luke took a deep breath and found the courage to ask beautiful Rosalinda to marry him. Rosalinda had jumped up suddenly and looked at him with surprise. Luke remembered squinting from the bright sun searing into his eyes, trying to read Rosalinda’s expression. Why are you telling me this now? she had asked him in surprise and he had answered honestly that he was in love with her and everything that she was, that he loved the way she laughed from the bottom of her heart, that she was better than his morning coffee, dearer to him than his favorite chocolate and butter croissant and that she was the first thought that crossed his mind when he woke up and the last thought when he went to sleep. After an awfully silent but also deeply hopeful moment, she had made it clear that she was not in love with him and could in fact never fall in love with a friend as close and as cherished as he was. It was then that a little cog in the machinery of Luke’s heart had made clack! slowing down time till it felt like it was in the grips of a pair of hot thongs. But I love you Rosalinda! he had managed to stutter after his poetic confession had failed to move her even one bit. Look Luke, she had answered harshly, you mean more to me than you will ever understand. You are my friend. I love you, but not in the way you want. Please, please understand that. You will always be the little boy I looked up to when we were both small, my best friend and partner in crime. This is the only kind of love I can give you. She had bend down and given him a kiss on the cheek. Disappointment and hurt had turned out to be stronger than the beating heart of love and he had angrily stood up, ignoring the equal hurt on the freckled face he loved so much. On that beautiful summer day, he had stomped off without a further word, leaving her standing alone on a seemingly endless green meadow. Love had turned into pain and now pain had turned into bitter memory, while time caused the glow of their youth to disappear beneath wrinkled skin and scooped backs.

Despite the fact that she was now an old white-haired woman with white hair and a sagging bosom, Luke still loved Rosalinda. Despite that, he had continued to ignore her, even though Rosalinda had tried to remain friends, throwing rocks at his window at night, tackling him from behind with her typical roaring laughter and even pelting the back of his head with little scribbled notes. He had made up to punish her for the hurt she had caused him and he had convinced himself that she had intentionally and callously caused him pain, that she in fact neither deserved his attention nor his friendship. Over time even loyal Rosalinda had given up in trying to keep their long-cherished friendship alive. The unremitting hands of time had then then slowly severed the human bond between them, pushing them both on to different branches on the ever-growing tree of time. Rosalinda had opened a little grocery store which Luke never dared to enter, while he had spent his work life as a gendarme in a beautiful blue uniform. They had grown old next to each other, while no longer knowing each other. She had married a man from outside the village and as far as Luke knew, they had had a happy but a childless marriage. Once her husband died, Rosalinda continued to live alone in her white two-story house with the beautiful apple garden. They would still pass each other now and then, with both pretending not to remember and wishing each other a polite good morning or a pleasant afternoon. Then one fateful day, a day as beautiful as the day Luke had his heart broken by red-haired Rosalinda, the dragon arrived.

Those citizens of Puffington who saw the dragon flying high above the roofs of the village, described it as having two horns the size of scimitars, brightly colored scales and wings measuring at least 20 feet each. Nobody knew exactly why the massive dragon had decided to settle in the mountains near Puffington, since the last a time a dragon had been sighted near Puffington was about a 100 years ago. Perhaps, they thought, it wanted to feast on the herds of sheep that grazed on the luscious green fields nearby. Some of the old and wise people told stories about old and weary dragons returning to the place where they had once hatched from an egg. The dragon, they whispered, had returned one final time to breath its final breath at the cradle of its birth. Nobody really knew for sure though. This was because dragons were highly mysterious creatures and as you can imagine, people were far too afraid to approach a living fire breathing dragon and ask it politely why it had decided to arrive now and then. The thought of the scaled and winged monster living so close to them, kept the people of Puffington awake at night. At the distant roar of the dragon, the people of Puffington huddled with fright beneath their blankets. They were so scared that they only occasionally peeped up from beneath the blanket, imagining the dragon hungrily staring through their window. Of course, dragons like all living things, need to eat and nobody was surprised that a short while after the dragon had arrived, cows, sheep and even horses began to disappear. Despite its feasting on the animals grazing nearby, the dragon had at first shown little interest in Puffington and its human inhabitants. The whispered rumors of dragons being vicious man-eaters seemed not to be that true after all. People breathed a sigh of relieved and hoped that the dragon would soon move along to wherever dragons go when they have filled their big green bellies with sheep and cows. Then old Rosalinda disappeared, while picking ripe berries at the outer edge of the thick surrounding forest. The only thing left behind was a half-filled basket of red berries. People knew that the fiendish dragon was responsible, as the trees near the basket were charred black by the enormous heat of dragon breath. The hungry dragon had snatched poor helpless Rosalinda and, if by miracle she was still alive in the dragon’s cave, there was nothing that could be done to save her. The tiny village of Puffington was now in a stage of high panic, with people packing all their belongings into and onto their horse-carriages and ox-wagons. They decided to flee a village they regarded as ultimately doomed. Even though the rosy cheeked mayor tried to calm down the frightened citizens of Puffington, seemingly nothing could be done to calm their fears. The mayor ordered a brave watch on the outskirts of the village and forbad people from approaching the mountain from within a half-mile radius. After the frightened people asked the mayor how a curfew could possibly hold back a hungry dragon the size of house, even the rosy cheeked mayor turned pale and fell silent for lack of good words. The only thing he managed to say was that it was better after all to keep calm and not to panic. He was sure that the dragon would soon get bored from eating so many sheep and forever leave the cold dreary mountains near Puffington.

When Luke heard that Rosalinda had been snatched by the dragon, he made up his mind now and then that he would have to save Rosalinda from the beast, cost it what it may. It would be the story of his redemption. He would do it to redeem the years of silence that had passed between them. He would do it for the love that had severely bend but not completely broken under the weight of time. This would most like be the final act of courage in his life, a fitting and honorable end if there ever was one. Considering that he knew nothing about fighting dragons, Luke realized that he needed to read everything he could find in the shortest time possible. He also realized that he needed to arm himself if he was even going to have a nick of a chance against the ferocious beast. One thing that seemed to be certain was that the dragon wouldn’t drop dead at the sight of an old scrawny man coming to fight it, perhaps only from laughing so hard that its fire lungs would burst. The first task proved to be exceedingly difficult as all the books Luke found in Puffington’s local library, were full of nonsensical stories of valiant knights, exotically named swords and beautiful long-haired damsels locked in tall towers. Nonsense, such nonsense he would continually mumble to himself while desperately turning page after page. Where was all the scientific literature when you needed it? Only one book by an author called Hermonius The Traveler, an author whose name he found mentioned in the dragon section of “The Guide to mythical Creatures”, caught his interest. In the book, a memoir and travel description, Hermonius described how during his travels in the east he had heard strange whimpering, hissing and snorting sounds coming from somewhere above a mountain ridge. Hermonius then decided to climb the rocky ledge in order to discover the source of the mysterious sounds. The paragraph read as follows:

“Having strained myself arduously in order to locate the puzzling sound emitted by the mysterious creature, my eager mind was bursting with the anticipation of knowledge and the discovery of the unknown. Imagine dear and beloved reader my astonishment at finding a nest of dragon hatchlings! Here my eyes were gazing upon a creature of lore, a beast of legend and myth! In truth, I quickly grasped that the dragon of the beloved fairy tale, the murderous beast of old wife’s tales battling knights and ravaging cities, a beast so hideous and ferocious that eyes could not gaze on it too long for fear of being blinded by its hideous contours, were indeed far from the truth. The dragon hatchlings I had found were as colorful as the fish in Gods wide oceans, shimmering and shining like a thousand scaled stars. I counted four of them, not being able to determine their sex due to my clear lack of expertise. Like the litter of the common Felis Catus, they huddled amongst each other for comfort and warmth. The vulnerable state of the beasts stood in stark contrast to the demonic nature commonly ascribed to them by legend. I felt a rush of pity, having produced a dried piece of meat from my pocket which they then hungrily devoured, fighting amongst themselves for the best scraps. Their familiar yet bewildering behavior was indeed a wonder to behold! For many hours I sat there on that ledge, fixated by the wondrous nature of the creatures, unbeholden to the danger of what would occur if per chance the mother of the dragon hatchlings returned from her foraging. It was then that the strangest thought occurred to me and my mind seemed overtaken by a singular wish and purpose. It was the sudden, yet inexplicable urge, to gather one of the hatchlings back with me and bring henceforth back to human civilization, with the further purpose of conducting enquiries upon its marvelous nature. I thought to myself that this creature, having only the size of a large rabbit, would not pose much danger to my wellbeing and would therefore be quite easily captured. I then decided that I would firmly grasp a dragon and carry him safely within my knapsack, which was wide and spacious enough to contain necessary items on my quest. But first I needed to empty the knapsack of belongings in order to find accommodation for the yelping little beast. Quickly I littered the mountain ledge with my appliances, keeping only the pig leather gloves which I proceed to wear for fear of the dragon hatchling scalding my hands with its fiery breath. After having done, so I hurriedly approached the nest. It was then that the strangest and most astonishing thing happened. Having stretched out my hand towards the dragon hatchling I had decided upon and upon my attempt to place my hand firmly beneath its scaly belly, the dragon suddenly opened its mouth and with a snarling childlike voice uttered the word “mother” and again “mother”, not stopping and repeating the word over and over again till suddenly his siblings joined in the chorus of “mother, mother”. Shocked and in utter astonishment at the miracle I was witnessing, I stumbled backwards, almost tumbling down the ledge and holding myself from doing so only with great restrain. You must understand dear reader, that later that at this point I did not try to venture again into the dragon den, as my shock caused me such terror that it took me much time to again reconcile myself to reality. When many weeks later I took it upon myself, finding the courage within the deepest part of myself, to visit the dragon den I found it empty. From this day, though I spent many a sleepless night remembering the miracle I was fortunate enough to behold on that fateful day, I never again had the blessing of coming upon another miracle of that caliber.”

Strangely enough, Hermonius never seemed to mention the experience in the other travelogues that Luke scoured for information. Looking for further biographical information on the author, the only other entry that Luke could find about Hermonius was a small entry in “The Standard Encyclopedia of Travel Writers”. It read:

“Hermonius Looms, also known as Hermonius the Traveler, a seventeenth century Adventurer, Naturalist and Memoirist). Born to Joseph Looms and Lamia Looms in Puffington. Early studies of Alchemy, Orientalism and then Natural Sciences. Traveled widely throughout Laposia, Monzanie and Asidinia. Mysteriously vanished near Puffington forest. Among his works are “Journey through Arsidina”, Laposia: There and Back again” and “Wonders and Mysteries of the Natural World”. Also known for one of the very few descriptions of dragons (though many of his descriptions and alleged eye-witness accounts are highly contested today and considered fictious at best).”

Realizing that time was running out and that he would not find much more useful information about dragons, Luke decided to focus on the second part of his mission. It was now time to arm himself. The only weapons that Luke could lay his hands on were the pistol that he had inherited from his grandfather and the polished gendarme sabre which proudly decorated the wall of his home. Those would be his only weapons. Luke knew that he also needed some sort of armor. He thought about all the stories of armor-clad knight, thinking to himself that those knights would have been better suited coming completely naked to a fight with a dragon. This sort of metal armor would very quickly turn a valiant handsome knight into a delicious (for a dragon at least) spit roast. Since he himself did not know if there actually was any armor that could provide protection against dragon teeth or dragon breath, Luke resorted to the only material that was close at hand. Luke spent the next day’s cutting up his cherished leather furniture and scouring Puffington’s garbage heap for discarded leather boots, all the while stitching and knitting the scavenged leather together into something that could be worn for armor. Working day and night, Luke barely ate and drank till he finished stitching together his make shift uniform. After having finally finished with his task, Luke looked at himself in the mirror and even felt a tinge of pride gazing at the padded leather suit covering his arms, legs and torso, in addition to a leather cap which could be tied together under the shin with strings attached on both sides. He now was the oldest and most likely the worst prepared warrior ever to face a dragon, but the time had come to show the dragon the undefeatable spirit of an old Puffington gendarme.

The night his rescue mission was to begin, Luke only slept a little. He got up very early in the morning, more determined than he had ever been in life. He put on his leather armor, plucked the pistol into his belt and inserted the sabre into a self-made leather holster. Luke went quietly out the door, gently closing it as not to draw any attention. At the clicking of the closing door, Luke was suddenly overcome with sadness. He stared motionless at the house in which he had lived his entire life and he knew, the way only a person with a very long and full life could know, that there was always a last time and that this time had probably now come. Goodbye dear sweet home, he said, turning his back on the only home he had ever known. Any person secretly watching Luke would have scratched his or her head at the strange sight of the old man dressed in a badly stitched and worn-out leather costume and armed with a sabre and a pistol. There was however nobody to watch as the streets of Puffington were empty, with only the occasional brave cat pacing its empty alleys, perhaps looking for a wayward mouse. Perhaps. Cats are mysterious creatures after all.

Luke hurried up the empty streets, all the while not looking back till, he reached the outer edges of the village. He didn’t have a particularly good idea of where the dragon was possibly hiding itself. He thought of a particularly large and very deep mountain cave, which he had explored as a child and had almost got lost in many times. This cave was one the few caves large enough to hold and hide a dragon. When Luke reached the edge of the dark simmering forest, something strange began happening to him. He started remembering. He remembered himself playing in the forest as a child, how new and mysterious everything had been back then. Every hollow tree, every hidden corner and every sound had been a source of endless adventure and intrigue. Once he had even caught a glimpse of a family of forest trolls, scurrying away after they caught sight of him. Now it seemed like many memories he had forgotten since that painful sunny day many moons ago were coming back again, filling him with the scent of lost long youth and a drenching sense of memory that he didn’t know he still possessed. There was the tree under which he and Rosalinda discovered the fox burrow with its writhing and whimpering red litter! There was that rock behind which they had hidden after smashing the shop window of Mr.Papdopolo with a ball! How they had giggled at the sight of the angry portly man calling out for them in anger. Oh, the memories! Overcome with emotions of a life long gone, Luke’s wrinkled knees buckled and he sat down on a rock, closing his eyes for a brief moment. With his eyes closed, he absorbed the surrounding forest like a hungry sponge. He suddenly realized that he had been purposely avoiding this sense of being for the largest part of life. He had been so hurt by Rosalinda’s rejection, that he decided to close himself off all the while growing older. Now he had been given a sort of second chance. Dragon I am coming for you, Luke growled menacingly, reaching for the pistol tucked into his belt. You may be a big as house, but I am determined and I will find you.

Walking through the ever-darkening forest, Luke was finding it more and more difficult to see clearly. He realized now that he wasn’t the young energetic boy he had once been. The closed space of the forest and rustle and sounds of mysterious creature were indeed overwhelming for an old man like himself. He was beginning to feeling weary when the forest suddenly gave way to a clearing, stretching itself out like a green blanket. In the far distance it gently caressed the seams of the continuing forest. In between them was a green oasis of grass, outstretched like a soft welcoming blanket. Luke found it strange how the darkness of the forest had made him think of permanent night, a night which all of a sudden turned to bright daylight. If memory served him right, the mountain at the edge of the forest was still about 80 miles away. Of course, he was no longer young and the trek was most certainly going to take him longer. As children, Luke and Rosalinda had discovered a grassy pathway stretching itself upon the mountain, breaking here and there, but then flourishing again a bit further around a ledge extending upwards, always within their reach and requiring only a little climbing skill. The grassy path had been like a directing compass towards the large and silent crave. If the path was still there, he would reach it with some effort. He was, after all, only an old man in ridiculous self-made armor. An old man who wanted to kill a dragon with a relic of a pistol. In truth he had never fired a single shot in his life. If the pistol isn’t enough then I also have a sabre, he thought to himself, smiling grimly as he proceeded to walk across the meadow toward where the forest continued and darkness would again envelop him.

Following the grassy path turned out to be more difficult than expected. He had set his eyes forwards towards the trees, ignoring the rocks, small holes and branches that were strewn all over the meadow. Luke suddenly stumbled and pain shot through his body like a thousand little needles. It had happened. Old age had indeed caught up with him. Clutching his injured foot, Luke howled like a wolf. The pain was almost too much too bear and he waited for it to abate. After the pulsating pain had calmed down a little, Luke began to think of ways to mend his twisted ankle. He, of course, had no medical supplies and the only thing he could do was to cut of some strips of leather with his sabre, a thing that proved very difficult since he had to stand on his good leg and balance himself like a stork. When he managed to cut of some pieces of leather, he wrapped them around his ankle. Having made his makeshift bandage, Luke began to gather some dry branches scattered throughout the grass. I am indeed lucky that there are branches lying near me at all, he thought to himself. He searched through his pockets for his old and trusted firestone, something which he of course had brought along and after many tries managed to turn a tiny spark into a beautiful sparkling fire. Now with night slowly approaching, this fire felt incredibly warm and comforting. The sizzling branches brought back memories and his old man head conjured up pictures of the rumbunctious little boy he had once been. He smiled, even forgetting the pain in his foot for a little while. He was beginning to nod off, when he was awoken by a strange scratching and huffing sound. Somebody, or something, was clearly speaking in a strange husky voice. He couldn’t understand the words though. Trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes, he couldn’t make out very much in the dusk. Luke pulled the pistol out from his belt.

Hello? Is anybody there? he called out. I am armed to the teeth and ready for combat! Do not approach me if you have ill intentions!

The voices stopped for a moment and then Luke heard the scruffy sounding voice again, this time calling out to somebody. Luke carefully pulled out a large burning log from the fire, its embers scattering like fire flies. The flames of the log lit up the shadowy veil of dusk and not far away from his fire, he saw two forest trolls. The trolls were about the size of a five-year-old child and had on tattered looking clothes. They had large ears, a large bulbous nose and the fire reflected in their equally large eyes. One of them held a shovel in his hand. They had dug up something from the ground, which looked like a small wooden chest. When they saw that Luke had woken up and was staring at them, one of the trolls picked up a branch and began growling at Luke in its foreign troll language. It lifted the branch above its head, as if intending to charge Luke with it. The trolls growling noised suddenly stopped when it saw Luke’s pistol pointed straight at it. Somehow, the troll seemed to know what a pistol was and what it could do.

That’s right, Luke growled back at the troll. Bugger right off, or I’ll put a hole right through your nasty troll belly.

The other troll threw the small shovel in the direction of Luke. With a metallic sounding clang, it landed near the fire. The shovel throwing troll quickly picked up the little chest and grunted something to its friend, who growled at Luke one last time before both hobbled off into the darkness. Luke breathed a sigh of relief and pushed the pistol back into his belt. This night there is going to be no sleep, he thought to himself. Despite trying to stay awake, Luke could not resist the encroachment of sleep. When he woke up, he saw that the trolls had returned and taken back their shovel.

When Luke left the meadow and once again entered the forest, the canopy of trees enveloped him like a roof of rustling leaves and shadow. The pain in his foot had returned and he had to grits his teeth in order to continue on. Now and then he would rest on one of the rocks protruding out of the forest ground, taking just enough time to calm the ache that was spreading throughout his body. Exhaustion was now creeping up upon him and he realized with some terror that the supplies he had brought with him were dwindling. There was not much bread, marmalade and cheese left in the knapsack he had slung over his shoulder. Luke had calculated just how much food he would need for the journey to the mountain and back, if there was going to be a back at all, but his injury had slowed him down, taking far more time than he had originally calculated. With the slowing down of his journey, his food supplies had begun to dwindle. Though he realized now that hunger was going to be a problem, there were many creeks and lakes generously spread throughout the forest for him to drink out of.

After a day of limping, Luke closed his eyes and sat down to rest on a rock protruding from the ground. Suddenly he heard a rustling sound. It was a sound similar to that of a buzzing dragon fly. He also heard childlike high-pitched giggling. When he opened his eyes, three forest pixies were watching him. They were about the size of a dove, with small mischievous faces and pointy sharp incisors which could Luke could see every time they opened their mouth and giggled. Each pixie had a double pair of two wings buzzing and turning, holding them in the air while they seemed to be highly amused by the sight of the old man in the strange uniform.

Where are you going old human man thing? one of the forest pixies asked in a fitting high-pitched voice. Do you have a duel with a gray giant ogre, do you want to hunt some pixies with that dangerous looking sabre? The other two pixies again joined the giggling, covering their toothy mouths with tiny sharp clawed hands.

At first Luke was too surprised to answer. It was indeed rare to catch sight of one the notoriously mischievous forest sprites but here, directly in front of him, were three of them talking to him, and in human language no less!

I am on a quest to hunt a dragon and save my beloved, Luke finally managed to say to the pixies.

A dragon? the second pixie asked, all the while giggling uncontrollably. So, it is not pixies you are after but something a wee bit larger?

Oh, that poor dragon! the third pixie exclaimed. We should go and warn him that he is in mortal danger.

Luke tried to ignore the fact that the three pixies seemed not to take him very seriously.

I know that pixies live in the forest and I know that you are very curious and knowledgeable creatures. I can imagine that you would know where to find a dragon around here, wouldn’t you? If you perhaps saw a dragon, did you see an old woman too? I am looking for her. I must know. If you be so kind, please tell me.

A dragon? the first mischievous pixie asked. Let me think. So, you think that you are one those metal humans who goes to save the human woman from a fire breathing dragon or a club wielding ogre? We pixies like these human stories. Indeed, we do. We like all kinds of stories. A woman? Is it your wifey and is she old and wrinkly like you? Does she have a sabre and a strange hat like you? Does she have big droopy ears and does she have a limp like you?

I am the funniest thing they have seen in a while, Luke thought to himself. He tried to stand up from the rock, but the pain made him sit back again. He felt himself getting somewhat mad at the mischievous fairies, but then he remembered what he had learned about dealing with troublesome forest sprites. That it was better not to give into the pranks and games that they seemed to enjoy playing on clueless humans. It was also not a very good idea to start an argument with magical creatures he knew next to nothing about. He had heard stories about people who had done that and had their ears turned into donkey ears. For a while at least. I must look ridiculous enough, he thought to himself. Donkey ears are certainly not going to help.

No, she certainly does not, Luke answered matter-of-factly. In fact, she has quite beautiful ears and she is a beautiful woman. You might laugh and giggle at me. That doesn’t matter to me at all. I am going to find that dragon and I am going to rescue my Rosalinda. So, if you are going to help me to find the dragon or not, it doesn’t make a lick of a difference to me.

The first fairy turned to the other ones.

The old saggy eared human really does want to find that dragon.

The big dragon that returned to the forest of its birth, said the second fairy.

The big dragon that lives in the red cave, said the third fairy.

So, you do know where to find that dragon? Luke called out in surprise. Please, kind and very handsome pixies, tell me where to find it!

Kind and handsome, eh? What a funny old knight you are. It lives not very far away. Not very far away at all, the first fairy said.

In the big red cave lives a dragon with a human friend, said the second fairy.

An old droopy eared human woman and a dragon can be found in a red cave, said the third fairy and all three of them again giggled uncontrollably.

So, Rosalinda is alive? Luke cried out, feeling immense joy at the thought.

The old droopy eared human man might need two days and nights to find the old droopy eared woman, answered the first fairy.

I might be an old weak man, but if memory serves me right, I might even know where to find that cave, Luke said. I give you much thanks, oh bestest and wisest of forest pixies.

The three pixies seemed to be somewhat pleased with his compliments. Pixies and human were not known to get along vey well. At least in the stories people told about them.

Luke slowly stood up from the rock he was sitting on, feeling his entire body ache.

When he had turned his back to them, one of the three fairies called out to him.

We will go and warn that big big dragon now! It might be his last day on earth! That poor doesn’t know what is coming to him.

From behind his back, Luke continued to hear the pixies giggle. He started shuffling in a southern direction towards the location where he remembered his childhood cave to be, ignoring what the pixies had told him about the red cave.

Old wrinkly human is braver than a stupid forest troll on a hunt for a pixie breakfast. Maybe he should waddle north and not south, one of the faired called out to him again. Pixies like games, yes, they do, but they do not purposefully mislead old wrinkly knights.

At first pretending not to pay attention to the advice of the mischievous sprite, Luke suddenly had an inexplicable change of mind. He turned north and continued walking, till dusk set in and he decided that it was time to rest. When he opened his backpack to search for some of his remaining provisions, he found it filled to the brim with delicious red forest berries. Those mischievous pixies, he thought to himself. You never know. You just never know.

The giggling pixies had indeed been right. With his slow shuffling pace, it took him about two days and nights till he reached the entrance of the red cave. He had spotted it from a distance, nestled between ancient rock formations like a long-kept secret. The red cave was named after its brilliant ochre like color. It was indeed the strangest cave in the vicinity and also one of the largest. Its entrance stood open and gaping, reminding Luke of a giant mouth expecting to be fed. Whatever was waiting inside, Luke was ready for it. The cave entrance itself was not that high above ground level, perhaps 15 feet. For a young man it would not be a difficult climb at all. For a young man that was. Coupled with his injured leg, it was going to take Luke some time to reach it. Casting aside the stick he had relied on all this time, Luke took a deep breath and began the climb.

When he finally reached the cave entrance, pain-stricken and exhausted, the sun had already made its way westwards in the sky, settling down in a soft bed of brilliant orange light. Luke looked long and hard at the sight, realizing how long he hadn’t observed and appreciated a sunset. It might the best last sunset in his long life. Swaying like a wave ridden ship, Luke drew his sabre from its holster and then the pistol from his belt, holding a weapon in each hand. Perhaps the pixies were right, perhaps he did look like the most ridiculous knight of all time, but damn if he wasn’t the most determined. Rosalinda I am coming, Luke growled to himself, limping into the open hungry mouth of the mysterious red cave.

Although Luke had never worn glasses, his eyesight had somewhat worsened in the last years. The further he made his way into the cave, the more its strange darkness began to envelop him. As he slowly marched forwards, the walls of the cave threw back the echoes of his footsteps like a cruel taunt. Somewhere from deep inside the red cave, the lonely sound of water dripping from stalactites played on like some sort of macabre backdrop music. Drip. Drop. Drip.

Come out and show yourself you son of a scale infested badger, Luke called into the darkness, suddenly realizing in his heart of hearts what a terrible idea it all was. I deserve every bit of mockery, he thought to himself. What on earth could he possibly do against a dragon the size of a house? Suddenly a booming voice came out of the dark, a voice that made the walls of the cave rumble like the rattle of an earthquake.

Come closer old man. Come closer and let me look at what gifts you have brought to old Kazimir.

Then out of the dark the massive form of the dragon appeared. It was indeed the way people had described it: a massive winged beast with a horned head like a battering ram and scales the size of bricks. To Luke’s surprise, the expression on its face was not hunger, but rather a sort of amusement. It was perhaps the amusement a cat would feel, if a mouse were to challenge it to a fight.

Oscar lifted his trembling hand holding the gun and pointed it right at the enormous head of the dragon.

Give me back my Rosalinda your scaly abomination! he yelled at the dragon, the echo of his frail human voice returning and mockingly dancing around the cave walls.

The dragon suddenly burst into a roar of thundering laughter. For a moment, Luke thought that the laugh was going to make the cave walls come crashing in.

Your Rosalinda? You came to here to rescue her? Well, my fierce human foe, I fear that I have already picked my teeth with her bones. I must say, it wasn’t the best dinner. Very old meat.

Hearing the dragon’s mocking words, Luke let out an anguished scream and charged, as fast as an old limping man was capable of, the dragon. He aimed for the massive head and fired a shot. The shot hit the dragon, but seemed to reverberate from its scales like a nail hitting a wall that was too thick. The dragon let out an annoyed grunt and with lightning speed grabbed Luke with its right arm. It lifted him up towards its face.

You old fool! So, you think you can just come here and shoot dead a dragon that eats cows for dessert? Let me teach you how believing in your human fairy tales always ends.

The dragon lifted Luke above its mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, holding him in an iron grip and dangling him as if he was nothing more than an insect fighting for survival. Luke, still clutching the sabre in his left hand, desperately tried freeing his arm from the dragons’ grip. He struggled, but to no avail. This is how it ends, he thought to himself. The dragon was right. This is how the heroic stories of foolish old man end.

Luke closed his eyes and resigned himself into his inevitable fate.

Oh, for heaven’s sake, a familiar voice suddenly said. Put him down Kazimir. You don’t even like the taste of humans. Especially old humans.

Oh, come now, the dragon answered the familiar voice. Let an old dragon have some fun. I wasn’t going to eat him. You know that.

That foolish old man is a good friend, so put him down now, the voice commanded the dragon.

Luke was so astonished at the sudden turn of events, that he let go of the sabre. It dropped to the ground with a metallic clang. When the dragon put him down, his legs gave away and he dropped to the floor of the cave, all the fight in him having disappeared.

Rosalinda? It cannot be… Luke said, his voice breaking down to a whisper. He could hear soft but steady footsteps approaching him, till suddenly he saw her. Standing directly in front of him was an alive and breathing Rosalinda.

Rosalinda at first said nothing, eying him from top to bottom. All of a sudden, she bursting into a fit of laughter.

Is that meant to be armor? she gasped among uncontrollable fits of laughter.

To the utter astonishment of Luke, the dragon joined in the laughter, once again causing the caves walls to shake and rumble. They both seemed to find incredible amusement at the sight of Luke sitting on the cave floor, exhausted and astonished by what was happening right in front of him.

Come on you old geezer, Rosalinda said after wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. You must be tired and you look injured. Let’s get you to a warm fire place. You can tell me your story then.

She slowly guided Luke to a blazing little fire, where she helped him sit down. Even though Luke was still to astonished to speak, the fire and the blanket Rosalinda put on his shoulders felt better than he might have ever imagined. After all, he was still alive and not in the belly of the dragon. And here she was, Rosalinda, alive and seemingly doing very well.

Oh Luke, Rosalinda said in a much gentler tone. What were you thinking? What in the name of the seven heavens were you thinking? You fool! Kazimir almost ate you!

Then the words came pouring out of Luke mouth and saying them felt good, felt better than a million warm fires and blankets.

I missed you Rosalinda. I missed you more than I can ever tell you. I am sorry for what happened. I just couldn’t let you go, even if it would have meant the death of me. I couldn’t bear the thought of you being eaten by that dragon.

That is indeed so very brave, but also very stupid, Rosalinda said, all the while smiling in her own special way, a smile that Luke had never forgotten. I am actually kind of glad you came to rescue me like some brave but very foolish knight.

All of a sudden, Luke felt a deep sadness welling up in him. He put his head on Rosalinda’s shoulder and let the tears stream down his face.

Cry Luke, Rosalinda said. Cry. Tears wash away the pain. They do. Trust me. I know.

Luke only hazily remembered what happened next. He told Rosalinda everything, told her about the fear in Puffington and what he thought had happened to her, about the treasure burying trolls and the mischievous but helpful pixies. At some point of his recounting, exhaustion overcame him and he fell into a deep sleep. When he opened his eyes again, Rosalinda had already prepared a warm steaming meal for him. The giant dragon was there too, watching him with his paws tucked beneath his chin. How strange it all is, Luke thought to himself.

Your brave friend has awoken, the dragon growled.

I can see that Kazimir, Rosalinda said. Don’t you think about eating him again!

I still haven’t made up my mind about that, the dragon said and chuckled softly, which still sounded like a small earthquake. I should tell him the story about the last knight who tried coming into my cave without knocking. Very amusing story.

You don’t even like old rancid meat, Rosalinda said. Remember, you didn’t eat me when you had the chance.

Well, the dragon said. I still might. I still might. I haven’t decided on dinner yet. Your friend over there is looking more delicious by the minute.

Both of them started laughing, a combination which sounded utterly strange to Luke.

He felt much better and even though the sight of the massive dragon still filled him with awe, the worst of his fear had somehow subsided.

Do I have a word in me being eaten? he asked and tried to stand up.

Easy there my old boy! Rosalinda cried out. You are still injured. Let’s get you some help for that.

If I don’t find myself some fat sheep today, I might just change my mind, the dragon said and lifted himself up, his horned head almost reaching the cave ceiling. I will be on my way now. Can I bring you anything, Rosalinda? Are there any other old lovers in your village that are also thinking of rescuing you?

Oh yes, Rosalinda said. I mean no! I buried them all. If you could maybe raid some clothing line and bring us some warm clothes for my shivering friend Luke. He can’t stay in that ridiculous uniform forever.

Being friends with a human really does degrade a dragon, Kazimir said. Raiding clotheslines is not what we hatch for. We are mythical fire breathing beasts of lore.

Be a good lad, Rosalinda said to the dragon and blew him a kiss.

As if I have a choice, the dragon said, chuckling. He began moving towards the cave exit and the weight of his footsteps reverberated around the cave. I will back soon. Take good care of the other human.

I will, Rosalinda said and turned towards Luke. I am pretty certain you are hungry, seeing that you fell asleep before I could stuff anything in your mouth. Do you prefer mutton or beef?

The next days were, strangely enough, some of the happiest of Luke’s life. The dragon had indeed come back and brought him some ill-fitting clothes. But what did dragons know about human clothes anyway? Together the three of them forged a strange kind of comradery, with the dragon leaving on his errands and often bringing them back things Rosalinda they needed. At night, when Luke and Rosalinda were cuddling near the fire, Kazimir would tell them stories of his exploits and adventures. Kazimir had lived a very long life and had seen and experienced things that would have previously been unimaginable to Luke. Luke would listen in astonishment to these stories and tales. At one point, he was overcome with the realization that Puffington wasn’t the world and despite him being an old man, he had not seen or experienced very much at all. Days passed and if it had been up to Luke, he would have wished for this time with Rosalinda, and Kazimir to go on forever. But Luke knew that this was an impossible wish. He knew that there was a reason why Rosalinda hadn’t been eaten by a dragon, had in fact forged a friendship with the giant beast. One day when Kazimir was gone again, Luke finally asked the question he had been wanting to ask for a long time.

Rosalinda. I don’t know much about dragons, but I read somewhere that when their times comes to die, they return to the place where they were born. Is Kazimir dying? Is that why you are here together in this cave? Is he perhaps an old friend of yours?

Luke, Rosalinda said. I held out in telling you, since I didn’t want to immediately ruin those final moments we are having together, but now you need to know. It is not Kazimir who is dying, but me. I have known it for a long time and even though I was lonely, I was prepared for death and what is to come. When Kazimir snatched me that morning, I thought that this was going to be the end. To my surprise, he didn’t eat me. He took me to this cave and told me a fantastic story about my great-great grandfather Hermonius, a story of him hiding a precious secret from the world. The cave he found was not in some far away country, but right here! As often as he could, he would care for the siblings, knowing only that once other people would discover his secret, they would surely murder them in cold blood. My grandfather made people believe that he was mad and that the stories he told, were pure fiction and it worked! Even though he tried his best to keep the dragon siblings alive, only one survived. It was given the name Kazimir. I was told by him that once a human and a dragon form a bond, there can be nothing stronger. It is a bond that even transcends deaths and is sometimes passed on through generations. When my great-grandfather’s time came, Kazimir came back for him. I am the last surviving member of my family. I don’t know how Kazimir knew, but somehow in my final days he came back for me. He came back to pay his respect and to show his gratitude. Dragons have an understanding of reality that we humans do not possess. We humans live in our small little corners and think that we know everything there is to know. I will not go alone Luke. Kazimir will be by my side when death comes knocking. Once I am gone, he will leave Puffington and only return when it his time to pass.

You are dying? Luke asked, feeling deep burning heartache at the thought. Don’t say that Rosalinda.

Oh, you old fool, Rosalinda said gently. You old love sick fool. They say old love doesn’t die. It truly doesn’t. But death isn’t someone to be avoided. He always comes on time. Always. You must know that.

I know, Luke said. I just am so glad we met again before… his voice cracked under the pressure of emotions and he didn’t find the words to finish his sentence.

Look Luke, Rosalinda said. I am also glad that you came back to me in those final days, but I don’t want you to be here when it happens. I will die with Kazimir by my side. When I am dead, he will burn me with his fire. My ashes and bones will be scattered by the wind, never to bother anybody again. It is a great honor to be guided by a dragon, when that final moment comes. It is the way it needs to be. I ask you only to remember me the way that I was. Remember the good parts of me. Just please forget about the old wrinkly ass and the sagging breasts.

Rosalinda laughed and Luke felt awe at how cheerful she seemed to be, even in the face of her imminent demise.

I will never forget you, Luke said. I will remember you always. I promise.

Oh, you hopeless old romantic! Rosalinda cried out. Not always! Just don’t forget about me. That’s all I am asking. Promise me that.

I promise, Luke said, choking back the tears.

I know you won’t Luke, Rosalinda said, leaning her head against Luke’s frail old shoulder. You came to rescue me. You never forgot till now. You never forgot.

A very important lesson that all people eventually learn, is that all things must come to an end. Since that moment Rosalinda had told her secret to Luke, he had dreaded the day he knew must eventually arrive. One morning Rosalinda approached him and Luke immediately knew that that this was the day.

Luke, Rosalinda said gently. I don’t have long on this earth. I need you to listen to me now. When I die, I want only Kazimir by my side. He will guide me through that unavoidable gate. It is a great honor to have a dragon guide you to the other realm. Our ancestors knew that, but most people today have forgotten. I don’t want you to see me in pain. I don’t want you to see me suffer. I want you to remember me in the best way possible. A long time ago you didn’t accept what I told you and it broke both our hearts. Please. Accept my final wishes now. Please.

Luke again felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he knew that this time was going to be different. The time for not accepting was over.

I understand Rosalinda, he said. I will be strong for both us.

That is good Luke, Rosalinda said with a sly smile. Old age has certainly changed you. Before good old Kazimir takes you home, I have one final request.

Anything, Luke said. Anything for you.

I have a letter for you. Do not open it till you reach home. Promise to always, keep it close to your heart. Promise me that.

Luke embraced Rosalinda and felt his old man tears wet her gray hair.

Easy now, Rosalinda said, stroking his head. Be strong for the both of us. I know you are. You have proven it by coming wanting to kill dragon. If that isn’t bravery, what is? Kazimir is coming to take you home. I am sure the children of Puffington have missed you greatly and need their beloved story teller back. Go now. Please.

Luke could hear the heavy footsteps of the dragon approaching them.

I will take you home now old friend, the dragons deep voice sounded behind him. It is time. Come on now. There is an end to everything, even dragons.

Wait, Luke cried out. Just give me a few more moments with her. Just a few more moments. That is all I am asking for!

Goodbyes should be goodbyes, Rosalinda said. Be strong Luke. You promised. It has been an absolute pleasure to have you here with us. Kazimir. Bring him home safely.

Suddenly Luke felt the earth under his feet shift away, as the dragon lifted him from the ground and gently set him on his scaled back. The dragon began walking towards the cave exit and from the dragons back Luke watched Rosalinda stand silently watching him. Then as the deep dank cave gave way to a beautiful sunlit day, Rosalinda disappeared forever. Luke remembered her plea for him to be strong and he decided to be so, for her and for the friendship that had united them all those years. He wiped the tears from his eyes and felt the dragon lift them up into the air. Watching the world disappear from atop the dragons back, he felt like the smallest rider in the world. Everything familiar became a blend of rushing colors and wind, the world beneath their feet turning into a swirl of tiny toy-sets. It felt so different to everything he had previously experienced that Luke closed his eyes, giving into the incredible sensation. Dry your tears, the dragon said. Only very few people have even ridden the back of a dragon. Those who tried, ended up not on my back but in my belly. Consider yourself lucky. We will be home soon.

When they had reached Puffington, the dragon landed directly in the middle of the town square. The people watching the fantastic spectacle of a massive dragon and a human rider, froze to the place where they stood. With eyes filled with terror and mouths agape, they dropped their groceries and belongings to the ground and fled in terror. All this bothered neither the dragon nor Luke. Kazimir gently, as gentle as a dragon could be, helped Luke get down from his back to the ground.

Thank you Kazimir, Luke said, still feeling the earth under his feet wobble like waves crashing into a boat. I will never forget you. I know now that people can be wrong about many things, they are absolutely sure of.

They most certainly are, the dragon answered. As for you, I have met and eaten many a great warrior in my times. You, Luke, have been the bravest of them all. I wish you happiness my friend and always look to the sky. You might see a friend there.

Kazimir flapped his large beautiful wings, making the air swirl around Luke’s face like the breath of a hurricane. Luke watched until Kazimir had become only a small dot in the endless blue sky. He continued to stand in the market place for a while, until finally turning around and walking the empty streets back to his beloved home.

When Luke reached his home, the old striped cat was already waiting for him, rubbing itself against his legs and letting out an endless pour of satisfaction.

Hello my friend, Luke said and bent down to pet his striped companion. I never thought I would see you again, but I must say it feels good to be home.

He opened the door and the cat let itself in, eager for food and the warmth of Luke’s home. Inside there was only silence and the sound of the clock: tick-tack, tack-tick. Luke dropped himself into the brown rocking chair, closing his eyes for a moment before opening the letter he was now holding in his trembling hands.

Dear Luke,

I am glad you finally understood that in my own way, I have always loved you. I want you to know that the older I grew, the more I learned how desperately we need each other. How desperately we fill each other’s days with laughter, anger, hope, humanity and misery. I missed you dear Luke. I missed you more than I could ever tell you. Thank you for trying to save me and always remember those days we spend climbing trees, exploring caves and running across green meadows. They will come again. I promise.

Your loving friend forever,

Rosalinda

Luke put the letter on his lab, closed his tear-filled eyes and smiled. When he slept that night, he dreamt of dragons, pixies and endless skies. And of course, beautiful Rosalinda.

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