#arch-druidess

[disenbeaniechantment]

DISENCHANTMENT 3.03 - Beanie Get Your Gun

[alva-gunderson]

First 3 pages of my new comics series :)

[demigoddessqueens]

How would the members of Vox Machina handled being accidentally charmed/ rizzed by their crush. Like their crush isn’t doing it on purpose, but they do something that just causes said member to swoon.

🤣🤣🤣 accidental confession what??

Percy

He had a low opinion of himself beforehand but after your compliments, he feels himself walk a bit taller now. I mean, how else should he feel after being “the best gunslinger, sharpshooter in Exandria”

Grog

Every compliment he ends off with a loudly smug “yeah!”, all to finish off your rant with a “don’t you forget it neitha!”

Scanlan

He’s so flattered he feels like he could cry from joy but hides it behind that smugness. Also “the best bard of lyrics and poetry” refuses to let you go the rest of the day

Keyleth

The more you keep on, the more she can’t help it as she swoons. Of course the “most powerful Arch Druidess, mistress of Life” would plan to sneak away with you later

Vex’ahlia

Relishes in your praise of her, and can’t help but sit there looking at you with the biggest heart eyes ever!

Pike

Oh stop but don’t stop for the “champion cleric and Everlight’s favored” when you hype her up! She may question some things but never what she’s started to feel for you

Vax’ildan

No, no you get get back here because he’s got some choice words for you too 😉, one who’s a “master hands on locks and knives” doesn’t plan on letting you go anytime soon

[valkyrie1366669]

"The feeling is more than mutual." He leans a little closer. "Seek your bedroll when you are ready- but do not expect much sleep." His voice lowered while his eyes remained directly on her.

She sucks the inside of her cheek between her teeth while nodding. "That a promise, hefjor(bear)?"

"You speak Dwarven?" He regains his posture while crossing his arms casually.

"A few words and slurs. But I feel I may have to disclaim something." A little embarrassed, but it has to be said. She's been pent up. And that... that's either going to be a good thing or something potentially dangerous.

"Such as?" His brows quirk up in confusion.

"Halsin, I... I'm not saying no or that I expect, erm, particular things. But, I need a safe word. I don't feel- I suppose rabid would be the best word. But, I put a few scars on Astarion unintentionally from either teeth or nails... I don't mean to get carried away, but it can be difficult. Especially being pent up even by choice. I don't like it at times as I feel I'm gambling with it if I get too carried away. Sometimes I do things, upon permission of course. Some of what I do like would make certain people uncomfortable but pleasurable. But mainly, I ain't ever want to hurt you or make you uncomfortable." Didn't give a shit how pent-up she was. She had to be clear about what may not likely happen, but just in case.

"Hmm, I see." Humming along with a nod as he listened to her. He acknowledges the warning while keeping a neutral face.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just like being right that you are resourceful." He grins like a Cheshire. He leans down to her good ear. The Druid's tone shifts to a more seductive one. "Cedar, ach chan eil mi a 'smaoineachadh gur mise am fear a dh' fheumas facal sàbhailte a-nochd. Chan eil mòran a chumas suas rium. Agus tha mi an dùil toirt ort crith-thalmhainn fodha. Chan eil mi ag iarraidh bacadh sam bith ort, mo chridhe. Tha mi a' cur luach air a' ghluasad-bodhaig, mo vixen. (Cedar, but I do not think I will be the one needing a safe word tonight. Not many can keep up with me. And I plan on making you quake under me. I want no restrictions from you, my heart. I do appreciate the gesture, my vixen.)" He growls a little at the end.

The Blood Arch Druidess's freckled cheeks are flush with a light pink hue. Since he wants to play, let's play. "Tha e math dhut rudan a ghabhail os làimh. Thathas a' teagasg barrachd anatomy na Draoidhean fala na rud sam bith eile. Chan fheum mi eadhon suathadh air na sònaichean erogenous follaiseach gus do dhèanamh Euphoric. (It's cute of you to assume things. Blood Druids are taught more anatomy than anything else. I don't even have to touch the obvious erogenous zones to make you Euphoric.)" Gwynnistri purrs before she leaves her new lover to process her response. There was a little glint of gold in his eyes before leaving him.

[astralestarologia]

As some of you already know, I am working on a Disenchantment Tarot Deck (Rider Waite Smith based) which is almost complete (all the 78 cards).

It's not the easiest thing to do, because all the images I am using are stills and official artworks from the cartoon, so I have to find a way to fit every image with every card in a way that makes sense. And as a professional Tarot reader, I try to be faithful and loyal to the meanings and symbolisms of the cards and also my work.

One person who told me Elfo should be The Fool (and I agree, already had a Fool card for him that I left the idea behind, but why not posting 2 representations, right?!). But the reason I choose The Jester is not only because he is literally the fool, but also unlike Elfo, Jester is not appearing everytime on the deck (there are literally 2 images on the internet where he graphically looks acceptable to be part of this deck).

I still am struggling to find a great quality picture of Malfus, I want him to be part of the deck as The Hermit, it's the only major arcana I haven't done yet because of the lack of good quality images.

You can see that there are two High Priestess. The Bean one is supposed to be a joke, because that convent moment in the episode made me cry of so much laughing, one of the most iconic moments of the whole show to me! Arch-Druidess is officially the High Priestess anyways...

I also posted two versions of The Lovers. Again, even tho I love both of them I am more of a tradicionalist. I got a picture where shows King Zog very tense in between Oona and Dagmar and to me that would be the PERFECT representation of The Lovers, but the image really did not fit the frame of the card, that's why I choose a scene between Mora and Bean. Which one did you like the most?

Let me know your thoughts so far on this work. Thank you so very much for all the attention given! <3

[twistedshipper]

"Arthur doesn't know how it begins"

Of the wips I mentioned, this one is the one without a proper title (it's just saved as the first line I wrote) and the one that is literally just straight up porn without (much) plot inspired from the fic, Critical Period, and Ethel Cain's song 'Inbred.'

I started it, I believe, in the late fall of 2022 when the idea struck me, except never found the inspiration to finish it (mainly because I don't think I'm skilled enough as a writer to pull the idea off).

The fic is from Arthur's perspective and follows him over the years as he develops a rather perverse obsession with his elder (by a couple years) sister Morgana, whom is sequestered to her chambers day in and out for a strange mental affliction that Arthur overhears the court physician name to their father hysteria.

Over the years, Gaius treats Morgana with many potions and sedatives to aid her sleep and it's in these moments when Morgana is knocked out cold that Arthur observes her in her room to placate the need that her writhing body stirs in him.

That's basically it. I'll leave a snippet down below from the beginning of it:

Arthur does not know how it begins, per se, only how it ends with him doing everything in his power to stop the need, placate the wanting, even as it tears through him from the inside out, rendering him inept in what is a rather base act. 

There was always something so alluring, so provocative about his sister, Morgana.

Ever since he was little, he recalled the visits the Court Physician gave her at the request of their father, that she be seen too for an odd peculiarity, something he had once overheard as he crouched outside the doors to the nursery they shared, trying his best to be invisible, that was spoken of as an illness of her mind. 

He did not know what this in truth meant, only that she struggled with her sleep, tossing and turning in their children’s bed, her limbs twisted, back arched, a wail escaping her lips.  He remembered waking, startled, beside her from such nights and it was not long before his father arranged for him to have a room of his own away from her side.

Though he had been scared of her in those few moments he witnessed her twisted-up body, so lithe and contorted in the wrapped sheets, he had still felt a curiosity for her condition, which only grew to what could only be described as perverse with time.

He had been a boy of seven then, Morgana a week shy of turning nine.

Thanks for asking me to share about this fic. Maybe, I'll get around to finishing it someday. @the-king-and-the-druidess also asked me about this fic, and I think, Kristya, this fic was also a result of me trying to write from Arthur's perspective (after our conversation about dark!Arthur) for a change as opposed to Morgana, as in SL I write most of the scenes from her perspective when it comes to her unnatural feelings for Arthur.

[helenapsent]

Okay, I'm watching season 2 of " Disenchantment" now and you know…..

Bean is cool, Zog is tragic in a way, Luci is great, I love the chemistry between Bean and Mora, Queen Oona is awesome, Arch-Druidess is adorable-

BUT

Have you even seen Big Jo?

Like. Sir- um, SIR- MR.- MISTER- SIIIR--???

[historyhermann]

No. 4 on my list of top animated series for 2023: "Disenchantment"

The ending of Disenchantment this year was bittersweet. I have remained a fan of this mature animated adventure fantasy series, despite negative commentaries from online reviewers. I even penned reviews of Parts 1-3, Part 4, and most recently Part 5. Series creator Matt Groening is better known for The Simpsons and Futurama. This series can be as strong, with trauma, murder, blood, death, mental health, near-death experiences, and other related themes. There's even an episode which criticizes asylums as inadequate, implying that existing psychiatric care for those with mental illness punishes innocent people.

The fifth, and final part of the series, with cool and creative visuals, focuses around Princess Bean (voiced by Abbi Jacobson). She is unsure what to do with her life. She is conflicted on whether she should stay with her lover, a mermaid named Mora (voiced by Meredith Hagner), or oust her controlling and arrogant mother, Dagmar (voiced by Sharon Horgan) as queen of Dreamland. Ultimately, she decides to pursue the latter. The series emphasizes drama more than comedy, apart from some funny moments. This includes her traveling to a gender-equal industrial steampunk city, Steamland, to save her dad.

There's also a romance between "Mop Girl" and a half-elf named Elfo, evil manipulative puppets, and open queerness. Bean realizes she has "electric" magic powers. Strong irreligious moments, like "God" being powered by an electric lightbulb, are bright points. There are some cringeworthy moments. The series ends with a nice bittersweet reunion between Bean and Mora. Both get a "happily ever after" while Elfo becomes ruler. In addition, there is a same-sex wedding between Odval and Sorcerio. Alva is stranded on the Moon with the Arch Druidess. The latter get what they deserved.

excerpted from "Burkely's Top Ten Animated TV Shows of 2023"

© 2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[the-goth-catte]

]|[SANTERIA]|[ 09.02.2023

Nightwish - Bless The Child Within Temptation - What Have You Done Unleash the Archers - Soulbound Powerwolf - Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend Angus McSix - Sixcalibur Dragonforce - Through the Fire and Flame Brothers of Metal - Yggdrasil Fit For An Autopsy - Heads Will Hang Cattle Decapitation - Scourge of the Offspring Slaughter to Prevail - Baba Yaga Thy Art Is Murder - Make America Hate Again Fleshgod Apocalypse - Blue (Da Ba Dee) Lorna Shore - Sun//Eater Suicide Silence - You Only Live Once NanowaR of Steel - Barbie, Milf Princess of the Twilight Dir En Grey - Merciless Cult Rammstein - Dicke Titten Lacuna Coil - Losing My Religion Marilyn Manson - Heart-Shaped Glasses Combichrist - Heads Off Ministry - Señor Peligro Belzebubs - Cathedrals of Mourning Behemoth - Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer Ex Deo - I, Caligvla Rotting Christ - Devadevam HIM - Your Sweet Six Six Six The 69 Eyes - Gothic Girl The Birthday Massacre - I Think We’re Alone Now Ghost - Square Hammer In Flames - It’s No Good Trivium - I Don’t Wanna Be Me Type O Negative - Be My Druidess Poppy - Spit Motionless in White - Du Hast Fit For An Autopsy - The Perfect Drug Dope - Rebel Yell Lacuna Coil - Enjoy the Silence Fear Factory - Cars Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas - The Wreck of the SS Needle Alien Weaponry - Kai Tangata Gojira - Amazonia Jinjer - Judgment (& Punishment Cradle of Filth - Gilded Cunt Dimmu Borgir - Gateways Myrkur - Ulvinde Alestorm - Mexico Sabaton - Bismarck Unleash the Archers - Cleanse the Bloodlines Amon Amarth - Put Your Back Into The Oar Dethklok - Awaken Upon A Burning Body - BMF Otep - Zero Arch Enemy - Deceiver, Deceiver Nita Strauss & Alissa White-Gluz - The Wolf You Feed In This Moment - We Will Rock You (ft Lzzy Hale & Taylor Momsen)

[touhouweed]

[photographerofdreamland]

[And if he tries to leave, hack him into little pieces.]

[disenbeaniechantment]

Stop the wedding! There’s a traitor in the church!

DISENCHANTMENT 3.03 - Beanie Get Your Gun

bonus:

[alva-gunderson]

Pages 4-6 are finished:)

[demigoddessqueens]

Headcanons about how would Vox Machina react if they accidentally saw their shy crush drawing them please?

This is so cute! 🥰

Vex’ahlia

Her curiosity got the best of her one day. Noticing how you were hunched over a sketchbook, Vex couldn’t help but glance over and see how you’ve drawn her. All the soft and serious moments, and the sweeter ones too where you’ve drawn her laughing. She’s touched by the unspoken intimacy.

Keyleth

Arch Druidess never really saw herself the way you draw her. Powerful and fearless with the soft vulnerability that’s reserved for the precious time you have together. Not to mention the occasional Ashari runes you’ve drawn with hearts next to them. You do notice the faint blush on her cheeks when she looks through your art.

Grog

Just a nosy peak over and he automatically recognizes himself. Maybe he’s still getting used to your shy nature, but he’s over the moon with praises to you on how you draw him. The muscles! The fluffier the beard the better!! Let him sing your artistic praises!

Vax’ildan

Stealth skills and hiding in the pitch makes for a great sneaking area. You didn’t notice him but he could see you pouring over your artwork. He feels the butterflies in his stomach when he sees your artwork of him. All his moments: sad, happy, asleep, or just tranquility. It’s flattering and he’s touched by this sincere side of you.

Pike

It was a quiet afternoon and she saw how engrossed you were in sketching. Just wanting to be in your presence in a “comfortable silence”. Her eyes wander over to what you’re drawing only to be speechless. All her glory with Sarenrae’s power, and how you see her from your eyes! Excuse her if she wants to hug you for a good while!

Scanlan

A little sneak who constantly peaks over your shoulder to see what you’re up to. While he dies admire your art skills, there’s always a teasing comment he “has” to make. “Hhm…maybe a few more muscles there, or emphasize my dashing good looks!” The bard means well and deep down he appreciates how your art captures the parts of him that he never thought highly of.

Percy

Ever the curious one, he’s used to sketching himself a new tool or design for future use. Maybe he used to draw liberally in his younger years in Whitestone, but that was before…

So when he sees you drawing him in every loving aspect, even a way Percy never saw himself in, it’s an overwhelming wave after wave of emotion that reminds him he is loved.

[bethtoad]

Blog 2022, Miniature Magick Project (In lieu of Halloween 2019)

Hi All!

Hope this finds you in good spirits, and that life’s being kind!

I rarely look at posts once they’ve gone out for pertinent reasons, as some ought to’ve had a disclaimer: MAY DIFFER TO DESCRIPTION ON BOX. I refer to ‘Michael Angelo’ (Haven’t got round to ‘is sister Angelona Jolie yet… Squirm!),

‘The Devine Comedy’ ( Madre Mia!), etc.

Because it’s somewhat long, I have divided the storyline for ‘The Druidess’ into three parts.

Part One (The Temple) Part Two (The Dwelling) Part Three (The Haunting)

The imagery in the first part (following this note) is illustration only, whilst the penultimate and final part consist of shots of Coven Cottage.

In my comfort zone of mythology and theology (on a good day anyways), incorporating a witchcraft angle one’s concededly less au fait with, this has been a decidedly more enjoyable doddle to write, than to shoot,

(which yeah, I’m struggling with).

So all that’s left to say on the subject, is:

 ‘HOY! Phidias have you seen my Lego bricks? There be temples of Long Wind t’be builded.’

Hope you enjoy!  

The Druidess Part One: The Temple

On a promontory high upon the cliff top of a seaside town, dwells the witch popularly known as ‘Mystic Myfanwy’. Foregoing the less than popular adjectives, her cottage can be reached by climbing up a labyrinth of crazy-paved steps, crooked pathways, and dead-end caves, that almost circumnavigate the cliff face. On approach of the zenith the air shall fill with the pungent stench of wild garlic, and you’ll be confronted by a gnarled lightening perished tree, whose roots shall undulate and rear in the manner of a nest of vipers, and branches descend like a portcullis. It’s appearance may startle and disconcert you, but be you no foe, enter unhindered onto a pathway lined with the remains of marble mermaids, their heads lamentably faced down into the earth, tails and torsos in smithereens amongst the foliage. The long shadow of a cross shall direct you towards a Gothic stone arch on which two giant sturgeon are bowed and riveted. And between the arch is the lofty driftwood crucifix in whose shadow you have walked, the body of Christ represented by three fishes, the largest the torso and two smaller the arms. Large crudely hammered in nails stud the form like poppet doll pins, and carved equally crudely across the sign that would have read INRI, ‘BURN THE WICH’ sheds light on the defiler of the Fisher of Man.  

Go through the archway, and ship bells hanging from the stoutest branches of a grove of trees shall swing into action, uproariously ringing and reverberating inside your head causing you to fear for your eardrums. Be you no foe though, the ringing shall soon abate and be replaced with the calls of curlews and heron gulls, and of sea breezes whistling through the leafy carpets of Autumn. Recovered of your senses you will find yourself in a churchyard garden, where alongside a hint of salt the air is redolent with the heady scent of roses. In tandem with bindweed they climb and wind about anything and everything as far as the eye can see. The tendril conquest is replicated on an elevated platform whose sign reads ELYSIUM, where amidst broken, disfigured, and graffiti covered angels, strands of ivy hang like clootie tree ribbons on the wings of those still in possession of them, and by nature or design entwine around severed and in situ heads as garlands, lending what is a piteous site an air of joie de vivre.

Straight ahead, mossy stone steps scattered with leaves and apples, lead up to the ruins of the OSSUARY OF THE ANCIENT MARINER. The tree bearing the apples stands before the façade, its branches pouring into every arch and orifice through which the moon now risen glows. The Gothic Revival pastiche is superfluous on a structure that appears to be Medieval, William Morris meets the Bayeux tapestry on the cracked and broken windows. At the side of the bone-yard there’s a mezzanine, or folly as popularised in Victorian times. Reminiscent of the Porch Of The Maidens, on closer inspection one can see thus impression is deceptive. The filigree fretwork is unapologetically asymmetrical, and whilst the snake fits with Erichthonius the half man-half snake son of Athena whom the Erechtheion was named after, the six columns are not in Grecian tunics but tree trunks. Maybe after the sacred Temples of Trees that were chopped down by Hezekiah and the followers of Yahweh, an apotheosis of Hellenic meets Canaanite? Albeit that beneath acanthus volutes on the Corinthian capitals (another deviation), the faces on the columns are indisputably those of the Caryatids.

Two eerie legends surround said maidens: The first, (the finer details of which elude one) is that the Ionic columns were once real people, whom around 421 B.C. lived and breathed and being young girls probably danced around the olive groves of their father’s Karyes kingdom. The king somehow affronting the gods, the penance was accordingly met on his children who were taken away and tasked to stand sentry still in a temple of the Olympians. A task that stretching from minute to hour, morn to noon, day to night, week to month, so on and so forth, proved insurmountable. And a disgruntled goddess, likely Athena or Hera, (for their human failings) turned them all to stone. There is a later retelling that attempts to paint the gods in a godlier light, but implausibly.

Of the second legend: Together for 2,300 years until 1802. It is said that when a Caryatid was chiselled loose and removed from her awning, the remaining five sisters were heard to cry so inconsolably their wailing echoed all around the Acropolis and down to the streets of Athens. And when screams erupted from the crate containing what would come to be known as one of the ‘Elgin Marbles’, the men carrying it along the dock en route to the ship awaiting thus cargo, were so terrified they dropped it and ran, and only nerves of steel got the sixth screaming sister to embark and sail on that fateful journey, in a vessel that almost sank.

However, the only wailing you shall hear around these garden centre pasticcios shall be that of the wind.

Veils billow and sway amorphously in the breeze between each column. And now in the twilight, illumination from within lends the site a shimmering Bedouin tent look. Or Cleopatra’s barge quietly sailing down the Nile, far away from the here and now.

A glimpse of a Lapis Lazuli mosaic floor can be discerned fleetingly beneath sequinned hems, and whilst sheer to the outpouring light, to the inward observer the veils appear opaque.  

Reached by another stone staircase, on drawing aside the drapes and entering the temple…. if unassailed by ‘th’bells, th’bells!’ it is the cymbals, booms and Gregorian chants of ‘ELEGIA’  streaming through a piped music system that instantly invades the senses, confirming that the priestess of this order is in touch with their inner theatre, notwithstanding dark humour. The chamber is deceptively spacious via a recess eked into the next door structure, and belying that arachne have carte blanch to weave the silken gossamer webs that float like buntings everywhere, (albeit so long as their labour is aesthetic), it is pristine clean and the fixtures and floor are shining; evidential in the scent of beeswax polish mixed with lotus blossom incense.

An altar stands at the epicentre of the floor, on which an imposing candelabra dominates the surface, shared only by a wand and a small volume of poetry. The poem in the book that’s bookmarked is ‘The Huluppu Tree’, which is apt’ as the solid silver candelabra has a female form whose branches ensconce eleven lit candles. Long before they were stylised, the temple of Solomon is said to have housed such a menorah in gold. And should one have any questions left regarding the mismatch temple’s purpose, the wand holds the clue. For it is a miniature Asherah Pole, and this is indeed a temple of trees in whose object of worship is neither Athena or Poseidon, but She of a thousand names. The sacred Tree Of Life.

Amidst the sombre melodic dirge and an altar that could be the reclaimed tomb of Nosferatu, unprecious scatterings of bright coloured rugs in leaf and tree designs lend the space an incongruously cosy feel. Frescos of Druantia Queen of the Druids,  and Adonis in the arms of his mother Myrrha (pagan Christ Child) with the cross of Tammuz in the horizon, adorn the walls on either side of the recess.

At the end of the recess is a fireplace, styled from two interwoven driftwood trees, the hue of bleached bone. A motto is carved across its bow ‘SAPIENS DOMINABITUR

ASTRIS’ that from Latin reads: ‘The axe forgets what the tree remembers.’ Scrying

mirrors are inserted into each trunk, out of which the faces of the God and Goddess peer through as if from another dimension. And from ditto dimension, on a raised hearth a blazing fire shooting sparks up the funebre chimney burns; generating heat across the chamber that the collective windpower of Aeolus and the Anemoi may not cool nor extinguish.

The eyes in the mirrors however, are not the only ones peering into one’s core. Jolly Tar, the rescue pet crow can be heard fluttering watchfully overhead, whilst Blodeuwedd the owl watches one’s every move eye-to-direct-eye, from her perch amongst the branches.

Bookending either side of the fireplace two huge floor-to-ceiling shelves stand. Modelled on the symbols of fire and air and shelved with reinforced glass, they house potion bottles, goblets, incense, candles, crystals, runes, journals, spell jotters and inks. And rows upon rows of books housing a plethora of secular and non secular, ancient and modern tomes, on all aspects of magic, the occult, astronomy, and paleo’ paganism; as well as books on monotheistic and polytheistic religions, inclusive of the Bible, Quran, Torah, Kabbalah, Sefer Harazim, and Book of Enoch.

Carl Jung said: ‘Sometimes a tree tells you more than can be read in books.’ And between the tomes, accoutrements, and ephemera, a collection of etchings portray thus point. There is a dyptic of Odin hanging from the Nine Twigs of Glory, a metaphor for the ash Yggdrasil tree, with his ravens Huginn and Muninn on each shoulder. And the druid god Esus, crucified on a tree cross. An opposing hypothesis on thus scene, is that figurative strange fruit hung on tree crosses in sacrificial offerings to the vegetation tree-god. He is said to have been born of a virgin mother, part of the trinity of Taranis (of reputed wicker man sacrifice) and Teutates , and his name is seen as an epithet for Jesus, irrespective that Esus long predated Christianity.

There is a tryptic of Daphne, Dryope, and Lotis, morphing into laurel, poplar and lotus trees, subsequent to rape and pursuit by Apollo and Priapus. From Irish folklore, the creation of man from the alder tree, and woman from the rowan. A dyptic of the Norse Yggdrasil, and Brythonic pantheon World Tree. An enchanted forest populated by dryads and hamadryads. Another dyptic of Herne the wildman of the woods, and Ghillie Dhu the tree man of Scottish folklore. Tolkien’s Ents and Entwives, with Treebeard’s Song..

‘When spring unfolds the beechen leaf And sap is in the bough, When light is on the wyldwood stream, And wind is on the brow, When stride is long and breath is deep, And keen the mountain air! Come back to me… Come back to me… And see my land is fair!’

.. Lovely. Also a fruitful tree and barren tree on a hilltop, with W.B. Yeats’ poem ‘The Two Trees’. And beside the schematic of the 10 Sephiroth & Tree of Life, is God standing alongside the Tree of Knowledge. That if a tad overt, speaks volumes.

In Genesis 1:27 of the first unabridged version of the Bible, prior to its sanitisation by piety (the euphemism for misogyny). God was described as an androgynous (dual sex) angel named Jehovah Elohim. Thus, that God the Father & God the Son was one and the same with Goddess the Mother & Goddess the Daughter, is gospel. Not that that helped the first translator of the gospels into English, who was unceremoniously strangled then burned at the stake as a heretic. Alas were that only the fate of King James IV-I the later Bible translator, for his penning of ‘Daemonologie’, to preclude the witch hunts of 1645 A.D. onwards.

And lying opened on the floor, on top of ‘The Raphael de Mercatelli Compilation’ is a volume of ‘The Secret Teachings of All Ages’ by Manly P. Hall, as if the reader has paused from their perusing on the fireside rug, and momentarily slipped away.

On stepping back out of the temple, ‘Elegia’ ceases as instantly as it began. And casting one’s eye to the periphery of the farther ruins, lighted windows can now be seen shining through the trees like flickering stars. Through an opened casement, the notes of a piano being played carries forth on the wind, and in perfect French the hauntingly lovely strains of a siren voice peels out. The song Myfanwy sings is ‘Dans le Silence’, that in English is: In the Silence.

 Sometimes when the wind breathes,

Among the hemlock and the fir,

Let the day heave a great sigh.

The sun is low,

And it seems to me,

That a shadow hangs,

In the silence.

In the silence of oblivion.

And the silence proclaims,

That you will not

Toujours,

You will not always be there.

Hist!…. It almost sounds as if another voice has joined that of the siren’s, in discordant duet. From somewhere far faraway in the netherworlds it seems, so heartbreakingly sweet it could hail from the empyrean. However, in a place   reputedly where angels fear to tread, amidst catacombs of the nameless sea dead, and bell knells of the oak groves, the imagination can play tricks. Moreover when heightened by the rising wind, and an impromptu drum-roll of thunder.

I was blind but now I see

What I’ve got is not for me

And I know

It’s time to go..

I DEFEAT THE PAIN

I’M ALIVE AGAIN

The past is gone for good, it’s time to say

Amen!

 In the silence

Of my nights

I can hear a distant voice

Someone out there

Is calling my name

 I’M BEYOND THE DREAD

I’M NOT AFRAID

It’s time to turn the page

And love again

Amen!

    Amen!

        AMEN!

 And the roses in the witch’s garden, close their petals tight, beneath the shroud of moonlight, and indigo of night.

                                       ******

 The Druidess Part Two: The Dwelling

 Traversing the rose thorns through a maze of bramble is time consuming. ‘Dans le Silence’ now silent, the fairground in the seaside town below lights up in flashing neon that strobes the sky, and a cacophony of drumbeats, trumpets, and wailing vocals erupt across the airwaves. It is All Hallows Eve, hence the summoning ‘From The Underworld’ of ‘Severina’, ‘Livia’ and ‘Rhiannon’. And the spectre in the ghost train howling at the ‘Prisoner’ in chains, ‘That Tears SHALL DROWN THE WIIIIIIIIII-IND!’

 (TO BE CONTINUED)

 Song Credits:

‘Elegia (Full Version)’ by New Order

‘Dans le Silence’ by Martha Wainwright

‘Amen’ by Enigma

‘From The Underworld’ by The Herd

‘Severina’ by The Mission

‘Livia’ by Drugstore

‘Rhiannon’ by Fleetwood Mac

‘Prisoner’ by The Jezebels

‘That Tears Shall Drown The Wind’ by The Mission

                                       ******

 Wonder if student architects of the HOW NOT TO school clocked the euphemism for dodgy perspective? ‘Unapologetically asymmetrical’ (Ho Ho, if yer cannit hack it, wing it.)

No pictorial copyright has been breached, nor either etching descriptions, as I don’t refer to the works of others for illustrations. However, I admit I have never seen a tree holding a baby in my life, or an image of Druantia. Re’ the latter, had a mindset of Scota-Meritatin the princess of Egypt, aka Mrs of the first Celt on these shores. And whilst it’s questionable that Egyptians had red hair in the days of the Exodus, the sacred white stag was a no brainer, as it’s white. So if the effect’s as hotchpotch as Myfanwy’s temple, druids, ovates, and forest witches (should you pass this way), be forgiving.

Depending if one’s head’s in or out of the primordial soup, hope to fly by again around Samhain 2022 with full second chapter. And in the interim herewith’s a shot of one of the Coven Cottage sets, and retouch of a painting into, Myfanwy.

Ciao!

TOAD x

[lefemmerougewriter]

The Battle for Avalor City and Elena’s Uncertain Future

This teen and up story, uses characters from Elena of Avalor, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Mysticons, and Disenchantment. It is the fourth part of my series, “The Avaloran Chronicles”.

Romantic pairings: Elena Castillo Flores / Naomi Turner, Francisco Flores / Luisa Flores, Adora / Catra, Kitty Boon / Zarya Moonwolf, Elena Castillo Flores  Marisa

Friendships: Elena Castillo Flores & Isabel Flores, Elena Castillo Flores & Luisa Flores, Elena Castillo Flores & Zuzo, Adora & Elena Castillo Flores, Kitty Boon & Elena Castillo Flores, Kitty Boon & Naomi Turner, Catra & Elena Castillo Flores, Catra & Naomi Turner, Adora & Naomi Turner

Words: 4.5k

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31584551

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/1254712290-the-avaloran-chronicles-the-battle-for-avalor-city

Characters: Elena Castillo Flores, Naomi Turner, Princess Marisa, Unnamed Pilot, Gabriel “Gabe” Nunez, Arch-Druidess, Isabel Flores, Adora, Catra, Francisco Flores, Luisa Flores, Kitty Boon, Zarya Moonwolf, Zuzo

Summary: Under attack! Elena, Isa, Naomi, her newfound friends like Adora, Catra, Kitty, and Zarya, and soldiers from other kingdoms ready for their biggest fight of their lives, against the mechanical menaces sent by the sovereign of Steamland, Alva Gunderson, who wants to conquer Avalor. If successful, it would begin a possible campaign to conquer all the kingdoms of the Ever Realm, one by one. Their foes have one trick up their sleeves which might hobble the city, to its knees. Will Elena be able to keep or cool or will the actions of the enemy push her over the edge so far that she orders the killing of someone she hasn't even met? Only time will tell, but she, her friends, and allies have a tough battle ahead. No matter who is victorious, this confrontation will have ripple effects on inhabited, spirit, magical, and far-flung worlds for years to come.

Part I. The Battle

The artillery across Avalor continued to boom loudly, as did the beam cannons on the S.S. Moonboon, with Kitty at the helm. The steam-powered sky vehicles of a huge armada, the GSA, numbering at least 100 ships in all, were more advanced than anything in this magical land. Making matters worse, the land-based cannons could not reach them with their projectiles. Even so, the beam cannons, coupled with Zarya’s electric shock arrows, swirling forward rapidly, were able to down a few sky vessels. A zeppelin flagship headed by the Arch-Druidess led the GSA. Beyond anything in Steamland’s history, this fleet was the steam-powered city’s biggest undertaking. However, to make it a reality, most of these crafts were built quickly. Many angry workers, under guidance from revolutionaries in the sewers, engaged in sabotage. They often built in features which would cause a craft to explode if it reached a specific speed or temperature.

Elena looked at the approaching enemy in fear. She remained confident thanks to support from her new friends like Adora, Catra, Zarya, and Kitty, her sister Isa, the Royal Guard, and her wife Naomi. The sailors from Norberg, forces from the Avaloran countryside, Enchania, Paraíso, and Cariza, constituting EPCA UF, were also a tremendous help. She remained concerned that they were vastly outnumbered, due to the number of enemy vessels. Only a miracle of science, engineering, or even magic, could save them. At least, that’s what Elena thought. Unlike in the past, when her emotions caused her to bring dreams and objects to life, this time, she tried to stay calm despite the impending danger.

The enemy’s steam-powered ships finally came into range. The pilot of the GSA’s flagship shouted down to the Arch-Druidess. "Ma’am, we are encountering heavy flak. How do you wish to proceed?" Scratching her chin, she pondered their next steps. She remembered something she read once. She had an idea to catch Elena and her friends off guard, creating a distraction. "Order a squadron of the steamer bombers to peel off and attack the city, then…the royal palace of that tyrant," she hollered back. "The rest of the fleet will move forward as planned." The pilot understood completely. He communicated the instructions, via radio, to the others steering their vessels. The main fleet fired their steam dispensers, creating a steam screen in front of them. This lasted about 30 seconds, allowing the bombers to slip into the clouds above Avalor City undetected. Those in the city, and its protectors, were not prepared for the devastation to follow.

Zarya, Kitty, and the cannoneers had a tough task ahead of them. They remained the first line of defense for the city. If they failed, the enemy could overrun the city, with their machines causing the soldiers inside the city to surrender without much of a fight. The cannoneers were a little terrified of the enemy. Even so, they kept their cool, continuing to load the gunpowder, then cannonballs, one at a time, down the bore with a ramrod. Kitty looked at Zarya with concern. "Z-Star, how long do you think we can keep this up?" Zarya shook her head. She had never expected the enemy fleet to be this large. "I don’t know. I hope we have some sort of miracle,” she began. “Because there are so many more of them than us!" Zarya scoffed. She couldn’t believe her girlfriend had become such a pessimist. "Come on, Zar," she said, using another of her nicknames, "you fought that whole army led by Dreadbane, the forces of Necrafa, and even my sister, Tazma." She rolled her eyes. "These planes are nothing." Zarya realized her girlfriend was right. She had been overestimating the enemy's strength. She sighed. "Thanks for setting me right, Kitty." She blew a kiss to her girlfriend. "This one’s for you!" Kitty opened her hand and closed it. She snickered. "Aw, you…cute little pirate."

Meanwhile, inside Avalor City, the sound of propellers from the steam bombers seemed to be coming from everywhere. Elena could not use her powers of farsight, which allowed her to see where those on her mind were. She couldn't use "blaze," a power allowing her to blast something for an extended period, either as the crafts were not visible. She grumbled in annoyance. Her friends, and allies, within the city remained on guard. Not even the Science Academy, outside Avalor City, with its huge telescope, could see the incoming enemy. They all waited in anticipation.

The cobblestone streets of the city were often bustling with activity. This time they were not. All the residents were in underground bunkers. Shoe stores, restaurants, bakeries, the club known as Meow’s Delight, and even the Trading Guild, formerly owned by Dona Paloma, were shuttered. The same was the case for dwellings which occupied most of the city. The port, filled with ships, coming and going from Avalor’s trading partners or going on expeditions to explore the Ever Realm, remained quiet. A cool breeze blew through avenues and thoroughfares, patrolled by the Paraíso Mounted Brigade, and a unit led by Rico Villalobos of Avaloran countryfolk. Elena hoped they could protect the city against any ground assault by the enemy. She realized this was foolhardy since the enemy had an air armada but no ground forces.

Beige stucco houses with wooden shingles, adorned window displays of purplish flowers or hanging baskets, lined the streets. Blooming trees stood next to each of the homes. While someone walking on the city's unimproved, and dirt, streets might have said that the houses were plain, each house was a piece of Avalor. There were family mementos, memorials to those who had passed on, and proper rooming arrangements. For years, Naomi spearheaded a city beautification campaign, encouraging residents to keep their houses clean, tidy, and attractive to onlookers. She always politely asked to enter homes and did not come in unless invited. Her efforts had been a resounding success. That morning, as the enemy approached the city, the homes glistened in the sunlight, a byproduct of her efforts. This beauty did not last. The enemy fleet readied itself for devastation, no matter the cost to the city, the residents, and the royal family.

Suddenly, the steam bombers came into view. Unfortunately, the cannons around the city were facing the opposite direction, away from the city, and outward into Avalor Bay. Turning them around would be impossible without significant effort, and it could leave the city in even more danger. Even worse, very few of those on the ground were archers, or even had bows or arrows, so they couldn’t shoot down, or damage, the flying mechanical menaces. Their bomb bay doors opened and canisters, with an elevated level of kinetic energy, fell to the ground with incredible swiftness. These cans were simply accumulators with hydraulic pumps. When colliding with a person, a building, or another structure, massive destruction followed. The water inside these canisters was superheated. When pressure inside these falling cylinders reached a critical level, they blew up. In the resulting detonation, hot water, steam, expanding bubbles of steam, and a spray of droplets, headed in all directions, scalding, or burning anyone in its path. It could even vaporize buildings if the pressure was strong enough.

Elena could only watch as these steam-powered bombs boomed in the distance. At first, she only saw steam coming from the city’s downtown, then plumes of smoke. She knew what that meant: fire. This confirmed her worst fears. She realized that the nightmare, the one she had all those weeks ago, about Steamland attacking Avalor City, was coming true! Not wanting to weaken the city’s fortifications from the approaching enemy fleet, she decided to handle the problem herself. Adora held her sleeve, trying to hold her back. She pleaded for her to reconsider. "Elena, you can’t do this alone. We are a team, remember?" She realized her blond-haired friend was right. She remembered the time she tried to confront Shuriki herself in the royal palace after being released from the amulet. She failed miserably. When she came back with friends, she was successful. Shuriki eventually fell off a cliff in defeat. While the evil witch later returned, trying to wreak havoc on Avalor once again, she realized, that day, the importance of friends and allies. Not everything can be done by yourself. "You are right Adora," she remarked. She put her hand on her friend’s shoulder and patted her on the back. A smile came across her face. Adora knew what that meant. Before she could say a word, Catra butted in. "Enough with the cute bonding, lets cream these steamy jerkwads." Elena and Adora nodded. Right after that Adora teased her girlfriend about calling her bonding with Elena "cute." Her face became a little reddish and warm. She said, clearly embarrassed by Adora’s teasing, "shut up!" They both giggled and walked toward the city’s center. Elena told them she had something "important to do," and would be joining them later. They accepted her reasoning and kept walking to the docks.

Elena walked over to Isa, whispering to her about having to move the cannons to cover their absence from the frontline. Understanding what her sister wanted, she listened and complied. She loved the city as much as anyone else. If it fell into enemy hands, she’d blame herself. She and her sister were glad to see that the enemy can completely avoided attacking the hydro-gondolas, coaches with latched doors, one of Isa’s star inventions. If another wave of bombers had hit the city, after the ones which set the city afire, these gondolas could have suffered high damage. For instance, steel wire ropes strung between supporting towers, and stations, driven by bullwheels, allowing the gondolas to across the city, might have been snapped. Bombs would have destroyed the engines, powered by the Avaloran waterfalls, tied to the ropes, allowing the gondolas to move with ease, or even the control panels. If that had happened, there’d be silence. No mechanical sounds of rattling machinery, and workings, lurching when they left the ground. The joy some got from sitting on top of the gondolas, or the dramatic views of the city from inside, would disappear if the bombs had caused damage.

Elena caught up with Adora and Catra, who were attempting to climb a stucco house and put out the blaze. She shook her head at her friends, who had managed to get to the top of a house, even as they struggled to put out the flames. Taking her scepter out of its holster, she pointed it at hanging plants on one of the windows of the stucco house and bellowed: "BLOOM!"

Unfortunately, this did little to stop the flames, as the flowers shriveled up with the extreme heat. Catra scampered down from the roof in fear after the flames singed some of her fur. From the ground, she growled in frustration. Adora followed not long after, protecting her girlfriend from any danger that might befall them. Elena had a different reaction. She stood dumbfounded. While her scepter had amplified powers that cause something to glow, light on fire, reveal a hidden passage, envision something, illuminate a cave, cause one to be invisible, show a truth, or fire a blast of energy, none of these could extinguish the blaze. While she could have used the "seal it" power to turn the flames into crystal, like she had with the Chispa, she didn't remember the name of the spell. It had been so long since she had used the power. Standing and watching the city burn in front of her eyes, with nothing to do, made her feel hopeless. This feeling soon faded away, however. She put her scepter back on her belt and fumbled in her pocket. She found a conch shell and held in her hand. She blew on it. While the sound that came out was loud, with a tone only audible to one species in the Ever Realm: the Sirenas. With Marisa now the queen of these merpeople after the passing of her mother and father, she expected imminent help, especially since Marisa had always been sweet on her. She had become, in some ways, Elena’s second girlfriend, after Naomi.

With the problem "solved," Elena motioned to Catra and Adora. She pointed up at the steam-powered bombers. Without saying a word, she aimed her scepter in the direction of these metal beasts. Somehow Adora understood and did the same. Both shot their magical weapons into the sky. Elena yelled "BLAZE!" while Adora pointed her sword upward. With almost pinpoint accuracy, the bombers were torn to shreds, one after another. Catra, annoyed, stood, beside Adora, not knowing what to do because she did not have a magical weapon. Seeing her dismayed girlfriend, Adora came up with an idea. She asked Catra to help her aim the sword and hit the targets. She agreed and they had a grand-old time, together.

One bomber remained, en route to the royal palace. Elena spotted the enemy ship. She knew that if the bomber dropped its payload on the palace, obliterating her home. The royal guard would be so demoralized that they’d stop fighting and flee, even if some of her friends, like Gabe, stood and fought to the end. She planted one foot on the ground and raised her arm to the sky. "BLAZE!" she shrieked. Although the ship was far away, she maintained the energy flow. The boost from the Crystal Well of Takaina all those years ago has supercharged the scepter and in her powers. Her blast easily reached it. The cannisters aboard ignited and the ship shattered into a thousand pieces, plummeting to the nearby waters. Scattered parts from the ships littered the city. She walked to the frontlines with Adora and Catra, so they could all fight off incoming airships, which almost reached the docks, making their way across the bay. Zarya and Kitty had been moderately successful in wiping out the fleet. Half of the skyships remained, even with the constant bombardment from cannons controlled by Isa and cannoneers. Catra, Elena, and Adora couldn’t get there soon enough. Using her magic sword, Adora aimed at the underside of steam planes, weakened by Steamlandian workers to rupture on impact from an intense burst of energy. Even though the fleet was falling apart, the Arch-Druidess demanded they continue forward and double their pace. This did not happen. Their ships halted, instead of accelerating, with a loud screech, and began to burn. Elena sensed an opportunity. "Destroy those ships! Hit them one by one!" she shouted. As such, the cannons began to open fire, she used her scepter to blast some of them, as did Adora with her sword. Each ship fell into the ocean. Terrified, the Arch-Druidess dictated a command to her fellow soldiers: "Full retreat!" Her ever-loyal soldiers tried to do so but could not. The reverse controls had been jammed and their ships went up in flames, falling into the water. Soon, only the flagship remained.

Elena realized that the Arch-Druidess could escape and come back with a new army. Half-way to the S.S. Moonboon, she roared "follow that ship! We can’t let it get away!" Zarya and Kitty heard her loud and clear. Before they left, Zarya wanted to say something. She cleared her throat and then began speaking. "It was an honor to serve alongside you, Ms. Elena Castillo Flores! And we wish you, your wife, and all Avalor, the best." Kitty bowed her head. As a sign of gratitude, Elena went down on one knee and bowed. "I am forever grateful for your service to Avalor. We will always be in your debt." The soldiers across the city, Naomi, and Isa, and others, took off their hats in reverence. Elena soon picked herself up and shouted, "good luck out there, you two!" Zarya and Kitty nodded. "Thank you for everything, Elena," Zarya remarked. "We will always remember you, Elena, and Avalor." As she waved goodbye, a tear streaked down her cheek. "You are always welcome here. Come back anytime!" "We will!" shouted Zarya and Kitty in unison.

Frontward cannons of the S.S. Moonboon began firing, following the flagship of the Arch-Druidess in close pursuit. On board, the Arch-Druidess sneered. "Those rascals wrecked our damn fleet. They haven’t seen the last of us!" The pilot expressed his doubts. "Ma’am, Mr. Gunderson will not be pleased to see our lack of progress." He added a personal note. "I fear for your safety, ma’am. I recommend we do not return to Steamland…at least not now." She pondered this idea. While it made sense, she worried about the fleet’s next destination.

In the meantime, the zeppelin was smoking. Booms rocked the zeppelin. The Arch-Druidess snarled. "Make for the other dimension!" The pilot agreed even though parts of the ship began to crumble due to blasts caused by S.S. Moonboon's beam cannons. Zarya put her arm around Kitty and stood beside her. "We will get this woman and defeat her, if it’s the last thing we do!" she declared. Kitty hugged her girlfriend back and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Z-Star, I’ll go with you anywhere and do anything…I promise you…we can defeat this woman…together." Both women embraced each other as they watched their cannons bombard the enemy vessel. The S.S. Moonboon moved forward on autopilot into the great beyond, across the galaxy.

Part II. The Aftermath

Elena felt relieved. The battle had ended. Zarya and Kitty had the Arch-Druidess on the run, thanks to the efforts of herself, Isa, Adora, Catra, her allies from neighboring kingdoms, and farmer-soldiers of Avalor. Even so, the inferno, caused by the incendiary devices dropped by the steam bombers, consumed much of the city center, and even reached the water’s edge. Smoke filled the air, and flames billowed higher than what anyone had seen in the past. Elena turned to the assembled forces spread across the city. She yelled as loud as she could. "Can you hear me?" she asked. Cries of "yes!" and “definitely” rang out across the city. She started speaking. “We have won. Avalor stands strong.” She sighed. She continued her speech. “Before leaving to your homesteads, I’d like your help in first putting out this blaze.” She added, “all flames near the water will be taken care of by the Sirenas…so don’t worry about that.” The soldiers put down their swords, spears, and other weapons, and grabbed buckets, wherever they could find them. Each bucket was filled with ocean water. Carts were used to bring buckets to the raging inferno. Paraíso Mounted Brigade used their horses while hydro-gondolas moved soldiers. Those in Enchania’s unit of winged horses grabbed buckets so they could approach the blaze from the air and drench it from above. Isa, Catra, and Adora helped in whatever way they could. Naomi and the sailors from Norberg promised to greet the Sirenas and tell them what needed to be done to put out the fires. In the thick of it all, Elena surreptitiously snuck through the city and back to the royal palace.

All the emotions she had been holding in, everything she had seen during the fight, came pouring out. “ZUZO!” she said in a hushed tone. He appeared in a flash. “What can I do for you, Elena?” he asked politely. Breathing in deeply, she checked to see if anyone was around. She proceeded to yell angrily. “I wish that fucker, Alva Gunderson, were dead! He has to pay the price for what he did to Avalor!” Zuzo was confused. He never remembered her acting like this, even when she struggled with her enhanced powers before becoming queen. “What do you mean? What did he do?” She showed him the city, where the blaze continued to rage and smoke billowed into the sky, even though water had begun extinguishing the fire storm. “Yikes, that’s gonna leave a mark!” Zuzo snarkily remarked. Elena rolled her eyes. “Can you do this for me…NOW!?” He shuttered. He did not want to make a mistake. “Are you sure? This isn’t something you can go back on.” She took out her scepter and pointed it at him. Stamping her feet, she moved closer and became more agitated. “I’ve sent people to the spirit world for their crimes, like Shuriki and Orizaba…and faced down Ash…how is this any different?

Zuzo could see her point. He thought convincing her had little choice of succeeding. Even he made one last attempt. “…this person won’t go the spirit world…he’ll go somewhere else.” Elena continued to be cross with him. She scowled. “I DON’T CARE! DO IT!” He realized that while Elena did not have the right state of mind, he had to obey her commands. That’s what it meant to be a spirit guide. “Your wish is my command,” he said solemnly, and disappeared. She walked off in a huff. Not looking where she was going, she accidentally bumped into Naomi who had been looking all over for her.

“Nena, there you are! I am really worried about you. Are you ok?” Elena tried to push her off and go back into the palace’s royal quarters. She came with an excuse. “I’d like to get some rest…I’ll…be fine…don’t worry about me.” Naomi patted her on the head. “Sweetums, come to me if there’s anything…you’d like to talk about,” she said in the gentlest voice. Walking back into the building, she started to walk up the stairs. Not thinking straight, she went to the quietest place she knew: the royal library. She sat down on one of the plush couches. In no time at all, she fell fast asleep, snoring loudly. Her noise filled an, often quiet, room with sounds that may have annoyed some people. Even so, Naomi would probably have found it cute. While the scepter, at its current power level, ensured she did not get tired from its use, she did not have superhuman strength. She could still suffer from fatigue and physical injury.

Some time later, she stretched and yawned, opening her eyes bit by bit. She saw two yellowish eyes staring at her inquisitively. She rubbed her eyes to see if someone’s there or if she had been dreaming. The bluish purple-haired woman waved at her. “Hi, Elena! How are you doing?” Groggy, she didn’t know how to answer. “Uh…Marisa…nice to see you,” she said sheepishly. Her friend was glad to see a woman she called her “land-sea girlfriend.” She squeezed her tightly and grinned happily. Pulling herself up, Elena began to wake up a little more. “Where’s Nomes? I’d like to talk to her” she asked. “In the council chambers,” Marisa answered matter-of-factly. Elena gulped. She hoped the council wouldn’t discipline her for authorizing final preparations prior to the armada's arrival without meeting with them first. She told Marisa to walk with her as she sauntered over the council chambers. On the way, she explained how the Sirenas had used their abilities to create a huge tidal wave, dousing the blaze in the part of Avalor City near the water. “Thanks for doing that, Marisa.” She giggled. “It’s my pleasure, Elena,” she said. “I will do anything for Avalor…and for you,” she then told her. While Elena accepted the praise, she did not want to make Naomi jealous. she treated, Marisa as one of her good friends, and nothing more. Marisa thought of her as something more than a friend. When walking into the chambers, she awaited the worst and hoped for the best.

She opened the doors, unsure of what she’d find. The dark room had the shades drawn. After she and Marisa had entered the room, the door closed behind them. She heard Isa, Naomi, Francisco, and Luisa shout “SURPRISE!” and someone pulled up the window shade. “We want to congratulate you, mija, on winning over those steam-powered machines” Luisa said. “Thanks, Abuela,” Elena remarked. “I knew you could do it,” Francisco and her sister said in unison. After thanking her abuelo, she tussled Isa’s hair. “It is thanks to those automatic cannons and system you created, sis, that we won.” She put her arm around her wife and raised a glass. “A toast to all of you, soldiers from nearby kingdoms, and my newfound friends, Catra and Adora…we did it!” Everyone cheered. With all the commotion, Elena grabbed her wife’s arm, and no one even noticed. “Nomes, I have to talk to you.” She was confused. She thought their troubles had ended, at least for now. “About what?” she said innocently. Elena whispered in her ear, “it’s important. Let’s talk in the library.” Naomi agreed. Both slipped away silently. Marisa became the center of attention instead. She stood near the window, with her moderate orangish brown shining in the sunlight. She excitedly chatted with Catra and Adora, always excited to meet new people, especially those from a faraway land.

A short while later, Naomi sat beside her wife in the royal library. It was one of the only quiet places in all Avalor, including in Avalor City, not bustling with people. “Nomes, I…did something terrible.” Putting her hand on her wife’s shoulder, she tried to reassure her. With everything that had happened that day, she couldn’t think of one thing her wife had done wrong. She began to say something, but Elena spoke first. “I ordered the death of…someone.” Naomi scratched her head. It seemed out of character for her wife to do that. “I’m sure you were under so much stress that you…” She hesitated before saying the next part: “Hallucinated it.” This made Elena feel better. She cracked a smile. “You are probably right, Naomi.” Even so, part of her believed it had happened. “If I did order an assassination, then I hope that Zuzo didn’t take me seriously.” Not wanting her wife to worry anymore, she thought up an obvious solution. Elena could ask her spirit guide. “Nena, why don't you ask Zuzo about it?” Elena nodded. It seemed like the best way to put herself at ease.

“ZUZO!” she yelled at the loudest decibel. He appeared in a flash, even faster than she had expected. “What do for you…” he began, seeing their stern faces. He didn’t know why they were looking at him like that “Uh, what is it?” he asked. Elena pulled out her scepter and held it in face. She smirked. “Tell me the truth. Did I order someone’s execution? If you don’t tell me, I’ll blast a hole in this damn wall.” While he knew that her scepter couldn’t hurt him, he decided to comply with her request. He snickered. “Why, of course you did…can’t you remember? Alva Gunderson…will be killed by the best in the business…and you will have to live with the consequences.” Zuzo disappeared in a flash, leaving Elena to contemplate her decision.

What happened next would be up to Elena and the killers she “accidentally" hired to kill Alva. As the sovereign of Steamland, the steam-powered country, he had ordered a fleet to attack Avalor, claiming he had to "liberate" it from a "tyrant". Bombers from that fleet had, only hours before, ravaged Avalor City. Whether she had been right or not, his death would have ripple effects on Steamland, Avalor, Elena, and even Naomi.

*******

End Note: I’m grateful for the comments I got on Twitter, the comment on here, and elsewhere on my last story. Sorry it took me so long to write and publish this story, but you know, work, cicadas, and getting the COVID vaccine, as some of the many reasons that it took a while. A reminder that GSA means Grand Steamland Armada. Jamie Cass, a nerdy sci-fi/fantasy/crime writer, gave some constructive criticism on my last story, saying that while he enjoyed it, the sense of place could be improved. This included more detail about the wondrous Avalor, with more showing, less telling, adding that the story would be “stronger if Avalor felt richer,” specifically with language which describes the “feel and look of the city,” talking about all the styles and niches that “make a location come to life on the page.” He also said it is a shame to not give Avalor “a chance to really breathe on the page” with such a “rich world.” I appreciate that sort of criticism because I feel like many writers don’t get it on here. Admittedly, I’m not always the best with description, but I tried to describe it a little better in this story. With that, I hope you enjoy this story. For this story, I used content from the page for Dona Paloma on the Elena of Avalor wiki, Al Simley’s post "The Safety Dangers of Hydraulic Accumulators,” a webpage titled “Exploding Hydraulic Piston Accumulator,” Gregory P. Sandukas’ paper, “Gently Down the Stream: How Exploding Steamboat Boilers in the19th Century Ignited Federal Public Welfare Regulation,” and a discussion about steam power in canister form. I also incorporated information from the “Boiler explosion,” “Gondola lift,” and “Steam explosion” Wikipedia pages, screenshots from the film, Elena and the Secret of Avalor, to get a feel of what Avalor City is really like, so I could describe it accurately, the Scepter of Light, Spirit World, Sugar Rush, Princess Elena, and Princess Marisa pages on the Elena of Avalor wiki, the Sugar Rush page on the Disney Wiki, and the Sword of Protection page on the She-Ra and the Princesses of Power wiki. Parts of this story are inspired by scenes in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars information from “Shadow of Malevolence” and “Destroy Malevolence” where the Republic ships are firing at the ship of General Grevious. I realized, in re-reading my previous series, Unlikely Alliance of Evildoers that I had called the Grand Steamland Armada by the moniker “GDA” because of “Grand Diamond Armada,” so I changed it to "GSA." I revised this story after watching episode “The Magic Within You,” where Elena’s scepter is supercharged by the Crystal Well of Takaina. Apart from the sources already stated, for the Hydro-Gondolas, I used information from the “Sugar Rush” episode, a tumblr blog, and various other sources listed in the inspiration section. I improved the story after watching more episodes of Elena of Avalor, especially when it comes to physical fatigue and injury of Elena herself, or that fact that she can conduct magic without her scepter (its within her, obviously), and that she is right-handed, although she can also use her left hand to cast spells, but is not as adept with it, with Mateo calling her "sceptidextrous" after she gets her cast off.