#ignitus answered.

[tidesbled]

“ you care too much and that makes you weak. ” From MALEFOR to Ignitus!     |     @noctudreams

            𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄     𝐇𝐄     𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐃     𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄     𝐓𝐇𝐄     𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍     𝐎𝐅     𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄,     𝐀     𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐄     𝐇𝐔𝐒𝐊     𝐎𝐅     𝐓𝐇𝐄     𝐏𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐋     𝐇𝐄     𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄     𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐖,     𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄     𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃     𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄     𝐇𝐈𝐒     𝐎𝐖𝐍.     Perhaps,     he     would     later     come     to     regret     his     decision     with     one     final     breath,     yet,     he     could     not     stand     idly     by     without     trying     one     last     time.     To     save     his     pupil,     to     save     Spyro.     〝    Malefor...    〞      The     fire     dragon     breathed,     tired     eyes     still     burning     like     the     small     embers     of     a     fire     not     quite     ready     to     be     a     bed     of     ash.     〝    To     care     deeply     is     not     a     burden,     but     a     STRENGTH     —     one     forged     in     the     fires     of     understanding     and     tempered     by     the     resolve     to     PROTECT     what     matters     most.    〞     

[anonymous149]

Ch7 Hero

AN: Sorry for posting so late, I got COVID and I honestly thought I was going to die, but I didn’t which is kind of sad. Anyway, here’s the next chapter!

Ignitus concluded the recounting of their people's history, and when he glanced over, Spyro was slumped at the desk, fast asleep. With a gentle yet urgent tone, Ignitus called out, "Spyro! Were you even absorbing any of that?"

Rubbing his eyes and blinking against the lingering drowsiness, Spyro mustered a tired yawn. "Honestly, history was never my forte back in the day. I'd always drift off during those lectures."

"You must pay attention, Spyro. This information is crucial. You, Malefor, and Cynder are destined to engage in an eternal struggle unless the curse is broken."

Perking up, Spyro asked, "Wait, did you say Cynder?"

"Ah, the magic word is spoken, and suddenly you're all ears," Ignitus teased, shaking his head. "No offense, but you tend to perk up whenever a girl's mentioned."

"No, it's not that," Spyro protested. "I know her. She's my friend."

"You've reconnected with her already?"

"Well, sort of. I'll admit, I don't remember much about my interactions with her from the show."

"Spyro, if you've found her, then it won't be long before Malefor finds her too."

"He already did. She's his daughter."

"She's... the Dark Lord's daughter?" Ignitus's expression was a mixture of surprise and concern, perhaps even a touch of disappointment. "This is not good, Spyro. If she's related to Malefor, who's to say how deeply corruption runs in her veins?"

"Hey!" Spyro's voice rose in defensive as he stood tall. "She's an incredible Skylander, and she's been battling against her dark past. Just because her father is a villain doesn't define who she is."

"You're not grasping the gravity of this, Spyro. She's inherently inclined to struggle against the darkness within her. If the light in her heart wanes, she will always be susceptible to evil."

"I turned to the dark side once too. It's not just her, any of us can."

"Spyro, you must heed my words. To defeat Malefor, you must master each of your elemental abilities, starting with fire."

"Thanks, Oldman, but I've got fire under control." To demonstrate, Spyro unleashed a blaze of flames at Ignitus.

However, Ignitus remained unimpressed. "Impressive for your age, but let me show you true fire." With a powerful breath, he sent forth a roaring inferno that dwarfed Spyro's attempt. The heat was intense, prompting Spyro to swiftly evade the searing flames.

"Whoa!" Spyro exclaimed once the display concluded. "That was seriously cool. Alright, count me in. I want to learn that. What do I need to do?"

"First, you'll need to pick up a pencil and study."

Spyro flopped his head down on the desk with an exaggerated groan. "I think I'd honestly prefer a swim in a volcano."

- Scene Change -

“Skylanders! And Skylanders in training, please gather around I have grave news!” Master Eon was in the colosseum that they have as both Peril’s and Stealth Elf’s team were there. “Malefore is teaming up with Kaos to attack the dragon realms and they must be stopped!”

Peril's keen ears twitched, her imagination already painting vivid images of dragons in her mind. She couldn't help but feel a thrill at the prospect of encountering more of her kind. Meanwhile, Stealth Elf's curiosity bubbled up, seeking answers in the midst of the impending crisis.

"Wait, there's an entire realm of dragons? Is that where Spyro is?" Stealth Elf inquired, her eyes shining with intrigue.

Master Eon's reply carried a somber note. "Most likely not, for Spyro's kind has long vanished. These dragons have carved their own history, choosing to remain apart from the Skylands. Nonetheless, we keep watch over them, to safeguard against such threats."

Under the warm sun, Cullen's voice cut through the tension, echoing the unspoken question in everyone's minds. "How do you know about this, Master Eon?"

Another voice came from behind. “Because I was there.” Cynder appeared behind Master Eon. Peril's heart raced as she caught her first glimpse of Cynder, the enigmatic dragon from another realm. Her scales seemed to shimmer with an ethereal light, and her presence was nothing short of captivating. Peril couldn't tear her gaze away, drawn in by Cynder's commanding presence and the air of mystery that surrounded her.

Master Eon spoke up. “She’s been watching over her father for me as a spy and came back just today.”

Pop Fizz asked a question. “If she’s a spy, why are you telling everyone in Skyland about this? What if one of us is a spy as well?”

Master Eon chuckled, as if he already knew Pop Fizz was going to asked him that. “If Malefore somehow discovered our plans than that most likely means one of us is a spy. No one besides us knows that Cynder is working as a spy, so if Malefor ever finds out, than that means one of us is a spy.”

This time, Coco spoke up. “So, what’s the plan Master? Go over to each of the realms and inform them about Malefor?

“That, Coco, will be reserved for the more experience team. You and your team will need to be under intense training, with Cynder as your guide. Cynder, please go say hi to your new team.”

With the introduction of Cynder as their guide, a new dynamic entered the fold. Peril watched in awe as Cynder moved, a symphony of power and grace that left her breathless. Shadows danced on her scales, each one a testament to battles fought and won.

Cynder's introduction was laced with a touch of humour, a glimpse of the person beneath the powerful exterior. Her voice, resonant and commanding, carried a subtle vulnerability that resonated deeply with Peril.

"I'm not the best at making friends, and I tend to just fly away... a lot," Peril mused inwardly, finding an unexpected kinship with the enigmatic dragon.

“Guess you’re not the leader anymore eh, Peril?” Coco told her with a joke as she gave Peril a pat on her back but quickly remembered that Peril’s intense heat burned her. Peril was to mesmerised by Cynder to noticed Coco hurt herself.

Master Eon spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Stealth Elf, you and your team will be heading to the dragon realms but lets also not forget that we are short staffed as well so I’ll need at least one of you to stay here at a time so you can train the new recruits. Cynder, make sure you train your team well and fast. We might not have a lot of time until everyone is needed to play their part.”

First Chapter: https://www.tumblr.com/anonymous149/730023312048177152/unspoken-hearts-ch1-friend-or-foe?source=share&ref=anonymous149

Chapter 5: https://www.tumblr.com/anonymous149/732025366914433024/ch5-war?source=share&ref=anonymous149

[lovetheangelshadow]

Power Rangers: Dragon Knights CH1 (Nanowrimo2023)

Chapter 1: Raid on the Dragon Temple

The Zords would not wake up. Two dragons were running down the hall as the echoes of the rising battle began to rise from below. The blue dragon glared at his red companion as they made haste to a more open area. “A fine pickle this is, Ignitus! I thought the dragonflies were supposed to warn us of such things! How did the apes even get in?!” Their question was answered as the torches became obscured and shrouded the tunnel in darkness. The flame shaped frills around Ignitus’ neck and shoulders began to glow with flames-giving them some faint visibility. The muffled screeches of the apes were now being overshadowed by a new clamor. A low skrict skrict skrict began to rustle on the floor before rising louder and louder until it was all the two dragons could hear. As it began to grow closer the sound was coming from all around. At last, the paltry flames from the Guardian of fire showed them just what it was.

A swarm on insects had managed to surround them completely. The creatures appeared to be dragonflies at first only something wasn’t right. Their shells had been stained from the once common golden yellow to a dull ebony and their limbs were twisted into long thorny claws. Countless red empty eyes had encircled the pair with their large wings made all of these noise as they hungry clicked their mandibles. “I believe that is your answer, Cyrus”, Ignitus responded. The dragonflies held no hesitation. Despite their sheer lack of size against the two dragons, the swarm lunged upon them. Their teeth and spines dug deep into the dragons-doing their best the penetrate the scales of their enemies. Cyril let out a shriek as he thrashed trying to shake these beasts off. He snarled and yelled for Ignitus to shield himself.

The sharp white spines on Cyril’s back started to glow and glaze over with frost before suddenly erupting into a flurry of wind and snow. The dragonflies were encrusted in ice before collapsing into hundreds of shattering flakes. Ignitus shook the frost from his wings and looked around him. The hallway has now enveloped in snow and obscured in a light chilly fog. Cyril gasped for air as he shook off the last bit of bugs from his scales.

“That actually hurt. Since when could such weak little bugs hurt great dragons such as us?” “It appears the Dark Master has been for more busier than we anticipated. But we need to get out of this hall. We are still too constricted in here.” Cyril huffed but nodded. The guardian of ice jaunted across the now glacial hallway with ease while Ignitus slipped and struggled to maneuver in the small space. The hall opened out into the main room where the heat of battle was now conspiring.

The apes were many in number. The humanoid simian creatures brandished their weapons and began to lash out everything that moved-or didn’t move. Trying their best to drive them back were the Dragon Knight recruits. Manwesmalls, Leopards, and Atlawas alike had taken up what arms they could in the short notice. These recruits had some glimmer of skill and had already taken down a decent number of apes and were using their large twisted bodies as a barricade to hide behind as some were throwing grenades from the base of the main entryway. A manwersmall had just tied several small explosives to arrows and was handing them to three leopard archers. They aimed at two concentrations of apes causing them to scatter in various directions. This allowed the cameloid Atlawas to use basic bolos at individuals. Their weapons wrapped around the simian’s necks before their weights cracked the backs of their skulls. A large one draped in heavy cloth garments and their faces bundled in heavy bandages tossed a black shard in the center of the room and chanted an unearthly slew of slurred words. The shard vibrated before casting out tendrils of dark aether that latched upon any ape that had scattered nearby. As the dark magic struck them, they paused in their scurrying before their bodies began to shudder and morph slightly. Their muscles swelled in power before they turned upon the recruits and lashed out in frenetic frenzy. A few had managed to dodge the initial strike by using the broken rubble as barriers. A leopard and atlawa were not as lucky as the ape’s claws raked into their ankles and dragged them to the center of the horde. Cyril’s tail hummed with power as he ran forth and swiped his ice sheathed tail across a horde of apes with the shard in the center; sending many of them backwards. He then turned his head upwards and exhaled a burst of frost to the ape in the rafters. The ape was quick and with a wave of its hand-it teleported to another section of the room. The shard had been broken and the spell that had given the apes their advantage had been lost. The two cadets who had been captured were not as fortunate. Cyril shifted his stance putting himself between his cadets and the shaman and its apes.

“Yes yes thank you, you can show your gratitude later. But first we have unwanted guests to expel!” His neck expanded slightly before exhaling a gust of chilly air to create another barricade for them. “Ignitus! I have it covered here! Find the Volteer and Terrador!” The fire guardian was hesitant but he knew Cyril well enough they could handle a few simian intruders.

He was unsure why but something was drawing him to the upper tower. Almost as if an ancient voice was beckoning him to come to the chamber above. Ignitus shook his head and headed down below where he had to see something for himself. As he descended below, he could feel their air changing. Static graced his scales and arched along the ground. In a deep chamber below he found Volteer shooting electricity at five large crystal dragon statues.

“They still won’t awaken?” The yellow dragon huffed as he coughed up a last bit of electric power in frustration. “I’ve tried everything I could think of which of course means there is a .000005% chance there is something I have not thought up and therefore is the correct answer. But in our current situation it would take—” “Volteer! Forgive me but you are needed above. We will have to what we can without the Zords.” “Well that is a shame as getting these things to run would increase our chances of dealing with this raid by at minimum 40% but I suppose we shall have to do what we can.” As they exited the chamber Volteer pressed his hand against the claw mark on the door. The door hummed before the two could head rumbling above them.

“I suggest we run”, Volteer said cheerfully. Ignitus managed to turn his head to the sound above where the ceiling was starting to crumble and dust dropped against his eyes. He just barely managed to jump back before the stone cracked and shattered sealing the doorway. “A bit of foresight is always a good thing”, Volteer chuckled before galloping down the hall. Just as they reached the landing the fire and lightning dragons ran into the other guardian. Terrador’s massive mossy body blocked their path as he swung his tail against another swatch of small green creatures. Their enemies shattered into crystalline fragments that flickered with a slight bit of dying light before fading away into dullness. Ignitus shuddered as the pair came closer to the earth guardian. “Don’t tell me those were…” Terrador flicked one of the shards with a large claw. “I am afraid so. It appears the Dark Master really has been busy. But what would he have to gain here? All we have are a small handful of untrained recruits and…” All three dragons’ maws dropped slightly as the same thought flickered between them. “Impossible. The Knight Lumens haven’t been active in over a thousand years! They were just dull pieces of decoration now”, Volteer huffed. “Unless…there is some credibility to the ancient prophecy”, Ignitus retorted. Terrador was about to speak when they heard an explosion above them. Terrador hunched over and his tail began to hum with green earthly energy. ���Legend or not I doubt now would be the time to completely dismiss it. Where is Cyril?” “Down below in the main forum helping the cadets push back the initial forces”, the fire dragon informed him. “Then I shall join him down below. You and Volteer head to the Ritual Chamber above! I will assist our cantankerous snowbird below!” Neither the fire or lighting dragon had a chance to speak as Terrador was already halfway down the stairs and they could feel the ground rumble at their feat.

Volteer and Ignitus were almost at the top of the main tower. Cobwebs and wines had covered the old door. The dragons used their elemental breaths to break free the ancient seal and then shoved to roll the ancient barricade to the side. Both were paused with awe as they walked into the musty space with only a few slivers of moonlight gracing the space. The room was a circular shaped area with a deep pool in the center. Along the walls were murals depicting great battles of Rangers from the past against many monsters that had once threatened the dragon realms. Along the back wall was the main focus of the forum. A statue of a non-descript dragon stood with wings outstretched and tail coiled in front of it. In its hands was a long stone shelf with many circular depressions. Resting in each depression was a stone dragon egg. Upon each egg was carved a symbol representing an element of magic. Volteer ran his claws on the one marked with the symbol of electricity. Ignitus was looking at the number of eggs that have long gone silent for centuries. “These dragon eggs…if we needed a miracle now…” Ignitus’ musings were interrupted as the skylight above shattered and a large shape dropped down below. It was followed by more shadows dripping from above and quickly obscuring what little moonlight they had. The small beasts blinked soulless yellow eyes as they awaited their master’s orders. It was hard to tell just what the larger shadow was save for a glowing green eye and waving a large purple crystal at the end of its staff. The leader gurgled something to the shadows that sounded like a command to attack. Volteer’s jagged spines crackled with electric power as he scrunched his body tight. With a twist of his body, the energy formed around the dragon into a small tornado as he spun in a wide arc against the shades. Thunder and electricity arched across the floor making the shadows shudder and explode in a mass of bloaty ink. Just as Volteer had stopped moving, he felt something cold strike his back. The guardian staggered just as he felt a sudden wave of lethargy overtake him. The larger shade chuckled. “Did you think you can outshine the shadows with just a meager spark?” The green-eyed beast then turned his attention to Ignitus. “The Dragon Knights are finished. Accept your end and I will give you the mercy of a quick death” Sparks of flames dripped from Ignitus’ teeth as he prepared to defend himself. Suddenly Volteer thrust his body against the leader catching it off guard and making it stagger back. Volteer shot electric power at a rusty chandelier-forcing it to crash upon the intruder. “I’ve got this! Save the orbs!” The fire guardian hesitated but yelled he would be back. He scooped up what he could-five in total between his arms and shoved himself out of the window.

The night was still and warm. On any other night he would have enjoyed flying among the stars in this comforting gale. Now his hard was beating in his chest as he flew down into the swamp below. He should have kept going. He should have gone anywhere else and yet he could not abandon the other guardians and the cadets. They needed him. But the apes could not be allowed to destroy the dragon orbs either. A thought came to him. It was a risk he had to take. He glanced around until he found just what he needed. He tore off a large mushroom and hollowed out the stem and part of the center. He then nestled the eggs inside and covered it with weeds. The river was rolling downwards from the temple and deep into the mists of Dragonfly Swamp. As he set the mushroom adrift and watched it, he muttered, “May the ancestors guide you to your awakening. May they help us all.” Once the eggs were out of his sight, Ignitus unfurled his great wings and took back to the temple-only to be greeted with the very sight he had feared.

[oliveyeen]

it's been a long while since i really touched tumblr, mainly because I stopped being active on it, especially since the mobile app is unbearably slow for my phone. plus I just stopped really using social media other than deviantart. but i wanted to talk about spyro for a minute. feel free to read my rant lol.

i'm currently having the biggest brainrot for the legend of spyro at the moment and there have been talks about the fourth spyro game, and what it could potentially be. since i'm a tlos fan and have been for a pretty long while, i've always been vocal about a remake of the legend franchise. obviously, it was a far-off dream since Activision are meanies. but with xbox gaining control over them it leaves some wiggle room for the legends franchise to come back.

i mentioned this before in a post some years back, and I still stand by it to this day. if activision/xbox does bring back the legend of spyro, they should remove spyro's name and IP from the franchise as a whole.

what do I mean by this? i mean to remove the legends franchise out of spyro's IP and rebrand the franchise into its own, entirely new franchise.

the legend of spyro franchise is widely loved and adored by fans because of the characters, the story, and even the gameplay. but I think what helped create our niche community was the lore. the world of the legend series is vast, and mysterious, and fills you with questions you want answered. questions like who are spyro's parents? why did malefor turn evil? who were the dragon elders from malefor's time? was cynder really a wind dragon? what happened to spyro and cynder??? these questions are still left unanswered decades after the franchise finished, and the community has made headcanons to fill in the pieces. but while some of these questions can be answered through headcanons, others just don't seem to fit. like malefor for example is the big bad. the villain of the story and the darkness against spyro's light. he's the reason the world is nearly destroyed and almost causing dragonkind to go extinct. why don't we know anything about why he did the things he did? it's something that always bothers me to this day bc this guy is literally the evil god of this world and yet we know nothing about him.

but anyway as stated before the legend of spyro franchise should be its own thing; not attached to the spyro name and completely revitalized to modernize the legend as a whole. i feel like because spyro is involved in this franchise it not only causes little to no freedom but eventually left activision to leave it in the dust. and this franchise has potential, even without spyro attached to it.

replace spyro with a new character, or better yet, make it malefor and his rise to power and eventual banishment into convexity. why not make the purple dragon an essence of malefor that becomes sentient and has to stop his darker form. that could be interesting. you can even add in characters that weren't added in, like ignitus' squire, pyra! or even the lore that couldn't fit into it like the dragon knights and the elders. give more lore to the other races like the cheetahs and atlawas, maybe even remove the cheetahs too given hunter was added into the legend series too.

i remember someone referring to this franchise as "lord of the rings but with dragons" and it's... ngl it's true-

and it honestly works. and not only that but spyro isn't a character to be part of some darker and gritty universe. he's a goofy purple dragon who loves to run around and be silly. and with the reignited trilogy remastering the original classics it makes sense to revive that part of everyone's childhood. but being able to do what I explained above could allow so much more this franchise.

i know people will read this and won't like it or think i'm wrong. and that's fine! i understand that spyro is an important aspect in this franchise. it's named after him after all, and was a reboot to keep spyro alive. but i know that the community really wants a tlos game, a remake, or something. and it's kind of why i think this is the best route to go for if the legend of spyro does come back. that or we just have to do it ourselves.

TLDR: remove the legend of spyro franchise out of Spyro's IP and completely rebrand it into a new fresh franchise.

[oransvillage]

To ignitus: i see. May the ancestors bless you for your patience then

Ignitus; I hope so as well...

[theblackdragon-studios]

My half of an art trade with my friend, @the-purpleflower.

It’s related to his fanfiction/comic, which is an AU where Spyro was raised by Guross (a species my friend made, the green character here is one) not Dragonflies. So no Sparx, but Oran’s a really good brother here.

More information under Read More

This won’t be in that story I don’t think...and I’m not sure where it takes place, but probably during The Eternal Night where Cynder still feels overwhelming guilt and shame (as an abuse victim would) for what she was made to do. Also doubt that her friends are actually her friends (after she ran away, before she was caught by the pirates.)

Enter a mysterious dragon who looks as though he was a chunk of the night sky come to life...a Star dragon. Cynder didn’t grow up with the stories of these ancients, but when he offers to show her a point in the past related to her friends, she agrees. Leading to this scene:

Taking place during A New Beginning, Spyro and Oran are journeying to the next destination to find a trapped Guardian and rescue him. The conversation turns to Cynder, whom they only know from when she chased them at times and Ignitus’ descriptions.

Spyro at first (being a kid here and very fond of Ignitus after finally getting answers about who he is) is under the belief she’s an evil dragon, for what good dragon would do such things?

Oran argues that there may be pieces to the story missing. Maybe her mate and/or child(ren) are being held captive? Maybe Ignitus isn’t telling them everything...he seemed to be hiding something.

Personally I think Spyro would reconsider his opinion after that, which plays a part in when they choose to save Cynder as the platform in Convexity collapses. Not only because Ignitus confesses the truth of what happened to Cynder, but also because of Oran’s words a long while back.

Present-Cynder meanwhile seeing by this that her friends didn’t only save her out of pity or duty...and that she wasn’t completely vilified either.

His half here and here:

Description on his post: pendara and Aaravos being parents to cynder and helping cynder learn to fly she nearly fell but Aaravos caught her before she hit the ground as she was nearly there as she tries again flying into Pendara's paws :)

[theonetheycallhannah]

A Mage’s Beginning-Part One

Summary: Anathema of Velena is sent by the Brotherhood of Sorcerers to a kingdom already decimated by a mighty beast when she happens upon another. One who saves her life…as she saves his.

Pairing: Geralt/OFC (Anathema of Velena)

Word Count: 5k

Rating/Warnings: M for language, discussion of mature themes and situations, alcohol consumption, violence, and reflection on a particularly shitty childhood that could be triggering. Body image triggers. No smut for now. Also, warning that it’s stupid long and only half done! Wow! I’m super sorry! Anathema is kind of a long winded little witch.

Inspiration: Netflix’s The Witcher, that sweet, sweet Cavill bod, and the chocolatey crunch of his “Geralt voice!” (idk why, but that’s the imagery for me. Lol!) Also, Ana inspired by the badassness of Anya Chalotra as Yen, the powerful vulnerability of Anna Shaffer as Triss, and the poise and grace of MyAnna Brunning as Tissaia…I honestly can’t believe that the name Anathema is a total coincidence now. Especially considering that my name…is Hannah, a version of all of these. It just came to me as a cool name.

Author’s Note: Like most of my OFCs (and honestly, even EFCs), Anathema is loosely based on myself. She reacts how I feel I would (or sometimes hope I would) in her situation. For those of you who read “Shape of Her” you’ll know that I’m chubby. Anathema was, as well, before her transformation, and she talks about what it was like for her as a child and adolescent growing up. For me, this was a deeply personal thing to write about. I don’t usually talk about the effect my weight has always had and continues to have on my mental health. I’m very fortunate that, unlike Anathema, I have loving parents that have never treated me this way. But in an odd way, their “help” and concern for my physical health has created this sort of villainous aspect of them in my mind, and I suppose that comes out in Ana’s mother here. At any rate, I should probably go back to a counselor about it, but that’s tough during a pandemic and with my work hours. So I write about it, and I guess there ends up being a bit of validation for her/me when Geralt shows interest (and maybe takes that further in part two...no spoilers here!). Not that any of it’s completely healthy, but at least it’s kinda cathartic and fun in the moment if you don’t think too hard about it. I hope the monologue doesn’t bog you down and make you lose interest. If it does, just skip it. It won’t hurt my feelings.

Also, I’m sure my spells are total baloney compared to what’s in the books and deffo to what’s in the show. I just wanted to write something down to sort of show the power being expelled by Ana. These are probably way more Hogwarts than Aretuza! Lol!

Tag List: @sunflowersstan @mylittlepartofthegalaxy @mstgsmy @lareinedususpense @geekycanuck and @littlefreya (omg it let me tag you this time, Freya!) I didn’t tag some of you that I tagged before in Shape of Her, just because I didn’t know if that was something you wanted. (basically, if I didn’t get a concrete response one way or the other, or I wasn’t fairly sure you’d want a tag, I didn’t tag you. I still love all of you!) Please let me know if you want to be tagged or if you want me not to tag you in things! I will not be offended! Also, this is not smutty. It’s pre-smut. lol!

Anathema of Velena was a mage of little renown. Powerful enough, but nothing compared to someone such as Yennefer of Vengerberg. She had worked so hard at Aretuza and all Rectoress Tissaia de Vries could manage to tell her most days was “You could not organize a pair of gloves, Ana. How do you expect to be able to control chaos? I’m not even convinced you have any chaos in you.” She turned away, calling the five other girls out of the lightning tower, some of whom had ampules filled with crackling white light. The rest were in various states of injury from singes to limps. Anathema…well, she had nothing. The lightning didn’t come near her. She left the tower without a prize, but filled with shame, uninjured from the typical failed attempt. She didn’t know why it was worse, but it very much was.

It took her years to finally get over that day.

Her first assignment the brotherhood sent her on was, well, it hardly mattered now, because the city, the whole kingdom was now rent by some foul beast. She’d been sent to help. But had arrived too late. She heaved one of her deeper sighs. “Fuck.” She let out audibly. She’d have to make camp. For the third night. At least. Maybe it was the fifth. She wasn’t certain. But it seemed like too long. She dismounted her chestnut mare, Clove, and started to get her supplies down for her modest tent. Modest, meaning that it appeared modest to the casual observer.

Inside, however, when she’d cast her enchantments, it was almost like home, complete with a full bed, soaking tub, fireplace, table, chairs, and a lovely lounge with a settee and chaise. One of her favorite things about Magic was being able to pack heavy while still traveling light. She was even able to bring a small book collection.

She’d just finished setting everything up and was casting the necessary protective enchantments to the perimeter of her site when she heard a rustle in the bushes about twenty yards away. She attempted to remain calm, but was terrified. She carried only a small silver dagger and a steel short sword that she rubbed with a silver infused oil which she made when she came across good silver and decent tallow. It wore off, but the silver oiled blade was a good compromise when you couldn’t carry both silver and steel. What was she, a fucking Witcher? Anyway, she drew her dagger, but conjured a revelatory wall around her so she could see who or what was out there hunting her. She prayed it wasn’t a kikimore. Anything but a kikimore, she thought. Those shits gave her the creeps. Give her an iron toothed wyvern, or the king of dragons, himself. She could conjure in battle against the best of beasts born of magic, but those insects…no.

There came a keening howl unlike anything she’d ever heard. A drowning scream that almost sounded like it was coming from under the water. Then too many pairs of glowing green eyes started appearing from said bushes. They were horrifying lizard-fish people. And they were walking toward her camp. It would be all too soon that they would walk through the invisibility shield as she hadn’t been able to cast any deflective measures yet. They’d breach her camp in minutes if she didn’t act. She prepared to cast a fire spell on them, hoping that would work, when she heard a deep male voice behind her growl an order.

“Get down! Hide!” Pardon me? She thought. This guy didn’t know who he was dealing with.

It appeared though that she didn’t, either.

The voice had come from a very tall and amply muscled horseman. He wore no armor, only a dark linen tunic tucked into leather breeks, and tall black boots. All was weathered and smelled heavily of horse, ale, and sweat. He quickly dismounted in that way that some men do in which they swing their leg over the horse’s head instead of around the rear. This was the way that, even in her terror, made her feel an unfamiliar but pleasant stirring in the pit of her stomach.

His hair, which she had presumed blonde at first, she noted now to be silvery grey, and well past his shoulders. Maybe longer than her own. He grabbed a sword from the large sheath on his saddle and stalked toward the oncoming rabble of sodden predators.  

She thought…she might have been mistaken but she was fairly sure he’d grabbed a steel sword. Steel would not be very effective on these monsters, if she had sized them up right. She looked to his saddle, seeing the hilt of another blade there. She stepped toward it and slid it out to reveal that this was precisely what had happened. He’d grabbed the wrong weapon in his haste. Well. He was dead. She grabbed the silver sword, sheathing her dagger, and marching toward the scrum around the well-meaning muscle head.

“Selectum ignitus!” She chanted as she wrought her hand in the corresponding motion. This spell burned only victims she chose, leaving others unharmed. It had only stunned these creatures, but it was enough time to allow her would-be hero to catch a small break from his blunder. His thick neck was still in the spindly clutches of one of the largest fish men, apparently less susceptible to fire than the others. Ana stepped up behind him, and with the silver sword, sliced his head clean off at the neck.

“Here.” She said as she tossed him the weapon, the steel sword somewhere on the forest floor to be found later. “They’re waking back up.”

“Mmm.” He mumbled. Right. He was welcome. All this gratitude was just making her blush.

They fought well together, surprisingly. She with her magic and dagger, and he with his signs and sword. She could feel it when he cast them. She noticed him using Aard, so she started casting more similar spells herself. The skirmish was over in minutes. All of the beasts had fallen and she looked at her newfound comrade, both of them covered in blood and muck.

“That was…fun!” She said, in earnest.

“Hmm.” He responded. As if to say, sure, whatever, freak. And began hovering over the corpses, rummaging in his satchel.

“So…these handsome fellows. I’ve never come across them.” She waited a beat, hoping he’d just answer her, knowing that’s what she meant for him to do. Oh, okay. This wasn’t the kind of guy he was. Fair. “What are they?”

“Drowners. Bigger ones are called drowned dead. They come out of the nearby bodies of water.”

How nice. Surely she wouldn’t have any nightmares about that. She'd heard of drowners, as a coastal dweller, but had been fortunate enough to never see one. Until tonight.

“And…not that it’s my business, but…you’re doing what exactly?”

He sighed. “These remains have a lot of useful potion ingredients. I never waste a kill if I can help it. Ginatz’s Acid doesn’t grow on trees, does it?”

“No tree I’ve ever seen, no.” She laughed. He didn’t. Well. This guy would just be a barrel of fun, it seemed. But he did just try to save her life. She should attempt to repay him that kindness. Even if he failed a bit at first, she didn’t know what she would have done if he hadn’t been there.

“Hey, I have a few more spells to do before my camp is fortified for the night, but then I was going to have some dinner in my tent. I have plenty, if you’d like to join. As a thank you for helping me tonight.”

“Camp?”

“Tempora Portia.” She swept her arm down to create a window in the cloaking spell so he could see her camp in the clearing.

He saw the small tent, that looked as though barely two people could lie down in it, much less sit for a meal.

He eyed her warily. “I think you’ll be lucky enough to eat in there by yourself with just a bowl and a spoon.”

“Ever heard of not judging a book by its cover?” She asked. “Trust me. I have a plump pheasant, some really delicious herbs I got on the way here from Aretuza, and some lovely wine! I’ve been saving it until I got here to share with the court, but…” she looked sheepishly at the ruined city on the hillside. “You’re clearly the only surviving citizen, Sir….”

“Geralt. Just Geralt. I’m not a citizen. I was commissioned to come here, just as you were. Only I was sent by…the neighbors…to eliminate the threat before it reached them, too.”

“Right. Geralt. I’m Anathema of Velena. Nice to meet you, and thank you for saving my life tonight.”

“Anathema, thanks for saving mine. And I guess, I’ll take you up on dinner.”

~~~~~~

She told him to finish his scavenging, and cast a charm onto him and his horse, Roach, to allow them to enter through her custom enchantments.

When she was finished securing her campsite, she went inside her tent to clean up. She conjured lots of warm fragrant water into her copper tub. It would have been more relaxing had she not been covered in the muck of battle. The drowner guts were slimy like fish entrails on her skin and in her hair. She was fairly certain that she also had blood from both her own wounds and Geralt’s spattered across what skin had been exposed during the fight.

She reached for her sponge and a bar of soap that smelled of lilac, one of her favorites, and scrubbed until all of the muck, mud, and blood was gone from her skin and hair.

She felt a telltale shudder come from the perimeter of her camp, indicating that her would-be rescuer and his steed had stepped through them. She had put up sheer modesty curtains somewhat arbitrarily, but today she was glad for them. She had just stepped out of the tub and was fully naked when Geralt entered.

“Erm.” He cleared his throat simultaneously announcing his presence and asking if he could come in. She must applaud him for his excellent communication skills.

“Come on in, I’ll be right there.”

She donned a simple, modest wrap dress that went well beyond the duty of a bath robe and looked infinitely more chic, and piled her damp, dark hair into a messy coil high on her head.

“So glad you could join me. Did you get everything you wanted from the creatures?”

“Everything they could give me. Yes.”

“Good. Well, I’ve not started dinner yet, but it won’t be very long. Why don’t you have a bath? You look like you’ve been riding for weeks with no sleep and you’re caked in the muck of a dozen battles like the one we were just in. I’ll clean and mend your clothes, too.”

“I’m fine thank you.”

“Oh, please? You’ll enjoy dinner so much more if you’re not concerned with how you smell…plus my table isn’t so big that…I couldn’t smell you too.” She giggled. “So as a courtesy to your cook and table mate?”

She looked at him with her doe eyes. Maybe that would work. She loved helping people and making them feel better. She thought he was restraining a smirk. He complied with a grunt and a nod.

“Splendid. I’ll get you some wine, too. I love wine with a bath! Don’t you!?”

“That and silence.” Point taken. She’d let him relax.

He stood in the corner of the bathing alcove as she conjured bath water for him.

“Agua fragra fieretta.” she spoke, and the tub filled with steamy water that smelled like spearmint, cedar, and a hint of lavender. Her own had smelled so different. She hadn’t realized it seemed to change depending on who you were drawing the bath for, never having done so for anyone but herself.

She dug around for a sandalwood soap and a new sponge and set them out for him on the small side table.

“Here you are. I’ll be right back with your penis! I mean, woah. Sorry.” She had turned around at the wrong moment. She knew he’d been taking off his shirt when she was rummaging. But she assumed modesty would mandate that he wait for her to leave before removing his trousers. She had been mistaken. He stood there as naked as the day the midwife pulled him from his mother, hands on his hips just like it was the most blasé thing to ever happen.

“It’s fine. I don’t really think about being shy anymore. Sorry. My clothes are on that stool if you want them. Thanks.”

“Right, great. I’ll be right back with a towel and wine. That’s what I was going to say before. And yeah, then I’ll see what I can do for those clothes.”

She left, procured the wine and a towel, and hurried back, placing the cup audibly on the table so she didn’t have to speak to him. She was so embarrassed. She grabbed his clothes and sat them on the settee for later. She was somehow both glad and disappointed that he did not acknowledge her.

Now, she needed to work on dinner. She’d gotten a lovely pheasant this afternoon with her bow. She’d been gathering fragrant herbs of all kinds along her journey and had traded some of them at market for potatoes, carrots, garlic and pearl onions. She prepped the pheasant, stuffing it with the vegetables, herbs, and some salt and pepper, and rubbed it down on the outside with some olive oil and seasoning. She placed it in her camp oven to cook in the infused oil and its own juices, basting it every so often.

She magically cleaned and mended Geralt’s clothes and tried unsuccessfully not to think about the body that they covered. His arms were as thick as the average man’s legs and his legs were not unlike tree trunks, albeit much more shapely. His chest was monolithic with two great pecs and six well-defined abs. He was also perfectly hairy. No one would confuse him with a bear, but this was definitely no boy. No boy, at all. And Mother Melitele herself would weep at the sight of the cock on this man. Long. At least halfway down his thigh. She didn’t get that good a look, but she thought it was veiny. And it was definitely thick…although she couldn’t compare it to much. To anything, really. Not even the instruments used on her the day she ascended to her current state of perfection. She'd been given powerful herbs to sedate her until the transformation was complete.

She’d arrived at Aretuza a sluggish and overweight wallflower with tiny breasts. When she went over her desires for her new form with the “miracle worker” as she liked to call him, she asked him to upgrade her in every way he could, but to keep her eyes the same shade of green they’d always been. She’d felt that the eyes were too directly attached to the soul and to change them was going too far. The rest, however, was fair game.

And this was her first assignment since her ascension, so she hadn’t been anywhere but her home, which was an unforgiving place, and Aretuza. Little opportunity for romance had presented itself. And she wasn’t even sure how romance would go for her at this point. Were mages adored for their power? Beauty? Or who they were as people independent of those attributes? Was that all she was now? A beautiful magician? She suddenly felt a small pang of regret.

Her eyes shifted involuntarily now to the bath partition. Must have been the movement she caught out of the corner of her eye. Geralt was taking a drink of wine, a very long drink, and when he set the goblet back down, he leaned his head back with a contented sigh. She took the clothes back to the stool when she’d finished, smiled at the scarred, and incredibly heroic man before her, and popped away to finish dinner.

~~~~~~~

She busied herself setting the table with modest candles, and conjuring an extra setting for Geralt. She filled a pitcher with an “agua potum” spell and put her wine vessel out. As she was tabling the pheasant, her eye caught movement again in the “bath room.” Geralt had gotten out of the tub and was drying off. His back was no less impressive than his front and his ass was like a fresh, crisp apple. She’d always loved apples. In her dreamy haze, she'd come too close to the hot camp oven and burned her hand. She let out a whispered but audible “fuck” and brought her hand quickly to her mouth to cool the fire with saliva.

It helped a little, but not much. She continued to prepare as Geralt got dressed and he was out right as dinner was on, wine goblet in hand.

“Smells nice.” He complemented. She was shocked, but still in a lot of pain from the burn.

“It better be the best fucking thing I’ve eaten in ages to make it worth searing the skin off my finger here!” She put her hand to her mouth again, and brought it out, shaking it.

He sat his goblet on the table and went outside, all without a word. She was confused. Wondering how she could have offended him, but honestly, not really caring. She’d tried. She sat down. Exhausted. He came back in with the satchel he’d been wearing and packing with solutions from those corpses.

He walked around the table to kneel in front of her, held out his hand, and raised his eyebrow expectantly. She gave him her injured hand, extending her index finger to indicate the affected area.

“You know, I’ve seen men lose half their faces to fire. This isn’t so bad.” He rifled through the bag for a vial of clear oil with bits of purple floating in it.

“Did they live?” She asked, amused.

“A few.” He smirked, dabbing a small amount of the oil onto his index finger and applying it to hers.

Her relief was instant and evident on her face.

“Wow, that feels so much better. Thank you! What is that?”

“A simple infusion. Oil of lavender. Here.” He gave her the vial.

“Oh I couldn’t.”

“Take it. I make more all the time. It’s damn near free. I’ll show you how, too, so you're prepared for next time. It’s essential for a healer’s kit. Many uses.” These were more words than she’d heard him speak all together since they’d met. She decided not to remark upon it.

“Well thank you. I hope you’re hungry! I think the pheasant is ready to be torn!”

They filled their plates with juicy, savory sections of the bird and large chunks of the vegetables that had become pleasantly tender inside it. Thyme and rosemary, onion and garlic danced off the tongue, complimented by the salt and a dash of ground peppercorn for zest. For once, a meal tasted even better than it had smelled and she had forgotten the terror of the fight with the drowners, the pain of her burn, even the startling sight of the naked man in her tent, and relaxed into the pleasure of a delicious meal.

This is one of the reasons I was fat before, she told herself. And made sure she stopped eating before she'd filled herself to gluttony.

She noticed that her companion was eating…enthusiastically. She was on the verge of saying ravenously, but there was an element of refinement to it that forbade her from using the more savage descriptor. He seldom drank, and most rarely from his water cup.  He liked the wine, then. She liked this fellow. Quite a lot. He stabbed large portions onto his fork and put them easily into his wide mouth. But even though he took larger bites, he did take his time in chewing, savoring the succulent food. She appreciated this from him.

"You're going to have to finish the poor bird off. I'm stuffed." she patted her tummy, demure now, as it had never been in her recent memory.

"Hmm." he grunted in protest. This one she couldn't quite translate past general disagreement.

"What?" she prodded.

"We both know you didn't need any help taking down this bird alone. Even with the vegetables. It's all incredible, by the way. Best meal I've had in ages."

"First of all, thank you, I quite liked it too, and secondly, it's called restraint. Ever heard of it?" she sassed him back.

"I've heard of it, yes. Can't say we've ever crossed paths, though." he held her gaze as he drank deeply from his goblet. Was it suddenly warmer in the tent?

"Well, it might be a good idea to seek it out here and there." she said, hiding well the feathers he'd just ruffled. "Food and I have a volatile history. I have to show restraint or all of this is gone." she indicated her physical form. She hadn't truly intended to make him look at her, but he was. He was holding her in his gaze in a way that was utterly alien to her.

"Mmm." he grunted, as if to express his understanding.

"But enough about me. What about you? It's not every day I meet a witcher!"

His amber eyes met hers, inscrutable, but not pleased.

"You knew."

"Of course I knew. I have eyes and ears, and all kinds of senses working. And all of them caught wind of what you were the moment you dismounted your horse."

"And yet you helped me. Fought with me. Saved me."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Most people don't want a witcher around. They'd prefer the monsters we kill. Even when we're summoned to communities, invited, we're a pariah until the job is done. We're seen as the…lesser evil."

"Tell me Geralt. Did you make the choice to become a witcher?"

"No."

"Do you think I made the choice to be a conduit?" This question, he didn't answer. She thought he may not know. She decided then to tell him her story. How she came to be a mage, and the hell she went through to get where she was.

"Do you know what my nickname was as a child? It wasn't anything cute, like a vegetable or fruit or a baked good, or even a cuddly little creature, no. No term of endearment would suit me. I was called 'Rat.' Because you see, as I mentioned, I have a complicated past where food is concerned, and this comes from my youth. When I would sneak into the pantries and steal food. My mother and the staff thought at first there was a large rat, or even a raccoon behind the lost inventory, for at first, I left behind traces and made a mess of things. But after a while, I got good. Covered my tracks. Then mother started blaming the staff. Beating them, then firing most of them. No one seemed to notice how fat I was getting. Me being the middle of five girls. Eldest two sisters already married off to wealthy business men from town and bringing the bratty little grandchildren around, the younger girls learning dance and music, and generally being full of charm. I was in the background. Until one night, mother found me. She was searching the pantry for a tonic for indigestion when she saw me burrowing, trying to hide between sacks of potatoes. She hauled me out and dove for a long wooden spoon on the worktop in the kitchen. She beat me bloody with that spoon. I couldn't sit and could hardly walk for days."

She took a drink from her goblet, fortifying her. She didn't tell this story often. In fact, she hadn’t told anyone but her best friend Codrick, the blacksmith's apprentice. And that had taken many years.

"She started giving me smaller portions at dinner. Insisting that I wouldn't find a husband in my current state and threatening to sell me to a brothel if I didn't marry in good time. I was nearly starving, but still not getting thin fast enough to satisfy her. She made me run around the perimeter of our grounds. If I wasn't back in time, she'd set our wild bull out after me. There were a few times I was nearly gored. But I kept sneaking into the cupboards late at night. They were locked now, but once I told Codrick what was happening, he helped me by forging me a spare key. She kept calling me 'Rat' which was interesting. As if the sneaking and stealing was the more deplorable side of me than my actual size. She never called me 'Pig.' Perhaps because at least pigs had a use. Pigs could be sold or slaughtered for food. Rats were just a nuisance. The last time she caught me, she hauled me into the kitchen and reached for her wooden spoon again. But this time, when she reared back to strike at me, the spoon had turned into a vicious raven. It squalled and flailed and she let go of it, shooing it away. But it didn't relent. It clawed and pecked at her head and face until her hair was patchy and ragged and her face was a bloody mess. One eye was completely gone, the other, likely to be lost. But she could see well enough to tell where the raven landed after it had left her alone. Right beside me, as if it was trying to calm my still quivering form."

"So that was your conduit moment?" Geralt asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes. Lady de Vries showed up at our door not a moment too soon. The Madame from the local brothel had just agreed to my mother's price. There was a rather tense moment where the money had already changed hands and Tissaia had to threaten both women with rather unpleasant repercussions. She was having me and there would be no arguments. Actually, though, the whole experience of being fought over gave me the confidence I needed to confess my true feelings to Codrick and kiss him before we left the town. I'd fancied him for years but never had the guts to tell him."

"I'm sure you have a point to telling me this life story of yours." Geralt said, patiently, but clearly ready for her to wrap it up.

"Right. Sorry. My point is, most of us that are born or imbued with magic have some story like this. I'm certain you're no different. I could go on with horrors at Aretuza, too, just like I'm sure you could with stories of…where was it you were trained? Kaer Morhen?"

He looked at her skeptically.

"Wolf amulet around your neck. School of the Wolf. I thought that was Kaer Morhen."

"Mmhmm." oh, a two syllable grunt. His vocabulary was proving vast.

"Why shun you over a life you didn't choose? And if I have a fucked up past too, and I'm still dealing with that trauma, what right would I have to dismiss you or consider you an unworthy brother in arms? Or dinner companion? Or maybe even travel companion? After all, we fought well together and we don't know what's out there laying waste to the countryside."

"Suppose you're right."

"About which part?" this always happened to her as someone who never shut up. She never knew whether "you're right" was a blanket statement covering an entire monologue, or just certain parts that someone wanted to subscribe to.

"The first part. I'm still not sure about traveling companions. Or mages, if I'm honest. No offense."

"None taken. If it makes you feel better, I'm still very new to being a mage. I don't have any bad mage habits. I'm not even that good of a mage. I had to hand assemble this tent before I spelled it."

"Well, you did a fine job." he chuckled. "It looked…sturdy, from the outside."

"That's what I was going for. And why don't you just…try me for this expedition. I'll sign a contract saying that it's not your fault if I die. Not that anyone would care. Plus, we'll live in luxury every night, and I can make anything taste delicious with bare minimum ingredients."

"Tempting, but won't it be a little…cozy with both of us in here?"

She looked at him, incredulous.

"Remember the part where I'm a mage?" she walked over to the sitting area and contorted her hands toward the wall. "Addendum Sanctorum."

She beckoned him through a new flap in the canvas to a modest, but still accommodating room with a large, plush bed, a few sturdy, simple chairs, a small table, and a bathing area of its own, complete with a stash of sponges, soaps, and towels.

"See? It may not be all of the comforts of home, but it's hardly roughing it compared to the alternative, am I wrong?" She turned to look at him, but he was much closer than she'd expected him to be. She looked directly up into that piercing amber gaze that was unlike any she'd seen before. And he looked so…dangerous. And yet she wasn't afraid. At least not primarily. What she was mostly feeling was desire. She wanted those strong, skilled hands to touch her. She wanted to be held. She hadn't been held since she was a child. And a very young one, at that. She could feel something mutual coursing between them. And that was the thing that terrified her. The thought that he might be hungry for her in that way. He ran his hand along the slope of her temple and cheek down to her chin.

"I don't recall saying I'd mind sharing a cozy space with you, Ana."

TBC in Part Two

[blackicedragons]

The gang thinks they can get a straight answer out of the feral dads by sending Cynder or even Sparx. Nope. They consider them their kids too.

sparx eventually realizes theyre not listening and just starts asking incredibly ridiculous questions to see how they answer

sparx: hey cyril, is the sun purple??

cyril: for heaven's sake, i dont know, ask ignitus

sparx: hey ignitus, am i acutally secretly a mole in disguise as a dragonfly

ignitus: not really sure, ask someone else.

sparx: hey, did you guys know i can breathe fire???

terrador and volteer: thats fine, go talk to cyril we're busy

cynder: sparx please everyone is dying

[seventeendeer]

Okay, for the character ask, can you answer it for the first character that made an impact on you and brought you into your first fandom? (I love undertale too, but my first fandom was a Broadway XD)

I’ve been super obsessed with fiction since I was a little kid, but my first ‘real’ fandom where I interacted with other fans online and such was Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, and the character that made me fall in love so hard was Cynder!

favorite thing about them

I was 10 or so and my reasons were simple: she had a cool af color scheme, and it blew my tiny child mind that she was a good guy all along and that she stayed goth and scary-looking even when she was turned back into her good self. I still feel exactly the same way, except I now also appreciate that she’s a fat little baby that looks kinda like a cat and a dog and a spike collar in one, and I wanna protect her

least favorite thing about them

ngl while I enjoyed The Eternal Night and Dawn of the Dragon on their own terms, I feel like they missed an opportunity by keeping Cynder’s story all dramatic and constantly having dark forces get on her case. I would have loved to see her just hang around and be treated like a normal secondary character like the elemental guardians instead. it would’ve been fun to see an evil-looking character just be a nice normal girl with a normal life. the writers could’ve just chosen to let her have no memory of what happened to her in the past and she could go about her day back at the temple chilling out and finding out what she wants to do with her time now that she’s free

favorite line

Cree Summer generally did a fantastic job voicing her, but the way she says “no mercy this time” stands out in my memory as chilling the first time I heard it, which is saying something bc I did Not understand English back then. the intent was clear enough, I guess lol

brOTP

I want her to be friens with the guardians, this kid needs parents and they’re the only ones we got!!! idk why but I remember as a kid I was very attached to the idea of Terrador being a parental figure for her the way Ignitus was for Spyro, I guess I saw potential in a nice, stable, friendly dude taking in a weird lil goth kid and helping her adjust to normal life

OTP

I remember being absolutely Hyped about Cynder being Spyro’s love interest, at the time I’d never seen a character like her get to be the hero’s love interest, and tbh I still? haven’t seen many love interests like her?? it is not often that the female romantic lead gets to be scarier-looking than her partner, unless she’s also conventionally cute or otherwise attractive in a vamp-y kinda way. I think it was just really touching to me to see a female character be cared for and loved even though her design didn’t signal her as having that role at all, for a little tomboy like me that was extremely validating

random headcanon

the blue bits of her markings are the same color that she would have been if she hadn’t been pumped full of dark magic goo since before she was born. she’s implied to be a messed-up wind dragon (wind often being associated with blue bc blue skies and whatnot), and in that one flashback her egg is the same shade of blue. her white horns and green-blue eyes are probably also her natural colors.

unpopular opinion

relating to the ‘least favorite’ bit above, all the angst that was heaped upon her in the two sequels was ... kinda boring. would’ve been much more interesting if the writers had let her develop at her own pace instead of constantly throwing unpleasant situations at her in order to force a character arc that didn’t need to exist in the first place. just give the baby amnesia and let her have a nice chill b-plot about finding her way in life and be done with it tbh

song i associate with them

Astronomical by SVRCINA is only vaguely related to her character, but something about the mood is perfect for the time when she was under Malefor’s control.

favorite picture of them

they are both so SMALL ...

[pernatius]

The Forbidden Blade: Ch 85

Ch 84

I let go, and with that our eyes meet. I then go on to continue, “But you do. You deserve everything: the praise, power, and just having a stable empire overall. I regret a lot of things. I’ve done so many selfish things and things I should’ve done, but I didn’t because I let my pity towards myself get the better of me. Yes, at one point I thought I wanted this. Now, Beteka, I don’t even know what I want anymore. However, right now, what I do want is to save my people. Please, Beteka, stop this madness.”  

The roaring flames from outside grow, and with it the screams of the People of Krala. I hear them cry. It pains me to just listen, but I can’t do anything about it right now. Not without making amends to the girl before me can I save them. 

She looks away from me. I watch her open her mouth, seconds from giving me her answer to my desperate plea. Eyeing her grip, I see it loosen. I feel relief begin to tingle from my fingertips. That is until a dagger is jabbed into my shoulder. I bellow out a shout, and then quickly turn towards the culprit. My eyes widened at the sight. 

A group of Shadowmen stood behind me. The others had their arms motion towards me, swinging their daggers at me as well. The action plays out slowly before my eyes. I try to swing my weapon as well, hoping to block. However, I’m too slow. This body doesn’t keep up. My heart drops. 

Someone's sword comes shooting between us. My eyes follow down the long weapon. It’s Ignitus’s blade. Beteka is breathing heavily, trying to keep hold. The Shadowmen, though hindered from stabbing me, still pull forward. “Arthus, are you going to do something anytime soon? I can’t keep holding them like this.”

I swing. They dodge the attack. Then, in unison, dash towards us. Beteka and I raised our swords. Neither of us are given the time to even step toward them because a familiar figure rises from our shadows and lunges at them. With just his fists he’s able to outclass the group quite easily. One by one they fall to the floor, unconscious. The man, who is my sort of dead father, comes stepping towards us. He eyes me, but his eyes immediately turn towards Beteka once he notices I have noticed. 

“Oud wasn’t in the castle. He wasn’t even anywhere near it,” the Shadowman revealed. 

Beteka stabs the sword into the ground. She flares her arms. “Of course he knew.”

“Knew,” I questioned. 

Beteka pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose, frustrated. “We knew word would catch on quickly that we were attacking Krala, so we thought he would think we would just have our focus over here. Jäger was sent to assassinate him, as Oud was entertained with the little theatre over here.”

“Little? You’ve slaughtered so many of my people. Innocent people, I need to add. You used me again. No, you used the whole empire.”

Something broke within me. A growl comes spewing out of my mouth. Everything around us comes to a halt. The battle beside us paused, and more importantly the fire outside froze. In a blink of an eye it became quiet. The two of them turn pale, confused and shocked over the abrupt change in scenery. 

I grab Beteka’s shirt and raise my fist. A hand is placed on me, stopping me. Turning towards it, Jäger calms me,  “Arthus.”

Upon letting go of her I finally realize what I have done. With that the actions around us return. The screams, shouts, crackling of flames, and blood shedding continue. I gulp, trying to hold back myself from becoming nauseated. The buzzing in my head, blurry vision, and the shaking of my feet quickly become prominent. “Arthus,” Beteka questioned concerningly. 

“Please, just stop.”

The stench of ash hit my nose. We all sat inside the Palace’s meeting room. I sat on the far end, where Cetius would always sit. My eyes shifted towards where I would’ve sat. Instead of seeing myself, a young me, I see Beteka planning out with Jäger who’s sitting next to her. Sitting across from Jäger is Reess, the person who my eyes have been the most reluctant towards. We ended on alright terms, yes, but I don’t feel like looking at her with my red eyes, especially when we’re inside the very room that planned the massacre of her own people all those decades ago. However, with the tension I feel towards Jäger and Beteka, and especially Reess I want to chuckle. The desire to do so isn’t one of merriment. It’s one of sorrow. So, these are the ones that made it. 

A finger circles before me, wishing that Reina could’ve been here. I even wish that Amber could’ve been as well. At least she has a strong background in this stuff, but It’s not like I can’t participate in this. I have studied hundreds of battle plans from generations of Krala’s generals because of Xyetius. My eyes roll from the thought of him. 

“It doesn’t make sense,” Beteka’s voice finally makes it into my ears, “the castle is the safest place.”

“Oud is a smart man. He knew that’s the first place we’d look.”

“Then, where on earth could he be?”

That’s when it hits me. “What if he’s not on earth?” It’s weird to have their eyes on me after all this time, especially Reess’s eyes, but I go on to continue, “What if he’s in the Mindscape?”

“Not many people know how to get in the Mindscape, and I doubt he knows how to get into it. I don’t even know how to get there. I can only reach a certain point between our world and the Mindscape. Besides, even if he does, why would he risk having his physical body out in the open,” Beteka criticized my theory. 

“Oud is dead. He’s been dead.”

“What do you mean?”

Jäger strokes his chin. 

“Somehow he’s been able to create a new body. A solidified soul, if you will.”

“Solidified soul? What? What are you even talking about? How did you come up with such an insane conclusion?”

“That does make sense,” Jäger confirmed. 

As for Reess, the old woman is watching us converse quietly. 

“You can’t just solidify a soul.”

“Beteka, yes, you can. I am a product of such an odd case.” This causes her to look at the Shadowman strangely. She’s about to touch him, but I bring her attention back to me. 

“So, I don’t think Oud would leave anything if he were to go into the Mindscape.”

“Let’s say I believe you. Do you even know how to even get into the Mindscape?”

“Well, I don’t know exactly how to get into the Mindscape. Xyetius didn’t properly teach me how to, but I know someone who can.”

We stood before the tavern. The stench of alcohol hits me. She looks at me oddly, but I continue straight ahead. I swing its doors open. The patrons inside look as defeated as they did last time, heads down. They sipped their drinks slowly. None of them thought to question any of us, the new faces beside me. None of them dared to look up, get a better look of the bare woman and dark cloaked figure on either side of me. “Where’s Detr?”

[the-blind-geisha]

As You Wish, My Lady - Chapter 17

A/N: I don’t have much to say. x3; Enjoy.

Rated: SFW

Everything became a blur in that moment. You knew if you hadn’t been holding your son you would have felt your entire body go slack. Seeing Ignis fall was enough to send you into a panic regardless and the chill of the Tenebrae air still had its remnants etched upon your skin.

A horrible grunt of pain came from the spiracorn making you witness as out of protection for his own son not to suffer his fate, Aurdis slew the beast by ramming his daggers into the creature’s chest.

The act made you freeze as you could hear the twisting motion as it woefully gave rise to Aurdis’ own painful moans in having to do the act. You remembered him urging them deeply (with regret) into the spiracorn’s chest, watching as the daemon slowly kneeled before collapsing onto its side with a lifeless thud. When Aurdis had pulled the blades out, blooded fire licked the steel to show he had done his best to be merciful to a creature he once loved.

When you arrived at Ignis’ body with Igneilya not too far behind, it was there your mind caught up with you and you woke quickly from where you were resting in Ignis’ bedroom. Your eyes batting awake to take in the scene around you, your eyes turned to notice your former advisor lying there on the bed resting with his wound concealed and tended to.

It wasn’t just a dream…it was a nightmare of what had happened a mere night ago.

A recollection of that horrible evening left you sleepless. The doctor had been called in urgency to be certain the same problems Aurdis endured wouldn’t befall Ignis. Much to everybody’s relief, because the spiracorn’s horn was damaged, she wasn’t able to pierce Ignis as much as she so desired but merely scraped and tore upon his body. He had lost a fair amount of blood and illness had spread into his weary form. To everyone’s worry, not knowing completely how the Starscourge worked, they couldn’t help but wonder if that too would cripple him. The doctor unsure himself promised to keep a watch on things and asked everybody else to do the same when he wasn’t able to make a call to the house.

Your hand curled about Ignis’, allowing him to rest but bringing a form of comfort to your racing heart and mind. He was so heavily sedated he didn’t flinch. Seeing him lying there was odd. It was as though the roles were switched from years back when you were bedridden from a daemon attack.

“He could have died because of your reckless behavior!” Igneilya’s quiet voice chastised from behind the door. Turning your head, you looked to the closed entryway with a nasally sigh. Ignis’ mother was far from fine with how the events unfolded that night. She understood Aurdis’ soft spot for animals but that love nearly cost him their son.

“Nilly, I'm sorry…I didn’t mean to catch him off his guard…!”

“Don’t keep doing this to us!” Igneilya demanded once more, her voice quaking as her sadness threatened to override her anger. “If that happens again, choose your family at the very least. Ignis is young and still has his whole life ahead of him! Think of even your grandson!”

There must have been a knock at the door for the two departed and commented about answering the knock they heard. Ignitus was in bed for the time being. Being as young as he was, it was easy to tell him that things would be just fine as his father healed. Bringing Ignis’ hand to your lips, you kissed the back of it. They didn’t curl in reaction nor did his lips move or his eyes twitch. He was out like a light, but you could take comfort in the fact he was at least not feeling any pain.

“Should we wake him to have him eat something?” you asked Igneilya upon her entering the room moments later.

“We were told to let him rest for now, and when he next awakes to address the matter.” She frowned in worry. “I never thought I’d see my boy this badly hurt. The last time he was ever in such a situation was when he was but a child and fell off of his bike.” A tear was caught in the dim lighting of the room. “Scraped knees and bruised elbows I can handle, but when my son may get infected by that horrid illness and become a monster…”

The very thought tore at you as well. While you knew Igneilya didn’t mean to raise panic into anybody, you quickly halted the very idea. “Ignis is stronger than that! We won’t let that happen!”

Ignis’ mother gasped, choking back her sorrow. She nodded, dabbing away her tears with the curl of her finger. “Apologies, my Lady…” She was aware she had upset you as well with her rambling. You could tell she did not mean any harm—she was merely in a state of anxiety over the thought of her only son. “I’ll need to act in haste to cancel my attendance at the market tomorrow.”

You weren’t blind, really. The couple was still young for their age and the only amount of gil they could even acquire lately was from Igneilya’s store or if Ignis sent them anything. If Igneilya spent all her time at home, they would lose a fair amount of income. “Let me do it, please,” you offered, halting the woman before she even had a chance to leave her seat. Her eyes rested upon you in curiousness. “When I was stupid and ran from the palace in Altissia…I got horribly bedridden as you know. I couldn’t move or do anything without somebody’s help and for a time, Ignis was there to step in to help me.” You forced a smile, thinking back on those times. “I was told Rosemary was to take a leave of absence for family matters but…I honestly think I was just unbearable to that woman when I was in that state. I did everything I could to try and chase people away so my parents would be forced to stand beside me, but nothing worked.” You turned, looked to Igneilya who had found rest back in the chair she was sitting in. “Ignis was…stubborn. He may have allowed my words to hurt him, but he never backed down.”

“The boy is good at concealing his pain,” Igneilya reminded you. “Both of a mental and physical caliber.” She shut her eyes tightly to regain her composure before gazing to you once more. “This moment will be no different, Lady Y/N. Are you certain you wish to even try? Out of anybody, he will play the hero more in front of you than us.”

You scoffed. “Let him try. I’ll do my best to make sure he’s open and honest with me, Igneilya.”

----

You stayed at his side, waiting for the moment he would awaken. The doctor did warn the sedatives were heavy as the wound was deep. Regardless, you at least did your best to keep him hydrated (even if it felt like catering to a dead man) and never moved yourself from his side unless you had to. You were taught how to clean and re-bandage him and what signs to watch for in case of an emergency.

On the third day, you caught him moving ever slightly in his sleep and stayed awake on alert to be certain he would finally rouse from his slumber. With a deep, heated gasp, Ignis’ eyes opened and he tried to sit upright in bed only to flinch and remain where he was.

“Shhh,” you whispered, placing your hands upon his shoulders to calm him. “It’s all right.”

His eyes focusing, Ignis came back to the scene that had evaporated the nightmare he was having. “Y/N…!”

“You’re lucky to be alive,” you murmured, aiding Ignis in getting comfortable once more. “That spiracorn could have torn you apart.” You tried not to scold him for any past doings. As scared as you were for him you knew now was not the time to let that fear turn to anger and sadness. Seeing his fingers curl and ball into a painful fist, you unraveled the firm grip and held his hand tightly. “How are you feeling?”

“I-I’ll be all right,” Ignis breathed in an ill attempt to cover up his pain.

You frowned. “It is best you’re honest with me, Ignis. I cannot help you if you don’t tell me how you’re doing.”

He managed a strain of a laugh. “The…tables have turned, have they?” Ignis calmed himself, breathing steadily through his nostrils. “I'm still in a great deal of pain, Y/N. I am uncertain if the doctor left anything for me to take, but any sort of tonic would be appreciated.”

The chair you were sitting in moved against the floor as you angled yourself better to grab the medicine on the nightstand. “You can only take three every four hours. I do hope this helps you till the doctor can make another house call now that you’re with us.”

“How are my parents? How is Ignitus?” Ignis asked, cringing upon every word that he dared to say.

An old teapot was right next to you. It was filled with cold water in case Ignis ever did need to drink or perchance wake and need to take medicine. Filling an empty glass with it, you sat a bit closer and assisted him in at least sitting up a bit to take the medication. “Save your strength,” you ordered. “Everybody is worried. I can tell Ignitus all I want to that you’ll be fine but that boy knows better than to listen to me.”

“I-I do not wish to concern or burden anybody with this new development,” Ignis confessed as he accepted the remedy eagerly in hopes to feel a fraction better at the very least. “Father…he didn’t want for me to harm that daemon, and in my attempts to parry his desires verbally, I let my guard down.”

Taking the cup from him, you ushered him back down to the mattress of the warm bed. “What did I tell you earlier? Just relax. Your mother is at the market right now, but I am sure I can tell your father at the very least that you’re awake.” Leaning forward, you planted a kiss upon his cheek. “Are you hungry at all? You’ve been out cold for quite some time.”

His eyes drifted ahead, staring at nothing in particular as he thinned his lips in concern. “I don’t—I am not even certain I could eat right now, Y/N.”

“I’ll be back,” you whispered softly before taking your leave to talk to Aurdis about Ignis’ awakening.

With the doctor called in sometime later, you were all instructed on what to do in regards to Ignis’ health as he healed. Certain foods were better to try than others. Something small and only certain types of fruits and vegetables so his stomach wouldn’t act out in protest. When you were given all the instructions you needed, you acted accordingly in the coming hours to assist him. You dared not mention the very thought that the Starscourge could be inside of him.

“Whenever you feel well enough to have a bath, you can let me know.” Honestly, you were planning ahead of time with that thought. The very idea to move him was beyond you at current as the poor man could hardly breathe without it hurting. “The doctor suggested a sponge bath at the very least just because it would be dangerous to move you too far as you are. Don’t want to tear your wounds open once more.”

He chuckled breathlessly to himself. “You’d think I’d be comfortable with such an idea, but I feel at odds with it. I’ve seen your body as you have mine, and yet I feel embarrassed to have you do such a thing.”

“That’s your pride getting in the way,” you reminded him with a firm yet playful tone. “When you didn’t take no for an answer back then, I want to do the same with you now.” Your fingers caressed his wild, unkempt dirty blond strands. “I want to help you. That’s what couples do, don’t they?”

He opened his mouth as if to add something but he stopped, merely smiled and agreed with a hum. “I suppose they do. When I cared for you after your own daemon attack, I was filled with joy and honor that I was allowed to do such a thing.”

You stifled a laugh as if to scoff at the very thought. “Even when I drove you a bit crazy?”

“I would not falter during your bad moments,” Ignis reminded you, flinching once more from a bit of pain that rose up in his chest. “If I did…what sort of advisor would I be? What sort of friend would I be?” He corrected.

Burying a kiss into his hair, you cradled his hand within your own. “You should rest. Tomorrow is a new day, and we’ll see about that bath idea then.”

“Sounds promising,” Ignis joked in his own manner. Since he had to stay on his back to rest, he did his best to get comfortable once more. “I will see you when I next open my eyes, Y/N.”

You held onto that promise, never releasing his hand even when Ignis would flex during the painful bouts as the ruthless hours continued.

-------

While he was stubborn, there were times Ignis did finally breakdown around you and tell you when the pain was becoming too severe. You continued to sleep beside him, being ready for any and everything that could happen. From helping him eat, drink, shower, and even walk to stretch his legs, you made sure you were there to help through the majority of it. You wanted to pay him back for his kindness all these years and use this opportunity to start over again.

Since Aurdis wanted to keep an eye on Ignis and Igneilya had to go to the store to restock the house, you decided to go with Ignis’ mother to give her company. The months had seemingly flown by and by this time of the year, you knew Ignis’ birthday would be arriving in due time. You wanted to be prepared no matter how early it could be.

“I have to admit, I never really had the chance to do much for Ignis’ birthday when we were at the palace,” you confessed in private Igneilya. “We only ever were able to exchange cards. However, Ignis always gave me flowers and a card for as long as I can remember, and I never knew what to give him beyond coffee.” You heard Igneilya stifle a sort of snort laugh as though she were tickled by something. “What?” you asked, turning to notice she was covering her mouth.

“How long was he giving the flowers, Y/N?” she asked.

“Mmm…Since he was about sixteen, I think.” You thought back as it felt so long ago. “I want to say he was at least a teenager, but I don’t know exactly when it started. Why? Guys do those nice things to girls and even their moms, don’t they?”

“Of course, but each gesture can have a different meaning,” she explained. “To a mother it is merely a sign of love for a parent and respect, but to a woman—even one you work under and admire—it means so much more. Ignis never gave the commodore of Tenebrae such things even on her birthdays. He would take her out to dinner to spend time with her, of course, or give her a card, but that was the gist of it.”

Your cheeks warmed under the vague hints. “What are you implying?” You would rather hear it straight from her mouth than sit to dwell on it.

“I am certain Ignis started to develop feelings for you the moment he merely came of age during those younger years of his, but he knew it wasn’t professional and did his best never to act on it.” Her features weakened a bit after the confession. “Admittedly, I brought him up telling him that he should never fall in love with the one he was to advise. I never wanted him to befall what I did.”

You looked down at Ignitus with Igneilya as well before turning back to her. “We can talk about it more when we get home. For now, maybe I should find him a birthday card at the very least even if I'm early by nearly a month.”

She could see it in your eyes—they spoke volumes. You didn’t want Ignitus to ever hear he was unplanned as you worried what that could do to him later on in life. Igneilya nodded in understanding. “I’ll finish up what I can here and meet you at the registers.”

“C’mon, baby,” you urged with a kiss to his cheek. “Let’s get a birthday card for daddy.”

“We can get him candy,” Ignitus offered in your arms.

A small laugh escaped your lips. “Daddy won’t eat chocolate, honey. Not a lot of it anyways.” Getting to the card display, you looked through some of the lighthearted ones wondering if you should write it for the both of you or let Ignitus have his own.

“Why?”

“Well, I am sure it’s because he wants to stay in shape, honey. His job is not only to advise mommy but to also protect her if anything bad were to happen, and he cannot do that if he’s out of shape.” Shifting Ignitus in your arms, you nodded towards the card rack. “So what do you think? Which one should we get?”

The both of you stayed till you felt you found the right one from you both. Thinking back on all the times Ignis had been silently hinting at his feelings, you thought yourself on what you could do in kind. However, as nice and quiet as it had been being out in Tenebrae, the fears of the past still haunted you. You wanted to be with Ignis forever but you were still royalty and nothing would stop that.

You thought to yourself on what to do on the way back home. By the time you both arrived, you could see Aurdis out back tending to the garden. Igneilya jumped to conclusions and scolded the man without hesitation.

“Aurdis! What are you doing out here? You should be inside watching our son!”

Pausing in his watering of the tomatoes he was growing, he pivoted on the ball of his foot. “Lady Aranea is here. She’s in the bedroom with him. She’ll alert me if something happens, I am sure. She wanted a moment alone with Ignis.”

Sighing to herself, Igneilya motioned back to the house. “At least wait for later to do all of this. I would prefer you had me to help you so you’re not stressing out your heart.”

“I’ll be fine, love. Don’t you fret over me,” Aurdis called back. “I am about finished anyways. If you want to put the groceries inside, I can help with them.”

Aranea was here? While the last encounter was a bit heated though ending on good terms, you couldn’t help but feel your legs urge you quickly inside to see if things were going all right. Opening the front door in haste, you put the grocery bags down on the counter with a quick shout to Igneilya. “I’ll be back in just a moment to help you. I promise.”

“It’s fine, dear. Take your time,” she said in return though sounding a bit baffled by what had lit a fire under you in the meantime.

Keeping Ignitus tight in your arms, you rushed down to the closed door that would lead to Ignis’ bedroom. Voices were stifled behind it, but you could indeed hear the two talking about something.

“…That can only do so much,” Aranea said in a rather scolding tone. “You should be more forward than that or I can smack her around a bit and get her to straighten up and talk.”

“A-Aranea,” came Ignis’ groggy tone, “Please, don’t. I know you mean well but the Lady of Altissia isn’t used to such forward actions upon her. She deserves a break after an unjust time in royal restraints.”

She could be heard sighing. “I hope you realize what you’re about to sacrifice for all of this. Don’t forget that you have a son too, you know?”

Your heart squeezed, uncertain of what they were talking about and only worried of what it could mean. A part of you wanted to dart inside and ask what was going on, but you refrained.

“Fine,” she groaned once more. “If you need a lift then I’ll give it to you when the time comes. Just focus on getting better for now.”

You knocked on the door quickly. “Ignis? May I come in?”

The room went oddly quiet till the door opened, showing Aranea standing there. She wasn’t wearing the armor you saw her in before but torn up blue-jeans and a spaghetti strap black top. “How charming of you to join us, Y/N.” She wasn’t being sarcastic by any means but the wording almost felt like it came across that way. Aranea stepped to the side, motioning for you to come inside. “Come on in.”

Walking inside, you smiled a greeting to Aranea. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Likewise.” She shut the door behind you, motioning to the empty chair she was possibly sitting in beforehand. “I was just making sure four-eyes hadn’t messed himself up worse than usual.”

“Daddy, we got you a surprise!” Ignitus said excitedly as you let the boy sit down on the bed. You told your son not to say what it was. You didn’t want to ruin any plans for his birthday.

Ignis smiled, raising his brow ever slightly. “Oh? I am certain you were told not to tell me as that would ruin the surprise, hmm?”

Seeing your son looking to you, you gave him a glance that insisted he not speak a word of it. “He promised he wouldn’t say a thing,” you added.

“Well, if it’s for his birthday, I’ll be sure to shoot you a text, Ignis,” Aranea budded in. “I'm going to head out so you three can enjoy one another’s company. I don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re not intruding at all, Aranea,” you insisted, hoping to stop her from leaving.

“Mm, how charming of you, princess, but I’ve had my fill for the day. I’ll stop by again later when I find time off. See ya, four-eyes. Hope you’re up and about before I lose my patience and kick you out of this bed.” She again, was teasing and with that, Aranea departed from the bedroom.

Ignis waved goodbye to her before turning to you. “Didn’t hear what we were talking about, did you?” He took Ignitus’ small hand and held it lovingly in his own.

You shook your head. “Only the very end there, and none of it made sense to me.” A frown overtook you, weighing heavily upon your body. “Just…promise me you won’t do something stupid whatever it is you’re secretly planning right now.”

He didn’t answer. All he did was smile. “In a few days I should be able to at least walk about on my own. When I am able…I have an offer for you, Y/N.”

“Focus on yourself for now,” you requested, leaning forward to kiss him on the forehead. “I want you to feel better and be with us once more.”

-------

It was indeed a bit of a climb to get Ignis back on his feet but the weeks that past at least showed improvement and no signs of the Starscourge virus. If there was any victory to be had, that was one of them. He was able to walk on his own in time but still advised to stay off of his feet just a bit more till he was fully healed. Ignis felt comfortable enough to move out and back onto the sofa bed, allowing you to keep his.

“You know I am fine to let you take your bedroom once more. It won’t bother me,” you confessed that evening as you helped him to get prepared for powering down for the night.

In the dim lighting of the living room, the orange candle’s flame still caught the loving smile. “I am aware, my Lady.” He sat on the foldout bed, opening his hand for you to take. “Speaking of such, I have a request of you, Lady Y/N.”

Taking his hands, you sat beside him with a shake of your head. “You know you’re fine to just call me Y/N by this point; especially around our son. I don’t want him getting any wrong ideas.”

He nodded, Ignis’ fingers curling about yours intently. “About all of that, Y/N…” Your heart beat wildly in your chest to the point you could feel it in your ears when he said such a thing. He said it with so much heaviness you were worried to ask what was on his mind. “As you know, I was applying for jobs around the city. Now that I'm better, I was able to attend an interview for a school just a few miles from here.”

“Oh? How did it go?” You tried to keep your anxieties under control. So far, everything sounded just fine.

“Brilliantly. I got the job as a history professor,” Ignis answered, his hands squeezing ever tightly about yours. Could he feel your worries? Sense them? It was uncertain, but the hold was reassuring in a way. “I’ll be starting upon the end of summer. It is quite a few months to go till then, but I plan on picking up a few positions at a local café till then.”

“I'm so happy for you, Ignis, but that sounds like a lot of work; especially right after you’ve healed. Don’t you think you should take it easy?”

Ignis shook his head. “I’ll be fine, Y/N. I swear it. No extensive damage was done to me unlike my father who got the worst of it years ago.” He froze, looked away before finding the courage to glance back at you. “I…wanted to ask something of you.”

Your back stiffened and your fingers curled about Ignis’ hold for support. Whatever it was sounded urgent in a rather forlorn manner.

“As I said before, I know my parents would be all right with us all staying here, but I want to move out.” Ignis closed his eyes and focused on his words for a moment. “I…I wish to be able to prove to you and myself and my own son that I can support you all.” The emerald eyes found you there in the dim candlelight and their hold upon you was great. “Come next month, I aim to move from here into a small house I had my eyes on the past few days. I want you to come with me, Y/N. It is just on the outskirts of the palace like my parent’s home is here, and it has enough room for all of us.” He brought your hands closer to his chest. “It has three bedrooms, but I do only intend for one of those to belong to us. I want you to share a bed with me and not have it feel blasphemous in any manner. I don’t wish for eyes to be upon us any longer, feeling restricted in how we can choose to love one another. The future is…uncertain, yes, but I want to take this step with you even if it could be my last wish on Eos. Y/N, will you please come with me so I can show you better that I am the right one for you?”

A small gasp escaped from you, leaving you breathless in its wake. “Ignis…We are not even married. That sounds more to me like an act of a husband and wife.”

Again, the flame caught his smile in the darkness. “Then I will just have to make you my wife, Y/N.” His free hand shepherded its touch on top of yours to keep your grasp in the safe haven of his own. “Please, even if you must look at it as a wish to a dying man come whatever verdict in Accordo—if you love me, Y/N, say you’ll grant me this one selfish wish.”

“Don’t speak of it—!” you pleaded tearfully, a mixture of joy and horror at the request.

“I must! If that is the fear that keeps you from saying yes, know that you would grant me such honor and everlasting love no matter how long in these moments we could have together before returning to accept the punishment for our crimes.” He moved in closer, resting his cheek against yours and whispering in your ear. “I would rather live a mere year with you beside me with a family we created than be given nothing at all.”

Another gasp surfaced, merely strangled by the tearful origin in whence they came. It were as though he had resigned himself completely from the idea of being given mercy at the hands of the Accordo judicial system. Regardless, the joy that fought to overwhelm you came through to your senses and you wrapped your arms tightly about Ignis while burying your face into the nook of his neck, shivering from the choking sobs that rattled your form.

“Yes…Yes, we will come with you, Ignis.”

[snickertoodles]

Your OC’s Backstory: Education

@yourocsbackstory 

This turned out longer than I wanted... At least I’m caught up?

Prompt:

How did they get along with their teachers?

Were they eager to learn or problem students (or both?)

Write a scene that is somewhat typical for their education.

“And who was the dragon who conquered the northern islands and held his ground against the invading -- young dragon, are you listening?”

Ever since the Guardians had taken it upon themselves to give Crystal something resembling a “proper upbringing”, much to her resentment, those sternly-spoken words had all but replaced her real name. Blinking, the aforementioned young dragon turned her gaze from the window. “Huh?”

“The one who conquered the northern islands,” Ignitus repeated patiently, though it was clear that this was starting to wear on his formerly infinite well of composure. “Who was he?”

Crystal shrugged, her imagination already soaring back through that enticing wide window. “Dunno.”

A scrap of blue sky was just visible through the horizon of trees and mushroom-tops, and she was dreaming of gliding through it in a homeward bound to a place far from here. A place that seemed more and more distant even as she remained trapped within this cage.

Ignitus finally allowed himself to sigh, a sound that seemed to shake the very stone foundation. “It was Dante. You were there, young one; you saw what was left of that island with your own eyes. Please try to pay attention.”

Reluctantly Crystal dragged her fancies back into the dimly candlelit room, and the older red dragon desperately trying to teach her something at the front of it. “Why do I have to do this again?”

“As a dying race, it’s extremely important that our history is preserved, to start -- ”

“You sound like Volteer,” Crystal groaned, dramatically smacking her snout on the long table set before her.

“ -- and with you recovering here at the Temple for the time being, it’s best that time is not spent idle.”

Crystal sat up straight at this, her light eyes a challenge though her voice remained steady. “You realize Malefor is out there, right?”

“He who wields knowledge holds all the power,” Ignitus said firmly. “This information may not seem helpful now, but anything you learn can be of use later. Even that which is most unexpected.”

Crystal had already drifted off again, probably sometime mid-lecture, her gaze wandering out the window once more.

Her struggling teacher turned to pacing the length of the small room in a vain attempt to collect his thoughts. Just her complete lack of interest was making it difficult to focus himself. “Besides, school is an important part of a child’s learning, and this is how they learn when they’re -- “

He stopped himself, but Crystal already knew where he was going. “When they’re normal,” she scoffed, though her gaze never moved from the wide blue sky. “Normal non-purple dragon kids who didn’t grow up in a swamp with their dragonfly parents. Right.”

“I didn’t mean that,” Ignitus said gently, and she glanced back at him. Even the composed Guardian screwed up his words sometimes. For the longest time she’d thought it was just her.

“Well, in my opinion,” she continued after a moment, though the bite had gone out of her voice, “my life would be pretty normal right now if I was anywhere but here.”

The old dragon wasn’t sure what to say to that. Perhaps an apology, when this was all over. For now, he was trying to set this failure at least briefly right. He flipped through a large book’s pages, searching for something that might better capture her imagination. “Let’s try this again, if you think you can focus...”

“Why does Spyro get to train with the others instead?” The sharp indignation in her voice startled him, and he turned back to see her glaring. With her mind stuck in this dingy room again, she’d had time to think about her situation a bit more.

This wasn’t the first time her irritation had been directed at him, but after they’d come back from Convexity, something had shifted. That spirited, impulsive child had... mellowed. But now all the old anger had resurfaced in her eyes again.

“Oh, yeah.” She took his startled silence as answer enough and hunched down over the table, voice dripping with sarcasm. “It’s because I’m the weak one. Got it.”

Ignitus tried to protest. “You and Spyro -- ”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re only at our most powerful together,” she snapped, having heard this speech quite enough times already. “You keep saying that, but you split us up again -- !”

That dipped too close to the truth, and she turned quickly away again, her stormy gaze on the floor. But the rage had already softened, and she went quiet.

The heat pricking at her eyes she quickly blinked back -- stupid, stupid girl -- but it was too late to hide it from her observant mentor. After everything she’d gone through, here she was miles away from the battlefield and the ruins, nearly crying onto a textbook.

Sighing deeply, the great fire dragon settled down on his haunches. The row of candles encircling behind him made his expression hard to read, but weariness was distinct in his slumped form. “I realize Spyro has been getting most of our attention already. I just... wanted to figure out what you might like to learn about. Certainly not history,” he muttered under his breath.

She looked at him in surprise that was quickly masked, but the traces of rage were finally gone, and her drained gaze fell to the little cracks in the wood table. Ignitus stared at her a moment. She was... tired. They all were. But Crystal, he knew, had been through well enough.

Reaching over the table, he pushed a stack of coarse yellow parchment across it. “Why don’t we try working on your letters again?” he suggested carefully. “If you learn to read, you might be able to study these lessons on your own terms and time.”

On her own terms. Crystal watched him from the corner of her eye, torn between keeping up her pride and this. But the ability to do something where and when she wanted to, to be given even such a small choice...

That sounded pretty good right now.

With a sigh, she clumsily picked up a black-feathered quill. “Alright,” she said, pressing its tip against the paper. For today, at least, she’d let these old worries go. “How do I do this?”

[weirdlanders]

You mentioned something called a Chroma in one of your posts. What is it?

Pretty much, ‘normal’ dragons. Like Ignitus, the dragons of Warfang, dragons of color and neutral element. Koof can answer more accurately I’ll let her have this one lol.

also sorry I got like fakton of asks yesterday i’m very behind answering them all just sayin’ to ppl who asked stuff yesterday and it didn’t get answered yet

~Weird Hyenas

[itsadragonaesthetic]

Spyro Week Questions!

I kinda feel bad for doing this late but I love Spyro more than I love myself and It’s the reason I am who I am today. That’s actually a bit of the reason I haven't posted anything for his 19th anniversary cuz I love the game SO MUCH that I don’t know how to express it so I don’t even start? Does that make sense? But anyway these are the answers to the Spyro Week questions that are directly forwarded from my Deviantart so here you go.

Day 1: Favorite game It's a little hard to decide, but I think Eternal Night might be my favorite. ANB was the game that introduced you to the world, but Eternal Night seriously solidified my love for Spyro. Day 2: Favorite main character Pfffft Spyro ya already know.

Day 3: Favorite homeworld I think I might choose Dream Weavers cuz it was super pretty and took a bit of the stress of the levels off your shoulders for some reason. Day 4: Favorite boss battle How to choose??? There's a LOT of factors that go into that (difficulty/boss design/dynamic of battle/etc) but I think I want to choose the Elemental Dragon in Eternal Night. I LOVED the battles with Cynder cuz of her design, Skabb/Gaul for their difficulty, Malefor for his hype and (sorta) dynamic battle, but I loved the Elemental Dragon as a kid. Day 5: Favorite NPCs I think I'd have to choose Sparx. The game he was in doesn't really matter to me, the character himself is my fav in all games. Classic and LoS are cool in their own way. Day 6: Favorite dragon // baby dragon Mmmm also hard to choose. The Chronicler was cool but I think Ignitus has to take this one. Day 7: Favorite level So many factors to think about, but I LOVED The White Isle for SO MANY reasons. The aesthetic, the noises, the feel, the enemies, the MUsIC. I love to breed my dragons in Flight Rising to those colors.

[feuriahsdawn]

Hobbiton: I am hoping to talk to these characters on this Tumblr someday. Ignitus and Feuriah are too awesome to leave hanging!

I dunno if I ever will, sorry! I have so much on my plate already lol. Still happy to answer asks about them tho!

[oransvillage]

To Ignitus: were there ever moments cynder and oran made you feel like their antics are gonna end up giving you gray scales? (Anons version is stressed to a point of getting gray hair)

Ignitus; loads of things that i will not count .....