#see: castian

[sleepyfan-blog]

Capture

Author’s note: The first part of Sirass’ story. Next

Tagged: @egrets-not-regrets @the-pure-angel

Warnings: child kidnapping

Summary: Sirass as a child, helping his mom with her work before going out to play with his friends at a local park.

"Siri, how are you doing with the hole in Ms. Hespirax's dress?" Amama sked, a warm smile on her face as she looked over at where Sirass was carefully stitching a small patch of cloth to the hole that had torn open in one of their clients' favorite dresses.

"I'm about half-way done! I'm keeping the stitches small and even, just like you taught me!" He chirped in response, grinning proudly as he shows his mama his work. He'd been learning how to make and repair clothing as long as he could remember. His mother ran a small tailor's shop in Lochos. 

Mama paused her work on the very fancy dress that she'd been working on for weeks as she looked over his work. The smile on her face brightened and she ruffled his hair, messing up his curls "Good job, Sirass! Be sure to keep your stitches as small and even as you can, and to not snag extra cloth while repairing the damage."

Sirass nodded "Yes mama!" While his stitches weren't as neat and even as his mother's, the ten year old child was determined to help his mother as best as he could, and his repair of the dress was of good quality. He checked periodically to make sure he didn't accidentally sew one part of the dress to another, keeping one hand between the layers of fabric, which also helped to keep the patch in place as he sewed it into place.

Once he finished the last stitch and carefully tied off the extra thread with a knot and trimmed the trailing thread he walked over to where his mother was finishing up her own project and proudly showed it to her. "What do you think, mama? I've finished putting the patch in!"

Mama took the dress he'd been working on and carefully stressed the patch, running her fingers over the stitches. She gifted Sirass with another smile and a hair-ruffle "You did really well! Thank you for helping me patch up Ms. Hespirax's dress. You should go out and play with your friends - I can see them walking down the street to the nearby park. Please be sure to come home by sunset, alright?"

"Thanks mama! I will, mama!" Sirass promised with an eager grin as he ran out to go play with his friends. While there was something soothing about fixing up torn clothes, or helping his mama make new clothes, he very much liked running around and playing games with his friends a lot more. 

~

"Wait for me, Vasili, Sophia, Alfina, and Castian!" Sirass called out as he ran out the back door of his home, darting over to where the others were walking, waving at them excitedly.

His four very best friends slowed down, waving back energetically. Sophia spoke up first "Hi Siri! How are you today? I thought you were going to be doing stuff with your mama all day?"

"I finished the task that mama asked me to do early, so I'm able to play!" Sirass answered with a grin, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet. 

"That's great!" Vasili responds, a bright grin appearing on his face "My dad's been teaching me how to whittle! He says it's the first step on learning how to properly carve things into shape. I'm still not allowed near aby of the saws and bigger stuff he uses to make chairs and other stuff with. Says it's too dangerous."

" Considering your dad has lost three fingers, he probably knows what he's talking about." Alfina points out, poking Vasili in the side "My auntie's been showing me how to clean and bandage different kinds of wounds. I've been learning about burns for weeks. Fire can be really scary if you don't treat it with respect."

"Why would anyone mess around with fire, anyways?" Castian asks, his face scrunching up in confusion "I've only just started to be allowed nearby dad's forge, and none of my little siblings are allowed anywhere close. Dad says that you shouldn't be afraid of fire, but to respect it, like you would a guard dog. Don't taunt fire - or a guard dog - or you'll get burned or bitten."

"My aunt says it's because some people don't use the brains that they were born with. Or they drank too much wine." Alfina answered with a shrug. "Ooh, look! The flowers are blooming at the park! Last one there is a rotten egg!" with that playful taunt she broke out into a sprint, having given herself a head-start.

"HEY, THAT'S CHEATING!" Sirass shouted as he broke out into a run, the rest of his friends following suit. Usually when they played running games like this, the person starting did a brief count down, but ALfina really did enjoy winning however she could. 

Not that she did win the sprint to the park, despite her head start, as Sirass was the tallest of the five of them. Sure his feet were a little too big and he could be a little clumsy at times, but his long legs did give him an edge in running games like this.

He skidded to a halt as he reached the huge field of flowers - there were so many bright and vivid colors, and they smelled really nice! There were a few bumblebees sitting on a couple of the flowers, enjoying them too "Haha! I win!" Sirass called out, a victorious grin on his face.

Alfina pouted at him as she slowed down a little, having come in second place "Yeah yeah, you win again. It's not fair that you're so tall!"

"You gave yourself a head-start. You're just grumpy that I'm faster than you are." Sirass teased, sticking his tongue out at her a little.

Sophia didn't slow down enough before reaching the two of them and accidentally crashed into Alfina, her feet having slipped on the muddy ground "Watch out! Augh!" She flailed her arms, trying to regain her balance as she fell backwards.

Vasili wailed "Wait, hang on, don't fall on me!" As he had been running right behind her and tried to dodge around her, only to slip on the muddy ground and started to fall as well.

Sirass lunged to try and help keep his friends from falling to the ground when he abruptly found himself dangling several feet off of the ground, with a huge, metal-covered h and having scruffed the back of his neck. He squirmed a little in confusion and looked up over his shoulder, freezing in fear as the red-eyed visor of one of The Tyrants' Enhanced Soldiers seemed to glare down at him.

The soldier demanded "How old are you, boy?" When Sirass didn't respond initially, the huge mountain of a man shook him a little "Answer me, boy. You'll get into trouble if you don't."

"I... I'm ten, sir. Th-thank you for catching me? Please put me and my friend down, sir. We... We haven't done anything wrong." There were more of the massive, metal-clad soldiers, and each of his friends were being held by one of them.

"We've been ordered to acquire new recruits by our primarch. You and the other two boys are being given the honor of becoming Aspirants for the Iron legion. If you survive the trials, you will be given the honor of becoming an Astartes. Resistance is futile. Put down the girls, they will tell whoever your guardians are of your glorious purpose." The giant soldier holding Vasili ordered. Alfina and Sophia were put down, "You may leave now, children."

Both Sophia and Alfina ran off without so much as a backward glance. 

Sirass squirmed a little in the Astartes' grip "I... Please sir. It's just me and my mama... I don't... I don't want to be taken away from her."

"You dare defy the will of the Tyrant of Olympia? Bold, boy, but such defiance will cost you dearly. If you're so concerned about your mother's fate, perhaps we should pay her a visit?" The Astartes holding Sirass threatened.

His heart shot up into his mouth and he shook his head. He didn't know what might happen if his mother met with these terrifying soldiers, but they were so big and scary and he didn't want her to get hurt because of him "N-No...I... I don't... I'll be good."

"Good." The Astartes rumbled.

 With that, Sirass' life as he knew it was over.

[sailorgrams]

Posting too late at night for anyone to see as usual-

But I did a lineup of my skyrim ocs today!

Ylva - Born and raised in Skyrim, she's the LDB... and honestly just wants to settle down and run a tavern! Contrary to her large size and stern features, she quite enjoys the company of children and animals, and wants to create her own brand of wine made with alchemical properties

Aria - She hails from Skingrad in Cyrodil, and she came up north to become a famous treasure hunter just like her late mother! She hunts down artifacts for Auriyen in Solitude

Nox - I believe I originally made her a Breton but I couldn't find any pictures of their original design so I turned them into a Dunmer instead! She lives in the abandoned house in Raven Rock, and spends a lot of time in the jail there for petty theft

Aiden - My newest lil guy! He came from High Rock to study in Skyrim! Unfortunately he has little to no combat prowess, and has to rely on his large friends to protect him

Castian - A survivor of the genocides in Valenwood, he is a rebel spy selling stolen Thalmor secrets to any opposing force... He has been chased through many provinces, but it seems they may have finally cornered him in Skyrim

[simonrileyyyy]

𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐝

-𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫

-𝐓𝐖: 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐮𝐭𝐬.

-𝐀 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

-------------------𝐌𝐃𝐍𝐈!--------------------

Athalia snarled, “What were you thinking? Why the fuck did you get rid of her body? This fucking case has to be closed because of your mistake, and now we’re going to suffer because of your bullshit? What the hell is wrong with you?” She pressed her finger against his chest, anger rising in her. Not only had he destroyed the evidence of the confidential case Castian assigned to both of them, he dismissed the damn charges against the involved suspects and acted as if nothing happened.

Andor kept a tight-lipped smile on his face, even though this was no smiling matter. Athalia’s outburst is starting to make him livid. But he had to wait a little longer until he could carry out his plan with her. Stupid Bitch, he thought. She messed up his whole reputation from the start, and he can’t wait any longer. Hell, after he’s done with her, he’d tie her guts in a cute bow to put up on his wall as a trophy. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins at the mere thought of torturing her, making her suffer. Oh how he would love to see that terrified look on her face when she realizes what’s going to happen to her.

Athalia opened her mouth to speak, but then a wave of nausea hit her, and she knew something was wrong. She looked up at Andor’s eyes studying his expression. His blue eyes turned into a darker grayish-blue, and his expression was lifeless and apathetic, the same expression she’d see on murderers and serial killers. She took a step back, noticing Andor looming closer to her, a sadistic grin plastered on his face.

“Come on now princess, don’t be shy,” Andor remarked, his face mimicking a mock expression of sympathy. He reached into his duty belt, pulling his knife out and examining it.

Athalia’s heart raced, adrenaline pumping through her veins, her hands turning clammy and cold as she realized Andor wasn’t who he was. This whole time as they worked on the case of Ivory Davidson, Andor deceived her, making her think he was trustworthy, yet he was working against the case they were specifically entrusted with.

“Y’know, the last face Ivory saw before she died was mine. I’ll make sure that before you go, the last thing you’ll remember is me.” Andor remarked, his eyes wild with pure adrenaline, giving away of what a fucking psychopath he was.

Andor pressed the cold metal of his knife against Athalia’s neck, adding pressure slowly.

Athalia’s eyes darted around the room frantically, looking for something to get her out of this nightmare, praying that her fate wouldnt be twisted in this way, just to die in a slow, tortuous way.

Before Athalia could blink, a bullet came flying out of nowhere, aimed right for the back Andor’s head. In less than a moment, Andor fell to the ground, blood seeping through his dirty blonde hair to the ground.

Panic rushed through her body, and she ducked immediately, thinking the next bullet shot from afar would be for her. Who shot the bullet? Only she and Andor were in the confrence room alone. Reluctantly, she looked down to see the blood chilling sight of a dead body.

Andor Laurier was dead.

.

.

.

(𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐭 4 𝐚𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭. ���💀)

(𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧. 🫣)

(𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐫, 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐄𝐄! 🤍💋)

[pellucid-constellations]

AAAAAHHH omg I can't believe it!!! Chapter nine is finally HERE! 😭

The way I wasn't expecting this reveal, I thought she would confess her feelings for Az to Castian and made him promise to not tell anyone. Then, they'll be mutual pinning for a long time and Cass would feel so conflicted while Azriel would know they've discussed something, but thinking it was her saying that she only sees him as a friend or something.

But I really love that you made her express her discontent with how they were all acting as if she wasn't really there with them. Making her feel like an outcast and that the way she currently is, is inadequate until she regains her memories and return to her old self.

I can't imagine the fear Azriel must've felt through all the situation. 😭😭😭

First, his mate doesn't remember anything. Then he's afraid she'll never love him romantically again while she friend zones him, she disappears at the market-town-street thing and comes back after hours of search with a bloody nose. After, he shoots himself in the foot by saying he has a mate, she sees fragments of her own things ( which she doesn't remember) thinking it was another woman's owning and he lives with the reminder that she can't recall all or any of their moments together previously. While simultaneously, relieving something that happened 200 something years ago where she had a similar thing happen to her. To finally collapse like she had been shoot after revealing a crucial part of the truth.

Can my baby have a break? 🥺 He deserves the world!!! 💖✨

How are you girlie? Is everything okay in your life?

I'm curious. Did you forgot about the plot, what you wanted to write it in continue and re-invent/ rethink the rest of the chapters or did you have notes and after re reading, you remembered the direction that you wanted to take?

-Sending you love and hugs across this post! 🥰💖✨

Yesss thank you for reading and sorry for that wait!! 🩷

I definitely went back and forth with how I wanted their relationship to progress, but even with the reveal happening there is still mutual pining in the near future 👀👀

The reader’s feelings in this chapter were so important!! I wanted her to express them after so much build up and I felt like the negative overtaking the positive feelings in the room was crucial to show for her. Like she gets a piece of herself back and they only ask for more??? Rude 😤

Omg when you write it all out in an ask like that I feel like a monster 😂 poor az <\3 don’t worry all will be well (eventually hehe)

And thank you for asking :) I’m doing really well! Just super busy with school and work (I want to graduate immediately). And for the plot—I remember what I want to happen and I have a chapter outline with a list of things I want to circle back to, but I mostly reread everything for the vibes!! I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything and make sure my tone wasn’t shifting too much. I make some changes along the way for sure though!!

Sorry this reply is literally an essay hahah. Thank you again for reading!! 🩷🩷

[h-sleepingirl]

Castian ;) I missed him <3

I have a lot of self-criticism about this piece but I'm also getting to see my art grow with all the work I'm doing, which is great!

Read about this hot mind-controlling man in my erotic novel Go Down Gamblin' and its sequel!

[chapeleiralunadocemaldicion]

These events take place before Jon Wick 4 It was difficult to say what to expect from him when he himself never spoke. I knew Wick before he even had that name, before he was the big bogeyman.

XX: Senorite, tengo noticias sobre John wick que creio que no vas te gustar mucho(Miss, I have news about Jon Wick, but I believe it won't like it)

Y/n: o que Elle fizestes desta vez castian? In English please

Castian: yes ma'am, he challenged the dome by keeping it inside the continental.

It's funny the way this was said to me, I was in Spain having some quiet time from the murders when I heard that the bogeyman had returned. But now why did he come back? According to the stories he retired to live a life with his wife...Helen, right? Y/n: prepare my things I'll see the old man

Castiano: yes ma'am Confused is all I can say about this future day, what he did is far beyond my power, in the end why am I here?

Y/n: hello wick - I say sitting in your house on the sofa, next to me is a glass and an open bottle of wine, in my lap my gun is cocked - you're old, and finished - I say look from top to bottom - beautiful dog, by the way.

Jon: what are you doing here? - oh, even though he's hurt he's still tough, was I that insignificant to you Wick?

Y/n: I was curious about the death of the continental - why am I here? -you're not one to break the rules Wick, much less to go back on his words-I smile at my last line, seeing him clenching his fist, from the corner of my eye I see his dog sitting next to the sofa.

Jon: did you come to collect something? - I notice your gaze on my necklace where I keep all the blood oaths I have with the assassins who owe me, ironically John is one of them - no, I didn't come to charge you for anything Wick, I just came to bring you a document from the top. I get up, taking my bag that was just next to the sofa out of his sight, I take out a sealed black folder with the dome's mark printed on it.

Y/n: you're free, as long as you don't kill anymore and follow the rules of retirement, the leadership will forget what you did to Santino - I say handing him the folder - it was good to see you jardani - I walk past him hearing him opening the envelope . John: what did you do? - he asks when I'm leaving the room for the door.

Y/n: - I thought "I honored what little we had left" but I could never say that to him after what I did "I gave you the freedom I found with her" that sentence weighed on my heart" - I let you go, fly . I only hear silence, so I continue to walk to the door with a heavy heart, what little I know, my sacrifice was not in vain. I leave the house waiting for him to hug me or something, but I see pictures of her everywhere in the house and I see that there is no more space for me, I hope that one day he will forgive me when the truth comes out It's a snippet of what I'm working onstar_border

​

[wildestheart4ever]

So I was just randomly thinking about my oc, Castian and the event of his exile.

And my thoughts went to his hair.

See, my little sister and I thought up the idea of the length of a man’s hair signals his noble/royal status, longer hair signifying royalty and all that jazz.

Hair that will be stripped away along with one’s title

Only two of our male ocs have longish hair, my Castian and her oc, Kai.

Kai was born to a noble family before he left and joined a pirate crew. He had control over his situation, wouldn’t give a rats ass about rules or traditions so he still has his hair

Castian, however, wasn’t afforded the luxury

He was charged with his father’s murder, stripped of his title and - only by his mother’s pleas - exiled.

So I’m just imagining a scenario where he is put in front of the court facing the charges, having his hair pulled back and whoever is assigned the task - a sage, priest, guard, his mother??? - just chopping off his hair.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, he’s escorted out of the city, dragged through the streets having his shame and disgrace displayed to the citizens of his city, citizens who don’t yet know why this is happening to their prince

Double whammy on the already traumatic situation

[erisinnes]

Novel Synopsis

As you may be aware, I'm currently writing a novel, so I just thought I'd post a synopsis of it to see if anyone might be interested :)

In a world of magic, there's also, for some, a soulmate, someone handpicked by the universe to be your other half for life, whether that be platonically, romantically, or otherwise. Ambrose, their best friend Castian, and regular at the cafe that the two work at, Vesper, all navigate romance, their pasts and self-worth, all the while community vigilante duo, the Mage and Sting, team up with their rival, Kestrel to help save the people of their world from the city's government, who have been endangering neighbouring towns and villages in order to expand the city, and their control over the population.

Long story short, it's a gay, polyamorous love story, centered around non-traditional ideas of superhero's and soulmates.

[demondark81]

When. Am. I. Gonna. See. More. Castian?

Uh. Soon TM if you wanna, I still have your ask on my other blog

[drunkcodicier]

Finished The Emperor’s Gift by Aaron Dembski-Bowden and MAN once again ADB delivers the feels. I have high hopes for Echoes of Eternity with everything else I have read from him. He writes such lovely and human characters and excels at their interpersonal relationships. Hyperion is an amazing character and I really love seeing his growth through the book. Was hilarious to see him interact with the mortals of the crew and of the inquisitor’s retinue. The Grey Knights as written by ADB seem very friendly to baseline humans they work with compared to a lot of chapters which I didn’t expect. They banter with the humans and joke around it’s great. I loved how he described squad Castian’s connection as psykers. I really love librarians so seeing them in a very synergistic and communal mode was interesting compared to the more individualistic librarians I’ve read from other chapters. Ending had me in my feels for sure. He even managed to write a space wolf character I didn’t absolutely hate so that’s a first. I was so immersed in this book at one point that I missed my bus. Big recommend to anyone looking to get a more realistic squad sized view of Grey Knights. Image has nothing to do with anything really just a cat eared grey knight termie cursed pic uwu 😘

[star-spangled-rogers]

Steve smiled and nodded. "Yeah I'd love to." He got ip and took the seat next to Castian. "Oh I see you have black coffee. That's the worst. There are much more better options depending on what you like." He lit up being closer to the handsome gentleman. He was so pretty. He reminded him of the elves from the lord of the ring movies.

Steve chuckled and smiled. "Castien. I like it. I'm Steve Rogers. But I'm also known as Captain America." This world? Steve thought. "Sounds like you're not from here then, Castien?"

[charlesboyfriendwasright]

MY DEBT TO YOU

Chapter ONE

Me: "I'm going to write this and have it posted by Tuesday"

Also me: *does not do that*

I'm so sorry for the long wait and the fact that this chapter is shit 💔 the other ones will probably be better because they'll be straight porn

CW: DOM FEM Reader, reader uses she/her pronouns and is a literal monarch, Maxim is a subby medieval bitch boy, no actual smut in this chapter but the rest of the series is so just Minors DNI, poorly researched, historical accuracy? We don't know her, ik I said no smut but dildos, lots of dildos, also Maxim almost slips into subspace at the end if that counts as smut

Under the cut because of smut (not really but it rhymed so whatever)

Sir Maxim Walter was tired.

Not just physically, though exhaustion did seep through his bones, but mentally as well. This was the fourth time this week some old shopkeeper had been covering for a younger fellow selling contraband through the back of his shop. Six barrels of unregistered ale in the back room, and Maxim and his team had been called in to investigate and arrest the smugglers. Now, as Dresten and Quincy pulled the offending parties through cuffs and into the back of the cart headed to the prisons, Maxim was tasked with doing another run through the shop to make sure there were no hidden rooms with more ale.

He stepped through another archway, one hand rested gently on the hilt of his sword, the other running across the wall. A hard expression was settled on his face, eyebrows knitted together in suspicion. He had a twitch in his jaw telling him that the old man was lying when he said that there weren't any hidden rooms.

He stopped when he got to the biggest room of the shop, which had a large square display in the center with nothing around it all the way up to the edges of the room. Things hung on the wall of course, but it seemed off to Maxim that every other room in this place was stocked full but this one was so barren. He took one more step forward.

The floor creaked loudly.

It wasn't out if character, creaky floors. The whole building creaked. But that was different. Louder. More hollow. He stepped again. Same sound.

Kneeling at the ground, he placed a hand on the floor, feeling for some sort of handle to grasp. His leather-clad fingers found the loose board and he pulled, moving aside so the panel could lift, revealing a steep, narrow staircase down to a cellar.

Maxim unsheathed his sword and put one foot on the first step. Sturdy. Another step. Then the next, all the way until he wasn't the bottom. His face knocked into a cord hanging from the ceiling, and he pulled it, letting the light fill the room.

He stopped dead in his tracks. His sword fell to the ground.

Where Maxim expected to see a stack of barrels, or maybe even a person, he instead saw a huge display of-

His brain stopped on the word.

On the wall, laid out unmistakable and clear as day, were about a hundred toys. Polished metal plugs of every size imaginable, and then bigger than Maxim though possible. Gently blown glass phalluses were laid out, some skillfully attached to off rope contraptions, some not.

Maxim stirred in his leather chaps, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't supposed to like this. He was supposed to be the man of the relationship. Dominant. He closed his eyes and imagined a woman who's like to use those upon him. It was when the pleasure emitting from his crotch bordered on pain when his father's voice stirred in his mind.

Deviant.

Maxim's eyes shot open. He pushed aside all his thoughts, reached down to pick up his sword and resheathe it, and marched out of the room, yanking the cord for the light on the way. He closed the door to the cellar gently however, not wanting one of his fellow knights to find it.

He could only imagine what his face looked like to Quincy as he approached. Flushed in arousal and twisted in frustration because of his findings.

"Nothing sir?"

Maxim shook his head. Quincy nodded once and then bowed, then they both got onto their horses and went off, following the prison cart back to the palace grounds.

-~•~-

The House of Walter was not the largest of the noble homes, nor were the Walters part of the Dowster twelve, the elite nobility of Dowster. They weren't very well off either, with only a small fortune. But their two sons were both high ranking military officers, and while the other noblemen and women make faces at them as they passed in the street, they weren't out of favor with the Queen.

Arthur greeted him at the door, giving Maxim pause. His father wasn't usually one to show overt politeness towards his family.

"Hello to you too father." The words were stiff.

His father gestured to the table, set for a meal. Maxim's mother died when he was young, promoting his father to remarry. Elizabeth, who had the same name as his mother, was nothing like his mother, in looks and personality. She was nice enough, and though her and Maxim got along fine, she was Elizabeth to him, not mother. She didn't push their relationship though, and Maxim enjoyed that. And he could tell they really loved one another.

"Hello Maxim!" Elizabeth said brightly. That wasn't out of the ordinary. Elizabeth was perpetually smiling. "Dinner tonight is a pot roast." She placed the dish in the center of the table.

Maxim took a seat.

"Where's Castian?" Maxim pointed to the empty seat across from him where his brother usually sat.

Elizabeth and Arthur shared a glance.

"Arthur let the boy eat for ten minutes before telling him," Elizabeth chided, serving herself and Maxim each portions of food. Her tone wasn't off, she usually kept Arthur in check, but the concerned, almost sad expression was out of the ordinary.

"He deserves to know Elizabeth," his dad spat. Maxim forced himself not to flinch. That was where him and his dad differed. Arthur had a temper. He was quick to anger and always assumed the worst. Castian was the same. Maxim preferred to sit on the sides until he knew what was needed. Until he was perfectly posed to get in and out as quickly and quietly as possible. He'd be a good stealth guard if not for the heavy clanking of his armor.

Before Maxim could ask what, he got his answer in the form of a knock on the door. Whoever it was didn't wait for an answer though, before bursting through the door, swords drawn. Maxim reached for his own, only so see that he had left it across the room. There was no way he could been able to get it. Upon closer look, Maxim recognized their uniforms. Something about their faces was also familiar, but Maxim couldn't quite place them.

"On behalf of the Queen of Dowster by the Queen's Guard, you Maxim Walter are under arrest for your treasonous actions against the throne and the Queen. You will stand trial for these crimes in three days time at the palace-"

"WHAT?" Arthur roared, cutting off the lead Guard.

The lead Guard glared at Maxim's father for a moment, then began his speech once more, addressing Maxim only, instead of the house as a whole.

This time it was Maxim who cut him off, "I know the speech," he informed them. The lead Guard nodded to another guard and they placed Maxim in cuffs. Arthur was silent now, and Maxim glanced over to see a Guard had his sword drawn right near Elizabeth.

Maxim went in silence as the guards led him to a cage. For the sake of his family's reputation, he lowered his head so no one would recognize him. People stared. He ignored them.

He couldn't say it didn't get to him though. He had always tried so much through his life to be loved by his family, to be accepted. But Castian had always stolen the spotlight. As he thought of his brother, it suddenly clicked why the Guards looked familiar. This was Castian's group. But Castian wasn't with them?

"Where is my brother? Where is Castian?' he asked. The guards stayed silent. They wouldn't talk to Maxim. He was a prisoner.

A lucky one though, if you could really even say that, because the Palace was only a half days trip from his house so it went by quick. He spent a single, sleepless night in a cell in the dungeon, and by the next morning, he was being marched to the throne room to stand before the Queen.

Maxim had never met the queen before, had only heard her words regurgitated by her Guards. But as soon as he stepped into the room he was immediately aware of her presence.

It was hard not to be, she took up most of the room with her presence, even is she was only physically taking up a single person's space. She was sitting in her throne, dressed in the most beautiful garment of clothing Maxim had ever seen his life, draped with rich purple silk. She looked regal. Royal. Beautiful.

Maxim had to pick up his jaw from the floor.

His mind idly drifted back to the room at the Shoppe he found yesterday wondering what it would feel like to have one of those used on him, by her.

He pushed those thoughts away as she began to speak.

"Maxim Walter, you have committed a heinous act of treason against me and my country. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" There was a hint of something in her voice, something familiar to Maxim but so far removed from him he couldn't place it at first. Was she amused?

Maxim gave a cursory bow, taking a knee before speaking.

"Your Majesty, I do not know of what you speak of. I have not committed any crime."

"You presume to know more than I?"

"Of course not, Your Majesty!"

The Queen studied him for a long moment. Maxim felt like squirming under her gaze. He barely held himself still.

"Leave us," she gestured to her Guards. They all shuffled out, leaving Maxim and the Queen alone in the large room.

"Stand and approach me," the queen instructed, standing up in front of her chair. Maxim stepped forward, slowly at first, but at her impatient stare, sped up his pace. He stumbled slightly on his way up to her, but managed to make it so he was on the step right in front of her, the step making up for his height and bringing him to her eye level.

"Did you do it?" She asked. Her voice was soft, quieter, but still just as strong and commanding as before.

"No Your Majesty. I don't even know what crime I'm being accused of." The Queen nodded once before stepping back so her heels were against her throne. She placed her hands on Maxim's shoulders before sitting down, pressing gently so Maxim got the message. He knelt in front of her, head practically in her lap. She removed her hands.

"I see you aren't lying to me." Maxim nodded. "But I don't believe that the rest of the country, nor your family, will see it that way." She stared off as she spoke. "So I'd like to make you a deal." Her eyes snapped back to Maxim's, holding his gaze. Maxim didn't dare to look away. "You will come to me. Live at the palace. You can be my personal guard. You would be free to leave at any time, though I cannot guarantee your safety if you do."

The Queen continued talking, but Maxim's ears were ringing to loud for him to hear her properly. His brain became foggy, vision blurring around the edges. Something about her dominance, the way she spoke as if she'd already made up her mind gave Maxim a twisted high, one he clung to. He felt a hand on his shoulder and snapped back to the Queen, realizing she was speaking to him still.

"Maxim?" she asked. He was barley conscious enough to refrain from begging her to say his name again. The word fell from her lips beautifully, wrapping around Maxim and holding him tight.

"I'm sorry I-" she held up her hand.

"I know." Her tone was soft, kind. Understanding. Maxim was brought back to reality by her touch, allowing himself to focus on her skin against his.

She seemed to know when he was back to himself. "Do you want me to repeat myself?" She asked.

"No Your Majesty." Now that his head was clear, her words came back to him.

The Queen only nodded in response.

"Well then, what do you say?"

Maxim didn't have to think about it, really. He knew his answer.

"I accept."

TAGLIST: @whiiiiplaaaaash

[save-the-spiral]

Wiztober Day Two: Shield

Welcome to day two of Wiztober2020. Content warnings for graphic violence, monsters, blood, knives, frostbite, mentions of violent limb removal, death mention. note that the hydra mentioned is not a mythical hydra, but an in-canon three headed hydra, without the head regeneration.

(link to prompt list)

Emrys’ mouth was open just slightly, showing a hint of teeth, exhaling a breath of air that became pale blue fog in the cold of the early morning. His chapped lips cracked painfully as he yawned, his visible breaths sparkling with snowflakes of gathering ice magic.

The crunch of fresh snow under his boots was a constant rhythm, only accompanied by his breathing and the soft susurration of his cloak brushing against the ground and what little plant life managed to live here, disturbing the short grass and frost flowers, causing some of the reagent’s petals to fall down in his wake.

In Emrys’ opinion, the conjurers given extra credit for creating this illusory arena were too good at their jobs, because it was unbearably cold for an early October day.

As one of the best students in the ice school, Emrys had been given the special opportunity to demonstrate his abilities, and unfortunately enough, two of the three people Emrys could actually tolerate being around were also top students, and blackmailed him into joining them.

Maybe promises of hot chocolate didn’t count as blackmail.

Emrys knew that everyone in the ice school, as well as many with ice secondaries or those with nothing better to do, would be watching him, Jen, and Castian. They had been split from each other, and were supposed to find each other, as well as the construct standing in for a powerful enemy, and defeat said enemy as a team.

The towering evergreens were all dusted in powdery snow, the slightest movement causing a layer of the snow to pile onto the forest floor. Even the cutting winter winds caused some of the lighter branches to creak and buckle, letting forth a deluge of yet more snow. Emrys did not bother to hide his tracks or the indications of his passage, knowing that Castian was a much better tracker by virtue of her instincts as a draconian.

They had been given no time to prepare beforehand for being separated, so as the humans on the team, both he and Jen would have to rely on their weaker senses and hope they stumbled across another. And that there were no secret monsters or constructs in the forest they could stumble across.

Emrys sighed, though it descended into a yawn against his will. He had gotten maybe two hours of sleep the night before, left tossing and turning in his dorm. At first it had been nightmares, a companion to every night that he had become accustomed to. Then it had fallen into contemplating if his younger, estranged sister Mari also had nightmares, and then he was thinking about how he could approach Mari, how he could just talk to her for once, and then he just kept thinking through increasingly unlikely scenarios of how he could reunite with his sister, or be rejected by her.

Emrys’ gloved hand tightened around his wand, a simple knife from his home world, Mooshu, that Castian had enchanted using her family’s exclusive and secretive talent. The blade itself glowed with runes from an ancient Mooshu dialect that Castian had spent weeks inscribing onto the metal without damaging the integrity of the weapon, while still making it a viable wand and imbuing it with magic.

There was a sharp crack as Emrys stepped on a fallen branch, and he startled, glancing around quickly and reabsorbing his surroundings. The trees had become fewer, though the remaining evergreens were even larger than those before, looming darkly and obscuring large portions of the overcast sky.

He just sighed tiredly once he realized nothing was amiss. He did not want to know what those watching him thought about how he shambled through the forest for twenty minutes and almost got a heart attack over a broken twig. Emrys really appreciated his standoffish and downright mean reputation now, because people would have to be brave enough to approach him in order to tease him over his paranoia.

Then the silent forest was ripped apart by a shocked, frightened scream, high pitched and hissing, definitely belonging to Castian.

Emrys turned towards the sound and broke into a sprint, easily weaving around trees. The forest sped by quickly, and within a minute of running Emrys saw the flashes of bright magical light. He heard Jen cry out in pain as he broke through the treeline to the clearing.

There was no battle array. There was just an expanse of white snow, and no magical lines or controlled turns to the duel.

That was not how this was supposed to go.

Emrys gasped, the choked noise catching in his throat, because he had been promised that there was no way for any of them to get actually injured, and this was not that. Without a battle array anything goes, the only limits being ones magical prowess and their mana. This also allowed for physical attacks, something Castian and Jen had never encountered.

And it seemed that the conjurers had done too well at their job again, creating something far too smart.

The large ice hydra would have been a balanced enemy to face, inside of a battle array. But outside of one, it allowed for three spells to be cast simultaneously, and the hydra itself had fangs, frost breath, and a tail spiked with icicles. And it was currently trying its best to murder Jen and Castian.

Jen was running across the clearing towards Castian, who was just yards from the treeline. Their robes tattered and covered in pine needles, several gashes scored across their chest, blood droplets trailing behind them. Castian was hunched over, one of her wide sapphire colored wings frozen in a thick sheet of ice as she hissed in pain, the result of a frost breath attack.

“Cover her.” Emrys barked to Jen, who only gave a sharp nod as Emrys passed them. As he left them behind he heard the metallic clang and following chimes of an expertly cast ice shield.

The hydra was in front of him, all three heads weaving back and forth in a mesmerizing dance, the casting symbol of the ice school dripping and solidifying into existence from the middle head’s fangs. Emrys skid to a stop as a snow serpent struck into existence, jaw unhinged, but he simply ducked, turning into a roll before continuing to run towards the Hydra.

The left and right heads of the beast attempted to pincer at him from both sides, but he used his left hand to brandish a tower shield card, which transformed into the shield itself, heavy metal causing his arm to shake. He slashed out to the right with his wand, the knife’s blade flashing bright with a frostbite spell.

The fact that they no longer had to follow the rules of battle did not only apply to the enemy, after all.

Emrys’ left arm was jarred by the hydra’s attack, going numb as the shield dispelled and the hydra head reeled back from its failed headbutt. His attack at the right head struck true, his knife sinking into the soft tissue around the beast’s nostrils, the spell resounding up the neck of the hydra, a full force of magic without a battle array to restrain it into overtime attacks.

The frost crept quickly as if under a timelapse, turning sky blue scales darker and darker until Emrys dislodged his wand and caused the head to shatter into ice. Emrys found himself grinning, a satisfied light entering his eyes upon seeing the hydra’s body back up, both remaining heads twisting and dazed, looking for their third companion and only finding shards of scales and ice littering the snow.

Emrys backed up as well to give himself more time to cast a more complex spell. He slipped the proper spell card into his left sleeve, panting as he gathered the magic necessary to cast such a spell without a pip system to assist him. He watched as both heads cast in unison, appearing to pool their power for one spell as a wyvern burrowed out from the snow, pulling itself from the ground. It swayed for a moment, and Emrys could only stare as it opened its mouth and let out a piercing screech, sharp shards of ice and freezing wind buffeted him backwards.

Emrys cast his spell as the wyvern disappeared, the card falling out of his sleeve and levitating midair, unearthly chimes of a bell ringing through the clearing, the overcast skies seeming to open and allow one of their number to answer his call. The snow angel on its steed gently cantered towards Emrys, awaiting his orders as the Hydra advanced. Forgoing words, he simply leaped onto the back of the snow angel’s steed, pointing towards the hydra’s leftmost head with his knife, the blade a blinding ray of silver in the light emanating from the spell creature.

The wind rushed through Emrys’ hair and he gritted his teeth as they fell into a racing gallop, the pegasus underneath them neighing loudly, the sound echoing as if from an entire herd. The snow angel attacked the head, crushing its skull.

It was then that Jen cried out again, and Emrys directed the creature to turn and use the last of its power to reach his allies as fast as magically possible. His mind raced, calculating how this could happen, and realized how stupid he had been.

The hydra hadn’t used both heads to cast one measly wyvern. The other head had been casting a colossus behind Emrys, attacking Jen and Castian, who were immobile, easy targets. The creature shattered Jen’s shield easily, and from how they had a hand pressed to their chest, it had aggravated their already bleeding wounds, likely affecting their ribs as well.

Emrys heard the pounding footsteps of the now one headed hydra giving chase, his heart thudding in his chest so hard it almost ached. The snow angel dissolved back into magic when he was yards away from his allies, and Emrys stumbled forward, choking back a distressed scream upon seeing how severe  the creeping frost on Castian’s wing had gotten, now ensnaring up to their neck and across their other wing, while Jen was still gasping raggedly for air.

Emrys turned then, to face the hydra, and found out that it had gained on him in the small distance he had run on foot. Out of reflex he raised an arm protectively over his face, and for a moment he felt nothing. Then the pain set in as the creature’s fangs sunk into his left arm, only the bones in his forearm keeping his entire limb from being torn clean through.

A scream rose in his throat but he merely grunted harshly, his mind bouncing between strategy and agony, trying to find any action to take in order to not become a chew toy. The sharp hissing of the hydra resonated through his bones, causing Emrys to shake as he recognized the sound that prefaced a frost breath attack, one that would turn him into a lifeless statue at this range.

He finally moved, raising his knife and hacking at the hydra until it let go, falling backwards as it died. Emrys fell to his knees as well, panting raggedly for just a second before turning to Jen and Castian. He let his wand fall blade first into the snow and reached out, checking Jen’s pulse and exhaling in another gust of pale blue mist as he found her faint heartbeat.

Castian hissed quietly, and they all knew that no on field treasure card could heal the frost now creeping up her jaw. Emrys just bowed his head in front of them, murmuring incoherent apologies. Castian leaned forward, bumping their foreheads together, and Emrys felt tears fall, burning against his skin.

The illusion fell apart then, and the three ice wizards were huddled in the middle of the Unicorn Way battle arena, the stands full of students, many of which were obviously distressed or entertained.

Emrys glanced around, chapped lips cracking again as they curled into a snarl, and as life students ran up to give medical care, he caught the eyes of the small team of myth students who had been running the illusion, had made a series of stupid mistakes that lead to Emrys and his friends being gravely injured.

The way they all ran in obvious fear was very, very gratifying.

[elliepassmore]

Incendiary Review

4.5/5 stars Recommended for people who like: fantasy, revolution, strong female leads, magic, mind control, Hispanic fantasy, Woven in Moonlight This book was super good and I'm bummed it took me so long to read it. The world is very vivid, albeit a tad confusing at times, and I really loved the history Córdova put into each of the main locations in the book, it made them feel alive. Since the locations could be confusing at times it sometimes made it difficult to make sense of the timeline of the story and how far everything is away from each other, though this is minor enough it doesn't really detract from the story much. The story is told from Renata's, Ren, POV as she attempts to save other Moria and get revenge on the Bloodied Prince and the king. Renata's an interesting character to follow since she grew up in the palace and with the Whispers, and neither group really treated her that fantastically. She's obviously very loyal and wants to be granted forgiveness for the sins of her past, but that also means she's blind to some of the motives regarding her until it's too late. Her memory-stealing powers also make her an interesting character to follow. Córdova has written Renata in a rather unique way, where instead of the memories she steals just being stolen and fading to the background to eventually be forgotten, like normal memories or like I've seen other memory-stealers be written, the memories Renata steals are always with her and are liable to be called forward unexpectedly at any given moment. In essence, Renata is haunted by lives that are not her own and I love it. My main issue with Renata is that she can be whiny, especially in the beginning, but she does get better as the book continues. Margo, however you want to feel about her, was right when she said Renata could be weak, but Renata definitely grows over the course of the book into someone who can hold her own and could even be a leader. Dez is the leader of the Whispers, which I found kind of weird since he was Renata's age, maybe a year or so older, and there were Elders that made up a council for decision-making, though they too seemed to regard Dez as the leader of the group. Dez is brash and seems to be optimistic about everything and just about everyone, and he could easily be that annoying character who's too bright and too innocent, but Córdova has him getting his hands just as dirty as everyone else, which I appreciated. Renata and Dez are part of a Whispers unit comprised of three more people: Sayida, Margo, and Esteban. Sayida is super sweet and kind, choosing to see the best in most people and use her powers of influence for positive thoughts, even when it would be easier to influence more negative ones. Outside of Dev and maybe Illan (an Elder and Dez's father), Sayida is the only Whisper that actually cares about and is nice to Renata. Margo is more like an adder, prone to pounce and unwilling to take anyone's shit. She's determined to win the war and will do whatever is necessary. Despite their rocky history, Renata and Margo manage to call truce a few times during the book and almost become friends (despite everything, I think I like Margo). Esteban is prickly, also mean to Renata, but not quite as much a bully as Margo. He's also a drunk. Esteban feels a bit like the kid brother of the group, despite being only a bit younger than the rest. He's able to recognize his mistakes and even grows to trust (and I think truly trust) Renata. Justice Méndoza is the man who originally trained Renata to use her powers and is the reason she's attempting to atone for her past sins. Méndoza is...definitely evil. Definitely using Renata. But I can see why young Renata fell for his tricks and how it would be so easy to do so again. Méndoza is the kind of abuser that puts you in situations that hurt you, but never actually does so himself, and will actually defend you when the hurtful situation isn't controlled by him. He's sweet to Renata, offering her candies and concessions, and even goes so far as to begin to confide in her, but he is, ultimately, a terrible and power-hungry man attempting to kill any Moria not under his or the king's command. We don't get much of a chance to see the king in a personal sense, just a few scenes here and there that just prove how much he delights in cruelty. Prince Castian barely gets any scenes as well, but w-o-w are they whoppers when he is there. The Bloodied Prince got his name for a reason, and yet he is not violent toward the servants, only soldiers, and it's an interesting juxtaposition between his public self and the self that parades around the palace. Even at the end, though I do feel sympathy toward him, I'm not entirely sure what I think of him. There were loads of other interesting characters that I'd love to get more history or time with, though I know there are constraints on what can be fit into a book without it being too long or drawn out. Something I think Córdova does masterfully is make each and every character, no matter how minor, seem as if they have lives, dreams, and problems of their own. She also manages to get the intricacies of the human mind into the characters, with no one really being wholly good or wholly bad (yet), but rather a mix that balances one way or the other.

[arcane-hobo]

Cillian glanced at her again before he gently took her arm and pulled her into an alley. He waited for patrolmen to pass before leaning against the wall close to her. "There are many things we do when we're passionate about something. Some may openly rebel, while others tend to take a more political route. I dont believe the slave trade should exist because it makes it harder for a vampire like myself to find food. As...revolting as that may seem. I think people deserve to be free, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and well....supply the food chain." Cillian murmured. "As dark as that may seem, its unfortunately true. However, there are other reasons why I chose to defy Sir Blackbriar...thats a personal matter though."

A Bribe

@arcane-hobo

Lord Yinjeon had screwed up... It wasn’t the first time and it certainly wouldn’t be the last if he got out of trouble. This time was much worse... to the point Castian Blackbriar had been sent to deal with it. Although... A bribe certainly might work. The lord had quite a menagerie of slaves. In fact, he was very proud of the selection.

So he had all of the slave line up to make it easier for Castian to look over them. Piralia was towards the middle of the line. Her long black curls were braided and she was dressed much like the other girls, showing off the necromancer tattoo on her back. She was underfed and severely beaten. To say she was afraid would be an understatement. Her heart was beating against her chest, threatening to burst. Her stomach was in knots and she wanted to cry.

“Ah sir, I don’t see why a big deal needs to be made of this. We can certainly handle this just between us. I have quite the collection... You can certainly take one with you.” He gestured to the line up.

[jack-of-ash]

“Help! I need help! Call the police, please. Help me! Don’t let her find me! I escaped, but she’s after me!” [have some angsty!AU Gil]

Sapphire's eyes widened and he nodded. "Absolutely, come here and let's get you safe first!" He grabbed Gil gently and pulled him into his building, inconspicuous on the outside but lavish and opulent inside. There were scantily clad men and women who all looked alarmed to see a young man in such a state.

"This is The Peacock. You'll be safe here. Willow darling, call the police please. Castian, get some mint and lavender tea. Jacques, please lock all the doors." The mentioned people scurried quickly to as asked, and a few girls went to grab blankets.

Sapphire turned back to Gil and led him to a plush sofa. "Sit here and let's have a look at you..."