#you're her sword and shield you will bleed for her but she will always protect you as best she can

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

also, and i swear this is my last post and then i'll go to sleep, but there's all this talk about tanks who are the protector of their friend group and are self sacrificing and devoted and etc and don't get me wrong. i LOVE a tank with a complex about defending everyone. you can never go wrong with that. but where's the respect for tanks who just don't fucking trust anyone else to do the group project. i gotta take aggro cause i just know the rest of yall will fuck it up. where are the mean bitch tanks

[sinner-sunflower]

P.2 HH Lucifer-centric AU 24/?

STORY 1, PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14, PART 14.5, PART 15, PART 16, PART 17, PART 18, PART 19, PART 20, PART 21, PART 22, PART 23, PART 25, PART 26

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The next thing Lucifer does is look for Charlie. Which is easier said than done because of the sea of bodies.

With everything happening, he can't distinguish anyone. Faces blur together.

He doesn't know where Alastor went or where the other hotel residents are fighting. Adam is also missing, but he hopes Adam is still on their side.

Charlie: Dad!

He turns to see Vaggie and Charlie approaching, covered in blood but apparently uninjured.

Vaggie: Sir, they just keep on coming! We can't fight forever!

Vaggie yells as she stabs an angel with her spear. Charlie releases sparks from her fingers to ward off anyone who gets too close, her shield protecting herself and her lover.

Charlie: Look over there!

Charlie points to a group of angels, and Lucifer recognizes one of them as the exorcist who always accompanied Adam during their meetings—the one who seemed too brutal to be an angel of Heaven.

And merciless she was as she shows no remorse in killing what looks to be part of Michael's army.

She turns to face them, her eyes glowing with a strange, otherworldly red. She looks nothing like the angels on the side of the rebellion he saw earlier.

Lucifer doesn't need to know more to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Lucifer: What have you done?!

Lucifer demands, his voice echoing with authority.

The exorcist smiles coldly.

Lute: You of all beings should understand, Morningstar.

She spits his name like it's disgusting to even utter.

Lute: This is a purge. A cleansing of all impurities!

Lucifer stares in horror and anger at the other's outrageous reasoning.

Lucifer: You're killing your own kind!

Lute: I'm purifying Heaven!

Lute replies, voice borderline hysterical. Lucifer's fists clench in anger.

Lucifer: This is genocide. Is that all you angels know??!

She cocks her head to the side.

Lute: Call it what you will. I'm not afraid of you.

With a swift motion, Lute strikes down another angel. The fury in her eyes is unmistakable. She turns back to Lucifer, her voice filled with venom.

Lute: You killed Adam.

Lucifer: What?

Lute: You've caused me great pain so I'm here to be the cause of yours.

Lucifer, Charlie, and Vaggie exchange glances. They know reasoning with this kind of lunacy is futile. It's clear that Lute is also losing her mind due to whatever curse they're under some kind of influence. With a swift motion, Lucifer draws his sword.

Lute charges with the intent to kill, heading towards Lucifer. He was ready but then Vaggie and Charlie intercept her attack.

Lute, enraged, has dark blood trailing down her face, sending her into a frenzy. As she swings her sword, she strikes Charlie in the eye. Charlie screams in pain, clutching her bleeding eye as Vaggie springs into action to meet Lute's attacks. Vaggie's spear clashes with Lute's blade, sparks flying with each strike.

Lucifer rushes to help but is tackled by a swarm of zombie angels, pinning him to the ground.

He struggles, but there are too many on him. Despite his helplessness, he fights on, refusing to die by the hands of these abominations. Lucifer thrashes and spits fire wildly until—

A blinding light fills the battlefield. Lucifer sees everyone shield their eyes as a new figure descends from the heavens.

Michael: Enough!

The powerful voice booms. The light fades, revealing an archangel of immense stature, his presence commanding.

Lucifer: Michael..

Lucifer whispers, relief evident in his words. Maybe his brother can put a stop to this.

Michael's gaze sweeps across the battlefield, taking in the destruction. When he saw Lucifer buried under the angels, his eyes flashed with fury. He wanted to swooped in to pull off the reanimated corpses from his little brother but Lucifer yells at him to stop.

Lucifer: My daughter! Get that fucking bitch away from her!

Michael hesitates but then another figure landed beside him and began helping Lucifer.

Uriel: I got him, Michael. Go! Lute is your enemy.

Michael nods He takes off, wings beating powerfully as he zeroes in on Lute. He spots her, her sword raised high as she battles fiercely with one of his soldiers. With a mighty flap of his wings, Michael lands in front of her.

Michael: You continue to betray Heaven and everything it stands for.

Lute: You think I give a shit?!

Michael: I've been so gracious and yet you continue this foolishness.

Lute laughs, the sound cold and mocking.

Lute: Gracious? You call letting these demons live after killing Adam, your first man, gracious?

Michael's grip tightens on his sword, his knuckles white. He takes a step forward, his voice low and dangerous.

Michael: You shall meet our maker today.

Lute's smirk fades, replaced by an ugly grimace. She raises her sword, ready to face the wrath of Heaven's mightiest warrior. The battlefield seems to hold its breath as the two warriors stand poised for their fateful clash.

She got all up on his face and whispers harshly.

Lute: I don't intend to go alone.

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Where's Adam when you need him

[myths-and-legends-retelling]

Who's the victim?

The cold stone wall pressed against Perseus' body. It was his only way to ground himself and reassured himself that what was in front of him was no illusion. His breaths were short and staggering from the fear gripping tightly around his diaphragm. The entire cave was filled with the stench of rotting flesh and the excrement of bats.

  Sickly green snakes slithered across the head of a pale woman. Illuminated by the light of Perseus' fallen torch, he could see her through the reflection of his shield resting against a statue of a man dressed in royal armour. Each gasp of breath from her was dry, and the air scraped against her parched throat.

Perseus swallowed down the rising fear boiling in his stomach. The handle of Hermes' sword was drenched in sweat and pushed against the calluses on his fingers.

"I," she took a deep haggard breath, "Know you're there."

The blood inside Perseus' veins ran cold and goose bumps erupted across his neck and down his biceps. A drop of sweat rolled down the back of his neck and dripped to the stone floor. He needed to kill her. It was more than a matter of honour; it was to save his mother from his perverted Polydectes. It was to protect the only family member that stayed by his side. 

"You were sent by her, weren't you?"

Perseus knew who she was talking about. Athena, the goddess herself had warned Perseus about Gordon residing inside the abandoned cave. But there was a strange look in the goddess' eyes when she told the hero about the monster. Was it regretful? Anger? Disgust?

"Hero," Perseus snapped back from the memory and glared at the scaly eyes looking at him. The snake hissed in anger before one of his companions hissed at Perseus too. The hero pressed back harder.

"Before you kill me. Will you tell me, who did it? "

Perseus furrowed his dark brown brows beneath the helmet of Hades. Who did it? What did she mean?

"Who made me like this?"

Back in Seriphus, the youths would tell stories of the gorgons and their horrid manners. They were ugly serpent-like sisters that dwelled together and enjoyed nothing more than causing misery. But has Medusa always been a gorgon?

"It was Poseidon!" The serpents hissed, and the woman threw her body forward in pain and agony. She slammed her bleeding fists into the cave floor. "He did this!" her voice broke as the tears forced their way through her.

Perseus swallowed again, he pulled in his knees and got into a crouching position.

"Did what?"

In a flash, Medusa slithered to Perseus' place next to the wall, but he quickly rolled away to hide behind another statue, this was one of a little boy forced to cry until his stone body broke apart. Medusa wrapped her hands around the stone man's neck. She licked his dry cheek and squeezed harder until the terrified expression frozen on the statue's face started to crack. The poor youth broke off bit by bit until all that stood was his decapitated body.

"He forced himself onto me!"

She let out a broken cackle. Perseus gripped the sword tighter. She was in his line of sight, her back to him and fully vulnerable. Her chapped lips quickly closed, and she slowly turned her head to the heavens. Perseus carefully retreated and pushed out the shining shield to view the serpentine woman. Thick tears rolled down her pale scally skin.

"But I liked it?" The snakes slithered around her neck, some rolled in her tears and others licked at her skin. "Did I like it? Did I ask for it? I... I can't remember."

Perseus' shoulders lowered and the tip of the sword clicked against the wet stone floor.

"Augh!" Medusa's voice scrapped against her throat as she let out a blood-churning scream. She grabbed one of the snakes' heads and pulled and pulled till the serpent broke loose. It withered in her grip and let out broken hisses. "Were you a gift or a curse?"

A trail of blood rolled down the exposed flesh and dripped down her face.

Her shoulders shook as the tears became worse and it became harder to breathe for the broken monster.

"I... I don't know anymore. Did I deserve this? Should I be mad? My goddess, my Athena, did you do this to punish me? I can plead for forgiveness. Or is this a gift? A gift of isolation and loneliness. Or was this my sword, to protect me from the god's horrible touches? Did his hands burn my virgin skin? Or did I revel in each lustful gaze? I cannot remember. I don't want to remember."

She threw the severed head of the serpent away and covered her eyes with her bloodied hands. Perseus lowered his shield and stalked to the weeping woman. The snakes hissed and warned their master, but she ignored the withering snakes. Perseus placed his sword on her shoulder. She threw her head up to the heavens again but closed her eyes to the hero. It was surrender. Perseus pulled the sword back and with all his might sliced through the gorgon's neck. He watched the body fall with a clear expression.

In truth, it didn't matter who was the victim and who was the perpetrator. It didn't matter if it was a gift or a curse. It didn't matter if Athena is to blame or praise. Because in the end, all truth that remains is that Perseus will always be the hero in every telling of the story. 

[teamxdark]

Shield and Sword

I was feeling the dystopian knouge feelings and wrote this incredibly indulgent thing without having seen Prime at all or editing at all here have my stuff.

Everything. That's what she was to him.

In a world devoid of light, she was his hope. In a life where they had to run from place to place, hiding away from surveillance drones and security cameras, she was his home. In a world out to get them, she was all that was worth protecting.

Scars littered his being like cracks in glass or oil splattered in the streets. Badges of honor, that's what he called them. Evidence of his recklessness, that's what she called them, but he didn't agree. Every time she bandaged his wounds, her touch miraculously soft in such a jagged, violent world, his pride grew. So long as she stayed pristine and uninjured, that was all that mattered to him.

He was a guardian after all.

He was her shield, blocking her from the most dangerous and violent of attacks, soaking up hits that would send most sprawling to their knees or halfway into the grave. He was a tank, taking the most heavy damage and dishing out his own in return, no matter the bleeding, the bruising, the trauma or the breaking. Every press of her lips to his newest wound was a blessing, and every scar reminded him of his vow to make sure she never felt the harm of this world.

He doubted she would. She was nearly as strong as him, and perhaps twice as vicious. It made him smile whenever he carved a path for her to rain pain down from above, because if he was her shield, she was his sword, her flawless beauty disarming their enemies until they made the fatal mistake of underestimating her.

They were a team, more than anything else. They were each other's comfort, each other's safety, their companionship and their rebellion. The flames of their ambition grew together, feeding on each other until they were close to invincible... but they were still only two people. Two people against a Council who held the power of millions.

But that was okay. They didn't need much else. Even as they joined a larger rebel group, they didn't stray from one another.

Knuckles certainly wouldn't ever dream of leaving her side. Rouge was everything to him, after all.

...

Knuckles didn't care much for the blue one. He assumed way too much, claiming things about him that sometimes hit too close to home, and sometimes missed the mark entirely, but he said it all with such confidence, so assured in his belief that he knew them.

He kept trying to drag them into a group with two others, but Knuckles stayed by Rouge, always on the lookout for a sneak attack. These others weren't members of their rebellion, weren't faces that he knew or bodies he was willing to protect. He wouldn't let himself nor Rouge be caught unawares by them, watching her back like a hawk.

The blue one seemed to notice.

"Well well well," he chortled, digging easily under Knuckles' skin like shrapnel. "You two have something going on in this universe? It's about time you made a move."

Knuckles bristled, lip curling to reveal his teeth. How dare he assume he knew anything about his devotion to Rouge? How dare he compare it to his pathetically inferior notions of solidarity?

"I'll protect her with my life," he claimed, without even a morsel of embarrassment or hesitation. He said it like a fact, like how the sky was dark or the waters ran with filth mixed in or that any day might be their last. The blue one seemed surprised, caught off guard by Knuckles' frankness.

It managed to make the guardian even more frustrated, if that was somehow possible, so he decided to spell it out even more for him.

"I'll die before I let even a scratch get on her."

"Okay, okay!" The blue one put up his hands in surrender, and Knuckles felt nearly satisfied at having gotten his point across. "I gotcha dude, you're looking after her like... like a precious gem or something."

A gem...

Knuckles looked over at Rouge, frowning as she regarded the yellow one and the pink one. Gems certainly suited her; he could imagine her fingers running over diamond necklaces, sapphire rings, ruby bracelets and emerald earrings. And yet...

"No. More than a gem. My most precious treasure."

He spoke in terms that the blue one could understand, but even that wasn't entirely accurate.

No, she wasn't a treasure either.

She was his everything.

...

Another attack. Another hit. Another bruise to give up on healing. Knuckles didn't care; it was just a bit more pain that he knew how to handle.

He ran forward, hearing her wings beat behind him, and launched himself at the newest security drones that would turn to scrap beneath their feet long before they could hope to crush their rebellious efforts. Yes, there were more this time than others, but he didn't have the time or need to worry. He had his teammate with him, and his trust in her was absolute.

He knew that she trusted him too, and that was why he would never fail her.

His fist went through one robot, then another. Behind him, watching his six, he heard the sound of more of them getting crunched beneath her boots, ground into the pavement without mercy.

They were strong on their own, but undefeatable together. Knuckles basked in the adrenaline as he swiveled around her, grunting as he tanked yet another shot in their direction. Another crash and crunch behind him told him that Rouge had kicked another one out of commission.

Shield and sword, sword and shield. Complimenting each other with every fighting breath.

Another crash. Another bash. Another turn, another tank.

Undefeatable.

The drones kept swarming, but they kept fighting together, the grinding and screaming of metal being the only sounds to complete their song of effort. Knuckles didn't care if it took the rest of the day, this fight was theirs.

Or at least he thought so, until he punched clean through a robot and found his hand trapped for a moment longer than he expected.

A second or two to pull his hand out and get back to the battle. A second or two too many.

A blast. A scream that had his heart freeze and his soul choke in fear. A thud that sounded far too soft to be metal.

He spun around and didn't even allow himself a second to observe or process; he dove for her, huddled on the ground and breathing heavily. He shielded her with his body as the blasts continued to fire, taking in her wide, shocked eyes with his own.

Her shoulder... They had hit her shoulder, the fabric was smouldering and melting and a nasty burn was forming and oh, oh no this couldn't be happening. No no no no no...

Knuckles took her into his arms and prepared to ram through his opponents. Nothing mattered, nothing mattered except getting her to safety. The shield had slipped, and the blade was broken. She was hurt...

...and it was all his fault.

"What are you doing?!"

Her voice raised to a deafening shriek, and despite himself he grimaced, dancing away from laser blasts as his hands held his precious cargo to his chest. What was he doing? Wasn't it clear?

"You're hurt!"

Yet she still struggled, even as she sucked her teeth when she flexed her shoulder. A warrior until the very end.

"I can still fight!" she protested, peeling back his fingers like her life depended on it and Knuckles, too worried about harming her as well, felt her slip out of his grasp. He saw the tears of pain and fury gathering in her eyes, and he saw her blink them away. He saw her hold her head high, saw her push back her wince as she stretched out her wings, and followed her as she flew back into the fray.

She fought viciously, more wild and desperate than he had ever seen her, and he did the same, shoving back the pain and shame that he had failed her.

"Don't worry about me," she kept saying as they swivelled around each other. "Don't worry about me!"

He knew that she was feeling something similar.

...

Their roles were reversed; it was Knuckles with the first aid supplies, his own wounds long forgotten as he peeled back the singed fabric and took a look at her injured shoulder. The flesh was badly burned, and the sight was enough to make his stomach turn.

It was his failure. It was her failure.

It was his turn to apply the ointment, slow and tender as he could manage with his bare hands that were so used to rough treatment. It was his turn to rub at her back as the sting grew so strong that she bit her lip to keep back her pain. It was his turn to press his lips to the skin next to the wound, both a comfort and an apology.

Her hand squeezed his. He knew she blamed herself just as much as he blamed himself.

Neither would say it. They just knew.

"It'll heal," she said.

"It'll heal," he echoed.

All the same, it struck fear in his heart. Her burn, a symbol of his failure forever branded on her flesh, a reminder that his untouchable Rouge was, in fact, susceptible to injury like anyone else.

Had he done her a favor by guarding her, he wondered. Or had he made it so every injury that managed to happen upon her would shake them to their foundations?

Their fingers threaded together, and Knuckles pushed his warring thoughts to the side. He could think about how and in which ways he had failed her until the sun rose, but that wasn't what was important right then.

What he needed to focus on was how to keep supporting her, to the best of his abilities. How to make her shine like the treasure she was. How to ensure that, no matter what happened to them both, that they would both keep making it to the next day, and all the days beyond.

She was his everything, after all.

[jamiebluewind]

Character/Location Descriptions for Fantasy High 2.10!

***

As always, let me know if I need to edit or add anything and tag/ask/PM me about art and stories so I can check them out!

Warning: emprisonment, multiple injuries, canon typical violence, multiple blood mentions, gross descriptions, poison mention, broken bone mention, vomit mention, torture mentions, trauma, abandonment,

***

Brennan

"Free dad slap."

"You 'Ally'ed out of the box of doom!"

***

New Character/s

Fire Elemental #3

Genderless

Was summoned and bound by the elves of old to protect the elemental pylon that powers the permanent magical effects of Ka'lethriel Tower, which transformed them into a monstrous fire thing along with 2 other fire elementals bound there

Was embrased by Fabian in a deep dip as he cradled their head and his sheet wrapped around them both and roiled above them

The power of Fabian's dance partially stunned them and took them out of active combat

The thing binding them to protect the pylon went when the fire pit helix was put out, causing them to change back to a creature with an elvan face of wreathing flame

They cry fire

They kissed Fabian softly on the lips (for 8 points of damage) and whispered in his ear (softly like flame) "Thank you. For my freedom. For my life." before disappearing

Established Characters

Arthur Aguefort

Slows localized time at Ka'lethriel Tower, opening a rift from his desk at the academy to talk to Adaine

Crawled through the rift after Adaine confirmed that her captors chose the way of pain

The way of pain involved Aguefort using new and experimental magic resulting him growing 450 feet tall (massive thudding steps), reaching up to grab the Sun (causing his veins to light up with golden fire and his mouth to fill with a fire that releases and races across the sky), calling thousands of terracotta Agueforts to burst out of the ground and sprint north, moving the Sun itself (leaving a burning scar across the sky), and shooting lasers the width of highways that have enough power to cap a mountain in one hit with lasers that shot out of his eye (which took on a golden bright glow)

He appeared to Kristen later (via a spell that appeared as a scroll glowing with illusionary magic with his name on it that allowed him video chat with her from back in Elmville) badly injured, wrapped up in bandages, bleeding a lot, and in pain.

The new magic tore up his guts so bad that by the time he got about 50 miles north of the tower, he "shit about an ocean of blood" and almost passed out (we can't get that big, 450 feet tall is too big)

Was also hit with a lot of powerful elven counter magic before he teleported back to Solace

His terracotta army fell apart when he left

Admitted that he had been going ham for a while since after Kristen snuck him into heaven, that being dead for a couple months really messed him up, and that attempting to destroy the government of Fallinel was "just too much"

Got in a lot of trouble with the government of Solace, will probably have to go to court, and he has to move the Sun back ("gotta figure out how to do that")

Dragged the Sun "a little bit north of where it should be" (causing the far south of the Earth to be colder and far north to be hotter), but said the Sun was "going in the right direction" and "still going around the Earth", resulting in clarifying that Spyre normally goes around the Sun, but he's not sure of what he did when he dragged it across the sky and that there was more of a poetic understanding of how things really work, but he still "really fucked up"

Kear/Keer

Was horrified by Augefort's actions

"I'm getting very confused and upset with everything that these children do."

Was poisoned and vomiting when Kristen banished her with a kiss on her face, came back when Kristen broke her ankle, and was banished again by Ayda who loudly pronounces "mwah!" while kissing her face like Kristen

Oak Warriors

8 foot tall

Look like green men (not automaton) made of magic with elven faces

Vulnerable to fire

Controled by Kear

Anguin

Was blinded by Kristen

Went invisible and ran

Was knocked unconscious by Fig and left in the vault (with some of his teeth knocked out) when Ka'lethriel Tower collapsed

Aelwyn

Kept awake for 5 months

Was rescued from the tower and fell unconscious/comatose immediately

Was carried out by Ayda

Even outside the orb, her body shook with the strain and effort

As she and Adaine tranced, a tiny piece of her abjurative magic (an innate cantrip, abjurer's ward) came back and she started building a shield around Adaine in her "sleep"

Was taken to a hot spring with elven healers by Adaine

Was unsure if they actually escaped or just died before trying to cast a feeble shield around Adaine again

Her mind was damaged and the torture had a profound and corrosive effect on her well being and memory

The inside of her mind looked like a city razed to the ground with crumbled walls, battlements, towers, and arcane defenses. Only a weird, vulnerable labyrinth of images remained

Has a deep self loathing (especially for not saying anything on Adaine's behalf against their parents) and a powerful fear of her parents. Her cowardice fed into her self loathing which fed into her cowardice in an endless loop.

Had an intense magical charm in the center of the labyrinth of her abjurations and a little faint enchantment with "Despite all of the torment and tribulation, let this be proof. I always knew there was only one person clever enough to find this." written on the outside. The charm was a custom modify memory spell (which The Court Of Stars had been searching for) and contained a saved unbroken version of her from before she was capture which overrode her current broken state once it was dispelled

Adaine

Found a sword in the vault while looking for a weapon to fight with

Later gave the sword Fan-dran-goorh to Fabian (was made by his grandpapa Tel'amine)

Held Aelwyn as they sleep

Detects magic on Aelwyn and find a faint whisper of enchant magic before using detect thoughts on her

Found and dispelled the magical charm within Aelwyn which returns her sister's mind to a version before she was captured by The Court of Stars

Gilear

Fluid in his feet, especially his right (due to rolling his ankle months ago) which now has a band of purple around it (possibly a bone issue) and causes him an ambiant throbbing pain and heat from all the extra blood (GO TO A DOCTOR!!!)

Tel'amine

Tried very hard to say "Gorgug" one last time, but just said "Chedge" and then cried and became really embarrassed when Gorgug responded "It sounds like literally no sound was correct in that."

Dances with Fabian at one point in the night to the sound of Fig's bass.

He and the other adults of Kylo Me'newra give teens grapes because they believe it will make them less horny (doesn't actually work)

Riz

Shot a fire elemental over Gorgug's thumbs up

"Stay positive."

Said "It's beautiful" about Fabian dancing with the fire elemental and shed a tear before saying "It's beautiful Gorgug" and lowering his gun, aiming at the last pitcher

Poked his head in when Adaine was about to go to sleep to ask if her sister was still trying to kill them (since she was just kind of there now), listens to her answer (doesn't think so, especially with her trauma), and then slowly (and awkwardly) backs out of the room as the sisters doze off together (after Ayda dropped her off)

Gorgug

Soot on his face and singed hair after being set on fire

Had his thumb knicked slightly when Riz shot over it

Fabian

Slashed the first fire elemental on his first two turns before hiding behind Gorgug

Had an elven sheet on hand which has the ability to put out fires, so he used to put out his friends

Danced and jumped with his sheet during the battle and did a bit of contact juggling with the fire

(On being kissed) "I take it. I take every point of that damage and I take it slowly. I can feel it. In my whole body."

Was left with red hot lips after kissing the fire elemental and (with a gulp) felt a glowing moat of fire travel down his throat and rest hot and warm in his chest

Had the sheet tied around him like a cape while traveling back to meet with the others

At Kylo Me'newra, danced (badly due to rolling a 1 and a 2) all night outside with his sheet (like nobody is watching) as the ground lit up behind him with a dull glow with each step. It helped him get in touch with his feelings and his body

Enjoys the taste of the flower his grandpapa gives him

Gorgug, Riz, and Fabian

Ran to and from their pylon with their arms back like anime characters

"I believe in you/us."

"Spring break!!!"

All three were burned from their fight

After getting back to Kylo Me'newra, Fabian danced all night while Riz and Gorgug watched (cradled in the boughs of treents that hummed a song as the trees rocked them)

Riz: You know? This place isn't so bad.

Gorgug: How did this part start happening?

Riz: I thought I was just gonna sit in a tree and it started singing to me.

Gorgug: Hey. Really not horrible.

Riz: Yeah.

Tel'amine: Yes. Really not horrible at all. *catches a blossom and shoves it into Gorgug's mouth* Eat it.

Gorgug: *chews*

Tel'amine: Yes.

Riz: Is it good or is it just a flower?

Gorgug: *shakes head*

Riz: It was beautiful.

Tel'amine: *glides off into the night*

Gorgug: *coughs and sticks his tongue out*

Riz: Did that dude just feed you a flower?

Gorgug: Yeah. *hacking sound*

Riz: That was insane.

Gorgug: It's a complex flavor, I don't like it.

Riz: That was insane.

Kristen

Unmade a oak warrior due to the annoyance of her spirit guardians

*appears behind Kear and puts her hand on her back* "You're on the wrong side, but you could join us if you want. Just something to think about." *casts banishment to give Kear time to think and kisses her on the side of the head before she goes*

Tried to ribbon dance fly down 10 stories in the middle of the tower and ended up just slamming into the floor at the bottom instead, breaking her ankle

Her spirit guardians attacked Anguin while he was invisible and trying to sneak into the vault, ending his invisibility

Used sending to get in contact with Jawbone (Jawbone. Hey. Having some trouble with Tracker. She's pretty upset at me. I keep saying the wrong thing. I kept something from her. Oops? -> Tough break kiddo. Happy to help if I can. Should I find a way to contact you other than this spell? -> Fuck yes. -> Hell yeah.)

Had a long distance talk with Jawbone (using Aguefort's video chat spell) where she got advice on not treating her partner as a means to an end and about transparency.

Fig

Gave Wicklaw's sword back to Leviathan

Disguised herself as a Arthur Aguefort (but with a bass guitar) and accidentally really upsets Ayda

Played a really sick guitar riff that would make all the gems dance (to persuade them somehow and find out more about gems) and ends up causing a large gem built into the base of the tower to crack and the tower to collapse (but not before grabbing a book on gems lore)

Tried to set Adaine's dad on fire with a pack of cloves as they left

Had a sleepover with Ayda (text link below)

Ayda

Brennan stated outside stream that an incarnation of Ayda has been living on Leviathan for a very long time, building the Compass Points. When she dies and is reborn, it is a true rebirth and her new incarnation has none of the memories of her previous forms, only knowing her previous selves from the written instructions they leave behind. Her current incarnation is the same age as Tracker (17).

Can fly with two other medium sized people (and later the two plus an underweight Aelwyn)

Immune to fire

Her dad is very triggering for her

Had a sleepover with Fig

(to Fig) "Have you said something so kind on purpose?"

When Fig attacked her as her dad (due to spell fail), she got very upset and said "Dad. Dad. I'm sorry. I'm done. I'm sorry. Dad. Dad." as Fig tried to calm her

When she counter spelled Angwin and Fig told her thank you, she answered "Whatever. I would help you, Fi-du-du-Dad. You're not my dad. You're Fig! Right? It's an illusion. Yes. You're Fig. I know. Why would I have carried my dad here? He never carried muh... me."

Told Fig that she might need to work through some of her stuff in battle as she "elected to have a disguise that was very upsetting."

After dispelling a spell on Fig that was gonna make her run away "Dad don't leave! I mean Fig! Fig don't leave."

Was very happy to see Adaine.

Said "My friend Kristen did this" before giving Kear a loudly pronounced "Mwah" kiss to the side of her head and banishing her again

Fig: How dare you do that the Arthur Augefort!

Ayda: PLEASE STOP THAT!

Fig: I know, but see, it's intimidating for them-

Ayda: It can't possibly be helping us more than it's hurting us!

***

Location Descriptions

Ka'lethriel Tower (new details)

The tower itself is 10 stories tall and sits near a wall (with a gate) that surrounds the tower and the garden

Each floor has one room (save the top which has at least two)

The first floor holds a vault (which is normally protected by permanent magical effects) with a big locked door

There's a large gem built into the side of the tower within the vault

The vault is filled with a lot of things, including Adaine and Aelwyn's property (spellbooks, arcane focuses, and The Jacket of Useful Things), Fan-dran-goorh (Fandrangor): Sword of The North Star (long, whip thin elven sword that shines a gleaming green golden light, can talk with the voices of elvan ancestors, and once belonged to elven kings long past), a massive religious tome, a quarenteened series of top secret elven scrolls that is the research of Adaine mom, a series of notes by mom looking for the location of a temple in Sylvar (Kristen knows due to a book at the Compass Points Library), and a book on gem lore

Fire Pit Pylon

Large elvan smithy (only in looks as it's an arcane power station and not an actual forge) and worst of the two pylons

Stone, mossy covered building with a floor covered in traps and an entire infrastructure filled with a high elven adoration for magic

In the center of the building, there is a hexagonal 6 pointed room with a fire pit in the center that's so hot that it's hard to look at. The fire is golden green helix at the start (changes to purple gold with the first pitcher of water spilled into it, ruby red with the second, and out with the third. It also flickers with other energy at ruby red from the other pylon being attacked).

Surrounding the fire pit in altering positions around the 6 sided room are 3 braziers and 3 statures (each statue directly across from a brazier)

The elven statues have ornimental stone weapons on them and are holding huge alabaster pitchers of clear water which bend towards the fire pit and require a cantrip (or enough damage to break them) to dump their water

The large firy silver elven braziers are piled high with burning coal (responsible for the smoke) and are traps that conjure a monsterous fire elemental when the water from its corresponding stature spills into the fire pit or when a floor trap is triggered

***

<- PREVIOUS

[ryvxn]

⠀ ⠀

⠀ ⠀ ⠀

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⌜ 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐹𝐿𝑂𝑊𝐸𝑅 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐌 ⌟

⠀ ⠀

⠀ ⠀

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ — #𝐫𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐦 ; personal inscription.

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 , 𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐨𝐥, 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. blood, murder

⠀ ⠀ ⠀

⠀ ⠀ ⠀

she was born exposed, they tell her, a live wire. her lips are raw with this truth she has known her entire life. with this desperation she is so tired of tasting — she has bitten her tongue so many times, it no longer remembers how to bleed. she has an army of words hidden behind her teeth, ready for a battle they will never see. what a 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐜��𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝𝐲 she turned out to be.

⠀ ⠀

𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒊. 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

his soul was swooning into some new world, fantastic, dim, uncertain as undersea, traversed by cloudy shapes and beings. a world, a glimmer or a flower — glimmering and trembling, trembling and unfolding, a breaking light, an opening flower.

her eyes were half-open, sneaking a guilty peek at him as she took a step back for air. he, on the other hand, was not sure if nature rooted for this moment or if his mind tricked him into a perfect present, but every breath he took smelled like a wild pear. the warm feeling of her breath, although destabilizing, was inviting. he approached her for more, to steal a moment from the endless looking time but was interrupted by the deep frown that adorned her features. suddenly, anxiety took over his soft personality and he parted his lips to question what was wrong. it was her, after all, who kissed him first. yet, he could not utter a word. her gaze already told him to leave.

“ i apologise, your highness. ”

the oldest son of the minister of defence apologised, his face flushed with a dark shade of scarlet before he excused himself to leave. she acknowledged his request with a nod of her head and watched him flee with a disappointed expression on her face. — the kiss was supposed to be romantic, the phantasy of every maiden that dreamed of love and a family of her own. that was what she heard from some of the palace maids. however, those were not the sentiments yihwa felt, it was purely out of curiosity that she kissed the other and was disappointed to find out she neither felt the butterflies nor heard the hymn of her heart.

and so, she named the colour of the kiss flaxen.

“ you shouldn't show your disappointment, your highness. my brother has a soft heart. ”

the voice she had never heard before called for her attention. she tilted her head to look front and found a young man, dressed in hwarang uniform standing there. — his attire introduced him as gukseon, the hwarang leader of eclipse cadet and she wondered why he was there, in a place that many of his peers avoided.

“ then, you must follow your brother and console him. ”

her lips refused to utter a word of apology or sympathy. instead, they carried the usual venom that she gave to anyone from his cadet. well aware of the fact that neither of hwarangs respected her as they had to, she refused to spare her time to them. — if it was not for her father's unreasonable hatred towards her, as his oldest daughter, it would be her responsibility to lead hwarangs. yet, from the day she was abandoned in her chamber, she was robbed of her status and her younger sister was given the title.

“ i apologise but i cannot do that right now. ” as soon as he calmly explained himself, he offered an official greeting, bowing his head. “ gukseon seo joon greets hwarangs' leader, your highness, yihwa. ”

yihwa furrowed her brows, confusion crystal clear on her features as she looked at the young man that greeted her properly — even if it meant defying the order of the monarch.

“ either you have a death wish by defying the order of the king or you've been misinformed. save your greetings to — ” she paused, her frown deepening as part of her refused to acknowledge what rightfully belonged to her was given to her sister.

“ it is neither of them, your highness. i'm here to greet the real leader of hwarangs. ” the valiant warrior replied soon, his tone reflecting his determination. — however, his sincerity never reached to the abandoned princess of yihwa, at least not during their first encounter: a premonition to many encounters that would follow.

⠀ ⠀

𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒊𝒊. 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝

her demands on herself were much tougher than others. hwarang seo joon noticed that after a few years he spent alongside the oldest daughter of the monarch. his visits were kept as a secret, alongside his determination to bond his loyalty on her. then again, she never seemed to grasp the sincerity of his gestures. maybe it was her loneliness that allowed him to be there or maybe, something beyond such sentiment. — he thought her loneliness was the real proof that she belonged to something greater than herself, just like the way absence was proof of what was once a presence.

“ they fear you. ” that was the first thing she said a week after they agreed to meet every night so that he could teach her how to hold a sword and protect herself. yihwa never showed herself to other hwarangs as she decided to keep her training a secret and he agreed because he believed she had to be strong to earn the trust of many other. however, he also knew sometimes she hid behind the shadows to watch the others learn a martial art.

“ you're first to notice, your highness. ” he responded to the other with a knowing smile on his lips — too pleased to hear such comment and acknowledging it as a compliment.

“ you notice things if you pay attention. ”

her response only widened his smile before he held a thin and long needle in front of her face. when she frowned, confused with the needle he showcased, he simply offered her a shrug.

“ then, please pay attention to this needle as well, as it will become the most dangerous weapon you will ever hold. ”

perhaps, it was because he also paid attention that seo joon knew what kind of weapon would gain yihwa's attention. he knew more than a sword or a dagger, she would like a useless looking needle that could give slaughterous damage to a person. — just like her, the needle was made to fool people and slowly push them to the edge of death, after all.

“ is this how you became a gukseon? by killing people with needles? ” yihwa questioned although she was pleased with the weapon he came up with. she searched for his eyes, to see if they reflected his sincerity but instead, found a glint of sadness — something close to mourning in them.

“ no, i made trades using my blood and abilities. i worked hard to gain what i have now, your highness. unfortunately, not everyone was born like you. ”

she remembered the rumours about him being adopted; rumours about his real identity and everything else that questioned his loyalty to silla. some said he was an assassin of goguryeo. some called him a refugee from baekje. yihwa never really questioned him but his silence made her believe there was indeed dust of truth in those rumours.

“ i made this using my ability as well. ”

suddenly, he placed a flower beside her — one so delicate and beauteous, she believed even the garden of wolseong palace did not have a flower like it among the many it held. she tilted her head to look at him, only to see a cocky smirk at the corner of his lips.

“ this is magical, your highness. you cannot find anything similar to this flower around the garden. ”

he was not wrong. she doubted she could find any flower similar to the one that rested beside her.

“ what are you? a charlatan shaman? ”

this time he laughed, hiding his hand away from her gaze as it was covered by the blood.

“ no, your highness. i am just an honest guy, who is terribly good at lying. ”

⠀ ⠀

𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒊𝒊𝒊. 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧 & 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠

the sun undressed the ivory-black veil that covered it minutes later. its light was reflected on the scarlet river that ran on the cold marble and the edge of the sword drew a thin line on them as the new monarch of silla took determined steps towards her chamber. her attire was stained by blood and the heavy scent of war, and her expression held emptiness — shielding her tears that she never allowed falling.

upon arriving at the familiar place that she spent her childhood and early youth in, her gaze wandered around the garden, the small one that always kept the most vivid coloured flowers of the kingdom. it reflected the most beautiful side of life to her, however, after the battle, after him, they seemed to wither like the soul of many that abandoned their flesh.

“ what happened here? ” yihwa questioned as she spared a look at her most trusted maid. her orbs fixated on the other's nervous expression, she soon noticed there was not an answer to her question. — it was already a miracle that such flowers chose her garden and now, it had to make sense that they chose to leave. “ nevermind. ”

she allowed a brief silence to adorn their space, tilted her head up to look at the morning sky — which greeted them as if the bloody eclipse never happened. then, yihwa sighed deeply, one question bothering her so much that she could not help but ask: “ how about gukseon seo? ”

“ he was already dead when soldiers found him. he and his wife. they haven't found out how the princess died yet, as she did not have blood on her but gukseon seo — ”

yihwa raised her hand to show what she heard was more than enough. she did not need to hear more to understand gukseon seo once again proved how loyal he was — even after he was forced to marry the daughter of the monarch, yihwa's sister. she heard enough to understand the hwarang leader used his special weapon to kill his wife, for yihwa to not have her sister's blood on her hands — and for others to have the most painful death without leaving a sign behind.

— and then, he killed himself.

ironically, even if her heart shattered in pain, yihwa remembered the day her father's letter arrived, a week before her sister's marriage with the man that promised his loyalty to her. the monarch used the power of words to remind yihwa of how she was not born to be loved and definitely, not to be weak. despite his rejection, she was still his daughter and all he wanted was for her to remove anyone that made her feel weak from her life. — “ thank you, your majesty, for never letting me forget as who i was born. ”

after sending the maid to attend new attire for her, yihwa stood in front of a small box, in which she held her precious gift — a flower that never withered ever since he gave it to her years ago. she bit her inner cheek, already knowing what awaited her there. hesitation, however, only held her back for a few minutes before she opened the box and found the withered petals of the flower in it.

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ — all you create and all you destroy.

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

note ! this is one of the messy self-paras that i am not quite satisfied with. however, after mentioning demons and vampires, i wanted to write about a pixie, so here he is — a pixie hwarang.

[decideroffate]

Embers, New Scenes, Chap 09, Part 2

With Emmeryn being the exposition fairy for Anali, I had to change it up a little with Chrom. No sense in repeating the same information twice. And a slight change in Chapter Two, that I didn’t bother sharing, was Anali at least toying with the idea that ‘Marth’ could have been a woman.

The cool night air felt wonderful against Anali’s heated skin. Hugging herself, she took in a few calming breaths as she walked around on the garrison grounds.

Those nightmares… What did they say about her? To Anali at least, it was one thing to see the death of someone she just met in her dreams. Another thing altogether when it was a friend.

And then there were Traino’s words to her just hours before. The incident in Elrond. The murdered woman. All just within walking distance from where Chrom and Lissa found Anali.

Suddenly freezing, Anali squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them she saw a figure in the near-distance. He stood beside the bushes, close to a nearby tree. The figure was just standing around, looking at the ground in deep thought. In fact, Anali was half-expecting him to start pacing. Anali wasn’t afraid, she knew who it was by the blue hair and the white cape that billowed in the wind.

What was Chrom even doing out so late? Had he even gone to bed? Everything about him being out and about suggested he had not. Not only had he still had the Falchion on him, but he had on his pauldron. “Chrom?” Anali asked, approaching him as she spoke. “What are you doing out so late?”

Instantly, Chrom half-turned to find Anali walking up to him. “Oh,” he breathed out, “hi, Anali. I’m just… dueling with some unpleasant thoughts.”

Anali stood in front of him, still hugging herself if only so she could do something with her arms. There was a long silence between them, neither say anything. They just stared off into the distance, actively avoiding looking at each other.

It was Chrom who broke the silence, “Anali… There’s something you should know before we-”

“Lady Emmeryn explained it to me,” Anali said quickly. Chrom stared at her for a moment, prompting her to look away. “You were going to talk to me about Ylisse’s last conflict with Plegia, right?”

Chrom let out a brief, low chuckle. “You know me well.” Inhaling, he pushed his bangs out of his face before he took a seat in the grass. Anali followed suit, sitting close to him. “I was young at the time, but I remember those dark times. How Calhoun was convinced was best for his own people, though they themselves wanted him deposed. Mother’s fear of that deposition becoming reality. And how the aftermath of their deaths affected Emmeryn.”

“Of course,” Anali said quietly and as empathically as she could. “Such an experience would change anyone.”

“Indeed. When they died before her tenth year, Calhoun left her quite the legacy. Plegia and their desire for vengeance. Our own people’s unbridled rage. My sister became a target for blame on from all sides after she took the crown. Made all the worse when Calhoun died, unable to answer for his own crimes. Emmeryn’s own subjects began to hurl insults… and stones.”

Anali’s hand slapped itself over her mouth as soon as she heard that. A part of her thought that it was understandable, as horrible as it was. But on the other hand, wasn’t the weight of the crown and the knowledge that she was recently orphaned more than enough for a nine-year-old?

“She still bears the scar from one,” Chrom continued, vaguely aware of Anali’s reaction. “But she never let them see her pain. Only Lissa and I understood.”

She wasn’t quite sure what she was doing, or why. But Anali wrapped a hand around Chrom’s arm and leaned her head into the bicep. “I’m so sorry,” she said in a hushed tone, “it must have been so hard…”

Anali was a little surprised when she felt Chrom place his opposite hand on her head. “I cannot claim to know how she does it, Anali,” he confessed. “I could never greet such hostility with warmth and patience. While our people mocked and vilified her, she reached out and healed them. She brought soldiers home to their families and gave as much coin as she could from the royal treasury. She ended the war. And when Ylisse’s spirit was mended and the people ‘forgave’ her?”

He spat that the last bit with such spite Anali had to peek up at him. Between that, and the fact that he never referred to his father as ‘father’ Anali could not help but wonder how much anger Chrom was keeping bottled up. Slowly, he shook his head. “She never resented them for it. She represents the best of the halidom - the part worth protecting. She is peace.”

Chrom finished by lowering his hand from her head, allowing Anali to sit back up. She felt like she should have said something, but there wasn’t anything she could say to offer comfort. But, Chrom wasn’t finished, “Some men would take advantage of that. Men like King Gangrel. The day he understands peace will be the day death gives it to him… So perhaps I must be death’s agent. Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to.”

“Nor would she wish you to,” said Anali.

“I know. And she may be disappointed in me for the rest of our lives, but we can no longer afford to be merciful.”

“Well spoken, sir.”

Immediately, the pair rose to their feet, as a familiar masked man walked into view. He gave them a brief nod, "Good evening to you."

Not wanting to beat around the bush, Chrom asked, "How did you get in here?"

That was a good question, as Anali realized. The garrison was on castle grounds, after all, there were guards stationed around the perimeter. And there were guards in and around the garrison, too. "The cleft in the castle wall," explained Marth. "Behind the maple grove."

"There? But how would you…?" Chrom's voice trailed off as his forehead met with his palm.

"You eh… know the place, Chrom?" asked Anali.

"Yes," Chrom lowered his hand. "I bashed in part of the wall while training the Shepherds. It was only a small hole, and I'd thought it was well concealed, but…"

“A small hole that can allow a person to slip in and out of?” asked Anali. “Geez, Chrom, I know you have a knack for breaking things, but seriously?"

Chrom gave her a very weak chuckle. But any euphoria he felt came and went very quickly. He looked back at Marth, "Could you, perhaps…"

"Your secret is safe with me," Marth assured him. "I come here only to warn you."

"Warn us?" questioned Chrom.

"The Exalts life is in danger," Marth said bluntly.

Anali nearly leaped back at this. "What, Emmeryn?" Chrom asked, voicing the thoughts Anali had. The prince shook his head as though trying to rid himself of the thought. "That's absurd. She's guarded at all hours."

"What if…" Marth's voice trailed off for a moment. He thought about it, choosing his words very carefully. "What if I told you that I have seen the future? Would you believe me? A future where Emmeryn is killed. Here. Tonight."

"Seen the future?" Anali asked with a shakiness in her tone. It was a bit jarring to think that this dashing young hero could be potentially mad, but here he was, making such claims. Anali tried to come up with something to say, but her words were lost, there just wasn't anything to respond to that.

Wordlessly, Marth crossed his arms over his chest. "I expected you wouldn't believe me," he said thoughtfully, and without anger. He understood fully well how he must have sounded. "So allow me to prove it!"

Without another word, Marth removed his sword from its sheath and pointed it at Chrom. The prince's hand grasped the hilt of the Falchion, ready to remove it if necessary. Instinctively, Anali reached for her own sword but found that she had nothing to grab. Ah, yes, there was one other thing Anali took off, and never put back on when she fell asleep; her effects.

"I'm about to save your life," Marth informed Chrom. His head turned to the side, looking over his shoulder at the shrubbery. "From him."

The bushes rustled, as a man with a cowl over his head, and sword drawn, sprinted out from the bushes. Marth tossed his sword into the air and he followed suit, backflipping over the assassin, who had stopped in momentary confusion. As soon as Marth landed, he sliced his sword across the man's back, the man tensed up, his arms jerking momentarily before he fell forward dead.

"I trust," Marth said, straightening himself up. "This proof will suffice?"

Chrom, no less stunned than Anali was, nodded slowly, "Yeah."

There was another rustle, this time, from the tree. Another Assassin leaped out, sword in hand, pointed straight at Marth. Marth quickly whipped around but was completely unaware of the fallen Assassin's sword right by his feet. The masked boy slipped on it, just as the Assassin struck for an attack. In a way, the little slip up may have very well saved Marth, but the assassin's sword still slashed at his face, cutting his masked in two right down the middle.

Anali's first instinct was the hurry to Marth's side and check for any signs of bleeding. But she froze, less than two feet away from him as long, blue hair unraveled around him, Now, without the mask shielding his eyes, Anali could see Marth's long eyelashes. Since they first met, Anali always thought Marth was close to Lissa's age. Now she was beginning to realize that 'he' was probably closer to Anali's age. "Oh…" Anali's voice trailed off. "I… knew it…"

All the while, Chrom had sped past the both of them and slashed Falchion across the chest of the assassin. He fell dead to the ground behind his fallen comrade. Sheathing his sword, he turned to face Marth and Anali. "Wait, you're…" Chrom gasped. "You're a woman?"

"And quite the actress, too," Marth said, speaking in her natural voice, which carried the slightest trace of humor. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't figure it out until just now."

Like a child in school, Anali raised her right hand. “In my defense, I suspected,” she said with a coyish grin.

The earth trembled as something exploded in the palace. Anali's breath caught in her throat for a moment, as the three of them sprinted in the direction of the explosion.