Sweet Seals For You, Always
Keni
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
Xuebing Du
blake kathryn
if i look back, i am lost
pixel skylines
Mike Driver
ojovivo
KIROKAZE
No title available
❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
🪼
⁂
No title available
occasionally subtle
No title available
hello vonnie
art blog(derogatory)
AnasAbdin
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from Mexico
seen from United States
seen from Italy
seen from Sri Lanka
seen from T1
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from Singapore
seen from Indonesia
seen from United States
seen from Maldives
@esquire-shield
Hello everyone! I still exist! Sorry for my absence, but there wasn’t much going on here, and I got preoccupied with my more active blogs! But it seems Thanion’s plot is getting active again so I logged back in!
I’m going to do a bit of a blog revamp though!
regalis-solveig:
Youta let him pull him up. It was only then that he paused to look around. They appeared to be in some sort of cave. Ores jutted out from the walls, and there was abandoned mining tools left strewn about, and a minecart full of ore left on a track to the north of them. There was only two exits in cave - both leading to tunnels, but only one of them had a railway heading down it, and judging by the breeze from the other one - that one led to the entrance. He didn’t even need to ask where they were. They were in a Mine.
His legs still felt weak, and he felt nauseous. He didn’t remember anything about leaving Motostoke. The last thing he recalled was… seeing a large Gyarados appear out of nowhere and then… nothing? He put a hand on Fleta’s side, and decided to let Thanion lead the way. Regardless of what happened - he knew one thing for sure…
They lied to Freya about Thanion being dead… which means, they could’ve been lying about his Father. There was a slim chance Dad was still alive, and despite it only being a slim chance, it gave him more hope. But despite that hope, that still left a lot of questions…
“…Where are we going?“ He asked.
“To Turffield.“ Thanion confirmed, as he led the way down the far tunnel with the mine tracks, “If we’re lucky, the Castle will think the Mines are still closed due to a ‘monster’ taking over... but since Sir Tatsu is back, I think it’s safe to assume we can cut straight through. We’re going to hopefully regroup with Sir Tatsu there. He went a different way. He should hopefully reach Turffield and talk with Lady Angela long before word of...“ He broke off there for a second. Saying ‘the King’s death was not something he wanted to say, “...everything that happened, reaches her.”
If he remembered correctly, the Mines between Motostoke and Turffield were closed due to a rampaging Pokemon that had made it’s home in the Mines. Lady Jocelyn had told him that Sir Tatsu had been dispatched to help... but since he was back now, that had to mean the Mines were clear? Given Sir Tatsu’s display in town though... they might not be the only ones to come to that conclusion though. He didn’t want to waste any time.
As they followed the tracks through the tunnels, Thanion explained everything he knew to Youta. - about Bryce sending Lady Jocelyn and himself out on a phony mission... the failed assassination attempt... the illusion of the Haunter... leaving Lady Jocelyn at the Ruined Tower to find Youta...
“...So,“ he finished as they reached a fork in the road, “That person on the balcony with Bryce couldn’t’ve been Lady Jocelyn. It was a fake he probably set up to frame you.“
He paused to hold the torch out. The tracks led to the right, so that was probably the way they had to go. He wished they had Grene and Bael with them. Being a fire type, Bael could easily light their way... and it would have made Thanion a lot more comfortable to have his trusty Grookey with him as well. But as it stood, all they had with them was Fleta the Rapidash, and one sword, and one blood-stained traveling cloak, between the both of them.
At least Fleta was a trained war ‘mon. Well, she was ‘in-training’ to carry her rider into battle at least. She still seemed to spook easily, but she had proven to be dependable so far. Still... if there was some way to meet up with their Pokemon Partners... he’d feel a lot better...
regalis-solveig:
Youta let him help him up, but it took him a second or two to realize who it was that was helping him up…
“T-Thanion?!“ Youta gasped, and reached up to place his own hand on the other’s shoulder, “Y-you’re alive? I mean… they told me… I thought…“
“They tried, but Lady Jocelyn saved me.“ Thanion admitted, “C’mon, we can’t stay here for too long or we might be followed.“ He stood up, and pulled the Prince to his feet as well, “I’ll fill you in as we walk.“
dimensionhoppinghybrids:
“Heh, that is the question isn’t it?” He asked as he smiled at the human. “Just call me Joseph.” He said to the young man. “Want some stew? I do make a good strew.” He said to the young man.
He looked at him and gave a soft humph. “So, you are a son of a duke, eh? How’s that life treating you so far kid?” He asked.
There was no contempt in his voice, but there was a bemusement in his voice.
To him royalty were like snobby little children that thought they could do almost anything they wanted, given the circumstances. He had seen and been on the receiving end of too much corruption in his own lifetime, so yes, he was jaded.
At the mention of his Father, Thanion tensed, “If you are trying to use me for Ransom, or get information about the Duchy, it won’t work. I haven’t seen my Father since I was seven, and I doubt he’d pay the ransom.“
He was the ‘second son’ after all. His father had Theudis - his first born, and heir. It wasn’t something Thanion was bitter about though, to be honest, he was rather indifferent about it. Being the second borne meant he had more freedom to choose than his older brother. And while Theudis was a jerk, he was born to one day inherit and take over the Duchy, while Thanion got to choose to train to become a Knight. Still, it didn’t change the fact it probably didn’t matter to his Father whether he lived or died.
But if that was the plan the Poacher had, he would fight to dissuade him. After all, while his Father may not care, the last thing he wanted to do was worry his Mother or little sister.
His stomach clenched at the mention of food though, but he fought to ignore it, and keep eye-contact with the Poacher. His answer wasn’t an answer to either of the other’s questions though, and he knew it.
regalis-solveig:
The Galar Mines
Youta woke up to the feeling of something brushing against his face. For a brief moment, he thought he was back in the dungeon, and was afraid to open his eyes. The ground beneath him felt uneven though, and it took him a moment to realize that he wasn’t laying down, but sitting up, with his back against something soft and breathing, and that there was something even more soft and warm draped over him.
Finally, he opened his eyes to see a tuff of purple and blue hair in his face. It wasn’t until he reached up to push the hair away though, that he noticed his hands were unbound. He looked down at the shackles still around his wrists. They hadn’t been removed… someone, or something, had cut the chain between them. He looked over, and saw that he was leaning against a Rapidash who was in deep REM sleep.
He turned away, and looked around. He was in some sort of cave or something… with ores that sparkled and jutted out of the walls. Youta let his head fall into his hands. He was alive…
Alive, but a fugitive… and falsely charged with the murder of his own Father…
He clutched his hair in his fists, and let out a pained, frustrated scream. What was he going to do now? He couldn’t go home… not until Freya’s message reached his Mother and she fixed things… she had too! Mom would never fall for Bryce’s lies. She’d believe him… and clear everything up. But until then? What was he going to do…
Memories of that day on the cliff forced themselves to the front of his mind. The sight of the sword perturbing from Dad’s stomach as he reached down to pull him up… the arrows…
Anxiety suddenly played tricks in his mind. What if his Mother didn’t believe him? What if she blamed him for his Father’s death as well? After all… it was kind of his fault. If Dad had never taken him in, and had just killed him with his biological family… then Dad would still be…
The Rapidash whinnied, knocking him out of that dangerous spiral of thought. His scream must have woken her up… he fell over onto his side, and felt the cold ground against his face.
(( @esquire-shield ))
Thanion was nearby, patrolling the area, when he heard the Prince’s scream. Immediately, he whirled around so fast he nearly lost his balance, and rushed back to their ‘camp’.
Being in a cave, there was no campfire, and no light, other than the makeshift torch Thanion had made out of an old handle of some long forgotten pickaxe, and bit of cloth from his cloak. It wouldn’t last long, but it would hopefully last long enough take a quick look around.
He arrived just as Youta fell over, and rushed to the Prince’s side.
“Your Majesty!“ He called out, as he crouched down beside Youta, and put a hand on the Prince’s shoulder, “You’re awake! Are you okay?“ He looked around and saw no one around, and Fleta - the name he had given the Rapidash since last night - showed no signs of alarm.
He attempted to help the Prince sit back up, “Its okay now. You’re safe.”
dimensionhoppinghybrids:
“Ah, you’re awake.” Joseph said as he saw the human awake.
“Please, don’t struggle like that, you’ll only hurt yourself.” He said as he sighed.
“How are you feeling by the way? I was afraid that I’d hit you a bit too hard.” He said as he hovered his nose over the meal he was making, then worked to remove the pot to awaiting slab of stone that would serve to keep the pot from making a black imprint on the grass.
By making sure the meal wouldn’t burn, he went to check on the human.
“Up you go then.” He said as he helped the young man up, and leaned him against a tree. “I’m sure you’ll have plenty of questions kiddo.” He said with a chuckle.
Thanion clenched his jaw as he was propped up against a tree, but said nothing. He’d never seen anyone like this Poacher before. He looked over at the stew. Was he going to eat him or something?
Finally, he asked, “...Who are you?”
In light of the angst here is an image of my poor gay son and his precious little sister
dimensionhoppinghybrids:
Sighing softly, Joseph picked up the young man, and the buck, straining against the weight.
“Jesus kid. Like you aren’t giving me enough work.” He mumbled to the unconscious body, and then hauled him back to camp.
A few hours later, Thanion would find himself in a predicament. He was laid comfortably on a sleeping mat, it was late dusk, bordering on night. The cicadas were already making themselves known, and the smell of food, and the sound of a crackling fire could be heard.
Joseph had brought the young man to his camp, he had also tied his hands to his back to prevent him from doing anything stupid, for now at least.
It was also late enough that Joseph had skinned and cut up the buck. The hide he had stowed away for later. He would need to cure that, and maybe later he could sell it or trade for food. The rest of the meat he had put into a special bag that would keep the meat fresh for a good long while. Thank the stars for magic and its abilities with spacial pockets! It was how he lugged so much around. It helped that the pouches and bag nulled any weight. Best gift his father had given him.
Joseph was cooking a stew, the smell was heavenly, and the Umbreon was humming along to a song that he only knew as he cooked his food. It was almost done, and he was waiting for the young man to wake up.
Thanion groaned as his consciousness returned to him. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t waking up to a pain in his gut that surprised him, but it was the soft sleeping mat that did. He slowly opened his eyes, to see himself staring at a campfire. The smell of cooking food, and burning wood caught his attention, and for a moment he felt disoriented. He tried to lean up, only to find his hands were bound behind his back...
Memories pushed their way through his disorientation, and he let out a gasp. The Poacher! That’s right... he had confronted the poacher and...
He tried to struggle against the bonds, and tried to look around the campfire for the Poacher. It would be bad if this was no ordinary Poacher, but a Smuggler. He’d be in danger then...
It had to be a Smuggler? What other reason would the Poacher have for keeping him alive? Unless he intended to use him for ransom against his Father... which would not work the slightest bit. As the second son, his Father never even noticed his presence. It didn’t matter to the Lord of Postwick whether he was alive or dead.
hygefrymm:
“Gyarados, Hyper Beam!”
With every arrow that bounced off the Pokemon’s tough scales, it seemed to grow even more enraged! The violent serpent let out a deafening roar as it released a golden beam from it’s gaping jaws, dragging it through the city street and blowing apart a large chunk of the wall surrounding the castle! He was quick to jump onto the Gyarados’ head to warn it that it was enough, and with a quick flick of it’s tail and knocked the rest of the guards away, dragging it’s massive body throughout the city as it plunged into the harbor with it’s trainer! It dove into the depths with Tatsu, leaving a wake of destruction throughout the streets as it made it’s escape.
He had to get back to Turffield now. He would ride his Gyarados through the sea until he got to Hulbury. He just hoped the boys would be okay.
Thanion helped Youta down from the back of his Rapidash. Taking this route meant that they would have to pass through the Mines to reach Turffield... but that would also make a perfect hiding place. The Mines were apart of the Turffield Duchy. But that left the question on whether Turffield was still a safe place to go or not?
The Lady of Turffield, Duchess Angela, was a long time friend of the Crown... would she still support them if rumors of the King’s death reached her before they did?
He looked back at the chaos they had left behind in the City. Sir Tatsu would probably make it first if he was going around the Mines. If he did, he’d tell her. Thanion had faith in that. If he decided to go through the mines like they did, then they’d meet up with hi soon. There was no way someone like Sir Tatsu would fall back there...
Thanion turned back to the other two. Both the Rapidash and Youta needed rest... but there wasn’t time for that right now. He walked over and placed a hand on the Rapidash’s snout.
“Thank you.“ He patted her gently, “We owe you are lives twice over, and I haven’t even given you a name yet. I’ll make sure to do that, okay?“
She whinnied in response, and pawed at the ground with her hoof. Taking that as a good sign, he turned away from her, and reached down to pull one of Youta’s arms around his shoulder, and help the other up. He didn’t blame the Prince for being in shock after everything that had happened.
He looked over his shoulder one last time at the City, as if saying good-bye to it one final time, before he started leading the way towards the Mines.
In light of the angst here is an image of my poor gay son and his precious little sister
regalis-solveig:
hygefrymm:
“How pathetic that honeyed words with little to no evidence could create such drama.” Tatsu’s voice rang from the rooftops before a shower of needle like rain pierced Youta’s captors, even destroying the gallows further ahead! The cloaked man hopped down, shoving his way through the crowd with a snarl on his lips. Storm clouds would gather overhead as he stepped between the prince and the crowd, his eyes glowing a deep red.
“How easy is it to take you all for fools, to the point you would attack a child? Let alone trying to execute one with next to no evidence, except him being pressured into what you all want to hear? By a man whose very father betrayed the King.”
With a swift movement, he released his Gyarados from a Pokeball on his belt, the massive serpent bursting forward and letting out a deep roar that shook the very buildings around everyone. His long body blocking everyone’s view from the prince as Tatsu stood before them all!
The guards were the first to fall, which was closely followed by panicked screaming, which only grew worse as the gallows burst apart in the rain of water.
The moment he heard Tatsu’s voice, Bryce snarled, and reached out to grab the girl from earlier from her shoulders, and quickly escorted her back into the castle, and away from the danger.
The moment the guards released him, Youta fell to his knees as the water rained down around him. He looked up through the chaos to see the back of a Gyarados, but seemed to have entered a state of shock, as he didn’t react to water that soaked through his threadbare prisoner garb, nor the sudden appearance of the Pokemon.
The moment the Gyarados appeared, Thanion took the opportunity to make his move. With a flick of the reins, he ushered his Rapidash forward, and with a terrified whinny, she leaped into the chaos. Regardless of who was in front of her, she charged forward until they broke through the crowd, and Thanion pulled her to stop beside the Prince.
Thanion did not stop long enough to ask any questions. Instead, he reached down and grabbed Youta, and pulled him up and over the back of the Rapidash like a bag of flour. He had no idea how long Sir Tatsu’s distraction would last before the Knights were called, and they regrouped, and he wasn’t going to squander a second.
He flicked at the reins, and ushered the Rapidash forward. They would take the canal out. It would be the least heavily guarded exit, and one they would frequently take when escaping to the Wild Areas in their youth.
Without looking back, Thanion ushered his Rapidash forward and towards the industrial part of town. A few guards launched arrows at them as they whisked away from the Gyarados and the bulk of the guards, but all of them missed them.
A heavy sheen of sweat coated his Rapidash’s neck as they raced, and as she started to slow slightly as they raced towards the exit. Thanion didn’t rein her in though, and gave her full lead. By now, he had full faith in his mount. If she survived the assassination attempt earlier, she could survive this.
Her nostrils flared as they raced through the backstreets. At this time of year, the canal would be dry enough for them to race under the bulkheads and to freedom.
Sir Tatsu’s distraction was working wonders. Most of the Knights that would be guarding the canals had run away to see what they could do to help, and in one swift leap, the Rapidash thudded down into the ankle-deep water... and they were free from the city!
He did not stop there though, as he knew a few of the Wall Guards would remain at their post, and sure enough, alarm bells chimed out as they raced through the canal on the other side, and Thanion heard the whistle of several arrows twang out around them.
Thanion still put all his faith in his mount, and in Sir Tatsu’s distraction. Despite her slowing pace, she kept going until she was well clear of the arrow’s reach... before she finally slowed to a stop. She was panting heavily, and looked ready to collapse, so Thanion quickly dismounted, and lead her by the reins from the trail. He had no idea how long it would be until they started after them... or even if they would. With Sir Tatsu’s distraction, they may focus all their efforts on containing the Gyarados, since Thanion and the Prince themselves, were no threat.
After clearing the path and finding a sheltered nook on Route 3, he finally turned back to look at Motostoke to see if Sir Tatsu managed to escape...
hygefrymm:
A dark, never seen before look came upon the man’s face. His eyes were glowing red under the hood of his cloak as a symbol began to form over his eyes, a circle with lines dropping from the bottom and spreading outwards.
“That fool is doing what?”
His rage filled gaze turned toward the balcony, he could hardly control himself as his hand whipped forward, the boy was a witness to bright orbs of water form before the man as he began to snarl out loud.
“I’m guessing that this has to do with him being part of a family that has connections to a certain Pokemon, am I right boy? A Pokemon that was a counterpart to Bryce’s ‘beloved’ Legendary. How foolish that these people forget that the two of these Pokemon risked everything to protect this world from a great danger…Only to have them degraded to human politics…!”
The man’s own anger made the ground shake, a clear sign he was no human. “I’ll deal with the guards and distract them, you find a path for Youta and yourself to escape, do you understand me?”
Thanion nodded, “Yeah... ”
After so many years sneaking out of the City with Youta to the Wild Areas... he was fairy certain he could manage that.
He quickly hopped up onto the back of his Rapidash, “All I need is an opening.”
It didn’t matter how big the opening was. He’d be willing to ride through swords and arrows if he had too. He looked out as the guards dragged Youta towards the gallows.
hygefrymm:
“You. What’s with this commotion?”
Tatsu’s voice was sharp as he called out to the young man. The cloaked figure stepping towards the young man. He had just gotten back from Turffield! There seemed to be a commotion, this young man seemed to be in a hurry.
“What is happening?”
Thanion was just untying his Rapidash, when he heard a familiar voice behind him. He jumped, and whirled around...
“Sir Tatsu!“ Thanion did not skip a beat the moment he recognized the other, and immediately ran towards him. As Lady Jocelyn’s Squire, he had met Sir Tatsu plenty of times over the last few months. He knew the man was most loyal to the Empire, which meant he did not report to Bryce, and therefore could be trusted right now.
“We need your help!“ He explained in a quick, panicked tone, “Bryce just sentenced Youta to death... he’s accusing him of murdering King Ulric, and is claiming Lady Jocelyn witnessed it!“
He turned around and pointed at the balcony. He knew Sir Tatsu and Lady Jocelyn were friends... he had full faith that the other could tell the person on the balcony was a fake, “But Lady Jocelyn and I were sent out on a fake mission last night... Bryce tried to have us assassinated! When I left, Lady Jocelyn was badly injured, and told me we would meet up in Turffield, not here... that’s not Lady Jocelyn!“
Thanion’s expression was serious. He was fully committed to betraying his Kingdom if it meant rescuing Youta. “If we don’t do something now... they’re going to hang Youta! Can you help us?”
Just so everyone knows, I still have these icons if anyone ever wants to make me use them~
regalis-solveig:
hobard-knights:
Bryce pointed at Youta, “See! He admits it! This boy is the biological heir to the Aldebrand Name, and he manipulated and bewitched our King to steal the throne out from under him! He murdered the King in order to return Galar to Zacian!”
Murmurs turned into loud shouts and cries from the crowd at Bryce’s words, and each one of them panged at Youta’s heart. Angry shouting erupted all around him, and Youta tried to shout above them to make Bryce hear his words…
“Liar!“ He shouted, “You bastard!“ He tried to struggle against the grip the guards had on his shoulders, “You attacked my Father and are trying to blame me!“ He tried to step forward, but the guards forced him back down to his knees.
“Jocelyn! Tell them the truth!“ Youta cried, “We don’t have time for this! Dad could still be out there! Jocelyn please!“
Thanion clenched his teeth and turned away. He couldn’t listen to this anymore. He knew that that ‘Jocelyn’ wouldn’t help the Prince, because that wasn’t the real Jocelyn. Instead, being careful to keep the hood over his head, he hurried back to where he tied up his Rapidash.
He was going to have to act fast...
dimensionhoppinghybrids:
Joseph gave him a sigh, then said in a sad tone; “I gave you a choice.” He said and then his hand snapped out with practiced skill and accuracy, his shadow tether quickly snapping around the young man, and with a powerful yank, pulled him to him.
Then, he plunged his fist into the young man’s stomach.
It wouldn’t leave him permanently hurt, but he would be sore, and the wind would be thoroughly knocked out of him.
And if he was lucky, he’d maybe pass out from the pain.
If he would, Joseph would need to get him to camp. Joseph would not abandon this boy in the wild when he could be killed or robbed. Joseph was many things, but he wasn’t a cruel prick.
Things happened too quickly for Thanion to react. He tried to fully cock the arrow and launch it, but the ‘shadow’ latched onto him before he could. Before he even knew what was happening, he was being hurled towards the stranger.
Instantly, the wind was knocked out of him... and his vision flashed white as a hot pain washed out from his stomach... and then everything went dark
hobard-knights:
Bryce stood tall at the front of the balcony. He was in mid-speech when Thanion approached.
“…King Ulric’s death, is a terrible tragedy…“ He said loudly over to the crowd below, “…but to have him murdered by the boy he raised, despite him being of Aldebrand Blood… is a devastating wound that will take Galar time to heal…“
“But,“ Bryce continued, “We are fortunate that Lady Jocelyn caught the Aldebrand Traitor in the act, and thus, we are saved from tyranny.“ He raised his arms in the air, “But people of Galar! Do not despair! For Zamazenta continues to smile upon us!“
“While the death of our King is tragic, it is not the end for the Solvieg line!“ He declared, “For there is another with Solvieg blood who can ascend the throne!“ He stepped aside and gestured for a young girl to step forward.
“People of Galar- allow me to introduce, Duchess Briar Solvieg, a cousin of our late King - and future Queen of Galar!“
Shadows cast themselves across his face as a devilish smirk escaped his lips. A girl with long brown hair stepped forward. She was shaking and looked extremely nervous as she stood in front of the people.
Briar Solvieg - a noble daughter of a famously wealthy Duke and Duchess. She was a distant cousin of Ulric’s, and one that took Bryce a long time to track down. She was young and naïve enough for him to use, and still carried the Solvieg blood in her veins. She was perfect.
Thanion’s eyes locked on Jocelyn. This didn’t make sense... how did she make it here before him and... even from here... he could see there were no injuries on the woman.
When he had left her by the Ruined Tower, she was covered in blood, and had multiple injuries... There was no way she could have made it here first, and healed before he came here...
His breath hitched in his throat as he remembered something... the Haunter!
The Haunter they had fought at the Tower was an illusion... that must be the same here! Jocelyn had mentioned she thought that Bryce had betrayed them... so, there was no way she would collaborate with him, and claim that Youta killed his Father...
Killed his father...
Thanion’s blood ran cold. Was the King really dead? There was no way. King Ulric was a strong and powerful man. He had survived countless wars and battles! There was no way he could fall now!
He had to find Youta... Youta would know what was going on... he should be on his way to Turffield by now, right? He would set this right. He would declare to the people that this new heir was a fake and that everything Bryce said was a lie.
Thanion grabbed hold of the hem of his hood, and went to turn around, when Bryce’s voice caught his attention again, and he turned back...