Steadfast Heart

"It's all about finding the calm in the chaos." Raguna Loire, Knight of Gaia [ Affiliated with Rune Kingdoms ] Pixel credit goes to my friend, Nikki! Please do not steal. ♡

[mageinari-blog]

In A Twist || Open

Inari was slowly adjusting to walking around at night; they had no trouble seeing in the dark–but the fox often forgot about the looming surroundings present in the spring kingdom. With the abundant flora everywhere, it was easy for one to get their clothes stuck on a thorny branch. Or in Inari’s case, their tail.

Yelping a bit in pain and turning to see where their tail got stuck, Inari carefully reached towards their tail in an attempt to get themselves out of the thorny mess. 

It was a delicate affair, and in the darkness of the evening, Inari didn’t expect anyone else to see them in this state.

[rusticprotag-blog]

Still on assignment in Ordell, Raguna finds himself patrolling the roads of the spring kingdom. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first, but he eventually notices a figure on the side of the road, struggling with... something.

Brow quirked, Raguna puts his hand to his sword belt as he approaches the person, his eyes widening when he notices the fox ears and tail on them. A tail that seemed to be stuck on a thorny branch, and was the main cause of this person’s discomfort.

It wasn’t often that Raguna saw non-human folk, so the knight can’t help the amazement on his face as he takes the fox in, only belatedly remembering that they were in trouble. As a knight, it was his duty to assist. “...Excuse me? Do you need some assistance there?”

[rusticprotag-blog]

Sunset’s Glow || Open

With his patrol done for the day, Raguna decided he would take a short break before making the long walk back home. He already spent all his days moving about, and walking even more was not an appealing prospect for his sore feet. 

So when he passes by one of the many farms that populated the kingdom, the knight decides to sit on the fence surrounding the vast property, smiling to himself as he took in the glow of the setting sun, and the breathtaking way it enveloped the crops and farm buildings in a warm, gentle hue of orange.

It was peaceful moments like these he lived and fought for, and the sort of thing that made all the work he did feel worthwhile. There was something about the feel of the farm, too... something about it that made him feel calm. He felt a warm and nostalgic tug in his heart because of it, and before he knows it, a nameless song begins to shape in his memory, coming out in the form of a soft hum.

In his distraction, he doesn’t notice the person walking down the road and towards his way, his humming growing louder with each second that passed.

[aneggsistentialcrisis-blog]

I Need a Hero

@rusticprotag

Who let her venture out into the forest on her own…At night?

Well, to be fair, she had a perfectly good excuse. She was in search of a very specific plant that could only be found in this kingdom. Or as far as she knew. She was crouched down in the snow digging through trying to find this flippin’ plant! Popuri huffed, her cheeks puffing up in the process. She would find it, she had to. 

She stood up from her previous position and tried another area. Sixth’s time’s the charm, right? In the midst of her search, she heard a few footsteps. Great, she had been caught. 

“Listen, I have a perfectly good reason to be out here so lat–” She turned around and was met with a monster that had to be half the size of her! Her eyes widened at the size of that beast. She found herself stuttering and stumbling backward trying to find some kind of stick or something she could use to defend herself with. She was a mage, but not very experienced so she couldn’t really do much there. All she had was a small harvesting sickle to get plants. 

If it was what she had, then she just had to make it work. Her hands shook as she held the sickle up. Some more rustling was heard and it turns out, that monster brought its friends. Not one, but four beasts surrounded her all snarling and growling. 

“H-Help,” she whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes as she kept backing up.

[rusticprotag-blog]

Although he was normally employed on the daytime patrols, Raguna had been having to work overtime as of late. A good chunk of Gaian knights had been sent on assignment to other kingdoms, mainly Altheda where the royal family was, and he was one of them, currently in Ordell.

Even if it was more taxing on him in the long run, he didn’t mind. He was happy to do whatever he could to protect this kingdom and the people in it. His home.

He continues on his way, intent to call it a night soon when he suddenly hears some noise in the nearby bushes. The knight stops, training his ears on the faint sound of... movement? Soon after that follows an even fainter sound, one that sounded almost like a voice, and Raguna narrows his eyes as he turns and heads over to the source of the noise.

He doesn’t speak, not wanting to alert anyone to his presence before he saw what was going on for himself. Carefully, he maneuvers through the shrubbery, eyes widening when he comes across a shocking scene. A lone girl, armed with nothing but a sickle, surrounded by four beasts. And clearly feral ones, at that.

With the rate they were advancing on her, Raguna knew he only had a short window of time to do something before the girl got hurt, and his eyes start to dart over the surrounding area as ideas quickly begin to form in his head. His eyes catch on a low hanging branch on one of the trees, flicker back to the group of beasts -- oh no, they were closing in on her now -- and then back to the branch. What if...

Raguna holds his hand up towards the branch, palm facing outward as he begins to gather magical energy within it. In a matter of seconds, a small flame is conjured in his hand and sent it flying towards the branch, lighting the dark clearing as it flew across. It hits the branch just like he intends, promptly lighting it on fire with a loud crackle and boom, the already weathered wood breaking off from the tree and falling into a burning heap near one of the monsters. 

The beast, spooked by the flaming branch, forgets his target and runs off into the woods with a frightened howl, its friends following suit not long after. Once it seemed like the coast was clear, Raguna sighs, stepping out into the clearing and dousing the flame with a splash of water magic. No need to risk starting any forest fires.

Finally, he looks towards the girl, a kind smile on his face. “Hey... are you alright?”

[abuddingheart-blog]

Thorny Situation || Open

“Please don’t step through the flowers!” Lyla came hurrying toward the person, skirts lifted, panic filling her voice. It was amazing how little people when they mindlessly walked to wherever they were going, thoughts off to who knew where. “You’re trampling them!”

[rusticprotag-blog]

Raguna had been in the middle of his patrol when he hears someone calling out to him, the knight turning just as a woman with pink hair runs up. Blinking, he takes a moment to process the woman’s words before gasping and looking down at the flowers he had been unknowingly stepping on. How did he not notice these!?

“O-oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t notice at all, let me just...” He steps back, off of the flowers. Though that wasn’t enough to reverse the damage that had already been done. “...oh no, I’m so sorry about this, Miss. If there’s anything I can do, I will!”

[rusticprotag-blog]

This blog is gonna be used for another group (Rune Kingdoms)! Sooooo, unfollow and all that jazz, you know the drill~

[quotemadness]

They say life passes by quickly. And it does, so live slowly. Bask in the sunlight. Kiss your lover for a little bit longer. Savor each moment that darts past you.

Nicholas A Browne

[quotemadness]

Smiles are probably the most underrated facial expressions, much more complicated than most people realize. There are dozens of smiles, each differing in appearance and in the message expressed.

Paul Ekman

[quotemadness]

People have the right to think and say whatever they want to. But you have the right not to take it to heart, and not to react.

Phillip McGraw (via quotemadness)