#ct!drabble

[imperialrosenkingarchive-blog]

Tying Up Loose Ends

Everything was falling into place. Months of worming his way through the ranks both in Sheffield and among Romulus’ warriors, and Leon was finally receiving the payoff. Control of the city, power over the Earth Crystal, favor from the Shadow Man, and adoration and fear from the populace. A nearly perfect end to his trials.

Of course, there were a few kinks to work out, but there always would be.

Turning to his allies within the mining city, he smiled triumphantly and proudly. He still had appearances to keep up, after all. They were still useful and necessary even if most of this victory could be pinned on himself. More allies meant more power and influence overall. Allies were a tyrant’s secret weapons.

“Congratulations,” he said as he leaned against his desk and crossed his arms. “We have successfully taken over Sheffield and the Earth Crystal. We should celebrate later, but the alcohol and women....or men for Lady Claire, can wait. Right now, we have a tournament to prepare for and a few lingering problems to take care of.”

Taking out a notepad, he turned to each of his comrades and started giving out orders like a general to his trusted lieutenants, a situation he had found himself in before and knew well. After all, they all were under him for now.

“Lord DeRosso, your fighting prowess and intelligence is quite extraordinary. I admire it greatly. I wish for you to help me rule the city. You don’t have to be public if you don’t wish to, but I may need help in making executive decisions. This isn’t the first time I’ve been in charge of a broken nation...”

Shuddering for a moment, he continued. “Kunsel, you will, of course, be in charge of the military. Sadly, I have many new obligations, so you’ll have to take my place training the troops and keeping the prison ordered and efficient. I had zero tolerance for cruelty to citizens and prisoners alike, and I hope you continue that. Thankfully, the tainted crystal is keeping the monsters at bay, but now more than ever, thieves will be rampant. Keep vigilant.”

“Lady Claire, I have a special mission for you to carry out. As it turns out, our dear Princess Ashe has turned traitor. I want you to hunt her down. You will have your own unit of spies and soldiers if you should need them. I also suggest defaming her, making her infamous, offering a reward for information about her. Then find her and bring her back here. I want her alive, but I won’t be upset if she happens to die before she arrives here. Use your fire wisely.”

“Other than that, the Quartier and her heroes have become enemies of the state. If you see one, detain them immediately. Anyone caught harboring or aiding them will also be arrested. No exceptions. If they find one weak link, they will destroy us completely. Other Quartiers and heroes are not to be arrested, but regard them with high suspicion.”

“As for the tournament, it should bring in much needed revenue for the reconstruction and boost the world’s morale, which is why I’m allowing it. I have even fronted much of the cost personally. The true reason for it.... I’m sorry, but with Ashe’s betrayal, I feel I shouldn’t spoil the surprise. Just know that Romulus and I have a wonderful prize planned.”

Closing the notepad, Leon smiled again, this grin laced with arrogance and mischief. Each one of them was looked in the eye once more before Leon placed the notepad on his desk and nodded.

“I will be happy to answer any of your questions. Otherwise, thank you for your cooperation. This world is one step closer to being ours.”

[zanarkandsongstress]

Three days had passed since Myrefall saw a beast rise from the depths of hell and broke their peace. Rain continued to pour--Samudra's way of clearing the water from the poison left behind by the snake. The clinics were still full of injured, and those who knew there was little to be done gave their spaces to those who needed it the most, particularly after the influx of visitors from other areas. Those soon to join Samudra at his crystaline halls to feast for eternity left life with smiled on their faces, knowing they performed one last good deed. Lenne had seen little food, and slept only an hour. Her hands felt dry from all the healing. Her head hurt from all the energies used for her magic. Apetite seemed to be lost, and any meal she was offered was given to a hungrier person. Her people and the other Quartier's people needed it the most. That hour she did slept happened inside the chamber of the black mirror, with the lord of all waters watching her slumber while meditating on his rain. Hos words spoke of better days, of cleaner waters, of peace free of the shadows that now threatened viciously. Inside thst chamber, the Quartier allowed herself to be weak. To cry.

[eternianblade]

Tainted Streets

To walk through these streets in ths tainted state was a task that proved to be quite heartwrenching. Not just that he was forced to see just how many had fallen, no, he could also tell easily just where their blood had been spilled, where the monsters had ravaged the land - And exactly where the foul beast had spat out it’s poisonous bile.

The main water source had been tainted, and while there were other places to obtain water from that had stayed pure for the most part, it was still a problem they needed to mend as soon as possible. There was water aplenty in some of the pools - but they could hardly allow the people to take sips from sacred ponds that carried strong folklore with them.

He could only hope that even in this hour of despair the people of Myrefall would stay strong in their faith and comply in this matter... Even if it meant hardships for them.

“We need to make certain that all traces of the beast’s toxins are isolated and removed. Take good care that none of the civilians get near them - especially not the children. Understood?”

The two guards that had been following him on his patrol up until now both saluted at his commands and nodded eagerly before hurrying off. They seemed to be good men, both experienced enough to not fall into despair over the huge number of casualties Myrefall had to sustain in this assault.

He needed men like this now more than ever. Myrefall needed them. Lady Lenne needed them.

If he’d find the time to spare he’d need to make certain that more of the guardsman would become men like these two. And mayhaps he could also arrange for all the citizens that wished to learn to defend themselves better to receive rudimentary training. It was at the very least certainly something to bring up once he returned to the Quartier’s side and made his report to her.

But he needed to give her a proper, a full report. And that included finding out what became of the monstrosity that lead this attack, the one some of the more superstitious villagers had dubbed Echidna, ater the mythological beast of old. He did not know of these stories, but especially the elderly were insistant on pointing out the similarities between the creature of legend and the bringer of destruction that had wrecked havoc here.

And it was not like he objected to giving the creature a name like this. After all, a foe this terrible that managed to escape from the Lady Quartier herself as well as Lady Lina deserved a name to it’s own.

But this was strange... the furthe he drew away from the site of the battle that saw the fiend forced to retreat, the more and more prominent the traces of blood and poison became - yet there was no conclusive sign of the beast’s fate. No sign of it’s remains. And there weren’t other corpses to justify the amount of blood here either.. Just what was going on here?

It is then when he turns around another corner following this particular trace and finds a sight most unexpected: A veritable lake of bile -and in it’s midst the body of a woman.

The stench was terrible, and the half dried up puddle of poison did not look very inviting, but the Swordmaster found himself unable to deny walking into it. The simple white dress that this woman wore, tainted by the poison and other dirt as it may have been, he still recognized it. And it told him that this person should never have been here, not this far away from where does wearing such clothing belonged. So he needed to make certain...

As much as he may have wished it was not true, it still undoubtedly was.

The woman lying dead in this carnage wore the robe of one sentenced to an eternity in isolation, the clothing of one found guilty of the most foul crime a citizen of Myrefall could perform, the gown of a convicted murderer. The gown of the former Lady Emerald.

Her poor frail body looked battered and bruised, more so than the time she had had to spend in isolation since her crime at the ball. As if it had gone through a terrible ordeal, one she did not wish for but could not resist.

I see... so this must be how it happened...

He would need to immediately inform Lady Lenne of this. She needed to learn of this, for it raised questions that needed answers. Someone had their hands in this tragedy, had machinated this disaster. Someone bigger than they had thought so far...

And if he was right then that meat the other towns were not safe either.

They would need to send messengers out and see how the other towns fared as well as inform them of the tragedy here - but before that, there was something he needed to do.

First relieving himself of the top part of his clothing, the Swordmaster then carefully used it to wrap the unfortunate young woman lying in the poisonous mess on the ground into it, allowing him to carry her

“May your suffering have found an end now... you poor misguided child... And may you find peace and rest now...”

He could not just leave her lying there. He would make sure that she got a proper burial, even if Myrefall’s laws would be against this.

But he had hope that Lady Lenne would not deny him this request once he had explained everything to her.

~~~~

[imperialrosenkingarchive-blog]

It was all over now. The Golem had crumbled away with a roar, terrified as its last moments of life were ripped from it. Bodies and blood covered the entire city, and once proud buildings now laid in ruins while others burned from magic and incidents. It was just like with the Dreadnought. At any other time, he would have been disgusted and horrified by the sight and his actions.

Yet Leon felt nothing but pride. He had proven himself as a formidable threat to the world at large, and this time, there were no rebels waiting to blow everything up and kill him in the process.

That left one more task for him to accomplish. He had been very careful not to reveal his name, even to the one warrior who found it necessary to attack him. The poor fool... In the end, it was a futile attempt. Even saving the people would have been a better option than fighting the destruction’s architect.

The only ones who knew his involvement aside from Romulus himself were Lord DeRosso, his lieutenant, Kunsel, and the firestarter, Claire.....and Ashe. That spoiled, idealistic princess turned out to be a traitor in the end, not that the Dark Knight was shocking in any way. He knew she was as bad as Hilda. Their first meeting alone had proven so. No, he would hunt her down, arrest her, and present her to Romulus. That way, he left no loose ends to pull threads from.

Calling a meeting for the entire town, he helped his own soldiers usher the frightened, heartbroken people of the mining city to the remains of the town square. Not many had survived the slaughter, but the few that had seemed to be traumatized and looking for answers, any answers at all that would explain the nightmare they had just endured.

Leon knew their pain well. He knew he could help them at least cope.

“Citizens of Sheffield, this is a day of great loss. Many of our close friends and families have passed on due to invading beasts within our town. The death toll includes most of our dear leaders and standing army as well as all of the Quartier’s family. It will take much time, maybe even years, to rebuild even a semblance of what we have lost.”

“However, it should now sadly be clear Raksana has abandoned us as has Joyce and her heroes. Where were they as their people were slaughtered? Why weren’t any of them fighting off the monsters like the rest of us? The answer is disheartening: survival. As long as the Quartier lives, they can perpetuate their failed religion, even if this means sacrificing her entire family to live.”

“Now, I consider you all like my family. You’ve all taken me in, allowed me to grow and flourish, and for that, I’ve given back to the community. I protected us from bandits and monsters before, and I tried my best to protect innocent lives today. It pains me to know I couldn’t protect enough people.”

“If you would allow me to, I wish to help Sheffield rebuild in any way I can. Allow me to make executive decisions on your behalf and protect you from any and all threats as we move forward. We have lost much, but the world will see our city rise from the ashes without a Quartier or a god. We can become great again, but only if we all work towards that goal. I only wish to act as your shield until we can stand on our own feet again, a shield against the other cities and any outside threats wishing us harm.”

“I understand the fear you all hold while looking into the future. This is not the first time I’ve experienced it myself. However, that’s how I know we can become great. I’ve been felled multiple times, only to pick myself back up and continue on. I feel I can help you do the same. In time, Sheffield will become a powerful city once again. Please trust me.”

Everyone in the audience seemed to ponder his words for what seemed like forever before they began applauding him. They trusted him fully now. Even his lies were believed. This was the final nail in Raksana’s coffin. The town was his, which meant it also belonged to Romulus. His master would be pleased with his success, and he would become the envy of the other villains.

Leon was triumphant. The Dark Knight had finally won.

[sword-of-strife]

Watcher, part 2

Bursts of intense fighting have given the manticore significant injuries. The pincer attack made against it by the duo of a spell fencer and machine gunner proved effective enough to drive the monster away to seek respite. It seemed to have cost the gunner dearly, though, as the man was left disarmed and effectively helpless. "Poor devil," said Cloud dryly. "Poor him? What about poor us?! I'm takin' 'er up!" Biggs called out to Cloud, giving him just enough time to spot the manticore attempting aggressive action against the airship. "I see... So the beasts our side have unleashed are not too picky about their targets. Good thinking, Biggs." Now that the observers have taken to a greater height, all of the immediate battlefield once called a town were visible to their prying eyes: The flora the farmers had planted to the north had come alive. They indiscriminately attacked whoever was in range. Crisis, another acquaintance from previous events, was on the case to mount a defense. The manticore, in its rage, glided to the lowest altitude airship it could find and brought it down. Tifa, the woman who restored more memories to him than Romulus, moved to engage it. Cloud was staggered. This wasn't part of the plan. The monsters were supposed to head to Vayu's Temple! Not devour the people Cloud had planned to free from religion! "Monsters!" Cloud called out hoarsely, not knowing whether or not his voice would carry across the distance and wind, even with shard-augmented volume. "Forget the small fry! Focus on the temple! FOCUS ON THE TEMPLE!" His command looked to be in vain. Well, not like they would listen to him anyway. He was, after all, only Romulus' eyes for this attack. But, he felt he had to do something to minimize civilian casualties... In a dour gait he moved to the nearest speaking tube. "Gentlemen. The monsters are too out of control. Prepare the weapons."

[spellswordkhint]

Monster Slayer

Back on his feet, Khint had spent the past few hours putting out the fire in the fields with bizzard magic and absorbing it with fire. It was tedious, thankless work, and he was getting exhausted as the largest flames stared dying down. The windmills were out of danger for the moment, and some of the crops were salvaged. At least the ash promised good soil for years to come. 

He wiped his brow, removing his headpiece for a moment to fix his hair and try to relieve the sweat beneath it. It didn’t do much, but it was more comfortable when he put his hat back on. What he would give to change clothing, but his uniform kept him from the flames, and protected him from any eventuality of attack.

Speaking of which, there were suddenly monsters flooding into town. He should have expected it. One monster was rarely enough, it had to be a boss, and a bunch of little ones. Little being subjective, of course. The brutes terrorizing the place where still threats. 

He heaved a heavy sigh and knocked back both a potion and an ether, shuttering at their tastes. He could immediately feel the numbing warmth and the return of his energy. It wasn’t much, but it would do well for him as he ran into the town. 

The spellfencer tried to take as many monsters out as he could along the way. The plant-like, thorny creatures were easy enough, cut down by a fire-spelled blade as he went. The muscle-bound brutes, while more resilient and hit much more hard, could be taken out with some individual attention, usually a stab to the neck or a particularly harsh slash. It was the huge mawed, had many squirming tendrils, and it just would not die. 

It took some time, but Khint found out fire was ineffectual. Blizzard would do damage, but not anything spectacular. Lightning, lightning did very well. So that he stayed with. Now with this in mind, he fought off as many monsters as he could, guarding towns folk and getting as many people as he could to safety. It was all he could do for now.

[spellswordkhint]

A brief moment of respite

[Formatted from an rp with edeamun :D]

With the manticore gone, Khint was finally able to take a moment’s rest, chest heaving from the strain. He’d used most of his mana, and while he’d gained some back, he was out of energy. Moreover, the pain from his wounds was rushing back to him. There was a definite possibility he’d dislocated his shoulder, and the pain of a broken rib was evident. With that, and some rather raw, albeit minor, burns, he was in quite a state. And not a state he could deal with himself. 

The spellfencer groaned and forced himself onto his feet, ignoring the shooting agony from various wounds. The beast was gone. To where, he did not know, and somehow that frightened him more than having it right there. It could have gone for the crystal, or nearly as bad, into the countryside, where many defenseless people lived. Like his family.

He made haste toward home, or as much haste as he could manage while lumping and using his scimitar as a cane. He was thankfully not far, having rushed from there to fight the manticore in the first place. The house was untouched, the flames from the battle nor the damage having reached. However, he did see that their neighbors were already fleeing, grabbing their belongings and children as quickly as they could, just in case. 

Reaching his front door, he did not bother to knock, opening it and nearly stumbling inside. “Prell.” 

"Ciggma!" Prell’s call came soon after. She had known something was wrong, had heard the screams and smelled the fire -- and knew that Khint was out there. She could have wept when she heard his voice.

Oh, Vayu, he was...!

"Mommy? Is Daddy home?!" The pitter patter of frantic, stumbling feet could be heard. 

"Keep packing Amira!" The white mage whirled about, barking the order at the daughter who was attempting to make her way downstairs. She could not allow her to see her father like this; she would faint from the fright. "Everything's fine, just keep packing!"

"But Daddy--" "NOW, Amira!" There was a whimper. Then a soft 'okay', and the shuffling became quietier.

Prell shook her head, already pulling Ciggma towards the couch.

"Lie down," she ordered, "and tell me what's happening."

Khint did not protest, nor did he resist, as he was lead quietly toward the couch. He obediently lied down when instructed, tugging off parts of his uniform with audible winces, the fabric sticky with blood and soot. "There was a monster attacking the windmills. It has since fled but..." He responded, voice soft and hoarse from exhuastion and pain. "It was abnormally strong. You and Amira need to flee."

"I know." There was no arguing. "And you need to stay, I'm sure."

Magic flowed forth from her fingertips and radiated down over him like a soft, all-encompassing light slipping into every wound and healing him from the inside-out.

Prell did her best not to break down. She had accepted this sort of thing would happen when she married this man. She would not go back on her vows --both to him, and to herself, to allow him to do what he saw was right.

"You need at least an hour's rest. I know you don't want to hear it, but you've been injured greatly -- the town will survive for an hour without you." Or so she prayed.

He gave a shaky sigh of relief, body relaxing as some of the pain ebbed out of his body. The ache still remained, his body remembering what it felt moments ago, but at least most of his injuries were healed. Only his shoulder remained, and he could pop that back in after some rest.

"...I understand. I know I am not Alnwick's only hero." Prell was right, he was going to remain in this area to protect what was left after the fires and destruction. But she was also right in that he would need some rest before doing anything. An hour of burning may have been a lot, but he couldn't cast any ice magic to put it out, not like this. "I will rest."

Khint turned his gaze from the ceiling to his wife, expression softening at her worry. With as much strength as he could muster, her raised his uninjured arm to touch her face. "Prell. I will be alright. I always am." It wasn't a promise, he couldn't promise. But he was certain he would survive to come home to her.

"You are," she leaned her face against his touch, eyes falling half-lidded but still distressed. "I know you are, but still -- I worry. Amira worries."

"M...Mommy? I finished packing," a timid voice called down from the staircase. "C-Can I see Daddy now?"

Prell flinched, and called up, much more gently, "Yes, darling. Daddy's resting, but he wants to see you. Come here."

The young girl had ran down the staircase (nearly fallen) and buried herself in her father's arms in moments. Crying, words incoherent against his chest.

"I know." Khint briefly stroked her cheek with the tips of his fingers in a gesture of comfort. "And I'm sorry." There was no escaping the situation that they were in. He was a hero, a guard of the crystal and a soldier of Alnwick. It was his duty to fight, and that meant danger.

At the sound of Amira's voice, he forced himself to sit up, looking toward the stairs. He didn't even have a moment to add onto Prell's statement before his daughter launched herself at him, clinging and sobbing. He gave another sigh, softer, kinder and wrapped his arms around her. "Shh... I'm here, Amira. I'm alright. Just tired."

Prell turned away, unable to stand the thought that this might be the last time she had her family all together.

"We'll stay for an hour," she said quietly, moving to the kitchen. "And then you may return. I'll be taking Amira to one of the settlements Edea told us about nearby. I don't trust any of the other towns -- I have a feeling this is happening everywhere."

“It often is.” If one crystal was being attacked, all of them were. The mercenary stroked his daughter’s hair lovingly, trying to soothe her. ”Journey safely.” Even the road to a settlement might have been dangerous at the moment, and he couldn’t bear to wonder about his family’s safety. 

He took the hour given to rest, holding Amira the entire time, murmuring reassurances even as Prell helped him get his shoulder back into place and gather a few items. He couldn’t afford to run out of mana, or not have a potion with him to dull the pain. And he definitely couldn’t afford to leave his daughter crying and worried either, so he would have to do both.

Time passed too quickly, and soon it was time for them to part ways, Khint healed and ready for more battle... to a certain extent, and Amira and Prell packed for their journey. He gave each of them a kiss goodbye, one on the forehead for his daughter and a long, lingering one on the lips for his wife. “I will join you when all this is over.” 

Then they went their separate ways. Khint had some fires to put out, and hopefully a monster to finish off.