“Our petty arguments alter the course of history,” Khailus said. “Thousands of people who shouldn’t know our names. We’re not any better than them.”
“Arguably we’re much worse,” Nikovali said. “But we don’t have anyone to answer to. Only each other.”
BASIC INFO
genre: high fantasy
audience: adult
pov: third person limited, alternating characters
status: first draft
setting: the island of Iottiko (that’s iottiko, not Lottiko), which is divided into two kingdoms
themes & tropes: the price of immortality, the cost of war, the return of magic, lgbt+ characters
content warnings: violence, offscreen SA, suicidal implications
For four hundred years, the island of Iottiko has been ruled by two immortal kings, one in the north and one the south. Four hundred years ago, they had a terrible fight, warred to split the island, and have not spoken since. But a usurper from the mainland has deposed the Northking and, failing to kill him, sent him as a prisoner to his old enemy, the Southking.
CHARACTERS
of the south:
Khailus, the Southking (1300~, he/they)
Maria Elena Sahidur, Khailus’ seneschal (62, she/her)
Lady Corinna Gresis, Khailus’ offical mistress (29, she/her)
the nobility of the south; the Varminus, Fakilius, and Gresis families, among others
of the north:
Nikovali, the deposed Northking (1300~, he/they/she*)
thank you @oh-no-another-idea for tagging me! my words are violent, fist, murder, and black
violent:
“How would you kill him?”
“In this climate, at this time of year? I think I’d just stake him out somewhere and let the cold get him.”
“That’s pretty good,” Nikovali mused, “Not violent enough to make up for what I’ve suffered at his hands, but nice and slow. I want it slow. I want it to take a long time and I want it to hurt.”
fist:
Nikovali ended up sleeping in Khailus’ bed, and for the first time in weeks he slept through the night.
When he woke up, he was nose to nose with Khailus, and for the first time in centuries, he was treated to the sight of Khailus’ face in peaceful sleep, with his fist tucked under his chin and his eyelids flicking with dreams.
murder: (none, which surprised me, so instead we get killed)
“Gods can die,” Nikovali said. “Gods can be killed.”
“A slow death,” Khailus managed to reply.
black:
Nikovali placed two markers on the part of the map that showed the continent, close together, one black and one white. He touched the black one with the tip of his finger. “We were born here,” he said.
Khailus peered at the map. “No?” he objected, “Where’s the river?”
“It dried up,” Nikovali said.
and because i think it’s funny, bonus violence, from my notes:
???[violence. They win]
i’ll tag @awritingcaitlin @pinespittinink @tananaphone @legiomiam and anyone who wants to play, tag me!
your words are paper, shift, watch, giant, and fall
@legiomiam tagged me, thanks! my words are: treasure, shift, yawn, object
treasure(r):
The Southking’s council consisted of Maria Elena; Corinna, who spoke for the aristocrats; General Catoti, who spoke for the army; Admiral Fakilius, who spoke for the navy; Lady Caesi Ursindari; Lord Arsargan Varminus; Lady Teraz Dondian; and Danus Titiavat, his treasurer.
shift:
Khailus’ advisors shifted uncomfortably when he invoked the Lake of the Eye. The lake was in the center of Iottiko, and the island in the center of the lake was both the location of the oldest ruins of the first peoples to inhabit Iottiko, and the site of Khailus and Nikovali’s legendary seven-day duel. Most people regarded it as one part sacred, one part cursed.
yawn: none :(
object:
Nikovali placed two markers close together on the part of the map that showed the continent, one black and one white. He touched the black one with the tip of his finger. “We were born here,” he said.
Khailus peered at the map. “No?” he objected, “Where’s the river?”
“It dried up,” Nikovali said.
i’ll tag @legiomiam (reverse uno) @awritingcaitlin @pinespittinink @sentfromwolves @tananaphone and anyone who wants to play, tag me!
your words are: gaze, land, disagree, fear, and beginning
a double event!! @awritingcaitlin tagged me twice for step, look, broken, warm, and song, plus plan, blink, swore, small, and run
❗️tw for torture/physical abuse under ‘broken.’ it’s a character talking about the past and it’s not graphic but i think it still deserves a tw
step:
“Are we ever going to talk about it?” Khailus asked from behind him.
“Eventually,” Nikovali said. “We have lots of time.”
“I won’t go on pretending everything is fine forever,” Khailus said.
“Nothing is fine, Khailus.”
“You know what I mean, Nikovali.” Khailus stepped closer. “You have until we beat Morolus.”
“That’s not a definite amount of time.”
“But it is an inevitable event. As you just said, we have lots of time. If nothing else, we will outlast him.”
Khailus came even closer, so there was hardly any space between them.
“You and I,” he murmured into Nikovali’s ear.
look:
“Look at him, running around in all that shiny plate. Idiot. I want him knocked off his ugly horse,” Nikovali said, glaring at Morolus.
broken:
“He has an unfortunately comprehensive knowledge of magic,” Illya said. “He understands…what it takes to render a magician helpless. Many of my bones have been broken over these past few months.”
warm heat:
Nikovali’s palace was rich in heavy furniture, sumptuous carpets, and thick tapestries that would have been oppressive in the heat of the South, but in the North made rooms comfortably intimate.
song:
“What about the younger son?” Khailus asked.
“What about him? He’s pretty, but he’s trying too hard,” Nikovali said dismissively.
“You don’t like it? I think he’s cute,” Khailus said.
Nikovali shook his head. “It’s an old song, and I’ve heard it too many times. If you want him, see if he’ll have you. I won’t be indulging either of them anyway,” he said.
plan(ted):
Corinna scoffed and stood up. “You’re two of a kind. Well, some of us can’t stomach it.” She planted a kiss on Khailus’ mouth and swanned out.
Nikovali chuckled under his breath.
“What?” said Khailus, put upon.
“Jealous,” Nikovali drawled.
blink:
“If he hadn’t made it so personal I would’ve just let him keep the crown.” He looked at Khailus. “I was going to abdicate.”
“Eh?” Khailus blinked at him. Nikovali nodded.
“I was going to abdicate in favor of Illya, change my appearance, go south, sneak into your court and see how long it took you to notice me.”
“Oh,” Khailus said, “I did that once.”
swore cursed:
“Hail, Northking,” Khailus said.
Nikovali cursed at him in a language that had been dead for eight centuries. His voice was a dry rasp.
small:
Khailus’ mail arrived. On top of the pile was a small mourning-grey envelope. A little ball of dread formed in Khailus’ stomach. He opened the letter.
There was no message. It was blank except for a signature: Countess Gresis. Corinna’s father was dead.
run:
Nikovali leaned forward and put his hand over Iottiko on the map. “I don’t need this and I don’t particularly want it. I do want to be with you again. I missed you more than you can imagine, Khailus. Let’s run away,” he said. His eyes bored into Khailus’.
i’ll tag @oh-no-another-idea @legiomiam @bebewrites @muddshadow @pinespittinink @tananaphone if you want to play! your words are open, sleep, plain, spread, and movement
