seen from Greece
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Netherlands
seen from United States
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seen from Sweden
seen from United Kingdom
seen from China
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“Masquerade! Grinning yellows, spinning reds. Masquerade! Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you. Masquerade! Burning glances, turning heads. Masquerade! Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you...”
Nargis Vyr attends the Masquerade.
Okay, but what about one of your apprentices and Julian? You wrote how Nargis(I hope I spelled that right) ended up working with Julian, does something happen more between them? Maybe write something about them? Keep up the good work!!~Crow Anon
Bless u anon.Slight NSFW content below!
The bath water was warm, blissfully so, as Julian sankdown into the large tub. He let his eyes drift closed, head falling back againstthe tiles. His muscles ached from standing for so long, carefully drawing andtaking notes on body after body of plague victims. But now- now, he could relaxin the private baths of the palace. Candles were lit, bathing the room in asoft golden glow, making the water look more akin to liquid gold. Shifting, helet himself slip below the surface, wetting his hair down before coming backup. It was then that he noticed the sound of soft footfalls. Brows raising, helooked over his shoulder, a smile curling his lips at the sight of Nargis, cladin only a nearly-sheer robe.
“I hope you don’t mind the intrusion?” She askedsoftly, standing at the edge of the bath.
Julian couldn’t help but let his eyes drift over herfigure slowly, taking in the golden skin revealed to him. “Not at all,” hereplied, whiskey hues settling upon her face. He watched as she smiled, watchedas nimble, henna covered fingers undid the tie to the robe, watched as evenmore skin was revealed to him. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen her undress-Gods, no. But every time took his breath away, just as it did the first time.
Slowly, she stepped into the water, a pleased noiseescaping her at the warmth. She settled down beside her lover, letting her eyesdrift closed for a moment. The baths were a blessing, she was convinced ofthis. “Julian,” she asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had grown betweenthem, “tell me a story from your home.”
The request caught him off guard, making him open hiseyes to study the woman curiously. “A story…?” He mused, head tilting to theside. Well, that he could do. He pulled himself up, suddenly glad that the roomwas just as warm as the bath water. Nargis moved quickly, coming to settle uponhis lap. He let out an amused noise as his hands settled upon her hips, hishead tilting back as her fingers began to drift through damp, red curls.
“A story.” Sheagreed softly, leaning down to press a kiss to the corner of his lips. “I’msure you have plenty.” Her words were whispered against the skin of his jaw,sending a pleasant shiver down his spine. Clearing his throat, he closed hiseyes.
“It was told that there were once dragons that roamedthe mountains that surround the salt flats,” he began as she started to washhis hair for him, massaging the scented soap into the curls. “Beautiful creatures.They lived far from humanity, high in the mountains. You’d have to travel twodays into the pass just to get to the uninhabited areas.” He paused, raising abrow as she dumped water over his head. “Thanks for the warning.”
“Your welcome,” she replied with a soft laugh,brushing his hair back from his face to steal a kiss.
“They say a man went, once. He was going to find thedragons, and he was going to bring one back. This man was strong, the strongesthunter in the village, with blond hair and friendly blue eyes. He was loved byall, and feared by his enemies.” A smile curled his lips as Nargis settleddown, resting her head upon his shoulder. His hands drifted up from her hips,tracing over the ink upon her spine, the moon phases he’d memorized after manynights spent together.
“So he left, and walked for two days up the mountainpass, before he found the first sign of dragons. The trees were bent, broken,stunted- wrong in every way,” Nargis’ hand came up, tracing nonsensicalpatterns upon his chest. “He followed the winding path up the mountain. Now,normally, wildlife would be everywhere you looked- birds, foxes, wolves. Butnone were here. The forest was silent. He could tell dark magic had been atplay. The path lead to a cave- a large, dark cave, beside a waterfall. He spentthe night at the opening of the cave, waiting, listening.”
“Did he hear anything?”
“No,” Julian shook his head. “But the next morning, asdawn broke, he was overcome with the sudden urge to leave. But he stayed, andwaited, and watched as the darkness moved. And from it, came a dragon, black asnight, with eyes as red as blood. It is told that his wings were so large, theyblocked out the sun. The dragon did not attack him, but instead sat and watchedhim. It was then that the man realized these beasts could not be tamed. Theywere no pets. They had been here far before humans had, and would be here longafter.
“The man left after, but he left changed, for while hewas asleep, the magic took hold of him. It changed his appearance, his skinpaling, his eyes becoming green instead of blue, and his hair took the color offire. When he returned, no one recognized him. He left the village that night,never to be seen again. It’s said that those born with red hair have beentouched by fire, much like that man had been touched by magic.” Julianfinished, looking down at Nargis as she sat up.
“Touched by fire…?” She asked, before a smirk curledher lips. Reaching past Julian’s head, she took hold of one of the candles and,slowly, let the wax pour out, dripping along his chest. A hiss of pain andpleasure left Julian, his eyes darkening.
“Ouch.” Hemuttered, lips pulling into a smirk. “That hurt.”
“I’ve seen pirate ships, and merchants with more goldthan anyone else, but I’ve never seen a dragon. Have you seen one?”
“A pirate ship?” Julian asked, confusion evident inhis voice.
“No!” Nargis laughed, leaning forward to bump her noseagainst his. “A dragon.”
“No,” Julian replied, pulling back with a frown. “I’ve never seen one. My Babushka claims she did, many years ago. But I’ve never seen one.” Nargis pouted as she wrapped her arms around Julian’s shoulders. “But I’ll tell you what I have seen. Men who wear paint upon their faces onto the field of battle, who wear their hair long and in braids. They never cut it, unless they lose a battle.”
“Maybe you should grow your hair out,” she teased, tugging on the strands at the back of his head.
“No.” Julian shook his head, chuckling. “I don’t think I will.” Nargis shifted in his lap, drawing forth a soft gasp from his lips. Her jade hues narrowed in mischief as she repeated the gesture, making his fingers drag down her back slowly to grip her hips once more.
“You’re nothing but trouble,” she murmured as she caught his lips in a kiss, the movements of her hips causing waves to begin within the water of the tub. “But I love trouble.”
“And trouble loves you,” Julian replied as he held tight to her hips, rising from the bath. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her out, a laugh bubbling up out of her.
Fifteen Years.
"You need to listen to me, Gissie!" Her mother hissed out, crouching down before the shaking nine year old girl. Outside of the hidden room, she could hear screams, could smell the smoke, smell... Something putrid. Overcooked. Her mother was terrified- her eyes were big, and green, and full of terror. She'd never seen her mother look like that before. "Take the tunnels below the manor. They'll lead you out to the river. There is a man waiting there for you- he'll take you to safety." The sound of voices- loud, laughing, deep, bellowed from beyond the doorway. Closer.
"And remember, mama loves you. Mama loves you so much, my precious girl." She pressed a quick kiss against her forehead, before hugging her close. "My little tiger lily. Grow strong, grow brave." With that, she pushed her into the tunnel, thrusting a candle into her hands. "Go!"
"Mama-" Nargis began, only to be cut off as the hidden door was slammed shut. She stood there for a moment, listening as the voices suddenly spilled into the room. Her mother was talking, yelling. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she listened, small, bare feet leading her backwards slowly.
"Where's the girl?"
"Gone. Long gone by now."
"Liar. Check the rooms!"
"You will burn in the seven hells for those you have killed upon this night." She'd never heard her mother sound so angry. "And I will see you to the gates." Even though she was standing against the back wall by now, well over fifty feet from the hidden door, she could feel the heat from the sudden explosion that came from within the room. The sound of men's screams echoed through the stone passage way, but above that, she could hear her mother- laughing.
She dropped the candle and ran.
The tunnels were dark, cold. The ground was more dirt than stone the further she ran. How long it took for her to reach the opening, she didn't know. But as she looked over her shoulder, she could see the yellow glow from the fires that consumed her home. She could hear voices, too. Crying, some laughing, a lot of screaming. Tripping over a fallen branch, she landed upon her rear. The tears hadn't stopped falling, but she couldn't remain. She had to go- like mama said. She had to go.
Scrabbling to her feet, she took off in a sprint, running as fast as her little legs could take her. She'd been faster than the other children at court, and could find her way through the thick jungle with surprising ease. Her mother said she was a tigress, that the jungle was her home. Now, it felt far too true. She stumbled again, falling upon her hands and knees, and froze as soft footfalls reached her. This was it. This was the end.
Jade hues widened as she looked up and into the face of a tiger.
It was big. Bigger than the cats kept at court. Its eyes were gold, and it's fur looked soft. It didn't attack- even as Nargis sat up. It sat upon its haunches and watched. Waiting. For what? She didn't know, but she had to go. There was a boat... Where was the river? "I need to go. Mama said I need to go. Where is the river?" She asked the feline. It's head tilted, as if it understood, and it rose up, turning around and beginning to walk away, into the thicket. It paused, looking back at her- beckoning her.
She followed.
She should have grabbed shoes; she could feel the open cuts upon the soles of her feet. But she didn't stop; she continued to follow the tiger through the jungle, until the sky began to lighten, and the sound of water running became clearer. She could see out of the jungle, at long last. The tiger sat down and looked at her, golden gaze deep and full of an emotion she couldn't name. And in that moment, she knew- this was her mother's way of guiding her. Shaking fingers reached out, brushing through the thick fur beneath the tiger's chin. It's eyes closed, and it made a noise- chuffing, she remembered. Their way of purring. It did it again, and leaned into her palm, before standing and stepping closer.
Gently placing it's forehead against her own.
It chuffed once more, and made a noise full of longing and sorrow. A moment passed before it pulled away, only to pass a dry, sandpapery tongue over her cheeks, licking her tears away. With that, it backed away before turning and taking off in a run into the jungle, disappearing from view, leaving her alone.
She stumbled through the vines at the edge of the jungle, and relief washed over her at the sight of the boat. The man stood up quickly and gestured to her, and she ran, all but collapsing into it. He pushed away from the bank, and began to row them away. As she sat, covered in a blanket, she heard the roar of a tiger. It was long, and loud, full of anger and sorrow and an emotion her nine year old mind couldn't name.
Shaky fingers reached up to grasp the amulet around her throat; her mother's necklace. A snake, with emeralds for eyes. She could still smell smoke in the air as their boat reached the mouth of the river, leading them into the beginnings of the cannals. The man told her to lay down, and rest. She obeyed, settling down. Sleep came over her before she realized it.
━━━━━━━━━━━━
A gasp escaped Nargis as she sat up, eyes wide, heart hammering within her chest as if she'd run a marathon. Her cheeks were damp with tears, causing her hair to stick to them. Shaky fingers clung to the amulet around her throat as she pulled her knees to her chest. Julian hadn't stayed. He'd been busy, dealing with the plague lately. She was alone in the shop.
No, not alone.
She became acutely aware of eyes staring at her. Jade hues opened, and widened in surprise and terror. Sitting at the edge of her bed was a tiger. Large, female. Golden eyes watching her intelligently. It didn't move, and she didn't, either. She couldn't feel magic in the air, couldn't detect and sort of spell. But the amulet was warm, almost scalding. The tiger chuffed once, before turning and walking out of the bedroom, down the stairs. She sat still, holding her breath, and listened as the door to the shop opened, and then closed.
The sun was just starting to rise.
Closing her eyes, she let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. Sitting there, alone, her mind began to calm. There was no way she could go back to sleep, not now. Rising from the bed, she slipped the jade silken robe over her black nightgown and made her way downstairs, feeding the fire salamander who started up the stove for her. She set the tea kettle atop, and moved to the front of the shop, studying it. The door...
Was locked. As it had been the night before.
A chill danced across her skin as she turned and quickly retreated to the kitchen, then further back, into the back room where she would read the cards. Cards, which had already been set out. Cards, which she knew she had put away after cleansing them. The Magician, the High Priestess, the Hanged Man, and the Moon were all facing the right direction. Only one was reversed- the Wheel of Fortune. Jaw clenching, she quickly gathered the Arcana together, putting them away and pointedly ignoring the way they spoke to her all at once. Urgent. Worried. Fear.
Her gaze traveled away, towards the bundle of blankets on the edge of the booth. Atop them sat a single box, her name written in Asra's familiar handwriting. Her throat tightened as she realized what day it was. Fifteen years prior, her birthday celebration took place. Fifteen years had passed since she'd last seen her home, her mother, her family and friends.
Fifteen years since her world changed.
The recurring headache she'd been battling returned, throbbing through her skull. Wincing, she made her way to the kitchen just as the kettle began to whistle. Pouring herself a cup of peppermint tea, she paused, brows furrowing as she quickly turned. She could have sworn someone had been standing behind her. Or something. Shaking her head, she resumed pouring her tea, before setting the kettle aside and taking her mug back upstairs.
She was twenty-four today. The masquerade would take place in little over a fortnight. The Red Plague was still at large.
The mug fell to the wood floor, shattering, as Nargis stared at the bedroom. Nothing major had been changed, other than the Arcana deck sitting upon her pillow. The same Major Arcana were splayed out carefully upon the blankets. Her hands shook as she approached, only to freeze once more. The amulet was nearly scaling with how hot it had grown.
She turned on her heel and darted back downstairs. She barely managed to change out of her clothes before she had left the shop, hastily pulling her cloak around her shoulders. The world was too bright; it hurt her eyes. Her head was swimming, spinning; she stumbled as she walked. She barely made it to the gates of the palace before she collapsed.
Tears were rolling down her cheeks. No... Not tears. As she lifted her hands to her face, she knew. The world was tinted red, and the tears she felt were not of the normal clear variety, but of blood.
The Arcana, the tiger, everything had been a warning.
A warning come too late.
Salva Me, II
Author’s Note: And so we’re back. Part II of IV. This chapter focuses mainly on Julian and Nargis. Next chapter is where the drama begins. I also had to cut down the spicyness because I just was NOT happy with how it was turning out, so, sorry. Warnings: None Rating: Mature Characters: Julian Devorak, Nargis Vyr, Quaestor Valdemar, Count Lucio, Nadia Satrinava Word Count: 2939 Part I can be found Here!
“What do you think?” Julian asked softly as they made their way down into the dungeons of the palace. Four months had passed since Asra had left, since Nargis had begun to work with the doctor, two months since she’d begun joining him within the dungeons. The scent that drifted towards them never failed to give her pause, to make her nose scrunch up in disgust. Stagnant, dried blood, must, vomit, and gods know what else. It made a chill dance upon her skin.
“I’m not sure… The sudden influx could mean that the plague can be carried by other animals, perhaps?” She replied, shoulders rising in a shrug. “I don’t think any of us can be certain…” She trailed off as they entered into the antechamber, hanging up their jackets and coats in lieu of pulling the aprons, gloves, and mask on. She could already hear Valdemar talking, whether it be to themself or to someone else, she wasn’t sure. Stepping into the makeshift doctor’s office, she spotted the Quaestor easily. “Good morning, Quaestor Valdemar,” she greeted cheerfully, moving towards the vivisection table, and the body that lay upon it.
“Don’t touch it,” Valdemar warned, feet moving silently across the stone floor. “It arrived this morning before even I was down here. The guards said it was dead when they found it.” It, referring to the body. Julian cringed, nose wrinkling up in distaste at the way the other referred to the dead. “While I would love to study this one, I’m afraid…” They trailed off, gesturing to the body. It was swelled up from sitting in the heat, and Nargis had the feeling is she tried to cut into it, it would pop like a balloon. “This one will be sent straight to Lazaret. A shame, really.”
Turning from the body, Nargis made her way towards the table meant for students, studying the papers strewn about its surface. “Quaestor, I’ve a question.” She called, drawing their attention once more. “Would it be possible for the plague to jump from one host species to another?” She asked as she pulled herself up onto one of the unoccupied, and thankfully lean, vivisection tables, legs crossing beneath her. “I’m just wondering, since the plague seems to have been spreading more rapidly recently.”
Valdemar paused, ruby hues sparkling in the torchlight as they considered her question. “There… Is a possibility. I hadn’t even thought of that, actually.” Head tilting to the side, they stepped closer, lost in their own world. “It is entirely possible, given how it had already jumped from the original host- the beetles. But I pose you a separate question, now: how.” They countered, leaning against the table. “How would it be able to jump?”
“A mutation?” Julian spoke up, looking up from the drawing he was working on of the bloated body upon the table. “It’d be the only way, unless the plague was able to jump from host species to host species from the very beginning, and only chose to start jumping now that there are more species around?”
“You phrase that as if the virus could think,” Valdemar mused, lacing their fingers beneath their chin. “So, my lovely students, tell me: do you believe that a virus can think? That is has some form of intelligence?”
“I don’t see why not,” Julian replied, shrugging. “How else would it know to move on from one host to another once the original host begins to die?”
“I agree- there has to be some form of intelligence there. A will to survive- no, a need to survive. It feels the host start to die, and it breeds. It’s done its job there, now it’s time to move on to the next living thing.” Nargis agreed, leaning forward to study Valdemar’s face. “Right?”
“… Possibly.” Valdemar replied softly, sighing. “But that still doesn’t explain who it targets the most. From what we’ve seen, anyone is at risk. There’s no targeted age range, gender… It’s interesting.” They all but purred, obviously pleased with the turn of events. “At any rate, you aren’t needed now. Unless you wish to carry the body?”
“Nope!” The pair quickly answered, all but startling the quaestor with how loud their voices were. “I need to go to the market anyway. Join me, Julian.” Nargis all but demanded, sliding off of the table to the ground. “Have a good day, Quaestor!” She called over her shoulder as she quickly left, more than ready to see the sun again. The sound of Julian jogging after her made her grin as she pulled the apron over her head, quickly replacing it with the deep emerald jacket.
“Market? Didn’t you just go yesterday?” Julian asked as they ascended the steps, still buttoning his coat up. Fall had descended upon Vesuvia, and with it came the biting cold wind from the sea.
Nargis grinned, nodded. “I did, but did you honestly want to be stuck down there all day with a bloated body?”
“… Good point.” With that, the pair made their way through the palace, ready to head back into town when the sound of footsteps gave them pause. Glancing over their shoulders, the sight of Nadia and Lucio made them freeze in place.
Nargis reacted faster than Julian did, quickly turning on her heel and dropping into a curtsey. “My lord, my lady.” She greeted as Julian quickly dropped into a bow beside her. Raising gracefully, her lips spread into an easy smile as they approached. “Are you enjoying the cooler weather?”
“Cold. It’s cold.” Nadia corrected with a grimace, while Lucio let out a laugh.
“It feels better than the boiling heat of the summer,” Lucio replied as he reached out, taking Nargis’ hand in his gloved on and brushing a kiss to her knuckles, watching as her eyes widened and blood filled her cheeks.
“Of course. What are you two up to today?” Nargis asked as her hand was released. Swallowing thickly, she kept her hand close to herself. “It’s getting close to the solstice- do you plan on holding another party?”
Nadia swept closer, an arm wrapping around Nargis’ waist. “Of course we are. Come, walk with us- both of you.” Without waiting for an answer, Nadia pulled Nargis along, surprising the girl. She glanced over to Julian, who looked just as surprised as she did. “We plan on holding it in a fortnight. You will attend, won’t you?”
Nargis nearly stumbled as she kept up with Nadia’s pace. “Of course, my lady. I wouldn’t dream of missing it. I just… Need to find a dress.” She realized, inwardly cursing herself for not thinking of that earlier.
“Nonsene,” Nadia cut her off with a raised brow. “I will have my tailor fix you a dress.”
“My lady-”
“Nadia.”
“Nadia, you don’t need to do that…” Nargis replied, brows furrowed in confusion.
“Nonsense,” Lucio cut in, drawing her attention towards the Count. “It’s the lease we can do for you two, with all you’ve been doing, trying to find a cure for the plague.”
“You both will be outfitted in the best fabrics. We can’t have you two looking drab, now can we?” Nadia teased, pulling away from Nargis elegantly. “Well, if you’ll excuse us, we have some planning to finish. Come, lover.” With that, Nadia swept away, Lucio following after but not before giving the pair a mischievous smirk.
“… That was…”
“Odd?” Julian offered, brows raised as they watched the royals walk away.
“Yes. Odd.” Nargis stood a moment longer before turning, heading back towards the entrance. “Coffee?”
Julian trailed after, his arm finding it’s home around her shoulders. “Yes, please.” He replied with a grin as they headed into the cold wind. Though, he paused, causing Nargis to halt.
“What-?” She asked, looking over at him, only to see him looking up towards the sky, a small smile on his lips. It was nothing like the normal, rowdy smirks or mischief filled grins, but sad. Soft. Frowning, she looked up, and watched as snow fell. “Oh.” She whispered, surprised. “Are you okay, Julian?” She asked, reaching up to cup his cheek, turning his face back down to her. Thumb stroking the skin beneath his eye, she watched as he blinked back tears.
“I’m fine, dorogoy. It… Simply reminded me of home. Let’s get coffee, da?” He brushed it away, pulling her close once as he led her off the palace grounds. It left her wondering, however, just where he came from.
“Julian?”
“Yes?”
“… Never mind.”
•"тo вegυιle тнe тιмe, looĸ lιĸe тнe тιмe. вear welcoмe ιn yoυr eye, yoυr нand, yoυr tongue. looĸ lιĸe тн’ ιnnocenт ғlower, вυт вe тнe ѕerpenт υnder ’т.“
About|Laws|Ask
Hello! This is a permanent starter call for Nargis Vyr, an original character from The Arcana! Her background can be found here!
•Crossovers, original characters, and alternate universes welcomed!! •All genres are welcome! •Do not instigate smut/nsfw themes if you are below the age of 18! •Liking/Reblogging this post means that you will receive a message from me (where I’ll probably bug the living hell out of you) where we can start talking!
╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮ •"Look like th'innocent flower,
but be th'serpent beneath ’t.“• ╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯
naмe: Nargis Vyr ғace claιм: cιndy ĸιмвerly ━━━━━━━━━━━━ вιograpнιcal ιnғorмaтιon ━━━━━━━━━━━━
нoмe: Vesuvia
age: 24
вιrтнday: 7/23
zodιac: Leo
aғғιlιaтιon(ѕ): Asra
occυpaтιon(ѕ): Nurse, Fortune Teller, Occasional Snake Charmer
━━━━━━━━━━━━ pнyѕιcal deѕcrιpтιon ━━━━━━━━━━━━
race: Human
gender: Female
нaιr color: Black
eye color: Jade
мarιтal ѕтaтυѕ: Single
orιenтaтιon: Pansexual
weapon(ѕ): A hidden knife she keeps strapped to her wrist via release mechanism disguised as a thick bracelet.
ѕpecιal мarĸιngѕ: Tattoo of the moon phases trailing down her spine.
━━━━━━━━━━━━ ғavorιтeѕ ━━━━━━━━━━━━
ғood: Lemon tarts
drιnĸ: Strawberry wine
ғlower: Tiger Lily
━━━━━━━━━━━━ perѕonalιтy ━━━━━━━━━━━━
•Confident; she’s been practically bred to ooze confidence, always keeping her shoulders squared and chin high, a knowing gleam in her eye. She knows she draws attention, and uses it to her advantage.
•Slightly narcissistic- it /is/ what her name means, after all. She basks in any attention, and feels put off when she isn’t in the center of attention. Which is why she dances in the square for spare change, but mostly for the attention.
•She loves spending time around Nadia, even if she’s partly doing it to keep her gaze away from Julian and his supposed crime. Despite this, she does truly enjoy Nadia’s company. And the gifts… She’s a sucker for good silks, especially emeralds and golds.
•Julian is cute; she loves making his cheeks turn red. When she found out about his penchant for pain, she was all too thrilled.
•Asra… She owes so much to him. He helped her hone in her magical talents, and gave her shelter when she needed it most.
•Lucio… Is fun. She enjoys talking with the Count, or occasionally gossiping when he has the time. She also enjoys teasing and toying with him, despite how dangerous a game it is.
•Gossip is her forte. Catch her slipping through the market, listening in and adding in her own two cents occasionally.
•Despite her looks, she’s a terrifying fighter. She’s adept in many different forms of fighting (kick boxing and jujitsu being the main ones), as well as being deadly with a blade. She has no issue with drawing out her knife if she’s threatened. Blood has been spilt by the blade before.
━━━━━━━━━━━━ нιѕтory ━━━━━━━━━━━━
•Her mother, Anastasia, was a Lady from a distant country, and her father, Zane, was a doctor. They met whenever he was traveling through, heading home to Vesuvia, and he lent her aid during her older sister’s sudden delivery. They married after Zane proved himself worthy to Anastasia’s father. However, the two separated shortly after Nargis’ birth; Anastasia took Nargis back home for almost fourteen years, allowing her to grow up within the courts. Anatasia’s family held magic within their veins, and it passed down to Nargis. Her mother taught her all she knew- minor spells, sleight of hand. A month before she would make her official debut at court, the city was attacked, and Nargis was taken by one of her mother’s guards and brought to Vesuvia. She doesn’t know what ever happened to her mother, if she lived or not. It was awkward, at first- having to bond with a man she barely knew, but she took to him whenever her began to teach her the art of medicine. When the Red Plague started to show up, he left Vesuvia to aid in smaller villages; he’s still alive, as far as she knows.
•She met Asra when she was fifteen, as he and Muriel ran through the market. They ended up hiding in her stall as the men chasing them ran past, and she allowed them to stay until the coast was clear. Her knack for sleight of hand came in handy whenever it came to dealing with rude customers. While they were looking at the jewelry she had created, she’d slip something off of them, and they were none the wiser. She’d later sell what she had taken for extra cash. This drew Asra in, and as the years passed, they grew closer. He began to aid her in furthering her magic, and how to read the cards.
•She kept her stall in the market until Asra asked her to help him with his shop. She enjoyed working in the shop, and enjoyed working with Asra even more. She did grow fond of him, even as far as gaining a form of romantic feelings for him, though they were nowhere near strong enough to call it “love”.
•She gained a friendship with Nadia and Lucio due to attending the Court with Asra, growing closer to the latter rather than the former. She enjoyed his presence, and enjoyed spending time with him; she saw past the arrogance. Due to her history within the Courts, she was able to fall into place easily, enjoying her time with the other courtiers. Though she held no title nor official rank, she found herself welcomed amongst the other guests that frequented court.
•She did enjoy speaking with Nadia, but she often found herself drawing a blank on how, precisely, to speak with her. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her- she just did not know how to address her.
•She and Asra lived together for a few years, growing closer, mutual feelings developing. However, whenever their argument occurred, she found herself alone. Asra had left, after she had told him to “run, like you always do”.
•She took up work with Julian, being a valuable extra set of hands. She could suture wounds and reset broken bones, as well as having gained a knowledge of how the plague worked. She joined him in the dungeons of the Palace, learning under Quaestor Valdemar, and taking notes of how the plague affected the human body.
NFWMB
Three years before Nargis becomes infected with the plague.
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"This isn't a good idea," Asra whispered, hand clutching Nargis' black cloak. She knew it wasn't, but having caught Asra in the middle of a fight, having seen the damage done to his face- it caused a rage to build up within her. Her skin felt hot, tight, as if it didn't fit quite right. The amulet at her throat burned hotter with every passing moment as they slipped through alleyways, trying to lose the men on their tail.
And failing, as she could hear their voices echoing.
"Asra, I want you to know that I care for you. And if we survive this, I'm going to kick you ass all the way to the salt flats. Understand?" She hissed beneath her breath, hearing Asra let out a snort behind her. Eyes widening as their footsteps came to a skidding halt, she shared at the wall before her. No, this couldn't be right. She had been so sure she'd come the right way! The docks should here, not a dead end! Spinning around, golden gaze sweeped across the entrance of the alleyway. "What did these men want, exactly?"
"Me." Asra answered, standing straighter despite the pain that danced across his face. "I may or may not owe them a debt that I haven't paid." He didn't need to see her face to know the disapproving look she wore. "I needed some way to open the shop!"
"You could have asked me. I would have helped. You know I have a dowry-"
"Well, well. Seems like we've finally caught you, magician. And look, there's a pretty little birb with him!" The man sneered, trench coat billowing behind him as he stalked forward, his two henchmen trailing behind him.
"Asra, stay behind me." Nargis murmured, throwing a hand out to stop the other from stepping forward. A hiss escaped him as her hand touched his chest; her skin felt impossibly hot. Was she okay? "Tell me what he owes you, and I may let you out of this alley alive." She called out, confidence oozing from her as she squared her shoulders.
"Blood for blood, sweetums. He owes us money, he never paid his debt, he'll pay in blood." The man replied, giving her a sickly grin; his teeth were dark, rotting, his skin a pallid yellow. Disgusting.
A hum escaped Nargis as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Afraid I can't let that happen, boys." She cooed, and Asra could just hear the hiss of one of her hidden blades being draw.
"Nargis!" He hissed, but she ignored it.
"I don't wanna hurt you, little bird, but-"
"I'm gonna stop you right there." She interrupted, pulling the hood of her cloak back, revealing her face, and the cold grin that pulled at the corners of her lips. "I'm no parakeet." With that, she lunged, the cloak falling to the cobblestone beneath their feet. Asra watched in surprise and horror as she struck with deadly accuracy, slamming her fist into the man's sternum hard enough to have him gasping and coughing. Before his henchmen could react, she spun, her leg flying out to hit the one with the missing eye across the jaw, whipping his head around. The other one reached out, grasping her forearm, only let out a yell of pain as she slammed her palm into his chest.
Asra felt his gut drop out beneath him in horror.
The man looked at Nargis in confusion as he fell to his knees before falling forward, dead. As she turned, she faced the remaining two, watching them, hunting them as if she were a tigress. And in that moment, she was; her golden eyes seemed darker, more animalistic than Asra had ever seen them look, her body settled into a low crouch. The one-eyed man lunged out again, only to fall short, a disgusting, gurgling sound leaving him as he rolled onto his back, bright scarlet leaking from his lips. Nargis retracted her hand, the tips of her fingers damp with life's essence.
The last man stood still, frozen in place by fear.
"Run." Nargis commanded, watching him jump. "Run, and don't come back. If you tell anyone of what you've seen, I will know, and you will not survive the night. You have until sunrise tomorrow to be out of the city. If I hear that you're still here, what happened to them will be nothing compared to what I will do to you."
The man didn't hesitate as he ran out of the alley, leaving the bodies behind. Nargis frowned, gaze following after him. Asra stood silently, staring at the bodies that Nargis had...
She'd killed them. Without her blade. With just a touch.
"How?" He asked, grabbing her discarded cloak before approaching her slowly. "How did you do that? You never told me that you had magic-"
"My mother was a powerful magician. I come from across the sea; I'm not just a doctor's daughter. I'm, in all technicality, a duchess. But what's a duchess without a kingdom, without her people? They were murdered when I was a child, and I would have been killed too had my mother not sacrificed herself. She'd used all of her magic to become the living embodiment of a phoenix, and set the manor and the men who wanted us dead ablaze." She explained, voice oddly calm despite what had just transpired. "This amulet I wear is my mother's, and her mother's, and so on and so forth. It has been in my family since the beginning. I'm a magician- had my mother not been killed, I would have become an enchantress."
Asra let her words sink in, brows furrowing over troubled lilac hues. "So, you mean to tell me that you come from a long line of magicians-"
"Enchanters."
"Enchanters," he corrected, "and that you're a duchess to a minor kingdom across the sea that was slaughtered, leaving you to be the only remaining member?" It sounded ridiculous, like a fairy tale, but as Asra studied Nargis' face, a chill came over him. There was no humor in her eyes, only pain. "By the Gods."
"And we need to go before someone catches us." She reached out, grabbing hold of his arm and pulling him along, out of the alley. She paused long enough for Asra to drape the cloak over her shoulders before taking off in a light jog.
"That thing you did- how...?"
"The heart stopping?" She asked for clarification, glancing over to see her companion nod. "It's an old trick I was taught as a kid to protect myself. You channel your magic into your palm, build it up, and release it into their chest. It causes the heart to speed up before stopping completely. Instant death."
"And the other man? The blood?"
"I flooded his lungs with his own blood." Came the simple answer as they neared the market, their steps slowing. "I focused on the feeling of... Of drowning. Liquid filling his lungs." She whispered as she linked her arm with Asra's, a calm smile upon her lips despite the tension he could feel in her arm.
Lips pulled into a frown, Asra kept his gaze focused ahead, though he wasn't truly seeing anything. "We'll talk about this whole... Thing. When we get back to the shop." He decided, listening to the agreeing sound Nargis released.
Just who was he falling for?
