Witness True Strength

"They will regret opposing me..." An Indie roleplay blog for the League of Legends champion Darius. Both mun and muse are 18+. NSFW friendly. OC friendly. Crossover friendly. Multi-ship. (Theme possibly under construction until I figure out how to make things prettier.)

[thesymbolofnoxus]

(cantankerous-bastard) The Cantankerous Cavalier would sneer a bit as he'd eye up the massive (compared to him) Darius, the yordle not showing a sliver of fear in front of the axe-wielding warrior. "Ey buddy, how's ya doin' working under ol' Birdbrains, ey?" he'd ask with a shit-eating grin, slouching off atop his mount, Skaarl.

It almost seemed as if Darius hadn’t noticed the Yordle at first. It was hard to miss his voice; he was quite loud despite his size and Skaarl was not hard to miss. The warrior crossed his arms.

“…Fine. As long as progress is made under his direction, things are fine.” he replied, answer not quite giving away any details.

@cantankerous-bastard //

[thesymbolofnoxus]

Darius had a mostly neutral stance on whether he liked the presence of yordles, considering he did not often interact with them. Kled, however, gradually lowered that feeling. He was loud and brash more so than most, but he would tolerate his company for the moment, seeing as all he wanted was to talk.

So far.

“No one is hiding anything.” the general replied. “I’ve no reason to hid anything. But I also have no reason to disclose anything with you, either.” What would the other even do with such information? Arms crossed tighter over his chest, Darius gave a quiet huff. “I’m sure you’ve been too busy with your own things to notice.” Darius was exhibit A, of course.

[cantankerous-bastard]

“Bullcrap!” Kled instantly called out on that Darius, and Noxus in-general, was not hiding anything. He knew they were, dangit! He knew! Who was it that survived weeks of tormenting experiments in the Noxian dungeons, at the hands of Zaunite mad-men, after all? It sure as hell wasn’t Darius! “Now you listen ‘ere, ya bird-brain lapdog, an’ listen good!” he growled, teeth baring.

“Kled’s go’ his eye on you, yes ‘e does! An’ I will find out tha’ instant yer tryin’ to hide things from me! THA’ INSTANT!” his hand twitching and spasming, eager to reach for his Pocket Pistol and just blast Darius’ skull off, but even he knew the consequences of such actions. “Noxus ain’ what it used t’be. Even you know it, rookie…” he growled later. Calling Darius a ‘rookie’? Well, for someone who was as old as Noxus itself, having been there since its infancy, he sure felt he had credibility enough to hurl such an insult.

[thesymbolofnoxus]

The general was almost, quite literally, a brick wall when it came to the insults the other threw. They didn’t bother him one bit and, to be honest, his yelling could almost be drowned out if he thought hard enough. But the moment his skill seemed to be questioned, he quirked a brow, paying a bit more obvious attention than he had been. Darius frowned, eyes narrowing just slightly.

“...Perhaps not. The reason I do what I do is so we grow stronger. I’ve been out on the field and in battle longer than you think.” While Darius didn’t quite know the age of the yordle before him, he did know enough that he had enough experience to rival most of Noxus. Perhaps.

[light-misguided-blog]

Could it all be over now?

[thesymbolofnoxus]

The very fact alone that she could summon even that much of an argument had the giant quirk a brow, irritation rising from within very slowly. With where she was currently, could Lux really afford angering him again? Not that he would have time to offer too much of a rebuttal, the excuse fading away with her statement.

“No. No it doesn’t.” he replied firmly, eyes cold for only just a second.

“You will take over everything he had. I will show you where you will work, what you will do. You will probably have most of, if not all of, his belongings and I’m sure you’ll find something to do with… that…”

His eyes point to the bird. He keeps the glance brief.

“There was an event for his swearing in. I will assume we will skip that for you.” The last thing they needed was a public ceremony for this situation.

[light-misguided-blog]

Beatrice, for the record, is not one of Swain’s former ‘belongings’. She makes it a point to contradict that thought as soon as it pops into Lux’s head.

The demonic interruption distracts her well enough from dwelling for too long on the idea of inheriting anything that Swain has touched, so she merely nods curtly as Darius goes on, immediately agreeing with his assumption.

“I think that would be best.”

The fewer opportunities the Noxian public have to assassinate her or form a lynch mob, the better.

“And, well. When the news reaches Demacia…?” She has absolutely no idea how to handle that. “I am, um, technically still engaged.” She pauses. “To the Prince.” She looks vaguely troubled by the statement.

And, if crows could look amused…

[thesymbolofnoxus]

“Yes. It would be.” 

And from the look of it, it seemed the very same idea popped into Lux’s head the moment he thought of the suggestion. Swain’s death was already unexpected and unfortunate for the city-state. To have another Grand General sworn in and slain by any means, even though this was a Demacian, would make everything that much harder. Darius was in no mood.

Darius had opened his mouth to speak, but promptly paused at the admission of her engagement. Agitation bubbled within him. It seemed as if the woman was dead set on making the situation much more complicated than it needed to be.

“Then it’d be best to inform him of the situation, wouldn’t it?”

The words were not meant to be as cold as they were spoken, but the warrior let them slip, glancing away from him.

“It changes nothing.”

[lampstrike-deactivated20181123]

Darius, General of the Noxian army and sometimes personal secretary of the Grand General. Come on, even fearsome warriors need to deal with paperwork every now and then.

@thesymbolofnoxus I hear this might be relevant to you. :P (I put all blame on @a-former-spellthief)

[thesymbolofnoxus]

“...They don’t pay me nearly enough for this...”

LOOK AT HOW SMALL THE DESK IS I’M// AND THE AXE PROPPING THE PAPERS UP THIS IS ACTUALLY INCREDIBLE// YOU ARE WONDERFUL//

[thesymbolofnoxus]

(cantankerous-bastard) The Cantankerous Cavalier would sneer a bit as he'd eye up the massive (compared to him) Darius, the yordle not showing a sliver of fear in front of the axe-wielding warrior. "Ey buddy, how's ya doin' working under ol' Birdbrains, ey?" he'd ask with a shit-eating grin, slouching off atop his mount, Skaarl.

It almost seemed as if Darius hadn’t noticed the Yordle at first. It was hard to miss his voice; he was quite loud despite his size and Skaarl was not hard to miss. The warrior crossed his arms.

“…Fine. As long as progress is made under his direction, things are fine.” he replied, answer not quite giving away any details.

@cantankerous-bastard //

[cantankerous-bastard]

Kled would just let out a loud cackle at Darius’ choice of words. “BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAH! ‘F-FINE’, ‘e says!!” he’d exclaim with boisterous laughter, wiping his tears out of his good eye before just staring up at Darius. “Well, ah s’pose I should say ‘dat’s fine an’ all… BUT IT SURE AS HELL AIN’T!” hopping up onto Skaarl’s back and standing on it, Kled pointed a wild, accusing finger at Darius.

“Yer’s hidin’ somethin’, an’ ya bet your watoosie on tha’ Kled knows it! Mmrrh, yes… jus’ like ‘dem sneaky-sneak bastards the otha’ day…” his fanatic yelling reduced to mere mumbling for a moment, before returning to his overly-loud tone of talking. “Eitha’ way! Hmf, ah haven’ seen one good thing come outta Noxus in ages! AGES, ah tell’s ya!”

@thesymbolofnoxus

[thesymbolofnoxus]

Darius had a mostly neutral stance on whether he liked the presence of yordles, considering he did not often interact with them. Kled, however, gradually lowered that feeling. He was loud and brash more so than most, but he would tolerate his company for the moment, seeing as all he wanted was to talk.

So far.

“No one is hiding anything.” the general replied. “I’ve no reason to hid anything. But I also have no reason to disclose anything with you, either.” What would the other even do with such information? Arms crossed tighter over his chest, Darius gave a quiet huff. “I’m sure you’ve been too busy with your own things to notice.” Darius was exhibit A, of course.

[light-misguided-blog]

Could it all be over now?

[thesymbolofnoxus]

The general would simply nod, giving her time to seemingly process. By then, he had calmed down some, fire no longer burning in his stares at the woman. It still remained that he was very much so not pleased with the previous events and that would not change. Not any time soon. 

“Yes. You are. Did you expect to kill someone with such a title and get away with it consequence free?” Darius scoffed a bit. It wasn’t as if Demacia had zero knowledge of what it was that Swain had done and who he was to Noxus in general.

But oh how he wished he could reveal it all as just a joke.

“This is what happens. It could have been anyone else, but it had to be you…” The words almost come disgusted, but he surprisingly holds his tongue. “And I will guarantee I’m not the only one who feels the same…”

He chose to ignore the avian. Darius knew very little about Beatrice and did not want to disturb. Swain kept her around for a reason and if she was now hovered over Lux, he would not get between them.

[light-misguided-blog]

He doesn’t seem to recognize the absurdity of the situation. It frustrates Lux, but not nearly enough for her to summon the energy to argue. She purses her lips, staring severely at the General (the other General?) and trying to work through the issue in silence, for a moment.

She will need hours to sort out a disaster of this proportion.

“He was the one that forced me to fight him.” The first words come in the mumbled tone of a child, knowing full well how hollow her excuse would sound. 

“But I guess that doesn’t matter anymore.”

She heaves a sigh, setting her jaw decisively and looking up at Darius once again. “So, what am I supposed to do next? What happened when you helped Swain take power?”

It feels like a seriously inappropriate question, but it has to be asked. Lux wasn’t exactly schooled in the functionality or responsibilities of Noxian leaders.

(Her rudimentary understanding is merely that they can do whatever they like.)

[thesymbolofnoxus]

The very fact alone that she could summon even that much of an argument had the giant quirk a brow, irritation rising from within very slowly. With where she was currently, could Lux really afford angering him again? Not that he would have time to offer too much of a rebuttal, the excuse fading away with her statement.

“No. No it doesn’t.” he replied firmly, eyes cold for only just a second.

“You will take over everything he had. I will show you where you will work, what you will do. You will probably have most of, if not all of, his belongings and I’m sure you’ll find something to do with... that...”

His eyes point to the bird. He keeps the glance brief.

“There was an event for his swearing in. I will assume we will skip that for you.” The last thing they needed was a public ceremony for this situation.

[thesymbolofnoxus]

Dark eyes momentarily rolled, exhaustion returning to his normally stoic face, arms resting back on the balcony. The mention of the crown only made the elder that more aware of its’ presence and his desire to– ideally, in a perfect world– toss it over the edge. It meant little to him, but it did signify that the outfit he was to wear was still simply not for him. What he wouldn’t give to take it off.

Draven, surprisingly, had a point. Darius knew just as well as he did that being a general meant that his voice mattered as well. Swain didn’t do everything without informing him considering the giant was to be in charge of quite a sizable army. There would be times where his occasional suggestion would be taken; this was old news.

Yes, Darius knew he mattered. He simply felt such titles were unnecessary.

“Yes. You’re right.” Words that rarely left the general’s lips. “But I do not want his position. I don’t need it. I can shape the fate of Noxus with blood and sweat in battle, not here, giving directions.” Being the powerhouse he was, anyone would be a fool to even suggest keeping the warrior safe in the walls of his homeland instead of sending him and his blade out in the field. He wanted no chance of even having to suggest otherwise.

Swain seemed comfortable enough behind the scenes.

Draven’s words, however, brought curious expression, brow arching just slightly. “…You aren’t making a suggestion, are you?” The tone of his voice matched the other’s.

[theblogofdraven]

“Of course I’m right,” DRAVEN was quick to interject, wanting to savor the victory – however trivial – for as long as he possibly could. “Maybe you should try listening to me more often; you’ll find that I’m right about a lot of things.” The EXECUTIONER chuckled and once again poised himself against the handrail alongside his brother, looking much like the cat that swallowed the canary.

     Fortunately for Darius, it didn’t last long; that smug grin soon disappeared beneath a thin line as DRAVEN considered the other man’s explanation. While he respected Darius’ reasons for not wanting the throne, and even agreed with them – were anyone to tell the EXECUTIONER that he should have a seat within the High Command, they’d be laughed out of the room – DRAVEN couldn’t help but wonder why his brother just didn’t do both.

     He’s already proven he’s more than capable, after all.

     The EXECUTIONER snorted at Darius’ reaction, mildly amused. “Why? You going to give me the axe if I say ‘yes’?” As if DRAVEN was the only one who took issue with Swain’s rise to power, albeit for far different reasons than most; Darius had to have known that the tactician was a controversial choice when he picked him out. “Look, all I’m saying is, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to remind Swain who made all of this possible. You know, to keep him – what’s the word, again? Oh, right – humble,” he snickered.

[thesymbolofnoxus]

Deep down, however, Darius could see his brother’s point. It was beginning to seem less and less like a sibling attempting to showcase his elder. Not that Draven was known for sharing the spotlight with anyone, let alone Darius. A pensive hum lazily leaves him, listening, but not quite appearing as such, gaze cast to the ground.

Darius would not let him know he was right again, however.

The question sent his eyes rolling once more, general brushing the words aside. “Spare me your sarcasm.” Wasted words. Darius knew-- or at least, hoped-- that Draven was smart enough not to expect an axe his way. Despite their dynamic, the giant had no intentions of slaying his brother. The statement, however, simply piqued his interest. It was unexpected.

Arms crossed on the balcony railing, the brute gave a quiet sigh, no longer seeming to resist the topic quite as hard. But it was easy for the executioner to speak in this manner when it didn’t quite involve him. “Remind him? And how would you suggest I do that, hm?” Raising an axe to the Grand General was probably not the brightest idea.

[light-misguided-blog]

Could it all be over now?

[thesymbolofnoxus]

Of course, if it were up to the brute himself, she would be slain before him at the earliest chance he had. But Darius knew the consequences, or rather, the issues that would rise as a result. This was headache enough for him and everyone else involved.

It was growing more and more obvious that she was tired. After all, she had quite the eventful time in the coliseum. It seemed to make things a bit easier on his end. Darius clearly did not wish to speak with her longer than he needed to.

“What happened there is finished. After what occurred, I doubt you’ll have any challenges for a time.” It was a very, very slight way of admitting that there certainly was power that hadn’t been expected of her.

“But with your current position… I wouldn’t rule it out.”

[light-misguided-blog]

Darius may not want to be here very much, but he will have to fight Lux for the title of the most miserable person in the room.

“And my current position…”

She stares up at Darius and tries to look as incredulous as she possibly can. It’s all futile; she can’t fully express the wrongness of this situation, of how absolutely, hopelessly insane her life has come to feel.

A very large part of her still wants to demand to be brought home. They would have to listen, wouldn’t they? If she is what he says she is. They would have to let her go, and she could see her family again, could bask in the unmitigated praise her intended would have to give her for destroying what had nearly destroyed him. She could be loved and honored in Demacia, even more now than she would have been as a martyr, and yet…

All of that would only last until the trick came to light. Until someone were to look closely enough to see the demon-thing that she is no longer at liberty to send away.

Beatrice isn’t content to shoulder the blame, if the agitated ruffling of her wings is any indicator.

“…Is what Swain’s used to be?” Incredulous, yes: her tone is positively disbelieving, as if Darius told her that he was a yordle by birth. “I’m meant to be Grand General?”

She stresses the title. Because that’s what’s absolutely ridiculous about all of this, that’s what’s so absurd. Surely, when Darius hears it out loud, he’ll reveal it all to be a joke. Or a misunderstanding. Or just unfettered cruelty.

[thesymbolofnoxus]

The general would simply nod, giving her time to seemingly process. By then, he had calmed down some, fire no longer burning in his stares at the woman. It still remained that he was very much so not pleased with the previous events and that would not change. Not any time soon. 

“Yes. You are. Did you expect to kill someone with such a title and get away with it consequence free?” Darius scoffed a bit. It wasn’t as if Demacia had zero knowledge of what it was that Swain had done and who he was to Noxus in general.

But oh how he wished he could reveal it all as just a joke.

“This is what happens. It could have been anyone else, but it had to be you...” The words almost come disgusted, but he surprisingly holds his tongue. “And I will guarantee I’m not the only one who feels the same...”

He chose to ignore the avian. Darius knew very little about Beatrice and did not want to disturb. Swain kept her around for a reason and if she was now hovered over Lux, he would not get between them.

[light-misguided-blog]

Could it all be over now?

[thesymbolofnoxus]

Darius would answer her questions. It was all so new, sure, but the general could simply look at the woman and gauge her confusion. It wasn’t so difficult. After all, he was certain Demacians would know nothing about how hierarchy worked.

But she would learn. And it was in her best interest to learn quickly.

“That means nothing.” he replied, resting against one of the nearby walls. “It isn’t required of you to be born here.”

Noxus was a city state where power was recognized, not nobility or status. If one was strong enough to take out one in higher power, it was only right that they were replaced. They were weak.

[light-misguided-blog]

She nods slowly, waiting for a more detailed explanation and receiving none. It’s still unclear, of course, why Darius would even help her… but she thinks it might be wiser not to ask him that.

She gazes slowly from her own hands to the General, a focused frown exhausting the muscles of her face. At least she’s here now. At least this conversation feels a little less like dreaming.

“Then… aren’t other people still allowed to challenge me?”

They are, she thinks. It’s exactly what happened in the arena, though she’d interpreted those incidents as simple acts of vengeance at the time. She’d killed people- actually killed people, and with an audience, no less.

And it was real. They won’t be coming back to life or reviving at a fountain or anything like that.

She’d probably feel more nauseous, if she’d eaten in a day.

[thesymbolofnoxus]

Of course, if it were up to the brute himself, she would be slain before him at the earliest chance he had. But Darius knew the consequences, or rather, the issues that would rise as a result. This was headache enough for him and everyone else involved.

It was growing more and more obvious that she was tired. After all, she had quite the eventful time in the coliseum. It seemed to make things a bit easier on his end. Darius clearly did not wish to speak with her longer than he needed to.

“What happened there is finished. After what occurred, I doubt you’ll have any challenges for a time.” It was a very, very slight way of admitting that there certainly was power that hadn’t been expected of her.

“But with your current position... I wouldn’t rule it out.”

[thesymbolofnoxus]

"Back again? Just couldnt get enough of me, could you?" a saucy wink.

“…You were gone for a time. I simply wished to see if you were gone for good. Not a total lie.

@jetstreamfrost //

[jetstreamfrost-deactivated20160]

He leans up beside the giant of a man, smiling coyly, “aw so you were thinking of me, General? That’s so sweet~”

[thesymbolofnoxus]

He crosses his arms, quiet sigh leaving his lips. “…I suppose you could say that. If you want.” Not that he would fight it.

[jetstreamfrost-deactivated20160]

He takes that as all the invitation he needs to sit himself right on the General’s lap. “Go on~”

[thesymbolofnoxus]

“There’s nothing more to say.” But he doesn’t seem to be so quick to push him away. “You were gone for a time.” And maybe he worried. A little.

[light-misguided-blog]

Could it all be over now?

[thesymbolofnoxus]

He seems to quietly scoff at the sight of her shield. If anything, the brute figured she’d have exhausted her strength entirely, but it seemed he was wrong. Not that it mattered too much. The more Lux attempted, intentional or otherwise, to project magic, the less likely she’d be able to do so later.

Darius was not, however, angered enough to notice that she wanted to cry. He would not take back his words; he meant every one of them and his rage was understandable. At least, he thought so. But the general could understand her fear.

“Perhaps we could have replaced him, but you made a challenge. And, miraculously, you survived.” The giant crossed his arms once more. “Who else would take his place other than you, now?”

[light-misguided-blog]

Lux stares.

She isn’t even entirely sure if she’s in the room anymore; Darius’s words sound foggy and distorted as she plays them over in her head, trying to make any sort of sense of what he’s said. Beatrice murmurs to her all the while, little encouragements and reassurances and isn’t this what you wanted?

(Freedom?)

Ultimately, she’s drawn back to her body by the soft touch of a beak to the nape of her neck. Even still, she finds herself staring listlessly at Darius.

What could she possibly say to any of that?

“…but I’m a Demacian.”

She tries to recall old lessons before he speaks. Noxus has no formal order of succession, sure… but any history before Darkwill is lost on her. And he- well, the elder Darkwill- was already dead when Swain took power.

Could it really not matter where she comes from? Could it really be so simple?

[thesymbolofnoxus]

Darius would answer her questions. It was all so new, sure, but the general could simply look at the woman and gauge her confusion. It wasn’t so difficult. After all, he was certain Demacians would know nothing about how hierarchy worked.

But she would learn. And it was in her best interest to learn quickly.

“That means nothing.” he replied, resting against one of the nearby walls. “It isn’t required of you to be born here.”

Noxus was a city state where power was recognized, not nobility or status. If one was strong enough to take out one in higher power, it was only right that they were replaced. They were weak.

[thesymbolofnoxus]

(cantankerous-bastard) The Cantankerous Cavalier would sneer a bit as he'd eye up the massive (compared to him) Darius, the yordle not showing a sliver of fear in front of the axe-wielding warrior. "Ey buddy, how's ya doin' working under ol' Birdbrains, ey?" he'd ask with a shit-eating grin, slouching off atop his mount, Skaarl.

It almost seemed as if Darius hadn’t noticed the Yordle at first. It was hard to miss his voice; he was quite loud despite his size and Skaarl was not hard to miss. The warrior crossed his arms.

“...Fine. As long as progress is made under his direction, things are fine.” he replied, answer not quite giving away any details.

@cantankerous-bastard //

[thesymbolofnoxus]

"Back again? Just couldnt get enough of me, could you?" a saucy wink.

“…You were gone for a time. I simply wished to see if you were gone for good. Not a total lie.

@jetstreamfrost //

[jetstreamfrost-deactivated20160]

He leans up beside the giant of a man, smiling coyly, “aw so you were thinking of me, General? That’s so sweet~”

[thesymbolofnoxus]

He crosses his arms, quiet sigh leaving his lips. “...I suppose you could say that. If you want.” Not that he would fight it.

[thesymbolofnoxus]

"Back again? Just couldnt get enough of me, could you?" a saucy wink.

“...You were gone for a time. I simply wished to see if you were gone for good. Not a total lie.

@jetstreamfrost //

[thesymbolofnoxus]

"Are we having FUN yet, brother?"

“...I’m not sure I want to know what you’re referring to...”

He’s not sure he wants to know.

@theblogofdraven //

[light-misguided-blog]

Could it all be over now?

[thesymbolofnoxus]

The shaking was understandable, but the warrior was blinded by his own rage to a point that watching her seemed to irritate him further. The axe held in his hand had practically been slammed into the ground, force breaking the floor beneath them and allowing it to stand stiffly.

“Yes. You killed him. Do you not remember? You were there, after all…” Darius practically growled the words, eyes narrowed. “You intended to do so. And as much as I’m not defending you in any way, I don’t want your reasoning. It won’t fix this.”

And that’s what really seemed to bother him. Fixing this was very much so out of his grasp for now.

After pacing for a moment, giant attempting to cool himself off. This was not normal for him, this level of anger. Surely Lux was scared and confused and while he personally couldn’t care about her in any way, shape, or form, Darius had professional reasons to assist her currently.

Against his better judgement, he would help.

Finally, after pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing deeply, the general turned back to face her. “Do you know what this means? At all? Or did you boast your challenge blindly?”

[light-misguided-blog]

The sound of his axe coming down doesn’t frighten her, not really, but her barrier bursts brightly back to life anyway, illuminating the entire room around them in the closest magical equivalent to a flinch.

She wants to ask if this means she can go home. She wants to, but even in her head the question makes her sound like a six year old. Of course she can’t go home. How stupid is she? Going home means bringing Beatrice home which means letting Jarvan see her which means–

It occurs to Lux, for the very first time, that she may not have thought this through.

She looks up at Darius, channeling every bit of her focus into holding back tears. No amount of energy could make her look like an emotionless rock right now, but at least she isn’t openly weeping.

“…no,” She admits in a small voice, keeping her gaze fixed on Darius’s and toying with the ring on her left hand.

(At least Jarvan will feel safer. It hadn’t been her intention in all of this, but it’s some kind of silver lining, isn’t it?)

[thesymbolofnoxus]

He seems to quietly scoff at the sight of her shield. If anything, the brute figured she’d have exhausted her strength entirely, but it seemed he was wrong. Not that it mattered too much. The more Lux attempted, intentional or otherwise, to project magic, the less likely she’d be able to do so later.

Darius was not, however, angered enough to notice that she wanted to cry. He would not take back his words; he meant every one of them and his rage was understandable. At least, he thought so. But the general could understand her fear.

“Perhaps we could have replaced him, but you made a challenge. And, miraculously, you survived.” The giant crossed his arms once more. “Who else would take his place other than you, now?”

[light-misguided-blog]

Could it all be over now?

[thesymbolofnoxus]

This was a mess. More than a mess, really. That word was the understatement of the century if he were to be perfectly honest.

Everything wrong that could possibly have happened seemed to all occur in an instant, Darius having little to no time to fully react to anything at all. Despite how much time had passed since Swain’s shocking and untimely death and the warrior barely had a moment to recover from everything that had happened.

His instincts, however, forced him into autopilot, guiding the woman to safety, though he would protest if the giant knew any better. After all, she, in his opinion, deserved to die. It was the next appropriate course of action and, with what little strength Lux seemed to have in their journey, it would be so simple.

He wasn’t going soft, was he?

Once finally alone, entrances and exits shut, he spoke finally, though it seemed obvious that she could still hear him, though was still quite out of it.

“You’re not as bright as you thought, are you?”

His tone was angry, furious, nowhere near as calm and level headed as he might be generally. Brows knit, he was very much so fuming.

“Do you know what you’ve done? Do you?”

[light-misguided-blog]

Oh, good. He is talking.

She stares silently at Darius for several seconds and clasps her hands together in her lap. They’re still shaking. Why can’t she make them stop shaking?

“I killed him?” She says- quietly, as if she’s expecting to be scolded. As if this were some sort of missed homework assignment and she merely has to endure a disappointed teacher shaking his head in her direction.

“I didn’t mean to.” She adds after a second… but that’s just a blatant lie. Of course she meant to. It wasn’t an accident. He didn’t trip into her spell.

“I mean- he was going to kill me.” She corrects, by way of explanation. She’s not sure, exactly, why she feels the need to explain herself at all. It just feels like it might make Darius less angry, somehow.

[thesymbolofnoxus]

The shaking was understandable, but the warrior was blinked by his own rage to a point that watching her seemed to irritate him further. The axe held in his hand had practically been slammed into the ground, force breaking the floor beneath them and allowing it to stand stiffly.

“Yes. You killed him. Do you not remember? You were there, after all...” Darius practically growled the words, eyes narrowed. “You intended to do so. And as much as I’m not defending you in any way, I don’t want your reasoning. It won’t fix this.”

And that’s what really seemed to bother him. Fixing this was very much so out of his grasp for now.

After pacing for a moment, giant attempting to cool himself off. This was not normal for him, this level of anger. Surely Lux was scared and confused and while he personally couldn’t care about her in any way, shape, or form, Darius had professional reasons to assist her currently.

Against his better judgement, he would help.

Finally, after pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing deeply, the general turned back to face her. “Do you know what this means? At all? Or did you boast your challenge blindly?”

[light-misguided-blog]

Could it all be over now?

@thesymbolofnoxus

Someone is talking to her.

It isn’t terribly surprising- she’s been hearing voices since they left the arena. Well, a voice, anyway. Beatrice had quickly become the third member of their party, alternating between soaring in circles above them and swooping down to rest on Lux’s shoulder.

‘Them’, of course, consists of her and Darius, perhaps the second least likely person Lux ever expected to be of any help. She hadn’t protested when he led her out of the arena, or spoken to any of the angry soldiers they encountered on their way. She had been exactly useless, in fact, inactive but for the magic glistening in a faint golden outline around her form, yielding only to the raven’s grip upon her shoulder.

(By now, the talons have carved red marks into her skin. Lux doesn’t seem to mind.)

And so, she doesn’t pay any mind to Darius by the time they’re finally alone. Instead, she stares at her hands, listens to Beatrice’s crooning, praising voice inside her head, and tries to remember how to string two words together properly again.

Until Darius says something- or at least, she thinks he does. Either way, her concentration is broken, so she glances up at him, lips parted in surprise. Her expression hardens in an instant, and magic rushes to her fingertips again, but nothing comes of it but sparks. 

“What?” 

Her voice warbles as if she’s on the verge of tears. Which is ridiculous, of course, because she’s much too tired to cry right now.

[thesymbolofnoxus]

This was a mess. More than a mess, really. That word was the understatement of the century if he were to be perfectly honest.

Everything wrong that could possibly have happened seemed to all occur in an instant, Darius having little to no time to fully react to anything at all. Despite how much time had passed since Swain’s shocking and untimely death and the warrior barely had a moment to recover from everything that had happened.

His instincts, however, forced him into autopilot, guiding the woman to safety, though he would protest if the giant knew any better. After all, she, in his opinion, deserved to die. It was the next appropriate course of action and, with what little strength Lux seemed to have in their journey, it would be so simple.

He wasn’t going soft, was he?

Once finally alone, entrances and exits shut, he spoke finally, though it seemed obvious that she could still hear him, though was still quite out of it.

“You’re not as bright as you thought, are you?”

His tone was angry, furious, nowhere near as calm and level headed as he might be generally. Brows knit, he was very much so fuming.

“Do you know what you’ve done? Do you?”