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Post by Prismaticlysm on Apr 6, 2021 11:42:30 GMT -6
 Runt Aodh - Labor Slave Runt's charge was interrupted by flashes of light, lightning, and fighting bodies. There was so much confusion, so many swirling colors, he was unsure who was even on his side. As he turned wildly, eyes wide with terror, he finally caught sight of Aleksei. The False King and Aleksei fought with feral rage, teeth and hooves slashing at each other with vigor. Isador vanished again, Aleksei already spying him in the room Isador had been in previously.
In a sort of slow motion, Aleksei dove to the floor for something, a flash of gold catching Runts eye as Aleksei's teke touched whatever it was. But all of that was obscured when Aleksei himself changed, a burst of feathers spreading forth from his shoulders. The boy stood in the midst of battle with his jaw slack, completely unsure what the heck even just happened. Someone, or something, literally knocked him back to reality when a quickly shifting rump sent him sprawling to the floor with a grunt. From his grounded position, he could no longer see where Aleksei was anymore, or anyone else for that matter through the rapidly moving legs of friends and foe.
"FOR AODH!"
A voice rang out clear and true, Runt finally finding his feet as he stood back once more. Adonis reared up high above his opponent, aggressively swinging at a Chevalier he literally beat back with each blow. Watching the stallion battle was...incredible, to say the least, the Noble clearly knowing his way through a fight. Runt darted behind the group, trying to get a visual on where Aleksei had gone. Instead he followed Adonis' gaze to two Chevaliers who had taken up position at the broken set of doors, the act that signified that Aleksei and Isador were inside, considering the former was no where to be seen in the ballroom.
"FOR AODH!"
Nova's voice sounded, swinging the fire poker with an odd finesse, deflecting attacks with resounding clangs. Even the silver-haired advisor [Lux] was fighting back with an increased ferocity with the kitchen knife he wielded, as odd as the scene appeared. They all looked strange, Runt realized, with their make shift weapons. But somehow, they were taking down the Chevaliers who had more training and actual weapons. But it seemed they lacked the backing of the Gods. Oberyn, now armed with an actual blade, fought a Chevalier of his own, his horn glinting in the light. Surely Adonis' war cry had inspired them all.
Tesana, however, appeared to be waning, especially when another Chevalier appeared to come out of no where and take a swing at her. The boy looked down at the blade again, staring down at the red that stained the chrome. These horses are evil, he reminded himself with a trembling inner voice. Tesana had been nothing but kind to him, he couldn't let her fall.
Setting his jaw, he snarled.
"FOR AODH!"
The boy called out, his voice cracking. He lunged across the floor, rage bubbling beneath his skin as he angled the blade. Tesana's opponent had no way of knowing they were to be subjected to a not-so-sneaky sneak attack, the blade forced all the way to the hilt between two ribs on their side. Runt had no choice but to jump back to avoid losing his head, but he got a nice slice through his lip and second nostril as the chevalier turned to retaliate. A second swing bit into the bone at the point of his shoulder, likely shattered with how much it hurt. Blood sprayed from Runt's face as he huffed out air, dripping from his chin as he winced and limped back away from the fallen Chevalier and Tesana, his eyes watering. Pain wracked his exhausted body.
It was all he could do to keep from falling over himself as he bleed from numerous wounds. |
POST COUNT: 9 ♦ WORD COUNT: 642
MENTIONS: Aleksei, Adonis, Nova, Lux, Oberyn, Tesana
INTERACTIONS: Le Guard 3.0™, Tesana sorta |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2021 12:12:40 GMT -6
RAMIRO
Ramiro did his best to flank Aleksei, to dance within the chaos to keep the golden unicorn as out of the harm’s way as possible. The rapier appearing from the shadows did find his skin, too, eventually, but the blade was cut short when electricity ran through the metal in response.
His voice was lost in the melee as he shouted at Aleksei not to lunge at Isador, his heart lurching as he watched the two entangled in a fight. He felt powerless, then, his blessings of no use in assistance. He could see red on the golden coat, his heart beating in his throat. Before he could get to Aleksei, the unicorn caught the crown. Ramiro was cut in his tracks, seeing the wings sprout from Aleksei’s back. Solaris’ wings. It did earn him a push as he collided with someone - in the midst of fighting he wasn’t certain if friend or foe.
Ramiro tried to move as soon as he saw Isador with the sword, but Aleksei’s blessing pushed him aside, too, sending him tumbling sideways and colliding with the cold marble.
As he got back to his feet, the wind somewhat knocked out of him, he saw Aleksei and Isador closed off, Isador cornering Aleksei.
The shouts of Adonis, Nova and Runt echoed in his head as his feet found purchase and he was in movement again. The Chevaliers were busy with the attack, and Ramiro used it to his advantage to ram his way past. He gathered speed, a ball of crackling electricity as he rammed straight at Isador, sending them both tumbling into the balcony in a flailing mess of feet and bared teeth.
279 words / post 4
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reyarpg
Star
- What's sleep?
Posts: 41 
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Post by reyarpg on Apr 6, 2021 14:05:01 GMT -6
The sound of Chevaliers behind them made Edenne's heart jump to her throat, and she was aware of all those around her in an instant. She froze; unable to move as others leapt into action. And then, she followed suit, bladed fan in hand as she charged in to fight off the Chevaliers, loyal to an unworthy king.
She did not come out unscathed; she was thin and lithe, not suited to face the bulky masses of Chevaliers. A sword to her side very easily left a crimson trail in it's wake, but she, too, was able to make meaningful hits and scrapes with her fan; her leather armor allowed her to get in close to make more meaningful hits. Those fighting around her; Adonis, Nova, and many more, encouraged her and fueled her as their battle cries encouraged strength and metaphorical fire through her limbs.
Failure was not an option here, and Edenne knew this; she had to fight for her life, for the lives of those around her, and for Rosa. She didn't know what the mare might do if she didn't return home. There was more than Aodh to be fighting for; the only thing she cared about was returning home for Rosa.
For now, her back was turned from Isador, letting the others figure out what they're doing with Isador. Instead, her focus was on the Chevaliers. She joined in with the cheering, however, calling out,
"For Aodh!"
WC: 242 ||
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Post by ThatDenver on Apr 6, 2021 15:44:54 GMT -6
ISADOR
CW: Death
The sight of the wings, now fully displayed in the dawning sunlight, gave Isador pause. For a moment, he felt like he had been taken years back in time, to a happier time, when he and Solaris had guided Aodh towards glory together – when her desire for change had yet to poison what it meant to be Aodhian.
She had been a great ruler, with only that one, single, gnawing weakness – in her dalliances with other countries, she had forgotten what it was to be Aodhian, and her ambition would have destroyed them all; their way of life, their glory.
Isador knew this to be true.
And yet, when he looked at Aleksei, he felt a pang of doubt.
Doubt that was soon replaced with the steady, advancing steps as he held his blade at the ready.
He had gone too far, sacrificed too much. The lives lost were simply the price he had paid – and he had learned from it.
Things had hardly gone to design the first time. If they had, it was likely he would not be standing here today, facing these rebels. The Soleil dynasty would’ve died on the ballroom floor, with no one any wiser.
Mid step, something large and red barreled into his side. Isador slid across the marble and back onto the balcony.
Were they truly singing?
It was like a caricature of a revolution – a children’s book story.
And yet it was real.
Detangling himself from his attacker with a shift passage through shadow, Isador rose to his feet once more. Bruised and battered, he realized his defeat was really there only when he saw that he was alone. The ruckus from the other room continued, but none of his Chevaliers stood with him.
He was alone.
Isador tried to dance back into the shadows, but was stopped by a horrible, unnatural pull.
He had seen this before, but never felt it – and he had certainly heard stories of Solaris’ blessing.
But it was not Solaris who wielded it now – it was Aleksei, his eyes glowing a terrible, vibrant blue as the very room and balcony around them seemed to break apart and reassemble itself.
It was like he was held by invisible strings, unable to escape as the floortiles twisted and balcony fencing wrapped in on itself, gravity and laws of nature broken.
The end comes suddenly. A twisting piece of metal cuts across his throat, and then, Isador is falling, falling, falling.
Clinging to consciousness, he breaks his fall by slipping into shadow, but can not hold – and while he still draws breath when he collapses on the ground in front of the Palace, his thoughts break into silence before he can grasp any of them.
The last thing he sees is the sun, rising above the line of buildings.
Ignacio.
Ignacio has come to take him home.
Home to beyond the stars.
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Post by ThatDenver on Apr 6, 2021 15:45:31 GMT -6
ALEKSEI
CW: Death
For a moment, however brief, Aleksei feared for his life.
Cut off from his companions, he could make out their forms beyond the doors, clashing with the Chevaliers blocking the path. He saw Adonis – or more the glint of his blade. He heard them, too, calling for Aodh.
But he was alone.
Except a moment later, he wasn’t.
Ramiro barreled through the guard, into the room, and straight into Isador. Aleksei barely had the chance to get out of the way as both kirin and common horse skid across the floor in a mess of hoof, hair and scale. So intertwined they were for a moment that Aleksei, although seeing the opportunity, had to wait for the fear of hitting Ramiro instead.
But then Isador shifted into shadow, and was on the balcony. Truly alone for the first time.
And Isador, too, realized it.
Aleksei’s eyes began to glow as he, too, walked towards the balcony. His blessing, released in a way it never had before, squashed Isador against the railing with the force of gravity. The room began to break up behind him, around him. The sky cracked into pink and purple, metal and tile and wood twisted as if pulled by a terrible black hole.
It all centered around the two of them. Aleksei could hardly see – tears were streaming down his face.
Years of anger, of impotent rage at the unfairness of the world, had suddenly been made very much potent – and aimed at the one person truly responsible.
The railing creaked into pieces, and one of the jagged bits of metal slashes Isador across the throat – and then, he fell, Aleksei’s grasp on him failing as the railing no longer held the common horse in place.
As his blessing faded, the room seemed to reassemble itself, reality taking power over unreality – sans a rather large, bloodied gap in the railing. Aleksei instinctively stepped forward, and looked down.
Isador was dead.
He was really dead.
Aleksei’s eyes were still wet, and he closed them against the blinding light of the dawn. He looked downwards, and spoke: ”It is over.”
Aleksei’s voice was heard in every ear – in the room and in the crowd below.
”The King is dead.”
Against the light of the sun, he can see Lucius’ shadow as the wyvern flies across the cityscape with a victorious roar.
Word count: 393
Post #8
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Post by Prismaticlysm on Apr 6, 2021 16:45:07 GMT -6
Runt Aodh - Labor Slave Runt wasn't a stranger to pain by any means, but his nose and mouth burned from the slices, even twitching them instinctively with the trickle of blood tickling the small hairs on his muzzle hurt like hell and made his eyes water terribly. He was also spent, which made his watery, burning eyes all the worse. He was very ready to lie his head down for a good rest, but the continuous shouting and clatter of battle kept him on his hooves even as he slunk away from the fighting.
The red and white kirin [Ramiro] charged through the Chevaliers blocking the door, knocking not only them out of the way but also whoever happened to be on the other side. The boy zigzagged through the fighting, suffering a couple of more wounds from flying blades, his limp more pronounced with two injured legs now. He pushed passed the guards by the door, one of them tumbled on top of the chevalier who was still grounded with a bag over his head. Now within the Royal Speaking Room, Runt huddled by the wall as he watched Isador stand up upon the balcony. Runt could hear some kind of unrecognizable song, but he did recognize the pegasus hovering some ways from the balcony [Phoenix], unsure of the one much farther behind her [Leonora].
Aleksei strode towards Isador, but with his back to Runt, the boy couldn't see the glowing of his eyes. But he did witness the blessing, the warping of reality, the sudden woosh of a blade across Isadors throat, and how the stallion and balcony fell from sight. The labor slave takes a few awkward steps closer to where Aleksei and Ramiro stood, but paused when Aleksei's voice filled his ears.
"It is over, the King is dead."
A distant, victorious roar sent a shiver down his spine, but not unpleasantly so.
Relief almost had Runt collapsing upon the floor right then and there, his legs trembling from the effort of staying standing. They won. They did it. And he lived...for now. The clashing of metal had him turning back to the door where the others continued fighting, wincing from the movement.
"STOP FIGHTING!" He yelled, "Isador is dead! Didn't you hear?" Tears in his eyes leaked down his face, rusty teke drawing across his face to wipe them away and smudging blood across it. He stumbled through the doors, his head lowered as he snarled at their enemies. "If you want to live, drop your weapons!" The two downed Chevaliers seemed to cease their struggling, the former finally losing the sack on his head with a sharp tug of silvery teke. Runt drew up a piece of the doorframe, the length of wood shattered, but jagged at the end as he pointed it at the Chevalier's throat, letting the threat linger, blood leaking down his chin. |
POST COUNT: 10 ♦ WORD COUNT: 478
MENTIONS: Ramiro, Aleksei, basically erryone
INTERACTIONS: Le Guard 4.0™, ALL |
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Post by kajeayn on Apr 6, 2021 20:08:08 GMT -6
J E S S I A H
post 5 | wc 1182
The fight swallowed them whole.
Their mind was lost in the haze of combat, countless voices clamoring for attention over the cacophony of metal and hooves against flesh. They felt torn into shreds, each pulled in a thousand different directions- there, the startled agony of a wound in one of the fighter’s minds, the sharp spike of concern of another, the frenzied rage of a chevalier coming for another blow. They heard Runt’s internal howl as a chevalier fell to the blade they had given him, and the shudder that rolled through Tesana’s body echoed in their mind as the chevalier’s puppeted corpse hurled itself through a door at Aleksei’s command.
Their head throbbed, and all the voices became one sound, the distant roar of a crowd they remembered from their pit fighting days all too well.
Give them a show. Brontide’s voice came low in their ear.
The first chevalier to lunge towards them was sidestepped, Jessiah spinning on a dime to wheel about to face the chevalier as he turned- slower, only by a moment, but it was enough time for Jessiah to slam the hilt of their sword into their head.
The chevalier collapsed into a boneless pile, and Jessiah gave their unconscious body a shove with their teke- pushing it more into the way, funneling approaching fighters more to their liking.
Their shield lifted, deflecting a blow that might have cleaved Runt’s head off- they could only spare a moment’s frightened thought for the boy, for the screaming that seemed to be coming from inside his skull, but they had to close their mind and focus.
And then the room went dark.
They started, bringing themselves back a few steps, shield raised and ready- moments before the king himself materialized.
For a brief, terrible moment, Jessiah’s eyes caught the freckled white hide of Isador, and then they were turning away- just not quickly enough. The King’s blade caught the side of their neck as they jerked back, automatically raising their blade to parry- but he was already gone, the shadows having swallowed him like he was never there.
Aleksei’s thoughts changed behind them, and for a moment they were frozen, something strange arching around their thoughts- like another had suddenly entered the room, there but not, casting Aleksei’s thoughts in a warm glow.
There was no time to dwell on the strange light in his mind- they had glanced automatically behind them, their eyes widening at the sight of wings that spread from his shoulders, gold and blue and cream, spreading towards the ceiling as they seemed to come from nowhere.
And then he was hurtling after the Usurper, and Jessiah turned to follow- but a blade was coming down for Adonis, and Jessiah lunged without thinking.
There was no time to think, to plan, anything- a thousand whirling thoughts spun around them, like every star in the sky all clamoring for their attention and each one part of a web of constellations to follow, expanding and swirling in their mind’s eye. They could only react to where they were most needed- Aleksei was accompanied by Ramiro, and Jessiah knew, grimly, that Aleksei was not in danger on the balcony.
Not from Isador.
None had followed the King to protect him, and they did not need to hear his thoughts to know he likely knew.
Sancrilai leaped over a fallen subordinate with a roar, blood spattered over her face, and Jessiah barely avoided a blow that likely would have pierced their heart- her blade dug into their armor as they spun, Jessiah’s teeth snapping into thin air as they lunged for her neck and missed.
They traded blows, faster and faster, Jessiah keeping themselves glued to her side and frustratingly out of her reach- but the same went for them, too close to get a good hit in, only spinning together in a senseless dance of missed attacks and flashing metal. One hoof finally connected with her knee, and she gave a sudden shout of pain as the limb buckled beneath her, sending her slamming against Jessiah’s side.
They could have swept their blade against her neck then and there. They could have been done with it.
But they shoved her off them, expecting her to crumble, but she spat out a mouthful of blood at their feet and whirled on them again, rearing up to take the weight off her broken leg as her eyes blazed with rage.
Behind them, Isador and Aleksei faced off once again, and there was just enough of a lull for Jessiah to clearly catch Adonis’s thoughts when he spoke out to them.
“For Aodh!”
The cheer went up around them, echoed endlessly in their mind, and it was if the sun had suddenly appeared- they could feel the spark ignited in the rebels, the energy they hurled themselves back into the fight with.
With Adonis at their side, taking a burly chevalier down with teeth and blade, Jessiah threw themselves at Sancrilai again- mercilessly delivering another kick to her broken knee as they pushed in close.
She howled, but didn’t falter- her teeth sank into one of their ears as she yanked them off balance, her blade singing through the air.
It was instinct. It was fear.
It was their training.
As her blade drove through flesh and armor alike, their teke glowed as they clutched her shoulder- dragging her forward and onto the blade of their own sword.
For a moment, they hung together, Sancrilai’s eyes still blazing, even as she slowly slid off the blade, falling to the tile with a wet, gurgling breath.
They scrambled back, aware they were bleeding, multiple places- their muffled mind could not grasp any more than that. Their head snapped to the side, gaze darting over the group, looking for injuries, ones who were still fighting- but things were calming down, even as their ears rang and something cold and dark dripped down their spine like ice melt.
And with that, it was all over.
They heard the terrible screech of warping metal, heard Aleksei’s thoughts screaming, but they could not listen to him anymore then they could gaze directly at the sun. It was too much, too bright, and they shied away from it, looking out just in time to see Isador hanging suspended against the rail, his throat bleeding, reality itself warping around him and Aleksei.
And then Isador fell.
They stood in silence, legs trembling beneath them- aware of the shocked silence, the final howl from Runt.
It was over.
“The King is dead.”
They closed their eyes, bowing their head.
There was no joy, no relief. Only a steadily growing emptiness that yawned inside them, bleak and black and hopeless, crawling up their throat.
Their eyes opened, eyes blank as they limped forward, not quite daring to approach Aleksei yet, merely standing in the doorway and gazing out over the ruined balcony.
Outside, it was quiet, but a gentle wind blew in through the hole, and ruffled their mane as they closed their eyes, and a single tear fell.
INTERACTING: Mostly mentions/reactions, but mentions Aleksei, Ramiro, Adonis, and Runt! |
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Post by mai | nychnymph on Apr 6, 2021 21:50:39 GMT -6
✷ ✷ ✷
It was over. Isador was dead. Runt’s call shook his very core, and Adonis turned as the rest of Chevaliers fell and fled. Aleksei was a burst of sunlight, golden like light itself, with two wings great and beautiful enough to leave Adonis stunned. Like an image of divine right, Aleksei looked like the premonition of Solaris herself.
There Aleksei stood, among the wreckage of the balcony - while Isador’s body gone from the Palace - framed and wreathed in golden light as the dawn broke.
Jessiah, at Adonis’ side, limped forward to the doorway and stood on - a broken figure of the slave who had stood by their master’s side through the deepest of conflict. Adonis felt his chest swell, and he dropped the Chevalier’s sword from his teke - the sound echoing in the gaping silence after Aleksei’s proclamation and Runt’s echoing plea.
He stepped forward, body suddenly tired from the rushes of adrenaline, to Jessiah’s side and bowed his head to the new King of Aodh.
“Long live King Aleksei,” Adonis murmured, low and reverent, “May Ignacio bless your reign.”
✷ ✷ ✷
Interacting: All | Mentioning: Aleksei, Runt, Jessiah
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Post by SkyOfNewMoon on Apr 6, 2021 23:56:00 GMT -6
 Nova;Aodh | Courtesan
shitNova wasn’t sure how much longer her body could take parrying the blows, once she found a small break, she let her body slide partway down the wall before melding into her shadow. She still watched her allies, attempting a flash of lightning where truly necessary, but mostly she watched Ramiro barrel through the blockading Chevaliers in attempts to get to Aleksei and inturn, Isador.
As she slumped, her vision was blocked by a fighting pair getting close to her body, but soon they were gone and her eyes focused on the winged silhouette of Aleksei as the room and balcony warped to his will. One moment two equines were there and the next, only one. Isador was gone and only Aleksei’s new righteous, Kingly silhouette could be seen. Not a few heartbeats later, “The King is dead.” echoed through all of their ears.
The Courtesan’s body knew the fight was over before her mind did and it slid all the way down to the floor, her shadow receding to its rightful place and her head lay on the polished floor. She didn’t care that she wasn’t selling her body as a graceful piece of merchandise. She was tired of selling her body full stop. Tonight began a new version of Nova and as her exhausted eyes began to close, she let out a whisper “Long live the King.”
WC: 229| Post #5artwork by hey-stardust |
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reyarpg
Star
- What's sleep?
Posts: 41
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Post by reyarpg on Apr 7, 2021 0:04:06 GMT -6
For all of Edenne's sheltered life, she'd only seen death a few times. The slaves her old master owned, collapsing from hunger and exhaustion out in the open. Working as a labor slave in the Dark District, there was always the sight of someone losing themselves for Aodh's sake.
Never would she have dreamt to see a king fall before her own eyes.
As the last of the Chevaliers fell and fled, Edenne turned to watch the death of the King. Now, there was Aleksei, her new King. The King that she had sworn her life to before he was crowned, the King that Rosa would have wanted.
She bowed like the others did, her body sore and weary from the fight and the night's activities. The wound on her shoulder screamed with a stabbing pain, but she wouldn't mind it. She'd been through worse, after all.
"Long live the King." Edenne echoed the words of those who spoke around her, and she breathed a long, grateful sigh of relief. Thank Ignacio she would be returning home. Thank Argus, too.
WC: 180
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Post by ThatDenver on Apr 7, 2021 2:07:02 GMT -6
"The King is dead! Long live the King!"
The voices from outside join ones from inside the Palace.
It is done.
It is finally over.
"I'm afraid celebrations must wait a while longer", you heard Aleksei say, now without the strange effect of his relic.
"Many of my companions are wounded. Please, those among you gifted with healing - join us in the Palace. We could certainly use it", he says, before nodding to what you imagine must be quite the large crowd, and retreating back into the room. He takes a moment to gently check on Ramiro before returning to the rest of you. He gives a glance at Runt that is a mix between proud and concerned, and then smiles at you all.
The remaining Chevaliers have fled or put down their arms. They, too, recognize that the power has changed hooves.
"Thank you", he says, his voice soft, almost gentle.
"I think we all need rest, and healing, but... But once that is out of the way, and the ceremonies are done, I would like to speak with each of you", Aleksei goes on. It's clear his wounds, although not severe, as well as the excitement and strain of the night, are now catching up to him - as they surely are to most of you.
You are bloodied, but you have won.
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