Fantasy ☽₊✩‧₊Found Destiny₊✩‧₊☾

[Sir Damien]

Rune Finch
⋆༺𓆩

𓆪༻⋆
27.Scorpio.Basalisk.Shadows&Earth

Fair. The trial wasn't fair-- they weren't meant to be fair for the girls. It was to either push them closer to understanding their powers in a short time, or kill them and let things continue the way they are. And really, what in this world was fair? Fate gave him the most breathtaking and brilliant woman in existence to mock him. His foul mood had nothing to do with him stopping or continuing the trial. Even as the storm began to whip around he stood there with his hands in his pockets and those striking emeralds focused on the depths below. Like a brick wall Rune stood there in the storm unphased, feet firmly planted in the ground and his black hair whipping about.

There was a tone to Mari's voice, however, that caused his brow to twitch. She was lying. Obviously Alina wouldn't do this, everyone with a brain knew that, but there was an even more underlying lie to her voice. Marigold had her paws all over this mess. He refused to call her out on it without proof and instead stood there watching, waiting. "If you go in that water they both fail." That gravelly voice finally responded only to warn his assistant-- there was to be no helping the sisters... not physically, at least. So far everyone had chosen to hinder them, but should they had helped them he wouldn't have said anything either. Winning over the people... that would be the responsibilities of either one of them should they gain the crown.

Rune was given full discretion at these trials, he put a good bit of thinking and planning into it and he was not letting anything derail the trials.

Mari was the first behind Matteo helping the girls and that only furrowed his dark brows even more. She was the one advocating her distain towards the girls the most and, yet, here she was playing the hero. Nothing about this made sense and it absolutely reeked of suspicion. Off in the distance he could feel the shadows stirring, whispering about someone nearby the lagoon and that only made his jaw clench with frustration.

"Matteo, get her to her room and near a fire." Rune hadn't mentioned anything about either of the girls orders, though it was clear he had his own theories. The water trial would of confirmed whether the girls were sirens which was evident with Veda's transformation. Vesta didn't transform, in fact she failed miserably. Given the royal family lineage that meant one and one thing only... but he'd bite his tongue until the transformation. "Normally you'd of failed for using your aether magic down there Vesta. Luckily for you there was foul play up here and I'm overlooking it. Veda you well exceeded expectations. Both of you pass."

With that said his black haloed eyes glanced towards Cypres before lingering on Mari. “Should these girls fail you are to be among the future rulers of our kingdom. Let's learn to act like it." Although it should've been Leo he was scolding it somehow turned into the two of them. Rune knew they were lying and he wanted them to know, even if he didn't blatantly outright say it. Those stern eyes of his shot to Leo next-- Stars, he wanted to strangle the man for the way he talked to women, especially how he just addressed Mari. One of the glittering rocks flew from the wall to knock Leo in the head and Rune's dark brow twitched. "You need to learn how to talk to women. You do not have to talk to her, but you will not speak to Marigold in that manner."

"We'll reconvene in the morning for more training. Everyone dismissed." And with that said the sound of Rune's loud steps echoed against the cavern walls and faded away the further he got from the lagoon.
​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Veda “Smith”
₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊
21.Gemini.All Four. Siren.


There was a few moments where she felt as if she was losing her mind, when Mari tossed the blame to Alina it just clicked in her mind. Alina was a storm dragon, she was engaged to Leo who had tried to kill the girls once already, she was the same as everyone else in this situation… if the girls were gone things got simpler. But something in her just knew that it wasn’t true, Alina looked so weak from fighting the storm and she took the extra steps to save Vesta, if she had been trying to kill them it would have been just as easy to not help Vesta take those sweet breaths. Plus Leo was an anomaly in his own right, knowing him now she would almost argue with anyone that he wouldn’t ever do something like he had pulled back in their ignis trial… but he did. Then as if to prove her correct, Leo had been the one to pull her from the water and hold her close. Veda hadn’t even meant to but her own hand closed gently on his forearm his emotions flowing into her without effort as she remained in her siren form. Nervous, Leo was nervous and scared yet still relieved… his skin was cold to the touch but his emotions were a comforting blanket of warmth that calmed her down quickly. “Thanks.” Veda chuckled softly, looking away from his gaze and at her own new scales. However within a second she was gently placed on her own feet as Leo rushed to catch Alina before she fell, a small gasp escaped her and she moved closer to them. “Alina are you okay?” Leo mentioned something about her recharging and once again she was reminded how out of touch she was about this world.

Veda watched as people surrounded her sister, she was thankful that everyone was helping her but she couldn’t help but feel the twinge of pain that ensued that no one seemed to notice her lying there panting and crying besides Leo and Alina. Leo was right, Matteo would take care of Vesta and apparently he was the only one on her twins mind right now. Veda tore her stare away from her sister as Leo wrapped his jacket around her shuddering shoulders and was rendered speechless for a moment before finally just nodding. “Yeah, I’ll help you get Alina to her room too. She doesn’t need to sleep in wet clothes like that.”

—

It was nearly a week after their Aqua trial and Veda was finding herself fitting in more than ever around the citadel now that she had found her order. It was as if the other sirens around the place had accepted her a bit more, though they still seemed apprehensive about their arrival and their conflict with the heirs. Although there was one person who didn’t seem to care a single bit about Veda’s history and prophecy which was honestly quite refreshing given their last few weeks. Kato had apparently been off with the water heir on a small trip to check into some reports of attacks in one of the neighboring provinces, he had returned to the citadel on the day of the twins aqua trial. Veda had bumped into him late that night in the kitchen and the two had been hanging out ever since.

“Oh hell. Knock it off.” Veda giggled and slapped at the tall man’s shoulder, his pale skin was cold against her fingers and she couldn’t help but realize she felt no resounding warmth like the had with Leo. Both men were vampires and while they were physically cold, Veda felt like she could feel a flowing warmth that always came off Leo… she had assumed it was a normal vampire thing. Kato said something she hadn’t heard due to her daydreaming and Veda had to refocus and push the thoughts of Leo from her head. It had been like that a lot lately, but he was busy with Alina. His *fiancé*. The two of them had invited Veda to come hang out with them a few times but if she was going to be a third wheel she would suck up her pride to go hang out with Vesta and Matteo.

“I’m sorry what did you say? Zoned out.” Veda shrugged, no need to deny it. Kato chuckled, his fangs briefly visible. "*I was just saying that you always seem lost in thought these days. Wondering if I should do something about that?” * A blush moved to Vedas cheeks as she realized what he meant, his face leaning in and placing a few fluttering kisses against her cheek before he tucked his face into the nape of her neck. Oh. “K-Kato. We’re in the garden. In broad daylight.” Not that it would have stopped her if she was actually okay with it, but the fact was that she really wasn’t. “*Sorry*," he mumbled, pulling back slightly, but not enough to make her fully comfortable. “*Should we maybe head back to the tower?” *

​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Marigold Lycath
◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯
23.Scorpio.Werewolf.Water

Mari had a reputation around the citadel, well around everywhere really, for being a bit of a bitch. To be honest, she relished it, wearing the title like a medal, and if they thought she was bad previously… no one was prepared for how Mari had been acting this past week. As if it hadn’t been enough to have to walk away from her mate, Mari had to deal with that look Rune had given her and how he had come to her defense in the next second. It killed her to disappoint him but it killed her even more for him to still care. So Mari had gone from bitch to full on demon, just yesterday she had demanded to be allowed to move to a bigger suite and further away from Alina. Of course it didn’t take much due to her status as an heirs fiancé but she still wasn’t nice.

“I told you, I’m meeting someone. And NO, it has nothing to do with that.” Mari bit the answer at Cy like it was pure venom, shoving her arms through the sleeves of her sweater before turning to face him with an upturned chin. She wasn’t sure when Cy had taken notice of the black rings that surrounded her golden irises but he had finally asked about it a day ago. Ever since they broke their bond, Mari had been careful to avoid any prolonged eye contact and tried to wear sunglasses or distracting makeup to call attention from the damning things but apparently Cy had seen through that at some point. “All you need to know is that I’m with you. Okay?” The woman let out a slow breath, closing the distance between the two of them and placing her hands gently against the lapels of his shirt, smoothing them out gently. “Cy I know we might not be mates, or in love. But I care about you a lot, you’re a great friend and we work well together. We have a good future. Things are just all fucked right now.” A sad smile spread on her lips before she leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll meet you for dinner okay?”

Without another word Mari moved to pull on her boots and walked out the door. A few minutes later she had found her way to the commons, sliding into one of the more secluded sitting areas and waiting to be able to finish off her sabotage of the aqua trial for certain. “Stars there you are, took you forever. Here.” Mari shoved an envelope at the woman and looked around nervously, it contained a few thousand as well as four invites to her wedding which was bump someone up the social scale a few notches just for being in attendance. “If anyone asks you how you got invited, remember to say that you’re friends with my younger brother okay? Now shoo before someone sees you.” The woman ran off with a grin and Mari found herself alone in the silence once more, her body sinking a bit as the realization of how low she had gone sunk in.

Mari crossed one leg over the other and pulled out her atlas to send a text to Cy, explaining that she would be late to dinner and just needed some time alone. She was sure he would read into that some way but oh well, it was the truth. The seconds felt as if they stretched into hours as Mari sat there, thoughts swirling in her mind like storm clouds. How had the appearance of these two little girls screwed everything up so royally?

​

 

[EclipseRosee]

Matteo Sellis
｡ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ｡
26.Sagittarius.Incubus.Fire
Matteo felt as if his heart was going to leap from his chest, his arms were shaking as he tried his best to stay calm for Vesta. When the girls had been under the water he had felt so fucking helpless, not just because of his own order and element but because of how quickly Rune dismissed him. It was just a reminder of how lowly his status was, a reminder that no matter how hard he’d worked he would never be able to make any influence here. Matteo couldn’t even convince the one person here who he thought was actually reasonable to stop a full on death trap. Thank the stars for Alina and her quick thinking, if it wasn’t for her Matteo wasn’t sure what would have happened. “Thank you Alina.” He signed, not taking his eyes from Vesta as she turned and slid closer to him. He adjusted to hold her more comfortably, doing what he could to cover her as best he could. “No, don’t apologize.
Just rest okay.”

—
“Vee, you very quickly forgave me. Someone you just met. But you’re still continuing to give your literal twin the cold shoulder?” Matteo glanced at Vesta out of the corner of his eye as they walked back to Ignis tower from getting some food at the dining hall. “I know that Leo did something so disgustingly wrong, and I’m not saying it’s okay at all, but to his credit… it is just the fucked up way life works here. Plus Veda was only around him because she was floundering for someone to connect to here.” Unfortunately now that meant that the other half of the twin sisters had attached to Kato in her sister and Leo’s absence. Matteo had never gotten a good vibe from the Aqua heir’s right hand man and now he felt that even more.

“I just don’t like seeing you miserable Vee.” Matteo gave her a sideways smirk before tossing an arm lazily around her shoulders. “Plus I know you’ve been dying to tell Veda about your most recent Mosquito Lair score.” Being around Vesta was the most fun that Matteo had had since he was a little boy, it had been so long since he was allowed to just be himself and let go of all the bullshit. He didn’t feel like he had to prove anything to her, Vesta accepted him for him and all his quirks and he thought the world of her. It was hard to watch her be going through this thing with her sister especially when he knew how easy it was to lose family in this world, though he assumed it must have been just as easy for the human realm. The thought of it made a shadow cross his expression before he quickly shook it off and plastered a brighter smile on his features. “Come on! We can go invite her to the library tonight. I mean, she should learn about your history too right?”​

 

[KAYDEN]

Cypres Ettery
~𑁍~
25.Capricorn.Nemean Lion. Earth & Air​

There wasn’t a chance in hell that Cy was going to leave things this messed up with Alina. He couldn’t care less if Rune and Leo wanted to yell at or judge him, they seemed to often forget that Cy was an heir as well and just because he was the nicest of the bunch didn’t mean he was a total fucking push over. Mari’s threats meant more to him than Leo’s. Though what was really killing him was the hurt that he had seen in Alina’s eyes, he had known she had nothing to do with the storm that had taken place but after the drama that had ensued that morning he was certain that calling out Mari would be the death of his engagement. So now Cy had been spending every damn day sending unanswered texts and calls to Alina in hopes that she would just say something to him. At this point he would even love it if she would just tell him off, anything to know she hadn’t completely written him off.

Then there was the issues with Mari and her mate. The first time he saw her eyes he had assumed he was seeing things, it just didn’t make sense that Mari left for one night and came back having broken her mated bond. However the second time Cy noticed the black rings he knew he wasn’t mistaken. Mari refused to answer him about who it was and despite trying to figure it out on his own, Cy was at a loss. In his mind Mari finding her mate was a possibility… a possibility to get her out of this engagement and be free to pursue Alina the right way. Only issue was it seemed Mari wasn’t on the same wavelength. “So you’re not off to meet your mystery man?” Cy scoffed and rolled his eyes, leaning against the corner of his desk as he watched Mari get ready to leave for the afternoon. She moved to him and he had to resist the urge to remove her hands from his chest, he knew that what she was saying was true but he just couldn’t help his heart from screaming at him to chase Alina. Even if he knew what the logical conclusion to their saga was. “Right, whatever you say Mar.”

Cy pushed away from the table as Mari closed the door behind her. The minute he was sure he was alone he pulled out his atlas to check for yet another time to see if Alina had responded to a single one of his messages only to come up short. “Dammit.” He groaned and sent off another text to ask her to let him explain himself, he knew it was likely for naught but he just couldn’t let it go.
.

​

 

[Sir Damien]

Rune Finch
⋆༺𓆩

𓆪༻⋆
27.Scorpio.Basalisk.Shadows&Earth

So far Vesta nearly died in both trials, and so as far as the higher ups were concerned he was ordered to let the girls have a break. It was irritating enough to do these trials, but to be ordered around on how he handles the trials pissed him off beyond belief. It was the one thing he had left to distract him from, well, the overwhelming despair of losing his mate? Yeah, that was putting it nicely. Every moment he lived without her was misery, every breath he took felt like acid in his veins. It was like an ash arrow to the heart-- the pain was indescribable, and it was a level of pain even he couldn't deal with.

Maybe it all would have been easier if he didn't have to see her every day let alone every day with Cypres. Honestly Rune had never committed blatant murder, but he'd do that for her. He had to remind himself that Cy was what was good for her and all Rune would do is poison her life. Luckily for the tall, dark, and rugged General he had something to shift his focus to... and that was Mari's little scheme. She was lying in the lagoon and even got bitch boy Cy to agree with her, and Rune didn't like liars. Marigold and him could break their mating bond, fine, but he wouldn't be lying to her.

And so obviously the only choice was to stalk her.

Rune had spies all over the citadel that reported to him and him alone, he knew every time that Mari separated from Cy. When he received those texts he dropped everything and went complete camouflaged; a perk of being a basilisk, he could perfectly blend into a crowd, against a wall, a tree, a bush, literally anything.

Or, like today, he was blended into the sitting area of commons waiting for her. She was here with Cy so Rune got up before dawn and just waited. He had a hunch, and sure enough (hours later) she came down. He followed her just to watch the interaction with her accomplice. Instantly Rune wanted to come out of hiding and scold her, reprimand the both of them. He didn't do well with liars in his platoon, they received harsh punishment and Rune wasn't ever afraid to say what was on his mind.

It was Mari sinking into her chair with that sullen look on her face that twisted his stomach and stopped him. Instead he just watched and contemplated how to comfort her That, however, wasn't a skill he had mastered yet. "Marigold." The camo washed off of Rune's skin and clothes and he was suddenly standing there behind her, his rumbling voice holding a bit of disappointment in it. His arms were crossed and his solid biceps twitched in agitation underneath the black shirt that hugged his every rippling muscle. "I don't blame you for disliking the twins. I've always encouraged you to take what you want in life. I just---" Dark brows furrowed and his face scrunched a bit as he fought the urge to properly scold her. Apparently being mates didn't make his awkwardness any easier.

"You lied. You framed Alina and I'm just... disappointed. You are above that." His fists clenched before he heaved a heavy sigh. His head shook side to side for a second before his emerald gaze caught hers.

​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Alina Diaval
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
22. Aquarius. Storm Dragon. Water & Air


All Alina wanted was to disappear. She wanted to fall asleep and never wake up--- the pain in her chest from losing Cy was unbearable. He was the only person she had left that actually saw Alina as someone other than some snooty dragon, the one thing her heart ached for. Marigold was right though, the one person she wanted was engaged to someone else. He didn't want her. Cy actively chose to accuse her of trying to hurt people! So no matter how much Leo tried to cheer her up, no matter how much he tried to convince her to leave the safety of his Ignis tower, she just refused. She needed to be away from Mari, from Cy, she just wanted away from everyone.

"I'm not leaving today either. Don't feel good." Alina sat in the obnoxiously large pile of gold Leo had insisted of laying out for her. Like she was some cat... she didn't mind though. Most of the day Alina was in her dragon form to curl up in it, it was the best depression sleep of her life. Besides, when she was in her fae form she had the constant weight of her atlus on her pocket... or the weight of the missed calls and texts. "Just go. I'll be fine. Maybe find Veda? I know you miss her." The small blonde shot him an encouraging smile, her blue eyes watching Leo cave in and leave the room.

As if on cue her pocket vibrated and with a heavy sigh her heart instantly knew who it was. Hesitantly she pulled out the atlus to see the text, those tired eyes of hers scanning over the latest text. She missed him-- or, at least the version of Cypres she knew. Not the one that framed her, not the one that pitied her. It would be so much easier if she could just ignore the heavy feeling in her heart, ignore the piece of her soul absolutely screaming at her to run back to him.

She had to let him explain himself, even if nothing would come from it. "Greenhouse. Five minutes." At least in the greenhouse they'd be hidden. That was it-- Alina didn't want to be some secret he had to hide.

With a heavy sigh she pulled herself from her depression nest and and slipped on some black sneakers to pair with her black sweatpants and white halter top, her long blonde hair tied up in two messy space buns. Out the door she went shoving her atlus deep in her pocket and straight to the greenhouse, making sure no one followed her this time. Once there she sat by the door to wait for Cy, completely uneasy at how she'd feel when she seen him. She had to be strong-- no giving in this time.
​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Vesta “Smith”
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
21.Gemini.Currently Unknown Order & Element

Confrontation was Vesta's bread and butter. Although she was small she was rather scrappy it was never for her sake, always Veda's. To protect her sister, if someone insulted her, however it was never a confrontation with Veda. The sisters never got on each others bad side because they were the only ones they had in this world... well, besides Veda's horrible choices of men. Vesta herself never had a friend let alone a boyfriend and she really had no intention to get one. She was happy with Veda and Matteo in her life.

Too bad she only had one of those right now.

"Are you saying you want me to be mad at you still too?" Vesta spoke with a small quirk to her brow and lifted her chin to look up at her tall friend. After the aqua trial Vesta just assumed they'd be on good terms, she assumed that she'd come over to the Ignis tower like always. Only, Veda didn't. When Vesta worked up the nerve to talk to her sister about it she had a new man she was absolutely infatuated with and it that stopped the apology. Vesta was pissed-- Veda could give her shit about Matteo but be kissing up on some random vampire?

"I'll invite her but I'm still mad. She said something about us making eyes at each other and I don't know what that means, but it sounded insulting. Her being pissed at me is one thing but I'm not going to let her come at you like that." The arm around her shoulder felt natural, even the fellow Ignis household members giving the two a whistling catcall was normal. Of course Vesta thought nothing about it and assumed it was their way of greeting them since it happened so often.

Her bright green gaze went to her atlus as she shot a text to Veda, her attention fading from where she was walking and trying not to sound like a I'm uncultured to her sister. 'Library after dinner for family history lesson.' However just as she hit send she ended up walking straight into something solid enough to knock her to the ground.

"*I'm real sick of the likes of your kind darkening the citadel. Did you sleep with my girlfriend again Incubus?*" A blonde haired fae male that stood at the same height as Matteo had grabbed him by the shirt. Now Vesta was completely ignorant to most social cues, but she knew a fight when she saw one. So Vesta quickly pushed herself to her feet and gave the guy a sharp glare. "Maybe she got sick of your charming personality and she needed the company of an actual nice guy." Did it hurt to think of Matteo sleeping with a bunch of women? Yeah, but, that was what he needed to do. Besides, it wasn't like they were a thing or anything. Matteo was too good for a screw up like her.
​

 

[Colt Voltage]

Leo Thorn
𓆩✧♛✧𓆪
26.Leo.Vampire.Fire

Normally during the day Leo was out socializing with the entirety of the citadel, doing his heir shit, or working with the townsfolk. Things he wanted to do? Check in with Veda to see how she was doing. But the thing he HAD to do? Tend to Alina. He didn't understand why she was still upset! She was free of Cypres and Marigold, both terrible people in his eyes. They gained Veda as a friend... well, at least he thought they did. He still didn't have her atlus number, and by the time he ran into her the other day getting Alina something to eat he found her hanging around Kato of all people. Alina said that she had texted her to come over a few times, but she had turned them down... probably to hang out with Kato. It churned his stomach for reasons he didn't know. It was from that moment on did Leo declare to the other vampires that he was claiming Veda. Not because he was jealous or anything-- it was for her safety, obviously.

"Alina you can't just mope in the room the rest of your life." Leo grumbled as he donned on his signature leather jacket, pushing back some of his loose blonde locks as he glanced into the mirror on the wall. He was going to get Alina some food despite her being on a hunger strike for some reason, but the mention of him going to see Veda made him freeze for a second. He had been working rather hard this week, and if she insisted, well, it'd be rude to tell her no. "I'll bring you back some snacks, okay?" And with that he was off.

Once outside of the tower he jogged over to Aqua. Or, he started to until his nose picked up that fresh, relaxing, addictive scent of hers. Leo followed it to find her in the garden. It took a minute for Leo to notice Kato was with her, however when he did his face went red with-- with rage? Why was he so angry? "Ah-hem." Leo loudly cleared his throat as he walked up the glowing stone path towards the two of them, his hands casually in his pockets as he approached. "Kato. Welcome back." That normal cheerful voice of his was deadly serious and his dark brown brows arched curiously at the close proximity.

"You know I claimed her, right? If you're hungry you'll have to find someone else." It wasn't something he had informed Veda about, but, she'd be fine. His top priority was keeping her safe from creeps-- especially creeps like Kato. "You know the repercussions for biting someone's claimed person. Not even your little water buddy will be able to protect you from me, Kato." Leo flashed him a smile though it was anything but friendly. What was the saying? If looks could kill?

"Now let go of my dear friend and be on your way, boy. I've come into some free time and would like to spend it with her. You know, important business you're not qualified for." His eyes refused to glance towards Veda right now, he couldn't show weakness with Kato around. Though, he didn't need to look at her to sense how uncomfortable she was. He needed to get Kato far, far away from her and he'd do whatever it took to save her from him.

​

 

[KAYDEN]

Cypres Ettery
~𑁍~
25.Capricorn.Nemean Lion. Earth & Air​

Cy couldn’t believe for a second what he was seeing, Alina was actually responding to his message and while it wasn’t anything overtly warm it was still a response nonetheless. Just that small bit of contact was enough to make his heart soar and his stomach feel like it was filled with butterflies. He quickly sent off a confirming message before quickly moving to his closet to get changed seeing as he was still in his pajamas despite the late afternoon sun mocking him from his window. Cy dressed in record time, pulling on a pair of simply jeans and a brown sweater that he paired with a white button up underneath. He was sure his hair was a mess but he didn’t care, he just wanted to get to Alina and pray to the stars above that he understood where he was coming from.

As Cy was leaving a chime alerted him to another text that he quickly checked to ensure it wasn’t Alina, however it was just Mari explaining she would be out longer.
That eas good, that would work better for him in the long run. He sent her an okay before shoving the Altus in his pocket once more and making way for the greenhouse. It wasn’t far from Terra but he didn’t want to risk being late and giving Alina a reason to bail.

“Alina?” Cy said softly as he stepped into the door, peering around in the various plants and supplies until he sat her sitting on a bench. Just the sight of her was enough to make him lose all nerve, hell he nearly dropped to his knees and began begging for forgiveness right then and there but he barely resisted… though maybe it wasn’t the worst plan he had ever had. “Alina you look…” Cy knew he should tell her she looked beautiful but tired, gorgeous but dull… it would go against everything they had agreed on and it would just make them sad. Although seeing her look so down was nearly enough to completely break him. Cy moved closer to her and knelt down before her, gently laying his hands against her knees as he peered up into her eyes. “I swear I don’t think you did anything to those girls Alina. I know it was Mari and I am so sorry that I didn’t have your back. I was just worried about what would happen to all four of us if I made Mari anymore upset, she’s ready to walk away after everything that happened in the meal hall that day Alina.”

Cy wasn’t sure that was a bad thing still, though he was more than intrigued to hear what she would think about that bit of information. “I won’t blame you if you never want to speak to me again but I really think we can still be friends. We’ve been friends forever and I just don’t want to throw that away.”

​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Marigold Lycath
◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯
23.Scorpio.Werewolf.Water

Stars no, Mari begged internally as she heard the familiar sounds of boots crunching against the dirt and coming near her. There was a time that sound had made her heart do little flips and her cheeks heat but right now it made her want to vomit. Mentally she couldn’t handle him right now, she couldn’t handle facing the man she wanted and loved so much when she knew she had been a monumental disappointment recently. Then the sound of his voice rang out and for a moment she contemplated pretending she didn’t hear it, that she didn’t feel his presence behind her and that she wasn’t straining against the want to fly into his arms and stay there forever.

“Rune.” Mari spoke softly, refusing to turn to look at him and instead staring down at her hands. However when he said something about not liking the twins she turned to him so quickly, hurt easily visible in her earthy golden eyes. “It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s that I gave up you for things to go as planned and I won’t let that go for naught Rune.” Her voice shook slightly as she tried to remain composed, her hands unclasping as she pushed off from the bench to turn fully around and take him in fully. Stars save her, please let her have some fucking dignity left by the end of all this. “It’s not about thinking they’re annoying little brats, it’s that they stand to ruin everything that I have worked for, everything that I have destroyed myself for, everything that keeps me from you. How don’t you get that?”

Mari fought to keep her voice a low volume but she could feel herself growing more and more irate. Only getting worse when Rune told her he was disappointed.

Disappointed.

His gaze caught on hers and that was it, that was all it took to completely break what little piece of her was still inside and clinging to hope that one day she would be happy despite all this. That Alina wasn’t right and she would actually amount to something and all her work would be worth it. That she wouldn’t become someone else entirely to do so. But she had, Mari was a warrior, a wolf from a noble and trusted clan but she had allowed her own path to power to just fuck all of that up. And now, Rune was disappointed. Mari didn’t shy away from his gaze as tears began to fall down her cheeks, her own hands moving to wrap her arms around herself and squeeze a bastardized version of the hug she really wanted from him. “I am too, I’m disappointed in me.”

​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Veda “Smith”
₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊
21.Gemini.All Four. Siren.

Kato wasn’t really a boyfriend, he was more of a boy that Veda liked to flirt with and make out with. Honestly she wasn’t really sure that she would call him a full blown friend, thus why she wasn’t really into becoming a blood bag for the guy. That seemed like a lot for the Veda who was trying very hard to turn a new leaf in this life and not jump into every shitty and toxic relationship she could. “Seriously come on, back off for a sec.” Veda groaned and moved to push him further to she could grab her Altus that was buzzing in her pocket only to be met with statue like stillness and refusal to back off. “Dude stop.” Why was he acting like this? The siren reached out, prepared to use her power to try and change his emotions to anything other than the weird rage filled lust that rolled from him but before she could even try and figure it out someone else was stepping in.

No, not someone, Leo.

Great.

In front of her Veda could feel an instant change in Kato that made her skin prickle in a very bad way, it was like he was angrier and growing defensive. What the fuck was up with these damn vampires? “Oh! Hey!” Veda plastered a nervous smile on her face, slithering out of the space that Kato had her pinned against before quickly bouncing over to Leo and wrapping her hands around his arm. “Glad you ended up with free time, when I had asked I knew you were pretty busy but hadn’t seen you in a few days. Kato you don’t mind right?” She tried to portray this little facade as genuinely as she could but the tension between both men was nearly too much for her to handle, it was overwhelming her senses. Without much more thought Veda suddenly felt that same warm feeling flowing from Leo to her hands and she could feel how angry he was, annoyed… scared. Veda glanced at him for a moment, confusion crossing her expression before she turned her attention to sending calming vibes towards him as she stole his fear.

Kato rolled his eyes and nearly completely ignored Leon besides a quick smirk that made Vedas blood run cold. “No problem love, I can see that Leo seems fairly desperate so I’m willing to share. Though he doesn’t seem to be. Claiming a source is just so desperate and old school. Though I can’t say I’m surprised. Whatever, see ya.”

The minute Kato moved to head back to their tower Veda felt as if she could breathe again, her body relaxing and her hands on Leo’s arms loosening but not letting go completely. “Thank you.” She breathed, her heart finally seeming to return to a normal rate before she finally let her hands fall from his arm. “What in the fuck was all that macho man tension about? I mean my god I wasn’t actually going to let him bite me or anything.” Though Veda wasn’t entirely sure that she could have stopped Kato from doing whatever he wanted. “Wait- rewind.” Veda was replaying the situation in her mind and finally clicking on something. “What the fuck does CLAIMING ME mean Leo? I am not YOURS to claim in any sense of the fucking word! What in the hell is it with you mosquito bitches thinking you can just bite whoever you want whatever you want?” Veda pushed him gently in the chest, glaring up at him with all the defiance in the world. “Plus isn’t that like Alina’s thing? Won’t she be mad?”

​

 

[EclipseRosee]

Matteo Sellis
｡ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ｡
26.Sagittarius.Incubus.Fire
Matteo knew that chuckling at her was probably a strange response to her anger, but he couldn’t help it. She was so adorable when she was acting like she was upset with him. “Of course not mon princessa, I just know that some things are worth working towards and you and Veda are family.” He squeezed her tight against his side giving her a bright smile that he knew she couldn’t be too upset with him. He knew things were strange and strained for them but Matteo would keep doing what he could to try and make her happy. “Eh, it means she’s just jealous that I’m completely enamored with you Vee.” His tone was joking but he felt his pulse quicken with the truth of his statement. Matteo was completely enraptured with Vesta, she was so much fun, fiery and had such a good head on her shoulders not to mention the fact that she was drop dead gorgeous. Due to his order there wasn’t a lot of women, or men, that made him nervous the way that Vesta did.

“Aye! What’s your issue?” Matteo hissed, grabbing the other fae by the hand and beginning to heat the skin there in attempt to burn the asshole. Then when the guy was distracted by that, Mateo used his other hand to throw an absolute sucker punch into his jaw and finally he was free. After glancing over to Vesta to make sure she hadn’t hurt herself when this prick made her fall, he turned his deadly gaze back to the male. “I’m so sorry but you’ll have to be more specific as to which one is your girlfriend? Plus, maybe take my friends advise there, if she was seeking me out she must not be very satisfied. I don’t chase.” His order took over a bit despite his insane lack of power due to weeks of missing any recharge beyond flirting. Usually in a fight like this he would let loose to prove a point, allow his horns and energy to flow but now all he could manage was his eyes going blood red and alluring power rolling off his skin. “Now apologize to Vesta and then find your way to your girlfriend’s room to have a conversation like a man. Or accept it now and walk away from your sad little relationship.”

. ​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Alina Diaval
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
22. Aquarius. Storm Dragon. Water & Air


Be strong. Stay mad. Clean break. The mantra was repeated over, and over in her head as she waited for Cypres to walk through those doors. Hell when her atlus vibrated she glanced down and prayed that maybe he'd come to his better senses. They both knew this was a terrible idea, yet once he confirmed the meeting it became clear that neither one of them couldn't stop thinking about the other. They would never stop thinking about each other until Alina made things perfectly transparent for him.

That deep, soothing voice pulled the tired dragon from those depressing thoughts and caused her to shift on the bench to sit up straight. Her shoulders squared, she took a deep breath and she worked up all the bitch she had in her body, and-- and once those cerulean blues of hers landed on that enchanting face of his she felt her shoulders slump. Cy was her safe space, the person she felt most comfortable with even if he shouldn't of been. How could she stay mad at him?

"C-Cy what are you-..." Those pale, slightly sunken in cheeks from the lack of eating over the last few weeks heated as he knelt before her. He was an heir, he shouldn't have been kneeling in front of anyone, least of all someone like her. Her lips pressed together so she could listen to him and her heart absolutely shattered. There was no being mad at him. How could she be? Of course Mari was threatening him and putting him in some terribly uncomfortable position. That was what Leo was doing to her and-- and she hated it.

Small pale hands cupped his five-o'clock shadowed face so she could look him over without a word. He looked tired, stressed, all Alina wanted to do was take that away for him. For once her mind calmed and she listened to her heart, and before she knew it the dragon was leaning in to press her lips to his for a tender moment. Her eyes fluttered close and the kiss lingered for a moment, and deep down she didn't want to pull away. Eventually she did though and it immediately felt like she had found the thing she had needed all of her life, her heart aching terrible and screaming at her to move in for another kiss.

Soft thumbs caressed his cheeks and a sad smile spread on that equally tired face of hers as she peeked open to meet his gaze once more. Alina couldn't pull herself more than an inch or two from him right now, no, she wanted to soak in this final moment with him and her forehead gently rested against his. "That's why we can't be friends anymore. I love you Cypres Ettery. Mari was right; I love someone who is in love with someone else. I understand why you did what you did and I don't blame you at all, but there's no longer room for me in your life. You have Mari and you don't need me."
​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Vesta “Smith”
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
21.Gemini. All four. Phoenix.

There were things in life that confused Vesta, the most prominent one being Matteo. He said things that didn't make sense but it made her heart threaten to burst from her chest. Vesta had swore off things like men and dating because of the shit she seen Veda go through, but every day with Matteo made her think that things could be different. That maybe Vesta could be a different person here, her own person instead of solely focused on survival and making sure rent was paid. But then there were assholes like this dumb ugly fae that reminded her who Vesta was.

Vesta stood by and silently cheered as Matteo sucker punched the dude, though she would've cheered more if he burnt the asshole. Unfortunately the guy only seemed to get more pissed off as his face contorted and heated in anger. He half way glanced at Vesta and scoffed. "*Apologize to your little human pet? I don't think so. The bitch doesn't even have an order, she's almost as worthless than you.*" That made Vesta's face hot. ""Hey!" The copper haired woman took a step forward to tell the man off again but he pushed her out of the way. Without warning a fireball formed in his hand and the ball kept growing, and growing, and he kept his eyes focused on Matteo.

There was no hesitation in her next step. Just as the guy went to plummet the fire into Matteo she jumped in between them and took the hit for him. It melted through the stomach of her shirt and the fire burned brighter on impact. What should of been a deadly blow however only made that copper hair of hers burn bright, her eyes shutting tightly as if she was waiting for the pain. The friends of the fae male gasped in awe; whether they expected Vesta to be injured or shocked that she wasn't being injured she didn't know... and frankly, she didn't care.

The fire seemed to absorb into the small woman. It felt like lava was coursing through her veins, and the next thing she knew her body combusted in a blazing ball of fire. Out of the flames and straight into the sky darted a crimson phoenix no bigger than an eagle with orange and golden tipped feathers. Flames trailed her wings and elongated tail feathers as she flew around above everyone, her screeching phoenix cry echoed throughout the citadel grounds.

By the time her golden claws landed to the stone path that form faded and Vesta was back, the woman now having a radiant glow to every bit of her. "Holy shit." Those golden flecked emerald orbs looked down at her skin in disbelief and a wickedly big spread smile on her face. She completely ignored the screaming male and his friends as they ran away. So much for keeping her order a secret.
​

 

[Colt Voltage]

Leo Thorn
𓆩✧♛✧𓆪
26.Leo.Vampire.Fire

Kato may not have bit Veda but, dammit he was close enough for Leo to pull rank and lay down the law. His shoulders were tense and he'd be ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Even as Veda bounced over to her and he felt her warm hand on his strong arm he couldn't relax. Vampires were monsters, point blank. They were faster, stronger, blood thirsty beasts that were things of nightmares not just for humans, but for other faes too. Leo knew of the downside to their order and while he gave most vampires the benefit of the doubt, he didn't give that to Kato. The water heir was an asshole and anyone who was friends with him was just as sketchy as he was.

"Desperate my ass." Leo muttered under his breath as Kato finally left. A relieved sigh passed his lips and hie could finally relax. "Don't mention it. You okay?" His full attention turned towards Veda and a small smile spread on his face. Leo couldn't apologize for the lot of his order, but he could protect her from them. Maybe Veda didn't realize how dangerous they could be just yet, but, he didn't want her to find out. There was an overwhelming urge to keep her safe that he didn't quite understand as his bright eyes looked her over. His large hand gently cupped the delicate fingers still on her arm to reassure that she was safe and he quietly chuckled.

"Oh, well, vampires are a territorial order. Kato was probably just trying to claim you... besides, a pretty little siren is a hot commodity. Just be careful around him." Leo spoke with a playful wink and began to head out of the garden, only stopping when Veda seemed to pick up on the claiming bit.

Leo suddenly burst into laughter, so much so that his free arm clutched his stomach as he doubled over in amusement. It took a minute for him to straighten up and wipe a tear from his eye. "Oh, shit Veda you're funny." He looked over her deathly serious face as she pushed him, to which he didn't budge from, and blinked widely a few times. "Oh shit you're serious yeah? Claiming you means, like, you're mine. Mine to feed from, I mean. No other vampire can feed from you. Think of it as my way of keeping you safe... and maybe sneaking in a snack in every once in a while."

The arm she held on to shifted so he could wrap it loosely around her shoulders-- nothing as dominating or aggressive like Kato was. There was something about her that calmed him and he liked to think that he did the same for her. "Alina doesn't care. She's never liked me feeding on her, dragons don't like to share their powers. 'Sides, she doesn't need protecting. Gotta keep you safe if you're going to overthrow all the heirs." There was a playful tease to his voice but it caused his heart to skip a beat. Sure he'd lose everything he ever fought for, but now that he got to know Veda more she would make a good leader. She wouldn't harm their people. Veda had a good, caring head on her shoulders, hell, she was better than all the other choices. Wind was flighty, water was sketchy, Cy didn't seem to care about the crown at all and then there was Leo. He was far more suited for battle than anything else.

"'Sides, it's too late. I've already declared to the other vampires you're mine. Can't take it back." Just as the two exited the garden there was a flash of fire in the sky and he tensed. He pulled Veda in to protect her a little bit better until he observed the fireball further. Upon further inspection it wasn't fire, it was a phoenix. "Well I'll be damned. Guess phoenix's aren't extinct anymore." He didn't think he needed to confirm that was Vesta. Obviously Veda knew their lineage, right?

​

 

[Sir Damien]

Rune Finch
⋆༺𓆩

𓆪༻⋆
27.Scorpio.Basalisk.Shadows&Earth

It was no secret that Rune was a blunt, terrifying man. There was no changing who he is, but he did try to reel it in for Marigold. She accepted him regardless of his off putting demeanor, but he didn't want her to think that he was mad at her. No... no matter what she did he would love her with his dying breath, he would back her up a thousand percent. But even when she was wrong he had to call her out, only because he expected the same if he fucked up. But that soft, trembling voice had him tensing up even more and the cracked heart in his chest officially shattered.

His eyes met those earthy orbs of hers and his jaw clenched. He said nothing as she stood from the bench to address him and he took a small step back as if to brace himself for the shock. She wasn't doing this because of her distain for the twins, she was doing this because she lost him. Was this Rune's fault? Mari was lowering her standards because they couldn't be together. She was willing to frame and maim these innocent girls to earn her position in the world.

"Marigold." Those tears of hers had him moving without thinking. Shadows swirled around them to shield them from view, his camouflaged ability coating the shadows and essentially making them disappear unless someone entered their small bubble. To hell if someone found out he was a shadow user, to hell if they found out he was a Basilisk, his only priority was Marigold at this point. Heavy steps moved towards her and those large paws of his lifted, and without hesitation he pulled her into his strong warm arms for a tight embrace. One arm cupped the back of her head and cradled her to his chest and surely he could hear the loud pounding in his chest. "You are a brave, noble woman who is worthy of so much more. You deserve the world and I-- I wish I could give it to you." There was a small crack to his voice but he refused to let her see the tears building in his eyes. The fingers cradling her head smoothed over those golden brown waves of hers and he let out a shuddered breath.

"Whether these girls overcome these trials or not I care not. I don't want you fretting my love. You will reach the stars, you will succeed in all you do. I will be in the background and ensure your success, do you hear me?" The hug tightened and his lips landed on the top of her head. He knew he shouldn't be doing this but he just couldn't help himself. "I take pride in the fact that you are my mate, Marigold. You are and will forever be the only good thing about my days in this world. Do not let anyone stand in your way, do you hear me?"

There was a phoenix screeching above them and he refused to look, he refused to let her go. He already knew that Vesta would become one eventually and it had no effect on him."*RUNE!*" His jaw twitched at the sound of an approaching voice. "I hope someday you can forgive me for not being good enough for you." There was an apologetic tone to his voice as his arms released her, his warm hands cupping her face to wipe away the tears. Once she was fixed up the shadows settled and the spy quickly spotted him.

"What is it?" The gruff serious voice was back as he shot a small glare over at the aether spy, one of the kids he had saved in the war who swore their undying loyalty to Rune. "*T-There was a spotting in the woods. A shadow wielder. One of our guys was hurt and he's in the infirmary. W-What should we do?*" Rune felt his stomach flip and his brows furrow. The war had been over for at least a year. The shadow wielders left at the end of the war, or, at least they did to his knowledge. What the fuck was one dong here so close to the citadel?

"Marigold can you get ahold of the heirs? I'll contact Matteo. Have them meet me in a half hour by the gates to the forest." With one last apologetic look he pocketed his hands and stormed off to handle some business. He didn't say for the girls to join them, he didn't invite Mari. He wanted them as far away from this mess as possible.

​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Veda “Smith”
₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊₊✩‧₊
21.Gemini.All Four. Siren.

Veda stared at Leo besides her for a long moment, her brain struggling to compute with what he was actually saying to her. At first it actually sounded really sweet, the idea of him looking out for her made her feel a bit warm in the face… however a moment later when she realized that he was claiming her as a MEAL only to avoid others claiming her as a MEAL made her furious. “You bloodthirsty fucks are something else!” Veda groaned, grinding her elbow into his ribs gently as his arm wrapped around her shoulders and for a moment she nearly pushed him off until she decided that the calm she felt was worth allowing him to continue being annoying. “So you’re down for me to overthrow you? Interesting stuff there.” She wasn’t sure if he actually meant what he had said, it was hard for her to believe that someone who had been willing to kill her for his position would be willing to let her take it now, but she felt zero dishonesty in his statement. Instead she decided to try and come up with a way to make fun of that protection comment but she couldn’t even do that! Veda had watched Leo beat the fucking snot out of Cypres and had seen how powerful his fire could be. The only thing she could try and scoff at was needing protection but even then she couldn’t because people kept trying to kill them left and right! If this was back in the human realm Veda had zero reason to need someone else besides herself to protect her, but here? Maybe it wasn’t the worst idea ever. “Whatever you say Mosquito boy, just don’t go getting any ideas about non-consensual snacking.”

A moment later Leo pulled Veda in closer against his side and she flushed, “Hey!” She protested but stopped quickly as her eyes landed on the bolt of fire shooting through the sky. In her bones she just knew it was Vesta. “Phoenix? Like legendary bird that comes from ashes and shit? Those are real?” She wasn’t quite sure why that shocked her more than anything else she had heard in her time here but it just seemed totally otherworldly. Plus there was the fact that this level of order power made Veda feel as if Vesta had known about her order and hadn’t told her anything… which hurt. If Veda was still struggling to pop all her scales and fully understand her order it only made sense that Vesta must have been at least partially aware of hers to fly right? “Whatever, are you actually free? Can we go do literally anything else but stand here?”

-

“When I asked to do literally anything else, this is NOT where I expected to end up.” Veda hissed, the panic in her voice apparent as she crouched besides Leo behind one of the larger trees they had found. Somehow they had gone from walking around the citadel to a guard running to find them and letting them know about reports of a wraith attack in the surrounding forest. Leo had tried to get Veda to go back to the tower and find Alina but she refused. If she was going to lead she needed to learn about it all, she needed to not be afraid.

However this got them here.

Veda reached out and gently touched Leo’s shoulder and when she did she was completely overwhelmed with rage and anguish. “Leo?” Her fae sight was thankfully better in the dark and she was able to take in more as she felt her order slowly slide into place. That was when she noticed his face looked pained and his hand was covered in blood. Veda let out a small gasp and before she knew it she had angled her body so she could see the cut that sliced through his shirt and curled around his ribs. They hadn’t seen the creature but they had heard it rush at them, Veda had felt the dark energy but thankfully Leo’s quick response with a blast of fire had done enough damage to allow them to escape the situation. At least Veda had thought so. Leo had been so confident during it all, he had grabbed her and pushed her ahead, helping her maneuver away from danger without even pausing. He had gotten hurt because of her.

“Why didn’t you say anything you moron?” Veda hissed once more, however despite her harsh words she was already moving to tie up her hair with the band around her wrist. This was her fault and while she knew fae healed quickly, she also knew this was a bad situation and they needed to get out of these fucking woods. “Just, don’t take as much as last time okay? Unless you want to have to carry me out of this again.” There was a hint of nervousness in her voice as Veda turned her face to the side and squeezed her eyes shut gently as she prepared for the sting of fangs in her neck. “I mean it too, you take too much and I’ll fucking stake you.”

​

 

[ZombieBaee]

Marigold Lycath
◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯
23.Scorpio.Werewolf.Water

Why did the universe want to break her like this? Why did it have to prove to Mari that her heart wasn’t made of stone? Rune was ripping her to pieces and he was doing it with all the kindness in the universe, he likely didn’t even know how much he was destroying her just standing there let alone saying the things he was saying. Just her name on his tongue was enough to turn her inside out and make her eyes fill with silvery tears once more. Growing up kids learned of fated mates, learned how special and lucky it was to find yours and how no one should turn their back on the stars plan for them. Feeling like this was their punishment for not being together, her soul ripping in two was her punishment for not being with the man she loved with her entire body and mind. As if not being with him wasn’t already torture enough.

“Rune.” Mari choked out a strangled sob into his chest as his arms tightened around her, her own arms finding their way to wrap around him. Everywhere their skin touched felt like electricity and his warmth instantly calmed her down. Her head rested against his chest as she soaked in his words, his heart… “I’ll always be yours Rune Finch, I will always be watching for you. I’m so sorry I- I’m just so sorry.” Her hands dug into the material of his shirt, “You can’t either okay? You’re so talented and you have a heart of gold. Don’t let them think you’re anything less than amazing Rune.”

The yelling of his name caused her heart to plummet, not because she was worried they were caught but because they had to let go of one another. Then as soon as they were apart… things only got worse.
-

Mari wouldn’t have chosen Alina to go with her if literally anyone else was available, hell she had even considered going alone to find the others but had decided against it due to it being a wraith situation. After separating from Rune, Mari had reached out to all four heirs to make them aware of the situation despite only two being in town. As predicted, Cy and Leo told the girls to stay at the citadel to handle keeping people calm. They should have known their fiances better because Mari and Alina were probably the least likely women to listen to that advice. Plus apparently the wonder twins were with them all? So it only felt right that Mari should be allowed to help. It didn’t feel right to sit and do nothing, it wasn’t in her blood… plus knowing Rune was out there with a wraith made her skin crawl.

“Hey stop- do you hear that?” Mari whipped out her hand to press against Alina’s arm to make her stop in her tracks as the two women walked through the woods. Mari was half transformed, her eyes full yellow, teeth sharpened and two sun kissed brown ears popping out from her wild hair. It made it perfectly easy to see through the thick darkness and hear the smallest of sounds. In the distance she heard a faint gasping sound, like someone couldn’t quite catch their breath… then the smell of blood hit her nose. “Shit.” Mari swore and then her and Alina were off in the direction of the scent, soon coming across a woman lying in a pool of presumably her own blood.

Mari glanced at Alina pointedly before moving to drop down besides the woman’s head, gently cradling her face and peering down at her. Alina was a skilled healer, wraith wounds were nearly always deadly but sometimes a fae could pull through provided damage to the heart wasn’t too deep. That was how wraiths killed and stone powers, they extended their terrible fingers to sharp points that would puncture through skin and muscle to reach the heart and impale it. Then they would leave it in long enough to absorb the faes magic. Just thinking about it was enough To make Mari shiver. “Shhh, it’s okay. It’s gone. You did well.” Mari recognized the woman as a member of the guard, an earth user if she remembered correctly. It was clear the woman had put up a hell of a fight just from glancing around at the area. “We’re going to try and help you okay, but while my friend Alina sees what she can do is there anything you can tell me about what happened?”

​

 

[EclipseRosee]

Matteo Sellis
｡ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ｡
26.Sagittarius.Incubus.Fire
Matteo had been quickly preparing to throw another punch after hearing the insult fly from the boys mouth regarding Vesta but before he could even fully pull back an intense heat was surrounding him as fire blasted against the kid. No, not just fire… Vesta: Matteo leaned back quickly once his shirt was released and turned his attention to the sky above.

Well secrets out.

Matteo glanced around and watched as all of their peers in the courtyard looked towards Vesta’s fire in the sky and gasped. Hell a few even snapped photos. Well, as if it wasn’t already bad enough, things were going to start getting worse around here. There were so many power hungry people in the world, Vee being an extinct order that was insanely powerful against many other abilities, she would be sought after by the shadiest people.

Matteo turned to grab her gently by the shoulders now that she had returned to a normal temperature, his eyes looking over her wildly to make sure nothing bad had happened. “Holy shit is right Vee.” He breathed out, finally looking up into her face to see her beaming smile that he instantly returned. “Congrats! That was awesome!” His arms had tensed in preparation to pull her into a big hug but they were interrupted by someone yelling his name in a frantic voice. That likely wasn’t good.

-
A wraith attack this close to the citadel was unheard of recently, if Matteo remembered correctly the last one was right after the declared end of the war. That was over a year ago now! This wasn’t a good sign of things, there had been rumors of increased activity after the girls arrival and now it was only confirmed. “Watch your step.” He whispered to Vesta as his hand reached to clasp her elbow to help guide her through the twisting roots that covered the ground. At this point they had been out here long enough for the darkness of night to set in but they still hadn’t found anything, not the scout who sent the flare or the wraith itself…

“Rune maybe it’s time to call it, it’s very possible that it ran away and we can find the scou-“ Then Matteo heard a noise that made his heart stop in his chest, his arms turn to goose flesh and his blood run cold. He whipped around, scooping Vesta behind him in the motion before holding his hands out before him to conjure two flaming blue daggers in his fists. “Did you guys hear that?”

. ​

 

[KAYDEN]

Cypres Ettery
~𑁍~
25.Capricorn.Nemean Lion. Earth & Air​

Alina didn’t say a word, instead Cy felt his jaw tense as her hands smooth over the short stubble over his chin and cheeks, as he watched her face his own eyes widened. “Alina what are you-“ His voice was cut short as she pressed her lips against his, a moment of pure shock rang through him before his eyes finally fell closed as well. Cy knew damn well that he should be pulling away, that he shouldn’t allow himself this moment of bliss and that this was crossing a line once again. But he couldny stop himself from leaning in and deepening the kiss, his large hand ran up the side of her thigh from her knee to rest on her hip and the other moved to to the bench to keep his balance. It was Alina who had the wherewithal to pull away first, leaving Cy sitting there alone, his face still angled up to hers where he knelt. He stared at her for a long moment, a calm yet confused expression lying over his features. He understood it now, yet he was more confused than ever. Alina spoke first and his lips fell into a soft frown as he took in her words. She was right, they had gone through the unspoken boundary they had placed for years and there was absolutely no going back now. Cy wanted to pretend like he could but he knew he could never simply be around her again. Being near Alina and not being able to speak with her deeply, to touch her, so experience life with her… it just would be too impossible.

“I understand.” Cy watched her eyes, his hand moving to her face to gently trace her lips with his thumb. “I love you to Alina.” He paused and thought for a long moment on what he was going to say next, it wasn’t true… but he had to move forward and Alina needed to give up on him. Alina deserved to be happy and Leo could give her a good life, he could learn how to love her the right way…
He wasn’t a bad man he was just rough around the edges. “But you’re right, I’m not in love with you.” The lie felt like Cy was swallowing glass as he spoke but he needed to make it clear to her that moving on was the best. He loved her so much that he owed her that, owed her a reason to walk away from him and stop hoping. “I- you’re right. And I don’t want to hurt Mari so, I’ll do by best to remain professional going forward and I’m sorry.” He took in her gorgeous features one last time at this distance before pulling back and standing to his full height. In his pocket his altas began going off like crazy and he pulled it out to check what exactly was going on.

“Holy- Alina go back to your room.”
Cy didn’t mention it like it was a suggestion, he said it like a demand and hoped that she would realize his urgency was due to the danger of the situation. Then without warning he was off running full speed towards the front gate.

*

“We can’t just leave her out there Matteo, even if things are for the worst.” Cy spoke softly, he didn’t want to assume the poor sentry was dead but it was likely at this point. It was hard enough for the heirs to take on wraiths one on one, he didn’t imagine anyone else could fight it for too long when on their own. Hell even with two people it was still pretty dangerous.

Cy held out a hand, the ground under him constantly flattening to stone as he walked and peered through the darkness. A few feet behind him her heard Matteo react to a noise that Cy himself had barely even noticed. However when he spun on them he saw a shadow dart between the trees in the distance. “It’s there!” Cy shouted, no point in being quiet now, and shot a projectile made of rock between the trees but missed the fast creature. Fuck!

​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Alina Diaval
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
22. Aquarius. Storm Dragon. Water & Air


As Alina's lithe form moved about the dark forest she was silent as air, not even her footstep crunching on a leaf or twig. Her heart was shattered, her soul worse off than that. She didn't quite know what she he had expected from kissing Cypres, or her finally swallowing her pride and telling him her feelings, but the way he kissed her back gave her a glimmer of hope. All her hopes were crushed moments after, and with a single demand of her he was gone. Just as she was about to go back to her nest of gold to sulk Leo called her to make the same demand of her, only he was dumb enough to reveal the reason why. And given Alina's position on 'no man left behind' there was no way she could leave the sentry out there to die.

Alina had went to the woods to investigate on her own and ended up running into Mari of all people. Not even an ash arrow could evoke a single emotion from her at this moment though so even Mari's company didn't phase her at this point. Actually, the small dragon was thankful for those wolf senses of hers. It led them straight to the sentry... or, what was left of her.

The poor woman was done for. One look at her and she knew that it was hopeless to try, but, she was struggling to breath and coughing up her own blood. If she didn't do something she'd choke in her own blood and there was no worse death than that. So as Mari cradled the sentry's face the small blonde woman silently kneeled down next to them. There was a small glow to her palm as it hovered over her chest, her eyes focused on the sentry's slowed breathing instead of the large pool of blood the girls were resting in.

"*Wraith... twins...*" The earth sentry coughed and gurgled as she attempted to speak and instantly Alina could see the issue. The wraith's sharp fingers had pierced her lungs instead of her heart, saving her powers but giving her the slowest of deaths. There was no healing her no matter how much she tried... all she could do was try and ease the pain. "Shhh..." Delicate fingers smoothed some of the bloodied, matted hair out of the woman's face and offered her the kindest of smiles. "Close your eyes and rest now." And just as the woman closed her eyes the glow to her hand dimmed. Alina stopped the electrical current pumping her heart and offered the woman a quick death versus the painful one she was experiencing.

Hopeless. Everything in her life, everything she touched was fucking hopeless. Her life was nothing but a dark tunnel and she was struggling seeing a light anywhere. "We should get her back so her family can bury her." A small tunnel of air encapsulated the woman's now limp body and picked her up off of the ground, carrying her as if she was weightless. A small tear slipped down her cheek as she stood to her feet and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her palm. "Thankfully the girls are with Leo and Rune. If the Wraith got its claws on all four elements all at once..." Well, Alina didn't need to finish that sentence.
​

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Vesta “Smith”
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎
21.Gemini. All four. Phoenix.

Vesta still struggled to wrap her head around shadow wielders, now there was a Wraith? Of course she insisted that she go with Matteo, not taking no for an answer. First off Veda hadn't texted her back yet so who would she hang out with? Second off, she wanted to see all aspects of this world-- bad and good. So obviously she had to tag along.

Only, Matteo and her got stuck with possibly the worst group. Rune and Cy were both miserable to be around, she would've preferred to venture through the woods with Alina or Leo and they both had tried to kill her. "Thanks." Vesta flashed a small smile to Matteo as he helped her through the twisting roots though it made her cheeks heat. She did her best to stick close to him because-- well, she didn't exactly know why. She just felt safer when she was with him.

"Hey what's with the shoving?" Matteo was shoving her behind him and it caused her eyes to strain to peer through the darkness. Apparently night vision wasn't a thing for a phoenix, a rather useless order in the middle of the woods if they didn't want to burn the entire place to cinders. Luckily her bravery knew no bounds.

"I'll lure it out!" Without waiting for a yay or nay she booked it out from behind Matteo and into the dense trees despite not being able to see. Her footsteps cracked twigs and earth beneath her as she ran and within moments of her being separated from the others the trees by her began to rustle like something was darting after her. Of course Vesta was more for stealth and robbery and not speed. A shadowy figure rushed towards her and she barely dodged it in time, though its three razor sharp claws had left cuts in her cheek on its way.

Her foot got caught on a root and she nose dived into the dirt with a small yelp. Damned dark woods. With a quiet groan she pushed herself to her feet, immediately finding out that she had twisted her ankle as soon as she tried to bear weight on it. The leaves around her rustled once more like it was amping up for its next attack and dread began to fill her chest. Maybe this was a bad idea.


​

 

[Colt Voltage]

Leo Thorn
𓆩✧♛✧𓆪
26.Leo.Vampire.Fire

"A little hunt is good for the body." Leo's chipper tone chuckled quietly as they hid behind the tree. His hand covered the profusely bleeding wound with a shuddered breath and he settled down to sit on the damp ground, his back resting against the thick tree trunk. he was trying to make it seem like he wasn't worried but, honestly, he was panicked. How did he get into this situation? Alina listened, at least he thought she did, and he expected Veda to do the same. Only, she didn't. a fight between him and a Wraith was already dangerous but add in the fact that he was more worried out protecting Veda and, well, that's how he got the giant slice in his abdomen that went from his solar plexus, across his rib cage and around to his back.

He would've done it again a thousand time though with how slow the wound was healing he was afraid this would be his final time.

"I'll be fine, it's just a flesh wound." The tall man shifted a bit as she touched his shoulder and tried to remain his usual cocky self. With Veda he knew he couldn't hide it and that confident tone wavered, knowing full well she could feel how scared and angry he was. He had to get her out of the woods before the Wraith could find her, and if he made it out alive he'd be coming right back in to kill the fucker. The shadow had nearly got his claws on her and that was an unforgivable crime-- one he'd grant the Wraith a slow, miserable death over.

Piercing blue eyes stared at her through the darkness, of which he could see through thanks to his vampiric gaze, in shock. She was offering him-- no, she was already prepping herself for him to bite her like this was a normal thing for them. Leo hadn't even thought to ask her, he just saved her because it was the right thing to do. His heart ached at the sentiment and the fear, anger, the anguish all washed away and all he felt was an overwhelming amount of happiness. "You're sure?" Already he was moving to her and placing his hand on the small of her back. Leo never hesitated when it came to biting someone since it was second nature for him. He didn't care what people thought of him. Here though, here he didn't want Veda seeing him as a monster. "Thank you Veda." His voice brushed against her ear as his free hand gently cradled the back of her soft dark locks, allowing his face to lean in and pierce her neck with his fangs.

The feeding wasn't nearly as long as the last time. A minute or two went by and the bloodied wound already healed over, and while he normally would of fed until he was completely satisfied he quickly retracted his fangs and felt himself breathing heavy. His hand on her back hugged her to his chilled chest, his forehead on the top of her shoulder, and he was overwhelmed by so many confusing emotions. Nobody had ever made his heart race this fast or hard, no one had ever made him feel so happy or calm especially in such a dangerous situation.

"Are you okay?" There was genuine concern in his voice as he spoke, slowly pulling away to look her over. However without warning he was scooping her in his arms like a bride once more. "Hang on to me. I'll get us out of here." It was clear he wasn't giving her much of a choice, his feet quickly carrying them at an inhumane rate back towards the citadel. The whole way there he held her safely to the cool chest of his, his arms holding onto her like she was the most precious thing in the world to him.

For the first time since the farce of engagement with Alina he was second guessing it. He-- he wanted to be happy, and all he knew was he was the happiest with Veda in his arms.

​

 

[Sir Damien]

Rune Finch
⋆༺𓆩

𓆪༻⋆
27.Scorpio.Basalisk.Shadows&Earth

"I'm more caught up on the fact that Vesta is here. Bringing any of the girls was a piss poor decision. You and Leo really need to start using your head more." At least Marigold wasn't out in the woods, thank the stars she listened. The four of them had been searching for who knows how long at this point and had come up empty handed, he understood why they would call it at this point. But for Rune there was no calling it. He'd kill this thing tonight by himself if he had to, and honestly that was the best choice. If anything could out him being a shadow user it'd be a Wraith-- they'd attack him, but they wouldn't go for his heart. The shadows in him coveted his earth abilities from other shadow wielders, even Wraiths, so a fight with one would be a dead giveaway on what he truly was.

Heat seeking snake vision guided them through the woods step by step, his feet never stopping until he heard Matteo chirp in about hearing something. Rune paused, looked around and tensed as Cy sent a rock projectile flying towards the heated being. Just as he went to run towards it Vesta was darting off deeper into the woods-- the Wraith bee lining straight towards her. "Get her before it gets her!" His words were a harsh bark as he ran off after Vesta. See? The girls were a terrible idea.

It took maybe a minute for Vesta to start screaming, and by the time Rune got there the Wraith was tackling her to the ground. Just as it raised its razor sharp claws Rune's shadows grabbed hold of the shadow creature and hurled him off of Vesta and pinned it to the ground. Vesta squirmed away from the monster harmed but still alive and allowed Rune to step to the hissing creature that was entirely made of swirling shadows. Once upon a time ago that Wraith had been a person like Rune, but that person lost the battle with their shadows. Whether they gave up or they weren't strong enough to control it he'd never know, but it was possible that this Wraith was a soldier left behind after the war.

"*Prodigal son, give me the girls.*" As Rune approached the creature it hissed the words at him and caused his brows to furrow. Prodigal son, that was a name he hadn't heard since his father was alive. With a flick of the wrist the Wraiths head was snapped off and the body disintegrated into dust. "The woods are safe. Let's get back."

​