Fantasy Seiunita IC

[Nogoodname]

Emilia stood there for a moment in shock as the fire king Grimgutz discussed his plan, her expression twisted into one of disgust at how easily he spoke of attacking Elysium, over some damned metals nonetheless! She stood back to simply watch the two as they spoke, of course she should have known that these monsters knew nothing but malice...

Her mood changed when Desh seemed against the whole thing, she almost coundn't believe her ears that someone like him, a king of the dark, didn't want to fight. She shook her head a little, he probably just had some sort of cheap trick up his sleeve, but that didn't stop her from admiring the fact that he seemed to want peace, at least for now, that was a thought she could agree with.

She followed him out of the bar after their little conversation, unable to help but feel a little apprehensive of her plans now, but she wouldn't back out! Her curiosity was too strong to just leave here, going to the dark kingdom... it was an incredible opportunity to see just what went on over there. Climbing onto her griffin, she took off right after Desh following him closely as the two soared through the air.

It had been some time before Desh spoke, his words far more sober than they had been roughly an hour ago, "Don't judge Grimgutz too harshly. Orks will literally wither away and die if they dont do battle. They can only fight each other so long before they become complacent and slothful. Victory is life for them. The orks can never truly know what peace is without dying. A tragic existence if nothing else. Grimgutz dislikes open war about as much as I do." The demon's golden eyes looked beyond the horizon, locks of white flowing behind with the winds.

A sigh escaped the knights lips, and she simply shook her head in response, were the demon kings words meant to make her feel better? Because to Emilia it only served further aggravation, part of her felt that a race such as the Orks who couldn't know peace deserved nothing but a swift death. But that part was brushed aside as she remembered the pleasant one who had accompanied her on her way to the city, Ghazzy was his name. If the Orks couldn't know peace then how could one describe what he had done for her? He had accompanied her, given her food for the trip, in Sol's name some of his men had even died for her on the journey! If he wasn't trying to be peaceful with the knight, then she had no idea what his intentions were.

As if he was reading her mind about the ork who stood up for her, he continued, "A lot of them are good people. But the good ones never last long. Even if he doesn't like it himself, Grim is king and he can't have his whole nation die just because he doesnt like war. I believe any sane person would do the same. I already did something similar once."

The king paused for a moment, thinking to himself before shaking his head. "The only thing I would let my people and kingdom burn for is my queen and my daughter. Other than that, there's nothing I wouldn't do for my people." The dark lord chuckled before turning to the captain with a bit of a smile on his face, "I hear the prince is very similar in that regard no?"

Emilia was forced to give a simple nod in response, it was true, the prince would probably do the same in a similar situation, even she would risk life and limb for her family, her friends... the guard.. but it was so hard to convince herself that Desh was being truthful with her. At the end of the day, he was still a demon, the king of demons in fact. She had seen his kind before, charismatic, charming and handsome on the outside and then when your back was turned there was hardly a second of thought before they would stick a knife in your back.

Roughly another hour had gone by and Deshwitat kept up his one sided conversation, talking about random insignificant subjects. Whenever he asked the blonde something, he made sure to make it a yes or no question so as not inconvenience her. It was probably frustrating enough that she couldn't speak as it is. It was only when the Kingdom was in sight that he turned his small talk around. "Alright listen, you are going to stand out here but no one is going to bother you while I'm there. However, some demons there are very old. Much older than me and have a hatred for the light. They wont bother you for fear of incurring my wrath but don't expect kindness from them."

"Most will treat you fairly but not all. Just like anywhere else in the world. The only demon you truly need to watch out for is the one that rules by my side. She....is truly terrifying." The lord of darkness stated that with a loud ring of laughter but anyone could tell he wasn't joking. His Queen may not match him in raw power but that mind of hers is what nearly cost him his life several times a few centuries ago during the beginning of his campaign.

Once again Emilia answered with a simple nod of her head, she knew she would be an outsider in this, but she just had to see! Besides if Desh kept to his word then she would have nothing to worry about, the knight hated demons more than anything else, but she wasn't stupid, she wouldn't go picking fights she couldn't win.
Her attention shot to the kingdom before her, even Lumin's might struggled to reach the dead looking landscape. A shiver ran down her spine and she took a deep breath to calm herself, she would be fine, she was just trusting her life to a shady demon, it would be just fine... The thought didn't help the knight keep her cool at all, and in fact she found her heart pounding faster in her chest. As her gaze shifted downwards to the dead forest below them the knight wondered just how the people of the kingdom survived in such an abysmal landscape.

Desh smiled at the human's innate fear of the place He wove magic into his next words, "Relax mortal. Don't forget. The Lord of Darkness is serving as your guide."

A strange sense of calmness ran over the young knight as she nodded along to Desh's words, her gaze shifted once again over the strange landscape with morbid curiosity as the castle grew near.

"Welcome to Daemonus Dommu- "
The king's words were cut off as they neared the royal castle and his heightened senses picked up sounds of battle. At first, Desh was alarmed but then he realized the guards were acting normally and some of them had better senses than he did. It took all of 5 seconds for the king to realize what had happened. "Nyx, grant me patience...." he muttered before circling around the rear of the castle to the greenhouse and seeing exactly what he expected. He could feel the anger bubbling up from within as he commanded his pegasus to dive to the earth.

Just before they hit the land, Desh jumped off and wasted no time whatsoever. Every shadow in the vicinity began to come to life as Desh approached and it only took a hand gesture for massive tendrils of darkness launched forward at boggling speeds, completely restraining the movement of the two combatants.

"So...." he began, "Why is it that I find my beloved niece and one of my most trusted warriors at each other's throats for what seems to be the 78th time? Do you both enjoy incurring my wrath so much?" The demon lord's voice was steady but one could tell he was absolutely infuriated. The burning gold of his eyes and the magic weaved in every word proved it. It was like with every word that left his lips, gravity was increased to all who heard.

Emilia turned as the kings voice cut off to see what was happening, she shot off behind him taking deep breaths as the speed caused her head to spin. The griffin swooped down to land next to the pegasus and the knight quickly stumbled off after Desh.

A gasp left her mouth as she watched the scene from a distance, the two combatants now restrained by the kings dark power. She approached slowly looking over the two then back to Desh buckling herself under the strength of his words, wondering just what the two of them had done to earn his ire.

 

[shadowz1995]

seasonedcat (get in here woman) Juju wtfamidoinghere Roleplay Skittle

 

[Dreamtique]

After bidding Pia farewell, Nidaria turned to gaze upon the scattered remnants of the court. By now the majority of people had filed out, with a few delegates gathered in clumps of political jabber and gossip. Her green eyes danced around the room before she finally found the one she was searching for.

It never took that long to spot him in a crowd.

Wade was easily distinguished by his black robes and that bizarre mask with its exaggerated front, making him look more like an oversized bird than a Royal Advisor. The demon himself was no less peculiar than his outlandish garb and was widely agreed upon as an eccentric. During his years of service he had cultivated a fine infestation of rumours concerning his origins and daily activities. The castle’s occupants were strongly divided when it came to what was under the mask, with the kitchen boys swearing that he be a human in disguise, whilst the servants of the upper floors arguing that there is nothing but black fog behind the mask.

He was strange, to say the least, but maybe that’s why Nid enjoyed his conversations so much. Wade was a puzzle and despite his claims of a bland past, Nid was determined to fit all the pieces together some day. Besides being interesting company, the demon was also a sound adviser and an irreplaceable asset. Twenty years ago he had single-handedly developed the cure for a nasty plague that swept through the kingdom, saving thousands of lives. Thanks to his impressive skill, the casualties sustained had been minimalized.

At present, the kingdom’s previous savior was standing a little ways from king’s throne, almost awkwardly so. It was nothing new.

“Wade West.” Nidaria called out to him as she strode across the throne room, the inky tail of her skirt dusting the polished tiles. Once she had drawn closer to the masked man she allowed herself a smile for her masked adviser. “I require something of you.”

She motioned for him to follow as she made her way out of the throne room and into the right wing of the castle.

“I’m looking for one of your magical artifacts, a videre to be exact. Do you have one ready for use? I would like to have it with me during my visit to the Lightning Kingdom.”

Dreamtique

As soon as an envoy from the great Fire Kingdom showed up, Wade knew clearly that a trip would soon ensue, with the signaling of the king confirming his speculation shortly after.



Just as Wade was preparing for his departure, an elegant figure sauntered into Wade's sight, as graceful as a gust of winter's breath.

Standing before his eyes was none other than the Queen of Dark Kingdom herself.

The ever so majestic Queen is always shrouded in an enchanting yet mystifying aura of beauty and grace that has always interest Wade, her presence alone was almost ethereal, one could simply never look away from her spell- a silent Song of Siren.

"Most certainly, m'lady."
With his vision tunneled at the Queen, Wade interest was instantly piqued as Queen Nidarai mentioned about Videre.
His gloved hand stretched out and reached for the brim of his hat before grabbing it, shifting it up gently to reveal more of the odd metallic mask on his face hiding under the void-like shadow cast by the oversized hat, it was almost as if a pair of nonexistential eyes had widened behind the mask beyond one's vision.

"I see. Ah, Videre...it's certainly one of the most fascinating artifacts to ever exist, truly worthy to be called a treasure from the ancient world, surpassing the passage of time with it's everlasting glory..."
"Videre would make an excellent choice if you wish to utilize it to spy, collect and share information remotely, it is undoubtedly a wise move, I must say."

"It is truly an honor of mine to be able to hand out Videre to assist the Queen, putting them to good use. It would certainly be exciting to see those babies in action too..."
Wade grinned behind his mask, his shoulder heaving up and down slowly in excitement.

"Excuse my little outburst of excitement...let's get straight to the business, shall we?"
Quickly recomposing his mannerism before the queen, Wade placed a hand on his chest as he lowered his head before his eyes shifted back onto the Queen to complete a nod.

"I would love to hand those babies to you with my very hands, but, I am afraid that I had something else that I need to attend to in the meantime...I was expecting a trip to the Fire Kingdom in the near future, but I believe that it wouldn't last long, those orks are short-tempered after all, not to mention that I already had a rough idea on what could happen, or rather, should I say...would happen. Folks of the fire kingdom are quite predictable these days..."
There were a series of faint squeaks as Wade brought his fingers together and started tapping them rhythmically. The rhythmic tapping lasted for a few cycles before it came to a sudden halt.

"Well, pardon my rambling, back to our main concern, I'll have my assistants at the museum tend to your service..."
"Feel free to pay a visit at my domain any time, have a seat...take your time and take in all of the wondrous exhibitions before you pick up Videre, it's a shame that I couldn't offer my accompany, but I would at least hope that you'll have the chance to appreciate the beauty of my collection as you went on your quest to retrieve Videre..."

"I wish you luck on your journey to the Light Kingdom, I bid my farewell, Your Majesty."
Wade took a few step back and formally bowed at the queen before his departure.

 

[seasonedcat]

Eris brushed a strand of her hair back as she entered the training grounds. She now was dressed in her armor as she stood there. Eris let out a breath before summoning up a shadow solider and her scythe. She stood still for a moment before charging at the solider who quickly blocked it with his shadow sword.

Their blades clashed again and again until Eris's scythe sliced the shadow completely in half, the shadow then disappeared before quickly reappearing again a little away with a bow in hand. It began to shoot arrows at her as she charged at it, dodging the arrows as they shoot through the air.

Her training continued as she completely focused on the battle, but still making sure to keep aware of her surroundings to make sure she was not attacked by an unknown foe. Eris moved with skill and precision as she clashed swords with the shadow making sure to remember any mistakes she made while fighting to further improve her skills.

Her heart pounded as she was filled with adrenaline, the scythe cut through the shadows flesh with ease proving the sharpness of the princess's blade as she continued her training.

------
(sorry I procrastinated a 'bit' :3)

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

Cassiopeia
Dark Kingdom, Dueling Grounds

A rumbling groan slipped between rows of sharp teeth as her mouth curled up on the sides in a snarl. She raised her head slightly from where she lay on the ground, her solidly muscled arms trembling slightly as her claws dug into the earth while she raised her body. The dueling grounds were littered with feathers that had been torn loose from her wings and appendages, many of her shiny pink scales broken or missing and in some places the sleek sheen of blood seeping from an open wound could be seen.

Of course, it would seem that she wasn’t the only one that had evidently been injured in the clash, her claws and maw spattered in blood as well, though it was also hard to tell if that was actually hers or her opponents since she was bleeding from some of the places where she was missing scales or feathers.

She had managed to raise herself from the ground, steadying herself on all four of her clawed appendages and crouching down, preparing to pounce on Ira again. However, she stopped and her chest tightened, her posture straightening up as she sensed a powerful dark presence that could only belong to one person and before she knew it, her limbs were being restrained by tendrils of shadow that no ounce of the strength her current form possessed could resist or escape.

She didn’t bother struggling against the shadows, knowing that the effort would be futile and instead relaxed against them, the corner of her mouth parting every now and then as her eyes squinted shut and she winced from having tendrils wrapped around some of her open wounds. She couldn’t respond as the dark lord questioned the motivation behind their most recent brawl, primarily because she was in a feathered, dragon-like form that was incapable of speech, but if she had been in her Humanoid form, it was unlikely that should would have been able to give a decent answer because in all honesty, the truth was unknown.

The two had been fighting like this basically for as long as she could remember, they just didn’t seem to mix, like oil and water. Whether he antagonized her or she just mouthed off to him, it was a ceaseless war that no one seemed to know the cause of and no one seemed to know how to end it for good.

All she could do was look away in shame, her head lowering as much as the shadow tendrils would allow as a soft, rueful whimper echoed from her throat.

shadowz1995 wtfamidoinghere Nogoodname

 

[wtfamidoinghere]

Ira Calfacio

Royal Greenhouses ~ The Dark Kingdom

Characters Included

Ira Calfacio

Cassiopeia of House Magnares

Deshwitat L. Rubdich

An enormous ape demon could be seen lying flat on his back groaning. sigh "That hurt.." Ira muttered. The peaceful mood was cut short when he heard someone getting up. She still isn't done? Ira thought before belting another sigh and reluctantly getting himself up.

"Well.... its not like i'm hur-" Ira stopped himself mid sentence to gaze upon the claw marks that ruptured his skin into his abdomen. After the short pause the ape looked around to see a pool of blood surrounding his vicinity. "Not bad." Ira murmured while forcefully holding back his smile.

Mana began to channel around Ira and eventually started infusing into his skin, mending any wounds and making demon ready for another round.

Ira got into position a squatting position when he saw the beast was ready to pounce once more. All was silent, However, directly afterwards an extremely powerful dark presence interrupted any movements planned, along with a.... Light presence?

Ira's thoughts were cutback due to the immediate shadow tendrils restraining him. Ira already knew what was going to happen when he felt the presence, so he didn't even bother to put any futile resistance.

Ira's personality then changed and showed immediate respect to Desh by giving his full attention to him.

"Why is it that I find my beloved niece and one of my most trusted warriors at each other's throats for what seems to be the 78th time? Do you both enjoy incurring my wrath so much?"

"No Desh, I don't mean to disrespect you but I...I have no excuse..." Those last words that came out of Ira's mouth hurt more then anything Pia could ever do.

The two always seemed to just end up fighting each other unconditionally, But that wasn't an excuse Ira could give. Ira saw Pia looking down, and Ira felt like doing the same. However not looking at the King in the eyes would cause even more trouble for the two of them, So he decided to look straight at Desh, Ignoring the Elysium warrior. Though he really wanted to know what she was doing here.

Dreamtique
shadowz1995 Nogoodname Roleplay Skittle seasonedcat
​

 

[shadowz1995]

The king held both of his subjects within the clutches of his dark power for some time before he eased off the energy. He loosed his grip upon them but made sure to keep them restrained. These two had always been at each other's throats but whether it was the lingering alcohol in his blood or if the time was truly the final straw, Deshwitat had finally had enough of this game of cat and mouse between them. "Cassopia, turn back into your mortal form. I'll cover you in shadow." An order, not a request. With those words, he released the two from his grip and had something akin to a cloak of living shadows surrounding Pia up to her neck.

"This is the final straw." He began, "It seems you have become comfortable with the fact that someone you know well is the king of this nation. It seems you have taken this to mean that you can get away with the same thing over and over."

"It seems you have both forgotten the laws of this land that I created so that EVERYONE may have a place to call home."

At this point, the lord of darkness took a few steps forward and gored both his niece and his fellow warrior with a soul-piercing glare. "Cassopia, you are forbidden to enter the greenhouse until I deem it fit. You are to go to your house and grab the essentials and NOTHING more. You are not permitted to visit a healer. You will mend those wounds naturally and on your own." The look he gave her did not leave room for anything besides an affirmation. The same look he gave to Ira, "Ira, you are to repair the entirety of the greenhouse until it is back to its former condition. Absolutely pristine. If a single speck of dirt is out of place, I'll have you flayed and tossed into the dungeons. You start right now. You will have no help and you are not permitted to mend your wounds. You will do this injured."

The king took his gaze away from the two of them and seemingly focused on something far beyond them. "If I ever hear of this again, I will treat you like every other citizen of the kingdom and you will both be imprisoned and starved. This is the last time I hear of it. I don't want to see you even LOOK at each other the wrong way again."

"Now, get moving. Both of you. Pia, after you get your clothes, you are to escort this Elyusian captain around. She is mute so bear with her. She wishes to see the kingdom. Treat her as an honored guest."

The demon king let out a harsh sigh before turning to the knight in question and he bowed his head in apology, "Sorry that this is the first thing you see. Cassiopia will surely show you that this is a rarity."

Without a further word, Desh stepped past the Elyusian captain, keeping his shadows wreathed around Pia until he knew she was dressed. The king made his way to the training grounds where he saw his daughter practicing against her shadow puppets. Desh was still fuming and as such, his power was still leaking more than it should. Then again, Eris had her mother's senses. She would have felt him approaching either way. The dark lord merely watched carefully as his ashen haired spawn took apart her creations with some struggle. He had to remind himself to get her more combat training.
​

wtfamidoinghere Roleplay Skittle Nogoodname Juju seasonedcat

 

[Nogoodname]

Jace had finally arrived at the kingdom of dark early in the morning, though it hardly seemed to show over the permanent overcast that seemed to envelope the entire land around it in a state of gloom. She would be arriving on foot via the main roads, quite the travel but she was used to it at this point, she knew the main road well enough and once she would pass between the veil of crooked, lifeless trees that was the forest surrounding the kingdom she would feel much safer. The place never failed to give her the creeps, and she kept a hand close to her rapier as she made her way along the lonely road leading up to the kingdom proper. Her leather boots echoed softly off of the path, a cold breeze ruffling her loose white tunic and long, vibrant red hair that flowed freely over her shoulders.

It was often a matter of question among the crew of her ship just what she was doing out this far, once a month the young captain would bring the ship to dock at a small trading village and leave the crew to their own devices, they weren't stopping to trade nor were they looking for work, they were just here for the captain to fulfill some unknown duty after which they would quietly leave back the way they came. The crew of the ship often questioned her of her intentions but Jace had never given them a direct answer, and when the crew received their pay and were allowed a few days off to scum around in the local tavern there were few among them that would continue to press her. The truth of the matter was that Jace traveled to the dark kingdom as repayment for a debt, one that went back years to the day she had first seen the strange little creature that she now knew as Ra'aksha, though akshy was the name Jace often used to refer to her... acquaintance. The young captain remembered it like it was yesterday, a shipment ordered to the dark kingdom, Jace and her crew hired to protect it, a trap, bloodshed, a hasty escape into the woods wounded and struggling to walk where she came across the girl. Jace had seen it as the end for her, eaten alive by some horrid creature of the dark while she was too weak to fight back, but this one was different, it had made a simple offer, a game. If Jace won she would keep her life, and even given a way out of the dreaded forest! To lose meant.. well, something Jace would rather not dwell on.

Luckily for the Captain games were something of a specialty for her, and when she was allowed to choose which game to play the win had already been decided, nobody beats Jace Ulf at three kings draw! She had won the game, but she had also won the interest of this strange creature of the dark. Jace felt that it was only fair that since she owed the creature a life debt that she should repay it in some way, and that is what leads the captain now to return to the dark woods where she had originally found the creature, a big old bottle of rum in one hand and a deck of cards in the other.

Finally after what seemed like hours of walking she reached the treeline and carefully stepped past it into the dark woods. She began to speak, a hushed whisper at first but it grew as she became more comfortable with her surroundings "Hey.. Akshy" she hissed, clearing her throat "Akshy! I'm back! And I've got a new game!" she called out seemingly to no one in particular. Whenever they met it was always Akshy who came to Jace, presumably because of her natural abilities and familiarity with the dead forest allowed her to quietly get around without being spotted, whatever it was Jace had gotten used to it, to the point where she almost felt safe among the dark woods, as if she had some dark guardian angel protecting her... in a way. "C'mon already, where ya at?" she asked, her light green eyes scanning the woods around her.
Anaxileah

 

[archur]

A burp, a gurgle, and a bit of a giggle was all that came out of the Great King of the Fire Kingdom. Pitiful, really, but he knew that he would be fine later, when he decided to burn off all that excess with a good round with some of the runts. It was easier to take on a few boyz at once while sober than while he was flat ass drunk, but that would be something for the morning, after his hangover had finally faded.

But that was for later, for now, he would watch as Desh and the Light Kingdom courier left. At least that's what she looked like with that flimsy 'armor'. Upstart. He would have a talk with his ambassador after he came to his senses. What was he doing with her anyways? No matter. She was out, gone, and hopefully she wouldn't return with more. Or maybe Desh would execute her, but that didn't seem to be his prerogative, trying to keep peace and all. Educating the masses on the frailties of the hearts and minds of the oh-so-frequently persecuted, the monsters of the world of Linhael, those who avoid the light of the sun for their own safety, and to hide what heinous acts that they might commit for their own survival. He was like that once. Everyone was. At least most everyone he knows was like that at some point.

He was doing the people's work, but it wasn't the most helpful thing to his kind. He could applaud the efforts of the King of the Night, but his people would die if these advances were to succeed. Skirmishes would all that he would have to allow without disappointing his ally, but they would have to find some other way to wage war if he didn't want the entirety of the other 5 kingdoms bearing down on him. Yes, his people would be strong, almost as strong as him, but he didn't think the current populace of the Fire Kingdom would be able to survive past a month. Of course, that is if Desh didn't attack. It would hurt to have to fight one of his few friends, but it is duty of the king to serve his people well, and if anyone were to do that properly, it could only be him, because the rest of these ingrates would destroy the kingdom on a whim much like the last king was.

With that, he stood up onto shaky legs, and twirled his finger around in the air, calling his nearby Black Orks to guide him out of the Prancin' Squig. Immediately, two of his aides came to his side, much like every single other time he had taken a drink like this. He was pretty sure that was last night, but his memory was so foggy, even now after his little 'political negotiations' party with Desh.

The Black Orks, Ghazzy and Blud, were told to disperse. Grimgutz doesn't really need a couple of bodyguards to saunter back to his own castle, that's like giving a burna a torch. Pointless. Unless said torch is made from etherium, then the burna will have quite the fun time.

There, he walked down Spirebluff Street, The buildings cobbled from wood, stone, and steel looming ominously over the heads of the citizens of Blakkskar. It was at this time though that he decided the he should head down an alleyway, away from the most direct path to the fortress, because he felt that he wanted to do something different today, so different it shall be. Nobody stopped him while he made his way down the dark, dank, dirty alley, shadows skirting the edges of his vision, and bits of graffitti of a new king. Nothing he fears, or hasn't seen before, but all of that came to mind as a lone figure stopped him just as he was about to exit. The figure stood at the end of the alley, blocking the square passageway fully with his body. Grimgutz began to growl.

"Geddoutta mah way grot!" He spat, the figure, only standing as tall as his upper stomach, unveiled himself from the darkness with a wail. "DA REEL BOSS URIK WILL DEETHRON' YOO!" Fool. The rebel ork charged, wielding a dagger. Just as the rebel was about to lay a finger on the burning king, Grim caught the rebel's hand. The rebel, confused, jerked his arm back, but to no avail, he would be unable to move. Grim grinned as he began crushing the treasonous attacker's wrist, who began to writhe in pain, and begin to scream for mercy. He wouldn't get any as the King began to flip him over his back in a move he learned from the gladitorial arena he held a week ago. Good fights.

The rebel lay on the ground, gasping for air, just as Grimgutz, the rightful king of the Fire Kingdom planted a foot down on the ork's chest, pressing down, squeezing the air out of him, strangling him to death. The fire left the rebel's eyes as the death grip on the King's ankles went limp. He brushed off the dust that had settled on him from the scuffle, incinerating the body afterwards to clean up. No need for bodies to be suddenly found on his own streets. At least he would have something to do tomorrow. Quell a silent rebellion that was growing right under his nose.

-x-
​

Around this time, when he was let loose by the Fire King, that he peered upwards into the air to see the black pegasus ride alongside the knight's griffin. Strange those two. He overheard the conversation, at least the king's side, but knew enough that it was the matter of the Dark King's now. That man, no, that monster scared him. He deserved the title of the King of Monsters, because that is what he was. That is what he leads, and that is the aura he exerts. It's off putting for him to say the least. He really hoped that Emilia knew what she was doing with him, because the Kingdom of the Blackest Night wasn't exactly the most safe. Then again, the Fire Kingdom literally has fights going on all the time, but that place. . . It sent jitters down his back. The dead among the living? Demons, spirits, abominations and outcasts all in one place. At least the Orkish race had a unified purpose, to be the best. What was theirs? To put up an act to try and make the world apologize for the monster's malevolence, to accept them into their castles, their homes, and let them feast upon them in the middle of the night? He wished that the King would wage war sometime soon, it would calm his nerves somewhat, and help him forget that the sixth bastard kingdom stopped existing for a moment. Just a moment.

With that, he waved Blud a good night's rest, and went off to his quarters within the castle's walls. He, like the other Black Orks, had a prestigous place among the 'hierarchy' of the Fire Kingdom, and were kept as the King's best guardians, and personal butlers if the King was feeling especially eccentric on that day. His quarters were populated with the heads of animals he had slain, and the armors and items of enemies and comrades that had fallen in battle. He had a good collection, he was yet to fully complete it with the addition of the Water Kingdom's uniform, since he wasn't really able to distinguish mercenary from soldier. He doubted that they even had soldiers. He would just have to collect each mercenary band's colors then, if he were really to finish it. He, with the help of a assistant, freed himself from his heavy armor. The assistant left, and he was alone yet again, the noise of the goblin's pattering feet down the stone hall the only reminder of his continued existence.

He peeled off his belt, tossing it lazily across the ground, it skittered off the floor before clanking off the wall, stopping in place afterwards. Choppas were hardy like that. He sat himself on his bed, a mess of furs, which was seated in the middle of the otherwise small room, which would be bigger if it didn't have so many trophies in it. Not much else was in it, besides from a few piles of weapons, a hanging lamp, and a little alcove for a assistant goblin to scurry down and bonk him on the noggin so he would get up, after he had let out his fury on the goblin for waking him so rudely.

It was then while he was lost in thought, that the pattering of footsteps suddenly became louder. A swift knock, then his door was opened.

"Masta Ghazakghul"

"Hmm."

"Som'fin ov importunz shud come to yorr attenshun. Yorr ta be sent ta da Erf Kingdum to maek 'peece' wif dem or sumfink."

"Wot?"

"Yorr maekin da peece wif dem"

"Ye, but-"

"Great King Grimgutz wantsta open relahshuns wif dem so dey will accep' da Dark Kingdum or sumfink, an' so we can crush'em if dey dun't."

"Ah. Poited queestionz eh?"

"Zoundz roight."

"Ehn da mornin' den. G'noigh Gob"

The goblin bowed his head, and closed the door. The ork was left with his thoughts, and what to say to the Earth Kingdom's leader, and wondered how many burnas he should bring with him just in case if things went sour and the trees wanted him dead. Hopefully, they would fight after relations were established. He shuddered with anticipation, eager to please his king.

 

[Juju]

A peculiar symphony of ticks, whirls and humming filled Queen Nidaria’s ears as she waited for the keepers of the museum to return. The walls, ceiling, and overflowing shelves of this backroom were littered with all sorts of magnificent baubles and artifacts from centuries past.Much like the kingdom they now belonged to, they originated from all parts of Linhael. Many had been recovered during Desh’s campaign, while others had been the fruit of various expeditions the queen had personally funded since the founding of the Dark Kingdom.

After more than a few minutes of waiting, one of the scholars returned with a battered chest in hand and propped it on the table before the Queen. Once lifted back, the lid revealed two shimmering orbs nestled within a cushion of silk.

Videres always came in flawlessly identical pairs, a time-lost art of splitting one object into two separate entities yet at the same time preserving the connection between the halves, as if they were acting as one. If properly done, any enchantment placed on one videre would be applied to the second no matter the distance, and anything the other saw or heard was repeated in the latter. The usefulness of these artifacts was endless, but what interested the queen was their surveillance capabilities. In particular, the combination of videre and Hellspawn.

Nidaria lifted one from its home and held it to the light.

Although videre came in twins, no two pairs were ever the same. Each was as unique as the the ancient mages who had crafted them. The one that the queen was holding now was perfectly spherical and shaped in such a way that the sheen of its center was always darkest, no matter what angle the videre was seen at. Each time Nid turned it in her hand, the dark stripe of pigment followed the movement, creating the illusion that it always watching. It reminded her of a cat’s eye, and within moments she took a liking to this videre.

“Tell me about this one.” she asked, her eyes still trained on the orb.
One of the robed custodians cleared their throat before answering “It was recovered from a tomb on the outskirts of the kingdom, your Grace, along with four others. Hidden quite well, this one was, and with no small amount of traps - if I might add. We scholars have estimated that it may be over 10,000 years old, among the oldest in the-”

While the elf was talking the queen non-chalantly tossed the timeless artifact into the air, grinning internally as she noticed the color drain from the faces of a few of the caretakers.
While it was mid flight there was a burst of a blackish, fleshy substance that expanded around the videre, completely consuming it within a heartbeat as it grew. By the time the shifting mass fell back down to the floor there were graceful limbs there to catch it, freshly formed from the ichor. Soon a silky covering of fur sprouted, followed by minute details the Queen added on a whim; two flowing tails, elongated ears, and burning eyes the same hue as its creator's. Once it was fully formed it looked almost feline in nature with a haunched over posture. At a quick glance it could be mistaken for a purple cat, until you noticed the extra eye on its forehead, rows of needle-like teeth lining its mouth, and its humanoid hands.

Within moments of being formed it jumped onto the table, the sudden movement startling a scholar, before leaping once more through air to land on Nidaria’s shoulder. The hellspawn crouched there like a gargoyle, regarding the onlookers with three slitted eyes and a fanged grin much too large for its face.

“This will do.” Nidaria said with a pleased smirk. “You have my thanks for restoring the artifact. It will undoubtedly prove useful.”

She closed the small chest containing the remaining videre and gave it to the hellspawn to clutch in its clawed hands. After a brief farewell to the scholars, Nidaria returned back to the main floor of the museum. Upon remembering her adviser's suggestion to observe the museum’s newest additions, Nidaria began to walk towards the Observatory. That is, until she was stopped by a messenger. The king had returned...and with a guest. It didn’t come as a surprise to learn that her husband had dragged yet another lightwalker into their kingdom, but it didn’t make the queen any less bitter. What’s more was that the greenhouse had become an arena yet again. She dismissed the young demon (much to his relief) and stalked out of the museum, her Hellspawn chattering menacingly to the man behind her back.

Once outside, she held her arm out for the Hellspawn to perch on, much like a falconeer.
“Find my husband, will you?” she asked the abomination. “It’s time I welcomed him back home”

The Hellspawn’s eyes flashed at the command, just before its arms collapsed inward. As if melting, its upper body began to stretch and shift until thin membranous wings had appeared beneath its arms. It unfurled its new wings and gave an ungodly screech before lurching into the air. Nidaria followed its path, soon realizing where it led.

-------​

In the branches of one of the courtyard’s trees was where the Hellspawn landed. An unconscious command told it to observe the princess for a moment, before the old mission returned to its limited thoughts. With elongated claws it skittered about the low hanging branches, weaving under bough and leaf until it was above the king.

The queen could see him through the unused videre, and was quick to notice how tense he seemed. Even the Hellspawn could feel the power seeping from him, and instinctively hardened the protection around its precious core. He was thinking about something, which is why the constructed creature plucked a nut with its nimble hands and threw it down at the archdemon’s head. It wasn’t entirely its will, for a certain queen let out a chuckle as she walked through the hallways with a videre in hand.

seasonedcat shadowz1995

 

[The Faceless King]

Samael "Halfgrip" Telfree
Maelstrom Inn​

With his face planted upon the surface of a bar table, Samael found himself in a drunken slumber, the exhaustion of his constant boozing finally taking hold of his body and lulling his numb mind to sleep. The wood and construct of the table was not much to speak of, the briny sea air had long since worn anything resembling a finish away, and the grain itself was substandard at best. Still, for a drunkard, the abrasive surface of a damaged bar table was a comfortable and familiar pillow.

Around Samael’s head were large tankards, glass bottles and clay mugs, each of them empty or on their way to being empty. They were placed haphazardly about, and as the drunk found himself dozing off, a young barmaid found herself quietly removing each container, trying to clean up the clutter. However, she was distracted. For some odd reason, she could not help but steal the occasional glance at the man’s face, admiring his handsome features. There were always men and women coming through the Maelstrom Inn, but there was something different about this particular patron. So, quietly, and in-between her work, the young woman studied the strangers face, trying to dissect what made him stand out so much.

There was a slight scruff cropping up around the lower jaw, she noticed, its color the same fierce red as the hair on his head. There were bags under his eyes too, clear signs of his exhaustion. The man was young, but he seemed haggard, as if there were some great burden he was carrying. The barmaid starred – maybe for a little too long – wondering what that burden could have been.

The feint signs of a scar peeking out from underneath his motley clothes caught her eyes, and she wondered if there were more. What were their stories? There was something truly bizarre about the individual, and her curiosity, as it often did, was getting the better of her.

This particular man had come into the Inn earlier that day and spoke with Darian, the owner of the Maelstrom. Clara; the barmaid, had watched from a distance as the two had their exchange, as she always did. She did not really have the charisma to talk with the customers, so Clara stuck to cleaning, letting the patrons have their fun before swooping in to restore order to the chaos.

Still, even from a distance, this stranger had wrangled her curiosity. He had been doubtlessly charming when speaking, his smile had been perfect, and his laugh was like rolling thunder cutting through spring rain, its sweet baritone making her heart skip a beat. Even so, there was something off about it all. Everything seemed too well placed, too sincere. It was like a perfect act, a perfect lie. Every action was timed and placed to seem sincere and genuine, but there was something hidden. It might have fooled everyone else, but not Clara. She spent most of her life watching, and her eyes were as keen as eyes come, so now that she was closer, and the stranger was seemingly unconscious, she let her gaze wander over the man slumped in his chair.

“You’re starring.”

The voice had come suddenly. It was low and quiet, but in comparison to the silence of the rest of the bar room, it was thunderous.

Clara stepped back, taking a startled sharp breath. How long had she been starring? Too long. She quickly composed herself, returning to her work, before stealing another glance at the man. He hadn’t moved an inch, and his eyes were still closed. Had he been talking in his sleep? Had he even spoken at all? She shook her head. It didn’t matter.

With practiced efficiency, Clara began to push her question to the back of her mind, and continued to clear the table. Placing each tankard, bottle or mug into the tub she carried, Clara whisked away the mess, starring at the floor in attempts to hide her flustered state as she walked back to the bar. She quickly got to cleaning the dishes, and placing them in their appropriate positions, before returning to the bar room. However, as she walked back, she noticed that the man was no longer slumped over; in fact, he was sitting upright and watching her intently, his pale green eyes casually taking her in. In a vain attempt to not feel embarrassed or surprised by the man’s gaze, she avoided eye contact, and pretended not to notice, distracting herself by whisking away more of the clutter.

“How much do I owe you folk?” The man asks, a broad grin now on his face.

Clara pauses, startled by the sudden question, before responding, her eyes still avoiding his. “You already payed, quite generously too, I might add.”

Patting his significantly lighter coin purse, the red headed man’s expression becomes slightly more solemn. “Hmm, so I did.” He pauses, before a curious look slowly begins to take over his face. “Say, I didn’t happen to play much did I?” He says, nudging the worn, brown leather lute case by his chair.

Clara seems confused, taking a brief look at the man, before continuing her work. “No… is that how you’re paying for lodging?”

“’Fraid so, coin is a bit tight for me at the moment.” The man slowly rakes a hand through his hair, and gives Clara another thoughtful look. His dazzling grin slowly crawls back onto his face.

“Well, the lunch crowd will be coming through soon, if you’re wanting to do some playing, I’d recommend you do it then.” She kept her eyes down, but even in her peripheral, she could see the smile coming over the man’s face. Quickly, without another word, she picked up the last of the clutter and departed, face to the floor and warmth in her cheeks.

Samael watched the barmaid wander back to her post, an expression of detached amusement twinkling in his eyes. However, as soon as the young lass was out of sight – and he made sure no one was looking – Samael’s smile fell away, his façade dropping in an instant.

Looking around the mostly empty bar in somber expression, Samael picked up his travel bag – which contained all his worldly possessions – and lute case, before taking shaky steps to the small stage in the corner. Waiting for him there was an old three-legged stool, its paint peeling off in small crimping strips. Samael’s sad green eyes hovered over the sorry excuse for a seat for a long moment, before the faintest hint of a smile crept onto his face. His fingers began twitching, longing for the feel of lute strings under their calloused tips, his hands trembled, excited to grasp at the neck of his fiddle once again. Without another moment, the man sat down on the stool, feeling the wood creak under his weight. Glancing about the bar, Samael took a deep breath of stale sea air, before reaching into his travel sack and pulling out a second case, this one a stunning red leather, and setting it next his lute case. With deft fingers, Samael began to work the clasps on the cases, and removed his lute. He quickly tuned the instrument, turning the pegs appropriately and plucking simple chords to test their resonance. After a few heartbeats, Samael was satisfied with the sounds. He strummed a single note, and let it hang in the air, a genuine smile taking full grasp of his face. His now twinkling eyes began to look around the room as he waited for the lunch rush to begin.

Samael Halfgrip was ready to perform.

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

Cassiopeia
Dark Kingdom, Dueling Grounds

Breathing deeply and slowly was all the half demon could manage as she remained stoic beneath the weight of the Dark Lord’s power. While the tension was somewhat relieved when the demon king released his hold on her, the heaviness still remained, but that didn’t stop her from morphing from her current form back to a Humanoid the moment he commanded it.

The pink feathered dragon’s size slowly decreased and the scales of her body smoothed into skin of a slightly lighter shade of pink. The feathers that decorated her body also vanished as well as the three sets of wings that adorned her back. Before long she looked like a normal woman, though that wasn’t counting several very notable details such as the color of her skin, the rose gold shade of her hair, her white and gray eyes, as well as the large ram horns that framed the sides of her delicate, blood smeared face.

Having no place to argue with the king and not being suicidal in the least, Pia bowed her head as his words pierced her heart, painfully so. Her hands clasped together tightly beneath shadow that the Lord of Darkness provided her, and her lips pressed into a line as her sharp teeth bit them from the inside. Her typically smooth brow was deeply creased, but she didn’t move nor make a sound as the king came nearer to her and Ira despite feeling his glare on her it was all she could do not to wince.

When her punishment was given, she finally dared to look up at the Dark Kingdom’s ruler, her lips parting, allowing a fresh trickle of blood to seep from the corner of her mouth as she looked to him with an utterly mortified expression. However, after he finished speaking to her, she nodded her head dutifully and the mass of darkness around her shifted as she lowered into a respectful curtsy, “yes my lord.”

The mortified expression she had given and the feigned composure that shortly followed quickly dissipated and turned to terror when King Deshwitat turned his attention to Ira, Ira of all people, and told him that he was to clean up the mess. Her horrified face turned towards Ira, an almost pleading expression on her features as she could only hope that her adoptive uncle’s threat would be enough to get Ira to do a good job, but that didn’t stop the anxiety from attacking her and she drew in her lower lip, biting down on it and wincing from the contact with the wounds she had previously inflicted upon it. When the two were commanded to not look at each other the wrong way, she quickly averted her gaze from Ira because she decided it was likely best to not look at him at all since in her mind, this was completely his fault.

Of course anything she had to say on the matter would most assuredly wait. The king was much too angry for her to state her side of the story at the moment and she would have to speak with him after he had calmed down and perhaps even after she was no longer being punished. So for the moment, the pink and fair demoness would literally hold her tongue by clamping it between her teeth and remained still until they were dismissed.

Beginning to solemnly depart, her attention was called back and her motion paused when the Lord of Darkness gave her additional directives. She glanced to the woman beside him curiously, she hadn’t even noticed before, but she sensed something familiar from the woman and that was verified by the king’s declaring her an Elyusian captain. She nodded her understanding to the king before returning her gaze to the female and mustering up a bright smile which perhaps was not as friendly as she had meant it to be given the length and sharpness of several of her teeth as well as the blood that stained them. Her smile faltered somewhat as the blonde was given the king’s apology but as he departed she moved nearer to the captain, the smile renewed on her features, “a mute? Like a plant!” she gestured excitedly towards the woman like she was going to touch her, but then she seemed to think better of it and kept her hands to herself, “please, follow me? I must abide by the king’s wishes before his mood turns fiercer.”

shadowz1995 Nogoodname wtfamidoinghere