Union of the Six

[slim]

Ophelia Gualtiero of the Atieno Coven

The small party didn't have to wait long and Ophelia was a bit upset at that. She had wanted to look around a bit more but a woman had already appeared to usher them in. She didnt look like a servant but seemingly doing the job of one. Maybe the dark kingdom was a tad bit more casual then what the princess was used to. Still, she felt like she needed to be respectful of the red woman. A couple soldiers stayed with the horses while the others followed the princess and her father into the castle.

It was as grand as the girl expected and the dark interior made her comfortable enough to remove her cloak. Her father did as well, his features finally being shown.
His hair was a magnificent shade of silver but his face looked no older than twenty. The only thing that showed his true age was his hardened gaze that had seen far too much. Ophelia noticed this in many a man who had lived during the 100 year war, and it was the same thing she saw in King Deshwitat. When the red woman introduced them Ophelia noticed the woman sit next to the king while she deeply curtseyed. Seemed Ophelia's suspicions had been corect. The princess never cared for gossip about the dark kingdom's happenings but she still heard of some things, like the attack on the earth kingdom. Seemed the one she had heard from some servant girls in the kitchens about the unique relationship between the dark king and his servant, that is if she even was a servant. Ophelia was more interested in the other girl who seemed to be about her age. It had been a while since the girl had seen someone her age and like any child was immediately excited. She wasn't expecting them to run off and play dolls and braid each other's hair or anything, but it would be interesting to talk with someone her age. Adult talk got boring very,
very fast.

Her father was the first to stand up and speak.

"Thank you for having us in your attendance. It is an honor for my daughter to be considered. My wife sends her wishes as well since she cannot be here."

​

Britt-21 smol post returned shadowz1995 Fluffy-Kat

 

[shadowz1995]

Lord of Darkness, King of Demons, Master of Shadow..... Deshwitat had accumulated many titles in his rise to power.....

Yet, there were few in this world that unnerved him like the Matriach of Vampires did. Now, her "husband", a fancy title for temporary royal consort, was before him along with the offspring of that same woman. He knew why the queen would like to reforge the agreement they had in the past but to send her child was something Deshwitat didn't really account for.

Still, she looked.....respectable enough or at least did a good job acting it. The archdemon couldn't rule anything out when it came to her and her kin. "You may all stand at ease. Especially you, daughter of Cicelia Atieno. Would you care to enlighten me as to why you were sent instead of her?"

(Ok im actually gonna collab this cuz this is gonna take awhile and I wanna get this moving)​

 

[Fluffy-Kat]

Noblesse Rubdich
​

When her and her father came out of the hall and into the throne room, she wiggled and was set down. King Deshwitat took his place on his throne and Noblesse scurried to take her own place on her smaller seat beside him. Peering over at him quietly, the King of shadows looked as collected as ever, despite the rest of his bodily appearances. However, his reluctance toward the mysterious "matter" he reffered to made his daughter a little uneasy. She sat back onto the seat with a huff, and sprung right back up as she almost crushed her wings behind her. Slightly annoyed, Noblesse stood up and scrunched her face with a tight pout, and hands balled into fists. Little groans came out from her pinched lips and the wings sunk back into her body. Sighing with relief, the princess wiped her forehead from the effort, "Whew~", when out popped her arrow-headed tail, "mmmMM...!" she growled, looking back at her rear. She never did get the hang of concealing her demonic features, and dont even get her started with those stubborn horns atop her head.

The door to the throne room bursted open with Sophia entering first, and Noblesse quickly fell back onto her butt to take her seat. Crossing one leg over the other, she fixed the skirt of her golden-scaled dress, and straightened her posture. The top half of her body leaned forward slightly, curious about their guests. Her hands gripped the arm rests as they filed in. Following Sophia were a hand full of soldiers, then two distinct figures, then more soldiers after that. The doors closed behind them and the foreign soldiers formed around the two expected guests. Guarding them perhaps? One of the guests had caught Noblesse's eye, standing in a beautiful red cloak that (almost?) reached the floor, a tasteful contrast against the darkness of the castle. Its design was simple, but pleasing to the eye. The equally rosy red eyes of Noblesse blinked inquisitively at the small figure, and standing beside said guest, was a taller man, much older than herself but very good looking. Something was strange about these guests, they had cloaks but it wasnt raining nor snowing outside. 'Perhaps their identities are to be kept a secret,' the demon princess thought. But almost as if the mysterious guest had read her mind, the red cloaked girl removed her hood and revealed a face as young as Noblesse's. Noblesse inhaled, it wasnt very often the castle walls had someone as young as she was in them, with the exception of Noblesse of course. In a world full of adults and talks of war, the little demoness was sort of....excited to see someone so close to her age. Still looking at the other pale girl, hugged by blood red cloth, Noblesse smiled warmly.




(Short post as well :3)

 

[slim]

Ophelia &
Deshwitat

______________

Ophelia stood up while her father spoke to the king, her attention now solely on the archdemon. She was used to being in front of people in positions of power, but this was whole new level. She knew her mother was powerful but the man in front of her was even moreso. She knew he wasn’t cruel unless you truly deserved it, but she couldn’t help feeling a tad bit nervous. It was to be expected seeing that Ophelia was a child despite her mannerisms.



King Deshwitat started speaking and Ophelia realized his attention was now fully on her. Her mind was blank for a few moments before she finally found her voice. Despite her nervousness, her voice came out clearly without a hint of her anxiety.



“My mother has deemed me suitable to replace her. I am the youngest of her children, but I am the most powerful. It was her idea to use me to reforge the agreement you two created in the past.” Ophelia shot a glance to her father who had moved a few paces away from her to give her the entirety of the spotlight, leaving the girl feeling too out in the open. She wasn’t sure what else to say to the king so she clamped her lips together as she waited for him to process what she had said.



‘Agreement?’ Noblesse’s shy smile faded. Sitting back in her seat, she looked to her father again, “Father?” her voice confused. She wasnt looking for any sort of response, but rather made it known that whatever was going on, she was completely oblivious to it.



“She wha-” The king of the dark could not hide his shock at that information. His eyes widened considerably and merely gaped, mouth slightly ajar at the vampiric princess. However, the shock quickly turned sour… and then to heated rage. “That conniving bit-” the archdemon started before quickly remembering that he was in front of the consort and child of that very person. They were innocent and didn’t deserve his anger but Goddess be damned if he didn’t want to end that woman and everyone related to her. The king took a shaky, steadying breath that was reflected in the quivering of the shadows in the entire palace. It took a few more calming breaths before Deshwitat could formulate sentences without curses or yelling, “These are her terms to reinstate the agreement we made?” he asked. More to himself then to the child before him.



The grit in his voice was enough to raise the hairs on the back of his daughter’s neck. Noblesse nervously looked at Sophia, who was on the other side of the King, trying to read her face. Was Sophia aware of this too? She usually knows about the happenings within the castle, but this time she seemed just as confused as Noblesse.



Sophia continued to stand by the king, paying attention to every word that was traded back and forth between her king and Princess Gualtiero. What surprised her most was the fact that the princess was actually here to reforge an agreement that the Demoness didn't know about. Lacking such important information was bad for an attendant. Especially one who worked for the Dark King. However, his reaction to the whole ordeal not only made him look shocked, but also made him suddenly turn sour. Something was bothering him, and Sophia picked it up instantly. I wonder what he knows that troubles him so. Thought the red-headed demoness before Desh rose up from his seat.





King Rubdich took slow, deliberate steps towards the princess and her company, his naked footfalls echoing off the stone walls, until he came to a stop approximately two paces from her, “Those of you who came with Princess Ophelia can rest assure that no harm will befall her. But for now, leave us.” The power of command left no room for argument and the young vampiress’s entourage immediately left the throne room, leaving only Sophia, Noblesse, Deshwitat and Ophelia in the premises.



Sophia’s attention shifted entirely onto Desh, watching as he walked up to their guests and commanded almost everyone in the room to leave with such power in his words. Enough to make chills run up Sophia’s spine in excitement. But of course, she had to keep herself composed. After all, they were in an important meeting.







The entourage left briskly, either out of respect or from the fear that shook in them caused by Desh’s thundering voice. The whole hall echoed with the boom, bouncing off the granite and the marble, and had even rattled in the princess’ ears. Her arms let go of the armrests and her hands folded over her chest like a worried mother. As her father approached Ophelia, her eyebrows furrowed, and her red, doe eyes wide with concern. What was he planning? The King wouldn't harm a child, so she wasn't worried about that, but what was so secretive that he had to speak with her alone?



Deshwitat focused to soften his demeanor and took a knee before Ophelia so that he no longer towered over her and could speak eye to eye with the little royal.“Child, do you know why your mother asks for my blood in exchange for her forces?”





Ophelia wanted to move back as the man strode forward out of fear but she was frozen to the spot. She watched her father and her guards turn heel and walk out without even sparing her a glance after the King had spoken and had felt the wave of power emitted. It was the same feeling she experienced when her mother lost control and raged on whatever poor soul had caused it. However, this time Ophelia was now in the position of those poor souls. Still, King Deshwitat didn’t seem inclined to harm her despite the anger on his features. He took a knee and Ophelia swallowed a bit when he spoke. Was it a trick question?



“I-I suppose my mother wanted me to become more powerful.” Ophelia licked her lips, the hesitation in her voice very noticeable. If the king had wanted to harm her he would’ve done it by now, and her mother had a deal with him that she had insisted would ensure her safety. Still, her mother was twisted and often deceived by her own lust for power. Ophelia’s calm demeanor had wilted and now she was a scared child caught up in something she wasn’t able to fully understand.



“My mother just said something about a deal, your blood for her forces. I don’t know anything else, I swear.” Ophelia’s already misty eyes were collecting tears but she didn’t dare spill any. She had learned at an early age that crying never got what you wanted, especially in the Coven. Instead, she bit her lip and suppressed her growing fear as she looked at the archdemon in front of her.



The room immediately became quiet. There was a tense stillness before voices exchanged but Noblesse couldn't hear much. Every now and then a word would reach her ears but not enough to piece together the content of the conversation. Once again leaning forward, she held her breath to keep herself from hearing the air fill her lungs and keep her ears clear and open to eavesdrop.



“Of course. That would be all she told you. Exactly like her to do so.” Ruby red irises thoroughly scanned the child for even the most minute sign of her mother’s trickery but alas, found nothing. Just a young girl scared of the big, bad monster in front of her. Deshwitat’s anger faded as quickly as it came upon realizing this but the irritation at the situation remained. “Your species gains great strength by drinking blood. The more powerful the being, the stronger you become. This is common knowledge.” Desh stood from his kneeling position and headed back to his throne, the ends of his black coat trailing behind him as he walked up the steps.



‘Poor child. The hand of fate was not kind to her.’



“Strength from blood?” the demon princess whispered to herself. She managed to catch the last of her father’s words and it piqued her interest further. Placing her hand under her chin, Noblesse muttered, “What does that have to do with anything?” Her large eyes followed her father as he returned to his throne.



“What isn’t so well-known is the fact that blood of incredibly powerful beings also helps with the reproduction issue vampires seem to have…. The deal your mother made with me was not just for power. It was to birth powerful offspring. You.”



The king laid his muscled back against the throne’s rest and let his head rest lazily in one hand. It appeared as if he was tired but his observant ire showed he was anything but inattentive. “In a strange way, you have two fathers. The father whose seed you came from and the father whose blood you were born of.” King Rubdich paused to let that sink in for a moment before continuing, his gaze unwavering, “If you were to drink my blood, it wouldn’t just make you powerful. It would jump you through the beginning of your adolescence. Your young body would mature much quicker even if your mind does not. You would get taller, faster, stronger…. And fertile. Very, very, fertile because you are so young as far as your species goes.”



Putting an elbow on the arm rest, Noblesse’s small fingers sprawled over her forehead to cover her eyes and face in shame. Her eyebrows were pinched together and her lips formed a tight frown, ‘First I have a baby sibling on the way, and now Im finding out i have a...partial sister?’ she opened her eyes and gave a side-eyed glare through her fingers toward Desh, ‘Honestly father, you dog….’ her inner voice hissed with a twitch of her eye.



The dark lord then pushed off from his laid back position and leaned forward in his seat, lacing his fingers together just under his line of sight, “Can you guess as to why your mother has sent you now?” He inquired, his expression revealing nothing.





Ophelia took a few moments to let this new information process. It felt like a dead weight had dropped on her chest, but she couldn’t say she was surprised. It sounded exactly like something her mother would cook up and not even tell her about. Still, Ophelia was her daughter and some things were expected of her.



Her expression changed into an emotionless one and she looked up to meet the king’s powerful gaze.



“I do understand now, and I suppose it has a great level of importance. If my mother wished it, then it shall be done unless you have some level of discordance. In that case, I suppose you two would have to discuss it.” Ophelia said as she kept her blank expression as if it were a mask. It was, in a way. Internally she was a big ball of turmoil and a bit of anger at her mother using her as a pawn, but that’s what the queen did best and she was one of the most powerful beings in the land. Treating everyone nicely didn’t seem to get you anywhere in this world.



. As the scene began to unfold and words got thrown in the air, it caught even Sophia off guard. The coven’s leader asked for Deshwitat’s blood? The reason for the blood was for not only causing a vampire to get insanely fertile but also to give birth to a powerful Offspring, which happened to be the young princess in front of the demons. This just opened more doors than she expected. So Desh happened to be part father of this vampire… That was a sudden twist. The thought dawned her for a while.



Since Desh moved back to his throne, she leaned down by his ear and spoke softly “Your Highness, excuse me for disrupting, but your blood is how you reforge your agreement with the Coven?”



“Yes, Sophia. At least, that is how it should be. If the damned Queen wanted to the power of my blood to make another child then so be it. I don’t care for her ambitions as long as they don’t affect my own. But to send…. Princess Ophelia is about the same age as Noblesse. Just the thought of sending her off to use her as some sort of….. Breeding animal disgusts me.” The archdemon’s gaze was full of malice at the mere flicker of the thought. That very same gaze moved away from the red-haired demoness and back to the vampire royalty, “I am not your father nor are we blood related, Princess. But I cannot help but feel partially responsible for the situation you are in. So, you will receive the blood of royalty that you require.”



Most monarchs have pacts and exchanges amongst each other on behalf of their people, for the benefit of their people, at least it seemed that way with her father to look up to, but this woman, this queen, appeared to send her youngest daughter only for personal gain: the security in a powerful bloodline, or perhaps more beings to do her bidding as the blood-sucking matriarch. Noblesse looked to Desh and opened her mouth to speak. He will no longer be chained to the contract, not if Noblesse could help it, with war arising he has much more on his plate, the first of many courses, one of them being a new baby to arrive. Besides, one day Noblesse would grow and inherit the weight the King of Darkness carries. Noblesse was weaning from innocent childhood, to the responsibilities of a (potential) future queen, what better time to start now? In these chaotic times, she promised to help her father in anyway. “Let me do it,” she finally blurted out to her father beside her. With a determined look on her face, she looked at him straight in the eye, “Pass this onto me so that your attention can be on…” she paused and glanced at Sophia’s rapidly growing belly, “more important things,” she concluded.



“Wha- No! Absolutely not! Noblesse, you are but a child! To even suggest such a….” The fervor that the outburst started with quickly lost steam as King Rubdich's mind caught up with his emotions. It wasn’t so long ago when Deshwitat made Noblesse watch a rebellion be put down like the dogs they were. For the sake of her growth and to prepare her for the day she took the throne from him. He could not be hypocritical during these times. Especially when the small demoness was correct…. Desh did have more important matters to attend to than feeding a 14 year old vampire, intended to be used as a breeding tool.



The conflict danced within the demon’s gaze as he met his daughter’s gaze. The turmoil within reflected beautifully in those dark, crimson eyes. ‘Too old to be called a child, too young to be called an adult…..Goddess above, help me….’



“If Princess Ophelia agrees….” the archdemon relented with a growl.



Noblesse’s expression softened from the determined stare to one of relief and contentment that he allowed her to do this for him. For a moment there, she thought he was going reject the thought, but to her surprise, he actually agreed. She turned her head to face the vampire before them, watching the family matters unfold. It was up to her now.



Ophelia watched the father and daughter’s argument that soon settled down to the king simmering with anger but at least a bit calmer. Ophelia didn’t want to make the king angry and didn’t understand why he was so angry either. It wasn’t like Ophelia was going to drink the princess dry or she’d be harmed.



“I have no strong opinion in this matter, as long as I fulfill my mother’s wishes. If the Princess would like to volunteer, than who am I to stop her?” Ophelia said quietly.



The archdemon shot the small vampiress a heated glare but said nothing in response to the matter. It all ended up going completely south from what he expected and it should have been obvious, considering who is pulling the strings. “You may leave, Princess Ophelia. I have other matters to attend to. Noblesse, get to know the her a little. It will make the process less….. arduous.”



*……………………*





There was a long sigh that was carried on the winds. It’s origin being the warrior king upon one of the many balconies of his palace. It was here that Deshwitat looked out upon his kingdom, alone with his thoughts, finally. One hundred years of war had bought them a tenth of that time of peace. The land Tenebris had settled in was once beautiful and alive. It could not compare to the lush greens of the Everwood or the incandescent beams of sunlight that grew in Elysium….but there was life here before. It was always cloudy and misty but rather than fill visitors with dread, it would fill them with a sense of wonder or adventure for the brave. A land that seemed to never change, even when the seasons rolled along.



Tenebris’s wildlife promised a challenge unlike any other and the rewards to follow it. Even with The World Scar in their backyard, life still held on to this war ravaged land. There was evidence of fertility returning to the soil and with it, the promise of returning this place to its former glory.



However, that would require time and time was not a luxury anyone could afford. The only thing Deshwitat could do was fight for the possibility, not the guarantee, of a better future for his children and his people. For the hope that Noblesse will inherit the kingdom he truly envisioned when he started this campaign. The king was unsure whether or not he would live to see that day…. But he would give everything to make it a reality. Just as he always has.



______________

by allure

 

[shadowz1995]

Three years have passed. The following posts are in between that time.

​

 

[shadowz1995]

Standing in her room was Sophia herself, with her infant baby girl -Bella- in her arms. The Demon mother gently swayed, keeping the child relaxed as she took her hand and gently brushed one of her fingers up against the child's cheek. A smile tugged her lips "You are one miracle, Bella... My first baby girl." the demoness said softly as she continued to sway, though she slowly began to walk around the room. Sophia's ruby-colored eyes looked at every feature that the young child possessed, cute little nubs for horns, cute little claws that Sophia took a liking to. To be honest, every little feature on Bella, the mother loved. Including her little wings and her tail. Everyone knew that a child with all these physical traits... Was an Archdemon. Of course, being a child of the Dark King himself, the child was bound to come out an Archdemon as well.

The mother continued to look down at her child, letting a soft giggle leave her lips as Bella yawned. The Red-haired demon went and brought her finger to the infant's hand, letting her grasp tightly onto it. As much as joy was brought to the demoness, it also followed with her her instinct to protect her baby. Which meant getting angry at just about everyone and everything that got close to the pair. This included Desh: The father of her child. Despite her love for him, she didnt even let him near Bella as much as she should have. Some people would think she was just being a bitch and making sure her child had no interaction but with Sophia. Some people thought that it was instinct, perhaps. It didnt matter, one way or another, all the mother knew was that she had to protect her precious child.

The king of darkness was feeling many things at this time and tired was the most prominent thing he was feeling. While Deshwitat himself had not directly participated in any of the battles that had taken place so far, but using his royal power to keep a portion of his men alive in the fights took a toll on anyone. Even if that someone was the King of Monsters.

Things at home weren't much better as his second child had recently been brought into the world and Desh had barely managed to catch glimpses of her due to Sophia's sudden protective rages. She would not let the child out of her sight in any way, shape, or form. Anyone that got within several feet of the mother and daughter would immediately get turned on in an instinctual rage. Demons successfully giving birth to a child is incredibly rare... the mother of the child surviving the birth is practically unheard of but Sophia managed to pull through. It seems that because of the rarity, female demons had an unbelievably powerful maternal instinct. It practically wasn't even the woman he loved anymore...

Still, Desh tried to get through to her everytime he got back from the battlefields and everytime it looked like she was going to attempt to kill him if he got too close to HIS child, as well as hers. The tired archdemon quietly stepped into the blood red room of the demoness and he made sure to stop a comfortable distance away. He announced his presence by knocking on the wall before anything. "Sophia. How's our daughter?" He asked with a drained whisper.

The Demoness came to a stop as she turned and faced Desh. Just by the look on his face, he was pretty exhausted. Even his voice said it all "She's fine. She's been quiet." she replied. Taking note of the distance he kept himself at. Granted, the space gave Sophia some comfort, but she still was on guard. Her eyes watching every twitch he made, every brief -and non brief- movement. "How about you, Desh?" she asked "You look far more than exhausted." perhaps small talk would relax her, though she doubted it greatly.

The demon king sighed and slid past the red-haired woman, maintaining the distance as he crossed the room to sit down on the edge of Sophia's bed. "The battles are becoming more frequent and rising in intensity. It's nowhere near how it was a century ago but if it keeps going at this rate, we may have some cataclysmic fights erupting within a year's time." Desh's eyes fell to Bella's black wings and tail, her chubby little face, the baby horns she had coming out of her head. It reminded him of when he held Noblesse towards the end of 100 year war when she was an infant. One of the proudest moments of his life.... "May I please see my daughter?"

That wasnt good at all. Battles growing frequent and intense -as Desh said- would only result in possible cataclysmic battles. Seeing his gaze drop down to the infant in her arms, she suddenly felt a slowly-growing rage before he asked to see his daughter. Which only bothered her even more as she turned slightly away from him "No." not only was the mother's voice flat, but her word was as well. Sophia turned her back to Desh while looking down at Bella who was slowly starting to fall asleep, the grip on her finger slowly lessening up. I'll keep you safe my precious.

There was undeniable twitch of irritation in Desh's right eye as he clearly did not want to be denied the right to hold his infant daughter in his arms. Normally, Deshwitat could just shrug this off as he has been but after returning from several weeks on a battlefield, he just wanted to relax for the love of the Goddess. The king took a moment to steady himself before restarting his coaxing of the demoness, "Sophia, you have seen me raise Noblesse from Infancy to now. I know how to handle a babe... possibly more than you. So, if you don't want to let me hold her, at least let me see her up close."

Sophia glanced over her shoulder "I said no, Deshwitat." it was clear by the tone of her voice that she was starting to grow just as irritated. If not, worse. "You can see her clearly from where you are standing... Well, you were able to see her. Not anymore." she turned her body just enough to look at him a little clearer "She's my first child, and I refuse to let anyone near her. Obviously, you're thrown into that category." her ruby eyes narrowed with her words.

The dark lord closed his eyes and quickly stood from the bed but took no movement to approach the woman, "Sophia. I am not just your king. I am your lover. Your partner and the father to very child you are clinging to so desperately. Why do you bar me from OUR offspring? What have I done to make you think I would ever bring harm to my daughters?"

"You've been acting more like a soldier than a lover. Been out on the battlefield every minute, every second." now she fully turned toward him, her expression growing dark "You've been even less of a father along with that." it was only a matter of time before she would finally snap on him. "Bella may be our offspring, but I've been more of a parent than you have been to her."

The flicker of pain that crossed his features was unmistakable. Along with the anger that joined in right after it, "That's because you haven't given me the chance! Do you think I wish to be out there directing a war instead of being with my woman and child? Is that truly what you believe? That I treasure violence and bloodshed over my loved ones?"

"I've seen what you can do." she retorted "You're more dangerous than you realize. No matter how much you say that you are good. You're an Archdemon." that statement only made Sophia seem the most hypocritical right now. Mainly because she was a woman who loved to kill on occasion and torture. She was no better than Desh and had no room to talk. "But it is possible that you could treasure violence and bloodshed over us any day."

"Sophia, our own DAUGHTER is an Archdemon. Are you saying she is going to turn out that way no matter how you love and cherish her? That she is going to turn out exactly like her bloodthirsty father. This is what you are implying about her." Deshwitat took two steps towards the woman and continued his questions, "Do you truly believe that I treasure violence over you... over Noblesse, over Pia, over little Bella?"

"She wouldnt turn out that way for as long as I kept her from going that way." Sophia gently pulled her finger from Bella's tiny hand and dropped it to her side while the other arm cradled the child. The closer Desh got, the more guarded she became "People change, Deshwitat." she flexed her hand that was by her side.

"Yes, I can see that." He spat back as he slowly approached increasingly defensive red-haired demon. "You seemed excited when you knew that we were having a child together and now it seems like you can't stand the sight of me and for what? Because I'm out leading the armies of our kingdom to keep us all safe? That suddenly makes me less of a parent? Less of a lover? Pray tell Sophia, what would you have me do instead? Sit here with everyone while our people are slaughtered and everything we fought for gets burned to the damn ground!" He half-yelled. The king was doing well to keep his growing anger in check, considering no magic could be detected from his voice and the shadows only mildly vibrated because of his presence.

The Demoness gritted her teeth as Bella began to stirr at the sudden loud voices. "I'm a mother now! I have a job to protect Bella from any harm and danger. You as a father should know that." it was clear that she was making no proper sense at all. Especially since he was still approaching the woman. The closer he got, the more she prepared for the worst, being careful and mindful of Bella while her claws finally exposed themselves from her unoccupied hand. "Dont you dare come any fucking closer, Deshwitat!" she shouted, only for her daughter's cries to fill the room which caught her attention almost instantly "Shh...Shh...Dont cry Bella... It's okay.." she felt bad for making her own child cry just by raising her voice. But it was Desh causing this. Raising his voice at her, coming closer, knowing that she was being protective. Or even territorial.

Desh nearly reacted when he heard Bella crying but managed to hold himself back. He didn't want this situation to escalate any further but Sophia was making this unbearably hard to deal with. His eyes flicked to the womans claws but quickly disregarded them as an empty threat. The dark king stepped closer still, his eyes locked on the child within the she-demon's embrace. He knew she was okay, just startled from the voices but still it worried him. " Sophia for Goddess's sake please just calm yourself! I am not going to harm either of you! I never have!"

"Desh I said not to come any closer!" her claws ignited. Flames dancing off every bit of claw. The demoness didnt back down, she stood her ground as he came closer. "I wont say it again!" Bella's cries only got louder, making the mother's heart ache but with herself so focused on Desh, it was almost impossible to be both a comforting mother and a mama bear.

"Relax my love please. We are scaring the b-"

As soon as he was in range, she threw her hand out and swiped at him. Her claws catching the lower part of his cheek. He seemed to have flinched in the process while her claws not only hit part of his face but also near the center of his collar bone and across his chest, catching his right pectoral. Blood dripped onto the floor from her claws while blood began to spill from Desh's wounds. Not to mention the burns she caused with that...

The king recoiled away from the sudden attack but from the pain, fury was born. Deshwitat shot his hand out and with it, shadows slithered out from under the floor immediately constricted woman. It was like she was tied up in a shadowy cacoon, the only part of her person that could be seen was her face and the wailing baby that was withheld against her breast. Blood had been running freely down these fresh wounds but this didn't deter him any. Sophia was a big danger to anyone around her and by extension she was putting their child at risk. He was going to stand for this no longer.

The king reached for the crying babe and gently pulled her from her mother's vicelike grip. "Shhh.. shhh... Bella it's alright. It's okay." Sure enough the child did not calm down from how startled it was for a few moments before it eventually began to settle into the warmth of her father's arms. Desh shot a heated glare to Sophia's crazed bloody ire, "Woman, have you lost your mind?" he spat through a clenched jaw. More from repressing the pain than actual anger. Desh's blood ran freely down his left cheek and most of the right side of his chest. The king made sure to hold Bella in his left arm so she could avoid the blood but drops from his cheek did drip onto the little girl. For whatever reason, she didn't seem to mind none. "Sophia.... you just turned on your king... no, not your king. On ME."

Before the woman could react, she was already constricted by the shadows that were just as strong as Desh, keeping her from moving and doing anymore damage. When Desh took Bella from her, she felt that anger flare up once again but couldn't do anything about it. All she could do was watch the scene unfold before her. Her lover tried to comfort her crying daughter, luckily the infant began to calm down "Have I lost my mind? Of course I haven't!" but perhaps she did. He was right, she turned on him. Her king. Her lover. The father of her child. "I told you not to come any closer, Deshwitat. I warned you before I struck. You just didn't listen to me!"

Sophia felt like a prisoner being restrained after having a brawl with another inmate. "Release me right now! I refuse to be some sort of...captive to your shadows."

"If I dont restrain you, you are going to hurt someone!" He replied bitterly. The king of monsters looked towards his woman, his lover, and now mother to his child... The change was gradual but it eventually took his expression over completely. Desh looked her over with a look of pain that was clearly not due to fresh wounds he had just received. No, this pain reached far deeper and hurt more than any physical pain that could be inflicted on him.

"Sophia... come back to me.... please..." At the final word, Desh's voice broke at the hurt he was feeling. This... woman was something else. He was hoping she was going to come back around eventually but she only seemed to be getting worse and worse as time went on. The demoness that stood before him was not one of the women he was in love with but merely wore her visage. This was an entirely different animal and that was breaking him inside. He could lose this entire war but not his family for goddess's sake....

"I'm not going to hurt anyone!" she snapped back. The pained look on his face seemed to make the Demoness raise an eyebrow, but as soon as his voice broke after that, it caught her off guard. But it also snapped her from what the hell kind of mindset she was in. Her ruby eyes studied the man before her, her expression growing soft and full of worry as she drank in the sight. "Deshwitat?" she called softly, her voice no longer holding that angered tone and was filled with genuine concern. "I..." there were no words to even make up for what she just did to him. Hell, she had no words to those who she was cruel to during her time in a haze.

How could she do something like that? Especially with and in front of their child. Their child. Bella wasn't only hers, and that's how she treated the infant. Said cruel words that were not fair to Desh himself. "I'm so sorry..." the regret, the guilt that she felt. How could Sophia lose sight of who she was over merely just giving birth to a child? Of course, she wanted to protect Bella, but not like this. She needed her father. Not only her mother...

The archdemon literally witnessed the haze of instinct leave her eyes and when he saw her features return to a somewhat normal state, Desh almost cried. Almost. "Thank the Goddess...." He muttered. The king winced as he adjusted the baby in his arm and strode up to his lover who was still bound in shadows. Slowly, tentatively even, the darkness began to loosen up around the woman, granting her freedom of movement once again. "Don't be." He said warmly. "I'm just glad you've regained your senses. It's been weeks Sophia. I was becoming afraid that I had lost you and our baby." Blood still dripped onto baby Bella and Desh decided to pass her back over to the demoness before she ended up soaked in red. Her wings were still very soft and thin; fragile.

As soon as she was free, she cupped the non-injured side of his face and looked between her king's eyes "I should not have acted the way I have towards you, Desh. You are the father of our child and I shouldn't have done what I had. There is no excuse for this." Desh then passed Bella onto her, allowing the Demoness to look down and frown when she seen the blood. Sophia took her hand and was about to use her hand to wipe the blood away but realized that her hand had still been covered in the same blood from moments ago. Looking back at Desh in front of her, she couldn't help but let her eyes trace the wound all the way down to where it ended.

"Let me clean and dress your wounds, Desh." she caused the mess, now it was time to clean it up. "Go into the bathroom...Please." the Demoness wasn't going to take no for an answer either and the last thing she could ever do was get angry at him for that. But after moments ago, she wasn't sure if she could accomplish 'angry' for a while. "You've went through enough and I've only just made things worse for you."

"It's just a scratch, my love. You don't have to worry about it. I can have one of the healers take care of it. You should change Bella out of those clothes and put her to sleep. I'll borrow your bathroom to wash the day off." he said with a nod before leaning in to give Sophia a kiss but he immediately froze up halfway. He thought better of it and decided he didn't want to test his luck. "I'll be in the bath." He reaffirmed, turning to head to that exact location.

Telling her not to worry only made her want to worry more. They may have had healers but it still bothered her to no end. Desh also went in for a Kiss that Sophia would have returned without hesitation, but he pulled away and turned his head towards her bathroom. "Desh." was all she said before she took her bloodied hand and made him look at her, only to be pulled into a firm but loving kiss before releasing him "If I ever get like that again. Please, do whatever you can to bring me back. I don't ever, ever want to be like that ever again." she dropped her hand and looked down at Bella who was relaxed and falling back to sleep. "Don't fall asleep yet Bella.. I have to clean you up..." Sophia said softly.

"Maybe if you get that way with me or Noblesse. I'd rather you keep that aggressive stance against everyone else. Just to be safe." The warrior king joked with small, bloodied smirk. In his centuries of life, Deshwitat had never actually known about nor witnessed a demon mother with her own child. Naturally born demon offspring were a rarity as is, but there was no official record of a demon successfully surviving it. Noblesse's birth only further enforced that fact. The king wanted to comfort the crimson haired demoness. Tell her it was natural. But there was no reference to refer to other than Desh's own mother and she died before he was old enough to ask such questions. The only thing he could confidently do is bear with it for now.

 

[shadowz1995]

“Once more! With vigor! The enemy is not going to let you past their guards! You have to go through it! Again!” The drow captain yelled. The racial melting pot of new recruits were being drilled in the art of war and time was not in their favor. It had been a year and some odd months since the first skirmish with the Earth Kingdom’s forces and the war for Linhael was in full swing. The veterans of the previous war along with those that King Rubdich took in during times of peace were the first to volunteer to fight. However, only the veterans were immediately placed in the Dark Army (if they weren’t in it already). As for the rest, most already had skill in combat. This was to be expected of those who could live in a time before Desh’s rule but fighting in an army against other trained elites was an entirely different scale of combat than survival alone.


Some had more talent than others, as was expected. But there were some who joined recently whose potential was so great that it warranted the King’s personal attention. The captain glanced over to the ring that the ruler of Tenebris had chosen to train one of the newest additions to the Dark Army. The ring was made of brimstone and clay. Blackened soil made up the grounds from previous “personal lessons” the king had bestowed upon the gifted. It was in plain sight of the main training grounds, the walls being no higher than four feet. It served both as a message to train hard to the troops and as a signal. If the soldiers strove to better themselves, they too, might be taken under the king’s wing for personal training. It was a rare occurrence but certainly not unheard of.


Currently, there was an archdemon of unknown origin who was not even a year old. Yet, his strength was enough to gain the Dark Lord’s attention. Even in the middle of a war which would decide the fate of all the kingdoms in the world.


“Good, good. You’re doing well. Now concentrate. The power does not control you. No matter how it may feel that you are beholden to the whims of your demonic instincts, this does not make it so. You still decide how to use your power. You are in control. Now, come at me again!”


“I find this taxing. How much more do I need to keep going for? These powers aren’t getting any less consuming, and my breath isn’t coming back to me as quickly.”


Telemachus was struggling to keep whatever bit of composure he had. Fighting was new to him, though it felt like it shouldn’t be. He felt slow and heavy, like this wasn’t the body he was supposed to be in. He was on one knee, and only had a few minor scrapes. He stood nonetheless, removing a short sword of simple design from the dirt. He regretted choosing a small weapon. He overestimated its reach, but didn’t find it necessary to switch. He rushed Deshwitat, bringing his sword high over his head, and, with excessive wind-up, brought it down quickly with the intention to land a blow on Desh’s shoulder.


The demon king didn’t need to incorporate his magic into the fight. That would come in later lessons when this fledgling had greater control over his own strength. The strike came with strength and ferocity, with full intent to harm the opponent but far too sluggish. Deshwitat knocked the blade aside with the flat of his own weapon of choice. A longsword though it appeared more like a short sword considering the king’s size.


He’d been giving it his all for the entire session. His opponents stamina was something he didn’t even think possible for any race. Over the course of the amount of times he had rushed Desh, his strikes gradually became slower and less refined, yet he kept going.


His goal was to keep going until his opponent showed some sign of fatigue. Nothing yet. His abilities were something he couldn’t quite incorporate into his fighting very well, and had a hard time even trying to use them in the first place. Sometimes his ability to absorb force came as easy as a thought when he didn’t need it very much, other times it didn’t come to him when he actually needed it. This practice had aided him just a bit in gaining a better grasp on his abilities. The few abilities he knew that he had included setting himself on fire and absorbing force of just about anything that came at him. He hadn’t quite found his limiter on it either.

Maybe he’d find it here. Just from getting closer to Desh, he found himself becoming revitalized. He couldn’t differentiate whether or not if it was his doing or if it was his opponent himself giving him energy, but the feeling left him whenever he backed off. It was odd, but fighting made him much faster and stronger, but only for the time that he fought. He had no qualms with that.


“Yes, the road to power is never easy but you are making incredible progress for one so young. Normal demons or even archdemons take years to even discover their powers. You already have a grasp on it and you have only just come into this world. You are about as old as my youngest child.” Still, they had been sparring for several hours without stopping. Any normal being, much less a newborn demon, wouldn't have been able to fight for so long. Made only more impressive by the fact Telemachus didn’t lose himself to his instincts. A common behavior in young demons. Deshwitat would never say this aloud, of course. Compliments are a good thing but too much praise leads to arrogance and this fledgling could prove to be a very powerful asset. “Alright young one. We will end the training here today. You performed well during your physical training. Now, once you have rested, report to Sophia for your mental training. She can help you far more than I can. The nature of your power is more destructive than my own.”


King Rubdich’s hand flew up to the freshest scar to adorn his body, remembering the event that caused it. Thankfully, nothing like that happened again but the way Sophia looked at it bothered him to no end.

Walking out onto the training grounds with a baby on the Demoness’s hip, she spoke up “Finished with physical training already?” Sophia asked with a light smile while her daughter -Bella- reached out towards her father and waved “Hi daddy!” the small child said with a smile of her own, excited to see her father again after being away from him for a couple of hours. “Bella hasn't been able to sit still since this morning.” it was just like when she would be attached to her older sister and follow her around the castle when she could. “So, I thought that maybe I should take her out here to watch her father do some training. But it seems we caught you both too late.” as the redheaded-demoness spoke, Bella reached out to her father with grabby hands. Obviously wanting to be held by him. Sophia turned her attention to the male who Desh had been sparring with “Ah, Telemachus, right? I’ve heard and read many things about you in your file and by Deshwitat himself. Heard you’re quite the fighter.”

“Speak of the devil. I was just thinking about you.” The king said with a warm smile to his lover. He reached out to pull the squealing toddler out of her embrace and into his own. “Bella, my child. I’ve missed you so much. How is my little firefly?”


Bella giggled as she was brought into her father’s arms, using her own to wrap around her father’s head and press her face up against his cheek “Good!” she said happily, closing her ruby-red eyes while gently nuzzling her father’s face. “How’s daddy?” the little girl asked, opening her eyes and looking at her father with that same, cute smile that she possessed.


“Tired from fighting, sweetheart. Your father has to protect you, mommy, and your sister after all.”

Bella nodded eagerly “Ahuh!” He was right, he had to protect the family and keep them safe “Want to play?” The little girl asked pulling back a little and placing her small hands on her father’s face “We can play hide and seek!” She said with excitement and another giggle. Bella was a happy child, even though her mother was pretty sadistic in some ways.. the small girl still took more after her father than her mother “Or ball!” She added to their list of games. Hopefully her father wouldn’t be too busy to play with her cause if he was, she’d definitely be saddened.


“Oh, that does sound like fun. Perhaps we can play ball later. It's not exactly fair to play hide and seek with me or Noblesse.” Desh responded with a light chuckle. They could make themselves invisible if they so felt like it. The king wondered when Bella would figure out that she could simply light up the darkness and reveal them from within the veil of shadow.


Bella was happy at her father’s response “Yay!” she said excitedly, bouncing a little in her father’s arms as she looked over towards the large demon and her mother. Who continued to talk to one another.


“Relatively. I’m not the best fighter you could meet, obviously, but, I have a lot of potential apparently. Though, I’m glad you’ve read good things about me.” His tone said that he was at least somewhat joyful, though his face remained the same throughout the statement.


“Potential that could be amplified over time to be something permanent.” After all, such power can be great, given the right training. “I wouldn't be the king’s Attendant if I didn't know anything about the people around the castle or the kingdom.” She glanced over at Desh, who was still having his moment with his daughter. A smile tugged her lips some more but seeing the scar upon his face that she caused... made her lose that smile and look back to Telemachus. “So the training today, how did it go? If you don’t mind me asking.”


Telemachus looked on the soil that not even a few moments ago was he engaged in combat with Desh. “It…It could’ve gone better. My stamina isn’t the greatest. I only lasted a few rounds before I became fatigued. Though, I think I did better than most. I haven’t even seen all four seasons yet and I’m doing well.” He shook a bit, black dirt being tossed from the matted fur around his neck.



As Telemachus explained his lack of energy, there was some things that she could do just to bring up his stamina some more. He was an Archdemon, he needed lots of stamina just to show he was strong. Similar to Desh. “I see…” she said softly, studying the male before her “I do have various ideas I could suggest to you. More to improve your stamina, maybe your strength along with it… If… You’re ready to tackle such training.” If Sophia was in charge, it wasn't going to be easy.

Telemachus quickly glanced over at Desh. “It..certainly couldn’t hurt to do some more training today.” He held his short sword by the blade. The training couldn’t possibly get anymore strenuous, could it? “What kind of ideas do you propose?”


“How much can you carry? How far can you walk?” she asked, tilting her head slightly as she studied the large male. “That will determine the training that I can have prepped for you.” the Attendant moved her hands behind her, lacing them together as she took on her usual pose.


He shook his head. “I haven’t found out yet. We can definitely find out. I haven’t been..alive for too long, as mentioned formerly.” He shifted uncomfortably. “What do I call you again?”


“Sophia.” said the demoness, “You can call me De’Lexington if you feel more comfortable.” as soon as she found out the strength he possessed, she can go right into training. However, she wasn't sure if that’s what Desh wanted the young demon to learn.


“Pleasure to meet you, Sophia.” He bowed his head slightly to show respect. “When do I start?” He shifted his grip on his blade to the hilt, as if not knowing what to do with his hands for the time being.


“Whenever King Deshwitat wills it.” she glanced over at the king.


“After you’ve rested. Telemachus. If you are taxed too much, you could succumb to your instincts and go on a rampage. I’d rather you not die so soon.”


“I definitely appreciate that you think of my safety, your majesty, but, I think I can handle it. I’m feeling better already in fact. I think if I could go so many rounds with you, I’m far off from rampaging. Agreed?”


“It’s less about your safety and more about my conscience, Telemachus. For, if you bring harm to my family or servants, you won’t live to see your first winter.” The king was still all smiles with his daughter in his arms but there was hidden bite within his words. A glint of malice in his eyes.


Telemachus, without a single thought, instinctively took two steps backwards. “Of-of course. I understand.” Even if the hostility was subtle, Telemachus picked up on the queue nonetheless. The face Desh wore and the words he spoke clearly did not correlate.


Sophia merely smiled at the scene before her. This was why most demons wouldn't protest against something when Deshwitat was in charge. Especially when he made a threat and his words were laced with venom. “Perhaps later once you’ve rested, we can continue some training for you, Telemachus.”


“I suppose. Yes.” He looked down, somewhat defeated, but quickly regaining his posture. “I guess a little rest could do me some good. I’ll go do that.” He kicked at the dirt restlessly, then left, with a pace a bit more brisk than usual.


“Hm… wonder what has him worried.” Desh asked his lover with a wicked smile.

 

[shadowz1995]

Three years had gone by since the full outbreak of the war. The main source of conflict was between the fast dwindling forces of the Earth Kingdom and the Dark Kingdom. Elysium had sent reinforcements to aid the forest dwellers in their losing battle and its true that they managed to stave off the onslaught of King Rubdich's forces. Though this was only for a time, as in recent weeks, the Elysian ranks had begun to falter and the push into Earth Kingdom territory resumed at an alarming pace. Oceanius occupied Elysium's main army with rapid hit-and-run tactics while some minor assistance from Raitoningu kept their air superiority in check.

(Slim, you write your own shit.)

The forests of the Earth Kingdom were now a desolate wasteland. A war ravaged graveyard with blackened soil from the blood of Elysians, Forest dwellers, and dark monsters alike. (....Whatever. If you have any questions just ask.)

Hunters from Oceanius and Raitoningu had come in droves at the prospect of hunting the most dangerous game in Linhael. Naturally, these hunters knew the risks of such high stakes hunting but Deshwitat still wanted to go the extra mile in attempting to keep them safe. He had experienced hunters from his own kingdom roaming the wilds without disturbing the wildlife. They were there just in case a hunter bit off more than they could chew.

Today, however, was a bit special. The king himself was assisting in the overwatch and had found himself carefully observing a specific huntress from the land of lightning. This was allegedly her first time in these lands and yet, she seemed to move as if she knew the land already. Deshwitat laid silently in the shadows watching the huntress stalk her prey. A massive, venomous tiger-like creature whose saliva bore holes into the earth with how potent its venom was. The creature was easily over 7 ft tall and made entirely of sinuous muscle and thick, armor-like grey fur. This didn't disturb the huntress's focus whatsoever, as she knocked an arrow and took careful aim. The metal of the projectile was of stunning quality and the light hum that Desh picked up from it, indicated that the huntress was channeling her power through the arrow.

The projectile was set free and sunk directly into the feline's neck, biting deep into the flesh and severing arteries without remorse. The creature was stunned, at first, its muscles locking up from the sudden current of electricity flowing through its body. The sudden attack and the electricity caused the creatures heart beat to sky rocket, propelling the creature faster to its already sealed fate. The huntress had to do nothing more than wait patiently while the tiger quickly bled out into the black soil. Mere minutes had gone by before the predator-turned-prey had ceased all movement and the huntress pressed forward to claim her prize. It was at that time that Desh decided to step out of the shadows with muted footsteps. Only when he spoke several feet behind her, did he make a sound. "Well done, Huntress. I'm impressed." He said in the native tongue of Raitoningu. Desh's accent was very obvious but it was a surprise alone that he had learned the language enough to be fluent in casual conversation over 3 years.​

 

[Soviet Panda]

"Hold the line, damn it! I've seen Hysh men with more strength in their arms than you lot!" Sridit shouted, swinging his massive (for a dwarf) axe with reckless abandon. He was not a warrior, for this was not a warriors work. This was no longer a battlefield, but a butcher's yard. Blood and bile turned the ground into slick mud, screams of the wounded and dying filled the air. Arrows and bolts from both sides blotted out the sun in turns to rain down upon the opposing ranged formation. His forces had been slowly pushed back, each inch of ground grudgingly given up, but not before being paid for in full.

Yet even this staunch defense was beginning to buckle. The shield wall, bristling with spears and other fairly pointy objects, had been pushed into a narrow pass, limiting the use of the enemy's numbers and securing their flanks. But that meant if they turned their backs, they would be caught out and cut down. So there they made their stand, the monstrous tide of the Dark Army crashing upon them. Metal screeched against metal, bones cracked, intestines saw the light of day and limbs where cleaved from the body.

The battle continued for what felt like hours, but was only a couple of minutes. But soon, the Dark Army pulled back. They had not managed to crack the nut and get at it's tasty meat this time. And they will continue to fail, with this strategy at least. They were playing right into their opponents hand, throwing themselves at that shield wall. And one of the most important rules of combat was to not play into your opponents hand. Of course, that rule had some flexibility, but that was only if one had a plan. The general did not have such plan at that time, and so decided to not waste anymore troops to that endeavor. Instead, he wished to rest his troops, and continue where they left off in the morning.

The next day, the dwarfs had simply vanished. How a whole army could be lost in a night is mind boggling. Especially while it's being watched. Yet somehow, they were gone. The only things that were left were a few scraps from last night's dinner and a few piles of dwarven manure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A defeated dwarf army marched back into Oshus. Those that survived wordlessly left to tell their clan of what happened, and to console the widows and mother's who had lost their sons. Even the Hysh dared not mock the dwarfs that day.

 

[Fluffy-Kat]

Noblesse Rubdich
​

The last three years had Noblesse on her toes. Life was no longer about running around the palace pulling innocent pranks on the maids assigned to watch her, or coming up with ways to lose them so she could wander off and explore the hidden passages with in the old walls. Her comfortable life as a child, as daughter of the King, rapidly took a turn soon after the visit of the vampiric princess Ophelia. Noblesse, now 17, had the residue of a melancholic smile fading as she remembered (and missed) those days. Her right hand rubbed the inside of her left wrist, her gloved fingers feeling over the raised part of her skin through the leather, where Ophelia had left her bite. The memory seemed so distant yet so fresh at the same time. It was that day she vowed to take up some of her father's duties and responsibilities as he appeared to be spreading himself too thin that the time. Her left hand gripped the reins of her horse, and her blue veins revealed themselves under her fair skin, running right through the bite scars. "Princess?" A male voice called out to her from behind.

"Hmm?" She raised her head, both hands now holding the reins. Noblesse turned her head to the side to peer over at the soldier over her shoulder with her eyes, "Yes?"

"You seem troubled. You havent been able to tear your eyes away from that hand of yours since we've left the border. Are you hurt?"

Noblesse released a nervous chuckle and waived her hand to dismiss him, turning her head forward once more, "Its nothing Im alright."

The pair stopped their horses at the tall, dark gates of Tenebris. Ruby red irises peered up from beneath the edge of the cloak that shrouded her distinct, platinum locks from any eyes that may catch a glimpse. "Who approaches?" A different soldier yelled from the top of the gate. Three or four other guards near him leaned over the wall with crossbows in hand, ready to fend off any unwanted visitors. The guard that accompanied Noblesse reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a cloth with the kingdom's coat of arms, "Its just us," he yelled back as he waved the emblem. Noblesse pulled her hood down and stared down the guard above with out a word. His eyes widened at the silver hair and dark horns and nodded to a comrade right beside him to open the gate, "Right away princess!" Now that she was older, she was able to conceal her demonic features with little effort, but she had grown a liking to her horns, and kept them where they stood at all times.

Heavy doors creaked and moaned as they were pulled open. With a click of her tongue, and a squeeze of her heels, her horse moved forward. 'Its good to be home.'

"Welcome back princess."

A light drizzle of rain had just picked up upon entry, and in a matter of minutes the dirt road reduced to mud. The clops of hooves turned into squishing and squashing, and the horses had suddenly gained brown socks on their legs. Noblesse had spent a few days on the very edge of the Dark Kingdom's borders to make sure their defenses were still adequate during these times of conflict. Helped with morale too. To have a royal at the very front lines showed your military that they werent forgotten, they were important and they mattered. The village was no different. Children stomped in puddles, stray dogs and livestock in farms shook off the wet in their fur and merchants began to hike up tarps and awnings. Noblesse looked up at the bright grey of the morning clouds. It looked like the rain could get heavier. "You may want to hurry home princess, the old woman says there may be a rain storm headed our way," a villager called out to her from the protection behind his table. She had a multitude of pottery neatly lined in rows on the table, and the bigger ones sat on the ground beside her.


"Is that so?" Noblesse mumbled, head still in the clouds. A large drop fell and hit her cheek, the impact was audible. She jumped a little from the surprise, and the drop rolled from her cheekbone down to her chin.


"Dont forget to patch that one too!" A distant voice hollered.


The demon princess looked back down and toward the voice. There were two men on a roof, hammering away. One looked older, perhaps a father, and the other was a young man, maybe his son. Noblesse turned back to the middle-aged woman that warned her about a possible storm and gave her a farewell nod, "Thank you for your wisdom, but Im afraid my job isnt done quite yet," she forced a smile and turned her horse to the father-son duo. The horse trotted briskly and slowed once they reached the house, "What is happening here?" She asked the two.

Wiping the sweat off his brow, the younger man answered, "Good morning Princess!" suddenly growing stiff. He tried as best as he could to bow while kneeling on the roof but it wasnt quite there. A little smirk pulled the corner of Noblesse's soft lips from his effort. "We're fixing the roof of the orphanage. Theres a storm coming you know!"

Noblesse giggled, "So Ive heard," handing the reins to her companion beside her, she hopped off her horse, and took a few steps forward, beginning to take her gloves off, "Allow me to help."

"No!" He retorted. He gasped at his own demanding tone with her, his father looking like he wanted to smack the back of his head. "I-I mean that wont be necessary...my father and I can handle this. This is no job for a princess," he turned his head down in shame.

Noblesse laughed and brushed off the sudden command, "Alright, then," she put her hands on her hips and scoffed at the thought that he had no idea what she was capable of. Noblesse, even as a little girl, never wanted to be some feeble little princess sitting in her tower all day,"What can I do?"

"Well..." he started quietly, but was quickly interrupted by a hard nudge of his father. "Dont ask her Highness to do any of our work. Its not right," his father said quietly under his mustache.

"Is there a problem sirs?" Noblesse blinked curiously.

"N-no your highness, i-its just that--"

"Good," she said firmly, "I'll see to the children then. Perhaps that that will be more fit for my services," With out waiting for a reaction Noblesse instructed the guard to hold onto the horses until she returned, then headed for the orphanage door. Before reaching for the knob, the laughter and loud voices of children reached her through the walls. Muffled but audible. Her hand reached out and held onto the knob gently before pushing it open. The chaos had subsided almost immediately as the door opened. All the children had stopped their play and chatter to face Noblesse. The princess froze. Why were they staring so strangely. A woman with an apron (whom she assumed was their caretaker) stepped out from a different room so see why the children had suddenly become so settled. When she spotted Noblesse she jumped and patted the wrinkles out of her apron, and attempted to fix her hair frantically before giving a curtsy, "Oh my! Your Highness, what a lovely suprise, please do come in!" She gestured for the young girl to come further into the crowded room. "Had I known her Highness was going to pay us a visit I would have prepared and cleaned," the women admitted, looking around the toy littered room.

Noblesse put up a hand and smiled, "Theres no need. Im simply here to ask if there is anything needed that I can possibly supply."

The woman clapped her hands together as if thanking the heavens, "If it isnt too much to ask, we could really use some more blankets. It gets quite cold under this roof."

A small girl tugged at the end of Noblesse's coat behind her and looked up, "Sometimes it gets really cold and I get really sick," she added.

Noblesse turned around kneeled with a smile, "We'll have to fix that wont we, little one?" she took a piece of the girl's hair and moved it behind her ear. The archdemoness had a special place in her heart for children, especially when they remind her of her baby sister.

"Many of these children were displaced from the war." The woman spoke up, her voice swallowing tears, "As you might have guessed we dont get too many visitors. And who wants to adopt another mouth to feed when they can barely feed their own. We rely heavily on left over foods and clothing from households near by and we make do. So if theres anything my Princess and His Majesty could spare for the children, we would greatly appreciate it."

Taking a deep breath to fight back the lump forming in her throat, the royal demoness stood up once again and stared at the caregiver sincerely with her trademark red eyes, "I will gather everything I can," she promised.

Outside, the sound of the door closing made the soldier jerk his head up and look alive. Noblesse put her gloves back on and returned to her horse, mounting with ease, "Lets go home," she demanded. Eyes shadowed by her hood, she kicked her horse to trot ahead.

Her accompanying guard scrambled after her, grabbing at the reins, "W-wait!" When he caught up to her, he tried to look at her face, she seemed upset, "Everything alright Princess?"

She was silent for a moment, looking straight ahead, watery eyes fixed on the road while her mind thought about those children. She knew what it was like to grow up with out mother, but was lucky enough to be born of royalty, and have a loving father. These children had nothing but the clothes on their backs."Yes," she finally answered, even if she had released a tear it would have been under the disguise of the light rain that had picked up....

--------------------------------​

Home at last! Muddy, heeled boots landed on the ground, and Noblesse's horse was taken by the stable boy to be groomed and de-tacked for a good rest. She patted its neck as thanks before it was pulled away, then proceeded to take off her riding gloves. Wasting no time, the young woman swiftly climbed her steps to her front door. She was only gone for a few days but was very excited to return to her own bed...oh and her family of course.

She opened the doors and was automatically greeted by a couple of housemaids, "Welcome home, Princess!" they exclaimed. With out asking, they took her gloves and damp overcoat,"We have pastries waiting for you in the kitchen, especially made fresh for your arrival." Both women were about to walk away and clean the items when Noblesse stopped them, "Please search the kitches for any food we can spare for the children in the village. Any ingredients, or bread, and cheese. Oh, and please look through the closets and take out any old blabkets and linens. Im sure we have a number of out dated things we can afford to give away. When youre done please have someone take them down to the orphanage. Make sure they report back to me incase what we have isnt enough. I can buy more things on my own time." The two women responded with a bow and hurried off to do as they were asked.

Noblesse on the other hand remained in the empty foyer. It was quiet and still. Last she had heard her farther was away as well, and that bit of news was backed by the lack of his shadow-presence. Her own scoured the castle to search for his but returned with no detection.

"Hello?" She called out into halls.

 

[Ali9910]

Amaya Yuki

Over the last few years, the young huntress had kept mostly to herself within the Kingdom of Lightning. Amaya had continued her work as a huntress, often her only interactions with other people being the buying and selling of the different game she brought into the markets. She had even slain a kogeki during this time, giving her a name throughout the area. It was because of this that Amaya learned of the hunters and huntresses that were all migrating to the land of Linhael.

A whole new variety of dangerous creatures meant more than just new types of game to the huntress, it also meant a possibly bigger paycheck, a chance to leave the Kingdom of Lightning even. Most Raitoningu citizens couldn't even dream of leaving their country, with their borders constantly closed to all forms of trade as well as any sort of immigration. Amaya however, had seemed to come across a loop hole for this, and she gladly took the chance.

Days of travel had left the young Denki weary, but the adrenaline of a new hunt overpowered the aching in her muscles and bones. A few days of tracking had lead Amaya to an unbelievable creature, fiercer than anything she had face previously. Sure, the creatures in Raitoningu were big, and often traveled in large numbers, but this, this was beyond anything she had faced before. The creature seemed to even produce an acid like substance from its mouth, destroying the landscape in its wake. The huntress knew it would be certain death getting close to the creature, its venom surely lethal to touch. She instead, chose to use her bow, leaving her swords as a last resort. If all went well, she wouldn't need them. Lucky for her, while the creature seemed to be dangerous and probably hostile upon contact, it seemed rather uninterested or even oblivious to it's surroundings, allowing Amaya to study her prey with relative ease.

During her time studying the creature, she closely observing the pulsing veins in it's neck, seemingly surrounded by large masses of tissue and muscle, an attempt to guard its most vital weak point. The creature was also covered in a fur unlike anything the huntress had seen previously, what seemed to be soft to the touch at a quick glance, was actually another form of armor for the unbelievable animal. The fur was weaved together in such a way as to where it was almost an entirely solid mass, covering the majority of the monster's body and keeping it safe from the majority of blunt attacks, as well as all but the sharpest blades. As Amaya scanned the surrounding landscape, she found the perfect spot to lie in wait for her approaching target. Carefully pulling her bow back as she notched an arrow, Amaya took one deep breath and held it, allowing her heart rate to steady and her electrical current to flow from her body into the tiny projectile. She waited, the beast turned it's head, away from her, to something else lurking in the shadows when she released the arrow, it seeking a home in the enormous creature's neck. After the arrow buried itself in the poor creature's artery, it was just a matter of time.

Amaya assumed they'd be watched when they came to hunt the beasts of foreign lands, she had honestly assumed that they'd be kept at a closer eye on them than they had been. However, what Amaya didn't expect was that she was being watched currently, nothing had indicated such and she hadn't an inkling that she had been followed while stalking the creature fallen before her. Because her senses were both her most trusted weapons as well as her best alerts to danger, the fact that they hadn't picked up on the man that seemed to almost appear out of the darkness, she was immediately put on edge. The huntress shifted all her weight to one side and jumped far back from the intruder behind her, turning to face him with an arrow prepped, ready to fire at the nearest sign of hostility. Though, one thing was holding her back, how on earth did this man know Raitoningu? "Who are you?" Amaya slowly lowered her bow slightly, but still left the arrow notched in place, not sure what to make of the stranger that had appeared before her. Sure he had complimented her for her kill, but why hadn't the huntress sensed him? Why had it been as though he appeared from nothing?

shadowz1995​

 

[shadowz1995]

The huntress before him was certainly light on her feet, judging by how quickly she reacted to his presence and put distance between them. It brought a small, amused grin to the demon king's scarred face as he folded his hands behind his back and took several steps forward without any sign of tension or intimidation. "Be at ease, Huntress. If I wanted you dead, you would be and you couldn't kill me even if you wanted to." he stated very matter-of-factly. As if there was no room for a shred of doubt in his statement. The dark ruler gave the huntress a wide berth as he stepped by her to examine the woman's newest trophy. "This was a very clean kill. I don't think I have ever seen a Tenaltra be taken down with a single arrow before. Truly, a feat worthy of 'royal' praise."

King Rubdich placed a hand above the fallen creature's massive head, bracing it for when he pulled the arrow free from where it had made its new home. Not wanting to unnerve the huntress anymore than he already had, Desh pulled a sliver of his power to bring the shadows around him to life. A lone, solitary tendril slowly reached up from the King's own dancing shadow. It wrapped around the arrow's shaft and slowly made its way over Amaya, stopping inches away from her person and presenting the still-dripping projectile to her. "As for who I am, I'm the King of this land. The ruler of Tenebris and temporary ally to Raitoningu. I came to see how the foreign hunters were handling themselves."

The archdemon then stood up and began walking away from the fresh carcass. With a flick of his wrist, the shadows surrounding the area of the dark land jettisoned forward towards the fallen tiger-like being, seizing it and lifting it into the air as if it weighed nothing. The giant creature dangled on the shadows like a leaf on the wind. "Come along, Huntress. This creature is has dangerous organs within it and it is a death sentence to handle it without proper knowledge. I will take you to one of the local hunters and she can teach you how to handle this creature. I trust she can also teach you about the other beasts that inhabit my kingdom's borders. An unprepared hunter is a dead one, no?" The king asked with a light-hearted smile as he led the way to the city. He didn't stop to check if the huntress would follow along because even if she didn't wish it, Desh couldn't exactly let her kill herself for attempting to skin her prize without knowledge of the creature's anatomy. The hunters of the dark kingdom's job was to make sure the foreign hunters didn't get themselves killed after all. Deshwitat was no hunter but he interacted with all of his citizens enough to have a general understanding of everything. Though, due to the war, he hasn't had any time to take the leisurely walks he used to through the kingdom. While he was out earning a plethora of new scars, his oldest daughter had become a young woman already before his very eyes. No longer was she the bubbly child that he felt was only mere days ago. He hadn't seen his lover or either of his children in months and he might not get to, depending on what they were doing.

Ali9910​

 

[Britt-21]

Bella Rubdich

Fluffy-Kat

Being the only child within the castle was boring. Especially when her father and her sister werent around... Sure, she had her mother to play with and learn cool new abilities with but... She loved following her older sister around. Trying to copy everything that she did, how she walked, how she spoke, how she stood. Without her around... Bella couldnt do any of those things! But there was one thing that the young girl can do: Make Balls of fire! When her dad or her sister got back, the little demon planned on showing both of them what she learned while they were gone. At this very moment, the small girl was walking down the hall with one of the maids, talking to her and following her as she carried sheets to another room. Bella definitely turned out to be quite friendly, especially to the staff. Being as young as she was, she really didnt pay attention to why the staff carried things like sheets and stuff and merely lost herself in conversation with them.

While in mid conversation with the maid, she began to feel shadows running around the kingdom. A familiar feeling she knew all too well "Daddy?" she asked aloud, blinking as she came to a stop "No..." she pouted before gasping "Blessy?" the little girl looked up to the maid "Nobless is home!!!" she shouted before suddenly running off while the shadows began to retract towards the source. Allowing her to use them as a guide. She found herself in the foyer where her sister stood "Blessy!!!" shouted Bella as she ran down the stairs and ran right into her sister, giving her legs a tight hug "I missed you so much Noblesse!" ​

 

[Ali9910]

Amaya Yuki

The king? What on earth was a king doing watching over a bunch of hunters? Shouldn't he somewhere more important, leading the battles perhaps? The young huntress shook her head slightly as she took in this new found information. Surely his skills were better used else where, it seemed silly for a king to be supervising the influx of people hoping to find new prey. But ,perhaps he was on his way from an important matter and simply decided to stop by. It wasn't really in Amaya's authority to ask, nor would he likely tell her if she did.

After a few moments, Amaya realized she was still pointing an arrow at the man standing before her. Slowly, she lowered it and stuck the arrow back into her quiver and then proceeded to prop the bow on her back, returning to a semi relaxed position. The king however moved towards the beast she had slain and removed the arrow perched within it's neck and presented it back towards her. The huntress gingerly took the arrow from the emerging shadows, unsure of being near the moving darkness. What kind of person could control shadows like that? Yes, she could control lightning, but shadows weren't solid, they had no real form. This man seemed to be full of all kinds of surprises and while it put Amaya slightly on edge, it also intrigued her to see such an interesting power.

When the ruler made off with her kill, well she had no choice but to follow him. It wasn't like she could just let him walk away with it now could she? And, he did have a point about the monster's venom. It certainly didn't seem like a good idea for her to clean the beast herself, she wasn't exactly in the mood to have her skin melted off. So, the huntress quietly stalked behind the king as he made his way into the center of the city.

The kingdom was nothing short of what she had expected, mountainous terrain surrounded by forest, it certainly made for a secure, well protected place to call home. Over the last few years of war, it seemed relatively untouched structure wise at least, but Amaya knew the people were probably more worn down that the city seemed to let on. No one came out of war unscathed, no matter how hard they tried. The huntress followed as she was lead through the streets, the man in front of her seemingly lost in thought. It must be taxing to run a country like this, the huntress wasn't in the least bit jealous of the position he was in. The weight of an entire nation on the shoulders of one person? No thank you. There were questions she wanted to ask him, about the kingdom, about the war, but she thought better of it. The man in front of her looked beaten down, she decided it would be better not to bother him with her trivial concerns. Besides, the king looked lost in thought, she watched as he observed the city around them, it seemed to her that he was doing more than just simply walking through the city walls.

After a time of silence between the two, Amaya spoke up. "So, if you don't mind me asking, where are you taking my kill exactly? I don't see a king skinning a beast such as this." She paused for a moment, contemplating her words carefully, "And not that I don't appreciate the help, but you don't have to aid me like this. I'm sure you have more important things to attend to." It seemed odd to her that a man of his stature would be wasting his time here. She certainly wouldn't expect the same treatment back home, in fact, most of the residents of Raitoningu hadn't even seen the members of the royal family, let alone talked to them one on one like this.

shadowz1995​

 

[Fluffy-Kat]

Noblesse Rubdich
​

"Blessy!!!"

Noblesse's red eyes looked up at the top of the stairs in foyer. The previous hardened look on her face had melted clean off, as if she never wore it. Noblesse often had a much more serious demeanor around strangers, guards, or during business matters. But in her home, around her family, Noblesse was the playful, happy girl she always was. Her smile lit up the room as her younger sister came running and attacked her with a tight squeeze around her legs. Noblesse scooped her off her feet and into her arms, "Who dares sneak a snuggle attack on the evil giant werebear!" she asked making up some creature, and mocked a little growly noise, "This calls for an attack! Fear me!" Noblesse lifted the girl to her face and proceeded to lay down a multitude of kisses onto her opponents cheeks. "No use huh? Alright then," the older sister set Bella down on her feet,"You leave me no choice, Bella Rubdich, Mistress of Sneak Attacks, Queen of all that is cute! I will show you my greatest attack of all!" Noblesse rolled up her sleeves and showed Bella her fingers for just a moment before rushing to her belly a commence maximum tickling. No one has ever been able to see this attack and live to tell the tale. Noblesse is truly out matched.

The Princess ceased her play and knelt down to put Bella on her back, "Wheres daddy?" she managed to ask after a giggling fit.



(Short sorry >^<)


Britt-21
Mentioned: shadowz1995

 

[shadowz1995]

King Rubdich had to suppress a laugh that was working its way out of his lungs. For whatever reason, he felt as if though the huntress was worried he was going to take her prize from her with the way she studied him. "As I said before huntress, I'm merely taking this to a local hunter show he can show you how to clean this creature, along with any other creature that frequents these lands." he replied in a light tone.

The huntress was correct in her observations, as Deshwitat was indeed studying the current state of his kingdom. It wasn't in dissarray but the frustration and grimness was palpable. Not because they were losing, the dark kingdom was actually quite successful in its battles thus far but because loved ones were being lost. Tenebris was far from the largest kingdom and its people were very closely tied to one another in the short ten years of peace they had. When the soldiers of the dark didn't come back alive, everyone felt their loss. It brought the citizens together to bear the burdens but as a result, it also brought a unified sense of grief. Despite the victories Tenebris had been achieving. The look in the people's eyes told the story.

The denizens of darkness were tired of fighting. They have been fighting since the beginning of written history.

The king snapped back to the present his musings and answered the question the huntress had left hanging, "Yes, you are correct. I was returning from my most recent battle, passing by when I saw you stalking the beast through the shadows. I feared you had bitten off more than you could chew, so I waited. The rest you know."

The pair arrived at hunter's adobe as the king had declared earlier and he laid the beast down just outside. He slipped inside to converse with the male human within, speaking with him as if they were old friends rather than lord and subject. A fact that was mirrored by most of the citizenry as the king walked by. It was mere moments before Desh left the hut and addressed Amaya once more, "He doesn't know your language as I do but he I've explained the situation. He will show you how to clean this kill specifically. Once he is done, you may take your prize. I have my scribes working on a bestiary transalted to your language. It is incomplete as of now but having some information is better than none. Once you are finished here, I encourage you to enjoy the city awhile. I will have a copy of that bestiary ready for you in the palace. If you could tell any other Raitoningu hunters of these scripts, I would appreciate it." The king's accent did make some words sound off but his message and tone was clear. He was being amicable and anyone could tell he was very tired, as the huntress had observed earlier. The nonstop conflict was taking its toll on the king, only made worse by the how deep they were in enemy territory. Normally, Desh would call that a victory and leave it be but this needed to end. Permanently. Ignium would perhaps consider staying away from the fight but certainly not Elysium or The Glades.

"If you have any concerns, please don't be afraid to voice them. But as of now, I am rather weary and wish to see my daughters. May the goddess give you good fortune on your hunts, Huntress."


Ali9910 ​

 

[Ali9910]

Amaya Yuki

The two spent a short time of walking through the city in relative silence, a few words had been exchanged here and there but for the most part, Amaya had decided to leave the king relatively alone. He didn't seem like one for pointless small talk, but then again neither was the young huntress. In fact, she appreciated the quiet between the two, she had never been much of a people person and the king thankfully seemed to respect that.

As a huntress, she spent the majority of her time secluded in the woods, she might even say she spent more time among animals than among other humans. But, that was the way she preferred it. People always seemed to want something from one and other, no one went out of their way to help people, at least not in her experience. However, the demon king seemed to be different, after all, what could a simple huntress like her offer to someone of his stature anyway? It wasn't as if he had anything to gain from this encounter. Unless it was somehow in his best iterest to make sure she didn't kill herself while preparing her prey for sale.

Before the young huntress knew it, they had reached what seemed to be a normal looking home. She smirked slightly at the king saying she had taken on more than she could handle, even if she was young, she knew what she was doing. There were certain limits of working on your own, which she had come to know through experience. But, she didn't blame him for his worry, he didn't know her, he was simply doing his job. The house wasn't exactly what the girl had expected, Amaya had assumed they'd be going to some sort of store front, but it seemed that the people here didn't have the huge markets like she did back home. Not to the same extent at least. The huntress simply shrugged and followed him inside.

"Thank you for the help. I very much appreciate it." The woman bowed slightly toward the king after he lead her into the building. She hadn't been expecting him to stick around, but she was a little saddened that he was leaving, a friendly face in a foreign land was often hard to come by. Hearing that he had daughter however, she simply nodded. A man had the right to see his children and it seemed obvious to her that he cared deeply for them, even if he hadn't seen them in a rather long period. "I wish you well. Do rest up when you have the chance." Amaya didn't mean to boss the man around, but he simply looked worn out, he wouldn't be hep to anyone if he didn't keep his health in check. A leader was only as strong, as powerful as his health allowed him to be. "I will spread the word of the translations. It is much appreciated that you are so hospitable to us in such a time of war. I will receive it as soon as I am finished with my work here. Thank you again."

shadowz1995​

 

[KindlyPlagueDoctor]

Sir Gabriel Uriel Serrell the 2nd

Three years, three grueling, worrying, deadly years. Gabriel, being a Templar of Lumin, had seen much of the war. He had been sent to the forest kingdom to aid in the fight. He brought a light into the darkness, a beacon that Lumin's eyes where on him and all who stood with him. His blessed sword cut through many men from the army of King Rubdich, each one her proudly slayed in the name of Lumin and Elysium. Gabriel would be graced by good news as he was informed that he would receive reinforcements from his brothers at the order.

Gabriel fought stoically beside his brothers, each of them one of Lumin's divine weapons. However. Despite the valiant efforts of the Templar's the armies of Elysium where still pushed back, and sadly still many Templar's where cut down in the fray. Gabriel had ended up with less than a quarter of the Templars he had been sent, and naturally assumed their deaths where his fault. Gabriel was quiet in the days that followed. He still preached the name of Lumin, and his faith was still as strong as steel, but he was somber, no longer maintaining his amicable attitude to his comrades. He now adopted a more serious and down to earth view as the war raged on.


Knanrix Snum

The vile and mischievous grot known as Knanrix had taken on an even larger ego than he had before. Given his new, and heavily embellished reputation as a "Champion of Tenebris". Of course he had given himself this title without consulting any military officials at all, he felt himself invincible. The grots tribe would come to grow very large in the coming years, Knanrix becoming a feared and hated name.

However, given the quickly growing numbers of the greenskins tribe and the nature of the large nosed creatures themselves Knanrix's tribe quickly fell into disarray and chaos. Now the shaman was seen as an idiot who couldn't lead his warriors. Soon however Knanrix's reputation would come to an end. Not by the hand of his own greenskins, or even the enemy, but his own. Now Knanrix did not take his own life, he lacked the stomach for such a thing. He instead died as a result of a failed potion, melting into a pile of green, gooey mess. He was forgotten by the greenskins quickly after that, his tribe falling apart soon after.

Edward Barbossa

Three years, three painfully slow years. No longer. Whatever was known about the current state of of the once famous pirate, Edward Barbossa was forgotten. Bars and taverns would be searched, but no trace of the man was ever found, and he was presumed dead. Probably dieing of alcohol poisoning and being thrown out into the sea. However, these assumptions couldn't have been further from the truth. For Edward knew how he would die, he had known for a long time. During a busy night, the pirate had picked himself up and stumbled out of the bar he was found most days, his old and failing body struggling to keep up with him.

He walked himself to a cliff overlooking the sea. He had known this cliff well from when he was a boy. He stand, looking out at the sea, dreaming that he would one day tame it, take it for his own. He felt the wind on his back, his hands putting themselves at his hips as he stood up straight, proud of his dream. The sun shone down on his face and he held his head high "I will.t-tak...." he cut himself off. The voice that sounded was not one of youthful power and ambition. It was the voice of an old, broken man.

He stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down into the sea he wanted so desperately and a tear made its way down his face. He hadn't cried in years....and he wouldn't now. He lifted his good hand from his side and wiped the tear away before reaching into his large coat pocket and pulling out a small bottle of very old and strong rum. He fumbled it open and drank half of it before poring the other half into the sea for his lost crew mates.

Edward looked down into the sea and spoke his last words "Heave ho, thieves and beggars. Never shall we die" before stepping forward, sending his body into the deep blue of the sea.

Caelius Carmenor

The young prince Caelius had acted as a beacon of hope for his people during the war. His enthusiastic and ever hopeful attitude was somewhat infectious to the people of Elysium. He lived through the war as he lived through his everyday life, happily. He still invited the locals into his palace, took part in shenanigans with the local peasant children.

However, on the day of his thirteenth birthday, among the many gifts he received from family and peasantry both was something unique, a piece of information that, rather annoyingly to its giver, the Prince didn't care that much for. For the Templars had made an executive decision to inform the Prince of their existence. Their reasoning was that he should know given the state of war, and should they ever have to come to the boys aid he should know who they are.

Now the Prince was thankful for the information, but it didnt do much to influence the way he acted. He still lived as the mischievous and amicable boy he was, a testament to his youthful abilities. Or perhaps just because he had other things to be concerned about, such as playing with his friends before it got too dark outside.


(I know this post is long overdue and i'm sorry about that. This is one of my favorite rp's and i'll be dammed if i don't post for it)​

 

[Britt-21]

Bella Rubdich

The young demon squealed as she was suddenly swooped from the ground, being held by her older sister while laughing "Nooo!!! Dont eat meee!!!" Bella yelled out, squirming in Noblesse's arms. This was one of the reasons why Bella missed her older sister so much, she made life so much fun! With her tickles and her 'attacks' on the smaller demon. As soon as she was placed down on her feet, the giggles she once had continued to escape her lips. Only for them to erupt into loud squealing laughter as her sister tickled her to death "Blessyyy!!!" at this point, she tried to get away from her sister but failed miserably. Luckily the tickling stopped and the little girl was able to breathe and get some air into her lungs. When Noblesse asked about their dad, Bella frowned and glanced down at the ground "I don't know..." all she was able to feel was her sister's presence. "But..." lifting her head, she continued "We can look for daddy together!"

Looking alone wasn't fun... But looking around with Noblesse would make things more fun! Turning her back to her sister, she pointed to the stairs triumphantly "Let's find Daddy!" before the demon knew it, she was scooped off the ground and was suddenly on her sister's back. This caused the little girl to smile widely "Blessy." Bella said with a giggle. The home was a bit lonely without Desh and Noblesse, but now that Noblesse was home, things were starting to feel more happy. Now all they needed was Desh and things would be just perfect.

(Mine is small but at least I got one out )​

 

[Wandering Grim Hollow]

Crown Princess Alva Patricia Une
Markova, Royal Castle, Great Hall
18 Days Ago​

"Lastly, our offensive into Elysium is proceeding smoothly, Your Grace. Our new allies from the North have proven themselves grand at ensuring our Hippogriff forces reign supreme in the skies while our... Demonic friends serve as amazing shocktroops. This Alliance proposed by Your Grace is proving to be quite useful in ushering a brand new era of Strength to the Principality." General Harken proudly proclaimed to the gathered Council. Despite the General's proud smile, no one cheered and were more focused on the Crown Princess as she quietly listened to the report. Her features showed nary an emotion and seemed almost vacant, like she isn't even paying attention with her gaze fixed upon the map of the region set on the middle of the table. To say the tension in the room was palpable would be an understatement. It was more like having a ship stuck smack in the middle of kraken infested waters.

"Is that so... Excellent work then, General. Thank you for the report. May this new war end soon. ..... This meeting is adjourned. You may all leave." Patricia ordered, not looking up from the map. She barely noticed as everyone stood to bow and slowly make their exit. Everyone except Princess Alyn Jacelyn Une and Prince Alba Hamilton Une. Jacelyn slowly reached out and placed her hand on her mother's shoulder. To her surprise, Patricia responded by giving her hand a gentle squeeze and sighing.

"Excellent work you two.... Jace dear you did well in handling the Home Guard. I'm proud of the leaps and bounds you took in learning from your Brother and tutors. And you Hamilton. ..... How is your arm? Is the strain too much?" Patricia quietly asked. Hamilton simply smirked, his grip he had on his right upper arm suddenly tightened as the sleeve from the elbow down went limp, the glove falling with a dull thump as the ice he used to replace his arm reverted back into water before slowly slithering back into the waterskin he carried under his coat.

"I can hold it for 2 days now, Mother. No need to worry, I simply lost an arm from carelessness." Hamilton's eyes narrowed as he winced in slight pain upon remembering the event. It was during the first offensive after the war began, as fate would have it, his right arm lopped off by a lucky strike by an Elysian swordsman. Thinking back to that event filled the Prince with memories of shame and pain but it did end up becoming the end for that swordsman and a notable chunk of the Elysian defenders on that day. The trauma from the wound and the anger he felt gave Hamilton the push he needed to learn how to solidify pure blood into ice. Much like Patricia's Bloodfrost on a smaller scale, he used the spilled blood to fashion a replacement arm and continued fighting until fatigue forced him from the battlefield. That event earned him the new moniker of Crimson Armed Demon Prince, a moniker he was rather conflicted over.

"Good... Please take care of yourself, my Son... I don't think I can continue living if you or your sister were to ever fall in battle... Not after losing Arco..." Patricia quietly sobbed as she looked up at Hamilton and Jacelyn before pulling them both into a tight hug. The Royal siblings returned their mother's embrace, Jacelyn fighting to hold back her own tears while Hamilton simply closed his eyes and silently thanked Orcus for allowing him this moment.

"Oh Mother... I actually have something I want to tell you and Jace..." Hamilton broke the silence, showing a slightly sheepish smile as Patricia and Jacelyn glanced at each other in confusion and mild apprehension.

Prince Alba Hamilton Une
Markova, Royal Castle, Great Hall​

"You take good care of her now, you hear! I don't want to lose my new sister before I see her in a wedding gown!" Jacelyn cheekily teased Hamilton as he helped his fiancee, Alissa Bremen, up onto Galad. He simply chuckled and gently squeezed the blushing Alissa's hand.

"Of course, of course. Why would I ever let harm reach her? I may be a Blackscale but we have standards." Hamilton shot back before glancing at Alissa who was patting Galad's wing gently. The sight of her took him back to the first time he let her ride Galad. Her panic slowly turning to joy as they soared through the cool dusk sky before landing by a cliff to enjoy the sunset in silence. Hamilton quietly wondered what brought him to meet the surprisingly capable woman three years ago. And that she would be the one to nurse his wounds during the war. The only notably pleasant memories he had during the war was that of Alissa as she rushed about tending to the wounded. A far cry from the flustered and clumsy tavern maid she was when he first met her.

"Well. This is farewell for now. We'll be back soon." Hamilton bode, giving Jacelyn a quick hug before mounting Galad. After ensuring that Alissa is holding on, they took off into the sky, joining up with a couple of Blackscale escorts before departing South towards Tenebris. As the group flew South, Alissa started to wonder about something.

"Um... Milton? What's the Dark King like?" She asked. Hamilton took a moment to think back on their first meeting. The one that changed it all. He was so used to having the mental upper hand that he forgot what it was like to feel fear, to being pushed to a corner. It was a wonderful reminder that perhaps its better to fall back and lose a little for some gain then to lose a lot and not get anything at all.

"He's... Intimidating. Harsh. Straight to the point. I won't lie... He scares me." Hamilton started before snickering. "But he's a just leader, a brilliant warrior, and a loving father from what I could see in how he treated his daughter. That's all I can say to describe the man that is the Dark King Rubdich."

"I-I see... .... Hehe..." Alissa's small giggle caught Hamilton's attention. "What is it, Love?"

"Oh nothing... Just that... He reminds me a bit of Her Grace." Alissa's answer managed to draw a chuckle out of Hamilton.

"Well... That's not wrong... No. Not wrong at all. Ahahaha."

Tenebris​

"Is that it?" Alissa pondered as the group slowly descended towards the town below. The Palace was as imposing as Hamilton remembered it to be when he first visited it.

"Yes. This is the place. Welcome to the feared Darkness Kingdom. Home of demons, outcasts and runaways." Hamilton snarkily commented as Galad gently landed. To his amusement, Galad seemed to be glancing around the place. Like he was searching for someone.

"Yes Galad. I'll bring the little Princess over to see you later." Hamilton chuckled as he dismounted off Galad and offered a hand to Alissa. "Come, you'll be surprised by what you'll find here."

 

[Ali9910]

Amaya Yuki

A few hours had gone by since the king had left the young huntress in the hands of the man standing in front of her. Over that period of time, he, although he spoke almost nothing of her language, had managed to teach her the ins and outs of the creature she had slain. Of course, having prepared kills previously, she had a general idea of how to do the task and he had primarily focused on the parts to pay close attention to with this particular animal. Luckily, with his help and her knowledge as a huntress, she managed to come away from the experience relatively unscathed, she hadn't been burned by the acid in the process.

Amaya felt the need to clean her tools and her weapons, though she had simply used an arrow to kill the creature, it was her own custom to thoroughly clean her weapons after every kill. The girl watched the man in front of her clean the more dangerous parts of the beast, she watched with inquisitive eyes, drinking in all she could about the techniques he used as well as the important parts of anatomy of the beast. While she did this, she took a cloth and oil, running it over her weapons thoroughly, removing any build up or blood that had covered the blades since she had last killed. She moved onto her bow and arrows, doing the same process and checking the bowstring, making sure it was strung correctly and was still tight in place. After a few moments, she was complete and returned to the hands on teaching the man was giving her now that the most dangerous portions were cared for, making a note to buy more arrows are some point in the near future.

Amaya helped the man clean the preparation area in which they had used, it seemed only fair considering he had helped her and in exchange for his knowledge of cleaning the beast, she gave him a portion of the meat and hide, hoping he could find some use for it, or even just sell it as she was going to, as she currently didn't have any of the money that was used in this country. So, after everything was completed, Amaya made her way back to one of the shops she and the ruler had passed pon their way here. She didn't know much about the country, but a kill was a kill and she was sure that the hide had to be worth something. Besides, the venom the beast carried had to hold some sort of price, she had taken a vial for herself in fact in case it came to use later. The huntress could some how implement it into one of her arrows, using it to kill another beast perhaps, or simply just as a poison of sorts.

Having made her way to the shop, the man having helped her clean the creature being kind enough to give her another bag of sorts to carry it due to its massive size. Amaya was relatively small and wiry shaped, while she may have been strong from hunting, she certainly couldn't lift as much as a full grown man could.

It took her a few trips but eventually, she came to the shop with her prize and after a bit of bartering, the huntress made herself a healthy sum of gold, having sold the hide, teeth, meat and venom, which had sold more than she had originally guessed. It had made her debate selling the vial she had stored as well, but in the end decided against it and kept the last of the venom to herself. Who knew when the next time she'd be able to kill one of those creatures came.

She spent a short time leafing through the shop's items and those surrounding it, looking for arrows to replace the few that she had lost in the last few hunts, minus the one the king as picked out of the monster for her. After some time she found a few well made, but standard arrows. Though slightly disappointed about the lack of variety of arrows, she knew she couldn't expect much different, being from Raitoningu, she knew she was spoiled when it came to the quality of weapons made, however, if she had the chance, she'd create her own if she found a proper forge. But this could be completed at a later time. For now, Amaya decided it was time to head to the castle where she would pick up the translations waiting for her, as well as possibly inquiring about the rest of the creatures that made their homes in these forests or any other information she could get about the country she found herself in, or the people that lived within.

***
Much deliberation went on in the young huntress's head as she made her way up to the front of the castle. What exactly had she been expecting? She wasn't going to be able to just walk in, but she had no idea how to go about getting the items she needed. Of course the king would've let the guards know right? Hopefully she wouldn't get into trouble for trespassing. On top of that, she had so many questions with little she could do to communicate with the people of this city. Amaya vowed to start learning the language as soon as she could, she may have preferred to be solitary, but that only worked if she knew her way around the place in which she lived.

The huntress hoped her questions would be answered, maybe even the ones she had about the king himself. Amaya hated to admit it, but she knew little about anywhere outside her home and she knew even less about the war looming over everyone. Of course, she heard things in passing here and there but never had she had anyone sit down and explain to her exactly what had been going on. Her biggest question about it was what the king was doing in such a hands on role in the war. From her experience, t=kings and queens sat back on their thrones and did what they were breed to do, rule, not fight like he seemed to be doing. Certainly it was a rare sight to see someone of that high rank on the front lines which was where he had obviously been before watching over the hunters. The man definitely seemed to have a need to know exactly what was going on in his city and the areas around it. It pleased the huntress, knowing that someone that cared that much, that was that involved was leading this kingdom. Surely it would give him a great advantage in battle, and he wouldn't see himself as so high up above the rest.

Making her way to the gate, Amaya tried to keep her head held high, like she belonged there, like she had a purpose for coming to the castle, which of course she did, but the soldiers wouldn't know that. In fact, if anything, they'd question why a foreigner was approaching in this way. The girl just hoped they'd understand what she was saying, or at least someone in the vicinity would.

"Hello, my name is Amaya Yuki and I am here because the king has paperwork for me." She spoke with a calm, even tone and looked the guard, who was quite a bit taller than her, in the eyes best she could. Without saying anything they looked at each other before nodding and opening the door, leading her inside. The huntress sighed of relief under her breath, they seem to have some knowledge of her situation, at least she hoped that was the case, otherwise she had no idea where these people were leading her or where she was going to end up. Hopefully, she'd receive her papers and they'd send her on her way, no conflict, as little interaction as possible, this castle gave Amaya the chills, though she was sure it was simply due to her being out of her comfort zone. Maybe the guards had been given a description of her which is what granted her entry inside, maybe they were taking her to someone that could help her, or maybe indeed they were leading her to a dungeon. They wouldn't have just let her into the castle in that case though would they?

Britt-21​

 

[Fluffy-Kat]

Noblesse Rubdich
​

"Lets find daddy!" Noblesse repeated bravely and saluted to follow Bella's orders, once again swooping her up and off her feet and onto Noblesse's back. Her muddied boots walked the grounds in search of their father, probably leaving tracks to and from all sorts of places. The older sister knew he wasnt around, she would feel it, but she wanted to entertain her younger sister and make her happy even for a little while.

"Lets check the garden!" Noblesse suggested, lifting Bella further up her back to prevent slipping. She took off in a crazy run that somewhat mimicked a horse's gait and suddenly stopped at a dime with the words, "Whoaaa!" The demoness squinted her eyes and slowly lowered Bella off her back but held onto a hand still, "Hmm...you check over there and I'll check over here." Noblesse let go to split up. Her first stop was the fountain, she looked at the water inside, "Daddy?" Next she moved to a large tree she used to climb as a child to get a view of the whole garden. Reliving those days, she climbed it once more, and hung upside down the lowest limb, her long white hair dangling like a curtain, "Hes not here Bella but I'll keep looking!" Lastly she walked through the flowers until she noticed a flower put turned over. The strange object made her stop in her tracks to investigate. It sat under a bench in the middle of the flowers and Noblesse layed herself across the bench, belly down. The bench was a little short, enough for maybe two people, so her feet were kind of dangling off one end and her butt was in the air. She blinked at the pot curiously with her head and face upside down off the other end. With one hand she slowly lifted the pot, "Father?"

Snap!

A snake had been caught under the pot and attempted to strike at the Princess' face. Noblesse yanked her head backward in a split second dodge. Wide eyed, she relplaced the pot once it had recoiled back into itself, "Thats why thats there.....sorry to disturb," she whispered, "Sofia mustve put that there." She was kind of in a daze over what had just happened, and remained with widened eyes for a moment, "I found something but it isnt daddy," she yelled over to Bella and snapped out of her daze. Noblesse knew her father wasnt in any of these places, she was just trying to be silly and played along wih Bella. She got off the bench and went back to her little sister and pointed a thumb behind her while her other hand was on her hip, "What ever you do, dont go near that bench," she said worriedly. "Any luck?" She asked her darling sister.

But she was cut short, a strange presence distracted her. Noblesse turned her head to face the entrance of the garden. Like a deer searching for any sign of movement, she stood still...until finally she picked up Bella and took her to the same large tree she had visited before. "Stay here okay? I'll be right back." She started for a jog back to the palace and stopped to look at Bella again, "I mean it Bella, dont go anywhere."

Noblesse headed inside and instructed a maid to go stay with Bella and proceeded down the hall. Suddenly there were two seperate signs of a presence. One had entered her home and the other was not far off from the castle. Just outside perhaps. There was no sign of Sofia and she didnt have time to find her so she took matters into her own hands. Noblesse sunk and melted back into a pool of shadow, her lengths began to stretch. The darkness slowly enveloped the palace and reached a little outside to feel out the new comers. But in the foyer, the room was completely swallowed in pitch black. Noblesse began to rematerialize infront of Amaya, first as a shadowed figure, but then her features began to reveal themselves as the darkness peeled off her to reveal her identity. Noblesse had thrown her playfulness with Bella out the window, and was in guard dog mode. Eyebrows pinched together, she looked Amaya up and down, then stopped at her eyes, "Who are you, why are you here," she demanded rather than asked. Noblesse noticed the guards on either side of her and figured she was most likely invited? Maybe one of Sophia's friends? But she couldnt be too careful. Not during times of high tension. "I will not ask again," her voice was deeper and less cheery than usual.

Noblesse continued to hold the cloak of shadow through out the castle and outside the walls to reach the other strangers near by. "Are there more of you out there?" she interrogated Amaya. But something caught her attention. While her own dark reach was feeling out the intruders outside, she did recognize one. She felt the outline of a four-legged creature, with large wings and a beak. Noblesse had ever come across anything like that once in her life a few years back and completely fell in love with the beast, as well as the owner's charming words when he sat at her table. But she couldnt be too careful, and still held up her fearful display to ward them off if they had any ill will. It wasnt as intimidating as her father's but still a little harsh and scary.




(A little rushed but i got it )
Ali9910 Britt-21 Wandering Grim Hollow

 

[Britt-21]

Bella Rubdich

Fluffy-Kat

Bella had her small arms wrapped around her sister's neck while she was carried around the palace grounds. Looking around with her ruby red eyes, she couldnt see any sign of her father. However, Noblesse mentioned the gardens and headed over "ooo!" the young demon liked the gardens simply because of the exotic colors and the various diffterent types of plants. Even though some could be dangerous from time to time. By the time they reached the gardens, Bella was finally set down and was now holding onto Noblesse's hand. "Okay~" she replied. As soon as Noblesse released her hand, the young girl ran off in search of her father. Looking past various plants, corners, and she was even looking behind and under places. Who knows, maybe he was playing with them and they just didnt notice. Her attention was grabbed by Noblesse calling out to her and made her turn around "Awww!" she shouted "Okay!" maybe dad wasnt here after all.

The child walked back to Noblesse, blinking as she said she found something that wasnt her father "Huh?" tilting her head, she was a little confused before the situation was explained. Looking past her sister, she seen the pot underneath the bench and blinked a few more times before looking back up "No luck.." a pout made its way onto her face. Looking for her father was definitely a little harder than usual, not to mention she would have felt his presence by now... Suddenly Bella was swooped off her feet and was brought to the tree that Noblesse hung from not too long ago. "B-But..." she didnt wanna sit here and wait. That was boring, and gave the young girl nothing to do! "B-Blessy!" she shouted as her sister soon vanished from sight and was soon replaced with a maid. Was the young demon going to wait here? Hell no!​

Sophia De'Lexington

Ali9910 Fluffy-Kat

"Princess," said a Familiar Demoness voice "Please do not be frightened, this is our guest." she glanced over to Amaya "I caught word of someone arriving here for some Bestiaries. I'm assuming you're that "Someone". If not..." her eyes shifted towards the guards "I'm going to have to have a word with the guards for letting a stranger beyond the castle walls..." Amaya knew nothing of what Sophia was capable of, and it was fairly best that she didnt. As soon as the woman confirmed this, the Redheaded Demon nodded "Perfect. Well, come along to my study. I'm sure you have questions, or perhaps you're in need of some refreshments." turning her back to their new visitor, she glanced at Noblesse "You can join if you'd like to, Princess Noblesse." with that said, the Attendant began her stroll back towards the castle. Leaving the pair in hopes that either one or both of the girls would follow along.

By the time the trio arrived at Sophia's study, there was already refreshments waiting for them. Mainly Amaya. "So let's start with names, shall we?" walking inside the decently large room, she made her way over to the couches, sitting on one while refreshments sat atop the table. "I'm Sophia De'Lexington. An Attendant of King Deshwitat." she paused, allowing Noblesse to speak for herself. Sophia leaned back in her seat, glancing over to the girls and then gesturing for them to both sit down. After all, couldnt leave them standing around.

(Sorry this is a bit short)

​

 

[Soviet Panda]

Baalog had done what he said he would and gathered the other Archdemons that had served Deshwitat in that long war. Now he was accompanying his liege lord on the front, with his retinue of archdemons following close behind. Some chose a human appearance and rode atop beasts clad in resplendent armor, like Baalog. Others, however, embraced their demonic birthright and wore it about them like a cloak. The most notable of these "savage" archdemons stood, on all fours might I add, head and shoulders above Baalog atop his war mount. And the few times the lot had decided to wade into combat themselves, they had carved a path of death and destruction that the veterans of the 100 years war knew all to well. But more often than not, they had contented themselves with giving orders from the rear.

However, the battle in the Earth Kingdom was drawing to a close. They could all feel it. Their ruler had simply vanished into the ether. And as long as they stayed out of that grove of strange trees, it's tender would not bother them. Even the Light Kingdom had begun withdrawing some of their troops. At the very least the Dwarfs had left. Pesky little creatures that thought themselves ruler of anything they could dig their grubby fingers under.

All in good time. Now he was slowly going around the border of their encampment. The greenery was certainly a nice change from the bleak marshes he had been given. Perhaps his lord would gift him a parcel of land here. He'd have to travel across that accursed desert every time he wished to visit, but perhaps it would be worth it. He could even grow fruits here, perhaps have it be a vineyard of sorts. He was always fond of dabbling.

Well, if he wanted it, why was he still here? Deshwitat had left for Tenebris, leaving the other archdemons and his generals to finish out the fighting. However, what good was Baalog when there were plenty of others that could do that job as well as he? So without a word, he turned his horse towards Tenebris, knowing almost instinctively where the most powerful archdemon was. Snapping his fingers, his retinue rushed back to camp to inform the others as well as pack his things and be on their way as well. Soon the red and gold tent that was Baalog's was disassembled and loaded into a wagon, as were the numerous rugs and furniture that had been in it. He did so hate the folding camp chairs other generals were given, and he just happen to have had a few chairs lying around his manner so might as well.