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Fantasy Calamity's Shadow: The Awakening

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MythyDW

Five Thousand Club
The world of Meldena had been at war for a long time. Ever since the Kingsmen and Dragonkin had discovered one another, they had been fighting. Be it xenophobia, cultural differences, or just human nature, the two groups had never seen eye to eye. And ever since they met, they had been at a stalemate. Neither magic nor technology had gained a step up. Eventually, the groups got tired. People from both sides began to emigrate. But such a prospect was still dangerous. Scars were still healing and skirmishes broke out often.

That is when the Council of Dragons and the King of Rhoda decided that enough was enough. The King and Voice of the Council had arranged a meeting in a neutral spot, an island between the two continents which had been settled by both groups. A three-day event was set to end with the signing of an official peace treaty. On the first day, the King and his guard arrived by royal airship (something only afforded to the king), as had the Voice and his entourage. On the second day, the talks had begun. People of all walks of life from both cultures had been invited to attend, and the people of the island were honored to play host.

It was now the third day

Markos was one of those who had been brought to the island at the personal request of the king. Despite the knowledge that Prosun was one of a kind, not ready to be replicated, the king had thought an offering of such a machine would be a suitable tribute.

The dragonkin had been intrigued, but sensed the bond between Prosun and Markos ran deeper than made obvious. Either way, the showing of the advance was enough for them — most of this was for show, anyway. The truth was that the treaty would be signed with little, if any, concessions from either side. The fighting would finally end.

"Well... nothing left to do except wait," Markos said to no one in particular as he wandered the grounds of the village. It would be an odd sight, even for those who were accustomed to automata. Normally one wouldn't be looking around as Prosun would, as every other automaton was build to receive and follow orders.
 
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Zazz had come to the island as all were invited but also because she was an agent of Zilyana, her patron the crystal dragon. Personally, Zazriel was all for the peace happening, she always found war to be such an unnecessary thing. Why waste time hating and killing each other when you could spend your time doing what you love and being happy? Perhaps she was young and naive but she chose to focus on being happy when she could and finding a reason to smile.


So since this was an event, why not make it a party? And for that very reason she chose to do what she did best, she performed for the people and danced for them. She did this both for fun and to ease the tension, it was something her own kind could enjoy and maybe the kingsmen could enjoy it too, and if they were both to enjoy it together maybe it could serve as a good ice breaker to bring them all closer together.


And so she danced, chakrams in hand, a mesmerizing spectacle for all that were present, using a bit of magic every now and again to create a light show of auroras through her crystals, chaining their shape to create what amounted to set pieces every now and then.


Zylphia sighed, rolling her eyes in irritation. It wasn't that she was opposed to being there, honestly if she had been asked if she wanted to come she probably would have said yes. However, her issues lied in why she was dragged there. Her superiors (if that was the accurate word to use for them) were concerned with her 'violent nature' and fascination with putting alchemy in guns so they dragged her to the peace event to show her why she shouldn't want to bring more violence into the world...only...she didn't?


"They always do that, they always just zoom in on the bad stuff, yes I invented chemical rounds but not explicitly for the purpose of war. Do harmful chemicals exist? Yes but I also quite literally found a way to put medicine into a gun! Are they honestly telling me they take issue with long-distance medical aid?! I am so sick of their paranoia!" She said, ranting to no one in particular, mostly to herself, but it did startle some people around her...not that she noticed. She groaned and took a breath to calm herself down. "It's okay it's fine, all you have to do is enjoy yourself and find the food," She said and started to look around when she noticed a very...odd looking automata and by that she meant th way it was behaving. Now machinery wasn't exactly her field of science but she was familiar enough with it to know that theg didn't normally act so...curious.

She walked closer to get a better look at it and make sure it wasn't just someone in mechanical armor or worse some poor soul with a sizable amount of automail.
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Interactions: Marko MythyDW MythyDW
 
Erix wasn't sure if this whole thing was a good idea, he was always an outgoing person but he didn't know how to approach a species that was seen as evil a couple days ago. But, he decided to give it a go. It wasn't in his personality to be hateful anyways. He had arrived on the island the day before and stayed over at a friend's house getting some rest. He wandered around for a little and tried to prepare himself for the second day. He hoped to talk to a Kingsman to see what they were like and see for himself if they were really bad or good since he never had a full opinion about them.

After barely sleeping, he got up next morning, his curiosity reaching its peak as he quickly got ready and headed outside waving bye to his friend. His eyes scanned the village trying to spot a person that would look closest to a Kingsman (in his eyes at least) instead he noticed a woman from his own race dancing. He stopped by to watch for a bit along with others, finding her dance pretty enough to get distracted. He wondered what type of magic she used but he knew better than to interrupt her for such a thought thus he just stayed around to watch for a while. "I might meet someone here who knows…" he mumbled to himself.

Interactions(?): Aquanette Aquanette
 
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Zazriel's dance was finally coming to the finale, after all, she couldn't very well dance forever and she was starting to get a little hungry so she decided that she had dazzled the crowd enough for today and it was time to wrap things up.


So with a few well-timed flips and twirls she moved herself into the position and took the center stage or th space she was using to perform at least and continued to dance creating a sphere-like aurora around herself, multiple colors emanating from it like a rainbow and she starts to twirl, spinning faster and faster the lights start to form into flowers floating into the sky when they exploded into a small display of fireworks, falling apart into sparkling flower petals that that faded into sparkles and then disappeared. With that, she smiled and took a bow as those who had enjoyed her dance, clapped and cheered for her. She could see that some people seemed confused about how they should feel about it, mostly kingsmen, probably conflicted about whether or not it was appropriate to enjoy a performance by a member of the race they had been at war with just a few days ago...or maybe kingsmen weren't used to watching performances that included magic...and dancing with blades.


She put the Chakrams away and bid the spectators farewell before contemplating what she should eat. "Hmm...maybe I should try some kingsmen's cuisine...I've always wondered what their cooking tastes like," She said, mostly talking to herself. "And if this truly is a peace event, what better way to make peace than to share food, I doubt you can still hate anyone after sharing a good meal," She added.

Interactions: Erix AbyssFlower AbyssFlower
 
Feeling impressed, Erix clapped, he didn't think there'd be such a big crowd. There were kingsmen here too, he finally got to see them upfront, they weren't much different than he was aside from their attires. The only thing that bothered him was interaction, it would be too awkward to just go up and talk to one of them...what if he scared them? They're surely not used to seeing people making magic fly around; they use machines and stuff don't they? His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the words of the performer. "Of course, why didn't I think about it sooner."

He walked up to her sheepishly and spoke, "I don't mean to sound like a creep or anything but I heard you say something about food right? I've always wondered what kingsmen eat so would you happen to know any good restaurants around here?" As much as he didn't want to admit it, he didn't know much about the island and didn't bother to ask his friend knowing he'd tease him. He wished he had arrived earlier the other day. It's not like himself to not have explored a new area in the first 24 hours of arrival.

Interactions: Zazriel Aquanette Aquanette
 
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Auroria Knox, daughter of Raphael and sister to Igni. Wandering mechanic, stubborn machinist, Maintenance Operator; those are the kennings often used to describe her. Her brilliant mind had no comparison, no competition, save for her own father.
The war between Kingsmen and Dragonkin, however, was not something her mind wanted to focus on.
The peace talks between the Voice and the King had progressed, and the third day of the event was upon everyone. Personally, Auroria loved it-being able to try new things is always a fun experience. Whether it was the food, the people, or the vendors themselves, she was having a fun time with the event; the various Dragonkin and Kingsmen were also an intriguing point to be made, as the variety of people make for some curious walks of life.
Sadly the war didn't let any of that curiosity be sated, but at least a cease-fire was in order.
Auroria was watching the performers and walking the grounds, really just minding her own business. Bags were slung across her hip, and they were concealing a dark grey pistol-a Deepshadow Revolver, custom made by a smith and tailored by Auroria herself. There wasn't a reason that she would hide a weapon for self-defense, but she would rather not have to answer questions at a peace meeting.
Minding her buisness for the most part-until she stopped. A sight caught her eye: a boy with a rather unique automaton. This machine was looking around, being so curious as if it was...alive. "Alive" wasn't a word that Auroria would use to describe an automaton, so she got closer, sizing up the Prosun, but not without saying a greeting to the boy beside it. "Yo!"


// interaction: Markos ( MythyDW MythyDW )
 
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As Zazriel contemplated what kind of food she should try she was approached by another dragonkin who seemed to have overheard her plans to eat. She did notice him watching her but thought nothing of it as well...everyone was watching her. She smiled and turned to him, nodding "Yes I know where the restaurants are since I've been here since the event started, I've gone to that quarter more than once since I've been here." She answered, placing a finger under her chin. She looked up at the sky for a moment as she thought "Now whether or not the food is good is up to your own palate, but I suppose we shall find out together!" she said happily and gestured in a certain direction as if she expected him to follow her "The restaurants are this way, my name is Zazriel by the way, but if you find it easier to call me Zazz, I wouldn't blame you and you are?" She asked.


She took a good look at him and she'd admit his demeanor did not match his outward appearance at all, save for the sheepish expression on his face, but she supposed she should know better than to judge a book by its cover...after all, many had made that mistake with her.
Inertactions: Erix AbyssFlower AbyssFlower

Zylphia was finally able to get a closer look at the curious automata and much to her surprise...it really was an automata. She crossed her arms, holding one hand under her elbow as she cupped her chin between her fingers, observing it closely. She'd admit she wasn't entirely sure what she'd be looking for as her expertise lied in Alchemy...maybe if it was a gun she'd know, but for now she was content to just look at it even if she didn't really understand it.


"It's movements seem so natural, could it really be curious about the event?" She said half whispering to herself when the woman next to her caught her attention. Not that it seemed like she was trying to get her attention, it seemed that she had spotted the owner of this particular automata and decided to greet him. Admittedly and shamefully that little detail had slipped her mind for a moment so she smiled sheepishly, slightly embarrassed, and gave the owner a wave as well "Hello there, would I be wrong to assume that this automan belongs to you?" She asked "I'll admit I'm not the greatest machinist, but it's fairly easy to see that this one is different from any automan I've ever seen," She said.

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Interactions: Marko MythyDW MythyDW blitzfritz blitzfritz
 
Markos and Prosun were both rather used to curious gawkers trying to figure out if Prosun was alive or simply malfunctioning. For the most part, they would ignore Markos who was always happy to let them draw their own conclusions. On the chance that he was asked about Prosun, the closest thing he had to a child as yet, he would often talk their ear off.

"Oh! Hello!" He said when he was addressed, surprised by the seemingly sudden appearance of the two women. "Well, yes. He's mine, but I wouldn't say he belongs to me exactly. Prosun isn't just a machine..." Markos had been about to explain what it was when Prosun saw something that intrigued him and started to walk away. "Woah, hey wait! Where are you going?"

Prosun would ignore Markos's protests and approached the Dragonkin he had seen dancing not long ago. The crowd parted and when Prosun was standing in front of Zazz, it attempted to mimic her dancing in some attempt to communicate.

"Oh, hey! Prosun!" Markos stopped by the machine's side and leaned on the automaton for a moment. "I'm sorry, is he bothering you? He must have found you interesting, but that's no excuse to go running off," he said, giving Prosun a small smack on a metal plate.

Meanwhile, a small-seeming young woman with horns and tail of ice stood nearby -- flanked by an intimidating dragonkin. Her eyes watched the group, silently wishing to go speak to them.

AbyssFlower AbyssFlower Aquanette Aquanette blitzfritz blitzfritz
 
'Well she looks fun, thankfully,' the slightly nervous man thought to himself, forgetting to speak for a second. "Oh, the name's Erix, it's nice to meet you Zazz, and uh thanks I really appreciate it. I arrived pretty late to this whole thing to be honest." He responded, his tone slowly turning to a more friendly one. He felt sort of relieved that she didn't just ignore him like most people would but didn't expect her to be this good natured.

Still, he was pleased and followed behind her happily while looking around, examining the shops and people who passed by. "I have to say, your dancing up there was pretty impressive. Even the other species stopped by to watch." He said, "They say they are different from us but I wonder how true that really is. But well, if their food's good that's one less thing that makes us different, for me at least."

Interactions: Aquanette Aquanette
 
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Zazriel smiled, "Thank you, I'm glad you and everyone else enjoyed the show, as for the kingsmen I'm not entirely sure how different they are, sure they kind of dress funny but they look very much like us don't they?" she asked as they looked around for a kingsmen restaurant to try out whatever food they had. However, before they could make their way to find something to eat, someone or more so something approached them. It was a large mechanical thing. She wasn't ignorant of technology but she couldn't tell you the inner workings of it, she generally knew what they were called, what they generally look like, and what they did. This was what the kingsmen called an automata was it not? She tilted her head and looked at it curiously, blinking a few times as it seemed to try and mimic her dance moves. As she was to understand it, automata and technology and general were not alive and yet...it could have fooled her honestly.


That's when a young man seemingly around her age arrived and apologized to her for the machine's behavior and she simply smiled, shaking her head "Oh, no he wasn't bothering me at all, I guess he just liked my dancing is all. That or he thinks my steps need some work and was trying to correct me," She said merely joking when she looked up at Prosun, intrigued by the man's choice of words "So he finds me interesting, I wasn't aware that technology could find things interesting," She said when an idea came to mind.


"You're all kingsmen, right? Well, Erix and I were just on our way to try a restaurant that serves kingsmen food. Eric wants to try something good and I'm afraid I'm not qualified to know what good kingsmen food is so would you mind pointing us in the direction of something you think is good?" She asked, after all, who better to know good kingsmen food than a kingsman. "Oh by the way my name is Zazriel, but Zazz is fine if you find that too long," She said introducing herself.


Zylphia was a little caught off guard when the automata suddenly just ran off and its owner along with it, although he seemed to deny having ownership of it or at least that it wasn't exactly the case. "Wait, what's going on?" She said completely confused and just kind of followed after them completely on instinct without thinking about it when they seemed to have stopped in front of two dragonkin.


She'd admit she'd never seen a dragonkin up close before...they looked so human. What was she saying of course they looked human, they were human just with fancy tattoos...and magic. She had a fascination with science, but she never really gave magic much thought but not that she was in close quarters with practitioners of the art she found herself rather curious. How did magic work? Was there a science to it like cooking? "Jeez, where to start," She said half whispering to herself, she didn't know if she should ask about the seemingly living automata or magic first.


That's when one of the dragonkin mentioned food, particularly that they wanted to try kingsmen food and that's when her eyes lit up "Of course, why didn't I think of it before, of course, the first place I should start is with the food! Such an excellent idea, I was actually on my way to go and find some food myself but it hadn't even crossed my mind to try a dragonkin's kind of meal. I wonder what they use in dragonkin cooking, what kind of ingredients do they use? What are the methods of cooking? Do you use magic to cook your food? Come to think of it, kingsmen and dragonkin live on two different contents which means you could have completely different animals, fruits, vegetables, and other things to work with than we do!" Zylphia said and stopped when she realized that she may have gotten overly excited about the idea and recomposed herself, clearing her throat. "Uh...sorry," She said looking around as she was a bit too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye after that when she noticed yet again another dragonkin, with a very peculiar girl next to her who had...horns and a tail? Even with all the dragonkin, she could spot at the event or the very two in front of her not a single one of them looked like her. She seemed to be watching them. Feeling a bit awkward and not knowing what to do she waved to the girl giving an awkward yet friendly "Hello," this event was turning out to be far more interesting than she thought...she'd have to thank those old farts for dragging her here later.

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Interactions: Marko and Egelista MythyDW MythyDW Auroria blitzfritz blitzfritz Erix AbyssFlower AbyssFlower Ilthyis Xillia Xillia
 
"Man, I'm bored. When will this ceremony start anyway?" Somewhere around the square are two women (well, one of them is but the other is very ambiguous) sitting on one of the benches around the fountain. One has a few metal limbs and the other wears an eye patch, the former resting her head on the latter's lap while she strokes her head in a gentle manner. "I kind of forgot why are we even here for anyway. Listen to some talks? Sounds pretty boring if you ask me." Spoke Penny. "The talk is of peace/It is very important/To prevent more wars." Vivian said, which doesn't much help their case. "Yeah right, and the next thing you know someone crashes in to ruin it. But hey, I'm just saying you know? Gosh, I wish there is somebody interesting to talk to, besides us of course. I wanna meet someone new, someone interesting, someone...I don't know." Penny is speaking out of her mind at this point. Vivian looks around and notices a bunch people along with some automation.

"I see a group/Some men and automation/Let us talk to them." Vivian pointed, piquing Penny's interest once she sees him. "That automaton looks rather unique than those made by well-known inventors. Yeah, let's go have a chat with them." She said before she and Vivian get off the bench and casually walk up to the automation. "Hey, would you look at that. Such quality design this thing is. Perhaps it may be on par with some of the automation that the more renowned inventors have." Penny said before looking at the group and say "Oh, sorry I didn't come up to you without notice. Name's Penny and this is my bodyguard Vivian." Vivian bows before the group before saying "Greetings, my friends/It may seem fate decreed/We meet together." Penny scratches the back of head out of slight embarrassment. "Yeah, what she said. Don't mind her manner of speech though." She said.

MythyDW MythyDW blitzfritz blitzfritz Aquanette Aquanette AbyssFlower AbyssFlower Xillia Xillia
 
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It seemed that events took a rather interesting turn this time, as the automaton became curious with a performer and, just like a little child, approached and began dancing with them. This newfound group was a mix of people, and Auroria quickly glanced between each person:
The boy with the robot seemed to be knowledgeable with the automaton; part of the mechanic guild, or a subset?
The performer -whose name is Zazriel- had tattoos covering her body; must've been Dragonkin, and was rather laid-back.
The male next to Zazz-was his name Erix, like the performer said?; he looked interesting enough, and had some tattoos as well, but was rather quiet.
The girl beside Auroria, who also took an interest in the automaton like she did; rambled a bit about food-was it a soft spot for her?
And then two more approached the little group-a woman with multiple enhancements and another person with them, wearing an eyepatch. Crossing her arms, Auroria turned back to the Prosun, cocking her head in an act of "sizing" up the automaton, clicking her tongue at Penny and Vivian's introductions. "Well, going back to the automaton: the quality of it is assured, I can guarantee; it might actually surpass some of the best automaton by a large margin. Not a single one can act like an illustrious child, now can it?"
Auroria took a moment to pause, before sheepishly shrugging her shoulders. "It's just a guess, though. Can't exactly pry it apart at the moment..." Almost quietly, she tacked on a rushed introduction at the end of her thought, dipping her head in a slight bow, "Oh, and the name's Auroria Knox. Pleasure to meet."
 
Crestfallen eyes scanned the horizon where the sea met the sky, the faintest rising and falling of landmass somewhere in the near distance as a breeze passed through to ruffle the tied-back golden locks with hints of salt. Angular hazel eyes set upon high and narrow cheekbones reflected the pastel orange and violet of the twilight hours, her pupils darting to and fro, looking for something, anything. Ilthyis was particularly on edge, tomorrow was the big arrival, the Kingsmen and Dragonkin would put in an appearance. Her brows furrowed down to cloud the look of disdain glimmering within her sockets. War had been raging for centuries, perhaps even millennia were she to find a scroll of text to date it back to such times, it felt bewildering, as if time was finally crawling towards its memorable end. The conflict was all she'd ever known, even as a teenager when she'd been accepted into The Voice's servitude and trained for all manner of contingency, be it a worst-case scenario or ultimatum that needed to be made. She took in a deep breath through her nostrils as the sounds of the crashing waves to the cliffside below lulled those pessimisms and discredited thoughts away. It was not her choice, not her doing to call the meeting; she would merely be an attendant, her duties laid elsewhere.

With a hot breath, she exhaled, releasing the shaking from her muscles within her leather-bound frame. While normally accompanied with a set of plate armor to wear over it, she had been dismissed from her charge for the night, so the very least she could do was sojourn in some comfort. Ilthyis ensconced herself downward, crossing her legs and resting on her rear as she took in the view for as long as the sun would permit her such clarity. Her mind began to loosen the tightened bolts that naturally held her together so adamantly when she was around other Dragonkin, the recollection of the vision and sounds of preparation now the furthest thing from her mind as her chest began to rise and fall in a rhythmic adagio. The call of gulls felt so natural and serene as the winged creatures began to make their way to roost for the evening, the clouds looming far off in the distance, cascading their way across the water-colored vista before her.

Peace. Does such a thing truly exist? It's always remained as nothing more than a concrete ideology that one would acquire should they crush another. Now, are we expected to make nice with those that have spilled our blood and that we've called enemies for time immemorable?

Her hazel eyes fluttered shut behind thick, darkened eyelashes, letting all of those doubts wash away with the tide. Meditation, though had once been a laughing stock in her younger years, now proved just as efficient in keeping her sane as it had for those she'd mocked. There was too much to think about, a rampage of emotions, concerns, hesitation. For the night at least, she could go on hating, but come morning when their guests arrived, it would be nothing more than her best behavior that would suffice. "Breathe, in and out."

It must've been hours before her eyes finally spurred open, leaving a dreary, tugging sensation in the base of her skull. The shimmering waters below were now translucent and refracting the moonlight, an equally majestic display with the twinkling of starlight above, but one that forced her up to her feet with a jump to her nerves. She began to collect herself, running a gloved hand over the back of her neck, stretching it every which way to remove the stiffness that had enraptured her amidst her drifting. She coughed out a few times, clearing the sea salt from her throat, and turned on her heel, though paused as she began to make her way back up towards the plateau of the island. She cast one final glance over her shoulder to gaze at the lining in the distance. Her lips peeling apart to utter just a few words. "This had better go according to his plan."

Ilthyis made an expeditious pace back towards the town, navigating her way through the cover of darkness with the slight embers radiating from the tattoos lining her face in a rigid structure as a dim torch. Most of the workers had already tucked in for the night, decorations and preparation alike for their guests come morning, but in the blackness of it all, even with the moonlight above, it was hard to tell just how grand such a display was. Avoiding the evening guard through some simple back-alleys, she'd managed to make her way back towards the high-rising structure of stone and marble, where her memory led her deep within the structure, winding and weaving through the now familiar territory as guards no longer paid her any mind. She was, after all, Egelista's personal guardian. Before long, she'd managed to pass into the western corridor, on the third level of the building, and nodded to the two armored guards standing outside a decorated door, who, with a salute, parted to let her enter the chamber.

She was slow, very slow as the door creaked and Ilthyis crinkled her facial features in dismay, cautious not to awaken the sleeping daughter of her patron. Light from the hall pooled in behind her though she was far quicker to close it off than she had been opening it, with only the slightest control to her force as her muscles tensed and pinched it shut without a sound. A silent sigh escaped with a rise and fall of her broadened shoulders, taking one peeking glance at the mass of sheets sprawled out on the bed, covering her mistress. It only stimulated her equanimity further. Flickering flames danced in the fireplace, the logs placed within still popping indicating some life left to it as she tip-toed over toward where Egelista had said her meal would be. A brass bowl, gleaming from the dim lighting caught her eye on the table, she lowered herself and grasped the spoon, shoveling the meal in just as quietly as she'd entered. Apprehensive about how loud her gulps were, she choked most of them down with a straight face. By the time she'd finished the long-since cold hodgepodge of meats and potato, she leaned back in the chair, glancing over the fine decor she slept in.

It was a lovely sight, fitting for someone of Egelista's standings. Her arms folded contentedly across her chest and she dipped her chin down, refusing to take one more glance at the plate armor and cudgel that sat upon the rack nearest the door. It was a time for peace now, and while out in public, such gallantry would be necessary for her figure, it did not suffice to expect danger within their own home. Even still, as Ilthyis's eyes began to close, her ears remained open, pressed to the wall for any disturbance from the outside while they slept. The day after, things would surely change, for better or for worse, adjustment was inevitable.

. . .

The next two days seemed to fly by in nothing but a blur, having been dragged about by her patriarch's daughter through every which way. The first day had proved the greatest hurdle, with the tension running so high at the standoffs and introductions, that it was practically tangible. She'd been among the few to stand on the line alongside her patron and Egelista, but it hadn't stopped the Kingsmen's own display of strength alongside their governing king. A pitiful sight, she had thought, that those who required their tools to do all the work for them could dare stand up to the ancient, time-tested zest of their own magic. And though those that had been present had eyes like daggers, it had been called off to give both Dragonkin and Kingsmen alike their time to get situated in anticipation for the second day.

By the time another night of rest and festivities had lightened the mood, talks had been underway the day following, and whilst dreadfully boring by all stretches of the imagination, Ilthyis was keen to fulfill her duties and obligations by remaining as respectful and tight-lipped as she'd sworn. Though, not without help. By the time they had taken their leave for the day, the front of her toe would've been obnoxiously sore with the number of times Egelista had to stamp on it to silence that low grumbling; a guttural surge in Ilthyis's throat. That night, the guardian had only laughed about it, claiming how foolish she had been. She was certainly still on edge, however, even that was beginning to dull some as the environment around them pleaded a convincing case of improvement. At the very least, no bodies had turned up on either side of the coin, so perhaps there was yet merit to the once-thought ludicrous endeavor. This fleeting evening of celebration brought about the third and final morning.

. . .

Ilthyis awoke with a yawn, her ashen-blonde hair sprawled out in a mess behind her from the cot she'd set up within Egelista's chambers, her eyes lazily peeling back while her tongue worked over the grime from last night's meal from her teeth. She tossed off her itchy woolen blanket and slipped her bare feet onto the cold wooden floor, shivering as the sensation traveled up her spine. As she battered away the drowsiness from her eyes, she traced the lines of the boards making up the surface, she deep in the void-like thoughts of the rising sun. The haze of it all prompting her to raise her hands into view where the thick lines arose up her well-toned and burly arms. If things were to truly change, would her value as The Voice's shield also be altered? It was a perplexing thought, one that had her in a daze for a prolonged portion of that morning.

"No, I'm not to be discarded like some tool, whether my uses diminish or not when this is all over is irrelevant, mistress Egelista will still need my guidance and safekeeping." Choosing to laugh off her hackneyed melodrama, she arose, preparing herself for the day. She donned her armor and left her loose ponytail tied back in tufts of wintry blonde, before heading out to where music, laughter, and the festivities that had only continued their persistence, booming once more into the bright azure sky above. As she was passing through the square, something caught her attention, turning to watch as a woman with chakrams in her hands danced with all of the grace of an acrobat, and a form well fitted to be the envy of women and the pursuit of any man. Though, as the music played, she found herself ensnared by the site, giving in to what Egelista had told her just days prior.

"Just have fun, stop being such a sour grown-up."

Without conscious thought, her foot began tapping away until the performance was done. Her arms were still folded across her chest, but the allurement had enraptured her. Coming to her senses, she stiffened her lower back and the chatter of friends and former enemies alike began to resonate, it was too much noise. She needed to get away, she needed a drink. She began circling around the crowds of people, careful not to get too close or draw any attention to herself. Though as her ears opened a bit more, she could hear the circulation of gossip on each passing tongue.

"I hear the talks yesterday went exceptionally well."

"Well, I hear that today is the day that the treaty will be signed and put an end to all of this madness."

"I've always wanted to try Kingsmen cuisine, I hear it's a delight, they even put their meals on display with extra magic!"

"That's not magic you dolt! It's called sauce, though it does give it a fine glimmer and make it pleasing to the eye..."

"--And the tastebuds!"

Her scrutiny was snapped back at the hulking mass of electrical cords, metal plating, and exhaust vents rising above the crowd. It was an iron beast, a machination from the Kingsmen, something that set her brows taut against the ridge of her nose, she averted her gaze and kept brushing through, doing her best to ignore it. Creatures of that caliber had been responsible for many Dragonkin deaths throughout her years of servitude, and seeing one up close certainly didn't inspire her into wanting to go and play investigator as it had some few other men and women. She kept on her way, walking down and out from the courtyard to a cobblestone street, with buildings strewn up on either side like walls. Signs adjacent to allot their name and position, hung from the numerous outlets and open doors that had many patrons passing in and out, though it was the smells that were flowing out that made it mouth-wateringly enticing. Banners wagged from the connecting rooftops in the wind, pennants dangling from their lines while the steam and smoke from fireplaces pillowed out overhead.

After the recent imagery of everyone fawning over the machine, the over-stimulation in her nostrils was pleasant. It took her away for a moment. She began letting her eyes bounce back and forth while she gaited down the road until they landed on something that interested her, a bronze insignia of a keg being drained into an agape mouth. "The Drinking Dragon." A fitting name at least, one that she mouthed in a matter-of-fact manner. She ducked inside as the roar of the crowds outside seemed to quiet to nothing more than a buzzing vibration. The interior was neat and ornate. A Dragonkin establishment by no conceivable doubt. She passed beyond the mecca of the hole-in-the-wall and situated herself onto one of the barstools at the end opposite the door. She waved her hand in the air, calling out toward the tender cleaning a mug at the far end, "One pint of whatever's strongest. Please." The figure turned, revealing a familiar face that spurred a grin, and a look of incredulous confusion from Ilthyis's features.

"Well I'll be damned, Marigold Maltiyona? Is this your place?"

"Ilthyis D'Alkieth, always a pleasure. What brings you all the way out to this little island?" Though as if already aware of the answer to the question, Marigold rolled her eyes, her wrinkled expression rising and falling with faint freckles lining her old and weathered skin.

"Something about a treatise, or so I've been told."

The elder woman brushed her greying hair behind her ears and chuckled, taking one of the cleaner mugs and approached a tapped keg, letting the spigot splash the golden brew within. "I haven't seen you in, some decade or so now, that about right?"

"Ever since you were under investigation for poisoning your batches." Ilthyis cocked a brow in an ironically disbelieving nature. "That why there's so little patronage here?"

"Oh, aye. Of course, not many Dragonkin nor Kingsmen can knock back what I conjure up. Poison, as they'd call it." This prompted a hearty chuckle from both of them as Marigold slid the tankard within Ilthyis's grasp. The younger, ashen-blonde reached back into her coin purse and laid one on the counter, but found the humor of the moment disappearing as Marigold waved it off, her features softening to sentimentality. "Not this time, lassie. It's been a long while since someone with an iron stomach has walked through that door. Just do me the honor of talking for a while." Ilthyis conceded, drawing back the currency, and slipped it into its pouch as she waited for Marigold to pour herself one. Together, they raised a toast and took a long, hearty swig.

"To the treatise!"

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Erix was examining the strange automata, looking from side to side, trying to understand how such a thing could work without even a little magic. It looked as if it had a mind of its own. He wanted to make one too now. He noticed another man running up to them, he apologized for it and Erix thought it was probably its owner...a kingsman. "Did you make this?" He asked while pointing his thumb at the automata. "I didn't know you guys had such cool skills. I craft stuff too all the time but something like this…" he trailed. Kingsmen were much more interesting than he thought.

Erix nodded to Zazriel's words about food and introduced himself after her, "I'm Erix, it's good to meet you." He smiled a bit. "Truth be told I'm really curious about the automata and well, you as a kingsman. It's the first time I got to talk with one, you could come with us if you'd like. I'm sure you'll find our food appetizing." He invited him. "You don't mind, right Zazz?" He asked in a quieter tone. He thought he found the perfect chance since they had at least a bit in common.

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Yuri had himself and his men around the festival area, he himself stood straight up, his piercing green eyes stabbing the air itself, and he had his sword pushed into the ground. His eyes constantly darted around, looking for potential threats to the safety of the people. He had already had to stop some people, but they were drunkards getting into fist fights mainly, so it didn't matter near as much as if someone tried to actively kill somebody. He was interested in some of the Stalls, and food they had at the festival, but he was a KingsBlade. His job came first, for he was one of the best of the best.

He stood over most people there, at 6'5", and 275 lbs of pure muscle, his intimidation factor honestly seemed to stop most people from trying anything stupid. He didn't really like the dragonkin, for he lost his father to them, but due to orders, he remained calm, he remained stout, and fair, and non-judgemental. Regardless of wanting to hit them really hard.
 
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Yuri Greythorn Yuri Greythorn Xillia Xillia Whisker Whisker Aquanette Aquanette blitzfritz blitzfritz AbyssFlower AbyssFlower Topless Topless

Egelista had perked up when the group of various people started to interact with her and glanced to her side to look at her bodyguard - but she was not there. This was relatively odd for Ilthys, but the half-dragon supposed she had asked the woman to be a little less uptight. When she looked back at the group again she would see that the machine everyone had been clamoring about had moved away from the dancing Dragonkin and was now right in front of her, cocking its head and making a series of buzzes and chirps.

"Me? Oh... I suppose you wouldn't have seen anything like me before. I'm a half-dragon," She smiled and offered a small hand out to Prosun, resting her hand on his.

Markos was rather obviously intrigued by the woman and her ability to understand his creation, so after insisting that no one was to be taking him apart, walked up to the half-dragon. "You can understand him? I thought it was only me."

Egelista giggled a little. "Well, maybe fat decreed we should meet," she said with a small smile, bringing a blush to the man's face.

Prosun looked between them curiously and made a few chirps. But before either of them could say anything more, a scream pierced the air of the festival. A bloodcurdling scream of death that could not be mistaken as anything but. Markos and Egelista looked at one another in concern and walked towards the sound, where a growing crowd of mixed kingsmen and dragonkin were starting to surround a body so mangled and bloody that nothing was recognizable.

"Where did it come from?" a Kingsman guard asked before noticing Markos's approach. "My prince!" he saluted. "I only just arrived, my prince."

"DId anyone see what happened?"

A dragonkin woman stepped forward and glanced at the Kingsman and the nervous-seeming automaton before looking a little more relieved at the sight of Egelista. "It... fell. Just, splat. Right in front of me."

"Bodies don't just fall from the sky, lady," the guard said, making a nearby dragonkin warrior growl.

"Show respect. They are citizens of my father's vision as much as any kingsman."

"Y-yes sire. Apologies, sire."

Egelista stepped forward and knelt before the body, her hard starting to frost up before she threw herself back, landing in Markos's arms. "It smells like... daemons."

A mere moment later, the reports of gunfire echoed from the auditorium where the King and Voice were in the midst of the signing. Dragonkin tattoos flared up slightly on everyone, an indication that a large amount of magic was currently being used nearby.

"Th-they wouldn't be fighting each other, would they?" Egelista asked Markos, who shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. My father... stay here. Prosun, protect her!" Markos barked at the automaton before starting to run towards the assembly. Without thinking, Egelista ran after him and Prosun, as devoted to his job as always, followed close behind.

When the two arrived, they would catch a mere glimpse of a black, crackling void in the center of the assembly. Two great, piercing eyes stared at them before the blackness began to expand. The entire island started to grow dark as small tears in reality opened across the entire village. Damons spilled out and started cutting down humans without mercy. Dragonkin or Kingsman, armed or not, it didn't matter. Anyone and everyone was a target for slaughter.

And in the center of the Assembly... where the tear had been and gone... laid the dead bodies of the king and the voice. The peace talks, it seemed, were over.
 
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Auroria's idea of possibly taking apart the automata was shot down hard-she figured it would, as no inventor ever wished their creation to be torn into shreds just to sate a little curiosity. Unless the module was widely available and with multiple copies, of course.
Her hands resting on her hips, she was content to watch the boy and his automata, the Prosun becoming curious again and walking over to a rather unique-looking girl. Though she did stay her distance as to not interrupt the conversation with any more of her usual snarky commentary. Auroria's mind drifted to the treaty, the peace talks, how great the festival was going at this very moment, and a thought popped into her mind; "Igni always says that these extended moments of peace often lead to a rude awakening in the form of a bad event happening. It always happens in the stories he reads, at least."
And what do you know, something did happen! Auroria snapped to reality upon hearing a scream, a wail, and then silence-it sent her blood running cold. Fear was laced in that scream, and she tentatively followed after the boy to figure out what was going on. Only to find a mangled body.
Turns out, that boy with the automaton was the prince-wait, the prince of the Kingsmen? Auroria wasn't particularly wrapped up in politics but at least everyone in Rhodia heard about the crown prince. Or at least, a couple Kingsmen in the Operator's Wire kept speaking hushedly about political rumors surrounding the King and his family because they didn't have anything else to do while they worked.
Damn, now she kinda wished she knew sooner.
The sound of gunfire in the auditorium pricked Auroria's ears, and she instinctively grabbed the grip of her Revolver. She didn't like where any of this was going, not one bit-but with hesitancy, she also quickly approached the assembly.
She stopped at the sight. The black void of eyes covered the whole island, monsters and violent creatures started to spill out from tears, and in the center of the assembly...it was...
Time slowed for Auroria, at least in her senses, and her heart sank into her stomach with eyes growing wide. The King, dead? Who cared about the Voice for the dragonkin, the king was DEAD!
A contorted hiss escaped her teeth-like she was trying to repress a sigh. "Oh gods..."
No time. There was no time. A dark beast of gnashing fang slipped out into the far side of the assembly, giving a snort before rounding on and rushing Auroria with snapping teeth. Another gunshot was heard in the auditorium-this time, from the dark grey and engraved gold Deepshadow Revolver that the Maintenance Operator clutched in her hands like her life depended on it. The beast slumped to the ground, sliding past the woman.
No time. No time. There was never any time.
 
"Uh w-wait where is it going…?" Erix asked, confused, wondering how the kingsman hadn't lost that thing already, he watched the automata move towards a lady with intriguing features. Wings? A tail? Was the dragon part of their race taken too seriously? They looked pretty real though…

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a horrible scream loud enough for everyone around to hear. His expression turned into a troubled one as he glanced at the way it came from noticing people gathered around its source. After staring for a bit he asked if they should go check it out, "Even those two went, I hope no one's hurt." He said feeling worried.

He had a gut feeling that something was wrong but wasn't sure what until it began. Another loud noise echoed and the tattoo on him and the others around them glowed. "Hey... what the hell is this about? Wasn't this whole thing supposed to be safe…?" His instincts screamed to move, to get away but he didn't know where to go, he could only wait. He couldn't just leave everyone here anyway. "Zazriel you got any idea what-" before he could finish he saw something...no... some things falling down from the sky. They were daemons.

He summoned his gauntlets knowing that he would need them, his tone changing into more serious. "This is my most unlucky day yet." He turned to Zazriel once again. "I don't know what is going on but I'll try to get rid of these monsters, unless of course you've got a better idea. There's surely more behind this." He hoped his friend who helped him get there wasn't going to get hurt, or anyone he had met thus far.

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Yuri heard a sudden gunshot, and pulled his sword out of the ground, and went to sprint to go check it out. Suddenly, he was stopped by the Damons, and as he looked around, he saw his people being slaughtered, it fueled a deep deep rage inside of him, his people, the ones he vowed to protect are being cut down like cattle. He failed to protect the King, he already figured this out, but he failed his job in it's entirety, he should have foreseen a large gathering like this going terribly. Something inside of him snapped, as he suddenly slashed a damon in half "Gods Dammit, you've destroyed everything!" He yelled out "It was finally supposed to be peaceful!!" He yelled in rage, as he slashed and slashed, he ducked, and he dodged, but he kept getting hit too, he would've already been dead if not for his armor "You hurt my people, my KING!" He channeled his Fury, and as he was slowly surrounded, he stopped, and calmed himself.

He pulled a crossbow out of a strap on his back, loaded with and explosive bolt. He shot a damon, which allowed it to explode, and a few others around it, then with quick thinking, he pulled out his revolver, and fanned down a few more. There were too many, even for him to take out, but he had made an opening for himself, so he ran, he tried to find out if he had figured correctly about the king. He passed by innocents being cut down, had to swallow his guilt and pride, and sense of duty, so he didn't stop and help every single one, but it angered him. He hated the Dragonkin, but even they didn't deserve this, granted, he didn't care if they died, but still--

He ran into the assembly. His fellow soldiers had also been getting slaughtered, and that enraged him even further, but in his head, something died when he saw the King's body. Yuri fell to his knees, looking at the king, he failed his job, his life's work
 
Just when things are going so smoothly, a bloodcurdling scream is heard. "What the hell was that?!" Penny yelled right as the boy and his automation begin to make haste to where the scream is. Upon arrival, they will see a mangled corpse of somebody. This disturbed Penny and, to a less extent, Vivian. "Holy shit, a dead body!" Penny yelled. "That man has fallen/What a very shame for him/Someone must pay." Vivian said just when they hear gunshots. "Well so much for peace. Let's go see what's going on." Penny said before she and Vivian went along with the others to the assembly. Once they have arrived, they will be met with some rather unfortunate things; a dark abyss that covers the village, the dead bodies of the King and the Voice and demons springing out of the rifts as they begin to slaughter both human and dragonkin alike.

"Bloody hell, just when things are about to get worst!" Penny exclaimed "But seriously, these demons should just fuck off! How about it, Vivi?" Vivian grabs her sword and pulls it out of it's sheath as she prepares for combat. "This situation/I will never permit it/Judgement is on you!" Vivian declared and then she runs over to a horde of demons of which she gracefully and effortlessly cut them down like butter. "Heaven or Hell, LET'S ROCK!" Penny yelled as she goes over to one of the attacking demons to deliver a straight punch to the face and then following up with a knee to the jaw and an elbow to the top of the head to knock it down to the ground. She grabs it's leg and using the strength of her artificial limbs, she spins the demon around, gaining speed with every rotation until she lets go, throwing it to knock down a pack of demons. "Who wants some?!" Penny yelled.

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Zazriel looked at her tattoos, they were glowing even though she was more than sure she wasn't using any magic...which could only mean one thing. A lot of magic was being used nearby and soon, a dark presence overcame the island and demons started to appear from rifts all around "We'll that isn't good, no even mildly pleasant in the slightest," She said as the demons started to cut people down without warning, kingsmen and dragonkin alike. The group made their way to the assembly hall and much to her horror the voice was dead, alongside the kingmen's kings...Marko's father.


That's when Erix summoned his gauntlets and in turn, she summoned her charms and threw them, the chakrams glowed a rainbow color and circled around the two dragonkin, spreading out and killing any demons that were too close to them, quickly cutting through them before returning to her. When he asked if she had a better idea, she looked around. "Honestly I'm not sure, getting rid of all of them might not be possible, how many are there anyway? They seem to be everywhere," She said "But...maybe we can start to mount an evacuation, save as many people as possible, but then...where would take them?" She asked, things had taken a turn for the worse really quick and they needed to figure out what they were going to so "I suppose for now we do the obvious and cut down as many of these things as we possibly can, I do believe, however, we should try to stick together," She said before turning to the rest "All of us, there's strength in numbers and it wouldn't do if we were somehow overwhelmed, I think as a group we have a better chance at dealing with this...however we plan to do that," She said.



"Gods help us, the king is…" she couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence as if letting the words pass her lips into the air would make it real. However she knew that was illogical, the fact remained the same whether she spoke the words or not. She grabbed one of her sniper pistols and loaded it. As demons started to overrun the island "This is why guns," She said to herself as if the old farts could somehow hear her...speaking of which, she hoped they were alright, they annoyed her but she didn't wish death upon them, especially not by the claws of these fiends.


Well, it was clear to see that this wasn't the dragonkin's doing and painfully so at that. She also took the time to load her shotgun pistol as well. She shot a group of demons with her shotgun pistol using negative magnetic rounds, the spread allowing a group of them to be hit, she then took her sniper pistol and aimed between them shooting off a positive round which caused them all to be pulled and stuck together while also being assaulted by any nearby metal. Once they were stuck together she quickly shot another run from her sniper pistol but this time it was an explosive round that blew the group of daemons up. It sounded like a lot but she was able to do this rather quickly and in succession.


That's when she noticed a man in the hall with red hair who had fallen to his knees at the sight of his king dead, perhaps he was a guard, perhaps he was just another kingsman, who knew, admittedly she didn't keep up with the royals all that much, she only knew who their king was because well..he was the king, but she didn't even know that Marko was the prince until a few moments ago, still this was no time to have a breakdown. She looked up at the sky and sighed, turning back to the man and walking over to him, and shaking him by the shoulder. "You can mourn later, your prince still needs you," She said. She wasn't trying to be insensitive, but she doubted the daemons would leave him peace to grieve.

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As he was shook back to reality by Zlyphia, he knew she was right, he may not have his king anymore, nor his father, but he will stand, and fight, to the bitter end, for he was a KingsBlade! The very best of the best. He slammed the tip of his sword into the ground, hoisting himself up, he loaded his crossbow and his revolver. His eyes started to change color, they went from a pure green to a brownish color with a heavy red tint, he grit his teeth, and ripped off his sleeves, revealing rippling muscles, and joined the fight once more, he unscathed a second sword, they each said 'For the People' and 'For the King' Respectively.

He slammed his foot into the ground, and cracked the floor "You have taken my King, now I will take your lives!" He yelled out, he threw his sword into a daemon, and jumped on them, ripping out the sword, he then slashed another, before scathing one sword, and pulling out his crossbow, he fired an explosive bolt, and reloaded, blowing up a few of them "Today is the day Kingsmen and Dragonkin must put aside our differences, and fight as one!" He yelled out, He didn't caare who heard, he just knew that a few would, and it was for the moral support of it

He sweat, but didn't slow down, he started to ache, but fought harder, He looked for his Prince all while fighting through hordes of daemons "My Prince!!" He yelled out, he fought harder and harder, it hurt, it burned, for he was only human, but he drive himself further and further, he fought more and more viciously to find his prince, whether it killed him or not

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1633758122020.png Auroria shot down a couple more daemons, the screams from outsiders looking in piercing her emotions. Igni was right. He was alright right, even if he couldn't hear how right he was.
He never got the opportunities that she or her father had, but that didn't stop him; such an event like this shouldn't stop Auroria either.
So, with one hand free and the other shooting potshots at attacking daemons with silver rounds, she wove her way across the assembly, around the fighting companions that she now found herself with, and right towards Markos. Giving a whistle before grabbing his shoulder, "Prince! You need to go, now!" She was no Kingsblade, but it wouldn't do to have the heir to the throne killed fighting a losing battle, right?
"We don't know how many of these things there are, and where they're coming from!" This yell to the group was more of a response to Zazriel than anything else, "But we have to get any others out of here before this whole place is shredded to pieces. ...But as a group, so we're not shredded ourselves!"

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He nodded to Zazriel's words as he beat down daemons that tried to attack him. He hoped he didn't have to use his magic too much since their numbers only seemed to increase by the minute. "I'll look around in case someone needs help, I'll try not to get too far. Just scream if you need any help." Erix would normally have run off on his own by now but he knew that he had to be careful with his actions this time. He didn't want anyone to die, especially not from mistakes that he'd make.

He ran further away from the others just enough so he could get a different view, he slashed and punched his way through the monsters when he suddenly heard a man's voice yelling, he didn't sound too far from him. "The king's life was...taken…? Just what the hell is going on here..." He mumbled quietly, half confused and half angry. He didn't know what to think of it, if the king was dead then what about the voice of the council? He listened to the unknown man who continued, but this time yelled about the two races. "Put aside our differences? You don't gotta tell me."

Erix couldn't think straight. Why was this happening? Everything was going fine a moment ago. Why did it have to come to this? This whole situation made him more anxious and irritated than ever before but he tried to keep calm for the sake of the others and himself. He finished off the last daemon in that area then ran back to the others, he had to let them know. He spoke in a tone loud enough for them to hear "Guys t-the king…" he stuttered, took a breath then continued, "...he's been killed."
 
Rohan Eriskaya

Chapter I - A Dream of Peace


Rohan sat atop a small hill overlooking the assembly, putting the finishing touches together on the sketch he’d been working on for the last few hours. The morning sun beat down on him, taking the bite out of the strong sea breeze to his back, and warming the cloud-patterned silks he had worn for the occasion. Behind him, an albatross scratched in the dirt for food, suggesting that it had become completely comfortable with his presence.

With a sigh of contentment, the young man placed down his quill, closed up his vial of ink, and held up his finish drawing against the light. There, cast in his notebook with lines artfully drawn, was the cavalcade of tents, lights, and pavilions that stretched almost to the island's far side. But they were hardly the focus of this particular piece.

As historically significant as it was, the thing that struck him the most was the people. Their expressions. Their spirits. The essence of their reaction to these events. Some had come to the island on their own merits, crawling from the ocean and sleeping under tents made from blankets and sticks. Others had come as officials, serving one dignitary or another, their armor burnished and gleaming as though it had been fresh forged straight from the anvil. And then others still, not connected to either, seemed to hold stardom all of their own. His eyes drifted towards the center of the drawing where he had captured a young woman dancing, her eyes merry and vibrant, in a colorful array of crystalline magic that captivated everyone who laid eyes on her. Though he had debated it in his head, he had not been able to resist adding her to his creation as a testament to reflect the one singular emotion that seemed to be felt by everyone on the island by the Kingsmen and Dragonkin alike: hope.

Rohan only wished he could share their optimism.

With a last cursory scan of his piece, he carefully closed the book tight, stretched, and then rolled over onto his back. In the distance, he could still hear the music and smell the enticing scent of meat cooking in the wind. Everything was perfect. More than perfect, actually. It was so perfect that it felt like the familiar tug of fantasy and dreams than actual reality.

And that’s what frightened him.

Kingsmen and Dragonkin talking together? Having a festival like this over the bones of those who had been put into the ground? Bones of people he had possibly once known?

Or had that all simply been inside his head?

Despite the warmth of the day, a tremor went up his spine and his chest grew tight. Ignore it, he told himself. Trust your gut. Your war was not fake.

The only trouble was his gut was screaming at him that something about all of this was not right. He had noticed on the very first day of the Assembly that security for the event wasn’t as tight as it should have been after such a long war. The King of Rhoda had summoned his full detail, of course. He’d spied their tell-tale regalia from a distance. One had stood out from the rest. He was a sandy-haired youth with a giant creature Rohan had to blink twice at to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. But aside from those notables, he’d seen nothing of equal measure from his own people. Where were the dragons? The Voice was here, he knew, and the impish little one he supposed was the Voice’s child, but where in the mists were the others? Even Kapnos might have been a welcome sight, he’d admitted to himself. But if he’d expected his mistress to appear, he had thus far been disappointed. At the time, he’d been inclined to believe that they’d known something he didn’t, but just now, laying here in the windswept grass, Rohan couldn’t help but feel tense and on the alert. And the sensation, try as he might, just would not die.

Something was coming. He could feel it.

And that’s when it happened. A smatter of gunfire split the air, followed by a scream, high-pitched and visceral. Rohan shot bolt right in the grass. Another scream, followed by a flicker of light that could only be dragonkin magic.

His skin, hidden beneath a flowing coat, flared in a warning.

Powerful magic? The Voice, maybe? No . . .

Even as the thought shot through his head, he knew that wasn’t it. In an instant, the air had entirely changed. From the assembly hall, darkness suddenly yawned, stretching up to the heavens, covering the sun, plunging the island into the kind of darkness that could only be found in the depths of the sea.

His blood turned to ice.

“What . . . What is even happening right now?” Ran croaked aloud, hoarse from shock.

But he didn’t get a moment to process it. The next thing he saw from his bird’s eye view of the action was the door to the assembly hall crumpling viscerally to the ground. A creature spilled from it, eyes burning, and tore into the crowd. It was followed by another. And another. The music stopped. Lights winked out. Magic filled the air along with staccato flashes of light from Kingsguard weapons. In barely the time it took to blink, the fragile scenery of peace was crumbling into ashes on the ground.

Awestruck, he started to reach for his sketchbook out of habit, but forcibly stopped himself from opening its pages. Instead, he reached past it to where his bow lay unstrung and unattended in the grass. In a fluid, practiced motion, Ran bent it, looped the chord over the other end, and then reached for his quiver. His skin felt like it was on fire, an engine ready to roar at his command.

Tendrils of white smoke started to billow from beneath the folds of his coat.

Scooping up his sketchbook, he turned in the direction of the chaos. A normal person’s instincts might have told them to run, to put as much distance between themselves and the slaughter as they possibly could. But in that horrible moment in time, all Ran could think about were the images in his notebook. Both the people he had witnessed as well as their dream for peace.

Taking a deep breath, he brought his bow to the ready and started down the hill.

Fin

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