Fantasy The Five Kingdoms - The Fall of Sarthenfall - Ic

[Bakuyoshi]

Cale was snapped back to reality when he walked right into someone. And that was one scary voice. "Uh my apologies Miss. I was just busy, that's all." Cale could hardly make much out about this person. And as he looked around he had the realization he was somewhere else. "Uh hey I hope you don't mind in me asking. But could you point me in the direction of the throne room. I appear to be lost at the moment." And in a moment Cale realized his sister was no where to be seen.

NinjaGirlGamer


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Priscilla had been up for a bit. Mostly familiarizing herself with the castles layout. All the while making a mental map of it so she had an idea of where to run, where to stand, and good ambush locations. And in this she found herself in the strategy room. "Oh commander. And Tall dark an- Oh that's just rude. I don't believe we ever had a proper introduction. Priscilla Curtis, Lorelthian engineer, and co inventor of the Armorcracker. I've yet to extend a proper thank you for helping and saving my brother. H-he hasn't been giving you too much trouble has he?"

explosiveKitten Xanto

 

[NinjaGirlGamer]

The throne room, she thought. That’s probably where the meeting is going to be. “Well I’m heading there anyways. You can follow or whatever” She said before continuing to walk down the halls. While walking, she examined the interior of the castle. Pinpointing the weaknesses and advantages of the environment if an attack ever occurred.

Ivanna looks to Cale and tries to make out of who he is. I wonder what’s his purpose of being here, she thought. They found themselves near the strategy room. The soldiers outside the door indicated the meeting was in there. Upon walking in, all eyes were on them.

Ivanna looked at all the unfamiliar faces in the room. She knew no one, which was typical for her since she traveled a lot. Some looked angry, some looked tired, some looked worried, others looked like they came back from the dead. It was all the same to her, she’s seen this before. Whether or not she would join the rebellion, Ivanna hasn’t decided.

Maybe this meeting will provide some insight for her. Ivanna walked to the back of the room away from most people, but enough for her to see and hear what the leader has to say. There was a small crate against the wall to which she sat on. Leaning back on the concrete wall crossing her feet. She was all ears for the speech.

Bakuyoshi Xanto Ms. Sparrow explosiveKitten Blackrose7

 

[Blackrose7]

Annabel gave Angelo a smile before he left her room, since she enjoyed the conversation. After Angelo left the room, Annabel put the hood on her head, because she had to change into the hood dress in order to clean the maid outfit. ‘Ok. Time to go to the strategy room, for Baxter wants us there.’ thought Annabel. She left her room, and went to the strategy room by herself.
Upon arriving at the strategy room, Annabel notices that Angelo, Priscilla, and Baxter was there. “Hello Baxter.” said Annabel.
Everybody in Demonic Velvet eventually shows up for the meeting.
“Hello Annabel, and why did you shouted What the hell, book. Because we all heard that.” said Daisy.
“You don't need to know why, Daisy.” said Annabel.
Sam got suspicious when Annabel said that, but he wasn’t going to find the book. For he didn't want her to be mad at him.
Xanto explosiveKitten

 

[SandraDeelightful]

Princess Aurelie Beauchamp of Aubigine

​

Aurelie made her way to the strategy room, still timid and small, keeping her eyes downcast, as she was used to. She wasn't eager for this and she wished to run away, and live her life as an ordinary woman, free from duty and responsibility, away from power that she didn't desire, and away from people pushing and pulling for her for their advantage, using her like she was nothing more than a pawn on a chessboard. And she didn't want to be a part of any sort of war. She wasn't cut out for this sort of life. She was too sheltered, too scared of everything around her, especially things that were new to her. She had too soft of a heart for this sort of thing. She made it to the strategy room and kept out of the way, just as she always did.

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Azalea Eve Windfore

When the notes faded into silence, and the quiet took its place, the world around her seemed to awaken, the cold in the room bit at her skin, and when she opened her eyes, she realized her eyes were wet, and James had already left.

Quickly she wiped her eyes, cursing to herself for crying, that was the last time she’d be playing that song. She could only hoped James had left before he’d seen her cry.

Though some part of her longed to disappear in the song again and forget their situation. Forget the rotten meeting.

Queen’s don’t cry, she reprimanded herself, standing from the piano seat and wiping her hands on her white shirt to clean off the dust. She took a deep breath and walked over to the small tower window that could see for miles. She could see where the snow ended and branched out into the dense northern forest. She swore she even caught sight of the now crumbling remains of the old rebellion encampment. And somewhere far away, Soris sat content in Calore, plotting and scheming, an unknown lion amoung sheep.

The thought made her hands clench into fists, her stomach roiling at the thought of having to kill her own people. A criminal in her own country.

“Is it the hate that perhaps keeps you going, my lady?,” a familiar chocolate voice drawled from behind her. “I remember telling you that hate itself is a virtue, and look how you have taken my words to heart.”

Azalea spun, her eyes locking with black ones and resting on the form of a very relaxed looking Soris, who sat where she’d just been sitting at the piano, smiling lazily at her.

She pressed the balls of her hands into her eyes, trying to shut the vision of him out angrily, “Your not here.” She hissed, more of a reminder to herself than anything, believing herself to be going mad.

“Not quite,” His voice suddenly right in front of her as he gently took her hands from her face, the feel of his black silk gloves was solid, sending chills racing up her spine as she found her face inches from his, she froze, daring not to breath.

“But I am always nearby.” His voice was a murmur. Azalea yanked her hands from his with a choke, and as suddenly as he appeared—

Soris was gone.

Azalea took a few steadying breaths, looking He was never here, she reminded herself, just her mind playing tricks on her. Craziness seemed to run in the Windfore blood afterall.

She pinched her cheeks, willing some color into her pale face, and after a few more steady breaths, made her way down from the tower. Telling them about Soris was something she had to do. Something that was the least of her worries if they turned on her. Soris was still out there, and as long as he was, such small worries were inadequate. Things she couldn’t afford to dwell on him.

Quickly, Azalea made her way for the meeting, she was already late. Something that would no doubt piss Bax off the slightest she was sure. The stickler. She didn’t bother to knock as she barged into the strategy room, any angry fire in her gaze, along with stony expression. Her gaze instantly found Pricsilla.

“Why the devil are you here?” Azalea blurted sharply, her lips pressed thinly together, “No offense, but you just got here.” She glanced at Baxter for an explanation.

In truth, she didn’t feel like being judged by a complete stranger. Azalea’s gaze flicked to Aurelie briefly. At least she was kind enough not to say anything. It wasn’t that she was scared of being judged. It was what would happen if she couldn’t manage her emotions at being judged.


Her scars began to itch and only mere seconds later, did the General walk in, Aria following closely behind. Azalea let out in audible, exasperated groan, tilting her head back as as she did so.

“And why are you here?” She said, her voice laced with annoyance and exasperation, directed at Nathanial. Aria shot her a knowing look that said, ‘Don’t push it’

“I’m the General of this army, Princess, as much as you despise me for it.” Nathanial replies coldly, his face a mask of apathy.

“Really? Because you don’t act like it.” Azalea said dryly, her gaze following him as he leaned over the spread out map on the table, and she could’ve sworn his annoyed glance towards her was full of something much darker before he turned his attention to the map.

“Let’s get this over with.” Azalea muttered under her breath, glancing towards the rest of the people in the strategy room.


Xanto Bakuyoshi SandraDeelightful Blackrose7 explosiveKitten ​

 

[TeslaRolePlays]

The child limped his way over the rise, spotting a castle in the distance. It had been a long while since Leinad had seen the group since he had fallen behind. He clutched at his shoulder and kept barely trudging along, thinking about how he had gotten here in the first place.

—————
​

His mind could barely process what all had happened, all he knew was one of the shade bad guys showed up, and started arguing with many of the high ranks, and seemed to really scare Azalea, which meant he must have been a pretty scary dude. Then 2 other shade lords showed up, and an army of shades came towards them. The first scary dude then left and he charged the shades due to last minute instinct. He managed to take out 1 before being stabbed in the shoulder. He then took out the shade that stabbed him in the shoulder and received a slice on his left shin. A relatively large soldier then charged the shades near him yelling “Run kid! Get out of here!” Part of the child wanted to stay and help the man fight, but instinct told him that they would both end up dieing together. So he ran, dragging his left toe slightly as he did so, missing the gate closing. Instead he ran off, in the direction of the gate, hoping to find wherever the tunnel exited. It was a blur, and definitely not something a child should experience in life. He kept running for as long as he could, eventually slowing to a jog, and then the trudge he had maintained for the past day and a half.

—————
​

Taking the time to reflect on the past two days was worth it, not only did he get a chance to get a bit of a grasp on what was going on, it had helped the time pass and he finally reached the outside of the gate, collapsing in front of it with a satisfied breath, before going unconscious.

 

[explosiveKitten]

Angie was looking over her picture on the wanted poster with a critical eye, trying to figure out the best way to deal with this situation when the doors began to open and close in rapid succession- People were arriving.

She cleared her throat, readying the man voice, when a voice from behind her inquired about the commander- Baxter, she filled in- and someone tall, dark and b-
Oh. It’s Priscilla. She was calling a lot of people that, “tall dark and brooding”...
Did she really seem like a ‘brooding’ type?

She turned slowly to look at Priscilla when she began to talk to Angie specifically, listening to her and taking note of the question at the end.
The guy gives me more trouble than he could possibly know.

“Well, Priscilla Curtis, my name is Angelo Gale, a mercenary and currently the bodyguard of Prince Cale. It’s a pleasure. I’m glad I can finally introduce myself.” She bowed her head briefly before standing back up straight and looking at Priscilla once again.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she suppressed a scowl, “... no trouble at all, of course.”

Bakuyoshi

 

[Xanto]

Baxter Callahan and a dash of Raymond Callahan​

One by one each member of the all too familiar group trickled into the strategy room, individually bringing up a pressing topic of their own. Priscilla and Cale were siblings, Annabel was secretive about the book Bax knew too well of, and the rest of the chaos around kept rolling in. The Shades were the main challenge though. Who are we missing? Baxter silently thought to himself noting Azalea and his younger brother's absence. It only took that thought to summon the two from no where. As usual, Azalea made her big entrance followed by a few voices. All the outward stimuli though finally ended once Raymond slid through the ajar door and quietly shut it behind him nodding at his brother in the process to signal his cue.

"Angelo, pass the paper around," Baxter ordered letting the document circulate the area. There were many concerns floating around, but Shade issues ruled above all. "I will keep this meeting as brief as possible on my behalf before Azalea speaks," He glanced at the princess who had ultimately settled down. She mentioned the previous night that she would explain yesterday's chaos to some extent. "All of you on that list whether you exit the castle or not must create even a subtle disguise for your own safety as well as the safety of this rebellion," The leader paused for a few moments looking around the room. His figure stood strong as usual despite the flurry of words he would say next.

"38 lives were lost yesterday leaving 259 survivors to avenge them," Baxter held his gaze at random people in the room maintaining eye contact with some before moving onto the next one, "We are not going to beat the Shades or clarify our true loyal status with the number of people we have now." Though negative, his words were true. The Shades could easily outnumber their rebellion especially since not everyone had the same high combat level as some of their best fighters. "Most if not all the people in the group that usually recruits others have been injured or eliminated," Baxter pointed at the town on the map at the center of the table where the document was taken from, "This is Fransen. Not too far away. The rebellion needs to recruit the remaining believers before it is too late."

These were the rebellion's next moves. Baxter was only telling the royals and newcomers the most recent news, warning the rest who were also involved in the document until he surprised himself. "Everyone in this room is going to Fransen," The rebel leader suddenly found himself saying before scanning the faces around him. Was he wrong? This group was effective and cohesive all together. The pattern established from the previous night's roster even provided concrete evidence as to why the group would be send out on the social mission. Every group in the rebellion had a deceased member, but not even one soul was lost from the group in front of him. Would they be efficient? Maybe not. What mattered though was that they achieved their goal. How they got there was completely up to them, almost similar to how their group managed to make it out alive even after having different locations during the attack. "This is a social mission. The rosters have proven that you are all capable of surviving an attack without a single one of your members being lost. Somehow you all managed to make it back here alive," Baxter's face held his usual stone cold expression reinforcing his order.

"Our hidden forces will station themselves halfway between our travel, and no one will travel alone. Everyone must be in a pair at the very least with someone or people they know they can balance out in social situations . . or at least get away with things with. After all, wandering around in a group larger than three or four would be too obvious," He began explaining key functions of the mission. His hands folded behind him as he confidently continued on,"If the situation calls for separation, then your partner must be in your line of sight. Make a way to be with them."

They all just had to work together toward the main goal especially in a social aspect. "After this meeting, I expect everyone to ready up in some disguise and meet in the throne room for departure. The simpler the better," He concluded before turning to the two new comers. It seemed like Priscilla would stay with the rebellion. Ivanna on the other hand didn't look as committed. "This is your initiation. Leaving is not recommended. Some of the Shades whether you like it or not could merely squeeze the living truth out of you about this rebellion," Baxter adjusted the straight razor in his pocket and started walking to the side of the room giving Azalea the ground, "You both helped bring my brother back. I hope to hear the tale soon." "Annabel, hand me that book later or I will have Raymond take it," His glance landed on Ray watching him smirk and give a single wave at Annabel from across the room.

Blackrose7 Bakuyoshi NinjaGirlGamer SandraDeelightful Ms. Sparrow explosiveKitten

Clyde Callahan​

"C'mon soldiers!" Clyde turned with an arm gesturing to move forward as he marched in the deep snow. "Bop, pop, bam," He sounded out in an attempt to mimic the drums he heard from when he saw the soldiers march in the northern kingdom. "Clyde, I shouldn't be doing this," The only guard accompanying Clyde bent down kindly informing the kid. Unfortunately, the leader's son was just too invested in his game to pay attention. "Easy now soldier," Clyde held up his small fist with a stern face similar to his father's, completely halting the guard's stride. "What I ask is that you at least move forward," Then his voice went from firm to childish once again, "I can't go outside so then you have to check our borders for the sake of this rebellion." The guard paused seeing that it was no problem after all. Baxter's son would still be in safe hands and it was his job to patrol every so often anyway.

Soon enough, the guard opened the gates only slightly peeking out of it not catching the little rebel peering right below him, "All clear sir-." "Leinad!" Clyde yelled knowing the boy from their time at the camp. It had been two months and they were at least acquainted with one another from their lessons. Leinad being the more quiet of the two. Once the kid's scream emitted, multiple guards stepped outside the gates surveying the area as the one who had been following Clyde lifted the boy into the gates.

"Bring him to the throne room," Clyde ordered looking at the other boy who was being carried over the guard's shoulder. Once they got into the throne room the medics started checking the unconscious kid hopefully waking him up in the process. They kept their noise levels down though knowing that the rebel leader was in an important meeting with the royals. Leinad's presence would later be announced once they saw Baxter enter the throne room again.

TeslaRolePlays

 

[TeslaRolePlays]

When the boy came to, he looked around slowly, everything gradually coming back to him. It didn’t take long for him to notice he was in the throne room. He needed 3 things: A sword, A suit of chain mail roughly tailored to a boy his size, and a sword. The measly little knife he had wouldn’t do anymore, this was especially clear after the battle with the shades. He looked over at the doctors and asked for a glass of water, sitting up in the bed and allowing his feet to dangle over the side of it. When the doctors presented him with a glass he accepted it, and nodded his appreciation. He then headed towards the meeting, waving a solid cmon towards Clyde as he headed toward the group as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb the meeting. As he did so the pain in his leg appeared again, but it had been tended to by the doctors, and it did not hurt much as he limped his way to Azalea. When he arrived he stood by her with the glass of water, occasionally sipping on it throughout the meeting. He wanted to say hello to everyone, but decided almost instinctively that he should wait until afterwards, for this was to important to interrupt.

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Azalea Eve Windfore

She contemplated Baxter’s orders. Fransen wasn’t half bad an idea actually. It was a small village, but what little people they could recruit could do all the more. But if anything, Soris made it clear he wouldn’t let them rebuild for long before crushing them again. They’d need more. If Baxter agreed, hopefully her idea wasn’t too insane of a plan.

Her brows furrowed at mention of the disguise. She couldn’t hide as a noble woman, her haircut far too short, and even then her hair color was far too recognizable. Azalea frowned, realizing she’d have to disguise herself as a beggar boy, or something of the sort. It wasn’t too far fetched.

Azalea watched as Baxter moved off to the side, giving her the floor to speak. She exhaled and walked over to the table in the center of the room so she could grab their attention, she leaned over the map and spoke.

Azalea opened her mouth and suddenly looked as if she’d been punched in the stomach. And she felt like it too. Soris’s name was hardly out of her mouth before a familiar rush cold, prickly feeling washed over her, the air in her lungs suddenly vanishing momentarily.

Her face inflamed as she nearly had to gasp for air, a few seconds passed by as she caught her breath before she jutted her chin towards Ivanna’s and Priscilla’s direction. “I can’t tell them until somebody else does and they believe it.” She said hoarsely before adding, “The oath won’t let me.”

She waited for someone else to tell the pair about Soris about being alive and all that, before feeling a small presence at her side.

Azalea glanced down and jumped back a moment, suprised to see Leinad at her side, a glass of water in his hands. The boy had seen better days, and she was surprised to say the least of him being alive at all. She would’ve thrown him in the air and hugged him, had he not been holding a glass of water.

So instead, in typical Azalea fashion, she smirked and ruffled his hair, “Hey, wee chit.” She greeted wryly, clearly pleased to see he was okay, though she wished he had not had to see Soris firsthand. The thought scared her at the thought of Soris seeing him.
With Ivanna and Priscilla filled in on what occurred at the rebellion encampment, (gonna skip this part to keep the ball rolling, we’ll just assume one of the characters told them, whoever wants to do it.) it was time for Azalea to tell her tale. She took a deep breath, her face suddenly solemn and gravely serious.

“Me and my siblings met Soris a little over year ago,” she began, eyeing the map laid out before her so she could avoid everybody’s eyes. “The palace was in mourning after my father’s sister died, we were trapped, in a sense, no outdoors, no music, no socializing, nothing.”

“My sisters and I loved dancing, our aunt, she had taught it to us, but with mourning came no dancing.” Azalea traced a finger over Calore, quiet it for a moment before saying, “We’d found the passage in our room a couple months after our aunt’s death.”

“Most of the magic passages from two hundred years prior, were storage closets really, unmagicked after Soris had been defeated, but we were eager all the same, and we ventured into the passage all the same.”

Azalea glanced up from the map, looking certain random people in the eye as she spoke, “We found a silver forest, with a beautiful pavilion, full of magical dancers and that’s when we met Keeper. He told us his sad little story spun from silk. He told us the Mad King had magicked him there when he was alive, as revenge for betraying him. And we believed every word. How could we not? Soris was supposed to be dead, he looked nothing like the portraits that portrayed him.” Azalea sounded bitter. “Keeper let us come back. Every night we danced at the pavilion, our own secret and escape from our palace shrouded in black. We were stupid and naive to expect he’d want nothing back in return.”

There was a familiar stab of pain at the thought of her sisters and tiny Hale. She swallowed and shoved it down. “Things started to to get lost. Things left at the pavilion we thought. But Keeper—Soris, was stealing them. I’d come back to the pavilion for an pocket watch, it was Violets, my oldest sister’s lovers watch...that I’d stolen.” Azalea smirked a little at this, remembering how furious Violet had been. They did need a way to tell the time, after all.

“It was during then that Keeper...politely asked to be freed. There was a magical item that kept him bound in the palace. He did not know what it was, only that it was broken in part earlier, allowing him some of his magic back. If we did not, we would never be allowed back in, or get our items back. We played right into his trap. We thought it was the tea set.” Her bitterness obviously told enough that it wasn’t.

“Keeper got more persistent. Threatening, towards me as months passed without success. I thought that perhaps if we danced their until mourning was over, than boffed on back later if we ever found it, it’d be fine. That we could play him.”

Azalea laughed bitterly, her face hard.
“I was wrong. I didn’t know what exactly Soris was capable off. He took something of our aunts and I snapped. I told him we were never coming back. That he could rot in the pavilion.”

Her face was cold as she focused on the map. “Unfortunately, that’s not what happened,” she glanced up briefly at the surrounding people, “but not because I had a change of heart.” She said icily, and she found herself pacing in front of the table, hands fiddling with each other. “Keeper revealed himself to be Soris, and blackmailed me with the threat of him possessing my aunts soul, just as the old stories said he did, capturing souls and sewing their mouths shut. And it was...gruesome.” Azalea blinked and shook her head, trying to shut out the images flooding her head.

“By then, my sisters and I had already sworn on my gifted necklace from my aunt. It was silver. Swearing on Silver is a form of magic that makes—forces you, to keep your oath, much like the blood oath Soris took. Soris bade me not tell who he was, or our...agreement, lest of all my sisters, or what he did to Ana, my aunt. It was hell going back to that place after that, especially with my sisters and brother.” Azalea clenched her jaw, looking pale. The itching in the scars on her cheek made it impossible for her to focus.

“Things got worse,” she said, looking and feeling uncomfortable, suddenly feeling sick at the memory. “The threats and blackmail became evident to Violet after a particular day. We’d nearly gotten trapped down there with him, but we escaped.”

Azalea looked weary as she finished her tale. “I’d found out earlier the magical item that bound him was not a tea set but an old sword. It’d been sworn on many times, since it was silver, and the magic in it ran deep. But when it was cracked earlier that year, it had released Soris in part.” Her jaw clenched, lips pressed thinly together as she said, “It was broken two weeks before the Shades attacked the other kingdoms. I’d ridden out in a rage with the sword, to go repair it. My horse spooked and I was thrown off, and the sword shattered.” She fessed up, feeling her face heat with shame at the memory.

She stopped her pacing, her fingers tracing the scars on her cheek in thought, her gaze glassy. “Soris found his powers had morphed into something stronger and he...was testing his magic before he attacked. Discovering how to create Shades, Shade Lords, etc. Then he struck the other Kingdoms.” She turned to the group, snapping herself from her daze and her head from dark memories she’d kept buried.

“That’s it. Questions?” Azalea asked them icily, her gaze flicked to random people of the group the story putting her in a foul mood. She made sure not to go into too much detail, and avoided other topics entirely, such as her escape, her siblings deaths, why Soris was still alive. Things that wouldn’t matter in the long run. Not to them anyway. It was her vengeance to exact.



Xanto explosiveKitten Bakuyoshi Blackrose7 SandraDeelightful TeslaRolePlays NinjaGirlGamer ​

 

[Bakuyoshi]

"Threats, blackmail, not even letting the dead properly rest. I mean what all can you not tell with this silver oath? Is there any way for us to potentially take him down or stop his production of shades? I mean I'm all for the idea of a bigger army but there is a fact we have to face. We as humans are limited. But the shades, is there even a way to keep them gone? Soris can make them, leaving me with two theories. Theory one, we are utterly boned and no matter how many shades we could take down. Well Sarenthall would be desolate and none of us left and still all of the shades in that scenario."

Cale paused really thinking this one through. He was still not sure how to properly put it into words. "I honestly don't have the first clue about magic. But the second theory is a little more hopeful. And it would involve an insane plan. But before I would even suggest it we need the idea of what were to happen if we killed a good number of shades. And this would be far off, or a shade lord. My current idea is a shade would take energy to make. So off of the idea every shade we take out may take some Wind out of our mad king. But for the smaller shades it is insignificant. Like say... me picking up an item Azalea dropped, energy is taken but not enough to make me tired or close to being tired. Again this is all ideas being fired at a wall. If I had an idea of how magic worked. I could figure something out, there are rules to everything. And magic has to have it's own rules that could end up being a downside to him."

The prince sighed at the pointlessnes of the idea. "Though were would we even find info like that? You know magic is, well it was, forbidden. I doubt there are books on the subject of magic that haven't been burnt since Soris' original reign."

Ms. Sparrow explosiveKitten Blackrose7 Xanto SandraDeelightful NinjaGirlGamer

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Azalea Eve Windfore

Cale’s questions echoed many of her own, but there was a couple theories she thought correct. “I’m not sure the production of Shades will stop, no matter how many we kill.”

Azalea explained; “Over the past two hundred years, Soris’s magic has been collecting, I believe, getting stronger in a sense as it’s built up. I’m not sure if killing Shades would restore to him the energy he spent into making them or not. The same goes with the Shade Lords.”

Azalea shook her head, “But we can’t go off theories. We need to find out what we’re dealing with here,” she paused, “and it’s not in Sarthenfall.”

Aria piped up from against the wall, “Meaning what?”” She asked, her face firm and gaze contemplative.

“Isn’t it obvious?” She asked, arching a brow at her cousin, “We need to go to Delchistrier.”

“Absolutely not,” the General objected firmly from her right, earning an annoyed glare from Azalea, “Delchistrier would just as likely hand us over to the Mad King on a silver platter.”

“Would they?” Azalea challenged. “It’s been several years since we last spoke to Delchistrier, and over a hundred since we last went to war,” Azalea continued on, “Last I heard, we were on peaceful terms.”

“That doesn’t mean tensions haven’t been rising,” Nathanial argued, “Their King has no reason to lend us aid by any means, we can’t risk a war on both sides if we piss them off!” Nathanial was surprisingly passionate about not going to the neighboring country, his voice rising.

“We need men, General, thousands of them!” Azalea snapped sharply, jabbing a finger into the center of the laid out map of Sarthenfall. “We’re now criminals in our own country, we don’t have the funds or the men to supply this war, Soris has made sure of it.”

“And what makes you think Delchistrier has any means to want to help?” Nathanial challenged.

“Because the second Soris is done here, Delchistrier will be next.” She said coolly, her lips pressed thinly together, “they need our aid as much as we need them.”

“What about the magic situation?” Aria interjected calmly, “Even if they were to lend us men and funds, we still need an answer to Soris’s power.”

Azalea turned her attention to her cousin, “The books about Soris’s magic have all been banned and burned, wiped from history books, I know. But in Sarthenfall. Delchistrier may just very well have the books and answers we need.”

“You’d need a ship, and it’d take months to cross the seas,” Nathanial argued sternly, “You can’t bring the army without provoking Delchistrier, and there’s no guarantee Soris won’t follow.”

He was right. There could be a lot that could go wrong. Delchistrier could betray them or kill them on sight. The King may not want to listen. Soris could stop them in the seas. But she was desperate.

Azalea shrugged, focusing her attention on the map. “If’s, and’s, but’s,” She drawled, “There’s always gonna be something that could go wrong. But we don’t have a choice.” She said icily and glanced up to Baxter, hoping he’d side with her on this and confirm. It was risky, she knew. But she could only hope the rebellion leader saw her goal in this.

Xanto Blackrose7 Bakuyoshi explosiveKitten NinjaGirlGamer TeslaRolePlays SandraDeelightful ​

 

[Xanto]

Baxter Callahan and a bit of Raymond Callahan​

Baxter calmly leaned back onto a table as he watched Azalea move her way to the middle. Even if he was the rebellion leader, he apparently had a lot to learn about not what but who they were really up against. However, Azalea's face inflamed once she opened her mouth. Baxter furrowed his brows in concern since the princess almost looked like she was in pain. The sound of a chair briefly scraping the ground made Bax turn his attention to Raymond who almost got out of his seat to help her until she spoke.

An oath hindered Azalea from telling the newcomers what had just happened. In which case, the rebel leader took initiative standing straight once again and informing Ivanna and Priscilla about the previous day's attack. He kept the summary concise. As soon as Bax concluded, he leaned back against the table listening for Azalea's next words.

Before she could begin, a small figure ran up to her. Leinad was a member of their group whom Baxter recognized primarily as Azalea's junior sidekick and Clyde's classmate. It didn't take long Azalea's speech to begin.

The rebel leader nodded every so often intently listening to her tale. Adventuring seemed to run in their blood since they dared to enter a magic passage. Then, she went on about the scenery that greeted the Windfore siblings once they entered the magical realm. It was no surprise that they would want to go back especially after a time of mourning. Baxter folded his arms across his chest. Not only that, but also Keeper's fake backstory apparently made them empathize with him. Soris was Keeper and Azalea made sure not to leave that out.

The princess confessed that she had stolen an item, smirking in the process. Raymond noticed Azalea's smirk raising a brow at her expression. If anything, he expected her to leave that detail out of the story. His thoughts tempted him to think back to the book he had given to Annabel the previous night only to be snapped back to attention once Azalea's voice sounded out again.

Once Azalea concluded her monologue, Cale spoke up asking pretty logical questions. She answered accordingly. When Azalea mentioned that the only way to find out what they were really dealing with was not in Sarthenfall, Baxter furrowed his brows. Aria immediately piped up though causing Baxter to merely cast a glance in her direction. Delchistrier. At the mention of that place, the General chimed in prompting an argument that Baxter didn't bother to stop. Nathanial and Azalea were after all having a debate about saving lives in the bigger picture. There were good points from both of them. Then, Aria brought up magic again.

Baxter was in deep thought, staring at the map until he noticed Azalea's glace at him from his peripheral vision signalling the end of her meeting portion. "We don't need to bring an army," Raymond suddenly mentioned off from the side casually adjusting his sleeve's cuff. "We just need this group," His hazel gaze moved up from his sleeve looking at the people in front of him. The logic was that any kingdom would panic if an army suddenly arrived within their borders. That, and their group had the essential leaders it took to form an alliance. "We got leaders, royals and fighters. If we brought the whole rebellion to Delchistrier, then Soris would surely follow us," He respectfully commented toward Nathanial before continuing on with suggestions that could potentially solve the obstacles, "There are several ships lodged along Ezeris's ports. Doubt they would notice one was gone. If ya want to play it safe though, I suggest bringing a ship builder on over here."

As soon as Ray was done speaking, Baxter nodded at his younger brother who seemed to silence himself and lean against a chair again. Ray was an expert risk-taker compared to him, but at the moment it really did seem that they had no other choice. With a deep breath and a decision in mind, Baxter responded to the group as a whole, "This war is not just about us, it's about humanity." "Do not let Soris confuse you," The rebel leader gradually paced to the center of the room maintaining eye contact with who he could, "We are not up against our own kind, but magic. If this was casually another war between two kingdoms then risking lives on the way to Delschistrier for assistance would be pointless." It would be impractical mainly since Delschistrier was probably the country they would be up against. Baxter saved his words about the potential benefits if they survived through all of this for another time though, urging himself to stay on the more immediate topic, "But what power do we have against Soris without knowing what he is capable of? Without knowing what can even slightly damage him? Without having powers of our own?" A slight pause in his words emphasized the importance of his decision, "We will travel to Delschistrier leaving the majority of our army here. The traveling group will work on getting the books. The rest of the rebels will work on recruiting for our rebellion."

The rebel leader's eyes momentarily met Azalea's before focusing on the rest of the group. "Now, this matter can be re-discussed in a different time. Fransen awaits. Ready up in your disguises and meet in the throne room. Groups will be decided there based on disguises. Then, we leave at once," With one more gaze at their familiar faces, Baxter exited the room making his way to the left wing for his own "transformation."

Ms. Sparrow Blackrose7 Bakuyoshi NinjaGirlGamer explosiveKitten SandraDeelightful TeslaRolePlays

 

[TeslaRolePlays]

Leinad looked up at Azalea once the meeting was over, saying hello to her in a softer tone than usual. He himself was surprised he was alive, let alone seeing her again. He gave her a slight hug, knowing that the odds were against him going with them on this trip. Maybe he could work on his sword training while he was with the other kids here, that way he could earn his spot on the next trip. Even if it meant practicing until he collapsed each night, for he wanted to be able to go on the next journey. It meant everything to the young child, he wanted to feel as if he was useful, but right now he knew he would just be holding them back. While his mind raced, his manner was calm, and he hadn't spoken a word besides his soft hello. He decided he would let her do the talking.

 

[NinjaGirlGamer]

The more and more of the meeting went on. The more and more Ivanna felt stuck in a situation she didn’t ask to be in. Baxter implied previously the shades would find her eventually and torture her for any information about the rebellion. Her eyes dart down the list to see if her name was on it. Thankfully, she wasn’t one of the people that needed a disguise. Could I still slip away?, she thought.

Then Ivanna thought back to what Azalea said. Soris? Shades? Magic? This became very real to her, how she wished to have gone away by now and never return. The meeting was over and Ivanna immediately got up to walk out of the strategy room for a place where she could think about this. Was she going to go through with this? She looked out the windows as she walked by. She wondered if she never entered the castle, would the shades leave her alone? She wondered if she didn’t, What would happen to her next? What if, What if, What if, What if.

One thing was clear, she’s now apart of this clan, or group, or community. She hated the very fact she was stuck. Ivanna looks at her sword, the very thing that has saved her over and over and over again. The sword was leaning against the wall, almost touching the ceiling. Going up to it, she feels the flat surface. Would you save me this time?

Ivanna looks from the walls to the bed with her gear sitting on top. If they were going to this town called Fransen on a “social mission,” she probably didn’t need to walk in with a full suit of armor. Ivanna decides to leave out the leg armor, and some other gear that made it obvious she was some type of soldier. Her clothes were mostly black fabric with laces on her corset and bracers. Her boots were strapped down and the corset was tightened around her stomach. She puts on her cloak, which covered most of her body and provided some warmth from the cold.

She glances at the sword still against the wall. Next to it, was a two strap sheath designed for the back. Once that was put on, She grabs the sword’s handle then slides the weapon into the sheath. The cloak also provided a cover for the sword, the only thing showing was the sword’s handle sticking out from behind.

The door opens as Ivanna pushes it, stepping out the room heading to the throne room. Most of the members were already in disguises, some of them looked ridiculous. Ivanna walks near the steps leading to the throne itself, sitting in front of a pillar. Leaning up against it, Ivanna thought she probably needed some rest before going on this expedition. She crossed her legs and her arms, closing her eyes while still hearing everything. Waiting for the rest of the gang to show up, silently hoping she wasn’t going to be in a group.

Xanto Bakuyoshi Ms. Sparrow SandraDeelightful TeslaRolePlays Blackrose7

 

[explosiveKitten]

Disguises? Great. My specialty.

Angie looked at Bax briefly, watching everyone file out of the room, before glancing back in Cale’s direction. She knew she should probably take Baxter’s advice and talk to him... but now probably wasn’t the time.

She turned and was about to rush out, when she passed Aurelie, the affectionately nicknamed “rabbit princess”. She looked completely, utterly, horribly lost. Angie honestly wasn’t surprised by that. From what she understood, the western king and queen had groomed her to be demure and meek, to listen to what her advisors told her. That’s no good in a Queen.

She soon realized that she had been staring at Aurelie a little too long. Clearing her throat, she took slow steps toward some the young woman, her arms behind her back as she walked along.

“Princess Aurelie. I would be honored if you would allow me to accompany you on this mission together.” She stated, bowing her head to the young woman and offering a hand. “If you would, allow me to help you in the preparation for this particular mission.”

SandraDeelightful

 

[Bakuyoshi]

Cale sighed going off to make his 'disguise'. Oh lord this was not going to end well. He just had to keep being him behind the scenes, he could not afford that this secret ever got out. Slowly he closed the door to the forge as he was left on his own. The first thing that had to go was his old hair style. He lifted his hand finding a well hidden hair clip, removing it as his hair tumbled down to his upper back. And then Cale started talking to himself in a girls voice. "By the gods I did a crap job at being a man. But it did pay off. Best get the padding and all of this wrapping off. " The women muttered to herself as she began to go through all of "Cales" clothing and removing lots of padding that lined the inside of the clothing. "Thank god Priscilla went and did all of this for me. Shame I have to undo every little thing!" Cale grunted as she tore out the padding that let wear mens clothing. Yet as she was removing the bandaging and other things a though crossed her head "I... don't have any clothing that fits me. Really should've asked the other princesses for- no me that is moronic! I bet they would have called you a pervert or something along those lines. Uggggh!" She groaned leaning back onto the door to the Forge. She was fresh out of options and she was left with the need to either wear clothes that were far too big for her or hope another girl would walk by.

 

[Blackrose7]

Annabel didn't even bother to answer to Baxter about the book, because her answer was pretty clear. 'Still not going to hand him the book. He doesn't need to know what is in it.' thought Annabel. At this point, she was getting pretty annoyed of Baxter for wanting to take that book from her. For Annabel did tell him that it is a maybe after all, even though it was actually a no to his face.

The meeting ended up continuing after that had happened, and now they have to wear a disguise for Fransen. 'Great. Just great. I have to ask someone to make me a disguise, because my normal clothes stick out a lot.' thought Annabel.
Annabel went to the sewing team, so she can ask them to make a disguise for her. Eventually, they were able to finish the disguise for her. 'Good. I just have to put it on now, and practice my male voice for the trip.' thought Annabel, as she went to her room to go change.

She was planning to be a noble guy for this mission, since Annabel wanted to mess with the guys who are drawing the wanted posters. 'I am not sure if the wanted posters are up, but if they are. I am so going to mess with them by wearing a bunch of different disguises from now on.' thought Annabel.
Even though, she could use her own appearance as a disguise, thanks to always wearing a hood on. Annabel was smart enough not to let them know what she really looks like.

Once Annabel was done changing into her disguise, she practiced her male voice. "Hello. My name is Alex, and how are you?" said Annabel, in a male voice. "...I think I sound like a guy, but I am not so sure about it."
Not sure if she sounds like a guy here, Annabel got out of her room, and went to go look for the others.

 

[Bakuyoshi]

"Uhh hello? Anyone out there? The door is kinda stuck! And if the sewing team or someone else is there for the love of god I need some clothes that can fit a female!" Cali knocked on the door hoping for some form of answer. But the same as before nothing. "I can't come to the meeting like this. Dammit me think! Wait a minute." The princess looked out of the door to see if anyone was around. Not sure what was on the other side.

 

[Xanto]

Raymond Callahan​

Raymond lightly pushed himself off the table before obediently following Baxter out the door. Thoughts of potential disguises were rushing through his mind, but he couldn't seem to come up with just the right one. Anyway, it would probably take the group two hours at most to get ready considering that they weren't supposed to look anything like they did a few moments ago. All signs of familiarity had to be erased.

Ray gradually ran a hand against the grain of the stubble on the side of his left cheek. He should have a full short beard by the time they were ready to leave. "Raymond!" A familiar voice called out abruptly stopping the younger Callahan from following his older brother. Ray shifted his attention to the doctor who approached him with a concerned look. News traveled fast around the rebellion. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if the doctor already knew they were off to Fransen. "How are ya, Doctor?" Ray smiled in response watching the medical professional's face twist in disapproval. Back at the camp, Raymond was one of the doctor's frequent patients since he was prone to random injuries from his spontaneous adventures. "I believe the question is how are you?" The professional clapped back watching the rebel leader's brother try to dismiss the previous day's pain with his usual response. "Okay," Raymond paused seeing the wanted paper in the older guy's hand, " . .Fighting is not part of the plan." The doctor parted his lips ready to argue with the stubborn young man, but stopped himself knowing that he really had no say in Ray going on the mission. Besides, if Raymond could make it back alive technically on his own, then he really was an asset for the mission.

"Say, do you have a blazer I could borrow?" Raymond asked breaking the short silence, "Some medical knowledge would be great too." The doctor sighed noticing Ray's curious gaze. If he couldn't keep Ray from going on the mission, the best he could do was try to keep him out of further trouble, "Walk with me, boy."

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Azalea Eve Windfore

She exhaled silently in relief as Baxter agreed to go to Delchistrier, the General narrowing his eyes in response in a contemplative, cold fashion. They had a lot of trials ahead of them, and she was sure making an alliance with a King from a foreign country was only one of them, a small one at that. But she couldn’t shove down the jolt of excitement that went through her at the mention of a ship. She’d always wanted to see the ocean, now she could. Even if she was practically fleeing her country and kingdom to do so.

And Soris. She wouldn’t have to see his dead black gaze for a long while, Azalea watched the group file out of the strategy room, glad that her friends would not either lay their eyes on him.

She moved to head for her own quarters before a hand, quick as a snake, grasped her wrist tightly. The memory hit her like a blow to the stomach.
~~
Violet clenched the lamp in her hand as they descended into the silver forest, shooting a pale looking Azalea concerned glances. Each silver-encrusted step Azalea took made her nearly collapse in fear , and dread filled her at the thought of seeing Keeper again. It did not help that the girls were jumpy, their mother telling them a morbid bedtime story involving a spider and a moth, comfort never being her forte, it left the girl’s jumpy and paranoid.

Jasmine clung to Violet’s skirts and whispered in a crystalline voice, “Someone’s here. ”


“Jas, will you shut up!” Azalea seethed, clutching Hale with shaking hands.

Hyacinth, at the end of the line, gave a yelp.

“Someone stepped on my shawl!” she cried.

She dove into the center of girls, leaving the shawl strewn across the silver path. It was Karliah’s and much too large for her at that, who had been dragging it, leaving a trail of sparkles. Violet pushed her way to the back.

“Nonsense,” she said, holding up a trembling lamp. The silver leaves glittered. “I’ll bet you just caught it on something. These branches, see?”

“It’s a ghost!” squeaked Jessamine.

The girls screamed. They clutched their skirts in both hands and kick footed it to the bridge, Violet following after in exasperation.

Azalea was faster. She rounded them off at the arc of the bridge, grasping the handrail and blocking them.

“What a great load of rot ,” she said. “Keeper’s trying to scare us. I’ve had enough. We need to go back. Now.”

The girls stared at her, both frightened and sad. Jasmine’s bright green eyes, Hyacinths muddy green, Isis’s dark blue, all of them blinking up at her.

“But,” said Isis, “we only have tomorrow left. Tomarrow mourning ends.”

“We never should have come here in the first place. It was a rotten idea.” Azalea said rather sharper than she intended, nearly jittering just to get out of the passage.


“Calm down,” said Delilah, crossing. “We don’t like Keeper either, but why stop dancing? There’s no need to get pushy.”

Azalea’s fingers gripped the cold, sleek railings tightly.

“Is there a problem?”

Soris’s smooth voice sounded behind her. He leaned against the arched doorway, arms crossed, cloak dripping over his shoulders. He looked roguishly amused.

“’Lea says we have to go home,” said Hyacinth.

“And she’s absolutely right,” said Soris, straightening, cutting a fine, hard figure against the white dance floor. “I hardly have enough time as it is, getting everything ready for the ball tomorrow night.”

The girls’ jaws dropped.

“A…real ball?” said Hyacinth.

“We’re not of age,” said Isis.

“Ah! But you are invited to this ball. As princesses, it is your right. And I, your host.”

Soris clapped his hands together, unfolded them, and blew out. Like when they had first seen him, months ago, glittering brilliant snow flew from his hands and swirled around them. They sparkled in tiny peices, bright flashes against the mist of their surroundings. For a brief moment Azalea was nearly taken by it, feeling it breeze past her face in a magical swirling breeze. She could envision it, dancing in the pavilion with this magic snow, whirling about them in a glittering spin, the dessert table piled with sweets and picturing the ceiling dripping with arcs of white holly boughs and glittering ornaments.

Isis gave a cry of delight and pulled a card from her black apron pocket. In excitement, the rest of the girls produced cards, magically created in their pockets. They practically bounced with eagerness as they shared the stationery, silver embossed with their names, an invitation.

Azalea flicked her own into the lake. It floated for a moment and disappeared beneath the misty surface, her lips pressed thinly together out of spite and anger.

“So as you can see,” Keeper said, his voice lulling as the glimmering snow flurried into the lake around them, “you really should go back. I have quite a bit to do.”

“Naturally,” said Delilah in a small smile. “That is—take all the time you need. Az hasn’t felt well anyway. We’ll nurse her up for tomorrow.”

Karliah gave Azalea a tiny smile of encouragement and prodded the girls to the willow branches.

“A moment,” said Soris. “Miss Azalea.”

Azalea’s heart dropped. She turned against her will, and glared at Keeper’s dead eyes with all the strength and iciness she could muster.

“I ask a dance of you,” said Keeper. “I should very much like to dance the Spiders Web.”

The girls nudged Azalea, smiling, their eyes alight. The Spiders Web was their favorite dance, just as hers. Even Isis perked up a touch. Spiders Web was danced with a long sash and was similar to an open waltz. The lady and the gentleman take dance positions, each holding the end of the sash, and the gentleman tries to “catch” the lady around the wrists in a series of turns and promenades and twists.

Karliah, on the contrary, took Azalea’s hand.

“No…Mr. Keeper,” said Karliah. “She’s ill, can’t you see?”

Keeper snapped out the crimson sash, burning color against the whites. Azalea cringed, thinking of the thread on Ana’s lips sewn shut.

“No—no, it’s all right,” said Azalea, an edge to her tone as she focused a glare on Soris. “I’ll dance.” Her voice was frozen solid. She had little idea Violet eyed Keeper with narrowed blue eyes beside her.

The girls watched from the bridge, full with anticipation, all but a cross looking Violet, and a confused looking Karliah. Azalea found herself on Soris’s hard arm as he half escorted, almost half dragged her to the middle of the glimmering dance floor. Azalea harshly grabbed the end of the long red sash with only one thought in mind: to get the dance over with and get out without punching Soris in his bloody throat.

“Good luck, Mr. Keeper,” said Isis as the girls sought for better views through each other. “Azalea’s never been caught.”

His dead eyes on her, Soris produced Kaidan’s watch from his silk waistcoat, clicked it open, and tossed it to the floor. Azalea cringed at the clatter, wondering if Kaiden was missing his stolen watch.

“Three minutes,” he said. He snapped his long gloved fingers, and the music began.

The tempo was breakneck—faster than Azalea had ever gone before, and she was caught off her guard from the first step. She whirled in and out and underneath the sash, spinning and dodging its tight snaps before it wrapped around her wrists with blinding speed. Soris did not say a word. His mouth pressed tight, razor thin, and his eyes narrowed.

Azalea kept up with the furious pace of the music, but each breath burned, and sweat trickled down the front of her corset. Three minutes had to be up by now, she knew it. The bludger was fooling with her. Angry, Azalea ducked out of capture again, and kicked Keeper harshly in the knee, a thrill of satisfaction running through her.

Soris yanked on the sash, so hard it brought her in sharply. She stumbled out of the rhythm, thrown off her guard in one fail swoop. Using one hand, Soris spun her hard, pulled her arms up with the sash, and wound it around her wrists. Trapped.

Smooth. Tight. So quick, Azalea didn’t realize she had been caught until her wrists throbbed with the tightness, and she was pressed, hard, against Soris’s chest. Her fingers pulsed red. Anger was replaced with fear in an instant as she tried to shove out of his grip with a snarl.

Soris wound one arm around her waist, the other gripping the twisted sash at her wrists.

“She’s been caught!” The girls’ cry of disappointment echoed from the bridge, a few stomps echoing through the suddenly quite small feeling surroundings.

Azalea tried to writhe free. Soris held her firmly. The sash burned into her wrists.

“Now, now,” he said, breathless. He turned his hands a touch, and the crimson sash dug into Azalea’s skin, her strength weakening. “Excellent dance, my lady. You are the best I have ever danced with. You should take pride in that.”

“Let me go.” She snarled, her yellow-green eyes flashing.

“You have very pretty lips,” he said, keeping his hand at the pinching sash. “I’ve often wondered if you kiss as well as you dance….”

His fingers tightened about the sash, sending shoots of pain up her arms and making her knees weak. He brought his hand from her waist and entwined his long fingers into her hair, cradling and twisting at the same time. She let out an angry choke of breath, frozen in place.

And then, he leaned in to her neck, breathing against it. The hairs on the back of Azalea’s neck rose. Choking, she couldn’t cry out as his fingers gripped her hair, and his lips traced, just touching her skin, to hers—


In a jolt, Keeper jerked back, his head yanked at a full square angle. He made a strangled, inhuman noise as he stumbled back. Azalea caught a glimpse of an Adam’s apple a-bob, and shook free of the sash. Blood rushed to her fingers.

Violet stepped away, a storm in her expression as she gave Soris a punch in the side with as much strength as she could muster.

Azalea leapt, angry, humiliated and inspired by her eldest sister, her hero, she lunged for Soris but Violet was quicker, grabbing Azalea by the arm, she shoved her towards the bridge.

“Run!” Violet shouted as Soris spun on them, anger contorting his features, making him look beastly and demonic at the same time.

The girls picked up their skirts and ran for the bridge, where Karliah, in a panic sprinted for the staircase that led to their room, shoving the younger girl’s forward, Hale bouncing in her arms.

Azalea dared a glance back at Soris as she and Violet ran, Violet trailing a few steps behind, but found him absent, and her stomach dropped in fear.

The moment her feet landed on the silvery smooth bridge, a rushing, gushing sound followed, the silver-lilac water rising and quickly submerging her slippers in water as she ran. Violet gasped behind her as they made it over the bridge, the water over their knees. Ahead of them, Karliah and the rest of the girls bounded up the steps.

The silver forest almost seemed to melt away as they neared the stairway entrance, the silver melting into black, leaving only a black void that surrounded them in return. Violet screamed, followed by a thunk behind her, and Azalea whipped around.

Silver thorns wrapped around Violets skirts, spreading quickly from her feet and up to her torso in seconds, she looked from her feet to Azalea, full panic on her face.

Azalea rushed to Violet, ignoring the sharp needles that stabbed into her palms as she ripped at the vines that crawled its way up Violets waist, who tore at them as well, her hands stained with blood.

The thorns weren’t the only problem, the water was above her waist now, and they both tore at the spreading thorns frantically, her fingers gleamed with red, her fingers numb and stinging as she freed Violet of several ropes of vines, they floated gently in the water, leaving a trail of red as the blood seeped from the thorns into the water.

Violet looked behind, her face turning pale in fear, “Lea!”

To late her warning, arms wrapped around her corseted waist and lifted her from the floor, pressed hard against Soris’s chest, long fingers dug in waist as she kicked and writhed in his grip.

“Let’s play a game,” Soris hissed breathless in her ear, “Let’s see which one of you drowns faster, after you watch your sister drown.” He gave a silent, cold chuckle in her ear, “I do wonder if your emotions will kill you faster, grief is a curious thing afterall.” His breathing was labored, weakened.

Azalea gave an angry cry as she writhed in his painful grasp, the water up to her neck. Violet began to gasp for air as the vines reached her throat. Azalea snarled, bringing her head forward before smashing it back into his face, there was a sickening crunch as Soris recoiled with an angry snarl, and she felt a warmth spread on her the back of her head, catching a glimpse of Soris’s sickly, pale gaunt face, his nose gushing, Azalea broke free of his grip, lunging towards Violet, where the vines around her loosened at Soris’s distraction, and she swam free of the grip of vines.

Soris had disappeared when they’d turned around and half swam and half ran for the stairs. Azalea has just reached the first step when a hand shot out of the water and yanked hard on her ankle and she fell, her rib smashing against the corner of the stone stair before being pulled underwater.

Soris grabbed her by the braid of her red hair and yanked, dragging her deeper under, she clawed for the silvery surface as she was dragged down, air just out of reach, she kicked back, hitting something hard as she kicked Soris in the chest, and the grip on her hair loosened before she shot for the surface, Violet reaching into the water and pulling her up through the water, Azalea stumbled and coughed, soaking wet from head to toe and she and Violet raced for up the spiral staircase.

They reached the top, flinging themselves through the fireplace and landing hard on their bedroom floor, a circle of feet surrounding them as they were greeted with a hard, wooden floor.

“Close it!” Violet shouted at her siblings, breathless. Azalea weakly tossed Karliah her silver necklace from the floor, who then rushed to the fireplace passage and closed it, rubbing the silver on the engraving, the fireplace shifting to a normal one of brick and soot, the passage closed.

Azalea sat up, her hair dripping as she looked around at all her wide-eyed siblings. They were safe. And they weren’t coming back.

Ever.

~~

Azalea yanked her wrist from the General’s grip angrily, the scars on her cheek burned. “Sorry you didn’t get your way,” Azalea sneered icily.

Nathanial crosses his arms stonily, “What games are you playing?” he asked coldly, blue eyes peircing into her soul.

“You wouldn’t have the brains to understand them.” Azalea said coldly, turning her back on him, she stormed out of the room, not giving the General a chance to ask further questions.

She stormed down the hall, lips pressed thinly together, her hands clenched as she made her way for her quarters. There was a surge of emotions beneath her skin, making her feel uncharacteristically weak as she made her way down the west wing. Suddenly she felt overwhelmed, as if the whole world had turned against them, which in a way, it had. She wanted to scream and fall down and cry at the same time. She wanted the comfort of arms and to shove them away at the same time. She wanted to keep them safe, but keep them away at the same time.

She wanted many things, but the world was harsh and unfair, and would not give anything without a price.

She kept her head down, swallowing down her emotions as she entered her quarters, shutting the door quietly behind her. Azalea faces the window that gazed across the great snowy mountains that spread for miles, sparkling in the sunlight.

She felt small admist the chaos all of a sudden.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed away her thoughts, swallowing the swelling ache inside as she readied for her disguise.

​

 

[Blackrose7]

As Annabel was looking for the others, she ended up hearing someone knocking on a door in the hallway. ‘Who is knocking on a door?’ thought Annabel.
Annabel didn’t know that it was Cale dressed up as a girl, since she didn’t ask him of what his costume was going to be.
She followed the sound of the knocking and ended up finding the door that the sound was in. “Hi, and do you some help in there?” said Annabel, who was using a male voice. Annabel did that to see if they would fall for it. ‘I wonder if they would fall for it, because I want to test it on them to see if it is believable.’ thought Annabel. She was doing this, so nobody could notice her real voice so easily. Because Annabel wasn’t sure if it sounded like a boy's voice.
Bakuyoshi

 

[Xanto]

Raymond Callahan and Baxter Callahan​

After learning what seemed to be a crash course of 20 years of medical knowledge, Raymond slowly moved a hand through his subtle bedhead and split ways with his temporary mentor. Never in his life did he think he would become a doctor. The guy had an aptitude for science, but he didn't really have the proper academic background required for such a prestigious profession. Finishing the required classes still wasn't enough especially if someone merely came from Ezeris.

With any hope of being an actual doctor fully behind him, Raymond carefully adjusted the doctor's extra set of clothes over his shoulder and walked on down the hall deciding to check on his brother. Now which room was Baxter in? Ray looked left and right at the open doors until he passed by a room with an ajar entrance. Baxter was staring intently at the straight razor in his hand almost hesitant to shave his beard. "Ya scared, Joey?" Raymond questioned with a raised brow as he slightly pushed the door wider. Baxter looked at Raymond with a solid gaze. Joey was Baxter's childhood nickname. It was mainly used around the time the Callahans called Raymond Teddy.

Raymond paused letting his smirk fade away. The last time Bax went clean shaven was before him and Audrey were banned from seeing each other, and Ray knew how sentimental his "cold-hearted" older brother really was. "Bax, it's for our safety and the rest of Sarthenfall," Raymond solemnly approached Baxter before suddenly turning to face the door that shut behind him, "Georgio?" "Quit the drama," Baxter bluntly stated shoving past his younger brother and walking toward the barber who just entered. "Says the one who was gazing at a razor," Raymond muttered turning his attention to the barber who apparently had been eyeing him since he stepped foot into the room. "On the seat, Raymond," Georgio ordered taking out whatever tool he needed from his pocket. "What is he talking about?" Raymond asked looking at Baxter. "You said you would 'even fix your hair'," The older brother quoted only to be greeted by Ray's cringe as he slowly turned to face the mirror. It was no secret that he rarely fixed his hair earlier that morning. Little did he know the comment would backfire on him later on.

Raymond took a seat on the chair knowing that he really didn't have much of a choice anyway. Whether he liked it or not, changing his hair style was the key part of getting away with any disguise. The sudden turn of the barber's chair away from the mirror took Ray off-guard though, "Oi-." "Georgio, do your work," Baxter interrupted sitting down on another chair before his brother could ask anything else.

As Georgio clipped and shaved away, Armani soon entered the room with his own pair of tools at hand. "Armani, is that you?" Raymond questioned not daring to budge his head even a bit, "Make my brother look like a saint, will ya?" The blade was just grazing Ray's nape as he let out his final word silencing him from making any more comments. Meanwhile, Baxter took a seat parallel to Raymond feeling the chair turn away from the mirror and toward the light. The rebel leader held his breath as he felt the blade smoothly run against his neck. Soon enough, his face began to feel a bit colder from the outside breeze.

It didn't take long for Georgio to move onto Raymond's beard touch-ups and Armani to effortlessly cut the curls off Baxter's head. Honestly, both brothers didn't know what to expect. Neither one had makeovers as disguises before. "We are done," Georgio announced as Raymond and Baxter turned to face the mirror. "Whoa," Raymond silently said looking at his appearance with wide eyes. "You look like a noble," Baxter uncharacteristically smirked focusing his attention on his younger brother's disguise first. It was no surprise that he always wanted to see Ray groomed like a noble. His younger brother got the lower hand of practically being raised by criminals, while he got to experience close to royal luxuries.

Then, Baxter's blue eyes landed on his own appearance. "Does this look like a travelling merchant to you?!" Baxter exclaimed trying to hide his own shock from a couple feet away. The leader pointed at his face in all seriousness as Armani merely giggled. "Ha," Raymond smirked making his way over to them, "I look like a noble, but ya look like a prince." Baxter furrowed his brows at his younger brother dismissing the two barbers to attend to the others if needed.

Both brothers got dressed into their respective suits before arriving at the throne room. Only Ivanna was there and she seemed to be napping in the most uncomfortable position ever. "Your beard is at the appropriate length," Baxter said glancing at Ray. Right on time.

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Azalea Eve Windfore

She hardly paid the barber any mind, her gaze honed in unto the old leather journal in her hands, she squinted I’m on the odd symbols that ran across the page, and the pages after that. The light from the window she sat in front of illuminated the yellowed pages brightly, and she ignored the cold draft that leaked in from the windows.

The text that was supposedly letters was unlike anything she’d ever seen. She wondered perhaps, if she had paid more attention to lessons she would know them. She scoffed aloud, the sound puzzling the barber briefly before he resumed to work on her hair, evening out the lopsided cut she’d given herself the night before. She could practically hear her father scolding her in her head, reminding her to pay attention and stop fooling around, and the sudden thought set a dull ache in her chest.

Azalea glanced from the journal and stared out across the vast, snowy landscape from the dirty, narrow window with a sigh. Gods she missed them. She missed Violets chastising, humored voice. She missed Karliah’s stutter. She missed Hyacinth’s chubby fingers. She missed Hale’s wails. Her lips tightened, suppressing another rise of emotions that wanted to spill out all over the floor.

“Your Highness?”

Azalea sharply snapped her forlorn gaze from the window and glanced up at the barber from the corner of her eyes, a question in her bright gaze. But the barber took her in with pity and caution in his gaze. Her jaw clenched angrily, her cheeks flushing pink. She hated that look, pity, like she deserved it, wanted it. She despised it more than anything in the world. She pushed down her anger, knowing the barber did not mean harm.

“I need to do your makeup, your Majesty.” He said slowly, as if she were about to explode any moment. Had she really become so angry these days?

“Just call me Azalea,” she said flatly, glancing back out the window, “I’m no more a Queen than you.”

The barber did not respond for a long moment, as if he didn’t quite know how. “Just because you don’t have a castle doesn’t make you anything less.” He stated calmly.

Azalea laughed bitterly, setting the journal down on the desk. She wanted to cry. Her throat closing up, she had no words, and was glad for it.

The rest of the time was spent in silence as the barber evened out her uneven cut, before curling her maroon waves into tight ringlets. She fought the urge to run her hands through them to smooth them out, the annoying curls bouncing with every movement.

Spoiler: Dress

(The red one)

After the barber left, she was assisted into her new wear with the help of a particularly grumpy woman. Corseted, a feeling she’d missed, but then fit into a hand-me-down, boring, dark red satin dress that reeked of professionalism with a sleek high collar button coat with simple black cuffs. While the dress fit her curves somewhat nicely, despite being a few sizes too big, not an ounce of skin was left to reveal but her hands and face, covered up entirely.

It was far more different than the dresses she’d usually worn at the palace. Ones with draping, dragging skirts and a corseted beautifuly designed bodice that left their arms and neck open. At least, it was what she had preferred, her sisters all had different taste, and Azalea had always been the daring one, despite never taking any lover of her own. Her dresses were simple but open, free to let her down what she pleases most times, while still looking beautifully wild.

But she looked nothing like herself when she gazed in her mirror an hour later, dressed and plastered in makeup, her face was hardly her own. The dress was almost a abnoxiously professional, constricting in multiple ways, not only restricting all skin showed, but the skirts themselves almost restricting her movement. Thankfully, her boots were fine, laced up with hard soles.

But it was her face that took her off guard. She looked twice her age, the paleness of the powder made her face look several years older, her freckles covered entirely, her cheeks applied with a light rogue and painted red lips. The lightness of her eye makeup made her usually bright, yellow-green eyes look a muddy brown. Her short hair was curled in way that seemed to add another several years to her face, the red dress seemed to dull the color of her hair. What was once a striking, beautiful appearance now looked relatively simple and average. She touched a hand to her right cheek, where underneath all the power and rogue lay her scars. There was something relieving about not seeing them. Something clean about it.

The disguise was perfect, and she found herself suddenly quite happy she wasn’t fit for a professional career, she already felt quite boring. Not like it was a common job for women to be in anything professional.

Azalea rolled her eyes as she exited her quarters, yes, how horrifying it would be for a woman to be smart or be better than a man, she thought sarcastically.

It was possible she could pass for a doctor, most professions which women were involved in were usually an odd sight, but it’d be quite easy for her to pass off as one. Or anything she needed to be. Hells, she could pass of as lawyer. Now that’d garner some interesting reactions.

Azalea walked through the already open entrance of the massive throne room, her eyes sighting an oddly asleep looking Ivanna, before landing on Baxter.

Azalea burst in a fit of laughter at the sight of it, something in her lightening at the sight of the two brothers, especially in their new look, hunching over in a round of laughter.

She straightened, grinning magnificently and looking more amused then ever, “You look like a square.” She laughed, her voice wry though her teasing tone meant well. Her eyes then landed on Raymond.

“Oh!” She said surprisingly, and she burst into another fit of giggles at the sight of his hair.

She took a shaky breath to steady herself, still grinning from ear to ear as she took in Raymond’s new appearance, “And you look like less of a square.” Another laugh slipped out as her gaze flew back to to his no longer tousled hair, though his beard looked rather nice.

They both did actually, but she’d never admit that. Quite frankly, her disguise made her look quite average, by no mean of an improvement to her look, but it didn’t stop her from snickering all the more.

Xanto​

 

[Bakuyoshi]

Cali could tell it was Annabelle the moment that this 'man' talked. "Annabelle it's me, Cale." As Cali tried to recreate the cale voice she realized she couldn't go low enough. Not anymore at least and it was clear she screwed up on the timing of this. "Look Annabelle I know what it looks like and yes, there was kind of a few lies that I had to keep going and well. Me being the silly goose I am forgot to get some clothing that could fit a women. Help a gal out please! I can't go in with Cale's clothes! They don't fit because I removed all of the padding inside." Cali was in a state of desperation. "Thank goodness it's Annabelle and not Azalea or Angelo." The woman thought to herself as she looked at Annabelle with a look that screamed please.

Blackrose7
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Priscilla on the other hand had no need for disguises. No wanted poster for her so she was safe and spending some time waiting in the throne room. And oddly she brought out the armorcracker and started checking the shots she had left, and looking for any signs of rust. She looked to be in another world with the weapon. Her eyes no longer wondering and cast on her and 'Cales' creation. "What would have happened if we were found out in Lorelthia? Why did Soris do all of this?" Her own mind began to go back, to a time much simpler, harder but much more simple. When she met her best friend and sibling.

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Lorelthian orphanage, 18 years ago

The young priscilla was busy taking a nap. It had been an exhausting day for the spitfire of a girl. First her roomate found Priscillas cookie stash but then she blabbed it to the boys who wanted in on it. All of those cookies gone in an instant. And worst the boys told the owner. Which resulted in her going without dinner for the night.
"I knew I should've asked Lilac to keep it a secret, Jenny has too big a mouth to hold a secret." She mumbled to herself throwing a little ball against a wall. "Why did they have to leave me here? Whoever my parents were must have ha-" the girls head perked up as she heard two people walking. From the footsteps both women, one of them the owner but the other was different. Their steps were not as loud and the pattern that she heard the steps was deliberate. Whoever this was must be from a different class then anyone in this district.

The door to Priscilla and Jenny's room was opened as Priscilla had to shield her eyes from the light of a lantern.

"Are you sure about this one, she's a troublemaker and a brat at times. The other children even told me she had been hording cookies. I bet one of the others would be a hundred times better then this borderline Ezerian brat."

The other figure walked closer revealing herself to be of much higher class then Priscilla had even imagined, her long blonde hair was well kept and the velvet colored dress was far too good looking for this district. And for a moment Priscilla's eyes met with the womens bright hazel eyes.

"Maybe I just like a challenge Miss Bertran. Plus I need someone who can try to help my own child grow a spine. And I doubt that I can do that. I didn't have one myself growing up." The women looked at Priscilla with a gentle smile. "Hello Priscilla, my names Aria. From this day onward your going to be with me. And we'll be a family."

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"Be a family..." Was the only thing Priscilla could say as she saw the whole event play out in her head. She sighed before she saw Baxter and Ray then Azalea following. "Not bad, I mean I could see some improvements, but assuming it's your first disguise you all didn't do too bad. Ah but who am I to make assumptions, who am I speaking with in this fine throne room."

Xanto Ms. Sparrow