#also fam and bringer being best battle couple again

[hunger-and-desire]

The Battle for the Mirrorverse, Pt 3

Based off an old idea Crow/ @ghostsandmirrors​ and I were throwing around. Was seized with the need to write it. So here’s the first of what will be I don’t know how many parts.

Basic jist: The horsemen have teamed up with Misfortune to overthrow the Lady of the Mirror and take over. After a surprise attack, Famine, Bringer, and the Mirrorverse folk are scrambling to defend themselves and the Mirror World from the attackers. It doesn’t go their way.

Disclaimer: I don’t know what this place looks like so I just made it up. Sorry, Crow.

Famine wrapped the bands of leather tightly around her knuckles, flexing her hand as she went to make sure she could still move her fingers. Tucking the tail of the last band into itself, she admired her handiwork. It had been a long time since she’d dressed for a fight, a true fight, but she still remembered how to wrap the knuckle guards so that she didn’t shred the backs of her hands when she inevitable rolled her blade wrong (intentionally or otherwise). It’d taken too many years for her to come to this solution, something thin enough to keep her hands bare but wide enough to protect the flesh close to the blades.

Standing, she walked over to where she’d draped her long coat over a chair. Pulling the heavy green fabric on and feeling the cool silk insides slip over her skin, she was reminded of days long ago, in Calpur, when she was preparing to go to court or make a visit to a governor or duke’s castle. It’d been a different coat then, much more refined and elegant, and she’d been dressed for parties and ceremony beneath, not war. Fastening the clasps along the front, Famine pushed away the memories. Now was not the time for reminiscing.

Arranging the skirt of the coat so they covered her mostly bare legs and feet and then grabbing her blades, Famine strode off towards the courtyard. Much of the army was already gathered when she got there. She paused a moment on the steps, looking down at the gathered people. Some were talking while others looked over their weapons. She could see the General moving among, checking on everyone. How many of these people wouldn’t come home at the end of the day? How many of their bodies would be left on a battlefield, far from loved ones, dying alone?

Famine spotted Bringer at the front of the courtyard and started off towards them. She stepped silently up beside them, the whisper of her coat on the stones the only noise. They were looking out beyond the town at the field where they’d been instructed to meet Misfortune and the horsemen. They glanced her way, a shift of the eyes really, to acknowledge her presence, but then went back to look out at the field.

“How’s your knee?” she asked after a couple more moments of silence.

“Fine,” the Bringer sighed, glancing down at their legs, “Still hurts, aches really, but it’s fine.” They looked back up to her. “How’s your nose?”

The horseman shrugged, “Fine,” It honestly hardly bugged her at all.

The pair started to lapse into silence once more when Famine screwed up her face. “Does it look crooked?” she asked, crossing her eyes as if trying to look down at it. A dry laugh left Bringer’s lips though their expression hardly changed.

“Only a little, if you squint,” they answered.

Famine uncrossed her eyes. “Oh good,” she sighed, seemingly relieved, “I could illusion it straight, but I’d still know it was there, so,” She gave another shrug as if to say ‘what could you do?’ The briefest of smiles crossed Bringer’s lips as they turned to face the gathering soldiers.

The General stepped over to Bringer and Famine. His eyes narrowed when he saw Famine. “Going for a walk on Zonfer?” he asked.

“Trust me, it’ll look weirder later,” she mused. Normally, she’d just wear the pants and top she wore beneath the coat, but since she was around so many people at the moment, she didn’t want to risk all the exposed skin; she’d rather kill her enemies than a fellow in arms.

The General looked like they wanted to comment but didn’t. Instead, he turned to Bringer, “We should be moving out, if you’re ready.”

“Alright,” Bringer sighed with a nod, “Let’s go.”

The General disappeared back into the throng of people. “Well,” Famine mused, “I’ll see you on the battlefield, I suppose.”

“I suppose so,” Bringer responded.

“Don’t die, alright!” Famine called over her shoulder as she started off towards where Desire was waiting for her.

The Bringer chuckled, but it was humorless. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

Famine held out a hand to the large, dark horse as she approached. “KetrabE, Isydrie,” she muttered, lightly running her fingers over the horse’s snout. Desire snorted, warm air brushing over Famine’s fingers.

“You have good horse,” came Liaxee’s booming voice, though it was slightly quieter than normal as he addressed Famine. He stepped around her horse, gently petting Desire’s mane. “Not as good as Iec, though.”

“You don’t think any horse is as good as Iec, Liaxee,” Famine laughed quietly.

The large man shrugged innocently. “Because it is true.”

The horseman shook her head as she stepped into one stirrup and hauled herself onto her horse. She was adjusting the reins and making sure everything was settled when she realized Liaxee was still standing there, petting Desire’s nose quietly. “Liaxee?”

“You will be okay, sey?” he said, the phrase both a question and a statement. It was such a genuine question, full of care and concern, that Famine had to sit with a moment before even beginning to formulate a response

“Yes, of course,” she finally said, “And you?”

Liaxee beamed up at her, “Of course.” He gave Desire one last pat and then stepped back, turning to head off. “When we are back, we will have another fight, you and I!” he said as he went, “You will have to teach me your tricks!”

“What tricks?” she called after him, but he was already gone. Famine shook her head, laughing quietly to herself despite the situation; Liaxee’s positivity was as contagious as the plague.

The army moved to the field, an undulating mass of people. Famine and Desire cantered out ahead, the tails of Famine’s coat streaming out behind her as they went. The other army was a dark line on the horizon, slowly coming closer, a growing storm.

Feeling that she was suitably close to enemy lines, Famine pulled Desire to a stop and swung to the ground. The moment her bare feet touched the ground, the grass beneath them started to die. Famine unclasped her jacket and tossed it over her saddle before crouching and digging her fingers into the dirt. The death spread, racing across the field, turning the once green grass gray and brittle. Standing, Famine surveyed her work and then turned back to her horse. “Let’s burn some shit, Isydrie.” As if in response, her horse let out a loud shriek and then charged forward.

The idea was to create a funnel, make sure that, if the other army was going to sneak behind them, they would have to go all the way around, giving the Mirrorverse army a better chance at noticing and reacting to that threat. So as Famine and Desire flew along, Famine leaned down over the horse’s side and stretched her hand out until they brushed along the top of the dead grass. Sparks lept from her fingertips and quickly ignited on the dry kindling. She drew a semi-circle of fire across the field, pulling herself upright onto her horse as she found it long enough. She just leaning down to start the second wall of flames after leaving a gap between the two when an arrow sailed out of nowhere and buried itself in her shoulder. The force of it unsettled her just enough that she was sent tumbling off of Desire. She tucked her head in as she crashed to the ground, rolling a couple times over before using the momentum to propel herself back to her feet.

Famine glanced at the arrow in her shoulder before looking up to find soldiers advancing towards her. With a snarl, she hurled a line of fire at them, wrinkling her nose at the smell of burning flesh. She yanked the arrow out of her shoulder and threw it to the ground. Drawing her blades, Famine faced down the army ahead of her, preparing herself for what she knew would be a long haul of a fight.

 Famine was small at the distant side of the field. Bringer watched as she discarded her great coat and crouched. Though they’d never say it out loud, they were worried for her. Famine could hold her own in a fight, they had seen that many times, but Bringer didn’t know what they’d do if she died. They’d already lost the Lady, they couldn’t lose her too.

“Are you alright, Girnber?”

 Bringer looked over at Nergale, who was watching them out of the corner of his eye. “Fine,” they answered, looking out at the oncoming army. Nergale hummed as if he didn’t quite believe Bringer, but didn’t say anything else.

They watched as Famine remounted her horse and raced off into the field, drawing the first wall of fire. As she drew herself upright, Nergale turned and looked back at the army behind him. “Let’s go!” There was a raucous cheer and Bringer remembered the last time they’d been in battle. That hadn’t gone particularly well.

They drew their blade and were about to teleport down onto the field when they saw Famine go tumbling from her horse. There was a moment of fear before they saw her come back to her feet and incinerate the people in front of her. In a blink of an eye, they appeared down on the field by her, not appreciating the odds of a sole horseman against an army. Famine glanced their way and smiled, her teeth sharp and long. “Fancy seeing you here!” she shouted. The Bringer couldn’t help a small laugh but was quickly distracted as soldiers descended upon the pair.

 Going back to back, Famine and Bringer faced down the enemies around them. “Did you not think I could hold my own down here?” Famine asked above the din of battle.

 “Oh, I just didn’t want to miss the party,” they responded, lashing out at an approaching soldier.

“Right, because this is a fucking riot,” she laughed.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“Well, it’s not every day I get to return to my roots.” There was something unnerving about her roots being in slaughter, but Bringer didn’t mention it.

Time was an illusion among the corpses and roiled earth. It could have been minutes or it could have been days since the start of the battle, Famine couldn’t tell. She was in the thick of things, meeting an enemy at every turn. She’d long since been separated from Bringer, both of them having charged off to deal with other people. Her blades and hands were becoming slick with blood as she hacked down soldier after soldier. She was beginning to feel herself tire and as her next victim fell, she grabbed them, feeling their energy leech through her skin and revive her.

As the corpse fell, she found herself with a rare moment breath. Scanning the area around her, she saw Liaxee not too far away. He was facing down several soldiers at once, swinging both sword and shield wildly. At one point, he simply took his shield and bashed into the head of one of his attackers. Wasn’t a tactic Famine herself would have though of, but then again, she wasn’t one for shields.

Just as she was turning to dart off somewhere else, Famine spotted another soldier sneaking up behind Liaxee, entirely unnoticed. She was beginning to draw her bow, aiming at his head. Famine pivoted and launched herself in Liaxee’s direction, taking the woman down. Famine rolled to her feet as the archer struggled to regain her footing. Wielding the half-moon blades as one, Famine brought them crashing down into the shoulder of the archer, knocking her back to the ground. Having freed himself of the other fighters, Liaxee was quick to turn and drive his sword into her back, making sure she didn’t get up again. “You alright?” Famine asked.

“I am still standing, sey?” he replied.

“That’s one way to look at it,” the horseman mused, “Keep it that way, would ya?” A wide grin spread across Liaxee’s face.

“Only because you asked.”

Famine couldn’t help a laugh, but all gaiety was gone as Liaxee yelled, “Duck!” causing Famine to drop into a low crouch as the large man swung his sword at something behind her. Blood spattered across her back, almost cool against her warm skin.

Feeling she was sufficiently free from being stabbed, Famine stood and glanced at the body Liaxee had just felled. “Sorry,” he said, motioning to the blood speckling her back. The horseman narrowed her eyes and cocked her head before waving a hand at herself to highlight the amount of blood she was already covered in, most of it not her own.

  “Hazard of war.”

Liaxee nodded. “Hazard of war.”

#battle for the mirrorverse #pt 3 #ghostsandmirrors #i love liaxee and fam so much #also fam and bringer being best battle couple again #fic