#and the girl found this like...magic glowing marble with a purple gem inside

[witchesoz]

What we know of Oz: Book 1, the Heart of Oz

Before speaking of the Emerald City in itself, I would like to talk a bit about the central region of Oz, the “Green Country” you could call it. Indeed, many people forget that the lands around the Emerald City as technically their own territory, noted to be a “very beautiful country” which contrasts with the dark forest of the East, the desert lands of the West and the weird locations of the South. On the Eastern side, it seems that the limit of this green land is the wide river that blocks the Yellow Brick Road into two (this same river that goes all the way to the West). If you follow along the Yellow Brick Road you find beautiful gree / We also know a bit what the East-southern part of this central region looks like – this is where our heroes drift after being carried away by the river. This east-southern part is described as a “lovely country” with plenty of flowers and fruit trees, brightly colored birds and lovely flowers that cover the ground into a thick carpet – yellows, white, blues and purples, with great clusters of scarlet poppies. The more towards the East one goes, the more the poppies, until they form one giant meadow – the famous “poppy fields” all Oz fans now. And no, the poppies aren’t supposed to be magical – in this book they are natural poppies, but in such a great number that they smell becomes insanely strong and can make people fall asleep forever. (If you don’t know, poppies are the source of opium). Beyond this field of poppies there are beautiful green fields of grass – this is where our heroes meet the Field Mice Queen and the Wildcat. Past this field is the Yellow Brick Road.

  Now, going along the Yellow Brick Road, smooth and well paved, one will find quickly farms and small green houses, with green faces, in which live these central denizens – all dressed in emerald-green, and wearing peaked hats “like those of the Munchkin” (indeed in the early illustrations, what we know currently as the typical Munchkins hats, with the point and the bells, was the typical hat of all the Ozians). After these houses and farms, we arrive to the Emerald City. I will mention that again, but Dorothy identifies this central area as the “Land of Oz”, which means either she is mislead, either indeed this central region is the land of Oz proper that gave its name to the entire country. She may also be simply designating this land as the belonging of Oz, as in the Wizard. Who knows?

  To the West, there are mentions of “fields of soft grass, dotted with daisies and buttercups”, and the southern part of this central region is described as “green fields and bright flowers that stretch on every side” (it seems to be the same area that is before the poppy fields), and populated by butterflies and moths.   # The Emerald City, or City of Emeralds. Named as such because it is allegedly entirely made of emeralds. The most famous place of all of Oz, and yet one no one in Oz seems to go to. We know that Boq never went there, the Tin Woodman never went there either – but his father went in this city once, as a young boy – and the Quadlings also never go to the City due to the dangers on the road. Only the farmer that lives in one of the green houses around the City has more knowledge about it, claiming that he went there several times. The City is quite hard to miss, given that it glows with a green light – when one arrives in the central region, they can already see the green light in the sky, on the horizon. From the outside the City looks a “mass of towers and steeples”, with “high up above the spires and the dome of the Palace of Oz”. The City is circled by a great green wall, high and thick, bright green, with in it a big gate studded with emeralds that glitter in the sun, and next to this door a bell to ring. When one rings this bell, they enter a high and arched room where the walls glisten with countless emeralds – this is the domain of the Guardian of the Gate, or Keeper of the Keys, however you would call him, he doesn’t have a name at this point. He is described as a man, the same size as a Munchkin, clothed in green and with a greenish tint to his skin. His role is to welcome the travelers, to make sure they have a rightful business in the town, and to put them on green glasses. This is the rule – in order to not be blinded by the brightness and glory of the city, people have to put on spectacles made of green glass and gold bands locked behind the head with a key, a key only the Guardian possesses. It is forbidden to take them off when inside the City, people even have to sleep with it, and this rule was instituted during the foundation of the City. Of course, this is later revealed to be another trick of the Wizard: the City has indeed emeralds in its ornaments, and has green in it, but as the Wizard says “no more than anywhere else”, and so, to make people think everything was green and everything was made of emeralds, he invented this “green spectacles” rule. Dorothy and her friends realize this immediately upon leaving the City – the young girl sees that the green dress she was wearing is now entirely white (maybe the Wizard also tried to hide his “illegal” use of the color associated with the Witches?). It is also interesting to know that in this book, there seems to be only one door to the City, with one spectacle room and one Guardian of the Gates – while in most of modern adaptations the Emerald City has four doors, one for each cardinal direction.

Once a visitor has their glasses on, the Guardian of the Gates uses a big golden key to open the inside doors to the City proper (remember, the glasses tint everything green so in terms of colors, nothing is sure): streets lined with beautiful houses of green marble, and studded everywhere with sparkling emeralds, a pavement of the same green marble where the blocks are joined by rows of emeralds, with windows of green glass. Dorothy notes that the City is quite busy, with many people, men, women and children – she also notices numerous shops, that sell either clothes and accessories (shoes, hats, clothes…) either food (pop-corn, candy and lemonade). At the center of the City is the Palace. Inside one can find big rooms with greens carpets and mats, a furniture incrusted with emeralds. The staff of the palace seems to be mostly made of soldiers (well, we meet one soldier, with a green uniform and a long “green” beard) and maids (we see a young girl with a pretty green silk gown). A typical guest room of the Palace has a bed with silk sheets and a velvet counterpane, a tiny marble fountain in which can be found perfume, flowers at the window, a wardrobe filled with (for girls) silk, satin and velvet gowns, as well as a shelf filled with books – all green, of course. As for the Throne Room of Oz, it is a big round room with a high arched roof, large emeralds covering the floor, ceiling and walls, and a great light as bright as the sun in the middle of the room, shining upon a big throne of marble shaped like a chair and decorated with gems. An interesting mention in this book is the one of the court of the Palace – in front of the Throne Room, there are “many ladies and gentlemen of the court” in rich costumes, that every morning go in front of the door hoping to see the Wizard but are never permitted to, so they spend their time standing around and talking to each other. I don’t think we see these courtiers ever again after this book.  

  # Two specificities of the City: One, people use money. In later books, Baum claims that money doesn’t exist in Oz, and indeed we see previously that the Ozians seem to practice ancient barter exchanges (such as the Wicked Witch of the East being paid with cattle). BUT… there is clearly mentioned here that children pay their lemonade with “green pennies”. It wouldn’t be surprising however that the Wizard is actually the one that introduced the idea of money in Oz – after all it fits very well with the teachings he gives to the heroes: “In this country, everyone must pay for everything they get”, “I never grant favors without something in return”. Second specificity, there are no horses or working animals of any kind – men carry around their belongings and packages on little green carts that they push before them.  

    # Now that we saw the City, what about the Wizard? First of all, let’s look at the legend he built for himself in Oz… When Dorothy asks the Witch of the North who the Wizards of Oz are, she merely answers that Oz is the “Great Wizard” – no mention of other possible smaller Wizards, no explanation that he is the last Wizard, almost as if she tried to avoid the question. The Witch informs that he is “more powerful than the rest of us” [the Witches], and that he rules over the Emerald City (not the entirety of Oz, mind you, only the Emerald City). The Good Witch also adds that she ignores if the Wizard is a “he” or a “she” for she never saw him before. However she insists that Dorothy should not be afraid of Oz, and that he will help her if she asks. Later Boq has a more nuanced message, telling Dorothy that it is better to “keep away from Oz, unless you have business with him”. When asking the farmer from the green house near the City, Dorothy learns that no one currently ever saw Oz – all those that did are now long dead. The Wizard spends his days in his great Throne Room, never leaving the palace, and if someone manages to get an interview with him, the Great Wizard will take all sorts of shapes to hide his true face. The farmer mentions that previous sighted shapes of the Wizard have been: a bird, an elephant, a cat, a beautiful fairy and a brownie (not the cake, but the little fae-impish like creatures). When each of the heroes talk about their wishes, the farmer also has very specific answers about the Wizard’s abilities, saying that he has “more brains than needed”, “a large collection of hearts of all shapes and sizes” and a “great pot of courage which he has covered with a golden plate to keep it from running over”. It is hard to know if the man is inventing these fabulous stories along or if they are real rumors the central citizens believe in. As for the Guardian of the Door’s opinion: according to him, the Wizard is powerful and terrible, and if you come on an idle or foolish errand he will be angry and destroy his visitors, but he is still a good Wizard that rules wisely, only being terrible for people who are not honest or too curious.

  # Everyone remembers that the Wizard, in a memorable sequence, takes a different “shape” for each of the travelers. To Dorothy he appears as an enormous limbless and bodiless head, resting on his throne, with no hair at all, a head said to be “biggest than any giant head”. To the Scarecrow, he appears as a “lovely lady, dressed in green silk gauze and wearing upon her flowing green locks a crown of jewels. Growing from her shoulders were wings gorgeous in color and so light that they fluttered if the slightest breath of air reached them.” To the Tin Woodman, the Wizard appears as a terrible beast, big as an elephant, with a head like a rhinoceros, five eyes, five long arms growing out of his torso, five slim legs, and thick wooly hair covering all of his body. Finally, to the Lion the Wizard appears as a ball of fire, so fierce and glowing that the Lion can’t look at it and he feels his whiskers burning with the heat. Of course, all of this are just tricks – the head is a giant dummy manipulated with wires, the lady is actually a costume and a mask, the beast is a structure covered in animal skins, and the ball of fire is a cotton boil with burning oil. The main talent of Oz to fool the people is actually his ability to manipulate his voice – on one side he is a very talented ventriloquist, able to project his voice everywhere (in fact, when he pretended being invisible, he imitated the feeling of moving around by having his voice move through the room) and on the other he is a talented imitator, able for example to imitate any kind of animal sound, bird or beast. In fact he was a ventriloquist before becoming a balloonist in a circus.  

   # Of course, the Wizard’s backstory needs a lot of thought and look at. Why? Because the arrival of the Wizard is one of the biggest inconsistencies of the Oz books, so much that the wildest theories and explanations were created to explain the differences from book to book. In this book, the Wizard (whose real name is actually unknown) was born in the Omaha. He became at first a ventriloquist, having trained under the “best master”, but then he chose to become a balloonist – and during a balloon accident he was carried away by a current of air for a whole day and a whole night, up to the land of Oz. The local Ozians, visibly those that inhabited the Central Region at the time, believed him to be a great Wizard – that was the only explanation for him coming down the clouds – and they promised to do everything he would do, out of fear. The Wizard was very glad to become the king of these people, and his first order was to build the Emerald City – yes, build, because the Emerald City in this book was created by the Wizard. He explains that it was half to keep the people “busy”, and half because it “amused” him. This is the whole dichotomy of the Wizard – if you try to see him as a bad man, you end up realizing that most of his actions have good explanations and good effects. But if you try to see him as a good man, you keep noticing little bits of selfishness and megalomania sparkled everywhere. He is truly a neutral character, or rather as he says, “ a good man but a bad Wizard”. The City was built with many jewels and precious metals, but Oz had the idea of the green spectacles to make it look like everything was green in there, to make it even more splendid and beautiful. He also notes that the City was built when he was a young man – but in current times he is a “very old man”, small, bald and wrinkled. While he at first played the role of the Wizard to just “play” the game and use his power, he quickly did it out of fear and self-preservation, when he found about out the four Witches of Oz, who had real powers. The Wizard is terribly afraid of the Witches – at the time there were already two good Witches, the Northern and Southern one, that would “never do him harm”, so he did not care much about them (and it explains why the Northern Witch never saw him). But the two Wicked Witches in the East and the West were already there too, and he needed to make everyone believe that he was much more powerful than them to prevent the cruel witches from attacking. (We know that the Wizard actually entered in the West, and was driven out of it by the Winged Monkeys of the Witch, but we don’t know more about the actual details of this event). And so began this trickery that worked so well and for such a long time that the Wizard thought he would never be found out. Note that when called a humbug at first, the Wizard seems to be delighted by such a name, but later admits that he is tired of being one and he wants to be able to get out of the Palace and return to his old circus life.

   # Despite all of that, the Wizard still tries his best to offer to our heroes what they want. To give brain to the Scarecrow, he fills his head with bran, and mixes with it pins and needles to give him a “sharp” mind. To the Tin Woodman he gives a “soft” heart, aka one made of silk and stuffed with sawdust. And for the Lion, he gives him a liquid that immediately makes him feel brave and courageous – a subtle joke, but clearly the Wizard is giving the Lion a strong alcohol.

   # A final interesting note about the Wizard: the way the people will remember him. Indeed, the narration explains to us that the citizens of the Emerald City kept loving the Wizard after he left, pretendedly to visit “a great brother Wizard who lived in the clouds”, they remembered him as their “friend” and a wonderful wizard – but more than all, they remember “He built us this city”. Yep, clearly the Wizard changed people’s memory so that they would think he built the city for them, and not the other way around. But it fits very well with what the Wizard said before: “I have always been good to these people, and they love me”.

#oz #novel #the wizard of oz #emerald city #the emerald city #l frank baum #the wonderful wizard of oz #book

[oppositesunchild]

The Revenge of Death’s Angel

The creaking of the iron gates often brought chills down the back of anyone who heard it. Inside the gates, just past the graveyard, a large house stood. A house that, to the human eye looked dilapidated and was falling apart. The roof of the patio was sloping as if it had a million pounds of weight on it but still had not broken. And many of the shingles were missing, leaving large, gaping holes in the structure. The wooden patio floors were missing planks and were soft and rotted. And the yard was barren of life and weeds ran rampant. The fountain in the middle of the courtyard was dry as bone and the once beautiful marble was cracked. It was set a few miles away from the rest of civilization. 

But there were people living in that house, and to them it was the most beautiful thing. Ivy and ferns grew through the crevices of the old winding stone path, which led directly to the colossal structure. The mansion loomed proudly behind the creaky iron gates and isle upon isle of headstones and was flanked by rows of skeletal trees crowned in crimson, swaying gently in the chilly autumn wind. At its threshold stood the delicate marble fountain, the soft gurgling of the clear water melodic as it resonated in the surrounding silence of night. Gargoyles loomed over the entrance to both the house, and the property, sitting on pedestals that were attached to the gates. 

The creatures looked fairly ugly to the human eye. Crouched, snarling monsters with wings and fangs, frozen forever in all their disgusting glory. But to those in the house, they were in fact very beautiful. They were magical in nature. When they were designed, they were designed with the purpose to protect the property and its inhabitants. 

Suddenly, out of the dark, there were three flashes of color, arching over the gates and landing in the courtyard beyond. The gargoyles never reacted, seeing as they had the blood of every inhabitant ‘programmed’ into the workings of the statues. It was a stormy night and seeing as there was no moonlight, the three were almost swallowed up in the darkness. As they stood and looked upon the lit house, they all sighed happily. As they made their way towards the building, they looked around to see if anything had changed. 

To humans, the laughter that echoed around the gated off mansion might sound creepy. The delighted giggles of young children warped to sound murderous. Like the teasing laughter of a killer stalking towards you, knowing you can’t escape. The three smiled, knowing there were a few more babies now than when they had left a few years ago. They looked at each other and nodded. The tallest figure raised his hands and out of nowhere, lightning crashed and thunder boomed. They snickered as they heard the clamoring noises cease for a moment, before it started up again, louder than before, moving towards them. Doing it again, the only female kicked the door open. 

(Inside the house) Hearing a loud explosion of thunder and lightning from outside, a grieving family stopped their chatter and ran towards the entryway, waiting to see who was coming in. There was another flash of lightning and crash of thunder from outside, and the doors slammed open, a shadowy figure standing in the doorway, foot still raised. The leg was lowered, and the figure walked forward into the lights followed by two others. The doors closed softly behind the now revealed people. The woman who kicked the door open had long silver hair, like spun moonlight tumbling down her back. Her eyes were lined with kohl and glittered in the soft lights of the entryway. Normal humans and even most creatures had eyes of the same color. For the non-human, they could be crazy colors, but they were the same. But hers? Her eyes were as different as night and day. One was as bright and toxic green as the most dangerous, most poisonous chemical. The other, was a rich purple, putting any gem to shame. It was as sharp as a cut diamond, but as soft as the petals of a violet.

The two men who stood behind her moved to stand next to her. The two looked to be polar opposites. One having skin the color of an ivory statue, with shoulder-length golden blonde hair, and fiery red eyes. The other had skin the color of chicory coffee, and glowing golden eyes. His hair was long and straight, and as dark as the feather of a raven’s wing, with silver and purple streaks mixed in, looking like the night sky dancing with lightning. 

As the three surveyed the crowd gathered before them, they smiled and opened their arms, prompting everyone to rush them for a hug. Several people were crying, but the three thought it was from joy until the women laid eyes on her mother. The older woman never cried. Never in all her years of life had her mother ever cried. She rushed over and took her mother in her arms. 

“Mama, why are you crying? What happened while we were gone?” She asked in worry, fretting over her mother. 

“Persephone, oh it’s just the worst thing, Avangeline is gone.” The young woman froze in her place. 

“What did you just say, mamman?” She asked slowly in a cold tone. 

“Humans came in one day they were somehow able to see the house. They got inside and took Ava while she was sleeping. I don’t know where they took her! I woke up to the screams of your brother when he noticed that she was missing. She has been missing for three days.” Her mother broke down in tears again. “Oh, my poor grandbaby. Dove hanno portato il mio angioletto?” Her mother grasped her hands, looking up at her imploringly. “Please, Persephone, Lucifer, Thaddeus,” She looked at the two men as well. “Please find our little hatchling. And bring her back home.” Persephone leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to her mother’s forehead. 

“I promise you, mum. I will not rest until she’s safe back home, and those who took her are dead.” Her once warm eyes and soft expression, was now cold and closed off. Her eyes were now as cold as ice. Her eyes began to bleed black, her anger eating up her self-control, and causing her powers to try and break from her control. 

She was grabbed from behind and carried outside, as her transformation continued. Her moon spun hair began to darken until it was the same light eating color as her eyes. Her chestnut-colored skin, paled startlingly until it was a sickly marble color. She began to struggle in her mates' arms until she was deposited on the ground outside. Shadows raced between the gravestones, pooling around her feet, and racing up her body to form a living cloak. She grabbed a hand from both men, and the trio vanished into thin air, tracing the magical signature of their two-year-old niece. After a few days, they found the most recent strain of magic. 

They appeared in front of a large, snow-white building, which was surrounded by barbed wire fences. Her face twisted into a snarl, and she thrust her hand forward, seemingly grabbing ahold of something, before throwing it away. As the two men behind her watched, the fence bent like a giant hand was grasping it, before ripping itself out of the dirt. Immediately alarms started to blare from both inside and outside the building and they watched as metal grates were slammed down over all windows and doors.

She scoffed. ‘As if something that puny will be able to keep me out.’ She thought to herself. She threw her hood up and walked towards the building, her scythe appearing in her hands. She heard the whizzing of incoming bullets and began to spin her scythe, deflecting them off the weapon. The blade began to hum as if sensing the massacre it was about to cause. As she got closer, she swung her scythe, slicing through the thick plated metal like it was the softest butter. 

Lucifer gripped the edges of the door and began to rip it open, the metal groaning with the effort to stay together. He threw the two halves into the dirt a few yards away, and the three ran into the building, still following the pull of the toddlers' magic. They tore through the halls, looking in every room, leaving no bed unturned, no wall unbroken, and no human alive while looking for the girl. Persephone stumbled over her feet as she felt a wave of agony from the child they were looking for. 

“No.” She whispered to herself, before turning down a new hall, and slamming through a new door. “No!” She screamed as she arrived in the room where the toddler had been kept captive, just in time to watch a man in white thrust a blade through the baby’s chest. She threw the unknown man away, after slicing his neck with her scythe, grabbing her niece and cradling her tiny body against her larger one, ignoring the man choking on his own blood behind her. She kneeled on the ground, holding her niece in a tight but also gentle grip, breathing heavily, and seething with the overwhelming anger and sadness now running through her veins as tears ran down her face. 

The shadows suddenly vanished and the world was eerily calm. Lucifer placed a bubble of magic around the two men as Persephone threw her head back, and screamed. The shadows exploded out of her body, along with her magic. The building exploded, every last part of where they were standing was gone. Not even ash was left. She sobbed in agony, pressing her face into her nieces’ tiny stomach after conjuring a bandage for her nieces' shoulder, her hair falling over her face like a curtain of moonlight as she felt her husbands come up behind her. Thaddeus lifted her off the ground and held her in a bridal carry, and they vanished from the place of desolation and arrived back in the gloomy graveyard that they called home. 

Their family was standing there, waiting for them and a gasp rippled through the crowd as they saw first the two men, then Persephone, then the small figure in her arms. A man broke through the crowd, running over to the trio. 

“Avangeline! Persephone is she…?” His voice trailed off, not wanting to finish the question. She sobbed again and began to hyperventilate. She froze as she felt movement from her arms. “Persephone? What--” Her brother cut himself off as he saw the small amounts of movement that she had felt. 

“D… Dada? Is you?” The toddler asked, turning towards his voice. The siblings stared at her in shock before they both burst into a new round of tears. Her brother scooped his daughter into his arms and held her tightly to his body, pressing kisses to her face as he cried. Everyone was now crying with relief. The youngest of them all was back. And she was alive. That was all that mattered.

*Mamman is fremch for mama

** Dove hanno portato il mio angioletto is italian for where did they take my little angel. 

@itsjustmeowrooh ​ if you want to read it early, here you go. 

About 2K words, 6 pages for a class assignment. Have fun reading ya’ll!!

#original writing #short story #Lucifer Grant #Persephone Grimm #Thaddeus McClain #Avangeline Grimm #Supernatural themes

[sayaadoftheforest]

To Get A Soul Part 1

(( Slightly Not Safe For Work ))

Dorjan exited the Stone circle breathing in the first breath of air in a new realm. As a fact there were hundreds of realms of Azeroth. All of them were on vaguely the same timeline. All of them had the larger power players in the same place. It was the smaller people who were different. In all the realms, Alle was the last of the hers who existed. It needled at the incubus knowing the girl that saved them was all alone in comparison.

Behind him Enzo and Asani slipped through the opening, all three of them were dressed for hard travel. Dorjan looked at the two men frowning a bit. “Last time I spoke to Silana she told me I had better show up with someone who… Wasn’t me.”

“And you brought me because?” Asani said his dark voice was quiet and wary.

“Because you are a great fighter and if we have to take down an incubus you’re the most capable.” Dorjan explained then looked to Enzo. “You’re the only one of us I know Silana won’t be angry to see.”

Looking around the dead woods Enzo pushed back some of his dark hair. “Silana and Niv get along well, you could have brought her.”

“One of the strong family members needs to stay behind. We’re stretched thin between keeping Alle’s peace in The Forest and Dun’Yazad having to live with her Master. A new family member will help, but we need to save his soul first.” Dorjan muttered pulling out a purple gem from his pocket. Holding it out to Enzo he gave a small smile. “Help me call her?”

Asani started to laugh at the two of them. “It is known that three are better than two brothers.”

“Yes, but Silana hates your energy more than mine.” Dorjan muttered this moving up to Enzo with a playful smile. His face shifted to the one he called his own and slipped a hand into the other incubus’s hair. Enzo moaned at the touch and leaned into to kiss the head of their family.

The kiss was passionate, both men pressing up against each other as they tried to suitably tease the other. Enzo slipped and arm around Dorjan’s waist, cupping the man’s ass with his warm hand. Dorjan’s hand rested on Enzo’s neck, the hand in the man’s hair found the small hole in the back of his head and started to lightly finger the strange feature.

The Gem fell between them and started to glow more purple as the two men started to fondle each other. The swell of sexual energy calling on the woman who had made the stone. Asani watched as his family members were suitably aroused. Enzo’s hands were sliding into Dorjan’s pants when a portal opened and three new figures stepped out.

A woman with soft blond hair strutted out with two men beside her. All of them equally beautiful, but they were dressed as if they were in the middle of a war. Her eyes first fixed on Asani, a sneer crossing her lips. “Dun’Yazad and the Lady aren’t here… why do you two dogs call me?”

Still in the heat of their rough touch, Dorjan ripped himself away gasping for air. His hands were tight and as he steadied his breath he looked on the woman with a worried expression. There had been so much history that he couldn’t explain. He was grateful his family knew it.

“Silana.” Enzo said in a husky voice, his hand reaching down to lightly rub himself through his pants. “Glad you heard our call.”

“Miss out on you…” She made a small ‘tisk’ sound. “Enzo, you are the one who got away, no wonder the dogs picked you to join them. What’s going on? Are you planning on an attack.”

Dorjan shook his head now taking a step forward, but it was small, and his head was lowered. “We need your help. Do you have any incubi enemies we can, erase for you?”

“Erase?” Silana scoffed. “You do know I free incubi. That’s what the Lady assisted with getting me a position here.” She gestured to the two men, both had more amused expressions at Enzo and Dorjan.

It was hard for Dorjan to suppress an eye roll at the obvious statement. “I know that, but there are sometimes incubi who, like their position in society. The Alphas, the ones who break the others.”

“like you?” She said with a haughty clip. “Or am I mistaking the word.”

He wasn’t surprised that she would try to pull a superiority tactic on him and Asani for their pasts. Taking a step back he looked to Enzo. If he couldn’t get through to the matron then maybe the more innocent of the group could.

“Silana.” Enzo said his hips swaying a little as he came up to her. “You have to have some Alphas you wish dead.”

Throwing an arm over one of her guards it took no time for the man to wrap an arm lovingly around her. Dorjan could tell that both of the incubi, while friendly, were not just there for show. One of them he knew was a competent mind mage, the other a weapons expert. Still Silana nuzzled into the mage grinning. “I do have some, but why would you want to kill one of my enemies?”

“There is an incubus in the realm Miss is in. She has offered him a home and is going to bind him to her for protection.” Enzo started.

Jealousy rippled through Silana as she pouted. “Really? She’s going to bind one of you, lucky bastard. Keep going.”

Enzo bowed his head. But all of them knew what kind of boon it would be to be directly bound to Alle. It wasn’t something the Gilnean woman knew, but it was a coveted role that all of them had secretly wished for. “He has no soul, and as such is… with out several emotions. He was also forced into a female body, I believe as punishment, but I wasn’t there for when the story was said. We hope in giving him a male soul we can transform his body. If not, we will find another way to make him in his correct form. Miss wishes it.”

The dead woods around them was still, the six sayaad as still as the trees. Silana pursed her lips ever so slightly in thought. “I have one enemy who is an incubus. He tricks rebel males to follow him and he puts them back into slavery. How do you plan on removing his soul and giving it to your new family member?”

Dorjan reached into his bag, inside was a small orb no bigger than a large marble. Lifitng it up it looked to be the color of an oil slick, the colors ever shifting. “This. You implant it in a demon and in twenty four hours it will remove their soul… They are cut off from the void and nether, if they are killed, they will die and the soul is still captured in the orb. The personality, the essence vanishes. We will have Vilknar do the rest of the work.”

“I’ll make you a deal then.” She said her eyes not drifting from the orb. “You teach me how to make that, how to use it. I will only use it on my enemies here in this realm. Let it help me continue my work in liberating and making my people equal. In return I will give you the name, location, and I will assist in capturing the incubus so you can take his soul for you future family member.” Wetting her lips she held her hand out to Dorjan. “Do we have a deal Prey?”

“If I was Prey I couldn’t make a deal.” He said staring back at her. There was so far he would allow her to degrade him, but it had been years since he carried that shameful title.

“I repeat all I said before and change to, Do we have a deal, Dorjan?” She held her hand out not staring back.

Taking it swiftly Dorjan said muttered a ‘yes’ and both of them felt the magic of The Forest pull at them. Knowledge that if one of them did not live up to their deal they would face a Beast at their back. It would be worse for Dorjan as he was sworn to a Beast.

Pulling her hand back she quickly ran it over the front of her dress, as if to clean it of Dorjan’s touch. “Well, as your Miss would say, ‘shall we hunt’?”

(( Mentions: @allebeithloch, @olivia-lovecraft (for Helriel), @mira-shadoword (For being the one who had the orb originally) ))

((Also yes I changed Asani’s FC since his new actor has a lot more gifs than his old one))

#New family member? #SL #The Family is growing

[ericjuneau]

Reprise (Chapter 29) [Frozen/Tangled/The Little Mermaid]

CHAPTER 29: A Nice Place to Visit

"It says he died about two hundred years ago," Rapunzel whispered.

"The one guy. The ONE guy who could have helped us." Elsa began pacing. "We've been searching all over for him and he's been dead for two centuries already. He was our last chance and we finally found where he is."

With a grunt, she kicked the gravestone. "I am tired of this stupid goose chase. I'm so far away from my family, my home." She kicked again and again. "My country's at war. And I can't do anything about it!"

The last kick cracked the stone. It toppled like a playing card. Elsa shirked back. "Oops."

"What's this?" Rapunzel asked. "This writing down below."

The bottom of the stone contained faded glyphs, obscured by the thick wildgrass until now. "These... these look like the same glyphs on Arcius's island. Remember? At the altar-thing?" She rubbed sand away from the letters. "Maybe it's a clue. If I-"

Something hummed, like insect's wings. Their teeth rattled.

A blue light appeared on the pathway alongside the graveyard. It grew high and thin, reaching through the trees. The area around it rescinded, like a sinkhole in the middle of the air.

"Looks like a... a..." Rapunzel said.

"A portal!" Ariel finished.

The barrier opened only a dozen feet wide, but what they saw defied explanation. Beyond the veil lay a magnificent castle, with copper minarets and marble walls so white they glowed. A small staircase led to the grand double doors.

The skies of both their world and this one matched. The trees around the castle mirrored those in the forest nearby. Whatever magic kept this place off the map also rendered this palace invisible. It did not exist in some other world, but here and now.

"Should we go in?" Rapunzel asked.

"I think so," Elsa said. "Something tells me Lowther isn't as dead as we thought."

They passed through. Ariel looked behind them. The magic barrier was gone--it only worked one way. Whoever lived here must have been in isolation all its existence.

Their first steps took them on the short road to the palace gates. Past the archway, they saw the first signs of life--gnome-like men, not more than four feet tall, with large noses and stringy hair. They wore threadbare robes and dull, saggy expressions. Each was either carrying something or getting something to carry. Their steps were slow, with no hurry and no spirit.

"Who are they?" Elsa whispered.

"No idea," Ariel said. Not even the local folklore could help with this one.

"Excuse me..." Rapunzel bent down to one hauling a box on its back. "We're looking for... um, hello? Could you help us?"

The gnome passed by, never saying a word. Rapunzel stepped in front of it. It trudged around her, never looking up.

"They're like... slaves," Ariel said.

"I wonder if Lowther created them," Elsa said.

The three of them kept walking, avoiding the creepy gnomelings by staying on a straight line to the palace.

"No guards," Ariel said.

"You don't need guards if no one can find where you live," Elsa said. She knocked. No answer.

Elsa pressed her ear to the door. "I guess we go in." She pulled back on the door. The three of them slipped inside.

The door opened onto a hallway dedicated to decadence and hedonism. Beautiful diamonds and jewels lay in glass cases for display. Gold coated the floor and ceiling while red velvet covered the walls.

"Wow," Rapunzel said. "He certainly is living well."

Giant intricate murals painted hallway walls. Many of them depicted scenes of grotesque violence and nudity, enough to make them blush. Further down, the main entrance hall was a mess of gold coins, gems, and coffers. Piles of riches lay on each side of the staircase. A porcelain rivulet of sparkling water ran from west to east in a small in-floor aqueduct.

"This is insane," Ariel whispered. "And where is everyone? Does he live alone?"

"Is he alive at all?" Rapunzel added.

"Ravir and Arcius were long-lived," Elsa said. "And I think those workers would stop working if they didn't have anyone to work for.

The three girls split up, searching the giant hall for the castle's resident. Thick buttery smells like chocolate and roasted meats permeated the carpet. Ariel knelt closer to the indoor stream. Thirsty, she took a handful of the sweetest, most delicious water she'd ever tasted.

Rapunzel scrutinized a curvaceous statue, deciding whether it was artistic or vulgar. Then she noticed some others and realized it was a matter of comparison.

"Wait, I think I heard something," Elsa said. She was near the west hallway corridor.

The two others ran beside her. They heard it too--a woman's voice. Maybe many women. They continued on, listening for the next chuckle or cough, until reaching a door at the end of the hall.

It was a big room and poorly lit. Inside were women, all kinds of women wearing bustiers, tassels, lace, and other skimpy outfits. Some lounged in giant soft cushions, smoking hookahs from an end table. Others sipped green liquid out of wine bottles. But most lay sleeping,   draped on the floor or arms splayed, left in whatever narcotic ecstasy they were in. Most had distasteful expressions on their faces and slept comatose.

"What kind of place is... Oh..." Elsa said.

"What?" Ariel asked.

"The seclusion, the decoration. This is a pleasure-palace," Elsa said.

"That's what all this is?" Ariel asked.

"I guess if you had ultimate power and not many morals, this is what you'd do: live a life of luxury," Elsa said.

"He couldn't use his power to help other people?" Rapunzel asked.

"I don't think he's the sort of guy where that would cross his mind. He's used all his magic for self-indulgence. He uses women for carnal pleasure and slave creatures for servitude. And there's no one who could tell him otherwise."

The women must have seen them, but were too intoxicated to care that three people never seen before had walked in. Maybe the first in hundreds of years. Assuming these were actual people, not simulacrums. The power of Temeris must have had limits, didn't it?

"Excuse me," Elsa said. "We're looking for, uh, ah..."

The woman, who had tan skin and a two-piece lingerie set, wobbled as she glanced sideways. She gave a little smirk then walked away.

"Does anyone know where we can find Lowther?" Rapunzel asked.

"Or the king of this castle? Or whoever's in charge?" Ariel asked.

The women stirred, hovering in stupor. Ariel shuddered to think what they did when they weren't in this room.

The door opened. A single gnomeling stood outside.

"Master requests three," it said. "Three who haven't been seen in a while."

"Us," Rapunzel said, raising her hand. "That's us. It's been a long time since we've seen... the master."

The gnomeling looked them up and down. Rapunzel realized it was staring at their clothes. She and Elsa were still in the drab laundrywoman garb and Ariel's dress was ripped and muddy.

"We need to change though," Rapunzel added. "Give us a minute. We were..."

"We were cleaning," Ariel said. "That's it."

The gnomeling shrugged.

Rapunzel pulled Elsa and Ariel by their shoulders to the back of the room. They ducked behind a long dressing screen hidden in a dark corner. Discarded clothes lay in giant pile. The three of them tossed items to each other.

"Does this fit me? No. This one? No. This one?"

"Hurry up, hurry up."

"Where are the pants that go with this?"

"No. No. Ugh, no. What is this? Is this something you're supposed to wear?"

"Ergh, too tight."

"The snaps go on like this... Pull this down. There."

"Watch your elbow."

"Here, try this blue one. It goes with your hair color."

"This is just a sheet."

"That's nothing. Look at this. It's just one square inch of fabric."

Ariel walked out from behind the screen first. While the others kept searching for something that would preserve their dignity, her people had no qualms about bare skin. She had chosen little green panties with a transparent skirt. It showed off her legs and reminded her of the ruff around her waist as a mermaid. Her bra was red instead of purple, for something different. But for modesty's sake, a plain infinity scarf wrapped around her neck and chest.

The problem was she couldn't keep the trident strapped to her back with such skimpy clothing. And leaving it behind was not an option. Then she saw a discarded grass skirt on the ground. With a little quick weaving, she fastened it to the trident's tines. Now it looked like a palm-leaf fan she could carry around.

Rapunzel peeked out, unbraided golden hair spooling behind her. Hopefully, Lowther wouldn't recognize her as a magical artifact. Her purple and pink one-piece bodice covered her torso, except for the lacing, which exposed the skin from breastbone to navel.

"This feels so weird," she whispered. She clutched a gold necklace that looked pretty, unaware how it drew attention to her neckline.

"It looks good," Ariel whispered back. "Watch your stockings."

Rapunzel rehooked the white lace stockings that stretched to mid-thigh.

The gnomeling was still waiting for them in the doorway. The two of them posed and grinned.

"Elsa?" Ariel asked through gritted teeth.

"I am not coming out," she whispered.

"You've got to," Rapunzel said.

"No."

Rapunzel leaned behind the screen. "It's not that bad," she said.

"It's demeaning."

"It's okay. We all look like this. It's just another disguise. No one who matters is going to see you."

"Girls, he's waiting," Ariel whispered, eye contact still on the gnomeling.

Elsa emerged walking tall and courtly, wearing a two-piece arctic blue lingerie bikini. The top was covered with glittering sequins and trimmed with white fur. The bottom, also furred on the hips, attached to sheer blue stockings that ended in high heels. She stood beside the two other girls and tried grinning.

The gnomeling sighed and turned, making a slight tug of the shoulder to say "come on"

They followed him across the palace to the western wing, through more monuments to decadence--replicas of long-forgotten art, sculptures, lithographs. Magic flowers emitted pungent smoke. They could hear a waterfall from behind one of the doors.

The tour ended in the solarium--a tiled room with three glass walls so warm sunlight could shine through. Four meagerly clad women stood around a porcelain tub, two of them massaging a pair of porky feet.

The tub was full of sweet creams and oils, mixed together in a greasy mess. Rapunzel resisted the urge to pinch her nose. Only the head and feet of "the master" stuck out, but that was enough to frighten them about what the rest of his body looked like.

Lowther's face was grotesquely fat, pocked with zits, glistening with tallow and sweat, especially in the folds in his neck. His blotched, red cheeks quivered as he spoke.

"About time. Oh, you do look new," he uttered. "That glamour spell is finally providing some range." He squinted. "Slight builds. But easy on the eyes."

Lowther's body rose out of the cream bath, using magic instead of his own muscle. His feet touched down on the white tile as light as a feather. Milk and oil dripped off him like whey.

Ariel, Elsa, and Rapunzel tried their best to look away without looking like it, although his monstrous bulk covered any of his privy parts.

With another flash of magic, the residual milk evaporated off his body. One of the women slipped a thin bathrobe over his shoulders.

"Well, it's been a while. You can choose. Should we go out to the island or watch a tournament?"

The three of them eyed each other, knowing every millisecond that passed would gain suspicion.

"Um, what tournament is it?" Rapunzel asked.

"You know, the daily tournament of souls and freaks? My fancy's wandered to the disfigured as of late. How do they fight? I was thinking next should be people with no arms versus no legs. Should be interesting to watch."

Elsa swallowed, suppressing her urge to vomit. "Let's do the island."

Lowther cocked his head. "Very well."

He raised his hand. The glass walls separated and melted away, opening a hole to walk through. Lowther headed outside as gnomelings rushed forward, laying down swaths of carpet in his path.

Ariel, Elsa, and Rapunzel followed him down a grassy hill to a river bank. At the bottom lay a small dock with an unusual tied-up boat. Instead of being a bladed shape, it was a rectangular platform on two steel barrels welded end-to-end.

Lowther hoisted his bulk into a pile of red velvet pillows in the center. He must have been using magic to keep his heft aloft, because there was no way he could move on his own. A dish of cheeses and grapes appeared to his left, a bucket with wine in cold water on his right.

"Red, you drive. You ain't got much on the balcony, but a big enough garden. And I like having a keen view on the way." He turned to Rapunzel. "I'd ask you, but your hair's a better door than a window. Better trim that back. There's such a thing as overdoing it, you know."

Lowther curled his fingers to Rapunzel in a "start feeding me" motion. Rapunzel plucked off a grape like it was rotted and pressed it into his mouth. This was like feeding livestock.

Ariel clenched her teeth and walked up to the steering column. She searched for a rope or sail release. Suddenly the boat started off.

She looked over the side, expecting the boat to move on its own. But a neat line of oars stuck out from holes, turned by tiny rowers beneath them.

"Are those gnomelings?" Ariel asked, momentarily losing herself.

"Huh?" Lowther's piggy, glazed eyes glanced to Ariel's viewpoint. "Oh, the little slaves. Of course."

"Did you create them?" Elsa asked.

"Of course. Are you new?" He looked alarmed, like he was about to figure out the jig was up. Then he settled. "Ah, you're flattering me. Got it. They're remnants of the townspeople. I've transmuted and resurrected them so many times, the bodies have become somewhat... mangled. That's what happens over... I don't know. Two hundred? Three hundred years? Ah, who cares. Anyway, I didn't 'create' create them. That's divine power. But I do seem to have found the perfect form. Strong enough to work hard, small enough not to be a threat. Not that it matters anymore--their minds are attuned to my needs." He scratched at one of his boils.

He opened his mouth toward Elsa and the chocolate dish. She daintily picked up a piece and dropped it on his tongue. To her disbelief, this was making chocolate look disgusting.

"But the women you left untouched," Rapunzel added.

"Well, I wouldn't say untouched. Haw haw." He laughed with a throat full of phlegm. "A glamour spell or two does wonders to keep things stimulating." Lowther accepted a mouthful of grapes.

"You do seem to have created a paradise," Elsa said while he chewed.

With mouthful, Lowther said, "I don't know why anyone with magic talent doesn't do this. Why are they so concerned about establishing power and dominating others? What does it get you? A headache."

"You could have helped your fellow man," Rapunzel said. Elsa gave her a look that shut her up.  

Lowther was oblivious. "Why concern the self with lesser mortals? This is a gift. I earned this. It would be foolish not to take advantage. Hellfire could envelope the world for all I know. Let it burn. I've got my own little slice of heaven here."

The boat lurched forward, sliding across a sandbar. Elsa, Rapunzel, and Ariel jerked. Lowther's fat rippled.

"What was that?" Ariel asked.

"We're here." Lowther hoisted a leg over the pillows and held up his arms. He was gesturing for help.

Rapunzel and Elsa each took an unctuous arm, held their breath, and pulled him up. He waddled off the boat onto the sandy riverbank.

Above the grove of trees, scores of colored birds tweeted and fidgeted. A cherry-red and lime-green parrot hopped from branch to branch. Larks and quails zipped from one tree to the other in complex weaves. Elsa had never seen anything like it. These birds weren't meant to be on the same continent, let alone the same forest.

Lowther turned back his head. "Red! What are you doing? Rope up the boat. You want it to float away?"

Elsa and Ariel sprang to work, tying the boat to a nearby tree. "I can't believe this is working," Ariel whispered.

"He's been in his own private paradise so long, he thinks nothing can get in," Elsa said.

"I don't get it. How is he not miserable? He gets everything he wants. Everything he tries, he wins. There's no adventure."

Elsa shrugged. "Guess he's whittled his needs to simple ones."

Lowther held out his arm and, in a shower of sparkles, a spear materialized. "This'll be impressive. We'll find that Silverwing reindeer today. A hart. I've seen its tracks."

"Silverwing deer?" Ariel asked. "Those are rare."

"Indeed. Excellent sport. And this one's of fourteen tines. Been in the forest a while now. Could be my last one. But I'll take it down."

Lowther stalked forward through the shrubs of the rough land, holding out his spear. Ariel, Rapunzel, and Elsa leaned into each other.

"Eric told me there are no Silverwing reindeer in this land anymore," Ariel whispered. "For hundreds of years."

"He must have seized them long ago," Rapunzel said.

"And he's hunting them for sport?" Elsa asked. She clenched her fist. Rapunzel put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"Ladies! Attend!" Lowther shouted.

The three of them followed in heels and skirts, keeping as far back as they could without being obvious about it.

"Here's my theory," Elsa whispered.

Ariel thanked her stars for something to distract her. He had ordered complete quiet, only speaking to ask for more wine or to wipe the sweat between his folds. Their feet hurt from treading the thick-hewn meadow.

"So Lowther gets his magic from Temeris. Must be the body since Arcius has the heart and Ravir the mind. I bet that's the reason for all his fleshly desires."

"That makes sense," Rapunzel said. "Explains why he didn't take over any countries. He didn't need to take revenge or prove himself."

"He just selfishly created his own paradise," Ariel added.

Elsa nodded. "And he locks it off, so no one else can get in. No one can find him. No one can disturb him. Otherwise, his little illusion would break. He can make it so that anyone even thinking about it forgets right away. That way no one even comes on it by accident. That's why no one knew what you were talking about, Ariel."

"So then... how come I saw it?" Ariel asked.

"I have no idea. But it's a good thing you did. Or we would have never found this place."

Ariel smiled. "I couldn't have done it if you didn't believe in me."

Lowther grunted, as if he had fallen over something. "Where are you ditzes!?" he bellowed. "More wine!"

They skipped up to him. A pink stain ran down his tunic.

"Look at this. I've spilled all over my chest. One of you should be carrying this." He shoved the bottle into Rapunzel's bodice.

"Sorry, sir."

Lowther pointed at the ground. "Tracks. Found him. Just a matter of time now." He treaded forward as stealthily as a beached whale.

They followed the path, with Lowther poking the ground occasionally. Ariel spotted it before Lowther did--a giant stag camouflaged by white-barked trees. With its thick rectangular body and white chest, it looked magnificent.

"Ah," Lowther said. "There. First I'll silence our feet." He waved his hand. Lowther took a step. Instead of the crunch of leaves and grass under his elephantine foot, it made no sound. Lowther continued on.

"Why doesn't he just turn invisible?" Elsa snarked to herself.

"Sh, don't give him ideas," Rapunzel said.

The beast perked up once. For a reindeer, a healthy dose of paranoia attributed to a long life. But Lowther continued regardless. He strafed around the trunks, keeping the reindeer in sight. When he had a clear shot, he repositioned the spear to overhand.

Rapunzel and Elsa relaxed a little. They didn't believe he had the muscle strength to reach his target. With a grunt, the spear launched high into the air.

When it reached the top of its arc, it continued on. Rapunzel and Elsa's jaws dropped. He was using magic to propel the weapon. With a sickening thwack, the pointed end stuck in the deer's midsection. It mooed and dropped.

"Got it." Lowther pumped his fist.

He sprinted to his kill like a baby who'd learned the joy of walking. After a moment examining the body, he plucked out the spear. He stood with one foot on the deer's side like a magnificent hunter. "Remember this ladies. I might want a picture later."

Blood trickled out of the black hole with each labored breath. The beast was still alive. All that magic and he hadn't even made a kill shot.

Lowther took his foot off. "Phew. Now I'm hungry. Hey! Chop, chop." He clapped his hands.

Gnomelings appeared from all corners of the forest and sped toward the clearing. They set a table, chairs, a white tablecloth, plates of food and drink, and candelabras.

As Lowther sat, a gnomeling stuck a pipe in Lowther's mouth and lit it. "Come, girls. Stop looking at that hideous thing," he said as he puffed.

They stood vigil, watching its body heave up and down. Its glassy eyes stared out and its tongue hung out. "You're just going to leave it?" Ariel asked. "You're not even going to eat it?"

"What? No. That's disgusting. I have stuffed goose liver pate right here. Why would I eat that?"

"Not even for your workers?" Elsa asked. "It could be a treat."

"Pfeh. I'm not going to waste it on them. Grain and rice is all they need. Now get over here. There's honeyed fig tarts, oatbread, and lobster caviar. We can have lunch while we watch its life fade."

Ariel and Elsa forced themselves to turn away. The gnomelings pulled out chairs for them at the circular table.

But Rapunzel didn't move.

Ariel turned. "Rapunzel, what are you doing?"

She heaved a big breath.

Ariel didn't know what she was thinking, but Elsa did. "Rapunzel, that's not a good idea," she whispered through gritted teeth.

"I have to." She knelt down to the wounded animal. Rapunzel coiled her hair over the wound. Its head twitched.

"Girl! What are you doing?" Lowther commanded.

She ignored him. Pressing her hand to her heart, she sang. "Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine..."

The blooming light cast her in silhouette. Lowther leaned back, speechless. When she finished, she stood up. The reindeer propped itself up on one knee.

"Wh- wh- wh- wh- wh- what was that? What did you-"

That was all Lowther could manage. As soon as the reindeer was on all four legs, it made a deep whoofing sound. Rapunzel sprinted out of the way before it rampaged forward.  

Ariel and Elsa dove aside. The gnomelings squealed and returned to the corners of the forest where they had appeared.

Lowther stayed seated and slack-jawed until the monster was only feet away. Then he upset the table and chair trying to scramble away, but only managed a few feet. The reindeer rammed him with both antlers.

The girls never thought such a man could lift into the air, but they were witnesses. Lowther cartwheeled ten feet above the forest floor, then landed with a sickening thud. The reindeer bolted into the forest, disappearing.

Lowther groaned. When the lights stopped dancing in front of his eyes, he focused on the three heads with flinty stares. One was holding a golden trident to his throat.

"Who are you girls?" Lowther asked. "You're not from here."

"No." Elsa said. "We're not."

#Elsa #Rapunzel #Ariel #The Little Mermaid #TheLittleMermaid #Frozen #Tangled #fan fic #fanfic #fan fiction #fanfiction #Disney Princess #disneyprincess #disney #reprise #crossover disneyprincess