#light orb dragon's gleaming eyes

[fragileheartbeats]

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐎𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮

Sixteen winters have passed since that day. In the shadowed cradle of a world untouched by the warmth of the sun, the twins roamed the icy barrens like phantoms of the frost. Born of blood and ice, their lives had unfolded beneath the watchful gaze of their draconic guardian, a beast of legend whose breath was death's cold whisper. The twins knew not the touch of human hand nor the soft cadence of the spoken word; their language was the howl of the wind, the crack of ice, and the silent understanding that passed between them like the secret whispers of the stars. No names graced their lips, for in the language of the winds and the wild, names were as fleeting as the breath that bore them.

Their days were a testament to the savage beauty of survival, a dance with death played out upon the endless white. They hunted with ferocity of the wild, their bodies honed by the relentless pursuit of the fleet-footed hare and the sharp-clawed bear. Naked they roamed, their skin kissed by the frost, wearing only the silver and blonde crowns bestowed upon them by their lineage. They moved with a grace that belied their savage existence, their bodies honed by the relentless pursuit of survival. They were creatures of instinct, their senses sharp as the frost. Silver hair cascaded down their backs, untouched and unbound, a river of moonlight in the eternal twilight of their world. Their eyes, a haunting echo of Valyria's lost glory, gleamed with a feral light, silver and purple orbs reflecting the endless dance of predator and prey.The cold was a constant companion, yet it bowed before them, for they were of the ice, born to its embrace.

The twins hunted as one, their movements a symphony of silent death. The ice beneath their feet whispered tales of ancient hunts, of blood spilled and lives taken in the eternal cycle of survival. They feasted on the raw flesh of the seals that dared to bask on the ice, their teeth tearing through skin and sinew with primal savagery. The taste of blood, warm and life-giving, was the sacrament of their existence, a communion with the land that bore them.

They communed with the world and each other through gestures and looks, a language born of necessity and the purest form of understanding. They needed no words to convey the depth of their bond, for their souls were intertwined, two halves of a whole forged in the crucible of their shared existence. Their language was the unspoken bond of soul and glance, a communion of spirits entwined by shared blood. They spoke in the rustle of leaves, the crack of ice, the sigh of the wind through the desolate wastes. Theirs was the vocabulary of the wild, a tapestry of sounds and silence that spoke of deep, unbreakable bonds.

The dragon, their guardian and guide, watched over them with a presence as ancient as the mountains. Under her shadow, the twins knew no fear, their lives intertwined with the leviathan of frost and snow. They rode upon her back, her wings beating a rhythm that echoed in the very marrow of their bones, a song of freedom and flight that filled their souls with exhilarating terror. Each day, they roamed the wastes on the backs of their dragon kin, the sky their dominion, the earth their hunting ground. They hunted as the dragons did, striking from above with lethal grace, their prey unable to escape the shadow of death that descended upon them. Fish from the frozen rivers, hares that darted across the snow—no creature was safe from their hunger.

On the day that destiny's hand would steer their course anew, the sky above was a tapestry of brooding clouds, the sun a forgotten memory. The twins ventured forth upon the back of their dragon mother, her scales a labyrinth of frozen light. They soared above the world, masters of all they surveyed, until the whims of fate cast them down. They were aloft, the wind in their hair, the world spread out below them like a tapestry of ice and snow.

The boy, in his curiosity and boldness, leaned too far, reaching for a glimpse of eternity in the abyss below, laughing into the wind as they ascended into the heavens. And in that moment, the bond that tethered him to safety snapped, and he was swallowed by the void. A sudden gust, stronger and more treacherous than any they had known, caught them unawares. The dragon faltered, its wings buffeted by the relentless force of the wind. And then, in a moment that stretched into eternity, the boy was gone, torn from the dragon's back and sent plummeting into the abyss below. His sister's cry was a thing of raw anguish, a sound that would haunt the winds forevermore. She watched, powerless, as her brother fell, his body a mere speck against the vastness of the world.

The girl's cry pierced the veil of snow and ice, a wail of loss and despair that shook the very foundations of their world. She watched, heart shorn in twain, as the sea consumed her other half, the boy who was her mirror, her soul's echo. The dragon circled, a silent mother, its mournful cry a lament for the child it had failed to save.

As he fell, the world around him a blur of white and grey, the sea below, a maw of churning darkness, opened to claim him, swallowing his form with indifferent hunger. He struck the sea with a force that turned his body to fire, the cold waters closing over him in a shroud of death. But death was not yet ready to claim him. The cold seeped into his bones, a herald of the end, yet it was in this embrace that he found clarity. The memory of a voice, soft and sorrowful, filled his mind. He saw her as if through a veil of dreams, her face alight with love and pain as she whispered to her children. Her lips pressed against their foreheads, a benediction and a burden all at once.

Yet, even as darkness claimed him, he did not feel fear. In the space between breaths, in the quiet heart of the storm, he heard her voice again, a lullaby of the night sky, of stars and secrets and the boundless love that endured beyond the veil.

"Forgive me," she whispered, her voice the warmth in the cold, the light in the dark. "Forgive me, my darlings, for the world I have brought you into."

And he closed his eyes.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

@fragileheartbeats . Don't plagiarise, repost, or translate any of my works on here or any other websites.

House Celestyr tag list: @emily2003alzaga @nash-dara @altaircc @heavenly1927 @omgsuperstarg @asoiafhyperfixation

#house celestyr #story #writing #fantasy #house of the dragon #house of dragons #house of dragon oc #house targaryen #hotd fanfic #hotd #game of thrones x reader #game of thrones #aemond x reader #aemond fanfiction #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen #daemon targeryan #daemon targaryen x reader #daemon x reader #daemon targaryen #aegon ii targaryen x reader #aegon i targaryen #aegon x reader #aegon ii targaryen #aegon ii x reader #a song of ice and fire #song of ice and fire #rhaenyra targaryen #hotd x reader #asoiaf

[wheelchair-wizard]

NightCafe Ai.

Irish Celtic Mythology.

VOL 7. Oillipheist the Irish Dragon Serpent.

The Oilliphéist: Guardian of the Murky Waters

In the heart of Ireland, where the veil between the mortal realm and the Otherworld grew thin, there existed a place both feared and revered—the shores of Lough Neagh. Its waters, like darkened mirrors, held secrets older than memory itself. And at the heart of those depths slumbered a creature of legend—the Oilliphéist.

The Origins of the Oilliphéist:

The druids whispered that the Oilliphéist was born from the primordial chaos, a serpent forged in the forge of forgotten gods. Its scales shimmered like midnight stars, each one etched with symbols of forgotten languages. Its eyes—two fiery orbs—held the knowledge of ages, and its breath carried the scent of distant lands.

The Curse of the Oilliphéist:

The villagers knew better than to venture too close to Lough Neagh. For the Oilliphéist demanded tribute—an offering of livestock, precious gems, or even a maiden’s hand. Those who dared defy it faced dire consequences. Their homes flooded, their crops withered, and their cattle vanished beneath the murky waves.

Generations passed, and the Oilliphéist’s wrath remained unyielding. Its coils, longer than the tallest oaks, circled the lake, binding it to its watery domain. The villagers whispered prayers to the old gods, seeking protection from the serpent’s malevolence.

Cian, the Brave Warrior:

But fate weaves strange patterns, and one day, a young warrior named Cian emerged from the mist. His sword, forged from the heart of a fallen star, gleamed with otherworldly light. Cian had heard the tales—the Oilliphéist’s curse, its insatiable hunger for tribute, and the sorrow it wrought upon the land.

Determined to free his people, Cian set forth. The water stirred as he approached, and the Oilliphéist’s eyes emerged—a pair of fiery orbs fixated on its challenger.

“Bold mortal,” hissed the serpent, its voice echoing across the water. “Why do you disturb my slumber?”

Cian stood firm. “Your reign of terror ends today,” he declared. “Release this land from your grip, or face my blade.”

The Battle Beneath the Waters:

The Oilliphéist laughed—a sound like distant thunder. “You think a mere sword can defeat me? I am older than the hills, older than the stars. I have seen empires rise and fall.”

But Cian was undeterred. He lunged, striking at the serpent’s scales. Yet each wound healed instantly, and the Oilliphéist coiled tighter, threatening to drag him under.

Desperate, Cian remembered an ancient incantation—a secret passed down from druid to druid. He chanted the words, invoking the power of the elements. The water churned, and the serpent writhed in agony.

“Enough!” roared the Oilliphéist. “I yield.”

The Oilliphéist’s Confession:

It uncoiled, revealing its true form—a creature of sorrow and longing. “Long have I guarded these waters,” it confessed. “A curse binds me here, and only a hero’s sacrifice can break it.”

Cian hesitated. “What sacrifice?”

“The heart of a true warrior,” whispered the serpent. “Plunge your sword into my breast, and the curse shall lift.”

Cian’s hand trembled as he drove the blade into the serpent’s chest. The waters surged, and the Oilliphéist dissolved into mist. The curse lifted, and Lough Neagh sparkled in the sunlight once more.

Legacy of the Oilliphéist:

Cian returned to the village, hailed as a hero. But he carried the memory of the Oilliphéist—the guardian of murky waters—forever etched in his soul. And so, the legend endured—a reminder that even monsters had stories, and sometimes, their fates were intertwined with our own.

And there, by the shores of Lough Neagh, the Oilliphéist’s tale lives on, whispered in the wind and reflected in the ripples of ancient waters.

Christy,

Male, Husband, Dad, Family man, Friendly, Easygoing.

Dad's [ Christy ]Electric Wheelchair Fundraiser.

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Otherwise please help yourself to my artwork.

It'is genuinely FREE for everyone to download and enjoy.

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#youtube #motivation #kindness #rectory #helping #good #but also #seriously #help #have mercy on me

[jadegretz]

Wu: Warrior of the Sacred Fire by Jade Gretz

Kim Wu stood poised on the precipice of the ancient temple, the crimson sunset painting the sky in hues of imminent danger. Below, the dense jungle canopy writhed like a living beast, its silence broken only by the cacophony of unseen creatures. In her hands, her nunchucks hummed with anticipation, a familiar weight that brought a flicker of comfort amidst the unsettling unease that had been gnawing at her for days.

Something was wrong with the Fire Spirits. Kim's signature fireballs, usually potent and controllable, had begun to exhibit erratic behavior. They lingered longer, pulsed with an unsettling inner life, and occasionally flickered with an unnatural green hue. Her normally flawless control had become a desperate struggle, each fiery orb a potential harbinger of chaos.

This expedition, fueled by whispers of a forgotten temple housing the secret to enhancing a warrior's ki, had taken a terrifying turn. Her companions, Jago and TJ Combo, were nowhere to be found, vanished into the jungle's depths days ago. Panic gnawed at her, but Kim wasn't one to give up without a fight.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled her nerves and pushed open the intricately carved temple doors. Inside, dust motes danced in the dim light filtering through cracks in the ceiling. The air hung heavy with the scent of decay and something… else, a sickly sweetness that tickled her nostrils.

A shiver ran down her spine as she ventured deeper. Wall murals depicted grotesque figures dancing around swirling flames, their expressions a chilling mix of ecstasy and horror. The Fire Spirits, it seemed, held a darker side in this temple's history.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement in the corner of her eye. A stray dog, no bigger than a knee, emerged from the shadows, its fur matted and its eyes gleaming with an unnatural green light. Before Kim could react, a ball of green fire erupted from its emaciated body, hurtling towards her.

Her reflexes kicked in, a fiery dragon, summoned from her own nunchucks, colliding with the oncoming green orb. The two blasts detonated mid-air, shattering the eerie silence …(see the rest of the story at deviantart.com/jadegretzAI). For more supergirl, chun li, batgirl, tifa, lara croft, wonder woman, rogue and much more, please visit my page at www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai - Thanks for your support :)

#ai #aiart #digitalart #jadegretz #fantasyart #fanart #beautifulgirl #aiartwork #aiartcommunity #kimwu #videogamerart #ninja

[imaginaryshorts]

The Legend of the Crimson Flame

Once upon a time, in the majestic kingdom of Eldoria, there was a rare beast adorned with scarlet scales as shiny as rubies gleaming under the sunlight. The creature was a profound creature of myth and fascination—a red dragon with brilliant blue eyes known as Ignis, the Crimson Flame.

Ignis was not an ordinary dragon. His scales, painted in an audacious blood-red hue, shimmered in the Eldorian sun, reflecting a passionate blaze, unlike the traditional draconic palette of green and gold. But the most striking of Ignis's features were his eyes. They were large orbs of sapphire that radiated piercing light, as calm and deep as the vast northern seas. Contrasting the fiery aura projected by his robust figure, his eyes had the calmness and wisdom of the old world.

Ignis remained concealed during the day, hiding in caves etched into the Eldoria's mountains. But as dusk fell and the blanket of twilight descended upon the land, Ignis used to unfurl his wings, each one as wide as a ship's sail, and embarked on his majestic evening flights.

Despite his awe-inspiring appearance, Ignis was not a monster. He had a benevolent nature that contradicted the popular fearsome depictions of dragons. He safeguarded Eldoria from lethal beasts, menacing trolls, and voracious sea serpents. People used to comprehend Ignis's flights as the harbinger of safety, his blazing form against the night sky, a beacon of hope.

However, Ignis's most extraordinary feature was not his physical prowess or astounding beauty but his magical power. The blue-eyed Beast of Bountiful Blaze had a high sense of perception and could understand and converse in the language of humans.

One fateful stormy night, calamity struck. A mighty sea monster, Tidemaw, arose from the dark depths of the Northern Ocean and launched an assault on Eldoria. The city walls, fashioned from rocks and iron, proved futile against Tidemaw's wrath. Desperate and fearful, the Eldorian King, King Eadric, braced to seek Ignis's help.

With a heart bubbling with desperation and hope, King Eadric climbed the perilous mountain path and spoke to Ignis in a language no other human could. The king pleaded, telling tales of mass destruction and looming dread. Ignis, understanding the grim situation, granted the king's request. He flew towards the city, his blue eyes glowing with determination beneath the stormy night.

The battle was fierce and devastating. Tidemaw's tremendous power almost matched Ignis's intense flames. But with every breath, Ignis roared out infernos that raged hotter and brighter, his blue eyes shining like a lighthouse amidst the stormy chaos. Ultimately, Tidemaw was forced into retreat, screeching in torment, fleeing back into the obscure waters from whence it came.

Ignis returned to King Eadric, weary from his battle. The king, however, was not the only one waiting. The people of Eldoria had come forth to cheer for their savior. They hailed Ignis as their protector, and that night, the kingdom celebrated the victory of their "Crimson Flame."

Thus, Ignis, the red dragon with blue eyes, took his place not just in the skies of Eldora but also in the hearts of its people as a protector, savior, and, most importantly, a legend. Forever embedded in the annals of Eldorian history, the saga of the Crimson Flame will echo for generations to come.

#digital art #digital artist #short stories #fantasy #creative writing #writers on tumblr #artists on tumblr #art

[shadowfoxsilver]

The evil managed (Part six)

(Part five)

The two beasts of dreams and nightmares soon clashed together as various elemental abilities shot off ranging from fire to electricity and even both. Their claws swung and slashed, though rarely managing to hit the intended target. The skies filled with snarls and screeches combined with roars and hisses from within the clouds that eventually formed to obscure the giant dragons themselves. Who would emerge victorious?

At first it was Dream Beast!

She soon flew down from the clouds, a little worse for wear, but otherwise fine. Not too long after her, Nightmare Beast plummeted to the ground with darkness and smoke trailing in her wake. But her red eyes remained opened, glowing with fury and anger. She was determined to win! She was determined to prove that the one of dreams was nothing against one of pure darkness. As she fell she flapped her damaged wings until she finally steadied herself and charged up an attack as her jaws opened. And then she fired it at the Dream Beast.

Dream Beast had just been about to land gently on her feet when she heard a crackling noise. She turned just in time to see a ball of darkness heading her way but didn’t have time to move or fire a counterattack. She was hit at full force and slammed into the ground rather violently, sending up a wave of dust as Nightmare Beast landed triumphantly close by with her wide smile. Dream Beast re-appeared, but her powered up form glowed brightly from the damage before she had to change back to her smaller weaker form.

Now Nightmare Beast had won.

Nightmare Beast smirked, then charged up another powerful attack and tried to inflict the finishing blow. She shot it off at full force without holding back. But Nega Lightning, while weakened, was not going to let the dark beast win so easily. Lightning saw her darker clone weakly shift into her Nega Fluo impersonation. Though smaller then usual and somewhat unstable, she then leapt out in front of the Dream Beast and flared up and electrical barrier around the Dream Beast and Lightning just as the dark attack hit its unintended target. The Dream Beast only saw a darkened taur cat leap out from behind her and then vanish when the barrier made it difficult to see anything.

What the darkness and shadow faded, Nega Lightning collapsed onto her side while still in her disguised form with her head and claws near Dream Beast as the barrier disappeared. While made of darkness herself, she was still easily hurt by it if it wasn’t her own. Her glowing eyes opened slightly, and she reached out to the Dream Beast. A dark ominous energy appeared around the palm of her clawed hand, forming into a dark orb that pulsed with both green and purple lights. She then, very tiredly and with some struggle, seemed to make it vanish into the Dream Beast.

Afterwards, Nega Lightnings form seemed to start melting away into ferrofluid once again. The bright lights fizzling out and the electrical energy fading back into static. “Now show this nightmare beast who the greater evil is. Show her that even the beast of dreams can become a nightmare of her own.” Nega Lightning mumbled sleepily. “And then I’ll help you unleash…The greatest evil…” But she soon had disappeared leaving only the pool of ferrofluid and that dissipated as well with not even a gem left behind likely meaning it was hidden within the orb the Dream Beast had absorbed.

Lightning stared at the spot where Nega Lightning had been. The dark clone..She was gone. There was no sign she was there nor any sign of the gem either. Dream Beast stared as well, but then felt her inner darkness stirring yet again. Usually she would fight it off, force it to stay at bay. But this time….An ominous smile crossed her face as the bright silvery colors of her form gave way to the darkness that began to creep over and her eyes gleamed with a newfound control of a curse she held.

Lightning felt fear only briefly before realizing that Nega’s secret plan was the form that required a powerful dark energy to use. And now she has given this form, and the control needed to manage it, to the Dream Beast herself.

And somewhere in the distance, a chimera cat of sorts was running alongside a pony who resembled the world’s own inhabitant. Both were on their way to give what help they could. And soon many more would join them in their effort. But the feline was unique and had no other counterparts aside from fusion one in the universe it was currently in.

#Special story arc: The evil managed #long post is long

[sugarcreambiteskingdom]

Reference: https://youtube.com/shorts/YmOatKYVPvs?si=Id6m6gWpXB9wGjvI

Ship: Longan Dragon Cookie x Apple Cherry Cookie

Inside the dark thick forest of The Gleaming Peninsula there was a dragon who was being dragged by a very Enthusiastic Cookie pulling and pushing the Dragon to go where they need to go as if they we're in a hurry

Which they actually are

But the Dragon did not care

Apple Cherry Cookie: C'mon Longan! Your so slow!

She exclaimed pushing Longan from behind with all there strength and power which unfortunately failed because she barely even moved him

Longan Dragon Cookie: Why do we have to rush this when it's just a simple flower?

Apple Cherry Cookie: But this isn't just a simple flower!

It's a beautiful Sugar Crystal Flower!

And they only bloom once every 30 years and they'll close after 24 hours and I just want you to see it okay?

Longan sighed before answering...

Longan Dragon Cookie: Fine.

He then took her into his arms and carried her in a bridal style which caught Apple Cherry Cookie off guard and blushes at the sudden act

Which he thought was an adorable sight to see

Apple Cherry Cookie snapped out of her flustered faze and guided him to the cave

After 5 minutes they arrived and Longan put Apple Cherry Cookie down to the floor and ignore the warm sensation he is feeling within his cheeks

Soon enough the 2 Cookies went into the dark cave which Longan used one of his 4 orbs of eyes to light there way like a car's headlights

They then arrived at the place but the flowers we're closed

Apple Cherry Cookie: W-Wait what? N-no...we're late?

Oh Cookie crumbs...

She said devastated as she looked at her phone seeing it was 12:03am

Longan Dragon Cookie won't admit it but he felt a bit guilty for not listening to Apple Cherry Cookie when she said to "Hurry Up"

Apple Cherry Cookie: You would've loved it Longan...

The flowers are so beautiful...

Is she literally just making him feel even more horrible now for not hurrying up?

Apple Cherry Cookie: Well...there's no use being here..

Let's go back to the Palace...

She sighed and turned her back from the cave with the closed Sugar Crystal Flowers spread around it

Longan was about to to follow until he saw a glimpse of something glowing from the corner of his right eye...

A flower was glowing and slowly was blooming and glittering like a light going through a colorful glass pane...

Apple Cherry Cookie: Longan-?

She stopped at her tracks as she looked back at her companion and the sudden glow and bloom of a flower which then started to affect the other flowers to bloom also making the small waterfall in the cave glow also from the light the flowers gave out...

Apple Cherry Cookie: Wait but how-

She then pulled her phone out and checked the date

Apple Cherry Cookie: Oh my gosh Longan look!

We we're actually earlier than I thought!

She showed him her calendar from her phone

Apple Cherry Cookie: The flowers only bloom at the 5th of July not the 4th

Oh my gosh I'm so happy!

I've never seen them bloom before

Look at that one!

She then went over towards the Sugar Crystal Flowers that was blooming inside the cracks of the cave's wall with the other more Sugar Crystal Flowers with different sizes beside it which Longan followed her to see

She put her right hand on the flower's petal ever so gently and softly smiled as her eyes sparkle from the sight of the flower, Her gaze was soft making the Dragon beside her left side have a small hue of red blush spread across his cheek...

Longan Dragon Cookie: You look Pretty...

Apple Cherry Cookie: What did you say?

She asked caught off guard making her retract her hand away from the flower

Longan Dragon Cookie: I said you look shitty now c'mon are we done here?

He said denying what he just said out loud

Apple Cherry Cookie: Can we stay here just a bit more please?

Or atleast let me take some bit of pictures around the cave?

She asked pretending as if she didn't heard what he just said

Longan Dragon Cookie: Just...make it quick understand?

Apple Cherry Cookie: Thanks!

She said happily and hugged him which caught him off guard before she pulled back and got her camera from her bag and immediately started to take pictures around the place

Longan Dragon Cookie can't help but form a soft smile at the sight of her smile as she takes a lot of pictures of the cave, the flowers and the small waterfall

#cookie run kingdom #crk #longan dragon cookie x apple cherry cookie #longan dragon cookie #apple cherry cookie

[arclundarchivist]

A Goodbye to Calamity.

This is how the Story Ends.

Avalir cracks at the seams foundations laid generations before vibrating with the deep tonal cry of the Astral Leywright and the Furious Cries of the world's eldest Rulers. The grand statue of Imyr cracks at the ankles, toppling into the city below. Ash and fire erupt into the sky, funneled up and away, and as it does so, Exandria too cracks at the base.

She doesn't exist now, survived by her Son.

Cerrit climbs, fighting as he never had before, racing towards the sun with an outstretched arm as the shadows and heat boil up around him, furious voices screaming in the cloying smoke, as spread out beneath cracks dance upon the earth like ripples on a pond.

One amongst many legends.

Breath hitching, Purvan Suul pushes his way out of the rubble. Hunting frantically, he finds his companion's furred back and draws him free. Galdric snarls, coughs, and stands, following his master's gaze up towards the horizon. Haloed by the rising sun, the Lord of the Hells' snarling laugh worms into his brain. His immense scythe rises, the backswing cascading a torrent of fire down across the breadth of his home. Vasselheim is burning. The Ruiner rises like a peak behind his brother, entire building disappearing into his mammoth maw. It is the end of the world. Purvan rests his hand over his pendant and closes his eyes as the scythe falls. A thunderous chime shakes him from the moment, and as he cracks upon his eyes, shadowing the city, an immense axe had parried the blow. He turns, and amongst the blessed gardens of the Wildmother, the Lawbearer stands, her stern gaze burrowing into her lost siblings. Beside her, the First of Dragons stands, platinum scales gleaming from within, his four burning eyes turning to glare at the Ruiner with fury and grief. The Prime had come to Vasselheim. Stirred by their presence Purvan takes up his bow, an arrow finding a K'nauthi neck as Galdric howls to the heavens. Fate's Hand was at play.

The Last Eye of Avalir soars, older, scarred, shoulder to shoulder with his Children, the light of the smoke choked dawn briefly glinting on the large brass ring he wears over his heart. Kir, his face set in a long practiced scowl, hawks already ready to fly as they race towards the meeting. Maya's eyes are trained on the horizon, his bright young girl now a young woman with the drive to catalog all the ages within the Will of his long-lost friend. The Orb hovers about, and his eyes flick briefly to the Cobalt Eye that rests upon her forehead. Together they hunt, scouring the dark places, seeking the hidden clues, working to scour the rubble for all that could be rescued or preserved. He looks up, the warped form of Aeor growing closer and closer. The Shadow Grows. The Truth Must be Found.

Elias Alterra Ilerez, the Starbearer, draws his blade, the feathered blade gleaming with internal stars as once more the damned followers of his father's captor seek to snuff out his life.

A desperate young man, marked by the Blightstar and blessed of three, raises his spear, parrying the God of Destruction and falling far below for his effort. Yet, the Doom of Domunas is not joined by the Massacre of Marquet.

Deep below ground, the One Who Called finally founds One Who Will Listen in Leylas Kryn.

Isn't it Lovely?

Cerrit falls to the ground, emaciated and wind-worn, his wife and children racing to embrace him, tears falling freely as above them, the Last of Domunas begin to descend again to Exandria Firma, even as the Ash of their Homeland still rains from the sky.

Isn't it Funny?

Nydas laughs darkly as he realizes no one will ever see the Hoard again and how just an hour before, he slaughtered a man over their blind desire.

Isn't it Cruel?

Laerryn feels the ground shatter beneath her feet as her life's work keens its song to the sky, and the scene of the tree ripping open at her attack plays before her eyes once more.

And Aren't I a Fool?

Zerxus bends the knee and bows his head. At his left Vespin, at his right a red-haired Drow Woman with too many arms. The Lord of the Hells reaches down and tips his chin up, and once more, Zerxus is forced to see his Husband's face. His weapon coos in delight at the attention.

To Happily Listen, Happily Stay,

Quay smiles, clutching Laerryn to him, thinking of what would have happened had he stepped over the threshold into the arms of his Queen and casts the thought aside, hugging his beloved tighter even as the world goes dark around them.

Watching Them Drift...

The web of fire grows, spreading across Toramunda and then all of Domunas.

Gold and Silver threads knot across Exandria.

Drift...

In the air far above, the survivors watch as their home, and all the unknowing people upon it shatter beneath tearing earth, bellowing fire, and boiling waves.

Drift...

The threads become bars, a cage of cosmic energy with the world nestled safely within.

Drift Away.

The survivors turn to each other, their fragile hope fighting to stay together in the face of the growing cloud on the horizon, swallowing the sun in its billowing embrace.

Patia turns away, and the familiar stranger places her mask back atop her face. A cold yet comforting hand rests on her shoulder and ushers her on. Into the Unknown, and how she hated not knowing things.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #exu spoilers #exu: calamity #exu cerrit #exu nydas #exu laerryn #exu zerxus #exu loquatius #exu patia #purvan suul #cobalt soul #ruidus #leylas kryn #vespin chloras #Took a some authorial license of course.

[equanox-dragon]

Immortal She, Return to Me (Legend of Zelda; Tears of the Kingdom)

Chapter 1: Danger Noodle

Link’s eyes widened as the Demon King took the stone from his forehead, shoving the object into his mouth. He knew, he had seen what doing this could do from Zelda’s memories, knew that this action would condemn his mortal enemy for eternity to be stuck as a dragon just as it had done to his best friend. Part of him pitied the fallen king, to be so desperate to do such a thing was honestly saddening to the Hylian.

The small man had to brace himself, a soft gasp escaping him as he felt icy hardness encircling him, the fangs of this newly born dragon he would soon discover. The wind howled and whipped around him, clawing at his face as he tried to squirm out of the maw of this giant beast to no avail.

It was the piercing shriek of the Light Dragon, no Zelda, he had to remind himself bitterly, that had grabbed his attention. And it seemed to grab the Demon Dragons attention too, as the beast swiftly looked towards the source with its piercing gaze, coiling form rising into the air high above the floating Hyrule Castle. The approach of the much smaller elegant silhouette of Zelda’s draconified form soaring through the air towards them sent the demon dragon into a rage, as it roared, maw opening wide and finally letting the Hylian trapped between its fangs into a free fall. The hood of his cloak billowed and whipped around him as the frigid air clawed at his face, the feeling of gravity trying to bring him back to the earth made his stomach twist just as it always did.

His fall was suddenly arrested as Zelda’s fuzzy head swooped under him, knocking the breath from his lungs as he landed. He winced, that would surely leave a nasty bruise, but what was one more amongst the multitude he already wore across his battered body? Zelda’s serpentine body coiled and wove through every opening, deftly dodging the much larger dragon as it tried to rend her from the sky with claws and fangs.

Finally the two leveled out, facing each other as they seemed to wait for the other to make the first move. Link could stand now, giving a soft thanks to Zelda under his breath as he unsheathed the Master Sword. The gleaming Starmetal blade glowed a pulsing blue, as if trying to guide him in his fight towards the weaknesses of his foe. Now that the two sky noodles, er dragons, were no longer moving as much, Link could finally get a good look at the Demon in Dragon form before him. 

One thing he noticed other than the immense size of the dragon was that it seemed to have retained some of the wounds it's humanoid form bore before transformation, gloom like blood coagulating and seemed to form tumor like nodules in the gaping raw wounded areas. A weakness, possibly the only spot that would likely take damage from his blade as the monster's body was covered with black scales harder than any metal or rock in the world.

Link held tight with one hand as Zelda moved suddenly to gain the higher ground, the Demon Dragon opening its maw to unleash a barrage of magic, gloom like energy coming forth in large orbs like giant balls of fire. Sure he had seen the elemental energies that came off the other three dragons before, but for some reason seeing the malevolent energy being directed at him and Zelda specifically made Link’s gut tighten. Stealing himself, Link lept from atop Zelda, angling his body as the grip of gravity once more tried to rip him from the sky, but now he knew he would not fall to the unforgiving earth. 

He watched Zelda swoop past him, weaving between the massive coils of the black and red body that roiled with energy. As he fell he couldn’t help but to think that despite the evil in front of him, he found it oddly beautiful. Not in the sleek elegant beauty that Zelda’s dragon form had, and not in the raw elemental grace that the other three dragons possessed. No, the beauty that the demon dragon had was one of primal beauty, a dark and foreboding grace and brutality that was awe inspiring, a display of pure primal power.

Link aimed himself, snapping his paraglider and feeling his shoulders and arms strain from pain, the jerk as his fall was suddenly halted made him grit his teeth, but he stayed focused. Landing on the lip of the wound he was even more appalled and disgusted to see the multitude of gloom eyes staring at him with pure malice. The Master Sword hummed in his hand, her blue glow singing to him, begging him to allow her to dispatch this enemy of Hylia. With a grunt Link raised his blade, bringing it down and wincing at the spray of blackish blood that nearly covered him. The rancid scent of gloom filled his lungs and nearly had him gagging from the overwhelming presence of this dark power. 

He twisted his sword, stabbing deeper into the tumor like growth as black blood sprayed around him, droplets like icy daggers where it hit his skin. Suddenly the Demon Dragon roared, a guttural and horrible sound that made his head hurt, ears pinning against his head from how loud it was. Link was launched airborne again as the foul energy and shaking of the massive serpentine body threw him from where he had been, his grip on the Master Sword making sure it was not left embedded into the gloom tumor.

Gravity gnawed at him again as he hurtled through the sky, struggling for a moment to tell which way was up and which way was down until Zelda once again caught him, halting his fall with her fuzzy head and making a slightly concerned “Prrp” noise as she once again dodged and weaved around the massive black and red dragon. Once she gained the high ground again Link gave her a reassuring pat on the head, before once more flinging himself into the air, aiming for another cancerous looking growth on the Demon Dragon, willing his aching body to listen to him just a little longer.

Once more Link landed, and once again he sliced into the tumor of darkness and eyes that lay growing from the great beast before he was thrown back to the air, forcing him to rely on Zelda to gain the upper hand as she soared through the sky. Each time he landed on her, his body screamed in pain, he wished he could just relax for a moment, yet the looming threat of the Demon Dragon remained unwavering.

Just two more, two more tumor like growths to deal with, and then what? He didn’t really have much of a plan from there, but to be honest he didn’t have much of a plan the moment Ganon ate that stone. Could this monster even die? Or was this just a fruitless endeavor on his part, destined for failure in the end? No he couldn’t think like that, focus on what you’re doing.

Another growth destroyed, he’d think it was getting easier if his body wasn’t hurting so much, exhaustion gripping him and making it harder to move, yet Link persisted. His goal was within reach, gritting his teeth as he landed a little awkwardly, gloom leeching at his vitality as its energy basically oozed from every scale of the gargantuan beast. Slamming the gleaming blade of the Master Sword into the abomination was rather satisfying, the nodule bursting just as all the others had. And again he was thrown into the air only to be caught by Zelda as she spiraled and looped her elegant form in and around the monster that they fought.

Something had emerged from the dragon, a giant version of the once small stone Ganon had eaten. And for a moment he swore he could see Sonia, that woman from Zelda’s memories who was the previous owner of that stone, standing upon its shining surface. The once magenta-ish coloured energy that spewed from the Demon Dragons mouth had taken on a more threatening red and black hue, just as the sky had become a bloody crimson. Briefly he wondered what the sages would think, and if they were still alive, Hylia he prayed they were still alive. He didn’t think he could take the guilt of more of his friends dying because of his inability to stop this evil. No he couldn’t think about that now, he had to focus.

One last time, he lept from Zelda’s head, his mind recalling that first plunge he had taken off the sky island all those months ago, when he had awoken to the voice of Raru the first King of Hyrule. He landed on the Demon Dragon’s head, those piercing eyes glaring at him, but for a moment he swore he saw a glimpse of fear in those hypnotic eyes. He shook his head, slamming his blade into the giant stone over and over, cracks beginning to form on its surface.

The Demon Dragon roared, seemingly in pain, thrashing about and nearly throwing Link from his spot, but he held on. Climbing and raising the Master Sword, she was practically screaming to be used, seeking out the source of the darkness that it was made to seal as it glowed brighter than he ever recalled it glowing. For a moment, Link thought he saw the first Queen Sonia in the fragmented surface of the stone, nodding as if encouraging him. Link shook his head, clearing his mind and raising the Master Sword, and with one mighty strike, slammed it into the stone, causing it to splinter and crack, shattering with glorious holy light as Link was thrown, Master Sword still in hand, from the great calamitous dragon.

He wondered briefly if he’d fall to his death now, part of him thought it’d be a funny way to go out, but Zelda once again caught him, gliding effortlessly through the air and a safe distance away from the Demon Dragon. Link watched with fascination as the golden energy spewed out from where the stone had been, ripping agonized roars from the giant beast as it flew higher as if trying to escape the pain. Then cracks and fissures erupted across its body, bright red light spewing from these chasms that had opened across its form.

Link had to shield his eyes momentarily, ears pinned back from the sound caused by the massive shockwave of energy released as what could only be compared to as a magic nuke engulfed the dragon, spreading out and bathing all of Hyrule in blinding light for a moment.

The Demon Dragon was gone, and the Master Sword seemed quiet as he sheathed the holy blade. Link collapsed back onto Zelda’s furry head, letting out a groan as finally the pain and exhaustion of the fight had caught up to him. It was over, Ganondorf was gone, dead even. But Zelda was still a dragon, and Link had no idea how, or if there even was any way to turn her back. Tears began to slip down his cheeks, as he lay against the draconic head of his best friend, a choked sob escaping him. 

“Mrrp?” Zelda seemed to make the noise out of concern and curiosity, which broke Link’s heart even more. An even louder sob left him as he curled onto his side, running his fingers through the short white fur of his best friend’s forehead.

“I’m… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry Princess… I don’t know what to do… how do I save you? I’m sorry Zelda… I’ve failed you again.” Link spoke, his voice rough and horse from disuse and crying.

Zelda seemed to let out a sad whine, a soft rumbling sound coming from her like she was trying to sooth the broken man who laid against her head as the two drifted through the now serene skies of Hyrule. Eventually Link uncurled himself, laying on his back again and staring up at the endless blue sky. You’d almost think he’d fallen asleep after a while with how peaceful it was to just lay there.

With some reluctance Link decided to stand, pulling out his Purah Pad to sort through his stash of items, he quickly found what he was looking for. Silent Princesses appeared in his hands, and Link set to weaving them into Zelda’s luscious mane of golden hair, humming a song his mother used to sing to him softly. Zelda made a happy trilling sound, soft and pleasant as she glided through the sky. 

“These used to be so rare, but now they grow abundantly… it’s like the world is finally healing… I know a spot where they grow wild and free, like a sea of them… I wish I could take you there…” Link Muttered, his voice straining slightly both with grief and with how little he tended to speak.

As Link wove the delicate flowers into Zelda’s hair, he couldn’t help but loath that he didn’t bring anything to tie her hair with as he pleated braids into her lush mane. Not that any normal hair ties would work well on the large dragon, but maybe Link could find some cloth at the Castle that he could use. 

Once he had woven the flowers sufficiently into Zelda’s hair, Link stood, carefully climbing over her head and onto her back. He made a habit of walking along her to check for any chunks of crystal that she had begun to shed, finding that she seemed to be happier when they were removed from her spines. Link gathered the chunks as he went before backtracking once more towards her head. On his way back to her head, he noticed a scale that looked pretty loose, so he gently took it, the scale coming free with ease, he placed it as well as the crystals into his Purah Pad.

Finally Link sat down on her fuzzy head, gently petting her and running his fingers through the soft fur. He was loath to leave her, really he didn’t feel like there was any point now, the world was saved and his duties as the Hero fulfilled. The only duty he had left was as Zelda’s sworn knight, but that wasn’t really something he could accomplish anymore.

With the sun starting to set across the horizon, Link eventually bid Zelda farewell, as much as he wished he could simply stay up there with her forever. He eventually rolled off of her, letting himself into a freefall for a bit before taking his Purah Pad to simply teleport to Lookout Landing.

Teleporting was always an odd sensation, feeling weightless for a moment before feeling suddenly very heavy, then everything evened out as your vision cleared. Link blinked a little to get his eyes to refocus, squinting at the bright light streaming onto his face from the entrance of the skyview tower. 

The first thing he noticed was the sages, gathered and seemingly arguing about something. Other than being a little worse for wear, the sages all looked to be okay, which was a huge relief to Link as he approached. His presence caught the attention of Tulin who immediately shouted in relief.

“Guys he’s back!” The smaller Rito exclaimed, grabbing the attention of the others right quick. Each of the sages seemed to allow relief to flood onto their faces.

“Link my closest friend, we were worried that something had happened to you when you took so long to return, how are you?” Sidon asked with genuine concern as he approached Link, ready to help him as always.

The small Hylian waved off his friends worried fussing, smiling weakly at the Zora, really he just wanted to rest. But he knew that he owed them a report. Thankfully Mineru came to his rescue, her large mechanical form making its way over to him as she seemed to scan him for serious injuries.

“Let’s get you into the shelter and start taking care of some of those nasty bruises, you can tell us what happened there and then rest, you look like you need it.” Mineru spoke, though her form could not easily display emotion, there was obvious concern lacing her voice as she guided Link to the shelter so his injuries could be tended to.

As Sidon started to use his magic to heal the worst of his injuries, he finally realized just how sore he was. Link just wanted to rest and close his eyes, he was so tired. Still he waited until his arms were free to start signing his report, though he tried to go slow, he had to repeat himself a few times because the others would tell him he was going too fast. 

“I see, so after the fight and that big explosion we saw you spent some time with the Princess, that’s why you took a little longer to come back. No it’s fine, if I could spend time with her I’d do the same in your place.” Mineru comforted gently.

“Don’t worry Link, I know we will find a way to save the Princess!” Tulin butted in chipperly, giving his best supportive smile which Link returned with a slightly sadder one.

“Y-yah, and now that the Demon King is gone, we can put all our efforts into helping find a way to turn her back goro!” Yunobo added, giving a thumbs up.

“Indeed, we will give our every effort to saving Princess Zelda, I’m sure that it can be done!” Sidon said as he carefully worked his healing magic into Link’s sore shoulders. “Though I think we should be letting Link rest soon, these injuries are actually quite bad, you nearly dislocated both your shoulders.” Sidon added with concern as he continued to heal the smaller man.

Riju had been oddly quiet this entire time, seemingly deep in thought, but she gave Link a reassuring smile when they locked eyes as if to say he had her full support as well. Mineru finished writing down the info they needed, and once Sidon finished healing the worst of Link's injuries, the small swordsman was guided to take a much deserved hot bath and to rest.

Once Link had finished relaxing and washing the grime of battle from his skin, he found himself quickly succumbing to the calls of sleep, so without much fight, Link fell deep into sleep as soon as he lay down.

He hadn’t dreamed in so long that he forgot he could, and as he slept his mind turned to his own deepest fears. Stuck between the maws of the Demon Dragon again, except this time he heard a loud crunching sound as the monster bites down harder, starting to crush him with excruciating pain. Link screamed out in agony, trying in vain to worm his way free as his spine was shattered between massive fangs.

A sea of blood, and held in his left hand is a tangle of rust red hair, a mummified skull attached to the strands of crimson. Before him lay the light dragon, Zelda, yet something was horrifically wrong. The dragon seemed dead, lifeless and still, it’s maw wide open and eyes glossy. Yet in the mouth of the Light dragon was the corpse of his best friend, partly fused to the creature she had become with the Master Sword embedded in her chest. Zelda Looked up at him, smiling softly “Don’t cry, I’ll be back again” she spoke in an angelic soft voice as blood dripped down her head and from her mouth. Secret stones started to float to the surface of the lake of blood around them as Zelda became limp, tendrils of blood slithering up from the pool to writhe around him and cling to his body, trying to pull him under. 

“It’s your fault. You couldn’t save her, couldn’t protect her. You failed just like you always do” The mummified head spoke, piercing glowing eyes bore into him as he fell to his knees, blood lapping around him and trying to pull him under. He wanted to die, to just let himself drown in this ocean of sanguine. It was right after all, he did fail again to keep his best friend safe, and this guilt ate away at him.

Link woke up with a silent scream, no noise leaving him as he gasped for air, body drenched in sweat and trembling almost violently. Mineru had been passing by as she peaked her robotic head into the room, rushing over as she saw Link with tears falling down his face and hyperventilating.

It took nearly half an hour for Mineru to get Link calm enough for him to shakily sign out the word Nightmare, and by then he didn’t much feel like sleeping despite the exhaustion that gnawed at him. He thought he may never sleep again, anything to avoid another dream like that one. Link could swear he still felt the thick blood lapping against his body, racing shivers through his slender form which concerned Mineru.

“Link, are you sure it was just a Nightmare? You seem really shaken up for something as simple as a bad dream…” Mineru asked gently. When Link gave her a questioning look she made a noise like a sigh, “I think you had a Night Terror, it’s common in some children, but most adults tend to outgrow them… That being said, sufficient mental distress and trauma can cause them to happen…” She explained softly.

The small swordsman let out a shuddering sight, “I’m fine, it was just shocking… I’m going to warm some milk…” The Hylian signed, Mineru nodding and helping him stand, as his body was still aching.

“If you say so… but know I am always here for you if you need to talk, or sign” Mineru said, and if her robot could smile, he was sure she’d be wearing the most motherly, reassuring smile possible.

As Link warmed up some milk to drink, he decided to mention one other thing to Mineru, “I’ll be going to the castle tomorrow to grab some things, just a heads up” Link signed to the motherly woman, knowing that if he didn’t tell her about his plans, she’d fuss over him like a mother Cucco.

“Okay, thank you for telling me… now you should try to get some more sleep” Mineru said as she guided him back to bed, the small Hylian sipping on his warm milk as they walked. “Yah yah” he signed with one hand, smiling slightly at the robotic form of his friend.

Once he had finished his milk, Link reluctantly crawled back into bed and let exhaustion take over. This time he fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

#ganlink #fantasy #totk #totk spoilers #loz totk #zelda totk #tears of the kingdom #link #light dragon #totk link #writing #ao3 fanfic #archive of our own #fanfiction #fanfic #graphic depictions of violence #ship fic

[youllallriseintheink]

Fight Like a Champion, chapter 3.

All his life, Hop has lived in his brother's shadow and made it his one dream to one day surpass him. To have not only failed in that, but be crushed into the dirt by both his rivals and best friend, was devastating. To try and broaden his horizons, Leon has suggested he take the position of former champion Cynthia's summer student, travelling all over the mountainous region Sinnoh on archaeological digs and rescue missions. Who knows? It may be just what he needs. And who knows what Cynthia might see in him. 

This is the final chapter.

---

At the end of the summer, Hop was on a boat returning to Galar. It had been quite the summer, but he was glad to be back. He’d missed the calm, lush lands he called home, and he’d missed Leon. He even missed Gloria. And he couldn’t wait to show and tell everybody what he’d learned. As the boat approached the shore, Hop saw Leon waving enthusiastically at him. As soon as he was off the boat, Hop ran to Leon and tackled him with a hug.

“So, how was it?” Leon asked.

“It was amazing! Sinnoh is like, the craziest place I’ve been. It has tunnels going under basically every inch of the region, and these cool contests, and their champion actually helps people! No offense. But can we talk later? First, I want to challenge you to a Pokémon battle! And don’t hold back on me!”

Leon was surprised, though he supposed he shouldn’t be. Cynthia had a way of encouraging others. “A Pokémon battle? I thought you were done with those. Three-on-three?”

“You bet. And would you like to raise the stakes a little?”

“That depends- what do you have in mind?”

“If I win, I want an endorsement for next year.”

“I mean, I can give you one regardless, it’s not like I have a limited number.”

“Yeah, but I want to earn it.”

“Well, alright, then,” Leon said, drawing his first pokéball with a competitive gleam in his eye. “You’re on. No win, no endorsement. And I’m not going easy on you.”

Soon, the two brothers were on opposite sides of a local field, their first pokéballs at the ready. Leon sent out Charizard. Hop sent out Dubwool. The fiery dragon looked so awe-inspiring compared to the sheep Pokémon that it barely seemed a fair fight. Leon wondered if Hop hadn’t learned so much after all. But, Hop had said not to hold back.

“Flamethrower,” Leon commanded, and Charizard obeyed, sending out a stream of fire.

“Light screen,” Hop returned, and his Dubwool surrounded himself with a protective barrier of light, blocking out half the dragon’s fire. It was barely damaged from the attack.

“Hm. Status moves,” Leon noted. “And a good choice of them, too- Charizard only uses special moves. Charizard, return.”

Charizard returned to Leon’s pokéball. He then sent out his haxorus as Hop set up a reflect.

Dang. Now he’s got protection from both physical and special moves. But it won’t last. Just gotta get through the next three turns…

Haxorus used earthquake as Hop switched into Cinderace, which struggled to keep its footing as the earthquake did supereffective damage to it. Leon noted that the Cinderace was wearing what looked to be a life orb around its neck. Cinderace and Haxorus exchanged earthquakes and mega kicks until Haxorus fainted, the light screen and reflect had worn off, and Cinderace was barely standing.

Wow, he’s actually pretty good. I should have switched back into Charizard. Well, no more underestimating him. “Charizard, come on out and use dragon pulse!”

Charizard once again entered the battlefield and sent out a beam of draconic energy.

“Cinderace, return! Corviknight, out, and use volt tackle!”

Corviknight emerged and engulfed itself in sparks, flying straight through the purple beam of energy to strike Charizard in the stomach. Charizard roared in pain. When the dust settled, Leon noticed the occa berry tied around Corviknight’s neck.

That’ll halve the damage from a fire-type attack, and I’d like to keep Charizard around to deal with his Cinderace. Maybe it’s time to show him that he’s not the only one who can use items and status moves.

“Rillaboom, out, and use curse!”

The gorilla Pokémon landed on all fours, kicking up dust, and drove one of its drumsticks into its back to activate the curse and raise its attack and defense. Coviknight’s volt tackle barely did anything. Hop grit his teeth once he took notice of its rocky helmet. This was not a good Pokémon to use a physical attacker against.

And he’s got nothing but physical attackers. I can’t wait to see how he handles this.

“Drill peck,” Hop commanded.

“Hammer arm!” Leon returned.

The two Pokémon exchanged blows for a short while, the corviknight clearly taking more damage. In the midst of it, Hop commanded corviknight to roost. Lacking any healing options, Leon used those opportunities to use curse again, pushing Rillaboom’s stats to their extremes. In the end, Corviknight fell to a final blow by Rillaboom, but Rillaboom was clearly low on health.

“Corviknight, return. Cinderace, get in quick with a pyro ball!”

“Hammer arm!”

Rillaboom was extremely slow from using curse, and pyro ball took it out before it could strike. However, Cinderace was clearly feeling the effects of the life orb. Breathing heavily, it fell to its knees and then passed out. The two trainers returned their Pokémon.

“So this is it. My dubwool, your charizard. Just like we started,” Hop said.

“It hardly seems fair,” Leon replied.

“Well, Charizard has taken more damage,” Hop pointed out.

Someone’s confident, Leon noted, nodding in acknowledgement. He then tossed out his pokéball. Hop did the same.

“Flamethrower!”

“Head smash!”

Charizard breathed all the fire it could, but Dubwool charged through it, leaping into the air to get in a very type-effective hit. Charizard flew up higher to avoid it. It smirked and sent out another stream of fire. Dubwool growled and used double-kick against the ground to shoot itself into the sky, higher than Charizard. Charizard was so stunned it stopped breathing fire, able only to look up at its opponent. Dubwool descended upon it hard with a headsmash, delivering a ferocious blow to Charizard’s chest. Charizard fell out of the sky and smacked into the ground, defeated. Dubwool wiped out on its side as well, clearly damaged. Hop and Leon watched in bated breath to see if Dubwool would get up.

Please get up. A win would do more for him than a draw would for me.

Dubwool rose unsteadily to its hooves. Hop looked like he couldn’t quite believe his eyes. Then, he ran over to hug it.

“You did it! Oh my God. Dubwool, we did it!” 

Dubwool snuggled into him.

“Yep, you got me! Guess you’re getting that endorsement. Now you wanna come in and tell me more about Sinnoh?”

Hop looked up at his brother. “Hm. Oh, yeah, definitely! There’s just one thing I want to do first, alright?”

“Ha. Okay, but don’t keep me waiting too long. And heal your team if you’re going into wild areas!”

Hop did. Aside from the obvious safety issues of wandering into the slumbering weald with only a hurt Dubwool, he wanted to keep Dubwool alert and by his side for this. He kept a hand on its back as they traveled through the mist, relying on Dubwool’s excellent sense of direction.

“Is this about the place I first met Zazmazenta?” he asked it. The dubwool nodded.

Hop looked around. “Zazmazenta? Are you there?” he asked to the trees.

Something moved. It was gone in an instant. Hop turned around and found himself face-to-face with the mighty red wolf. Stunned, Hop fell backward. Zazmazenta pounced on him and started licking his face.

“No hard feelings for releasing you, huh?”

Hop picked himself up. “So, Zamazenta. I figured out what I’m gonna do with my life. I’m gonna enter next year’s championship, and a while after that, I’m gonna be a Pokémon ranger. Do you want to join me for that?”

Zamazenta nodded in response.

“Great! I’ll come back here and have Cinderace shoot fire into the sky whenever I have another adventure to take you on.” 

Hop cupped Zamazenta’s face. This was a Pokemon dedicated to protecting the region. He was going to do his best to be perfect for it. “You and I, Zamazenta, we’re going to be heroes of Galar together.”

#pokemon #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon hop #champion leon #dubwool #zamazenta #my fanfiction

[stardustjessie]

THE DEVIL GEMS (Chapter 1)

She stared at it. Its almost perfectly round shape, its pristine cut. She swears she can see her face in the gem, but not quite, as her colours reflect differently. It's been rumoured for a few years of a supernatural occurrence in an area outside the kingdom walls. Gold seemingly appeared out of thin air! Everyday, there were rather large gold chunks where the rocks used to be. As these gold chunks were collected, and more were mined, it led into a cave where the same would occur. Gold, diamond, silver, titanium, anything you can dream of would be found in that cave at unseen rates. Everytime everything was mined, more would show up where they were. The common men didn't care, all they knew was that there was valuable ores in that cave. Sheeva, however, cared about the reason. Why would the terrain itself turn to gold ? No mage could simply be transmuting the entire cave floor. There has to be a reason why. She delved into the depths, looking for a clue. She set up camp inside the cave, and after a night's worth of sleep, she took notice that the corner of the tent, which touched the cave wall, was slowly turning into gold. It wasn't a curse on the stone, there was a magic powerful enough to turn anything indiscriminately into ores. As she delved deeper, she noticed a gleam of light coming out of a crack in the gold. It had a cold blue light, and it was projected through. This was no reflection, she had thought. She had brought explosives just in case, and she had prepared them just in case. She activated the explosion and the crack turned into a massive hole through the gold. It was hard to breathe through the smoke, but she pushed through and found it! On a pedestal, made out of pure amethyst, there was an orb. It wasn't perfectly round, but it resonated a cold blue light. She could sense the danger. There must've been a monster in the room with her. Maybe it followed her through the cave ? She couldn't tell, nor could care. She had just found it! It could answer all these supernatural activities surrounding the cave. She used a cloth to grab the orb and took off through the smoke. She was afraid of what she sensed, and didn't want to stay to find out. On her way back to her study, she felt a presence still, on the tip of her fingers. "Is this it ?" She asked herself out loud. Is this gem somehow alive ? She could only ponder. She had placed it on a pedestal of her own, made out of stone. The cloth she had covered it with had suddenly turned into gold also. She knew she had to study it quickly, as it would quickly turn her study, and soon the academy into pure gold as it had with the caves. Is it capable of affecting living creatures ? She had brought a hazard into the academy, unpermitted by the council. She knew they would be against her will to study it. She stared at it… Gazed by its glow. 

"Is it gold you desire ?" She hears a faint whisper. She looks around, hunting for the source. There are only two entrances, the door, which is locked, and the window, which has been closed since she got here. "Diamonds ? Do you seek such riches ?" The voice is behind her! She turns back to the gem on the pedestal, as the pedestal itself has started to turn into gold. "What is your desire ?" She hears the whisper become louder as it speaks, coming directly from the orb. "Do you wish to understand me ?" She can't fight a sudden urge. A sudden gaze for the gem. "Touch it." Is all she could think of. She places her hands on the gem, and slowly, her hands also turn to gold. She's about to panic, when the whispers return. "Don't pull. We are bonding my dear." She can see a pair of eyes inside the gem. It was the face of a Dragon, a real one. She could see it just like a projection directly onto her eyeballs. It was a Pink dragon, and it had a very strange head shape she had never seen a dragonborn such as herself have. It was like a cone, with horns on the side pointing to the back of the head, perfectly aligned with the cone shaped head. It stared into her eyes, with its green flaming eyes. "I shall grant your desire. You just have to say it." She stared confused. What is this dragon ? Could it be a demon ? What was the desire it wanted her to unearth ? Desire… All she could think of is understanding the arcana. Could this demon grant that ? Uncontrollably her lips started moving. Her heart was speaking out. "The arcana. I wish to understand." The dragon had given her a smile, as her hands had already turned to gold. "Your desire is my will." It said as the gem glowed gracefully. The light was blinding. As it faded, her hands were slowly turning to normal. The gem was no longer in her hands. Did she absorb it ? She couldn't tell what she witnessed. She leans over on the pedestal, with her hand supporting her weight on it. 

It's odd. She still feels an odd presence. Not from the orb, but from around her. The door has remained closed this entire time. She looks around the room, filled with bookshelves and books on the floor. There didn't seem to be anyone in the room. She notices that the window has been opened. She starts to panic, something must've come in. Was there really a monster stalking her ? Her room was a simple study. There weren't many places to hide. She walked over to her bed, and crouched to look underneath. She encounters a pair of flaming eyes staring at her. She immediately jumps back, as a blast of ice comes from under the bed. She was lucky to dodge that, she thought. The one under the bed places their arm out, crawling out of the bed. She can't think rationally, she had never gotten into a battle like this. "They must be here to kill me!" She thinks. She lifts up her foot and stomps on their hand, forcing them to pull back. She had little time to think. She couldn't destroy the room alongside the intruder. She couldn't ask for help. The intruder could run away while she looks for a guard in the academy. She can't scream for help, these rooms are infused with magic for privacy. No one can hear anything in her room. What a predicament, she thinks as she watches them struggle coming out from under the bed. Their hand-! It's pure silver. They can't grab the floorboard anymore, so they're pushing their body out slowly. She hadn't noticed it, could it really be ? She stomps on their arm with all her might. They groaned loudly in pain as she smashed their arm in. As she is stomping, their arm gets so rough to the touch she can no longer break it. She saw it- It has turned into silver! Could it be that she absorbed the power of the gen itself ? She looked back at the pedestal, and just as she suspected. The area that she leaned over was made out of diamond. It transmuted the previously transmuted gold. As she looks over at it, she feels a sudden grip on her leg. She looks down immediately, and sees the other hand of the man under the bed grab onto her leg. They had crawled enough to peek their head. She could see the face of a dragonborn, just like her. However, their scales are a light blue, similar to a snowflake. She tries to lift up her leg, but they keep pulling it down. "You made the pact ? Did he make you do it ?" They said, struggling to open their whole jaw. 

He ? Who's "he" ? Is this all a misunderstanding ? She couldn't transmute their hand, it would only worsen the grip and make it impossible to separate. She attempts to lift her other leg, but they immediately pull when it lifts, dropping her down to the ground and hitting her head. When she opens her eyes, she can see the man directly above her. Those are the same eyes and scales! How could this be ? She can still feel the same grip on her ankle from them under the bed. Is it possible that there are two of them ? The one above her speaks: "Did he pay you ? Or was this your choice ?" "Who are you talking about!?" She exclaims, grabbing onto their legs. She doesn't know how to control this power. She wants their legs to transmute, but how can she choose what it will transmute to ? She thinks… Sand…? Sand. They would fall and be unable to run. She thinks hard of it, feeling an odd surge of magic from her hand. She can feel each bit of the man's legs turn into sand. She can feel the entire process. In a couple of seconds, where she had touched completely turned to sand and the man fell to the ground. She sees them fade out of existence when coming down. Her eyes must be playing tricks, she thinks. She had focused so much on the transmutation she hadn't stopped to notice that she no longer felt the grip on her ankle. She looks at the bed, and the man is now sitting on top, with their silver hand hanging low. "Where did you find it ? He really didn't give it to you ?" They say, staring at her with intimidation. She's frozen in place and can't get herself back up. "I don't know who you're talking about! I found the gem on my own!" She exclaims once again.

"That's a relief." The man says. "Thought he had another one take the bite."

They look down at their silver arm and ask: "So, how did you locate the gem under that cave ?"

"So you really were there!? You stalked me home ?" She exclaims angrily.

"Yes." They respond. "When I saw someone camp inside the cave, I figured it was one of his minions coming after the gem for him. I guess I was wrong to judge so soon."

"I… Found it on a pedestal in between the walls. I had to explode the wall to get there." She answers. 

"You still don't know how any of it works, do you ?" They say, pointing with their remaining hand at her. Where she fell, it's all metal underneath her hands! She doesn't have control over it yet. "I could teach you. Get up." They say.

Can she trust this man even ? She thinks to herself. Seems like they understand these powers. The copy of them she fought must've been an illusion, she figured. They must be able to control their own gem. She gets up and stands in front of them. "And how do I do it ?" She says.

They lift up their silver arm to her. "Touch it. And think. The gem will respond to your will. If you desire to transform it into metal, it will. If you desire to transform it into sand, it will.

Then you must desire to transform it into flesh to restore. And constantly think about not transforming anything so your own clothes don't just suddenly turn into silver."

She places her hands onto their arm and thinks hard of it. Flesh… Flesh… A dragonborn isn't just flesh. There's the scales, but wouldn't the entire thing turn into scales then ? Scaled flesh! That's what it should turn into. She keeps it in her mind as she holds onto their arm. "There we go." They say. She hadn't noticed she had even closed her eyes. She opened them, and the arm was normal again. The robe they had on was still silver, as she had not touched it. She holds onto the robe and thinks of cloth. Was it cotton ? She wasn't sure, she only knew that it was a dark robe. She kept her eyes open as she watched the robe turn back to cloth. It seemed to be a different fabric than the rest, but she had no way of knowing what it was.

"You got it." They say. "Doesn't seem like I'll have to fight it off of you."

"Why would you even ?" She asks in return.

"There's been someone going around collecting these gems. He's sent out a few people to locate and collect them. Not to count the many he has recruited to support his cause."

"And why are you after the gems yourself ?"

"I need to stop him from drawing the power from all 6 of them. I already hold one, and you seem trustworthy."

They stop to think…

"What do you even do here ?" They ask.

"Oh. I'm a scholar of the Arcana. I study magic to understand its full potential and origins."

"Why don't you come with me then ?"

"Me ? Why ?"

"If you come alongside me, you'll see magic beyond your dreams. These gems aren't just simple powers like transforming what you touch into gold, or casting illusions. These gems hold the most ancient of magic. Not only you'd see more of it, you'd discover more of your own."

She stops to think. What is your desire… She had truly opened herself to the gem and its demon. She had embraced its will to grant her desire. Should she go alongside them ? Truly this must be the work of fate itself, granting her deepest desire. Instead of learning through these books and hearsay, she could have a direct experience with the arcana. "I could." She says, holding back her excitement. "You wouldn't see your room again. We'd have to travel far and wide for these gems." They say in response. "That's fine. I hold no attachment to this place."

I recently started getting back into old media I really enjoyed, and had flashbacks of a comic I really enjoyed making growing up. It was about a guy who had a sibling form the future that was evil and needed to collect crystals to save the world. It was dumb! But I took the ideas I had and reworked them to create "The Devil Gems", which is a fantasy story using D&D as basis. I hate very much to admit that JoJo was a major inspiration to me as a kid when I was making the comics, and I couldn't get rid of that without changing the core ideas, haha. So it stays! I'm very proud of my writing and initiating a series like this! I'll definitely make a compiled PDF with all the chapters and all my sketches for easier readability once I'm done. Who knows when that will be!

#furry #trans artist #art #dnd #fantasy #literature

[cookiesofthecosmos]

Keykeeper backstory

The village was quite simple. Yet within it was a beast simply called the Key Beast. The seal was kept in place by three siblings who had promised to keep the seal in place and also to protect the village that cared for them as well. The trio had simply appeared one day to face the monster and then stayed to ensure it would remain in place. The three cookies each held a crystal key that held their power and kept the seal in place. For many years the Key Beast remained sealed within the village..

But one fateful day, the eldest of the key trio grew hungry for power and was tired of her younger siblings getting the attention of the villagers. Why should they get all the gifts and compliments? It just wasn’t fair. So she decided to betray them! To show she was better than they were. A flawless plan to win the villagers over too. Or so she had foolishly assumed. She delved into the sealed building of the village center where the Key Beast had been sealed for quite some time. With a simple tap of the purple key, she broke the seal and awakened the monster the trio had fought so long ago. She would have challenged it again! But the beast promised her power beyond what she had. So she accepted its offer. But became a monster herself and corrupted by her desire for more power.

With the seal broken, the Key Beast escaped containment with even more power than before. The remaining key cookies watched in horror as their sister joined the beasts side to betray them. To break the promise of protecting the village. The cookie of the yellow key was the youngest. The cookie of the light purple key was the middle eldest. The cookie of the purple key was the oldest. Each had a key representing what they stood for. Yellow was Memory, Light Purple was Form, and Purple was Power. And Power had betrayed Memory and Form. Maybe it was destined to happen. Maybe it wasn’t. But whatever it was, it likely didn’t end well for them all.

No one really knows what happened that day beyond the seal breaking and the trio falling. The village was left in ruin and the Key Beast escaped into the unknown. The trio keys was all that remained, but somehow the magic they held did not waver. Whatever remained of their presence decided to create something to protect the keys. Someone to keep the keys from falling into the wrong hands as their powers still remained within. Someone who could use their power themselves if the time was dire. Something entirely new. So the three keys floated around the center of the village, where ruins remained of the sealed chamber. They then merged into a crystal of three colors that gleamed brightly and vanished into the rubble as an orb of light perhaps sensing what they needed was there.

After a few years had passed, a peculiar cookie would show up occasionally across the land. She carried three keys on a necklace, held a staff that had a crystal of three colors on it, and rarely stayed in one place for too long. Some say her closed eye is the same color as the crystal, others say she’s just a coffee cookie dragon. But whichever it is, she has simply kept one name during her travels:

Keykeeper Cookie

The key trio guardian; The holder of the three keys. Seeking the Key Beast who may know what happened that day the key trio fell.

#Keykeeper Cookie #cookie run oc #cookie run #long post #longpost

[bastsoldtrollblog]

> Your shop is currently empty, or so it seems.

> The building appears to those who have need of it, whether they know it or not. It might even appear in a location where one swore there wasn’t a shop before- But, somehow, they’d never be quite certain; Perhaps they’d just missed it.

> Your shop is stocked with all sorts of, what most would consider oddities. One shelf holds all sorts of alchemical ingredients, from satchels of calcium carbonate and other such normal chemicals to zombie toes, eye of newt (both mustard seed, and apparently literal eyes from newts), and so on. Another shelf holds old books, bound in leather or hide or cloth. One shelf is clearly marked; “Cursed - Proceed with caution!”

> On the higher shelves, generally out of reach, are various other items and artifacts. A series of rings circling around a golden orb spins of it’s own accord; A red light seems to gleam in the shadows of a cow skull, but the light disappears when one looks directly at it; Old weapons, crystal balls, what seems to be a mummified dragon’s talon.

> And within glass display cases are other, apparently rare items. A shimmering unicorn’s horn, the whole eye of a cyclops, the still-beating black heart of a revenant, a pitch-black tome with a moving eye set into it.

> Your shop is empty, apart from your customer, and until a narrow door that couldn’t have lead outside opens. Wind howls through the open door, carrying wind-lashed snow with it, and the icy landscape beyond appears only to be white-out blizzard conditions. You sweep through and close the door behind you, the howling wind cutting silent, and turn to lay eyes on your customer. Snow speckles your hat and jacket, proof that it wasn’t just some illusion beyond the door.

#bastrps #arctus izaril #arctus ic #open #yeet uvu

[iero0]

A Love Like Oxygen

The warmer months are the worst. Around the time that the sun grows warmer, and the chipper of birds wake him before sunup, a darkness seizes Harry from deep within, one that worsens with every memorial, every birthday, every deathday along the line.

The grand finale, ultimately, is his own birthday.

He doesn’t understand why he’s feeling so low. In contrast to Draco who despises the summer for its heat that he doesn’t deal well with, and loves it for the long hours of daylight, Harry enjoys the warmth on his skin, hopeful that it will permeate through to bones that feel so dead-cold at times, heavier than Harry thinks people ought to feel in their late twenties. 

With his birthday fast approaching, Harry removes himself from get-togethers and barbeques and from life, just to indulge in the agonizing memory of birthdays spent secluded and unloved as a child.

The irony doesn’t escape him. When Ron says that it’s almost as if he wants to be a miserable loner, Harry answers that he might be just correct. They don’t fight about it, though, they don’t. The thing all of them learnt after the war is that sometimes, you help your friends by giving them some space.

Draco, however, is not good at granting space. Fortunately, Harry doesn’t mind, not with him. Draco always seems to be there, holding him through nightmares and reading next to him when Harry stares blankly ahead, incapable of making any sense of his world, stroking through his hair when Harry hadn’t  realised how he craved the touch.

This year’s birthday is hardly different from others. He had hid away at home for the last two weeks, avoiding company like Dragon Pox. On the very day of his birthday, however, not even Draco lets him spend the day secluded. Instead, he’s served a huge pile of pancakes and is then shoved into the shower whilst he hears Draco rummaging through their bedroom.

Harry understands only later that Draco was packing a bag for them, when Hermione hands him a small box for his birthday. In it he finds a battered tin soldier of all things (well, she can’t know, he never told her about the cupboard), and it takes him a shocked moment to realise that it’s a Portkey, not some sort of twisted plot to make Harry talk about repressed trauma.

They spend the day at a beautiful wild beach. Ron, Hermione, and Draco travelled with Harry via Portkey, but once there, they meet up with Ginny and Luna, and Dean and Seamus, with Pansy and Theo, and with Blaise and with Neville. Caught up in chatter, splashing about, and playing a bumbling party of beach volleyball, time seems to race. It’s only when the sun changes from yellow to orange that Harry pauses, and his useless brain supplies him with thoughts from earlier, reminds him how exhausting this all is.

Draco’s hand finds Harry’s. He doesn’t look worried, only aware.

In his peripheral view, it doesn’t escape Harry how Neville’s gaze and mouth corners drop to their linked fingers, and something about that is almost too much for Harry to bear. They take a walk along the beach, only he and Draco. Ginny and Ron want to join, grinning and fierce as they are, but Harry hears Hermione tell them off without many words.

Harry smiles, grateful for ‘Mione and her unerring understanding of others. Harry’s smile grows wider when he looks at Draco at his side, clad only in his swim trunks. His delicate pallor is reddened on his cheek bones and the thin bridge of his nose. His shoulders almost gleam in an angry hue of red.

“What?” Draco asks, smiling and playfully shoving at Harry. In lieu of replying, he only shoves back, steps heavy in the uneven sand, and they end up walking arms around each other. Harry presses a careful kiss to Draco’s burnt skin.

“The sun goes down at last,” Draco remarks, eyes squinting against the fiery orb above the trees that line the beach. “Was rather aggressive today. I wouldn’t have endured a minute of it at home.”

“Not without complaining,” Harry says, teasing, and somehow feeling happy to have a moment alone together. They rather tussle instead of talking. Everything that needs to be said is communicated by mischievous glances, quirked mouth corners, and lingering touches. All this exposed skin, Harry thinks, unable to take his eyes off of Draco’s body. Laughter escapes him as he thinks how stupidly proud he has felt all day, having this opportunity to show Draco off to his friends, using every excuse that allowed him to get his hands on his partner. It’s a primitive, childish thought, Harry thinks. And yet he can’t help it.

“It’s just . . . you,” Harry answers Draco’s imploring gaze. “You have no idea what you do to me, Malfoy.”

Draco stops them to kiss properly, so deeply that it steals Harry’s breath away. “Happy birthday, Harry,” he says after, looking affectionate as he travels his hand through the hair on Harry’s chest, giving it a cheeky tug that sets off yet another round of their scrabbling and shoving and fingers boldly sneaking below the hem of their long-dried swim trunks.

They stop again after a while, far away from the others, eyes across the darkening sea as the sun sets at their backs. Harry feels touched by the beauty of this unfamiliar sight, wondering why they don’t Apparate to the seaside more often.

As though he can read his mind, Draco says, “Sometimes I could imagine moving to the coast. Some picturesque town with a beach like this.” He sounds more sincere than romanticising. Harry can’t help but picture the tranquillity of the nearby small towns, him and Draco amidst it all, familiar with the times to avoid tourists and with the unpredictable weather. It sounds like another life, except that only their surroundings would change.

Watching Draco, Harry leans his head against him. Nothing warms him like the look in Draco’s eyes, riveted by the beauty of the sea. “I could get used to seeing you like this,” Harry says.

“Like what?”

Harry chuckles, shrugs. “Happy.”

Something about his statement seems to please Draco. His smile is suave as he pulls Harry closer. “Because you are.”

“Sorry that I . . . needed to get away.”

“Don’t be.” Draco sounds calm and collected. “I don’t mind having you to myself for a while. Did you like the surprise? Did you enjoy your day?”

Harry wants to utter another excuse for feeling overwhelmed, instead he presses his lips together and nods. “It was good. I would have been impossibly moody all day, had we spent it home alone.”

“That’s not why we went out. I wouldn’t have minded spending the day in bed with our curtains drawn closed. I just thought you’d enjoy the beach more than you imagined you would.” Draco turns his head, only slightly to glimpse at Harry. The awe-stricken look in his eyes doesn’t falter. “Love you,” he mumbles, almost a whisper.

“And I you,” Harry replies, locking eyes with Draco. With moments like these, Harry thinks, watching Draco in the blushing light, the dark moments don’t seem brighter. But dragging himself out of the chasm seems so much more worth it.

Happy Birthday, Harry! thanks to my lovely @ladderofyears​ for beta’ing and being a brilliant friend.

♥ READ ON AO3 ♥

#drarry #drarry fic #drarry art #iero0 fics #iero0 art

[elveny]

Wolstinien Week #1 - Dragon

#WolstinienWeek by physhells

Day 1 - Dragon | Read on AO3

M-rated, 1647 words

Fingertips traced slowly from her hips over her ribs to her neck, leaving goosebumps in their wake. The room was bathed in silver moonlight that turned the shadows black and seemingly endless. The fire had burned down some time ago, but for once, Adriene didn’t mind the cold that crept in from the windows; sheltered as she was within the luscious blankets and furs and huddled against the heat of Estinien’s body. His hair shimmered softly in the twilight as he looked down at her, propped up on an elbow.

A smile was tugged in the corner of his lips as he trailed his fingers over her skin, along the soft side of her breast while she watched him from half-closed eyes. Her body was still tingling from his caresses, a warm softness weighing down her limbs where she was entangled with him. He traced the curve of her breast and over her collarbone until he touched the filigree chain of her necklace and paused. Adriene could see his eyes narrow slightly, then he took up the amulet that nestled between her breasts and looked at it curiously, turning it over between his fingers. It looked deceptively simple; on a silver chain hung a small, black orb that shimmered blue and green in the light as if it was made from solidified feathers, red twine haphazardly wrapped around it.

“I’ve never seen its like,” Estinien remarked in a low voice, barely more than a murmur as if he feared to disturb the content and peaceful silence of the night.

Adriene smiled. “And you never will,” she murmured. “‘Tis the one thing I’ve brought with me from Ferelden. I was surprised it survived the shipwreck, and I’ve never taken it off since.”

“There’s power in it.”

There was a strange gleam in Estinien’s eyes as he looked at it, and a shiver ran down Adriene’s spine as she saw a glimpse of fangs behind his lips. The time under Nidhogg’s control and as a dragon had left him changed; not only mentally but physically as well. It had taken him a while to come to terms with the fact that on a certain level, he would never be quite rid of the Dragon. There were memories and power that hadn’t been there before, and in certain moments, some of those manifested physically as well in the form of glowing eyes and fangs.

Adriene assumed that it was this power that let him sense what lay hidden within the amulet. “Yes,” she admitted, “but most people cannot sense it.”

He furrowed his brow in clear disbelief, not taking his eyes off the piece of jewelry in his hand.

“It’s true,” Adriene maintained. “Cassia and Lay both feel it, but nobody I’ve met in Eorzea has ever noticed it. Not even under Y’shtola’s aetheric device it’s showing anything special. I always figured it was made with too strange a magic to be discovered. Probably blood magic.”

Estinien’s eyes snapped to her. “Blood magic? Is that some kind of Void magic?”

She shrugged slightly. “Maybe so? I couldn’t tell you. You know my poor grasp of anything aetherical. Blood magic was used in my homeland to make pacts of great power with demons. My father always warned us that using it is too treacherous to even try since it leaves you open to corruption and death.”

“And yet you wear something like that on your skin?” There was a mix of worry and consternation in Estinien’s voice.

Adriene lifted her hand to cradle his face, lovingly brushing her thumb over his cheek. “Don’t worry, love, it’s the creation not the object that brings the danger.”

“Hm,” Estinien hummed gruffly, clearly not convinced. Still, he turned into her touch, kissing her palm before he looked back at the amulet, thoughtfully trailing his thumb over it. “How did you come by it?”

For a moment, Adriene was quiet, just watching him look at the amulet. Had he asked her this question a year ago, before the events that had nearly taken him from her, before his time in Nidhogg’s grasp and journey to find his own purpose beyond being the Azure Dragoon, she wouldn’t have answered him. She wouldn’t have dared to tell him a truth that might push him away from her forever. But now that he had made peace with himself and the dragons, she mused, he might hear the truth without balking at her.

Eventually, his eyes fell back to her, an eyebrow raised in unspoken question.

“A witch gave it to me,” she said softly. “I took it with the promise to bring it to a Dalish clan on Sundermount in exchange for her protection of my family.” She took the amulet from him and closed her fist around it, her eyes darkening as she thought back to the desperate flight from the darkspawn. “We were fleeing the darkspawn horde, trying to get to the sea, but we were surrounded.”

“Darkspawn?” Estinien asked quietly.

Adriene took a breath that was trembling more than she liked. Even after all these years, the memories of the darkspawn made her queasy and sent a chill down her spine. “Imagine if Voidsent could infect people and land. Humans, elves, dwarves, and others turned into nightmares of themselves or succumbing to the Taint in their blood. But while dying of the Taint is horrible, not all are lucky enough to die. What comes next is worse.” Her gaze went past him into the darkness gathering in the corners of the room and another shudder went through her.

Estinien noticed it and his arm around her tightened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt her. Adriene was grateful for it, the words churning on her tongue. She had watched too many friends suffer and die screaming in agony and horror to be able to ever talk about this with any semblance of distance. Yet at the same time, she was glad to share this, to know he was here to listen.

“We were losing the war, and right then and there, we were about to lose our lives too. I had just killed an ogre, but it had barely made a dent in them. The horde was closing in on my family - but then, the dragon turned up.”

Adriene forced her eyes back to Estinien, and on his features, she could see the astonishment at her words, but still, he let her continue.

“She killed them all, drowning them in her fire,” she told him. “And when she was done, she turned into a woman.”

“What?” The sharp question made her flinch, but immediately, he splayed his fingers over her belly with a soothing, apologetic touch. “I wasn’t aware that anyone can do this.”

Adriene nodded. “From what I learned from Hraesvalgr and the other dragons, I’m not sure anyone else can,” she admitted. “But I swear it’s true. We managed to make a deal with her - for taking us to safety, we’d take this amulet to Sundermount.” She sighed and put it back onto her naked skin. “Well, Flemeth kept her part of the bargain and flew us out of the horde’s reach, but I never got the chance to fulfill my promise to her. So I always keep the amulet close in case I happen upon another Dalish clan or… I don’t even know.”

She shrugged slightly. “I know I might never be able to keep my part of the bargain, but it seems wrong to just give up on it.”

“It honors you that you think this way,” Estinien said. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, chasing away the last remnants of chill the memories had left behind.

Adriene settled against his chest as he lay down next to her, her hand trailing the landscape of his body, the hard muscles and puckered scars that spoke of a life of fighting and hardship. Sometimes, the thought that he had found a semblance of peace in her arms was still hard to believe. Yet here he was, as free from the clutches of Nidhogg’s rage as he could ever be, and neither of them had dreamed of dragon hordes taking flight against Ishgard in a long time.

“I always thought that the amulet might be the reason why Nidhogg chose me as Azure Dragoon that day,” she mumbled after a long silence. “Maybe riding a dragon and carrying an amulet imbued with her magic left behind some imprint.”

“Mmh,” Estinien hummed thoughtfully. “‘Tis certainly a possibility. But I somehow doubt it. The Eye has ever reacted to a dragoon’s strength and purpose, not to dragon magic.”

“But I wasn’t even a dragoon,” she pointed out.

“True,” he admitted. “Mayhap the amulet served as an analog to a soulstone.” His hand found her chin and turned her face up so she looked him in the eyes. “In the end, it is of no matter,” he murmured. “It chose you and thus, we were connected. Even if there was nothing else, I’d be thanking Nidhogg for that alone. As I should thank your dragon witch for rescuing you and your family.”

Adriene’s face lit up with her smile. “Careful, my love,” she teased him, “that was nearly sweet. If people knew that, your reputation of being dismissive and aloof might be in danger.”

He chuckled slightly. “I believe when it concerns you, my reputation is in shatters already.”

“I would apologize were it not kind of flattering to know the Azure Dragoon cannot maintain his cool demeanor towards me even in public,” Adriene said with a gleam in her eyes.

Estinien’s smile widened as he saw it. “Don’t apologize. I care not what people think of me.” His kiss sealed away any answer she might have had, and soon after, any talk of amulets or dragons was forgotten in the heat between them.

#wolstinien week #estinien wyrmblood #estinien x wol #ffxiv fanfiction #ffxiv #elveny writes

[the-last-cuddlebender]

The Jasmine Dragons

When Uncle Iroh said in TLOK that he chose to move on into the Spirit World, I think he did so by climbing onto the back of a lionturtle…

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A/N: This started as a little hc post a few days ago, but then I remembered how much I love dragons and Uncle Iroh (and Azula and Zuko). Plus, my selfcontrol for writing hurt/comfort is non-existent:)

Rating: G (D for dragons)

Words: 1,390

ArchiveOfOurOwn

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The sun is setting in the West when the lionturtle speaks to him. 

“I have heard your wish. I can help you face the next step of your journey. But only if you are ready.” 

Iroh shares a cup of jasmine tea with Zuko and beats his nephew’s butt at Pai Sho one last time. He doesn’t tell him that he’s going. Zuko doesn’t sense anything strange, either, because his uncle always exudes love like his very next minute of life will be taken from him. 

Azula finds Iroh before he finds her. Nothing happens in the Palace without her knowing. She looks at her Uncle like she knows more about what is to happen than he does. She hugs him and says nothing, and she holds him for a few seconds longer than Iroh thought her capable of. 

Then the moment is gone, Azula squares her shoulders, and Iroh’s niece strides away towards the company awaiting her in the gardens. 

Iroh gets on the lionturtle’s back (it’s the water one, by the way. The element of family and change, and the element that Iroh so closely studied after his son was killed). He glances back to see his mortal coil looking as if asleep and smiling. 

When Iroh turns around to face his new world, he is a little sad, though. In fact, his heart breaks and cries. 

An old friend is there to greet him—the lionturtle is gone, now, and Iroh is standing in a mountain’s valley. Little tears escape him as he pets the nose of the massive, purring blue dragon. 

But then the Firebending Master, now a spirit, touches a whisker to Iroh’s brow. 

He shows Iroh his red-scaled mate, also an old friend, curled up and at peace so deep in the secret passages of their cave that she practically sleeps on the heart of the earth. She purrs in her half-empty nest, and she keeps one eye open to watch her two hatchlings play and tussle about the other half of her nest. The young dragons roll in the imprint that their ancient father had left, and the smooth dip of stone smells like something familiar and safe even though they never met him. 

But then the mothering red dragon moves, showing Iroh something else. And Iroh cries a little harder and is so overcome with joy that it fills him to the brim, curls into a smile, and spills over into a laugh. 

The ancient blue dragon relishes his old friend’s happiness and shows him through his vision, again, the hoard of golden eggs clutched in an alcove behind his old nest. The alcove is covered walls and floor with bushes blooming small white flowers (that cradle the eggs like a bed), and crystals like those used in the Earth Kingdom—though these are gold teetering on white—line the alcove’s ceiling and bathe the bushes and eggs with light like the crystals were each a tiny sun. 

Iroh laughs so hard that he would have stopped breathing if he weren’t a spirit, now, when, in the vision, the ancient red dragon turns and puffs a small gust of cinders over the bushes. Her heated breath hardly disturbs a leaf, and she settles to sleep as the faint smell of burning jasmine fills the cave.

...Zuko, much like his Uncle had once done, goes to the masters as he grieves his loss. 

The Sun Warriors play the horn and drums, and Zuko doesn’t know what the hell to think when two dragons barely bigger than housecats emerge from the massive caves. 

The tiny dragons circle him like vultures (not quite old enough to fly) and trip over feet they have yet to grow into as they attempt to dance. 

The blue, keen and calculating for its young age, sits like the statues outside the Palace. She nods and blows a ring of smoke to voice her approval of him, and she puffs her chest and looks at Zuko like she expected him to grovel his thanks for her giving him a judgment at all. 

The red circles a second more, cocks his head, and then jumps and tries to spit a stream of fire. His form is terrible, and he would have landed flat on his back if Zuko didn’t drop to his knee and catch him. The dragon’s golden eyes narrow like he’s smiling, and Zuko swears he really is. (The blue huffs and growls like she is muttering her irritation.) 

The stone bridge shakes as the red Master, massive and looming and ancient, appears at the mouth of her cave. She gives Zuko a look, cocks her head, and puffs an approving ring of smoke just like the little blue dragon had. She growls something that sounds like a purr and shakes Zuko to the bone. The rolling bass of the sound is a landslide trembling his marrow, and the blue, her nose and tail high in the air, trots to her mother. 

But then the blue pauses, frozen for a second. 

She zooms like she is made of water up Zuko’s pants and tunic, and she throws herself over her brother. Zuko holds them both against his chest, and their weight reminds him of Bumi and baby Kya (who he had visited not even a week before). 

The blue nuzzles her brother like she was both saying hello after living a lifetime apart from him and saying goodbye forever.

The red flinches as though surprised, but he returns the gesture with twice as much urgency and just as loud of a purr. 

Then the moment is gone, the blue dragon nips the red’s ear as if to remind him of the chain of command, and she shakes off her fall of demeanor. She sticks her nose back in the air like royalty, and she trots to her mother awaiting her in the cave. 

The ancient red Master rolls her eyes as much as a dragon can, and she cuddles the little blue close. She gives Zuko a long look that sinks into the deepest parts of him and flips through the pages of his soul. 

The little red dragon, purring, clings to Zuko’s tunic. His mother looks sad but proud as she and the little blue disappear back into the cave. 

Ancient eyes that have witnessed a thousand lifetimes gleam through the black at Zuko. They glint like sunlight hitting gold coins and shuffle through a rainbow of different emotions as if to show him something. 

“...I understand.” 

The orbs of gold blink and disappear. 

Zuko smiles and holds his dragon like he was his inner fire made scaly flesh, and he tries not to trip or cry as he descends the stairs. 

(His dragon smells so much like jasmine tea that Zuko’s heart doesn’t know whether to jump for joy or stop beating altogether.) 

(Azula is there to greet him when Zuko steps off his ship. She doesn’t look surprised, and the little red dragon doesn’t shy away from her hand.) 

(Druk makes his nest in the bushes blooming small white flowers near the turtleduck pond.) 

(Ursa keeps him in the corner of her eye when she sits in the garden to read. She awaits the company soon to join her. Druk pads the space in the bush beside him like he is doing the same.) 

(Azula is nothing if not patient.) 

(“...I know.”) 

(And Azula, like her brother, struggles not to trip as she descends the stairs with the little blue curled and clinging to her chest.) 

(But Azula, unlike Zuko, lets herself cry.) 

(Her heart decides to beat like her next minute of life would be taken from her.) 

(Neither Azula nor Zuko—nor Ursa, especially—ever move the empty fourth seat at the table where they play Pai Sho.) 

(Druk and Riyu curl up, winding over each other like a metal cable braided together, in the imprint their Flame-Brother’s and Flame-Sister’s father—not their sire—had left, and the smooth dip of wood smells like something familiar and safe even though they had never met him.) 

(Ursa lights a gentle fire and brews their tea.)

(They all welcome the lazy fuzz simmering just beneath their skin that threatens them with sleep as the smell of steaming jasmine fills the gardens.)

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Riyu = "reason"...because Azula found her drive/purpose/reason...

...Azula had to find the last (Master) firebender whose kind had been slaughtered by hers.

#zuko #azula #uncle iroh #avatar the last airbender #the legend of korra #the firebending masters #hurt/comfort #druk #fluff #azula gets a dragon because i say so #Azula gets her redemption fight me #meet me in the ball pit sON #avatar: the last airbender #azula and zuko are protective #atla #tlok #hc #post #myfanfictiontag #dragons #myhctag

[tonks32]

Aiden Trevelyan X Cassandra Prompt “Hold On to Me”

There was no point in struggling or screaming. Logically, Casandra knew that, but it didn’t stop her from fighting against the metal shackles or crying out till her throat became raw. She’d be damned if she were going to be idle while these deranged blood mages bled her dry for some Maker forsaken ritual. They would not kill her in the same way they had her brother.

   “Silence!” One of the masked mages commanded. “I told you before no one can hear you. No one will find you.”

   Wrist bleeding from the metal biting into her skin, Cassandra starred at the man through the dim light. They had her bound on a stone alter in nothing more than a swash of cloth surrounded by flaming black candles. Their glow was the only light source since they blacked out the windows. “Fuck you!”

    Wrapping a hand around her throat, he slammed her head back hard enough to leave the warrior dazed. “Such a mouth for a Chantry woman. This all would’ve been so much easier if you agreed to help us.”

    Cassandra fought to clear her vision. If she passed out then she was good as dead. She had to hold out until her companions found her. Surely, they would have started looking for her when she didn’t return from bathing down by the stream. She’d let her guard down and now was playing the price. “I will never willingly help a blood mage.” Though she couldn’t quite see her mark, she spat in the man’s face. “Especially ones that murdered my brother.”

   The man let out a long sigh and motioned for another in the room to flank the altar. He swept his finger over the streak of blood leaking from her raw wrist. “He could not see his true purpose. He failed to see the tremendous power within his blood.”

   “Look at her struggling.” A third man stood at the foot of the alter. “Look at how she’s wasting that power.”

    “We must hurry before she throws away more.” The first man rubbed his blood coated finer over the bridge of his nose making his eyes glow red. “Tell the others to come inside and we will begin.”

   Cassandra became paralyzed by fear the moment the cold steel of a blade touched her throat. Just like the night her brother was killed, she could do nothing to stop the actions about to happen. They were about to drain her blood to appease some sick dragon ritual She was going to die bound and helpless. Her greatest fear.

    Chanting filled the dark room, filling her veins with ice.

    Would her brother be waiting for her on the other side? Would incomplete actions in life follow her into the Fade? Would the Maker remind her how foolish she’d been in playing it safe when the risk was worth the reward?

   The knife gleamed in the candlelight as it was raised and poised to strike. She closed her eyes on a prayer to the Maker to bring her a swift death.  

    If only she had more time.

   There was a grunt and Cassandra felt the warm thickness of blood spatter across her face. No pain, she silently mused waiting for the heaviness of death to take her. Thank Andraste for that.

   Something whistled through the air before there was another grunt and something heavy fell against the alter, scattering the candles and casting the room into total darkness.

   “Cassandra?”

    Odd, she thought. To hear his voice on the other side of the veil. Or was this the Maker’s way of providing comfort? To ease the transition of death by hearing the one voice she wanted the most in her last moments.

   “Someone find the damn keys!”

   “I can’t see a fucking thing!”

    “Open your eyes. C’mon, Seeker.”

   Feeling the familiar touch on her cheek, Cassandra’s eyes shot open to find Aiden’s glowing blue orbs staring down at her. Cassandra’s heart leaped. He found her! Tears burned the back of her throat leaving her incapable of speaking.

   “Stand back, Boss,” Bull Commanded. After throwing a lifeless blood mage to the ground, the Qunari raised his massive sword above his head and came down hard against the link holding her chains together. “We need to move. More are coming.”

    “Up you go, Seeker.” Aiden snaked an arm around her bare shoulders and lifted.

   “You will not take her from us!” The leader roared charging forward through the darkness.

   Only Aiden could see the blade going for Cassandra’s heart. Cursing, he dove across the alter, dragging the Seeker along so the blade dragged across his back and not into her chest.

   “Get her out of here!” Dorian shouted.

    “Hold on to me,” Aiden whispered against her ear. “Don’t let go.”

    Cassandra latched her shackled arms around his neck and held on for dear life.

   Not known for his strength, Aiden called on all his adrenaline as he pushed to his feet and waded through the small battle raging around the pitch-black room. “Hold on.”

   Sun blinded her when they stumbled outside. She had no bearing to where they were or where Aiden was taking her. All she knew was that with him she was safe. And that’s all that mattered. Aiden had come for her. It seemed the Maker was listening to her please after all.

   Once he was sure they were safe and no one was flowing them, Aiden fell to his knees, holding Cassandra against him. “Are you okay?”

   Cassandra couldn’t seem to find her voice. The man who was beyond terrified of the dark breached its depth to save her. The man, who detested being touched or making any physical contact of any kind, was clutching her for dear life. Overwhelmed with emotions, she buried her face into his scarred throat.

   “Are you hurt?” Drawing away, Aiden began to search, needing the reassurance before he went mad with worry. All he could think about was the knife against her throat and the utter terror he felt at the thought he’d been too late.

   His hands seemed to be touching her everywhere at once. His warmth and reassurance were the only things keeping her from falling apart. “I’m okay.”

   Aiden skimmed his fingers along her throat. “There is blood.”

   “Not mine.” Tears began to burn again and this time she let them fall knowing with Aiden she was safe to do so. “Hold me a little bit longer.”

   He pulled her tightly against him. “I got you.” Aiden felt her fingers twist in his hair almost as if she was anchoring herself. There was no flash of discomfort or any sickening sensation that hit whenever someone touched him. There was only the overwhelming relief that she was safe and unarmed. “Maker, Cassandra.”

   “What took you so long?”

   A strangled laugh worked up his emotionally clogged throat. He wasn’t used to feeling so much. To his astonishment, Aiden felt tears prickle at the corner of his eyes. The face she believed that he would come to save her left him breathless. “Had to make the save as dramatic as possible for when the dwarf writes about the grand tale.”

   “You cut it a bit close there, Trevelyan.”

   “I’m sorry.” Taking her face in his hands, Aiden pressed his brow against hers. “I’m so sorry.”

   “I’m okay,” She reassured hands drifting over his shoulders. Her brows scrunched together when she felt something damp against her fingers. “Andraste’s light, Aiden! You’re bleeding!”

   Aiden twisted trying to catch a glimpse of the wound. “It’s nothing.”

   “I’ll be the judge of that.”

   “Everyone okay out here?” Dorian asked pushing through the thick brush they hid behind.

   “Blood isn’t hers.” Aden shifted, taking her shackled hands carefully in his. “Did you find the key?”

   The mage tugged it from his belt. “Bull and Varric are ensuring no one else is lingering. We need to move out if everyone is able.”

   Seeing the great care Aiden was taking in assuring he didn’t cause any more discomfort as he unshackled her nearly made Cassandra weep. He thought of himself as a broken man with nothing by rough edges, yet here he was showing her all the gentleness and comfort in the world. “I can walk.”

   “Good.” Dorian handed her a healing potion. “For your wrist until I can heal them properly.”

   Once the mage walked off, Aiden shrugged out of his hunting coat and bundled Cassandra in it. “Take the potion,” He softly commanded.

   She pushed the vial into his hand. “You need it more than me.”

   “I beg to differ.”

   “Well, you can’t see your back.”

   Aiden shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”

   “That does nothing to make me feel better. Especially since you sustained a wound meant for me.”

   “I couldn’t… Couldn’t…” Aiden brushed his hand along her blood stained cheek. How could he begin to explain that losing her was a pain that he couldn’t bear when he was still struggling to understand the sheer importance of her in his life.

   Seeing emotions flooding his gaze, she clamped a hand over his scarred wrist pleased he hardly flinched. “Aiden.”

   “We need to move out,” Varric called out. “In case they have any friends nearby.”

   “Drink.”

   “We’ll split it.” Cassandra downed half the vial and shoved it back into his hand before he could protest. “Don’t argue, Trevelyan. You’ll never win.”

   Chuckling, he swallowed the rest of the potion. “I have no doubt.”

#dragon age #cassandra pentaghast #cassandra x inquisitor #writing #mine #drabbles