Residual (Epilogue)
Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 02:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tanadin posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
mindcrackloveSorry for the long delay here, but it's worth it: this is 5650 words, about the length of three chapters. It's not completely relevent to the story of either Residual or Fated, but I do think its interesting and this will likely be referenced in Fated.
This gets pretty brutal so please, PLEASE mind the tags and note that this is just a taste of what Fated will be like.
Also, the map changed.
Chapter list: http://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/382.html
Map of the continent: http://tanadin.deviantart.com/art/Residual-Epilogue-map-543617519
Character status spreadsheet (Epilogue not listed): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yvK6D0XzgjhMNjblFFQaAeJ7JkzdidaLJux1S8qsSUA/edit#gid=1227692709
Epilogue
Kingdom of Dalania, Minecraftia. November 2, year 401. Time instance 483Z.
28 years later…
Mhykol snapped out of his half-asleep state when he saw two horses approaching the border. He picked up his sword and descended quickly from the watchtower, noting that the riders did slow their mounts. Clearly they didn’t intend to just charge across the border.
When Mhykol got to the bottom of the tower and outside, he almost immediately recognized the taller figure on the horse in front. “Fatewatcher! What are you-“
“Ripper and I need to see Blame.” the Shadefang informed him, intense green eyes locked on him.
Mhykol looked her over, then leaned to glimpse the other figure. He appeared to have a differently colored mask than Fatewatcher, but he moved out of Mhykol’s sight, clearly unnerved.
Mhykol nodded and waved Fatewatcher in the vague direction of the main city. “Get going, then. Good luck with him.”
Fatewatcher nodded grimly and set off across the border, the other rider following after her.
~~~
Mora frowned as she saw smoke billowing from the window of one of the rooms in Davion Keep. She folded her wings and quickly descended, looking over the keep to orient herself and try to figure out whose room it was. To her knowledge, it was unused.
As she approached, she heard swearing, she wasn’t that surprised to note that it was her brother’s voice. She clung to the wall, digging her claws into the rough surface as she folded her copper-colored wings against her back. She scrambled the few feet up the wall and peered into the window.
Something in the center of the room appeared to have exploded, leaving glass shards and broken wood chips everywhere as well as setting fire to everything. Mora’s brother was scrambling around trying to put things out, clothes torn and goggles covered in ash. His black hair was sticking out at odd angles, as if the explosion’s shockwave had messed it up.
Nearby, also freaking out, was his best friend. He was slightly shorter than David, but looked more battle-ready as he moved quickly and more easily through the disaster area. His hair was brown except for a streak of silvery white at the top that was currently the color of soot. His purple eyes were narrowed in concentration as he tried to put out the fire.
Mora rolled her eyes and pulled herself into the room.
Both boys stopped to stare at her, mortified.
She inhaled deeply, pulling all of the flames into her jaws and putting the room out. Fire manipulation was a wonderful thing.
She sighed once the flames were extinguished. “How did you manage it this time?”
“Well, um, you see…” David pulled his red-glassed goggles off to wipe them clean, revealing his green eyes. “We were just…well...”
Mora rolled his eyes again. “I’m telling dad.”
David paled. “No no no no! Mora, please, don’t-“
“You need to quit blowing shit up!” Mora motioned around the room with a copper-scaled hand, black claws flashing. “Seriously.”
As she moved towards the window, her ears twitched and she heard Vakshi whisper, “Ha! You’re getting in trouble and I wasn’t involved.”
“I’m telling your father, too.” Mora informed him, looking behind her to see his face pale as well.
He quickly recovered. “Which one?” he challenged.
“Either of them. Both of them. No matter what, Etho will find out.”
“N-no! Mora, please..!”
Mora wasn’t listening. She pushed off from the window, out into the air. She extended her wings and flew, circling down towards the main entrance of the keep.
As she descended, though, she noticed two people riding on horses towards the main entrance. The guards stopped them halfway there, but seemed to find them satisfactory, and send them on ahead.
Mora changed course, not wanting to scare them with her monstrous appearance. Granted, she looked more like a coppery bipedal dragon than anything (unlike her father who was some kind of bat-demon-monster looking like he was fresh out of hell) but it could still be startling to those unused to her.
She transformed back into her human form once she was through the window of her room. She picked up her green cloak off her bed and put it on. Unlike the rest of her clothes, whenever she transformed, her cloak seemed to stay. She couldn’t fly with it on, so she had gotten used to removing it. As she fought with it to get it past her red hair properly, she wondered, not for the first time, if it would be worth cutting it shorter. She shrugged a little and left her room after making sure her swords were on her.
If her parents and Blame had taught her anything, it was to always be ready for combat if the need arose.
She went into the hallway and went down a flight of steps to get to the bottom floor. She navigated through the halls, trying to get to the main entryway. Before she could, however, she bumped into Nebris.
“Hey, Nebris, I think you’d like to know that Vakshi is blowing stuff up again.”
Nebris groaned. “Again?”
“Yeah. He and David trashed one of the spare rooms.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
“You mean you’ll have Etho talk to him?”
Nebris laughed a little at that. “Yeah. I’ll have Etho talk to him.”
Mora nodded and moved around him to get into the main entryway.
She found her father already there, greeting their two guests.
Mora reflected that they’d never had guests like these before.
They both appeared to be wearing masks at least somewhat similar to Blame’s- but the woman, Mora noted, had one with a different design. It was black instead of gray and lacked horns, instead possessing some kind of fangs.
Also unlike Blame, both figures had some sort of things on their torsos, somewhat like ribs. The woman had five sets, and the boy- he looked around Mora’s age, from what she could tell- only had one. His mask, however, was identical to Blame’s.
She tuned into the conversation.
“Fatewatcher! It’s good to see you, but what are you doing here?” Mora’s father asked. She noted that his goggles were pushed up his face so that she could see his eyes. She was fairly certain that kings usually didn’t wear goggles, hardhats, and toolbelts most of the time, but here he was. “If I’d known you were coming I would have set something up.”
“No need.” the woman, presumably Fatewatcher, said, shrugging a little. “People come and go. I’m bringing Ripper here in order to learn more about the outside world. I thought, what better place than Dalania, the place where all cultures of the world combine?” She paused. “And to get some more training and explanations in from his father. He does not visit us in Skullbit very often, as you know. Not that I blame him too much; helping run a kingdom must be ridiculously difficult, even when one isn’t king directly.
“But where are my manners? Vechs, this is Ripper of Corruption, my son. Ripper, this is King Vechs Davion of Dalania.”
Vechs extended a hand and Ripper hesitantly took it, clearly unsure as to how to greet a king. He wasn’t used to authority figures other than the clanlord of the Shadefangs, but even then he technically wouldn’t have to listen to him if his mother didn’t tell him to.
Mora stepped forward, curious about these people. “Dad?”
Vechs looked over at her. “Good timing! Mora, this is Fatewatcher and her son, Ripper. They’ve come all the way from Skullbit and will be staying for awhile- ah, how long were you planning on-“
“A few weeks.” Fate shrugged. “Assuming you don’t mind.”
“We don’t. It’s fine.” Vechs grinned at her. “Blame’s either going to be pleased or upset that you’re here.”
“Upset, I should think.” Fate shrugged. “I don’t care. He’s not my responsibility- Ripper is, just as he’s Blame’s. Hence why we’re here.”
Vechs nodded. “Right. Fate and Ripper, this is my daughter, Mora. And David should be around here…somewhere…”
“About that. He and Vakshi…kind of exploded one of the spare rooms.” Mora chimed in.
Vechs groaned. “Which one?”
“Not one of the nice ones. Nebris knows and Etho will know soon.”
Vechs nodded. “Alright.” He paused, thinking. “I think…I think Blame’s out doing something at the moment. Dealing with an issue somewhere in the city, but I can’t remember what. I’ll direct him to you as soon as he’s back. Mora, could you possibly find rooms for them? I need to let the others know that they’re here.”
“I can do that.” Mora smiled and watched as her father, the weirdest king in Minecraftia, left the room. “Come on. Let’s try to find you some rooms that haven’t been blown up, shall we?”
As they walked, she could practically feel the two Skullblades analyzing her. She didn’t speak, though, but kept her senses alert. If they were anything like Blame, they might throw sudden tests against her.
She felt like someone was about to grab her shoulder, so she whipped around and grabbed their arm.
Ripper yelped in surprise and almost fell. She let go of him and crossed her arms.
Fate clapped politely as her son steadied himself. “I wanted to ask you a question.” he protested. “I wasn’t trying to do anything. Just tap your shoulder.” Mora noted that his voice was very similar to Blame’s, but slightly lower.
“Sorry.” Mora shrugged, turning around again and continuing to walk. “Reflex trained by Blame.”
“He has done well on both of you.” Fate remarked.
Ripper sighed. “I was trying to ask if you also knew how to use two blades.”
The presence of identical weapons at his sides hadn’t escaped Mora’s notice, either. “Yes. I do. Three guesses who I was taught by.”
They were silent then as she took them the rest of the way to their rooms.
~~~
Telris laughed as his brother pleaded with him to tell their father it had been a huge misunderstanding and he hadn’t been involved. He laughed as David slunk out of the room to try and hide from his parents, who were undoubtedly searching for him.
He laughed particularly hard when Etho came into the room.
Vakshi paled and stepped back against the wall, knowing that trying to escape Etho was futile. Nebris, yes. He could just flash around him.
Etho was the one who had trained him to do that.
“You’ll get what you deserve.” Telris said cheerfully, blue eyes twinkling in satisfaction as he left the room to go locate David. He ran a hand through his brown hair as he walked, still laughing quietly. The expressions on David’s and Vakshi’s faces were always priceless.
So amused was he that he missed David sneaking up behind him, placing the item in his pocket, and sneaking away.
~~~
Ripper paced in his room. He was anxious about seeing his father again. On one hand, he admired Blame the Controller- all the things he had done and how he was still carrying on. He was strong and he was a good person, and he wasn’t really that bad to hang out with. On the other hand, Ripper didn’t know him too well, and Blame always seemed to be brooding, plus he had high expectations.
There was no love lost between Blame and Fatewatcher- they had agreed to have Ripper only to pass on their genetic line, nothing more. Their only bond was Ripper himself, and the mutual respect that Skullblades usually had for each other. Blame didn’t seem to dislike Fate particularly, but he didn’t have any favoritism towards her. Fate held considerably more respect for him, knowing some of the hell he had been through, but it didn’t show that often.
Ripper almost jumped out of his skin when someone knocked on his door. “Come in.”
Blame opened the door and looked in. As always, Ripper was somewhat disturbed by the lack of ribs on Blame’s armor- but he supposed sixteen sets wouldn’t fit. Blame had never explained how he’d managed to live that long, but Ripper didn’t doubt a word he said whenever he told him something. Blame didn’t seem like he could lie about this kind of thing.
“Hello.” Ripper tried by way of greeting. He never quite knew how to say hello; technically, Blame was not only his father but his clanlord, but he certainly didn’t act like it. “Long time no see.”
“Hey, Ripper. I’ve been busy- sorry.” He did look genuinely sorry. “Traz’madar’s been difficult again.”
“Skera’s threats of poisoning their king not working too well anymore?”
“Unfortunately not.” Blame sighed. “We’ll figure something out. I’m sure Zisteau could help us talk some sense into them if he ever got back from his trip to that pigman village.” He shook himself slightly as if to clear his thoughts. “Anyway. Part of the reason you’re here is to make sure your weapon skills are good to go?”
Ripper nodded.
“Let’s work on that, then.” Blame led Ripper outside into a courtyard, where there were some training dummies set up as well as a marked off square for sparring. None of this surprised Ripper; he was familiar with similar setups despite never having been in a castle before.
What did surprise him, however, was the presence of the girl, Mora.
She had her red hair pulled back and had changed into some light leather armor, colored a dull red. Her blue eyes seemed to be evaluating him, judging his ability. She seemed completely comfortable with the practice swords at her sides. He noticed her actual swords leaning up against a wall.
“You’ll be sparring with her.” Blame informed him, tossing him two wooden swords and motioning for him to set his actual weapons aside. “But not in such a way they you murder each other. That would be difficult to explain to Vechs.”
Ripper tested the weight of the wooden swords before looking over at Mora, who had readied herself.
“I’ll go easy on you.” he assured her, dismissing her as less competent. “As you’re-“
Mora interrupted him. “Is this about the fact that I’m a girl?” she demanded.
Ripper quickly shook his head, trying to hold his hands up in a ‘peace’ gesture but only managing to almost hit himself in the face with a sword. “No no no! It’s just…you’re not….” He struggled for the words. “You’re not a Skullblade.” he finished weakly. “You don’t have the kinds of advantages we do.”
“You’ll see what kind of advantages I have.” Mora growled. “Fight me, skull boy!” She gave him only a second to ready himself before darting forward, striking at him without holding back.
Ripper easily parried and struck back, but was stopped with a motion from Mora.
Blame watched with satisfaction as they fought, trying not to laugh as Mora jabbed Ripper in the stomach, making him re-evaluate the intentional edge he was giving her. Soon he was giving his all, and Blame noted that his judgment of their skills had been just right- they were about equal in skill, Ripper’s being a Skullblade irrelevant. They were also the same age, Blame realized, both eighteen.
Eventually one of Mora’s swords snapped and Blame called for a stop. Both lowered their weapons, breathing heavily.
Ripper dropped his swords and held out a hand.
Mora looked at it momentarily before following suit and shaking his hand.
“I’ll remember not to underestimate people so much.” Ripper said ruefully, rubbing one of the places where he had gotten jabbed.
Mora grinned and took the weight off of her left leg, where she had taken a hit. “Good. I enjoyed fighting with you.”
“I’ve never fought anyone else who uses the Ashenhorn dual-blade style of fighting before.” Ripper admitted.
“Me neither. Blame wouldn’t fight with me.”
“I wouldn’t want to trash you.” Blame crossed his arms. “Let’s take a break for now.”
~~~
David kicked at a rock as he walked outside along the city streets. The sun was setting and most people were going inside, but not the young prince of Dalania.
No, he was in a bad mood.
His sister was older, therefore she would inherit the throne to Dalania, when she really wasn’t as smart or useful as he was. Sure, she could fight, but who needed that from a ruler? He was inventive, good with tactics, and a lot more innovative than she was. Unfortunately, he was three years younger…
He didn’t want to do anything to his sister, though. He liked his sister. If he could just convince her to stand aside, to abdicate the throne… But their parents wouldn’t let her, would they? He swore softly and leaned against a building. How would he deal with that?
That’s when the claws of the genetic Davion insanity dug into his mind. They had been creeping for years, sparking this entire train of thought, but now they set in entirely.
Kill them.
A grin split his face. Of course. That would be so easy, too. A plan started to formulate in his mind…
No! a piece of his mind screamed. They’re your parents! You can’t just-
He pushed aside the voice. He was doing what needed to be done, for Dalania.
It was for Dalania, he told himself as he went back inside.
~~~
The following morning, Ripper left his room to explore the keep. It was a huge place and unlike anywhere he had ever been before. He got some stares from two similar looking people, probably brothers, that were a year or two younger than him. They seemed to be the same age and he guessed them to be twins, but judging on their differently colored eyes (one had blue eyes and one had…purple?) they were not identical. He didn’t stop to talk, however, as he glimpsed Mora slipping into another hallway.
He sped up to catch up to her. “Mora!”
She paused when she heard her name and turned around. “Yes?”
“I…I just…I wanted to say that I was really impressed by you yesterday. My…my dad taught you well. You’re as good as any Skullblade.”
Mora turned a little red but bowed. “Thank you. You’re not bad yourself- my leg still hurts.”
Ripper nodded. “Sorry about that.”
“You win some, you lose some, and you take some hits along the way.” Mora shrugged. “It’ll be gone in a couple of days.”
“Ah.” Ripper paused awkwardly. Being social wasn’t really his thing. “Where are you going?” he tried.
Mora shrugged a little. “For a flight.”
“A flight?”
“Oh, um.” She shifted in position, remembering that he didn’t know. “Have you heard any…stories, about my dad? That he can turn into…something else?”
“I dismissed them as rumors.”
“Well…they’re true. He can go monstrous- but it’s not a bad thing! It’s actually really cool. He can fly and breathe fire and stuff. It’s just that his mom has to make this really complicated potion for it to work for him, but not for me.”
“You can transform as well?”
“Yeah, it’s genetic, but my brother didn’t get it.”
“You have a brother?”
“He was hiding yesterday. Blew something up.”
“Oh, right, I forgot about that. So that was the smoke coming out of the window….”
“Bingo. But yeah, I don’t need a potion to switch between my regular form and my monstrous one. I don’t look anything like my dad when I do it, anyway.”
“You look a lot like your mom while human.” Ripper remarked. “I met her earlier- she was walking around trying to find someone.”
“I get that a lot. It’s the hair, isn’t it? My eyes are blue, though, and David- my brother- is flipped; he has mom’s eyes but dad’s hair.” Mora set off down the hallway. “Come on! I want to show you this!”
Ripper raised an eyebrow, hidden behind his mask, and followed her. He honestly wasn’t that surprised that the rumors about Vechs Davion were true- upon meeting him, he had reflected that he seemed the type to have a lot of bizarre stories.
…Including ones involving turning into a monster and befriending dragons. He was inclined to believe that the second was true as well, considering the shape he had seen pass overhead as they had approached the keep.
Mora led him up to the top of one of the towers, and the view made him pause.
Davion Keep and the main city of Dalania were placed on the eastern edge of the mountains, several miles south of the border to the Dragonlands and about twice that to the eastern sea. As it was, the mountains rose up in the west and north, with the forest stretching in every other direction.
Ripper couldn’t recall being so high up before. Davion Keep itself was on the side of a mountain, and with the added height of the tower, he could see farther into the distance than ever before.
“Wow…”
“Yep.” Mora grinned at him. “Quite the view, huh? Imagine being able to fly.”
Ripper didn’t look at her, incapable of tearing his eyes from the scene before him. “Like a bird?”
“Like a dragon.” Mora corrected, unclasping her green cloak and letting it fall to the ground. With a brief moment of concentration, fire enveloped her entire body.
That got Ripper’s attention.
The flames grew and, when they faded, a very different figure stood there.
The only thing Ripper could use to describe it was bipedal dragon.
Mora’s monstrous form really did look like a dragon, covered in coppery scales and with four darker horns on her head. Her claws and arrowhead tailend were a shiny, glossy black. Her eyes were still the same blue that they had been previously.
She stretched her wings and flexed her claws as Ripper judged that she had to be a good seven feet tall- a little over a foot taller than she normally was.
“Holy shit.”
Mora raised an eyeridge. “A good holy shit or a bad holy shit?”
“Good, I think.” Ripper circled her, watching how the light played off of her coppery scales. “I’ve…I’ve never seen anything like this.” He blinked and met her eyes once he was in front of her again. “This is amazing!”
“Glad you like it.” Mora jumped up onto the wall that kept them from falling to their deaths. “Watch this.” She leaped off of the tower, falling towards the ground below.
Ripper watched, not that concerned as she clearly knew what she was doing, as she spread her wings last-second and pulled out of the dive. She ascended back up to Ripper’s level after flying around a bit, looping a couple of times and clearly having a wonderful time. She hovered in front of him, grinning broadly.
“Wow.” Ripper clapped, impressed. “That’s…wow.”
Mora landed on the tower and transformed back, scooping up her cloak and putting it back on.
Just then, a very out of breath Vechs Davion reached the top of the stairs. He paused to get his breath before pointing at Mora.
“Quit doing that! You’re going to get yourself killed one day!”
Mora shook her head. “Nope. Instincts won’t let me.”
“You’ll mess up!”
“You’ve done way more dangerous things and you’re still breathing!” she retorted. “Leaping onto an angry dragon’s face ring a bell?”
“Should never have told you that story.” Vechs muttered, going back down the stairs.
Ripper blinked. “Does this happen often?”
“All the time.” Mora grinned at him. “I love life in Davion Keep.”
~~~
David paced in his room, thinking.
Maybe he would have to kill his sister after all. Now that he thought about it, how would he ever convince her to stand aside? He couldn’t. He’d have to kill her…and their parents. He’d be better for Dalania, anyway.
Or so he told himself as he walked back and forth in his room.
Thinking about it, why did he even like his sister? She was clearly the favorite. She never made mistakes and exploded things, she never seemed to do anything wrong, and she was special because she had inherited the monstrous genes and not him…
He was pretty bitter about that.
Why hadn’t he been able to go monstrous? Not even with the aid of his grandmother’s potions could he manage it. He just didn’t have the ability to do so.
But Mora did. Why?
He kicked at the wall. It was so unfair.
Which, according to his rapidly deteriorating logic centers, clearly meant she had to die.
~~~
“So how is Blame?” Fatewatcher asked Aureylian as they sat down, light from the setting sun pouring into the room. “He won’t really talk to me.”
“About as good as always.” Aureylian said vaguely. “He’s never that good, you know that. But for him, he’s doing well.”
Fate nodded. “That’s to be expected, I guess, with a life like his. He’s been through a lot.”
You don’t know half of it, Aureylian thought, and sighed a little. “How’s Skullbit?”
“Same old, same old. Nothing’s really happening. They’re still speculating which clan the valk’vanor will choose when it hatches in a couple of centuries.”
Aureylian raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Well, when a valk’vanor hatches, a good chunk of every clan shows up and it chooses a clan to raise it, and a specific person to be its primary caretaker. As it ages, it goes around to different clans, caretaker following it all the way. Once it’s an adult, it goes between the different clans and helps them, as well as makes sure that the Skullblades in general prosper. A valk’vanor is a wonderful thing, as long as it isn’t led astray, either by a bad caretaker or a corruptor.”
“I heard that the last valk’vanor wasn’t that great of a thing.” Guude told me so himself.
Fate sighed sadly. “No. She was corrupted and had to be put down. That was over six hundred years ago, I believe.”
They talked for awhile more about several other topics before Aureylian got to her feet. “I should get going- I have some things I’ve been putting off that I need to do.”
“By all means. It was wonderful talking to you, Queen Aureylian.”
“I liked talking to you too, Seer Fatewatcher.” They mock-bowed to each other, laughed, and waved as Aureylian left the room.
~~~
It was evening when David made his move.
He crept from his room through the halls and down to the bottom floor. He needed his father’s enchanted sword, Morning Lord. It was the only thing guaranteed to kill him in one hit, other than his bow, and even the insanity that was quickly overpowering David knew that he would never get his hands on that. He slipped past Telris, who was walking the other way (wearing the jacket that David has slipped the item into, he noted) to get to the door to the room.
David swore and quickly backed up out of Nebris’s sight. He hadn’t anticipated someone guarding the door, but it was stupid to assume that the sword would be left unguarded. How could he-
Telris.
He fumbled for the item in his pocket, hoping he had made the receiver just the way Seth had taught him and that Telris wasn’t out of range. He had intended to use the item as a prank or a way to get back at him, but this was something much more important.
He flipped the switch.
Immediately he heard the sparking of the item in Telris’s jacket pocket and the terrified screams of someone whose clothes had just been set on fire.
David hid in the shadows as Nebris ran past him, racing towards his burning and panicking son to try and do something, anything, to help him.
He would be fine, David knew, with perhaps some minor burns. He darted into the hallway and quickly picked the lock to the door before slipping inside. He shut the door behind him and approached the center of the room.
The diamond sword glowed faintly purple and hummed softly when he placed his hand on the hilt. A crazy grin split his face as he pulled the sword from its sheath to admire it briefly. Shaking off the feeling that it gave him, he sheathed it again before buckling it around his waist. He drew the sword again and moved towards the door.
It was a good thing for Nebris and Telris that David went right and not left, and it was doubly good for them that they didn’t notice him.
It was less good for others, however.
He found Aureylian right where he expected to find her, sitting at her desk in her workroom reading through something. She did a good chunk of the paperwork required to run Dalania.
Not after this, she wouldn’t.
David made no attempt to hide himself as he approached, sword drawn. Aureylian noticed him quickly and jumped to her feet. “D-David? What are you doing?”
“Sorry about this.” The grin didn’t leave his face. “It’s necessary. For Dalania.”
“David- David no! David, get away!” Aureylian reached for a weapon that she realized, too late, wasn’t there.
David moved forward.
Aureylian screamed.
~~~
Vechs jumped when he heard Aureylian’s scream, the sound bringing him twenty-eight years into the past, back to when the Hostiles had threatened her. He grabbed his iron sword- it wasn’t too dangerous to use on a daily basis- and ran through the halls, trying to find her. Panic raced through him as he ran, charging into her workroom as he knew that’s where she had been.
To find the worst thing he had ever seen in his entire life.
He froze, completely incapable of moving.
Aureylian was on the floor, lying in a pool of her own blood. Her neck and chest were slashed open, clearly by something very, very sharp.
Vechs couldn’t register what he was seeing. He couldn’t register what was going on. He dropped his sword and was about to step forward when he felt it.
An intense, burning pain in the center of his chest and back.
He glanced down and noticed the bloodstained diamond blade protruding from his chest.
Shakily, painfully, he turned his head around to look at the figure behind him.
“Dav…id….why…”
David pulled the sword out and Vechs fell to his knees.
“It was what had to be done.” David informed him, tilting his head slightly so that the torchlight reflected in the red glass of his goggles. “I needed to do this.”
Vechs couldn’t respond. Morning Lord had done its job; it had torn through him and spilled the vast majority of his blood already as it tore through some of his heart tissue.
Vechs fell forward and, as the world darkened around him, he reached for Aureylian.
David threw back his head and howled with laughter, the insanity having taken full control over him.
He’d done it. He’d slain Aureylian and Vechs Davion. And it hadn’t even been that difficult.
Or so he’d thought.
“David!”
He whipped his head around to address his sister, the grin returning. “Hello, Mora.” he said cheerfully. “Don’t worry. It’s your turn.” He charged forward.
Mora drew her swords, but Morning Lord bit through the iron easily and cut into her shoulder. She screamed and stumbled back, reaching for her monstrous form, trying to transform.
David didn’t let her get that far. He drew back the blade to stab her in the chest.
He was stopped, however, by an unexpected howl of rage.
He turned to his left in time to see Blame the Controller charging at him, both unbreakable blades drawn, murder in his dark eyes and rage pouring from him as the shadows pulled towards him.
David screamed in terror.
Blame’s blades hit their marks.
David’s body hit the floor, almost torn in half by Blame’s left blade.
David’s head hit the floor moments later, decapitated by Blame’s right blade.
Mora shook violently, trembling at the sight of almost her entire family dead, her parents murdered by her brother and her brother killed by her mentor.
Blame wiped off his blades and sheathed them. He was shaking too, she noticed.
“I’ll contact the others.” Blame said, voice neutral. He was clearly trying to push back immense amounts of pain.
Mora failed to do that and broke down sobbing, ignoring her bleeding shoulder as Blame led her out of the room into the medical wing. He tipped off Nebris as he passed him- both the purpled-eyed man and his son looking horrified.
Doc looked devastated when Blame told him, but set about fixing up Mora’s shoulder. As Blame turned to leave, he saw Ripper charge in, looking very scared and very concerned. Blame jerked his head at Mora and passed his son as he went to his new friend’s side, worried.
Blame felt a mixture of pain and numbness inside.
Because, really, he didn’t know what to feel.
~~~
Mora officially became Queen of Dalania a month later. Ripper elected to stay in Davion Keep to be a friend for her- she needed it. Mora’s grandmother, Skera (who still looked thirty) was one of her primary advisors and a good reason why Traz’madar didn’t absolutely trash Dalania in this time of unrest.
Blame stayed as an advisor and helper for about a year before he mysteriously vanished. Skera insisted that no one search for him- ‘it is best that we do not find him, for he has done something that you need not disturb.’
No one really understood other than Skera.
None except for Baj, Paul, Aureylian, Vechs, and Blame himself, as he rejoined the others in the Vortex.
In time, when the others returned, he would refuse to explain.
But some of the others knew.
They knew, but they would never tell.
This gets pretty brutal so please, PLEASE mind the tags and note that this is just a taste of what Fated will be like.
Also, the map changed.
Chapter list: http://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/382.html
Map of the continent: http://tanadin.deviantart.com/art/Residual-Epilogue-map-543617519
Character status spreadsheet (Epilogue not listed): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yvK6D0XzgjhMNjblFFQaAeJ7JkzdidaLJux1S8qsSUA/edit#gid=1227692709
Epilogue
Kingdom of Dalania, Minecraftia. November 2, year 401. Time instance 483Z.
28 years later…
Mhykol snapped out of his half-asleep state when he saw two horses approaching the border. He picked up his sword and descended quickly from the watchtower, noting that the riders did slow their mounts. Clearly they didn’t intend to just charge across the border.
When Mhykol got to the bottom of the tower and outside, he almost immediately recognized the taller figure on the horse in front. “Fatewatcher! What are you-“
“Ripper and I need to see Blame.” the Shadefang informed him, intense green eyes locked on him.
Mhykol looked her over, then leaned to glimpse the other figure. He appeared to have a differently colored mask than Fatewatcher, but he moved out of Mhykol’s sight, clearly unnerved.
Mhykol nodded and waved Fatewatcher in the vague direction of the main city. “Get going, then. Good luck with him.”
Fatewatcher nodded grimly and set off across the border, the other rider following after her.
~~~
Mora frowned as she saw smoke billowing from the window of one of the rooms in Davion Keep. She folded her wings and quickly descended, looking over the keep to orient herself and try to figure out whose room it was. To her knowledge, it was unused.
As she approached, she heard swearing, she wasn’t that surprised to note that it was her brother’s voice. She clung to the wall, digging her claws into the rough surface as she folded her copper-colored wings against her back. She scrambled the few feet up the wall and peered into the window.
Something in the center of the room appeared to have exploded, leaving glass shards and broken wood chips everywhere as well as setting fire to everything. Mora’s brother was scrambling around trying to put things out, clothes torn and goggles covered in ash. His black hair was sticking out at odd angles, as if the explosion’s shockwave had messed it up.
Nearby, also freaking out, was his best friend. He was slightly shorter than David, but looked more battle-ready as he moved quickly and more easily through the disaster area. His hair was brown except for a streak of silvery white at the top that was currently the color of soot. His purple eyes were narrowed in concentration as he tried to put out the fire.
Mora rolled her eyes and pulled herself into the room.
Both boys stopped to stare at her, mortified.
She inhaled deeply, pulling all of the flames into her jaws and putting the room out. Fire manipulation was a wonderful thing.
She sighed once the flames were extinguished. “How did you manage it this time?”
“Well, um, you see…” David pulled his red-glassed goggles off to wipe them clean, revealing his green eyes. “We were just…well...”
Mora rolled his eyes again. “I’m telling dad.”
David paled. “No no no no! Mora, please, don’t-“
“You need to quit blowing shit up!” Mora motioned around the room with a copper-scaled hand, black claws flashing. “Seriously.”
As she moved towards the window, her ears twitched and she heard Vakshi whisper, “Ha! You’re getting in trouble and I wasn’t involved.”
“I’m telling your father, too.” Mora informed him, looking behind her to see his face pale as well.
He quickly recovered. “Which one?” he challenged.
“Either of them. Both of them. No matter what, Etho will find out.”
“N-no! Mora, please..!”
Mora wasn’t listening. She pushed off from the window, out into the air. She extended her wings and flew, circling down towards the main entrance of the keep.
As she descended, though, she noticed two people riding on horses towards the main entrance. The guards stopped them halfway there, but seemed to find them satisfactory, and send them on ahead.
Mora changed course, not wanting to scare them with her monstrous appearance. Granted, she looked more like a coppery bipedal dragon than anything (unlike her father who was some kind of bat-demon-monster looking like he was fresh out of hell) but it could still be startling to those unused to her.
She transformed back into her human form once she was through the window of her room. She picked up her green cloak off her bed and put it on. Unlike the rest of her clothes, whenever she transformed, her cloak seemed to stay. She couldn’t fly with it on, so she had gotten used to removing it. As she fought with it to get it past her red hair properly, she wondered, not for the first time, if it would be worth cutting it shorter. She shrugged a little and left her room after making sure her swords were on her.
If her parents and Blame had taught her anything, it was to always be ready for combat if the need arose.
She went into the hallway and went down a flight of steps to get to the bottom floor. She navigated through the halls, trying to get to the main entryway. Before she could, however, she bumped into Nebris.
“Hey, Nebris, I think you’d like to know that Vakshi is blowing stuff up again.”
Nebris groaned. “Again?”
“Yeah. He and David trashed one of the spare rooms.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
“You mean you’ll have Etho talk to him?”
Nebris laughed a little at that. “Yeah. I’ll have Etho talk to him.”
Mora nodded and moved around him to get into the main entryway.
She found her father already there, greeting their two guests.
Mora reflected that they’d never had guests like these before.
They both appeared to be wearing masks at least somewhat similar to Blame’s- but the woman, Mora noted, had one with a different design. It was black instead of gray and lacked horns, instead possessing some kind of fangs.
Also unlike Blame, both figures had some sort of things on their torsos, somewhat like ribs. The woman had five sets, and the boy- he looked around Mora’s age, from what she could tell- only had one. His mask, however, was identical to Blame’s.
She tuned into the conversation.
“Fatewatcher! It’s good to see you, but what are you doing here?” Mora’s father asked. She noted that his goggles were pushed up his face so that she could see his eyes. She was fairly certain that kings usually didn’t wear goggles, hardhats, and toolbelts most of the time, but here he was. “If I’d known you were coming I would have set something up.”
“No need.” the woman, presumably Fatewatcher, said, shrugging a little. “People come and go. I’m bringing Ripper here in order to learn more about the outside world. I thought, what better place than Dalania, the place where all cultures of the world combine?” She paused. “And to get some more training and explanations in from his father. He does not visit us in Skullbit very often, as you know. Not that I blame him too much; helping run a kingdom must be ridiculously difficult, even when one isn’t king directly.
“But where are my manners? Vechs, this is Ripper of Corruption, my son. Ripper, this is King Vechs Davion of Dalania.”
Vechs extended a hand and Ripper hesitantly took it, clearly unsure as to how to greet a king. He wasn’t used to authority figures other than the clanlord of the Shadefangs, but even then he technically wouldn’t have to listen to him if his mother didn’t tell him to.
Mora stepped forward, curious about these people. “Dad?”
Vechs looked over at her. “Good timing! Mora, this is Fatewatcher and her son, Ripper. They’ve come all the way from Skullbit and will be staying for awhile- ah, how long were you planning on-“
“A few weeks.” Fate shrugged. “Assuming you don’t mind.”
“We don’t. It’s fine.” Vechs grinned at her. “Blame’s either going to be pleased or upset that you’re here.”
“Upset, I should think.” Fate shrugged. “I don’t care. He’s not my responsibility- Ripper is, just as he’s Blame’s. Hence why we’re here.”
Vechs nodded. “Right. Fate and Ripper, this is my daughter, Mora. And David should be around here…somewhere…”
“About that. He and Vakshi…kind of exploded one of the spare rooms.” Mora chimed in.
Vechs groaned. “Which one?”
“Not one of the nice ones. Nebris knows and Etho will know soon.”
Vechs nodded. “Alright.” He paused, thinking. “I think…I think Blame’s out doing something at the moment. Dealing with an issue somewhere in the city, but I can’t remember what. I’ll direct him to you as soon as he’s back. Mora, could you possibly find rooms for them? I need to let the others know that they’re here.”
“I can do that.” Mora smiled and watched as her father, the weirdest king in Minecraftia, left the room. “Come on. Let’s try to find you some rooms that haven’t been blown up, shall we?”
As they walked, she could practically feel the two Skullblades analyzing her. She didn’t speak, though, but kept her senses alert. If they were anything like Blame, they might throw sudden tests against her.
She felt like someone was about to grab her shoulder, so she whipped around and grabbed their arm.
Ripper yelped in surprise and almost fell. She let go of him and crossed her arms.
Fate clapped politely as her son steadied himself. “I wanted to ask you a question.” he protested. “I wasn’t trying to do anything. Just tap your shoulder.” Mora noted that his voice was very similar to Blame’s, but slightly lower.
“Sorry.” Mora shrugged, turning around again and continuing to walk. “Reflex trained by Blame.”
“He has done well on both of you.” Fate remarked.
Ripper sighed. “I was trying to ask if you also knew how to use two blades.”
The presence of identical weapons at his sides hadn’t escaped Mora’s notice, either. “Yes. I do. Three guesses who I was taught by.”
They were silent then as she took them the rest of the way to their rooms.
~~~
Telris laughed as his brother pleaded with him to tell their father it had been a huge misunderstanding and he hadn’t been involved. He laughed as David slunk out of the room to try and hide from his parents, who were undoubtedly searching for him.
He laughed particularly hard when Etho came into the room.
Vakshi paled and stepped back against the wall, knowing that trying to escape Etho was futile. Nebris, yes. He could just flash around him.
Etho was the one who had trained him to do that.
“You’ll get what you deserve.” Telris said cheerfully, blue eyes twinkling in satisfaction as he left the room to go locate David. He ran a hand through his brown hair as he walked, still laughing quietly. The expressions on David’s and Vakshi’s faces were always priceless.
So amused was he that he missed David sneaking up behind him, placing the item in his pocket, and sneaking away.
~~~
Ripper paced in his room. He was anxious about seeing his father again. On one hand, he admired Blame the Controller- all the things he had done and how he was still carrying on. He was strong and he was a good person, and he wasn’t really that bad to hang out with. On the other hand, Ripper didn’t know him too well, and Blame always seemed to be brooding, plus he had high expectations.
There was no love lost between Blame and Fatewatcher- they had agreed to have Ripper only to pass on their genetic line, nothing more. Their only bond was Ripper himself, and the mutual respect that Skullblades usually had for each other. Blame didn’t seem to dislike Fate particularly, but he didn’t have any favoritism towards her. Fate held considerably more respect for him, knowing some of the hell he had been through, but it didn’t show that often.
Ripper almost jumped out of his skin when someone knocked on his door. “Come in.”
Blame opened the door and looked in. As always, Ripper was somewhat disturbed by the lack of ribs on Blame’s armor- but he supposed sixteen sets wouldn’t fit. Blame had never explained how he’d managed to live that long, but Ripper didn’t doubt a word he said whenever he told him something. Blame didn’t seem like he could lie about this kind of thing.
“Hello.” Ripper tried by way of greeting. He never quite knew how to say hello; technically, Blame was not only his father but his clanlord, but he certainly didn’t act like it. “Long time no see.”
“Hey, Ripper. I’ve been busy- sorry.” He did look genuinely sorry. “Traz’madar’s been difficult again.”
“Skera’s threats of poisoning their king not working too well anymore?”
“Unfortunately not.” Blame sighed. “We’ll figure something out. I’m sure Zisteau could help us talk some sense into them if he ever got back from his trip to that pigman village.” He shook himself slightly as if to clear his thoughts. “Anyway. Part of the reason you’re here is to make sure your weapon skills are good to go?”
Ripper nodded.
“Let’s work on that, then.” Blame led Ripper outside into a courtyard, where there were some training dummies set up as well as a marked off square for sparring. None of this surprised Ripper; he was familiar with similar setups despite never having been in a castle before.
What did surprise him, however, was the presence of the girl, Mora.
She had her red hair pulled back and had changed into some light leather armor, colored a dull red. Her blue eyes seemed to be evaluating him, judging his ability. She seemed completely comfortable with the practice swords at her sides. He noticed her actual swords leaning up against a wall.
“You’ll be sparring with her.” Blame informed him, tossing him two wooden swords and motioning for him to set his actual weapons aside. “But not in such a way they you murder each other. That would be difficult to explain to Vechs.”
Ripper tested the weight of the wooden swords before looking over at Mora, who had readied herself.
“I’ll go easy on you.” he assured her, dismissing her as less competent. “As you’re-“
Mora interrupted him. “Is this about the fact that I’m a girl?” she demanded.
Ripper quickly shook his head, trying to hold his hands up in a ‘peace’ gesture but only managing to almost hit himself in the face with a sword. “No no no! It’s just…you’re not….” He struggled for the words. “You’re not a Skullblade.” he finished weakly. “You don’t have the kinds of advantages we do.”
“You’ll see what kind of advantages I have.” Mora growled. “Fight me, skull boy!” She gave him only a second to ready himself before darting forward, striking at him without holding back.
Ripper easily parried and struck back, but was stopped with a motion from Mora.
Blame watched with satisfaction as they fought, trying not to laugh as Mora jabbed Ripper in the stomach, making him re-evaluate the intentional edge he was giving her. Soon he was giving his all, and Blame noted that his judgment of their skills had been just right- they were about equal in skill, Ripper’s being a Skullblade irrelevant. They were also the same age, Blame realized, both eighteen.
Eventually one of Mora’s swords snapped and Blame called for a stop. Both lowered their weapons, breathing heavily.
Ripper dropped his swords and held out a hand.
Mora looked at it momentarily before following suit and shaking his hand.
“I’ll remember not to underestimate people so much.” Ripper said ruefully, rubbing one of the places where he had gotten jabbed.
Mora grinned and took the weight off of her left leg, where she had taken a hit. “Good. I enjoyed fighting with you.”
“I’ve never fought anyone else who uses the Ashenhorn dual-blade style of fighting before.” Ripper admitted.
“Me neither. Blame wouldn’t fight with me.”
“I wouldn’t want to trash you.” Blame crossed his arms. “Let’s take a break for now.”
~~~
David kicked at a rock as he walked outside along the city streets. The sun was setting and most people were going inside, but not the young prince of Dalania.
No, he was in a bad mood.
His sister was older, therefore she would inherit the throne to Dalania, when she really wasn’t as smart or useful as he was. Sure, she could fight, but who needed that from a ruler? He was inventive, good with tactics, and a lot more innovative than she was. Unfortunately, he was three years younger…
He didn’t want to do anything to his sister, though. He liked his sister. If he could just convince her to stand aside, to abdicate the throne… But their parents wouldn’t let her, would they? He swore softly and leaned against a building. How would he deal with that?
That’s when the claws of the genetic Davion insanity dug into his mind. They had been creeping for years, sparking this entire train of thought, but now they set in entirely.
Kill them.
A grin split his face. Of course. That would be so easy, too. A plan started to formulate in his mind…
No! a piece of his mind screamed. They’re your parents! You can’t just-
He pushed aside the voice. He was doing what needed to be done, for Dalania.
It was for Dalania, he told himself as he went back inside.
~~~
The following morning, Ripper left his room to explore the keep. It was a huge place and unlike anywhere he had ever been before. He got some stares from two similar looking people, probably brothers, that were a year or two younger than him. They seemed to be the same age and he guessed them to be twins, but judging on their differently colored eyes (one had blue eyes and one had…purple?) they were not identical. He didn’t stop to talk, however, as he glimpsed Mora slipping into another hallway.
He sped up to catch up to her. “Mora!”
She paused when she heard her name and turned around. “Yes?”
“I…I just…I wanted to say that I was really impressed by you yesterday. My…my dad taught you well. You’re as good as any Skullblade.”
Mora turned a little red but bowed. “Thank you. You’re not bad yourself- my leg still hurts.”
Ripper nodded. “Sorry about that.”
“You win some, you lose some, and you take some hits along the way.” Mora shrugged. “It’ll be gone in a couple of days.”
“Ah.” Ripper paused awkwardly. Being social wasn’t really his thing. “Where are you going?” he tried.
Mora shrugged a little. “For a flight.”
“A flight?”
“Oh, um.” She shifted in position, remembering that he didn’t know. “Have you heard any…stories, about my dad? That he can turn into…something else?”
“I dismissed them as rumors.”
“Well…they’re true. He can go monstrous- but it’s not a bad thing! It’s actually really cool. He can fly and breathe fire and stuff. It’s just that his mom has to make this really complicated potion for it to work for him, but not for me.”
“You can transform as well?”
“Yeah, it’s genetic, but my brother didn’t get it.”
“You have a brother?”
“He was hiding yesterday. Blew something up.”
“Oh, right, I forgot about that. So that was the smoke coming out of the window….”
“Bingo. But yeah, I don’t need a potion to switch between my regular form and my monstrous one. I don’t look anything like my dad when I do it, anyway.”
“You look a lot like your mom while human.” Ripper remarked. “I met her earlier- she was walking around trying to find someone.”
“I get that a lot. It’s the hair, isn’t it? My eyes are blue, though, and David- my brother- is flipped; he has mom’s eyes but dad’s hair.” Mora set off down the hallway. “Come on! I want to show you this!”
Ripper raised an eyebrow, hidden behind his mask, and followed her. He honestly wasn’t that surprised that the rumors about Vechs Davion were true- upon meeting him, he had reflected that he seemed the type to have a lot of bizarre stories.
…Including ones involving turning into a monster and befriending dragons. He was inclined to believe that the second was true as well, considering the shape he had seen pass overhead as they had approached the keep.
Mora led him up to the top of one of the towers, and the view made him pause.
Davion Keep and the main city of Dalania were placed on the eastern edge of the mountains, several miles south of the border to the Dragonlands and about twice that to the eastern sea. As it was, the mountains rose up in the west and north, with the forest stretching in every other direction.
Ripper couldn’t recall being so high up before. Davion Keep itself was on the side of a mountain, and with the added height of the tower, he could see farther into the distance than ever before.
“Wow…”
“Yep.” Mora grinned at him. “Quite the view, huh? Imagine being able to fly.”
Ripper didn’t look at her, incapable of tearing his eyes from the scene before him. “Like a bird?”
“Like a dragon.” Mora corrected, unclasping her green cloak and letting it fall to the ground. With a brief moment of concentration, fire enveloped her entire body.
That got Ripper’s attention.
The flames grew and, when they faded, a very different figure stood there.
The only thing Ripper could use to describe it was bipedal dragon.
Mora’s monstrous form really did look like a dragon, covered in coppery scales and with four darker horns on her head. Her claws and arrowhead tailend were a shiny, glossy black. Her eyes were still the same blue that they had been previously.
She stretched her wings and flexed her claws as Ripper judged that she had to be a good seven feet tall- a little over a foot taller than she normally was.
“Holy shit.”
Mora raised an eyeridge. “A good holy shit or a bad holy shit?”
“Good, I think.” Ripper circled her, watching how the light played off of her coppery scales. “I’ve…I’ve never seen anything like this.” He blinked and met her eyes once he was in front of her again. “This is amazing!”
“Glad you like it.” Mora jumped up onto the wall that kept them from falling to their deaths. “Watch this.” She leaped off of the tower, falling towards the ground below.
Ripper watched, not that concerned as she clearly knew what she was doing, as she spread her wings last-second and pulled out of the dive. She ascended back up to Ripper’s level after flying around a bit, looping a couple of times and clearly having a wonderful time. She hovered in front of him, grinning broadly.
“Wow.” Ripper clapped, impressed. “That’s…wow.”
Mora landed on the tower and transformed back, scooping up her cloak and putting it back on.
Just then, a very out of breath Vechs Davion reached the top of the stairs. He paused to get his breath before pointing at Mora.
“Quit doing that! You’re going to get yourself killed one day!”
Mora shook her head. “Nope. Instincts won’t let me.”
“You’ll mess up!”
“You’ve done way more dangerous things and you’re still breathing!” she retorted. “Leaping onto an angry dragon’s face ring a bell?”
“Should never have told you that story.” Vechs muttered, going back down the stairs.
Ripper blinked. “Does this happen often?”
“All the time.” Mora grinned at him. “I love life in Davion Keep.”
~~~
David paced in his room, thinking.
Maybe he would have to kill his sister after all. Now that he thought about it, how would he ever convince her to stand aside? He couldn’t. He’d have to kill her…and their parents. He’d be better for Dalania, anyway.
Or so he told himself as he walked back and forth in his room.
Thinking about it, why did he even like his sister? She was clearly the favorite. She never made mistakes and exploded things, she never seemed to do anything wrong, and she was special because she had inherited the monstrous genes and not him…
He was pretty bitter about that.
Why hadn’t he been able to go monstrous? Not even with the aid of his grandmother’s potions could he manage it. He just didn’t have the ability to do so.
But Mora did. Why?
He kicked at the wall. It was so unfair.
Which, according to his rapidly deteriorating logic centers, clearly meant she had to die.
~~~
“So how is Blame?” Fatewatcher asked Aureylian as they sat down, light from the setting sun pouring into the room. “He won’t really talk to me.”
“About as good as always.” Aureylian said vaguely. “He’s never that good, you know that. But for him, he’s doing well.”
Fate nodded. “That’s to be expected, I guess, with a life like his. He’s been through a lot.”
You don’t know half of it, Aureylian thought, and sighed a little. “How’s Skullbit?”
“Same old, same old. Nothing’s really happening. They’re still speculating which clan the valk’vanor will choose when it hatches in a couple of centuries.”
Aureylian raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Well, when a valk’vanor hatches, a good chunk of every clan shows up and it chooses a clan to raise it, and a specific person to be its primary caretaker. As it ages, it goes around to different clans, caretaker following it all the way. Once it’s an adult, it goes between the different clans and helps them, as well as makes sure that the Skullblades in general prosper. A valk’vanor is a wonderful thing, as long as it isn’t led astray, either by a bad caretaker or a corruptor.”
“I heard that the last valk’vanor wasn’t that great of a thing.” Guude told me so himself.
Fate sighed sadly. “No. She was corrupted and had to be put down. That was over six hundred years ago, I believe.”
They talked for awhile more about several other topics before Aureylian got to her feet. “I should get going- I have some things I’ve been putting off that I need to do.”
“By all means. It was wonderful talking to you, Queen Aureylian.”
“I liked talking to you too, Seer Fatewatcher.” They mock-bowed to each other, laughed, and waved as Aureylian left the room.
~~~
It was evening when David made his move.
He crept from his room through the halls and down to the bottom floor. He needed his father’s enchanted sword, Morning Lord. It was the only thing guaranteed to kill him in one hit, other than his bow, and even the insanity that was quickly overpowering David knew that he would never get his hands on that. He slipped past Telris, who was walking the other way (wearing the jacket that David has slipped the item into, he noted) to get to the door to the room.
David swore and quickly backed up out of Nebris’s sight. He hadn’t anticipated someone guarding the door, but it was stupid to assume that the sword would be left unguarded. How could he-
Telris.
He fumbled for the item in his pocket, hoping he had made the receiver just the way Seth had taught him and that Telris wasn’t out of range. He had intended to use the item as a prank or a way to get back at him, but this was something much more important.
He flipped the switch.
Immediately he heard the sparking of the item in Telris’s jacket pocket and the terrified screams of someone whose clothes had just been set on fire.
David hid in the shadows as Nebris ran past him, racing towards his burning and panicking son to try and do something, anything, to help him.
He would be fine, David knew, with perhaps some minor burns. He darted into the hallway and quickly picked the lock to the door before slipping inside. He shut the door behind him and approached the center of the room.
The diamond sword glowed faintly purple and hummed softly when he placed his hand on the hilt. A crazy grin split his face as he pulled the sword from its sheath to admire it briefly. Shaking off the feeling that it gave him, he sheathed it again before buckling it around his waist. He drew the sword again and moved towards the door.
It was a good thing for Nebris and Telris that David went right and not left, and it was doubly good for them that they didn’t notice him.
It was less good for others, however.
He found Aureylian right where he expected to find her, sitting at her desk in her workroom reading through something. She did a good chunk of the paperwork required to run Dalania.
Not after this, she wouldn’t.
David made no attempt to hide himself as he approached, sword drawn. Aureylian noticed him quickly and jumped to her feet. “D-David? What are you doing?”
“Sorry about this.” The grin didn’t leave his face. “It’s necessary. For Dalania.”
“David- David no! David, get away!” Aureylian reached for a weapon that she realized, too late, wasn’t there.
David moved forward.
Aureylian screamed.
~~~
Vechs jumped when he heard Aureylian’s scream, the sound bringing him twenty-eight years into the past, back to when the Hostiles had threatened her. He grabbed his iron sword- it wasn’t too dangerous to use on a daily basis- and ran through the halls, trying to find her. Panic raced through him as he ran, charging into her workroom as he knew that’s where she had been.
To find the worst thing he had ever seen in his entire life.
He froze, completely incapable of moving.
Aureylian was on the floor, lying in a pool of her own blood. Her neck and chest were slashed open, clearly by something very, very sharp.
Vechs couldn’t register what he was seeing. He couldn’t register what was going on. He dropped his sword and was about to step forward when he felt it.
An intense, burning pain in the center of his chest and back.
He glanced down and noticed the bloodstained diamond blade protruding from his chest.
Shakily, painfully, he turned his head around to look at the figure behind him.
“Dav…id….why…”
David pulled the sword out and Vechs fell to his knees.
“It was what had to be done.” David informed him, tilting his head slightly so that the torchlight reflected in the red glass of his goggles. “I needed to do this.”
Vechs couldn’t respond. Morning Lord had done its job; it had torn through him and spilled the vast majority of his blood already as it tore through some of his heart tissue.
Vechs fell forward and, as the world darkened around him, he reached for Aureylian.
David threw back his head and howled with laughter, the insanity having taken full control over him.
He’d done it. He’d slain Aureylian and Vechs Davion. And it hadn’t even been that difficult.
Or so he’d thought.
“David!”
He whipped his head around to address his sister, the grin returning. “Hello, Mora.” he said cheerfully. “Don’t worry. It’s your turn.” He charged forward.
Mora drew her swords, but Morning Lord bit through the iron easily and cut into her shoulder. She screamed and stumbled back, reaching for her monstrous form, trying to transform.
David didn’t let her get that far. He drew back the blade to stab her in the chest.
He was stopped, however, by an unexpected howl of rage.
He turned to his left in time to see Blame the Controller charging at him, both unbreakable blades drawn, murder in his dark eyes and rage pouring from him as the shadows pulled towards him.
David screamed in terror.
Blame’s blades hit their marks.
David’s body hit the floor, almost torn in half by Blame’s left blade.
David’s head hit the floor moments later, decapitated by Blame’s right blade.
Mora shook violently, trembling at the sight of almost her entire family dead, her parents murdered by her brother and her brother killed by her mentor.
Blame wiped off his blades and sheathed them. He was shaking too, she noticed.
“I’ll contact the others.” Blame said, voice neutral. He was clearly trying to push back immense amounts of pain.
Mora failed to do that and broke down sobbing, ignoring her bleeding shoulder as Blame led her out of the room into the medical wing. He tipped off Nebris as he passed him- both the purpled-eyed man and his son looking horrified.
Doc looked devastated when Blame told him, but set about fixing up Mora’s shoulder. As Blame turned to leave, he saw Ripper charge in, looking very scared and very concerned. Blame jerked his head at Mora and passed his son as he went to his new friend’s side, worried.
Blame felt a mixture of pain and numbness inside.
Because, really, he didn’t know what to feel.
~~~
Mora officially became Queen of Dalania a month later. Ripper elected to stay in Davion Keep to be a friend for her- she needed it. Mora’s grandmother, Skera (who still looked thirty) was one of her primary advisors and a good reason why Traz’madar didn’t absolutely trash Dalania in this time of unrest.
Blame stayed as an advisor and helper for about a year before he mysteriously vanished. Skera insisted that no one search for him- ‘it is best that we do not find him, for he has done something that you need not disturb.’
No one really understood other than Skera.
None except for Baj, Paul, Aureylian, Vechs, and Blame himself, as he rejoined the others in the Vortex.
In time, when the others returned, he would refuse to explain.
But some of the others knew.
They knew, but they would never tell.
Tags:
no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 07:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 07:54 pm (UTC)And then he lost his damn mind. c:
no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 08:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 08:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 08:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 08:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 08:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 08:36 pm (UTC)-awkward anon person
no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 09:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 08:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 09:12 pm (UTC)Anyway they didn't tell their kids, partially to avoid shit like THIS, knowing they could kill them without killing them. And also worldbuilders are not supposed to interfere or be known about.
no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 09:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 09:05 pm (UTC)*runs before anybody comes with pitchforks*
no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 09:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 09:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Friday, July 3rd, 2015 03:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Friday, July 3rd, 2015 08:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 11:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Friday, July 3rd, 2015 12:18 am (UTC)G.C. (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)
no subject
Date: Friday, July 3rd, 2015 03:15 am (UTC)Also: Plot twist, Ripper's real name is Jack. (See what I did there? :p)
no subject
Date: Friday, July 3rd, 2015 03:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Friday, July 3rd, 2015 05:36 am (UTC)Well done, I'm really excited for Fated now, and I have to thank you for all of Residual, because I hardly commented at all. You know what, have a round of applause for the whole series! (And cookies too...'lets see, where did I put them?')
no subject
Date: Saturday, July 4th, 2015 03:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Saturday, July 4th, 2015 03:03 am (UTC)Super hyped for Fated though! :D
no subject
Date: Saturday, July 4th, 2015 01:17 pm (UTC)Sierra Winner ;D
no subject
Date: Saturday, July 4th, 2015 03:26 pm (UTC)However, his spirit didn't pass on to the afterlife, as the Davion curse keeps that from happening.
Poor David.
no subject
Date: Sunday, July 5th, 2015 12:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Sunday, July 5th, 2015 12:57 am (UTC)Somehow I feel like no. Remember Kaltaerion?
no subject
Date: Sunday, July 5th, 2015 01:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Saturday, July 4th, 2015 05:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, July 20th, 2015 11:11 pm (UTC)