[quiche cat!]

username: quiche cat!
kalon name: rudey
prompt:

rudey stared blankly ahead at the collective faces of the villagers, all upturned in fiery anger. ah, or rather, downturned. he was currently hanging upside down, ropes tied tightly around his ankles and anchoring him to a rusty metal post. his long, luscious hair fell haphazardly around his dirty, beaten face, ends just barely scraping the dusty earth below. parts of it were in matted clumps, and there were random chunks cut short, as if an angry barber had gone to town and executed a poor excuse at giving him layers.

"kill him! damn boy don't deserve no mercy!"

"stole my chickens, he did! eggs for days, all gone!"

"what a crook! best to have him burned alive!"

"toss him off the cliff for all I care! good riddance!"

anger was spat into his face, quite literally. and it was unfortunately refreshing, due to the fact that his face was hot and uncomfortably throbbing from all the blood rushing to it. rudey mustered up enough strength to pull his lips back in a taunting sneer, showing off a nice, fresh gap in his top row of teeth. right in the center.

"aw, shucks. didn't know ya'll cared for me that much! such sweet words ya have for me, in my last moments in this hellhole. I love you guys, too!"

his smug words were met with a fist to the face, sending him spinning in dizzying circles. if another tooth didn't just get whacked out, then his jaw had definitely been cracked. it took a few minutes for his body to slow to a gentle swaying, his hair kicking up dust that made his eyes water. "tough crowd," rudey coughed as he spat blood, suppressing a laugh that threatened to end his life here and now.

"fine, fine!" he finally shouted after endless moments of the villagers screaming curses at him, trying to sound exasperated. "I'll give ya all I've got if ya let me go." he glanced at the gruff village chief out of the corner of his eye; the one who had just sent him twirling in the air like a helpless leaf in the wind. him, along with the others, were squinting at him in disbelief.

"believe me! I know you've seen those wanted posters. they won't even offer much for me, anyways. couple million, pssht. I've got something much better. ya wanna know WHY I'm wanted? huh?" a few arched brows, here and there in the crowd. the yelling and shouting quieted down.

ha. got 'em.

"'s because I stole something from the royal family. don't believe me? look here. at my arms! ya'll recongnize these symbols, don't you?"

the chief shuffled towards rudey, roughly snatching up one of his arms to inspect it. "hm." the gruff man grunted, trying to smear the marking, and when that failed, let go and took a few steps back. "royal markings."

"yes. exactly! smart man," rudey praised the chief, who balled up his fist and posed as if he were going to throw another punch. "ah ah! smart, because you know what I stole! the sun gem! yes!" he fibbed, then lowered his voice to a hushed tone. "I used to be a royal guard. I snatched that gem, and I've got it hidden in the forest of light. spare me, and I'll show ya where it is. I swear on the holy crown!" a few gasps arose from the villagers. no one swore on the holy crown and got away with it. that must mean he was telling the truth, they thought, a bit skeptically.

the chief was the most skeptic of all. but he decided to humor this wanted man, whom seemed so intent on keeping his life. "we let you go, you show us to that sun gem. capeesh?"

truthfully, rudey was a homeless traveler with barely a penny to his name. he wreaked havoc wherever he went, and was wanted in most villages around these parts. why did he choose to live such a frugal life, you might ask? he would probably answer, 'because it's more interesting that way.' and, by the way, he'd been born with those markings. didn't matter to him any, since he'd been a loner since he could remember.

even more riveting was the fact that rudey did not have the sun gem. it was snuggled up in its cushion, in its protective glass casing, right in the royal castle where it belonged.

and so, he sacrificed "everything" he had—truthfully, nothing, if only the words that he spoke, which were lies—in exchange for freedom. he nodded his head excitedly to the chief, which caused a few stray chunks of hair to fall over this face. he grinned.

"you have my word. on the holy crown! I'll show ya where it is."

I mean, technically, he wasn't lying, either. he was going to show them where it was!

...which was in the castle, of course.

behind his shielding hair, his grin spread even wider.

[captain dude]

username: captain dude 1003555
kalon name: Judas Styx
prompt:

It hurt. As the tears of gold dotted his lashes. As the mix, of the acrid smoke filling the cabin and of emotion and just of the deep, deep sadness of watching the Captain's pain, the First Mate's fear, the crew's stifled terror, and the passengers' frenzy, caused him to well up with a complex soup of emotions and tears, knowing there was no easy way out of this situation. Still, he knew what he had to do. Redemption always came at a price.

-------- ---------- -----------

It was dark in his soul. Dark as he shook the clawed hand that signified his pact, dark as he received his new name to go along with his "assignment". It was customary to get a new, secret codename that the Draltic Government would refer to you as, but this one left him even uneasier with his task than before. Judas. It was not enough for those depraved, demonic, predatory aliens to force him to betray other Kalons, to spy, to lure them in as a siren of charm and faux-virtue, but to give him a name that would taint his very being with the deed. Judas. It stung like blood in his mouth after a punch. Judas. He couldn't help but feel soiled by the fact that it was so fitting. Judas. Oh, how he hated that name. And yet, now it was his.

When he boarded the ship as a crewhand, eased into his espionage position by another inside man and some faux rapport, he tried his best to compartmentalize. This was a task that would happen, with or without him. These Kalons were going to face capture by the Dralts either way. It would just be him to do it. But, oh, how a small, nagging part of him wished it wasn't him!

He tried his best to plug away at work, to shut off that part of his mind that did nothing but hound him. He fueled the engines, hauled cargo, and raised solar sails alongside the crew. The vessel was a mixed usage ship, transferring both cargo and Kalons desperate to get off Scier as the tiny planet was commandeered by the Dralts, and was on its way to load up with both when Judas had boarded. These smugglers, acting under the guise of rum merchants, were one of the greatest threats facing the Draltic government's goals. Dralts needed Kalons. Judas knew that much. They needed other species for taxation revenue, their land, and to have their labor outsourced. Those who did align with them were handsomely rewarded and promised no harm would befall them, so long as they toed the line. And Judas had found himself caught in the middle.

Work became a way to clear his thoughts and pour everything only into exerting his body. Most of the time, he was with the new, temporary hands who stuck around only for a few runs. Though he was a fine worker and had a knack for solving problems creatively. He found himself catching a little attention and praise from the higher-ups for his talent and work, mostly from Keo the First Mate. But it was not until about a fortnight in that he found his heart being slowly, quietly, almost imperceptibly torn in two. Up until then, he had found himself largely ignored by the regular members of the spacefaring crew, as most of the new hires were, but today was different. He was entering the galley, tail drooping in exhaustion at the hard day's labor. Though Judas, who went solely by his family name Styx here, was quite handsome and looked like he was not suited to much physical exertion, he could pull his own weight around here. He was rather hungry at the end of the day, and trudged his way over to the kitchen, when he was approached by Keo, the First Mate. Taken slightly aback, as Keo rarely interacted much one-on-one with anyone but the captain outside of their duties, Judas stopped in his tracks.

"Quartermaster, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing, lad, nothing. But you seem like such a hard worker and a good soul, I was wondering if you'd want to dine with me and the rest of the crew, not with the temporary hands, today," Keo said quietly.

"It'd be a pleasure," responded Judas warmly.

Keo beamed tiredly and gestured for him to follow. Through the kitchen was another room, somewhat akin to a tavern. It bustled with the warmth that comes from a room full of good company and close camaraderie. Keo pulled up a stool for Judas at the table that he was sitting at and left, returning with large frothy mugs of ale for the entire table. There was soup, roast, and bread for all, which was a welcome reprieve from the rations the hands had been getting. He got to know the company quite quickly. Keo quickly introduced him to the crew, telling him the tales of their lives. Judas found out that Keo had been a fisherman before the Draltic invasion and had quickly switched professions once he knew that the captain who once shipped his catch to the spaceport markets had taken up the call to save those still remaining on the planet. He had a small son, who would be coming to one of the spaceports the refugees from Scier were dropped off at this voyage, whose picture he kept in a locket around his neck. The big, bright, boisterous yellow Kalon called Ringo introduced himself with all the charisma and friendliness that a Kalon could possibly possess. He was a pirate who had originally been stealing and raiding the Draltic Government before capture and trial, from which he miraculously beat the odds and escaped. He still couldn't resist the life of adventure and found himself traveling from spaceport to spaceport, indulging in fun, romance, and danger. His teenage son, Moses, had joined him on the trip and was now one of the younger crewhands. Both were talented musicians and now were striking up a beat on the fiddle, drum, and with their joyous voices. As the crew introduced themselves, Judas could not help but feel a sense of warmth welling up inside him. These people were so eager to invite him into their circle, to initiate him into their family of odds and ends. It was only now that he noticed he was the only new hire among them. A sense of privilege and gratitude welled up in him. He felt himself lowering his guard, loosening up, as the genuine, warm-hearted smile broadened across his face.

The merriment went down the line as each of the crew introduced themselves in turn, then finally the captain, Mary Ellen Carter, a loud, barrel-chested tiger of a woman. She had the same spirit of merriment as Ringo with a bravery and boldness that made her stand out. He had not seen much of the captain for the voyage, as he did not frequent the bridge of the ship much, but he instantly found himself bonding to her. She was quick of wit and humor, making a quick joke at Ringo's expense before proposing a toast. She raised her stein of ale in toast to the crew and cleared her voice to give a rousing speech. Judas raised his along with the others.

"To good friends, and loyal ones,
Who will see our voyage done
To the old friends that we treasure,
And the new ones who bring us joy and pleasure,
To the ship, may she see us successfully home,
May our bones never ache and groan
May the wind be in our sails,
And the engine never fail,
May our craft, wit, and guile be the equalizer
And our enemies be none the wiser,
May we get to grow rich and old,
Never adrift within space's cold,
And when life's final voyage taken
May our souls be naught forsaken."

To this, the room rang out in cheers and Ringo struck up the band again to a cheerful tune. Judas's soul felt light, lighter than ever. He had forgotten all about his woe of the Assignment and was living in the moment. That night, he returned to his bunk, his stomach full of good food and his heart full of joy. He would not remember his task until around three days before docking. In the meanwhile, he found a new acceptance with the crew. He was spoken to quite freely and invited to partake much more frequently. He laughed with Ringo, confided in Keo, and danced with Moses. It was quite clear why they referred to each other as "brother", "sister", and "sibling" so often. He now wore his long hair in elaborate braids and twists, a gift from Moses who adored his beautiful, flaxen locks. Nights were spent in the captain's dining room and days were spent hard at work, indulging in lilting melodies and shanties alongside his comrades.

When he got the message, three days before they were set to make land, the call from his holodeck shocked him. He was alone, resting in his bunk in the now-empty barracks. Everyone else was working, but today was his day for rest on the voyage. The Draltic commander's slow, smooth, calculated voice and gaunt features caused him to jolt back in shock for a moment, but he quickly recovered. "I wished to update you, underling, on our plans for your extraction and the interception of the craft. We are set to intercept the ship within five solar days of today, two days out of Scier."

He felt a pit drop in his stomach as the Dralt continued his transmission.

"We will be boarding via request before resorting to tractor beam or weaponry. We encourage you to instruct all personnel to remain peaceful. If we are fired upon, we will fire back so you are strongly recommended to advise the crew to surrender without a fight for your sake. Once on board, we will collect the hostages on to the transport ships and bring you to collect your payment and further assignment.”

Judas hesitated and the Dralt sensed his uncertainty, its holographic face raising an eyebrow. “What… do you plan to do with them once you have them in your…”

He swallowed hard, lingering on the word, hesitating in a moment of worry. “Capture?”

“Our legal system is quite efficient and merciful. They will see trial and, as they are in direct violation of the Anti-Smuggling Act and the Registration Ordinance, their sentence will be quick and painless,” the Dralt said, its pale grey eyes locked on his golden ones.

Judas couldn’t help staggering over his tail as he involuntarily took a step back. Death. Somehow, in his heart, he knew before he even accepted the Assignment, that is what this would mean. And he wished with every ounce of his being he could take it all back.

He cleared his throat. “Understood, sir.”

With that, Judas hung up.

It was a tense three days to the port. While there was much excitement from amongst his fellow crewmates, there was a pit in Judas’s stomach, an aching in his heart, he could not deny. He was a betrayer, a ghost. Even if they died, he would still live. And that was the injustice of it all. He tried to think of a way around it. Would the captain think he was insane if he mentioned a risk for Draltic capture? Just paranoid? Would he be shot or abandoned in the cold vacuum of space to die? Would they possibly heed his advice? Or think he was setting them up for a greater trap? He tried to think of the best way to save the most lives possible. He could not tell them while in the port. The Dralts would just get wise, hone in on the port, and capture them by land. If he told them before, the captain might be forced to reroute and abandon their refugees to save the crew. After painstaking deliberation, he made up his mind. He would tell them once they were a day underway. Maybe they could reroute and find a path that the Dralts couldn’t think of. Maybe, just maybe, they could all make it out of this one. Well, maybe not him. He fully expected to spend the rest of the voyage locked in whatever their version of the brig was, but he knew he had to do it. For Keo. For his son. For the Captain. For every innocent person aboard the ship.

———————

The moment was now. Judas found himself shaking. He had never had very good friendships throughout any of his life, as growing up under Draltic rule had been rather chaotic. This was the first time he actually felt liked and part of him was terrified to throw it all away. But he knew it was the only way to redeem himself. Or at least have a shot at redemption. It wouldn’t undo his action completely but it most certainly made things right.

Would he tell the captain? Or Keo? He figured he’d try to corner them both. And it would cut the ties fast. Get the grief over fast.

He walked into the captain’s quarters, where Keo and Captain Mary were looking over the flight map. Both looked up and smiled at him. Closing the door behind him, he padded over to the Captain’s desk.

“Do you have a moment?” He asked, his tail twitching nervously.

Keo nodded. “What do you wish to share?”

“Look… I don’t know how to say this,” he said, nearing tears. “But I am, or was, a spy. For the Dralts. I was intended to betray you and your passengers’ location tomorrow to the Empire in exchange for my survival and freedom. They’re planning an attack to intercept you. I think if you reroute you can save the crew and passengers from the invasion. You might be able to get away. Do with me what you wish, but know this, I would not tell you this if I didn’t care deeply about your safety. They intended to kill you and I could not rest at ease knowing this would happen.”

Captain Carter’s face turned grave while Keo’s looked distraught. “Give us a moment, please,” she said gruffly.

She led him to an adjacent room and Judas heard a key turn in the door’s latch on the other side. The faint sounds of the two having an argument and the soft sounds of crying could be heard through the thick wood door. About five minutes later, he could hear the door unlatch and Captain Carter’s large form blocked his way. “Follow me,” she instructed.

He followed with his head held low in shame, Keo flanking him pensively. He couldn’t help but noticed tears dotting his friend’s lashes. It felt like a sucker punch to his gut to see it. They entered a room filled with instruments, panels, and large windows. Captain Carter stopped, looking him dead in the eyes. His heart skipped a few beats.

“And what reason do we have to believe that what you tell us is true? Who says this isn’t a lie to trap us further?” She said icily.

“If it was a lie, wouldn’t it be more convenient to have you stay here? Or call them in while you were loading up with passengers and trap you in the spaceport?”

She held his gaze for a moment, then nodded decisively, hurriedly walking over to her panel of instruments and flipping some dials, touching some screens, and then proceeding to the captain’s chair.

“Keo, all hands on-“

A resounding crash hit the ship with full force and Judas felt himself knocked off his feet.

“Oh no,” he said in horror, realizing what had happened. Smoke poured into the cabin as the “warning shot had pierced some mechanism of their hull, some engine or thruster. “They’ve found me. They found us. They’ve come early.”

He watched Keo’s eyes grow wide in fear. “Should we abandon ship, Captain? We are already in their beam.”

The captain looked pained. “Yes,” she said with a shakiness that was foreign to her. “Gather the crew and passengers to the evacuation pod. I will stay, press the button to detach the pod, and stave them off. And while you’re at it, bring him with you. Only one has to die today. And his efforts are noble, if once he was not so, redemptive, even.”

Keo hesitated, looking horrified at what his captain proposed. “But… you?”

“And you have a son. If anyone should put up a ruse and stay with the ship, it is me. And besides, if there’s someone on the ship, they’ll think you are all in hiding somewhere in the ship. You’ll be able to get away.”

Judas realized what was happening. And, dear reader, I am sure by now, you do too. The captain intended to sacrifice herself in order to launch the escape pod and lead the invaders off their scent. Even if it meant her own death. And, as you can imagine, it did not sit right with him. Not at all.

“Captain?” He asked, voice shaking. “Can I have a word?”

The captain dismissed Keo with a hug and a few whispered words, leaving the two alone. Tears were brimming in her eyes.

“Yes?”

“I… cannot, in good conscience, let you do this. Please, let me redeem myself. I will not be able to live if you do not. Please, if only for a little while, let me be at peace with my own conscience. I’d rather die at peace than live at war with myself.”

She opened her mouth to argue.

“Please…” he begged.

“Alright,” she said wearily.

The captain raced down to the escape pod where at least a hundred Kalons huddled in the tight quarters. He looked in their eyes. A hundred terrified, desperate, pleading eyes. With a hug from the captain and a tearful goodbye, he pressed the button to launch the escape pod before she could even finish the words, “thank you”.

And with that, he knew those would be the last words he heard from a Kalon in his life. The smoke was stifling now but he felt his way back to the bridge in time to see the headlights of the Draltic ship staring straight into the windows. Good. Having them approach from the front means that they could not see the crew escaping out the back. Over an intercom, he heard the voice of a Draltic commander.

“Well done, Judas. Have the passengers and crew surrendered peacefully?” It asked.

“Yes, and it’s Styx.” Judas said. He was no longer Judas anymore. He had reclaimed the name Styx, redeemed himself. The price was high, yes, but redemption always comes at a price. And this time, it would be his very life.

—— ——

He smiled. As the ship lay shot to ruins after his furious commanders realized they had been deceived, he felt the cold expanse of space take over him. He realized this would be the end. And yet it was freeing. To face whatever lay after this life was next. And he knew he could do it with a clear heart and a mind at ease.

——
When he came to, his first thought was of confusion. I’m not supposed to have come to. Aren’t I supposed to be dead? Wasn’t I just shot into the expanse of space? Left to die a death of cold? Perhaps Styx was in the afterlife but, then again, he wouldn’t be lying on a table in a hospital room, fluids and oxygen and some sort of serum he couldn’t identify pouring into his body, if he were in the afterlife.

Above him floated worried faces. The captain. Keo. Keo’s little son Elijah. Ringo. And the others. What were they doing here?

“What?” He asked groggily.

“Someone found something floating in space. Looked to be fresh. They turned the life form they found over to the hospital here in Etui. You were cryogenically preserved well enough they could get you back,” the captain said. “And good thing too. The world needs more people like you, Styx.”

It came at a cost. And, yes, it was high. But the death of his body was less painful than the death of his soul.



(3369 words)





I am so sorry if this was way too long :0 It was just too much fun of a prompt and I just couldn’t help myself with running wild with developing

[Ucanthandleme]

username: Ucanthandleme
kalon name: Angel
prompt:

He floated, similar to driftwood in a lake, gently and at peace, a smile on his face and a brilliant light in his eyes. The cold water enveloped him whole and he slowly began to sink down. Deeper and deeper into the freezing water he dropped even as the water filled his lungs he still had a smile on his face. A suffocating moment but he just watched with bright eyes at the moon above. It was a fragile beauty, long hair framing his face, a peaceful and serene expression with dazzling metal chains around his limbs aiding in his descent to the bottom of the lake.

His life was one filled with sorrow from the beginning, so perhaps this moment was the most peaceful he had ever had. He had been born and abandoned not long after. From what he heard he was found in the slums amidst the garbage and flies. A weak body he had due to this, a few steps would cause him to be out of breath. He was taken in by the church, a beautiful frail child he grew to be, so beautiful in fact the higher church decided to take him in. He was worshipped as a reincarnation of the moon god. Silk clothes of white, gems and gold dangled from his limbs and long flowing hair, he would sit upon a crystal throne as they said their prayers before him.

But how could the reincarnation of the moon god talk to mortals such as them, so from the moment he took up his role he did not speak to another, make contact with another, his heart could not beat either another. He became empty like a doll, he did not smile, did not laugh and all of this only further served to fuel his indifferent, untouchable air. He grew from a fragile youth into a handsome young man, his status was only raised further. But in his height above the masses he only felt empty. A glass wall had been put around him to which he could not escape. The name they whispered in his ear was the name of someone else.

He longed for his own name. To get a name though he needed to be an individual, but where was he to go? He knew nothing of the outside world, he hadn't spoken to another or interacted with another since young, he himself could not remember his own voice. All thoughts of individuality were lost though when news of the war began. Within a month they lost the war, and he who they worshipped was taken as a trophy of war. Many who worshipped him could not stand the thought of him being taken so they decided it would be much better if he couldn't be taken at all.

He had no say in the matter as they led him to the lake in the moonlight. The moon above him reflected in the water below him. The gold and gems that had lined his limbs were replaced with silver chains tethered to stones. Just like that they dropped him in the water, giving the reason of, now you will be able to go back to the moon. These were excuses he knew. They claimed they were doing this for his own good but he knew it was only lies from their lips. If he was the God they so revered they would be trying to save him from becoming a trophy rather than killing him.

They were doing it to show their allegiance to the new kingdom. What could be a better way at proving their loyalty than getting rid of their own god? He was sacrificed to save them. Despite knowing this though he chose to comply, perhaps it was a sort of satisfaction that his own life was worth many or maybe a twisted desire to think that if he was willing to sacrifice himself they would receive a type of divine retribution. He never had his own name but perhaps due to this good deed he would receive a lovely name in his next life. Eventually dark spots took over his vision, the last thing he saw was the moon ever so bright in the sky.

Awakening with a fright the small child held their heart. Looking around at the marble pillars and walls of the church they leapt up and ran. Their small lungs burning and weak body screamed but they kept going, faster and faster into the depths of the night, moonlight shining their path as they reached the edges of the slum. Turning back for a second to watch the great monument he caught a breath then kept running. Reaching the slums where they were born.

Seeing a grubby child look up at them and speak "What's your name?". He looked at the child and he both cried and smiled at the same time, "I don't have one". That's ok the small child giggled "I'll just call you angel then. Cause you look like an angel in white". Angel nodded his head with a grin on his face as he took the other childs hand, "Ok, I'm angel then!" Looking at the moon he gave another grin before walking into the trash heap before him. His sacrifice was worth it. He gained all he ever wanted. A name of his own.

(900/---)

[parker;]

username: parker;
kalon name: lysander
prompt:xxxxxxbreathing heavily, their breath forms clouds of frost in the air. snowblind and bound, yet another witch is brought to a pyre, frightened townsfolk chanting as they prepare a ritual sacrifice in fear. sheer terror of the unknown had driven the town of haven to burn eleven of their villagers at the stake, leaving lysander to mentally prepare to become the twelfth. wind drowned out the growing chants of the crowd, surging in towards them as they were tied to a twisted spire of pine. their heart raced in their ears, blood pounding and creating a cruel metronome for the howling wind and cries to follow. splinters dug into their skin, numbed from the cold as they struggle against the ropes around their wrists and ankles.

as their eyes close, they attempt to steady their breath. a tranquil silence engulfs them as hair whips across their face, creating a sense of calm. before long, a deep crackle breaks the silence, echoing in their mind as their eyes lock onto the flame. like a little sun, warm and glowing against the monotone surroundings, it nears their point of forced refuge. a desperate plea escaped their mouth, rough from the cool air filling their lungs. trembling, they watch as the torch nears them, their heart racing at the realization of their fate.

time slows down as the flame is thrown, embers floating off of and melting into the snow spiraling around them. funny, how your life flashes before your eyes in less than a moment. the feeling of their mother's clothes, holding on tight as she whispered stories of the old gods in their ears. the waxy coat on a fresh leaf. the soft touch of a flower. their throat sore from singing to the moon all night. dancing around barefoot in the woods as rain drenched their hair, steam flowing between their fingers as they prepared tea, smooth beads slipping out of their hands and scattering on the ground, aged wood, cracked and work, creaking under their feet. the feeling of fire engulfing that very wood.

lysander's eyes close, blocking out the smoke as their body clashes between the heat of the flame and the cold of the storm. their mother's voice returns, faded but warm against their ear, begging for their child to be spared. steading their breath, they hum. slowly, the sound grows into a chant, the witch focusing only on the vibrations in their throat as they lift their head up to the sky. in a quiet tune, they plead to the moon, the stars, and the storm to free them. to take what they will, whatever it may be that ends the agony spreading across their skin. take everything if only i get to carry on my mother's legacy. tears streak down their face, evaporating as flames twist around them. townsfolk cheer, fire crackles, and a dark rumble emanates from the sky. the wind, once cruel, carries in a storm. lighting strikes, igniting a building far off in the town as people rush back to their burning homes. the fire, dying down to a smolder, had weakened lysander's bonds. in a swift motion, they pull themself off the pyre, landing in the snow with a dull crunch. snow, that should have felt cold, relieving. soot covers their skin, washed away by the rain to reveal untouched skin, hiding the death underneath.

standing up, lysander holds their breath, yearning to feel the dirt beneath their feet, the rain on their face, their wet hair trailing down their back, anything. opening their eyes to a clearing sky, they exhale, turning to face their home and taking a step back. a short eternity passes before they turn around, taking their first few steps towards the woods before letting the shadows wrap around them in a cool embrace.

[637 words]

[riddlestyx]

this comp is being extended to dec 21st, 23:59 CST!

[riddlestyx]

this comp is now closed and will be judged shortly!

[riddlestyx]

sorry for the wait! holiday season got a little hectic but i've finally decided on winners! before i go on i just want to thank everyone for entering and express how much i loved reading each form, i love dramatic prompts like this hehe

first, i'd like to award honourable mentions to:
Kyar
quiche cat.
parker;
Firedancer77
captain dude
you all had stunning forms and they were a treat to read!

and the winner of this staff kalon is SilhouetteStation! i was truly captivated by the mood and overall vibe of your entry, and i am really just a sucker for some backstabbing rebellion tbh. i really hope you enjoy this kal!

[quiche cat!]

congrats to the silhouette, as well as the rest of the hms! <3
and thank you for the hm as well! this was a fun comp to write for (and beautiful kal)!

[captain dude]

Thank you for the HM!!!! Congrats Silhouette!

[Kyar]

Huge congrats Silhouette!!! I read through every entry and I have very vivid memories of yours - I didn’t see that plot twist coming, which made it all the better. What an awesome story idea, and so well constructed. You definitely deserve him, congratulations!! :)

Thank you so much for the HM Riddle, and congrats to the other HM winners as well! There were so many AMAZING stories you all created, it was such a cool contest to go through and read. I had a ton of fun writing my entry, so thank you all so much for this awesome contest. Fun to participate in, fun to read entries - all good things all around. :)