Amber
17
Location: Beach
Tagged: Her Pack
Amber quickly looked over everyone, nearly sagging in relief when everyone was just as safe and sound as she had left them with. She was barely holding back her tears, but she was more successful than Cilan. He had shed a few tears in the forest and Amber had only squeezed his hand in comfort. She couldn't break down yet. There were still threats to her Pack.
Cilan had broken down and had just crawled into his mother's arms as he started sobbing. Amber smiled softly, and looked over her Pack again. Her eyes landed on Ivana, who was still fast asleep. She knew Ivana needed help quickly if she wanted Ivana to live. Her sister was starting to look too pale. Her mind started racing with trying to come up with a plan. Everyone wanted to leave to give Cilan and Solara a few moments, but Amber didn't like being out in the open like this. She wanted to get everyone back to the Sanctuary and all together. The more numbers they had, the more successful they would be. But Ivana needed help now.
"Sorcha, can you please take Ivana back to the Sanctuary? There is someone there who will be able to heal her." Amber quietly asked, not wanting to distract Cilan. She then glanced at Mayne and Timpani, and while she hated them separating, she knew it had to be done. "Mayne, could you please leave her back? I still need Timpani to help get Solara back to the Sanctuary. Timpani is the only one who can carry Solara." Her eyes promised to make it up to them, and she hoped Timpani wouldn't be too upset. It was a quick walk, and the likelihood of anyone getting hurt would be minimal. Sorcha would be able to protect them, as well as send up a signal for help. Sorcha just nodded, and Mayne smiled as well. Amber watched as Sorcha gently picked up Ivana and started following after Mayne.
"Is everyone else okay? Once Cilan and Solara are ready, we will all be moving together to the Sanctuary." Amber murmured. She wondered where her brother had run off too, but she shook her head, clearing her thoughts.
She had a job to do. She could only worry about so many things at once.
Regina
18
Location: Sanctuary
Tagged: Darius and Gavotte
Regina's heart was fluttering, but it was a good thing. She had missed talking to someone like her, who had higher hopes than the hole they were living in now. When Darius spoke about Alastiar, Regina couldn't help the flair of anger that arose. Alastair was one of her father's closest friends, and now he had gone soft. Her parents had
died for his cause, which he now went back upon. Regina had to stop moving and just breathe for a moment.
"My parents died for that Traitor's cause." She murmured, revenge evident in her voice. She looked up sharply when Darius mentioned the order Alastair had given him.
"He wanted you, to take out the Lin family?" She asked, slowly and quietly. Regina didn't know who was listening, and she didn't need anyone ratting her out yet. She wanted to oust herself first. Yet, the rage was only continuing to build with each passing second. "You would have been killed. You would have been seen, and they would have won." She could not believe the insolence of Alastair. The sheer incompetency that he had possessed. "Good thing he is going to be gone soon anyway. This just makes me want to kill him even more." She let out a breath as she looked at Darius, her anger slowly fading away until her mind was clear again.
She then had an idea. A wonderfully awful idea.
"How about we blow this popsicle stand, and make sure the 'Hero's of Hesenia' learn
exactly who they are dealing with?" She smiled, her mind already formulating the plan. She needed the others to learn what her reign would be like if they did not follow her. Regina just smiled wider, already knowing which couple she would break up. Which couple, if broken up, would cause the most damage. "Consider this a welcome-aboard gift. When I say to run, you follow." She reached over and placed a soft kiss on Darius's cheek, her blood warming at the thought of a future together. "Just watch your Queen work her magic. This place will be in cinder's, and our favorite heroes will divide themselves until they aren nothing." Regina then turned with a spring in her step as she walked in the general direction of her least favorite person still remaining. She was quiet as she neared, knowing in her gut she was doing the right thing. Her breathing slowed as she crouched in the bush, watching Gavotte and Jen. Regina simply watched for a few minutes, having to work extra hard not to snort in disgust. How had such a sweet, innocent boy fall in love with someone as rash and harsh as Jen? Jen wasn't even gentle when telling Gavotte that he was now an orphan and an only child, and yet, the boy still didn't explode on her. Regina couldn't take it anymore, and she slunk away. Slowly, and ever so quietly, Regina made her way around the trees and bushes until she was a few feet behind them. She knew Gavotte had enhanced senses, but she was hoping that he had turned them off to be a polite gentleman.
For what seemed like the thousandth time, she had wished that Gavotte was on her side. She would have remorse about killing him in the future, but she knew now was not the time to think about it. Regina looked up as she mapped out her route to get to the lovebirds. She would have to climb the nearest tree, and make a small leap to get to the tree that Gavotte and Jen were standing under. Regina couldn't believe her luck as her plan formulated. With a smile, she hoisted herself up the nearest tree, taking her time and being extra vigilant to stay as silent as possible. She needed the element of surprise if she wanted to succeed in this, and Regina would succeed. She had too if she wanted her future to be as bright as she wanted.
It took her a few moments, but she eventually made it up to the branch she needed with minimal scraps and splinters. Regina was not known for climbing trees, but she would do what was needed to ensure her throne. She gripped her scythe in her hands, so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her adrenaline was racing though, and she was excited.
Agatha was going to be so proud at this impromptu plan. The only issue would be getting away with it, but Regina would be fast enough. She had to be fast enough.
Her parents would even be proud. They had always told her to be the villain, to take and take until there was nothing left. She had to be on the top, because it was bred into her. It was her right, as a Lamia, to only have the best, to only be the best. There was no line she couldn't cross in order to get there. She would do whatever it took to get what she wanted, even if it meant having to kill innocents. Regina closed her eyes, needing to find her center. She pulled on the story her parents always told her, the story that made her want to make them proud.
"Tell me the story, mommy!" Regina cried. She ran up to her mom, yanking on her gorgeous skirts. It looked as if blood was flowing off of her, showing the world just how deadly Rori was.
"If I do, do you promise to behave at the party tonight?" Rori smiled down at Regina. Regina nodded, her perfect golden curls bouncing. Rori picked up Regina, holding her close. Receiving affection from her parents were rare in private, and Regina had learned quickly to never ask why. She just soaked it up, hugging her mom back. Rori swayed back and forth and hummed the song she always began the story with. It was Regina's favorite story, one that was practically engrained into her bones. Rori gently placed Regina on the perfectly made bed and stepped back, her heels clacking on the marble floor. There was to be a grand party tonight, where everyone who was important was to attend. Naturally, Rori had been ready hours ago, but was now putting the finishing touches on. Or at least, she was until Regina burst through the door.
Regina leaned forward with anticipation as her mother's humming drew to a close.
"Once, there was a world filled with great power. The creatures that lived here were not descendants of Hesenia, but rather descendants of higher beings. The most powerful of these creatures were called the Fae. Now, the Fae had every drop of blood from the other species that inhabited this world, and could shift their entire beings at will. They were the rulers of this world, making sure everything was in order and in harmony.
"With every world that is based around harmony, there is always something keeping power in check. In this world, there were flowers that would render a certain species useless. Wolfsbane would kill werewolves if exposure was prolonged. Vervain would burn vampires to cinders. Sagewort would drive the witches and wizards to madness. Every species had a flower, and they worked hard to eliminate them. Each species hated the idea of another having power and control over them.
"The species decided to eliminate all of their weaknesses, instead of learning how to benefit from it. Some of the Fae saw the potential, and grabbed a few of the last flowers to hide. They were going to make themselves immune to their weaknesses, so they would have to live with the fear of being overpowered. The species though, they all went to war with each other, scared that someone still had some of the flowers. The world fell into anarchy with no hopes of returning." Rori was practically dancing around the room as she told the story. Regina was in awe, just thinking about how the flowers might have looked, how the Fae might have looked. Regina knew all about this fantastical world, it was almost as if she was part of it's history.
"When the species learned about this Fae group, they all banded together to try to hunt them down, but it was too late. They were already immune to their sole weakness, and those left of the different species had to bow down. The Fae then ruled over the world, fixing the anarchy and returning the natural order of things." Rori concluded, her dancing slowly coming to an end. Her skirts swished around her ankles, always flowing. Regina always thought her mother looked like a Queen, which in turn made Regina a Princess. She hadn't even known her father had walked into the room until he slid his wife into his arms and resumed her dance.
"You forgot the best parts." He had smiled, almost mocking his wife. He twirled her, and Regina just smiled. She wanted love like her parents had.
"What your mother has not told you, is that these Fae that took the flowers, they did not tell the other species how they did it. The other species were still susceptible to their only weakness, and the Fae would never tell them how to overcome it as punishment for their incompetence. They had done what it took, endured deaths, scars, and pain in order to ensure a better future, while the others had just fought to eliminate the threat instead of working with it." Bren explained, slowing down the dance with his wife. He had bowed at the end and then turned to Regina. She was on the edge of her seat. She had loved that story, of how the Fae had learned to deal with their weakness instead of eliminating it. She had thought they thought out of the box and thus created a better world. The story always calmed her, despite it's absurdity. Her parents looked at her, looking every bit as King and Queen as she thought they were.
"I want to be exactly like the Fae. I want to be smart like they were, and just as cunning." Regina smiled, leaping off of the bed and dancing on her own.
"You just have to claw your way to the top." Bren smiled as he picked her up. Regina squealed with laughter as she nodded.
"I'm a Lamia. There is no line I cannot cross to get what I want." Regina smiled, believing it with her entire four-year old being.
"Exactly. You are my flesh and blood, your mother's flesh and blood. You are destined for greatness, if you fight hard enough for it." Bren smiled, bopping her on the nose.
"I promise, Daddy. I promise to fight hard to be Queen like mommy." Her heart had slowed, and she was calm and centered. Regina was ready to start clawing her way to the top.
She pushed off of the tree, took six steps, and then leapt into the tree that was towering above Jen and Gavotte. She gasped when her foot slipped and she went falling, but she caught herself. She pulled herself back up, trying to keep her breathing as quiet as possibly as she worked hard to calm her racing heart. Regina carefully maneuvered herself so she was directly over Gavotte and Jen, and she looked at Darius (who was hiding in the bushes as well). She blew him a quick kiss, before she fell from the branch. She landed directly behind Gavotte, her knees screaming upon impact. She only had seconds to act upon her plan, each heartbeat needing to matter. Regina ignored the pain shooting through her from the impact as crouched down, sweeping out her legs to knock Gavotte over. She made contact, and she hopped back up as Gavotte was falling. Regina then arced her scythe down with all of the strength she could muster, emitting a battle cry as she did so. The world slowed down as her scythe fell down, her muscles practically singing. She had forgotten how much she loved this, how much she had enjoyed training as a child. Her aim had been true, as it always was, and her scythe embedded itself into the boy's heart as he landed on the cold ground. Blood immediately started pooling out of him, and he tried to reach for Jen as he took his last breath. His hand fell to the ground, clearly outstretched towards his beloved. Regina looked up, not caring that her shoes were getting bloodstained, and smiled at Jen as she pulled out her scythe from the now dead boy.
"Welcome to my Reign. Where I make you learn how to overcome your weaknesses. Consider this the first lesson." She hissed, malice dripping from every syllable. Regina didn't even stay to hear Jen's answer. She started sprinting as fast as she could to Darius.
"Run!" She shouted to him, grabbing his hand, and pulling him along. They had to get far out of the Sanctuary before Amber and Cilan got back. By that time, Jen would have already destroyed the place, and the last defense for Hesenia would have fallen.
Regina's laugh echoed through the trees as she continued running. Step one was complete.
"I hope you liked your gift. Our next step is a lot more fun." She laughed at Darius, feeling so joyful she felt like she could fly. She was practically floating already, her future even more bright.
Now she just had to get to Alastiar and show him why he should have never betrayed a Lamia.
Jonah
17
Location: Celestial Tower
Tagged: Clove
Jonah just listened to Clove vent, and he had kept his face as neutral as possible. All of her arguments and frustrations were valid, but then his face hardened when she said that was the worst problem. She had crawled into his arms, and he did hold her. He held her tightly.
"You are not the worst. You did not make a stupid choice in killing that assassin. You protected your brother. You don't know what would have happened if you didn't kill that assassin. The world could be worse off than it already is." He murmured, trying to keep his voice light. Jonah hated it when Clove thought her sacrifice was meaningless and stupid. It was far from it.
"How about we go talk to some more generals? I can visit Lanette at the same time you visit Katherine? We can get our job done, and then go do whatever you want to do." He offered, not moving to even let Clove go. He could easily broadcast them both from the position he was standing in.
Sorcha
17
Location: Beach
Tagged: The Newcomers and Her Friends and a mention of Zelkova
Sorcha heard the newcomers walking closer, and Sorcha was immediately ready to defend if need be. She had heard stories of this woman named Acacia, and while her name was sort of blasphemous, Sorcha had always secretly looked up to her. Acacia would lay down her life for anyone, the Protector of All, except for the reason why her name was so blasphemous. Sorcha never believed that Acacia would do that though, but she never voiced her beliefs. Waverly's voice drew her out of her thoughts as he said he respected her for joining an army. She smiled briefly, before her head snapped to the side when the newcomers were closer.
She immediately stood down when she saw Cilan and Amber. She immediately knew who the prince was, and knew he was not an enemy. Not to her surprise, he just collapsed into his mother's arms and started sobbing. Amber just stood there, surveying the group, her eyes staying longer on Ivana. Sorcha followed her eyesight, and Ivana had been asleep for a while. Her beautiful face would be forever marred, but to Sorcha, scars only made a person more beautiful.
"I will do whatever Cilan wants." Sorcha simply said, glancing between Amber and Cilan. Amber just shook her head once, and Sorcha knew she wanted them to stay for a few moments.
Sorcha was their's to command anyway. Cilan was going to be her King, and by the looks of it, Amber was going to be her Queen. Sorcha just stood silently, stoically, ready to follow through on any and all orders.
She would not fail her Commanders again. When Amber asked her to carry her sister back, Sorcha nodded and bowed. She then quietly walked over to Ivana, gently sliding her hands under the girl's shoulder and knees before lifting her close to Sorcha's body. She hoped Ivana liked to be warm. Sorcha then turned, ready to follow after the boy who was standing next to the other warrior of the group.
"I will protect them both with my life." Sorcha murmured, glancing at both Amber and the other Warrior. She knew Mayne was with the other girl, and she saw the love written so clearly on the boy's face. Sorcha then walked after Mayne, who was just as quiet as she was. Sorcha couldn't help but glance down at the girl in her arms.
"
Zelkova, please don't take her just yet." Sorcha quickly prayed, before directing her attention back to the forest surrounding them.
Mayne
16
Location: Beach
Tagged: His Old and New Friends
Mayne was ecstatic to see Amber and Cilan together. He knew in his gut that it meant the tides were changing, but he also didn't want this war to even happen. There was going to be even more death and carnage, and the very thought made Mayne's stomach roll. He looked at Timpani, instinctually reaching for her hand to ground himself. He could do anything, withstand anything, as long as she was with him.
When she reacted well with Amber, Mayne smiled again. His stomach wasn't as quesy, but he still worried.
"Amber Soare is very smart. In fact, the whole Soare family is. I grew up with her, visiting her family quite often. We had this whole large network in which we would all correspond. A lot of our network died from the first wave of destruction, the Soare family being some of the first to fall. They went into hiding like we all did, but they were they last to go into hiding. They made sure everyone of us got to someplace safe before they did. We looked to them as our leaders. I think you'll like Amber. She loves to strategize, and tries to make sure everyone is placed with their best interests in mind. She's a good person, and cares for everyone." Mayne murmured quietly. "She's an Alpha, as our network would say." He couldn't help but smile fondly at all of the memories of his younger days. There would be huge gatherings where families from all over Hesenia would join together in perfect harmony. The Soare's started the tradition, and more and more families came each year. They even had to start calling it the Concordia Celebration. It was always a fun time, and Mayne had so many friends and family from it.
"You can trust Amber with anything. I trust her with my life." Mayne concluded. "I also trust you with my life."
They had stopped and Mayne watched as Cilan crawled into Solara's arms, sobbing. Mayne's heart lurched, and he found himself leaning on Timpani. After a few moments, Amber had asked him to lead Sorcha back with Ivana. The blond-haired beauty looked to be in a lot of pain, and Mayne knew he had to help. He nodded once to Amber with a smile, before turning to Timpani.
"I'll see you in a few minutes. I love you." He whispered before hugging her. He then let go before he could rethink his choice and beckoned Sorcha to follow him. He kept a brisk pace, hoping to get to Rowan before it was too late.