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Post by demin on Jan 21, 2011 20:25:22 GMT -6
 He couldn't remember a thing after he had hit the ground. He did remember the hellish beast that he had been fighting briefly before, and how its jaws had sought to crush his skull but had wounded his face and eye instead. He remembered a searing pain that spread throughout his entire body, and how his muscles went rigid and refused to move no matter what he dd. Ammon was still too weak to even open his eyes, but wherever he was, he hoped he could stay. The emperor no longer cared about the war. He was dead, why should he care? All he knew was that he lay on something soft, feeling a warmth spreading through his beaten body. His ears twitched as he heard hushed, muttering voices around him. One of them sounded familiar, a voice he had heard all of his life, a voice that belonged to someone who had saved his life more than once. He determined the voice to belong to Charon, the former prince and regent of Giaku. So you were killed in the fight as well, Uncle?
It was a pity. Charon had been a noble Druin. Ammon finally managed to open his eyes, but noticed that he couldn't see out of the right one. He tried blinking, but only the left lid seemed to want to work. He dismissed the blindness as temporary, using the good eye to survey the room. Heaven looks a lot like Hatsuhi... Ammon then looked to Charon, trying to call his name which came out in a hoarse gasp. His uncle looked to him in shock, as did the young female Druin he had been talking to. Charon immediately rushed to Ammon's side, waiting to see if it had just been the young emperor's death rattle or something more.
"Ho-How did.... you die, my Lord?
 Charon could scarcely believe it. This poor Ohm had been dismembered, maimed, beaten, and burned, yet he had always held onto life. A small smile crept onto the Druin's face as the young emperor spoke.
"I'm not dead, Ammon, and neither are you." He said, turning to the young female he had been arguing with. "Find the Empress. Tell her the Emperor's alive!" He turned back to Ammon. " And you, my Lord, I have another gift for you later. But let's reunite you with your mate first."
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Post by Aveilthé on Jan 21, 2011 21:18:54 GMT -6
Aunt Phobia... Ammon...
They were dead.
There were no more tears to be shed. Lacri was as dry as a bone picked clean in the middle of a desert. Every time she wanted to cry, she would feel her eyes sting painfully. With anger and hatred welling up for all things that lived, she screamed out in pure anguish and agony and tried to kill herself on the stone floor. Her attendants saw this, and restrained her.
A whole week and a half went by since Shinkou and Giaku clashed, ended by the bloodiest battle the world has seen for centuries. It was only four days ago since she woke up from her short-term coma after her frenzied bout of rage, feeling disoriented and dizzy. Since then she had done nothing but pace relentlessly in her chamber, the memories of the bloodshed confined deep in her thoughts, looping like a cruel video on permanent replay. Wondering about the well-being of her family haunted her more than anything, too. Ammon and Phobia were gone. Had anyone else died...?
Exhaustion lined every crease of her face, even her pale eyes looked hauntingly bloodshot. She looked thin, too, for she had refused offers of food from those who came to visit her. Attendants insisted that she rest, but Lacrimosa would only snarl and snap at them when they tried to ease her to the bedding.
That was when a young slave timidly entered her room. "Empress, your mate--the Emperor--he's alive!"
Lacri wasted no time. She made a wild dash to their room, burst through it, and stood there, breathing hard. There was Uncle Charon, towering over--
"Ammon..."
Shaking from head to foot, she slowly made her way to him, every step toward him too precious. Any moment now, she would wake up... it had to be a dream.
"Oh, gods... praise them... praise the gods... Karasis, thank you, thank you..."
She screwed up her face in a manner that suggested more tears. Kneeling by her mate's side, she gingerly nosed his face, kissing him every where she could reach. There were no words. Nothing could express the rekindled joy flaring up like billions of stars shining gloriously inside of her.
That was when she felt something odd against her tongue. She flinched, feeling a gaping hole... "Oh--oh no, no, Ammon..." She looked at his missing eye, both horrified and scared for him. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..."
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Post by demin on Jan 21, 2011 22:08:25 GMT -6
Charon heard is niece burst into the room, panting heavily. He rose from Ammon's side, turned to the empress, and moved out of her way. Again he let a smile creep onto his muzzle as she ran up to her mate, overjoyed to see him alive after believing him dead for so long. She planted kisses all over her mate's face, but Charon noticed her flinch as she noticed her mate's missing eye. The smile that on his face was replaced by frown.
"We tried to save it. Whatever the beast did to him was unnatural. But here he is, alive, and he will regain his strength. You should be proud, Lacri." In a rare show of affection, Charon rubbed his muzzle against his niece's head. "And I've a way he'll be able to see again, but he will need his rest." He rose to his feet and turned to leave the room. "I must help with sorting the dead. Send a runner for me if you need me." With that, the spiked behemoth left the room and descended the tower of Hatsuhi.
Ammon heard his mate call his name. A smile played across his muzzle at the sight of her. She kissed him, and he weakly returned them. He could still only bear to lift his head for a few moments before fatigue got the better of him. He, too, noticed her flinch, and saw her terrified face. Charon spoke of failing to save something, and finally figured out why he couldn't see. The blindness wasn't temporary as he had thought.
"Lost another part of my body?" He weakly asked, letting a grim chuckle pass his lips. He raised his head again, touching Lacri's nose with his before his weak body forced him back down. "You heard Charon. I'll be fine, Lacri. I'll be fine," He paused, a yawn forcing its way out of his muzzle. "And he said he's got some scheme that'll make me see again. Now come on, let's pick up where we left off before Shinkou showed up."
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Post by Aveilthé on Jan 23, 2011 18:06:51 GMT -6
Lacri's tired lips managed to crack a smile, returning the affection. "Thank you, Uncle, you mean so much to me." Dipping her head as he left, she turned all her attention to Ammon.
"Ahh, co zula." Lying close to him, she rested her head next to his. "I was so sure you were dead..." She paused, deciding not to share the details of her time alone in her room. "I'm so happy that you're okay, but... my aunt... Phobia... she's gone. So forgive me if I seem distracted... This whole war... it's greatly effected my mind."
Taking a deep breath, she nuzzled deep into Ammon's thick fur. "Where are you hurt?"
OOC: Druin; co zula means "my love" |
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Post by demin on Jan 23, 2011 22:51:12 GMT -6
Ammon only casually acknowledged Charon's plans to make him see again. He was just glad to see that Lacri had survived and with him now. He smiled when she voiced her affection in the Druin tongue. Though he was forever unable to speak it himself, he had learned the meaning of a few simple phrases. The smile didn't last long, however. The news of Phobia's death saddened him, and he feared how Zephyrus had reacted to the news. He wanted to push the thoughts out of his mind and merely enjoy Lacrimosa's company. Pain still wracked his body, especially where his eye had once been. Every time he inhaled, his ribs felt like they were about to split apart. His mate seemed to pick up on his pain, and he nuzzled her head despite his body screaming at him to stop.
"Everywhere. Even feels like the leg your uncle made for me is hurting," He paused, again resting his head on the soft cushion he had woken up on. "I'll be fine, Lacri, promise. I've been through worse." He waved a tired paw in front of his face, confirming again to see if his eye had actually been taken.
"It'd be real nice if I could see again, though." He brought his paw up to the lidless void where his eye used to rest. The eye's absence, the scabbed-over wounds, and tender flesh around the socket was unsettling.
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Post by Aveilthé on Jan 25, 2011 21:20:36 GMT -6
Lacri busied herself grooming her mate but careful as to not do it too rough; she did not want to harm him. Ears relaxed upon her skull, tail coiling and uncoiling on the floor. Her heart ached at his pain, and with a sigh, she wished she could will it all away. She too had her fair share of broken bones and bruises, but she could walk well enough. The week she slept healed most of her cuts.
The Empress pondered what to say. Licking her lips, she heaved a sigh. "I got a feeling Uncle's got something good cooked up for you. Thank the gods for him. My poor Ammon..." She snuggled closer. "Unfortunately we're not out yet... there's so many dead... and I must speak to Uncle Zephyrus... he's either heard about his mate, or he'll soon find out... but I dread to see what will cross those normally complacent eyes of his." She allowed a moment's silence to pass, digging her teeth into Ammon's thick fur to unloosen some knots. She was afraid to speak the truth, how the demise of aunt was her fault. All her fault...
Ammon's last statement broke her heart. She was unsure of how to respond to that, so she stayed silent, nuzzling the area just below his missing eye.
"Lets talk about our future," she said quietly, wanting to try to steer the conversation to something positive. Clearly her spirits weren't into it at the moment--any other time, she would be reeling--but anything to take her mind away from this horrible nightmare.
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Post by demin on Jan 28, 2011 22:28:56 GMT -6
His mate's insistence that her uncle would help him see again brought a cynical smile to his muzzle. He highly doubted Charon had such abilities. Sure, he had given Ammon a new leg, but making the blind see was something only the gods were capable of.
"Maybe," was all he said. What Lacrimosa said next worried him a little. He knew that his mate's species were well known for the short fuses on their murderous tempers, now fearing that her uncle Zephyrus would try to harm her. "Please have Charon with you when you see Lord Zephyrus. Maybe he will talk down Zephyrus if things get... heated." He said, hesitantly, not wanting to say what he truly thought. If Zephyrus tried anything to harm Lacrimosa, Ammon knew that Charon would kill him without a second thought. The thought of uncle killing niece and brother killing brother was not one he wished to well on. Lacrimosa then seemed to grow quiet, seeming to be lost in thought about something. He would not push it. She would tell him what was bothering her when she was ready.
What she said after her time spent in her thoughts caught him off guard. Their future?
"There... hasn't been a lot of time for that, huh? We've been mates for all of one week and I've been at Death's door for most of it..." He trailed off, thinking, blowing a stray piece of fur off his nose that had been bugging him. "We should make up the lost time first. Did we ever get a gift from your uncle for when we became mates?" He said, a little more upbeat, a small smile flitting across his lips.
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Post by Aveilthé on Jan 28, 2011 23:13:50 GMT -6
Noticing that the darkness slowly began to ascend upon the world beyond the stone windows, Lacrimosa kissed her mate before rising slowly and going around their room to light up the multiple fireplaces. They were made very well by Druin paws, ornately embossed by images of Etanian gods that even Lacri so closely adhered to.
During this process, she answered Ammon with a shake of her head. "No," she began, lighting up the wood with a breath of blue flame, "Uncle Zephyrus would do nothing to harm me, or anyone. I love him dearly, and I know he loves his niece, even though he can be reserved and... complicated at times. Uncle Zephyrus will be reasonable..." She looked so certain that it was almost heartbreaking. The way her pale eyes shimmered, reflecting the eldritch light permeating from her otherworldly flames, sported great confidence in Zephyrus.
Lacri chuckled lightly as she emitted a stream of fire on the last pieces of wood. A crackling blue fire flared up, and soon the whole room was as lit up with an eerie glow. At least it was warmer, for the winter season grew bitterly cold in Giaku.
She padded back to Ammon and plopped next to him. She would have body-slammed him, but there will come a time when she will do that when neither of them weren't whining and hurting from the war.
"He probably forgot. Wasn't really expecting anything like that, any way... we're in the middle of a war and there really isn't room or time for such things. Why, were you expecting an elephant's trunk as an epic crown or something? My handsome, battle-scarred Emperor?" She started chewing on his long mane playfully. It felt good to feel a smidgen happy again...
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Post by demin on Jan 29, 2011 0:07:32 GMT -6
As Lacrimosa was lighting the various torches around the room, Ammon amused himself by blowing small plumes of smoke from his muzzle, sometimes spitting small black fireballs onto the hard tile of the Tower. He watched the small flames on the ground lick at nothing but air yet still somehow stayed alive and energetic. A memory forced its way to the forefront of his mind, the memory of a much larger of the little black flame engulfing the Shinkou wolf. The magical flames burned and licked clean the flesh from bone and muscle, never weakening until every ounce of flesh was gone, and only then because Ammon had willed it away. The memory of his cruelty on the battlefield made him shiver. Yes, the Shinkouian had been an enemy, but he had also been a living creature with loved ones and a life of his own. Giaku's emperor quit spitting out the black fire, and contented himself with the wispy plumes of smoke. He only barely caught what Lacrimosa had said about her oreo uncle, looking up at his mate.
"I hope you're right, Lacri. It's just... " he cut himself off, not wanting to ruin the mood. There would always be time to discuss such grim things later.
Ammon immediately nuzzled back up against his mate when she rejoined him, then simply stared at the blue flames around the room, taking in their eerie glow with this remaining eye. Another memory made its way to the forefront of his mind, though this one thankfully didn't involve a torturous death. The warmth from the ethereal flames that were unique to his mate were welcoming, warm, and a pleasure to see. Ammon spat out another small black fireball onto the tile. He looked at it long and hard, and noticed it gave off no light, but seemed instead to be sucking in the light around it, leaving nothing but absolute darkness in a small diameter around it. Ammon reached out to it with his right paw, noticing not warmth, but the bitter bite of a coldness he had never felt before. Nor was this dark flame a spectacle to look at. His remaining eye seemed to try to instinctively look away from it, but he forced himself to keep his gaze set on it. This flame of nothingness, this cold fire, now hurt to actually look at. A dull ache began to grow in his eye, and with that he willed away the small flame. The properties of his powers disturbed him to his foundations. Again he shivered, hoping that his mate would mistakenly think it a result of the chill of Giaku. He forced the thought from his head, and instead focused on Lacrimosa's slightly cheerier voice speaking of her uncle Charon, even managing to crack a smile at her words.
"I think a crown would be nice, don't you? Too bad the almighty Crown of Thorns wants to be the only one around here with one."
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Post by Aveilthé on Jan 29, 2011 0:21:12 GMT -6
Her attention was captured by the crazy black fire, cast by Ammon. She stared, curious indeed at the properties that made such a... strange fire. "That's badass," she remarked, longing to touch the creepy void of the fire but thought better of it. She felt like a curious pup with Ammon again. It reminded her of the time they found a rare sea-monster skeleton on the beaches of Giaku. Such an unsual find made the moment feel special to her. Privately, she hoped that their future will harbor more adventures... perhaps beyond Giaku and it's surrounding territories, if things were settled and peaceful in Giaku once more.
At Ammon's remark, Lacri burst out in fits of laughter. "HA, HA, HA, HA!" She tried to stifle her giggles to speak. "More like a mountain of crowns. You need to tell him to share! That selfish old poo-face. Hey, you think if we scaled his back, we'd get loot?" It would be awkward if Charon popped in at that moment.
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Post by demin on Jan 29, 2011 14:38:47 GMT -6
Ammon said nothing at Lacrimosa's fascination with the ebon fire, merely shrugging indifferently. He would not use the term his mate had in description of the black flames. If he had to describe it he would go with something along the lines of 'evil.'
The sound of Lacrimosa's laughter made him smile, the talk of her gargantuan uncle made him laugh a big belly laugh. To his surprise, he no longer felt the pain that had previously been wracking his body, this revelation making him laugh more with joy. Whatever the healers had done was finally showing results.
"Let him have his fancy titles, for now. We'll climb the mountain on his back and take the crown ourselves!" Said the Emperor, a paw lazily raised in play-defiance. He held it up for a few more seconds, suddenly wondering something.
"Why didn't we ever do that when we were pups?"
Without waiting for an answer he turned his head to look out the window in their room. Night had descended on Giaku much quicker than it usually seemed to. It could not have been later than mid-day when he had woken up from his stupor. Again he looked around the room, noticing the glow from the blue flames intensify in the increased darkness. It was eerily beautiful.
'I wonder if this is how the ghosts of the dead see the world...'
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Post by Aveilthé on Jan 29, 2011 16:31:21 GMT -6
She stole some silence to allow some time to think about that one. "Maybe because... he scared the living daylights out of both of us? I know he used to scare me. Do you realize how hard his spankings were? Owie... bastard used to make me run laps..." Eyes glanced grumpily at one of Ammon's paws, but then broke into a secretive smile. In spite of all things, she loved her uncle astronomically and was the only father-figure she ever had. She never realized before now, but Charon truly spoiled her in times she deserved it.
Speaking of father-figures... she gave her mate a strange look before feeling her whole body go warm. "We'll have our munchkins do that for us one of these days. Uncle would love our little boogers crawling over him. It'll make him feel important."
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Post by demin on Jan 29, 2011 22:47:55 GMT -6
Ammon laid his head down on his paws, feeling sleep begin to encroach upon him. His eye lid began to feel leaden, heavy, but he fought off sleep as best he could while listening to his mate go on about her uncle.
"You know you deserved it." He said, yawning. The emperor was so close to sleep. All he had to do was close his eyes and he would be out like a light. Lacrimosa had fallen silent just long enough for him to almost close his eyes, then she spoke again. What she had said this time forced Ammon wide awake. His eye shot open and his ears perked up immediately, quickly looking to his mate, hoping she didn't couldn't see the red rushing to his cheeks beneath the black fur on his face.
"Umm... p-pups, Lacri?"
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Post by Aveilthé on Jan 30, 2011 9:17:06 GMT -6
"Hey, that's not fair," she retorted, bopping him gently.
Lacri sensed that her mate was falling sleepy, and had the mind to leave him be soon so he could attain much needed rest. There was no hiding the sudden jerking movements of her limbs when he whipped around at her so suddenly, scaring the fur off of her. She grinned sheepishly.
"Well, as you know it's my duty as Empress to... well... you know," said she, suddenly feeling flustered and bewildered. "Oh come on, you know it's bound to happen!" She couldn't stop grinning and quivering. Yes, she felt mighty embarrassed, but also a smidgen amused at the whole prospect. "Everyone will expect it from us, too!" She paused. "But I mean, we're still young and everything. We barely just... became mates... and we had a war for Etanus's sake... but in retrospect, most rulers have experienced a war much later in their lifetime, or none at all. So technically, we've been mates for fifty years or so!" There was an unmistakable giggle bursting from her throat. As Ammon might have known, she tended to ramble when she gets put on the spot.
She flopped to her side and hoisted all four of her paws on Ammon, like a cat ready for play. However she was very gentle, and only did so to show affection, for she knew that he was hurting. She was no exception.
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Post by demin on Jan 31, 2011 3:30:03 GMT -6
Ammon immediately felt a pang of guilt for startling his mate with his sudden reaction, but he could not have helped himself. At this point in his life, the prospect of being a father seemed like a harder responsibility than ruling a nation full of warmongering demonic wolves, almost all who resented him for being partly of a species they saw as inferior. Yet, the thought was enticing. Having a family of his own would not be so bad. His children would have the best upbringing anyone could ask for. But was Ammon ready to be both a father and an emperor? He didn't think so. No, not yet, but soon.
The look of shock disappeared from his face as Lacrimosa spoke, being replaced by a small smile, his ears again resting on top of his head. He listened in amusement to the empress's attempt, placing his horned head back on his paws, then felt her flop to the side to rest all of her paws on him.
"I'd like to be a dad someday," He said, thinking about the idea a little more. "I'd have our pups calling your uncle 'Grampa Charon.' Maybe that'd soften him up a bit." Again his ears pricked up, suddenly remembering something.
"Didn't your uncle say he had something for me," Ammon asked, suddenly feeling like a pup being given their first plaything.
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