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@elishavet-pidyon @freedomwriter76 you wanna go next?
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb@freedomwriter76 @koshka @keilah-h @godlyfantasy12
Ok, y’all. I’m sorry it’s been awhile. I haven’t been able to do much/anything on here this week.
All y’all’s responses are great! Now to do my part.
Alyona
From her brother’s protective shadow the scene before her looked both more and less threatening. Not that she could see much of it.
Closing her eyes, she focused on the rapid conversation. The tones fluctuated up and down from challenge to defense. Up and down, up and down, like the scars on her brother’s calloused hands. Old, born of pain, but hard from labor and left in mystery.
She shifted to peek around him. Was it a stand off? Who was the stranger? Or for that matter, the strangers?
From her position, she could just make out the back of Eva’s hair. Dark as Alyona’s, but curly like Viktor’s. Only much nicer. And curlier.
Not Dorwinian.
Not Yartassite.
Eirtanian?
Alyona straightened to her full height and peered over Viktor’s shoulder.
âMy official designation is Commander CT-9904.” The strange man was talking now, answering a question one of the new group had asked. “But you can call me Crosshair. I was given that name due to myâŠ.efficient marksmanship. â
He indicated a mark about his eye which Alyona had taken for a bruise in the weak light. Her stomach flipped in horror and fascination. It was a brand.
Although she’d never seen one before, – the Brother-Nations didn’t hold to the practice – she could guess what it meant. He must have been some sort of captive warrior in service to… Who else?
She bit her lip.
Viktor
âWhat are your names, and where do you come from?â
Two interesting questions. Viktor frowned at the thought of answering either. Definitely the second.
‘Why have you brought us here, Lord?’ He scanned the garden orchard once more. ‘To wander about from one danger to the next?’
Perhaps. Viktor didn’t know. But his blood boiled at the thought of the things he had seen in the day, and he stood tall in the dappled moonlight. Hopefully his extra four inches would hide Alyona from the menace of discovery.
‘I am Viktor Mynclais,’ he smiled slightly at the thought of his name, ‘I hail from Yartass, a son of Eirtan.’
You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan
- Rank: Chosen One
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@queen_of_alvastia. Sorry girl! My weekend was packed both Saturday and Sunday, lol. XD Like, Saturday, gone from the house from 8 AM to 9 PM (with only maybe half an hour to walk the dogs), so…yeah. đ And Sunday gone from like 8 AM to 4 PM. I’m still tired. XD But sorry for being so late. *sigh*
Leon
âBut you said you had a family? Iâd like to hear about themâŠ.if you donât mind talking about them?â
“First, there’s my…wife, Aadelheide. She always looks out for everyone else, takes care of everyone else…gives to others no matter what. And then there’s my kids Isabel, Albert, and Elias, each special in their own ways…”
Leon trailed off, glancing longingly around the castle. “I’m sorry about your brother, by the way…”
- Rank: Chosen One
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@elishavet-pidyon. You’re good, girl! Totally understand being busy! My weekend was packed both Saturday and Sunday, lol. XD Like, Saturday, gone from the house from 8 AM to 9 PM (with only maybe half an hour to walk the dogs), so…yeah. đ And Sunday gone from like 8 AM to 4 PM. I’m still tired. XD @keilah-h. @godlyfantasy12. @koshka. (and girl, I get you. Writer’s block sucks!)
EvaÂ
âWhat are your names, and where do you come from?â
After being polite, the man didn’t seem quite as scary. One of the girls had picked up and finally, partially, calmed the fox. That was good.
She stepped forward, still clutching Ezra’s hand. “I’m Eva Goldmann, and I am from England but born in Germany. It is wonderful to meet you, Crosshair.”
She heard Ezra put up his pistol. “I am Ezra Roberts of the US Air Force from America and Eva is my girlfriend.”
“You know, the Uppity Servicemen.” Eva said, with a playful wink at Mikkel. He smirked, and Ezra shook his head.
“Anyways…and this is Riker Schind, our…acquaintance from Germany.
“Private Mikkel Winston, Kingâs Mariner 2nd division.” Mikkel introduced, with a brief bow to Crosshair. He was so polite.
Ezra smiled. “Glad that’s taken care of. Now,” he turned around towards all the…kids…they had found in the room, “what are all y’all’s names? We’re not gonna hurt any of y’all.”
@koshka @elishavet-pidyon @keilah-h @freedomwriter76
Arabella
All eyes turned to focus on their group. Ara frowned at the attention and reached for Novemberâs hand. She allowed a piece of her hair to fall over one eye, hoping to hide some of the stares.
Her anxieties had gotten better since their recent adventure with Lyn and Nyx, but the thought of people staring at her.
Whispering about her.
It sometimes made her want to curl into a ball and hide.
Thankfully there were others in the group, besides just herself, and they stepped up to speak.
Viktor straightened, hiding his sister behind him. The twins had stiffened at the question, remaining poised for danger, but relaxed enough to not seem too threatening.
âI am Viktor Mynclais,â he smiled slightly at the thought of his name, âI hail from Yartass, a son of Eirtan.â
The boldness of Viktorâs words made Araâs heart soar, and she let out a breath. She barely heard him introduce Alyona, as November gave her hand a gentle squeeze; the last reassurance she needed.
She sucked in a breath.
She wasnât that girl anymore. Sure, it had only been a few months, but it felt much longer, and in that time Ara had changed.
Before sheâd left AâGrend she had changed.
She didnât have any reason to be afraid of who she was.
âMy nameâs Jocelyn!â Lyn was quick to answer, having calmed Nyx down to a glare. âThis is Nyx! Heâs a bit over-eager.â
âAm not!â He chirped, still glaring daggers at all of the men, but specifically Crosshair.
Ara smiled at her friend, feeling another jolt of courage. She straightened, slowly releasing Novemberâs hand. Walking forward to stand near Lyn she said, âMy name is Arabella. Arabella Fabel. Itâs nice to meet all of you.â
She glanced back at November who was awkwardly rocking back and forth on his heels. He waved and smiled, his dimples showing. She giggled.
âThis is November.â Ara spoke for him, motioning back to her curly-haired friend.
She glanced at the twins who had yet to speak. They looked at each other, as if sharing a private conversation, before Vulkasin spoke.
âI am Vulkasin, and zis is my brother, Zlatan.â
Zlatan gave a slight nod in greeting, his eyes still trained warily on each member of this new group.
Jocelyn
With formalities out of the way, Lyn immediately jumped into action. âSo, are you all from here orâŠ? Cause, ya know, itâd be nice of someone actually knew their way around this place. But hey! If not thatâs cool too! Weâve just kinda been moving from place to place and-â
âThey donât need to know our life stories, Lyn.â Nyx hissed, sounding rather sharp.
Ara and Novemberâs eyes widened slightly. Nyx was always a bit of a brat, but he usually didnât take that kind of tone with Lyn.
Lyn grimaced, glancing down at him. He huffed and curled into a ball in her arms, tucking his three tails around him, but making sure his head and ears were exposed where he could still see everyone in this new group.
Her eyes softened and she ran a gentle hand through his fur. His ears drooped slightly as she did.
It was easy for her to forget how young he was sometimes.
âIâŠahâŠâ She looked at Ara pleadingly, unsure of what to say. She knew what they needed, butâŠdidnât know how to ask.
Ara smiled and spoke softly, âIâŠI think some of us need a bit of sleepâŠâ
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb@godlyfantasy12 @koshka @elishavet-pidyon @freedomwriter76
Crosshair
One boy stepped up. “I am Victor Mynclais. I hail from Yartass, a son of Eirtan.”
Crosshair had zero idea where that was. Feather would probably know, what with her knowledge of weird places, but she wasn’t here.
“My name’s Jocelyn!” piped up one of the girls, the one who held the little fox. “And this is Nyx! He’s a bit over-eager.”
The others introduced themselves also. Especially interesting was the name November. It sounded like a name one of his kind might have.
“So, are all of you from here or….” asked Jocelyn the fox handler. She started to explain more about herself, but a hiss from her fox cut her off. She stroked it as it calmed down slightly, but it still eyed them from its curled-up position. Crosshair was sure it was glaring at him specifically. He stared back at it.
“I am not.” he explained. “I come from a world vastly different than this one.” He looked around. “Although there was once a place quite like this one that I’ve visited. It was called the Sanctuary, and was destroyed over the course of several battles. My world has seen a lot of war.”
“I….think some of us need a bit of sleep.” whispered the one called Arabella, very off topic. Crosshair was about to snap something like “What makes you think I know where to find lodging?” at her, but decided to leave that to one of her friends. She looked timid, and he didn’t want to make enemies of this group.
One of the other girls was staring fearfully at him. Their eyes locked for a second, and he realized she wasn’t necessarily looking at his eyes but at the marking around one.
“What are you looking at?” he asked.
Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.
No problem!! You’re good! Sometimes life has a way of getting crazy sometimes! XD đ đ
Payton
âIâm sorry about your brother, by the wayâŠâ
Payton sighed. (My characters sigh a lot when I write. Sorry XD Either that or they whisper)
“Thanks. Your family sounds like they are worth risking this castle or anything else to find…” He stole a glance at Leon, “I guess we’re more alike than I thought.”
In front of them, the blackness of the corridor stretched, endless and cold, before his eyes like a tunnel. Or maybe a cave. The damp darkness closed in around him, and he shivered.
Then quite suddenly, as they walked on and on, the hallway ended. Just like that, leaving Payton on the ground, half-stunned, blinking at the insurmountable barrier of the stone wall that had reared up in front of him. He rubbed his throbbing head, and (Payton, you will NOT SIGH!)
and for the second time within a space of a few minutes, let out his breath in a sigh. The world settled back into its usual place and he turned his gaze from the wall to the floor and then to Leon.
“Dead end.”
đ„°#TorrynVelgardProtectionSquadđ„°
- Rank: Chosen One
- Total Posts: 8156
@queen_of_alvastia. That is for certain. đ (and you’re good. My characters sigh a lot too. But to be fair, I do, so…they get it from me. đ)
Leon
Payton looked over at him.
“Dead end.”
Leon glanced at the wall. “It seems so. Here,” he offered his hand to Payton. “We’ll go a different way.”
Payton took his offered hand. “Thank you.”
Leon smiled and nodded. “You’re welcome. Now, come on, follow me.”
They turned and began to go back the way they had come.
The silence almost seemed to drag on, leaving Leon’s mind in places he’d rather not stay. “You said you’d be a soldier, Payton? And your Dad was? What kind of soldier are you planning on being?”
Payton glanced over at him. Leon shrugged. “But if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine too.”
Oh man, how many times do I look at my characters and see me!?! (Sometimes unfortunately…)
Payton
âBut if you donât want to talk about it, thatâs fine too.â
Payton felt his heart start hammering again, the old feeling, half enthusiasm, half doubt, that strange choking combination, threatening to overtake him once more.
“Father is a palace guard for the castle back at home, so technically I guess that’s not an official soldier. But I want to be a soldier who goes out into battle. And I want to be – I’m going to be – in the calvary.”
He scuffed the toe of his boots on the floor as they walked. His voice dropped.
“That’s what my older brother was.”
Another pause.
“He died there….in battle….I…was too young to remember, really. But someday, I’m going to be a fighter like he was. It goes in the family, I guess. And besides, I can’t let my Father down.”
Somehow, he thought, but didn’t add, I’m going to prove that I’m not him just because I’m a soldier.
đ„°#TorrynVelgardProtectionSquadđ„°
- Rank: Chosen One
- Total Posts: 8156
@queen_of_alvastia. Lol. Me too. đ And poor PAYTON! đ
Leon
âHe died thereâŠ.in battleâŠ.IâŠwas too young to remember, really. But someday, Iâm going to be a fighter like he was. It goes in the family, I guess. And besides, I canât let my Father down.â
“I lost both of my parents. My mom when I was five…my dad…when I was eighteen, right before I married Aadelheide. I still…” Leon trailed off. He wouldn’t…he couldn’t cry. He took in a deep breath. Pushed back the threatening tears. Swallowed them.
They burned.
All the way down to his heart.
“I still miss them both…and I’m really sorry. About…about your older brother, I mean. I should have said that first.”
Leon looked away. Didn’t want Payton to see that his brown eyes were brighter with tears.
Stay strong.
Don’t attract attention.
Show no weakness.
Show no emotion.
Be strong.
GIRL YOU JUST MADE ME CRY!! NOT EVEN KIDDING!!
LEON!!
đ„°#TorrynVelgardProtectionSquadđ„°
- Rank: Chosen One
- Total Posts: 8156
@queen_of_alvastia. I DID!? đź I’m sorry! đ” (I seem to do that a lot to various people…đ )
@freedomwriter76 That just shows the quality of your writing! I love it!! Stories that reach my heart are the best!!
đ„°#TorrynVelgardProtectionSquadđ„°
@freedomwriter76 Our poor characters!!! Sometimes their feelings must be sacrificed for the good of the plot! Sorry, guys! Believe me I really am!!!! (or so I say before throwing Payton smack into the middle of another conflict…This will help the book, Payton, I promise)
***composes myself before trying to get into Payton’s head again***
Payton
Payton was stunned, frozen, paralyzed. Except that his legs kept moving in spite of himself. His mind too. His own troubles, in comparison, seemed to shrink and shrivel like a shadow before the blinding light of the sun. He gulped.
Payton, say something!
But that old nagging fear of showing his heart to someone, anyone, that fear that hounded him all his life, grabbed him and choked back the words before they left his mouth.
Only this time he turned on the fear, wrestling it back down. It didn’t die, but at least it was back under control. The walls of his heart cracked open ever so slightly. Somehow, the semi-darkness made it easier to open up. If someone can’t read your expression, can’t see the pain in your eyes, you aren’t as vulnerable.
And vulnerability was the one thing he could never let himself be.
He grabbed Leon’s hand, looking at the man intently. Green eyes meeting brown, each with a hidden story, each with a hidden pain.
“I’m sorry too. About your….about your parents. I can’t imagine how hard that must be.”
And that was when he almost kicked himself, the heat rushed to his face, and he wished to step back in time again.
When I said say something, I didn’t mean that!!! Payton, of the all the things to say!! He probably thinks you have a heart of stone now!
“I….I didn’t mean to say that. I mean, I really am sorry…I mean,”
Oh just say it!
“When we get out of here, wherever here is, I promise I won’t leave until we find your family again.”
đ„°#TorrynVelgardProtectionSquadđ„°
@freedomwriter76 @koshka @keilah-h @godlyfantasy12
I don’t know if this was how Crosshair intended it to come across as, but I’m having fun so…
Alyona
Her heart still pounding, Alyona peeked back over her brother’s shoulder.
And met Crosshair’s gaze.
She slid back but not in time; the man had seen her and was suspicious.
Viktor
âWhat are you looking at?â Crosshair asked sharply, directing his question behind Viktor.
Alyona.
Viktor’s hand flew to his blade as the other sank into his script in search of a stone. Instincts were amazing things.
“Who are you asking?” Viktor narrowed his eyes. “If it is my sister, you would do well to leave the bite out of your voice.”
The man may not have meant anything, but Viktor didn’t like Crosshair’s looks. Anyway, Alyona was not another servant to be harshly spoken to by a stranger.
Then again, they were all tired and didn’t need to fall to blows over short tempers.
Viktor turned to the others, “You’re right. We need to find a place to wait out the night. I know of a few places that would be safe, but…”
But they’d probably not want to spend the night on the roof.
You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan
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