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Will there be Stories? (KingTyrant)

Started by JackieCat, June 20, 2016, 12:15:46 PM

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JackieCat

Flordia nodded as Leon said that his first name would be fine, and she was about to open her mouth to answer his question, somewhat admiring the way he stated it, when Edwin broke in.

She watched as the tension grew, and she was quite enthralled, far from offended or hurt by Leon's words, as Edwin argued with the other man.  It was clear that the Captain and and Mercenary were far from becoming friends anytime soon.

The whole table was silent, and Flordia practically glowed with happiness when Leon responded, giving her what the girl took as a compliment.

"Thank you, Leon," she said, her voice in quite a cordial tone as she nodded to the man and looked over at Edwin as she continued to speak to Leon.  "I would prefer to be called Flordia, actually, and thank you for asking, not many people feel they can."
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Kirl Moonharber---Lorin--- The Feari --- Akhe---Kilarhas---Naarilash---Kinn---Jiminie---Faelis---Karishk---Cirick---Sieera---Kornos--- Ariznim--- Dergan---Meerior---Zier'ik'shalsalimigarizdeniime---Keyne---Seridin---Elliot---Healin---Warn Danish---Revvil---Kashka---Ishka---Nox---Skiffiles---Jlyyth---
Flordia
---Larcan---Kannae---Anton

For summaries of my characters, JackieCat's Characters!

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty.  It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
~The Doctor

KingTyrant

Leon couldn't help but chuckle. "Most are too scared." He explained. Edwin remained as angry as ever, the man not saying anything else in hopes of calming the tension. He'd hate to bicker back and forth in front of the king and queen at their new, albeit rude, guest. As the table stood awkwardly silent, still waiting for their meals, Edwin cleared his throat and gave a fake smile to Leon. "So... Sir. I caught a brief glimpse of that beautiful sword on your hip as you were standing. May we see it in closer detail? I would love to know who crafted such a gorgeous item. Perhaps I could make a trip to Adela and have something similar crafted for myself!"

Edwin's compliments did nothing to help Leon's hatred for the man, his eyes still trained on him in a glare. Still, Leon complied, unsheathing the blade with a sharp metallic shriek, holding it high for everyone at the table to see. It had been taken care of much better than the armor and shield, obviously being cleaned and sharpened every day to keep it in the best of shape, the light from the fireplace illuminating the steel brightly, the wolf head and dragon wings sculpted out of the hilt standing out most of all. "The original creator is long gone." He explained with a grunt. "My father. He was murdered by angry townspeople. He gave this to me before I fled for my life."

As Leon explained this, Edwin stopped, frowning and blinking as he suddenly felt very sympathetic. Even if he couldn't stand Leon, losing a father was something that he couldn't possibly imagine. Nalda also gave a sympathetic look, watching as Leon sheathed the blade and shook his head, sighing. "And... Your mother?" Nalda asked, legitimately curious. Although, in the grand scheme of things, perhaps that wasn't the best question to ask. "The whore abandoned us when I was a child. Thought I was a monster." He hissed. "The... Priests in the village. Claimed I was cursed." Leon immediately corrected himself with a lie, trying not to draw suspicion.

Edwin and Nalda both stared at him with wide eyes, in disbelief that not only had the man lost both of his parents, but he was also evidently cursed. They looked between each other, then back at Leon, the only thing breaking the awkward silence being the arrival of the servants, with everyone's food. Everyone at the table had pretty normal meals, their meats cooked to their liking. Medium-rare... Well-done... And then their was Leon.

The servant placed his plate on the table, potatoes with bloody raw venison, which made a puddle on his plate. Leon was far from disgusted. Giving a sigh of relief that his hunger would soon be satisfied, he grabbed the meat with his battle-claw gauntlets, ripping a huge chunk off before shoving it in his mouth, blood streaming down his chin as he chewed up the venison. Naturally, Edwin and Nalda stared with mouths agape and eyes wide.

JackieCat

Flordia was far from offended as she watched the happenings before her in awe.  Indeed, the sword was beautiful, but she frowned when he said his father was killed, and about his mother.  She bit her lip as he mentioned being cursed, not because she was afraid, she was to enthralled to be scared, but because something had seemed a little off when Leon had said that.  He had hesitated.  It had seemed like could have just been a little nervous about talking about apparently being cursed, but Flordia wasn't sure, he had said 'monster'.

However, nobody else seemed to notice, and after a moment of silence the servants came with the food.

For a few seconds, normal conversation started again amongst most of the people at the table, until, of course, Leon began to eat.

Everyone stared.  Most in horror, but Flordia was just amazed at this man.  She had never met anyone like him.  It was extremely refreshing and quite exhilarating.

There once again was silent, until another of the King's advisors, a portly man named Torrik, couldn't stay silent for a moment longer.

"Goodness, man, have you no manners?" Hiis tone wasn't angry, just surprised and a tad bit offended.
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My Characters!
Kirl Moonharber---Lorin--- The Feari --- Akhe---Kilarhas---Naarilash---Kinn---Jiminie---Faelis---Karishk---Cirick---Sieera---Kornos--- Ariznim--- Dergan---Meerior---Zier'ik'shalsalimigarizdeniime---Keyne---Seridin---Elliot---Healin---Warn Danish---Revvil---Kashka---Ishka---Nox---Skiffiles---Jlyyth---
Flordia
---Larcan---Kannae---Anton

For summaries of my characters, JackieCat's Characters!

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty.  It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
~The Doctor

KingTyrant

Nobody had even touched their food. They decided to watch Leon as he chowed down on the bloody meat, in utter shock and even disgust. Eventually, Edwin picked up his silverware and began cutting his cooked venison, Nalda doing the same not long after. As everyone began to eat, Leon was over halfway done with his meal, his meat little more than a puddle of blood as he ate the potatoes noticably more civilized.

Alas, everyone stopped what they were doing once more as Torrik asked his question. Leon shot him a silent glare, using his napkin to wipe off his bloody mouth and gauntlets. "Well, I would have manners, had I grown up in a castle and not a filthy cave in the Thunderblacks. Any more questions, Manners-Man?" He asked, sounding surprisingly calm as he gave his retort. He didn't do a very good job of not making it awkward, as Edwin stood without finishing his meal, wiping his hands clean with a napkin.

"Well... My compliments to the chef! I really must be heading off to bed, though. Goodnight, everyone." With that, he was gone in an instant. Nalda stood soon after. "Yes... It is quite late!" She gave a laugh that was laced with nervousness, taking her leave as well. Leon was the only one legitimately ready to leave, as he stood once his food had been finished and let out a satisfied sigh. He gave a nod to the king and queen. "Thank you for the dinner. It was wonderful."

Giving a glance at Flordia, he left the dining room at a much slower pace than the last two. In fact, as he entered the throne room, they were nowhere to be seen. He couldn't hear them ascending the stairs, either. They really wanted away from him, didn't they? He shrugged, heading up to his quarters. But instead of entering, he kept going and went inside Flordia's room. This was the part of the job that was most likely going to have the princess very agitated.As he entered, it was completely black aside from the moonlight which blasted through the window. He could already feel his skin crawling...

He had been told in the original contract that at nights, she had to be under direct surveillance from him. Which meant he would be forced to sleep during the day. Swell... Still, it wouldn't be unlike most nights, where he tossed and turned, always struggling to keep the beast at bay as the alluring light of the moon tortured his mind and soul. The only thing that was different is that he had to watch a girl to make sure she wouldn't have her throat slit in the black of night. He huffed, walking over to her windowsill and perching atop the sturdy wood, his silhouette darkening the room slightly further.

JackieCat

Torrik chuckled at Leon's retort.  "I apologize if I offended you, it wasn't my intention."

Floridia finished her meal in silence, but she wasn't feeling awkward at all, even considering how uncomfortable Nalda and Edwin seemed to be.

Conversation returned to the table until people started to leave, and soon it was just Flordia and her parents at the table.

"That Leon is quite an interesting man," her father said and the Queen nodded.

"Yes, he's definitely not a noble, nor was he ever."

"I think he's very interesting," Flordia said, and her mother glanced at her.

"Of course you do," she said. "You just don't get distracted from your lessons because you're so interested in asking him about his travels."

Flordia's eyes widened, as if she couldn't even comprehend the thought. "No need to worry about that, Mother, I am completely invested in my studies."

They spoke a bit more before Flordia excused herself and went up to her room.  She opened the door but immediately stepped out of the doorway and back into the hall upon seeing the dark figure in her window, the thought of the assassination notes immediately on her mind.

Had the assassin finally come?

The small dagger she hid in her dress was in her hand in an instant, but then she paused.  She had recognized the shape, and the light from the hallway \had slightly illuminated some of his features.

"Leon?" she said, still not stepping into the doorway or in sight of the figure at her window sill, just in case she had been mistaken about who it was, though she was fairly certain it was Leon.
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My Characters!
Kirl Moonharber---Lorin--- The Feari --- Akhe---Kilarhas---Naarilash---Kinn---Jiminie---Faelis---Karishk---Cirick---Sieera---Kornos--- Ariznim--- Dergan---Meerior---Zier'ik'shalsalimigarizdeniime---Keyne---Seridin---Elliot---Healin---Warn Danish---Revvil---Kashka---Ishka---Nox---Skiffiles---Jlyyth---
Flordia
---Larcan---Kannae---Anton

For summaries of my characters, JackieCat's Characters!

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty.  It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
~The Doctor

KingTyrant

Upon hearing her voice, Leon opened his eyes, which glowed their bright yellow in the darkness of the room. "You going to bed? Go ahead. I've been ordered to guard over you during the night, so I apologize if I make you uncomfortable." He said, leaning back against the window and crossing his arms. "And if you start whining, an assassin will be the least of your worries!" He growled.

He had spotted the gleam of her dagger out in the hallway from where he had been sitting. It looked like a dinky weapon, and it by no means could effectively pierce his armor, but it showed him that she wasn't entirely helpless. Perhaps her parents were just doing their typical parent routine and being far too protective, but he wasn't about to judge too harshly. It wasn't like he had his own kids...

JackieCat

Upon hearing his voice Flordia sighed and stepped into the room, lighting the oil lamp on the table, revealing the room to be quite messy, and shutting the door behind her.  She huffed when he said she'd better not whine.

"I'm not going to try and make you leave, if that's what you mean by whining," she said. "I know you're not going to."

She pulled her nightclothes from where they were still lying on her bed and went into the attached bathroom to change.  She emerged a few moments later dressed in a blue nightgown.  She draped her clothing over the back of a chair.

"It's really messy in here," Flordia said, gesturing around the room, but she wasn't apologizing.  There were books and papers on every surface, and a few dresses or stray shoes here and there, though the dresses were at least hung over something or other.

As Flordia turned off the oil lamp and climbed into bed, she glanced over at Leon.  "This is going to be weird. . ."

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My Characters!
Kirl Moonharber---Lorin--- The Feari --- Akhe---Kilarhas---Naarilash---Kinn---Jiminie---Faelis---Karishk---Cirick---Sieera---Kornos--- Ariznim--- Dergan---Meerior---Zier'ik'shalsalimigarizdeniime---Keyne---Seridin---Elliot---Healin---Warn Danish---Revvil---Kashka---Ishka---Nox---Skiffiles---Jlyyth---
Flordia
---Larcan---Kannae---Anton

For summaries of my characters, JackieCat's Characters!

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty.  It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
~The Doctor

KingTyrant

Leon chuckled softly, not looking at her. "It's definitely the oddest request I've ever gotten. I think this is the first time I've ever been ordered to watch a 15 year-old girl sleep." He said, huffing. Silence took over the room, Leon looking out the window for a split second. He sighed in relief, noticing that the moon was obscured by clouds. That would buy him time before he was stricken with various pains brought upon by holding back his transformation.

"So... You seemed pretty eager to ask me a few questions when I first arrived." He said, breaking the silence as he looked down at her. "Well... Now would be the time, kid." He told her, thinking that it would only be fair to give her what she wanted from the start. He didn't think his life was all that interesting, but to someone like her, forced to stay in a castle day-in and day-out, he could understand her curiosity. He decided he'd tell her a few stories about his travels, and then hopefully she'd sleep soundly.

JackieCat

Flordia did think this was pretty weird, but she forgot about her misgivings as soon as Leon mentioned her asking questions, and actually invited them.  She shot into a sitting position. "Really?"  she asked, exited, then she calmed herself. "Okay. . ."  she thought for a moment before continuing, there was so much she wanted to know!  "I've read a lot," she said. "But I know that's nothing like actually being somewhere. . .  What place have you been that you think is about the exact opposite of here?"

Better start with some extremes.
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Kirl Moonharber---Lorin--- The Feari --- Akhe---Kilarhas---Naarilash---Kinn---Jiminie---Faelis---Karishk---Cirick---Sieera---Kornos--- Ariznim--- Dergan---Meerior---Zier'ik'shalsalimigarizdeniime---Keyne---Seridin---Elliot---Healin---Warn Danish---Revvil---Kashka---Ishka---Nox---Skiffiles---Jlyyth---
Flordia
---Larcan---Kannae---Anton

For summaries of my characters, JackieCat's Characters!

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty.  It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
~The Doctor

KingTyrant

Leon blinked at the question, laying his back against the window as he thought. "Your home is warm... Lush. Full of life. Very crowded and urban, lots of people." He said, glancing at her. "Right?" The question proved to be quite rhetorical, as Leon quickly moved onto describe a place that he would think is the exact opposite. "Imagine a place with hardly any people. No massive, busy cities, no castles, no luxuries. No warmth, no grass, no trees, even."

"It's a place called the Sionad Tundra. And if you live out there, you already have my respect. That's something not easily achieved, too." As he told her all of this, he sighed and reminisced himself, thinking of all the terrible things regarding the Sionad Tundra, as well as the people brave and determined enough to live in such a place, living in tents made of fur, leather, and other scraps of warm material set right next to the few and far-between hot springs.

"Have you ever seen snow before? If not, let me just sum it up for you. It covers this place. Makes it to where no life can dwell. If you get caught out in it without the right clothes, you might as well already be dead. Many people have frozen from being out in the tundra too long. It's also easy to get lost out there, with no landmarks, or visible roads. Overall, it's just awful. If you can even picture something like that." He said, unconsciously rubbing his hands as if he was still out in the freezing cold.

After a long period of silence, Leon leaned forwards, his arms crossed over his lap. "And then there's the added threat of the Sionad trolls." He murmured, forgetting for a moment that Flordia probably had no idea what this was.

JackieCat

Florida was captivated, sure, she had read about some of these things, but it was nothing like hearing it from someone who had first-hand experience.  When he had finished she leaned forward, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her arms on them.  "I've seen snow," she said. "But the winter's not very harsh here, not like what you said."

She was silent for a moment before sitting up again. "And what about the trolls?" she asked, as she had momentarily forgotten about his last sentence.
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My Characters!
Kirl Moonharber---Lorin--- The Feari --- Akhe---Kilarhas---Naarilash---Kinn---Jiminie---Faelis---Karishk---Cirick---Sieera---Kornos--- Ariznim--- Dergan---Meerior---Zier'ik'shalsalimigarizdeniime---Keyne---Seridin---Elliot---Healin---Warn Danish---Revvil---Kashka---Ishka---Nox---Skiffiles---Jlyyth---
Flordia
---Larcan---Kannae---Anton

For summaries of my characters, JackieCat's Characters!

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty.  It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
~The Doctor

KingTyrant

Leon blinked at her for a moment, almost in disbelief that the girl didn't know who the trolls were. It was then that he remembered that she was confined to this castle. He didn't know how he kept forgetting that detail. "The Sionad trolls... Regular trolls, like the ones you'd find in the Sirantil Valley, in Connlaoth, are just dumb and ugly. Not really too much of a threat. Sionad trolls are the exact opposite, to an extent."

"They're still pretty stupid, but they're still smart enough to plan out an ambush. An entire army of your castle's best guards could be slaughtered in seconds, if they were to take you by surprise." He told her, shaking his head at the thought. "Still, where the real threat rests is in the fact that there's a lot of them. Thousands, at that. They're strong. Barbaric. Unforgiving. One in itself could leave you mortally wounded, even without weapons. Though, you'd be less of a target than myself. Their leader, Rk'stl... His main enemy is humankind."

JackieCat

Flrodia's eyes widened at his description of the trolls, but not in fear, but in curiosity and amazement.

"Why do they hate humans so much?"  she asked. "Was there a war or something?"
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My Characters!
Kirl Moonharber---Lorin--- The Feari --- Akhe---Kilarhas---Naarilash---Kinn---Jiminie---Faelis---Karishk---Cirick---Sieera---Kornos--- Ariznim--- Dergan---Meerior---Zier'ik'shalsalimigarizdeniime---Keyne---Seridin---Elliot---Healin---Warn Danish---Revvil---Kashka---Ishka---Nox---Skiffiles---Jlyyth---
Flordia
---Larcan---Kannae---Anton

For summaries of my characters, JackieCat's Characters!

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty.  It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
~The Doctor

KingTyrant

Leon scoffed, scratching his chin. "Not a war. Wars. There have been many." He told her, shaking his head. "More than you would believe, as a matter of fact. The bastard has raided villages and towns all over Le'ranna. Serendipity, Adela... They're infamous for being war-mongering barbarians who kill innocent people without hesitation. I've had my fair share of run-ins with the trolls. Every single time, their blood has coated my blade." He explained, looking proud.

There was a long pause, Leon scanning her face in the near darkness of the room. His wolfish eyes could see better than any man could, so her features weren't hard to make out. His eyes narrowing, he opened his mouth to speak. "You want out of here. You want out of here bad." He assumed. Nobody had her level of enthusiasm about monsters and dangerous landscapes without having the heart of an adventurer. "I can tell, too. The way you act around all this fortune and luxury, the way you act around your mother and father... It's not what you want out of life." He said, his eyes still trained on hers.

It was fairly obvious to not only him, but everyone else he had met that day. The difference between his observation and theirs, was that he was happy knowing that Flordia wanted to see what the land of shattered time had to offer, instead of choosing to stay hidden from everything beyond the walls. Meanwhile, it intimidated them, knowing their heir to the throne wanted to leave her responsibilities and run off. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, kid." He told her, his tone sincere. "It's nice to see that people your age have an urge to explore and see new things. Really."

JackieCat

Flordia listened as he continued to talk about the trolls, but she looked down at her knees as he spoke about her want for adventure.

"I'd never be a good ruler," she said,but she shook her head. "And that's not even the worst part, I don't even want to be a ruler!"  His tone somewhat comforted her, but she sighed. "I do care about my people, but I could never be happy ruling them, and if I have to tolerate it my whole life, I know I won't do a good enough job for them.  Maybe it's selfish, but I can't help it."

She looked up at his silhouette in the window. "I have two brothers, you know, both adults now.  The oldest was going to be king, and Faelis, the younger one, ran away when he was fifteen,seven years ago.  He was like me.  Bored.  But he didn't have the weight of having to rule a kingdom in the future on his shoulders.  Then my oldest brother was banished for trying to save the whole kingdom."  She sighed again. "Sometimes I'm mad at them for leaving, and leaving the crown to me, but I know it's not their fault, Faelis didn't know that Kilarhas would be banished, and it's not as if Kilarhas even asked to be banished."
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My Characters!
Kirl Moonharber---Lorin--- The Feari --- Akhe---Kilarhas---Naarilash---Kinn---Jiminie---Faelis---Karishk---Cirick---Sieera---Kornos--- Ariznim--- Dergan---Meerior---Zier'ik'shalsalimigarizdeniime---Keyne---Seridin---Elliot---Healin---Warn Danish---Revvil---Kashka---Ishka---Nox---Skiffiles---Jlyyth---
Flordia
---Larcan---Kannae---Anton

For summaries of my characters, JackieCat's Characters!

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty.  It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
~The Doctor

KingTyrant

"Sometimes you've gotta look out for yourself before anyone else. If you don't think that being the queen is your calling, then don't take it. You may have royal blood, but nobody can force a crown on your head. Not without stripping your human rights... And if it was up to me, anyone that tried to do that would get a middle finger to the face and would never hear from me again." He told her, doing his best to convince her to follow her dreams. He wasn't the greatest motivational speaker and he by no means could relate with her situation, but she sounded as if she truly hated being next in line to rule.

He really shouldn't have said anything. Instead of butting into family issues, he should've just stayed neutral and silent. It wasn't his job to be this kid's therapist, or to convince her to run off like her brothers had. His job was to just keep her alive. "Look, as far as I'm concerned, royal traditions are a complete joke. Out of every man and woman in your kingdom, and you're the only capable ruler? I think royal traditions need a slight revision, don't you?" He asked, still deciding to play a factor, even though he had just debated in his mind against it.

"Don't let me convince you either way, Flordia. I'm not going to be your parents, and force you to leave or stay. All I'm telling you to do, is follow your damned heart. Especially if you think that staying will do more harm than leaving." He ended his tirade, hinting at her former claim that she wouldn't make a good queen regardless. After a long bout of silence, he finally looked back in her direction. "Is there anything else you'd like to know- AGH!" He began, his sentence cut off by an intense stabbing pain in his head, his muscles spasming as he closed his eyes tightly, gripping his skull. Looking back slowly, he realized that the moon was beating down on him through the window once again.

Dammit... Perfect timing. Standing, he closed the blinds of her window, panting as he struggled to keep the beast at bay. "Actually... I think you should get some sleep, kid." He told her, gritting his teeth as he looked away from her.

JackieCat

Flordia's eyes widened at his words.  He was agreeing with her?  Or at least not telling her to be quiet and do what she was supposed to.  He was telling her to do what she wanted?  No one, no one had ever told her that.  No one had ever even tried to tell her anything other than it was her duty to be queen, and that's what she should do.

"Thank you," she said, and nodded when he said that royal traditions seemed absurd to him. "I completely agree!"

She was so surprised and pleased that he actually was saying this that she almost didn't notice his sudden lapse, but she did.

"Are you okay?" she asked, sliding her legs off the edge of the bed and standing. "What's wrong?"
My Open Threads!
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My Characters!
Kirl Moonharber---Lorin--- The Feari --- Akhe---Kilarhas---Naarilash---Kinn---Jiminie---Faelis---Karishk---Cirick---Sieera---Kornos--- Ariznim--- Dergan---Meerior---Zier'ik'shalsalimigarizdeniime---Keyne---Seridin---Elliot---Healin---Warn Danish---Revvil---Kashka---Ishka---Nox---Skiffiles---Jlyyth---
Flordia
---Larcan---Kannae---Anton

For summaries of my characters, JackieCat's Characters!

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty.  It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
~The Doctor

KingTyrant

Leon's skin crawled, almost unable to control his own body movements. He had to hold his arms down against his chest, his legs twitching as he gritted his canine-like teeth. He grew frustrated as she stood and started asking questions. Not now... Why couldn't she just listen to him and go to bed!? "Kid... Go to sleep!" He growled at her. He didn't mean to snap at her in all reality, but if he didn't get out of here soon, things would get very ugly.

It was when he felt his bones start to shift and his claws extend that he realized he needed to leave. Now. "Just... Don't worry about me... Ok? Nights... Are pretty rough on me." He explained vaguely, stumbling out of the room before sprinting out of the room, the door wide open as the coarse hairs began sprouting from his skin, slowly enveloping his body as his jaws stretched painfully into a muzzle, his long hair hiding this gruesome sight from view.

Due to how late it was, there was barely any light to be seen in the castle. The guards had begun to change shift, thankfully, so none were around to stop Leon out of suspicion. In record time, the man was outside, the moon just beating down on him harder as he dropped to his knees near the stable, just out of the view of the castle windows as he let his transformation naturally occur. He did his very best to muffle his agonizing screams, his body shifting as bits of armor busted off and came loose, barely resembling a human anymore as new bone formations were made, turning him into a wolfish  quadruped with nasty, razor-sharp claws and jagged teeth.

His body now sported a thick, greyish black coat, his frame much, much larger than that of most wolves. A bushy tail had sprouted from his backside, his natural yellow eyes now wilder than ever and somehow even more vibrant. His transformation had clearly upset the horses in the stable, who whinnied and cried out in fear at what they had just witnessed. Leon, snarling and stumbling to his new legs, turned to the horses with a hungry look in his eyes.

Out of nowhere, the powerful creature lunged into the darkness of the stable, the horses' cries of fear and now, audible pain reverberating throughout the courtyard of the castle, which were mixed with the sounds of growls and clattering of wood. A struggle was going on, which ended with one less horse crying out, and the sounds of a hungry beast ripping into its latest meal.




The very next day, Leon woke up in a field about a mile outside the castle, fully clothed, thankfully, and not remembering the events of the night before, as per usual. Standing groggily, he began to walk back towards the castle. Entering the courtyard through a small side-door, he noticed a crowd gathered at the stable, and frowned in slight remembrance of what had occurred. It seemed to be a running theme that whenever Leon wolfed out, someone or something got hurt. He was just glad it wasn't Flordia.

Upon pushing his way through the crowd, his actions being met with offended grunts of the nobles, as well as their intense glares, he approached the front to a grizzly sight. The guards who examined the scene parted for Leon, knowing who he was and how vital he was to the king and queen. Leon's lips curled at the carnage, a small stallion, ripped open on its side, with blood and entrails spilled. From the claw marks and visceral wounds, it was clear that something had fed on it. Something big.

Edwin was kneeled near the body, shaking his head. "First assassins, now animals threatening the cavalry's best horses!" He stood, wiping his hands off with a rag as he gazed upon the horse's face. Eyes rolled back in the skull, its skin swarming with flies. "No mere wolf did this..." He looked at Leon, with less distain than he had been looking at him with, but still a good amount. "You're a mercenary. Ever seen something of this nature? Any animal could've caused these wounds?" He asked.

Leon blinked at him, looking back towards the horse as last night's events played back in small snippets, triggering a small, ashamed sigh from the merc. "A monster, I'll say that much." He gave his conclusion, pushing his way through the crowd, back towards the castle gate. It was a cloudless day, birds chirping and everything seeming nice and peaceful. However, in Leon's mind, the sky couldn't be any more gray.

JackieCat

Flordia didn't sleep a wink that night.

She stood there for a few seconds after Leon left befroe rushing after him.  He had a lead, and was moving very fast, but she managed to keep up with him until she reached the great hall.

"Your Majesty, you can't be out this late!" a guard called out to her. "It's too dangerous!"

And no matter how she protested, the guard would not let her through.  He brought her back to her room and placed another guard at the door.

Flordia jumped when she heard the loud whinnying from outside.  She rushed to her window, but couldn't see the stables from there.  She listed longer, and thought she heard another sound.  It was muffled, but, to her, it sounded like growling.

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The next morning, as soon as the guard let her out of her room, Flordia rushed down to the stables, where there was already a crowd gathered.  She pushed her way through until she saw what everyone was looking at.

She gasped at the sigh of the stallion, but it was a gasp of surprise, rather that fright or disgust.

"The poor guy. . ." she whispered, and she glanced around to see Edwin talking with Leon.  She followed after the mercenary as he started away from the crowd.

"What happened?" she asked him as she ran up next to him. "Where did you go last night?"

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My Characters!
Kirl Moonharber---Lorin--- The Feari --- Akhe---Kilarhas---Naarilash---Kinn---Jiminie---Faelis---Karishk---Cirick---Sieera---Kornos--- Ariznim--- Dergan---Meerior---Zier'ik'shalsalimigarizdeniime---Keyne---Seridin---Elliot---Healin---Warn Danish---Revvil---Kashka---Ishka---Nox---Skiffiles---Jlyyth---
Flordia
---Larcan---Kannae---Anton

For summaries of my characters, JackieCat's Characters!

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty.  It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
~The Doctor

KingTyrant

Leon winced at Flordia's question, turning to her slowly. "Nothing happened. I just... Needed to get out. Nights make me paranoid. I went and took a walk around the plains." He lied to the best of his ability, looking back towards the stables, where the massacred horse was still being examined by the guards. "They'll be tightening security, with that horse being torn apart like that. If an assassin is coming, they'll have a lot to contend with."

His words were mainly used to comfort her, but so far, she didn't seem all too afraid. Even if she should've been. Bravery like that was something worth being impressed by. Young women her age usually weren't ones to stare right in the face of death. He looked over her for a long time, almost as if sensing the disbelief in her expression. "However, a wild animal on the loose within the castle walls isn't a harbinger of good luck. I suggest that during the day, you stay inside. Focus on your studies, to keep you occupied."

He turned once more, disappearing inside the castle, two guards nodding to him as he walked into the throne room, where Nalda approached him with mad speed. "Mr. Woods!" She exclaimed, Leon narrowing his eyes. She looked utterly terrified. "Mr. Woods, we have a problem!" She said frantically. "I've seen the horse. The guards are already on finding the monster, don't worry." He assured her, thinking that her fear Spawned from the recent discovery. However, Nalda quickly shook her head. "Mr. Woods, we've been infiltrated!"

Nalda and Leon stomped off towards the scene of the crime as quick as they could, coming across a contraption in the castle study, where Flordia could've entered at any time. Everything looked somewhat normal, other than the mass of guards gathered around something peculiar rested against the wall, next to a bookshelf, hidden away in the darkness. It looked to be a small, crudely-crafted mechanism that held a crossbow-like device, an arrow with a nasty tip protruding from it at an upwards angle.

"A trap... Set for Flordia." Leon said quietly. "How do you suppose this? None of our servants have accidentally set it off. It's... Odd." Nalda replied. Leon approached it, kneeling and looking closely between the nooks and crannies of the mechanism. He noticed a dimly-glowing symbol resting on one of the wooden boards, his eyes narowing. "A rune... Get me something of Flordia's. Something containing her essence. Sweat, hair, anything." He told a guard. He raised a brow. "What...?" Leon growled at the question. "Just do it!"

The guard shrugged at Nalda, who looked unsure about this. He went off, Nalda glancing at Leon. "Mr. Woods, what are you trying to accomplish?" She asked. Leon stood. "Not trying to accomplish anything. I'm trying to prove a point." After a while, the guard returned, holding one of Flordia's corsets. Leon took the garment, giving it a quick smell out of anyone's view. Yep... Her scent was pungent on this one. Tossing it up right in the line of fire of the machine, everyone gasped in surprise as the nasty arrow shot out, striking the corset in mid-air and pining it to the wall.

"My gods!!!" Nalda placed a hand over her mouth. Leon didn't react, simply crossing his arms. "It's a magical rune. It detects its target's presence as soon as they come within range and activates the mechanism, firing the arrow. If Flordia had come in here, she could've been impaled." He said, a sense of urgency in his voice. "Get the guards to scout every room in the castle. And whatever you do, don't tell Flordia about this discovery." With that, he turned and left the room.

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