Hail The Queen (or Suffer the Grave)

[Winters-Feather]

The mountainside was consumed with the roar of rolling thunder and rain pounding against stone. Somewhere in the distance, bursts of fire rippled through the air, and a shadow moved across the skies. Two dragons were squalling, it seemed, but a hooded figure gliding on a road on the mountain ignored them. By her side was a ghostly figure with just a mouth and nose on their smooth face, a pale woman wearing a white dress holding an umbrella and lantern. A rain spirit. It held the umbrella up over the head of its mistress, Gumi. Gumi, the disgraced fairy queen, was dressed in black brocade, the beads dangling on her belt clicking with each step. Her eye brows were narrowed as her lips were pulled in a tight scowl.

"Do keep up," Gumi said with an impatient sigh as lightning struck. The rain spirit crackled, a wet, squishing sound of fish jumping in water. The umbrella was held higher, the rain spirit's steps quicker.
"Good," Gumi replied, making it a point not to get her hems wet in the mud.

Gumi was in a foul mood. She had tried to  conduct business with a village's lord, but he was a complete flux.
"Didn't even have HALF the assets he promised," she growled as she looked back. The lights of his mansion could still be seen in the hazy light. He had offered for her to stay the night, but Gumi sensed a trap and left immediately. Of course, not before draining him of his pathetic metal-manipulating magic.

He's weak, she thought as she rubbed his crystallized tooth between her fingers. Still, the power was better than none, and Gumi had reassured him that he'd be able to use it again, eventually.

A horse's whinny pierced through the night. Gumi sighed. Horsemen, no doubt with swords. Probably the lord's doing.
"Aw, hell," Gumi cussed as she idly kicked a pebble. "Doesn't that man know better than to attack a Queen?!"
Her rain spirit made a drip noise in reply, taking quick and large steps to keep up with her taller mistress.

[Lion]

The flaring lights of his eyes flickered in the rain.  Smoke roiled up from them, twisting until it dissipated with the air.  Blue lights they were, small candles that were almost hidden by the slanted slope of his brow.  His hair was matted to his head, unwashed and now dripping with water that coursed down the crevices of his stone-like face.

He did not move from his place in the middle of the road and the weight of the x-shaped weapon on his back drew his back down as he sat down.  Thunder rolled overhead and echoed in his ears as if they were little more than empty caves.  And with the inertness of his mind, perhaps it wasn't too far from the truth.  There was no direction for this large creature, bound in muscle with a barrel-like chest and powerful arms.  He looked like the brute he was, with a powerful body and the mental inactivity to match.  But deep within the cavern of his mind there stirred thoughts deep and wander-some.

Though he appeared little more like any other, what set him apart was the horror of his belly, teeth running down his stomach, like a zipper or interlocking ties.  He had covered it with a large girdle-like cloth.  It was stained with spots of red, much like the red that had stained his palms but had since washed away with the drenching rain.

Grave looked up toward the road at the stirring of stone and gravel and dirt.  He himself was covered in it as he sat blocking the path of the road, and listened for those that were coming this way. 

[Winters-Feather]

The horsemen were growing louder by the second, though the rain and slippery roads slowed them down. They would inevitably catch up, but Gumi still kept her brisk, walking pace. She arched her brow when her eyes made out a large figure blocking the road. She tsked.
That's no rock...
"Di! Your light," Gumi commanded her rain spirit.
The ghostly woman obliged, and shone her light in the mysterious figure's direction. Gumi shot him a haughty look.
"You there!" Gumi demanded. "I command you to get out of my way!"
Gumi arched her brow at the sight of the man. Ugly, yes, and terribly untidy. Gumi wrinkled her nose at the sight of the blood stained cloth on his belly.
Filthy, she thought, and very odd.

"Halt! You there! Murderer!"
The exiled queen rolled her eyes. The horsemen were now not thirty feet behind her, swords drawn.
"Don't they know better than to interrupt?" she grumbled.
She reached out a hand in their direction, and shoot out webs entangling the front two legs of both of their steeds. The horses shrieked as they tumbled over, their noses not too far from the train of Gumi's dress.The left most horse crushed the legs of his rider, who loudly cried out in agony. The other was thrown off, but meraculously remained uncrushed. He was unconcious, for now, though Gumi was certain he would wake up soon and try to arrest or kill her, something uninteresting like that. The horses struggled  to get up.

"Just one moment," Gumi snapped at the horses, keeping a tight fist on her restraints. She turned back towards the stranger sitting in the road and arched her brow, waiting for a response.

[Lion]

At the approach of the small woman, Grave did turn his head toward her and remain unmoved by her small voice.  It was obvious she thought highly of herself, seeing as how she commanded him to move.  But she was not his Mistress and though he was built to serve, he had not yet seen if she was worthy enough of that.  Before he knew it however, the shouting on the road, stirred him and watched like nothing more than a boulder in the road.

And when she turned to him again, Grave at last rose and towered full eight feet, a wall of muscle before her, though made no glare of threat.  Rain poured down on him  and the smoke from the fiery orbs of his eyes steamed brighter. 

The soldier that was unconscious struggled in movement, trying to regain himself once he'd awakened.  He groaned when Grave came over to him and plucked him up like a flea off a dog and just held him before the woman.  The man struggled against his stone grip around his neck, choking.  Grave didn't waste any time before he launched the man up into the air, off the road and out toward the trees as if he were little more than a ragdoll.

[Winters-Feather]

Demons often were bigger and taller than she was. A grin tugged at Gumi's lips as the stranger rose to his feet. Hardly the tallest, but this confirmed at least one thing- he definitely wasn't one of those weaker humans. Demon or giant, now, that was another question. An unfazed Gumi looked up at the giant as he approached her. She prepared herself to fight with magic sparking at her finger tips. She doubted the nobleman could afford such a behamuth- perhaps he was a rogue. What surprised her was that he did not bother with her, but instead walked past her.

"That's new," Gumi muttered to herself, flabbergasted.
She turned to watch as the mysterious stranger plucked up the unconcious soldier, and held the knight in front of her.
Is he making me an offering? she wondered with a smile that grew as the mysterious figure threw the knight into the darkness and certainly towards his death. It was only proper that he did, of course. If only humans learned.
"How very impressive," she cooed.

It was still possible that the giant was trying to intimidate her, but his strength was undeniable, and Gumi craved for a servant like that. She looked up from under the umbrella and flashed an alluring grin.
"I like you," she announced as the crushed knight screamed and screamed, unable to move.
Di made a noise, pointing towards the distance, back in the direction they came. The cry of three more horses. The ex-queen ignored them, and instead focused on the giant before her.
"Who are you?" Gumi asked, wondering if he would break his silence.

[Lion]

Grave was neither demon nor giant, nor anything so mundane and absolute.  There was no true definition as to what he was, as to how he came to be and the answer certainly did not lie within the chamber of his own memories, fragmented as they were.  He made no motion toward the queenly woman, as strange as she appeared herself and the faceless woman that held the portable protection from the torrent of rain.

When the woman spoke to him, Grave made a confused expression, though still grim in it's origin and he frowned deeply at her.  Who?  Usually the first question was: "What?"  Or a scream, quickly followed by the patter of foosteps running swiftly away.  The fact that she did not run told him much of her character and her worth.  She was brave that much was apparent.  Perhaps she was worthy to serve.

Still the hulk of body did not answer her and instead turned his head upward out toward the road.  "More," he grunted and turned grab the woman, pulling her along.  "Leave.  Now."

[Winters-Feather]

Gumi let out a surprise yelp as the giant dared to grab her arm and pull her along.
"Unhand me," she demanded, though with a softer edge to her voice. Really, she was pleased. What a curious, magnificent creature! Still, it rather irked her that she did not know who-or what- he was. A Queen must know such things about her subjects- she already was determined to make him her servant. Plus, perhaps this was the best way, least she need to bind him to her.

The woman tsked as mud splashed against her skirts.
I really, really, really, really hate this, she thought. Thankfully, her rain spirit was fast and kept up  with Grave's strides. Gumi rustled her wings. She almost wished it would stop raining so that she could fly, but these knights and their pathetic  mage were nothing.

Di let out a sharp noise when a wave of heat passed through the air and landed by Gumi's heels.  Gumi looked up at the creature who seemed to think it was his responsibility to escort her. The stranger's grip was strong and started to sting a bit, but the ex- Queen did not quite mind, not at the moment. She muttered a spell before zapping a fire ball straight behind her, sparking a small fire in the road, a warning shot.
They're dead if they come any closer, she thought, determined.

[Lion]

Grave did not seem presently disturbed by the newcomers that were already casting out their magic at the group of them.  The wherefore and why they were after this woman did not enter into his thoughts and nor did he find it mattered.  As she cast magic out toward those that raced up on the mountain road, Grave grunted once more and tugged at the woman, lifting her clear the ground and throwing her up into the air a little.

His arm caught around her waist and he proceeded to stomp down the path, making a hasty exit with her in tow.  The giant's stride was more than enough to quickly gain distance, but with their pursuers on horses, they would gain on them in no time.

[D: Short!  And sorry for the delay!]

[Winters-Feather]

Again, Gumi let out an undignified yelp as the stranger tugged her along, the force of which even lifting her from off the ground. She stumbled a little but proceeded to run with grace until Grave picked her up. The fairy  blew a strand of stray hair out of her face before giving Grave a perplexed glare. She clung to him with one hand, the other almost stroking him. She was confused, eyes, but completely prepared to take full advantage of the situation.
It would be so easy now to make him mine, she thought. So very easy.
She began to summon the magic into her fingertips.

"You carry me off as if I'm some damsel in distress, even if I'm a very powerful Queen. It's quite charming," Gumi said with a coquettish grin. She held her head as high as she could in her compromising position. She poked his arm. Gumi's eyes locked with the stranger's as she gave a broad grin. To the pits with their pursers, and to eternal suffering if they interrupted the spell she prepared herself to do. She had important business to conduct!
"You aren't working for anyone, are you? Tell me, would you like to be mine?" she asked.
Of course, she didn't quite know how he would response. He could try to crush her! The thought ran in her mind for a moment, but perhaps foolishly, she found the idea preposterous. She was, after all, offering him the deal of a life time.

OOC: It's okay! Mine's a little short too ^^;; I figured you waited until I came back, which was a good idea.

[Lion]

Grave merely groaned and gave a grunt of a negative connotation as he trudged onward down the road.  He peered at the 'queen' underneath his arm and he gave her a hearty shake before setting her down.  "Think about it, I will," he grumbled again.  "Walk then."  And charged off into the scarce trees that lay ahead of them.

[Winters-Feather]

Gumi frowned as Grave set her down, unsure of what had happened. Did her spell not complete itelf? He actually shook her out of concentration. Gumi couldn't remember the last time something so uncouth happened.
"Oh," she managed to respond as he set her down. "Very well, then."
Gumi followed along beside him, her strides wide and quick.

"You didn't react before," she couldn't help but to point out. He should have been excited and bowed at the mention of her royal blood! Was that not the natural order of the realms?
"Perhaps you have never met a Queen?" she challenged. She couldn't fathom why he didn't understand the ways of the world, but he was a strange creature. Perhaps he didn't know etiquette. Gumi couldn't help but to notice her exceeding patience, despite the pursuit. 

The sound of hooves grew louder.  The ruthless woman smiled as she continued to walk. Oh, let them try...

[Lion]

But Grave would not wait, nor would he respond to her idle conversation.  The giant abomination, whatever he was, could hear their pursuers growing all the more closer and despite Gumi's apparent 'let them get me' attitude, Grave paused and reached for her once more.  But this time, he suddenly launched her up into the air, much like the soldier on the ridge, and ran forward.  If he timed it right, he would catch her before she made impact with the ground.

Or so he hoped.

[Winters-Feather]

Launched high into the air, Gumi whooped, startled. What was this creature up to? She flapped out her giant wings and shot up higher into the air. From up high she watched as the horsemen continued to gain on Grave, despite the slippery rocks and the rain.
"What the hell was that all about?" she wondered out loud. Respected queens weren't thrown like dolls. She looked up the road, not a quarter mile ahead, to find a short and stout tower. The rain and cloak weighing her down, the fairy was about to land by Grave when an arrow found it's mark through one of her wings and sent her tumbling down.

She landed in a heap in front of Grave, a mad light dancing in her eye as more arrows came, piercing through the night and burying themselves in the trees or dirt before the two. She chuckled as she rose to her  feet, already casting a healing spell on her wing.

[Lion]

Grave halted in surprise when he saw the small faerie woman land gracefully on her own without his aid, so much so that three riders were already upon him.  They seemed more prepared than the others that caught up to the woman previously and cast a net upon him.  They flanked him both right and left and pulled the net down in an attempt to subdue him but Grave only grunted in frustration.

He lunged upward and pulled at the netting, flinging two of the riders, but the third had a lance that was cast toward his back.  Grave cried out when the spear plunged into him and he fell to his knees.

[Winters-Feather]

Gumi growled as the man pierced her stranger's side. He was hers, not theirs, damnit! She extended her hand and casted a spell of fire, aimed straight for the knight's face. She barely missed.
"Can you get up?" she began to ask Grave as a bright circle began to glow around her.
"Hmm?"

Gumi found herself stiff as a board as the knight pulled out a scroll with a seal on it. He gave the queen an arrogant smirk.
"Our master said you might have needed more convincing," he said before reciting more of the spell on the scroll.
"Fuck him," she darkly murmured as she used her power to fight the spell's hold. She clutched her fist with a fire ball slowly glowing around it.

[Lion]

Grave grunted with exertion as he forced the rest of the lance out of him with a great deal of blood to follow it.  In the exchange between the knight and the faerie queen, Grave sealed his wound with mud and turned around, his blue glowing eyes bright with fury.  As the man began to strengthen his spell, Grave grabbed the headstone from his back and swung it at the head of the knight.

The blow knocked him clear off and interrupted his spell.  Blood poured from the slits in his helmet and the man coughed, violently from the blow.  Grave bent down and plucked the helmet from his head and the man's face peered up at the giant in horror, coughing up blood.

"Who!?  Who are you!?" he cried out.  "You'll regret this!  The MASTER WILL HAVE HIS VENGEANCE!"  Despite being fatally wounded by the blow, the knight did his best to remain dignified, even if it wouldn't save him.

[Winters-Feather]

I would have done it on my own, Gumi thought stubbornly. As the giant grabbed hold of the knight, the spell diminished and the fire in her hand grew with her fury. Her attention turned to towards the knight's panicking steed.  She used a restraining spell to create a rope secured from the saddle to around the knight's ankle. She persed her lips as the giant removed the knight's helmet, revealing a face covered in blood.
What a filthy sight, she thought.
"He won't," she responded coldly as she slapped his foul horse's rump.
The beast shrieked before madly running back down the road it came. 

Gumi watched it for a moment before shaking some of the mud and blood off of her boots. Somewhere near by, thunder roared.
"Well, we ought to find some shelter, don't you think?" Gumi asked the giant after a moment.

[Lion]

Grave peered across to the small creature that held such miraculous firepower and blinked at her.  The flaming orbs within his eye sockets flashed.  "Shelter?"  He never expected such hospitality before, particularly not from one so powerful in their own right.  That look in her eyes, he'd seen it so many times before.  She was a master in her own right.

"Where?" he grunted.

[Winters-Feather]

Gumi smiled sweetly. She could sense the giant's enchantment, and that pleased her. The queen shrugged prettily.
"There's a tower not too far from here, but it might be too close for our liking. We'll just have to move on," she pointed out. "Perhaps there's a cave in these woods where we can make camp."
The fairy stepped around a puddle of mud.
"But I forgot my manners," she said. "You may call me Lady Gumi."

Gumi flashed a cold grin before she pulled her hood up, hiding her face in shadow once more.
She gestured for the giant to follow her down the path until she began to branch off into the wilderness, where the nobles' men were less likely to follow. The canopy of trees provided to be thick enough to block some of the pour rain from further drenching the two. Though it was dark, Gumi's eyes were well adjusted. She did not fear attack from beasts. Those predators that stalked the night out could smell the two and avoided them.  Following the rock walls of the mountain, it didn't take long for the two to find a small cave with enough room for the both to be comfortable in.

[Lion]

The power he sensed from the being that called herself Gumi, feeling it's pulsation, the magic, the force and he willingly followed along with her after all her introductions were made.  He was never one for conversation himself, words did not come easily for him, but he was loyal.  And being tired and wounded made him less protesting to another's company.

So Grave trudged on through the mud, wordlessly following her lead.