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@Bandito

Ice

ice, ice, baby

lol no here it is
It's actually one of my old character's lame backstories lol it's probably pretty bad

In an icy tomb they put me, after the snow around it had been stained. They ran as fast as they could as the snow buried me deep. Eyes closed, heart still, until the cold woke me up. Snow had fallen in my gaping mouth, I choked on it when I tried to take a breath. I thrashed and flailed until I could see some light filtering through the roof of the cave; moments later it collapsed on top of me. I was left motionless in white.
The sky was as blinding as the snow, the air was so cold it burned my lungs. I crouched there, stunned and frozen in time, mouth still twitching and hands still shaking. I forgot about the grave until now.
I stood up, snow falling off…kept standing up, until I was so tall I wondered why I couldn't have just walked out of the grave. It was silent enough for me to hear the snow falling on my back. I stretched my arms out and looked up at the sky, and I saw a glimmer of silver. Down again, a flash of red. It was my clothes - they were laying on the snow, torn at the seams and stained with blood…they looked too small and I had not even noticed them falling off.
I did not dare to look at myself, just ran. Across the snow, in no direction in particular, just looking for signs of life, or even just a tree or mountain. Nothing.
The entire day, alone and terrified. Feet pounding forever into ice and snow, and nothing to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell but the cold. Very quickly my mind went totally blank, and I forgot about the world - the quiet, the sky, the clothes, the snow, any sense of movement or expression. Only thing left was hunger. I was in the worst state of life I can reach…I don't even know that it was just for a day, I'm just guessing. May have been longer. It's not like I can die of starvation anymore.
But sometime later, probably a week, I smelled smoke, and then saw it, and then thought, smoke. Kept running towards it, eyes wide, tongue drooling, mouth grinning. I came across a metal wall and jumped over it without noticing until several rocks hit me. Finally I looked around, and there you were, soldiers, civilians, every survivor gathered to try to fight…me. I just stood there, motionless once more. Looking at nothing and feeling nothing but hunger. Rocks kept hitting me, until there came a clicking sound from the sticks you soldiers were holding. Then came basic nets thrown over me, and it felt so strange compared to the snow that backed in circles and tried to shake them off. Everyone left.
I sat there for a while until I smelled smoke again. I headed straight for it, and it was at the center of your camp, a huge bonfire filled with whole trees. The light and dancing flames dazzled my eyes. I just stared at it, until I got used to it and felt hunger once more. I was so hungry I started picking up the wood that wasn't burning and forcing it down my throat. It was better than snow. And after that I fell asleep.
When I woke up, I was surrounded again, and this time you were all so huge. I stared up at you blankly, until I registered the cold, and rolled towards the fire. You all started to make noises, but I couldn't understand what you were saying yet. So I was dragged into a house and buried again, this time with more nets. There you told me to say who I am, and now you must see why I cannot remember.

@Echo_6 group

It was quiet now. The sound of fire cackling could be heard with the wind. Smoke and clouds covered the sky in a thick blanket. Ash made the air bitter to breathe. People were slowly climbing out of crevasses, many were injured in some respect. Bleeding, bruising, burns, they ranged from major to minor. Donovan moved among the ruble, stepping over broken, burnt boards, and around broken glass. The grass under his feet making a crunching sound under his boots. A mother could be heard somewhere crying over her child. People just crying in general as they surveyed the scene.
The entire town was completely demolished. Donovan came to a slow halt, in what use to be the town square. People started appearing around him, they all looked in his direction, but he couldn't tell if they were actually looking at him. He turned in a slow circle, the ruins of the town burning an image into his mind. "Oh god…" his voice was barely more than a whisper. "She really is back… Back with a vengeance."

@Echo_6 group

Laughter

Sorry this is pretty late, I had a lot to do the past two months.

Light was filtering through a hole in the small stone room. Seth was sitting against a back corner one of his arms resting on his knee, the other limp at his side. Not far from him was Tolkalee, he was laying on his back tossing a foam ball into the air, catching it, and repeating. They were both just kind of silent, but it wasn't an awkward silence. They were both just tired. They'd just come from several battles, and were now back in their cell.

Yeah, cell. Their battle was a forced one, they were fighting for people's entertainment. Seth just found it annoying, and he figured that Tolk probably felt the same. "What'd you think of that last fight?" he asked giving Tolk a smile. He laughed, and the ball rolled over to Seth's feet. Tolkalee sat up and leaned against the far wall.

"They could barely hold their swords," he laughed. " They went out there like 'Let's go bubsy, we gonna beat these punks. Ugh, my sword's to heavy Imma just drag it for a bit. Oh no, I dropped it. Just gonna bend down taking my eyes completely off my opponents. ' They had no clue what hit them."

Seth laughed, and tossed the ball to Tolk, who caught it. "And you were standing there rubbing your eyes like, 'There is no way these two could possibly be champions.' While I'm standing there opened mouthed like 'What??' Pretty sure that everyone watching thought we were petrified with fear."

Tolk tossed the ball back to Seth. "And then you were like 'Nope' and turned to leave. And I was like, 'I don't have the energy to deal with this' and just stopped time walked over to them and let time return to normal."

"While I just stood there like 'Aaaaand the fights over,' as I watched you knock them out," he laughed some more. "They jumped so hard when you suddenly appeared in front of them."

The door to their cell was suddenly opened and light flooded the room, blinding them temporarily. The man that was "In charge" of them walked in with a good sized group of soldiers with him. "Hey buddy," Seth said looking up at him.

"Get up, you have another match," the man spat.

Tolkalee hopped to his feet and stood directly in front of the man maybe three inches from his face. He just glared at the man without saying anything for a long while. Seth knew what he was doing. Tolk was waiting for the man to look away. Whether the man knew it or not, if he looked away first that would be a show of weakness. And sure enough the man not only dipped his head, he also took a step back and moved his men out of the way letting Tolkalee and Seth walk out on their own. Tolkalee continued glaring at the man as Seth stood and walked past. It was Tolkalee's way of silently telling that man that he could tear him apart with very little problem.

They walked down the road together, looking like more than just partners. They looked like brothers. Tolkalee wearing a salmon colored t-shirt and tan cargo pants. His yellow blond hair tied out of his face, and his dark blue eyes shining. Seth wearing a sleeveless black shirt. and gray cargo pants. His short spiky yellow blond hair gleaming in the sun, and his light blue eyes seeming to glow slightly. Both wearing brown combat boots and chainmail vests, and black fingerless gloves.

The street was lined with tons of guards and cheering people. From the tall buildings above hundreds of arches had them in their sights with barbed arrows locked on them. They also had an escort of close to fifty guards with body armor and shields and swords. The man that thought he owned Seth and Tolkalee, didn't want them to escape. He didn't realize that they had been planning an escape for several days now. His mistake putting them in the same cell.

They walked to the weapons room that had their gear. Tolkalee took his bow and quiver and strapped it to his back. He then put his short sword into the quiver wear it stayed hidden from view. He strapped his dual wield swords to either side of him. Then he put his single wield longsword just under one of his dual wields. He took his small dagger and tucked it into the spot in his boot. And lastly strapped his other dagger to his thigh.

Seth also took a bow and quiver, but he put the quiver on his hip. Strapped to his lower back was a combat style knife. He strapped two long swords to his back, and hid his own small daggers on him. He then took two throwing axes and tied them to his sides. Then he fist bumped Tolkalee and they walked towards the elevator that would take them to the arena.

"This could be our last fight," Seth commented. He looked at Tolkalee. "You know that right?"

Tolkalee glanced at Seth and nodded. "You can't win every battle, but we sure as hell will go down swinging. And I got my brother to fight beside me. We'll do some damage before we die."

"See you on the other side," Seth gave him a brotherly punch to the arm, as the elevator began ascending to the arena. The sun shone into the arena that held close to a million people in the stands all cheering and screaming as Tolkalee and Seth walked into view. On the other end of the arena stood close to a hundred huge monster things that neither of them had ever seen. They looked at each other for a moment and grinned. "I'll take the left you take the right," Seth held up his fist.

Tolkalee knocked his own fist against Seth's. "I was thinking we could just go all out," he replied.

"Lead the way then, brother." And with that time slowed, Seth and Tolkalee raced forwards. Seth caught Tolkalee's hand a slung him into the air close to thirty feet up. Time returned to normal as Tolkalee came down, with his long sword out, and Seth hit the first opponents on the ground. That was when all hell broke lose. Tolkalee was practically teleporting around the arena, he came to an opponent, ducked under their attack and came up with his dagger in hand slitting it's throat. It dropped and he appeared on the other side of the arena attacking another one. Seth doing the exact same thing.

They came back to back at one point and Tolkalee grinned. Seth was holding both his long swords, and was bleeding from a cut on the side of his head. Tolkalee was also bleeding from several injuries. They had taken a bit of a beating from the tons of opponents that surrounded them. Yet they were smiling.

All at once Tolkalee leaped forwards with Seth right behind him, not bothering to fight anything around them. They were dodging attacks from every direction, but they weren't fighting back. They were moving towards the edge of the arena. The man who thought he owned them saw this and panicked. "They're trying to get away. Stop the fight! Stop the fight now!" He was on his feet throwing out orders to his men. Thousands of soldiers poured from every which direction into the arena.

Time slowed and Tolkalee and Seth hit the wall. They began climbing it with speed and little problem. Time returned to normal as they reached the top. They were met by hundreds of soldiers all holding some kind of weapon. Tolkalee had his short sword out and was cutting through them with little to no trouble. Seth was at his back holding his own ground. His dual longswords cutting through everything in their path.

People were screaming and running around causing chaos, which only served to help out Seth and Tolkalee. They moved through the onslaught of soldiers, slowly, but steadily. Seth had switched to his two axes, he ducked under a swing, kicked someone's legs out from under them, used his forearm to block someone from doing an uppercut, threw one of his axes into the throat of someone, and side flipped over someone swinging a full sized ax at him.

Tolkalee kicked someone in the jaw, blocked a sword with his own sword, caught someone's arm, twisted around the person, kicked their knee out rolled over them, drop kicked someone to the ground, and slit someone's throat. They moved with inhuman speed as they attacked.

Just as they were gaining momentum however, someone caught Tolkalee's knee with their sword dropping him on his back. Time came to a stop as Seth moved in next to Tolk, and pulled him to his feet. Time returned to normal and Seth continued to fight through the soldiers. Tolkalee helped in whatever way he could unable to put pressure on his leg due to the injury. Time slowed and they began climbing a huge tower, on the other side of that tower was freedom.

They were scaling the wall of the tower like it was a ladder. Time returned to normal and they reached the top. All the commotion from below had quieted. "Seth and Tolkalee," someone called their names. Seth turned to see who it was below them. Tolkalee was a little farther up the roof on his back breathing hard and laughing. The person down below was the man they had held them captive for so long. "Get back down here and I promise you will be treated better, you go down the other side of that tower and I promise you will be hunted to the ground."

Seth looked down at him and grinned he was out of breath, and couldn't help but laugh. Tolkalee pushed himself up and Seth allowed him to lean on his shoulder. "That's only if you can track us," Tolk called down to him.

"I own you, I bought you with gold and silver. You can not just walk away from me, get back down here dammit!" the man shouted.

"You thought you owned us?" Seth and Tolkalee began laughing. "You couldn't buy this sort of talent for all the gold and silver and diamonds in the world. People are not things to be bought. The lives of people are worth some much more than that. You can't buy people for anything, and you certainly can't keep the two of us in a cell."

"Thank you all for coming!" Tolkalee shouted, he lifted his fist above his head. Seth did his opposite fist. "This is the last match of the demonic duo, have a nice day and goodbye!" With that they turned and leaped off the other side of the tower free falling to the trees on the other side.

@Book__Dragon

Birthright

Clouds of dust billowed lazily through the air, deceptively soft and innocent looking even as they ensured breathing would be an absolute nightmare. Breathe through your mouth for coughing, through your nose for sneezing. At least there's a choice right? Any other day it might've been funny, really. Maybe. But all Don could think about were the mercenaries in front of him. Somewhere to his left Riley stumbled uncharacteristically clumsily to her feet. He didn't look at her–couldn't risk it even though he wanted to–but he knew she didn't look good. It also wouldn't stop her, he knew, (nothing short of critical injury would and even then…and he derailed that train of thought right there because he couldn't think about Kida, he couldn't) but knowing that didn't actually help anything.

One of the mercenaries stepped forward and Don's eyes flicked to him instantly, following the motion. The man, and it was a man he noted, bared his teeth in a twisted mockery of a smile. He moved his hand then and Riley twitched, but her reaction was nothing compared to the aborted flinch Don only partially suppressed. The man clearly noticed, pausing and assessing them with an amused tilt of his head, then completed the motion, flicking his hood back.

And Don had been working on not visibly reacting to every random mildly shocking thing that happens to him, because it's just not A Great Idea, generally. He even went so far as to approach Riley and Kida about it one particularly forgettable night, after they were all coming down from the latest adrenaline high of almost dying way too many times in a row. They had then proceeded to display their own prowess at it in that exact moment when they just. Stared at him. With twin blank faces.

(They never did give him lessons that night, but after several days of repeatedly terrible failed attempts to control his face at all times Kida had taken pity on him and, in a rare show of comradery, given him a little advice.)

But all of his practice and any prior experience abandoned him when it was a fellow Mazzan staring back at him. His brain just kinda, buffered, for a moment. The face staring back at him was broad and rough and he didn't recognize the man's square features, but his skin was the characteristic dark brown and his eyes the same light golden color exclusive to Mazzans. Don hadn't seen another Mazzan in months and the first ones he finds are trying to kill him and his friends.

Typical.

He mentally shook himself, focus, suddenly grateful that Echo and Oliver weren't there. Dread pooled in his stomach as his brain finally rebooted. Their robes were vaguely familiar now, and a subtle glance toward the man's neck only served to further cement the sickening feeling.

The man pinned Don with a piercing gaze. "I hadn't believed the rumors," he said in a strangely smooth voice, slowly and obviously flicking his eyes up, down, then up again. "Maybe I should have put more stock in them."

Don swallowed dryly, ruthlessly crushing the urge to glance at Riley.

"It's just difficult to believe, you understand," the man clearly wasn't deterred by his lack of participation in the conversation. "That the King himself would be so bold as to send you out at all, let alone into hostile territory." He signaled the other mercenaries–one disturbingly tall, and one vaguely feminine-ish–to stand down with a sharp gesture.

It should make Don feel better. Instead he felt sick. Riley inclined her head almost imperceptibly, but after months together he caught it as easy as breathing. He gave a tiny flick of his left hand, disguising the motion in a practiced step backwards into a more relaxed stance. He knew she wouldn't make any move against them until he said to and he tries to ignore the guilty flicker of warmth at the thought.

"What are you doing outside of Mazza?" He demanded instead of who they were. It was the more important question anyway. The one with bigger consequences.

The man–Don wished he could call him something else–hummed softly, looking entirely too amused for comfort. "Really, shouldn't you already know?" He taunted and a chill raced down his spine.

Expectant silence stretched between them, clearly he was supposed to know. He didn't even have a vague guess.

The man's twisted imitation of a smile reappeared, growing larger the longer he took to respond. Somehow even creepier than before, which Don really wouldn't have believed possible if he didn't literally have a front-row seat for it. Surprisingly, the unfairly tall mercenary spoke up instead of the leader one, though clearly addressing the man and not Don,
"He really was sent ou' wi' nut'in', huh?"

And what, exactly, was that supposed to mean?

"It does appear so, yes."

Confusion and with it tension crept through him. What did they mean? The prolonged evasion only had his mind jumping to the worst conclusions. They're here because there was a coup and the country was in turmoil. He took too long and the Fephi Empire finally turned it's greedy eyes on Mazza. The Taimis backed out of the alliance. Th–

"Huh. I din' know His Majesty ha' it in him." He had a nasally voice. Don decided he didn't like it.

"What are you doing here?" He reiterated through gritted teeth.

"I really think it should be obvious." The leader stated smugly. Don resisted the urge to punch him in the face. Barely.

"Spit. It. Out." He growled, heart pounding. Clenching his fists tightly enough that there were definitely going to be little crescent marks from his nails, he tried not to think about how crazy Riley must think he was. He wanted to disappear, they were here for him and they were going to ruin everything he'd built up and ruin any chances he had at fulfilling his quest. He really didn't want them to confirm it, but he also didn't want to keep wasting time here. Kida…well, wasted time certainly wasn't going to do him any favors.

The man regarded him coldly, the condescending attitude gone, replaced with a deadly seriousness. Don fought down the shiver that threatened to travel down his spine. "Your Royal Highness," He spit the title out like it tasted sour, "We were sent to escort you home."

What.

He wished he could be surprised that they knew him, he really did. But no, he suspected they knew his identity almost from the start. But they wanted to take him home. Why? His eyes narrowed, "Under who's orders?"

"His Grace, the Duke of Athax."

Really? Duke Dachar? "Under what circumstances?"

The man poorly suppressed an eyeroll, "In the wake of the Crown Princesses' engagement to the Crown Prince of Vaskouye you are obligated to return to attend the official ceremony and then attend your own Crowning ceremony."

His heart stopped. What.

A punch to the gut would have been kinder. Hana? When? He didn't even know she was being courted. He tried to picture the Prince of Vaskouye, but he couldn't even come up with a name for him. He was the Crown Prince now. He was the Crown Prince. He had to rule. He was the Crown Prince. Hana would be going away, leaving him behind. He was the Crown Prince. Dimly, he registered Riley yanking him backwards, putting herself between him and the mercenaries. He was the Crown Prince. He would never be allowed to leave Mazza again. He was the Crown Prince.

Ringing filled his ears, everything fuzzy and far away as if he was submerged under water. The world blurred at the edges and he finally realized that he wasn't breathing. He gasped desperately, dragging in huge gulps of air while his chest burned. Sound clicked back into place in a burst of clarity. Riley growled curses at the other Mazzans and deftly brandished her broadsword threateningly at every move, ever loyal even after everything. It warmed his heart and made something twist painfully somewhere in his chest.

"Wha–" he croaked, voice hoarse. He cleared it. "What is your proof?" Desperately hoping they had none even though he knew it was futile. They were not amateurs.

The leader glanced at him from his cursing match with Riley. He should give up now, Riley was unmatched in creative, ancient, and horrifying curses, and she definitely had more languages and cultures to choose from. Then he nodded at the shorter Mazzan, the one that gave of a vaguely feminine vibe and that Don had honestly forgotten was there. They had a disturbingly forgettable presence.

She (he?) drew a scroll from under her (his?) cloak. Carefully telegraphing her (his?) movements so as to not be killed by a pissed off Emian, offered it to him. His heart plummeted when he recognized the seal. The Royal Seal. He accepted it, but didn't open it.

He forced a steadiness into his voice that he didn't feel. "I see. Give me three days, I will meet you at the Allor Inn."

None of the mercenaries looked pleased with that, but he pulled on his most pretentious I-am-the-Prince-and-you-will-do-as-I-say expression and they grudgingly agreed.

"You swear on your honor that in three days time you will be at the Allor Inn?" Of course, formalities could never be skipped.

"I swear on my honor and the honor of my people." He tried not to feel like he was signing away his life. "Give me your word that you all will uphold your part. You, all of you, will not follow me, nor any of my associates, and you will not try to contact me before the three day period is up."

"I give you my word."

As they left, Don tried to remember that it was his duty to his country and his privilege. He was born for this. It shouldn't feel like his life was coming to an end. He avoided looking at Riley. Everything was a mess now. He was the Crown Prince.