Juillenne Milone (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
legionqueen) wrote2020-08-28 08:57 pm
legionqueen) wrote2020-08-28 08:57 pm
Entry tags:
Fennbirn, Friday Fandom-time
Camden prowled the border of Jules and Rho's contest ground marked off by the fallen bodies of their mounts, killed when they first collided. But even without the cougar, no one would have disturbed them. For who would dare?
They strike and parry, strike and parry, their show of speed unnatural. The clang of their weapons crossing would vibrate any other fighter to her knees.
The only sounds were grunts and fierce bellows, the legion curse leaping high and the dead queens knocking it back, every impact hard enough to crush bones. Over and over, they came together and were thrown apart, yet the only damage they showed was taken before the encounter began: ribbons of blood down a legion-cursed arm, a speckling of rot across an undead cheek.
The dead queens landed a fearsome blow and sent their opponent rolling. At the sight of the mist, they screeched and used the priestess’s war gift to wrench the battle-ax out of the ground. With two weapons, they greeted their two enemies.
The legion curse attacked, slashing with sword and short dagger, using the war gift as a shield, but the dead queens were not afraid. They lashed out, their rage their strength, cutting, bashing, stomping until they heard bones snap.
When the mist curled around their legs, they felt its chill. But they were still not afraid. They swept their ax through the mist like they will cleave it in two.
They were distracted. They did not see her get up and brace on one leg. They did not see her leap, making the broken bone shatter.
The sword and the dagger seared into their flesh and pierced deep large holes that poured dead, black blood, and the dead queens dropped the ax to try and hold themselves inside.
They leaked out into the air, sensing Katharine nearby, and flew to her, pouring out of Rho as the body of the priestess collapsed to the dirt. They left her, and the hated Legion Queen, behind. They did not look back when the mist swept in to tear the empty sack of Rho Murtra to shreds.
One moment, the mist was everywhere. The next it drew back, fading like it never was, and Emilia turned her horse and raced in search of Jules.
All across the battlefield, soldiers were wakening. They wandered together, helping their wounded, casting fearful eyes on the havoc that remains. So many are dead, twisted around or torn apart, that it is a relief to see a few felled by arrows or a spear, for at least that can be understood.
Emilia urged her horse past them all, jumping the dead and dodging the living, on her way to the clearing where Jules lay. When she reached her, she pulled the reins so hard that her poor mare skids.
"Jules!" She took Jules's face in her hands as Jules swiveled bloodred eyes toward her. She did not need to look at Jules's leg to know it is ruined. Her trousers were soaked with blood and lay too flat on the calf. The leg was turned the wrong way below the knee.
"Jules, you fool. What have you done?"
"I did what I had to do," Jules said through clenched teeth. She reached up and touched Emilia's face. "And I'm all right." She smiled. "I'm all right. The curse, it's—" Her eyes fluttered, and she lost consciousness.
Emilia pulled her onto her lap.
"Help us! I need help for the queen!"
Rebels came. They bound Jules's wounds tightly and loaded her and her cougar gently onto horses. As Emilia wept, Mathilde came limping to her side.
"What did we do?" Emilia asked. "What did we make her do?"
Mathilde looked sadly after Jules and Camden, borne away on the rocking backs of the horses. Her eyes clouded. And then, she smiled.
"Only what she was meant to do."
The healers took Jules's leg while she slept. Emilia was right: there would be no saving it. And Emilia remained with her until she woke.
"What happened?" Jules asked as her eyes cracked open.
"You saved so many," Emilia replied. "You made yourself a legend. A legend, and a queen."
Jules slipped back to sleep, and Emilia leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.
"Don't worry, Jules. I will be here when you wake. And forever after."
[ooc: lifted pretty much wholesale from Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake. I meant to do a whole canon-catchup Thing with the last two books over the last few weeks but uh. My brain was not cooperating. So here, have this and pretend like you've any idea who all of these NPCs even are or what the fuck's going on. Also, warning for mentions of animal death and amputation.]
They strike and parry, strike and parry, their show of speed unnatural. The clang of their weapons crossing would vibrate any other fighter to her knees.
The only sounds were grunts and fierce bellows, the legion curse leaping high and the dead queens knocking it back, every impact hard enough to crush bones. Over and over, they came together and were thrown apart, yet the only damage they showed was taken before the encounter began: ribbons of blood down a legion-cursed arm, a speckling of rot across an undead cheek.
The dead queens landed a fearsome blow and sent their opponent rolling. At the sight of the mist, they screeched and used the priestess’s war gift to wrench the battle-ax out of the ground. With two weapons, they greeted their two enemies.
The legion curse attacked, slashing with sword and short dagger, using the war gift as a shield, but the dead queens were not afraid. They lashed out, their rage their strength, cutting, bashing, stomping until they heard bones snap.
When the mist curled around their legs, they felt its chill. But they were still not afraid. They swept their ax through the mist like they will cleave it in two.
They were distracted. They did not see her get up and brace on one leg. They did not see her leap, making the broken bone shatter.
The sword and the dagger seared into their flesh and pierced deep large holes that poured dead, black blood, and the dead queens dropped the ax to try and hold themselves inside.
They leaked out into the air, sensing Katharine nearby, and flew to her, pouring out of Rho as the body of the priestess collapsed to the dirt. They left her, and the hated Legion Queen, behind. They did not look back when the mist swept in to tear the empty sack of Rho Murtra to shreds.
One moment, the mist was everywhere. The next it drew back, fading like it never was, and Emilia turned her horse and raced in search of Jules.
All across the battlefield, soldiers were wakening. They wandered together, helping their wounded, casting fearful eyes on the havoc that remains. So many are dead, twisted around or torn apart, that it is a relief to see a few felled by arrows or a spear, for at least that can be understood.
Emilia urged her horse past them all, jumping the dead and dodging the living, on her way to the clearing where Jules lay. When she reached her, she pulled the reins so hard that her poor mare skids.
"Jules!" She took Jules's face in her hands as Jules swiveled bloodred eyes toward her. She did not need to look at Jules's leg to know it is ruined. Her trousers were soaked with blood and lay too flat on the calf. The leg was turned the wrong way below the knee.
"Jules, you fool. What have you done?"
"I did what I had to do," Jules said through clenched teeth. She reached up and touched Emilia's face. "And I'm all right." She smiled. "I'm all right. The curse, it's—" Her eyes fluttered, and she lost consciousness.
Emilia pulled her onto her lap.
"Help us! I need help for the queen!"
Rebels came. They bound Jules's wounds tightly and loaded her and her cougar gently onto horses. As Emilia wept, Mathilde came limping to her side.
"What did we do?" Emilia asked. "What did we make her do?"
Mathilde looked sadly after Jules and Camden, borne away on the rocking backs of the horses. Her eyes clouded. And then, she smiled.
"Only what she was meant to do."
The healers took Jules's leg while she slept. Emilia was right: there would be no saving it. And Emilia remained with her until she woke.
"What happened?" Jules asked as her eyes cracked open.
"You saved so many," Emilia replied. "You made yourself a legend. A legend, and a queen."
Jules slipped back to sleep, and Emilia leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.
"Don't worry, Jules. I will be here when you wake. And forever after."
[ooc: lifted pretty much wholesale from Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake. I meant to do a whole canon-catchup Thing with the last two books over the last few weeks but uh. My brain was not cooperating. So here, have this and pretend like you've any idea who all of these NPCs even are or what the fuck's going on. Also, warning for mentions of animal death and amputation.]