A/N: This series of challenges involved the requester providing me with a color and a single character. Again, all were written in 15 minutes or less.
For Aronia
Chris, Black
Salamander!
She yanked her sword from the gut of the dead salamander, looking around wildly to see if anything else dared attack the party. Black bile oozed from the wound, melding to the earth in an odd hue as her knights pulled themselves up from the ground amid a chorus of apologies for their failure. She nodded to them absently as the smell from the salamander filled her nostrils. It was wretched and like nothing she had ever experienced. It burned her throat and caused her eyes to water.
Borus rushed to her side, "Are you all right, milady?"
"She'd be better if you hadn't fallen with one strike. Buy some better armor, man," that was Percival.
"You didn't do much better!" Borus retorted.
"Enough," Chris sighed, looking at the animal one more time. Then, to Salome, she asked, "Why does it smell so bad?"
"I believe they eat polecats, milady."
"Ewww," Louis said. "I'm not going to try and cook anything with it in that case!"
Mounting their horses, the knights continued their journey towards the castle on the lake, a smile on Chris' face for the first time that day.For Firstgold
Odessa, Brown
Practice Shot
Odessa notched the arrow, drew it back and then let it fly. It penetrated the make-shift target Flik had placed on the tree, landing square in the brown ring just outside the bulls eye.
"Better," he said.
"But not as good as it should be," she muttered, reaching for another arrow.
"Enough for today."
"No," she implored him. "Five more. I want to be able to actually fight in this army, not just watch from the sidelines."
"All right, five more," he conceded as he pulled her last shot from the tree.
For Aoshi
Albert Silverberg, Red
Ottoman
Sheets covered the furnishings and artwork of the dead man's house. The stench of age, must and things forgotten hung in the stale air. Truth be told, Albert didn't want to be here. He had been sent to set his grandfather's affairs in order and to prepare the house for sale. He could have kept it, but he didn't want it and he was quite certain if given the option, his brother wouldn't touch it, either.
In the living room he dropped onto a small red ottoman. As a child, he would perch himself on it and watch his brother play on the floor. When Caesar was a baby, Albert would kick over his brother's toys from his seat on the stool. This would cause Caesar to scream, his parents to come in the room, and Leon to lose his patience. It was a game that Albert enjoyed.
He didn't bother even glancing at the portraits of relatives, services of silver, jewels or other valuables. These items were useless to him. He had silver. He had jewels. He had valuables. And he had no desire to have paintings of long dead relatives hanging in his home.
The ottoman was the only item he took from the house.
For Howling Voice
Yuber, Yellow
Maggots
They were maggots, all of them. Moving below him from his vantage point atop Brass Castle, they went about their pointless daily business ignorant of the fact that he was watching. He smirked and considered dropping down there and killing a few of them just to watch the others react. Before he could act on the impulse, Albert appeared with Sarah in a wash of yellow light. "Don't even think about it."
"Since when do you think you can control me, human?"
Albert didn't have to answer with anything more than a smirk.
For Seika
Louis Keeferson, Green
Conscience
(I imagined this taking place before the present of Missing in Action)
Louis closed the door to his office and made his way towards the stairs. Although an elevator would have made his life easier, he never dared to ask the Council to invest in one. Besides, he had decided years ago not to use his missing leg as an excuse to take the easy way out.
He moved slowly down the flying staircase, considering all that had transpired in the meeting. Things were moving too hard and too fast for him to fight alone as the more zealous—and corrupt—members insisted on more action against an unknown enemy. He knew that Salome would be able to offer help and guidance, but the knight captain would not be back in the capital for a few days.
Finally at the base of the stairs, he buttoned his green jacket and tucked his scarf in neatly, wanting to be presentable for his dinner engagement with Torrie. With a relieved sigh, he headed out into the streets of Zexay, completely content to leave the corruption of the Council building behind him for the day.
For One True Belmont
Stallion, Blue
Speed
"Faster!" the blue-haired elf said to himself. "I must go faster!"
He dug his feet into the dirt as he pressed on, harder, faster. The onlookers watched in amazement as a streak of blue rushed past them.
"I think that's fast enough," one said. "He might cause damage to the village."
"We need to slow him down," another added.
"Perhaps the elder can offer some advice."
Stallion didn't hear any of them talking. He just kept running.
For Mithrigil
Flik, White
Farewell to Innocence
Standing at the front of his village, the young man grasped his sword tightly. It was time to venture out on his coming-of-age quest and he felt that he was ready to go. He had packed all that mattered to him in a small, white, burlap sack. Although he was nervous, it was quite exciting. Looking at all the gathered villagers, he gave a smile.
Zorak, the elder of the village approached and addressed him and the crowd. "Flik, you have earned the right to find your place and name your sword. Return to us when you have proved your strength to the world. In the name of Klift, we offer you our prayers."
As the crowd cheered, Flik gave a slight bow to Zorak and then turned to leave, his fingers curling around the hilt of his sword. Walking towards the west, he did not glance back although for the first time in his life he felt lonely. Remembering his training and repeating the words of his teachers to himself helped fight back the emotions just enough so he didn't cry.
Right then he learned that he did not like good-byes.
For Seta Suzume
Shu, Gold
Value
Shu rubbed the golden coin between his fingers and considered how such a small trinket could have landed him here, leading forces against Highland. Apple had been so determined to bring him here. She had been so confident in his skill, and yet he worried that he would let her and the others down. They lacked numbers, they lacked weaponry, they lacked strength, but he couldn't deny that they had heart. He didn't have to wonder if Apple had anything to do with that. Morale and confidence is what she personified to him, and he was certain she delivered those feelings to the others as well.