A/N: Would you kindly read this note?
This particular chapter is a bit shorter than I like, because, alas, I had to write it alone -Slifer's working on No Strings- and in pain.
Still, I managed a double update today! For this story, and something new~!
Still sick, still writing, still determined.
Just wanted to thank everyone for sticking with me.
I'm weary from work these days, but coming home after a long one to read feedback really make it worthwhile~!
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
No questions this time; no time for them~!
Alright, I think I've kept you waiting more than long enough. With that said here we go.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes! They're merely tributes.
Not a wit or a one. They're merely tributes to legends far greater than I.
And finally, a warning. Spoilers. Goes without saying, I suppose.
"Mad, you say? Ha! I'm sorry, my sweet summer child; I thought you already knew. What took you so long to realize?
Aye, the King and Queen of Leyndell and they're family...they're nuttier than a bag of squirrels. What of it?
They make the Frenzied Flame look tame by comparison. For you see, madness is...
~?
Madness is Catching
Miquella sighed.
It was a long-suffering, drawn out breath, born of exasperation.
Days like these reminded him that he was truly the only sane one left in the family.
He'd expected many things when he returned to the capital today. A festival was not one of them. As far as surprises went, he found this a most pleasant one. Like always, the people welcomed him back with open arms. He was their prince, their chosen, son of Naruto and Marika, blessed be their names, so on and so forth. Why the people were celebrating, he cared not, only that they were. Mortal lives were terrbily short after all; they should seek happiness wherever they could find it.
One such passerby told him today's celebration had something to do with the King and Queen.
That was his first warning, but after his long journey, he dismissed it out of hand. Surely nothing ill could come from this festival; surely all was well, and SURELY those were bells he heard ringing near the Erdtree, not the sounds of combat. Surely his parents weren't that brash to start brawling in broad daylight...
.
..
...right?
And so up he went, ascending into the capital. The higher he climbed, the louder the noise grew. He began to hear laughter. The servants and priests he passed bowed their heads and muttered a thousand pardons, none willing to meet his gaze. He didn't miss their rueful smiles...nor their red faces.
This close, he could clearly hear the sounds of combat; they couldn't be mistaken for anything else. His parents were indeed fighting, and by the sound of it, fighting hard. Shockwaves rattled his teeth with every step. No servants dared come this close.
And why was their paint strewn everywhere? Orange, black, gold, even blue in places, it looked like a painter had gone mad.
He found yet more chaos as he ascended; torn sheets and clothes, battle scars etched into the ground, the pungent smell of rotten eggs, but curiously no blood. And still the laughter from high above had yet to cease. He had an inkling of what was going on up there by the Erdrtee, but he prayed he was mistaken. There were things he needed to discuss with his parents, important matters of state, revelations concerned the Lands Between as a whole. Neither would be wiling to speak to him if they were in one of their...moods.
By some miracle of happenstance, made it to mothers bedchambers in relative peace before someone finally jumped him.
"Miquella~!"
Enemy! He had all of an instant to tense; then Reyna landed on his back. Even then it took him a moment to relax and he had to forcefully tear his hands away from the hilts of his daggers. A wry smile touched the corner of his mouth. He willed himself to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Innn. Ouuut. No attacker, this. This was his kin. And if she was here then her sister wouldn't be far behind...
"Hello, little one." he looked to the little blue bundle clinging to his back. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
She grinned at him. "Can you take us to Stormveil?
His brain fizzled spectacularly. "...whyever would I do that?"
A tiny hand tugged at his sleeve. Aha. Speak of Melina and she shall appear. "We wish to make a friend."
"We'll see what your parents have to say.
Both girls gave exchanged an exasperated glance between themselves.
"They won't say anything." the younger of the two whined. "They're busyyyy. We snuck away from Uncle Morgott and they stiiill haven't stopped!"
Oh, dear. Miquella arched a blond brow. "Stopped what?"
A mighty clash rattled the ground underfoot.
...very well, let us visit them."
Melina reached for his hand wordlessly. Miquella sighed, took it, and guided the little princess after him, leaving Reyna clinging to his back with all four of her arms. Good girls. Pure girls. He'd happily give his life to protect them, but sometimes they were just so spoilt.
When they reached the golden bough, Miquella's hopes were dashed...
Truly, he was the only sane one of this family; he'd thought so once before as a child and he certainly thought so now. It was worth repeating.
"Hold still and die like a man, husband!"
"You'll never take me alive!"
"I don't intend to!"
For the Lord and Lady of Leyndell were at it again; but this time couldn't tell if they were flirting or fighting.
Mother's hammer was a blur of mottled grey and gold, seeking not his head but his groin with ruthless dispatch. Each time Father blocked with a bare hand and retaliated with body shots of his own, hammering her ribs torso, and on occasion, even her breasts, which only made her all the angrier and round and round it went in a seemingly endless cycle. Payback was a bitch as commoners liked to say say. Yet for all their viciousness his parents were laughing as they fought. Back and forth they ranged beneath the Erdtree, flinging chakra and spells at one another like two children with buckets of paint. Nor did they stop there.
Father crossed his arms to defend, only for her "spell" to spatter across his arms and face, dying most of his chest gold.
Marika cocked a hip and planted her free fist upon it. 'Tis a good look for you, no?
Naruto's right eye began to twitch. "This means war!
"I thought it was already a war. And with war comes conquest." She put two fingers to her lips and licked them. "To the victor goes the spoils...
Reyna and Melina gagged. "Ewwwww!
Miquella felt his face burn red. Mother was many things. Shameless was undoubtedly one of them. She often did what she pleased, when she pleased, to whom she pleased. Today was no different than the rest. Her blood was well and truly up now; there'd be no reasoning with her when she was like this. The orange paint stains on her dress likely had something to do with it.
Case in point; the moment Father looked their way, she clocked him with her hammer.
...that was a low blow."
"First come first served, husband of mine!" she sashayed away, hips swaying as he rubbed his jaw. You can't touch me!"
"Alright." Naruto inhaled slowly. Deeply. Angrily. "Parry this, you filthy casual."
Marika looked over her shoulder, baffled. "Parry whaaaaa?!"
Mother's girlish yelp was the sweetest music to all their ears. Little Melina and Reyna cheered as Naruto clotheslined their mother, grabbed her by the hips, and planted her in the ground headfirst like a turnip. He didn't stop there. The Queen was still trapped in the dirt when Father stepped forward, yanked er black gown down over her still-twitching legs as she lay there, and gave her arse a solid smack. At least she had the decency to wear proper undergarments this time.
Almost immediately, the ground began to crack.
Miquella wisely stepped back, herding Reyna and Melina with him.
And well that he did; because their mother all but burst from the stone, howling bloody murder.
"VENGEANCE SHALL BE MINE!"
Father hummed. "Promises, promises...
She absolutely twitched. Her hammer sang with golden light.
Mother certainly seemed to mean it this time, judging by the speed with which she struck. An overhand smash barreled down into Father's guard. Once again she was parried; less so the second harsh slap against her rear. Marika jolted, concentration shattered, then he was past her, leaving her to stumble away.
"There you are." Miquella flinched as he found himself the subject of that gimlet stare. "I was wondering where you'd gotten off. Finally decided to come, have you?" Marika swiped at him as he spoke, to which he ducked lazily, never breaking eye contact for a moment. "What's wrong? Not gonna come over here and give your old man a hug?"
Marika rounded on him. "Why you little...! Don't ignore me!"
"Honey, that's enough." Father, at least, had the wherewithal to realized they had an audience. "Put the hammer down. The kids are watching."
Mother growled. "Never! We're not done!"
Naruto's glower redoubled. "I mean it. Hammer down."
Her eyes danced with sudden mischief. "...as you wish...hold this, wouldst thou?"
"Hold whaaaaahey!" Naruto yelped as she dropped her hammer one his toe and jumped him, tackling him to the ground. "No fair!"
She dove on him and smashed her lips to his. "All's fair in love and war, husband of mine! Now off with thy clothes!"
"Hmmm..." Reyna tilted her head. "Are they fighting now, or f***ing?"
Miquella gasped. "Reyna! Who taught you such language?!"
"Mama did."
Miquella sighed, clamped a hand over each of their eyes and let them away, talking loudly to drown out the...noises his parents were making.
Just thinking of it made him wretch. Do not make eye contact, do not make eye contact, whatever you do, do NOT make eye contact!
"Come along, little ones. You wanted to seek Stormveil, yes? That sounds like a grand idea. Come along, now!
There'd be no reasoning with Mother and Father until the dawn.
His news could wait until tomorrow, he supposed.
"The things we do for family...
(.0.0.0.)
The dawn came.
"You look tired, cousin."
Malenia WAS tired. Far more than she cared to admit. She was bone dead, dirt tired after her journey and wanted nothing more than to fling herself into the first bath she could find and scrub this filth off her. Both the dirt as much as the blood.
She resisted the urge to huff and refused to let it show as she slung herself forth from her horse.
Her guards had little luck in that regard; if only because they looked even worse than she felt. Poor, poor Finlay had taken a grievous wound to her left shoulder and she suspected that even with healing, she'd never quite regain full motion from it again. Then there had been the dragon, from whom they had to flee rather than fight due to her knight's injuries.
Malenia found herself beginning to hate Caelid. The sooner she concluded her business the better; the sooner she could return home and be with her family once more.
She shouldn't be angry, she knew; It was hardly Radahn's fault she had encountered so many difficulties on her journey, least of all the lunatics who'd tried to kidnap her. It had been a hard ride even after the fact and they'd had to push the horses to their breaking point merely to make up for lost time.
In any case, she was here now. Nothing else mattered at the moment.
"Indeed, I am." she cursed herself for the yawn that followed, "How fare you?"
"Better than you, I'd say." Radahn looked healthy as ever, the very picture of it, really, broad arms crossed before his chest. He slung one forth to help catch her as she stumbled. "Come, lets get you cleaned up. I believe Ranni is around here somewhere, and if memory serves, she brought some healing draughts with her...
Malenia tensed. That blasted witch. "She's here?"
"We all are." Radahn tossed the words over his shoulder as they walked. "All three of us. It took some time to convince Rykard to attend; he arrived just last night. There are things we must discuss.
Malenia felt her brow furrow in mild consternation. "Things? What manner of things? What was so urgent that I had to ride for Caelid so quickly?"
Here at last, Radahn finally lost his grand, jovial smile. That alone worried her more than words.
"The future...and the traitors within our ranks."
A/N: Aaaand scene
Ze plot thickens! See you all next time!
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this particular story, and others. If folks don't enjoy it, the story will remain, but it won't be continued. And there we go. As ever, reviews keep me alive. Without them, I cannot write. Just wanted to thank everyone for sticking with me.
I'm weary from work these days, but coming home after a long one to read feedback really make it worthwhile~!
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas....Review...Would You Kindly? And have some previews~!
I'm deliberately being coy with them this time around.
Some are far off. Others are closer than you think.
Once again, SPOILERS AHOY!
Seriously, ye be warned~!
Mostly the same here.
(Previews)
"HAMMER DOWN!"
"Aaaaand that is why you must never anger thy mother."
Young Godrick had low expectations when he first encountered his cousins. After all, he was weak, sickly, and so very pale. What possible interest could they have in him?
Perhaps that was his cynicism talking. Regardless, it availed him naught.
Reyna and Melina shattered his expectations immediately.
Miquella flung the book down with an exasperated hiss. "Blast it! Why is it so hard to find answers?! Has even this library been censured?!"
"The preparations have been made, Lord Godwyn."
"Then let us begin, Fia."
"A challenger at our gates? How quaint."
"He says he's a messenger...for someone called the Gloam-Eyed Queen."
Marika smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. "Finally got too big for her britches, did she? Perhaps I should send Maliketh after her...
"Godwyn's been acting strange...
"I'll have a word with him.
Black knives gleamed in the moonlight. Their leader gave the signal. As one, the blackened blades descended.
A god died smiling.
EDIT: Hey, you made it! Thanks for reading! Hope you have great luck and a great day~!
Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work~!
R&R~!