ROLEPLAY HQ - marked-for-ruin

Three days. Three days he had been locked behind bars down in the dungeons under the Eldoria Kingdom. It had been quite an experience to get caught and hauled away. He didn't mean to of course, he was drunk when it happened. Serenil had been at one of the local taverns three nights ago. He had scored a bit of cash simply for selling some herbs he had stumbled across while out in the woods. This money that he earned upon selling it to a local shop had net him enough copper to have a drink or two. This was also a time to unwind before finding a woman to spend the night with. Oh how he hated the curse that was branded on him. But as luck would have it, during his drunken stupor of trying to talk to a woman, he later found out that she was with someone, and that someone had gotten quite mad at the fact that Serenil had been trying to hook up with her. Safe to say the fight ended up not being much of a fight once he opened his mouth, having drawn blood from the inside of his cheek just to cast a spell. That was his first mistake. The elf had been pretty good about hiding his Spellbinding, long sleeves and gloves do the trick. But casting magic by way of tongue? Most Witches could just harness that power in their body and release it without any incantation. Serenil's situation was.. unique. But, once he had cast that spell, a basic fireball that ended up scorching a small part of the tavern before he equally put the fire out.. he was arrested and thrown down here in the dungeon. He had the worst hangover the next day but right now? He was just waiting for the trial that was being set up above them. Outside the small cell, stood a single guard, decked in iron armor with a Wardweaver sitting at his side. A creature of pure anti-magic. It couldn't be harmed by Witches, and was actually a natural enemy to them. Like bloodhounds but for magic. They resembled large obsidian panthers with glowing ethereal eyes and cracks on their bodies that radiate energy. In actuality, it

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was the souls of Witches and Warlocks along with their magic trapped inside their bodies like living phylacteries. There was no point trying to run or attack a Wardweaver as it would kill you the moment you raise your hands to fire a spell or try to run. Predators of the weald. "Hey, don't see many Elven Warlocks around these parts.. What did they catch you for?" spoke an older, gruff sounding male. Serenil lifted his head as he had been sitting there against the wall with one arm resting on his bent knee, looking to the man who appeared to be in his late 40's with reddish colored hair and green eyes. A scruffy looking beard but had some muscle. All the witches in that cell had anti-magic collars around their necks to suppress their magic. The collars could only be removed with a key. One that the Commander had on him. Serenil didn't speak, ignoring the man. "Come on now, son. Must you give the silent treatment? Answering isn't going to kill ya.." the man spoke again. Serenil sighed heavily, but again didn't answer. "Stubborn as a mule.." the redhead muttered, shaking his head. He turned his attention to a pair of twins who were slightly younger than Serenil, a boy and a girl. They were idly chatting with the male, but the elf was hardly paying attention.

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Soon enough, the sound of a door in the distance could be heard, heavy and metal along with a set of footsteps coming down the hallway that was only lit by torches on wall sconces. It took a minute for the figure to come into view, a man with long blonde hair tied back in a bun and blue eyes. His armor was different from the knight standing guard. It wasn't until the knight stood at attention and greeted the man who Serenil learned that this guy was a commander. "Commander Andrews, sir" the knight would say. Coming along at the commander's heels was another Wardweaver. "The queen has prepared the courtyard for the execution. Let's lead them out" the commander would instruct and the knight bowed his head. "Yes sir" before turning towards the cell and unlocking the door to it, pushing it open. "Get out. They're ready for you.." the commander would instruct the Witches sitting there in that cell. One by one they rose to their feet, stepping out of the cell. "Single file. Try anything funny and you'll be dying early. Understand?" He growled, eying each and every one of them. There were only four Witches going to trial today, so it wasn't that crazy. People saw witch executions all the time. This was the first one this month. "Move it.." Slowly, the Commander leading at the back while the knight led the front, their Wardweavers on either side of the knights as they led the witches down the hall and towards a set of stairs. These stairs would lead up to the courtyard where their trial awaited them.

12:19 AM

@Kiru!

No one knew what it was or how to cure it, not even the kingdom's best doctors. It's been a little over a month since the king had fallen ill with a mysterious plague. The church claims it's a curse, inflicted upon the king by an evil force. Ever since then, the hunt for witches has gotten worse. Currently the Queen was running the kingdom as best as she could, even with her best efforts, things were slowly spiralling into chaos as the people began to panic. The royal family only had one son, meaning one legitimate heir.. but he was hardly two years old. Because of this, the Queen has been actively pushing her daughter to marry a nobleman or a prince from a neighboring kingdom. Little did she know, that was a whole other battle in itself. Ever since the King had fallen sick, his daughter has never left his side. Even now, with executions due this evening, Angel slumped over the edge of the bed. She'd sit there muttering sweet nothings as she drowned in her grief. There had been a few times she tried to reach for his hand, only to be swatted at, in fear that the illness was contagious. "Princess. The Queen requests your presence at the courtyard." "Does she..." Angel mumbled through a face full of blankets. After a long stretch of silence, she began to slowly rise. Angel remembered her mother coming in earlier and forcing her to groom herself and put on a nice dress for the event. As if murdering people with death cats was something to rejoice in. Which... According to the church, it was. Considering these weren't people, no, these were demons. Demon's doing the devil's work for whatever nonsense reason they blabbered about at the church services. Angel ran a delicate hand through the mess of curls in front of her face, before reluctantly following the servant out of the room. She looked up sadly, giving her father a silent promise that she'd be back as soon as this was over, before closing the doors. As they rushed down the hall, Angel kept up reaso

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nably well despite the dress and heels. She'd straighten out the pearl necklaces around her neck and run her ringers through her hair, trying to look as presentable as possible. Although, all the effort was to no avail as she'd entered the courtyard and her mother's frown deepened at Angel's appearance. The Princess smiled pleasantly as she stepped in beside the Queen, "Evening Mother." Her eyes didn't miss the priest standing on the woman's other side, she'd just chosen to actively ignore him. "Do not. Be rude Angel." Her mother scowled. Angel refrained from rolling her eyes and turned to the priest, dipping her head respectfully, "Evening Father Issac" She grounded out through clenched teeth. She then turned forward, not even bothering to see his reaction, her eyes focused on the chained witches being escorted into the courtyard. There were a few spectators, nobles of course, standing in rows surrounding the courtyard. The Queen and Princess were elevated slightly above those stands, having view over the entire courtyard. Angel watched the witches be unchained, the collars around their necks taken off as well. I surprised her no one tried to blast one of the guards with a giant fireball or something. She slumped forward a little bit watching as the Wards were unleashed. This was gonna be over in a matter of seconds. "Stop slouching." The Queen placed a hand on the small of the Princess' back, which was covered by a yellow corset to match the yellow dress picked out for her. Angel huffed and straightened her back, she watched as a ward tackled a young looking girl to the ground and felt her stomach churn with revulsion. She couldn't bear to watch the sight and shifted her focus to one of the witches specifically. Well, warlock. Angel's interest was peaked as she watched the handsome stranger weave a ward gracefully. His hair was long and dark, contrasting with his pale skin, giving him an ethereal appearance. His pointed ears only added onto the look.

2:25 AM

Angel had never seen an elf before, as she watched him basically fight for his life, the gears started turning in her mind. Her shoulders tensed as she turned to her mother. "I have to.. relieve myself.." she gave a slight curtsey before scurrying off. Frantically, Angel descended the stairs to the dungeon and rounded the corner. She saw the stairs that led up to the courtyard and ran up them two at a time, before running smack into the back of the commander. Angel nearly stumbled back and fell down the stairs but a firm hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her up. "Princess?" Angel pushed him back a little, he was way too close for comfort. Getting the hint the commander released her and raised a brow. "I um.. just wanted to... See the executions from down here. Much.. much better view." She cleared her throat and looked forward. Her eyes drifted to the sword on his waist and without a second thought she yanked it out the holster. Immediately it fell to the ground, "wow. This is heavy-" she then took off, running as fast as someone possibly could in heels, dragging a giant sword behind them. There were gasps and murmurs as she ran across the courtyard, somewhere in the mix she heard her mother's enraged shout. On her tail was the commander and around her where death machines ripping out throats. Her dark eyes shifted and locked onto the elven warlock, he dodged another ward but there was another coming up behind him. Angel hurled at him, before pushing him aside and swinging the sword in the air with all her strength, the hilt slipping out of her grap. There was a giant clunk as the metal connected with the cats head. She blinked before spinning around and slipping out of the commanders open arms. Angel grabbed the warlock's arm and dragged him to the dungeon's entrance.

2:25 AM

@PunkPulse (Fauna)

His legs felt heavy as he climbed those stairs. One in front of the other as they defended those stairs. Serenil was the only elf among this group. Everyone here was Human. But it was something that Serenil was used to. He never knew his birth parents, and his adopted parents were humans. So he was raised like a Human despite the appearance. But you don't see elves here in these lands. So he stuck out like a sore thumb. "Are you afraid at all, son?" the redhead spoke in front of Serenil. "Afraid of what? Dying?" The elf finally answered back. "Ah, so he speaks at last. I was afraid you didn't speak English.." the redhead laughed. "Cause I'm an Elf?" "You don't see elves around here. You stand out.." the man grinned. "I'm not scared. I've dealt with Wardweavers before.." The twins behind the elf raised their eyebrows in surprise. "Whoa, you've fought some before?" The male twin spoke, dark brown eyes shining with intrigue. "Shut up, you lot.." the knight growled and everyone fell silent. "How'd you do it?" The male twin whispered, walking closer so he walked directly behind the elf. "Simple, striking their core.. Wards have incredibly tough skin, but if you can strike them where there are cracks in their bodies.. they can be damaged.." he explained. Wardweaver skin was tough like obsidian, but obsidian wasn't super strong. It could be brittle if struck on sharp edges or cracks. When Wardweavers grow, their skin cracks. Inside their bodies is a core, striking that core will kill them. But you have to be precise with your aim. Hitting it anywhere except the core will not only anger the beast but it won't die. Magic doesn't harm them, so using Mundane weapons is the best course of action. Reaching the top of the stairs, they were led out into the courtyard where plenty of spectators were here to watch the execution. Nobles and Royalty always found joy in watching the execution of Witches. The church considered them demons. A most unholy thing brought on by the devi

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l himself to challenge heaven. Of course, Serenil wasn't much of a religious guy. Never got the chance to learn the reasons why Witches were condemned to die if they were born like this without any say in the matter. But it made no difference. A surplus of witches meant enjoyment for the people. Standing in a line, they had their hands behind their backs as Commander Andrews came up to each one and unlocked their collars before stepping away. Both Wards were standing at the ready, watching the Witches and Warlocks like prey.

3:42 AM

It took only a second for the Commander to raise his arm, pointing at the Witches with two fingers together. "Strike" was all he said before lowering his arm and turning away from the Witches as the Wards ran past Andrews and towards the group. They could fight all they wanted to try and defend themselves from the Wards, but magic couldn't touch them. It's unknown who created them and why. The church believes that the Wardweavers were creatures created by God to counter the Witches and defend Heaven from Hell. All Serenil knew was that he had to survive. It wasn't the first time he had gone toe to toe with such a beast. In fact, he had learned to fend them off when he was younger. The teacher he had at the time had actually been the one to show him how to defend himself. It helped shape his body, which if anyone looked, they would find he was in great shape. Broad shoulders and a slender waistline. His chest peeking out from under his black v-neck tunic. Sleeves were down and his black gloves covered up his Spellbinder chain tattoos. "Velox sicut lepus, da mihi gratiam" Swift like a Rabbit, grant me grace.." he whispered to himself after biting on the inside of his cheek and running his tongue over the blood that trickled from the wound inside his mouth. A faint glow appeared around his legs that allowed him to dodge any incoming attacks from one of the Wards. Unfortunately the twin girl ended up getting mauled by one of the Wardweavers, numbing her body and making it hard to move. The creature stood over her and the light being pulled from the young witch was a shimmering green, entering the beast until the female lay unmoving, dead. He wouldn't be able to dodge these creatures forever though, try as he could. Just as one of the Wards managed to predict Serenil's movements and came in for the attack, the strike of a sword against the feline's head; it cried out this otherworldly roar, as one of its ears fell off and to the ground, crumbling to dust. I

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t was then that the beast released a thick cloud of smoke to try and obscure the pair but the princess had grabbed and pulled him away just in time before a powerful paw could strike a blow. His gaze fell to the back of the princess's head. Dark curls, a yellow dress, short stature. Most of all, she looked to be dressed quite fancy. Was she a noblewoman? Or perhaps.. No, that was silly. Why would someone risk their life to save a Witch from execution? (edited)

3:43 AM

That otherworldly roar could be heard behind them and Serenil looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, both Wards were after him now as they had officially killed the other three witches. Shit. I still have my enchantment.. I could escape easily but.. she's holding my arm so tightly.. I can't unless I drag her with.. he thought to himself. So be it. Taking a breath, he reached his free arm down to where her knees were and swept his arm behind them, pulling his hand away from her for a moment and using it instead to support her back as he picked her up, bridal style. He wasn't sure how much speed he could manage while carrying her, but she did save his life so it was only fair he returned the favor unless her efforts were for nought. With the remaining bit of his enchantment left, Serenil sprinted forwards, keeping her close to his chest as he dashed towards that dungeons entrance. It wasn't until they reached the gateway where he set her down and quickly grabbed the handle that attached to a pulley system, rolling the gate down and blocking the Wards just in time. They growled and snarled through the iron fence. They were safe for now. At least until the guards come to lift it back up. They'd have to do it manually, and that would take some time. Looking at the princess now, his chest rising and falling from the energy he had just exerted, the enchantment on his legs slowly faded away. The faint white light around his legs disappears into thin air. "You've got some sort of death wish, don't you?" Serenil spoke, looking the woman over. "Could have killed it if you hit its core. Clearly someone doesn't know how to handle a sword.. Now, if you'll excuse me.. I need to get far away from here as possible.." he wiped off the dirt from his shirt that he had kicked up while running a moment ago before getting ready to leave.

3:43 AM

@Kiru!

Angel's eyes squeezed shut as she felt her legs get swept from underneath her. She could hear the wards and their fury as all three beasts turned their attention to the two. Angel knew then that all the others were dead, those poor kids.. wind rushed past her face, blowing her hair every which way. Eventually they came to a stand still and Angel's feet touched the ground. Next thing she knew the gate for the dungeon was closing and the princess turned to look at the elf. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she glared at him "a thank you would suffice-" She scoffed. She went to the door to the stairway leading up into the castle and found the lever outside. She pulled it and kicked it multiple times until there was a loud snapping noise. The gate began to fall faster and Angel quickly ducked under it before it could lock her on the outside. She crossed her arms and looked at him sternly. "And how are you gonna get out?" She'd reach behind her back and tug at the corset until it loosened up a bit. Still unsatisfied she yanked harder until the strings somehow knotted together, it was safe to say the corset wasn't coming off anytime soon. The girl grunted in frustration and turned to the pretty elf. "I didn't free you and almost die for no reason. You're going to help me find the cure for my Father's illness." She took a step forward, looking up at him pleadingly. "Please, I- I can pardon your execution.. I can convince my mother-" there were thunder footsteps approaching the dungeon from the other end. Thankfully the closed gate would buy them some time. Angel looked over her shoulder as she heard her name being called. "This way.." she pulled him into one of the cells and sunk to her knees. Her mother would be absolutely pissed with how dirty and torn this gown would be by time the sun set. Angel ran her finger along the crevices in the stone before finding what she was looking for. She'd take her other hand and slowly ease the block out before dropping it and pul

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ling the rest of them out. She'd found this place when she was younger and would play hide n seek with the servants.

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@PunkPulse (Fauna)

He was prepared to leave all of this, to get away from this Kingdom. Clearly one drunken mistake wasn't going to sit well for the Kingdom now that he had another charge tacked onto his ever growing list. Escaping his execution. What's more it wasn't even a fellow Witch or Wizard who assisted, the one who did it was Human, and by the looks of it, royalty. Those sharp blue eyes of his gazed down at the female however as she stopped in front of him. Asking him all sorts of silly questions as he looked around at his surroundings. "And how are you going to get out?" He didn't say a word to her however, focusing on where he would need to go to get out of here. A castle would be tricky, all sorts of people. You make a wrong turn and you'll have Wards chasing you down. If you're lucky, they'll just capture you again and hold you until the next execution. But he wouldn't be able to wait that long. Not when he had a timer ticking down from an annoying curse. "I didn't free you and almost did for no reason. You're going to help me find the cure for my father's illness." Serenil raised an eyebrow, staring down at the human woman. "You saved me for your own personal gain? Geez, you Humans are always so.. greedy.." those sharp blue eyes, almost gray in appearance looked at her as he folded his arms, listening to her continue to talk. Basically plead with him. "Please, I- I can pardon your execution.. I can convince my mother-" Before he had a chance to respond, the sound of approaching soldiers could be heard. It would have been ideal if he were alone, then he could just get out of here without worry. But Serenil.. despite being a grump, wasn't a complete asshole. Following after her when she asked, they were led back towards the cells, one in particular that she was working on removing the stonework for. "What about your father? What sickness ails him? Surely you guys have the best doctors to treat such a thing no? I don't see why me being involved is necessary.."

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however he didn't know what kind of sickness this man could have. What had her worried so much that she would seek the help from a convicted Witch? To jailbreak one.. She saved your life and you know it, Serenil. That Wardweaver would have killed you.. a voice played in his mind, his own internal thoughts. I could have managed.. Not against 3 Wards I couldn't. She saved my life.. and debts must be paid.. in full. Serenil followed along with a heavy sigh, running a hand through his dark hair so it was out of his face. "Listen, I can't promise I can cure him. I will need to see his condition. But I'll help however I can, alright?" He said finally. It wasn't a promise, as promised meant he had to follow through. This was just him warning her that he will help her but only to take a look. After that, it was up to her to figure this shit out. He didn't want to stay too close to this human, and he didn't want to be stuck in a place without any escape either. "Lead the way.."

7:50 AM

@Kiru!

"What about your father? What sickness ails him? Surely you guys have the best doctors to treat such a thing no? I don't see why me being involved is necessary..” Angel continued to pull the blocks of stone out, one by one. She could hear knights working to lift the gate as well as the angry Wardweaver noises. She moved the blocks as fast as she could, although some help from a certain somebody would be nice. “It’s not just a sickness… they’re saying it’s a curse..” Once she was sure the hole was big enough for the man to fit through she sat back. ”Lead the way” “You go first. I’ll direct you..I have to close the hole back up.” Angel watched the warlock get on the ground awkwardly and bit back her snarky comment. She looked away when he gave her a sharp look, deciding it was in her best interest if she kept her mouth shut. After Serenil crawled into the secret passageway, Angel followed. There was a lot of shifting coming from her area as she tried to turn around in the cramped space. Her dress ripped a little as it got caught on the stone wall, but she paid it no attention as she started pulling the blocks into place. One block was pulled inside the passageway with her for one there was only one hole left. When she pushed it into place, the two were shrouded in absolute darkness. Once she was able to turn back around she started directing him where to go. It was humid and tight, and they were crawling for what felt like forever. Soon they came to a dead end. “Just push the stones.. This should take us outside.” Angel waited and in one motion, light exploded into the tunnel and so did fresh air. As she crawled out she took a deep breath, her chest was heaving as she slumped against the castle wall. Dark curls were plastered to her cheeks and neck, thanks to the cramped tunnel, she was sweating buckets right now. “I can’t wait to get out of this damned dress.” She muttered to herself as she stood up. As her eyes met the warlock’s reality had truly hit he

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r and her eyes widened. I- I just ran into the middle of an execution.. Whacked a ward with the commander’s sword AND freed a witch. A slight smirk twitched its way onto her lips before she started laughing, only to gasp for air immediately afterwards. “I’m so dead. What I did was treason, holy hell.” Angel picked at the tiny hairs sticking to her face, “You owe me big time elf boy-” She huffed. “And if I knew any better… my father’s quarters should be… right around… here.” Angel looked up and surely enough, there was a balcony that led to the King’s room. Lucky for them, there was a trellis they could climb up to get there. Angel started first, moving as if she’d done this a million times. The trellis wasn’t perfectly even with the balcony so after getting to the top of it, she jumped and grabbed onto the stone railing desperately before hauling herself up. She’d poke her head over the edge and wave him up. Spinning on her heel she’d pull the balcony doors open, while she waited for Serenil to climb up. @PunkPulse (Fauna)

"it's not just a sickness... they're saying it's a curse.." His lips parted as he watched her pulling the blocks out, that information led him to believe that it was the work of a witch. "A witch? How so? Your Kingdom has Wards. They should have detected magic if that was the case and stopped them.." a friend on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest, a hand on his chin in thought. If it truly was a curse and not some unknown illness, then that could explain why the Kingdom was on high alert and being very serious about these executions. "I imagine if they try culling all the Witches and Warlocks in the Kingdom, they think it'll break this 'curse' you speak of.." he answers her. It wasn't like it was a bad idea, but curses came in a variety of ways. Serenil knew of this all too well. When he glanced over his shoulder to listen for the guards and Wards, he could hear they were still hard at work. No doubt Commander Andrews and those Wards would come after them. So until then, they would need to be careful. Serenil would have to not use any magic if they wanted to remain undetected. Witches had magic flowing through their veins, so it made it easy for Wards to track them down. For someone like Serenil who was Spellbound however, it sealed his magic, preventing it from being used. This made it harder to detect unless he were to do Incantations like before with his enhancement spell. But, Wards were clever. They'd find them eventually. This just bought them some time is all. "You go first. I'll direct you.. I have to close the hole back up." Turning his attention back to the princess, he found that she made a decently sized hole that would allow not only her but himself as well to squeeze inside. He just nodded his head before kneeling down in front of the hole. Serenil was a good 6'1" in height so it made sense to make the hole big enough for his large frame. Crawling inside, he found that it was cramped and dark, but the inside of the walls were hollow

9:27 AM

, how she found such a passageway was beyond him. But it would do well enough. Once the blocks were returned, he was directed to move and he did so, ending up having to lead the way in complete darkness. He didn't speak to her during this, not entirely sure where they were going, where they would end up and if people were close enough to hear it. However after some time, he did end up coming to a dead end, resting his hand along the cold stone.

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"Dead end.." "Just push the stones.. This should take us outside." "I would hate to think what kind of trouble you got up to what with hiding in the walls of your own castle.." he comments as he pushed the first stone. It fell away loosely and that first bit of sunlight had him shutting his eyes. Opening hem slowly to get used to the light, he pushed a few more stones out of the way and crawled through. The fresh air was welcomed and he had half a mind to take off now. But he had a terrible habit of not wanting to be indebted to people. If what the princess truly said earlier was anything to go by, if the King was cursed, they'd be screwed. Because only the one who brought on the curse could remove it. Killing the witch responsible could certainly work, but that's if you kill the right one. With the executions going on, it was understandable how desperate they were to catch Witches in the hopes one would free the King. Standing up now to his full height, he rested his hands on his hips and closed his eyes, head tilted up to take in the warmth of the sun. "I can't wait to get out of this damned dress." "You know, where I'm from.. that sentence has a different meaning, Princess. I wouldn't say it so lightly, especially around a man you barely know.." It was a dark tease but also a hint of seriousness. Serenil was also plagued by a curse, but it was one he had been trying to find the Warlock who put it on him. It's been 4 years now since that curse and only 3 days since he last did it.. the princess before him was very.. tempting. "I'm so dead. What I did was treason, holy hell. You owe me big time elf boy-"

9:28 AM

"I didn't need saving. You're the one who came rushing in with no plan other than to hit a Ward with a damn sword.." he growled, but he would be remiss if he wasn't thankful at least. "I still think that what you did was stupid. But.. brave.." It was a backhanded compliment and probably the only one she'd get from the elf male. For now he just followed the Princess, letting her lead the way. They came to a tower with a long trellis which he was to assume was where the King was. The princess went ahead to climb it first and it took everything in Serenil to not stare or look up her dress. Instead he looked away at the expanse of the Kingdoms land, admiring the view from where he stood. He took a peak to see where the princess was at before finding her looking down at him from the balcony. Guess it was his turn. He dug his boot into one of the sections and began the slow climb up. He wasn't light like the princess, but he also didn't want to go too fast unless he severed the trellis from the tower wall. Thanks to his body it wasn't a difficult climb and he managed to scale the wall without too much issue. Once Serenil climbed over the edge of the balcony, the doors were pushed open, and Serenil followed suit.

9:28 AM

@Kiru!

Angel stepped into the room quietly, luckily enough everyone was too busy trying to track her and the elf down. There were no guards in the room, outside.. Perhaps. She looked over her shoulder at Serenil, sadness clouding her hazel eyes as she walked around the bed. Her head was bowed for a minute, almost as if she was praying, before she shifted her gaze up at Serenil. “Can you tell what it is? I know you have to kill the witch who did it… but is there another way?” Her eyes glossed over as tears pricked the corners. She stepped back from the bed and turned her attention to the rest of the room. Angel walked across the room, to her Father’s closet and opened the doors. Inside were a bunch of fancy clothes, made of expensive fabrics. Hesitantly, as if the King would rise from his deathbed and behead her, Angel started going through what there was. She pulled out anything that looked like it would fit. She frowned at the clothes, even the smallest ones were too big for her. Instead she opted for taking some jewelry in hopes of possibly selling it or trading it for a few pounds. “What do you think?” She asked quietly, her back still turned on him. The Princess knew better than to leave her back turned on a stranger, a man nonetheless, but she wasn't stupid enough to let her guard down as well. “How… how much longer does he have?” She would move to the mirror in the corner of the vast space. Turning around, she brought her trembling hands to the tangled strings on the back of her corset. She was very visibly struggling, the frustration showed on her face as her brows furrowed. He can't die.. I won't- I won't let it happen. Her nails picked a specific knot, just barely unable to get it. I'll kill the bastard who did this. I swear it. I'll kill them.. Angel's chest started to rise and fall quickly as her breathing got heavier. Suddenly it felt like the temperature in the room suddenly spiked and Angel broke out into a sweat. "This damn-" her jaw clenched S

10:51 AM

he'd curse angrily under her breath as she looked around madly, for something sharp enough to just cut the damn thing off. @PunkPulse (Fauna)

Serenil followed after the princess, his footsteps quiet but slow and purposeful as he stepped into the room, glancing around at the space. Truly a room fit for a king no doubt. All things that were probably more valuable than his own, meek, magical life. He kept his hands behind his back as he walked, his posture straight, but loose. His blue-gray eyes fell to the bed where the King laid, clearly asleep and showing no signs of waking. "Can you tell what it is? I know you have to kill the witch who did it... but is there another way?" The elf walked slowly over towards the bedside, staring down at the man who had ordered many witch executions in the past. It would be so easy to just kill him here, but that wouldn't solve any problems, just make matters worse. Plus, he wasn't above revenge. It was unfortunate that witches were being executed at the hands of the Eldoria Kingdom, for their religion saw magic as witchcraft, as an act of the devil and defiance against God. Quietly, he removed his hands from behind his back, removing his gloves and taking the time to roll his sleeves up to his elbows. It showed how well defined even his forearms were, as well as showcasing something that had been hidden before. Spellbinders. There were tattoos on both his wrists, as well as his ankles but those were covered. Spellbinders were a type of tattoo made from the thick blood of Wardweavers. Anti-magic that prevented the natural flow of magic through a Witch or Warlock's body. It flowed like blood, but unlike blood that could still flow underneath these bindings, the magic was trapped. A barrier to prevent Witches from using their powers. They didn't need incantations to cast spells, just purpose and intention. Focus. For Serenil, he had a different kind of magic. One that was a lost art and hardly ever used. "Killing the witch responsible is one way to go about it.." the elf spoke, finishing up rolling his sleeves before he turned to the nearby basin next to the bed, dippi

12:02 PM

ng his hands into the water to wash them before drying them with a nearby cloth and resting his index and middle fingers along the temples of the king. His long, dark hair cascading like raven's feathers over his left shoulder. He closed his eyes, focusing on trying to sense for a curse. He could feel something alright, and it was strong magic at work. Which meant that whoever cast this type of curse, was powerful. But what type of curse was it? Opening his eyes, Serenil removed his fingers from the King's temples and very carefully lowered the blanket just under his ribs before undoing the buttons on his shirt. "If it's a curse, he'll have a mark. It's almost like.. a branding of sort. Depending on the brand, I should be able to tell what kind of curse it is.." he told the princess, his focus now on the King before him as he opened the man's shirt and slipped his hand under it, feeling around until he felt it on the right side of his ribs. "Here we are.." he mumbled, pulling the shirt down a bit so he could get a clear look. The mark appeared to be a sun and crescent moon of sorts with a face. The eyes are closed and around the face are swirls. There is a single dot atop the forehead. "What do you think?" "It's the Forever Sleep.." he lifted his head to look over at the princess, watching as she appeared to be looking through her father's belongings, mainly the jewelry. He went ahead to look back at the mark, taking in the design. This was a powerful Witch indeed to have put this kind of curse on him. "How... how much longer does he have?"

12:02 PM

"Well.." Serenil sighs, fixing the shirt and buttoning it back up, bringing the covers back up to where they had been before. "Whoever cast this curse is powerful. I'm not sure who would have done such a thing. By the looks of it though.." the elf straightened himself, pushing his hair back behind his back before turning his gaze to the princess who appeared to be trying to undo her corset. He quietly made his way across the room while still talking, just so he didn't sneak up on her, not like he would since she was looking in the mirror and would see him anyway. "Your people are taking care of him, I see he doesn't look malnourished at all, which means they are feeding and keeping him hydrated. How long he will live is whether your family decides to give up on him or not.. I'm not saying you should, but the chances of finding this Witch or Warlock responsible is slim. Especially someone as powerful as they are. From what I sensed anyway.." "This damn-" "Here.. Allow me" he said, his voice quiet and gentle, as those sharp eyes looked over her back, stopping just a couple feet away from her and raising one hand slowly to rest on her upper back between her shoulder blades. "Turn for me.." he let his hand guide her, having her back now facing him as he lowered his hand to the middle of her back, bringing his other over and undoing the strings as if he'd done it a thousand times before. He understood how uncomfortable these things were, yet they were made to make a woman more appealing. The sacrifice was lack of air and squished guts. Despite the serious look on his face, he was rather attractive. It probably played into the fact that his species were fair skinned and had nice features. Though his body he worked hard at to maintain. "The only other way to have this curse undone, is to find the witch responsible and convince them to undo it. They are powerful, and you'd be a fool to go up against someone with that much power. A Mundane like yourself wouldn't survi

12:02 PM

ve.." he was blunt but honest. A Mundane like herself would only end up dead trying to confront someone. What's more, this spell was powerful. If they were to even hope to figure out who did it, Serenil would need more information. Once the corset was off, he took a step back to give her space, his hands resting behind his back once more. "What was the last big gathering your Kingdom hosted? Something with lots of people.."

12:04 PM

The Forever Sleep Curse Mark

SPOILER

12:04 PM

@Kiru!

Angel eyed Serenil carefully as he approached her, her trembling hands dropped to her sides as he asked her to turn. She did exactly that, of course. Unsure how else to respond, especially when he was speaking so softly. With her back now facing Serenil, he'd make quick work of the strings. Angel figured this wasn't his first time taking off a corset and felt her stomach do a cartwheel. She pushed the thought aside and took in the way his dark strands of hair complemented his complexion. Serenil was an attractive man, there was no doubt about that, which meant Angel would be constantly fighting her own mind to focused on the task at hand. She let out a sigh of relief as the corset fell the the ground. Her sides ached a bit, but other than that she was fine. It was most likely do to all the extra curricular activities she'd been doing today. Swinging giant swords, crawling through secret tunnels and climbing up castle walls, no wonder her body was feeling sore. "What was the last big gathering your Kingdom hosted? Something with lots of people.." Angel let out a light hum as she tilted her head to the side, deep in thought about the Elf's question. "The summer ball a month before my father had gotten cursed.." Angel turned around and craned her neck to look up at him. There was merely any inches between them, honestly.. he'd be in a lot of trouble for being so close to someone of her status and Angel would be in trouble for fraternizing with someone below noble ranks. "You seem to have experience with curses.. how come?" The Princess could've sworn she felt chills rush throughout her body as she met the warlocks blue gaze. He was truly breath taking. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she questioned him. Her eyes flitted to his arms and the bindings on them, for some reason Angel wanted to reach out and trace them with her fingers. She wondered what they meant in the witch world. It didn't go unnoticed by Angel that his forearms were very defined, her ey

3:34 PM

es lingered for a split second before she looked back up at the man and took a step back. @PunkPulse (Fauna)

He continued to work on the strings for the corset, taking his time of undoing the strings to allow her lungs to breathe once he had finally loosened it enough that she could slip out of it. He could feel her gaze on him from the mirror, but pretended not to notice. He knew that his elven charm would catch eyes, especially for Humans who rarely saw them. They mainly lived away from Humans, but there have been little villages or communities here and there in this country that you could find if you strayed off the roads far enough. "The summer ball a month before my father had gotten cursed.." "A month before? Hm, you had lots of guards stationed during that event, correct?" he asked her, watching as she turned her head to look up at him. He was certainly taller than her, and if anything his appearance did stick out, especially here in the Kingdom. Which meant if they were to figure out how this curse started, he'd have to tread carefully. Any magic used would alert the Wards and he barely escaped with his life the first time. "I would say there is a good chance that the Witch or Warlock responsible could have taken advantage of the event. If the King was present at the ball, he would be well guarded, which would mean hardly any chance to curse him. Too many guards, too many eyes." An interesting thought came to mind however. As far as he could tell, there hadn't been any guards on their way to the tower after getting out of the secret tunnel. Could the person responsible have done something similar? He brought a hand up to his chin to think, his eyes narrowing slightly, lost in thought. "You seem to have experience with curses.. how come?" He paused for a moment upon hearing her question, no doubt curious. She probably only knew the bare minimum when it came to Witches and Warlocks, or at least whatever information was fed to her from the Church. A quiet sigh left his lips before he lowered his hand, noticing that she had been staring at the tattoos on his

4:05 PM

wrists. If she was curious about anything, asking questions didn't do any harm. Not a whole lot of people knew about Witches and because of it that's what stemmed from fear. "Let's just say that I'm dealing with one of my own.." he said quietly. "I was an idiot back then and ended up pissing off a Warlock.. I was drunk at the time and I.. tend to get a bit.. flirtatious when under the influence of alcohol" he admits, hating that he even brought it up. "Anyway, I ended up flirting with a Warlock's woman, unbeknownst to me, and in retaliation.." Serenil slowly began to unbutton the rest of his shirt, opening it up a bit more to reveal his bare torso. Like a soldier or knight who worked hard and mastered the sword, Serenil's body seemed to match that, minus the sword. On his naval however was a mark. This mark was a heart split in two surrounded by thorned vines or brambles. Though it looked more like a brand from a cast-iron brander that one would use for cattle. In this case it was a curse burned into the person's skin. The one defect along his body. "It's called the Succubus's Hold.. it.. well.." he clears his throat, trying to find a way to explain this without embarrassing or upsetting the woman in front of him. "Essentially.. if I do not have intercourse after 3 days since the last, it starts to tick down on my life.. A messed up way to kill someone.." He cleared his throat again, turning away so he could rebutton his shirt and tuck it back into his pants, leaving several unbuttoned so it showed off his chest like before. "I've been down in that prison for at least 3 days, so I already know that I've lost a year already.. I'm sure since getting this curse, I've lost several years on my life.." Once he had adjusted and fixed his shirt, he turned around to look at her once more. "Anything else you wish to know, your Highness?" he asked.

4:06 PM

Succubus's Hold Mark

SPOILER

4:06 PM

@Kiru!

“I would say there is a good chance that the Witch or Warlock responsible could have taken advantage of the event. If the King was present at the ball, he would be well guarded, which would mean hardly any chance to curse him. Too many guards, too many eyes” Angel nodded meekly, “So it couldn’t have happened during the ball… Maybe that wasn’t when he was cursed..” She chewed at her bottom lip nervously. Running different possibilities through her head, Was it possible for a non-witch or warlock to perform magic? Was that even possible? Could a normal person wield magic? “You seem to have experience with curses.. How come?” Replaying the question in her head now made Angel feel a little dumb. He was a Warlock, of course he would know about curses. But he didn’t seem to think it was such a dumb question, considering he answered her in full. As he explained his personal history with curses her eyes stayed on his the entire time. She abused this moment and really took the time to admire his elven features. Serenil looked like a Prince straight out of a fairytale, the one Princesses always fell madly in love with after being heroically saved by them. Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach so wildly it made her feel like hunching over and throwing up. Even after taking a step back, she felt like they were too close. The room felt extremely small, which was strange considering how big it really was. In a horrible attempt to ignore the attraction, Angel snorted slightly at the end of Serenil’s story time. “So.. let me get this straight. You start dying if you don’t put your ‘man parts’ in ‘lady parts’ after a few days?” She couldn’t help but giggle a bit as she sidestepped the Warlock and moved to the side of the King’s bed. She smiled softly as she started buttoning her father’s shirt back up. “I’ll find the one who did this.. I promise,” she whispered inaudibly. @PunkPulse (Fauna)

For a moment he was silent. Allowed her to take him in and also take in the information he had provided. His curse was truly a silly one, enough that even the princess couldn't help but laugh at him. But, no other emotion shows on his face that showed he was upset or truly annoyed with her. Instead he let his gaze stay on her as she asked for clarification on his curse. "So.. let me get this straight. You start dying if you don't put your 'man parts' in 'lady parts' after a few days?" "You laugh but what I speak is the truth, your Highness.." he says calmly. "I don't jest about my own suffering. However if you wish to see me as a mere whore, I won't stop you. That's how everyone sees me. Though, I find it rather annoying really. And the dying part.. is painful. It feels like someone is constricting your chest, your very heart starts to struggle until it can't anymore.." he watched her walk past him and towards the bed where her father lay. Serenil kept his hands behind his back as he walked along and followed after, keeping his distance from her this time as if he noticed how uncomfortable she seemed to feel. "Finding them will prove difficult, your Highness. Since we do not know their face, tracking them will be near impossible." He said in a blunt matter-of-fact kind of way. "I've been searching for mine for 4 years now.." There was a pause as he tried to think of what they could do. The King no doubt won't survive too long if the Kingdom decides to cease taking care of him. Especially in his forever sleep. "I could perform a spell that will connect me to the one who cast it. It will show me a few moments through their eyes before they cast the curse. But.. it will require complete concentration.. and some blood. My magic requires sacrifice and that sacrifice is blood. If you aren't squeamish with it.." he warned. (edited)

10:53 AM

@Kiru!

"I could perform a spell that will connect me to the one who cast it. It will show me a few moments through their eyes before they cast the curse. But.. it will require complete concentration.. and some blood. My magic requires sacrifice and that sacrifice is blood. If you aren't squeamish with it.." The princess stepped away from the bed and hummed as she kept her head down and h er eyes focused on the King. “Do what you must. We don’t have much time though, so do it fast.” Angel returned to the dressers and went rummaging for anything of value. After a second she’d find a pouch and decided to use it to dispose of all the jewelry she planned on taking. After scooping her mini fortune into the small pouch she watched serenil like a hawk as he performed his spell. Her eyes seemed to widen in wonder and fascination as she watched. Part of her wished she could do something so extraordinary, but could you imagine? The princess dabbling in the dark arts and becoming an ally of the devil? Once the ritual, or whatever Serenil was doing, was over Angel made her way back out to the balcony and leaned over the railing. She realized then, that she was now running away with a warlock. The Kingdom, her mother would be pissed. If Angel knew any better, she'd bet the Queen would go around putting Serenil’s face on posters and saying he kidnapped the Princess. They would be hunted with a bounty on his head, how could she possibly disguise herself? How could he? If Angel thought disguising herself would be difficult, then trying to disguise elf boy over here would be impossible? As she swung her leg over the edge of the balcony she looked up to see Serenil making his way out as well. @PunkPulse (Fauna)

"Do what you must. We don't have much time though, so do it fast." "As you wish, your Highness" he would say before searching around the room for something sharp, he'd need a bit more blood and the amount he could get from biting his cheek or thumb was not nearly enough nor fast enough of a flow since they were on a time crunch. Above the mantle of the fireplace he saw a sword and he walked over to it, not even to pick it up but to move his hand under the sharp blade and in one swift motion, sliced the palm of his hand. The wound opened and blood started to flow out of the wound. He took his hand to his mouth and let the blood flow onto his tongue, some dripping down the side of his mouth. Closing his eyes he let his hand rest at his side as he opened his mouth to speak an incantation. "Tibi offero hunc sanguinem in commutationem da mihi facultatem videndi id quod iam factum est." I offer you this blood, in exchange, grant me the ability to see that which has already happened.. As he opened his eyes, all Angel would see is white. No signs of any pupils, or those gray eyes of his. A faint white glow coming from those eyes as he stood there for a moment, letting the spell take it's effect. "I seek the one who cursed the King.." he would say, as the spell started to get stronger, the light in his eyes moving to envelop his body in a light white glow. *When his vision came to, he found he was looking through the eyes of the one who cursed the King. He wouldn't be able to see what they look like apart from what they were seeing. At the moment, the person in question was climbing the trellis, much like Serenil and Angel had done just a moment ago. It was at night, so nobody would be able to see them. Judging from their hands, they appeared male, but he wasn't sure how old, they looked strong physically though. The clothing they wore was shrouded in a black robe, no doubt to mask their appearance and blend in with the dark. Chances are the Warlock who was scaling

12:10 PM

the trellis had put a spell on that cloak to trick prying eyes.* Once the Warlock had reached the top and pulled himself up onto the balcony, they could see through the doors that the King was retiring for the night. The Warlock would sit there and wait, perched on the balcony's railing until the light of a candle went out and the room was bathed in darkness. When there was silence and no stirring, the Warlock moved off the railing and stood, he appeared to be around the same height as Serenil. Interesting. More information for the Elf to go off of. When those French doors opened, the Warlock stepped inside, it was dark, but the sudden light of a small flame on his finger gave him enough of a faint light to wander the room silently. The figure was looking around, taking in the layout of the room as he passed by the fireplace that was currently out, but also passing by the sword, where the reflection in the metal along with the small flame showed just the tiniest hint of what the Warlock's face looked like. It was.. wait.. the face in the reflection didn't match what he saw earlier when the figure climbed the trellis. The face he saw.. was one of a demon. No mistaking it, the horns atop his head were long and curled, and reddish brown hair with golden eyes and pointed ears.

12:10 PM

The demon walked towards the bed where the King lay asleep, unaware of the intruder in his room. There, he raised his hand over the King's chest and began reciting an incantation, one that sounded similar to the language Serenil used. "Maledicti sint damnati, et fortes debiles. Haec te vincula somno tuo in aeternum alligant. Pati in agonia tardius in nihilum contabescis, non cognoscet anima tua requiem quia malus es." "May the damned be cursed and the the strong made weak. Let these chains bind you to your forever sleep. Suffer in agony as you slowly waste away into nothing, your soul shall know no rest for thou are wicked." Already, a white flame could be seen over the King's chest, right where Serenil had found the mark, it burned hot and the King writhed in pain before settling, unable to awaken once the curse rooted itself. However, there was one more piece of evidence that Serenil could see. That piece was on the back of the Demon's hand, a Leviathan Cross etched into the skin deep. A nasty scar. Finally, the spell faded and Serenil's eyes returned to normal. His brows knit together as he looked at the sword behind him, the blood dripping from when he had sliced his hand on the cool metal. Quickly, Serenil went over to the small basin near the King's bedside and washed his hand, cleaning his hand from the wound. It looked to have stopped bleeding at least, which was good. Ringing out the cloth, he brought it over to the mantle and wiped down the sword of the blood and any that dripped onto the mantle before returning the cloth to the basin. Once he finished, he followed after Angel who was making her way over towards the balcony. He'd tell her in time what he saw, but for now, it was best to leave before they were caught. (edited)

12:10 PM

@Kiru!