I know you saw the "update" message and were like "holy shit RDQ update 39!" Sorry folks, been too sapped for that.
So I thought of an experiment. What if I wrote one of the side stories I really fucking want to write? Sure I'll probably do a horrible job at it, it might even be confusing as fuck, but who really cares?
The point of this experiment is to see if I can write something the back of my mind finds like "WTF" level exciting, and then ride the overflow into my normal stuff. As the current problem with this isn't lack of time, as much as lack of creative energy to give a shit. Pointless paperwork does that to ya. I like paperwork with a point though, really do. Hell I like anything with a point. If I can draw blood with it, it is a friend of mine.
If this works, you'll probably see both more regular updates, and side stories.
This scene is not really plot important. I mean, everything in it is canon, but it's Pre-War of Darkness, so, like, nothing your character does will ever actually be impacted by this scene directly. And uh, it certainly isn't about anyone you know...
Side story: Dethroning the King of Plague
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Tales of the King of Plague's cruelty were known farther than any single man could travel. Horror stories about this evil king were told on worlds so far away she'd never even heard of them. The stories speak of no origin, no world wanting to piss off another by accusing them of breeding such a monster. For instance, they say she was once told she couldn't be a king because she was female. As she'd heard it, the King of Plague devoured the idiot whole.
It was on this day, thinking about dark tales, that our hero, a young blonde headed girl in bleach white leather, was really starting to have second thoughts. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Kin?" She asked an identical girl to her right in a whisper, careful not to accidentally alert the men and women behind her of her doubts.
"Of course!" The identical girl grinned back, closing her eyes for further effect. "Why are you so worried anyway?" Her sister asked. "I told you we'll be fine. The stories are overblown, and even if they're not, we have fifty soldiers with us!"
"Ya..." The young blonde hero weakly whispered back, "I just had a dream."
"Oh?" Her twin inquired. "A dream? Like back in Noven?" A sly quirk to her grin flashing quickly.
Red faced our hero shook her head. "No, nothing like Noven. I... I had a dream of an endless game."
"A game? You mean like Legacy? You really need to stop with the all nighters, this entire sleeping during the day thing is really messing with your head." Her sister laughed, ushering her worries away.
"Ya... you're right, it probably is just lack of sun." Letting her older sister lend her confidence, she forewent conversation as they walked. Today was the day everything would change after-all, they were going to take down the King of Plague and bring honor to their family. Never again would they worry about food, or being used as pawns in another's fight.
Her confidence took a hit again, as they came across the drawbridge for the castle their target resided in. The stories of the structure certainly weren't embellished, if anything they were underplaying it. The castle in front of them was larger than even their lord Xav's.
Her sister gave her another eyeless grin before turning towards the crowd of soldiers she commanded. "I know many of you may be having second thoughts, I'll admit even I've had to second guess whether this is really worth the risk." The crowd faltered, growing silent. Even our hero gave a questioning gaze at her sibling, speeches don't normally start admitting doubts after-all.
"But those doubts are meaningless compared to why we are here! I will not bore you with lies, claims of righteous justice. We may be here to dethrone an evil beast, but we are not paladins!" Weary nods of agreement slowly swept over the crowd. "Do not lie to yourselves! We are here for our loved ones, our children, crying in worry over whether or not we will come home after every call to arms is made! We are here as fathers, as wives, daughters and sons! We fight for status, for livelihood. A better life!"
Cries erupted, our hero stared at her sister. "So that's where she's going with this."
"Paladins suffer for principle, heroes die alone, those who bring tragedy have no place among us today. We are survivors, and tonight we will hold a king's head on our shoulders, riches and power beyond our imagining in our laps. There is no turning back now, only one thing matters. What will your families speak of when the news reaches their ears? Tragedy, or a better life!?"
"A better life!" exploded from the men in front of her. Her grin growing stronger with every call. "Then let us take down a king!" She shouted as she stabbed her sword into the air, dozens of blades following.
--
Our blonde hero in white leather armor stood next to her sister a few feet from a throne. They both wore lone swords sheathed at their waists, a crest of a white horse etched into the hilt. Behind them fifty men and women in heavy armor stood at the ready, shields, swords, and spears drawn and aimed forward. Even with the absolutely massive size of the throne room, they barely fit, they'd have to be careful not to hit each-other in the ensuing battle.
On the throne, sat a lone small girl, mayhaps eleven years in appearance. Pale skin contrasted by the ultra black look of almost every other part of her. Obsidian eyes reflected the image in front of her flawlessly, and her elegant midnight dress left no room for misunderstanding. The thing in front of them was far older than any of them, and probably the most vile being they'd ever encounter.
Our blonde hero, spoke up in the silence reigning from everyones' confusion on how to react to the rather unintimidating appearance of a dark lord. "We have come to take your throne." She matter-o-factly stated, unsure of quite how to word it with more noble countenance. She was a lower class peasant, military power or not.
The black haired monster raised its head at the blonde, obsidian eyes meeting. The hero couldn't help but feel something strange pass between them, but a moment before the monster's jaw tilted upwards. "Is that it? Why the soldiers then, why not just ask?" The monstrosity stood up, brushed off the elegant chair with her hand, and pointed at the hero. "Take it."
"Wha?" She sputtered back. "You'll give us your throne? Just like that?"
Obsidian mirrors stared unflinching. "Well ya, it is just a chair. Though I'm not sure about all of them, kind of big for it. You'll fit though, come on, sit." The mirrors ushered the blonde onto the throne, and had the decency to look smug about it. She noted, that in the reflection she really didn't look like any sort of lord on the chair. Nor did she feel any different. In the stories the throne was always talked about as some kind of mark of greatness, but she had to agree with the dark king. It really was just a chair.
She was interrupted from her musing by a chaotic giggle from the girl in front of her. Dark lord or not, she did sound rather cute and childish. Really put into perspective that entire don't judge a demon by its cover thing, from this display she'd assume the girl was innocent instead of an evil monster.
The dark lord drew in closer, and whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry. I do know what you mean, but I couldn't resist a good joke." At this she stiffened, ready for a fight. "You sit right there," straps made of shadow encompassed the hero's hands, tying her down to the chair, "and I'll deal with you in a minute."
Our hero didn't even have time to shout a warning before a wing made of a strange purple substance reminiscent of living shadow shot out of the previously giggling child's back.
The trapped hero's sister was sent flying through the crowd of soldiers from the force as a lone wing hit her in the face. The scent of blood hit her nose as multiple pained screams erupted from where her sister had landed.
The creature smiled reassuringly before kicking off the ground. Poof, just like that, it was out of site, a quickly dissipating purple mist left in her wake.
Time moved slowly as they all looked up and around for their enemy, but our hero knew better. The ground beneath her soldiers was darker than before. "Under you, move!"
Most of them jumped away at the command, but some of them were not trained soldiers, but farmers conscripted, or volunteers specifically for this assault. And looked down, wasting the valuable time given by their secondary commander to get out of the way. And of those standing there instead of moving, some got in the way of those who did move, causing many more to trip.
When nothing happened for a second she thought maybe it was a ruse, an icy feeling gripped her heavily at the idea, what if she'd just set her men up for a trap? She'd never be able to look at her men again if even one of them died because she was hasty.
As if to reassure her she wasn't wrong, though it certainly wasn't actually reassuring, the ground exploded in a mountain of purple spikes. Just like that, without a moment to even scream, half of her men were reduced to more hole than corpse.
The spikes melted away into a sludge. It slowly inched back to the center of the room where it built on itself until it was about four feet high. Then, as if it was never anything else, a dark lord stood there innocently smiling. Utterly uncaring that she was surrounded on every side as a result of the soldiers dodging in every direction.
"You know, I just had this room cleaned, and blood stains while pretty, don't go so well with the lighting." She swung her hand out dramatically at the bodies and suddenly looked thoughtful. "I know, clean-up time!" Her arm writhed, and small creatures shot out by the hundreds. They were inky black, the only colored part of them giant, at-least compared to the rest of them, silver teeth. The previously living soldiers dirtying the dark king's floor mere memories within seconds as they went to work.
"Now," she looked at the men and women around her, "your move." The childish smile never having left her face, drove home that the relic in front of them was not in fact weak with age as they'd been told, but perhaps even stronger than ever. It should be said that these soldiers were not cowards by any means, but that they were well aware the tactical importance of attacking in the opposite direction. Especially when running away from demons, and screaming.
"Ugh, soooo boring! Everyone always runs!" Screams of fear rapidly morphed to screams of agony down the hall as the floor opened up under the soldiers. Within seconds, the screams stopped entirely, a red mist slowly falling to the floor was the only sign they were ever there.
The room was still, only three bodies remained. The hero, firmly attached to the throne. The sister, unconscious and bleeding with a sword through her shoulder. And the King of Plague, standing in the center grumbling something about ungrateful soldiers, and boring playmates.
It was this that the sister awoke to. She struggled to her feet, before seeing her beloved sibling trapped on the throne, and the monster the only possible reason. "Let her go!" She shouted, rushing forward before suddenly stopping as four pointed shadows erupted from the floor into the spaces between her torso and limbs. Painfully disabled, she fell to the floor as they retracted, slamming down without even a shout. She wouldn't show her sibling's captor the indignity, no, she wasn't in pain at all.
The wings of the demon bubbled for a moment, and seven long clawed arms appeared from them. They instantly cleared the distance between themselves and the girl, picking her up in the air against her will. "Ooh, what to do with you? Strong, I like that." She started to walk forward before her captive finally cried out.
"No, don't kill her, please." She pleaded, and suddenly her sister was unconscious again and embedded in the wall next to her, a tiny dark lord in front of her captive, obsidian eyes gazing deeply into the girl's own orbs.
"It's a rule, only one of you can leave." She stated pointledly while continuing to stare like she was talking to a slow child.
"Then let it be her." The trapped girl defiantly ordered.
"In return, you'll give yourself to me?" The obsidian mirrors never left for even a second, allowing her to see her tear streaked self as she gave in.
"Whatever you want, just, please."
A more sinister grin than before split the demon's face, and she couldn't help but wonder just what kind of torture she'd just given herself to. "Well then, let us play." Only a second went by before the demon lord leaned over and crashed their lips together. For a moment she worried that the dark lord had some strange intent to have her way with her, but she soon realized there was an endless and heavy sludge filling her throat and continued to force its way down against her will. She could feel it, already eating away at her mind, or maybe that was the lack of oxygen. "At-least sis will survive." Was all she could think before her vision went black.