#godless: prologue
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Godless
Summary: The thriving streets with booming businesses have come to a stand still. Curfews and police raids every few hours to seize any whiff of narcotics terrorised every person, regardless of involvement. The Upper Side lies unfaltering in their picket fences. In this induced borderline dystopia, in your cardboard box apartment you have found a strange joy in watching the actions of a tangerine-stealing thug.
pairing: suga/yoongi/agust d x fem!reader
part warning(s): drug trafficking
a/n: this is still very fun
PROLOGUE
The air smelled of nothing. Every inch of the hall was so clean that the novices took their time with every breath, inhaling the rare fresh air, filling their stomach with it and trying to hold it in as long as they could.
"I will now begin to present the details of the latest report of seized narcotics from LB-Z*. The entire block has been sealed for now. But our sources tell us that this block was the latest den of Suga-"
"Suga, again?"
"Is he real? I thought that was just for the news?"
"What kind of a name is that?"
The Commissioner cleared his throat, immediately shutting up the murmurs inside the hall. He was old but when he spoke, he sounded another ten years older. He croaked, "No face to the name still?"
The presenter nervously looked towards her superior before stuttering out some vague excuses.
"Do we even know if it is one person or a gang?"
Silence spread through the hall. Every breath could be counted. No one could really understand how this kept happening. Ever since the Complete Narcotics Seize* began in 2025, the nation watched as the reputation of the Korean National Police only flew higher and higher. Drug trafficking cases that were unsolved for years were being closed one after another and just when the international eye fell on the Republic of Korea, Suga appeared.
The Busan LBs*, which had been quietened, were suddenly posing a huge obstruction to the nation's falling crime rate. The tensions were high as the stakes were higher. Large scale meetings and conferences were being held and Busan Metropolitan Police suddenly became the most searched on the internet.
It was obvious that a hall full of officers of every rank couldn't understand why suddenly their well put efforts were failing. The murmurs floated from inside the hall to the building, gently spreading through the city until the internet's most searched topic became Suga.
—
"Are these fresh?"
The shopkeeper eyed the man before him, finding it funny how a grown man was drooling over some tangerines.
"Yes. Just brought them in. How many?"
"Four."
The shopkeeper nodded, packing it in a polythene and tying a neat knot before handing it over. The crisp notes he received felt unreal, almost like they were just printed.
"Are you coming from the bank-"
The man was gone by then. Elated, skipping steps with his dear tangerines swinging in the polythene in sync with his unruly hair.
"What a weirdo!"
LB-Z: Busan which has become the hub of the drug trafficking business has been segregated into categorical regions by the police.
The Upper Blocks and the Lower Blocks comprise Busan. The Upper Blocks are further classified into smaller blocks named, UB-A, UB-B. These blocks are further subdivided into UB-A1 and so on till UB-B1. The basis of the categorization is not disclosed to the public.
The Lower Blocks are divided the same way with LB-A, subdivided into LB-A1 and so on till LB-B1.
LB-Z is a whole block; the very last block at the very edge of the city. It is particularly known to have the worst crimes and cheapest real estate.
Complete Narcotics Seize: Launched in May of 2025 as a 'cleansing operation' by the Korean National Police. The operation focuses on the thorough investigation of all cases related to narcotics. It began with the reopening of closed cases and proceeded to take the entirety of the Republic of Korea by storm. While not officially disclosed, it is rumoured that the operation was launched right before the raid of the offices of Eco-blue, an eco friendly clothing chain, owned by the son of a Presidential Candidate.
Busan LBs: Busan Lower Blocks
#agust d#agust d ff#bts#bts angst#bts army#bts fanfic#bts fanfiction#bts ff#bts fluff#bts smut#yoongi ff#yoongi x reader#yoongi fanfic#min yoongi#yoongi#suga#suga fanfic#godless: prologue#kk k kk: godless
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 [END]
you know how you don't adopt cats, cats adopt you? Well here we have Narinder adopting a dad
(I encourage you to view each page in a new tab, it's all sketch so you can see all my thought and build lines but I think it's clear enough?)
This is sort of a prologue for this AU I've talked about and is one of like... 3 or 4 parts
That horrible moment realization, regret and grief hits you all at the same time
I like long-furred Narinder I think he should embrace manbun life /kidding (unless... (/j/j))
Ignore the perspective issues on the last page I got very tired (am sick today) and I am a firm believer in doing things bad but having fun. That being said I had zero intention of making backgrounds for this and just generalizing everything but then I drew the crumbling ancient temple platform and the divine battleground and it was over I needed backgrounds from there on out-
Does the world of Cult of the Lamb have the same meaning for middle fingers? Who knows, I just thought it'd be funny for Narinder to double-flip off Lamb as he's disappearing into the teleportation stone. Don't @ me <3
I didn't want there to be any dialogue so I hope the story is clear through the pictures alone but if not, there's an explanation below the cut
After being defeated, Narinder finds himself on the indoctrination stone, the manacles still around his wrists and neck. The Lamb offers him mercy- a place to live. But Narinder refuses. He gets to his feet on his own and runs to the teleportation stone, and the Lamb is too surprised for a moment to realize what's happening. They try to stop him, knowing how injured Narinder is and that this stunt will only aggravate Narinder's wounds, but Narinder is running on anger, regret, humiliation and adrenaline- and he is much older than the Lamb is and knows more locations than the Lamb does. He knows about the long-fallen territory on the very edge of the Old Faith's land, what was once a grand city of gods having become a divine battlefield eons ago; it is the only place he can think to go, stumbling his way down the stairs that are much too big for his newly mortal form and running for the forest beyond the Old Faith's border.
Running through the old beaten paths of the forest, he trips and finds himself unable to pull himself back up, his adrenaline fading almost as soon as he hits the ground and the pain of his wounds flares up. He allows himself to fall unconscious, thinking maybe he will just quietly perish out there in the woods, but is found by an older canine passing through. Finding the injured Narinder, the old dog puts him on the cart he pulls and takes him to his home, tending to his wounds.
Narinder wakes up in pain, finding himself in a strange, unfamiliar place, and his savior brings him food. Narinder struggles, his hands shakey and everything in pain, but he is resistant at first to the old dog's aid. Over time, as the dog tends his wounds and gives him clothes to wear and changes his bandages, Narinder begins to accept his help and allows him to help exercise his limbs while he's bed bound and, eventually, help him to walk again. Months pass them by, from summer to autumn to winter until it's spring. The old dog is happy for Narinder's progress and gives Narinder a fond pat on his head, unintentionally reminding Narinder of Shamura.
In the spring, Narinder is able to walk on his own, though he uses a cane to aid him. He explores the old dog's home, since the dog isn't around as much as he used to be now that Narinder is mostly independent again. Narinder spots him out a window, tending to a garden, and steps outside to discover he's on a farm. It's a large farm, though not very bountiful; it's a wheat field, one that clearly suffers from the lack of a god's blessing- in a world of gods, a godless village can only just get by. Beyond the fields are more homes and sheds, and people tend the fields.
He joins the old dog in the garden after being invited over, and the dog gives him a flower bulb to plant. Narinder remembers when he and Leshy did this exact same thing, with Leshy showing Narinder how to plant the flower bulb in the dirt; as he gently buries it, he can feel Leshy's phantom hands over his own, as if guiding him. To Narinder's surprise, not only does the flower bloom as soon as it has been covered, but it spreads out; the garden bursts to life with the strange black and white flowers, and they grow wildly through and around the garden, reaching all the way to three graves under a solitary tree.
Narinder is looking at his hands in shock, not having expected to be able to do this; he had thought his magic was gone, the last vestiges of it used to activate the teleportation stone when he escaped. As he looks at them, the manacle around his neck falls off, landing in his hands, and begins to dissipate into residual magic, and he remembers Leshy- Leshy, pleading with him to hold his tongue, to give up on his newest, heretical ideas, that the world isn't ready to hear it and the consequences would be too great and the other Bishops wouldn't allow him to pursue it. Realizing all at once exactly what he lost- what he threw away when he refused to heed his brother's warnings and wait for the right time, when the world was ready- he breaks down, doubling over in tears- the first tears he's allowed himself for nearly a thousand years, now. Hurt from the betrayal, regret for what he did and made the Lamb do, grief for what his siblings did in fear of him- it all hits him at once.
The old dog reaches out to him, and Narinder clings to him, letting himself completely break down. The kind dog just holds him while he cries.
(Not shown: the old dog shows Narinder the shrine, explaining what it is and what the painted flat stones are for. He gives Narinder flat stones to paint and goes outside to speak to the graves of his own family, even though it's begun to rain.)
Narinder paints four stones, each one with a symbol on top that he associates with his siblings (a book for Shamura, a diamond crystal for Kallamar, stalks of wheat for Heket, and a camellia for Leshy). He doesn't really forgive them for their betrayal of him, doesn't forgive them for locking him away for a thousand years- but it soothes an ache deep inside, to accept that even if he can't forgive them he can mourn them and regret his part in all this. That despite everything there was still love- it's conflicting, but it's almost like... closure. Or, at least, the start of it.
He makes tea and offers it to the old dog when he comes inside, and they sit together and drink tea while listening to the rain. The four stones sit on the shrine now, with the dog's family's stones, cementing the fact that Narinder has accepted that he isn't leaving this house.
Thus, the old dog becomes the adopted father of a 5,000+ year old cat ex(?)-god.
#cult of the lamb#cotl au#Narinder Ran Away au#<- might need a snappier title lol#Narinder#the Lamb is there for a bit#cotl oc#Justa Arts#sketch#wip#idk how many parts there will be to this#the dog will be in at least one more#but unlike Nari he is not immortal- and Nari no longer has the ability to revive the dead or grant immortality soo....
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listen if you love amc iwtv and haven’t read the books I’m begging you to read The Vampire Lestat. I know there’s hardcore fans out there who love book one and think you need to read them all in order and I respect the grind, I really do. But.
The Vampire Lestat changed me.
Everything about it was so instantly fascinating. The My Immortal ass prologue, the eloquent writing, the struggles with religion, the history, the overt queerness (this was pre amc iwtv so all I had was the movie ok 😭), the campiness, the quotes that run through my head night and day. Lestat is a bombastic protagonist who’s desperate to survive and find a single ounce of love in a godless world. You get to see a new side of Armand, you get Nicki, you get Lestat’s mother (who I could write a whole essay on). You get the Loustat reunion in all its emotionally glory. If you want to know why the went so hard with the show I implore you to read that book.
Interview is good but TVL is powerful. Where Interview was full of grief, TVL is full of hope and pessimism and defiance that rose from the ashes of that grief. You can feel how much Anne changed in the 7 years between the two books not just as an author but a person. Is it perfect? No of course not, its kind of insane at times. But this is the Vampire Chronicles we’re talking about, I think that’s a given (and, at many times, a positive).
((Edit because I was sleep deprived while writing this and left some stuff out: This is mostly aimed at ppl who are on the fence about reading the books after watching the show or who have tried to read Interview and weren't too grabbed by it. I would potentially recommend watching the movie, skimming book 1 and then reading book 2. The differences in Anne's writing style and opinions on religion are genuinely fascinating to read first hand. The stand out part of experiencing the two books together is how different Louis and Lestat's accounts are. It's an incredibly unique case of both protagonists being unreliable narrators that I haven't seen in other media. This post is largely just me going "hey, if you tried Interview and it made you not want to read more even though you really enjoy the ambiance/concept then TVL might be more up your alley." If you want an in-depth look into the series and if you want to catch/compare everything with the tv show, then absolutely read the first book! I did and I don't regret it, even though I do feel like book 2 is stronger. Tryna keep this short cuz I love this series and I have a million things to say hjdhsfhjkdhjh))
#Iwtv#interview with the vampire#lestat de lioncourt#amc interview with the vampire#louis de pointe du lac#iwtv claudia#amc iwtv#iwtv armand#the vampire lestat#the vampire chronicles#Anne rice#gabrielle de lioncourt#literature#lgbtq representation#queer books
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PROLOGUE: ALL ROADS LEAD TO MENZOBERRANZAN.
or, a different ending with only the illusion of choice. this is a continuation of minthara's expanded side quest, as written here. this ending falls in line with the current state of underdark politics, the fate of menzoberranzan, and the future of lolth and lolth worship in the underdark.
while any player can influence minthara into staying in the surface, i do not feel that her staying above and in the shadows is viable - much less a 'good' ending. there is no 'good' ending for minthara's story - merely neutral ones. as i personally believe she is more in line with the popular homebrew class of godless paladin of vengeance than any divinely bound paladin of vengeance, her waging war against her mother sos'umptu to usurp power and overthrow lolth is a natural progression in her arc - and while a seemingly noble cause, is done for selfish reasons: minthara intends to rule as a machiavellian matron and create a world where she and those she holds close will never be in harm's way again. she intends to build an empire there, removed from the baenre name if she can - one that will stretch far into the dark.
> IF THE PLAYER (ROMANCED) HAS CONVINCED MINTHARA TO STAY ABOVE.
after the netherbrain has been slain, minthara approaches the player expressing both disappointment and hurt that her love would turn her away from her city. she expresses that she has thought more on the matter after their conversation, and has met with her uncles and aunts again behind the player's back. she will remark that this is finally a chance to free all from lolth - not just herself - and to start anew completely in the underdark. should they be victorious, minthara stays she will be at the forefront of this new world and empire. she will offer a choice to the player: come with her, or she will leave them. if this ultimatum is rejected, minthara will express disappointment with the player - but then agree that such weakness in the underdark would only be a hinderance, not a help. if the ultimatum is accepted, both minthara and player will head into the underdark together with her family members to begin amassing an army.
>IF THE PLAYER (ROMANCED) HAS AGREED WITH MINTHARA THAT THEY WILL GO TO THE UNDERDARK
after the netherbrain has been slain, minthara approaches the player for a moment of intimacy and vulnerability - holding their hands and speaking words of praise for their prowess in battle. though minthara will allow for a day or two of celebration, she also says their new work must begin soon - and that the player should rest while they can; for it will be a long road until rest is found again. minthara will take the player to meet with the remains of her family - forming a plan with them at night in what will become a base of operations within the city. their first order of business is to find and free yvonnel ii before proceeding, and the group will then take to the underdark.
the underdark is remains inhospitable to many lifeforms - add in a mix of constantly moving camps and fighting off lolthites and baenre assassins, and it becomes an entirely different battleground. minthara is in her element here - and the group finds mercenaries, outcasts, and scorned ex-lolthites easily enough, though they still need more to proceed.
before even attempting to strike menzoberranzan, yvonnel ii will have to be freed from her banishment in the demonwebs. this will be an arduous - almost impossible - task for all involved. it must be done, regardless. yvonnel ii is a powerful asset that must be on their side. moreover, in their crusade against lolth, others must be brought to their side - paladins of eilistrae, the silverhair knights, the jaezred chaulssin ( order of assassins dedicated to ending the drow's enslavement to lolth ) before they are able to make their move. it will be a long road - but it is a war minthara is determined to win.
> IF THE PLAYER HAS CONVINCED MINTHARA TO STAY ABOVE.
after the netherbrain has been slain, minthara curtly informs the player that she will not be staying above. she expresses that she has thought more on the matter after their conversation, and has met with her uncles and aunts again behind the player's back. she will remark that this is finally a chance to free all from lolth - not just herself - and to start anew completely in the underdark. should they be victorious, minthara stays she will be at the forefront of this new world and empire. minthara will bid the player good bye, and will remark that such weakness in the underdark would only be a hinderance, not a help. she will then depart to the underdark with her family.
>IF THE PLAYER HAS AGREED WITH MINTHARA THAT THEY WILL GO TO THE UNDERDARK
after the netherbrain has been slain, minthara will approach and congratulate her ally on their victory, then say once a day or two of celebration has ended that they must speak. afterwards she will express that she has met with her family again; and will be departing to the underdark to fight soon. she will ask if the player, her friend and ally, will join them in this. if declined, she will respectfully leave. if in agreement, she says their new work must begin soon - and that the player should rest while they can; for it will be a long road until rest is found again. minthara will take the player to meet with the remains of her family - forming a plan with them at night in what will become a base of operations within the city. their first order of business is to find and free yvonnel ii before proceeding, and the group will then take to the underdark.
the underdark is remains inhospitable to many lifeforms - add in a mix of constantly moving camps and fighting off lolthites and baenre assassins, and it becomes an entirely different battleground. minthara is in her element here - and the group finds mercenaries, outcasts, and scorned ex-lolthites easily enough, though they still need more to proceed.
before even attempting to strike menzoberranzan, yvonnel ii will have to be freed from her banishment in the demonwebs. this will be an arduous - almost impossible - task for all involved. it must be done, regardless. yvonnel ii is a powerful asset that must be on their side. moreover, in their crusade against lolth, others must be brought to their side - paladins of eilistrae, the silverhair knights, the jaezred chaulssin ( order of assassins dedicated to ending the drow's enslavement to lolth ) before they are able to make their move. it will be a long road - but it is a war minthara is determined to win.
#HEADCANONS. grant silence upon those who would betray it.#i gotta do minth's eventual arc to godslayer
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for the character ask thing: venti >:3
First impression: "Oh he's cool, I see why people like him."
At the time, I'd only recently gotten into genshin and it was because of Albedo, so I was still learning about the others. I saw how many really liked Venti, but actually seeing him in-game for the first time was like 'yeah I see it.'
Impression now: "I love you come back you MOTHERFUCKER- " /lh
The end of the Prologue got me Hooked and his story quest even More. He's so,,,,, explodes
Favorite moment: My immediate thought was the whole Incident with Signora
Gotta love blorbos in situations <3
He's had a lotta cool moments though- the Irodori Festival w/ Kujou Sara is still a li'l silly to me.
This is subject to change once I finally watch a recording of the first Windblume Festival.
Idea for a story: I had to dig for this one 'cus I forgot, but I wrote down an idea for one of those "song fic" sorta things with Fourth of July by Sufjan Stevens, like stuff with him and the Nameless Bard?
also: I know I've had a corruption AU one in the works and rewritten a few times, and it does involve him a lot, if that counts? It's not centered around him/he's not the corrupted one, but like... Still
there's probably others, I just can't remember them or where I put them right now
Unpopular opinion: I don't exactly know how [un]popular this one is 'cus I don't touch on the side of the fandom that focuses more on the Cataclysm/Khanrei'ah but like.
"Oh he has the highest kill count for sure" You think the god of Freedom. Freedom. Would willingly destroy a godless nation?
Has he fought? Of course, he was there for the revolt, I think he helped out with the aristocracy with Ursa the Drake's rampage, there was the whole thing with Durin, the Archon War..
Has he killed? Also yeah, see above.
Idk it leaves a sour taste in my mouth at the thought of him willingly slaying the Khanrei'ahns and stealing their freedom to not worship a god, their freedom to just live and exist as a perfectly functioning godless nation.
Favorite relationship: I gotta be so honest for a solid 5 minutes I thought of ships but relationships could mean anything. That being said, his & Zhongli's history with each other is very interesting to me
but adding ships anyway bc fuck it :3
canon x canon- him xiao & lumine <3
canon x oc- genshin carmen for sure #biased /lh ; also my qpp's genshin oc w/ him, and also fable :3 I care them so hard dude I adore them
Favorite headcanon: ...shit^2 ummmm...good question, I have two for this one.
1) he retains his wings in his more common form. They don't look the same, they're like shrunken down a little, and don't have the golden bits. Like a little bigger than windglider wings.
2) Astraphobia on account of association with Decarabian.
okay I lied, #3, hc of him being pan &/or polyamorous. Freedom to love all genders & more than one person <3
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OMG HI OKAY SO IM SLEEP DEPRIVED AND THOUGHT OF THING SO I SHALL SHARE 3AM BRAINNT BC I REMEMBERED YOUR BLOG AND WENT WOOSH. **brainnt probably has wrong things in memory sorry**
anyways so khanri’ah was like, destroyed for its reasons // goddless nation goes bye-bye
but lowkey the other nations are godless too
like
mond— barbatos is venti who kinda does things for his ppl but like, not, he’s just there for the wine and the vibes yk
liyue— morax is “dead” and is zhongli who is just there for funsies bc liyue is now a people run place
inazuma— beelzebul is ei is in the puppet mostly so the puppet that can only do so much is kinda sorta not reallynt ruling but nah, so thats also kinda just people
sumeru— buer was locked away in baby jail for 500 years and only now is kinda out and about doing god things
fontaine— focalors is dead and was literally a scale for like 500 years
NATLAN ?????????????
SNEZHNAYA ?????????
tis all i go eep now
YEAH NO YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT and i’m almost certain that’s deliberate
whether each nation is weirdly self-contained wrt its history, or if there’s a single unified history that we haven’t totally uncovered yet, it’s clear that events in Teyvat are cyclical and repetitive
the “gods” put in charge by Celestia are WILLINGLY giving up their divine authorities for a reason that hasn’t been fully disclosed, but is almost certainly part of a big plan to get back at Celestia. i don’t think they’re trying to BAIT the Sustainer, exactly—Focalors worked her ass off to make sure Celestia WOULDN’T find out she was relinquishing her authority—but they’re definitely encouraging their people to go on like their nations are godless while still…kinda-sorta watching over them?
i don’t know if the same can be said for Natlan or Snezhnaya; people who are really into the prologue manga being canon seem to think the Pyro Archon mention therein is already dead (something something Honkai lore that i won’t disclose for spoilers’ sake), but that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t another Archon who’s taken her place.
as far as Snezhnaya is concerned…who knows. we may not find out for a while yet, or we may find out in a couple days. here’s hoping we get a little more lore through Arlecchino’s quest!
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GODLESS ANGELS— wip introduction!
Jonah Everett is, in a way he can’t put his finger on, haunted. Trying to escape his past and the small Indiana town he’s lived in his entire life, all Jonah wants is peace and freedom, yet he always finds himself inevitably dragged back to his hometown in the end. Despite all the running, though, Jonah is being followed by something inexplicable. It’s relentless, and it’s connecting the puzzle pieces of his life that Jonah would have rather forgotten-- puzzle pieces that, when put together, paint a picture of something much larger and much more terrifying than he could have ever imagined. Jonah thought that he couldn’t escape his past, and he’s beginning to realize just how right he was.
genre: religious horror, midwestern/southern gothic
setting: early 2000s in the US, primarily the midwest
themes and vibes: home that’s not a home, angels in a fucked up and scary way, malicious christianity, religious trauma, familial trauma in general, LGBTQ characters and side romance (portrayed accurately to the time period), finding yourself in the wake of trauma throughout your entire life, rejecting what’s expected of you
inspirations: ethel cain (especially inbred and sun bleached flies), analogue horror, skinamarink and heck, sort of an amalgamation of all of my past works and everything i’ve ever wanted to write
status: heavy wip, snail’s pace writing, may change a lot
very rough draft of the prologue / tag / early concept moodboard
#if you’ve been following me for awhile and the title is familiar. no it’s not <3#this story is kind of an evolved godless lambs + everything else i’ve ever wanted to write so#writeblr wip#writeblr introduction#writeblr#my writing#the angel wip#horror writeblr
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Dark!Johnny AU Snippet
This is a piece from the first chapter/prologue. My plan is to get a few chapters ahead of myself so that I can add tags in advance. Playing with the idea of an extremely posseive almost yandere inspired Johnny who lost his mind while being trapped in the Relic. That's all the context you get so far. This is gonna be my main focus once "Cute When You're Alone" is done
"Slowly, his vocals melted away and another sound filled the room that Johnny didn’t recognize. Similar to the sound of a packed crowd, the unholy screaming stayed stuck right in front of him. The datescape had nothing to break the sound up and for a long time Johnny couldn’t breathe. He didn’t need to breathe but the sensation of breathlessness still made him panic. Somehow that made the screaming get even louder and louder until it was the only thing he could hear. It was the only thing he could think of. Thoughts of his life were gone. There was nothing but that godless sound. It had no pitch, no octave, no rhythm, just an empty sound that brought him to his knees"
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House of Ashes/Thedas AU: "the Ancient one"
So I'm still not sure what the official title is gonna be but here is the first part/prologue of my very first fic I've ever posted (I've never put my writing online before please be nice)
I'm assuming knowledge of dragon age lore/world building so I won't be explaining stuff like what a calling is for example
I don't know if this should be considered the prologue and the next part as part one or prologue parts 1 & 2 since the next part has a few povs set before the main story, regardless I apologise in advance for how brutal it gets this is thus far as bad as it gets(consider it somewhere in between the level of violence of both ips)
TW/CW dismemberment, Death (next)
@kassiekolchek22
(5:10/Exalted- 2yrs before the 4th blight)
The song hummed through his mind and something else whispered underneath. When he was conscripted over a decade ago Kurum always knew he’d end up here in this endless maze of dark godless tunnels. Maybe it was arrogant to assume he wouldn’t die in some more mundane way, Balathu had always said so and if you’d told him all those years ago that he’d be grateful to go to his calling with that man he would have set your hair alight for the insult.
“How long is a calling meant to take?” As they made their way the deep roads seemed unusually quiet and the other man was agitated by the tune just below his comprehension. “Until it’s over, Nevarran.”
Balathu shot him a withering look, the pair had met at the end of a blade, being on opposite sides between warring territories had made working together unbearable when they were raw recruits but now… the jabs were those of old friends and maybe…
“Do you ever regret…”Kurum wished he could be direct. Becoming a warden, the years we’ve had together, being stuck with me…”How things turned out? “
“I wish I had a chance to see my daughter grow into a woman but Maker willing we’ll both see her soon.” Kurum couldn’t say he was as eager to die as his companion but when it comes down to it he hopes he goes first. Balathu gave him a friendly smack to the back. ”I am glad that I don’t have to do this alone my friend.”
The whispers were growing louder, competing for his attention. Kurum focused on the other man, he could ignore the presence pressing at the veil if only to die the man who came to care for his enemy. It would be a worse tragedy to continue as anything else…
“Wait.” Balathu stopped, he slowly turned trying to make out what direction the disturbance had come from. “I sense it too.” Kurum drew on the veil, the other voices begged to help but he ignored them, “How many?”
“It’s hard to tell, a half dozen maybe more…” Balathu’s blighted senses had always been more precise; not having spirts whispering in your mind had to make a difference. A large Dwarven door stood between them and the end…
Kurum had the sinking suspicion that it would all be over very quickly once they were on the other side, he gave his fellow grey warden the lightest touch to the shoulder he could manage. Balathu turned to him dark eyes more beautiful than the blackest night. He should say something but anything felt too final so instead he simply placed a quick kiss on his dearest friend’s lips.
“Fifteen years of knowing each other and you choose now!?” Balathu pulled him close, indignant at the wasted time. Kurum could only smile. “And what stopped you?”
He held in his laughter as his companion’s brow knit in pouty irritation, hiding his face in his hand they both broke. It was dangerous to laugh until your sides scream for relief in a place like this, that surviving wasn’t a priority only served to further twist the confession neither of them could put into words…
They held each other until they could breathe again. Kurum took Balathu’s face in his hands, he wanted to remember this moment when the end came. “I’m glad to have met you, my oldest and dearest friend.” Sadness built in Balathu’s eyes. “Maybe we will be together at the Maker’s side…”
“…And your daughter can laugh at us for taking so long.” He let his hands fall and Balathu caught them in his own, giving him a proper kiss. Every unspoken prayer desperately communicated, confessions swallowed up between them before they meet fate…
Kurum rest his head against Balathu’s, he wished he could cheat time and stay in this moment, wished he was brave enough to put these feelings into words, to say he loved him but as Balathu moved to push against the door he couldn’t do it. Maybe if they really did reunite in death he could say it then but for now he helped get the door…
As the heavy door slowly budged they entered a chamber lit with the harsh glow of sickly red fire clinging to life in rusted braziers. Ancient Dwarven architecture overrun with darkspawn filth, he couldn’t name the Thaig but it was a tragedy that something so grand in its construction could fall into such disrepair.
Six hurlocks milled about in the middle of the ancient street, surely there were more in the shadows; there always was…
Balathu gave him a nod as he drew his sword and Kurum loosed a fireball into the centre of the group as the other warden ran in to take advantage of the chaos. He slash one shoulder to hip turning to thrust into the chest of another. Kurum cast glyphs of paralysis freezing a third in place before its blade could reach Balathu’s head. He ducked under the fourth’s axe, slashing across its ankles, stabbing it through the heart as it fell to the ground. The mage release a second gout of flame; charring two as Balathu decapitated the last before it could recover.
The pair huffed, still alive! Balathu grinned at him. Kurum distrusted their success, his gut told him it wasn’t over, not for them and not for-
The ground shook beneath their feet, Kurum ran to Balathu’s side casting a protective barrier around them as an ogre barrelled into them bringing its over large fists down on the magical shield, the frightened men desperately held on to each other, trapped for only a moment longer.
The barrier shattered, Kurum cast spells to slow the gigantic spawn as Balathu pulled him along. They ducked behind a ruined building, exhausted. Kurum looked at Balathu, for one painful second he saw the terror in his eyes and the next he was yanked back with such force that Kurum feared his own arm would be ripped from its socket before Balathu slipped from his grasp.
Scrambling to his feet he ran back around the wall just in time to see the ogre’s grip tighten around Balathu’s middle, he tried to stab it with his free arm and as it roared in pain its other hand closed on his legs. Kurum couldn’t look away as it pulled, the demon’s screaming in his ears drowning out the sickening sound of an armoured human being torn apart like a child’s rag doll. He dropped to his knees, in an instant there was nothing left. He gave in to the demanding voice, forbidden magics flow through him powered by his rage and the blood he meant to avenge. The last thing Kurum saw was the ogre pulling apart; its entrails raining over the stone just like it had done to his dearest…
The abomination once known as Kurum stumbled to its feet, there would be others who must pay for this one’s grief and they wouldn’t be at peace until all had suffered like him…
#house of ashes#house of ashes au#dragon age au#hoa fanfic#dark pictures house of ashes#tw dismemberment#tw death#cw dismemberment#cw death#fantasy au#kurum#balathu#kurum/balathu#the dark pictures#the dark pictures anthology#grey warden#thedas au#fanfic#dragon age
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the devil went down to quantico pt3 (1.5k words)
set post demonology, premise is prentiss is actually possessed at the end of it, inspired by the exorcist; [pt 1 (prologue) | pt 2 (prentiss pov)]
reid pov, first of a 2 parter. jumping forward here to possession manifesting in bau.
“You? You? You?” The voice was terrible. It rasped and pitched, and wound around him; it seemed to emanate from everywhere but the quaking form before him.
From the years 1977 to 1979 Janet Hodgson produced a convincingly sepulchral voice, likely from the vestibular folds of her larynx, as evidence of poltergeist activity … Like kargyraa or heavy metal growls … the effect is guttural, ruptive vocality, the simultaneous production of two vocal pitches, and no lasting dysphonia …
He thought if he told himself this enough it would take on the feeling of truth. Even less plausible was how she knew he was there, staring her down through the reciprocal mirror: profiling only looked clairvoyant to those who weren't in the know. It relied on patterns and order. Everything was disorder now, unknowable: he feinted right and she jolted with him, leaned mockingly forward when he stepped back.
“You, exorcist? Godless, lifeless, purposeless— you, exorcist?”
That almost scans, he thought miserably. It had a sense of meter because of how it racked through her body, stressed syllables spasming along her outstretched arms and upturned palms. He thought back, god, years now, to Emily poking his cheek on the jet, her characteristic mischievous dryness: so lifelike. Demons, he thought, were supposed to speak out loud the things you couldn't speak, or hadn't: dark secrets, unconfessed sins. This sounded more like the beginning of a half-baked profile. Married to the work, as it were; goes home alone; lives an empty, rationalistic life, finds only minor, smug joys in it. And so it would go. Mommy issues, daddy issues, the good doctor a bundle of half-exposed neuroses waiting, ripe, for Emily’s bare teeth to plunge into them.
“You're a wicked piece of shit! You want your father dead, you want your mother dead— are you pretending this isn't real so you can pretend you're not full of rotten SIN?”
He said nothing. The ideas didn't hurt, not really— in some dark night of the soul he knew he might one day walk through, he might well level the same accusations at himself. But there was a sting to it, the sting of a furtive, peripheral glance, an appraising, judging eye. A whisper in the hallway, its syllables blurred but still discernible as his own name.
Demonic possession, he thought, was a diagnosis borne of desperate, needful hope. It was the hope that the ones you loved could not see you as you were, and were empty of the vastness of cruelty in the world. A mother thought, I should never fear my child, Q.E.D. ... Its corollary hope was that they were only right because of cosmic intervention. Without demonic intervention, the world you confronted was arbitrary and malicious: right under the surface of things, welling up through fractures and fissures, was meaninglessness, which was the same as evil.
Emily stood up, and her head tilted as she regarded the reciprocal mirror which— again— she should not have been able to see through. And it tilted further, degree by degree, to an angle that seemed to teeter on the edge of biological possibility. Her arms trembled, shoulders juddering up and down, like she might explode into a thousand pieces of defective clockwork. Like there was a second ghost in the machine, jamming it. She stepped forward in slow, odd lurches, until she was inches away. He fought the urge to take another step back. The lines of her face seemed alien, even as they were so painfully familiar. She was deathly pallid, as if carved from stone, an impression reinforced by the unnatural stillness of her usually animated features. When she spoke, nothing moved but her mouth.
“Ah. I see. Too smart for this, aren't you, Doctor? It's just a profile, isn't it, Doctor? Just vocal effects, just a collection of half-remembered facts and deductions, just psychosis circling the drain of this vapid little mind's worst suspicions. If that's true, you win, boy. Something very nasty and small in you is vindicated, isn't it?”
He said nothing.
Two knuckles of Emily’s right hand rapped on the glass. “I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE…”
The sound of heels slapping irregularly on linoleum interrupted the impasse. Penelope, winded, flushed red with panic and exertion, holding in her hand a thin binder covered in—
“Is that duct tape?”
“Ye— yeah. Story for later, if there is a later. It's the 50s Roman Ritual, Latin and English—”
Reid took it from her hand, and leafed through it. It was only the exorcism ritual, printed in lurid black and red on printer paper, with a series of early modern-looking woodcuts, dubiously demonic, interspersed throughout. The duct tape binder was also red and black, like the ritual needed a mall goth twist. He knew, roughly, the structure, and less roughly the symptoms— sudden fluency in unknown languages, impossible knowledge and clairvoyance, preternatural faculties of mind and body, and then, plurima concurrunt, they built a case. The problem was that the symptoms are highly publicized. If one were to, say, experience a delusion of possession, then the only limit to its believability would be the psychotic's own faculties, and knowledge of the appropriate literature. A vivid imagination could do a lot with The Exorcist alone. Emily's mind, he thought miserably, had probably more faculties at its disposal than religious mania typically got to play with.
“Why do you have this? Is it legitimate?” He asked because it felt like an appropriate question. It was unimaginable that it mattered. Vatican authorization would, but that had never been an option, and scarcely worth thinking. Otherwise the rite was largely impromptu and malleable, its efficacy less dependent on particular ritual structures than on the personal and institutional support of the exorcist. He remembered Father Silvano performing the rite in English, as if the possessed themselves were listening. Some concession to the families, maybe, or guilty refusal to profane the more traditional form of the rite with murder.
Maybe those racking shudders moving Emily's shoulder blades like tectonic plates were stifled demonic laughter. Again, he rehearsed the logic: it's psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. It's stress. It's the setting; like Anneliese Michel, the confluence of psychological crisis and Catholic belief breeding the delusion of possession. Hysterical strength. What Freud would call the death drive. Emily's breadth of knowledge to deploy; profiles, languages, past cases— and anything else they didn't know about her. The Catholic upbringing never came up before this. He wasn't even sure she did believe, but nonbelief had never been a true barrier to religious mania.
“Some of my witchier friends were into that dark hand path stuff? I— um— I don't know how accurate it is, I think it was pre-Vatican II because extra Catholic? I only had it here because Kevin was— well, I already said later, it doesn't matter. It's just the only thing I have on hand that I think could be useful at all—”
Reid nodded grimly. The wildness in Garcia's eyes was no doubt a mirror of his own— here they were, in a place beyond order, following whatever logic they could scavenge. Later, he knew, he would feel that he hadn't been himself during all this, and that none of them had. The idiom was acting like a man possessed. The idea of it was manic excitement, but they were all running cool. Garcia's shoulders were set with a grim determination he knew he'd never seen in her before. She was flushed and skittering through the halls, speaking out of tempo with her racing mind, but her bearing was solid, her posture almost regal. The same must have been true for him— the lancing tension in his neck was also keeping it higher. His hands were clammy but they were still.
We're rising to the challenge, he thought, and immediately rejected the idea. It was fairytale nonsense, from the same universe of fictionality as the idea of demonic possession.
Campbell, he reminded himself, has been rightly discredited.
But inexorably in his mind, parallel to that knowledge, was the structure of the hero's journey. This their supernatural assistance (divine?); to come, the first threshold. The door to the interview room seemed to burn in his mind.
Rarely did he have to remind himself so urgently to be rational. The hero's journey was a trial of the self; it brought the hero to rights with his cosmic system. That evil was vanquished and order restored was largely secondary. It's bullshit. You're being stupid.
Garcia spoke, breaking his mounting frustration. "Is anyone— you know. Seriously going to do an exorcism?”
"No, I— no. Rossi’s getting her a doctor. We can't feed the delusion.”
Penelope rested a shaking, clammy hand on his wrist. "Right. Yeah. Um— what’s going to happen?”
Emily suddenly and dreadfully stilled.
Coarse and hollow, the voice came again: “Come up, Reid! Come up, you fearful jesuit!”
“What?”
Reid blinked, furrowed his eyes. There— on Emily’s bookshelf. Under a tall, cream-colored candle in amber glass: Joyce’s Ulysses. A copy of Dubliners leaning against the candle, its spine creased, colors chipped off.
#i'll post the other half later i'm basically just dropping these as i remember them lol#fic#again caveat i'm posting this bc it's seasonal and i'm never gonna finish this / if i did it would need some serious overhauling#so wcyd#q*fic
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The Saint of the day 23 April / His feast Day is moved to 6 May
† Holy Glorious Great-martyr, Victory-bearer and Wonderworker George (303)
http://audio.ancientfaith.com/sotd/04_23_george_pc.mp3
"George, this truly great and glorious Martyr of Christ, was born of a father from Cappadocia and a mother from Palestine. Being a military tribune, or chiliarch (that is, a commander of a thousand troops), he was illustrious in battle and highly honoured for his courage. When he learned that the Emperor Diocletian was preparing a persecution of the Christians, Saint George presented himself publicly before the Emperor and denounced him. When threats and promises could not move him from his steadfast confession, he was put to unheard-of tortures, which he endured with great bravery, overcoming them by his faith and love towards Christ.
By the wondrous signs that took place in his contest, he guided many to the knowledge of the truth, including Queen Alexandra, wife of Diocletion, and was finally beheaded in 296 in Nicomedia." (Great Horologion) The Empress Alexandra, along with a pagan priest who confessed Christ due to George's witness, were executed together with the Great Martyr. St Alexandra is commemorated on April 21/May 4.
Neither the Great Horologion nor the Prologue, nor the Church's services to St George, mention the most popular story of St George, his slaying of a dragon. Though many icons of the Saint show him mounted on horseback, slaying a dragon with a spear, the story is thought by many to be legendary, and the dragon in the icon symbolic.
Troparion — Tone 4
You were bound for good deeds, O martyr of Christ: George; / by faith you conquered the torturer’s godlessness. / You were offered as a sacrifice pleasing to God; / thus you received the crown of victory. / Through your intercessions, forgiveness of sins is granted to all.
Kontakion — Tone 4
God raised you as his own gardener, O George, / for you have gathered for yourself the sheaves of virtue. / Having sown in tears, you now reap with joy; / you shed your blood in combat and won Christ as your crown. / Through your intercessions, forgiveness of sins is granted to all.
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wowee
Alrighty I’m just gonna ramble on about my thoughts on the new quest (and things in general because I talk too much) and pray that at least some of it ends up coherent. Spoilers, by the way.
I’ve had this first theory since the last archon quest but got nervous and didn’t share, so here it is now. Maybe it’s an obvious thing that I’m just in the dark about, but I’m fairly sure that Dainsleif’s “Boughkeeper” title has a large part in explaining why he knows so much about things he really shouldn’t. From the newest quest, we learn that he is actually cursed with immortality, which could explain some it, but the guy still knows too much for it to simply be chalked up to his age. He’s literally the designated narrator for half of the official videos and knows a lot about what and who he talks about.
I suspect that the ley lines serve as an information network of some sort, and that Dainsleif’s position as Boughkeeper allows him access to it in one way or another. The only other places we really see the whole tree/branch thing is with the ley line branches, Irminsul trees, the Frostbearing Tree, and the tree who once had roots that spanned the whole continent (which we know the ley line branches were once directly a part of), all of which are connected in a way that I haven’t quite figured out yet.
Now, from those screens that come up while the game is loading, we know that supposedly, the intertwined roots of the Irminsul trees far beneath the earth determine the pattern of the ley lines above, and we also know that ley lines are a “mysterious network that links the whole world together” and that they are said to remember everything that happens in the world. From this, I don’t think it’d be that much of a reach to say that Dainsleif can access that somehow.
Next. I do think there’s a pretty good chance that the Archons were involved in the destruction of Khaenri’ah. The Viridescent Venerer set actually tells us how the former Dendro Archon died during the cataclysm while in Khaenri’ah, which. Uh. That’s kind of really incriminating.
However! Obviously, we’ve only heard this from Dainsleif’s point of view and he’s pretty biased considering his whole thing. We don’t know how much control Celestia has over the Archons’ actions, either, and I’m about 98% sure that some of them weren’t into it, and likely didn't even have a choice. Like, look at the Tsaritsa. Her whole thing is that sometime during the cataclysm, she witnessed something so view-shattering and unjust that her whole thing now is to “burn away the old world” and overthrow Celestia.
I also can’t see Venti and Zhongli going along with the destruction of an entire nation with no hesitation. Like, obviously, again, Dainsleif is going to be biased, but from what we’ve been told Khaenri’ah didn’t even do anything divine-retribution-worthy. Celestia just seems be into dropping skyscraper-sized pillars and other things onto nations who get too good at being independent, for whatever reason. The new quest is definitely supposed to make us question the current systems of this world but I don’t think we’re meant to hate Venti or Zhongli, at least yet. I think they’re even kind of meant to be seen as the “best” out of the Archons, so to speak. (Not that I think they’re perfect, by any means.)
Like, just look at the way they’ve been presented to us, versus how some of the other Archons have been introduced (Storyline Trailer, my beloved).
Raiden Shogun is made out to be some self-absorbed divine ass-kisser who doesn’t have humanity’s best interests at heart (which we know is supposed to be a thing you do as an Archon). She’s doing her whole confiscating visions and oppressive rule thing in an effort to be seen as more divine, but, as Dainsleif puts it, “what do mortals see of the eternity chased after by their god?”
The Dendro Archon/God of Wisdom is implied to not actually be as smart as somebody with that title is supposed to be, one way or another, and either has turned a blind eye to or blatantly encourages the “push for folly” in Sumeru. Can’t tell exactly what that would mean or entail (thanks, Dainsleif), but obviously. Doesn’t sound good.
Dainsleif says of the Hydro Archon that she “lives for the spectacle of the courtroom, seeking to judge all other gods. But even she knows not to make an enemy of the divine.” While the not making an enemy of the divine thing I get (I guess, coward), the whole “seeking to judge all other gods” bit seems very “remove the log from your own eye”-y. Like, you’re an Archon, too, what are you trying to prove here?
The Tsaritsa is- well, the Tsaritsa, as we know. While I do think we are meant to sympathize and agree with at least part of her core ideals and motives, she still is the one behind the Fatui and is, by extension, a war criminal. She also apparently has “no love left for her people”. It’s a bit of a complicated relationship that we have with her.
The only ones who Dainsleif does not directly slander in the trailer are Venti, Zhongli, and Murata. While I don’t think we have enough on her to come to any conclusions about her character yet, Venti does say of her that she is a “wayward, war-mongering wretch”. Now, he does also jab at Rex Lapis during this voiceline, but unlike with Murata we know that those two are buddy-buddy and it was very likely that it was “buffoon (affectionate)”.
Venti and Zhongli are also the first two Archons we encounter, which is important for multiple reasons.
Gonna derail for a bit because I don’t know where to start. But. The game very likely will (or at least should) end with no Archons.
Obviously, especially in light of the new quest (although this stuff has been floating around since the Dragonspine update and even before that), Celestia Bad. Like, cataclysmically bad (lmao). In fact, I’m highly certain that you could trace basically every problem in this game back to them, some way or another.
Even our main “villain” groups all seem to be gunning for Celestia. The Fatui obviously work for the Tsaritsa, who’s made it very clear that she plans to rebel against the divine. The Abyss Order, too, has their Deeply Upsetting plan of creating a mechanized god with the power to “topple the divine thrones of Celestia”.
Evidence points to an overthrow of Celestia at some point in the game, and considering how being an Archon or even a god is directly tied to Celestia, yeah. No more Celestia means no more Archons.
But even besides that, there’s a lot there to suggest that that’s where things are going.
I find it interesting how Mondstadt’s our prologue chapter, or that there’s even a prologue chapter of the game at all. Prologues are meant to set up ideas that will be present throughout the rest of the story, and Mondstadt does exactly that. Venti’s let the people of Mondstadt govern themselves and has almost completely been out of the equation for millennia, even if that means he is significantly weaker than his godly peers. When asked why he chose to do that instead of remain in charge and just give them freedom, Venti responds that “freedom, if demanded of you by an archon, is really no freedom at all.” This sentiment is also brought up in the Mondstadt portion of the storyline trailer, and the traveler even has a whole voiceline debating what Venti really meant when he said that.
This idea of freedom and that humanity is capable on its own is further reinforced in Chapter 1, in which Liyue learns to move on from the death of its Archon. Zhongli set up his plan with the intention of testing if his people could stand on their own legs without him there to guide them, and they do. He even expresses how pleasantly surprised he is that the Qixing were able to take advantage of the situation and seize control like they did. Keqing gives us this whole speech when we first meet her about how the adepti and gods underestimate humanity’s capability and how Liyue’s future is meant to be a godless one. This, in a way, extends to the rest of the continent as well.
In the storyline trailer (which I quote too often, I’m sorry. My favorite and only party trick is that I got bored one day and memorized the whole thing), Dainsleif spends the entire Khaenri’ah section musing about something similar.
“In the perpetual meantime of a sheltered eternity, most are content to live and not to dream. But in the hidden corner where the gods’ gaze does not fall, there are those who dream of dreaming,” is obviously about the people of Teyvat vs. those in Khaenri’ah. While a future under the care of the Archons is a safe and reliable one, is it one that allows humanity to chase its potential to the fullest? Khaenri’ah was destroyed for flourishing like it did without gods, both as a punishment and a warning to everybody else.
“Some say a few are chosen and the rest are dregs, but I say we humans have our humanity.” This is in reference to visions. Throughout the game, this idea that, at least in the eyes of the gods, vision holders are more important than those without them, is constantly brought up.
In the commission “Leaves on the Wind”, Dr. Edith expresses how it often seems as if vision holders are the main characters of this world. From the notebooks we receive during the “Time and Wind” world quest, we learn that the Sumeru Academia actually discourages non-vision holders from conducting outdoor surveys, and how “these days... trying to be an academic when you don't have a Vision, it's really restricting...” Dainsleif even just straight up asks us what we think the gods think of vision holders and people in general during question time in that one quest.
In Lisa’s stories, we learn that the reason for her laziness is that a part of her is afraid of learning or doing too much, after witnessing what “uninhibited erudition” can do to people during her time in Sumeru. She also senses that something beneath the surface is happening regarding the distribution of visions. “For whatever reasons, the gods gave humans the key to changing everything, but they did not explain the cost involved. Lisa grew fearful of the truth.”
I forgot exactly where I was going with that last paragraph, but yeah. There’s definitely sketchy shit going on behind the scenes in regards to visions, possibly to keep people either quiet or complacent. I suspect it may even be to restrict access to certain knowledges or even the elements themselves. Anyways.
I lose track of my thoughts too often. Fuck. Right. Mondstadt and Liyue served as good examples of society under the rule of the Archons, and in Chapter 2 we will encounter our first bad example, showing us the pros and cons of the current situation. However, despite Zhongli and Venti seeming to genuinely care for their people, humanity’s wellbeing shouldn’t be reliant on how their god is feeling that day, and they shouldn’t have to look to the gods for a chance to become something greater than themselves, either.
Um. All that’s to say I’m just very excited to see where the story will go, and if Zhongli’s contract with the Tsaritsa is any indication then it’s gonna go somewhere good. Celestia bad, Archons bad but also not bad but also bad, I don’t know if what I just wrote actually even counts as understandable, thank you and good night.
#i talk too much without saying anything substantial i'm so sorry#genshin impact#genshin impact theory#does this count as dainsleifposting?#i'll tag it anyway#dainsleifposting
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 [END]
The love story of a mortal and an immortal is always doomed to end in tragedy, but even just a little more time would have meant everything...
And that's Narinder's prologue for this au sketched out. Also yes that's a cat he's just got small rounded ears instead of long sharp ears <3
Explanation of the story under the cut (this time with some dialogue!)
During a festival, someone runs up to Narinder saying a stranger has come to the village, and he's wounded. Narinder recognizes the cloak he wears as being that of a Darkwood cultist, so Narinder takes the injured cat to his home to take care of him, and also to confront him without anyone else there. Narinder finds that he's brought a book of the Old Faith with him.
The stranger wakes up and notices Narinder immediately. Narinder confronts him about the book he's brought with him, and the fact that he's a follower of the Old Faith. The cat explains that he actually ran away, seeing no point in killing and fighting and living and dying for a god who is already dead (awkward considering Leshy is very much alive again and loyal to the Lamb by this time, but neither of them know this), but that his old family outed him as a dissenter and he was chased/attacked on his way out. Narinder accepts this explanation but gives a stern warning to the newcomer;
"These are godless lands and we bow to no one. There will be no talk of the Old or New Faiths, no talks of gods, no preaching. And this book stays in this room so long as you're in this village, got it?"
Narinder drops the book into the side table, then tells the newcomer that he's welcome to stay as long as he wants/needs so long as he doesn't bring talk of gods into the village itself. The newcomer accepts this easily enough- he ran away from the Old Faith, after all, he only brought the book by happenstance.
Narinder gives the stranger clothes and shows him around the village, introducing him to people (and translating for both sides, as the newcomer does not speak the godless language and the godless don't speak the language of the Faithful). Time passes, and the newcomer stays even when he's healed, slotting himself into the daily routine of the village. Narinder begins slowly teaching him about their culture, once it becomes clear that he doesn't intend to leave; he shows him how to take care of the feral beasts, teaches him how to make paper lanterns for their lantern festival, teaches him their dances, and eventually even gives him an ear piercing, the same as anyone who comes of age inside or is accepted into the village from outside gets. It's essentially the moment that he becomes an accepted part of the village, an acknowledgement that he is one of them now; no longer an outsider, no longer a cultist but one of the godless.
One day, Narinder's friend (as by this time he cannot really be called a newcomer and ofc I don't have a name for him...) confesses to Narinder, and Narinder realizes all at once that if he wants to pursue this... thing he and his friend have going on, he needs to tell him the truth.
So Narinder does it in the most dramatic sad wet cat way he can; he brings out the book that's sat gathering dust inside the drawer for well over a year now and finds the entry on the Red Crown and the One Who Waits. The "Friend" is confused at first before looking at Narinder and realizing that Narinder is the One Who Waits- a fallen god of the Old Faith, and arguably the most powerful of all of the Old gods.
And... he doesn't care. Narinder is Narinder, not the Bishop of Death after all. He just tosses the book- something once sacred in the cult he was born into- aside and expresses that he doesn't care; it doesn't matter who Narinder used to be, or the crimes he committed in the past, because he loves the person Narinder is now. Narinder accepts his confession with this acceptance.
Time passes. They marry, with Narinder presenting a marriage charm to him, much to his delight. They start a family- first child they name Ari, the second Elloi, and the third Minuit, all a few years apart in age.
And for just a little bit- everything is perfect. Even though Narinder's immortality hangs over him like a shroud, he takes every day a moment at a time, and he's happier than he's been in a long, long time.
Then one night they're woken by the sound of crashing and screams. They're a little freaked out, because it's been so long for both of them but they recognize that sound- they've just both been on the other side of it. Opening the curtains confirms Narinder's fears; there's a raid happening on their village, the same way gods and their cults once crusaded against each other and razed entire settlements in a bid for power. Buildings are burning, people are running and screaming and crying, some people are dead, and robe-clad people very reminiscent of cultists and heretics bear weapons and chase people down, uncaring of whether they're old, young or children.
Narinder scoops up the baby- only a few months old and crying in fear- while his husband rushes to grab their older kits, only to find their beds empty. Panic sets in, and rather than running into the forest (to hide and hopefully avoid the attackers) like they initially planned, they rush into the village to look for their daughters. Narinder comes face to face with a cultist, and has a moment where he remembers Shamura teaching him offensive magic- before they even had the crowns, back when it was just them and the magic they were born with. Chains, which he hasn't seen or felt in nearly a hundred years at this point, shoot up at his command, spearing through and instantly killing his would-be attacker.
His husband, somewhere along the way, loses the dagger he'd always carried while fighting cultists. He spots their daughters on the ground, holding onto each other and crying in fear while a cultist raises a sword. Instinct kicks in and he rushes to them, throwing himself between his kits and their attacker- too afraid that attacking them would still end up with his kits hit by the sword.
Narinder hears his kits scream and turns in time to see his husband collapse, mortally wounded (he did take a sword for someone who was in front of him, that shit went DEEP), and in a moment of horror reaches out with his magic, spearing their attacker with the chain before they can turn their attention to the kits again. He runs over, dropping down by his husband's side, and pulls him into his lap. His husband manages to smile at him, saying some final words before dying in his family's arms.
Grief hits Narinder hard, and his magic lashes out; withering lines of decay snake through the village, the grass crumbling and the earth itself cracking in the wake of his magic. It targets the cultists while avoiding the villagers, and the cultists begin rotting and turning to dust right on the spot, whether they are bodies on the ground or living beings in the middle of swinging an axe. All at once the tables are turned, their attackers reduced to ash and blood on the ground and in the wind, and careful to avoid the lines, slowly the bravest of the villagers follow the decaying earth to its epicenter; Narinder and his once-again-broken family.
None of the villagers fear Narinder, even like this. All they feel is grief; grief for what has happened to their village, grief for their neighbors and loved ones, grief for the families that have been lost, grief for what the future holds for them. They share in his grief, but they realize something in that moment; Narinder can actually do something with his grief.
A few days pass and the dead have been buried. Narinder and his older kits pay respects to his husband's grave, and some villagers approach to give their condolences and also ask; "What now?"
He looks back, listening to their worries. With his third eye open and with him reaching out to them with his own magic, he notices for the first time that some of them have a certain... energy about them. Some have more than others; some's energy is lashing out, while others' are gentle, and some are... reaching back to him. He realizes that this energy is magic- the same thing Shamura saw in him and the others, thousands of years ago, when they decided to train them.
He remembers Shamura telling him something now, when he asked why they taught him and the others to fight and use magic when they clearly wanted to keep them all safe; "Sometimes the best way to protect those you love is teach them to protect themselves."
He takes this lesson to heart now; the village must learn to fight, so that they will never be made victims again.
"We rebuild. We learn to wield swords." He summons a flame into his hand, holding it out for the villagers who have turned to him in this time of hardship to see. "And those of you who are capable of magic- I will teach it to you.
"What has happened here will not happen again."
#cult of the lamb#cotl au#justa arts#narinder#Narinder ran away AU#sketch#some canon/oc but like temporary#cw character death#cw violence#I don't know how to express to you how freaking bad I am at names#you would think I'd have a name for the dude who married Narinder but NOPE#Ari and Elloi definitely won't have any issues or self blame about this#'if we hadn't snuck out to see the lanterns then dad would still be alive' haha yeah-#I might work on digitizing this as I do Lamb's prologue sketches but I want to actually make it Look Good and maybe do it in color#so it might be a while before you see this fully fleshed out#just know I am working on it bc I'm lowkey obsessed with this au for some reason#do me a favor and don't notice how I forgot Narinder's veil in the last page <3
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Teyvat, the twins, and the Archons: a theory
Hello today I will be explaining my genshin impact theory which is most likely right because I say so and I have an inflated ego
Note: I will be referring to the MC as traveler and the Leader of the Abyss Order as such or as the missing twin for neutrality’s sake. And also because I chose Lumine and I can’t bear to say Lumine is “evil”
Note after writing all of that: Actually, I’m wrong. Reading it made me realize how batshit off the rails it all sounds. But here it is anyways because it’s a funny theory.
Contains multiple spoilers for the entirety of the game (1.3 edition)
Part 1. Gnosticism, Archons, and Humanity
I think by now, most of us have heard of the Gnosticism theory. If you haven't heard of it, Gnosticism is the belief that humanity could be more than what we are at present because of the world we're in.
Gnosticism has many versions but the basic concept of it is that humans are stuck in a fake world where our full potential is locked away because of our belief in false gods. The true God is the creator of the true world and between us and him, are beings called Aeons. One Aeon who is called Sophia (meaning Wisdom) created a being who thought of himself as the One True God and created the physical world in his flawed image. Oh, and he gave seven beings rule over the world he created, who are called the Archons.
Under Gnosticism, humans are thought to be part physical, but also have a spiritual component in us that grants us divinity. But because the false god and archons actively work to make sure we never realize that there is divinity within us, we never reach our full potential.
Connecting this with genshin impact, the humans in Teyvat have access to visions that give them power, as well as a chance to attain godhood. However, they believe that it is a gift from Celestia instead of a thing any of them can attain themselves. In fact, they don't even know that if one "receives" a vision, they can become gods because it's a secret that only Archons are privy to. Venti says this himself at the end of the prologue section of the main storyline when we ask him about visions.
It seems like Celestia doesn’t want humans to ascend to godhood. If we pair this with what we know from the Main Storyline trailer that Dainsleif narrates, it becomes clearer. He says that Celestia goads humans with their seven treasures, rewards for the worthy, the doorway to divinity. However, it seems like there is a warning for those who dare to try and ascend, as if they say that the throne in the sky is not for us even if we have the means to.
Doesn’t that seem to contradict the purpose of the vision? Yes, it is a means to help humans live in Teyvat, but why give out visions when the Archons know fully well that it could help them gain access to Celestia? Doesn't it then seem like visions are not gifts from the Archons but instead innate power that all humans possess?
Part 2. What are the twins + What is Dainsleif + What are they doing in Teyvat + the Genesis Pearl = A Loop
Most signs point to the idea that the twins are actually older than they look. It seems like Lumine and Aether landed in Teyvat at least 500 years ago during the cataclysmic event that wiped out Khaenri’ah.
Going back to the idea of Gnosticism, the true God sends out Messengers of Light to the false world to guide the humans to their full potential. And we see traveler helping their companions ascend further, reaching their fullest potentials when they “max out.”
Furthermore, it doesn’t seem like they’re human. During the 1.2 Dragonspine event, Albedo does tests on us, and though he doesn’t tell us his complete findings, he alludes that we are like him, created from a substance that is yet to be defined. This goes off from the theory that he’s a homunculus, created from chalk, purified soil, the building block of the world. Aside from that, after our fight with Childe, one of the dialogue options after he mentions the fact that traveler can use both anemo and geo, is that they’re slowly gaining back their true power.
And of course, when the twins first enter the world, they have actual wings which were stripped by the Unknown God. Doesn’t seem very human to me.
So, if the travelers are Messengers of Light, then why is that not their main goal? Based on the We Will Be Reunited trailer, when the Abyss Mage mentions the traveler to the missing twin, their face looks shocked, like they just remembered that they have a twin. There’s desperation in their steps when they rush to the cliff to see their twin again, like it’s been so long since they’ve seen their sibling who they literally forgot. I think that aside from stripping them of their power, the Unknown God also took away some of their memories.
So the missing twin might remember the actual purpose as to why they’re in Teyvat, but didn’t remember their sibling until recently, and traveler remembers their sibling but doesn’t remember the reason why they were in Teyvat in the first place (or they do but that isn’t their main concern since they’re putting their sibling first).
So how does Dainsleif relates to this particular segment? Well, in another version of Gnosticism, Aeons come in pairs. Sophia’s partner was Jesus. Now, in the Main Storyline trailer, Dainsleif alludes to a woman when at the very end of the video where he says “My memory has all but faded completely, but I will always remember, how she too loved these flowers.” The flowers are the flowers Lumine especially likes, the ones she adorns in her hair. A flimsy connection it may be, but a connection nonetheless.
Now, I’ve seen theories about Dainsleif being an older version of Aether, but that theory doesn’t hold water if you choose Lumine as your traveler or if you consider the fact that Dainsleif and Aether don’t share the same eye color. Yet, it’s not completely off. There are thirty Aeons in total, although this number can differ in other versions of Gnosticism.
Now, in Dainsleif’s quest, we immediately question this stranger as he is somehow omniscient, if we haven’t already questioned him with all his narration in the Collected Miscellany videos where he hints that he knows more than we do. I will say it now: I think that Dainsleif takes upon the role of Jesus.
I could be wrong. But I think I’m right. For now.
In another version of Gnosticism, Jesus goes to the false world and saves Sophia, as she forgets who she is, she forgets her divinity and is stuck there. If we follow the theory that Dainsleif is actually the second heir from the Gnostic Chorus teaser, and that he is searching for the Genesis Pearl. The Genesis Pearl symbolizes the beginning and purity that is incorruptible. This could be the essence of Sophia, the lost Aeon who incidentally created the false god.
Back to the Main Storyline trailer, Dainsleif says that the war has already begun, and that is just a continuation of past battles. We could take this in a sense that the conflict has reached its boiling point and that it was only because all these problems were left alone for too long. However, we could also consider the possibility that Dainsleif has lived through whatever the twins are going through right now because he is the first Messenger of Light to step foot in Teyvat.
We can also look into Dainsleif’s name, which is a Nordic name, actually written as Dáinsleif. This means Dain’s Legacy which is the sword of King Högni, which aided him in a never ending battle that went on until Ragnarok.
It seems like the twins are repeating a cycle that has already happened to Dainsleif and whoever the unknown woman who also likes the flowers the missing twin likes. All four of them are Aeons or Messengers of Light.
So who is that woman? I have no idea. It could the unknown god but that feels like a stretch. The unknown god might actually be the demiurge, the false god that created Teyvat and the seven Archons, and not Sophia herself. It could also be Paimon who might have some kind of relation to the unknown god, whether it be that she is the unknown god, or she is a being from Celestia. Either way, both feel like shaky theories.
But of course, Mihoyo is only taking inspiration from Gnosticism and several other sources which could lead them to take creative liberties when applying it to the game.
Part 3. The Abyss Order and Khaenri'ah: war crimes against humanity
Going back to my point about the twins’ original goal to why they went to Teyvat in the first place, let’s question why the missing twin joined forces with the Abyss Order and began to lead them to burn the throne of Celestia.
While we don't hear the missing twin mention Celestia in the We Will Be Reunited trailer, the only other time a throne is mentioned is in the Main Storyline trailer when Dainsleif mentions that Celestia does not want humans to ascend to take up a throne in the sky.
Back to the safety of the game's actual lore, we understand that Kaenri'ah is a godless nation that might have underwent a calamity that might have killed off most of its people since they were closer to understanding the truth, and were technologically advanced, compared to the other nations of Teyvat. An alchemist named Gold ultimately led to this cataclysm due to their greed for seeking erudition.
It is safe to assume that Celestia wiped out Khaenri'ah and all the technology they created. We could also assume that the people were all killed, yes, but it would be better to assume they were cursed instead. Into what though?
The hilichurls.
In the archive section of the game, under the books, there's quite a lot written about the hilichurls, thanks to Jacob Musk. The author describes the hilichurls to be drawn to old relics of the past, with even attempts to recreate it. Their way of lifestyle is even described, and it looks like they worship the element itself and not the Archons who represent it.
Doesn't it seem like the hilichurls have a connection with the ancient civilization of the past? Not to mention their strange connection to the elements in which shaman hilichurls (samachurls) can harness the elements without the use of a vision? If I am correct with my theory, then hilichurls were once citizens of the bygone Khaenri'ah who discovered they could harness the elements without an Archon's blessing that came in the form of a vision.
It doesn't feel too surprising considering that for monsters, hilichurls are quite smart. They even display human-like characteristics. In the game, we see them dancing, sleeping, just minding their own business in general. They have their own architecture and their own language. In the Hilichurl Cultural Customs book, we even discover that hilichurls are not as barbaric as they are made out to be as they have leaders who decide their policies and course of action. It's as if they have their own culture.
Ultimately, the hilichurls are part of the Abyss Order. The organization's main goal is to get undermine Celestia's rule, and at this point of this mess I call a theory, doesn't that make them stand in a position where nothing is painted as black and white as it seems. Yes, they do heinous things like steal, possibly murder, and set off a dragon on Mondstadt, but it looks like they're operating through a "the end justifies the means" kind of morality.
And the missing twin shares this sentiment. As they had seen what Celestia had done to Khaenriah 500 years ago before the beginning of the prologue, their desperation grows. Their war with destiny will not stop until Celestia falls because it is their ultimate mission. Traveler has taken up the safer side of this war, wherein they help the humans but the missing twin has taken up the side of fallen humans. This is why they're not evil per se; just going through questionable steps to achieve a righteous goal.
Part 4. Teyvat and its Archons
Based on all that, it seems like I’m painting the Archons to be the bad guys. I am. They wiped out an entire civilization on the basis that they might learn the truth of the world, and their uncanny closeness to Celestia.
But we like Venti and Zhongli, right? Of course we do! However, they were still complicit in the downfall of Khaenri'ah and the limitation of humanity in Teyvat.
To start, Venti had his gnosis was forcibly taken from him. He doesn't seem to mourn over that (although he could be hiding it) and it looks like he can still present himself in a godly manner as we see in Venti's quest when he revealed himself as Barbatos to Stanley. When we spend time with him under the tree of Vennessa, while he divulges the secrets of Celestia to us, he still seems to comply with them. This could be chalked up to the fact that ultimately, he is Mondstadt's Archon and also the weakest of the seven. We could also consider the fact that at the time of Khaneri’ah’s downfall, he was in Dragonspine with Dvalin, dealing with Durin.
With Zhongli, it becomes a bit more interesting. He gave away his gnosis under the agreement of a contract we do not know the details of. But why he did? Why not because of his regret as the geo Archon and of love? Zhongli once ruled over Guili Plains with another god named Guizhong, the god of dust. Guizhong loved their people but perished during the Archon War. He then moved their people to Liyue Harbor and in her place, began to love them. Although he is stilted with the way he deals with his people, we see that he cares. Over the years, he has grown soft and shed the persona of Morax, a god who dealt with war. He says this himself and it feels like his ability to care extends beyond that of Liyue. It's possible he gave up his gnosis because he understands what the Tsaritsa is doing and what she's fighting for.
The Tsaritsa is the cryo Archon and the god of love. However, according to Tartaglia, she had to harden herself to go through with her plan. But what is her plan but an act of love for humanity? Wiping out Khaenri'ah could've opened her eyes to the inherent cruelty of Celestia. The timeline makes sense because Venti said that 500 yers ago, he knew her well but now, not so much. It’s at that point she loses whatever loyalty she had for Celestia. She had to steel herself and begin her plans to overthrow Celestia, which involves taking the gnoses of the six other Archons to fight the false god and alleviate humans from the hell they are in. That is her way of showing her love to humanity.
Teyvat is only a false world. We have seen many instances of this being hinted at like when Katheryne of the Adventurer’s Guild says “rebooting” or “error” as if she is only a program, or when Scaramouche says that the sky and the stars are all fake. Even in the game, if you take a closer look at the stars, it feels fake, as if it is a dome that traps the humans in Teyvat. Even more unsettling, when going deeper within the Spiral Abyss, the more stars you see which could mean Teyvat is actually upside down and that go deeper within the Spiral Abyss, we are ascending closer to the true world.
What greater act of love could the Tsaritsa commit other than giving humanity the truth?
Part 5. In conclusion: none of this makes sense
To summarize my main points:
Genshin Impact takes a lot from the mythos of Gnosticism
Visions are not gifts from the Archons but an inherent power from humans that come from their own "divinity"
The twins and Dainsleif are related in some manner
The twins are repeating a cycle that Dainsleif has already been through
The twins are suffering some kind of memory loss
The twins are in Teyvat to help humans realize their power
Celestia is not heaven but more like hell
Teyvat is a false world
The Tsarita is actually good
The Abyss Order is a morally grey organization
Archons are bad
This could all be wrong as this is only a theory. But the connections I pointed out make a bit of sense. There’s still more lore to uncover as we’ve only unlocked two regions and the Pale Princess and the Six Pygmies only have one volume out so far (this book is important because an Abyss Mage says that there is a lie within it) so this could all be debunked when new regions are unlocked.
Still, it’s a pretty fun theory to believe in at the moment. Thank you for reading this mess I call a theory!
#genshin impact#genshin impact theory#lumine#aether#dainsleif#venti#zhongli#and when im wrong ?#who cares this is a funny theory actually#if anyone wants to discuss this theory ahaha my dms r open#also if i have made any mistakes pls tell me LMAO#take shot whenever i say gnosticism I HATE IT HERE MY BRAIN IS SO FRIED#i could write this more seriously but to keep myself from slipping im writing this what i call i can get away w comedy in my academic papers#bc its not funny#just me barely holding onto the tendrils of my sanity#yes i linked a wikipedia page LET ME BE I DONT WANT TO EXPLAIN RAGNAROK ANYMORE#wont mention battle pass anymore for dainsleif its too long lmao
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General Writings Masterlist:
And Request List below
Also, send me a message if u wanna be tagged in something
:)
Key:
Red text: Unknown release
Orange text: In the works
Green text: Greenlit for more chapters
Blue text: Completed chapter
Sihtric:
Werewolf!Sihtric x Reader: Hidden Under the Night Sky
[Part 1]
[Part 2]
Vampire!Sihtric x Reader: Six Meters Under and Back
[Part 1]
[Part 2]
[Part 3]
Finan:
Requested prompt: Vampire!Finan x Reader: Miracles in a Godless Land,
[Part 1]
[Part 2]
Unknown Series Name:
TLK AU, with OC (Writing has not started)
_______________________________
Vikings/Vikings Valhalla:
Harald Sigurdsson
Harald Sigurdsson x Goddess!Reader, After Ragnarok:
[Prologue]
[Part 1]
[Part 2]
______________________
The Quarry:
______________
Sleep Token:
Vessel x Fem!Reader, Far Too Soon For A Sacrifice:
[Part 1]
[Part 2]
Incubus!IV x Fem!Reader, And In Your Waking Moments, I Will Be There:
[Part 1]
[Part 2]
________
Taking Requests for (I'll organize this later I promise!)
SIHTRIC KJARTANSSON
UHTRED RAGNARSON
FINAN THE AGILE
HVITSERK RAGNARSON
IVAR RAGNARSON
CALIBAN (caos)
BUCKY BARNES
STEVE ROGERS
FJOR JUTUL
HARALD SIGURDSSON
VESSEL (SLEEP TOKEN)
II (SLEEP TOKEN
III (SLEEP TOKEN)
IV (SLEEP TOKEN)
#sihtric#the last kingdom#sihtric x reader#sihtric kjartanson#tlk finan#tlk uhtred#tlk x reader#uhtred x reader#finan x reader#bucky fanfic#bucky barnes#steve rogers#caliban x reader#bucky x reader#steve rogers x reader#the winter soldier x reader#hvitserk ragnarson#ivar ragnarsson
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Godless Punks: Prologue
Eun
Six years ago
Screams and the slick splatter of blood across Eun's cheek jarred her from dreams of home. Her eyes snapped open. Spider-like grey limbs towered all around her bedroll, leading up, up, to a creature that wasn't supposed to exist.
Its glassy black eyes reflected Eun’s pale face and Mal's corpse, impaled on its leg beside Eun, the fellow mercenary's blood darkening the sand. He was an older man, kind, who liked to tell tales of his travels. He reminded Eun of her uncle.
Eun held her breath, unblinking, immobile, every muscle locked up no matter how she pleaded with them to move. The creature raised its leg. It stabbed downward with savage force.
She rolled out of the way just before the limb pierced her bedding.
Seizing her sword from the ground beside her, Eun unsheathed it, leapt to her feet and swung at the monster with a strangled shout. The impact rattled through her arms as if her blade had struck metal, the sword clanging uselessly against a hard shell.
It slammed its limb into her stomach as if flicking away an ant, the impact sending her flying, the breath knocked out of her chest. Her body slammed into the wall of the rocky outcropping they had taken shelter under and her head took a hard knock. Sand kicked up around her as she fell to the ground, black fuzzing her vision.
Gasping, Eun struggled to push herself onto her hands and knees. Gunshots and yells and pleas for help drowned beneath the ringing in her ears. Chaos consumed the camp as the creatures overran it, so many of them, twisted and horrible things. The pack animals were long gone, spooked off into the night. The merchants scrambled over each other to get away as the mercenaries fell one by one. Men she had traveled with for weeks, ate with, laughed with, trusted to watch her back at night—their insides were strewn across the sand.
Eun crawled across the ground. She was supposed to protect them. She was supposed to . . .
The ground shook beneath pounding hooves. Eun raised her head dazedly, taking in dark figures riding camels, rifles slung across their backs, the lower halves of their faces covered with bandanas. Her heart sank.
Bandits.
The leader at the front barked something Eun didn’t understand and hurled a bottle at one of the creatures. Glass shattered on its armored body and sent dark liquid cascading down. As the creature screeched and hurtled after him, the masked man banked sharply on his camel. One by one, the bandits followed suit in hurling bottles, luring the creatures away from the camp.
Moments before he could be speared on a claw-like leg, the leader of the bandits lit a match and threw it.
The monster let out a horrible shriek. Eun’s vision blurred.
The last thing she remembered was fire, consuming everything.
***
Violent sunlight burnt its way into Eun’s eyelids. She opened them and regretted it, a croak straining through her gritty throat. Her head throbbed and spun sickeningly. Clenching her fist in the sand, she forced herself up.
The monsters. Memories of the previous night slamming into her, she inhaled sharply and staggered to her feet. Her sword. Where was it? There was no trace of it in the sand.
She staggered into the carnage. The campsite was a graveyard, lined with bodies both human and not. The charred remains of the awful creatures sent a shudder through Eun. She gave them a wide berth, almost afraid they would skitter back to life. With her hand cupped over her mouth, she swallowed bile as she stepped over gore. She eyed a bullet hole in a merchant’s forehead. If there had been any other survivors, the bandits must have finished them off.
Dead. They were all dead. Sightless eyes stared into the Urn Desert, accusing it of taking everything from them. The bandits had left nothing. The camels were gone. So were the packs with all their food and water. There was no trace of the silks and wares the merchants had been transporting. Eun had failed. With the merchants dead and the wares stolen, she would never be paid.
Eun sank to her knees. Alone. Miles of empty desert surrounding her in every direction. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she reached out and brushed her palm over Mal’s eyes, letting them close peacefully.
She could still hear his voice clearly. Sixteen? What’s a girl like you doing, getting caught up in this kind of business?
She thought of her uncle’s feverish eyes and the rattle in his lungs as he begged her to stay. Her little sister’s arms wrapping tight around her waist. Maybe they were right all along. Maybe she would die in the Urn, never to see her family again, all for nothing.
But Eun would be damned if she would lie down and let the birds pick at her bones.
The caravan had been less than a day out from the city of Srinas when they made camp. She could make it on foot. She stood, tears running down her cheeks, whispering an apology to the men she couldn’t save and couldn’t bury. And beneath the burning sun, she set out into the desert.
She would make it to Srinas. She would make it back home.
Or die trying.
#Writeblr#Writing#Original writing#writing excerpt#fantasy#amwriting#writblr#Godless Punks#tw blood#tw death#wip excerpt#wip excerpts#Eun Seong
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