SlashInfinite

East meets West (SlashInfinite & POOHEAD189 1x1)

Mikasa stared at the note, trying to make sense of it. She saw the letters, surely, but still it seemed so strange to her. It made no sense. The seal was another noble house, a smaller one, than those who gave commands to the armies. With quick words, she muttered under her breath, repeating the sentences. It spoke of a deal, of an arrangement. The names were all but erased from the recent battle, the note being cut and burned during the battle, most likely. The wind blew yet again, causing Mikasa to look up and around on the battlefield. She saw nothing and grimaced. The night was making her uncomfortable, especially being alone with the horse.

The woman looked back to the face of the dead boy. She furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what in the world he had gotten himself into, that ultimately had led to his untimely end. The note was swiftly stuffed into a pouch, as she rose back up. She tugged the horse along, once again continuing to scout the battlefield. In the middle of the stench of already rotting corpses and dried blood, a single groan repeated itself not far from the woman. “Hold here.” She muttered to the horse, completely aware it was not going to respond nonetheless. With steady steps, she drew her blade, approaching the groaning carefully. A man lay upon the ground, staring up at the approaching woman.
Without a word, he swiftly grabbed her foot, trying to force her down to the ground. Mikasa kept her ground, though almost slipping. In response, the man jumped up, drawing his sword and eyeing his opponent. It was another foreigner. Mikasa observed him, considering his actions. He may have done it out of surprise, or actually tried to gut her. Whatever reason, he was standing. His face was a mess. The man had most likely spent hours lying in the dirt – for whatever reason.

“Stay your blade! I do not wish for another fight!” Mikasa shouted out, still in the Western language. The man paused, quirking an eyebrow at the woman. He spat out, cursing at her.

“I will not hear your words, lying wench! You slaughtered us!” He shouted out, on the brink of attacking. Mikasa knew her words would not hold him back, and the seconds were counting. She had to think of something.

“Please! I am here to prevent any more fighting! I wish for peace for both our kingdoms!” Mikasa lowered her sword, holding up her other hand at the man, to try enforce her words. Raindrops started to fall upon the ground, quickly picking up their pace and wetting the ground beneath them.

“Liar!” The crusader shouted out, charging at her. Much to her surprise, he rose his sword and shield, with no intention of listening to the woman. He certainly seemed more eager to fight than the crusaders she had met earlier. Though, seeing the battlefield Mikasa did not blame him. Not that she had time to, either.

Mikasa brought up her blade, meeting his sword with a clash. He threw his shield forward, causing Mikasa to stagger back. The Crusader did not hold back and yet again swung his sword. Mikasa quickly stepped towards the side, trying to deflect the blade coming straight for her. The two exchanged blows, a song of steel ringing throughout the otherwise silent battlefield. Both of the fighters released loud screams as they swung their weapons, one of them aiming to kill.

The woman send her blade forward several times, using the momentum as force for the attacks. Finally she twisted her foot 45 degrees, and send a kick straight for the man’s lower stomach. Her hip turned with her, speed not being favored in the armor. The plated shin guards did most of the damage, as the kick flew straight into the chainmail of the man. Quickly using the brief moment of surprise, Mikasa slashed her blade down towards the man. It cut straight into his neck, causing his eyes to widen as he dropped to his knees and his weapons equally. His hands flew straight to his neck, in an attempt to stop the blood oozing. Stunned by the cut, Mikasa dropped her blade as well, rushing to put her hands on the wound.

The man looked up at her, panic having struck him as life faded with haste.

@POOHEAD189

The Realm of Men

The horse trotted onwards, with the two young humans sitting upon it. Eliana was still trying to make out what had actually happened inside the woods, after Sekaia had almost dragged her back to the horse. He was eager to get onwards, perhaps feeling uneasy after the event. They had been silent for hours, riding north again. Eliana’s vision had become dark again, the temporary lights having disappeared. It had been the closest thing she had experienced to actually seeing anything but this damnable darkness. They had been riding for more days than Eliana could remember, seeing as her days had melted together with the nights. They had passed Lowburg a few nights ago, riding further into the northern region.

The sun was slowly moving down from the sky, as the evening had begun to arrive. They stopped outside a small village, no more than seven houses and a tavern. The two of them barely shared any words as Sekaia led the horse forward. Whilst the town was all but darkness to Eliana, Sekaia silently studied the small township. The farmers had finished the day’s work, finally celebrating outside the small tavern. They barely noticed the two newly arrivals as they trotted inside the village. Sekaia jumped off, tapping Eliana by her lap and helping her down afterwards. Feeling the ground beneath her was such a relief. Her hips were so damnable sore after the riding, and the darkness hadn’t been especially entertaining either. Instinctively, she threw out her hand to grab Sekaia, still feeling uneasy on her own feet. All she could do was listen, and the sounds were welcomed. The only thing that broke the silence was the sound of the embers harmoniously burning the wood of which they burned upon. The cheerful chatter between the men near the inn was calming. No soldiers clattering in their heavy armour, no screams or horrors. It was silent, and it was refreshing.

As they stepped inside the inn, Sekaia left Eliana in her place to stand. All she heard was chattering that she couldn’t quite make out the words of. A few moments passed, when her arm was suddenly grabbed again. At this point, it was barely surprising anymore. She just sort of let herself be dragged along and placed at one the tables. Eliana sensed the sigh escaping Sekaia as he placed two items on the table, most likely mugs. The air inside the tavern was fresh and cold, only being warmed up by the fire crackling by the wall. Sekaia took a sip from his mug; solid ale wasn’t something he’d refuse. His gaze carefully wandered back to the woman in front of him, silently sipping away at her own mug. During the days they had ridden, Sekaia had offered her a band of cloth she could wrap around her eyes. He was not sure if it was simply because he didn’t enjoy being reminded of her condition all the time, but it gave her a calmer appearance as well; instead of the eyes emptily staring into nothing.

“I thought we might rest for a days time.” Sekaia spoke up, nodding a little to himself. Eliana looked up, towards his general direction. The two had not spoken of the happening in the woods, simply dismissing it as their mind playing tricks on them. It was easier than trying to comprehend whatever it was supposed to be.

“You got us rooms?” she asked, taking another sip.

“Room.” Sekaia corrected her.

“Room?”

“Room.”

“Just one room.” Eliana sighed, drinking once again. Sekaia looked around, watching the dry wooden walls. They were donned with ornaments and wooden weapons, heads of animals and feathers of birds. It was surprising that the place could hold together with the few citizens in the small village. The people most likely helped each other out, friendships being the best payment around these parts. Sekaia met the innkeeper’s gaze, who seemed to be staring towards Eliana’s hair. He carried a grimace. Northerners weren’t happy with foreigners, and the girl certainly looked anything but northern. The people were paranoid, but the innkeeper had been kind enough, nonetheless.

“I saw the Melitian harbour, out by the east.” Sekaia looked back towards Eliana, who did indeed stop her drinking as he spoke, though remaining silent. He wet his lips before speaking again.

“It was just as you said. I’ll take you there, someday.” The young dark-skinned man nodded, trying hopelessly to cheer up the girl. Childhood memories were her weakness. Even in the few moments they had spend together over the years, Sekaia still knew how to handle her.
“And the ships?” Her face lit up, for the first time in weeks. Eliana had always dreamt of seeing the Eastern ships, magnificent as they were told to be. A faint feeling of regret flew through her stomach, reminded of the East. She could’ve asked Freda about it all. The famous Melitian harbour, the equally famous ships of war that resided calmly on the blue waves.

“They were stunning. They use a rare wood to craft them with. Leaves a certain scarlet colour, which they used for painting the ships.”

Eliana’s smile faded at that.

So close. Sekaia let out a sigh, shaking his mug passively to confirm it was indeed empty.

“Come along.”

The room was small. Tidy, but small. With a thud, Sekaia, who led Eliana along to one of the beds, dumped their belongings on the floor on the way. He placed himself next to her, eyeing her as she spoke.

“When are the Grandmasters expecting us?” She folded her hands in her lap. It was the first time in days she could sit and actually relax, but yet, the news Sekaia had brought in the first place worried her. It made no sense to her. Her mind raced again, hoping in the name of the Gods that it wasn’t the true reason he had come.

“Within a week. And we’re close.” He spoke in a calm voice, as he placed his arm around the girl, nudging her shoulder and let her lean her head on his shoulder.

“Then we can rest for a few days?” She spoke again, her voice filled with hope.

Sekaia raised an eyebrow, but nodded. “Yes, we can.”

Eliana smiled again, nudging her head closer to the man’s shoulder.

Blessed (RosebeltAngel and SlashInfinite)

Hannah woke with a terrible jump, a loud noise and light meeting her gaze. Confused and hit by panic, she pulled her hand to cover her eyes with her hand. A terrible wind surrounded her, tossing her off in the bed and into the wall behind her. Landing with a hard thrust, she cursed out, before she looked up in sheer confusing and panic. The terrible wind was blowing up in the entire room, making such a terrible mess in its wake. The windows broke as several items flew straight through them, covering the floor with the shattered glass pieces. Finally, a green ethereal light flew straight for the young woman. It surged through her, bringing an electric sensation with it. And with that, Hannah was knocked to sleep.

Again, Hannah awoke with a jump. She breathed quickly and heavily, the darkness of the dusk falling upon her through the window. Still hit by panic, she looked around in her apartment, only to find it as it always stood. The realization brought a heavy sigh of relief with it, as she calmed down. Just a nightmare, then. Hannah nodded to herself, quickly disembarking from her now sweaty sheets. Hannah slowly made her way through the apartment, rubbing her eyes with yet another sigh. Throughout the apartment, a steady scent still carried in the air. It was as it always was, clean and smelled the same. She passed back into the kitchen, still only dressed in her shirt and a pair of underpants. The shirt was slightly too big, hanging off one shoulder steadily as she walked. Her throat was sore, craving for water after the many hours of sleep.

The energy drink still stood upon the table in front of the sofa, from Ace’s earlier visit. Hannah furrowed her brows at first, but quickly recalled the earlier happening, which brought a smile to her face. The pace at which he had stormed out was quite impressive, for anyone really. Surely, the awkwardness of the situation had gotten the better of him, even though it barely bothered Hannah. It was a fun change, and entertaining. Though she did not mind his timing, it could have become a little too strange for her taste. She quickly shook her head, snapping back into reality as she had simply frozen in her place during her stream of thoughts. The girl headed for the fridge, eagerly awaiting the much-anticipated water. Her tired fingers lazily opened the fridge, causing her to squint her eyes violently at the heavenly light attacking her vision. After what felt like a blind struggling to navigate the newest McDonalds down Main Street, Hannah finally got a hold of a bottle of water.

Quickly, she dumped herself into the sofa, pulling up both her legs underneath her, snuggling herself into position. Without much thought, she opened the bottle and took a simple sip. Hannah put the bottle upon the table, leaving the bottlecap besides it. With a swift movement, Hannah stretched her arms, yawning at that. In the same moment, a string of the water flew up from the bottle, splashing right on the wall behind her. “What in the fuck!?” she burst out in surprise, covering up her mouth in surprise, perhaps more of the swear, than the actual happening. She was left with an open mouth, trying to figure out what had happened. Her gaze quickly shifted between the bottle, and the now wet spot above her. However, her attention turned towards the bottle again, causing a curious raised eyebrow. The water within the bottle was not resting at the bottom, as water normally did. Instead, it was hovering carefully in the bottle. “What in the world…?” Hannah muttered, assuming she could only still be dreaming, but it seemed so real.

As she lowered her hands down towards the bottle, the water carefully followed her motion, descending down inside the bottle.

“What…?”

East meets West (SlashInfinite & POOHEAD189 1x1)

Mikasa rode through the field, unsure of what she was even searching for at this point. The dead bodies had surrounded her, and had put a sorrowful aura around the girl. Her mind was still racing at the crusader’s words, trying to determine if it was a simple lie. She sighed heavily in the night, and gave a swift pull with the reins, ordering the horse to a halt. The woman lowered herself to the ground, landing carefully next to yet another body. As she kneeled down and wiped the dirt from his armor and face, it was clear to her that it was one of the Westerners. A young boy, with a frightful last expression upon his sliced up face.

She passed through waves of corpses. Dead men, both young and old, occupied both her sides. Before her eyes were the start of a dying generation. If it came to another great war, one of the kingdoms would collapse. No one could handle a full-scale destruction again. It had to be stopped, much as Mikasa wished for the Crusaders to scurry back to their land dead. She shook her head, cursing her reckless thoughts. Reluctantly, the woman stopped yet again, by one of the corpses. It looked like he had bled out from his wounds, most likely having been in that spot for hours before finally dozing off. She narrowed her eyes at him, spotting a small pendant.

The boy carried a broken silvery rose around in neck, in a neat chain. Mikasa separated it from the Heroshidan warrior, studying it further. It reminded her of a merchant in the Capital, selling those exact same pendants. The small jewelry brought a quick smile to the woman in the dark night, though a small piece of paper clenched in the dead boy’s hand caught her attention most of all. “What’s this, now?” she muttered lowly in the night.

@POOHEAD189

Blessed (RosebeltAngel and SlashInfinite)

Hannah as simply left still with the drink in her hand, as Ace stormed out of the apartment. She tilted her head at his direction, hearing some keys a few moments later. When his door closed, Hannah scurried after, closing her own. Still with the drink in her hand, she let out a heavy sigh. The morning had certainly been interesting, possibly for the better. Derek had been strangely high, but Ace had been nice enough to spend some time with. She did not blame him for falling asleep, as she was certain it would make a good story to laugh at, in the future.

The minutes passed, and the sleepiness grew. Hannah wandered off to her bed in the middle of the day. She did not even bother to remove anything but her pants, and jumped into her bed. She snuggled herself into a comfy position and muttered to herself. “Just a few minutes…” But the hours passed on, and before she would know, the evening had come.

@RosebeltAngel

East meets West (SlashInfinite & POOHEAD189 1x1)

The cold blade sent a chill through Mikasa. Her eyebrows furrowed as he spoke. Surely he was lying. No one within Heroshida wanted another war, it was too outrageous. Of course, she could not know what had happened on the field. The two men wandered off, and as much as Mikasa had more questions, she knew the limit. She had already pushed the man enough. The wind blew in her hair, as she let out a sigh. The evening had not calmed her since the news, and now she had to deal with the dead or alive Soka. She reluctantly turned around, setting off for the man.

Still being able to sense the Westerners in the distance, Mikasa kept a steady hand on her blade, as she searched through the woods. Time passed, and Mikasa found nothing. Angrily, she scoffed to herself and headed for the horses by the end of the mountain. With a look over her shoulder every now and then. One horse remained, and thus it was not a mystery what had happened to the other. Again, she scoffed. Mikasa let her hand run across the horse, as she grimaced to herself with her mind racing. But yet the night did not wait, and she quickly grabbed the reins and climbed upon the horse.

With a mild kick, the horse went off, trotting away. She did not care for the mountain path, now that she had met the two riders. Mikasa looked the general direction where she had met them last, with a sigh to herself. The crusader’s words had troubled her. The young Lady rode off, heading for the fort through the night. The battlefield came up ahead of her and thus a frightening sensation went through her. “Easy, now.” She muttered to the horse, as it slowed down once again. Mikasa looked from side to side as she tried to keep herself calm. The sight was horrifying – dead bodies from left to right, horses and men alike. It was impossible to see who were who in the night. The bodies simply blended.

“This can’t be our destiny, can it?” she muttered to the horse, along with a heavy sigh.

@POOHEAD189

Blessed (RosebeltAngel and SlashInfinite)

Hannah nodded a bit, feeling slightly lazy as she sat in the sofa. For a bit, they sat in silence, Hannah simply staring at the window. Her mind had dozed off, the early day catching up to her with a heavy sigh. Just as she was about to speak, the snore escaped Ace. The woman grimaced, not having been in a situation with a stranger dozing off in her sofa before. Or well.

She quickly noticed the drink, quickly grabbing it from Ace’s hand, just before it tipped over. As she carefully put it down, Hannah carefully spoke up, trying to awake the sleeping boy. “Ace? Uh, you dozed off there. Maybe you need a nap?” She pushed herself up from the sofa, folding her arms with a small smile. As much as she tried to hide it, it was obvious she found the scenario awkward. Though seeing Ace dozing off had triggered tiredness for herself. Though it was still morning, a nap would not hurt.

@RosebeltAngel

The Realm of Men

The eerie purple light slowly pulsated from within the forest, almost as a beating heart. Sekaia led Eliana along with him, as he curiously squinted his eyes at the strange glow. With every step they came closer, the strange sensation grew within him, and possibly within his companion as well. It was almost as if a rope was wrapped around his waist, leading him towards it. The trees’ leaves danced in symbiosis with the light, following the movement. As they carefully approached, Sekaia guided the woman to sit behind a tree along with him, as he leaned around it, trying to get a closer look at the happening. The purple light was surging around in what looked like a small tornado, matching the heights of the trees surrounding it. He could easily feel the energy escaping it, as it almost swam up and down upon his skin.
Eliana turned her head around, by the strange sounds. Indeed, she felt a strange energy flowing through her as well. With her empty vision, she looked towards the sounds. Strangely enough, it was almost as if she could make out the waves of energy flowing in the circular upwards shape. It almost brought out a smile to her, as she admired the only sort of image she had seen the last few days. The magical waves danced their peaceful dance, but abruptly stopped within a second, staying in their place. “What’s happening?” Eliana whispered carefully behind her, towards what she assumed was Sekaia.

His hand rested upon the damp ground, as the event before him grew even stranger. From a small surrounding of trees, a silhouette carefully stepped towards the energy. It did not seem like a person, but instead a large wolf. With each step it took, the forest bowed to its superiority. Sekaia admired the beast, but was ever so confused at the sight. He watched as the beast stepped towards the light, bowing its head. “It’s a… A wolf?” He muttered, ever so intrigued by the beautiful predator. As he spoke, it turned its head around, looking directly at him, though they were a fair distance. Between the skipping heartbeats, Sekaia managed to hide himself behind the tree, taking in a deep breath.

/A wolf?/ Eliana furrowed her eyes, as she kept staring towards the light. In her blindness, she could sense a figure. A blue fire had lit the form of a wolf. The way it stood, the way it looked, it was familiar. The wolf turned around, still with its gaze aimed directly at Eliana. While she could only see the purple energy behind it, and the strange magic surrounding it, she could still feel its eyes locked upon her. The forest had grown completely silent, only interrupted by the heavy breathing of the creature that faced them. Eliana carefully placed her hand on the ground beneath her, pushing herself up at a slow pace. Though her vision was gone, the blue silhouette of the wolf was clear to her. The creature tilted its head as the woman slowly dared a single step closer, though still being a house apart.

The purple light began moving again, peacefully surging towards the wolf, enveloping it with the waves, as it disappeared. The waves began forming again, taking the form of a horse-looking creature, though wings had grown out of its back. Once again, Eliana froze. She could see it, just as she saw the wolf. The strange magic surrounding it was the only thing that allowed it to enter her gaze. The Pegasus folded out its majestic wings, as a wave of light quickly crawled along the ground, releasing a push of energy throughout the forest. The young woman was forced to the ground by the wave, landing harshly on the ground. She could sense Sekaia’s voice nearby, but gave no response.

Snowflakes began falling from the sky, descending upon the forest around them. Eliana rose her head with a grunt, looking around in hope of seeing the creature again. Instead she was met with something else. Before her eyes, a scene played out. Wolves, only lit up by a white light ran happily in a circle. They played with each other, bit and howled happily. A wind stormed in, erasing the shades of three of the wolves, leaving a single one standing. Confused and full of fear, the wolf ran around, stopping and howling for its siblings – but no answer came to it. It wandered in place, growling larger as it came upon a smaller wolf-like creature. The two walked at each other’s side, howling and playing in happiness. Within a second, two large lights came into sight. They formed the shape of two bears, roaring at the wolf and its companion. The bears were killed, but at the cost of the wolf. Whimpering it crawled away, collapsing upon the ground. The dog tilted its head, and barked at it.

The scene disappeared before her eyes, as a surge struck straight through her. She cried out in pain, her body going into a cramp as she curved into a ball. Tears escaped her eyes, as she began to sob to herself. Sekaia quickly ran to her place, as the lights had disappeared. He knelt before her, roughly shaking her and calling out her name. Finally she opened her eyes, still sobbing to herself and Sekaia. As she looked towards the voice, she was yet again met with a strange sight. She could not see him, her vision was still gone, but in his stead, a figure of blue light stood, with a concerned look upon its face. It looked exactly like the souls within the void.

“What?” She muttered out in confusion, looking around in panic. Throughout the forest, she sensed lights, small things jumping around in the distance, and a faint green outline of trees. It was still dark to her, but her sight had been filled with something. The more she looked, the more sure she became. The wolf… the Pegasus looked like a dream she had once had. Maybe not a dream, but a vision of sorts? She could faintly recall it, but it was the same.

“The Arrival.” She muttered, remembering the words of the figure that had shown her the burning town. Her mind razed, and she could not make sense of a single thing in her world. Before her eyes, the wounded wolf cub appeared again, right in front of her. It limped upon a leg, nudging Eliana. It ran off shortly after, almost as if begging her to follow it.

Blessed (RosebeltAngel and SlashInfinite)

Hey you! No probs! Don't stress about it ^^

East meets West (SlashInfinite & POOHEAD189 1x1)

Mikasa grimaced at the threat, almost feeling insulted. She folded her arms sternly, looking directly back at the crusader. “I won’t return before I’ve found answers. My people, just along with your people, has been slaughtered.” Her tone broke briefly at that, apparently emotion striking her otherwise firm posture. With a daring step, Mikasa slowly approached the crusader. She let his sword press lightly against her chestplate, as she spoke.

“I’m going to ask you a simple question, warrior of the Western God.” She narrowed her eyes at him, the sheer wave of a mixture between hate and perturbation having showing in her gaze. “You’ve come to our land – my land. I will admit I do not know what sparked this skirmish, but believe me, you’re not the only one able to make threats. If this was your leaders doing – if their goal is to trigger another war, I promise you, we will tear you asunder.” Mikasa paused at that, slightly surprised by her own speech, especially considering she had willingly let the tip of his blade rest upon her plated chest. Nonetheless, she stood firm in her figure, carefully eyeing the response.

The night was calm besides the three warriors. Another breeze rolled in, running through the Swordmaiden’s hair, as she stared the westerner dead in the eye. “I will not have you ruin our peace.”

@POOHEAD189