Spade

Avan-Sol

Gods fucking damn it Damien, what a snafu this broad has brought you into.

The entire monarchy must be this way, fighting and fucking and arguing and kissing and just being a lavish emotional circus in general, because once he woke up and shook off the effects of the tranquilizer the palanquin turned into a damn rollercoaster. They were like an old married couple from the Bronx, and argued in ways that only two who had been in and out of love with each other could. She wouldn't let him win, and he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. What a mess, Damien, what a mess. Negotiations eventually got serious, and Helen had dealt a fine set of cards on the table. If this whole thing worked out then Damien would get The Old Library, which would undoubtedly shift leverage in his favor ten fold so giving this a real shot was justified.

Not to mention it was Ulrich, and while Damien was fine with him on the other side of forest partying and letting his hippies scrub his feet for him or whatever they did, he couldn't live with himself knowing his little brother was in danger. The tranquilizer left Damien susceptible to emotional flare ups during the ride, but he could feel himself calming down and as Helen pounded the keys on her laptop with urgency, he was able to use the peace and quiet to calm himself. Exhaustion was the warm breeze that began to hit the group, a surprising look spilling over Damien's face when he checked his watch. "3:30, wow." was all he could manage to say as the sound of bellcarts and valets became audible, they had arrived at the Ritz. It had been a while. Damien got himself together as he listened to Selene and Helen converse outside of the tent, stepping out and eyeing Selene up and down like a true Bronx citizen.

"Maltar dur metterna." or 'mind your fucking business' in Elvish. Selene had waited until he had began to walk away and gave him a small shove, and all Damien did was laugh because he knew that would piss her off more than anything. Petty. Tom Petty. Anyways, the place was barely busy but being tired made the place seem like Vegas on a Saturday night. A lobby attendant flustered at the sight of shirtless Damien, running towards him with a robe, only to be denied by Damien with a shake of his head and a point in Selene's direction. "Put it over her face." he instructed humorously as he tried his best not to stagger on his way to the front desk.

The place was so damn relaxing, every cushion laden chair or couch enticed him over as if Liara laid on them herself. Like a horse with blinders on, Damien focused himself towards the goal that was the front desk and nothing else. Dirk made the mistake of walking up and standing next to him as he checked in, only to have Damien stare a hole through his head until he flinched and fucked off to wherever he was wanted. He was tired, half naked and kidnapped, being a little rude was more than justified. Helen and Selene once again exchanged conversation in the distance as he finished registering, taking the keys and holding them up as he walked towards the elevators. "Helen, loser, ugly, let's go." he barked passively, calling an elevator down and leaning tiredly against the wall in front of him.

The elevator ride was about 10 seconds long, but felt agonizingly long. The silence was electric and in it, Damien's thoughts really began to focus on just what was going on. She had kidnapped him, regardless if they had known each other for so long or had their thing a while back, she kidnapped the shit out of him and acted like it was cool. That, and she was throwing him into some botched scenario that would certainly put them all in some sort of danger because Ulrich got himself caught up with some bad people. For all he knew, she got him in that situation. She had a tendency to bring trouble with her, it was beginning to be her thing. Damien was determined not to let her in his heart again, and even though they got physical, it was to get the urge out, to thrust away the last he had felt for her. That's what he told himself at least, who knows what tomorrow would bring.

When they got into the room, Damien walked over to the window, checking out the view. The fields of artificial lights and LCD lettering was all too familiar with Damien but it had still been a while since he'd really looked at the city this way. The moment of reflection only increased the feeling of uncertainty in his gut. What were they walking into? Why was he so okay with just going along with whatever it was they were planning? The door was right there, and as Helen laid in bed engulfed in her deep sleep, Damien looked at the door in deep thought. If he just walked out, Selene was the only thing that stopped him. Sure she might have more of that stuff on her, but it was likely she was just as knocked out as Helen over there. As the sound of rain began to play and fake trees and leaves blanketed the windows, Damien began to walk towards the door only stopping himself and shaking his head in frustration. You walk out on your brother, you have to live with the consequences. He couldn't do that, so he would play along, for now.

Sitting on the lounge chair next to the bed, Damien waved the TV over, it quickly hovering in front of him and turning it on. Rubbing his eyes when the light from the screen hit them like a wall of bricks, he began flicking his wrist upwards, flipping through channels until his head slumped down, finally falling asleep. Across the street, Tyrus would wait patiently, finding a nice perch on the roof of the small building across from the main entrance of the Ritz. He would activate his message drone, typing in a summary of what he had saw in detail. What was emphasized was that Damien was safe and in no danger, yet and that he had seemed to tag along on his own will despite Selene giving them all the slip earlier. "and...I...will...find...out...what...room...them, fuck, no...they...are...in." he finished typing, closing the tiny console on the drone and clicking it on, sending it back to the camp.

Tyrus sat down and continued to watch the main entrance, because like Damien, he didn't know what would come next.

What Are You Listening To?

On repeat for the rest of my life.

Avan-Sol

It was quite the spectacle, Helen's arrival. A miasma of emotions had blitzed Damien in a second. It'd been so long since he'd seen her, her figure, her eyes. He was relieved she wasn't all drugged out, sweaty and messy haired like most of the girls that followed Ulrich's trails. She had a sensible look about her, she looked good and it kind of relieved Damien to find that out. Regardless, after the kind of day he'd been having so far, it wasn't fun having them arrive at his door and all it did was throw him off, confuse him. Making sense of the situation was a waste of time, but that didn't stop him from trying. Slowly, Tigers from the gathered crowd had began recognizing the dancers that Helen and Selene had brought with her. Old acquaintances, old flames, each dancer was someone important to at least one of Damien's people. How could he be angry? How could he be rude when things had taken such a turn for the better? Damien shook his head in disbelief, this whole thing made no sense. It was nice, it just made no freaking sense and if Damien had a reason to be suspicious, it hadn't presented itself yet.

“We brought them here as a peace offering... despite our differences… we’re still family, right?”
Ok, there it was.

The overall mood had made the dramatic shift to relaxed, and even though Damien still found the sudden appearance of Helen a bit suspect, he eventually let his guard down. Lua looked him in the eyes and gave him a reassuring nod before she went back into the crowd, running her hand across his chest as she walked back towards her work. Damien watched her disappear in the crowd, feeling Helen’s eyes on him. Letting out a deep breath, he returned his focus to her. Following her into the large palanquin, Damien got a look into Ulrich’s world. Decadent, ornate, exuberating and unforgivingly excessive, this is what his brother had created and it was tangible and mighty. These people were truly devoted to him, not just loyal, but devoted, infatuated. Damien sighed deeply, wondering if it was foolish to expect anything less from his little brother. Reminded of the situation at hand, Damien took a seat across from Helen, and the two exchanged words. There was plenty of palpable silence between the two, but it was only a matter of time. It had been forever since he had seen her, she looked damn good and he knew for a fact that she liked what she saw. They gave in.

The sensation that was her touch hadn’t changed, but the wound added a challenge. They still had plenty of chemistry though, and were really familiar with each other physically. This wasn’t how it used to be though, and that was obvious. The affection wasn’t there, the passion yeah, but it wasn’t like before. There were no nightcaps among the stars or anything like that, this was two people in a palanquin who needed to get it out of their systems, together. The commotion outside had essentially turned into a party, nobody really paid attention to what was going on. Domerix and Alistar were so caught up in keeping an eye on the happenings. Helen and Damien had plenty of time. When they had finally had enough of each other, Damien sat up among the lavish sheets and throwpillows throughout the palanquin, watching Helen, still trying to piece together what was going on. Seemingly ignoring what had just taken place, Helen went to work typing on her laptop, the clicks of the keyboard being the only thing to break the silence before she spoke.

“You should sleep. This is probably going to take a while.”
“You don’t have an off switch, do you?”
“I do. In fact you were just flipping it repeatedly a moment ago.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel guilty?” Damien replied, cocking an eyebrow in surprise, she seemed to be enjoying herself well enough.
Some more beeps and clicks, “I think I’ve got a signal.”

“Great, I’ll go and see what’s going on with the others,” he tried to get up, his legs giving out on him halfway before becoming numb, the loss of feeling creeping past his knees and towards his waist. Selene and Helen exchanged some chatter before Selene came in and morphed into Damien, voice and all. Damien focused as much as he could on trying to figure out just what their plan was, but was having a hard time ignoring the fact that he was going numb little by little. In an attempt to call for help, Damien felt the scalding dryness of his throat. It was part of whatever Helen had given him. He exhaled through his nostrils in confused frustration. She had got the slip on him, and he let it happen, right under his damn nose. Selemien walked out and addressed the crowd, his men dispersing as the meeting of camps ended and the palanquin was being prepared to depart. Damien tried his best to listen in, but his vision started to give, blurring and unfocus, Damien reached out for the exit.

“Relax we have a long ride ahead of us, I’ll explain everything on the way there”
“We’ll need guys, my guys, we have to go back, we have to…”
Damien’s surroundings faded to black.

---

Domerix and Alistar stood together in the gateway, Barthas, Thialgo and some of the others just behind, watching their captains. Domerix stood with his arms crossed, pacing back and forth as Alistar stood still, his index fingers up to his lips as they both reflected on what just happened. Alistar was happy to see Selene, but things got fishy fast. Domerix kicked some dirt up, prompting Alistar to clear his throat.

“Did you buy that?” Alistar asked.
“I did at first, then he called us 'men', then he called me 'orc'.” Domerix retorted, still pacing, “I say we trail em.”
“No, Selene’s with them, she’ll smell us coming, she’s good that way.” Alistar warned.
“Well then what do you suggest, scout captain?” Domerix asked, frustrated.
"I got it. Tyrus! Front and center, scout." Alistar commanded.
"No fucking way, you genius." Domerix reacted.

"Outta the way scrubs, coming through!" a small voice cried from the back of the crowd of soldiers and scouts. Everyone scooted to separate sides as a small gnome stepped forward, standing proud and as tall as he could. This was Tyrus Cobb, scout extraordinaire and one crazy motherfucking athlete. Let me tell you about Tyrus Cobb, Tyrus Cobb was the only gnome, standing at a meager 3'2, to make the Syracuse rugby club and start. All-human schools had to fight for a rule change that prohibited him from playing against teams without faes, cause he was crazy. Earning All-American Honors in wrestling and track and field, the only reason he was a scout and not a soldier was because being a soldier would've been to easy for him, that and he and Domerix loved to fight each other, it was terrifying. A true athlete and sneaky bastard, Tyrus nodded at his captains confidently, knowing he would be counted on, knowing he was the right man for the job. Adjusting the small, almost dagger like sword strapped to his back, Tyrus took out a can of war paint and applied it under his eyes. The salve, created by Windsor, would improve his vision tenfold, allowing him to spot and focus on the palanquin with ease and more importantly from a safe undetectable distance. Selene was good, but she wouldn't be ready for this. "I've got em, I've got their scent." Tyrus spoke, "I'll keep an eye on him, make sure he's safe and they'll never see me." Alistar and Domerix nodded and before they could submit their votes of confidence, he was off, sprinting down the trail to find Damien and to figure out what the hell was going on.

---

“Welcome to the Ritz, sir and ma'am, help with your things?”

Avan-Sol

Damien had lost a lot of blood, not even realizing that he had pretty much put the bulk of his weight on Thialgo who had began to help him stay on his feet some ways back. With what looked like the camp in sight, the loss of blood and exhaustion had finally made itself known. Damien's resolve was the only thing keeping him conscious as the gates to the camp swing open and a group of Sea Tigers came out.

Front and center was Dr. Lua Tisari, an elven doctor who had graduated in the same class as Damien. She lead the Sea Tiger Medical Club, whose main focus was the research, development and advancement of fae medicine and medicinal practices. Like Windsor the scientist, Lua joined Damien in Central Forest when her job folded it's fae medicine division, her parents who were also prominent fae doctors had been arrested under suspicion of illegally practicing fae medicine at the hospital they worked at. The whole thing was in the papers at the time, it was a big deal since they had saved the mayor's son from a virus that had pretty much guaranteed his death, so they were prominent figures in the fae community and had helped start to bring people around on faes before the whole thing boiled over after Avan's death. Anyways, Lua had the hots for Damien, and she was a beautiful girl, but the timing of everything was off, what with Helen finally reappearing but with Ulrich and Liara growing impatient. Had Avan still been alive and if Damien had the chance to get over Helen, they could have had something special. They both know it would work were circumstances different, but they weren't and they were already so busy with their respective passions they only got the chance to see each other a few times a week.

Lua ran towards Thialgo and the near unconscious Damien, two large orc soldiers in tow. She had a veil with her, popping the cork off and throwing it aside, slipping the fluid in Damien's mouth. Damien breathed in and let out a loud, medically induced sneeze before passing out, his weight becoming too much for Thialgo the satyr as the orcs ran in and caught him, carrying him to the large clinic building in the camp, where they'd be able to treat his wound along with everyone else. Domerix refused help, visibly angry as he limped all the way to the building under his own power.

Meanwhile, Alistar walked with Lua, discussing the severity of Damein's wound, Alistar explaining what had taken place. It would take about an hour to clean him up correctly and to patch him up without leaving a scar. Luckily her team and Alistar's runners had just come back from an ingredients run, finding plants and buying medicine from all over the city to bring back to her. Domerix sat down on a bench in the hallway, only pointing to Damien's room whenever someone stopped to help him, "Damien...help Damien first..." he would grunt. Everyone was exhausted, just relieved to be back on friendly soil. Lua and her nurses would begin work on Damien, a sharp scream being heard before they subdued him again.

Liara stood on the shore, looking out to the sea as the waves crashed at her feet. Damien approached her, staggering in an exhausted daze, he fell to her feet. Trying to get himself up, Damien felt her soft skinned foot press against his back, keeping him down as the waves rushed back in, the saltwater filling his mouth. His vision faded to black, listening to her inaudible whispers before passing out again. About an hour later, Damien's eyes slowly opened, his eyes being met with the clinic lights. Trying to get up, he looked down and saw the bandages that were wrapped around his torso, deep green paste could be seen under all of the gauze, explaining his numbness in the area. Lua stood in the corner, writing on her clipboard before setting it down and walking to Damien's bedside.

"If you wanted to see me all you had to do was say something." she spoke, giving his arm a playful squeeze.
"Well you're a hard person to get to these days, I had to do something." he joked back, smiling, feeling her hand run down his arm to his hand. His train of thought was broken by her leaning in and kissing him. It was a bittersweet moment, she was an amazing person and all that did was remind him of how the Sea Tigers inadvertently got in the way of them having something. Victims of circumstance, he reaped what he sowed on a daily basis, came with the territory. Damien rested for about another hour before getting back on his feet, stepping out into the courtyard and stretching, testing to see just how much his wound had healed. It was pretty much as good as new as he sat down and looked up at the canopy above him. Beams of sunlight had broken through the tall trees and Damien found himself relaxed, that was until Domerix joined him.

"D, someone's at the gates." he spoke, wasting no time in asking his leader if he was okay, or asking how he was feeling. Orcs worked that way.
"Any idea who it is?"
"No, but it's a palanquin with Ulrich's crest on it."

Damien discovered his limp as he made a b-line to the gates, Domerix letting out a particular whistle. Immediately, about a dozen orcs and large figured soldiers appeared out of different tents and buildings, taking their place behind Damien and Domerix. One orc approached from the weaponsmith, handing Damein his sword. Damien buckled it to his waistline before walking up to the scene that unfolded. It was Dirk, a strange elf that had an abnormal spiritual well and proved himself incapable during the initiation trials, he wasn't very dangerous on his own, but after the rejection he kinda snapped, making him a bit unpredictable. Next to him was Selene, Alistar's cousin. Selene was once on track to become a Sea Tiger, perhaps even one of Damien's captain had Ulrich not convinced her to join him. It was a shame, Damien respected her abilities and combat prowess, but that didn't stop him from not trusting her. He eyed her up and down before examining the palanquin. Ulrich had some fucking nerve showing up the way he did, at least he thought it was Ulrich.

"Interested in what? Taking these rejects back? He walked forward, looking back and forth between Dirk and Selene, "You guys aren't with us for a reason, so make your intentions known or leave." he spoke sternly, grabbing the hilt of his sword as he turned to face the palanquin, "And you, you've got some fucking nerve showing up after setting us up in the grotto today, just what exactly where you trying to prove, Ulrich?" he asked. His people were silent, this was a serious reunion unfolding before them. When Helen stepped out of the palanquin, Damein froze in disbelief. "So he's gonna try and kill me twice in one day? Your boyfriend sure has lost it, Helen." he finished. More Sea Tigers had made their way into the gateway, murmurs of Helen's appearance spread throughout like wildfire. Lua ran out, getting in between Damien and the palanquin, placing her hands on his bare chest, keeping him from stepping forward anymore.

"Damien, you've been through a lot today, now's not the time to be looking for a fight." she warned. Damien was silent, his stoic eyes still fixed on Helen. Lua placed her hand on his cheek, turning his head to face him, only to receive a cold star in return.
"On the contrary, doc, a fight's just what we need." Domerix barked, drawing his sword, the sound of swords being drawn ringing out as his soldiers armed themselves. "Now speak up, all of you, or we can end this right now."

Avan-Sol

"You tell me what she is to you Damien, because I can tell you don't just pray to her. Ulrich says that-"
"Ulrich has nothing to do with this, leave my little brother out of this."
"Can you just show some emotion for once and be transparent with me? Ulrich's the only one who talks to me anymore."
"I didn't realize."
"Damien, I love you, and I want us to keep going but there's one thing you need to do."
"What's that?"

"I NEED YOU TO GET UP RIGHT NOW MAN, BARTHAS ISN'T MOVING." Domerix barked, his focus switching between dragging the limp but visibly breathing Barthas to a safer spot in the grotto and keeping his eyes on the figures in the treeline, shrieking and hissing, the clicking of their claws echoing through the clearing. Alistar helped Thialgo to his feet, and the two found their swords, still trying to focus themselves after the explosion. The projection released some sort of powder designed to confuse and disorient anyone who was caught in it's cloud and Damien caught the worst of it, catching a large batch as he stared Ulrich's projection in the face. "Thialgo, come over here and watch Barthas, I've gotta get Damien up!" he ordered, Thialgo immediately complying. Damien managed to get himself back on his feet, staggering as he wiped the powder from his face, reaching out, Domerix quickly handed Damien his sword. In an effort to intimidate the approaching attackers, the orc let out several loud warcries, his pointed ears pinned back in instinctual focus. "Damien, we got a fight coming, c'mon buddy, grab your sword. ALISTAR, GET OVER HERE!" Alistar's footsteps could be heard as he joined his comrades. Damien coughed and reached out for his sword, feeling Domerix place the hilt in his palm less than a second later.

"What the fuck are those?" Domerix asked.
"We gotta spread em out, there's way too many." warned Alistar.

Damien blinked repetitively, slowly regaining his focus only to spot the threat now standing in the treeline. Seven dryad summons stood in a line, working themselves into a frenzy. Dryad summons came in many shapes and sizes, these sharing a feminine, lanky figure, brandishing large claws and spiked horns that curved upwards. Whoever summoned them used nearby trees, native to Central forest. Damien stood and faced the group of summons, letting out a loud roar similar to Domerix's, prompting the dryads to shriek back in a display of viciousness. "If they reach Barthas, they'll shred him to pieces. Do whatever it takes." Damien commanded, sticking his sword in the dirt and kicking it up, a cloud of dust blowing in the summons direction, "COME AND GET IT YOU SHIT EATING TWIGS!" he shouted, charging towards the group, his captains at his flank. When the dryads began heading towards them, the three split up in separate directions, thinning them out and keeping them from Thialgo and Barthas. Domerix bellowed out another warcry, attracting the attention of two of the summons. While Damien or Alistar would've had a difficult time taking on two opponents, Domerix welcomed the challenge, easily being the best warrior among the three.

Pushing one summon away to make some space, stabbing one summon in the throat, pulling him between himself and the other summon. The second summon hesitated, shrieking as it watched the glow fade from it's doomed sister's eyes. The now husk of a summon collapsed, hitting the ground and breaking into a pile of wooden shards. Domerix disposed of the remaining summon with aggressive ease. Meanwhile, Alistar had rushed his assigned summon, showcasing his elven agility, deflecting the creature's slashes with his sword whilst keeping a safe distance from it. Creating about ten yards between him and the dryad summon. The summon leaped in the air, claws brandished forward in an attempt to pounce on the elf, only to watch Alistar smoothly baseball slide under him, thrusting his sword through it's wooden midsection, twisting the blade and finishing it off. Damien danced with the summon that pursued him, glancing claws away from his body using his sword. The summon shrieked in frustration as Damien confidently egged it on, closing in and slashing it's arm off before spinning and driving his sword through it's side. Finishing it off, the three Sea Tiger captains regroup and stride towards the three remaining tree demons. The summons gathered in a huddle, their bodies morphing and bonding together, forming a wooden behemoth that can only be described as 'huge fucking tree monster thing'. It roared, announcing the completion of it's final form.

All three captains rushed the tree hulk unanimously, their lack of strategy backfiring as each were sent flying away as the tree hulk swung it's arms about tossing them like pieces of trash. Domerix went crashing into a tree, while Alistar's body went tumbling clear across the grotto. Thialgo stood fast, watching as Damien's form was thrown against one of the dull statues in the grotto, his back arching in pain as he fell to the floor. Opening his eyes, he could feel the ground quake as the tree hulk approached, roaring in confidence. Looking to the treeline as he tried to get up, Liara stood, a smooth smile across her face, her eyes eager to watch Damien die and join her forever in the afterlife. Damien realized what she was doing there, slamming a fist in the ground. "No..." he mumbled, "...not here, not now..." rising to his feet, the mirage of Liara faded into the trees as Damien's muscles began to convulse and grow, bulking in size as fur grew from his skin.

After moments of lurching in pain, the weretiger stood and roared to the sky. In one fluid motion, Damein's tiger form pounced on top of the tree hulk, taking a wooden spike in the side before hacking and slashing the behemoth to pieces, finishing it off by biting a chunk of wood right out of it's neck, immediately collapsing in a cloud of dust and dirt. The rest of the tigers collected themselves, while Damien morphed back into human form, walking from the dust cloud applying pressure to the open wound just under his ribcage. Domerix got back on his feet and let out a deep breath, embracing his good friend in a rare sign of vulnerable emotion. Eventually Barthas regained consciousness, discovering what happened to his captains and leader as they prepared to leave, not before Thialgo collected pieces of what remained of the summons and tree hulk, figuring Windsor would be able to pinpoint whose handy work that was.

The walk back felt like an eternity, but after a while the camp was in sight, Alistar's patrols making contact and breaking off to alert the camp.

Cleansed: Peace Keepers

Hey Krieg, you guys still accepting? If not, it's cool, I kinda took forever on this one.

Avan-Sol

Central forest was for the most part, very serene. Only a small fraction of it was tourist friendly, as it was made a national park decades ago, allowing for nature to take over the concrete roads and buildings, the dark tunnels and sunlit playgrounds. It became a symbol of fae making their way back into society. As the trees grew, so did the fae's courage to question their social oppression. So, techies and humans typically avoided Central Forest, which just reminded them of the shift in social norms that was occurring around them, it was something most people didn't want to acknowledge. Naturally it became a safe haven for groups of fae looking to get away from the constant noise of the hive city, it became a popular spot for college students to spend the weekend camping, whether if it was so they could get high and trip out peacefully or just to practice some transcendence. There was always a mysticism to the forest though, stories of magic and spiritual happenings that went on beyond the safety of the trails. For years, fae students would return from trips to Central Forest with stories of seeing apparitions or hearing something, it became an exciting thing. When Ulrich and Damien made their homes on opposite side of the forest, it became a big deal. Making a permanent home out of the sanctuary made perfect sense, but was oddly bold, something the O'Shalna brothers became known for.

"We're almost there!" alerted Alistair, he, along with 2 of his scouts lead Damien and Domerix through the trees and brush. One of Alistar's scouts, a Satyr named Thialgo had spotted Ulrich in a small grotto laying among the flowers and butterflies. It would be the first time Damien will see his brother in months, which is all he could think about as they ran through the forest. What would he say? How would he say it? Would he try and hug his brother or simply tackle him at first sight. Would Helen be there and would she be happy to see them together again? Clearly, Damien's mind was clouded, the usually calm and collected leader of the Sea Tigers was susceptible to distraction when it came to his brother. UIrich was the only one with the ability to rattle Damien's mind with words alone, and it was because Damien both love and hated his brother at the same time. Ulrich did a lot for Damien, introducing him to Avan, inadvertently helping Damien reach his full spiritual potential, apparent as the Sea Tigers came shortly before the boy king's clan. What really got to Damien more than anything was that they both wanted the same thing, only they were complete polar opposites about it and while that was heartbreaking, it didn't quell any of the intense animosity between the two.

"Here, just over here guys." Thialgo warned, prompting the entire group to stop their running and slow down to a slow, crouched walk. Through the tree line, the grotto was in full sunlight, the patches of flowers spread throughout glowed with life and butterflies fluttered around, dancing. Statues of old politicians stood covered in moss and vines, dulled and cracked, unrecognizable. Damien sat on one knee and waited in silence, listening for someone who wasn't them to make a noise. From the flower patch closest to the grotto, a hand reached out from the flowers, laughing softly as a butterfly landed on it, flapping it's wings for a bit before taking off again. The figure sat up, shirtless and pale, it's shock of red hair glistening in the sun. Damien's eyes peered as he watched Ulrich soak up the sun so nonchalantly. Oh, how it pissed him the fuck off. The figure stood up and walked around, kicking up dirt and coming into full view of the group that remained hidden in the cool dark of the trees. Damien let out a deep breath and stood up, shaking his head and walking right out into the sunlight in frustration.

"Damien!" Alistar whispered loudly.
"It's okay, it's not him." Damien turned and shouted back, a good distance into the grotto.

Damien approached the figure, coming closure and noticing it's otherworldly glow, confirming his suspicions. Waving Domerix over, the large orc stood and jogged out, joining his friend and leader in the grotto's sun, swatting away the annoying butterflies that came near him. Domerix got close enough to realize it wasn't really Ulrich, but a residual projection, something Ulrich was a professional at. Domerix reached out to Ulrich's form, his hand going right through the young man. Frustrated that they had been tricked, he reached back and swung right through the thing, it's head dispersing like smoke only to regrow and smile so smugly at the orc. Damien calmed his captain, waving over the rest of the guys. Thialgo the satyr hung his head in shame.

"I'm sorry Damien, I thought it was him." the satyr confessed, shaking his head.
"It's alright Thi, this is probably the best projection I've ever fucking seen." Damien replied, examining Ulrich up and down.
"Yeah I wish it was him, I'd have laid the little fucker out." mumbled Domerix.
"How'd you know it was a projection?" Alistar asked.
"His tattoos, this one has none," explained Damien, his finger pointing at Ulrich's clean hand and torso, "Ulrich's damn proud of those tats, he wouldn't hide them for anything."
Alistar's last scout finally made his way out of the treeline, another elf by the name of Barthas.
"We're all clear guys, nobody around here for a while, no footprints, no markings, nothing. I don't get it." explain Barthas.

"I don't get it D, why would he do this?" asked Alistar. Just then, the figure began to laugh, Ulrich began to crack up, laughing hysterically, slapping his knee and holding his stomach, only it didn't really make a sound. All of the Tigers stood puzzled, watching as the figure laughed harder and harder, it's face red and sweaty from it all. Suddenly, aloud shriek rang through the trees, seemingly into the grotto that was a combination of a tea kettle going off and nails on a chalkboard, whilst listening to feedback in a room full of large fucking speakers. Each of the Sea Tigers covered their ears and shut their eyes, the sensation being too much to handle without your ears exploding. The screaming faded away, and Damien along with the rest of the group drew their swords and immediately watched the treeline, waiting for whatever made that noise to show itself. That's when the projection breathed in, all five turning to listen.

"BALTAMA DULECIA NE GUZAROOO" shouted the projection, and without warning it exploded, the sheer force sending Damien and the others flying back about 10 feet. The terrible shriek from before rang out again, disorienting the Tigers as they scrambled to recollect themselves. Damien's ears rang as he struggled to stand, looking around for his comrades before finding his sword, picking it up out of the dirt. Domerix picked up Thialgo, Alistar was on all fours trying to regain his focus and Barthas laid unconscious on the ground. Damien shook his head, trying to snap himself back into a sharp focus, but it proved difficult. The ground shook and vibrated in rhythm.

Footsteps approached, and dark figures could be seen standing among the trees. Something was coming, something not of this world.

Avan-Sol

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are witnessing history. For those of you just joining us, tonight's events started out rather routinely, with the Syracuse University football team lead by their defensive captain Damien O'Shalna defending their home field against Rutgers for the division championship. It was an amazing game to say the least, O'Shalna and his record setting defense only allowing three points in four quarters, stuffing the run and getting to the quarterback 7 times over the course of the night. Rutgers had their own impressive defensive effort, but lost the contest by allowing the game's only touchdown in the third quarter.

Well that's all said and done as the game ended about 10 minutes ago but what happens next is pretty interesting. Instead of proceeding with the traditional trophy ceremony, the majority of the team, it's safe to say all of the Fae players followed Damien to the east end of the field and began to what I can only describe as some sort of prayer. Now our people are telling us that they're showing tribute to their fallen assistant coach, who is elven and in the hospital after being assaulted during an anti-fae rally sometime last month. This pro-fae demonstration is only a small part of the recent happenings here at Syracuse. The fae rights movement has done nothing but gain traction and momentum here in New York City, but we would never believe that it would reach this level.

Make no mistakes folks our cameras are still rolling and we're still broadcasting because this isn't an act of hostility. The authorities have been called off after the initial confusion. No arrests have been made, nobody has been hurt because this is an act of peace and a display of good will on behalf of the Syracuse football team. What this comes down to is the basic right of existence. These kids are discovering their history, their potential and they want to be respected for being different. These kids want to be respected for being themselves.

Mark Eisen, in his last game called for Syracuse University football.

---

"This is fucked, man."
"We have to know if it's gonna work if you do a full sprint across the river at full rush. It's gnarly but it's the only way we'll know it's flawless."
"I know, it's just...fucked."
"It's sketchy Damien I know, but I wouldn't ask you to do this if I wasn't entirely confident in my work."
"You can't just do it yourself? This is sketch, man."
"Damien I'm 3 feet tall I know it'll hold my weight, I need someone solid for this."
"You couldn't get Domerix out here? Orcs are solid."
"Orcs also don't trust magic that isn't Orcish."
"This is fucked."

"Just get ready, I'm mixing a fresh batch for you right now." the gnome said, rummaging through his knapsack for different powders, oils and pastes needed to make the salve they were out there to test. The gnome was Windsor Sinclair, a 5 year graduate of a 10 year course in fae science. Windsor left his premier internship in Manhattan to join Damien and show that fae science wasn't just pixie dust and fireworks. A pioneer in functional potions and concoctions of all sorts, Windsor's latest creation was a salve that could be applied anywhere on the body and would allow the user to walk, run and hopefully sprint across bodies of water as if it were solid ground. He had already demonstrated it for himself, but needed to be sure it could hold someone with real bulk, like Damien. The leader of the Sea Tigers always expressed that he would never ask his guys to do something he wouldn't, so naturally Windsor went to the man himself. There they were, mid day on the banks of the roughest part of the river. Damien checked the straps to the harness that was made to his measurements. Adjusting the fit, the harness allowed him to carry a gnome comfortably for an extended period of time, causing no strain to the shoulders or back. It all pllayed into an upcoming task Damien was putting together, but that was still in the works. They needed to know if the salve would work, first.

"Done, here you are." Windsor said, handing over the open container of blackish brownish paste. Damien took a long look at it before dipping in two fingers and applying one stripe under each eye, resembling the eye black he used to wear on the football field. Taking a nervous deep breath to try and shake the tingle in his gut, Damien paced a few steps back just before the treeline meet the riverbed. There he stood focused, doing his best to dial in and push away any hesitation in his mind. As if a gun went off, Damien swiftly dropped his hips and took off, full sprint dead ahead towards the river. Nerves made their way back into his mind, but he didn't slow down. Letting out a shout as he touched the last of dry land, Damien maintained his high speed as he sprinted clear across the river. Water splashed up from the impact of his strides as he kept in line straight across to the other side. His steps thudded hard as he slowed himself down and looked back across the river to see Windsor with his hands up in victory, both he and Damien smiling in excitement. It was an awesome moment. "That was insane! Fuck yes!" he shouted before they both began laughing. Damien calmly walked back across the river, the rapids morphing around his form as he caught his breathe.

"Let's get out of here, c'mon, I'll give you a lift." Damien quipped, getting down on one knee.
"Asshole."
They both laughed and headed back to camp. Which was a mixture of old public buildings, an abandoned subway terminal, tunnels and a maintenance tunnel junction that was out of use for a few decades. There were also plenty of tents, towers and treehouses and the canopy allowed for plenty of sun with just the right amount of privacy. Either way, Alistar's scout lines kept great watch of not just their home, but their entire part of central forest. It was a real community, there were gnomes, elves, orcs, satyrs, pixies. Pretty much every kind of fae was represented to one volume or another, but they were all equal. Damien made sure to nod and wave to as many as he could, or to those who noticed him. Everyone had been really busy lately, art, music, lectures, there was a boom in creation for the large group of fae. The two walked Windsor to his large tent and said their farewells, Windsor shouting excitedly, telling his fellow scientists about their accomplishments. Damien walked in the shade through a group of tents and past small office buildings before reaching the largest in the center.'MANNING COUNTRY CLUB' read across it's tired concrete front, which had been reclaimed by Gaia, covered in moss and vines. The walls inside the main atrium were lined with statues, idols and paintings. Many had offerings at their base or underneath them. Some fae were even in the middle of praying, communicating with their chosen deity. The building carried a respectful silence, but a satyr played the pan flute in the distance. The melancholy tune echoed through the halls as Damien walked past room after room of statues and people meditating, before finally reaching his own.

The statue of Liara was deceiving. Her noble dressing covered her shapely form, and her crown appeared much more majestic. She looked upward, as if from the sea to the surface but Damien could still feel her gaze upon him. At her feet, a tiger laid dormant, peacefully asleep in it's master's comforting company. It was a stark contrast from the coldness of his dreams, of which only Damien was familiar with. An elven craftsman constructed the statue for Damien, using only instructions from a centuries old book detail her existence, and of the hundreds of warriors that worshiped her and died vying for her love and approval. It was how the goddess was remembered in the hearts of men. Damien presented a lone water lotus he had picked from a certain spot along the river. Placing it at the statues feet, Damien took a deep breath and looked up at her.

"In a few days, I'm going to do something I've been meaning to do for a long time. It's what I've been training myself and these Tigers for. I'm here today, to ask that you make sure things go our way and we can find out what happened to Avan. I'm not here to beg, or ask for protection, just make sure he stays out of my way. Make sure Ulrich doesn't fuck anything up for us. He's my brother, and I miss him, but we are men with different purposes now. Make sure he knows that-"
"Damien." a voice echoed from down the hall, it was Damien's captain Alistar, his steps grew louder until he stood in the doorway. "Damien, we found him."
"How?" Damien asked, his fists clenching as he kept his gaze on Liara's statue.
"Earlier today, one of my guys saw him. I'm sorry to interrupt, it's disrespectful, but I think you needed to know."
Damien sprang up to his feet, looking his scout captain in the eyes, "Grab three more of your guys, let's go."

Avan-Sol

I'm really busy with work this weekend, but I promise I'll have something up by tomorrow night. I was gonna try and throw something up really quick but I'm just too tired to post quality right now.

Avan-Sol

My goddess has shown me many things, but what speaks to me the most, is that true salvation can not be achieved through negotiation, but reached by brazen victories.


Name: Damien Cass O'Shalna
Age: 24
Build: 6'2 230lbs

"Damien's always been plagued by nightmares, since he was a boy we would always rush to his room as soon as the screaming started. He said it was a beast that chased him, it would chase him through a thick forest, he would talk about how it was so foggy he would trip and fall and get up and keep running. They always ended the same way, he would run out to a beach, the beast chasing him into the water. He usually woke up by then, but sometimes...he said sometimes he'd drown until a woman would grab his hand. We took him to the best doctors, consulted the city's best psychologists. I mean, we would put him through test after test. He must have had his brain scanned at least a dozen times but they would all say the same thing, 'he's fine, he'll grow out of it.'." the voice began to tremble with confusion, "they never stopped, even when he was a teenager. He would lock his door, he said he had to fight the beast in his dreams but he never won. It wasn't until..."

"Wasn't until when, Mrs. O'Shalna?"

"It wasn't until he started reading those books, spending time with Faes. When he found out he was Fae, something clicked inside of him. He was able to figure it out, but I lost my eldest son, and that still hurts me to this day. He was a 5 Star Recruit, won All-American honors, First Team Collegiate Defensive Captain. He received the Ray Lewis Award for being the best linebacker in the country -- just look around, his awards are all over our living room, it's all I have left of him." the occasional sniffle came around, Damien's adoptive mother reached for a tissue and tried to calm herself, "It was this Avan kid, some kid he met in class that said he could rid him of his nightmares. He was the one that gave my Damien all of those old books, that spoke of gods and old traditions. He would go swimming every morning, up before the sun was, gone. I should have known then, I should have known I would lose him! He sat me down, he talked about how he was finally able stop the nightmares. He said 'Mom, I was never supposed to fight the beast, the beast was meant for me to embrace.' He spoke of all these things I didn't understand, he wouldn't stop about his one true goddess, the one he was meant for."

"Can you tell me the name of the goddess he began worshiping please?"

Mrs. O'Shalna laughed through her tears, the name brought her a miasma of different emotions. The goddess in question was the one who cleared Damien's clouded mind, cured him of his nightmares but also infatuated him so much he disconnected from his adoptive family all together and create the Sea Tigers, a movement of Fae that would eventually become his new family, as he felt it was intended to be so. Mrs. O'Shalna wiped the tears from her eyes, and looked up at her wall to a picture of Damien when he was still a child.

"Liara...her name is Liara."

---

Damien's boots left heavy imprints in the sand as he walked out to the beach. Central Forest cut clear through the sea, and the forest was dense enough to allow him to follow the river bank all the way without being seen by any drones. His scouts recognized when he was on a walk, and kept their distance out of respect for their calm leader. He removed the leather spaulders and vambraces, undoing his belt so he could slip his neomesh shirt off. His sword made a soft thud as it hit the sand. A twig snapped in the treeline, prompting Damien to stop and smile. His elven captain, Alistar made his presence known as he emerged from the treeline with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you going to see her again so soon? Frequent visits are unlike you, Damien. I hope you're not quarreled by our recent developments. Had I known it would have bothered you so, I would have waited until a better time to tell you."
"This isn't about Helen, Alistar, I've just got some things I need to hear from her right now, which is why I'm doing this. I'm fine, and when the day comes where something burdens me so much it hinders my ability to lead these men properly, you will be the first to know."
"Not the orc?"
"No, not the orc."

They both laughed, and Alistar nodded in acceptance to Damien's reassuring words, "Cool, you win, I'll see you in a bit then, boss." and with those last words, Alistar the Shadow walked calmly back into the forest. Damien used the rhythm of the waves to focus his mind, clear his thoughts. Slowly he began to walk into the water, eyes still closed, waves gently crashing into his form. Things went quiet, things got dark and Damien opened his eyes to find himself in the silent vastness of an immensely foggy beach. Waves crashing in the calm distance. Damien blinked himself into a focus, listening for her footsteps. He grew impatient after a few minutes, knowing she was watching him clearly through the fog. It was what this goddess did, constantly testing, teasing, waiting.

"I know you're there, I'm sure you like what you see."
"The re-opening of old wounds make my lovely man stronger and I need to you to be strong. How could you think of her again when you know you have me, my love? Her chance was so long ago, and I grow tiresome waiting for my king to come see me again. Your unfocused mind worries me, my king. Am I not beautiful enough for you, dearest? Are my gifts not rewarding enough to keep me in your heart?"
"You know that's not true. You are everything to me. Her time is over, she chooses Ulrich over me. She's Ulrich's and I am yours Liara, I am yours and no one else's" he spoke sternly, looking around for her figure to appear among the fog. Soon, it did. Her soft skin and hypnotizing curves approached him with soft footsteps. She wore nothing but a short, soft transparent toga and a crown lined with the teeth of a large tiger. She smiled and examined him with silence, her lips curving maliciously upward as she slowly walked around him, her finger tugging at his waistline.

"Your words calm my heart Damien, they make me long for the day when you will finally join me here and become my king. You would have me everyday, my love. I would be yours and you would be mine and we would have eternity together. You know it's what your heart desires, my love. Please Damien, take your life and join me." she spoke, her words infections to Damien's affection as she pressed her body against his, her hand pressed firmly on his chest, enticing him.
"I have things to take care of, you know I can't."
The air grew tense as Liara's blue nails slightly dug into Damien's skin. In the distance, a growl could be heard, footsteps circling the two became clearly audible. Damien was frozen, Liara's hold on him was too strong for his will to break. Her hand made it's way to the back of his neck, snatching it in close in one intense motion.
"Maybe I should take you myself, now that you are grown and strong enough to be my king. What if I decided to take you away, all for me to hold sway over? My love, I desire you with all of my heart, let me bring you into my world forever." she whispered sharply, words laced with chilling anger. Damien was finally able to break free of her hold, grabbing her hand and removing it from his neck, her nails leaving burning scratches.
"Not today." he whispered, and for a moment, they looked deeply into each others eyes before sharing a deep, passionate kiss.

Damien awoke amongst the wet sand, looking around before seeing his gear bundled a few yards away. He got up and looked around before feeling the burning cuts on his chest and neck. For years, he had accepted Liara as his one and only true love, destined to join her after a good death, but Helen and Ulrich would come to make things much more interesting.