Burn, My Sweet, Sweet Valentine (Members Only)

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Burn, My Sweet, Sweet Valentine

Members ONLY

They say they burn the Witch to keep away the sin. The Hunters. They say they burn the Witch because she is evil, unholy, tainted.

Little do they know of me, the Goblin King. Little do they know of the Realm of Phantasia and the subtle way it has of exacting revenge as sweet as the taste of a ripe summer apple.

Eight days. They give the Witch eight days of jailtime before she is brought before the Court.

And eight days is such a short time.

^^^^^^

Realm of Daanikka
1021
Year of the Rose

Another world, another time in the universe. The Year of the Rose has dawned bringing with it naught but tears and the piteous howls of agony. The Witch Hunters have returned, reared by a superstitious Queen Allmer and equally paranoid Duchess Violetta. Everyone--- women, men, even children ---has become a target of suspicion, forcing many to abandon former joys and loves in order to avoid being named a Witch and thereby prosecuted. Being a member of nobility won’t hide nor help you for long…already two Dukes and a wealthy Priestess have been burned at the stake, by the light of the milky moon, all three suspected of owning spell books.

This is newly a world of fire, of charms and potions smuggled into the city under tightly drawn black cloaks, of Witch Hunters on their great steeds watching and judging your every move. Conspiracy among nobles, fear among the people and hearts beating rapidly as the souls of their owners go mad.

Two years later…

The Witch Hunters have grown to a frightening number. Queen Allmer is still in power and is still afraid of something she won’t tell anyone else. She’s collected a new Witch, a young woman with hair as pink as the dawn rose, and the time for this Witch’s Burning has come…

The Witch is chained to the cross-like stake as is usual, her waist bound and bundles of kindling tossed at her feet. She is beaten, humiliated, and broken. There almost seems to be a lifelessness about her, the way she just hangs there, so limp, the way her eyes just stare down, so blankly…….But to the Witch Hunters and the Court, there was nay a need to question why their Witch acted so. She simply needed to be Burned, Burned before the moon fell over the far hill, Burned before her sin remained. So they set their holy torch ablaze and held it to the kindling. One, two seconds passed and the flame caught. Three, four seconds and the flame grew higher and began to lick at the woman’s bare legs.

She raised her head then, and as the first burns pained her, she looked right into the eyes of the crowd. She wasn’t done with them yet.

Nay, she wasn’t, for within the soul of this woman there had been brewing a taste for revenge. The deepest, darkest, most sugar-coated desire to see blood possible.

And you want to know what she did then? You want to know the words she screamed as her eyes watered and her lungs were tarnished black by the most horrid ashen smoke? I’ll tell you.

…She called upon me for help.

This wasn’t a normal cry for mercy, for a savior.

This was the cry that sent the worlds of Phantasia and Daanikka spiraling into each other in a blaze of sparks and glory.

[KittKat chunky~]

"Your slow! Clumsy! Uncoordinated!"
Each shout was accompanied by the loud clang of blade on blade... Kitt blocked each swing, but barely, each time it was harder and harder to get his falchion in-between him and the head of the guards longsword... She spun her blade with one paw, making the sword seem like no more than a willow cane in her hands.... Jumping forwards Kitt brought his falchion up with both paws, the blades met with an almighty clash....

The head of the guards jumped back, swinging her longsword in a flashing arc before leaping forwards again. She was a tigress, and could keep up an unrelenting attack that had got her the position at head of the royal guards....
"Don't just block me! Make your own attacks! Don't let me keep the offensive!"

The smaller feline under her scrutiny brought his flachion into the guard position, and then feigned to the right, swinging the curved blade in a short, humming arc... His attacks was blocked however, meeting the longsword with another clash of steel on steel... The tigress turned, and with a lazy flick of her sword disarmed Kitt, his falchion spun away and lodged itself in the training grounds border.... She brought her sword to his panting throat and smirked...
"Better..... Right, clean up your armour and sword, and then we'll try again kiddo..."
 

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Kale'ruk looked around at the forest, somewhat uneasy at the lack of life that Phantasia had. "This place is a lot more dead than I thought it would be... but I have a job to do." he mumbled before leaping through the branches, trying to find his way out. He was probably one of the most montstrous looking of the dragons that inhabitied the Goblin King's realm, but it was usually because of his lineage, having the two dragons most feared in Phantasia as ones parents might add to the scare factor. His clothes were taken from a hiker that he mauled before the guy could throw a rock at him, it was obvious from the bloodstains and cuts  along the pant leg, and his lack of cuts on his own legs.

He kept moving through the forest until he ran across a ferret who, upon spotting him, lept up into the trees with him and swung his blade in an almost un-dodgeable arc. "What is with your kind and attacking on sight?!" Kale growled as he grabbed blade by what he thought was the flat side, which it wasn't.

.o.o.o.o.o.

Talin pulled the sword out of the dragon's grip by kicking him in the gut with all the pent-up energy he could muster in mid-air. They both flew in opposite directions, Talin soon recovering and landing on a nearby branch, and the dragon hooking onto a similar branch, his hand starting to heal itself as the dragon mouthed a few words. So you don't need a trinket like most mages and witches... all the more fun to fight! he mused as he launched himself through the trees, moving from one branch to another in split second intervals.

He knew he was going to get much stronger after fighting someone who could grab a blade without slicing thier hand off.

.o.o.o.o.o.

In the streets of the town in which the "Witch of the Rose" was supposedly burned in. His clothes did draw people's attention simply because they saw no flesh or fur, nor any colors besides black or earthy brown. Anyone close to him would hear a chain clinking, but not see the chain for it was hidden inside the trenchcoat, along with his collection of arcane and magical tomes. He never left his books behind, for if someone came across them, they would cause more trouble from ignorant use than with reporting him for even possessing the book.

He walked up to the pole which he assumed where she was tied up to, and kicked the base, watching the burnt pole fall. "Can't even take a hit from an old man, theres no way this toothpick could hold a wi-" he noticed a boy looking at him with angry eyes, probably because he knocked down a pole that he liked. He walked over to the runt and pushed him onto his back with a well-placed foot. "Brat, get out of here before I start tossing you around like a bag of flour..." the boy didn't stop looking at him with those hateful eyes, apparently not understanding the idea of someone actually able to kill him without much effort. He kept his foot pressed onto the boy's chest as he grabbed him by the neck, then lifted his foot off so he could throw the boy into the nearest passer-by. He actually saw the child's eyes go wide open in shock as his body was flung through the air, hitting a woman who didn't even notice what the wizard was doing. He muttered a string of curses and a mother insult before adding "orphan brat.." to the end of it. He then walked away from the spectacle he made, slightly regretting how he reacted so hateful towards a random kid. Those eyes, those thrice-cursed eyes, why must they follow me everywhere I go?!

[Armalite_]

The church bells clanged. People were cheering. Damien pressed a smile on his face while he watched the wood begin to pile higher and higher. "I am not which I am accused of being!!!" The woman protested. Tears were filling her eyes when she came to the realiztion that she had little time left. Damien had even less patience. "Silence, hag! By order of the Royal Court you are what the court says you are now please makes this easier for all of us and keep your mouth shut." The sun was highest in the sky as the square began to fill with townspeople and spectators. Damien removed his hood and looked up at the woman on the stake then at the amount of wood piled beneath her. "People of Daanikka! Here before you today is an abimination on God's Earth! Let this be an example to those like her for her soul will be cleansed pure by the fires of hell and there she shall remain for eternity." The people cheered and roared with excitement. It seemed that every Tuesday that Damien would bring them at least someone to burn. The white wolf turned to look at the woman. "May God have mery on your soul." Torches were thrown and the flames began to grow. She didn't scream as her flesh began to peel away from her face. Not many of them did to his disappointment.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Markus bristled the snow off his feathers. He dreaded the cold mountain weather and assumed that living space down in the valley was not up to his standards. He opened his wings and took the plunge, taking a nosedive into the valley below. He loved the sudden raise in temperature. As his body was engulfed in flames, the phoenix caught the air pocket and leveled out, taking a slow and leisurely glide over the forest. He caught sight of Kale'ruk in some kind of dispute through the trees. Although the two had only spoken with one another a few times, Markus decided to see what the dragon had gotten himself into. He went into a dive and landed on the forest floor a few feet behind Kale'ruk, his wings turning from flames to solid gold. "Glorious day we're having, Kul'ruk?" He asked.

[Entaru]

The bells of a church rang in the valley below.  A wonderful, happy sound as a couple had just gotten married.  Their melodious chiming was blissful to the inhabitants of the town, celebrating the gifts of life on mortals.

However, to a Goblin-kin the noise was...sacriligious.  These same people, the ones who cheered and celebrated, had less than a week ago burned a child for witchcraft.  The poor girl had been playing with a plant manipulation spell to entertain her friends with a dancing potato.  She had been caught practicing by the local priest, who had wandered out there for the "initiation" of the very same woman who had been getting married.  The corrupt priest hid his tracks by having the child burned alive.  The gift of mortality was wasted on these simple wretches.  Gal-Neth glared at the town, his eleven eyes filled with malice.  He had been sent as punishment for the town's crimes.  Under normal circumstances, a lesser 'Goblin' would be given the job to create chaos in the town, but these weren't normal circumstances.  If a normal 'Goblin' was a soldier, then Gal-Neth was an executioner.

Gal-Neth roared from his high ridge for all of the town to hear. People of the valley!" The entire town went silent as all looked to the hills to find the source of the booming voice.  "For your acts of hatred against the Wards of the Goblin King, you have been sentenced to eternal damnation!  Prepare your guards and make your good-byes, for tonight will be your last!!!"  His proclaimation echoed through the valley.  None would run...too afraid of being caught without guards.  They would prepare for the worst and the worst would come.

The King's will be done

[Dtannings]

A bellow ripped through the forest in a cry of agony. With a gurgle, the creature with ivory claws and poison spines collapsed to the mossy forest floor. Above boar-like creature, a maniacal laugh erupted, starting with a sharp squeal. An Amazon of a woman dressed in heavily blood splattered golden armor. Arithme cackled in pure glee at the slaughter of the unnatural animal, and shrieked at the sight of the mutilation she'd caused. With a wheezy breath from exhaustion, the woman swallowed back the blood in her throat. The monster had delivered a nasty blow in the face, causing much blood to run down the back of her throat. It was a miracle she hadn't choked in her fit.
"May your soul sear in the deepest pits of Hell," she hissed. Pulling her Kunai from the beast's jugular, a call came from behind.
"Arithme, what did I say about going solo?!" Turneal, her current supervisor, trotted into view atop his stallion.
"Just going about my duties sir."
"You will call me Captain. I swear, your previous supervisors are using you to torture me."
"Not my problem now is it?"
With a growl, Turneal spurred his horse, "Get back to the camp. You'll be punished later."
As he rode away, Arithme chuckled, "Bull****. I've got some of the most kills, you idiots need me too much," she spit out some blood and made her way back to camp.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Florencia watched as Kitt sparred with the head of the royal guards. She giggled as the head of the royal guards stood over Kitt in victory. "Jeanne, take it easy, he's only a kid. Besides, I think Klara might have something to say about you always picking on the new kid. Now how about MY lesson? You promised me you would this afternoon and it's almost time for supper!" The 24 year old princess jumped off from her little perch on the fence and drew her straight saber.


Kul'rik stood underneath one of the few remaining waterfalls that weren't destroyed during the Goblin King's initial conquest. He sighed as he recalled the bandits that tried to kill him just minutes ago. Despite his attempts to seek out peace once in a while, conflict always followed him. For years, Kul'rik has served the Goblin King and lived as a proud warrior. The run-off from the waterfall that he stood in glowed red as he washed off all the blood that he was covered in after the minor scuffle. To go from a shower of blood only to get a shower of water. I can't tell which one is worse. Kul'rik walked out of the glowing, red reservoir and stood over the corpses of the would-be bandits and shook his head, a devious smile crawling up his face. My supremacy cannot be challenged, you fools.

[KittKat chunky~]

Kitt clambered back to his feet, the heavy mail hauberk he was wearing was at least two sizes still too big for him. Once back on two feet, and still panting, her walked to the edge of the ring  and pulled his Falchion out of the earth and sheathed the blade into its scabbard... the head of the guards twirled her own blade and ruffled Kitt's hair....
"You fight well Kid, even for a lowly merchant's guard... whoever trained you did well...."
Kitt nodded in appreciation, still panting heavily... the weight of the mail hauberk was only a portion of the weight of the full armour and shield, but then again Kitt had only been trained in leather hunting gear before....

Jeanne turned to face the princess, taking a single deep, steadying breath... she seemed as if she had simply been for a brisk walk.... "He's a kid with potential... he needs to be pushed hard or he wont reach that potential.... like i always say, strength is value, and a royal guard must have the most value of all!...."
Jeanne smiled, she enjoyed quoting the royal guards own slogan, she also enjoyed sparring with the more than able princess...
"Kitt, you can have the afternoon off, you did well enough...."
Kitt mumbled a thanks, still out of breath he picked up his shield and pulled on his hobnailed boots and shinguards... he set off back towards the city centre as the head of the guards brought up her shimmering longsword and composed herself to fight....

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Kale'ruk quickly looked down to see the phoenix looking at him. "I'm kinda busy here Mark-" instincts told him to look up and dodge, but he could only look up before the blade implanted itself in his midsection. "You've... got to be....kidding me-uugh." Kale slid off the blade and hit the ground hard, his body as still as it could be, with only his mouth moving for a few seconds before he passed out.


Talin saw the beast have a brief moment of shock before falling at his blade, he frowned at the guy losing his attention and dying so quickly. "I thought you were going to be a fun fight... oh, whos this?!" Talin looked down and saw another beast below him, and he lept down to take him out, hoping the creature would dodge or at least put up a fight.

[Gabag]

Typhus gave a hearty laugh as Arithme was chewed out again for back talking the Captain. As much as he hated this religious zealotry the Golden Knights seemed to radiate, he was pleased to know at least someone other then him just relished in the slaying of monsters.

He jogged over to hear and clasped an arm on her shoulder guard.
"Getting into trouble again Arithme? Sooner or later the Captain is just going to snap and really come at you. He said, grinning underneath the helmet. He hated that Captain, he gave restrictions on how far he should go in killing the beasts, to the point where the dang things escaped some of the time.

"How goes your duties Sister.. hope you saved enough to kill for the rest of us" he said.
The Golden Knights considered themselves to be a Brotherhood, and usually referred to each other as 'Brother' or 'Sister'. Typhus didn't find many people deserving to be talked to with any form of respect, but found Arithme's bloodlust amusing.

__________________________________________

Sindri took in a breath of fresh air, while continuing his observations of the Golden Knights. He doubted any of them would harbor doubts to their holy duties... or any thoughts of treachery. At least when he first arrived at the camp.
Now he was hearing rumors about some knights who didn't necessarily respect their superiors, nor follow orders to well.

He pressed for names, but found none, and didn't pursue because the other Knights were too valuable to just discard easily. Now he was sitting in a tree, looking somewhat regal in his uniform. He stared out into the distance, and spied one Knight giving his compatriot a slap on the shoulder guard.

[Dtannings]

At the words of a fellow Knight, Arithme cackled, "Sorry for being selfish, but as long as there's a monster in my sight, I won't stop for anyone," The amazon smoothed her jet black hair from her face, shrugging Typhus' hand from her shoulder, "and don't you go on spouting that 'brother sister' ****. I'm here to kill things not hold hands." Arithme had no concern for another's feelings. If they had a problem with the way she acted and the filth that she knew spewed from her mouth, then they could walk away. Nor did she care if the Captain had problems with her methods. We hunt these **** things, so we should be able to kill 'em whenever we please. There's too many out there to go out only every other day. And staying in these groups only scare the buggers away! Arithme smirked at the thought of slaughtering another creature.

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A slight cough was emitted from a dark dreary room. The red velvet curtains were drawn, shielding their owner from the blinding sunlight threatening to pierce his eyes. The boy was sickly, and his habits only worsened his condition. He loved black dank rooms, and wasted many scented candles to light his corridors. Sitting jolt with a racking cough, Izo gagged himself from his sleep.
"Is everything alright in there sir?" Belnier asked through the door. The caretaker seemed bored and annoyed with his Masters constant illness.
"Yes...I'm Fine!" Izo snapped, managing to force out some attitude between coughs. He was arrogant and rude to his caretakers, harboring nothing but resent towards them. He believed he should be able to cope without help on a daily basis, and despised the fact that he was so weak. This illness had taken his parents as well, and he feared it would eventually take him too.
Managing to swallow back his remaining coughs, Izo rose from his bed and readied himself for the day.
Everything passed in a flash as he found himself at a royal banquet, glaring down upon his heavily seasoned potatoes. What a terrible waste of expensive spices. My tastebuds are far too sensitive for such extravagance's anyways. He regretted ever excepting the invitation to such an unneeded feast.

[Armalite_]

The phoenix watched as the dragon collapsed to the floor. "Oh sh-" Markus was cut off by the ferret who was now trying to have a round with him. The blade came down and struck the base of his wing. There was a loud clang of metal on metal. The ferret seemed somewhat surprised that hitting solid gold with a metal object wouldn't do much. Markus looked up into the tree and saw the ferret getting ready to srike again. Before the blade came down, Markus spread his massive wings took off into the air. He could hear the faint yelling coming from the ferret in the tree. He wasn't going to run and he wasn't about to leave Kale'ruk. Instead, Markus made a U-turn and plunged into another nose dive, his wings spread out and still made of gold. He cut below the tree line.

The ferret was struggling to see where the phoenix had gone to because he couldn't see the bird in the air. Suddenly there was a thunderous crack that rang about the forest. It didn't dissipate but instead only got louder. He turned in the direction of the noise and his eyes gaped in horror. Markus cut through the trees at the midsections like a knife through butter leaving a path of desruction as he headed straight for the ferret. Markus felt his wing tear through flesh and immidiately stopped his flight of carnage. He landed next to Kale'ruk and folded his wings. The ferret lay on the ground in two sections. His legs lay 20 feet from his upper body while blood was spurting from his mouth. Markus was surprised he hadn't crushed Kale'ruk with the tree that had thankfully landed on top of the ferret's legs. Markus walked over to face the assailant on the ground in his last moments. The ferret looked at him before Markus rammed his talons through both his eyes and caught the lower jaw. He ripped and felt the sensation of being covered in blood. The ferret's faceless body landed on the ground in a crumpled mess. Markus looked back at Kale'ruk. There was a large cut in the dragon's midsection. Markus stood over the Kale'ruk. He waited and waited. He had to make himself cry to save the dragon. Finally settling on something to cry over, a tear formed in his eye and landed in the wound which promply began to close. Once healed, Markus gave Kale'uk a slap across the face with his wing. "Wake, Kale'ruk!"

[KittKat chunky~]

A sharp knock at the door interrupted Klara as she counted out the days earnings and wages for the merchant guards... stopping with a slight sigh she stood and opened the door to find Kitt, looking thoroughly beaten up and worn out at her front door... she let him in with a small smile....
"Sorry to be a bother Miss Virrith, i was just wondering if i could stay a couple of minutes..."
Klara smirked, leading Kitt into the small, yet cosy front room of her accomadations... she watched as Kitt pulled off the heavy armour of the royal guards...
"Kitt, i've told you many times, just call me Klara... and dont you have your own place down at the Inn now?"
Kitt nodded, having finally shrugged off the heavy chest plate.. "yeah i do... but its another half hours walk to get there..."

Klara chuckled under her breath, walking around to the fireplace and the now whistling kettle... "Well you know i'm always glad to see you Kitt, and it seems your in time for tea... c'mon... if your gonna stop by sit down and tell me how its going as a royal guard.... im guessing its hard work by the state your in..."

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Kale'ruk soon groaned as he awoke, then had a slight smile on his face as Markus was still there, thinking the Golden Knight had run off to avoid getting killed. Well, that was until he saw the body, or what was left of it. He immedeatly growled before socking Markus in the beak. "We came here to protect Goblin Kings wards and cause havoc, not turn our enemies into micemeat!!" He didn't notice that the phoenix tears had interrupted his healing spell that he mouthed out before passing out, nor did he bother to. He lifted all three parts off the ground with a levitation spell, then used a water spell with the other hand to cleanse the body of all possible decay, he then merged all three spheres together and it turned from regular 'blue' water to a brilliant yellow as the torso and neck were reconnected, and the lower half reconnected and healed. It took all his concentration to bring this warrior back, but realized the brain was still not dead yet as when he healed the facial damage and reconnected all the parts, the ferret regained consiousness and started struggling inside the healing sphere. Kale suddenly stopped the spell and the ferret came crashing down and drenched in healing water. "Be thankful I took time away from my duties to bring you back from death... next time try to actually defend yourself."


Talin was increadibly intimidated at how easily he just got killed, and how they also brought him back from the grave. He quickly regained his composure and ran off, cursing himself for getting so careless, and letting his enemies have mercy on him of all things!!

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Kul'rik soared through the dkies, the sun gleaming off his wet, silver scales. His wing beats were loud from the force he put into each beat. Flight had been harder since the initial take-over, his wings getting damaged and worn through battle, but it's made his wing muscles stronger, adding to his pride of prowess. Where the hell are you, Kale'ruk? Stop running off on your own all the time.