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SF's "Write Your Butt Off" Competition HD II.5 Remix

AnonymousSpeed

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AnonymousSpeed

Posted
Posted (edited)

The point of this thread / contest is to incentivize people to practice writing through creating short stories around various prompts.

"I don't know how to write!" I hear you say.

Not a problem! This is less a competition and more an excuse to sit down and write something. Most importantly, this thread is meant to force yourself to improve through practicing and facing fears of being judged by others. Regardless of whether you receive any votes, you still receive experience which may help you as a writer.

On 3/9/2019 at 4:30 PM, AnonymousSpeed said:

The Rules:

1) Each round of the competition will last 3 weeks. Entrants will have 2 week to compose and submit their entry. Over the next five days, voters will choose their favorite entry. A winner will be named on the sixth day, and the winner will have until the end of the week to prepare for hosting the next week's competition.

2) The host may not submit an entry for the cycle they are hosting. The winner of the cycle becomes the host of the next.

3) Though not hard limits, entries should seek to remain between 1,000 and 10,000 words. However, the preferred word count is the one you feel works best for your story.

4) No smut. Try to keep entries within a PG-13 rating.

5) You may not submit old work, even if it has been edited or rewritten. All entries must be completely new.

6) Post your entry in this thread within spoiler tags

7) You cannot vote for your own entry.

The Theme: A prompt chosen by the host as the theme for contestants to write their entries for that cycle about. The theme can be about anything (only FE-related, must be original work, holiday-themed, etc.) as long as the theme does not force contestants to break the above rules.

Current Round: 46

Current Phase: Writing Phase

Round 46 Writing Phase Countdown

***

Theme:

11 hours ago, Acacia Sgt said:

"Character A impersonates Character B"

Entries:

  • TBA

***

Competition II.5:

Spoiler

[ Header ]

Round 45

Spoiler

 Theme:

On 4/3/2021 at 12:13 PM, Maof06 said:

Write a story in which a character swaps bodies with someone of the opposite sex.

Entries:

Round 44

Spoiler

Theme:

On 3/13/2021 at 11:57 PM, AnonymousSpeed said:

Write a video game fanfiction where a glitch or exploit is now canon.

Entries:

Round 43

Spoiler

 Theme:

On 2/22/2021 at 1:08 AM, AnonymousSpeed said:

Anything goes! Feel free to make suggestions.

Entries:

Non-Participating Entries

Round 42

Spoiler

Theme:

On 2/8/2021 at 11:30 AM, Shrimperor said:

''Save the Witch, Abandon the Princess," The Hero decided

Entries:

  • N/A

Round 41

Spoiler

Theme:

On 1/18/2021 at 7:20 PM, SoulWeaver said:

Pick a Round you did not participate in. Participate in it, and make sure to state which Round your piece is about.

Entries:

Round 40

Spoiler

Theme:

On 12/24/2020 at 6:24 PM, TheSilentChloey said:

Pick a character you wouldn't normally write about (or one you really like to write about).  They've been put on a survival training mission with their mentor/trainee.  What shenanigans ensue during this training session?  Do the mentor/student get along with the other?  Or do they argue?  Your characters have three days of the training session to figure that out among themselves.

Entries:

Round 39

Spoiler

 Theme:

On 11/28/2020 at 3:26 AM, Jotari said:

The theme is a Festival, with the caveat that it can't be blatantly based around a real world festival. Come up with something original. Or if you are going to steal from something that exists already, don't just grab Halloween or Easter. Base it on one of those crazy Spanish festivals where they throw tomatoes at bulls. 

Entries:

Round 38

Spoiler

Theme:

On 11/8/2020 at 1:38 PM, Sire said:

"Journal/Diary Entry."

Entries:

Round 37

Spoiler

Theme:

On 10/18/2020 at 2:15 PM, SoulWeaver said:

Dreams.

Entries:

Round 36

Spoiler

Theme:

On 9/26/2020 at 12:31 AM, Ottservia said:

Write a fight scene between two characters.

Entries:

Non-Participant Entries:

Round 35

Spoiler

Theme:

On 9/5/2020 at 12:03 AM, DarthR0xas said:

A character is transported into a different world. What happens?

Entries:

Round 34

Spoiler

 Theme:

On 8/15/2020 at 1:29 AM, AnonymousSpeed said:

Write using the setting and characters from a story someone else submitted in a previous round. You may not consult the original author or ask for their permission.

Entries:

Round 33

Spoiler

 Theme:

On 7/25/2020 at 4:09 PM, Azure loves his Half Elves said:

vampires.

Entries:

Round 32

Spoiler

Theme:

On 7/4/2020 at 1:09 AM, Shoblongoo said:

Patriotism

Entries:

Round 31

Spoiler

 Theme:

On 6/13/2020 at 6:19 AM, Morgan--Grandmaster said:

write a story about either the discussion of LGBTQIA+ rights or one or more characters in an LGBTQIA+ relationship, or lack thereof

Entries:

Round 30

Spoiler

Theme:

On 5/24/2020 at 11:49 PM, SoulWeaver said:

Select another person on this Thread. That person selects a character for you. Write a piece about waking up to find yourself in that character’s body. This can be in your own world or in the character’s world, and you can choose whether or not anyone notices the difference in you/the character. Please keep in mind what kind of character the person you have in mind may pick, and please be considerate thinking of a character for anyone who picks you.

 

Entries:

Non-Participant Entries:

Round 29

Spoiler

Theme:

On 5/2/2020 at 1:23 AM, Shoblongoo said:

”Oh wow. Why did we ever think THAT was a good idea?”

Entries:

Round 28

Spoiler

Theme:

On 4/12/2020 at 1:52 AM, AnonymousSpeed said:

Write about cooking.

Entries:

Round 27

Spoiler

Theme:

On 3/20/2020 at 5:50 PM, Dragoncat said:

A character is reduced to a seemingly weaker, hindered form.

Entries:

Round 26

Spoiler

Theme:

On 3/1/2020 at 2:04 PM, SoulWeaver said:

Hang on, that's...me?!
Write a piece about a character meeting another version of themselves.

Entries:

Non-Participant Entries:

Round 25

Spoiler

Theme:

On 2/8/2020 at 6:42 PM, Shoblongoo said:

“Subvert the reader’s expectations. Write something that makes the reader think they know what’s going to happen next, then does something completely different.”

Entries:

Non-Participant Entries:

Round 24

Spoiler

Theme:

On 1/19/2020 at 12:18 AM, Ottservia said:

write a story about overcoming loneliness

Entries:

Round 23

Spoiler

Theme:

On 12/29/2019 at 12:09 AM, DarthR0xas said:

Two people drifted apart in some manner, could be over years naturally, could've been with one big blow-up. Regardless, something forces them back together. What happens?

Entries:

Round 22

Spoiler

Theme:

On 12/8/2019 at 12:01 PM, AnonymousSpeed said:

Hohoho, children! Christmas season is upon us, and that means some of mankind's most beautiful music fills the air once again!

We've had music prompts before, and Christmas carols fit that idea like a santa suit.

Your prompt is to create a story inspired by one of the apex installments in this great musical tradition:

 

Entries:

Round 21

Spoiler

Theme:

On 11/17/2019 at 12:17 AM, Azure, Roundabouted Out said:

This is a Fire Emblem-Specific prompt that starts with the writer flipping a coin. What they write is dependent on the result. This is only for the main series, no spinoffs like Heroes and Warriors.

Heads: Write a story about a solo ending or a paired ending of a playable unit of your choice (as in, what can be seen as the end credits roll).

Tails: Write the story of how a playable non-Lord unit you like dies. Cannot be before their recruitment or after the events of the game’s plot ends. The death cannot be canonical, either (so no Ninian). And no resurrection

Entries:

Round 20

Spoiler

Theme:

On 10/27/2019 at 1:30 AM, TheSilentChloey said:

“I believed that the darkness would give me strength, but how naïve of me to believe that...our hearts have to be stronger than the darkness churning within us…”

A character often times walks their own path, using the above quote however you see fit, write about a character who has come to regret either their actions or powers that they obtained in some way, and realise that they are too far gone to turn back.

Entries:

Non-Participant Entries:

Round 19

Spoiler

Theme:

On 10/6/2019 at 9:59 PM, SoulWeaver said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOtEdhKOMgQ

Let's get the spirit of my personal favorite holiday on, my dudes!
Write something Halloween-themed. It can be scary, horror-style scribbles, lighthearted Harvest Scramble DLC stuff, whatever comes to mind. Heck, we just got some inspiration this past week with that FEH Channel, with Hector and lil' Lilina, so even something along those lines works great, or you could pick a character who may not have access to Halloween-style celebrations in their land and write out their first Halloween/Harvest Festival.

Entries:

Non-Participant Entries:

Round 18

Spoiler

Theme:

On 9/15/2019 at 12:20 PM, Jotari said:

Sympathy for the devil.

Entries:

Round 17

Spoiler

Theme:

On 8/26/2019 at 1:43 PM, Anacybele said:

A parent or parents find out their child has done something wrong or gotten themselves into a messy situation, and they have to figure out how to handle it.

Entries:

Round 16

Spoiler

Theme:

On 8/4/2019 at 12:14 AM, AnonymousSpeed said:

A duo of super criminals attempts a big job.

Entries:

Round 15

Spoiler

Theme:

On 7/15/2019 at 1:12 AM, jankmaster98 said:

"History Repeats," whether you choose to write about something as big as a nation as personal as a single lifetime is all in your hands. Perhaps history does not have to repeat itself, perhaps it only rhymes. Either way, the idea of the past repeating itself must be present, even if only as a fear.

Entries:

Round 14

Spoiler

Theme:

On 6/23/2019 at 8:31 PM, TheSilentChloey said:

This time the theme is Sacrifice.  Now it could be like the little snippet above, where one character gives their life for another, or it could be a character having to give up their time for someone else.  The choice is yours- as long as it's within the rules of course.

And an added challenge for those who wish to push their skills a bit more, use the above snippet and expand on it.  This is completely optional of course.

Entries:

Non-Participant Entries:

Round 13

Spoiler

Theme:

On 6/3/2019 at 5:55 PM, Ottservia said:

My prompt is to write about a character who either feels like they don't or actually don't receive the acknowledgement they deserve for the hard work they put in. Bonus points if you make reference to the song linked above(well that song or Rolling girl either will do)

Entries:

Non-Participant Entries:

Round 12

Spoiler

Theme:

On 5/12/2019 at 7:32 AM, Azure in a Roundabout said:

Take a ship in fiction you like. Sometime down the line in their relationship, one of them confirms that they’re pregnant. What happens?

(Specifications- the relationship may be between any two characters from an officially published work of fiction, and does not have to be canonical)

Entries:

Round 11

Spoiler

Theme:

On 4/23/2019 at 1:14 AM, SoulWeaver said:

'Write a piece depicting something in a different light than it usually is depicted'

Entries:

Round 10

Spoiler

Theme:

On 3/31/2019 at 8:32 PM, AnonymousSpeed said:

Write a story which introduces a brand new, high quality villain. They may have redeeming qualities, but may not be redeemed.

Entries:

Round 9

Spoiler

Theme:

On 3/9/2019 at 12:28 PM, Anacybele said:

Your character has a deep, perhaps dark secret, and it gets exposed. How does he or she face the results and consequences of this? Maybe it ends well for them? Or maybe...it doesn't.

Basically, take a character with a big crazy secret, have it get exposed, and make the character and the characters around them react and stuff.

Entries:

[ Footer ]

Competition II:

Spoiler

Round 8:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 2/13/2019 at 7:47 PM, TheSilentChloey said:

"Humans make mistakes...no one is perfect after all and life is messy at the best of times.  So don't be too hard on yourself."

Write a story where a character is going through tough times and a friend/family/lover helps them get back on their feet.  The above quote may be used anywhere in said story if desired.  Bonus points for including the quote XD

Entries:

Non-Participant Entries:

Round 7:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 1/21/2019 at 7:25 PM, AnonymousSpeed said:

Write a two part story, but only the second part. The story must begin in medias res, and the events of the first part must be inferred entirely from the events of the second.

Please notice the usage of the word "inferred" and "events," not "told" and "words." The previous happenings cannot be explicitly stated- no exposition dumps here.

No flashbacks are allowed either.

Entries:

Round 6:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 12/30/2018 at 10:09 PM, Shoblongoo said:

Write a story about something that happened because your main character got really, really, really, really drunk.

Entries:

Round 5:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 11/30/2018 at 9:35 PM, Jotari said:

Round 5's prompt is Mercy.

Entries:

Round 4:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 11/1/2018 at 9:28 AM, Shoblongoo said:

Write a story about a character in a failing relationship, and how + why the relationship is falling apart. 

Entries:

Round 3:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 10/3/2018 at 8:44 AM, Jotari said:

Write me a story about a character who has committed an immoral act (or acts) in their past.

Entries:

Round 2:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 9/4/2018 at 9:19 AM, Shoblongoo said:

Fire Emblem Fandom based comedy about the unintended consequences of messing with time travel, or outrealm gates that grant access to alternate-timeline versions of the present.

It can be a light comedy or a dark comedy--writer's choice--but there has to be some element of humor to it.

Entries:

Round 1:

Spoiler

Theme: "Write about the first time a character (or a group thereof) went through their jobs"

Entries:

Have a nice day, my friend.

Competition I:

Spoiler

Round 18:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 11/25/2016 at 11:14 PM, Jotari said:

1.Write Something Set In A Fantasy World.

2.Write Something With Unarmed People In A Tense Situation

3.Write Something Set In A Bunker But Not During A War

Entries:

Round 17:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 11/6/2016 at 8:04 AM, Crazy Foxie said:

For this time's prompt, write something that involves a dramatic fall-out between two best friends. It can be over something serious and entirely valid. It can be something nonsensical, absurd and absolutely petty. Just make it absolutely gasp-worthy! Low jabs, cutting remarks, chair throwing and the like go.

Entries:

Round 16:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 10/8/2016 at 12:19 PM, Jotari said:

Write a story about a character becoming a villain.

Entries:

Round 15:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 4/14/2016 at 1:12 AM, eclipse said:

Five people have been summoned by the investigation branch of the Interdimensional Law Enforcement, each one under suspicion of a grave crime: Stealing the last cookie from the cookie jar.

Entries:

Round 14:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 3/21/2016 at 7:43 PM, Jotari said:

I'll give this round an open prompt.

Entries:

Round 13:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 2/15/2016 at 7:38 AM, Kotovii said:

Whatever comes to mind with the phrase (pick one):

"Diaries of an exhausted tactician"

"Morgan goes to prom"

"Deadpool stole the precious thing"

Entries:

Round 12:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 1/3/2016 at 2:08 PM, Jotari said:

So for this weeks prompt, write me a story in a single scene.

No time skips or location changing unless the character(s) is specifically waiting or walking.

Entries:

Round 11:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 12/9/2015 at 6:56 AM, Sunwoo said:

For this week's prompt, write something that is winter holiday-themed.

Entries:

Round 10:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 10/4/2015 at 5:26 PM, Knight said:

Prompt:

In honour of Halloween, my prompt is things that lurk in the darkness. Whether it be the monsters that live in the woods, the ghosts in the graveyard, just the old man who never comes out of his house, or any spooky thing you can imagine, many mysteries and tales surround them. Write a story about the things scarcely seen, it doesn't need to be a horror story, it doesn't need to be paranormal either, and the mysterious thing(s) can be either benevolent or malevolent. Use whatever kind of plot, characters or setting you want, as long as it can, at least loosely, fit with the theme.

Constraint:

The main character cannot be the thing that lurks in the darkness.

Entries:

Round 9:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 9/6/2015 at 4:23 PM, eclipse said:

Anything goes, as long as it abides by both the competition rules and SF's Code of Conduct!

Entries:

Round 8:

Spoiler

Theme:

  On 8/10/2015 at 3:03 PM, Glaceon Mage said:

They're tough. They try their best. They're the hardest worker, the most hungry for adventure. Except...

They aren't the chosen one.

That's their best friend.

Write about a character whose greatest wish is to save the world, but they aren't the one who should be doing so. Show how they learn about their friend's place in the grand design, their feelings about it, and how they learn to cope with it.

Entries:

Round 7:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 7/18/2015 at 5:32 AM, eclipse said:

The One Who Fulfills the Prophecy has arrived! Except there's more than one of them.

Write a story where a prophecy, intended for a single person, applies to multiple people instead. Whether this dooms the world or causes hilarious mayhem is up to you, the author~!

Entries:

Round 6:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 6/21/2015 at 6:36 PM, Sunwoo said:

For this week’s prompt, write about a day in the life of a superhero team consisting of 3-6 members as they interact and defend the city from their evil nemesis. There must be at least one fight scene in the story.

The team and the characters on it may be from a preexisting team and franchise, completely original, or an original team composed of characters from a preexisting franchise or multiple franchises. If you need a more specific example, contact me via PM.

Entries:

Round 5:

Spoiler

Theme:

Prompt:

Write a story about two or more characters unexpectedly developing a strong relationship between each other. Explain why such a relationship would be unexpected, and how this bond was developed despite those factors. Optional: Explain how this relationship has an impact in a later event (or multiple events).

Scope: Any characters from any world. The characters and/or world can be real, fictional, original, or a mixture of those. The relationship can be of any nature.

Constraints: The characters focused on the entry should not, in any canon material, already have or develop such a relationship as described by the entry.

Entries:

Round 4:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 5/11/2015 at 12:02 AM, eclipse said:

Outline the single, insignificant event that altered the course of history for any given world (this one, another fictional world, or a world of your own imagining, though the last one will take a lot of creativity to pull off), and why that small change was so very devastating.

Entries:

Round 3:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 4/23/2015 at 5:15 AM, Jotaro Kujo said:

A character's weapon suddenly has the ability to speak to them and others; how do people react to this? (Optional: how does this affect how the character uses the weapon in battle?)

Things you can do: Any weapon. It's fine to get creative! You can have the weapon communicate however you want. It's also fair game to have a weapon talk through a character, because they're still communicating with people. You can use original characters or preexisting characters.

Your constraints are: You cannot use a weapon that already has some way of communicating, no matter how the communication is done. However, if you want to use an existing character who hallucinated that their weapon was communicating with them or it was in a dream (and the character's weapon can't communicate through dreams) then that's fair game. You also can't write a backstory for how the character met the weapon, even if it's not explained in canon. If you have a question about this topic, feel free to ask in this thread or shoot me a PM and I'll get back to you ASAP.

Entries:

Round 2:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 4/5/2015 at 2:52 PM, eclipse said:

Write a story where the main character doesn't have his/her/its full five senses at his/her/its disposal. This can be something like "blind in one eye", or "inability to feel heat". If you decide to go with an alien race that has different senses, you'll have to describe what the main character is missing, and why it's a hindrance.

Entries:

Round 1:

Spoiler

Theme:

On 3/23/2015 at 12:05 AM, Sunwoo said:

This week's theme: Anything goes! Write about whatever you like, as long as it doesn't break the rules!

Entries:

Have a nice day, my friend.

Have a nice day, my friend.

Edited by AnonymousSpeed
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Dragoncat Newbie

Dragoncat

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, Rapier said:

A day has passed and Chloey hasn't submitted a 3k words story yet. This timeline is already screwed.

The prompt was just announced this morning.

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TheSilentChloey Contributor

TheSilentChloey

Posted
Posted
22 minutes ago, Rapier said:

A day has passed and Chloey hasn't submitted a 3k words story yet. This timeline is already screwed.

Oh come on Rapier I only just gt wind of said prompt.  It'll take a while...

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SoulWeaver Contributor

SoulWeaver

Posted
Posted

But when do we get the 2.8 Final Round Prologue?

On-Topic, I'm afraid the only idea I've got this round involves potentially spoiling/messing things up in Shadow Tactician so I'm passing this time around. Looking forward to seeing Chloey's story in approximately five-ish minutes and the rest of yours over the next couple days anyways!

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TheSilentChloey Contributor

TheSilentChloey

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, SoulWeaver said:

But when do we get the 2.8 Final Round Prologue?

On-Topic, I'm afraid the only idea I've got this round involves potentially spoiling/messing things up in Shadow Tactician so I'm passing this time around. Looking forward to seeing Chloey's story in approximately five-ish minutes and the rest of yours over the next couple days anyways!

You know I should probably go with Caleb XD or IT Chloey for lols.  Though it looks like Corrin's actually getting some action which could make for some sad attempt at humour lol XD

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Anacybele Newbie

Anacybele

Posted
Posted (edited)

I was hoping people were just busy, yeah. That's better than people just not finding any ideas or not liking the prompt, in which case I would just say I'm fine with changing it, just let me know if it should be changed. xP

Edited by Anacybele
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Ottservia Newbie

Ottservia

Posted
Posted

I’m a very busy boy what with midterms and long time friends being over to visit who I don’t see too often. Should have some time to hammer something out over the weekend. I’ve got plenty of ideas just not the time. Though I’m not sure if I should go with something comedic or angsty. I have ideas for both. Decisions decisions.

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Ottservia Newbie

Ottservia

Posted
Posted (edited)
4 minutes ago, Shoblongoo said:

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh that point in life when you're only busy 4 times a year around midterms and finals. I remember that.

Splendid days. 

I’m just gonna take this as a somewhat sarcastic jab but yeah I shudder thinking about the time I’ll lose once I truly enter adult life

Edited by Ottservia
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DarthR0xas Newbie

DarthR0xas

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Anacybele said:

It's been five days and no one's posted anything yet? I'm surprised and a bit sad. :( I hope some people post entries soon!

Basically just in the same situation as Otts. End of quarter, so all my teachers have been unloading their work on us. I'll have plenty of time over the weekend and the following week to hash out my story, and I have some, let's call them interesting, ideas.

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Rapier Rookie

Rapier

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Ottservia said:

I’m just gonna take this as a somewhat sarcastic jab but yeah I shudder thinking about the time I’ll lose once I truly enter adult life

I think it's better, because you're at least earning something off your sacrifice. School doesn't even give you that - assignments snowball and you get nothing from it but more and more assignments and pain.

Also, I have an idea but I'm not sure if it fits at all. It'd require me to change some canon stuff from FE6 and FE7.

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Anacybele Newbie

Anacybele

Posted
Posted
16 hours ago, Rapier said:

Also, I have an idea but I'm not sure if it fits at all. It'd require me to change some canon stuff from FE6 and FE7.

Going a little AU is no big deal.

I already entered one contest with a piece where Ike and Elincia were living on another continent together and had two kids. lol I'm not normally into AU stuff, but I can deal with a little bit, especially in a series like FE that's implied to have different realities/timelines in the first place anyway.

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Jotari Grand Master

Jotari

Posted
Posted (edited)

Well ere be somethin ter whet yer appitide. Arr. I have no idea why I'm talk'n like a pirate.

Title: This Is Who I Am

Wordcount; 3435

Spoiler

                Miranda walked into town in worn out sandals and a tattered cloak. She was dusty, dirty and penniless. The only thing she possessed aside from her clothes was a small knife, a crossbow and some ammo she had taken from a dead soldier. She had changed a lot in the last few months. For the first time in her life she had found herself alone, half the world away from home with no one to wait on her. It had not been an easy trip. At first glance she had seemed the perfect prey for the lower rungs of society, but when danger came she found herself able to deal with it, one way or another. Even here, in the capital, she noticed some people eyeing her, wondering if there was anything to gain by doing her harm. She kept her crossbow permanently loaded. That deterred most people from looking at her more than twice.

               She wandered aimlessly at first. She had been travelling for such a long time, being back in the city where she grew up felt strange. She discovered the date by looking at a newspaper. In two days time she would be eighteen. Almost abstractly she decided to wait until her actual birthday before returning home. For a reason she couldn't quite explain, waiting just seemed right to her. She found a deserted alleyway and lay down against a wall. She pointed the crossbow forward and quietly waited for sleep to take her. It was only sunset but she found herself drifting off quite quickly. The city of Varna was quite near the equator so it was always warm, even at night.

               It was a light sleep. More a resting of the eyes than a shutdown of the mind. Her subconscious was constantly alert to danger and she never stopped listening to the sounds around her. She had slept like this every day for the past eighteen months. She enjoyed resting like this and intended to continue sleeping this way for the rest of her life.

               The next day she dedicated to getting food, water and information. Water was easy to come by. Public fountains had been installed throughout the city. It took almost an hour and a half before she was able to get a single drink. She had nothing to carry any water with so she drank as much as she could on the spot. The sun had already climbed high in the sky and the air was growing thick with heat.

               After that was the search for food. Without money she had three options. Steal, work or starve. She visited a local Hero's Guild in search of a small job but there was nothing in her scope matching her abilities. She had little interest in starving so she waited in the city park and robbed a well dressed man when she had the chance. Crime was a habit she had tried to avoid throughout her travels. She simply didn't have the experience when it came to covering her tracks. However, here, at the end of her journey, she was certain there would be no negative consequences even if she was arrested. He had less money than she hoped for but still enough to get a small meal.

               She found a bar and ordered something to eat. Providing food and water had been easier but more time consuming than she expected. A traveller dressed similarly to her sat down opposite her. "I hope you don't mind" he said. "There are no other free seats."

               "Not at all" she told him.

               He sat down and lowered his hood. The two of them stared at each other for a second. "You don't look to be from Varna," the man observed as he waited for his food.

               "I am," Miranda assured him. "But I've been travelling for a while."

               "You are in the same situation as me then. I have come from the North. Which direction have you come from?"

               "The east."

               "You were at the battlefield then?"

               She shrugged. "If you can call it that. The true war has yet to happen, if it ever does. Valencia and Sovernia are too far apart to go to war. We will need to conquer every nation in between before we have a chance of even meeting them with force."

               "It does seem to be going that way. But with magic dead I wonder how successful Sovernia will be in taking more territories."

               "Have you been in the capital long?"

               "About a week."

               "Is it true Emperor Maystros has abdicated?"

               "Yes. His son Mayan rules now. He has done so since the start of the war."

               "I find it hard to believe. I always thought Emperor Maystros would remain on the throne until his death."

               "They say the attack on the palace has shaken him up. Some say he's really dead."

               "Yes. The attack. What do you know about that? I've heard contradicting reports about the casualties."

               "I'm afraid I can't tell you anything concrete. I've not been here much longer than you."

               "What news of Mayan's heir? Are there any rumours as to where she might be?"

               The man looked at Miranda again. He seemed to be coming to some form of conclusion. "Last I heard she had escaped a hostage situation in Valencia. I haven't heard anything solid as to where she might be now." If he suspected it before then he was probably certain of who she was now.

               At that moment the man's food arrived. Miranda took that as a cue to leave safely. "Thank you for an enlightening talk."

               The next day she made her way to the palace. She expected the guards would doubt her claim but to her surprise they immediately went to get someone as soon as she told them who she was. She came face to face with her uncle Matthias not long after. She had not changed so much that she was beyond recognition to him. He allowed her entry to the palace almost immediately.

               "Would you like to see your father now, or would you like to wash up first?" he asked as they walked through the inner garden.

               “It’s been over two years since I’ve seen my father,” Miranda said. “Making myself presentable can wait. We’re family, after all.”

"Why didn’t you contact any local barracks as soon as you were in the country?"

               "I wanted to surprise you all" she said dryly.

               "We've had enough surprises around here in the last few months," Matthias muttered.

               "Yes. They say there was a coup of some sort. I've heard rumours that half the family were killed."

               "Half the family was killed. They knew exactly where the hidden passages were. Exactly where the mothers would flee.  Your aunt Melva, your uncle Morin, his wife Hera and their daughter Solaruis along with Valan, Mayree and your cousins, Raeno and Ellen. All of them are dead."

               "My mother and siblings are unharmed though?"

               "Thankfully, yes. They were away with Melody at the time."

               "And who was it that launched this attack? The Valencians?"

               "It is unlikely. All the assassins were local men. We truly are at a loss. It was a coordinated attack, they must have been waiting months for the day when magic died."

               "What an unfortunate start to father's rule," Miranda said with a smile.

               They quickly arrived at the door to the throne room. Matthias said a word to the guards outside before wishing Miranda good luck and leaving. The guards opened the doors and one of them announced her to the hall. "Presenting Miranda Bellona Sovernia, first daughter and heir of Emperor Mayan Icen Sovernia."

               Her father looked up from the throne. He was in the middle of reading a document with a minister. He ushered the minister away before rising from the seat and walking towards her. She reached him just before the steps leading up to the throne. He smiled and embraced her in his arms. "It is good to see you" he told her. "We were not expecting you back so soon. Where is my brother?"

               Miranda broke from his embrace and walked towards the throne. "Mortar risked his life freeing me. To my knowledge he is still a hostage in Valeron." She didn't look at her father as she talked. She kept her eyes focused on the now empty seat before her. "I was surprised to hear you had taken the throne. Is my grandfather in good health?" She turned and gave him her most palpable gaze. She could tell he was trying not to look away.

               "Your grandfather’s fine. He believes he is too old to fight a war."

               She looked back towards the throne and began walking towards it. "Tell me, how does it feel to finally be on the throne after forty five years of waiting?"

               "Things have been too busy to think about it," her father said.

               She sat back on the throne and smiled. It was considered a crime for anyone but the emperor to sit on the throne, even the first heir, but she knew he wouldn't want to start a fight after not seeing her in so long. "Ah yes, the war. I suppose I should be angry at grandfather for declaring war when it could have been dangerous to my life. And you continued it even though you didn't know if I was safe." She put no accusation into her words but she could visibly see him reacting as if she had.

               "We went to war because they we're holding you hostage, so far as we could tell."

               Miranda tilted her head and smiled devilishly. "You knew full well what the situation was like. I can't blame you though. I would have done the same and like you I will continue on the war."

               She could see him getting uncomfortable with her position on the throne. "Don't be getting any ideas Miranda. You're still too young to do any ruling. I will have the throne for a few years and when the time is right you will get your turn."

               "The time is right now father." Without changing her expression she unhooked her crossbow, aimed carefully but quickly and shot a bolt directly into his chest. He was too shocked to react. “Things have changed, father. It's a whole new world out there. I have seen it. A new world should be ruled by young blood. You're dynasty has ended. I will be the one to bring our great nation into the future." As she talked she reloaded her crossbow, ready for any hint of resistance.

Mayan lost all feeling in his legs and collapsed onto the ground. His head tilted in such a way that he could still fully see her sitting on the throne above him. The guards were rushing forward now but she got to her feet and stopped them with a wave of her hand. "I am your empress now!" she declared with such certainty and conviction, no one in the world had the power to contradict her.

               She walked down the steps and took Mayan’s head in her hands. "It is nothing personal, father" she told him. "You were just in my way. Your own father took the throne in a similar manner. This shouldn't surprise you in the slightest." It didn't. In fact he should have seen it coming years ago. He partially blamed himself for not raising her correctly, but he knew in his heart that there was nothing he could have done. She had a drive to succeed that she had been born with. Even had she not been his daughter, she would have found some way to the top. She would make a good empress he knew. Yet still, it didn't seem fair. He didn't want to die this way.

               "Goodbye, father" she muttered. She removed a knife from her belt and in one swift motion she slit his throat.

               She walked passed his quickly fading body and stared down at the guards now kneeling before her. "You will accompany me to my grandfather’s chambers," she told them. "Then you will spread the word. It is a new world and a new queen shall rule it. My rein begins now."

               The two guards stationed outside opened the doors and aimed their crossbows at her. They had heard the commotion inside. Between them stood her uncle. "You assassinated the emperor.” His voice showed clearly how horrified he was.

               "I have assassinated the former emperor," she said. "I am your emperor now."

               "This is...patricide.” He looked to the guards. “What are you doing, shoot her!” His finger was nervously twitching on the crossbow's trigger.

               "My father died because he was weak. Do you believe I am the same?" She walked towards one of the guards until the bolt of his crossbow pressed against the furrow of her breasts. "Go on," she urged him. "Shoot me. If my father's death truly disturbs you so, then shoot me."

               The man's face was tormented, but she remained confident he wouldn't dare kill her.

Her uncle stammered. "I hereby place you under arrest by the law-"

               "You don't have the authority!" she shouted with such volume he jumped backwards. "You might be unwilling to shoot, but I am not." She raised her own crossbow at her uncle. "Now if you want to live, then get on your knees."

               "I will not bow to you," he said defiantly.

               "Then throw him the dungeon.”

               The guards hesitated.

               “I will not give an order a second time.”

               The guards were still uncertain as to where their loyalties lay, yet they obeyed all the same.

               She nodded to another guard. "Then take me to my grandfather."

               He nodded and led her off along with the other two guards. Along the way they met several more groups of guards, but there were no more casualties. Eventually she was brought to a garden on the upper floors of the palace. Of course, she thought. Where else would he be?

               "Wait here," she ordered her entourage. "I don't want to be disturbed."

               Are you going to kill him? None of the guards had the nerve to ask, but she knew they were all thinking it.

               We shall see. Her unvoiced answer to the unasked question.

               She entered the garden alone. Birds and the sound of running water was all that could be heard. Though they were outside, they were far from the city up here.

               Her grandfather, the former emperor lay resting on a stone chair. He did not notice her until she stood directly in front of him, obscuring the sunlight.

               He opened his eyes slowly. "Miranda." He too had recognised her without trouble. "You are safe." He sounded genuinely pleased to see her again.

               "Maystros," she said in response. Her voice held no warmth. She sounded cold and heartless, using his first name instead of calling him grandfather. He was old, but age had not dull his mind. He noticed her manner immediately.

               "So you've killed Mayan," he muttered.

               "At least someone was perceptive enough to see this inevitability."

               "No. I did not think you were capable of this until now."

               "Then you are as foolish as he was."

               The crossbow lay in her hand but it was angled downwards, resting on the floor. Maystros noticed it for the first time. "Are you here to kill me?" he asked.

               "That depends on what you say next. Do you condemn my actions?"

               He moved his gaze away from the crossbow to her eyes. "I do," he whispered.

               Miranda laughed. "Truly? If I recall, you slaughtered your brothers to gain your crown. Tell me, how is my behaviour any different?"

               "It is not. It is more similar than you know. That is why you must believe me when I say I regretted those actions for the rest of my life."

               "It's too late to guilt me out of it. What's done is done."

               "I know. Just please, for your own sake, kill no one else."

               "Are you begging for your life, dear grandfather?" Though she referred to him as grandfather, she spoke to him in a mocking tone.

               Maystros' eyes suddenly grew even more sorrowful. "I guess now you should know the truth."

               "Truth? What truth?" Miranda had played through this encounter in her head as she journeyed across the world but this line was something she had never predicted.

               "That man you killed, he was not your father. He was your brother."

               "What?"

               "Almost two decades ago my wife died giving birth to another man's child. I was lost in despair and thus committed an act I have regretted as much as the murder of my siblings. I sought comfort in the arms of my son's wife. You are my twelfth child."

               Miranda laughed. She couldn't help herself. "What of my brother and sister? Are they your children too?"

               "No. Only you."

               "So May is the true heir then. My half sister but also my niece. You're right, we're more alike than I realised."

               "But you can save yourself pain now. Do not be like me. Do not kill any more of your siblings."

               "Who else knows of this?"

               "Only your mother from what I know."

               "Did...father…Mayan know?"

               "Only if she told him."

               "Then it seems I will need speak to her next." Miranda began to leave.

               Maystros struggled to get out of his chair. “Miranda! What are you going to do? Miranda! Miranda!”

               Miranda found her mother in a bedroom on the other side of the castle. According to a servant, she’d spent most of her days sleeping ever since Miranda went missing.

               Miranda entered quietly and threw open the curtains, letting in the fiercely bright midday light. “Good morning, Mother.” She stood in the center of the window, casting a long shadow across the large room.

               “Miranda?” her mother said slowly. “Is that you.”

               Miranda’s face was a dark shadow in the midst of the bright light. “It is mother.”

               “Oh, Miranda, how I’ve missed you so.”

               “Stay in bed, Sara,” Miranda ordered as her mother tried to rise. “We have some talking to do.”

               “Miranda…you’re so dirty. What has happened to you?”

               “A lot. Your husband is dead.”

               “What? Mayan? What happened?”

               She threw the crossbow to the floor. “I killed him.”

               Her mother sank back into the bed. “Miranda…couldn’t you have waited? He was your father.”

               “That’s not what Maystros told me.”

               Her mother was quiet. Not just in words, but in overall attitude. She waited, completely still, to see what Miranda would say next.

               “Tell me, did he know?”

               “I never told him,” Sara said carefully.

               “Were you ever going to tell me?”

               “I…There was no need to. Your claim,”

               “Forget about my claim. Forget about the throne. You betrayed your husband and have lied to me my entire life.” She removed the knife from her belt and began moving it around her fingers.”

               “He forced himself on me.”

               “Did he really?” Miranda said in obvious disbelief.

               “You don’t understand,” her mother sobbed. “When an emperor asks, you don’t say no.”

               Miranda began walking forward. “I know that better than anyone.” She climbed onto the bed and placed the tip of knife against her mother’s throat.

               “Miranda…please. I don’t deserve this.”

               “If I let you live, if you tell someone, then I’m ruined. Don’t you see, you’ve left me with no choice.”

               “No. No please. Think of your siblings. They’re still young. They need their mother.”

               “Oh, Sara, you don’t understand. They’re the rightful heirs. I can’t allow them to live either.”

               Sara gasped. “No! Miranda! You can’t! They don’t know anything. Kill me, but spare them. You can’t. Please, no. You can’t.” She was clutching at Miranda now, begging her with every fibre of her body, the knife at her throat completely ignored.

               Miranda stepped backwards and her mother fell off the bed. She laughed with mirthful cruelty. “I’m not going to kill you mother. I just wanted to see how weak you truly are. Tell whomever you want about your affair. It makes no difference.” She spoke the next words slowly and deliberately. As if they were a statement of incontrovertible, universal fact. “No one will take my throne from me.” She walked back to the window a gazed out at the city below her. Her city, basked in the harsh light of summer. Beyond it were the lands she had traveled to get here. “I'm not going to rule this world because of who my father is. I'm going to rule because I deserve it." She raised her hand and made a fist around the sun. "I’m going to be the greatest king this world has ever seen. And nothing is going to stand in my way.”

 

 

Edited by Jotari
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TheSilentChloey Contributor

TheSilentChloey

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Posted

Title: A Moment's Play

Fandom: Fire Emblem IF/Fire Emblem Fates

Wordcount: 1, 086

Spoiler

“Oh gods I'm screwed…” Corrin groaned as he was so close to being caught it wasn't comfortable.  This was one secret that could not get out. It absolutely was not something he could afford to have anyone know about and unfortunately- no thanks to Felicia- it was out and her clumsy apologies were not going to change the embarrassment he was going through.

 

~~~

 

It was he supposed only natural.  Him being half dragon and all meant he had...certain needs to his embarrassment.  Like his dragon need to play with anything remotely like a toy. It was almost animal like and for Corrin it had been a well kept secret as he did not want the others finding out since it was so embarrassing for him.  He was very certain to make sure no one knew about it of course for this reason alone.

 

Oh sure it was all fun and games when no one knew about it...however Felicia had knocked the door open while Corrin was having one of his...play sessions.  Suffice to say there wasn't a single person who did not see it. It was NOT a good thing. Corrin resorted to hiding under his bed for the last hour.

 

They knew.

 

Nothing was worse than the others finding this out.  Not even the time he'd allowed himself to drink too much ale and acted completely stupid enough to get into Smash Bros of all things.

 

He could hear their voices and he dreaded even showing his face.  There was nothing worse right now…

 

~~~

 

“Hey so do you think he'd play fetch if we asked?!” Elise said brightly eyes shining,

“Elise…” Xander groaned heavily, and of course Ryoma just stood there dumbfounded,

“At least it's something fun!” the Nohr princess said, “And he looked totally cute!”

Takumi scoffed, “Yeah right as if a dragon could look cute.”

Camilla clucked her tongue, “Now, now Prince Takumi, no need to be so rude-”

“That was something…”

“I-I'm not sure what to think…” Sakura said nervously,

“Well he was having fun!” the naïve Elise said, “Besides I think it's good for Corrin to be allowed to play when he wants to.”

A collective groan sounded, “Really Elise you should be acting your age…” Leo said though it fell on deaf ears.  It always did.

“Oh I messed everything up…” Felicia bemoaned unhappily, “I'm a failure of a maid…”

Jacob just stood and blinked three times, “Lord Corrin’s room will need to be straightened up.” he muttered to himself.  Niles was...interested in things that are too racy for such a story as this but suffice to say he was imaging something scandalous as always.  Nino was admiring the flexibility of Corrin's dragon form and just how easily it could get into knots and elaborate positions.

 

Indeed the entire army was naturally wondering how such a thing came about.

 

They hatched a plan to try to figure it out.

 

~~~

 

To Corrin's relief no one mentioned the incident and he soon settled down.  So he acted like nothing was wrong. He did his usual routine and everything seemed to be normal.  To the point Corrin hoped no one actually had noticed.  He did have an army to run after all and to be frank, he didn't have the time in which to indulge too much in play…

 

He caught something out of the corner of his eye.

 

It was flapping in such a way that a dragon might be excused for wanting to investigate and with his heightened senses Corrin guessed it was Kagero, or perhaps Suzukaze.  Saizo was more of a burnt smell so it wasn't him.

 

He cautiously approached knowing that ninja did not like to expose themselves often.

 

“Hmm?” He frowned, no sign of anyone.  How odd. A quick glance left and right and Corrin decided dragon form would help him get to the bottom of this little mystery…

 

~~~

 

It was unusual for Corrin to patrol the camp in dragon form but it did help his more draconic needs.  His nose picked up on a lot. It seemed a lot of coming and going to the new hot spring that had been installed recently- Corrin had yet to try it for himself.  It warmed him to know his soldiers were able to relax. Yet he also noticed the strange prevalence of ‘toys’ lying about the camp. The dragon in him curious Corrin lent down and picked the object up in his jaws- to take it back to where it was likely from.  Though that didn't last long as the dragon proceeded to- simply because it was fun- toss the object into the air and use his jaws to catch it before it hit the ground.  It was such a fun little game that Corrin quickly lost track of time and was so absorbed in his game that he did not notice the audience that had gathered…

 

~~~

 

Elise grinned happily, “Alright!” She cooed softly as not to disturb her playing brother.  Her plan of leaving out all manner of toys for him to play with worked. It seemed that she'd finally get him to loosen up and relax as well.  It was surprisingly good considering how serious things had been. She could see Sakura’s amazement at seeing a dragon play like a pet but as Elise said, Corrin needed this.  Not just because he was stressed the most but because it was only fair for Corrin to have his outlets.

 

The pair continued to watch as Corrin simply played as a dragon might.  It was nice to see him so happy. Now if only Elise could get the others to see Corrin relaxing and to join in on it.  That would be ideal to be sure.

 

~~~

 

Corrin kept his little game up happily.  It was nice for a change to be able to relax, though he wasn't exactly sure why the objects had been left out he didn't particularly care, something on them made him just want to play, the smell distracting him entirely from his usual reserved self and he had to wonder why that was.  Eventually he tired of his game and went to curl up in his room, though being in dragon form didn't help matters.

 

By the time he did get back to his room and climbed his way up, he fell onto his bed and found sleep much easier than usual.  It was then a thought came to his tired mind. What was that smell that made him so playful?

 

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Emperor_Siegfried Grand Master

Emperor_Siegfried

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Woohoo, another one done.  Only thing to note here, Erisilde is basically my Skyrim character.  Hope I've got something everybody can make heads or tails of.

Title: The Dragonborn's Pack

Fandom: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Words: 4,751

Spoiler

Only the greatest of seers could have seen what sort of life Erisilde was meant to live.  Without a mother to support her through childhood, her father was the only one to raise her through the Stormcloak Rebellion.  Raised from an early childhood to the woman she was now, both father and daughter followed the guiding voice of Ulfric Stormcloak.  The freedom for the Nords of Skyrim seemed to be well in their grasp all the way to Darkwater Crossing where it was gravely crushed.

The sight of the ambush that day was as strong as it had ever been for Erisilde.  The capture of her guiding leader and the decapitation of her father was enough to make her believe that the rebellion was now all but lost.  As much as she desired to be at the side of Ulfric Stormcloak in battle, she could only feel shame for her weakness when she saw him right next to her when they were sent to Helgen for their execution.  For the shame that filled her on that day, an execution was all that she believed she was worthy of.  Destiny however, determined a different outcome.

As she walked up to the block that would receive her neck, the sound of Alduin, the World-Eater himself, bellowed to herald his coming.  Of all places, the village of Helgen was the chosen place where he would warn all mortals of his coming destruction of the world.  Through her own elusion of Alduin and the guidance of her comrade Ralof however, she was able to live longer than she might have been intended to.

Gifted by the Divine themselves, Erisilde saw her chance for redemption. She eagerly accepted Ralof’s offer to accompany her to Riverwood where he met with those he called his family.  It was here that Ralof offered the ember need for Ulfric Stormcloak’s rebellion to burn bright once again. 

What remained of the Rebellion was being tasked with waiting for its next chance to strike, but both Erisilde and Ralof were able to promise one another that they would fight side by side with one another when that day came.  One day she would be able to join him in Windhelm as a true warrior against the Empire.  Skyrim would become a free land.

The first mission Erisilde had to take was making her way to Whiterun.  The world needed to know of the coming of the dragons before anything else could be achieved.  For the Rebellion to begin once again, Erisilde had to find whatever means necessary to earn the favor of Jarl Balgruuf the Greater before she could achieve anything

It was after days of travel before she first knelt before Balgruuf the Greater in Whiterun that the great purpose she had began to be revealed.  The Jarl was decisively neutral about who he was to declare his loyalty to, only relying on the situation that would occur as the rebellion continued and the coming of the world’s end drew ever closer.  Eager to earn his loyalty, Erisilde vowed to prove herself a true warrior by accompanying the battle to slay the dragon at the Western Watchtower.

Once again Erisilde was faced with a challenge that should have demanded to see the end of her life.  She was only one soldier among the few who were only to ensure that the dragon could indeed be harmed if even just a little.  The few who managed to survive the mighty fires of the dragon were only able to bear witness as Erisilde prepared to resign herself to what her destiny was.  If she was meant to sacrifice herself in dealing a mortal blow to the great dragon, she would be sure that she lived a life worthy of a Nord.  As she charged into battle once again, she would once again discover just how much fate was prepared to offer her.

It was here that her first battle against the mighty dragon that arrows were burned, as were men and women torn asunder.  That night were long hours did not allow for either side to rest, but to only struggle for the dominance of one another.  In her decision to face the foe known as Mirmulnir she struck at the neck of the mighty dragon before finding her sword deal the fatal blow that none among the men believed possible.

The most extraordinary came when she saw what became of the dragon’s remains.  When the remains of the dragon burned as though the gods sent the fires down, a mighty wind summoned itself and breathed itself into Erisilde.  It was on that day where everyone around her had learned just what sort of woman Erisilde was.  She was the one who was prophesized.  She was the Dragonborn.

It was this discovery that drew the attention of one warrior who had followed her to battle with the mighty beast.  Of everyone she could have drawn the attention of, it was the woman who was now sitting next to her in the mead hall of Jorrvaskr that heard the whole story that brought her to where she now sat.

“Is that what your story is?  You have certainly lived to achieve more than what many dream of.”  Aela the Huntress observed when she set her mug down.

Erisilde looked into her empty mug when she told her, “A hero that myths are made of indeed.  I’ve needed to meet someone who could hear this tale.  Fortune is with you that you are the one to hear it.”

Aela took a drink out of her mug when she pointed out, “I’m more impressed that you do not allow this to weigh on you like it’s something that has destroyed your life.  That I like the most about you.”

Erisilde looked up to the ceiling when she “I don’t even have much that is worth keeping a secret anymore.  My entire life up to becoming the Dragonborn is now effectively meaningless.  But if my people can look to me and see the hopes of Skyrim can be achieved, then I will have achieved something worth living for.”

Aela responded, “Anyone lesser would claim to feel the weight of the world on their shoulders.  It’s for your ability to look at where you are now without sorrow that you have written the beginning chapters of such a life.”

Erisilde found her mug replenished by the bartender when she agreed, “Perhaps that is so.  I mean no offense when I say I never assumed you to be the sort of person who would listen to someone give their whole life story.”

Aela pushed her empty mug to the side when she told Erisilde, “I’ve heard my share of sob stories.  If telling them makes you feel any better, you’re free to approach me about it.”

Erisilde reached for her mug when she prepared to take a drink of her mead and told her, “That’s assuming we’re going to be knowing each other for a while.  Knowing who I am, I don’t know who I’m supposed to have as my friend.”

Aela caught onto a weakness in Erisilde’s answer when she leaned over in her stool to tell her, “I’ll have you know this right now, trying to shield yourself away from others does not allow for a warrior to defend others as they should.  If you’re saying that you don’t have everything weighing you down off your shoulders right now, I suggest you reveal it now.”

Erisilde realized just how far she had let her own personal feelings expose her weakness.  The first strand that gave way to her weakness was now dangling in front of a stranger who she had just met.  The thread that would threaten to unravel the one detail about herself that she never allowed to be learned by anyone.

Erisilde set her mug down when she answered, “It’s nothing so dire Aela.  All of this is just so fresh in my mind right now and this is the first time I’ve ever confessed it to anyone.  I just never saw myself as being the Dragonborn of all things.”

Aela crossed her arms when she told her, “You’re sure about that?  I would think that collar around your neck would indicate a past that few would ever wish to live.”

Erisilde realized what Aela was referring to when she brought a hand to her neck and remembered the one thing that any who would call themselves free would never wear.  The metal collar around her neck that had a hook waiting for a chain to hold her down was not something many warriors would find a use for.  Erisilde paused before answering, “This is one of the few things to remind me of my father is all.  When I was a girl, he told me that he would use this to ensure that we would never be parted in battle.”

Aela relaxed her face when she heard the answer and sighed before telling her, “I see.  It’s not the most distracting memento I will give you that.  At the very least it sounds like you don’t have tragic memories to burden you.”

Erisilde confirmed, “I won’t.  Once I am in battle, I will have nothing to hold me back.”

Aela pondered about what she could say before encouraging, “I would tell you it becomes easier, but I have now idea how to tell the Dragonborn to handle a challenge as mighty as this one.  For right now, let the prey that awaits us be the one thing you seek to occupy your mind.”

Erisilde looked out to the afternoon skies outside the nearby windows when she asked, “That is what Koldak wants us to achieve tonight isn’t it?”

Aela nodded when she confirmed, “You’re right.  Tonight the Silent Moons are to be our target.  I suggest you bring the strength that helped you defeat the dragon with us.”

Erisilde turned to face Aela when she offered, “Of course Aela.  I’m grateful that I have someone to watch my back when I’m out there.”

Aela smiled when she told her, “It’s the least I can do for the shield.  I have to make sure that you aren’t just some milk drinker chasing after those who rightfully earn their glory.  Now unless you actually improve your fighting skills by getting drunk, I suggest you lay off on the mead and get ready.”

Erisilde looked at her mug that was still only partially full when she agreed, “I should shouldn’t I?  I’m fortunate that you were willing to be as patient to hear everything about me.”

Aela stood up and clenched her fist when she prepared for the mission ahead of her when she agreed, “We will be more fortunate if you are still the warrior we saw you were.”

---

There was only one thing to be known about the Silent Moons Camp, the bandits who occupied it.  There were talks among the common folk of the desire to learn what the supposed Lunar Forge was, but the current hold of the location prevented law-abiding people from having the opportunity to discover what powers the location had.  With how unremarkable the bandits taking up residence in the area, it seemed that not even they had been able to discern much of it either.

Erisilde hid behind one of the boulders that hid her presence from the entrance of the camp when she observed, “Quite the ideal test for the Companions all things considered.”  When Erisilde and Aela were sent together by Kodlak to infiltrate the camp, a flank attack from both sides was determined to be the most ideal strategy to ensure that none of the bandits would get away.  Where some who would call themselves warriors would find such odds daunting, a task such as this was expected to be little more than a stretch for the Dragonborn.

Erisilde kept hold of the handle of her sword while drawing her shield and walked slowly towards the stone hut in the distance.  The night sky concealed her presence as the cloudy sky prevented a light from illuminating her.  She continued to wander through the tall grass as she was thankful for the ideal sneaking conditions that she was given in her infiltration.

Erisilde continued her advance as she came up to the stone hut and leaned outside the frame of the entrance before peaking inside to see the stone structure close within her reach.  There was only one human bandit at the top of the stone structure that stood watch as he held a torch above his head.  The sight was enough to give her the opening she needed to prepare to storm the camp and claim the lives of those who chose to live outside the law.  All of her plans to storm camp by herself however were brought to a halt when she realized something about the night sky above her.

There was only one thing that would have been able to strike fear into the hearts of mortals this night, the full moon.  Throughout the land of Tamriel, there was more than enough reason for the great shining white to be the harbinger of discord every night.  It was a night such as this one that brought out the most feral of creatures, the lycanthrope.

Erisilde looked up and shook from the white light that began to pierce its way over the passing clouds above.  Even as she hoped to find an opportunity to run, she could not force her legs to carry her fast enough as felt herself overwhelmed by the feeling of the moons appearance.  She fell to one knee and began to feel a flood of emotions overwhelm her as she remembered everything that came from its arrival.  It was not fear however that began to overtake her at the sight of the moon.

Erisilde felt herself fall to her knees when she cursed, “No… Not now… Not this night…”  Erisilde brought her hands to the ground when she looked back up to the night sky above and began to feel her human thoughts fade.  It was a night such as this one that Erisilde would relinquish what part of her was human.

Her body expanded in size as it tightened against her clothes before tearing with only her collar remaining intact.  Fur grew from every follicle of her body as it hid away every sign of what made her human.  Her hands expanded while her nails stretched out to become giant claws.  Her mouth elongated to stretch out to accommodate her growing jaws while her eyes shrunk to match with her transformed head.

The transformation was complete as the transformed Erisilde let out a mighty howl to the moon above her.  Right after the howl, Erisilde began to run towards the Silent Moons Camp as though a prey was waiting for her.

The bandit who was keeping watch saw the dashing werewolf making her way up the steps when he prepared his sword and called, “Hey!  Get back!  Stand back you filthy beast!”  Erisilde was undeterred when it rushed towards the main guard and raised its claws in a mighty sweep that slashed across his chest.

The bandit stepped back as he held to his chest and drew his sword and shouted, “There’s a beast out here!  Warn the boss!”  He moved back as he defended himself but found he was forced to continue his defense as Erisilde leapt towards him and made another mighty slash.  The bandit drew out his sword as he attempted to pierce the feral beast but was too late as the claw ended his life by slashing across his neck.

Erisilde jumped away from the corpse as it rushed up the steps and towards the top of the Lunar Forge and saw more bandits making their way to their fallen partner.  For Erisilde, there was only the sight of more enemies to be slaughtered.  Erisilde rushed ahead with its instincts fully taking hold and rushing towards the bandits who fired their crossbows towards her.  The storm of bolts shot past her as she leapt and landed on the steps before continuing her rush towards the bandit encampment.

What little human sense Erisilde had left were completely lost as she felt herself rush up the steps and slash away at every bandit who dared to stand against her.  The violence continued to build as Erisilde cut away for what felt like hours, losing track of her intended target.  The action continued to build and build while death followed in her wake.  All of this continued to build until Erisilde saw something stand in her way.

Before Erisilde was another werewolf who met with her and stood drenched in the blood of the bandits who stood in its way.  Unable to control her urges, Erisilde leapt towards the strange werewolf and made a mighty slash towards the beast.  Much to her surprise, the werewolf backed away from its potential threat and backed towards the entrance it came in.  Erisilde rushed towards the werewolf in a pursuit.

It was here that the two werewolves clashed into one another and rolled down the stone steps from behind.  The two tackled one another as they rolled down another descent and clawed at one another in an effort to dominate one another.  Before the battle could continue, Erisilde felt herself dominated by the opposing werewolf.  Unwilling to give up, she prepared her claws for another strike but only felt her claws tear against the air.

Looking left to right, Erisilde saw the werewolf backing away as though it was prepared to defend its territory.  The only concern on her mind at the moment was making sure that the opponent in front of her would not remain standing as she allowed her feral instincts to remain in charge.  Erisilde leapt towards the werewolf before it backed away and turned in the opposing direction.

Erisilde looked for the first sign of the escaping werewolf before seeing it run to the east and leave her behind.  Erisilde’s instincts only focused on one thing, the sight of her prey making an escape from battle.  It was with this driving force that she leapt towards the escaping werewolf and began the chase of the night.

The remainder of the night was only filled with one thing between the two werewolves, one chasing the other.  Erisilde could feel nothing run through her mind as she continued to give chase and felt nothing in her mind interrupt her.  Even the few creatures who dared to try and get in the way of either of them were unable to stop the pursuit.

---

The chase eventually ended, but what became of it was something that Erisilde couldn’t recollect.  She woke up to the sound of running water before opening her eyes to see a river in front of her.  These were the first two sense she felt return to her before she felt a sudden cold take over her as she felt herself chilled from the blanket covering her.  She curled for warmth as she looked around and searched for the first thing to indicate where she was.

Erisilde couldn’t feel a sense of security until she heard a familiar voice ask, “So you did have a few things to share with me didn’t you?”

Erisilde turned her head when she heard the voice of Aela ask that question.  Aela didn’t have the same clothing she first met her in but realized just why she only had the most modest of armor to protect herself.  The least she could assure herself of was that she wasn’t alone in the world with her condition.

Erisilde clutched her body when she realized the situation and asked, “That… That was you Aela?”

Aela confirmed, “And I can see that it was you out there indeed.  It seems as though you were never given a chance to control the beast within you.  Must be why you went on such a rampant chase earlier.  You allow the wolf within you to control you and you haven’t let anyone give you the chance to take hold of it when it happens.”

Aela sat up when she clenched her chest and answered, “This is my great shame… I am a lycanthrope.”

Aela knelt next to Erisilde when she asked, “A shame is it?  How have you been able to avoid finding our kind for so long?”

Erisilder turned to look at the river next to her when she answered, “A few years ago, I traveled to High Rock with my father to Snowline to find warriors for the Rebellion.  A man he believed he could trust however was not what he believed he was.  We both had to make our escape for home before they could kill us, but after that there was… so much confusion.  My father had to search for me when he was pursued by the bandits.  He found a place in the forest for me to hide and told me to simply stay there and wait for him.  I thought I could handle it.  I thought I could wait long enough for him to come back to me, but something happened to me almost a day after he left.  I encountered a werewolf.  I was able to kill it, but it managed to attack me only once before that.”

Aela was curious about the situation when she remembered the story of Erisilde’s father being decapitated in front of her.  Aela pointed out, “You were able to reunite with your father weren’t you?”

Erisilde brought her view back to Aela’s eyes when she answered, “That was the fortunate thing.  After three days however, it became too late to remove this… curse from me.  I have never had a way of freeing myself of this and my father was forced to accept what I had become.”

Aela realized the significance of the collar around Erisilde’s neck when she pointed out, “The chain on your neck… That is where it comes from.”

Erisilde confirmed, “Only to see that I do not bring any harm to others who are not deserving.  This is something I have lived with.”

Aela was astonished by what she had discovered.  There was something about Erisilde that she did not believe was there before and she would have to help her new potential shield sister understand what her place in the world would be.  It was with a situation such as this one that Aela had to see this woman be the warrior she knew she was.

Aela told her, “This is not something to be ashamed of Erisilde.  We asked you to take place in this mission on this night so that you could understand what it was like to fight side by side with one of our kind.”

Erisilde was fascinated by the revelation when she asked, “The Companions… They’re all werewolves?”

Aela gathered a clump of clothes as she handed them to Erisilde when she answered, “Not all of us.  Only those of the Circle.  You are certainly quite the exception of course.  It is not often that we find those who join us already have the blood of the beast in their veins.”

Erisilde looked down at the pile when she asked, “So… What does this mean?  Does this mean that I am still to be considered to join the Companions?”

Aela smiled when she answered, “It does indeed.  I would have been the one to give you my blood when you were accepted, but now it seems that isn’t quite so necessary now.”

Erisilde looked up at Aela when she told her, “Aela… I can’t begin to tell you how much this means to me.”

Aela placed a hand on Erisilde’s left shoulder when she told her, “You have no need to tell me anything sister.  The honor of meeting another of my kind is something I have always welcomed.”

Erisilde turned to bring her gaze back to Aela when she told her, “I don’t know if this… power of mine is something that I can use.”

Aela was undeterred by the concern when she told her, “It certainly won’t be a power if you don’t learn how to control it.  If you remain at our side, you will discover that you have more than just mere potential… I will tame you myself if I have to.”

The assurance was a sound that Erisilde never imagined she would ever hear in her life.  Having lived the life of a lycanthrope for so long, this was the very thing that caused he to believe that she was given her affliction for a reason.  Whatever sorrow that was on her mind before was washed away as she weighed the value of what Aela promised her.  She would be guided to a life that few could be honored to have.

Erisilde thanked, “Thank you Aela.  I thought I would never meet someone who would tell me my affliction was something to be honored.”

Aela nodded when she stood up to tell her, “So long as it is between us sisters, you will have me to guide you towards becoming a becoming a great warrior.”

Erisilde reached for her new clothes when she quickly placed them on her naked form and asked, “Is that a binding of friendship then?”

Aela smirked when she agreed, “That’s probably the milk drinker’s way of putting it.  You agree to follow me, you’ll have to prove that you are ready for a warrior’s life whenever you’re with anyone.”

As Erisilde put her shirt and pants on, she told Aela, “If you will “tame me” yourself, maybe this won’t be such a hard thing for me to handle after all.”

Aela handed Erisilde a pair of boots when she told her, “It’s nice to have a burden like that off your shoulders isn’t it?  Just remember who you were fortunate to meet with this day.”

Erisilde considered how fortunate she was to be taken under Aela’s guidance and agreed, “Anyone else and I would have harmed someone innocent of this all wouldn’t I?  That is something I’ve had to live with myself for a long while.”

Aela glanced over Erisilde when she was finished dressing herself when she told her, “I’m sure you did.  Trust me girl, stay by my side and you will one day be ready for this sort of life.”  Aela gestured to the direction behind her when she began to pick up the few things that were on the ground for a small camping site.  Erisilde picked up the blanket that Aela laid down for her as she picked up her equipment.  Without another word, Aela began to walk to the west where Erisilde knew Whiterun would be waiting.  Their mission was indeed accomplished, and they had both achieved something they did not expect to be possible.

The travel back to Whiterun was about to be another journey for the two warriors, but it was also another chapter in what had begun a new bond.  It was on this day that Erisilde discovered something about the Companions that she could have only dreamed was possible before.  With the condition that was dealt upon her years ago, she could now say that she was not alone in the world.  She was now in the presence of not just one, but others who would be able to understand everything that made her who she was.

The secret of lycanthropy that Erisilde kept to herself for so many years was one that she could say she was no longer ashamed of bearing.  Under the guidance of Aela, she now had a sense of belonging that much of Tamriel would have never imagined was worth their concern.  But it was from this chance meeting that she was able to say that she had found someone who was willing to offer her some sense of belonging.

As Erisilde continued her journey in following Aela to Whiterun that she was able to reflect on how the hardship made her realized what she had gained this day.  It was with her chance meeting that she was able to find someone to call a friend.  It was with everything that she had endured that she was able to offer a prayer of thanks to the man who allowed this day to be possible.  Erisilde placed a finger on the ring of her collar when she offered her prayer, “Father… Thank you for making this possible.”

 

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