Kyngdom Survival Guide
*TALE: TWO KYNGDOMS
Chatterbox: KYNGDOM™ Power of Hoof
*TALE: TWO KYNGDOMS
*TALE: TWO KYNGDOMS
A Tale of Two Kyngdoms, Part One
By Zephyra
It was the worst of times. That much was obvious. Chaos everywhere. Claaws was dead. Jaaws roamed our land, jaws dripping with Brazen Goo. Catastrophe was always lurking, ready to fight anyone at the slightest provocation. I heard whispers of a “Mutant Army.” And B.I.G. crept ever closer to finding and activating all four of the Powers, which would lead to--what? Utter global destruction? To be honest, I was finding it harder and harder to go to sleep. Dark thoughts swirled through my brain at all hours of the night.
On one particularly hopeless mornings, as I was drooping over a mug of oak root coffee at the Bog & Burrow, I received word from my faithful network of spies that Dr. Cornelia Hornshaw was heading north, toward the Decoy Forest. My go-to tech wiz, Techibeetle, quickly tapped her phone and, after listening to a very disgruntled conversation she was having with one of her chief scientists, we learned that she believed the fourth Power--the Power of Hoof--was located there. In the forest.
Now, this was a little too close for comfort for me, my fellow spies, and the other Guardians. Because we knew that while the fourth Power wasn’t actually in the forest, it was nearby--very nearby, on the hoof of Regina the Silver Reindeer herself. I sent a message to Regina begging her to retreat to her mansion, and then I began planning my trip to the north.
(Another complication: I was supposed to be planning my nephew Little Crow’s Naming Ceremony. It was time. He was of age. But the party would just have to wait--and I felt terrible about it.)
After another mug of oak root coffee, I hit upon a plan that was simple, but so daring that it made me nauseous. I was going to do the unthinkable. I would try to intercept Cornelia before she went into the Decoy Forest, and I would…talk with her.
Yes, talk. A dialogue. I figured that I could use B.I.G.’s technology to make Cornelia understand what I was saying, and then I could explain how dangerous her behavior was. How it would put us all at risk--animals and humans. Naïve? Maybe. But sometimes the best route is the most direct, no? There’s a reason for the phrase “as the crow flies.”
Of course it was a terrible shock when, while flying over the Labyrinth, I heard something rustling about in the suitcase that was strapped to my back--and out popped Little Crow, squawking that he couldn’t let me go alone and he was practically an adult and why did I get to do all the fun stuff? I was furious that he’d snuck along, but it was too late to turn back. Cornelia’s train was literally zooming below us as we flew. Besides, I’ll admit it: sometimes it’s nice to have a sidekick.
When we arrived at Jökull, the mansion of the Silver Reindeer, Regina greeted us joyfully and gave us each a huge, steaming mug of Black Winter Cherry cider. Little Crow was shivering. I was exhausted.
“She’s coming,” said Regina, giving me a meaningful look.
“I loathe Cornelia Hornshaw,” spat Little Crow.
“Little! She’s done some terrible things, but she is a very lost, very confused woman,” I said.
“She thinks we’re stupid. She doesn’t respect the world we’ve built. Why do I have to like her?” said Little Crow.
I was flustered, jet-lagged, but Regina jumped in with grace. “You don’t have to like her, Little Crow,” she said, her mother-of-pearl horseshoes twinkling. “But what Cornelia Hornshaw lacks is empathy. She can’t put herself in our horseshoes, so to speak. So she’ll never truly understand us--or anything about the world, really. Zephyra is saying that if you try to empathize a little with her, no matter how much it angers you, then you will have already won part of the battle.
“And for the other parts--if empathy and reason fail, at least you have an entire network of spies and warriors on your side,” I added.
Little Crow’s eyes were drooping.
“Let’s go to bed,” I said. “Cornelia is probably staying at that human eyesore, the Wayward Villa, tonight, and won’t be striking off toward the Decoy Forest until morning.”
After Little Crow went to sleep, I turned to Regina.
“I’m worried,” I said. “The Decoy Forest never shows travelers the truth. But who knows what she’ll see there? Sometimes half-truths and white lies can lead to the real thing.”
Regina looked down at her fourth horseshoe--the one that was old, rusty, nondescript.
“I am prepared to fight,” she said, simply.
submitted by Zephyra, Decoy Forest
(January 4, 2017 - 1:39 pm)
(January 4, 2017 - 1:39 pm)
Sticking my newest character into the middle of a battle, how lovely. Really I'm just giving myself a reason to keep track of the events on this thread.
Nyx~
I soar above Kyngdom. That robin's tip was helpful-- he had said there was a Catastrophe base here, and here it is. However, it looks fairly consumed with battle. I scan the ground, flying as low as I can without putting myself in danger of the projectile weapons that occasionally fly through the sky. Karthicha's not here, as far as I can tell.
I have a moment of worry. What if he had been lying when he hinted about joining Catastrophe? It would be a smart move, on his part, to make sure I didn't follow him. But then again, Karthicha wasn't the type to subtly lie about anything. He was either completely committed to the truth, or to the lie. But that was several years ago.
I return to scanning the ground. If my brother did join Catastrophe.... he doesn't seem to be here. His thirst for blood would have him right in the middle of the fight. Although my eyes can't catch any sight of my brother, I can see a Homo Aquarian(if that's what Tsuki is) running as fast as she can towards some tents, away from most of the action. I drift lower as she stops and speaks briefly with a Sanukan, then both turn to look at something. I ignore their sudden change of focus, although something nags at me to turn and see what they're looking at, and I drop to the ground next to them. They both jump and open their mouths, but I interrupt.
"Hi, my name is Nyx and I'm a Reptithilan I am in need of assistance and it seems you're company is as well is it possible that we could work out a mutually beneficial agreement?" I say, all in one breath.
The Homo Aquarian looks wary, but all the Sanukan says is, "What in Kyngdom is a Reptithilan?"
I blink. "Simply put, a community of reptile anthros, but it's a bit more complex than that."
(November 23, 2020 - 7:16 am)
@Admins, I made a post this morning, over seven hours ago, it hasn't posted yet, is there something wrong with it or is it just taking a while? I didn't feel like it was that long...
Hello Nyx, sorry to hear that—the server was very slow this morning so it may have been stuck in the pipe for a while. Hopefully it's been received by now. --admin
(November 23, 2020 - 2:38 pm)
Nevermind
(November 23, 2020 - 4:04 pm)
(November 30, 2020 - 7:02 am)
Tsuki Natsu~~
The Reptithilan's name turns out to be Nyx, and while I am still wary of her, her build suggests she's a good enough fighter that we'd want to have her on our side during the battle. But before any decisions can be made, Catastrophe's forces begin to pull back. Something is flooding from the gates--actually, somethings.
Dark, ethereal creatures are the first to emerge, surrounded by a strange mist. The mist itself is coming from vials they smash upon the ground, filled with some sort of liquid.
I don't have to see the color of the liquid to know they're using Decoy sap.
"Rubiana," I say. "There's bound to be enough gas masks inside Jokull for the Sanukan Army to use. But we'll need a group of people to get through the sap and hallucinations to get to it. I volunteer to go."
Rubiana glances between me, Nyx, and the sap. The Sanukan troops having alreayd begun to fall back, no doubt plagued by nightmarish hallucinations. I can hear sobbing and screaming all the way from the tents, and these are not screams of pain, but rather, screams of fear.
"Fine," She says after a long pause. "Nyx--I have no idea who you are, but you look capable enough. You and Tsuki will go inside and find masks for the Army. Oh, and while you're at it--fetch Caligo."
~~~
(December 5, 2020 - 7:06 pm)
Ashzan~
My head throbbed, limbs burned, and everything in my torso was screaming like I was having labor pains. If I get through this I swear I'll kiss Caligo or something. Inside my head I chuckled in a defeated sort of way. I had sustained much damage, but at the moment all I wanted was to wake up and make sure Tsuki and Caligo were both safe.
~
You can't do much with an unconscious character, unfortunately. XD
(December 8, 2020 - 5:02 am)
um hi!
~Skylar
I hum along to a tune. A grin is plastred on my face. I wear my scar with pride.
Jokull changed me. Then I wandered. I thought about everything. And then I practiced.
Shadows followed me as I walked. They flitted through the trees and surrounded me in an eerie shadow which prevailed in the sun. The shadows grew stronger. I shifted in and out of vision as I walked. when I wasn't focusing my powers seemed to... become alive. It acted randomly.
I wasn't sure where I was. I could hear the distant sounds of a battle which always are enticing.
I then could see in the distance, a mansion turned into a base. Jokull.
All of the memories came flooding back and I just stared. I remember Kimi and Davina, the other prisoners. Tsuki and Ashzan, the soldiers who helped us out. Raven and Saoirse who saved us. And Caligo. He may still be alive. I should have killed him.
The battle is there. Back at the place I was held. Back where I lost all hope. Back where I abandoned them. Out of fear.
I was a coward, rush in then rush out when it got too bad. Now it's different. I won't back out. I won't run away. I turned to a new chapter and this one is going to be long.
With a detirmined outlook I start to trek towards the battle ahead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So we're back! I am sosososososo sorry I dropped off of the face of the earth but I'm here now! Skylar is back as she is the first charrie I have revived. Others may pop up elsewhere.
(December 8, 2020 - 10:12 pm)
Tsuki Natsu~~
The battlefield feels like a nightmare, even without the Decoy sap. The snow is a muddy red, and there are bodies lying everywhere. Their uniforms are too damaged for me to tell what team they're on, and I don't get close enough to them to see if they're still living.
Nyx has remained silent the entire time. I'm not even sure if she's still behind me--the extra footsteps coud just be an illusion, or even worse, there's someone else behind me...
But I don't look back. If it's really just a sap illusion, paying attention to it will only make it worse.
"Tsuki," a voice drifts across the battlefield. My breath catches in my throat because I know this voice, but I keep walking, reminding myself it's just a Decoy.
"You don't have to fear the mist, darling," Hornshaw's voice seems to seep into my brain. "Sometimes, its lies can show you the truth."
There seems to be multiple beings inside my head right now--me, Hornshaw, and something else, something strange and frightening, yet friendly and welcoming.
The Forest.
"Listen to me, Tunglsumar," The Forest hisses, seeping into the cracks of my brain. "We are your only chance to survive the shadows."
Around me, I can see Decoys forming. They're mostly what I expected-- Deeja with a wound on her chest, crying; Ashzan wearing a Catastrophe uniform, pointing her weapon at me; Gamgi looking at me in disgust--but there's another figure, too. Something shrouded in shadows, but not a shadow. I turn away from them, focusing again on Jokull.
There are hordes upon hordes of shadows, their forms not whispy and frail but not corporeal either. They're more mutants than shadows, I realize, and that might mean they're actually fightable.
"Your light magic is not strong enough to fight them," The Forest says. "Take off your metal hand, Tunglsumar. It's holding you back."
But I ignore the Forest and I duck behind a snowbank, hiding from the first group of shadows. There's a group of Catastrophe's soldiers who have yet to retreat, and the shadows tear them apart, not even caring about the fact they've slaughtered their allies.
"Don't hold back..."
~~~
(December 15, 2020 - 7:45 am)
Nyx~
I follow Tsuki silently, hardly twitching at the sight of the bodies around us. But every few faces wears an unknown emotion on their face that surprises a slight pause out of me. I glance around at the misshapen shadows that linger around the battlefield, or attack stray groups of soldiers and shred them. Thankfully, they haven't turned on us yet, although they'll notice us soon enough.
Tsuki ducks behind a snowbank, out of sight of a group of shadows, I hope. I follow her. What is the.... Decoy sap that they spoke of? I vaguely recognized the term, but couldn't seem to place a description.
An agonized groan from behind me startles me, though not enough to trigger sudden movement. I slowly turn my head, pinpointing a Catastrophe soldier as the source of the sound. It seems that it was his death scream, pitiful as it was, as he is now unmoving. Then a flash of honeygold scales catches my eye. My mother, twisted in an awkward position and covered with blood, looks over at me and Tsuki, who's watching the shadows as they move about. My mother stretches out an arm towards me, silently crying out. I almost go to her before remembering that Karthicha's so-called "friend" killed her. There hadn't been any unertainty about that fact. I had watched the light ebb from her eyes.
With an agonizing effort, I turn away and follow Tsuki's gaze towards the shadows, which are wandering closer. I try not to be distracted by the family members that appear her and there: My father, younger sister, aunt, cousin, grandfather. Then a sibilant hissing laugh sounds behind me, and my head turns of it's own accord this time. Karthicha stands behind me, leaning lazily against the wall.
"What are you doing here, sister?" he askes. "Looking for me? Here I am. So now what?"
I struggle to turn back around, telling myself that if I saw family members that were long-dead, and thus couldn't possibly be real, seeing Karthicha was probably a fake as well. But his voice and attitude are perfect. Almost no one knew him well enough to replicate him this way. Uncertainty grabs hold of my mind and starts to tear me in two.
~~~
Not literally, of course, as I'm sure you know. I sure hope Decoys can talk, cuz if not, I just did that very wrong.
(December 17, 2020 - 8:02 am)
Ekron Sanders watched as the shadows poured across the battlefield like ink spilling on paper. The golden dust of the partially-evaporated Decoy sap wove its way amongst them, driving any soldiers still fighting into madness.
He pressed a finger to the cut in his head and examined the shining red on its tip when he pulled it away, thinking briefly about bandaging it.
Footsteps clattered up the watchtower steps behind him, and Ekron spun around, half expecting Caligo to have arisen form the dead. But it wasn't Caligo, it was now-Lieutenant Rau.
"General Sanders, sir," Rau said, clasping a fist to his chest. Rau was a Tenebris--he was far taller and stronger than Sanders, and probably smarter, but he was far too loyal to ever pose a threat to Sanders. "There are two soldiers making their way to Jokull. They are allied with the Sanukans--and we think one of them is Natsu."
Ekron's lips curled in disgust at the name of the traitor. Natsu and her stupid light powers that had impressed Caligo so much. It was almost fitting that Caligo's two most trusted soldiers had both been the most disloyal.
"The Decoy sap and shadows should deal with them. If not, one of our guards will. There's no need to be worried," Ekron said. "The Sanukans' tents are out in the open, in a perfect attack location. I want you to take an attack helicopter and set fire to them."
"But, Sanders, sir, that would be a war crime," The Tenebris said. He didn't sound overly opposed to the idea--rather, just confused. Never before had a Jokull general done something this cold-hearted--not even Grimm. Ekron figured this weakness was why Grimm hadn't survived the last Sanukan attack.
"The victor of a battle has never committed a crime of war, Rau," Sanders replied. Understanding dawned on Rau quickly and he dipped his head in assent.
"As you wish."
The watchtower was soon empty, and Sanders resumed his watch over the battle--but what was this? Why were Sanukans resuming their fight?
He grabbed a pair of binoculars and looked back down at them. They were wearing gas masks--every single one of them.
Furious, Sanders stormed out of the watchtower, barking orders at his own soldiers. "GET YOUR MASKS ON AND GET FIGHTING!" His throat was soon raw from the shouting, but his soldiers had never followed an order quicker.
"General Sanders, sir!" A female soldier sprinted up to him. "A large portion of our gas masks appear to have been stolen, two guards are dead, and Caligo is missing."
Ekron knew what had happened. "That stupid traitor!" He yanked a mask out of a soldier's hands and burst throught the doors.
"Sir, what are you--"
"I'm going to end this battle myself," he growled. The noise of gunfire and explosions had resumed--and while there were more Sanukans lying motionless in the snow, it did nothing to convince Sanders they were winning. Sanders did know what would ensure a Catastrophe victory, though--and that was a dead Sanukan chieftan.
The battlefield was the perfect example of chaos, but Sanders navigated it well, swapping between firing at Sanukans and shouting orders just as easily as one would change directions of their car. There was someone leading the Sanukans--an impossibly tall man, wearing finely-crafted armor with the Sanukan symbol on its chest. Victor Starr.
A plan formed in Sanders' mind. He turned to one of his captains and told them to take his place for a few moments. He began to make his way across the battlefield, towards where Victor was fighting a group of shadows.
Sanders called out to the shadows and they fell in line behind him. Victor looked up, surprised, then disgusted when he saw that it was Sanders.
"I hear you murdered your own general," Victor said. "Your lack of loyaltly is cowardly."
"Cowardly? More like cunning," Ekron scoffed. "Not that you would ever understand. Sanukans understand blind faith and rage only." It never did occur to Ekron how strange it was that Victor knew Sanders had been the one to attempt to end Caligo's life.
Instead of responding, Victor simply fired a bullet at Ekron. Ekron was quick to dodge but it still grazed his ribs, and he cursed at himself for being caught off-guard. He was quick to return fire though, and soon Victor and Ekron were fighting wordlessly.
They were fighting along the edge of a ravine, one that had already claimed the lives of countless soldiers. Sanders could feel the ground become slicker beneath him, and it was soon a struggle to not fall over the edge.
"You should surrender," Sanders growled, charging at Victor with a dagger. Victor knocked it easily from his hand, but Sanders arm swung up and Victor's gun soon clattered into the raging river at thge bottom of the ravine. "Your army is in shambles and your people weak. There's no need for more bloodshed."
"I will keep fighting until I know my people are safe from your bloodthirsty cause," Victor spat. Sanders punched Victor in the nose and he stumbled backwards, red spurting from it. Ekron came at him again, with the dagger, wedging the hilt between two metal plates of his armor until one of them snapped off.
Ekron drew his gun and it fired.
Something sank into his chest and he screamed in pain.
Victor fell to the ground, unmoving, and Ekorn stumbled backwards, pulling the dagger out of himself. The entire blade was sticky and dark red. He gasped, feeling his plans and his future fall apart.
The snow surrounding Victor was crimson and the red kept spreading, but it brought no joy to Ekron. Not when he knew he would end up the same in only a few moments.
Darkness clouded around his vision and he could feel his spirit fighting to leave his broken body. He gasped for air but none came. He fell to the ground. The snow sank beneath him.
The sky seemed to rush towards him and there was blinding, unbearable light, and then--
Nothing.
(January 1, 2021 - 2:58 pm)
Tsuki~~
The fighting had raged long into the night, the amount of bodies and carnage rising rapidly higher until eventually, the once pure-white fields of snow were a wide expanse of red. The Sanukans, lead by Rubiana, had breached Jokull's final defenses and had secured it. Now, the few remaining Catastrophe soliders were being rounded up and taken prisoner.
I desperately wanted to help, but my mind was still numb from the news we'd just recieved--Victor Starr, chieftan of the Sanukans, was dead. He had died fighting Ekron Sanders, who also hadn't survived. Rubiana was forced to become the new chief. The shock still hadn't worn off the Sanukans.
Eventually, a nurse walks over to me. I have a cut in my side, which has stained the side of my uniform--I didn't notice it. I wonder if I've gone into shock because of the injury or from the news about Victor. The nurse helps me walk over to a tent. He's saying something to me but I'm not listening.
I'm laid down on a cot and another nurse begins to clean the cut. My brain slowly processes what's happening. What I've done. I feel sick to my stomach, thinking that I caused some of the death here today. I want to spill out all my thoughts to the nurse, but instead I say, "Where's Ashzan?"
"Moksovinan's fine, just unconcious. She's in a another tent just a little whiles away," The nurse says, not looking up. I feel a small amount of relief. At least I have saved one person today.
"What about Caligo? And the Resistance agent?"
"Both are badly injured, but we expect them to make a full recovery," The nurse explains. "Caligo will be transferred to the Sanukan prisons as soon as we are able to move him."
After a moment, the nurse has finished wrapping me in bandages and they leave the tent. My eyelids feel heavy and so I close them, drifting into a restless sleep.
~~~
(February 5, 2021 - 1:04 pm)
She woke up to silence.
Wind whipped the egdes of the tent, chilling her to the bone. She'd thought that maybe, she'd one day get used to the freezing temperatures of northeastern Kyngdom, but her childhood in Sapphire Cove had not at all prepared her. She sat up, drawing the thin white blankets closer to her, wincing as the stitches in her side strecthed and bent.
"Hello?" Her voice was rough, raw. The battle hadn't been kind on it.
Oh, Lunee--the battle. At the moment it felt like a bad dream, but she knew when she was more awake it'd become more clear in her mind. Clearer, and more painful.
No one responded to her call. Tsuki felt a hint of concern. Swallowing back her pain, she crawled off the cot and stood up. Her side hurt, but other than that she was relatively uninjured. Relatively.
"Is everything..." She trailed off as she opened up the tent flap. No wonder the Sanukans hadn't responded to her call, they were busy cleaning off the battlefield. Crude altars and fires had been built--Tsuki had heard of Sanukan rituals before, but never seen them in action. There was, however, a single guard pacing in front of the tents. She was tall (of course), with olive skin and long dark hair pulled into a braid.
Tsuki figured she should probably let the Sanukans mourn their fallen in peace, but she decided to talk to the guard. "Um, hi."
The guard, who was pulling out a cigarette, glanced at her. "Yeah?" Her voice sounded young, but rough--Tsuki wondered how many of those cigarettes she'd smoked.
"Um. Which tent is Ashzan Moksovinan in?"
"The forest elf? That one." The guard pointed to a tent a couple feet away. "Might still be asleep. I don't know."
"Thanks." Tsuki turned away from them and entered the tent they'd pointed to.
Ashzan lay inside on a cot. She was still asleep, chest rising and falling peacefully. Tsuki stared at her, feeling a sort of bittersweetness. She'd never told anyone, but... she loved Ashzan. Deeper than just a friend.
If only it was reciprocated.
Tsuki couldn't bear to stand there, doing nothing. She couldn't stand to be here, on this battlefield, watching as the dead were carted away to be sent to their families with a polite letter. She couldn't take it anymore.
Her hands shaking, Tsuki pulled off her seashell necklace. It had been a gift from her mother, but she didn't need it anymore. Didn't want it anymore, really. She was 17 now--not technically an adult, but old enough to be independent.
Old enough to want to forget her past.
She lifted one of Ashzan's hands and placed the necklace in it, closing her fingers around the shell, then laying her arm across her chest. Ashzan would understand.
Tsuki left the tent and turned towards the woods. Her first steps were weak, but they grew stronger and more determined.
She wasn't going to be anyone's soldier anymore.
She was going to be in charge of herself.
~~~
(November 13, 2021 - 4:05 pm)
Tsuki Natsu~~
I slipped silently through the mountain, though there wasn’t anyone around so it was hardly necessary. I’d stolen one of the Sanukans’ Thunderbirds and fled back to their town--there was someone I desperately needed to talk to before I left for good.
She was waiting for me.
Hornshaw sat alone on a hospital bed, staring blankly at the stone wall. “The Forest told me you were coming.”
“Did it, now.” A statement. “Why were in my head during the battle?”
“Ah,” Hornshaw started. “That was the Forest. Not me.”
“What does the Forest want from me?” I asked. “It asked me to… to take off my hand. To be ruthless.”
“The Forest knows the past, present, and future. It knows who you can become.”
“It wants me to become a murderer,” I said. “I won’t let it.”
“Fine, then,” Hornshaw said with a sigh. “But the future will come anyway. You will change, whether you want to or not.”
“So that’s all the Forest has to say?”
“Ah. For now, yes,” Hornshaw said. “You are leaving, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then I have some wisdom for you. And a quest.”
“A quest?”
“Yes.” Hornshaw turned towards me. “Discover your past, Natsu. The labs hid so much from you--your powers, your family, yourself. Find out why.”
“Anything else?”
“Ah, yes. Take Vida with you.”
“Vida? How am I supposed to care for a child? I’m not an adult!” Not only that, but supposedly Vida is Deeja’s reincarnation. How was I supposed to forget my past if I was a.) trying to discover it, and b.) carrying her around?
“She deserves to be with her people. Not the Sanukans,” Hornshaw argued. “Take her to the kingdom of upright cats, to the southeast. They can care for her there.”
“Fine. I will.” I turn away from Hornshaw and leave her alone. I’ve had enough of her and the Forest.
But maybe I’d listen to her about Vida.
~~~
(November 14, 2021 - 7:44 pm)
Whoa, I missed some stuff. Do you mind if Nyx has been following Tsuki, just for something to do?
(November 21, 2021 - 10:43 am)
That's fine!
(November 30, 2021 - 10:59 am)