In the heart of the Delumine's capital city, deep in the confines of the Dawn's castle, a witch stuffed her nose into books. At the bottom of the great library, near the catacombs, she was at the center of a circle of sprawled tomes. With the tender tendrils of her mind, she flipped through the crumbling pages of each book, the ancient parchment frail beneath her curious nose. Runes and ink were faded along each page, each leather bound spine. But she was content; more at home in the darkness and slithering shadows at the lowest level of the library. Deep in the soul of her kingdom's most beloved place; a plethora of knowledge just waiting to be found in every scroll and book found on the shelves. A treasure trove of wisdom worth more than gold and jewels.
She penned through a volume of history, recorded centuries past when the continent of Novus was still new, albeit unnamed, the four kingdoms barely a thought. Nimue commonly found herself looking through the histories, digging in to educate herself on the makings of each Court. How the sons and daughters that ruled their skies came to pass; their story the flicker of the match that burned and cleared the way for each kingdom. Dawn, Day, Dusk, and Night. She could have used her Sight, and possibly might have even known what she was searching for before.. before mortality, before earthling memory stole away most of what she knew.
So she relied on her gifts minimally, instead only leaning on her power when she willed it. Her eyes soaking in every last drop of information from those beloved books, a ghost of a smile on her pinkish lips as she curled in the darkness and pale light of the amethyst that glowed at her throat. Blissfully in her own little world, and completely unaware of the potential company that lurked in the shadows beyond.
@zaius @kasil boop <3
this post was inspired by this amazing song from GoT.
The walls of the keep were painted with ivy, the stubborn vines weaving across the bricks walls with some kind of unknown fervor. The castle itself, on the outside, seemed a bit dilapidated and worn. It needed some TLC, that was for sure, but it wasn’t a dump. This place was nothing compared to the cloud kingdom from which he had hailed. The palace in Cirrus had been so vast, one could get lost and never be seen again. His father had a menagerie of servants, women and bastard children that always kept the courtyards and corridors colorful with life.
A sigh escaped the painted stallion’s mouth, the air rushed past his lips with an undertone of heartbreak. He had lost so much when he’d fallen and though it had been voluntary, he missed the winds of Cirrus but the loss of his mother made his heart ache the most.
He found himself lost within the halls of the castle, the sound of his steps echoed off the walls. It was quiet here and the silence filled his head as his thoughts began to bounce around within his skull. But, it was not long before he found an interesting corridor to distract him. The stairs led down, the darkness enticing as curiosity tugged at him. Each step was a drop in a still puddle, the sound reverberated all around, down the stairs and behind him.
Suddenly, he was upon a part of the castle that he had not expected to find, the catacombs. The impressive brute was still for a moment before he continued forward, he took in all that was around him quietly. It wasn’t long, however, before another creature came into view. A unicorn, surrounded by books, lost in the wonders of the pages. The text must have her enthralled as the pages flipped here and there. He moved closer, his wings folded against him, the feathers kept him warm in the chill of the darkness. “Anything good there?” he asked, an inquisitive expression upon his handsome face, truly curious of the stranger.
It was not uncommon to find the king of Delumine with his nose buried in a book. In fact, it was one of the things that he missed the most about his life as a Sage. Kings had far too many other responsibilities to just allow themselves to be lost to the pages of an interesting read -- yet Kasil often took time to do just that. He had become much more aware of his need for a breath of fresh air since he had gone to the peak, and sometimes that meant he had to be selfish.
He shelved the volume that he had just finished, and took painstaking care in looking over the scrolls piled together neatly. Some he recognized, but others were unfamiliar to him. A smile curled at the corners of his mouth, silently thanking the gods that he had been born in a place where knowledge was so valued. How out of place would he have been in a place like Solterra where the warrior’s blood was so strong?
A figure passed by in the corner of his vision, the stallion’s ears perking with attention as his mind found its way back to the present. He did not recognize the painted stallion, watching silently as he wandered past Kasil’s hiding place amongst the scrolls and tomes. His dark eyes followed him until he was out of sight, before the sovereign fell into step behind him -- using the dim light to his advantage. It was much better for the books to be kept in the dim rooms, as sunlight tending to curl the pages.
His ear flicked in the direction of the conversation, before he opened his mouth to answer -- unsure of just who the stranger was talking to as Kasil was still behind him standing in one of the aisles.
”Delumine’s libraries are filled with interesting reads.” His voice rumbled, a rich vibrato. ”If you can think of something you’d like to read, I imagine we have it.” He let a small smile play on the edge of his dark lips, raising his head just enough to be considered posturing. He hadn’t any clue who this stranger was sleuthing around in his library, but he was about to find out.
Her little world crumbled, as frail as the paper bound in the ancient tomes at her feet. She blinked into the darkness, her crown quirking sideways as her gaze adjusted to the shadows clinging to the walls, to the shelves, to each and every book and scroll. Her ears flickered, forwards and backwards, catching soft hoofbeats pattering against the stone. The shriveled heart in her chest pounded, thrumming, with each click as the thing in the dark grew closer, and closer. Until at last, the darkness opened in a collected hush, a painted stranger stepping into her narrowed gaze.
Anything good there?
She released a breath, suddenly annoyed at herself. He was just a stranger, an unknown face in the mysterious dark. Nimue was a witch. She was the monster hiding in the woods, in the shadows. Not this man before her.
Her lip curled, but a moment later, it swept up into a small smile. She willed the muscles beneath her dappled skin to relax, her gaze sweeping over the ivory man before her. With a quick flare of her nostrils, she noted the distinct scent of Dawn clinging to his skin. Dusty roses and bound books and ink written onto scrolls. What she failed to catch, however, was the second set of hoofbeats clicking along the stone floor. Her attention entirely focused on the man before her, until the shadows stepped to the side to allow her king to enter.
The witch unfurled herself from the cold floor, shaking free the chill settling into her bones. Her wicked grin only grew, as she inclined her crown towards Kasil. She took care with the suspicion lying beneath his words, but she did not share in his same feelings. Her Sight simply snapped open, the magic coursing in her blood sending a warm shiver down her spine. Only a second, a breath, a heartbeat, and the dragon of her power curled back inside of her. She found what she needed, and nothing more.
"Our libraries are the best in the world," she mused, blinking in the dark and indigo light. Her voice was warm, uncommonly warm, as she tenderly shut the tomes circling her with her mind. "Always a pleasure to see you, my King," she said rather sweetly, her lips curled in an off-kilter smile. "And you, Zaius. Welcome to the catacombs." Her attention pulled to him, the lighter winged man to her sovereign's dark chocolate coin. The magic in her veins tasting of the memory of his arrival; but just enough where she discovered his name. No longer a stranger perhaps, but possible acquaintances.
Deep in the darkness they were, in the heart of the court they all called home.
@zaius @kasil boop <3
yes, you read correctly: nim was most definitely nervous about monsters in the dark xD hehe
Zaius watched each act with curiosity, it settled over him nicely. He accepted the emotion with a smile as he watched the other creature emerge from the shadows. The man’s head tilted in a canine esque way as he watched the grey woman bow to the other stallion. So, with his royal mannerisms, the pale man did the same, quietly, slightly. His attention passed between the two, each of their words seemed almost defensive. He hadn’t meant that there couldn’t be anything good, he had asked if the woman was reading anything good. Whatever, he looked at both of them with clear eyes before he spoke. “I am new here but it a pleasure to meet the King of the Dawn Court,” the man said, his words flowed politely from soft lips before he turned his attention back towards the strange woman in the shadow. “And though I am not sure how you know my name, it’s a pleasure to meet you as well. But, would you do me the honor of giving me your name m’lady?” Zaius asked, ever so kindly but unsure.
This was such a strange place, where women read in the shadows, surrounded by the dead and Kings wandered around defending his books. Zaius lost himself for a moment, the clouds of Cirrus filled his mind. Though the realm of Dawn was around him, he couldn’t help but miss his home. There he was surrounded by family and even though they did not understand him, he enjoyed their company. Here, the wind was quieter, the barrier had cut off his connection with the wind and he had never felt so lonely. A melancholy presence filled him as he returned to the catacombs, he had escaped his mind once more. “So, m’lady, I suspect you possess some kind of magic? Can I ask how you came about maintaining it here?”
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