Lenn

35g sirius
??? kuroyume
5.8kg kuroyume's scrolls
1.5kg lenn's metallic scroll (oof, i got tired of breeding)
700g night sky apparel (arm silks still unused)
410g silver sylvan apparel
225g katana
250g apparel slots (need 100g more for last slot)
700g custom skin
210kt training by Reveurs
Thank you Tobin for the gift of a flaxen unicorn horn!
$115 in art for Arcane Sprite

9.6kg total spent on this boy. God damnit you expensive fella

STILL MISSING:
TTnTT gilded crown is never gonna happen...


'Till We Meet Again
Story Credit: Joywing

A figure walks the cold cobblestone streets, silent except for the ruffle of a slight breeze. Visibility was low, grasping mists gathering following the fall of rain. The nighttime might have been eerie, shadows and the illusion of something not-there slowly cutting away at the mind. Yet, for the seeming-wanderer, it was just another day on the job.

The officials always asserted that there was nothing wrong. That despite all the convenient ‘accidents’, and unfortunate tragedies, they would be safe under their rule. To Kamui, their ability to cover their tracks was about as competent as their attempts to enforce the law. The taste of fear was strong in this little town, every citizen watching their back, wondering if they would really wake up again in the morning. He was one man, but he offered his eyes, a sentinel against the mysterious monsters in the dark.

He continued his patrol, untouched by the chill in the air. The night seemed to pass like any other, the lunar half-lidded eye looking down on the wanderer. Sometimes he might see another face on these streets, a lost drunkard, or an officer ‘examining’ the town, but for tonight, it seemed he was alone. For a moment, he yawned, blinking sleep out of his eyes. The sole vanguard could not lapse.

Wait. A glimpse, flitting in the dark. Anyone else might have seen a moth, drawn to the light of the moon, or a rat scavenging in the dirt. Yet, the young warrior saw something else: the trademark grace of someone who did not wish to be found. Swiftly he went to that glance, seeking the owner of the half-shadow. There was little to no trace, seemingly an illusion, a trick of the mind. And again, something spurred Kamui forward, tracing a path that seemed so familiar. Another shard, another glimpse, keen instincts guided the warrior. He was sure now, someone...something was here. Just a few steps ahead of him. Their method was well-honed, a broken stone here, a scrap of cloth there, calculated misdirection to throw the pursuer off the trail. A trick that he felt he saw long ago.

A game of cat and mouse, played on both ends by those who had done this a thousand times before. Every move made was counteracted, the prey always just a little bit out of reach. The balance was on a hair’s breadth, the slightest mistake, the slightest misfortune ending their elegant dance.

With a tip and a gentle creak of a board beneath the foot, the balance collapsed.

An echoing crash broke Kamui’s concentration. It was right ahead, too large to ignore. He moved swiftly, his instincts alert to the potential threat. When he arrived, he came to a collapsed canopy, and a dark-clothed figure, cursing as he pulled himself from the wreckage. The movement and skill was unmistakable: He had found the assassin.

“You there, halt!” The figure glanced back at the voice, sharp green eyes looking out under his hood. Just for a moment, they seemed to widen, the assassin hesitating in the debris. Kamui took his chance, launching himself at the unknown criminal. The assassin recovered quickly, tucking down and pulling out of his reach, but not before the determined warrior could pull the mask off of the mysterious wanderer.

Seeing his face, everything finally clicked into place.

“Alina?! You’re alive?!” Kamui stumbled back, dropping the mask in shock. It seemed impossible. He was there when the Academy went up in smoke. He searched, counting the survivors over and over again. That treasured friend, who taught him so much was gone, and nothing he could do, nothing he could’ve done would bring her back. Yet here she was, steeped in the black trade of death. The figure scowled, retrieving his strewn mask.

“Alina is dead. She’s been gone for a long time.” He curtly responded. Despite being caught, he moved in an almost casual manner, dusting the debris from his suit. Kamui could only watch his old friend recline on a wooden support, his mind reeling with a million questions.

“You should be more worried about yourself. What kind of Aura Guardian gets seen chatting with an assassin?” The assassin snarked, twirling a loose lock in his fingers. The young warrior shook himself out of his stupor, keeping a close eye on the exits from the alleyway.

“That’s besides the point. You know I can’t just let you leave, and I don’t want to hurt you. Just...explain yourself. Please.” Kamui braced himself, preparing for another fight. The assassin sighed, shaking his head.

“How do you know that I’m really who you think I am? I could be a stranger with her face for all you know. Time changes people. You don’t even know if you’re the same person as you are yesterday.” Pulling a knife from his sleeve, he balanced it on the tip of his finger, idly spinning it as he spoke.

“Those tricks of yours certainly haven’t changed. All these years, and chasing you is still just as annoying.” Kamui looked him right in the eyes, unwavering. It was slight, but he thought he saw a glimmer of amusement in his emerald eyes.

“Heh, there’s more of the Kamui I know. You should skip to the banter next time, the whole ‘please surrender’ speech gets a little old.” It was a light tease, and for a moment, he felt like they were back in the Academy, trading jabs after a long day of study. He shook his head. He still had a duty to do.

“You would be lucky to get small talk at all. Anyone else would attack you on sight.” He took a deep breath. If it came down to it, the people had to be kept safe. “If you’re here to kill someone, you’ll have to go through me.”

“Geez, and here I thought we’d move away from the cliche hero lines. Listen, have you considered I’m not here to commit murder?” The assassin quipped, rolling his eyes. “If I don’t get to the target to get her out of here, Team Shadow will. And they aren’t going to be as nice as I am.”

“Right, because I’m supposed to trust the cloaked black figure with a dozen knives in their sleeves.” The warrior shot back. The assassin simply shrugged.

“It’s your choice. You let me go, and I get an innocent girl out of the country. Or you stall me, and Team Shadow ‘disappears’ her. What will it be?” The two of them were silent, staring each other down in that small alleyway. Common sense screamed at him to tackle him right then and there, pin him so the rest of the Guardians could interrogate him. The law, the rules he upheld demanded that the assassin be brought to justice. Yet, that tiny voice still spoke, that maybe he was telling the truth. That he was still the good person that he knew so long ago.

Kamui gritted his teeth as he stood down.

“...Just go. Do what you need to do, but I won’t do this again.” The assassin gave a cheshire’s grin, bracing himself to leap off, into the night.

“Not sure how much this means, but thanks. I’d say I’d make it up to you, but we probably shouldn’t meet again.” Before the assassin could leave, Kamui found his voice once more.

“Wait, one more thing. If you’re not Alina anymore, what do I call you?” The assassin paused, mulling the question in his mind.

“Lenn. You can call me Lenn.” Kamui nodded, his gaze lingering as Lenn disappeared into the night, without another word or a backwards glance.

The warrior was alone on that cold street once again, with naught but the old wound of grief to keep him company.

Words Unsaid
Story Credit: Joywing

For her whole life, Emerald always knew what she was to do. The correct poise, the correct phrase, the exact movements to weave Aura into reality. Correctness was impressed upon her, with mistakes far too painful, and far too costly to make. She was the prodigy, the leader, the one that knew exactly how to achieve any goal that was asked of her. She could not err.

And yet, patrolling in a forest with a familiar stranger was far more daunting than the stage of politics.

She had made careful arrangements to ensure that their missions would align as such. Pulling favours from friends and making suggestions to Titania that perhaps she should watch over their “newest associate”, all to make sure they would be away from the prying ears of other Guardians. There were some pasts too private for her companions to hear. Even the world itself seemed to push her forward, the gentle rush of wind obscuring their footfalls. All she had to do was make the first step.

The princess maintained her steady expression, busying herself with watching shadows for their quarry. What would she even ask? Words that tried to reach her tongue tasted like ash, stock platitudes that could never fully describe what it meant to see a face again. How could it be that she had nothing in hours of walking? Her hands tightened under her sleeves, the only sign of the frustration she held inside.

Ahead of her, Lenn maintained his pace, scarcely looking back as he wove through the undergrowth. She watched that familiar movement, never stopping so long as to be detected, a light step, like shadows dappled on fallen leaves. Suddenly, he paused, seemingly surveying the glade they had entered.

“You planned this, didn’t you?” The first words to break the silence in hours started Emerald from the mire in her mind. Lenn checked over his shoulder again. Confident they were alone, he turned to face her, his green eyes boring into hers. “It’s clear you have something to say. Why don’t you spit it out instead of biting your tongue off holding back?” The assassin folded his arms, leaning on a tree as he awaited a response.

Emerald recovered quickly from the jolt, pursing her lips as she maintained that carefully-cultivated politeness.

“I just wanted to talk. Sibling to sibling. To make sure that you...that we were okay. I understand the years aren’t always kind.” Lenn snorted as he rolled his eyes.

“Ah, yes, family bonding in the middle of a dangerous forest. Should I get a picnic basket?” A glimmer of amusement showed in his eyes as he stretched, climbing onto a low branch. “So, where do you want me to begin with what I’ve been doing? You wanna hear about my time in the fighting ring? Or maybe some of the hits I was on? I’m definitely not wanting for stories here.” Emerald felt her shoulders relax, the levity of his tone cutting through the awkwardness.

“I know you were always a bit of a troublemaker,” the princess lightly teased, a smile tugging at the edge of her lips. “But it has been a long time. I wasn’t there for you for all those years. Too tied up in the politics to be where it matters. I haven’t been the best sister, and I am sorry for that.” She watched his face carefully, hoping that the words she had chosen held their meaning.

“And you were always too hard on yourself. ‘Being good family’ wasn’t on either of our training regimens, weren’t they? Maybe if it was we might have a father instead of the colossal **** we were stuck with.” He blew a stray hair out of his face, eyes upwards to memories of the past.

“Maybe. I have to admit that the time you drove him apoplectic with that dress stunt was pretty funny.” Lenn grinned underneath his mask.

“See? We need more of this Emerald. The title of princess doesn’t mean you need a stick up the *** all the time. It’s more fun this way.” Emerald chuckled, allowing herself to be swept up in reminiscence.

“You will drink your tea with two fingers, or else!” Emerald mimicked the authoritative tone of their father, her chest puffed up in a mockery of his arrogance. Not to be outdone, Lenn perched himself on the branch, his dagger out in a fencing stance.

“You will be a trained fighter, which will totally not backfire when I make you want to stab me.” He did a few practice swipes, before swinging off the branch and onto the ground. Emerald applauded, to which Lenn gave a mock bow. The two of them laughed like children again, savouring an imagination they were once denied.

When Emerald could finally breathe, she caught sight of the light on the ground. How long were they here? It felt like they were only talking for a moment, but the hours had flown by. She replaced her guise of elegance, beginning again on their patrol. Sensing his sibling’s change of mood, Lenn stretched and began moving, stalking forward into dark. Before he could move out of her grasp again, that essential question bubbled up in her mind.

“Lenn, are you really alright? Is there anything I can do to help you?” The question made him pause, a hand rested on a nearby tree as he looked away into the dark.

“You really do look out for everyone, huh? Even someone like me.” Emerald swore that he heard his voice quaver, just that bit of doubt under the humor and sarcasm. Just as quickly it was gone again, as he turned to face her.

“I couldn’t ask more from someone with so much on her plate. You handle the complicated princess stuff and leave the messy stuff to me, okay? I’ve got it under control.” He winked at her, a knowing salute before he moved on between shadowed trees.

Unseen by him, Emerald shook her head, as she followed the traces he left behind. She had lifted her own doubt, but she could still feel the weight on her sibling’s shoulders. The burden of words he had left unsaid.


Wing Banner By CrowHarlequin