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iluvroadrunner6) wrote2025-03-08 09:42 am
iluvroadrunner6) wrote2025-03-08 09:42 amget your words out { 2025 } yahtzee tracking
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iluvroadrunner6) wrote2025-03-08 09:42 am
bury a friend, try to wake up | fantasy girl gang | 1,000
It’s a quick drop from the balcony to the ground, buffeted by some shrubbery that provides a prickly but safe landing. Tristan, unfortunately, is not graceful, and flails a bit in the dismount, landing in a heap on the ground, while Kira lands in a graceful tumble before pushing herself back up on her feet.
“Pull yourself together. We gotta go.”
“Sorry, not all of us can be acrobatic ballerinas.”
Shouts from the balcony above try to rouse another team of guards into the garden. Tristan pushes herself to her feet, scanning over the shadows of the garden.
“What’s our way out?”
She can see the moment she says it that Kira may not have an answer to that question—or maybe more that things have become real. They’ve reached the bounds of her knowledge based on her cloistered palace existence and she may know the answer.
“The maze?” Kira glances over to Tristan, the look on her face hoping for it being the right answer. “It’ll at least give us a place to hide.”
Not the best exit, but with boots slamming on the steps nearby, they have little choice. Tristan takes Kira by the arm and heads towards the hedges. “It’ll work for now.”
Darkness shrouds them as they weave their way through the high walls, trying to move as quietly as possible. Tristan’s grip on her arm loosens, but doesn’t completely go away, wanting to guide through the twists and turns of the maze without them getting lost. For a while, it appears they may get somewhere. If they can make it to the back wall, and can get over it, maybe they actually stand a chance.
Kira’s arm wrenches from Tristan’s grasp. Tristan whirls on her feet, drawing her sword when her eyes meet those responsible, and she freezes. She kicks herself for not seeing the shadows of the gryphon flying overhead, but how could she when everything is shadows?
A soft sound, a mix between a coo and a purr, emanates from Iris, and Kira also freezes, not sure what else to do. When being held by a gryphon, you don’t want to give them a reason to take flight.
“Captain.”
Tristan’s eyes float back to the rider sitting in the saddle and she faces her worst-case scenario.
“Sebastian.”
Sebastian Vale, Tristan’s latest protégé, is a problem. Not only because with human versus gryphon, a gryphon is far more likely to come out on top. Iris is one of the fastest in the fleet. She already has Kira in her grasp. But also, Sebastian is just a kid, barely old enough to be joining the guard, and one that Tristan both cares about deeply and knows all too well. Sebastian’s loyalty is just as strong as hers, and he will give his life for his orders and Tristan doesn’t think she can bring herself to kill him.
They’re sunk.
“Why are you trying to escape with one of the oracles?”
Tristan can’t help her smirk. “You always were a smart kid.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.” The conflict in his voice is evident. Tristan is his mentor, and she’s working against the Emperor. He’s being torn between two loyalties. Tristan knows the feeling all too well. She observes him as Sebastian slides down from his saddle, staying just within the shelter of Iris’s wings.
“Because she’s not actually an oracle. And if she remains in the palace, the Emperor will discover that and have her killed.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because I know too much.” Kira twists ever so slightly, trying to get a glimpse at Sebastian’s face from where she’s held. “Because I know what’s really going on with the actual Empress, and because he can’t control Asheron if I’m here to protect him.”
Tristan takes the opening offered to her: “Kira doesn’t deserve to die for any of those things. I just want to protect her. Take her somewhere safe where the Emperor can’t find her.”
She studies Sebastian’s face, and while his voice is cold as he speaks, she can see the intense scrutiny. The weighing between what he’s been ordered to do and what his gut tells him is right.
“Is that worth what it will cost you?”
“Fuck you, Sebastian.” Kira struggles in earnest, trying to wriggle herself out of Iris’ grip. “Iris, put me down! I need him to ask that question to my face.”
“Kira.” Tristan’s tone admonishes her, but she doesn’t stop.
“No. He doesn’t get to imply that I shouldn’t get to live so that you can continue furthering your career. I’m a person, not some trophy that the Emperor keeps in his vault.”
“Iris, drop her.”
Obediently, the gryphon releases her, and Kira drops gracefully to the ground. She should run, but she doesn’t. Instead, she moves just past the edge of the beautiful gryphon, in all her gray-scale feathered glory, to stare defiantly at Sebastian from behind Tristan’s shoulder.
“Ask again what my life is worth.”
Sebastian meets her gaze, intense dark eyes boring into hers. Something flickers across his face when he finally looks away, turning his focus to his mentor. He squares his shoulders, and Tristan knows what her next move is going to have to be. “I can’t let you go.”
Tristan nods, taking a step closer, moving towards “I know.”
“And you will not allow Kira to return.”
“No, I can’t.”
“So you see, we are at an impasse.”
“We are. I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“This.” Her fist comes up quickly, taking him by surprise when the hilt of her sword collides with the side of his head. He tries to recover, hand fumbling towards his sword, but she swings again quickly. Sebastian drops to the ground, unconscious.
Iris makes a cry of surprise, moving to get into a defensive position in front of Sebastian. Shouts sound further back in the maze, and Tristan grips Kira’s arm to pull her further into the maze. Kira follows without a word.