#❛ ☼ ― verse i. / the champion of the worlds.

[sarastuss]

THE MOON SEEMS TO BE THEIR ONLY WITNESS : the peacefulness almost, ... strange, considering the previous events. ━━━━ 𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒 formed a gentle smile at his response, for it just fitted his character. ( &. for another moment, she praises that his life was not lost. ) ❝ good, ━━━━ because i was not planning on returning to bed just yet. ❞ spoken with a gentle chuckle of her own decorating the sentence. his query strikes ... 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 indeed kept awake, HER OWN THOUGHTS TO BLAME. she moves to take the seat across him, &. her response hides upon her tongue. ━━━━ but, she forces them out. ❝ i find getting rest quite difficult after what happened. ❞ features reveals no sorrow, but the contemplating look can only hide so much behind it. for a moment, she lost them all. the destruction. to visit past she belonged to ... does she still? 𝐓𝐀𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒.

@thescions with estinien, ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ!

[sarastuss]

ANOTHER FIGHT AWAITS YOU, HERO, : HAS THERE BEEN A DAY WHERE IT DOES NOT? the duty she is blessed with, one that 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 will carry, ... no matter how heavy the weight of it. ( for those, who no longer are here, for those that can yet be saved. ) ... &. at this moment, EVERYTHING IS NEW! THIS WORLD, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 : facing challenges of its' own, one of which the pair witnesses right before them. light has consumed humanity the within these soldiers, what is left is the twisted image of purity.

THEY ARE NO LONGER THEMSELVES, : SHE KNOWS THIS, ... so why has she not yet moved? why does the ever skilled hero remain still? 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 reflect THE OVERFLOWING LIGHT upon the sky, its' sharp, lethal end pointed at the enemy ahead. ... grey hues focused, the shine within them dim, yet it radiates her sorrow. @incarnateye ' trust me, we are doing them a favor. ' he calls, breaking the, in truth, short silence that seemed to have stretched for eons. ( YOUR EYES ARE YOUR BIGGEST TELL. ) an exhale escapes ... he is right, she knows. ❝ let us finish this, then. ❞ A WHISPER WITHIN REMAINS CONCEALED, ' i am sorry i couldn't save you. ' ... &. it is once more time for the hero to bring forth the ruthless way the sun burns.

[sarastuss]

SHE SEES IT AGAIN, : THE BRIGHT FLASH OF LIGHT, ... the loss that shattered even her golden heart, 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐄! the anger, the hatred, the endless grief that twisted within, all felt again as she begged anyone who would listen, to grant her one last chance, to allow the spark of hope to live on. &. SOMEONE LISTENED TO YOUR PLEA, HERO.

BUT SHE HAS YET TO WAKE UP TO THIS TRUTH, : EYES REMAIN CLOSE AS PAST DARK LIPS SHE MUTTERS HER PLEAS, ... her sorrows, his name. &. beacon of hope hears his name being called, &. his touch reaches for her, to wake her from this nightmare from the past. a gentle shake, another : 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐀 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐎 the sound of his name a lull she can not ignore. she follows it, even in this desperation felt within, SHE REACHES FOR IT IN RETURN. ... with a deep gasp, she shoots up, catched mid - way by strong arms, yet their touch is so tender. @aetheryic + haurchefant sender  comforts  receiver  in  the  aftermath  of  a  nightmare. she does not even think it, her body acts on its' own : her hand landing upon his arm, to take hold, to know he is there. 𝐃𝐈𝐌𝐋𝐘 𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐔𝐄𝐒 move to meet his gaze, that familiar, comforting smile, ... OH, HOW IT WARMS! ❝ i am sorry, i must have waken you. ❞ she finally apologizes, knowing there was no denying the truth of a nightmare.

[sarastuss]

THE RAGE OF ANOTHER : you feel it sneak into your own core, 𝐎' 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎, ... the blame falls upon your emphatic heart! ━━━━ @ndhoggr 's presence RADIATES STRENGTH, yet she does not back away. such is not her in her nature. : ❝ i do not stand here, &. act as if i know your pain ━━━━ ❞ ( 𝐎𝐇, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐃𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐒, you just do not remember. ) but the events that led her &. alphinaud to this journey weigh heavy upon her heart, the uncertain fate of the scions is an unbearable mystery. ❝ but i do understand. ❞

[sarastuss]

@feyras continued from here.

SHE STILL CARRIES THE EVENTS OF THE DRAGONSONG WAR WITHIN HER HEART, : she believes her golden heart will never truly mend. THEY HAD GAINED SO MUCH, but also lost more than words could describe. 𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐎𝐑. but she would continue this fight, for those they all lost. ... comfort found in the fact that estinien wasn't lost as well, though the great wyrm got too close to that lethal point. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄, 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄, IT RADIATES! ... full glad that the fellow dragoon was healing well. a hum escapes, ❝ we could never. ❞

STUBBORN HERO, TO THE VERY CORE! : after everything, she refused to lose him too, ... ESPECIALLY IN SUCH WAY, CONSUMED BY THAT WHAT HE LOATHED THE MOST! 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀 𝐓𝐎𝐘, not something the great wyrm would get to use to meet its' ends. ( she has had enough of the people she cares for having their bodies snatched. ) ... ❝ estinien, ❞ HIS NAME ALMOST A GENTLE PRAYER UPON HER HONEYD TONGUE, containing the refusal itself to his suggestion. she remembers this plea, &. she remembers how she refused it with all her being. not him too. his words heard, &. if even possible, they bring more light to her being, even when the ache ghosted her heart. ❝ i would do it all again. ❞ she begins, for a short pause her gaze is averted to glance at her hands, going over everything for the ... SHE HAS LOST COUNT! 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 soon meet his again, so gentle. ❝ and i'd repeat such choice, as many times as i would be required. ❞ her voice rings true, as it always tends to do! ❝ i think it goes without saying that alphinaud agrees, ... he seems to have taken quite the liking in you. ❞ though tongue dips into humor, it doesn't take away the truth in them!

[sarastuss]

IS YOUR GOLDEN HEART A BLESSING OR A CURSE? : can it handle the ache of being a survivor? you had awoken with only your name, &. THE DESIRE TO DISCOVER, 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒. but you could not afford to be naive for long : realizing just how complicated matters were in war, colored with all shades of grey, instead of mere black &. white. &. 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐀𝐑 , it is a proof if anything. ... they have unraveled more &. more of the truth, the past can not be denied. ( this lesson you'll do well to remember yourself hero, in the future. ) @thescions + estinien ' this is no time to be soft - hearted! '

HIS WORDS ECHO, : full of anger &. determination, &. she knows she can not say it is not justified. he had been a victim to loss too, 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍. ( is he right? would she be better off turning off the warmth within? ) a second, another ... suddenly it all feels like eons. ❝ no. ❞ SURPRISINGLY SHARP ANSWER, even from such angelic tune. the answer leaves a brief moment to wonder what she meant, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑 soon enough. ❝ we can not deny the wrongings of both sides. there are no unharmed sides in war. ❞ witness the determination within her eyes. fist glenches, as if to hold onto the very hope she carries with her, ❝ that is all the more reason we need to be willing to listen, to understand their side of the story too. ❞ 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓, it is not an easy task for him to swallow. she does not voice it, but let the gaze she looks at him speak for herself. i will carry this weight for you, i will be kind for both of us.

[sarastuss]

THIS WORLD, NOR ANY OTHER IS BLACK &. WHITE, : such fact can not be denied, a lesson she quickly came to realize once she awoke. 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎, setting a path upon adventure with only her name, &. purpose memorized. ... could you have guessed it would come to all of this? NAIVETY COULD NOT BE AFFORDED UPON THIS JOURNEY, each &. every one of them having been tested time after time ... 𝐘𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐃. ( but who said it was easy to be the survivor? ) you certainly know the weight of it, now with memories returned, : PAINFUL AS THEY ARE, CAUSING YEARNING FOR SOMETHING LOST.

@yuanwang + alphinaud : ❝ was there ever a war where only one side bled? ❞

YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER, HERO : there wasn't. as easy as it used to feel at the start, to say what is good, &. what is wrong : THEIR LONG ADVENTURE HAS TAUGHT THEM IT IS NOT SO! 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐓 - 𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐇, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓, heavy still on her mind. his words have not left their minds, her's especially. ( alphinaud is smart, of course he would notice. she &. her have shared so many things side by side. there was a time the two only had each other to rely on. ) ... radiant gaze averted to the ground, as they sit in silence next to each other. he was questioning this all too, ❝ i don't think that is possible. ❞ 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐇 𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇 : the lives upon this, &. on other shards are worth of protecting. despite the unknown, despite them not fully understanding this opponent behind this all yet : THEY KNEW THEY WOULD PROTECT THE LIVES OF THOSE THEY CAN YET SAVE. ( for those that now can not do so. ) ... gaze is lifted, 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 within her hues. muster a smile hero, it suits you better. ❝ but, we are all going to give our all to put a stop to that circle, aren't we? ❞ ENCOURAGING WORDS, aiming to brighten the mood. she knows his desire in this matches her own. ❝ that's all we can do. ❞

[sarastuss]

THE HERO IS NOT BLESSED WITH SLEEP, : but this she has gotten used to. 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐎𝐑 ... it rarely comes without a cost. &. yet, she finds herself oh, so content here. beside him, they share each others warmth ━━━━ she opens her eyes, 𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 ... but it is not a peaceful slumber she witnesses him in : no, she knows this look of distress. ❝ cullen? ━━━━ ❞ HIS NAME TASTES SO SWEET UPON HER TONGUE, spoken gently as if it would cherish his whole being. she sees him turn in his sleep, muttering the words acted out in his nightmare. golden heart, ever so emphatetic, it feels the distress grow &. grow ... ❝ cullen! ❞ A DESPERATE CALL, mixed with touch of her hand upon his chin. 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇, a soothing thing. &. his eyes open in a flash, breathing unsteady, fast.

@denouemente + cullen : o5﹕ sender comforts receiver in the aftermath of a nightmare . reverse for cullen

SHE REMAINS CLOSE, READY TO CATCH HIM IN HER EMBRACE : ❝ you're okay, you're okay ━━━━ ❞ lulls her honeyed voice, as she holds him in a manner that speaks for itself : I AM NEVER LETTING GO. ... only after she feels his heartbeat start to be steady, she dares to pull slightly away, their foreheads touching each other. ❝ what did you see? ❞ 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇 still felt against his cheek, her thumb caressing his skin.

[sarastuss]

PUREST WHITE LANCE SHIMMERS, GOLDEN DETAILS A BEAUTIFUL DECORATION.      :      something ethereal about it, ( same could be said of its' wielder. ) how could it 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃?   her grip tight on it, ... yet she is not in haste to use it.  ❝     i am not here to fight, ————   ❞      BUT YOU'LL GO THROUGH IF NEEDED, RIGHT HERO? her gaze locked, 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, ... make @batfall see her words are spoken earnestly. ❝   please.    ❞ 

[sarastuss]

ISHGARD'S COLD BREEZE : oh, how 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 beats, ━━━━ you've longed to return, hero! ( &. for a moment, you are not taunted by your own past, centauries old. ) she can not stay forever, she knows ... 𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒, 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓! it does not take long for her feet to guide her to a ever so familiar office, ━━━━ HER PRESENCE ANNOUNCED TO LORD AYMERIC HIMSELF, @danhang , as the doors open, &. sarastus walks in. ❝ lord aymeric, ❞ 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄, &. a polite bow of her head, ... ❝ full glad i am to see you again. ❞

[sarastuss]

O' TIME, &. ITS' ETERNAL FLOW : none are spared from its' effects ━━━━ 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐒. for she has seen how eternal time twist, &. it turns. sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst. ( are you glad, hero ... that you no longer are immortal? ) how she too harbors memories, 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐋𝐃 , moments she would have loved to freeze, &. remain in. ━━━━ silence is heavy, surrounding the atmosphere. YET HE SHATTERS IT, once more the moonlight gathers these secret moments between the two.

@loneheir : ❛ all  time  ever  does  is  pass  and  all  i  ever  do  is  remember . ❜

BUT SHE CAN NOT REMAIN IN THE PAST, : she can not. 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐒 have fallen from her tongue, &. the hero would never break them. ( not when pleaded upon last breaths, last moments. ) ━━━━ ❝ it is quite painful, is it not? ❞ she makes no effort to hide sorrow, but allows a symphatetic smile decorate those lush lips. IT WAS THE TRUTH, it is painful to be the survivor. ❝ but it is our duty to remember. for those, that are no longer here to tell their tales, ... to remeber so we can learn from mistakes made. ❞ for those that have passed, &. for those she can yet save, she will remember. she takes his hand, an 𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 squeeze ' you are not alone. ' ❝ when it feels too much, you can share it with me. i will help you carry the burden. ❞

[sarastuss]

THE STARS BLESS WITH THEIR PRESENCE : the night sky has taken over! ━━━━ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 returns to a sight so familiar, ... a relieved exhale, as she sees a dim glow radiating from a window above, one she knew all too well. ❝ stayed up for this moment, huh? ❞ though a mere whisper, SHE SPEAKS TO HERSELF these words, 𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐄 dipped into amusement. she makes her path, taking steps that she has taken countless times before, ... but hurried steps almost startle her within this 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, only a moment until :

@denouemente : cullen picks up sarastus and gives her a big ol kiss

BUT YOU ARE CAUGHT , O' HERO : but against this trap, she does not fight, ━━━━ 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐒! for in this embrace, in this moment when their lips are pressed against each other ... her heart finds peace. &. she allows herself to drown into this moment little longer, before she pulls herself back, their forehead's resting against each other. ❝ missed me that much, did you? ❞ HER TONE IS TEASING, but neither is she innocent of that claim.

[sarastuss]

O' HERO ... LOST YOUR TONGUE? : for words are hard to find ... her mind racing. 𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃. all memories from the past have returned to her ━━━━ yet even though time has passed, THE ACHE HAS NOT PASSED. however, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 presses on. ( she can't afford to stop now. not for this world or any other, &. not for the past she still wishes to save. ) a soft knock upon the already open door, but politely making her presence known. ❝ how are you fairing? @amaurotine ❞

[sarastuss]

O' THE WARM FIRE, : how it brings ease to the weary ... the camp set up only for a moment ; 𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 to rest. the campfire crackles softly, &. it is easy in this silence for the warrior of light to notice his hesitation, eyes ever wary of their surroundings. ━━━━ ❝ there is no harm in a little rest, you know. @nibelblade ❞ it is more of an invitation, spoken with 𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐘𝐃 𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐄. ... HUES LEFT WITH A DIM GLOW, ( ethereal glow from the past ) move to face him now, instead of the dancing flames. corners of her lips curl upwards, if only a little. ❝ but not resting enough will do harm ━━━━ if they find us, we'll be ready. ❞

[sarastuss]

A GRACEFUL BOW OF HER HEAD,       ;        her respect earnest.    ❝    your highness, ————   ❞      𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 tasked with protection, ... @dollpink her target. her gaze rises, 𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 grey hues   radiating warmth, ❝    i am ready to depart when you are.    ❞ 

[sarastuss]

EVER THE HERO        ;          swooping in at the 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓.       no questions spared for the moment, the scenery was clear ━━━━   A PERSON GOING AGAINST THE ODDS, ( how familiar. ) ... him against a group of others. &. it is not her nature to leave such scenery be &. play out on its' own. ━━━━  𝐆𝐑𝐄��, 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐔𝐄𝐒 observe his form after the fight. no obvious wounds in sight.  ❝   what did they want with you @myrlin? ❞