#gideon taking the excuse that she is a paladin and finally having someone she can bestow her undying loyalty upon

[ithacanradio]

gideon really is ready to die for anyone who shows her the slightest appreciation this is okay im fine

[gaperezmakes]

Original Fic Fest Day 4 -- Quotes (Black Empire)

Let’s see...@originalficfest Prompt 4 “Quotes.”

“Quotes.”

Hmm...

I don’t know if there’s any one scene that encapsulates the essence of the Black Empire series, or even Insurrection alone. This is a tough one.

So instead, I’ll pull the best quote or moment that I think encapsulates a character, as well as my personal favorite quote or moment that I wrote for them.

And to be clear: This is only what I’ve written in Insurrection. I don’t want to spoil anything that’s happening in the future.

Retribution & The Harvester

Best Moment:

“What a pity.” Retribution began stroking his chin, “Looks like we’ll have to deal with them a bit longer then. Oh well. You wouldn’t happen to know what exactly we lost to them, would you?” “No, sire. I don’t know what we had in the warehouse we lost.” “Well, you’d best find someone who would know then. We need to know what we’re preparing for now that the Children have an appropriate amount of supplies to actually fight.” “Yes, my lord.” [The Harvester] quickly hobbled out. As he heard the door close, Retribution turned around and looked at it with a smug smile. “You know exactly what you had in there, and so do I.” He whispered, “I’ve told you time and time again that I would make you regret betraying me. It’s your own fault for not believing me.”

I like this snippet because it really boils down the dynamic between these two characters. I don’t want to spoil the Harvester’s ambitions too much, but it does believe Retribution is losing his touch and thinks it might be time for a change in regime. Retribution, on the other hand, is aware of the Harvester’s treachery but is not at all threatened by it. This may, or may not, be an issue in the future.

Favorite Retribution Moment:

Retribution is here. The thought kept running through Mira’s head as she stared at him, wide-eyed and fearful.

*

“He’s WHERE?!” The news shocked the Dealer so much that he couldn’t dodge from Alexander’s next attack. He rolled and recovered, fully expecting another attack, but Alexander was just standing still. He couldn’t believe the news either.

Not to get too spoilery, but this happens at the climax of the story. I love this moment because it shows that even while everyone is at their strongest, while they think they have figured everything out, Retribution is still the biggest, baddest one of them all. They are prepared to deal with anything and everything--except him.

Favorite The Harvester Moment:

“If that’s how you want it to be.” The figure quickly raised another shield to absorb the incoming spells from the other Children [of Shadow]. ONe of the other death knights came running in from the side, and it quickly collapsed the ground beneath the death knight. As the other came in, it raised a number of pillars direclty beneath it, knocking the death knight way. The figure saw Gideon running back again, and grimaced.

Now, this moment is immediately followed up by the Harvester’s hubris getting the better of it, but I like how much power this moment shows it has. It’s not just another run-of-the-mill soldier in Retribution’s army. The Harvester is a powerful force that is meant to be reckoned with.

Dante/The Dealer

Best Moment

“Nothing’s wrong.” He suddenly realized she was there again. “I’m not looking for anything.” “Someting is clearly wrong.” [Mira] stepped forward slowly. “You’re not like this.” He let out a bitter chuckle, “You don’t know anything about me.” he took a few short breaths, “Not a damn thing.” “I’d like to think I know something about you.” “Then how about my marriage, huh? You know how well that worked out for me? What about how well my relationship with my son’s mother turned out? Hell, what about my son? Did you even know he existed?” He lashed out at her. “You know what happened to all of them? Spoilers: They’re all dead now.” Suddenly he fell to his knees and held his face in his hands. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”

This is Dante at his lowest and marks a very important moment in both his character arc and his relationship with Mira. And I think it’s the most important because it is one of the few moments where it is purely Dante. There is no mask on. There is no snark, no wit, just anger and bitterness.

At the same time, this is the moment where he learns to accept his past and move on. It’s pretty big for him.

Favorite Moment

“Because I happen to have dashing good looks, endless charisma, and unbelievable sexual prowess.”

I just like this line. It might be my favorite in all of Insurrection.

Grand Paladin Sigurd Orvyn

Best & Favorite Moment

“No.” Orvyn’s voice was stern and bitter. He gripped his weapon tightly, “I am tired of being compared to Mira. Nobody else will do that--especially not you.” “It seems I’ve struck a nerve.” Retribution grinned maniacally, “Good.”

Orvyn is a little more difficult to find good moments for because he doesn’t get introduced until much later in Insurrection. But this is really his first chance to come into his own and establish himself both as his own character and as someone completely separate from Mira.

Archmage Synoth of the South Sea

Best Moment:

“Your power isn’t enough to stop it. The Harvester will crush you before you can even lift a finger to stop him. I can keep that from happening. However, when the day comes where we storm the Black Tower and dismantle the Black EMpire, I want you to promise me something.” There was suddenly a newfound determination in his eyes, “Promise me that I’ll be on the front lines so I can destroy that soulless bastard.”

So, Synoth was difficult to find a good moment for, mostly because I think he doesn’t have a lot of them? He’s certainly more of a background player than any of the other leaders of the Prime. So, while I don’t think this is the height of his character or story arc, I think it does a pretty good job of establishing him and his goals.

Favorite Moment:

“We’ll have it open in just a moment,” one of the party members whispered. They quickly started working on picking the lock. “Mira, Synoth, give me a report,” the Dealer said while waiting. “The door is locked, sir,” Synoth replied with one eyebrow cocked up.

Sassy Synoth is best Synoth.

(Warden) Ellis the Damned

Best Moment:

“ENOUGH!” He slammed his fist onto the podium, leaving an imprint in the wood. “Listen to yourselves! You should ALL be ashamed!” The outburst easily got the paladins’ attention, but Ellis didn’t give them a chance to respond, “How dare you?! How dare any of you?! This is NOT how a Deathwatch Guardian is supposed to behave! We are supposed to protect the Prime, not become a threat to it!” One of the Guardians started to speak up, “But NOTHING! There is no excuse for this behavior! I am disappointed in each and every one of you!”

As I’m sure I’ve said before, Ellis is my favorite concept of a character. He is this powerful, ancient being whose backstory is shrouded in mystery and he is cursed to wander the world alone. But despite his curse, he longs so badly to belong to something once again. And now he’s found a place that finally accepts him as he is. When a threat from within shows itself, Ellis quickly puts his foot down and quells the unrest.

Favorite Moment:

“Fine. So people just accept that they’re not going to be the most powerful mage--” Ellis laughed, “Oh yes, they accept it as much as an inadequate man accepts his inadequacies.” The Dealer’s eyes opened wide and he blinked a few times, “Did...did you just... Did I hear that right?” “Yes. Yes, you did.” “Huh.” He looked away, “ I never thought I’d hear you say something like that.” “I’m dead, not humorless.”

Ellis is such a serious and stoic guy that I just feel like his jokes hit harder and are a lot funnier when he says them.

Demon Lord Alexander

Best Moment:

Alexander rolled his head and popped the vertebrae in his neck. “I’m mildly annoyed,” he responded coldly. “Are you done? Because I’m ready to show you exactly waht a dead man can make you regret.” Gideon’s eyes widened and in the blink of an eye, Alexander was right in front of him. In another blink and three punches, Alexander had successfully floored Gideon, rendering the death knight unconscious.

Alexander gets so frequently beaten and embarrassed by the Prime that it’s easy to forget that he’s actually the second-strongest being on the planet (Dusk doesn’t count). His fight against Gideon proves that Alexander is just as strong as he says. It’s just a shame that his team isn’t as organized as the Prime’s.

Favorite Moment:

“That spell circle you have, will it work on Retribution?” Dante raised an eyebrow, “I’m not sure if you think I’m stupid or really that desperate?” “I always think you’re stupid, and at this moment I’m certain you’re desperate. Unless you have another way out, I need to know if the circle will work on Retribution.”

For all the grief I give him, Alexander actually can come up with a good strategy on the fly. It might not always work out for him, but he can think on his feet pretty well.

Also the sass. Sassy moments are my favorite if you couldn’t tell.

Acheroth

Okay, let’s see.

Uh...

Uhhh...

Uhhhhh...

Acheroth might be boring, y’all. I mean, he is. Absolutely. He has almost no character and exists entirely to move the plot along, but I figured he had at least one good moment in Insurrection.

He does not. But I promise he gets more interesting in the next book!

Dusk of Iblis

Best Moment:

Now Dusk was laughing, “You take them from me? Alexander, you seem to have forgotten that I’ve always bested your father in combat. I didn’t even see you right now, and I still managed to avoid every attack you’ve thrown at me.”

Dusk is another character who doesn’t get a whole lot of moments in Insurrection, mostly because he’s pushed back to a secondary role. Dusk is one of the few characters who gets to brag and doesn’t ever face some sort of karmic retribution for his arrogance. He’s done his time to earn it. So it’s okay.

Favorite Moment:

“Can you use multiple gates in succession to constantly increase how something accelerates?” “Yes.” “So theoretically--” Dusk put his hand up to stop Dante, “If you want to discuss theory with me, we can do it later. Right now we have a tyrant to overthrow, a cult to disband, and a pair of anomalies that may or may not destroy everything. We can have fun discussing the possibilities of the various aspects of my universe later.”

This was me telling myself to focus and keep the story moving. The future me appreciated this note from the past me.

Mira the Sunlight Paladin

Best Moment:

"I am the first to use the power of the Light ever since you sealed off Heaven from the world! I am the phoenix which rose from the ashes!” A set of armor made of pure Light began to surround Mira. “I am the Sunlight Paladin, and you will fear the full power of Iblis!” She jumpe into the air and readied her hammer, “FEEL THE STRIKE OF THE IBLAN PHOENIX!”

This is another moment that happens right at the climax, so I feel bad for including it, but I think this shows that Mira has finally accomplished the goal she has been working towards the entire book. This is Mira at her peak, flexing all of her magical muscle. And now both her dads are watching their precious child be all strong, except now one of them is her boyfriend dad and I don’t want to talk about this anymore, can we move onto the favorite moment?

Favorite Moment:

She took a few steps back and everyone watched, mouths agape, as Mira began to levitate in the air. She maintained her position for a bit then descended back onto the floor. “You can fly?!” “Not for very high or for very long.” She replied, taking a deep breath, “It takes a lot of energy. I mean, I could go really fast or really high, but I wouldn’t be able to sustain either.”

Mira’s ability to fly is a big deal. Way back in the day, everyone could fly. Now it’s a very restrictive talent. Only a few can do it. And she was.

Gideon the Destroyer

Best Moment:

“Gideon, what are you thinking?” He looked at the other death knight sternly, “Why would you invite the Dealer to compete in Xi-En’raas?” “Because he is worthy of it.” Gideon crossed his arms defiantly.

This is the moment that reveals a lot about Gideon, about who he is and what he does. I don’t want to spoil too much, but Xi-En’raas is a big deal, and the Dealer simply receiving an invitation means a lot. The fact that it is Gideon inviting him means so much more.

Favorite Moment:

He began to channel magic into the skull again, “My brothers are dead.” He slammed his hand and the skull onto the ground, shattering it and releasing all the magic within. Suddenly the entire building started shaking and the room began to collapse around them. A bolt of stabilizing magic tore through the room, destroying a pillar and bringing down more of the ceiling. Gideon stood and began walking towards the king, who was absolutely paralyzed with fear. The death knight grabbed the king’s face and forced him to stare into his unnatural glowing blue eyes. After a single deep breath, Gideon finally whispered, “And you killed them.”

I feel like this is the most powerful moment of Gideon’s story. This is from a flashback in the story, where Gideon is finally getting the revenge he so desperately sought. He’s nowhere near his peak but is still devastatingly powerful. At this moment, it is clear why his title is The Destroyer.

And that is that. We made it, and it took me a lot longer than it should have, but it’s done! If you feel like seeing which quotes or scenes I enjoyed from Rebirth and the Iblan Light series, feel free to look at my other post here! Hopefully, it won’t take me three days to finish!