forum At War // OxO // Closed

Started September 19, 2021 by @ElderGod-Icefire

tune

(aaah sorry for the wait!)

It was only a few days later that everything went to shit. Negotiations had been paused for lunch when the attack came. No one quite knew where the attackers had come from, and they seemed to be attacking everyone. It didn't matter which country the person was from, they were attacked, and often killed. The attackers messed with the fires, too, kicking embers and pouring something onto them to make them even smokier, and even lighting some tents on fire. A haze settled over the camp, the scent of smoke thick in the air and making it difficult, if not impossible, to see.

Nikolas quickly became separated from his guards, fighting alone for the most part. He wielded his sword and cane at the same time, smashing both into anyone who attacked. His leg was beginning to hurt, but he couldn't use the cane without making it more difficult to fight.

Even though the dragons could easily overpower the attackers in a fair fight, they were smart, and had taken them by surprise. Even with the telepathic communication system the soldiers used, the Tesh were in chaos and it was near impossible to think rationally, let alone coordinate a response to the attack. Shifters left and right were either being held down with chains, shot in the wing, or speared right in the weak spots of their scaly armor.
As for Kaylum, he and Xiomara had stayed close together for the most part. His father and mother had told him to hide before they disappeared into the fray, and so they did, but after a while Kay thought it was stupid to be sitting in one place while destruction reigned around them. Xiomara argued that it was stupid to jump into danger when they had no idea what was going on, but by then it was too late. Kay had made up his mind. He wished he could look at what was going on through the spiritual realm, but astral projecting now would be too dangerous. Or was it? Perhaps if the attackers came across his body they would think he was actually dead.
Well, there’s no time anyway. They ventured out, Xiomara’s wings shielding the prince just in case. Their main goal was to find the king and queen, and then hopefully together they come up with a plan.

Nikolas was looking for his father as he fought, moving through the smoke and occasionally calling out. He never used his father's title, not wanting to draw attention to himself or his father. He only called out "father", rather than for a king. His father was a good fighter, but Nik still worried for him and his safety. He didn't know who was behind this attack and right now, his priority was finding his father and getting out. He wanted to save his guards, too, but knew they could take care of themselves if they had to.

It was difficult to avoid conflict while they looked. Either they spotted a shifter who was being attacked, or they were being attacked themselves. At first, they were able to hold the attackers off without too much trouble, but after a while they still couldn’t find the king or queen, and their assailants kept on coming. They ran, they flew, they fought… and then they were cornered.
I’m sorry, Xiomara, this is my fault.
She heard him this time. I cannot blame you for wanting to help, prince.
He stood behind her, covered by her wings as the enemy drew closer, surrounded on all sides. Then she whispered aloud.
“Teleport. On three, two, one…”
They couldn’t. Nothing happened. They were still there, attackers poised to strike. Kay could feel her ribs shaking beside him. What was going on?

(I was writing more but then it felt too long scjnsdjh)

(kjnfjdhb)

Nik was beginning to limp, his left leg a liability now more than ever. This was why he couldn't fight on the front lines, and yet, he had no choice now but to fight, or die. Blood was streaked down his sword, running along the handle and slicking it in his grip. He himself was bleeding too, from a few gashes in his arms and his torso.

“Your Highness—“
She was cut off as a heavy rope chain was thrown, wrapping around her neck. It forced her down onto the ground, and she hissed in surprise.
“Xiomara!” Her wing shield fell away, and Kay was exposed. They continued throw chains and nets, attempting to trap them as if they weren’t trapped already. He tried to use telekinesis to keep them from landing, but it seemed none of their powers were working. They were reduced to using raw agility and maneuvering.
After a while of struggling, they eventually became too weak to hold them off. They were rendered immobile by one of the nets, and their assailants quickly moved to clip their wings. Kay couldn’t help but roar in pain when he felt his wings being clipped, so they put a muzzle on him to keep him quiet. They left them like that, tied up and flightless as about half of them moved on to the other areas of camp, and the rest stayed, muttering to themselves.

It wasn't long before Nik started to be overwhelmed by the amount of fighting he was having to do, and a short time later, his leg gave out on him and he crumpled to the ground. He did his best to defend himself still, but it was quite difficult to do so from the ground, when his attackers were all standing. Someone clubbed him hard enough to stun him, and while he didn't quite pass out, it was enough to render him unable to defend himself as they bound him and lifted him, carrying him to deposit him with Kay and Xiomara, dropping him roughly on the ground.

Kay thought the muzzle was kind of overkill. Yes, his wings hurt as if a bone dragon had snapped them off, but any noise of pain he was making was too quiet for anyone to hear. If only he could take it off, it was really uncomfortable.
His eyes searched above, hoping he could spot any sign of his father or mother. There was nothing, but his eyes stayed there, even as Xiomara began to mutter. To herself or to him, he wasn’t sure.
“They probably have some kind of suppressants or something around here…”
He couldn’t speak, but Kay looked to her. She caught his eye.
“You know, the kinds the soldiers have to take for physical exams. Or for criminals.”
It would explain why they couldn’t use their powers, but neither of them ingested anything. It didn’t make sense…
He heard a thud on his other side, and he turned to find the Kevran prince, also bound up and immobile. More questions stirred in Kay’s mind, though now it wasn’t just about his parents’ whereabouts, it was now the whereabouts of the monarchs in general. After another moment, the possibility of them being dead rose up. Kay didn’t want to think about that, so the question of why he and the others with him weren’t dead yet came up instead. He watched Nikolas as if he somehow had the answers, but of course, why would he?

Nik lay still for a long moment, stunned and winded, before he shifted to roll onto his back, where he would be able to see things better. He squinted up at Kaylum, blinking at him. His left leg was in a lot of pain; he wouldn't be surprised if he had over strained it and rendered it useless for the next few days. He didn't speak. There was nothing he could think to say, not now.

Kay was unable to say anything at the moment, so he didn’t, instead shifting his gaze to view around them, trying to see if there was anything unusual, anything that might be inhibiting his and Xiomara’s powers. Spotting nothing, he tried to fight the rising sense of panic in him.
Then he heard a cry, and looked to find his bodyguard being harassed by one of the assailants. He struggled toward her, but then he felt a chain tighten around around his neck. A voice, firm and threatening, came from somewhere below him.
”Shift.”
He felt a blade against his scales, but he kept his eyes on Xiomara. Seeing her shift to human form at knifepoint as well, his eyes widened with surprise. Perhaps it was the one power they were left with, the one thing that differentiated them from other races.
As he was also at knifepoint, he shifted to human form, forced to face the person with the knife at his throat. The pain from his wings didn’t completely disappear, only reduced to a phantom pain. The large muzzle fell off his face, but even so, he couldn’t make a sound.
He saw the other attacker tighten Xiomara’s chains and drag her away from the rest, and the moment the person with him let down the knife, he attempted to go after her. But that was all that it was, an attempt. He felt chains being tightened around his wrists, holding him back from getting to his bodyguard. As Xiomara was pulled away, she looked at him, eyes wide, communicating both her utter fear and utter refusal to die. Kay struggled, but it was futile. Her determination reassured him somewhat, but he couldn’t just be without her. She had always been there…
The person holding his chains pulled, jerking Kay back over beside Nikolas.

Nik looked up as Kay was dragged beside him. His eyes looked sorrowful for what they both knew would likely happen to Xiomara now. Nik didn't know the fate of his own guards, but knew it was likely they were dead or dying by now. Aron had bad battle-shock; there was too high a likelihood that the young man would freeze up in this chaos, and be killed. Errol was a healer, and while he was a capable fighter, he only had one hand. As for Lieze…she was vicious enough she would be fine, but she could eventually become overwhelmed. Ryker, loyal to his husband to a fault, wouldn't leave Errol's side, even if one or both of them were dead. If Errol died, so would Ryker. Either all four would manage to survive together, or they would all die fighting.

Kaylum could do nothing but stare back with eyes clouded. He couldn’t believe that Xiomara would die; if he even considered the possibility he would be inconsolable. She had been right. Again. Going out of hiding was a stupid idea.
What happened next passed without much complication. The attackers forced the two princes to stand. They didn’t give anything that would support Nik’s leg, so Kay offered to support him instead. After putting cloths over their eyes and mouths, they ushered them away from the camp and into an oxcart, still chained, blinded, and gagged.

Nik was forced to lean against Kaylum, unable to walk otherwise. He had overtaxed his leg, and it would not be walkable for some time now. Once they were in the oxcart, he lay still, knowing neither of them really had a chance to escape. Even if he could have gotten he chains off, he couldn't walk. It would be a fruitless endeavor. Perhaps Kaylum could, but where could the dragon prince go? Nik didn't know.

The cart rattled and bounced as they moved down the road, and eventually into the forest, where the princes were moved from the cart to horses, their hands tied to the saddles and the blindfolds and gas left on. It took, then, another 45 minutes before the horses stopped. The scent of smoke and the sound of campfires were noticeable, along with the low hum of speech from multiple people. The princes were removed from the horses and led into a tent, where they were both pushed to their knees.

Normally, Nik would never have allowed someone to force him to his knees, but his leg would give out if he tried to stand. So he had no choice but to kneel.

"Welcome to my current abode, Nikolas. Kaylum." Came a man's voice. Both princes were both blindfolded and gagged still, but Nik frowned. Something about that voice was familiar.

Normally, Kaylum would also object to being forced to his knees, but he felt a hand pressed to the nape of his neck, as if he was some kind of wild animal. He tried to use telekinesis to get the hand off, but it seemed that he was still powerless. If only he could figure out what was limiting him…
So nice of you to have us, sir, he silently and sarcastically replied. Kay didn’t recognize the voice at all, there was no reason to. The muscles in his back and neck twitched slightly at being touched like this for more than five seconds.

There was the sound of fingers snapping, and then the blindfolds and gags were removed. Nik blinked rapidly, a bit disoriented from being blinded for so long, but his gaze soon settled upon the man standing before them, the source of the voice. He looked to be in his mid 40's; about the same age that King Theodore had been. He had dark brown hair beginning to go grey at the temples, and a short beard cut close to his jawline. There were three nearly parallel scars going from just above his left eyebrow and across his face, ending just below the right corner of his lip. This caused the slightest twist to his mouth, but despite the scarring and the twist, he was still handsome enough for his age. When he was younger, and before the scarring, he had probably been very good-looking. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was probably about 6'1" in height.

At the sight of him, Nik's eyes widened, and his mouth parted. "Seren?" he breathed. "What…what's going on here?" there was quite a large amount of recognition in his voice. The tone of someone seeing a person that they had thought they would never see again, in a situation they had never dreamed of.

Seren looked at Nik for a long moment. "Quite a lot of things, Nikolas." the man replied, stepping back and towards a desk that was sitting to the side.

When the blindfold came off, Kaylum first squinted his eyes, trying to get used to the light now being let into them. Then he tensed up, those eyes rapidly scanning his surroundings. He had never been around so many humans before, like this, alone and at their mercy. He tried not to bare his fangs or scratch at the floor with his nails in agitation.
Kay glanced at Nik when he uttered the man’s name, now a little confused. That agitation kept him from speaking though. What could he say anyway? Being raised in a royal court, he had learned to know when it was safe to speak, or even think. Now did not feel safe.