Sixteenths - Verse 4, 11/16 - morale is low

seige

Raze the place to the ground. In return, you get to kill your brother - finally.

16/16.
in which you seal the bargain.

You look upon them:

Rows of undead stand at attention, alert as the day you fled. Their wounds smoke through tattered uniforms. The scent of sulfur follows as you move between the lines.

"They're in good shape." You chuckle, inspecting one of your thralls' faceless heads. They turn when you command. They clap their hands. They behead the soldier beside them, and the victim rises at your bidding.

Your elkhound's loyalty pales by contrast.

"Wᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜰᴜʟ." You blink, and It's beside you, hand on your shoulder. The Devil wears your mother's face. "I'ᴍ sᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴜᴅ. Yᴏᴜʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ʀᴀɪsᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴍᴀɴʏ."

"Why not?"

"Yᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇɴ'ᴛ sᴀᴄʀɪꜰɪᴄᴇᴅ."

"I never..."

The Devil smiles. You remember midnight, six months prior, your elkhound panting through its bridle while the clamour of combat grew distant. Something stirred in you. It whispered: Your life is worth twenty of theirs.

You recoil, and the Devil dons the Priestess' skin. "You two were marked for this."

"But you've chosen me." You whirl towards It and grab Its sleeve. "We were both marked, but I'm the one you need."

"Dᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴘʀᴇsᴜᴍᴇ." The Devil dissolves in a whirl of mist. You hear Its voice in your blackened soul:

Pʀᴏᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟꜰ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ, ꜰɪʀsᴛ. Sᴜᴄᴄᴇᴇᴅ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ꜰᴀɪʟᴇᴅ.

"Of course. What must I do?"

Rᴀᴢᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴀʟʟᴇʏ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ. Tʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄʀᴏss ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀɪɴs, ᴇɴsʟᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴsᴜᴍɪɴɢ. Eᴀᴄʜ sᴀᴄʀɪꜰɪᴄᴇ ʙʀɪɴɢs Mᴇ ᴄʟᴏsᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇʙɪʀᴛʜ.

A thought strikes. "And if my brother interferes?"

Hᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴘᴜᴘᴘᴇᴛ.

==>

SpoilerShow

Congrats on a coherent Verse II! Y'all are doing so well.

Here we are again, as someone new. There'll only be 4 POV characters you can steer directly, so make 'em count! Have fun, friendos.

1/16.
in which you're far too sluggish.

You haven't slept.
It's the guilt what keeps you up—the feeling like you should've known, somehow.

Who are you?

>_

Link to Verse 1 mirror
Link to Verse 2 mirror

(bunch of suggestions)
> Eloa
> A musician. You soothe people on the dark, cold nights.
> One of the faceless

The Sword Bearer

(bunch of suggestions)
> Eloa
> A musician. You soothe people on the dark, cold nights.
> One of the faceless

Oooh, one of the faceless!

2/16.
in which you're Eloa, the Sword Bearer.

You bade him leave because you were dying.
You thought it'd be best for his mind.

What do you do with your life these days?

>_

Link to Verse 1 mirror
Link to Verse 2 mirror

Odd jobs, where you can get them. There's not much call for a Sword Bearer in these parts.
Not that you could do much in that regard. You survived, but...

SpoilerShow

This is some good stuff, you do really neat things with the unique format!

sword bears

3/16.
in which you do odd jobs.

The waste left you with tremors, but you manage little bounties.
"Madame swordbearer? We've arrived."
Sunrise.

Where are you now?

>_

Link to Verse 1 mirror
Link to Verse 2 mirror

@VieShow

Awh, thanks Vie! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Have you been following since the thread began? Just curious!

the wrong place at the wrong time

A place where you will not be granted aid, but must pry it from their haughty claws

Somewhere you hoped never to return to

@TuesdayShow

I have been following from the start! I just never get around to suggesting on stuff.

SpoilerShow

Aww heck sonnnn, look at me trying to tie things together with previously-dropped names, oh god what's going on

4/16.
in which you never wanted to return.

You step from the wagon and onto scorched, bitter soil.
The Valour-Upton Waypoint's seen better days.

What do you think happened here?

>_

Link to Verse 1 mirror
Link to Verse 2 mirror

Your idiot husband, that's what

> Your younger brother.

Your idiot husband, that's what

> Your younger brother.

both in one person

5/16.
in which this is so unlike him.

You married a gentler man than this.
You search the ruins for hours, tearful, then numb.

What's that shadow in the corner of your eye?

>_

Link to Verse 1 mirror
Link to Verse 2 mirror

Don't look.

6/16.
in which you're being watched.

You're smarter than to look.
"I see you." It flutters in your peripheral vision. "Who's there?"

Why do they watch you?

>_

Link to Verse 1 mirror
Link to Verse 2 mirror

Fear.

Fear.

of you

SpoilerShow

*scrabbles desperately at relevance*

7/16.
in which it fears you.

A soft, hesitant hum. You grip your blade.
A faceless woman inches into view, carrying satchels.

What are you thinking?

>_

Link to Verse 1 mirror
Link to Verse 2 mirror

took you long enough