Ask [Skynara] We Rise At Dawn

[Viola Enwynn]

The white carriage was gilded in gold that reflected the early morning sunlight. The cool fall air sparkled with the hot breaths of the four horses that were pulling the carriage through the woods. It had been a simple decision to forgo the larger and more technological vehicles to travel in a horse-drawn carriage. Vehicles could be tracked, and for an independent journey back to the castle, the Crown Princess of Ebania preferred to ride in a carriage. Viola Enwynn sat on the velvet-cushioned bench inside the carriage, her gaze turned out to the window. Viola's handmaid, Mavyn, sat on the bench across from her. A small ball of fire hovered in the center of the carriage, directly above Viola's hands which rested in her lap with a deceiving innocence.

Viola was unusually quiet and still, a feeling she only experienced when she meditated in her secret spot. Her golden blonde hair hung in loose waves that hung down her back and fell around her shoulders. She wore a light blue dress with leggings underneath; a more comfortable yet still elegant version of what she usually wore.

As the carriage bounced over the road, Viola wished she was in her volcano exploring, rather than returning home to her family's largest castle. She had returned from a weekend visiting an aunt and while she was glad to be back, she would rather be riding a horse. However, riding in a horse-drawn carriage was the only thing she could get away with safety-wise.

It was only because it was so quiet and Viola was so still that she felt rather than heard the sudden disturbance. It was minuscule but she felt something in the Force that didn't belong. She leaned forward and peered further out the window, pushing the curtain back a little further. Mavyn leaned forward an inch also. "Vi?" she said softly.

@AdventCore

 

[Ravus Sephyre]

A tall hooded figure garbed in a long worn cloak calmly approached the center of the trail from the treeline where he'd been waiting. He was still a few dozen meters ahead of the elusive carriage he'd been looking for, just around the bend that would soon lead the crown princess of Ebania straight to him. The burden of this critically important mission weighed heavily on his shoulders. Alvaeria's recently escalating tension with Ebania had finally brought them to the brink of war. King Sephyre was ready to ignite the conflict any rotation now, and this was likely the best chance they were going to get to acquire the Enwynn family's heir before she became collateral damage.

The crown prince reached within his cloak to adjust the handle of the Alvaerian vibroblade he was borrowing from one of his loyal Shadowguard, making sure as much of the weapon was hidden behind him as possible while it rested at the back of his hips. Then the man gently pressed two fingers from his other hand to a small device against his left ear.

"She's here." Ravus quietly spoke over the comlink with his low husky tone. Then he turned to the side of the path to keep his face hidden from view while his hands calmly went to his sides.

The sound of the carriage and the horses pulling it trickled ever closer in Ravus's slightly pointed ears. His sharp blue eyes closed, and then a moment later the half-Sephi prince was reaching out through the Force with his Sense to make sure there were no likely threats in the vicinity that could interrupt his first encounter with the crown princess. He only wished it could've been under better circumstances.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Viola Enwynn]

The ball of fire that had been hovering between the two girls suddenly went out. The space inside the carriage dimmed a little, but the sun outside rose higher still. Viola was on the edge of her seat, her blonde head poking out of the window. She didn't answer Mavyn, and the maid didn't say anything further. She knew her mistress (and best friend) and knew that Viola was looking for something and would fight back if necessary. They had a couple of guards escorting them but in all honesty, Viola was more capable than them.

She saw a dark figure ahead on the trail, and whoever it was was half-hidden in the fall foliage. Viola just managed to shout a warning, yank her head back inside the carriage, and pull Mavyn to the ground of the carriage before it was suddenly tipped over on its side. Based on the sudden, larger presence of the Force that swept over Viola, whoever that figure was could use the Force, and Viola was willing to bet that the figure had been their attacker. And if they were smart, they would have help. She put all these things together in a couple seconds and barely wasted any time before scrambling to her feet, still gripping Mavyn's arms. The maid's eyes were wide but she stayed quiet and followed Viola as she burned an Anfynn-sized hole in the top and climbed out.

@AdventCore

 

[Ravus Sephyre]

The forest crackled and snapped before a massive four-armed Besalisk had barreled out of the trees next to the carriage and rammed into it. The Force-enhanced strength behind the heavy behemoth thrashed the side opposite from where the crown princess had been. His lower pair of hands reached down to the edge of the vehicle and lifted, while his upper arms slammed into the top of the carriage and pushed. Krug bellowed a fierce roar as his bulky frame and momentum gave him just enough leverage to topple the lightweight Ebanian vehicle. The sudden torque and force at the joint of the wooden shaft connected to the front of the carriage caused it to splinter and snap. Shrapnel shot into the rears of the nearest horses, causing them to panic even more so than they already had been.

Without missing a beat, Ravus made his move. The man's form disappeared from the trail as he dashed into the forest at the path's curve. A moment later he was behind the treeline on the other side, where he noticed the horses that had been pulling the carriage had broken away and were trampling through the four guards at the front to flee around the curve in the trail. The escorts shouted back and forth while they seemed to struggle between drawing their blasters and controlling their startled mounts in the narrow forest corridor. The men at the rear were a little bit more successful at steadying their horses enough to draw their blasters, but not before the behemoth of a Besalisk pulled his hefty vibroaxe from his lower back and swept it through the neck of the nearest guard's mount, cleaving it clean off along with the upper half of the man's body.

Just as the three remaining guards in the back lifted their weapons to fire upon the Besalisk his upper arms had already reached up and back in time to draw his own blasters from behind his shoulders. The air was filled with the sound of blaster fire as Krug unleashed a rain of crimson bolts down upon the men while he ran back into the cover of the forest in time to avoid most of the shots they returned.

At the front, one of the men suddenly choked and lifted into the air from his horse. His struggle to breathe could be heard along with what sounded like the collapsing of his trachea. Then he was suddenly yanked through the air and between the trees away from Krug until he disappeared from sight, only to be heard impaling on some sharp metal object a second later.

Ravus slowly pulled the long thick vibroblade out of the man's back, dropping the corpse to the ground as he dashed between another couple trees to keep the rest of the guards confused and staggered along with the pincer attack from Krug, who by this point was doing the same thing and preparing to ambush his next target. Then the half-Sephi paused as his gaze caught the crown princess who had blasted her way out of the top of the carriage, which incidentally pointed her right to where he'd been trying to stealth. At least she still seemed like she was in good condition, which was a relief, but it also meant he was likely going to have to fight her as well.

A breathy puff escaped the crown prince while he remained behind a bushy bundle of trees, hoping his black cloak wouldn't stand out too much against the colorful autumn leaves.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Viola Enwynn]

It all happened so fast. When she heard the first sickening sound of death, she pulled Mavyn away from the carriage a little further, and shielded her with her own body. The maid had never witnessed death or severe pain or anything to this magnitude and while Viola technically hadn't either, she had a much tougher stomach.

Viola pulled her feet underneath her, so she was in a kind of squatting position, and she looked around for the figure from earlier. She couldn't see much past the broken hulk of the carriage, but on either side could see horses fleeing, with or without their riders. She saw something that looked like it had multiple arms, and she even saw a body fly over her head further into the woods. She turned her focus away from the carnage behind her and looked into the forest in front of her and Mavyn. She didn't let her gaze linger long; she straightened a little and helped Mavyn to her feet. Her usually bright, exuberant face was paled with fear and shock.

"Come on, quickly," Viola linked her arm through Mavyn's and led her away from the carriage and deeper into the woods, unwittingly moving even closer towards her attacker.

@AdventCore

 

[Ravus Sephyre]

The soft crunch of the forest floor filled Ravus's mind as he waited for the crown princess to move closer. His ears then twitched as he picked up the sound of commotion in the trail not too far away. The sound of Krug's vibro-axe whirling through the air until it wedged itself into one of the guards and nearly split him right down the middle.

The man's short yelp could be heard before he hit the ground and ceased to make any more noise. Then blaster fire filled the air again while the few remaining guards fired random shots into the treeline where the Besalisk had just thrown his axe from. And then he heard the sound of the axe being Pulled from the body it had been thrown into as Krug summoned it back to himself from the cover of the trees.

Satisfied that his ex-master would be able to handle the rest of the guards, the crown prince returned his attention to the crown princess and her companion. This was his chance to capture her before she got away, or worse -- ran into one of Skynara's apex predators.

It was time for a gambit.

Ravus smoothly turned the corner from the trees he'd been hiding behind. His bulk blotted out the thin rays of light that poked through the canopy in front of Viola, casting a broad shadow over the smaller girls that would be within just a few feet in front of him now. His imposing frame towered over the Ebanians. The forward half of his wide silver blade stuck out from the front of his cloak, which almost covered the rest of him.

Then the Alvaerian prince looked down upon the pair of girls with a very stern yet calm tone while his piercing gaze lingered on the Enwynn princess. "Surrender quietly, and I'll let your friend live."

@Reylo4evr

 

[Viola Enwynn]

Viola had barely run two steps when suddenly the figure from before stepped out of hiding. His face was shrouded but he had a massive frame and the way he carried himself said that he was used to getting his way. Well, tough, Viola thought, cause am I.

When the male spoke, she snorted. “That’s a lie and you and I both know it,” she said, before suddenly throwing a ball of white fire at the male’s chest, hoping to catch him off guard. She wasn’t particularly hopeful, but even if he somehow dodged her attack, the light would at least better reveal his features.

Viola and Mavyn didn’t have to say anything to each other for them to suddenly become a team. While Mavyn had a weaker stomach (and mind), Viola had still insisted on teaching her maid how to defend herself. Mavyn pulled out a dagger from her bodice, and clenched it in her small, pale hand as she stood partially behind and to the left of Viola.

@AdventCore

 

[Ravus Sephyre]

The retaliation was expected, but the explosive prowess of the princess's sudden burst of flames had not been.

Ravus's expression narrowed with a newfound focus as he thrust his left hand forward and curled his fingers toward the pyrokinetic ball just as it reached him. The white flames erupted around him, its impact altered so that most of the blast would be directed out to the sides rather than directly at his core. A moment passed as the flashy display cleared, and the damage that the princess had inflicted upon the prince was clear.

Silvery drops of crimson dripped from his scorched fingertips, which were no longer covered by his glove. The cloak was blasted open and on fire, white embers dancing along the broad shoulders and trailing down its billowing edges while it caught the cool breeze and opened enough to reveal the Shadowguard uniform he'd been wearing underneath. Additionally the hood had been blown back, and several sizzling marks hissed at the bottom right half of the Alvaerian prince's chiseled face.

The half-Firrerreo managed to restrain most of his disgruntled snarl, bearing enough of his teeth to reveal his prominent canines. His thin nictating membranes glistened with a gold flash before receding back behind his eyelids. A flicker of feral rage beat in the man's chest, and then he charged. His long Alvaerian vibroblade whipped through the air from his left to right, not to strike at either of the Annfyns, but to direct it away from the princess as he lunged forward with his large left hand to grab at her wrist.

If he was able to get ahold of Viola then he'd attempt to pull her away from her companion and pin the princess between his left arm and his side in such a way that her free arm would be wedged and squeezed tight between their bodies. Either way he'd ready his grip on his vibroblade in case he needed to deflect an attack from the companion.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Viola Enwynn]

As her fire not only revealed his face and his clothes but burned him too, Viola couldn't help but smirk. What she didn't expect was when he turned his vibroblade away from her and lunged, grabbing her wrist. She tried to yank backwards and aim a kick towards his exposed gut, but he seemed to be made of rock. She returned his snarl and let her skin grow hot as he pinned her to his side, her smirk returning as her dress and leggings started to smoke. His gloves had already been damaged, and he wouldn't be able to hold her pressed up against him like this for long.

Mavyn meanwhile, seemed to come out of her state of frozen fear, and hurled the dagger she was holding at his left arm. Viola didn't know how deep it went, how many layers of clothing had slowed the relatively small blade, but she hoped it hurt. She couldn't move either of her arms so she couldn't push it in further like she wished, but she still shot Mavyn a reassuring smile.

@AdventCore

 

[Ravus Sephyre]

Ravus tensed his muscles just in time to mitigate the damage from Viola's kick, letting out a hushed grunt before his eyes shot down to her. His left arm flexed and squeezed her tighter while she started to heat up. The focus he'd had on the companion pulled away and shifted to the rising temperature against him so he could begin to split his concentration into controlling the heat between his hand and their bodies to cool them down and contend her.

"You'll have to burn that whole dress if you expect me to let you g-" Ravus had begun another attempt to intimidate the Ebanian princess, until her companion's dagger suddenly sunk into his forearm. "GHH!!" He growled and jerked his arm away, releasing Viola from his grapple in the process. His piercing gaze shot over to the companion. Then he flicked his vibroblade down and back into a reverse grip, and quickly went to close his distance in on the unarmed girl.

With the last of his momentum he'd lead with his right foot to step between her feet and throw his husky mass against her right shoulder while he'd thrust the blunt pommel of his longsword toward her solar plexus in an attempt to knock the wind out of her and drop her to the ground from his full-strength shoulder tackle. His left arm remained out and away from her, the dagger still in his bloody left forearm.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Viola Enwynn]

Viola didn't get a chance to give a snarky reply, but she didn't complain since he let go of her. She stumbled backwards immediately, putting distance between them while falling back beside Mavyn.

Viola didn't have time to do anything to help her maid before the male hit her in the stomach. Mavyn's mouth widened into an 'O' and she fell backwards and lay on the ground, struggling to breathe. "Asshole," she growled, forming another ball of fire between her hands and pushing it towards his exposed left arm, the one with the dagger.

Anger burned inside her, almost as hot as the fire she controlled. Who was this guy and what did he want with her? Actually, that was a stupid question, considering she was the crown princess of Ebania, and not only had immense wealth to her name, but also considerable power, both political and physical.

@AdventCore

 

[Ravus Sephyre]

The towering form of the crown prince stood to his full height once more. He felt no pride as he gazed down at the gasping companion, the look of disappointment he had with what he was doing was clear across his face as he turned his glare back to the crown princess.

"Bitc-" The insult he'd begun to sling back her way was suddenly cut short as he noticed the next ball of fire from Viola. Ravus barely had enough time to grab the edge of his cloak with his injured hand and pull it across his frame to cover his left side. A loud grunt and growl came from behind the big garment as the ball of fire impacted and erupted against his arm and cloak.

Ravus staggered back a step, keeping in mind where the companion's prone body was so he didn't accidently step on her in the process. The entire left half of his cloak, which he released and let hang, was ablaze with white flames flickering at its charred edges. A large hole was burned into the area that had been covering his face, arm, and body, but it hadn't blocked all of the attack. Little embers hissed and popped along the heat-treated uniform. The dagger in his arm was deeper now, the tip of its blade poking out of the other side of his forearm.

The girl's talent with flames was commendable. He'd underestimated the princess and her friend, and had taken quite a bit more damage than he'd anticipated from the ambush. Ravus lifted his right arm, blade pointed down, and slammed it into the ground infront of him while he pulled the trigger at the vibroblade's handle. A grungy revving sound came from the weapon before it suddenly pierced deeper into the forest floor, plunging halfway down its length before the prince released the trigger and handle.

Assuming that neither of the Annfyn girls would be able to pull the wedged sword from the ground, Ravus would then go to sweep his right hand back down to the right side of his hip, draw the DE-10 Blaster Pistol there from its holster, and raise the barrel toward Viola. Without giving the princess too much time to react he'd then send a pair of roughly aimed stun shots toward her center mass, but only one would actually head her direction while the other shot went wide.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Viola Enwynn]

Even though he didn't get to finish his insult she knew what he'd been about to call her and it only made her more mad. He took the blow of most of her fire in his cape, which he threw up to protect his body and face. Disappointed she hadn't ruined his chiseled features, Viola moved to conjure another fire ball.

At that moment, three things happened in rapid succession. Right as the male plunged his vibrosword into the ground, Mavyn chose that moment to regain her breath with a loud, sucking gasp. Viola turned her head for a split second to glance down at her maid, who had pushed herself up onto her elbows and rolled over onto her hands and knees. A split second was all it took- Viola glanced back up at Ravus in time to register the two stun bolts he fired. The second one hit her square in the chest. The force of the shot pushed her backwards and her back slammed into the tree. She fell forward onto the ground at the foot of the tree, unconscious.

Mavyn's head snapped up and she gave a shout of surprise, before scrambling backwards away from the male.

@AdventCore

 

[Ravus Sephyre]

"Sorry, princess." There was a mix of sarcasm and sincerity in Ravus's voice as he watched Viola drop to the ground unconscious. Without hesitation his right arm then whipped through the air, snapping straight towards the scrambling companion. His sharp blues fell in line with his blaster's sights and the Annfyn, and then he noticed Krug.

The hulking Besalisk Sith had chopped his way through the last of the guards, leaving their corpses strewn across the trail in a bloody mess not far behind him. He had made his way to the remaining fight, and stood menacingly over the companion. A deep guttural breath blew down upon the girl, his massive frame bent forward ever so slightly so he could peer down into the much smaller Annfyn's eyes with his bloodthirsty stare.

Krug lifted his vibro-axe above his head.
Ravus narrowed his disapproving gaze toward his ex-master.

"Not this one. She could still be useful." Then he steadied his breath, felt through the Force to more accurately align the barrel of his blaster to the Annfyn, and pulled the trigger to send a well-aimed stun shot directly at her.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Viola Enwynn]

After what felt like a few seconds but in reality was several hours, Viola stirred. She opened her eyes to see that her surroundings were dark, save for the flickering glow of a fire a few feet away from her. She could make out another figure laying immediately in front of her, and Viola recognized the glint of Mavyn's mousy brown hair in the fire light. There was the male from earlier sitting on something by the fire, his massive figure hunched. He was messing with something long that reflected the light of the fire and Viola deduced he was sharpening his vibrosword.

She stayed motionless on the ground, even as fire in her own soul mirrored the one a few feet away. She forced herself to calm down and think- why had this male come to Ebania and kidnapped not only the crown princess but her maid too? She wondered who he was and tried to remember the long list of enemies her father had said to beware of. She knew they had a shaky peace with their neighboring kingdom on Skynara, Alvaeria, but she thought they would be either insanely brave or insanely stupid to act against Ebania, considering they relied on Ebania for a good majority of their resources.

Viola's head began to hurt and she suddenly noticed she had stun-cuffs locked around her wrists, dulling her power. As badly as she wanted to try and throw fireballs, she knew it would not be a smart idea if she wanted to get out of this situation. All she could do now was plan.

@AdventCore

 

[Ravus Sephyre]

Ravus's hands stopped. He palmed the tool he'd been using to sharpen his blade, stuffing it away into one of the several pouches at his hips. Then he shifted the weapon forward to inspect its condition in a different angle of light from the fire next to him.

A few moments passed. His wrist rotated slowly, casting more light across the broad weapon. Then the blade caught the reflection of the princess.

The Alvaerian prince turned his head in her direction, revealing the mark across his lower face where she'd burned him earlier. It still remained, but had clearly healed more than one would expect of the usual Sephi from Alvaeria. A slightly bloody bandage over his forearm, and the fact he was even using his left arm, showed that the dagger wound had also healed a bit faster than normal. The large black cloak was gone.

Ravus remained silent. His eyes shined with a gold gleam as he glared at Viola, then after a few more seconds returned to a sharp azure blue as he turned his gaze back to the vibroblade. "Are you going to behave?"

@Reylo4evr

 

[Viola Enwynn]

Viola didn't move to sit up when Ravus turned to her. She returned his glare, the fire reflecting in her turquoise gaze. She noted with some measure of pride the bloody bandage on his forearm where Mavyn had struck him, and the burn on his lower face. Strangely enough, it had healed more than was natural.

She was briefly distracted by his question, and snorted. "I never behave," she replied. "Who are you and what do you want with me and my maid?" she continued, deciding to cut straight to the chase.

@AdventCore

 

[Ravus Sephyre]

Ravus let out a heavy sigh at the idea of the princess never behaving. A pause followed her question as he weighed just how much he should tell her for the time being. "Well, for starters..."

The prince stood and turned a bit more to face her. The smoke from the fire rolled up several more meters above him to the den's ceiling, most of it fading away before reaching the outside where it would barely be noticed in their current location.

The half-Sephi's expression and husky tone remained calm as he continued, "I am the Crown Prince of Alvaeria, Ravus Sephyre." His piercing gaze remained locked to Viola's. "And if you don't cause too much trouble then maybe I'll tell you more once we reach Sephyre Fortress."

@Reylo4evr

 

[Viola Enwynn]

Viola was honestly surprised he told her as much as he had; at least now she had a name to put with his face, rather than just calling him 'asshole' in her head. "Well, Ravus," she said, making a point not to call him 'Highness' or 'sir' or any dumb royal name he might think he deserve. "There's not much you can do with me besides kill me or hold me for ransom, and I know you won't kill me because a) I'm too pretty and b) you would've done so in the forest. You would also be stupid to hold me ransom because kidnapping the crown princess is a breach of the peace treaty and would put Alvaeria in a worse place than before," she continued calmly, in an almost bored voice, as if she was reciting facts.

As much as she hated it, she was good at politics. She wondered if Ravus had thought before kidnapping her or if he just kidnapped princesses for the fun of it.

@AdventCore

 

[Ravus Sephyre]

"There's plenty more I could do with you. Most of which I won't do out of basic decency." The stern prince narrowed his gaze on the captive princess. "You'd do well to remember there are far worse things in this Galaxy that can happen to you than what's happening now. And this-" He motioned to her, himself, and then the whole den, indicating the event of kidnapping her. "-isn't something I like doing either."

He didn't feel a need to lecture her on the countless atrocities he'd seen during his time wandering the stars as a Sith. "For now..." He let out a hefty sigh, lifted his blade behind his hips, and sheathed it tight into its fine black scabbard.

Ravus then stepped over to the corner opposite from Viola and her companion, where his small black pack sat. He plucked up his canteen and poured a stream of crystal clear water into his mouth before pausing a moment and turning back to the princess. "You thirsty?"

@Reylo4evr