Day 3: Suns Out | Guns Out
A collaboration between me and @genjyoandgojyoandhakkai for @lof-weekend.
This piece features a selection of our friends' Rooks, but we couldn't possibly include them all. If your Rook isn't here, please know that we love them and include them in spirit!
Read all three parts on AO3 here!
3836 words
When Gemma Laidir heard the commotion outside her small hut on the beach, her first thought was to pull the quilt back over her head and ignore it all, but then the spirits chimed in with their excitement.
If everyone was excited, something was happening, and Gemma Laidir did not like to be uninformed.
Outside her hut was a mass of Lords running around as if the Veil was collapsing and the world was ending. The spirits spoke so fast she didn't bother trying to understand. Instead, she looked for the currently quieter Lords, a temporary status for a Lord, but a purposeful one.
"Xiqaa, what's going on?" she said by way of greeting.
"Taash has eyes on a dragon lair." Xiqaa watched Turvi as he raced back and forth across the beach with arm loads of supplies.
Gemma narrowed her eyes when Turvi offered something to Gladius. "Is that….?"
"Fortune's Fury is what they are calling it. You shoot it and when you're out of projectiles, you throw it."
She stalked over to Gladius and pulled the blue octopus shaped gun out of his hand. "No."
Before he could turn sad eyes on her, she returned to Xiqaa's side. When Amara walked too close to her, she shoved it into her hands. "Here. For you. It'll blow something up."
Amara's eyes lit up in excitement. "Thanks!"
"I don't like fighting dragons," Gemma pouted. "They're dirty." She brushed at the sand clinging to the sheer panels of her skirt. "Are we taking your ship?"
"That's the plan," Xiqaa said, not bothering to hide their smile. "You're coming?"
"Of course. Dragons have the best treasure, and the spirits think this is a good one."
“Perfect. I don’t really like fighting dragons myself. I’m bad at dodging. They just have so many legs and the wings…anyhow, we’d need a whole crate of potions just for me.” Xiqaa grinned, the smile turning dangerous. “I plan to watch the supplies, get a little tipsy, and make sure everyone else can focus on the fight.”
Gemma nodded. “That sounds like a great plan. We’d better make sure we have enough drinks stocked for the trip.”
They parted, each with their own tasks. Xiqaa made sure the supplies were loaded correctly onto their ship while Gemma made sure the right kind of alcohol was being loaded.
Onboard the ship, Xiqaa examined the alcohol Gemma had added to the already considerable stash for the trip.
“Looks like it might just be enough,” they said thoughtfully.
Once they were at sea, Taash gave the briefing on the dragon. Questions were asked. Tangents were created. Nug holes were thoroughly delved. Taash gave up trying to respond and retired to the bow to watch the horizon with Qatesh while the other Lords argued over the benefits of leather versus cloth loincloths, with a side argument that all loincloths had cloth because who wanted leather touching their junk?
The unloading took less time than the loading, with Xiqaa and Gemma providing excellent direction. Saadrah planted a large, colorful umbrella in the ground and stepped back.
Shimmering through the Fade, a stone bench appeared. Xiqaa and Gemma exchanged a quick glance and as one, rushed to sit on the bench, almost knocking their Qunari friend over in the process. Saadrah rolled her eyes. Catching sight of the crates beside the bench, Saadrah helped herself to a few bottles of the best booze and joined the rest of the group gathered in front of the bench.
"Here's the plan," Gemma said. "Stick together. Listen to Taash. Do not let Gladius use anything but a sword. Lydia, what's your take on the spirit chatter?"
Lydia looked thoughtful for a moment. "There are at least six different curses and two hordes of skeleton warriors on the way to the dragon."
"Nae, you're on Turvi duty," Xiqaa declared. They looked across the gathered group. "Clara, watch for traps. Sabi, please assist."
All three nodded sagely and Turvi began thanking each of them individually, in advance.
"Why are you two in charge?" Ayla shouted.
"Because they're the captain and I'm bossy—" Gemma cut off Ayla's obvious argument by raising her hand. "And we are sitting on Belgrand’s Bench of Business."
Murmurs of appreciation rose from the crowd when Gemma and Xi each slid to the side to present more of Belgrand’s Bench of Business. Ayla nodded in grudging defeat and respect.
Gemma continued her bossiness. "We're going to need a few people to stay behind to watch and ferry supplies as needed."
"And hopefully not ferry back major injuries because you all will listen to Taash," Xi emphasized.
Multiple Lords raised their hands. Gemma looked at the group, noting faces of friends past, future, and possible. She motioned those with hands raised to come forward, led by Hiro and Dasha.
When Zalan took three steps towards Belgrand’s Bench of Business, Aydenne blocked his path.
"You're not coming?" he whispered. “But I need you!”
"I'm not a dragon fighter," Zalan whispered back. "Shin didn't mark it on my map."
Aydenne's entire being melted into the sand. "Rue marked mine. I guess I'll go fight the dragon. Without you."
Zalan leaned in, voice low. “You’ll do fine. You have Xi’s strategy, Gemma’s bossiness, Taash’s experience…” Touching Aydenne’s arm gently, he winked. “And my axe.”
Aydenne blinked. “You don’t have an axe.”
“Not yet,” Zalan said. “You’ll have to bring one back for me.”
Taash grinned. “I send my regards for that one, Zalan.”
“I need to axe a question: Who let Mustache de Riva play Lord of Fortune for a day?” Xiqaa joked, elbowing Zalan.
“Mustache de Riva goes where he wants,” Zalan said defiantly, walking slowly back toward Belgrand’s Bench of Business.
Qatesh rested a comforting hand on Aydenne's shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze. He smiled up at her.
Hiro moved to stand under the umbrella and look at the crates scattered around the bench."Why is there so much alcohol if it's just the two of you?”
“Have you ever supervised a crew like this before?" Xiqaa raised an eyebrow. “It's thirsty work!"
Mustache de Riva raised his hand. "I'm here too, now.”
With a groan, Taash took over. "Fighter Lords, follow me. Duck the curses. Punch the skeletons. Got it? Good."
Through the spirits who spoke to her, Gemma narrated to the rest of the waiting crew the progress of the fighters.
"They've reached the first horde of skeleton warriors. The spirits are excited. Taash, Gladius, Zea, and Ayla are taking the front. No. Wait. The entire horde has been electrocuted! Ouch, I do not appreciate the yelling!"
Gemma held her head in her hands and Xiqaa patted her shoulder gently. Zalan passed her a fresh canteen of whatever Dasha was mixing up using the good booze and fruit she scrounged from a few trees in the distance.
She took a deep swag gratefully and let out a slow breath. "Everyone is fine. Juan be-sploded the entire horde in one big spell. They're a little tired but okay. "
"I know how that feels," Xi muttered and reached for Gemma's new canteen.
"Clara disarmed two traps and Lydia banished the curses, so we're down two curses and Turvi is still safe."
Gemma's attention was captured by a long sigh from Hiro, stretched out in the sand. There were three spirits hovering around him, each vying for his attention, two of them trying to touch his blonde hair. Wherever they went, spirits loved Hiro. She motioned to Dasha, who was quick to push a fresh drink into his hands.
"Lydia sends a message that a delivery of lyrium potions would be handy."
Hiro threw back the drink and jumped to his feet. "I got this!"
"Approaching the second horde of skeleton warriors. Lydia thinks at least two of them are cursed."
Gemma closed her eyes and saw what the spirits whispered to her:
Taash yelled, “Frontline with me!”
Ayla surged forward, kicking up sand as she hauled ass to close the distance. She punched the first skeleton so hard the skull ricocheted off a palm tree and rolled back down the beach like a sun-faded coconut. Gladius swung his sword more like a club and sent three skeletons sprawling, cursed limbs clawing back toward the fighters like white spiders with long arm-bone tails.
Zea darted between the crawly hands, blade flashing down, stabbing the things into the dirt. Her buckler exploded a skeleton into flaming bits that crackled and sizzled.
“Don’t touch the glowing ones!” Lydia shouted. “They’re cursed!”
Juan yelped as one of the skeletons Lydia had just warned about grabbed their ankle. Turvi yelled even louder and grabbed the ribcage of the skeleton, throwing it as far away from Juan as he could. Naera’s lightning sliced down, reducing the cursed thing to a pile of ash, quick as thought.
Lydia began, “I think we got them all—”
—as one of the previously downed skeletons chattered and creaked a spell that brought its separated parts back together.
“Everyone duck!” Taash shouted, the words followed by a breath of fire so intense they all had to look away. Once the bones stopped skittering toward one another, Taash planted an axe it the spine and Lydia followed with a spell that sucked all the magic out of the area for a brief moment. Saadrah’s knives arced out, splitting the brittle bones as the spell worked into the cursed calcium.
Their enemies crumbled into harmless dust around them, and Turvi put out one hand to haul Juan to their feet.
“Am I cursed?” Turvi asked.
Gladius held up a finger. “I have sand in my mouth.”
“…I’m going back to base camp,” Juan muttered, limping away.
“Fine, I think,” Clara said.
Aydenne kicked a femur to one side, nodding his agreement.
“Great. Take a minute to breathe,” Taash said. “We’re going in.”
The team flopped, leaned, and stood about, catching their breath before Taash gave the order to move up.
"They have reached the dragon cave." Gemma looked over at Juan, now reclining where Hiro had been. "Are you okay?"
"Pass me another one of those fruity things and I'll take supplies back," they said, generally annoyed there wasn't already a drink in their hand.
Sabi passed them a flask of something that had a drawing of fruit on the outside, and Juan hefted a huge crate of potions and a bottle or two of Alvarado’s Bathtub Boot Screech and headed back up toward the fighters.
“I hope no one needs healing,” Sabi said, sipping on her drink.
“Me too,” Qatesh said worriedly.
Xi reassured airily, “They’ll be fine.”
“I’ll drink to that!” Dasha said, putting words to action.
“They better find me that axe,” Zalan grumbled.
“Shhhh!” Gemma said, listening again to the spirits telling her of the fight.
The spirits’ whispers sharpened, overlapping and excited. “They’re inside the cave,” she reported. “It’s big. As full of treasure as we hoped. And bones. Lots of bones. Even treasure made of bones.”
Xi nodded sagely. “Classic dragon stuff.”
Taash raised a hand, signaling for silence. The fighters crept forward, boots crunching over sand, pearls, coins, and the occasional rib. The cavern glowed faintly where biolumienscent moss grew in patches on the walls.
The dragon—a mature female—lay coiled atop the small mountain of its hoard. Beautiful bronze scales, wings and flanks scarred by older battles, one horn broken but the other spiraling out of a truly impressive head.
Juan’s magic crackled the ground into slick patches of ice, slowing the dragon’s first movements. Ayla and Zea charged in with deafening yells. Celeste was a heartbeat behind, twin swords raised in challenge. Turvi’s sword somehow managed the first strike, ahead of all the rest.
Gemma flinched. “Turvi just hit it first.”
Xi guffawed, “Turvi? First? He must be headed for a curse.”
Zalan nodded. “Checks out.”
“Nice work! Shift to the flanks! Remember what I taught you!” Taash bellowed.
The dragon’s head whipped sideways, smashing into a giant stalactite that narrowly missed Taash, who stood their ground with an axe in either hand, flaming breath keeping the dragon pinned.
Zea hollered as her sword bit deep into the dragon’s clawed foot. It turned on the spot, tail lashing out, but Lydia and Naera both flung spells at it, distracting it from the redhead.
Naera and Turvi held their corner of the cave, preventing the dragon from backing up and blocking their attempts to flank. Clara slid underneath a raised claw, jabbing a dagger into the dragon’s foot, and Aydenne tossed a smoke bomb that let all of them change position unseen by their scaly opponent.
Gladius, sword swinging like he was trying to chop down a tree, hit the dragon’s shoulder—and his sword rebounded like he’d struck a fortress wall. He staggered back, clutching his wrist. “Ow. Why is it so hard?”
“It’s an ice dragon,” Amara pointed out, flinging spells at the nearest leg.
Gemma sucked in a breath. “Gladius just hit it with a sword and it bounced off.”
Zalan nodded. “He would.”
Sabi frowned. “Is he okay?”
Gemma listened with a faint frown. “He says ‘Ow.’ And…he has gold in his mouth.”
Xi raised their drink. “It’s profit, no matter how you get it.”
“Let’s heat things up!” Juan said, raining fireballs down, laughing a little at their friends’ shouts of alarm.
“Keep going! It’s weakening!” Taash encouraged, axe blocking a whiplash attack from the tail.
“We’re trying to slow its heart rate,” Lydia gritted out. “Try to keep it in one place!”
“Grab the gun!” someone yelled— they were unclear who—and all the Lords looked around to see where they’d placed the huge, golden gun.
Aydenne skirted the edge of the cave, tossing his sword to one side and heaved Fortune’s Favor to one shoulder. Before he could aim, the dragon’s head snaked out, jaws open for an attack that would fling him to the roof of the cave.
“Oh no,” Aydenne whispered, dropping the gun.
“Oh YEAH!” Celeste corrected, yanking him behind her and slashing toward the dragon’s unprotected mouth.
Her swords didn’t find its weak spot, but daggers and arrows from Saadrah and Clara whunked deep into eyes and tongue, and the dragon threw its head back with a bellow of pain.
The ice spells finally started to slow the great beast, and the Lords continued to press the dragon from all sides.
“How are they holding up?” Xiqaa broke Gemma’s concentration with a hand on her shoulder.
“They almost have it!” Gemma closed her eyes again, following the whispered reports.
Amara and Lydia, side-by-side now, were shouting something to the pack of rogues who were hacking rather ineffectively at the dragon’s hind legs.
“The GUN!” Amara reminded them.
Naera’s lightning cracked through the cavern, striking the dragon’s flank and forcing it to turn. “Do it now!”
Turvi screamed and charged the dragon’s head—tripping over a jeweled goblet, popping back up, and yelling “I’m fine!”—with Gladius, Zea, and Ayla following close behind.
Juan, sliding across their own ice patch, shouted, “I’m NOT fine!” as they flung another spell.
In the moment of distraction, Aydenne made it back to Fortune’s Favor and raised it, sighting the dragon down its magical barrel.
The sound was deafening; even louder than the roar of the dragon herself. Aydenne braced, sandaled feet digging into dirt and gold as the projectiles slammed into tough dragon hide, finding the smallest gaps. Lightning crawled across the dragon’s skin, twining with tongues of fire and daggers of ice until their target was almost too bright to look at.
With a WHOOM, the dragon’s head reared back and smashed into the ceiling, embedding stalactites deep into itself. It crashed to the floor with a roaring moan, and the multi-elemental light show continued until everyone was certain the dragon was dead.
Gemma exhaled. “It’s down.”
Xi raised her drink. “See? Fine.”
Dasha sagged against Qatesh. “I’m going to need another drink.”
Zalan nodded. “Same. And someone better bring me that axe.”
Hiro, hair still being braided by spirits, asked, “Is Turvi cursed?”
Gemma listened. “He’s asking that very question as we speak.”
The support team gathered up potions and alcohol in equal number and headed into the lair. Qatesh veered quickly towards Taash, who looked up at her from where they were sprawled on the floor.
"You good?" Taash asked with a familiar smirk.
"Gemma told us all about the fight," she said, sinking down next to them. "You were amazing."
Taash grunted, never comfortable with compliments.
Qatesh leaned her shoulder against theirs. "I might need a distraction."
Their eyes flared. "Here? Now?"
"No! Everyone is still here!"
Taash leapt to their feet and pulled Qatesh to hers. "How about under that fancy umbrella? We can move it away from the creepy bossy bench."
Dasha, who had grabbed Qatesh's armful of booze before she veered, broke off to where Celeste, Clara, and Saadrah were being tended to by Lydia.
"Is everyone okay?" Dasha asked.
"Nothing I can't handle," Lydia said and smiled at Celeste. "I'm used to doing this."
"I am not injured as much as he usually is," Celeste argued. She waved away Dasha's offered healing potion and took the bottle of booze instead.
Clara accepted a healing potion. Saadrah grabbed for booze. They each tossed back their bottle and sighed in relief.
"Can I have another?" they asked in unison.
Dasha complied with a smile and a soft sigh. "I wish Nona was here. She would love all this gold."
Nona materialized out of nowhere at her elbow without a sound. "How nice of you to think of me!"
Sabi made a beeline for Turvi, who sat on the ground with Zea, Ayla, Amara, and Naera standing around him. Amara held her hands out as if testing the magic inches above Turvi's head. Turvi looked up at her with a worried expression.
"Stay still," Amara cautioned. "I'm feeling things out."
Zea crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't think he's cursed."
"I think he is," Ayla countered. "There's a glow around him."
"Maybe we try punching him."
Zea shrugged. "It can't hurt."
"Your punches hurt," Ayla pointed out. "And coming from me, that's saying a lot!"
Naera clapped her hands excitedly. "Sabi, we need you! Is he cursed?"
Sabi looked surprised to be needed but her interest in why Turvi was glowing distracted her from the thought. Realization crashed down on her. "Turvi. Did you visit the cheese shark recently?"
"He hasn't been since….." Naera's voice trailed off at the sheepish expression on Turvi's face. "Turbee!"
"He's always cursed," Juan grumbled as they walked by, eyes on the ground, roving for something extra shiny to make this whole adventure worthwhile.
Hiro trailed behind them. "At least he isn't haunted. With ghosts."
"Are you bringing that up again?"
"You wouldn't open the lock! There were only six demons guarding the treasure. Not that dangerous. We could have handled it."
"Six? I should have stayed at the bar."
Zalan took quick steps towards Aydenne and Gladius and stopped short in front of them. "Are you okay?"
"I used the gun." Ayde looked stunned.
Gladius clapped his shoulder proudly. "You did well." He bent over to cough and a piece of gold fell from his mouth to the ground. Stroking his mustache thoughtfully, he said, "I think I might be cursed."
Zalan glared at the mustache stroking and turned back to Aydenne. "Did you find me an axe?"
"There's a whole pile of them over there," Aydenne gestured to the other side of the lair.
Zalan grabbed his hand, causing Aydenne to blush. "Let's go find one!"
Gladius looked after them, coughed up another gold piece into his hand, and shrugged. If it was a curse, he’d profit from it for sure. More gold meant more rounds he could buy everyone back at the Hilt.
Gemma and Xiqaa paid no attention to anyone. With Gemma needing to take two steps for each of Xiqaa's, their strides were quick and determined — not at all weaving due to the large quantity of alcohol consumed — towards a specific spot at the very back of the hoard. The spirits had told Gemma exactly where the most valuable, the most glittery, and the least cursed treasure in the whole hoard was held.
They both oohed at the pile of daggers and each took two. Gemma strung a necklace of precious gems in all colors of the rainbow over Xiqaa's head while they set a jewel encrusted golden tiara onto Gemma's head. They each pulled on a set of matching rings and then they bumped fists with them, sparks exploded up to the ceiling. A set of matching goblets filled with wine upon being touched; they drank down the wine and the glass refilled.
"I may not make it out of this universe," Gemma slurred.
Xiqaa pointed at a medium-size box wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with twine. It looked harmless. Ordinary. Almost aggressively normal. Which was, of course, suspicious in its own right. The box was rocking back and forth like an egg about to hatch.
"I recognize that one! That box is for Aydenne. Captain the Parrot always comes back to the one who let him go."
A muffled squawk issued from inside the box. “Bless my boots! It’s the broccoli beanpole and their pint-sized pal!”
Gemma stumbled to the side, not needing to be told how short she was. Glancing over the hoard, she saw Ayla happily toasting a bottle of grave-mist with Zea. She pointed to a small wooden box with shining bronze clasps and inlaid with colorful gems. "Don't open that one or something will happen to Zalan that won't be resolved for years."
Finally, at the very bottom of a pile of suspiciously damp and glowing gold, was a large pile of small rectangular boxes. Gemma picked one up. It was plain. Unadorned. But the spirits sang its praises.
They opened it together and stared at the strange devices inside. There were two of them; small rectangles of a material that Gemma knew she recognized from somewhere.
Xiqaa laughed. "Cell phones? Aren’t these what the CROWS of ANTIVA use to tell time or something?"
They each took one and pressed a button. The display lit up and trilling tones echoed throughout the lair, catching everyone's attention.
"Mine has a message," Xi said.
Gemma thought hers might too but the words weren't staying still. "What does it say?"
"Wherever you are, no matter the universe, connected together your found family shall remain."
A beat of silence, then Ayla: “DOES IT HAVE GAMES?”
Zalan’s voice drifted faintly from the other side of the cave, “I want to axe if they have any food delivery apps.”
Gemma laughed, clutching the strange rectangle with its blurry images. “Found family,” she echoed softly. “It’s the universe we all share.”
Rooks, loosely in order of appearance (after Gemma and Xiqaa!)
Turvi - @davrinsleftpectoral
Gladius - @jenn2d2
Amara - @chaosherald
Qatesh - @bronzieinthedas
Saadrah - @kogarashi-art
Lydia - @sorcerousadventurer
Naera - @serensama
Clara - @sandcastlekings
Ayla - @mushrooms-x-moss
Hiro - @zennihilation
Dasha - @lemondelighted
Zalan - @blackwall-my-tiny-husband
Aydenne - @genjyoandgojyoandhakkai
Zea - @redaresss
Juan - @zennihilation
Sabi - @seaglassmelody
Celeste - @woundedsoul12
Nona (Nona Nona) - @handsignals
Vilz's Tag List Management Post (on or off? Post here - truly, no hard feelings!)
@biowaredisasterbisexual @blackwall-my-tiny-husband @brightbreezeblog @bronzieinthedas @chaosherald @davrinsleftpectoral @dell-amor-te @gatesofminrathous @genjyoandgojyoandhakkai @grad-writes @handsignals @hedwigoprah @himluv @jellyeliart @jenn2d2 @jukkaricity @kabsey @kogarashi-art @lycheecatee @mageswithcats @mageofquandrix @mushrooms-x-moss @ofcrowsanddragons @palenecromaniac @pixiedurango @redaresss @rookstormblessed @rookamell @sandcastlekings @seaglassmelody @serensama @necromanticsoul @sorcerousadventurer @sunny374940 @tarasmom @therivercrow @tieflingsorcerer @viagosbrother @vishantikaffar @vixenofcadmea @woundedsoul12 @xkatchy @zennihilation
