#battlemageaskaly

Thank you to @therivercrow for tagging me in this super fun character creator! I originally thought about only making Sareena because... well, a Gothic creator, how could I not? But she looked so damn good, and the creator was so fun, that I went ahead and create three other members of the Coliary family!

So here are Sareena, Nitara, Askaly, and Ashrah in their Gothic AUs (I mean, Sareena is at home xD)!

Thanks to @therivercrow for tagging me in this and reminding me to post the ones I had done xD

I made one for Ashrah and Nitara...

I love it so much. Holding hands is a VERY meaningful gesture between them—it is, in fact, the gesture that signifies the beginning of their romance in Book 3! 🥰 It's also why I have them holding hands in that artwork I have of them (which you can see in my header and intro post) 🥺

... And I made another one for Askaly and Xiuying :3

(Tagging @meatgrinderminefield)

“Awww!” Askaly clutched her hands to her chest. “Is that a… how do you humans call it… a panda bear?”

The bear turned to her, black snout twitching. “I am, indeed, a panda bear.”

Her jaw hit the floor. “It—he—the bear speaks!”

Johnny laughed without losing his balance. “And recites poetry as well if you ask him nicely. There’s the risk that he won’t stop, though.”

“A well-crafted poem nourishes the soul as much as bamboo nourishes the stomach.”

Unbothered by the rays of sun poking at her widened eyes, Askaly took careful steps towards the most fascinating being she had ever seen. “Sir Bear, would you… would you mind very much if I hugged you?”

The panda, wisdom shining in his black eyes, looked her up and down. “I do not know you, and I catch a scent of blood about you. Even then, you seem fluffy enough for a furless mortal. Very well, I accept your hug.”

Letting out a happy squeak, Askaly threw her arms around the animal. Warmth embraced her, blanketed her aching heart, and she melted against the fur with a long and calming sigh. “It’s sooooo soft…”

After a moment, the bear cleared his throat. “I believe that is enough.”

“Right, sorry.” Reluctantly, Askaly backed away, but not before patting the panda’s head. “Thank you, be… uh, what’s your name?”

“My name is Bǐng.”

As was customary around those parts, she bowed to the being before her. “My friend Bǐng, I am Askaly, and I’ll never forget you!”

Thank you for Sasha (https://bsky.app/profile/sashthesloth.bsky.social) for this wonderful artwork of Askaly [ash-kah-loo], one of the main characters in Chronicles of the Realms 💗