Rule For Fools(Open, ER Only)

The white queen listened as Jester had introduced Sheba. Her hands delicately clapped together as she swayed from side to side. “She’s gorgeous!” Her eyes trail over to Týr and she snaps her fingers. “I hope you two can get along rather well~! Týr needs a friend to play with while I’m not able to accompany him!” She puts her hands to her cheeks and giggles softly. She had simply glanced over to Birch with an unamused look on her face while he sneeze before she looked away again. No need to bother with him for now. Her attention was brought back to Jester as she had decided to ask him what fun activities he had been up to.

She didn’t touch people often, and Jester was one of the few she did, let alone hug. He had been here the longest for her. Helping her see her dreams through and through. She grinned rather widely to him, till he had leaned in close to her. They were a nice and rosy pink near instantly. That was one thing she couldn’t get used to so easily, the closeness others could get to her. The pink got a little brighter as she felt his fingers run along her neck and underside of her chin, finding herself smiling rather devilishly as Jester spoke of the fun he had around the city. He turned the tables back to her not too long though and she pouts a little. She didn’t want to deal with it. But alas, it must be dealt with. “Someone touched their lips to my cheek and tricked me to high hopes…” She tattled much like a child would, lightly resting her head on Jesters arm. “I thought of ending them, but the copycat guy got in the way… so I’ll have to punish them later~!” She giggles happily before she quickly lets herself be off and over towards her sweet polar bear.

After finally declaring she wanted the survivors to join her, she frowns to Birch as he question her. “Yes. I have special plans for them. Those who join mustn’t be harmed… by anyone.” She sat up a little straighter on Týr, letting herself seem as regal as she tried to be upon his back as she ordered this command. “At least for now they mustn’t be…” Her eyes watched as Birch was the first to go ahead and talk to the Hostians on her behalf. She tilted her chin up a little as she watched on. He let his hands go dark it seemed. A small smirk formed on her lips as she watched him talk to them and convince them to join her with fear. She probably would have done the same if she were honest and didn’t feel like dealing with them fully. And that was when she started to pout once more. How could she think of doing the same thing Birch was doing right now?! It was annoying now. He was currently annoying… but he still listened to her. That would be good enough for now. She needed to think of a punishment for him too… That would have to wait as a couple of people started to come over to her.

A smirk as on her face as she looked down to them for a moment, then right back up to what Birch was doing again. He was talking to the others for a moment, seeing if others had ideas on how to drag them over to her. She held her hands up over her chest, pressing her index fingers and thumbs together. Her other fingers were folded together as she stayed sitting there atop her own magnificent beast. Her purplish pink eyes glanced down to Jester as he got excited over Birch and then asked if it was his turn. She just smiled down to her sweet clown as he skipped up to the group, calling forth Sheba with him. For this, she really settled herself in. She wanted to feast her eyes upon the grand performance the jester would put on for her. She knew it would be just as grand as everything she watched him put on for her. He never ceased to amaze her. The only thing that could ruin this for her, was someone trying to distract her. Couldn’t have this happening now, could we?

She listens intently as Jester spoke to the people atop of Sheba. She stays where she is, lowering her hands as she felt herself slightly entranced by his words as well, till he brought all the peoples attention to her. A smile was already on her face that she didn’t realize had been there already. She listened on as the speech went on. Could she even top this after Jester finished? She honestly had not a clue, but she felt herself beaming with all the praise he was giving her. And just like that, her black outfit turned white and her skin went back to normal. While her eyes were back to normal, she still had the black tear stains on her cheeks though, a simple remnant of her little tantrum she had a bit ago. Everyone before her pledged to her, and she giggled aloud before she finally cleared her throat, setting her hands delicately over one another on her leg as she sat sideways on Týr.

“My dear Hostians. Whatever remaining fighting that you have in you, please use it with me. Your fighting will not be in vain. It will give all of your families a freedom you never thought existed before. Though, I shall say, I am terribly sorry you had to be a part of that little game I played there between my sweet members. I’m sure this’ll all work out wonders in the end regardless!” She wrinkled her nose a little as she smiled brightly before she takes a deep breath and looks around at the faces. Clearly this white haired queen was excited over all this. “I require your assistance in convincing the others to join with ease. I only fight those who try to stop me from freeing you all. I call for you all to follow suit. It will probably be hard for many of you, as your own neighbors, family, friends, will probably be against the cause, call you traitors…. And it will hurt. But know, under my care, everyone will have bliss, and absolute safety should I acquire Hostia. I just need your hands to help make this much easier than it would be without your help." She takes a deep, relieved breath, and nodded slightly to herself. She liked this. This was easy. This would be hers. No one would take it away from her, should they try.

The Queen's eyes looked over to the faithful Jester, and she put her hand to her chin, pinching it as she sat upon Týr. A grin starts to form upon her lips and she clapped her hands. "I would like to get more Hostians to join us! Their leader might be among them. Let's go to this hospice you have! The more people we have with us… the better!” She giggles as she sways from side to side. Her eyes trail back towards the group of people and she claps her hands a little. “Alrighty! I need you all to come with us immediately! Those who are the least injured have a mission! You’ll be helping get others with us everywhere outside of the hospital, those who are a little more injured… you’ll help inside~!” She pats Týr’s side and he started to move a bit. “My dear Jester!” She calls out happily, throwing a hand up while leaning back slightly. “Please do me the favors of leading us to your gathering of other people! We must make haste. We shouldn’t keep them from waiting for their queen for too long now!” She says as Týr let up an excited grumble while he was waiting for the clown to start ahead of him. Saraphina looked back at the group as they were gathering to their feet, and she smiled. They’d have to follow on foot.

Her eyes looked over to where she had originally felt others magic. There wasn’t much to sense… what happened to her members? Her eyes squinted darkly over towards the area. A few of the magic energies started popping back up not too long after she looked over there, and her eyes opened a little in shock. She’d have to find out what was going on over there… but it seemed everything was okay at least as the magics were coming back, right? Her mages wouldn’t be defeated so easily by some scum. They were all stronger than that. She shook her head as she looked around, watching Jester lead her and the group to where he had another group. She was getting bored on top of Týr for once, and sighs before she lets herself slip down and begins skipping. “Here’s to having Hos-ti-a! La - la - la la -la!” She begun singing as she skipped. “Freedom for all, and all for freedom~!” Her tune wasn’t really in tune, but she had her own beat going, and she didn’t care if others liked her song she started garbling.

As the queen skipped on though, she thought she felt some eyes on her. Eyes that weren’t within her group. And heavens knew it wasn’t Birch. She let her eyes stare on around her, trying to figure out who it was that could be watching her… As far as she knew, no one was coming at her, and if they were to do so, Jester, Týr, Sheba, Birch, and the whole little Hostian group were there and could probably stop them. A smirk came on her lips. “Birch!” She suddenly calls out. “Do me a favor and search ahead of us to make sure no one tries to ambush us, will you?” She muses to him while her head to the side while her simple smirk turned into a grin. “Take out anyone who seems like a threat. Take a few of the lesser injured with you if you wish.” She holds her hand out to motion towards the Hostians behind her.

As he listened to her complaint, his eyes flickered with intrigue, he nodded as she spoke taking in what she had to say. The information she was telling him was particularly interesting indeed, something that he had not expected to be the case. He knew full well of his Queen's nature, she was a woman who wished to rule, but she had no desire to rule alone. She was young and attractive, it was not absurd to assume that she was capable of being susceptible to amorous affection. But for that affection to be used to 'trick' her as she put it, that was a risque move on anyone's part. He could only assume that she was referring to Oakey based on the tension between them. Curiouser and curiouser. Had Birch been attempting to manipulate the Queen somehow, and to what end? Jester's body itched with excitement at such a prospect, hungrily wanting to dissect the blonde man's mind to learn what it was that drove such actions. Thus far, Oakey had been mere entertainment but was it possible that he too was a player in the game. In which case, what pawns did he possess? What moves did he have lined up? The clown quickly decided that he would have to keep a close eye on the man from here on out, at least, closer than he already had been. Because there were two key outcomes to Oakey's potential gameplay, either he could contribute to the twist and tales of the game to make it a thrilling and riveting one. Or, he could ruin it all for the ringmaster in her game of devastation, and we couldn't have that now, could we?

After he had convinced the Hostians to pledge their loyalty to the Erring's Rising leader, Queenie, now dressed in her usual white, would address the Hostians. Her words were kind, offering them a future of bliss. She certainly gave off the makings of a benevolent ruler, but with such a sinister underlayer, she would still maintain the fear needed to control her people. The thought alone caused the clown to shudder with delight for a mere moment. Oh what fun their future would hold. His lips curled into a smirk as she made the decision to return with him to the hospice, that had been his preferred choice anyway. As she gave out her instruction to the people, he would move to Sheba. Who without any order would instantly now what he wished, lowering herself slightly so the clown could mount her. As she called to him, giving him the order to lead them, he would straighten up. "Ever up and onward." He called out in an encouraging shout, and with a roar from the tigress beneath him. They would bound forward, leading the gaggle of individuals to his last play area.

As they moved along toward the hospital, over time Jester would create more and more of his Harlequins, one by one they would join the troupe. Adding to their numbers and increasing the level of intimidating the mob held as they walked. It wasn't long before the group had doubled in size, a mixture of Hostians, Erring Risings members and Jester's machete swinging harlequin dolls. Trekking through the significantly quieter country that they were invading. The initial uproar that had occurred had certainly died down, and aside from the occasional sound of fighting in the distance as they pushed on, it was much more at ease. Jester wondered if this meant the fighting was drawing to a close. How much had they managed to conquer spread across its lands? There wasn't a current confirmation of the guild's success rate as of yet, although he was sure that there would be soon enough. Soon news would come, either good or bad, and it would tell them how to proceed.

As Queenie began to sing, Jester would bob along to the singing, she wasn't in tune but her songs were entertaining to the clown none the less. Plus he preferred the noise, any noise was always better than quiet for the Circus mage. The quiet made him itchy, uncomfortable and jittery. It was harder to control his thoughts in silence, it rattled him, made him feel less hinged. Jester sat forward curiously as Queenie instructed Oakey to check the area ahead. He would have liked to tag along but it was fine. This way he could way, as Birch moved forward, one of Jester dolls would also follow after him, Keeping close enough to the blonde so that it could watch him, but not so close as to get in his way. He was quite happy to sit back and watch the man fight, he wanted to learn more blonde man and this little show would hopefully prove to be a good learning experience.

It was quiet for the time, the search went smoothly for a time until Oakey seemed to discover the enemy lurking right under their noses. Jester watched through the eyes of his doll, his body wiggling excitedly as the blonde savagely executed the enemy with a well-aim shot. Jester squeaked in shock and delight as Oakey was suddenly struck by a bullet, as though watching an action movie rather than a real battle play out before his golden's irises. His excitement only grew as the man's arms and body erupted in darkness, and then he would descend moving at a speed Jester's gaze could not follow. This black ominous shadowing moving from target to target leaving death in its wake, the clown's fingers flexed in and out, biting his lip as he watched.  His doll who's head would remain locked on the blonde the entire time, would slice down any targets it came into contact with, it's body moving skillfully as it carved through the throats of any enemies that charged it. Blood splattering over its form as arteries were diced like spring onion, showering the robotic creatures. Yet despite its battle, it would still continue to watch Oakey for its master, almost as though it was in a trance. It's head with turn back and forth with his movements, making sure not to lose sight of him if it could be helped. The neck of the doll, much like an owl, twisting to an inhuman degree as she butchered the Hostian soldiers.

All the while, Jester's thrill grew with each passing moment, such destructive power, such as relentless killing. Oakey, it appeared, was more than just a pretty face. Part of the clown wanted to face the man himself, to test his power for himself, to see what if felt like to be struck by such darkness. Was it's darkness as malevolent and destructive as his own power? Or was it different somehow? Jester hungered to know, he had lost sight of the man for a moment. He had seemed to disappear into one of the buildings, the Harlequins dolls head frantically twisting back and forth in search for its master's guildmate. Until finally, it spotted him, and the clown would watch the man emerged, body still shrouded in darkness, a human heart sitting in the middle of his monstrous claws.

To the clown's surprise, the scene behind him would only prove to grow more exhilarating, the scene that he would bear witness true providing another unanticipated twist to its continuation, as he realised something was very different about the man he was watching. The blonde, grumpy and stand-off-ish was not the man he was used to. The blonde Erring's Rising member would release a peal of unexpected laughter that drowned out all the gunshots and chaos, Jester's face would split into an eerie grin, his cheeks stretched so wide he looked unnatural. His eyes fixated, unblinking, watching as the heart rotted before him, it's dusty remnant floating away in the wind. It was incredible. He knew there was something fundamentally entertaining about Oakey, but he had just assumed it was his disagreeing nature. How he seemed so put off by everything around him, Jester in particular. But this, this was better than he could ever imagine. Oakey was a monster; A exquisite beast of darkness, one he couldn't wait to play with.

As the darkness that had spread throughout the man seemed to simmer away, returning him to a semblance of his former self. Jester straightened up as he watched the man return to them, the apparent chaotic version of Oakey gone as he cleared them. Jester would clap vigorously "Brava! Très Magnifique! What a show, Oakey, Highly entertaining!" He praised heartily, the words themselves not intended for manipulation, but were ones of geniunely honesty coming from the deranged red-head. "Let us enjoy the fruits of your labour and make haste! Aha!" He said, ending his clapping he would push onwards. Making their way to the hospital, which after a short while they would arrive at the hospital. It's the state of being, for the most part, the same as before, aside from a few additional corpses of Hostian soldiers that had clearly tried to attack during the clown's absence. But for the most part, the crowd that he had gathered were still as they were before trapped under the looming threat of the dolls he had placed here.

Jester swivelled around on the tiger's back, sliding off of her and landing on the ground. He would stroll forward, skipping excitedly towards the fearful Hostians. There had been some scuffling in his absence, some had been cut down in their attempt to flee. Their wide-eyed corpses hacked to bits under his dolls merciless blades, pools of encircling their unmoving forms. Jester hopped over the pool, landing before the Hostians in a performative manner. "Why Helloooooo there!" He cooed to the crowd, his tone eeriely warmer than was suitable for one addressing his current hostages. "I have returned as promised, and this time with an important VIP of this exciting event." He said, kicking off on his heel, he would twirl flamboyantly. His face turned to the skies and arms stretched wide for a moment, before stopping mid-spin and twisted to face his 'audience' once more. Beginning his declaration with the same manner of addressing them as he had the last time he had spoken to this group, "Ladies, gentlemen, citizens of Hostia. Please welcome our Majestic Queen, and your future leader, should you submit to her will!" He declared, before bowing and turning towards the white-haired woman. His arms gesturing to her in an overly overindulgent manner. He would give it a substantial few moments to allow them to grace her, before standing straight once more.

"Now then, as I informed you before we have been making great progress in purging the country, ensuring your freedom. That is should you choose to renounce your current leaders and pledge yourself to our queen. You were given time to reflect on your decision, but that time is up, and we're here to collect your answer." His voice was cool and assertive, with an underlying suggestion of what would happen should they choose not to pledge, unspoken. A threat veiled in pleasantries and civility. He would turn to meet the gaze of his Queen, nodding to her respectively, indicated that he had said his peace. Should she wish to address them for one last convincing, now was the time. They had been toys that he'd hoped to play with, but if his Queen sought submission, then he would happily forsake a little torture and mind games for that. The bigger picture was the claiming of Hostia and it's complete surrender. It was worth more, in the long run, to ensure the success of the mission then to toy with a few normies. Although if anyone did refute their request, he was only too happy to claim them for his own, to find a way to earn some genuine satisfaction from any smaller games he could play. To break them beyond repair before sentencing them to death in the name of his guild.

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WC: 2009 | Jester Total WC: 10,523
TL;DR  - Jester watches Birch fights, gets super excited. Takes Birch, Saraphina and the Converted Hostians to the hospital to convince the remaining Hostians to pledge.

A sweet smile had started to form over the queen lips as she heard her Birch’s words to her 'request' to go ahead and scout for the group. “Thank you~!” She tells him as she clapped her hands happily. Her purplish pink eyes watched on as Birch took a group of Hostians, and one of Jesters Harlequins, and patiently waited for his battle, then his news. If there were to be any battles, that is. With how they were taking over the place, she honestly believed that there would still be more fighting and resistance from the members who wished to not be ruled by her. That was not something she should have. Not. At. All. No one should defy her of all people. She was the one who could save them all from the clutches of evil that is the laws that suppressed them! She was the queen, their goddess, their saving grace of this absolute hell that had befallen them! But the only way for redemption though, would be through a bit of bloodshed and purging.

Her eyes patiently watched on as the group made slow progress to the hospital, letting Birch have some distance ahead of them to do what he needed or wanted to do. There was nothing for a bit, but then he jumped in for an attack at thin air? Then she barely heard him from where they were at. A grin slowly begun to slip on her lips. Invisible people… A rather interesting opponent to her. She did not remember if she ever fought someone who was invisible before. She was not sure anymore. If she had, they were no more and were of no use to her anymore. She leans forward on Tyr's back and observed what she could of her butler as he commanded the soldiers and in action with his own gun. "He seems even more capable than I thought he was before…" Her cheeks puffed a bit as she was actually mad at herself once again. She wanted to be mad at Birch, but the more he showed off his abilities, the more he seemed to entice her, even if it was unintentionally on his part. Why did her guild have to have the problem of many good looking men?! A small whine escaped her lips at that thought.

Jesters squeak had Saraphina get out of her thoughts, and look to him before she quickly brought her attention back to Birch. What exactly did the white queen miss in her thoughts? Her eyes went back to around her. The queen didn't want to be dealing with anything else around here and was making herself ready for other attacks, regardless if one was happening or not. She wasn't too fond of these guns being shot about. The noise was rather annoying. She didn't want to hear it. She closed her eyes to try to drown out the sound from her ears. Though, the people screeching seemed to heavily distract her for a moment and she looked over to the source to see people on fire running out from where they were hiding once before along with flashing lights and floating people falling to their deaths. She blinked a moment, but smiled brightly to the scene. "My sweet Birch… causing such a beautiful scene!" She says with a rather delightful tone of voice, regardless if anyone heard her or not. She waited till he was on his way back to the group to start clapping to him. "I enjoyed it very much too~!" She giggles with Jester's praises to Birch. "I hope to see more splendid displays like so.~" She clapped her hands and glanced over to her lovely jester as he suggested heading on their way once again to their destination. She nodded her head and motions for Jester to lead them once again.

Once at the hospital, Saraphina looked around at the corpses that were strewn about the grounds. "Ooh, we missed a party I see?" She giggles with absolute delight once again. She watched as Jester went ahead and talked to the hostages, smiling ever so sweetly as she did so. He would introduce her, and she would sway a little in delight on top of Tyr. As he was talking though, her polar bears ear twitched some. She perked up and looked over her shoulder, frowning as she turned Tyr so she was profile to the crowd this time rather than forward facing to them. She glanced to Jester and clears her throat. "I will give you guys just a few more minutes to think it over. Tyr, Jester, Birch, my lovely Hostians, I request that you sit here… oh! And Sheba! Can't forget the beautiful kitty~! You stay here too~" She slides off of her bear and curtsies to the crowd in the hospital before she walks around Tyr. If no one had heard it before, there was a low humming, mechanical noise coming from around a building making it way towards them. She was going to deal with this on her own. She glanced towards the group of Hostians she dragged along with her, and stopped a moment. "Those who truly wish to join me, you may get treated by the doctors who also truly wish to join me as well." She waved a hand towards the hospital, allowing a few people to break the ranks. "Remember though, cross me and…" A finger delicately motioned towards a harlequin doll, and a snicker was on her lips before she continued on her way away from the group.

Despite her little spiel she was wanting to get over with this place and put her flag down on it without question anymore. At the same time right now, she wanted to flex her magic again. No one to interrupt her this time. Just her on her own. Holding her hands out to the side, she let her head fall back as she walked forward with ease. "Oh! The great father, Odin! Please grant me this victory in the name of Errings Rising and in the name of Hostia for me to be able to cherish it and protect the lands from those who wish to implement laws and harm her people! Grant me the victory of a swift battle and smiting my enemy down where they stand! Give me Hostia!" She cries out loudly to her gods. She wanted those who were against her to hear her voice. She lifted her head again while putting her arms down by her side and smiling softly to herself. "I sacrifice myself for my cause! Come and try to defeat me!"

She was going to let her enemy, or enemies, come at her themselves. Making herself a big target by being out there alone from her group. Tyr wanted to go after Saraphina, growling some as he started to go ahead a few steps, which got her to turn her head to see what he was whining about. Seeing what her polar bear was doing, she simply held her hand out to him to motion for him to stay where he was with everyone else. She turned her attention back ahead of her, and closed her eyes to listen around her. A whirling sound made itself known and was coming fast around a destroyed building. Suddenly, an ethernano powered robot was there and locking onto her as it's target as she was all alone and giving off magic flairs to it that she was a threat. A frown was on the Queen's face as she did not want to see this after getting annoyed at the guns already. Well… this would prove to be a small challenge for her then.

She quickly throws her hands back and her before she brings a hand up and waves it slightly as she whispered a name quietly enough that one would have to be next to her to even barely hear her whisper. Within seconds, her dress changed to that of a shorter dress and rainbow set of wings. In her hand, a dagger seemed to materialize in her hand, and she ran a finger over the end of the blade, grinning to herself just before the robot started to raise it's arm at her. She wasn't going to let it hurt her.

The robot seemed to lock in on her and started going after her. She gripped that dagger as she quickly stepped forward, the wings of her armor proving to be more than just a decoration by shooting her forward in her race towards the robot. She used a piece of a broken building to hurl herself at the mechanical creation. It tried to swat her away, but her wings took her higher above the robot. She flew high enough that it would be a pretty nasty fall should her magic run out then. But she had faith that it wouldn't fail her like that. She allowed herself to stay up in the air high above the buildings for a moment, her wings on her armor flapping elegantly as she stayed in one spot. She was trying to give herself an angelic look right then like in some pictures she had seen once upon a time. She moved out of the way as the robot pointed it's arm up and started shooting at her with a gun that was apparently built into it's arm, making her growl some. How dare it ruin her image?! She instantly snapped the wings of her armor close to her and went head first towards the metal being. It continued to shoot at her, and she used her wings to maneuver around the bullets, getting a few caught on her wings. She was aiming herself at the gun.

When she felt she was close enough, she quickly jabbed her arm out holding the dagger and shoved it into the hole that the bullets came out of, quickly grabbing the handle with her other hand as she felt her body be yanked past her hands. As her body went past her hands, her feet seemed to keep on going, and smashed into the robots head. A creak could be heard from the contact of her feet kicking it. Creak? That was interesting. She let her wings push her back as she looked up. She messed up the barrel of the gun enough with her dagger. But she also kind of twisted her wrist a bit at the same time with that yank. "Jord." She says as boulders of earth came up and started smashing into the robot. One of them came under Saraphina and pushed her away from the robot and off of it's gun with her dagger in her grasp still. She watches for a moment from a distance in the air off as she held her hand out to make sure the rocks were crashing like hell into the robot. She wanted them to dent it, rip apart some pieces of it's armor, fall over, and destroy it to pieces. The robot was fighting back it seems.

Another gun was on its other hand and it was using it to blast her rocks to pieces. Some of the shots got close to the hospital and her new troops. She wouldn't say, but that was her doing to scare the Hostians into believing this robot, that was supposed to be on their side, didn't care about them and their safety. She heard some people screaming as one shot got near the door and ricochet off through some glass and into a wall close by. This was perfect. They were starting to get scared of this robot. The queen had to save her people like the sweet angel she was. The pieces of rocks that the robot blaster before, began throwing itself at it now. They were getting into the crevices of the armor and started tearing it up from the inside. A grin slipped on her face as she watched the gun start bulging and eventually explode on itself. She held her hand out and dropped the dagger, making it disappear before it hit the ground. "Thrud." She says as a new weapon is in her hand now. It was her infamous glowing sword once again. With a giggle, she stuck her tongue out and shot herself towards the robot once again while the rocks were shoving off the armor to expose its electrical insides. Her sword was hanging behind her in her hand as she flew at it, though a beam came at her as a Canon was on its chest just as the rocks exposed it. She used another rock to attempt to block it, but it disintegrated upon coming in contact with the beam. Some of it hit her as she used her wings to fly off to the side, but her leg got hit with it in the process. She hissed as she tried to ignore the pain, and threw herself at the robot. She aimed bigger rocks at the chest while the beam was recharging, intending to beat the crap out of it to make it simply stop. There had been more screaming behind her, and she realized that beam was close to the hospital as well. Maybe she didn't need to direct the robots aim towards it herself. It apparently was perfectly capable of potentially harming the civilians all on its own! What a delightful thought!

She shoved as many rocks at the robots chest as she could, keeping it from firing at her once again as she got close to its head this time. As she did so, she shoved her sword into it's neck and a flash of light from her sword came. Four of the five copy swords instantly stabbed into the robots neck as well and helped her yank the head off. Simultaneously, the fifth sword shoved itself into the chest after the rocks moved themselves. As soon as all the swords were shoved into the robot it started giving off a high pitched chaotic whirling sound and sending out electrical sparks one of those two spots did it. She wasn't sure, but she wasn't going to stay back and find out. She dropped the sword and used her wings to launch herself towards the hospital. As she did so, the robot had exploded, and some of its parts was hurled at her, knocking her down right to the ground in front of the hospital.

She stayed on the ground for a moment before she slowly moved her arms to start propping herself up. Her eyes looked a little dead as she was in a bit of a daze, trying to get her bearings once again. The side of her face was scratched from the burn of the ground running on it, along with her arms and legs. Slowly, she made her way to her legs and stood up. One of them was limp as she put her weight on her other leg. She raised a hand and waved it a little bit before saying; "Idunn." Suddenly an apple was in her hand and she took a bite of it. As she consumed the apple, the scratches started to slowly heal themselves. Her leg eventually stopped being lame and was able to support her weight as well. She finished the apple and tossed her apple core to the side as she walked slowly into the hospital in her armor, wings limp behind her as she did so. As she stopped in front of the crowd, she took a deep breath as she gripped her hands into fists. "I am here to liberate Hostia from it's oppressors!" She threw a hand back to the mess of metal that was the ground zero of that robot she just fought. "They don't care about you! They're willing to sacrifice your weak and fragile bodies! And for what?! To attack me! I don't wish for this destruction of the beautiful Hostia! And I know neither do you!" She put a hand on her chest as she seemed like she was ready to cry. Shaking her head, she stood up. "Join me in taking over the city to protect the ones you love. For peace, bliss, and harmony!" She walked forward to get close to the crowd.

Some had shied from her after she had displayed her power, but a few looked at her in awe. "Join me, beautiful Hostians. We will need doctors, fighters, and everything else in between to restore Hostia to it's glory without the rule of oppression upon you all." She held her hand out and smiled ever so sweetly to them.

"Whore! You're lying! You're here to take over for no reason!" A man stood up. Sara tilted her head and blinked to the man. "And you are?" She asks as she tilts her head. He was actually dressed differently from most of the others. She heard a few mumbling about something about the man. "Whom is this man?" She asks the rest of the crowd. "You don't have to ask them! I am Tanit Cavier! The true ruler of Hostia!" He shouted at her. The white haired queen smirks as she walks over to him. "The ruler of Hostia… hiding in a hospital, cowering in fear rather than fighting for his city. Setting loose robots among the people to kill all in it's path…" she shook her head as she tsked at him. "You're not fit to be a ruler. And you are my enemy, allowing these precious people to be oppressed by your 'power' you think you wield with your position. You sicken me." She walked right up to the man and grabbed his collar as she yanked him from his spot. "Those who wish to join me, you may rest here and relax. Those who are with this man may leave this building, right now. Please don't let those against me, stay in here when I turn around." She shoved the ruler at a harlequin and smiled to him. "Hold onto him for me, will you please? He's needed alive for just a little bit longer. And two more requests, kill all those against me when they're all outside, and send some others with me to search the hospital for anything of use. In their chatter I heard someone saying they hoped I didn't find something that was being kept here~" She giggles before she turned around again.

Some people were being shoved forward and were walking out of the hospital. A few were being wheeled out by ones who were also shoved out. The so called current ruler of Hostia was shouting profanities and telling the people to fight, but Sara dropped the full weight of her magic power into the room, letting it suffocate the people. The flex of magic on the people scared them against fighting back as she glanced towards them with a grin that showed her sharp teeth. "I'll be back shortly, my pretties! I need to see what shiniest are here within this hospital~" She made no effort to hide from them what she was doing, all the while hearing the ruler yell at her that she couldn't do it and to not touch it and to leave it alone. Something about it being unstable or whatever. She didn't care regardless.

She skipped through the halls of the majority of the hospital, finding her way down to the lower section of it and finding a laboratory there. She looked around to see what all was there. Surprisingly, there were a few scientists down here, who were working on something. One looked at Saraphina, who tilted her head. "Did you really get missed down here?" She giggles as she looked around the room. "I'm queen Saraphina, I'm here to remove the oppressed laws off of Hostia!" She simply says as she walks around the lab. Most of the stuff looked like gibberish. She understood none of what the instruments were and any of the notes left out. "If you want to live, you just have to join my group. We already got your coward of a 'king' in our custody. So I say it's easier to swear your allegiance to me now and let me know what it is that the former putz doesn't want me having that's apparently important down here." She put her hands on her hips as the doctors all now we're focused on her. One nervously starts to go to a couple containers in the middle of the room in a temperature controlled display. Before he would open the thing, he put something in his mouth and fell over, foaming at the mouth.

"Open it." She orders. One scientist thought they were going to be brave and ran at Sara with a knife of sorts. She sighs as she held out three fingers and her red ice stabbed at him. She sighs as she shakes her head. They couldn't listen to her. Why was that? A couple others tried to attack her, but ultimately failed, and the remaining ones did the same as the first. This was no fun when no one listened to her. She then used her ice to open the display with the pretty bottles with their red liquid, and took them out. "Cheers!" She giggles as she turned around to leave. She made her way up to the ground floor again, inspecting any goodies Jester's harlequin dolls might of found, if at all. "I found something that is shiny!" She happily says. The king looked a bit horrified. "Don't! Those are still a work in progress! They haven't been tested on anything yet!" He cries out.

Sara just looks to the pathetic king, and sighs. "Let's bring him to the city hall, or capital building, whatever he calls his castle of this country. Birch, hold these for me, please?" She giggles as she holds out the containers to him. After, she had gotten on top of Tyr yet again, and started making way to the city hall building. She knew generally where it was at least, or someone could show her the right way. Whichever happened.

---

TL;DR - Sara basically watched Birch fight, went to the hospital, fought a big robot herself, found the 'king' of Hostia, then went gallyvanting around the hospital till she ended up finding some science project and took it for herself cause it was shiny. Now on her way to the City Hall or whatever.

Kiss the Ground, Bow Down

Birch

After begrudgingly nodding to the praises of Saraphina and that irritating clown, Birch followed behind the larger group. Even though he felt the new energies flowing through his body, snapping through his synapses like the first sparks of a wildfire, his adrenaline rush was wearing off. With its decline came the pain he was previously shielded from. His shoulder throbbed. Irritation that his comrades had witnessed his little outburst surged through his veins to replace the adrenaline, but sadly not his blood. It reminded him of a time long past, filled with much of the same.

The scene played out before his eyes, overwriting the ragged Hostian cityscape and the particularly view-obscuring hind-end of a danderful polar bear. It was his first wartime battle as a commoner-- no, a servant. Having freshly abdicated his throne to his manipulative swamp witch of an ex-fiancee, he was thrust to the front lines of the war she started with a neighboring kingdom. If her goal had been to piss off an entire people in record-shattering quickness, she was off to a fantastic start. Birch's former subjects had never been a people of pushovers, but they were far from the immortal warbirds that descended from the cosmos with him. A few centuries of peace in addition to its baby boom filled the platoons with hatchlings. Though he was loathsome to admit it, his time as a prince had made him soft. Complacency had gripped him long ago, causing him to neglect the more physical and tactical areas of battle training. And with his natural celestial phoenix abilities locked away by Queen Farraday, he was just as much as a sitting duck as the hatchlings.

Army training had been quick and dirty. In a world where most countries embraced magic along with all the pros and cons that entailed, it seemed antiquated to have a boot camp where soldiers were brutally whipped into physical shape, taught unquestioning obedience to authority, and were instructed in firearm and sword combat. Much to his surprise, it was necessary. The enemy was crafty and many were naturally immune to elemental damage. There was an even bigger shock hidden for him to find, however. The ex-royal had thought himself a contemporary, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Yes, there had been ages of breeding with the various different peoples of his continent and the planet as a while, but he'd been unaware of just how weak celestial phoenix bloodline had become. It was to the point that there were only a limited amount of people who could even call themselves phoenixes. He thought his father had led a kingdom of undefeatable immortals, but those who lived in fear of death far outnumbered those that didn't. The Farradays had been immortal as well, but a different species. Only then had it made sense to the man why so many of the founding branch had remained high on the mountain. With the 'elders' separating themselves, the royal family being dead, and his magic locked away, he was weak.

The only thing of his family's he'd been allowed by the queen to keep was the First Great Leaf. It served as his shield and afforded him access to a couple magic spells, which he relied on heavily to keep himself and others safe during their tactical training. While he could die and come back even without his abilities, his fellow soldiers couldn't. Because his shield covered him in thick, bark-like armor, it had earned him the nickname 'Birch' after the tree, which stuck. It was somewhat of a relief to be called by something other than names or terms that would remind him of his still very fresh loss and trauma. He hid behind it, letting the new alias be a chance for a second birth. Birch was no longer a prince, and quickly everyone seemed to adapt to that and treat him as they would anyone else. He'd been reborn countless times but never had he shed his previous identity. It was easier this way. Let the thick bark of regrowth cover the past and drag it down deep so he could sprout anew. Let it be a permanent barrier between him and everyone else, so he'd never be duped again. The new leaves would be his new aspirations. He'd remain standing tall no matter what was thrown at him, growing taller and stronger than before.

The lot of them were fresh out of boot camp when they were shoved into battle. If he'd had any lingering doubts about the usefulness of their common weapons, they were blown away now. The other side was fueled by rage. The peace treaties cultivated by so many years of friendship between his royal family and theirs had been dissolved with the former's death. Like all kingdoms, now they saw opportunities in the changing winds. There was no friendship or loyalty binding them. They'd been wronged by their own ambassadors that had executed a power-grab and heinous betrayal, so why not get their vengeance while also growing their own kingdom as recompense? Subjugate the rogue Farradays as well as all her people. Birch had no doubt that his old family friends would be much better rulers for his people, but the same pesky curse that gave the queen absolute control over his body to turn off his magic also had a firm grip on his will. He was not to betray them, so he couldn't, no matter how much he longed to.

It was gruesome. All of it was disgusting. His immunity to true death for so long only for his family and so many of his friends to meet permanent fates rocked the ancient creature. He froze, falling behind the charge to gape in horror. A bullet whizzed through his shoulder from the shadows of the forest in the distance. His comrades fell to his right and left, bleeding out into the dirt and staining the grass its complementary color. There was no shimmering light, no explosion into flames, no large eggs. As far as the eye could see were bodies. The ground rocked with explosions. Visibility met its match in the disturbed earth filling the air, which was quickly joined by smoke. This was nothing like the fantastical battles of old, where magic made battle beautiful and hardly anyone who was truly innocent died. Old battles had been about strength and wit. wars between immortal beings were so much more complex, yet somehow more humane than this mindless butchery. By the time Birch was able to spur himself to join the fray, enough blood had soaked down from his wound to fill his boot.

Never had he felt so helpless. So powerless. So useless. As a prince, he could have stopped this. As a celestial phoenix, he would have won this. As just a man who couldn't die, all he could do was endure this. That, and try not to lose his mind. The front lines were all but decimated, leaving him and the scragglers to pull together to make any progress in pushing the enemy back. The gunshots were never-ending. It was as if the ground would never stop rumbling from grenades and bombs. More than once he was sprayed with the gore of his ally, their limbs flying into him hard enough to knock him down. How many of the enemy had he killed? He had no clue. At some point, a soldier had been born, truly replacing his old status. He thought like a warmonger and he acted without prejudice. Emerging from the flames and smoke once the better-trained reinforcements arrived were two war heroes. The other guy would become his one and only friend.

Birch could feel the blood squelching in his boot now, but he wasn't walking the stained hills of Giltena. It was the paved streets of Hostia, though arguable it was stained in much the same way. There were fires. The air was tainted with smoke and dust from burning and collapsing buildings. It was different, yet still the same. If one thing never changed no matter how much time passed, it was war.

Blinking his cloudy, slightly dazed eyes, he noted they were in the hospital. The flashback had cut the journey down to an instant. Saraphina was talking but it all sounded like he was deep in a cave and only getting the echoes. The new "queen" he acted under ascertained which of the medical staff would be loyal and allowed the likewise loyal wounded to be treated. Without much thought Birch went along, looking for help for his shoulder. If the bleeding wasn't stopped soon, he could tell by his body's involuntary shivering that he'd die soon. Turning into an egg in the middle of a war was rife with risks, some worse than actual death, from his experience. The world was spinning as he shuffled through the bodies to an at least semi-sterile bed. Why were there so many dead strewn about? Were they really here or was he stuck in limbo between flashback and the present? Had Jester said he'd been here earlier? He laid back and filtered in and out of lucidity. He was sure Saraphina was doing her thing, and Jester was there so he doubted he had to worry about a coup. Maybe that was why he allowed himself to rest, just float into the gray for what seemed like a few minutes while he was patched up.

The next thing he knew, someone was shouting hysterically just outside and most of the people had left the hospital. He sat up rigid on the bed, wildly glancing around. He'd slept through the whole robot battle and Saraphina's encounter with the king. In fact, he thought he'd been left behind until he caught a glimpse of one of Jester's harlequins flouncing from room to room from his new position out in the hallway. Birch was groggy and sore, but in much better condition than when he laid down. Suddenly Saraphina popped back into view carrying bottles of red liquid. What all had he missed? She was in a battle outfit and though she wasn't wounded, she seemed like she'd just went through quite the ordeal. The blond wouldn't ask about it, though. It didn't matter in the end, as long as the results were still in their favor. What he did ask about, however, was the bottles she shoved into his hands. "What is this?" he asked, squinting at them suspiciously as they made their way outside. He stopped to stare blankly at the mangled robot, answering his own unasked question, then simply continued following the war parade toward City Hall.

---

tl;dr: Birch has a war flashback on the way to the hospital. He gets medical attention and basically passes out until Saraphina returns with the bottles of red stuff and hands them off to him. Sorry for the wait.

---

Jester looked out into the crowd, his golden eyes inspecting their bewildered faces. He could only fathom what might have been going on through their heads this day, their worlds however mundane had been turned completely upside down. However, they had lived their lives leading up to this point, no doubt that were they to make it through this day that it would be a memory that played out for the remainder of their pitiful existences. Future generations of Hostia would turn to the faces in this hospital and ask, 'why role did you play during the battle for Hostia'. And how would they answer, perhaps they would lie, tell a story of valour and honour or perhaps instead they would be honest. They would look upon their offspring and say 'I cowered in a hospital whilst fearing for my life'. What a sad, pathetic future they had.

As he finished her introduction of her, Jester would step back respectively, allowing his Queenie to address them. Offering them a few more moments to consider their position, an extension to their suspense, how thrilling. She would climb down from Bear-Bear, instructing that they remain here for the moment. Jester bowed eccentrically in response, bending his body low in a performative matter. This wasn't a matter of pride for the clown, for them to see that he who had caused so much chaos alone was subservient to another would likely only heighten their fear of her, thus increases the chances of them being persuaded to join their little horde of rebels.

As she indicated that one of the dolls tag along, Jester would manipulate it to stride after her without question. It's blank, empty eyes would show Jester what it saw as it followed after the queen. Distantly he would watch through the doll as she pled to a Norse god for victory, an interesting sight to behold, pledging herself for the cause. Even offering herself as bait for the sake of claiming Hostia, back with the crowd Jester chuckled. Such a fascinating queen. He thought in amusement, so wild in her actions, reckless and volatile. Such wonderful qualities, she certainly made for entertaining leadership. One of the reasons he was so dedicated to these factions fruition, the grander it became the more fun he got to have. Jester glanced over to see what Oakey was doing only to realise that the blonde male had wandered off towards one of the hospital beds. Jester cocked his head curiously, reflecting over the display of power they had witnessed earlier from the male. Was it possible that the state that Oakey had transitioned into had taken a toll on his health?

Fascinating.

Jester's mind became quickly riddled with curiosities and wonderings, perusing ideas and theologies over the mechanics of the magic and why it was affecting his fellow guild member so. Just how draining was it? Was it toxic in some way? In great doses were it possible that the man might die from it? How exciting! To think that such power could affect him so, today's escapade into Hostia had only proven to increase Jester's curiosity about the blonde male. Percolating of ideas of potential games that could be birthed from their interactions, it was so exhilarating to consider. He couldn't wait to get started, still, for now, he couldn't play with the male. Because he had a crowd of terrified Hostians to watch over, and a cause to push for; the complete and utter conquering of Hostia.

The crowd remained fairly uneventful at this point, Jester created a few extra Harlequins and began to remove the bodies from the grounds. Clearing up the mess of corpses, one by one they were dragged away to the outside of the hospital. Jester debated how to handle the dead, in the game of war everything could be a tool for victory. He considered that a message to the living might suffice, at least for the remainder of the battle. A means to shake the spirit of those who may still be clinging at the idea of fighting the dark faction, but what would be the clearest was the present the message? After a moment of deliberation, he would come up with what he believed was the most fitting presentation of the dead Hostians. Any spare Harlequins would begin their work, whilst their master whistled musically. An eerie tune that sung through the main entrance of the hospital. Meanwhile, the dolls would get to work, some wandered off gathering any spare wood they could. Others would begin to take the corpses and hack away at their necks, setting about separating the bodies of the dead from their heads. This went on for a while, during which distantly the sounds of battle could be heard. Through the eyes of his doll, he would witness his Queenie's exciting battle against the robot. After some time a pile had begun to pile up and the efforts of his dolls labours were showing, pausing to watch the return of their leader.

As Queenie would make her return to the crowd, dressed in an altered attire of armour, with wings hanging limply behind her. Jester clapped his hands together, it would seem the show was reaching its finale. And what a fantastic entrance for the heroine of the cause, or villain, depending on your perspective. She would enter quietly, drawing the attention of the crowd as she spoke. Her words a declaration of her vow to save Hostia and protect it from its sinful owners. Jester could feel the crowd stirring, they were being won over by her words, albeit there seemed to be some stubbornness lingering in the group. A man stood, roaring his disbelief in response, challenging her as a liar. And as she asked who he was, what a fascinating reveal, as he declared himself Hostia's true ruler.

Jester gasped in excitement almost as though he was watching a movie, his eyes clung to the scene before him. His Queenie, of course, was unfazed, approaching the man with thoughts of her own. Calling him out for his transgressions and cowardice, Jester wiggled excitedly from side to side. Such a clever Queenie, with the mastery of her sentences she was slowly ridding him of his pride, and the trust of those that remain. It was undeniable, his cowardice, his disregard for his people. His foolish bravery had come too late, he had shown himself for what he was, an oppressive leader and a weakling. As she shoved the so-called 'Ruler' towards the Harlequin, Jester would manipulate the doll. It would grab the man, holding a machete threateningly at his throat. One simple order, and should the Queen deem it, the doll would slice it blade across his neck.

As they were moved out of the hospital, there was a moment of resistance, Cavier did not risk wriggling against the doll, but would curse and cry out. Demanding his people revolt, although, with the swift release of power, Queenie was able to silence them quickly. Showing the Hostians just how easily she could kill them all should they continue to resist. She would then continue through the Hospital, wondering off whilst the ruler roared after her. Demanding her not to go after 'it', a curious mystery. Jester would have liked to see what 'it' was himself, and why the leader was so against them finding it. But alas, he had a duty to deliver on, and he dare not miss the butchery that was about to commence to those who refused to submit to Erring's Rising. At the very least he would get to enjoy it through the eyes of his 'dolls', a selection fo which would follow after the Queen once more. Searching through the hospital for anything Jester deemed suitable to present to her. For the most part, there wasn't much they could find in a hospital to offer to her, but they did find some jewels and selection medicines, which they would present to her as she asked.

Meanwhile, Jester turned to the crowd, clapping his hands together excitedly. Finally, he could have his fun, he would set about completing the queens request. Forcing the unpledged Hostians into a mass. He straightened his soldier's jacket and addressed them in a clear, concise tone. "It is time Hostians, to decide your fate. If you wish to pledge yourself to our Queen, come stand with me. Bear in mind, if even know you decide that there is no reason to join us, then this will be your last decision. There will be no mercies after this." He told them, waiting quietly for them to decide. Some came quickly, eager to escape into the refuge of the dark faction, and others hesitantly. By the time that bodies stopped coming forward, only eight resistant Hostians remained. Their hard expressions glaring at those they deemed traitors to their nation. "So you refuse?" He would confirm, and they remained quiet.

"Erring's Rising can burn in hell." One of them cried, Jester smirked, and with the flick of his wrist he would send a playing card through the air. It soared towards the man who sought to condemn them, and with a swift motion would slice itself into his forehead. It's sharpened edge carving deep into his skull and killing him instantly. Then with a wave of his arm, seven more cards appear and rendered the same fate to the remaining resistance. Cutting them down and ending their foolish lives. And just like that, it was over, the hostians had picked their side and soon  Erring's Rising will have completely taken over. But not without, a little grind of course. They had to decorate accordingly, after all, there were bound to be celebrations after this.

Jester's harlequins would move forehead, setting about beheaded the last few corpses whilst Jester turned to those who had chosen life over pride. "Congratulations, you have chosen wisely. Now, you must show your dedication to our queen, one small task to cement your loyalty. The heads are prepped, as are the pikes. You will now present your dead to the world, so the rest can know the consequence of defying Erring's Rising. Here, a demonstration..." He would indicate with his hands, and two dolls would come forth, one holding a handmade wooden pike over its shoulder and the other one of the dead folk's heads dangling from its grip by her hair. The doll with the pike would position itself before driving the pike into the ground with immense force, twisting it deeper to make sure it was secure. Then once satisfied it would step back and the second doll would come forth, adjusting its grip on the head. The doll would raise it up above the pike, and the drive it down onto the spike. Impaling the dead face of the woman from the base of its neck and up through its crown, the doll twisted it so her anguished dead expression was facing outward from the hospital. Jester clapped happily, before turning his gaze back to the Hostians, his eyed glistening with menace. "Do this, and you will have proven your loyalty. Refuse, and well, let's hope you make for a pretty skewer~" He instructed, watching the horrified crowd. It was only when one of the men came forward, everyone watched as he reached down. Picking up one of the severed heads, he turned to a harlequin, who would collect a pike and re-enact the same procedure. This seemed to be the encouragement the remaining Hostians needs, coming forward one by one they would enact this symbol of loyalty to their new queen. By impaling the heads of their own people, they were enacting the truest form of treachery to the dead. And so, signing themselves away to the cause that was Errings rising.

By the time she returned, the work was well underway, pikes surrounding the hospital, decorating with the heads of the dead. And on either side of the entrance would be two bonfires, fueled with the headless remains of the dead. Jester turned to his Queenie, as she instructed the doll to bring along the king, the doll would nod, forcing the king to move after her as she left for City hall. "I shall remain and ensure that our Hostians finish pledging their loyalty, go on my Queen, and claim your new kingdom!" He declared to her, bowing once more. A malevolent glint in his eyes, as the adventure began to come to its close, he revelled in their victory.

A blood victory indeed.

---

WC: 2101 | Jester Total WC: 12,624 / 12,500
TL;DR  - Jester watches the Queenie in action, whenever she leaves he prepares the dead by having his dolls behead them and gather pikes. As his Queenie explores the hospital, he forces them to pledge their loyalty and kills the remaining resistance. He then has the Hostians prove their loyalty by taking the heads of their dead and piking them.

While she was at the hospital, she didn’t pay much attention to her members of her guild unless they were in front of her, like Jester with his introduction to her. So she honestly hadn’t noticed Birch going to lay down on a bed during her spiel before the robot. It didn't matter. He wasn't the little star of her show. And Jester already knew how to make her be it. Or put the spotlight on her at least. A grin slipped into the Queen's face as she thought of how Jester had let the eyes get on her during her spiel. Yes, she was the main event. Always. The title of 'queen' and 'guild mistress' most definitely screamed it. She couldn't let anyone one up her in this regard.

Her return to the lobby of the hospital with her two goodies was met with confusion from the blond man. She wondered what exactly it was he had been doing during her time roaming the building. She giggled as she simply shrugged her shoulders to his question on what they were as she walked to Tyr. "I don't know~ But we'll find out eventually! Especially with how he's throwing a fit! It was well protected… for a magicless person to not get. Isn't it exciting?!" She giggled as she turned to glance at Birch with the mystery liquids.

She looked around the exterior of the hospital, and tapped her chin at all the heads on pikes and the mess that was about. The smell of burning bodies filled the air. It smelled invigorating to the white haired woman. "My, my…" She murmurs as she notices Jester after she calls to the harlequin. A grin was on her face as she nodded. "Delightful! You're ever so diligent, my Jester~!" She calls to him as she raises a hand up in the air. She waved to him as she was on the polar bear, she blew a kiss back towards the group. "Take care of them~! Make sure they'll help rebuild Hostia back to its glory! It was a beautiful city before they attacked us." She giggles.

She motioned to the army of able bodied soldiers and had them follow behind her as she traversed the city. The destruction brought about by her members because of the attack that had befallen them from the city's resistance was almost too much for her to bear now. Guess she'd have to see how great these people were at building and fix this place up to make it look pretty once again. Of course failure would not be an option. Plans were being made in the queens mind for improvements to certain areas that she had seen of this place already.

Her thoughts were pushed aside as she turned to look back at the group following her. The ‘ruler’ of Hostia was still being towed along by Jesters harlequin, and her army of Hostian soldiers were following as commanded. It was quiet without her Jester now. She pouted for a moment, but turned back around on Tyr and inhaled a bit. “Princes’ of Silver~ Princes’ of Gold~ My prince will be perfect~ His honor he will uphold~” She sang aloud, swaying from side to side happily. She then turned around and pointed towards one of the soldiers. “Lead me towards the city hall of Hostia, or capitol building, castle, whatever! I want to get there quickly.” She demands of him. One of the other soldiers stepped forward. And offered himself up to lead instead as he had a better understanding of the city compared to the other. Honestly, Saraphina couldn’t have been bothered about who was showing her the way, she just wanted them to do it. Waving her hand, she let the other soldier lead them to where the capitol building was.

Along the way, the white haired queen noticed that there seemed to be more and more destruction the farther the group went. Her purplish pink eyes glancing over the rubble with honest curiosity. What in the world happened here? Clearly it was a fight… but who was the victor? A surge of excitement raced through her as she wiggled on the seat and bit her bottom lip. She wanted a bit more action if she were honest. She hadn’t let her armor down and kept it on as decoration still. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She kept it on to also protect herself should she be ambushed again, even though she highly doubted that. She had already displayed her power before, and in front of all these fine soldiers who have now pledged themselves to her. They would protect her, should she actually need it.

Saraphina would huff and slouch a bit on Tyr after a little while, honestly getting bored upon his back as absolutely nothing was going on… How far was this stupid capitol place from the hospital anyways?! It had to of been ages since she left. “Your majesty. We’re almost there. We had to go a long way around with the destruction of half the city.” The soldier who was leading the group had told her after glancing back and noticing the bored expression on the queen's face. She raised an eyebrow to him, but was a bit thankful that he had said something about that though. She sat herself up straighter again and clapped her hands a little.

Behind her, she was hearing noises from behind her where the harlequin was holding the ruler again. "Why do you insist on moving when you're in a position to die?" She blatantly asked the man loudly. She didn't turn herself around or even look at her. "You're making a big mistake taking those vials! And you're not fit to be the ruler of Hostia!" "And you are?! Hah!" She cries out as she turns around to look towards the man whom she was ready to lop the head off of. She slipped off of Tyr once again and was in front of the former ruler. "Don't make me laugh! I already said it once, you were found hiding in a hospital! You're a bug. Worthless. And squishable. And as for not being fit to be a ruler. I oversee a guild already, a country like yours is already under my fingertips. I think I'm quite fit." She hisses at the man as she got ever closer. She didn't care how he perceived her. She was taking his throne right from under his feet. This was her show. He was bad with his oppression. No way was she going to let him live. Never.

Turning on her heel, she looked right back at the soldier and motioned for him to continue on since he had stopped due to her getting off Tyr. “Keep on going~! I want to walk for a bit.” She tells him and the soldier nods while he continues on a bit. Saraphina giggles as she skips on ahead a bit. Like the soldier had said, it didn’t take them too long to get to the capitol building. It was burnt, broken, and absolutely rubble now. This was ground zero of the fight that happened around here it seemed. Interesting. She looked around and started to casually skip ahead of her soldier now after a bit. Her hair flowing nicely behind her as she skipped ahead. We need to make this ceremonious! Soldiers! Clean up some of this mess!” She orders as she turns around. “Move what you can, and try to work around what you can’t move. Make a beautiful stage for me here in front of the building. I want to be able to have a grand spectacle here!" She claps and twirls a bit as she walks on towards the doors that were barely hanging on anymore.

She pushed through to see on the other side of the large doors and saw some more destruction created by something. Magical energies were coming from here that she felt was familiar, but there was no reminisce of the person responsible. A body that she wasn’t familiar with was laying on the ground, and she raised an eyebrow a bit. “Maybe he was a victor?” She giggles as she went to explore the rubble for anything that could be shiny. She looked up to the now opened roof of the destroyed building and let her wings of her armor open wide. Crouching low at first, she shot herself up with a jump and was high up in the air above Hostia. Smoke could be seen from areas that were attacked on both parties. Little blobs that would be the members of Hostia and her guild were crawling about her new kingdom. Or soon to be kingdom, that is. Some were seeming like they were seeking shelter from destruction. Others were seeming like they were following orders. She sure hoped they were following Errings Rising members in that regard. If not. It would be just a little bit longer before her members absolutely squashed them. A delightful thought.

She turns herself and sees the ocean in the distance through some smoke. Glistening and beautifully open. Fiore and Bosco shared this view in different areas. But she had to admit hers was the best. No one could tell her otherwise. Her new country in just a few short minutes. Her view of the ocean. Hers. All of it. She glances down to see the status of her stage and notices that some of the rubble indeed had been moved finally. She moved to lower her wings, slowly letting herself land on the ground as she looked around at the soldiers going right by her clearing up the mess. The Harlequin was still holding onto Tanit Cavier just a short distance in front of the rubble of a city hall. “Are we excited for a show?!” She questions as she claps her hands together. She skipped over towards Cavier and leans forward to him. “Get away from me, girl.” He hissed at her. Sara grinned wide, showing off her sharp teeth. “No. I want to see the face of the man who’s head is being taken off because of me.” She giggles happily. She motions for the harlequin to follow her just before she turned around and looked to the stage that was set up. “Give me a block that goes to my knees.” She orders while she stands near the center of the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I am Queen Saraphina! The Queen of Errings Rising!” She projects as loudly as she can. She wanted the stragglers to hear her and come and see their ‘ruler’ be decapitated. “Tanit Cavier is a low life scum who wanted to hide in a hospital and sacrifice your souls to protect his hide! As the queen of a lovely guild, I have come to fulfill a goal! To purge the oppressors and remove the injustice of laws!” The soldiers set down a slab of rubble right next to the white haired queen. She looks around. Heads were slowly starting to peek out from around the buildings. She grinned. “I only wish to free you people of the unnecessary harm and oppression that people like Cavier set upon your poor souls! The robots that came around? None of those were mine! They attacked me and my guild! We wish to do nothing but protect people and free them!” She holds her hand out and smiles to herself. “Today, with you all as a witness, I shall free you from this oppressor!” The soldiers watched on as Cavier was brought to the slab.

Her hand had a sword form in her grasp as she stood there. Saraphina had the harlequin hold the pathetic excuse of a ruler down to the stone and she grinned. “As Queen of Errings Rising, the one who found you cowering in fear in a corner of a hospital, I relieve you of your duty as a ruler. You are hereby sent to justice. Before the mighty sword of Forseti you shall be judged and deemed well enough to go to Vahalla or Hel!” Her voice was still rather loud as she proclaimed this. The people who were straggling about started to come forth to see what was going on. The sheer amount of soldiers had them curious at first, but Saraphina’s display was what got them to continue to watch.

Saraphina put the broad side of the sword on the back of Caviers’ neck. She was getting herself ready for this. Slowly she turned the sword to have the sharp side balancing on his neck. The man was trembling as he knelt before the block. “Farewell, and thank you for the country.” She giggles as she grabs the handle with two hands before lifting the sword up over her shoulder, then quickly slamming the sword down on the neck, decapitating them rather quickly and smoothly. She honestly thought it would have taken more work to do… This was a new sword. “Justice says you don’t deserve Valhalla, and Hel is too merciful, but Hel is where you have gone for the rest of your life.” She says as she grabs the top of the head as she turned to face the crowd.

“I am Queen Saraphina of Errings Rising AND Hostia!”

Her voice was louder than before as she held up the head of the now former ruler. Showing the people the coward who led them before. “I will lead you to a better Hostia! A brighter Hostian future! A Hostian future where you see the world bowing to their knees!” She shook the head and the crowd of soldiers and straggler civilians ended up letting out roars of excitement. They were on her side. She wished she had a pike or something to stab the head on and let it be on display in front of the castle. Instead, the head would have to rest on the slab of stone, staring at the crowd before her. “If you do not pledge yourself to me and feel what I have done is unjust, please step forward.” Only a couple citizens had come forward now. The soldiers were already hers, she had no fear for them betraying her. With a deep breath and a sweet smile, she held her hands out towards the two who stepped forward. “I forgive you for choosing poorly. Soldiers.” She simply says and hears the clicking of guns before they shoot down the ones who rejected her. A smile was on her face again while she nodded. “Now! We need to start rebuilding Hostia to the glory it once was for us all to live in together!” She says and puts her hands on her hips. Finally she let her armor disappear back to whence it came, along with her sword. She was back in her white dress she came to Hostia in.

This was a glorious victory! Taking over the world shouldn’t be too hard now...

Username | Word count Goal | Word Count

Medeia | S rank: 8000 | 8023
Jennifer Ford | B; 3,500 | 4,660
Jester | 12,500 / 100 YR | 12,624
Cirven | S 8000 | 9760
Saraphina | 100y 12500 | 12886
Birch | 7,000/ A rank | 7325
Godlike Frederik | B 3500 | 4632