PRETTY LITTLE KINGS
Shy maidens were a challenge for every humanoid culture back to the first
human girl. But for Bringlings this shy stretch didn't last long. For The
Bringlings were a matriarchal society and that meant it usually didn't take long
for pretty little things to turn into pretty little kings.
It had taken little time for the Kastron girls to find a field and convince the boy twins to fight to the death. Contests between men to impress women on this day was common, but they were usually done without weapons and not to the death… still they used their martial weaponry with the protection turned on so–although some blood could be spilt at least no one would get killed for real.
Deebit had been quiet up until the girls mentioned a deathmatch. “That’s not really allowed,” he said
“Quiet SQUIRREL! Don’t you know your place!”, said Urksa
"Squire", said Deebit softly. He and Trina made brief eye contact.
Aylia holding the till for the gondola flipped the vessel over causing Deebit and Trina to fall several hundred meters onto the field. “No more party poopers”, Aylia added.
It seemed cruel, but all Bringlings share basic protections from impacts, stabbing, suffocating, burning, freezing and more. Basically They are vulnerable to magical weapons, enchanted potions and generally magical items and actions explicitly made for killing bringlings and their enemies…. And actually yes, it WAS mean to dump them on the field of grass, because although nothing on their bodies was hurt in the least… hurt feelings still really hurt.
The fight moved in a direction away from Deebit and Trina.
Deebit checked on Trinadon, “How are you part of this family?” Deebit asked awkwardly.
“My ancestor Deston Wusk – a cousin of Rhea – was killed by the dragon Klytis. Deston faced him hastily because he opposed the plan the other knights wanted. He was friends with Badius’s father, but my great, great-grandfather was at that pointed orphaned as Badius took house Wusk for himself turning it to house Plumper. He showed us kindness by making us servile… I suppose he could have cast us out.”
“The slaying of the dragon Klytis is legendary… Badius was only a squire when it happened. But no one knows how he did it. As a squire I think about that a lot.” Deebit opined.
“I know it. He poisoned the Dragon.”
“Impossible, you can’t walk up to a dragon and offer him spiked tea”
“He poisoned his knights and let the dragon slay them and afterward the dragon ate his knights. And Klytis didn’t die--at least that is not known. He warped away never to be seen again.”
Somewhat of a pause overtook the conversation at that point.
Deebit didn’t know what to say and Trina began to survey the planet she was completely fascinated by the flora and fauna that covered all of Rheashan. She had never been on a planet with wildlife before and it showed.
Although not directly charged with escort duties it fell upon Deebit that he
needed to entertain his new friend and being unsophisticated as he was he
thought her likes to be the same as his and blurted "Do want to see some
slugs?"
The girl was less bashful and looked him in they eye answered honestly, "What
is a slug?"
Deebit didn't laugh but found it appalling no one had shown this girl a slug.
"A slug is..." He aborted his first explanation. "you know how some creatures can move all over the place
like kinda (hey flailed and squished his body) ...and with that threw his
second terrible explanation into the fire. Bringlings have no understanding how things work, things just work for them... And without an understanding of anatomy they aren't even capable of making the connections of what bones do inside their bodies and why slugs don't use them. It's very hard to explain such things when their meanings are lost.
"Want to see one? " Trina considered his words and accepted. They ran off in search of slugs. It was the start of the most disastrous date in history.
***
The two boys had been sword locked in a stalemate for long, and it was starting to bore the girls.
"Now slay him or lose our affections forever!: Urksa shouted and Aylia laughed.
Ipsil boosted his power beyond what was safe and struck the ground releasing a fantastic blast pushing both boys away and leaving a giant crater in the sacred earth.
“Haza Haza” Urksa cheered…. Finally I see champion blood!
Rasp perceived. Rasp broke and entered a retreating run slyly removing his weapons protections and gathering power for his next counter-attack. Ipsil was in hot pursuit lobbing tiny blasts everywhere he thought Rasp would be only for Rasp to dodge and see another piece of the beautiful planet get incinerated.
Urksa and Aylia enjoyed the ease it took to bring the boys blood to a boil, to
the point of death in a matter of an hour. The winner would get the girl and the
other would be deposed. More accurately the winner thought he would get
Both girls and the other would lie dead. And even more accurately both
would be dead and the girls would find other playthings if someone didn't up
the stakes soon.
Ipsil released his most powerful slashing attack which closed the distance and
destroyed half a mountain side. The attack was as slow as it was potent
making an easy dodge for Rasp.
Rasp retaliated with a series of quick connected blows that lasted about 30
seconds then he released an awkward static discharged which ruined the
terrain but gave Ipsil quite the laceration–an explicit sign that Rasp had lifted his protections. Ipsil–filled with rage also lifted his protections and sprung back into pursuit of his brother.
This time Ipsil feigned retreat, now on ground and running full speed through the meadow near the nine steps… in his craze he was preparing to get Rasp in a lined up terrain without limited escape option and blast him to bits with a concussive swing.
Urksa and Aylia floated high above safe from danger.
Lobbing taunts to Rasp "I think your chaotic discharge did improvement to our
ugly planet but don't forget you're going to have to kill to get what you want."
Rasp pursued Ipsil down the ravine with insane abandon. One more attack and his
brother wouldn't be dead but the duel would be lost. Did the girls really need
him dead? He didn't think much of it.
"Run little man run"
Then Ipsil came to an unexpected stop. Deebit and Trinadon were playing
near a natural well, both holding slugs and completely oblivious to the destruction
happening around them (Bringling duels were common so noises didn't
concern many, plus Bringlings were required to duel with protections ...
preventing any action that could potentially kill another.)
He lowered his sword to surrender not wanting to kill innocents.
The sisters relished this development. “You are about to die, and you want that little slave girl for the booby prize? HaHaHa.”
Ipsil became insane with rage and completely forgot about the innocent bystanders.
Rasp approached in madness and arched his back ready to begin his attack, but he
was fooled.... Ipsil planed the terrain very well... a long rocky ravine with just
enough room for his concussive blast. There would be no room to dodge, no counter-attack of a thousand blades.
He unleashed and immediately Rasp realized his folly, he
couldn't dodge only stand and receive the most powerful attack in the family's
arsenal, EXPLODE! smoke and debris covered hundreds of square meters
around the event.
Urksa and Aylia stood shocked for a moment then both laughed "Did HE actually
annihilate his brother! What a moron!"
As the dust cleared it became apparent that another not-before seen figure
stood between Rasp and Ipsil. A Whysan with black flaxen hair he wore a long jacket made from the leathery hide of some exotic animals.
The man seemed completely unscathed and looked not at either of the boys but down a newly formed chasm… perhaps a new opening for a spring well that had been blown open and swallowed the lovely Trina.
Deebit had been pushed aside into the grass and was in shock.
Rasp had cowered down to his fanny and was still holding his body as if to give it one last hug before he had to check it in at the afterlife and Ipsil stood in shock with shame creeping in at what he had just almost done.
"Get out of here Whysan interloper, you aren’t supposed to be here. you have ruined our sport"
"I'm afraid I can’t, I am a traveling expert who specializes in stopping and disciplining
young bringling fools before they destroy each other and this seems to be exactly where I am supposed to be"
"How dare you speak to us Whysan. We are Kastron's. Give us your name my father will have you Thrashed."
“Tell your father my name is Ghaedus… and since I was late for the explosion I will need to leave early before the thrashing. There’s just no time when–” CRACK! Urksa withdrew a hairpin which transformed into a short knife and with an expert swipe cast it to the ground hitting the Whysan in the head and causing him to fall over. His body disappeared into the tall grass.
Aylia’s attention was elsewhere for to her no Whysan posed a threat to her sister.
Deebit was in distress, “Trina has fallen in… in this hole.” We have to help her!
It was Aylia's turn to be terrible, "What awful things were you doing to that slave girl, Deebit? Slugs? Were you making her eat slugs? We don’t serve slave girls gourmet on this planet. I don’t think we should save that slug girl, it's better to leave here with her own kind." She blasted the opening with her fan causing more of a cave in but failing to block the exit. The girls laughed.l
“Don’t you!” Deebit yelled with force–but a warning bolt struck right before his feet. He was no match for these girls.
"Is this arrogance day and everyone wants punishment ... .well lets do this with a summon, Deebit… Will it be a dungeon or a dragon?"
Rasp and Ipsil were done with violence. They gave each other a knowing look, and walked off the field together as brothers.
"And there you have. All men lack the strength of Rhea and are therefore unworthy mates for us."
“My Mother always said the universe of the previous life was filled
with all types of genders beyond male and female. She often opined 'why, oh , why did Rhea
choose man as a companion.' I suppose the others must have been real pieces of work.”
“Who said that! Show yourself!”, Urksa barked.
"But I have already introduced myself. I am Ghaedus. And here I am. He stood atop a statue of an ancient Kastron ancestor. His voice carried like he was whispering in their ears."
Urksa’s hair glowed red for a moment as she transferred power for a greater attack she grabbed a larger hairpin. As she wound up for a swing energy released from the object. She swung and hit Ghaedus' perch directly destroying the statue and creating a large explosion with a mushroom cloud.
"Whysan, know thy place and by thy master thrive. Try thy master and by thy master die.", Again her attention changed thinking that there was no way a Whysan could withstand such an Attack.
“Kind of you to eulogize me.” Ghaedus was now standing on the furthest part of the oar of the gondola.
"Arrogance! We will handle you ourselves!", Urksa resolved.
The gondola exploded and the girls let gravity bring them to the land, slowing only the moment before touching ground. Ghaedus did similar but added a flip for show.
The blocking was set for the final showdown with Ghaedus in the middle and each girl flanking him at a 45% angle.
The girls communicated via telepathy:
Urksa: "A combined attack!"
Aylia: "I detect no power of deception. He must be strong enough to withstand your Attacks."
Urksa: "Nonsense, no whysan can withstand an attack from a Bringling. It must be some sort of super speed. Perhaps superspeed aided by some type of enchanted item."
Aylia: "I will cancel all enchantments using Whisk, and then you need to use Immobilization."
They acted in a moment. Aylia chopped the air with her fan whisking away all
enchantments and Urksa grabbed the floor activating her immobilization technique.
"Oh dear, said Ghaedus. trying to move his feet.... I seem to have been trapped and Trumped."
Closer the girls walked to Ghaedus. They were sinister and liked to play with their food before they slaughtered it.
"You think a Whysan could ever defeat a Bringling!?", Urksa barked.
"Well, I thought maybe it could happen but then again you girls are very clever."
"Know your betters," Urksa grabbed her largest hairpin… this time her hair was aflame with energy.
"Fool of a Whysan. Die as you deserve too " Aylia opened and aimed her hand
fan...In a flash both sisters had made a lunging motion and delivered their deadly
blow crisscrossing each other and then stopping still now
facing away from what was Ghaedus.
Each having delivered their fiercest of
blows... A large smoke cloud concealed the result for a moment and then
an uncharacteristic breeze lifted the veil.
Ghaedus stood in the middle unharmed he had not even flinched but the girls were not the same… for now Aylia’s fan was in Ghaedus’ hand. The moment she noticed he swatted the air and captured her in a cyclone that took her several kilometers away and destroyed her dress.
Completely incensed, Urksa grasped for hairpins using both hands, but something wasn’t right.
Her long hair had been transformed into a burnt husk.
And then a nearly naked Aylia fell from the sky on her bald sister
Both girls were now completely powerless.
"You needed this lesson for sure and I’m expecting a big thanks from your father, but do me a kind favor as I may have been a little harsh– if any parent asks you of these happenings, speak only of the wildlife you encountered. After all, you killed many innocent slugs today." Ghaedus looked towards the cavein that consumed Trina, looked at Deebit, shrugged then disappeared in a large puff of smoke.
The girls ran away crying.
Deebit sat stunned… then crawled to the edge of the well and said tepidly, “Trina?”