T̷h̷e̸ ̵G̶a̴m̸e̵ - A VR Role-play

[TamingMaster]

As the pyramid came fully into sight, Leita leaned forward on the crab, gasping at the sight before her.

At the base of the pyramid were stables built into the rock, each holding a creature, managed by its accompanying rider. Some rode giant beetles, others snakes and lizards, and some riding crabs much smaller, and less regal, than Tam. The riders themselves wore dark, wrap shirts, cream harem trousers, and various headscarves. Some were draped in gold, others less so, perhaps showing the differing levels of rank.

"Welcome to my Kingdom." Onuris smiled proudly, glancing over at Leita. He slowed Tam as the reached the pyramid, it almost shining in its true glory.

He slid off Tam, handing the reins to one of the wandering riders and extending a hand out for Leita. "Come, there is much to see."

Leita took his hand, following his slide off the crouching crab. She quickly let go, taking a few steps forward and soaking in the sights while Onuris prompted the rider to take Tam back to his stable. "This is amazing."

"Would you like to take a look inside?" Onuris asked rhetorically as he started walking alongside Leita, leading her towards a large, carved doorway, held up by towering pillars.

As they walked thorough, Leita's fingers skimmed the sandstone bricks, carefully tracing their shape. She had never seen anything like this, definitely not up close. It was breathtaking.

"Our Prince has returned," a woman's voice chimed out. Soon after, the woman in question appeared before them, greeting Onuris with a bow. Her face was hidden by a veil, but it was obvious that she was beautiful. Her body, though covered with cloth, was decorated heavily with gold, inferring a high status. "Is there anything I might help you with, Prince Onuris?"

"Please have the servants prepare a meal and attire for our guest." Onuris replied, gently taking her hands. "Thank you, Yamina."

"Oh no, no," Leita called out to Yamina as she, and the women behind her, started to leave. "I don't need attire, I-"
Leita tried to clarify, but the women had turned a corner and dissappeared from sight.

She turned back to Onuris, who had started to leave her behind, prompting a short jog to catch up with him. "I thought you said this was your Kingdom? Wouldn't that mean that you were the King?"

Onuris' charming smile dropped, slowly. "My father is King here- At least, he was." He sighed, leading Leita to a room that resembled a throne room. "He dissappeared many months ago, with little explanation."

"I'm sorry," Leita said softly, taking a few steps closer to him. She knew how it felt to lose a parent, and sympathised with the pain he must've felt.

Onuris glanced at the golden throne, sitting proudly on the raised, sandstone ground. "When I take a wife, I will become the rightful ruler, in my father's stead. I will be able to lead my people in a way they deserve."

"So, the woman from earlier..." Leita's thoughts trailed on from her words, trying to figure out how to phrase her question.

"Yamina, and the women accompanying her, are my admirers. Women who have travelled far across the lands, seeking to rule this Kingdom with me." Onuris smiled gently, leading Leita to another of his impressive rooms. "I, however, have already chosen who will be my wife..."

The newest room lead through into another room, the door between them made of hung silk sheets, dyed vibrant colours. Inside, there were what appeared to be maids, sorting out various attire, jewellery, and a few other things that Leita couldn't make out. Beyond it was another silken doorway, whatever was on the other side was hidden from view.

"This leads to the women's baths." Onuris spoke. "You may head through and cleanse yourself of the day's worries. Our maids are here to help you if you need anything, and there will be attire laid out for you. When you are done, the maids will take you through to our dining area, where we will have a feast to celebrate your arrival and my announcement."

"I, uh..." Leita was at a loss for words. "Yeah, sure... But I'd like to keep my current clothes."

"The maids will wash them and return them to you, after we have eaten. So, please consider our attire for a short time." Onuris headed back towards the doorway, brushing the silk to the side. "I must go for now, I hope the baths are to your satisfaction."
He ducked out of the room, leaving Leita confused, forcing her to figure things out on her own.

Leita submerged herself in the warm, clear water, letting out a soft sigh.
The water poured in from a heated underwater spring, trickling throughout the various baths. It produced a gentle steam, which flowed upwards and dissappeared into vapour.

She'd left her clothes behind, but decided to keep her swimsuit on, as it was something familiar and probably easy to hide under the attire she'd been given.

The baths were a refreshing change, compared to the sweltering and seemingly endless desert. It was also a good time to reflect on everything that had happened; waking up in a mountain, the sword, the little rock creature, the sudden terrain change, and... the vanishing wound. Not to mention Onuris and his giant crab.

None of it made much sense, and Leita couldn't seem to come up with any reasoning for it.

Eventually her spiralling thoughts were interrupted by a maid, informing her that it was almost time to eat, before ducking beyond the silk door once again.

Leita climbed out of the sunken sandstone baths, and shook off as much of the water as possible, before heading through to dry and change.

The dress laid out for her was a long seafoam green gown, that faded into a delicate blue, stitched from a fabric she'd never seen before.

She slipped it on, over the swimsuit, which was well hidden, despite the stitched pattern of the dress, which seemed to cross and weave every so often.

Then she headed through the silk door, and lead by a maid to the dining hall, where atop the low table sat huge golden glass plates that laid host to a variety of foods.

Some had slices of fruits and vegetables that vaguely resembled the foods she was used to, but many were the wrong colour, the wrong shape, the wrong texture. A few even looked more like flowers than any vegetable she'd seen. The other plates were decorated with what she assumed was meat, or at least some variation of meat.

Between the chaotic, but beautiful, display of plates, pitchers, and cups, were huge vases, filled with tall and trailing plants. But, even with everything and all its beauty, there didn't seem to be any cutlery available.

It wasn't long before Onuris had spotted Leita, taking her gently by the hand. "Come, take a seat beside me."

He was dressed in elegant, flowing fabrics, decorated with elaborate gold chains and jewels, especially focused around his head. Definitely more suited for an important event than what he was previously wearing.

He lead her over to the low table where, instead of the usual chairs, it was surrounded by cushions.

Leita sat near the end, next to Onuris, who sat at the very end on a pile of white silk pillows, supported by a golden cradle, raising him slightly off the ground.

They were joined by people Leita assumed were of high ranks, or had positions of power, due to their appearances. They were also joined by Yamina and a few of the other potential suitors.

"Before we begin," Onuris started, now standing, "I have an announcement."
He grinned widely, glancing down at Leita.

Leita had seen the look before, and knew what was coming. She tried to get his attention, signal to him to stop, but the words were already leaving his mouth.

"I have chosen Leita to become my wife."

 

[HeavensHens88]

Cassie yelped as the white light of the lightning flashed around her, the sound was a deafening roar of noise, first it was the wood splitting then the thunder which was a ruckus of loud noises. Cassie was fairly certain her heart froze in her chest for several seconds as the lightning dashed around her, the heavier the snow clouds became and the more lightning that appeared just seemed to feed her fear, and then the flurry of white came.

It started off as just a small amount of snow but it soon began to grow and within a few short seconds the first flurry had become a winter snowstorm. A snowstorm coupled with an electrical storm couldn’t be a good mix, dangerous in fact. She glanced at Sphagnum and heard it say “cave.”

That one word made her able to breathe again. Cave. In the few moments where things had gone from bad to worse she had forgotten there existed such a thing as a cave, without waiting for the tree creature she ran, as fast as her mortal legs would carry her. She slid to a stop in the cave mouth as the thunderstorm raged outside.

Cassie caught her breath for a few moments before uttering the one single phrase which seemed to feed Sphagnum’s desire to get both itself and her killed, “I am not going out there again”.

Not five seconds after she had said that the tree was pushing itself back out into the wild weather, Cassie stared at it. “You have to be kidding me!” She cried running a hand through her hair, “I’m not going” she muttered “no, Cassie you listen to me. You’re not getting yourself killed over a tree”. She glanced into the flurrying snow for the tree like creature, it appeared to have disappeared. Don’t do it Cassie!

“Sphagnum WAIT!” She howled running out the cave despite the chilling sick feeling in her stomach begging her to turn around and go back for safety. She caught up to the tree relatively fast, and she dropped to a walk. Every bone in her body humming with adrenaline, she surprisingly was grinning from ear to ear. It was great. She had done it, no sooner had she thought this a lightning bolt hit the ground not five feet from them.

“Its aiming for us” Sphagnum said, “no kidding!” Cassie replied her anxiety flaring up once again.
“Run.”
And she was off. Speeding through the forest like a racehorse down the track, she let out a scream as lighting struck the tree next to her and she momentarily paused thinking it was Sphagnum but alas it wasn’t.

“What do we do?!” Cassie shouted over her shoulder to Sphagnum, if it heard her or not she wasn’t entirely sure but it didn’t matter she just had to run. Get away from the lightning strikes threatening to destroy her and her tree companion.

Sphagnum thundered forward, doing its best to surge against the adamant insistence of rooting down.

Just as a crumbling outcrop came into view, a finger of lighting found victorious purchase on Sphagnum’s shoulder.
Though the bolt ultimately had no shock value against Sphagnum and additionally missed the vital crown of leaves, it did sear a good portion of its upper roots right off and singed the right arm of the fine suede jacket to charred
flaps.

“There.” While in the throes of being acquainted with major phantom limb syndrome, Sphagnum signaled the rocks ahead to Cassie, who was leading their run at this point.
It staggered a bit to work off the aftershocks of losing one of the primary components to its digestive system, then stubbornly launched back into its stride to close the gap between them and the apparent sanctuary.

Sphagnum wanted desperately to remind itself that they shouldn’t be trusting anything for what it seemed, but it rushed in without the observatory pause that would normally be appropriate.

The lack of which might just prove to be a significant mistake.

Sphagnum leaned against one of the stalagmite-heavy walls that now enclosed them and faced its equally taxed companion. "That was certainly enlightening."

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Sphagnum thundered forward, doing its best to surge against the adamant insistence of rooting down.

Just as a crumbling outcrop came into view, a finger of lighting found victorious purchase on Sphagnum’s shoulder.
Though the bolt ultimately had no shock value against Sphagnum and additionally missed the vital crown of leaves, it did sear a good portion of its upper roots right off and singed the right arm of the fine suede jacket to charred
flaps.

“There.” While in the throes of being acquainted with major phantom limb syndrome, Sphagnum signaled the rocks ahead to Cassie, who was leading their run at this point.
It staggered a bit to work off the aftershocks of losing one of the primary components to its digestive system, then stubbornly launched back into its stride to close the gap between them and the apparent sanctuary.

Sphagnum wanted desperately to remind itself that they shouldn’t be trusting anything for what it seemed, but it rushed in without the observatory pause that would normally be appropriate.

The lack of which might just prove to be a significant mistake.

Sphagnum leaned against one of the stalagmite-heavy walls that now enclosed them and faced its equally taxed companion. "That was certainly enlightening."

Cassie saw the bright fork which struck Sphagnum out the corner of her eye, she assumed he would have howled or shouted should it have really done any damage. So she continued to run.

The rocky outcrop ahead stood out like a star against an inky black sky. “Oh thank god!” She cried pushing her way against the wall, she stared at Sphagnum as it stumbled into the rocky sanctuary.

“That was certainly enlightening.” Cassie slowly raised her eyes from the floor to stare at it, was it crazy?! Enlightening?! “Enlightening? Are you totally mad?! We just made a mad dash through a thunderstorm trying to kill us, and all you can say is that was enlightening?!” Cassie angrily folded her arms and glowered at the floor, she didn’t really want to look at it’s infuriating face.

 

[TamingMaster]

Lyra rolled her eyes, moody much? The other person, who’s name she still didn’t know, crossed to the other side of the cave leaving her sitting alone on the cold stone floor.
here I thought perhaps we were getting to know each other, even just a little. She let out a groan and pushed herself to her feet.

Lyra leaned against the wall deciding to give this person their space and let them bash their head against the wall should they feel the need. By no means was she going to stop them if they did, free entertainment. She smirked to herself and tried to not laugh.

Fabian continued out of the cave, marching towards the lichen covered rocks they had seen earlier, each step becoming more and more desperate.

The snow had almost thawed completely, and had soaked into the ground, rinsing down onto the pebbled plain that they had started to cross.

As they reached the first of many large boulders, that seemingly replaced the trees, they stopped in their tracks.

The air was a lot more quiet than they'd remembered, especially without Lyra. There was birdsong, and the flitter of tiny insects, the water trickling away, but it felt like nothing was loud enough.

Tears started to roll down their cheeks, dragging some of their eyeliner with each drop, gently leaving streaks down their face.

They slowly let themself fall to their knees, cupping their eyes as they did. Soft sobs followed, appearing louder than they were as the sound scattered through the open air.

Now that they'd thought about it, this was the longest time they'd gone without talking to their moms, without seeing them, without telling them that they loved them both.

And they were so exhausted... and angry, with themselves... and scared.

Their feelings and thoughts were conflicted; they desperately wanted to go home, they wanted to be selfish and just leave Lyra behind. But, at the same time, they knew that their moms would never leave someone like her to deal with this alone.

Fabian sat up a little, rubbing the tears away and taking a deep breath. Despite everything, they decided that they were going to get out of this place, and hopefully help Lyra out too.

They carefully stood up, taking a long breath in as they did, before glancing back at the cave opening.

Do I go back in, or should I wait for her to come out... ?

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Fabian continued out of the cave, marching towards the lichen covered rocks they had seen earlier, each step becoming more and more desperate.

The snow had almost thawed completely, and had soaked into the ground, rinsing down onto the pebbled plain that they had started to cross.

As they reached the first of many large boulders, that seemingly replaced the trees, they stopped in their tracks.

The air was a lot more quiet than they'd remembered, especially without Lyra. There was birdsong, and the flitter of tiny insects, the water trickling away, but it felt like nothing was loud enough.

Tears started to roll down their cheeks, dragging some of their eyeliner with each drop, gently leaving streaks down their face.

They slowly let themself fall to their knees, cupping their eyes as they did. Soft sobs followed, appearing louder than they were as the sound scattered through the open air.

Now that they'd thought about it, this was the longest time they'd gone without talking to their moms, without seeing them, without telling them that they loved them both.

And they were so exhausted... and angry, with themselves... and scared.

Their feelings and thoughts were conflicted; they desperately wanted to go home, they wanted to be selfish and just leave Lyra behind. But, at the same time, they knew that their moms would never leave someone like her to deal with this alone.

Fabian sat up a little, rubbing the tears away and taking a deep breath. Despite everything, they decided that they were going to get out of this place, and hopefully help Lyra out too.

They carefully stood up, taking a long breath in as they did, before glancing back at the cave opening.

Do I go back in, or should I wait for her to come out... ?

Lyra leaned against the wall tracing her fingers in circles on her hands, she wanted out. She wanted out of this stupid place, she wanted to go home. It was hard enough to be in an odd new place but when the one other person who she thought might understand ignored her and behaved as though they’d rather be alone than have her anywhere near them it just made it fifty times worse.
She craned her neck to try and see if the other person, and if they were banging their head against the wall yet. She sighed with disappointment when they were just standing there crying, she’d much rather see them bashing their head against stone than being all weepy and emotional.

 

[HeavensHens88]

Cassie saw the bright fork which struck Sphagnum out the corner of her eye, she assumed he would have howled or shouted should it have really done any damage. So she continued to run.

The rocky outcrop ahead stood out like a star against an inky black sky. “Oh thank god!” She cried pushing her way against the wall, she stared at Sphagnum as it stumbled into the rocky sanctuary.

“That was certainly enlightening.” Cassie slowly raised her eyes from the floor to stare at it, was it crazy?! Enlightening?! “Enlightening? Are you totally mad?! We just made a mad dash through a thunderstorm trying to kill us, and all you can say is that was enlightening?!” Cassie angrily folded her arms and glowered at the floor, she didn’t really want to look at it’s infuriating face.

Sphagnum considered Cassie for a long moment. She was plenty sodden and duly unnerved, but those factors didn't do much to dampen her spirit of resistance.

It resisted an approving grin that would likely garner more dislike. Sphagnum had long ago decreed to itself that it quite liked this scrappy kid, and didn't want to see her entirely at odds with it.

Even though they'd escaped the brunt of the storm, the rocks they were sheltering beneath were separate slabs that didn't interlock perfectly. Consequently, a smattering of flakes wound their way down and plagued the refugees to the best of their ability.

Still, it was a mere tickling compared to the onslaught they'd been experiencing moments prior.

"Oh, no, we were just intentionally assaulted by a violent thunder-snowstorm and now we're in very mortal danger of never recovering our mental stability," Sphagnum enunciated abruptly, putting just enough emotion to sell the statement as commiseration for one who'd just suffered a papercut. "Does that better sum your feelings on the experience?"

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Sphagnum considered Cassie for a long moment. She was plenty sodden and duly unnerved, but those factors didn't do much to dampen her spirit of resistance.

It resisted an approving grin that would likely garner more dislike. Sphagnum had long ago decreed to itself that it quite liked this scrappy kid, and didn't want to see her entirely at odds with it.

Even though they'd escaped the brunt of the storm, the rocks they were sheltering beneath were separate slabs that didn't interlock perfectly. Consequently, a smattering of flakes wound their way down and plagued the refugees to the best of their ability.

Still, it was a mere tickling compared to the onslaught they'd been experiencing moments prior.

"Oh, no, we were just intentionally assaulted by a violent thunder-snowstorm and now we're in very mortal danger of never recovering our mental stability," Sphagnum enunciated abruptly, putting just enough emotion to sell the statement as commiseration for one who'd just suffered a papercut. "Does that better sum your feelings on the experience?"

Cassie folded her arms tightly across her chest fixing it with a long hard stare, her anger radiated off her like some sort of nuclear explosion zone. “Are you…teasing me?!” She snapped shooting it a glare.

Thunder cracked overhead and lightning shot through the sky lighting up the ground outside the rocky outcrop, a snowflake landed on her head and she flinched. “Does that sum up my feelings if the experience? Hmm uh…how about no! My feelings of the experience are I don’t know…maybe I’m low key disturbed about the fact that a thunderstorm is trying to kill me, the fact I’m stuck here in a strange place and talking to a walking tree which just got struck by lightning and it seems like it hasn’t been affected!” She cried running a hand through her hair.

 

[HeavensHens88]

Cassie folded her arms tightly across her chest fixing it with a long hard stare, her anger radiated off her like some sort of nuclear explosion zone. “Are you…teasing me?!” She snapped shooting it a glare.

Thunder cracked overhead and lightning shot through the sky lighting up the ground outside the rocky outcrop, a snowflake landed on her head and she flinched. “Does that sum up my feelings if the experience? Hmm uh…how about no! My feelings of the experience are I don’t know…maybe I’m low key disturbed about the fact that a thunderstorm is trying to kill me, the fact I’m stuck here in a strange place and talking to a walking tree which just got struck by lightning and it seems like it hasn’t been affected!” She cried running a hand through her hair.

"This?" Sphagnum turned toward the afflicted shoulder. "Oh, it's certainly uncomfortable." Indeed, the marbled skin from its collar to the wrist of that arm was an unsightly, dead pale and pocketed with oozing depressions where roots had once grown. Sphagnum's property of instantaneous regrowth hadn't even attempted to begin making repairs; by the looks of it, this was in the exclusive class of extensive damage that would remain for days. "I'd go so far too depict it as pain."

"But the lethal factor of lightning is usually the electrical shock, correct?" Sphagnum rolled up the sleeve of its good arm to display the distinct stone qualities. "The innermost portions of my form are solid rock. It couldn't do much more than singe me. Now, if it had hit my crown or these-" Sphagnum lifted each root-infested hoof in quick succession. "- I might've been left with a wound that could prove fatal."

Forgetting their restrictive shelter, Sphagnum attempted to straighten up and collided quite ungracefully with the jagged ceiling.

"Upon second thought, that's purely hypothetical. I have yet to perish, so I suppose I'm immortal until proven otherwise."

"Speaking of which, what do you require to survive?" Sphagnum put up a hand and started enumerating bare necessities on its twig fingers.
Perhaps planning out a secure future would settle her. Also, Sphagnum knew just how fragile humans were. It didn't want to squander time and risk Cassie dying of a sneeze- which was entirely possible.
"Going off of prior observations of your kind...
Shelter: accomplished for the time being. Water: uncertain. Food: needed?"

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

"This?" Sphagnum turned toward the afflicted shoulder. "Oh, it's certainly uncomfortable." Indeed, the marbled skin from its collar to the wrist of that arm was an unsightly, dead pale and pocketed with oozing depressions where roots had once grown. Sphagnum's property of instantaneous regrowth hadn't even attempted to begin making repairs; by the looks of it, this was in the exclusive class of extensive damage that would remain for days. "I'd go so far too depict it as pain."

"But the lethal factor of lightning is usually the electrical shock, correct?" Sphagnum rolled up the sleeve of its good arm to display the distinct stone qualities. "The innermost portions of my form are solid rock. It couldn't do much more than singe me. Now, if it had hit my crown or these-" Sphagnum lifted each root-infested hoof in quick succession. "- I might've been left with a wound that could prove fatal."

Forgetting their restrictive shelter, Sphagnum attempted to straighten up and collided quite ungracefully with the jagged ceiling.

"Upon second thought, that's purely hypothetical. I have yet to perish, so I suppose I'm immortal until proven otherwise."

"Speaking of which, what do you require to survive?" Sphagnum put up a hand and started enumerating bare necessities on its twig fingers.
Perhaps planning out a secure future would settle her. Also, Sphagnum knew just how fragile humans were. It didn't want to squander time and risk Cassie dying of a sneeze- which was entirely possible.
"Going off of prior observations of your kind...
Shelter: accomplished for the time being. Water: uncertain. Food: needed?"

Cassie stared at it’s shoulder, that looked painful and suddenly she felt an overwhelming regret for her words. She had been angry, upset and frightened and she had just lashed out at the closest thing. Unfortunately that had been Sphagnum. It talked and she didn’t say anything, not a word.

Sphagnum straightened up and collided with the ceiling, “are you okay?” The first words she had spoken to him which hadn’t been angry, or curious, the first words which actually showed any sort of caring about it.

She lifted her eyes slowly from the floor of the cave, “immortal? How old exactly are you?” She asked tilting her head ever so slightly to show slight curiosity. It asked her what she needed to survive, and she was inclined to become defensive because she thought she appeared weak and useless but she fought her immediate reaction and replied to the question without snapping or sounding snappy.

“Shelter, we already have that. Water, definitely. Food, yeah. Warmth, could be another thing should it start snowing heavily.” She informed it, “how about you? I know you’re like immortal and stuff but what happens to kill you off?”

 

[TamingMaster]

Leita submerged herself in the warm, clear water, letting out a soft sigh.
The water poured in from a heated underwater spring, trickling throughout the various baths. It produced a gentle steam, which flowed upwards and dissappeared into vapour.

She'd left her clothes behind, but decided to keep her swimsuit on, as it was something familiar and probably easy to hide under the attire she'd been given.

The baths were a refreshing change, compared to the sweltering and seemingly endless desert. It was also a good time to reflect on everything that had happened; waking up in a mountain, the sword, the little rock creature, the sudden terrain change, and... the vanishing wound. Not to mention Onuris and his giant crab.

None of it made much sense, and Leita couldn't seem to come up with any reasoning for it.

Eventually her spiralling thoughts were interrupted by a maid, informing her that it was almost time to eat, before ducking beyond the silk door once again.

Leita climbed out of the sunken sandstone baths, and shook off as much of the water as possible, before heading through to dry and change.

The dress laid out for her was a long seafoam green gown, that faded into a delicate blue, stitched from a fabric she'd never seen before.

She slipped it on, over the swimsuit, which was well hidden, despite the stitched pattern of the dress, which seemed to cross and weave every so often.

Then she headed through the silk door, and lead by a maid to the dining hall, where atop the low table sat huge golden glass plates that laid host to a variety of foods.

Some had slices of fruits and vegetables that vaguely resembled the foods she was used to, but many were the wrong colour, the wrong shape, the wrong texture. A few even looked more like flowers than any vegetable she'd seen. The other plates were decorated with what she assumed was meat, or at least some variation of meat.

Between the chaotic, but beautiful, display of plates, pitchers, and cups, were huge vases, filled with tall and trailing plants. But, even with everything and all its beauty, there didn't seem to be any cutlery available.

It wasn't long before Onuris had spotted Leita, taking her gently by the hand. "Come, take a seat beside me."

He was dressed in elegant, flowing fabrics, decorated with elaborate gold chains and jewels, especially focused around his head. Definitely more suited for an important event than what he was previously wearing.

He lead her over to the low table where, instead of the usual chairs, it was surrounded by cushions.

Leita sat near the end, next to Onuris, who sat at the very end on a pile of white silk pillows, supported by a golden cradle, raising him slightly off the ground.

They were joined by people Leita assumed were of high ranks, or had positions of power, due to their appearances. They were also joined by Yamina and a few of the other potential suitors.

"Before we begin," Onuris started, now standing, "I have an announcement."
He grinned widely, glancing down at Leita.

Leita had seen the look before, and knew what was coming. She tried to get his attention, signal to him to stop, but the words were already leaving his mouth.

"I have chosen Leita to become my wife."

Leita's face contorted, scrunching up tightly. "Thanks for the offer, but no."

The table fell silent, not even a whisper could be heard, and all eyes were on the prince.

The guards that stood around the edges of the room had stiffened, their hands perched eagerly on the handles of their weapons, their eyes glancing between Onuris and Leita.

Onuris' cheerful expression dropped from his face and his eyes narrowed. He a step closer to Leita, looking down at her. "Are you refusing my offer?"

"Yeah," Leita said, carefully noting the sudden tension in the room. She slowly shifted her sitting position to one she could easily stand from, if needed. "Sorry..."

"There is no need to apologise," Onuris spoke, a sly smile growing as he spoke. "Perhaps a night in the dungeons will help you reconsider?"

He glaced over at the guards, giving a short nod. They, in turn, stepped towards Leita; the pair reached towards her, presumably to drag her off to somewhere far from the light of day.

But, she absolutely wasn't going to reconsider, and definitely she wasn't going to any dungeon.

She quickly got to her feet, flinging a large plate, and all its contents, at the pair of guards behind her.

The slimy plant leaves spilled across the fine, black fabric of their shirts, and hit the floor with the same grotesque motion.

Leita rushed towards the doorway, pushing a lone guard out of her way. She raced through the maze of rooms, trying to figure out which way the escape was. Come on, I know it was around here somewhere...

The guards tried to rush after her, but they were quickly divided. Some tripped over the spilled food, tripping others, a few had gone to alert more guards, and a small handful had stayed beside the prince as he made his way to Leita.
Only two had actually managed to keep up with her, and they were determined to catch her.

The first guard grabbed her arm, landing a hefty fist to the face from Leita. Their eyes welled with tears, the impact forcing them to weaken their grip on Leita and cup their nose, whimpering.

"Sorry," Leita said quietly, quickly pushing them off, before continuing to the exit. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but she didn't really have a choice this time.

The door that led to freedom was blocked by a large, muscular guard, who stood with her arms crossed, without a weapon. Easy enough, right?

Onuris and his two guards came through a doorway on the other side of the room, and behind her was the guard that had been chasing her previously. All had swords drawn, and had blocked every accessible door.

The only way out was a fight.

One of Onuris' guards made the first move, leaving the others protecting any possible escape route. He swung the sword towards her, missing her by just a hair.

Leita twisted, firing a kick towards his hand, hoping to somehow knock the sword from his hand. At least then she'd stand a chance.

Unfortunately, the guard was a lot quicker on his feet than Leita had imagined, and he ended up knocking her to the ground.

"Ugh," Leita groaned, momentum dragging her across the sandstone floor. The force had knocked some of the wind out of her, but luckily she only had a few scrapes across her knees and elbows.

After a couple of short breaths, she pushed herself up and got back on her feet. The dress she had been wearing had torn across the front, shorting it to around the length her knees.

Leita glared at the prince, before tearing the fabric from the bottom of the dress and holding it taut between her hands.

The guard stepped towards her, smiling smugly as he swung the sword in circles, before swinging the sword at her.

She missed the first two and, on his third swing, Leita used the fabric to catch the sword, wrapping it tightly and ripping it from his hands.
It was flung across the room, dragging the now split pieces of fabric with it.

His ego had been hit hard, and it took him a few seconds to recover. But, by then, Leita had already kicked him back, knocking him to the floor.

She raced over to the sword, scooping it up eagerly with both hands and pointing it at the flattened guard.

He wasn't a coward, but he knew he didn't stand a chance without a weapon, and decided to retreat back to the prince's side.

The other guard scoffed at the retreating man, walking over to Leita. They took their stance in front of her, lightly holding the sword up.

Unlike the other one, this guard was less aggressive, and much more cautious. The glint in their eyes showed excitement, but they kept themselves calm, despite it.

One of their hands lifted from the sword handle, beckoning her to take a swing at them, before returning to its previous position.

"If you insist," Leita muttered, taking the first swing. Their swords collided, crashing against one another with a loud clang.

The guard was skilled, carefully picking points of attack. At one point, Leita almost struggled to keep up, nearly losing her footing.

After a few more minutes of clashing swords and near misses from both sides, the pair stepped back from each other, taking a minute to catch their breath.

Even though things were quite serious, Leita could tell they were enjoying themselves. She would have been lying if she said she wasn't also, even just a tiny bit.

"This is ridiculous," Onuris remarked, making his way over to join the fight. He held his sword loosely in one hand, calmly and confidently.

The swordless guard, and the guard who had been blocking other doorway, rushed over to him, trying to prevent him from joining in and possibly getting injured by a feral Leita.

But, he refused to let them stop him, especially against such a challenge. He continued to march over, prompting the swordless guard to fetch some help.

Leita's current opponent lost their focus for a moment, to check on the prince. And that was all Leita needed.

She used her sword to knock their's from their hands, then followed through with a sharp punch to the jaw.

They stumbled back, teeth gritted tightly. They stepped forward to face her head on, but were simply brushed to the side by Onuris. "You've done well, but I will take it from here."

"Your Highness, I-"

Onuris glanced at them, causing them to step aside and watch hesitantly from the sidelines.

He turned his full attention to Leita, staring with a blank expression, before holding his sword up. "This will be your last chance to reconsider."

Leita's face scrunched up, angrier than she had been before. She wasn't going to reconsider, and she was going to make sure he got that message.

This time, she was the aggressive one, swinging quickly and violently. But, she didn't lose her head, she stayed focused and light on her feet.

Onuris, on the other hand, stayed consistently calm. Compared to him, she looked like an unoccupied child swinging a stick around.

But, his lack of wanting to harm his future wife had forced him to hold back, and that gave Leita the upper hand.

A long minute had passed, filled with vicious metallic clangs, before Leita decided she was bored of his games.

She swung close, arching it towards his head. As he ducked down, she used all her remaining energy to knock him flat on his back. His sword clattered against the ground, just out of arm's reach.

She now stood over him, her sword pointed down at his throat. "I will never want to be your wife."

He looked up at her, smirking slightly, as guards rushed in through every doorway, forming a ring around her and the prince.

Leita swallowed hard, her heart racing in her chest.as she muttered under her breath. Crap...

The thick tension was cut completely by Onuris bursting out with laughter, his hand held up as a signal to his guards to stand down. "That... That was even better than I had imagined."

"W-What?" Leita held the sword tightly, still pointed at Onuris. "What is this?"

"Do not worry," Onuris said, his laughter softening. He carefully brushed the sword out of his way, rising to his feet. "I do not want to marry you, for I have promised my heart to Yamina."

"Then, why all of this?" Leita asked, her expression scrunched tightly. She kept the sword pointed loosely in his direction, watching him pick up his sword and hand it to one of the newest guards.

"Ah," Onuris nodded. "It was a test. You see, I had to know how you would react, and how well you could fight, before I asked you to do something even more important."

Leita lowered the sword, letting it drop to her side. She didn't believe he was lying, and the guards clearing away from the doorways reinforced that belief.

She had a lot of things she wanted to say, like how crazy this all was and how she'd just hurt a bunch of people for no reason, but decided to keep it less confrontational. "Ask away, I guess."

"I would like you to find my father." Onuris glanced up, his expression appearing more serious. "Should you accept, you will be given a choice of weapons, clothing, creatures for riding, and anything else you may need to bring my father back. And you will be rewarded handsomely, upon completion."

He let out a soft sigh, "Should you refuse, you will be allowed to leave safely. One of our riders will take you to the edge of the desert and, from there, you will have to find your own way."

Leita paused, thinking it over. If she was in his position, she would have probably gone to the same lengths to get her father back. But, on the other hand, she had to find a way home, so that she could see her dad again.

"I'm really sorry," Leita sighed, a tinge of guilt tugging at her heart, "but I can't help you."

"I understand." Onuris smiled sadly. He took a deep breath, speaking again, before Leita could. "Please, come, let us return your previous attire."

Leita followed Onuris through the rooms, still carrying the sword she had swiped from a guard.

He led her to a smaller room, much like the dining hall, with a little table inside. On it were Leita's clothes, bag, and sword, laid out carefully. "Take as much time as you require, and our servants are available when you're ready to go."

Onuris smiled, before turning to leave, lifting the silk door. "Also, you are welcome to keep the sword. You won it fairly, and I am sure it will serve you well."

"Thank you," Leita replied sincerely, letting out a gentle sigh as she was left in the quiet room, alone. I know I can't help, I have to get home. But, still... I feel bad for him.

Once she had changed, leaving the dress folded on the table next to her old sword, she headed out of the room.
The first servant she spoke to quickly left to fetch Onuris and a rider, returning a few moments later with them both.

The rider fetched a large, spiny lizard with a saddle like a rollercoaster seat, to ride. But, before the rider could help her up into it, she was slowed by Onuris.

"If you should ever change your mind, seek the desert." He looked at her for a moment, watching her climb up the lizard's back, aided by the rider.

Leita nodded, letting moment pass. "I can't promise anything, but I'll look out for any information about your father."

"It is much appreciated," Onuris smiled, watching the lizard begin it's journey, taking Leita to the edge of the biome.

"Ah!" He called out, remembering an important piece of information. "Be warned, the Safe Zone is not as its name suggests. The people there are not to be trusted."

"Thank you!" Leita waved, letting him know she'd heard him and he got further and further away, until he faded beyond the horizon.

Well, that was weird...