The ball was in full swing and packed with people, all wearing masks that obscured their features. As everyone moved off to find their partners, Foresna looked around and found a corner with people. He approached them and tapped four of them on the shoulder. \u201cGeniuses of reconstruction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMasters of the Realms,\u201d replied one in Lardeth\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe royal court,\u201d said a second in Arsha\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMake way for heroes,\u201d the last finished in Falnii\u2019s voice. Foresna sighed happily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe told you it wouldn\u2019t take long,\u201d chuckled Lardeth as he took Foresna\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know,\u201d replied Foresna as they danced. Arsha and Falnii danced together as the conversation went on. \u201cI just don\u2019t like hiding my face. It feels\u2026weird.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGoes against Halfling teachings, hm?\u201d chuckled Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, we\u2019ll reveal ourselves once the adventure part is over,\u201d assured Falnii. The two pairs then changed partners so that Falnii danced with Foresna and Lardeth danced with Arsha. \u201cAfter that, we can gaze as long as we want into one another\u2019s eyes and kiss as much as we want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow that sounds fun!\u201d purred Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know, I heard that this ball\u2019s adventure has TWO villains,\u201d mused Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTwo?\u201d asked Arsha as they all changed partners again, so Arsha was dancing with Foresna and Lardeth was dancing with Falnii. \u201cThat\u2019s a new one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wonder what prompted having two?\u201d quizzed Falnii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d replied Lardeth. \u201cAll I know are their titles, the Singer and the Puppet Master.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, this is sure to be an interesting-!\u201d Falnii\u2019s sentence was cut off as two wicked looking people opened the ballroom\u2019s windows and jumped into the room. One was an Orc woman with spiky armor and a skull embedded on each of her shoulder armor\u2019s long spike. The other was an Elf man in a dark Bard\u2019s outfit with his lute laced with axe heads. The Orc woman grabbed Keshnakh and held a blade near the new Empress\u2019 throat. The Elf man then grabbed Lardeth and got his arm around his waist before he strummed his lute and launched into a song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou may have heard of one like me!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n He prances and dances and sings with glee!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wherever there\u2019s strife, the Singer is there!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n He slaughters and slays with such merry flair!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I sing this song with all my breath<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Take heed! For this interlude ends with your death!<\/em>\u201d The Orc woman appeared to be listening to one of the skulls on her shoulders. She then turned to Keshnakh, who was enjoying being the hostage for this adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy boy on my right here says you\u2019re a spineless coward!\u201d Her attention was then grabbed by the other skull. \u201c\u2026No, I will NOT say that about her! That\u2019s disgusting!\u201d She then turned to the partiers. \u201cWhich of you will try and save them?!\u201d she challenged as the Elf Bard tied Lardeth and Keshnakh together in long ropes. \u201cCome on! Who will take on Thurnak the Puppet Master and Tulf the Singer?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPardon me!\u201d called Falnii. She then approached the two. \u201cVillains like you won\u2019t succeed here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, a hero tries to take center stage!\u201d laughed Thurnak. \u201cCome on, then!\u201d Falnii took her mask off and was given a prop sword. She then pointed her sword at the two villains and made a \u201ccome here\u201d gesture. The two then charged at her, beginning the fight. The crowd cheered for Falnii as her blade flashed and she threw sparks that were harmless but gave illusions of offensive spells being cast at the villains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGive it to \u2018em, Fluffy!\u201d cheered Arsha. \u201cGive it to-!\u201d She didn\u2019t watch where her hands were going, so she managed to sock herself in the jaw. \u201cOW!\u201d she yelped. Falnii showed no signs of letting up, then her blade locked with Thurnak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou see these two lads here to my left and my right? They have a very specific plan for you and I\u2019m-!\u201d She then stopped and listened to the skulls. \u201c\u2026Oh! Right, right, right!\u201d She returned her attention to Falnii. \u201cThey just want me to shut up and kill you!\u201d She then shoved Falnii back, freeing their weapons and allowing the fight to continue. This time, it was Tulf\u2019s turn to lock weapons with Falnii. He sang again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome join us in song and we will have fun!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The blood, it will run and run and run!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n She fights! She fights! For what could it be?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Zephyr must want to dance with me!\u201d<\/em> The song ended and Falnii shoved the Tulf back. The fight resumed, then Falnii slashed across Tulf\u2019s chest. He cried out in pain, then collapsed to his knees. He then looked up. \u201cMy final song is rather long, it\u2019s time for me to take a bow<\/em>\u2026on second thought, just do it now.\u201d She then stabbed him, and he fell to the floor. After that, it was just her and Thurnak. Thurnak laughed and turned to one of her skulls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s a good one, that is!\u201d she said. Annoyance then crossed her face and she turned to the other skull. \u201cThe Singer isn\u2019t laughing because he\u2019s bloody DEAD, you idiot!\u201d The duel continued, then Falnii slashed across Thurnak\u2019s chest. She fell to her knees and turned to her skulls. \u201cBoys, how could you let this happen?!\u201d She then listened to them, then laughed. “Ah, funny to the end! I’ll miss you guys!\u201d Falnii then stabbed her and she fell to the floor. Falnii then cut Lardeth and Keshnakh free. Keshnakh ran to Galnyar\u2019s arms as they took off their masks. Lardeth simply swooned in Falnii\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, brave Zephyr!\u201d he said. \u201cThank you so much for saving me from those fiends!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was nothing, my Lord,\u201d replied Falnii in a heroic voice. \u201cThey were no challenge whatsoever!\u201d She then planted a passionate kiss on Lardeth\u2019s lips, prompting the crowd to cheer. Everyone then took off their masks as the villains stood up. Keshnakh rejoined the group, and the players bowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know it\u2019s unusual to have more than one villain,\u201d called Keshnakh, \u201cbut this was the perfect opportunity to experiment with the idea of a hero struggling against more than one threat. Given what they went through during the Final War, Arsha and her lovers seemed to be an obvious choice. Now, we\u2019ve all heard about Arsha, our future Over-king here,\u201d she pointed to Lardeth, \u201cand we all saw Malnar\u2019s coronation and got to know the name of Gorfanth,\u201d Arsha arched an eyebrow, \u201cbut what about the other two? We\u2019ve never heard their names\u2026until now! So, everyone, cheer for our hero and our future Over-king\u2019s lover, Falnii Loftanaf!\u201d The crowd cheered and clapped, but as she did so, Arsha became lost in thought.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The ball was in full swing and packed with people, all wearing masks that obscured their features. As everyone moved off to find their partners, Foresna looked around and found a corner with people. He approached them and tapped four of them on the shoulder. \u201cGeniuses of reconstruction,\u201d he said. \u201cMasters of the Realms,\u201d replied […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,239],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-5421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-6-the-eternal-age-of-unity","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5421"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5422,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5421\/revisions\/5422"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}