Solstice War - Gathering

[willysilver]

The Solstice was upon them. When the sun went down the magic began to swell, the veil between this world and the Other Side thin as vapor. Mortals could sense it, even, though they may not have a name for it. They gathered together, not realizing the animal instinct of safety in numbers.

But all around the city, from the dark parts, fae began to come together as well. Unseelie filled the city- boggarts and Red Caps and things unseen for many a year with bright eyes and sharp teeth. But they were tricksy, dangerous and malicious but no worse than they ever were. The real threat, the ever present danger this year, were the Milesian that crawled out of the sewers and tube tunnels to prowl they city. They were hunting tonight. They had eyes black and soulless, eyes too wide for their white, gaunt faces. Larger than their eyes were their mouth. The smile of needle fangs glinted in the street lights. Long arms ending with spidery, spindly fingers reached and clawed at passers by from the shadows.

There was a war in the city tonight and the nature of the foe, the Milesian, meant no bound mortal needed to be near any battle. Death would come to one or the other if a killing blow came down.

But there was hope. Seelie fae prowled the city as well, fighting for Light and Air. Even the Queen had seen fit to step through with her sword and shield. Such was the threat to the Fae way of life that the Milesian presented.

The longest day of the year dawned but the sunlight did nothing to frighten off the dark forces. The longest day of the year simply meant the things that went bump in the night were attacking in the light.




(Tag in, tag around! Open all week so check back. Have fun with your adventures. If you don't want any Milesian, there are plenty of Unseelie, too. Day or night, whichever works for you.)

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[willysilver]

Willy shook the creature off with Fin's help, then whirled on it to slash it down. There were so many, so very many crawling out of the darkness. All of Willy's brothers were fighting for their lives. If it had only been Unseelie this would all have been tradition, a mere formality. But the Milesian were out for vengeance and they did not stand on protocol.

Hot magic and cold iron made the night air sing. The foes would attack and retreat when one of their number was slain. The body would hit the ground and turn to nothing more than wisps of black vapor. Two went down by Willy's hand, many more by his brothers, and yet they still kept coming.

Three converged on Willy and he was too busy with the fight to see if Fin was safe. He only knew he was fighting for his life...a fact that became concrete as spindly fingers strong as steel closed around his throat from behind.

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin's vision was blurred, and the best he could do was focus on the gleam of teeth as the creatures came at him, occasionally putting his shield back up to ward off attacks between swinging his sword. His hands were shaking a little, but Fin did his best. His best was all he could do.

[willysilver]

They all fought so valiantly. All of Willy's brothers gave their all, and Willy was like as if he were possessed. The Milesian came from the shadows and threatened to overrun them again and again. And all night long they fell under the sharp blades and the furious blood of the fae brethren. Willy stopped more than one that was charging for Fin, but not all. He was too busy trying to fight them off.

The sky in the east warmed to a pale grey. The Solstice was coming to an end. The rising of the sun would see who emerged triumphant. They had killed so many, and Willy was sure it had been so all over the city. When the sun broke the horizon it would be over, he just needed to hold out. Hold firm.

The light grew from grey to gold and still Willy fought. But just before the sun rose there was a last swell of vicious monsters. They swarmed like bees, scratching, clawing, biting...

Too many at once saw Willy fall to the ground. He used fists to batter them back but the onslaught was too much. No magic, no power, no blade could help him.

Willy fell to the ground under an ocean of gnashing teeth and clawing hands.

[prince_of_nymphs]

"Will!" Fin called out, fighting off another before rushing towards Will- Only to be stopped by one of the fallen Fae's brothers.

"No, Trooping one. You will be swallowed whole," the other fae warned.

Fin struggled hard, but he was small, weak, half blind. The other fae was right, he didn't stand a chance.

"Help him! You need to help him!" he begged.

[willysilver]

The other Daoine closed in around Will, trying to fight off at least some of the foes. There were just so many, an ocean of teeth and claws. And now that Will's blood was in the air they were frantic to have more. Blades slashed and cut and one of Will's brothers went down as well.

All seemed lost, but then the sun broke the horizon on the morning after the solstice. The Milesian stopped to look up at the light and as the sky warmed they all began to evaporate. It was hauntingly quiet. Soon enough all that was left was an empty street with two large men laying dead on the ground.

"We have won," Willy's brother said. "It is over. Trooping fae, you fought well. We will take our brothers home so they may be honoured with the funeral of the valiant."

[prince_of_nymphs]

The world seemed to just stop. He'd read about this feeling, simulated it in his own plays and poems even, doing his best to play out the idea in his head. ...Nothing could have prepared him for how it really felt though. It was like being struck hard in the gut and across the back of the head with a lead pipe, each blow perfectly synchronised. It left him shaken and sick, and for a long moment, he was nowhere at all. Nothing below, nothing above- Nothing.

"You take me with you," he said finally, his voice as steady as it could be. "I won't leave his side- So you're going to take me with you, understand?"

[willysilver]

"Very well," the brother said with a nod. There was no compassion is his tone or eyes. He simply beckoned Fin closer and in a flash the group was gone from the streets of London.

The palace was busy with servants rushing too and fro, helping injured warriors with their wounds. As soon as they arrived an army of Phouka who all wore the same face as the one who was now free in London appeared to carry away the dead.

"You may go with him," the fae told Fin. "Mourn in your way."

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin nodded dumbly, staring at Will's lifeless body, and stopping a pair of phouka who approached to take him.

"Don't! Don't... Don't touch him," he said quietly, his voice wavering slightly as he dropped to his knees beside the fae. The phoukas simply moved onto the next, leaving the young trooping fae with the fallen prince.

"You wanker," he whispered. "I begged you- I said I didn't want to break our bond... You had to keep pushing. You had to..."

Finlay trailed off, his breath catching as he fought back a sob. He didn't want to cry, not here. Not surrounded by strangers who knew about as much about love as a gnat knew about polka. He didn't want to cry. ...But his heart didn't care what he wanted, and the tears came slowly, rolling down his cheeks as he breathed hard through his nose and tried to hold them back.

Once there was a crack in the dam though, it was all over. Bent over Will's body, Fin had no say anymore as the agony heartache broke loose. Shoulders shaking, chest heaving, the young fae came apart.

[willysilver]

Servants and phouka and battle weary fae moved around the pair, but the force of Fin's grief kept them away. It offered them a moment of privacy, even in the crowd.

Fin's wish was more powerful, even than death. Willy had known it would be. Immortality by bargain would carry a steep price, he knew, but he'd said nothing about such things to Fin. He had thought it would only trouble the young fae.

Fin's tears soaked his shirt and his skin was damp. For far too long it was a tableau of a man grieving his love. But then something curious began to happen.

Willy began to glow with a faint, blue light. The savage wounds he bore from the teeth and claws of the Milesian began to knit closed. There were so many of them, though. As his body healed the light grew brighter. Brighter still. Faint blue light became as white hot flames, forcing Fin back with the energy of it.

And when the light faded, Willy opened his eyes to see the ceiling of the palace. He shifted a bit, testing out his body. He had never died before and the entire experience was deeply upsetting.

He blinked once more and sat up.

[prince_of_nymphs]

Shocked, and honestly a bit terrified, Fin scrambled away. Eyes wide, the young fae found himself stunned silent, and his hand scrambled for his blade- Only to find it gone. ...Dropped, most likely, during the attack.

[willysilver]

Two phouka were passing but stopped to watch the spectacle. It was powerful magic, the like of which they had never seen. When Will sat up they ran away to tell what they had seen.

Willy began to touch himself, his arms and neck and belly. His flesh was solid and warm and he could feel his heart beat with his hand on his chest. He looked over to Fin, the first real sight of this new life, and he smiled softly. His eyes were the same emerald as ever, and when he spoke his voice was unchanged.

"Your wish was a powerful gift," he said. "Though I feared it may not be enough to keep me by your side. We see now it was folly to worry."

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin remained silent at first, keeping his distance and swallowing hard.

"Why... Why do you look different?" he asked, voice shaky when he finally spoke. "Are you? Are you alive? Are you still you? Are you..."

He had so many questions, and they all tried to tumble out at once.

[willysilver]

Willy felt no different, and so at Fin's words he reached up to touch his face. It felt different, and when he touched his hair that was certainly new. Light fingers explored slowly, until he was satisfied.

"Am I displeasing?" he asked. "I feel as I ever have..."

He thought for a moment and tested his magic by conjuring a chrysanthemum in the palm of his hand. "I appear to be well, Fin. Come...come closer.

[prince_of_nymphs]

It was silly, Fin knew it was Will, could feel it, but- This face, this form, it didn't feel warm the way the last had. It didn't feel like his Will. He didn't feel drawn in the way he once had.

Finlay moved closer, but some distance remained.

[willysilver]

Willy twisted and put his feet down, then stood up. He was immediately light-headed and sat back down hard. Scuffling footsteps came through the doorway and there were now five phouka and a fae with white hair and an aged face. He came in to see for himself what the phouka had reported.

"Death had taken you," he said, moving past Fin to Willy. "Your mother will be best pleased the news was wrong."

"No, Ioan," Willy said, smiling at the familiar, kind face. "I believe that death took me. But Fin...this is Fin...he made a wish some time ago. I believe that is what brought me back."

The old fae began to inspect Willy, looking into his eyes and touching him here and there.

"Such strong magic," he tutted. He looked at Fin. "You wield great power over him now. I do hope you intend to use such power wisely."

[prince_of_nymphs]

"I don't intend to use it at all," Fin insisted quietly. Will seemed to be taking this all so we'll, but Fin knew death, he'd been in its presence. He was finding it hard to just accept this for what it was.

And the face, he was having a pretty hard time with that too, honestly.

"Will I... Maybe we should get you looked at. ...Back home, I mean."

[willysilver]

Willy knew there would be a feast. There would be music and tales of valour and foods to delight the senses. He knew that was tradition and a nostalgic part of him wanted to share it all with Fin.

But he was so tired.

Home sounded most pleasant.

"Yes, I think," he said. "Tell my mother I send my regards, Ioan."

Again he tried to stand and fell back down. It was on the third try, with the steadying hand of the old fae, that Willy managed to keep his feet.

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin dragged himself to his feet with significantly more ease, lingering near but still not touching. Unease sat in his gut, weighing him down, leaving him much more cautious than usual.

"Pardon my ignorance and all that, but how do we get back from here?" he whispered, the words meant only for Will.

[willysilver]

"There are many doorways in the palace. We can use one to get back to the city," Will replied quietly. Ioan walked away now that Will was on his feet, bidding his farewell in a strange, ancient language. The prince waved a hand goodbye.

"Come. I know one near here," he said, sounding much more confident than he was. He was a bit confused, and he felt wobbly, but he was determined to get home.

[prince_of_nymphs]

Fin followed, but hung back slightly, tense and shaken as he wandered along behind the other fae. He couldn't explain it, but he just wasn't ready to be close yet.

"How do you feel? Are you in pain?" he asked.

[willysilver]

"I am not in pain, but I feel out of sorts. Nothing feels right, not even my eyes," he replied, waking slowly as if he were taking his very first steps. Everything about him felt off and he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.

"I believe we will find the door we need this way," he said as a few more phouka went passed, all whispering to themselves. These were dressed in armor, their hair wild from battle.

[prince_of_nymphs]

"Right," Fin said softly, wrapping his arms around himself and trying not to stare at all the Phoukas. ...Winter would think this was heaven.

"You look really different," he said quietly, sure he'd said that already, but finding himself stuck on it. ...He couldn't explain why, but this was different from the last time he had changed faces. That had been a choice. This was just- Unsettling.

[willysilver]

"I feel different," Willy said, reaching up to touch his face, then feel down his neck and across his chest. "I am sure I just need to sleep, though. It will all be better in the morning."

He held to that hope, not realizing that it already was the morning.

[prince_of_nymphs]

"I'm not sure this is the sort of thing you just sleep off, Will," Fin warned in the most soothing tone he could manage just then. "I think, um... Well, we'll worry about it after you've been looked at and had some rest."

[willysilver]

Will turned to look at him then. There was no easy smile, no light in his eyes. He looked terribly weary.

"Alright," he agreed. "Worry later is a good idea."

Then he moved on to a corridor of doors, each too close together to go to an actual room. Willy touched a few, then decided on one and opened it. On the other side of it was an alley. Bins stood together with rubbish in bags heaped in them and around them. A rat was chewing on a bit of pastry.

"Here we are," he said and beckoned Fin closer. "This is home."