Spring, 122 PW
She was walking again. And oh, it felt wonderful to walk. As alone as she could be, with Flame flapping before and behind her in his own gleeful dance in the sky. And though she did not love Greenfyre, it felt good to have the guitar gripped in her palm, knowing she would soon be playing it and singing for the passers-by to enjoy.
She was shy by nature, and yet she had not forgotten the pure pleasure of a performance with an audience. Knowing that her music was what brought the smile to their face or the dance in their step...this was the closest to Heaven she could possibly come with her feet firmly planted on the ground. As she moved further and further from Metarie's house, her spirits eased and began to lift. It was almost a new experience, being on her own, and she intended to savour every moment. She hadn't been given this simple gift of freedom in days - since the time Wolfhound had taken her into his protection.
Wolfhound, to Lucian, carried by Camulous to the guard healer, then to Justice Hall, again to Camulous and finally to Metarie. Every one of them carting, suggesting or ordering her into circumstances or actions. Removing the freedom to choose or think for herself, whether through good or bad intentions. She could not say she resented all of them, for they had not all been of the bad sort - but she had to admit to herself that she was at least annoyed or she would be lying to herself.
It wouldn't have been fair to discuss such thoughts and emotions with Metarie, who had only helped her. The elf had done a fine job of healing Lanya's assorted injuries, and deserved a certain sense of gratitude and even respect for such commitment to her cause. Just as the captain seemed to live and breathe his position, Metarie could not be blamed for her own sojourn into lust. Though it seemed she was intent on doing just that - and some part of Lanya did not have the patience for such a low opinion of such a simple act.
The bard could think of only two reasons Metarie might feel such a thing about her decision. Either she was ashamed of what she'd done and felt that self-flagellation was the only proper course of action, or she had truly felt a connection and acted upon it, and now was succumbing to the reality that whatever she had offered had not been good enough to encourage Lucian to stay.
Lanya raised Greenfyre to rest against her chest as she strummed and began needlessly tuning the strings. The guitar rang pure as always, but she continued the habit in the ever-present quiet hope that she would one day have a regular guitar again. It did not hurt to keep this hope silent and private, where no one else could know her longing. And in her more honest moments, when she observed Greenfyre wherever it sat, she had to admit to herself that she did not miss the necessary upkeep involved with a normal guitar. Greenfyre cared for itself entirely; it was always tuned, always clean, and always ready. It could even play itself should the need arise, though it would not be doing so while within this city that hated magic.
Not again, anyway.
More importantly, the strings never snapped. This eliminated the need to purchase additional strings, something which she grudgingly admitted to herself saved money, and also spared her own fingers the pain of a tightly wound string as it cracked in two.
She began plucking the strings in a rolling scale, working her fingers to ensure that she remembered how. She hadn't played beyond the occasional strumming for nearly a month, and though she didn't think her skill would die in such a short amount of time she could not help but want to test her own skill.
The first octave came out easily enough, though the second pass reflected how little she had practiced as she struck a wrong note or two. But the third went smoothly, and after a moment's pause she repeated the scale at a faster tempo.
By now she had stopped moving to focus entirely on her hands while she played, watching her motions and dipping her head in sync to the resonance of the guitar. She did not want to pick a street corner to perform an impromptu concert on if she could not perform the music to the best of her ability - and of course, as an artist, she was able to degrade and nitpick her own ability with more competence than any outside critic could dream.
Consequence
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Lanya Caliope
- Fugitive
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:49 am
- Race: Human
Consequence
You're wearing your anguish again.
-
The Wave
Re: Consequence
Patience was a virtue and by this measure alone Jevaisius Yalsa was a virtuous man.
He'd searched for months with no luck. Thieves and assassins scrounged for any information while Scryers combed the astral realm for any sign of her but to no avail. It was impossible for someone to simply vanish, the Wave have made a career on that simple fact, but within a few weeks Jevaisius had explored all avenues and yet there was no trace of her, the Fire Singer had simply vanished. After a while even he had to admit that he would never find the Fire Singer, but only because she didn’t exist.
The Wave had been hired to locate a woman with "great power within her", and though that contract had expired long ago Jevaisius still searched for her. Unfortunately no one had ever met this legendary Fire Singer, no one knew what this "great power" could be, and as a result of this no one could find her. To search for the Fire Singer was futile, however to search for Lanya Caliope was not. Jevaisius had long known of knew of someone who had met Lanya Caliope and now, despite their initial reluctance, that person was leading him to her.
They'd called it the talisman but only because that was easier than admitting what it actually was. At first glance it always appeared to be a rather innocuous looking item; a gem somewhat akin to an emerald hanging on dark tarnished chain, but by now the rest of the Wave knew well enough to only give it that first glance. To look any closer would only reveal the constantly swirling movement within the gem and that was something not even the hardened mercenaries in the Wave could stand to look at. However, not only that but even with all the effort and horror that had gone into it's creation it didn’t even work. It hadn't been nearly as good as the mage had promised and he'd paid for that but it hadn't ended there because Jevaisius had kept it and while most of the Wave could barely stand to look at it he wore it constantly.
Because sometimes it spoke to him.
And now it was telling him he was close.
It had awoken in the forest and with every step towards Marn it became more active. Often it had whispered to him, often it had wailed, but for the first time it had sang. It was what she used to do when Jevaisius was burdened and it always made him smile. And even now after all that had happened he couldn’t help but smile again. It was so unlike anything else before, neither rage nor despair but rather hope. Something familiar was close, a part of itself was just beyond the horizon and it could do nothing but reach out towards it.
Jevaisius barely looked at the streets he walked, in fact he barely noticed the fact that he was barging through anyone who got in his way, but even so he was navigating the city as if he’d lived there all his life. He simply stared at the talisman, allowing it to guide him to the person he’d been looking for so long. He didn't expect to be easy, she had eluded him for almost two years, but then again good thing come to those who wait.
There was no fanfare, no moment of revelation, Jevaisius simply turned a corner and there she was, standing in the middle of the street tuning her guitar with her back turned to him. He'd never met her, he'd never laid eyes on her, but insticintlively he knew. He wondered as he watched her how she could go on, after all she’d done but then again Jevaisius was hardly in a position to pose that particular question…
But it didn’t matter; she wouldn’t have to go on for much longer.
So without preamble Jevaisius walked up behind her, clamped his hand down on her shoulder and said:
"I thought your hair would be redder.”
He'd searched for months with no luck. Thieves and assassins scrounged for any information while Scryers combed the astral realm for any sign of her but to no avail. It was impossible for someone to simply vanish, the Wave have made a career on that simple fact, but within a few weeks Jevaisius had explored all avenues and yet there was no trace of her, the Fire Singer had simply vanished. After a while even he had to admit that he would never find the Fire Singer, but only because she didn’t exist.
The Wave had been hired to locate a woman with "great power within her", and though that contract had expired long ago Jevaisius still searched for her. Unfortunately no one had ever met this legendary Fire Singer, no one knew what this "great power" could be, and as a result of this no one could find her. To search for the Fire Singer was futile, however to search for Lanya Caliope was not. Jevaisius had long known of knew of someone who had met Lanya Caliope and now, despite their initial reluctance, that person was leading him to her.
They'd called it the talisman but only because that was easier than admitting what it actually was. At first glance it always appeared to be a rather innocuous looking item; a gem somewhat akin to an emerald hanging on dark tarnished chain, but by now the rest of the Wave knew well enough to only give it that first glance. To look any closer would only reveal the constantly swirling movement within the gem and that was something not even the hardened mercenaries in the Wave could stand to look at. However, not only that but even with all the effort and horror that had gone into it's creation it didn’t even work. It hadn't been nearly as good as the mage had promised and he'd paid for that but it hadn't ended there because Jevaisius had kept it and while most of the Wave could barely stand to look at it he wore it constantly.
Because sometimes it spoke to him.
And now it was telling him he was close.
It had awoken in the forest and with every step towards Marn it became more active. Often it had whispered to him, often it had wailed, but for the first time it had sang. It was what she used to do when Jevaisius was burdened and it always made him smile. And even now after all that had happened he couldn’t help but smile again. It was so unlike anything else before, neither rage nor despair but rather hope. Something familiar was close, a part of itself was just beyond the horizon and it could do nothing but reach out towards it.
Jevaisius barely looked at the streets he walked, in fact he barely noticed the fact that he was barging through anyone who got in his way, but even so he was navigating the city as if he’d lived there all his life. He simply stared at the talisman, allowing it to guide him to the person he’d been looking for so long. He didn't expect to be easy, she had eluded him for almost two years, but then again good thing come to those who wait.
There was no fanfare, no moment of revelation, Jevaisius simply turned a corner and there she was, standing in the middle of the street tuning her guitar with her back turned to him. He'd never met her, he'd never laid eyes on her, but insticintlively he knew. He wondered as he watched her how she could go on, after all she’d done but then again Jevaisius was hardly in a position to pose that particular question…
But it didn’t matter; she wouldn’t have to go on for much longer.
So without preamble Jevaisius walked up behind her, clamped his hand down on her shoulder and said:
"I thought your hair would be redder.”
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Lanya Caliope
- Fugitive
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:49 am
- Race: Human
Re: Consequence
As she turned to see who had grabbed her shoulder, her thoughts began processing information as rapidly as possible. The accent was not local, which made this man a stranger to the area. Her initial thought was the assassin had found her, despite Camulous stating that the man had left the city. But if this were the case, why announce himself at all? More efficient to simply kill her and be done with the contract. He had her from the perfect angle - a simple swoop forward, draw a knife across her throat, and it would be done. This couldn't possibly be the assassin. But it didn't mean this had nothing to do with the assassin in the first place. Anyone he had employed would likely be made aware of her appearance, with emphasis on her most obvious and prevalent feature.
But again, there was no reason to announce himself unless the assassin wanted her alive for no reason at all. Either this man thought she would be convenient leverage for some purpose or another, or he was unrelated and searching for her for a different reason. It occurred to her that perhaps she'd been sought out for some kind of aid, or even to play. It wasn't so odd for a customer to seek her out - except that she hadn't played in this city. So that couldn't be it.
Now she was turned and focused on his face, and confusion dawned over her thoughts as she tried to reason out who this man was. She did not recognize any part of him, though she could see that the look on his face was far from friendly. But who could he be? His accent placed him away from the city, which made it unlikely that he was part of the local guard or worked on behalf of Moryldar. The assassin was more likely, but again she didn't understand why the man wanted his presence known if he were an assassin.
Eyes wide and perplexed, she decided to play dumb. It was the simplest way to find out an answer, and at the very least it would provoke him into saying whatever it was he felt he had to say. And besides, her hair had been dyed for the sole purpose of helping to mask her identity. If this man wanted to hurt her and she revealed it was dyed, it would negate the purpose of colouring it in the first place.
"Pardon?..."
But again, there was no reason to announce himself unless the assassin wanted her alive for no reason at all. Either this man thought she would be convenient leverage for some purpose or another, or he was unrelated and searching for her for a different reason. It occurred to her that perhaps she'd been sought out for some kind of aid, or even to play. It wasn't so odd for a customer to seek her out - except that she hadn't played in this city. So that couldn't be it.
Now she was turned and focused on his face, and confusion dawned over her thoughts as she tried to reason out who this man was. She did not recognize any part of him, though she could see that the look on his face was far from friendly. But who could he be? His accent placed him away from the city, which made it unlikely that he was part of the local guard or worked on behalf of Moryldar. The assassin was more likely, but again she didn't understand why the man wanted his presence known if he were an assassin.
Eyes wide and perplexed, she decided to play dumb. It was the simplest way to find out an answer, and at the very least it would provoke him into saying whatever it was he felt he had to say. And besides, her hair had been dyed for the sole purpose of helping to mask her identity. If this man wanted to hurt her and she revealed it was dyed, it would negate the purpose of colouring it in the first place.
"Pardon?..."
You're wearing your anguish again.
-
The Wave
Re: Consequence
Two years of searching finally culminated at this moment and yet Jevaisius was impassive. He didn't smile, he didn't frown, he didn't scowl. All Jevaisius Yalsa did was stare, but even then it did not truly seem he was looking at Lanya Caliope at all.
"It's not important, it's just I'd thought about quite a lot." Jevaisius muttered, more to himself than anyone else "It may sound simplistic but I had always assumed that your hair was the fire in Fire Singer..."
And at that moment Jevaisius eyes focused on Lanya. There was hatred in that look, a boundless ocean of rage and resentment and yet all Jevaisius did was tighten his grip on her shoulder.
"What else could it be? You don't have any powers beyond murdering children, do you Lanya?" Jevaisius hissed as he leant closer to Lanya "But of course that's not an especially fiery power and the cowardice you displayed afterwards by running away hardly invokes images of raging infernos."
His words were dripping in malice and yet even so his expression remained blank. However, his anger was all too apparent and soon small spirals of smoke began to rise from under where his hand gripped Caliope's shoulder.
"So I had assumed it had been your vibrant red hair... but unfortunately I could get no confirmation on that." Jevaisius continued "I'm not sure if you remember but Dide never had much of an eye for colour... or an eye for anything at that."
It was after saying this that Jevaisius emotionless finally mask shattered and soon an unmistakable expression was etched on his face.
One of despair.
"But that doesn't matter, none of what I've just said matters." said Jevaisius as he withdrew his hand "I'm here for one reason, Lanya Caliope. I'm here because of Dide Treegazer... I'm here because the women I loved is dead and it's because you ran."
After saying this Jevaisius turned away, unable to look at Lanya any longer. He ran his hand through his hair and clutched the back of his head as he stared down at the cobblestones.
"I didn't come here for guilt or remorse..." said Jevaisius quietly "I... I just thought that you should know."
"It's not important, it's just I'd thought about quite a lot." Jevaisius muttered, more to himself than anyone else "It may sound simplistic but I had always assumed that your hair was the fire in Fire Singer..."
And at that moment Jevaisius eyes focused on Lanya. There was hatred in that look, a boundless ocean of rage and resentment and yet all Jevaisius did was tighten his grip on her shoulder.
"What else could it be? You don't have any powers beyond murdering children, do you Lanya?" Jevaisius hissed as he leant closer to Lanya "But of course that's not an especially fiery power and the cowardice you displayed afterwards by running away hardly invokes images of raging infernos."
His words were dripping in malice and yet even so his expression remained blank. However, his anger was all too apparent and soon small spirals of smoke began to rise from under where his hand gripped Caliope's shoulder.
"So I had assumed it had been your vibrant red hair... but unfortunately I could get no confirmation on that." Jevaisius continued "I'm not sure if you remember but Dide never had much of an eye for colour... or an eye for anything at that."
It was after saying this that Jevaisius emotionless finally mask shattered and soon an unmistakable expression was etched on his face.
One of despair.
"But that doesn't matter, none of what I've just said matters." said Jevaisius as he withdrew his hand "I'm here for one reason, Lanya Caliope. I'm here because of Dide Treegazer... I'm here because the women I loved is dead and it's because you ran."
After saying this Jevaisius turned away, unable to look at Lanya any longer. He ran his hand through his hair and clutched the back of his head as he stared down at the cobblestones.
"I didn't come here for guilt or remorse..." said Jevaisius quietly "I... I just thought that you should know."
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Lanya Caliope
- Fugitive
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:49 am
- Race: Human
Re: Consequence
...had always assumed that your hair was the fire in Fire Singer...
Flame dipped low from his flight path to investigate the scene as she stood frozen, eyes wide. The dryad, long ago, had called her by that title. Lanya herself had spent countless hours trying to decipher what it could mean or how it could be interpreted, and had eventually come to the same conclusion as him - that it must have been related to her hair. She remembered when she'd come upon this conclusion, and how she'd laughed at the thought. A name gifted based on aesthetics seemed silly, something done in bardic songs and tales spun over a tavern while the people within steadily drank themselves into loving the overdone language and titles.
It stung, when he accused her of murder. Cowardice was something she could accept of herself - her first impulse when in a bad situation was to run, and this reflex had kept her alive through countless dangerous situations. Even now, beyond the fear building along her spine, she felt the desire to pull away from his hand and again employ the time-honoured method. But his hand was tight against her shoulder, even tighter as he continued, so much so that she felt as though it was burning against her skin. She leaned away when he leaned forward, the heat increasing with the intensity of his anger and pain - and when she saw the smoke rising from her shoulder, she realized he was burning her clothing.
Fear spiked and she shrugged her shoulder harshly, intending to throw his hand off with the motion and back away. It was a lucky coincidence that he released her in the same moment, and one she intended to take full advantage of. His look of despair was lost as she began to turn and run - but the words halted her. Again, she froze, though not before moving outside of his arm's length. Three years had come and gone since she had first met Dide, first a trusted friend and later an ally against her own group. Lanya remembered being attacked by the werewolf. She remembered Dide confessing the motives behind their own friendship, how the dryad had wanted to protect her against a group of assassins hired to kill her for no reason the bard could think of. It had all been before Greenfyre - before the little girl's death - before the fiasco with the city of Marn.
Three years, and here he stood. She knew who he was. She and Dide had discussed him at length a few times, Dide going on about how well he'd protected and cared for her before turning into the possessive sort of man. He'd come to believe he owned the dryad. In the times before she'd quietly left Dide behind one morning, Lanya had wondered if her saving Lanya's life had been intended more as a slight against her ex-lover than a selfless desire to save an innocent. Now, confronted by his bitterness and hurt, she had to assume this was a correct assumption. Dide had wanted to hurt him. And she had succeeded.
Sympathy welled inside of her, fueled by a healthy dose of guilt at learning of Dide's death. Although the two women had fallen out, they had been friends before. One of the first self-designated protectors Lanya had acquired as the years passed. And like Wolfhound, she now lay cold and decayed. She hugged her guitar to her chest, taking comfort in its warmth as she fought the urge to approach and rest a consoling hand on his shoulder. He had not quite hurt her, but she would not trust a man who felt it appropriate to sneak up and grab her shoulder unannounced.
She realized Greenfyre was quivering as she clutched it against her, and strove to quiet her initial fear. She tried to make her voice soothing, and when it emerged it was layered with honest regret and sadness. There was no reason to continue with the pretense. If having Greenfyre didn't tell him who she was, Flame's circling presence would certainly give her away.
"I have not murdered anyone."
She struggled to keep her voice from wavering with emotion - she would not lie and claim she was not responsible for anyone's death.
"You're Jev, aren't you? I am sorry...to hear about Dide."
She wasn't sure what else to say. If he'd only come to tell her about Dide's death, he would now leave and she would return to Metarie's home and hope the elf was not present so that she could cry in peace. Another death laid at her doorstep - his bitterness aside, she could not help the regret swarming through her at having abandoned Dide to her fate. Perhaps if she had stayed, the dryad would still live. Or perhaps they would have died together. If she'd stayed, maybe Wolfhound would still be alive. And Lucian left to his own devices, unmarked by the corrupt government. Metarie's near-rape and later loss vanished from time...
Flame settled on Greenfyre's strings, slowly sliding down the guitar's neck as his claws failed to gain proper purchase. His steady decline did not halt his glare. Flame had already decided he hated this man - if he made any movements toward the bard, the robin would launch forward directly into his face to give her the needed chance to escape.
Flame dipped low from his flight path to investigate the scene as she stood frozen, eyes wide. The dryad, long ago, had called her by that title. Lanya herself had spent countless hours trying to decipher what it could mean or how it could be interpreted, and had eventually come to the same conclusion as him - that it must have been related to her hair. She remembered when she'd come upon this conclusion, and how she'd laughed at the thought. A name gifted based on aesthetics seemed silly, something done in bardic songs and tales spun over a tavern while the people within steadily drank themselves into loving the overdone language and titles.
It stung, when he accused her of murder. Cowardice was something she could accept of herself - her first impulse when in a bad situation was to run, and this reflex had kept her alive through countless dangerous situations. Even now, beyond the fear building along her spine, she felt the desire to pull away from his hand and again employ the time-honoured method. But his hand was tight against her shoulder, even tighter as he continued, so much so that she felt as though it was burning against her skin. She leaned away when he leaned forward, the heat increasing with the intensity of his anger and pain - and when she saw the smoke rising from her shoulder, she realized he was burning her clothing.
Fear spiked and she shrugged her shoulder harshly, intending to throw his hand off with the motion and back away. It was a lucky coincidence that he released her in the same moment, and one she intended to take full advantage of. His look of despair was lost as she began to turn and run - but the words halted her. Again, she froze, though not before moving outside of his arm's length. Three years had come and gone since she had first met Dide, first a trusted friend and later an ally against her own group. Lanya remembered being attacked by the werewolf. She remembered Dide confessing the motives behind their own friendship, how the dryad had wanted to protect her against a group of assassins hired to kill her for no reason the bard could think of. It had all been before Greenfyre - before the little girl's death - before the fiasco with the city of Marn.
Three years, and here he stood. She knew who he was. She and Dide had discussed him at length a few times, Dide going on about how well he'd protected and cared for her before turning into the possessive sort of man. He'd come to believe he owned the dryad. In the times before she'd quietly left Dide behind one morning, Lanya had wondered if her saving Lanya's life had been intended more as a slight against her ex-lover than a selfless desire to save an innocent. Now, confronted by his bitterness and hurt, she had to assume this was a correct assumption. Dide had wanted to hurt him. And she had succeeded.
Sympathy welled inside of her, fueled by a healthy dose of guilt at learning of Dide's death. Although the two women had fallen out, they had been friends before. One of the first self-designated protectors Lanya had acquired as the years passed. And like Wolfhound, she now lay cold and decayed. She hugged her guitar to her chest, taking comfort in its warmth as she fought the urge to approach and rest a consoling hand on his shoulder. He had not quite hurt her, but she would not trust a man who felt it appropriate to sneak up and grab her shoulder unannounced.
She realized Greenfyre was quivering as she clutched it against her, and strove to quiet her initial fear. She tried to make her voice soothing, and when it emerged it was layered with honest regret and sadness. There was no reason to continue with the pretense. If having Greenfyre didn't tell him who she was, Flame's circling presence would certainly give her away.
"I have not murdered anyone."
She struggled to keep her voice from wavering with emotion - she would not lie and claim she was not responsible for anyone's death.
"You're Jev, aren't you? I am sorry...to hear about Dide."
She wasn't sure what else to say. If he'd only come to tell her about Dide's death, he would now leave and she would return to Metarie's home and hope the elf was not present so that she could cry in peace. Another death laid at her doorstep - his bitterness aside, she could not help the regret swarming through her at having abandoned Dide to her fate. Perhaps if she had stayed, the dryad would still live. Or perhaps they would have died together. If she'd stayed, maybe Wolfhound would still be alive. And Lucian left to his own devices, unmarked by the corrupt government. Metarie's near-rape and later loss vanished from time...
Flame settled on Greenfyre's strings, slowly sliding down the guitar's neck as his claws failed to gain proper purchase. His steady decline did not halt his glare. Flame had already decided he hated this man - if he made any movements toward the bard, the robin would launch forward directly into his face to give her the needed chance to escape.
You're wearing your anguish again.
-
The Wave
Re: Consequence
"I have not murdered anyone."
No, she hadn't. Jevaisius knew who Dide's murderer was and it was certainly not Lanya Caliope. However, as far as Jevaisius was concerned the murderer held little blame when compared to the person who set Dide on her dangerous path, the murderer was merely the end result of Lanya Caliope influence.
He clenched his fists, his own bitterness and anger once again threatening to overwhelm him but this time he kept it in check. Singeing Lanya's shoulder had been a mistake, one which had almost ruined the opportunity he'd worked so long for. He wouldn't allow that to happen again.
"You're Jev, aren't you? I am sorry...to hear about Dide."
Up until that moment Jevaisius had truly struggled to restrain himself but upon hearing these words his rage dissapeaeared and replaced by a look of confusion on his face as he slowly looked up form the cobblestones too stare at Lanya. How did she know his name...? Had Dide talked about him all those years ago? What had she said? Had she understood? Did she love him like he loved her?
He had a hundred questions at that moment, so many things he needed to know but he remained silent. It pained him but he knew that he couldn't chase ghosts anymore, Dide was gone. All that was left of her had brought him here, brought him here for his final mission. And so, taking a deep breath to calm himself, Jev began to speak once more.
"Tell me Lanya, has your time in this place been uneventful? Are your only problems ghosts from the past like me or have things continued to... go wrong?"
Jevaisius didn't wait for a reply, he knew the answer well enough.
"I came here because of Dide and I don't know what she may have told you but I loved her, I loved her more than anything... but she's gone now and I must live with that." said Jevaisius in a sombre tone "But I can't do this while that still exists."
He pointed to the guitar Lanya held in her hands while he himself tried not to look at it. For Jevaisius it was hideous thing even to look at but the things he knew about it only made the object more horrific.
"It's wrong Lanya, it was never meant to be." said Jevaisius vehemently "It killed that child and it will do worse, it has to be destroyed. I can undo Dide magic Lanya, I can kill it..."
This statement did not seem to be appreciated by Lanya's little feathered protector who ruffled his feathers upon hearing it and tried to look as big as he could. Suffice to say Jevaisius wasn't intimidated but nonetheless Jevaisius held up his hands and took a slight step back.
"That is the last spark of Dide left in this world and I have to extinguish it. I can't let that... thing be her legacy in this world." said Jevaisius with more than a little desperation in his voice. "I beg you Lanya Caliope, let me end this..."
No, she hadn't. Jevaisius knew who Dide's murderer was and it was certainly not Lanya Caliope. However, as far as Jevaisius was concerned the murderer held little blame when compared to the person who set Dide on her dangerous path, the murderer was merely the end result of Lanya Caliope influence.
He clenched his fists, his own bitterness and anger once again threatening to overwhelm him but this time he kept it in check. Singeing Lanya's shoulder had been a mistake, one which had almost ruined the opportunity he'd worked so long for. He wouldn't allow that to happen again.
"You're Jev, aren't you? I am sorry...to hear about Dide."
Up until that moment Jevaisius had truly struggled to restrain himself but upon hearing these words his rage dissapeaeared and replaced by a look of confusion on his face as he slowly looked up form the cobblestones too stare at Lanya. How did she know his name...? Had Dide talked about him all those years ago? What had she said? Had she understood? Did she love him like he loved her?
He had a hundred questions at that moment, so many things he needed to know but he remained silent. It pained him but he knew that he couldn't chase ghosts anymore, Dide was gone. All that was left of her had brought him here, brought him here for his final mission. And so, taking a deep breath to calm himself, Jev began to speak once more.
"Tell me Lanya, has your time in this place been uneventful? Are your only problems ghosts from the past like me or have things continued to... go wrong?"
Jevaisius didn't wait for a reply, he knew the answer well enough.
"I came here because of Dide and I don't know what she may have told you but I loved her, I loved her more than anything... but she's gone now and I must live with that." said Jevaisius in a sombre tone "But I can't do this while that still exists."
He pointed to the guitar Lanya held in her hands while he himself tried not to look at it. For Jevaisius it was hideous thing even to look at but the things he knew about it only made the object more horrific.
"It's wrong Lanya, it was never meant to be." said Jevaisius vehemently "It killed that child and it will do worse, it has to be destroyed. I can undo Dide magic Lanya, I can kill it..."
This statement did not seem to be appreciated by Lanya's little feathered protector who ruffled his feathers upon hearing it and tried to look as big as he could. Suffice to say Jevaisius wasn't intimidated but nonetheless Jevaisius held up his hands and took a slight step back.
"That is the last spark of Dide left in this world and I have to extinguish it. I can't let that... thing be her legacy in this world." said Jevaisius with more than a little desperation in his voice. "I beg you Lanya Caliope, let me end this..."
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Lanya Caliope
- Fugitive
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:49 am
- Race: Human
Re: Consequence
Her eyes lowered to the body of the guitar she held close against her. No, of course her life was not uneventful. What this thing had done those years back would likely follow her until her last breath. Dide had gifted her the instrument, and Lanya still remembered how happy the dryad had been while handing it over. The living guitar that was forever tuned and perfectly crafted, so perfectly that there was not a single groove or separation in the wood beyond a guitar's natural contours. Lanya could not believe that Dide had realized how dangerous the guitar was, how merciless and exacting its judgment. Dide was not - had not been - a monster.
She had nothing to debate. If this man, Jev, could undo the guitar's magic or even destroy the thing, then she would be satisfied. She herself had tried to destroy it and failed; he clearly had magic to him. A glance at her shoulder confirmed that his hand had been actually burning, as the clothing itself was singed. It was possible that magical fire could do what normal fire could not. She had once burned Greenfyre to ashes, and the sign of her failure was in her arms. She could not destroy the thing; maybe he could.
Still, she hesitated. She felt no love lost for the murderous instrument, but she worried that it might hurt him. She'd never seen it defend itself in any way, but no one else had ever tried to destroy it. All that she knew for sure was that the guitar would not hurt her. A nice thought, but it meant nothing if she handed it over to him and those deadly strings sprang free to kill him.
He knew it had killed the little girl. He was already aware of the danger it posed. She worried and her hands shook, but there was no other option. If he could actually destroy Greenfyre, then the discussion was already over.
She fluttered one hand at Flame, making him release the guitar and flap up to her shoulder instead. She still wasn't sure she trusted him, and wanted to remain outside his immediate range. Silent and feeling a vague sort of hope begin to build inside her emotions, she unwrapped both arms and held the instrument by the base, offering him the neck.
She had nothing to debate. If this man, Jev, could undo the guitar's magic or even destroy the thing, then she would be satisfied. She herself had tried to destroy it and failed; he clearly had magic to him. A glance at her shoulder confirmed that his hand had been actually burning, as the clothing itself was singed. It was possible that magical fire could do what normal fire could not. She had once burned Greenfyre to ashes, and the sign of her failure was in her arms. She could not destroy the thing; maybe he could.
Still, she hesitated. She felt no love lost for the murderous instrument, but she worried that it might hurt him. She'd never seen it defend itself in any way, but no one else had ever tried to destroy it. All that she knew for sure was that the guitar would not hurt her. A nice thought, but it meant nothing if she handed it over to him and those deadly strings sprang free to kill him.
He knew it had killed the little girl. He was already aware of the danger it posed. She worried and her hands shook, but there was no other option. If he could actually destroy Greenfyre, then the discussion was already over.
She fluttered one hand at Flame, making him release the guitar and flap up to her shoulder instead. She still wasn't sure she trusted him, and wanted to remain outside his immediate range. Silent and feeling a vague sort of hope begin to build inside her emotions, she unwrapped both arms and held the instrument by the base, offering him the neck.
You're wearing your anguish again.
-
The Wave
Re: Consequence
Jevaisius watched Lanya carefully, he knew full well the danger the guitar posed but by now he believed he had learned enough about Lanya to known what she would do. It could kill him in an instant but as terrifying as it was Jevaisius didn't think it evil. It would not lash out at him because he desired to destroy it, that was not how Dide would have made it. It was Lanya's protector and Jevaisius did not think it would attack of it's own volition if there was no threat.
But then again, Jev knew that his appearance and his actions afterwards hadn't exactly been those of a pacifist.
There was hesitation there but Jevaisius did not know why. Did she truly wish to keep such a dangerous creation? Or was it something else? Maybe Lanya was afraid of what would happen if she tried to rid herself of it. Jevaisius didn't doubt that it was a remarkably resilient object, that was the nature of Dide's magic, but this was not one the trinkets the dryad had made, this was a lethal weapon blessed with a resilience and ingenuity never intended for such an object.
But it didn't matter, for Lanya's hesitation was brief.
She held the guitar out to him, still weary to get any closer, and slowly Jevaisius took it from her hands. He'd expected something to happen when he took it, perhaps that Dide's magic within it would recognise him, but nothing did. He didn't feel anything as he held it, there was neither familiarity nor power and had he not known better he would have thought it nothing more than a normal guitar. It was quiet now but he knew the fury it could unleash, he knew he had to destroy it.
Dide's magic found it's root in nature, but there was nothing natural in this Greenfyre. It had mimicked the appearance of something living but that was just an illusion. It was death forced to life, the inanimate transformed into the animate and a mistake that needed to be undone. Jevaisius could do this, he had learned how long ago...
He took the guitar in both hands and clamped his plams over the strings. He said nothing, he just closed his eyes and within a matter of moments the strings of Greenfyre became to glow white hot. Seconds later the entire guitar was smouldering, the wood blackening and large cracks appeared and grew at an alarming speed. It seemed to twist and writhe in his hands, perhaps due to the effect the intense heat Jevaisius was channelling through it or perhaps thi was Greenfyre attempting to save itself. But Jevaisius did not see this, his eyes were closed and his entire mind was focused on his task.
There was life within it, a hardy and stubborn force existing within it, and though it should not be there it had made Greenfyre it's fortress. As long as any of it survived it would rebuild itself and it would be as if nothing had ever happened. It was an impressive creation, a testament to Dide’s ingenuity in a way, but it was not invulnerable. An unbearable heat moved through it now, burning out any refuge that the Greenfyre's power could retreat to. It had been quite some time that Jevaisius had to concentrate so completely on a task but he did have practice with such things.
He didn't know how long it had taken him, it may have been seconds or it may have been hours, but eventually Jevaisius succeeded. He opened his eyes slowly, only to be hit by a torrent of bitter black smoke rising from the charred husk of the guitar. He winced for a moment, taking his hand from the base of the guitar and rubbing his eyes in irritation.
"It is done..." said Jevaisius finally "Thank you, Lanya Caliope..."
Jevaisius lowered his hand from his eyes and looked up at Lanya.
"Thank you for making this so easy" he said with a grin.
And then Jevaisius Yalsa drew back the husk of Greenfyre and swung it directly at Lanya's head.
But then again, Jev knew that his appearance and his actions afterwards hadn't exactly been those of a pacifist.
There was hesitation there but Jevaisius did not know why. Did she truly wish to keep such a dangerous creation? Or was it something else? Maybe Lanya was afraid of what would happen if she tried to rid herself of it. Jevaisius didn't doubt that it was a remarkably resilient object, that was the nature of Dide's magic, but this was not one the trinkets the dryad had made, this was a lethal weapon blessed with a resilience and ingenuity never intended for such an object.
But it didn't matter, for Lanya's hesitation was brief.
She held the guitar out to him, still weary to get any closer, and slowly Jevaisius took it from her hands. He'd expected something to happen when he took it, perhaps that Dide's magic within it would recognise him, but nothing did. He didn't feel anything as he held it, there was neither familiarity nor power and had he not known better he would have thought it nothing more than a normal guitar. It was quiet now but he knew the fury it could unleash, he knew he had to destroy it.
Dide's magic found it's root in nature, but there was nothing natural in this Greenfyre. It had mimicked the appearance of something living but that was just an illusion. It was death forced to life, the inanimate transformed into the animate and a mistake that needed to be undone. Jevaisius could do this, he had learned how long ago...
He took the guitar in both hands and clamped his plams over the strings. He said nothing, he just closed his eyes and within a matter of moments the strings of Greenfyre became to glow white hot. Seconds later the entire guitar was smouldering, the wood blackening and large cracks appeared and grew at an alarming speed. It seemed to twist and writhe in his hands, perhaps due to the effect the intense heat Jevaisius was channelling through it or perhaps thi was Greenfyre attempting to save itself. But Jevaisius did not see this, his eyes were closed and his entire mind was focused on his task.
There was life within it, a hardy and stubborn force existing within it, and though it should not be there it had made Greenfyre it's fortress. As long as any of it survived it would rebuild itself and it would be as if nothing had ever happened. It was an impressive creation, a testament to Dide’s ingenuity in a way, but it was not invulnerable. An unbearable heat moved through it now, burning out any refuge that the Greenfyre's power could retreat to. It had been quite some time that Jevaisius had to concentrate so completely on a task but he did have practice with such things.
He didn't know how long it had taken him, it may have been seconds or it may have been hours, but eventually Jevaisius succeeded. He opened his eyes slowly, only to be hit by a torrent of bitter black smoke rising from the charred husk of the guitar. He winced for a moment, taking his hand from the base of the guitar and rubbing his eyes in irritation.
"It is done..." said Jevaisius finally "Thank you, Lanya Caliope..."
Jevaisius lowered his hand from his eyes and looked up at Lanya.
"Thank you for making this so easy" he said with a grin.
And then Jevaisius Yalsa drew back the husk of Greenfyre and swung it directly at Lanya's head.
-
Lanya Caliope
- Fugitive
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:49 am
- Race: Human
Re: Consequence
Once he was holding the guitar, she drew her arms back to cross over her chest, staying out of his range. She tightened her arms, flicking her eyes between both man and instrument. Her eyes fell on the strings as he laid his palms over them, muscles tensing as she prepared to spring forward should they show the slightest sign of movement.
When they began to glow she stepped forward with widened eyes, thinking the guitar was manifesting some new way to defend itself - but cracks split open its frame moments later, and she stopped to watch in both fascination and horror. For all that she hated the thing and had even burned it once herself, she could not help but wince to see it destroyed so cruelly. Her eyes fell away to begin watching the road. This man was a stranger to the region and did not realize how his magic use could get them both killed. She did not fancy the idea of repeating the experience of Justice Hall.
It was early morning, and they were still close enough to the residential areas that no one walked the road. She did try scanning the assorted windows nearby, but to no avail. If anyone had seen, she could not say - and in the end, it did not matter. The murderous instrument needed to be destroyed. It would never kill another person on her account; she would be free of the constant burden of fearing its actions. This was nothing but a boon.
Still, it would not hurt to leave the city immediately. Her noble intentions to remain on Metarie's behalf lay forgotten in the face of necessary self-preservation. Instead, she changed her idea to trying to convince the elf to come with her, or at least discussing her continued protection with the captain directly. She had tried to ease the healer's emotional pain that morning and failed; her continued presence would become awkward. She was healed and no longer needed here; Lucian was gone, Wolfhound dead, and Metarie had a life to return to. It was time enough to leave.
The scent of smoke drew her eyes back to the guitar, and she was shocked at the sudden welling of tears in her eyes. It had been alive, once. Now it was only a dead shell. Jev's loss was complete; he could move on. And now, without the guitar to follow her wherever she went, she could move on as well. It had been the right thing to do. She'd have done it herself if she could. And yet...Greenfyre had once lived. She'd felt its body warmth and gently pulsing life in her fingers. And now she was without an instrument to play. She would need to gather funds some other way to purchase what she needed. Perhaps Metarie might lend her some local currency...though she was loathe to ask. The elf had already done so much for her as it was.
Her morose thoughts moved by the wayside when she saw him wince, and she stepped closer with a worried expression, intending to make sure he was alright. A loud chirrup from her shoulder stopped her short, and she turned to give Flame an odd look before meeting Jev's slightly reddened eyes as he spoke.
The guitar came swinging into her field of vision, and she only had enough time to raise both arms and let out a grunt of surprise before it collided with her. It was both lucky and unlucky it had just been burned; the wood shattered on the impact, showering her with blackened bits as she fell. But the bits still burned. Her shirt spared her arms, but ashes and small splinters found her face and hands and stayed where they touched - tiny blackened pinpricks of heat.
She hit the ground with her rump, wiping her face and speaking before looking to see him.
"Stop! We're in the open!"
It was the only weapon she had, while down on the ground and scrambling to stand back up. They were not in a secluded area; his actions could be seen. This had done nothing to stop the assassin a few days ago, who'd tackled her in the middle of a crowded city street and done his best to kill her in full view of guards and citizens. But this man did not know the city; he might not know the general consensus of "move along, nothing to see" which pervaded this wretched place.
A hawk's cry cut off any further thoughts she might have said as Flame dove straight at Jev's face, tiny claws and beak prepared to scratch and peck. His intentions of course were a diversion to give her the time to flee, but any rationale she had vanished at sight of her robin moving to attack the dangerous stranger. Now her scrambled actions changed direction as she tried to lunge closer to him, to stop Flame's intended actions, grab the bird and run with him to keep him safe.
"Flame, no! NO!"
When they began to glow she stepped forward with widened eyes, thinking the guitar was manifesting some new way to defend itself - but cracks split open its frame moments later, and she stopped to watch in both fascination and horror. For all that she hated the thing and had even burned it once herself, she could not help but wince to see it destroyed so cruelly. Her eyes fell away to begin watching the road. This man was a stranger to the region and did not realize how his magic use could get them both killed. She did not fancy the idea of repeating the experience of Justice Hall.
It was early morning, and they were still close enough to the residential areas that no one walked the road. She did try scanning the assorted windows nearby, but to no avail. If anyone had seen, she could not say - and in the end, it did not matter. The murderous instrument needed to be destroyed. It would never kill another person on her account; she would be free of the constant burden of fearing its actions. This was nothing but a boon.
Still, it would not hurt to leave the city immediately. Her noble intentions to remain on Metarie's behalf lay forgotten in the face of necessary self-preservation. Instead, she changed her idea to trying to convince the elf to come with her, or at least discussing her continued protection with the captain directly. She had tried to ease the healer's emotional pain that morning and failed; her continued presence would become awkward. She was healed and no longer needed here; Lucian was gone, Wolfhound dead, and Metarie had a life to return to. It was time enough to leave.
The scent of smoke drew her eyes back to the guitar, and she was shocked at the sudden welling of tears in her eyes. It had been alive, once. Now it was only a dead shell. Jev's loss was complete; he could move on. And now, without the guitar to follow her wherever she went, she could move on as well. It had been the right thing to do. She'd have done it herself if she could. And yet...Greenfyre had once lived. She'd felt its body warmth and gently pulsing life in her fingers. And now she was without an instrument to play. She would need to gather funds some other way to purchase what she needed. Perhaps Metarie might lend her some local currency...though she was loathe to ask. The elf had already done so much for her as it was.
Her morose thoughts moved by the wayside when she saw him wince, and she stepped closer with a worried expression, intending to make sure he was alright. A loud chirrup from her shoulder stopped her short, and she turned to give Flame an odd look before meeting Jev's slightly reddened eyes as he spoke.
The guitar came swinging into her field of vision, and she only had enough time to raise both arms and let out a grunt of surprise before it collided with her. It was both lucky and unlucky it had just been burned; the wood shattered on the impact, showering her with blackened bits as she fell. But the bits still burned. Her shirt spared her arms, but ashes and small splinters found her face and hands and stayed where they touched - tiny blackened pinpricks of heat.
She hit the ground with her rump, wiping her face and speaking before looking to see him.
"Stop! We're in the open!"
It was the only weapon she had, while down on the ground and scrambling to stand back up. They were not in a secluded area; his actions could be seen. This had done nothing to stop the assassin a few days ago, who'd tackled her in the middle of a crowded city street and done his best to kill her in full view of guards and citizens. But this man did not know the city; he might not know the general consensus of "move along, nothing to see" which pervaded this wretched place.
A hawk's cry cut off any further thoughts she might have said as Flame dove straight at Jev's face, tiny claws and beak prepared to scratch and peck. His intentions of course were a diversion to give her the time to flee, but any rationale she had vanished at sight of her robin moving to attack the dangerous stranger. Now her scrambled actions changed direction as she tried to lunge closer to him, to stop Flame's intended actions, grab the bird and run with him to keep him safe.
"Flame, no! NO!"
You're wearing your anguish again.
-
The Wave
Re: Consequence
Jevaisius Yalsa was not the most nimble of men but when it comes down to something like being rushed by a bird pride is a far more important factor than speed. He’d seen the little nuisance perched on Lanya giving him the evilest look it’s beady eyes could manage and so he was relatively certain that it would try to defend Lanya the moment he tried anything. However the amount of defence that a robin can mount is severely limited due to it’s size, strength and the fact that at the end of the day its just a bird and so Jevaisius could be relatively certain it would fly at his face.
So after giving Lanya a rather satisfying thump with perhaps the only thing that could have saved her Jevaisius simply let go off Greenfyre, allowing the inertia of his swing to send it careering into a wall on the side of the street. He didn’t give the guitar a second thought, it was dead now and beyond splinters it was unlikley to pose any trouble, and after less than a second hesitation he swung his arm back in the other direction.
It was clumsy and relatively slow swing but he’d judged the bird path almost perfectly. It may have been a blind swing but since there was a whole lot more arm than bird flying through the air he wasn't surpisecd whenhe felt a small impact at the back of his wrist. He doubted the blow would kill the bird but it should have stunned it at least though he never bothered to look.
He immediately locked eyes on Lanya and grinned when he saw that she had actually gotten closer to him. Part of Jevaisius was amused that she was putting her own life in danger to try and save a bird while another part of him realised that this ridiculous sentimentality was probably why Dide had gone with her. Unfortunately, it was this same sentimentality had gotten Dide killed and the same would be true for Lanya.
“We’re in the open?” Jevaisius smirked “Is that your last ditch defence or was it the bird? They were both so pathetic I just can’t be sure.”
He didn’t waste any time, lunging forward he grabbed Lanya by her not as red as he’d expected hair with one hand as he balled up his other hand into a fist
“But isn’t funny how being in the open only becomes important when it’s your life in danger” Jevaisius mused as he hauled Lanya closer “Or did I simply miss those warning when I was doing illegal magic...?"
He was strong man and for the first time in his life he saw the disadvantages of this. He would have to be very careful, one bad punch and he could knock Lanya out cold. That was something he needed to avoid, he’d waited long enough for this moment and he wanted it to last. She had to suffer, she had to beg but most importantly of all she had to understand.
“You should have ran Lanya” he said as he pulled back his fist “It’s what you do best”
Jevaisius smiled and without another word he swung
So after giving Lanya a rather satisfying thump with perhaps the only thing that could have saved her Jevaisius simply let go off Greenfyre, allowing the inertia of his swing to send it careering into a wall on the side of the street. He didn’t give the guitar a second thought, it was dead now and beyond splinters it was unlikley to pose any trouble, and after less than a second hesitation he swung his arm back in the other direction.
It was clumsy and relatively slow swing but he’d judged the bird path almost perfectly. It may have been a blind swing but since there was a whole lot more arm than bird flying through the air he wasn't surpisecd whenhe felt a small impact at the back of his wrist. He doubted the blow would kill the bird but it should have stunned it at least though he never bothered to look.
He immediately locked eyes on Lanya and grinned when he saw that she had actually gotten closer to him. Part of Jevaisius was amused that she was putting her own life in danger to try and save a bird while another part of him realised that this ridiculous sentimentality was probably why Dide had gone with her. Unfortunately, it was this same sentimentality had gotten Dide killed and the same would be true for Lanya.
“We’re in the open?” Jevaisius smirked “Is that your last ditch defence or was it the bird? They were both so pathetic I just can’t be sure.”
He didn’t waste any time, lunging forward he grabbed Lanya by her not as red as he’d expected hair with one hand as he balled up his other hand into a fist
“But isn’t funny how being in the open only becomes important when it’s your life in danger” Jevaisius mused as he hauled Lanya closer “Or did I simply miss those warning when I was doing illegal magic...?"
He was strong man and for the first time in his life he saw the disadvantages of this. He would have to be very careful, one bad punch and he could knock Lanya out cold. That was something he needed to avoid, he’d waited long enough for this moment and he wanted it to last. She had to suffer, she had to beg but most importantly of all she had to understand.
“You should have ran Lanya” he said as he pulled back his fist “It’s what you do best”
Jevaisius smiled and without another word he swung
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Lanya Caliope
- Fugitive
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:49 am
- Race: Human
Re: Consequence
Seeing Flame fall after being hit set her into a panic. Her only priority became trying to go to him, to kneel next to his tiny body and cup him in her hands and make sure he was alright. Her lunge changed course enough for her to try and follow where the robin landed, prepared to drop to her knees and clutch him protectively. Anything to keep this man from hurting him again.
He grabbed her braid as she moved and pulled her head back, and she let out a pained yelp as she was forcibly yanked back to full standing. One hand raised to grip his wrist, trying to draw his hand closer to her head to minimize the amount of strain on her scalp. It did not make enough of a difference to stop her from wincing, but it was enough that she could at least hear what he was saying.
Not that she wanted to.
"It's not my life I'm trying to save..."
She did not listen to the rest of his words. He had tricked her into believing he only wanted to destroy the guitar and ease his own pain. She had trusted him for knowing that Dide was dead - the source of the pain was legitimate, and he had done nothing threatening before. His need had been fair.
But now he was clearly trying to hurt her for some kind of revenge, and worse, he had hurt Flame. Even now the bird was motionless against the ground. If his little neck had broken when he hit the ground...
Some cold, distant part of herself manifested in the moment she realized the possibility that Flame might have died, could be dead and growing cold even now. It sent blind spots of rage tumbling through her vision, white hot yet devoid of malice. She did not want violence. She did not want to kill this man. But she made a decision to hurt him, hurt him in a way she had never done before. To act out beyond scratching and screaming, beyond the relative flailing she so often used as her only defense.
As his fist balled and began to swing, her free hand followed suit. She could not direct her strength as a professional fighter; she did not know how to tilt her wrist so that she would protect the last two knuckles of her hand from breaking. She only knew that her fist connecting with his face with all the force she could muster was the only possible solution to satisfy the need to defend her robin from further harm.
Together they swung, and together they would connect. The only advantage she had over him was the chill sensation guiding her motions beyond the fear of her own pain when his fist connected with her...
He grabbed her braid as she moved and pulled her head back, and she let out a pained yelp as she was forcibly yanked back to full standing. One hand raised to grip his wrist, trying to draw his hand closer to her head to minimize the amount of strain on her scalp. It did not make enough of a difference to stop her from wincing, but it was enough that she could at least hear what he was saying.
Not that she wanted to.
"It's not my life I'm trying to save..."
She did not listen to the rest of his words. He had tricked her into believing he only wanted to destroy the guitar and ease his own pain. She had trusted him for knowing that Dide was dead - the source of the pain was legitimate, and he had done nothing threatening before. His need had been fair.
But now he was clearly trying to hurt her for some kind of revenge, and worse, he had hurt Flame. Even now the bird was motionless against the ground. If his little neck had broken when he hit the ground...
Some cold, distant part of herself manifested in the moment she realized the possibility that Flame might have died, could be dead and growing cold even now. It sent blind spots of rage tumbling through her vision, white hot yet devoid of malice. She did not want violence. She did not want to kill this man. But she made a decision to hurt him, hurt him in a way she had never done before. To act out beyond scratching and screaming, beyond the relative flailing she so often used as her only defense.
As his fist balled and began to swing, her free hand followed suit. She could not direct her strength as a professional fighter; she did not know how to tilt her wrist so that she would protect the last two knuckles of her hand from breaking. She only knew that her fist connecting with his face with all the force she could muster was the only possible solution to satisfy the need to defend her robin from further harm.
Together they swung, and together they would connect. The only advantage she had over him was the chill sensation guiding her motions beyond the fear of her own pain when his fist connected with her...
You're wearing your anguish again.
-
The Wave
Re: Consequence
It was said by many that Jevaisius Yalsa had a face of stone, harsh features and equally harsh expression etched upon, but unfortunately this description had never come though in any literal sense. It would have been nice if it had as then he could have shrugged off what had just happened, but the sad truth of it was that Jevaisius-quite-normal-face had just been hit by quite a good punch.
He'd never expected her to fight back, the bard had little hope of stopping him, but now as his head snapped to the side and he was forced to take a little step backwards he began to regret that oversight. In retrospect it had been foolish of him to assume she would do nothing but in truth it had been even more foolish of her to even try.
His punch had connected and he was certain that even though it lacked the surprise aspect that Lanya's blow had in spades it probably made much more of an impact. Of course it was hard to be certain as the instant after his blow landed he found himself looking off in another direction with a brief spate of double vision. However, Jevaisius was a brawler and while Lanya's punch had indeed been a good one it didn't come near to having the force he was so accustomed to. It may have taken the mage a few moments to fully regain his senses but even before this Jevaisius was reacting. Unbidden the hand with which he had just stuck Lanya with dropped down from her face and grabbed her shoulder once again. His ears still ringing and the dull throbbing pain in his jaw finally make it's presence known Jevaisius rather clumsy dragged Lanya forward before he rather suddenly lunged forward and drove his knee into her stomach.
"You say you have killed no one but then what of the child? What of Vivian? What of Dide? They’re all dead because of you" Jevaisius hissed "And that was years ago now, how many more lives have you blighted since then? How many more had to suffer because of your sin?"
He'd held her for a moment, just after he struck her, but once he had finished speaking he simply stood back from her and let go. His mouth was aching now and he was certainly bleeding but this was of no consequence. With one hand he drew the back of his sleeve across his face to wipe away the blood while reaching into his pocket with the other.
"I wouldn't prolong this if I were you, Lanya." he said matter of factly as he dropped his hand away from his face "It will last long enough as it is."
He'd never expected her to fight back, the bard had little hope of stopping him, but now as his head snapped to the side and he was forced to take a little step backwards he began to regret that oversight. In retrospect it had been foolish of him to assume she would do nothing but in truth it had been even more foolish of her to even try.
His punch had connected and he was certain that even though it lacked the surprise aspect that Lanya's blow had in spades it probably made much more of an impact. Of course it was hard to be certain as the instant after his blow landed he found himself looking off in another direction with a brief spate of double vision. However, Jevaisius was a brawler and while Lanya's punch had indeed been a good one it didn't come near to having the force he was so accustomed to. It may have taken the mage a few moments to fully regain his senses but even before this Jevaisius was reacting. Unbidden the hand with which he had just stuck Lanya with dropped down from her face and grabbed her shoulder once again. His ears still ringing and the dull throbbing pain in his jaw finally make it's presence known Jevaisius rather clumsy dragged Lanya forward before he rather suddenly lunged forward and drove his knee into her stomach.
"You say you have killed no one but then what of the child? What of Vivian? What of Dide? They’re all dead because of you" Jevaisius hissed "And that was years ago now, how many more lives have you blighted since then? How many more had to suffer because of your sin?"
He'd held her for a moment, just after he struck her, but once he had finished speaking he simply stood back from her and let go. His mouth was aching now and he was certainly bleeding but this was of no consequence. With one hand he drew the back of his sleeve across his face to wipe away the blood while reaching into his pocket with the other.
"I wouldn't prolong this if I were you, Lanya." he said matter of factly as he dropped his hand away from his face "It will last long enough as it is."
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Lanya Caliope
- Fugitive
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:49 am
- Race: Human
Re: Consequence
Her hit connected solidly against his jaw, a feat which startled her more than the pain ricocheting along her arm all the way down to the elbow. Her eyes watered with the force of it, but at the very least she realized that she had connected with her target. Unfortunately, she hadn't expected the amount of pain the blow would cause, and this sent stars into her eyes for a blind moment.
His own punch landed against her cheek, driving the soft flesh into her teeth to cut it open. She let out a soft cry of pain, arms moving to shield her face from further blows reflexively. She realized that she'd shielded the wrong area too late.
The knee was arguably worse. As it drove into her stomach she released a long whoosh of air and gasped for more, coughing in painful spasms. She didn't feel sore just yet, but she knew well enough it was coming. His words just barely moved past the stars distracting her vision, though she was more concerned with breathing than on feeling latent guilt spring up at his accusations.
When he released her, she fell back to her rump immediately, holding her stomach tightly with one hand and favoring the other. The tears finally escaped her eyes, though they were spawned of pain rather than mental grief. She doubted this man would recognize or care about the difference, but the knowledge comforted her enough.
The pain was too spread out and various to allow her ease of thought. The only immediate thought which came was how odd it was to have the pain of her dislocated knee put into perspective. It had been agonizing, and resetting it worse - and yet the pain in her face stomach and arm were current. Whatever pain she had felt before could not compare to here-and-now agony, in particular her arm. Somehow, some way, she realized that she'd managed to break something inside. Nothing else could explain the spikes shooting from her arm to indicate that her body was not enjoying the abuse being layered upon it.
She focused on breathing and stared up at him, tears running down both cheeks. She drew up her knees as close to her chest as she could, to protect herself from any additional kicks to her stomach region. She had no reply for him, and even if she did she could not have spoken.
His own punch landed against her cheek, driving the soft flesh into her teeth to cut it open. She let out a soft cry of pain, arms moving to shield her face from further blows reflexively. She realized that she'd shielded the wrong area too late.
The knee was arguably worse. As it drove into her stomach she released a long whoosh of air and gasped for more, coughing in painful spasms. She didn't feel sore just yet, but she knew well enough it was coming. His words just barely moved past the stars distracting her vision, though she was more concerned with breathing than on feeling latent guilt spring up at his accusations.
When he released her, she fell back to her rump immediately, holding her stomach tightly with one hand and favoring the other. The tears finally escaped her eyes, though they were spawned of pain rather than mental grief. She doubted this man would recognize or care about the difference, but the knowledge comforted her enough.
The pain was too spread out and various to allow her ease of thought. The only immediate thought which came was how odd it was to have the pain of her dislocated knee put into perspective. It had been agonizing, and resetting it worse - and yet the pain in her face stomach and arm were current. Whatever pain she had felt before could not compare to here-and-now agony, in particular her arm. Somehow, some way, she realized that she'd managed to break something inside. Nothing else could explain the spikes shooting from her arm to indicate that her body was not enjoying the abuse being layered upon it.
She focused on breathing and stared up at him, tears running down both cheeks. She drew up her knees as close to her chest as she could, to protect herself from any additional kicks to her stomach region. She had no reply for him, and even if she did she could not have spoken.
You're wearing your anguish again.
-
The Wave
Re: Consequence
Two years searching, two years travelling and after all this she was just a girl, a girl with no power and no way of protecting herself beyond tears. It wasn't right that this should be so easy, the search had been so difficult to begin with it just didn't seem right. He could kill her now but that was too easy. She needed to understand all of it, she needed to know what she was responsible for.
"Finding you was far from easy Lanya, I hope you can appreciate that." said Jev as he cradled his aching jaw while his other hand searched his pocket "I had to do an awful lot to get here and I certainly couldn't have done it without help..."
He was clutching it now. It was screaming again, the familiar chorus of despair and hatred he had become so accustomed. It knew what it had been made for and now it was without purpose, without any hope, but Jev had become numb to anguish a long time ago.
"She never wanted to come back to me, not after meeting you. I'd always been good to her but after minutes with you she'd forgotten that. I used wonder why, what it was about you that changed her, what you must have said or done but I never could figure it out." said Jev reflected almost wistfully before the edge returned to his tone once again "But it doesn't matter how it had happened now does it? All that matters is the fact that you stole her from me Lanya, and no one steals from me."
He didn't move quickly but there was a certain inevitability about his action. Lanya was now more concerned with protecting herself from further injury than trying to stop him and so Jevaisius walked past the prone Lanya and once again grabbed a handful of her hair. He did not try to haul her to her feet but instead he simply kept walking, fully intending on dragging Lanya along with him.
"She didn't want to help me but I knew more than a enough to help myself. You know how I destroyed Greenfyre, Lanya?" said Jev asked without even looking back at her as he dragged her across the cobblestones "I burned it out, I chased it down and scoured any place it could take refuge in. I left it nowhere to hide, nowhere to cower and after that it was easy... a lot trickier to do with a person mind you."
Finally Jevaisius removed the sickly green talisman from his pocket and stopped walking. He turned slowly back around and pulled Lanya's head back so she was looking up at him.
"But I left her a place to hide, she always could back to me and that never changed. I had to take everything else away before she realised that but she did and now here she is." said Jevaisius earnestly as he dangled the talisman over her face "She helps me now, it's all she can do. She resonates with the magic within Greenfryre, she led me here to you."
He regarded his creation for moment, it seemed so innocuous and harmless to look at but Jevaisius knew too much about it. He wondered how he managed it, he wondered why he had done it but Jevaisius never had answers for any of that. All he had was the memory and he would have glady given that up but he knew he could never forget that smell.
"But do you know the best part, Lanya?" Jev continued in that same sedate tone "After all that, after all I had to do, it didn't even work. There wasn't enough left, too much of her had been lost. It was weak, it was flawed... but how can I be surprised? It was Dide after all."
Jevaisius smiled at this, a thin forced smile but a smile none the less. She knew now, she had some grasp of all that had happened because of her, and that was enough. It was time to end it now, that was all that was left.
"But it worked today, it led me to you…" he added jovially "So today I don't need it anymore!"
He couldn't bare to hold on to it anymore and without looking at where it would land Jevaisius tossed it aside. He was nearly free now, there was only one thing left to do. He raised his fist in the air as he stood over her and the ring on his second finger began to glow red.
"So Lanya..." said Jevaisius conversationally "Do you understand now?”
"Finding you was far from easy Lanya, I hope you can appreciate that." said Jev as he cradled his aching jaw while his other hand searched his pocket "I had to do an awful lot to get here and I certainly couldn't have done it without help..."
He was clutching it now. It was screaming again, the familiar chorus of despair and hatred he had become so accustomed. It knew what it had been made for and now it was without purpose, without any hope, but Jev had become numb to anguish a long time ago.
"She never wanted to come back to me, not after meeting you. I'd always been good to her but after minutes with you she'd forgotten that. I used wonder why, what it was about you that changed her, what you must have said or done but I never could figure it out." said Jev reflected almost wistfully before the edge returned to his tone once again "But it doesn't matter how it had happened now does it? All that matters is the fact that you stole her from me Lanya, and no one steals from me."
He didn't move quickly but there was a certain inevitability about his action. Lanya was now more concerned with protecting herself from further injury than trying to stop him and so Jevaisius walked past the prone Lanya and once again grabbed a handful of her hair. He did not try to haul her to her feet but instead he simply kept walking, fully intending on dragging Lanya along with him.
"She didn't want to help me but I knew more than a enough to help myself. You know how I destroyed Greenfyre, Lanya?" said Jev asked without even looking back at her as he dragged her across the cobblestones "I burned it out, I chased it down and scoured any place it could take refuge in. I left it nowhere to hide, nowhere to cower and after that it was easy... a lot trickier to do with a person mind you."
Finally Jevaisius removed the sickly green talisman from his pocket and stopped walking. He turned slowly back around and pulled Lanya's head back so she was looking up at him.
"But I left her a place to hide, she always could back to me and that never changed. I had to take everything else away before she realised that but she did and now here she is." said Jevaisius earnestly as he dangled the talisman over her face "She helps me now, it's all she can do. She resonates with the magic within Greenfryre, she led me here to you."
He regarded his creation for moment, it seemed so innocuous and harmless to look at but Jevaisius knew too much about it. He wondered how he managed it, he wondered why he had done it but Jevaisius never had answers for any of that. All he had was the memory and he would have glady given that up but he knew he could never forget that smell.
"But do you know the best part, Lanya?" Jev continued in that same sedate tone "After all that, after all I had to do, it didn't even work. There wasn't enough left, too much of her had been lost. It was weak, it was flawed... but how can I be surprised? It was Dide after all."
Jevaisius smiled at this, a thin forced smile but a smile none the less. She knew now, she had some grasp of all that had happened because of her, and that was enough. It was time to end it now, that was all that was left.
"But it worked today, it led me to you…" he added jovially "So today I don't need it anymore!"
He couldn't bare to hold on to it anymore and without looking at where it would land Jevaisius tossed it aside. He was nearly free now, there was only one thing left to do. He raised his fist in the air as he stood over her and the ring on his second finger began to glow red.
"So Lanya..." said Jevaisius conversationally "Do you understand now?”
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Lanya Caliope
- Fugitive
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:49 am
- Race: Human
Re: Consequence
She sat in the road, staring up at him and silent as he spoke. She was helpless in the face of the assorted pains rumbling through her; she'd never been hit so hard before, and her mind reeled with shock. She could have accepted that this man wanted to kill her; his clear desire to torment her first was foreign. Even the assassin from before, who'd seemed to delight in the hunt, had not dragged out death in this way.
Whatever he clutched in his hand meant nothing to her, but it clearly meant quite a lot to him. It brought up memories of the dryad he claimed he'd loved with all his heart, and these memories seemed to fill him to the brim with bitterness she couldn't begin to fathom. The bitterness had morphed into hatred; and here she sat, helpless before his rage as her body complained over being hit a bit too hard.
Stop it. Get up. Get out of here. You know a healer, you fool. You must at least try...
She wanted to try. She wanted very badly to force her legs into motion, push her weight onto the balls of her feet and run until Metarie's home was within her sights again. She wanted to lock herself inside of the elf's bedroom and curl into the center of the bed, regardless of whatever might have happened there last night, and pretend that she'd never left the house today. She wanted to make sure Flame was safe - he was still motionless in the road, and her eyes teared more for the sight of her poor robin lying in a small crumpled heap of feathers. And despite knowing the horror of its reality, she wanted Greenfyre back.
But she could not move. All of her wishes died away in the face of a combination of pains from her face, arm, and belly. Each area throbbed insistently, demanding immediate attention that she was unable to provide. And now her head was in more pain, as he moved around her and dragged by the braid she'd crafted the day before. Her hair wasn't as red as usual; it was dyed, and this was why he'd been disappointed.
Your thoughts are rambling. Stay present. Don't lose consciousness, you'll never wake up again.
The last thought snapped her focus into place with a sharp gasp of realization. For all her martyrdom in the past two days, she did not want to die.
She listened to his words to help herself remain present. It was a struggle at best, and she fought to understand what he was saying about Dide. She was present. She couldn't be present if she were dead. But he was insistent on her being here. Something very odd was going on if she was here, but the bard couldn't fathom what it might be. She decided to ask when he paused to stare at whatever it was he was holding.
"What...did you do...to her?..."
Panting made speaking more difficult, and coupled with a racing heartbeat she felt as though she'd just finished a marathon.
She stared and stared and could not force herself to comprehend. Her intellect warred with impending shock, and she found herself mentally frustrated. She saw his hand raise, saw the ring begin to glow red with heat, and was at a loss for what it all meant. She answered his question honestly, eyes dropping away from his figure to look at Flame again. The bird's wing twitched, and some part of her twitched as well, aching to crawl to him and check. The wing moved again; she blinked, thinking herself dreaming. The wing folded and shuddered, and she knew he was waking. Flame was alive, and now everything would be alright.
She looked up at Jev, eyes cloudy with pain, and met his eyes as she was prone to do in conversations. Her voice emerged husky and strained, filled with conviction of her response.
"No. I don't."
SNAP
A loud, jarring crunch of wood grating upon wood, and strings shot into her eyesight, launching directly for the man's face, throat, and arms.
Whatever he clutched in his hand meant nothing to her, but it clearly meant quite a lot to him. It brought up memories of the dryad he claimed he'd loved with all his heart, and these memories seemed to fill him to the brim with bitterness she couldn't begin to fathom. The bitterness had morphed into hatred; and here she sat, helpless before his rage as her body complained over being hit a bit too hard.
Stop it. Get up. Get out of here. You know a healer, you fool. You must at least try...
She wanted to try. She wanted very badly to force her legs into motion, push her weight onto the balls of her feet and run until Metarie's home was within her sights again. She wanted to lock herself inside of the elf's bedroom and curl into the center of the bed, regardless of whatever might have happened there last night, and pretend that she'd never left the house today. She wanted to make sure Flame was safe - he was still motionless in the road, and her eyes teared more for the sight of her poor robin lying in a small crumpled heap of feathers. And despite knowing the horror of its reality, she wanted Greenfyre back.
But she could not move. All of her wishes died away in the face of a combination of pains from her face, arm, and belly. Each area throbbed insistently, demanding immediate attention that she was unable to provide. And now her head was in more pain, as he moved around her and dragged by the braid she'd crafted the day before. Her hair wasn't as red as usual; it was dyed, and this was why he'd been disappointed.
Your thoughts are rambling. Stay present. Don't lose consciousness, you'll never wake up again.
The last thought snapped her focus into place with a sharp gasp of realization. For all her martyrdom in the past two days, she did not want to die.
She listened to his words to help herself remain present. It was a struggle at best, and she fought to understand what he was saying about Dide. She was present. She couldn't be present if she were dead. But he was insistent on her being here. Something very odd was going on if she was here, but the bard couldn't fathom what it might be. She decided to ask when he paused to stare at whatever it was he was holding.
"What...did you do...to her?..."
Panting made speaking more difficult, and coupled with a racing heartbeat she felt as though she'd just finished a marathon.
She stared and stared and could not force herself to comprehend. Her intellect warred with impending shock, and she found herself mentally frustrated. She saw his hand raise, saw the ring begin to glow red with heat, and was at a loss for what it all meant. She answered his question honestly, eyes dropping away from his figure to look at Flame again. The bird's wing twitched, and some part of her twitched as well, aching to crawl to him and check. The wing moved again; she blinked, thinking herself dreaming. The wing folded and shuddered, and she knew he was waking. Flame was alive, and now everything would be alright.
She looked up at Jev, eyes cloudy with pain, and met his eyes as she was prone to do in conversations. Her voice emerged husky and strained, filled with conviction of her response.
"No. I don't."
SNAP
A loud, jarring crunch of wood grating upon wood, and strings shot into her eyesight, launching directly for the man's face, throat, and arms.
You're wearing your anguish again.