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    Default The children of UKC- IC

    Press here to go to the OOC thread.

    Prologue- Angel of Afterlife




    Esgares-

    “You may see him now”, said the minister as he clapped his hands, and the door opened slowly as two ill looking slaves removed the chains that bound them.

    With weak steps a man walked in, impressive, tall.

    Those who lived long, remember this eerie feeling that followed this newcomer. Some time ago, There was another such man who presented himself in the same manner….

    But it was so long ago….

    Maybe that is why, when that man appeared out of the blue and sought a shelter (as he was fleeing from Sigard), most of the Emperor's employs thought little of his reasons and just wanted him… to stay.

    Strange, or not, another such man, appearing under mysterious circumstances appeared just like that, and had brought them so much when he joined the ranks of the Ath'zola clan.

    18 years ago, if someone but whisper the name of ‘Esgares’ the room would fall into deep silent. No one would dare challenge the fearsome empire or their lord.

    But that was 18 years ago.

    And the man appearing again before the Emperor was not the man from 18 years ago.



    The chamber was magnificent. Bigger and more impressive than he had ever seen.

    But it was scarred and broken, like the man who set in the bed looking out of the porch.

    “You are not him….”, Said Emperor Morgan without looking at the strange, “You don’t even feel like him”, his voice carried some sort of amusement, but his expression was nothing but, “I will have them hung for bothering me with this”.

    “You look nothing like him, as well, your grace”, said the stranger with a soft voice, “Nothing like the handsome young man, the demon of the east, who wanted to conquer the world”.

    Morgan slowly turned around, “You play with fire”.

    The man smiled, “And yet I see nothing in your eyes to reflect this…”, he started to march around the room, circling the great bed and passing his fingers upon the peeling walls, “Hillel’s absent must be a terrible vacuum, your grace.”.

    “This name… Who are you?...”.

    Like a snake, pleased with being able to seize the attention of his victim, the stranger walked forward, to the porch, landing his hands on the rails, “Emonalach- Only few knew of his real name. He has a tendency to draw fire to him… making such tight close connection and then walking out of it… I felt like this before as well, your grace”.

    Something seemed to take over Morgan. A new sensation of excitement he did not feel for many years. As he was leaving the gloomy chamber, and stepping forward into the sun in the porch, something about him seemed to grow younger as well.

    “You want to find him, don’t you?”, the man said slowly, “And you want everything to be back as it was, with you riding on the storms, capturing this world?”

    “Who are you?”, said Morgan again.

    “I love your eyes now… they seem alive”, the stranger said, “Me? I want to make sure the bastard pays… I am after him as well… I will find him for you… and I will help you…

    You may call me, ‘Fergal’”.

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    Chapter 1- The Ties That Bind



    Aerosia

    Virgil groaned awake as the sun rose over a new day. The storm that had blown through that night was a special level of fierce. His dreads were draped in a blend of black and red over his face as he slowly crawled out of bed and got dressed, yawning as he did so. Getting dressed, VIR pulled his dreads back from in front of his eyes as he grabbed for his goggles that hung from a nearby chair. As soon as he finished getting dressed, there was a very loud knock at the door. “VIRGIL!! COME GET YOUR IMP OF A WOMAN BEFORE I SKEWER HER MYSELF!!!”

    Virgil quickly facepalmed and shook his head. “Let’s go see what fresh new hell Talia has cooked up for me today.” Virgil soon opened the door and sighed again. Talia had been his newest headache after he had finally gotten the trust of the Aerosian people. It also wasn’t helping that she had the brightest red hair he had seen in a couple decades. Despite the widespread efforts from Chanclera to dispel these notions that came with the Ancients bloodline, it would seem old habits die very, very hard. Also, she threw fire at people sometimes.

    Virgil had sometimes wondered where his priorities were when he was running through the reasons why Talia was being a general hellion. One would think the ‘throwing fire’ part would be first. He also thought when she found her little goblin friend, she would have something to distract her from such foolishness. That little bundle of snot sadly wasn’t making things any better though. Virgil opened the door to find a very angry woman and her son, Darius at the door. He had this look to say ‘same old shit’. Virgil nodded and sighed, “Alright, lead the way. I’ll get her out of your hair.”

    In a small tent with many candles, was the devilish girl, surrounded by good women dressed in red, that everyone learned to respect as the holy priestess ‘The mothers’, who have apparently decided to confine the child until she was to be taken by her guardian.

    Hugging the Goblin closer to her, the young girl only looked up with excitement in her azure eyes as she looked at Virgil. The joy, however, was quickly replaced with fear as she dropped her gaze. She knew that a punishment and rebukes were to befall her sooner than later.

    The ladies were very gentle, but the other woman, the mother of the kid she had gotten into a fight with, was very loud. She was also very intent on wanting to have a conversation about Talia, requesting that he show up later when she wasn’t in such a foul mood.

    Talia didn’t pay attention and just followed the hand that pulled her from the crowd, hearing Virgil apologize as he was removing her from the center of the prayer room. Thankfully the mothers had gotten to her first. If not for the good ladies in red, Talia would have probably had it worse.


    ***


    There was silence as the two walked to their isolated cabin. In truth, Virgil never ever raised his hand to hit the girl, but his silent and angry expressions were more than enough to make her lose heart in front of him.

    She followed close behind, her gaze digging into the ground while her goblin began copying her movement while being pulled by the arm, as if thinking everyone was playing some sort of a game.

    As soon as they go to the cabin, Talia spoke up first. “I… didn’t set her on fire… on purpose”, Talia tried to explain slowly with a smile on her face...only for it to fade when she saw that Virgil was not amused. After a long pause, she added in frustration, “Olivia started it you know!!”

    By this time they had walked into Virgil’s house, the wind steadily shutting the door after the three of them entered. Virgil turned and responded very pointedly, “I don’t care if it was Hillel himself that started it, Talia! It was the fact that it escalated in the manner it did!! You know you still can’t control your abilities, so when you get riled up so does your magic...” Virgil gave an exasperated sigh as he sat in a chair in the small kitchen area. “So with that in mind, let me hear your excuse this time. Why did you lash out in such a manner that I was essentially dragged out of my house mere seconds after waking up and getting dressed to keep your head from ending up on a pike?”

    Talia bit her lip and gave him an innocent look, “I faked a letter… but she totally had it coming you know!”

    Virgil kept giving her the annoyed look and she realized she had to go on, “I hate how mighty and proud she is and how she laugh behind my back, think I can’t hear anything… So… There’s this… boy… you know…Darius… I knew he had a crush on Jaylyn for some time now… of course she is a priestess… and her mother wouldn’t want her around boys and more focused on her training….”, a pause, “I think that’s why he didn’t ask… But… I faked a letter to Olivia saying he didn’t like her and that he was going steady with Jaylyn….”, Talia looked away, “And rumors fly faster than birds here you know… I got caught…. And she just…. Was mean…. Called me imp girl…”, Talia threw an angry look at Virgil, “Said no one wanted me, even my parents… and that you- ….”

    At that point Talia recalled exactly how Olivia said that Virgil was going to leave her too, but decided against it. He didn’t need to know that she cared if he was around or not, “And… so on….So… I snapped….”

    Virgil tried to keep a stern face as he scoffed. Her reason this time was stupid, petty, childhood drama. By all accounts, Olivia would have been completely justified if she had not lashed out against Talia like she did. They were both wrong in their actions, but he needed to deal with the immediate issue of Talia’s emotional state. “It’s okay. Come here.” Virgil sighed as his stance broke and he slowly stepped forward and embraced Talia in a nice, long, hug. “I’m not going anywhere. Not for a good long time. When I do eventually leave this world, I need you to know that it will never be because of you…” Virgil let go and moved his hands up to hold his face in her hands, brushing against her cheeks with his thumbs, “...regardless of what anyone says.

    “Besides...” He let go with a smirk, “...the mothers were the first people we tried to talk to about finding a way to help you control your abilities and they didn’t even know where to begin, so what the hell do they know?”

    “Yeah!”, Talia smiled soft, burying herself into Virgil, “Stupid people… I mean….”, she sighed, “Yeah, I know… I’m sorry….”, Still holding on to Vir, Talia added softly, “I am scared… I know I don’t show it… but what if all they say is not completely wrong… You think my parents left too… because of this power?”

    At that moment the Goblin snorted, probably picking another interesting thing from his nose.

    “I mean….”, Talia pointed at Dreeg, “Not the best companion to have about… and not much for talks either… If it wasn’t for the collar around his neck, I wouldn’t even guess he has a name… or was a pet of sort….”, she sighed, “This is pretty pathetic when you think about it, I can’t blame them for laughing behind my back… But...”, she grinned, “I couldn’t have just let her do as she pleased. Olivia totally had it coming, you know?”

    “As far as Olivia is concerned, I’ll have a few words with her and the mothers and get everything sorted out. Though you know you were in the wrong for doing that in the first place. Everyone will get their just deserts in due time. It’s how life works. You want to show Olivia how much better you are than her? Then live a better life than her.”

    “The mothers have their heart in a good place…. But… they really don’t know how to handle things, and Olivia is a big bitch to all the kids… just because her father is the town’s biggest clerk she allows herself so much.”

    “Yes I know, but this isn’t the right way to go about giving her a humble check. Just let me speak to them and see if we can reach a middle ground. I know I still have enough pull that I can at least do that.”

    “Fine!”, Talia grunted with the goblin grunting in response.


    ***


    Norgard-

    (OOC : Mysti- Could really use your Intro of the new queen and the possible depart of the two siblings, Ciara’s children which will happen later)

    “I am so very excited”, said the beautiful queen as she marched across the halls of clan Al’Andunn, the new druids rulers of western wilderness lands.

    Ever since her coronation, the lovely raven haired lady, queen Glissher, made sure to keep a good connection with the druids, not only out of fear of their might, but also because she soon grew to love the people and their customs.



    Today was to be held a big celebration for the elder daughter, Princess Phaedra Al’Andunn becoming of age ceremony. There were many rumors about the Princess, in which she was to be sent to Chanclera, where her mother, the Lady of Fire, Ciara, was hailing from-- to marry a druid and by so empowering the connection between the two clans from the north and south.

    That of course, was still left to be seen as the Princess had yet to agree to the terms. A voyage has been planned though, along with her brother, who is said to be escorting her there.

    As the queen marched forward, she soon met with the elder druids of the various clans, all of them already holding cups of ale and food in their hands, as the celebration was said to last, like any other druid feast, for a few weeks at least.

    “Lord Arjak, and Lady Ciara!”, the queen waves softly as her scribe, a fragile looking man with huge glasses, rushed after her making sure to record all the details. The warriors of the North who wore light blue armor, was following the queen, and seemed to be so out of place in this more common, joyful celebration. However, unlike previously, during the great war between the civilized nation and the druids, the air was much more relaxed and some of the guards allowed themselves to be carried to tables by lovely druid ladies, play cards, and even drink while on duty.


    ****


    Chanclera

    “You’re sure that it’s there, Kirin?”

    “Without a doubt, Zelvad. We’ve all seen a lot since you returned and took over, but this is definitely ‘the craziest shit we’ve ever seen in our lives.’ ”

    “So...Worrent, huh? How ironic that where my truth began, is where this ‘truth’ dies.”

    “So what do we do now?“

    “Spread word to the other Elders, the battle that started in Sigard ends now. Tell them to start the barrier...just like we practiced.”

  3. #3
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    Sigard, Ephraeli’s Hut

    Ronan Hill felt as if he could vomit at any time.

    The large, hulking man sat hunched over his workspace, barely even reading the words of the book in front of him. He scratched at his bright red hair, brown eyes turning glossy every two seconds, only to shake his head and rub his stomach to ignore the burning in his abdomen and the creeping feeling in his throat.

    “If you retch on my book, I’m going to rub your face in it like a dog.” An old woman’s voice: Ephraeli. Though her back was hunched and she was nearly dragging her feet on the floor, she was surprisingly agile, sweeping up a few bits of leaves that had made their way into her hut. Her hair was an untamed mess of gray with twigs and leaves sticking out every which way. Her robes were a drab brown, but the bright green and red gems on her many necklaces and bracelets put her on just this side of opulent.

    “I’m fine, Ephraeli. I promise!” But his smile, big as it ever was, was weak, and his dark skin was clammy.

    “You take that potion I gave you?” Ephraeli said as she focused her misty eye on him.

    “Of course!”

    “I don’t believe you,” she said as she picked a twig out from behind her ear. “You’ve had that stomach flu for three days now.”

    “Aww, come on, Ephraeli.” Ro turned around in his chair. “Mum’s been trying to stuff all kinds of meds down my throat.”

    “You haven’t taken them, have you?”

    “Give me more credit than that.” Ro was about to laugh when he felt his stomach churn. He flung himself out of the chair and out the door, a hand over his mouth. Ro faltered as he moved to find a safe place to vomit, since Ephraeli was screaming something along the lines of ‘Not in the oleander!’

    Finally he doubled over behind a bush about five feet away from her garden. She shook her head and stuck her head out the door.

    “Go home, Ro!” she shouted. “And don’t try to bake anything! God forbid you ruin your mother’s pastries.” She growled and then started to murmur to herself: “What kinda witch can’t even cure his own stomach flu…” Before Ro could protest, the woman slammed the door, leaving him to the sounds of his own heaving and the murmurs of the forest.

    Ro wiped his mouth off and sighed with frustration, leaning his head back. Some witch, indeed. When he looked back at Ephraeli’s hut, he noticed she’d thrown his knapsack and staff on the porch. He stood up on shaky legs, made his way back to the hut to grab his things, and then set off down the road using his staff to help him along. He passed along his favorite meadow, full of beautiful flowers of almost every color. He stooped to pick a few, not too sick to enjoy a good bouquet.

    Once he made it to the city, he straightened up, ignoring the pain in his stomach, and waving at everyone he knew, keeping up a nice, big smile. Almost too nice, really. When he made it to the bakery, he went around the back and sat down. His mother was at the front, working at the front. Ro took the opportunity to flop his head down on the table, groaning to himself.
    Last edited by Wattz; 06-02-2016 at 08:40 PM.



    Free Editing

    Spoiler: The show must go on. 

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    Sigard: Port Town of Galim, Three Weeks Prior
    Cliven was in a hurry, not the I'm late for breakfast, or a friend will arrive in a few minutes kind of hurry. But the everyone I know is out to kill me and I need to catch the next ship out immediately kind of hurry. Stopping to ask around the weathered wanderer discovered that a ship was about to set sail for Aerosia. He figured that would be the best place to start. Ducking past some soldiers and a constable Cliven worked his way through the port city toward the docks. There he came upon a decently sized ship, The Undaunted, she was about the size of a frigate and rigged for speed, two masts supported her sails and no guns were visible, which came as a relief to Cliven as he guided his horse, Avel, to the pier.


    This ship was rather surprising, It was a merchant ship that was carrying spices and other rare goods to countries all over the world, And thankfully they needed some help. Though Cliven was no sailor he was more than able to aid in hauling the merchandise aboard and his horse Avel was appreciated for much the same reason. And so, for a small bag of coin and some work Cliven had managed to work his way out of Sigard...


    Aerosia: About ten miles outside Burg Present
    "Finally, out of the city." Cliven said with a tone of relief. He'd been on a ship for weeks as had Avel, which wasn't too good for horses but his old friend pulled through.

    Now however the pair had gotten themselves fairly out there in a place they didn't know. Not the best but given a few weeks Cliven could have worked out a livable permanent shelter somewhere where he couldn't be tracked down. However his better sense prevailed and Cliven decided to travel about and discover the local scene and by extent the disposition of the locals.

    This meant he was now on his way toward a small village called Kail.




    "Life before death,
    Strength before weakness,
    Journey before destination."
    -The First Ideal

  5. #5
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    AEROSIA: present day

    "So, this hussy of a bar maid comes sauntering over, hey bosom nearly falling out of her top, and all I think of is that dumb little mole she got sitting up on her lip, just staring at me." Jester spoke to his mate, the two guards near the check point. The sun was already baking the earth, making travel a sore idea. Most merchants would be heading through the main gates, or just off the port, ready to hit the sea.

    "Whatcha do then? You really saying a mole is gonna stop you from nailin' that broad, ya dinglehanger?" The other guard insulted him, lightly jabbing him with his finger.

    "Well no, by then I was down three pints and she wanted this man, bad. The night was fine, but waking up and seeing that in the morning was a..." Jester stopped in his takes as a shadowed figure walked up, swaying some in the burning heat. A small bag hung from his shoulders add he walked, a scythe resting in his hand.

    Stopping in front of the two guards, who had drawn their spears taunt now, he dug the shaft of the weapon into the ground.

    ”State your intent and goals sir." Jester spoke, his voice tense and on edge. The man before him looked wrong, a hood held low over his eyes. As the man reached for his chest, they both responded, bringing their weapons to bear, frayed nerves making them jumpy.

    "May want to lay off the drinks men, or you might kill some one doing that. I'm hear to sell my wares and pay a trip home." No.Vii spoke calmly, showing them how merchant passport. Blinking, then abashed, they asked him in, reminding him to stay out of trouble.

    No.Vii took no time at all heading into the back streets, fixing his up to the roof, smiling wide as he lept from roof to roof, passing over heads people in shocked surprise, not used people up there. Eventually he made way to the old, a strange feeling of neglect and longing passing over him.

    "Hasn't changed much, yet quite a lot here. It's good to be home..."No.Vii spoke into the air, a nice breeze passing over head.

    "I'm back!!!" No.Vii shouted into the air, sending birds into the air and people jumping in shock at the old man shouting from the roof tops.

    "Even Dreams, can be a nightmare"
    Spoiler: Click it, I dare ya! 




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    Last edited by garvareth; 06-09-2016 at 09:30 AM.

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    Xenodrai walked though the shadows of Kail, I wonder if it's going to be one of those days he thought "What do we have here?" a gruff voice said from a nearby alleyway, five large men emerged from the shadow and looked threateningly at Xenodrai "give us all of your valuables and we'll let you live" yes, it's going to be one of those days
    "ok, lets get this over with" he sighed pointing his hand towards the shadows and sweeping it towards the men, a wall of shadows appearing and smashing into the men "goodbye" he said walking away from the unconscious men. As he walked towards his camp he felt that something exciting was about to happen.

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    “But where are the fraego berries?”

    There was a pause.

    “…Jaylyn.”

    The young girl’s head snapped around to face her mother, who was watching her expectantly.

    “Jaylyn,” the older woman prodded again, holding up a basket of produce that her daughter had just delivered. “The fraego berries?”

    Jaylyn’s face fell as she finally remembered the missing item on her mother’s collection list. She had been so very sure that the basket was complete! “I’m sorry, Mama. I must have missed them,” she admitted, her eyes turning downward toward her shoes.

    With a quiet sigh, Wren placed the basket on their modest kitchen table and turned to face her daughter. “We don’t need them right away. But perhaps you could get them for me tomorrow then, Jay?”

    The girl failed to respond, her gaze again moving toward the nearest window. The older woman shook her head. Futility was sometimes a frustrating side effect when dealing with the girl, she had learned that much over the years. “Alright,” she finally consented. “What is it?”

    Jaylyn shifted her weight from her right foot to her left and frowned. “I was just… distracted today.”

    “You’re often distracted.”

    “Yeah, I know. But…” Jay paused again. Superstition stated that if she said the words aloud, they might fail to come true. But she couldn’t just sit around inside and wait! The very intensity of her anticipation would eat her alive!

    “When I was almost finished gathering fruit from the tree on the hill, I noticed a ship appear over the horizon,” she finally admitted. “It looked like it was coming to dock at the harbor.”

    Folding her arms, Wren solemnly studied her daughter. “It’s early. He isn’t due back for-“

    “Eight more days, I know. But the winds have been blowing in the right direction and… and I just thought…”

    The fraction of a smile finally cracked through her mother’s expression, and again, the older woman shook her head. “Alright, go ahead,” she relented.

    Jaylyn Sinclair was out the door as her mother was still pronouncing the last syllable of her sentence. In her wake was the banging of their front door, a shout of Wren’s voice not to get her hopes up, and a very confused family dog that had been awoken from his slumber on the front porch.

    She ran as fast as her lean legs could carry her, long blond hair trailing behind like streamers in the wind. By her calculations, Jay figured that with all the time it had taken her to return home and speak with her mother, the ship must be almost to port by now. It wasn’t likely it was his ship, even with a favorable wind, and she had been too far away to see any flags or insignia, but the girl couldn’t help but shake the flurry of butterflies that had come alive inside of her belly. It had to be him. It just had to!

    Her destination wasn’t far from home, and she had run the distance countless times before, but today it seemed to take an eternity for Jaylyn to reach the bustle of Burg’s port. A few people looked up as she raced by, but most simply continued about their own work, and Jaylyn ignored them just the same. The town had a comfortable familiarity to it, and the blond teenager running through the streets, sometimes only narrowly avoiding passers-by was no new sight to her neighbors. It wasn’t until she was nearly on the docks when she finally stopped.

    Heart thudding in her chest and cheeks hot with exertion, Jaylyn took a moment to catch her breath as she waited for the ship to reach its resting place. But patience was never her strongest attribute, and within seconds the girl grew frustrated with being unable to see through or over the crowds around her and into the ocean. Glancing around in exasperation for a solution, her emerald eyes finally came to rest on a small cluster of boys who were sitting on the railing of the dock. And one of them was toying with a spyglass.

    “Oy!” she called out to the trio as she moved towards them, attracting their attention. “Make some room for me up there! I want to have a look!”

    Callan, a dark haired boy of seventeen caught her glance and barked out a laugh. He nudged his companions with an elbow and muttered something she couldn’t hear. When his dark eyes returned to hers, they sparkled of mischief. “What’s it to you then, Jay?” he asked, his voice teasing.

    Jaylyn drew to a stop before them, raised her hands to her hips and frowned. “What do you want?”

    “The truth,” he replied easily. Before she could respond, Callan leaned down to closely study her face. “We all heard about you and Darius.”

    She fought to keep her composure, unwilling to allow him the satisfaction of riling her up. Where was he going with this? “What about me and Darius?”

    Callan jabbed an accusing finger in her direction. “You’re going steady with him!”

    Jaylyn nearly fell over in shock. “I certainly am not!” she cried.

    “You are!” the boy to the right of Callan joined in. “He sent Olivia a letter about it and she read it to a bunch of her friends!”

    “What will your sweet mother say when she hears about this?” the boy on the left chimed in.

    Feeling her cheeks growing red with embarrassment only made Jay more furious. “Well there’s your problem. You can’t believe anything that comes from Olivia’s ugly mouth, and you know it!” But the boys were in a fit of laughter, and weren’t hearing her objections. Without pausing to think any more about it, Jaylyn was in motion. She took a step towards Callan and reached out for his shoe. Lifting his foot violently up above her head in a swift movement set the boy off balance. With a cry of fear and surprise, he scrambled to maintain his seat on the railing. Callan avoided falling down into the ocean behind him (oh how sweet that would have been!), but it did serve to shut him up. And within seconds, his friends were laughing at his embarrassment instead of hers.

    Jaylyn turned from the boys, still seething anger, just as the dock master announced the arrival of the ship. Her eyes were drawn to familiar crimson flags that fluttered above the masts and suddenly the storm clouds of her negative emotions dissipated. It was the Halo! It was his ship. It was!

    With the arrival of long-at-sea neighbors and friends, it seemed that the entire rest of Burg was suddenly crowded onto the docks. Jaylyn found herself ducking under elbows and weaving around bodies just to get a view of the sailors as they disembarked. Her small stature would have made her easily overpowered and pushed to the back of the crowd had she not been so persistent. Still, the mass of bodies was frustrating to the girl who just wanted to get to the front of the group, and she began to rethink her strategy.

    A stack of produce-laden crates nearby gave her an opportunity that Jaylyn gladly took. She climbed up the little wooden tower, careful not to squash or bruise any of the fruit as she moved. At the top, about four crates high, the girl caught sight of the Halo’s captain just as he set foot on the dock. His eyes had been scanning the crowd, searching for her just as she had been searching for him. She let out a cry, he looked upward to catch her gaze, and a smile quirked at the corners of his mouth.

    That ghost of a smile was the final straw that broke the back of Jaylyn’s patience. She leapt off the crates to the front of the crowd and nearly knocked the captain over as she bounded into him. Wrapping her slender arms around his torso and pressing her cheek against his chest, the girl couldn’t help but grin as she heard him say her name and mimic the gesture.

    “Welcome home, Daddy,” Jaylyn said.

    ~~~~~~~

    Jaylyn’s exuberance at her father’s return seemed to transform her from a teenager to a bubbling toddler. She couldn’t keep from telling him everything that she could think of that he had missed, and couldn’t help but ask a thousand questions about his journey as the man tried to tie up things with his ship and crew before leaving the dock. Finally, with an amused laugh, Captain Raphael Sinclair told his daughter to “kindly shut up for a few minutes” as he finished his business. Jay complied, but by the time they left the docks and started their walk home, she felt as if she was going to burst with excitement all over again.

    The trip home was a short one, as the girl had nearly pulled her father along at a faster than normal pace. Though he was always poised, always refined, the captain couldn’t help but laugh and jog alongside his second favorite girl in all the world. At least, until he caught sight of his first favorite girl, sitting on their porch.

    Jaylyn wrinkled her nose and turned away as her parents kissed their hellos and murmured sweet secrets to each other that she was thankful she couldn’t hear. One of the great mysteries in Jay’s mind was how her parents could have spent nearly two decades together, yet they still acted as if they were courting. Her mother looked at her father with obvious adoration and respect in her green eyes, and her father couldn’t seem to stand being out of arm’s reach of his wife whenever he was home. Even as they parted from their embrace, the pair held hands tightly as the moved inside, their daughter trailing after them. Jaylyn paused only to hold open the door so the dog could come inside.

    Despite her comments that Jaylyn shouldn’t get her hopes up about her father’s early return, Wren had prepared a large dinner after the girl had left. She ushered them all to the table and poured a cup of deep red wine for her husband before placing food on the table. The scents of warm bread, fresh greens from their garden, and potato and carrot stew filled their little home as they were seated. After kissing his wife (again? ugh!) and helping himself to several bites of dinner, Raphael restarted the conversation regarding what he had missed while he was away at sea, as well as filling his family in on his own travels.

    “Oh, I nearly forgot,” he said mid-sentence, suddenly rising from his seat and retrieving an envelope from his coat by the door. “A letter from Ciara,” he said, handing the envelope to his wife, who took with with obvious excitement. She delicately tore it open and scanned it.

    “Phaedra’s potential wedding is in the final stages,” she summarized. “If her daughter agrees, Ciara says it won’t be long until she is married. In that case, we would have to plan a trip.”

    Jaylyn sat up straighter at the thought. It had been far too long since she had been to sea with her father, and any excuse to travel away from this every day life would be most welcome.

    Raphael took a pull of his wine and frowned. “It’s hard to believe Phaedra is old enough to be married. It’s a good thing we have a couple more years at least with this one,” he said, gesturing to his daughter.

    “I’m not that young,” Jay replied with a frown. “I’ll be seventeen in just a few months.”

    “Just so long as you aren’t sweet on any of the boys in town yet,” he responded with a scowl of his own, though it was accompanied by a teasing wink..

    Wren cleared her throat. “Speaking of that, what is this nonsense with Darius?”

    Jaylyn felt her cheeks grow hot. Of course her mother had heard about that. Of course! But now two sets of green eyes were on her, and she felt she wasn’t going to get out of this trouble even if none of it happened to be her fault.

    “It’s just nonsense. Exactly that.” Jay’s gaze dropped to her plate and she pushed a piece of lettuce around with her fork. “I had nothing to do with it. I only just heard about the letter today too, and none of it is true.”

    Raphael shot his wife a questioning look, but Wren continued. “I heard that Talia forged the letter. And in the ensuing argument, Olivia ended up being burned.”

    “Oh.” Jay wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that. It probably wasn’t Talia’s fault. Olivia was fairly awful in a lot of ways, but especially so toward her red-headed friend. Still, her mother never condoned violence. “Um… is she alright?”

    “She’ll be fine,” Wren said with a curt nod. “One of the Mother’s came to retrieve a salve for her and told me the entire story. She wasn’t hurt badly. But it raises the question of your friendship with Talia… again.”

    Jay’s anger rose and she nearly jumped out of her chair. “Talia’s a good person, Mama! She didn't mean to hurt anyone, I’m sure of it! It must have been an accident.”

    “You’re probably right,” Raphael chimed in. “But accident or not, someone did get hurt. Talia can’t control her powers, and we just don’t want you to be the next one to get hurt.”

    “She wouldn’t hurt me. She’s my friend,” Jaylyn insisted.

    Wren shook her head. “How do you know she wouldn’t hurt you when she can’t control herself?”

    Jaylyn pushed her plate away and got to her feet. “You can’t tell me who I can and can’t be friends with. I’m nearly an adult. My judgement should be worth something, too.”

    “We’re trying to have a discussion here, Jay,” her father said, his expression darkening. “No reason to become so heated.”

    “You try having someone tell you what to do all the time,” she snapped back, perhaps a bit too fiercely. “What your duties are for the day, where you can and can’t go and when, and now who you can be friends with?” She waved a hand at her father. “You get to go out and experience freedom. You’re in charge of your own life and an entire ship. I’m stuck here. It just isn’t fair!”

    She pushed her chair in and stalked from the room, suddenly feeling stifled and claustrophobic, desperate to leave the conversation. She heard her mother begin to call her back, and the quiet voice of her father telling her to let her go as she moved past the sideboard where her mother had placed Ciara’s letter. In an impulsive act of further rebellion, Jay slid the letter from the wooden surface and into her pocket. Her parents didn’t notice, or at least didn’t choose to argue the theft. With several long steps, Jaylyn was out the door.

    ~~~~~

    Wren Sinclair slowly rose from the table and began clearing the abandoned plates. She felt the eyes of her husband on her as she moved, but couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze. She felt angry, but mostly disappointed that Raphael’s first hours home had been spoiled by a family argument. It seemed like unless they agreed completely, she and her daughter couldn’t have a conversation without it turning into a fight.

    “So this is what people refer to when they say that it’s difficult to raise teenagers.” Her husband’s voice broke into her thoughts, smooth and even, as if unaffected by the previous negative conversation. Then again, Wren thought to herself, it always took more than a little storm to sway Captain Sinclair.

    “I’m sorry,” Wren replied. “She is just so hard-headed these days. I know she’s a teenager, but I could never have predicted that she would be this stubborn. When she was a child she was so sweet.”

    Raphael chuckled. “Sweet and feisty. If I may remind you, she never wanted to sit still, and if you tried to keep her indoors for long she would have reacted in much the same way she did tonight.”

    Despite herself, Wren couldn’t help but smile at the memory. “I suppose you’re right,” she slowly returned. She shot the man a sideways glance. “I blame you for that.”

    “Me?!” Raphael rose to his feet and held a hand to his chest, feigning offense.

    Wren turned to face him, hands on her hips, but she couldn’t hide her playful grin. “Of course! The child of Raphael Sinclair, fearsome pirate, whose only mistress was the open sea. I shouldn't be surprised she inherited your desire to roam.”

    “Hmmm.” The man crossed the room and placed his hands around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. Wren felt a shiver go up her spine at his touch. “But that pirate captain had retired from such ventures before she was even born. Besides, if I remember correctly, her mother had a bit of that wanderlust as well,” he continued. “And that spunk. You always presented yourself as a mild little girl, but you never did shy away from speaking your mind.”

    She began to roll her eyes, but caught his gaze and found herself trapped by its intensity. “Perhaps you just bring out my wilder side,” she said with a grin, bringing her arms up around his neck.

    Raphael bowed his head and met her lips with a deep kiss. “And I’ve missed that side of you,” he muttered between breaths. “I plan on bringing it out every night I’m home.”

    Wren purred and allowed him to push her backwards towards to bedroom. “Should we say goodnight to Jaylyn?”

    “Let the girl have her freedom,” Raphael responded before diving into another kiss, unwilling to pause his homecoming celebration for anything in the world.

    ~~~~~

    The stars twinkled cheerfully overhead as Jaylyn lay in the grass, staring up at them. She hadn't gone far from home, only a few feet really, as she needed the lantern light from the porch to read that letter. Her faithful dog, Strahl, lay beside her, his muzzle resting on her belly.

    Jay ran her hand through the dog’s shaggy fur, considering the words Ciara had written to her mother. Phaedra only had to meet and approve of her groom for the wedding to continue. She tried to imagine such a life, one of nobility and obligation.

    The Sinclairs were well off financially, though her parents never chose to show it. Her father had accumulated some wealth from his past days as a pirate, and he earned a fair income as an honest captain now. Her mother never charged for her healing services, but they were often graced with gifts from grateful townsfolk. But Phaedra was a princess, and though the two girls had been childhood friends, their upbringing was unavoidably different. As much as Jaylyn riled against her parents for freedom, she wondered if Phaedra felt even more trapped than she did.

    Strahl let out a snore that made Jay smile in amusement. Maybe she was too hard on her parents. She knew in her heart that they wanted the best for her. But she couldn’t help but recall stories they had told of their own youth. Both had left home when they were around her age or younger, her mother to seek the art of healing, her father to the seas. The adventures they spoke of, the people they met along the way, the dangers they faced… It all sounded so very fantastic and exciting. How could they be so stern in keeping her from searching for a similar life?

    The girl sighed and traced familiar constellations in the stars with her free hand. When she finally reached Phaedra’s age, and it wouldn’t be long, she was resolved to leave home, with or without her parents’ blessing.

  9. #9
    RPA's Resident Mapler
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    Chanclera-Town of Worrent

    A thick fog began to lay over the town as Zelvad walked through its empty streets. Zelvad had made a point of evacuating innocents before they started, since he was trying to believe he wasn’t a demon. Worrent was a pretty small town compared to the rest of Chanclera, so the process of getting people to leave was simple and quick.

    When that was finished, the runes lit up around the borders of the town, pushing more of the fog into the city. It began getting denser as the barrier grew higher and higher, eventually closing off at the top in a pyramid shape, this only being visible due to the fog being so condensed.

    All was silent for what seemed like an eternity until green flashes crashed against the top of the pyramid, followed up by a repeated bashing against every piece of the barrier by the same green flashes. Unnatural screeches and the sound of metal all came with a quick flash of red before Zelvad was shoved against one of the barrier walls, then being dragged back into the fog.

    Minutes passed before a sound could be heard that sounding like metal on stone, until it quickly turned into conjoined screams as the fog swirled into a mixture of green and red at the center before it dispersed abruptly, Zelvad’s sword and dagger caught in the center of this ‘truth’. Zelvad’s outfit was ripped and shredded on the top half, with blood dripping down his nose, as well as numerous smaller cuts across his arms and chest.

    The area of the town that had been sanctioned off by the ward was of course completely demolished, something he told the King was going to happen. Killing something of that caliber was going to have some collateral with it, which is why they evacuated the area first.

    His hair was wildly strewn across his face, also sporting a fair share of tears on his clothes covering his legs, his black pants matted with dirt and blood. A slow raspy laughter escaped the entity as it spoke before shredding to nothing:

    “The curse in your blood rests on the flames of the wind. You will never know rest in this life, Ancient. None of your blood will.”

    Zelvad scoffed as he blankly grabbed his sword and dagger as they fell to the ground, sheathing them and walking to the borders.

    If he had a gold piece for every time he was told that recently, he wouldn't need to work so hard to change people’s mind about their conditioned response to anyone with the power of the Ancients. He would just pay them all off.

    Forever.

    It was needlessly cryptic, but he glossed the same info from now that he had gotten everyday:

    He still had a lot of work to do.

    The beaten down assassin shook his head as he began pulling his hair back and slowly braiding it, minding his bruises and wincing when one of them twinged. Kirin, one of the elders that was helping with the runes, was the first to approach Zelvad and spoke up. “Is it...done, Zelvad?”

    Zelvad nodded. “Let the King know the issue has been handled. It will be safe to let the people get back home after we get the new wards up.”
    Last edited by Repent!; 06-20-2016 at 01:28 AM.
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  10. #10
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    “You do have a choice, my daughter.”


    Her father's words were steady and reassuring but the young princess could hear concern laced with an underlying anger. She felt a warm, heavy hand come to rest upon her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.


    Skies that, mere moments ago had been painted a brilliant blue began to darken with the threat of an impending storm. Lightning flashed in the distance as flashes of anger would darken feral eyes, the young woman's head shaking side to side slowly.


    Long dark hair framed the pale face of the Queen's daughter. They shared the same dark locks but their skin was stark in contrast. Graceful as ever, Ciara Al’Andunn moved to her husbands side. One hand would slip into her husbands much larger, stronger hand while they other would seek out her daughters.


    Thunder clapped in the distance as disdain, even anger, began to roil and rise in the princesses belly. She had always understood that as Princess certain duties would befall her. She knew that. But this… This was not fair. This was not right and despite her parents reassurances, she knew that she truly did not have a choice. She did not have free will.


    Her breath was slightly ragged and tinged with something akin to animosity as she spun to face the parents that she loved so much. Her eyes first met her father’s strong and loving gaze. A twinge of shame for her anger rolled through her heart and the skies above appeared to calm for a moment. She tore her eyes away only to be met by her mother’ deep dark olive eyes. Kind and gentle, they spoke volumes of love for her daughter. They were wonderful parents who would do anything for their children, friends, and kingdom. They would give anything…


    Drops of rain began to fall, slowly at first.


    Phaedra’s heart began to ache and with sadness in her eyes she softly spoke.


    “There is no choice.”


    The King's hand tightened around his wife's. Ciara's fingers brushed a few stray strands of hair from her daughter's face.


    “There is always a choice child. There is your choice, my daughter.”


    Her mother's voice, soft, gentle and filled with wisdom beyond her years.


    In her own way, although her heart raged, Phaedra shared in her mother’s wisdom.


    The skies above broke open even as tears threatened her own eyes.


    Her voice, although somewhat a bit shaking was somber as she stated a truth that they all knew deep down. It was a truth that shook her own spirit, Phaedra now biting back tears.


    “I have no choice. There is only the choice.”


    Tearing away from her parents, the princess spun on her heel, tears streaming down her face as she ran for the solace of her room and the pillows that she would cry her tears into.


    ~~~~~~~~~~






    The King and Queen's son was returning from an important matter that his father had dispatched him upon when he noticed the skies over head darkening. It seemed out of place considering that up until just a few minutes ago the Norgard skies had been clear.


    The young Prince was returning home with a smile on his face, confident that his parents would be happy that he had successfully made the journey to ensure the documents bearing the Kings seal made it into the hands that would carry it back to its intended recipient in Chaclera.


    Chanclera - his mother's homeland. AnMar recalled the trips he had been on with his family to visit his mother’s people. They were fond memories of voyages that had not just taken them to visit Chanclera but also, to visit the families long time friends, the Sinclairs.


    His smile widened at the thought that soon they might all meet again. That was, depending upon what his sister decided. Thunder clapped overhead and what had been a gentle sprinkle of rain became steadier.


    AnMars smile disappeared.


    “Shit.” He muttered the words to himself as the rain began to land with increasing intensity against his fair skin. Then the skies above began to dump rain down in torrents f rain sheeting and pelting the ground.


    “Where did this..” He began to say to no one there but the wind when he stopped in mid sentence, realization washing over him.


    “By the gods, damn it” he swore. AnMar broke into a run, his shape shifting with ease into that of a wolf. With ever increasing speed he ran, seemingly outrunning the storm until he ran right into the castle and to the room where he knew he’d find his sister.


    Pushing his nuzzle against the door, it opened with a slight creak and then he was inside. Phaedra looked up only long enough for him to see that she had been crying, eyes swollen, damp and red. With that one look he knew that his parents had talked to her, had told her.


    His transformation back to human form appeared effortless by the time he reached his sister's bedside.


    “Phae” he said his nickname for her gently, controlled and calmingly.


    She lifted her head, shifting her position, and he comforted her.


    Outside, the storm that had begun in the skies of Norgard quieted and returned to calm, for the time being.


    ~~~~~~~~~~


    Norgard: Recently


    The princess paced in front of her mirror, long pale green gown trailing behind her. She was stalling. No. Not stalling. That wasn't the right word for it. She was… Taking a moment to remind herself to just breathe. Yeah… That was it. Or so she told herself.


    With one final breath, she turned and exited her room to join her parents and brother at the celebration. A celebration… For her.


    AnMar bowed deeply greeting the Lady Glissher with an air of diplomacy taught to him by his mother. He feigned interest in his parents conversation with the queen but it was his sister that his eyes searched for.


    Today was her day. Or so, everyone would make it seem. But today was about something else as well. AnMar was known to be fiercely loyal to his sister. Today, he would be there in every way that he could be for her as she began to take the first steps into her future. And in some ways, he would be taking steps too. His nerve became unsettled for what seemed like an eternity but really had only been a few minutes. Then his sister came into view and his nerves steeled once again.


    Phaedra was every bit as elegant and graceful as her mother when she entered the room and greeted the Lady now speaking to her mother and father.


    “My Queen, thank you for attending” the two women took each other's hands as she finished with “on this all important day”.


    Norgard: Present Day


    The young Prince and even younger princess had said goodbye to their parents who had appeared bravely enough but, tears had been inevitable, even for King Arjak. He wrapped a large hand around his wife’s still rather slim waist as they watched their children departing and pulled her to his side. It was still his Lady of Fire that was his rock. It was his Queen that calmed him. It was she that had so giving lay raised their children and now stood by his side as they set them free to follow their own futures.


    And in the distance, as the siblings disappeared from sight, a sister would reach out to take her brothers hand, and they smiled at each other as their journey began to take them further and further away from home, and closer to their own destinies.

    There's nothing more deadly than slow growing fear...
    Spoiler: Mysti's random stuff and shoutouts. 




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