Elviane Lefebvre
 Elviane Lefebvre
| |
 "There is no freedom, only survival." | |
| Gender | Female |
| Race | Elezen |
| Clan | Duskwight |
| Citizenship | Gridania |
| Age | 28 |
| Sexuality | Pan |
| Occupation | Lancer |
| Guardian | Nymeia, the weaver |
| Namesday | 2nd Sun of the 4th Astral moon |
Contents
Character
Appearance
Weight:
Height:
Body build:
Shape of face:
Eye color:
Glasses or contacts:
Skin tone:
Distinguishing marks:
Predominant features:
Hair color:
Type of hair:
Hairstyle:
Voice:
Overall attractiveness:
Physical disabilities:
Usual fashion of dress:
Favorite outfit:
Jewelry or accessories:
Personality
Good personality traits:
Bad personality traits:
Mood character is most often in:
Sense of humor:
Character’s greatest joy in life:
Character’s greatest fear:
Why?
What single event would most throw this character’s life into complete turmoil?
Character is most at ease when:
Most ill at ease when:
Enraged when:
Depressed or sad when:
Priorities:
Life philosophy:
If granted one wish, it would be:
Why?
Character’s soft spot:
Is this soft spot obvious to others?
Greatest strength:
Greatest vulnerability or weakness:
Biggest regret:
Minor regret:
Biggest accomplishment:
Minor accomplishment:
Past failures he/she would be embarrassed to have people know about:
Why?
Character’s darkest secret:
Does anyone else know?
Tendencies
Plays a musical instrument? Flute, Harp
How he/she would spend a rainy day:
Smokes:Not public knowledge A little bit of pipeweed once a week.
Drinks: Very little amounts of Alchohol
Extremely skilled at the use of: Lances, dual blades, Close quarters combat.
Extremely unskilled at the use of: Magic
Nervous tics: Deadly gases, a sense of electricity in the air
Usual body posture: relaxed
|
|
|
|
Relationships
- ♥ Romantic Interest ♥ Sexual Desire ♥ Platonic Love ● Good Standing ● Neutral Standing ● Poor Standing
|
Rumours
- ■ "O" - O
- ■ "P" - P
- ■ "I" - I
- ■ "U" - U
- ■
History/Timeline
1 Ilm = 1 inch
1 Fulm = 1 foot
1 Yalm = 1 yard
1 Malm = 1 mile
1 Onze = 1 ounce
1 Ponze = 1 pound
1 Tonze = 1 ton
The onsets of winter were fast approaching. Snow began to block the passes that led to the Coerthas highlands, caravans would be unable to leave or enter the frozen land until the cycle of spring began to show its head on the horizon, even with the high mountain peaks roaring their defiance at such a notion. Villages around the Northern shroud of Gridania had already began their yearly preparations for the test that was a northern winter.
Such Preparations were lost in a place known as Silverfang, a hidden village nestled within the cavernous walls of the North shrouds mountain range. Silverfang boasted a small population of just under two hundred residents, a healthy mixture of Duskwight Elezen, skins as black as night and accentuated ear tips. The average Dusk stood at a height of sixty-five ilms
Most homes were simple one story wooden structures and no more then three or four rooms, in one such home near the centre of the settlement a young couple sat huddled together in front of a roaring hearth, a warm blanket of fur covering them and their newborn girl, barely five months old and already seeing her first test from the land. She was had grown by at least three (pounds) since she had been born, nestled in her mothers arms. Fast asleep after a feeding the young Elviane dreamt within a magical fantasy, a far cry from the harsh reality of their humble abode.
Vorsaile Lefebvre wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter, an Elezen that had just seen his fortieth fall, short snow white hair hovering just above his ear, flowing into a skin that had seen a harsh existence. Hardened by the landscape and more then a few scars from battles with the other beasts that called this land home, most notably was his left eye, damaged beyond recognition from a recent incursion of Diremites, skin had begun to grow over the useless orb, his other eye a mirror opposite, crackling in the midst of the nearby fire shone a bright red iris, fixated on his wife and daughter whom he was glad shared more traits of her mother then her father. Like his, her hair was snow white, flowing gracefully down past her shoulders, stopping at her waist. He ran his fingers through the locked of her hair before placing his calloused hands on her soft cheek, highlighting a tattoo she wore over her left eye, in the shape of a bolt of lightning. It accentuated her eyes, like the ink she wore, a deep lavender iris staring back into his red eye and she merely smiled at him, holding her newborn closer which elicited a quiet cry from Elviane below.
Mianne Lefebvre looked down to her daughter, ushering gentle assurances to quiet the newborn, rocking the little one in her arms and quietly humming a lullaby in hopes to put the child back to sleep.
Her song nearly enchanted her husband as well, his head began to bob in a similar rhythm to his daughters. Soon after she stopped, she looked at her husband and she pursed her lips to hide a giggle, she always seemed to forget even a minor enchantment in her voice would snare her unsuspecting husband.
Looking over the both of them, it seemed her spell had worked, even though her husband was trying he fell asleep, curled like a babe against her shoulder and her little El mimicking her father. Mianne looked over at the hearth in contemplation before a knock at the door shook her back into reality, and apparently knocking Vorsaile from his blissful slumber as well, both looked at each other in confusion, nobody was expected for the evening and both were surprised that anyone was out at this late hour.
Again a knock came at the door, a calm and collective tap. Vorsaile looked to his wife with a shrug, reluctantly slipping out of the thick blanket, his footfalls were silent as he walked through the wooden home, even the creaking wood was muffled while he walked over the numerous animal furs that lined key sections of the floor. Reaching for the metal door jamb he unlock several other bolts and locks that helped keep the door closed in a storm, slowly he pulled the heavy door open to see an Elezen standing before him. Hunched over and carrying a tall walking stick, fashioned from a branch of mahogany, a simple and long stick with what almost seemed a shepard's hook at the top with a bend that could hold a lantern that probably didn't exist anymore. Only the Elezens dark chin showed from underneath his cowl. The figure let his staff rest against a shoulder, bringing his heavily wrinkled hands together as bowed.
"I deeply apologize for bothering you at this hour, but might an old one such as I step The local inn closed it's doors and nobody else will answer... " He almost weazed, coughing from a dryness in his lungs that came from the weather more than his advanced age. "I can compensate you both handsomely if you are able to."
Vorsaile looked to his wife, still half hidden under the great fur blanket, her lavender orbs shining brightly with the fire as a background and she smiled back with a nod.
He nodded back soon after and helped the elder inside, pushing the door closed behind them, replacing the locks and jambs soon after. He quickly caught up with the old one.
"Can I offer you some tea perhaps? Wet your tongue and rejuvenate your lungs?" He offered as a kettle over the fireplace began to quietly whistle.
The old one pulled his cowl back revealing a face that had probably seen the fall of empires, sagging skin from his forehead to his chin, parchment thin grey hair and what seemed to be near white eyes. He looked up at Vorsaile, barely coming up to the younger Elezens chest with the hunched over back handicapping him.
"That would be lovely. And I cannot express my gratitude enough for your hospitality... It has been a long day of travel and unfortunately I arrived here to late" Letting out a long phlegm filled cough, wiping it onto his dusty black robes and cloak. Vorsaile lead him to a couch just behind his wife and daughter, covered in just as many furs as the floor and the elder sat down with a relieved sigh as he sank into the cushions.
"I'm afraid my curiosity has gotten the better of me on this but I must ask. You're not from here so how do you know where our settlement sits within the mountains?" Vorsaile asked after the elder had been given a chance to reclaim his senses.
"Oh I've been here before young sir, unfortunately the weather outside your cavern delayed me from getting here at an appropriate time." letting out a long sigh.
"I am Faucillien" Closing his eyes and containing a wheeze as Vorsaile strolled over to the fireplace, filling three small mugs with a sweet smelling liquid. Handing one to Mianne, to Faucillien and then finally himself. He crawled back under the fur blanket beside his wife and looked back at the elder Elezen.
Faucillien nodded back. "Believe me my young friend. I will not be a burden for long if at all." His voice a bit clearer once the tea had done its work.
Vorsaile nodded as he accepted the answer and was admittingly relieved to hear such a proclamation. Finishing his mug, ignoring the heat it gave off and wrapping an arm around Mianne and pulling her close.
A little laugh came from Faucillien but he said nothing else on the matter, bringing his gaze back to the fire as a grin slowly came across his face. He simply lay back in his comfy chair and let the comfort of sleep take him, due in no small part to Mianne quietly singing, all of them soon followed suit.
Morning did not differ much from the night in the cavernous deeps, the tall roof was covered in a deep darkness, even with the torches of the morning residents.
A groggy Vorsaile awoke not long past what he thought was dawn, letting out a long yawn, looking down at his wife with a smile, his gaze further drifting and blinking in momentary surprise as little Elviane was nowhere to be seen, the blanket that housed the infant included. Panic began to set of the Elezens normally expressionless face, turning his head back quickly towards the couch only to find Faucillien gone as well. He quickly rose Mianne from her slumber who let out a scream as she discovered her arms had been emptied of her precious child.
Both scrambled to their feet, nearly tearing their home apart trying to find the little one when at last Vorsaile's gaze fell upon the great wooden door, closed but all the locks were still out of place. He gritted his teeth and wrapped himself into his travelling cloak. Grabbing his twin broadswords that hung near the door on the way out, unsurprisingly Mianne was right behind him, heavy leather tunic and breeches on, topped with a similar cloak to her husbands and both pressed on through the new fallen snow, following heavy boot prints from their home and out of town into the wilderness, informing a pair of guards on the way out, one accompanying them as they had seen the elder pass through the gate not long ago.
Continuing to follow a pair of boot prints left presumably by their would be kidnapper, Vorsaile started to notice a shift in the depth of the prints as well as their frequency, the elder was running but with a larger spring in his step.
"Was the old one getting healthier? How else could he move at this speed?" He thought to himself as they followed the seemingly endless trail out of the cavern, far from their village and up another mountain, it's imposing snowy peak staring down at the trio as of they were mere insects on its belly.
After what seemed like hours they had come upon a cave entrance, large enough for them all to stand comfortably more then shoulder width apart from each other.
"I'll bring up the rear, you two proceed on ahead." The guard had said to the couple, a young Duskwight male wearing a thin layer of chain mail on top of a fur coat, brandishing a simple lance that stood just above his head. Vorsaile could understand his hesitance to take point with such a weapon.
The tunnel went on for some time, stretching far into the belly of the beast. Finally they came to what seemed to be a nexus of caverns around a hollow dome. In front of them was a surprisingly well furnished cave, a desk stacked with tomes, both new and old littering the dusty floor, crumpled note paper thrown astray by some impatient scholar it would seem. The cavern was well lit, a large chandelier fit for a king was placed on the roof, making the area as bright as the daylight sun. Vorsaile's eye scans the multitude of exits and entrances that lead further into the occupants mountain home, the one thing it seemed devoid of at the moment. He nodded to Mianne and the rear guard, stepping further into the nexus. After a few short heartbeats all three heard what sounded like a cackle, the voice coming from what seemed to be many of the different alcoves and caves, their eyes frantically scanning trying to discern the source.
It began to die away rather quickly, the only one who seemed calm at the moment was Mianne, eyes closed with her fingers on the string of her longbow, an arrow already knocked and waiting for a target to strike.
She seemed to be looking within herself, attuning her ears to the vibrations of the cavern, following the voice to its source. Patiently she waited, a gasp came from her and she let an arrow fly, slamming into the stone wall next to an opening on the second level.
"There!" She whispered, though even that low volume bounced off the walls and gave an echo back at them.
Vorsaile smiled at Mianne "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" His smile turning into a sly grin.
Returning his grin. "You can show me that later dear." She said with a wink before she slung her bow over a shoulder. Diving for the far wall and climbing up the rock, her husband and the town guard close behind her. Vorsaile and Mianne scaled the cliff rather easily, motioning to the guard to stay in the nexus incase anyone came running by and they proceeded down the darkened cave.
Soon after the two Dusks took off down the cave, the guard took a steadying breath to calm his nerves.
"Just calm down Amien, it's only a basic kidnapping..." His eyes quickly scanned the room, the presence of the library of books not helping. "A kidnapper that likes to read, yeah that's it, has to be." Nodding to himself with a goofy smile across his pale lips. "Can't disappoint mother, I mean captain... I failed her last assignment. I shall not do so again!" He proclaimed, slamming the pommel of his spear into the ground.
So entrenched in his in thoughts of glory that he did not hear the skittering coming from a nearby cave entrance.
The tunnel felt like a maze, even with only one path the twists and turns gave one a sense of disorientation, only Mianne's keen ears kept her husband from questioning if they were even going the right way. Slowly the temperature began to rise, descending down into what seemed the mountains heart, waves of heart coming in pulses. The tunnel had finally levelled out, proceeding straight instead of the usual twists and turns. Vorsaile and Mianne turn to look at each other as the laughter begins anew, they were getting close. Both kick off their back heels, sprinting towards the source, thoughts of their daughter in the hands of a madman clear in their heads.
The cavern began to widen and brighten once more, not with the same light that had been in the nexus above, but something that took on a reddish hue as the temperature began to spike. Mianne put a hand on her husbands shoulder. Stopping dead in his tracks he looked at her curiously as she retrieved two golden rings inset with a blue gem, slipping one on her finger and handing the other to her husband he nodded in understanding.
Slipping his own ring on he felt a wave of cold sweep over his body, bringing the immediate air around him and his core body temperature down to a more reasonable level. They nodded at each other once again diving down the hallway in pursuit of the sound they'd heard.
"Diremites!" Amien screamed, diving forward into a roll, brining his knees and lance across his chest, narrowly missing a strike from a Diremites stinging tail.
Six Diremites had entered the room from the cave entrance, skittering across the ground on their six large legs. Their bodies came up to Amiens shoulder, about sixty ilms in height. A segmented tail with a curved stinger raised high with each one, coated in a noxious poison to liquefy their prey. Their black chitinous bodies shimmered in the light of the nearby chandelier, red, hungry eyes staring back at him and pedipalps flailing towards the young Duskwight.
Amien was panting heavily, his heartbeat rising exponentially, one Diremites he could handle easily enough by his own estimate but six of the large creatures sent shivers down his spine. Slowly he began back up, if he could get back outside he may have a chance. Diremites preferred warmer habitats so by his logic if he got outside they would give up the chase, though he dare l not turn his back for fear of getting a stinger in the back.
One Diremite let out a screech, it's hunger driving it forward it's stronger primed for a quick strike. Amien blinked and kicked off to his right, narrowly avoiding the dangerous appendage as it slammed into the ground, breaking the rock underneath and sending chunk flying in multiple directions. Amien drove his lance into the creatures skull, ichor and brain matter spewing from the creature in its death throes before it finally fell still. He quickly turned his attention back towards the other five and found them charging but bashing into each other several times, slowing their progress as they proceeded down the much narrower tunnel. Against his previous logic, Amien ripped his lance from the dead mite, turn tail and fled for his life, counting on that narrow passage to slow the Diremites enough so he could make it out safely.
The laughter at the cave's exit had died down to a minimal, driving the two Dusks on with renewed vigor, panic was settling in on them both. Visions of their daughter in the hands of a madman resonating in their minds as clearly as the ringing of the church's bell.
The cave spat them out into a large egg shaped cavern, the almost blinding light finally revealed itself as a river of molten magma. Running from the thinnest part of the cavern and collecting a large basin at the wider end, the ice rings the pair were wearing did not bring the air around them to an acceptable level, even with the enchantment beads of sweat rolled down their bodies. At the far end of the room across the molten river lay a large black sphere almost as big as the magma basin, it rose into the dark ceiling. Mianne muttered something low as a streak of tears rolled down her cheeks
"What monster would bring a child to the antechamber of the seven hells?!" She exclaimed to her husband whom could only shake his head in response.
"Why my dear, I could." A hollow voice resonating in both of their minds.
Both searched frantically for the source of the proclamation before their eyes settled on the large black globe in front of them, a figure had appeared just outside the impenetrable blackness, a humanoid standing a few inches higher than Vorsaile and covered in a flowing black and purple robes covering his feet and his face. Only his dark grey hands were showing before he reached up, throwing his cowl back to reveal long white hair flowing down his back tied into a simple ponytail. His ears shot out of the side of his head, accentuated to the point of resembling a high Ishguardian peak. The skin on his face betrayed a semblance of youth in the Duskwight, tight and pulled back to show a pointed chin and thin cheeks, two lavender orbs showed as he opened his eyes, making Mianne gasp.
"But, you're dead." She whispered, blinking several times in disbelief, drawing a curious stare from her husband and a grin from the figure across the room.
"But how can I be dead if I stand before you now?" Teasing Mianne with his voice.
"Something we shall quickly rectify!" She proclaimed, chanting a song that brought a purple an red haze across the room. She drew her bowstring with an almost feral war cry and let the arrow fly, surrounded in a red aura that began to drip like blood as it soars across the chamber. It flew true, only to bounce off the Duskwights manawall.
"Oh come now dear sister, is that truly anyway to greet your older brother? Surely you missed dear old Marti no?" Bursting out into heavy laughter, unable to keep a straight face as he looked at his sister.
The manawall her brother kept did not slow the enraged Elezen, firing arrow after arrow, each one like a lightning bolt streaking across the sky, bouncing off the barrier continuously.
"It's because of you our parents are dead! Your experiments with magic, breaking the very laws of nature. Dabbling in powers beyond your own control, summoning a Daemon into our very home! The bodies of our parents, their blood is on your hands you murderer!" So enraged, so overcome with emotion she could not begin to see that her brother was in the midsts of casting.
Amiens plan had worked, daylight came into view from the cave's exit. The Diremites behind him had only just started to realize they needed to proceed one at a time with their tails flat against the ground in order to proceed down the long tunnel. Their skittering legs tapping the ground like a broken clock, rapidly counting towards a doomsday for the young Elezen.
He almost stumbled out into the waiting snowfall, not expecting the blizzard to have come back so soon with such ferocity. The mountains howled as if fighting some unseen foe, wind and snow slicing across the cave entrance. The sounds of the Diremites resonated from the cave entrance, reminding Amien where he was and what his purpose out here was. Gathering his wits and his matter covered lance, he backed away from the cave entrance with his weapon levelled at the mouth as the five remaining Diremites burst forth from their mountain home.
A grin came across Amiens face as the Diremites reeled in pain, the mountain snow sticking and stinging their hides like slag from a forge. They seemed to be communicating with one another as they slowly tried to back into their warm cave but Amien was quicker. Charging with abandon, screaming a war cry he drove his lance into the eye of the nearest Diremite, piercing it's skull and severing the brain stem. It tried to brig its claws to bare, to weakly defend itself, but the snow did it's work with the cold blooded creatures. The other four screeched for the loss of one of their own and two more slowed Diremites charged at the seemingly stuck Elezen. He was as he seemed, his spear was caught between crunches of bone and grey matter, he looked up just in time to see the two charging and dropped his spear, leaping back just enough to avoid the sting of those tails. He drew a long sword and dirk, a pair of backup weapons incase he lost his favoured lance, better then nothing but much less suited to dealing with these mid range foes.
The Diremites primed their stingers, bringing their tails in and they waited. Their beady eyes staring at the Elezen and it became a stand off, neither side wishing to break the ice and compromise their positions. The other two cold Diremites had already retreated to the cave of their mountain home, having had enough of the biting cold and deciding thy this prey wasn't worth the effort.
So focused on his two enemies in front, he didn't see the three eyes open up beneath the snow behind him.
The pillar of ice slammed into the rock just as Vorsaile tackled Mianne in a desperate attempt to save her. Diamond dust flew in every direction, turning to steam almost instantly from the heat of the magma below.
"Oh tsk tsk, had to ruin my perfect record with aiming didn't you Vorsaile?" said Marti in a chastising tone. "Now I'll have to live with that fact forever, hmm no matter as I have other things to attend to at the moment, youth has a fickle way of fading you see and I need something to sustain it. Your daughter will do nicely." He raised a slender hand into the air, snapping his finger abruptly and the globe of darkness diminished.
For within were two objects, one summoning circle within another the smaller one positioned at the far face of the larger one. The smaller circle contained an unharmed and fast asleep Elviane, caught in an enchantment cast by Marti she was blissfully unaware of what was happening around her.
With the confines of the larger circle stood a much larger fiend, held down by chains of unknown origin. Large leathery wings surrounded the hulking creature, Marti whispered something to low for Mianne and Vorsaile to hear but the results were instant. The beast gave a trembling roar, almost sapping the strength from the duo's legs as it broke free from its prison. The wings spread far to a total span of ten feet, the leather wings slowly folded behind the creatures back.
"Gargoyle..." Mianne breathed as memories came flooding back in an instant, she knew this creature well.
The demon rose to its full height of thirteen feet, towering over anyone in the room with ease, long avian type legs crouching back down as if to spring while it eyes the pair across the room. It's massive chest covered in what looked like chunks of solid limestone covered it's pectorals, but it was merely the hardened skin of the beast surrounded by sand colored sinew that took the place of skin surrounding its body with two arms nearly coming down to its knees, tipped with large black claws and two vicious looking dark steel long swords that almost matched its arms in length and thickness. It's head was sharp and angular, from its forehead all the way to its spiked chin looked like the tip of a sword. It's eyes carried small yellow iris' among a sea blackness. From the top of its head it bore two horns, brushed back at the point of protrusion before sweeping straight up towards the ceiling. It snorted at the duo, slapping it's two swords against one another before Marti uttered a single phrase.
"Kill them both."
The Diremites skittered backwards, closer to their mountain home but keeping their stingers primed at Amien. With another battle cry he charged the remaining mites only to hear a screech wind behind him and from the snow erupted a mass of vines and moss.
"Ochu..." Amien gasped, halting his charge and falling flat on his back, bringing his weapons to bare against the creature.
The beast was over eight feet in height and six feet in width, the green moss hanging from its organic hide screeting large amounts of water. Its long and suffocating wines crawling towards its intended prey.
The Ochu did not have what one would consider a natural head, it had four flaps that sat upon its circular body that housed a mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. It's maw snapped shut and it charged, not at Amien but at the two nearly frozen Diremites behind him. The two scared creatures launched their stingers but merely bounced off its armoured head. It's jaw opened wide and slammed closed around an unfortunate creature, shaking its body wildly, despite the repeated stings from the squirming mite in its death throes. Amien cringed as a sickly 'crunch' filled the air, chitin and ichor spraying every which way as the Ochu devoured its helpless meal. The last mite used its unfortunate ally as a distraction while it retreated to its warm mountain cave. After a few minutes of lopping its vines in the snow for the remains of its prey it spun. Feeling with its vines for further prey towards Amien with a feeling of hunger, apparently the mite had not sated the large beast.
Slowly it started to crawl towards him. A loud hiss was heared in the distance and both stopped in their tracks, snapping their heads in the direction of the sound.
"Oh what in the seven hells is going to try and eat me now?!" Amien screamed to the wind.
The gargoyle didn't have to be told twice, it leaped over Marti, towards a still prone Mianne and Vorsaile. Both twisted, planting their feet against each other and kicked off, launching in opposing directions just as the dark steel blades came crashing down. Both rolled backwards gaining proper footing and drawing their weapons. Mianne quickly fire off three arrows, one went wide and two pierced a wing, dangling like a wind chime. The creature did not roar in pain, but of annoyance and stalked towards Mianne. Seeing his wife in trouble, Vorsaile leaped at the creature driving his twin broadswords against where he thought the hamstrings of the creature were. Only to bounce off with a clang.
"What?" Was all he managed to say before the gargoyle turned, back handing the impudent Duskwight and launching Vorsaile more then twenty feet down the chamber before turning its attention back to Mianne. Snorting smoke from its nostrils is charged the Mianne, swords crossed over its chest for a heavy cross slash as she drew her bowstring back, waiting for the last possible second and firing the missile into and eye, the creature howled an unearthly roar as it collided with the back wall, missing the nimble Duskwight. She skipped back, far out of range of a counter strike from the gargoyle.
The Gargoyle struggled, tearing both itself and a chunk of the wall out with a crash, its heavy blades slicing through the flying rock with ease. It stood there, eyes seething with hatred and boring into the two inferior Elezen and charged. Striking with abandon at Mianne and Vorsaile, all sense of strategy gone from its mind, replaced with blind rage. The strikes struck through the ground, bringing with it mounds of rock and narrowly missing the agile Elezen by the skin of their teeth each time. Both were panting heavily as the Gargoyle refused to let them both off the hook to back off and recover, while their stamina was limited to their physical prowess, the gargoyle's was near infinite.
Marti looked on at the spectacle before him with a laugh, his summoned Gargoyle creating destruction where ever its blade struck. He actually grimaced with a grin as a mocking gesture as the flat of a blade struck his sister, sending her flying into a nearby wall, rendering her unconscious.
"Too slow dear sister." he said as he spun on his heels, walking towards the warded and sleeping Elviane.
Dragging the back of his palm across her forehead a grin. "So we will be together as a family, joined in harmony!" he said with a snicker.
He held his hands just above the sleeping infant, his hands aglow in a brilliant blue light, flowing from his palms like rain it coated skin of El in a similar light, her short white hair standing on edge as she takes in a deep breath, her eyes jolt open as she begins to cry loudly. Her voice echoed off the cavern walls in a siren's cry. Marti ceased his chanting and clapped his hands over his ears to hide from the wail, a motion mimicked by Vorsaile and the Gargoyle.
Mianne stirred.
Vorsaile could only rely on his speed to keep away of the dancing blades, but he was retreating, and he knew he was running out of room. the lava pit was close behind him at this point and his blades were useless against the Gargoyles main body. He took one step back, and nearly fell into the pool below as his eye went wide.
"How did I move so far back to quickly?!" scolding himself for tunnel visioning on the gargoyle in front of him instead of keeping a sense of where he was.
The Gargoyle's right arm came down in a flash, aiming to cleave the Duskwight in two. Vorsaile sprang forward, tucking his knees and arms in against his chest as he rolled underneath the creature. Coming up in a crouch directly behind the demon expecting a swing from the second sword. He blinked in surprise as the Gargoyle wasn't facing him, but instead trying to rip its precious sword from the rock in front of them. Thinking quickly, Vorsaile went for the only portion of the body he knew he could damage, the wings. He brought his twin swords up high above his head, leaping for the leathery material between each bone and cleaved through it like butter. The demon let loose a painful roar, beating its injured wing while it desperately tried to relinquish its weapon from the rock. Dropping its other blade it grasping the blade in both claws not, desperate to rip it out. Vorsaile dropped his own blades, diving for the Darksteel blade that the creature seemed to forget about, trying to lift it as if he were wielding a claymore. Backing off and drawing it back for a heavy swing, letting all control in the swing go and slashing across the demons hamstrings, crippling its ability to move as quick as before. The realization had hit the wounded demon just as he managed to rip its blade from the hardened rock. Turning on his adversary and nearly collapsing from the pain given by his severed hamstrings. It beat its heavy wings to attempt to stay upright, but the severed flesh in between the bones prevented each bone prevented such a possibility from happening. It stumbled backwards and Vorsaile charged, darksteel great sword leading as it slammed against the Gargoyles hardened skin, piercing the breastbone and pushing the gargoyle further off balance. As it tried to gasp for breath it fell, the broken terrain collapsing in a shower of rock beneath the crippled creature as it plummeted into the pools below with a defiant roar and a hiss. The Cavern soon fell silent.
Marti came to a moment later, groaning as he slowly came to his feet,off balance and nearly stumbling onto his back as he reoriented himself. He looked down at little Elviane with a curious brow raised.
"Curious little talent you have there." he said as he moved in closer to the child once again. He grumbled as he thought of a solution, mumbling something lowly as he moved his fingers in a few simple pattern and snapped them. In the immediate area surrounding both Marti and Elviane. Reaching into the folds of his robes he drew forth a dirk and flipped it upside down in his hand. Hovering the tip over the child's heart.
"Oh well, if you're going to be this much of a pain to draw youth from, you aren't worth the irony." he said, trying to plunge the dirk home.
He stopped about halfway down as he began to choke on something. Slowly he looked down to his chest to find a longsword, protruding from his chest. His eyes went wide as he looked behind him, a beaten and battered Mianne breathing down his neck through gritted teeth. "I told you I would rectify that mistake." Twisting the blade against his spine and through a lung, a few seconds past and Marti was dead. His hands flat against his side as his body could not support him any further. Mianne drew her blade from the corpse and kicked it off to the side, almost collapsing herself as the adrenaline that had sustained her had worn off. Managing enough strength to bring her head up, she looked at her daughter, as pristine as the day they had met and fast asleep in her makeshift cradle. The woman let go a moment later, her energy fully spent as she let the darkness of sleep take her.
Vorsaile sat across the way, a satisfied grin on his face as he watched Mianne fly through the air and across the chasm. He almost let out a cheer as her blade plunged home and he feel back, grasping his side in a grimace as he felt what he thought was a broken rib. Spitting out a bit of blood.
"Damn, I'm slowing in my age."
Amien looked from the sound of the roar to the Ochu that stood across from him, he blinked in confusion as the the creature seemed to forget all about him. Watching the beast turn on its heels and sprint further down the mountain, another hiss drew Amien from his contemplations, reminding him of where he was and scrambling for a nearby rocky outcropping and making himself as small as possible against the rock and the snow bank. His curiosity was nagging at him, whatever made that sound was close and fear kept him in check for the moment but it did not last very long. Swallowing his fear he craned his head to look around the rock and his eyes went wider then the length of his spear. Before him stood a creature that was spoken of only to scare small children before bed, a red serpent. Standing nearly as tall as two old growth mahogany trees, the beast was practically a titan. Its body was a thick as Amien if three of him were to stand shoulder to shoulder. It's light brown skin covering the length of its body and leading up to a large fanned out head to crown the serpent with fangs nearly three fulms in length, filled with venom. A hiss escaped its mouth as a thin forked tongue left an opening at the floor of its mouth, scenting the air and searching for prey
Amien immediately drew himself back behind the rock, slipping further into the snow as quietly as possible in hopes of evading the beasts sight. A little gasp left him as the beast cut a hiss short, every second felt like an eternity. All but his eyes felt like they were under the snow at this point as he heard the serpent slither across the ground, barely four yalms from his current position, he could see each individual muscle contorting to move the massive body. It took all of his strength to contain a scream as he saw the serpents head just above him. It swung its head side to side, flaring its nostrils every so often as if it was searching for something. It took a deep breath in and it froze. Amien could barely control his shaking as the beasts head eventually turned downwards, seeming to have caught his scent. The beast brought its head back before letting out an hiss that nearly the poor Elezen, he barely gained enough of his wits to duck underneath the beast before those stone tearing jaws planted into the bank where he just was, shattering the underlying rock and dirt layers beneath. It quickly recovered, backing up in an effort to get at its tiny prey but Amien kept running, back towards the cave that lead him back out here. Every bone in his body was screaming from the strain and his hearing was destroyed by the massive roar. Only just able to keep ahead of the jaws he was quickly tiring, but the cave was in sight and the beast had stopped moving backwards. Hope filled through his body as he dove for the entrance, but the snake's mace like tail was quicker. It slammed into the ground just before the cave entrance, sending rock, snow and the poor Elezen flying.
Amien groaned after a few seconds, completely disoriented and unaware of his surroundings, laying on top of the snow and unable to move his body. The serpent hissed again, but to Amien it was merely a whisper in the dying wind. His blurred vision only showed the light brown and red mass hovering over him, growing larger at a fast pace before he knew no more.
"My head, why does it-" Vorsaile screamed in pain as he tried to lift his broken body, grasping the side of a bed? "Where, am I?"
A door crashed open. "Vorsaile~ You're awake. What's wrong?" An aged Duskwight asked, dressed in neatly pressed white robes.
"Brother Simler... What are you doin-" biting back a scream of pain as a bandaged hand grasped at his broken ribs. He felt a warm hand guide him back down towards the pillow.
"Be at ease brother, you're back home in Silverfang." Simler said, bringing himself back to his full height and tucking his hands within the folds of his robes.
Vorsaile looked up at him, not a patch of hair adorned the head of the Wildwood, clean shaven with a head smooth enough to call glass and green eyes showed a softness that put Vorsaile's mind at ease for a moment. He took a breath to calm himself and look around, before he could ask the question, Simler answered.
"You are in the Chapel at the center of town. A division of guardsmen found you and your family in the caverns below after Amien failed to report in after sunset." Simler looked away to mutter a quiet prayer which perplexed Vorsaile.
"Did you find him? I know we left him at the cavern's central nexus as a guard... but I know not what happened after that." he said.
Simler collected his breath and looked Vorsaile in the eye. "He's dead. Eaten by what the search party believed to be a massive red serpent." Vorsaile's eyes widened at the mention of the creature. "We only found his frozen and bloodstained foot, presumably forgotten by the titanic beast as it went off in search of a more satisfying prey." Simler continued before clearing his throat. "In any case, they followed a trail of dead Diremites back into the central nexus that you mentioned and followed the cavern that had an arrow stuck next to it. Which I presume was placed by Mianne~" he said before Vorsaile looked at him in a sudden panic but once again, before he could ask, Simler silenced him with an upraised hand. "Do not worry brother, she is safe. As is, little Elviane. Although, she is being closely monitored by the Priests at the moment." His narrowed vision shot down Vorsaile's next question. "We believe her to be possessed." the admission brought a gasp from Vorsaile and Simler didn't stop the next question.
"By what?" Vorsaile asked.
"If the guards reports are accurate, and the priests seem to believe it so. They believe that the ethereal form of the mage that your wife slew to be inside her." Simler calmly stated.
"Marti." Vorsaile muttered with utter malice in his voice. "Mianne's brother."
Simler raised a brow at that. "Her brother?" Bringing a delicate hand up to rub his chin. "An interesting turn of events."
Vorsaile shot a glare Simlers way. "If they do-" he said before Simler's gaze silenced him.
"Do you really believe our order would kill the child? If so, what would it accomplish? The spirit would be released beyond our control simply to try and control one of us. No, the priests have other plans for Elviane brother." he said, taking a breath to bring back his calm demeanour. "The spirit will be sealed within her. She will be his prison for the rest of her life. She will never practice magic, and any attempts to do so will be met with severe consequences Vorsaile let me make that clear." Simler breathed a quiet sigh. "This is the best we can offer at the moment. She will still grow up unabated by the process, but any magical abilities she would have come to possess normally will be suppressed by the powers of the seal." Simler smiled a bit. "Which means that you only have one voice to watch yourself against." Trying to bring a bit of humour to defuse the look Vorsaile was giving him at the moment.
It helped a bit and Vorsaile calmed down. "I never intended for her to study magic in any case." he quietly admitted, turning his head away from Simler. "Have you told Mianne all of this yet?"
"No, she has not awoken yet. We will once she is in stable consciousness, as the mother she should know... but~ Little Elviane." he said and Vorsaile turned his head back to face Simler. "She must never know of these events." he said, and Vorsaile nodded with an understanding of the reasoning.
Vorsaile lay his head back on his pillow as Simler turned back towards the door. "I am truly sorry for all this." Simler said as he gently closed the door, leaving Vorsaile alone with his thoughts to digest everything that had been said.
Footnotes
Theme Song: Amaranthe - Infinity
Alignment: True Neutral
O
