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OP
OP
BurningWillows
Pulsar
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2014
- Location
- Canada
The contract was lain on her tail, even as she continued to lie there in her own blood with glass, her arm clearly broken. She couldn't even sit up.
"I can't," she croaked, lying there, "I can ...barely move. Or...breathe."
Her eyes went to the large jar and she hissed. Of course. Why would this ever go her way. Hopelessness continued to settle in her as tears streaked down her face, "I will not...go in that jar. I ...will not be...subject to that...again. I want...I want my legs back. I cannot...even write...my arm is fucking broken!"
She wanted to tell them where to stuff it but speaking hurt. She just lay there, watching the blood trickle out her body. Maybe death was the best answer now. It would ease the pain, the agonizing torment. She hated them, hated herself. Hated life.
~
Lairia stared at the skull but did not touch as tears welled in her eyes again, "I will find vengeance for you Rey. I will search for the justice you deserve until my last breath. Rest now."
She closed her eyes and softly put her hand on top the skull. A light began to flow within it until it surrounded it, burning it down to ash that lay in her palm. With her other hand she gently clasped it over her palm holding the ash and began to whisper words in a long lost language, her body still and her eyes closed. When she opened her palm again there was a shiny red garnet lying there, looking dazzling. With a twitch of her fingers a string of gold appeared in thin air and wrapped around the garnet in an intricate vine like design, before branching out and connecting in a large loop, becoming a gorgeous necklace.
"Now he will never leave me," she whispered, pulling the necklace on so Rey's stone rested beside the dark purple and black stone talisman on her neck. She touched the other talisman for a second, remembering it was on then dropped it not yet ready to tell Elaya what it was.
"The red will remind me of his eyes," she smiled, brushing a tear away as she gently took the gold laced braid from around her head that looked like a circlet and yet was soft like a necklace. She held it so the crystal blue gem on the middle of it that always hung on her forehead now lay in her palm.
"A long time ago I fell in love with a vampire," she started, her voice quiet for only Elayas ears, "He was sweet on me like Rey always was, but he was also a young vampire and so held little wisdom or maturity. I guess I fell for him in that aspect. He felt wild, and new, and spontaneous. After losing my mother as a child-"
She stopped, the wash of that pain almost making it impossible not to start sobbing again. She swallowed the pain, her voice more shaky than before as she continued, "After I lost her I didn't want to find love. So I met those I never thought I'd be compatible with. And yet somehow he still caught my heart. And when my father vanished with nothing more than a note saying he was safe but could not bear to live on the farm any longer, I panicked. I searched everywhere and this vampire, he helped me. I never found my father but I did fall in love. And then a new surprise came upon us. A child. I know, vampires cannot breed, but it happened. Something in my blood activated something within him. I am the only one of my kind, so who was I to know how my body worked."
She wiped more tears away, the story bringing her only sorrow as she looked at Elaya, "she was a beautiful little girl with golden honey hair and bright blue eyes. The second love of my long life. We settled down on a farm close to the land my parents once owned and we were happy for a time. Really happy. Sure the vampire was still immature and we fought often, but we never lost sight of the importance of our child.
Our problem was, when we fought he would go see his friends, a bunch of drop beat vampires who stole and suck the life out of whichever whore they found that night. A lowlife meager gang at best. I hated them. But he would go see them and it would only cause the fights to grow worse, as I never wanted him or my daughter around those men. I don't believe he ever meant to settle down. I think he saw life as a party before I met him and he never let that part of him go. As bad as the fights got though, he never left. He loved me and our daughter and she was what was important to both of us."
She closed her hand around the gem, clinging to it.
"There was another reason we lived on that small acreage. It was safe. We were hidden from prying eyes. Magic castors and vampires alike would condemn a relationship between a vampire and one of their own, especially one like me. I had grown up with that hate. My mother had died to protect me from those wishing to kill the "taint" on their kind. And I worried the same for my daughter. So we hid where no one could find us. Or so I foolishly believed. It was a night in...in The dead of summer when it happened. I had left her window open so the breeze could cool her room. I had been in a fight with her father, so he was in the city with his friends while I remained home. I had cried myself to sleep that night, ashamed of the fighting. It must have been the witching hour it was so dark but I heard the screams. I remember every vivid detail. Waking and running to her room, seeing the blood on her bed. But not finding her. The window. They had snuck through the window and taken her. I had searched everywhere, beside myself. Eventually I found the letter in her room they left."
She opened her hand and a piece of parchment appeared much like her box often did, "I've never let this go over the decades. A reminder of why I did what I did."
She handed over the note for Elaya to read. It simply said:
"It had been vampires who took my daughter," she explained, "back then they had a Circle much like the casting community has now and had then. These were their oldest vampires who dealt with all matters for their kind and delivered justice when they felt it due. They kept their kin in line, or so they boasted. And they had stolen my daughter because of who her parents were."
Her eyes grew dark, "I of course did not heed their foolish warnings. I tracked them to where their Circle resided: Versailles. You may have heard the rumours of this or the plenty of stories, the speculation of what happened that day. The town was hit with a meteor, or a crazed witch blew herself up with the city in her midst. I will tell you the true story. I was there. I stepped into that palace with the intent of rescuing my beloved daughter and running away. But what I found..."
Her voice broke, her eyes looking away, as her voice grew small from the pain of the memory, "she was merely five. A babe. That hair, how many times had I stroked that beautiful hair only to see it limp then, stained in her blood. She lay at their feet...she...she lay there and that bleak little face...those eyes staring at me, begging me to save her, demanding why I hadn't protected her. My baby was...was dead. They took her life."
She let out a son and hastily wiped her face with her free hand before going on in a stronger voice, "So I took theirs."
The wind around them picked up and the trees shrieked with it, a storm brewing in, but whether it was from Lairias pain or from their Dear Duldrea listening she did not know. She just continued on speaking, her eyes dark and clouded.
"I slaughtered every one of them I could find. I destroyed their home, burnt thier precious palace and levelled the city to rubble. I had the blood of hundreds on my hands, thier blood coating me as I tore thier hearts out, but it did not bring my baby back. It was me who did it, but there were no witnesses. Those who escaped were too fearful to name me and the only one who stayed had been her father...Jamie. His name was Jamie. He followed me in as much pain as I but he only watched the carnage. I believe he tried to stop me at a point but I was too far gone."
She opened her palm and looked down at it, "I do regret it. I regret the anger I felt and how much death I caused. If given the chance I would have traded my fate with my daughters. Allowed her to have a life. They took the only good I had in my life and destroyed it. They murdered an innocent, defenseless girl because I was her mother. I lost my will to love that day. I held my baby in my arms for days. I never let her go and I never have."
She held up the gem, "Her eyes had always been the brightest blue. I've carried her with me all these years. My baby girl."
She placed it in Elayas Palm, "Jamie and I didn't stay together much after that. He was ashamed of my actions and I was too distraught with her death and so closed off I refused to love him. I just couldn't bear to loose more. That was near a century ago but it feels like it was yesterday. I tell you all this so that you understand why I am here and what I have done today. Nickens took Rey from me but he has done far worse."
Anger dripped into her voice a deadly glint tinted her eyes, "that man was in Versailles. He was in the Circle. The only member who escaped along with a few of his men. That...that monster has taken far more from me than he can ever repay."
Angry tears streaked down her face, " he murdered my child and lover. He's taken the only love I've ever given and destroyed it. He must die Elaya. And he knows I am here. I went and confronted him. I killed a dozen of his men and I plan to do much worse. I will not let that man breathe another day while my daughter is dead because of him. You must understand this. And know that now he knows I'm here he will triple his army, if not more. He saw what I could do and he will protect himself."
She held up the dark stone hanging from her neck, "I levelled a city with this stone. It holds all the power I need. I promised myself after what I did that I would never wear this again. I killed hundreds if not thousands and this stone aided me. It fed into my anger. I wear it now because I lost another due to the same man who condemned my daughter. I will destroy him Elaya, him and his ranch. And I will not take this off till he or I am dead. "
She knew Elaya could break the contract if she wished now. Lairia was no more the good guy than Nickens was. But Lairia persisted to continue, to let it all out.
"I've had this stone since before I met Jamie. It is another story how I came to require it but it has been in my possession this whole time. You must understand I hate the thing. It corrupts you. But had I given it to the Circle, they would know I was responsible for Versailles and if be executed. Till now I hid from my fate. But no more. I hired you to take me to Ocean City where the Academy and the Circle reside. My hope is to hand over the stone and give my story, and let them decide my fate. I've lived too long with this pain to remain alone and in guilt. I didn't know how to tell Reynault without the whole story and now he will never know. So I tell you. I tell you in hopes you understand why I have done what I have done and you do not judge me as I judge myself."
She fell quiet, staring at the tiny blue teardrop gem in Elayas Palm for several as she let herself cry. Finally she spoke again, "I wish she could have met you. A brave warrior and princess. She would have loved you. I never even told you her name. It...it was Annabelle."
"I can't," she croaked, lying there, "I can ...barely move. Or...breathe."
Her eyes went to the large jar and she hissed. Of course. Why would this ever go her way. Hopelessness continued to settle in her as tears streaked down her face, "I will not...go in that jar. I ...will not be...subject to that...again. I want...I want my legs back. I cannot...even write...my arm is fucking broken!"
She wanted to tell them where to stuff it but speaking hurt. She just lay there, watching the blood trickle out her body. Maybe death was the best answer now. It would ease the pain, the agonizing torment. She hated them, hated herself. Hated life.
~
Lairia stared at the skull but did not touch as tears welled in her eyes again, "I will find vengeance for you Rey. I will search for the justice you deserve until my last breath. Rest now."
She closed her eyes and softly put her hand on top the skull. A light began to flow within it until it surrounded it, burning it down to ash that lay in her palm. With her other hand she gently clasped it over her palm holding the ash and began to whisper words in a long lost language, her body still and her eyes closed. When she opened her palm again there was a shiny red garnet lying there, looking dazzling. With a twitch of her fingers a string of gold appeared in thin air and wrapped around the garnet in an intricate vine like design, before branching out and connecting in a large loop, becoming a gorgeous necklace.
"Now he will never leave me," she whispered, pulling the necklace on so Rey's stone rested beside the dark purple and black stone talisman on her neck. She touched the other talisman for a second, remembering it was on then dropped it not yet ready to tell Elaya what it was.
"The red will remind me of his eyes," she smiled, brushing a tear away as she gently took the gold laced braid from around her head that looked like a circlet and yet was soft like a necklace. She held it so the crystal blue gem on the middle of it that always hung on her forehead now lay in her palm.
"A long time ago I fell in love with a vampire," she started, her voice quiet for only Elayas ears, "He was sweet on me like Rey always was, but he was also a young vampire and so held little wisdom or maturity. I guess I fell for him in that aspect. He felt wild, and new, and spontaneous. After losing my mother as a child-"
She stopped, the wash of that pain almost making it impossible not to start sobbing again. She swallowed the pain, her voice more shaky than before as she continued, "After I lost her I didn't want to find love. So I met those I never thought I'd be compatible with. And yet somehow he still caught my heart. And when my father vanished with nothing more than a note saying he was safe but could not bear to live on the farm any longer, I panicked. I searched everywhere and this vampire, he helped me. I never found my father but I did fall in love. And then a new surprise came upon us. A child. I know, vampires cannot breed, but it happened. Something in my blood activated something within him. I am the only one of my kind, so who was I to know how my body worked."
She wiped more tears away, the story bringing her only sorrow as she looked at Elaya, "she was a beautiful little girl with golden honey hair and bright blue eyes. The second love of my long life. We settled down on a farm close to the land my parents once owned and we were happy for a time. Really happy. Sure the vampire was still immature and we fought often, but we never lost sight of the importance of our child.
Our problem was, when we fought he would go see his friends, a bunch of drop beat vampires who stole and suck the life out of whichever whore they found that night. A lowlife meager gang at best. I hated them. But he would go see them and it would only cause the fights to grow worse, as I never wanted him or my daughter around those men. I don't believe he ever meant to settle down. I think he saw life as a party before I met him and he never let that part of him go. As bad as the fights got though, he never left. He loved me and our daughter and she was what was important to both of us."
She closed her hand around the gem, clinging to it.
"There was another reason we lived on that small acreage. It was safe. We were hidden from prying eyes. Magic castors and vampires alike would condemn a relationship between a vampire and one of their own, especially one like me. I had grown up with that hate. My mother had died to protect me from those wishing to kill the "taint" on their kind. And I worried the same for my daughter. So we hid where no one could find us. Or so I foolishly believed. It was a night in...in The dead of summer when it happened. I had left her window open so the breeze could cool her room. I had been in a fight with her father, so he was in the city with his friends while I remained home. I had cried myself to sleep that night, ashamed of the fighting. It must have been the witching hour it was so dark but I heard the screams. I remember every vivid detail. Waking and running to her room, seeing the blood on her bed. But not finding her. The window. They had snuck through the window and taken her. I had searched everywhere, beside myself. Eventually I found the letter in her room they left."
She opened her hand and a piece of parchment appeared much like her box often did, "I've never let this go over the decades. A reminder of why I did what I did."
She handed over the note for Elaya to read. It simply said:
We must rid the stain that taints our kind from this world. She will face judgement from our circle. Do not follow unless you wish to share her fate.
"It had been vampires who took my daughter," she explained, "back then they had a Circle much like the casting community has now and had then. These were their oldest vampires who dealt with all matters for their kind and delivered justice when they felt it due. They kept their kin in line, or so they boasted. And they had stolen my daughter because of who her parents were."
Her eyes grew dark, "I of course did not heed their foolish warnings. I tracked them to where their Circle resided: Versailles. You may have heard the rumours of this or the plenty of stories, the speculation of what happened that day. The town was hit with a meteor, or a crazed witch blew herself up with the city in her midst. I will tell you the true story. I was there. I stepped into that palace with the intent of rescuing my beloved daughter and running away. But what I found..."
Her voice broke, her eyes looking away, as her voice grew small from the pain of the memory, "she was merely five. A babe. That hair, how many times had I stroked that beautiful hair only to see it limp then, stained in her blood. She lay at their feet...she...she lay there and that bleak little face...those eyes staring at me, begging me to save her, demanding why I hadn't protected her. My baby was...was dead. They took her life."
She let out a son and hastily wiped her face with her free hand before going on in a stronger voice, "So I took theirs."
The wind around them picked up and the trees shrieked with it, a storm brewing in, but whether it was from Lairias pain or from their Dear Duldrea listening she did not know. She just continued on speaking, her eyes dark and clouded.
"I slaughtered every one of them I could find. I destroyed their home, burnt thier precious palace and levelled the city to rubble. I had the blood of hundreds on my hands, thier blood coating me as I tore thier hearts out, but it did not bring my baby back. It was me who did it, but there were no witnesses. Those who escaped were too fearful to name me and the only one who stayed had been her father...Jamie. His name was Jamie. He followed me in as much pain as I but he only watched the carnage. I believe he tried to stop me at a point but I was too far gone."
She opened her palm and looked down at it, "I do regret it. I regret the anger I felt and how much death I caused. If given the chance I would have traded my fate with my daughters. Allowed her to have a life. They took the only good I had in my life and destroyed it. They murdered an innocent, defenseless girl because I was her mother. I lost my will to love that day. I held my baby in my arms for days. I never let her go and I never have."
She held up the gem, "Her eyes had always been the brightest blue. I've carried her with me all these years. My baby girl."
She placed it in Elayas Palm, "Jamie and I didn't stay together much after that. He was ashamed of my actions and I was too distraught with her death and so closed off I refused to love him. I just couldn't bear to loose more. That was near a century ago but it feels like it was yesterday. I tell you all this so that you understand why I am here and what I have done today. Nickens took Rey from me but he has done far worse."
Anger dripped into her voice a deadly glint tinted her eyes, "that man was in Versailles. He was in the Circle. The only member who escaped along with a few of his men. That...that monster has taken far more from me than he can ever repay."
Angry tears streaked down her face, " he murdered my child and lover. He's taken the only love I've ever given and destroyed it. He must die Elaya. And he knows I am here. I went and confronted him. I killed a dozen of his men and I plan to do much worse. I will not let that man breathe another day while my daughter is dead because of him. You must understand this. And know that now he knows I'm here he will triple his army, if not more. He saw what I could do and he will protect himself."
She held up the dark stone hanging from her neck, "I levelled a city with this stone. It holds all the power I need. I promised myself after what I did that I would never wear this again. I killed hundreds if not thousands and this stone aided me. It fed into my anger. I wear it now because I lost another due to the same man who condemned my daughter. I will destroy him Elaya, him and his ranch. And I will not take this off till he or I am dead. "
She knew Elaya could break the contract if she wished now. Lairia was no more the good guy than Nickens was. But Lairia persisted to continue, to let it all out.
"I've had this stone since before I met Jamie. It is another story how I came to require it but it has been in my possession this whole time. You must understand I hate the thing. It corrupts you. But had I given it to the Circle, they would know I was responsible for Versailles and if be executed. Till now I hid from my fate. But no more. I hired you to take me to Ocean City where the Academy and the Circle reside. My hope is to hand over the stone and give my story, and let them decide my fate. I've lived too long with this pain to remain alone and in guilt. I didn't know how to tell Reynault without the whole story and now he will never know. So I tell you. I tell you in hopes you understand why I have done what I have done and you do not judge me as I judge myself."
She fell quiet, staring at the tiny blue teardrop gem in Elayas Palm for several as she let herself cry. Finally she spoke again, "I wish she could have met you. A brave warrior and princess. She would have loved you. I never even told you her name. It...it was Annabelle."
