Rhiannon clung to her mother's hand as tightly as she could, squeezing it and pressing it to her cheek as though life would flow from her young face into her mother's heart through that hand.
"Mommy... no..."
Inside, she could feel her heart wrenched apart, and instantly she was standing in the small house she had grown up in, looking down into the pale face and blank silvery eyes of her birth mother. Araynhe, half-blooded daughter of Avareille Halfmoon, who was sister to none other than the now-dead Aldriaa Halfmoon. In her life, Rhiannon had counted three pairs of blank silver eyes like those. First, her grandmother's, next, her mother's, and after that, the blank silvery eyes of Aldriaa Halfmoon's head mounted on the cross in Trollsbane.
Even though Caitlin's eyes were dark as night, to Rhiannon, she still saw the same silvery cloud of death in them.
The same feeling took over her heart.
...This is someonewho loved you, dead...
There were too many. Too many people that had given Rhiannon their love and had died. No more. Not another one, not ever.
she released Caitlin's hand and jumped up, racing out of the castle before anyone could stop her. She collapsed in bottomless, choking sobs outside the castle, not caring at all for the arrival of Kamik and a smaller blue-haired boy with strange symbols on his arms.
The boy leaned in and whispered to her, her mother's dying words... "She loves you. She is in your heart always."
Both of them, Araynhe and Caitlin, had said those words. Both of them had died, both of them hed left her behind.
In fourteen years, she had seen her mother, her brother, her few friends die, and now when at last she had found another family, another set of arms to embrace her as a daughter, they too had left the world cold and empty.
"Tell them I'm never coming back," she told the boy and ran again.
She ran, and ran, and ran, and when she stopped she had no idea where she was and she was happy to have it this way.
Rhiannon curled up and fell into a feverish, nightmare-filled sleep, where she was surrounded by [airs and pairs of silver eyes telling her it was her fault that they had died.
Gone
Moderator: Gamemasters
Upon seeing the ghost being fired up by caitlins spell, Zilaran hears his master, Lord Ariges Feringwood, shout to him:
"KILL HER!!!"
He raises his staff and starts beating her all over her body. He can feel himself being cut up as he does so, but he knew... He knew that death was just going to make him stronger..
"I will make Moshran torment your everlasting spirit, Caitlin Fergus.." He whispers right before he dies. His soul floats around, up to Lord Ariges, begging him to reanimate him into a skeleton...
"KILL HER!!!"
He raises his staff and starts beating her all over her body. He can feel himself being cut up as he does so, but he knew... He knew that death was just going to make him stronger..
"I will make Moshran torment your everlasting spirit, Caitlin Fergus.." He whispers right before he dies. His soul floats around, up to Lord Ariges, begging him to reanimate him into a skeleton...
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.Rhiannon.
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:10 pm
Rhiannon was in a world between waking and dreaming, between nightmare and giving in. Her eyes were closed tight, her face small and white, her body trembling and weak as it lay upon sharp rocks and stones. Inside her mind, death was playing and replaying, in slow and painful procession.
She was very small. Before her, on the bed, her mother's frame was still and cold, silvery eyes forever open towards the sun, as if hoping even now that it would find her wherever she lay. Rhiannon had heard her final whisper as the life left her: "I am here for you and your brother always. I will be with you every day, my daughter."
And yet it wasn't so. She had never been there again.
Aokan turned his shadowed, hooded eyes away. "I do not love you anymore, Rhiannon. You are foolish to think you can change that. I offered you one more chance at life and you turned away. I told you, Child. I will come for them, one by one, and they will all die."
And it was happening. Because Rhiannon had been unable to bring Aokan back.
"You failed, Rhiannon. You failed to see me for what I was and now you can only accept it or turn your only brother away forever."
Rhiannon stared with growing horror and shock at the head atop the cross. The eyes... the silver eyes.. there was something about them.. something about this horribly mutilated dead elfess that Rhiannon knew...
"Arynne... she is dead." Dead. Rhiannon had never been able to tell her... to tell her who she was. And now she never would. For she was dead.
"I am all you have left, Rhiannon, and you are all I have. You can accept me as your only family, or you can desert me and abandon me...
Abandoned...
And with growing dread, she finally realized why no one could tell her where Anither had gone. He was dead.
Caitlin's eyes were dark as night beneath the pale, closed lids, Rhiannon knew. Her hand was cold, ice cold.
..."Your mother... she said, she will be with you always..."
But it was a lie. It always was. Rhiannon was alone, all alone, an it was how she had been all along.
The girl lying on the rocks at last slipped away from the world of dreams and into the world of unconciousness, blissful unawareness.
She was very small. Before her, on the bed, her mother's frame was still and cold, silvery eyes forever open towards the sun, as if hoping even now that it would find her wherever she lay. Rhiannon had heard her final whisper as the life left her: "I am here for you and your brother always. I will be with you every day, my daughter."
And yet it wasn't so. She had never been there again.
Aokan turned his shadowed, hooded eyes away. "I do not love you anymore, Rhiannon. You are foolish to think you can change that. I offered you one more chance at life and you turned away. I told you, Child. I will come for them, one by one, and they will all die."
And it was happening. Because Rhiannon had been unable to bring Aokan back.
"You failed, Rhiannon. You failed to see me for what I was and now you can only accept it or turn your only brother away forever."
Rhiannon stared with growing horror and shock at the head atop the cross. The eyes... the silver eyes.. there was something about them.. something about this horribly mutilated dead elfess that Rhiannon knew...
"Arynne... she is dead." Dead. Rhiannon had never been able to tell her... to tell her who she was. And now she never would. For she was dead.
"I am all you have left, Rhiannon, and you are all I have. You can accept me as your only family, or you can desert me and abandon me...
Abandoned...
And with growing dread, she finally realized why no one could tell her where Anither had gone. He was dead.
Caitlin's eyes were dark as night beneath the pale, closed lids, Rhiannon knew. Her hand was cold, ice cold.
..."Your mother... she said, she will be with you always..."
But it was a lie. It always was. Rhiannon was alone, all alone, an it was how she had been all along.
The girl lying on the rocks at last slipped away from the world of dreams and into the world of unconciousness, blissful unawareness.
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.Rhiannon.
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:10 pm
Unbelievable as it was to the whole of the island, the sun did indeed rise again on the say after Caitlin's passing, and though its rays fell on the small girl known as Rhiannon just the same as on any other day, she was unaware and if she had been awarem would not have cared.
The sun shone strong all the day, trying to coax the girl to wake but she would not, and at night when the stars twinkled down it was just the same. If only she had opened her wide gray eyes to the sky, she might have seen a very bright star twinkling special at her, might have remembered what Caitlin had told her about looking down from the heavens. But she didn't. Not the first night nor the second nor the third. When Rhiannon did wake again on the fourth day, her eyes were decidedly clouded, and she looked quite ill. In a vague corner of her mind she knew that she should go back to town; she was sick, perhaps from grief or perhaps simply from all her time spent outside without shelter or nourishment. That very grief outweighed everything else though, and though Rhiannon was dimly aware that she was ill, she could not bring herself to care.
"Mummy," she called out hoarsely to the ground, raising herself above it with only her elbows on the sharp rocks, "Mummy," was all she could manage, and then she coughed and her stomach gave up what little had remained in it over the days she slept. Rhiannon rolled weakly to the side, lying on her back now and staring up at the sky that was, ironically enough, heavily clouded this night.
Thoughts chased each other, half-formed, through her mind.
...Doesn't it ever stop hurting?...
Why do some live and others die... and the ones that want to die, the ones that don't care.. Miracles always seemed to save them. Why?
What do you have left when everyone that loves you dies?
It was a vicious cycle the poor young girl knew all too well; someone cared for her despite all odds, and that very someone would wind up dead, or as good as such. In Rhiannon's expreience, there were two avenues that someone who cared for her could take: they would betray her, or they would die. In Anither's case it had become both, and deep in her heart she knew Aokan had met the same end already, in spirit at least.
There were so many that had died...
Mother, Anither, Aldriaa, Arynne, Aokan, Revlen, Caitlin, Mortanyia... the list could go on.
And there were only three left.
Pendar, Caden, Dimhyd.
She did not think she could bear it if one of them were to betray her on top of everything else, and she would not, could not, let them die now..
And so her options were limited, as she saw it.
I must die, before they do. It is why the Executioner came here, it is why Dravish kidnapped me. The gods wish me dead, or they wouldn't send so many to accomplish the task. I.. I will spare them the trouble...
And in Rhiannon's glimmer of awareness, she knew that she had taken the little dagger from her belt, she knew she had raised it to her throat and that her blood was warming her now for the last few moments she would live to be warmed again...
But the girl was too weak to move, and so though in her delirium she knew she had killed herself, in reality, she had not moved from her place on the ground, and the blood she thought she felt seeping into her clothing was in truth only rain.
Dead or not, Rhiannon's eyes closed again and she knew no more for the time.
The sun shone strong all the day, trying to coax the girl to wake but she would not, and at night when the stars twinkled down it was just the same. If only she had opened her wide gray eyes to the sky, she might have seen a very bright star twinkling special at her, might have remembered what Caitlin had told her about looking down from the heavens. But she didn't. Not the first night nor the second nor the third. When Rhiannon did wake again on the fourth day, her eyes were decidedly clouded, and she looked quite ill. In a vague corner of her mind she knew that she should go back to town; she was sick, perhaps from grief or perhaps simply from all her time spent outside without shelter or nourishment. That very grief outweighed everything else though, and though Rhiannon was dimly aware that she was ill, she could not bring herself to care.
"Mummy," she called out hoarsely to the ground, raising herself above it with only her elbows on the sharp rocks, "Mummy," was all she could manage, and then she coughed and her stomach gave up what little had remained in it over the days she slept. Rhiannon rolled weakly to the side, lying on her back now and staring up at the sky that was, ironically enough, heavily clouded this night.
Thoughts chased each other, half-formed, through her mind.
...Doesn't it ever stop hurting?...
Why do some live and others die... and the ones that want to die, the ones that don't care.. Miracles always seemed to save them. Why?
What do you have left when everyone that loves you dies?
It was a vicious cycle the poor young girl knew all too well; someone cared for her despite all odds, and that very someone would wind up dead, or as good as such. In Rhiannon's expreience, there were two avenues that someone who cared for her could take: they would betray her, or they would die. In Anither's case it had become both, and deep in her heart she knew Aokan had met the same end already, in spirit at least.
There were so many that had died...
Mother, Anither, Aldriaa, Arynne, Aokan, Revlen, Caitlin, Mortanyia... the list could go on.
And there were only three left.
Pendar, Caden, Dimhyd.
She did not think she could bear it if one of them were to betray her on top of everything else, and she would not, could not, let them die now..
And so her options were limited, as she saw it.
I must die, before they do. It is why the Executioner came here, it is why Dravish kidnapped me. The gods wish me dead, or they wouldn't send so many to accomplish the task. I.. I will spare them the trouble...
And in Rhiannon's glimmer of awareness, she knew that she had taken the little dagger from her belt, she knew she had raised it to her throat and that her blood was warming her now for the last few moments she would live to be warmed again...
But the girl was too weak to move, and so though in her delirium she knew she had killed herself, in reality, she had not moved from her place on the ground, and the blood she thought she felt seeping into her clothing was in truth only rain.
Dead or not, Rhiannon's eyes closed again and she knew no more for the time.
From within the shadows, Zilaran, the apprentice necromancer, stood within his black cloak. He has been watching over this little child for days.. He find her quite amusing.. So much sorrow, so many wishes to be dead, yet she still lives on.. Even after these many days, she still seem to be alive.
He walks slowly up to her unmoving body, seeing her pale and thin frame within the darkness of the rainy night. He drags out a black blanket from within his black necromantic robe and wrapps it around her.
"You will make an excelent apprentice, young one.." he whispers.
He looks around if there was anyone watching him and picks her up. He carries her light body towards the mountains, were he had a cave..
"She will be in for quite a surprise when she wakes up.. Heheh.. Heheheheh...." He starts laughing quite hollow and loud before entering the dark cave.
He walks slowly up to her unmoving body, seeing her pale and thin frame within the darkness of the rainy night. He drags out a black blanket from within his black necromantic robe and wrapps it around her.
"You will make an excelent apprentice, young one.." he whispers.
He looks around if there was anyone watching him and picks her up. He carries her light body towards the mountains, were he had a cave..
"She will be in for quite a surprise when she wakes up.. Heheh.. Heheheheh...." He starts laughing quite hollow and loud before entering the dark cave.
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.Rhiannon.
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:10 pm
Rhiannon continues to linger in a semi-concious, sleeping state for the remainder of that night. Only when the weakest rays of light begin to penetrate the cave do her eyes flutter open blearily. There is a glazed-over, glassy look to her features, and she doesn't seem to be fully aware that she has been moved.
"...An'ther...?" she asks in a daze, mistaking the shadowed form for her dead brother, "You..ghost?"
"...An'ther...?" she asks in a daze, mistaking the shadowed form for her dead brother, "You..ghost?"
Slowly turning after he heard the girl whisper something he walks over to her thin frame. He leans forwards and the sunlight from outside hits him, revealing what is inside the dark robes hood. There is a lizardous face, with deep red scales and a horn upon it's nose. It seem to have horns going down it's spine aswell, as there are horns sticking out of the robe as he turns to fetch something behind him.
He turns once again to Rhiannon, the sunlight revealing his now grinning face.
"You will need to eat, young one... When you find enough sstrength, eat thiss"
He puts some dried meat and some bread beside the girl, also some kind of elixir meant to give her energy enough to atleast stand up.
He seem to have the same hissing sound when pronouncing the letter "S" as most other lizards.
Straightening his back once more he grabs his snakeheaded staff, wich was leaning to the wall behind Rhiannon and walks out to the opening of the cave. He stands still, very still. Passersby would only see him as a stone token wich is protecting the cave, constantly watching the environments, waiting for it's former master to return..
He turns once again to Rhiannon, the sunlight revealing his now grinning face.
"You will need to eat, young one... When you find enough sstrength, eat thiss"
He puts some dried meat and some bread beside the girl, also some kind of elixir meant to give her energy enough to atleast stand up.
He seem to have the same hissing sound when pronouncing the letter "S" as most other lizards.
Straightening his back once more he grabs his snakeheaded staff, wich was leaning to the wall behind Rhiannon and walks out to the opening of the cave. He stands still, very still. Passersby would only see him as a stone token wich is protecting the cave, constantly watching the environments, waiting for it's former master to return..
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.Rhiannon.
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:10 pm
((This is being RP'd in game, but I will continue to summarize IG Rp on the board))
Rhiannon grasps at the vial weakly, gulping it down, not knowing or caring what the vial is; if it were poison, so be it, and if it were not, perhaps it would ease the awful chill now taking hold of her bones.
Rhiannon's eyelids slip closed again, and she releases her hold on the vial...
Rhiannon grasps at the vial weakly, gulping it down, not knowing or caring what the vial is; if it were poison, so be it, and if it were not, perhaps it would ease the awful chill now taking hold of her bones.
Rhiannon's eyelids slip closed again, and she releases her hold on the vial...
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.Rhiannon.
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2005 5:10 pm
Rhiannon curled up against the cave wall, wraping the thick black blanket tighter around herself, her eyes focusing intently on her companion's face as they conversed, about his loyalty to Cherga, and the events that had caused him to follow her.
"Then... if I learned her ways.. and served her long and well enough, and with enough loyalty...", Rhiannon began, swallowing once before asking:
"Could she bring my mother back?"
In her mind, Rhiannon saw her birth mother's silver eyes again, as they had lain open in death.
"Probably..but child...it would not be a fine ssight.."
"Why not?"
"There is one catch with Necromancy..the reborn body will look like it did when dead.."
"I see."
Rhiannon paused, thinking hard.
"Then... theoretically.."
Rhiannon narrowed her eyes.
"Couldn't you bring someone back the way they were, if you were with them and did it right after they died?"
"I could do that, yess.."
Rhiannon 's eyes lit up.
"But it would take alot upon my mortal body.."
"But that surpasses any healing the druid's can give!" She took a deep breath, and then looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Can you teach me to be a necromancer?"
"Rhiannon...There iss one thing about Necromancerss you should know.."
"What?"
"We are greatly misssundersstood. People take uss for being evil."
Rhiannon tilted her head "But you can save people.".
"Othersssss.. do not alwayss ssseee it thiss way."
"People are stupid," Rhiannon said angrily, "They always judge, but they never understand.."
"Sssshhh, child, you are ssstill not well. Ressst, and when you are well, your lesssonssss will begin."