"You're doing fine." Gelik gives Lureene a pat on the back and motions to her tent as Priyya exits. "Go ahead and get some beauty sleep, Grak and I have watch covered. Besides, I need to write down Captain Kinkarian's tale while it is still fresh in my memory."
On the mention of sleep Lureene yawns, stretching her wings out. "Yes, I think some shut-eye would be NICE at this point. Good night Gel." She plants a kiss on the gnome's cheek before crawling into her tent and collapses into slumber.
Alis breathes a sigh of relief seeing that Lureene and the others are alright.
I wonder what effect Aycenia's fruit will have on Sasha. She's almost as tall as Larathiel as it is...
Closing her eyes, the princess allowed herself to take a deep breath of the muggy air, allowing the tension in her body to be carried away with a slow, measured exhale. With each breath, she could feel her body struggling against her will, but each time she practiced, she could feel it respond more readily.
Even an old woman can be taught to alter her gait.
Nearby, the sound of some approaching the top of the lighthouse reached her, along with a familiar voice, spoken quietly, "Your highness? If you're noddin' off I'm happy to be takin' over watch. You've been sittin' up here all by your lonesome since Ellie and Sash' got to leavin'."
A smile crept across her face.
"Oh I'm not tired, not really. I guess it would look like I'm drifting off though, wouldn't it?"
Opening her eyes, Alis could see that the pretty young half-elf was extending a hand to help her stand. With a nod of thanks, she accepted, surprised once again at the strength in the sailor's trim physique. "You wouldn't happen to be interested in an exciting career as a royal bodyguard, would you?"
Surprise widened Aerys' blue eyes and she held her hands up before her, waving them plaintively. "Oh no sir, ma'am! There no way I could be doin' a job like that. Besides, I'd hate to be leavin' the sea behind there's... well there's answers I'm still lookin' for."
"Answers I'm expectin' aren't to be found except," she nods her head towards the open sea, "out there, not in some fancy hall gussied up like some doll."
Suddenly frowning at the implication, a hint of apology registers in Aerys' voice, "Not that I'm sayin' you or Ellie or any of them are just dolls or nothin' but– well, you love sailin' too right? You know how I mean!"
A melancholy sigh escapes her as Alis' gaze drifts out to sea, "To be quite honest, I'd be right onboard with you if... obligations didn't demand otherwise."
With a short breath, she looks up at the taller woman, face unreadable. "So what would you name your ship if you had the chance?"
"Me?" she points a thumb at herself. "*Phew* I'd have to be puttin' some thought into it. Have to get a notion for it from the cut of her jib, her lines and how she tacks... the feelin' I get from her and her commission too."
Thinking hard, the raven-haired sailor puts a fist to her chin even as she cups her elbow with the other hand.
With a smile, Alis leans down to pick up the case for her handglass, feeling only the tiniest twinge of discomfort now as she does so. "Well, if a good one comes to mind, you should let me know, alright?"
Aerys looks at her pensively but merely nods, still pondering the matter. Just as the princess nods and turns to go however, she snaps her fingers and says, "Oh, Mister Hellhammer would never say so, but I think he's been wonderin' if everything's ship-shape with you. I told him it was probably just old Red-Beard makin' his call, but I don't think he was catchin' the meanin'."
Alis makes a face that's a cross between horror and amusement but simply laughs!
Gods, poor Darv...
Shaking her head in chagrin she says, "I must really be slipping if I'm that bad! I'm assuming he's still in the old supply shed doing..."
Paling a bit at Alis' reaction, but trying to skirt around the matter, Aerys answers quickly, "Oh, it was lookin' like a smithy last I checked. Think he's buildin' a workshop!"
Blue-violet eyes stare at Aerys in disbelief before she shakes her head and waves good night.
"Will wonders never cease?" she muses aloud as she descends the tower. Darkshoal is full overhead with Brightpool sinking touching the sea as she crosses the darkened courtyard towards Darvesch's new project.
Rapping on the towering door-jamb by the broad opening, she calls out a greeting in dwarven.
He looks up to her through the sweat on his face, "For the moment. I was just about to put them out for the night. Was there something you needed?" He says, trying to stay as neutral as possible toward her.
Alis gives a mild smile and shakes her head as she looks around at all the work that's been done setting up the new forge.
Guess maybe I need to brush up on my dwarven greetings...
"No, I've just not been myself lately and I wanted to apologize for that." She gives her cousin an impressed, appraising look, "You've been busy!"
"I have been keeping myself occupied with a little project for the time being. Had the notion to apply my grandfather's teachings, rather than sitting around thinking about it." He pauses for a moment before saying, "No need to apologize."
Darvesch begins to put away his tools, taking care they are organized correctly before putting out the forge for the night. "Don't burn yourself." He says as he walks toward his makeshift sleeping quarters in the southwest side of the building.
Alis gazes with wonder at the deep coal-bed slowly cooling to ash, and a large bellows formed from the stomach of the great lizard, Shaka, that fed into a port formed in its base. A length chain scavenged from perhaps a wreck or maybe found in the village was run thru a pulley high overhead and fasten to the weighted handle of the bellows in order to pump it.
Not far from it was a basin filled with water for quenching hot steel while a number of tools that Darvesch must have found– no... crafted hung from pegs hammered into a support timber. Heeding her cousin's advice and keeping her long hair and King Tut far away from anything hot, she commented quietly, "Busy might have been an understatement."
Poking her head back outside for a moment, she could see that a mortared stone wall nearly 15-feet high now linked the walls between the various structures in the village. A sturdy palisade-style gate stood between the northern-most corner of Darvesch's forge and the nearby corner of the lodge to the north, and arrow-loops had been formed in the thick stone walls, no doubt by magic.
"I think your grandfather would be impressed," she said, nodding with impressed appreciation for all that everyone had accomplished in just a few days' time. "Did you have a mind to forge something in particular? Hrothgar forged your weapons and armor, right?"
"That he did. Though, not sure why, given how upset he was about me not following in his footsteps." He ponders a moment, "First, before I forge anything more, I've started on an altar.." He looks to Grimnon's black axe, "..So that I may imbue weapons and armour with some measure of Kahn's blessing."
"Hmm," Alis gives a far off smile at the notion, "I suppose it's too much to hope that we wouldn't need such protections."
"Of course, if past experience is any indicator, then..." She takes a pair of tongs out of Tut's curious hands and places them back where they belong. "Well, idealism can't survive with a healthy appreciation for reality, can it?"
With a sigh, she shakes her head at the little monkey by her side and lofts him up into the rafters. "Go play up there, Tut!"
"Frændi," she begins slowly, "I know what's been upsetting my mood, but it's a passing thing. Is there anything bothering you? Not that there should be, mind you, but you do have a habit of trying to shoulder all the burdens of the world. You know that, right?"
"I'll be fine." He sighs, and begins delicately,
"Frænka, the incident with Sasha proved to me that I must focus solely on my duties to Kahn and my mission to keep you safe. A relationship outside those things will only serve as a distraction, and I have to accept that, despite my personal pain."
As King Tut hops about in the rafters, Alis listens to what her cousin has to say, mulling it over.
How do I say this?
"I think that would depend mostly on what focus your woman had. Sasha?" She shakes her head emphatically. "Not only can you do better, but the last thing she is interested in is a husband. Sasha lives to enjoy thrills where she finds them. She wants to hunt and kill, revel in riches and eat like a queen... And she wants to thrill to a thousand different lovers!"
Alis finds herself pacing, hands in the air with the emotion of her words. With a sigh, she claps her hands on her things and sits down near her cousin, a morose look on her face.
After taking a few deep breaths to calm her own emotions, she continues, "I'm not your mother, or your priest, Darv. Even if I was, you're wise enough to make the choices that you need to. But, don't think that you need to forswear all women just because of a fluke run-in with one who couldn't have worked out anyway."
With a somewhat exhausted look on her face, yet one that says she'd been meaning to get this off her chest, Alis raises her eyebrows and asks with a wry smile, "You got all that, Frændi?"
The two sit for a few moments, only the sounds of the jungle and Tut playing breaking the silence. Looking at her in the dim light, Darvesch can tell that in spite of all that she said, his little cousin was doing her best to hold her tongue in check regarding her opinion of Sasha's actions, and that she avoided commentary on how the 'event' affected Lureene. There is, however, no doubting she meant every word that she did say.
Sense Motive Checks:
"I know what I did, understanding how Sasha is. That's not the issue. It's how my action has affected the entire group. Inviting a relationship brings along with it so many dangers that others can exploit. It brings dissension and chaos, and opens us to attack."
He sits silent for a moment and says,
"But you're right. If I were to be looking, I'd want to look for someone more... compatible."
"And right now, I have no idea who that might be. So, it's a moot point anyway." Darvesch shrugs his shoulders, "Feel free to say what's bothering you. You don't have to hold back you know." He says as he nudges her with his elbow.
"Hmmph," she smirks, casting a sidelong glance at her cousin, "there's no getting something past you, is there?"
She pulls her knees up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, and shudders slightly.
Alis bites on the corner of her mouth a bit, gazing off at the faint glow still radiating from the forge, the cramping pains she was experiencing earlier starting to manifest again with the strength of her emotions. Closing her eyes for a moment, she calms her breathing, willing them to subside. In a steadier tone, she continues.
Except maybe a rash, she thinks bitterly, her opinion of the red head clearly not an unbiased one.
As the two sit there, in silence for a moment, Darvesch realizes that part of the reason Alis is upset is not only because she worries about Lureene and him, but something deeper as well. More than perhaps anyone else the stalwart dwarf has known, his Frænka has always been an empathetic soul, imagining herself in someone else's shoes, considering how she would feel in their position.
In that moment, Darvesch recalls what he knows of the fact that her 'uncle' Varnadil had willingly allowed her to be taken in by a temple that was essentially little better than a brothel. It was only because Laithoron and Morgaard were able to find her that she was secretly rescued to a more noble House of Lyria. It was a shame that she kept buried deep and he doubted even that her twin sister, Alexis, knew the full story — he certainly didn't. To think that all of that had happened even before Alis had dropped from the battlements of the palace in Silverwake to land before him the evening of their coronation...
With a sigh, Alis looks up and brushes a lock of dark hair out of her cousin's face, a sad and pained expression on her face. "Forgive me, I should have let the matter rest instead of compounding things. I should let you rest and go get some sleep myself. All these... 'growing pains' and scrying for so long has obviously made me into some foul-tempered harpy..."
After a moment, she looks back at him, a questioning look in her eyes. She looks at her finger-tips where she touched his hair and then back asking, "Is it just me, or is your hair getting darker?"
Sense Motive Checks:
Theme: Beauty in Captivity
Lureene opens eyes to see clouds streaming by, a cool breeze ruffling her hair. Looking around, she finds herself lying atop the same tower she has seen in her other dreams only now it is nighttime. Overhead, she can see two half-moons overhead as if watching in opposition — one silvery-blue, the other fiery-red.
With a start and a singular beat of her wings, Lureene rises to her feet, satin pillows scattering across the smooth, marble floor from the gust of wind. Far off in the distance, she can see storms lancing snow-capped mountains, and she soon realizes that the dancing stars she sees closer at hand are actually winged serpents cavorting high above.
Wondering why she is here again, within her own soul in the realm of dreams, the young beauty looks around, hoping to find signs of the Old Man who guided her here — her father.
Columns, dozens of them ring the outer circle of the tower, arches joining them with only the sky for a dome. Yet white though the hall may be, the inky blot of his cape is nowhere to be seen. Instead, another more familiar voice calls out to her, "Expecting to find someone else, daughter?"
Theme: Anguish
Turning slowly, the succubus feels her heart constrict in her chest as her eyes settle on a mirror-image of herself only with wings like fire and a haughty gaze capable of desiccating a man's soul. She sits on a throne that is, at first glance elegant. An ivory-white structure, tall and curving, cushioned in decadent velvet, arms draped in silks.
Yet Lureene knows all too well that closer inspection would reveal the ivory to be from the polished bones of mortals, the velvet their blood-soaked innards, the silks woven from the hair of babes. The figure raises a crystal chalice to her exquisite lips and sips from the glowing vestiges of a distilled soul, savoring its anguish as she slowly sups on its essence, prolonging its torment.
Avoreen — Mistress of the 97th, Queen of Lies.
All this, Lureene would have expected. Yet what she did not expect was what she saw coiled about her mother's throne: a long and sinuous winged serpent, it's thick, muscular tail lost in the folds of the succubus' gown. It ruby-red scales seemed familiar, and instantly she recognized it as the serpent that had saved her from falling and carried her in the last dream of this place. Ever so slowly, it's golden eyes open, and it raises its head, forked tongue flicking lightly across Avoreen's statuesque bust as it regards her daughter with quiet contempt.
In a sultry tone, the demoness calls out, "Come now, my dear, are you not you going to say something to your deeaar mother? You have accomplished sooo much with the tiny speck of power bequeathed you, enriched it, and hungered to suckle at my breast for more. Do not be shy, child, come and embrace me..."
Lureene's heart constricts in fear as the voice echoes in her brain. A voice she desperately wanted NEVER to hear in her lifetime, yet a voice she knew deep down she WILL hear again, if for no other reason the fact the voice was a part of her.
Am I strong enough to deal with HER now? The Gods only know...
She looks around her, avoiding the demonesses' gaze, her Mother's gaze. As she catches the serpent's eye, it is all she can to to control the look of surprise in her eyes. She thinks of her own companion then, one who has been with her from the beginning.
What of Grak...what is he? Is he a member of their species? I know so little of him...
She takes a deep breath to steady her nerves and recalls her Father's face. His words enter her mind, Abandon your fear...Move forward and never stop...Stand up, be strong! Thoughts of her own friends, those who she loves and cares about sustaining her flagging courage. Gathering her mettle, she slips into a defiant pose and calls out, "Mother, you have no control over me any more."
A sly smile crosses the demoness' face. "You truly are your mother's prodigy, my dear. Such a bold statement, I think you might even have convinced yourself, well done!"
With one hand, Avoreen caresses the scales of the serpent pleasuring her and she drinks deeply of her chalice, the soul within it shrieking in agony even as she drains away more of its essence. With a deep breath of selfish contentment, she stretches in her throne, wings fully extended, flames licking at the night sky. Smokey eyes gaze at Lureene even as the hints of a smile tug at the corners of her mouth.
"Sweetest Lureene, does a man say that he controls his own lust? A woman her her breath? Of course not. Both simply obey those involuntary urges already within them. True, one can try to hold their breath, or abstain from indulgence, but it is only a matter of time before the woman collapses and a moment of weakness claims our man."
She waves a hand as she finished off her goblet, casting the artfully worked vessel aside to shatter on the marble floor. "What mortals would call chaos is merely the natural state of all that exists yielding to its natural state... Returning like a prodigal child. Like you."
"First, it was an opportunity of the moment. Second, no, it wasn't my first."
He smiles to her. "Thanks for the chat. Good night, Frænka."
Lureene stares at her Mother and is horrified to feel her own body responding to the demonesses' sensuous movements. She takes an involuntary step towards her before willing her feet to stay put. She desperately tries to focus on on what the demoness was telling her.
What does she mean by that? What is her purpose for bring me here? I have to find out...
"Why did you bring me here, Mother? You could have let me fall to my death, yet your pet saved me."
I need to buy some time here, to determine what she really wants from me.
Avoreen rolls her eyes as if the answer should be plain. "You were already here, unprepared though you were. With all that I have invested in you, it would have been a shame to see you fail so soon. After all, even if you were unable to strike at my foe, at least you keep company who can. The look on that harlot's face when she saw you... priceless!"
Lureene tries to hide the surprise from her face at this news. She lowers her gaze to the floor while her mind works furiously.
I should have realized that from the beginning! Every demoness in the Abyss is always working against the others. As for myself...I need to be careful here.
She keeps her gaze down in a submission of respect. "Forgive me, Mother. You know I can be...slow at times."
"Forgive?" Avoreen's tone loses its hint of mirth. "I can see that by living among mortals you have begun to adopt their ways as your own. I permitted your escape expecting you to grow stronger, not weaker. Your little half-breed 'friend' has not only robbed you of your birthright, but filled that void between your ears with rubbish. So much for sharing a common foe..."
With a hint of agitation, she brushes her ruby-scaled serpent off. With a wriggle, it frees its tail before taking wing and alighting atop one of the arches where it curls up to rest.
Smoldering eyes fall upon Lureene, and Avoreen slips from her throne, leaving molten footprints in her wake as she paces before it. Musing to herself, she comments, "I wonder if killing those arrogant insects you travel with would reawaken the old Lureene... the one who is of use to me..."
Uh-oh...I hope I can pull this off...
Lureene's eyes flash in anger. "Mother, how best to gain their trust? Do you really think a Princess would allow herself to become close to a succubus??" She lowers her voice, yet still a hint of steel lingers. "If it seems I am acting like one of them NOW, it is due to the necessity of maintaining the charade!"
Avoreen ceases pacing and turns an appraising gaze upon Lureene. Her eyes narrow a bit before the faintest hint of an appreciative smile plucks at the corner of her mouth.
"Well done, my daughter," she begins, chin raised high in approval. "I see you have not forgotten all your lessons. How intriguing..."
Sashaying across the floor, the demoness walks to the edge of the tower and turns to look back at Lureene before disappearing thru a ripple in the darkness, her serpent following silently behind her. As she departs, the younger succubus can hear her voice ring out within her mind.
'I believe a test of your abilities is in order, child. Show your mother your power, show her your conviction!'
Sense Motive Checks:
For a moment Lureene stands completely motionless. Did Avoreen actually believe her story? Had she outwitted the Queen of Lies?!
As the thought distracts her, a sudden rumbling sound comes from the direction of the ivory throne when the floor beneath it splits, burning Lava surging forth with a belch of sulfur.
Lucia? Again?!
As the dust and ash clear, she sees the familiar black feathery wings, and can see red hair, but something is different.
Amidst coughing a sputtering, Lureene can hear a familiar voice cursing in protest, "Well fvck that sucks! Oh, that rhymed!"
"El?! Hey, what are you doing here? I'm supposed to kick somebody's ass, don't tell me it's yours?!"
"First, it was an opportunity of the moment. Second, no, it wasn't my first."
Alis gives a small sigh, "Well, that's a relief at least."
She winks and nudges him back, "At least it seems like you might have finally learned to have a bit of fun since we were children. You always looked so bored anytime there was anything remotely formal going on."
A yawn parts Alis' lips even as she she stretches her arms above her head. "Mmmf... Alright Frændi," she leans over to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, "this whiny little princess is off to bed. Sleep well and try not to start hammering away too early in the morning. Sweet dreams."
Oh great...not her again...
Lureene stares at her friend, or at least what looked like her friend. Last time she checked, wings did not come with the package.
Playing it cool, with a spell on her lips, Lureene responds "Sooo, who wants you to kick my ass, Sasha?"
Sasha looks somewhat embarrassed. As the realization of what she has to do sinks in, her shoulders slump causing her wings to brush the ground. "Sooo you remember how I sad my great grandma kind of had it coming? Weeell... funny thing is, the rest of the family sort of disagreed with me. Didn't really help when they figured out I was friends with you guys and didn't do anything about it either."
She looks at her black wings and frowns. "Look Ellie, I like you a lot and everything. It's been fun fooling around and killing lots of guys, but now they made me like Lucia and if I don't do what they say, they'll re-kill me and send her instead and she wouldn't be as nice."
"Sorry, El, but I have to kill you now. I'll try to make it quick, ok?"
With obvious reluctance, Sasha draws her blades and begins walking towards her friend. "Don't worry El, it'll all be over soon."
, Sasha
MAP: Lureene's Soul: The Lightning-Struck Tower, (Round 01)
Theme: Another Me
Lureene looks around her as she sees Sasha start advancing towards her. She wonders what her Mother's purpose here is.
What does she want me to do here, kill her? Emspell her? Is this really Sash or is it a demon masquerading as her?
Deciding to buy some time here, she chants a spell and vanishes from sight! As she finishes casting she stealthily launches herself into the air, thinking Let's see how well she can fly. Once airborne, she attempts to study 'Sasha' to determine if this is actually her friend.
As far as Lureene can tell, the being below looks like Sasha, or at least an erinyes version of her. As she tries to piece together what is going on, the succubus tries to reassure herself that there's no way the Order of the Wasp could have gotten to Sasha while you were sleeping right next to her — unless you have been asleep for an extraordinarily long time.
When Lureene turns invisible and takes off, Sasha just pauses for a moment and scratches her head. Looking up at her hovering friend, she asks, "Um... if you're trying to hide I can still see you, you know that right?"
In that instant, Lureene groans inwardly remembering that erinyes can see all things as they truly are. A morose sigh escapes the huntress and she leaps into the air, wings propelling her straight at Lureene, blade poised for a thrust.
Sasha closes the gap faster than Lureene can react and her rapier makes a scraping sound as it rakes across her flesh before finally puncturing her skin with a gout of flame.
"Oh, that's right, you've got really tough skin, don't you? Well crap," she shakes her rapier, looking annoyed, "Lucia does that whole 'Rasp Flametongue' thing and her sword goes crazy, but I've... never actually done this before. You have any ideas?"
Sense Motive Checks:
, Sasha
MAP: Lureene's Soul: The Lightning-Struck Tower, (Round 02)
Lureene retorts, "Why don't you try plunging it inside your belly! Maybe that will work!!"
Despite the false bravado, she knows she is outmatched by Sasha's combat skills, notwithstanding her newfound diabolic abilities.
Sooo, what do I do now? My spells are all but useless against her and I cannot match her blade for blade. Only one thing to to....RUN!
As Lureene flees, Sasha gives a shout, "HEY! You know it's not like I want to kill you!"
When she has passed beyond the boundary of the tower, the black-winged ranger shouts, "IF YOU RUN, YOU'LL ONLY DIE TIRED! Dammit, why won't this stupid sword work? CUT! SLICE! BURN–"
Whilst the frustrated red head continues to shout at her blade, trying to will it to work, Lureene hears a familiar lisping echoing throughout the dream world. "Misssstressss, what doesss thisss one do for you?"
Lureene nearly sobs in relief. "Grak, I need your help! We have to kill Sasha! I want you to distract her so I can enspell her!"
"Doesss Grak only dissstract? Isss that Grak'sss nature?"
As he speaks, Lureene realizes that Grak is not so much asking for his orders, but wondering what his purpose is.
As Lureene continues to fly away from the tower, she is struck to the core by Grak's question. She had always thought of him as an extension of her will, a tool, nothing nore. But now...
Grak has grown in ways I have not anticipated...as have I. I have done him a great disservice in so many ways. Grak is more than just a tool or helper, a common being.
He is my friend...and I LOVE him.
She speaks to him now earnestly, "Grak, I am sorry for the way I have treated you. You are more than just a plaything to me, you are MUCH more than that to me. So, I ask you this: What do YOU want to be, my friend.
There is a moment a contemplative silence for a moment, and in the distance, Lureene can hear Sasha's shouting quiet down, as if she too can hear the impending answer. Resonating from the tower, Lureene hear's Grak voice respond, "Grak wishesss to protect his misssstressss... to "
In that moment Lureene realizes that Grak does not merely wish to protect her as a defender, but to do so proactively!
"Misssstressss, Grak lovesss misssstressss too, call thisss one forth!"
Lureene's heart swells in joy, "Yes Grak, please do it...."
Theme: Storm Center
As she says the words 'Grak', 'Swoop' and 'Strike', a feeling of power courses thru Lureene as though she just intoned some eldritch ritual. From high above, an arc of twisting, coiling lighting strikes the center of the tower floor. Yet the tower is neither scorched nor broken. Instead, from the place where it impacted, Lureene can see something in the smoke even as thunder sends a thrill of awe thru her.
There, in the center of the smoke, pearlescent scales crackling with static electricity, is Grak. Yet not the small, nigh harmless serpent she remembered, but larger, his wingspan equal to her own!
Even as she watches, Grak rises in the charged air and streaks towards Sasha, body rippling with the motion! Before the ranger can even tell what is happening, he bites down hard on her shoulder as he soars past.
Even as the young erinyes cries out in surprise, Lureene can hear Grak's voice inside her mind, clearer and more vibrant than before. 'Misssstressss, we are one, let usss ssswoop and ssstrike as one!'
, Sasha; Grak
MAP: Lureene's Soul: The Lightning-Struck Tower, (Round 06)