The Edge of Shadow || Original RP || IC Thread

[thiswasdeletedyo]

x

"Hmm," Sunnifa tapped her boot and found this actually, rather agreeable. No death, no marrying and losing Dragon. The rest, however, she thoroughly disliked. It was obvious on her face, but since it was Varian saying things of Terrowin, she did nothing. "I also tried to kill him..." she said softly, not sure what else to say to that of massacre. She didn't know what Terrowin had been doing before he joined Slade so she would drop this. It may have been a mistake to talk about it.

He had also asked her something else, effectively distracting her from that subject, and it happened to be something she wanted to share with him. "I've only done it once since then!" she held up a finger, proud of that fact though she'd never show it to Droston. Instead, she would say it as if she were disappointed she only had that one chance at cracking open his large head like an egg for her breakfast... and not, that she hadn't tried pummeling him to death for making her angry so she was happy that she could be a good student. "I will be good in a few more weeks, don't you think?"

Varian hinted at a gift. She grinned excitedly and leaned forward. "Something for me? What is it!?" she asked, and would pester for an answer if she had to. She tried thinking of all the things she liked. To wait as long as Varian for his meeting and then after the meeting just to see what it was, she would go mad. Dragon would have to be enlisted to help her figure out what it was and he would probably require something in return.

in Cavandia - Hall with Varian.

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: Sky Riders Guild Hall
Speaking With: Sunnifa

Varian smiled, “I guess I’d better tell you before you try and beat it out of me. I made you a new Battle Axe. Unbreakable, it will cut through anything, beyond anything I have ever made before. The first axe of its kind, and I am giving it to you.”

He was proud of the progress she made, and continued to make, but he had a condition. “But you have to promise me one thing, no killing Droston. Oh and I made armor for Dragon, not that he’ll need it but with you two I can never tell.”

He was a little disappointed he didn’t have them on him, but he wasn’t expecting Sunnifa to be here so he made the best of it. The girl hated not knowing things so it was better to tell her now before Dragon and her teamed up on him. Furion was snorting again in laughter as Dragon’s eyes widened a bit.



He really hoped Sunnifa liked his surprise, it wasn’t every day you got a axe that was beyond anything currently available in the world.

[Diandra Moon]

Merriec Ravenwood

Location: Amick District (Armand Manor)
Speaking with: Everyone

Merriec sat in the library, reading the book on Drathian Law because Vorlander had told him he’d be quizzing him again the next day about it…He just didn’t know what he’d be getting quizzed on and he had no idea what to make of it! He’d read the books as best he could and while he hadn’t done horribly, Vorlander thought he should have learned more. So he’d told him there would be another test the next day, study tonight.

Merriec could understand why Vorlander wasn’t giving him anything specific, because one never knew what they would come up against, and usually-at least in Cavandia- ignorance of the law was no excuse. Merriec would just have to bust his hump and get to work, and hope that he got through enough of the book and remember what he read to at least do well enough that Vorlander wouldn’t give him some awful job to do for not passing. Aine had a good idea…He started taking notes, writing a summary of the laws he couldn’t remember well enough when reading. It seemed to be working.

He saw a sequence of numbers that looked familiar. He hadn’t gotten this far into the book before, but he knew those numbers…Dermot’s words echoed in his mind. “Remember these numbers. Then when you see them, run straight to where you know Aine’s children to be. Warn everyone you meet on the way. Then do what you can to save them.”

So he did just that. He dropped the book and started running. Every guard he came across. “Something’s wrong with the triplets! Get help!” And he left them, hoping they’d listen, panic taking hold of his chest as he approached the nursery.

He swung the door open and saw…

Luca with a knife…But it wasn’t Luca… “Get away from them!” He sent a Pulse at the hand that held the knife and it went flying back. He tackled the man, which was stupid, because he felt the pain in his thigh as another blade pierced his thigh. The man had come prepared, whoever he was.

[Diandra Moon]

Aine Aiyana

Location: Amick District (Armand Manor)
Speaking with: Merriec, Luca, Luco, and the guards

The day had gone by quickly, much to Aine’s disdain. She hated being busy and rushed constantly it was wearing on her nerves. Her hand slipped into her vest to hold the little bomb Aryk had given her, the one Kain had left for her to blow up when she go the chance. She had a couple things to do, then she was going to have some fun.

Aine was walking towards the library to check on Merriec when she saw the boy rush from the library like a demon was on his heels. She ran to the door and looked in, seeing nothing amiss, she took off after him. His warning that something was wrong with the triplets lengthened her strides, but try as she might, she couldn’t pass the boy to get to her children.

“Get away from them!” She saw him disappear into the room and then heard a scream of pain just as she rushed in after him. Merriec was on the ground, doing what he could to fight---Luco!

“Get away from him!” She sent a pulse of her own at the deranged man that put his back against the wall with a crack. She saw where blood smeared the wall as she screamed for the guards. Luco grabbed the dagger in the wall and threw it at her before she could react further.

Merriec screamed in anger and fear, but it was cut short as he saw the blade melt into nothing, right along with Luco.

“WHORE! You’ve lain with demons!” Luco rushed at her and she was thrown against the door, slamming it shut on the guards who couldn’t teleport into the room. “I’ll have that power if I have to cut it out of you Liana!” He was trying to choke her with one hand as the other used another blade to try to stab her in the gut. It melted as well and he screamed.

Take your hand off his and put against his chest. Send him flying through the window. There’s a clear shot.

That voice was familiar. It was the one that answered why not every time she pondered the crystal that had come to her. It was helping to keep her and her family alive, so she did just that, sent the maniac flying through the window. She yanked the door open behind her and rushed to Merriec. “Are you alright?”

“Bleeding like a stuck, but I should live.”

“HEALERS!” Aine demanded as she got up to check on her children. There was a little line of red where Luco had tapped the blade against Rock’s arm, but other than that, he seemed unharmed, and the others had yet to be touched. “Make sure my son wasn’t poisoned! Guard my family! I’m putting an end to this.”

Luca rushed in with the Healers, then took three steps back when he saw Aine. She was climbing through the broken window. She heard one of the guards tell him that it seemed to have been Luco and she heard him scream after her to wait. She wasn’t going to wait. Every second he had on the ground was a second he had to regain his strength. “Aine! He’s leading you into a trap!”

“Then I’ll make his trap his grave.” She said as she dropped down to the ground, using her powers to cushion her fall as she took off after the limping madman.

[Diandra Moon]

Luco Armand

Amick District
(The woods outside Armand Manor)
Speaking with: Liana

More magic! He’d never seen such a wonder and he’d have it! He’d eat every piece of flesh from her bones and suck the marrow to make sure he had it for himself! He had thought she might try to stop him…Try to save the little bastards she had spawned.

So he had set traps…Wonderful traps…They wouldn’t kill her…Oh no…They’d maim her, leave her helpless against his attentions…He did so love tenderized meat.

“You’ll never catch me Liana!” He taunted. He needed her to follow the path he had made. Then he could make sure she fell into his wonderful traps. “Then I’ll come back for you bastards!”

[Diandra Moon]

Luca Armand

Location: Amick District (Armand Manor)
Speaking with: Merriec, the guards, the healers

“Do you want us to go after her?”

“YES!” Alright, it wasn’t fair, he knew it…Aine had ordered them to guard her family…But dammit if she didn’t need protected too! “See that extra guards are set outside Finn’s and Aliza’s rooms, and the windows. Tell Finn what has happened, if he thinks his sister should know, then let him tell her. Then send men to find Aine. Trackers and scouts. They’ll see any traps easier than a regular guard would.”

“Yessir.”

He watched as the healers worked to close the wounds on Merriec’s leg, while another worked on Rock. “He wasn’t poisoned. He’ll be fine. Not even a scar.” The woman smiled and Luca felt a wash of relief. Babies could die from poison so much easier…

“How about Merriec?”

“He wasn’t poisoned either. He’ll have to keep off his leg for a couple weeks at least, but he should be fine. A scar, nothing to be done about that, but he should be fine.”

“Vorlander’s going to kill me.”

“No he won’t. Aine wouldn’t let him.” That got a chuckle. “Reilly?” The man appeared next to him. “See to it that Vorlander, Droston, and Lord Ecanis are appraised of the situation. If Luco escapes her, then the guards will need put on guard against him.”

“Right away.” And the man was gone to deliver the news of the situation.

“So what now?”

“We wait…”

[Diandra Moon]

Aine Aiyana

Location: Amick District
(The woods outside Armand Manor)
Speaking with: The Crystal and Luco

Stop! You have a brain! Use it! She caught herself and muttered something uncomplimentary beneath her breath. The crystal refused to do more than butt in now and then. No answers, just orders. You’ll learn in time…If you can stay alive! Traps. Watch for them!

So she stopped, crouching low to check the ground. Aine knew all kinds of traps that could be set in the woods…And she spotted one…A tripwire. She took a stick and backed up several paces before she used a weak pulse to send the stick at the wire and trip it. Sure enough, a large log swung down, and would have sent her flying. She check the trajectory and saw that it would have sent her into a tree that had been set up with knives sticking out. They weren’t enough to pierce anything vital, but they would have hurt her and left her in pain and weak if she could get down from them.

She sent another weak pulse along the ground, stirring leaves and dirt and rocks. More traps were triggered that would have broken something, yet again not kill her if she did manage to get down…

Use the knives. Smack them.

So she did, and the metal just seemed to melt, though the voice didn’t explain why…

I’m sure you can figure it out from here. Just pay attention. You still have work to do.

It was well into the night, a good many traps, and about twenty daggers that had been melted later, when she came to a clearing…Something didn’t seem quite right about it. Then she realized why…Something dropped down around her neck and tightened. She barely managed to get a barrier like what Droston used to blunt a blade with between her flesh and the rope before it tightened enough to choke her to death. But she knew what she had to do. Her fingers went around the rope and held as if she were trying to keep it from choking her to death as her legs kicked when she was lifted from the ground.

“I have you whore!” Luco dropped down, laughing and cackling as he dance around her. “I have you and you’re mine!” She let him dance around, then she struck. Her legs snapped out, wrapping around his neck and choking him as she pulled the dagger from the sheath at her thigh and cut the noose from around her neck. “WHORE! I’ll take your witchcraft from you!”

He dropped to the ground and started fighting, thrashing and Aine didn’t let go until he broke away from her and attacked her again. She brought the dagger up and into his gut, slicing him open. He looked stunned as he stumbled back. Trying to hold the bile and intestines in place as they started to leak through the slice she made in his flesh.

Slicing him to ribbons seemed to good an end for him. Her hand brushed something in her pocket and she smirked. “You’ve ruined so many lives…”

“It was my right!” He screamed, blood dribbling from his lips and spraying with his breath. “Parasites. Nothing but parasites!”

She took the bomb out of her pocket and shoved it into the cavity that she had created before she managed just enough heat to light the wick, and sear the flesh and carburizing the wound so he couldn’t rip it out. She created a pulse to send him flying back into the clearing as she shielded her face with her arm and ducked down, turning her back to him. She had not qualms with seeing what would happen, she just didn’t want blood in her eyes…

It wasn’t five seconds before the blast came, spraying her with Luco’s partially charred flesh and bits. She stood and looked back into the clearing. Only part of one of his arms, his head, and his legs were left. Not a minute later, several guards were coming into the clearing. What they saw had them dry heaving or vomiting depending on if anything was in their stomach. She didn’t pay them any mind. She walked over and grabbed the head from the ground before turning to the guards. “Burn the rest. I don’t want a trace of anything left.”

They only nodded and she made her way back towards the manor, Luco's head in hand.

[thequeen-- barbie]

Ｌ Ｏ Ｃ Ａ Ｔ Ｉ Ｏ Ｎ ⋮Amick District
Ｗ Ｉ Ｔ Ｈ⋮Droston Coradon and Kain Ecanis

Elle was floored by the suggestion, knowing full and well that Kain would never have done such a thing. "Kain? You can't be serious. Kain doesn't even like us. Don't ******** with me right now. Every minute is another minute they're not with me and it's another minute closer to their deaths out there alone." She looked him dead in the eye and turned her horse to the side, digging her heels into it's side and clicking her tongue before taking off.

The gates had just barely opened and Elle was already blazing through them, far ahead of Droston. She didn't give herself of the option of being sad. She was terrified of being without them, but she would not... could not cry. There was no time for that. Time was too precious for tears. She loved her children too greatly to let any harm befall them. And now she was racing to find them before Death got to them first.

She could hear armor clanking, grinding against itself hard enough to make Elle want to grind her teeth. Guards were everywhere, all on the lookout for a potential ambush or perhaps a sighting of the kidnapper. Her father's sword hung at her hip as it was meant to, bruising her as it collided with her bone on each bounce. She couldn't even speak at the gate to Castle Viridian. A guard had to state their business for her. She was too out of breath, too flustered, to concentrated on just finding the boys.

Elle dismounted too quickly and caught her ankle, yanking it free with a painful jerk as she ran up the stairs and through the halls of Castle Viridian. It was twice as large as her castle and equally confusing. She was wasting precious time running up stairs to make it to Kain's office.

"What is this-"

Elle through the door open, wild-eyed. "The twins have been kidnapped. Kain, I need you to tell Droston it wasn't you. Time is of the essence. I don't know where they are."

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: Amick District
Speaking With: Droston Coradon & Elle Dorian

The tension in the room was palpable. As Angeline's finger inched closer and closer to the possible cure for her disease, all breathing in the room ceased. Kain had only just married into Angeline's family, but that did not change the fact that she was family now. If there was a chance for her to be cured of her frailness, Kain would want that for her. His heart raced as that brittle finger came ever closer to it's feasible remedy. "What is this-"

... The door flung open and Elle Dorian stomped into the room, her hair windswept by the ride over, her dress robes stained by dirt and bits of bugs, everything about her already screaming for help. "The twins have been kidnapped. Kain, I need you to tell Droston it wasn't you. Time is of the essence. I don't know where they are."

"Guards!" The two at the door spun into the room, hands on their blades. "Gather a search party and scour the area for the Dorian twins. Every guard that is not currently on duty is to be called and added to the search. Keep all other guards on their post. Orange Flares if the twins are found. Green Flares if the area is cleared. Blue Flares if anyone suspicious is spotted. Purple if anyone suspicious is apprehended. White Flares if any new information is gathered... Go, now!"

The guards left the room in full sprint and Droston emerged in the doorway the second they were gone. He had been in a meeting all morning, so that would be his alibi, but it still stung to think that Droston thought Kain would do such a thing without warning them. Kain looked to Elle and then to Droston. "You think I did this?"

It looked as though Ariel wanted to speak, but she also knew this was a far too personal matter and would not say anything unless it was asked of her. It probably did not help that Victor Thornias was also in the room with them. Kain may not have been guilty of kidnapping, but he hoped Elle and Droston were too preoccupied with their children's predicament to notice that he was guilty of meeting with someone who was a known traitor.

Ariel seemed to pick up on that as well, though much earlier, because the moment Kain realized it, he turned back to look at them and noticed that Ariel's fingers were dancing and Victor's appearance had been changed to something much different. His hair was now blonde and short, his eyes were pale blue, and he had a full beard. Ariel must have set to it the second Elle burst though the door. The woman was quick witted and fast moving... Kain appreciate that in an ally.

[Diandra Moon]

Luca Armand

Location: Amick (Armand Manor)
Speaking with: Aine

Luca had heard the news that Aine was approaching the manor and he wasn’t about to wait and see what happened. He took himself right to the front door-and wished he’d stayed put…

The sight that greeted him made the bile rise in his throat, and he did nothing to make it go back down. Aine was covered in what could only be bits of his now deceased brother- her other uncle…She was blood streaked, there was what looked like dirt and soot all over her, only those strange eyes of hers seemed to be the only clean part of her form…

When he finished emptying his stomach into the rosebushes, he cleared his throat and approached her. “Merriec will be alright. Rock is fine. Won’t even be a scar. Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine.” She held the head up and looked at if as if she wasn’t exactly sure what to do with it. “I figured you should it’s been taken care of.”

He nodded, knowing better than to try to say anything about the fleshy bits that looked as if they were about to drip liquid, if the blood hadn’t already started to dry. “You should go let Lord Ecanis know the threat is no more.”

“Good idea. Reilly?” The Captain appeared and she smiled. “Take me to Kain, please.”

“I meant-” After a bath… He silently thought to himself as Reilly followed her orders and took her to Castle Viridian. “Oh, dear gods, she’s going to scare someone…” It was just a matter of who…

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: Amick
Speaking With: Elle, Kain, Bethany, Angeline, Ariel, and Victor

The moment he entered the room where Kain was he realized he had been mistaken, Kain hadn’t taken the children. His clothes were a dead giveaway since he was not even matching the style of the Kain he had seen in their mansion. Plus the kidnapper had teleported, something he remembered Kain wasn’t capable of doing.

“I… I was wrong. Kain couldn’t have done it, the kidnapper teleported away, Kain can’t, he doesn’t have the Conduit for that.”His mind was racing, Kain couldn’t teleport which meant that it had to be someone capable of changing their appearance, plus they had to have power. Then he realized he still hadn’t apologized for his accusation, “Kain, I’m sorry, I didn’t think. He looked like you and in my state, I thought it was you. I beg your forgiveness.”

A second thought raced after that one, Droston had Sensed the kidnapper and now that he actually thought for a moment, the man had been stronger than anyone he had ever met. “I think it was Slade, he shapeshifted into Kain to make us think it wasn’t him. He teleported out though, if it was Slade… the twins are in the Port.”

The implications were staggering, if Slade had taken the children, then he had something that would force the Families to the table. Unless they were willing to sacrifice the lives of the children, and his wife. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if the twins died, Elle would soon follow. He wouldn’t allow that to happen.

"I will leave for Dorian at once and ready my army, it's time for action. I'm getting my boys back."

It never even occurred to him that he had forgotten about everyone else in the room...

[thequeen-- barbie]

Ｌ Ｏ Ｃ Ａ Ｔ Ｉ Ｏ Ｎ ⋮Amick District
Ｗ Ｉ Ｔ Ｈ⋮Droston Coradon and Kain Ecanis

"We don't have time for armies. Slade doesn't want an army. He wants us. We're going there alone... or I'm going there alone. It doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is that we get to the Port as fast we can. Send word to Dorian that our army is under direct command to prepare for battle, but you can't go there and do it yourself. Leave it to my brother."

She turned to the room full of people and nodded once. "Thank you, Kain. I don't know how I could ever repay you for your help. It means the world to me. Forgive us." Elle turned on her heel and marched out, husband hot on her trail. "I don't know how we're going to get there fast enough. I don't know what we're going to do with ourselves." She skipped stairs and spoke at the same time, running her fingers through her tangled hair. She was near to just pulling it all out. She wouldn't have missed it too much anyways.

"Can we use the teleportation grid? It there any way we can get there... now? Droston, we're going to lose them. If Slade really does have them..." She stopped and thought as she got on her horse.

"What if Slade doesn't have them, Droston? What if we're just walking into a trap?" Her gut dropped and she reeled over the side of her horse, throwing up as her stomach turned. The stress and nervousness was wearing at her but she refused to acknowledge it as she kicked her horse's side once more, turning back to watch her husband for an answer. She was desperate... almost desperate enough to march blindly into a trap without an army.

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: Amick
Speaking With: Elle

“Elle, we need to think about this rationally. If Slade has the children, he’ll be expecting us to come there. If we go, then we may die Elle, and take it from someone who knows. Dying isn’t pretty. But I'll be with you all the way, to death if needs be. We can get there if we take the grid and ride the rest of the way, or we can take a ship and try and sneak our way in.”

At that moment as he was mounting his horse an ashen faced messenger came sprinting up to them, “My Lord and lady! I bring dire news.”

The look on the man’s face filled Droston with dread, was it the children? Had Slade sent a letter mocking them? What had happened?

“Tell us.” He almost wished he cold have said something else.

“Sir… Dorian has fallen to Slade. There is nothing left of the city, naught but ash and ruin. Excuse me, I must inform the Lord.” The man sprinted past them as the news hit both of them like a ton of bricks. Dorian was gone, destroyed by Slade, Slade who had their children.

“Elle…. I… We…. How….” He slid off his horse as his world came crashing around him, Slade had dealt them a fatal blow. They had lost their children, and their city.

Everything was gone.

[thequeen-- barbie]

Ｌ Ｏ Ｃ Ａ Ｔ Ｉ Ｏ Ｎ ⋮Amick District
Ｗ Ｉ Ｔ Ｈ⋮Droston Coradon

[******** sneaking. ******** this stupid bald b*****d. Droston, I'm taking the grid, and I'm doing it now." She was shaking, more in anger than in sadness. All of her people... the innocent, good people which she had been brought to adore over the course of her short life... were gone. Elle would get him back for that. How and when... she didn't know. But what she did know is that she would be sure he would count his dead.

She pushed her horse too fast and pushed herself too hard. She'd never forgive herself for allowing her city to burn. Elle had left Dorian trusting that her husband had left it in good defense... and he hadn't. Now everyone she knew and loved was slipping from her hands. Elle knew that there would be a burial soon... she would bury her brother and her mother, and she and Zara Dorian would be all that were left to carry the line until her sons were of age...

If they made it through the night.

She was ready to go get it all over with. Elle refused to face death, though she accepted it. She did not want to experience it until her sons were out of the grasp of the Overlord. She slid off of her horse and took Droston's hand without another word. There was nothing left to be said. They were playing the world's most dangerous game. Elle knew there wasn't much left to lose, either. Dorian was gone... Elle knew if she'd been faced with the choice of whether to take her sons or Dorian...

She would have chosen Dorian with the heaviest heart, and she would have been history's tragic hero, because she knew she would have killed herself with them. But that was not what fate had written for her. Instead she would salvage what was left... the love of her children and her need to restore Dorian for her people, to strike back in honor of all of those lost to the miserable war.

Elle waited for Droston to give the go ahead so they could just get it all over with. She wanted to wake from the nightmare somewhere in the middle of the teleportation so she could just hug her children one more time...

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: Nearing the Port
Speaking With: Elle

“Now.”

There was little to be said as they moved through the grid. Unfortunately the farthest they could get them was near the Sister Cities. When they arrived Droston quickly wrote three letters, one for Kain, one for Aine, and one for Castiel. He handed them to the messenger and had him promise to deliver them upon his return.

He couldn’t believe Dorian was gone, he had spent a year repairing the damage Slade had already inflicted, all that work gone. Slade was going to suffer for what he had done to them, and one of them was going to die.

They had to take horses all the way to the Port, but it was enough, both of them realized that this may be their last day in the realm of the living. As the sun rose they saw the walls of the Port looming ahead of them, “Here we go.”