|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 2:45 am
Rainy days with Aelus and Linaia
The rain was beating heavily against the window panes, a rich tapestry on the far wall brought alive by the dancing of firelight in the darkened early dusk of a spring storm. The heavens had opened the previous day, and the relentlessly driving rain had failed to cease since. For all the unfortunate creatures outside it was a miserable time indeed, but our scene pertains to those inside in the warmth of a small parlour in a redbrick manor, a fire glowing beneath the mantle, an infant sat peacefully in front of it, and an adoring couple nestled happily on the floor, backs resting against a sofa.
The very picture of domestic bliss, to all those not acquainted with our players. The baby, the first mentioned, was not the offspring of this pair, but rather the ward of one's half-sister, a child whose birth seemed unaccountable, requiring knowledge into the workings of a magical library. The couple, also, were not as they seemed. The male, Aelus, was of a gangly physique, his long dark hair black and unwashed, matching his simple clothing, the rags of a peasant beneath even his station in life. The sharp, pointed features of his face were rendered almost handsome, momentarily, by the great softness of his gaze, chasing away the habitual look of ragged sadness that generally plagued their expressive nature. And what of the cause of this gaze? The woman, around her early 20's, was everything a heroine should be, beautiful, intelligent and loving, caring unendingly for this man, a peasant far below her rank, with no discernible skills in wooing, or that good fortune to be handsome. He was her Aelus, and this made him the most handsome man in the world, to her.
The reason for this scene was a series of oddities. First, the weather, not so odd in it's occassion, as when it chose to occur. The great speed with which it had started, and it's relentless nature, had holed Aelus up in the manor, making him unable to return to his tiny home for a day or two. Thus did he rely on the generosity and discretion of his hosts, Linaia and, more officially, Naita, to house him in some little room until the showers broke long enough for him to pay the debt only he seemed to feel not only for their hospitality, but for Linaia's great generosity to love him.
The second in this series was that the cook, for the first time in her life, had not been ready to prepare a feast for a necessary occasion. Eydis' christening would be soon, and thus Naita had retired to the kitchen with the plump little woman to arrange a worthy meal, leaving her darling child in the care of her sister and the gentle peasant who held her adoration.
And the third in this series? The inability to use the large living room at the front of the house, due to a leak that had sprung during the storm, confining the trio (and the infant's tiny daemon, Frozen) to a small parlour located towards the back of the East wing, where they had settled in happily to wile away the hours until the evening meal was announced.
Aelus, resting a large, spindly hand on the babe's back to restore the balance that moment deserting the child, revealed his left arm a tad from beneath his great cape, a series of red scars showing themselves darkly in the firelight, their crimson swirls hiding a past that attributed his constant sadness, his constant need to repay some unseen debt. But this past is not for us to know, such as it pertains to him, and haunts him so. His doting lover, ever aware of the pain these marks gave her beloved, ran a cool, milky hand over the flesh, small smile curling across her lips as she lifted her sapphire eyes to meet his.
"Do they trouble you today, my love?" the woman softly queried, voice hushed to match the quiet atmosphere of the room at present. She worried about Aelus at times, his silence and gentility belying what he suffered, what he knew.
To this comment the man simply smiled, returning the fabric to it's rightful place covering the marks and picking up the child, settling her into his lap, tiny avian leaping to follow, to protect his keeper.
A book laying on a small wooden table to their side alighted Linaia's attention at length, and stretching from her comfortable position, the young woman made a grab at it, succeeding and drawing it into her arms.
With a gentle smile did she flip to her chosen page, eyes flitting between the print and her young niece's chubby face.
"Once upon a time..." the story began, and it did not take to the point of a happy ending to send Eydis to sleep, tucked gently into the warm arms of Aelus.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:31 pm
A new sibling for... Naita?The rain continued to patter on the roof as Naita paced the floor of the parlour, Eydis tucked neatly into her arms, Frozen perched upon her shoulder, and a fresh, if a little soggy, letter clasped in one hand. The seal, which she was currently in the process of breaking, was that of the Siri family, her own family.
In the almost four months Naita had been living in the manner, this was the first correspondence from court the young woman had received, and owing to how great an insult her family had seen fit to interpret her actions assured her that this would only be a letter necessitated by large circumstances.
Of this she was right. The contents of this short note would send her straight into the nearest chair, breathless and barely able to hold her swaddled ward. It read thus:
Quote: Lady Naita Elouin Siri,
My daughter, I trust you are well. I myself am in exceeding health, the many pleasures of court agree with my health.
They agree with it so well, indeed, that I am with child. Pray that it is a son.
You will be expected at court for the delivery in three months, we will send a carriage for yourself, and Linaia if it pleases you to bring her.
Ever,
Duchess Elouin Rinia Siri
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 7:40 pm
Eydis meets OtiumQuote: Halo had a busy day now that she had a new baby. The night before was spent mostly finding a crib. That was put into Mael's room for the boy's to share for the time being. Today then, had been spent going clothes shopping and toy shopping. Taking Otium out was odd as most people seemed to not notice he was there.. or they'd forget.. and it took a couple times before he registered to them. Halo was confused by it. She put that down as a side effect of being the child he was and from the excerpt he'd been found with. She soon discovered, upon arriving home, that any color outfit she put on him would fade to monochrome after about 10 minutes. He seemed destined to be the bearer of grey tones. Right now, Halo decided she shoudl take him back tot he mansion and maybe find that library again. Maybe he'd be more at home there. So here she was now, pushing open the door to the mansion and setting out to find that door again to take her little one back down tot he mystery library.Curled around a section of the floor by a large bookshelf, Naita balanced Eydis easily on her knees, icy child smiling idly and looking up at her guardian with sparkling eyes. The locket Frozen had given her the previous day lay tucked into her pudgy palm, and the aforementioned daemon was hopping nervously about the shelves. Mind full, the young woman pulled the infant into her arms, gazing into the tiny face of the fast-growing child. "May you never deal with shocks, my love," she whispered quietly, before planting a kiss on Eydis' forehead. Halo found the door (though she wasn't sure if it was the same spot it had been the night before) and wandered down the stairs. She juggled the weight of Otium on her hip and pushed open the library doors. Halo peeked through to find it exactly the same. Immaculate's head lifted from Halo's shoulder and she sniffed the air. With a yip she clambered down and zipped off into the library somewhere. "hey! Come back!" Otium watched his bear zip away passively. Apparently he was confident she didn't get far.Frozen, ever alert, ever suspicious, immediately perked his little head at the sound of the doors, unnoticed by his young mistress or her guardian. Indeed, Naita did not move a muscle, sat happily with her child. The spread of her creamy tulle gown made a circle of perfumed material around the pair, and as the avian fluttered down from his perch, the pale daemon's hopping journey across it was well documented in dusty footprints. Immaculate's tail wagged behind her as she peeked aorund the shelf and yipped at Naita, Eydis and Frozen. The monochrome daemon watched them with glittering grey eyes and sniffed at the air.
"That bear of yours is trouble, Otium.." The little boy just gummed a bright gold coin and looked at all the shelves theywere weaving through to find the missing daemon. "I knowyou know where she is.. couldn't you just tell me?" Halo sighed down at her son and he just looked back up at her and smiled a tiny silent smile.Alerted by the sound of paws at last, Naita turned her head to meet the little daemon, warm smile diffusing over her pale features. "Well hello there," she enthused gently, disentangling one hand from the baby girl nestled in her arms to hold out to the tiny bear. Frozen, beady eyes narrowing, hopped quickly into the outstretched palm, chest puffed out in an attempt to look dominant. The daemon really wasn't fond of others getting near his family! Imamculate just looked like she wanted to play and walked up to where Frozen was puffed and sat back on her hind paws, waving her front ones at him and yipping.
"Hear that noise? We're close..." Halo wandered down another aisle, looking for any sign of the daemon. Otium just continued to gum his coin.Seeing this as a sign of attack, Frozen's screech of dismay reverberated about Eydis' mind, and she held out two chubby hands for the daemon to retreat to, a golden locket glittering in one. Naita, meanwhile, giggling like a child at this display, attempted to pat the little white bear, admiring her plae fur. She looked to have a similar origin to Frozen, that of an icy land, like her tiny Eydis. Halo peeked around the corner, "Ah there you are.. oh.." Other people. A baby and another animal. "Hi.." She smiled a bit at them. 'Sorry is she bothering you?" Immaculate looked back at Halo and climbed up her pantleg and then arm to flop over her shoulder. Otium reached a hand up to pat at his daemon's head. "She's a fiesty one..."Warm smile extended now to the other woman, Naita shook her head, reaching out the free arm she now had to the other. "No indeed, she was entertaining us." Frozen, at this comment, hopped crossly, face contorted. She was bothering him! She was bothering him greatly, attacking him and his mistress. "I'm Halo.." She took naita's hand and shook it firmly. Halo was probably manlier than her lover, Wren. "This is Otium and Immaculate.." Otium looked at her when his name was said and smiled a tiny silent smile. Halo adjusted him so she could sit on the floor. She seated the little boy in her lap and Immaculate polopped down in his lap in turn. His overly large hat dropped down over his eyes and he pushed it back up with his hand. "He refuses to take that hat off.." His mother chuckled. "A pleasure, Halo. I am Naita, this is Eydis," so saying, she gestured to the tiny girl, "and this little grouch is Frozen." The last was said with a chuckle, and a quick pat of Frozen's soft feathers. Eydis, eyes turned to the other infant, gazed upon him with silent query, half intrigued and half frightened. The daemon's mind was not so confused, however. He looked upon all three with extreme distrust. No one new was ever good! Otium patted his daemon's head stiffly and gummed his shiny bright gold coin. it contrasted strongly with his complete lack of color.
Immaculate looked up at Otium and licked his hand lightly and wagged her long tail before looking back at Eydis and Frozen and yipping again.Though unable to hear his chirrups of protest, Naita knew from experience that the avian daemon would not deal well with these new characters, and stroking him gently, turned back to Halo. "How old is your little one?" she asked politely, fearful of giving offence. Eydis, flanked by the now somewhat stressed Frozen, stretched one hand towards the large hat perched upon Otium's head, intrigued by it's size. The hat slid forward and Otium just sat there and watched Eydis. He gave her a silent small smile and did nothing but chew on his gold coin.
"I just got him last night.. if got is the right word.." She scratched her head. "All of this is really.. odd.""Ah, I know that feeling. Confusion reigned supreme over my mind for a while after I was gifted with Eydis. But I believe she is adapting well to me, and I to her." Accompanying this speech with a smile and a pat of the infant's head, Naita nodded at the other. Noticing, at length, the gold sheen of the object in Otium's mouth, Eydis turned her icy gaze to the locket in her hand, the same shade. "Well Wren, my husband, has had Mael for a while as well.. about a month I think. They've adjusted well.. I'm still in shock a bit." Otium looked at Eydis under the brim of his hat and frowned, tightening his hand n his coin. Ohh little possessive of his money. He looked at her locket and then his frown dissolved back to his nuetral smile again."Ah, I believe I have met that pair, your husband was blessed with Mael at the same time as myself with Eydis." A twinge of recognition breaking through this statment, Naita smiled at the recollection of the little snake-like boy. Eydis, a little worried by this change of expression, returned to huddling against the material of her guardian's dress, daemon almost squashed in her embrace. She continued to watch him, but from beneath the shade of her eyelids now. Halo looked at the little girl, "She's beautiful.. Mael was the only I had seen before Otium.. I thought he was lying a bit, to be honest, when he came home with a baby." Halo chuckled and then glanced at Otium. "Are you being nice?" The boy glanced up with his wide eyes and blinked and gave an innocent little smile. Chuckling at this reference, Naita once more patted Eydis' soft hair. "Thank you, Otium is quite lovely, as well." Eydis, eyes half shut, watched as the other infant contorted his smile to suit his needs, distrust creeping back into her veins. She did not like his seeming ease of transformation. Of course if anything, he was not one to distrust.. he was just possessive of his little coin. Otium looked back at Eydis and registered her look at him. His brow furrowed a bit and he continued to gnaw the gold. HIs hat tipped over his eyes and Halo had to once again adjust it. Immaculate swished her tail and yipped at Frozen.Clutching her own golden trinket, Eydis stared passively at the other infant, and his daemon. She liked his hat, but of him she harboured doubts, as was usual when she met another. Frozen, ruffling a Immaculate's attempt to garner his attention, burrowed himself into Eydis' chubby chin. How was he meant to protect his mistress when everything that threatened her seemed to be bigger than him? Otium tugged his own tie with his hand. "This little guy is odd.. he refuses to take of his hat or tie.. I guess he likes to be dressed up. And anything I put on him turns black and white."
Immaculate stepped forward and nuzzled the swaddling clothes of Eydis."Perhaps he is meant to be swathed in only greyscale? My own Eydis has skin that never warms, somehow I think these children do not conform to normal rules." This seemed most likely, after all, most children were not born from books. Eyes opening slightly to take in the daemon, Eydis hesitantly stretched one hand towards her, intrigued. Immaculate nuzzled her fuzzy head against the outstretched hand. Otium was watching Frozen for any sign that the bird would attack his daemon.
"No.. probably not. I wonder what sort of madness they will bring us in the future.." "I almost hope Eydis stays this innocent forever, in truth." So saying, Naita smiled wryly, eyes fixed on her tiny ward in her purest state. Eydis, meanwhile, was thrilling in the softness of Immaculate's fur, running her tiny fingers through it with glee. Frozen, huffing on Eydis' other hand, kept his eyes grumpily on the other daemon, there was no telling what it might do! Immaculate just sat there and was content to be petted. Her tail tail swished back and forth in Otium's lap and he was putting his hand out to catch it.. and missing as it brushed over his chubby fingers.Continuing to pet the white daemon, Eydis at last broke a smile, pale eyes glittering and a soft coo escaping her mouth. Seemingly even more put out by this, his mistress' enjoyment at the hands of another daemon, Frozen glared not only at Immaculate, but straight at Otium. Otium gave Frozen a small smile and waved his hand at it. He'd pet it.. Frozen looked fuzzy too! Interpreting this as a threat, as he did most things, Frozen's shriek of fear catapulted through the mind of Eydis, as the little daemon went into retreat, scurrying to nestle himself in a patch of Naita's ebony hair. Otium's brow furrowed and his lip bobbed a bit. Halo looked down at him as he seemed upseat. "Oh no.. No crying.. shhhhh..." Peeking out from beneath the black perfumed waves, scented of vanilla, Frozen eyed the infant as his face began to contort. What fresh assault was this? Eydis' attention was likewise caught. Despite her distrust, the little girl did not like tears, and held out her hand to him, golden trinket glinting in the dim light. Otium looked at his mother and then the gold caught his eye and his lip stopped wibbling. His brow was still furrowed. He stared at the gold trinket for a while, watching it, before his face softened and he held out his own coin and waved it back at her a little.Smile beginning to play at the corners of her mouth, Eydis' hand waggled a bit, showing off the oval locket, it's engraving, and it's delicate chain. She was proud of it, her little trinket delivered by Frozen. "That's a pretty necklace.." Halo smiled at Eydis. "Otium has a coin.. I don't know how he got it from me.. but he has it." She chuckled as he smiled still and waved it. His chubby hand went up into his hat, tipping it to the side, and he pulled another coin out. "..ok.. and where he got that one." Naita, upon Halo's comments, looked down at the locket, courtier's smile replacing her former warmth. "It was a gift to myself, which I gave to Frozen during one of his searches for baubles for Eydis." Eyeing Otium's seeming magic at pulling gold from his hat, Eydis gazed with some awe at his hand. She couldn't do that trick. He waved both coins and then nibbled on the one he had been nibbling all morning. he watched her a minute and, like he was having some inner struggle, he slowly reached out and offered her his second coin.Hesitantly reaching for the trinket, Eydis performed a sort of clumsy exchange, locket for coin. Raising the coin to her mouth, she gummed it thoughtfully, before holding it against her eye, resting it on the lid. Otium looked at the locket, it swung from the chain and he seemed to registering something mentally, like he was catalogging it, before he offered it back to her and sat it on her swadling clothes. He was giving her his second coin as a gift.. but he wasn't taking her locket from her.Feeling the return of the locket, Eydis retrieved the coin from her eye and held it back to him, questioning. Frozen, though quiet fro the moment, watched this scene with great care from beneath the locks of hair. He was still Eydis' protector, just... a hidden protector. Otium just smiled and chewed on his own coin and waved his hand a little. Halo chuckled, "Looks like you got a gift, m'dear.." Slowly winding her chubby arm back in, Eydis' face broke into a wide smile as she looked at the coin. She liked it, it reminded her of her other treasure, the locket. "I think that's a thank you," Naita angled to Halo and Otium, chuckling. "She must be lucky.. he has cried everytime I tried that one coin out of his hand.. I really don't know where he got another.." Halo shook her head in wonder. Immaculate crawled up onto Otium's lap and curled up. He petted his bear happily.Giving Eydis a quick pet on the head, Naita smiled at the pair "I believe that will be another of her treasures, she's hadn't let go of the locket for a good day." Eydis, still entranced by the coin, had begun making the noises only a happy infant is capable of, before being scooped up by Naita's sturdy embrace. "We'd best be off, before my maid goes half-mad over a christening dress for Eydis, but it was a pleasure to meet you Halo. And you, little Otium. I am sure we shall be seeing you around!" On this note the young woman swept back to her feet, headed for the door of the library. "Good bye!" 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 4:00 pm
A new player enters the manor, part one.
It was early morning when the chaos began, the sky a mass of pastels, the clouds blotting a rosy hue on the abyss. The dew was barely lain when a figure could be seen approaching the manor, withered form belying great strength of mind and speed. This tiny woman looked over the great house, red bricks bathed in the soft light. This was the place of the first chosen, she could feel it.
Inside, the usual morning bustle was underway. Riife was laying the table for the women of the house, one eye trained on a new kitchenmaid as she polished the silver. He did not trust other's with his mistress' wares, and little knew the feelings his attention brought to the bosom of Elsa, who, in turn, little knew what to make of them.
While this passed downstairs, upstairs Naita, Linaia, and little Eydis all slept soundly, their heads filled with dancing images, varying depending on the dreamer, but lie assured that both Linaia's and Naita's would be strictly forbidden.
Returning to the exterior, the first figure we came across was now approaching the great wooden doors, bronze knocker lying dormant on ancient hinges in the centre. Reaching for this with one tiny, pale hand, the woman knocked three times, and awaited answer from those that dwelled inside.
Though her hand had moved only slowly, the sound echoed about the place eerily, awaking Naita from even her deepest slumber, and filling her with curiosity. Never before had such a noise been made in her home.
Below, Riife, anxious to cease the noise before his mistresses could complain, hurried to the door, candlestick still gripped in his hands.
As he pulled open the great oak doors, hastily depositing his baggage on a small table, the servant eyed the wizened figure stood before him, her dress thinly woven and draped with unpretentious fashion, lightly covered by a cape that shone silver.
Wiralu, this selfsame woman, eyed the little man curiously, before opening her mouth to speak. "I seek the first chosen, this Naita," she stated simply, grey eyes burning with a flame of determination none could turn away, none could resist. She had magic in her veins, in her looks, and in her moods, though it was little sensed.
To this gaze the servant faltered, knowing his mistress to be asleep, but fearing the repurcussions of turning such a woman away. And how she spoke of Lady Naita, it bordered on the like of things she had been doing of late, adopting children and dabbling with those whose earthly forms were unfamiliar to his eyes.
While he wavered on this point, Naita was, unbeknownst to him, standing atop the great staircase, white nightgown draping her form, covered lightly by a glittering shawl. Watching the old woman converse with her servant, she descended slowly, eyes never moving from Wiralu, or what little glimpse she could make out around Riife's back.
Speaking at last, the young woman addressed the servant, though her eyes remained trained on the stranger. "Riife," she queried, "why do you not let our visitor in?"
The man, unaware of his mistress' presence until this point, quickly turned to survey her sleep-dishevelled form, before opening the door wider and waving the ancient woman in. Rather ashamed to have needed such prompting, he then made a hurried bow, shut the door, picked up his candlestick, and retired to the dining room to continue his work.
By the time Riife had hurried away, Naita was sat on a plush couch, showing Wiralu to it's twin. The old woman declined this offer, and instead stood rigidly before the tired maiden, taking her hand after a terse moment of silence.
With the appendage thus gripped, she turned it over to gaze at the palm, and began her speech.
"My child, you are a chosen. The fates, and the heavenly mother, have decided that you are to see over a child of immense power, a deity residing in her soul, her mind, in every inch of her being. This child is the first of many Theos, summoners, of whose coming has long been told.
We have not the resources to educate a god, nor a child so blessed. Thus we need you, you and many others whom you will know by sight, for their souls bear the mark of the gods." This was spoken clearly, but to Naita it passed like the tide upon a beach.
"Ah, you still do not understand? Understandable, understandable," the woman recited, almost in song. "You are to take care of the first, my granddaughter. In her lies the spirit of an ancient god, who will take control of parts of her mind as she grows. I leave to you her education, her care. Any more you will know in time."
End of part one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:05 pm
A new player enters the manor, part two.
As Naita, now fully dressed, and Wiralu left the manor, leaving Eydis in the able care of Linaia and Aelus, the pair travelled silently down the gravel path, descending the small hill the residence sat upon.
They had not yet been able to broach the seeming lock on any conversation, the young woman almost awe-struck by her visitor, and the elder seeming to simply have little time to start a round of pointless small talk.
The direction they moved in was not one Naita frequented, leading away from her little town, towards the great forests that lay behind the expanse of property that comprised her father's estate in this county. This forest had not been traversed to her knowledge, nor what lay beyond. She had never before questioned what may lie there, but this strange little woman, and this odd introduction brought crashing into her consciousness the great possibilities that may dwell in the foliage.
Gods? Children? Summoning? As if caring for a child born of a book wasn't confusing enough. Perhaps, as her companion had stated, the rest would unfold in time, but for now, confusion, thorough confusion reigned supreme on the young woman's pale brow.
Breaking the silence at last with a gentle humming, the elder of the pair, Wiralu, increased her already surprising speed, forcing Naita's pace to increase greatly. The old woman seemed amused by the panting youth at her side, though her polite veneer would not let this mirth spill too far from the cup.
They were headed for her home, the home of her people, those that elected her their leader. There lay a young girl of Wiralu's flesh and blood, but no longer able to be cared for by her family, for her burden was far too great for even a tribe such as the Luna to nourish. No, this strange young woman whose customs so differed from their own had been elected by the great mother and her fingers of fate, to hold the key to Ceiba's future.
A knotted tree, reaching towards the heavens with it's bare, gnarled, branches marked the end of the Siri's estate, they were now on land that knew no owner, simply the wind, rain, and sunshine that bid it grow.
Here Naita faltered, unsure of such unfamiliar territory. She left the estate often enough, but never in this direction. The forest was ancient, far older than even her lineage, and this, she was assured, was high as possible without being royal. Still, something seemed to be ahead, a structure of some sort.
Wiralu, pressing on as speedily as ever, continued up the slope that led to the structure clouding the young woman's gaze, glancing over her shoulder but once at the lady.
With this hint, Naita sped to meet her, eyes still trained on the shadow forming against the morning glare. It was coming into focus now, a wooden hall, gothic looking, well built. Whatever purpose it served, it gave the impression of serving it well.
"It marks the gateway," the old woman remarked, watching her companion gaze upon the building. "Behind it is where we are headed, though you are to use this hall, so furnish it well, my child."
End of part two.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 12:52 pm
Baby Growth Quest ---
It is obvious that Eydis, in the daytime, is more fatigued than a regular baby should be. In actuality, a lot more of her activity is noticable in the night hours; to anyone who pays attention to such clues, anyway.
Over the period of at least a week, Eydis will experience night terrors. There is no way of knowing what she is dreaming about - only she will know what is haunting here when she does manage to sleep. These terrors will be something she will grow out of.
Until then, describe baby Eydis' terrors vividly as the dreams would occur. She will grow out of these disturbances as soon as she develops into an infant. In other words, there's nothing to help release her from these other than to let them play out and die off. She will age after they cease.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 4:22 pm
A new player enters the manor, part three.
Naita shivered, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. The shadow of a gothic hall loomed behind her, and ahead was a yet more foreboding sight- a dense forest, the darkness of which seemed to encroach further towards her with each passing moment.
She had been wandering the half-hidden path behind Wiralu for around fifteen minutes, and though still on the straight, and able to see that which fell behind her, the sense of fear that this unknown land pierced in her refused to leave. The trees loomed high above her head, their massive foliage inhabited by any number of unfamiliar beasts, and every so often a bird would swoop between the leaves, making Naita jump.
As the young woman's confidence failed, the elder of the pair continued ambling along in her usual way, fast, yet measured. Wiralu's mind had long since ceased to race with that youthful awe that seemed to oppress any of the younger generations that entered this ancient passageway. It was beautiful, and the sense still captured her, but it no longer captivated every sense with both fear and admiration, though as a girl she had spent many an hour simply staring at the trees around her village.
They grew close now, for the hall was out of sight, and the birdsong grew hushed. There appeared a bend in the trail ahead, and as Naita peered at it, the little old woman popped out of sight behind it, causing the younger of the pair to jog to regain sight of the only object in this place with some element of familiarity. As she rounded the curve, it seemed the feet were knocked out from under her, her breath caught in her throat. Rising high above her gaze was a black obelisk, dull material greeting her in the morning light.
"Come, child," came the soft voice of Wiralu, standing to one side of the great pole. "Here lie two paths, that of the father, and that of the mother. Every chosen will make the choice in their own heart which path they wish to walk, long before a child chooses them. You, dear girl, chose my own path, that of the divine mother."
This was rather lost on Naita, awe-struck as she was simply by the forest and obelisk, but as Wiralu turned and headed down one of the forked paths, she shrugged, and followed the old woman.
Children's laughter was the first sound to trickle into the eardrums of the lady, clear like a bell through the dappled light of the foliage. Perhaps one of them was the child Wiralu had been referring to earlier, perhaps not, but the sound was reassuring, promising company. The track was much like that leading to the obelisk, but narrower, with more light, for some inexplicable reason, as the trees were just as dense.
Before long, two white gateposts marked their destination, the carvings upon them depicting all manner of activity, each one unfamiliar to the eyes of the aristocratic Naita, but enchanting some ancient sensibility in her heart. Wiralu had halted at the marking posts, soft smile alighting on her features.
"Welcome to the Luna village, child."
Gazing around with child-like amazement, the young woman took in each aspect of the village, from the houses high above her on stilts of wood, to the crystalline pool that sat at the centre of all the action, a great altar suspended above the waters. This was a village quite unlike the little town that thrived under the watchful eyes of her family's management. It seemed... simpler, but had not that feeling of toil, it felt happy, which was almost unnatural for a former courtier to imagine of villagers that worked all day in the harsh sun.
"This way," came the voice of Wiralu, interrupting Naita's train of thought and bringing her back to reality. The old woman began her steady pace towards a house raised higher than any other, and around her a crowd of children seemed to swell, giggling and chattering. The youngsters were welcoming back their grand mistress, the genuine pleasure they felt at her renewed presence evident in their tiny faces.
To the aforementioned house she continued however, after brushing a few of the bobbing heads.
"My granddaughter awaits us," she spoke quietly to Naita, a hint of regret peppering her usually steady tone.
Climbing the steps into the raised house, Wiralu turned at the top to indicate for Naita to follow, with a wave of her hand. Hesitantly, the young woman raised her skirts and began the climb, not sure about the point of raising houses so high. It seemed rather pointless, and would spoil her lovely gown!
Nonetheless, upon reaching the pinnacle of the wooden ladder, the lady had to admit the house was more cause for spectacle than she had expected. The floor was lined with soft fur, the walls laden with carving similar to the gateposts. It was, in short, a beautiful little place, and in the corner sat a little girl, teardrops frozen on her pale cheeks.
A fleeting gaze passed between Wiralu and Naita, the intent clear. This was the child Naita was to raise, this the girl Wiralu was forced to give up by the will of the gods.
"Her name is Ceiba," the old woman whispered, before waving her companion forward, towards the child.
Hearing her grandmother's voice, the girl raised her watery gaze to the lady before her, great folds of a gown enveloping her body, and tumbling black hair setting off her ivory skin. A pretty thing, but so new, so frightfully new to the girl.
"Ceiba?" echoed Naita, before reaching a hand towards the child. "I am Naita, I am to care for you, I believe."
Hardly an eloquent introduction, but as she looked down at the shy little girl, polite smile frozen on her lips, Naita returned the smile warmly.
"We shall become friends in time, I swear."
End of part three!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2004 5:00 pm
A drowned baby, and the terror begins. (Quest time, yoh!)
The river bed claims few victims to it's crystalline depths, but those unfortunate enough to succumb to it's lure rarely survive their dance with the water sprites. Such a victim made her ballet with the reaper on the 22nd day of the eleventh month, but a babe as the water chilled her limbs. And so the story of Breena begins.
Naita, suspicious of the joyous nature of her half-sister of late, escaped the confines of the manor, to trace the outskirts of her tiny village. There was a river that ran along the eastern side, and to this point of interest did she turn her feet, keen to bask in the cool ripples.
The way to the water was a quiet track, cutting away from the workshops of the little town, to move into the shelter of a little copse, the pines and oaks sheltering any to pass by. It was practically impossible in this place to notice another until they stood before you at an arm's length.
Humming lightly under her breath, Naita continued on the trail, eyes cast down to the sleeping babe in her arms. Eydis' was napping more of late, rather than less, as happened with most infants as they grew, but the peaceful slumber of the little girl was too irresistable to interrupt, even to see the beautiful sights of her new home.
The other girl in Naita's care, Ceiba, walked alongside, one hand wound tightly around a golden bag that dropped from Naita's shoulder, setting off the emerald of her gown to a tee. The Theos child had scarcely dared move beyond either the manor or the two HQ's of the Forgotten Documents and Theos hall, so to be in this strange place struck fear into her young heart.
The sound of water was growing strong in the ears of the trio as the shadows encircling them grew infinitely darker for a moment, perhaps only a consequence of the sun ducking behind a cloud, but disconcerting nonetheless. The change in light, indeed, sent Ceiba deeper into the skirts of her guardian, the soft folds always a comforting influence.
Eydis, on the other hand, barely moved, though the sweet waves of slumber had ceased moments before. Her blue gaze flickered over the face of the young woman carrying her, and one chubby hand was raised to grab a strand of raven hair that fell over Naita's shoulder.
Smiling down at both her charges warmly, Naita continued down the track, determined to show the girls the beautiful river that ran by her home, their home.
A break in the trees directly ahead revealed the first glimpse of the water, slow-moving and peaceful, trickling gently over the stones in the shallower areas. In the deeper parts, the current was gentle, and reeds grew at the banks on either end. However, something black could be seen ebbing and weaving fluidly with the water, something new.
Eyeing this strange addition to the flow, Naita's suspicions were immediately raised. Placing the blue-skinned babe in the arms of the shivering Ceiba, she kissed each on the forehead, and moved towards the cool waters with care.
As the Theos girl seated herself in the lush grass, Eydis wrapped carefully in her arms, Ceiba's mind raced with the possible dangers of this place. So many shadows, such deep water, it was not safe for her new family, not at all.
The thought led to a tighter grip on the infant, and even Eydis' unfretting disposition could not stand for the vice-like arms. Letting out a tiny whimper, the baby cast her eyes towards her adoptive mother, now almost at the water's edge.
In the water the silent movement continued, ebony tendrils bobbing with the water's unceasing flow. Their source lay below, on the river bed where no movement disturbed it's inhabitants, no sound pierced their ears. Here lay a tiny body, not long since deposited, but long enough to no longer crave the sweet air in it's lungs.
Green gown tucking between the reeds, Naita peered into the clear water, eyes adjusting to the lens-like effect of the liquid. Indeed, she saw the black strands of before, and caught now from whence they strayed. On the mud lay an infant, ragged dress covering her pale form, skin white as snow. Her eyes were open, staring, and dark.
With a quiet cry, the woman waded into the depths, caring little for her expensive dress for what was perhaps the first time. Finery mattered little to death.
Reaching down into the liquid, Naita pulled the limp child into her arms, cradling her as the great waves of sodden hair fell against the now soaked sleeves of the woman's dress.
Back on shore, Ceiba watched the activity with a vacant look, consciousness breaking away for a somewhat more mysterious presence. Her grip on Eydis had loosened, and the baby's face was for once a mask of fear and darkness. The aura of death was spreading from the child in Naita's arms, and both her wards could feel it, distrust it, dislike it.
There seemed little time for protest, though, as the young lady made her way out of the water, petticoats falling sadly against her legs as the water sloshed through them. Making her sad, wet path back to the pair, Naita sat before them, drowned babe still cradled, but eyes closed by the woman, giving her a look that floated somewhere between sleep and eternal slumber.
"She's not dead, you know. Not really, not forever," Ceiba chorused, barely over a whisper, and in that same melodic tone her grandmother was known to adopt. "She will awaken, though she will never truly live, just as she is not truly dead."
Astonished, but trusting of the little possessed girl's abilities, Naita nodded numbly. She would take the drowned girl to Wiralu, the old woman knew better than any the ways of the world. She would know.
And so the trio scurried away from what was to have been such a happy outing. One feared for the lost life of an infant, one distrusted the supposed loss of life, and Eydis alone left the place with a heart pierced to the core with fear. The pale babe's face would not leace her mind's eye, that stare constantly directed at her, watching.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 9:43 pm
Pavor Nocturnus. [quest]
Yawning deeply, Naita tucked the unusually active Eydis under the blankets of her cot, kissing the tot lovingly on the forehead.
"I don't understand you, darling," the woman whispered, "you yawn up a storm, and now you want to stay and play with Aelus? Sleep, my love, and play on the morrow."
With this, the woman blew out the candle that lay on a table beside the babe's bed. Before leaving the room, however, Naita ran a hand across the face of the new entrant to the room- the drowned babe from almost a week before. Upon Wiralu's insistence that the child's spirit had never left, Lady Siri had bought a cot for her, and named the pale thing Breena. She took Breena out with her, on the offchance she awoke, and lay her to bed each night, as if she lived already.
"Good night, my darlings," Naita called as she left the room.
Laying still, Eydis shivered in the darkness. That thing was with her. That thing that had no reason to be there, that thing that had stared at her like she did not exist, that thing that Frozen would not even inspect. Indeed, the little Daemon feared Breena more than his charge, and not even for love of Eydis, and to protect her, would he go near the silent, still babe.
Nothing seemed to allow Eydis to avoid the thing. She was taken out with them, always sat in her guardian's lap, corrupting the woman with her dead eyes. Not even refusing to sleep would work, for she held no control over where she went, and the waves of slumber would always wash over her, soft and unavoidable...
The infant's eyes slid closed, her thought patterns petered off, and sleep filled each limb, loosening their tense muscles. No protestations could cease sleep's hold on her, even with Breena in the room.
The time ticked by, ten minutes, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, the minutes slipped away. Then, as the fifty-eighth minute slid to a close, Eydis' eyes flew open. She could see it, those black eyes boring into her, burning at her, staring, always staring. The infant's mouth slid open, tongue pressed against the base of her mouth in an attempt to scream. Her vocal chords did not respond, no sound escaped.
The eyes would not shut, no pale and familiar hand rose to slip them closed, they simply continued to bore into Eydis' skull. The unmoving face seemed a glass over the world, for the nursery was evident to Eydis' half-walking gaze.
At last, the stare wore away, but in quick succession more terrible shapes filled the room, and the tiny child's body snapped to and fro, legs kicking out at them.
The floor seemed now to move, writhing with the movement of thousands of tiny shapes, pulsating and growing, the waves rising, rising towards her. Even the feeling of Frozen's feathered body next to her head could calm the child as these visions passed before her, for the room itself was turning on the babe.
The waves continued to rise, shapeless and yet familiar, singular forms beginning to raise from the mass. Insects, worms, every base creature moved towards her, hungry. She was their prey now, their food, and they hungered, she could feel their need, and their call. And again that stare pierced her mind, coming now from a phsical source, the cot across the way. Above the insects in their squirming multitude rose Breena, dead stare watching triumphantly as her minions came for her room mate.
Eydis was the dead one now, Breena live, and her pets were to consume the competition.
Closer, closer, every second the maggots and their brethren came closer, spilling through the bars of the cot now, as finally a blood-curdling scream escaped Eydis' mouth, and the room went black.
And as the infant slipped back into her slumber, her Daemon sprang to his feet, awakened by the noise, and determined to protect.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 6:40 pm
A new moon awakes the dead. [quest]
Outside the window the sky was smeared with orange as the sun made it's last gaze over the land, ducking lazily behind snow-tipped peaks. Soon night would set in, inky black and bejewelled.
Out on this scene Naita turned her eyes, sleeping babe at her breast as she tipped to and fro on the old rocking chair, floorboards creaking in a tired rhythm. After hearing the child's pained scream pierce the silence the previous night, the woman had determined to see little Eydis to sleep, before laying her in the cot this night.
On the lady's shoulder hopped Eydis' companion, the avian daemon, Frozen, determined to keep his unsleeping guard over the infant as she slumbered, allowing no harm to come to his tiny mistress.
Standing and making her way to the aged crib, Naita lay Eydis in it's soft blankets, carressing the babe's cold skin with a single finger.
"Sweet dreams, my darling," the woman whispered, before planting a kiss on the child's forehead and blowing out the flame beside her bed.
Repeating the sequence of the previous night, turning her attention on Breena before leaving, Lady Siri then tiptoed out, retreating to her own quarters.
Through the window the scene changed, all light petering out quickly and darkness spreading over the countryside. Ere long, the stars began clamouring for space, each pin-p***k glistening and glinting in mad attempt to steal the eye from any other.
And then came time for the crowning glory- the moon's rising. But no orb graced the skies in it's pale beauty. A new cycle had begun, a full seven days from the day by the river, darkness stole the attention from even the brightest star.
Lo, in the familiar cradle Eydis stirred, mind ablaze with image, that dead stare piercing her mind's eye once more. Again her mouth stood frozen in a silent scream, but tonight something had changed, for Frozen, instead of lying, asleep, beside her, the tiny avian hopped about her head in confused fury. Something troubled his mistress, something ached in her mind, but he could see no foe against which to defend her.
But across the way, the foe awoke.
In the other crib, a twin of Eydis' own bed, Breena's eyelids fluttered, the moonless sky perfectly visible from her placement. It was as if they darkness shone upon her, calling her back from whence she had lurked, and it was too irresistable a call for the pale child to ignore.
As if in slow motion, the babe's muscles tensed, relaxed, and tensed once more, chubby fingers rolling against her palm. Life, it seemed, could return to the cold body of this infant.
Back in the first crib, the blue-tinted infant's body lay frozen now, paralasys ceasing any movement in her muscles, and only her mind raced on, the carpet of insects writhing once more towards her, the mass undulating and forming singular beings, maggots, worms, every disgusting thing wishing to eat at her flesh. They were rising faster now than the previous night, the insects larger, hungrier.
That stare always seemed so constant in Eydis' mind, always present behind the hoards of base creatures, and tonight the stare had escaped her conscience. In the twin cot, two dark eyes shone gloatingly upon the terrified Forgotten girl, their pleasure evident. Breena's hunger for pain was being brilliantly satisfied by the terror of the other.
The psyche of the scared babe raced on, maggots spilling now into her cot, squirming and crawling towards her frozen feet, grey forms slithering with terrifying speed towards her toes. And from the darkness came the unseen presence of something larger, lurking in the shadows, waiting for it's moment, the moment to sink it's teeth into her waiting flesh...
Again, it ended with a scream, echoed by her room mate and complimented by a shrill screech from the surprised daemon, now huddled in one of Eydis' chubby outstretched hands.
It seemed Naita would have to deal with two wailing girls on this night of fear.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:54 pm
Linaia's note. (Not interrupting quest proceedings, I promise! xD)Awaking from her fitful night of sleep following Breena's awakening and Eydis' screams, Naita rolled out of bed, clothed in only a night-dress.
Eyeing the wooden table across the room that held her mirror, the woman groggily noticed that it looked different, and pondered for a moment what had changed, before noticing the carefully placed letter.
Padding silently over to retrieve it, and ripping through the family seal, Naita read the enclosed letter with a building dread.
Quote: My dearest sister, I am sorry to tell you in such a way, but necessity bids this hasty departure. Aelus and I are gone to be married, somewhere where Father and his wife will not find us until the deed is done. I regret not telling you, Naita, but with your mother's upcoming childbirth, I feared rushed communication could ruin all. We will return, my sister, and soon. Until then, be well, and send us all the love you may spare from your wards. Yours ever, Linaia Friyald Siri.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2004 10:03 pm
Two babes and a dinosaur, an RP with Halo.Quote: TarnishedHeylo: Halo sat on the play rug in the back of the library with Otium. The little boy had been in a sour mood in the morning and it seemed like he was chewing on things more often than usual and she had the suspicion that the boy was teething. She'd taken him out shopping to get a teething ring and he'd insisted on the bright gold colored round one. Her little boy did have an obsession with coins! New she was sitting there with Otium sitting in between her spread legs. He was leaning back against his mother's stomach and she had her chin resting on top of his high hat. "Airplane! Phwooooom!" She had tried toy plane initially but it got little response. Now she was using a dollar bill folded into an airplane shape and was making it fly back and forth in front of him. He smiled widely, occaisionally letitng out a tiny and soft giggle as he tried to grab for it. Naita: Arms curled around a napping Eydis, Naita made her way quietly down to the library doors, fearful of waking the child. The infant had been waking her most nights with her screams, and as a result neither were entirely compus mentus. Unwinding one hand from the swaddled babe, she grabbed the door handle and entered the old room, the scent of must entering her nostrils. "Well my love, it should certainly be quiet," she whispered to the child, warm smile playing at the edges of her mouth. TarnishedHeylo: Immaculate's ears twitched and she got up from gnawing on a building block to trot off down the library towards the front doors. Otium watched the bear a bit before he went back to swiping at the dollar-plane. Naita: Idling towards the rows of volumes, bindings greeting her in every colour and stage of disrepair, Naita eyed the ancient books, musing over who would next join their small band of children. At her shoulder Frozen stood guard, a veritable bundle of nerves due to Eydis' late-night terror, fearing for his own, and his mistress' well being at every step. TarnishedHeylo: Immaculate came peeking aorund a corner with a twitching nose. She spotted Naita, and recognizing her, Eydis, and Frozen, she came bounding over with a yip of excitement. Naita: Small heart skipping a beat, Frozen quickly ducked into his safe spot in Naita's great waves of hair at the sound of the yip from Immaculate. Why must all the other daemons be so... predatory? Naita, however, smiled broadly at the little bear, crouching down and reaching a hand out to the creature. "Hello there," she called, "where are your family?" She remembered the bear as belonging to Halo's ward, the monochromatic boy named Otium, the boy to give out a coin to her charge. TarnishedHeylo: Immaculate pressed her head up to Naita's hand and swished her tail. it must be that cat-like part of her. She tilted her head to the question and rose up on her hind legs, waving her front paws in the air breifly before plopping back down and weaving back through the book cases to return to Otium's side. RhubarbDumpling: "I'll take that as a hint," the woman giggled, before setting off after the daemon, muslin gown swishing against her ankles with each step, great blue waves erupting over her feet. In her arms the babe stirred, yawning deeply and balling her tiny fists. TarnishedHeylo: Otium looked away from the money-airplane as Immaculate skidded around the corner and stumbled over her own feet when the floor changed from wood to the play rug. She tumbled a bit, head over heels, into a pile of blocks. Halo looked up and laughed at the small daemon. "Poor girl.." Otium seemed to smile a bit too. RhubarbDumpling: Pulling into view of the others soon after Immaculate's somewhat less than graceful entrance, Naita smiled at the daemon's position amongst the blocks. "Well, enthusiasm was never a painless sport," the woman giggled, before nodding at the fimiliar face of Halo. "Good day, you two," she called. TarnishedHeylo: "Hey guys.." Halo's hand sagged and at the opportunity, Otium grabbed the dollar in her hand and yanked it free. He looked at it before smiling big, toothlessly, and waving it triumphantly in the air. RhubarbDumpling: "Ah, a banker in the making, I see" Naita smiled at this jest, before stepping forward with one hand out by way of greeting. Resting against the other arm somewhat awkwardly, Eydis cast her pale gaze down from her swaddling cloths, to the other infant playing. Spotting Eydis' glance, Naita grinned at the other adult. "Mind if we join you?" TarnishedHeylo: Halo took the offered hand before pulling back to rescue Otium's hat which was sliding over his eyes. "Heh..have a seat! Otium's in a much better mood than this morning. I think he's teething." On cue he tried to shove the dollar in his mouth. "No no! Not the paper money!" She scrambled to stop him. RhubarbDumpling: Brow quirked at the sudden scramble, Naita took this opportunity to seat herself on the floor, resting Eydis in the pools of muslin caused by this action, and loosening her wrapping. "Teething would be a relief at present, I think," she sighed, "something is making Eydis scream bloody murder at night. She quite literally woke the dead." TarnishedHeylo: "Nightmares?" Halo frowned. "That's not good. I suppose you have no idea why either? These children are odd things." Otium didn't like not being able to eat the dollar but he did stuff it up into his hat where it disappeared. He then looked over at Eydis and waved his hand at her clumsily. RhubarbDumpling: "I'm not sure that they are nightmares, though. There's something very odd about it all, and I have no idea what to do." So saying, the woman kissed the white hair of the babe affectionately, before releasing her fully from the cloths. Eydis, free to roam, banged one chubby hand on the floor in response to Otium's greeting, and let out a series of quiet, garbled noises. Well, she certainly made sense to herself. TarnishedHeylo: Otium picked up a block in his hands and showed her, bobbing his arms and tossing it a little ways to thump on the carpet. "What's odd? Do you think she'll grow out of it?" RhubarbDumpling: "It's just so... routine. Always at a similar point after she goes to bed, and she's always half-asleep by the time I get to her. It's too routine to be just a nightmare." Not to mention that with Breena now alive, dealing with two distraught babies was no picnic. "At this rate, I'm tempted to post one of the servants at her side throughout the night, to monitor her." Meanwhile, the babe of which Naita spoke eyed the block with great curiosity, reaching out one hand towards the movements. TarnishedHeylo: "Odd... Does it wake you? I mean I'm sure you have a baby monitor but its really terrible? Do you get sleep?" Halo was reluctant about sharing what she knew of Otium. Telling someone that your son saw dead people was so..... movie-cheesy. Otium slapped his palms on the carpet lightly before rocking forward until he was on his hands and ready to crawl. RhubarbDumpling: "My room is but a door from the nursery, and the combined screams of herself and Breena awake me in seconds. I would get sleep if it were Eydis alone, for she is quiet little thing, and tries to sleep again immediately, but Breena demands attention for hours more." This was true, though Breena received no comfort in the touch of others. She enjoyed the power of having the woman at her beck and call, even at such a tender age. Eyeing the boy's clumsy movements, Eydis slid forward a plaything for his attention, a shiny stone she had found in Naita's room, and had taken a liking to. TarnishedHeylo: Otium's eyes locked on the shiny. Oooo. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around it, lifting it to his face to stare at it for a moment. It looked like he was mentally registering it in his head. "Another baby? Oh dear. Luckily Otium and Mael are rather good with sleeping. In fact Otium hasn't woken me up in the night yet. I know Mael has gotten wren up a few times." RhubarbDumpling: "I'm lucky that I have Elsa, for she is like a wetnurse when I cannot take out all my three wards, and what with my sister running off, my household needs all the help it can get." This information was accompanied by a wry chuckle, to cover the hint of sadness Naita had never expected to feel at the absence of her overly-emotional half sister. Giggling softly at Otium's response to the stone, Eydis grinned her gummy smile. Her teeth, unlike his, had not yet made their presence felt in great bursts, though a few white tips were beginning to make their way through the pink. TarnishedHeylo: "Your sister ran off?" Well she didn't even know Naita had a sister.. but well it was something odd to hear that they ran off. Otium waved the stone but offered it back to her now that he had seen it. He didn't really take things like his brother tended to do. RhubarbDumpling: "Yes, ran off to marry in secret. Wanted to marry below her stature, no huge surprise." The hint of bitterness behind this was fairly obvious, but the result of many years of understanding. Like many siblings, Naita and Linaia had their issues. Gumming the returned stone happily, Eydis let out another round of garbled noise at the boy, obviously wanting to get something across. TarnishedHeylo: "Ahh.. hmm" She had never been someone with any sort of social obligation so all that was odd to her. "Were you two close?" Otium watched her gumming the stone and syaing whatever she was saying. He didn't get it. Immaculate was sniffing Naita's skirts though. I WONDER IF THERE WAS SOMETHING TO PLAY WITH UNDER THERE!? RhubarbDumpling: "We are what we are," Naita sighed, somewhat cryptically. Her relationship with Linaia was not one that was easily explained, for though they were as different as the sun and moon, each knew the other inside and out, and their circumstances often paralelled each other. Frozen, peeping out from Naita's curls, screeched at the sight of the other daemon so close to his family. He was, after all, their protector, though he acted more like a faulty car alarm. Continuing her babbling, Eydis gestured to a few toys, garbling away happily. TarnishedHeylo: Otium knew toys! He crawled slowly over, hat bobbing back and forth as he moved. He plopped on his butt to sit when he got close to a large pile and picked up a dinosaur, waving it. Immaculate looked up at the bird, swishing her tail. She then sniffed and snuffled under the top layer of cloth. "It's true. I have a brother but he travels with his job so I don't see him all that often. He's much older than me though. We always got along pretty well because of the age difference." RhubarbDumpling: "Linaia and myself are of a similar age, but our mothers were at different social ends, so I spent many years away from her at court, while she stayed at the manor." Hopping angrily down Naita's arm as Immaculate sniffed at his elder mistress, Frozen squawked in his own, rather high-pitched, way. Eydis, ignoring this noise for now, grinned at the toy, and began her slow, deliberate crawl towards it. TarnishedHeylo: Halo smiled a bit, "I never had a lot of social obligation like that. You and I seem to come from different worlds.." She chuckled. Immaculate's head was under the top edge of the skirt, tail swishing curiously and ignoring the paranoid bird. Otium held out the dinosaur and showed her. He hadn't seen her so active before and it was better than when she just laid there like a wad of cloth. RhubarbDumpling: "Indeed, not many seem to understand my social sensibilities in Gaia, but it is normal, when so many people meld together, I believe." Irritation rising, Frozen made the historic decision to approach the other, leaping from Naita's arm to her skirts, hopping and squawking angrily. Upon reaching Otium and the toy, Eydis reached for it with one chubby hand, wanting to feel the surface of it, for it seemed neither shiny nor flat, but odd. TarnishedHeylo: Immaculate's head lifted, skirt sliding off of the white fluffy fur. She looked Frozen in the face and blinked, ears flattening back a bit at the screeching. Immaculate's nose twitched while she sniffed for the brid's scent. Otium offered the toy to her. it was plastic and green and lumpy and interesting tot he touch. "gaia is a strang place in itself." She chuckled. "Sometimes I wonder how Wren and I endedup in such a place." RhubarbDumpling: Rather regretting his bold move now, Frozen eyed the distance between himself and the safety of Naita's hair, thoughts of escape flashing through his mind. Gripping the proffered toy between her hands, Eydis pressed her own eyes to those of the toy, while running one hand along it's bumpy skin. This toy pleased her, it was fun! "That it is, that it is," Naita giggled. "I think we all came here by fate, and what a twisted mistress fate can be." TarnishedHeylo: Otium picked up another dinosaur, this one had a long neck and a tiny head. he held it by the neck and waved it. Immaculate sat back on her haunches and just looked at Frozen nonthreateningly. She could be scary if she wanted but the bird was a spaz and it was inconvenient to have it flipping out when she wanted to explore. "I like to call fate a crazy b***h.. but that's just me." Halo laughed and looked over at the kids with the dinosaur toys. RhubarbDumpling: "I would not go that far, though she may be mysterious. Speaking of which, fate draws me away now, for I promised Ceiba a trip to the bookstore today. Good bye, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon!" So saying, the woman scooped up the panicking bird and amused babe, allowing Eydis to shoot Otium a parting wave before head back for the door. TarnishedHeylo: Halo looked up at her when she rose, and smiled. "Yes.. see you soon. Good luck with Eydis' dream problem.." She waved. Otium waved his dinasaur and frowned a bit when the little girl left. Aww.. He wanted to play more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:55 pm
The shadow man. [quest]
Lain amongst grey sheets the infant lay, eyes shut in the early phases of slumber, not yet reaching that delicious point at which dreams would fill her mind. The skin of the babe bore a blue tint, and her hair, softly falling across her soft forehead, was the very shade of purest snow.
Behind the closed lids lay ice-blue eyes, their gaze drinking in the world when waking.
But this serene picture would soon be shattered, ruined like a mill-pond when the rain draws in.
Across the way, a pair of dark eyes watched the sleeping girl, growing used to her sleep pattern, awaiting the sudden jerk of the head, the frozen body, and the silent screams. Breena had come to enjoy this nightly ritual, the apparent terror of her "sister" giving her great pleasure.
Like clockwork, Eydis tongue pressed against the base of her mouth, and her muscles froze, tensed almost to the point of pain. Her eyes flew open, gaze darting about the room without truly taking it in, simply rolling wildly, before settling into a pattern of glancing from spot to spot rapidly.
The floor once more resumed it's writhing dance, but today the wave-like effect spread up the walls, until the bottom half of all four walls wriggled and squirmed with base life.
Once more, in the darker areas crept a presence unseen, but obviously present to the tortured infant. She could feel it calling, screaming silently along with her. It wanted her, wanted her the way the maggots crawling along her bedsheets wanted her, wanted to consume her. The idea of it alone was enough to terrify her more than any crawling insect, and in those shadows lurked everything that repelled her, her young brain urged her that this was true.
In these dark recesses the presence shimmered briefly, before a blank form slowly crept from it's hiding place, seemingly materialising out of the darkness. It's figure was humanoid, but featureless, a simple void against the night's inky backdrop.
"Child," a voice in Eydis' skull hissed, seemingly unconnected to anything or anybody. It was quiet, but a whisper, but it was there. It sounded to her as the hiss of a snake to a cornered mouse, ominent and forboding.
As this disembodied voice rocked Eydis' fragile consciousness, the figure made a step towards her, a fluid motion, perfectly in time with the first maggot making it's way onto her porcelain skin, slithering over one toe, up, up, always up, towards her body, her head.
This shrivelled, wriggling, grey creature's touch almost emptied the content's of Eydis' stomach, and would have succeeded, had her muscles responded to the command from her mind. It was revolting, the warm, pulsating flesh against her skin.
But greater still, in her fear, came the shadow man, slow steps taking him closer to her every moment, darkness radiating from his form. He was as if pure fear could take form, and pure fear was what he struck in the heart of Eydis, as the babe tried to sleep.
"Child," the voice hissed again, and this time, the girl's muscles awoke with a start, and a loud scream escaped her throat. On this night, however, Eydis did not slip back into slumber, and instead Naita had to comfort the terrified infant until at last, as rosy dawn cracked over the great mountains outside the window, the girl's eyelids slipped once more over her icy eyes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 3:42 am
The shadow man walks. [quest]
Midnight in the manor had come and gone, candles still burning bright in Naita's room as she lay awake, awaiting the familiar cry of Eydis, having been expecting the wailing for the last few hours.
Soon after putting Eydis and Breena down to bed, the lady had retired to her own chambers to await the loud summons to the close chamber of her baby girls.
In this chamber, neither girl was sleeping. Eydis, never remembering her torment, but always remembering the sense of fear, had taken to avoiding sleep like the plague, but slumber was beginning to wash at her mind, pricking her eyes, that they blinked more often and for longer, until at last they slid to a halt, slipping over her glassy gaze.
Across the way, Breena's eyes flicked open, her head turned to watch her room mate. It would not be long now, not long at all.
The minutes slid by, the clock ticking away, hands passing each milestone with pride, their ornate design barely recognisable in the darkness.
The quiet tic-tic-ticking slowly filtered back to Eydis' ears. It was happening again, her surroundings becoming relevant once more. In a moment, the babe's eyes snapped open, to find that not only was her floor a writhing mass of insects, they had moved up the walls, almost reaching the ceiling, each beast wriggling hungrily, coming for her...
Evil smile lighting her pale face, Breena shuffled under her blankets, trying to get a better look at Eydis' terrified face, blank eyes staring without a blink.
Frozen, standing guard at his mistress' head, noticed this movement, this stare, and almost went mad with loathing. How dare that stranger, for she was, to him, a stranger still, enjoy his charges' pain? How dare she usurp Eydis' rightful place as baby of the manor?
Alas, this anger was of no use to his charge, but the avian daemon comforted himself with them, nonetheless.
Back in Eydis' mind, the shadows once more held the greatest threat, a faceless something lurking there, waiting for her, hungering for her. She could feel it, see it without her eyes, she simply knew.
For the moment, though, the insects were the things in view, spilling once more through the bars of her cot, crawling towards her, faster than before, their tiny forms disgusting in the way they moved, their sickening sheen in the pale moonlight. They were coming for her.
Once more, the shadows grabbed her attention, something in their midst opening, changing, moving. Out of their bleak depths did a figure once more step, slow gait transfixing her eyes even away from the maggots crawling over her feet. He was here. He was coming.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 5:11 pm
Nowhere to go. [last quest entry]
He was here, he was coming.
The shadow man had left his domain in the blackness of corners, lurking where children could conjecture as to his existance, and had stepped into Eydis' room.
The silent scream the babe had almost become accustomed to once more depressed her tongue, wrenching her mouth open wider than she had previously known possible.
Around the room the insects ceased for a solitary moment, before returning to the slithering, wriggling way. Eydis' blue legs were now entirely covered by maggots, grey forms sucking at her skin as they moved, an unimaginable number of their brethren following, scrabbling over one another to begin the feast.
Others had made their way along the ceiling, closing over the witewashed panelling with tremendous speed, only a small circle left free of the base creatures, slipping, squirming, and sliding their way along in such a way as to induce vomitting in any conscious person nearby.
Through them the shadow man stepped slowly, his own progress needing no increase of speed to induce terror. Across the floor, the innumerable creepy crawlies parted like the red sea, their lord and master stepping though without a trouble.
"Child," that hissing voice once more rang through Eydis' skull, it's source rather too apparent for guessing. He had no face, no lips to speak, yet she heard him. He had no eyes, but she felt his gaze. He had no teeth, yet she knew he would consume her.
These fears ran tantamount through her mind, unchecked by any comforting sensation, only the cold dread and the dubious warmth of a thousand maggots crawling up her legs.
Pure, unadulterated fear had Eydis in it's grip now, tightening it's vice-like grip around her mind, squeezing what little resolve she had left in her young consciousness. A babe could not undergo such torture for too long, and the poor child was becoming tired in her waking life, unable to comprehend the fear the gripped her as she awoke each night. It is not for infants to understand the complexities of the mind.
It should neither be for infants to fall prey to them, but such is life.
In her own crib, Breena's devilish eyes danced with pleasure, as Eydis' contorted face appeared to suffer yet more pain. Such suffering amused her so, it was like watching a play, the varying emotions ranging like a rainbow across her mind.
Little did she know that she, too, was being watched. Frozen, ever his mistress' sworn protector, glared wrathfully at the pale infant across the way, unrepeatable images of vengence running through his imagination. He could not protect Eydis from her mind, but he could protect her from this beast!
In areas unprotected by her avian watchdog or her guardian, Eydis' stomach leapt into her throat as a single maggot outstripped his brethren, leading the charge to her torso, squirming hungrily towards her belly button, moving underneath her nightshirt, against her bare skin.
Though her muscles were paralysed throughout this period, the girl's mind cried out in disgust at the feeling of the hungry insect's movements.
As disgusting as the grey insect's contact may be, it must always fall second to the dread illicited by it's master. The shadow man was now approaching her crib, moving as if her walked on air, steps never seeming to hit the ground. He seemed not to belong to this world, deigning to step from another dimension to torment infantile girls, shut up in their warm beds.
A cold sweat was now breaking on Eydis' forehead, her daemon huddled sorrowfully against her sodden brow.
Quickly followed by his many brothers, the leading maggot was now crawling up Eydis' chest, causing her skin to break out in goosebumps, it's eager voyage fast approaching the dip befor her neck began. It's troops were not far behind, swarming over her midriff with alacrity.
The base creatures turning the room at large into a writhing hotbed of fear had also increased their speed. There remained now not a single spot on the walls or ceiling uncovered, and the same was for the floor, save those parting to make way for their sovereign.
Said sovereign's path was clearing nicely, his travels nearly at cessation. There remained now only a few steps between himself and his prey. He could feel her innocence swelling in the air, taste her fear. It was all too enchanting, all too perfect.
Eydis' mouth twisted wider in her desperate attempt to scream out, maggots now pouring over her skin, covering her chest, crawling up her neck. And from all this there seemed no escape but to submit to her fear, allow it to consume her.
The shadow man, sensing this twist, gave a mouthless, featureless smile. Nothing appeared on his form to show this, only a wave of smug energy that smacked Eydis full in the face as he made his last step. Looking down into her crib, inky form towering over hers, his voice rang clear at last.
"Child," it uttered, "you are mine."
With this simple statement uttered, he reached into her domain, maggots that were now piling up on every inch but her head fleeing from his touch. As his hands made contact with her, and he moved to pluck her free, an almighty scream erupted from Eydis, and with a start, she fled back to the land of the waking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
