|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ianna Umbridge Vice Captain
|
 Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 1:59 pm
The Underdark - Part One It was the middle of the night when Ianna's sleep was interrupted by the familiar voice inside of her head. It was weak , which worried her, but it was the voice nonetheless. Matilda was still regaining her strength - could a wand have surfaced so quickly? Didn't the wands know when their mistress was out of commission?
A soft grumble was immediately heard from the silver-haired mortal and she sat up, straightening herself out, "Another bloody wand, Matty? Do they ever...I don't know, give you a break?"
"No, not really," Came a tired reply, "But this time, it's going to be harder on you than it is on me..."
Ianna paused in her movements, "What do you mean, harder on me?"
There was a long silence, "It's a Drow wand, mother."
"WHAT?! ARE YOU ******** tell me I have to..."
"Go to the Underdark? Yes. You do. What's worse? It's...Uh...."
"Uhm....It's what?"
"Currently half buried in front of Narbondel."
"...You're kidding me..."
When Ianna was met with silence she sat herself on the bed, crossing her arms over her chest, "No. No way in hell am I going to risk my life for a piece of WOOD."
"Well, it's not wood it -- "
"I DON'T CARE IF IT IS ******** PURE DIAMONDS!"
Matilda winced at her mother's screaming. Not that she could blame her for it - Narbondel was...Well...In the center of the Underdark and rather dangerous, even for some Drow, to mill around, "You're going. And if you just stand there you'll be killed."
"If I go there PERIOD I'll be killed, woman! Are you ******** CRAZY?!"
"Again, that's to be debated but...You have to go. I suggest taking one of the swords from the training room. Preferrably a light-spelled one. You know how to wield a sword, right?"
"If by wield you mean not cut myself open by holding one, yes."
Ianna could feel Matilda mentally roll her eyes, "Just go get a ******** sword."
"Matilda, I've never fought you on anything. Even with the werewolf, I didn't fight you. Moon, Atlantis, I didn't fight you. I'm ******** FIGHTING YOU NOW! I have Coailiann to consider. I have responsibilities. I cannot ******** die." Ianna stay put where she was, fists clenching until her knuckles turned white.
It was a death sentence to go the Underdark when not a Drow. Hell, it was a death sentence for a lot of Drow as well.
"Look, you don't have a choice. I can't go, I wasted my energy on the twins. Either you get prepared with a sword or you go unarmed. You have a better chance with the sword."
Ianna was silent for a few minutes before her fists slowly unclenched. She didn't have a choice in the matter, she knew that. Matilda could zap her there without a second thought and she'd be in the middle of some very confused and angry Drow, unarmed. It would be a very bad situation.
With a soft harrumph, Ianna stood up and shed her nightgown, putting on a pair of flexible leather pants - something that would at least hold up with rough wear. A long sleeved shirt, black, was also added.
At least she'd be covered.
A few moments later she was in the training room, meandering around the spelled weapon closet. It was difficult to find the right weapon between the hundred or so different ones hanging and stored on the shelves, but she did manage to find a relatively light sword that she could manage fairly easy.
It was nice, as well, because it was spelled with light magick as well. When hitting a target it would light up with a soft white glow, and depending on intent, it could grow in intensity. Therefore...If needed, she could blind the attackers momentarily and grab the wand.
Good plan. Sort of.
"Okay, I'm ready. But so help me if I die..."
Matilda rolled her eyes and transported the irate silver haired woman into the Underdark. Thankfully it was in a shadowed corner and she was virtually invisible with her dark clothes.
Silver eyes looked back and forth, scanning the area for the easiest past to Narbondel. It wasn't easy. There were quite a few people milling around and it wasn't exactly a walk in the park to get there. Especially since Narbondel was in the center of the city.
But she could see the wand - black and topped with a spider - laying half buried in the ground beside the large stone pillar. A thread of purple flashed in the light given off by the fire of Narbondel. That was definitely the Drow wand.
If it weren't for her pale complexion, Ianna could have probably passed for a Drow with her silver hair and silver eyes. It was times like this she wished she had glamour powers. Carefully she made her way through the people, pulling the hood of her cloak up around her to hide her as best as possible.
She almost made it to the wand when one of the larger Drow warriors stepped in front of her, blocking her way. Of course, being Ianna, she didn't realize he was there until she ran face-first into him and fell backwards onto her a**.
Her hood spilled backwards revealing her pale skin - and something akin to shock and anger filled the eyes of the Drow man.
" Ogglinn! Shinduago Wayc'e! Dos z'klaen el!" came his voice, harsh and full of hate, causing Ianna to cringe. If this man talked any louder he would bring upon all the guards - or all of them that were within a shouting distance.
Thankfully, Ianna was being fed words by Matilda - who had studied the language, and she was able to speak - despite not being sure what she was saying.
" Nau, naut shinduago wayc'e. Drathir ilythiiri! T'puuli."
The Drow man looked surprised that the white-skinned woman knew their language, "Dos xun naut lor saph drathir ilythiiri. Quin dos telanth udossta xanalress. Ele zhal'la Usstan naut elgg dos, vel'xunyrr?"
" Usstan tlun naut natha vel'xunyrr. Lu'oh byr orn'la Usstan telanth dosst xanalress?"
He looked thoughtful for a moment - maybe he was one of the more stupid ones. A nod of his head and he moved on, obviously more interested in one of the fights that had just started a few feet away.
Apparently, many others were too - and she was thankful. A distraction.
Carefully she made her way to the wand and attempted to tug it free. It was stuck. She would have to use her sword.
Which was bad - it lit up when striking something. s**t.
Thinking a moment, Ianna raised it and drove it deep into the earth, intending it to glow as light as possible. Even that was too much and the Drow noticed the flash.
" SSUSSUN WAYC'E! ********." She swore, wiggling her sword quickly to loosen the dirt packed around the black wand. It only took a second to get it free, but that second was all the Drow seemed to need to come at her, "MATILDA GET ME THE ******** OUT OF HERE!"
She was home before the last word exited her mouth - and without her sword.
"Never...A ********." she muttered, sweat dripping from her forehead.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 2:01 pm
Never. Again. Never ever ever again. At the moment, Ianna was positively fuming over the fact she had risked her life to get a stupid wand made of who-knows-what for Matilda. Her daughter was DEFINITELY trying to kill her.
And to top it all off, she couldn't get the musty smell from the Underdark off her. She was definitely NOT a happy mortal.
"DO YOU HEAR ME MATILDA?! NEVER EVER EVER AGAIN! EVER!"
Matilda mentally rolled her eyes and went back to her nap.
Coailiann, on the other hand, woke up from the yelling with a startled yelp, "Owie!"
Ianna sighed and turned to look at the toddler, "Shh, it's okay, little love. Go back to sleep. Mommy's just mad at sissy, okay?"
Coailiann sleepily nodded her head and curled up in the playpen set up in the wand shoppe again.
Maybe today would be the lucky day and she'd rid herself of the black and purple reminder.
She certainly HOPED the guardian chosen was up to the challenge of a Drow child.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ianna Umbridge Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 2:20 pm
Neaveh's timing couldn't have been anymore perfect. The butterfly woman had only recently come home from a long day at work...or rather, a long year and a half of work. Her editor had demanded her services on an entirely different continent...around a certain area where there was supposed to be horrid ceremonies and sacrifices that needed documenting. Unfortunately, by the time she'd gotten to the desired location - A village in the middle of nowhere - a damn had already been built over it, and anything the village possessed, from toys to clothes to books, had all been shipped off to various surrounding places.
So she'd spent the last year and a half on a wild goose chase. Most of the documents were too old, worn, blood-splattered or wet to be read, and the ones that could be read were confusing and fragmented. Needless to say, she'd gone home frustrated and upset at the year and a half she'd now be missing from her life.
To make herself feel better, Neveah explored her home once more, and then went out to the shops to see what was still there, what had closed down, and what had gone up in its place. There were lots of new toy stores, new art places, clothing stores, costume shacks...but the thing that caught her attention instantly was something that would catch the attention of any Folklorist; A Wand Shoppe.
It didn't matter how tired she was, how hungry she was, or that part of her brain let her know she could always come back tomorrow...something wanted her in there now. Her curiousity over this feeling eventually winning out, Neveah pushed open the door to the Wand Shoppe and stepped inside cautiously, her antennae giving a testing twitch as the shoppe's air hit them. It was musty...but musty was something she was used to, considering her profession.
"...Hello?" She asked slowly but curiously; her eyes had yet to adjust, and so far, she saw nobody.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 2:24 pm
The still annoyed woman's eyes went to the lady who walked in, an eyebrow raising slightly. Odd appearance, but then again, in her profession, she should be used to THAT by now. She finished up rubbing Coailiann's back and stood herself up, straightening her sweats and shirt up before walking towards her, extending a hand.
"Hello. Welcome to Ghosts of the Past.. I've actually been expecting you."
There was no other reason for her to be here - she had to be a guardian. And when the bell in her head went off a moment later, she quietly praised herself for being right.
Mentally she stuck her tongue out at the napping Matilda. She didn't need her - not right now, "Please, come in?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ianna Umbridge Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 2:38 pm
Neveah blinked her angled eyes, dragging her gaze down for but a moment to the other woman's hand. The woman wore a smile then, reaching out to clasp the silver haired woman's hand, her slightly longer fingers curling around a little more than they should. Her smile vanished however, when she was told her arrival was expected.
"...Thanks. You don't work for Philos, do you?" She inquired without a second thought, giving the woman a rather skeptical look. People just didn't expect someone...her editor probably knew she'd come here, and have an agent waiting to ship her off again or something. Mentally, she was preparing to kick the woman and bolt. She'd had enough adventures for another year and a half, thank you!
"Uh, sure." She was still hesitant about coming in...maybe there was a trap or something, where she'd get jumped, kidnapped, and shipped off to outerspace to look into moon frogs or something stupid like that. Slowly she wandered inside, letting her eyes adjust to the rather old place around her.
Still, Neveah didn't want to say anything more, just incase this WAS a trap. She couldn't assume Philos wouldn't kidnap her for something, because you couldn't put anything past him. Instead, until her worries were quelled, she would continue to be on guard, ready to kick and flail and bite if necessary.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 2:46 pm
Ianna raised a brow, "Who's Philos? Nevermind, I don't care. There are more important things...Come over here and take a look at this, hmm? I think you'll find it at least somewhat interesting...."
She hurried behind the large desk and dragged out a leather bound book, "By the way, Neveah, is it?" Okay. So she needed Matilda to freak out the new people. But hey, that was fun, "I just need you to touch the book for me, okay? Feel it, tell me what you think?"
The book itself was rather old, worn out leather with gold edges. She hoped that she wouldn't fight her on touching it. She wasn't in the best of moods and was rather anxious to get rid of the spider wand that was currently resting on top of the desk.
The commotion woke up Coailiann, however, and her green eyes looked over to the two adults, "Agoobah?" she questioned, giggling softly and pulling herself up. She was too tired to levitate over, but she could demand attention where attention was due, couldn't she? She WAS A princess, after all, right?
At least that's what her mommy called her and mommy, while stupid sometimes, was still mommy, "Hiiii!"
Ianna sighed, "Hi to you too, go back to sleep. It's not the time, Kay kay, Okay?"
Coailiann scowled and plopped herself down on her diapered rear, "Bah!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ianna Umbridge Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:01 pm
As the woman questioned the name, Neveah visibly relaxed. It was almost as if the woman had a hundred pound weight taken off of her! Good, she wasn't going to get kidnapped and sent to the moon to study moon frogs or something! Today was now a perfect day, in her opinion. She made a happy little noise and only happily shuffled after Ianna. Naturally, she assumed the woman was being like all shopkeepers, and was going to show her some of the wares of the store...not that Neveah minded of course, since it had nothing to do with work!
"Yep, my name's Neveah!" She partially chirped, at first not really realizing that she hadn't given her name yet. "Just touch it?" She questioned, eyeing the old, worn-looking book. She's seen a lot of these kinds of books...but at least this one didn't have blood splatters on it. Reaching out for the book, she suddenly realized what she hadn't initially. Snapping her hand back to her, she instead pointed it accusingly at the woman.
"Wait! YOU! You knew my name! You HAVE to work for him, then! You lied to me!" Because nobody in Gaia would have known her name...she'd been gone for a long time, of course. "Tell him I JUST got back, and I'm NOT GOING OUT AGAIN!" She cried out, torn between whining in dismay and screaming in annoyance. With a huff, the woman spun on her heels and went to walk right back to the store entrance, the patchs of gloved fur on her forearms bristling. How dare they do this to her! She wasn't a machine, damnit!
...Though she did glance down at the cute little girl.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:09 pm
The minute the woman would touch the book, the cover would fly open, an invisible wind winding through the pages and blowing them rapidly open until it landed, quite suddenly, on a well-worn page. On the page was a beautifully detailed sketch of the wand currently sitting on Ianna's desk.
Under the picture read:
"Underdark. Wand ID 00017. A Soul has been trapped within the confines of the wand. Congratulations, you have become the next guardian to take on the task of raising it from infancy to greatness. We, Ianna and I, have the upmost faith in you to complete your task dutifully. Best of luck,
Matilda."
Of course, at the outburst and stalking away, Neveah wouldn't be able to read it, for the moment. Unless she came back. Ianna looked incredibly confused at it, "Uh...What?" she blinked, silver eyes mirroring said confusion.
She was NOT used to having guardians stalk out on her before they even read the damn book, nor was she ever accused of conspiracy. That alone was enough to give her a headache, "I have...absolutely NO clue what the hell you're talking about lady...I know your name because my daughter told me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ianna Umbridge Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:26 pm
The butterfly hadn't stopped because of what Ianna had said. Neveah stopped because she suddenly realized something had happened in that brief second she'd touched that book, but in her accusing frenzy she never got to see it. She stopped because she was disappointed in herself. Some Folklorist, missing something that could probably be important! However, she wasn't about to let the woman know she was regretting stomping away, because then she might get kidnapped once off guard. Instead, she stayed near the door until she heard that the woman had to say.
"Daughter?" Neveah parrotted softly, glancing back down at the little girl. This girl definately didn't look old enough to know her name...then again, anything was possible. Blinking her rather angled eyes, she slowly made her way back to the desk. "Oh...well alright." Not that she really believed the woman, but she did want to see that book now...so it prompted her to walk back to the desk as non-chalantly as possible, to read over that had been written there.
"I'm sorry...I just got back from a year and a half of work-related torture...I hope you forgive my hysteria over it." Neveah smiled nervously at the woman. "I can see my boss coming and shipping me off again soon..." There, now that she'd explained herself, she finally looked down at the book, looked over ths picture, then down at the note.
Underdark? Soul? Guardian? ...Infant...?
The woman froze. Underdark sounded familiar, Souls where everywhere...but it was 'Guardian' and 'Infancy' that caught her attention. "Uh...what does this mean...?" She asked blatantly, pointing down at the picture. "If thats for me, I can't take it! I don't know how to raise a kid! I don't have any!" She was panicking now, but now as badly as she had been before. "I'd make a lousy guardian...ZERO experience with them!" Once she had pleaded to get out of work, now she'd pleaded against the woman and this Matilda person's judgement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:33 pm
Ianna's head shook, "Yes, Daughter, and no, not her. Matilda. Matilda is my daughter. That little one there in the playpen is Coailiann, and a Sidhe child. She came from a wand as well," she bit her lip and slid her hand over the black and purple wand, handing it over to the butterfly woman, "This, this is the wand that currently houses your child's soul. And I'm sorry - but you are who the soul chose.
We do not choose the guardians - the children do. You're, quite frankly, stuck with it. Unless you want to kill it...Because without you, that's what will happen. You see...They cannot survive without you. They already died once horribly. This is their second chance. Do you really want to take that chance away from them?"
Her silver eyes locked in on the other woman, "And yes, I understand your paranoia, but you're going to have to get over it unless you want to be a murderer of children."
Cold, but necessary.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ianna Umbridge Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:48 pm
"Oh." Was all Neveah could think to say as the little girl in the playpen and the name Matilda were explained to her. It sounded like a stupid reply, but hey...she was tired and hungry and full of paranoia...she wasn't about to spew poetry here. Her long fingers curled around the shaft of the wand, pulling it closer to her out of curiousity alone.
As it was explained to her, Neveah ran her fine fingers over the well crafted wand, over the purple thread that spiralled around it, and eventually over the spider that adorned the very top. The feeling that same from the wand...it was unsettling. To her knowledge, the wand had not been touched prior to Ianna putting it into her hands...but there is was, pulsing with a warmth that was almost alive. Realizing that made her shudder.
"No, I don't..." If anything, Neveah sounded more like a child who was getting in trouble than an adult. She felt bad now, having tried to plead against getting this child. She didn't want the baby to die, but she didn't want it growing up improperly...which was very probable, considering she had NO knowledge of children nor did she possess maternal instincts in the least.
"...Guess I have no choice." She murmured with a sigh of defeat, holding the spider wand against herself. Partially resting her chin on the very tip of the spider's front two feet, Neveah was already thinking a mile a minute; most of it involved extensive research plans. Utterly defeated now, Neveah was more of a quiet, solemn person than she had been since she passed through the wand shoppe's doors. "Uh...Thanks...?" Now she realized she didn't know the other woman's name, and the tone of her voice encouraged the knowledge to be shared. "I'll try my best, then." She managed to smile, though even she couldn't hide her worry over the entire situation, and the future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:48 pm
Ianna visably relaxed once she knew she wouldn't be getting any more arguments. They all eventually came around - but she knew that it would happen. All guardians did.
Because they were simply meant to, whether or not they knew it.
Silver eyes watched the woman touch the wand, gauging her reaction to it all, "I know it's a lot to swollow. When I found Matilda's wand, I was freaking out myself...I didn't believe it until I had a little girl of about four years old talking to me as if she was a twenty year old. Believe me, I was ready to run high tail and scream. But I grew to love the little brat.
Even if she's currently trying to kill me with all these missions...."
A voice filled the room, "I am SO not."
Ianna scoffed, "Yeah, and I'm the bloody Queen of England...Anyway...Your child won't grow as fast as Matilda did. It's a Drow though. For your sake, I hope it's a male."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ianna Umbridge Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:34 pm
Neveah listened to what Ianna had to say, though she did so silently. Oh, she had no doubt that she'd grow to accept and adore the baby...but she did have huge doubts about her parenting skills. As mentioned, she had ZERO maternal instincts. Most butterflies didn't. The woman did utter a soft giggle at the two-lined spat between Ianna and the voice that filled the room.
She looked as though she were about to say something...but at the mention of Drow, anything she might have said completely died on her lips. Underdark...that was where she had heard that word! "Drow?!" Neveah breathed out in surprise. "This...baby...will turn out to be a Drow!?" Suddenly, she didn't want the wand anymore. "Underdark...that Note said Underdark. Did that mean you..." The butterfly cut herself off, then went silent, leaving Ianna to fill in the blanks. Being a folklorist, Neveah naturally knew about the Drow, and how dangerous it was, no matter the gender. Slowly, the butterfly reached out and gave Ianna a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "You poor, poor woman. I'm so happy to see you right now. Alive." Because being in the Underdark was a death wish.
"A Drow..." Neveah whined now, staring at the wand in her hand. She was seriously wishing the baby would be male as well. Any Folklorist worth their name knows that a female drow is murder and pain incarnate. Her mind was struggling with itself. She didn't want a baby at all, but a Drow baby was definately on her list of things to 'NEVER EVER EVER Aquire'. However, by rejecting the wand, she'd be killing another being, and that was also something she couldn't live with. Especially when it was possible to raise the child to not be like its brethern. "I guess...I have no choice." She murmured again out loud, and very much against her better judgement.
Screw work, she now had something else to be paranoid about. Something that was more dire and immediate to her, because hey...she'd be caring for a baby that was from one of the world's most dangerous species...without any maternal instincts. Yeah, work was now the last of her worries.
"I'm not sure whether to thank you or hate you for this, though." She said truthfully, with a hint of nervous laughter to her voice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:48 pm
Ianna couldn't blame the butterfly woman for her paranoia when she had mentioned the word Drow. She had much the same reaction when Matilda had told her that the wand she was to go fetch would be Drow. Being in the business of getting wands from other times, races, and worlds tended to make you research.
And research she had, since the first day. Drow had been one of her first research subjects. And from that day she had prayed she'd never have to go fetch one of those wands.
She supposed Matilda and the little drow child had other ideas.
"Eh, It was actually very close. It...was right infront of Narbondel. Thankfully I ran into a warrior who was rather stupid and believed I was a Moon Drow..." she shuddered a little bit and took a deep breath.
"It was buried, too, so I had to use my sword, which was spelled to flash light, to dislodge it. Got the attention of every Drow in the vacinity...Anyway, no, you really don't have a choice...But..."
Ianna paused as she tried to figure out how to put it, "It's true the child will have a lot of it's natural instincts. But the child will also have human characteristics. It's their second life - they know nothing of their past. Not until they're a teenager."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ianna Umbridge Vice Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 8:06 pm
Neveah visibly flinched at the mention of the stupid warrior...Drow that that never lasted long in the Underdark. "Its terrible of me...but I wonder what happened to him. I'm sure his Matron would have heard about his misdeeds by now...how he let you get away..." She didn't say it outloud, but she had a feeling the silver-haired woman would have thought it too; that Drow must be dead by now for his lack of logic...and if not dead, perhaps his fate was sealed as a dryder... "I'm still glad you got out alive though...that little girl over there depends on you, doesn't she?" Though the butterfly had no maternal instincts, she knew enough to know how devastating it would be to lose a family member...especially for a child so young.
Taking careful consideration of that the woman had said last, Neveah found herself thinking again. "So it is possible to tame them, so to speak...?" Naturally, she meant 'Not let the drow be a drow and go killing things for sacrificial reasons'. Right now, she was seriously wishing the soul in the wand was male...at least a male drow is bareable. "Well, Miss...It was so nice to meet you! I have to go home, avoid my editor and a possible kidnapping to the moon." Not to mention buy ten thousand or so books on parenting.
And maybe another million books on Drow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
