(I've been cleaning stuff up, and putting them all into one topic, to make things neater)
Main characters: Lily Ann Rowan - human Damien DaKoja - Telar Jillian (Jilly) Rowan - Lily's sister.
Supporting characters: Verulean DaKoja - Damien's mother Giovanni DaKoja - Damien's father. Isabella DaKoja - Damien's oldest sister. (briefly) Gregory DaKoja - Damien's older brother (briefly) Durthen Noll - The Apolarin war hero who guides Lily to Gantz (if it counts) Glacier - the Hipipinin deer who follows Lily around sometimes
CHAPTER ONE: Run-in
Life for an albino woman in the city of Winter Water was not easy.
For starters, most everyone who met Lily thought she was a Mystic, because of her white skin, delicate frame and hip length white curly hair. If they believed her when she told them she was not a Mystic, they thought she must have Telar in her, because of her red eyes. The truth was, there wasn't much special about Lily Rowan except her incredibly rare skin condition. She was of average height, at about five foot four, and weighed one hundred and nine pounds exactly... she was very thin framed and delicate looking, and she thought it more than coincidence that her mother had named her after a delicate water flower.
She had lived in Winter Water most of her life... the part that she remembered well, anyway. She had a sister, eight years her elder, named Jillian, or Jilly, and that was who she lived with. She was a singer... Jilly was a writer. Sometimes, she also thought she and her sister had got their careers mixed up... Where Jilly had the quiet career, she herself was loud and in your face, and very unconventional. She loved a fight as much as the next person and didn't have any problem telling anyone what-for, especially when it came to Lily. Lily was the shy, quiet one, nervous in crowds and polite to people she didn't know well. Yet she was the one with the loud and in your face career. It was an old, much loved joke.
She was walking home from her job, for the time being. She wore long dark pants and a snugly fitted dark red shirt that reached her elbows. It got warm up on even a small stage, so she dressed coolly despite it being winter for the moment. She had a thin-looking but very warm black jacket on and had her hair pulled to the side, so it fell in soft, thick curly waves down her hip to her thigh. It was almost as white as the snow around her.
People she passed on the streets, human, Telar, the occasional Apolarin, paid her little to no mind, though a few nodded politely by way of greeting. She had lived here mostly her whole life and took the same routes to work every day, so the people who did the same knew her by sight at least.
The sky above was a cloudy silvery-grey, a bright day even though the sun couldn't be seen. It was clear, and bitterly cold at least to her, though she saw and envied a Bluidon woman walking down the sidewalk across from her in nothing but shorts and a halter top. She didn't stop to look in on various shops for anything... she didn't have a lot of money at the moment, living as she normally did from paycheck to paycheck. Her sister usually had the most money, being an author of fiction. Besides, she had hot cocoa (or something similar) and danishes at the house. She could have all the yummy relax time she wanted if she could beat the coming blizzard she could feel coming, home.
Her jacket was a special thing... it looked very thin and worn, but well cared for, and it had taken a long time to save up for. It was magical... it kept her warm even in bitter cold weather, but it wouldn't hold up to high winds for long... she needed to get home soon. She had a cell phone, to get in touch with her sister Jilly. She called her as she walked, tendrils of her long white hair flowing with the breeze. A passing Telar thickly bundled with his wings pressed to his back eyed her as she walked by, but then she was past and he kept on going.
Jilly answered on the second ring. Her voice was a little deep for a woman, and even with a word Lily heard the edge her voice always had when she spoke to others... a hint to her voice that told people she wouldn't be messed with or played for a fool.
"Hey".
Lily smiled a bit. Jilly was all the family she had... even if they were at each other's throats sometimes for her over-protectiveness, she cared for her.
"Hey, Jilly... I'm on my way home. Is there cocoa left?"
"Mmm hm. Whole box, actually. Can you pick up milk on the way home?"
Lily looked up at the sky... it was getting whiter. The blizzard was on its way.
"Uh sure I can... but the storm is on its way... if I'm late, that's probably why..".
Jilly made some sort of noise. "I forgot about the blizzard... save it, I can get it tomorrow morning".
Lily nodded, and was about to say something else, when she suddenly ran smack into someone! She hadn't been paying attention to where she was going.
"Ah!"
Both she and the person she'd run into fell, and she lost both her purse and her phone, which went skidding on the slick sidewalk to land face up near a pile of snow. Her ridiculous hair fell all over her face, and she tasted rock salt. Her hands were slick and very cold instantly.
She looked up through her curtain of curls and saw a pale hand extended, and a male's voice, soft but not feminine, saying "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you... here, let me help you up".
She reached up and took hold of it, and whoever he was pulled her to her feet with ease. She moved her hair out of her face, and let it fall back to her thighs again, and straightened out her clothes.... she finally looked up and saw the man was young, perhaps her age, and he was Telar.
He was a little taller than her, thin, with deep red eyes and very dark hair, down to his shoulders. He had a rounded face and a slightly squared chin, with an easy smile. He blinked when he saw her.
He was glad she wasn't hurt, and now that he saw her closer it was no wonder he'd missed her.... both her skin and hair were almost as white as the snow around them, save for her eyes, which were slanted and wolf-like, and bright red. Was she a Mystic? If so he could be in trouble... especially human ones were delicate, and she looked it.
"I really am sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," he apologized again.
Lily moved her hair back again and picked up her small black purse and phone... she could still hear her sister's voice coming from it, frantic and tinny sounding. She brought it to her ear, said "it's fine, I'm alright, I just fell, be home soon," and hung up. She gave him a slightly embarassed smile. Of all the people she had to knock over it had to be a cute guy. Granted, he was Telar, but she had always thought the wings were cool and a little spooky.
"Uhm, no... I was on the phone with my sister, I wasn't really looking either... 'M sorry," she said right back.
"You're not hurt, are you?" he wanted to make sure, just in case... that was all he needed on top of everything else was to accidentally knock over a Mystic and break one of her bones or something. Next thing he knew he'd have a fireball aimed at the back of his head.
Lily shook her head and held her arms out by her sides as if to show him she was alright. "No, I'm fine, just a little wet.... well, it's going to snow soon... I should get home," she reassured him. He had a nice smile... she wondered how they kept their wings warm in cold weather. His were dark purple and folded tightly.
He nodded, and put his hands back into the pockets of his wine red felt jacket. "Alright... " he nodded, and he put his head down against the wind, his dark hair blowing behind him, and strode on.
Lily felt her face burning even as she continued to walk. She'd run into and knocked over a damn cute guy, even for a Telar. She was always running into SOMEthing... but never people. She was embarrassed.
Her home was on the outskirts, a three story brown Victorian-esque building left to them by their parents... it was paid for free and clear, but it needed some upkeeping. The paint was peeling in places and the roof needed branches and things cleared from it, but Jilly never had time, and Lily didn't know any magic... that, and she was dead clumsy... she didn't trust herself on a ladder.
She let herself into the back door and set her keys down. The front door, for unknown reasons, opened up into the kitchen, a small but brightly painted place that had a homey, warm feel to it. The living and dining room were open to each other, divided only by a wall, and beyond that was a guest room... the second floor were bedrooms and bathrooms and the third floor mostly went unused. They used it for storage. Jilly had the door to that hallway locked and never let her up, so Lily had no idea what was up there.
Jilly was in the living room typing on the desktop computer they had. She had saved up for months to buy it, but they had one, for that Lily was glad.
"How was work?"
Lily shrugged. "Same as ever... I ran into someone on the sidewalk and kinda... knocked him over. S'why I dropped the phone... I'm alright".
Jilly was as unlike her in appearance as she was in attitude. Where Lily was white as a sheet, Jilly was slightly tanned, with dark, straight hair and crystal-blue eyes. She was pretty, but in a stern sort of way. She rarely smiled, but when she did it made Lily want to hug her.
"Your face is all pink... cold, or embarassed?" she gave her a smirk.
Lily felt herself go more pink. Jilly always seemed to read her mind.
".... the guy was really cute...", she blushed.
Jilly laughed. "Dinner is on the stove... you work tomorrow?"
Lily looked to the stove and saw potato chowder, her favorite. It had little meaty bits and carrot slices in it, soft and tender. She made herself a bowl, and arrived back in the living room just in time to see the snow outside start to fall... glad to be safe and warm inside from the storm, she settled in to eat. Tomorrow night was the last day until she had a couple days off, and she rather looked forward to it.
"Yes".
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
While Lily settled in to have dinner, the Telar man she'd run into was still walking... yes. In a blizzard. It was quite uncomfortable, but it would be more so at home right now. Things there were... stressful lately. His brother and sister made good, fruitful marriages and here he was, 20, and not even interested in being a suitor. It was a petty thing to stress about, really, but he'd rather not hear his parents dropping snide hints, or nagging him.
Eventually, the cold got to be too much for him and, hands deep into his pockets, he turned his head into the closest thing still open, which turned out to be a cafe. The smell of warm, baking goods tantalised his senses, and he took a seat.
Wood paneling gave off a slight oaky smell, in conjucture with the food a very pleasing effect, and it was brightly lit and clean. Very cozy. He might just come in here again sometime if he could find the place again.
He shook the snow out of his hair and brushed it off his jacket before tensing the muscles in his wings, making them shiver so they'd shed the cold with the rest of him. It had gotten bad pretty fast, and he wondered if the red-eyed Mystic woman had made it home alright. He really hadn't meant to knock her over. She'd been very pretty, though he'd only got a brief impression of her... it had been quite startling. He'd seen so much white it had been difficult to make out most of her face.
He ran a hand through his dark chestnut hair and sighed, looking out at the storm. His phone had been quiet all this time so his parents weren't looking for him yet. With the snow, he expected them to start. He had just ordered a cup of warm tea when lo and behold, his phone began to vibrate.
He answered it only because he was obligated to, trying to remain polite. He hadn't exactly left the house on good terms.
"Hello, father".
The man on the other end had a soft but deep voice. His father, Giovanni DaKoja.
"Son... ... Are you alright? The blizzard hit suddenly... your mother wanted to be sure you were safe and away from it" his father said.
Damien sighed and nodded, though he knew his father couldn't hear that. "Yes... I'm in a cafe. Drinking tea and eating a pastry," he looked outside again.
"I am glad to hear it... you will come home before nightfall, won't you? "
He rubbed at his temples with a free hand and let out a breath of air.
".... If the storm lets up then yes. I'll try". he gave in.
His father made a noise of approval and hung up.... Damien guessed that although his mother was worried, his father was still annoyed with him for talking back before he left. He'd said some.... unkind things. Unkind and according to most Telar, very ignoble. You heard a lot of uncouth language and terminology when you hung out in more relaxed, laid back places. His parents didn't know everything about him.... unlike them, he didn't find himself very traditional. Times were changing, had been changed, and he didn't want to live in the past. He lived in the present, and people didn't talk like that anymore. He still had some of the proper speech inflections, and he did favor some of the clothing his parents did, because it was comfortable, but if anyone asked, he wasn't traditional.
He put his phone away and nibbled on his blueberry pastry, not really wanting to eat anything, but because he didn't want to come in and be rude by not buying anything... the Apolarin working behind the counter looked like the owner, by the way she navigated around the place like it was a second home, and to be honest looked like the last person he wanted to anger... he was a duelist, but a healer, not a fighter. Then he remembered the raging blizzard outside and figured it wouldn't matter anyway.... she would assume he was there to escape the storm.
He sipped his tea and again sighed. He really didn't know what to do about his situation... his parents were pushing him to start looking for a girlfriend or a wife and do something with himself, rather than just heal and 'play at duels'. They were threatening to send him to Gantz. That was the last place he wanted to go but he didn't feel compelled to settle down, either. He just hadn't met the right girl yet. His best friend had been hinting that perhaps he was just homosexual... Damien had flicked a tiny fireball at him, about the size of a dime for that. He couldn't manage much more than that yet but he was teaching himself. His affinity was more for healing. Perhaps he could be a doctor? Ehh.... he just didn't know yet. His parents were both merchants... they managed a small chain of shops around Winter Water specializing in expensive and inexpensive fabrics and clothing, both normal and magical, Telar and human, and his sister owned her own restaurant... his brother was an Imperial Guard. He just didn't know what he himself wanted to do.
"More tea?"
He looked up, shaken from his thoughts, to see the Apolarin shop owner, wearing long shorts and a baggy tank top underneath a big white apron. She smelled like donuts. He managed a weak smile to show he wasn't startled, and nodded. "Please".
She refilled his cup and walked off to do other things, and he leaned back in his seat and looked outside again. The driving snow nearly blotted out the buildings just across the streeet and the sky was solid white. He hoped this storm let up soon.
It wasn't until nearly midnight before it finally did,.... and it looked so bitterly cold outside. It was already well past dark... the shop had closed three hours ago, but the shop owner had let those inside stay for the time being, because of the storm. The smell still lingered, but the counters and food trays were empty and shining clean now. Most people either talked on phones or played solitary card games. Others dozed with their heads on their arms. But it wasn't snowing as bad now, and cold or not, he should be going home. Before his parents sent his brother after him.
He gathered his coat around him and put it back on over his wings, without poking them through the holes.. it made him look slightly hunchbacked, but if they were warm, he didn't care what it looked like. He gave it a few moments, before he ducked back outside.
He gave an involuntary yelp... the cold didn't permeate his coat well, but it sliced through his face like it was as thin as tissue paper. He was doubly glad he'd covered his wings up with his coat, though it still came through the holes put in for them. The snow lay fresh and thick on the roads and sidewalks and he had no choice but to trudge through. Most of the houses and shops he passed wwere dark, closed, but a few of the shops still had lights on, probably sheltering people caught out in the weather like the cafe had been.
He stepped onto a street that would lead him closer to the heart of the city and saw that all but one of the houses on this street were dark... all except a three story victorian with faded, peeling brown paint. There were large bay windows in the front and through them he could see a television and some walls, and a woman standing there silhouetted slightly. Either she wore a cape, or her hair was incredibly long. He didn't want to look like he was snooping, so he didn't look for very long, but as he walked closer towards it, and then past it, a quick glance back revealed.... could it be? The same woman he'd run into before, with the white curly hair and the pale skin. It must be where she lived. Huh. Small world.
He managed a small wave, before continuing on, thinking to himself that with his wings covered she probably didn't even recognize him.... no matter. It was of no importance. His home was still a ways away. Probably a couple of miles. He had to keep walking or freeze... he kind of wished he could manage more than a tiny little fireball now.
He was about three houses down when he heard hoofbeats behind him... someone out in a carriage at this time of night, and in this cold?
He looked around and saw a coal black horse coming towards him... opalescent eyes and a fiery, fuscia colored mane and tail made themselves evident, and he was suddenly face to face with what was known as a Nightmare. Horses of dark colors with vibrant mane and tails and white eyes. Their hooves were sharper and less prone to breaking, he knew. Not uncommon enough to be expensive, but enough to be pretty to look at.
The horse made a whickering noise, and nuzzled him, sniffling, and a soft voice carried out.
"Do you want a ride? It's cold out".
He moved to the side of the horse, petting its soft, silken coat, and saw a very pale white face and bright red eyes in the dark. She was bundled up in what must be a magical coat... it was too thin looking but she wasn't shivering. She had a thick sarf wrapped around her neck and lower face, but he recognized the ridiculous mane of white curls. It was the woman he'd knocked down by accident, the one who apparently lived in the house he'd passed. He looked the carriage over again.... not as new as the horse, but it would do.
"Would I ever," he shivvered violently.
The door was unlocked, so he climbed in, and was shocked at how much warmer it was inside... must be climate controlled.
He could speak to her through the thin baseboard near the head of the coach so he did.
"I really appreciate it... it's very cold outside," he told her. He rubbed his hands together to be warm and wrestled his wings through the appropriate holes in his jacket, shivering and making the leathery membranes make soft noises, to be warmer. She hadn't started to move yet.
"It's no problem... Mur never gets out much this time of year and he loves the snow... where do you live?"
Her voice was ... open. Soft and lilting, but it carried and she had an odd, childlike clarity to it... not that it sounded like that of a child's, but it didn't have any negative inflections in it, like she'd seen anything horrible in her life.
Assuming that Mur was the magnificent horse showing off by stomping its hooves against the hard, dirt-packed and smoothed road, he answered.
"About five miles from the Palace... Crescent View road. You'll need a code to open the gate".
The carriage started to move at last, at a decent place... he guessed the horse liked the snow. Its exuberant trotting pace and the noises it was making sounded happy to him. The woman could be heard making impatient noises at him, trying to get him to behave.
"Silly beast..." he heard her mutter.
He figured he may as well bridge the gap of silence.
"My name is Damien DaKoja".
She took a moment to answer, so he waited.
"Lily Rowan... and this silly creature is Mur, my sister's Familiar."
He wondered why someone would choose to Familiarize a horse instead of something smaller, then figured it was none of his business.
"He's a very pretty horse," he smirked. The horse in question sped up a little, as if to show off, and rewarded him with a whinny. Lily scolded him. "People are trying to sleep! Hush!" she whispered, though he thought he heard amusement in her voice.
He felt the carriage turn and looking out the window told him they were making good time... he was already a block away from the road he lived on.
"Nice weather we're having... " he muttered. He covered his arms with his wings, to help stay warm though it was far warmer in here than outside already. He heard Lily snicker.
"Yeah... it makes me glad I don't play outside venues... I'm a singer," she explained. "... I mostly sing at clubs and bars and things... I didn't much like Verrall".
He perked up a bit at that. He didn't like Verrall much either... not many Telar did, it was too hot and sunny, and it had a bad reputation in some parts for certain things. Also... a singer? Why not something more magical, and impressive?
"Aren't you a Mystic?" he asked, sounding puzzled.
She paused. Her voice was a little weary and cold when she answered, as if she got that question a lot.
"No".
"Oh... apologies, then," he smiled a bit. So she wasn't a Mystic... that was hard to beleive.
"I'm an albino... it's a skin defect I was born with. Very rare. Means I have no skin pigment or color pigment in my eyes or hair," she went on to explain, very matter of fact. He thought about it for a moment. It wasn't so hard to believe, he'd seen plenty of rats with white fur and red eyes, and even some Hipipinin deer who were white and unextraordinary. But he'd never seen it in a human.
"So it's very rare, then?" he just tried to make conversation. It felt odd, with how he was raised, talking about someone else's personal defect, but she didn't seem to have an issue with it.
"Hereditary... very rare. I've looked back to see where I got it.... 600 years, and couldn't find one, so... I guess I'm just special,". And her light, airy tone of voice made him assume the subject was closed.
"What do you do?" she then asked. The carriage wobbled a bit under strong winds, and he subconsciously hung on.
"Er..... nothing, really. I'm a healer... and a duelist. I haven't really thought of a career yet," he was not ashamed to say. What was wrong with thinking it through first, right?
"A healer huh... that would be neat. I don't know any magic," she admitted.
He blinked. Didn't know ANY magic?
"Well... maybe if we run into each other again I could teach you," he offered offhandedly.
There was no more talk until the carriage stopped. He looked out and saw the wrought iron of the gates to his family's home... it wasn't as grand as , say, the Dekell Manor, but it wasn't a pauper's house, either. A code was needed to open the gate when the box wasn't turned on. He had it.
He hopped out, and immediately started to shiver again. He went around, his breath pluming out in front of his face with every exhale. Lily's face was white as paper and her eyes were very red. Her hands were clad in thick black leather gloves and she wore long pants that hugged her legs, and boots.
He punched in the code with shivering pale fingers of his own and the gate opened smoothly.
"Are you serious? About trying to teach me?"
He looked back up at her, and figured it would give him an excuse to stay out of the house and out from underfoot... and it might be good for him to brush up on his own skills. He smiled, despite being cold, and nodded.
"Sure... are you busy tomorrow? I can meet up with you somewhere if you want to learn about it," he offered.
She looked to Mur, and then back to him. The dark horse swished his bright purple-pink tail and it brushed him in the neck. He tried not to chuckle. Ticklish.
"I have to sing tomorrow at the Lunar Pub, but I'm free tomorrow afternoon before rush hour," she offered.
The Lunar Pub? He thought he knew where that was... he wasn't a big drinker but maybe if he was sneaky about it he could watch her work. He nodded.
"Call it eleven, and I'll be there... and thanks for the ride. Really," he thanked her gratefully.
She smiled with her eyes, as he couldn't see her mouth, and nodded. "I like helping people where it's needed..." she replied.
He was about to walk off when Mur followed him through the gate, unbidden by Lily, and whickered at him. He turned to pet the Familiar's long fuzzy nose, and he gave his head a thankful shake.
"Spoiled rotten?" he guessed, smiling. Lily actually laughed.
"Oh yes! Jilly treats him like the Empress herself," she giggled.
He smiled at that, and saw a light go on in the house up ahead. Someone had waited up for him. Goodie.
"I have to go... someone waited up for me. Thanks again... and I'll see you tomorrow," he promised. Unless of course they forbade him from leaving the house, but he was an adult... if he really wanted to they couldn't stop him.
She nodded and watched him go, before backing out and heading back home. Mur really was a show off... it was only with bribing him with warm oats and carrots that she got him to behave. He did fine for Jilly, but for some reason he didn't like listening to her.
Damien headed towards the front doors, to see it was his mother. She was a few inches shorter than him, with medium length dark hair his same shade, but a different coarseness. Her wings were a little smaller. He looked more like his father.
"Where have you been? Who was that?"
He offered her a slightly apologetic smile.
"Got stuck in the storm, waited it out in a cafe".
"Who was that with the Nightmare?"
Full of questions wasn't she? He just smiled, and took his coat off as he came inside... it was so much warmer in here... so nice.
"A friend".
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
The next day dawned with bright, clear blue skies and a bright warm sun, but the air was still chilled and cold... Lily decided to meet her new friend at the Lunar Pub with her magical jacket and black pants, but a red shirt that matched her eyes and her black boots instead.
The Lunar Pub was located more towards the busier sections of downtown, and there were more people walking about. There were a lot of Telar and for a moment she wondered how she would spot him in the crowd. She didn't think he'd have any problem spotting her at all... just when she thought she'd go inside and have a drink while waiting for her show to start, she heard her name.
"Miss Rowan! Lily!"
She spun around and saw him coming towards her.... with his arms full of books. She stared for a moment, ignoring the bustle of people around them, horses and carriages in the street, and just watched as he tried to balance five or six very heavy tomes in his arms without dropping any in the snow.... she started forward to help him just in time to catch one called 'seven ways to master the magic'.
And that was how they spent the next several weeks.
It turned out he'd been schooled at least part way in the art of healing, which was what he was best at as it turned out, and he was a decent enough teacher so that what she didn't understand in the books he let her borrow off and on, she could ask him and he would clarify it for her. She was most eager to find out which magic she ended up being best able to handle... as she had never tried and thus didn't know. What kind of mage would she be?
The answer turned out to be Fire.
Their favorite place to sit and study was beneath a giant old tree near a rather large pond near the treeline. It had a lot of shade and still let in some of the light so it wasn't too dark. He brought the books and she brought the blankets and things to sit on so they didn't get their backsides wet with snow. They were sitting there pouring over books, talking, exchanging ideas, and she was trying her hardest... and she felt the tiniest sense of feeling in her body, her chest and belly, and down her arms... it was warm. Hot even, which felt wonderful in the chill air, but no one expected what hapened next.
Her hands started to burn... slowly at first, and then great tongues of the stuff began to smolder, across her forearms and in her fingers. It didn't hurt, rather it was pleasant feeling... It didn't spread, just.... sat there. That, and it was orange. Just orange. She was so stunned and surprised she just sat there for a moment and stared, watching it... then Damien noticed, swore loudly, and poured frantically over books for a counter spell to 'shut it off'. They had spent the next several minutes talking excitedly, grinning and laughing about it, and he congratulated her. She was officially a Fire mage.... untrained, but able in the basest sense of the word. He warned her that it was just a spell and it would exhaust her, and boy was he right.... she slept like the dead that night.
It wasn't until about two months into practicing with each other that he thought he was falling for her... it started with him noticing little things she did, like how she moved her hair behind her ear when it bothered her, or how her fingers moved over a guitar, but then he started replaying her music in his head, and it was always her voice, not his own. So he knew it wasn't the lyrics that got his attention. The way she walked, and even the way she sat with her legs folded, a book in her lap the size of a paving slab, reading intently. Her eyes were redder than his, and he was the freaking Telar. He didn't think he'd ever met a girl who was as laid back and yet caring as she seemed to be. She was pleasant to be around and gentle hearted, and when he wanted to talk, she let him talk about whatever he wanted to... nothing was too uncomfortable for her. He could have talked about sex and it probably wouldn't have bothered her, but that was hardly decent conversation topic. That, and he'd probably have scared her off. Such things just weren't talked about like it was the weather.
How to tell her though? That and besides, if his family found out.... ooooh would they be both angry and disappointed. For one she was human, not Telar... and for another, there was the fact that she was by normal standards 'defected', with her skin condition. And it was hereditary, which was another score against her. He could already imagine the almighty awful argument that would ensue if he told them he had a crush on a human girl with a skin condition. But then his family was traditional.... he didn't think he was, much. If he told them, he foresaw two things happening... one, they put their foot down and said basically no way on Sahnlinn. Or second, they would laugh at him and tell him not to joke so much. Or they could disown him. He shivered to himself. An orphan whose family wasn't dead and just didn't want him.... that was a lonely nightmare. He didn't know if he was willing to risk quite THAT much yet.
But he did find himself liking her more and more as days went on, and winter slowly began to turn to spring. It was warmer out now to where he could work shirtless if he so chose, and as the pond thawed out, that was what he did. He was swimming along, back stroking with his arms and the help of his wings... even if they didn't do much in the water, it felt good to stretch them out. All he wore was a pair of shorts.
He had his head laid back, eyes closed as he floated peacefuly, when he heard a voice.
"You look relaxed".
He nearly swallowed a mouth-full of water as he flapped and paddled his way upright again, water dripping from his wing tips, his hair plastered to his face and neck. He moved it out of the way and saw, surprise surprise, Lily standing on the bank. She wore shorts and a tank top today and it struck him again that she was so very very pale. Her legs were even white. Nice, but very white. She was smiling at him. And she'd cut her hair about a foot, so it just reached the top of her backside. It looked nice.
"Lily! Done with the book already?" He'd loaned her his newest book on magic.
She nodded, and held it up for inspection. 'Fire magic', it was called. She set it down near their favorite tree and just watched him.
He remembered he was shirtless and felt himself blush a little... he wasn't self conscious normally, but she'd never seen him in less than a short sleeved shirt. He walked back up to the shore, giving his wings a few flaps to get excess water off of them, and he heard her shriek with giggles.
"Hey, no splashing!" she laughed. Her eyes tilted up a little when she laughed. He liked that.
He grabbed a towel and began toweling his hair and skin dry. He had a change of clothing in a bag nearby. He almost felt her watching him as he did, and wondered what she was thinking. She had to like him, too, if only as a friend, or she wouldn't hang out with him as much as she did.
The truth was, she did... and a lot like him, she was finding herself wondering why she stared at times. When she wasn't staring at the impressive sillhouette his wings gave him she found herself looking at the rest of him... and she really liked his eyes. They were red like hers. Even just toweling himself dry, she found herself admiring how his mucles moved beneath his skin and where his wings attached to his back there was more muscle. It was when she found herself wondering what his skin felt like that she knew she had a .... well not problem so much as a crush. Not the first time, so it wasn't foreign to her, but what to do about it? That and he was the nicest guy she'd ever met, even for a Telar. He wasn't snobbish. From the sounds of it though his family was.
He caught her staring, and his face burned again.... his skin was nice and dry now. The sun was out and shining warmly, casting her warmth on everything below her, and it came through the tree branches just right enough to cast a single bar of sunshine on her.... it lit up half of her face and hair, making it look like white fire. Gods, she was beautiful to him in that moment.
They stared at each other like that for a few moments. It took him awhile to realize that... she was staring at him for the same reason he was staring at her, and it that moment, without words, both of them knew what the other was thinking. Attraction. He liked her, and she liked him back. He was looking at her face, and she was looking at his bare chestedness and his wings. He bit his lip, and made himself tear his eyes away long enough to pull a shirt on... he went behind the tree to put on pants. It faced the treeline, so he was in no danger of being seen but nontheless he made it quick. He sat down by the base of the tree and felt her sit beside him, quiet. Finally he spoke.
"So... what do we do about this?"
He looked over at her finally, one arm resting on an upraised knee, and she looked at him. She was blushing, making her face look patchy and pink all over, as she had no skin pigment to diffuse it. He thought it was cute.
"...Uhm... I don't know. Your.. family probably won't approve," she almost mumbled. She was blushing very hard now.
He managed a weak laugh. "Hah... no. They more than likely won't".
They stayed silent for a moment more. He thought it was extremely romantic that no words had been needed, but she was human. His parents would never... but then, this was HIS life. His siblings had made good respectable marriages to other Telar... what was one son who chose to date a human? It couldn't hurt... could it? Meanwhile, he was staring at her... the way the sun filtered through the leaves made parts of her hair look fuzzy and golden, like it was on fire, and the curve of her cheek looked soft for something so coldly white.
She was looking at him from under white eyelashes, her eyes a hot berry red color. He managed a small smile. "... I'd ask if you wanted to go out and do something.... but here is nice".
She smiled at that, and nodded. "Yeah... always has been", she replied.
He shook his head, although it was true, this tree by the pond away from the busy city WAS nice.
"I was talking about the view..." he blushed, looking away for a moment. He looked back at her and was surprised to find that she'd shifted a little closer to him. She looked hesitant though, as if she wanted to, but wasn't sure how to go about being closer... he rather knew the feeling. He was thinking of kissing her... he'd known her long enough, and he liked her quite a bit, but there was still the awkwardness of knowing his family would put their foot down firmly. To kiss her would be to defy them.
He just stared at her for a moment, his rational mind finally being beaten down by his emotions, justifying it. He leaned in and ever so gently grazed her lips with his own. He'd never kissed a girl before, but when one owned a computer, one learned things no book could give you. Her mouth was so soft and pliable, and so warm... like a warm room on a cold night. Such sweetness... he paused for a moment, a centimeter away from her mouth to see what she would do. once he saw she wasn't shying away or pushing him back, he resumed it, and this time she returned it.
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
Lily hadn't been expecting the kiss but she'd been trying to think of a good way to avoid awkwardness and do it herself before he did, so it worked out in the end. She almost couldn't believe it. To think she met him by knocking him on his backside in the snow...
His lips were warm to the touch, and he was very gentle about it, not insistent or demanding... sweet. Caring. She liked that. She wasn't surprised to find her shyness all but gone, and herself melting. She took a small breath, and felt him shift slightly, sitting closer and tilting his head somewhat. She felt one of his hands gently touch her hair, and then comb his fingers through it to hold her head. She liked having her hair played with... that relaxed her even more. She didn't want this dream to ever end.
Unfortunately they were being watched.
Gregory DaKoja was watching them, dressed in light armor, like most of the city Guards. He'd been called over to investigate people fishing in the pond, which wasn't allowed within city limits for whatever reason, to find a Telar who looked remarkably like his brother Damien... with a human girl in his arms.
He leaned agained the side of a building, in the shadows enough to avoid detection, his wings folded up behind him, and watched to make absolutely sure it WAS Damien, and not someone who looked like him... after a few seconds there was no mistake. It was his little brother.
He started taking note of details almost immediately, partially to keep in mind when he told their parents and partially because it was his first instinct as a Guard and he did his job well. She had white skin and hair, and he couldn't see her eyes because they were closed... he was kissing her. She looked very thin and delicate. A Mystic perhaps? He didn't see any fishing apparatuses or anything to indicate there was any fishing but he did see a pair of wet shorts... so his brother had been swimming. No law against that.
Smirking to himself at the thought of what his parents would say when he told them, he went about his casual duties. Let him have his fun... for now.
She was so lost in his touches she didn't even know how long they'd been kissing now. He had a hand at the small of her back and the other was still tangled in her hair. One of her hands had gone to his upper chest and the other was helping her keep her weight supported in the grass. She felt a shadow pass over her, and paused a moment to look... he had his wings brought around her slightly to shield the sun from them.
He was breathing slightly hard, and she finally met his eyes again. He smiled, and she felt her face heat up. "Heh.... wow," she bit her lip.
He looked at how they were positioned, and gently let her go, pulling his wings back around. "Yeah... I've... never done that before," he confessed.
She smiled and licked at her lips. He could have fooled her. She didn't say that, though.
He looked back at her, and began to re-dress his feet. He had big feet. "So... ah, do you want to go somewhere else?" he asked. Maybe a movie would be good... or perhaps to the coast? The beach should be nice this time of year.
She was blushing so hard her face looked like it was painted a dark pink. "Definitely..... but don't we do a lot of stuff together already?" she wondered.
He smiled a bit. "Well then we can just do what we always do".
And so he dug out a book on magic. He didn't expect her to put her hand on the page and give him a sarcastic, amused look. He shut it with a laugh.
"Okay, beach it is".
The beach was a little chilly, so he took her to get a warmer coat, first... something similar to his, but not Telar, or so magical. It looked nice on her, though. She pulled her hair off to the side, and they walked across the sand barefooted, shoes in hand. It was cool, but nice... and the sea breeze only added to the lovely ambiance. They talked about a bit more than just magic, and it was there he learned that her parents had been killed when she was four. It was something she wasn't entirely sure on, because her sister never talked about it, but it was unfortunate. Her father had been a war hero in the day.
He gave her a few playful lessons in swordplay, using bits of driftwood found on the beach, and she lost exquisitely... by the time they wiped the sand from their feet and left for their respective homes it was approaching dark and they were both pink-cheeked (her so more than him) and looked happy. He had a really nice time.... it never happened much anymore these days.
He walked her home first, because it was on the way, and for a moment didn't want to go.
"You have to..." she smiled ruefully, up at him. She bit her lip a bit, and he heard a voice behind her, what could only be her older sister Jillian. Before she could see him do it, he leaned in, and gave his white-haired companion a brief, but sweet kiss on the lips. She smiled, still blushing. Hell he was still getting used to it.. but he liked it.
"Heh... I'll see you tomorrow, Lily," he made a small bow. She giggled for some reason.
"You too...".
He left, turning briskly on his heel, and headed for the manor home he shared with his family. He was in good spirits for a change... the air was clean and pleasantly warm, hinting at a hot summer, and his heart felt light for a change... until he heard a voice behind him. He had no trouble recognizing it.
"You are SO busted".
He turned and saw a city Guard... or rather his older brother Gregory. Damien felt his face pale.
".... for what this time? I haven't broken any laws", he replied, wary of his tone. If his brother was still on duty he could still technically charge him with whatever he saw fit so long as he was justified. Blood didn't always run thicker than water where brothers were concerned.
His brother fell in step behind him.
"I saw you with that human mystic woman," he was grinning. His face plate hid his cheek bones but he knew he was smirking.
"...She's not a mystic. She's albino. It's a skin condition," he corrected him. Gregory made a face.
"Oh how deplorable. So it's a sympathy thing, then?" his voice didn't merit it as an honest question. He was being quite rude.
He had to keep his temper, though or Gregory might go running to Mother and Father about it and then he'd be in real trouble.
"No... if you must know, I rather like her," he folded his arms. They had reached the gates, and Gregory punched in the code for him. His dark eyes were narrowed with something like suspicion.
"If you're dating her seriously you know mother and father need to know... and they won't approve. End it now, or tell them" he warned him.
"Or what?"
Greg just stared at him. "Or I'll tell them myself. So behave, won't you?" and he grinned and headed back off into the city.
Oh that dirty... of all the things! Now his older brother was all but blackmailing him! But he had no choice now... it was either contemplate ways to break it to his parents that he wanted to date Lily, or avoid it and let them find out in the worst way possible... through word of his older brother. And that would make it seem (at least to them) that he knew it'd get him in trouble so he had been TRYING to avoid them... which would get him into more trouble. This sucked. So much for a good mood... but then he remembered her kisses as he walked through the front door, and Gregory's threats didn't seem to matter much.
He avoided the butler, and his mother's Familiar, which was a black fox, and returned to his own room, to think. What was a good second date? A movie seemed nice, but the dark room would tempt him too much to want to kiss her again. And her skin was so warm... just the memory of it made him smile and want to hug her again. For such a small woman, she was squishy.
He gave himself a mental slap and started preparing for bed, and everything that entailed. He also had his brother's words on his mind. If he didn't tell their parents, then he WOULD.... and that would be bad. Almost as bad as going behind their backs. But he knew what their answer would be.... a solid, uncompromising NO. For various reasons.
He sighed as he climbed into bed.... it was something to mull over, but in the meantime... he had thoughts of Lily to content himself. That first kiss was something he didn't think he'd ever forget.
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
The next couple of dates went for the most part without incident. He took her to the movies, to the beach again, and their third one they just spent with their bare feet hung in their favorite pond under the shade of their favorite tree and snuggled. His brother caught him again halfway through that one.
He'd been sitting behind her, gently 'paying attention' to the side of her soft, warm little throat, alterntively kissing her, when he'd heard his brother's voice yet again where it wasn't wanted. He wasn't in his armor this time, which meant he wasn't on duty. He had their father's dark red hair and red eyes. He wore a wine red jacket with a black silk shirt underneath, and a lacy crevat was folded neatly over his chest. He had his arms folded and didn't look amused.
"So... still haven't told them, have you?"
He felt Lily stiffen in his arms, and he held her consolingly, whispering a comforting word to her. He stared his brother in the eye.
"No... I've been thinking of how to", he replied.
Gregory eyed the woman for a moment. He made a soft noise of disbelief.
"Falling for a human.... mother and father will be furious," there was the barest hint of a smirk on his face. Damien felt his temper rise. Not only was he baiting him and acting badly in front of Lily, but he was threatening to tell them again!
"I'll tell them when I go home tonight, Gregory.... please leave us be," he tried to be polite about it.
Gregory looked over Lily then, and then back to his brother, then back to Lily.
"No you won't," he said matter-of-factly. And he turned and muttered a spell in the Ancient language. He spread his wings, and he flew off. Damien just sighed and buried his face in Lily's neck and shoulder. "Hmph," he mumbled.
"I guess your parents are very traditional?" she guessed.
He nodded, and brushed her hair back... so soft and warm. He had to bury his face in it for a moment. Pillows couldn't be softer. "Yeah... they are", he admitted.
"Oh," was all she said.
They stayed quiet like that for a time further, in which it was mostly spent nuzzling and cuddling, until the sun began to go down. It was time for him to go and face the music as they said. Gregory was bound to have told their parents by now. He was bound to catch 31 flavors of hell once he walked onto the property, he was sure.
Lily seemed to sense some of his apprehension, because she turned to him and kissed his cheek. Her voice was quiet, though she wasn't as shy now as she had been before.
"Do you want to come to my place and just hang out so you don't have to go back right away?"
He smiled, and graced her lips with another kiss. "No... the longer I put it off the worse it will be. Maybe they won't mind, who knows," he shrugged, although his words were more for her benefit, he had an idea of what awaited him in terms of everything.
She looked slightly downcast, so he tilted her chin up, gently, and kissed her again. That never got old... he could kiss her until the end of all things and it wouldn't inconvenience him any. But all good things must come to an end and the sun was bookin' it tonight, as Lily had once said. It had made him laugh, so now he used every excuse to use it himself.
He moved his wings out from around her and carefully got to his feet, before helping her up. She came easily... she'd been losing a little weight... she was now no more bigger than an average female Telar in terms of weight. He didn't think that was good, as she was human, but she seemed healthy. Maybe it was normal.
She bit her lip, then. "Should I go with you, or stay away?"
"Stay away.... go home," he said quickly, and without hesitation. If she showed up there with him, there was a chance his parents would try to scare her off, and she was quite sensitive. He didn't want to upset her more than was necessary.
She looked a little disappointed, but he kissed her forehead and tipped her chin up with the end of one gentle wing. "I'll call you after the riot act is done, alright? Promise," he reassured her. She smiled at him, and he knew she wouldn't protest.
He walked with her back into the street and hailed a cabby to take her back to her home, before he himself took to the sky. It was faster than walking, and he could work off some of the nerves already twisting his stomach. Focusing on flying took his mind off other things anyway.
His family's estate covered a decent one and a half acres and it was surrounded on most sides by trees, so it was shady where it was pleasant, and sunny where it was also very nice. The driveyway was guarded by a gate, but that was easy enough to bypass. He landed an alright distance away from the house itself, straightening out his clothing, before heading up towards the doors.
It was a large, lavish looking old building, three floors, wood, painted a pleasant heliotrope color with white siding. It had been kept up nicely, so unlike Lily's more humble home, it looked almost new. He hoped to get in and avoid detection, but it was too late.
His parents were waiting for him.
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
His father had dark red hair and the same eyes, and Damien himself was about the same height as he was, but his father struck a more impressive figure... Damien wasn't quite sure what it was, but regardless the look on his face didn't fool him. To a casual observer, he looked regal and passive, as if he were waiting for a bus. Damien knew better.... he wasn't very pleased, but he would probably be willing to hear it from him versus Gregory before he started in on him. His clothing was very traditional, right down to the crevat. All he was missing was a monocle, and the only reason for that was he wore glasses. His long hair was slicked back.
His mother had a similar look to her face, but she was more anxious. She was already in her night clothes, a long, classy robe pulled over them much like a dress. She said his name as he approached.
"Mother," he nodded back.
His parents led him inside, where he saw his older brother already seated dressed in an evening shirt made of soft cotton and black slacks. He wore slippers and an expression that looked like he was about to sit down to dinner and a show. The scoundrel... he was enjoying this.
"So... Gregory has interesting news... regarding you. And a particular young woman," his father began.
Gregory smirked from his seat over on the couch. The entire home was furbished in red or violet furniture, with wooden accents, and a great fireplace took up on corner of the living area. The carpet was thick and off-white and the walls were lined in silk wallpaper. It had always been home to him.
He took a seat and tried to look half as dignified as the rest of his family present.
"Ah... yes. Her name is Lily Ann Rowan," he replied, figuring he may as well be honest.
"A human? Damien, darling... " his mother began, but a polite hand from his father made her nod and go silent, respectfully but not forcefully.
"Yes, mother, a human. I didn't intend for it... we ran into each other last winter, and became good friends. I rather like her," he began, but again his father cut him off. He took his glasses off and rubbed at the bridge between his eyes.
"Damien... when your mother and I encouraged you to find an interest and think about taking your life somewhere, we didn't mean outside the species. And the woman is ... what was it? Albino? Damien, do you even know what that is?"
"I am well aware," he replied somewhat coldy.
"Don't take that tone with your father, Damien. Our rules are in place for a GOOD reason," his mother cut in abruptly. Despite the house coat and the long nightgown, she wasn't to be taken lightly. Finally a good excuse to let his feelings out for a change. He might have overdone it though.
"For a good reason? Mother, I'm not LIKE all of you! You live in the past, you've all stayed 'traditional' ... I'm sick of living like it's 300 years ago! Gregory and Isabella made good, respectable marriages, why can't I live my own life as I wish? Let them have the spotlight... it isn't who I am, and it's not what I want!"
His pulse raced after that little outburst and they all sort of stared at him. He thought 'great, now I've done it... I'm in for it now'. His father looked like he'd never seen him properly before.
"...I'm warning you now, son. The road you are thinking of taking is a very long and lonely one. Make the right choices. As you say, we 'live in the past'. Any good, decent Telar lives like we live. The people out there don't. They are not US. If you do not honor this family, your past AND present then you will have no future."
His blood went a little cold at that. He wasn't... surely he wouldn't-?
".. father. You don't mean... you wouldn't,..".
"Do not tell me what I would and wouldn't do, young man. I'm telling you now, END it. Break off this thing with your human friend, or we'll make arrangements to send you to a private school in Gants. Away from her," Giovanni threatened.
The bottom promptly fell out of his stomach. Gants? Surrounded on all sides by mountains and harsh terrain, and so very far from here? And a private school where Lily would undoubtedly not be allowed to see him. This was almost worse than disownment! His face paled, and he swallowed. If he didn't do as he said, he had no doubt they would ship him to Gants. But he couldn't end it... he searched for a moment for a reason why he just COULDN'T, and bit his lip. Why couldn't he? He would be throwing everything away if he kept this up and his family cast him out. The only simple answer he could think of was that he loved her.
He licked his lips and swallowed again. ".... I can't. I know you speak the truth, and it's for a reason, but I just.... I can't end it. I love her".
"Damien, we have very good relations with the humans, and we're on very good terms as a species, but your father is right... they aren't us. This woman by the sounds of it is unhealthy, and she has a HEREDITARY skin condition... a non-magical one. Think of our bloodlines! Pure Telar for hundreds upon hunreds of years... you would break with that and sully it for one red-eyed human??"
The eyes of his father were upon him,... an unwilling one way ticket to Gantz seemed to loom over his head if Damien chose the wrong thing to say next.
"Well, it's not like I'm asking to marry her or give her my children, we're simply dating for the moment. But I mean it. I do love her... I would end it, as you say, father, but I can't...," he trailed off. He had to avert his eyes now... he didn't like the look either of his parents were giving him.
"...You mean it unconditionally? Nothing I will say could change your mind on that score?"
He bit his lip, double thinking it, and shook his head. He knew he was being stupid, and sealing his metaphorical doom, but he couldn't take it back. He didn't like lying to himself.
"No...".
The air in the room seemed to stiffen. Would he disown him right then and there? Or send him to Gants?
"Sleep tonight. Tomorrow pack your belongings. I'll make arrangements up north to send you to school in Gants. I'm sorry, Damien... it pains me to send you away from our home, but you have to be made to see reason," he almost sounded apologetic. "I don't want to disown you... but if this charade with the defective human woman keeps up, you'll give me no choice. Do you understand?"
"...Yes, sir," he muttered. He stood, under the assumption that this 'meeting' was over with. He didn't hear anyone start up the wooden staircase after him. The familiar carved wood of the banister under his hand felt warm and familiar. Like home. Someplace Gants wasn't. How on Sahnlinn was he going to tell Lily?
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
He was so upset by the time he got up to his room that he forgot to call Lily and tell her anything. His room was done mostly in shades that most likely previous occupants had chosen. Grey and white satin wallpaper and a charcoal colored rug. His four post bed had thick white hangings that he rarely ever used. He'd tacked up posters of his favorite bands here and there. He had his own peresonal desktop computer sitting on a mahogany work desk in the corner, next to some of his favorite books. His books on magic sat on a shelf mounted to the wall.
He looked around for a moment, memorizing things that didn't need memorizing. Tomorrow, he didn't know what time, Gants would be his new 'home' away from home. Sure he'd be learning new things, things to better himself, but on the downside... no Lily. No more hanging out by their favorite tree reading passages from books on magic. No more... anything he enjoyed about being with her. He shook his head. He'd done this to himself, really. But despite the consequences, he didn't regret it. He couldn't... as much as he cared for Lily, regretting it would be unfair to her.
He pulled out his phone and called her. She picked up on the third ring.
"Damien," she greeted him. She sounded happy to hear from him.
"Lily..." his voice sounded much less happy, though he was always glad to hear her voice.
She must have noticed.
"Damien? What's wrong? What did they say?"
He paused for a moment.
"No, obviously, but that's not the worst of it..." he prepared to break it to her.
"... What could be worse than no? Oh! They didn't .... you know...?" she meant disown him. He shook his head though she couldn't see. He'd told her all about the possibilities before.
"No... they're sending me north, Lily... they're shipping me to Gants. Away from you," he clenched his fist with emotion.
She was silent for a moment.
"WHAT?! That's so unfair! Why??"
He shook his head again.
"I've told you why, Lily... they think it's unpure.. it's not traditional. In their eyes you'd infect the family line.... we have no problems with humans, but you won't find many hybrids, and this is why... it's indecent, to more traditional people," he explained shortly. He punched his pillow to get out a bit of frustration.
"It's no use," he continued, "they're going to ship me north sometime tomorrow, and I can't stop them, unless I... Unless we end this. But I can't... ".
She was silent again for a moment, and even over the phone he seemed to get a bit of tension.
"Why? If it's for you... and so you don't have to move north... ,".
It was tell her, or let her think she was at fault for his troubles.
"I can't, because I ah... I love you," he managed to get out. He felt himself blushing, but it made him feel better to imagine HER face. It was probably as red as a barn door.
He didn't know what she was going to say, but he didn't expect what she said.
"...I know... I uh... um... I ah...,"
He couldn't stop from grinning. Was she going to say it...
"Just say it... it's alright...".
"I um.. I love you too... but... it's not worth it, they're sending you away from Winter Water... I don't have a way to get up there to visit you... I could never afford a carriage,..." she trailed off.
He sighed and shoved his hair out of his face. "...I don't know I.. I'll think of something... but
I just wanted you to know, if I don't get to see you before... That I, you know...,"
"Loved me,".
"Yeah... You have my number... and my Innerwebs address... I'm bringing my computer with me, if I can... "
"Yeah... " Suddenly there was a voice in the background. Her sister Jilly was talking to her,
though he couldn't hear what she was saying.
"Have to go?"
"Yeah... I have work tomorrow morning. A special gig, singing at a wedding," he could hear her
smile. He smiled back at her.
"What kind?"
"Telar," she replied. He wished he could watch her, even if he wasn't invited to the ceremony... he bet she looked stunning in a nice dress, and he loved her voice. Must be a REALLY special gig for her... since most of the functions she played were in pubs. Maybe she was moving up.
"I should go too... I have packing to do. I'll try and come by to see you off... but if not... I love you," he was getting more used to saying it now, still blushing.
He hung up, and looked around again. He may as well start packing... he unhooked his computer, took his clothes from his closet and began to fold them. He had a lot of traditional outfits, some casual formal ones, and some just staight up casual... he'd need more traditional ones in Gants. He wasn't looking forward to leaving... and maybe it'd be better if he didn't try to see Lily one last time before he left. It might make it harder to go.
Tomorrow was going to be a loooonnng day.
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
Lily couldn't believe it... three days later, and no Damien, she still couldn't believe it.
They'd sent him away... too far away for her to follow while still being realistic. And he'd said he loved her... she believed him. She'd never been in love before, but it felt... right. Like what she'd ever read about. It really wasn't fair, but his family wasn't her business and she had no right to just ask them nicely.... what would she say, "please"?
With him gone, though it was just work as usual... get up, wait until nightfall, or evening and go to sing in whatever venues she had for the evening, walk back home. She didn't have a lot of friends. The ones she did have suggested she leave him, or else get out and have some fun, but shewasn't a very social type... she'd play in the clubs, but she couldn't hang there in her off time for long before she felt a little cut off. She hadn't realized just how... drab her life was before she ran into him. Literally, she'd found herself thinking with a smile.
Her sister didn't fail to miss anything, especially when she was starting to lose weight again.
She wasn't a sickly woman, and she wasn't ill... she just lost weight depending on her state of mind sometimes. She was worried and stressed... so she wasn't eating much lately. Jilly and she had gotten into an argument over her weight just the last week. She'd weighed in at one hundred pounds even, a little too thin for a woman of her height. Lily had insisted there was nothing wrong. And Jilly, as was her innate ability, had seen right through it and hit it on the nose. She missed Damien.
"DO something else with yourself!!" she had yelled.
The truth was, she just didn't lead that much of an exciting life. She wasn't a clubby person, she preferred quiet hobbies. But they just weren't as much fun alone anymore. It sucked.
She kept up communication with him as much as possible, of course. He'd decided to take up his mage studies again, to become a better healer, and Gants was cold as hell, according to him. She Instant messaged him on the Innerwebs as often as she could and as a result often 'forgot' to eat. It didn't bother her... she wasn't getting sick. She was fine as long as she could talk to him when she was able to. They still hadn't figured out a way to get her up to see him... he claimed his parents had put her name and general description down on the 'do not allow to see' list. She'd debated dying her hair with a potion, but that quickly got shot down. Anything but white would look atrocious, and moreover, faked.
Two months after he left, and well into the summer months, she was heading back home from work, but not exactly thrilled. She was absentmindedly writing in a small journal with her head bowed as she took slow steps down the sidewalk. It took her past a park she had shared many days with Damien in, but she didn't look up like she usually did, even when she heard Feliniks and other children playing. Someone could run into her, and she probably wouldn't notice.
Until she bumped into something too big to fall over.
"Mmph," she mumbled stupidly, and looked up to see a long white snout and thick, sleek white hair.
She'd run into an old Apolarin.
"Mmmn... sorry. I wasn't looking," she managed to mumble. Normally she'd be apologizing up and down, but she just... wasn't in much of a mood these days. Her voice came out small and a little lighter than usual. Along with the lethargy and just plain inability to get into anything more than necessary, her voice wasn't as strong as it had been. She could still sing, but she rarely talked unless she had to anymore. She just couldn't remember being this unhappy.
The furred man looked down at her, and when he spoke it was with a deep, gravelly tone. He was a bit older.
"Hmmph. Obviously. You might try walking with your eyes in front of you. You tend not to fall over that way,".
She took a step back to get a better look at him. He WAS a it older. He wore a tank top and shorts, and there were numerous twisted scars across his arms and snout. The fur there hadn't grown back entirely, showing up charcoal-ish colored. He was peering at her with opaque black eyes, looking her up and down. He gave an amused smirk and a huff.
"Though running into a strong wind would knock YOU over, little one," he chuckled. She wasn't sure if he was joking around or being serious. He was odd...
"... I'm sorry. I'm just... lot going on. Not myself lately...," she sighed, looking around. The sun was shining bright despite it being close to evening and it made her skin and hair tone look all the more white and her eyes more of a berry red.
The man just tilted his head slightly at her and sniffed.
"That much is obvious...". He looked away from her for a moment, as if thinking on something, and then looked back at her. She was such a tiny little thing, even compared to him, and so frail and white... even a cub could have knocked her over by mistake. He wondered what could have such a small, delicate thing like her moody enough to run into something as big as him with an excuse like 'I didn't see you '. That, and no matter how much he tried to deny it, he was older, his friends had mostly died during the Iron Veil and frankly he had nothing better to do.
"Not that it's my business but I'll ask anyway. What's troubling you, then, that you don't see a big dummy like ME coming at you?"
She looked up at him curiously then. What did he care? But she wasn't in a rush to go back home, and she HAD run into him... well, walked more like. It wouldn't hurt anything, and he did look interesting to talk to. She shook her head and put her journal in her bag, before pulling her hair away from her face. There was a lot of it, and it wasn't brushed very thoroughly.
She sat down on a nearby park bench, and began to talk... she explained more or less everything, excluding the more personal bits that he didn't necessarily need to know.
"And my sister's... concerned. I've been losing a lot of weight... not interested in much besides talking to him and my job..." she trailed off.
The sun had begun to go down a bit as they talked there on that bench. All he did was listen for the most part, or nod in understanding and motion for her to go on. The sun was a bright orange ball in the sky now, and it lit everything on fire or so it seemed. He wasn't a big 'relationships' person, but not for nothing had he lived to be this old. (in point of fact he was only 42).
"Why not take a carriage? There are some who go as far as Gants," he pointed out.
She sighed and shook her head.
"None that would go far enough for what I could pay them for... I'm a singer. I live mosly paycheck to paycheck, and my sister would never let me out of the City for long on my own..." she looked most unhappy about this.
If he had friends still, he might have offered to call one of them and ask if they could do him a favor, but he didn't have his friends any more... and Gants hadn't been home to him in a long long while. The subject of it served two purposes... it made him a little sad, thinking back on old times, and smewhere in the back of his mind, it sounded like a ... good excuse to go back. Hell, he was old enough to have earned the right to do what he wanted without people judging him for it...and she was such a tiny, sad thing, trapped here away from her man. He also had the feeling thatsomewhere beneath her shy, quiet exterior, on the inside someplace she would decide to go alone....
and she didn't really put off an air of being able to fend for herself.
So he made his proposition.
She was apprehensive at first, but it was quickly replaced with.... fire. A burning need to do what needed to be done. A desire to get off her skinny butt and DO something. Not sit here and pine for him like a lost puppy. So it didn't take her long to agree to what he suggested.
His name was Durthen Noll, and he was a war veteran who, by the stories he told here and there, didn't have much more of a life now than she did.He was, he said, a lonely bear whose daily life mostly consisted of reading and wandering, enjoying the weather when it was nice. He was also a tad on the sarcastic side. He was most unlike anyone else she'd ever met. He was gruff and smartass one minute and slightly nostalgic and gentle the next. She knew better than to be afraid of him because he was so much bigger. She didn't think he'd hurt her.
When she got home, she didn't bother telling her sister anything. She had already arranged it with Durthen. She packed her clothing, both warm and cool because she didn't know what she'd need.
She knew Gants was reputed to be cold, but better safe than sorry. She took her phone, purse, guitar bag (you never knew) and sketch pad. She wasn't a terrific artist, and couldn't draw much from imagination, but sometimes she doodled when she was bored.
She had a duffel bag slung across her shoulder too full to walk straight, and her guitar bag across the other to balance it out a little. She left a note for her sister.
'Met a new friend. We're trekking to Gants. Don't send anyone after me, new friend is very big. I'll be fine. Phone is off'.
It wasn't, really, but she didn't feel like having Jilly rain on her parade.
"You ready?"
He was waiting out there with a carriage drawn by two large horses. There was no driver, so she assumed they belonged to him. It was reinforced by the large bags up on top of said carriage.
She came down the steps and nodded, struggling to get her bags off, and snickering to himself, the eight foot mass of white fur and scars plucked them from her as easily as a kid picking the flies off a wing. She looked up at him with a mock-angry face.
"I had it," she whined, trying not to smirk.
"No you didn't" he replied casually, and he hopped up into the driver's seat as easily as a monkey climbing a tree.
She couldn't help but laugh as she climbed into the main part of the carriage. She was going to Gants, her sister couldn't stop her and she would be alone with a friend for the first time in her adult life... on the road, never knowing what would come next. Even with her gloomy mood lately, now she was excited.
"Ready to shove off? Or did you wanna stop and smell the roses?" he asked through the front of the carriage. She smirked.
"Let's hit the road,"
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
The dark-haired woman who found Lily's note was as far from amused as a roller coaster crash in an amusement park. It told her everything and yet explained far too little for her liking. If it had just said "will be back soon", it would have been fine-ish, but she said nothing of coming back.... just that her 'new friend was very big'. What the hell did that mean?? And don't call her? Hah, she'd just see about THAT.
Jilly Rowan threw her pocket book down on the couch and clawed at her pocket for her phone to call her sweet baby sister and demand an explanation. She would hound that girl until her battery ran dry, so help her. She let it ring... and ring... and ring. She either wasn't picking up or she was ignoring her. Oooooh, that did it. She waited to hear a voicemail option, and let her have it.
"Lily Ann Rowan, you call me back as SOON as you get this, and tell me what the hell is going on... Who's this 'new friend', and what exactly do you plan on doing once you get there?! I'm SORRY, they don't want you dating their son, it's sad, but don't push it!! Get your happy ass back here as soon as possible. I'll give it a a few days, and I'm calling the Guards."
She hung up, fuming. Of all the things-! It wasn't a problem she'd gone off to Gants to see her boyfriend, no she wasn't that much of a hardass. But it WAS a day's ride unless you went by train and an old issue had her wary of trains since she was a girl. Cheap or not Lily didn't like going near them anymore. No, SHE had a problem with the fact that she didn't know who or WHAT she was traveling with, (an image of her sister getting chummy with a Magnuri made her stomach churn), the fact that she evidently didn't want her, Jilly, knowing about anything, and... something else. Her own plans. Lily fit into them like a shoe... everything she had done, everything she'd sacrified growing up, had been for her.... in preparation for plans she'd had in motion since their parents had died.
And if Lily wasn't here when Jilly decided to put them into motion, .... she had two reasons. One, it would give her an allibi in case autorities showed up, and she'd be able to watch the house and keep an eye on Mur, but also... call it human nature, call it one last shred of humanity, but she almost wanted Lily to find out about it all and stop her somehow. But there was no stopping what she had in mind...
It had taken her years... hours and hours of research, of digging, and years of toiling away, destroying herself in ways no one would understand...
She sighed and flopped down onto the couch, lost in thought now... 12 years old. The night she had walked downstairs and towards the porch where she knew their father liked to sit in the dying sunlight and smoke his pipe. A stranger had come, a dark figure with dark hair. She hadn't recognized him.... but after he killed him, she put his face in her memory. Eyes as dark as night and high, chiseled cheeks. Scruff. Human. Assassin. To make it worse, her mother, who'd been gardening, had come around.... he'd killed her, too. Before she'd even been able to run out and fight him herself, he'd been gone.... and she'd had to try and explain to a scared, white-faced little girl that mommy and daddy couldn't ever come home again.
Even after the war she couldn't remember, because she'd been a year old when it ended, Lily hadn't been old enough to understand. She'd been a fragile, delicate child with shoulder length hair that formed tight little ringlets and huge sad eyes... how should she have known how to tell a child like that, that their parents were gone? That they couldn't tell her a bedtime story anymore, or their spirits tuck her into bed? She hadn't been able to... and she definitely hadn't been able to tell her the truth, that it had been murder, not an accident like she'd said. Murder records were public, but Lily hadn't had reason to doubt her. Jilly knew she'd never looked.
It was another reason she never let her on the third floor. That was where she kept all their things... their clothes and what jewelry and furniture she'd managed to stop from selling, growing up, and all of her research, her notes.... her will.
The years hadn't been easy, she remembered. People knew she'd been only 12... not old enough to support a small child. They'd bothe been swept away to an Orphanage and stayed there for a couple of years, until someone wanted to adopt Lily.... Lily had been terrified, clung to Jilly, and Jilly had politely put her foot down. Even then she'd been pushy. Lily was all the family she had left, she'd said, and she wasn't losing her, too. So they'd both been adopted, by a nice human couple who couldn't have their own children. They'd been nice enough, but adjusting had been difficult, and especially so for Lily, who's skin condition made playtime harder than it needed to be. People picked on her, and when she had come to her rescue, she'd been beat up a lot for standing out like that... and because she was bossy even then.
Their adoptive parents had passed away when Jilly turned 23. Lily had been 15, and so Jilly adopted her herself, and they'd moved back into their parent's old place. Jilly hadn't told Lily this, but Jilly actually owned both houses now legally... through inheritence since she'd been the oldest 'living relative'.
Nearly everything she made went to Lily. To feed them, cloth her, keep her happy.... and once she was old enough to sell her first book, begin to prepare her for a life on her own... alone.
The war of the Iron Veil taught her how to distust, and how to hate. The news it brought home every day had been bad but the things she'd seen had been worse. After her parent's murders, she'd learned to become what she swore never to associate with. She'd taught herself magic.... it was the only explanation for how the killer had got away so stealthily, and brute force alone couldn't go up against powerful magic and win.... she'd had to become her enemy, to defeat it, and that was what she'd done. Since entering the Orphanage, all the way up until a few years ago now, she'd been planning revenge.... and now it was almost ready.
Some would call it cold.... some would call her damaged, or tormented... but Jilly was bitter, and cold on the inside... all the happiness, to her had been sucked out a long time ago, and she knew VERY well that what she was planning would most likely get her thrown in prison, or worse killed. She expected it. Completely. It was a very good chance now that if Lily didn't return soon, she wouldn't see her again. Or if she did it would be in a casket. But Jilly was all about a plan.... and she had one.
She tucked her legs under her and put her dark hair back in a loose tail, and thought to herself again. She had everything set. Her will had been updated to include everything.... this house, and that of the Pennay's, the home she'd inherited when their adoptive parents passed away. It was clear on the other side of Winter Water. Everything she owned, everything she'd worked for.... it would all go to Lily. Assuming she could be deemed 'mentally subnormal', so it wasn't seen as premeditated. Those bastards would try and keep everything from her sister if they knew she (jilly) fully planned to die for this cause. Non-accidental death and all that. But she had a plan.
She'd accessed everything about her parent's murder as she was allowed to see, and that coupled with her memory, coupled with the names of all the Assassins in the Guild at the time.... she'd come to her conclusions and taken her plan from there. The man had a schedule... he was not a ghost, much as he may pretend. She knew him, and saw him, in her dreams, in her nightmares, in her thoughts. She was ready for him now. There could be no running, and there would be no mercy... for him, or anyone who got in her way. She'd spent years shutting off her deeper emotions so she could do this.... it was time they payed off.
She would have liked to let Lily see her one last time, but the man she was after would be coming through town again soon, and Lily just had the worst timing... she hoped whatever Gods were out there, Ahn, the ancient ones, spirits.... or even all of them; she hoped they would forgive her for this... everything she'd ever done had been for her little sister and for her parents. She would avenge them, and let their spirits rest at last if it killed her. She couldn't wait for Lily.
It was time to get to work.
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
While Jilly went about starting her downfall, and her sister's immediate future, Lily and her newest friend were headed North along the main road led by his two horses. Their hooves quickly became comforting background noise, and Lily had long since joined him up topside.... being alone in the carriage was boring.
The horses weren't the only hooved things around them.
A pure white Hipipinin deer was idly trotting alongside them, a doe with odd silvery eyes and grey pupils. It's dainty hooves made less sound than the horses, and Lily was used to seeing it at odd intervals, but it was clear Durthen was confused.
"You have a familliar?"
She looked around at the doe again, and shook her head.
"No... not really. Rather, I've never been Familiarized with an animal. That deer just... follows me around sometimes. I've no idea why," she smiled, watching the graceful creature. It's sleek fur looked inviting, but Lily had always been afraid to pet her for fear of making her run away.
"Reminds me of you.... all white," he sniffed. He didn't much like deer... unless it was on the menu. Useless jumpy things, they were. Good only for eating, but they were too fast for him nowadays anyway.
At any rate the trip was going pretty uneventful aside from a broken wheel.... he'd changed that himself, while the horses figeted like the nervous beasts they were. They worked well in team, though. A lost deer was the least of his concerns.
They'd chosen a nice time to leave Winter Water... it was approaching fusk, but not quite dark yet, so the roads were fairly quiet and the sounds of the wildlife were extremely relaxing. He loved the smell of the trees and the wind, and if he blocked out the sound of a train in the distance he almost fancied that this was all there was.... just wildlife. He was feeling extremely at peace with the world, which was a rare thing for him. He looked sideways and saw a look of similar contentment on the face of his new traveling companion.
He heard her stomach growl, and laughed.
"Didn't have dinner?" he guessed. Come to think of it he was kind of hungry too... he tried not to look at her deer 'friend', whos fur seemed to glow in the coming moonlight. He noticed her try to ignore it, but she wasn't fooling anyone. He directed the horses off onto a side road and began heading towards one of the local villages outside of Winter Water, a placed called Tourn. (pronounmced too-wern)
"Where are we going?" she asked then. Had she seriously never been outside Winter Water??
"A village called Tourn... you're hungry and so am I.... get us some food," he replied. The white Hipipinin cantered a bit ahead of the horses, making one of them whinny at her, but the doe paid them no mind. Tourn was one of the 'bigger villiages... they would have a pub or two open, and places with food. They kind of counted on people leaving the Imperial City to stop in on the way out and grab whatever, so it flourished well enough. Last stop destination for anything before hitting farmland.
The road was quiet, and still... his eyesight sucked even with the glasses, but it was good enough to see that the white furred deer was more or less leading the way, so he followed her. He was a stubborn bastard.... he refused to get newer glasses.
"I really do apprecite the ride...." she said quietly.
"Say that one more time and I'll dump you off on the side of the road to go it alone," he joked. He wouldn't really, but he was in a good mood so he decided to have a little fun. Looking sideways, he saw her looking at him, deciding if he was serious or not.
"Oh, come on, I wouldn't do that. I was joking."
"Kinda hard to tell when you're joking and being serious," she admitted. That made him laugh.
"So it still works," he chuckled. The village was coming up into sight now. They had hard-packed dirt roads that were easy to navigate, and lamp posts on all night so even night owls could find their way. A lot of the houses were one or two stories and generally made of wood. A lot of humans and Felinik lived here.
He parked the carriage someplace out of the way, and tethered up the horses. The village kept fresh feed in such rest places as this, so they would be fine. He loosened their harnesses in case they wanted to lie down, and he stretched with a growl tjhat made them whinny nervously.
"Oh hush," he rolled his eyes and pet one of them, before nodding to a pub across the road. There were a few horses outside, and the lights were on in it, so it must be open. He smelled food, and his owns stomach growled.
"Come on....," he motioned. She was already following him, though. The deer that was following her, on the other hand, decided to wait for them just outside.
"Suit yourself, but I get to eat hot food," Lily told her. He thought she was joking.
The inside was surprisingly full... he wondered, at this time of evening, but he paid it no mind. There was Telar woman and a Magnuri male over near a corner, surrounded by a gaggly of mainely humans, but a few Feliniks, and he wondered, briefly what the deal was, but his stomach came before curiosity.
"Four steaks, medium rare," he told the barman. He looked to Lily to see what she wanted.
"Mmm... I'll just have a burger and some fries," she shrugged. She went to get some money out of her purse, but he shook his head and laid his own down. She blushed bright pink, but didn't say anything.
From over in the corner there was much laughter, in particular a harsh, female one, and he looked over again, listening for a moment. The flame-haired Telar woman was talking loudly, drinking, and her Magnuri , dare he think it, FRIEND, had his arm round her shoulder and a tankard in the other hand.
"So I wake up in an alley, NAKED, NO underwear... I's like 'the hell?!' I Liked those ones...An' then! Hahaha, an' THEN, I run into him an' he's got'em!! " she was laughing. The lizard man beside her was simultaneously laughing and ..... wow. Blushing. Didn't see that every day. But he joined in, at least.
"How many Mags can wake up naked an' have pan... ah... pannies on the'r heads," he laughed. "AN' by th'way... I hate y'er friend... she's a real...*hic*... real bitch...," he grinned. His speech was a lot more slurred than his friend's were. Maybe he'd had more to drink, or maybe Magnuri just got drunk faster? Whatever the case... he shook his head at their overloud conversation, and the laughter that was following it. By the sounds of it, the two had ended up in bed together somehow, due to the admonistrations of one of the Telar woman's 'friends', and a generous ammount of booze.
"They've been in here all afternoon, on their way to Winter Water... band out of Verall, I think, punk rock or something.... kinda well known, so I hear. Just the two of them, though, her and her Magnuri buddy there... you want a drink?" asked the barman. He had a scruffy beard, a dark red apron and a relatively cheerful look about him.
"Just the two of them in a band?" Lily wondered, looking over.
He knew she was a singer, so it was natural she'd have an interest in the music world, but two-membered bands were uncommon. Perhaps the woman sang as well as played.
"Yeah, that's how I've heard it so far, anyway. People have been coming and going all day, it's great for business, so I'm not complaining.... so long's they don't start playing and wake up the whole villiage," the man shrugged, and went about cooking their food. It smelled good to him. He sipped at a water he'd requested and tried to ignore the various stories coming from the two unlikely drunk friends in the corner. Even the sight of the lizard man made him want to punch something. He did not like the Magnuri. At all.
Evidently Lily had no problems with them.... she wandered over to hear more of their 'stories', and he let her. That was fine by her... she had been born at the tail end of the war, VERY tail end if she was as young as she looked, she hadn't had to live through it, or fight in it. The Magnuri were capable of vicious things no matter how 'cute' they looked. He had scars to prove it. He'd stay right here, thank you.
Lily wandered over just far enough to hear better. A Felinik beside her wearing shorts and a tank top was too busy laughing to pay her much attention. His fur was coal black. She stood there and listened. At a glance she knew the Telar woman was.... less than conventional. For one thing, she was stone drunk, in public, and swearing... for another, she was laughing and joking about sex, which wasn't odd coming from Verall, but considering she was Telar... maybe she just liked pissing people off? To listen to her, that's what it sounded like. Her Magnuri companion, however seemed.... a bit more reserved but no less rambunctious, even if drunk off his ass. She thought the Telar despised the Magnuri, so she wondered how they'd got to be such good friends.
Apparently she wasn't alone.
"Argh.... I d'nno... Wandered out... perty far... an' then a GIANT PLANT TRIED TA ET MEH," the woman roared, laughing and joking.
Her green scaled friend laughed, too the, getting beer on her by accident. She squealed, eliciting more laughs from the crowd.
"Ah.... bitey-vines... dun' taste good," he had to grab onto a barstool with his tail to stop himself falling over. She had no idea what that meant.
The woman mumbled incoherantly, which made the man laugh and she blinked. Apparently they were VERY good friends. The woman spoke Magnurian.
She happened to look back, and saw a very ugly look on Durthen's fuzzy face. She noted his scars again, and frowned. It should have been obvious from the get go.... now she felt kind of bad. Their food was ready anyway. She slid into a chair beside him. He spoke before she could think of anything to say, but his voice was quiet.
"Most of the scars I have are from his kind...," he growled quietly.
"I should have guessed... I was just curious. I thought the Telar hated them , too, so I wondered...." she admitted. He shook his head. He didn't talk about his war experience for a reason.
"You're too young to know... you've never had to watch your loved ones gutted... eviscerated, only to rise up again and keep fighting... with the life in their eyes gone, and poison turning their blood black... the stories in the newspapers back then did it no justice," he said shortly. He was getting himself worked up for no apparent reason. The man was too drunk to even talk right, let alone pick a fight, he had no reason to be angry. He just was. He sighed.... he was probably scaring the girl. She looked downcast.
"I know... I've heard stories... but they've never been mean to me, or anything.... I mean a lot of them today weren't born until the end... least the ones I've met," she shrugged. "... I dunno. Jilly says I trust people too easily...." she trailed off.
"She might be right," he said firmly. He handed her her food, and she ate in silence, while the odd friends in the corner continued to talk and laugh.
Lily thought more on his words, and decided as usual to stay her own course. They never had done anything wrong to her, and she wasn't speciest. She actually thought they looked kind of neat.... but she knew better now than to say that. She rather thought most people were like everyone regardless of species.... some people were nice despite reputations, and others earned it rightly so. She ate her burger (which was quite good) in silence and decided to save some of the fries for her deer friend outside, if she'd eat them.
She did, and Lily left her new friend to his own devices until they got back into the carriage.
"You didn't know," he waved her off, when she tried to apologize. He smiled at her, though it looked forced. "I don't talk about the war much, even if I was hailed a 'hero'. It isn't something I'm proud of having lived through," he shook his head.
He blinked in surprise as she hugged him. Her arms didn't BEGIN to go all the way around him, but the gesture was adorable all the same. He chuckled despite it, and gently pushed her away with a hand over her head.
"All right, all right, enough of that," he smiled, somewhat pleased despite the old memories. He didn't have family or friends left... but now he had one, at least. It was a nice feeling. H'd always been protective of those smaller than himself, but he'd rarely made friends of them until now. It was a nice thing.
He carried on towards Gants again, noticing every now and then that the white Hipipinin deer was still following them.
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
It was cold, he didn't know anyone up here, and despite all there was to do, he found he just couldn't be himself without someone throwing rumors or funny looks his way... that and he missed Lily horribly, like a constant nag at the back of his mind. He wondered what she was doing when he was either taking lessons from the dueling instructors, and if she was singing while he was up here for no other reason than to be kept away from her. He didn't care that she was human... she was Telar enough for him.
While Lily and her new friend stopped by another smaller village to get some lunch the next day, he was in the middle of a practice duel... but not paying much attention, as his teacher was always fond to point out.
"How many times, Mr. DaKoja?! You're inverting your step too much, you'll leave your side wide open! Now, again! This time, pay attention??" he asked exhasperatedly.
He knew of course... but it didn't change the fact that he was distracted. His instructor tossed his practice sword back at him, white uniform neatly pressed and clean, where his were clean, albeit a bit more wrinkled. Lately he just didn't care much.... everything these days seemed to remind him of Lily and if it didn't, he imagined how much better things here would be if she were here. He had no idea she was in fact on her way.
Jilly, on the other hand, was too busy now to bother about her sister's whereabouts. Her days now were spent doing further research on the computer, looking at the clock as if waiting for time to go by faster, or else stalking her target in a public place, waiting.... but he never showed up anywhere alone and he had an annoying habit of simply disappearing.... she'd blink and he'd be gone. It was frustrating... her parent's avengeance was yards away, and then simply nowhere.
He'd tried to contact Lily, of course, and the one time she'd actually answered the phone... she hadn't been able to tell her what she was up to. She'd open her mouth to say something, WANT to tell her.... and nothing would come out. She had no idea why.... perhaps it was some deep-seated desire to keep her little sister's view of her as a protectice big sister intact. She didn't want to be thought of as a cold blooded revengencer. She wasn't.... didn't view herself as such. But damn it, the Guards had given up long ago.... it was time for this. Past time. And Lily couldn't know.... she wasn't fragile, but it would break her. And it would ruin Jilly's plans, too.
At the moment, she was hanging with her ex boyfriend, a Guard himself by the name of Seth. He was on-duty, but business was slow for the moment. He had his helm under his arm and his dark hair was plastered to his scalp by sweeat. Lily had been gone now for two days. She was probably already in Gants by now. Seth wiped sweat from his forehead and stretched.
"You know I can't, Jilly," he was saying sternly. For the past half an hour she'd been trying to get him to give her copies of files not made public by the Guards. He could get fired even for giving her copies that WERE made public... not without going through a superior.
Jilly was done playing coy and cute. She stopped fiddling with her dark hair and quit with the half-****ed stance. It was clear her flirty demeanor wasn't cutting it. Her voice seemed to get a bit more normal. "Seriously, Seth. I need those files. They have crime scene photos, might give me clues and whatnot".
"And I've told you before, Jilly, those pictures won't help you. You shouldn't even be trying to go after the killer on your own." he said more firmly. If she pushed any more.... he didn't want to have to, but if she made him, he'd have no choice. From what he remembered she was proficient with ice magic...
"Who said I WAS going after him?" she said coolly, one eyebrow raised. Then she saw that Seth's dark brown gaze wasn't fooled, and sighed.
"I'll get them through some means, Seth, if not through you, then someone else. I-", She paused for a moment. To tell him anything else, she may as well turn herself in for premeditated attempted murder. Technically she was taking the law into her own hands.... she didn't need to get in trouble before she had to. She plastered on a smile she knew he had always liked, though it didn't quite reach her blue eyes, and tilted her head slightly.
"Thanks anyway, Seth. I'll look elsewhere I guess".
Seth eyed her again. "Don't do what I think you're doing, Jilly... you know I'm honor bound by my job to report anything suspicious. Right now you're looking mighty suspicious. I don't want to... but I will".
Jilly narrowed her eyes, but they looked tired now. Weary. She was so close to her goal after all these years and her voice showed it.
"If you ever see me again SSeth.... do me a favor," she said tiredly. "Please don't get in my way".
Her voice didn't sound threatening. More... kind and weary and serious. She meant it ever word. She didn't want people to get in the way because she was only after one person.
Before he could say anything, however, she'd already walked off. So she was planning something..... he couldn't let his feelings cloud his judgement. He had to tell his boss that there was a talented Ice Mage possibly trying to track down a killer. That she'd find him he didn't doubt. She was headstrong and ruthless and unafraid to accept extra cassualties.
The women he chose...
Jilly felt arenaline course through her with her last words to him, and it flooded her bloodstream even as she walked away. She felt the absurd urge to giggle or burst out into a run. She knew that doing it would seal her fate just as fast as she bet Seth would now. She knew he'd go to his superiors about her.... he had loved her, and cared still, but she knew though he'd hesitate, he wouldn't take her side. He valued his career too highly.
Either way she looked at this, she was boned. Now it was a race.... find and kill this man before Seth ratted her out and she herself was imprisoned. She KNEW this man, who and what he was, and where'd he'd be, she followed his schedules almost religiously, but she just couldn't get him on his own... he was always surrounded by people, his family or his friends. Damn him!
She could get those pictures on her own, but it would be tricky... there was always a website or something somewhere that showed gruesome crime scene photos for shock value or people who liked gore... if she could find one... knowing just HOW he'd killed them, what it looked like, plan accordingly... there could be no foulups on this. When she nabbed him, it'd be a one shot deal. She wouldn't get another chance.
She tried to call Lily again, to calm her frayed nerves, but she wasn't picking up again. ****. Wherever she was, she hoped her little sister was staying out of trouble.
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
(me being clever with the chapter title XD So many times I've been tempted to quote Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but the only one I ever read was Hamlet...)
Chapter 12: Wherefor art thou Damien
Lily and Durthen reached Gants on the second day on the road sometime around the afternoon. She'd been too full of nerves to eat any lunch, and seeing this imposing but beautiful city, with its majestic mountains rising out of the mist on all but a couple sides, made her more antsy. This was a new place, with new people.... and Damien was here.
Somewhere.
Durthen hadn't been here in years, so when they entered the city, he asked her if she didn't mind that he wandered off. Lily shook her head no. She'd be fine on her own, and Durthen let her unhitch one of the horses and ride it through the city so she didn't have to walk.
She wasn't a bad rider, more timid than anything, but that was alright because the horse was, too. He was a dark brown color with white mane and tail, and very soft. But where should she start looking? She wore a dress, for a change of pace, and despite it sat with one leg on each side, so her calves were visible. They were just as thin and deathly pale as the rest of her. The dress itself wasn't anywhere near as high class as some of those she saw on the Telar walking about, giving her the occasional glance, but it was at least a dress. It was low cut, but form fitting, a dark wine-purple color with a full skirt, very simple.
The horse tried to shy towards an outdoor feeding and watering trough for the animals when not being ridden, and though she wanted to find Damien as soon as possible, she wasn't going to deny the beast food and water.... and she needed to eat, too. But she was too excited! She didn't feel like eating, it was the last thing on earth she felt like doing. But she led the horse over, and tethered him up so he could relax for a spell.
"Can I .... help you, miss?"
Lily looked around wide-eyed and saw a very tall human man with dark hair and blue eyes, wearing what looked like coveralls stained in various things, and leather working gloves. Oh dear Ahn, it was a smith's shop. So... the horse must be eating his personal .... bah.
"Oh, I'm so so sorry! I had no idea, I just came in and I thought it was a public thing and ah... crap...," she babbled. She had the vague idea that it was a nice first impression, not just on him but the city as well. The horse didn't like it when she tried to pull him off, but the laughter cut her short.
"Oh, it's not a problem. I keep the trough filled for just that reason, it's perfectly fine. And, it lets me meet the newcomers."
Lily stopped trying, and took a moment so her pulse would stop racing in alarm, and looked back at the man. Pretty nondescript looking.
"You came in with... the Apolarin, right? Scarred fellow?" Lily nodded.
"Do you need a map of the city? Or were you not looking for any place in particular?"
Lily let out a sigh of relief. To find help so early into the venture was great luck indeed.
"A map would be very helpful, if you can spare one... and thanks," she indicated the horse, who was still pigging out on oats and water.
He disappeared inside his shop and came back out, gloveless and with a folded map in hand. His hands were large, blocky and scarred.
She took it and put it in the satchel at her side, meant to be a purse of sorts, with a nervous smile.
They stood there for a moment, the sound of the city and the horse chowing down the only noises. She imagined the man was glancing at her red eyes and transparent skin. She looked human, and white hair here wasn't so uncommon, but her eyes she supposed would give her away.
"You really should get a chaperone or something of the sort while you're here, miss, if it's alright to say," he said finally, and kindly. "Not a lot of your sort here, it's not very accepting a climate".
He thought she was a Mystic.
She managed a weak smile, and a shrug. "I'm looking for someone, actually.... my boyfriend. He's Telar. His parents sent him to.... some school....," she tried to remember the name of the place. Crap! She couldn't!
The blacksmith just grinned in good humor. "Perhaps you should acclimate yourself with our city... that will jog your memory. And my name is Jorgen. If you need any armor, or weapons made, I'm your shop!" he figured he may as well promote himself.
Lily nodded, and untied the horse, before scrambling to get up on his back again. She had to stand on the edge of the trough, but she got there without too much embarrassment in the end.
The man just watched as she rode off, leisurely now that the horse had had some relax time. She took out the map he'd given her, but nothing sounded familiar. She could, of course, just CALL Damien and tell him she was here, and to come find her, but..... darn it, she wanted this to be a surprise! And that would ruin it. Plus, she wasn't supposed to be seeing him.... at least not on his school grounds, that was.
She brought the horse to a stop on the side of the road where there wasn't too much traffic, and crossed her legs atop his back as she looked at her map. She looked very meek and cozy that way... most people would have dismounted, but she was comfortable up there like that. So let's see... she'd come in at the main entrance... it was mostly shops and other sorts of stores along here, since business was always good near an oft-used road. There was a larger down town area further ahead.... residential areas spreading out it looked like. A bank every now and again. Opera house. No she didn't want that.... ah! Schools!
She peered closer at the paper to try and make out the names of the higher end ones, with dueling and advanced Mage studies as part of it, when the horse suddenly shied away from something, and leapt forward a step. "Waah!!" she cried out in surprise, the map went flying as she flailed her atms to grab the rein and hold on, but her legs slipped, and down she went. She fell right off his back and hard onto the cobblestone sidewalk. Something snapped, and she felt white hot pain lance up her arm and into her shoulder.
People walking by looked her way, but a passing Bluidon helped her up, with an arm round her waist so he didn't abraise the now-broken one. Lily didn't know whether to shake from the surprise of the fall (and the sudden chill) or cry. Tears stung her eyes, but they didn't fall. Her left forearm looked strange.... and very very pink in a couple of places.
"Are you alright, miss? That was a nasty fall!"
His arm was gentle, and meant only to help her stand, but it was frigid.... how could anything living be so cold?? Brrr! She tried not to shiver, and then tried to move her left hand.... found she couldn't.
"I... I can't move my hand.... ow," she added as a vicious twinge of pain traced down to her thumb.
Others were staring now, and one woman was soothing her nervous horse. The Bluidon had a phone out already... perhaps he was calling a doctor, or someone to take her to one. Just what she needed... a delay. Maybe she could ask the doctor where such a school might be?
She tried to protest that she didn't need to sit, but the Bluidon insisted.
"A doctor is on his way... normally he doesn't do away-calls, but... you don't look like you're from around here, and you're alone.... are you? What's your name?"
Lily shook her head and stared at her sad left arm. It was odd. She was trying to move her hand, despite the pain, but all she got was the barest twitch.
"Lily... and I'm here with a friend but he wandered off. That's his horse I'm borrowing... ah.... this really hurts...," her voice came out in an unintentional whine of pain.
The Bluidon assured people around that she'd be fine, and then looked back at her.v He looked like any other Bluidon, shirtless, wearing shorts and cold stones round his neck, but he also looked very young.... perhaps Pilgrimmage-young.
"We don't get a lot of Mystics visiting on their own...," he trailed off. Lily sighed.
"I'm not a Mystic.... I'm albino..." she panted, trying to stave off the pain.
The boy-man looked confused. "What's that?"
Just then a man drove up in a light one horse cab, and parked it. He got out and Lily saw that he had dark brown hair and a bag in one hand. First two things she noticed, but this must be the doctor he called. He was a nice man, and very VERY gentle, especially when it came time to numb her arm and re set the bone. She distracted herself by talking to the Bluidon.
"It's a congenital skin condition... ach... hereditary, and really REALLY rare... it means I have no skin pigment... anywhere. No color... no protection... against the sun, gah that feels weird... makes my eyes red and everything else white," she explained.
"So it's a medical thing? Not magical?" asked the Bluidon, who seemed eager to learn. Lily nodded. "Not magical... I'm not much of a mage," she admitted.
"Just hold still, miss, almost done," said the doctor kindly. He was beginning to put the cast on her forearm. "Lucky it was a clean break, or else I'd have had to bring you to the hospital to be treated there".
Lily looked away and towards the Bluidon instead. It felt so strange... she'd never broken a bone in her life.
"Aren't you cold?" she asked.
The man just laughed, until he saw she was serious. "No? My people love the cold, we thrive in it.... it's warmth we're uncomfortable around. Even you... you're very warm, and I'm not even touching you," he admitted.
She sighed. "I came here to see my boyfriend, but I don't remember the name of his school... I was reading my map when the horse just moved, and I fell.... last time I sit cross legged on horseback," she muttered.
The doctor was now wrapping something slightly textured, and dark red around the white stuff now coating her arm tightly.... she supposed it was part of the cast. She could move her fingers, but not well. Looked like she wouldn't be playing her guitar for awhile, until it healed.
"There, you're all set. I really hate to do this, but you're new in town, and I can't work for free... if I could get you to fill out a paper, I'd appreciate it. You can be on your way," the doctor looked sheepish, but businesslike. Lily filled out what needed filling, though she had medical benefits, courtesy of Jilly and being how she was. It wouldn't be a big thing.
The doctor drove off and Lily stood up again, newly casted. It still ached, but it was more of a dull throb compared to what it had been.
"You sure you'll be alright?" asked the Bluidon.
Lily nodded, and managed somehow to get back up on the horse with just a right arm. She patted his neck, tangling her fingers in his man. "You silly beast," she scolded him lightly.
The Bluidon waved and Lily urged the animal forward. She still didn't have any idea where she was going, but she had a general layout in mind, from the map. Best place to start would be city hall. Perhaps they'd have a registry of people living in Gants, and Damien would be there. It was a lot of trouble to go to, but she did want this to be a surprise.
Moving with her arm like it was, was awkward, but she could manage. The city hall officials didn't want to give her Damien's information, but they gave her a list of schools he might be at.
So now she rode through the city with a map, and a list of universities and boarding schools where he might be.
Well, she knew it was a boarding school he was at, albeit a high class one, so she could cross three of the seven off her list. And this didn't include Guilds.
It was faster going with Durthen's horse, who she decided to nickname Chocolate, so she made decent timing. It was bitterly cold at the first place she looked... she had to buy a long sleeved sweater to stave it off.
The second place had never heard of him, and neither had the third she managed to find. The fourth school, however, DID know of him.
But he didn't want to tell her.
"I'm SORRY, miss, but we cannot allow you to see him. You are more than welcome to tour the grounds and the inside, but I cannot tell you where Mr. DaKoja is. I apologize, but it says here he isn't allowed a visitor by your description" said what looked like the headmaster. He wore dark sweeping robes and his hair was pulled back neatly. He wore glasses.
Lily sighed. "Figures..," she muttered under her breath. Chocolate danced nervously... there was some kind of sport game going on around the side of the large, grand looking estate that was the school and all the yelling was making him prance. Lily calmed him with a carrot in his peripheral vision, and he munched it, comforted for the moment.
The headmaster was staring at her oddly, looking from his papers and folders, then back to her again. "Your name is Lily Rowan, yes?"
Lily nodded. The headmaster made a face.
"It says here his parents have forbidden my school from letting you see him, and it is perfectly within their rights if they feel it necessary.... however... I can only enforce it as long as he is on school grounds. I have no control over whom he sees when he's in the city," he added almost... slyly?
She looked at him for a moment, before looking to her phone... then back up at the school. Well.... she supposed it wouldn't be ruining the surprise to ask him if he could perhaps go into town and get her a baggie of that herbal tea she liked, to send to her later.... once in town, at the herbalist's shop she'd passed earlier... she could surprise him still.
"Thanks, then... I'll just go find myself someplace to stay while I'm here," she nodded, trying not to make a big deal out of it. She knew she wouldn't be able to ask to see him, and she had no interest in seeing the grounds. She headed towards the Herbalist's shop and pulled out her phone. She didn't dare get off the horse, she could only be so lucky to climb up unassisted with one arm once in a day.
Damien picked up on the second ring.
"I haven't heard from you in days! I thought maybe something happened... are you alright? You sound.... odd," he said through the other end.
Lily told him what she wanted, grinning to herself, and hung up. Any minute now.... he'd walk to this place, and see her. Maybe she'd slide off the horse and into his arms, that sounded nice and romantic. Or maybe she'd try, and trip on her dress, and fall in the dirt and break the other arm to make a set.
It took him awhile, as it was still lessons time for him, but she thought she saw him approaching from a distance. She had never seen him so dressed up, but she was SEEING him.
"Easy, Chocolate.... he's a friend," she smiled, talking quietly.
Damien saw the herbalist's shop, but there was a horse and rider blocking the entrance.... wait a second.... the rider was....
"LILY?!!" He dropped his bag and just stared. Of all the things-!
Lily grinned, and tried to slide down, but he saw for some reason she was having a hard time.... still a little numb in surprise, he reached his arms up to slide his hands around her waist and help her. The warmth of her felt so familiar and so nice... he'd missed her. He brought her back down to the ground, and just held her. Her hair, her skin, her scent, her form... it was his Lily.
She was grinning up at him, and he noticed the cast. He was worried at first, but she told him it was fine, she was fine, and she kissed him. Her mouth was warm and soft... and he had missed that, too. A lot, actually.
No kiss had every felt so nice.
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
He didn't know how long he held her like that, but he didn't much care. Gants was a more traditional place, but his fellow Telar here already thought he was odd for pining after a human. Having them see him kiss her was no more of a big deal.
He did need to breath eventually, though, and when he did, they were both grinning.
"I can't believe this.... You didn't say you were coming! What happened to your arm??" he asked worriedly. He touched the cast. It looked and felt new.
She made a face. "Oh... ah, I was reading the map, and the horse jumped at something... I fell, and a Bluidon called a doctor to fix me up, it's fine...," she waved it off. But Damien already had his hands in his pockets looking for a marker or some kind of pen. Instead of his name, he simply drew a heart right where she could see it, and both their initials. She blushed, and that made him happy.
"There.... now you can think of me while I'm stuck in the dorms and you're stuck out here.... speaking of which, do you have anyplace to stay yet?" he wondered, looking around. She shook her head.
"Well we'll just have to fix that... my parents set up an account for me while I'm up here, I can take care of that much at least. Man, I'm just so glad to see you.... I've missed you...," he admitted softly. He looked at her, feeling a tender warmth he couldn't remember ever feeling before.... it felt nice. Close. Comforting.
She smiled wide and leaned on him, and he gladly let her. Her form was slender against him, and for the first time he noticed she'd lost quite a bit of weight. She was just a slender slip of a thing now. She must have got the look on his face, and been able to tell what he was thinking as he let his hands roam her waist, because she sighed.
"I've been moody without you back home, is all.... haven't been very hungry. I'm fine..... really," she reassured him. He touched her face, stroking at her cheek with his thumb, and she held his hand and smiled. "Really," she reaffirmed.
He kissed the top of her head and looked to the horse. "Well, let's get you a room first... where did you get the horse? And how did you get here? Tell me everything" he begged. The horse in question was..... very big.
She explained all about being depressed and finding Durthen, and the trip here and how he'd loaned her Chocolate, while he paid for a room for her, and a spot in the stable for Chocolate near enough to the school that they could still see each other. He sat on her rental bed, which was very comfortable, and listened to her speak. He'd missed her voice, too.
"I left my sister a note... she doesn't know I've got here yet. It's kind of nice being away from her for the first time ever.... I'm enjoying being alone for a change," she smiled, looking around for a moment.
"Not alone.... you've got me, I'm here... or am I no one?" he grinned, teasing her. Oh, it was so nice that she was here.
"Mmmmm dunno. I thought I've been talking to thin air all this time," she looked around, as if she couldn't see him.
"Oh, that's it," he laughed, and he pulled her from behind up onto her bed the rest of the way, laying on his side so he could look down at her. She was laughing, and so was he. His family would call this imprudent and inappropriate considering neither of them were married, but he didn't care. He loved her, and he was just playing. He still hadn't decided what to do.... give up his family, and everything tied to it, or give up his Lily... it was a choice he couldn't make easily.
She grinned up at him and batted his hair out of her face, giggling. "Tickles".
He shook his head out and let it all fall in her face then, tickling her neck and ears, too, and for a while they just laughed. He didn't know how it fell to kissing again, but it did, and not the kind he'd ever want his family to witness. Breathless, they broke.
"Come on... let's go get dinner, and we can talk about how we're going to do this without being caught. Also, you look starved.... my treat," he smiled.
So he took her to a nice little place in a two story marble restaurant. The main clientelle was human, but there were Telar couples, and more than a few Bluidon. As far as he could tell, he was the only one there with a human, but let them stare. He was sure someone somewhere had done it too, fallen in love outside the species.
The meal was exquisite, but no matter how happy he was that she was here, and no matter what they talked over, in the back of his mind, it kept playing. Family, or Lily, Lily, or Family. On the one hand, if he lost Lily, he didn't think he could be with anyone else... as melodramatic as it sounded and would sound to anyone seeking him out, he felt it was probably true. But if he gave up his rights as a DaKoja, he'd have nothing to his name except what was already his, and no longer be welcome in the family's home... he'd lose a lot, but he could keep his Lily.
"You seem distracted," she said suddenly. They were walking around outside after the meal, as the sun set, and had been talking, but he supposed he'd gone quiet for a moment.
"Mmm... I've been thinking.... of what my family said to me. That I could have you, or I could keep them... but not have both. I had to choose. And if I chose you... they'd disown me," he looked away on purpose.
"Oh..." she trailed off. She'd known this for the most part already, but she'd put it out of her mind on purpose. Now that it'd come up again...
"You don't have to give them up just for me... I won't take them from you," she said quietly. It sucked that this even had to be discussed at all, really.
"But I don't want to lose you... I can't...." he trailed off.
They stopped just in front of a park, gathering shadows turning the white blossomed trees into foreign things. He sat on the bench nearby, and she sat with him, both of them in thought.
"I'll still be there....," she said lamely.
He huffed and shook his head. "Out of my reach and untouchable forever... yeah that doesn't sound like a happy alternative," he sighed.
They were silent again, until he thought of something. It was a stretch, but it was something. "We could elope... run off and be together on our own terms," he offered.
"That would be almost the same as letting them disown you, though....," she said carefully.
"Oh.... yeah...," he frowned.
He had a few thousand in his own personal account, and then there was his schooling fund account, which he had control over, but which his parents put money into every now and then.... if he chose Lily over family, he could coast on that until he could make his career? He was a decent healer already.... perhaps he could go on to become a grand mage? Or else a cleric?
"I can't make this decision for you... I'm not so pushy," she said quietly, then, smiling a little at him in the dusk.
He shook his head, and pulled out his phone, staring at it. The bill wasn't SO high each month, he could cover it.... and he had plenty of money in his school account for another six or seven months, plenty of time... plus his personal account... and then he had Lily. Life could be grand, without family even. And who knew... maybe in the future he could just make his own family.
"I... I can't lose you. I couldn't leave you... and I have enough of my affairs set in order if they disown me.... I think that's what I choose.... I choose to stay with you," he felt his pulse quicken at the very idea. He was making a decision that would literally impact the rest of his entire life. And he had another 100 and some-odd years left to go. It was an odd feeling.
Lily just stared at him, as be began to dial his phone. He was calling his mother and father, to tell them. They wouldn't be happy, and for awhile neither would he.... but he believed as long as he had Lily, all would be well.
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
His parents were less than thrilled to hear his decision, and furious that he'd found Lily again.... His father had only said four words to him. "Very well. I'm sorry,". His mother, on the other hand, had pleaded with him, on the verge of tears..... oh, don't cry.... he hated making people cry....
But they'd had to hang up, and he knew they wouldn't call again. He was henceforth cast out.... disowned.... they would cut his school funding as of this very moment, and anything and everything that was his would be put into a storage facility under his name, kept for him until he could retrieve it, but that was all.
His sister called, only to offer both apologies, and sympathies...... she'd always been a sweet, kindhearted woman, and he knew he still had her, as a sister.... but Gregory called not long after, insulted him, saying a lot of unkind things, and hung up. He'd made mother cry, and brought shame on the DaKoja name, he said..... Damien was afraid they were right.
If it wasn't for Lily he would have been very depressed.... he felt empty despite knowing what he'd signed on for, like the world had dropped out of his stomach, and he felt sick....... she erubbed at his shoulders and leaned her head against his neck. Her hair was soft and she smelled like lilacs. It was a soothing scent. He hitched in a breath, and shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Damien...... I really am...." she said quietly.
He shook his head.
"It was my decision.... and don't you cry, too, please..... I can only take it from one person a day and my mother was bad enough," he rubbed at his face with one hand. The news of it wouldn't travel fast, back home..... home. He'd never see it again, not the inside at least. They would change the code so he couldn't get in anymore. He was homeless now, too. He looked over and stared at the woman he'd literally given up everything for. His red eyes found hers. She must have seen something there, because she took him and held him close, her chin on his head. He let her, emasculating or not. It had been his decision and he'd known what he was doing, but it didn't mean he wasn't upset.
She just held him, smoothing his hair back and comforting him as best as she could..... she felt a little bad, but at the same time, she knew nothing now would come between them whatever they wanted to do... she had set out from Winterwater to see him, she had him, and now it was for as long as they wanted..... but she did feel bad that he'd had to give up literally everything just to keep her. The day was getting dark....
"I can stay in school until the spring on what I have....." he began. "..... if you want to stay, you can,.... but I might not be able to keep you up in that inn until the spring," he sighed.
She shook her head. "With the broken arm, I can't play, but I can still sing..... I'll be there when you need me,...." she let him know. He nodded, and touched her face. "I'm glad to hear that....." he sighed. "..... but you should go home..... your sister is probably on the warpath,.... and I'll come back to Winterwater before you know it.... I promise," he assured her. She took his hand and held it, squeezing it tightly. "........ I don't want to go, though.... I miss you when you're gone,".
He nodded, smiling sadly. "I miss you, too..... but I promise I'll come back.... really," he kissed her forehead. She didn't need to stay here now that she had him forever, if she liked. It got cold here, and it wasn't her home.... and her sister needed her, in a way. It would be best (and cheaper for him, for now) if she went back home, though he wished she could stay. He wished things could have gone on forever like they did, before his parents knew..... things were happy then..... simple. They still could be, still were, though so why did he feel like someone had gutted him?
Lily took his face in her hands and kissed him like she'd never see him again..... for a while, he just returned it. Maybe if he lost himself like that, he wouldn't have to feel for a little while. But all good things must end, and so did this. He sighed. "I'm sorry.... just.... it's too soon for me to feel really happy,..... I... need some time to get over it, too...." he admitted. She could understand that......
"I'm going to find Durthen...... We'll head back out in the morning...... and Damien...... you're still a DaKoja to me.... and I love you," she said to him.
He looked up at her from where he sat with his elbows on his knees and smiled. "I love you too.... and thanks, Lily..... really,".
She turned, and left, leaving him alone with his thoughts..... still a DaKoja, but in name only.... no one would speak of him again, not under that roof anyway. If he ever got married, none would come, save for friends, and perhaps his sister and her family.
He did need time to think though.... and reflect on his own actions, alone. He headed back to the school.
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
CHAPTER 15: Death in Winterwater (sorry it's been so long >
It took Lily a little while to find Durthen again, but she eventually found him at an old war memorial near a park. There were several sleek, dark marble slabs with carved writing all over them, and a statue of all the species save the Magnuri to represent all who had died in it. She thought she'd find Durthen here after a day in Gants.
She walked up behind him, dew already gathering on her skin. It was well after dark, and the only things outside at this hour were the insects that loved it and the things that fed on them. Crickets heralded a lonely tune as she approached the equally lonely war hero. She didn't know what to expect.... sadness? Anger? Perhaps he was crying.
She put a hand on his shoulder to let him know she was there, and he turned to look at her. He wasn't crying, but he looked distant.... the scars across his snout almost made it look like parts of the night were blending with his face. The big bear sighed.
"I didn't expect you to come and find me so soon.... weren't you off after some bonnie lad or somesuch nonsense?" he tried to joke. Lily wasn't buying it, or perhaps she was just in as much of a somber mood as he was.
"I found him.... took me all day and I broke my arm falling off the horse but I found him..... he made his choice," she sighed and looked off. She had told Durthen about his family's wishes, and knew he'd notice the scribbled heart and insigna signed on her new cast.
"He chose you over his family," Durthen finally guessed.
She nodded. "Yeah.... he even called them right then and there. He's really down.... I feel bad for him having to throw everything away just to have me," she sighed.
To her surprise Durthen put an arm around her shoulder and dragged her in for a very hot, fuzzy side hug. She felt like she was sinking INTO him, he was that big.
"Ack! Pft...tpa.... hpha, pta,..." she pretended to struggle and choke on all the fur, and he finally let her go with a sour look.
"Very funny..... No more hugs for you then," he sniffed. Lily just laughed.... she needed it. She didn't think Durthen was going to laugh anytime soon though. He missed what had been, too much.
"Enough feeling mopey.... I think we both need a pick me up. We can leave whenever you want.... I've done what I needed to, here," he sighed.
Lily wasn't much of a drinker. "Eh.... I'm not in the mood, really.... but I should probably go home, before Jilly blows up my cell phone with calling," she tried to smile.
Durthen turned back towards the road, where his carriage stood, still. "Where is my horse?"
Lily pointed with her good arm towards Chocolate, who she had tied haphazardly to a light pole. "There.... he moved when I was sitting on his back, and I lost my balance and fell... wasn't his fault," she explained shortly.
Durthen approached the prancing horse, and jerked his halter, roughly, muttering kindly to him so he could get him back in harness. Lily got up into the carriage, and they were off again.
They didn't talk much on the way back, probably lost in their own thoughts. Lily fell asleep halfway out of the city, stretched out across the seat curled up. She dreamed of her sister.
While Lily Rowan dreamed of her, Jilly Rowan herself was crouched behind a bush, wearing all black, save for gloves. She was stationed right in the heart of downtown, the worst place she could be, but the past couple days had been spent outside, doing reconnaissance. The man never spent more than a few minutes away from his damn family... he was a well to do man with kids, and a wife, and he spent an annoyingly long time around them. But she had him.... every morning precisely at 8 am he went for a walk, and stopped in to a local cafe to get himself coffee. Cinnamon black with two sugars and milk.
She was sitting behind the bush not far from the coffee shop. She had a direct vantage point. It was nearly four now. Her back was stiff from sleeping sitting up and it took a few minutes to work the kinks out, but in the end she was as good as she was going to be. She had her dark hair swept back and didn't eat anything. She'd been fasting for the last 24 hours. It wouldn't do to get halfway through this and then have to pee. She need a clear head.... no distractions.
Eight o clock came and right on cue, the man came walking, dressed in a morning outfit..... slacks and a casual shirt. He was alone... he was unaware.
This time of morning many people were out and about... but if she was worried about being captured, she would never have ventured on this in the first place.
The man was dark haired and hollow cheeked, thin and older.... perhaps mid fifties. He walked into the coffee shop and Jilly waited...
People passing by didn't see her, because her back faced no buildings or streets, but that could change at any moment, come on where was this bastard...... finally she saw him, sipping his name brand coffee. The arrogant bastard... alive and well, happy, not a care, with his family... and his reputation... and his ****ing coffee.
Jilly acted fast.... she stood up, ignoring her creaking knees and ankles, and walked briskly towards him, shoving past everyone.... she was thin, but she was strong. She raced forward and grabbed the man's arm from behind, not forgetting that he may have a few moves of his own, but she had the element of surprise.
The man reacted automatically, reflexes born of instinct, but Jilly was ready to counter it.... she sunk her fingers deep into his elbow, the one she had grabbed, and muttered a simple spell she'd perfected a million times.... his joint froze. His arm was immobile, but he still had another.
"Hey what are you-!"
"Shut it," Jilly growled, and she jammed her hand into his nose... the man forgot all about his fancy coffee, spilling it on the ground, and it gave Jilly the chance to get his other arm and freeze it, too. He tried to sweep her legs from under her, but all she had to do was jam a knee into his groin, get behind him and kick him ont ohis knees.... she crouched behind him, rocking on the balls of her feet so she stayed balanced, and put one hand to his throat, and the other to his chest.... she had a knife in one hand, and nothing in the other. One spell and she wouldn't need it.
People hadn't failed to notice.... several had backed off so they had a piece of the town square all to themselves, and one man looked like he was calling in the guards. Jilly let them, but she let her intentions be known with a raised voice, calm.
"This man murdered my family! He is not innocent,.... and I plan to kill him. He's all I want. I'm not afraid to take more if you get in my way."
No one spoke back to her. She wasn't surprised.
Her heart thumped in her chest, but she felt rather calm. Everything was perfectly clear to her, to the last detail. She could even feel his heart beat... it was frantic, but slowing down. He spoke only to her.
"...I don't know what you're talking about, now release me," he said quietly. He was perfectly still. Jilly had no doubt he was a war veteran, and the man who had killed her parents.
"You know damn well what I'm talking about. You were an assasin. A ghost. Unregistered. Under the radar. Someone hired you to kill my father, and when my mother got in the way you killed her too. Don't deny it," she growled. She'd wanted to say these words for a long time.... and it felt good to finally get to.
"Preposterous," he scoffed.
Jilly jerked the hand on his throat and the arm around his chest.
"I SAW you," she hissed.
At about that time, the guards showed up, and by now they had a small crowd around them... no one moved. Most of the guards that approached her were human or Telar. No good. They wanted to stop her it'd have to be Bluidon, she wasn't backing down. She just repeated her warning to them.
"My only victim here will be him,.... I don't want to hurt anyone else but I will if I have to," she called out.
The man winced at her words, but he didn't change his position. His voice was stiff.... formal. "I don't know what you're talking about," he repeated.
Jilly muttered a spell, barely a whisper, and her left hand began to encase itself in ice.... literally turn to ice. Flesh blood bone... all replaced. It hurt her, Ahn it hurt her a lot to do it, lose her hand, but she had gone into this... it was all or nothing. A hand was a small price to pay assuming she wouldn't martyr herself in the end.
The guards muttered amongst themselves, and acted fast. She distinctly heard the words 'ice' and 'rogue mage' and 'media' and 'no'. A Bluidon man started towards her, and Jilly strengthened the spell.... it took the beginning of her forearm as well, and wherever her fingertips touched, the man's clothing began to change... twist.... grow hard and cold as death. "Stop!" she warned him. The guard did.
The guards convened again. Jilly could see most traffic grind to a halt, including a large black carriage drawn by multiple horses, one of them brown. She paid it no mind, until she heard her sister's voice. Dear Ahn and spirits above, no. Not here, not now.
Lily had arrived with Durthen, only to find traffic blocked up. Durthen didn't know what was going on, but he had to mind the horses.... Lily climbed out, and tried to push her way through. "What's going on??"
A nearby Telar answered her, a younger boy wearing a t shirt. "Some rogue ice mage is threatening to kill a man!"
Rogue ice mage? Her sister was an ice mage, maybe she'd be able to help.... she went to call her, but it just rang... and rang... and rang. Jilly didn't pick up, and Lily soon saw why.
It was Jilly.
Lily stood there at the edge of the crowd... her pretty white face and all that curly white hair were unmistakable. Her arm was in a cast for some reason. Oh if that Telar jerk had hurt her.... but it was on a back burner right now. Jilly's blue eyes roved over her sister. "Stay back, Lily.... it goes for you, too. This man took everything from us,..... I aim to repay the favor".
Lily couldn't believe this was happening.... Jilly was sitting there threatening to kill a man... the man who'd killed their parents.... had he really? She didn't know what to believe now... Jilly was cold sometimes but normally she'd.... no she'd never do something like this unless she was absolutely SURE. So she must be sure this man.... had realy killed her parents and taken everything from them.
The guard standing nearest her looked down at her. He was Bluidon. "Do you know this woman?" he asked.
Lily nodded. "She's my older sister... Jilly! What the hell are you doing?!"
Jilly shook her head, black hair spilling. Her left hand pierced the man's chest... thin layers of ice began to slowly replace his skin. He let out a thin growl of pain, and the guards moved forward again.
"Stay out of it, Lily!! I've been waiting for years to do this! I didn't want you here to see this, but It won't stop me!"
The man in her grasp tried to wrench free, but Jilly held him firm, and stabbed his chest with her icy fingers.... the cold penetrated his pectoral muscles. Now he didn't just growl, his shoulders hunched inwards upon themselves and he screamed.... Jilly did't let him fall forward or bend over.
The guard by Lily's side put a gentle hand on her shoulder... it was almost as cold as ice. "Can you talk her down? She probably won't hurt you".
Lily nodded, and shakily stepped forward, away from the crowd.... the other guards moved to stop her, but 'her' Bluidon motioned that it was fine. Nonetheless Lily's steps were careful. She had never seen her sister like this.
"Jilly.... think about this," she tried. She didn't know how one talked somene down from murder, and this was her sister! Her only flesh and blood... and she was scaring her.
"I AM thinking, Lily! No, stay back! I'm serious,.... " she warned her. To prove it, the ice reached her elbow... it was excruciating, but the pain and her empty stomach kept her clear headed and lucid. Her eyes showed regret and compassion for her sister, but cold nothingness for everyone else. "This man is the reason we had to be adopted... the reason no one read you a bedtime story when you were little, Lily, no one but me. He's the reason our life went to hell. He deserves it.... he doesn't deserve what he has now, not while we suffered".
Lily shook her head. She was still conflicted, but it occured to her.
"Would we be who we are today if he hadn't? Things would have been better, sure.... but we wouldn't be the same".
Jilly couldn't believe her ears. "You're saying mom and dad were killed for a reason?! So we could be who we are now! Do you even hear yourself? Not everything happens for a reason, Lily! But this is one case.... I'm going to end him".
Lily shook her head again and pulled her hair back, exhasperated. "I can't BELIEVE this is happening, Jilly just let him go! He'll go to prison for the rest of his life, but I can't lose you, too.... I mean look at you! You've already... you're turning yourself into ice!"
Her upset had the guards coming up behind her to pull her back, and away from the 'dangerous mage'. Lily didn't want to go now, and the others were all preparing quick, lethal spells. If Jilly didn't back down now, they would make her, and if she didn't comply, they would end her. This wasn't happening.... she felt a cold hand on her arm, and automatically tried to pull away.
"No, I can talk to her!" she insisted, but the guard was bigger, taller and stronger than she was. He closed his hand around her arm and tried to lead her away but she struggled.
"What are you doing, let me go, it's my sister, I can talk to her..... let me go... please!" she begged.
"You have until the count of three to release the man and stand down! Cease all spells, and lay on your belly! We WILL aim to kill if you don't stand down!" bellowed a muscular human guard. He had a fireball all ready in one hand, and several other mages were all ready for the order. No... no no no, they couldn't... they wouldn't.
But Lily knew they would. After the war of the Iron Veil, and the problems the rogue mages caused in it, so long after it ended, they wouldn't risk one resurfacing. And Jilly was too headstrong and sure of her facts to stand down and follow directions. She would martyr herself.... and leave Lily alone.
She shook her head... nothing for it. She put all her weight forward and tried to run for her, but the Bluidon guard was ready... he wrapped his arms around her forcefully and started to back away, taking her away, but Lily fought.... like she never had before. She wasn't very strong but she was thin and she was very bendy... he was frigid to the touch and normally she would have shivered, but she was too hyped up and freaked.. Jilly stared death in the face, and if she couldn't stop it now, ..... she couldn't let it happen.
The Bluidon guard suddenly had to try a lot harder... the woman was struggling, slipping in and out of his grasp no matter how many times he tried to pull her back. Shoulders, chest, ribs, belly... she wouldn't stop fighting. But he was obligated not to hurt her unless she reacted with violence. So far she was just struggling to be let go.
"Restrain her!" his fellow guard yelled to him. He had to get her out of the hot zone.... any minute now this could get ugly. There was nothing for it. He bent and tried to scoop her up, but she was moving too much. "I am sorry, ma'am, but this is for your own good". He bent, got a hand between her legs against her thigh and the other around her back, and he hefted her onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Lily stopped fighting for a moment only because his hand where it was had so surprised her that she'd forgotten why she was fighting. But no! He'd picked her up and now she couldn't..... she had to get to Jilly and get her away!
The guard set her down only once he'd got to the sidelines but Lily went for it again.
"Oh for the love of-! Miss, please! It's not safe!" the guard growled, and he yanked her back by both her upper arms.
"Let go of me!!!" she screamed. She rarely ever screamed. Just as she was restrained for a second time, the guard's count was up.
"You were warned!"
Jilly's eyes narrowed, and she made herself ignore Lily's frantic attempts.... so it had come to this after all. So be it. She uttered her final spell in this life at the top of her lungs, and now it wasn't just her arm she lost, but her flesh, widespread. Her entire body became it, and she took the man with her... their movement now was minimal but that was alright... she had timed it perfectly.
Just as the count was up, the guard ordered them to fire, and only too late did he realize what she'd done to ensure she won this round.
Lily was struggling for all she was worth, her arms rubbed pink and red from the guard's cold hands, and that's when the world fell apart. Fireballs and other hot spells flashed from all sides of the crowd and the ice sculptures that had been her big sister and her sister's victim simply exploded.
She stopped dead, and no one spoke.... Lily's eyes were wide in her white face. She had been about to break free, and the guard let go... she stumbled forward and just... stopped. Jilly was nowhere... there was just chunks of ice everywhere,.... like when she'd run into Damien that winter... ice chunks.... no blood. No Jilly. No old man. Silence. What...
She didn't even realize her eyes were tearing up with emotion until the first hot tear touched her chilled face. Her knees weakened and she fell to them, right next to a hand shaped piece of ice. A bracelet hung off of it. Charm bracelet. Ice. She picked it up and felt metal beneath it. The charms were snowflakes and icicles. She had one to mimic it with fireballs and smiley faces. It was Jilly's. Which meant the hand was hers. Which meant all this ice was.... her, too.
"J-...Jilly.... no....," she tried to say. Her voice broke.... and then so did she.
(end chapter)
-- Edited by Sao on Sunday 14th of August 2011 12:49:47 AM
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
For a moment, time froze. No one said anything, and even the guards seemed stunned by what the mage had made them do. It was immediately clear to everyone. She'd played them, and like the proverbial fiddle, the music had sounded. An unseasonably chilly wind blew through the summer haze, and for such a small thing, all circumstances considered, it broke the tension.
The young woman on her knees was now the center of atttention. The Bluidon who'd tried unsuccessfully to subdue her frantic struggling just watched as her cries were the only thing to break the silence. Her voice was harsh and shrill all at once as she sobbed openly. The ice she clutched at was thick, like glacier ice and the fact that pieces of it were identifyably human made things even more disturbing. Where had such a spell even come from? From the minds of the martyr probably, people were muttering.
His superior gestured to the young woman. "Get her away from everyone, we're going to rope this place off and try to get everyone elsewhere. People've seen too much already". He nodded, and watched as his fellow guards went about it. A youngish Telar guard was the only one who didn't move. He seemed to be watching the poor sobbing sister, the white-haired one. Her crying was so distraught and heart-wrenching, like her world had just ended along with her sister's.
Gregory had thought she looked familiar. It was that human girl his brother had decided to give up everything in the world for. Name, rank, any titles he would've inherited, indeed any inheritance at all. For what he claimed was love.... but even he wasn't so heartless as to feel nothing for the scene that had just unfolded. She was clutching a large, vaguely-hand-shaped piece of ice, trying to both breath and cry at the same time. Her thin shoulders heaved with every distraut wail, and he acted without an order. While his fellow guards sought to go about damage control so the whole town wasn't abuzz with talks of more rogue mages, he put a hand on the woman's shoulder and urged her to stand. "This isn't where you want to be right now", he insisted.
The woman snapped her head up to look and see who's voice it was, perhaps out of some recognition, and he knew she ewcognized him as Damien's brother. Her face was drenched in tears and her eyes were the brightest red he'd ever seen, puffy and swollen and.... haunted looking. It was damn creepy even to him.
"G-get away from me.... sh-she was all I H-HAD.... ," her voice cracked and she choked. She was still futiley trying to put the ice pieces back together again. It was all rather sad.
He was suddenly pushed aside by something rather large and furry, and now there was an Apolarin standing over everything. Who the hell invited this circus?!
Durthen stood and stared, for once at a loss for words and again for once in complete agreeance with the Telar. She didn't need to be here right now. He hadn't known her sister or even what she looked like but he knew her cries and knew they couldn't be for anyone but family. He'd heard them all before, in the war... the loss of friends, of family, of everything dear to the people who'd seen too much cried like that. He couldn't stand hearing anyone cry like that much less a friend, however new.
He bent and gently picked her up, but she began to struggle, halfheartedly.
"No! Let me go.... let me down!" she screamed tearfully. She wasn't fighting to be let down, she was fighting against the idea, that her sister was gone... like she could do something about it by being there. She wasn't any match for him of course, and no one seemed willing to tell him where to go.
Lily couldn't bear it.... her chest was at once empty and overfull and her heart ached, being tugged in every direction. Jilly was but melting ice on the cobblestones, her only tie to family, indeed her only living blood.... gone. Murder and Suicide. Her throat ached more from emotion than the crying, but she had to cry or she'd explode. But now Durthen was carrying her away, and she was guided now more by her heart than her head. She screamed in sorrow, in despair, in mourning, in anger at her for leaving her alone. Even Durthen's deep, relaxing voice couldn't help. She couldn't even hear what he was saying..... but her eyes were growing heavy though the last thing she wanted was sleep and she knew he'd put a spell on her.
Gregory watched, feeling numb and foolish in the aftermath. It wasn't an accustomary feeling. But someone had to take authority. "Keep her away from here, but don't leave town. She'll most likely be sequestered for legal reasons," he warned. The Apolarin just looked at him, then back and the scene, to the now sleeping woman in his arms who had until recently been inconsolably hysterical. Greg rather thought he took the hint.
It took awhile before the authorities had the area roped off and even longer still for everyone to be cleared off. The media was being dealt with, no doubt being assured that this was an isolated incident and no one need worry about other rogue mages perhaps on the loos. The family of the man who had been accused of years-old murder and himself killed were both furious and distraut and both law enforcement and members of the assasin's guild were talking to them. There wasn't much for Gregory to do now, except ask his boss what else needed doing.
It was a complete mess, and in hindsight, he didn't see how it could have been avoided. The dark haired mage must have been planning it for years to have things timed, thought out so perfectly, and she had all of the guards in perfect pawn positions to make sure she was neither captured nor charged for the crime.
His boss looked haggard. "Just.... take some time off. I'm sending a few others home for the time being too.... this is turning into a real mess already. The Imperials are getting involved too. Try not to speak to anyone about specifics.... eyewitness accounts to the media are going to be hell as it is," he warned.
Gregory nodded, and gave himself pause on the way back to his home. The woman was involved.... his "brother's" human. She was in no condition to say anything to anyone.... should he contact his Damien and let him know?
Durthen, meanwhile, had taken his horses and Lily back to his own home. He didn't think she'd take well to waking up around her late sister's belongings so soon after this tragedy and his home was his first instinct anyway. He'd laid her on the large, three-cushioned couch in the den and covered her with a thin summer blanket. He kept them around even though with his fur he had no real use for them. Her screams were echoing in his mind.... her crying and her refusal to leave, her insistence upon putting her sister back together again against all odds.... it reminded him very much of the aftermath of battles of the Veil, when people discovered the remains of their loved ones and refused to believe it. And a lot of those things had been more final, more grisly than just a broken ice sculpture.
But her cries were just another thing forever etched into his old memory. New friend though she was he couldn't bear the thoughts that plagued him now. He busied himself making something, anything in the kitchen. His sleep spell was temporary but it should hold for another couple of hours. Enough time to let things blow over in all senses of the word.
Predictably, someone knocked at his door not an hour later and thinking he knew what it was about, he answered it.
Three Imperial Guards stood there, two men and a woman.
"I know what you want and you'll have to wait... she's still sleeping," he growled. Memories still plagued him even though he was taking a tricky little potion designed to help him not let his trauma make him emotional. He had no choice but to let them take her... as unhappy as it made her look and feel.
He watched them fade into the setting sun.... it was approaching suppertime but he had a feeling she wouldn't eat so soon after. He didn't even want to but life had to go on... even when it sucked and didn't seem worth it.
They took her uptown where a lot of the "nicer" houses were... very well kept, well to do places, houses she could only dream about. All the lawns were well kept and a couple even had cars, shiny things that nearly never saw a single mile on their odometers. She could only expect horrible stupid questions to which these guys probably already knew the answers. For the most part she was right. Things like "did you know your sister was a rogue ice mage" and "did you know beforehand that she left you everything including several hundred thousand ". Her answers were no.
The last straw was when she tried to leave.... there wsa a camera crew waiting for her, and all she wanted was to go home, crank some music and clean.... or cry. She didn't want this, and again she cursed Jilly inwardly.... she normally never destroyed things in anger but she felt she was justified in melting a tv camera with a well placed fireball.
Now however she had no idea how to get home from where she was and didn't have enough for a cab home. Wonderful... and after her display with the media crew, she was surprised the agents weren't chasing her down screaming for her arrest. It was getting darker now, and cooling off fast and for the moment she had the streets to herself. She didn't even know what neighborhood she was in.
She sat on the curb and put her face in her hands, letting her hair trail down. Even cut to the small of her back it trailed the street. She didn't care. Just so much to deal with.... she had to calm herself down. Jilly, she cursed inwardly, why did you have to be so stupid and leave me alone again.....
It didn't solve her problem though... now how to get home. She supposed walking was in order.... so she got to it. While she was at it, she called Damien.
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
Damien didn't answer for a moment, and at first Lily was sure he wasn't going to. Perhaps she was interrupting a class.
He finally answered, seeing it was her and his voice sounded happy. "Lily!"
"Hey Damien....".
He caught the tone of her voice and his heart sank. She sounded like she'd been crying!
"What happened???"
Lily choked up for a moment. "We got back home okay..... t-traffic was blocked. So Durthen stopped..... and I got out... there was an ice mage.... in town square.... holding a man hostage. The guards surrounded her..... she made them kill her,....".
There was a pause.
"Who was it??"
"I-it was Jilly.... she killed the man who killed our p-parents..... turned herself to ice... and they sh-shattered...." at this point she broke down again crying. It happened off and on now.
Damien could guess the rest. Jillian had committed murder and suicide-by-guard and Lily was all alone in the world now. Just like him. His heart broke for her.
"Oh Lily.....," he said softly. He heard her bawling her eyes out, he'd never heard her cry before. After this he hoped he wouldn't have to. It was a truly awful sound.
"I'm hopping the train south as soon as spring break hits, which is in a couple days. I'll be there, Lily I promise," he assured her.
She hung up without a word. He didn't blame her. He felt the same way every day, he'd find himself thinking about his family and then realize again that they wouldn't want to hear from him ever again. He was adjourned.
(ill write the rest later, im swamped atm and cant think)
__________________
"The only thing we have to fear is.... fear itself. And spiders!!"
