[ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

This is where the Kingdom of Fenia's main Inn is.

Moderator: Community Team

Post Reply
User avatar
Zuan
Posts: 1595
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:20 pm

Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Zuan »

He listened, though nothing she said was anything new to what had been in his mind. He had known, much like one knows when the leaves begin to turn red and brown upon the trees that autumn is approaching, that Aishe had been unwell and had passed. It was a silent and sombre moment as she continued on, if it was possible, no doubt it would look as if he was aging for each word which left her lips, yet he did not take a word in. There was anger and rage boiling within him that could conquer castles, yet a stricken sadness that could not crush an ant. He was both and neither, all and nothing.

He took the hand without a word, as if he was but a golem obeying commands. Yet within his head the plan was formulating. He would not wait for spells nor magic. He had given them all fourteen days, and they had all failed him – no – they had failed her. He would not fail her and if he did, well he, unlike they, was prepared to die trying.

They arrived within the walls of the estate, but as he was directed towards the chamber where his wife body remained still and silent, he shook his head. He would not see her like that, he could not see her like that. She was his Queen and most importantly his wife. And if his eyes were to fall upon her silent frame, then he was not sure the rage within him could be controlled. He closed his eyes and counted to ten within his head. It was not their fault. It was his. He had let her play with magic and blood, when he knew their folly all too well. He had trusted that with her, and put his focus into the Kingdom and not the child that was within her womb. He shook his head at the duo and muttered weakly.
”I shall not see her…” He sighed and pushed some of the unkempt hair from his face, his eyes direct at the duo, unflinching and unquestioning. What he said next was not a request. It was a command. That of a King and a grieving husband. His power had only one advantage. It made others listen. Yet in truth it was never the power that made them listen, more the aura and within his words, the smallest flicker, the tiniest ember within the darkest of caves, of a plan.

He looked between them as he spoke. His words clear and calm, his resolve unbroken, despite his heart feeling so splintered. Yet if he focused on the sadness and the sorrow then he would become petrified, and this… well this was a time for action.
”I will go to my chambers. Send Akos and only Akos. On pain of death.” And with that. He turned heel and headed to his own chambers, the plan oh so dangerous and foolish now swimming within his mind.
Image
High King of The Fenians - Brother to Dahlia, Ambra, Trinity, Sera & Zhou
User avatar
Serendipity
Posts: 94
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:32 pm
Location: Latchom Kam Villa, Viceroyalty of Bravia

Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Serendipity »

It was with surprise that Zuan remained unmoving in the direction where they had all spent the last fourteen days. Her brows furrowed together. She was not sure what she had expected, but she had imagined he'd be glued to the bedside. So, why was he not running to her? Serendipity glanced up at Aeton before turning her attention back to the King. The pain in his voice hurt her just the same as Akos's forlorn expression haunted her the last two weeks.

As she watched the king turn and walk away, she stared after him for a long moment, finding herself stuck. It was only when she felt a squeeze that she realized she had yet to let go of Aeton's hand. That squeeze was enough to put her into motion, releasing his hand and moving forward to the dreaded bedroom with Aeton on her heel. Quietly, she opened the door, but hung in the doorway as to not disrupt the room. Akos was quick to look up at her, circles dark beneath her similarly dark eyes. Serendipity beckoned her over. It must have been the urgency on her face that made Akos move from the spot she had refused to budge from all the times they tried to get her to move.

With Akos in front of her, she leaned forward and quietly whispered, "Zuan is here. He wants you to see him. He's in his rooms. He asks only for you. We've got her."
Image
Bond to Aeton Sanchari | Mother of Zipporah, Yara, Nox, Eydahl, Eydís, Juniper, & Valen
Lady of the Vale | Guardian Protector to Aishe, Akos & co. | BDR Natsia | (Aishe Art)
User avatar
Akos
Posts: 820
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 2:01 am
Location: Down Unda

Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Akos »

Time had melded together for Akos, and it was only because others were in the room with her that she knew the two weeks had passed. She'd felt the shifting of bodies, the soft murmurings and the occasional change in energies as her sons and sisters moved about as necessitated. In truth, Serendipity had been the only one able to rouse her from her efforts and drag her back into the reality of this realm. It was for that reason alone that Akos was aware that her husband would be on his way, and only for that reason that she was alert enough to acknowledge the summons.

Rather than try to move her weary bones, Akos instead shadow ported herself directly to Zuans chambers in the estate. The sunlight streaming into the room seemed greatly at odds with the heavy emptiness sitting where her connection to Aishe should be. She blinked against the harsh glare and followed the slow moving specks of dust as they drifted towards the center of the room and a certain figure she'd not seen in far too long.

Zuan. The name croaked dryly from her lips.
User avatar
Zuan
Posts: 1595
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:20 pm

Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Zuan »

He took her into her arms as swift as she had entered the room. If any was to know of his pain it would be her, however as much as their grief filled the room like the rising tide swallowed the beach, their focus had to be on their wife, and bringing her back to the realm of the living. How to explain his plan to her of all people. The idea was mad, beyond mad in fact, yet the reality was as much grief as it might cause her, she would be the only one with the heart to see it through.

He gently took one of her hands into his own, as the other rested softly against her cheek, as he brought her forehead to rest against his own, silence remained, as he closed his eyes, as if they could talk through minds and silent emotion rather than words. However words were needed, as they preceded the actions he had to take, the danger he had to create and the solution only they could bring.
”I love you.” He said simply, yet strongly, as he finally opened his eyes and looked into her own.

He continued on, each word broken by a harsh but necessary breath, subconsciously as if he was indeed drowning and fighting for every gasp of fresh air.
“We do not have much time, for it has already been long, but you must trust me.” He sighed and kissed her lips, feeling the cracks upon them from the unkemptness they shared. ”I can save her. But you have to do something for me…” He kissed her again, longer this time, as if it was the last kiss on earth. Then he stepped back and pulled a small dagger from his belt, and pressed it’s handle firmly into her hands. ”I need you to kill me.” He said bluntly, allowing the words to sit light a rancid smell in the air, before continuing. ”Knife, into my heart, deep and true, don’t miss and don’t hesitate. Oh and whatever you do. Don’t remove the blade until our wife wakes. Else this will all be for naught….” He then slowly stumbled slightly as he placed his feet firmly into the marble of the floor as he set himself down to sit upon the bed. She needed to strike, firm and true, for else their wife would not return to them.

The risk was great. He had not done this in years, and he knew the costs, but this price was one he was willing to accept, and so he sat there, and smiled at Akos, his wife, as if to tell her without words, in a silent promise, that all would, in time be okay.
Image
High King of The Fenians - Brother to Dahlia, Ambra, Trinity, Sera & Zhou
User avatar
Akos
Posts: 820
Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2015 2:01 am
Location: Down Unda

Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Akos »

Akos let herself sink into his embrace, his warm comforting presence finally anchoring her to this world. She let herself be held in silence for a time, feeling the tiredness she had been ignoring for so long weigh heavily in her muscles. She wanted to stay here, wrapped up in this small private world for as long as possible, to forget all that had come before. Zuan had other plans though.

She listened quietly as he spoke. Accepted the dagger into her hand numbly as she tried to register his words. Followed him to the bed and allowed her hands to follow his guidance, resting the tip of the blade against his shirt. Trust was not something that had always existed between them, it had grown over time as their shared love for Aishe blossomed into a love for each other. Zuans' blood ran through her veins, anchoring Akos to a humanity they all feared she had lost. She and Aishe had given him the children and family he had yearned so long for. They'd built an unlikely but unwavering bond that Akos was just now discovering the true depths of as she gazed sadly into his determined gaze.

In so many ways they had saved each other, and now he was asking Akos to kill him, in order to save them all once more.

Tears welled as she pressed the tip ever so slightly into his flesh. She would not falter in this request, but neither would she look away from him. I love you, she whispered as she plunged the knife into his chest, laying him back upon the bed as crimson spread across his shirt. Akos shakily released her grip on the dagger and crawled up onto the bed next to her husband to gently cradle his head in her lap. Running her fingers through his hair, Akos watched as the colour left his handsome face, and finally, finally let the tears stream down her cheeks.
User avatar
Zuan
Posts: 1595
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:20 pm

Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Zuan »

Death. What an interesting concept, for without it, was there truly life? Life was built of moments and memories, emotions, hopes and dreams, pain and sorrow woven inexplicitly with love and friendship. It was all a tangled web of time which one consciously processed and experienced, memorised and even forgot, and death was the opposite of this. Death was the removal of it, of memories, moments, emotions and feeling, all swept away into the pit that was the blackness, darker than night itself, more encompassing than the sun and the stars, yet without it. What was life?

It was an interesting thought which entered his head as the dagger entered his heart, and the blood poured from his chest, the darkness of it stained his clothing and the sheets until he lay in a pool of blackness, much like that of the darkness he was now entering. His breathing slowed and then it stopped.

On the morning of the 15th February 1660, King Zuan Winterbourne I, High King of the Fenians, Duke of Northfenshire breathed no longer within the arms of his stricken and now alone Queen Akos. He did not close his eyes, and they remained locked with hers as his breathing became silent and his body still. For all intents and purposes the King was dead. Long live the King.

------

Silence, a deafening silence, which was louder than a dragons roar. Cold, a crippling cold, which was warmer than that same dragon’s breath. And then eyes opened, the greyish blue irises of the King of Fenia granted to him vision, least that was what he assumed it was, given the blackness had been replaced with a blinding white light. Purer than the fresh white snow, yet no sound was made as he took a step. Or did he take a step? He looked down. Or did he look down? There had been darkness and now light, yet he could not focus, either his mind or his body, if it even was a body, to understand quite where or what he was.

But he was thinking. Thought, yes that was true, thinking he was doing, anything more he could not gather. Yet if he could think, he could attempt surely? The whiteness meant he had vision, that was also true. It had gone from darkness to light. He had thought and he had vision. If he had those two faculties, then why not motion. Yet without vision beyond blinding light how could he know to move? He needed feeling, but that required a body, and he wasn’t sure he had that. However… he could think and thinking meant… imagination.

He thought about it. Yes. He should have a body. So he thought about his own for a moment, it’s shape and form, it’s structure, it’s height and it’s scars, it’s hair and stubble, it’s more notable and less notable features. Odd. He had thought about his eyes first and then vision so they came, and now he raised an arm. His arm. And then it dawned on him. He could see his arm. Whatever this was, it was not quite physical or permanent, yet it was equally not nothing. It was not quite life or death. He grasped a hand weakly, feeling his fingers press into the palm of his hand and then extend back outward, it was there, because he thought it be right to be there…therefore…

He blinked.

He smelt sea air, and all that came with it. Sea weed and salt. He heard the waves. Crashing and breaking upon the land. He felt the beach. Sand settling between his toes. He tasted the water. As a high wave broke at his feet and dashed him with its bounty. He opened his eyes, and found himself upon a beach. He did not know quite yet which beach, or whether it held significance to him or not. Yet he found himself finally in a setting, no longer surrounded by dazzling and blinding white light, and so he took this hint and began to walk down the beach, unsure yet of what he would find upon this blank canvas of rock and sand.

Each step he took, he felt the small grains of sand trap themselves within his toes, yet this sense he took as a positive, it meant at the very least his mind, if that was what you could call it, was working. He pondered exactly what he was as he walked, as well as what he was looking for. He did not think himself to be human, given he could not rightly prove his physical form, he had imagined it yes, but one could imagine themselves as a dragon, yet would fall if they attempted to fly. All he knew was that his thoughts were guiding him, yet if they were guiding him why bring him here? He had not himself thought of a beach, yet it had taken him here. Why?

The subconscious, that part of the mind one never truly understood, it harboured the inner most thoughts and desires of man, yet you could not easily access it. It was why love was never easily forgotten, it was why hopes and dreams could grow within one’s mind even if one had not the tools to achieve them. Perhaps then it was his subconscious mind which had led him here, and if so, in this realm, it appeared the subconscious was just as, if not more, powerful than the conscious. Yet why here and also… how did he get here?

However that question left his mind almost as quick as it had entered, as his vision darted across the beach, which was no longer empty. Stood in the distance was a shadow, or a figure? He could not tell, and thus approached, yet he was no longer walking slowly, he could feel the sand give way as his movement changed from walk, to jog to run to full on sprint without his control. His subconscious craved the shadow. His subconscious needed him to see it, it wanted it oh so desperately that his mind suddenly began to scream, as if the entity had been given voice, trapped within him, unable to escape, clawing at the very walls of his skull, as his body collapsed.

How long had he been running? How long had he been upon the sand for? He grasped some within his palm and attempted to push himself upward. So. He could feel pain, his mind was still in agony over what had just happened, yet his subconscious had won, it had pulled him toward the figure, as if he were a fish and the figure the fisherman, however now… most of all he noticed he had gained something else. A voice.


”Aishe?” He said, looking into the unmistakable eyes of his wife.
Image
High King of The Fenians - Brother to Dahlia, Ambra, Trinity, Sera & Zhou
User avatar
Aishe
Posts: 2522
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2010 12:34 pm
Location: OOC: On RL maternity leave. In retreat IG, checking forums occasionally. Available on discord.

Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Aishe »

Zuan?

This is where, dear reader, that the tale shifts. Our story moves from a tangible realm of the physical into something far unseen and untouched. It was a place outside the realm of time, a place with no laws of nature. Up was down and right was left. It could be both dark and light simultaneously. You could exist and you could fade.

It was in this strange place that Aishe had found herself thrown into. In a haze of confusion, she found herself tossed across the ground with a landing rougher than the time she ended up in the Nether realm. She skipped like a flat stone across a still lake, only coming to a halt when... Well, when she stopped. There was nothing to catch her and nothing to hold onto in a world of sheer and utter darkness. She was uncertain how she got here, but something told her it was not where she belonged. So, she picked herself up, finding herself free from pain when such a fall ought to have broken her bones. And then, she walked.

In an odd transition of darkness to colour, the world of unending shadows gave to green grass and trees. It was something for her bright eyes to observe, and yet, her heart told her to keep moving. And so, she did.

It seemed that, so long as she kept moving, the world kept changing around her. Different places, but all recognizable to her. There was not a creature in sight and no sound to be heard. It kept her mind in a haze, uncertain, but not yet frightened. She could hardly think of who she was, least of what had happened to bring her to this odd maze of settings. Had she always been here? Was this her existence? The idea seemed plausible as there was nothing to argue otherwise.

Until she heard a sound.

She had been moving through what appeared to be a village. Empty as all the previous locations had been, it still showed signs of life. Fires burned in hearths and clothes were hung out to dry in the windless air. All seemed ordinary until that sound. A rustle of footsteps pierced her ears, deafening amongst the silence of her own. She winced, covering one ear in response as blue eyes searched for the source. A flash of red caught her attention behind warped glass, luring her towards a nearby cottage. She tried to peer into the window, spotting a woman with ginger locks and a piercing gaze. She was looking around just as hard as Aishe was staring at her, and yet... It was as though she could not be seen.

Something was wrong. She felt it in her bones. She raised her hand to pound on the window, a sense of urgency overwhelming her while her voice was caught in her throat. Her fist made no noise to match the soundless world around her. Images of the woman she saw flooded her mind. Whole lives, hundreds of conversations, blood, sweat, and tears shed... It rushed over her and in that instant, she recognized Serendipity. She abandoned the window with some clarity, trying to find the door to the small home. She ran around the cottage, and yet all she found was windows. Panicked, she returned to one and began hitting it again, her fist so tight her knuckles turned white. Mirroring the rise of panic, the flames of the hearth began to leap forward in great hunger. She watched in horror as the fire spread across the floor and up the walls, soon consuming everything inside along with the vision of the familiar face.

It was evident she could do nothing and so with a sense of defeat, she stepped away. Her confusion still ran deep, if anything it had grown at realizing she had known the woman. How did she know her? She could remember their time spent, but it did not make sense. And why could she not be seen or heard? Something was not right. She found herself running away from the village, eager to move into the next space.

That was a tipping point in her journey. It was like a door had been unlocked -- no, split with an axe. There was a slice of wood missing, letting in the unseen while she remained locked away. Things were flooding together. She continued to see redheaded women at distances or through obstacles blocking her path, along with a three eyed creature. She could have sworn she even caught glimpses of raven locks in more fleeting moments. They were not the only things to come, though.

Noises began to lurk on the edge of everything, as if something was circling her. Watching her. Wanting her. It had her looking over her shoulder with the hair raised on her arm. Tension was in the air, nearly suffocating her at times and spurring her forward. She found that if she kept moving, things stayed more calm. It was when she stayed in one place for too long that the unknown found her and crept in on her with sharp claws waiting to tear her apart.

There were more changes that came with these visitors. Noises began to filter into the world. At first, the tracks were off. If she were in the forest, she could hear the ocean. After some time though, the sounds began to match the setting, providing an odd comfort of familiarity. With that familiarity came more images and not just of the Vales. She began to remember who she was, all that she had, all that she had left behind. Because, she came to realize, she was dead.

It took a lot of effort to work through the fog blanketing her mind, but she began to realize that she was flitting between locations that she knew. Places from her memories. Once she realized that, she figured out how to control her journey better with focus and attention. She could come and go where she pleased, and yet still, could not stay for too long. This way station did not want her. She was meant to move forward into the bright horizon that she fought to ignore.

There was a time spent at the Imperian castle when things went haywire. She had not been amongst the familiar halls for long before she began to hear the sound of metal scraping along stones. It rung so loudly, bouncing off the high ceilings in her direction with a ferocity she had yet to face. Her breath quickened with her pace, her eyes closing in concentration. When she opened them, she had not left the castle and now stood face to face with... Her eyes could not believe what she was seeing. The hooded figured grasped for her, long nails digging into her skin as she pulled away. Dripping, black slices trailed over the front of her shoulder, leaving the only physical sensation she had felt since she had arrived. The cuts burned as she stumbled backwards, withholding a scream. She turned and ran down the corridor, closing her eyes as tightly as she could.

And when she opened them, she was in a forest. She collapsed in a pile of heaving shoulders and relief. Blood dripped from her shoulder, the wounds deeper than she had realized, trailing from the top of her shoulder onto her chest, in the direction of her heart. With a violent shake of her head, she pushed herself off the ground and wandered to water. She had no need to eat or drink, but had walked in many a stream during her wandering and knew one was not far. At the creekside, she knelt down and cupped water, splashing it up onto her shoulder. She cried out when the cool liquid made contact, providing a fresh wave of searing pain. She gritted her teeth and continued, only stopping when she felt the wound had been properly washed. She took off her shirt, leaving her in a thin and torn undershirt, and made a bandage to tie around the worse of the wound on her shoulder. It was not perfect, but it was the best she could manage without help. She would have taken the time to make a salve, but she knew she had lingered too long. So, she choose a new destination that would help her, the kitchens of Ettinford.

At the privacy of her estate, she rummaged through familiar cabinets for what she needed. She had, when she recalled who she was, rushed to Ettinford. It only provided disappointment and loneliness, finding it as empty as the rest of the world, and she had not returned since. At least now, the pain in her shoulder distracted her from the ache in her heart. Bandaged up better, she continued on in a fresh change of clothes and the weight of a sword on her hip.

The cycle continued. After the attack at the castle, she was more careful and more precise with her locations. She kept on her toes and her ears stayed sharp. There seemed to be more than one force at play. This world wanted her gone. He wanted her with him. And she... She wanted to go home. She clung to the hope that her family would find a way to bring her back, realizing that she was tangled in a net she could not cut herself out of. Her soul longed to move forward, to be reborn, but she... She just refused to give up. It left an pulsing pain in her head that grew the longer she was there, just as the pursuit of shadows became more relentless. This was truly no world of her own, just one she had been tossed into like a goldfish in a bowl. She was just swimming in a circle until she decided to jump out.

The thought became tempting as the world grew more hostile and unsteady. There would be ease with surrender; she could walk into the horizon and find a fresh start with a new name and face. She could leave her troubles and pain behind. But, in doing so, she would leave behind all that kept her fighting. Her spouses, her children, her family, her people, her kingdoms. She grasped onto her stubbornness as a lifeline, forcing herself to keep going while her body felt weary.

The sound of waves gave her fresh strength. The sand beneath her feet was Fenian sand, or at least in the real world it was. It was the shores of Duchy of Athena... The very shore she had landed on with her family after they fled Bravia. It was on these shores she had sworn fealty to the High Fenian King, who promised protection for her family in exchange for her dedication as his viceroy. This was where their new journey began, their old book ending and another starting. Wind whipped her hair in a wild dance, a wind that was not originally here but had been one of the slow changes to the world. She closed her eyes, relishing it, trying to take in the smells before she went onto the next location.

The sound of sand quivering beneath bare feet had her eyes open wide. She spun around, surprised that he would be coming at her from land and not rising from the water at her feet. He was sneaky that way. But when her gaze fell on the running figure, her knees shook beneath her. Gravity threatened to take her down, her chest stilling. What sort of trickery was this? Could he assume other forms? And how dare he try to lure her in such a way! A rage built up in her chest, considering for once to use the sword she had strapped to her hip in place of running. It was a risk... She couldn't let him touch her, but if she be fast enough, maybe.. No, probably not. She had no vampire strengths here; here, she seemed limited in ways a human would be.

She turned to run as the figure of her husband fell into the sand but mere feet from her. There was a new hesitation that arose though as her name was uttered. She shifted to face him, eyes downcast to meet his in confusion, anger, and fear. When she met his gaze, though, the world shifted. Something in her drew her forward. It was more than just a feeling, it was instinctual, as if her very bones were not hers to control but belonged to him.

Zuan?

Her voice was soft as ever, but it sounded strange to hear. Even in the absence of others, she had not taken to talking aloud out of fear of being overheard. A trembling hand reached forward to touch him, the other resting on the hilt of the sword. A shaken cry emitted from her throat when her fingers touched his hair, winding through the locks. He was real and he was hers. She flew forward, falling onto her own knees so that she could throw her arms around him. Her force was too much as they fell backwards, finding a true sob trying to escape from her chest.

You're real. You're here. But no, no, no no wait, yo-- The sob was smothered down with a new panic, while her grip did not lessen nor did her face leave his chest. She was terrified if she let go, even a little bit, the wind would snatch him away and she'd be alone all over again. YOU can't be here. You can't. How are you here? Where are the others?
Aishe Ehsan Sanchari-Kuhlash | Married to Akos | Mother of Dynasties | Mum of 16
Image
♛ Queen Mother of Fenia | The White Wolf | Senator of Bravia🍓
Kralisi Kaer of Boreens Durri Roma (BDR) ☾ Rani Ji Purrana
[Art | Historian ]
User avatar
Zuan
Posts: 1595
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:20 pm

Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Zuan »

He had found her, or least he believed himself to have found her, as he let out a slight grunt at the impact of her body against hers before his fell back into the sand, sinking ever so slightly into it with the weight of their frames pressed against one another. He was silent for a moment, and he wrapped an arm around her, to feel her form, to assure himself that she was indeed a physical entity and not some mirage. Even though the fact the force of her hug had brought him down into the sand.

He sighed gently, and closed his eyes, enjoying that one peaceful moment of privacy that they now held together, as his hands wrapped around her form and her hands wrapped around his. Then softly she spoke. He heard the fear and concern in her voice, she was no fool, she could put two and two together to know why she was here and therefore why he too must be here. Especially given he was indeed also a physical entity. Yet he found himself struggling to produce the words. If by saying them that would make it true and unchangeable.

So he held the silence for a moment longer, breathing in that fresh sea air which mixed with the scent of his wife who was still pressed against his chest, before finally he closed his eyes and counted to ten, and lifted himself and her, back to their own pairs of feet. Yet he did not release her from his embrace, that was the fear they shared most of all perhaps, that to let the other go and to never be able to embrace again. And so as he spoke, he looked down into her eyes, he smiled, or least he believed he smiled, again he held no factual truths about what this realm was, what he was, or what he was doing, whether it was reality or not, who could tell. Yet she could recognise him and he her, so they must have some element of physical form that the other could recognise.


He spoke softly, in almost a whisper, as if he had not spoken for a thousand years when in reality he had only spoken moments before, yet words still seemed difficult, and they made his throat ache, but he spoke nonetheless. ”I do not rightly know where here is. Or if here exists at all. What I do know, is the others are safe.” He said, with a flash of lighting striking within his mind at these words, as if providing him with new information. She had given birth. To a healthy daughter. ”And among them, is our newborn daughter, who desperately craves to see her mother.” As for why he was here? He didn’t have a clue, how could he have a clue? But, he decided to answer regardless. It was perhaps total nonsense, with no truth behind it at all, but he had no other answer, thus this was the one he decided upon, and thus that was all the truth this statement needed. ”You are my wife. Where else would you expect me to come after escaping the mortal coil than to your side?” He said as if that was the most obvious thing on earth…or this plain of existence at any rate. ”And it is my duty, Aishe, my wife, my queen, my soul, to bring you home, so you can hold our newborn daughter, and watch her grow into a Princess we can both be proud of.” He offered her a smile, to let her know he meant his words, and that their daughter was indeed well. ”The question is, oh wife of mine, is if you truly wish to return.” He said honestly, and now wondered if she would return the honesty?
Image
High King of The Fenians - Brother to Dahlia, Ambra, Trinity, Sera & Zhou
User avatar
Aishe
Posts: 2522
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2010 12:34 pm
Location: OOC: On RL maternity leave. In retreat IG, checking forums occasionally. Available on discord.

Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Aishe »

Aishe shifted with him, mirroring his motions without ever loosening her grip. There seemed to be confusion for them both, though his confusion certainly seemed different to hers. He was bluffing, wasn't he? His words almost sounded hallow, as if there was no force behind them. It made her momentarily question if this was not all an elaborate trick to get her to submit, her arms loosening ever so slightly with hesitation. Yet, when he mentioned a daughter, it dawned on her. He just didn't remember. There was a time she didn't either.

She lives... The two words were said on her breath, barely audible, with a new wave of relief washing over her like the water lapping at their feet. Bright eyes searched his face as he continued to speak. The relief gave way to a twinge of guilt and pain when he asked what she expected. She did not expect him to die. But, how was he here? Again, the confusion pushed forward, pressing the guilt out of the picture for the moment. His duty. His wife. His queen. His...

...Soul. Her brows knitted together with the echo, the rest of his words falling on deaf ears until the word ' return' drew her back. Her eyes grew wide. We've been here too long! We have to go!

With a refreshed energy, she tightened her hold on him while closing her eyes as tightly as she could. In her concentration, she managed to move them both to a small apartment that smelled of strawberries and fresh bread. It was her first home in Bravia City, with her workshop beneath on the first floor. This was the home her and Akos had started their story this life. The memories of those walls were both heartfelt and painful, but with it, a security that she subconsciously needed in that moment.

She opened her eyes to confirm they had moved and that he was still with her, before letting out a sigh of relief. Only then did she release him, taking a moment to study his face as he got his bearings. How do I know you're... You? Not a trick to get me to give up?
Aishe Ehsan Sanchari-Kuhlash | Married to Akos | Mother of Dynasties | Mum of 16
Image
♛ Queen Mother of Fenia | The White Wolf | Senator of Bravia🍓
Kralisi Kaer of Boreens Durri Roma (BDR) ☾ Rani Ji Purrana
[Art | Historian ]
User avatar
Zuan
Posts: 1595
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:20 pm

Re: [ORP] Ettinford: A Tale by the Sea

Post by Zuan »

He didn’t have the chance to speak a word as they were moved, perhaps they blinked at the same time? Because one moment they were on the beach, the next they were in a quaint little house… how odd, and why exactly did they ‘have to go’? However, that questioned could wait as he slowly lifted himself to his feet from the floor. He clearly had not expected the movement and so found himself upon the floor as their surroundings changed. He slowly rose to his feet and looked her again directly in the eyes as she spoke, wondering if he might be some ruse, or phantom, or trick.

He pushed some of his matted and unkempt hair from his face. Perhaps if the situation were not so severe, he would imagine himself a better haircut, however his focus was entirely upon the words which left Aishe’s lips, and so he responded. He knew Akos would stay with him, and thus, that would be his weapon to convince Aishe that he was real. Blood was a complex thing, most saw it as lifeforce and a physical entity, however to others it was magic, to some those things were one in the same, magic created from life-force, yet to Zuan it was something much more complicated. His blood, and whatever poisons ran through it dug far deeper than the physical.

They had after all used his blood to balance the demons battling within Akos, and that was a battle far deeper than the mere physical, and so he remembered. The knife in his heart.
”Don’t listen to me. Listen to our wife.” And as he remembered the blackness of blood appeared upon his chest and dripped to the floor, in a methodical patter, as he used his strength to pull Aishe in close and press her ear to his heart and to the wound which pierced existences. She could not see. She could not feel. She could not know anything but the soft gentle sound of Akos’ near silent sobs as she cradled the now lifeless and still body of Zuan. ”She believes in me. She believes in both of us. Neither of us are ready to give you up…so perhaps I should ask you. Do you wish to give up? Or do you wish to return to your wife, to your children and family. Because you are yet to give me an honest answer. He said with his typical blunt tone. She was his wife, and thus he would never sugar coat the situation to her. For them to get back, she would need to want to return.

His blood ran in Akos’ veins, and therefore had it of been possible, they could have brought her body back to life, yet they hadn’t, which told him there was something more to this situation. That her mind, or soul, or spirt, whatever one wished to define it as, was not so keen to return. Thus, he had willingly gone after her, knowing only he could remain anchored to the world of the living while searching the spiritual for her essence. But until she gave him the truth, about her fears to return, and her hopes for a new life, he knew naught how to convince her to return with him, to the land of the living.
Image
High King of The Fenians - Brother to Dahlia, Ambra, Trinity, Sera & Zhou
Post Reply