[ORP]Eudoxia's Lake House- Tales of a Naiad

[Eudoxia]

The sun came over the hills and cast down on the lake like liquid gold. Eudoxia would never tire of the beauty a sunset beheld. She leaned back against an algae covered rock and basked in the glow for a moment longer. The days chores could wait.

Or not. She felt a small fish swim past her bare ankle, giving it a nudge. "Oh, alright alright." She moaned to nobody in particular. Eudoxia ran through her to do list in her mind: water the flowers in the graveyard and stop by the market to pick up some fresh bread at the insistence of her faithful confidant. At the thought of Bendis, Eudoxia dropped her head back, catching an upside-down glance at her small cottage that sat at the edge of the lake. The lantern in the window was out. Bendis had retired for the day. Eudoxia stood up and stretched languidly. Water dripped from her long hair and clothes. As she walked to her cottage across damp grass, her clothes and hair dried quickly, and by the time she reached her door, she was completely dry.

As expected, Bendis had left a note scrawled nearly illegibly on the large oak table. The note was short and quick, in Bendis’ typical clipped fashion. She reminded Eudoxia to get bread. The note may have included a thinly veiled threat. The last line caused Eudoxia to reach for one of the two chairs at the table.

Eudoxia had requested Bendis do some historical research. For some time, Eudoxia had wondered about her familial origins. As far back as she could remember, she lived in this modest cottage, tucked off of the main road of Fenia and nestled next to one of the more beautiful lakes in all of the Viceroy. And as far back as she could remember, Bendis had lived with her, unaging and catering to her whims and needs. Bendis, the odd ageless woman who slept during the day and fed off of the moonlight. She had been all Eudoxia had needed for a family for...she wasn’t even sure how many years had passed. Time moved differently when you spent a vast amount of time in bodies of water. Bendis enjoyed toiling away in the library. Eudoxia always felt uncomfortable in the library. The vast cases of dry paper made her skin itch. So, Bendis had taken on the task, even if she was bewildered about Eudoxia’s curiosity.

Here it was, on this very note. Bendis wrote, “It appears your bloodline is linked with the name of Winterbourne. They have a family hall in this Viceroy. You will need to seek more information there.”

She had a name to go on. Her hands dried with nervousness. The Winterbourne’s. Eudoxia said the name out loud, trying it on her lips. It rolled off nicely. Thoughts flooded her mind, imagining many different scenarios at once. Would they like her? Would they accept her? Would they even be alive? Wonder if the Winterbourne family consisted of nothing but old people on their deathbeds? Would they be like her? Probably not, she reasoned. If they were naiad, she would have seen them around the lake. But perhaps they weren’t Limnad, but instead Potameides- naiads of the river. She let out a huff and stood up. There was only one way to answer one of the many questions racing through her mind. She needed to visit their halls and learn about them. Perhaps even meet one or two. She stopped as she stood up. Wonder if the family consisted of such a tight knit group there was no room for her? Wonder if it consisted of hundreds and she would be a face lost in the crowd?

Frustrating herself, she grabbed her cloak from the hook by the door and draped it over her shoulders. The cloak was lined with damp musk grass and calmed Eudoxia’s nerves. She set out on the well-worn path to town, her mind filled with thoughts racing through her head like a hundred stallions. The racing thoughts brought racing emotions; fear, wonder, excitement, but most of all- hope. This name of Winterbourne brought her a renewed sense of hope she hadn’t felt in years.

[Ambrosia]

It felt like just yesterday when she walked up to the castle in denial. This wasn't her, she thought to herself as she neared the entrance. This wasn't even remotely close to where the girl had pictured herself to be. Ambra stared grumpily at the door as she waited for the maid to tiptoe in. They still hadn't caught on that the princess didn't sleep, and if she slept she didn't sleep well enough. Hands balled into fists and casually lifted to rub against her eyes, the dark circles under her blue eyes were symbols of her current ire.

As if on queue the maid entered her chambers with a giddy stride, "Good morning lady Ambra! Why is it so dark in here?" Ambra's eyes squinted as the maid took it upon herself to open every curtain she could get her energetic hands on. Where did the girl get so much energy? She turned her form sideways and climbed out of the bed, her lips pursed. "I'm going to go for a walk." She replied as fast as she could, and started to hastily walk to the entrance of the castle. "Lady Ambra! Do you want tea? Lady Ambra! Why are you walking so fast!? Lady Ambra! I just poured you some whiskey." This maid knew her all too well, her feet planted abruptly and she turned to face the young girl. "Why didn't you say so?" Ambra's lips turned from their straight line into a grin instantly.

Time had passed them by as the whiskey started to get lower and lower. The forlorn memories were blurred in her mind, and so was the images in front of her. Slowly the other woman peeked down her dress to her back, "Lady Ambra...the scales are starting to show. " She frowned more to her empty glass of whiskey, than to the news just given. "It's quite alright Hannah." Though she rose her hand and stumbled forward. "Keep this between us, aye?" The maid's happy interior turned serious, but she nodded to Ambra. "Now if you excuse me. I'm going out." She stated simply, and ventured out of the castle.

Scales? It hit her as she walked through town, and folded her arms across her chest. It kept her so focused in thought she ran over a few people in transit. Each time she paused to apologize and help them up. It was one such second she noticed a figure that walked past her. She didn't know why all of a sudden her eyes followed the cloaked body. However, it didn't take her long to notice she had been heading towards the castle. A curious crease of the brow occupied her form, before she walked and followed behind the figure to the guards.

[Turir]

The wind howled and blew a bitter chill past the dying trees. Tt danced with the leaves and dragged them away unwillingly from the winter ground. The floor was damp and stagnant with the odour of decomposing wood, diamonds pierced the black sheet held up above and looked down with vengeance. The forest seemed to never end; tall silhouettes shadowing the ground, ravens circling overhead, and screams echoing through the wind. Beady eyes hidden within the bramble scanned the area, oblivious that they were prey to this forrest. A paranormal presence lurked in the essence of the devils grasp, shadowing each living organism with dire precision.
The dark figure was approaching, his eyes widening with madness. He was carrying what looked like a blade, long, sharp and glistening with red damp blood. The man was longing to escape but his body was frozen. He couldn't move. He couldn't shriek. He couldn't gasp. he only felt hollow, like a skull, emptied of live flesh. The shock had wrapped around his body, battling down his throat. "It's time." said the dark strange figure with his deep daring voice.
"But my wish was not what I expected!" The man pleaded, falling to his knees and clasping his hands together for mercy. "It's not my fault you didn't measure the consequences of your own wish. You had your wish. Now I collect your soul." The dark figure's voice was cold and stern, demoniacally even. Underneath a smart, tailor-made suit, his body was skeletal and thin. From under his hood, only two red fiery spheres projected pure evilness at the kneeled man. With a raise of his blade, darkness lifted from the ground like a smog wrapping the man around and twirling the man around till a sudden blast of light and energy dispersed in thin air.

The man was thrown to the ground, his skin now grey like ash. His eyes glassy lacking of that glimmer that could melt the ladies hearts in a heartbeat. Everything that made that man human, vanished with a snap of fingers. No memory belonged to the fallen man. Feelings like, desire, lust, ambition soon disappeared and that man was only a walking shadow projected in this world.
Turir scratched the last name on his papyrus. His job was done and his list was empty, but he knew this didn't satisfy his master one bit. His thirst for souls were unquenchable, and Turir's obsession to bargain souls saw no end. He remembers the day when he was only a human with a tremendous curiosity about the world. That was many moons ago. Probably centuries ago. He can only remember him opening a small box that was presumed to be of Pandora and next thing he knew, he morphed into this creature taking the Devil's orders like pure law.
If feelings were permitted to this creature, he would feel envy for the humans and creatures in this world. They possessed what truly made each and one of them unique in this world and couldn't understand why someone would give this luxury to a demon, in exchange for a wish connected to greed or ambition. However many nobles crossed his path, seeking for a wish that would save others, and Turir understood altruism was an intrinsic part for some.

Turir left the soulless man in the deep core of the forest. He realized it was time to pick more victims and best way was the step inside a city and lure a man with the promises of concrete wishes, which in honesty, the wishes would come true but one should be very careful with what they wish. It may just come true...