Solo [Malfazar's Beer Hut] Of Fire and Pain [Flashback]

[Lunae]

Time Stamp - 28th of Summer 512AV


The rest of the Winter season was hell for Lunae, she could barely function without spurring on moments of rage and exhaustion coupled with bouts of crying and more pain. The Ethaefal did her best to stay out of the city limits, a few times she found herself amongst the crowds of people were she managed to scrap some rotting food from the gutters of the streets. Food was scarce and Lunae wasn't big on the idea of begging for it.

The whole last season was even more miserable, there was djed everywhere and the results were reeking havoc on Lunae's body. Her joints and bones ached terribly still! She felt that she'd never get the pain to go away.

I shall find that mage and burn him to ashes. Anger was currently in control of her actions and it was clearly evident in her cobalt blues.

After a few more days of sleeping outdoors the Eth finally succumbed to the warmth within a building. A fireplace against the far wall and a littering of tables, chairs, and occupants. It looked oddly familiar. She frowned from under her hood and then realized were she was. Back at the tavern before she was lured away by that petch of a mage! Lunae clamped her mouth shut tightly, screwing her whole alabaster face up so she wouldn't let out a bawling cry of terror and emotions.

She stumbled around the place, tears welling up and blurring her vision before she managed to plop herself in a table not far from the hearth. It was warm and comforting, quickly drying her tears and giving the avenging Ethaefal a place to vent her anger or at least stare into long enough to forget her horrifying nightmares.

So stare she did, mesmerized by the dancing the flames were producing. Their darting flickering heat rippling against the stone back like the stars across the heavens.

By Leth! The mortals have captured the stars essence in fire! I have never noticed the flames dancing like that before Lunae shuddered and started to turn away before she spotted a glimpse of something flashing on the mantle of the fireplace. It caught the Eth's attention so quickly that she almost tipped her chair over, managing to keep at least her hands on the table the cloaked lady got her chair back on all fours. People barely noticed her chair tipping attempt as they were drinking their miseries away as it was.

Standing and moving closer to the fireplace, using the cover that she was frozen to the bone, not a lie that's for sure, Lunae placed her hand on the mantle and leaned closer to the fire, minding the bottom hem of her cloak, so not to catch it on fire. That would be just what the Ethaefal needed, her only set of clothing turned into a pile of flaming material and her without anything but the belt and dagger around her petite waist. Without watching her own movements Lunae slid her hand across the mantle.

Her fingertips touched the warmed metal of the steel and her hand quickly engulfed the loose item like a spider ambushing a fly. With hand over the flint and steel the Ethaefal lurched forward, like she was stumbling and slipped the fire starting tool deeper into her possession. Unfortunately, she had nothing to stash her ill-gotten tool into so Lunae made it a point to leave the premises of the beer hut before it was too obvious she had something that wasn't originally hers.

Once outside though, the Eth regretted leaving the warmth, she had a fire starter though and that was going to make things easier for her outside of the city's proper.

Lunae ventured once more out past the outskirts of Ravok city proper and back into the wilderness once more. The moon was half full going on to the new moon phase, but that didn't deter the nocturnal Ethaefal one bit. She was determined to use her emotions as a way to learn the magic that was supposedly given to her from the man who stared at her and did things to her when she was unable to defend herself.

OOC:

[Lunae]

Lunae made it to her 'camp site', which it wasn't really a camp site, more of a well worn patch of dirt surrounded by mounds of decaying plant life. It was obvious someone has been using this spot for quite some time. Which the Ethaefal has been, a couple of seasons now actually. Now though, she might be able to survive a little better in this god awful location. Just a little... Right now though, Lunae had other plans.

Gathering up bits and pieces of wood and dried leaves the Eth piled them haphazardly in the middle of her dirt patch and struggled with getting the stuff to light, she had no clue how to work the fire-starter on her hand, but she was damn determined to get it to work.

Rub this against that... Nothing. She grunted and struck the flint and steel against each a few more times.

“Arghh!” She finally let out in anger, “Light damn you! Light!” The Eth was shivering, her pale lips turning a lovely shade of blue. The cloak she was wearing was dirty and grimy, hunger barely kept at bay by her urge to eat the trash left behind in the city behind her. “Just light damnit!” Lunae cried out striking the flint and steel together, with luck a spark flew into the small pile. A bit of smoke... And then nothing.

“No!” Lunae struggled to lit it was again, but the wind was too strong, way too strong for her to keep the little spark from guttering out. Just like the stars. The Eth whimpered, another night and day in this fridge coldness and she probably wouldn't make it back to town again. Determined as ever the fallen being pulled her cloak out around the small pile and herself, trying not to smother it entirely, but block the wind as best as possible.

She struck one last time steel to flint, a spark landed, and smoke plumed. The Eth gasped and tried her best to give it life. A faint little flame emerged, a little body of orange and red.

It was beautiful! The Eth breathed out a sigh of relief, choked and coughed on the smoke and pulled away from it. Her quick movement nearly killed her weak attempt at a fire, luckily it didn't. Lunae fed the small fire more bits of wood and leaves, until finally it was managing nicely on it's own to survive on the large twigs and broken chunks of branches Lunae could grab from nearby.

After several more minutes she stared at the fire, just being content in the warmth she could finally produced, no more worrying about not waking up in the morning and being found frozen to the hard ground.

OOC:

[Lunae]

Staring into the dancing flames the Daughter of Leth remembered the man from two seasons ago, his screaming at her, blaming her for what he did. Lies they all were! Lies! Lunae growled and turned her head away, the thoughts paining her immensely before she could cover up the painful thoughts and look once more into the flames.

Dancing fire will you forever dance for me? She exhaled again, what seemed to be sea-foam vapors pushed at her lips, acting like they wanted to go and dance with the fire. Lunae choked on them though, grasping at her throat in a desperate attempt to calm her muscles. Pain flashed before her eyes and cause her back to arch.

Her lips tore open in a scream that just wouldn't come out. Her eyes squeezed tightly before she could manage to relax the muscles stretched across her back. The Ethaefal gasped deeply as she hunched forward, staring horridly at the ground before her. Sweat dripped from her body.

That bastard. What did he do to me. Lunae's eyes flashed with anger as she went to unleash another scream, again the sea-foam colored vapors danced just on the threshold of her lips, aching to get out, before they seeped into the bluish tinged lips blocking their way. The scream became a squeak as pain once more ravaged her body.

Her leg and arm muscles tightened, her stomach twisted itself in knots. The Ethaefal crumbled into a fetal position before the fire. The pain once more subsiding into oblivion and the dancing flames winked out as Lunae fell into sweet painless unconsciousness.

She laid that way for nearly an hour, the fire nothing more than a pile of weak glowing embers when she came to. Leth was nearly upon the horizon, to the west one could see the glow rays of Syna peeking upwards.

OOC:

[Lunae]

Time Stamp - 29th Summer 512AV
Lunae came too with a bloodcurdling scream that quickly subsided to a whimpering cry in shame. Her cloak was heavy with sweat and dirt from the daily torture her own body put her through the last season and a third. Seeing the ash coated embers before her the Ethaefal felt she could relate. Lunae felt like she was brunt to ash from the inside out.

Pulling her cloak closer to her body Lunae trembled and gagged on the ash-scented smoke that the breeze was guiding towards her. It was enough to cause her to nearly retch, unfortunately all she could do was dry heave, and that was painful enough. With each subsiding heave she trembled and cried some more. She kicked at the embers, dirt that was loose enough pushed itself slowly over the embers, covering their existence from her.

The exhausted Eth waited for a few hours, doing her best to relax and try and get back her energy. When she felt she was capable of moving, Lunae got to her hands and knees and started crawling around, fetching once more small bits of wood and dried leaves, the aching pain that rested deep in her bones like a cancer reminding her of Leth's abandonment of her.

“I curse you Leth. I curse you and your foolish agents!” Lunae muttered, catching her breath after wards. Even muttering was too much for her weakened body to handle. She tossed the small amount of leave and wood she managed to obtain to the ground in front of her before dropping her body back onto the dirt.

Lunae laid there for a bit before trying to light her little pile of pathetic kindling. It took several attempts once again before she managed to light the small pile into a weak fire and fed it twigs and larger chunks of branches. Once the fire was large enough to emit some warmth Lunae took a deep breathe and stared into the dancing red-orange flame. Why don't you dance across the ground like your older kindred little one? She exhaled softly, this time the sea-foam colored vapor managed to get past her lips and drift downward towards the flame, landing on the ground and crawl towards the fire. Leaving a unnoticeable trail of Res from Lunae's cloak hem all the way to the small fire.

Well, a small portion of it at least, the majority of it got beyond her lips and landed weightless on her shoulders and arms. The pain came once again, this time the intensity was controllable, but barely. The Eth flailed upon the ground screaming through clenched teeth before the fire she coaxed to life.

Her fit of pain managed to fade away just in time for her to see the flame spread outward. It wasn't a quick expansion, but it was enough for her to realize something was amiss. She could smell the burning of furs and cloth before she felt the heat intensely on her lower extremities. The Eth jumped up quickly, pain shooting through her body as she did do.

Lunae worked as fast as she could to remove the smoldering cloak from her body, dropping it onto the ground where she tried to make quick work for putting out the trail of flames and her cloak, by stomping on them repeatedly. Her feet were burning, but at least that was better than catching everything on fire.

After she got her cloak put out the Daughter of Leth dropped to her knees, ignoring the jarring pain of landing hard on her joints, and shoveled loose dirt on the trail of flames and their starting point.

It took at least half a bell before she was sure that the fire and it's outspread were contained under the mound of dirt. For good measure the Ethaefal dumped several handfuls of earth onto her cloak. Once she felt confident that the fire was out completely she dug out her cloak and fitted it back on. It was singed across the bottom, but it still was mostly intact and wearable. Thank the gods.

Lunae sighed and scooped up the stolen flint and steel, holding onto it tightly as the pain that was building up in her bones unleashed itself and she once more succumbed to the aftermath of it and passed back out.

OOC:

[Lunae]

Lunae finally came too that night, she horns and darkened eyes didn't really help her any. The night was still a chilling experience in the woods, the Ethaefal fell quick to gather kindling and lit a fire once again. She could hear the howling of various woodland creatures, even the cries of the nocturnal birds and bats. What the horned lady couldn't hear was the occupants of the city.

It was rather peaceful, even if it was lovely. Several minutes later the Eth had a fire roaring along, she had managed to building a small circular mound around it this time. A crude attempt to keep the fire contained, but it was working for now. No clue how long it would last though. Pulling her cloak tighter against her body she sat and stared at the fire, it's flickering dance was the only warmth and light keeping her from being eaten and at the same time it was keeping her bones from aching terribly bad. Oh sure they hurt, forever and a day they will. But the warmth was a small help.

Speaking of not getting eaten the Eth could feel her stomach growling and rumbling. She couldn't remember the last time she stole something from the gutters in the city. It was probably time to do something about that.. Or at least beg for food... maybe steal a warm bite to eat. Right now though, she was more comfortable before the small fire she built. Satisfied currently in just basking in the warmth, light, and paltry protection is currently offered her.

Tomorrow... Tomorrow I will do something good for myself. Something better. Maybe fetch myself some real clothes. Not just this belt and cloak. Tomorrow was another day though.

OOC:

[Verilian]

. . Thread Award . . Lunae +1 Subterfuge +1 Larceny +4 Wilderness Survival +3 Reimancy You Question My Logic? : If you have any questions, feel free to PM me Lores: Wilderness Survival: How to Build a Fire, The Aftermath of the Mage's Actions, Notes: Please remember that it takes approximately 3-4 hours to get from the city to the shore of the lake, and that boats normally do not run at night. You would have needed to bribe somebody for that, probably. I also found it a little odd that you were describing it as so cold when it was the middle of summer.. but that's not that big of a deal. Overall, I actually really enjoyed the thread. I loved the torment Lunae went through, experiencing her res for the first time. And you actually made starting a fire a challenge. Good job, and keep writing! Notice As per the request of the Founders, threads cannot be graded unless your CS is up to date. This means you need to add threads to your thread list when you make new threads, keep your skills up to date, ledger, living expenses, ect. If you aren't up to date, you'll get a PM from me before i grade your thread. If you are up to date, disregard this notice.