[The Temple of Nikali] Tense Times (Solo)

[Lena Estelain]

6th of Spring, 512 A.V. Temple of Nikali, late at night... "What is your problem?! They're dead! You dumb stupid whore they are dead!" "You don't think I know that? Stop being a child Lena! Yes Mummy and Daddy are dead and it is all very sad. But someone has to take care of us!" "Bullshit you only care about you and that fucking Eypharian!" Lena slammed Lilian agains the wall, shouting in her face. "Fuck you Lena!" She slammed her knee into her sister's stomach and pushed her off. The two struggled briefly before starting to argue again. Both gaining fresh cuts and bruises. "That man. Is worth more than his weight in gold." "You think I give a damn about his gold Lily?!" "We will need that gold to help rebuild. I know you're a little young to understand Lena. But Denval is gone." Despite her cold demeanor it pained her to say it. "Denval is our-" Lilian cut her off with a raised hand. "Home. Yes, I know. And you've seen whats happened to it. Buildings collapsed, crops destroyed. Not to mention the Sentinel and their insanity, pick your poison Lena. We are too far gone, and eventually the Captain will see that. And when she does..." "She will need the gold." Lena was no fool. Her sister had the right of it, but that didn't make her attitude acceptable. "Smart girl." Lilian sat down on the edge of a stone pillar near by. The corridor they had been occupying. Was dimly lit, and strewn with cobwebs and dust. All the torches were being rationed for the duration of the storm, and no one payed any attention to areas unused by the refugees. But it offered privacy and the sisters had enough decency not to air out their grievances in public. "Gold or not, you shouldn't have stopped me." "This again? Lena there was nothing you could of done! You would be dead if not for me." "It's better than living with this guilt." There was a dead look in Lena's eyes. She doubted the image of her mothers face would ever leave her mind.

[Lena Estelain]

It was late at night when the storm struck. It wasn't really a storm, it resembled one, with it's dark clouds and raging winds. But the similarities stopped there. You could feel it in the air. A kind of silent desperation filling your chest. The urge to flee but knowing it was too late. The storm swept through Denval with the Fury of a God. Anything that wasn't anchored to the ground became a deadly projectile. Soaring into the air, and crashing back down. Into houses and buildings through out the city. Bringing people to a blunt and cruel end. Lena was sleeping in her old bedroom with Lilian. When she woke up with a start. Evelyn was pounding on their door. The storm was quick as it was deadly, and they had little time to prepare before the worst of it began. Boris told them to feel to the temple of Priskil. There wasn't time to gather anything. Lena could feel the house shifting in unnatural ways, being pried loose by the winds. She ran out of the house with her sister Lilian.

[Lena Estelain]

"Don't put it on me then! To hell with your guilt. I did the right thing and maybe if you opened your eyes a bit!" "I'm not a child Lilian." She said, turning her gaze away. Her once vibrant blue eyes were cold and lifeless. For some reason it felt shameful to let her sister see that. To see how death was affecting her. "Some things are worse than death. And you know it. I will always feel this guilt. This shame. We should of died with them" She laughed bitterly, looking around the corridor. "Is this living? Where will we go if our home is destroyed? You talk about Denval being done for, but we are still here!? Who will open their gates to us Lily? What will we do besides live off the scraps from someones table?" "That's what we need him for!" She shouted, getting back in her sisters face. "When we marry, we will have enough gold to rebuild Denval twice over!" "I will not live that Life Lilian. I will not grow fat in some mansion while you spread your legs for a living!" A loud crack echoed through the hallway as Lillian's hand cut across her sisters face. The pain was intense and the swelling, immediate. but that was nothing compared to the look in Lilian's eyes. She regretted her words but made no move to stop her sister as she walked off. The look haunted her for the rest of the night, keeping her up well past sunrise. The situation played over and over in her mind. She tried to pick apart what her sister was truly feeling. What she was saying with that look. She didn't dare approach Lily to apologize. Some things couldn't be fixed with words.

[Lena Estelain]

They went their separate ways that night. Lilian sleeping in another part of the temple. Lena waited up to see if she would come back, but a part of her didn't want her sister to return just yet. Being alone was soothing, helped her gather her thoughts. The following morning was no different. Lena brought water to the injured and assisted the healers in whatever way she could. Looked after some of the children whose parents were hurt or dead. She kept her mind busy to forget what had happened, what was happening. It was evening and she was passing out rations when she saw her sister again. A cool greeting and thank you was all she got before she disappeared. Where she went, Lena had no idea. But she was pained with the guilt of driving her sister off. She was the only family she had. Therin was at sea when the storm struck, unlikely that he survived but even if he did. There was no telling when he would return. She wished he was here. He would of known what to do. He always had a plan. First born, first to leave, first to succeed. But it was a child who wished for others to solve their problems. And she couldn't be a child any longer. Denval needed ever able bodied man and woman. There simply wasn't room for the useless. Putting her fears and personal troubles aside she continued to do her work. And when Lilian took her rations she played the part and continued on with her work. Swallowing the anxiety and the stress. As long as she kept working she was useful. She may be a failure as a sister, but she wasn't going to fail as a Denvali. End

[Tabarnac]

Lena Estelain

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Intimidation	2 XP
Brawling	2 XP
Rhetoric	2 XP
Running	1 XP

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	Inevitability of Defeat
•	Necessity of Gold
•	Pyrrhic Victory
•	Value of Solitude

Tabarnac says...

You are the first to witness the glory of my new award template in all its glory. You are welcome! Actually, it’s all Phoenix’s fault. Anyway, introspective solos are introspective. I liked reading about Lena’s moral dilemmas and trouble with her family. I had hoped the disaster in Denval would spark excellent storytelling. I am gratified!

As ever, let me know if you disagree with my grading in any way. I promise I am reasonable. Or if you just have questions or want to tell me your credit card information... Well, you get the idea.

Dream deep!