Completed All I Ever Wanted

[Orion Michaels]

Everything happened so fast. The creatures movements were unnatural and unpredictable. When he thought he would strike it with the searing heat, it lept skyward and over the squire and his daughter. He'd never be able to fight it in the position they were in. It was too agile for him if he was holding Emily, and he didn't dare to set her down in order to retrieve his bow. If he missed, and it claimed her...

With Dinah at his side, the squire regained some confidence. She was far more skilled in combat than he, and her hands were free to utilize her blade. He could simply focus on protecting Emily while she dealt with the odd monster. It scurried across the ceiling as though it were standing upon the ground. Never before had Orion witnessed something like this. There were truly horrendous creatures within their world. He'd never expected to see them with his own eyes.

Nodding, Orion considered Dinah's advice. It was true that the water had seemed to injure the beast. If it could protect Emily from it's gnashing teeth, it was something to consider. There was only one problem. What if it did the same to Emily?

The squire took a step towards the pool, and the monster reacted instantly. The foul beast dropped from the ceiling, blocking his path to the mysterious waters. When he tried to move from side to side to get a clear line to its depths, the creature would mimic his steps. "Dinah," Orion said. His request needed no further words, and the redheaded knight lunged into battle.

The two ferociously clashed, and Dinah was quickly on the losing end. If she couldn't defeat it, what hoped did he have. The monster taunted, but there was little sense in letting it get to him. Emily is who mattered. When she whimpered and shuddered, the squire knew he didn't have time to worry about himself. If all three of them died, it was the risk taken by coming here. Orion was ready to sacrifice himself from the start, and Dinah had accepted that possible fate by following. If Emily could some how make it, it would be worth it.

His nerves were shaken when Dinah dropped to the ground, a lingering effect of the singular attack from the beast felling her. Again the monster taunted, reminded him of his way out of this mess; a sacrifice. A heart.

He would have none of it.

"Hold on, Emily. I'll protect you."

Orion rushed the creature. Straight at the creature. He would take whatever punishment it would offer him. His body was powerful, his strides were long, and his motivation at its highest. The entirety of the situation was absurd, so he would take the fight directly at his foe. It was too small to stop his mass and strength. He hoped.

The torch lashed out as he came into range, and he had no intentions of stopping. If it slashed him, he would bleed. If it latched on, he would carry all three of them into the water. He couldn't give up. There wasn't enough time for that mistake.

[Radiant]

"..." The creature was visibly taken by surprise for barely a tick when the squire decided the most foolish decision, charging. Sure, humans were foolish, but it didn't think one of them could be that foolish, well, he was one of those do-goody Order people cramped up in their Stone coffin of a city, it couldn't expect much. As Orion charged, the creature did something possibly unexpected, it... side-stepped, allowing Orion to charge into the water. As Orion passed it, he could faintly hear an exasperated groan from the creature, worthy of a 'dumb petcher' insult if it could speak in Common.

However, Orion's charge would not go as smoothly as it seemed as the creature swiftly threw the dagger, hitting Orion square on his torch-hand, in the intent of causing the squire to drop it. The Pool's healing and blessing nature would neutralize the poison, but whatever, at least it could get that petching torch away. "Keke..." As Orion dropped into the golden water, the creature scratched its head, seemingly... discussing, communicating with someone - or something.

Orion would feel his whole body being enveloped by the golden water as courage, hope, and determination filled him. Ever so slowly, his exhaustion and wounds were magically healed by the water's blessing, when he looked at his daughter, he could see her body... trembling in stupor, but it only lasted for a few ticks as the little girl vomitted... an awful-looking substance, reddish-black slime, the poison. The slime immediately vaporated in the water and then, slight sizzling sounds echoed in the squire's eardrums as the bloody hand mark on the girl's forehead disappeared. The girl was healed... permanently or temporarily? That remained to be seen.

.........

As Orion climbed out of the water, another presence would greet them, a figure, the very same phantasmal figure that spoke to Orion through the magical scrolls earlier, standing over Dinah. The figure appeared the same as it was earlier, but this time, it was the real thing. The creature seemed to be fond of it as it stood by its master, keeping watch of the rising squire and his daughter.

"So, I see..." The figure spoke again, but this time, its voice sounded female, another strange woman to add to Orion's growing list of odd female encounters. She crouched down, looming over the fallen knight, "Swords of Sylir, delusional fools..." She simply reached with her right hand, sick crimson veins slithering on it, an index finger poking at Dinah's wounds...

A pause, a beat, then Dinah's immense scream of pain wracked the cavern walls, it seemed that one simple touch caused the Knight to feel as it her body were stabbed by a thousand needles, but the Stewart didn't die, it was merely that, an unbearable sensation of pain. "Orion Michaels, Doctor, womanizer, squire..." The strange ominous female spoke, speaking each title Orion gathered over the years, then beneath her hood, a small grin could barely be seen, "Or... petch-face, is that it?"

As she opened her hood, a familiar, very familiar face revealed itself to the squire, the face of Lyla Adams, complete to the minute detail, stood before him. "Well hello, stranger. What are you doing standing there all awkward?" She said with a grin. A flash of deja-vu as this Lyla spoke the same sentence Lyla said to him... a long time ago.

Soon, all manners of scurrying and snarling could be heard as Orion could feel pairs of eyes, glowing crimson, stalking from all around him, then... the stalkers revealed themselves, no less than ten of those small, but vicious, creatures stepped into the cavern-room, all gathering near Lyla. "Why do you look so surprised? These are our children..."

What manner of abominations stood before him?

[Orion Michaels]

Orion nearly stumbled when instead of taking his attack, the creature moved out of the way. The squire wasn't tactical genius, but he'd expected some resistance. Instead there was simply space between himself and the waters before him. Something knocked the torch from his grasp, but it didn't matter now. Tripping, he and Emily were submerged below its depths.

In the past, Orion and water had only be friends if he was drinking it from a glass. He was no swimmer, and had not been blessed with the natural affinity to survive in the depths. It seemed this time would be different, however, as what would normally bring fear instead brought courage. What would have created panic only steadied his hand.

What would bring death chose instead to bring life.

He could feel the sores, aches and pains from the days and seasons of strenuous training dissipate as the magic waters worked their mysterious powers upon his body.

Gasping for air, Orion burst forth from the surface, immediately seeking Emily. She'd fallen from his hold in the chaos.

His arms enveloped her and dragged from from beneath the water. Coughing and sputtering, she purged her body of what Orion could assume was that which plagued her. Somehow, they had done it. Somehow they had succeeded.

Now he could focus on the threat.

He would slay the beast, drag Dinah into the healing pool, and then the three of them could leave the horrible darkness and see what their future held. Despite their victory, Orion knew his future was as cloudy as it had ever been.

----

"Dinah, let's..get...you.." Orion's words trailed off as he registered the scene before him. That same figure from before, the one using the illusions to torment him, it was there before him. Orion stepped from the pool, setting his exhausted daughter at its edge. With his hands finally free, Orion reached for his longsword, drawing it from its sheathe. Grasping it in two hands, he could bring this trial to a close by slaying the wicked soul who had begun it all.

A feminine voice crept from the lips of the figure, mocking in its judgement of Orion and Dinah. Had it actually expected that he would murder Dinah? Did it expect him to take a kidnapper at their word? For as much as it led on to know about him, it seemed to take him for something that he had left behind in Sunberth.

"Stay away from her!" Orion moved to stop the woman from harming Dinah further, but was buffeted by the intense screams. They came from such a simple touch, but the screams were those of someone being tortured to their very soul. Moments before, he had felt confident, unstoppable, powerful. Dinah's pain sapped that from him. His legs felt weak, uncertainty gripping at his visage.

Cool eyes fell on the woman as she spoke, listing off things he'd been called in the past. Anyone who'd been around Syliras long enough was likely to have heard something about the womanizing doctor turned squire. It wasn't that surprising for them to know it.

The surprise came when Lyla revealed herself, speaking a line that tormented his nightmares on the worst of nights. The squire nearly retched at her revelation. She was dead. He'd seen her body, ravaged by a man too lustful and drunk to realize just what he'd done to the petite woman. He saw her lifeless eyes. He'd held her hands, unmoving and devoid of warmth. His entire world hand crumbled as Lyla fell from the living. He'd lost half a decade pulling himself together after her demise, and even then the fraying was there to undo everything if the wrong things happened. It had to be a lie.

"N-no!" He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes despite his mental protest. "Stop toying with me, and reveal your real face. Lyla died six long years ago. I was there for it. Just let us go, your game is over." Orion kept his sword raised, though he wasn't sure if he could swing it if he needed to. His knees threatened to buckle beneath the multitude of emotions which assaulted Orion's psyche. Beneath it all was a tinge of hope that it was really her. If it wasn't, whoever was emulating her had done it perfectly. Each curve, each dimple, each blemish, each expression was hers and hers alone. He hadn't forgotten an inch of his love's body despite the time passed.

"Shut up! These creatures are the children of something more vile than I." Orion swallowed loudly and almost painfully. His throat had dried out quickly as nerves threatened to come undone in an instant. "What do you want?" Nearly a dozen of the creatures had come to 'Lyla's' side. If it came to battle, Orion, Dinah, and Emily would all perish. "If it's me, then let them go."

[Radiant]

Numerous cackles and sneers echoed in the cavern-walls as the creatures all looked upon Orion like he was some kind of a Page trying to pick up a sword that was bigger than his body. The first beast, the one that hurt Dinah and threatened Emily's life, crossed its arms over its chest, snarling at something at Lyla, or at least, a humanoid abomination that appeared to be Lyla. "Ahaha..." The woman giggled, softly, innocently, just like how she used to do, many years ago. "You haven't changed at all, do you, Orion?" The cloaked woman then moved her right hand for one of those creatures to gently nuzzle it, patting its head, before turning her attention to her former lover.

"This is my real face and perhaps... perhaps you are right, I did die..." Lyla smiled then slightly tilted her head upwards, as if reminiscing something. The smaller woman noticed Orion's reluctance to charge at her, perhaps because he was afraid to hurt his loved one or perhaps these creatures intimidated him, he knew he couldn't win, physically and mentally. "I was violated, you came too late, you didn't protect me..." The woman tried to make him guilty, accusing him of his past misdeeds, and making his memories come crashing down on him, "After that, what did you do, Orion? You went on a spree, you lay your body and spread your seed to every pretty woman your eyes can lay upon, that girl..." the woman who claimed to be Lyla then shifted her gaze at Emily, "Is proof of crimes, Orion."

"Let you go?" The woman seemed genuinely surprised that Orion had the gall to command her, she was the one in control here, not him, not Dinah, not the Knighthood, but her and her 'children'. The creatures all cackled as the doctor spoke, utterly mocking him, "How rude, this 'creatures'... are our children, Orion. Each and every single one of them..." She caresses one of them, "Without you, they won't even be here." Lyla fully knew Orion would be utterly confused by her words and that was precisely her intention, "Are you curious? The rising filling in your chest, do you want explanations?" The woman teased.

"What do I want? I want..." Lyla paused, then she raised a crimson-veined right hand, pushing strands of hair behind her ear, "You to make a choice, as I said before." Lyla then gestured to Emily and Dinah, "Take a life, save a life, only one of them may walk away from this Abyss alive..." The woman threatened, all of the creatures snarling, revealing she was not kidding, "And don't even think about it," Lyla interrupted, "If you opted suicide, if you choose the coward's way out... I will take these two whores and... do you want to hear how loud a little girl can scream? How these children of ours can keep them alive, just on the brink of death, denying them release, while their fragile small body is violated beyond your darkest dreams?" Orion's former lover - who should be dead - smiled, a soft innocent smile, but for some inexplicable reason, it looked utterly and horribly wrong, "No, I won't kill your daughter and this redhead knight, I will keep them as pets for the Pain Mother."

The woman then suddenly grew bored, raising her right hand at Orion, "I'll give you five chimes to decide, in the meantime, shall we have a heart-to-heart chat? I so want to hear what were you doing while I'm gone, come on, tell me, act like I don't know, lie if you wish, I heard you are good at lying, even to yourself." As if mocking Orion, some of those creatures sat down in front of the doctor-squire, like twisted children wishing to hear a story.

Emily's body and consciousness were nearing their limit so the little girl gradually fell into a restless sleep, for better or worse.

OOCI'm playing a bit with Orion's history here. If I got any major flaws and inaccuracies, or you have other plans for Lyla, just tell me and I'll adjust it.

I have back-up plans, as always.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion considered charging into the mass. If he could swing his sword enough he could take down a few of the creatures before they overwhelmed him and carried him into the darkness. That would leave Emily and Dinah in their clutches. He was trapped; there was no other way about it. Unless…

Orion released his quiver from his back and allowed it fall to the ground behind him. He kicked with his heel and sent it rolling into the shallow water just behind him. The bow came next. It fell to the ground with a soft thud. He needed to be as maneuverable as he could be if worst came to worst.

”Don’t pretend like you know me,” he growled back. Orion had spent so long judging himself; he didn’t need someone else doing so. ”I’ve changed a lot. More than I realized, for better and for worse.” Why was he defending himself to her? Normally he would blow a stranger off. It didn’t matter what they thought about him because they were unimportant in the scheme of his life. Yet here he was, talking to ‘Lyla’ as though it were actually her. His grip tightened on his hilt as the woman pet a monster like it was some dog.

When the accusations came, he nearly broke. He’d tormented himself over the things she’d said since the night it occurred. The scene was etched into his mind. Orion had been in a rut that Spring. Restless, tired of his job as a cook. It wasn’t challenging enough, but all he did was complain. If he said anything about it all. Lyla had tried to motivate him and get him to do something more. She hated to see him feeling the way he did. The only problem was her timing; she’d chosen to approach him at the end of a stressful shift at The Rearing Stallion. He’d snapped at her, no, he’d exploded at her. She’d left in tears. At the end of the night Orion was the one crying.

He hadn’t come to terms with ‘fuck off’ being the last words she heard from him.

”She isn’t the result of any crime,” he countered, scowling. It didn’t matter her origins, she was his daughter. ”She’s a beautiful child who doesn’t deserve to be part of what you dragged her in to.”

Taken aback from his boldness, ‘Lyla’ seemed surprised that he would ask anything of him. Orion gritted his teeth when she again referred to the monsters as their children. ”If you have something to say on it, then speak,” he commanded. ”Don’t leave it there.” She blamed everything on him, again and again. She sought to find a way to get under his skin. It didn’t sound like her at all.

Chills ran down his spine as the fair skinned woman repeated her conditions. Nothing had changed. A life for a life, or all of them were forfeit. Sick threats came from the mouth of a woman he didn’t know anymore. If it were truly her, of course. ”And what if I don’t chose, Lyla,” he hissed, her name almost burning as it rolled off his lips. He’d hardly uttered her name since she passed even though it haunted his memories at every turn. Blue eyes scanned the creatures. He hated the way that they looked at him. The squire had no intention of complying with anything she said.

[Radiant]

"I know you, Orion, I know everything about you. How you didn't learn from your mistakes, how you lay with the blacksmith woman just to satisfy your cravings for love... you ruined so many lives in your parade of lust," Lyla sounded judging, angry, jealous, yet oddly calm at the same time, "Tsk tsk, you have been a bad boy, Orion, I'm disappointed in you..." She said it plainly, as time went on, it was clear that the 'innocence' of Orion's former lover was dead, along with her body, assuming this person was indeed her.

She found it cute, how the squire who so often scoffed off other people as insignificant peons, could respond to her accusations. Lyla slightly shrugged when he defend Emily, "Her suffering is your fault... everything is your fault, if you are so good of a father, why would you trust her to these," She gestured to the unconscious Dinah, "incompetent group of delusional fools?" She smirked, loooking at Emily, "I thought there is still some love in your heart, Orion, that you would readily sacrifice this whore for your daughter, to be honest, ahaha~" She giggled amusingly before continuing, "I didn't expect you to have a fit of dilemma. Amusing, what happened to you? Choosing this whore rather than your flesh-and-blood daughter? You claimed she's a 'beautiful child', but you clearly do not deserve her." She paused to let her words sink into Orion's mind.

Lyla then took a step forward, five creatures surrounding her as bodyguards while five others surrounded Orion, creating a make-shift circle that surrounded the former lovers, the first creature that hurt Dinah was playing around with Dinah's longsword. "Alright, you want explanations, I shall give you one... I do not care whether you want to believe me or not, Orion," Lyla then revealed her right hand, now coated with pulsing crimson veins, like they had lives of their own, "That fateful night... after you left my body, you thought I was dead... no, I am not... she came to me, the woman who would be my Mother," Lyla didn't reveal who exactly this 'mother' was, "She brought my still heart back, tying my lingering soul back into my body, she told me... the truth, that this world is nothing but hunters and preys, you either be the hunter or... you'll be the prey."

Lyla then suddenly charged, her movements too fast for the human eye to see, before Orion knew it, even with his keen senses, Lyla was already in front of him, her left hand hugging his neck while her right caressed his chin, her sharp nails causing a prickle on the tender flesh just below his chin, but Orion would feel a paralyzing amount of pain as if he was stabbed by a longsword through the neck, the pain would all but immobilize him, "Listen to me, and listen well, Orion, you will choose, or I will make sure your daughter grow up under my care, she'll be just like me... or, do you want that?" Lyla then smiled, as if concocting a new idea, "Alright, let me give you another choice," She leaned in to whisper at his ear, "I will let them go... if you promise to leave that Stone coffin of a city, then come see me... in the lawless city to the East. You shall come alone... leave everything behind you, your wife, your daughter, the Knighthood, everything..." Lyla then nuzzled his forehead with her own, "Can you do that for me?"

The crimson-veined woman then slightly released her hold, relieving Orion's pain just enough for him to barely speak.

"Time is running out, my love."

[Orion Michaels]

She lived in the past, that much was clear. All that Lyla could do was push down on his past sins. Efforts to become more than his transgressions were rebuked at every turn. At times it felt as though very existence itself was determined that he not move on. His reputation was more powerful than any change of heart he could demonstrate. He was nothing more than a slave to his history.

”My fault?” It was difficult to let the words come out. It was even harder to hear them from her. ”I may have been far from perfect, but her existence is the fault of none. It’s wonderful. A miracle.” He shook his head, taking a step back towards the water. ”I didn’t claim to be a good father. I’m one of the worst. But I never forgot your words, Lyla. You told me how important was to try, even if you weren't any good at first. Well, for a man with so many talents, parenting wasn't one of them. But I'm doing what I can. You took her. Pass the blame as much as you want, but this is on you, woman."

Orion listened as she explained her story, the story of her being brought back to life. She was dead. He'd checked for every sign of life he could find. There were none to be uncovered. The knights had dragged him kicking and screaming away from her body. A full season of solitude and a changed life resulted, and for what? This? The return of his love, now a monster in her own right?

He saw her muscles tense to move, but seeing and reacting were two different things. Before he could lower his sword to defend she was upon him. One hand grasped his neck, the other caressed his cheek as she had so many times before. Memories of her doing the same as they sat upon a cheap bed in their scantly furnished apartment flooded his memories. They were then washed away by pain. No, not pain. The most intense pain he'd ever experienced. Orion had dislocated about everything he could dislocate. He'd fractured bones, suffered wounds superficial and deep. They paled in comparison to what came from a simple scratch.

His vision faded in and out as he fought to stop himself from crying out for mercy. If this were his Lyla, she would never hurt him like this. Even it were her in body, her soul was corrupt. Her purity was gone. Her love destroyed. She wasn't the woman he'd fallen in love with. Yet even while she caused him so much pain, he couldn't imagine laying a hand on her in anger or defense. He was so very weak.

She listed off his options, though of them it appeared there was only actually one. If he killed either of them, he knew the grief would send him chasing into oblivion after them. He could fight, maybe take out one, two of the creatures before they killed him. Then a fate worse than death would await Dinah and Emily. When she released he grasp so he could talk a wry smirk came across his lips.

"So sweet of you, Lyla, pretending like you've given me so many options, when really there's only one. You're as kind as ever. But remember, she's far from my wife. I'm a wicked man who has children outside of marriage, remember? I thought you knew it all." He took a deep breath as he tried to push the pain aside to continue talking. "H-how do I know you'll keep your word? If I agree to this madness, I need a guarantee that no harm will come to either of them." Even in a position of complete vulnerability, he still made demands.

Sunberth. Sunberth. Sunberth. A city of anarchy. The law is what you make it. The place that brought the worst of him to light. Of course she would send him there.

[Radiant]

"Now, now, my love," Lyla smiled at him as she held him close, in a seemingly loving embrace, but it couldn't be further from the truth, "The Knights you are so fond of claim to be the stout defender of peace, justice, and honor, but... they couldn't even protect one little girl~" Orion's former lover smirked, caressing his neck more as her hot sensual breath washed over Orion. Other than the ghastly crimson veins on both of her hands, Lyla still looked as lovely as ever, soft fair skin and a cute petite stature, the woman just needed to wear gloves and she could appear as a normal, innocent, everyday young woman, "Blame me if you wish, that is all you can do, Orion, blame, complain, and justify, aren't you the little mister perfect?" If one generalized it, this whole shyke was similar to a jealous lover's quarrel.

"Why thank you," The woman deliberately took Orion's sarcastic praise as a genuine praise, she leaned in closer, examining his face up and down, feeling every inch of his neck, "Mmm~ despite after all what happened, you still look dazzling, Orion. It doesn't surprise me how many women could fall to their knees at a few sweet words from you these lovely lips..." Lyla then leaned in further and further, until their lips almost brushed against each other, but she stopped at about half an inch before contact, "I like my man wicked... I can forgive you, if you do what I wish."

At his demand for assurance, Lyla simply smirked, Orion had not changed, he was still the stubborn man she knew, so stubborn, he couldn't let go of her 'death' for years, Lyla cut to the chase as she finally leaned in, removing all sensation of pain from Orion, then kissed him deeply on the lips, just like how they used to do, the woman peeked out her tongue, forcing entry into the squire's oral cavity then she explored here and there, after a long lustful kiss, she pulled away, "Is that enough for you? If not..." Lyla then briefly gestured with her head, then the first creature dropped Dinah's longsword, nodded, then snarled, then all scurried away from the location, "They are gone now... you can take them both, your daughter and the whore, back to where you came from."

Just before Orion could reply, Lyla warned him, "Oh, if you even think of speaking about this... I will find your daughter again... I found her once, I can do so again, but just not your daughter this time, the blacksmith and your infant son too... remember that, my love~"

"Now, give me your word, Orion... promise me you will see me again, let us be joined once more, you don't belong here, you don't belong in the Knighthood, you belong with me..."

[Orion Michaels]

Worse than the pain she had caused to him, more horrible than the words she spat, more atrocious than the wicked acts she had performed were the feelings of Orion Michaels. He should have hated this woman. She was ruining everything he'd worked for. A year of growth. A year of repentance. Gone in one day. He should have loathed her presence, but instead he craved the very touch she gave him.

Even if there was no love, there was passion. He could feel it in the way she looked upon him, in the way she caressed him, in the way she held him. Passion had ruled him for so long. This one woman, this 'Lyla'. This person who once brought out the best he had could have a hand in bringing out his worst.

He didn't reply as she chastised him and the knights once again. The combination of pain and exhaustion simply made it too hard. He was tired and his body weary. The day had started out unforgiving and had only gotten worse. Adrenaline and willpower alone had been enough to keep him taking step after step into the darkness but now he was nearly finished. Neither of them would change their views. He blamed her, she blamed him.

They both blamed the knights.

Her lips; they were close. So tantalizingly close. If she weren't restraining him physically and with the pain she could create, all he would have to do is move forward an inch and their lips would join once again. Words spewed from her lips. They were nothing like what the Lyla he knew and loved would have said. Despite that, she was all he could see. She invaded his every sense. Her smell, her touch, her voice, her physique, and finally her taste.

His eyes closed instinctively as she sealed her promise of safety for Emily and Dinah with a kiss. The passion was always there. From the moment they met, from the moment she brought an awkward physician out of his shell. She'd controlled him from the start, and several long years later nothing had changed.

As abruptly as the kiss started, it ended. Orion's emotions were clouded. How could he feel such desire and yet be so repulsed at the same time. Before he could speak, she repeated a warning similar to the note that had started the entire misadventure. Tell no one unless you want horrible things to happen. Orion nodded in acknowledgement. He'd speak of it to none. Hadyn. Liam. Dinah. Emily. If he left, they would all be safe. If he left, they would all be better off. They wouldn't have to deal with the headache of his existence any further.

He turned from her and sheathed his weapon. After retrieving his equipment that he'd abandoned in case of a fight, the squire went over to Dinah and dragged her into the miraculous waters. He prayed it's healing powers would act as an antidote to whatever had incapacitated her. Blue eyes briefly glanced up at Lyla.

"I'll leave within the fortnight. I need some time to ensure my affairs are in order." Dinah was submerged fully, except for her head which he let rest on the bank. The squire then went to retrieve his daughter, ignoring the woman entirely.

He had nothing else to say. To Lyla. His foundation. His downfall.

[Radiant]

Lyla simply watched him silently with a barely-contained smirk on her face as Orion gathered his equipment back, the shorter woman rightfully assuming her former lover would come with her, of course he would, he and her were destined to be together, not even Death could do them part. Lyla simply gave an annoyed look when Orion dragged that whore of a knight into the water, oh Dinah would heal alright, but it would be about a bell or two before she woke, the woman would prefer she could slowly kill the knight, the redheaded woman who dared to be Orion's 'patron', Lyka wouldn't accept it, the doctor was hers and hers alone.

"Wait," Lyla stopped Orion for a moment as she walked to the water, seemingly going after Dinah, and should Orion call her out for it, Lyla would simply ignore him, the fair-skinned woman then removed her cloak, revealing to Orion that she wore nothing underneath it, the woman was as naked as she was born underneath the dark fabric, "Ori..." Lyla brushed a strand behind her ear as she looked at Orion, making a soft smiling expression, but one could see the monster just bubbling beneath the surface. Without further ado, Lyla jumped into the water, unlike the creatures, the water didn't harm her, most likely because she was human while those abominations were created through some kind of ghastly magical means.

After about five ticks, Lyla resurfaced, she carried the blade of discord on her left hand, Lyla then took her time as she climbed out of the pool, slowly walking to Orion, seducing him, then she offered him the dagger, "Here, it is yours, my gift to you." The dagger took on a more 'mundane' quality, while the old bloodstains and ancient tongue engravings were there, it wasn't glowing anymore, "One prickle from this little thing... and it can make you feel as if you are impaled by a spear, but, it will only answer to someone worthy, go on, take it." As Orion picked it up, the dagger would simply be a fancy dagger, "Looks like it doesn't see you as worthy... yet." Lyla left it at that, deliberately making him curious.

"I hear you, my love, now then," Dinah then picked her cloak back, wore it, raised her hood, covering most of her features as she approached him further, caressing his cheek then leaning in to kiss him on the lips for one last time, "We will see each other again, soon." With swift movements, not anything the old Lyla could even barely match, she dashed off into the darkness.

OOCAfter this particular reply, I'm waiting on HD permission before proceeding with my next reply. If all goes well, should be done in a couple more posts.