Solo Freedom for the Faithful

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An undead citadel created before the cataclysm, Sahova is devoted to all kinds of magical research. The living may visit the island, if they are willing to obey its rules. [Lore]

Freedom for the Faithful

Postby Edreina on June 29th, 2014, 1:34 am

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Morn of the 13th Day of Summer, 514 AV
Palsa Hydrasa, Sahovan Citadel


Same gray stone, same gray dawn. Edreina woke alone, an unfamiliar sensation but a welcome one. Annalisa had been summoned to perform some nameless and doubtlessly abhorrent task by the same woman the Svefra was preparing to begin an unsavory apprenticeship to.

As she did each morning, Edreina practiced her Reimancy. Very slowly, but very surely, her abilities were growing and she dared to try new things; testing her abilities and seeing them expand by leaps and bounds was the only thing that gave the redhead any semblance of joy, these days. The artificial exhilaration that came with casting had the addictive properties of a drug; the only thing that kept the miserable woman from casting herself into Overgiving oblivion was her fear of what would happen to her corpse.

Using Reimancy, she cast a small amount of water into the washbowl Annalisa kept in her Quarters and cleansed her face and arms of the night's filth. The rest would have to wait until Annalisa returned or she herself learned to cast enough water to clean all of herself. The prospect of going so long without being entirely clean unnerved the Svefra, but she was growing used to it; one was never truly able to wash himself or herself of the grime that coated Sahova's halls and the pungent aromas that pervaded its corridors.

As she started the journey to the Nuit's office, the redhead briefly wondered over the difference between a hall and a corridor. Little things such as these kept her sane. The past held pain and the near future a promise of it, both were toxic to the mind if dwelt upon; only the far future with Yahal's promise of freedom before fall and the present moment were left to her.

No longer did the moaning and whispering of those inhabiting the Courtyard bother her; the screams of the living that suffered in the Dungeon haunted her sleep.

The Palsa Hydrasa loomed, as it always did, grand and inviting; it was a ripe apple in a poison-coated thorny bush. There was always something about Amaryllis and the Nuit's office that never sat quite right with Edreina, despite the fact that she had been instrumental in the Svefra's continued existence. Perhaps it was a residual effect of spending so much time with Ignotus, a sense of waiting for the price that any sort of assistance should come with and the little double meanings that cloyed about their honeyed words. Not all Svefra are alike... The same surely goes for Nuits... she was always reminding herself. Nonetheless, she could not shake a subtly malicious air clinding to the very concept of Amaryllis, and Nuits in general.

Taking a deep breath, Edreina pulled open the door and stepped across the precipice of the Palsa Hydrasa. It was a short walk through the ornate interior to her destination, but time seemed to slow and Edreina was aware of each slap her bare feet made against the smooth marble floor, an effect of the trepidation creeping into her veins.

In the past, Edreina had walked with her head high, chin raised to any one who stood in her way as she moved to accomplish even the most meaningless task. She had been a creature of pride and a subtle vanity, living in the throes of her curiosity. And now? Her head did not hang quite like one born into slavery, but one still adjusting to it, clinging to the last vestiges of their identity, but it was lower. Blue eyes only moved from the floor only to make sure that there was no one in her way as she advanced, and then to be sure Amaryllis was in her office once she entered.

The Nuit was resplendent in robes of emerald and turquoise, trimmed in silver with faint designs in the fabric she could not quite make out. With a thud, the fine-featured woman closed the tome she always seemed to be pouring over and pushed it into a desk drawer. "Right on time, Test Subject-..." There was a brief tenseness in her brow, showing she did not remember the number and letter following the name given to Edreina by Annalisa, but the rate at which it disappeared proved how little she cared.

Edreina inclined her head slightly, allowing her greasy red hair to sway lazily. "What is it you required of me, M-" Annalisa's words, explaining that this Nuit did not prefer honorary titles, held her tongue.

By way of answering, the Nuit rose and strode silkily across the room, past Edreina, to the door. "You and I are going to take a walk and have a brief chat... After that, you'll be free." And, just like that, the Nuit continued on her way, leaving Edreina standing with an open mouth and a spinning head. At this point, it did not even cross Edreina's mind that free could mean anything other than permission to return to her cold, dark, gray room.
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(c) Wanda Endust
Last edited by Edreina on June 30th, 2014, 3:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Edreina
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Freedom for the Faithful

Postby Edreina on June 30th, 2014, 1:09 am

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They walked in silence for a time, Edreina a half-pace behind walking abreast to the Nuit. The Svefra paid little mind to where they were going, knowing it was out of her hands anyway. It was strange, to Edreina, that the Nuit dressed so extravagantly when the only people to see her were the dead and the imprisoned. Was it so important to her that her higher position be that apparent? The Svefra scolded herself slightly for allowing such thoughts to permeate her consciousness, fearing that they would be punished if voiced or if somehow they made their way into her demeanor.

"I'll be brief," Amaryllis began abruptly, causing Edreina to stumble over the stones in surprise. Blue eyes rose to the woman's brightly colored robes, but no higher. "Your time on Sahova is at an end. I see you benefiting Annalisa no more than you already have," the Nuit's slight shift in tone portrayed just how little she had been a help to Annalisa, going so far as to perhaps suggest that Edreina had been more of a hindrance than anything.

The redhead stiffened and nearly came to a complete halt as the woman's words started to sink in, implications driving themselves into her mind like rusted daggers. A faint tilt curved the corner's of Amaryllis's thin lips, unbeknownst to Edreina who was steadily staring at each cobblestone she strode across. "No, I will not be killing you or sending you to the dungeons. I said that your time on Sahova was at an end, not that your time in general was at an end. Do try to listen more carefully to what I will be saying next."

At this point, the Svefra lost all awareness of her feet as they continued to carry her forward. Her mind was running in frantic circles, trying to make sense of what the Nuit was trying to convey. Her time on Sahova was ending, but she was not going to be killed... or tortured. What was left?

"A short while ago, I received a letter from someone who claimed to be well acquainted with you, a Matthew Wayne-" The redhead started visibly at the name, electricity dancing over her skin to raise the fine hairs on her arms. Matthew... He was part of a life she had never allowed herself to harbor hope of returning to. Hearing his name was almost as shocking as hearing...

No. His name still hurt too badly for her to allow in her mind. There were so many unknowns, so many possibilities surrounding his leaving her there that she could hardly begin to reason out an explanation. All of the ones her mind went to these days were the darkest shade of black and threatened to taint her mind and poison her being. Better she focus on the moment at hand.

"He stated that he was leaving Sunberth for Zeltiva and would appreciate your company. It seems that he is being plagued with some unknown malady and needs your point of view, for some reason." The fabric of her robe rolled and whispered against itself slightly as she shrugged. "Anyhow. If you have any trouble finding him, seek out his mother Theresa at the University. She can help you."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" The words fell from Edreina's dry, cracked lips before she could stop herself. "I mean no offense, Amaryllis... But I'm sure you can understand my... confusion."

"Not really." The woman said, straight faced save for the divot marring her brow. "I've been very clear, I believe. But then again, you are a young creature; perhaps your cognition is not fully formed... Very well. You're leaving Sahova, free of all duties and responsibilities, and I've informed you of someone that sought you in case you wish to pursue a reunion."

But why!? A voice in Edreina screamed as she forced herself to look down again. What do you have to gain from freeing me? It did not feel real, and she refused to allow it to. Surely, this was some kind of a trick... some sort of a ruse meant to test her loyalty to Annalisa and give them reason to punish and torture again. With the foolish petulance of one who felt forced into a corner, Edreina mumbled, "I can't leave... Annalisa owns me... If I leave-"

"She will find a new slave," Amaryllis said firmly, not bothering to pause or even to look at the freckled woman. "As I said, I believe you're no longer useful to her, but you may be useful elsewhere." There was no warmth in her words, no compassion or kindness, Edreina wondered whether or not she even meant what she said.

"Ah, here we are!"

The Svefra stood very strangely, feet away from Amaryllis. She knew where they were, but she would not acknowledge it. Her eyes were closed and her form was stiff as she did everything she could to avoid letting herself realize where she was and what was happening. Her mind was gray, blank, filled with pale words as she sought reason where there seemed to be none. This was all some kind of a trick, a trap, she was sure. If she did not indulge in it and remained loyal to Annalisa, she would not be punished; she would prove herself and be rewarded with a night of peace, perhaps.

"You really are a strange creature..." Amaryllis remarked to herself, as if she could not understand why others enjoyed her "strangeness" and personally found it to be quite annoying. "You're not being tricked, you know. You can stop this. Now. The ship leaves in a few chimes and the next will not be arriving for many days."

Trembling, Edreina dared to open her eyes. Some part of her had been harboring the hope that before her would be the ship she arrived on, brown-skinned passenger and all, that this would be but a figment of her past. Her heart broke anew, despite itself, when she saw a particularly ordinary cargo ship with a ordinary little crew. None were Svefra, she knew, and that made this all the lonelier. She absorbed the ship, slowly, focusing on it instead of what it meant for that was a fact all to vast and frightening.

"You have a pack below deck with some clothes, gold, and a small bronze ring. I would... clean yourself before donning your new clothes." The Nuit all but sniffed disdainfully at the filthy Svefra. "This ship will take you to Sunberth. From there, you are on your own. Be well, Test Subject..." And with that, the Nuit turned on her heel and started the walk back to her office.

In a whisper heard only by her own ears, "Edreina... My name is Edreina..."
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Freedom for the Faithful

Postby Edreina on July 1st, 2014, 3:14 am

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As darkness fell, Edreina blinked. All day, she had been standing, utterly motionless at the rear of the ship, watching Sahova grow smaller and smaller. The vibrant violets and pinks of sunset painted the sky when finally she turned to face the direction in which they were heading. Gold lined the clouds and the last vestiges of Syna's light were turning the water silver as it danced before her. Trembling ever so faintly, she let herself dive into the world around her for the first time.

Her nose was filled with the scent of salt and of sun-aged wood and of life itself, to a Svefra. Each breath pulled hungrily into her lungs could have been her last, for all she cared; each was perfect and fulfilling as it tore the scent of death, decay, and cold stone from her body, tossing it to the wind so that it could be but a memory. Wind danced about her, pulling copper locks and laughing in her ear, embracing her with the warmth of Summer and welcoming her home. Sweet mist washed over her as the ship skipped over the waves, kissing her abused skin and purifying the tainted filth that still clung to her.

It was real. It was all real.

This was no trick, no con or ploy that she could see. Even if it were, she did not care. In that moment, she was free!

Grinning in a way that made her face hurt immediately, for it was now unaccustomed to such an expression of unadulterated joy, the Svefra flung herself from the rear deck onto the main, savoring the way her knees protested the now-foreign action, and ran to the prow of the ship. The wind tore at her hair now, picking up as if it too shared in her joy. The mist stung her skin, doing its best to force away the last vestiges of impurity that shadowed her glowing features. Syna's last kiss was bestowed upon Edreina, warming her all the way down to her bones.

Tears stained the skin beside her eyes as they were pulled into her hair and vanished from existence. All at once, she was laughing and crying, grieving and exalting, she felt joy and pain, fear and hope, trepidation and relief. Something in Amaryllis's abrupt liberation still left a stone in her stomach and uncertainty whisper at the back of her mind. She had been tortured and branded and made into the perfect slave, would they let her go so easily? As insane as it was, part of her pitied Annalisa, knowing she was still trapped on that damned island. The wizard's future was set in stone; but the Svefra's? Razkar had left her, but a true friend awaited her on the shore. She would never return to her pod, experiencing another way of life had stolen away the boundless pleasure of a true Svefra life, but she would do her best to return to return to embracing many of the Svefra ideals. Being abandoned had forever soured the idea of being in a monogamous relationship for Edreina, there was too much danger in tying all of one's affections to another single being. Trust... would come much more slowly for her.

But, despite all of that, she was free. All of life's possibilities she had seen torn and burned away were now being laid before her once again. Yahal had seen her out of the darkness, so she would spend the rest of her days living in his light. Each experience, no matter how painful, would be a benefit to her, one day, she was sure.

"You'll be able to swim tomorrow," she heard someone say, and turned to see one of the deck-hands leaning against his mop. The smile on his face made her feel as if they had something in common though his shirt covered the scars about his own wrists. He said no more.

That night, Edreina did not sleep. Sleep may have been her waking from a dream, if that was what this was; it was the only thing that she had not disproved just yet. Instead, she sat on the edge of the ship, just breathing.

Awards, according to Mirage :
  • +100 GM
  • 1 Set Basic Clothes
  • 1 Set of Toiletries
  • 1 Basic Backpack
  • 1 Bronze Ring with Amaryllis's sigil on the face

-
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User avatar
Edreina
Unbound
 
Posts: 1258
Words: 1079180
Joined roleplay: March 18th, 2013, 1:40 am
Location: Sahova
Race: Human, Svefra
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Medals: 8
Featured Character (1) Featured Contributor (1)
Lore Author (1) Artist (1)
Overlored (1) One Thousand Posts! (1)
Extreme Scrapbooker (1) 2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

Freedom for the Faithful

Postby Mirage on July 2nd, 2014, 1:51 pm

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Edreina

Experience
  • N/A





Lore
  • Amaryllis: Unexpectedly... kind?
  • Lore of Self: Freed from Sahova
  • Amaryllis: Does she have another purpose?


Rewards
  • +100 GM
  • 1 Set Basic Clothes
  • 1 Set of Toiletries
  • 1 Basic Backpack
  • 1 Bronze Ring with Amaryllis's sigil on the face


Nothing but a Mirage

Good job! Edreina is free to go :). For now there is nothing more to do. Go off, enjoy your future RP's and have a good time. Oh but don't worry, I think we will meet again one day ;). PM if you have any concerns :)

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