Meditation and Aggrivation (Closed)

by **Fenilen** on October 31st, 2010, 2:02 pm

30th of Fall, 510 AV

Clear your mind of thought. A task that, despite its simple appearance, was unnervingly difficult. Thinking of nothing SOUNDED easy, but in reality, it was a task of near impossible proportions for the Inarta. Too much was going on. Too many background noises, too many distractions, too many thoughts of Them. He sat on the ground, cross-legged, eyes shut, hands placed on his knees. Deep breaths. Breathe in. One... two... three... four... five... Breath out. Good. His breathing steadied itself into this pattern. Now, think of nothing. Purge your mind of all thought.

What was that? Nothing, just the thud of footsteps above him. Nothing to worry about, nothing at all. A creaking. The windowpane. Nothing at all. Stop worrying! The World was not with Them! ...but what if the footsteps were Their assassins sneaking in through the window above? What if the creaking was from one of Their clumsier assassins? Fenilen's eyes shot open, left hand grabbing his talon sword as his right drew it forth from its sheath. The Inarta gracelessly rose to his feet, breathing slowly, eyes scanning the room. He remained in this pose for a good three minutes, looking for the assassins that he could simply feel approaching. He knew they were there! He could sense them! He could feel them closing in!

A cold breeze blew against the back of his neck. There! He wheeled around, slashing violently at where his assailant's head would be. Nothing. He was alone in the room. Calm yourself, Fenilen! There was nothing there! They would not attack him in his own home. The sword found its way into its sheath, and he once more settled down onto the ground, laying the short weapon out to his left side.

Breathe in. One... two... three... four... five... Breathe out. Once more his breathing settled into this pattern. There was nothing to fear. He was alone. Nothing was nearby that could hurt him. He was safe in this room, and he was alone, No one would be stupid enough to try and attack him in a Hold filled to the brim with Vantha. No, he was safe. Safe as safe could be. Finally, thoughts began creeping from his mind, leaving the tormented Inarta with a blank slate. This was the first bit of relaxation the Inarta had had in weeks. Poor him.

by **Fenilen** on October 31st, 2010, 3:49 pm

Thud! The door before him slammed open, shaking the Inarta from his relaxation. Blades flew from their sheaths, both his own and those of his assailants. Fenilen assumed a defensive stance, looking at the assailants before him. One, two, three, four, five, six... Six of them! No matter, he could defeat them all! He was Fenilen! He would survive! They would not take the breath from his lungs on this day! One of the black-clad figures rushed into the room, charging him with a short sword. Easy prey. The tip of the blade flew at Fenilen's stomach. A quick downward swipe from the Talon sword pushed the blade down and to the left, out of the way. A fast movement brought the blade back up, slicing diagonally through his opponent's chest and stomach. Entrails and blood poured through the open wound, which the masked assailant tried to contain, He failed. As he slumped over to the ground in shock, blood pooled around him, Be careful not to get caught in the guts, Fenilen thought.

The second, third, and fourth had all entered the room by this point, spreading out to attack in unison and from all sides. This could not be allowed. He would take the offensive and show them his fury! Two quick steps forward, a quick downward slash. The victim of his assault was too slow the parry the blow, and found the cold iron of the blade cleaving his head in two. Blood and gray matter flew from the new opening in his flesh, and the body keeled over onto the ground. The entire floor of the room was now claimed by the red liquid. Boots were stained by the blood. The fifth and sixth were in the room. Too many, too little room. When two slashed were thrown his way, he had no choice but to spin to the left, bumping into a bookshelf when he did. As such, one blade caught his arm, tearing the flesh on the outside of his upper right arm. Ignore the pain. It wasn't important. Warm blood flowed freely down his arm.

"Fool! We are not here for you!" one of the figures barked. The sixth figure was walking across the room, closing in on three figures. Wait, who were they? The Inarta squinted, and felt his heart skip a beat in horror.

Line up against the wall, cowering, were Aidara, Emory, and Sairque. No! He wouldn't let him touch them! No no no no! He would give his life in their defense! A savage cry left his lips as he barreled through the two men that stood between him and the sixth figure. The man ignored the new cut that found its way to his left arm, running from elbow to his wrist. He would save them! A violent downward hack claimed one of the man's arms, as a second, horizontal slash cleaved through the bone and flesh of his neck. Blood sprayed from the newly-made stumps, and the body collapsed to the ground.

by **Fenilen** on October 31st, 2010, 6:16 pm

Three more. Fenilen was panting heavily, drenched in his own blood and the blood of the assailants. He would prevail! He would kill them all and save his sister and his friends! He charged forward into the remaining men, hacking and slashing with reckless abandon. Wounds opened up on his chest and arms from the frenzied blows of his opponents, but he ignored the pain, ignored the weakness that was crawling through his body. They were unimportant. What was important, was the lives of his closest confidants. They would not be harmed so long as he drew breath! The tip of his blade caught the inner thigh of one of the black garbed men, slicing the artery wide open. Blood sprayed from the fresh wound, and the man collapsed, disabled.

Two more. Two more and then his closest companions would be safe. Then he would emerge victorious, then he would awe them with his strength! A feet stamped on the foot of his opponent, and a quick forward step drove the blade deep into the stomach of his opponent. A knee rose up, smashing into the dying man's stomach. The blade then retreated from the stomach of his foe.

Five men lay on the ground, dead or dying. Blood covered the ground in pools, and had sprayed onto everything in the entire room. Fenilen's face and pants were stained with blood, his chest and arms decorated more in his own blood than that of his enemies.

Then, something unnerving happened. The man before him grew bulging muscles, an extra three feet tacking onto his height. A part of Fenilen was surprised he didn't slam into the ceiling. Uh oh. This growth had distracted him! He found a meaty hand around his throat, lifting him up into the air. He squirmed, trying to scream, trying to wiggle his way free, but it was no use. The hand kept the air from his lungs. The stifled scream turned to gasps as he dropped his sword, reaching his hands to the hand around his neck. A feeble attempt to pry the fingers from his neck was made.

"It is your end, Inarta. We send Our regards," the man spoke. Fenilen's eyes shot open as he felt a sword plunge through his chest. The hand around his neck loosened, but he felt no relief. Breath would never come again. The last of his breath was expended coughing blood from his lips. Glazed eyes watched as the monster of a man crossed the room, bloody sword in hand.

No! He was going to kill them! He couldn't let him! The Inarta tried to push himself out of the puddle of his own blood, but to no avail. He had no strength, no breath in his lungs. He was forced to watch from the ground as the man took Emory by the hair, pulling her head back to expose her neck. She fought, slapping and kicking at the man, but it was no use. The sword came to her beautiful neck, the neck Fenilen had known since birth, and slit her throat. Crimson blood poured from the wound, and she collapsed limply, bubbles of blood gurgling from her throat as she attempted to breathe.

No! He would not let Aidara and Sairque meet the same fate! No no no! The Inarta made his way to his hands and knees, darkness creeping at the corners of his vision. A shaking hand found its way to the Talon sword, wrapping around its ornate hilt. The darkness crept closer and closer to the center of his vision. Sairque was next. Her hair was yanked back, her throat meeting the same fate as Emory's. The two bodies fell side by side, beautiful red hair matting to their head. One more! He would not let him take her! The breathless Inarta made his way to his feet, blood pouring from his multiple wounds. He kept trying to breath, trying to extend his life a few more seconds.

Aidara's dark red curls were held in the man's grasp. Fenilen brought his sword up over his head with one arm. Silently, the blade arced downward, burying itself in the man's back.

It was too late. His sword had pierced the beautiful woman's neck. She was gone. He was gone. They were all gone. It was all over. he had failed. In unison, the three bodies slumped to the floor, the large man crushing Fenilen. Finally, Fenilen Ruin, son of Maverick, brother to the now-deceased Emory and the still-living Nyali, succumbed to the darkness.

by **Fenilen** on October 31st, 2010, 7:54 pm

The Inarta returned to the light with a jump. Blood was caked around his lips, and he could feel the wound in his chest, but he could breathe again. An arm pushed the heavy corpse off of him, and, slowly and unsteadily, he rose to his feet. Why was he still alive? He should be dead! His eyes fell upon the crumpled corpses of Emory, Aidara, and Sairque, and that was when he broke down.

A cry of utter horror left his lips. Fenilen collapsed to his knees, eyes welling with tears. This couldn't be happening. No. It all had to be a cruel joke. It had to be. That was why he was still alive. He had to be hallucinating! The man pulled himself into a sitting position, tears streaming down his face. No no no no. He wouldn't believe the lies. None of this was happening. None of this was real. He was imagining it all! He would not believe the lies that his mind fed him!

Sobs could be heard outside of his room as he curled up in a corner, crying his heart out. If this was fake, why did the wounds he had suffered hurt so? But no, it had to be fake. It had to be. Aidara, Sairque, and Emory were all safe in Wind Reach, outside of Their touch. They were safe from Them and all of Their servants, as long as he wasn't with them. They couldn't be here. These assassins couldn't be real. This was all fake! Fake! Fake fake fake!

Fenilen's entire body shook as he cried, as he realized what he had become, what he was turning into. He cried for what he had seen, even if it was his imagination. He cried because he missed Aidara and Sairque and Emory. He cried like no man had ever cried before because that was what his gut commanded him to do in this room covered in blood and gore.

by **Cheshire** on November 20th, 2010, 10:31 pm

On a normal day Skyglow Hold was quiet. There were days when there might be the occasional banging from Vantha hammering away on a sculpture or a small shouting match. The Vantha were only human even if they were a tad bit different than non-Vantha. Today started off as one of those quiet and peaceful days. Vannis was sitting outside the hold looking at the snowy scape around him. Another fight with Rakku had left him in a horrid mood. He scowled at the horizon and watched his breath rise through the air. "No son of mine is going to go run off with the Snowsongs. A Skyglow is always an artist. It's in our blood." All the scowling and anger at his younger son was not going to make his son come back to his past love of drawing. This angered Vannis but he was not able to be angry at his son for long. From the corner of his eye his wife Nekari ran up beside where he was sitting. "Hello Nekari. Have you disciplined Rakku?" Nekari shook her head and grabbed her husband's arm. "Van, you need to get inside. That Inarta, he is tearing his room apart. The everyone is scared. You need to calm him down!" Nekari was never his demanding with her husband. She usually just did what he said with no questions asked. She knew her hold, her family was in trouble though. "Get an Icewatch to stop him." Vannis was not exactly the type of man to get involved with raging people. Of course no one in the hold had a temper like Vannis. "There is no time Vannis. You are the leader of this hold, you have to protect everyone. It is what Pavic would have done." There would be problems for Nekari later for being so demanding. That was not the issue now. Right now Vannis had to stop a raging Inarta.

The temper of the Inarta was well known throughout Mizahar. Vannis had met this Inarta previously though. He did not seem aggressive in the slightest. He almost seemed a bit anti-social. Vannis was not scared though. What could one Inarta do to him? He walked down the hall of the hold and saw his fellow Skyglows giving him worried looks. He would have been fine but Ray'ken walked by him and looked down. "Good luck dad. That guy is going crazy in there. I swear it sounds like he is fighting a bear" Vannis could not show his son he was worried. He just glanced at his son and walked forward until he reached the room the Inarta was staying in. He knocked on the door and yelled in perfect common. "Inarta, what is going on in there?" It sounded like he was fighting a war in his room. "Inarta, open your petting door. I will not have you causing a tumult in my hold!"

by **Fenilen** on November 29th, 2010, 10:36 pm

Thumping at the door, yelling. Fenilen's watery eyes lifted up off of the ground, dancing over to the source of the noise. The voice was familiar, and after a moment, he recognized it as Vannis. What if Vannis was with them too? What if he just wanted to come inside and finish the job that the others had started, but couldn't because the door was locked!? What if he was just trying to lure him out into the open so he could kill him like an animal, just like his minions had killed Sai and Addy and Emory! But he had to trust someone. He had to come out sometime. He couldn't stay in his room forever. He had to eat, had to drink...

The green eyed boy rose to his feet unsteadily, hands laced around the hilt of the blade that was all too familiar. Slowly, cautiously, he approached the door to his room. Silently, a hand drifted to the doorknob as his breath stilled. A small click was heard as he turned the key in the lock, followed by a loud smash! as he opened the door, slamming it into an object that had been knocked over in all of the hustle an bustle. There, in the open doorway stood Fenilen, eyes red and watery with tears, sword in hand. The moment Fenilen saw Vannis, something inside of him snapped. The sword clattered to the ground, and Fenilen burst forth from the room, slamming into Vannis.

Twig-like arms snaked around Vannis, and quiet sobs were heard as he hid his face in the taller man's shoulder. Only after a short while did he finally speak again, sniffling, on the verge of bursting into tears once more at a moment's notice. "They're all dead," the whisper was quiet was definitive. "I tried to save them, but I couldn't! There were too many of them! They killed Sai and Emory and Addy! Killed them like animals! I couldn't save them!" Fen broke out into violent, shuddering sobs once more, clinging to Vannis like a child would to their father. Over and over, he repeated the last three word he had said quietly. "Couldn't save them. Couldn't save them..."

by **Cheshire** on December 6th, 2010, 10:26 pm

There would be trouble, or at least Vannis expected there to be. In front of him a red eyed, crazed Inarta stood gripping to a sword. Vannis was not much of a praying man even if he was a Vantha but in that moment only one thought came to his mind. "Queen Morwen, please protect me from this crazy Inarta." Vannis prepared for the worst. He was not much with weapons but he had his gift from Morwen on the inside of his bicep. He would use it to it's full power too if he had to.

The coldness of Taldera itself was brewing in Vannis. He would have unleashed it on Fenilen but in a clang against the stone floor of Fenilen's room the talon sword fell to the ground. Arms wrapped around Vannis' body and for a minute Vannis found himself looking around for an open window or some snow that had been tracked into the hold. He might not have been the most skilled Ice Reaver but he could do a bit of damage with a little bit of snow or ice. There were sobs coming from the Inarta though. He was not embracing the stoic Vantha in anger but in the need to comfort. Vannis was no a comforting man. When he saw his sons cry he never reacted to them. He did not want them to think that crying solved their problems. This boy was alone and far from home. Vannis had never given much of his fatherly kindness out to his sons but the Inarta seemed to need it. Vannis looked around to see if any of his hold mates were around and then tentatively hugged the Inarta back. "Why are you crying Inarta?" Vannis had never been good a comforting others. He was a man who had built himself on the thought that he was unapproachable. People respected him because they feared him. The fact that he did not talk to many people just made him that much closer to Pavic. He was an artist one could see all around them but could never speak to.

The Inarta's mumbles worried Vannis. Who was he talking about. "Who is them? Who did they kill? If there is crime going on in my hold Icewatch will be informed immediately!" Even if Vannis was not too close to his own immediate family he was protective of his hold. The killer, who ever they were, would have to go through him before he let them cause carnage in his hold.

by **Fenilen** on January 18th, 2011, 9:41 pm

"I'm crying because They killed them! They killed Emory and Addy and Sai! They came in and killed them! I tried my best, but it wasn't good enough! I wasn't strong enough! I wasn't good enough!" the boy shook as he sobbed in the older man's arms, face buried in his shoulder. "They're all dead! All three of them, and it's all my fault!" A scarred hand drooped down to Vannis's hand, taking it firmly. With a quick pair of steps and a firm tug, the Inarta pulled Vannis into his room, gesturing around them with one arm. Bodies decorated the floor, run through by a talon sword. Around them, puddles of blood formed, pooling around the lifeless corpses of the servants of Them. Fenilen broke away from Vannis, walking over to the lifeless bodies of his friends and his sister, sobbing softly as he looked at them. "Can't you see them? They killed them all. I was too weak to save them. I bled to death on the ground as They killed every last one of them! Why couldn't I have been stronger!? Why were there so many of Them!? WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THEM!?" The words that rolled off his tongue last left a bitter taste, bringing back bitter memories of the Summer, bitter memories of the claims of instability that had rolled freely from the tongues of his companions after they had given him The Lamp. Why could he see so much more in the world than everyone else could? Why had all of them failed to have their eyes opened to the true face of the world, in all of its glory and all of its horrors? Pleading eyes stared Vannis down.

by **Cheshire** on February 1st, 2011, 3:30 am

If there were marauders about (or what ever They were) Vannis would have them executed at once. No one disrupted the peace of his Hold and got away with it! The Inarta began to cry into his arm and sob about some people Vannis had never heard of. Not knowing what else to do he awkwardly patted the man's back in an attempt to be reassuring. Then it hit him. If he had never heard of these people why were they in his hold? "Who are these people? I do not know any Vantha by these names. Have you been sneaking stragglers into the Hold? We did not give you a roof over your head for you to take pity on beggars!" Before he had a chance to get more enraged he felt the man's hand wrap around his own and pull him into his room. He started to babble on about dead bodies and blood but all Vannis saw was a destroyed room he was going to have to pay to fix up. "Oh Goddess of Winter, how am I going to get this mess cleaned up?"

The room was a complete mess. The bed was shredded along with the walls. The furs that covered Fenilen's bed were now simply shreds. "Those were some good furs. This Inarta is becoming a real problem. I knew letting a Fire-Hair into the hold was a bad idea." Vannis surprisingly knew a bit about dealing with insane people. When one spent so much time with artists they were bound to start to understand the minds of crazy people. He hated to egg the man on but if he could get the Inarta to calm down maybe he could get him to the Whitevine Healing Center or over to the Temple of Everwinter to try and find peace. "Yes, I see what you mean. You seem hurt. We should get you some help. I know someone who could help rid you of these pestilent people. Her name is Lee'ena Snowsong. She is a priestess at the Temple of Everwinter." With a stern look to the ruined room and then turned to the hallway. "Follow me Inarta. What did you say your name was by the way?"

Outside the wind was howling and a strong torrent of snow was blowing through Avanthal. While Vannis was quite fine in his coat and boots he was not sure how the Inarta felt? The poor man was not favored by Morwen and was not protected by her frozen touch. He would feel the full blunt of this winter storm while Vannis walked through it like it was a clear sunny day. It was times like this Vannis was proud to be Vantha. "The Temple is just up ahead. Lee'ena is a very sweet woman. I am sure you will take kindly to her. I feel as though she can help you more than I can. Of course if the people come to attack you again don't hesitate to alert me. I cannot have them endangering my hold." Vannis hated to play into the Inarta's childish games like this but he feared another violent outburst from the man.

Up ahead a beautiful stone building stood proudly in the snow. It was the Temple and the second most recognizable building in the city after Morwen's Castle. The Iceglaze had outdone themselves with this building. It was like no other in the city. "Well here we are. Lee'ena should be inside. Give her a holler and I am sure she will come running."

by **Lullaby** on August 13th, 2013, 2:47 am

Fenilen :

A quiet song to soothe the heart

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