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Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5970670" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p>Fen's bright green eyes opened and stared at a stone ceiling. </p><p></p><p>He felt the stiffness on his cheeks where tears had dried while he slept.</p><p></p><p>He weakly turned his head to the side. The dull glow of dawn was filtering through a narrow slit of a window in this small room. He laid upon a bed. He saw, with not interest, his sacred cloak handing upon a peg at the opposite wall. His leaf-tipped sacred spear leaned against it and his boots sat upon the floor near his pack and pouches. The druid realized, with no emotion, that he was still in his leather armor and leggings.</p><p></p><p>Shortly after his waking there was a soft knock upon his door. The half-elf could not be bothered to rise from his bed. Not that it mattered.</p><p></p><p>A moment after the door softly creaked open a crack and he heard Haelan's soft voice calling to him.</p><p></p><p>"Fen? Are you awake?" the daelvar all but whispered.</p><p></p><p>The druid stared at the rays of the dawn striking into his chamber like a plane of gold.</p><p></p><p>"Oh! You are up. That's great!" came the daelvar's voice again. He neared the bedside and place a small tray (though large in the halfling's arms) upon the small bedside table.</p><p></p><p>"I've brought you a break fast. Midge says you need to eat. There's some nice honey buns here...and nuts and some of the Tower's freshest berries. I know how you like berries." the daelvar smiled down at the half-elf.</p><p></p><p>Fen just stared at the rays of light. He had no appetite. Somewhere inside him, he knew the daelvar had a good heart and meant the best for him...he just couldn't be bothered to acknowledge his presence...the size of the daelvar's heart had no baring on the fact that his was shattered.</p><p></p><p>"Come on Fen...there's some fresh milk here too. I don't know if you like milk...but Midge said it would be good for you. Rejuvenates the blood, she says." the daelvar chuckled to himself. He lifted the cup of milk toward the druid. </p><p></p><p>Fen's body made no motion to take it. What's the point? kept flowing through his mind.</p><p></p><p>"Ok...well, some berries then? Or a bun? The honey buns are particularly good. I confess I tried one on the way up. I hope you can forgive me." the daelvar said with characteristic cheerfulness. </p><p></p><p>If only I would ever feel that cheer again, thought Fen. But I will never.</p><p></p><p>The Hilltender just looked at the druid for a moment and sadness filled his eyes. This caused Fen some inward pain...he did not want the daelvar to feel sad...he felt sad enough for all of Orea.</p><p></p><p>"Please...Fen...say something!" Haelan asked as he returned the plate of berries and nuts to the tray. "This isn't healthy. You need to eat or you will expire. It's been three days now!"</p><p></p><p>Had it? Fen thought inwardly...a pittance of time to those of the star-blood...and even though his was diluted, he still did not feel time pass as these others...and his <em>kiili</em> would never feel the passage of time, however slight, again.</p><p></p><p>"We need to get going, Fen. There is much to do...and we need you to do it with us. We won't leave you. You want to help us, don't you?" after a moment of consideration, Haelan added, ever-so gently, "Erevan would want you to. Don't you think?"</p><p></p><p>Erevan? Erevan...yes, his <em>kiili</em>...his lost 'dear one.'</p><p></p><p>The unbidden image of his face melting into a pool of goo assaulted Fen's mind.</p><p></p><p>Erevan would want nothing from him...never wanted anything from him...just to share their minds and bodies...just to <em>BE</em> with each other as those of the star-blood wanted...This silly hairfoot, kind and gentle as his heart might be, could never understand that.</p><p></p><p>"Fen, please..." the halfling's voice seemed to crack from some sorrow...but the sunlight was nice to see...</p><p></p><p>"We need you. You have to come back to us. Alaria and Braddok...well, they're mad with revenge...but seem to be...uh...consoling each other pretty well..." Haelan's voice went from a conversational tone to a whisper to add, "You know, how humans do?"</p><p></p><p>Haelan grinned at the blankly staring at what he thought a fine, but not vulgar, joke.</p><p></p><p>"Duor is ready to go too...though Midge thinks he should remain abed for a bit more." the cleric added.</p><p></p><p>Duor...DUOR!...the name raked at the half-elf's mind and something clicked (or snapped).</p><p></p><p>The half-elf's eyes blinked and he sat bolt up in his bed. </p><p></p><p>Haelan spat our a bit of milk and nearly choked on the mouthful of honey bun he'd been helping himself to from Fen's tray.</p><p></p><p>"FEN! Oh, breff vuh Hill Muvuh, *swallow* I knew you'd come back!" said spitting crumbs of honey bun all over the front of himself.</p><p></p><p>"Duor...Where is he?!" the druid said absently, not looking at the halfling cleric wiping crumbs off of his newly gifted pine green tabbard.</p><p></p><p>"Well, he's in just next door. You're both in the..." Haelan began to explain, thankful at the druid's apparent return to life. He did think it odd that the half-elf jumped up from his bed and grabbed his cloak from the peg and took up his spear.</p><p></p><p>"...the Daughters' special private infirmary rooms." Haelan finished as the druid exited the room in a flourish of green, brown and grey cloak. Eyes widened in understanding.</p><p></p><p>"Oh dear."</p><p></p><p>Stuffing the last of the honey bun into his mouth, Haelan raced out after the druid.</p><p></p><p>He was barely into the hall when a scream of alarm came up from the chamber next door. A young Daughter of Gilea in her pristine white robes edged in pink thorny vines came running out, linens flying from her arms. She almost ran over the halfling. </p><p></p><p>"FEN! DON'T!" Haelan called as he entered the room.</p><p></p><p>The druid was stabbing the bed, over and over again. With each full force jab, tear-strained words came out of the druid's mouth.</p><p></p><p>"IT'S. YOUR. FAULT. IT'S. YOUR. FAULT. DAMNED! GREEDY! DWARF!" cried Fen.</p><p></p><p>Feathers of down flew around the room like a blizzard as the druid stabbed, over and over, into the empty bed where the acolyte cleric had been changing the linens.</p><p></p><p>"Fen!? STOP IT!" called Haelan, invoking a bit of divine presence behind his words <<em>cleric spell: Command.</em>> The druid halted his attack on the empty bed, immediately, and turned with a feral fury in his green eyes toward the Hilltender.</p><p></p><p>"Where is he, Haelan?! you can't protect him. Where is he!? He will pay! It's his fault and you know it! TELL ME WHERE HE IS!" Fen cried at Haelan.</p><p></p><p>"Where who is?" said Duor coming into view in the doorway behind the Hilltender, taking a munch out of an apple.</p><p></p><p>Aw, horse pucky, thought Haelan. Not now!</p><p></p><p>"YOU!" the half-elf lunged at the dwarf, easily thrusting aside the halfling.</p><p></p><p>"WOAH!" Duor said and dove to the side of the doorway into the hall. </p><p></p><p>In a flash of green, the druid was in the hall and looking to stab at the dwarf, who had regained his footing some feet away from the druid.</p><p></p><p>"Have ye lost yer mind, druid?!" Duor cried in alarm.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry, Fen, but you leave me little choice...<em>Beatius Faerantha benifica spiritum con u guda rihvahlt!</em>" invoked Haelan again <<em>cleric spell: Hold Person</em>>.</p><p></p><p>The druid's spear tip halted, inches from the dwarf's face...and shook there. Unsure of the extent of Haelan's enchantment, Duor quickly scampered out from under the spear and trotted several tens of feet down the hall.</p><p></p><p>"Look, Fen. I'm sorry about Erevan. I'm sorry about Festus too! He was a great drinkin' partner. Best satyr I ever knew...well, the only one...but still...However things was we said to each other, I had a great deal of respect for the bloody point-ear...and I'd like to think he for me." Duor said in an attempt to placate the half-elf.</p><p></p><p>The druid was obviously fighting against Haelan's magic and making some progress and his arms broke free of the spell to finish the thrust which moments before would have dug into the dwarf.</p><p></p><p>Tears streamed down the half-elf's face in frustration or sorrow, none could say.</p><p></p><p>"We were comrades, the elf and me...like<em> you </em>and me!...we did our best. It was friendly jabs...you know how it is...I never in an age and a half wanted him dead..." Duor continued.</p><p></p><p>The druid broke enough of the enchantment to move his head and mouth and cry out in pain and sorrow at the word "dead".</p><p></p><p>"Duor, SHUT. UP!" Haelan commanded down the hall. "You're not helping! Get out of here!" beads of sweat were forming on the halfling's forehead...the druid was fighting the cleric with everything he had...Haelan had never felt such a resistance.</p><p></p><p>"Look...I know you blame me. You SHOULD!" Duor continued (in typical fashion not listening to anyone else). "Everyone else does...and I blame myself, too! It wasn't right what happened. It <em>was</em> MY fault! I <em>KNOW</em> that, now...and I'll do everything I can to avenge their loss and see that bastard dragon-snake worn as a belt...There's plenty of him to make belts for all of us!" Duor ended with an attempt at levity.</p><p></p><p>Haelan fell back as Fen burst out of his holding spell. He scrambled to the doorway, expecting to see Duor skewered on the end of Fen's spear.</p><p></p><p>Instead, thankfully, he saw Fen on his knees, crying uncontrollably. His leaf tip spear lying on the ground beside him.</p><p></p><p>After a moment of this, Duor relaxed his stance and stood watching...A grown man to cry was a pitiable sight among dwarves...but Fen wasn't a dwarf, and Duor understood that. The rogue wiped a tear from his eye before anyone could see.</p><p></p><p>Haelan put his hands upon Fen's shoulders and simply held them as the half-elf wracked himself with sobs.</p><p></p><p>"Let's get you back to bed, Fen...you can eat later, huh? That'd be ok won't it?" Haelan said gently.</p><p></p><p>Without a word, Fen rose to his feet and reentered his room, leaving his spear on the floor of the hall. He threw the sacred cloak to the floor and flopped back down in the bed.</p><p></p><p>Duor and Haelan waved away the guards who had come at the young Daughter of Gilea's alarm. </p><p></p><p>The dwarf handed the halfling the sacred spear and Haelan indicated it would be best for Duor to go. </p><p></p><p>As the dwarf exited Fen's room, Haelan offered softly, "And Duor...perhaps it would be best if you took other chambers."</p><p></p><p>The dwarf nodded and left, again wiping a tear away that no one saw.</p><p></p><p><em><strong>Next time: Elves n' Ninjas n' Elves n' thangs.</strong></em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5970670, member: 92511"] Fen's bright green eyes opened and stared at a stone ceiling. He felt the stiffness on his cheeks where tears had dried while he slept. He weakly turned his head to the side. The dull glow of dawn was filtering through a narrow slit of a window in this small room. He laid upon a bed. He saw, with not interest, his sacred cloak handing upon a peg at the opposite wall. His leaf-tipped sacred spear leaned against it and his boots sat upon the floor near his pack and pouches. The druid realized, with no emotion, that he was still in his leather armor and leggings. Shortly after his waking there was a soft knock upon his door. The half-elf could not be bothered to rise from his bed. Not that it mattered. A moment after the door softly creaked open a crack and he heard Haelan's soft voice calling to him. "Fen? Are you awake?" the daelvar all but whispered. The druid stared at the rays of the dawn striking into his chamber like a plane of gold. "Oh! You are up. That's great!" came the daelvar's voice again. He neared the bedside and place a small tray (though large in the halfling's arms) upon the small bedside table. "I've brought you a break fast. Midge says you need to eat. There's some nice honey buns here...and nuts and some of the Tower's freshest berries. I know how you like berries." the daelvar smiled down at the half-elf. Fen just stared at the rays of light. He had no appetite. Somewhere inside him, he knew the daelvar had a good heart and meant the best for him...he just couldn't be bothered to acknowledge his presence...the size of the daelvar's heart had no baring on the fact that his was shattered. "Come on Fen...there's some fresh milk here too. I don't know if you like milk...but Midge said it would be good for you. Rejuvenates the blood, she says." the daelvar chuckled to himself. He lifted the cup of milk toward the druid. Fen's body made no motion to take it. What's the point? kept flowing through his mind. "Ok...well, some berries then? Or a bun? The honey buns are particularly good. I confess I tried one on the way up. I hope you can forgive me." the daelvar said with characteristic cheerfulness. If only I would ever feel that cheer again, thought Fen. But I will never. The Hilltender just looked at the druid for a moment and sadness filled his eyes. This caused Fen some inward pain...he did not want the daelvar to feel sad...he felt sad enough for all of Orea. "Please...Fen...say something!" Haelan asked as he returned the plate of berries and nuts to the tray. "This isn't healthy. You need to eat or you will expire. It's been three days now!" Had it? Fen thought inwardly...a pittance of time to those of the star-blood...and even though his was diluted, he still did not feel time pass as these others...and his [I]kiili[/I] would never feel the passage of time, however slight, again. "We need to get going, Fen. There is much to do...and we need you to do it with us. We won't leave you. You want to help us, don't you?" after a moment of consideration, Haelan added, ever-so gently, "Erevan would want you to. Don't you think?" Erevan? Erevan...yes, his [I]kiili[/I]...his lost 'dear one.' The unbidden image of his face melting into a pool of goo assaulted Fen's mind. Erevan would want nothing from him...never wanted anything from him...just to share their minds and bodies...just to [I]BE[/I] with each other as those of the star-blood wanted...This silly hairfoot, kind and gentle as his heart might be, could never understand that. "Fen, please..." the halfling's voice seemed to crack from some sorrow...but the sunlight was nice to see... "We need you. You have to come back to us. Alaria and Braddok...well, they're mad with revenge...but seem to be...uh...consoling each other pretty well..." Haelan's voice went from a conversational tone to a whisper to add, "You know, how humans do?" Haelan grinned at the blankly staring at what he thought a fine, but not vulgar, joke. "Duor is ready to go too...though Midge thinks he should remain abed for a bit more." the cleric added. Duor...DUOR!...the name raked at the half-elf's mind and something clicked (or snapped). The half-elf's eyes blinked and he sat bolt up in his bed. Haelan spat our a bit of milk and nearly choked on the mouthful of honey bun he'd been helping himself to from Fen's tray. "FEN! Oh, breff vuh Hill Muvuh, *swallow* I knew you'd come back!" said spitting crumbs of honey bun all over the front of himself. "Duor...Where is he?!" the druid said absently, not looking at the halfling cleric wiping crumbs off of his newly gifted pine green tabbard. "Well, he's in just next door. You're both in the..." Haelan began to explain, thankful at the druid's apparent return to life. He did think it odd that the half-elf jumped up from his bed and grabbed his cloak from the peg and took up his spear. "...the Daughters' special private infirmary rooms." Haelan finished as the druid exited the room in a flourish of green, brown and grey cloak. Eyes widened in understanding. "Oh dear." Stuffing the last of the honey bun into his mouth, Haelan raced out after the druid. He was barely into the hall when a scream of alarm came up from the chamber next door. A young Daughter of Gilea in her pristine white robes edged in pink thorny vines came running out, linens flying from her arms. She almost ran over the halfling. "FEN! DON'T!" Haelan called as he entered the room. The druid was stabbing the bed, over and over again. With each full force jab, tear-strained words came out of the druid's mouth. "IT'S. YOUR. FAULT. IT'S. YOUR. FAULT. DAMNED! GREEDY! DWARF!" cried Fen. Feathers of down flew around the room like a blizzard as the druid stabbed, over and over, into the empty bed where the acolyte cleric had been changing the linens. "Fen!? STOP IT!" called Haelan, invoking a bit of divine presence behind his words <[I]cleric spell: Command.[/I]> The druid halted his attack on the empty bed, immediately, and turned with a feral fury in his green eyes toward the Hilltender. "Where is he, Haelan?! you can't protect him. Where is he!? He will pay! It's his fault and you know it! TELL ME WHERE HE IS!" Fen cried at Haelan. "Where who is?" said Duor coming into view in the doorway behind the Hilltender, taking a munch out of an apple. Aw, horse pucky, thought Haelan. Not now! "YOU!" the half-elf lunged at the dwarf, easily thrusting aside the halfling. "WOAH!" Duor said and dove to the side of the doorway into the hall. In a flash of green, the druid was in the hall and looking to stab at the dwarf, who had regained his footing some feet away from the druid. "Have ye lost yer mind, druid?!" Duor cried in alarm. "I'm sorry, Fen, but you leave me little choice...[I]Beatius Faerantha benifica spiritum con u guda rihvahlt![/I]" invoked Haelan again <[I]cleric spell: Hold Person[/I]>. The druid's spear tip halted, inches from the dwarf's face...and shook there. Unsure of the extent of Haelan's enchantment, Duor quickly scampered out from under the spear and trotted several tens of feet down the hall. "Look, Fen. I'm sorry about Erevan. I'm sorry about Festus too! He was a great drinkin' partner. Best satyr I ever knew...well, the only one...but still...However things was we said to each other, I had a great deal of respect for the bloody point-ear...and I'd like to think he for me." Duor said in an attempt to placate the half-elf. The druid was obviously fighting against Haelan's magic and making some progress and his arms broke free of the spell to finish the thrust which moments before would have dug into the dwarf. Tears streamed down the half-elf's face in frustration or sorrow, none could say. "We were comrades, the elf and me...like[I] you [/I]and me!...we did our best. It was friendly jabs...you know how it is...I never in an age and a half wanted him dead..." Duor continued. The druid broke enough of the enchantment to move his head and mouth and cry out in pain and sorrow at the word "dead". "Duor, SHUT. UP!" Haelan commanded down the hall. "You're not helping! Get out of here!" beads of sweat were forming on the halfling's forehead...the druid was fighting the cleric with everything he had...Haelan had never felt such a resistance. "Look...I know you blame me. You SHOULD!" Duor continued (in typical fashion not listening to anyone else). "Everyone else does...and I blame myself, too! It wasn't right what happened. It [I]was[/I] MY fault! I [I]KNOW[/I] that, now...and I'll do everything I can to avenge their loss and see that bastard dragon-snake worn as a belt...There's plenty of him to make belts for all of us!" Duor ended with an attempt at levity. Haelan fell back as Fen burst out of his holding spell. He scrambled to the doorway, expecting to see Duor skewered on the end of Fen's spear. Instead, thankfully, he saw Fen on his knees, crying uncontrollably. His leaf tip spear lying on the ground beside him. After a moment of this, Duor relaxed his stance and stood watching...A grown man to cry was a pitiable sight among dwarves...but Fen wasn't a dwarf, and Duor understood that. The rogue wiped a tear from his eye before anyone could see. Haelan put his hands upon Fen's shoulders and simply held them as the half-elf wracked himself with sobs. "Let's get you back to bed, Fen...you can eat later, huh? That'd be ok won't it?" Haelan said gently. Without a word, Fen rose to his feet and reentered his room, leaving his spear on the floor of the hall. He threw the sacred cloak to the floor and flopped back down in the bed. Duor and Haelan waved away the guards who had come at the young Daughter of Gilea's alarm. The dwarf handed the halfling the sacred spear and Haelan indicated it would be best for Duor to go. As the dwarf exited Fen's room, Haelan offered softly, "And Duor...perhaps it would be best if you took other chambers." The dwarf nodded and left, again wiping a tear away that no one saw. [I][B]Next time: Elves n' Ninjas n' Elves n' thangs.[/B][/I] [/QUOTE]
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