World of Warcraft®

The Paladin Smiles, He looks down at his new bride....his wife, He couldn't be happier, Him...and Tria, He didn't care what people thought of her, he didn't care about her old life, why? Because It didn't matter anymore, She was his, and he loved her, thats all that mattered."

This...really its been a long time since I've written, but I promise to write more often, now that I have a reason to! We got married, me and Triana...I love her so much, And Im glad she loves me too, It means a whole lot to me, she talks alot about how her uncle didn't like her lifestyle...but, I don't care...I love her for who she is, I fell inlove with her, and I just...She's amazing, shes funny, short, beautiful, and most importantly, she says what she means, and means what she says, Which, maybe a very good trait, we are on our honey moon...I asked her if she wanted to go to Gallywix...she said no....I wonder why...Something tells me it has to do with past love...but, If she doesn't want to tell me, Its her choice, We are in Booty bay, not..my Ideal choice for a Honeymoon, but Still I suppose, A good choice, Im happy, aslong as I am with her, I love her.

~Loki

The hunter awoke in the early hours of the morning, he looked to the bed across from his, a beautiful elf sleeping their happily with her pet, Mordicai...Like Xule was starting to grow a bit..but not quite big enough for him to be taken out for training, Xal got up to make breakfast for her, for he would not be there when she awoke, he wanted to be though, maybe they could just...wake up next to each other one day and stare at the ceiling and talk for hours...He would like that. The smell of french toast, and bananas filled the room, he got some of his special powdered surgar, made from the purest of sugar canes, and sprinkled it on top, he wrote her a note, "Dawn, Sadly I will not be home again till later this afternoon, If you need anything, I will take care of it when I get back, I love you ~Xal" He walked over to her, and smiled, He placed the breakfast next to her bed, with a rose placed neatly in a small glass vase, He quickly suited up and jumped to the ground, He was going to stranglethorn today...

* * *

As the boat steered into the harbor of booty bay Xal looked up to the sky, He picked the nearest eagle, and called it to him, he handed the eagle a cloth, a cloth containing the smell of a familar goblin, Grax Fizzle Spark, A trader of slaves... Xal knew this man...he had not worked with him before, but the man had asked Xal to kill many people, using the power of eagle eye, he used the eagles vision, the eagle flew alll aorund Stranglethorn, Xal had found the man...Grax was hiding out In Hardwrench, Xal called for Eurodis, His dragon, and they flew to Hardwrench.

Xal stealthed and jumped from High up landing in a nearby palm, He grabbed two cocanuts and fillled them with gunpowder, his favorite type...graphite.. He tied a fuse to them, and lit the fuse, still stealthed, he jumped down and rushed to the main gate, throwing the makeshift bombs at the two goblin cannons located by the gate, they exploded on contact, goblin parts flying everywhere, he rushed to the center of the base, there stood Grax...short...a dark green color, almost yellow, Xal unstealthed and shot five arrows, killing all of his guards. Grax stood there, frightened of Xal begging for his life, "Please....No...Ill let the slaves go I swear!! Here Ill give you the Key!!!" Xal slapped the key out of his hands, and lifted the goblin by the throat.

Xal looked at the man, "Why do you want to kill the one known as Scarlet?"
The goblin looked horrified, he heard of the others who wanted her dead...how they all of a sudden died and then...he knew why, "I ain't tellin you nuthin!! you is gonna have to beat it out of me!"
Xal smirked, "Gladly." Xal tightened his grip around the goblins throat, the goblin coughing and gasping for air, tapped Xal's hand for him to stop.
"Okay! Okay!, I asked her to rescue some little elves for me...Night elves...little did she know I was gonna use them as slaves...sell em' to the highest bidder!!! I heard she was a loose end that needed to be cut off....A guy told me that If I had her killed he would set me up for life!!"
Xal Looked at him, "What man?"
The goblin spit on Xal, "NO one!"
Xal put the goblin on the floor, Xal's boot resting on his neck, "If you don't tell me, I will crush that little throat of yours...It'll be hard to breathe...but you'll adapt wont you gobby?"
The goblin looked up at him, "Alright! It was the Big Boss, She asked us to do it! She has a grudge on her or somthing....she was gonna come to you herself..but shes a busy lady ya know?"
Xal's eyes widend...he knew who the big boss was...an elf...just like any other, Strong soldier, beautiful woman....she was dangerous...now he knew why...
The goblin looked at Xal...smirked and Threw a knife into Xal's side...Xal yelped, he pulled out the dagger, and threw it at the goblin running away, he nicked him right behind the left ear swiping it off, The goblin fell down, "MY EAR!!!" he cupped it and started to cry, "You'll pay for this ya runt!" Xal rushed over to him, running as fast as a wild beast, he leaped on the goblin and twisted the goblins neck, turning it completely around, killing the goblin instantly.

Xal hurried to his office, he managed to bandage him self up..but he passed out from blood loss...blood seeping slowly from his wound...he could only hope some one would find him, and help him.

The woman with the brown hair sat in front of the fire while her husband rattled about in the background making breakfast. She watched the flickering flames thinking that she needed to check something that she had put in the fire but for the life of her, she could not remember what.

“Did you clean out the hearth, love?” she leaned back to call to her husband.

“I did,” he produced a charred bone pendant. “I found this in there and figured it was yours.”

She stared at it for a moment, her mind drawing a blank as she tried to place it. Slowly, it came back to her. She had put the pendant in the fire, but why? For being an amnesiac, she had a good memory—at least since she had woken up, her past was still a blank—but she struggled to place the pendant. She decided that perhaps she would throw it in the lake. It seemed appropriate, but she wasn’t certain why. The curious sense of déjà vu settled over her.

Except that the thought of going near the lake frightened her and again, she had no idea why. No matter, she would just walk down there with her husband, nothing bad was going to happen with him around, and take care of the matter.

***
(New entry in a light green leather journal imprinted with a tree)

I have had recurring nightmares on and off for quite some time now, but the other night I had a dream that I was deep in the lake. I cannot remember the details of it, which is odd because I remember my nightmares clearly. When I got out of bed the next morning, I was wearing different clothes and what I had been wearing that night was hanging up outside, still partially wet. Did I sleepwalk out there? I must have, because I do not remember walking down there at all. It is strange… I told Sol so perhaps if it happens again, he can stop me.

We have decided to get away for awhile. We will both be shipping out to lands unknown in a few days and want to spend what little time we have left, together. As I told him this morning, ‘Just you, me, and not the world.’ I left him to plot out where we were heading—any place but Silithus and he added Un’goro Crater to the no go list—and I raided the cellar for some wine and pack some food. The guild stones will be left behind and it will just be us for the next few hours.

Cursed hunter... I could have done serious damage to that mage Tislina, but some hunter and my brother had stopped me on my second blast of Fel Fire, and I knew I couldn't take a mage, a paladin, and a hunter alone, atleast not yet, so I took a portal of shadow away to my hidden cave. I have also discovered something new here, in the cave. It will allow me to force control over my brother's body. The only down side to it is that he will be changed. His voice will be slightly different, and his eyes will be turned fiery red. .. Ah, whatever, that should be fun to use. Maybe I'll use it tomorrow, after practicing a little...

Tislina sits on a park bench enjoying the day. Amethyst sits next to her and watches her write.

I had quite the scare about ten minutes ago. I was reading a book about wolves and the question of what kind a fish they liked entered my mind. The first thing that popped into my head: "Go ask Xal." So I went to his office to ask him about it only to find him bleeding on the floor. I had no clue what to do and his secretary was absolutely no help. Thank the Light she mentioned the girl he liked was a paladin. Amethyst and I ran as fast as we could to find her. As it turned out I went to find bandages, but when I got back to the office they were both gone. I was told they went home to rest, so I was thankful. However, I need to take care if three things. One, make sure Xal is okay. Two, get to know this girl. She seems nice. And three, enroll in a first aid class. I hope to see Krei tomarrow it has been a little while.

Tislina closes her journal and walks off mumbling about a house key.

The Knight Lies there, in the comfortable bed in Gallywix pleasure palace, his mind happy he looks to the woman next to him, his wife, the love of his life, Auxilia, He relized it then, just as he did all that time ago, He loves her, and nothing could change that, her...out of every one, was his light in the darkness, the one who guided him, he could not get by in life with out her, she understood him, she loved him for who he was...and who he is now, yes, he was upset that she did not bare his child, but he did not care, there would be other chances, but nonetheless, he loves her with all his heart.

We spent a day with each other, we don't get to do that alot because Of our responsibilites to the fellowship, but nothing has happened recently, for us to have to take to battle, no one Kidnapped or injured, and for once that makes me happy, I get to spend time with my wife, be alone with her, in our home out on the hills, Mother would be proud, proud that I found some one that makes me happy, and some one that I can make happy, I love Auxilia, with all my heart, I don't care what her name really is, I don't care about who people think she is, or what people think of her, She is my wife, She is beautiful..and she unlike most of the world today, Is a person, with a big heart. Im a lucky man that I get to be there, I love her, And I always will.

Another fine day in paradise beside my Karamia. The sun was warm and setting, and if you listened very carefully, you could hear the hiss as it disappeared into the sea. The clouds played across the sky with the colors of the sunset, the pinks, the reds, the oranges, and the deep purples. Sometimes I feel it's a special treat for her and I to watch in wonder, as we hold each other close.

The beach was warm too. And we lay together beside each other watching the panoramic view of the sky, the sea, and the horizon. I could smell the sweet scent of my wife as she laid her head on my chest and we listened to the ebb and flow of the surf, and the gentle warbling of the birds as they saluted the end of the day.

It's times like these that I feel the closest to Karamia. It's just us, and the world is quiet for a moment as we enjoy our time together and whisper sweet nothings into each other's ear. I feel her breath on my cheek as she tells me she loves me, and her lips graze mine teasingly.

I want to run away with her so much, to spend a few days, or years like this, alone, in her arms, and let the world just pass us by. Is this too much to ask, I ask you, is it?

But the world needs us, and we feel a certain responsibility to respond when it calls. Our good-byes or laters are bittersweet. I kiss her lips with a softness and tenderness that tells her I will miss her til the next we meet. And her embrace and return kiss tells me that it must be soon.

The hunter awoke again, this time late in the afternoon, Dawn was already gone at this point, he figured she had left off to explore a bit, He was happy now, not only did she know he loved her, he kissed her aswell, and he was damn proud of himself, oneday...maybe he would get to meet her gran, she said more about her brother...Xal understood what she was going through, not from experiance.....but..because of some one he cared about..a long time ago.

He got ready, this time a bit more non-chalantly seeing as his Girlfriend was not there, and despite the fact that he had a new wound...

After getting ready, he left, this time he was off to winterspring...a place he knew well, there was a troll there...one that he was familiar with, Jukaku, he was a man who practiced vodoo on certain people...ones that were used in Big Bosses armies, he scouted the area looking far and wide for Jukaku, and then, before he new it, there he was, talking with some of the local Elves in starfall village, possibly the next servents of Big Boss, he looked around to look for a break in the area, a place where he could sneak in, with him...three throwing daggers, one arrow, and a net...he tied the net to the arrow, and jumped off of his dragon.

Landing the nearby warm springs, he stealthed, and walked up close to three guards, two standing close to each other, another far away, in the building overlooking the Village, Xal took one throwing knife, and through it at the farthest guard, he fell over the ledge falling into some rocks breaking his neck, a nasty way to go, the came up behind the two guards holding a few of the elves hostage, and took out his last two knives, he crept closer, and slit the throats of the two men, un-able to scream the two men fell lifelessly into their pools of blood, thank the light the Elves were blind-folded...he would have hated them to see that.

He walked down to where Jukaku was talking to the elder,
"Come on mon! U Kno U want da ju ju... U can be de mos powerful elf in all dah Land eh?"
"No! Leave me and my People alone you filthy troll!"
Xal unstealthed, and the Troll jumped, "AH! U not gonna get me like you got de oddas!"
Xal let him run for a small distance, then shot the arrow catching the troll in the net, and the arrow sinking into a tree.

"Wha Do you wan? I neva did nuthin to You mon!"
"How do you know the scarlet?"
"Mon...I jus work fo da big boss..she da one who tell me to hire da Scarlet to get some voodoo patients!"
Xal smirked, "Where is Big Boss?"
"She...be... in dah Land of dah beasts....fah fah away from ere....Dah land of dah!"
A dart nailed the troll in the neck, a Sin'Dorei Rogue in the distance.."Stay away if you know what's good for you old friend."
Xal Looked at the man in shock.."Nuala...I.."
"Thought I was dead?! Well I can assure you I am not." The rogue slipped into the shadows, and left Xal there, with A horrified look upon his face.

Xal took the last of this information to his office, and pondered where his next location would be...Un'Goro Crater..the land of the beasts...he would need help...how ever..he did not know who to ask.. He never needed help before...but then again, He never challenged the Big Boss..

Kreindis sits on a low branch of a tree somewhere in the middle of Eversong Woods, listening to the sounds of nature around him, his back leaning on the trees wide trunk. Slowly, he pulls out his journal and begins to write.

Kreindis Blazestride

My brother has learned to control me now... and he forced me to attack Tislina. I fought him for control of my body, and managed to force him out without harming her. But, now Tislina and I have decided it would be better if we saw eachother less than we do now. I may not like this very much, but for her safety I have to. I have chosen to stay in Eversong Woods for now, unless Tislina or somebody else asks for me to come elsewhere. This way, if Keyadrion takes over my body, there will be nobody for me to harm... And however much I may not like it, that is how it needs to stay...

Kreindis looks up at the sky through the leaves and branches of the tree he sits on at the darkening sky. He sighs and closes his journal, removing a red with gold trim blanket from his bags, and lays it over himself, as he falls asleep against the tree.

Tislina sits on her plush bed in Silvermoon city, hugging her knees. Amethyst is curled up next to her, fast asleep. Tislina stepped out onto her balcony and stared up at the darkening sky above. A gust of wind blew threw the city. Shivering slightly she walked back inside and slid into bed, pulling out her journal.

How is it, that such a good day always seems to end badly for me? Kreindis attacked me, or rather Keyadrion used him to attack me. It was not enjoyable at all. But Krei fought with him for control and won. I have my doubts though. I love him with all my heart and know he is strong, but could he beat Keyadrion again? Maybe or maybe not. The worst part of the whole encounter though, was by far the aftermath. I had to tell him we needed to distance ourselves from each other. It is what's best for both of us. All the same, my heart aches even now over it. If this happens again, it will be very bad for both of us. So I came home with Amethyst. My wonderful little whelp even succeeded in slightly cheering me up with her antics. To top it all off, my house key is still missing. I retrieved a new one from the front desk, but I am still worrying over where my old one went. So now I lay here with Amethyst and winder where it is Krei has gone.

An ornate scarlett leather tome with an intricate gold lock and clasp, and gold-edged pages. The name Lyrilia Dawnblade is inscribed on the bottom left corner of the cover, in a flowing, gold script.

The writing is still shaky, although not quite as shaky as the previous entries. The scent of alcohol is still strong within the pages, the bloodthistle smell faded.

I. Hate. This. I hate what I have done to myself, and still am doing, I hate what Solorin did, I hate what my cousin did. I hate Azurick for not letting me forget. For not letting me wallow and wither away, the constant pain of two losses drowned in the delicious arcane of the bloodthistle and the mind-numbing haze of alcohol. Such wonderful things. My pain was forgotten, eased and tucked away for later....but now it has been reawakened. Brought back from the dark corners of my mind where it slept...where I had shoved it. It means little now...for while I wean myself off the bloodthistle...drink away the last of my alcohol...something new takes it away. Something new wraps itself around the pain and swallows it, flickering in my mind and consuming it with its own delicious rewards and satifactions. Something much less harmful..

Less harmful to me at least. I struggle still with the withdrawals, the new strength I have found coming from something much stronger than my sorrow. Each day I fight myself, my mind telling me to take more, to not let it go. To drown the pain in the bloodthistle. But Azurick's words ring clearly in my head. A spark of something stronger, yet darker ignited in my mind. The one name that causes my blood to boil, my mind to be clouded with a hate, the blind rage pulling away each ounce of pain and replacing it. Even pain he did not cause.

Solorin.

A new entry has been sloppily added to the end of the page, as if tacked on as a last-minute thought.

I know what I shall do. Azurick offered me help, protection, whatever I needed. I will write him a letter and enlist in his help. He shall talk to Solorin for me and find out just exactly what was done. Maybe...just maybe Alen is still alive...No. I musn't cloud my thoughts with such nonsense. I will not harm Solorin, Viragona and Aseria must be dealt with eventually and he could be of use to the fellowship. But after, if I were him, I would not consider myself safe. My hatred is ignited easily, my anger quickly brewed. But when I am hurting, such feelings are moreso than usual. Amplified by the pain I long to hide...to forget. To drown in such a feeling as hate.

He does not know what he has done. And he does not know how much I hate people who take things from me.

Kreindis awakes in the dim morning light of Eversong Woods. He glances at where his fire was, but it has burned out now. He glances toward the direction of Silvermoon City, and remembers that he has yet to tell Tislina where he is. He pulls out a piece of paper and a quill and begins to write a letter to her,

Tislina, I was thinking you might be wondering where I am, right now, and I thought I should tell you. I have left to Eversong Woods near Lake Elrendar, so that I am away from everyone. I do not want anybody to be harmed because of my brother, especially you. If you would like to come and visit me sometime I will be here for a while, and I would like to see you some time soon. And while I'm not around... try to stay safe.

~ Sincerely, Kreindis

Kreindis gives the letter to his pet dragonhawk and tells it to fly to Tislina and to give the letter to her. As it flies off, Kreindis leans against the trunk of the tree once more, and closes his eyes to think to himself for a while.

Tislina sits at her desk, quietly working on some documents. Amethyst darts around the room, playing with the remaining pieces of apple from her breakfast. The Mage looks up as a quiet tapping starts on her window. She stands and walks over to open the window, finding a dragonhawk bearing a letter. She takes the letter and watches as the dragonhawk flys off into the early morning light. She shuts the window and sits back down. Having finished the letter, she sets the parchment down and watches the small flame of the candle on her desk flicker for a little while. Amethyst lands on the desk and coos softly, rubbing her head against Tislina's hand. Tis softly smiles and pets the little whelp. Unrolling a fresh piece of parchment, she dips the tip of her aqua feathered quill into a bottle of ink. Pressing the tip to the paper she begins to write.

Kreindis,
I have decided to come and see you. I shall be along later in the day. Please do not worry over me. I am able to get into my house again for the front desk allowed me to lock my door last night with a spare key. I had to return it, but Xalandir made me a bunch if extras I can use until I find my other one. I will try to bring some food with me when I come to make your stay in the woods easier. I shall see you very soon. Love always, Tislina

Tislina walks out onto her balcony and whistles. A white dove flutters down to land beside her. Carefully,Tislina hands the bird the letter and watches it fly away.

Dawn sits on a grassy beach in Eversong, hugging her knees and staring out over the water. Nearby Mordicai sleeps in a patch of shade. Dawn smiles softly as a soft sea breeze blows through her blonde hair. She takes a deep breath, enjoying the smell of salt in the air. She reaches into her bag and pulls out her journal, opening it to the next blank page.

I love the ocean. I like the way the sun makes the water sparkle and how there always seems to be a cool breeze blowing about the coast. I thought about swimming, but Autume is begging to set in making the water a bit cold. The days are getting colder as well, but I look forward to this season. I like to lay out on a grassy hill with a warm blanket and just stare up at the stars. I enjoy the stars quite a bit. I think i'll have to get Xal to go with me. Todayus his last big task so he says he will be around more. This makes me very, very happy.

Today started out well, got worse, and then better. Tislina came to visit me in Eversong, and she had brought me some delicious food that she cooked herself. We talked for quite a while, discussing what to do about Keyadrion. We both agreed that we should remove the rune from my chest later in the day.

When we did, she told me that it would be more painful than anything I had ever felt. I told her that I would rather feel that then be separated from her, and have my brother inside my head. She took my hand and began the removal ritual. She was right about it, it was painful, but I stayed strong for her, and I squeezed her hand tightly to help. But, during the ritual, Keyadrion took control of me. She finished the ritual, but not before he grabbed my boot-knife and stabbed her shoulder before the ritual completed.

Tislina released her hand from mine and her body suffered from magic overload. She sounded like she thought it was over for her, but I told her that I wouldn't give up on her until the last second, then she asked me if she had ever told me how much she loves me, and I said no, but I guessed alot. She said she loved me more than alot, that she loved me from the bottom of the oceans, to the top of the heavens. And I told her that I loved her just as much.

I took her to the infirmary at Silvermoom City then, where we stayed for a while. A friend of Tislina's came, and the three of us came up with a plan for my brother. We were going to bait him out of hiding, and then ambush him. Her friend left, but I stayed for a moment. I kissed Tislina, and she kissed me back. I left after that, and nothing has happened since. I am done writing for now.

The woman with the brown hair stood some distance from the lake. In her hand was a bone pendant, one that nonplussed her but she knew she didn’t want it in her possession. She thought that she would throw it in the lake, but found herself unwilling to move to the edge. Something had happened there, something she could not remember. She originally thought that it was a dream, but small clues told her otherwise.

She was simply too nervous to walk down there herself.

Her husband came up from the dock where he had been fishing and greeted her with a kiss. When she explained her predicament with the pendant, he took it and walked down to the shore, tossing the thing deep within the lake.

They returned to the house where he cleaned and cooked the fish he had caught, but instead of eating with her, went upstairs to lay down. He has been increasing tired these past few weeks, something they attributed to his transformation, but it worried her. Instead of it getting better as time went on, it was getting worse.

***
(New entry in a light green leather journal etched with a tree)

I am worried about him. He gets so physically tired every day that I have to wonder how he will make it when he reports for duty in a few days’ time. How will he be able to stand and fight if he is exhausted by just fishing and cooking? I will be there with him, do my best to see that he makes it through, but what if that isn’t enough? I have to wonder if the day is coming when he cannot even get out of bed or won’t even wake up.

I am feeling more than a little helpless in my inability to help the man I love, but this is far beyond my experience and abilities. I am contacting his brother and I hope that he will have an answer. If not, then I will see if Naikira can help him.

Tislina sits at her and Kreindis's spot staring out over the shining ocean, lost deep in thought. Silently she takes out her journal and opens it to a new page in an attempt to organize her thoughts.

Yesterday was not the best of days. I went to see Krei early in the morning. We talked for a little while, but eventually decided we had to get rid of the rune. So I spent all day researching until I was sure I was ready to do it. Evidentlyed, I could barely handle it. It started off well enough. It hurt, but I knew Krei was in much more pain then I. And yet he did not make a sound. He simply gripped my hand a little bit harder. And then disaster struck. Keyadrion decided to take control of Krei halfway through the ritual. He threatend to let go of my hand, which would have most likely caused a very, very strong magical rebound. I am quite proud of myself though. I managed to stall him much longer then I originally thought I could. Right as I completed the ritual, he took Krei's boot knife and stabbed my shoulder. I let go of his hand a split second to soon though, which caused a small magical rebound. Going from no energy to over energized ended up causing a magical overload for me. I thought I was going to die up there. Krei took care of my shoulder and I ended up telling him just how much I loved him. He took me to the infirmary in Silvermoon. One of the nurses handed me the glass orbs we use to counter small magical overloads. After getting rid of some of the excess magic I felt much better.

I contacted Xal. I wanted him to know what had happened. He came as soon as I contacted him, and Krei and I went through the whole story. He came up with a plan. Use bait to draw him out, and then kill him. I was super excited about him coming up with it. Afterall we finally had a plan! And then I realized what he meant by bait. I only agreed because both Xal and Krei will be there and I trust them both with my life. Xal left to plan, and shortly after Krei kissed me and left as well. I suppose I slept okay. After much begging and insisting, I convinced the nurses to let me go for a walk. That is all for now.

Alenthis had returned to the Redridge mountains. He sat on a mountainous outcropping watching the stars. The rune of War hadn't revealed itself. Even after the mana bombing of Theramore...nothing. It had been quite spectacular. But it had made Alen a bit sick to his stomach. With the demons taint gone from him, he remembered what was important to him. He had been an ambassador. He had been part of an effort to promote peace. He rolled his eyes. So much for that idea. All this senseless murder. The corruption. The evil. Alen sighed. Something had to be causing it. The world couldn't normally be like that...could it?

Viragona hadn't been to the tower in some time. Or at least Alen hadn't seen her. He hated his predicament. If only he had not made the deal. If he had just coped. None of this would have happened. I suppose that's what life is though... Viragona was even more mad than Alen's demonic masters. He wished he could be free of everything. No chains or ties. Or agreements. Just himself. And freedom. Alenthis sighed deeply. He missed Lyrilia deeply. They had such little time together. Alen leaned back against the dirt and gazed up into the stars. He closed his eyes. And slept.

Lyrilia stood back from the training dummy, sweat beading on her forhead and dampening her hair. Sheathing her weapons she rolled her shoulders, trying to shake off some of the soreness developing in them from the last few days of endless training. Smiling at the ruined dummy she looked to her trainer for approval.

"Take your weapons out again and show me how you must hold them when fighting." Vandras barked to her, his tone stern. The trainer Lyrilia's cousin had hired for her walked over to her, looking over her stance carefully. Pulling out his sword he tapped her arms lightly, moving them into perfect position. He lowered the sword and tapped her legs into a more balanced stance, backing away slowly. Nodding to himself he smiled at her.

"You told me my stance was perfect the other day, Vandras." Lyillia snapped at him, annoyed at being corrected. She longed to be better than him, to show him up, and she would work herself into the ground untill she had the satisfaction of doing so.

"It was yesterday, but not today. Memorize your positioning, and then relax. I know you are tired, you have worked exceptionally hard the past few days. I want you to rest for a week or so, practice lightly to keep sharp, but do not overdo it. Allow yourself to recouperate. When you are done, perfect your dual-weilding and the show it to me. We will make any needed adjustments and then, you will show me what you can do with those." Vandras gestures to various two-handed weapons leaning against a low stone wall, his tone once again commanding.

"I don't have time for rest, but whatever." She turned to give her instructor a mocking salute, swiftly mounting her newly armored Hawkstrider and speeding away, ignoring Vandras' response.

Her arms ached and her shoulders screamed with a newfound pain under the wieght of her plate pauldrons as she rode. With the mention of rest and the adrenaline of battle and constant training gone, the pain in her tired muscles was evident, her thoughts churning. Stopping just before the inn, she turned a different way, out of the city and to her favourite spot out by the water. The wind nipped at her face as she rode, a chill in the air. What she could see of the night sky through the trees was beautiful. She leaned forward, urging her Hawkstrider forward eagerly. Reaching the shoreline she dismounted, her metal armor clanking with each step, the steady crashing of waves almost soothing to her. A sharp pain in her shoulder reminded her of her wearyness. Pulling off her plate gloves, pauldrons, and belt she set them behind a tree walking out in front of it to watch the water.

White foam lined the water as waves battered mercilessly into the nearby rocks, and rolled onto the wet sand, swiftly being sucked back in only to be thrown out at the shore again The water was an inky blue, broken only by the rippled reflection of a pale white moon, mimicking the night sky. A sprinkling of stars dusted the indigo sky, the round white sphere of the moon glowing down from above.

"Such beauty, seen everyday and easily ignored.....easily forgotten..." Her voice was barely a whisper. Many things she wished to forget, to leave behind. The past few days had been eventful, yet not exciting. The thoughts swirked in her head, clouding out the beauty of the night, her emotions lost in a confused haze........

An ornate scarlett leather tome with an intricate gold lock and clasp, and gold-edged pages. The name Lyrilia Dawnblade is inscribed on the bottom left corner of the cover, in a flowing, gold script.

Is this even right? What I am doing? What I plan on doing? Is it right to blame someone so fully for something they merely took part in, as well as something they knew nothing of, let alone to any part in? No it isn't. Yet each day I wake up and blame them. I want to blame them. To see someone suffer as I have and am....Why do I even suffer so much? Should I even have moved on by now? Would that be more normal? Is it simply the pain of two deaths so close together?Or is it one moreso than the other? Is it the suddenness of both passings? Or is it the feeling of having something so close for such a short time and then having it painfully ripped away from you the next minute, and you didn't even do anything about it? Is it my only family member who still remotely tolerated me being suddenly taken and all ties with family loosend? Is it because my family was the one thing that truly mattered to me for so long? Or is it Alen?

Such questions cloud my head and I long to push them away, to forget them. To leave them unanswered, never to be answered. But one question rings loudest in my head. True and clear as a silver bell.

Or is it all just my unwillingness to deal with the pain?

[[1/2]]