elarasilvervale

[elarasilvervale]

The Raven Priestess

Name: Samira Sunvale

Age: Young Adult

Race: Quel'dorei.

Gender: Female.

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Marital Status: Single

Server: TBD

Hair: Long, thick and as dark as the night sky. It has a natural and soft wave and she seldom does anything of note to keep it tamed. Occasionally braiding in feathers or small silver/gold beads and charms as a means of decoration. It's a rare day when it is combed and tied back.

Eyes: Pale azure blue. They glow naturally in lowlight settings and appear luminous.

Height: 5'0"

Build: Slim, trim and petite. She is a slender girl that could be mistaken for being delicate or fragile were it not for her bristling charisma and confidence. She has a small bust, being barely a handful for most. Long, sinuous legs and broad hips that meet a cinched and trim waistline for an alluring figure.

Tattoos/Scars: 3 small solid black stars beneath her left collarbone and a string of solid black stars down her spine.

Accessories: She is often seen with a courier style bag that is filled with necessary items for marketplaces. Tinctures and potions to trade or sell. A small pouch with gold pieces. A single blade rested at the small of her back in a leather sheath. It's simple and not terribly ornate, but it can get the job done, should she need it.

Face Claims: I don't do this.

Personal

Profession: Traveling healer, Alchemical Purveyor.

Hobbies: Brewing tinctures and new potions and poisons. Reading. Traveling. Botany.

Residence: Unknown residence in the deep woods of Drustvar.

Birthplace: Quel'Thalas

Patron Deity: None. Non-religious.

Languages: Thalassian is her preferred language. She is fluent in common but will often pretend that she is not in order to avoid having to talk when she does not want to.

Qualities: Imaginative, Jovial, Resilient, Gentle, Confident, Warm.

Flaws: Stubborn, Naïve, Gullible, Unforgiving, Resentful, Disobedient.

Fears: Losing her freedom.

Relationships

Spouse: None.

Children: None.

Parents: Tyrvalen & Audriana Sunvale

Siblings: Saara Sunvale (Autumnsong).

Other Relatives: Many, all of which she is estranged from.

Pets: A single large, black crow named Cheron. He is mostly wild, but comes to her window most days for food and attention.

Extroverted / Introverted / In Between

Disorganized / Organized / In Between

Close-minded / Open-minded / In Between

Calm / Anxious / In Between

Disagreeable / Agreeable/ In Between

Cautious / Reckless / In Between

Patient / Impatient / In Between

Outspoken / Reserved / In Between

Leader / Follower / In Between

Empathetic / Callous / In Between

Optimistic / Pessimistic / In Between

Traditional / Modern / In Between

Hard-Working / Lazy / In Between

Cultured / Uncultured / In Between

Loyal /  Disloyal / In Between

Faithful / Unfaithful / In Between

Additional Information

Smoking: Never /  Rarely / Sometimes / Frequently / To excess

Drugs: Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Frequently / To excess

Alcohol: Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Frequently / To excess She likes a glass of wine at night, and occasionally will steep hallucinogens into hot tea, but this is very rare.

[elarasilvervale]

The Clockwork Angel

The air in the room was scented heavily by the incense that burned high up on one of the solid bookshelves that lined his personal quarters. Dimly lit by a single lantern with a deep violet flame, long shadows were cast in various directions. The atmosphere was warm and heady, earthen and quiet save for the sound of two bodies coming together in a violent way.

Low growls and grunts permeated this space, coupled with the sound of gasped breaths and soft mewling whimpers. It was not a gentle matter, strained as she was. Ai’za’s body was bowed down and her back arched. Hips held high in the air while the Elezen man gripped firmly enough to dimple soft, pale skin and mark it in the wake of his hungry urges. His hips clapped forward in aggressive, rutting thrusts that bucked her tiny form roughly. His body presided over hers as a clawed hand smoothed from the swell of her hip down the curve of her spine and to the nape of her neck. 

He gripped tightly and held her down as he arched himself over her and thrusted up at a particularly vicious angle that made the tiny Miqo’te woman cry out and tense against his efforts. He felt the way she squirmed beneath him and the way that her legs quivered and he struck again with an assertive snarl. His pallid, pale skin shone with the fine sweat that covered him, long black hair fell to frame his hawkish features and darkened eyes. This was sublime for him. As it had been for the last few months. He straightened up and his clawed fingers wove their way into her thick, white hair. His grip tightened and he pulled her up onto her hands and knees as he continued to savor in the way that her taut body felt. Ai’za was pulled back at such an angle that her head tipped back and her eyes skimmed over the ceiling and the countless tapestries that hung to drape and cover the room. 

“That’s it…” He rasped out as his motions became more erratic, his rhythm becoming broken as his breaths came in heavy pants. She winced with the way that he used her. The evening had stretched on for hours and this would be the third. Her tiny body ached and she bore the marks of their union. Blood-stained bites in her shoulder and at the side and nape of her neck. Tender areas that she would work feverishly to heal when she left, much to his chagrin. Perhaps it was the reason he marked her so viciously. Spiteful that she would conspire to remove them. She knew his tells by this point and she knew that he was coming to his peak. She used the bedding as her leverage as he dragged his talon-like nails over her skin and left long red lines at her hip. Raised marks that burned in the wake of his hand descending.

It came fast and it came powerful. The Elezen man slammed his hips forward and buried himself as deep as he could and in that primal moment, he took her down and forward into a prone position on the bed. His weight pinned her and the tiny woman’s ears turned back as she winced while he ground himself deeply into her body. Her expression waned as she set her jaw and she gripped at the sheets in a feverish means to find leverage against him. Every pull back was much more shallow, and every thrust forward was deep and to her core. His lips grazed her bloodied skin where he’d bitten earlier in the night, the flat of his tongue following as she made a small sound that was pleasing to his sensitive ears.

It was the sensation that followed that she didn’t particularly enjoy. She felt the powerful sting of magic and the way that he pulled on her aether. Her senses were addled in a violent way and she struggled to hold onto consciousness in that aching moment. One more powerful thrust. One more stinging bite as he split flesh and the metallic and sweet tang of her blood stained his tongue. One more pull of the powerful reserve that she harbored. It was intoxicating for him, exhilarating and brought on a powerful high as his body quaked and shivered and he hit his peak. Drinking deep of her life-force and spilling himself into her. The sensation of her aether was powerfully potent, a euphoric feeling that lit every nerve in his body and set him alight. The Elezen buried his face into the crook of her neck and finished himself off as he wrapped a strong arm around her throat and held her tightly, keeping her close while his senses burned and he slowly came down.

Ai’za shifted beneath him, breathing deep. Her eyes were squeezed closed and her head was spinning. She could still feel the telling twitch of the man buried between her thighs and she nudged him in an attempt for her freedom away from the heat of his burning skin and a reprieve for her sore body. Her tail curled against his skin and she exhaled slowly.

“...You are so much more than I could have ever anticipated…” he growled against her skin as he peppered the bloodied space with kisses. Ahriman’s voice always gave her pause. Even here and now, she couldn’t for the life of her remember what led to this exploration between the two of them. The long nights spent with him testing her, sampling her and drinking deep of the aetheric reserves that she seemed to have an endless font of. A living conduit. She had become a drug behind closed doors. In the public face she was sure that there was speculation, but nothing could be proven. He always returned her to her private quarters after sunrise. When much of the traveling group had turned in for the night and the carnival grounds were empty and silent. Frozen in time until the next night when the lights and shows continued and the crowds were populous.

Finally. He pulled his hips back slowly with a groan that could only be understood as discontent. Everything inside of her was sensitive. Her body hurt by this point and as he pulled himself free of the confines of her, he released his grip upon her and sat back on his knees. A single hand gripped the curve of her bottom, pulling to spread her and observe his work left behind as it ran down the natural curve and lines of her body. Spilling onto the bedding between her thighs as her face reddened and she squeezed her thighs in closer together. 

“Don’t…” she hissed as her tail curled in an agitated way. Her words made his lips curl into a wicked smile as he released her and she pushed herself up onto her knees with a sharp breath drawn in. Blood from the most recent bite ran down her shoulder blade and followed the natural line of her spine as the deep crimson stained pale skin. She pressed a trembling hand to the wound and recoiled almost at once as she looked at the way the red stained her fingertips. It was going to take work to heal this one. The evening had been particularly feral between the both of them and he wore the marks of her aggression from earlier on in their tangled affair.

Her magic felt unstable and unchained now that he had accessed her in such a way and she focused to conjure the astral variant that she could spin into a healing spell. Ai’za pulled on her reserves and she pressed her hand to the wound as her eyes closed and she exhaled, the powerful spell beginning to knit flesh back together in an uncomfortable way. Ahriman rested his hands on his thighs where he sat upon his knees and observed her as she worked to erase his work and the man’s eyes narrowed.

“Must you always?” He protested as he ran a hand up over his face and pushed his blackened fingertips through his thick hair. 

“Yes. No one needs to know.” She remarked sharply at that. “It’s bad enough that some people are already resentful of my presence.” she added coldly.

Ahriman shrugged his shoulder in response to her comment and the man moved to the edge of the bed before stepping down to stand and stretch to his full, impressive height. 

“They know little of the arrangement that had been in place for years. Spanning back further than the career of some of them. It’s none of their concern.” He reached over and pressed his fingertips beneath her chin to tip her face up to look at him. “Understood?” 

“Understood.” She murmured softly as her pale, champagne pink gaze studied his features and she shrunk in his presence. Her hand that had been working to heal the open wounds slipped down over her arm and she rested her hands in her lap where she sat. 

She watched as his hand slipped away and Ahriman moved across the room to a heavy table where a pitcher of water had been sitting, sweating from the warmth of the room. He poured two glasses of water, returning to her where she remained in his bed and handing it to the young woman. Ai’za hesitated for a long moment, still feeling the effects of the way he’d pulled upon her aether. Her body felt uncomfortable and her senses were not quite right yet.

“Drink.” He insisted as he handed it forward and she took the glass with unsteady hands. His fingers moved to the bottom of the glass to keep it from slipping through her fingers and he guided it up to her lips as she took greedy, deep pulls of the ice cold water. She didn’t realize just how thirsty she was. “Go slow.” He spoke calmly as he observed her carefully and ensured she did not make herself sick by drinking too fast.

Ai’za finished what she wanted of the water and he took the glass away, returning it to the table and drinking down his own. She shifted and crawled to the head of the bed, tugging the blankets down to slide her tender body in between and to simply lay down and breathe. Her eyes closed and she felt as though the room was still spinning around her. It made her a bit nauseous but this was not a new sensation and in recent weeks, it had become easier to manage. She felt his weight offset the space where she laid when he returned to his bed and moved in beside her. Laying down onto his side as the mattress bowed enough that she slipped in closer to his body. Her eyes opened some, a half-lidded gaze given to the man where he laid propped on one elbow with his fist balled beneath his chin. His hand moved to smooth the strands of loose hair from her face, a more gentle touch as he studied the little creature in his bed.

“Rest. After sunrise, I will bring you back to your quarters.” He spoke slowly, only for her to hear. His hand smoothed down over her forehead and she closed her eyes as it passed down over them. “We’ve a job tomorrow night. I need you ready.” He whispered as she began to drift. Ai’za could not keep her consciousness intact. Everything felt surreal and disconnected and as though she were drifting away. There was no right way up. She was utterly weightless. Or maybe it was Ahriman’s magic that urged her into slumber. The thought made her eyes open and an uncomfortable pang in her abdomen as her heart beat fast and he shushed her.

“Relax Ai’zelin.” It was the last coherent words she remembered before everything faded and she slipped into a dark and dreamless sleep. 

[elarasilvervale]

Welcome to the Family (Part 4)

That had been what he needed to hear. The Watchmaker urged her to stand and he walked her forward to the edge of his large wooden desk. His hand remained at the nape of her neck.

“Hands there.” He spoke firmly as he gestured to the desk and she obediently obliged him, placing her palms flat on the wood surface and steadying herself where she stood, facing away. He tipped her head forward, turning her face down to the desk and he carefully braided her hair away from the bare and pale skin of her neck exposed only enough that he could do his work. “I need you to remain very, very still through the duration of this.” He expressed adamantly.

She felt the stinging pain as one of those hooked claws opened a deep cut into her skin and immediately she gritted her teeth and hissed under her breath. Her tail curled low to the ground and she moved to shift and was swiftly corrected in doing so. His other hand gripped her arm firmly and reminded her where she needed to be.

“You do not want to move, Ai’zelin. I am directly weaving this mark and magic into your aetheric reserves and I do not want it to go awry.” Her eyes widened at that as the blood ran down from her wound and stained her coat. He squinted his eyes as he studied the mark and she felt the powerful surge of magic and something uncomfortable that stung her senses once again. She had always been sensitive to it. Her father had told her she had a gift and he had honed her skills further as she grew and moved into adolescence. Here and now, she considered it a curse.

Pain. Searing pain. Her entire body felt alight. Every nerve lit at once as she choked on her breath and the room around her began to dim. She felt clammy and hot all at once and it felt as though someone were pulling the life-sustaining aether out of her body forcibly. She couldn’t help it. Her legs quaked and quivered and his free hand took her firmly in hand by way of a grip at her chin and jaw. 

“It’s almost done.” His voice was the anchor that kept her focused. The only thing that kept her coherent in that moment. It felt like ages. And true to his word, the brand took hold at the nape of her neck in the form of a woven sigil of unknown design. The mark was raw to the touch and had pulled the wound closed in the wake of his application, using her blood as a means to construct the body of the spell. The mark shimmered and seemed to glow brightly for several moments. It had an unearthly violet hue to it and before long it would fade away to an invisible state with the only telling mark that remained being the newly sealed gash he had produced effortlessly with his razor-sharp claw.

Her body felt weak and overwhelmed. Ai’za shivered and her vision began to slip as her hands slid free of the edge of the desk and the weight of her chin in his hand became apparent. He gripped one of her arms in hand and his other hand slid down to press to the center of her chest to keep her from collapsing to the floor. The Watchmaker murmured something into her ear in the last moments of her consciousness and there was a desperate grasp for his arm as she lost herself and the room around her disappeared into darkness. Her demure frame buckled and the Elezen caught her with ease.

When she came back to consciousness again, she was tucked into the warmth and comfort of her bed. Her head was pounding and her body felt as though she had run miles and miles. Nerves still burning and her thoughts clouded and cluttered. She struggled to rationalize anything in the moment or string coherent thoughts together and laid on her back in bed and stared at the canopy over her bed. Subconsciously she reached up to touch fingers to the tender area at the nape of her neck, tracing the wound and the way that it remained subtly raised after it had been closed. She would tend to that later. But for now, her only priority was remaining where she was and gathering her strength.

She had no recollection of what had come to pass after her trip to see The Watchmaker, and she had no memory of the way the man had carried her out and away from the campgrounds where the carnival had been set. Unconscious and cradled gently in his arms as he departed to return her to the safety and privacy of her home. She was unaware of the prying eyes and curious glances that she received in passing and the way that the Watchmaker sharply ordered the onlookers to get back to their business. Ai’za was unaware of the budding resentment in a select few members of this group as they watched her taken away by way of their master and benefactor. Special treatment that she was largely unaware of in the grand scheme of the foundations of this group. But then, she had been a promise made by the Watchmaker’s then best friend and her late father. He was covetous and he was possessive and had finally received half of the original and agreed upon arrangement. 

Another wheel in the inner workings of Ahriman’s time-piece. A tool he had long sought after and waited patiently for. If he couldn’t have both girls, he would simply have to ensure that the one was well looked after and kept.

Ai’za turned onto her side and squinted as she saw a note folded on the nightstand beside her bed. She grunted lightly as she pulled herself close enough that she could fumble and tug the small card closer, snapping it up between her fingertips and flopping back down to open it and read.

There was a single sentence written inside.

“Welcome to the family.”

[elarasilvervale]

Welcome to the Family (Part 3)

“Good evening, Ahriman.” She spoke softly as she bowed her head gently in a gesture of goodwill and respect. The man raised his brows in response to her addressing him by his true name and his lips curled at the corners. A dark smile that she did not see.

“I am surprised that you remember that.” He tutted at her as he placed a hand on her shoulder and ushered her along, further still into the woods. She walked as he directed, no thought given to the nature of this place or why she didn’t give him a second thought. “That name was given but once in your presence, and you were a child.” He spoke softly as they continued on to an unknown destination. 

“I like to think that I have a good memory.” She responded as they walked together and before long, the silhouette of something large became just barely visible through the trees. A single lantern hung on a hook near to the tattered fabrics of an ominous looking tent and it plunged the surroundings into a faded orange glow. Ai’za sucked in a breath at that, recalling that he kept his personal space separate from the rest, and she started to realize that she was in fact largely alone now. Just the mysterious benefactor and herself. When they stood just outside the tent, he reached over her shoulder and pulled the heavy tapestries and canvas aside, ushering her into the blackness of his space within. She gave pause and shored up her nerve as she stepped over the threshold and was immediately cast into crushing silence. Her senses became addled at once, and the confident stride of the young woman was interrupted as she stumbled forward. 

A strong hand gripped her arm to steady her, keeping her on her feet as the ringing in her ears subsided slowly and she felt dizzy upon entering. “Easy.” His voice was calm, and direct. Ai’za looked up, but she struggled to focus on his face, the image of the man was distorted and her eyes darted back and forth in a nervous way. “Easy, Ai’zelin.” He murmured again as she sucked in a breath and started to come back down from the jarring sensation. 

“What… was that? I don’t… I don’t remember the last time.” She managed to utter, sounding more like a timid child than a seasoned and trained individual.

“Privacy. This meeting is to be confidential. When negotiations of any kind are involved, my premises are warded against intrusion and those that seek to garner information that is not theirs to have.” The Watchmaker explained this with a calm tone to his voice and he walked Ai’za along through his quarters, to guide her to a padded chair that sat askew in front of a large dark-wooden desk. She all but collapsed into the seat and her shoulders slumped as the effects of the powerful magic had left a deep residual ache in her body and her aetheric composition.

The watchmaker studied her briefly as he disappeared into a separate section of his quarters, hidden by more heavy tapestries and colorful fabric. The interior of the tent was set to be an elaborate office. The furniture was well-kept and antique and there were shelves upon shelves of books and tomes at every turn. Artifacts and displayed weapons placed in various points of the room. Maps of Eorzea and more curiously, large parchments and scrolls laid out with notes pertaining to elemental magic and the aetheric sea. The young woman ran her hand over her face and drew in a breath, shuddering on the exhale as she sat up straight and looked around the room to take in the familiar details.

The man returned, a glass of water in hand and he offered it forward. “Drink.” It wasn’t a request, but rather a demand and she slipped her slender fingers around the glass and took it from him to sip tentatively. Watching as he returned to his desk and took his seat, leaning forward to lace his fingers together in front of himself and rest upon his elbows. “How do you feel now?” He asked her.

Ai’za drank more of the water and leaned forward to place the glass on his desk, to which he reached forward and lifted it to slip a small coaster beneath before replacing it. She squinted at his quick gesture and she cleared her throat as she sat back in the chair and studied his pale face and haunting features.

“I feel a little bit better, thank you.” She remained polite and to the point.

“And you are here to discuss your decision, yes?” He spoke next. Not missing his opportunity to get straight to the point. His gaze fixed on the tiny woman where she sat and shifted a bit uncomfortably.

“Y-yes.” She nodded. “Yes.” She said with a little more confidence now. 

“And -what- exactly will your decision be, Ai’zelin?” He put it forward and she wrung her hands together in her lap.

“I am yours.” The choice in her words was deliberate. She knew what the benefactor wanted to hear and she knew what he sought. She was here to sign on as a member of this group and in doing so, her previous responsibilities and tasks became forfeit. The Night Choir’s blood was a lot darker and the veins and arteries of this collective ran far deeper than outwardly projected and she knew it, by way of the information that she had been gifted by The Watchmaker at previous meetings where they deliberated over the contractual obligations of her joining on. It had been a previous arrangement set into motion by her father and he had never so much as entertained telling his twin daughters. Perhaps that’s why her sister had fled. She had been unwilling to accept her role in this game. 

Ai’za pressed her lips together and dropped her attention to her toes at the ground as the Watchmaker’s grin spread across his face and he bared pearly white teeth and fangs.

“I had hoped that was the resolution to our discussions.” He placed his hands on the desk and moved to stand. “I’ve already prepared your personal quarters. I’ve taken the liberty of ensuring your comfort during this transition and I want for you to seek out those you hold dear and to discuss with them, the decision you’ve made and what it will mean when you are out of reach for long periods of time.”

“I… don’t have anyone like that.” She started and stopped as he waved his hand dismissively.

“Talan.” He spoke her best friend’s name with a certain level of collected confidence and she felt her face get hot. He observed her and smirked, an uneven grin. “I thought as much. He can join too, but he seems to like running that little shop your father left behind.”

Ai’za frowned and nodded. “He won’t come.”

“That’s a shame, he’s gifted.” The Watchmaker folded his arms across his chest as he stepped around the desk and approached the girl.

“It is. I will miss him dearly. But… I can see him when I stop over.” She nodded as though she were trying to reassure herself more on the matter. She had grown up alongside Talan, an Au’ri male that had been displaced from his Xaela tribe in the steppes and sold into servitude. His parents bought him on the market and freed him, instead adopting him into their family and raising him as their son. They had been instrumental in dismantling the organization that trafficked the children and as a result, many had been placed in homes or returned to their families and loved ones. He had been a close family friend to her and her sister.

The Watchmaker stood behind her chair, and placed his hands on her shoulders and there was an immediate tension that came when he laid his hands on her. Despite her heavier wool coat, she felt each finger firmly. His hands removed briefly now, removing the gloves he wore and revealing the long fingers that were blackened at the tips. Hooked claws adorned each finger as well as several artifact rings that were stacked on various digits. She could glean the raw and potent magic from each of them with ease and she didn’t dare to look back over her shoulder at the man where he stood. His left hand moved to take her thick, icy white hair aside and the clawed fingertip tugged the collar of her coat down. It allowed him enough room for a single talon to move up the nape of her neck along her spine, to the base of her skull and her hairline and Ai’za froze where she sat.

“I need to give you your brand.” He stooped low and spoke directly to her. She continued to stare straight ahead and the young woman nodded without words. “The nature of this sigil will grant you the ability to come home and to find home regardless of where you might be in the world. Safe passage back here at any time and to your personal quarters for travel.” She listened as he spoke and she felt lighter in the moment, almost anxious. She didn’t particularly enjoy his being so close to her. It was a covetous sort of attention. A man who had been given what he wanted. Truly, she had little else to consider. Her life was painfully devoid of routine or purpose as of late. Perhaps this would be the catalyst to propel her into something new and exciting. 

But she couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty.

“I’m ready when you are.” She murmured to him.

[elarasilvervale]

Welcome to the Family (Part 2)

Ai’za pressed her lips together and pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose, having stopped to observe quietly for a moment, and leaving her escort to walk on ahead without realizing it. Her fingers curled at the lapels of her coat, finely kept claws dimpling into the material as her pale, champagne pink eyes watched the two girls. Her thoughts interrupted as a heavy hand rested on her shoulder and she tensed and looked up to see the disgruntled Hyur that had gone on without her, only to realize she had lagged behind. 

“If you would please keep with me, Ms. Seleire.” He seemed exasperated and she frowned as she searched his features. A young man. He couldn’t have been much older than her, but her very senses seemed alert and on edge in his presence. This was not the first time she had visited this place. It was now the third, and this was to be the final meeting. The point in which she would deliberate her decision with the fabled proprietor of the Night Choir.

Recent events in her life had led her to realize that her father had been deeply woven into the tapestry of this life. And it had taken her some months to process all of the information that she had learned as none of it had ever been offered to her when he had still been alive. He had lived a duplicitous life, and he had kept his daughters largely shielded and lacking in the knowledge that such a thing existed beyond the walls of their home and their childhood. 

The Hyur nudged her along and she folded her hands into her pockets as she walked now, keeping pace with the man. He walked behind her, ensuring she didn’t wander off as he led her to the very fringes of the carnival and beyond the tents and laughter. Where the treeline loomed dark and ominous and bodies and people became sparse. Without the moon to light the evening, it was uncomfortably dark. Even her keen Miqo’te senses strained a bit more in this place and she didn’t know if it was by way of magic that she seemed addled or simply the pitch of the night. If she were a betting woman, she’d have wagered on the magic being used to disrupt her senses and cloud her mind. It often felt the same. 

There was firelight in various places in the woods, small groups of people set up with their friends and families, enjoying the quiet of their nights off. The caravans were always well hidden and shrouded by the proprietor of this place. He protected his people with ancient and impressive wild magic and saw to their comfort and quality of living. This was to become her life. 

Ai’za had learned that she had been born to be a part of this. A ‘gift’ to the Watchmaker for the good fortune he had bestowed upon her father and their family. It was not for nothing, they had never wanted for anything as they grew up. Now however, as she thought back on things, there were glaringly obvious tells as to what her father had been doing and why. Everything from how they were educated and trained into their adolescence to the odd evenings where the Watchmaker had been a guest in their home to discuss the nature of business and exchange information.

She felt fingers in the middle of her back, having slowed without realizing it. The young man urged her forward and she set her jaw and felt aggression rising without words. As she turned to make a smart remark, her words fell flat when the fabled Watchmaker had emerged from the treeline with his trademark limp and well pressed attire. Tall and imposing with a glare that could strip the very will out of most. This was their proprietor. This was the man behind the Night Choir.

The Elezen nodded his head to Ai’za and pressed his hand to the top of the cane he walked with before giving the Hyur a dark look that signaled for him to leave, and it was as simple as that. No words. No exchange. The man simply left and disappeared into the dark woods leaving her alone with this benefactor as he stood near to her and towered above the tiny woman. 

“Good evening, little one.” He spoke in a voice that was far too smooth and enticing for the type of appearance he kept. A lean and broad-shouldered man with impeccably kept clothing. He was always dressed well in every meeting she had ever remembered seeing him. Even when she had been a child and he had shown up to their family home. 

He was unsettling at best. Gray skin and sharp features. Eyes as black as night that were backlit by void-purple irises, and thick and unruly dark hair that hung down above his shoulders. The man set her on edge almost immediately and she shifted uncomfortably in his presence as he observed her with a scrutinous gaze.

[elarasilvervale]

Welcome to the Family (Part 1)

The sun had gone down a long while ago. Hours inching by into the darkest part of the evening where the moon was new and the sky was dark, mottled with glittering stars that spotted the inky tapestry above. It was clear and cool at this time of the year and the Shroud served as an exquisite hide-away for the event that had been advertised loosely within the city state of Gridania. Fliers had been left in obscure places for keen eyes to find and follow. The Night Choir had come on the wings of the evening prior and used the cover of the dense forest to set up their affairs and ready for their three day stretch of hedonism and debauched fun. 

For the lack of advertisement, the event was often frequented and populous. A carnival that catered to the senses in every way possible. A feast for the eyes and the body alike and curated carefully to entice, enthrall and enrapture its guests. The event was carefully constructed through the late afternoon and into the early evening, and the gates would not open to those for ticketing and admission until after the sun had gone down. As such, this was no place for children, and none that were underage were permitted entry. The guests were varied and came from far and wide when they caught wind of where the Night Choir would be setting up next. There was a quiet following that would search the cities and towns, a tangled network of eyes that would pass the news along when the destination had been decided and in doing so, the patrons flocked in to partake of the indulgences that came with such things.

It came with everything that one might anticipate a carnival to have. Performers of every sort. Comedic entities and barkers to lure guests in, and the more captivating performances reserved for the 3 large tents that had been set up for the various shows that would go on through the night. Aerialists and contortionists. Burlesque and magic. The popular evening show was held in the same tent at every stop over, a stage known as Menphina’s Gaze. This space was a lavishly decorated affair with decadent seating and places to smoke and partake of other illicit offered substances. Opium and other hallucinogenic herbs provided for a fee as well as the company of an individual of your choosing, should it suit you. All the while the stage was graced by the most talented and alluring of performers. No show was ever the same, and the individuals that took to the stage rotated at their stop-overs and there were patrons that made an effort to frequent the carnival on more than one occasion in hopes of seeing their favorite aerialist or magician. 

Live music was a presiding atmosphere, inside the tents and out. Good food within reach, no matter where one might end up. And bodies for sale. 

Sex was an impressive market with this group and there was a dedicated brothel that was established and run with by a statuesque highlander. His group was well cared for and looked after and he suffered no transgressions against his people. The clientele was of the highest caliber and the fees were steep for those that sought to dip their toes in such things while they visited this place. For the fee paid, the lavish attention and time spent would be forever etched into their thoughts and memories unlike anything they had ever tasted. 

And tonight was no different than any of their other nights. The carnival was in full swing and the crowds were pleasant and people jovial. Strangers from all over mingling together to let loose and enjoy themselves through the evening. There was a set of twin Miqo’te that worked tirelessly to entertain a large gathering of people near to the main entry point. Young women wearing brightly colored and form-fitted leotards and accessories. Half masks to obscure their faces as they tumbled and played in an acrobatic routine that made guests clap and laugh. A mix of comedy and grace.

[elarasilvervale]

She watched him leave and she said nothing. There were a lot of things that came to mind, thoughts that went unspoken behind the neutral expression on the young woman’s face.

The heavy wooden door pulled closed with a resounding click, the mechanism sounding to let her know that he wasn’t going to be coming back and there was a brief moment where she lingered. Ai’za didn’t anticipate that he would. But there was a quiet desire for him to return and for their conversation to continue. After a long pause, the woman pressed her lips together and then simply laughed at herself in her strange desperation.

She took her wine and returned to the chair near to the fire, slinking into it and taking another deep drink to sate her slightly soured and sulky mood. Staring into the dancing firelight, she drifted into her thoughts and began to turn over details corresponding to her work and the personal matters that she had come to Ishgard for in the first place. There was no doubt that she had plenty of tasks to keep her busy, but there were pangs of loneliness that gnawed at her otherwise.

Was that all it was? Loneliness?

It was hard to tell when exactly she had drifted off to sleep, but the tiny Miqo’te woman was slumped lazily in the large chair while the last vestiges of the fire had burned down to glowing embers. The room was dark. A chill had permeated the air and she stirred slightly, discomforted by that. It was the sound of glass sliding over the counter that set her on high alert and snapped her out of her hazy state of sleep.

Ai’za was on her feet in the blink of an eye. Her ears lifted and alert and the pale pink eyes fixed in the direction of the sound, aggressive and violent as aether bristled in the palms of her hand, the forming of a spell as she sneered darkly at the visage of a towering tall figure that stepped forward with an empty wine glass in hand.

Her brows raised, and her expression dropped as she realized who it was, setting her a bit more at ease in the moment. Her body relaxed and she sucked in a frustrated breath through her teeth.

“Bloody hell, I’ve told you not to do that, Ahriman.” She hissed with an all too telling disdain in her voice.

The man was tall, much taller. A slim and well-kept Elezen man with ashen grey skin that neared a pale and almost deadened white. His hair was a dark mess of tangled waves that he wore tied back loosely and his attire was neatly pressed and put together. Looking the part of a venomous business partner.

“It smells like cigarette smoke.” He countered. He disregarded her discontent and eyed the small woman as he approached and collected the nearly empty wine bottle from the chair where she had been. Ai’za only continued to observe him with a cold glare as he poured what remained into his glass and swirled it lightly, taking a moment to inhale the scent before sampling the flavor.

She didn’t respond to his comment and instead moved to sit again.

“Why are you here?” She asked.

“We've got work to do, my little one.” His voice was smooth and cold, emotionless.

“In regards to my father?”

“No no. Another opportunity has made itself known and I wish to capitalize upon it.”

She heaved a heavy sigh at that and closed her eyes.

“When?”

“Three hours from now. Get ready to go.”

Ai’za would have protested, but Ahriman looked upon her with an all too scrutinizing gaze and the small woman moved to stand and pass him by. She felt his hand grip firmly but not roughly at the back of her neck and she froze as his fingertips pressed into her skin. This simple action had her stand silently with her eyes on the floor.

“Don’t bring people into your messes.” He had moved close enough that she could smell the wine on his breath and she squeezed her eyes closed. A well of anger bubbled beneath the surface of the woman and she tensed only long enough to feel his thumb slide up and along the side of her slender neck.

“He can handle his own. Undoubtedly.” Ai’za spoke, low and even. Only for the Elezen to hear. His hand moved from the nape of her neck and idle fingers traced over the edge of her ear which made them reflexively pin back.

“Yes, well. You said that about the last one, and look at what happened. A lot of my time was spent picking up your pieces because you invested in someone that broke you. I prefer the ‘focused’ you.” He asserted and she sighed softly, moving away from him to start to get herself ready.

Ai’za didn’t look back but she heard him take a seat in the chair she had been in previously. Silently seething about his comments, she was grateful in a way that Nyx had left. Otherwise their evening might have become far more complicated than it needed to be. She moved into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face, toweling off as she put herself in order and she cleaned up lightly. Still wearing her slim-fitted bodysuit and thigh high boots, she stepped out of the small space and began to tie her hair back and away from her face.

Ahriman stood after he finished his glass of wine and he handed to her a smooth and unsettling looking mask with runic markings etched into the face. There were no other features. Nothing to distinguish the wearer beneath and seemingly to protect their identity. She took it and drew in a breath, taking her glasses off and handing them back to the man for safe keeping. He watched as she placed the mask to her face and there was a transference of Aether that took place. The sigils shine brightly and faded to a dim glow, and the image of faded clockwork gears began to turn. A clock face becoming present and fading away to leave the mask as emotionless as it had been before.

“Good girl.” He purred to her as her body became lax. She stood at attention, as though awaiting her next actions or orders and Ahriman simply beckoned her to follow without words. Obediently she followed. Leaving her heavy coat behind and disappearing through the heavy door to exit the room with her benefactor. She wouldn’t need it. She wouldn’t feel the cold. In fact. She wouldn’t remember much of anything at this point.

She would wake in pain, tucked into the large bed in the hotel room she had been left alone in the following morning, late and on the fringe of the afternoon. Her body ached and her mind was foggy. Ai’za ran a hand through her hair and sat up slowly, feeling as though she’d been beaten and dragged. Nausea permeated her other discomforts and she barely made it to the bathroom in time that morning.

[elarasilvervale]

In the Wake of All Saint’s Wake -

(Crystal Data Center AU for Ai’za -)

The weather in Kugane at this time of year was far more amicable than Ul’dah had ever been, and Ai’za was thankful for that. The coffee-shop had been winding down as they entered into the early afternoon and the last few patrons finished their meals and conversations. Much of the staff had already gone on their way home with the few remaining to close up and clean up. 

Ai’za sat at the counter while one of the servers counted out the till for the daily deposit and she wrote the numbers down into the ledger that laid open before her, listening as the young Au’ri woman read off the final amounts and they prepared to bring everything to the safe at the back of the store. 

Talan came out of the kitchen with his apron folded down. A mass of muscle and form, a male Au’ra that had been a childhood friend for Ai and had been in her life since. He pressed his hands to the counter and leaned casually against the edge as he took the book from her and the pencil next. “I told you I would do all that.” he smiled from behind the curved horns that framed his face. She rested her elbow on the countertop and her chin in her hand as she cocked a brow and tipped her chin up to peer at the man.

“You were busy in the kitchen with the new hire.” She retorted calmly.

“I know. But, you’re not indebted to me. You don’t come by as much anymore, I certainly don’t want you to be here just to run my books and do the tedious busy work.” He reached over with his free hand and patted her on the head. Large fingers ruffled her short, white hair and flustered the woman as she batted his hand away.

“I figured I would help you get out of here a little bit quicker, don’t you have plans this evening? All Saint’s Wake, and all that?” She asked as she meticulously smoothed her hair back down into place. The man grinned devilishly and messed her hair up again before sitting on a stool beside her.

“I don’t know. Adraik and I were supposed to go to dinner, but he’s not feeling too up to it. Wasn’t feeling festive this year.” 

“You two are still doing the on-again, off-again?” She inquired gently and Talan shrugged his broad shoulders at that. 

“I’m not sure WHAT we’re doing.” He laughed and waved it off. “Though to be fair, at this rate, it just feels like a convenience more than anything. So it’s not really the end of the world if it all doesn’t work out.” 

Ai made a small face at that and offered a lopsided smile, she knew that it bothered him more than he let on. Talan always downplayed the things that bothered him ever since they were young. He always was stalwart for her. 

“What about you?” He asked as the tiny miqo’te woman lifted her ears and opened her mouth to speak. 

“I’m… not sure.” Her voice was soft and her brows knit together, her expression becoming thoughtful. “I’m thinking the usual… a quiet night in with a good book and a glass of wine.” 

“You sound like a 50 year old woman.” He barked out a laugh at that and sat upright as she glowered at him. “Wanna decorate the shop with me and hand out candy to all the little terrible kiddos?” He flashed her a dazzling smile and she couldn’t help but feel warm inside. “I promise you’ll enjoy it more than spending the evening alone.”

She plucked at the edge of the countertop with her fingertips, turning the rings on her middle finger first and then the ones on her index next. It DID sound much more enjoyable.

“That sounds like a good night to me.” She smiled up at him with a calm expression and the man looped a large arm around her and hugged her into his body tightly. He was strong and warm and she grunted when he inadvertently squeezed her a little bit too tight, flailing in his embrace as he kissed the top of her head. 

“Your dad would've done the same thing, and you know it.” He added quietly before slipping free of her and stepping around the counter to cross the dining room. “I think I have some of the old decorations from the first shop, let’s go through them together and set them up. It’s a few hours until darkness falls and the first band of adventurers wobbles through with their parents.” 

Ai ran a hand up over her arm and she smiled to herself, a familiar pang of sadness hung over her shoulders but she weathered it in the moment and set herself on task. Hopping down from the stool, she lost a marvelous amount of height and padded around the bar where she had been sitting to join Talan en route to the basement and store-room. Eager to go through the items that had been a part of a happier time. She appreciated the way that Talan always knew how to make her feel better in the moment and was truly grateful for his friendship. There was a healthy amount of quiet excitement at the notion of handing out candies and treats to the little ones that passed by, and the chance to spend the evening in better company. 

[elarasilvervale]

Old Haunts

Unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Two words that would describe this present landscape that stretched on forever in front of the young woman. Her breathing came low and shallow, her body in pain in cold night air. Plants and trees were dried and dying, twisted husks that clawed upwards to the inky dark sky above. Jagged outcroppings of rock littered the horizon, looking like the fallen skeletons of something much bigger, more primordial. 

Ai’za shifted and winced. She pushed the weight of the soldier off of herself and his blade remained embedded where he had thrust it through her abdomen. The pain was white hot and she sucked in a breath and tugged on the hilt. There was a familiar feeling of steel pulling through flesh. Friction and wear as the weapon emerged with a sickening wet sound and she dropped it to the ground with a loud clatter that made the Miqo’te woman’s ears draw back in response. Tears welled up in her eyes as she pressed trembling hands to the wound. Acute pressure. Focused aether. Remember the lessons.

Where was her sister? The thought interrupted and she cursed herself for becoming side tracked. Shaking off the thought, she closed her eyes and steadied herself. Pulling on the reserves of her lifestream to coalesce the magic into a powerful mending spell. Much the same as she had been taught and trained. Her senses dulled slightly, impacted by the potency of the magic as blood slowly began to lessen and flesh began to knit together. It was an uncomfortable sensation, and something that generally felt much more appeasing. Were it not for the dire circumstances.

The body of the soldier lay near to her where she remained, the two of them had been hidden away from the main roads. She looked upon the all too familiar Garlean uniform and her stomach tightened up with nausea and anxiety. How had they known where their group had been set up for camp? It was supposed to be a routine job. There had been five of the soldiers that set upon them like wolves. Hoping to disperse the petty rabble and the ‘savage’ wanderers as though they were little more than vermin.

Her mind spun and she pushed herself upright to drag the back of her hand across her sweat and soot covered face. The ends of her long white hair were soaked with blood, she could smell the metallic tang that lingered in the air. She lifted her ears and listened for a long time, hoping to hear anything or anyone. The hired group had dispersed when the Garlean soldiers came to break up their camp. The only person she had known on the job had been her sister, Amal. She moved to her hands and knees and looked away from the man that she had killed in self defense, his lifeless body at an unnatural angle from the earthen stones that had fractured bones and body. She swallowed hard and attempted to get onto her feet, only to find that her legs shook too fiercely to allow her to stand in the moment. Ai’za’s fingers curled into a fist and she tried again. She knew that she would be dead if she stayed here. She had to get back to a town or waypoint. 

The sound of her feet crunching over the loose rocks and debris was almost deafening, but she was unsteady and worn. She found a pace that was amicable and continued. A hand at her side and her pale eyes darting this way and that in the low light of her environment. She moved along the stone face of a large outcropping and as she rounded a jagged formation the sound of a hammer being cocked back in a gun stopped the girl in her tracks as she faced down another soldier and she froze. Her eyes were wide and she met the gaze of the individual who held the barrel pointed straight at her face. Slowly she began to raise her hands and she watched as the man curled a finger around the trigger in anticipation.

“Don’t move.” He barked. Callous and cruel, and Ai’za did oblige. Her entire body shook violently. This had not been what she had signed up for. Amal had promised them an easy transportation job. Facts were not lining up, and the items in question had been confiscated by the soldiers almost with too little of a fight as the group had all separated and ran like rats under foot.

“Please.” She started almost inaudibly, before she was cut off.

“Shut up.” 

And the tiny woman swallowed back all of her words and steadied her mind. Seconds went by. Whether by impulse or simple, sheer stupidity - a chain of events happened in such rapid succession that it was difficult for even her to follow. 

Ai’za flinched and her ears drew back, a sigil illuminated at the nape of her neck and her body was surged with raw, primal aether in a way that set her rigid and tense for a split second. Her eyes flashed and seemed to glow and everything around her slowed down. Her hands pushed forward as a single word of power was rasped out and a deep violet tear opened in the air behind the soldier, splitting the fabric of reality and twisting open like a wound. There was a violent surge of air as debris pulled into the tear and the soldier was dragged back. His boots scraped along the ground as he lost footing and slammed down. He had been in much too close proximity to the hollow that she pulled open and the young woman was pulled onto her tiptoes by the force of the pull from the tear. She steadied herself and braced as the soldier clawed at the ground with his free hand and righted himself just long enough to take aim and pull the trigger before he was torn through the portal and out of existence. 

The sound was vulgar and her ears were ringing, a mix of the gunshot and the howling gales that threatened to pull anything and everything around it into that place of no return. Her shoulder burned where the bullet hadr struck and she fell forward onto her hands and knees as the spell destabilized and collapsed in on itself. Plunged into silence as blood poured onto the ground and she panted in shock and pain.

------

Ai’za sat bolt upright in bed, covered in sweat and gripping the sheets as her breaths came deep and fast. She pushed a hand up through her hair, comforted by the fact that it was in fact much shorter now than it ever had been. The wavy, white tresses barely touched her shoulders. She was in her bedroom, in the privacy and comfort of her apartment, but the lingering vivid dream plagued her mind. She reached for her chest, tugging at the material of her night shirt and feeling constricted by it as she opted to tug it up and off instead. Tossing it aside and slipping out from beneath the covers, she placed her feet on the cool hard-wood of her floor, padding steadily to the bathroom to run the tap in the sink and let the water become cold. Her hand reached for the light that hung on the wall near to the door and she managed to flip it on and turned to look at her reflection in the mirror.

She stared for a long time. Her eyes moved over her bare skin and protruding bones. She was slim, more so lately. Ai’za had been finding it harder to enjoy things the same way. The scars had long since been healed. She had worked meticulously to close the wounds and heal them in a way that would not be easily discerned. She leaned close to the mirror to look at the telling mark that had once been more glaring upon her shoulder. Fingertips moved over the surface of the area, barely noticeable and smooth. Her hands came to rest on the edge of the vanity, her head hung forward as she closed her eyes and shook her head. Her ears laid flat. 

After a brief respite, and time to steady her thoughts. She pooled the cold water in her hands and splashed it onto her face. Repeating this several times to help to bring her back down in the late evening hours.

Morning would be here before she knew it, and she’d be expected at the cafe. There were things that she had to be responsible for this week, and it hung over her like a cloud. Ai already knew that she wouldn’t be going back to bed this evening and she turned the water off with a sigh as she flicked out the light and departed from the bathroom. She took the small hand towel from the loop near the sink and dried her face as she moved back through her apartment.

[elarasilvervale]

Force Ten

Name: Savedra Silversong

Age: Young Adult

Race: Sin’dorei.

Gender: Female.

Sexuality: Bi-sexual.

Marital Status: Previously Engaged. 

Server: WyrmrestAccord-US

Physical Appearance 

Hair: Long and thick, her hair is silver-white like moonlight and falls to the middle of her back in unruly waves. She often keeps it tied back and away from her face but will sometimes leave it down with small braids circling her head as a crown to keep loose strands free of her face. From time to time there will be accents such as glass or bone beads or feathers tied into her tresses.

Eyes: Her eyes are a soft sea-foam or mint green in coloration. Not as vibrant or abrasive as the fel-green that is common among her people. 

Height: 5′2″

Build: Slim and fit, she is pleasantly muscular and comfortably agile. The woman is flexible and fast. She has a small bust and a trim waist with broad hips.

Tattoos/Scars: Countless scars and numerous tattoos decorate this woman’s form. She has two arrows crossed over one another on the back of her neck. Alchemical symbols down her spine. Starlight roses in black linework beneath each collarbone, near to her shoulders and 3 very small, solid black stars in a single line low between her breasts on her sternum.

Accessories: She travels very light. Commonly seen with a leather cross body bag on her person. Contents vary depending on what her tasks for the day are. There are consistent items that go everywhere with her. Ghost-steel knuckles, a myriad of blades hidden on her person and a larger sword that is often strapped across her back.

Face Claims: No. I don’t do this. 

Personal

Profession:  Salvager. Crew medic for the Off Tempo.

Hobbies: Tinkering. Writing. Card/Dice games.

Residence: The Off Tempo. Repurposed Kul Tiran ship.

Birthplace: Quel’Thalas.

Patron Deity: None. Non-religious.

Languages: Thalassian, Common, Darnassian, Orcish and Gutterspeak.

Qualities:  Loyal, Skillful, Charismatic, Adaptable, Romantic, Reliable.

Flaws: Aloof, Arrogant, Irascible, Shameless, Difficult, Jealous.

Fears: Being vulnerable.

Relationships

Spouse: None. Though she’s been spending a fair amount of time on her shore leave with a certain mercenary that she fancies.

Children: None.

Parents: Ralen and Aidra Silversong.

Siblings: None. She was a spoiled and insufferable only child.

Other Relatives: Many- she comes from a well to do noble family.

Pets: A lifelike mechanical crow named ‘Cheesecake’. He is generally used as a means to send mail and messages when out at sea, and she rarely takes him into port. Whomever constructed him had a keen understanding of avian anatomy- it is uncanny how real he looks.

Traits

Extroverted / Introverted / In Between

Disorganized / Organized / In Between

Close-minded / Open-minded / In Between

Calm / Anxious / In Between

Disagreeable / Agreeable / In Between

Cautious / Reckless / In Between

Patient / Impatient / In Between

Outspoken / Reserved / In Between

Leader / Follower / In Between

Empathetic / Callous / In Between

Optimistic / Pessimistic / In Between

Traditional / Modern / In Between

Hard-Working / Lazy / In Between

Cultured / Uncultured / In Between

Loyal /  Disloyal / In Between

Faithful / Unfaithful / In Between

Additional Information

Smoking: Never /  Rarely / Sometimes / Frequently / To excess

Drugs: Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Frequently / To excess

Alcohol: Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Frequently / To excess

Looking For:  Casual RP! Walk on up, she’s only a little bit of a brat.

[elarasilvervale]

Shatter (Part 3)

“You were easy and convenient.” He chastised her youthful ignorance. Her heart cracked in that moment and the look she gave him would elicit a violent pang of guilt in his gut. “I’m sorry for that, Eneira.” He added but the woman raised her hand to stop him.

“I don’t want your sorries… I don’t want your pity, apparently that’s all I ever had.” She stayed calm as she took her shoes and tucked them under her arm. “I feel sorry for you… you’re so small and heartless…” She frowned and moved to the door. Edwin stood and the girl’s anger could be felt in the thrum of wild and primal arcane that erupted from her like a pulse. Ice spiraling along the floor behind her. She turned to take one more look at the man.

“I hope you’re happy in all that you do. I hope she is everything I am not.”

“She is.” He had to get the last dig in and ensure he severed her apart. The handle on the door froze in her grip and flourishes of crystal formed over the wood as she pulled the door open and left him in the silence of his room. Left him in the silence of what he had just done.

Eneira moved through the silent estate, through the halls and down the winding staircase that led the foyeur. She almost didn’t notice the figure sitting idly in a chair near the door but gave pause when she realized exactly what she was looking at.

Adria offered a sinister expression and she was dressed immaculately, as she always was. A skin tight dress that was barely short enough to cover anything and her impossibly long legs on display with a pair of pointed stilettos in place. The eldest sister regarded her coldly.

“Run along home, little rabbit.” Her voice was a snarl and Eneira put the pieces together very fast. She wondered how long her sister had been here. Every inch of her wanted to leap on the pristine woman and to punch her until she had no energy left to do so, but she stayed her hand. Adria was dangerous and ruthless. Practiced and tempered by time. Eneira had no fight left in her.

She turned from her sister and left through the double doors without looking back. Staring up into the inky black night sky and the stars above as she took deep breaths and tried not to cry. She hugged her shoes and her coat to her chest, standing barefoot in the grass and frantically trying to calm the storm inside her head. There was hurt and frustration, anguish and feelings of inadequacy. And before long, there was nothing. She was numb. When she had gotten to that point, she trudged through Eversong feeling shamed and dirty, a walk home that felt like forever with the smell of his cologne lingering on her body and clothes. 

----------

She sat up with a gasp, jolted from her sleep by the vivid dream and memory. Covered in sweat and feeling nauseous, the woman ran her hands over her face and looked down to her shaking fingers. The moonlight made her pale blue skin seem luminous in the low light and her once raven black tresses fell past her shoulders in a silken cascade of deep sapphire.

The man beside her turned over and cast his glowing emerald gaze on her where she sat.

“More bad dreams, Neira?” He asked, reaching over idly to tug her back down into the bed beside him.

“Just dreams Edwin…” She turned away from him and laid on her side. She felt him pat her thigh and settle into comfortable silence, drifting back to sleep, seemingly placated with her response.

Even now, years and years later… she still gave in to his charms. Even despite their paths having gone down two incredibly different roads. Business always turned into this and she felt poorly about it, but never seemed to turn it down and she couldn’t figure out why. Even after the hurt and anxiety he had caused. 

Perhaps validation. She scolded herself and swore internally that it would be the last time she did this dance. She didn’t realize just how right she would be as her next job took her to Boralus and out of his reach for an indeterminate time, and would place a new piece on the board of her life. 

[elarasilvervale]

Shatter (Part Two)

“I can not marry you.” He repeated and the woman shook her head and raised a hand.

“No, I understand that… I heard you the first time, but I don’t understand why or where this is coming from all of a sudden. I thought we had a good day? I thought things were good with us?” She furrowed her brows and the anguished expression on her face cut him, causing the man to look away with a frustrated glare. 

“You’re not the person I want to spend my life with.” His words hit harder now and she felt lightheaded.

“But...why…?” Her ears fell back and she struggled to retain her poise in the moment. Grasping for answers and rationality. “We’ve been together for a little over a year now… I see you almost every day. I have sex with you almost every day and you tell me that you love me.” She spoke a bit more frantically. Edwin did not answer initially and the woman reached for him, only to have him sit up and pull away from her before she could touch him.

“I don’t understand, Edwin…” She felt herself shaking under the growing discomfort and the man’s gaze. 

“I don’t think that I ever loved you… let alone… how you should be loved…” He narrowed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. “I don’t think I ever meant it when I said it. You were never the first girl on my mind…” He admitted all at once and the woman felt her shoulders sink, feeling as though she were shrinking in the moment. “I can’t keep pretending.” He spoke firmly.

“So then… if I wasn’t the first woman on your mind… then… is there someone else?” She pieced together an unsteady question before continuing in an uneasy panic. “...but all the things… all the things we did, you had sex with me today. Like… we just had sex...” Confusion wracked her pretty features. “How can you take an entire year and pretend to love someone…?”

Edwin had turned his back to her and rested his feet on the floor, elbows on his knees and pointed ears pinned back. He could hear the hurt in her voice. 

“Eneira, I love someone else, I always have. I just… didn’t know how to stop all this before I let it get out of hand.” 

She sat in silence, digesting the words that came out of his mouth and the woman felt hot tears welling in her eyes. Feeling hurt and betrayed. She sniffled once and wiped the back of her hand across her face to stop the tears before they fell, but it was of little use. 

“You used me…” She mumbled, trembling where she sat. “You took what was convenient…” She affirmed a little louder and the man nodded.

“Yeah… I did.” He knew there was no way around what she was saying and that it was true. He had been using her to get closer to her eldest sister, Adria. A game he had been unraveling for years. She had been carefully stringing him along and manipulating his attentions without so much as giving him an inch of room to come out ahead and it had been opportunistic that Eneira had taken interest in him. Driving her sister’s jealousy and spite. But as far as they had come, and as much as he had taken, he couldn’t commit to the lie any longer. He had to stop it before any more damage could be done. Selfish by nature and greedy, he had savored her body one more time. The picnic, the afternoon and day together had been a swansong before he had to let her down.

He finally spoke again. “I’m sorry that this is not how you’d envisioned me, but there’s no sense in leading you further into this net. A year is fleeting to our people. You’ll be past this before you realize.”

Eneira’s chin dropped and she gripped the sheets where she sat. “You’re cruel…” She managed before clasping a hand to her mouth so he couldn’t hear the choke or the sniveling whimper. She had fallen in love with him with the time they had spent and now that fantasy was fractured in an instance of honesty and hurt. The girl steadied herself and crawled out of bed to begin collecting her clothing, trying to get dressed as fast as she could. She was embarrassed. She felt used and filthy in the moment and when she looked her eyes locked on his as he watched her put herself back together.

“I was only a bargaining chip?” She asked, staring him in the face. His expression was steely cold and his jaw tightened. “Let me understand that you never felt anything for me…all the times you told me you loved me… none of that was real?”

[elarasilvervale]

Shatter (Part One)

The weather had been warm without being oppressive, summer not fully in its fiercest form just yet. The breeze was calm and the air smelled fresh and clean. The two elves sat together beneath the shade of one of the older looking trees on the family’s estate grounds. A single, hand-crocheted blanket laid in the plush grass as a barrier between them. Their conversation had been light and the tiny female looked to her partner who sat with a ceramic mug filled with wine in hand.

She studied his face and features, the image of his elegance committed to her memories. He was strikingly handsome and as if realizing she was stealing glances, his face turned and his glowing emerald green eyes met hers.

“You keep staring.” He purred to her. His voice was kind and gentle. “Do I have something on my face?” He would ask with his pointed ears falling back and a goofy expression moving across his features. Eyes crossed temporarily to attempt to see what might be there.

The girl grinned brightly and shook her head, her deep black hair resting in a thick braid along her left shoulder. There were loose strands that broke free to frame her face, wispy hairs that gave her an endearing look. He looked at her freckles that dotted the bridge of her nose and her cheeks and reached a hand up to cup her chin tenderly. Her porcelain pale skin and dark hair was perhaps his favorite aspect of this young woman. 

In response to his touch, the young female elf tipped her head into his caress, her matching viridian eyes fluttering closed. 

“You’re so cute, Eneira.” He spoke. She didn’t understand the distant glimmer that was hidden in his eyes. She struggled to see beyond anything other than how she felt in his presence. He had been courting her for close to a full year now, appropriate procedure for noble families. They spent much of their time together in hopes that she would someday be married to him and initially, she had been resistant to the idea. Eneira had little been interested in the prospect of marriage and had focused heavily on her studies and education of the arcane arts.

She had aspirations to be an arcanist for their pristine capital city. She wanted to become a defender of her people. So when she had met Edwin, she was pleasantly surprised that he too was a practitioner of magic. His skill was unparalleled for his age and she quickly became enamored by his talent and display of mastery over the various schools of magic. 

With her reservations fading quickly, she followed him everywhere that he went that he would allow and showed her wondrous magical items. Edwin would often spend hours speaking to her on matters of spell theory and creation, allowing the woman to read his notes and books. The two became inseparable and their attentions became intimate. At the request of Eneira’s mother, he would court her and begin the proceedings that would eventually lead to their union.

She remembered how excitedly she had spoken to her two eldest sisters. How she was going to be the first of them to be married and established. She had explained her plans to continue her education and how he had helped her with her studies. Halia seemed happy, as always and Adria had seemed, jealous. But she didn’t know that at that moment. She masked it as concern for her youngest sibling and concern that she might be moving too fast. 

She felt him move close now, taking her out of her thoughts and the girl peeked up to him as he placed a soft kiss to her lips and took her down to lay with him in the quiet of their sanctuary. “I had a nice day today.” He murmured and Eneira rested her head on his shoulder with much the same bright smile as before

“I did too, thank you for spending it with me.” 

Their afternoon was hazy and hedonistic. Bodies joined in more ways than one. He spent the better part of the day pushing his partner to her very limits. As if training her to be what he wished her to be. The girl had been hesitant to be physical with him at first, but he had broken down her anxieties near to two months ago. He held her ego and psyche in his hands and had drank in everything she had to offer. She was inexperienced by his standards, but it didn’t stop him from enjoying her. It allowed him to shape her. Eneira never realized how much she had submitted to him. She was blinded by her sheer infatuation with this man. She saw him for the enigmatic mystery that he was, knowing of his magic and his talents, his charisma… but little else.

She had her lifetime to work out the details with her partner.

And so the evening came, she had been with him at his estate through the rest of the afternoon into the night and laid in his crisp white bed sheets. His arm behind his head, Edwin remained propped up on his pillows. His free hand pulled his fingers through her dark hair, careful to not tangle them. Perhaps it was abrupt, but he paused his hand and a single finger traced along the edge of her pointed ear. 

“Eneira, I need to talk to you.” he spoke with an uncomfortable calm to his voice and the girl lifted her head, eager to talk. Regardless of the topic. She always loved to speak with him.

“Surely, what’s on your mind.” She asked. His eyes drifted down to her freckled face and his expression was unyielding. Neutral. Empty. He hated how adorable she was, it made it harder.

“I can not marry you.” He would speak softly and concisely. The weight of the words came off his tongue much easier than she would be able to process them in the moment and she sat up, allowing the sheet to fall from her slender body. 

“But… wait, what?” She asked, bewildered.

[elarasilvervale]

Securing Business

The location was typically the same, and this meeting was no different. Neira’s eyes skimmed over the heads in the lounge in Dalaran. Being that it was the weekend, this place was already fairly busy, not that the Ledgerdemain was ever truly slow. Today just seemed more so. A familiar figure waved her attention down and Neira caught the motion and started to part through the crowd to a private table at the back of the lounge.

A Sin’dorei woman sat at the table with a wine glass in front of her and little else, she seemed relaxed and her body language denoted confidence. Neira knew this woman well. As distinctive as she was, she was dressed well today, a fitted black pencil skirt and pressed white, button up blouse. This girl would stand as Neira neared and she extended a hand, speaking in Thalassian to greet.

“Very glad you could make it on short notice, Ms. Autumnvale.”

Neira took her hand and the two would be seated shortly after the formal greeting.

“Thank you Elysian. I’m glad that your brother is willing to see me on short notice, it’s just that things have become a bit more interesting in recent days and… I would prefer not to be caught unaware.”

The other woman ran her hand through her short, two-toned hair and she reached down to pull a bag up from the floor, tugging a planner out and laying it on the table. She would flag their waiter down and order a bottle of wine to split between the two of them and would dive right into business.

“It’s not often that Edwin will shift his schedule, but you’re a long time client of his… and you two are fairly close.” Elysian began as she looked over the book on the table and tapped her pen on the page. “Are we booking your usual allotment of time?” Her glowing emerald eyes lifted from the page to where Neira sat. She straightened up and cleared her throat.

“Erm...no. Not this time. It will be only business.” She pressed her lips together and took the recently delivered wine bottle into hand to pour herself some of the fine red. Elysian raised both of her brows and said nothing immediately but would make a small note.

“Ok then, I will be sure to let him know, but he will likely question that. He knows you’re a creature of habit, and so is he.” Elysian grinned darkly. She leaned closer and rested an elbow on the table, chiding the void elf a bit more directly. “Must be good dick to keep you interested, Ms. Autumnvale. Or is it money?” 

Neira squirmed in her seat and her eyes widened as she sipped her wine. Taking a napkin to her lips she placed the glass down and stared at Elysian. 

“Best I’ve ever had.” She smiled rather matter of factly and folded her hands in front of herself. “And I care little for money, I’ve plenty of my own wealth.” She explained coolly. “Edwin is going to have to make due without the extra this time around.” 

Elysian continued to smile to herself and she flipped a page, circling a date and time.

“I’ve no problems telling him that. You two are trouble together anyways.” Her brows furrowed and the girl pulled a black business card from her bag next and a separate pen. The silver ink was fluid and her hand-writing and print was gorgeous. She slid the card across the table and Neira took it in hand, waving it lightly to allow the ink to dry. Elysian spoke again, “Do remember to be early and ready to discuss what it is that you’re looking to have commissioned.”

“I will be there and I will be punctual as always, I’ve never been late for the time he’s willing to spend, and I will not be alone this time around. There will be another in attendance with me.”

Elysian gave her a peculiar look and she made another note in the book. “That’s fine. You know the rules, Ms. Autumnvale. I will collect the both of you at the point that will show on that card as the date nears. You will both be unarmed… completely and you will have a null brand that will be temporary.” 

Neira nodded. “I understand.”

“Will your… partner understand? If they do not, they can stand out in the cold while the meeting is conducted, or they can spend time with the Goblins in Overlook.”

Neira merely nodded again. “I will make sure to discuss matters with them before we get to the meeting point.”

“I’m glad that we can continue to do business with you.” Elysian smiled brightly and would close the book. She picked up her glass of wine and raised the glass before taking a long and satisfying drink of the contents. Neira followed suit and relaxed some in her seat, crossing one leg over the other now that the formalities had finished and the meeting was secure.

Elysian chimed in quickly, “So tell me about this person, Neira.” She raised a brow and reached for the bottle of wine, wiggling it. “We’ve a lot of wine to get through and I’m curious.” The void-elf smiled to herself and her eyes shimmered mischievously.

“He’s… different.” Was how she prefaced the conversation. The other woman snorted and laughed.

“Look at you being all demure and timid. That’s grotesquely out of your character.” she teased and Neira shrugged lightly, stifling a laugh.

“Be that as it may. I don’t know… he’s wild, and primal...the same as me. But he’s intelligent and kind. It’s a nice duality… gives him facets where others fall short.” She poured herself some more wine and exhaled through her nose with a pleasant expression. “I’m still figuring it out. It took me a good month or so to work up to the idea of trying for anything more serious than getting fucked through the mattress and leaving again.”

“This one doesn’t have a secret wife, does he?” Elysian paused and raised her brows, hitting a sore spot with her comment. Both women stared at each other and would eventually devolve into a fit of laughter.

“Nope, no wife and no kids. Seems to be we’re in good form.” She chuckled. 

“Edwin will be disappointed.” Elysian added quietly. “Not that I care, my brother needs to be taken down a notch, but you’re a favored client of his.”

“That spoiled twit sticks his dick in too many of his clients to give two shits about me.” Neira countered with a collected tone. “AND… not to mention, he’s fucked my sister, Adria.”

Both women scowled and their expressions were soured by the thought, it was clear that they had shared sentiments about the mentioned individual. The conversation remained light and casual from that point as the two would finish their wine and laugh about all kinds of things together. Like old girlfriends catching up. Even long after the bottle had finished, they had spent the better part of two hours gossiping and sharing stories and before long it was time to depart.

Elysian paid the bill and left some gold on the table as a tip for the young human waiter and she stood with Neira to exit the lounge. Standing in the sunshine on the street in Dalaran, the women embraced in a tight hug before going their separate ways. Neira walked quietly, careful not to bump into anyone on the streets, but her mind was preoccupied. She didn’t bother to enact her own portal out of the city and away back home, but settled for the quiet walk in the fresh air towards the Greyfang Enclave. She’d take a portal back from that point and disappear through to the other side.

[elarasilvervale]

Offer (Part three)

Stepping into the private quarters she was greeted almost at once by an unnerving sensation that crawled up her spine in the male’s presence. He sat idly awaiting her arrival. One leg crossed over the other, arms splayed along the back of the booth he resided in. He was wearing black on black. Pressed black pants and well made shoes. A black button up shirt and black tie. Everything was fitted and undoubtedly custom tailored for him. A smile crept across his face, chiseled features and he had well kept, ice blonde hair that was cut short and styled back neatly.

He stood and pressed a hand to his chest, extending his other towards her politely. “Doral ana’diel?” His Thalassian was formal and sharp and her ears pressed back immediately recognizing the language. She hadn’t heard it in some considerable time. His piercing emerald green eyes had locked on her and she felt herself shrink in his gaze. She fidgeted in place and cleared her throat to respond, not wanting to be rude, yet she never took his hand. She hated touching people. And the sensation of something powerfully discomforting was everywhere in this room. She bowed her head respectfully instead and straightened up.

“I am well, thank you for asking.” She responded with a meager voice. It was hard for her to be here, and her instincts were warning her that something seemed amiss. Despite his pleasantries. The male picked up on her anxiety almost at once and his leering smile never broke. Predator and prey. He motioned for her to have a seat and she obliged but kept a fair and comfortable distance between herself and the strange Sin’dorei man.

“Y-you wanted to speak to me?” She finally managed to ask as he had taken his seat and resumed sipping the wine he had likely ordered earlier.

“Yes, I did. I find it peculiar that in all my years of working hand in hand that I have not seen you before… let alone another child of the sun...even if you are a wayward one.” He made reference to her decision to follow the magister into the Telogrus rift and the disdain was thick enough to feel in the air. 

Vely tried to steady herself and kept her hands clasped together in her lap beneath the table.

“I am a fairly private person… and… I only recently started partaking in the races and free flights...otherwise I’ve been behind the scenes, training and handling and caring for the serpents here.” She spoke as calmly as she could.

“Anli tells me you have a natural affinity with these creatures, she speaks highly of you.” He mused as he placed his glass down on the table and laced his fingers together in front of himself, leaning forward where he sat. 

“I just...give them the respect they deserve…” She felt as though she were under a lens with his gaze and she stumbled over even the easiest of words.

“Before I go further, you may have my name, as I don’t wish to be rude. I am Edwin Emberskye.” He spoke with silken intonation. “You are Velyndrae Sunsong?”

She absolutely didn’t enjoy that he knew her name. When it rolled off his tongue it felt dirty. The girl nodded timidly in response.

“Anli told me how patient you were with that serpent that you ride. I know that she was of the notion to allow her to remain feral and wild on the islands across the water… but you worked with her and she is of quite exquisite breeding.” He spoke idly as though he knew far more than he actually let on and Vely merely sat in her spot, still and quiet. She allowed him to continue, wanting to get this over with as fast as humanly possible. “I have a new arrival to be stabled here in coming days, and I want a handler that I know will look after them quite well. And from my understanding… you really are quite good.”

“You want me to look after one of your private collection?” She asked him as her brows raised. She felt foolish for feeling so anxious when his request had been so mundane. Vely exhaled and her shoulders and posture became less rigid. 

“Yes. A rarity. Already broken and ready to ride, but. I just would prefer if a handler with an empathetic nature and kind hand were to see him well looked after.”

The request was easy enough. She was here at the Arboretum daily, and only took weekends to herself. She would dart her eyes away and then back to the man and nod once.

“I- I’m sure that won’t be an issue.” She started. 

“With him being here, you have express permissions to take him where-ever you’d like. He’s docile and well mannered, a good ride for quiet trips and sightseeing… and I would hope that you’d treat him as though he’d be yours. Care and attentiveness.”

“Absolutely sir.” She responded softly.

“Consider this a raise.” He added flatly. “I’ll personally see to it that you have what you need when you need it, should you ensure his well being and a content life. He’s not of the thundering variant like your own, but… he’s unique in his own right.” 

“I really don’t need a raise, I am well off on my own earnings and my partner makes sure that I am provided for otherwise. I am not wanting for anything.” She felt strange with his odd offer and waved it off promptly. Edwin merely bared his teeth in a dazzling smile and she felt her heart race. Now she absolutely couldn’t wait for Norren to come home to her.

Edwin looked at her with a puzzled expression, as though trying to figure out why someone would turn down his generosity and Vely waved her hand gently.

“Please don’t think I’m rude to decline, I just… I will attend to your cloud serpent personally without the need for anything further. I work here and I take pride in what I do, you needn’t offer above what’s necessary.” She explained quickly. Edwin raised a single brow and sat back again in his place and he shrugged.

Their conversation from that point remained strictly on the topic of the new arrival and was concluded shortly after. Vely did her absolute best to remain collected and attentive to the man’s requests but it was nearly impossible to shake off the malignant sensation that crept down her back in his presence. Despite how well put together he was, the classically handsome features and relaxed demeanor he had, there was something… off. She couldn’t wait for him to be gone and didn’t delight in the next time that they would cross paths, which was inevitable at this rate. He stood and she stood in kind, not wanting to allow him to walk behind her with her remaining seated and the girl faced him as he pulled a black fitted dress jacket over his shoulders. They would walk to the door together and he paused, placing his palm flat on the door and not allowing her to leave. His eyes scanning her features and her face as he furrowed his brows and would slide his hand away and offer it to the girl. Vely had gone on alert when he kept the door from being opened before but she awkwardly took his hand to shake. It was in that moment that her world became jarred and static.

The touch brought on a feeling of weightlessness, and all the whispers of the void began in chorus in her mind and she felt her knees grow weak and her stomach turn. It was with very immediate response that she snapped her hand away and the lingering sensation of cold dread remained as he grinned and they exited the room. 

The other elf that had been with him before stood waiting, dressed to match. A black pencil skirt and a white button up shirt. She had dress flats on with red soles that showed when she walked. Her hair was cut short in a feminine pixie cut and had a peculiar coloration. Half was icy blonde, the other was black like raven’s feathers and she wore little in the way of makeup. Piercing pale green eyes looked over Vely and then to the man as she looked at a watch.

“Are you done? We have places to be.” She barked at him once as he excused himself and would join the woman to depart. The man looked over his shoulder and smiled warmly at Vely for the first time since she had been in his presence, but it didn’t make her feel better.

She stood in quiet contemplation and scowled to herself. Unnerved. It was a good time to retire and head home for the evening and she cleaned up briefly and left some of her riding gear behind in her personal storage. She locked up and said her goodbyes to her coworkers and to Anli and chartered passage home.

She fed her chickens and various other animals that had collected over time and made a meager dinner that she picked at, staring at the empty seat across from her at the table and eventually packing the uneaten dinner away to be had in the morning. Having stripped down and crawled into bed, she remained nestled beneath the covers, hugging Norren’s pillow to her chest and struggling to quiet her mind to sleep. 

When sleep did finally come for her, it would not come peacefully. Her dreams were wrought with visions of madness and chaos. Whispers and words that were unintelligible. She writhed through the night, stirring constantly in response to the things that preyed on her from her mind. The morning light was a welcome reprieve that spilled in from the windows.

[elarasilvervale]

Offer (Part two)

With her serpent having been stabled and having finally made solid ground again, Vely was feeling exhausted and generally worn from the day of riding in the rain. Her leather riding gear was soaked through, strands of loose hair clinging to her face as she dragged a gloved hand over her pale blue skin and wiped away the rain. Uncomfortable was an understatement, but she didn’t let her serpent idle, despite the elements. Their bond had been one of mutual respect, and Vely was stalwart in her care. She pushed her goggles up and smiled and waved to some of the public that pointed and waved to her. Smaller pandaren children tugged on their parents as she left the stables.

Since starting to ride and race, she had become a bit of a spectacle and it was taking a lot of getting used to. The girl was warming to the notion of eyes being upon her and the popularity of the racers here in the Jade Forest. People came from far and wide to spectate and see the handlers and the shows that were often reserved for certain points of the month. She had lost track of the time here. Her life had become something even she couldn’t have dreamed of.

When she entered the common building where only handlers and riders were permitted, a familiar face greeted her warmly. A small and endlessly active little pandaren woman waved her down and smiled. Her attire was immaculate despite the weather conditions and she cradled a small serpent hatchling that snoozed in her arms, paws moving gently over the scales as she approached. 

“Riding in the rain is dangerous.” She raised her brows rather incredulously and the elven woman smiled sheepishly.

“You know me, I don’t like to break promises and I’m not a good handler if I leave my cloud serpent pent up in her holding all weekend without a long flight beforehand.” 

The pandaren woman who was known by many as Mistress Anli, smiled softly and rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes Vely, though I do encourage my riders and handlers to be safe and responsible, no matter how many people come out to see the dragons.” She chided her a little bit and a free paw patted the girl on the back. “There’s someone here to see you.” She started as Vely’s eyes lit up at once, and her expression became excited.

“Norren is back?” She asked eagerly and almost at once. It was hard to hide her disappointment when the Pandaren woman shook her head in response. Vely’s ears dropped back and she offered the matriarch a puzzled expression. “Then… who?” She asked, baffled. She sulked pretty impressively knowing it wasn’t her partner returning from work, especially in part that it was nearing to almost two weeks that he had been away again. She ached to be at home together again with him.

“There is a gentleman from… I believe he said Silvermoon City.” The Pandaren paused and pointed towards one of the private suites. Outside there was a singular Pandaren male that stood watch and kept one massive arm folded over the other over his chest. 

Vely laughed nervously and she dragged the back of her hand across her forehead. “I… don’t have people come and ask for me… what’s this about?” She seemed suddenly anxious by the request and Anli noticed it. 

“The nature of their request was not made immediately clear, but he is one of our more… generous donors in past years. He has been a long time spectator and owns several serpents that are stabled here on our grounds. You’ve raced with and against some of his personal stock.” She mused with a sly smile. 

The elven woman still didn’t necessarily appreciate the impromptu meeting but she knew better than to argue with Anli about the matter, given the man’s status. She merely huffed quietly exhaled with a small frown tugging at the corners of her lips. Today was not the day that she had anticipated entertaining any of the public. Occasionally, she would greet travelers, but her naturally reclusive and timid demeanor made those events few and far between.

After much internal persuasion, Vely would clear her throat and straighten up, excusing herself from the conversation with Anli and making her way towards the private suite where the strange benefactor was waiting. The uncomfortably large and menacing looking male Pandaren looked her up and down once before nodding over his shoulder towards the door, allowing her passage. She hated to think about what that beast of a bear would do to an unwanted party.

[elarasilvervale]

Offer (Part one)

The inclement weather had grounded most of the racers that day, rain coming in sheets of heavy droplets that soaked anyone or anything foolish enough to be out in it, straight through to the core. Despite the warmth of the seemingly endless spring here in the forest, the chilled breeze only served to complicate travel. Spectators and visitors, tourists stood huddled in the stands, umbrellas turned to the sky and coats pulled tightly around themselves in a bid to catch a glimpse of the few riders left out in the sky. 

Droves of spectators had taken refuge in various small buildings that littered the arboretum, the cafeteria, the inn. The stables. People were everywhere.

The crack of thunder and arc of lightning almost served as an announcement, and a few people pointed from beneath their umbrellas in the stands. High above the water, streaking through the darkened and grayed sky was a favored rider and there was a collective hush as they watched the serpent push forward, despite the horrendous downpour.

Perched and poised with her feet in the stirrups of the modified barding upon her serpent’s back, the young elf leaned in close. Her body angled to reduce as much wind drag as possible. Her leathers were soaked through and the rain mottled the goggles she wore, visibility was at an all time low. But she trusted her companion and made her rounds regardless. Her heart pounding in her chest as she gripped the reins tighter and gave little in the way of direction, allowing a free flight for the magnificent crimson beast. The creature was attentive to the rider as only the intelligent cloud serpents could be, heeding subtle motions and mannerisms in response to her handler, but she was blissfully aware that they were off circuit.

Speed and elegance. Power and beauty. The iridescence of her crimson scales would be illuminated by periodic flashes of lightning and in response the creature would emit a low rumbling growl as her own electricity wicked away from her body with the ever increasing speed. She was nothing if not a beast for show, and the spectators knew this. The elf lowered her body, knees high and her thin form crouched almost flat to her serpent’s spine. It had taken getting used to, but she knew the tells now. The elven rider held her breath and the spectators that remained to watch in the crowd let a collective gasp and cheer escape as the crimson serpent surged forward with an almost blinding amount of speed. Lightning rolled off of her scales in a dazzling display that almost made it seem as though they had displaced themselves in the blink and flash of the current. Reappearing much further ahead of their previous position and becoming a shrinking spectacle on the horizon line as they circled out over the sea and began to disappear behind the mountainous formations.

When they had disappeared along the horizon again, people would break to step away from the stands and seek refuge from the elements. Wanting to warm themselves and partake of a hot meal.

A few stragglers remained and a pair of Sin’dorei stood quietly together watching until they couldn’t see her any longer. 

“Is that the one you mentioned?” The smaller female asked as she adjusted a hat atop her head and was careful to keep the umbrella up above him. The male folded his arms across his chest and didn’t respond immediately but would eventually nod gesturing towards the commons where many of the tourists had taken refuge. They slipped away with little else said and found a place to dry off and warm up.