Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » ~Paying The Price~

Raven stared on as Will had placed the collar around his neck, and said those words that would cause her to shudder as it brought back memories of recent past. Once the collar was secured around his neck, and he would be ordered to accompany them, she would release the vines around Pentre's feet. She looked to will in appreciation as she attempted to wipe the tears of her eyes, though for every tear she wiped, more would seem to flow from her tear ducts despite her not wanting them to. She looks between Lilim and Will, embarrassed to have them see her like this as she just sighs and grips her own arm, keeping her head parallel to the ground before speaking up.

"You have that collar on him, right? That means hes bound to you...you can simply order him to stay....and as for Merthyr, this all happened because I promised the king I would bring his son back, so I'll go and get him. I think I've caused enough problems for one day...I'll head out in the morning. We've all had a long night...Now, if you'll excuse me..."

She says before turning and walking away towards the sound of rushing water before anybody really had the chance to protest. She needed time to calm down, and so did Crow for that matter. Once she had reached the nearby waterfall, she would sit down by the water's edge and pull her feet up to her chest, burying her head in them as she sobbed her eyes out. Partially for Crow's sake, but partially because of what had just happened. Crow had been extremely close to losing it, and they were close to reliving the mistakes of Raven's past. Crow was crying as well, which just made the tears even worse.

"I-I'm so sorry for what happened Crow..."

She says through sobs. Crow had been crying so much that she was just to tired to cry anymore. She had been dead for years. For at least 18 years. She had some wisdom under her belt, having lived longer than Raven. She sighs Raven enters their mind so she's face to face with Crow, who approaches her and hugs her.

"I accepted her offer to save him, and I lived the remainder of my life helping others who needed me...I'm ashamed to have once been able to call myself human...but at the same time, I don't think he was upset. I don't think he hated me for doing what I did. After all, we always promised that in the end, we would eventually be together...but I'm here with you,
Raven. While I may not be reunited with him, I see his qualities within you. So, in a weird way, it's like I AM with him, you know?"

She says as Raven continues to sob. She hugs Raven tightly and strokes her head.

"I swear, were going to kill that bastard one day. By the time Were through with him, he'll be begging us for death. But despite everything he's said, I've had 18 years to mourn the both of us. As angry as I am, I promise I won't hurt him, for your sake. But right now, we need to rest. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

She says to Raven as she nods and exits their inner mind, opening her eyes to watch the flowing water glisten in the moonlight and listen to the crickets chirping. It was so serene like, and she couldn't help to almost feel a bit better just being somewhere like this. After awhile, once she's collected herself, she goes back to the group, only to walk in on Robin mentioning the Prince. She decides to stay in the shadows, mainly to be out of the way of the fire, and listen in on what he had to say so she could go and retrieve the prince.

Sally snuck closer to Merthyr and set to work. Or... Tried to at least. The sounds of the whip cracking against Taff's flesh caused her purr to become a furious growl as she actively winced at every blow he received. Unlike other cats who would have just hid and watched Taff take the beating, Sally actively detested whips after having spent a couple hundred years in a realm of the afterlife getting whipped and tortured EVERY DAY until she was found by her now master and acting parole officer, Prince Cosmus of the Tartarus. She would see Merthyr healed alright, but she would see Taff spared as well. One more lash was all it took before Sally sprung to her feet and roared like a tigress, her voice piercing the air and acting to make several of the men jump. Her true aim was to startle Aynor and draw his focus away from Taff as she collected Merthyr as a free prize and activated her magic, one more roar while she had ahold of Merthyr and she'd warp to a new location in a flash of red lightning.

Almost a mile off the beaten path away from the bandits and now well hidden in the tall golden grass, Sally would be sated if she heard Aynor giving chase and leaving Taff with what wounds he had already suffered and not dealing him any additional ones. She'd lay Merthyr on his back and started to purr, "Sally heal you now, traveler... Other good traveler safe. But need plan. Sally take blame for taking you as prize, but you be found by bad men again soon. You tell little fib for Sally. Tell them another being chase the huntress away and tried healing you before they chase other being away. Ropes too tight... Sally fix... But try not to move hands too much, ok? Sally weaken ropes, you able pull free if want. Also, eyes... Sally make trick so can peek out, keep bad men fooled. Rest for now. Sally leave when bad men get closer, and they come soon." she says calmly through her open telepathy. She'd let the men get about 30 yards from them, then snuck a soft snuggle to Merthyr's cheek and took off running, rustling the grass noticeably so they'd find him, though in much better shape than he had previously been in.

Audemar looked at the young elf, "Lwyncelyne, I may be powerful but my magic isn't gracious. My magic is dark but I had honorable intentions when I received them." he paused then spoke, "I only received them by choice to heal my dying mother. When I went to heal her, she died. That's when I knew I've been conned, made a fool of."

Lilim gasped and placed her hands on Will's wrists, but only rested her hands on him while looking into his eyes and mouthing 'thank you' to him. Only once he had the collar completely secure and Pentre was under control would Lilim back away, "Will... Quickly, command him to void my Parley contract... I'm bound by my code to protect him no matter what so long as the contract remains intact. To void it, he need only physically strike one of the magic users around here, or aim his sword toward Elesa. She's hidden in that bush there. Call her close and command him to draw his sword. Please, I don't want to be contracted to this disease... Please free me, I beg of you." she whispers quickly.

She'd have liked to have gone after Raven, but it appeared Raven will have calmed herself and made her peace before Lilim ever had the chance to get to her. As of now, Lilim only hoped that Will would free her of her contract before Pentre figured out that Lilim is a spare key to the collars, and could easily dispel the collar's enchantment with her Siphon magic. As of the moment she was counting her blessings that Pentre had not already thought of that. She only hoped Will would hear her whispers and act before Pentre caught on that he still had Lilim under contract as a protector.

Elesa would see a pattern to the way Lilim was moving her tail. In all the time Elesa had spent with Lilim, she had learned to read a bit of Lilim's body movement, and her tail was giving away that she was panicking over something and was whispering through her teeth to Will. As the bad man seemed to have gotten under control, Elesa would emerge from the bush and run toward Will and Lilim, almost on cue with Lilim's pleads.

While remaining hidden in the shadows, she sighs and looks back towards the water. She may have managed to calm herself down, but that didn't mean she was ready to be near the others. In fact, the only reason she had even walked back to the group was because she thought that Robin would have information on Merthyr's whereabouts. If he wasn't going to talk, she would walk away, going back to the waterfall before sitting down at the water's edge and sticking her feet in the water. She would tap her finger on the waters surface, watching the ripples and thinking, before once more listening to the faint chirping of the insects hidden amongst the grass. Soon enough, she would start humming a melody to herself as she slowly allowed herself to slide into the water and rested her head against the edge, staring up at the full moon.



^(sorry, i had a bit of trouble finding the short version. you dont gotta listen to the whole video, just the beginning of it)

She continued humming the melody, while Crow would remain silent, knowing the significance of this song to her. Raven didn't even care that she was fully clothed, she just wanted a peaceful moment, and this seemed like it. Though she would have to get the prince's whereabouts from Robin eventually, considering he played the part of a helpless captive really well. Though the real question was whether or not Pentre would buy the act. As much as she wanted to just end that miserable cowards life, in a way, this was like him serving his punishment. Bound by a collar to follow the commands of the very people he despised, the very same thing he had done to her, and so many other's like her. Her mind then went to Lilim and the contract. Though she was bound by a parley to uphold it, he wouldn't be able to do much about it, and there was no way of knowing what Lilim's limitations were. She could easily claim ignorance, but that would go against a certain moral code that assumedly all magical beings had. All the while, she would continue to hum this melody aloud, as it was extremely calming to her. The song bringing back memories of her ladyship, and how in the beginning she would sing this song to her to help calm her down. It was one of the few things her ladyship had left behind for Raven, and it was one of the things she treasured most.

Merry wrenched at being reminded of her dark half. And took a step back with tears starting to form as she heard Lwyncelyne say her whole family had Dark Elf sides. But what cut her the deepest was when she called Serif "Lord" and claimed him to be a Dark Elf, "You're wrong... Serif is no Dark Elf... He is a pure hearted hero of all Forest Elf kind... Dark Elves only form when an elf experiences the trauma of a heavy loss... As I have... Lwyncelyne, I watched helplessly as my whole village was killed by the bandits that I led back to them... I carry the blame for all of their lives on my shoulders... That's why I have sworn never to open my eyes again and only use my Auric Sight to see. I can agree though that healing is first nature to all Forest Elf females. It's just in our nature to be skilled healers." she says in a protesting but quiet tone, smiling at the end of it.

Meanwhile, Glitter the Unicorn would have watched Raven wander off and moved to evade the fire and follow her. He'd skillfully track her magic and approach as she rested in the water, humming to herself. He'd lean in close and channel his magic into his golden horn, "That is a beautiful melody." he says calmly through a powerful close range mental contact that Raven and Crow would hear in their minds, hoping they wouldn't mind a little non-sentient company for a moment. Perhaps Raven would be able to talk to a beast easier than a person at present, as it seemed she was being distant to all of her friends even though they did nothing wrong. He could sense that Lilim was especially worried about her, and yet still Raven left all alone. Glitter was a strong, majestic equine, and rather good company and a good mentor if he was allowed to be. The proof was in the pudding as he has been poor Merry's rock for going on 3 years now. Surely he could bring some peace of mind to Raven, or at least keep her company so she wouldn't be ambushed all alone by any of the known bandits yet roaming the woods looking for others to 'play their games' with.

In the midst of her humming, Raven and Crow would hear a third voice echoing from inside their mind. It wasn't like they weren't used to hearing one another, but this voice was unfamiliar to them. Raven sat up and whirled around, only for her eyes to widen in surprise at the unicorn standing behind her. She had never seen a unicorn before, and this was surely a sight to behold. What made it more shocking was that there was nobody else around, meaning that the person talking to them was, infact, the unicorn. She lets out a slow sigh of relief, her body relaxing before turning back into her original position to look up at the stars and the moon while sitting in the water.

"Thank you..."

She says, curious as to why a unicorn would follow her. Though she wasn't about to question it. Though she started to think about her friends. She had been alone most of her life aside from her ladyship, so usually when things started going sour, she could only rely on herself. It was a habit she would have to start learning how to break, but there is also the fact that she was embarrassed that her friends had seen her in such a state as before. Not to mention the fact she was afraid to go off again if Pentre decided to be a smart ass and saying something he knew would upset Crow and/or Raven. She felt it better to distance herself from everyone else for the moment, not because of anything that they did, but because she was embarrassed and thought this was the best thing she could do for herself and for the others. Though another thought that lingered with her was the sudden presence of this unicorn. Why did it follow her? And more importantly, what did it want with her? She didn't know much about unicorns, and didn't want to seem rude, so she kept her questions to herself and just continued to stare at the moon and stars, waiting to see what it would say or do next.

"I have had these abilities ever since I traded something most valuable to me," Audemar began, "my father's ring. I gave it to the conman so that I could use light magic to heal my mother and we would no longer had to live on the gravel. I found the conman a century ago when I was, then, twenty-seven." The story seemed to be filled with burden. "He was a crotchety old man still conning innocent people," Audemar said. He chocked up at this part, "My heart was filled with darkness all my life after and in a fit of rage, I killed him. I took my father's glowing ring from the sorcerer's finger. Since then, I never physically aged. The act of avenging my mother granted me immortality."

"I've sought anyone who could help me," Audemar chuckled, "as an old man, I have spent most of my life with this magic and it has plagued me." He found a plant and put his finger on it and watched it decay.

"Oh trust me," Audemar said softly, "I want to kill that man, maybe more than anyone."

Will looked at Lilim, hearing her voice, and nodded. He then put his hand on Pentre's shoulder and whispered into his ear. "Void the Parley with Lilim. But remember this, is you even attempt to draw your sword on anyone of use, I'll skin you alive and leave what's left for Lilim, and then maybe I'll send your 'parts' to Conrad in a bag made from your own skin." Will said before turning and seeing Elesa. He smiled at her as the dark and intimidating side seemed to disappear and his light hearted and friendly side he always showed to her came out, almost like he changed masks. "Hey there Elesa." Will said to her, stepping a few feet away from Pentre.

Merry gasps as she hears Lwyncelyne speak of a royal pardon, tearing up and holding pixel a little tighter before realizing she was starting to get upset and moves Pixel to her shoulder, "Lwyncelyne, I wouldn't want a pardon... I want nothing to do with any kind of royalty... I have a hard enough time as it is just interacting with others when there's no one around in need of healing... I don't even go by my last name anymore, not even as a formality. I've blinded myself to physical vision to make amends for being a naïve little girl, but that's still not enough to bring my village back... My family, everyone I knew while I was growing up... If they were in the village at the time of it's fiery destruction, then they're dead. Nothing I can do will ever bring them back... Now please... Stop..." she says before taking a step back and gasping as her tears began to consume her, turning and running back to Moonlight, whom by this point was standing alone.

Pixel would have been thrown from her shoulder as Merry ducked and started to run, fluttering and floating in place as she watched Merry run away, frowning and feeling really sorry for Merry. Pixel knew Merry blamed herself for all of it when really none of it was her fault. Sure she led the pair of humans back to her village, but she believed she was helping a couple of lost travelers, she didn't know they were bad people. Pixel would sigh lightly, "She'll forgive her kidnapper for putting her in ropes and chains, but she's still not willing to forgive herself for events that were not her doing..." she says calmly before flying off after Merry.

Organna would walk over to Will, Lilim, and Pentre, glaring at Pentre for a moment before looking to Will, "Hey bud? Can I borrow your toy here for a sec? I got something to say to 'im." she says politely. Picking Pentre up, she'd stand him on his feet and lean in close, "You're the one that put Merry in ropes and chains before ain't cha?" she asks in a quiet voice. Suddenly her fist would be doubled up and Pentre would feel Organna's shoulder jerk as the Orc Warrioress tries to plant a love tap in his gut so hard that it would put a dent in his armor in the shape of her fist and make him jump and fall to his knees again, but was stopped by the hand of Lilim, whom was still under contract to protect him. "Consider yourself lucky this time, worm... If Lilim wasn't protecting you... Mmm... And if you were my toy, I'd do a lot worse than a simple love tap. If you worship any kind of God, you better be thanking them that the fates were kind to you this time around." she says before turning to walk away, blinking to make her face change to a much calmer smile as she smells something, "Huh?... Ooh, is that Rabbit broth I smell? Hey could someone grab me a bowl?! I'm starving." she says as she starts toward Robin with a much kinder smile, patting Will on the shoulder as she walks by him, "Thanks bud." she says gratefully, leaving Pentre in his daze from the near blow to his gut. He'd best to thank Lilim for that one.

Glitter would look to Raven as she relaxed in the water again, using his magic to speak again, "Your friends are worried about you. Especially Lilim. Having met Lilim before, I know how kind she can be. You don't have to bottle up your sorrow around any of us. We all have our own pasts. Loved ones taken from us, debts we owe to others, friends that cannot survive without us. I know it's not easy to face your friends and allies when you'd rather be alone to cry, but if you think about it, taking such an unpredicted approach will only make those close to you worry all the worse." Glitter says before hearing noises coming from back with the others. "Take what time you need, but please come back and see your friends when you have your fill of this peace and privacy." he says in a calm tone, turning to leave and return to Merry, whom by now was clinging to Moonlight and crying her eyes out as she was reminded of the past.

She listens to the words the unicorn would say to her, before turning her head enough to watch her leave. She had never intended on not returning to her friends, but she needed a moment to collect her composure. Calm herself down. She didn't like it when others saw her at her most vulnerable, and she most certainly didn't need Pentre seeing her like this. For if he saw her in any more of a mentally weak place than she already was, he would almost certainly try to exploit it to make her do something he'd be able to use against not only her, but for all magic kind. She sighs as the unicorn walks away, muttering under her breath.

"Try having two different people's pasts to deal with..."

She says quietly before resuming the melody. After awhile, she had finally calmed down enough to go back, so she climbed up before looking down at herself. In retrospect, going in fully clothed wasn't the best idea, but still. She had debated about lighting herself on fire using her own fire, but ultimately decided against it. She would rather be soaking wet than risk burning herself into ashes. Though thinking about it, maybe she could bring her friends back some fish. After the events of today, it seemed like everybody might be hungry. She stands up and her eyes glow blue, before a trail of water rises out of the ground and floats towards her. She sticks her hand in and grabs enough fish for everyone, and some more in case people wanted more than one, before walking back to everyone and approaching Lilim quietly, holding up the fish.

"Hey...I thought maybe you could cook these, if you wanted to.."