Firiona Vie Everquest

(( First, this is an ongoing piece from "A Quest for Humanity" . Which I anticipate this piece will lead back there at some point.

Second, I apologize for the length of this post.... Seems my "writer-ness" got a hold of my creative muse and they collaborated on this piece. I just couldn't figure out how, nor bear to, shorten it any further (and believe me it's shortened! :p ). Not the best I've written, but it is still a decent piece. Sorry folks. ))

They arrived in Everfrost, the tall Shaman and his friend. The small Feir’dal female quickly sets to making her catatonic friend comfortable. Amber eyes of the wolf look up at him with a certain sadness. “I’m sorry I failed you, my friend.” she whispers. She lowers her eyes before her small form shivers from the cold. Her tiny fingers begin working her packs pulling furs and rope in preparation of travel. Her father had taught her to travel in this nearly barren land where survival was hard, and the weather harsh.

Lugging a large bear fur from one of her packs she set it upon the shoulders of the Shaman, a brother of sorts. Avoiding direct eye contact that would break her heart she sets about securing the fur tightly around his body. Smaller cuts of fur are tied around his feet, legs and head, with an opening in the front for him to breathe.

Whispered grunts and gasps slip past her lips that shiver in such cold while her petite and frozen fingers work to secure furs around her boots and leggings. She hunkers a large fur over her shoulders pulling the hood up over her head. Her mind wandering once to the others still at the battlefield. “No.” she thought, “They will be alright. They had heard me tell them to evacuate.” and pushes the thought of them away. She had to care for her friend, but first she needed to speak to him.

Holding her hand up to protect her eyes from the snow that swirled and blew around them she peers into the distance. It was far, it was too far, and she knew she couldn’t carry him. Worried eyes raise up towards the Shaman then lower with a sigh as her heart slowly breaks. The people were torn, the tribe drawn apart by their own beliefs. Were they right? Was she really nothing more than a witch? An evil infecting their people? She just couldn’t believe it was true.

A large polar bear trudges through the thick snow directly towards them, his growl low and rumbling. It was Pashen, a bear with the wisdom of the ages that she had unwittingly attempted to hunt on her first solo hunting trip. Their relationship since that fateful day had grown to a deep-forged friendship. Stopping in front of the small elf he lets out a loud groan bringing a smile to her lips tinted with a hint of blue from the bitter cold. The bear moves in position and Mujbura helps Stormfollower onto him before moving up to the bears head digging her frozen fingers deep into the fur behind his ear, “Thank you, my friend.”

So it was she led the way, though never allowing Stormfollower out of her sight. Picking up branches along the way she would place them on her back. Light hums fill the air around them as she sings soothing songs to keep her lungs and voicebox from freezing in the bitter cold. She points at a dome shaped structure that appears in the distance, “There.” she states to Pashen.

Reaching the structure she dismounts the Shaman from the bear helping him inside. She tries to ignore his state as he stands there silent while she prepares a bed for him. Pulling furs from her packs she lays them out before lowering her friend upon it. Avoiding his direct gaze she stacks the twigs and sticks then whispers a prayer to Tunare who blesses the child with a small fire. “Thank you.” she whispers feeling less than worthy.

Pashen stands outside in the snow ready to ward off any who would enter the area while Mujbura sits beside Stormfollower inside the now warm building. As instructed one ear remains quirked backward towards the small building to listen for any calls for help.

Quickly blinking away the tears that sting her eyes her tiny fingers pull a few small leaves from her pack. Her eyes never leave Stormfollower as she places the herbs into her mouth, her face cringing from the bitter taste. She chews the herb but doesn’t swallow before leaning over him. She pauses a moment, this was a brother of sorts. Shaking her head she reminds herself being taught this method by the other Shamans to help an unconscious person take much needed medicine. But this wasn’t medicine. It was, in all honesty, for her.

She places her tiny fingers on his cheek thinking, “Tunare, Gods of the North,” pausing for a moment she looks upon this great man, “Stormy,,,, please forgive me.” With that, she ever so slowly leans over him, hesitating for a moment just once more, before closing her eyes and lightly pressing her lips to his.

She parts her lips slightly allowing the now mixed solution to pass between his lips. She holds her lips against his gently until she hears his reflexes cause him to swallow. Swallowing down the herb she hugs the brother of her heritage whispering, “Stormy, please forgive me.”

Her eyes flutter within moments as the effect of the herb begin to take effect. The fire builds as orange and yellow seem to dance off the once white walls. It all becomes so hazy as she sits up looking around the small room. Normally straight lines of the ice blocks seem to twist and shift causing her to blink her eyes a few times.

Her tiny body sways as the herb begins to run deeper within her system. Fighting the drug she raises her eyes to the heavens whispering, “Mother, help your child. Gods of the North, help your son.” Laying next to Stormfollower she envelopes them both under the bear furs, the last words uttered, “We come into your arms, lead us.”

Darkness around, whispers everywhere, she feels herself moving but is unsure to where. Glowing amber eyes are the only light in the darkness even she cannot see in. She hears the whispers of many, too many to make out a single sentence. It was the voice of dreamers past, voices Stormfollower had always heard and mastered the skill to listen and understand. She finds her own lost voice as she calls out, “Stormy…?” She seemed to be walking, but in this darkness was unsure. She had watched others practice this art, but never herself. She calls out his name again. She had yet to realize she is lost in his dream, the dream of a comatose consciousness.

With her arms stretched to their fullest she walks in the darkness her fingers spread wide like sensors on an insect. Nothing, she felt nothing and her heart began to race. What had she done? She had visited similar places with Nasorin, but she always knew he was right there. She closes her eyes remembering his whispered words in the darkness, “Open your mind, don’t rely on open eyes to see.”

Whispers become formed words, still jumbled although sentences became more clear. Her bare skin could feel a light breeze that existed within this dark plane. Even emotions were felt as if they were her own. A dense forest of souls speak to her as she walks past them. Strife, uncertainty and sadness,,,, become stronger as she continues her blind path.

She can feel her feet stop as she hears sounds off in the distance. “Here?” she says to herself within her mind. A long, gently inhaled breath that slowly is released brings her mind farther into this land she had only heard of as her feet begin moving forward once more. Low rumbles become louder, the sounds appearing in her mind as if an artist were sketching her thoughts onto canvas with each step.

Her feet stop suddenly as the charcoal strokes within the artists hand of her mind become lucid images and she finds herself standing within a few dangerous feet of two fierce wild animals locked in battle.

A great black jaguar fought against a sabre toothed tiger. Tumbling and gnashing at each other they fought ferociously, neither one giving up even an inch of ground. The tiger appeared to have the upper hand in size but the jaguar was sleek and nimble easily countering the vicious thrusts of the sabre teeth. It was impossible to tell which one might win this fight.

In a great upheaval of motion they flew apart for a moment and the jaguar spoke.

“Remis, to fight here is futile. Everyone is equal in this realm. Neither one of us can win.”

“Then we will fight forever father!” The sabre tooth roared at the jaguar and leaped forward, launching the two great cats into another bloody battle.

Mujbura was shocked at what she could see within this plane of existence. She couldn’t understand why here, of all places, the animals would fight. Until, of course, they spoke. “How ignorant I am.” she thought to herself. “How could I not know I would end up in this realm with them?” For some reason she had thought she would only be with Stormfollower and the Gods. Unless it was they that had guided her path to this place.

The battle between the animals continue, equally matched and unrelenting on either side. She is unsure what she can do, but knows she cannot stand idly by and watch these two wage on for eternity. Pushing tears aside she runs towards them, her pace quickening with shorter steps. With one great leap a pure white wolf lands into the mix as the word, “Stop!” is barked out in a snarl between bared teeth.

Startled by her appearance Remis leaps back onto a rocky ledge a few feet above them, his huge sabre teeth dripping with the unabating dream-blood of his father.

"This is between me and him witch!" He snarled the words at Mujbura. "Your meddling will do nothing now! My father and I have met our fate...To be forever trapped within Cerissa`s amulet fighting to a death wich will never come."

Stormfollower smoothly slinked over beside Mujburra, his sleek black fur and barley visable mottling a stark cointrast to Mujburas snow white coat. "That is just it Remis, death is always come. The state no different than what we are experiencing now."

He turned to Mujbura. " I dont know how you found us friend, but I thank you for making such a trip."

He cast his gleamingfeline eyes sharply back towards Remis his slitted pupils now fixed to his sons.
"Remis this reality we are in is not fixed to any object in the real world at all and though it has connections to the place we just left it is also conected to all other places in our world and a miriad of others."
Reimis only blinked in the short pause that followed. His angry mind trying to deal with the changing tides of his deepest emotions.
"It is only your insistence on the solidity of this palce that binds you here... the sooner you realise this the sooner we can have Mujbura lead us safely out. Back to your family, your friends, and the safety of the Aspen Grove."

Far off in the safety of the Aspen Grove Jetamio kept watch over the twins. Remis lay still and unresponsive, only the rise and fall of his chest giving any indication that he lived at all. Radha however thrashed and moaned in her sleep, calling for Remis and sometimes her father. Jetamio had removed her armour, and while her under garments were still stained with blood her wound was completely healed.

The Druid didn't really know what to do for Radha... she knew now that she shared her brothers gift but also that she had very little control over it. Jetamio felt helpless and frustrated.

A bard arrives in the Aspen Grove...

"Lady Jetamio!" The bard exclaims. "It is good that I have found you. Tajer and the rest are safely at Gill-Alani in The Commonlands. Do you need their assistance here or will you join them there once your children are safe? There are others still searching for your Husband and the one called Mujbura."

Another bard arrives in Everfrost and runs a seeking pattern until his tracking senses pick up Mujbura and Stormfollower. The young Half-Elf runs quickly to them to find them both unconscious in their shelter and guarded by Mujbura's companion. The bard sees that they are as safe as can be for now and runs back toward the Commonlands to report.

A few hours later the Bard returns and sits nearby waiting for the two to awaken.

In an animalistic greeting she nuzzled into Stormfollowers sleek fur as she leaned against him for only a moment. Saddened eyes raises to Remis, “He will never understand.” she thinks to herself. She nuzzled Stormfollower silently once more, she wasn’t sure what she would find when she came to this plane, but was glad he was grateful for her presence.

Her canine head tilts as she looks sadly upon the young man Remis, she had no idea how to convince him but knew she had to speak to him. Mujbura walks to the bottom of the rock where Remis stands. “Remis”, she began, “Your father came here of his own will, as did I.”

She pauses but a moment hoping he will heed her words, “If you refuse to recognize how you need your family. Please at least recognize how your family needs you. Your father had placed himself in a most vulnerable state to come here after you, placing himself in much danger. For you, Remis. He has done this for you.”

“Can you not see how your vision has been tainted by hates hand? The melody within your mind twisted into a concerto of pain and anger? There is only one way to remove that pain, Remis. Follow your father, follow him to the peace where the ancients wait to embrace you. Your journey is not as dark as you may believe.”

She stands on all fours again, one of her front legs bending lowering her body in a kneel as she lowers her head removing her eyes from him to lower them as well, “I implore you to become the great Dreamer you are truly destined to become.”

"You are lying. The both of you! There is no way to escape from the Amulet unless its owner gives her consent, You seek to lead me into some kind of ambush and kill me outright as my ever so loving father has tried before." Remis crouched down in preparation to pounce.

"No Remis, we can find a way out of here and as I am shaman of the tribunal you know all my words must be truth. The ethereal wilderness between here and the real world is vast and frought with dangers but with your help we can escape. We need you, with your powers of dream weaving to keep Cerissa`s beeiving we are still in one place, fighting or something interesting like that to keep her attention fixed on us there. I will emit a veil of dream fog around our present possition to keep us safe from her eyes and those of any other denizens of the paths between worlds. I promice you son, once we are safely within the Aspen Grove you wil be free to do as you choose, your trial by sea has given you that right."

Remis looked spitefully down on his father. "A trial? So this is how you "test" your family? By setting them adrift on the sea without provisions or any hope of navigating to shore?"

"And yet you managed to find one." Stormfollower returned his sons stare for many moments before speaking again. "Decide Reimis there is not much time before we are discovered here."

"I will follow you and weave the deception you ask, It will not be hard for me to distract her,i know just what she wants from me."

"Excellent!" Stormfollower looked now to Mujburra. "Lead us, True Wolf. Only you can find the way back now."
A thin fog began to form slowly around them untill it was thick enough to turn thier world white, The horrizon dissapeared and the distance was no more to be seen. Only the sounds, muted by the now dence fog gave them any sence of direction.

Pashen sniffs the air catching the scent of the Bard and moves towards the small entrance of the dwelling sitting down protectively in front of it. A growl rumbles from his chest as he settles upon the snow nonchalantly laying his head on his snow-white paws looking directly in the Bards direction.

Meanwhile within the dream world Mujbura raised to all fours, she backs towards Stormfollower keeping her amber-glowing eyes on Remis. She wasn’t sure she could trust him. In fact, she was positive that she couldn’t. But it was Stormfollowers son, and even after all that has happened, being his son allowed him some level trust.

Through her insecurity once more she calls upon the Gods for assistance. Sitting on her haunches she raises her muzzle to the heavens, the howl of the lost calling upon the Gods for direction. A gentle breeze flows through her fur, slightly ruffling it in the chilled air.

Mujbura nods towards Stormfollower with a canine huff as the fog continues to thicken around them. The glow from her eyes fade as she closes them. The artists hand once again begins to sketch the scene around them. She sniffs the air a few times, the scent of Stormfollower and his son set to her memory.

She leans against Stormfollower once more, a caring embrace for a beloved. The artist clearly sketching the lands they trek through, she cannot help but wish Stormfollower could see it too. It was so beautiful, so indescribably perfect.

She comes to a fork in the path then turns to the two males, “We cannot go further,,,, together. This path,” she pauses indicating the one to their left, “is for Remis. Can you see it Remis?” She states with a level of calmness turning to face the two with both eyes still closed, “It leads to your destiny, to the end of your captivity. It is not your father, nor the Tribunal, nor other Gods or persons holding you. You must go to Cerissa, you must distract and conquer her on your own.”

With lowered head she states, “We cannot accompany you. You must do this so we all can leave this place she has you trapped within. Fates of all are in your hands, Remis. Including those of your sister, tribe and any descendants.”

The bard smiles toward the polar bear and plays a song of friendship...

Remis stood at the crossroads of the dreamrealm his eyes focussed on the gaping maw that was the entrance to the path Mujburra had revealed. He looked at his father and was about to object but the old shaman only nodded towards the opening and Remis knew there was no deception. It only made sence, Cerissa wanted him not his father or Mujbura. He trudged towards the opening and reluctantly dropped his Saber-tooth form. In some small way it had comforted him to be that animal but now his dreams must be of headier things. the darkness of the hole engulfed him and he revealed his true dream presence to her, the illusion that had allowed them to reach the threshhold of the real world dropped.

Muburas words resonated in his mind

...your sister

His demons crawling from the shadows, his fathers nod, the star people calling, his mothers voice, his sisters shocked look, all these things swirled around his mind but did not confuse him this time, Now they harmonised thier common message sharpening his focus into an ice cold point. The reflection of himself through others forming a crucible wich refined his angst into the pure white ash of his destiny.

He smelled her pressence, her attention clearly on him now.

"Good evening, Cerissa." he spoke with uncharacteristic calm and confidence.

Cerissa sits at the vanity in her room staring into the mirror, with the veil removed her reptilian eyes shown as a testament of her psychotic grand-fathers greatness. Placing her elbows on the marble vanity top she rests her chin on her balled fists. Her mind wanders to thoughts and images of her past. Promises, prophecies, all the foretellings of her future seemed such a distance away.

With a long sigh she rises from the vanity walking towards her six-poster bed. The flames from the fireplace light up her nude body in an odd tint of orange caressing against the blue curves of her body. Her body stretches across the red, silken sheets, her arms and legs pushing themselves to their fullest with a soft, pleasurable sigh.

The grin of her heritage darkens her face as she places one hand on the amulet whispering, “Come to me in a dream, my darling.” Sleep quickly enveloping her as she closes her eyes.

“Good evening, Cerissa.” Pulls her from gazing upon the dark forest off her balcony. She turns to face him leaning against the fine stone railing, her hands at her sides also resting against the railing.

“Remis.” She states plainly with a pleased grin. A single eyebrow quirks as she rhetorically asks, “Why do you come to me so willingly even after your betrayal?” Her feet cross further relaxing against the railing, “Perhaps a better question is why do I still summon you?” Her head tilts slightly while her eyes roam his body before returning to her gaze to his eyes.

The bear raises its head and groans out a loud groan in response to the Bards song. While the music was enjoyed, he was not allowing anyone near the entrance. Pashen sniffs the air around him, keeping himself aware of all the scents in the vicinity. Another growl and deep huff and the bear lowers his head to his paws once more, still keeping a wary eye on the Bard while enjoying the music.