Tales of Cadence

[Roadie]

Thank you all so much for your comments on the chapter! As always, I appreciate your feedback very much. <3

Kevvie: Obv I'll be framing it. It's super amazing. And I'm no fiend what are you talking about.

Swordmaster69: Taslin already pointed it out for me, but yes, Skylar is Raven's uncle and not his father. Thank you for your comment, though. <3 I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

Taslin: Awesome, I'm glad you're enjoying the story (and the reveals -- I was a little nervous about how I presented those, but I'm happy they're okay) as well.

KK Twain: Raven's aunt and uncle do know about her condition, yes. I'll be elaborating more on it later in future skits, too. (Same thing with the Spirits -- they're getting a sidequest kind of thing.)

Toku: Harriette's negativity is fun to write... And thank you for the comment. <3


And now, here's an uninteresting skit...


Skit: Do You Cook?, Part II

Elsynne: Raven, are you ready to eat? Dinner’s done.

Raven: …

Elsynne: Raven?

Raven: Huh? Oh, yeah. Let’s eat.

Elsynne: (I hope I made it right this time!)

Raven: …

Elsynne: (Good, he’s eating and he hasn’t turned green or anything yet.)

Raven: …

Elsynne: (He’s okay! Maybe I cooked everything right this time!)

Raven: …

Elsynne: (…But his facial expression hasn’t changed at all. He looks like he’s just eating without thinking about the food he’s putting in his mouth.)

Raven: …

Elsynne: Um, Raven? What do you think?

Raven: Huh? Oh…about what?

Elsynne: The food.

Raven: I haven’t really been paying attention to what I’m eating. Sorry, I’ve got a lot on my mind right now.

Elsynne: O-Oh, yeah. I’m sorry to bother you, then-

Raven: But if you really want to know…well, it’s kind of dry. I don’t think it’s supposed to be this spicy, either.

Elsynne: (S-So close…)
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[Toku]

Oh Elsynne...a testament to those characters who fail at cooking yet try anyway...

Nice skit!
_________________

[Kevvie]

[Haeztiger]

Hahaha
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Mystique is Tales Love. Sig and avatar by haez =^.^=

haeztiger37 -> Haeztiger

[Roadie]

Thanks for the comments on the skit.


Obligatory crapter comment, terrible writing, etc.


Chapter LVII


Raven could see Estershore farther along the road, bathed softly in the warm light of the late afternoon sun, but he wasn’t the least bit interested in returning to reunite with his companions. He felt completely weighed down by the thousands of thoughts swirling through his mind: everything Lianne had told them, the circumstances behind his upbringing, and, most importantly, his new, unfavorable connection with Skylar.

He shuddered visibly at the mere consideration of being related to the traitorous elf; it sickened him.

“Do you want to stop for a bit?” Elsynne suddenly asked, interrupting his jumbled brooding. “The others might not be there yet, so I don’t think it would hurt to rest.”

Raven shook his head before she even managed to finish her sentence.

“Then do you…want to talk about what happened, maybe?”

Again, only response was a wordless shake of his head.

“Oh.” Elsynne trailed off as she pulled absently at a strand of lavender-white hair. “At least we have some kind of lead. Lianne told us that Skylar was headed for Eus-Aen, right? I wonder why.”

“Dragonlings,” Raven muttered. “There are dragonlings there.”

“Yes, but why would he bother traveling out to Eus-Aen when he can make them himself with black magic? It doesn’t make sense…”

Raven shrugged halfheartedly. “Harriette will probably know if something’s out there. She usually knows stupid facts like that.”

Elsynne forced a small smile. “That’s true. Cymbeline might know something, too.”

They walked in silence for a while longer, enjoying the welcome quiet on the vacant plains. When he tilted his head back, Raven could see a faint tinge of purple in the cloud-splotched sky overhead, and he began to wonder if the black magic was slowly spreading to Austror.

‘Will everything be the same disgusting color as it is in Lavinia?’

“It looks like the cracks might be separating even more,” Elsynne said, giving voice to his thoughts. “Do you think this might have to do with the recent earthquakes we’ve felt?”

“But those were small. Most of them, anyway.”

“There have been a lot, though. It’s entirely possible.”

Raven nodded again, but his attention had already begun to drift elsewhere, back to the one person he was coming to hate more and more with each passing moment.

“If Skylar pushed Lianne’s husband into one of the cracks, why didn’t he survive?”

“Not everyone can survive that kind of strain,” Elsynne explained, taken off-guard by his abrupt question. “Black magic is very, very dangerous for your body. Most people die if they inhale too much.”

“What about Skylar and Ophelia?”

“I suppose their bodies may have had some natural immunity to it. But I don’t know how it all works, to be perfectly honest… Some people can survive it and others can’t. It’s one of those lucky things.”

“And I guess it doesn’t matter if you’re a human or an elf, either,” Raven added quietly. “Skylar’s a pureblood elf but Ophelia’s a pureblood human… Unless there’s something she’s hiding from us.”

Elsynne laughed. “No, I’m sure she’s fully human. The black magic just gives humans some ability to draw on the magical undercurrents in the earth. Not a lot…just some. Penna scientists have utilized that to make the Charms that Harriette uses, you know.”

Raven paused wistfully. “You know… I wonder what would happen to me if I fell in a black magic crack. I can use black magic because of Baldur, so I maybe I’d survive.”

“I wouldn’t take any chances if I were you, Raven. You might not be one of the lucky ones.”

“I know, I’m not going to try it.” He scowled at her and her looked up the trail again, shielding his eyes against bright rays of sunshine. Estershore was even closer now—talking to Elsynne had killed more time than he had been anticipating. He thought he could already hear the faint babble of the people in the city.

Elsynne froze in the middle of the trail and grabbed him by the arm. “Raven, listen,” she said.

Raven instinctively tried to pull himself from her grasp, but he stopped. His breath hitched in his throat; the sound he had accidentally interpreted as the friendly chatter of Estershore’s populace was actually a macabre chorus of muffled screams and shouts.

“What the hell…?” he hissed.

“I don’t know. Come on, we should go find out,” Elsynne said frantically. This time, when she guided him along, Raven didn’t try to pull out of her grip. The frantic cries they heard were growing louder and more ghastly as he followed her up the path and through the front gates of the city.

The cobblestone streets inside were bursting with people running back and forth between houses and the main square. Raven watched with—to his honest surprise—silent horror as the terrified citizens called out to one another, tripping over their own feet in their haste to escape from whatever was chasing them.

“What’s going on?!” Raven demanded, turning back to face Elsynne.

“I…I don’t know,” she replied. “We have to go to the plaza!”

Raven nodded and rushed through the crowds of people, shoving his way to the main square. He noticed now that most of the people seemed to be running away from the plaza and out of the city—the source of the trouble must be there, he thought. Raven forced himself to move faster, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword.

He and Elsynne skidded to a stop at the edge of the main square. Raven bit back a curse when he saw several groups of bronze-skinned dragonlings weaving through the throngs of people, hissing commands in their deep, baritone voices. Armed soldiers were trying valiantly to fend them off, but the creatures were too quick—the dragonlings easily shrugged off the attacks and dodged neatly to the side, using the confusion of the mob around them to their advantage.

“Why are they attacking Estershore like this?” Elsynne asked faintly.

“I have no idea,” Raven replied. “This is probably Skylar’s doing… I bet it’s his way of distracting us.”

“But from what?”

Raven drew his weapon as one of the dragonlings caught his eye and ran in the opposite direction. “We’re about to find out.”

He pushed through the hysterical masses and leapt toward the dragonling, stabbing at the creature with his sword. The dragonling didn’t sense him in the commotion until it was too late; Raven’s blade struck true and pierced the thick, scalene skin of his lower torso. The dragonling growled and spun around, shouting something in an unfamiliar language.

Raven dodged a pair of ivory white claws and spun to the left, swinging his sword in a haphazard arc. This time the dragonling was prepared—he grabbed the blade with his hands and pushed forward, ramming the hilt into Raven’s vulnerable stomach. Raven sputtered and staggered back a few steps, muttering an oath under his breath.

“Photon!”

A ball of light enveloped the dragonling’s body and exploded at Elsynne’s command. The creature grimaced, holding his chest as heavy droplets of blood spread across the dirt-stained clothing he wore. Raven braced himself, prepared for the seemingly inevitable counterattack, but instead the dragonling turned on his heel and fled.

Raven lowered his blade. “Why’d he run away like that? Damn it, I wasn’t finished!”

Elsynne appeared swiftly at his side, clutching her staff in her hands. “I don’t know… Maybe he knew he couldn’t win against two people?”

“I doubt it. Dragonlings don’t just up and run like that.” Raven quickly scanned the crowds; they were thinning out now and it was easier to see what was happening in the plaza. Most of the dragonlings—and people, aside from a few injured soldiers—were already gone. “All of the dragonlings are running away. But why?”

“I don’t know,” Elsynne said, frowning. “What should we do now?”

“I’m going after the one that ran. Maybe it’s going back to whoever’s commanding this attack.”

“I’m going to see if anyone’s hurt. I can heal them,” Elsynne offered. “I should be fine on my own. Besides, the others might already be here looking for us. I’ll see if I can find them.”

Raven nodded. “Right. I’ll meet you in front of the inn when I’m finished.”

“…Be careful,” Elsynne added in a hushed whisper as he hurried in the other direction.

Raven gripped his sword tightly in his hand; he already knew it was Skylar he was going to face. He preferred that Elsynne wasn’t there with him, anyway—deep down, he was fearful, and he hated to admit that even to himself. What if Skylar could make him turn back into the person he had become in the Tower? Would he really kill Elsynne this time if that side of him were given the chance? He knew it was still there despite what Elsynne had done; he could sense it constantly, hiding in the morose corners of his mind, waiting…

Raven shrugged off his morbid thoughts and ventured deeper into the city, glancing up and down the emptying streets as he passed them. Most of the people were escaping to the harbor or the roads outside of the city where they would be safe; Estershore was quieting down now as its once-loyal citizens left it behind.

Raven finally came to the end of the cobblestone road and stopped to catch his breath. He put a hand to his chest and breathed deeply, staring back up the path behind him before he pressed on. Aside from the occasional weary stragglers and soldiers, the path was completely deserted.

An arrow ricocheted off the stone beside him. Raven jumped away and looked up to the rooftops—there, he could see a familiar elven form outlined by the sun, standing arrogantly on the slick tiles above.

“I honestly wasn’t expecting to see you alive,” Skylar said, drawing another arrow from the quiver at his back. He twisted it in his gloved fingers, glowering furiously. “I thought I told Harriette to put you out of your misery!”

“Tough luck, huh?” Raven retorted with a smirk.

“Tch.” Skylar let his arm drop to his side, the arrow clenched firmly in his hand. “I’ve let you go one too many times, Raven. And you’re in luck again today—I don’t have time to continue our little game of cat and mouse. Maybe next time, hmm?”

“Don’t run away!” Raven spat, moving closer to the foot of the building. “Why did you order an attack on Estershore? I know you have some personal vendetta against me, but couldn’t you just leave the city alone? Come find us yourself!”

“I didn’t order an attack on Estershore.”

“You’re a goddamn liar!”

“No, I’m not,” Skylar corrected him. “Weren’t you paying attention? The dragonlings weren’t attacking people.”

“But the screaming-“

“The citizens were frightened. That was all.”

“That doesn’t make any sense! Why would you make your dragonlings scare people like this? What the hell are you trying to prove?”

Skylar glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed dangerously. “I don’t have the time to stand around and chat. Besides, you’ll find out on your own soon enough.”

“You bas-“

The ground began to shake lightly, cutting off the rest of Raven’s sentence. A dragonling howled somewhere in the distance—he couldn’t tell if it was in pain or if it was simply frightened by the unexpected earthquake.

“No!” Skylar’s fist clenched around his bow, and he cursed even louder as the tremors intensified. “No, damn it!”

Before Raven could question him, the elf jumped effortlessly to the ground beside him and ran up the street, dropping the arrow he had been holding. Raven raced after him and threw up his hands; this time, instead of summoning black magic, he conjured a burst of fire.

“Eruption!” he cried, concentrating the mass of magic on the ground beneath Skylar’s feet. The stones smoldered and turned cherry red before a fiery explosion sent Skylar flying across the street and into the side of a building.

“Don’t distract me now!” Skylar said, coughing violently as he put a hand to his chest. Scarlet blood trickled from the corner of his mouth before he wiped it away with the back of his arm.

“Tell me what the hell you’re trying to do first!” Raven demanded, jabbing at Skylar with his sword.

The elf blocked his attack with a barrier of black magic and stepped aside. “This isn’t the time!”

Skylar sent a curl of black magic in Raven’s direction. It hit him in the abdomen and he flew backward, hitting the ground with a painful thud. Raven’s head was spinning as he pushed himself awkwardly to his feet, stumbling several times before he regained his balance and continued his pursuit.

But the elf had already reached the plaza when Raven finally caught up to him.

“Stop!” Skylar was saying, his voice rising to a commanding shout. “Stop this now!”

Several dragonlings pounded past them and jumped up the walls of the stores and houses, landing with fluid grace on the rooftops overhead. Raven ran to Skylar’s side, his weapon gripped securely in his right hand. Elsynne and Harriette were standing together the middle of the main square, flanked by Felix, Stephen, Ilia, and Cymbeline. A few of the remaining dragonlings crouched nearby, nursing wounds.

“This isn’t good. We have to leave, now!” Skylar said. “Raven, I hate to ask, but…I want you to get Elsynne out of this city.”

Raven hesitated. “Me? Why?”

“Just do as I tell you!”

“No way! You were trying to kill me a few days ago! Why the hell should I listen to a single word you s-“

The earth shook brutally, drowning out whatever Raven said next. He staggered dizzyingly across the road, dropping his sword.

Skylar swore loudly. “Damn it, I’m too late!”

“The earthquakes!” Ilia cried before she lost her balance and hit the ground. Harriette reeled beside her, grabbing onto Elsynne for support.

“I can feel it!” Cymbeline said, tilting her head back to the darkening sky. “There’s so much black magic in the air! Can’t you sense it?”

Raven tried to take a step forward, but the street was shaking too violently for him to move without tripping. He involuntarily took Skylar by the arm and pulled the elf down with him, crying out when his jaw hit the hard sidewalk.

“Let go of me!” Skylar said, ripping himself from Raven’s grasp.

Before Raven could respond, a loud, ominous crack filled the air. Raven threw his hand over his nose and gagged; the bittersweet scent of black magic was overpoweringly strong now. Thick purple mist was swirling through the already tainted atmosphere above them, so dense that it looked as if it could be easily cut with the sharp blade of a knife.

The grating sound of stone against stone got even louder. Raven looked to the side and gasped; a long, jagged fissure shot across the ground, cleaving the plaza in half. Black magic shot from the new fracture and snaked into the sky, filling the air with a poisonous miasma. Raven coughed and sputtered, pushing himself away from the growing fissure. His mind was a flurry of chaos, much like the dying city around him; his thoughts shook, relentlessly barraged by that other presence. He reluctantly forced it aside, trying desperately to focus on the scene unfolding around him.

Skylar suddenly seized him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him back. The buildings around them began to collapse—some fell into the crack while others were reduced to rubble. Dust and debris filled Raven’s vision; he couldn’t see Elsynne and the others anymore.

“Come on! Use your legs!” Skylar cried over the din. The elf pulled him to his feet and let go of his shirt. Raven lurched after him, squinting past the curtain of dark mist as they ran to the edge of the city, the ground heaving unevenly beneath them.

Raven dared to look over his shoulder one last time. Estershore—the proud trade city that had dominated the continent of Austror for hundreds of years—was quickly being diminished to nothing in the wake of the black magic fissure.

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A moist sea breeze brushed across Raven’s clammy face as he stood silently on the beach, breathing in deep lungfuls of cool evening air. He was covered from head to foot in layers of dirt; his clothing and even his skin were tinged a dusty brown.

The once-blue sky was now a hazy purple, a sight familiar now after the incident in Lavinia. Somehow, the black magic in the atmosphere—which seemed to be making the others, aside from himself, Skylar, and Cymbeline, sick—made Raven feel even stronger. It was intoxicating, and he couldn’t get enough of it.

“Raven.” A soft hand landed gently on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Raven turned slowly and saw Elsynne standing behind him, her eyes still wide with raw fear. She was just as filthy as he was, and she had a few fresh cuts on her red-splotched cheeks and forehead.

“I’m fine,” Raven replied, finally coming to his senses. He looked back at Estershore—or rather, what little remained of it—and gave a solemn sigh.

“I’m so glad we all made it out alive,” Elsynne said, although she didn’t sound the least bit relieved. “When I lost sight of you and Skylar, I didn’t know what to do…”

“Yeah. He…helped me when I almost fell into the crack,” Raven said, frowning. “How did the rest of you manage to make it out?”

“We ran to the entrance of the city and got away before the crack made that impossible.”

“Oh…I see.” He lowered his head, trying in vain to calm the torrent of activity in his tired mind. The presence was still there against his wishes; there was no changing that. It wanted to take control now, to take advantage of him amidst the black magic and the bedlam—

“For the last time, I wasn’t ordering a dragonling attack on the city!”

Raven spun around at the sound of yelling and saw Skylar arguing with Harriette—the girl stood arrogantly with Felix and Stephen pacing on either side of her. Ilia was a few feet away, staring mutely at the ruins of the city.

“Then why were all of your stupid dragonlings running around like that?” Harriette demanded. “If you hadn’t pulled a stunt like that, we could’ve-“

“I was using them to help evacuate the people from Estershore,” Skylar interrupted. “I had no other choice. I had to get everyone out before it was destroyed.”

“How did you know something like that was about to happen?” Stephen asked.

“Didn’t you feel all the recent earthquakes? I went out to the main fissure on this continent and checked—it’s been moving closer and closer to the city ever since Elsynne performed the ceremony. It was bound to happen sooner or later…and it looked like it decided to happen sooner.”

“So her ceremony did unleash more black magic, to some degree,” Harriette said pensively.

Elsynne’s entire body went rigid. “I…I did that? Estershore’s destruction was my fault?”

“Essentially, yes,” her younger sister replied bluntly.

“Harriette!” Felix clenched his fists, and for a moment Raven thought that the boy was going to punch her in the face.

“What? There’s no use sugar-coating it.”

Skylar glanced briefly at Raven. “It might’ve been Raven’s ceremony that triggered it,” he suggested.

“That’s impossible. He never performed his ceremony. We stopped him, remember? It was my sister’s doing. Her ceremony did this,” Harriette pressed, much to Felix’s dismay.

Elsynne put a hand weakly to her mouth. “I… But I didn’t mean to! I didn’t mean to destroy Estershore!”

“It’s not her fault!” Felix protested. “If her ceremony hadn’t been interrupted, none of this would’ve happened! Right, Skylar?”

Skylar nodded. “That’s absolutely right.”

“Shut up, will you?” Raven cut in, glaring at the overconfident elf. “The ceremony might have caused this, but throwing the blame on Elsynne’s shoulders isn’t going to solve it. What’s done is done. We can’t do anything to go back and change it.”

Felix lowered his head. “Raven…do you think Elsynne did it?”

“Who cares? All I know is that that damn fissure just destroyed an entire city and killed Baldur knows how many people.”

“Things like this weren’t happening before my sister performed Amalthea’s ceremony,” Harriette pointed out. “I never should have allowed her to go through with it… This is my doing as well.”

Skylar rounded on Raven. “If you hadn’t interfered, I would’ve had most of the people out in time! But now so many died…!”

“You could’ve explained yourself a little better,” Raven said harshly.

“Think about it. Would you have listened to me if I told you what I was trying to do? Answer me honestly.”

“…No, I wouldn’t.”

“Exactly.”

“Now you’re just trying to pass the blame off on Raven,” Stephen accused, sighing resignedly. “Let’s just drop it for now. We have more important things to discuss than who’s responsible for this mess.”

Raven twisted away from the others and saw Elsynne kneeling on the ground, grabbing fistfuls of loose sand in her hands. He couldn’t see her face, but he could only imagine what her expression looked like; already he could visualize her deeply remorseful anguish in his mind’s eye.

“I suppose whatever information you got from Lianne is useless now,” Harriette said dismally, bringing him out of his reverie.

Skylar perked up. “What did you do with Lianne?”

“I just asked her where you were. Calm down,” Raven said.

Skylar seemed to relax a bit, but he was still scowling when he responded, “Is that all you spoke to her about?”

“She…brought up what happened to her human husband.”

“And what else?”

“How you killed him.” Raven hesitated, then winced. “How you threw him in the black magic, I mean. And…how I’m related to him.”

Ilia opened her mouth to speak, but only a choked gasp came from the back of her throat. She spun around, turning her back on the group, and hugged her arms closer to her chest.

Skylar put a finger to his scarred cheek and closed his eyes. “I see. Listen, Raven…just because you’re my sister’s son doesn’t mean I’m going to act any differently than I do now. I still have to eradicate the Messenger bloodline—that is a promise I made to the Penna and myself years ago. I don’t intend to break that promise.”

“I know,” Raven said. “I’d rather you fight me with everything you’ve got. As far as I’m concerned, we’re not even related.” I’d prefer if we weren’t related, anyway…

To his surprise, Skylar gave him a genuine smile—it reminded Raven of the times when they had traveled together and fought side-by-side as allies rather than enemies—but when he looked closer, he could see that it was marred by poorly concealed hatred.

“Excellent,” Skylar said deviously. “I’m glad we see things in the same light.”

“So, what do you intend to do now?” Harriette asked.

The elf laughed calmly. “I’m not telling you anything like that so easily,” he responded. “But I have some things to take care of now before I go back to what I was doing before this little debacle.”

“Then we’ll separate again…for now, at least.”

Skylar grinned and gave them a quick half-wave before he turned to a trail running along the edge beach. “Remember what I told you, Raven. Next time I’m not going to let you off the hook like I have before.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Raven agreed, resting his hand back on the gilded hilt of his sword.

Harriette waited for Skylar to disappear at the end of the shoreline path before she spoke again. “What did Lianne tell you about Skylar? Did she say anything about where he was before he came here?”

“She only said that he mentioned going to Eus-Aen. But I think he was there before he came back here to prevent the black magic crack from destroying Estershore.”

“Why would he go all the way out there?” Stephen asked.

“For dragonlings?” Felix ventured, shrugging.

Harriette shook her head. “No. If he wanted to make more, he could do that anywhere he pleased. He had to have another reason for going to Eus-Aen, but I wonder…”

“Rem,” Elsynne said blankly. Raven glanced at her over his shoulder and saw an empty hollowness in her formerly bright eyes. “Rem is on Eus-Aen, isn’t he? I want to go there.”

“That might’ve been why Skylar was on the continent,” Stephen suggested. “Maybe it’s time for us to pay that area a visit.”

“And I can show you around when we get there!” Cymbeline said excitedly.

Elsynne pushed herself painstakingly to her feet. “Yes, that’s why I want to go,” she insisted. “I want to form a pact with Rem. I want to reseal the crack before anymore cities are destroyed.”

Harriette smiled. “Very well. Let’s return to the boat for now and set sail. We have no time to lose.”

Raven went to follow Harriette and the others, but Ilia suddenly took him by the elbow and pulled him aside.

“Hey, what’s that for?” he demanded, rubbing his arm where she had grabbed it.

“So Lianne told you what happened to Arden, didn’t she?” the girl asked, taking hold of his shoulders this time. “She told you all about Arden, right?”

“She just said that Skylar killed him or something. Listen, Ilia, I don’t care. It’s not like I’m hell-bent on revenge or anything.”

Ilia’s gaze flickered. “You…aren’t?”

“I was raised with Lukas’ parents as my own. Even if Lianne is my mother and Arden was my father, I honestly don’t care. I can’t see them that way. They’re just people… People related to my enemy. Our enemy.”

“Oh.” The mage lowered her eyes. “You don’t see them as immediate family, do you?”

“No, I don’t. I mean…they are my parents biologically, but I can’t see them that way right now. Not yet—it’s too soon for me to decide anything, and we’ve been too busy for me to stop and think everything over.”

“So…you’re not mad at Skylar for what he did to Arden?”

“What he did was wrong, but I’m not as mad as I should be. You heard what I said to Skylar, didn’t you? I’m sorry, Ilia.”

The girl nodded firmly and attempted a weak smile. “No…it’s all right. I understand what you’re trying to say, so I’m not mad. I can’t change how you feel.”

“All right, good,” he replied, nudging her lightly on the arm. “Come on, let’s catch up to the others before they leave us behind.”
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[Sir Shrek]

sdkjfalkjsldkfjkksdjfkj Words fail me. That was spectacular. There is no praise I can give that I haven't already mentioned before, but I do want to say that as a writer, as an artist, you have become absolutly sdlfjskldfj amazing. Way to go, Roadie. I love it.
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Credit to squidmaster64 for the fanbar.

[Kevvie]

[Fernard]

Hooray for moar Skylar :D Anywho, a nice chapter with INTENSE action and conflict. *more comments of praise*

<3
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Count Sophie von Pamcakes says:

"Nyahahah! Visit Angelglory's YouTube Channel!"

[0999Silv]

Ha, Raven scolded them. I like how he doesn't want vengence. He really is maturing.

[Toku]

[KK Twain]

[Roadie]

Ooh, thank you so much for the feedback on the chapter! I was kind of nervous about that one, so I'm glad it turned out okay. <3 I'm glad you enjoyed reading it!

Kevvie: Don't make my posts into lies, you fiend! It was crapterrific and you know it!

Toku: Thank you for pointing those typos out. I think I meant to put "rising" for the second one, but for some reason I tried to put "raised" to keep it in tense...that's what I get for editing at the crack of dawn. But like I said, I really appreciate when you take time to concrit. <3

KK Twain: Skylar's motives will be answered in the next few chapters. And Lukas should be making an appearance fairly soon.


Other than that, I just have a crappy skit today... Hopefully I'll get my act together and finish writing the story this week (I'm halfway through the last chapter but I'm so goddamn lazy also FE DS)/type up that Ilia oneshot I promised like two weeks ago.

Until then, I have a crappy skit to introduce a new Sidequest Series installment about a relatively uninteresting character, which should also be coming up soon...


Skit: Joseph’s Whereabouts

Raven: (sigh)

Felix: What’s wrong, Raven? You’ve been kind of preoccupied since we left Estershore.

Raven: I’ve just been thinking… Joseph’s main base was in Estershore. I hope he got out okay.

Felix: O-Oh…

Ilia: You mean Joseph Vardoll? That old man’s still alive and kicking?

Raven: You knew him?

Ilia: Well, obviously.

Raven: …How? He ran a mercenary operation.

Ilia: Ooh, sounds like there’s a lot about Joseph you don’t know.

Raven: What? What don’t I know about him!?

Ilia: Hehe, I’ll let him tell you himself.

Raven: I don’t even know if he made it out of Estershore in one piece! How can I ask him if he’s dead?!

Elsynne: …

Ilia: Let’s keep an eye out for him. What kind of places did he hang out in?

Raven: Usually the taverns.

Ilia: Then let’s go around to the taverns in Austror and see what we can find.
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[Kevvie]

[Roadie]

Everyone, please excuse the horror of this post.


A Story of Remembrance: Ilia, Arden, and Lianne

Life in Itona – especially in the dead of winter – felt agonizingly slow for Ilia Ruden. Like the flurries of snow falling outside the tall, frosted windows of the castle, everyone’s movements seemed lazy and sluggish.

Today, however, the castle inhabitants were bustling with some kind of fresh gossip, and Ilia didn’t catch wind of it until she finally left the quiet confines of her room. She usually enjoyed the calm that came with the frigid winter months; it was this time of the year when she was stuck in the city, unable to travel to the other towns or neighboring continents because the snow kept her inside.

Ilia moved in the shadows of the castle corridors, keeping herself out of sight as she carried several packets of notes to the magic research basement. She walked silently down the guestroom hall, barely registering the faint chatter of several maids until she passed one of the open doors. Two of the uniformed women were inside, folding ornate bed sheets as they talked amongst themselves.

“I wonder why he’d suddenly show up like this out of the blue,” one huffed, tossing her thick, brown hair over her shoulder as she flipped a pillow on its side. “How long has it been since he went out to those elven communities? Six years? Eight, maybe?”

Ilia froze in the middle of the hall when she heard the maid’s words, her hands tightening around the stacks of notes in her arms.

“Yeah,” the other woman replied simply, mentioning no names. “Yeah, I think it was about that long. And he came back with that elven companion of his…”

Ilia clutched the papers close, her heart fluttering rapidly in her chest. If it was the person she thought it was, and if the rumors were blessedly true, then-

She turned swiftly on her heel and raced to the throne room, moving as quickly as her legs would carry her. She abandoned every inhibition; she didn’t care if anyone saw her or if they questioned her now.

Ilia reluctantly forced herself to stop a few feet from the throne room’s tall double doors, taking a few seconds to catch her breath. She could hear muted voices inside, but they weren’t loud enough for her to make out which was which. Several guards stood outside, eyeing her warily, but asking no questions.

“Are…” She stopped again, putting a hand to her heaving chest. “Are they in there?”

“The king and his guests, yes,” one of the soldiers replied, lightly touching the lance at his side. “Why?”

“Because…” Ilia stopped, anxiously biting her lip. What could she say? These two soldiers hadn’t seen her before, and they probably thought she had broken in or that she was one of the servants’ troublesome daughters.

“The king is busy right now,” the soldier continued, “and he’ll be busy for a long time.”

Ilia took this as her cue to leave, but she didn’t budge. She gripped her notes firmly in her hands and waited. The guards waited too, wordlessly willing her to leave.

Almost ten minutes passed before the heavy wooden doors opened. Ilia held her breath and with a sudden, unwelcome surge of worry, took a few quick steps back and slid beside a nearby column.

But, only an elven woman stepped out into the corridor. Ilia sensed the undercurrents of magic pulsating from her body before she saw pointed ears protruding from beneath long, soft curls of navy-blue hair. The woman glanced nervously around the hall before she walked outside, twisting handfuls of her dress in her slender hands.

Ilia watched her with mild interest, her back still pressed against the wall. The woman seemed on edge – too tense to notice the half-elf standing only a few paces away from her, in any case.

The elf’s darting eyes finally came to a stop on hers. They stared at each other for a long, awkward moment before Ilia turned away, forcing herself – with a surprising amount of willpower – to keep her gaze locked on the marble tiles. She could still feel that woman’s eyes boring into her, filled with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

The doors opened once more, and Ilia finally felt the elf’s stare break away from her. “Thank you,” a vaguely familiar voice said. “Thank you again for doing this.”

Ilia’s head snapped up. A human man was standing beside the elven woman now; his back was turned to them, but Ilia instantly recognized his black, elegantly tousled hair. A breath caught in her throat and she pressed herself harder against the wall, wishing for the briefest moment that she could disappear into the cold, smooth stone.

“It’s no problem. We’re happy to help in any way we can,” the king was saying from inside the room.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can. Thank you.”

Ilia was staring down at the toes of her boots again, but she thought she could hear the hushed whimper of what sounded like an infant before the man begrudgingly closed the doors. He turned back, whispered something to the woman, and Ilia finally caught sight of his face.

“Hello, Arden,” she said, wincing when her voice came out as a rough whisper.

The elven woman looked up and tugged lightly on his sleeve. He spun back around, his features etched with some sort of indistinguishable emotion – pain, perhaps? – before it was quickly replaced by recognition. A small smile crossed his lips when he greeted her.

“Ilia! I haven’t seen you in so long!”

“You’ve…” Ilia tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. She hadn’t seen Arden in six or seven years; when he left for his ambassador duties on the plains, he had only been sixteen. He was older now, and the youthful softness of his adolescence was completely gone, replaced by sharper, more serious features and a light tan left over from the recent summer months. His gaze was intense, but she could see his familiar, warm kindness somewhere beneath the flicker of anxiety in his eyes.

“You’ve changed, a little,” she finally said, offering him a sad smile.

Arden only laughed. “I feel like I should be saying that to you. We were about the same age the last time we saw each other, weren’t we?”

“Well…in a way, I suppose.”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? How’ve you been?”

Ilia flinched inwardly; she hated small talk like this. She wanted nothing more than to interrogate him for hours and ask him why he chose now of all times to suddenly reappear and act like his absence had only been a few short weeks.

But she had to settle for the small talk…for now, at least.

“I’ve been okay. Same old, same old,” she said. “And you?”

Arden’s hand tightened around the woman’s. Ilia saw a flash of gold on his ring finger, and she had to stop herself from asking the obvious. “You got married while you were out there…?”

“I’ve been all right, too,” he said with some reluctance.

“Will you be staying in Itona for long?”

Arden glanced sideways at the elven woman and shook his head. “No. We’re going back home tomorrow morning before the sun comes up.”

“Oh.”

Much to her relief, Arden spoke up again before an uneasy silence could settle over the freezing corridor. “I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce you,” he said, this time to the woman. He turned back to Ilia and grinned. “This is Lianne. She’s from the elven community I’ve been living in for the past few years. She’s my wife.”

For a moment, Ilia felt as though he had dropped a fat, heavy brick in her stomach. But she shook off the feeling and put on her best smile, hoping it looked more real than it felt.

“That’s great,” she managed after half a second of hesitation. “It’s nice to meet you, Lianne.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Lianne replied. Her quiet, soft voice perfectly fit her gentle appearance.

Arden shifted restlessly, looking back up the hall before he spoke. “I wish we had more time to stay and chat, but…”

“I understand. You two look like you’re in a hurry,” Ilia said, and she instantly regretted her words when she saw Lianne visibly cringe. Something seemed to have both her and Arden on edge; and, if Ilia recalled correctly, it took a lot to get Arden this jumpy.

“I’m sorry, Ilia,” he said with a sympathetic smile. “Hopefully we’ll have more time to catch up the next time I come back.”

“Will you come back?” she demanded, trying in vain to keep the impatience from her tone.

Arden sighed quietly, sneaking a glance at the soldiers behind them. He took a few steps closer to Ilia until he was only inches away.

“I’ve left some…” He stopped, glancing down the corridor again as if he expected someone to jump out and attack him. “I’ve left someone important with my brother- Oh, hell, you’ll probably find out more about the situation from him when we leave, because he’s going to need your help. I just wanted to say, before Lianne and I go…I’m sorry I’ve been gone for so long. And I just wanted to ask you a favor.”

“Yes?”

Arden took another deep, shaky breath. “I don’t want to put too much of a burden on your shoulders, but could you help my brother and the queen keep an eye on what I’m leaving behind? I’ll be back to pick him up, but please, until then…” He paused, biting his lip. “I know I can trust you and my brother.”

“Wait, who are you picking up?”

“You’ll see.”

“All right. I’ll do what I can to help,” Ilia said. She wanted to help out with whatever it was – she really did – but she hated when he left her in the dark like this. She knew Arden had a bad habit of never fully explaining things; he seemed to assume that everyone was automatically in on the secret, but she wished for once he’d just tell her.

Or was what he was leaving behind really a big secret this time? Big enough that he was trying to hide it from someone else?

‘I guess I’m about to find out,’ she thought, steeling herself when she stared back at the throne room door.

“Thanks, Ilia,” Arden said, patting her on the shoulder. “I’ll be back in a few weeks, okay? I’ll see you then.”

He turned back to Lianne, and Ilia couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness when they went back down the hall. She wanted him to tell her what was wrong – what big, exclusive secret he left behind – but she knew he wouldn’t. She’d have to get the information from the king, just like he said.

“Goodbye, Arden. And Lianne,” she whispered, too quietly for him to hear. But Lianne looked back over her shoulder and gave her a small smile before she turned to her husband.
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[Kevvie]

OH GOD ROADIE DID YOU EVEN READ WHAT YOU WROTE? >=(

If you did, you would know it was great obv. I'm an idiot for never realizing what happened with Raven. BUT NOW I KNOW! AND KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE! *shot*
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[Avatar: Roadrunnuh][Fanbar: squidmaster64]