The Gravesworn's Journey

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KingOfHeroes
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Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:45 pm

The Gravesworn's Journey

Post by KingOfHeroes » Sat Oct 03, 2020 11:31 am

It is noon in Athkatla, the sun is high in the sky, and there is a chill in the air indicating the first signs that winter has come. The standard noise of city-life is harshly punctured by the shouting of guards and the clanking of metal sounds throughout the streets of the City of Coin, signalling the hunt for two fugitives attempting to escape justice from the enforcers of the law.


The young woman peered at her companion, an elderly mage with a severe limp who was hobbling his way through the back alleys. His crimson robes were unknown to her, but the distinct tattoos and shaved head irrefutably marked the man as a Red Wizard of Thay. She had already known that fact, of course, as her teacher in his multiple ramblings spoke often of his homeland and how it was his destiny to return and claim Thay for his own, and to turn it into a land of death. The woman cared not for him or his idle ranting, she was to be his sword and his shield and willingly lay her life down for his. A "Knight" he called her, though it was nothing like the stories of gallant and heroic knights that were told to her and her brothers in those distant summers by their loving parents. She was nothing more than a ruthless killer that slaughtered whomever her teacher ordered, she did not protect the people nor did she save anyone. She was a monster.

"Come now! I will not hesitate to leave you for the crows should you fall behind!" The elderly man hissed, his voice filled with vitriol and venom.

"Of course, Lord Velnir" She bowed her head and hastened her step, snapping out of her memories as she followed him to the docks.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rayne's eyes suddenly open as she is awakened from her dream by the familiar sounds of ringing bells.

She looked around her, her crimson gaze sweeping over the cabin for any stragglers. Content that she was not being watched, she began donning her armor and equipment. A mechanical motion that she had done countless times before and until only recently had it been tainted by hesitation, a hesitation caused by regret, loathing, and fear. As the woman was about to don her blackened helm, she noticed something on the floor that she had dropped. A small doll, nothing too impressive, it depicted a blue-hooded figure hugging another, smaller figure with blonde hair. She eyed the doll carefully, flipping it over to reveal the stitched writing that said "besties", she sighed as she remembered the one who had given it to her. Another one of the dozens that had been harmed by their attachment to her, a purely innocent soul snuffed out too soon.

As she stepped out onto the deck of the ship she couldn't help but be blinded by the radiance of the noonday sun of Athkatla, a sight she had thought she would never see again. A slight sense of fear and trepidation crept over her as she looked at the radiant sights of the Amnian city, the sounds of this busy city threatened to overwhelm her senses. Athkatla was much larger than Cordor, and it had been a long time since she had been within a city of such size. Rayne made her way to the docks and from there the city itself. From there a worrying thought gnawed its way into her mind, it had only been eight years since she fled from Athkatla with her teacher. What if someone recognized her? Were she and her teacher still wanted fugitives? The questions answered themselves as Rayne rubbed an armored hand across her face, since her departure from Athkatla she had become mangled and scarred beyond all former recognition. She would not be recognized, of that she was certain.

Eyes were on her, that was something she could not deny. Admittedly, wearing black spiked armor is not the greatest of ideas if you're not looking for attention, but Rayne persisted despite her poor choice in apparel. It was already noon in Athkatla, and Rayne knew all too well that she should find a place to rest and plan her venture northwards, whether by ship or by foot. Her planning of the day was interrupted by a familiar trilling that echoed in both her mind and her ears. A sigh escaped from the woman as she extended her arm, much like a falconer would, and provided an adequate perch for her trilling and excited pseudodragon.

Klauth, what are you doing? I ordered you to stay in Cordor. The reprimand was purely a thought, but the pseudodragon recoiled as if she had spoken it aloud.

And what would you have me do? Hm? You still owe your king your servitude!

You know incredibly well that this is a mutual relationship, not a servile one. Rayne had argued this multiple times before, yet each time Klauth had grown increasingly arrogant.

And yet, whenever you need something found you always beg for my all-seeing eyes. Much like a servant in fact.

Rayne did not respond to that, or even attempt to rebuke his claim.

Klauth puffed out his chest and trilled arrogantly, he knew of his victory and would gladly proclaim it. Before he could declare it however, his keen eyes caught a glimpse of a dark and mysterious shadow ducking behind cover in an alley. Klauth could have sworn that the figure was not human, but it vanished too fast to tell. Klauth's curiosity had been piqued, and those who find themselves subject to the king's curiosity often find themselves subject to his presence. He leapt from his perch, determined to discern the identity of the figure he had seen.

Rayne gave an annoyed look at Klauth's departure but simply decided to press onwards into the city. Finding a place to stay for the night was much more important than keeping Klauth from consuming some alley cat. However as Rayne began to march onwards the loud and panicked scream of a woman echoed from the same alleyway that Klauth had entered, soon followed by the sound of a struggle. She sighed and made her way down the path without much hurry, for she thought that it was simply one of the pseudodragon's many annoying pranks against the populace. And it would seem that he needed to be reprimanded yet again.
I have made a horrible, childish mistake.

KingOfHeroes
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:45 pm

Re: The Gravesworn's Journey

Post by KingOfHeroes » Mon Oct 05, 2020 3:03 am

"Child, do you remember your first lesson? The one given to you when I had first found you?" The elderly man rasped, his venomous voice rendered hoarse from the cold of the late autumn air.

"No, Lord Velnir. Would you please remind me?" The girl responded with a shake of her head.

The old man stopped, and with a single movement the girl suddenly felt an excruciating pain in the back of her leg and fell to her knees onto the rough cobbles of the street. She did not cry out in pain, she knew better.

"Do not forget it again, Child. Is that understood?" He clutched his staff closer to him and continued down the path.

"Yes, Lord Velnir." The woman struggled to her feet, ignoring the biting pain in her leg as she ran to catch up with her teacher. She did not wish to be given another reminder.

As the woman caught up to her teacher, he gave her a smile. Not the warm smile of a parent to a child, but the cruel and capricious smile of a master to an obedient slave.

"Life is a mere aberration in the grand scheme of things, the only absolute is death, and through death our souls will be where they truly belong. Therefore it is our duty to the Pitiless One to extinguish the spark of life when we can, starting from the filth at the bottom of the pond, to the scum that has risen to the top. Existence is a misery that cannot be tolerated, therefore we should embrace death and give its gifts to as many as we can." The man rambled, speaking with a fire and religious fervor found only in the most zealous of priests.

The woman simply nodded. It was not her place to question the rhetoric of her master, nor was it her place to express her discontent with his insane ramblings. She had long since accepted that her thoughts and opinions meant nothing, and that voicing them would result in a swift and harsh reminder of her position, so she had silently accepted her fate of listening to and attempting to memorize his ramblings, rantings, and ravings. Not that she would ever dare to oppose him on his beliefs directly, she'd seen the horrifying fates of those who offended him, let alone betrayed him. The girl would simply have to bide her time and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rayne rounded the corner of the alley and from the corner of her eye saw the movement of some shadowy form, pooling from darkness just outside of her vision. All went cold and the noise of the city and the people within were extinguished within a singular moment of terror and surprise. All that could be heard was the gentle pulsating rhythm, of a beating heart.

Thump thump.

Thump thump.

She drew her sword and spun around to meet this attacker head-on, magical steel humming through the air towards the darkened form of the figure. But her sword met nothing, swishing harmlessly through the air as all the sounds and sights of the city suddenly returned to her. Rayne looked around wildly, sword still drawn and ready to strike at anything that grabbed her attention. A faint noise from behind her was met with a whirling of steel, stopped at the final possible moment as Rayne saw that her target was not a beast in the scarce shadows of this forgotten alleyway, but a young woman no older than herself.

There was a scream from the woman as Rayne nearly decapitated her, but as her eyes opened from the terror she looked and saw just how narrowly her death had been avoided as well as the black-armored figure that had very nearly dealt it. She stumbled backwards and fell onto the ground, a panicked expression of terror locked onto her face. Rayne sheathed her blade and looked down at the frightened woman, silently leaning down towards her and providing a hand to help the woman get back on her feet.

"Are you alright?" The thick Thayan accent echoed against her metallic helmet, her crimson eyes peered at the young woman from behind the visor of her helm, seeking out any injury that she may have inflicted.

No injury was found, however Rayne did notice that the woman was frighteningly similar to herself in her appearance despite some obvious differences. She was as tall as Rayne and bore similar raven-black hair, but she was not as muscular, her skin was unblemished from any scars or marks, and this woman bore brilliant sapphire eyes instead of Rayne's crimson.

"Y-yes I'm f-fine!" The woman stammered out, ignoring the offered hand as she crawled away from the intimidating armored figure. Before mustering up the courage to crawl to her feet and sprint out of the alley and into the busy midday streets of Athkatla.

An exasperated sigh escaped from Rayne's lips, irritated at her own carelessness. Carelessness which had nearly brought her to killing an innocent, something she truly did not want to deal with right now. Almost mindlessly she followed after the woman, intent on apologizing for her idiotic behaviour. As she stepped out into the streets, she seemed to know instinctively where to go in order to find the woman, not once questioning why or how she knew. And slowly, ever so slowly, she made her way out of the alley and made her way out of the City of Coin, hardly seeming to notice or care in her trancelike state as she followed the setting sun ever further to the west, until even the city itself was no longer within her view.
I have made a horrible, childish mistake.

KingOfHeroes
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:45 pm

Re: The Gravesworn's Journey

Post by KingOfHeroes » Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:38 pm

Once upon a time, there was a house in the woods. In this house lived the huntsman, the huntsman's wife, and their three children. They lived happily in their forest and wanted for nothing, the huntsman would hunt game within the woods and pick berries, the wife would tend to the house and the modest garden that they owned. The huntsman and his wife were good people, always freely giving travelers a place to stay as they made their way to the nearby city. No guest ever left that house unfed or unrested, for the huntsman and his wife were good people that were pure of heart.

One stormy summer night, the huntsman's daughter heard a knocking at the door. Her siblings were busy helping their mother in the kitchen, and her father had only just started the fire. She opened the door with glee and greeted the newcomer at the door, an extravagantly dressed man from distant lands. The man looked down upon the huntsman's daughter and smiled at her, this smile had no warmth nor kindness and the huntsman's daughter saw nothing but an empty shell behind the pools of liquid gold that were the stranger's eyes.

Thump thump.

Thump thump.

The huntsman's daughter was unable to let out a noise as she was stricken with fear at this strange man, it was only the voice of her father inviting the stranger in that allowed her to snap out of her daze. The stranger happily accepted the offer and entered the threshold of the house, smiling with a strange glint in his eye as the huntsman offered this stranger to join them for dinner. As many had before him the stranger offered protest, stating that offering him lodging for the night was more than enough for him. The huntsman merely embraced the man as if they had been friends for years, and told the stranger to eat his fill as there was enough for all, for the huntsman and his wife were good people and none left their home unfed.

Thump thump.

Thump thump.

The stranger eventually relented to the huntsman's kindness, but asked that for the gratitude and generosity of the huntsman and his wife he be allowed to entertain their family before partaking in any food, for he was a magician from the far east that had travelled to these lands looking to entertain and bring joy to the world. The huntsman accepted, and him and his family sat at their dinner table by the fire and eagerly awaited for their guest to show them his wondrous magicks.

Thumpthump Thumpthump.

Thumpthump Thumpthump.

The stranger with his magic wove light and shadow into one, creating fascinating images of exotic animals and fantastical creatures only heard of in the tales of the children's bedtime stories. His illusions told the stories of ancient heroes and of fallen gods, of mighty kingdoms and impoverished slums. The huntsman and his family had never quite seen anything quite so beautiful or brilliant in their lives and with great mirth applauded the stranger, who merely responded with a bow and the same empty smile that he had given the huntsman's daughter. All but the huntsman cheered for the stranger, the stranger who was now bowing in front of the fireplace, the stranger that cast no shadow of his own in the glow of the fire. The huntsman knew what this foretold, and attempted to yell for his family to flee, to no avail. The huntsman found that he could neither move nor speak, and that the expressions of his wife and children had turned to fear and horror as they themselves could no longer move as their own shadows constricted their bodies. The stranger approached the huntsman, his golden eyes glowing with hunger as he leveled his face with that of the huntsman, and thanked him for allowing him to eat his fill. Darkness.

The stranger left shortly after, his hunger completely sated as he made his way out into the stormy summer night. The huntsman and his wife did not leave their guest unfed, for they were good people that were pure of heart.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was midnight when Rayne suddenly snapped out of her trance, she looked around noticing her drawn and blood-covered sword, the bodies of several orcs, and what had seemed to tear her from her dazed state, an arrow that had pierced her armor and punctured her shoulder with surprising force and depth. She tore the arrow out of her shoulder, cursing in all the tongues she knew as she nursed her wound and looked about her for some sort of explanation as to where she was.

A dark forest loomed menacingly around her, the typical night time sounds of the forest punctuated by low growls in the brush, monstrous howls, and horrifying shrieks echoing all around her. However one thing distinctly stood out in the darkness and evil of this forest, in the far distance the faintest of lights could be discerned. Not the light of a Will O' Wisp or a specter, but a light that signalled the presence of man in these woods, the distant light of a singular candle within a windowsill. Unnerved at what was occurring, Rayne decided to press forward into the dark unknowns of this forest and the obvious trap that was the warm glow of the light, determined to discover the reason she had been brought to these woods.

The light grew brighter as she pressed closer towards its source, the faint outline of a pleasant little cottage soon became visible within the radiance of the candle, a harsh contrast to the woods around her. With every step towards that pleasant little cottage a sense of dread and unease grew, and grew, and grew, it was the same cold and horrifying dread that had gripped her within that alley. A cold, grasping, dread which threatened to consume her with every step she took towards the cottage. As she entered the fringes of the warm candlelight she noticed movement within the cottage, she halted her movements, afraid of being found by the inhabitants. The woman from the city stepped into the window, taking the candle from its perch as she closed the shutters, not seeming to notice Rayne's figure within the fading light of the candle.

Thump thump.

Thump thump.

As darkness began to envelop Rayne, the sounds of these woods was replaced yet again by the rhythmic beating of a heart. Quietly, calmly, it signalled the approach of something foreign and alien to her mind yet also familiar? The sensation was odd, but Rayne had encountered this feeling once before, omens of some unknowable horror that was about to occur.

Thumpthump Thumpthump.

Thumpthump Thumpthump.

The pace of the heartbeat increased, and Rayne was unable to move as icy terror gripped her. She knew where she had felt this terror before, it signalled the arrival of something she hated, despised, reviled, and feared above all things in this world, it signalled the arrival of the only monster she had been unable to find and kill after many long years. A monster that had long haunted her dreams and one that she had never hoped to find.

As if out of nowhere, a tall figure stepped out of the shadows mere feet away from her. If it had noticed her presence, it gave no indication as it slowly approached the cottage door. Rayne was helpless, she could neither move nor call for help, the memories of that distant summer night burned into her memory as she re-lived it countless times over in the short moments it took for the figure to approach the door of that pleasant little cottage. She attempted to force out a scream, desperately trying to warn the woman inside not to open the door and to let that monster inside, it merely came out as a soft choking noise as she was unable to muster the words. To her great horror, the cottage door opened and the woman invited the man inside her home, unaware of the evil that was before her. Before the figure stepped inside it turned its head towards Rayne, the eyes of liquid gold seared into her soul as a mirthless smile appeared upon its lips, and a single finger was raised to its mouth as if commanding Rayne to remain silent.

Once upon a time, there was a house in the woods....
I have made a horrible, childish mistake.

KingOfHeroes
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:45 pm

Re: The Gravesworn's Journey

Post by KingOfHeroes » Wed Oct 07, 2020 11:28 am

Silence.

Darkness.

Despair.

Emptiness.

The woman contemplated these things as her head lay submerged, held in place by the firm strength of another. The scream of her lungs and the primal panic in the back of her mind was the only indication that this woman knew she still lived and had not yet succumbed, the adrenaline driving off the effects of the poison she had consumed earlier. A poison that she and many others before her had consumed in vast amounts to invoke a feeling within them other than the crushing emptiness of despair. Alcohol.

She pondered how those watching her must think, did they truly distrust and despise her as much as she thought they did? Or was it simple paranoia? Then again, she had been willing to help them on many occasions and had done so whenever she could. Yet she had watched on for years as all her efforts seemed meaningless to them, they gave praise and elevated those who had betrayed and humiliated her, those who brought about this great despair within her. She had done much for them, she had given them whatever she could for years, yet when all she wanted in return was someone to listen? Shunned, rebuked, chastised, and drowned. They claimed to be a "family" yet she felt nothing familial from them, only the scorn and displeasure she had received in her servitude to another.

Thump thump.

Thump thump.

The silence she felt slowly grew into a roaring blaze of wrath, the darkness she felt within grew darker than the void itself, the despair turning into rage, and the emptiness retreated and shrank for it was overwhelmed by the savage fury that burned within her. The images of sadness were replaced in her mind, and all she could think of was the burning of their home and the slaughter of them all at her hands. She began to feebly resist the hand holding her down, the attempt itself quite pathetic but inside all she felt was burning hatred for those observing her.

The gnashing of fangs, the warmth of an inferno, the rending of flesh from the bone, and the thrusts of her sword, all these pleasures were indulged in as she envisioned them within her mind. The images of their fear and despair were burned into her memory and she relished it, she relished the thought of putting her family to the sword and hearing their screams and looking upon their terrified faces as they begged for mercy. But when she stood atop the ashes of their home, with bodies strewn about her, she could feel no pleasure. The only thing she felt was an intense disgust, a feeling that was driven into her heart like a dagger when she saw them. A short woman with copper hair, a much taller half-elven girl with blonde hair, and a tall and mighty man with none, they looked upon her and her sins with anger, loss, and sadness. She had betrayed and taken everything from them with pleasure and joy, she wished to cry out to them, to beg for forgiveness. But before she could, light returned to her gaze as the man holding her down had finally pulled her up after what had only been mere moments compared to her visions.

She coughed, and sputtered, and vomited. She was alive and the rage had subsided, all she cared about in these moments was breathing.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Crunch, snap.

The leaves and branches beneath her feet snapped and crunched as she forced her body to move forward, ignoring the primal fear within her screaming at her to stop, that pursuing such an evil as the figure with golden eyes would only result in a fate worse than death, a fate she had experienced before. Rayne did not care, for rage and fury had filled her heart and soul. She would not suffer such a monster to exist in this world, she would not suffer such a monster to harm another as he had harmed her, she would not suffer such a monster go unpunished for his many sins against both man and god alike. With religious fury she stepped forward, ignoring the screams of her own mind telling her to simply flee and never return.

Thumpthumpthump.

Thumpthumpthump.

Her heart was racing, racing like it never had before, racing out of fear, out of adrenaline, out of excitement. Despite her fear and trepidation at the monster she was about to face, she was excited. She had slain monsters before, monsters that tried to use her to kill, monsters that had attacked her in the name of righteousness, monsters that had harmed the ones she loved, but never before had she slain a monster that created such a sense of fear and dread within her. Never before had she killed a monster such as this, never before had she stepped towards the monster that had taken everything from her, the monster that had damned her to a cursed existence and stripped her of a family she would never know. Her eyes glowing with bloody rage, she raised her sword and carved through the door in a singular mighty strike.

Thump thump.

Thump thump.

The glow of the cottage subsided, as did any sense of pleasantry and homeliness that it once possessed. She stepped into the adjacent room, her rage turning to horror at what she saw. The thatching of the cottage had long since rotted away, the furniture and walls of the building long since destroyed or collapsed, all that remained of the cottage was a singular table with two exquisitely crafted chairs on either end. And in the end opposite to her sat the man with golden eyes dressed in rich attire of silver and brilliant colors that could not be discerned by Rayne. He presented her with a cold smile and motioned to the chair opposite to him, his mouth opening to reveal fangs that shone in the faint moonlight that illuminated him.

"Please, sit. We have much to discuss."
I have made a horrible, childish mistake.

KingOfHeroes
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:45 pm

Re: The Gravesworn's Journey

Post by KingOfHeroes » Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:17 pm

Thump thump.

Thump thump.

She looked upon the blaze in front of her, a roaring inferno that had consumed the pleasant little farmhouse. All was silent except for the flames, but she still heard the screams of those that had once lived here. A small family that had offered the young girl and her teacher lodging on their journey south, they seemed good enough people and their eldest son, a man of 20 winters, even attempted to befriend her. Unfortunately it was his kindness and compassion for her that had started this, for he had seen what her teacher did to her when she displeased him, and her teacher had been thoroughly displeased with her friendliness towards the boy.

Later that night, the son had approached her and asked her to come with him. She obliged despite her fear of being caught, and she followed him to the barn where the boy and his family had prepared a horse for her to leave. She had never known such kindness before, and asked them why they were willing to sacrifice everything to help her. Their response? She was but a child that deserved better than servitude to a teacher that treated her as a slave. For the first time in a long time the girl smiled and wept, she embraced the family that was willing to risk everything to help a complete stranger.

Unfortunately, this brief respite of joy and relief was interrupted by a disgusting noise. The wet noise of flesh being torn and sundered. The girl hesitantly opened her eyes as the warm feeling of blood covered her, and she saw the eldest son... no not the eldest son anymore. Merely a corpse with his face, she looked on in horror as the animated puppet turned towards its former parents, their screams burned into her memory.

It was that day the young girl learned a harsh lesson. Never grow attached to someone, for attachment and kindness towards her would only be repaid in betrayal and death. A fact that made her grow to despise herself more than anyone else around her, for deep down she was still a scared little girl that sought friendship, but no matter how much she tried, no matter how much her selfish desire for friendship overwhelmed her, the harsh reminder of that lesson was always fresh in her memories.

Despite her anger, coldness, and seeming scorn for those around her, all she truly wanted was a friend. Unfortunately it was that same anger, coldness, and scorn, which caused her to snap at those who did try to get close to her. And so the foolish little girl had cursed herself to an eternal damnation of agonizing solitude.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Please, sit. We have much to discuss." The thick accent of this man was much like Rayne's, and his invitation to her was given to her with the same warmth of an old friend.

Rayne's crimson gaze locked with the man's brilliant golden gaze. She stepped forward, her armored hand clenching the grip of her sword with all the strength she could muster, at this point the overwhelming fear within her had been replaced with an all-consuming rage. Rage for this monster and what he had done to her, she leapt forward with her sword raised high and ready to bring it down on his skull. She charged towards this grinning fool with the intent to kill him and to end his existence, to avenge her loved ones that he had harmed, to take pleasure in the removal of his smile as she-.

The sound of metal snapping and flesh being rent snapped her from her thoughts of revenge and battle. She looked down at the tendril of shadow piercing through her abdomen. Blood oozed from both her wound and her mouth as she silently looked at the man with the golden eyes, his cold smile triumphant as she staggered backwards and collapsed into the chair that had been prepared for her.

Thump.

Thump.

Her heartbeat slowed as she felt the crushing despair of defeat, helpless to do anything but look upon the man with golden eyes.

"Well that was rather rude, wouldn't you say? I invite you to this pleasant little home and you try to murder me? Tut tut, I would have thought your parents raised you better."

At the mention of her parents from the vile mouth of this man Rayne once again grasped her sword but was unable to stand before collapsing back into the chair.

He simply chuckled at her struggles. "Really now, I wouldn't struggle too much if I were you." The man shook his head. "Despite appearances I have no desire to kill you or watch you bleed out in front of me."

Rayne's struggling and resistance died down, her breathing shallow. "Why...?" That singular word was all she could force out of herself.

The man simply chuckled again and motioned towards her "Well that truly is a question for the philosophers and sages, isn't it?" He gave a very theatrical wave of his hands. "Though if I had to put it in terms simple enough for you to understand I would simply say... pleasure." The way he accentuated the word made Rayne sick to her stomach.

"P...pleasure?" She bit her lip, struggling to concentrate despite the agonizing pain.

"Of course, you know incredibly well of what I mean. Don't you?" His golden gaze narrowed towards her, a hint of knowing in those deep pools. "I know incredibly well what brings you joy and pleasure. So then, why do you hold that contempt for me within you? He who has embraced his nature while you continue to deny it?"

"Because...." Rayne stopped, both because of the pain and to think of her response. "Taking pleasure and joy from such an act is repulsive, disgusting."

The man tilted his head, almost mechanical in its motion. "Oh? Then why do you continue to take pleasure in it?" He drummed his fingers against the wooden table. "Do you believe yourself to be repulsive? Disgusting?" He queried.

Rayne remained silent and simply grasped her wound in response, attempting to staunch the flow of blood before she succumbed to the loss of it. Unbeknownst to the man, she had used this motion to silently remove some catalysts in the form of precious gemstones from her bag, biding her time and waiting for the opportunity to strike.

"Hm you need not answer, I already know what you think of yourself. You believe yourself to be repugnant, filthy, unclean, and unworthy of joy and love. But I believe otherwise." He stood from his seat, his smile growing ever wider. "I love you, your actions have brought me much joy and pleasure throughout the years. I will confess that of all the toys I have created and sent into the world, you have been one of my favorites. Desperately seeking any form of friendship you could find but scorning those who offer it to you. It's rather... amusing, wouldn't you say?"

Her fist clenched in revulsion at his words, and she lost her patience for waiting. A muttering of words under her breath and the spell activated, causing all but her to be frozen within time itself. Her window was a short one so she limped her way towards her immobilized enemy, his cold grin frozen like the rest of the world around her.

Six seconds.

Five seconds.

After what had seemed like an eternity she had finally reached him, leaning against the table for support as she pressed the tip of her blade against the heart of the man. His cold smile mocking her even in stopped time.

Three.

Two.

One.

In the brief instant that time had continued before her sword had pierced his heart, the man's expression changed from a cold grin to an open mouthed smile as he bared his fangs at her and lunged towards her neck. She remained resolute and with a singular thrust she turned his smile into a look of rage as she plunged her sword into his heart with no resistance, twisting it inside his wound with great relish as the man let out a scream of agony and wrath.

Thump thump.

Thump thump.

Something was wrong, her strike had met with no resistance and there was no visible wound upon the man. Delirious from blood loss she reached her hand out to touch the man, only for it to pass directly through him.

"Hrm, not bad. But you missed." An amused voice came from behind her.

Rayne barely had time to react to the realization of the illusion before she felt the cracking of her skull against the floor, and darkness consumed her.
I have made a horrible, childish mistake.

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