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[164] Nymaya: A Soul for a Soul
Fri Oct 21 09:36:30 2011
To: Reklah Ashtiel New_Thalos All Cayenna Uvall RP Necrucifer (storyline)
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A whisper of memory tugged at her.
Shadows and twilight, clear star-studded skies and warm winds. The scent of living forest and night blossoms.
Soft hair, long and golden. A gentle smile, the flash of dark blue eyes that were her own...but were not.
..the stars in your eyes..
..more belov'd..
..than Gods in the skies..
Her breath caught softly, more in careful regard of the child who slept still, and with quiet pain riding her she stood from the bedside to move to the window.
...I held you from waking moment..
...the beating of your heart..
...captivat'd..
A mother she had never known. A small hand grasping to a much larger one, soft and graceful. The laping of water against a wooded frame, a gentle sea breeze and soft smitten laughter. Father...
Numbed, deep blue eyes gazed up at a clear sky so full of stars, the moons long set behind the edge of the world and asked 'why' of herself.
..and through shadow's descent..
..I'll hold you still..
..until soul's lament..
Could they have ever guessed that their little girl would grow to become what stood before her? She gazed back at her own reflection in the window, shadowed, insubstantial and was certain that her parents could not have imagined such a fate for their daughter.
What had she done?
..in love's embrace..
..forevermore..
..you shall be safe..
Her fists clenched at her sides, until her knuckles whitened, but she was not permitted regret or lament - only anger. Only that.
..until mountains fall..
..and waters creep..
Her head lowered and a shower of silver strands surrounded her. The silence that came next was unexpected, deep, consuming. Black. Not in rage, but in submission. There was no going back. But there was remembering.
The gentle touch of a child's hand easing over her clenched fist eased the knot that had tightened in her chest and she opened her eyes to gaze down upon the upturned expression of her daughter. Who, she reminded herself, had not yet asked what had happened to her brother. The dark circles beneath her eyes told an unfortunate tale though.
A stalwart presence leaned with an idle illusion in the doorway of the bedroom as she turned, to lead her daughter back to bed. Dark eyes met deep blue, a brief knowing glance, before attention turned back to the dark haired child again.
"He has been called to serve...a higher purpose."
And into the strained silence, her mother's half remembered voice and the lullaby which meant everything - and nothing.
..your belov'd stars..
..I shall keep..
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Virtues of the Wali
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[214] Nymaya: Virtues of the Wali
Tue Sep 20 01:56:17 2011
To: New_Thalos Ginlas Dar'shin Ursah ( RP Cayenna )
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The Wali were an orderly force, chosen for quality over quantity, so there were fewer and purposely so.
It was the way she had been taught and trained and even after all the years, so far away from the vallens, it lingered. It was within everything she did, it was who she was. And now, it was reflected in the men and women who stood before her.
She gave these heavy thoughts some leeway as she gazed over the guard and realized that she was not only comparing them to the Kyorl but to the moments that had stretched during the Bakali War, when days had been spent training her troops on top of her Wali business.
All those days were long past now, a vivid memory for her at times, little more than pages in a history book - if that - to everyone else.
'The guard is to be doubled, all points of access never to be left untended. We need to be the shadows so that nothing else can be.'
A map of the lands and the estates had been set out, various points marked with place holders rather than ink. By now, every Wali that had earned their cloak had memorized all places of importance. They were expected to remember because there would be no further references to look back on.
She reflected briefly, as she pointed to paths and routes in the outlying desert, that she was supposed to be taking a break. Some time off, a vacation even...though she was hard pressed to think of it as such. It felt good to be using her skills, focusing on what she excelled at.
'The added force of the Mujahid will be present, which will allow us greater focus on maintaining an inner presence but I want each of you to strongly contemplate the meaning of 'silent as the grave' -and she stared them all down- 'The Sultana is -not- to be disturbed.'
She knew she didn't have to tell them twice. Their nods were immediate. She didn't expect there would be much need to invade the Sultanate's space but she was nothing if not paranoid and thorough. Virtues she expressed upon every one of the Wali in her command.
'You have two hours to prepare. Dismissed.'
And with pleasingly confident nods, every Wali she had called to this task saluted her and dispersed.
She had never lost a charge yet and was contemplating this as she lifted her burdened pack from the ground to sling over her shoulder. Her path ambled out then, through the sunlight-dappled halls of the palace, seeking the Sultan and the entourage he was probably overseeing.
It was her intent to make certain the next few days would progress peacefully for them.
[214] Nymaya: Virtues of the Wali
Tue Sep 20 01:56:17 2011
To: New_Thalos Ginlas Dar'shin Ursah ( RP Cayenna )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wali were an orderly force, chosen for quality over quantity, so there were fewer and purposely so.
It was the way she had been taught and trained and even after all the years, so far away from the vallens, it lingered. It was within everything she did, it was who she was. And now, it was reflected in the men and women who stood before her.
She gave these heavy thoughts some leeway as she gazed over the guard and realized that she was not only comparing them to the Kyorl but to the moments that had stretched during the Bakali War, when days had been spent training her troops on top of her Wali business.
All those days were long past now, a vivid memory for her at times, little more than pages in a history book - if that - to everyone else.
'The guard is to be doubled, all points of access never to be left untended. We need to be the shadows so that nothing else can be.'
A map of the lands and the estates had been set out, various points marked with place holders rather than ink. By now, every Wali that had earned their cloak had memorized all places of importance. They were expected to remember because there would be no further references to look back on.
She reflected briefly, as she pointed to paths and routes in the outlying desert, that she was supposed to be taking a break. Some time off, a vacation even...though she was hard pressed to think of it as such. It felt good to be using her skills, focusing on what she excelled at.
'The added force of the Mujahid will be present, which will allow us greater focus on maintaining an inner presence but I want each of you to strongly contemplate the meaning of 'silent as the grave' -and she stared them all down- 'The Sultana is -not- to be disturbed.'
She knew she didn't have to tell them twice. Their nods were immediate. She didn't expect there would be much need to invade the Sultanate's space but she was nothing if not paranoid and thorough. Virtues she expressed upon every one of the Wali in her command.
'You have two hours to prepare. Dismissed.'
And with pleasingly confident nods, every Wali she had called to this task saluted her and dispersed.
She had never lost a charge yet and was contemplating this as she lifted her burdened pack from the ground to sling over her shoulder. Her path ambled out then, through the sunlight-dappled halls of the palace, seeking the Sultan and the entourage he was probably overseeing.
It was her intent to make certain the next few days would progress peacefully for them.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Troubled Shadows
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[215] Nymaya: Troubled Shadows
Mon Sep 19 01:38:49 2011
To: All New_Thalos Uvall Cayenna RP Necrucifer (storyline)
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Lit only by the flickering of faint torches, the temple of New Thalos was a strange and empty haven in the depths of the night.
She was thankful for that as she moved among its expansive corridors slowly, with a care for the heavy lethargy that had gripped her. She was surprised at the light-headedness and had to stop twice to prop herself against one of the ornate pillars.
She knew a headache was probably in her near future but she had so much on her mind...
..prepare..
A whispered warning, a memory heralding the unknown. It made her grimace and clutch at her chest even as she stopped to press a hand to the pillar she had been standing near and she lowered her head with a sharp exhale.
The burned flesh of her chest ached in response to a low pulse of heat in the stone hanging about the tarnished necklace, reminding her as always that there was no escaping this fate.
Could she deny it?
'I should refuse you.'
But you will not. Prepare.
She was not a coward. She had tried to do right by her actions and decisions all her life, but how did you fight what you could not see and could not touch? How did you fight what might be within you?
She had to consider then and there that it was possible she was the real danger - to her children and to those around her.
Within the dark behind her closed eyes, where only the shadows of flames flickered, she tried to determine the best course of action...and saw only the wide black torment of a fate she had decided. For herself and her family.
..for the one you sold your soul for..
The answers she didn't want were the only ones she had.
'I could not have known.' She breathed and opened her eyes to escape what lie within, if only for a little while longer. She was being naive, and she knew it.
The expansive temple was beautiful, exotic and its silence soothed her. The scents of the desert were all around, wafting spice and incense through the airy corridors. She looked around at the place she called home, and was comforted.
She stood for awhile longer, trying to memorize all that she saw, while brushing at her neck tentatively. Uvall's torment, she knew, had been a reminder and the burn lingered on her flesh but it was not forefront in her mind.
Instead, she lowered herself to the ground and contented herself to wait. The clergy would rise soon and their chanting had a tendancy to help clear her thoughts.
[215] Nymaya: Troubled Shadows
Mon Sep 19 01:38:49 2011
To: All New_Thalos Uvall Cayenna RP Necrucifer (storyline)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lit only by the flickering of faint torches, the temple of New Thalos was a strange and empty haven in the depths of the night.
She was thankful for that as she moved among its expansive corridors slowly, with a care for the heavy lethargy that had gripped her. She was surprised at the light-headedness and had to stop twice to prop herself against one of the ornate pillars.
She knew a headache was probably in her near future but she had so much on her mind...
..prepare..
A whispered warning, a memory heralding the unknown. It made her grimace and clutch at her chest even as she stopped to press a hand to the pillar she had been standing near and she lowered her head with a sharp exhale.
The burned flesh of her chest ached in response to a low pulse of heat in the stone hanging about the tarnished necklace, reminding her as always that there was no escaping this fate.
Could she deny it?
'I should refuse you.'
But you will not. Prepare.
She was not a coward. She had tried to do right by her actions and decisions all her life, but how did you fight what you could not see and could not touch? How did you fight what might be within you?
She had to consider then and there that it was possible she was the real danger - to her children and to those around her.
Within the dark behind her closed eyes, where only the shadows of flames flickered, she tried to determine the best course of action...and saw only the wide black torment of a fate she had decided. For herself and her family.
..for the one you sold your soul for..
The answers she didn't want were the only ones she had.
'I could not have known.' She breathed and opened her eyes to escape what lie within, if only for a little while longer. She was being naive, and she knew it.
The expansive temple was beautiful, exotic and its silence soothed her. The scents of the desert were all around, wafting spice and incense through the airy corridors. She looked around at the place she called home, and was comforted.
She stood for awhile longer, trying to memorize all that she saw, while brushing at her neck tentatively. Uvall's torment, she knew, had been a reminder and the burn lingered on her flesh but it was not forefront in her mind.
Instead, she lowered herself to the ground and contented herself to wait. The clergy would rise soon and their chanting had a tendancy to help clear her thoughts.
Through the Mirror
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[190] Nymaya: Through the Mirror
Tue Aug 30 09:58:46 2011
To: All ( Necrucifer Uvall Cayenna RP )
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The mirror shimmered as if it were water and did not reflect her image.
She feared to look deeper, to touch it. What would she see?
Her head lowered and she felt something heavy, liquid, fall from her jawline. Tears?
She blinked rapidly and brushed at what she felt. The right came away wet but clear. The left, dark with blood.
It wasn't terror that threaded through her then, just a deep knowing. A sense of the inevitable.
She would look into the mirror. She would see...
Her eyes closed tightly, trying to banish the thoughts.
Focus
She had been trained well, her mental capacity should have been able to subdue her reeling senses, her consciousness. But even so - even so - she felt the discordant Song rise to thread her last vestiges of control and her head lifted.
A dark forest waited. Its sun, its light, was gone. Its trees groaned, weeping for the loss, and the very ground was tinted red as if it bled for the wound sustained.
A sharp stab of pain gripped her heart, made her eyes water. She felt the fall of warm tears and blood from her jaw speed even though she was not crying. The pain made her knuckles whiten but she held her ground.
The mirror shimmered, as if a small stone had fallen to disturb the glassy peace of a murky lake. She saw a flash of silver that slowly filtered into existence, mimicking the fall of her own hair. The shape of her face followed, outlining the stubborn jut of her slender chin, the sweeping rise of high cheekbones. Her nose followed, a slender slant over lips that curved faintly, in a kind of smile that had never touched her face.
All she could do was wait, every muscle tensed as she fought a battle against herself that she could not win. And though she tried to prepare for the last, she was not at all ready to gaze back into the eyes that met hers. As black and soulless as the Abyss. Without pity, without remorse and certainly not even mortal.
She thought it would be over then but she was left to struggle, to shake at and try to deny what it was that gaze wanted.
At least, until her own hands lifted on the other side to grasp the mirror and slowly draw through the wide shimmering liquid surface of what should have been glass.
What looked like her face tilted at an unnatural angle as she gritted her teeth and tried with all her might to back away.
You can't run from yourself
The tone was soft, amused and she knew it as her own. The grin that followed was positively malicious and she was left at the mercy of its sudden lunge. What looked like her own body was halfway through the mirror, its hands holding the sides of her face while it drew in close. Black eyes locking with her own dark blue.
'Release me' It breathed. 'I will find a better use for your pain'
She awoke violently, her hand grasping at her chest, and she could not stem the sudden rush of tears that stung at her eyes though they did not break free.
A moment's rage arose for the nightmares she could not control, for all the things that she had no control over, and she left her bed with a sharp shift of her body to stand at the window. A desert's night breeze met her, billowing her hair back and ruffling the silk of her gown. The urge to cry out her frustration to the silent heavens was nearly overpowering and her grip whitened atop the sill.
...only to be eased a moment later as the stone at her throat flickered to life, its pulse dark and hellish crimson. She didn't need much more than that pulsing warmth, the reminder that she was never quite alone, to regain control over spiraling emotions but a strange exhaustion followed and with a low exhale, she found herself slipping back into bed.
[190] Nymaya: Through the Mirror
Tue Aug 30 09:58:46 2011
To: All ( Necrucifer Uvall Cayenna RP )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The mirror shimmered as if it were water and did not reflect her image.
She feared to look deeper, to touch it. What would she see?
Her head lowered and she felt something heavy, liquid, fall from her jawline. Tears?
She blinked rapidly and brushed at what she felt. The right came away wet but clear. The left, dark with blood.
It wasn't terror that threaded through her then, just a deep knowing. A sense of the inevitable.
She would look into the mirror. She would see...
Her eyes closed tightly, trying to banish the thoughts.
Focus
She had been trained well, her mental capacity should have been able to subdue her reeling senses, her consciousness. But even so - even so - she felt the discordant Song rise to thread her last vestiges of control and her head lifted.
A dark forest waited. Its sun, its light, was gone. Its trees groaned, weeping for the loss, and the very ground was tinted red as if it bled for the wound sustained.
A sharp stab of pain gripped her heart, made her eyes water. She felt the fall of warm tears and blood from her jaw speed even though she was not crying. The pain made her knuckles whiten but she held her ground.
The mirror shimmered, as if a small stone had fallen to disturb the glassy peace of a murky lake. She saw a flash of silver that slowly filtered into existence, mimicking the fall of her own hair. The shape of her face followed, outlining the stubborn jut of her slender chin, the sweeping rise of high cheekbones. Her nose followed, a slender slant over lips that curved faintly, in a kind of smile that had never touched her face.
All she could do was wait, every muscle tensed as she fought a battle against herself that she could not win. And though she tried to prepare for the last, she was not at all ready to gaze back into the eyes that met hers. As black and soulless as the Abyss. Without pity, without remorse and certainly not even mortal.
She thought it would be over then but she was left to struggle, to shake at and try to deny what it was that gaze wanted.
At least, until her own hands lifted on the other side to grasp the mirror and slowly draw through the wide shimmering liquid surface of what should have been glass.
What looked like her face tilted at an unnatural angle as she gritted her teeth and tried with all her might to back away.
You can't run from yourself
The tone was soft, amused and she knew it as her own. The grin that followed was positively malicious and she was left at the mercy of its sudden lunge. What looked like her own body was halfway through the mirror, its hands holding the sides of her face while it drew in close. Black eyes locking with her own dark blue.
'Release me' It breathed. 'I will find a better use for your pain'
She awoke violently, her hand grasping at her chest, and she could not stem the sudden rush of tears that stung at her eyes though they did not break free.
A moment's rage arose for the nightmares she could not control, for all the things that she had no control over, and she left her bed with a sharp shift of her body to stand at the window. A desert's night breeze met her, billowing her hair back and ruffling the silk of her gown. The urge to cry out her frustration to the silent heavens was nearly overpowering and her grip whitened atop the sill.
...only to be eased a moment later as the stone at her throat flickered to life, its pulse dark and hellish crimson. She didn't need much more than that pulsing warmth, the reminder that she was never quite alone, to regain control over spiraling emotions but a strange exhaustion followed and with a low exhale, she found herself slipping back into bed.
Reflections
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[109] Nymaya: Reflections
Tue Jun 7 02:19:33 2011
To: Reklah Ashtiel Dimidus ( Delabriel ) Cayenna RP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The soft, if hesitant, sounds of piano strings being strained by a learning hand lifted through the hallways. She could imagine, by the very sound of the elegant song that had been chosen, how his fingers must have hit each key of the instrument and couldn't help a small smile as she reclined on the edge of the fountain. The water itself as it flowed and bubbled gently behind her added atmosphere, essence, to the music and she closed her eyes to savor its life.
Into this flowing cadence, drifting in faint echoes through the hallway, came the familiar sounds of sword sparring.
How fast she was growing..
There was no remorse in the thought. In fact, there was only careful considering. When she thought too much or too deeply on this, she inevitably delved into the matter of her unpaid debt.
The strains of the piano lifted as confidence followed the continuous motions, as fingers remembered their place and began to dance over the white and black keys as surely as if he were moving the pieces on a chessboard.
So young and already a master of such games. It bode well for his future, though what he did with himself was entirely his own matter, as it was for Ash. Their first born son, Dimidus. For her first daughter, lost to the dunes.
Delabriel
The name was thought with a forbidden hush that left an ache behind. It was probably good that she could still feel such things. This sort of pain had become so commonplace. A low brush of anger quickly swept away by the intricate, lulling harmony. Their young ones...were talented.
A stirring of pride carefully banked. One of their children was destined to pay the price she had agreed to and every time she looked upon them - twin siblings - the true impact of what Uvall had asked of her sank in a little deeper.
Her dark contemplations were disrupted as the sound of footfalls followed the ending of the sword play that had been echoing through the manor. She was determined not to ruin this for Reklah. To treasure the time left. Both the twins were bound for schooling in either case, or that was the plan. The better to make sure they were both as prepared as they could be for the harsh world and whatever might be beyond.
She had to amend her prided thoughts as Ashtiel came around the corner first. Dirtied, bruised but still full of that youthful energy that children seemed to draw from as if from an endless font. Neither of them lagged anywhere, in any of their home studies. From music to language, chess to sword play. They were eager, bright and full of zest, if too acute for their ages.
She supposed they'd have to be dim witted, blind and deaf to not notice that something troubled her on a constant basis. And the nightmares...
Night after night, something troubled their sleep even as it troubled hers. At what age could she possibly explain what had happened? Why they might be afflicted all their lives for things that she had done.
She shook the remnants of her shadows from her as she opened her arms to embrace their daughter even as Reklah strode to a stop nearby, his attention otherwise focused on the piano cords drifting sinuously now as the movement began to close. She was charmed to see the faint relaxed smile that curved along his lips and sank again into a state of ease.
They were a family again and for the moment, things were good.
[109] Nymaya: Reflections
Tue Jun 7 02:19:33 2011
To: Reklah Ashtiel Dimidus ( Delabriel ) Cayenna RP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The soft, if hesitant, sounds of piano strings being strained by a learning hand lifted through the hallways. She could imagine, by the very sound of the elegant song that had been chosen, how his fingers must have hit each key of the instrument and couldn't help a small smile as she reclined on the edge of the fountain. The water itself as it flowed and bubbled gently behind her added atmosphere, essence, to the music and she closed her eyes to savor its life.
Into this flowing cadence, drifting in faint echoes through the hallway, came the familiar sounds of sword sparring.
How fast she was growing..
There was no remorse in the thought. In fact, there was only careful considering. When she thought too much or too deeply on this, she inevitably delved into the matter of her unpaid debt.
The strains of the piano lifted as confidence followed the continuous motions, as fingers remembered their place and began to dance over the white and black keys as surely as if he were moving the pieces on a chessboard.
So young and already a master of such games. It bode well for his future, though what he did with himself was entirely his own matter, as it was for Ash. Their first born son, Dimidus. For her first daughter, lost to the dunes.
Delabriel
The name was thought with a forbidden hush that left an ache behind. It was probably good that she could still feel such things. This sort of pain had become so commonplace. A low brush of anger quickly swept away by the intricate, lulling harmony. Their young ones...were talented.
A stirring of pride carefully banked. One of their children was destined to pay the price she had agreed to and every time she looked upon them - twin siblings - the true impact of what Uvall had asked of her sank in a little deeper.
Her dark contemplations were disrupted as the sound of footfalls followed the ending of the sword play that had been echoing through the manor. She was determined not to ruin this for Reklah. To treasure the time left. Both the twins were bound for schooling in either case, or that was the plan. The better to make sure they were both as prepared as they could be for the harsh world and whatever might be beyond.
She had to amend her prided thoughts as Ashtiel came around the corner first. Dirtied, bruised but still full of that youthful energy that children seemed to draw from as if from an endless font. Neither of them lagged anywhere, in any of their home studies. From music to language, chess to sword play. They were eager, bright and full of zest, if too acute for their ages.
She supposed they'd have to be dim witted, blind and deaf to not notice that something troubled her on a constant basis. And the nightmares...
Night after night, something troubled their sleep even as it troubled hers. At what age could she possibly explain what had happened? Why they might be afflicted all their lives for things that she had done.
She shook the remnants of her shadows from her as she opened her arms to embrace their daughter even as Reklah strode to a stop nearby, his attention otherwise focused on the piano cords drifting sinuously now as the movement began to close. She was charmed to see the faint relaxed smile that curved along his lips and sank again into a state of ease.
They were a family again and for the moment, things were good.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Unpaid Debt - Healing
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[103] Nymaya: The Unpaid Debt - Healing
Fri Apr 29 18:26:20 2011
To: Reklah
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The world through her vision was a hazy crimson and there was fire beneath her flesh even though the agony of the contractions had passed and she was left feeling surprisingly numb.
There were people around her. Two attendants, the midwife. The healthy cries of two newborns.
She had no words to relate just how relieved she felt to hear them and she let her eyes close to the exhaustion that was taking relentless hold on her. She was weak, she felt fevered but she couldn't be sure that wasn't the demon. She knew she had lost a lot of blood...
She also knew she was not going to die from it, not that death would have been any true release. Uvall would be able to find and extract his price no matter where she was.
She lost her consciousness to this last ominous thought and wandered for what felt an eternity in the hazy black and crimson of her mind.
Where am I?
The heavy black around her contracted and expanded, the air hellishly hot and filled with the stench of sulfur. If her eyes were open, she couldn't tell. She was almost certain she had descended into the throat of some gigantic being.
...and then she remembered.
And on the very cusp of this moment, she began to fall.
The deep dark opened beneath her like a yawning fissure of a mouth, wickedly fanged with a tongue of flame.
Remember
A terror of the sort that can fracture a mind met her for the second time in her living existence. Better she had died than have these memories. But they swam up to meet her as she fell into Hell.
The struggle to breathe in a place the living were not meant to traverse alive returned and she grabbed at her throat, only then recalling the periapt around her wrist.
She fell and fell through a sky filled with obliterating clouds, winged monstrosities and fiery ash. Her body careened off a demon in flight and the summoning she had been trying to force past her lips nearly failed.
The darkness ate at her vision even as cooling protection erupted around her, slowing her descent, allowing her time to regain her senses - just in time to note the chaotic milling of a horrid writhing mass on the ground beneath her. They hadn't been there before...
No..!
Uvall's laughter was silken as it flowed over her like an intimate caress.
You will give me what I want
Nymaya sat straight up in bed, her body covered with a sheen of moisture, her breath panting from her in the lingering throes of the nightmare that had been so much more.
"Easy, Nym."
And the gentle touch of her husband followed, making her exceptionally aware of a few things then; the first, she was back in Iagothal; the second, she was in pain. The dull ache was welcome as she acceded to Reklah and lay back.
"The children?" She whispered, needing to know..
"They're both here still. Just rest and heal."
[103] Nymaya: The Unpaid Debt - Healing
Fri Apr 29 18:26:20 2011
To: Reklah
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Thalos
The world through her vision was a hazy crimson and there was fire beneath her flesh even though the agony of the contractions had passed and she was left feeling surprisingly numb.
There were people around her. Two attendants, the midwife. The healthy cries of two newborns.
She had no words to relate just how relieved she felt to hear them and she let her eyes close to the exhaustion that was taking relentless hold on her. She was weak, she felt fevered but she couldn't be sure that wasn't the demon. She knew she had lost a lot of blood...
She also knew she was not going to die from it, not that death would have been any true release. Uvall would be able to find and extract his price no matter where she was.
She lost her consciousness to this last ominous thought and wandered for what felt an eternity in the hazy black and crimson of her mind.
+++
Where am I?
The heavy black around her contracted and expanded, the air hellishly hot and filled with the stench of sulfur. If her eyes were open, she couldn't tell. She was almost certain she had descended into the throat of some gigantic being.
...and then she remembered.
And on the very cusp of this moment, she began to fall.
The deep dark opened beneath her like a yawning fissure of a mouth, wickedly fanged with a tongue of flame.
Remember
A terror of the sort that can fracture a mind met her for the second time in her living existence. Better she had died than have these memories. But they swam up to meet her as she fell into Hell.
The struggle to breathe in a place the living were not meant to traverse alive returned and she grabbed at her throat, only then recalling the periapt around her wrist.
She fell and fell through a sky filled with obliterating clouds, winged monstrosities and fiery ash. Her body careened off a demon in flight and the summoning she had been trying to force past her lips nearly failed.
The darkness ate at her vision even as cooling protection erupted around her, slowing her descent, allowing her time to regain her senses - just in time to note the chaotic milling of a horrid writhing mass on the ground beneath her. They hadn't been there before...
No..!
Uvall's laughter was silken as it flowed over her like an intimate caress.
You will give me what I want
Iagothal
Nymaya sat straight up in bed, her body covered with a sheen of moisture, her breath panting from her in the lingering throes of the nightmare that had been so much more.
"Easy, Nym."
And the gentle touch of her husband followed, making her exceptionally aware of a few things then; the first, she was back in Iagothal; the second, she was in pain. The dull ache was welcome as she acceded to Reklah and lay back.
"The children?" She whispered, needing to know..
"They're both here still. Just rest and heal."
Into the Storm
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[ 98] Nymaya: Into the Storm
Tue Apr 12 02:01:10 2011
To: All New_Thalos Reklah Dar'shin Jadess ( Cayenna Necrucifer Imm RP )
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Slowly but surely, the cramping pain that had been catching at her began to rise and crest.
She knew it wouldn't be long now until her contractions began in full. There was a sense of elation there, coupled powerfully with dread. She was already exhausted. The pain and discomfort leading up to labor had kept her awake for well over a day and she hadn't even reached the difficult parts yet.
She paced and paced until standing became too much, and then with the aid of the midwife - an able elf who's calm no-nonsense mannerism in the face of the chaos of the moment was a rock she found herself clinging to - she was set to rest upon the bed against a mound of pillows.
The elven midwife, who's name escaped her though it may have been mentioned, moved away to the door and she managed to pick up on a series of orders streaming forth.
"...towels, water, prepared herbs. And see that a messenger is sent to the Dark Lord of Shadow immediately."
She wanted desperately to know if there was a problem but she couldn't form the question. Instead, she found herself gazing out the window. There was a breeze coming in off the Ishtar and the thin white silken draperies that bracketed the arched window billowed in slow, hypnotic movements. A pristine moment ensued then, one blessedly devoid of pain, and in the distance, she heard the ominous rumble of thunder.
It wasn't often the desert was blessed by rain but the next gust of wind brought with it the heady scent of moisture, even though the sky through the window appeared as azure as ever to her distant gaze. As she watched though, she began to perceive a shadow, a darkening. And then she became intensely aware that she had wrapped her hand around the stone at her throat - and that it had awakened.
Heat flooded through her and even in the dry depths of the desert, moisture beaded on her flesh. Panic ensued then but was curbed almost maliciously by the pulses of the stone. A full on contraction caught her by surprise in the process, stole her breath and curled her around a pillow she had been grasping to.
"Breathe, Nymaya."
The order was barked, lacking any room for argument. The midwife had her face in her grasp then, forcing Nymaya to look at her, and the stern expression was enough - as was the command. Her gasps were short and sharp but it shocked her past the unexpected moment and into the memory of having done this before.
Everything might have been fine from then on out, but the heat flooding her body never ceased. She knew what it meant. She knew Uvall was watching, waiting, with her as always.
A heavy, charged silence followed the overwhelming pain of that singular contraction. The midwife rose up from the bed to go to a polite knock at the door and into the space remaining, another stronger roll of thunder fell. It was nearly upon New Thalos if the darkening of the sky and the edge of the black cloud cover were any indication.
The stone had warmed in her hand, not uncomfortable enough to burn her, but so close. Waiting...
...if you want your due, Uvall...you will ensure I survive this..
And following the thought, her eyes drifted shut and blessed sleep enveloped her.
[ 98] Nymaya: Into the Storm
Tue Apr 12 02:01:10 2011
To: All New_Thalos Reklah Dar'shin Jadess ( Cayenna Necrucifer Imm RP )
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Slowly but surely, the cramping pain that had been catching at her began to rise and crest.
She knew it wouldn't be long now until her contractions began in full. There was a sense of elation there, coupled powerfully with dread. She was already exhausted. The pain and discomfort leading up to labor had kept her awake for well over a day and she hadn't even reached the difficult parts yet.
She paced and paced until standing became too much, and then with the aid of the midwife - an able elf who's calm no-nonsense mannerism in the face of the chaos of the moment was a rock she found herself clinging to - she was set to rest upon the bed against a mound of pillows.
The elven midwife, who's name escaped her though it may have been mentioned, moved away to the door and she managed to pick up on a series of orders streaming forth.
"...towels, water, prepared herbs. And see that a messenger is sent to the Dark Lord of Shadow immediately."
She wanted desperately to know if there was a problem but she couldn't form the question. Instead, she found herself gazing out the window. There was a breeze coming in off the Ishtar and the thin white silken draperies that bracketed the arched window billowed in slow, hypnotic movements. A pristine moment ensued then, one blessedly devoid of pain, and in the distance, she heard the ominous rumble of thunder.
It wasn't often the desert was blessed by rain but the next gust of wind brought with it the heady scent of moisture, even though the sky through the window appeared as azure as ever to her distant gaze. As she watched though, she began to perceive a shadow, a darkening. And then she became intensely aware that she had wrapped her hand around the stone at her throat - and that it had awakened.
Heat flooded through her and even in the dry depths of the desert, moisture beaded on her flesh. Panic ensued then but was curbed almost maliciously by the pulses of the stone. A full on contraction caught her by surprise in the process, stole her breath and curled her around a pillow she had been grasping to.
"Breathe, Nymaya."
The order was barked, lacking any room for argument. The midwife had her face in her grasp then, forcing Nymaya to look at her, and the stern expression was enough - as was the command. Her gasps were short and sharp but it shocked her past the unexpected moment and into the memory of having done this before.
Everything might have been fine from then on out, but the heat flooding her body never ceased. She knew what it meant. She knew Uvall was watching, waiting, with her as always.
A heavy, charged silence followed the overwhelming pain of that singular contraction. The midwife rose up from the bed to go to a polite knock at the door and into the space remaining, another stronger roll of thunder fell. It was nearly upon New Thalos if the darkening of the sky and the edge of the black cloud cover were any indication.
The stone had warmed in her hand, not uncomfortable enough to burn her, but so close. Waiting...
...if you want your due, Uvall...you will ensure I survive this..
And following the thought, her eyes drifted shut and blessed sleep enveloped her.
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