|
|
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FourthMovement|Fourth Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT ADanceOfAngels |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | == Silent Emotions ==
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' The note had been left under Faina's door. The one she knew was Faina's only because she'd been there once before recently. It read only: ''Please meet me in my garden tonight - I. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | Of course, she did write more than that, in the letter she held in her hand as she sat in the gazebo in the small garden behind her temple manse, dimly lit by a few scattered lanterns: most had been spent years before and not receiving visitors she'd never thought of adding new oil.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The letter she'd written was for her brother. Voidwalker. She didn't trust Gennadi, oath of the heavens or not, and she wasn't about to let all this go uninvestigated. However she still had a job to do, and she would do it.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The letter, sealed in a neat envelope in her lap read the following:
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Dear Dylan, ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''I hope this letter finds you well, the war hasn't left anyone unphased and I must say I worry about you. Please don't be angry that I was told, it's all for the best, you'll see. The reason I'm writing is because I very much need your help. While on a mission related to the war I met a strange man and something happened. When he touched me something gripped me, and green swirling winds came out. It took all I had to pull myself away, and even then the howling things still nearly ripped through things. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''I've learned that this has something to do with my nature. That my patron is apparantly Adjordan, the Silent Wind. He was very much unsettled to learn this and with the aid of someone I can't further identify and the power of heaven he's been bound to not withhold any information from me regarding his investigations. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''However, I still don't trust him. I feel there's something way more here, more to what happened to me, than anyone either knows or wants to admit. The abyssals knew about me, I think they may not be behind it, but they definately know about the plot that turned me into what I am today. And when I hit the Acolyte of Violet Whispers that day above the park in Blue Wind her essence whispered to me. That I am a monster, that I am silence, fire and destruction, that I will be the doom of windia. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Don't ask me how, but I know unless something happens that that is the truth. It resonates deep within me, even if I wished I could avoid it. And I know I will die on that day, because I cannot turn into what our sister became so long ago. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''I wanted to leave Windia, go far away. But I was persuaded not to by... someone. A woman. We're ... very fond of eachother. She knows what the Acolyte says is true unless averted as well. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''So I'm writing to you now, asking - no, begging you to please investigate this in my absence. You're the only one I can trust with this Dylan. This war we're fighting goes further than what we can see, there are layers upon layers of shadow battles we know nothing about, and I'm being used as a pawn! I know you are the only one who can go and do as he wishes... Please help me, I beg of you. I'd lost so much and barely had reason to live on. Now I have you, and someone else to give my heart too, as well as to Windia, the home we both love so much. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Don't tell Swift Whisper about this information, please. I'm not sure I trust her, and would you want to jeopardize your only remaining relative's future by being over indulgent? Same, do not trust the man with the golden hair, tanned skin and white suit, named Gennadi. Do not trust anyone, not the dead, not those you cannot seem to place from one moment to the next, trust only yourself and I may yet be saved. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Some of those involved might wish you to forget this. Like the man I bound. Please don't forget about me Dylan, it will be the end of me. Please don't make me choose between death and destroying all I care about. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Please save me, I need you now more than ever. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''All the love a black-ops isn't supposed to feel, ''<br>
| |
| − | ''Your sister, Izabella''
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She sat waiting in the gazebo. Next to her, her scarf. Of course, she'd already gone into town and bought herself a new one earlier, but the memento would trigger emotions in her brother, and that's all she cared about. The letter may have been laden with emotion, but most of it while it might have been genuine deep at her core was simply a tool to make him not forget. She didn't know if it would work, but she was willing to go all out. Her only reason for remembering and uncovering the sidereal conspiracy came during a time of intense emotion for her.
| |
| − | | |
| − | A few puffs of her lit cigarette later she wondered how Faina would react to her being asked to come out here like this, and to not read this letter she was supposed to deliver.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''... Hopefully she'll understand... ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | It was quite lovely in her little garden behind her manse. The gazebo sheltering from most of the biting cold, overlooking the pond in which the stars and moon were reflected. Some of the bonsai trees still had green on them, and were also pleasantly covered in light snow.
| |
| − | | |
| − | If she didn't have so much on her mind she might've even enjoyed the view...
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' Faina glides down from the heavens, landing close to the Gazebo. Only then she catches sight of Iselsis, and smiles. Her hand lightly touches the Bonsais as she passes... and they seem all the more alive.
| |
| − | | |
| − | She forces her smile to vanish, what it naturally does as she becomes bussiness "You know, I should question your wisdom in still being in the city. Didn't I give you a mission, Iselsis?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She takes a puff of her cigarette, probably to cool her nerve a little from that leap her heart made when Faina appeared, and slowly exhales the smoke.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I'm leaving soon, in fact I already approached the Windwraith. I think I got through to him."
| |
| − | | |
| − | She reaches over and stamps the cigarette out on the stone rail of the gazebo before continuing, "I had to see you. I need Voidwalker to do some investigation for me while I'm away on the mission. I didn't know who else to contact, and it's very sensitive information for his eyes only."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' "I see." She says, walking up to the Gazebo, and leaning against one of its low fences. "You are asking one whose job is to discover things not to look, though. That is unsettling to me... as it is you asking me to be a delivery girl."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "They have returned from the raid, the prince, Valencia, the Pale Angel... they struck it successfully. We also received confirmation your sister is in Whiteshield's industrial heart. Place's aptly named 'The Boil', believe it or not."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She glances down at the envelope, and then to the side at Faina.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "You'll jeopardize the information within if you look. I'm not even sure if my brother will be able to handle it properly, but it's the only chance I have.", her tone was pleading, as if she didn't want Faina to press the issue.
| |
| − | | |
| − | She nods at the other parts, "I'll leave for it tomorrow, then."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' "The place is pretty harsh, but it surrended without resistance. So it might still look fine..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "It will be enemy territory, however... I wonder if you were properly trained to sneak around ''that''..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' "I've been concocting some new tricks, don't worry. I always have more tricks, after Blue Wind you should know as much.", she grins somewhat. She'd probably said that some thing at least twice during that episode.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I assume I'm not under orders to refrain from going behind enemy lines and picking off targets from afar? If Blue Wind taught me anything it's that subtlety is a good thing."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' "Amusing when linked to the moment our organization has been the least subtle, ever. But yes, I wondered about that. You could run to me in Blue Wind, if are found inside Whiteshield, you will have nowhere to hide..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | She closes her eyes, "No, my dear, picking off targets from afar is ''recommended''"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' "It will make them trust me, too."
| |
| − | | |
| − | She frowns a little as Faina's tone shift to one that almost sounded worried to her.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I survived Blue Wind and everything that happened surrounding it. I have no intention to get myself killed out there.", then somewhat softer, "I will be back, once this is all over..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' Her eyes open slowly, and a smile begins to appear at the edges of her lips... "Please, do. I will be waiting, Izabella."
| |
| − | | |
| − | She looks around, away from Iselsis, and into the garden... "Those days make me feel like dancing... do you still remember how to dance? Have you ever learned? A proper lady would, but with all the affair with your foster parents and your parent's death..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She shrugs a little.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Maybe they taught me a little. Can't really remember after all this time."
| |
| − | | |
| − | She pauses for a moment. "Besides, like I'll ever be seen somewhere people dance..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | * Faina steps out of the gazebo, her feet feeling the snow. She loved those days; The songs of the windmills on the wind, the wind gentle, all white with snow, but no snow. "Who needs to be in a dancing place?" She says, spreading her arms to feel the life and the wind. "WYou can dance anywhere. But now... I just know I can take you to some. A masked ball. Or a costumed one, pehaps? So you can flaunt your crimson flesh without fear?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She raises an eyebrow at Faina's behaviour, and something else wells up in her.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Masked balls, is that how our lives will be when this is all over and done with? ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | She fishes a new cigarette from her pocket, blowing on it gently while cupping the flame that ignites at the top from going out, then takes a puff from it, staring at Faina.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "You're in an odd mood for someone who must be imminently aware of all the horrors waiting on our doorstep."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' She looks up from over her shoulder, smiles, and shrugs. "It always is. It is worse now, and I was... shaken, last time, as you remember... but now that they are away, it is the same. I read those reports daily, Izabella... reading about ghosts testing our barriers here, fair folk there, demons... they are always outside, threatening to come."
| |
| − | | |
| − | She crosses her arm, suddenly cold, "When they are inside the house, I worry. When they are outside... I just learned to accept it, and enjoy what I can. We may be dead tomorrow, after all. You may not even return..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "... and I will never have danced with you."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She gets up and shrugs out of her coat, revealing the black leather bodysuit underneath, and the belt with the two holsters and pistols. She unlatches the back of the coat, walks over to Faina and drapes it over her shoulders.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "You're cold.", she says matter of factly. Wether that is all the reason in the world for her to relinquish a priceless artifact which she needs desperately to Faina.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I'm not going to die. It... I just won't. And when I come back, and I've dealt with the war, and my sister, and my curse, then you can teach me how to dance... And we'll have all the time in the world."
| |
| − | | |
| − | She nods to herself. "Yeah, that's how it'll be..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' Faina looked at Iselsis. Something was just strange about this. Iselsis, trying to comfort her? The little girl...? She really had opened too much of herself. Of course, Iselsis was young. She did not have to say goodbye to so many loved ones. "Idealistic. Optimistic. You surprise me at every turn, Izabella..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She shrugs a little.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I've seen too much to be an optimist. Idealist, maybe." she takes another puff of her cigarette, "The thing is, if you set your mind to something, block everything else out and focus only on what you have to get done... you'll do it. That's why I can say these things."
| |
| − | | |
| − | She looked back at Faina then, and in her eyes she could see she was completely serious, and believed every word of it, wether it was true or not, or simply just her truth.
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' "I know. It is how I do it too."
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''You just got me to become more sentimental in goodbyes. I am not the one who will get things done, after all. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''I am the one who sends people like you away. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | She smiles, and begins to walk back in the gazebo. "Well, you said you need your brother. And that the information is for his eyes only. I take it is that letter there?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' "And the scarf. But that's just to help. I already bought a new one earlier today. Of course, don't tell him that!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | She takes another puff of her cigarette, and another again, steadying herself. She wanted Faina to hold her again. Or to dance with her, but that kind of sentimentality would only make it harder to focus. She couldn't let herself dwell on what-ifs.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Things are so hard lately... ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' Faina looks at Iselsis and studies her for a moment. She understood why the scarf. Or at least, had a very good guess.
| |
| − | | |
| − | She walked to the letter, taking the coat off, taking it and the scarf.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I hope you know what you are doing."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She took one last drag of the cigarette before crushing it under a heavy foot and half-mumbling "So do I..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' Faina places the scarf around herself, stashing the letter away somewhere in her dress. Then, with little warning, and less ceremony, she walks up to Iselsis, taking the demon-blood's calloused hands on her own. "Want to dance?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She blinks a little as Faina walks up and takes her hands, stammering: "W-what? Now? But I don't even know how...", subconsciously shuffling one foot, toe in the snow.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The hugging and the kiss that seemed to last all too briefly where a while ago now, and she still wasn't at all as confident about the new status of their relationship and all that entailed were as it might seem.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' She holds Iselsis' hand, and come closer, smiling. "This is why I am going to teach you. Just try not to step at my toes, right? This dance is a man and a woman, and the man leads. I will take the leading role..." She lets that trail off. Iselsis was hatching her own plans. Already with her own way of supressing her emotions. Already taking care of Faina, herself... so unlike the confused young girl.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "You have grown, Iselsis. You have grown since Blue Wind." And seeing things grow... was her nature, as a child of Sextes Jylis.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She just nods her head a bit. She was a master martial artist as well as pretty damn agile, she could do this! Well, maybe if she focussed enough.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Is that such a bad thing?", she ventures, slightly more comfortable with smalltalk now the physical distance between them had been closed.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' "It takes time getting used to. You are already very different from the girl of that night."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "So much less confused, despaired, so much more... focused."
| |
| − | | |
| − | She takes the first steps, leading Iselsis. Her motions are poetry. "Was I being purely professional, I would say that this might make you a threat."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She follows along. It takes her a few moments before she takes note of the rythm of the movement. Compared to Faina her attempts would probably look clumsy, but many a beginner and expert alike would envy her natural grace, even if she does miss a step here or there.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Maybe it does. Right now though, that's only more bad news for the deaders, isn't it?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | The topic seems to make her somewhat uncomfortable though, so she switches. "Aren't you cold?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Faina: ''' "We enjoy the cold, Iselsis. All that makes me shivers is fear, and worries." She leads Iselsis to the rhytm of a melody in her mind, which she hums softly when she is not speaking.. "I feel neither now." Her voice is warm to Iselsis, closer to her crimson, pierced ears for a moment... and then not close anymore. But it really does feel, the more they dance, after each movement that takes Faina closer.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Warm.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Iselsis: ''' She just nods. It wasn't like she didn't understand, she was like that herself.
| |
| − | | |
| − | She doesn't speak another word, slowly edging her way closer to Faina as the two dance.
| |
| − | | |
| − | She was nervous, but for the first time openly so. Honest.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Honest that this made her nervous.<br>
| |
| − | Honest that it was still unknown and a little awkward.<br>
| |
| − | Honest in being herself more than she'd been in a very long time.
| |
| − | | |
| − | And so they danced in a warm embrace to a song that had no tune, on a starry, moonlit night. The devil of silence and the angel of nature. Just two more people caught by the trepidations of war.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Despite the cold around them she felt warm... inside.
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | ----
| |
| − | | |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FourthMovement|Fourth Movement]]
| |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
| |
