Fantasy Farewell to Kings: Elide’s Tale

[A Play On Words]

"I-I don't want to eat." Elide answered quietly, pushing herself to her feet. "I-I'll be near the pond." She answered quietly, motioning towards the lake in the distance. Elide then left silently, pushing past the trees until she made it to the water's edge.

 

[Jodyguru]

The water on the pond was still and reflected the light of the sun peering through. Mosquitoes flew around the surfaces, only to be eaten by a catfish.
There were trees and brush, and Eli alone with her thoughts.

 

[A Play On Words]

She stared down at the water, carefully removing her clothing. She then dove into the the water, the cold biting her skin.

 

[Jodyguru]

The sensation helped clear her head. Meanwhile Tess and Winter talked about what they wanted to do about Bart.

 

[A Play On Words]

She bathed herself before stepping out of the water. She wrung out her hair and slid her clothing back on. She then forced herself back to camp with a quiet sigh.

 

[Jodyguru]

Tess was in the same spot as before, but Winter was pacing around.
“I saved you some bacon.” Tess said to Eli. Winter spun around and locked eyes with Eli. He still didn’t say anything, but it looked like whatever he wanted to say was boiling up inside of him.

 

[A Play On Words]

Elide sat down and silently took the food. She forced it down her throat, knowing she needed to eat.

 

[Jodyguru]

Tess smiled, but looked up at Winter who was still steaming.
“Will you just say it before your head explodes?” She said to him annoyedly. Winter glared at her and then sat down across from Eli. He opened his mouth and nothing came. He looked like he was being very careful.

“Was it worth it” He asked with a hard jaw. “Was killing your dad worth the trouble? I need to know.”
“Winter...”
“No, I need to hear it! It’s my brother in a dungeon somewhere, and she was with him. It was her revenge! So was it worth it, huh?”
“She’s still in shock. We all are. Stop yelling at her!”

 

[A Play On Words]

Her magic lashed out, shoving him away from her. "You tell me huh? As a baby he tried to murder me. He killed my mother in front of me and left me for dead. I was haunted with the memory for my entire life. I had a demon inside of my I couldn't control. And now the only family I had left is fuckin' gone, and you want to ask me if it was worth it? I didn't ask him to stay. He sacrificed himself. I wouldn't have let him if I knew what he did." Elide hissed, tears stinging her eyes.

 

[Jodyguru]

“Family? What family?” Winter sat up. “You’ve known him like a month or two? He changed my fucking diapers! I lost family, not you! Bart’s a glory hound! The moment he had that look in his eye you should’ve stopped him!”
“That’s enough! Fighting won’t help anyone!” Tess was caught in the middle as she often was.
“Speaking of, why didn’t you help him back there? Maybe he wouldn’t have gotten captured if he had some damn backup! I was always backing him up, even when he acted like a moron!”

 

[A Play On Words]

"Shut up!" She hissed, her magic shooting once again, slicing a few of the surrounding trees in half, the fire was whisked out in a mere second.

 

[Jodyguru]

Winter seethed, but Tess quickly moved between the two of them.
“It’s going to be alright. Nobody here is to be putting blame on anyone. Eli, it wasn’t your fault. Winter cares about Bart just as much as you. He rode all night just to hear me give him the news this morning . He wants to help.”

 

[A Play On Words]

"Whatever." Elide waved a dismissive hand with an aggravated sigh. She walked away from them and just stood in the forest for a moment or two, taking a long and slow breath.

 

[Jodyguru]

She heard footsteps approach. A timid Leona stepped towards her.
“Uh, a-are you okay, Elide?” Her small voice asked. She could hear them fighting, and the felled trees definitely didn’t help.

 

[A Play On Words]

She slowly nodded. "I-I just lost my temper... That's all." She murmured quietly, the night with the sword returning to her mind.

 

[Jodyguru]

Leona looked back at the singed trees. “Glad I wasn’t standing over there, then... Do you require spiritual counseling?” She offered. The last time she was fairly successful in helping Eli steel herself for the trials that came.

 

[A Play On Words]

She sighed and nodded. "That would be wonderful."

 

[Jodyguru]

Leona smiled and led Elide towards the pond. She sat down in the grass and let out a small sigh.
“I wish I had brought my books. I have to go off my memory, but I’ll do the best I can. Tell me what weighs on your spirit, child of light.” The last sentence was something commonly said by priests during council. As a healing maiden she wasn’t a qualified spiritual council, but as Elide’s friend she did her best.

 

[A Play On Words]

She sighed and looked up at her, "I'm worried about Bart. He's suffering from my own hand. They want me, not him."

 

[Jodyguru]

“They want us all to hang. I am an accomplice in this too, remember. I’ve come to learn a sinister lesson about the provincial order of clerics. They are not as pious or forgiving as they claim. I believe the Inquisition is desperate to cling to their power granted during the Blight, and making an example out of us is what they want most.”

She had a grimace on her face that made her look down for a moment, then met Eli’s gaze.

“I’m sorry, I’m being a terrible council. We must remember that the faith and the church are two different entities. Mitra watches the challenges that befall us, and rewards those who persevere. The passage of Hereticus... He who was unfairly punished by a cruel existence, but did not blame his community, his family, or God. He marches forward through the dark waters of Reivon Swamp, the underworld, and is only led by the sinister cackle of the demon who wronged him.”

 

[A Play On Words]

She sighed and nodded, trying to calm her breathing. She glanced at Leona and offered her a gentle smile. Though her council didn't exactly help her anxieties, she knew Leona was trying and that's all she needed. Just a bit of kindness.

 

[Jodyguru]

“I guess we have our own demons that need slaying.” Leona shrugged. “I have a bone to pick with this god of dreams, Desna. Last night I dreamed you were going to sign a contract, and we all rushed in to stop you. When I woke, I knew today would bring new challenges. I just didn’t expect Bart’s brother to show.”

 

[A Play On Words]

She tensed at the mention of her dream, as it had been her own. "I-I didn't expect Winter to arrive either. He's never really been kind to me." She sighed

 

[Jodyguru]

Leona nodded. “People are a lot like flowers. They need lots of care. He’s probably not getting the care he needs. It’s easy to be kind to people who are kind, but unkind people still need kindness shown towards them. That is the mark of a truly compassionate person.”

 

[A Play On Words]

She sighed and nodded. "He's just trying to blame me, and I'm doing my best to explain, but I fear it will lead to nothing."