Take Back the Crown

Oceana's expressive brows slanted in disgust as she took in Valeiah's words.


Truly they were eaten then. Her family.


The thought that it wasn't just a ruse or grief-striken theory made the elf's skin crawl.


People eating people.


How mortifying!


Then it was replaced with guilty satisfaction.


A small, bitter part of her chuckled darkly and mused,


Humans were the culprits, I wonder?


A sick inner smirk that twitched on tattooed lips.


Hm probably.


Even after all that was said, the elf stayed quiet.


Foxrun's words did not impress her.


Oathing words of honor and chivalry weren't in a hunter's book of tenets, after all.


And Oceana herself felt like such things were below her; or maybe she was below them.


The elf frowned, suddenly uneasy at the thought.


I donnae know, she felt more than thought, I donnae know which one is which anymore.
 
He seemed shocked at first, before finding his usual calm face "so you don't know who did it?" Once again, his curiosity was getting the best of him. "I mean, I should drop it. I'm sorry, for prying again." He frowned, mainly at himself before going back to his breakfast, hesitating for a short moment as some rather gruesome scenes flashed across his thoughts. He then noticed the small smile creep and fade across the other woman's face beside him. He gave a questioning look her way briefly, before trying to shrug it off. odd. Perhaps I just imagined it. he thought, because just as soon as he had seen the expression it had vanished. His mind couldn't rationalize why the elf would have almost a satisfied face at such news, so he had to have imagined it? 


@Danika@OlKaJa77
 
      "So..." Svetlana began as she took a bite out of a jelly filled pastry, "Cass- may I call you Cass?" She asked with a grin, but didn't give her time to respond, "What brought you in this general direction? Nobody travels a desert without nessecity, or unless they live in it. Do you live here? Or do you come from another land? I am curious as to what drove you to our fellowship." She looked at the girl expectantly, having taken a seat right across from her. Yaroslav was sitting quietly next to her, though he was also curious to know.


@Abberakelaran


      "A revenge story, huh?" Hjalmar asked Valeiah from behind, swiping a pastry off her plate and taking a seat next to Foxrun, "Can't say I blame you. When you lose people you care about, all you're left with is this insatiable desire for justice..." He took a bite, but then leaned forward to look at her seriously, "But trust me when I say you don't want to feed that emotion. No amount of blood will bring you satisfaction, and no amount of blood will bring back the dead, let alone give them peace." He was speaking from personal experience, and he hated that she seemed so nonchalant about it, "It won't bring you peace for that matter."


@Danika @GalacticRam @OlKaJa77
 
"Actually, blood can bring back the dead. Technically. It's called blood magic, or necromancy. Quite popular in some other lands I visited. And it can give the dead peace. Damn vengeful spirits are a pain in the ass to vanish." Kacel'la stated in a matter-of-fact tone as she also sat down at the table. "But vengeance is a rather bad thing to pursue."


@Lo Alyssa @Danika @GalacticRam @OlKaJa77
 
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Oceana barked a bitter laugh at Hjalmar's words, paying no mind to whether it upset him or not.


"So what do you expect her to do? Let such atrocities go free because 'oh vengeance is bad!'?" 


Her acidic smirk never left her lips as she put a hand to her hunting knife and it softly screeched out of its waist sheath.


She began peeling a cactus fruit; chunks of skin sliding off as if made of melted butter, her knife honed to a deadly, shimmering edge.


"If it were me I would slay them on principle. There's nae a doubt those lot are mad, they're sick, and should be put down like dogs."


A glint of light caught her blade as she nodded at Kacel'la's words. Except the last bit.


That made her miffed.


"Vengeance is a tool. As long as you donnae stab yourself with it, it can be useful."


The raven-haired elf was scowling now, and her tone betrayed the possibility of actual experience behind those words.


"After all, when you lose everything, what else keeps you on your feet but thoughts of retribution? What else but a burning hatred...?"


She was seeing the past, suddenly.


The orange blaze of fire mingling with golden armor and the red of blood; a horrific sunset of death and destruction.


And she remembered sitting in the saddle of her long gone horse, grave wound barely healed, struggling for breath as she rode away from her home in exile.


Remembered the scalding fury that kept her hands tight on the reins and air in her lungs even while her life bled out of her.


"No, there is nothing else with such singular focus or determination. No other emotion"


She finally said, voice unsettlingly quiet. She was almost done peeling her fruit, the motions mechanical.


"It's a keen dagger to be wielded. And when I finally find her I'm going to shove it in her throat."


The elf slashed off the last piece of cactus fruit skin in one fluid motion, no doubt mirroring the death blow in her mind. 


She smiled.


"Nothing else to it."


And bit into her prize.


@Lo Alyssa @GalacticRam @L1d1ja @Danika
 
"There are many things that keep you alive even when you have nothing. Friendship, love, sense of adventure, even whatever remaining will to survive that remains. I know people-" Her eyes flicked momentarily to watch Dorian "- who survived only because they wished to protect those they cared about." Kacel'la frowned, her mind riffling through the emotions that had kept her pushing forward through her years of travel, and through all those times she had gotten so lost that the possibility of getting out alive was next to zero. "Vengeance, once seen through, will only leave you empty. No memory of it will satisfy you once problems strike. Happiness, that's what keeps you running. Vengeance is a short-term solution. But I guess we are free to think what we like." She explained her thoughts. "It's not my place to tell others what to do or think."


@Lo Alyssa @GalacticRam @OlKaJa77 @Danika
 
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Despite their disagreeing opinions, Oceana inclined her head to the other elf in acknowledgement.


"As you say." She said, voice soft and agreeable. 


She could not help such deference. 


The elf did not wish to upset the only other elf she had seen in months that didn't glare or flee from her. 


Wildling elves were never seen alone. Not the ones who were respectable anyway.


Those with marks of honor that travelled alone were curiosities at best, and shunned and feared at worst. 


So Oceana stayed meek and quiet, unknowingly reenacting many of the scenes from her childhood.


To disagree with a peer had meant punishment, at least for her, despite all the vitriol she spouted.


Her temper was real. But so were the fists and feet that beat her into submission.


Even her hunting master had been amazed that her stubborn defiance had lasted through all of it. And it stopped once she was Aisling's favorite student. Well almost.


When the children couldn't pick on her, the adults did instead.


Shaking off a wave of unexpected helplessness, the elf settled down into herself. 


Dispodent and somber, she stared at the table, tucked a strand of inky hair behind a pointed ear and said nothing more.
 
Valeiah was surprised that all of a sudden so many people were telling her not to follow through with her revenge. All except Oceana. And that left her feeling slightly uncomfortable. To add on that, she had only hoped Foxrun would hear her.


"Yes, this is a revenge story. But I think of it more as justice. They killed innocent people, children, and they deserve to die for it. It's not just justice for my family being killed. It's justice for all the surviving people of my tribe who watched their spouses and children being ripped apart and barely survived themselves." She said to everyone around her.


"You didn't actually think tagged along just to heal everyone, did you?"


@Lo Alyssa @GalacticRam @OlKaJa77 @L1d1ja
 
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"You'll find no comment against justice from me, I'd even help hunting down the killers if you want. I simply have learned that personal vendettas usually lead me to painful places." Kacel'la smiled. "And I had no clue that you are a healer until now."


@Danika
 
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      Hjalmar frowned. Perhaps he shouldn't have said anything at all. He wasn't expect such angry responses, and who was he to argue? He was a thief. No better than the average street-dwelling cutthroat. Though he wanted to say something, he bit his tongue. He knew better than to uselessly fire back when all it would do is stir up unwanted conflict. Don't bite off more than you can chew, his mother always said.


      Hjalmar scoffed at Oceana and her sudden condescending regard of him. Just last night, he had comforted her and now she gave him these dirty looks as if he was the scum of the earth. He did not understand her, let alone know how to communicate with her. Surely, if he had retorted instead of the elf, she would have snapped at him. He put his food down on his plate. He had only taken a bite, but he felt his appetite dissipate. He thought about forcing the rest down, but in all honesty, he just wanted to leave. And he was sure that was what everyone else wanted too. He kept forgetting he was not welcome in their little group, it was merely out of nessecity. What was he doing? It wasn't like he joined for noble purposes either. He was just there to pay off his debt, nothing more. He needed to keep that mindset. It would be stupid for him to believe that they would actually care, he was still all alone, regardless of how many people that surrounded him.


      He stood up without another word, and left.


      Perhaps he simply cared, because he himself followed that path and it nearly destroyed him- even the people he cared about despite the small number they were. He regretted it with every fiber of his being, and there was no amount of water that could wash the blood away. It didn't matter who they were, he sunk to their level, became a monster just like them. He became the very thing that killed his mother, the very thing she didn't want him to become.


      He had grabbed his things from the clothes lines and smithy the night before. If he wasn't going to mingle, he'd at least prepare to head out again.


      So he slipped into his leather armor, adjusted his weapons, and took a seat by the wagon. He removed his crossbow to adjust it, knowing he'd probably need it in the journey ahead.


      Though he was mindlessly working on the mechanics of his bow, his thoughts were elsewhere.

 
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Nameen was quietly finishing up her meal when she caught ear of the conversation going on between Valeiah, Foxrun, Kacel'la and Hjalmar.  Eavesdropping was one of her favourite ways of gathering information, and had proven a useful tool over the years.  It was like being apart of the discussion without having to utter a word.  In otherwords, Nameen's perfect scenario.  


It was frustratingly difficult to hear through the active chatter of the dining hall, so Nameen only managed to catch snippets of the words being exchanged at the table behind her.  


She arched an eyebrow when she heard Valeiah mention a desire for justice.


Ah, so they must be talking about her clan. 


Nameen was no stranger to the bittersweet desire for revenge.  It came in occasional bursts, short moments of time when she felt particularly bitter.  She imagined thousands of different scenarios of what she would do if she ever returned to her village.  Of how she could cause the most pain to everyone who harmed her, particularly two specific people... 


Justice painted a better picture than revenge did, she suspected that was what Valeiah was telling herself.  Nameen was in no place to be judgemental however, it was something she'd been trying to convince herself for the past four years.  


The longer she allowed herself to stay and listen, the darker her mood was becoming. Deciding that it wasn't the time for distraction, she slid her chair back and stood before exiting the hall.  


With nothing else to do, Nameen headed in the direction of the wagons to wait for their departure.  When she arrived however, she spotted Hjalmar, who seemed to have beaten her there.  


She strode up beside him without a word, reaching into her things and pulling out a square of cloth.  She then drew her sword, and began wiping down the edges of the blade, even though it already seemed spotless.  


"You eat fast," she stated to him quietly, keeping her eyes down on her weapon.  


@Lo Alyssa
 
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Foxrun was just as surprised as valeiah that all these others found their way into the conversation. They each seemed to have their own varied opinions. He grew quiet as it went on. He couldn't relate to any of this. He had been slaved, and despite how much he resented those slavers, he had not taken their lives. Perhaps if he had, it would not have been all bad. If they were dead, they could not buy more slaves to replace the ones that got away. But also, killing your "master" would have you killed as well. So they would have hunted for them harder. He sighed to himself, he was content with his choices and wondering about the what ifs was something he just preferred not to do. Perhaps he just had things he considered more important to look forward to than taking others lives. He still did not speak up, rather listened to the others around him. At least his curiosity was being satiated by all of these tales. Given, the young thief seemed to have the answer he most agreed with himself, but he chose to leave the conversation. Clearly he was unsettled by something, but he assumed there was something he must have missed? Due to the look he bore, and the elf that was the cause of it.


@Danika@OlKaJa77@Lo Alyssa@L1d1ja( think I got everybody that was involved???? Idk)
 
      Hjalmar had noticed Nameen walk in, though he paid her no mind because she happened to be one of the few people who didn't seem to have a problem with him. In fact, she was very quiet about what was on her mind. So when she spoke to him, he was surprised, "Ah-" he stuttered, "No. I'm just not very hungry, that's all." He chuckled.


      He sat there in awkward silence for a moment before piping up again, "I've been with this group for how many days now? And I don't believe I ever caught you name." He inquired with a small smile, thankful he had a new distraction from his thoughts.

 
Oceana had witnessed Hjalmar leave out of the dining hall, expression sour. 


The elf figured he was upset about her outburst; she hadn't meant anything by it.


It was just talking, wasnae it?


Except she had meant what she said about killing Kìgyò. Every word.


She shook her head at the flighty tempers of humans- as if she wasn't of similar temperament herself- and started after the thief.


She found him donning his armor near the wagons.


Nameen was polishing her blade nearby and had just accused Hjalmar of eating quite speedily. 


He merely had chuckled and answered in kind but the elf knew he was still upset.


Just as he asked for the other human's name Oceana was only a dozen strides away.


"Her name is Mystery Sword isnae it?"


The elf was of course referring to the supposed mystery metal her gleaming sword was forged from.


She could feel their stares and she quickly stuck her hands up in surrender.


"Peace, Warrior. I was kidding. It's Nameen right?" She smiled at the albino woman.


"My apologies for interrupting..."


Then as her eyes travelled to Hjalmar they turned just a fraction more serious.


"About earlier" she mumbled, her words of apology suddenly getting stuck in her throat.


"I hadnae meant any harm. Nor offense."


The elf rubbed her arm, it was itching suddenly and she felt slightly mortified.


"I-... How I worded it was irresponsible..."


Her chest was tight with annoyance and nervousness but she forced the words out.


"I am sorry." She almost groaned out.


"I hope you can..."


She was angry at herself, felt her pride chaffing, but she couldn't just leave it. Not after that comforting embrace last night.


"I hope you can forgive me. It pains me..."


Aquamarine eyes flicked up from the ground to meet the thief's own.


"....To have you upset with me. It upsets me also. I will do what I must to make it right."


Then she turned away, feeling awkward and oh so raw.


@Lo Alyssa @Rydellius
 
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      Hjalmar shook his head slightly with a small smile, though he redirected his attention to his crossbow. Seeing Nameen standing there, he hoped to make his response a little more private, and just between him and the elf by answering in elvish, "You don't have to apologize, Oceana. You were merely speaking your mind, and there's no wrong in that... I suppose I just didn't want to be apart of the conversation anymore. It seems to be a soft subject, and I am not good at handling with care." He was quiet for a moment, then he looked up at her, the smile faded, "It was not your words that upset me, but more so of the look you gave me." He answered honestly, "It's isn't that I am not used to receiving such looks, I just don't like getting them from people I care about."


      Hjalmar gave an apologetic look to Nameen, feeling bad for excluding her from their conversation.

 
Cass finished her first biscuit and then when Svetlana spoke she took up the second one, popping it into her mouth whole. For a split second as she closed her mouth there was a strange gleam of reflected light. Then her mouth snapped close with a click and she spoke, "I prefer Cass as a matter of fact. Cassandra was also," Here she paused for a moment looking conflicted before speaking again, "My mother I suppose. She went by Cassie when she was in a good mood, and Cassandra when she wasn't, which makes my name, uncomfortable sometimes to say the least. I do not live here in the desert, no. Strictly speaking I do not live much of anywhere. I grew up in my fathers Tower, that place was at best geographically challenged, and I no longer really live there. I travel the desert because my father's tower was on it's edge when I left and it seemed interesting." She raised an eyebrow and said, "Speaking of which what exactly brought this odd group together? There must be some tale to be had, as I presume this many different intriguing people did not gather by chance."


@Lo Alyssa
 
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Nameen had been about to respond when Oceana appeared, striding smoothly up to them.  She instinctively tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword when the elf mentioned it, before nodding as she confirmed her name. 


She stood awkwardly by as Oceana moved onto the real reason why she had pursued Hjalmar from the dining hall.  Pretending to put complete and sole interest in her already pristine weapon, Nameen listened curiously as the other woman apologized (slightly surprising to her) before the two converted to speaking in a language she did not understand.  Elvish most likely, she noted. 


Being faced with two individuals to speak to rather than one, this was normally the time when Nameen hurried away.  But in this situation, she felt as if she couldn't excuse herself so quickly, considering she hadn't yet said more than three words.  That and the fact that she had initiated conversation with the thief. 


She cringed in her mind, regretting ever trying to speak up. 


@OlKaJa77 @Lo Alyssa
 
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Oceana's eyes widened when he spoke in elvish and even more so at his last words. 


She wasn't used to humans speaking elvish yet.


Or having them care.


About her.


"I understand." She replied haltingly, still unsure if her keen ears had heard him correctly.


"I... care.. about you too, caraid."


Friend.


It felt like ages since she had called anyone that.


She decided to switch back to the common tongue for the sake of the albino warrior nearby.


They had been quite rude already.


"And I am sorry for making such an expression then." 


She apologized again.


Oceana then smirked and wiggled an eyebrow and pretended to give it a chastising look.


And then looked helplessly at Nameen.


"My face has a mind of its own sometimes." She pulled on a tattooed cheek, which strangely warbled her next words.


"Dastardly beastie." 


@Rydellius @Lo Alyssa
 
Nameen let the ghost of a smile appear across her lips.  Her eye was still trained down on the shining surface of the blade, lingering on her reflection cast by the thin sheet of metal. 


She heard Oceana's words repeat in her head as she caught sight of her scarred face.  My face has a mind of its own.. 


Her expression fell sour, annoyed at her runaway thoughts. 


It doesn't matter. 


"Yes, I certainly know how that feels," she said in a quiet monotonous voice. Then, not wanting to kill the lighter mood, she pulled her face into a quick pretend smirk.  It only held for a few seconds before her face fell back to its usual serious position. 


@OlKaJa77 @Lo Alyssa
 
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"Oh. Well, now you do know, I suppose." Valeiah said to Kacel'a (I hope I spelled that right whooopsie). "It's in my blood. Alo can do it too, but he's never cared much to develop his skills. The most he can heal is a bruise." She was trying to get off the subject of the revenge she was plotting.


@GalacticRam @L1d1ja
 
Kacel'la only smiled and nodded at Valeiah's words. She decided to help steer the conversation away from its previous topic. "How did you two end up with this group? I can't imagine you made such an embarrassing entrance as I did." She asked.


@Danika @GalacticRam
 
      Hjalmar smiled at her, it had been a long time since anyone cared for him too. He laughed to himself, finding it rather unlikely they were freinds- a noble elf warrior, and a street rat theif. Yet here they were, fate is such a silly thing.


      "So Nameen is your name?" He repeated, "You... probably already know, but my name is Hjalmar." He said sheepishly. He remembered stealing from her tent, so he doubted she was interested in knowing anyway, "That's a lovely weapon you have there." He gestured at her glinting sword that she wiped down ever so carefully, "How'd you come upon it? Did you make it yourself? Or was it given to you? Perhaps a trophy from a battle you won?" He asked curiously.



 
​


      "Cass I shall call you then." The old woman smiled, then listened intently. Sensing no malice or ill intent from the girl, Svetlana was not shy in sharing more about their quest, but when she was about to speak, Yaroslav stood from his seat quite abruptly, the chair almost falling over.


      He had been sitting quietly next to his grandmother, and though she was engaged otherwise, Yaro was intently listening on the conversations going on between his comrades. The longer he listened, his face darkened, and with a deep and angry voice he addressed them all, "I am surprised at the small number of honorable and noble warriors to be counted within this fellowship." He spat, "My heart cries for the princess," he gestured at the fair haired girl sitting quietly not too far away, "and the lack of loyalty that is shown to her."


      "Do you mean to tell me, that all of you are here out of self interest? Not at all caring for the pain and anguish the people of this land are enduring? Our people?" He banged the table, "The world is much too large to care for your small and petty self indulgences. There are bigger problems to be focused on then your poor sob stories and pitiful desires for blood!


      "This is war. I can not believe you would join our efforts thinking you would achieve your personal goals in the process. If that is so, you have come to the wrong place. You think we will help you exact vengeance? Do you take us for some romantic guild?" He scoffed, "We are a rebel cell... we are in the midst of purging this land of a tyrannical ruler whose count of allies are higher then the stars above. We are up against something so great, our chances of success, let alone survival, are next to none. I for one, do not have the time nor patience to cater to your selfish whims. Your blindness to emotion and desire will pose a threat to this group, and the moment it does, I will not hesitate to cut you down."


      "Yaroslav!" Svetlana yelled at him. She gave him a look, a look that said, "Calm down. We need them, and you know it."


      The man growled, knocked his seat over, and stalked out of the room. Most likely joining his other comrades who left because of the discussion. She rubbed her head and sighed. She understood his anger. They were used to fighting alongside honorable soldiers whose intentions were for the people of Algoran, not for themselves. But she knew not to put such high expectations on children... though it seemed Yaroslav struggled with it. Their group was not composed of soldiers, and this was why it was so dysfunctional. She guessed her grandson missed the days he was joined together with comrades whose goals were the same despite their differences, a common cause. He could not find such fellowship within this group, and that frustration showed.


      "I am... sorry for the interruption." She apologized to Cass, "But I suppose he just explained some of what we are doing here for me." She offered a tired smile.


@Danika @GalacticRam @L1d1ja @ well, everyone I guess?
​
 
Valeiah was now a dark red. Mostly out of anger. "It's not like it even matters what I do! I joined on the hopes maybe I would find those bloody bastards, if I do at all! Not to just walk around looking for some precious rocks that apparently will save everyone!" She yelled, to everyone.


"You all don't even need me! Svetlana can heal people! Better than I can, even. I'm really here just to be your human sacrifice, that you can throw at a daemon while protecting the princess, who isn't even really a princess. She's just a little girl who's parents died. This is ridiculous!" With that, she stood up and marched away from them all, going in the opposite direction of Yaroslav and the others. She snatched her bag back from Alo on the way out.


@ everyone
 
Nameen halted her cleaning for a moment to figure out how to respond.  She feared a careless response would lead questions that she did not want to answer.  


"It was forged by my uncle," she said slowly.  "And he gifted it to me."  


Nameen smiled down at the blade, feeling a sense of nostalgia as she was reminded of fond memories.  She then spoke again, finding her words coming easier than usual. 


"I- I apprenticed under him for a short time, and I watched as he crafted it.  The blade is an alloy of his own invention and his most guarded secret.  One that he never told me."  


Nameen remembered her younger self pestering the older man to tell her what the amazing substance was made of.  She thought of how he always chuckled, playfully ruffling her hair before teasing her saying, "I'll tell you when you stop asking me.  Be patient."  Patience was a key ingredient to smithing just as much as the metal was, he always said.  


@Lo Alyssa @OlKaJa77
 
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