{ROUND}
@Thinslayer
"I still remember the wish you gave to me before you left High Council Hill. House Stormwall will rise again."
Ivan could hardly believe it. "E-Erudessa?! But... But you're supposed to be... H-how are you even... Alive?" Could it be true? Was this really Erudessa? And if so, how was she alive, did she truly possess this kind of power? "If you're... Who I think you are... Then you will remove that mask... I'm not one for secrecy..." It was a simple request, though if she would rather not reveal herself then it was all the same to him.
Ivan's eyes widened as he pieced together who she was. "E-Erudessa!? But...but you're supposed to be...how are you even...alive?"
The elf looked away and shrugged. "It was a ruse to fool Sadron. An orc saved my life."
As Ivan processed everything he had just heard, he realized that there was an important piece of information he needed to verify her account - her face. Nearly every human in Aetherion had seen Erudessa's face somewhere, whether in person, in portraits, or in drawings.
"If you're who I think you are, then you will remove that mask. I'm not one for secrecy," Ivan demanded.
Ever since her downfall, no human alive had seen her behind the mask. It was for a good reason, she told herself - the black mark bridging her left eye marked her as a Sleeper, a former mage who could no longer use magic. Such people were often shunned because of the mark's association with demonic pacts. It wasn't her fault, but people rarely understood that, which was why no human
alive had seen it on her.
But Ivan was different. Though his mighty house had crumbled to naught, and though his own group shunned him as a child and second-rate warrior, he didn't let negative thoughts tear him down. He still picked up his sword and stood tall, a true knight worthy of name from which he called. His life was turned upside down, yet he came through all on his own. She, on the other hand, couldn't handle the loss of her magic and needed emotional support from her orc friends to recover. Who was she, that she should deny him the right to judge for himself? If she was to serve the Champions from this moment on, the mask was a barrier to entry.
So she placed her hand on the mask and pressed the release.
*click*There was no one else she could be. Rumor had it that Erudessa always expressed awe at meeting a new person, and the woman herself spoke often of the "magic of meeting another soul." If he'd never seen her face anywhere else, he'd have recognized the wonderment in her gaze, for it could be said of no one else on earth. The rumors didn't lie - her eyes widened to an unblinking stare, and her lips parted slightly to let a silent oath grace the night.
Erudessa reached up and touched one finger to his chestplate.
He's real! A real, live knight of Stormwall! She pulled her finger away and curled it at her mouth, then yanked it to her side as she remembered her manners. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Stormwall!"
_________
@Thinslayer
Laina wiped away her tears as she watched the orc juggle grass and she gave a weak giggle.
"It's not that." She said mentioning what Gorman had said earlier about everything being okay. "It's just a flashback, my sister..." She trailed off scared that she would look be weak again.
"But thank you. Thank you so much." Laina had never seen anyone so considerate before. She was lonely a lot of the time and had never ever had someone been so empathetic to her before. She was an isolated creature, one who hid deep in the shadows and only came out to the light when she was needed. She laid a gentle hand on the orc's lap and put her head on his shoulder.
She could feel some tinges of hurt through him, something that rung in her mind. She could feel the isolated soul in him that was just so similar to hers and that felt familiar. As she looked up at the sky and the tears dried on her cheeks she felt safe. For once.
Gorman, meantime, found himself frozen in place as Laina laid her head on his shoulder. It wasn't like he'd never experienced it before - after all, he and the Captain had shared a few tender moments together before she became the Captain, but it was still very new (and a bit awkward) for an orc used to killing and plundering elven settlements. So here he was, letting a former enemy use him as a pillow, and trying his best not to ruin the moment by shifting position. If only the orc generals could see him now!
"You- you're welcome," Gorman eventually stammered out. He watched Vert's explosion with disinterest, mainly just to give his eyes something to do besides stare at the pretty elf.
__________
Tiberius's scolding proved unexpectedly gracious.
"Words are a funny thing aren't they? You can never know if someone is telling the truth or simply lying if their good at talking. For your sake my dear, I accept your apology but please no more talk of death or putting others down. You wouldn't believe the night that we've gone through and everyone is on edge after the warlock cam-"
A scream cut him off. For Fin, it was a welcome distraction, and as Tiberius rushed to investigate, she slinked away to a remote corner of the campsite.
Fools. They have no idea what's coming to them.Someone's slow clapping gave everyone pause. An elderly, hunched-over creature strode into camp, his features foreign to all except the woman he came for. “Well look at this now," he began, his voice cold despite its attempt at feigned levity, "a group of travelers who’ve run into not one but two ghosts, and if my nose doesn’t lie me, soon to be three.”
Fin rolled her eyes.
There he goes again with that creepy talk.“Well, it would be rude of me to just barge in like the others have without a name. Name's Edward. Here for My Lady, as well as the other one who seems to be strutting around. Seems she hasn’t quite caught wind I am here yet.”
Edward bared his teeth at Tiberius. “Put that tooth pick away, an’t none of ya in any danger, my Master is home and my Lady is now safe, but a warning: None of ya are to hurt her.”
He grinned.
Fin frowned.
“So what's for dinner?” Edward called out. Unexpectedly, the red-headed elf, who'd previously been sitting by herself reading the Master's books, spoke up. "Deer, apparently," she stated. "Might I ask why you're here?" Her stern tone shocked Fin, enough that she reached for a tree branch in case a fight broke out.
Kaite wasn't making it any better. After slinging a few choice words at Tiberius and Vert, she proceeded to tell off the Warlock's deadliest general. Fin decided right then and there that Kaite was drunk. There was no other explanation. She'd have said Zenovia was drunk too if it weren't for the elf's deliberate verbiage. If she wasn't drunk, then she was an idiot. Vert, at least, had the sense to say "please" before asking Edward to leave. Fin decided it was high time to put an end to this charade.
"He's here for me."
Scrawl Banditta,
ConductorCore,
SilverPaw,
Rin,
ineffable,
Shadows Demons,
Lord Zee