The End Of Two Meridians

[Readicti 902]

Warning mentions of gore.

What do you do during a bear attack? Ayallia had heard many myths back when she had travelled the wilderness with her family. Run. Climb a tree. Play dead. But these are simply myths. If a bear is hungry or territorial enough, they will attack no matter how dead you look or how fast you can run for the nearest tree.

 

 

 

The morning sun peeks through the leaves, glistening on early spring due and the quiet chatter of birds promises another good day. A petite woman with long auburn hair with a delicate short bow strapped to her back strolls arm-in-arm with a taller, curvier black haired woman. Ayallia Meridian-Campbell and Renae Meridian walk in comfortable silence, the only sound being the occasional wheezing cough of Renae, who never fully recovered after the Plague that had spread through the Fringe years earlier.

“Are we close?” Renae asks, covering her mouth with a handkerchief as she tries to muffle a particularly violent cough.

“Patience.” Aya mumbles softly, giving a small nod and motioning toward an area with thinning trees. “This’ll do.”

The two women break through the tree line, into a small clearing, welcoming the soft sun caressing their skin. The clearing is filled with small white wildflowers, swaying in the breeze, and a small cave covered in low hanging vines tucked away to the side. Aya strolls farther into the middle of the clearing and turns to smile warmly at Renae. “This is perfect.”

Renae nods in approval, mumbling a bit so she does not cough “Looks good for hun-“ A loud, rumbling grunt echoes from the cave entrance, cutting Renae off. Aya turns on her heel toward the sound, unstrapping her own bow defensively.

A mass of dark brown fur pushes it way through the shadows of the cave. Dried leaves and twigs crunch under its weight as the grizzly moves into the clearing. Ayallia, who stands in the middle of the clearing between the bear and Renae, glances back in quiet desperation. Renae already had her bow up, trailing an arrow on the bear though her arms shake with effort to draw the bow fully. “Ren?” Ayallia calls out softly, trying not to draw the bear’s attention.

 

“Walk towards me, slowly.” Renae rasps, not taking her attention off the bear.

Aya turns her back to the bear and takes a hesitant step forward. Another loud growl carries over to the two as the grizzly lumbers slowly into the clearing, sniffing curiously at the air. Renae’s eyes grow wide as the bear lumbers closer to Aya, who was still trying to make her way back to Renae. Pulling the bowstring farther back, Renae calls out loudly. “Aya. Down.” The shout cuts through the tense air, echoing through the trees. The birds that had been singing songs of life and love only moments ago seem to suddenly fall silent.

Aya waves her hands in the air. “No!” She calls out but it was too late, Renae releases the arrow, letting it fly awkwardly toward the bear. The grizzly gives a loud roar as it is hit in the side with Renae’s arrow and continues forward, seemingly unfazed. Aya curses quietly, turning a notched arrow on the bear and quickly releasing it. “Get out of here Renae!”

Enraged even more so by the arrow, the bear barrels towards them, Ayallia’s shot lands in the bears shoulder and it only growls in response. It quickly closes the distance, toppling over Aya before she can let out another warning to Renae- the dark haired woman turns and tries to run, her weakened body crumpling under the effort. Both women on the ground they can do nothing but cry out as the bear bites at them, dragging its clawed paws across their bodies.

He gnaws at them, chewing on a delicate arm or ankle, tossing them around like ragdolls however he pleases until he becomes bored.

 

Finally, the two are left laying in the red grass. Renae breathing heavily through her cries of pain, choking as she coughs. Ayallia is more stoic, her eyes closed tightly, gritting her teeth. They remain laying there for what seems like hours until they become numb and their minds find a odd clarity away from the pain of their bodies.

Aya takes a shuddering breath as she fights to speak through the pain. “R...ren?” Through her coughing Renae makes a small noise of recognition, struggling for a moment before she turns her head to look at the other woman, blood matting her hair and falling across her beaten face.
“This… t-this is it.” Ayallia whispers, almost to herself.

Wheezing longer, Renae tries to reach out to Ayallia, the older of the two doing her best to move her weak and battered body. “Its- Its okay.” she tries to console, her voice quivering.

Shaking her head, Aya slowly opens her eyes to gaze sadly at Renae. “I-I don’t w-want to… acce- accept it… B-but…” Her voice trails off into a quiet rasp.

“This is it.” Renae repeats firmly, though after a few moments she lets out a choked sob, “D-Damnit.”
“We have nothing.” Ayallia murmurs, feeling hot tears run down her bloodied cheeks. “The children… are old enough. Q-Quin… I accepted I’d never… see him again a long time ago.”

“T-They are.. they are..” Ren agrees, nodding her head though it hurts. She coughs lightly and stares at the sky before it’s too bright for her, clenching her eyes shut “Q..Quin’s back. If the kids need someone they..they have him and Abel.. But this- I-I can’t keep going.”

“There’s nothing left.” Ayallia gasps at the realization sinks in. “What w-will… what will it be l-like?”
“I don’t..” Renae swallows, coughing as small tremors rock her body “I-I don’t know. I think- I think I’m ready.”

Ayallia falls into silent sobs, too overrun with grief to agree. They had both lost their parents. Lost the tailoring business. Lost the purpose, the passion in their relationships. Lost the dependency of their children. It was time. The cousins were ready. Aya’s head begins to spin and she sighs, almost contently as the pain seems to give way to a cold numbing rush throughout her entire body. “It’s cold.” She murmurs groggily.

 

“This is it.”

 

((Aya and Ren were originally meant as alt characters when Leanniel was taken over by Harbingers. To simply get a different type of RP when our usual RP died out. They turned into more than simple time killing alts and playing them has been fun but like it’s states above, it’s time to move on from them.

This is it.
Alot of things lead to the decision to PK these two characters, Ayallia played by EmilyatheGreat/Readicti/theroommate/whateverelseshegoesby
and Renae played by xRenaix/Dwyny Dwyn. We wrote this post together in order to close the story of these two.
While they weren't played as often as some peoples characters, they had families and friends who we will miss interacting with as Renae and Ayallia, but for us the characters just lost their spark.
Don’t be too sad though. We’ll be running around Oren on more developed and fitting characters. So look forward to it~ ))

[WuHanXianShi14 0]

The Caskets with the two bodies had been delivered to Quinlan early in the morning, the two soldiers offer a salute and mutter their condolences before walking off. The aging man sets his jaw and closes his eyes tightly, fortifying the thin veil seperating himself from an emotional meltdown.

 

Taking a deep breath, he marches to a hill far away from the capital, and far away from any conflict. There, he digs the graves. 

Certain things had to be done. Methodically. He healed the bodies. Fixed them of all cuts, gashes, any other defilement the beast did to them. It did not bring back the lives of the two women, and it left him pale and sickly. But they would rest eternally as they had lived, beautiful and free from the marring of the world's inherent violence.

 

He murmurs a silent prayer before the grave of Renae, praying to the benevolent creator for her safe passage into the seven skies. Though he knew a woman as free of spirit and wise would no doubt make it.

 

Stepping in front of the grave of Ayallia Meridian, he gulps down a painful breath. No one was around to see him, but he still fought to keep himself under control. He was no longer a child, not the foolish boy who let Torrah be taken away. Or the naive young man who walked into Ard Krallach that fateful day.

He was an aged man, he was used to pain.

And yet, in front of the grave of the love of his life, he could only collapse to his knees and sob.

"Sweet creator...it should've been me...it should've been me...please fergive me..."