The Daemon and the Fly

[firegirl7894523 247]

Carsandra stood at the top of the platform of the elder willow tree, the stairs behind her offering her little comfort. The only things she had was her medical kit and iron sword, to which she held dearly. The figure at the side stood, her purple skin and horns was a stark contrast to her plain outfit, which was nothing more than a brown tunic and woven white and black striped pants.

 

“Fancy, how you actually came.” The figure’s voice hummed despite it’s daemonically-aligned distortion, a succulent tone within the linings of her throat. Carsandra’s palms had broken into a sweat, sensing the danger, and seeing that the being sported a sharp rapier, with a hilt as velvet as her skin. She swallowed, waiting for it to speak.

 

“Is silence all you have to offer, after summoning you all the way up here? - It this the inhumanity your Goddess masquerades as empathy, law and order? What that tyrant of yours did, the Quavinir?” The red, horned being hissed aloud with a tongue slipping between a jagged set of teeth, the rage on her complexion refusing to paint the full picture of her woe.

 

“I do not know what you speak of, what issue has arose?” Casandra’s voice was a coo of confusion against the being’s ravings in anger, and her body posture shifted to match. Her palms braced subtly before her, as if trying to tame a wild boar, and her knees lowered in hopes of seeming as less of the threat she thought her thin frame could ever give.

 

“He deemed it fit to get everyone’s blade against my neck, and that of many others, for no reason other than being. The countless poor souls, banished from the Dominion through his ignorance to their plight. I watched as he committed countless injustices; how, do you truly not know?”

 

Carsandra’s head eagerly shook with her locks of hair bouncing to match, voice complacent as her godly alignment required it to be, “I do not know what you speak of, he hasn't told me a thing. If what you say is true, then I will deliver him justice.”

 

A moment of hesitation, and the rogue Demonette calmed her vigors. Instead, her arms folded over the pommel of a rapier that she’d sunk onto the soil, swaying on it as a fidget. “Right. How do you reckon you’ll do that, with the countless hurt and affected? How can anything you do possibly atone for all the suffering at his head?”

“I have not witnessed the countless horrors he as done against you, nor have I bore witness to your pain or suffering. So, I will offer you a chance to come up with some means to your satisfaction, and I shall carry it out.” The Yeu-follower pledged with a palm against her chest to show just how earnest she was being, another hand set atop the quartz railings beside her. The wind rushed past her, and only then did the height from which they stood became clear to her, trees like little ants and shrubs like molecules.

 

“You won’t. I want that privilege, more often than not. - Could you bring him to me, dearie’?” The figure asked, now leaving behind her rapier and holding onto a grimoire in its stead, filled with hanging baubles and shredded bookmarks of all sorts. “I want look into his eyes, and draw from his lips why he does what he does. I want to see justification other than blind faith. Be present. It’ll be a learning experience.”

 

Carsandra nodded, taking a careful step away, itching to leave. “Then consider done. Be patient, though. I can’t be sure when I’ll get a hold of him.”

 

The being threw back her head and smiled with delight, the baubles on the hardcover jingling with equal glee. Her teeth beheld, sharp as razors, flared against the nearby torchlight. “Bra-vo! We’ll be the best of friends, I just know it! I cannot wait.” Her palms clapped together, turning toward the willow tree. “How’s it you act so differently than him? - You’re his pupil.”

 

“I lost my husband due to war, and have been banished from the Dominion, after his death, I went to seek comfort.”

 

“Would you look at that? I only know you by name, Carsandra. It’s only fair you have mine. - Glineth.”

 

Carsandra’s eyes widened, she quickly scampered from the platform, fearing, with her figurative tail between her legs.

“There’s more to this than meets the naked eye, Ivydale! Both sides of this coin can bring good!” Her voice, sickly sweet, bounced off the white stones of the quartz pillar as Carsandra fled, her boots echoing against the floor whilst sliding down and away from the place she was once banished from, and now swelling with regret as well.

 

---------------------------------------------

 

In the midst of Sutica, Carsandra flopped down, chest heaving. She brought a hand to her face, her breaths short, her mind wracked with fear. A sudden set of footsteps interrupted her, and she looked up to see Quavinir himself. "What's wrong?" His brow furrowed in concern. 

 

"I met this purple lady!" She exclaimed, fear rising in her voice, "She said you had done all these horrible things, like murder...she wants me to trick you and bring you to the tree near The Dominion, because she wants to 'teach you a lesson'."

 

Qauvinir's brows furrow more, "Purple lady..I only know one, does she have horns, a rapier, and a weird looking book?" To which as an answered, she nodded. He released a sigh. "That's Glineth, she's a well proficient user in the Dark Arts. The reason she's saying this is because I called her out -- she's a serial murderer." He thought for a moment. "I have extra armor in my forge, I'll re-fit it so that it can fit you, and get you a lighter armor set. We won't need weapons." He huffs, turning to his forge and grabbed his blacksmith's hammer.

 

"Wait wait...were going to put on armor, and go fight her...with no weapons?!" 

 

"I mean...yes?" He raised his eyebrows, looking at her with confusion. Her mouth dropped open.

 

"Qauv, she's a Dark Arts user! We'll need like...potions...and..and...blessed things! A group of people!" She stammered, shock in her tone.

 

He snorted, bringing the hammer down on an armor piece a few times. When he was finished, he looked back up, "Glineth is all talk and no bite. We'll be safe with no weapons. If you REALLY want to bring something, be my guest. Bring your bronze hammer." He went back to hammering, while she just stared at him.

 

"Qauv, did you not just hear yourself? She's a serial murderer!"

 

He sighed quietly, setting down the hammer and walking over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Trust me when this I say this Carsandra, I have not woken up in the Cloud Temple in a LONG time."

 

"But..but..I can't let her-"

 

"Carsandra, trust me."

 

"I CAN'T LOSE YOU!"

 

Silence. 

 

"Qauv...she wants to hurt you, and hurt me...maybe. But still, I can't just go un-armed.."

 

Another moment of silence, he had closed his eyes. He exhaled, "Go to Holm, buy the Blessed Blades, there 200 mina a sword. I'll get Medi'kri, and we'll go."

 

---------------------------------------------

 

Only an afternoon later, three figures made their way up the mountain, not two. Carsandra, Medi’kru, and Qauvinir traveled up the many flights of stairs, turning to face the Daemoness with their blessed blades drawn. Quavinir and Medi’kru were covered in plate armor, and Carsandra was covered in gambeson with leather. “HEARD YOU WERE TALKING **** ABOUT ME.” Qauvinir said, running up the stairs, as fast his armor would allow him. His blessed blade pointing to the Daemoness. Behind his helmet, Qauvinir’s face resembled rare anger.

The purple skinned figure was crouched behind the stairs, holding her rapier in her hand, at the ready position. When she saw the three figures draw their blades, her eyes widened with fear, she quickly stowed the blade, stammering, making up excuses on why she was saying such. “I mean, I did. I was only saying that your Goddess doesn’t care, I never threatened her.” Her soulless eyes flickered to Carsandra briefly.

 

The three figures backed away from the entrance, and circled around her left side, leaving the entrance wide open. Quavinir sighed from underneath his helmet, like he was sick of her ****. “She doesn’t give a **** about what you are,” Qauv said, his lips pursed beneath the helmet he wore, “She only cares about your choices.”

 

“Ah, well then my question as been solved.” She said, her body tense as she looked to the three of them, all holding her weakness.

 

“Don’t spread lies and makeup dramatic statements about me.” He said, gazing at her. To which she merely crossed to the stairwell, and sat down with her legs folded, like she couldn’t have a care in the world about the happenings. She merely nodded, either confirming she made up the lies, or confirming she wouldn’t do it again.

 

After a bit of banter and back and forth, Carsandra was on the look-out for any other spooks or dark-folk that might show up to try to ambush them. But none came, only the banter and the standoff. The dark-folk was outnumbered and out-weaponed, but at such a high place, she could have easily pushed them off and it would be the end for them. The only thing holding her back was the blessed weapons.

After a few more questions, Quavinir looked at the dark-folk, now choosing his own fate. He sighed, “Very well, come on guys.” The three of them turned, clanking down the flight of many stairs, not one peep came from the ledger, as the Daemoness sat above at her favorite tree, leaving to her, the villains that had outsmarted her. To the hero’s, it was another day won, and another day they escaped the ice grips of death.

 

---------------------------------------------

 

Years passed, and Carsandra set down the journal, finished in her re-cap of her adventure against Glineth. She sipping her morning coffee, because despite the peaceful morning, she had a funeral to attend that afternoon. She rose, taking a look at her funeral dress, she sighed. No, not one funeral, but four. Quillian's, Harven's, their children, and now Dael. Death seemed to linger around every alley of Sutica. She shook those thoughts away, grabbing her soap bar and heading to the bathhouse. 

 

OOC:

 

Written in co-operation with Jeloony, thanks for helping me write this story!

[Burnsy 437]

Moved to The Great Library. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.

 

If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.