The Hornless Ram [PK]

[Junoix 2301]

Accompanying Song

 

 

She stunk of alcohol and cigarettes, such clinging to her brother’s clothes which she always wore now. The evidence of her sins lay around her as she slumped against the wall of Veritas’ tavern, alone as usual. 

 

“Are you alright child? You seem to be far from GOD.”

 

The lone Elyra looked up to see an anemic figure standing over her, a crimson colored cloth held over his maw.

 

“Do I now?”

 

She commented in a sassy remark, her words slurred due to her inebriated state.

 

“Perhaps this is what GOD had planned for me.”

 

“You believe it’s plan is for your end, steeped in the smell of alcohol, plagued by the disease of sin? What has happened to make your life come to such a sorry place?”

 

And so she told the man everything, every detail of her life from start to finish. She spilled her woes and fears, her uncertainties and depressed thoughts. By the time she was done, there didn’t seem to be much emotion left in her, just a tired, decrepit form.

 

“Do you wish for freedom.. Do you wish for life away from sorrow?”

 

A trick, you know it’s a trick. Such a thing does not exist.

 

“Does such a thing truly exist, freedom from sorrow..”

 

“Yes child - it does exist. Freedom from sorrow, sin, and suffering. I can show you that it’s existence comes for the shepherds will it to be. I ask once more, is freedom what you desire?”

 

“...Yes”

 

“Come with me child, I will show you the path to freedom.”

 

The half elf followed the strange man away from Veritas and up on a hill looking over the village and meadow. A soft breeze blew through her thick curls, a sigh escaping her as she looked over the land.

 

“Look down there child - what is it you see?”

 

“Flowers...trees...Veritas..”

 

From the eyes of the man came crimson tears then, slowly dripping upon the ground as he looked out.

 

“This is the accursed lands that hast been given unto man. Lands of suffering, death, and sin.”

 

As the man spoke, his whole body began to tense, seemingly beginning to grow larger.

 

“These are the lands I can free you from - I can bring you a higher existence, away from all this.”

 

Of course. So naive.

 

“So this is what you meant by freedom..”

 

The man would tense further as what appeared to be fur would begin to rip from his clothing, from his flesh. Blood and gore dripped from him as the flesh on his hands would tear open, revealing claws.

 

“Yes child...freedom.”

 

Idiot

 

The creature dropped a notebook and pen on the ground before the girl, it’s maw cracking open with pained grunts.

 

“Write your wills, for soon you shall be free.”

 

“Can I ask one final thing then...a promise to the dead.”

 

As the creature’s features began to become more obvious, a nod came from the damned flesh. All that could be seen now would be that sickly maw of a beast, flesh hanging upon it. Large, sharp teeth and twisted claws that would carry the blood of the wretched upon them. This thing waited for a moment, speaking in a pained rasp.

 

“Speak - for soon you shall be sinless.”

 

“Make sure my letters and things get to the right people, and keep my scarf intact. That’s all I ask.”

 

The beast nodded, and so she began to write, terrible handwriting spewing on the paper due to lack of skill and shaky hands. A couple tears stained the pages as she wrote, some letters taking longer than others due to length and emotion.

 

So this is how I will die.

 

“There...I have finished.”

 

As those words had come from her mouth, so too would claws meet her stomach, shooting through flesh and gore. Another pair of claws quickly shot towards her heart, aiming for a quick and painless death.

 

“Rest.. Find happiness.”

 

Blood splattered over her tear stained letters, gasps and sobs retching from her draining body as she uttered her final words, as her soul left those golden Elyra eyes.

 

“I-I’m sorry.”

 

And she meant it, more than she had ever meant anything in her life.

 

“Rest - you are forgiven.”

 

The creature spoke before feasting upon her flesh and blood, leaving just her head and the scarf intact, as promised.

 

 

The Letters

-

 

Nikolai

Spoiler

Nikolai,

 

I’m sure this sudden, or maybe you were expecting this, I’m not sure. You always have this look about you, as if you know more than you’re letting on so I won’t be surprised if you say this coming. I’m sure you’re disappointed in me, you’ll probably be the most disappointed out of them all. I know I failed you, and failed to follow your advice, but I am now at a point of no return as I write this letter. I’ll be dead soon, so I’ll try to make this quick.

 

I’ve never been good with my words, so here is everything I’ve always wanted to tell you. I have always admired and envied you Nikolai, you’re so strong and silent, and everything that I should’ve been. When I was gone, you were a son to my pops, and continued to be even when I returned. You’ve become a paladin, a path I always believed I was destined to walk, and you did it with grace and resolve; qualities that I have always lacked. I don’t really know how you feel about me, until recently I’m pretty sure you didn’t like me at all. But after I opened up to you, I think perhaps you started to think I wasn’t half bad. I’m sorry that I won’t be around to make you like me more, it really is a shame considering I’ve developed a crush on you over the years. It would’ve been nice to confess such feelings to you face to face, regardless of being rejected or not. I think that’s my biggest regret now, not being able to share all these feelings to you in person. Hopefully the words I write convey it well enough. I know you’ll grow into a great paladin, perhaps even the best one day, and that you’ll find a worthy companion to spend the rest of your days in. If only it could’ve been me. 

 

Thank you for being a reluctant friend to me, and hearing me out by the pond that one day. I leave you with some things you deserve to have, a token to remember me by. Wherever I end up, I’ll be watching you with a smile. Look after pops for me.

 

Thank you, my dearest friend,

Verendus

 

Alicjo

Spoiler

Hey pops,

 

This’ll be the hardest letter I have to write, and I’m running out of time. The beast behind me grows hungry so if my words are rushed or not enough, please forgive me. I know I failed you as a daughter. I left on that selfish journey and left you alone for so long, coming back occasionally to go fishing. And even when I returned, I probably still wasn’t what I was supposed to be. I know that I was supposed to be your student, and that we would work together in the name of Xan. But here I sit in Veritas, all alone, and with no resolve to continue.

 

I’m so sorry for being this lazy piece of ****, and not living up to what you probably wanted. You deserve so much better, and I only hope that Nikolai will turn out to be everything I was supposed to be. I leave you with a toy I enjoyed as a child, maybe you can give it to another. I’m so so sorry dad, I’m so sorry.

 

I love you so much, please never forget that,

Verendus

 

Tara

Spoiler

Auntie,

 

I know you just lost Revas, and I’m sorry to add to your burden, but my time has come. Thank you for aiding in raising me as a child, and giving me a childhood full of love and fun. I know our family history is complicated, but know that I have and always will consider you family, until my last breath. I’m giving you back the plushie you made me so long ago, forgive the rips and tears in it. I love you Auntie, and I’m sorry I couldn’t be around more to fulfill Revas’ wishes. I know she’ll be mad at me for not looking after you.

 

Please stay strong,

Verendus

 

Anduin

Spoiler

Uncle,

 

I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but I want to ask you one thing. Please look after my pops and Tara, as I will no longer be around to do it myself. I’m sorry for failing you and many others. Thank you for the fun and laughter you’ve given me, I will never forget your pranks.

 

With love,

Verendus

 

Vyasaldris

Spoiler

Haelun,

 

I don’t know where you are, or if you’ll even receive this letter as I’m trusting it’s deliverance to a creature, but I do hope it finds you. I miss you, I missed you for so long and will miss you up until my last breath. I miss you chasing me around the home as I resist getting my hair brushed. I miss you telling me bedtime stories as I do my best to fight off sleep. I miss painting your shield with my bare hands, however crude and childish the design was. I miss you mom, and I wish I could’ve stayed alive to see you again. I have so many questions unanswered, and knowing that they’ll stay unanswered kills me. I’m sorry for not staying around longer, I know I’ve failed you as both a daughter and an Elyra. But my time has come, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I’m giving you back your sword from your monster hunting days, I used it myself up until now.

 

I love you mom,

Verendus

 

 

Acknowledgements

My first pk. Pretty bittersweet but I was ready to put this character to rest so I could focus on my others and free up time. With college starting I just do not have time to play so many characters. I want to thank @RaiderBlue, @Goon, @BobBox, @Valannor, @TheIchorDruid, @Vic, and @Covey for all the great rp I’ve had with this character. I love you all and thank you for contributing to Verendus’ story <3

 

[BobBox 3798]

Blood boiled with anger, how could they die - they had no right to do such. No right to disappear and be gone, it could of been prevents had he been around. Alas such was not the case and it was not prevented, though perhaps something could be done still, perhaps not.

[FenHarel 536]

A relatively young elfess lost to the cold hands of death many years before felt the soft tug of sorrow at Verendus' death.

 

She longed to bring the girl into her arms, tell her everything would be okay.

 

But she could not, for her soul was forever bound.

 

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ever lied to you, child. I hope you can find some way to forgive me."

 

Another was gone much too soon. An innocent girl who used to smile so wide when she was a child you could see every tooth she was missing. 

 

"It wasn't your time to go. He needed you."

[exanimated 1363]

A damned feast upon flesh - a sad fall of the sinful woman. Let her rest within the skies for they shall take her soul, now free from the sins that burdened her when she was of the flesh.

 

Rest now child.. Rest and find happiness in It's embrace and know your last wishes shall be done - each letter given, each item placed. For you lived in sorrow, lived in disgrace, now you live in Freedom.

[Valannor 6405]

'Lo, for within her mountain hold did that lady of silver mourn e'ermore, cradling in her arms yet another battered and beaten carcass. It had been too many, too soon! The sunlight taunted her even still, even within the replete and enduring rock-carved halls she had hidden herself away in. She could not sing, for with this her voice couldn't bare to utter the words she longed to say - for there was no word in the tongue of man, nor elf, nor dwarf that could truly define the sorrow she was stricken with. Alas, but some singular utterance slipped the Elfess' maw, as she hugged tightly to her chest that butchered husk of what once bore her blood;

 

"I am sorry, little one..."

[Goon 1614]

Spoiler

 

---

MOONLIGHT, SILVER LAKE by Alfred Lambourne (1880)

---

 

AN ODE TO UNDEMANDING KINSHIP 

Keeping himself indoors for prolonged periods as a result of the brooding sickness, Alicjo Verrana would not receive such a letter from his daughter for days after its arrival. To scale up and down that ladder of his narrow space became laborious, and the sickly and prideful Southeron would not dare to ask for help- much like his own father in that way. So to his surprise, he'd gotten word from his so-elusive daughter, a smile tugging against his dried lips as the wrinkles in his features grew more pronounced.

Though, such a smile could not persist against the contents of the letter, narrowing his eyes and canting his head in a confusion momentarily. He muttered those words quietly to himself, over and over,

"The beast behind me grows hungry..?" 

 

A shuddering inhale as his aged hands began to press against the sheet, causing a crinkle from where those digits made contact. Tongue rolling over to wet his lips as he read over that letter once more, this time intent on deciphering its meaning through narrowed eyes.

 

"What have you gotten yourself into, my love?" Queried the father, solemnly aloud. An exhale made so deeply, it agitated the man's lungs, sending him into a brooding fit of hacks- and after clearing his throat, a sniffle was made, taking his bare hand to rub the mucus dripping from his nostrils.

 

He was in no condition to search for her, as he once would have, but at least he knew that. Though, headstrong still, he refused to believe that these were her last words to him- denial, perhaps. He shook his head, shuffling himself to sit against his bedside once more, placing the letter at the foot of his bed.

 

"She is my blood. Her mother's. She would not be taken without a fight."

 

His thoughts made attempt to assure him of the best. He even thought to pen a letter of his own in return- but the uncertainty of such a letter still had not resonated. Hands clasped affront of him, the man's shaking head persisted for a long moment still,

 

“I hope I am not another father to lose a daughter..”

 

---

Spoiler

VERENDUS AND ALICJO VERANNA CIRCA. 1820

 

Thanks for playing the kid, Juno

Shame our spurts of activity seldom aligned but the RP we did get to do, I always enjoyed. Would have loved to see the woman she could have became but not all stories get their happy ending. We'll find other characters to interact with, it's been real :')

 

[RaiderBlue 1064]

Left with his own thoughts, the lone highlander resided along the rocky coasts & sheer shores the Urguani land offered. The ever present salt foam pressing against the jagged formations, assisted by the salty aroma the young man greatly enjoyed in his youth. Before faced once more with the confusion brought to him by the written message. 

 

What had brought her to this encounter? Why is there a letter? Had she not even fought for her life he had claimed was important? 

 

A harsh inhale then as Nikolai appeared to have decided for himself. As the shifting waves made their impacts against the jagged shore he stood himself up removing a glimmering stone. An ever so gentle hum sounded from the stone as a scowl formed on his features.

 

She had been just as greedy as they said.

 

She would not be forgotten, although in contrast to a kind memory. The highlander then placed the stone back within his overcoats pocket once more before sending a glance out into the shifting waves once more. A frown then formed in reflection before he turned to walk elsewhere along the coast.

 

“May your soul be taken with swiftness, you poor fool.”