A girl, but not a girl. An adult, but not as well. A teenage girl tucked herself underneath a branch, feeling her red locks of coil embers fall from behind her shoulder. Her emerald green eyes peering from through the leaves of the trees to the group of bustling soldiers in violet, gold, and white uniform bundles up near the warmth of the fire. Quietly, she crept closer to the men, keeping a vigilant eye on her surrounding and keeping her body close to nature’s foliage. “Nature will pro-“ her thoughts was cut short as a sharp break of silence alerted the soldiers to her direction. Under her leather boots exposed the suspect. A darn... Twig...
Next thing you know, she’s sitting with a group of solider with her hand bonded behind her for precaution. She started to laugh lightheartedly as one of the younger solider recognized her. Tybalt, her cousin.
Those two aren’t a like at all, but boy were they close. They were basically siblings. One was more organized and willing to follow the law, while she was seen more rambunctious and chaotic. They were practically raised together since her parents traveled from city to city to sell their wares they purchased from the highlanders artisans. It’s a great business opportunity they said, but the burden of raising their young was dropped on her Uncle Daren.
They were her family now, and they were the one who had to wiggle her out of prison several times in the past. Her kleptomaniac personality, and her desire to sneak in where she shouldn’t brought her to butt heads with the local government especially in Senntisten. But other than that, she lived a fairly normal life as a half-breed working in her Uncle’s shop (and occasionally taking stuff).
Tybalt turn to his comrades, setting a hand onto his hip and the other rubbing his brows in frustration. With a rugged sigh, he spoke, “Don’t be alarm. It is just my cousin... She is practically harmless.”
“Oi’!” Melissa piped up, wiggling her binds, “Take that back, or I will drop kick ya’ here and now with ma’ hands tied behi-!”
“Milly, not helping!” He snapped back as the other soldiers wary gaze bounced to and from Tybalt and Melissa.
“Cousins? My word, she’s half-breed, Ti’bilt! You two look nothing alike!” the fully plated guard chirped in his pompous tone, reaching down to set his hand on the hilt of his blade, “We should set her in the cells in Senntisten for attempting to even sneak up on guards!”
“Oi’! I did nothin’ wrong,” Cloe mutter under her breath, “I haven’t seen ’im since I was Thirteen! That’s three whole years there! Just cuz I was excited to see my family, doesn’t mean that’s a crime offense!”
The guard scoffed as Tybalt started to speak again, moving to stand between Melissa and the guard. “Please, Albert,” he begged, “Just let her go for this once. I will keep an eye on her, and make sure she doesn’t get in trouble. I have a promise that I have to keep for her parents.”
Albert gave him a stern stare through the slits of his helmet before turning to walk off, “It will be on your head if she gets in trouble again.”
Two years later...
For reasons unknown to her, the guard of the past that is now a Knight stands before her on a grand stage. She had a front seat view of what’s to come, but she was held back by his two squires so she could not act. There in the distance, her cousin Tybalt stood with a noose around his neck, keeping a stoic gaze upon the audience before letting it drift towards her direction. At that moment, a wave of emotions came over him when he saw his cousin’s desperate attempt to save him. His quivering lips trembled as word came out, but could not be heard from the roars of the crowd.
“I don’t want to die...”
Breakdown
0 ~ Birth: It happened by mistake, or by fate. Her mother Sylstina, a wood Elf, met her father Tormod Eld, a Heartlander, in the cloud temple and eventually bind their vows in matrimony. They eventually birth their only child during one of their trading routes, and fortunately they were only a day away from Senntisten. They will arrived to Tormod’s brother’s shop and leave the child in his care. They will only visit the child once a year nearing her birthday. During that time, Tybalt was five years old.
Early Childhood (1 ~ 8): She grew up under the house of her Uncle Daren and her cousin Tybalt who was pure Heartlander. She learned basic life skills and slowly developed a keen curiosity for the world. She started to have a slight addiction to shiny objects and adventure. Occasionally, she would try to sneak out to meet up with other kid. The kids were usually street urchins that are older than her. She tends to get in fight with them, but for the few that she does like, they tend to climb the tallest of the trees and buildings or sneak around snagging little snacks. Several times during this period, she was escorted by guards back home due to the reason she tried to take something that she wasn’t meant to. On other days, Tybalt would spar with Melissa in her older years.
Age 13-15: Her cousin Tybalt left to enlist as solider for the city of Senntisten. He left for training, and did not return for a while. He did send letters often. During this time period, Melissa started to go through the rebellious age and became even more reckless. At this point, she met an older man in his middle age. He had a suspicious aura around him. He taught her the foundation of his trade by teaching her how to pick a lock and have a tongue of a snake. With these newly obtained skills she purposely hides herself into the shadow, cleverly taking little trinkets around the city and stashed it under a lose rock around the house. She would get thrown into prison often, and her Uncle had to pull her out of the grasps of prison. When she not causing mischief, she is working in her Uncle’s shop.
Age 16 – 17: She became nimble with what she does. She started to use wit rather than winging it. When her brother returned in the area, she started hang around him far more than her mentor. But when her cousin is away, the rat comes out to play. She slithers over towards her mentor who happen to award her with a gift. A dagger with an emblem of a serpent engraved on the side of the blade. She took it happily, and he took her out of the city to train her to use the dagger. Her mentor started to take her along with him to local “issues” that wasn’t to major, but it will provide her with insight. When she is not training with he mentor, she is working at her Uncle’s store Nifty Knickknacks.
Age 18: Tybalt was hung in front of the public. Melissa disappeared in hope of a better life.
I
