Rage against the dying of the light

The coldest blood runs through my veins

Blood bubbled and oozed from the arrow wound. In the blazing sunlight it almost felt cool to touch. Her rage burned hotter, a symptom of some trauma far deeper than any physical injury - and as they say about straws breaking the backs of camels, losing her temper became a final, fatal mistake. 

Because she didn't realize how dangerous Melita's arrows were. Or how powerful her own magic had become. Or that a second volley was descending on her even as she lashed out at everything and everyone around her. Blinded by pain and rage and a bottomless well of self-pity, she screamed like a banshee in the blazing, barren desert - 

- and a gentle breeze caressed her cheek, cooling skin that would not flush, would not be touched again. The wind bent the grass like waves in a sea of green and rustled leaves in a tall oak tree at the top of the hill. A young man pushed himself onto his feet, and approached her with a smile, even as he shook his head. Hair white as flax contrasted against the sun-tannned face, and his eyes were blue as the sky. 
"You never did do anything by half, Lil sis," he laughed. Pulling her into a hug, Maea blinked, confusion numbing her thoughts. 
"Noah..? But... how? Why are you here?" He felt real under her hands as she slowly hugged him back.
"Other way around. You're the one who's here, Mae. And now you have a choice to make. Are you staying, or going back?"
It didn't make sense. She had been... gods, but what had she been doing? Playing a game that wasn't a game. Trying to make something fun that wasn't. Making family out of strangers and friends out of murderers and thieves. Building homes out of sand and weeping when time and wind blew them away.
"I don't know... is there anything to go back to?" It was comfortable here. Together with the brother she had missed so much, in a place beyond fear or pain...
Noah's hand stroked her hair, soothing as it always had been. "There is so much more," he said, "you just haven't found it yet. I hate to say it, but you've kinda been looking in strange places."
"I don't really know what to even look for... you guys are all here. Even Shii..." And nothing shehad done had made a difference.
"There's still more," he insisted. Withdrawing to take her by the shoulders, her brother looked her in the eyes. "You're not lost, Mae, you're just in too much of a hurry. Slow down. Don't look so far ahead. Just because you can run now doesn't mean it's all you have to do. Remember when you were little, and I had to carry you to the barn? You weren't even able to stand up, but you still bottle fed the lambs, sitting in the hay for hours. Sure you can do more now, but you were always helpful. Always working hard. And even if you weren't, I'd still want you around.
"Why? I only hurt people, and mess things up, and –" 
"Why? Well. Because you make me laugh, don't you. Can you really think of no one who's laughed with you over the years, at all?" 
Maea thought back. And slowly, faces came to mind. Eyes that crinkled with laughter. Glittered in sunlight or gleamed in firelight, amused and keen and alert. Blue eyes, green eyes, brown and odd-colored – Talyson, Hotaru, Thalassa, Remi, Hadama, Charlie, Ronin –

A tentative smile touched her lips, and the young farmer nodded his encouragement. "See? There's a lot of reasons to go back."
Maea frowned. "Are you saying I should?" 
"I'm saying you could. If you want to."
"And if I want to stay..?" 
He shrugged. "Then you stay. Either way, we will be together again. Now or later is all the same to me. What matters is what you want."
Time did not exist here. It was för a second and a lifetime's worth of moments that she stood, deep in thought, her hands in his. Thinking. Feeling. The peace made it easier and harder; finding peace like this in life was difficult, and Maea hadn't realized how tired she was.
"I... think... I want to do better," she told him. "This... it's not how I want it to stay." The pain, the anger, the many grievances left unsolved - maybe it wasn't possible to live life without making enemies but Maea felt like she could do better. Be better.
Noah smiled at her, and nodded. Hugging her again, he let go and took a step back. "Then you do it right this time. No regrets."
"No regrets," she promised, watching as he began to walk back towards the tree. Only then realizing that she didn't know what to do next, she called to her brother. "Uh, how..? Is there even a way back?" 
He grinned at her over the shoulder. "You know a way."
"I do?" 
"You do."

She knew, huh... Standing alone on the windswept field, she thought back. Tried to recall what had happened, what her brother meant... then she laughed at herself for being so slow.
"Remi? Can you hear me?" Whispering his name into the wind, she hummed a tune as she waited, hoping he still had the connection with spirits he'd once had. It was a wordless lullaby, one she'd forgotten the lyrics to a long time ago;

something something
And we'll meet there and Dance
as the leaves slowly change,
In the light of a lantern to Ludo...

You know my name

Table by Skylark

Flora

Now, I know what you're all thinking. Flora, just channel Ronin, only the queen was out of slots this month (and for once not even for frivolous reasons). Well then, just use your compass to take Maea back to Torchline so Ronin can bring her back, and while yeah, that absolutely is an option..

..the two times Flora had ever been in the ancient's company, the first Maea had nearly gotten her killed and the second she'd been an awkward bitch, so...

..no?

I mean, it obviously wasn't as simple as all that, Flora probably couldn't just leave Maea to stay dead (even though she was invisible and maybe everyone would just forget that she'd been there), but equally did she really have to?

Wait, Zavien was obviously an accepted, if he was a dragoon. Twisting her invisibility ring to pop back into existence, the queen waves to him. "Hey—" She calls. "Can you channel my dad?" Then, realizing how unclear that was given she had three of them, adds, "Ronin?"

---

Flora becomes visible and asks if Zavien who isn't high enough level can channel Ronin

I don't like that falling feels like flying
'til the bone crush

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Thalassa

I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell.
I wanted to shout about it.

Her movements jolt to a stop as her body spams in pain. It starts as a wordless scream that boils from within, an excruciating ripping of something inside, but what, she can't fathom as her mind becomes a bright sheet of red. It sucks the flame from her veins, replacing it with a dark void. Even as the stiff contracture of her form falls to the sand, Thal can't summon enough breath to scream, feeling her fires die like fingernails being torturously removed. 

The pain only lasts a second, but the damage lingers, leaving her devoid of any motivation or energy, just a husk unable to breath. As she flops to the side, curling in on herself, Thal spots the limp form of white hair and pale skin through the fading red hue. A stuttered breath finally enters her lungs only to exit in a strained sound of pointless air laced with agony. The agony of weakness that wracks her body. The agony of a lost friend that lays just out of reach. The agony of guilt. A single tear blurs the sand with Maea's white hair as Thal tries to grasp the image before her and her own culpability. Gritting her teeth, she reaches out a single hand, wishing it would make a difference.

But all I could do was whipser,
"I'm fine."

I take everything seriously,

The playful atmosphere of the games had quickly turned somber as Zavien saw the wall of fire fall away in blood-curdling screams. Panic sets in and he immediately abandons his childish antics to rush into the fray. Two women lay in the sand; one writhing from unseen forces and the other littered with injuries, not moving. Whatever had transpired had caused too much damage for his limited battle field training. 

Flora's sudden appearance has Zavien nodding his head, realizing that he might be able to do something to help. However, whether it will be enough is another question. "I - I don't know if I'm strong enough. I've only ever channeled a swarm of bugs. I don't think I have the power to call a demigod." As much as he wants the statements to be false, he knows that his abilities aren't enough, but he has to try. 

Zavien steps closer to the more injured person, recognizing the unmistakable features of Maea. Surprise has him pausing, but he kneels next to her form, assessing the damage. Her chest doesn't rise and the blood has stopped gushing from her wounds. Even the light has left her pale eyes, leaving them eerily white as they reflect the clouds above. Sadness wells in his chest, weighing down his body enough to sink deeper into the sand. 

Looking at the charred surroundings splattered with blood and arrows, he sighs a soft prayer to whatever forces may answer. "Please. Whether you can somehow get a message to Ronin or help heal some of this pain, please help." Despite not knowing the Ancients well, he would hate to see them die. Zavien reaches out a hand to rest it on Maea's arm. "Please don't let it end this way."

---

Zavien tries to summon anything to help. 

Accepted Channeling: Allows an Accepted to channel a spirit during a time of crisis (1x a season). Can be combined with other accepted channeling to increase power.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic

Zavien

but I also take it lighthearted to recognize I can't control it.

On any normal occasion, the desert is a dry, decrepit place – bones jutting out of the scenery, sand dunes for endless miles upon miles.

But today is a wondrous day, for now it rains.

A pouring deluge of wonder and coolness brings much needed respite from the heat as the clouds roll in, making the world come alive before your eyes as animals embark across the plains, and plants begin to crawl their way back to the surface, grabbing every drop they can get.

Light and life blooms across the plains even as death claims one soul and reaches for another. Zavien 's prayers are heard by a nearby spirit who, while unable to traverse the world in the blink of an eye as would be required of it to pass a message to Ronin, can at least offer aid to the dying ancient. A whisp of rain forms into something more solid, its watery fingertips covering the pirate captain and healing her from the inside out. Like a blanket it seeps into her bones, pushing death away and instead filling her with the same rejuvenation that the rest of the desert is treated to.  Thanks to Zavien's channelling, Thalassa has been healed! Random Event

Flora

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

Oh, and then there's suddenly rain.

Hissing under her breath as she's suddenly drenched, Flora moves to stand by Zavien, peering over his shoulder as he reaches for Maea. The fact that the spirit had gone for Thalassa and not the paler ancient didn't inspire much confidence in the Doubletake, but still she asked. "Is....is she dead?" There was a chance, right? Maybe she was faking it, or...or maybe she'd also been a bitch to Zavien and so he'd silently told his spirit to only heal Thalassa and leave Maea to her injuries.

Glancing over her shoulder, Flora resists the urge to call out for Melita if only because the Honeybee might not want to remind anyone of her presence or because she might be up to something.

I don't like that falling feels like flying
'til the bone crush

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Thalassa

I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell.
I wanted to shout about it.

Her tear is joined by a splattering of rain on her cheek. Thal is slightly aware of a presence blocking her view from Maea and she wants to crawl closer in hopes of seeing some sign of life on the Ancient's face. If she could, maybe her worst nightmares wouldn't be coming true. Maybe she could prove her suspicions wrong and they can go back to laughing as they run through snowy fields. Maybe Maea will stand up and scold her for being greedy, but still failing in the end. How did everything go so wrong?

Thal doesn't welcome the warm, wet fingertips that caress her or the blossoming life in her chest. It almost feels more painful, like a dying limb being reperfused. A crying sob escapes before she can stifle it fully and she pulls herself tighter, trying to escape the undeserved feeling. When the sensation fades along with her invisible wound, she stays frozen in tension and apprehension. As much as she wants to collapse into oblivion, Thal has to face the truth. So, with fast, shallow breaths, she lifts herself enough to close the distance towards the gathering crowd, not sure what she'll do when she confirms what she already knows.

But all I could do was whipser,
"I'm fine."

I take everything seriously,

The rain is a welcome outward expression of Zavien's declining mood. They solidify over the other woman and at first he wonders if a fickle spirit has come to curse her. Yet the sprouting of flowers suggests otherwise and his mind turns to thoughts of more existential reasons for her suffering. Pity and regret stain his features when he turns back to look at Maea's lifeless form. 

His nod to Flora is small but more than enough to portray the deep sadness at his wordless answer. There is too much evidence to ignore. Zavien lifts a hand to gently seal the Ancient's eyelids, closing the windows to her now-empty soul. Not sure how to mourn a woman he met only once, he asks, "Did you know her well?"

Zavien

but I also take it lighthearted to recognize I can't control it.

Flora

"Well enough not to like her." The queen mutters, and while it might not be polite to speak ill of the dead, given that Maea wasn't liable to stay that way for long, Flora thought she could get away with it. Especially if it was because of her that the ancient took another breath.

Morally grey though the queen might be, it wasn't because she'd been raised by demigods that she did what she did next, but because her formative years had been spent in Torchline. Knowing enough to know that letting Maea stay dead out here in the desert might come back to bite her in the ass and that having the loreseeker alive could be beneficial later if Flora took credit for it, still didn't erase the grimace on her lips as she knelt down beside the dead ancient.

Biting back memories of having been in precisely this same situation during the war when her twin had died—only back then Ronin hadn't been a glorified revivify feather so Flora had fled to her mother instead—Flora grabs onto Maea's shoulder and presses her compass.

The pair disappear.

---

Maea and Flora OUT!

I don't like that falling feels like flying
'til the bone crush

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Thalassa

I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell.
I wanted to shout about it.

Still stumbling to her feet, Thal doesn't have the power to stop the woman as she vanishes into thin air. Is Maea actually dead? She didn't get a chance to see for herself, but Thal is fairly certain that she hadn't been moving. Why would they take her corpse? Everything just feels foggy and rimmed in pain. 

Thal is so numb that it takes all her will power to make any kind of decision. The man kneels where her friend had been, but her voice has abandoned her. All she wants to do is give her mind an excuse for the aching in her chest and the lack of thoughts. Turning away from the scene, Thal wraps her arms around herself, determined to find refuge in the bottle aboard The Marauder.

---

Thalassa exits.

But all I could do was whipser,
"I'm fine."

I take everything seriously,

One moment he's mourning the death of an Ancient he barely knows and the next he's alone in the empty sand dunes. His confusion is palpable and Zavien rushes to his feet. "Flora?! Where'd you go?" Her words linger. Had she decided to help even though there is obviously animosity between the two of them? If so, how?

Utterly perplexed, he scans the surroundings for any signs of Torchline's queen. That's when he spots the healed woman stumbling away. Eager to help, he reaches out a hand and opens his mouth to call out. Yet he hesitates. Zavien doesn't know if she should be left alone with the haunted look in her eyes, but he resigns himself to let her be. From what he gathered, she'd just watched her friend die before her eyes and he didn't have any words of comfort, unsure what had transpired between the two. Although it doesn't sit well with him, Zavien lets his hand drop, glancing back once more before he gathers his things and walks away, his thoughts consisting mostly of ignorant questions.

---

Zavien leaves.

[FIN]

Zavien

but I also take it lighthearted to recognize I can't control it.