RP:Raven’s Desperation
Part of the Vakmatharas' Jar Arc
Summary: Brennia spots Alan looking for a bit of wine and she shows him that the wine cellar had been moved. Two lives are lost this night while one life is reborn, but dazed and confused.
Smyth College of Bardic Arts
After finding your way through the Topiary Garden it would only be fitting to come upon a building which looks like a section taken right out of any castle in the same style as all of Schezerade, in all it's decadence; marble forming the entirety of the large building accented with gold and platinum in which you'll have to cross over a glass bridge in order to reach it. The front door is welcoming for all shapes and sizes that are the citizens of Hollow and spans a great distance in it's solid French Door of a design. Opening it up one might be perplexed at the ability for the fortress to hold such music coming from the main hall there with all of the astute students practicing their talents. Once immersed, the eyes might be stolen by the gaping cathedral ceilings above, spotted by gold and platinum in which encircle mini glowing stones to mimic the night sky, but beauty is not what the ceiling is for; it carries one's voice in the most pleasing fashion. This main hall is quite a vast oval-shaped room, but the walls are shelves, carved into small diamond shapes. Each slot contains a scroll to nearly any song someone might wish to hear or practice in it's magic. Among the marvelous white-wood, gold-accented, concert grand piano in the middle of this large room there are a plethora of nearly every musical instrument imaginable, one just has to look.
Nearing further into the castle one's nostrils might pick up on the scent of mouth watering food being cooked wafting from the kitchen which is north of the main room and it also holds an elegant dining area containing a handful of small tables. In the corner of this kitchen there is a winding staircase which travels below where students are bustling to and fro. If you wish to stay, grab your favorite spirits from the well stocked kitchen and listen to the bardic magics, relax in one of the many luxurious sofas strewn about these to areas. Off to the east corner of the main hall, there is a locked staircase with an outreaching design in onyx stone overlay which is seemingly inking over into the pristine luxury you’ve found yourself in. It's as if the area above holds a darkness that's attempting to leak out into this little slice of heaven… Better just leave that door alone.
Brennia had gotten up quietly and possibly wasn’t even entirely awake yet. Her mind in a fog as it has been throughout most of this campaign. Maybe she was secretly wishing she was a little stronger for this and a bit more cold to take the hits on her personal life. Still not entirely alert she was standing before the larder within the kitchens and the door hangs open while she is staring at all the food there; eyes half closed.
Alan had been a guest at the castle for sometime now. He mostly stayed in his sleeping corders so not to be a bother but popped out now and then to grab a bite to eat. The time was either late or maybe it could be considered early depending on how you look at it. Alan was fast asleep in his bed when the light sound of feet on the stone floor caused his mind to be pulled from whatever dream land he had been in. With his eyes opening slowly and not adjusting to the night well he sat up raising his hand to his forehead realizing that he had massive headache. His temples extremely sore to the touch. Perhaps whomever is up and about could help provide some relief or at least show him to the alcohol.
Brennia barely noticed she was awake by the time Raven felt Alan’s presence near the wine cellar. It was the bit of ink she left on him after their first encounter and she took it upon herself to whisper into Brennia’s consciousness to follow him, check on him. Usually this never works, but with Brennia’s stressed and tired mind she closed the larder and followed him down the hall toward the wine cellar, “Alan?” Her voice was small and soft, “the wine cellar has moved over in this corridor,” she nods the other way in the direction behind the kitchens where there was a small hallway. A large marble wolf guards a secret entrance and she scratches behind it’s left ear, maybe she could use a sip of wine as well.
Hearing Brenna’s voice startled Alan a tiny bit and he felt his heart flutter. It was surprising that he would hear her at all. The ringing in his ears had become so loud that it was causing his vision to become blurry. Regardless turning his head and seeing his gracious host he followed closely behind her being careful not to bump into her while he stumbled around trying to follow her.”What has you up so late?” he asks as they come upon a stone wolf. Alan looks at the giant white wolf and a knot begins to form in his stomach, he’s bothered by the statue and doesn’t fully understand why. Still though a glass or two-or five might help his head, probably won’t do much for his vision or the low whisper of an odd voice that he can faintly hear.
Brennia’s shoulder rises slightly with a soft shrug, “nerves I guess.” She knows he is on edge, but she isn’t sure how she knows that. The secret passage opens within the wall and she slips in ahead of him to find herself a bottle of wine and a crystal glass, “casks are over there.” She motions to them as she hands him a chilled crystal mead mug. Once he takes the cup their fingers graze and she sees something peculiar slip over her hand… Was it that bit of ink keeping his lycan form at bay? More than likely.
Alan reaching up to the glass ready to fully enjoy some of that avian wine he’d heard about brushes up against the bard with his finger taking the cup into his own hand. Turning to grab a bottle he notices that the whispering voice and the ringing is gone Alan turns with a look of confusion at Brennia. The knot in his stomach had developed into a burning. Looking down at to see what had happened Alan sees blood and begins to slouch down involuntarily. As he falls Alan realizes his body has become numb and he feels nothing when he hits the floor. Its like his body is no longer his own. Numb he lays there terror, he can’t speak he can't move and his eyesight is becoming dark and images are fading from his eyes. That's when he feels his arms move to lift him but they aren't his arms his legs bend to stand but they are not his legs lifting him. As he begins to raise slowly his slouch became more pronounced and he could just hardly see the legs lifting him up. White thin wiry. Arms reach over to him and grab him by the chest and pull from the torso. With a loud crack he is pulled free from the body that was his but wasn’t. Tossed to the corner he could see what had emerged from him just before the light in his eyes were snuffed out. It was a monster.
Brennia backed away watching in terror of which gripped her throat to emit no words as the cellar door closed behind them and she’s cornered against a wall. She’s so confused as to what just happened. First she was here talking with Alan and now half of Alan’s body is at her feet while the other half is strewn across the floor of the wine cellar. Eventually, liberty blue eyes look up at the massive creature before her as panic runs through every fiber of her being… But wait… She glances to the door expecting to see Daermon at any point or even any of the shadows, but would be be too late? No time to think as her hand reaches for the lock tattoo at her left side, the one that keeps Raven locked away. She has no choice.
The monster that was held inside of Alan had burst forth and left Alan a bloody mess and less than half of a person. Standing up to Brennia the wolf stood staring eyes burning Hot neon purple. No words were spoke but the emotion of anger from being held down inside of a human shell was apparent. It was the force of being held down that caused the wolf to burst forth splitting Alan violently from himself and ultimately causing his death. Watching Brennia back away slowly the wolf had some issue moving. Its limbs were long heavy and wirey making them hard to move. As she made her way back looking for her bodyguard the monster could see her reaching for something at her side, With all the effort the creature could muster it swung its right arm up grabbing her by the neck. From the force of the swing its arm cracked and splintered. Its rage and blind hate for what she did to it was all that consumed its primal mind. Placing one claw on the wall next to them it pulled her closer to its grotesquely deformed half generated face and with roar it threw her toward the wine rack but not without a cost. Its forearm had broken completely off and was left as a single point and its hand had remained around her neck as she was thrown. Finally free from the prison and person who put it there it attempted to make its way out of the wine cellar. Although it was still to heavy and its limbs could not support its weight. As it moved the other limbs broke and splintered leaving behind sharp shards and the creature with nothing but points at the end of its arms and legs. Now being able to move freely it ran throughout the castle the sound of its boney arms and legs clacking on the stone floor could be heard racing looking for a way out and the mess it made caused by the urgency to get out showed where it had been.
Brennia didn’t have enough time to release Raven to help herself and the beast was crushing the last resort she had to calm him or scare him away. Her fingernails claw at the hard surface of the werewolf's exterior to no avail and the sounds of struggling emitting from her throat gurgling a plea for help. It was too late for any assistance to come, though, as she was thrown at a wine rack with such force like a rag doll. Having difficulty even breathing through a crushed windpipe she watched the beast tear through her wine cellar and eventually find the exit, but the will to make sure her students wouldn’t be harmed was overwhelming and she just started to gather enough strength to get up on her elbows when a bad situation went to worse. Deep blue eyes watch as the tall wine rack of a shelving unit stopped wobbling and started to tip toward her and crushed her along with any strength she has mustered. It was sad, a life being subdued this way and Brennia felt the life flutter out of her and the face of her brother appeared to take her hand in order to travel with her into the great beyond. She would really love to and weather she truly passed will remain unknown, but a long moment passes, after any bonds were broken, the hidden part of Brennia went into fight or flight mode. Every black part of ink decorating that dewy, now wine covered, skin slipped off and swirled under the body that was once Brennia.
Raven was in a panic and knew this is not how Brennia would want her story to end. She wouldn’t want the fate of all she built to fall into the hands of Vermillion, or worse, the Flewminati! The ink covers the shelves that had fallen on Brennia’s body and erects it once more to reveal just how broken it left the avian and without thinking, without understanding what it really was she was doing because she was losing strength, herself - the ink, all of it, flows into the body’s nose and mouth, travels up to her brain and in one last boost of desperation absorbs itself into all of what makes up Brennia down to her nervous system. For what feels like eternity the ink works to repair all that has been wounded, but Brennia isn’t coming back to her and Raven feels so alone for the first time in over a hundred and thirty years. This wasn’t supposed to happen, she wasn’t supposed to care for Brennia this way. Blue eyes that has turned a tinge of green slowly opened… What is this? Her head was killing her and slowly she sat up from wine soaked hair and feathers. What the…. She feels her face and looks at her caramel colored arms left untouched by any ink. When she stands it’s a little wobbly, but she found a reflective surface to see her face still looked like Brennia’s, but the eyes were a bit more like her own and she felt an overwhelming sensation of morning for she still felt so alone without Brennia. Hot tears stream instantly over wine soaked cheeks and if she could scream she would, but it would take just a little longer for her throat to be repaired. Those large onyx wings fold around Raven for comfort, but that really only made things worse as she was reminded even more of Brennia and this was when Raven realized she couldn’t go on without constantly being reminded of the countess to be. Quickened, wobbly footsteps made their way out of the wine cellar and she looks into the mouth of the large marble wolf statue and sure enough, there it was. That little ‘forget-Brennia’ potion and she held onto it for a moment while saying her silent goodbyes to Brennia in her mind before knocking the vial back like a shot… Boy, was she tired… Raven found herself sitting before the fire in the main hall and nodding off atop the rug there. When she wakes she won't remember anything about Brennia and she will be Raven Cadenza de Vere.