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3rd Light - Not So Bright... (Forward dated to Dec. 1st)
[Liora woke from her sleep at the dream docks, completely in a state of shock. She couldn't say she regretted making that move, but she was very, very shaken at what she saw back home. Still, she'd better announce her return. However, when she does, her device is very shaky in her talons.]
I'm...I'm back...
[That's all she manages to say before she quickly switches off the feed, not wanting the whole world to see her break down.]
Action: Fayren
[Liora lands at the edge of the town of Fayren, too exhausted to fly too far. This isn't the ideal place to break down, but she can't control her tears any longer. She walks slowly and blindly on her tiny legs, memories of the events back home all too fresh in her mind...]
[It had begun when Liora spotted Erebus in the Burial Grounds. In spite of him daring her to stop him, Liora could only watch helplessly as Erebus cast his dark magic upon the graves. And then Erebus was gone, but Liora could still feel the darkness. She quickly fetched Qubine, but Erebus's work was already done. The deceased dragons woke from their graves, shambling to attack the living dragons. Once the sun set over the horizon, the deceased became even more powerful and aggressive. To make matters worse, some of them were puking out a black sludge that seemed to form even more vicious monsters. Defeated by this threat, Liora regrouped with Cane and Snowy, and the three fled from the lair.]
[The worst part of it all is that Liora has no idea whether the other dragons of the clan had fled as well. Or did they all die fighting to save their home? Liora recalled her last memory of Qubine quite clearly; the clan leader fought so fiercely to save Shayla, the love of his life. While Liora couldn't imagine a warrior as fierce as Qubine falling to the dark forces, was he able to save Shayla? And the others...even if they did survive and flee, where would they have gone?]
[If anyone is passing the little dragon as she's sobbing her eyes out, they might hear whispers of, "It's all my fault..." After crossing through the main town, she'll wander into the forest, where she'll pick a random tree and continue weeping in solitude.]
Action: Genessia City Shrine
[Liora remembered the shrine that Ayame had led her to that one night. She believed it would become one of her favorite places, and so she decides to come here and hopefully try to relax. However, when she saw the fireflies, she remembered what Ayame had told her about them – that it was believed that the fireflies were the souls of the fallen. At that moment, all Liora could see were her clan mates, tiny ghosts drifting about in specks of light. Qubine, the clan leader, and his mate Shayla. Handel, the Fae dragon who had fallen for Liora; his brother Aether, and their other Passage partner Lazarus. Amadeus, a fellow Light dragon, wise and powerful. Reiko, Kitty, and Brenna, who had initially rescued Liora from the Beastclans. And Azalea, whom Liora heard had been in Genessia before. All of them, and the others, whom Liora may never see again. Instead of finding comfort in these fireflies, Liora's heart broke even more, and she began to weep once again.]
It's all my fault...
I'm...I'm back...
[That's all she manages to say before she quickly switches off the feed, not wanting the whole world to see her break down.]
Action: Fayren
[Liora lands at the edge of the town of Fayren, too exhausted to fly too far. This isn't the ideal place to break down, but she can't control her tears any longer. She walks slowly and blindly on her tiny legs, memories of the events back home all too fresh in her mind...]
[It had begun when Liora spotted Erebus in the Burial Grounds. In spite of him daring her to stop him, Liora could only watch helplessly as Erebus cast his dark magic upon the graves. And then Erebus was gone, but Liora could still feel the darkness. She quickly fetched Qubine, but Erebus's work was already done. The deceased dragons woke from their graves, shambling to attack the living dragons. Once the sun set over the horizon, the deceased became even more powerful and aggressive. To make matters worse, some of them were puking out a black sludge that seemed to form even more vicious monsters. Defeated by this threat, Liora regrouped with Cane and Snowy, and the three fled from the lair.]
[The worst part of it all is that Liora has no idea whether the other dragons of the clan had fled as well. Or did they all die fighting to save their home? Liora recalled her last memory of Qubine quite clearly; the clan leader fought so fiercely to save Shayla, the love of his life. While Liora couldn't imagine a warrior as fierce as Qubine falling to the dark forces, was he able to save Shayla? And the others...even if they did survive and flee, where would they have gone?]
[If anyone is passing the little dragon as she's sobbing her eyes out, they might hear whispers of, "It's all my fault..." After crossing through the main town, she'll wander into the forest, where she'll pick a random tree and continue weeping in solitude.]
Action: Genessia City Shrine
[Liora remembered the shrine that Ayame had led her to that one night. She believed it would become one of her favorite places, and so she decides to come here and hopefully try to relax. However, when she saw the fireflies, she remembered what Ayame had told her about them – that it was believed that the fireflies were the souls of the fallen. At that moment, all Liora could see were her clan mates, tiny ghosts drifting about in specks of light. Qubine, the clan leader, and his mate Shayla. Handel, the Fae dragon who had fallen for Liora; his brother Aether, and their other Passage partner Lazarus. Amadeus, a fellow Light dragon, wise and powerful. Reiko, Kitty, and Brenna, who had initially rescued Liora from the Beastclans. And Azalea, whom Liora heard had been in Genessia before. All of them, and the others, whom Liora may never see again. Instead of finding comfort in these fireflies, Liora's heart broke even more, and she began to weep once again.]
It's all my fault...
no subject
[What is the point of all these questions...?]
But what good would it do to wonder whether doing something would have stopped him? In situations like that, we don't have time to wonder about those things!
[And her "wondering" is what gave Erebus enough time to do his thing.]
no subject
And what good is blaming yourself for the past? What is that, if not wondering if you could have done something to stop him?
You cannot change what already happened. All you can change how you respond to it. Think carefully on it, on the stakes, the wins and the losses. If you ever have another chance, and you think it will make a difference, then you will know better what to do. But the past? All it can be is a lesson learned, for good or ill. The past is not a place one can live in, burrowing into its pain to make a cage for yourself.
[Koumyou took another slow drag of tobacco and blew more smoke rings up into the sky. They were neatly illuminated by the moonlight that had grown so strong from his presence.]
I died, back on my world. The attack was one I could have deflected easily, defended myself against... but there was something more important than myself in the room, and something much more fragile. My son. So, I stood between him and danger and I took all of the damage while he screamed at me to let him fight. Thirteen years old, he was, and he thought he could defend me?
[The priest shook his head.]
I died, but he lived. He lived, and grew, and learned, and is learning. However, if I had thought I couldn't save him... I would have let him fight. And we both would have died that night. But the guilt that crushes him, of watching me die, it wouldn't have found its way into his heart. That's just the price of living, sometimes.
no subject
But...if you were dead...then how do you really know of his guilt...?
It's already done...so now there's plenty of time to wonder. Perhaps I can learn from this...one day I can become stronger...but right now everything hurts so much, I can't bear it...
[And she begins weeping into her talons quietly once again...]
no subject
[Simply because it would distract from the topic at hand.]
I have experienced the feeling myself.