SOLITUDE
"Livin' alone
I think of all the friends I've known
When I dial the telephone
Nobody's home
All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself
Anymore
Hard to be sure
Sometimes I feel so insecure
And loves so distant and obscure
Remains the cure
All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself
Anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself
Anymore" All By Myself - E. Carmen, S. Rachmaninoff
Elessaria returned to Rhydin even paler and weaker than when she had left a few weeks earlier. Her already slender frame was thinner, her golden hair lackluster and her porcelain skin had taken on a pale cast. She questioned the wisdom of her choice to return " as she now questioned nearly everything she either thought or did" yet the warm welcome of friends like Jewell and Piper reassured her. Their kindness helped to ease the nightly suffering she endured; yet, seeing them also hardened her resolve to strengthen and hone her magical skills and to keep the innocents out of harm's way.
Daily the elven mage would sneak to a remote area of the Southern Glenn of Rhydin. It was difficult for her to find the beautiful place unoccupied as it was a favorite spot for dragons to swim, lovers to share and children to frolic. The bountiful springs and thick, vibrant flora bespoke the vast amounts of magical energy that flowed seemingly endlessly here. Not only did its natural beauty attract many visitors, its quiet whisperings drew those who possessed some sort of magical nature. Thus, Eless selected the Glenn as her center for replenishing her mana and for practicing the manipulation of the magical essences that flowed freely here. It was as perfect a choice as she could wish since the abundance of magic would serve to hide her work. It also was set apart from the majority of the populace which kept them relatively safe if a spell went awry. Here she was also able to lower her barely adequate shields. Unable to keep them at full strength, Eless chose to focus on keeping her whirling emotions contained; this unfortunately allowed quite a bit of others" emotions to seep inside and at times, flood over her.
For some gifted with magic, the creation of portals came easily. However, the Lady Fire of Evandar had never completed her training. Her combination of empathy and spellfire was difficult to orchestrate even under the best of circumstances. Portals could not be formed from out of nowhere. They were complex modes of travel that drew from her own essence. Evandar was not even of the same realm as Rhydin; therefore, it would take some practice and a large amount of reserves to construct. Add in the fact that she had warded it even heavier during her last visit, the empath was uncertain if even she could break them. Her emotions had driven her recklessly when she saw the bodies of the elven children flayed, burned and then hung in the central clearing of Evandar. Eless decided at that moment not a soul would ever enter Evandar again while she lived
"If I can even remember how to get there," she sighed wearily. She felt the bark of the willow's trunk prick through the thin fabric of the midnight blue of her gown and matching shawl. The Glenn had been inhabited most of the day, so Eless had to wait until after dusk to perform her daily ritual of replenishing her mana. However, before the petite elf could do that, she would spend hours on end working to manipulate the magical "rivers? that flowed throughout the Glenn and through most of Rhydin. Each mistake cost her nearly as much mana as she had gained the day before; but, she was determined not to fail. When exhaustion began to creep steadily over her, Eless would then carefully release a tendril of her mana and search for a plentiful reservoir of magic from which she slowly drew strength. During this quiet time she also struggled against slipping back into the dark maelstrom of nightmares that continuously lurked at the edges of her mind. At times the empath would lose and she would awaken to the gentle sounds of a bubbling spring that danced its way into the covert cove in which she had hidden.
It was at this time the pain of her solitude plunged unrelenting into her bared heart and soul. She was raw from her work and any emotion affected her greatly; but, the utter loneliness was all pervasive and the most persistent. Even after she recovered from the day's strenuous efforts, the feelings of solitude swam just beneath the surface, threatening to drown her at her first misstep. Once she was physically able to leave the sanctuary of the Glenn, Elessaria would return to the Inn to rest and recuperate. The blue flames that resided deep within her eyes would flicker and flare in an epilogue of sorts. A testament to her attempts to tame the surging pulse of magic running through her. At times a brandy or a warm cup of tea would be essential to aid her falling asleep, although she always woke partway through the night with her pillow damp and her fragile features streaked with tears. And once again, loneliness would steal upon her and hold her captive in its chill embrace.
Elessaria returned to Rhydin even paler and weaker than when she had left a few weeks earlier. Her already slender frame was thinner, her golden hair lackluster and her porcelain skin had taken on a pale cast. She questioned the wisdom of her choice to return " as she now questioned nearly everything she either thought or did" yet the warm welcome of friends like Jewell and Piper reassured her. Their kindness helped to ease the nightly suffering she endured; yet, seeing them also hardened her resolve to strengthen and hone her magical skills and to keep the innocents out of harm's way.
Daily the elven mage would sneak to a remote area of the Southern Glenn of Rhydin. It was difficult for her to find the beautiful place unoccupied as it was a favorite spot for dragons to swim, lovers to share and children to frolic. The bountiful springs and thick, vibrant flora bespoke the vast amounts of magical energy that flowed seemingly endlessly here. Not only did its natural beauty attract many visitors, its quiet whisperings drew those who possessed some sort of magical nature. Thus, Eless selected the Glenn as her center for replenishing her mana and for practicing the manipulation of the magical essences that flowed freely here. It was as perfect a choice as she could wish since the abundance of magic would serve to hide her work. It also was set apart from the majority of the populace which kept them relatively safe if a spell went awry. Here she was also able to lower her barely adequate shields. Unable to keep them at full strength, Eless chose to focus on keeping her whirling emotions contained; this unfortunately allowed quite a bit of others" emotions to seep inside and at times, flood over her.
For some gifted with magic, the creation of portals came easily. However, the Lady Fire of Evandar had never completed her training. Her combination of empathy and spellfire was difficult to orchestrate even under the best of circumstances. Portals could not be formed from out of nowhere. They were complex modes of travel that drew from her own essence. Evandar was not even of the same realm as Rhydin; therefore, it would take some practice and a large amount of reserves to construct. Add in the fact that she had warded it even heavier during her last visit, the empath was uncertain if even she could break them. Her emotions had driven her recklessly when she saw the bodies of the elven children flayed, burned and then hung in the central clearing of Evandar. Eless decided at that moment not a soul would ever enter Evandar again while she lived
"If I can even remember how to get there," she sighed wearily. She felt the bark of the willow's trunk prick through the thin fabric of the midnight blue of her gown and matching shawl. The Glenn had been inhabited most of the day, so Eless had to wait until after dusk to perform her daily ritual of replenishing her mana. However, before the petite elf could do that, she would spend hours on end working to manipulate the magical "rivers? that flowed throughout the Glenn and through most of Rhydin. Each mistake cost her nearly as much mana as she had gained the day before; but, she was determined not to fail. When exhaustion began to creep steadily over her, Eless would then carefully release a tendril of her mana and search for a plentiful reservoir of magic from which she slowly drew strength. During this quiet time she also struggled against slipping back into the dark maelstrom of nightmares that continuously lurked at the edges of her mind. At times the empath would lose and she would awaken to the gentle sounds of a bubbling spring that danced its way into the covert cove in which she had hidden.
It was at this time the pain of her solitude plunged unrelenting into her bared heart and soul. She was raw from her work and any emotion affected her greatly; but, the utter loneliness was all pervasive and the most persistent. Even after she recovered from the day's strenuous efforts, the feelings of solitude swam just beneath the surface, threatening to drown her at her first misstep. Once she was physically able to leave the sanctuary of the Glenn, Elessaria would return to the Inn to rest and recuperate. The blue flames that resided deep within her eyes would flicker and flare in an epilogue of sorts. A testament to her attempts to tame the surging pulse of magic running through her. At times a brandy or a warm cup of tea would be essential to aid her falling asleep, although she always woke partway through the night with her pillow damp and her fragile features streaked with tears. And once again, loneliness would steal upon her and hold her captive in its chill embrace.