(( Originally posted 2 Dec 2014 ))
"They have left you."
The voice came suddenly, with such a pressure that Ahni rocked on her feet. She was in the process of making the rounds in the Red Dragon Inn, O'Cleary's, and the Brazen Wench, checking on flowers she had placed in small jars around each location -- and of course, keeping an eye on a certain little black box in case it started blinking. The little half-elf was especially proud of the floral creation she deposited in the box not terribly long ago.
"You are alone."
Again, the voice rasped in her mind -- the sound of wind through dry, dead leaves. Emerald irises flickered a frightened, hazardous yellow as Ahni reeled once more. She could feel it sapping her power, feeding on her emotions... And she was powerless to stop it. The shield she had worked so hard to create and maintain was utterly useless.
It started as a joke. An unorthodox way to cast a frightening spell in the Rings on Twilight Isle, a creation that was only supposed to snap at a friend's pants. She didn't really know her power then -- her little jest somehow gained sentience and began to plague her thoughts, poison her optimism... and demand the unthinkable. She had lived with it for who knows how long, shielding and lying to herself that everything would be okay, it would all go away soon.
"I am all that you have now, Tura.*"
But it didn't go away.
"Leave me alone!" The Biomancer whispered aloud, oblivious to the stares she received. One brawny man even stood up from his chair, ready to defend the poor little woman from whatever was bothering her. Ahni didn't notice, just kept her eyes squeezed shut. She couldn't recall the mantra she used to bring up the shield. She couldn't recall anything. Small fists clenched at her sides in frustration.
"You must come to terms with this. All of them -- every single one -- have left you."
Ahni began to tremble. She had to remember the words -- why could she not remember the words? "Wh-what was it, what was it," she sputtered, reeling, fists banging against too-skinny legs, her thick metal bracelets knocking hard enough to summon bruises in the near future. Droplets of water escaped from the corners of tightly-shut eyes as she teetered and wavered on unsteady feet. "It was -- it m-must have been -- could it have b-been --" She was muttering and stuttering and rambling quickly under her breath, once more oblivious to stares from the few remaining patrons in the tavern. Several had made haste to leave as soon as the strange, small woman began talking to herself, but a handful stayed to see just how everything played out.
"Shall I remind you of the ones who have left, Tura? Shall I describe what you did to them?"
The half-elf's skinny fingers tapped shakily at her temples as if trying to ward off the terrible voice that came through her mind. Wide eyes darted to-and-fro like a caged animal as she slowly lost her tenuous grip on reality. "It-it-it -- was it about the-the teac-c-cups -- it must have b-been --" Kaleidoscope irises flickered goldenrod (warning, warning!), and she clutched desperately at her hair. The patrons watched her cautiously from the corners of their eyes -- never making full eye contact, of course -- as if waiting for the small woman to completely snap so they could be the first to escape. The flowers that Ahni had so meticulously placed around the tavern began to wail softly, much to the dismay of the assembly, small leaves helplessly flailing. Ahni fell to her knees, pulling at her messy hair, eyes glossy and distant. "Do not -- please do not -- j-j-just leave me alone... I did n-nothing to them, Olva,* I did nothing!"
"I believe it quite fitting to start with the one you killed."
"The fl-flap flap-p-ps of the nnn-night -- and the t-teacups," The half-elf whimpered moments before losing consciousness.
* Tura = Master
* Olva = Plant
"They have left you."
The voice came suddenly, with such a pressure that Ahni rocked on her feet. She was in the process of making the rounds in the Red Dragon Inn, O'Cleary's, and the Brazen Wench, checking on flowers she had placed in small jars around each location -- and of course, keeping an eye on a certain little black box in case it started blinking. The little half-elf was especially proud of the floral creation she deposited in the box not terribly long ago.
"You are alone."
Again, the voice rasped in her mind -- the sound of wind through dry, dead leaves. Emerald irises flickered a frightened, hazardous yellow as Ahni reeled once more. She could feel it sapping her power, feeding on her emotions... And she was powerless to stop it. The shield she had worked so hard to create and maintain was utterly useless.
It started as a joke. An unorthodox way to cast a frightening spell in the Rings on Twilight Isle, a creation that was only supposed to snap at a friend's pants. She didn't really know her power then -- her little jest somehow gained sentience and began to plague her thoughts, poison her optimism... and demand the unthinkable. She had lived with it for who knows how long, shielding and lying to herself that everything would be okay, it would all go away soon.
"I am all that you have now, Tura.*"
But it didn't go away.
"Leave me alone!" The Biomancer whispered aloud, oblivious to the stares she received. One brawny man even stood up from his chair, ready to defend the poor little woman from whatever was bothering her. Ahni didn't notice, just kept her eyes squeezed shut. She couldn't recall the mantra she used to bring up the shield. She couldn't recall anything. Small fists clenched at her sides in frustration.
"You must come to terms with this. All of them -- every single one -- have left you."
Ahni began to tremble. She had to remember the words -- why could she not remember the words? "Wh-what was it, what was it," she sputtered, reeling, fists banging against too-skinny legs, her thick metal bracelets knocking hard enough to summon bruises in the near future. Droplets of water escaped from the corners of tightly-shut eyes as she teetered and wavered on unsteady feet. "It was -- it m-must have been -- could it have b-been --" She was muttering and stuttering and rambling quickly under her breath, once more oblivious to stares from the few remaining patrons in the tavern. Several had made haste to leave as soon as the strange, small woman began talking to herself, but a handful stayed to see just how everything played out.
"Shall I remind you of the ones who have left, Tura? Shall I describe what you did to them?"
The half-elf's skinny fingers tapped shakily at her temples as if trying to ward off the terrible voice that came through her mind. Wide eyes darted to-and-fro like a caged animal as she slowly lost her tenuous grip on reality. "It-it-it -- was it about the-the teac-c-cups -- it must have b-been --" Kaleidoscope irises flickered goldenrod (warning, warning!), and she clutched desperately at her hair. The patrons watched her cautiously from the corners of their eyes -- never making full eye contact, of course -- as if waiting for the small woman to completely snap so they could be the first to escape. The flowers that Ahni had so meticulously placed around the tavern began to wail softly, much to the dismay of the assembly, small leaves helplessly flailing. Ahni fell to her knees, pulling at her messy hair, eyes glossy and distant. "Do not -- please do not -- j-j-just leave me alone... I did n-nothing to them, Olva,* I did nothing!"
"I believe it quite fitting to start with the one you killed."
"The fl-flap flap-p-ps of the nnn-night -- and the t-teacups," The half-elf whimpered moments before losing consciousness.
* Tura = Master
* Olva = Plant