Light flashed in the semi-darkness as the flickering light of the torches reflected off her spinning sword. She occupied the center of the middle ring, flowing from one stance to the other with a fluidity that confirmed her boasts of long familiarity with the weapon in her hand. Her long singular braid cut through the air in echo of the steel short sword in her hands.
The dragonelf remained quiet when she slipped into the Arena from the Inn's common space above. Her trademark cold smirk whispered upon her lips and her wings remained relaxed as she carefully padded into the space. She wore smoky leathers tight to her form, emphasizing her curves and seeming to indicate she was unarmed. Once inside, she settled perfectly manicured hands onto the bannister.
Her movements slowed upon realizing not only was she no longer alone (she wouldn't have stilled if it were anyone else; it didn't matter if someone saw her) but also the identity of the intruder. For intruder it was - it was the daughter she finally knew was truly hers. In a way. She turned to face the witch, a natural turn to complete the form, and, panting, turned her gaze up toward Dawn. She remained otherwise silent, however.
"Mother," she drawled, and the smirk grew wider. "I am grateful that you remain so predictable." She pushed back against the bannister to regain an independent stance without support. "I have come to say hello. It has been far too long since you and I have had the ... pleasure ... of truly enjoying each other's company." Her hands spread as wing ridges lifted in the mockery of a friendly shrug. "How are you faring, dear Mother?"
Her hand convulsed around the hilt of her weapon at the address by the dragonelf. "I am not your mother, Dawn; you are not of my body. Your mother died, a long time ago." She shifted her stance slightly, affecting a more relaxed posture than she truly felt. She would never ease her vigilance around the woman.
"Indeed." She dismissed the denial with a wave of her hand. "You are a mere shadow of the woman who bore me; you are nothing but a clone." She snorted. "Yet you are still my mother, as you bear the heart and hope of my late beloved father. And it is in that spirit that I have sought you out. I wish to ... reconcile." She would never be able to manage a friendly smile; her attempt appeared grotesque and sinister rather than appealing.
It was her turn to snort. "Reconcile, aye." She scowled, a deep and furious furrow to her brow as lips twisted in unholy visage. "You don't reconcile. You hurt, and damn, and destroy. You seek the path of most destruction for all who fail to gain your affection." Her own dark, hard smirk relaxed the brow as hand curled around the hilt in another squeeze. "Let me see ... " Her tone shifted, lowered and took on the cool edge that Dawn so often utilized. "... anyone may be with you, Skid, except Jaycy. Just because I know she has wanted you."
Her brows lifted with the very air of innocence. She remained at her perch high above the other woman, looking down with that maniacal expression. "That was before I knew the truth of you, dear Jaycynda, my dearest mother. I had truly felt you betrayed my poor father in your many ... pairings. I also felt you betrayed my twin and I in abandoning us to the tender mercies of strange guardians. Now, I am aware of the truth; that we have all been abandoned by the bitch who bore me." Again shespread her hands in supplication. "We are all victims; dear Jaycynda. It is time to recognize such and regain some relationship. For you are all I have left of my true parents."
"I still don't believe you. You are a vile snake, Dawn, with more motives behind each visible scheme. I've heard rumors that you no longer trade in slaves." She shook her head. "Aye, I'm sure you don't, because you can so easily change your stripes." The tip of her short sword raised almost leveling to point toward the dragonelf on the stairs. "You don't want a relationship with me. You want something else - you want to hurt me again. You're still trying to make me pay because I look like your mother. But remember this, Dawn, I am not." She stressed the final word, punctuating it with a jab of the sword toward the stairs.
The smile faded and her voice resumed its usual cold bite. "And yet you act as she did, Jaycynda, in your judgment and damnation." She took a step forward to once more lean on the bannister, never once seeking to close the distance between the two of them. "She - you - both are stubborn and selfish, thinking of yourself. I have observed your life here in this place you profess to love so much. You ignore those you find beneath you; you only grace a chosen few with your attentions. As she - you - did once."
The dragonelf remained quiet when she slipped into the Arena from the Inn's common space above. Her trademark cold smirk whispered upon her lips and her wings remained relaxed as she carefully padded into the space. She wore smoky leathers tight to her form, emphasizing her curves and seeming to indicate she was unarmed. Once inside, she settled perfectly manicured hands onto the bannister.
Her movements slowed upon realizing not only was she no longer alone (she wouldn't have stilled if it were anyone else; it didn't matter if someone saw her) but also the identity of the intruder. For intruder it was - it was the daughter she finally knew was truly hers. In a way. She turned to face the witch, a natural turn to complete the form, and, panting, turned her gaze up toward Dawn. She remained otherwise silent, however.
"Mother," she drawled, and the smirk grew wider. "I am grateful that you remain so predictable." She pushed back against the bannister to regain an independent stance without support. "I have come to say hello. It has been far too long since you and I have had the ... pleasure ... of truly enjoying each other's company." Her hands spread as wing ridges lifted in the mockery of a friendly shrug. "How are you faring, dear Mother?"
Her hand convulsed around the hilt of her weapon at the address by the dragonelf. "I am not your mother, Dawn; you are not of my body. Your mother died, a long time ago." She shifted her stance slightly, affecting a more relaxed posture than she truly felt. She would never ease her vigilance around the woman.
"Indeed." She dismissed the denial with a wave of her hand. "You are a mere shadow of the woman who bore me; you are nothing but a clone." She snorted. "Yet you are still my mother, as you bear the heart and hope of my late beloved father. And it is in that spirit that I have sought you out. I wish to ... reconcile." She would never be able to manage a friendly smile; her attempt appeared grotesque and sinister rather than appealing.
It was her turn to snort. "Reconcile, aye." She scowled, a deep and furious furrow to her brow as lips twisted in unholy visage. "You don't reconcile. You hurt, and damn, and destroy. You seek the path of most destruction for all who fail to gain your affection." Her own dark, hard smirk relaxed the brow as hand curled around the hilt in another squeeze. "Let me see ... " Her tone shifted, lowered and took on the cool edge that Dawn so often utilized. "... anyone may be with you, Skid, except Jaycy. Just because I know she has wanted you."
Her brows lifted with the very air of innocence. She remained at her perch high above the other woman, looking down with that maniacal expression. "That was before I knew the truth of you, dear Jaycynda, my dearest mother. I had truly felt you betrayed my poor father in your many ... pairings. I also felt you betrayed my twin and I in abandoning us to the tender mercies of strange guardians. Now, I am aware of the truth; that we have all been abandoned by the bitch who bore me." Again shespread her hands in supplication. "We are all victims; dear Jaycynda. It is time to recognize such and regain some relationship. For you are all I have left of my true parents."
"I still don't believe you. You are a vile snake, Dawn, with more motives behind each visible scheme. I've heard rumors that you no longer trade in slaves." She shook her head. "Aye, I'm sure you don't, because you can so easily change your stripes." The tip of her short sword raised almost leveling to point toward the dragonelf on the stairs. "You don't want a relationship with me. You want something else - you want to hurt me again. You're still trying to make me pay because I look like your mother. But remember this, Dawn, I am not." She stressed the final word, punctuating it with a jab of the sword toward the stairs.
The smile faded and her voice resumed its usual cold bite. "And yet you act as she did, Jaycynda, in your judgment and damnation." She took a step forward to once more lean on the bannister, never once seeking to close the distance between the two of them. "She - you - both are stubborn and selfish, thinking of yourself. I have observed your life here in this place you profess to love so much. You ignore those you find beneath you; you only grace a chosen few with your attentions. As she - you - did once."