Let It Be What It Is

[MorganaLeFay]

"You are a sick, twisted, evil bitch-snake that has no morals or honor!" Farkrie cried in Elvish, giving more weight to her words. She scowled. "And I will kill you." With remorse, she ran forward and sliced the neck of the fire-child. She continued sprinting towards Lenira, and ended up with the point of her sword against the woman's throat.

 

[Vespertide]

((Hating of Lenira: Accomplished. ))


Lenira watched the fight with limited interest. SHe glanced down at Gwen, who was beginning to wake, and smiled. Now the real fun would begin.


But when she looked back up, a sword was pointing at her throat. Casually Lenira stared into Farkrie's eyes, and it was a simple matter to find one painful memory and throw it in her face, before her eyes, and keep it there against the elf's wards. "Really dear. You are no match for me."

*****

​

For almost a minute, Gwen couldn't move. Her mind was finally clear, and a purpose had been given to her. Protect Mother. Protect the family.


So when she saw Mother being attacked, she wanted to jump up and kill the attacker. She recognized the attacker, of course. It was the elf who had kept her imprisoned for a year, before Crispin came and rescued her. Crispin. She should get him, and get help.


"Gwen! Where are you? Gwen!"


She heard a voice, deep inside her mind, but something told her it was a bad voice, something to be ignored. So she did, but she still couldn't move. Only blink.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

The moment when Gwen had been abducted flashed before Farkrie's eyes. She knew what was happening, and brushed the vision away with little physical effort. "Long ago, I wasn't, Mother," She spat out the word. "But times have changed."


(Bam. Plot twist.)

 

[Vespertide]

Lenira hid any shock or surprise she may have felt. She simply closed her eyes and when she opened them, attacked.


But not physically. She leapt into Farkrie's head, sending tiny mind worms all over her mind. They dug, finding any pain, sadness, anger. Memories of this were brought to light. But Lenira had underestimated Farkrie's defenses. They were much more advanced than she had planned for, and she was having trouble sending the worms everywhere. Her attacks were usually complex and bold, but even she did not expect Gwen to react then.

*****

​

Gwen rolled out from under the two people, and as soon as she jumped up slammed her body into Farkrie's, knocking both of them to the ground. Her eyes were full of anger, and hatred. She grabbed a nearby sword, probably one of the children's who had fled, and hissed, "You shall not hurt Mother!"

*****

​

Navarre disconnected, too distant from Gwen to do much more than whisper into her mind. He fell back against the cage's bars, exhausted. He could have saved her. He should have tried harder.


And now Lenira had another puppet to play with. He couldn't sense any of them anymore, tired and completely dry of magic. The cage that he was in depleted any magic he had, and he only had a little he could use. If only he could escape...


Navarre eyes caught a rock near the edge of the cage. Carelessly kicked within inches of the bars. Whoever had kicked that rock, he would be grateful towards. Because it was the last thing he needed to finally get out of his cage.


He grabbed and pulled the rock inside his cage, quickly hiding it in a pocket, along with some string, a mirror shard, and other trash items. Hold on, Farkrie, Gwen, I'm coming... Navarre hoped, as he got to work.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

Now that Lenira had been distracted enough by Gwen's sudden actions, Farkrie was able to pull out he wyrms in her head. She knew that she would never be able to hurt Gwen, and she could not be reasoned with in this state. The girl had almost become like a daughter to her over the past months. So she lay still, ready to accept her fate in whatever form it may come in. She locked eyes with Gwen and uttered a simple phrase. "Daughter of my heart, I love you. You will never hear the woman who poisoned your mind say that."

 

[Vespertide]

Gwen expected the woman who kept her captor to... to say that. It was strange, foreign. Fake.


She was begging for her life. Gwen got up and looked to Mother. "Should I kill her, Mother?"


Lenira smiled, and clapped. Instantly Crispin and Benjamin appeared. Gwen smiled at Crispin, but he looked to Mother first.


"My sons, take this elf down to the tunnel cages, if you please. Now, Farkrie, remember this. Do anything else, and Gwen is entirely willing and ready to kill you. Come Gwen. You must meet the rest of the family."


But her voice and expression held a different, but clear phrase. You try anything, and I'll snap her neck.


Crispin and Benjamin went to Farkrie, and Crispin bent down. "I guess Mother's spells worked. They washed Gwen's brain of your filth."


Gwen went to Mother, who touched her face, filling her mind with the lovely cloudiness, the voices and music that told her she would be safe as long as she stayed with Mother. Loved if she stayed with the family. Gwen glanced at Farkrie, and glared, wishing she had been rescued sooner.

 

[MorganaLeFay]

Farkrie stood and began to walk down the tunnels, head held high. Even in the face of her defeat, she would not show any weakness. But she couldn't stop the single tear that rolled down her cheek.


I failed.

 

[Vespertide]

Crispin and Benjamin led Farkrie down to the tunnel cages, a group of cages built into the existing walls of the cavern. Ghostly white fire torches that magically stayed lit guided their way. There was a single key to get out of any of them, and most of the people who were down there were skeletons by the time Farkrie arrived. Except for one, who had been down there for a few months.


They threw her into a cage, opposite of the one Navarre was in. He pretended not to notice, to be asleep, until they left. No one needed to guard the tunnel cages. They guarded themselves.


Instantly he was up and he pressed his face to the edge of the cage, gripping the bars. "Farkrie! Are you hurt?"

 

[MorganaLeFay]

"Not physically, boy," Farkie spoke softly, wiping her face dry. She studied the boy's face, certain that he looked familiar. "Are you one of the few that has been able to resist that snake?"

 

[Vespertide]

She doesn't remember me. Not that she should. "The only one now. There was another guy, but he... he didn't make it. I'm Navarre."

 

[MorganaLeFay]

"Obviously you already know my name. How did you know it?" Farkrie leaned back against the bars of her cage.

 

[Vespertide]

Navarre blinked. "I... I have mind magic. I sent you the directions to the throne room. I guess I just picked your name up, y'know, along the way."

 

[MorganaLeFay]

"So it was you. Child, how long have you been trapped here?" She noticed his pointed ears, but stayed silent about that fact. It did not surprise her that Lenira had imprisoned her own kind.

 

[Vespertide]

"A few months," Navarre told her. "Before that, it took a few weeks for her to realize that I wasn't worth her trouble, so..." Navarre counted on his fingers. "A year now, if I'm right. Or maybe it's only been a few months. You can't really tell."


He thought about telling her about how he actually knew her name, and before he could stop himself, he blurted it out. "Do you remember saving a little boy from a river? About forty years ago?"

 

[MorganaLeFay]

"Saving a boy from a-" her eyes flashed with recognition. "It was a small village in the far east, where most of our kind live. Was that you? Of course it was. Only your parents knew what happened."

 

[Vespertide]

Navarre nodded. "I was so young, but I remember how grateful they were. And I never said thank you... So thank you. Gwen though... I've been trying to reach her, but her mind, it's pretty foggy in there."

 

[MorganaLeFay]

Farkrie smiled. "You have a special type of magic. Would you be able to do something about it if you were closer?"

 

[Vespertide]

"Yeah, but I'd have to be touching her. And keep that strong connection for... Well, I don't know for how long. But I'm not like Lenira. I don't control minds, I..." He grasped for the right words. "I help."


He dug in his pocket, and got out various items. String, a rock, a shard of mirror, a few dry twigs. "I can't get out of here, but with this stuff and your help, I might be able to. We might be able to."

 

[MorganaLeFay]

Farkrie reached between the bars of her cage and placed her palm on the lock. It was heavily warded, but with a bit of maneuvering... click. There. Lenira was an idiot if she thought this would stop her.

 

[Vespertide]

((Heh heh. Like it would be that easy.))


Navarre heard the click, and his breath caught. "You shouldn't have done that."


As soon as the lock clicked, barks and growls could be heard from the other side of the tunnel. Soon dogs, wild and vicious came running down the corridor. They stuck their heads and jaws in between the bars if they could, and Navarre scooted away from them. Spit and foam dripped down the bars, and he turned away, disgusted.


But soon a whistle was heard, a magical one, that signaled the dogs to return from wherever they were being held. The dogs ran back, barking to each other as they did. Navarre sighed, and waved his hand towards the disappearing dogs. "Lenira's no fool. If anyone tries to unlock the cages without the key, the dogs come running. The key's silent, and doesn't make a sound when it unlocks the cage. The dogs come running when they hear the click."


He came closer, and began to wipe down the bars. "I've been here for awhile. And all I've managed to do is collect this stuff."

 

[MorganaLeFay]

Farkries had scooted into the middle of the cage away from the bars until the dogs left. "That was a big mistake. Apparently you know more about this place than I do, so i will follow your lead."

 

[Vespertide]

Navarre scoffed. "My lead isn't very good to follow. We need to get that key, and that's impossible. It's always with Crispin or Benjamin or the guards. So it's on the move. So unless you have some magic that can get it, we're stuck down here."

 

[MorganaLeFay]

Farkrie tilts her head. "I do not have the power of levitation. Just general manipulation of objects and healing, besides the basic powers of our kind."

 

[Vespertide]

Navarre nodded heavily, expecting this. Somehow he didn't think they'd catch a lucky break.


"If only we could muffle the sound somehow. Or stop the dogs from coming."

 

[MorganaLeFay]

"I could thicken the air around the cages," Farkrie mused. "That would muffle the sound somewhat, but it would make it hard to breathe."