Temptation, Knowledge, Power -Story of Melanie

[Nefensis]

The Story of Melanie, voice of reason.


Blank mind and Spellfire

Zephir Bontemps, gentlemen of quality, was knowned for his great generosity toward the less fortunate. He always donated more than his due to hospitals and asylums. In exchange of subject of experimentation of course.. Having no children of his own, he offered his beloved wife two little orphans to look over as their own. Cheap labor and a whore he figured were worth a few meals a day and it would keep the wife busy. Alas the boy was sickly and died after a few months, he was barely eight years old. A bad cold took him in the night, his coughing and hacking resonating inside the halls of the large mansion. Actually the little boy had was made into a quick snack for the pet/assistant of the old wizard. A brown skinned caliban with the angelic air of a beholder on crack. The little Jonathan who was trying to find the water closet to releived himself in the middle of the night had stumbled upon the hidden laboratory where the creature lived.

Down with the mask now.. the twisted reject of nature regretted dearly his delicious morsel but even more did the young Melanie who now had to fill in the job of two. Old, tired and weak was Zephir Bontemps and she would be a good and usefull tool. The wife had long became a subject of experimentation herself when Melanie turned fifteen and in multiple jars she rested, still alive sadly. Melanie was surrounded by books and experiments, magic and mostly walls all her life. Rarely did she got to see the sun but it was fine with her. She had learn how to smile and bow her head when she received punishement for unknowned bad things done and smile and bow at the inhuman charge of work he would put her throught. She took pleasure in her slavery as usually a pleased father meant a full night of sleep or a warm meal. Little rewards made her happy.

Mother opens her eyes and speaks to Melanie sometimes. Her mouth bubbling in the jar and letting out sounds that forms words and Melanie listen like lost in a trance. Mother teaches her a unknowned language. She wants her to leave and find help. To destroy all the experiments, to put her to sleep. Mother is insane, mother is in jars.. Melanie listens, smiles and learn like a blank sheet with the face of an angel.

Father sits at his desk and writes in his tome all the spells he learned before, trying to not forget them. Each year he would re write his books full of magic words. Melanie sleeps on her pile of hay, her body, a beacon for the mind and limp body of the wizard, is distracting him. He turns hisr back to her and tries to ignore the beauty that calls to him. He had not touched her, for fear she would become greedy like the wife. Now she knew not of the call of the flesh and it was good. Zephir looks back at her nonetheless, why is she making so much noise.. why does she has to breath so.. The man never finishes his idea as a powefull shockwave tosses his chair and him on the floor The girl has a nightmare again, she screams and pulls on her blonde hair. The twisted face of the caliban turns in its jar and grins with all fangs as many jars explodes at the booming sound of the shockwave. Mother splatters on the floor like a jellyfish after the high tide screaming a last word: FREEDOM!

Her eyes filled with a white and raw energy, the girl stood from her bed and turned facing the shivering and bruised old man. In her mouth gathered the same energy and hurled it toward him in a scream that would shatters anyone's ears. Screaming are the experiments in their jars, screaming is the girl and screaming is the man who's now only bones wich shatters on the ground.
As the girl crashes unto the floor, exausted, unconscious, a little flying light comes out of the shattered glass that helded her and she flies down to the side of her liberator. Must act quick.. quick quick.. the little pixie buzzes around and goes through a pile of unfinished scrolls, quickly quickly.. she speaks the invocation and the same white raw energy surrounds the two.. and a moment later they are gone. Teleportation scrolls were so dangerous.. no destination.. barely any chances of survival.. but this is Ravenloft lets not forget. Things happens for a reason.. and now the girl is alone saved for a pixie into the mists..

[Nefensis]

-- At the light of a candle, the young scholar dips her quill in the ink jar at her desk and begins writting down with her delicate hand in the blank book before her. --

Today i have met the most interresting man here in Barovia. He is definitely a outlander by his appearance and outlook on things but he says not remembering anything before his awakening upstairs at the Inn of the Lady's resting place. I needed a good cover up story since i arrived and this job opportunity seemed like the perfect opportunity for me but now that i am -in- the place, there is something amiss about him, something full of mistery and i intend to find out what it is.

My first observations on the subject Jonas Elian are simple yet my preliminary review of the man demonstrates that he was subject of many experiments, magical and something else. The symbols and tattooes that covers his body will need a longer study later. The man seems eager to attach himself to me, as a friend and apprentice but i can tell right away that he will want more later. We will see what must be done but i must remain concentrated on the subject and stay on my guards for any eventualities.

The book he carries with him remains the biggest mistery. Sturdy and simple, it seems normal at first glances but the pages appear blank to him while to anyone else that peers into, images of things he lived, thought or even imagined appears. Events of his life and dreams, fantasies and other random thoughts. Its fascinating.

On a personal note, my headaches have gained strenght since i arrived here. I covered my hands with gloves in order to try and keep a tight control over my outburtst but it's not working so well. Aaricia is a pain in the ass as always but she will remain hidden, i swear if that thing causes to break my cover i will squish her myself. Saving her was probably a mistake but i had no choice.

-M

[Nefensis]

//Id like people's opinion on this, never played a sorceror, sooo.. am i in the good path or no?

[Ryltar/ Robert Archer]

//i like the concept way to hide what you are when you are feared...and the whole french language...or least i think thats it...is quite different...

[Nefensis]

Mordentshire and Dementlieu are 2 *french* based realm of the core. Their civilization is way more advance from Barovia who is lets say.. europe medival 1100 BC compared to Renaissance France and Italy 1450.

If anyone have more ressources concerning thoses 2 realms id like some links for my own referance

[Maryn]

// good stuff Julie but I always like your characters...... especially like the pixie bit, nice touch.

[Nefensis]

-Sitting on the cold floor of the Church of the Morninglord, the young scholar is surrounded by portraits and notes, scribbled on pieces of papers and booklets. Familiar faces of the members of the Clergy, friends and other random meeting. The candles are nearly all melted on the candelabra behind her and father Zachea covered her shoulders with a blanket when she fell asleep late that night. On her lap rest her journal and her notes of the past events-

"...I have traveled deep into the catacombs and found many inscriptions, mostly of rituals of dark nature. Written and painted over each other as the place was used many times. But one central one reveals many interresting things. A summoning portal was once used on this very same spot. My intuition leads me to beleive that -someone- wanted to destroy the church or even beyond that, the city, by summoning a great evil into this land and unfurls it on his ennemy. Something went wrong, definitly wrong. The presence of the dead and corrupted priests down here tells me such. Many questions are left to ask, were theses priests the summoners, or were they sent to destroy the great evil in question. Was Carmac one of the summoners, or was he the summoned. The question of defeating the creature is simple enough. To destroy a lich it suffice to find and destroy in one way or another its phylactery.
Now after questionning the different members of the clergy i can see why they have never managed to do anything, first of all, there is such tensions and management issues that no one is truely in charge and nobody listens to anyone. Also they seems to be having issues of backstabbing among them. Also i suspect more than one have been making deals with the lich themself then lied about it.

-List of suspect/trustworthy-
~Dragrin, monk: Powerfull to destroy undead, dutyfull in doing so, seems prone to violent reaction, seems -very- close to the human outlander Chia. Is rumored to be mentally challenged and of making soul deals with Carmac.
~Father Celurion, cleric: Have not seen at work yet, dutyfull and proud. Stubborn like an elf. Sweet and soft spoken, he could be lying. No personal link to anyone yet. Is rumored of dealling with Carmac.
~Garison, paladin: Dutyfull and a good blade in battle. Gentle and innocent, i dont feel any missdeed from him. No rumors.
~Father Gustaf: Dutyfull and most trustworthy member, again not entirely. Old school but has a fatherly aura about him. Ready for fight and anything to destroy the creature.
~Kira: Stuborn native,fight for the Morninglord. NOT to trust with anything. Father Gustaf does not trust. Dutyfull but seems severly greedy at the wrong moment. Good intentions when feels like it.
~Malrock Khan: Knight of the Legion(?). Soldier and more than able warrior. Dutyfull and ready for anything. Trustworthy.
~Shanna: Outlander of Laethander, still needs to have her clock adjusted on the situation. Heard voices in the catacombs, need to watch over.Close to a male outlander, need to ask more about it. Dutyfull, easy target for Carmac. Trustworthy until proven otherwise.
~Lucia Silveryone : Desesperate, supposedly married to the lich itself but her attitude leads me to beleive she is likely insane and wants attention. Needs a good kick in the read end. Magic abilities, nothing special, not part of the clergy but hangs around the place waiting for something to happen then complains about it.

End of the log

note to self: Visit the archives of the church in the Village of Barovia, stop at the Midway observatory for more information on the land surrounding the church..."


//edited to add: I re read myself and Melanie's views on people are purely hers and not mine.. 

[Nefensis]

-A little tucked away carnet covers Melanie's personal notes and feelings-

"...Today i burned someone really bad, didnt meant to but he hurted me. Papa.. i remember you said the pills would help but i cant anymore. No one to make them, i need to learn how to control it. I hurt so bad, i fainted the other night and woke up with my hands all burned again. My flesh resists but it hurts still. I will resist i will.. My head is about to explode, i can feel my eyes and mouth filling with the energy, it wants out..."

[GoldenProphet]

//I would greatly appreciate it if you removed the Katalin part from your post. As your PC does not know her true name, and she has never told it to anyone outside of a specific group. She has "always" introduced herself as Kira Chentiscus, therefore a name your PC would not know.

[Nefensis]

Forbiden Knowledge

-- The usually slender and well formed calligraphy has been replaced by a feverish and rapid scribble, Melanie rest on the floor of the Blood of the Vine in where she ran in, sweating and seeming in a terrible shock, locked herself in a room and refused to come out, writting--

"..I have found all there was to know, Everything makes no sens.. or does it? I am unsure but the answers that i seeked and received were much more than the questions i asked. Was i supposed to learn of this all? Why were theses books written, why was this place created? Why the mysteries? If everyone knew what i now know.. well maybe everyone would go insane.. i feel sick. I dont want to look at the books again, at the token i found, i had Aaricia hide it, it makes me sick to look at it. What am i ? I never asked for any of this.. There is no coincidences in Ravenloft..? .."

--She tosses her own journals to the ground as the energy gathers in her feverish mind, she can feel it grow and unable to control it, simply lets it comes out from its own will,  surrounding her in a flash of light as she lays naked and shivering on the ground. As a coocon of light enrobing her body, licking her perfect flesh as tongues of energy. A circle of self feeding but soon the white raw energy dies out, leaving her unconscious.--

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--In the morning she awoke naked on the floor of the inn, shreds of charred clothings falling from her fraill stature of a teenager, she looked around herself in a state of utter confusion, her journal was opened to a portrait of Ludvig that she had drew earlier that week but after further inspection, some of the books that Lucia had given her were gone. The box was empty and only a few remained. She looked throught them quickly and without a word packed them up carefully. She would later hide them in a undisclosed location. To the witch hunter she went, to him in security she would be. In a strange and twisted way this arrangement was fine for her. Secure arms to rest into, something she had never felt before, and security that he would not hunt her and likely protect her from the others. She offered him all she was and he accepted it, the mature man had no other eyes but for her curves and features. He liked her courage and spirit but would that be enough to make him forget about her other talents? It was a risk she took.. and still is. Who will live, will see. Qui vivra, verras.

[Nefensis]

Temptation

Alone, i am alone, here in this room, here in my head. I stand naked before the polished mirror before me. How beautifull i am, my skin is perfect, my curves and lines in a fashion that would make any women envious. Save for my hands. I look down passed my breasts to thoses palms that could be ever so perfect as the rest. Their palms charred and tarnished by the magic, the fire that i tried to stop coming with my own flesh, burned by my own power, my own vanity. I brushes my fingers along my curves, a feel of sand paper mixed with leather nearly. I am alone in my head.

Blue eyes stares into my own as i gaze upon the mirror, behind me the fire burning of my notes on the morninglordians, they can deal with their own shit.. she thought suddently with a wicked snickers. It was so unlikely her, so unlady like. But for a moment she had stopped carring. There was so much more to this life than working for the others. She reaches up pass her breasts, touching a sensible point that made her grimace before the mirror, the mark was deep and painfull.

The price to pay for Knowledge. What have i become..

"What have you done?!" Screamed a little voice behind me, the buzzing pixie was fluttering around my body with such an anger that she shedded dust and glitter everywhere. I dare not answer her, my head pounds with so many thoughts.. i can feel the sweat building up on my flesh.. oh no. not again i thought.. my last thought of that moment as my body found itself surrounded with an angry energy, hungering to pain me.

The price to pay for Power. What will become of me..

[Nefensis]

In her dreams...

"Papa and Maman fights again, Maman brought in a man, he wishes to marry me. I sit unblinking and holding myself straight as i was taught as they screams before me. Suddently Papa has enough and grabs Maman by the hair and carries her off squealing for her life. Into the basement we go. There i shed my pretty dress and my bows, i put on my bloody trousers. Maman scream but Papa holds her tight, soon she is tied to the table. "But its Maman" screams a voice inside of my head, i force my eyes to refocus and soon Maman is a dog, the same that we worked on last week. It makes things easier when i do this. I tighten the leather belts as he showed me for struggling test subjects. Maman cries and begs but all  i hear is barking. Down here i am nothing, a tool, a blank page. Maman is the dog we oppened, the insolent stable boy we emasculated, the beggar we tried to reanimate.. Papa fancies himself a genius and beleives he will find his answers in the flesh, the blood, the gore.

Carefully i hand him the scalpel and he traces the blade along her quivering flesh. A scream pierce my mind, i see Maman suddently and she cries out for help. I wipe the tears from my eyes and quickly get to work on my own charge, peeling off the skin ever so carefully from around the bone, there is so much blood, i am quickly covered in it. I love Maman, je t'aime..

Papa has finally found a way to reanimate the flesh, by my loving caring soon enough Maman is in jars. I made a pretty arrangement, hands, feet and pelvis then her head in a big one as a floating pickle, i had to shave her head so she wouldnt choke on them, we wouldnt want that would we? Papa sends in the electric current and casts the needed spells, soon enough her eyes flies open and each one part of her body begins moving as if they were tries to run off on their own. From her gapping mouth a scream filled with water, the sound of her mind shattering. I smile, Maman is alive.

Upstairs the fiance takes his leave, i will never know his name..

Maman is insane, Maman is in jars."

[Ryltar/ Robert Archer]

//VERY nice 

[Nefensis]

Studies of a madwoman

The large unused fireplace roars with a strong fire, the old cabin felt warmer than an oven. All furniture went to feed it save a table that stood alone in the middle of the room. On it an immobile body laying in a puddle of mostly dry blood. Suddently it stirs and groans and two icy blue eyes opens, waking up  from a nightmare, Melanie  stretches and sits up on the table, rubbing her face and grumbling about a comfortable bed.

She had been up there since the day Ludvig told her he would be too busy to entertain her, since the day she had received her first lesson from the master, weeks ago. The man knew what he was talking about, totaly insane she thought, yet she wanted and desired the knowledge he possesed more than anything else.  Studying and reviewing her notes from their meetings, she had been writting her own hypothesis and the reports of her findings were piled up in a corner.

The how is an interresting thing to figure out
But the why is really what she was going for.

The buzzing sound of the pixie is now quiet, she refused to follow her master. "Not till you stop this nonsens!" She had screamed and buzzed then flew away from her. Melanie felt the emptiness in her energy but  she could deal for now she had work to do.

[Nightmare]

//So much better than my ball of fluff that I call a journal. Very good 9/10, only because I don't know about the lich really. Thats still awsome!

[Nefensis]

Respite and redemption
"..Many months have passed since i last saw the man, his words and branding still printed in my mind and flesh. I spent thoses few months in hermit up in the mountain, pondering life and death. On my trips outside the cabin i gathered subjects of experiment, small mammals for life and a few weaker undead for death. Pages and pages i wrote, informations, discovery and yet i cannot find the one answer i was looking for all along. Maybe said answer does not exist. I sit here and write this in all honesty, with a cold head. Maybe there is no why..."

Melanie sat her quill aside for a moment and re read her last statement, brushing her leathery hand across her face and into her hair, she pondered and rechewed it. "No why..how could it be that life and death have no meaning...Papa what would you say.." She closed her eyes a moment, clearing all thoses thoughts that were stumbling upon each other and picked up her quill again. She grabbed the smoking stick from her makeshift ashtray and pulled a long drag from it, rebreathing it between her lips and tongue as she wrote again.

"..On a lighter note i met someone quite interresting. His presence to my side has allowed me to regain a sens of reality. His questions and concerns made me reconsider a few things about our realm. I will instruct him to what i know and see how a outlander reacts to such knowledge. The reaction would be lesser i presume but still interresting to observe. Also lately ihave had the feeling of being..observed. Maybe my imagination doing its deed, this land holds quite a few lies and illusions."

[Nefensis]

Drunk of power


Racing in her mind, racing on her feet, toward the mountain Melanie runs faster than any deer. Behind her a train of werewolfs, again she taunted the creatures into following her. The first time i was but by mistake, she had never meant to drag them toward the vistani camp, somehow in her mind she had figured the warriors would have helped them. How foolish she was to realize that the village was nearly empty of such warriors, unlike the precedant closer to Vallaki. How did the wolves never made it here on their own it was a mistery to her but one she cared not to find out any longer. Vistanis were no to triffle with. The fear in her belly was great but was it only fear? It was also excitement...

Quick behind a tree trunk she hears the immense creature creeping closer, smelling the air for her perfume of juniper. She waste not a moment, gathering her energy as she has done so many times her mouth and eyes filling with the white and raw glow of power she hurls a rain of fire orbs on the cursed furry.  She remains there, hands and mouth and eyes smoking in pure pleasure as the creature rolls on the ground in attempt to douse the fire but it is too late as it expires in cruel pain. Little time to enjoy, more were coming. She looks upon the cremated creature and the growing mark on her chest gave out a pleasuring sting..So much left to do..

[Nefensis]

Drowning in one self's doubt

Barely holding her quill between her weak fingers, Melanie writes into her journal as she lays in bed, her forhead covered in pearls of cold sweat, usually witness to an imminent crisis, but she wouldnt let it happened, she needed to write, she needed to let it out soon before her whole head exploded. She felt as if thats what would happen somedays.

"...I know not what is happening to me, i feel as if sometimes it is not me behind the wheel, not me that has the control. I find myself with new scars, with her marks and done things i do not recall doing. Am i going insane? Father what have you done to me in the end? Is it your influence that made me this way? Such latent reaction to all the exposition to magic.. i.." Her writting ends here, trailed by a line of ink that spreads unto the bed as she begins spasming in the bed, sending journal and ink fly across the room. She felt so weak and her energy level was extremely low, but still it had reached it limit and the explosion around her body was still extremely painfully. Needles of energy darting out of her skin and she screamed in all silence her pain that lingered into the body of this unwilling victim to magic.

[Nefensis]

And hitting the bottom..

"Am drunk! Cant you seee Aariiciiaaa!!" The voice echoed on the walls of the basement then suddently a half empty bottle of wine came hitting the stone a few inches beside the fluttering pixie who could only watch in dismay her master and her pain. "Im ze choosen one.. yess maam! Corse.. night's womb.. next ah'll have a caliban wanting to bed moi!" The blonde could only laugh and her laughters turned into hysterical whimpering. There she laid on the cold ground of the cellar of barovia, she had not dared enter the secret refuge, she was tainted, she was hurting and she was drunk. Every now and then a lightning of energy would fizzle from her body without her willing it, she was in so much pain it was unbeleivable but she kept drinking more and more. The pixie could only watch, she had no words for her mistress, who could help? Ludvig.. no he was gone, too busy, so was Jonas, swallowed by the mists. As for Vicho she wouldnt get near him. "Melly  you stay here ok.. i go and find.. erm..help." The pixie fluttered, leaving behind a trail of glitter and disapeared into the keyhole of the trap upstairs leaving a hysterical Melanie in prey to nightmare and her own dark thoughts.

[Nefensis]

A glance in the past, begining of the madness

Deep in the basement of the church she found herself suddently surrounded by shadows, crawling up the walls, under the bridge, herr hair raising, hissing piercing her ears and resonating on the stone walls. She was prisonner and they hungered for her light, yet she wasnt ready to give up, from her hands came waves of fire, keeping them at bay but angered them even more. She summoned her power over and over again till there was no more, exhausted, her clothes in shred and covered in sweat she could no longer keep up and crashes against the gate at mid bridge. "Is this how i end..?" she asked herself as the icy claws of the fiends reached out to her. She had been cocky coming here alone...

But suddently as they were ready to reap her life, the stone door at the end of the hallway flew open in a great crackle of energy, Melanie's eyes flew open and even the fiends froze in stupor before the man that was standing there, clad in white as a unholy messiah, a savior of his own genre, holding his staff in a hand and defying the fiends with his might, they slowly retreated without totaly leaving, observing the strange exchange with interrest.

From the silent tomb came a voice, one that she would never forget..

"MiSs WeSt.. ThErE's No NeEd To PaNiC.."

A broken music box, a rotting harp, his voice, she knew, would be the one of the man she would follow on a trip of forbiden knowledge, of things that should remain hidden. But she wants it, desires it.. She Loves him, Hates him, Adores him, Fears him, Awed by him, Horrified by him..
As he brands her with his symbol of taint, of protection, a strange tune of her childhood comes to her foggy mind, between the pain of the burn.

"Un, deux, trois, nous irons aux boix, Quatre, cinq, six, cueillir des cerises, Dix, onze, douze, elle serons toute rouges.."

[Nefensis]

Walking the path of Redemption

"I burried her head near the cliff, it was pretty there. I prayed and cried. It had been so long since i cried, it felt good. Lucia my dear friend i will not let time forget whom you were and what you tried to do. Bring out the best in people, so together they could triumph against the -dark powers- of this land. Yet i know not where to begin. I have renunced to the forbiden knowledge, knowing it will not help me fight it better. The temptation to succumb to it is too great i have come to realize... I have met someone whom wishes to help me. Perhaps together we can triumph, if only a little, it would be enough for me."

A hurried draft of a man in a large hat rest between the text.

"We will hike the mountain and start over again. The Monastery of the Silver Threads, there lies a secret that i wish to uncover. The priests did not try to turn me away from it for no reason. If they refuse to help i will go alone.. not alone, Alexander will come and together we will make it. I hope."

Melanie closed her journal and leaned back against her chair, the little pixie slept on the table near the candle to warm herself. The Broken bell was a much better choice of residency. She smiled and covered Aaricia with a hankerchief. "Forgive me my friend.. all will be fine now."

[Nefensis]

On raven's wings
Night has come and with it a veil of fright covers the city. Winter was harsh this year and everyone had hurried home faster tonight. The scream in the blizzard spreads a message that none wants to be part of. Icing death for all the paupers, society's forgotten ones, those who could not find a warm shelter for the night. Sitting atop of the bibliotheque, Melanie watches the storm. In her magical vestment, she can barely feel the bitting wind that would reach her bones. So beautiful are the flakes that twirls and curls at the whim of the wind, as if a puppeter controlled the strings of it all. Braving all earthly conditions, the moon stands pale between the clouds, giving out but a meager light.

Jonas, Ludvig, Vincent, Neru, Wretch, Vicho.. do you watch the same sky as I tonight? all the men in her life, those who had an impact ever so slight, even Finn who had forced her to enjoy herself for a mere moment, Ludvig whom had been her only lover, Jonas whom helped her become the witch she is today, and all the others, Vincent whom forced her to face reality and show courage, Vicho sending her on a path that opened her eyes, the vampire Neru who tempted her again with seduction of power.. and the Wretch, the caliban who had spoken to her so gently, as a child before his mother, nearly smiled. A myriad of gents that had made her the woman she was today. Strong and cold headed in dangerous situation but tender and caring when the time called for it.

A shriek in the street sent her in awareness mode, she could hear the scream of a woman over the yelp and the squealing of a monstrous rat, propped on two legs she could see them both chase life and dinner, in the street bellow. She extended a finger and without thinking spoke a word, inside of her the energy choked and tried to rebel, tho it could not, she controlled it now, she was a witch, Hala's most precious, moon's imagination. A ray of fire pierced her nail and formed a murderous dart that pierced the though hide of the creature to its heart. It fell dead silently in the snowy street, the large flakes covering its mere presence so quickly that it was but a bad dream when the running woman realized she was safe.

A witch! she laughed to herself up on her roof as she saw the be wilded woman looking around for the reason of her saving. Yes a witch, a dirty witch.. she grinned and opened the latch to the attic of the bibliotheque where she had made her bed and study. They would burn this witch even if she reaped the entire army of Gundar.. she mused quietly over the idea of being discovered and burned, but the idea did not frightened her anymore. She went to bed with a smile, the skeleton hand branded in her chest was enough to make her not worried. Worst things had happened and she lived today to tell the tale.


Hala's most precious, Moon's imagination

[Nefensis]

The Onion Witch

At the weak light of the fire, Melanie observed her ungloved hands again. A curious smile came to her lips while she seemed absorbed by the broken flesh, the mess that was her long ago burned palms. A light snore came breaking the near silence and the young witch turned to see her friend dozing off in a nearby pile of cushions. Degannwy was an inviting haven of peace if only for a few hours of silence. The elven guards kept an eye on the friends but said nothing.

She turned her attention to her hand again and itched at the palm, flaking skin peeling off the wound so easily, dead flesh, corrupted beauty. Many words came to her mind but she spoke none. She smiled to her own amazement and the slurring voice of the caliban came to her mind. "As moon shed its skin, so does the snake, so does the Onion Witch" . He was proud of his condition, somewhat. Would he even see himself as the chosen of Hala? Melanie figured the poor man was probably the result of genetic defect, related parents if not even abuse of alcohol during pregnancy. In her mind one thing was set, calibans were a myth, they were men and women tossed out by the society, afraid of its own failure, society would rather reject and hate what it has created than realize its mistakes.

For the first time in year, the though of Dapper came to her mind, the brown skinned caliban that devoured her brother many years ago. How she feared the creature then, its yellow teeth always licked by the purplish tongue of his. She could remember it.. and when Father had hit him once too many and the body fell over, Melanie couldn't but cheer: he was dead, finally! But alas, Father ordered Melanie to prepare the jars and so she did. Forever now theses horrible fish like eyes would watch her, that chow-chow like swollen tongue floating in the tank with him.

A hand reaching for her cheek made her shed her dark thoughts, the man smiled to her and kissed her cheek again before nesting himself beside her before the roaring fire. She couldn't help but curl in his arms, the sensation of being held was a feeling she had hoped and dreaded to find again, but there she was again.

[Nefensis]

First conscious memory

"This child is too pretty Zephyr." spoke quietly the woman that sat by the fire. The entire living room was plunged in the dark saved for that chimney that coveted a huge fire that sent scary shadows up on the walls. The five year old girl stood proudly behind the man that had taken her from the orphanage, her blue eyes gazing upon the woman that would become her new maman. "And now what is this?" the voice spoke again toward the boy that was but three years of age, half asleep in the arms of the man. "He is your son now, Penelope." replied the man without missing a beat. "A son, a daughter, you have really done it all to insult me Zephyr. What will I do of children?" before the man could answer again the girl ran up to her, falling to her knees beside the chair, her head lowered in tears. "Madame, please do not send us away, we will be good, we will  behave, please be my maman.." Tears could be heard in the room and Zephyr spoke again after a moment explaining how the children came to the orphanage.  "Outlanders they are but they know of the other world nothing. She will make a lady and him a man. Now take them and love them woman, i have studies to finish."

The woman gave in, she desired no children since she could not have her own but as she picked up the sleepy child from the arms of her husband, something happened she though impossible, her heart, that flatten and dry organ in her chest, let out a beat and a creak and a pinching feeling had her speechless, she could love these children as her own, she would.. to her greatest fall. "I will name you Sabine and you Henry.." She said to them as she laid them in a guests room for the night. Melanie spoke nothing and accepted the name, it was the least she could do for the people that would protect and care for them. She was strong and hard headed..but that night she cried as she missed her mommy.

[Nefensis]

The Student


"..The.. lit..little R..re-d f-fox tu-uned.." read aloud the little girl. With a light click of her tongue, Melanie in her simple and usual tunic made it clear that Anica had made a mistake. "Spell ze vord please." Anica frowned, placing her little finger under the word. "T.. U.. R..N..E..D" she slowly but surely spelled out to her teacher, stubborn as always. "Very vell Anica, keep reading."  "..turned.." she grumbled properly this time and kept on reading the story laid out before her. With much work and effort, and correction, the little orphan could now more or less read. Writing was another story but she was still so young, only about a month had gone by and she worked hard still to trace the symbols that Melanie had called letters, at first shapeless but now were taking on a less hesitant and slowly more elegant form. "I'm done! Now can you teach me?" The child was wild and demanding, Melanie patient and calm. "Oui, now i vill teach you another hour of grammar and spelling, zhen ve shall attack numbers and calcul." Quietly exchanging books on the child's desk. "Not fair! You said you would!" She yelled out tossing the books aside in a fit. Melanie watched down unto her with icy eyes. "Please pick up ze books and sit down Anica. I -am- teaching you." The child's eyes, filled with fury starred back at Melanie for a moment before she bowed down and reached out for the books, tossing them on the desk where she sat. "Everything i am teaching you is necessary, do you believe i vould vaste my time here if i could just -teach- you zhis one thing?" Anica grunted as her shoulders slumped forward. "No.. you dont like me 'nuff to care.." The white witch's heart flinched a moment and she lowered her hand to the child's back, gently stroking it. "I.. i care very much Anica, as should you. Everything I do in my life is done vith care and passion. Everything vorth doing is vorth doing it in such vay. Never begin something you are not ready to finish." The child somewhat nodded and opened the book where they had left their last lesson.

Later that night Melanie cried again, she cried on the child and on herself, for she had no one to turn to in her need of praying. No gods, no spirits, nothing spiritual could be trusted, she knew and she cried for it. Her lack of faith made her wish for a way, were the gods true where her lover came from? Where they as wicked there as here? Was Elsin's faith another fake one or were his heironeous a gentle and caring god... She knew not but still in his arms she could rest and release her worries. As a child she had wished for a magic wand to make everything better.. she received an arrow of flame that could destroy and save the world all at once.