Drowning Ones Sorrows

The local tavern of Astral city works with citizens to find work within the community. Citizens are offered one free drink per day and the rest can be paid with missions to the forest. Use the tavern to find friends and take on fun missions
Post Reply
User avatar
Nekki
Drifter
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:24 am

Drowning Ones Sorrows

Post by Nekki »

Despite its normal popularity The Lonely Stone would currently be rather empty with only a few travels and citizens occupying it. This was more then likely due to the time of the day in which many people where either just getting up to start their day or for those working nights returning home to their days end. Upon a quick glance of the tavern despite the small crowd there where still plenty of interesting looking individuals: adventurers, travelers, merchants, etc occupying the tavern engaged in casual conversation. With these different unique individuals it would not be hard for a individual to simply blend into the crowd. However one individual would actually stand out not because of their appearance but instead because their level to interaction with the crowd sitting alone at the bar far from anyone else at the tavern.

This individual was a young woman in her early/mid 20s with long flowing black hair tied in a high ponytail to keep it in check. She was clothed in what many people would probably call topical kunoichi attire which was a black outfit with crimson accents around the stitching of her clothing. She would despite her outfit another noticeable trait from this young lady was the eyepatch on the right side of her face. This young lady was Nekki Ientaru a young elf specifically a species of elves known as drakyn which where half-human half-dragon people. However, despite these race type Nekki looked completely human which was the result of her suppressing her more noticeable dragon like traits. This was simply done to make it easier for her to move around the area without drawing to much attention to herself which at the moment was the last thing Nekki wanted.

Nekki had come to this land known as Vescrutia in search of her brother who had traveled here a few years ago. However, upon arriving here and doing a great amount of information gathering Nekki learned tat her brother died on a mission in the Astral Chaos a few months before she had arrived. Devastated from learning of this lost Nekki had currently lost all purpose in life simply drifting between the two villages taking on very simple/basic missions just to get by. Today however Nekki only had one plan in mind which was to drink her sorrows away as seen by the few glasses lined up on the bar around her and the drink in her hand. With a sad expression on her face Nekki would simply take another sip of her drink before resting her head on forearm on the bar while staring at her drink.

User avatar
Alaude Nightwing
Arcanum Iris
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2018 9:45 am

Re: Drowning Ones Sorrows

Post by Alaude Nightwing »

As people continued to drink, eat, and covers with one another the front doors to the Tavern would open up and Alaude would casually walk into the tavern. Alaude would have a small piece of paper in his hand casually look at it from time to time as he would scan the tavern. As he walked through the tavern Alaude would stop every now an again speaking/greeting some of the citizens and adventures out of common courtesy. However, once noticing the young lady sitting alone at the bar Alaude would place the paper in his jacket at take a seat next to the young lady. Alaude would motion toward the bartender to bring him a water. Alaude would then pull out a cigarette lighting and releasing a light cloud of smoke from his mouth into the air before speaking.

"Man although the intel I gathered said you moved around a lot I did not think it would take me this long to find you. So if I am correct your name is Nekki the young lady who had been looking for information about her brother?"

User avatar
Nekki
Drifter
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:24 am

Re: Drowning Ones Sorrows

Post by Nekki »

Nekki would at first pay no mind to the new person entering the bar and chatting up everyone he walked past. Listening in casually to the multiple conversations the man was having Nekki could easily figure out this man's name was Alaude. This was more then likely Alaude Nightwing one of the higher ranking members of the Chaos something Nekki learned about while gathering intel on the village in general. However, this man was overall no concern of hers, this is until Alaude would not only sit right next to her but would then begin speaking directly to her. This would cause Nekki to slowly raise her head from the bar table but would not look toward Alaude instead looking straight ahead into the glasses hung on the wall of the bar. Nekki had a feeling that all the question she was asking around the Chaos might draw some attention due to basic security reasons, but she did not expect someone of Alaude's position to be the one to come question her about it. Upon hearing Alaude speak about her brother her grip on her glass would tighten and she would slightly bite her lip trying her best to hold back her emotions on the situation. Nekki would then begin to speak to Alaude however she would not look toward him and would instead keep her gaze forward.

"Well if you know that much you know that my brother is dead?"

User avatar
Alaude Nightwing
Arcanum Iris
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2018 9:45 am

Re: Drowning Ones Sorrows

Post by Alaude Nightwing »

"...Yes I am aware of that and I am sorry for your loss."

Alaude would say this with a rather unsettled look on his face as he would then awkwardly rub the back of his head before taking a drink form his water. Despite his title as "Lord of Darkness", Alaude was actually a rather positive man thus these heavy set conversations/moods where not his strong suit. It also did not help that Nekki was not afraid to bring up her brother's death on the spot, giving Alaude no leg room to walk around this conversation to steer it in a more lighter direction. Alaude would take one quick drag from his cigarette and would release a light sigh as he exhaled the smoke form his mouth. Since things where already tense and awkward Alaude simply decided to just continue the conversation as is. Awkward or not Alaude was here for a reason and was not going to let a bad start to a conversation keep him from these reasons.

"But I hope you realize I am not simply here to tell you information you already know?"

User avatar
Nekki
Drifter
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:24 am

Re: Drowning Ones Sorrows

Post by Nekki »

"I assume you are her because of all the question I have been asking around the Chaos?"

Nekki would continue to look dead ahead away from Alaude's direction as she would take a drink from her beverage with a cold almost dead expression on her face. To be honest when she began her search for her brother she expected something like this to happen, as it was common response for a individual asking question around the village to be checked on. However, Nekki did not expect someone of Alaude's rank/status to be the one to approach her. It should be noted at this time that despite the current and previously alcoholic beverages Nekki has been drinking she was surprisingly sober. This was due to the fact that using her understand of fire/heat control she had been projecting a light aura of of heat around her head working as a sort of heat therapy greatly increasing her metabolism to keep her from become intoxicated. Nekki would continue to drink as she waited for Alaude's response slowly becoming a little curious about the true reason Alaude had come to speak to her.

User avatar
Alaude Nightwing
Arcanum Iris
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2018 9:45 am

Re: Drowning Ones Sorrows

Post by Alaude Nightwing »

"Well yes that was the original reason for me being here. But there is more to my visit today."

Alaude would seem to relax a little bit more while taking another drag from his cigarette and releasing a rather thick cloud of black smoke into the air. Nekki had hit the nail on the hammer as to why Alaude had been looking for her, although there was a little more depth to why Alaude specifically was here. It was about a month or two ago when Alaude was first presented with intel on a young woman roaming through the village asking many questions about the village and its members. While such a things was normally a rather trivial matter with the threat of the Horsemen looming over the Astral Chaos, even these trivial matters where stating to be taken with more priority and seriousness. While these type of mission would simply be passed down to a stealth unit Alaude would decide to personally pick up the mission once reviewing the intel Nekki had been gathering.

Apparently the young lady had been looking for information on a man known as Blaze Ientaru who had lived as a drifter within the Vescrutia Alliance for sometime. Alaude would then begin to do his own little investigation on this person wondering if the two where a part of some long term plan to infiltrate and destroy the Chaos from within. However, it would not take long for Alaude to learn that the individual known as Blaze Ientaru had died quiet some time ago on a mission with the old team known as Team Chaotic. Alaude's information gathering would also allowed him to learn the sad revelation that the young lady looking for Blaze was his younger sister simply trying to locate her brother.

"According to my information you learned...of your brothers passing a few weeks ago and despite this realization is you have not only continued to remain in the village but have been actively helping the chaos with small citizen helping missions. Thats why I am here today Nekki I want to know why you are even bothering to help a village that has taken something so precious to you. I don't want any lack luster response like you had not choice or to make some money to get by as you could have easily left after the first few small missions you have done, but instead you stayed here and continued to do much to help these citizens."

User avatar
Nekki
Drifter
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:24 am

Re: Drowning Ones Sorrows

Post by Nekki »

"...."

Nekki would remain rather quiet for the next few minutes fiddling with her glass every now and again as she tried to come up with some sort of answer to Alaude's question. Honestly everything Alaude had pointed out was true, despite her brother dying in this village Nekki was still here weeks later after the fact. She could have easily just left all together or at least went over to the Nightmare to distance herself from the Chaos but here she was still within its borders. Not only was she still living within the borders of the Chaos but like Alaude had stated she had been working odd jobs around the Chaos doing simple things such as providing heat/fire for small businesses. But even if this was to simply make enough money to live on, Alaude was also correct in the fact she had been made enough to life comfortably making some of the work she was doing unneeded for herself. Finally after remaining silent for some time Nekki would finally speak.

"Maybe because this village was not how I imagined it would be after learning of my brothers death."

Thinking back a to when she first learned of her brother's death Nekki of course was devastated filled with nothing but feelings of sadness for the death of her brother, and anger toward herself for not only not being there for him but also being the reason he left home in the first place. These feelings of anguish while somewhat directed at the Chaos where more so being directed at herself. But, Nekki in her own naivety looked passed herself and for a time only thought of the problem being the Chaos. Tho, she had no desire to physically hurt the Chaos instead she was looking to expose it for the trash of a village she wanted to imagine it as. Just another basic village not aware of what it was doing simply sending random individuals to die for it to boost its power. So for a time that was Nekki's reasoning for remaining in the village to find proof of how bad this village was and expose it to all that would listen. But things did not go how she hoped they would.

"Despite wanting to think this place was just some trash village that just let my brother died the longer I stayed here the more I began to see how wrong I was. Everyday I would go out looking for work hoping that someone would eventually drop information about some type of dark secret of the village. But instead I got the opposite, each citizen not matter the age or status works their best not only for this village but for each other. Sure things where not perfect for anyone and there where threat alway looming over head but here in the village everyone was doing their best to live their best and be their best. the more I saw this the more I began to realize that it was not the villageS fault that my brother died. If anything it was my own for pushing him into traveling to find our father and ultimately leading him to death.

Saying all this would cause Nekki to clench her glass rather tightly as a small tears would begin to swell in her left eye. This was the first time Nekki had openly talked about all the thoughts racing through her mind, so once that door was opening everything had just started to pour out all at once.

"The only reason I left home was to find my brother, now that I know he's gone I don't know what to do?"

User avatar
Alaude Nightwing
Arcanum Iris
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2018 9:45 am

Re: Drowning Ones Sorrows

Post by Alaude Nightwing »

Alaude would silently listen to Nekki as she finally began to open up and explain in more detail why she was still in The Astral Chaos and why she had been helping out so many of its citizens. The more he listened to Nekki speak the more a small unnoticeable smile would begin to appear on Alaude's face. Its was a relief to know that while being upset with The Astral Chaos for her brother's death Nekki had taken a rather rational approach to try and "deal" with the Chaos from what she believed it had done. She had don't no harm to the Chaos or its citizens whatsoever so there was really no need for Alaude to have to worry about Nekki being a threat to the Chaos at all.
Saying all this would cause Nekki to clench her glass rather tightly as a small tears would begin to swell in her left eye. This was the first time Nekki had openly talked about all the thoughts racing through her mind, so once that door was opening everything had just started to pour out all at once.

"The only reason I left home was to find my brother, now that I know he's gone I don't know what to do?"
This however would cause Alaude's smile to quickly drop and make a face of shock and panic. While it was true Alaude wanted Nekki to open up to him more so he could better learn of her intentions it seems he had done a little to well and now that the flood gates where open there was little to do to close them. Although after looking Nekki over for a moment Alaude would once again revert this his more relaxed position. Honestly listening to Nekki's current plight was actually very similar to what Alaude had been going through not so long ago. While not losing a brother/sister since the disappearance of his former master Alaude had also been questioning what to do with himself only recently finding purpose by dedicating himself to The Astral Chaos and more specifically Ars Heaven. Upon thinking about Ars Heaven a metaphorical light blue would suddenly go off in Alaude's head as a possible answer to this situation as he would quickly fully turn to Nekki.

"Look I'll be honest with you Nekki the only person who can tell you what to do next is yourself. I can see just from your emotions being shown right here right now that your brother and the time you spent with him was precious to you, but that is only a small chapter of your life. An while its true he might not be around anymore physically those memories and emotions you shared him will always be with you. Besides if your say your brother is watching you right now from beyond I'm sure he is rooting for you and waiting to see the next chapter in the story of your life."

With all this said Alaude would take on last drag on his cigarette finishing it off before putting it out in the ash tray. Alaude would the place then slowly stand up placing the money for his drink on the table before slowly beginning to leave from the Tavern. While to anyone listening in it might have looked like Alaude was cutting how conversation with Nekki rather abruptly which was exactly what Alaude wanted to do. He could sit here talking with Nekki for hours about what the possible right solution could be to her question of what to do next, but that would not help her long term. Alaude felt that if Nekki wanted to find that purpose she is not desperately looking for she had to be the one to put in the effort and start taking the first steps toward it. Tho, before leaving Alaude would stop a few feet away from Nekki to tell her one last thing.

"If you really trying to find yourself how about applying at Ars Heaven, I'm told it does well at helping people build the strength of their hearts."

And with that Alaude would exit from the tavern disappearing in a flurry of dark energy leaving Nekki to think on what to do next.

Post Reply

Return to “The Lonely Stone”