Seryne Vail - A message
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Malkryad
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Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 1:33 am

Seryne Vail - A message

Post by Malkryad »

OOC note: A story to explain the Vail's absence from the server a while ago.

Veri Roundbottom watched the dragon-lady from the shadows and tried to build up the courage to go and talk to her. She really wished she had found the other Vail. He seemed really nice and very approachable. This one was rather scary. Veri had heard that she was very nice once you got to know her and she was always around helping people. She was just very hard to talk with.

The woman’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Are you going to talk with me or just watch from the shadows all day?” Veri sucked in her breathe in shock. She thought she had hidden herself very well. Most people never notice her. Seryne continued talking without looking up from the book she was studying at the campsite outside Lapisport, but a slight grin revealed that she had seen Veri’s discomfort. “Little one, I make it my business to be very good at spotting anyone trying to hide or sneak up on me. I’m very good at seeing people who are very good at hiding.”

Veri walked out of the shadows and put on a casual smile. “I can see that now. I’m not trying to spy on you, you know. I was making sure it was really you. You are Seryne Vail, right?”

The other woman nodded once. “I am. And you are one of the Roundbottoms, aren’t you?”

“I am Veri, and I have a message for you, but it is a rather odd message” Veri continued.

Seryne raised an eyebrow. “Who is it from?”

Veri stopped suddenly. “You know, she never did say her name. But she seemed like a really powerful wizard. She got some friends and I out of a serious jam and then showed us a vision that we were supposed to tell you about.”

Seryne shrugged but looked curious. “What was the vision about?”

“Well, there were two women doing some sort of training. One was a dragon-lady like you and she seemed to be the one being trained. She was naked and her covered in scales, only they seemed like they were more brass in color instead of red like yours. She seemed like she was practicing balance or something. The other woman looked like some sort of cross between a drow and a demon, but she didn’t seem particularly evil. She was definitely the teacher and she seemed firm but not overly harsh. And that was pretty much all there was. The wizard said you would understand.”

Seryne looked thoughtful for a moment, then asked a question. “What did you say the half-dragon looked like?”

“Well, like I said, her scales and wings looked more like brass than the red you have, which is good because red wings really wouldn’t have gone well with that beautiful red hair she had. And, you know, now that I look at you, I would say you two could be sisters if it weren’t for the difference in color and hair…”

Veri suddenly cut off as the warrior suddenly jumped up and grabbed her in a giant hug, swinging her around the campsite like a child. “Hey!”

Seryne suddenly seemed to control herself, put Veri back down and cleared her throat. “Sorry. It is just that you have given me the best news I have heard in quite some time. Um… do go on.”

Veri just looked at her for a moment, trying to understand what just happened, and then smiled. “Well, I’m glad you understand the message.”

“I do,” returned the warrior. “But tell me a bit more about the teacher.”

Veri gave what details she could, and Seryne asked some tough questions about what Veri had seen and about the wizard who delivered the message, but eventually seemed satisfied.

“You have done me a great service today, Veri Roundbottom. I will not forget it.”

Veri just smiled. “In that case, can you do me a favor and deliver a different message for me. The one it is for is very hard to find, but I think you know her. She is called Amysara.” Seryne nodded and Veri continued. “The wizard said that her mother was looking for her, but she was getting older and there wasn’t much more time. She said that Amysara had better look for her soon. The wizard seemed to think it was very important… or maybe sad somehow.”

Seryne nodded. “I will let her know when I see her. For now, I must get going. I have much to do.”
And with no more than that, the woman spread her wings and flew off.

“Good luck!” Veri called out behind her.

************************************

Anjaiyi Vail brushed from dirt off her fingers as she surveyed the work she had just done in her little garden outside her home. She could have used magic to do it, of course, but there was something wonderful about tending the garden the old fashioned way. Her thoughts were interrupted, though, by the appearance of a little dragon that Anjaiyi instantly recognized.

“My master wanted me to tell you that your children are visiting him and he would appreciate reinforcements.” And with nothing more than that, the little dragon took off again.

Anjaiyi sighed slightly. The wording of the message meant that Seryne and Randyl were asking questions that Martin didn’t want to answer. That Anjaiyi didn’t want Martin to answer, in fact. She quickly changed into clothes more appropriate for Vail manor in case she were seen and then cast the spell that would take her there. She briefly considered telling Jonathan where she was going, but figured that her children’s questions would be enough to deal with for now. She stepped into a small hidden room in the manor. She quickly and quietly made her way to her brother-in-law’s study.

She found him sitting behind his desk with the rather imposing Seryne leaning over the other side of it with her hands clenched on it as though she might break it in two at any second. Randyl, meanwhile, lounged in a chair looking rather sedate and gave his mother a wink as she entered the room. Seryne ignored her arrival and was fixing her uncle with a rather severe stare as she continued speaking “I can’t believe what I am hearing from you. You don’t want to follow-up on this? This may be the breakthrough that we’ve been waiting for!” Despite the obvious tension in her body, her voice was reasonably calm.

Martin looked quite calm himself as he replied. “It isn’t that I don’t want to follow-up on the information, Seryne. What I’m telling you is that it isn’t something you, personally, need to follow-up on.”

“And what information is this?” Anjaiyi interrupted.

Seryne turned to her mother and smiled slightly. “I figured you would be along soon, mother. Uncle Martin has been rather evasive.”

“A very nice way to greet your mother, Seryne. And so nice of you to visit your uncle rather than your mother first.” She grinned to let her daughter know that she was joking… mostly.

Seryne looked slightly abashed for a moment, which gave Randyl the chance to speak. “Mirabar is closer, mother. Plus, the information we have is about Krystine, and we figured Uncle Martin deserved to hear it first.”

“And we knew that Uncle Martin would summon you here anyway.” Seryne sounded quite serious, and Anjaiyi sighed inwardly. Seryne was rather intent on whatever this message was and none of the usual family banter was going to distract her.

“Alright, what did you find out?”

Seryne described the message she had received, and Anjaiyi tried to school her face to not reveal her surprise at there being a wizard in the area who knew where Krystine was. This was the last thing they needed. When Seryne was finished, Anjaiyi tried to sound as casual as she could. “I’m not really sure this changes that much for us, Seryne. We already knew that Krystine was safe. If anything, the vision you describe just confirms that she is doing more than fine on her own.”

“And you are not at all curious about the fact that it seems like Amelia is the one training her?” Seryne replied. “How is that even possible? She told us she was going back to her future the last time we saw her.”

Randyl was the one that answered. “It can’t be our Amelia, Seryne. It wouldn’t make any sense for her to be there. But it could be the one we saved as a child, couldn’t it? I mean, I thought we already established that time seemed to work differently in the place where Krystine is.”

“Or that it appears that one must travel across both time and planes to get there, yes” Anjaiyi confirmed. “It is certainly possible that the Amelia you saved grew up and somehow traveled there.”

“So, there you go” Randyl said with satisfaction. “The gods obviously work in mysterious ways. It can’t be coincidence that we are trained by one Amelia and Krystine by another. Bahamut’s plan, maybe?”
Anjaiyi smiled. “You’ll have to ask him, won’t you? But it doesn’t really matter. We know that Krystine is safe and that is enough.”

Seryne did not look at all convinced. “But this wizard may know how to get to her. How to bring her home.”
“What if she doesn’t want to come home, Seryne?” Martin sounded resigned. “What if she has made a home there, just as you have in the Lapis area. Don’t you think that she should be free to make her own way home if she so chooses?”

“And what if it isn’t a choice she can make?” Seryne was starting to get angry. “What if she is trapped there and we could help her. Are you ashamed of her, Uncle Martin? Are you afraid that if she comes home, Grandfather will kick her out of the family the way he did us? That he may kick you out too?”
Martin looked as if she had slapped him. And then, for the first time in a long time, Anjaiyi thought he looked truly angry. “How dare you!” He stood and looked Seryne directly in the eye and she took an involuntary step back as he did so. “You have no idea how proud I am of her. I raised her to make her own choices and if following the call of the blood that runs in this family’s veins was what she decided to do, then I more than support it. I am NOT my father.”

The silence that followed was palpable.

“You have such a way with people, sis” Randyl quipped.

Seryne and Martin just stared at one another for a moment longer, then Seryne lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry uncle” she said quietly.

Martin cooled quite quickly. “I know it is a touchy subject for you, Seryne. I know that it irritates you that your father does not have his rightful place in this family because of the choice he made. But you know that I love all of you and consider you every bit a part of this family. The better part, even.”

Seryne nodded. “I still want to find this wizard and see what she knows.”

Anjaiyi interjected. “No, Seryne. Krystine is fine. That is what the message was supposed to let us know. Leave it alone.”

Seryne was quiet as she replied. “But what if we could get there and help her…”

Anjaiyi shook her head sadly. “Forcing your way there is very dangerous. Ammothrawen acted as though even talking about the place was dangerous. I think…”

Seryne cut her off. “Ammothrawen? You talked to Ammothrawen about this?”

Anjaiyi wanted to kick herself. “Well, sort of…”

“You aren’t the only servants of Bahamut, Seryne.” Martin interrupted. “I got help from Bahamut.”

“Ah. That is why you didn’t seem at all surprised when Seryne told you that Krystine was a half-dragon now. You already knew” Randyl observed.

Something dark crossed Seryne’s face. “Secrets. I’m sick to death of secrets. Obviously, you all have decided that Krystine is left well enough alone. Fine. I’ll find this wizard on my own. I’m not giving up on truly finding her just yet.” And with that, she turned and strode out of the room.

The three left standing there all watched her go with a measure of shared concern. Anjaiyi looked over at her son. “Is she always that intense?”

Randyl sighed slightly. “Lately, yeah. I think it has to do with what has been going on between some friends of hers, but…”

“Randyl, keep an eye on her, will you?”

“I always do, mother. I always do.”

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Child of Stark
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Re: Seryne Vail - A message

Post by Child of Stark »

With a sigh, Randyl Vail stood from his comfortable chair in the corner. For a moment, his mother looked as if she was going to say something but the words never came. With one last glance at his mother and uncle, Randyl strode from the room.

He found his sister leaning against the wall next to the door to the manor. There were no signs of any servants nearby. Given the look on his sister’s face, he wasn’t exactly surprised. As he approached, Seryne swung her gaze to him. She seemed to study him for a few moments. Randyl tried to flash his usual grin but he knew it was weak. Seryne sighed very softly as she stood up from the wall.

Randyl took a moment to brace himself for the question that he knew was coming. It was inevitable. The conversation between his sister, mother, and uncle made the two sides of the Krystine issue very clear. The only remaining question was where did Randyl stand.

When he thought about it he understood both sides. If Krystine was in danger then it was their duty to find and protect her. On the other hand, if she wasn’t in danger or was happy being where she was, then all of the effort to reach her would be for naught. Not to mention the danger of attempting to reach her or the cost of such a journey.

To Randyl, the knowledge that they had all gathered on the issue suggests that Krystine is not in immediate danger. On the contrary, if she had truly become a half-dragon, then it was likely that her current life suited her far better than her life here would have. On top of that, she was even being trained by the same sensai that taught both he and his sister, albeit a different “Amelia”. Randyl couldn’t help but feel that a power greater than any of theirs was behind this. It wasn’t coincidence; it was someone or something’s plan. And who were they to interfere with it?

Unlike Randyl, Seryne’s judgement on the matter was clouded by her emotions and her personal desires. To everyone else, she could play the role of the cold, calculated, warrior, but she could never get her twin to believe that for even a second. Krystine was more than a cousin to Seryne. She was like a little sister to her. It was engraved in her soul that she would protect her. It came as naturally as breathing. The simple truth was that Seryne missed her cousin. It wasn’t about protecting her, or finding out why all of this happened to Krystine, or who was behind it all. All Seryne really cared about was seeing her cousin again and nothing Seryne could say to Randyl would convince him otherwise. The only question remaining was how to get Seryne to admit it to herself. That would be the first step toward Seryne letting her go.

A grunt from his sister broke him out of his reverie. He glanced at his sister again and watched her face as she thought about how best to phrase the question. Then to Randyl’s shock, an almost calm expression came over his twin’s face.

“We should go.” Seryne said. “We’ve done what we came to do.”

Randyl could hear the disappointment and frustration in his sister’s voice. He also knew that he was unsuccessful at concealing his surprise when she didn’t ask her question. She was going to let the matter drop and Randyl couldn’t help but feel guilty about the relief that flooded him.

“So... We fly?” Randyl asked as they stepped out of the front door.

“For a little while, yes” Seryne replied. “Oh and when you get tired, don’t even THINK of asking me to carry you!”

Randyl flashed his most innocent smile, “I wouldn’t DREAM of it, sis! I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Without another word, they spread their wings and took to the sky.
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