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Post by Asema Uttamveer on Dec 3, 2005 23:57:02 GMT -5
Seemingly hesitant, she motioned a hand toward a chair. “May I sit?”
How would she put all of this? She went to a few places…helped a few people…killed a few others. Asema was hitting her head against the proverbial wall trying to figure how the most gentle way was.
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Post by r a i n e on Dec 4, 2005 0:07:35 GMT -5
"Please, please!" She'd directed her to the chair in the first place.
Raine sat straight in her seat. She was very regal, albeit very dark, but Asema would notice a huge change in Raine from the last time she saw her.
"Take your time, Asema."
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Post by Asema Uttamveer on Dec 4, 2005 0:20:15 GMT -5
Noting these differences right off the bat did not surprise her. She wavered, looking the woman over again before her gaze fell to the tabletop, and she stared at it as if searching for answers.
“How’s your eye?”
‘Great job, ‘sema. That’s the way to go.’ Her head shook deliberately to show Raine she was trying not to be sidetracked.
Raising her eyes she seemed timid. “I mean…the last time I saw you…” Sure Raine understood, so she sat straighter, clearing her throat. “I left because I was tired of hurting people. I’m sure you understand.” Fingers folded on her lap. She seemed more proper in that moment. “I left and wandered. I had little to begin with, so food was hard to obtain, but I managed.”
Asema shifted, eyes moving toward the door to the servant that stood there, food prepared and steaming white. The woman couldn’t help but smile, but would save the coming and going for Raine to decide for the poor slave.
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Post by r a i n e on Dec 4, 2005 0:32:18 GMT -5
Raine stood to take the food from the servant girl with a warm smile. "Thank you, dear." The girl ducked out with a bow.
Raine set the tray down on the small table between them. "Help yourself."
She uncovered her plate, taking up a fork and helping herself to some potatoes. She swallowed, and then spoke. "I understand. And Archelo healed my eye, before our wedding..."
She trailed off momentarily. Archelo had never showed up for their wedding, and she found him butchered shortly thereafter. She had almost forgotten about that night. She had stood waiting for him, her ebony hair up intricately, her dress amazing - large and white and wonderfully embroidered with lace...
She, too, shook her head to snap herself out of her thoughts, to stay on track. "What made you come back to me?"
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Post by Asema Uttamveer on Dec 4, 2005 11:50:09 GMT -5
Asema had caught on to her dismayed feelings the second Archelo was mentioned, and her gaze wandered from the woman momentarily as she thought. Much like Raine, her head shook, and she glanced back up to the woman. Her eye was fixed neatly, as if the wound had never been placed.
“My duties were done…” Her tone was soft, but casual, as if the words she spoke were obvious, but only to her. “I went through quite the time trying to manage the power I was given.”
Pausing, she stared at Raine with eyes questioning whether she’d ask anything about her journey. She was sure, though, those questions were well past due.
“How are the children?”
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Post by r a i n e on Dec 4, 2005 15:18:42 GMT -5
"The children are well...Avalon is four years old now. Ryu has taken Lai to train, and he aged her to sixteen. Hazen aged, too, since they're connected...But he only changed physically, not mentally like his sister. And I had another...His name is Archelo Quincy Alexander III. He is a few months old now." She smiled fondly. Her hoard of children was everything to her.
"What is this power you keep talking about? And these duties?" She'd been hinting at the 'where have you been and what have you been doing?' question for some time, and now just bluntly asked, helping herself to another forkful of potato.
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Post by Asema Uttamveer on Dec 4, 2005 20:43:59 GMT -5
The phoenix nodded, feeling finally she had a settled place for telling her story. She was chewing slowly on a potato, and upon swallowing it, folded her hands on her lap.
“When I left you I wandered for a long time, Raine. There were many snowy mountainsides I trudged through, as if this path was laid in front of me. Everything seemed…familiar. I wont boggle you down with details. I met people who housed me and fed me. Nice people…”
She trailed with her words, obviously reminiscing. To bring herself to reality she forked at a potato and chewed. Staring at the tabletop didn’t help her, so she swallowed and continued.
“I stumbled across a temple. It was beautiful cast in gold and light pinks and oranges, much like you’d see a sunset. Columns of golden marble rose up to the high ceiling. It was quite the miraculous sight.”
Pausing, she took in more of the food presented to her. She smiled, for it hit a welcoming pit in her stomach.
When she spoke again, a glimmer of excitement grew in her voice. Her eyes sparkled. “When I entered the temple, a voice called to me. I couldn’t identify a gender, it was so disguised. It told me that I was not ready for the power presented. I would have to prove myself. I had to clear myself of sin. I had to do good deeds, in a sense.” Another potato was ingested. “So I left to do what it told me. I returned periodically, and was turned down often. It was insanely hard to start with. The Change caused a sudden blind rage that I could not control. I’d often feel as if I were passing out, but I would be on a psychotic rage. This took quite some time to control…”
Again her voice had faded, but she came back much quicker this time. “The final time I returned, the voice told me that I was indeed, pure enough to have obtained my power. The rage spells had disappeared. I had mastered the flame. It said all I needed was the final burst.” A smile creased her face. “I died.”
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Post by r a i n e on Dec 6, 2005 22:08:07 GMT -5
The Duchess coughed a little, almost choking on her mouthful of chicken. No matter how many times someone told her they'd died, it never quite hit easy.
She patted a fist to her chest, regaining her composure with an uneasy swallow.
"Fire, death, purity. ...Your power is..." Raine furrowed her brow, scrunching her lips to one side of her face. Trying to figure it out.
"Phoenix!"
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Post by Asema Uttamveer on Dec 7, 2005 12:14:37 GMT -5
Asema smiled. Raine’s scrutiny was irresistibly amusing. She nodded slightly and slowly, taking a bit of meat from the plate she was offered. After chewing on it and swallowing with much satisfaction, she laid her fork down, clearing her throat.
“Phoenix, yes. It’s an interesting trade.” Plucking a napkin from nowhere, she dabbed at the corners of her mouth. “I help people and in return I get immortality.” There was a second of pause before she gave a smile. “Err, at least until someone kills me.” She laughed a bit. “Let us not hope for that!”
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Post by r a i n e on Dec 7, 2005 19:23:07 GMT -5
"Do not fret, love, you are safe here." It was true. Raine would never let anyone kill her Sema.
"Immortality...You can spend your life with a whole generation of Cahlers!" She laughed. Hard. Imagining Asema with Lai and Avalon's kids. And with Lai and Avalon's kids kids. Oh, it was rich.
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