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Fomalhaut48 — Frozen Heart - chapter 11
Published: 2011-07-12 23:38:37 +0000 UTC; Views: 574; Favourites: 4; Downloads: 1
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Description A ship.
Rustyn turned her head to look at the vessel slowly sailing along the horizon.
"Grant them a safe journey…" she whispered.
She felt a little strange saying it, as she had never pronounced that wish before without asking for something in return. Otherwise, she would just simply sink ships for pleasure whenever she felt like it – the dead were fed to the mighty Umberlee, and the books carried aboard always ended up in her hands, as she still wanted to know. Precious metals, artifacts and other materials were used to build and enrich the shrine she had built to her Goddess, her ivory statue standing in the middle of the only room, staring at any visitor with jeweled eyes. After finding out what a monster she was, Rustyn thought she might as well act as one. Sailors feared her, sea creatures served her, Umberlee would not let anyone harm her, her bunny, by then renamed Falma, stayed by her side.
But nobody loved her those endless times of cold loneliness.

Sand, a lost expression on his face, sat on a chair in the small room, the floor still wet. So this was what Xavier had seen – Rustyn inadvertently releasing this power of hers for the first time, probably by accident. Obviously he found it hard to believe the girl he loved could do something this destructive and scary. What was she?
He had found nothing in all his almanacs about famous wizards, though Xavier's curriculum and accomplishments filled pages. Not to mention Volo's insensate ramblings about "the priestess of Umberlee", for all it said was that she was powerful and scary, end of story. She seemed to tell no one anything more about herself, she was a closed book to the rest of the world. But maybe… just maybe… she could have let something slip out to her new teammates. Too bad they were far away then. Sand rubbed his forehead, trying desperately to figure something out. Suddenly his eyes lit up – there was one person around, apart from Volo, for he would never ask him, unless he wanted to risk a fit of rage similar to those he felt when his pupils cut up their books instead of paying attention to him. He stood up and went in search for that one person.

"I am a monster…" Rustyn stood up on the waters and walked ashore, where she found Falma waiting for her "I'd better go and find those fools, unless they've died without me…"
It was so strange. She actually found herself a little worried for a human, a half-elf and – ha! – a svirfneblin. A lowly life form, as she used to call her.

"Do something!" the ranger tried in vain to fight off a nasty band of assassins sent out to kill them.
"I can't anymore… aaah!" the priestess fell on her back.
"Let me save you!" the svirfneblin tried to do her best.
"Ice Storm!" the assassins got encased in ice and shattered into pieces seconds later.
Arlian, Kelly and Jyissi looked astonished at Rustyn, quietly rubbing her hands together as if her showing up like this was perfectly in the norm.
"So… missed me?" she asked after picking up her rabbit and placing her on her shoulder.
"Hells yeah!" for the first time ever, Jyissi showed her a half-smile… and Rustyn smiled back at her.
"We really needed your spells!" Arlian added, Kelly nodding.
Cold breeze wafted from Rustyn at these words, but she walked up to them nonetheless.

"So, you want to know about her?" Captain Lastri Kassireh crossed her legs in frustration as she sat on a stool "and how should I know? She didn't even tell me – oh, us – her name when she boarded my ship, and all she could do was stare at the sea and worship the Queen of the Depths…"
"I see" Sand stared at Lastri narrowing his eyes, using the piercing gaze so typical of him "so she never once said anything, anything at all about her name, where she came from or…"
Lastri began to feel uncomfortable, and tried to avoid Sand's stare, but found with growing frustration that she just couldn't.
"Remember" Sand commanded.
"She… she once…" Lastri began knitting her eyebrows, her eyes becoming somewhat empty "my… my name is… Evermeet… Lae'raien… oh!"
She blinked as if awoken from a daze.
"That's it."
"Thank you, Captain Kassireh" Sand nodded "that's all I needed to know. Have a pleasant day."
He quickened his steps as soon as he exited Lastri's room, and almost ran to the library.
Places… Islands… Elves… Evermeet!
He pulled out the thick book and frantically browsed through the pages.
Queen Amlaruil… the famous families of Evermeet…
Sand's eyes widened as he reached the letter L.

The adventurers camped for the night, and, after a while, Jyissi woke up as usual. She never used to sleep that much, especially in her years of slavery, when she would always wake up to the snap of a whip and sent to work, or in the worst cases dance naked to entertain the higher ranking servants.
Once again, Rustyn was not on her bedroll. Jyissi instantly knew where to look for her – just follow the sound of the soft trickle. She had no idea why she was doing this; after all, disturbing Rustyn could easily cost her her life. But she was far too curious to stop.
Ice crystals falling from her eyes, Rustyn knelt beside her tattered old book. But this time she wasn't just reading – she took out a quill and wrote something on one of the pages. Jyissi, with her sharp eyes, quickly figured it out.
THAT'S NOT HOW IT WENT!
Scratching her head, the svirfneblin retreated.

Lae'raien – a now defunct noble sun elf family of Evermeet, once one of the greatest and most honorable ones, their unique characteristic being the members' bright sunset-coloured eyes. Amongst them one can find high-ranking priests, warriors, wizards and even a few adventurers. Their peculiarity was to ask the island's Oracle about each child when they were born, and they were always assigned second names based on the vision. Names sounding bad might not mean ill fate – for instance, Mersos Guina Lae'raien, whose second name means "undead", became a great slayer of zombies. The family seemed to flourish, until the day Alindra Vanimashae ("beautiful ocean") Lae'raien first laid her eyes on Miradis of the White Sail. She was the only daughter of Celhir Agarinil ("bloody knife") Lae'raien, the last male member of the family. Miradis was a commoner moon elf, who took the life of a sailor, and, as captain of his own ship, named Forenyagil for Northern Star, earned his nickname by the blindingly white sail he always rose, allowing Forenyagil to be seen from several miles away. Miradis and Alindra met by chance, but their love was pure and honest, and in the end Celhir allowed his daughter to marry him, and Miradis gave up his name in order to continue the Lae'raien line. However, due to a horrible event we will not write about – why disturb the memory of such a tragically ending story? – Miradis seemed almost scared when Alindra announced him he was to become a father. Shortly before giving birth, even Alindra appeared to share his fear. Their daughter Rustyniel was given the second name Khelekba, "ice dead", for the Oracle saw a frozen body when the child was brought to him. Shortly after, Miradis was found dead and Alindra disappeared with Rustyniel. Celhir mourned their loss for nearly a decade, when doom came as Rustyniel mysteriously reappeared on the shores of Evermeet, recognizable by her eyes. Celhir vowed to raise her, but she was the cursed one who brought along the fall of the family. For five years later she brutally murdered Celhir, and since that day nobody heard of her again – it is assumed she died, which would certainly be for the better.
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Comments: 6

Lweeling [2012-05-25 12:54:35 +0000 UTC]

I must say I don't understand how Rustyn as a child could have killed her gand-father..._O: or maybe it was by accident, due to her ice power?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Fomalhaut48 In reply to Lweeling [2012-05-25 17:10:38 +0000 UTC]

Rustyn was a teen... but it will unravel later. However, #Neverwinter-tales will soon have a journal feature with Rustyn's "interview", some more will be told there too.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Lweeling In reply to Fomalhaut48 [2012-05-26 09:33:21 +0000 UTC]

Wow, I'm eager to see that, it would be great to readse! ^^

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Wendywild13 [2011-07-15 08:48:33 +0000 UTC]

Ez ütött. De ismét sikerült valami nagyon szépet írnod!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Fomalhaut48 In reply to Wendywild13 [2011-07-15 09:01:38 +0000 UTC]

Mi ütött benne annyira?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Wendywild13 In reply to Fomalhaut48 [2011-07-15 15:15:49 +0000 UTC]

Nem is tudom. Még úgy is, hogy ismertem nagyjából a sztori folytatását, megütött egy kicsit, de nem tudnám megmondani, hogy mi.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0