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Alan
Albert
Almor
Cazal
Drev
Godric
Grover
Igan
Simon
Sirius
Tiri
Ainad
Aire
Brenda
Lani
Lian
Raj
Romani
Zy
Short Story / Written 3/18/04 / Rated PG
This was actually the intro to Drev's introductory roleplay. Drev shows up at Ainad's house after years of being away and after she had forgotten him as dead. No one even knew she had a brother... so who is this mysterious dragon with the death wish for his so-called sister?
Through the window... I can see her. It's been so long. She's changed; but I can still recognize her. One never forgets the face of his own blood.
It was a cold March night as Ainad was cleaning the kitchen in her new wildwood cottage. Koarai and Kojeru had both retreated to the waterfall again, leaving her and Aire alone in the cottage. She felt safe here, though, knowing Koarai wasn't too far away. And these woods were sacred - a flow of magic rushed through them that matched no other place she had ever visited.
But she wasn't alone in her small forest clearing. A dark figure crept outside her house. After weeks of searching, he had finally found her... and she was alone.
She couldn't sense him coming. The overwhelming feeling of protection this valley provided clouded her senses. It was only after it was too late that she realized he was there.
Crouching by the window outside her kitchen was a face she hadn't seen in ages. A face she was sure to recognize the minute he barged into her peaceful home. It was the face of her brother.
With a powerful leap, he crashed through the kitchen window and pinned her neck up against the wall of her cabinets with his mighty claws. Completely caught off guard, she struggled at first, writhing to release herself from his grip until her eyes fell on his face.
Drev... her mind raced as a blinding blue light caused him to shield his eyes and drop her to the floor. Barely taking time to think, she fled to the living room and grabbed Aire from her play space on the floor, but he was only a step behind her.
"You can't run from me, Ainad." He snarled. "You know I'm more powerful than yo...." He paused when he saw what she held protectively in her arms. "... a child?" There was a crash of lightning and the lights in the house went out, leaving both of them barely lit by the moonlight coming in from the window.
Ainad bit her bottom lip so hard it nearly bled as she backed herself into the wall. "You lay one hand on me or my daughter and I swear I'll..."
"You'll what?" he taunted. "Blind me again with some of that wimpy blue magic? You can't stop me, Ainad, you never will."
Her eyes narrowed with the most hatred she could ever possess as Aire looked nervously from one full-grown Draik to another. "Why now?" asked Ainad cautiously, "Why now after all this time?"
The green Draik smirked and nonchalantly leaned his weight on one of his sabers, knowing full-well that his victim wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. "I've just escaped." He said. "Surely you remember the day I was captured."
Ainad glared and lied, "No, no I don't."
"You don't?" he cackled. "Let me jog your memory a bit..."
"It was sometime in the fall during the year Darigan first invaded Meridell, remember? You and I were still pretty young... mid-teens, I'd say? I don't quite remember. We had already met and had been chatting a little every day: me, who had been raised as a warrior for Darigan and you, a pathetic domestic-type Draik living with that human. But we connected. After all, we share the same blood-line... us being twins and all."
Ainad winced as the memories she had fought off for years came flooding back into her mind. Seeing her reaction, he continued.
"We'd meet in the forests of Meridell every day and talk about our lives, and what we'd do once the war was over. But I still scared you, didn't I? You never thought you could trust me, even during our harmless chats. Believe it or not, I really wasn't so bad back then... I really did want to settle down once the war was over. I really did want to leave my life as a killer and live peacefully. You said you'd help me do it, too."
"You weren't very strong physically, but you were always very powerful. Remember that? You promised me that once the war was over you would help heal me and begin a new life. But, of course, that never happened."
Ainad was shaking now with the fear of what was to come in his story. She remembered it all so clearly now. She had tried to forget this time in her life, but it was always nagging at the back of her mind.
"One day when we met, some members of the Darigan army showed up." He continued. "Remember? You heard them coming and I told you to hide in the bushes. I was one of them, I could get them to leave. But that's not what happened, was it? These people were not who I expected to be." He eyed her carefully to make sure he knew that she was recognizing the story, "I was one of Darigan's most loyal followers. I was young, but he viewed me like a son. That never sat well with several other members of Darigan's followers... They decided they'd get rid of me. They just needed to find me in the forest alone and then they could do with me as they wished. I was strong, but not strong enough to fight off eight of them. Not strong enough to fight off Darigan's army General, Kass."
"'Ah, there you are, Andrevlin.' I remember hearing him say. 'We've been looking all over for you...'
'What's up, guys?' I asked after I made sure you hadn't been spotted. 'New orders?'
'Indeed...' Kass snarled as all eight of them jumped on me with shackles and chains. I roared for help, but you did nothing.
'Where are you taking me??' I demanded as I struggled against them.
Kass laughed evilly and waved his hand for them to start dragging me off, 'You have an appointment with Master Vex. He's arranged a place for you to stay.... indefinitely.'
'NO!!' I pleaded as they dragged me out of the clearing, 'Somebody help me, please!' I knew you had the power to stop them. Your powers of protection could have cleared them out long enough for us both to high-tail it out of there. But you did nothing."
Ainad shivered, small tears streaming down her face. "I... I didn't know how to use my magic..."
"SILENCE!" Drev roared. "You could have helped me, but you betrayed me. You betrayed your only family!"
Ainad could barely see through all her tears, "That... that's not true... I tried to help."
"...but you decided to save your own hide instead." His accusation dripped with poisonous hatred as he narrowed his eyes in her direction.
Ainad raised her voice in her defense, "I TOLD YOU! I couldn't use magic at the time, there was nothing I could have done!!" she held her head in one of her hands and sniffled silently.
"Do you remember what I called out as they were dragging me away?"
Ainad's eyes widened in fear as she blinked back silent tears and looked straight into his eyes. "No... please don't..."
"Ah!" he smirked, "You do remember, don't you. I said, 'Ainad! I swear upon my life or death if I ever see you again, I'll kill you!' But..." he smirked and eyed the child in her arms. "I'd be glad to kill you both."
Ainad hugged Aire close to her protectively, "You wouldn't..."
"Oh, I would." He said as he took a step closer to her. "And I think it'd be best to start at the bottom and work my way up. Your child..." he motioned to Aire. "What's her name?"
Ainad narrowed her eyes and spat at his feet. "You can't touch her. Not while she's with me."
Drev glared back, "So you finally learned how to manage your magic then, eh? Damn..."
Ainad stood her ground, "Go back to where you came from. You're not welcome here or anywhere on Clan Property."
Drev laughed, "Like your stupid Clan could protect you from me... I swore I'd kill you and I will. I escaped the prisoner chambers of the Darigan Citadel to find you. I sat for ages in a moldy prison being tortured mercilessly for a crime I didn't commit. You know what they tried me for? BETRAYAL! I will get my revenge, Ainad. You can count on it."
Ainad was shaking in fury. "Stay away from my family. Don't you dare touch any of them!"
"There's more of them?" he asked as he made a quick swipe for a family photo on the mantelpiece. "Awww, aren't you a happy family..."
Ainad made a grab for the photo. "Don't!"
Drev smiled a toothy smile. "I think I'll keep this... as a memento of the life I could have had..." He waved at Aire, "Don't worry, little one... Uncle Drev will be back later... once your mother is no longer around..."
Ainad opened her mouth to protest but he had already left, leaving a dagger stuck in a stuffed animal and a broken window as his exit.
Aire, who had been fighting to stay quiet all this time nuzzled under her mother's neck, "What'sa matter, mommy?" she asked, "Why are you crying?"
Ainad did her best to wipe her tears and assure Aire. "Nothing's wrong, honey... mommy doesn't like him, that's all."
Aire looked confused, "Is he mommy's brother... like Koj?"
Ainad, "He's not like Koj, Aire. He's a bad Draik." She slung her cloak over her shoulders and opened the front door. "We're going to Daddy's. Mommy has to tell him something important."
She made sure to lock the door behind her as she ran off into the night, her daughter still clutched protectively in her grasp. Koarai had to know before it was too late. She had never wanted it to come to this, but she had to get to him before Drev found out where he was...