Even Tears Burn

[Drejin]

the young dark elf sits with his back to the wall in a dark corner of the village, slowely sipping from a bottle of eternal night black wine, it wasnt that long ago when he sat in the same spot quickly eating a loaf of bread that he had *cough* found on a window ledge as it cooled. his eyes lost thier focus as he remembered that day.

the child was clothed in cast off rags and bits of fabric as he sat in the dark in the shadows of the stairs of the tetrachs hall and ate the quickly cooling bread, he scooted back further into the shadows as he heard the ring of armored boots on the stones drawing nearer.

Guard Kristen stopped and tilted her head slightly as she turned towards him, her covered eyes seemed to look through him but she approached him with an unreal grace, she tried to frown but the corners of her lips kept twitching into a smile.

"Drejin.. . . you are as soundless as a mouse, but ussta can smell the bread you took, Mistress Boedn is naut happy about you stealing her bread "

Kristen found it difficult to hide the smirk that touched her face, she knew Boedn always happened to make an extra loaf on her baking day, but refused to admit it.

the child stuffed the last bit of bread into his mouth and nearly choked as he swallowed it and hesitantly stood up and held out his hands. and said in a suprisingly calm voice that was difficult even for kristen to hear.

"which 'and you gonna cut ?" the boy held out his right hand

under her veil she raised an eyebrow at the boys words, but refused to let her suprise show. she had caught many murderers and theives and they had faught and cried against being taken...even to the point of dying to escape capture, yet here was a child offering his hand to be cut off for stealing without fear.

Her hand darted out faster than the boys eyes could see, wrapping around his thin wrist as she drew a dagger from her belt with her off hand and layed the blade at the base of his ring and index fingers.

"you only took bread drejin...i think a few fingers will do to remind you naut to steal" her voice was like ice as she said this to the boy to see if his courage would hold.
she could feel his hand tremble but only slightly as he took a breath and held it.

[Drejin]

She stomped her armored boot on the ground making a loud ringing as she drew the flat of the blade across his hand, his eyes flew wide but his hand never moved under the blade. She tightened her grip on his wrist as she pulled him around to the front of the stairs and began to climb them, dragging the child along in her wake

“Perhaps the Tetrarch Thifiell, will find something to keep you out of trouble.”

Upon hearing this the boy tried to pull away from her but he was only a child.

“ NAU ! naut there, don’t wana get sacrificed!”

that was the loudest she had ever heard him speak, she started to say something to reassure him that he wouldn’t be sacrificed but she felt a pressure building around the two of them, it was like walking into a fierce storm on a dark night. she could feel her hair standing as a static charge filled the air and a thunderclap echoed off the vaulted ceiling sending her and the boy flying apart.

As her senses returned she sat up and tilted her head slightly, the air smelled burned like after a lightening strike, she heard rushing footsteps coming from the hall and a faint sound of movement from the bottom of the stairs…
Tetrarch Thifiell came at a run, his robes held high in one hand as magic burned around the other ready to repell an attack with magic. He stopped and looked puzzled as Kristen rose to her feet.

“Guard Kristen…whats the meaning of this, are we under attack ?”

his eyes finally came to rest on what he thought was a bundle of rags at the bottom of the stairs until they moved and the boys unkept hair came into view as he tried to stand.

“whats that” he pointed a long fingered hand at the boy


Guard Kristen bowed her head to hide a faint smirk


”your new apprentice perhaps Tetrarch Thifiell” with that she walked down the stairs and picked the boy up by his ragged shirt and carried him up the stairs and stood him in front of the Tetrarch. Thifiell reached down a well manicured hand and lifted the boys chin to get a better look and gasped as the boys hair fell aside revealing the left side of his face….

it was covered in a flowing script that curved in a gracefull spiral from his jaw up into his hairline.

[Drejin]

Thifiell turned the boys head and carefully traced a finger over the markings, they were slightly raised as if they had been carved into his flesh and then marked with ink before they were healed by magic, nothing else would have left him so unscarred.

"who did this to you boy ?" Thifiell said in with an impatient tone.

Drejin started to look up at the Tetrarch but quickly dropped his gaze as his hair fell to hide the scars.
he shrugged and in a whisper said

"dunno, been that way always."

Thifiell frowned and took the boy by the arm and led him into the hall.

"first things first boy...you smell like a human" Thifiell called a servant over and gave the boy into her care with instructions that he was to be bathed and then taken to a wanre's cell.

((wanre is dark elvish for apprentice))

hours before dawn the boy woke and looked around with wide eyes, he had never spent the night in a hall, let alone in a bed. ignoring the candle he paced the room and found clean clothing folded on a chair. the clothing looked to be nearly his size so he slipped into it and found he liked not having clothing that smelled...like a human as the elder had said it, and being clean was a new experience as well.

without a sound he made his way to the door and slowely opened it, and looked out into the hall. all the other doors in the hall were still closed and none showed light shining underneath. so he walked quietly down the hall until he heard voices and found a chamber with light coming from underneath the closed door. he moved closer and pressed his ear to the door.

Tetrarch Thifiell was speaking to someone that he didnt know, apparantly aboutt another wanre who showed potential.

"the child cast an advanced windstrike and stunned one of our guards...that is an achievement that few full mystics can achieve let alone an untrained child."

Drejins eyebrows went up slightly as he heard this, he hoped Guard Kristen handnt been the one attacked by the person they talked about, she had always been ...kind to him.

"and the child has markings unlike any I have seen before save in the eldest scrolls from the archives, the markings on his face are almost familiar"

in his shock drejin stood up suddenly and his head struck the doorknob with a loud crack that caused his vision to blur as he stumbled against the door to keep from falling

quick footsteps could be heard within over the carpet and the door suddenly opened causing Drejin to fall into the room at the elders feet

"and here our little mystery is now...it seems he doesnt sleep much at all, that should prove...beneficial"

the tetrarch gestured for drejin to get to his feet and come the rest of teh way into the chamber.

[Drejin]

Rubbing his head he hesitantly walked into the chambers and stopped as he stared around the room at the luxurious furnishings, the tetrarch even had glow stones in his rooms...and a bed that was bigger than drejins entire cell.

tilting his head slightly he turned and looked over at the large table in the room, one end was covered in books and scrolls while the other had the remains of a morning meal set on it.

turning back to the tetrarch he backed away from him until he bumped into the table.

"what ya going to do with me ?" he kept his gaze lowered to hide his face.

as Thifiel turned back towards him, Drejin quickly snatched a sugared roll of the table and dropped it into one of his pockets.

Thifiel looked down at the young dark elf, not as young as he had first thought it seemed just malnourished. he frowned.

"since you are here...we can decide your fate now, the other Tetrarch and I have discussed you at length.... there are two paths before you."

he crossed his arms over his chest and waited...after a few moments of silence the thifiel raised an eyebrow but continued.

" there are two choices....we can take you to the alter as a blood sacrifice..."

Thifiel paused to gauge the boys reaction and quickly masked his shock at finding the boy had still not moved or shown any reaction at the pronouncement of this fate.

" or...we can attempt to train you in the arts, you are a bit older than most of the wanre i think, but that only means you will have to work harder...the other path is always a choice."

Drejin nodded and again waited without a sound.

the tetrarch nodded as if satisfied.

"now back to your room, until someone comes for you for your lessons"

Drejin nodded and ran from the room.

Thifiel shook his head as he sat back down to finish his breakfast and absently reached for a sugared roll only to have his nails click against an empty plate. he glanced over and found the plate empty, as well as the plate of sausages.

"how odd, I dont recall finishing those...."

he shrugged and called for a servant to bring more.

meanwhile back in his room drejin quickly unloaded his pockets of the napkins stuffed with sausages and sugared rolls and began to eat, keeping an ear towards the door for footsteps. it was the best meal the boy had eatten.

[Drejin]

a few months had passed and Drejin had quickly filled out now that he was able to eat regularly, the elders thought that perhaps he was nearing adulthood but they couldnt be sure since he didnt know when he was born or who his parents were.

he had spent the months learning to read and studying magic, he learned very quickly, almost as if he were remembering instead of learning it anew. the other wanre were distracted by the approach of Shilens Hunt, but the Tetrarch had a way of reminding Drejin that his fate was still in question, every day Thifiell would ask him if he had decided to continue his studies or if he wished to walk the other path to Shilens Alter as a sacrifice. needless to say this inspired him to learn well and quickly.

the other wanre had little to do with him, they were the sons and daughters of the nobility, no others could afford to send their children to the tetrarchs to learn the arts. the wanre knew that Drejin was naut of noble birth and had nau family to seek revenge for his treatment so they did naut treat him kindly. to them he was Tetrarch Thifiels pet street rat.

On the day of the hunt Drejin felt more and more ill as the hours passed, until when the sun set instead of going to the halls for the evening meal he returned to his room and feel into a fevered sleep.

he woke as the moon rose full and clear in a sky untouched by clouds..and the wanre were returning from the hunt with the weapons and armor their families had provided for them. he slowely pulled himself out of bed as he heard voices approaching his door. the door was pushed roughly aside as thoro and his friends came in carrying bloodied weapons and a few dead Kelthir.

thoro smirked as he saw Drejin leaning against the bedpost.

"looks like the street rat had a rough night, what were you doing while we were out celebrating the Shilens Hunt ?"

Thoro walked closer swinging the dead Kelthir by its tail.
Drejin reached out to steady himself and staggered. Kiga yelled to thoro that the street rat was attacking and thoro swung his apprentice's staff striking Drejin hard in the ribs sending him staggering to the side..the other wanre quickly circled him.

Drejin stood in the center of a cirlce of angry dark elves as they looked at him with hatred, and then at the weapons they held, already blooded from the hunt.

Thoro raised his staff and looked at the spiked head that was coated with blood from drejins ribs.

"maybe we arent done with Shilens hunt....we have a street rat that would make a good offering"

Drejin stood motionless and hoped the end would be quick, his fever had grown worse until it felt as if his blood were about to boil. Thoro raised his staff but stopped as Drejin raises his head for the first time.

Drejins skin steamed in the chill air and his eyes were red upon red as if blood had pooled in his eyes.
As he looked at thoro his hair feel away revealing the scarred side of his face, The glyphs etched into his flesh flickered as if they had been drawn in fire. Thoro backed away a step as the room was engulfed in flames.

[Drejin]

The elders arrived within moments and quickly put out the flames with spells of wind and water..and looked around the room in shock at the 4 charred corpses that lay crumpled on the floor around Drejin. blood slowely dripped from his side where thoro had touched him, but he lay in a small circle free of scorch marks...as if the fire had radiated out from him.

he moaned and rolled over onto his back and the elders stepped back in shock, the left side of his face was badly burned, while the right was untouched.

the glyphs that had once been carved into his flesh had been twisted and burned as if by intense heat and part of his hair had burned away, but only on the left side.

the elders parted as a woman walked into the room, followed by a young girl only a few years older than Drejin. the High Priestess Mabh radiated an aura of power that even the elders were in awe of, she had been visiting after the closing of the ceremony.

she quickly knelt next to Drejin and touched a hand to his face and pulled it back quickly as her eyes narrowed.
she turned to the assembled elders

"leave us, there is healing to be done."

without a word the elders quickly left leaving the unconscious drejin alone with the high priestess and her acolyte. she lay her hand on the burned side of his face and said sang a prayer to the Shilen as the room was lite with moonglow. the light suffused the high priested and flowed into her hands before sinking into Drejins flesh.

the charred side of his face began to flake away revealing healthy skin beneath unmarked by the glyphs he had carried all his life.

Mabh turned his head as he lay unconscious much as Thifiel had done months before. Healing on the night of Sithiens hunt....and so well, she was lost in thought for a moment. her eyes caught a flicker of light as his head turned...where the light touched his face a faint tracery of the glyphs could be seen under his skin, they shown with a silvery light almost as if some of the moonlight still resided there.

Drejin slowely opened his eyes to see the high priestess and her acolyte standing over him, both of them stepped back as he looked up at them.

in a faint voice barely more than a whisper

"what happened....."

his eyes widened as he looked around at the burned remnants of the room and his hand flew to his face as memory returned. he stammered as his hand touched only smooth skin.

"I do naut understand but bel'la dos, the scars are gone !" his voice was louder than any had ever heard it save Kristen that night on the steps of the hall.

the priestess still said nothing but she stepped in front of the acolyte as drejin turned a puzzled gaze from them to a mirror on the wal...and saw his eyes ..as red as blood

the priestess muttered under her breath

"god touched....but whose, his eyes are a mark of Gran Kain..but the silvered glyphs and the moonlight are marks of Sithien"

troubled the priestess and her acolyte left without another word as Drejin stood before the mirror with his hair pulled aside, looking into his blood red eyes.

(( bel'la dos means thank you ))
(( vlos'solen means blood eyes))


OOC if someone in guild wants to be the Acolyte who was with the high priestess let me know

[Drejin]

OOC its been a long time since i've written so please excuse the typo's *chuckles*

Should I continue this story ?

[Fashka Trelao]

since I had to continue my story way back when its my turn to return the favor..

Yes you MUST add more hahaha

[Drevan]

I agree do add more... very engulfing these stories are... I'd like to see where this goes from here... ;D

[Drejin]

Drejin sat alone in the hall eatting a second bowl of kelthir stew with mushrooms and sipping from a cup of water, occasionally he would glance up from his empty table to the ones surrounding the hall that were packed with other wanre. since that night in the cell when the fire had burned the other apprentices had avoided him as if he were a human. even the elders said little to him other than at lessons.

and so the years passed until Drejin had finally finished his studies and was called to the great hall, where all the Tetrarchs stood in silence forming a circle that was open only in one place, as Drejin walked through to the circles center, Tetrarch Thifiel moved to close t he circle.

Without a sound Drejin knelt in the center of glyph that had been etched into the stone and filled with molten mithril to form an unbroken circle. he slowed his breathing as he closed his eyes and found the silence within himself before he allowed himself to open his eyes and begin. in a whisper that even the elders failed to hear he began the ritual of initiation.

he reached out and touched the glyph at the north point of the circle and whispers

"quortek...the mark of the soul invoked by blood."

he drew a small dagger and pierced his palm and let the blood flow onto the glyph which began to glow with a faint white light. he then reached to the east and touched his bleeding hand to the glyph marked there.

"xukuth..the mark for the heart invoked by blood."

as his blood touched it the glyph began to glow with a faint red light that seemed to flicker for a moment before it changed color, and began to glow the a white light as it should. unaware of it Drejin continued and touched his bleeding hand to the glyph to the west.

"Shar..the mark of the mind, invoked by blood."

as he touched his blood to the glyph it to began to glow with a white light. finally he turned and touched the mark the mark to the south

"Vlos..the mark of the blood, invoked by blood.

as his blood feel onto the final glyph it burst into flame and instead of a white light a small flame burned over the glyph. a few of the elders began to mutter, but drejin was lost in the ritual and unaware.

as he brought his bleeding hand up he touched his other hand to the pool of blood that had collected on his palm and traced a final symbol on his forhead.

"khel..the mark of flesh, invoked by blood."

as the final mark took on a faint silvery glow the circle flaired to life, the glyphs and circle blurred as the light grew blinding and formed a pillar of light with Drejin at its heart.

"I invoke the Vlos'Chath as witness to my oath and claim my life if I am unworthy"

the pillar of light grew brighter still until the Tetrarchs were forced to close their eyes against the glare.

as suddenly as it had begun the pillar of light vanished leaving the room in a soft glow shed by the lightstones.

Drejin remained standing in the center of the now dormant circle..and the molten mithril quickly cooled and settled back into the channels that had been carved into the stone to contain it.

[Drejin]

When Drejin returned to his cell after the ritual he found his possessions had been packed and rested on a chair along with a set of clothing and a staff, he picked up the staff and slung the satchel over his shoulder and left the halls without a backward glance.

after a few days of living rough and hunting to practice his spells he started to hear rumors and gossip around the village about a clan led by someone named Tatiyana, the name Drevan and Comson were also usually spoken in the same breath.

and so he went in search of their halls


OOC Continued in recruitment hall, please feel free to join in that thread, its tittled "waits quietly" yes all this was leading up to tie in with that one *laughs*