Home Bitter Home - Chapter I: Section I

[Flamebird]

Home Bitter Home - Explorations of Eiskalt Chapter I: Section I

Solo. Tons of Eiskalt lore featured here! I wrote this very rushed, on a mobile device with no Microsoft Word. I do have a spell check though... But yeah, I know this is a bit bad. I wrote this to get my creative juices going and as a bit of an experiment.




Ain't it something to know you're lost?


It was something. To know just about everything one had was gone. From home to family, to love to childish security. In only a series of a couple of weeks she watched it be stripped from her. Her mentor and once considered sister parted ways on her own behalf. Then, all of the Tular Plains unleashed terror upon her when her cousin and best friend, Jonathan Knopsnider, died a captive to the Coronian Empire. Her one link to the Coronian Rangers, and the greatest friend and relative of her life, was slain before her very eyes. It sparked the chain reaction of Felicity's... unusual and unnatural rage... and the death of her own father by heart attack upon hearing the news.

Now, Felicity had no where to go to, she was alone. As tough of a fighter as she was, the fifteen year old had no life to build upon in Corone. She could become a bounty hunter, as she already had experience thanks to her training under Ayleth Icebreaker. However, would that ever land her anywhere meaningful? It was her dream to become a Coronian Ranger, but her recent failures seemed to push her further away from that goal. One other, somewhat crazy, prospect had crossed her mind. While she generally referred to herself as a Coronian, Corone was not the place of her birth. The place she was born in, and spent a lot of her childhood under, was some frigid third world country called Eiskalt.

According to rumors - just rumors, mind you - Eiskalt was undergoing a lot of change. Since the Eiskalt War, a well known battle of recent years that resulted in half the country's destruction, there was an additional civil war that literally decided the country's fate. Since a fresh off the press Democratic government took seat, the country apparently was starting to recover from several years of poverty and plague.

Who knew, maybe Felicity Knopsnider would find something there.

So, there she stood. A bundled up, redheaded teen shivering on the deck of a common ship. This ship was a merchant's boat from Fallien to Eiskalt, and Felicity managed to hitch a ride as long as she helped around the ship. She had been working two weeks as a ship hand, keeping the cargo of spices and materials in mint condition. The time at sea had given her time to slow down after the never ending nightmare she endured in Corone, but now this journey seemed about over. A fairly sized, mountainous island was in plain view.

Ice bergs and glaciers coated the frosty sea. The chill in the air could literally be smelled, and the snow gently falling from the grey sky above made everything feel more unwelcoming. Felicity rubbed her hands together, remembering the freezing temperatures of her homeland quite well.

"A bit chilly, Las?"

The green eyed girl turned to see the captain, who was even more bundled up than her, shivering on over to her. "This is nothing like Fallien... Why are we trading with this hunk of snow and ice?"

Felicity shrugged, speaking in her lisp "It'w take some getting used to."

The captain, a tan skinned and brown haired man in his forties, laughed. "This shall take a lot of getting used to!"

Felicity chuckled, looking back towards the direction of the island, "Yeah, it sha-ow..."

[Flamebird]

After unloading the crates of goods into several wagons, the small team of rag tag, independent merchants and bounty hunters made way off the permafrost beach and into the ravine that led to Stahl Gate. The dark sides of steep cliffs were only blanketed with ice and snow towards the top. The pathway to Stahl was covered with dirt, one or two patches of snow, and bare rock. The road was thin and bumpy, heading up what would seem to be a hill only to develop into true mountain. Already, most of the crew was tired.

Alongside Felicity, two other bounty hunters had joined to protect the cargo. One was a stern and heavy, axe weilding Urodin called "Jack" by the crew. Another was a dark skinned Fallien, slender archer named Osiris. Osiris was constantly watching the cliffs for danger when not huddling to stay warm. Jack was alongside the captain talking in his deep voice. Felicity was pulling a small wagon full of silk and yarn. They all slowed to a stop though when they heard some type of screech.

Felicity stopped, dead silent. That sound was something she heard before, but where? Jack instantly ran in front of the party and drew his heavy halberd, "Who goes there!?" He boomed.

From the side of a cliff not so far above them, several rocks fell.

Osiris drew his bow and pulled an arrow on the string, ready to release.

A blurred, white creature darted from one bolder to another.

The movement was only caught by some defenseless merchants who pointed and chattered amongst themselves. Jack walked up to the cliffside where they were pointing. He sniffed the air, "Mammal."

Felicity's eyes widened, "Mountain cat..." She whispered, "Mountain cat!"

Just then, a white, slender feline jumped down from its perch. It was snow white with yellow eyes, the medium sized wildcat's claws were outstretched... It landed on Jack.

[Flamebird]

Jack fell dead on the frozen ground. The Salvarian was killed by a slim wildcat.

Thing was, this cat seemed too slim. Its sides clearly showed, and its skin even seemed to be decaying. Felicity's eyes widened, was this one of the beast's affected by the Plague cast by Madison Freebird? This creature was clearly malnourished and starved... No wonder the usually docile and distant mountain cat was going as far as to attack humans for food.

An arrow flew past Felicity's head, landing in the feline's chest. The scrap of cat fell dead on top of Jack's own corpse.

Osiris' arrow had flown true. As merchants fearfully came out from the little cover the wagons provided. Osiris ran over to the bodies and shoved the feline off. He felt Jack's pulse.

"What was that thing??" A young merchant, a brown skinned man in his twenties, gasped.

"Mountain cat," Felicity responded, "Commonwy known as de cougar. Dey usuawy keep gweat distances fwom humans, but dat one was obvious-ee stawving enough it was wiwwing to take chances..."

Osiris stood up, shaking his head, "He's gone."

The captain snorted, "Leave the dead. We need as little weight as possible."

Thus, the traveling merchants continued. Felicity, however, couldn't help but look back at the gruff bounty hunter she had come to know one last time.

Maybe coming to Eiskalt was a bad idea.

[Flamebird]

Soon enough, as light snow continued to fall, the weary and shivering travelers made it to Stahl Gate. Hearing of its destruction during the Eiskalt War, Felicity expected to find a ruined nothingness.

Instead, they found a massive construction process in progress. Black metal, as well as steel, were being rapidly used as beams and wall for a decent structure that already looked like a barricade in the making. One traveler literally dropped her bags, "Woah..."

Only rugged from a mere two hours of traveling, the small band of travelers made it to a completed tower made of wood and straw many paces from the gate. The captain of the crew went to knock on the door, but-

"-Weary travelers, come 'ere!"

Several Eiskaltian soldiers, hardly dressed in any form of suitable armor, were walking up to them. The captain raised his hands in the air, and everyone followed in suit. The five soldiers, who didn't seem at all affected by the cold, stood around the group. One man, with pale skin and blue eyes, walked closer, "State your names and business."

The captain of the merchant's walked up to the guard, "Hail, good soldier. My name is Saburo of Fallien. This is my team of merchants. We simply wish to pass these goods off to you, as we heard Stahl is a merchant's paradise."

Several weak grunts came from the merchants in agreement.

"We have traveled a long ways," Saburo said, "And we are quite exhausted..."

The guard nodded, "Fair enough. Would you mind us searching your cargo before we let you enter?"

"Not at all," Saburo replied.

The guard raised an eyebrow in the direction of the bounty hunters, "And until everything is in order we ask of surrender of all weapons."

Osiris, in his bright clothes, pulled his bow and quiver off his back and handed them to the closest guard. Felicity followed in suite, yanking her two arming swords off her belt and pulling her flamberge from her back. She walked right up to the leader of the guards and handed them to him, "I vawue vese weapons a wot, pwease take cawe of dem?" She spoke in her usual lisp.

The commander motioned another guard to take them, "Rest assured we will keep your possessions safe, ma'am."

As the snow fell and the travelers continued to freeze, their cargo was searched by the wary soldiers. Several whistles at the contents of the boxes were made, but that was all before they searched the crew as well. Nothing.

The commander nodded, "All checks out, we'll keep your things safe. Follow me, please?"

The merchants walked after the commander and into the busy construction site. So many people, mostly lower class peasants and prisoners, were all working on Stahl Gate in an array of business and industry that left the crew wide eyed. Smoke and dust flew around everywhere, making the ground appear foggy, and various noises and clanging slammed against the eardrums. Endless, discombobulated voices rang loud enough to make the ears ache. Felicity still managed to keep up though, and they all entered a plain, wood house.

Inside, the uninsulated cabin was no warmer than outside. The plain, gruff walls of pine boards seemed inviting to bugs, but the usual insects could not survive here. The floor boards creeked and moaned as the half paralyzed party entered the room. There was another door, also pine, that would lead to a second room. The captain, who still walked as if the cold was normal or something, open the door.

As the door loudly moaned, the captain looked back to the windowless room. He spoke up, "One person only, please? Pick anybody."

The snow powdered band of merchants all looked at each other, wordless and frozen. Felicity sighed and stepped forward, "Yes?"

The captain motioned to the door, "Inside."

The room she would be walking into, weaponless, seemed darker than the one they were in. Felicity gulped and plucked up some courage. She walked into the black and dust.

The guard followed, closing the door behind him.

[Flamebird]

Inside the room, a single candle was lit on a pine table. The room was very similar to the last, cold and boring. Dust flew around the entire room, light creeping in through the cracks in the walls illuminating the two metal chairs, one on each side of the table. The guard took off his helmet, revealing his long, black hair. He set his great helm on the table, sitting down in one chair. Felicity sat in the other.

The guard sighed, "You must not tell your fellow travelers these questions neither your answers."

Felicity locked her attention on the guard, realizing what was going on.

"Full name, please?" The guard asked.

"Fewicity Knopsnida." The redhead replied.

"Felicity Knopsnider was it?" The guard asked, writing the information down on paper.

"Yes!" Felicity fist thumped, "Someone finawy got de east name eight!"

The guard tried to hide an amused smile, "Okay, that's a yes... Where do you come from?"

"Cowone," Felicity responded, the small lie of her true home slipping. But hey, Corone was always home to her, much more than Eiskalt ever was...

"Any family? Relatives?"

The teen felt an explosion of emotions burst inside like a hyper nova. Her family was dead. All of them. At least that she knew of. "My famiwy's deceased."

The guard's eyes flashed with sympathy, "I am so sorry, I know what you must be feeling. My wife died in the Great Eiskalt War."

Felicity's stupid emotions and hormones had her in tears now, her eyes red, "Fank yew..." the teen whispered.

The guard smiled, "Date of bewth?"


~~~

Felicity stepped out of the room. All eyes watched as she walked out. The guard knocked on the wooden door again, "Next!"

Felicity swat Saburo's arm, "It's fine." She smiled. The Fallian captain smiled back and walked into the room.

Felicity stood there another moment, rubbing her arms, before shouting, "Ka'Ha Bahm dung, I'm fweezing!"

[Flamebird]

After what seemed to be forever, every member of the group was interrogated. The guard stood in front of the icicle-like merchants, his helm on his head once more, and nodded stoutly, "You all did well."

He walked over the the door and opened it, "Come along."

The frigid group waddled after him. Right outside the door and blaring sunlight, they were returned their wagons, carts, the goods inside, and their weapons. The guard motioned his arm towards the end of the hill they were on, "Welcome to Eiskalt."

The exhausted group slowly started to laugh and cheer. They were finally in! They all grabbed their supplies and raced towards the hill. After clipping her weapons back to her belt and back, Felicity turned to the guard, "Fanks again."

He smiled and nodded, "You're a peculiar one, Knopsnider. You'll make it just fine here."

She smiled at him then ran after the others. At the hill, she skidded to a halt at what she saw...

[Flamebird]

It was magnificent.

An entire city, bustling with people. The streets were cluttered with crowds, goods, and traveling carts. The houses were all made of pine and straw, the typical structure for the outskirts of Eiskalt. From their vantage point, they could see the festive town square and massive market system in the center of town.

"As they said," Saburo laughed, "Merchant's paradise! And here are thought all this trouble wouldn't be worth it!"

"Let's go!" Another merchant, a dark skinned man wrapped in a heap of furs, cried. Everyone began their descent into the city... Except Felicity.

She just stood there in awe.

The girl was amazed. Eiskalt never had settlements this big outside the two cities of Tyranta and Unum, which she never saw with her own eyes. This place, unlike the scrap of struggling village she grew up in, was thriving. Even the streets seemed clean. Felicity's eyes were wide, but a smile crossed her face.

She just may have been right to come here.

She chased after her traveling companions into the city.



~~~


The aromas of fresh pine logs and valuable spices, the awe inspiring sights of Eiskaltian metal ore and dire wolf hides. Oh, the feelings of excitement upon placing a hand on the hilt of a steel longsword. The explosion of sweetness upon taking a sample of the prized beverages made of winter berries. Eiskalt's grand market was an incredible thing to experience. It had everything from cuisine to fashion lines to farming equipment to weapons. Of course, the Bazaar of Corone still beat this by a long rate, but Stahl City's market made a plague stricken third world country look like paradise.

Felicity herself was scanning through a section of paintings by an independent artist. Many of them featured mountain ranges and wild beasts. If Felicity had a house to put them in, she would totally buy a portrait. The somber, lose colors of blues and white made up a blurry background of snow and ice while the sharp, yellow eyes of a large wildcat glared through the storm. It was literally the eyes of the storm.

Knopsnider turned to leave the shop, leaving footprints on the dirt ground. She drew an animal fur curtain open and stepped outside. As the brisk of the chilly winds and the smell of rich, boar roasts hit her, she looked across the market streets. She was so busy scanning the market though, she was caught off guard when Saburo tapped her shoulder.

The halfling lightly jumped, eyes widening as she sharply snapped her head towards him. He was now covered head to toe in layers of fur coats, as the tall desert dweller was unused to Eiskalt's bitter cold.

The Fallien born merchant smiled, "Hey, kid."

Felicity smiled at him, but said nothing.

"Are you sure you don't want pay for your help? I appreciated your assistance on the way here."

Felicity shook her head, "Just getting me here was all I needed, captain, thank you."

His knowing eyes, full of intellect, sparkled, "If it's more adventure you desire, I found something you might want to look at."

Felicity's own green eyes were locked on him.

The merchant could not lift his arm very well, but looked towards the left street and nodded towards it, "There is a bounty board only a block from here. Several bounty hunters, big and gruff, are over there. Can't miss it."

Felicity couldn't help but feel excitement over the news. While she did not plan on being a bounty hunter forever, maybe one or two runs would give her a good look around her old home - and enough action to make her forget recent events.

The teen smiled fondly at the captain, "Thank you so much."

Saburo chuckled, "As this is the last time I may see you in a while, I wish you good luck."

Felicity resisted the urge to hug the merchant she had bonded with these last two weeks. She saluted him instead, "I will, sir. Thank you, sir."

Saburo nodded to her, the warm smile that shone like Fallien's sun never fading, "Good luck." And he turned and walked away.

Felicity's smile fell slowly as Saburo disappeared amongst the sea of people. She was alone again.

The emptiness inside her could not be described.

The hope of drowning her sorrows in adventure pushed her to take the walk down to the bounty board... but she could not stop a single tear from trickling down her cheek.

[Flamebird]

A single tent was a lot more noticeable than the rest due to the ruffians and mercenaries standing inside the open entrance. As the snow continued to coat everything it fell upon, Felicity entered the fur tent.

A group of roughly ten bounty hunters of various races and descent were under the large canopy of animal skin. Once again, the pleasant odor of pine was ever present. At the end of the tent, several boards with a plethora of papers were posted. Felicity grinned and went up to take a look.

Various missions like escorts from one town to another and even assassinations were there. Still, Felicity scanned through the notices until a mission would catch her interest.

As she read the board, arms crossed in a business like manner, a blond high elf also walked up to find missions. While Felicity did not take much notice of him, he noticed her.

"Hey, little girl, want some candy?"

A circus tent's worth of laughter erupted throughout the area. While Felicity's red face confirmed she knew what was going on, she was used to being the laughing stock. She rolled her eyes and returned to reading the wrinkled papers, ignoring everything.

Several moments of silence, and the elf growled, "Hey, kid."

Felicity did not bat an eye.

The wood elf reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her away from the boards, "Hey!"

Felicity's eyes did not show a tinge of fear. She just looked upon his scarred face, her own dead serious, "Yeah?"

The elf glared, "What's a kid doing here?"

That feeling in her spine told her they were the center of attention in the tent. Realizing there would be no easy way out of this one, she sighed. She crossed her arms again, eyes narrowed, "In Eiskawtian standeds I'm two yeaws into aduwthood."

The elf started laughing, "Wow, she can't even talk right..."

Once again, Felicity's face went red. This guy was really starting to push her buttons. The half human took a good look at him. He was stout but slender, typical of an elf, and obviously was in good shape. He wore scraps of boiled leather armor however, and kept a single hand in a half sword strapped to his waist. Perhaps, for an elf, he was not the greatest of warriors.

Just a stupid bully? Typical. Felicity decided she was willing to take chances. She reached down with one hand and slowly tapped one of her arming swords, still in the sheath, "You wanna test me?"

The elf continued laughing, "Yeah, try and fight me, little girl!"

Realizing what was about to take place, the crowd around them cleared the center of the shaded tent. The dirt floor could possibly be stained with blood if this continued...

The flame headed teen raised an eyebrow, "de bigger they 'ah, de hawda dry faw."

The elf smirked, "We shall see, kid, we shall see."

He instantly drew his two bladed sword and swung at her.

[Flamebird]

Felicity ducked away from the iron blade, taking several steps away from the elf, towards the open center of the tent, and drawing one of her steel swords. Adrenaline rushed through her body, she realized this was her first time engaging someone in combat since...

- No time to look back on her cousin's death now, no time to hesitate. The elf lunged at her again, attempting an obvious stab at the gut. Felicity swerved to the side, bringing her own sword down in a lock.

As the two weapons screeched from the pressure, the other mercenaries around them started picking sides, most of them rooting for the high elf. A female dark elf with purple skin, however, seemed unwilling to take the side of a natural enemy, "Beat him up, kid!" The axe user shouted.

As the elf was obviously stronger, he shoved her off easily. Felicity's eyes darted, she threw as many strikes as she could at the elf, aiming to keep him occupied.

As her opponent blocked the strikes, Felicity pulled out her second arming sword. Caught off guard, the bounty hunter was too slow to react as his iron blade was caught between Felicity's twin swords. Remembering a technique directly passed down from her former teacher, the girl swerved the blades rapidly, causing the weapon to fall out of the elf's grubby hand.

*Thud.* The sound was low and heavy, a cloud of dust rising from the impact. Felicity smirked and unpredictably raised her leg next, completely knocking the confused mercenary back. Felicity quickly slid her weapons into their sheaths and raced up to him. Getting on top of him, Felicity started punching him with her bare fists, finally unleashing her inner anger.

Now everybody was laughing - and at the elf receiving the wams across the head. The dark elf seemed to be a fan herself, laughing hysterically and cheering merrily.

At last, the elf raised his hands in the stop sign, "Stop! I'm done!"

As feisty as she was when she was enraged, Felicity stopped herself from throwing another punch. The blond had a bleeding nose, blood trickling from his mouth, and even bloodshot eyes. The expression of pain and shock on his face said it all: Felicity had won.

Felicity got up, understanding he had learned his lesson. She extended her open (and bloodied) hand to help him get up. He did not accept though, wide eyes glancing at the jeering crowd of fellow sword for hires.

"A high elf, so powerful and proficient in magic beaten by a kid!" The dark elf laughed.

Humiliated, the high elf got up and silently left the room.

[Flamebird]

As the elf left, Felicity sighed. She was completely fine with that jerk learning some dignity, but at the same time... the blood on her hands...

An exhausted, almost hopeless expression crossed her face, she placed her arm against her hot, large forehead. Despise the fight having been the central attention of the entire tent, everyone slipped back to their own businesses... all but one person.

A voice, steady and welcoming, came from behind the teen, "I must say, you fought him well."

Felicity pulled her arm down, blood that was not her own dripping from her fingers, and slowly turned to see a skinny but healthy looking man walking up to her from the cloudy crowd. He seemed to be in his mid thirties, and seemed to be Eiskaltian. Indeed, his pale skin and dark hair was common amongst Eiskalt's citizens. His black hair reached down to his upper back, but was neatly combed. His green eyes and warm smile made him appear welcoming enough. Felicity could only stare at him though, she had fought brutally.

Oh thayne, what the haides am I coming to??

Catching onto her weariness, the man spoke again, "An outsider, I presume?"

"Um..." Felicity was confused on what to say. This was her first time in Eiskalt, the place she was born of, in nine years - over half her lifetime! She also considered Corone her true home. However, she was still born in Eiskalt... to a human and a more archaic lineage...

"Where else does one get red hair like that around here?" The man commented, reaching and harmlessly flicking her braid.

That pretty much decided it for her. No way was a single hint of her half breed blood reaching him. "Cowone."

The man's eyes lit up in understanding, "Ah, I see."

The Eiskaltian reached into a grey fur bag, hung on his side, and pulled out a red towel. He handed it to her, obviously to remove the blood on her hands, and moved onto the next thing, "Well, as it turns out, I was coming here to post something on the bounty board. Walking into that fight though, I think you're the one."

Felicity was still drying her crimson oozed hands with the towel. She did keep her eyes on his though as she pressed the rough cloth against her skin. "What kinda job you got?"

[Flamebird]

An oak cup of black coffee was placed on a pine table.

The backdrop of people drinking and chattering, dishes clanging and mugs being slapped against sound surfaces, and dim lighting was what Felicity found herself in. The sound of fire snapping and fizzing on a wood pile brought long desired warmth from a fireplace only a table or so away from them. As everyone in the room did their own thing, a quartet of guitarists strummed a ballad so melancholy it sounded like the works of a Raiaeran bard. The tavern this all took place in, Smilidon's Saber, was really no different than any other bar and inn on Althanas. It was full of mostly weird drunkards and one or two sane people talking actual business - that be Felicity and the guy she met back the bounty boards.

This guy was currently gulping down a beverage. After several moments of chugging, he slammed his empty cup against the table, "Ah, nothing quite as nice as a cup 'o steaming Joe on a freezing evening in the mountains, eh, missy?"

Felicity just nervously smiled, taking her own cup's handle.

The man wiped his wet, thin beard, "Coffee, the elixir of life..."

Felicity only stared at him for a moment, "Oooookaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy... What's my possiba mission?"

The man leaned back in his chair, which creeked in response as he rested his legs on the table itself, "Well, miss Knopsnider, I should start by introducing myself. Name's Javan. I'm majorly a scholar and historian. If 'ya ever need a history lesson on Eiskalt, I'm your man. I've been doing lotsa research on one thing recently that has me intrigued, see? I'm in search of a capable man - or lady - to do a bit of more... in depth... knowledge seeking."

Felicity sipped her coffee, one hand on the knob and the other on the heated cup itself, then spoke, "'Fo what?"

The man grinned, "There's rumors that these mountains hold a massive amount of magic. Perhaps, even, shards of the Tap are in the snow covered peeks. I don't know if you know anything about magic, but neither do we. Magic was never popular to Eiskaltian citizens because it was always foreign and we didn't know of our own land's magical capacity. But now, we've developed knowledge on it... All we need to do is go and find it."

"So basically," Felicity responded, putting her mug down on the rich smelling pine, "I'm wunning into a mountain wooking 'fo magical popeties?"

Javan pulled his arms up, hands behind his head, "Half true. I have a map I've compelled that, according to my readings, should lead to a massive magic well. Maaaassive... Huuuuuuuuuuuge magic source. I don't know what, but according to the readings it's there. I bet you'll know it when you see it."

Felicity nodded, "I see." She lifted the cup up to lips again.

"According to the map, it's in the heart of Verbotenfels."

Felicity spit the coffee out, which landed on Javan's snow boots. "That's lovely..." He sarcastically threw in.

Felicity wiped her mount, "Vat's de hugest mountain in Eiskawt!"

"I know."

"One of de tawest of Awfanas!"

"Uh huh."

"How am I supposed to find some stupid magic souwse you don't even know exists-"

"-I know it exists, but not what it is. Which is why I need to send an explorer out to find out. You'll receive the map!"

Felicity stood up, red hair rippling like fire, "Vis is coming fwom someone who is cwazy, vis is cwazy! I'm sowwy, but I have to tuwn you down." She turned her back on him.

Javan jumped from his comfortable position, "But my rewards include-"

"-Neva cawed about de pay." Felicity crossed her arms.

Javan stammered, "I-I understand it is dangerous. Watching you though, you seem to be the person for the job. Miss Knopsnider, I've been trying for a long time to get support for this. If you go then come back with evidence, I can finally begin my more massive magical projects. It would benefit all of Eiskalt!"

The childhood memories of run down huts and poverty spread across Felicity's mind. She turned her head back to Javan, also recalling the starved cougar she encountered this morning.

Javan got up, starting to beg, "With magic, and a lot of it, on our side Eiskalt could become stronger than without. We could build up magical powers as powerful as the monks of Corone's Citadel. We could resuscitate the valley, affected from the plague. We could bring back our dead loved ones like nothing!"

Bring back dead loved ones?

Grief and sorrow glazed across her evergreen leaf eyes. She had learned from an irrational mentor the dangers of wishing so hopefully and wildly, yet... Jonathan came back to her mind. The blood, that final smile on his face before - ... Felicity closed her eyes, gulping to suppress the tightness in her throat. No, she could not think like that.

"Onwy a sewect few can do vat." Her lisp, her her emotional trauma, was worsening.

Her back was still turned, so she could not see it. Javan's smug face said it all though, he had tangled her in. "Miss Knopsnider, I must say I believe that we have something even some superpowers lack. Eiskalt's magically potential cannot be overlooked. We could become a booming success like even Corone. Alerar and Salvar distrust magic, and they have turned to things that make them unique otherwise. If Eiskalt turned to magic though, as well as take advantage of our natural resources as always... Could you see the technology of Alerar and former magical glory of Raiaera?"

Felicity, who had been to Raiaera herself, turned to him harshly, throwing her arms. "Dew yew know de wastand de ewvish wands aw? Dey aw stiw ovawun wid de undead!"

At this point, several drunk folk were turning their unbalanced heads, caught up by the teen's distressed shouting. Javan sighed, motioning the hormone high teen to quiet down. Realizing she was catching attention, as the band had even stopped playing upon hearing her shouts, she slowly turned red.

"Uh... Heh, heh." She cast a nervous smile and sat back down, gripping her coffee mug tightly with her hands. After a long moment of silence in which the everybody went back to usual business, the band started playing a more cheery tune.

Of course, it didn't not quite fit with the mood Felicity found herself in, but that didn't stop her face alone from unsettling Javan, who seemed to be realizing how foul the immensely sick and broken country of the high elves may have marked her.

"Compawed ta Raiaewa," Felicity broke their silence, her voice reaching a low area of anger almost never touched by her, "Eiskawt was de wowk of an infant... and dat was how many yeaws ago?"

"K-Keep in mind," an obviously unnerved Javan stammered, "Raiaera was not destroyed by trusting in their magic alone." His voice steadly grew calmer, he suddenly seemed to know what he was saying, "And if you look at history, kingdoms rise and fall. Corone, your very own homeland itself is tied in civil war, is that right? Raiaera has fallen, Eiskalt has fallen... But kingdoms also have been known to rise. Alerar has risen to such glorious heights since the new elves were exiled, and why? Because Alerar has something special."

Felicity just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"If we use whatever resources we have, whether it be lividus chalybs, nixstella, titanium, or magic, Eiskalt could grow stronger and wealthier than even the country that attacked us." A new emotion started to steadily grow in his tone. Anger. "I can assure you, Stahl City is the only successful market in Eiskalt right now. Have you not seen what Alerar and their gunpowder has left us behind with!?!"

Felicity's eyes shone with an equal, if not more, fire in her eyes than before. The small, but frightening enough scowl on her face to say it all. Her voice was low, but not soft, "I can assaw you, I've been in dis pace befor ve war, and I can tew you vat heawing de news of dat mighty gate cowapsing fum Cowone was devastating!"

Javan was now engaged in the conversation, "You've been to Eiskalt before? When?! I bet you don't know what life was like before the war-"

"-I spent my days wotting in a stinkin' cowection of puny wittle huts of stwaw! I saw de fweaking most butaw of et!!-" Realizing her secret was out, her eyes changed from furious to fearful. Her eyes softened in delicate terror, her hand flying across her mouth."

Javan's emerald eyes were wide in confusion, shaded with shock, "Y-you sai-aid 'Ya hail from Corone..."

Felicity slumped in her seat, almost sinking beneath the pine table, "I was bown hewe."

[Flamebird]

Javan looked at Felicity long and hard, his face twisted with various emotions and heavy thoughts. Why had this child lied about her true origins before?

Felicity pulled herself up again, seated in her chair. She was obviously full of hesitation and paranoia. This was the result of losing everything, then being forced to look back. Tears of insecurity were visibly threatening to fall from her eyes.

Javan finally emitted a heavy sigh, "Miss Felicity Knopsnider was it?"

The lost child shook her head, pulling a pen from her pocket and scribbling on a napkin. After several moments of watching her hunkered over the delicate paper cloth, he was rewarded with the dead eyed girl sliding it over to him. Javan placed his hand on the paper to read it, realizing with horror a detail he had never noticed up until now - her pinky was revoltingly twisted beyond repair, a lack of blood making it white like the frothy snow outside Smilidon's Saber. Cautiously, Javan took the napkin and read the sloppy handwriting on it:


Felicity Rhyolite of Deerhorn, southwest eight hours of Stahl.

Javan continued to eye the paper as he spoke, "Many Eiskaltian surnames take after some sort of element or mineral, Miss Rhyolite."

Felicity's voice was soft, almost as frail as the napkin in his hand. The parallels between this and the spitfire brawler he was acquainted so far seemed so odd and unnatural in every way. "Yeah..."

Javan winced at her thin, wrinkled voice far worse than even her shouts from only a moment earlier. "Deerhorn was indeed a poor community. There was only a population of about sixty, and most were acquainted well with each other. In these forested outskirts, however, one thing made that mining settlement a house hold name if anything... and perhaps, we both know what it was..."

A moment of silence was broken by the sound of a light sob, a voice that confirmed she was shedding tears releasing one word into the somber air.

"Me."

"Neanderthals have been bitter enemies with humans since the beginning of our history here." Javan spoke in a surprisingly sympathetic tone, one that puzzled a discombobulated Felicity.

"And yet..." Javan lowered the paper, revealing a curiosity struck face, "Here, across the table from me, is the lovechild of them. I mean, where else does one get red hair like that around here?"

Felicity only kept staring at him. All the while, the adrenaline amped child's hand was slowly edging towards her sword. Beneath the table, Javan would not see it. However, the man could instinctively catch how terrified she was, enough to go for the one thing she had left, her blade.

He slowly dropped his smile, "Child, I lived in the neighboring metropolis of Granite, hearing of a half breed was quite intriguing. Perhaps, it within itself gave me a hope for the arguments today... Our country's new government has been discussing new, more human routes with our natural enemies. I'm pretty sure being treated humanely ourselves has swayed this, alongside the appearance of the Rhovanians."

Beneath the table, Felicity's hand moved from her sword's hilt, to the arm of the pine chair. Her eyes darted, paranoid and confused.

The dark haired Eiskaltian spoke calmly, "What if I told you I too had lied about my own identity? I can understand your reasons for hiding from a world of hate."

Felicity gripped the chair tightly.

"Devlin Cordierite. That is my name. My mission was spoken in truth, I seek to find out more about the magic wells here, and I have a map to boost. However, I do this for my people and my government. Miss Rhyolite, you are speaking to an agent of the Eiskaltian Legal Agency."

[Flamebird]

The Eiskaltian Legal Agency.

Felicity had - unintentionally - revealed her Neanderthal heritage to an agent of the E.L.A. Legal agents and crime snuffers, the only rumored government organization were no warriors, rather just detectives.

Still, despite the warmth of the fire in the tavern, Felicity felt triple times more petrified than Eiskalt's frigid climate.

This Devlin Cordierite tilted his head, "I see a lot of potential in someone who's obviously seen the true worst of this hunk of rock. Not the war, not the poverty, not even some back splitting plague, but our people."

Felicity's hands loosened, "So you want me to be some type of pawn?" Her eyes narrowed in cynicism, "You want me to just hewp de countwy vat abused me and weft me 'ta-"

"-Why are you here, Rhyolite?"

The hot head was completely thrown off, and could only stutter, "Uh-um wut - excuse me?"

"If you hate your homeland so much," Agent Cordierite asked more slowly, "Then why are you here, Felicity?"

Silence. The longest moment of silence yet.

The sound of many folk drinking merrily was the filler noise, the static in Felicity's mind.

More silence, more waiting...

After heavy thought, the conscious child responded, "I wost evewyfing in Cowone, maybe I'd find somefing in Eiskawt."

"And what have you found, a thriving market?" Agent Cordierite questioned further, "My child, you are just as lost and jaded as this entire island. I am lost and jaded, and look where I'm at. I'm turning to bounty hunters to do my dirty work..."

"Obviouswy."

"But Rhyolite," Cordierite continued, "Eiskalt was half destroyed by a war from the outside, then the other half was destroyed in a civil war. Your own village is long gone, lost in a graveyard too plague ridden to visit. It all comes to prove we've all been wrong. At the lowest of lows though, can things not get any worse? Can it get better? That is why I joined the borough... I think a young person like you can make a difference as well. The Eiskalt you grew up discriminated against was all but slaughtered, optimism's in the air. We have reached a new era. How about you?"

Felicity bit her lip, pulling her sweaty hands back onto the table. More bar music and mindless laughing filled the space unoccupied by words. Felicity once again moved, placing her big forehead in her palms. "Oh..." She moaned.

"You're not the only one who has lost everything, Felicity," Cordierite spoke, "But I'm not going to let the losses be in vain."

Felicity pulled one arm down, a tear flooded eye staring into his, "Can I weawy twust you?"

Cordierite's became somewhat more shaded, "I work for a government, what do you think?"

As much as laughter was natural to Felicity, the cleverly pulled joke only received a scoff. She looked away, apparently at the rich wood walls next to them, and thought even more. Cordierite waited patiently.

Felicity finally started sipping her coffee again. After several moments of Cordierite watching the kid drink, she put her empty mug down and spoke.

"De past is in de past,you can't change it... but you can make a betta futuwe."

Cordierite's eyes brightened in hope as Felicity finally smiled at him.

"What's ouw fiwst move?"





Done.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

Congratulations!

Flamebird recieves 1145 EXP and 160 GP

I will now post this in the workshop area for peer review. Well done on an excellent thread!

[Rayleigh]

All EXP and GP have been added!