The Last Temptation

[Skie and Avery]

The city of Beauty had it's own market, where artisans made many of the things that the King could ever think of seeking. There were more than a few things that might bring him to the hub of Coronian trade beyond just random trinkets that he found he needed. Being in this place of humans reminded him that there was a world beyond, a world that had once been ripe for the taking by less pacifistic eras of Moontae.

A thick illusion was worn today as he stalked among the shops and tents, carts and rugs spread with merchandise. He appeared to be a very frail, old man clothed in warm robes despite the heat of the day. His cracked and veined hands lifted the handle to enter one of the shops, his shuffling footsteps carrying him in. A toothless grinning face looked around for the shopkeep, and his bald head bowed towards shelves lined with items as he browsed.

Normally, he would not bother shielding human modesty from his naked glory, but there are days when even the most prideful of beings feel very lost.

((I want MR to be a bazaar mod for this one.))

[Moonlit Raven]

Elena looked up at the soft chime of the bells above the door. She smiled slightly looking forward to a customer. It's been a really slow day. Brushing the wrinkles out of the red silk dress she wore Elena stepped up to the front counter.

"Good day, grandfather." Elena called, a note of true cheerfulness threaded through her voice.

"Is there anything I can help you find today?" Elena leaned on the counter and toyed with one of the symbols stitched into her gown as she watched the old man. After a moment, afraid that she would ruin the stitching, her hand raised up to fiddle with the new necklace around her throat.

[Skie and Avery]

Stunning. For a moment, Avery's mind seemed to blank, his grip on his illusion nearly faltering as he beheld her. His wife, the woman he would love to the grave and beyond. Elena Alexi had most probably dropped the Nito, and as he hobbled forward, bowing his seemingly bald head, he had to catch his breath. He'd seen the dress before, in the sunlight as they'd laughed and kissed and made love. The necklace was new, and what jealous fire that might have burned in him was replaced with a dull ache in his heart. She looked...

...happy. Her voice was full of cheer, and he moved to her, perhaps a little faster than such an old man should have. Distorting his voice, forcing the baritone higher and raspy, he smiled kindly at the woman.

"Well now, in my day they never had such pretty tenders in stores. I must say, times are changing for the better." He paused, looked her right in the eyes. "Things always tend to get better."

What had he come for? He was having trouble remembering faced with the angel that stoked both fire and ice within his heart. He was having trouble keeping himself from falling at her feet, at her lips, at her waist, at everything. Trying to keep his thought off of just how expertly she handled one, he made his request.

"A staff, my dear?"

[Moonlit Raven]

"You could say I'm a special shop keeper, there is no one else like me." Elena smiled at the old man's flattering words and laughed.

"I'm Elena. Did you have a idea of what type of wood you wanted the staff to be made out of?" Elena turned towards the open door leading to the back room.

"Kale! Bring out a chair" A moment later a young boy emerged form the back room dragging a chair almost as big as he was. Elena shook her head and chuckling she took the chair from Kale. Easily she carried it over to the elderly man.

"Here you go. If you'll wait a moment I'll be right back with different types of wood for you to choose from." In a swirl of quietly whispering silk Elena disappeared into the back room with Kale following swiftly on her heels.

[Skie and Avery]

He said down with a gracious nod, watching her hungrily as she disappeared into the back. When she was out of sight, he allowed his guilt to come rushing in. The tool from which he was purchasing from her today would be used to do things that he was sure she would most definately not approve of. In fact, she might just end up killing him. As he heard her footsteps returning, he composed himself into a face of interested politeness.

"Elena, was it?" he asked. "Tell me, a pretty young girl such as yourself must surely have a boyfriend, eh? A husband at home?" He kept his tone conversational, like many an old man was prone to do with young girls.

[Moonlit Raven]

Elena returned with her hands full of palm sized ovals of wood. Carefully she laid them out on the counter in front of the old man. She took her time before she looked up at the old man, the regret, anger and anguish that simmered in her heart locked away.

"I am married, but we are currently separated at the moment. Tragedy struck, as it always must and I found I could not stay at his side. I needed time, he wasn't willing to let me leave so we parted in bad standing with one another." Elena smiled, this one forced. It was meant to hide the sudden sheen of moisture that glimmered in her eyes.

"As you said earlier, everything gets better in time. One day, when my heart has healed, I will return and we will see what shall become of us." Elena brushed a lock of hair back behind her ear and looked down at the the wood on her counter.

"Now, on to your choice of wood for your staff. Of the more exotic choices Cyper and Nihon might be the best for you, both are relativity light weight. Very sturdy, Cyper staves will bend before they break. Nihon redwood, it is extremely hard, and almost never breaks, making it an extremely good wood for the quarterstaff. We also carry oak, yew, cyprus and mohagany."

[Skie and Avery]

"I'm sorry to hear that," he murmured as she continued. It twisted the knife in him to see her sorrowful face as she spoke of their parting, but hope blossomed. She intended on returning! All was not lost, and Avery was grateful for the chair, lest he fall to his knees in relief. She would return, and he would wait. Staring at her in unhidden adoration, he finally managed a smile, and continued with the question, with this work that he felt he must do.

"Tell me, which of these woods would be best for helping to conduct magical energy?" As he waited, his hands folded in his lap, feeling nothing of the age that they seemed to portray in visuals. He laced his fingers tight, hoping that their slight shake wouldn't be seen, but he knew it was a fool's task. His wife had the eyes of an eagle, and the voice of the perfect songbird.

His one hope was that it would all turn out for the best.

[Moonlit Raven]

"Conducting magical energy, that would be Livol. It's really the only wood that has anything to do with magic. It's a rare wood and very expensive. I'm afraid that a entire staff made of Liviol would be several thousand gold. I can inlay a staff with Livol to give it a high conductivity for magic."

Elena looked up from rearranging the ovals of wood into groups based upon would she thought the elderly man would easily weld and what would be useful. The intent way he stared at her unnerved her slightly. Elena shook it off figuring the man one of those older than that are forever chasing young skirts.

"Kale, bring out a drink for our guest." Elena called as she noted the tremors in his hands. Elena looked over her shoulder as Kale tapped on it a moment later. She sighed quietly when he handed her a cup of soft mead.

"You'll have to excuse Kale. He's a little skittish at times but he's a good helper." Elena said as she held the cup out to the man.

[Skie and Avery]

He took the offered drink, careful not to let his fingers brush hers. She would know if he did, and he knew it. He needed to keep his mind on his spell, on the business at hand. He wanted to reveal himself in naked glory, shove her down, take her again. Not just her sex, forcing himself on her again. He wanted to take her home, lay with her in bed for hours, talking about Concordia, the best way to rid the Moontae of their vampire enemies, the silly nobles of Radasanth, the latest paladin to be met at the gates, sexed up and promptly sent away to a life of far less uptight meaning. He wanted her hair in his face, making him sneeze, her cold feet against his, making him shiver. Her nails down his back, her lips on his. He just wanted what he'd thrown away before. He'd pay any price.

"How much, young lady, for oak with the inlay?" he asked, cursing himself for his cowardice.

[Moonlit Raven]

"For liviol and oak that would be 200 gold" Elena yawned slightly, a hand politely covering her mouth. She sat back on the stool she kept behind the counter. For a moment the loose silk of her dress conformed to her body, a slight bulge in normally flat stomach was shown just before the silk slid, settling across her body. The small budge was hidden form sight once more.

"Have you give any thought to steel caps on the ends to protect the wood from blunt damage?"

[Skie and Avery]

"Prevalida would be best for caps," he said as he watched her expectantly. His voice, however, was far and away. Tired, and showing. How long had it been since she'd left? How long did it take her to replace him? Would she really come back, now that she was having the child of another man. As his rage intensified, he found it harder to keep the illusion. Old grey eyes were slipping into green hues, his hair darkened at the roots. The shake in his hand only worsened, and though some of the meade sloshed from his cup, they did not stain his garments. He was losing the details, the way the stitches at the arms seemed to fray.

The thought of her and another would be his undoing.

[Moonlit Raven]

Elena didn't miss the man's stare at her stomach. She lightly laid a hand over the small bump.

"Experienced eyes never miss anything do they? Do you have children and grandchildren?' Elena smiled at the old man fondly, he seemed a sweet enough man. 'This little one came into being from a nightmarish experience. Life is life and no matter how it was created I'll keep it. This one I won't lose."

"Are you okay?' Elena asked concerned as the tremors became worse. 'Kale! Get one of the girls out here to help me." Elena yelled towards the back room.

"They are not here." Kale answered as he appeared in the open door way. Elena sent him a surprised stare.

"When did they leave? Did they say anything?"

"They left early this morning, the blond one said they would be back around dark." Kale vanished back into the back room as Elena expression darkened to a shade slightly lighter than murderous. Muttering under her breath about spies and traitors. With a visible effort she forced a more pleasant expression before turning back to the old man.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

[Skie and Avery]

He held up his hands, bowing his head.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Just old age, of which we all must succumb." He stopped, leaned back, biting his lip. His anger was abating. He had created this life in her, with his final act, and she still had it. Perhaps not all dreams crumble to dust, not all things must end badly. Things, however, must end. He knew that the longer he stay, the more he became prone to completely let go of his illusion and reveal himself to a woman who might not want to see him.

"I think I shall take the staff, oak with liviol inlay, and prevalida caps. Just having the staff should help enormously, my dear." He avoided the question of children of his own. He no longer wanted to see her worry or heartache. He wanted to leave with her smile, his light.

[Moonlit Raven]

Elena eyed the old man skeptically, still slightly worried for the man.

"Not a problem, I'll need half of the gold now and when you come to pick it up in a day you can pay the rest."She stood up and respectfully came around the counter to help the man to his feet and escort him to the door.

[Skie and Avery]

He left the money with her that he needed, and spent most of the night watching the building. It took all of his self control to keep from following her into the night, finding out where she was staying. When he saw her step outside for a moment to change the store's sign to "closed", he made himself turn away and wander.

The next day he came in again, much more composed, his illusion stronger than it had been the previous day. As he hobbled inside, he looked around again for the object of his desire, and the staff of which he had commissioned her.

[Moonlit Raven]

Elena looked up as the door closed, the oiled cloth in her hand still on the wood she was passing time by polishing the staff to a higher sheen.

"Good morning Grandfather. Sleep well?" Elena called cheerfully. Elena set the staff aside and stood up, she started slightly at a light tug upon her clothing. looking down she spotted her newest fosterling. Glancing quickly up at the old man she knelt down by Gorv.

"Yes?' Elena looked him over and fought back a smile at the sight of bare feet. 'Where are your shoes? You don't want to get splinters in your feet, they will hurt."

"They feel funny and Kale is picking on me." Gorv said, his small features a study in frustration. Elena couldn't help herself, she started laughing. Lightly she hug the boy to soothe the rumpled emotional feathers.

"I'll tell you what, you stay out here with me until after I finish helping out this gentleman then I'll pick on Kale with you. After all I'm still bigger than he is. Is that okay?" Elena smiled at the nod and gleeful smile. Picking up Gorv, she set the seven year old up on the stool next to the counter.

"You'll have to excuse us. This is Gorvache, call him Gorv, my newest fosterling.' Elena glanced at the child and smiled. 'Perhaps I should open a orphanage. Now then, your staff is ready for you sir."

[Skie and Avery]

Almost reluctantly, he left the rest of the gold on the table, watching her with wary eyes. She was close enough to touch, once he'd hobbled over to the table, and his eyes smiled on the child at her side kindly for a moment before turning back to her.

"You have a way with children." he commented lowly. She would have made a wonderful mother, and he'd welcomed the murderer of thier child in with open arms, and a kiss on the cheek. She'd been right before she left. He'd been the cause of their misery. He blinked quickly to clear away his misty eyes, and hoped that he could gain the staff quickly.

To see something his beautiful so closely, to keep his trembling hands from reaching out and cupping her cheek, to deny to her what he was and how he loved her was a venom that he was injecting into his own blood just by standing here. Quod me nutrit me destruit. She was the life inside him. She was the death he felt now.

[Moonlit Raven]

"I think most women do, after all, children are our most precious gifts.' Elena gently touched Gorv's smooth cheek. 'Even if we don't bear them our selves they are precious and special."

Elena nodded and carelessly swept the coins close to Gorv to watch over and play with. With a murmured word to look after the coins and 'be good' Elena rounded the counter to escort the old man to the door.

"Come back when you have need of anything, or even just to chatter. I'm sure my boys will love to play with you." Elena leaned in and placed a light kiss on the man’s cheek. The texture of the skin beneath her lips did not match what she knew to be there with her eyes. The flesh was smooth and firm, a big difference from the weather skin the older man had. Elena drew away slightly, she held the frown she knew was forming back and glanced at the man out of the corner of her eye.

“Have a good day, and take care of your self.” Elena murmured quietly as she opened the door for the old man.

[Skie and Avery]

The staff in hand that would allow him to do what may be the most heinous backstep on their love that he could think of, Avery let her kiss him. His fear sprang into his eyes for a moment, and he wondered if she'd demand to know what was going on. Instead, her eyes watching him like a hawk, she graciously showed him to the door. So elegant, his woman, never missing a step. He pined for her more powerfully in that moment than he ever had.

As the door came open, clanging the little bell so cheerfully, two figures began to move inwards. As Avery stepped to the side, his staff knocking on the wooden floor, he caught the eye of one of them. Expressive hazel eyes, and dark hair streaked through with blonde. He faced Illaniel of the royal guard, and his breath stood still in his throat. Illusions were useless on other Moontae, and he knew that as surely as he saw her, so honest and open in her nudity and strength, she saw him and the web of magic his illusion placed around him. The second figure entered, Serraphiel, and while both girls tried to hide their shock behind their eyes, they paused for a moment in their entrance.

"Is something wrong?" Serraphiel spat, anger in her eyes as she stepped defensively between Avery and Elena, her shoulder pressing against the Queen's in protection.

"I was just leaving, ladies, after finishing some business," the old man said, forcing an illusion blush to his cheeks as he seemed to look away from the nude ladies. Rushing forward, he barreled out the door, stepping onto the sidewalk and turned back towards the little shop. His staff in his hand, and through the open doorway, the oaken barrier kept open by Elena's delicate hand, he could see her. She glowed in pregnancy, the cradle and the cauldron of life. His heart broke as she looked at him with suspicion, her brown eyes defensive now that the girls had their hands gripped tightly on their weapons. He knew she didn't know yet why they were on guard, and he didn't want her to hear from them of his deceit. The staff in his hand, the lingering warmth and softness of her kiss on his scruffy cheek, Avery dropped the illusion he'd hidden under the last two days.

Standing in the street, a tear running down his face though he didn't notice the wet sting in his eyes, the broken King of Beauty mouthed his goodbyes and turned and walked away. The crowds enclosed around him, and he was gone.

[Moonlit Raven]

Elena looked from Illianiel to Serraphiel, a shiver of apprehension coursed down her spine. Coupled with the sensations of the kiss she had laid on the man and the girl’s tension Elena just knew something was horribly wrong. Who or what did I sell that staff too?

The old man passed through her doorway, a flush staining his withered cheeks as he looked away from Illianiel and Serraphiel. Elena watched him stop on the street. A gasp left her she the old man changed, her husband stood there where the old man was. For a long moment she stared at him, feeling numb. She was unsure if she was angry, surprised or simply afraid. Elena felt her throat close up and tears burn her eyes as she drank in the clean lines of his body.

Her mouth opened and closed several times, trying to force a noise against the knot strangling her. Words of longing, anger and love crowded in her mind. Elena found the girl’s gripping her arms as she strained against them to chase after Avery.

“Avery!” Elena found herself crying out as he disappeared into the crowds, her voice catching in a sob. A harsh sob tore itself from her chest as she collapsed, letting the girl’s bear her back into the shop, locking it for the day.

Inside she let them hover over her after they placed her in a softly padded chair in the comfortable room created in the back room for them. Warm bodies pressed against her legs, Elena looked up to see her fosterlings clinging to her, tears of confused sympathy and pain brightening their eyes. She gathered the two boys into her lap and held them to her, crying in their hair as they grasped her with slender fingers that bit into her.

That felt like more of a goodbye then when he, he raped me. Elena looked up at her protectors and friends. Elena felt a distant pang of surprise to see both women angry, it surprised her even more that Serraphiel also bore tears in her eyes.

“Goodbye?” She whispered to them, asking wordlessly if her fear was true.



[Transaction completed. Skie and Avery loses 700 gold and gains 100 EXP for good IC interactions.[/ooc]