Heleion Archives

Night slowly descended upon the fort towering over the golden meadows, the lonely forest. Its gloomy, wet-like walls glistened as the moon’s silvery light shone upon them, while in the large courtyard, lamps rose forth the earth and cast their moody warm lights to those still patrolling or heading towards the taverns at the southern and northern gate.

Veronirth herself felt ever more tired than usual and for the first time since their arrival she did not look forward for the nightly patrol in the main structure towering at the center of the fort. Its rooftop like the others were stylistically articulated to resemble a blooming lotus rose, the very same sewn onto the back of their coats, blouses and corset-vests. Though unlike with their clothing where it merges into the whole pieces, the metallic sculptures shimmered in a contrasting snow silver while the metallic roots themselves slithered downwards between the windows.

“Are you alright Veronirth?” Venerated-Sister Sumevarina’s deep voice halted in her tracks as she headed towards the northern tavern to get some food. “Yeah… it was just a long day.” Veronirth said tiredly as the two headed into the imposing establishment, her words were interjected by the grumbling of her stomach and the merry noises reverberating within the walls.

The interior itself was a mixture of mahogany walls, floor, counters, tables and columns of a deeper shade, while the coated walls were a bright snow white. On the white ceiling, hexagonal blooming rose shaped lamps were welded on, the floor itself were mostly shrouded by dozens of lavish carpets imported from both the southern and northern heimrad.

The two headed straight for the one of the tables at the eastern section’s window where one of the waitresses swiftly rushed and took their orders. Veronirth herself desired a saucy pork stew with northern naukedli – a thicker kind of dumpling – while Sumevarina herself just ordered two beers.

“Here, it’s on me.” Venerated-Sister Sumevarina lived up to her title once more in Veronirth’s eyes as she accepted the offer.

As they waited for their orders at their table, the cold night wind entered the interior just as Milla and Nabeela entered and quickly noticed her and Sumevarina. The two rushed towards her and began to bombard her with questions. Nabeela mostly inquired on her well-being after the attack, Milla on the other hand – and to Veronirth’s slight annoyance – asked about the interrogation lesson.

For the third time that day, Venerated-Sister Sumevarina lived up to her title in Veronirth’s eyes as she calmed the two down and told them they can talk about it at the weekend when they will have their break. While Nabeela to her usual self just looked a bit apologetic – prompting Veronirth to pat her head – Milla looked a bit unsatisfied as she was keen on learning more torturous illusion techniques. Though Veronirth wanted to correct her, she kept silent.

As time was against her, Veronirth swiftly began to consume her dinner while Milla and Nabeela waited for their orders. To her horror halfway through her dinner, the waitress brought a large plate full of bums and juicy ogre sausages to Nabeela and Milla.

“What?” Her eyes once more lost their light as she watched the two joyfully devour their food. “Nothing. Just a long day.” She said in a husky tone as she averted her eyes from the sausages onto her own half-empty plate and hastened putting the food into her stomach.

“If I had to guess, Vanynda left her mark on you, didn’t she?” Then came the dagger of betrayal from her once Venerated-Sister Sumevarina to which she lightly nodded.

“Was it that bad?” Nabeela asked quite innocently as she swallowed a piece of the sausage. Then she stopped when the two nodded their heads while Milla looked confused as she thought Veronirth’s nerves were made out of mythrinite. Then she froze to at the realization that tomorrow, she shall have her lesson with Vanynda and gulped audibly at the prospect of witnessing the same as Veronirth who was once more visible shaken by the events.

“Honestly if I knew it would shake her this much, I’d have given her this, but take it Milla. It shall help coping.” The enthusiasm she had previously started to fade when Sumevarina zipped down her coat and reached into her inner waist pocket. From it she retrieved a vial of bright bluish shade and handed it to the noble girl. As Nabeela watched it, she thanked Myelia for guiding her towards a path where she won’t need to possess skills in the art of torture.

Veronirth burped loudly after she gulped down her beer then rose from her seating. “Thank you once again Venerated-Sister.” She bowed deeply and swiftly then bid farewell to the others as the hour of nightly patrol duty approached hastily.

On her way out she faltered a little as she saw Vanynda finishing a bottle of wine with a few of her fellow Sisters. Before she could continue on, the door opened and the sweet, mildly caustic odor hit her nose just as she stood face to face with a towering, athletic woman of northern blood with long moderately wavy hair of an auburn shade wearing a combination of military trousers with dozens of pouches on the sides, a deep red tunic with a V-shaped neck revealing her buoyant cleavage adorned by a tattoo of a celestial archer.

A smile curved onto the tall naurdian’s wide lips as she offered to buy her another drink. For a short moment, Veronirth wanted to accept it, but then she noticed the clock and with a quick apology rushed out of the tavern and towards the main building. The smile on her face faded as she stared through the small window of the door and watched Veronirth disappear at the turn.

**

A gentle cold wind blew the golden meadows and even battered the walls softly, slithering above and rustling even the stiff, imposing collars of sharp triangular shape of the lone and haunting beauty of an umbral elven drengriar. The small scarlet pearls of hers glimmered as she watched the few willows near the road leading southwards rustle as she made her way slowly towards the next tower while holding the heavy rapid mana gun over her shoulder, the strap cutting into the still seamless surface of her Agaevarh Type-I short coat while the metallic silken cloak gently wavered as the wind found its way to it.

Her slow march came to an end at the gaping dark doorway leading further into the circular tower shrouding her eerily graceful form from the tender light of the moon. With one thin line of an eyebrow raised, she heaved a sigh at the black dragonkin Sister of hers once more slipping out during her duty.

She straightened the strap of her Khriss Type-VI continuing into the rectangular archway into the shadow nested tower unaware of the hidden presence waiting for her. Just as she stepped into the cozy, dimly lit interior of rich mahogany floor and vibrant burgundy painted walls, the shadowy figure clasped one hand over her lips and cheeks, their index and middle fingers locked together, violet streaks of lightning zapping around them and into her forehead as they pushed it against her forehead.

With a soft yelp, she fell into their hands, her the back of her knee-high dragonid leather boots scraped against the floor as they dragged her across the room, then placed her beside the unconscious black dragonkin.

The lean, shadowy figure then reached towards their right temple with their hand. “South-Western Tower, clear.” They uttered in a husky whisper then they began to prepare six coils of thick enchanted rope and a full roll of deep silver sealing tape.

**

“Is it really going to be that bad?” Milla asked as she was slightly drunk after gulping down half of her honeyed mead. The dark collars of her blouse stood slanted pressing against the contrasting, reflective silken inner walls of her coat’s collars while she herself slumped her chin onto the table, staring at the vial given to her by Sumevarina who headed out for some fresh air.

“I think you’re going to be fine. Maybe it is a prank.” Nabeela said with a much firmer tone than her usual thanks to the alcohol. “I have no doubt of you withstanding whatever happened with Verinorth.”

“You’re right. If I managed to face a Dead-Sculptor head on, I can do whatever happened in that cell.” Milla sprung up momentarily almost headbutting off her keg as she confidently spoke for a moment, though she slumped back a little in the end. “Or am I? I mean Vero saw that too and even leapt head first at it.”

“True, but who knows, maybe miss Vanynda shall be lenient with you.” Nabeela said as she too slumped backwards in her chair, burying her olive toned face into her collars matching her vivid hair in shade.

Milla solemnly gazed at her than moistened her throat. “Hope not. A part of me weirdly curious what she witnessed today.”

“In the worst case, we can ask her what happened on the weekend as Venerated-Sister Summerina said.” They did not get it out of her.

“Hmmm, yeah we should probably make her drink a lot though just in case.” As she said, her sight glued onto the tall auburn woman Veronirth almost ran into while exiting and watched as she talked with a snow blonde alfrith drengriar sporting a pretty long hair reaching down almost to her waist with braids circling around like water flowing down on the jagged rock surfaces. And who in a rare occasion was shorter than the naurdian by a head.

The more she stared at the auburn, the more she felt a strange sensation, the more she saw a faint transparent bluish mist lingering around her body, framing it like an aura. Though it evaporated the moment she blinked to moisten her eyes in the dampened interior filled with the mixed scent of food and the Black Roses.

As they continued formulating their plan on how to get the information out of Veronirth the safest way, Milla’s gaze moved back and forth from Nabeela to the two talking and laughing. Occasionally her gaze stopped on Nabeela’s eyes, with the inner being a bright gold, the outer regions of her pupil a deep shade of amber.

Without noticing it, as if she cast an illusion at herself, Milla stood up from the chair and sat beside Nabeela and now she stared both at her narrow and silken cushion soft lips as she began to ramble seemingly endlessly and the two who stood up and headed for the stairs.

“Milla are you alright?” Nabeela asked as she tilted her heads sideways. “Yeah, it’s just… nothing.” She said with a defeated tone as she stared solemnly at her reflection in the honeyed mead.

“By the way, where is miss Summorina?”

**

Natalya, a delicate appearing naurdian drengriar leaned against the metallic pole of one of the lamps while she was taking a short smoke break. Her slim crimson, braided ponytail of her otherwise deep raven black hair pressed against the cold metal while under the light, the rest emitted a refined glow.

Just as her fingers pressed against the metallic dragon head of the necktie – pouring mana into it – to loosen its grip, she watched as two of the merchants exited the southern tavern and headed for their carts.

“Ah! Sorry but could you help me for a moment?” As Natalya finished her cigarette, the corpulent dwarf called out to her in a meek tone while he scratched his temple with his yellowed thumb nail.

“Sure. What can I help with?” She quickly flicked the burgundy filter away while also conjuring a spark which consumed it within seconds.

“Ah, there are a few more of the “jolly” supplies we brought for the tavern, but most of the others already passed out drunk saying we can leave the unloading for tomorrow.” While he explained, she eyed the lean sraudornian man with a receding hairline and in ragged clothes that were once probably of high quality.

“Sure, though would it be a problem if one bottle of whisky disappeared?” Natalya asked in a cheeky tone as her iridescent eyes wandered onto the crate with a familiar logo printed onto it. The dwarf nodded with a delightful smile under the heavy jungle of a graying brown beard almost scraping the ground.

Contrary to what she expected the interior of the magicraft vehicles’ back compartment was filled with something different. Though she had little time to voice her surprise as the dusky attendant of the merchant quickly sprung into motion and covered her mouth with a wet rag oozing with a sweet, but slightly caustic scent.

Contrary once more, even with the enchantments empowering her, Natalya could not free herself from the hold of the man while she was forced into the back compartment. As the soft noise of her struggle died down in tandem with her struggle, the dwarf reached into his refined purple coats’ pocket and threw the roll of silver sealing tape to his comrade.

“Be quick. A distinguished one may have noticed us.” He said with a poisonous stare and tone.

“I’m not sure. Just in case keep her idle for a moment until I finish this one.” The dusky man said while he used his teeth to rip wide open the tape then quickly slammed shut the doors.

**

“Huh.” Milla uttered subconsciously as she noticed the aelfrith drengriar walk down alone from the stairs and hurry out the tavern.

Noticing it, Nabeela straightened her posture and faced Milla. “What is it?”

Milla straightened her posture and began to tap her chiseled chin as if she was some detective coming to a realization. “I just noticed that Sister of ours heading up with one of the merchant folks, yet less than half an hour later, she walked down alone.”

Nabeela’s cheeks reddened while she quickly looked around, searching for the aelfrith already gone, though she only noticed Vanynda standing up and straightening her coat with awkward movements.

“She is already gone. Let’s check the room out.” Milla said as she swiftly rose from her chair and grabbed Nabeela who wavered a little the moment she got onto her feet. Halfway through between the other tables, she turned around and rushed back for the vial.

**

“Is everything… alright?” Sumevarina asked the corpulent dwarf as she walked tipsily towards the vehicle. In the dimly lit surrounding she barely missed her less-venerated Sister getting grabbed, though she did feel the strangely sweet, mildly caustic scent lingering in the air, carried by the wind into her face.

“Oh yeah, you just know how folks are on these gentle spring nights.” The dwarf said as he stood in her way as she walked towards the back door with quite the grim determination. Her sharp ears peeking out from behind her voluminous hair of a vibrant summer red twinkled as she picked out the muffled tearing noises coming from behind.

Her cheeks somewhat reddened as she completely misunderstood the events unfolding within the magicraft vehicle. “I see. What a shame.” She muttered while walking around the dwarf who with quite a futile effort tried to halt her march.

“That works I guess.” Just as she arrived at the back, the door’s swung open and sent her into the quickly arranged embrace of the dwarf, unconscious thanks to the mild state of drunkenness she was in. Without needing to say anymore words, the lean and dusky man grabbed her ankles and lifted her inside.

“What is going on here?” Then shit froze in them when a soft but commandeering voice came from behind them. They quickly dropped Sumevarina inside and readied into battle stances just as the aelfrith began to laugh.

“Calm down guys. Just a little prank.” She said while inspecting the contents within the vehicle. Two naked corpses emanating still with a fainter sweet but caustic scent, and two trussed up drengriars including Natalya and lastly the unconscious Sumevarina.

“Gods damn you, Sasha. You scared the shit out of me.” The dusky man said while his creased eyes surveyed their surroundings.

“Well let’s hope not. That would doom you too.” A wicked smug expression drawn onto her face as she turned around and walked away while waving her hands. “Come on, let’s hurry up. The poison should soon act up.” The dwarf said just as the dusky lean man gagged Sumevarina with a wide strip. As the tape pressed against her lips and cheeks, the eahrith drengriar emitted soft moan.

Right as he rolled her onto her stomach and stacked her wrists together on her back, the dwarf closed the door and with a calm demeanor walked towards the tavern where the sounds began to slowly die down.