Re: On my knees

do mei 24, 2018 5:59 pm

HOW DO YOU LET GO

when you’re still holding on

When he was finally released, the vampire couldn’t get up fast enough. He moved a bit away from her, subtly of course. Though he made sure to stay close to Lexa. He didn’t trust this woman one bit. Aside from the obviously strange behaviour, there was something else about her. Something he couldn’t really pinpoint at the moment. Until she walked closer to him again, staring him directly into his eyes. He wasn’t paying attention to her whispered blabbering. What he did notice though, was.. That she was not breathing. Only when she took a breath to speak. In the meantime? Nothing.

‘So he’s free to go. For now.’

That was his cue. Freedom. He turned to the Commander and pulled up his eyebrow. ”Was there anything else you wanted to show me, or are we going back?” He asked her, as calm as possible. He didn’t want to pressure her into leaving if she wasn’t finished with her story yet. Even though this Child spooked him by just being there, he wanted to show he wouldn’t let her scare him away. Not if Lexa had other important things to share.

do mei 24, 2018 6:06 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

This woman made the Commander feel as if a nightmare had awakened. And perhaps it had. She had never seen her before and she sure hoped she never would see her again. Something, however, told her that she would. The Child told Mort that he was free, even if it was only for now, which seemed enough for Mort to ask if she wanted to show him anything else, or if they were going back. “No, we’re not done yet,” she said, turning towards the Child again. She would not let a story of the Mother be interrupted by a Child.

“I assume we are, though?” she asked the Child, who looked over her left shoulder, then her right, before turning to her Commander again. Nod. ‘I’m looking forward to your Conclave, Commander,’ the Child smiled, before making a slight bow. She sheathed her weapon and turned around, moving through a different door than the one they had come in through.

A few minutes was all it took before Lexa let out the deepest sigh of her life. “Meet the Mountain People,” she told Mort, finally ripping her gaze away from the door and looking at the vampire. “They’re the Guardians of the Temple, as you probably got by now.” Another sigh. Not quite what she had expected to find here.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mort.

FL*

do mei 24, 2018 6:45 pm

HOW DO YOU LET GO

when you’re still holding on

Those pale blue eyes.. He would not easily forget them. This whole encounter, for that matter, would be on his mind for a few weeks. Luckily he didn’t sleep. He was quite sure she would visit him in his dreams if he did. Her behaviour was more than strange. It gave him an unsettling feeling. And Lexa seemed to feel it too. That was even more upsetting. At least the Child still answered to her as Commander. So she had to obey when she was told to leave. Mort watched her walk away, noticed again how she was not breathing. His hand moved to his throat again, where the cut was almost closed already. She had been so fast.. So quiet.. A perfect predator.

“Meet the Mountain People,” Lexa said, pulling him out of his thoughts. He observed her for a second. He wondered why the Child kept saying he was cursed, while using ‘vampire’ as some sort of insult while she was clearly.. ”Are all of them vampires?” He asked, keeping his blue eyes fixed on her. He somehow got the feeling.. Lexa didn’t know.

do mei 24, 2018 7:07 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

‘Are all of them vampires?’ The question caused the Commander to frown deeply. Was Mort still joking? The mountain people were strange, sure. They weren’t all like this one, however. Which was the reason that Lexa immediately knew who this had to be. The Bringer of War, as the legends said. The Mountain Men were supposed to have five leaders at all time. One of them was the bringer of War, a warrior supposed to outdo the Commander in battle without a sweat. Lexa had always laughed it off, told people she doubted it. Today she wondered if it might be true after all.

“They’re not vampires, they’re blessed by the Mother,” she spoke, clearly confused as to why Mort would say such a graceless thing. “I assume she’s their Warrior,” she decided to explain. That’s why she outsped Mort. Simple training. No other explanation needed. The mountain people definitely weren’t vampires.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mort.

FL*

do mei 24, 2018 7:22 pm

HOW DO YOU LET GO

when you’re still holding on

Right after speaking his mind, he already regretted asking his question. It had insulted her, so much was clear. The confusion was visible in her eyes as she spoke. “They’re not vampires, they’re blessed by the Mother,” She replied. Blessed by the Mother.. With the same condition as he was supposedly cursed with? It made no sense. The vampire bit his tongue while he looked at the ground for a second. Could he have been wrong? Fair, there were a couple of things that were.. Strange about this Warrior. She seemed to be lost inside her own world, while still present in this one. As if she was somewhere in between, seeing things they simply couldn’t. Maybe she was truly blessed by the Mother, with some kind of magic.

”I’m sorry, I didn’t want to insult you, or the Mother”, He said, eyes still fixed on the ground while he made a slight bow to her. He had simply assumed it because of the heartbeat issue. But he decided not to mention that right now. Not after he had seen how it made her upset with him. The male straightened his back again, a warm smile around his lips. He looked at her in anticipation, waiting for her to continue her story.

do mei 24, 2018 7:40 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

“Don’t worry,” Lexa immediately told Mort as he bowed. She didn’t like it when he did it, made her feel like she was in the wrong for almost forgetting about her Commander business when she was near him. “It’s just… something else, I guess,” she then vaguely explained. She had spent so much time recently on researching which facts about their Mother were true and what not. Vampires did not fit in the story and she wasn’t having any of it. A deep sigh was enough to shrug it off for now, though.

“Anyhow,” she started, “back to what we came here for.” She started walking to the middle, to eventually stop by the coffin. On top of it, a name was written. “Ceres is the name of our Mother,” she spoke, putting her hand on the coffin and showing Mort a slight smile. “She was the most caring, beautiful woman anyone had ever seen. You can imagine how they felt when she too, eventually, died,” she explained softly. “Even more so when the coffin was empty when they opened it a few hours later.”

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mort.

FL*

do mei 24, 2018 8:38 pm

HOW DO YOU LET GO

when you’re still holding on

After his apology, she luckily forgave him right away. Hopefully the Mother was as forgiving as she was. Didn’t she mention how loving and caring she was? As long as she wasn’t much like the Warrior that had just left the room. Was she even really gone though? She had no heartbeat, so he wouldn’t know. Which was kind of unnerving. But would she disobey the Commander? He would just have to trust that she had. Meanwhile Lexa walked over to the middle of the room, back to the coffin, to continue after they had been interrupted.

The vampire had his own thoughts about everything, but he kept them to himself. Probably for the better. ”The Children must have felt very sad”, He commented softly. He knew exactly how it felt. To lose everything in just the blink of an eye. He had lost both his parents and his brother on that day the demons had taken over control. And even though Kaz was still alive, in some way.. He feared he would never have that same bond with him again.

do mei 24, 2018 8:59 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

Lexa showed Mort a smile. “She was the one who showed the people where the grounds were best to settle down on. She told them about the monsters that hunted our lands. She ensured survival in an area harsh as this,” she spoke, falling quiet for a second before she continued. “She also came up with the Conclave, to finally end the commoner’s internal wars. Ever since her decision, the Commander has been respected,” she explained. If it had not been for the Mother, would they have a ruler like other countries did? Probably.

“But, the reason I took you here,” she then said, still smiling. “Was because it was my first adventure. My friend took me here right before the Conclave. We ignored the rumors of traps and death. If this would kill us, we wouldn’t make it through the Conclave anyhow,” she recalled, before looking back at Mort. “I hoped that in a way, you’d understand. Our people are different from yours, but somewhere, they just do it out of belief.” Now if only that Mountain girl hadn’t interrupted them, she could have actually gotten that point across.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mort.

FL*

do mei 24, 2018 9:44 pm

HOW DO YOU LET GO

when you’re still holding on

Again, he had learned a lot today. He was grateful she wanted to share all that, with an outsider. Even though she had accepted him as one of her people, it was still a great honour. The more she shared with him, the more he could understand certain decisions she made, or why some people acted like they did. He also gathered more information about her, as a person. Which was exciting in its own way. He wanted to know as much as possible about her. She was such an interesting individual and he loved it when she shared anything personal with him.

”I never really believed in anything. Not in any God, you know. But I understand how communities can be built on faith. I think it gives them a sense of belonging, something to have in common. That by itself was always really fascinating to me”, He reacted with a smile. He had read enough books about ancient civilisations, worshipping all kinds of Gods. Then it didn't matter if they were seen as weird or different by other people. They always had each other, and the comfort of the presence of their God. And he hoped the Children could find safety in the embrace of their Mother for a long time after today.

do mei 24, 2018 10:04 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

Mort explained how he had never truly believed in a God. His following words caused her to smile again. “I’ve had my doubts,” she admitted. It felt horrible to admit that in the Temple, like she was confessing her sins. “It was why I was in Rhoynar,” she softly went on. “I’ve spent a lot of time… finding my faith. If her body wasn’t here,” she spoke, softly, looking at the coffin. “Then it should be somewhere, right?” A slight shrug. She wanted to know what it was. The Mountain People were so… certain. If you spoke to one of them long enough, you realised that to them it wasn’t… just a faith. It was almost like a rule of life. Like they had proof of some kind.

“Anyhow,” she went on, “now that you haven’t burned alive after entering Her Holy Grounds, I think my people should accept you too.” She grinned at the thought, before a more serious expression found its way to her face again. “Though I wished our Warrior had been a bit more gentle,” she then sighed. “My apologies.” If any other person had done the same, she would have scolded them. Told them she’d tie them up if they tried again. The Commanders of the Mountain Men, however… A shiver was sent across her spine. She’d rather not.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mort.

FL*

do mei 24, 2018 10:25 pm

HOW DO YOU LET GO

when you’re still holding on

Quietly, she admitted she had been cast astray from her faith. She had been struggling to get it back. Looking for answers that she might never get. Again, he decided not to mention any of his suspicions. She would not want to hear them anyway and he didn’t want to get her angry at him. ”Maybe they took it somewhere where she could rest in peace without having her grave crowded with people”, He suggested instead. They had the Temple to grieve the loss and to worship her memory. ”If you find her in your heart, you don’t need her remains to feel her love, right?” He asked carefully, wondering if he was going too far again or not.

The vampire chuckled amused when she joked about him not burning alive. ”It went pretty well”, He grinned. Actually it had been a mess, like usual. If he had been human, he could have died at least twice today. His hand went to his throat again. ”I think she was gentle”, He noted, a shiver going down his spine. He wouldn’t want to see that woman angry. ”We should be heading back though. If we want to make it back before dark”, He said. He actually had no idea how long they had spent in here, but it sure felt like an eternity.

do mei 24, 2018 11:09 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

Mort didn’t quite seem to understand the issue, causing her to shake her head with a soft smile. “I guess,” she decided. She shouldn’t be telling people about her doubts in religion anyways. It was dumb. Looking into the eyes of the Bringer of War, had been the first moment where she truly had felt the absence of Her presence. It had made her feel… threatened. And not in the way that her challengers made her feel. More like it was her position on the line, not her life. As if one wrong word to this woman could make her world fall apart. A strange feeling. One that couldn’t be true, now, could it?

Lexa sighed, before nodding when Mort told her they should head back. “Sounds like a good idea,” she spoke with a slight smile, turning back and stepping towards the stairs. At least she had showed him the most important place in Vanaheim. The place most Children would never in their life visit. “Do you want me to drop you off at the Heart or...?” she asked with a slight frown. She had no clue what he wanted, but it would be a good one to know. He hadn’t told her where he would be spending the night and while he was welcome at her place, she would understand if he wasn’t up for that.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mort.

FL*

do mei 24, 2018 11:39 pm

HOW DO YOU LET GO

when you’re still holding on

After all that had happened, he could use a bed. Not to sleep, no, but he felt like he needed rest. Some place safe to relax. He had been on edge for quite some time now, and it was mentally exhausting. It was in times like this he missed sleeping. Like actually being tired, going to bed and wake up refreshed. When he suggested going back, she immediately agreed. The vampire followed her towards the steps. The road back felt like it would take another eternity. Why was this place so damn big? Surely, the Mother would have been happy with a smaller tombe, or wouldn’t she?

“Do you want me to drop you off at the Heart or...?” She asked with a frown on her face. Mort bit down on his tongue for a second, while focussing on the steps. His heart screamed no. It was almost impossible to bear the thought of being separated from her again. But he had to be careful. Things had changed, even though he wanted to persevere that it hadn’t. ”Do you want me to spend the night there?” He decided to ask. Because honestly he didn’t want to be the one making this decision right now.

do mei 24, 2018 11:52 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

‘Do you want me to spend the night there?’

Yes. Because at this point, things were complicated. Not wanting to get her hopes up, it would be the best decision for both of them to spend the night apart. Then the next day, she could show him around the city itself. Show him the people who were actually friendly. Somewhat. To their own. Okay, maybe not that friendly. But, it would be a whole lot safer than their journey today and she wouldn’t mind spending another day with him. This time calmer. Just… get over this hurdle they needed to get by. One step at a time.

“No,” was her answer. “Of course I don’t,” she sighed, unconsciously quickening her pace a bit, stepping over a wire and dodging the next one with ease. Of course she didn’t want him to be somewhere else. She wanted him. As often as she possibly could. She wanted him to join her in her bed and just… fall asleep feeling completely safe again. It was a feeling she only ever so rarely felt. A feeling only he could give her. Even though now might not be the correct time for that, she couldn’t help but yearn for it.

NOTES, none
TAGS, Mort.

FL*

vr mei 25, 2018 12:21 am

HOW DO YOU LET GO

when you’re still holding on

If he had thought before that it they had a complicated relationship, he was now pretty fucking sure about that. Everything had changed since that day he had found Lexa standing over Kaz, spear in hand and ready to push it through his heart. But he refused to believe all was lost. No, there had to be a way. And he would find it. He cared too much about her to just let it go. It would get complicated and they might get hurt in the process. But if love wasn’t worth fighting for, hurting for, then what was?

“No,” She eventually said. “Of course I don’t,” She continued. There it was again. The warm feeling in his chest. She was walking faster, and Mort kept his distance for only a short while. He felt like she needed some space for a bit. When they arrived at the bottom of the stairs though, he caught up with her again. Carefully reaching for her hand once more. ”I don’t want that either”, He admitted softly, a gentle smile around his lip. What a mess they were. But a beautiful one, for sure.