Post by Eldrin/Vai on Jul 17, 2011 21:07:39 GMT -6
A young man wandered through the Lost Woods, following memories rather than a path. Thick layers of foliage crunched under his feet with every step he took. Old leaves crumbled at the slightest touch, mixing in with the dirt, returning the nutrients they had taken. A light breeze blew through the forest, rustling the young leaves that were still clinging to the trees. He ran his fingers across the bark of a tree, feeling the rough texture of the surface of the tree trunk. His hand continued to trail behind him as he moved on, lightly tearing through an intricate web of twigs and leaves. Golden sunlight shone through the thick forest canopy in patches, illuminating small pieces of the forest floor. The wildlife of the forest was moving all around him. Birds, serenading each other with sweet songs and fluttering through the canopy. Squirrels jumping and running through the trees in fine displays of acrobatic skill. Other small animals rustled the shrubs and bushes around him as they passed. A doe stood at a safe distance, watching the intruder warily.
Eldrin wore a white tunic with the right sleeve rolled up to the elbow. The left sleeve was covered by the thin leather bracer of Avarice, the steel claw blades gleaming in the sunlight every time he passed through it. The right sleeve was messily patched just below the shoulder with a square piece of scarlet cloth adorned with a black design of ivy spreading across it. Over his tunic he wore his usual mahogany brown vest. Of the vest's three buttons only the middle one was buttoned. The thief wore black breeches that stopped just below the knee, but not the boots that usually met the breeches at the knee. Instead he wore brown leather shoes with large brass buckles. Around the waist of his breeches he wore a leather belt with a similar brass buckle, though he did not need one. His lyre was strapped across his back, covering most of it. The grinning face of the Purloined Mask hung upside down against his chest from his collar, connected by a short piece of twine string. The edges of his mouth were curved slightly upward, a light, content smile. Sad, but happy. He was humming a lullaby as usual, and his loot bag was slung over his right shoulder.
As he walked the foliage covering the ground slowly faded to a dusty layer of soot and ash. Soon after the trees thinned, and finally yielded to a large opening. Once a pleasant grove, now a charred clearing. Light gray ash blanketed the ground and shifted in the breeze like desert sands. The blackened wood of burned foundations jutted out of the ash where buildings had once stood. "The Scorched Grove... Home of Fael, Soot City..." Eldrin thought as he slowly walked through the remains of the destroyed village. His thoughts drifted back to when he first awoke in the village... Nine years ago. This was the first time he had returned since he first left.
"So... You finally arrive." Frost's voice rang out, rousing Eldrin from his thoughts. The man stood in the center of the village, less than fifteen feet from the thief. His silvery-white hair had grown out again, and was now a little past his shoulders.
Eldrin smirked and met Frost's icy glare with his own warm gaze, ceasing his humming. "Oh, are you going to try to kill me again?" He asked pleasantly.
Frost dismissed the question and instead asked his own. "The lullaby... You're remember it?"
"Yes... It's the only thing I do remember." Eldrin answered absent-mindedly.
"It's no surprise really... Blue Apples... Silly lyrics to a sad melody... She always sang it to you during your attacks... It calmed you." He muttered, smiling somberly. His cold eyes softened for a moment.
Eldrin stared in confusion, his smile fading. "How do you know so much about me? Who are you really?" He asked.
Frost took a while to respond, he didn't even look at Eldrin for a while. Finally he looked back at the thief and spoke, "She was the only person that could soothe you... And I was the only person that could make you laugh... Don't you recognize me thief? Don't you recognize your big brother?"
Eldrin's eyes widened, he opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Brother? How could that be possible? And yet... How could it be impossible? Something... Intuition... Subconscious knowledge... Something told him that Frost wasn't lying. He just stared at the man... At his brother...
"Our mother, Maia, was a Sheikah... One of the ancient protectors of the Royal Family. Of course, she never even met the Royal Family. Instead she married a destitute Hylian thief named Asrin." Frost said, speaking quietly. Eldrin walked closer to properly hear, his feet leaving imprints in the soot. "Together they had two children. One inherited his father's features, blond hair and brown eyes. The other got his Sheikah mother's red eyes and black hair. They named the boy with black hair and red eyes Eldrin... After Asrin's grandfather." Frost paused and chuckled. "The other child, the blond boy, was sickly. Plagued by some unknown ailment, hardly able to stand most of the time. Eldrin, desperate to find a cure for his brother, searched constantly. Eventually he found a strange man, a merchant of masks. The man spoke of an enchanted mask with the capability of healing his brother, or 'making him happy' as the merchant put it. The mask merchant lent the mask to him on the condition that he would return it someday. Eldrin of course gave the mask to his brother." Frost frowned and looked around at the destroyed village. "The mask healed Eldrin's brother... But it required a heavy price. Everyone else in the village was killed, their abilities, powers, skills, even physical features, were all given selectively to the boy. Only the outstanding abilities of course, like the village guardian's ability to control fire. And only the features of those nearest to the boy. Mainly, his mother's black hair and Sheikah red eyes. Eldrin and his brother were the only survivors... Eldrin in the crumbled remains of his family home... His brother in the town square. The brother was rescued by that same mask merchant and later found by Maia's adopted sister, a Gerudo woman named Ayishe. Seeing that the boy had the features of his mother, Ayishe mistakenly declared him to be Eldrin." Frost smiled again as the thief gasped in realization. "Meanwhile, the real Eldrin awoke to find that his hair, once black as night, was now white as the moon... That was ten years ago... Since then Eldrin, the real one that is, was taken in by a woman named Quiralia Mir'Kanl. A woman in possession of a mystical pair of icy blue eyes that could control and freeze water. When she died she passed the eyes to him."
The thief was silent for a long time, before he finally responded to his brother. He looked up at Frost... No... at Eldrin, with his stolen red eyes. A smile spread across his face. "You know... I should be devastated... But... Somehow, I always knew... So that's why you have been trying to kill me. To get back what I stole... To regain your identity."
Eldrin smiled at his younger brother. "Yes, so... What do you say? One last battle. No powers. No ice. No fire. We fight for Eldrin... To determine who is more worthy to be him."
The thief chuckled, "Don't suppose we could just live happily ever after as brothers?"
Eldrin shook his head, staring at the setting sun through the trees.
"Then may the best man, that is of course myself, win!"
The brothers charged at one another suddenly, kicking up clouds of soot with each step. They met in the middle, the thief aiming a claw swipe at Eldrin's throat. Eldrin stepped back just in time, avoiding the razor sharp blades by an inch, and countered with a swipe from his own dagger. The thief caught Eldrin's hand and twisted it behind his back, forcing the dagger from his hand. Eldrin flipped his brother over his head, freeing himself in the process. The thief spun around, swinging the dagger with him as he moved. Eldrin kicked the dagger out of the thief's hand before he could get in a slash. The thief punched his brother in the face, Avarice tearing three slash marks into his cheek. Eldrin staggered backward, grasping his slashed cheek. Blood oozed through his fingers. "Heh heh, family..." He muttered, kicking ash up suddenly into the thief's eyes. The thief stumbled back, blinded. Eldrin followed with a roundhouse kick to his brother's head. The thief fell back, crashing to the ground in a cloud of ash.
Smiling triumphantly Eldrin jumped onto his brother, intent on strangling the life out of him. The thief sat up quickly, as if to escape, but Eldrin wrapped his hands around his brother's throat too fast. Suddenly, terrible pain shot through his abdomen. Eldrin's grip on the thief's neck loosened, then he completely let go. The thief rolled his brother off of him.
Eldrin breathed heavily, looking down at his own dagger stabbed into his gut. Blood soaked his shirt, his life drained away before his very eyes. He could have easily froze the wound over, but they had agreed, no powers. The thief knelt beside his brother, looking into his cold blue eyes. He held Eldrin close, not lovingly, but sympathetically. "Goodbye, Eldrin..."
Eldrin shook his head, "No... You... Your Eldrin now... You earned it. Consider it... A present... From your big brother."
The new Eldrin smiled, "Thank you... Brother..." He said, then unexpectedly, he began to sing. He didn't have a great voice, but not a terrible one either. He sung softly, as his brother closed his eyes and sung with him. As they neared the end of the lullaby Eldrin's brother's voice faded, then failed. Eldrin held his brother for a while before putting him down in the blood soaked soot. He pulled the dagger from his brother's stomach and removed the sheath from the corpse. He sheathed the dagger and strapped it to the back of his own belt.
(Ok, so pm me if you're confused... I know that was a lot. This thread is open to everybody etc. Blah blah blah... And um... I would really prefer that you say your characters witnessed all of this because I do NOT want to repeat all of that... Thanks ;D)
Eldrin wore a white tunic with the right sleeve rolled up to the elbow. The left sleeve was covered by the thin leather bracer of Avarice, the steel claw blades gleaming in the sunlight every time he passed through it. The right sleeve was messily patched just below the shoulder with a square piece of scarlet cloth adorned with a black design of ivy spreading across it. Over his tunic he wore his usual mahogany brown vest. Of the vest's three buttons only the middle one was buttoned. The thief wore black breeches that stopped just below the knee, but not the boots that usually met the breeches at the knee. Instead he wore brown leather shoes with large brass buckles. Around the waist of his breeches he wore a leather belt with a similar brass buckle, though he did not need one. His lyre was strapped across his back, covering most of it. The grinning face of the Purloined Mask hung upside down against his chest from his collar, connected by a short piece of twine string. The edges of his mouth were curved slightly upward, a light, content smile. Sad, but happy. He was humming a lullaby as usual, and his loot bag was slung over his right shoulder.
As he walked the foliage covering the ground slowly faded to a dusty layer of soot and ash. Soon after the trees thinned, and finally yielded to a large opening. Once a pleasant grove, now a charred clearing. Light gray ash blanketed the ground and shifted in the breeze like desert sands. The blackened wood of burned foundations jutted out of the ash where buildings had once stood. "The Scorched Grove... Home of Fael, Soot City..." Eldrin thought as he slowly walked through the remains of the destroyed village. His thoughts drifted back to when he first awoke in the village... Nine years ago. This was the first time he had returned since he first left.
"So... You finally arrive." Frost's voice rang out, rousing Eldrin from his thoughts. The man stood in the center of the village, less than fifteen feet from the thief. His silvery-white hair had grown out again, and was now a little past his shoulders.
Eldrin smirked and met Frost's icy glare with his own warm gaze, ceasing his humming. "Oh, are you going to try to kill me again?" He asked pleasantly.
Frost dismissed the question and instead asked his own. "The lullaby... You're remember it?"
"Yes... It's the only thing I do remember." Eldrin answered absent-mindedly.
"It's no surprise really... Blue Apples... Silly lyrics to a sad melody... She always sang it to you during your attacks... It calmed you." He muttered, smiling somberly. His cold eyes softened for a moment.
Eldrin stared in confusion, his smile fading. "How do you know so much about me? Who are you really?" He asked.
Frost took a while to respond, he didn't even look at Eldrin for a while. Finally he looked back at the thief and spoke, "She was the only person that could soothe you... And I was the only person that could make you laugh... Don't you recognize me thief? Don't you recognize your big brother?"
Eldrin's eyes widened, he opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Brother? How could that be possible? And yet... How could it be impossible? Something... Intuition... Subconscious knowledge... Something told him that Frost wasn't lying. He just stared at the man... At his brother...
"Our mother, Maia, was a Sheikah... One of the ancient protectors of the Royal Family. Of course, she never even met the Royal Family. Instead she married a destitute Hylian thief named Asrin." Frost said, speaking quietly. Eldrin walked closer to properly hear, his feet leaving imprints in the soot. "Together they had two children. One inherited his father's features, blond hair and brown eyes. The other got his Sheikah mother's red eyes and black hair. They named the boy with black hair and red eyes Eldrin... After Asrin's grandfather." Frost paused and chuckled. "The other child, the blond boy, was sickly. Plagued by some unknown ailment, hardly able to stand most of the time. Eldrin, desperate to find a cure for his brother, searched constantly. Eventually he found a strange man, a merchant of masks. The man spoke of an enchanted mask with the capability of healing his brother, or 'making him happy' as the merchant put it. The mask merchant lent the mask to him on the condition that he would return it someday. Eldrin of course gave the mask to his brother." Frost frowned and looked around at the destroyed village. "The mask healed Eldrin's brother... But it required a heavy price. Everyone else in the village was killed, their abilities, powers, skills, even physical features, were all given selectively to the boy. Only the outstanding abilities of course, like the village guardian's ability to control fire. And only the features of those nearest to the boy. Mainly, his mother's black hair and Sheikah red eyes. Eldrin and his brother were the only survivors... Eldrin in the crumbled remains of his family home... His brother in the town square. The brother was rescued by that same mask merchant and later found by Maia's adopted sister, a Gerudo woman named Ayishe. Seeing that the boy had the features of his mother, Ayishe mistakenly declared him to be Eldrin." Frost smiled again as the thief gasped in realization. "Meanwhile, the real Eldrin awoke to find that his hair, once black as night, was now white as the moon... That was ten years ago... Since then Eldrin, the real one that is, was taken in by a woman named Quiralia Mir'Kanl. A woman in possession of a mystical pair of icy blue eyes that could control and freeze water. When she died she passed the eyes to him."
The thief was silent for a long time, before he finally responded to his brother. He looked up at Frost... No... at Eldrin, with his stolen red eyes. A smile spread across his face. "You know... I should be devastated... But... Somehow, I always knew... So that's why you have been trying to kill me. To get back what I stole... To regain your identity."
Eldrin smiled at his younger brother. "Yes, so... What do you say? One last battle. No powers. No ice. No fire. We fight for Eldrin... To determine who is more worthy to be him."
The thief chuckled, "Don't suppose we could just live happily ever after as brothers?"
Eldrin shook his head, staring at the setting sun through the trees.
"Then may the best man, that is of course myself, win!"
The brothers charged at one another suddenly, kicking up clouds of soot with each step. They met in the middle, the thief aiming a claw swipe at Eldrin's throat. Eldrin stepped back just in time, avoiding the razor sharp blades by an inch, and countered with a swipe from his own dagger. The thief caught Eldrin's hand and twisted it behind his back, forcing the dagger from his hand. Eldrin flipped his brother over his head, freeing himself in the process. The thief spun around, swinging the dagger with him as he moved. Eldrin kicked the dagger out of the thief's hand before he could get in a slash. The thief punched his brother in the face, Avarice tearing three slash marks into his cheek. Eldrin staggered backward, grasping his slashed cheek. Blood oozed through his fingers. "Heh heh, family..." He muttered, kicking ash up suddenly into the thief's eyes. The thief stumbled back, blinded. Eldrin followed with a roundhouse kick to his brother's head. The thief fell back, crashing to the ground in a cloud of ash.
Smiling triumphantly Eldrin jumped onto his brother, intent on strangling the life out of him. The thief sat up quickly, as if to escape, but Eldrin wrapped his hands around his brother's throat too fast. Suddenly, terrible pain shot through his abdomen. Eldrin's grip on the thief's neck loosened, then he completely let go. The thief rolled his brother off of him.
Eldrin breathed heavily, looking down at his own dagger stabbed into his gut. Blood soaked his shirt, his life drained away before his very eyes. He could have easily froze the wound over, but they had agreed, no powers. The thief knelt beside his brother, looking into his cold blue eyes. He held Eldrin close, not lovingly, but sympathetically. "Goodbye, Eldrin..."
Eldrin shook his head, "No... You... Your Eldrin now... You earned it. Consider it... A present... From your big brother."
The new Eldrin smiled, "Thank you... Brother..." He said, then unexpectedly, he began to sing. He didn't have a great voice, but not a terrible one either. He sung softly, as his brother closed his eyes and sung with him. As they neared the end of the lullaby Eldrin's brother's voice faded, then failed. Eldrin held his brother for a while before putting him down in the blood soaked soot. He pulled the dagger from his brother's stomach and removed the sheath from the corpse. He sheathed the dagger and strapped it to the back of his own belt.
(Ok, so pm me if you're confused... I know that was a lot. This thread is open to everybody etc. Blah blah blah... And um... I would really prefer that you say your characters witnessed all of this because I do NOT want to repeat all of that... Thanks ;D)