Post by ◎Raineigh◎ on May 7, 2008 7:01:46 GMT -6
(( I am unsure just how many installations this will end up with, but here is the first part in my Shaaira series. Enjoy! ))
"Josha!"
The tiny Quel'dorei literally lept into the Human Paladin's arms as he entered into the modest home in little Tyr's Hand. Adorned in the most majestic armor she'd ever seen, Shaaira wondered if her brother looked like that too wherever he was stationed. She let her tiny fingers trace the different grooves in the gunmetal gray platemail, her eyes lingering on the different fuschia gems that looked like they pulsed with an unknown energy.
"Hey there Shay, how is my little Peanut? Still going to marry me when you're old enough?" He questioned, gazing down at her with his piercing honey-hued orbs. The freckle-faced elf he held made a tired expression and rolled her eyes.
"Uh... duh, Josha! I'ma be five soon!"
He feigned a gasp and smiled softly at her, setting her back down on the ground before putting his hands on his hips. "Five already? Well you better get a move on our wedding plans, or you will be an old lady before we make it to the chapel!" He kissed her forehead and mussed her auburn locks, resulting in her swatting uselessly at his hands.
"Joshua Addison. To what do we owe the pleasure?"
Kreo Chaand'i called as he entered the room, quickly followed by his wife Cirvani. Shaking the hand of his son's best friend, he gave him a smile and a pat on the shoulder. "I thought you and Athanasious were going to be stationed in Stratholme for a few more weeks? Don't tell me he sent you over here to tell us you both are in town while he's off visiting his fiancee first!"
The elder Chaand'i gaffawed at his own words, and Joshua shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Actually, I am here on the behalf of Athans, but..." he glanced down at Shaaira for a moment, running a plate-clad hand through his short midnight-colored hair. Kreo and Cirvani looked down at too at their tiny daughter before glancing worriedly at one another.
"Uh... honey, why don't you go upstairs and play while we talk with bubby's friend?" Her mother suggested gently, a slight shake in her voice. This elicited a stern frown on their toddler's face as she headed over and grabbed Joshua's hand.
"He's gonna be my hubban, its okay. We hafta hear da same things so we don't fight," she stated matter of factly. The young protection Paladin smiled sadly at her before he crouched down to her height.
"It's okay, hun. I promise whatever is said, I won't argue about it later. Go on and do what Mrs. Chaand'i said, you can plan our wedding while you're gone."
She looked up at him, dark sapphire hues seeming to contimplate his words as she crinkled her nose in thought. "Hmm... alright. But call her Mommy, cause when we're married, I'ma share her with you." She gathered up her dolls in her arms and skiped off towards the stairs, leaving the adults to stand in silence for several moments until the sound of her footsteps disappeared.
"Now go on, Joshua, what is wrong? There's something wrong with Athanasious isn't there?" Cirvani began, her face paling slightly. Already pale, it caused her fiery red hair to stick out further in contrast to her fair skin.
"I have a letter here that Athans wanted to give you, along with a box with the things that he had left in the barracks," he started quickly, handing them a piece of folded parchment from the tiny pack he carried with him. Kreo took the note and turned to walk from them, reading silently to himself as his wife merely stood staring with a look of panic on her features.
"What has happened to him?!" She insisted looking between the two men. Joshua swallowed hard, looking away from the woman who's worry seemed to escalate with each passing moment.
"He -"
"He's dead Cirvani," Kreo interrupted, handing her the note. "He's gone..." His voice cracked and he found himself needing to rest his weak legs against the side of their couch. Her cyan eyes looked at the note, traveling along the words, but not really seeing what was written on the page. She shook her head, a shaking hand coming to her mouth.
"H-how..."
Joshua offered her a hand, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he assisted her to the chair just beside the door to sit down. His heart broke as he found her trembling, feeling helpless to ease their pain. "The food supply has been contaminated in Stratholme. Many citizens have already contracted the plague and died within three days... unfortunately, he suffered a fate no different."
"Oh God..."
Kreo moved slowly, emptily across the room to kneel before his wife as she broke into uncontrollable sobs. "His body?" He asked softly, holding Cirvani close, his own voice showing he was close to tears himself.
"Burned, Mr. Chaand'i. I am sorry, but with those who fall to the plague, we have no choice but to do so immediately or they arise with the curse of Undeath soon thereafter," he watched them, the elves that had become like parents to him since they had moved to Tyr's Hand to be closer to their son and found himself needing some fresh air. "I have another letter he wrote for your daughter and his polearm that he specifically requested she have."
"Oh... what are we going to tell Shaaira? They were so close, this is going to break her little heart." Cirvani whispered between her tears. Joshua placed a soft hand on her shoulder, his brown eyes looking misty themselves.
"You can't hide it from her, but if you need for me to tell her, I will talk to her."
A tiny, roughly sewn doll sailed through the air, lightly colliding with his shoulder before falling lamely to the floor. He bent down, picking it up as he chanced a glance at the top of the stairs, a dread feeling his heart before he even saw the teary-eyed four-year-old. She picked up another doll, tossing it and missing.
"I hate you, Josha! You promised! You promised you'd protect At'ans!" Shaaira screamed through her anguished crying, taking another doll to throw it, this one not even making it to his feet. "You're a liar!"
"Shaaira!" Kreo gruffly yelled at the distrought child, but Joshua shook his hand and stepped before him.
"No... its fine. It will take time, but she will understand."
Out of dolls to throw, the girl kicked the railing before taking off in a sprint down the hall and slamming the door to her bedroom. The sound resonated softly throughout the house, hanging heavily on the solemn air.
"Josha!"
The tiny Quel'dorei literally lept into the Human Paladin's arms as he entered into the modest home in little Tyr's Hand. Adorned in the most majestic armor she'd ever seen, Shaaira wondered if her brother looked like that too wherever he was stationed. She let her tiny fingers trace the different grooves in the gunmetal gray platemail, her eyes lingering on the different fuschia gems that looked like they pulsed with an unknown energy.
"Hey there Shay, how is my little Peanut? Still going to marry me when you're old enough?" He questioned, gazing down at her with his piercing honey-hued orbs. The freckle-faced elf he held made a tired expression and rolled her eyes.
"Uh... duh, Josha! I'ma be five soon!"
He feigned a gasp and smiled softly at her, setting her back down on the ground before putting his hands on his hips. "Five already? Well you better get a move on our wedding plans, or you will be an old lady before we make it to the chapel!" He kissed her forehead and mussed her auburn locks, resulting in her swatting uselessly at his hands.
"Joshua Addison. To what do we owe the pleasure?"
Kreo Chaand'i called as he entered the room, quickly followed by his wife Cirvani. Shaking the hand of his son's best friend, he gave him a smile and a pat on the shoulder. "I thought you and Athanasious were going to be stationed in Stratholme for a few more weeks? Don't tell me he sent you over here to tell us you both are in town while he's off visiting his fiancee first!"
The elder Chaand'i gaffawed at his own words, and Joshua shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Actually, I am here on the behalf of Athans, but..." he glanced down at Shaaira for a moment, running a plate-clad hand through his short midnight-colored hair. Kreo and Cirvani looked down at too at their tiny daughter before glancing worriedly at one another.
"Uh... honey, why don't you go upstairs and play while we talk with bubby's friend?" Her mother suggested gently, a slight shake in her voice. This elicited a stern frown on their toddler's face as she headed over and grabbed Joshua's hand.
"He's gonna be my hubban, its okay. We hafta hear da same things so we don't fight," she stated matter of factly. The young protection Paladin smiled sadly at her before he crouched down to her height.
"It's okay, hun. I promise whatever is said, I won't argue about it later. Go on and do what Mrs. Chaand'i said, you can plan our wedding while you're gone."
She looked up at him, dark sapphire hues seeming to contimplate his words as she crinkled her nose in thought. "Hmm... alright. But call her Mommy, cause when we're married, I'ma share her with you." She gathered up her dolls in her arms and skiped off towards the stairs, leaving the adults to stand in silence for several moments until the sound of her footsteps disappeared.
"Now go on, Joshua, what is wrong? There's something wrong with Athanasious isn't there?" Cirvani began, her face paling slightly. Already pale, it caused her fiery red hair to stick out further in contrast to her fair skin.
"I have a letter here that Athans wanted to give you, along with a box with the things that he had left in the barracks," he started quickly, handing them a piece of folded parchment from the tiny pack he carried with him. Kreo took the note and turned to walk from them, reading silently to himself as his wife merely stood staring with a look of panic on her features.
"What has happened to him?!" She insisted looking between the two men. Joshua swallowed hard, looking away from the woman who's worry seemed to escalate with each passing moment.
"He -"
"He's dead Cirvani," Kreo interrupted, handing her the note. "He's gone..." His voice cracked and he found himself needing to rest his weak legs against the side of their couch. Her cyan eyes looked at the note, traveling along the words, but not really seeing what was written on the page. She shook her head, a shaking hand coming to her mouth.
"H-how..."
Joshua offered her a hand, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he assisted her to the chair just beside the door to sit down. His heart broke as he found her trembling, feeling helpless to ease their pain. "The food supply has been contaminated in Stratholme. Many citizens have already contracted the plague and died within three days... unfortunately, he suffered a fate no different."
"Oh God..."
Kreo moved slowly, emptily across the room to kneel before his wife as she broke into uncontrollable sobs. "His body?" He asked softly, holding Cirvani close, his own voice showing he was close to tears himself.
"Burned, Mr. Chaand'i. I am sorry, but with those who fall to the plague, we have no choice but to do so immediately or they arise with the curse of Undeath soon thereafter," he watched them, the elves that had become like parents to him since they had moved to Tyr's Hand to be closer to their son and found himself needing some fresh air. "I have another letter he wrote for your daughter and his polearm that he specifically requested she have."
"Oh... what are we going to tell Shaaira? They were so close, this is going to break her little heart." Cirvani whispered between her tears. Joshua placed a soft hand on her shoulder, his brown eyes looking misty themselves.
"You can't hide it from her, but if you need for me to tell her, I will talk to her."
A tiny, roughly sewn doll sailed through the air, lightly colliding with his shoulder before falling lamely to the floor. He bent down, picking it up as he chanced a glance at the top of the stairs, a dread feeling his heart before he even saw the teary-eyed four-year-old. She picked up another doll, tossing it and missing.
"I hate you, Josha! You promised! You promised you'd protect At'ans!" Shaaira screamed through her anguished crying, taking another doll to throw it, this one not even making it to his feet. "You're a liar!"
"Shaaira!" Kreo gruffly yelled at the distrought child, but Joshua shook his hand and stepped before him.
"No... its fine. It will take time, but she will understand."
Out of dolls to throw, the girl kicked the railing before taking off in a sprint down the hall and slamming the door to her bedroom. The sound resonated softly throughout the house, hanging heavily on the solemn air.
