Recent content by Pneria

Pneria stared in disbelief at this casual mirage manifesting. Were any of these magical copies of Beatrice real? Or perhaps the real one hid deeper within her own sanctum? She handed her written answer to a passing servant on the way, though she couldn't imagine he would do anything sensible...

Pneria's eyes followed the quill, and while she pretended to look upward at a beautiful archway, her downward glance stole the words. Or at least, as much as she could manage to read - what letters his cursive writing seemed to have been in that caught glimpse. If she had known she would ever...

Pneria's eyes snapped down to the hand on her own. Her stomach sucked in, but with a worry of a different nature. Where the commander's presence felt like a bared blade, very nearly moribund if his gaze shifted slightly more towards her, the danger from Petrus was more akin to a thorny bush -...

While the city's forces secured the cistern - like an army of angered ants pouring into their disturbed mound - Alicia found her rope outside the castellum. Already she could hear the brisk shouts and urgent commands, securing the area around her. She wasted no time to ascend Vestra Aqueduct...

A long shadow fell over the table, but it did not offer shelter from the penetrating rays of Beatrice Orabela. In fact, it did quite the opposite. Pneria did not need to turn to recognise this presence. She felt danger prickling in the air even as he arrived, like an old sixth sense, a remnant...

Pneria seated herself, hands on her lap, as cautious about touching the table or any cutlery as if they were booby traps. Her nose twitched, mouth scrunching up at all the finery on display - the golden cutlery, the goblets, the no-doubt centuries old wine flowing . . . She had only managed to...

This was a time of sun, gold and finery. The very skies seemed to serve House Orabela on this auspicious day, causing every gilded gate and gold-leafed statue to glitter spectacularly. Pneria was peeking through the carriage windows, finger on the curtain, feeling the cobbles shaking up through...

Pneria gave him a mystified look, eyes lingering on his back until he had disappeared behind the door. Then, she drifted through the chamber, as if sleepwalking. This might as well be taking place in her mind and not reality, for all that reality seemed to throw her off-balance. Like a...

Swept along by Petrus' guiding hand, Pneria walked through the marbled halls of House Iskandar, matching his elegant stride. She still balked at his touch, though her mouth parted slightly at the bow of servants, staring at their formal reverence with incredulity. She had experienced respect...

With the demon slain, lying in pale pieces and bleeding out its horrible, glowing puss into the cistern, the sounds of violent combat receded. The last of the wraiths were being fought down by the mixed group of Yaegirs, city guard and Iskandar soldiery. Alicia saw her cue to leave. She bolted...

A guarded furrow was painted on her brow, though her grip on the cloth relented. Did she dare believe someone had her best interests at heart? The world had done nothing but prove otherwise so far. Her stomach had twisted and turned into a bundle of knots throughout this exchange. She didn't...

"You want me . . . to stay?" Pure incomprehension marred her face. With the implied tone, she felt she would be safer sleeping under a bridge or in an alleyway than here. "It's a bold thing to let a prigger sleep under your roof, you know." Alicia pushed back the chair, slowly standing up...

Alicia shrugged her shoulder free - carefully, like one might extricate themselves from a thorny bush. She tried to concentrate on the paper, but it was difficult to focus with him looming behind her. All her nerves and danger signals were tingling with him standing behind her chair, touching...