Private Tales Bad Stakes

[Eilerias]

Eilerias blushed as her father responded. She held up the ring Isak had proposed with, admiring how it sparkled in the candlelight. "It is quite a loving gift. He even has a matching necklace so we know when one another is in danger. Is that not the most romantic thing you've heard?" She took a seat, quietly listening as Ogden and Lidia spoke about the events. She was excited to hear the rest of the details regarding their trip to the sanctum.

"Goodnight father." Eilerias waved as they all stood and made their way to the different rooms. She felt extremely uneasy as Ogden and Lidia went their separate ways and left only Eilerias and Isak silently walking to their room. She made her way to the bed, not speaking to Isak as he followed her and sat beside her, reaching for the scarf. She recoiled at his touch, but gave in, apologizing as he unwrapped her neck.

She looked at him, confused for a moment as he demanded to know what happened between her leaving the group and arriving here and who left her with bruises. "I...You did this..." She looked angry as she accused him. "I swear it was you. I was bathing one moment and you came in and got in the bath with me...Isak do you not remember this?" She swallowed, putting her hand up to her aching neck. "We...were...Isak we had sex in the bath and you just tried to choke me and drown me....do you really not remember any of this?" She moved away from him slightly.

"I was drowning and when I came to, you were gone. It was as if you hadn't even been there." She pulled her knees to her chest and put her hand on her bruised neck. "I tried to heal it, but it is not working on this. Isak...it hurts." Her hand glowed and she flinched from the pain it seemed to cause.

She went quiet, trying to put pieces together to figure out what had actually happened, but she had nothing. She had no way to prove to Isak that it was him, and she had no way to prove it wasn't him. His hair wasn't wet. He wasn't even wearing the same outfit that he had on in the bathroom. "Maybe I just fell asleep in the bath and hit my neck on something." She stupidly suggested, trying to find even the most ridiculous excuse to make herself feel better as Isak put his hand on her face. "I don't know what else would explain it."

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak was shocked as Eilerias told him what happened, noticing her low voice slowly turning to anger. Even the way she looked at him was different now, and the pain he felt in his heart then was similar to what he had experienced at the Sanctum. He wished the plague would've just taken him there, at least Eilerias wouldn't have been hurt by his mirror image.

How could that even be possible? He wasn't near her. "I was with your father the whole time!" He desperately tried to explain it to her, but Eilerias was just too confused, the pain on her neck probably unbearable and making it hard for her to think clearly. And it was his fault.

He should never have taken her to Vel'Anir, to meet those harsh looks given to her by the humans, or to put her in danger by bringing her to Fal'Addas, where a plague threatened to destroy the whole region. She was hurt, and even if it hadn't been by his hand, Isak was the one to blame. He couldn't possibly resent her for being angry at him.

But now, he had no answers to her. Isak lowered his head, disappointed with himself. "I... Do you really believe I would ever hurt you? I would die before ever laying my hands on you like this." His voice was rasp but taken with guilt and sadness, and soon after Isak flinched from her touch. He didn't mean to sadden her, she was only confused and in pain, and Isak had no idea what to do, except...

"I will end this at once." He said coldly, swallowing his own pain as he carefully gripped his necklace. He didn't even look towards Eilerias, missing her shocked and confused look as he got up and started walking towards the door. To hell with Bheron and his pact - he would go back to the Sanctum, all alone, to end this threat once and for all, and to grant Eilerias the peace that she truly deserved.

If it was a sacrifice that empowered this curse, then perhaps a sacrifice could also banish it forever.

He was a fool to think he ever deserved someone like her.

But before he could reach the door, Eilerias moved faster and grabbed his hand, telling him not to leave. She still sounded firm and strong, which made Isak believe that she was yet enfuriated at him, or perhaps even more confused, but she wanted him to stay. And still, Isak couldn't look at her, not until she reached for his cheek and gently turned him to face her, with Isak opening his eyes so she could see with clarity the pain that was wrecking his heart. The pain of guilt, and of not being good enough.

Why did she want him to stay? He was the cause of her pain, even if he wasn't the one to lay his hands on her like that. She had her father now, she would be safe after Isak ended this hellish plague. Elyon could be trusted, and she wouldn't be alone anymore.

Even with her own pain, Eilerias sought to comfort him, and Isak could only feel miserable and weak. "I'm sorry..." He whispered it many times, over and over, as he pressed his forehead against hers, still too afraid that she could come to hate him.

"Please, forgive me... It was all my fault."

She couldn't possibly hate him more than Isak hated himself. Bheron should never have saved him.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias sat there confused. If Isak was truly with Elyon the entire time she was bathing, then who or more importantly what was in there with her? "How...?" Was all she could whisper, listening to Isak defend himself. "I think its after us. The necromancer or whatever the hell it is. We've both had terrible nightmares since we arrived, though mine was a bit more...physical." She grabbed at her neck while looking towards him, feeling his emotions creeping into her. "Please don't-"

He was up, walking towards the door and Eilerias had no idea what his plans were. She knew he wasn't thinking straight, he was only ashamed of something he didn't even do. Quickly, she hopped off the bed, landing with a light thud on the floor as she ran after him, putting herself in between him and the door and grabbing his hand off the door handle. "Where are you going?" She demanded to know.

Sorry?

She was surprised by the bombardment of apologies.

Why was he apologizing?

"Isak what are you on about?" Her expression softened and she wrapped her arms around him. "What is your fault? What is happening?" She grabbed his arms and dragged him back to the bed, making him sit down in front of her as she stood there, waiting for an answer. "Something happened between Dalish and now and you aren't telling me. I want to know what happened and why you are hiding it from me."

Her voice was perhaps more harsh than she intended, but she never was one who could control their emotions well when they got too intense. "What could possibly be so bad you had to hide it?" Her voice was quiet and she sounded hurt.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

She took him back to the bed, where they sat in a delicate silence before Isak finally gave ground, looking at her eyes. Eilerias was right, he hadn't told her everything. The symbol, the skull, and now Dalish's death...

"There was... a blood ritual in the Sanctum. A sacrifice." He begun, waiting to gauge her reaction before pushing on. "The symbol we found in Dalish's room, it was there. There was also a skull, burning in blue flames. It must've been Dalish. He was the sacrifice." Eilerias looked shocked, but Isak knew she wouldn't like him to withdraw any important details about what happened back at the Sanctum, and so he continued. "We found a broken sword there, and I took it. I thought it was connected to the plague, that I could somehow control it and make it stop, but..."

She glanced at him, anxiously waiting for what he would say. "The plague infected me, entirely. It nearly killed me." Eilerias looked even more shocked, and particularly confused as to how Isak was still standing there. "I made a pact with Bheron. He kept me alive, and his power was enough to burn away the taint and it even took over the sword, but it left me with this." He rolled up the sleeve of his white shirt, showing her the marks forming around his right wrist like a tattoo, fire slowly starting to burn on them as Eilerias' fingers approached his skin. She flinched before she could touch him, but Isak assured her that he felt nothing.

Or that at least, his pain was nothing compared to hers.

"I... I didn't want to lose you. I've always been unafraid to die, but then I saw you and... I couldn't. I had to throw myself at Bheron's mercy." Isak explained to her, his voice breaking down with sadness and guilt. Eilerias took hold of his hand and gently squeezed it, trying to comfort him, but Isak still looked away from her. "I shouldn't have brought us here. There's been so many deaths... How can we even stop this?"

The necromancer was after them now. In his nightmare, and now attacking Eilerias in her bath... It was too dangerous, but they couldn't simply escape. After a heavy sigh, Isak calmed himself and told her about the vision he had in the Sanctum, about the being made of shadows that killed several people in some unknown place. Isak was almost sure that this strange creature, possibly connected to the necromancer, was the one who killed Dalish and took his skull to be used as a sacrifice, but the necromancer was nowhere to be found in the Sanctum. He had to be working from somewhere else, somewhere they would never suspect.

Eilerias shared her own suspicions with him, as Isak worriedly asked her if he couldn't do anything to stop her pain. She tried to distract him with a few jokes, a new strategy of hers to try and make him less moody, which almost worked, as Isak nearly let out a short laugh before looking at her passionately, squeezing her hands now.

"I shouldn't have stayed in the library, but your father looked awfully interested in my necklace, and the informations we found at the Sanctum." Isak could feel something strange whenever he even thought about or mentioned Elyon, but he wouldn't dare to bring that up with Eilerias, not now when she was so happy to have met him, and was even training with him. He would never tear her away from her own father.

"Forgive me, Eile. I failed you, I promised nothing would hurt you--" She put her finger over his mouth, shutting him immediately, before she closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him. She whispered something about trying a bold move to make the pain more bearable, but Isak was too taken with the feelings of that kiss, enjoying her lips for that long moment. He waited for her to ease in with his touch, as to not startle her after the traumatic experience in the bath. Slowly and carefully, Isak stood on top of her as he led down the bed, breaking their kiss for a moment, breathing heavily.

He gently caressed her cheek, making sure to stay away from the bruises at her neck. "I... I love you. I would never hurt you. Please, believe me."

If that necromancer was truly behind that attack on Eilerias, Isak would spare nothing to make him suffer. It wasn't about the plague or the other threats anymore... It was about payback.

 

[Eilerias]

"A blood ritual?" Eilerias gasped, interjecting Isak's story of what took place within the ruins. She was shocked at the events which took place, but more upset that he withheld the fact that he nearly died from her. "Why did you hide this from me?" She asked, genuinely confused. "And what was this pact you made with Bheron?"

She questioned him as he rolled up his sleeve and showed her his strange new marking. She reached out to grab it, only for his wrist to produce small flames burning across the markings. She pulled back her hand, afraid that her magic may be reacting poorly with whatever this strange mark was. "I pray you don't burst into flames every time I come near your wrists." She joked. "It would make things a little difficult in bed...or when we hold hands."

She stopped laughing as he explained the circumstances involving this new pact. He threw himself in harms way because he was afraid to lose her. She was the reason he had created yet another pact with a demon who's motives remained unknown to her. "Isak it was my idea. I wanted to revisit my past." She frowned. "Its my fault we came here, but even though this has been nothing but misery, we must see it through. If we don't stop the plague here and now, who is to say it wont spread to Alliria and kill our friends. Our family. Our future..."

Upon realizing that a few tears were falling from her eyes, she tried to crack a few jokes to get him or herself to laugh and stop feeling so sorry for themselves over something neither of them had control over. Though Isak didn't laugh as she did, he did take her hands and squeeze them, making her feel a little bit better.

Forgive me, Eile. I failed you, I promised nothing would hurt you-

Eilerias put her finger over his mouth. "Shush." She said rather bluntly, leaning in to kiss him. Her body moved on its own, guiding them both to the bed though her head was fogged with questions for things that had no answers. Looking up at him as he lay on top of her, she nodded. "I believe you. Though I'm not sure what happened. I know you would not hurt me." She gave him a small smile, though he could probably tell she was still confused and worried. "I love you too. Nothing will ever take me away from you. I promised you before and I'll promise you again until my dying day, I am yours."

She watched as Isak disrobed and pulled off her dress, pausing and looking concerned as he stared at her neck. She pinched her arm several times as they made love to ensure she wasn't dreaming and in fact this was the real Isak that she was lying beside.

It was a battle against exhaustion as they finished and Isak rolled off of her. She kept a grip on Isak's arm as she mumbled a quiet goodnight and quickly fell asleep, snoring softly.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

'I am yours...'

Those words had been echoing inside Isak's head for the entirety of the time that they were embracing each other. Isak and Eilerias loved each other frantically that night, almost as if they were looking to forget some of the troubles that surrounded them, choosing to focus on that passionate moment. Isak kissed her many times, all over her body, but always staying clear of her neck, afraid that she could revisit some of the painful memories of what happened in that bathtub.

He whispered his love for her many times, between the heavy breaths and moans full of pleasure, until they finished and Isak laid at her side, trying to regain his breath. He had a large smile on his face that just wouldn't go away, as Eilerias quickly rolled up to him and mumbled something that Isak couldn't understand at the time, gripping his arm and falling to her sleep. He was always surprised at her ease to sleep, whereas Isak often stood behind, looking at the ceiling and thinking about many abstract things.

But something that night kept him awake. He could almost feel something bothering him, making his skin crawl at times, random gulps of wind blowing at their room and shaking the large curtains. He would always look down and see Eilerias sleeping peacefully, her head resting on his arm, silently thanking that she was alive and well. But no matter how much he tried, Isak couldn't fall asleep.

After carefully slipping from Eilerias' grip, Isak put on his trousers and his white shirt before slowly getting out of the room, looking back to see that she was still sleeping like a rock.

The corridors were awfully dark, and not even the moonlight or the magic lights hovering the house's exterior like fireflies could illuminate that place. Isak conjured up a small blaze on his hand, enough to let him see where he was walking to, but not large enough as to call attention to him. Being that late at night, Elyon's servants must've all been gone, and he knew the man never kept his guards around, having said to him that he felt Fal'Addas too harmonious to ever believe that someone would try and attack him. Isak was all alone in those halls, and he wandered aimlessly.

He spent some time admiring the artifacts that Elyon collected, having come to respect that man and his taste in those antiquities, much like Isak. But even with the closed doors and the fire on his hand, Isak still felt strangely cold, and he thought he heard voices calling to him, from deep within the house. He started walking towards them, until he stumbled upon the great doors to Elyon's library, finding it curious that they were unlocked, since Elyon had told them before that the library was his most prized possession in that household.

Isak walked between all those tall bookshelves, until he stopped in front of something that he found peculiar. In one of the most secluded areas of the library, Isak found a table filled with strange potions, animal bones and colored powders. It looked a lot like one of Khet's alchemy tables, but Elyon had never told them that he dabbled in such things. It was a rare and very perilous school of science, and much like occultism, it resorted to magical means. Isak spotted some symbols at that table, carved in the dark stone and taking on different colors as his hand approached it, the marks on his wrist also beginning to react to that strange manifestation. There was a symbol hidden underneath some of the powder left at the table, but before he could wipe it off, he felt a presence.

Elyon was a few steps behind him, standing next to one of the bookshelves, a curious look on his face. "This is a rather pleasant surprise, Mr Isak. I didn't take you for a practicioner."

Isak turned to him, staring at him calmly and composed. "Of alchemy? I am not, but I've heard certain stories about it, back in Alliria." Elyon looked very interested on what he said, going on to ask him about what sort of stories he had heard in Alliria, to which Isak simply made it up as best he could, even telling him about the plague he faced.

"Ah, occultism... That is a dark school, and very much ancient. It predates even our kind, and much of elven magic has come from the need to fight such practice. Alchemy is much more... pure, as you would. It is science in its purest form, and it requires perfection, often at a steep price."

A steep price. Isak wondered what price could that be.

"My daughter was hurt. Have you any knowledge about that, Mr Isak?" He asked, his voice taking a deeper tone as he stepped closer. Isak clenched his jaw, recalling the anger he felt when he saw the marks on Eilerias' neck. "I have not, but once I find the one responsible for it, he will suffer greatly." Isak replied, his eyes meeting Elyon's gaze as they stood only a couple steps away from each other, gauging one another.

"Good. We, as men, have to be strong and ruthless. We have to do what is necessary to achieve our goals, and take revenge on those who seek to harm us, and our loved ones. Are you strong enough for that, Mr Isak? Is my daughter truly safe in your arms?"

Something almost broke loose inside Isak. He was strong enough, and even more to punish whoever would seek to harm the woman he loved. But there was something off about that man in front of him, the one who called himself her father. "I will protect her, against any threat, even from those close to her." He was almost challenging Elyon now, and the elf seemed to pick up on that, as he opened a devilish smirk to which Isak followed with his own.

"I have no doubts about that, Mr Isak... But, I fear it is very late. You should be on your bed, next to her, instead of searching through my research. We shall talk more on the subject of alchemy tomorrow, if you wish." Elyon said, waving him off before slowly vanishing in the shadows of the library, leaving Isak behind with that same strange feeling that he had been experiencing ever since he visited the Sanctum.

Isak looked back to the alchemy table one last time before walking back to his room, finding a still sleepy Eilerias who was mumbling his name in her dreams. Isak sat at the bed and watched over her sleep for a time, his fingers gently tracing her forehead as she opened a smile. It was probably a very happy dream, and he didn't wish to disturb that.

"I am yours as well, now and forever..." He whispered, leaving a kiss in her forehead before laying next to her again.

Now, after all that time, he could finally fall to his sleep, free from that disturbing feeling and the awful cold. At last, Isak felt safe with Eilerias in his arms, but his suspicions about that place were only growing.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias slept like a rock as Isak managed to pry her hands off of him without waking her up. Despite the traumatic evening, she felt completely at ease. She felt safe in the comfort of Isak's arms, not realizing he had slipped away as she dreamt the night away.

She smiled in her sleep as her world was suddenly engulfed by bright colors. She was back in Dalanar, but it appeared to be much more functional this time. She walked through the path that was previously overgrown with weeds and roots. This time it was made of stone and flowers of all sorts were growing along the edges and under some of the relics which had also been cleaned off. She made her way to the front of the ruins, looking inside to see the spiderwebs had been cleared and the stone door that once kept them from entering was opened. Cautiously, she creeped towards the door and peered inside.

"You're back, my love!" A voice called from inside. Isak's voice.

"Huh?" She was taken by surprise as Isak came around the corner and pulled her close, embracing her. "Hi." Was all she managed to squeak out as he hugged her tightly.

She followed Isak deeper into the ruins, pleasantly surprised by all the changes that had happened since their last trip there. Everything was cleaned and it appeared they had put very elven furniture in the main rooms. She assumed the rest were similarly decorated, but that was much further into the ruin than she could see.

"How was the church today? Are the acolytes starting to become more receptive to Lidia taking over your lessons? I could tell Lidia was struggling to garner their respect and interest the other day when you brought her home." He smiled and led her over to a large sofa, sitting her down.

"What do you mean? Lidia is taking over the church?" She raised an eyebrow, looking worriedly at Isak. "Did something happen?" She felt her heat beating faster as she got nervous, thinking she had done something to get herself removed from the church a second time. The memories of murdering the poor girl just so she could escape and start a new practice flooded her mind, but Isak put his arm over her as an attempt to calm her down.

"Eile, we talked about this. You are too hard on yourself especially with your lessons. Its not healthy." His voice was firm. "We agreed that Lidia should be taking over with what she's learned from you and teach that to the others for a while."

"We did?" She tilted her head, pulling herself away. "Why would I ever agree to that?" She sounded more hurt than angry as she tried to figure out why she was being stripped of her work. The work that brought her the most happiness to do.

"Eile are you feeling well? Perhaps you should go lie down." Isak sounded more worried after she spoke, grabbing her hand and leading her down that grand staircase which led to the bedrooms.. "Last time you used your magic you really wore yourself out. I fear it may not be safe for the baby if you are working so hard. Now please lie down, I'm going to send for Gwen. I don't recall losing your memory like this being one of the symptoms of pregnancy."

Baby? What baby?

Eilerias was a mixture of confusion and shock as he explained to her the reason she was not being permitted to work. "W-what? What baby? I'm not ready for that!" She looked down, horrified by the small round belly that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Her voice got more frantic as she repeated "I'm not ready!" over and over, waking herself up.

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Eilerias shot up in bed, breathing quickly in panic, still repeating "I'm not ready". She looked over at Isak who was beginning to wake up, confused as to what she was talking about. "It was only a dream..." Her voice trailed off as she placed her hand on her flat stomach and stared towards the open window, watching the breeze blow the curtains towards them. She laid back down, sighing.

"It was so real though." She looked at Isak, a mixture of emotions crossing her face. "I'm not ready for that." She moved in close, resting her head on his chest as he stroked her hair gently. "I swear the elven magic that runs through Fal'Addas is messing with our dreams."

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak was only just opening his eyes when he felt Eilerias waking up in a hurry, breathing heavily and almost screaming something that he couldn't quite understand. She started mumbling that she wasn't ready, and Isak just stood there, worriedly watching her before she calmed down and laid back on his chest.

He felt she needed some time to collect her thoughts, and so he remained silent, stroking her hair gently as she rested her head on his chest, gripping at him tightly as if she was afraid of falling away from him.

"Not ready for what, my love?" He finally broke his silence, intrigued as to what Eilerias had been referring to. He could certainly agree that there was something about Fal'Addas that seemed to shake their energies, bringing about unbalance and even chaos at times. "Eile, there's something wrong here. Not just in Fal'Addas, but in your father's house. I can feel it in my bones. I've been feeling it ever since we returned from the Sanctum."

Now that she brought that up, Isak felt that it would be a good time to discuss some of his thoughts with her. It was still so early - the sun hadn't even appeared to usher in the morning light, and the breeze that roared inside their room was cold and yet suave. It was peaceful, quite similar to every early hours that they experienced in Fal'Addas, but now there was something bothering him, and now Eilerias by what he could tell.

"I believe we should look around your father's house." He let it all out in a hurry, preparing himself for how she would react about him trying to investigate her own father. After she pressed him about his motives for that, Isak began to tell her about last night. He told her about the far section of Elyon's library, hiding many strange and obscure books, and also the alchemy table. Isak explained to her the most basic concepts of alchemy, and he was proud to see her quite instantly picking up on how similar it was to occultism, based on what he had told her about it back in Vel'Anir.

It was true, alchemy and occultism were both similar schools, although with different purposes. And yet, it was the research and application of science, combined with the use of magic, and that's what made both practices so dangerous. Occultism sought to bring about diseases and curses, while alchemy was a constant search for perfection, combining materials to lead towards different results. Isak was relieved once Eilerias accepted to go with him, but he warned her that they couldn't say anything, not even to Ogden and Lidia. Two people going through Elyon's house, especially in the areas where they weren't allowed to explore, would bring about enough suspicion and attention.

"We should do it tonight, after everyone goes to rest."

Isak carefully traced her face with his fingers, before letting their lips touch in a slow and loving kiss, trying to distract her from such dark thoughts so early in the day. He smiled at her, before suddenly moving on top of her, tickling at the sides of her waist while Eilerias began to laugh out loud, trying to get him to stop. "I think you're at my mercy now, poor priestess." He said playfully, before moving in to kiss her again and again.

--------------------------

Isak spent most of the day buried in the books they got from the library all those days, but also casually walking around the house to see if he could find something. Ogden and Lidia were asking around the streets for any sign of strange activity these past few days, and Eilerias joined him at reading some of the books before telling him that she wanted some time to train.

After night had fallen, and everyone had retreated to their beds, Isak closed his book and put it atop one of the tables at the main hall, just as Eilerias arrived, ready to move on with their small investigation. They went straight to one of the strange rooms Isak had found earlier in the day. The room looked to be some sort of storage, filled with crates gathering cobwebs and dust all over them, and it was fairly secluded from the main part of the manor. There seemed to be no signs of anything out of the ordinary there, until Eilerias stumbled upon a strange rock in the wall, her shadows almost instantly hovering to it and lighting up a strange purple light.

The wall moved by itself, much like the hidden passages back at the Raven Club. It revealed a path that would take down a narrow and eerie corridor, seemingly all the way underground. Isak looked over to Eilerias, who seemed every bit as curious as he was.

"Ready?" He asked, extending one of his hands to her while the other grabbed one of the nearby torches.

It looked like Elyon was hiding something from them after all, and they were about to find out what.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias kept in the same position, her face nestled in Isak's chest as he broke the silence. "It was only a dream." She responded, her voice muffled. "It was so strange and it felt so real." She held onto him tighter. She was unsure if she wanted to share the details of the dream, afraid to look silly getting so worked up over a dream. Ultimately, she decided to share the details, "I woke up in Dalanar and it was all fixed! Everything was cleaned up and it was like a home...for us." She looked up at him.

"But when I got there you kept asking if I was feeling well and you told me that Lidia had taken over my lessons to others within the church because I was pushing myself too hard and you said it wasn't safe for me or the baby." She let her head lay back down on his chest. "It was just too real feeling and I'm not ready for anything like that yet. We have so many places to see and I'm sure there will be other heists that we are needed for."

She nodded in agreement with his comment that something was wrong, but when he mentioned the father's house being a problem she was confused. "What do you mean?" She asked, sitting up. "Why would you think there is a problem in my father's house? You would accuse him of such suspicions even though he went out of his way to help us. He's training me! Why would you suspect something wrong here?" She looked hurt, thinking Isak was suspicious of the man who just made his appearance in her life after wishing for twenty one years.

She listened as he explained his suspicions, focusing on this alchemy table and things within the library. Eventually she did agree it was strange, the similarities between alchemy and occultism, but she still thought her father was innocent in the greater picture. Plenty of elves must have had alchemy tables. They were known for their work with magic so it seems reasonable many would combine it with science, especially if they loved learning and research as her father did.

"Fine. We can have a look around, but I doubt we would find anything. Elves are known for this kind of practice." She layed back down, suprised by Isak suddenly moving on top of her, pinning her down on the bed. "S-stop!" She laughed as he tickled her, trying to move her arms or legs to hit him away before giving in and accepting his kisses.

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Throughout the day Eilerias spent most of it in bed, trying to rest and figure out a way to heal her injuries sustained in the bathtub. She skimmed through the books, but never really finding anything of use. Getting bored, she set the book down and requested some time to work on her shadowmancy back in the courtyard where Isak could watch from the bedroom if he so desired.

Later on, Eilerias made her way back to the room. She had taken it easy for the most part, having had a gut feeling she would need to preserve her magic for their investigation. She followed Isak through the rooms he was curious about, thinking it was just an unused storage room when she felt a strange pull and noticed a rock that was just a little out of place within the wall. She could make out the shadows flowing from her to this rock, lighting it up. She reached out to grab it, but before she could touch it the wall moved on its own. The narrow path was daunting, but she nodded, tightly gripping Isak's gloved hand. "Ready for anything."

Eilerias followed behind Isak, the corridor only narrow enough to fit one at a time. Her position behind the torch Isak held made it hard to decipher what everything looked like, but she could tell the walls were a mixture of stone and mud. Water appeared to be dripping or running down at some points, rolling down the path until it came to an opening. She peeked beside Isak and saw there was a bridge as narrow as the path they were on that led in to a massive cave like area. Trees grew underground and water flowed beneath the bridge. After crossing there were a few paths, but all seemed to lead further down to an alter bordered by a wall covered in words from the elven language that neither Isak nor Eilerias could read. The cave was strangely illuminated by the plants which grew from the ceiling, giving off light as though they were a window bringing in the early morning sunlight.

The pair split up, taking the separate paths down and met up in the center of the circular platform. In the center was an alter. Eilerias was curious, running straight towards it, though Isak tried to warn her as he knew exactly what it was. Another blood ritual right under her father's watch.

She approached and noticed the skull. "Isak!" She shouted, her voice echoing off the walls. "I think you may have been right." She pointed at the alter as Isak approached.

"My dear Sylvanna! Tell me, what was Mr. Lavelle correct about?" Elyon's voice boomed, seemingly coming from nowhere and everywhere as he addressed the two of them.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak led Eilerias through the dark and narrow corridor, never letting go of her hand as he waived the torch in front of him, trying to get a better look of what they were walking into.

After some time, they finally stumbled upon what looked to be massive cave like area, right beneath their noses this whole time. Isak couldn't believe how such a place existed below Elyon's manor, but the thought of him hiding that from them made Isak even more nervous about that man. He could see Eilerias peeking beside him, trying to get a look of what he was seeing and marvelling herself at the small waterfall in the distance, the stream running beneath a short bridge that would take them all the way to the other side of that cave.

It was still very dark, even with the torch, and the only light there came from a few strange plants that illuminated the place, but far away from where they were standing, at the other side of the cave. Isak looked at Eilerias before going down a few of the mazy paths that eventually made them split out to try and cover more ground. They didn't have much time to explore that place, and if Elyon ever suspected that they were down there, there would be trouble.

On his path, Isak didn't find anything of use other than the overgrown glowing plants, and the path took him towards the center of the platform, just as Eilerias also arrived, shaking her head to which Isak assumed that meant she also didn't have much success. But she did find an alter up ahead of them, and even though Isak tried to warn her against running straight to it like that, she looked too curious to see what it was and Isak could only follow her.

The alter was awfully familiar, much like the ones they found before getting to Fal'Addas. Isak could feel a strong energy running at him, like cold hands gripping at his skin endlessly, much stronger than what he had feeling ever since he returned from the Sanctum. It was certainly a blood ritual, or perhaps something even worse.

Eilerias called to him, telling him that he was right, but before Isak could say anything, they were surprised by a voice. Elyon's voice, appearing out of nowhere and looking at him with a wicked smile. He was wearing long red robes, and he looked very different. Pieces of his skin were peeling away, and his eyes were starting to glow as he walked towards them.

"Enlighten me, daughter. Was Mr Lavelle truly correct? Would you against your... precious father?" He raised his hand at her after the question, and suddenly a dark energy came forth from his fingers, grabbing hold of Eilerias.

"You! You are the necromancer!" Isak exclaimed, trying to conjure up his flaming sword from before, but to no success. Elyon had done something to his magic, or maybe it had something to do with that strange cave.

"I am many things, Mr Isak. But now, you may call me Quzag, my old and true name."

They had finally come face to face with their 'answers'.

 

[Eilerias]

Looking around, trying to find a source for this booming voice, her attention was pulled towards the figure of her father appearing out of thin air. At least it looked like her father, but as though he were decaying. She took a few steps back as he approached them.

She froze in place as her father addressed her, demanding to know about Isak's suspicions. "Father, I-" She watched as her father held out his hand, using some sort of dark energy to grab onto her and silence her. Her eyes flickered to Isak as he spoke, waiting for him to act and kill the man who now addressed himself as Quzag.

It never happened.

Quzag, holding onto Eilerias' throat with some dark energy, used his other hand to force her mouth open and appeared to be pulling out her own shadow, while simultaneously forcing another deep purple energy within her, mixing her darkness with his.

"Thank you, Mr. Lavelle, for being so incredibly predictable." Quzag smiled, his teeth appearing to be sharp points in his mouth. "You were such an inquisitive one, always sneaking about, rummaging through things you shouldn't be looking through. All of it planted just to make sure you would bring my little Sylvanna here." The magic flowing between his hand and Eilerias stopped suddenly and he dropped her to the floor.

"Thanks to you, I have a nice source of power to spread this plague even further than Vel'Anir. Thanks to your explorations and leaving Sylvanna in my care, I have managed to help her develop her powers even further. You have given me the missing piece I needed and now I have no further use for you. Sylvanna, be a good girl and take care of him." Quzag waved his hand and turned, heading deeper into the sanctum, leaving the two of them on the platform.

Eilerias was on her hands and knees, her hair covering her face as she stayed there, quietly sobbing. Her vision was black, not even the shadows revealed what was happening in the cave. She could hear Isak asking if she was alright and the sound of his shoes as she stepped closer to her, putting his hand on her back to comfort her.

Her head snapped so she was facing him. She couldn't see him, but what he could see was that one of her eyes had become a deep shade of purple and black, the same color slowly spreading to her other eye. Part of her wanted to grab onto him and leave, praying they would never return. The other part of her felt one thing.

Rage.

With a strength that wasn't befitting of the tiny priestess, she quickly shot up to her feet and pulled the elven dagger from her waist, plunging it into Isak's chest multiple times as she pushed him to the ground, climbing on top of him. His head was hanging over the edge of the platform, nothing between him and the flowing waters below as the part of her that had not been corrupted returned as though her magic was fighting with her fathers.

"Isak!" She shrieked, dropping the dagger as her vision game back. She stared at his lifeless body, blood pooling underneath him from all the wounds. "What have I done?" Her voice was a shocked whisper as she moved quickly, trying to pull the shirt off of him so she could assess the damage.

It was bad. She could see his body going even more pale as his life slipped away from him, all because of her. Her vision was fading in and out as she held out her hands, the soft glow sealing his wounds, but he wasn't coming back to her. "Please." She begged anyone who was listening. "Sol'Nityr please guide me. Bheron..." She addressed Isak's demon. "Please...Bheron, please help me...save Isak...I will do anything you ask just bring him back to me. I beg of you please save him...." Her voice trailed off as her vision, once again went black. She could feel her body moving, running as fast as she could further into the sanctum, her body set on a new target: Quzag. She was going to kill him for this.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

There were times where Isak hated being proven right.

He would never lie, Isak was egotistical. He loved being in control, and he hated being wrong, so he always took steps to ensure that would never happen. Only, when he started doing his own 'investigation' into Elyon, firstly out of worry for what he wanted with Eilerias, he never imagined that his suspicions could be proven right.

But there they were, face to face. The necromancer, now calling himself Quzag, like a battle name. Isak frowned, his jaw clenching in anger and frustration. The whole charade had been right under his nose the whole time, but Isak wanted Eilerias to be happily reunited with her father, and he was positive that the old elf could help them end the plague. How foolish of him.

Unbeknowst to him, Isak felt some of his strength being sapped away, as some of the strange symbols on the wall lit up. He wanted to throw himself at that bastard and chop his head clean off, or even burn him to a crisp, but Isak could barely move his body now. He gasped as Quzag apparently seized Eilerias with some strange magic, bringing her closer and taunting him for leading there, like a rabbit to a trap. No, he couldn't be right. Isak would never admit to that horrible truth, but Quzag was right - he ended up taking Eilerias straight to her father's devious hands.

He wanted to scream, he wanted to murder that man a thousand times over as he ripped something from Eilerias, like her own shadow. He was driving some of his dark magic inside her mouth, and Isak could do nothing but watch, powerless. He wanted to reach out to Bheron, to take more of his power in order to save her, but even his demon had abandoned him in that hour of great need. Eilerias fell to the ground, her screams of agony giving way to a haunting silence as Elyon left the two of them.

Slowly, Isak regained enough strength to walk over to her, asking if she was well, but he was met with a different Eile. She looked every much like the woman he loved above everything in that world, but her eyes were unlike anything he had ever seen, and he certainly didn't expect what followed. Still unable to move himself at able speed, Isak merely watched in shock as she plunged her dagger into his chest multiple times.

That wasn't Eilerias, his Eilerias. That couldn't be. He wouldn't pass from this world thinking that she wasn't the purest and brightest person in all of Arethil.

Isak could barely keep his eyes open, but he could still her crying over him, her glowing fingers over his chest as she tried to close his injuries, but fearing it was a little too late. He couldn't bear to see her crying, especially because of him. Isak tried to reach her hair, but his fingers weren't moving and he could only feel her tears falling on him.

"I... love..." It was all he had the strength to say before Isak felt the last embers of life quenching inside him.

And then, a different fire took over him. Eilerias would hear a demonic voice echoing throughout the whole cave, even shaking some of its foundations with its raw power. "My my... What a interesting creature you are, Follower of Light." Soon after, she would come to recognize that voice as Bheron, the demon inside Isak, the small thread of hope that yet kept him alive, but not without cost.

"That is quite the work you've done on Mr Lavelle, priestess. I stand impressed! Tell me, how much do you want him alive? Do you seek to hold him in your arms once more?" The demon hadn't showed himself, but his voice could definitely be heard, loud and clear.

"You are both such interesting and yet incredibly petty creatures. Do you even know how many times I've kept this insolent fool from the brink of death? This is very tiring! What allure does eternal darkness have over you? Even demons know better than to seek death at every corner, and yet our desires are labelled as... primal. Well, I suppose I have no choice. I cannot exist in this world without Isak, and you both have worries far beyond my poor concern at this moment. If only fair, I must ask something from you, dear Eilerias. Not now, but just like your precious husband to be, you too shall owe me something. I shall ask for nothing else than... knowledge. Please, do not take me for some barbaric demon that would demand that you give me your children so that I may feast on blood and meat. All I ask is for knowledge, and you and your Light will provide me that, in the future."

After seemingly agreeing to his terms, Eilerias would feel a sudden gush of hot wind blowing by her, and she would feel Isak's heart beating once more, even if at slower rate. Some of his veins would glow with a red light, but even then he'd be too weak to even move. Isak opened his eyes just as Eilerias left, dagger in hand, chasing after her treacherous father with vengeance on her mind.

Isak slowly felt some of his strength returning, and even if his cuts had been completely healed, although he wasn't sure if it was done by Eilerias' work or by Bheron. He ran through the same path taken by Eilerias and Elyon, a fire conjured on his palm that illuminated his surroundings as he came to realize that this whole underground place looked like a extension of the Ylyn'Shar Sanctum, which would explain why the source of Elyon's power was so potent.

He finally reached a room, arriving just in time to see Quzag holding Eilerias with his dark magic as she tried to fight him off. "Eilerias!" Isak shouted, surprising the woman who surely had thought him dead just moments ago. Elyon looked fairly shocked as well, and intrigued about what kind of power Isak possessed that could keep him from death like that. "You are certainly full of surprises, Mr Isak. I shall take your power as well, as soon as I'm done with my foolish daughter. Love has always been such a terrible weakness, and it seems she didn't learn her lesson. There will be time enough for that, but first, let me present you two with a gift of the heart. Come, bear witness to my blood!"

Elyon's magic seemingly shed more of his skin away, his robes taking in a ragged visage as his dark magic ran freely through his body like a aura, whipping at the edges of his limbs. Blood fell on the ground, all around him, and out of the darkness of the room came Ogden, his axe in hand, though his eyes were taken with that blue light from before - the mark of Elyon's blood control. They had seen it from Stoneforge and the Falwood.

"I shall savor yet more entertainment this evening, before I feast on my main dishes!" Elyon spoke, before disappearing in the darkness, just as Ogden rushed forward to cut Eilerias with his axe, but Isak had been quick enough to summon his sword and stop his blow. "Snap out of this, Ogden!" Isak and Eilerias both screamed at him, trying to make the dwarf return from whatever kind of wicked control had seized his mind, but it was useless.

Even with his yet damaged sword arm and fighting them both, Ogden was quickly overwhelming them with a flurry of brutish hits, up until Isak motioned for Eilerias to use some of her light to distract him while Isak took a position just behind the dwarf. The strategy didn't work out to perfection, but it had been enough to throw Ogden off his balance for a moment, enough for Isak to strike at him and overpower his axe as fire started flowing from his sword, breaking Ogden's weapon to pieces. The blow had been strong enough to send both men flying a few steps behind, and Ogden hit his head against a wall filled with bones, his eyes returning to their normal color just as he went unconcious.

Eilerias rushed to Isak's aid, still distraught by what had happened earlier, raining down words upon words on top of him. Isak merely chuckled, his brown eyes unable to look away from her. "I meant what I said, Eile. Not even death can keep me from your arms."

And yet, there was something worse than death waiting for them, deeper into the dark halls of the Sanctum.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias blindly ran deeper and deeper into the sanctum, her body moving as though someone or something else guided it, knowing exactly where it was meant to be. Like a primal instinct, she hunted for her prey: Quzag. It seemed as though the mixing of two shadows within her was only fueling this urge to kill the man who had caused so much terror in Falwood.

Finally, her body stopped suddenly. She had not regained her sight, but she heard the familiar voice of her father calling to her from the room. It was a battle between which shadows would control her body. Her father's pulled her closer to him as though she were attached to a leash. She couldn't fight it. His magic was dominating hers.

She couldn't see Quzag, but by the tone in his voice she could tell he was smiling as he gently stroked her hair. "Well done my dear." He remarked, guiding her blindly throughout the sanctum, treating her like some sort of pet. "Perhaps I was wrong about you, you really can be quite the bloodthirsty beast. I suppose I'll save you for last if you're this easy to master."

Is that what she was meant to be? A guard dog he could send after his enemies to kill and prepare for him to siphon off their magic to further spread his plague?

"F-father" She tried to force the word out, stuttering as she did so. Quzag responded by slapping her roughly across the face. "Address me only as Quzag." He demanded coldly.

Her ears twitched as she heard footsteps followed by Isak shouting her name. She turned, looking for the source as Isak approached, but still her vision was obscured by blackness. His voice echoed in her head, bouncing around the black pit that was her memory. Quzag was stealing her memory, trying to make her forget any ties she had to this man who was shouting her name.

Her head snapped back to look in Quzag's general direction as he addressed them once again, referring to her as a foolish daughter. She couldn't get any words out as she tried to respond, feeling herself losing control.

She hadn't even heard Ogden sprinting towards them, attempting to cut down Eilerias with his axe before Isak pushed her aside and drew his sword. She slammed into the ground, tumbling a few feet away before she pushed herself up, desperately trying to figure out what had been going on. "I can't.."She whispered. "I can't see." Isak tried to hint towards her to use her light to cause some way to distract Ogden, but without her eyes, she had no idea where to aim. She chose a direction, not a good one, but it was enough for Isak to overpower the dwarf and destroy his weapon. She heard both of them hit the floor and blindly searched for Isak, feeling for his body as she looked to heal him.

Tears fell from her eyes as she hovered over him. Bheron really did it. She now had a pact with a demon that she was bound to for life. At least Isak was alive.

She was still angry, her shadows trying to draw her deeper in the sanctum, lusting for the blood of the necromancer, yet there was still a sadness when she spoke. "We have to kill him." Something about meeting her father only days ago only to have to kill him hurt Eilerias deeply. The family she had longed for was crumbling. It was a façade. She was being used by the people she desperately sought to know even the smallest details of to harm innocent people- an act she vowed to never do again.

Her eyes were completely black as she stood and turned towards the corridor that Quzag escaped through. "Isak, I can't see anything. It's all dark." She looked worried. "But I can feel them...they are guiding me to him." She referred to the mix of shadows fighting within her. "But I fear he will gain full control. I don't know if I can fight him, but we have to try." She put out her hand, trying to feel for Isak around her. "My body knows what to do, but if something happens and I hurt you." She found his hand and gripped it tightly. "Please kill me. I can't live like this" A few more tears escaped and ran down her cheeks before she began walking deeper into the sanctum.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

"Wait!"

He exclaimed desperately as Eilerias started to walk away, tears still falling down her cheeks. Isak could barely believe what he had heard from her, his eyes trembled in horror as she slowly turned to face him. He could tell that she couldn't even see him, but she would definitely feel the sadness in his heart. How could she ask something of that nature to him?

Isak took a step forward, his gloved hand reaching for her cheek as he sought to wipe away some of her tears. He would make Quzag pay for what he had done to her. "Do you remember what I said, back in Dalanar?" Isak himself was trying to hold back tears, his voice breaking down slightly. He didn't fear the monster that awaited for them, his only fear was that they could never have the future that they envisioned all those weeks ago, when life was simpler and filled with light and happiness. "We can get through anything, as long as we're together. I meant it, Eile."

He tried to sound as confident as he could, trying to comfort Eilerias. Isak pressed his forehead against hers, standing there in silence as they both savored that last moment of calmness before what would come next. He was feeling miserable for putting her through all that. Isak never suspected that her own father sought to take her life as a measure to gain power and bring death upon countless innocents, but he still felt guilty that even after finding the tiniest of hope that she still had family, people who still loved her, that hope had been taken from her.

Quzag would pay for that, and Isak always kept his end of his bargains.

They looked at the unconscious Ogden one last time before walking down the large corridor, often looking like they were walking endlessly, until they reached a large room. Quzag was waiting for them at the center, surrounded by blood and with magic flowing all around him. The walls of stone, filled with ancient elven writings were slowly cracking, pure energy leaking from the cracks as Quzag laughed, feeling his power grow even more.

"And so you have come, bearing your insolence like a badge of honor. Did you thought to find happiness and family, Sylvanna? And you, Isak... Is greed the only motive that drives your pathetic life? Why do you even seek power, if not to use it upon others?"

Quzag stepped forward, lifting his arm as the magic ebbed towards the many bones scattered over the bloodstained floor, raising them as creatures controlled by him. "This... is power. I will use this to bring down the world at the elves' feet again. Face me!"

Isak conjured his sword again, the blade appearing from bits of ember on the air and fully materializing as he stood next to Eilerias, helping her fight against the undead, worried about her lack of sight. Quzag simply sat back and watched them, amusing himself. It had been difficult, but Isak and Eilerias eventually managed to defeat the small undead wave, leaving them only with Quzag, who almost seemed impressed at their will to fight on.

"I'll kill you for what you've done, monster!" Isak shouted, standing ready with his sword. Quzag laughed again, lifting his hands slightly. "Sometimes, the hero dies in the end, Mr Isak." He tried to use some of his magic to control Eilerias again, but Isak stood in his way, the flames of his sword slowly burning away the dark webs of Quzag's magic before they reached Eilerias. He could almost feel Bheron and his power trying to fight off against that evil energy, and it seemed to be working, up until Quzag disappeared suddenly. Isak carefully waited, looking around to see from where he would come from, and raising his sword just in time to protect himself for the necromancer's attack, sending a wave of fire and wind all across the room.

"Then so be it." Isak answered coldly, a stubborn smirk forming on his lips. He was prepared to do anything in order to make sure that Eilerias was safe. "Eile, now!" He shouted as the priestess began to charge her own magic, the light fighting off Quzag's shadows to the point where it became strong enough to blind the elf for a second, giving Isak enough time to slash him across the chest as the old necromancer groaned in pain, stepping backwards. Quzag raised his hand to try and attack Isak, but he was still feeling the effects of Eilerias' distraction, and Isak had been quick enough to cut his hand off and squeeze past him, holding him.

"Do it, now! Follow my voice, we can end it together!" Isak spoke as Quzag squirmed in agony, trying to free himself before Eilerias could push past her fears and drive her elven dagger through his heart. For a moment, it felt like everything had stopped in time, with Isak stepping back from holding Quzag and going straight to Eilerias' side, holding her as the necromancer began to be taken with light, coming from inside him. His magic was dissipating and his skin turning to stone as he fell to his knees, still with a devilish smile on his face.

"This... is not over! My... slaves still fight for the true elves, and they will soon take Fal'Addas..." Isak worried that the city had been under attack, but they could only deal with one threat at a time.

Quzag let out his hand against Isak and Eilerias, coughing. "S-Sylvanna... If only you could see... the true beauty of our kind... The shadows... Perhaps I was wrong, you may find happiness, unlike me... I am... sorry, daughter..." Isak squeezed her hand gently as he felt Quzag's influence over her growing weaker and weaker, restoring her sight just in time for the light to finally rip him to pieces, leaving behind only his bloodied robe and his skull, black and rotten. As Quzag died, his power was still so great that it sent shockwaves throughout the room, tearing down some of the ceiling and bringing the sunlight right on top of Isak and Eilerias.

As tragic as that was, it still felt like there could be hope, the light peaking inside and illuminating them in the middle of that sad darkness.

Isak brought Eilerias close to him, embracing her in comfort. He was so relieved, closing his eyes and just holding her tightly. And still, he could almost imagine what she was feeling after everything. He thought about just staying silent and letting her mourn in peace, but Isak knew he had to say something.

"You are not alone, my love. You have us, all of us... your family. I will forever be with you, Eile."

In time, they would go back to check on Ogden and see to what was happening in Fal'Addas in the wake of Quzag's demise, but now they only wanted to hold each other close in that fleeting moment of peace.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias stopped, turning towards the sound of Isak's voice. She flinched as he placed his hand on her cheek, wiping her tears. "Isak..." Her voice was breathy as she spoke. "That well may be, however I fear the darkness. I am terrified." She was honest with him as she spoke. "I am scared I may be corrupted by his magic, turning into a monster to serve him." More tears fell as Isak pressed his head to hers.

"I love you but please don't hesitate to end me if I turn on you." Her voice was full of defeat as she spoke, but Isak did not reciprocate the hoplesness that she felt. She waited a moment to see if he was staying with the dwarf or continuing on before heading further into the corridors, followed by Isak as her shadows guided them through a maze of paths, avoiding traps, ledges, and other dangers.

They finally made it to the room where Quzag was performing some ritual. She could not see the lit up elven writings that covered the walls, glowing as he shouted in his own language before addressing the pair that stood before him. His laughter, deep and distorted made her blood boil as he revealed his true nature, followed by a demand to face him. She heard a horrific cracking noise as she skeletons which spread throughout the room began to rise around them.

She was overwhelmed rather quickly, unable to determine which direction skeletons were coming from. She crouched to the floor in some effort to shield herself as she heard Isak swinging the flaming sword above them. She was utterly useless in this scenario, blinded by the darkness. Isak pulled her up as he cleared out the wave of undead.

She spun around, hearing Quzag address them once again. Her eyes went wide as he mentioned the hero dying and she tried to run forward at the same moment Quzag attempted to use her like some puppet to do his bidding. Fortunately Isak put himself between her and the webs, burning them away. "Isak!" She screamed, her shadows alerting her to the location of Quzag within the room. He was right behind him.

Isak was able to defend himself, causing Quzag to go off balance momentarily as Isak shouted back to Eilerias to use her magic. All she had to go off of was the shadows giving her hints as to where he was within the room. It was as though she could see his shadow within this strange darkness she was trapped in.

She carefully took aim at the blurry shadow and shot a large beam of light in his direction, overpowering his own magic and giving Isak the opportunity to incapacitate him. The beam burned at his skin and blinded him temporarily. She heard Isak calling out to her, beckoning her to follow the sound of his voice as Isak held him down, waiting for Eilerias to make it over in time.

Stumbling over one of the skeletons, nearly tripping over as she ran over and quickly drove the glowing dagger through Quzag's chest. There was a voice, only a whisper, tempting her to continue his legacy before apologizing. She stood there silently, confused by the apology when she was alerted to she sound of something cracking. Only a few seconds later, bits and pieces of the cave began breaking off and falling down allowing the sunlight to pour inside.

"Isak look out!" Her vision was beginning to fade back in as the darkness settled within her. She saw a large chunk of rock headed straight down to them. Instinctively, she jumped at Isak, forcing him to the ground as a pale, golden sphere with iridescent flecks floating throughout engulfing them as the large rock landed above them, crumbling as it came in contact with the barrier. "Woah..." She stared at the barrier, gently reaching her hand up to touch it, though it disappeared before she could make contact with it.

She collapsed in Isak's arms, not able to come up with a coherent though after the events which just took place. She had only just met her father and now he was gone at the hands of his own daughter. She nodded as Isak held on to her and spoke but she had nothing to say for the moment. All she could do was take deep breaths as Isak rubbed her back until she was ready to go find Ogden.

Silently, she ran over to the dwarf, kneeling at his side while she searched for signs of life. "Thank the heavens, he's still with us." She whispered, her hands glowing as she healed the poor man's concussion and any other injuries he may have sustained while fighting Isak. "Ogden, Ogden." She called out the dwarf, watching as his eyes slowly opened and he hopped up as though he were ready for a fight. "Calm down, its all over." She smiled softly.

She looked around, confused at their numbers. "Wait where is Lidia?" She asked, concern growing in her voice. "Surely she couldn't have slept through this!"

 

[Isak Lavelle]

They were alive.

Isak stood in awe, glancing upon the barrier made out of pure light that seemed to come from Eilerias' fingers, shielding them from the rocks that started to fall from above. He remembered then, the stories she told him about her training back at Vel'Anir, and how she had never been able to use more advanced techniques, but now she did it. She saved them, again and again. "You did it, Eile."

The barrier dissipated as Eilerias reached towards it, and it looked to take a huge toll on the priestess, especially after everything that had happened, with Isak catching her as she slumped towards him, holding her in a tight embrace. He was incredibly relieved.

Isak looked up to the ceiling, watching what it looked to be the sunlight beaming down right on top of them, the specks of dust in the air almost glimmering around them.

It seemed that even amidst tragedy, there could be hope, and even beauty.

He held Eilerias in his arms, his fingers running over her back as they stood there in silence, no words needed to be spoken between them. He couldn't even begin to imagine the pain and heartbreak she was feeling, finding both her parents after all these years, only to be met with disappointment and betrayal. Isak felt he needed to be there for her, now more than ever, and that's what he would do. "I love you." He whispered close to her, perhaps a bit more loudly than expected.

These words have been ringing around his mind ever since they ended Quzag's brutal plans. Isak didn't want to lose her, and he wouldn't let any sort of evil take Eilerias away from him. She looked even a bit surprised as she looked at him, and only then Isak realized that she was staring at him, his cheeks turning slightly red as looked back, awkwardly.

Eilerias made mention of Ogden, who was certainly still out cold in one of the rooms in the Sanctum, and so they departed to find him, with Eilerias quickly running to him and waking him up, healing his wounds as the dwarf woke up in a spook. Isak filled him in with all the details of what had happened, and he couldn't help but notice the sadness in his friend's eyes. "That soddin' elf woke me up in the middle of the night, and I could even hear some screamin' outside! I tried to fight him off but..." Isak knew what he was talking about, trying to reassure Ogden as best he could that he had no blame in what happened.

Eilerias looked a bit desperate about Lidia, noticing she wasn't nearby. Ogden also couldn't recall what happened to the poor girl, and so they rushed out of that dark place and all the way back towards Quzag's manor. The house had its own share of battle signs, with much of the furniture thrown around and even some blood staining the ground, but they could also hear fighting outside, and as the trio stepped at the courtyard, they could see some of the streets of Fal'Addas being taken with elven guards fighting against a few undead, while Lidia tried to cure a fatally wounded elf warrior near the gates of Quzag's manor.

It looked exactly like the chaos that Quzag had promised, but the guards were slowly pushing back the undead in the streets, with help of other adventurers, humans and dwarves, and even a few orcs, picking up arms to unify against that threat. Without the necromancer's power to command them, the horde was slowly but surely defeated, with the group merely watching from afar. They approached Lidia as she still cured the elf.

"Master! Please help me! He saved my life, we can't let him die!" Lidia spoke hastily, tears running down her face as she begged Eilerias to help her. The elf told them about the sudden attack in the settlement, with undead appearing from every dark corner of the city in the middle of the night, and also that people had been falling very ill in the last weeks. The plague had also reached Fal'Addas, but thankfully it would be gone forever, with Quzag dead. He thanked them for their efforts in dealing with that threat, recognizing them as the heroes spoken by Dalish, shortly before his death.

"Fal'Addas is indebted to you, travelers. Lord Dalish sent us a letter, in the same night that he was horribly killed. He spoke of a group of strangers that would deal with this danger, and I assume it must've been you. Once we clear the streets, we will send some of our soldiers to help restore the villages that were taken with the plague. It's what Lord Dalish wanted, and we will fulfill his wishes. May his soul find peace, and that we may see better days."

Isak looked around to see much of the courtyard also devastated due to the early battles, assuming that it must've happened during their time fighting Quzag. His plan was bolder than Isak had anticipated, even going as far as trying to force his own city, his own people, into submission in order to endorse a foolish war. So many people suffered because of that, but at least now they could begin rebuilding their lives. Eilerias walked to his side, and he could she was still overwhelmed by everything as they looked to the outside of Quzag's manor, reminding themselves of a time where they thought they would be safe, that that place felt like a home.

Isak slowly took off his glove before taking her hand, squeezing it gently. "Do you want us to take a look inside? Perhaps there is something you'd like to take with you, something to remember." Isak thought she looked a bit hesitant, and fairly so, as the memories of that place, and her father's evil deeds, could haunt her forever, but Isak promised to himself that he wouldn't let Eilerias fall into the same dark slope of her father. "You are not father, Eile. We will never let any shadows take hold of our lives, no matter how hard they try. I'm here for you, always."

He waited for her decision, also wondering about what they would do with the Sanctum. Its corridors still ran beneath that house, and it could be too dangerous to leave such things to be simply forgotten. Perhaps, they would have to destroy it, and ensure that no one would ever seek to use that place for any horrible purposes again.

 

[Eilerias]

"I...did it...?" She spoke quietly, mixing together a statement and question as the barrier dissolved around them and Isak held her tight. She was tired, but she really did do it. A spell she had tried to attempt for many years only to determine Sol'Nityr had no plans for her to be able to perform it. She actually did it.

"I love you, now and forever." She whispered back.

-----------------------------------
She paid careful attention to Ogden's words as he tried his best to explain how he ended up in this situation, trying to kill his best friend and the priestess. Of course, she held no ill will to the dwarf. It was her father's doing, not his. "It is alright, Ogden." Her voice was more calm as she spoke, doing her best to calm him without the use of even more magic. Isak could already tell she was exhausted by the internal struggles she had faced, both sources of shadows using her own magic to control one another. "You are not to blame."

Isak was kind enough to carry Eilerias back through the maze of corridors and caves that led back into the manor. She was shocked, making it back through the hidden entrance they were greeted with broken furniture, blood, and shouts from outside. It sounded like a battle. The battle Quzag had warned them was in the future in order to reclaim the power Elves once held.

He carried her outside and set her on the ground, allowing her to rush over to Lidia, who was begging for help. "Lidia, what is it?" As Eilerias made her way over, the encounter with Quzag mixed with the fighting and injuries surrounding her began to catch up to her body, causing physical pain. She clutched her side, her step slowing as she made her way to Lidia.

There was little Eilerias could do in her state. There was too little magic left within her to save him. Lidia was on her own this time and she failed the task. Eilerias felt peace as the poor man's eyes shut and he passed away in Lidia's arms. There wasn't much she could say to console the poor girl. It just happened sometimes and she would have to learn quickly in order to get over the grief she felt. "You cannot save everyone." She placed a hand on Lidia's shoulder and sat on the ground beside her. They were silent, watching over the city as undead crumbled like her father had only moments ago.

Eileras knew her words were probably not the words Lidia sought in this time, but in the overall picture, they had saved as many as they could and that was enough to clear Eilerias' conscience. Lidia stood, helping Eilerias up and the two made their was back to Isak where Eilerias gripped his hand. Her skin was cold and Isak's warm touch was a welcome gift to her.

His question, however, frustrated her. Why would she want to go back in? She was glad she had not witnessed most if not all of what transpired in that sanctum. She clenched her jaw and looked at him. "No, Isak." She stared into his eyes, showing him that hers still had flecks of the dark purple floating around. "I would prefer not to go back inside, but I fear it would be reckless of us to leave such a place available to access so easily." Isak could tell she was not happy to be revisiting, but she was right. It was irresponsible to leave the sanctum open to the public.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak knew it wouldn't be easy for her. He could see it in Eilerias' eyes, the flecks of dark purple floating around them, that she wasn't looking forward to visiting a place that could only bring about more bad memories, but she was right to say that it would be dangerous to leave such place open to anyone.

The Ylyn'shar Sanctum in the woods would probably be dealt with by the Elders and their elite troops, but there was still the hidden entrance below Elyon's manor, and it needed to be closed. Isak tried to escape her gaze for a moment, noticing by the way she clenched her jaw that she was even a bit angry at him for suggesting such a hard thing to do, given what had happened to them just moments ago, but it needed to be done.

Like most things in life, as Isak had learned, it had to be faced head on.

Lidia stood behind with Ogden, the dwarf trying to comfort her as she looked back to the dead elf that she tried to save. He had been a true hero, and Isak could only hope that he would find some small measure of peace after his brave efforts. "We won't take long." He said, gently caressing her hand as he sought to calm Eilerias down, before they walked inside the manor, glancing upon the messy state of it. The main hall looked like a shadow of its former self, with blood and broken wood all over the place, as well as dust. Whatever magic that Elyon had used, it looked like it almost destroyed even his own home.

Such a cruel irony, considering that he sought to destroy the most precious things in his life - his own daughter, and the people who took him as a hero. And yet, Isak had a strange feeling on the back of his head, a thought that he couldn't shake off as he looked towards the stairs, to the corridor where their guest room as located, quite close to Elyon's own room.

He led Eilerias to the stairs as she looked at him, confused as to what he wanted to do, since they were going in the opposite direction of the old room where the entrance to the Sanctum's cave was located. After some time walking, the pair reached the end of the corridor, where a set of grand doors awaited them, closed but not locked out of reach. Eilerias seemed to looked at it with some fear, already knowing that the room belonged to her father, but Isak gave her a reassuring nod before taking a step forward, pushing open the doors as a strong gust of wind blew by them.

Quite surprisingly, Elyon's room was probably the only place left untouched by the destruction left behind at his house. His bed was big, with red silks covering it from top to bottom and many pieces of gold adorning the entire place, shining almost every object that they could see. Across the bed, there was a huge wall where a big painting hanged from - a man and a woman - and Isak could almost instantly recognize the man as Elyon, in his younger years, assuming that the woman had been Marionna, Eilerias' mother. Isak and Eilerias stood in front of him, admiring the work but also reflecting on what it meant.

Elyon looked... happy there. Accomplished, fulfilled. He was holding Marionna's hand as if it was the most precious thing he could hold. The painting's landscape looked very much like the woods just outside of Fal'Addas, a beautiful clearing that Isak had went past it once his way to the Sanctum.

How could such a man turn from that to the monster that sought to bring about more war and death to the world? Had he always been so evil and greedy? Or was it the loneliness that led him to insanity? Maybe for the first time, Isak had no wish to get these answers. He looked to Eilerias, his eyes filled with sadness that he hoped she wouldn't see, as she was too taken with the imagery before her.

Loneliness... Was that the destiny that Eilerias had saved him from? A fate where his search for power, for retribution, would drive Isak to an abyss where he could never escape from. Bheron warned him about that, many times, in his own ways, but Isak always chose to ignore it. When Isak returned to Alliria, all those months ago, when he returned to Eilerias, it was the first time when he didn't want to feel alone anymore. It was the moment where realization hit him, that perhaps his life had been too hollow for too long. Elyon seemed to have been hit by that same realization, but his bloodlust and desire for 'justice' had been too great to overcome, to the point where even Marionna couldn't sate him anymore.

Only death.

Isak closed his eyes and turned away, fighting back those painful thoughts. It was then that a shiny piece of jewelry grabbed his attention, amongst a pile of books nearby. It was almost too well hidden, but the sunlight that entered the room had been enough to reveal it, and Isak nimbly took it from those old and dusty tomes. It was a necklace, beautifully crafted, and he presented it to Eilerias, who was quick to point out that it looked the very same one that Marionna wore, in the painting.

A beautiful memoir for her to have, of a happier and simpler time. "Your mother would want you to have it, Eile." Something to remind her, that there could be beauty and goodness even in the darkest of times. Isak wondered if she would resent her father, or the monster that he had become, for eternity, or if her kind nature would eventually lead her to believe that there had once been a good man there, like in that painting.

A memory of a family that she could cherish, even if Isak knew nothing about such things.

"I wish I could tell you beautiful words now, to comfort the pain your heart. I wish I could take all that pain away, like you did so many times." Isak turned to face her, his eyes still carrying both guilt and sadness. "I had no knowledge about such things as family and love, until you showed me. We may have been alone, abandoned and forgotten for so long, but now... We have friends, people we care about, people that are important to us. Ogden, Lidia, Gwendolyn, even Charity." He chuckled a bit, trying to ease that tension with a small joke. Isak took Eilerias' hand, his finger slowly twiddling at her ring as he passionately looked at it. "You are my family, Eile. We have each other, and I will cherish that forever."

Isak took her in his arms, hugging her tightly as they took comfort in each other's touch. They spent some more time there before finally going back down, heading towards the small room where they had found the hidden entrance to the cave, which was still open. Isak had both his gloves on again, and he took a moment to think about ways to seal that place off forever.

"No man should ever hold so much power." He said quietly, before motioning Eilerias to stand back, for her own safety. A crimson energy started flowing from his hands, and soon after two orbs of dark flames formed on his palms, with Isak hurling them towards the entrance, watching the flames grow and hit the walls with great force, shaking the foundations of the room before the walls started to collapse. Piles and piles of rock now sealed away that entrance, and with that Isak hoped that the secrets of that Sanctum would forever be forgotten.

He turned back to face Eilerias, relieved. "I believe it's time to return to Vel'Anir. Our work here is done."

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias allowed herself to be led back through her father's home, fully taking in the destruction that had been caused. There were glass shards covering the floor where mirrors had previously stood and the wood which formed the tree appeared to be rotting. Perhaps Elyon was using his power to keep this place in its pristine condition all these years and now that he had been eliminated, it could no longer survive.

She was confused upon the realization that she was not back at the hidden entrance to the sanctum's maze of corridors, but rather the room in which her father resided. A room they had not explored during their walks around the manor. She was curious, but also a little hesitant as she waited for Isak to open the door revealing the nearly perfect room.

While the rest of the house was filled with broken furniture and bloody messes, his room looked as though no one had ever been there. The sheets covering the bed were smooth and wrinkle free as though one of the servants had just set them up. She was distracted by the perfectly preserved furniture and didn't realize Isak was looking at a painting until he alerted her and she made her way to his side, staring at the mural. "That can't be..." She stepped closer, her hand hovering close to the painting.

It most certainly was Marionna, her mother. "I wonder if she knew about his...darkness..." She spoke quietly. Eilerias worried that her mother, who made no mention of Elyon could have been working with him the entire time, but Isak tried his best to calm her. "I just don't know if I believe he could do these evil acts alone. I trusted him..." She turned away from the painting as Isak moved over to some jewelry. "I trusted both of them. Who's to say she isn't just as evil and cunning as him? You think she'd be twisted enough to sicken her own child to start a war? I know Elyon was." She ranted as he picked up the jewelry and inspected it before bringing it over to her, breaking her focus.

She grabbed at the pendant as Isak held the chain and examined it before noticing how similar it looked to the one Marionna was wearing on the painting. Isak tried to reassure her, once again that Marionna was good and would want her to have the memory of their times together. "Would she, or is this another part of the sick plan to cause a war between races?"

She wanted to toss it right back in the pile of books, but Isak grabbed it and quickly placed it on her neck, once again trying to tell her that Marionna was not the same as her father.

His speech made her smile softly as he spoke of their family and friends before taking her hand and admiring the ring. She held onto him, still barely speaking. He was right, she had all the family she needed. The family she searched for all these years did not compare to the family she had with Isak and their friends back in Alliria. She stayed in his arms for a while, in silence. A moment that needed no words.

After they spent some more time rummaging through Elyon's artifacts and personal belongings, they took their leave, off to close off the hidden entrance and leave this place to rot. She agreed with Isak, nodding her head at his comments and stood back, watching in awe as his used his power to close off the door.

"Indeed, we must go see Devon and make sure he's recovering from this plague." She grabbed his hand and the two left Elyon's home for the last time. She smiled as they met back up with Ogden and Lidia, Lidia speaking of how excited she was to get back to the inn in Vel'Anir and wear her own clothes again. Eilerias chuckled, sharing the same enthusiasm for returning to their belongings, but still she held a suspicioun of Marionna.

Why did she not mention her father?

Why did she hide this from me?

Questions ran in her mind as the rest of the group spoke about what their plans were now. She absentmindedly twisted the necklace as they walked back towards the path that led to Vel'Anir when she heard a click and the necklace opened.

She pulled it forward to see there was a note inside, written by Marionna. It seemed she had left it in Elyon's house before she fled back to Vel'Anir, though Eilerias was unsure if she placed it within her own necklace or if Elyon had placed it there for safekeeping.

My dearest Elyon,

I must say goodbye to you though it pains me. You were my reason for living and you will continue to be until my final breath. I do not know how to say goodbye without breaking a part of my soul, but the child inside me deserves not you or I. Her name will be Sylvanna, and she will be perfect in someone else's life, but not ours. It is not safe for her in a world like this, a cross of our kinds and with your power...I fear for her future.

Please, do not go searching for me or the child. I am gone. Thank you for the beautiful memories Elyon, farewell.

Marionna

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Isak tried to comfort Eilerias as best he could, but he also understood that she needed her time. She had every right to harbor frustration and resent against her monstrous father, and also the mother who abandoned her all those years ago, and he wouldn't force it upon her to change her mind.

She had helped him see things much differently, and even though Isak lacked her more subtle and kind approach to life, he knew that there would be times where such things wouldn't be possible, not even for her. All he could do was stand by her, hold her hand and let her know that he was there, that she would have all the time and support in the world to deal with those conflicting feelings regarding her family.

Perhaps Isak could count himself lucky that he had never met his father, or that he barely remembered his mother, but he would be lying if he said he didn't miss her at times. Maybe she could've been a guiding hand to him, maybe Isak wouldn't have to suffer through so many times to know the which ways of life to pursue. And even so, looking back at Elyon's manor, once so beautiful and full of life, now merely rubble and dust, Isak was thankful that he had met someone that showed him other paths, someone that wouldn't let him turn into such a monster.

He looked at Eilerias as they walked side by side, down the large steps that would take them from that clearing and down towards the center of Fal'Addas, a short smile sprouting on his face. There were so many shadows surrounding their lives, most of them quite literally, the dark powers that they held, the ones that whispered lies and deceit to their ears, and they still managed to find a home in each other's light. Gently, Isak took her hand without saying a word, surprising her a bit as he turned his face to look forward.

There was a new horizon ahead of them, and maybe that would bring some good news, after so many tragedies.

They left Fal'Addas without any delay, walking the woods as the sun still hanged high above the sky, ushering a warm light to that forest that felt like something entirely new to them. They could see the animals slowly beginning to reappear from their hiding holes, now deeming that the land was safe, which brought peace to his heart. Isak spent some time talking with Ogden as they discussed their future deals in Alliria, while Eilerias and Lidia looked more and more excited with the prospect of ditching those noblish elven robes for something more casual. They still had to pick up their bags from the inn in Vel'Anir, if any thieves hadn't stole it, to add to the misfortune and trouble of that entire trip.

Isak walked by Eilerias side again, as the priestess spent some time alone to her thoughts. "With all things considered, and the less desirable details left behind us... Did you enjoy our travel? Should I start arranging some more places for us to visit?" He spoke gallantly, a cheeky smile on his face as Isak sought to cheer her up. He couldn't deny that seeing Fal'Addas, even under the threat of a plague, and also wandering about the fabled woods of the Falwood had been a remarkable experience, and travelling with Eilerias had been wonderful.

"We haven't yet seen the great towers and the fabled griffins of Oban, my darling." He chuckled, already suggesting what could be one of their next destinations. Of course, Eilerias needed only to ask when and point where that Isak would arrange a trip. He doubted things in Alliria demanded much of his attention these days, especially with the growing influence of the Cherry Rose, so they would have all the time in the world to travel around Arethil.

But also, there was something else on his mind, a thought that he couldn't yet share with Eilerias, lest it ruin the surprise. He had spoken with Ogden about Dalanar, and had issued a few orders to his trusted dwarf that needed to be carried out as soon as they stepped foot in Alliria again. After noticing how blissful Eilerias looked and felt in a place that called to their elven roots, when they were welcomed in Elyon's manor in Fal'Addas, Isak realized he needed to start the restoration of Dalanar as soon as possible.

It would be the place where such roots would also be present, and they had spoken at length about bringing it to its former glory.

They passed through Stoneforge quickly, with some of the guards saluting them while they helped the survivors to rebuild. The captain was nowhere to be seen, and the news of his death only reached them now, but Isak and the rest of the group quickly returned to their path towards Vel'Anir, taking advantage of the remaining hours of light before night fell.

They arrived at Vel'Anir when it was already dark, and the patrols were finally back to normality, with many groups of refugees being instructed to take house inside the city walls for the night, while the guards worked to restore the villages destroyed by the plague. Isak and the rest of the group were greeted by a few guards who mistook them for refugees, before allowing them to move on. After some time walking, they could finally see the outside of Marionna's small house, stopping right before the doorstep.

There was a heavy feeling in the air that Isak couldn't quite grasp, but he made no big deal out of it before he looked to Eilerias. "We must give her the news. Devon has surely been waiting for us." Isak spoke with excitement, before he knocked on Marionna's door a few times.

The plague had been banished, but just how much had been lost in doing so?

It felt like there were yet so many things left unearthed, and Isak could tell that Eilerias also had a lot of questions herself. He had noticed her gripping at her father's necklace almost the entire journey back to Vel'Anir, seemingly reading a note that had been left inside, but Isak didn't want to disturb her with more painful thoughts about what happened back in Fal'Addas.

But also, in their walk to Marionna's house, the group had missed the small cross hanging from a nearby tree in the courtyard. A bad omen, one that spoke of sadness and loss.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias nodded at Isak's question. "I have enjoyed our travels so far, despite the circumstances." Her eyes were full of excitement as he brought up the great towers and the griffins. "Perhaps when this is all done we can go there next or maybe Ogden could choose somewhere he wants to visit. You know we haven't even asked his input, but he always comes along. He deserves to see something he wants, even if it means the griffins have to wait a short while longer for me."

She hadn't thought much about Ogden's opinions regarding their trips as he was always happy to accompany them and with him and Lidia, it was like having a family wherever they went. It was only fair to give the two of them the opportunity to choose locations they would like to see. Perhaps Lidia would choose after Ogden, choosing to visit a place her father would write from in his travels.

Or perhaps they would take some time to meet with their friends back in Alliria. Eilerias still wasn't sure that Isak considered them to be more than just associates, but Eilerias missed them dearly, especially Charity.

"Maybe before we go on the next trip we can gather all of the Cherry Rose for a dinner. A reunion of sorts." She looked up to Isak's face. "I haven't told you, but I am missing them dearly. It's silly, but I miss watching Charity's antics around the Raven Club at night, scamming unsuspecting people and it has been too long since I have seen Gwendolyn. I bet she'd be so excited to hear about our adventures, as long as we don't mention us being together." She paused briefly before continuing, her voice a little more quiet. "I know she would come to approve in time, but for now I fear she would worry too much for me. You know she and Charity were quite adamant that I never involve myself in relationships beyond business."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Night had fallen by the time they had arrived back in Vel'Anir, heading straight towards Marionna's home. Lidia had talked the groups ears off, thinking of how happy Marionna must be now that they had cured the plague, but still Eilerias had burning questions regarding the painting, the necklace, the potential that she knew her father was behind this, or worse, she was also behind it in an attempt to break the walls of Vel'Anir and cause chaos.

Something seemed off as they approached and knocked on Marionna's door. There was no answer, but Eilerias could see the faint glow of a candle within. "Who leaves candles to burn when they are not home?" She asked out loud, twisting the door handle and letting herself in. "Hello? Marionna?" She could hear muffled sounds upstairs. "Marionna, we come bearing good news!" She ran up the stairs, Isak quickly following behind her.

Approaching the third door, it was clear the muffled noises were the sound of someone crying. "Mari-" She gasped as she opened the door to Devon's room. Marionna was sobbing over the empty bed. "Marionna, where is Devon?" She approached the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Marionna flinched as Eilerias placed her hand on her shoulder, her cries going quiet as she used her soothing touch to calm the woman. "He-" her breathing was rapid as she tried to get her words out. "The plague took my boy!" Her tears began to flow again and Eilerias had to accept that she didn't have enough energy to put into Marionna. She decided rather than use magic, she would try to comfort her the old fashioned way.

It was an awkward moment, as Eilerias embraced the grieving woman whom she had only met a few days prior however she seemed to accept the comfort and held onto her, soaking her dress with tears. In silence, she motioned for Isak, Ogden, and Lidia to give them privacy, using hand motions to subtly suggest they make the poor woman some tea and a meal. By Eilerias' hunger, a typically unfamiliar feeling, she could tell the woman had not eaten likely since the child passed away.

After they group left the two alone, Eilerias moved to sit her on Devon's bed, encouraging her to let her body rest for a short while. She waited until the woman was napping to leave and go back downstairs to assist the others in preparing some food and tea. "Poor Marionna..." Eilerias broke the silence. "I don't know how to help her." She looked to Isak for advice. "Do people eat when they are sad? Does it make them happy?" She continued stirring a pot which contained some meat, broth and vegetables that Ogden had taken from the garden out back.

She didn't know much about grief. Even losing her father didn't provide her with the grief one would experience when a love one died. For that, she was both thankful and at a loss. How was she meant to ask Marionna such pertinent questions when she could barely speak a sentence without breaking down?

 

[Isak Lavelle]

Eilerias still looked fairly thrilled with the prospect of spending some more time travelling around Arethil, discovering other cultures and visiting places never seen before, but Isak understood her desire to also stay a bit longer in Arethil, reuniting with their friends.

It had been some time since they last had seen Charity and the others, and though Isak would never admit it out loud, he missed having their nosy company around the club. The haul from their last heist had been enough to see everyone off on other adventures, and even forging an alliance with Gilgamesh and his Cherry Rose, so he could understand why everyone had quite nearly vanished afterwards, minding their own businesses for a time.

Isak also wondered what they would think after discovering the developments of his relationship with Eilerias after all this month. He already knew Charity suspected of something, once she discovered he had changed their entire plan back in Black Forge Keep just to keep Eilerias safe, and also taking a closely fatal blow that was meant for her. Luckily for him, Eilerias had been kind enough to heal him so perfectly that not even a scar remained from that terrible spear wound.

Though now Isak's eyes fell with sadness as he heard Eilerias speaking of Gwendolyn and her certain disapproval towards them being together. He knew the woman was almost a mother to Eilerias, and she had always advised the priestess about the dangers of innocent feelings in a city like Alliria, almost certainly referring to Isak as one of those dangerously powerful man there.

They were slow steps, but Isak truly believed he was changing, bit by bit, and that was mainly thanks to Eilerias and her unwavering love for him, and also her faith that there was still a good man inside Isak.

"I suppose we can stay in Alliria for a time, maybe then Charity and the others would come to visit us." He spoke, trying his best to hide the anguish and fear of endagering Eilerias' reputation simply by being with her. Hopefully Gwendolyn would really come to accept their relationship in time, and Charity as well. "There's an old saying amongst the merchants of the city..."

He opened a short smirk, trying to lift up his own mood. "What better profit than to mix a bit of pleasure in one's business?" He said playfully as Eilerias started to laugh, her smile almost instantly infecting him with a newly found happiness amid that melancholy. Of course, he had just made up that 'old saying', just to see her bright smile once again.

They worked quite well beyond their business, and Isak would do everything in his power to preserve that. He loved Eilerias more than anything in this world, and he would fight against everything and everyone to see her happy and fulfilled, with her dreams intact.

---------------------------------------------------------------

They had finally reached Vel'Anir by night, and were now waiting for Marionna to present herself at her door, to welcome them to her house, but they were met with nothing but silence.

Both Isak and Eilerias found it strange, considering that most people of Vel'Anir rarely left their houses at night, always obedient to the rules of state meant to protect them from any misfortune that one could find in empty streets at night. He noticed that Eilerias seemed to find the faint glow of a few candles burning inside, mostly confirming his suspicion that there was yet someone inside the house, and she quickly twisted the door handle, opening it as they let themselves in.

Isak could almost feel something heavy in the air. The house was eerily dark and the living room was seemingly untouched, as if no one had been there for days. Eilerias called for her mother, and it was then that they heard some muffling sound coming from upstairs. Isak prepared himself for any surprises, following behind Eilerias as she explored the stairs, only now noticing that the sounds resembled painful cries.

Eilerias almost desperately opened the door to find Marionna sobbing over an empty bed - Devon's empty bed - with her other daughter nowhere to be seen. His eyes wandered off to the nearby door in the corridor, most likely belonging to her other daughter's room as he also heard muffled cries coming from there too. When his eyes trailed back towards Marionna, Isak realized what that meant.

Eilerias already sought to comfort the woman, embracing her tightly after Marionna explained what had happened as Isak froze at the door, his eyes shooting open like he had seen a ghost and his heart feeling heavy for a fleeting moment.

The images of his moment with Devon, in that very same room, passed by his mind in a flash, the promise he had made to that kid, hoping that he would survive that plague. But he didn't... They were too late.

Eilerias looked at him, motioning for them to give them some privacy as Isak quickly understood, closing the door behind him after Lidia and Ogden went downstairs. The dwarf spoke about retrieving their belongings from the inn with Lidia's help while Isak stood behind, his mind seemingly wandering to many places. The house felt almost too small for him, and he walked outside, to the courtyard where he only now noticed the small hole dug out next to the tree where the cross hanged from.

It was a empty grave, probably due to the guards taking Devon's body to be burned along with the other corpses, as a effort to stop the plague spreading around, but it must've happened days ago. The grave was still out in the open, like a open wound that refused to be closed. Isak stared at it, his mouth set and his eyes taken with both sadness and frustration.

"It ain't never easy, seein' them small ones dyin' so soon. I've seen many o' those meself." Ogden approached him. Isak had been standing there for a long time, and the dwarf now called to him to head back inside the house, where Eilerias waited for him. She told him that Marionna was now sleeping after crying for so long, and she asked him if it would be of use to cook something for her, as Lidia already prepared something with Ogden's help.

Isak stared at Eilerias for a moment, short of answers to give her. He had never cared for the sadness of others, but now he was at a loss. "I... Yes, food should lift her mood a bit." He tried to shake off that uncertainty and pain from his face as Eilerias led him to help the others, preparing some soup for that wounded family.

Some time later, Marionna and her daughter finally joined them, and Isak merely watched silent as the others set their plates for them, with Eilerias insisting that she ate something so as not to fall dead from crying all day. He looked to the window, watching the empty grave in the courtyard as Eilerias spoke with Marionna.

He knew it was a hard moment for her as well, losing yet another one of her relatives and still filled with questions about Elyon and Marionna's relationship. Isak preferred not to say anything, he wasn't about to meddle in her family affairs and she deserved her answers.

He only hoped those answers wouldn't hurt her even more.

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias nodded as Isak agreed that food might help Marionna. "She looked so thin. It's only been a week or two at most." She commented as she moved some dishes around and served the group. "Perhaps we should bring the two of them back with us in the caravan and take care of them until they are doing better. I'd hate to leave and see them wasted away next time I visit." She paused for a moment.

Their first encounter was not pleasant for Eilerias. She was hurt that her mother didn't want her all those years ago. She was hostile towards her. Even though it was her mother, she wanted her to hurt the way she did throughout her entire youth. Now, only days later she wanted nothing more than to bring the woman and her half sister back so she could make sure they weren't hurting.

She left the dining room and walked back up the stairs, opening Gemma's door quietly to see the teenage girl sitting in the dark room. Though she had stopped crying, Eilerias could still feel her pain. A pain she was unfamiliar with. "Gemma," She kneeled down, shaking her while she stared with an absent expression. "Come on, you need to eat dear." She helped the girl up and supported her as she was too weak to make it down the stairs on her own. Ogden took over and sat her in a chair while Eilerias fetched Marionna as well.

The meal was quiet, but everyone seemed to be grateful, not only the ones who had lost their son and brother. "Marionna, mother." Eilerias held her mother's icy hands. "I wanted to talk to you about something." Her mother tilted her head curiously.

Eilerias pulled the necklace out and held it out for Marionna to see. She could make out a sadness in her eyes, though it was not the same sadness she held for her son. Eilerias immediately realized she knew this necklace, though she said nothing.

"We went to Fal'Addas. They were right, the plague was originated by an elf. I think you may have known him." She studied Marionna's face, who immediately nodded. "So you do know him." Her words were a mix of astonishment and hurt.

"Yes." Her mother barely whispered.

"Why did you not tell me of my father? Why are there paintings of you upon his walls and letters you wrote to him telling him not to look for me or you?" She felt a tear escaping as she interrogated the poor woman. "My entire life I thought I was unloved and unwanted and it was all because you told him not to look. Well, Marionna, he was the one who started the plague that killed your son." She was losing track of her words, the old memories cutting her deep as she flooded the woman with questions and statements she would likely regret.

She let go of her hands asking her final question. "Did you help him?" She didn't want to hurt Marionna even more, but she couldn't keep her questions in. If there was any possibility that Marionna was involved in the plague, Eilerias would kill her there and then. What a heartless mother, killing her own child after hiding the other one and telling her father to never look for her.

"I-" Marionna tried to speak, but Gemma stood and stormed upstairs. It was hard to tell if she was overwhelmed by Eilerias' demanding questions or if she was upset at the possibility that her mother had killed the girl's brother. "For God's sake child!" She slapped Eilerias across the face before freezing for a moment, her hand still in the air as she had realized what she had done. "I'm...sorry." She stuttered.

Eilerias backed away, her hand on her cheek. She gave Isak a look that told him not to do anything. It was Eilerias' fault for overwhelming the poor woman. She deserved it.

"Sylvanna..."She sighed. "You must understand that I gave you away for your own safety. It was not safe for either of us in Fal'Addas." Marionna looked away. "Your father was not a good man, obviously you know this now. I was his servant. Just a girl who worked for him, but he fancied me and...he had a very dark side. I thought I loved him, but I was just saying yes to everything he asked and everything he wanted because I thought that was what love was. I never had a mother to teach me these things, and I'm sorry I wasn't there to teach you." Her mother turned to look back at her and Isak. "I was only a servant, but he wanted me to be his latest bride. He was infatuated with me. I accepted, but over the course of the years I spent in his company, his charm had begun to wear off. I had planned on leaving, but he only made it harder, using strange magic to sway my mind. Then, one day, it all stopped. It all wore off as though I had some barrier around me, preventing him from harming me or manipulating me. That's when one of the chambermaids told me I was pregnant... with you." Tears started streaming down her face. "You were a powerful little thing, keeping me safe from him until I could leave and never return. So powerful, I feared he would come after me and you, so I gave you up for your safety."

Eilerias was quiet, trying to stop herself from joining the woman in tears. "I'm sorry." She responded, not sure what would even help in that moment. Though she was still hurt, she at least knew why her mother made that choice. It didn't make her feel better, but in due time she would begin to forgive her. "Marionna, I know things are difficult and you may not like who or what I am, but I want you and Gemma to come to Alliria for a while." She decided there was no better time to ask than now. "We need to pick up our belongings from the inn, but we will be leaving tonight. Isak owns a club and there are plenty of spare bedrooms. We would like if you would stay with us while you grieve." She grabbed Isak's hand, looking to him for any additional comments before Marionna smiled sadly.

"Very well, it might be nice to get out of this darkness if only for a little while." She thanked Isak and Eilerias for their generosity before going to gather Gemma, telling her to bring some belongings.

While they packed up a few items, the rest of the group departed to quickly grab their belongings, meeting back up at Marionna's house where they would all board the caravan and set off back to Alliria.

 

[Isak Lavelle]

The pain of losing someone was something quite foreign to Isak. He never had anyone to mourn in the first place, except for the mother who left him when he was but a young lad, still unable to speak properly.

Watching Marionna weep over her dead child, and also her younger daughter Gemma, still shocked that he would never see her brother again twitched something inside him. Isak did his best not to show it, but there was a part of him that hurt along with them, saddened and frustrated with himself. He had made a promise to that kid, that him and Eilerias would banish the plague together, and he would hug his long abandoned sister again, for whom he was so excited to meet after all those years, but Isak failed.

That plague had taken its fair share of lives, but Isak could only think of Devon now. He wished to apologize to Marionna and Gemma, to say that he hadn't been fast enough to fix all of that, but Eilerias and her own matters were much more important now.

And so Isak sat back, Ogden and Lidia preparing their own meals as Isak watched Eilerias start to question her mother about Elyon, much to the woman's discomfort. He didn't miss the expression on her face as Eilerias showed her the necklace they had found in Elyon's room, as if the woman still remembered it clearly from the days she wore it in Fal'Addas. He could see her brow furrowing and her mouth twisting in disgust as Eilerias deepened her tone and advanced in her interrogation, to the point where Gemma couldn't take that anymore and stormed upstairs.

Isak didn't move an inch, his eyes still fixed upon Eilerias and Marionna, up until she raised her hand to slap her own daughter, and Isak felt himself almost snapping. His eyes were taken by a softly crimson tone for a moment, the anger bubbling inside his veins before Eilerias looked at him, putting her hand over his as if she was begging him to stay calm.

Of course she would. She wanted control of that situation, and she would have it. Eilerias had her mother right where she wanted, and Isak would never interfere. Isak composed himself again, letting out a discreet sigh before Marionna seemingly regretted her deed and started explaining her briefly passionate chronicle with Elyon, looking at him from time to time. There was something about her words that didn't sit right with him, but Isak could do nothing aside from dwell on them and ponder over that evil man and all his machinations, to the point where he held a poor young servant in a prison of mind, thinking himself infatued by her, and her by him.

He didn't want to cross over those thoughts, but Isak couldn't help but question himself as well. Elyon was a man with power, and a dark side. He could say that about himself too, as greed and power had always motivated him, before he met Eilerias. But what if he fell to the darkness? What if Eilerias could no longer feel safe and loved around him?

What if he turned out to be just another monster, like Atreon always tried to say?

Isak was broken from his thoughts as Eilerias took his hand, looking at him softly as she spoke about taking Marionna and Gemma to Alliria, to spend some precious time at the Raven Club, far from this cloud of anguish that loomed over her house at the moment. Isak forced the tiniest of smiles as he agreed to her idea, entwining his fingers with hers. "It would be a pleasure to welcome you both to our house. The Raven Club can be quite... eventful, but I will make sure to arrange some much deserved comfort for you." He couldn't help but blush a little as Eilerias smiled at him, with Marionna quickly agreeing to accompany them.

Later on, Ogden and Lidia went upstairs to help Marionna and Gemma pack some of their belongings for the journey back, while Isak sneakily walked outside, feeling the cold night breeze as Eilerias called to him, speaking about picking up their own belongings that were still at the inn.

Isak shut his eyes, trying to push back that sadness that hung over him, but as Eilerias approached him and gently made him look at her, she could see right through him, and Isak didn't feel like hiding anything from her.

"I... Your mother told us about Elyon, about his darkness. A powerful man with a dark side..." He couldn't even meet Eilerias' gaze now. "I don't want to fall to that same fate. I... don't want to lose you." Eilerias put her hand on his face again as Isak looked at her, his eyes closing as he leaned forward and gently pressed his forehead against hers. He didn't want to let her go, not ever. Isak wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer where their lips finally met in a long awaited kiss, one that could cleanse their souls and assure both of them that there would always be light to scare away the shadows that tried to creep towards them.

"I want to marry you soon, Eile. I want you to be my family, now and forever." He said as his voice was still breaking down, regaining his breath from their kiss. He could feel her trembling in his arms for a moment, probably taken back by how straightforward his words had been, but Isak couldn't control his heart, not around her. "We should go grab our bags, before the innkeeper sells them at the black market." He said playfully, taking Eilerias' hand and departing to the inn, just the two of them, sharing a few words about that surprising night before they finally secured their belongings and rushed back to Marionna's house, where the rest of the group was already waiting to take the caravan back to Alliria as soon as possible.

They reached the stables shortly afterwards, with Isak paying off whatever expenses they owed for the caravan before embarking, heading to the countryside roads as they started their journey back to Alliria, watching the beautiful moon in the distant starry sky.

Gemma looked in awe of all that vast space, probably because the poor girl had barely set foot outside Vel Anir's walls. She looked at Isak as Eilerias peacefully rested on his shoulder, probably still exhausted after their recent adventures. Marionna also looked fairly anxious about that journey as well. "Mr Isak, how is Alliria?" Gemma asked him, grinning from ear to ear, her eyes almost glimmering.

Isak could almost feel the excitement behind her words, and he looked at Eilerias for a moment, smiling softly while gently tracing her hand with his fingers before finally responding.

"Home."

 

[Eilerias]

Eilerias could feel something lingering on Isak, something that felt like it was dragging her down emotionally, so she turned to him curiously asking what was on his mind. "Isak, I could feel the darkness in Elyon." She sighed. "It was so potent I could taste it." She shuddered at the thought. "You though, you may think you have darkness that equates to evil...but I don't feel it. I don't taste it. I don't see any darkness in your actions." She let Isak lean in for a kiss. "You need to believe you are a good person inside and out. Don't let yourself feel like Bheron's darkness is who you are."

Her finger lit up with a gentle golden glow as she poked him in the chest, the light disappearing into his skin. "There, you have a little bit of light in you to fight off the darkness." She laughed. Her light was likely not transmissible, but she still hoped it would make Isak feel a little better if some of her was always within to keep him grounded.

"Then let's get married when we get home. Right after we meet up with our friends and tell them the good news!" She smiled, agreeing with him as he joked that they should retrieve their bags. "When we were at Elyon's I had this dream that I was getting married and I had the most beautiful elven dress. I want that dress, so I need to find a seamstress as soon as we get back!" She spoke about some details of her dream as they picked up their things and made their way back to the caravan.

Eilerias had slept for nearly the entire trip back to Alliria, finding herself extremely exhausted all of a sudden, she presumed due to the extent to which she used magic and even her own body during their trip. Isak was kind enough to let her rest on his shoulder, making sure she never fell over those days the spent. "Not yet, I'm too tired." She grumbled as Isak lifted her off the caravan before he paid for it. She stumbled along as they made their way back to the Raven Club, still half-asleep. At some point, she completely fell asleep and Isak ended up carrying her up to their room and laying her in the bed, letting her rest more.

---

Eilerias woke up pretty late, way after Isak had to the smell of eggs and some sort of meat cooking downstairs. She put on one a long sleeping robe, still tired as she made her way downstairs hearing Marionna and Ogden speaking in the kitchen as Isak and Gemma enjoyed the scene of two stubborn chefs at work. "Good morning." She said, yawning and rubbing her eyes as she sat down at the table. "Isak, remind me to send out invites to our friends later today. When do you propose the Raven Club can accommodate a night of only the Cherry Rose? Obviously we will have to close it to the public." She was eager to set up this dinner with their friends, having been without them for several months now.

"Oh I can't wait to see Gwen! She wasn't taking visitors last time I went to the archives, so it's been so long! I just want to tell her all about the adventures we went on." She was growing more excited as she spoke. "I bet she would be so impressed with all the things we accomplished since we all worked together on that one thing." She realized she should be more vague about the other side of Isak's business. "Oh I cannot wait!"

She looked over to see what was taking the two so long to make food, but the scent of whatever it was went from pleasant to foul rather quickly, making her feel a little sick. "Isak, have we got any fresh fruit? I'm hungry." She said, hoping she wouldn't have to eat the greasy mess that was being created in the kitchen. It was strange to say she was hungry out loud; she was never hungry. Even when she was, her body usually told her it was better to share with the less fortunate before she thought of herself needing food, but she was really hungry. "Maybe those red berries we had a few months ago! Or something else like steak! Oh yeah maybe nuts too."