Private Tales In the Warm Ale

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Somewhere in Vel Anir…

“Where in Kress’ arse is she putting it?” A short man with surprising girth to his torso exclaimed, stroking the stubble on his square chin. One thick arm nudged a man who was much taller than him but resembled the long, thin shoots of bamboo found around Dornoch. It was surprising that the taller one of the pair didn’t keel over. Maybe he had more padding on him than one would expect.

“Gotta be her…” a gesture was made by Mr. Tall and Thin with his hand making a generous over and under motion around his chest. He was jabbed in his side again by the short one who had clearly taken a liking to the woman that was out drinking then men who were far bigger than her in almost every way.

“Or she’s cheating.” A barmaid sniffed dismissively, placing two large mugs onto the counter that was perpendicular to the main bar where the drinking showdown was happening. “Look at her hair. She’s probably a elf. I hear they can’t get drunk on ale.”

“Her ears ain’t pointy.” Shortie said.

“And she’s short. But she does have the big— oof.” He glared at both his friend and the barmaid, with the former jabbing him with his elbow and the latter flicking his forehead. “I was going to say ego! EE-Go. She has a big ego! Look at that smirk.”

He was right. Everleigh was smirking at the three men that were to her left, giving them all a look that all at once challenged them while also pitying them. Because the barmaid also happened to be right, not because she was a elf, but because she was cheating. Alcohol, Everleigh had learned long ago, was a poison. Which meant after her first drunken night she had never been able to get drunk again and could keep drinking it like it was water.

“You guys are doing a good job, what round are we on?” Everleigh asked, purposely adding a slight slur to her words and tilting her head. She knew the answer.

“Five.”

“No, we’re on seven!”

“Seven? I thought we were on six?” Violet eyes tilted up into crescent moons, lips curving up to flash white teeth. She looked more like a big cat readying its pounce on a group of unsuspecting rabbits.

“Eight. We’re on eight. You get to ten and I won’t even take your money, deal?” Murmurs of agreement mixed with complaints could be heard. One of the challengers suddenly turned his head, grabbing one of his empty mugs, and vomited in it. A sour stench filled the air and many of the onlookers groaned.

“Goddammit, Frederick, you couldn’t have hold it in for another drink or two?!”

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

Heard enough of the conversation from the door to catch a drifting humor by it. Everleigh in a drinking match - not exactly what she was expecting to find here this late at night. There was always something brewing at the Burwood Lane Alehouse - music, festivities, live entertainment - so far as taverns in Vel Anir went, this one was one of the best by her standards. Good food, good drink, good atmosphere, and just enough trouble to keep things interesting without tearing the place down.

Guess Everleigh was the source of that mischief tonight. Most Initiates wouldn't be surprised, but Ralene didn't know the violet-haired girl well enough to have an opinion on the matter aside from learning she was besting a flight of adult men. Had to smirk at that.

Didn't go directly for her drinking party, but instead just to the bar to get her own. Kept an eye and ear out though, if for no other reason than to have some good story to tell Elias and Davi upon her return to Vel Castere.

If Everleigh looked her way she'd offer a casual nod and broader half-smirk while she waited for her order.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Years at the Academy had her catalogue everyone, the turning and tilting of her head purposeful in collecting the information she needed. Dreadlords, especially those like her, could never be too careful. So when Ralene entered, Everleigh was aware of it.

She could pin those blue eyes, not just the color of the iris but the overall shape of them and the way her brow formed above them, to Ralene. The dilemma wasn’t recognizing Ralene. It was deciding whether or not to approach. Their interactions at the Academy were few and far in between. Yet it was there last interaction, or rather last two, that made Everleigh want to acknowledge her.

The man who had the unfortunate luck to be named Frederick had removed himself from the bar. The other men were trying their various tricks to feel less sick. The one closest to Everleigh was doing measured breaths, breathing in deeply through his nose and holding the breath before he released it with a cough.

Everleigh turned her head as if she were avoiding the stale cough. Violet gaze would center on Ralene after a moment of searching for her. A nod and a smirk. Better than what she expected. She could’ve been ignored completely. It was enough for Everleigh to make a decision.

“Take a break and eat some bread to sop up the ale.” Everleigh said. The men looked towards her either glaring or regarding her with suspicion. “I’m going to say hello to a….” What to call Ralene? “Old comrade.”

“If ya puke yer out. No runnin’ over to the outhouse. Disqualified.” Everleigh waved the words off, making a blase hum of agreement while sliding off from the bar stool to make her way to Ralene. She stood instead of sitting next to her.

“So. What are you drinking?”

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

"Bowen's got a citrus ale he makes this time of year," she answered Everleigh with an easy smile, "thought I might be too late in the season to try it, but I lucked out."

Her own drink finally slid across the counter. The Lieutenant dropped a few coins and then lifted the tankard for a drink and made a sound of satisfaction as she licked the froth from her upper lip, "Need meat to stop the sick. Bread just makes it worse."

Amusement settled into her glacial gaze, the curve of her brow mild and the pinch of her facial scars lax, "Come here often, Ev?" That might've been taken as a come-on by others, but Ral was genuinely intrigued by the notion of Everleigh holding her own in a drinking game.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

So Ralene was a regular of sorts. Everleigh doubted Ralene could be making weekly, even monthly appearances. Ralene hadn’t joined the Reserves. Good for her.

“Meat, huh?” Everleigh said as she took a seat next to woman. Should she tell the men? It wouldn’t help them out in the end. When she glanced over to them they were still trying to feel sober. A brow raised at the shortening of her name but she didn’t comment on it. Another nickname to add to the books. Much better than some of the others she had collected.

“I don’t. Drinking doesn’t really, well.” Everleigh wasn’t sure if she should tell Ralene the truth. “I’m not a lightweight like some in our class. And all ale just tastes the same to me.” She shrugged. Another pause from Everleigh. Finally, she said it. “I should’ve said this sooner, or even wrote it in a letter to you. I want to thank you.”

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

Ral listened quietly, humor bare but in check. If Everleigh wasn't a lightweight and had put away eight rounds ... she suspected it had something to do with her powers. Lucky her. Being counted as one of those aforementioned lightweights, Ralene didn't feel the need to enlighten the purple-haired Dreadlord to that fact. Course she could use Cleanse on herself, but never really saw the fun in that. She didn't often drink to get drunk, but when she did she did so with purpose.

"Most ale is shite," she lifted her brows as she looked down at her own, "but not this stuff. Used to make a stop out every summer for it in between missions. It's one of Holstag's favorites."

Couldn't say much more than that, all wine tasted the same to her.

Ral went to take another drink but sputtered into her tankard at Everleigh's words, "Thank me?" she coughed and wiped dribble from her chin and breastplate, "Hells, whatever for?"

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

She couldn’t help but grin. Using her teeth to keep back the laugh tickling the back of her throat that was gone once she gave a humorous huff. It had been a long time. Maybe she should have written a letter after all. Then Ralene might have remembered. Sheepish and with her shoulders curving forward, Everleigh prepared herself to sound like a fool.

“For Graduation. Or after it. Well, back at the Academy, I did thank you. It just doesn’t feel like enough.” Especially now when she looked back to everything that had transpired. “Words don’t feel like enough sometimes.”

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

"O-oh," Ral strained over another cough, eyes slightly winced at the burn in the wrong pipe. Everleigh was referring to her intervention with Zael - how could she forget? "Right."

That whole event wasn't something she thought about often since leaving. The last several months of her life had been blissfully free of any thoughts of all having to do with the Academy.

"Glad one of you is grateful," she gave a light snort and took another proper sip this time, "cause I don't think Zael was. He about spat fire at me when I stopped him from killing the Nurse." Was Zael even aware that had she not taken his body from Everleigh and carried him back to the Academy that day he'd likely not have made it? He was as tough as the rest of them, but his wounds had been grievous. The Nurses all agreed he should have been dead.

Ral waved it off with a lazy gesture of a hand. It wasn't really that important. Small deeds almost always went unseen or forgotten and she wasn't the type to keep a running tally. There were more important things to worry about.

"We have to take care of our own," Ralene looked to her drinking companion with a wane half smile, "Gods know no one else will. You stayed back, didn't you? Proctor now?"

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

She hadn’t said his name but it was obvious what she was talking about. Everleigh was more curious how Ralene would say Zael’s name. She wondered if she would curse him. But she moved on. Everleigh was grateful for that though she would say nothing about it and only offer a nod of her head. She was, however, even more grateful for Ralene’s statement.

We have to take care of our own. Everleigh liked the way Ralene said it. Something about it coming from her mouth was more comforting than if Everleigh had thought it up herself. It probably had to do with her being a shitty teacher and a even shittier protector.

“I did stay, but I am more like a permanent substitute teacher that does whatever needs to be done. I’ve learned I’m much better at killing than I am teaching others how to kill. It’s really not exciting. Truth be told? It’s turning me into a total snooze fest of a killjoy.” She shrugged. There wasn’t much more to say about it. Everleigh wasn’t a fan of complaining endlessly about something she had chosen to do. Besides, one of them had to stay there, didn’t they?

“I’ve heard through the grapevine that you are doing some exciting things though. You’re in charge of a unit or something?” She grinned. “I know you can’t tell me everything but there’s got to be some little juicy tidbits to share, right?”

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

Ralene could offer nothing but a rueful chuckle to Everleigh's lamentations of her selected career path.

"I never thought any of the Proctors were particularly thrilling myself," she said, "don't think most of them meant to become a Proctor so much as that's just where they landed. Think you'll add some much needed spice to the mix."

Most of them didn't know the truth behind the stories of Proctor Mars or Harkenov, or others of their ilk. Rumor and tall tales surrounded them of course, but it was difficult to discern the truth on the matter. Not that she really cared too much to learn it. The vast majority of the proctors had been tormentors and nightmares for herself and her fellow initiates. So far as Ralene was concerned, they could all burn in a meteor strike and the world would be better for their loss.

Everleigh was so quick to change the subject away from her. Deflection of high capacity - something they had in common. Ralene never liked talking about herself, but she was perfectly content talking about her family in the Knights.

"Aye, I was made a Lieutenant - not something I had expected but it's made things interesting. I have a squadron under my command now which includes Davi and Elias. Mostly we form patrols along the western boarder, but sometimes we get sent further afield. Hunted down a dragon a few months ago all the way up into the steppes. Still young into it," she gave Everleigh a look of consideration, "plenty of dull to mix with the juicy. I'm just returning from Alliria and training with a master dwarven smith so I can make portal keys and dwarven alloys. I figure the General will eventually want me to start making armor for the Blackguard..." her nose scrunched up at that but not so much in distaste as much as mixed priorities, "think I'd rather make myself new kit first since Noel robbed me of my last set."

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

It was the most that Everleigh had ever heard Ralene say, at least to her. She was certain Ralene had to do a lot of talking if she was a Lieutenant. Good for her. Months ago, Everleigh had felt jealous about the circumstances she found herself in compared to the circumstances of her classmates. It was a brief yet incredibly weak moment.

She was only able to mollify the discourse between her heart and mind by becoming more steadfast in decisions than before. Although, it would be a lie to say that Everleigh didn’t feel a bit envious over the fact that Ralene had gone out to hunt a dragon. More than that was the fact that Ralene was with Davi and Elias. Liliana and Zael had both left her behind.

“I’m happy to hear such good news… Lieutenant.” It rolled off her tongue easily and Everleigh was grinning. “You were always a monster in the forge. I think you were the only one who could give Tinker a run for his money in who was there the most. Surprised the General hasn’t asked for the armor sooner.” She let the comment about Noel get tucked away in the back of her mind. So she really went into the Blackguard after all. “You done with that ale yet so I can buy us a round? Only right since I owe you.”

“That won’t count!” One of the men had overheard and pointed accusingly at Everleigh. “Cheating!” He was so close yet so far. Everleigh looked over her shoulder. He was so close yet so far. The look she gave him was unnoticed by those inebriated.

“As you wish, it’s not gonna count.” Everleigh looked back to Ralene, ignoring some of the slurring that was going on behind her. “Anyways. Another drink?”

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

Tinker. A name she'd never given much thought. The Initiate had been too odd, even for her. Chasmine was about as odd as she'd allowed herself to interact with. Not to mention their work in the forge was not the same at all. Tinker made ... things.

Ralene made weapons and armor. Items of use like the enchanted medallions she'd crafted on the fly for the siege of Wissburg. Her pieces held power beyond their physical structures and basic intentions.

But that was all neither here nor there. Tinker was, much like the most of her fellow classmates, completely inconsequential to herself.

"You always in such a hurry?" Ralene raised a brow over a half smirk at her. She was nursing her ale, it was true, but she rather liked savoring the seasonal notes over guzzling without purpose. Her pale gaze shifted down to the tankard in her hand, still half full, "Go ahead. I'll have this finished soon enough..." she craned around to glance back at the hecklers, amusement touching her expression as she faced her drink again, "but that'll be it for me. Shipping out with the sun tomorrow morning."

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

A elbow was placed on the bar top and Everleigh leaned her head into her open palm. She did order another ale, but this time it was the one that Ralene had ordered. Everleigh wasn’t sure if it would actually taste better or not, but it was worth a try. Her violet eyes lit up with mirth and mischief.

“Are you a lightweight?” She angled herself so she faced Ralene, crossing one leg over the other. Her knees pointed at Ralene like a compass pointing north. Everleigh looked over the build of Ralene, from the width of her shoulders to the size of her biceps. She had always been on the taller and broader side of the spectrum for the female initiates.

While Everleigh wasn’t short by Anirian standards, there was no denying that the two women looked different. Both were athletic but in two different fashions. She imagined that if a stranger were to see them now they would assume her to be the lightweight and Ralene to be able to handle her liquor.

“If you’re worried about getting hungover, I’m sure I got something to counteract that.”

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

Ralene was not a woman who waxed embarrassed or bashful. Those who knew her would say she maintained very little in the dignity department and wore her life on her sleeves, literally. So when Everleigh called her out as a lightweight it was not a diffident expression that she returned the look with, but one of wry self deprecation.

"Yeap," Ral tipped her mug toward Evie before taking another slow sip, "you got me."

Didn't look like she should be, but she was. Ralene lived a clean lifestyle for the most part, with the most dangerous toxins she elected to use being those she injected across the canvas of her flesh. Dragon's blood had its long-term side effects but she had no idea what they were. Yet. Maybe someday she'd find out, but until then she had no intentions of stopping the pursuit of just how much she could push her body through runic alchemy.

"Pretty keen to get me drinking," couldn't blame her, she liked to think she was a fun drunk. Elias could attest to that.

"Why is that."

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

“So I can live vicariously through you,” Everleigh said with easy swiftness. Her chin lifted up towards Ralene, lips still in that signature smirk of hers. She lowered her voice in a whisper and leaned closer to Ralene. “Can’t really get drunk anymore.” Which was a benefit in the case of a drinking contents. Of course, there was a downside to it. “Only been drunk once. Titus told me I started taking off all my clothes. Apparently, drunk me doesn’t like wearing anything but my birthday suit.” Everleigh shrugged.

She had only ever told Zael this story before as part of truth and dare. If only she could go back to the Festival of Freedom and enjoy every single second that much more.

“That being said, I’ve always been curious about it. Being drunk, I mean. I haven’t been able to get… yanno.” Everleigh was handed her mug of ale. She paid for it before taking hold of the handle. She brought it up to her nose and smelled it before taking a sip. Her face remained the same as before. She’d give Ralene credit it though— this was better than what she was drinking before. There was still a bitterness that she didn’t care for.

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

Everleigh was quite a bit more talkative than Ralene expected, though she found she didn't mind it at all. They'd spent the majority of their academy years mostly at arms length - but for certain Ral had felt the devastating effects of Everleigh's poisons on more occasions than she could count. Whether that had been a direct effect of a spar or indirectly via the Proctors it mattered not. But Everleigh had not escaped the unyielding brute force of herself either. There were probably broken bones to speak of, but the miracle of healers and healing elixirs didn't usually leave much evidence to the fact.

Her memory didn't track those sorts of things anyway.

She raised a brow at the girl and her story, making no effort to hide the short look over she gave her, "That so?" Her amusement returned for another long sip of her first drink, a nod given to the bartender for the second.

"You remember that beach trip the Proctor's gave us just after the revolution? That thing they thought would show the Republic they were trying?" She snorted, rolled her eyes, "I went off with Ed and Ella. We found a tavern, drank until we couldn't see straight, I bested every single patron in an arm wrestling match ..." her eyes squinted in the effort of recollection, but truly most of that entire day and evening had been one big blur, "I think there was a minotaur I beat at the end. I definitely made out with Ella more than once. Puked my guts out off the tavern porch. Ed banged an orc for her birthday."

Ralene's shoulder pauldrons shook with a chuckle and a wayward smile as she remembered, "We all got matching tattoos. Good times. Shame you can't enjoy it the same, but I don't think you want me drunk. I'd probably just try to take your clothes off and make out with you too."

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

The smile only grew and Everleigh continued to lean forward with every word being said. She was a sucker for a good story, and this one was a good one, even if she hadn’t been able to go on the beach trip (of course they wouldn’t send her there, she’d get them all in trouble.) Was she a little jealous? Of course.

Not of Ral making out with Ella or Edric sleeping with a orc. But of the fact that they had this story between the three of them. Ralene was a good storyteller, though. From the start of the arm wrestling to even the neat ending of the matching tattoos, she was laughing softly whenever Ralene paused.

The sly ending remark wasn’t lost on her. Her eyes widened and she leaned back as if it could offer her some sort of defense from the words. Her face was red. It was easy to flirt with someone, especially someone who she had no interest in at all. Everleigh reminded herself of this. It was a joke.

“Where’d you guys get the matching tattoos? Same place for the three of you?” Everleigh asked instead, thinking of Proctor Palahniuk so the heat would leave her face sooner.

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

Caught a glimpse of that withdraw and deep blush - Ral bit into a half grin at that before clearing out the last two glugs of her first drink. She had a solid meal in her stomach so it wasn't hitting her, but as she pushed the empty mug aside to take up the second she felt the weight of it a bit more clearly. Two drinks, full stop. She'd sleep deeply and wake rested, then leave this place behind. Hopefully for another four or five months, Nykios willing, maybe even longer.

"Noh," didn't remark on the color of Evie's cheeks, much as she would have liked to. Watching others squirm was a bit of a favorite past time but she'd had a morally heavy day already and wasn't sure she wanted to add anything more to it.

"Ella got hers on her right ass cheek," she smirked, attempting to capture that hazy memory in her mind, "mine is here-" Ral rapped her knuckles against the steel plate covering her sternum just between her breasts, "and Ed's..." a sound of thoughtful effort echoed into her fresh mug as she took a drink, her brows lowering over her eyes while she tried to peer through the fog of the event.

"Don't remember where his is."

She hadn't exactly been looking for it either the last few times they'd gotten together. Ah well, she shrugged, "Guess you can always go ask him before his next attempted execution."

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

The sternum was a nasty place to get tatted, Everleigh didn’t have experience of getting a tattoo there herself, but she had a piercing, or two, there. The skin was thin there, with little fat to give some cushion from the bone. The piercing had been uncomfortable. She wonder what a tattoo would be like there.

“Shame,” Everleigh said, “I was hoping you could show me what it was.” She most definitely wouldn’t have asked Edric to show her. Mostly because she doubted he’d show her and she didn’t want to sound stupid. They weren’t close enough for something like that. And besides, what a weird thing to ask someone while they were behind bars.

She looked into her mug before drinking more of it.

“Kinda funny where everyone ended up.” She said finally. “Except maybe for you and Noel.”

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

"That would require a fair amount of undressing to do," Ral replied with her brows raised. Not exactly something she was against doing, but she wasn't going to do it here. If she was shedding layers it was going to be in her room at the inn across the square on her way to a good, solid sleep. It had been a long road from Alliria and she had another very long journey ahead.

That was where she was going, but where she ended up?

"I was recruited for the Knights at eight summers old," she informed her. Not everyone was aware of that, but it hadn't exactly been a secret, "I was always going to end up with them."

As for Noel?

"I suppose Noel thinks she's going to hunt down Gilram by herself. She's in the right role for it, but I don't like her odds alone." and Ral couldn't really blame her for wanting to, but she wasn't stupid either. Noel was powerful, but she wasn't yet anywhere close to Gilram's level and likely wouldn't be for many years to come.

"I can't ... blame the others for taking the opportunity to leave," she wouldn't begrudge Gaage or Delaney, or any of the other Initiates that walked with Gilram that day, "we all have that choice now and it's their right to go. But I have to wonder if they found what they were looking for with him or if it's just more of the same."

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh checked out Ralene’s armor. The woman had always worn more than she had. She was right though, it would involve a lot of time and effort in getting all that metal and padding off of her. Although Everleigh was certain Ralene could be quick with it. They all had their own routine when it came to being speedy about taking things off or putting things on.

“Wow.” Everleigh didn’t know Ralene had been recruited that young. “You were being recruited and I was accidentally killing kids with farts.” She took another sip, hiding the fact that she rather liked Ralene’s opinion on those who left. It was their right, wasn’t it? Strangely enough, that idea, leaving being a right, hadn’t quite occurred to her before. At least, not in terms as simple as Ralene put it.

“I almost went with Gilram.” Everleigh said, her mug hitting the counter as silently as one could. “Not because he promised freedom. I didn’t really care about that. I just didn’t want to die.” A half-truth. She didn’t want Zael to die. She was wounded, but nothing like Zael was. Her eyes drifted away from Ralene. “I think having only three options is bullshit. Both the Republic and Gilram capitalized on it.” A bitter laugh escaped through her mouth. “Honestly, I’d bet all my money on Gilram being there the entire time in the Blackwood. I bet he knew what those proctors were doing days in advance. I bet he waited for us to be fighting for our lives against the proctors and each other before showing up to look like the fucking hero. Republic did the same shit, getting the Blackguard to swarm our halls. Then you have the good proctors like D’Amour offering counseling to help hide the fact that the Nobles were deciding what is best for us once again; just this time in the name of the Republic? Bull-fucking-shit.”

Her eyes had narrowed into slits, dark lashes making her eyes look that much more like a thin black line. Suddenly, she brightened, face opening up like a rose in full bloom. Her eyes were as wide as the smile she wore as she turned back towards Ralene.

“But complaining doesn’t help anyone, does it? I’m sure the class under us will have the graduation we should’ve had. That should be enough. As long as everyone after us doesn’t have to go through that again, it should be enough, right?”

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

There was more to her recruitment than what most took at face value. Ral hadn't always been the powerhouse she was today - the price for her abilities and strength wasn't balanced. Maybe if the Guard knew what the Academy had done to her to make her this way they wouldn't have wanted her. Maybe they wouldn't have cared. Either way, she wasn't going to complain about where she ended up. She was with her chosen family now and quite content.

Ral was about to make a dumb remark on Evie's fart comment just to keep the mood light, but caught the words in her throat as the name Gilram hit the air. She didn't joke about that man - he was hellishly powerful and frighteningly dangerous. Ral had bravado to spare, but she wouldn't be going after him alone anytime soon. Probably not ever. Would rather hunt down dragons the rest of her life than be pitted against that heathen by herself.

She listened intently, sipping at her drink, face stoic and figure quiet. There were a lot of strong and passionate opinions about what had happened at their graduation. Some were based on complete ignorance, others were based on simple emotions, but very few people were making an effort to find the middle ground that provided a real fix. Everleigh was understandably emotional and Ral felt for her on a deep level. Agreed on many things, though the idea that Gilram had been lying in wait was a new thought for her. She supposed she hadn't looked that deeply into it as distracted as she had been about the possibility of incarceration for the murder of Charon.

Soon as she knew she was free to leave, she did, and took Davi with her.

But that disgusting smile that planted itself onto Evie's expression grew a scowl of distaste on Ralene in return.

"No, it's not enough," Ral replied shortly, "and you don't have to smile and pretend that it is, Ev."

"The problem as I see it is a lack of transparency about the Academy. Vel Anir's people have no idea what they do to us, the amount of bodies buried there, what they make us do to each other. They've carefully selected the right eyes, ears, and minds to know about it and then cover it up. Ask any normal citizen what the Academy is all about and they just think we're Elbion with boot camp. If the people really knew," her lips drew thin for a moment, "if the right people heard your complaints and learned the truth, then something could really be done about it."

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

The smile faltered, not from her drinking buddy’s souring expression but from her words instead.

“Maybe if you said it. You’re the one hunting dragons. You’re the one that got Charon.” It’s not that the proposed solution was wrong, nor was it one that Everleigh hadn’t thought of before. It wasn’t that Everleigh believed the citizens wouldn’t be able to do anything or to help elicit the change she wanted. “I’m Everleigh Ebersol, the self proclaimed poison eater. I look dangerous, I am dangerous, and half the time people are calling me a elf.” What elves had purple hair and eyes? But that was a question to lament over at a different time.

“Any normal citizen hears of my magic and they won’t want to stand close to me. Any normal citizen hears about what I’ve done, who I’ve killed? All the Anirians gone because of me?” There was a heavy pause. “I’m sure they’ll believe I deserved worse. I don’t look human, they won’t consider me to be like them.” She sighed. What a depressing conversation. “And I can’t blame them. I’m scared of myself, too, sometimes.”

Ralene

 

[Samantha Black]

"None of us are innocent, Ev."

She didn't know the full breadth of Everleigh's atrocities nor did she want to. Ralene was well aware of her own high count of fellow Initiates alone at the Academy, Charon just one of a sizeable collection.

"All of us dangerous in our own way. We might not have become this if it weren't for the Academy."

She didn't want to get into wether or not their lives were better for it, that was besides the point. For some Initiates it very well could have been. For herself? She would have been part of the nobility of the city. She might've grown up to be a leader in some other form. She might've made a positive addition to society. The same could have been said for Everleigh, for Zael, for Ed, for Sable. Every single one of them could have been something so very different.

"But that doesn't make us any less deserving of the humanity owed to us. It doesn't matter what you look like Everleigh," Ralene leaned in to catch her purple gaze directly, a gloved hand coming up to take her chin firmly but not roughly, "you're a person, not the monster the Academy made you think you are. None of us should be weighed against the things we were made to do. If that were true, I should have been incarcerated like Edric and not let to join the Knights and made a Lieutenant."

Given no reason not to, Ral's hand moved to Everleigh's shoulder next to give it a squeeze, "But you're not wrong. It has the be the right face, the right voice. I'm not it, but I might know who it could be."

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh was taken aback by the firm grip belonging to the woman in front of her. Clearly displayed on her face was the shock she felt flutter in her stomach and she had to fight against her instinct to make space between her and Ralene as if they were about to fight. Not that Everleigh would have lasted long in a fight against Ralene— the hold of her chin that then went down on her slight shoulder reminded Everleigh of Erland.

But Ralene’s final words could only bring one person to mind. Only one person who’s name alone had Everleigh feeling warm despite the time and space between them. The one who reminded her of her first love: the sun; and somehow was far more radiant than the sun could ever hope to be. Everleigh had a feeling that they weren’t thinking of the same person.

“I’m guessing it’s not Edric?” Everleigh said, looking at Ralene’s hand on her shoulder. She raised a brow. There were times when she did feel offended by people not being afraid to touch her, glove or not, that contradicted the thrilling curioisity in the possibility of being touched. “But do share who you think is right for the job.”

Ralene