Fable - Ask Nobody Ever Looks Up

[Ostára]

In any other circumstance, Ostára would smart at her fathers orders to go on reconnaissance. Scouting was the job often reserved for the young and inexperienced in The Thirteen - a way for them to learn the ways of war from a safe distance before participating, and an ever better way for the veterans to get a judge on their character. Ostára had done her time as a Scout almost as soon as she could learn to fly. Not officially for the Thirteen to begin with, of course, but with them all the same for she had idolised her father dearly. She had not begrudged Scouting again for them when she had officially joined as The Arrow, indeed had enjoyed every single second of it for it meant that she was finally one of them. It had begun to irritate her when her father had kept her in the scouting role, even when new members joined and she was no longer the newest recruit. But after some impassioned words, and a few calmer ones from other members of their band, she had finally been promoted to real work befitting of The Thirteen. It was due to this history that when Rûhn bade her scout out the rumours of a new army of the Dark that was on the move, she initially bristled. Indeed it had seemed father and daughter might even come to blows over the matter had he not quickly explained she would not be going alone.

The Spear would join her.

For as long as Ostára had idolised her father, she had idolised Oriane.

Alongside Rûhn she was one of the oldest, longest serving members of the Thirteen and had earnt herself a reputation amongst Avariel kind and beyond. Her admiration of her father was one of a daughter with famous parents, her adoration of Oraine was one of a young girl who had looked for another strong woman in the field she had one day wished to join. Her father had always teased her for the sketches she did of The Spear in her journals as a child, and how on one Name Day she had even asked for a copy of the Avariel's uniform for her dressing up box. Yes, when Rûhn confided Oriane would join her, Tára had realised that this mission was more than a simple scouting trip.

"None can move with the speed of the Avariel, but we are also afforded another unique advantage. Nobody ever looks up," the Hammer had told her. "This mission is dangerous, being spotted could mean death. May the winds favour you, Daughter-Mine. Come back to me."

So it was that on the cusp of night, The Arrow stood on the edge of the camps firelights and waited for Oriane to join her.

 

[Oriane]

The Avariel moved through the throngs crowded around the fires, grinning as they parted for her to move past as her amber eyes fell upon the young Avariel ahead. She had opted for dark gear, not looking quite herself without the gilded armour she wore as part of the Thirteen. They were in foreign lands almost, and for such a mission, Oriane Ovdotia did not want to give their position away.

Of course, such a thought went out the window as her wings unfurled from her back, giving great beats to stretch and perhaps give a show to those lingering behind her. She knew there would be some stares, that the Spear was indeed a beautiful Avariel that inspired many pieces to her name back in their home city.

But Oriane delighted in seeing Ostára.

"Not fretting about this simple task, are we?" She beamed at the Arrow as she drew closer, her wrist rolling carefree as the light reflecting spear twirled at either side of the winged one. "I am only glad your father had paired someone almost as quick as me in flying. At least if something were to go wrong, we can put some distance between us and them."

 

[Ostára]

A blush flooded Ostára's cheeks at the compliment. She had always trained hard to match the older Avariel in speed and had managed to surpass her father a decade past, but she had never thought of herself anywhere near Oriane's skill level. That she thought so... Tára rubbed the sweat off her palms against her thighs.

"N-No not fretting!" why did her voice sound so high?! She was acting like a Fledgling who was barely past their first solo flight. Her wings ruffled, their colours dancing in the waning sunlight. "I just... excuse me Spear, but my father did not really explain why this was so important. Surely we should be fighting..." her brows pulled into a small frown.

 

[Oriane]

"Reconnaissance is vital." She began, beckoning the Arrow to follow her on a short walk before she would lead them into flight. "We receive intel from all sorts, and although it is definitely beneath our capabilities, this one calls for the likes of us." Oriane was able to bounce between friend and mentor as she explained their role. With a flutter of her golden wings, Oriane did not slow their pace as she continued to explain. "There had been reports that Arkhivom has been cropping up in the camps."
It was best suited to the Avariels to scout this, to use their efficiency in flight to confirm this sighting in due fashion. Oriane waited until Ostára had exhausted her questions before they were to take to the skies.

"Before we go into battle, we need to know what we are getting into. Arkhivom changes things if it is indeed true..." Her beautiful face set as her jaw clenched tight for a few moments before relaxing. "Your father asked this of me because my magic is best attuned to that of spywork. You are here because there is much I can teach you." The Spear had mentored a great many of the Thirteen in staying hidden, with or without magic, and her own being one she did not wish to use to often. To become something so hidden, to her it felt as if it were work made easy. It also almost costed her in her Trials.

 

[Ostára]

Arkivhom.

Ostára had heard the name muttered throughout the camp and a few had even crossed themselves as though to ward off evil. Vailë and Phyrra had told her a little of the monster who sent his waves of death to meet them but coward out of sight himself, but they had not told her much. It seemed what they knew of him was more myth than fact. A creature from the realms of darkness who could command horrors the likes of which plagued children's nightmares even know. It was said he was the herald of the end of the Aerai race. No wonder they feared him so.

There was a certain thrill at the prospect that is who they hunted.

"You asked for me?" Tára asked in surprise and glanced to Oriane, feeling her cheeks heating again. She was glad that it was a cold air that chaffed at them and gave her an excuse for their hue. "I-I am eager to learn. I'm glad my father has finally listened and believes I can do this kind of work."

 

[Oriane]

Oriane grinned towards Tára. "Oh, I wore him down insisting it'd be you." It had been a lengthy discussion, and if the Thirteen she had requested had not been the daughter of Rûhn, she was sure it would have been a brief chat. But Ovdotia had worn him down in the end, had sworn to him she would keep them both out of trouble.

"You are no longer the newest member to our Thirteen, Ostára. Besides, I need to impart my wisdom onto someone seeing as I never settled to have a child of my own." She winked, not bothering to hide her light smirk.

A gentle beat of her wings and the Spear rose into the air. She had missed cutting through the Thyasarian skies, cutting it close in some places but there were only a few that could out do the Avariel born with wings meant for speed.

"Keep close. We are not to set foot down on the earth. The air is our domain."

 

[Ostára]

Tára tried not to let the excitement The Spear had chosen her go to her head. She wanted to do a loop out of sheer joy but that wouldn't be appropriate and would most definitely damper the other woman's opinion of her. She had been chosen specifically because she wasn't a child any more and was deserving. She just had to keep proving that.

As they took to the skies, golden wings brushing against the feathers of dawn, Tára forced her mind back to the mission at hand.

"Do you know much of Arkivhom? I've only heard stories in the camps. Apparently his lover is a dragon demon."

 

[Oriane]

"Gods, would hate to piss off a dragon demon." But she smiled.

"I... admittedly found it hard to hear talk about him. It's distracting when there is so much fear and uncertainty around the camps and patrols..." It was harder to admit that about herself, but Oriane was always true to the Thirteen she served with. "I know enough to get by, and I prefer it that I be with the cavalry, taking out as many creatures as I can."

She wanted the glory of the fight, the rush of the kill. Oriane was lethal, as were the rest of the Thirteen elite soldiers, but her strengths were when outnumbered.

"What stories did you hear?" She asked as they banked towards a large expanse of treetops, so dense it would not give away their forms in the darkening sky.

 

[Ostára]

For a brief moment, the younger Avariel felt deflated. Of course she should also be thinking about the war effort and helping, not the idol gossip she seemed to like to partake in. That was certainly childish of her. She would never be like Oriane if she indulged in such habits. But then she was asking to hear what she had learnt and Tára leapt at the chance to show it was not all pointless rumour and gossip.

"An Aerai was telling me that he was an enemy their people faced a long, long time ago. Centuries even." It was after The Thirteen had been created, their formation at an even older battle, but that meant their group must have once fought the beast too. She had mentioned it to her father who had sent a message home to the Archivists to look for mention of it. "Apparently he creates all the dark things we fight - sometimes from raw magic but he can also infect a living host and twist it. Which is why so many look like creatures we know. But if he touches a person, he could take command of them too," she shuddered at the thought of another taking possession of her mind. Especially one so evil as he.

 

[Oriane]

Familiarity brushed at her consciousness, as if the past Avariel that wielded the Spear were confirming they indeed fought against this foe. But what the Arrow spoke of, it may have sounded like a story to tell the young, but Oriane grew even more cautious now that they were headed towards the camps where intel came back and reported his presence.
"It is a good thing they cannot reach us then." Half jest, half serious. Oriane was never one to be completely overcome with severity, but she had confidence. She knew nothing will come of this recon mission, that Ostára would report back to her father about her first successful scouting mission with the Spear.

"Awful thought." She continued after a while of silence in their flight. "How something so good, so innocent could be tainted with darkness and brought to despair. But there is always balance in the world. Scales, and each day, they will never rest equal."

 

[Ostára]

Ostára nodded along to Oraine's words and committed them to memory. One day, she might understand them greater than she did now. Her father had said something similar once, of how the force of good was always fighting for some balance against evil. She had never understood why they hadn't fought to tip the scales entirely, and cast out evil forever. Why did there need to be a balance at all?

"I also heard that the Lady Caliane fought it once. Nearly won too, the rumours say," she said, that awe creeping back in. Caliane was the only other Avariel who had made it onto Tára's wall. The Fireheart had managed to convince the elders what her own father had failed at doing for years: re-open the gates of Thyasari. Hers was also that ancient magic all Avariel wished they would one day be blessed with; Soul magic. And Fire at that, one of the hardest spirits to house. "Apparently her mate was found amongst the Aerai."

 

[Oriane]

One of their first conversations together had been about Caliane. It brought a smile to Oriane's face hearing he name again.

"Yes, I can tell you at least six Aerai have reminded me that Caliane's mate was one of them." The Spear chuckled, amused once more at the reminder that the Avariel had garnered so much attention the longer they stayed to aide in the battles. "Many songs and art were inspired but such a joining. We like to sing the songs that make us happy, and forget the song of woe and fear. Arkhivom festered many minds in that time... and I am grateful that Caliane had found her mate. Those songs remind us of more than just finding happiness."

She had thought countless times she had found a mate, but all the signs she felt began to fade after a while. Her family had perished in battle, and for so long Ori had worked on being seen as someone not to be forgotten. The songs of Caliane were her strength, her reminder that after all this time, the Avariels would ally again with the Aerai.

They will be legends with their success in defeating Arkhivom.

"I used to wish I had Soul Magic like her. Instead, I have the ability to be hidden." Odd that, when in their golden armour, the Spear was known for being the first to arrive to a battle. She was always seen, the distraction. Oriane earned the name Harbinger for the promise of the Thirteen would be soon behind her. The Spear loved the attention she garnered. Many thought she would be one to wield the light to her will.

 

[Ostára]

Tára couldn't help but snicker at her mention of the songs. All of the Thirteen had been subject the quiet boasting that one of their most famous Avariels had fallen in love with one of their own. It was a great source of pride for the Aerai indeed, but none of them could begrudge the match. All of them knew the rarity of such a gift none more so than her own father.

"I always wanted to be one of the Thirteen," no doubt such a thing had been obvious to Oriane but Tára tried to pretend the older Avariel had not known her form a swaddling infant. All those silly childish mistakes she must have made in front of her idol... "Like dad. I think he hoped that I would take after mother and stay out of fighting but... how could I?" she gestured at her arrows with a grin.

 

[Oriane]

Oriane could not fight the grin blooming across her face at the memory of Ostára as a fledgling, but proud of the seasoned Avariel she has become. Oriane was closer in age to her own father, but had never found her mate or settled down to start a family. She never knew what it felt like to experience a familial bond, for her family were not well off or achieved important enough roles to be considered anything worthy. She was only glad she inherited fast wings from her father, enough to set her apart from the others in the Military.
"I used to look for trouble in order to learn how to defend myself. I never backed down in all my years, and I guess that began to scare others that thought they could pick on me. Then I was old enough to enlist and received proper training." Young and headstrong, she did anything that would get her noticed, and worked herself to the brink of ruin to be one of the best. "I... never took the time or consideration to think about starting a family... I put a career first."

But Ori did not know how to tell Ostára that there was the burden of serving in the Thirteen and possibly leaving behind loved ones if something were to happen. How many times had she seen fellow brothers and sisters in-arms fall, only to be replaced with someone new? At this current moment, Oriane was now the second longest serving on the Thirteen, but in her mind, she was one of the few lucky enough to have survived as long.

All she hoped for was no memorial would be held for any of them after all of this.

 

[Ostára]

"I never want children," Ostára announced with the confidence of most Young Avariel's who had yet to feel that urge to nest. Their long lives often meant it was not until the turn of a millennia that an Avariel would begin to think of such things. Her parents were rare in that they had found their matches early in life. A gift and a curse, Tára often thought. She did a playful twist in the dusk-painted skies causing her wings to vanish amongst the clouds for a brief moment.

The youth flashed a grin at Oriane.

"There's too much world to explore for kids."

 

[Oriane]

Oriane snorted.

"Oh, but the thought of your father having to care for young one's is quite the happy image." Laughed the Spear. He had been a proud father, and that made her wonder how he'd look as a grandfather.

But soon, all sorts of smiles and banter dwindled as a glow could be seen before them, nestled between trees, but enough campfires together to identify from above that they approached one of the camps.

Oriane steeled herself, gripping her Blessed Spear as she motioned for the Arrow to slow and follow her. Oriane found a ledge large enough for them both to land, the rocky exterior of the cliff side giving them the perfect spot to look to the treetops silhouetted by the many fire's glow.

"We must stay airborne," She began to say in a low voice, as if they may be overheard. "Keep to the shadows. You are to fly as close to me as you can in order for me to cloak the both of us."

 

[Ostára]

The Arrow alighted next to Oriane, the golden bow and a single arrow also now in her hands. She crouched so that the shadows would better hide them from any glint from the setting sun or the enemies fires. The last thing they wanted on a mission such as this was to be discovered this early. The demon would certainly not present himself to them so clearly, they would need to get closer at some point and stealth was of upmost importance.

The carefree grin was gone, replaced now by a determined stoic look. She gave a nod at the order to her superior.

"The intelligence said we might have to search several of these fires to find Him. How can we be sure he is not using some trick to hide himself?"

 

[Oriane]

"We must wait..." She clenched her jaw for a moment, settling to watch with unbroken concentration to the happenings below. They were just out of reach of any light, but as Oriane quietly signalled for Ostára to follow, she would keep her cloaking magic around them as they made short flight to tall tree shrouded in the void of night.

"We must listen now. Ten minutes to observe before we deem this camp not the right one."

The night had just begun, but Oriane knew they could not be out here all night. It would be risky to be so close to the enemy for long, but the Spear was determined to report back to their people on their findings tonight.

 

[Ostára]

Ostára's steps were light as she landed next to Oriane upon a tree branch. She reached out to steady herself instead of using her wings, keeping them tight to her back so they did not peek out from the branches. From here they could hear the foul creatures speak- those that could anyway. Some looked as though their mouths did not work at all and they communicated in guttural noises full of pain. From.what she could make out they were discussing the taste of flesh and debating whose was better - an Aerai's or Dwarfs.

"They're vile," she muttered beneath her breath and gave a small shudder.

 

[Oriane]

"Yes they are..." She had seen them up close, and knew enough from their bloodlust that she did not ever intend on having a casual conversation with them.

Oriane frowned, stilling for a second as the breeze swept over them. Their scent would not carry to those below, but they needed to move soon to avoid any detection. It was one of the shortfalls of her magical ability to conceal beings and objects.

"I... don't feel anything strange in the ley lines here. You would think if Arkivhom was present, there would be a disturbance to the order, right?"

 

[Ostára]

Ostára nodded in agreement.

"The Aerai says it feels like a great hopelessness consumes you when he is near," of course, their allies were more spiritually attuned to such things but she had to think Avariel's would feel something of the same, especially those of The Thirteen with such ancient weapons gifted by the Aerai's fabled smiths. "Let's go," she spread her wings a little and waited for Oriane to give the order before taking to the skies. She felt a relief almost instantly to be away from the vile forces of darkness.

They flew in silence for a while before Tára plucked up the courage to ask, "Do you think we'll win?"

 

[Oriane]

Oriane had liked the quiet they had as they moved towards another area claimed by their foes, campfires' glow in the distance, but then the Arrow asked her question. She wanted to sugar coat her words, but Ori found she had no true way of getting them out the right way... It was expected of her to grin and declare they had won already, and that they were here to have some fun.

But this was an ancient evil returned.

This was something so dark and looming, unlike anything the Spear had fought against in her career.

"We are going to do our best to make sure our friends survive this."

Already, her heart and mind felt sympathy for Ostára, for the two remaining family members of the Telimectar family were here, serving with the Thirteen. It would be heartbreaking for a father to lose a daughter, or a daughter to lose their father. Despite her own avoidance of finding her mate or taking a partner, Oriane had grown close to her fellow warriors serving alongside her.

"And I am going to keep you and your father alive. Besides, none of those things can keep up with me." And there, her winning smile flashed across her face.

 

[Ostára]

"I'm not sure anything can kill Pa," she half laughed, trying to lighten the rather dark mood her question had plunged them into. Of course, as soon as she had said it she made a quick sign across her heart to ward off any ill-omen she might have conjured from challenging Fate in such a way. There was a childish part of her heart that did believe her words. She certainly worried more about what her own death would do to him rather than what his death would do to her, she seeming in her mind to be the more likely to fall out of the pair.

Her smile faded and she took on a more serious expression that showed her growing maturity.

"I worry for the Aerai. This is not our War at the end of the day, if we lose... we still have a home but them? I have made so many friends here..." she sighed.

 

[Oriane]

Oriane waited until they found a perch hidden and safe enough for them to rest at, taking shelter in the shadows.
"Well, it seems that we will have to carry as many of them back to Thyasari and build bridges and stairs for them to get around our home." It was a jest, but she knew it could be possible. "They are allies, and after this war... I cannot sit back and watch as the Aerai are left behind."

Oriane had been unsure about this mission from the beginning, but it was Ostára's father that had helped the Spear come round to the idea of the Thirteen answering the call for aide.

"It is important to keep friendships." Was the sage advice Oriane could impart, but not follow her own advice.

 

[Ostára]

The younger avariel seemed to draw comfort from the idea they would merely take the Aerai back with them. She could not bring herself to think of how she might never see Vailë or Phyrra again - even the Knights who had joined their cause though she knew their homes too were elsewhere. She wondered why if the pain at the thought of losing these connections was why her father held himself back from getting to know the armies too closely.

"I heard the bridge is nearly complete -- a few more months father said. Then there will be some kind of grand opening event," she hoped they would be given leave to attend and see it as it should be. Never in Ostára's life had she seen Thyasari open and it was something she would regret not seeing if she died on these fields.

She tucked her dawn-kissed wings against her back and looked out across the Falwoods, a soft sigh rolling from her lips.

"it looks so peaceful, it makes it hard to believe war will take over all of this soon."