Forgive Me Mother for I have Sinned

"Something feels off here." Lorissia stopped short of the stone building that was the house of worship for the followers of fire.  I noticed no smoke was coming from the top of the building which seemed odd for fire worshippers (and it was odd, that flame is always supposed to be burning).  There also wasn't anyone on the outside to greet people.

"A stone building in the middle of nowhere that a bunch of martial fire worshippers cloister around? What could possibly be odd about that?" Ok so sometimes my dickery gets the better of me. I was prepared for a physical rebuke (we had been riding pretty close to side by side since leaving the cave and she'd demonstrated she was a puncher earlier when I made a joke about getting lost on the way to her own church (which admittedly she had gotten lost, thats hilarious), when an elder Red Hand Judge emerged from inside.  He had dark black hair and wrinkly skin, but wasn't coated in blood so that was a positive for those inside (unlesss of course he magic'd them all to death in a none bloody manor). Lorissia hopped off her horse and bolted for the entrance, I followed though my running was a little ragged (look I've never been in that great of shape, especially post prison, not like they have a jogging ring or something in there).

"Murderer!" That Lorissia always jumping to conclusions.

"Calm down heathen no one is murdered everyone is inside and they are fine, go look for yourself." He waved his arm and Lorissia ran past inside, I huff puffed my way to the judge and hung my head low trying to regain the oxygen (in retrospect riding my horse up there would have been the smarter move).

"So I guess *deep breath* that just leaves *coughing* me and you old man." I'll admit my bravado didn't sound so good broken up by my out of shape breathing problems.

"Old man? A young upstart untrained little speck bothers to insult my age when he can hardly run?" Ok he had a point.

"Yeah well if things go south this untrained little speck is going to be kicking your ass." And yet I ignore any points I don't agree with.

"Please, you and your friend are as much at fault as that child in there, if you hadn't pursued him as you did this might have come to a more peaceful solution earlier." I hate when people lie, doubly so when its obvious, and triple when its coming from someone whose a total dick (yes all of these can be applied to things I do, I hate myself if that isn't bleedingly obvious).

"Oh a Red Hand judge magically is down in Ronerawth territory with a loose corrupted child he managed to pacify? Right I wasn't born yesterday." I gathered my power a little bit, trying to keep it on the low side so as to not alarm the Judge.

"Oh sure a Necromancer is going to talk to me of morality, I smell the taint on you boy." Damn that taint, you wash and you wash, but it never ever comes off.

"Yeah well..." I threw fire at him, he easily side stepped the spell and didn't return fire, I was wondering what he was going to do when I heard his voice again, it was changed, soothing almost like a song.

"Come now boy don't you want to sit down take a load off, you look awfully tired." You know the fact he put an entire church of martial war worshippers to sleep should have been an indication of what kind of magic user he was, alas for me paying attention to the little things is not something I've ever done.  I hit my feet, my eyes slowly started to close, I choked out a you suck before I laid on my back.  I saw him coming up to me a dagger in hand, the wicked kind (not like theres a nice kind or anything, but this blade was the twisted kind of makes wounds that don't close type).  I was just wondering what the afterlife would be like when an arrow punched out of his chest, he turned around to say something when another emerged lodged in his throat.  His body hit the ground like a wet sack and I could see Lorissia behind him at the entrance of the church, she had another arrow notched just in case he wasn't actually dead.

"Get up Trezlan you're embarrasing me." I felt the haze wearing off, though it would have been nice to have a nap, I got to my feet and made my way to Lorissia.

"Everything all right inside?"

"Everyone's asleep, but look mostly unharmed, the corrupt is there, he's wearing some kind of collar I need your help." I didn't say thanks for saving my life, though I felt it, I'm sure it was implied, probably. The church was a ciruclar building with a lone branch off hallway (a set of stacked double stone doors served as the entryway in that hallway, probably used in case of defense). Circular stone pews surrouned the smouldering remains of what looked like a bon fire, everyone was asleep, closest to the fire was the corrupted.  The boy was all the way gone, blackened and twisted he hardly resembeled a child at all, let alone a boy.  Around his neck was a collar I hadn't ever seen before (nor had Valrya, not very surprising she did her best to avoid direct red hand confrontation). The boys mother was near by, but thankfully had not embraced the thing.

"Can you do something about him?" I figured the magic would wear off shortly now that the caster was dead (depending on the ability really, could have been something he maintained to pacify them, or just used all at once), I had no idea what the collar did though, could keep the boy subdued without magic.  Or merely subserviant to his now dead master.  I knew that Valrya had brought me back from corruption using necromancy, but I also know I wasn't as far gone as this child, and I don't think Lorissia was really that fond of the idea of ritualistic sacrifice to save the kid.

"Yes I can, stand back, this could go bad." She withdrew, I took the child up on my shoulder and brought him outside, Lorissia followed (despite me telling her to stay back). I placed the boy on the ground and took out my sword, I cut across my palm (ouch ouch ouch, this is the easiest way to get blood for ritual magic, its also damn painful, I tend to use my right hand so that I'm at least not entirely incapable afterwards), and scrolled some sigils on the boys flesh.  I could hear Lorissia's breathing from where she stood even though I'd moved away from the entrance of the church and she stood near the doors (I figured in case the spell turned explosive she'd have something to hide behind).

"What are you doing?" No one ever just takes these things on faith honestly, especially the church folk.

"Releasing him." I willed power into the sigils and the boys eyes lit up, his chest thrust upward and he screamed, the scream was terrible, a long drawn out beastly thing.  In a moment it was over, his body slumped to the ground, no movement came at all. The magic locked in the child dispersed in the air, I could see it just drifting away like smoke from a large fire.

"You killed him?"

"Wasn't that what we intended anyway? There was no other way, what I did was merciful compared to what he did to others Lorissia, I will make no apologies, there was no coming back." She turned from me and went back inside. With her gone I gathered some power and torched the body, no mother should have to see her child like that, no one should see any child like that.  The body burned to ash easily enough (magic is oh so efficient like that), the collar still remained though, the metal able to stand up to my fire, oddly enough it was also still cool to the touch (though I didn't trust my eyes like some idiots would, I held the back of my hand to it first).  I went to my horse and got some rags I used for washing and put the collar inside them, whatever the damn thing was I was intrigued.  My "prize" secured I made ready to leave when Lorissia came back out alone, I could see smoke had once again resumed from inside, so either she lit the fire or the followers had awoken.

"Leaving so soon?"

"I have business elsewhere, I did before, and I have to get to it, or bad things will happen, or should I say worse things." Yeah its kind of hard to use the bad things line while the body of a corrupt young boy is still laying close by.

"Well then I shall join you Lorentino." She mounted her horse before I could even say no.

"And what of your duties?"

"My duty is to the fire god and her followers, you may not believe in her Trezlan, but I know she'd want me to keep an eye on you, both in fact, at the very least you can use my help as I thought I showed today already." I couldn't exactly find fault in that belief.

"Well just don't slow me down with your whining, you're so high maintenance." I could hear her laugh as I bounded off away from the circular stone building and the followers within.  I didn't exactly know what we'd find where we were going, but I couldn't exactly be upset that I had company for the journey.

Don't Beat Yourself Up About It

Even when you know you are in a weird mind based trap, stabbing yourself is still a tough prospect.  I mean I'd just "killed" real Valrya in this world, and here I was about to stab myself to free myself (now I see why real valrya didn't do it either, I mean she'd considered it a lot, but in the end couldn't pull the trigger, me I'm crazy anyway and I'd only get nuttier the longer I waited in that hole). I looked over my sword, held the weapon by its hilt away from my body, I felt the tip on my chest, I aimed for a bit lower than straight through my heart (that way I could possibly live through the blow? I don't know when you're about to stab yourself in a dream memory world you start to wonder exactly whats going to happen). I took one deep breath for I guess posterity and stabbed myself, I could feel it! A searing pain right through my stomach and back , I felt the blade piercing me and felt the cold metal in my insides. It was great to feel something to have a connection, not so good to have it be utter pain all through my insides. Fake Valrya was there immediately, she was angry I could see it in her face (which was also wracked with pain).

"You petulant little child, I was going to let you remain here, but now, now I'll destroy you!" She coiled back her hand to hit me with something, I don't exactly know, and I didn't want to find out, with a simple wave of my own hand I sent her flying backwards, she looked stunned for a moment and then I materialized a stone wall behind her and she slammed into it with so much force the stone crunched from the impact. "How?" She mouthed out as I was instantly beside her.

"This is my head Valrya, my rules, my universe, you are the one out of your element, you are a soul without a place to be, and now, now you'll finally get to visit the hell you avoid all so long ago." She tried to fight back, but the pain grounded me, it put me back in control, I could feel my connection to my body returning and with it what little power she had. Her spirit was broken, the impact had destroyed her, and now she just needed the killing blow

"I could teach so much Trezlan, don't destroy me! Work with me!" She was pleading, she knew the end was coming.

"Yeah no." I took the sword from my insides and sliced her head off in a clean strike, the spirit was gone, fake valrya was destroyed. As she disappeared I was free, the blackness faded, I was in a cave (always caves and dark places I swear fake Valrya was a bear) a camp fire roaring right next to me, I could see Lorissia nearby she was on an altar of sorts tied down with marks all over her body (body swapping ritual naturally I guess being me was not Valryas first choice), for a brief paniced moment I was afraid she was already dead but I could see her breathing and knew she was alive. My next worry was the injury I'd inflicted on myself in the dream world, but I saw my sword was still sitting nearby and not currently in my abdomen (I did have a horrific head ache though, so not all dream wounds were gone). I got up and cut the bond on Lorissia, and snapped my fingers in front of her face, she startled awake (it wasn't anything magical keeping her quiet she was apparently just sleeping).

"Am I free of the taint?" She asked in a sleepy way, I was still trying to process being free of my mind prison so I hadn't really gotten into what I'd missed since Valrya had been in charge.

"What?"

"The taint? You said the boy had poisoned my mind and you had to cleanse me?" Lorissia was not really modestly dressed (I could see just about everything and I'll admit it was a nice view) and after her moment of sleepyness and I guess my stare, she quickly started redressing herself in her armor.

"Uhh yeah of course yeah completely cleansed, it was touch and go there for a moment but I really sliced the head off the problem."

"I'm sorry I was an issue Lorentino, magic is not my strong suit to be honest, I'm better at tracking and trapping beasts." This was the best thing ever, she thought I actually helped her when in reality fake valrya was about to steal her body, optimal solution all around.

"Its ok Lorissia, we all have our weak spots, lets get back on the road, that corrupt child isn't getting less corrupt while we wait." We packed up the small camp and exited the cave (I followed her since again I didn't remember my way in, so getting back out was kind of a pain, it took me about a week of serious thought to get all memory of those three days back).  I couldn't see where the boy had gone, whatever tracking I had was long ago lost to Valrya's goals.

"Can you see anything?" It was dark out, and we appeared to be in some kind of dense forest, I almost wanted to laugh at the question.

"No, I've lost the trail entirely, I'm sorry Lorissia." I really was, as this was entirely my fault, if only I'd known I hadn't really killed valrya and instead taken her horrible soul into my body to emerge and try and body swap someone else, if only!

"Its ok Trezlan, its my fault, we shall return to his mother and at least inform her of where he is, perhaps the Red Hand will just kill the creature outright?" She had a hopeful tone to her voice I didn't want to drag down with reality.

"Of course, I mean if anyone could, its the Red Hand." And so we left, our mission not accomplished (well one I didn't know I had was, but overall we hadn't done a lot of good), if only I could tell myself that in reality we were going the right way after all I could have turned that frown upside down.  Oh the beauty of hindsight you always see the right decisions after you make the wrong ones! If only I could live life in reverse.

Conversations in The Black

When you are all alone in the darkness of your own mind you start to lose time. Its why I really can't tell you how long I was trapped there.  I mean I know how long it actually was (3 days), but how long that felt in there? I lived an entire lifetime. At first I just ran, ran and ran, there was no air to need or muscles that got sore, I don't know I figured if I kept running I'd eventually run out of my self? After that I shouted, no one was listening.  In the end it was crying that got me heard, like any child will tell you people just can't stand the sound of someone sobbing.

"I see she's found someone else to torment." It was a voice that sounded like Valrya's but wasn't, she was and older lady, I could hardly make her out, like I was looking at her through a stream of water.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my head?"

"You're head? So she moved bodies again, once upon a time this was my head long ago I figure, I've been here so long, my punishment for my crime." I could see her own sorrow lines (if three days felt like forever to me, I don't want to know how long that time had felt for this lady as she'd been there for hundreds of years).

"You were one of Valyra's victims I take it?"

"In a manor of speaking, I am Valrya, she must have taken my name along with my body, I forget her name, remembering things is hard with as long as my soul has been here you see, its why you can't fully see me, I felt I was gone, gone to the abyss a soul goes when it winds up in a place like this, but your tears, your sorrow brought me back in a way." Its funny crying tends to bring spirits out in the real world as well, well the good kind, the bad kind of spirits might come but they'll just be there to mock you.

"You were her teacher? I don't think, I can't think, I have no, I can't even put to words what I want to say." When you're in your own mind you don't have much of a thought process, you kind of do, glimpses, flashes, but nothing solid, and nothing for long.

"You have no memory of me in her memories I think, you were her student, and took her like she takes others? I wouldn't think she'd keep a memory of the one she betrayed in her own mind." She smiled, it was almost warming in a way, I felt soothed.

"How did she betray you?"

"When I met her, she was an old woman dying from some disease or another, I forget how or where it was, its been so long ago, it might have been some kind of cave, I offered her comfort and a place to stay, it wasn't a day later that I woke up here, I figure she must have carried out some black art on me while I slept, took my life for her own."

"How long have you been here?"

"Time out of mind, and I can not die young man, or I couldn't, she used to come to me, torment me with her exploits and what she does, its how I knew of her students and other such horribleness, I think she allowed me to retain memory so that she could hurt me more, as if taking my body was not enough."

"Can I help you?" I felt the need to help her, despite meaning I'd be stuck there alone, I couldn't imagine her soul deserved to be stuck here, I mean I certainly did, she didn't.

"Kill me, if you end my soul here I figure I'll have nothing left and can leave, as a gift for my freedom I will impart on you my memory of this place and of your enemy, may it free you from her as I failed to do."  Another murder, this time to free a soul long dead, it felt righteous. I was about to say I had no weapon with which to kill her but my sword was in my hand, as if it always been there. The spirit shimmered and kneeled at my feet, I raised my sword up and brought it down, she was gone, no scream, no blood, just there and gone.  In her leaving I felt a wave of memory wash over me, I didn't just get the real Valrya's memories of being trapped, but her memories entirely, her life and her betrayal. At first it was draining, and then I smiled, I knew a way out, Valrya had thought of it but hadn't figured it out, but I did.  And I planned to free myself and end fake Valyra for good this time (and like for real the sneaky necrobitch).

A New Kind of Prison

I've been in a lot of prisons in my life (a lot of prison you don't even know, you will eventually but tip of the iceberg at this point).  The worst one is the one that Valrya put me in, in my own damn head. It was like I was able to see what I was doing, what I was saying, but not able to influence anything (well not entirely I moved my pinky toe, that was an accomplishment).  At first I raged around angrily shouting (all I was was a thought in my own head, so all I could do was shout, even when Valrya slept I could not be in control and I couldn't sleep, so it was true madness).  Eventually I reached a kind of contemtuous silence and worked to free myself (it was my own body I figured I had to have a back door out of it).  The most terrifying thing was knowing if I didn't wrest control from Valrya I'd be stuck there forever, a prisoner in my own mind until madness took me. So there I was watching Valrya leading Lorissia the wrong way (I could see where the corrupt had gone and how Valrya ignored the trail on purpose obviously).  I had no idea what she planned, or was currently planning (which is how I got stuck in my own head in the first place, I guess despite sharing the same body we did not share thought as much as I had believed we did).  So much like a child wanting a toy I spent a lot of time screaming.

"Shut up Trezlan your incessant prattling is making my head hurt."

"My head you necrothief! And I feel fine really fine, fantastic, other than the fact I LOST CONTROL OF MY BODY TO YOU!!!" Being a petulant child is what I'm best at.

"Well someone should have been more careful when killing a fellow necromancer, I've been at this a lot longer than you, hell what you killed wasn't even my original body, not that you really care." I did care, I cared a whole lot, because that was a hint of what would come to me if I didn't defeat her.

"I'll stop you with uhh magic!"

"Yeah you'll burn yourself to death and defeat us both I'm sure Trezlan, though I do have to say you have a lot more power than I thought you did, still you are as dumb as a post about using it, so this is a favor to you, I'm giving you a gift here you get to see your true potential without being you to mess it up, now be silent!" I felt a shove and then fell, it was weird, previously I was able to see things, see where I was, not be able to move, but still be there, but now I was in form myself, but all alone in a dark place.  I don't know where she'd shoved me, but I no longer got to see what was going on, and there I was, all alone in the darkness of my own mind unable to stop Valrya from murdering the crap out of Lorissia. The dangers of necromancy folks!

Red Hand Job

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Cruelty and Other Childish Pursuits

"Dead for at least a day." Lorissia was hunched over a smouldering pair of corpses.  It appeared like a parent melded with a child. Probably the parent attempted to stop our murderer from killing the child, it had not worked out for either of them, but thought that counts right?

"Well he definately doesn't like people." I was at a loss really, I mean I'd been reckless with power, I'd been angry, but I'd never just been a cold hearted murder whoever gets in my way kind of guy.  Despite the stories of me doing exactly that (its odd being this old, Valrya also had this, that she lived long enough to actually hear the legends form about her, though honestly her legends and mine are way different, and half of the ones about me are completely made up, where as the ones about her are being polite way way polite).

"Get off your horse and get down here." I had remained mounted because frankly being down next to two dead bodies not my favorite thing, especially not the way that Lorissia was almost arm deep in the corpses. I hopped down and walked up, I couldn't make out the sexy from either body, but if I had to guess I'd say two women, just from the way the bodies looked.

"Still dead, lets move on."

"Use your damn magic and figure out where he's gone." I swear people never have any idea how magic works with regards to things in the world, its not like I can wave my fingers and bam know where people are.  Well I sort of can, but damn it I'm not a hound!

"Are you sure we want to go after this guy, I mean he's killing indiscriminately, maybe he'll uhh kill himself out you know, tire of it?"  I had sort of lost my nerve to keep pursuing the dangerous fire user seeing what happened to two people he just ran across.

"I thought you were all 'Its my duty to stop someone like myself' getting cold feet now Lorentino?"  She had picked the adult of the child and I could see some clothing and flesh had not been burned, it was a young woman child, clutched in her dead arm was a childs doll, the only surviving member of this group.

"Duty only means so much when you're dead, and I really don't want to be dead."

"Then you should help me now or I'll kill you myself." Subtle Lorissia real subtle.  I kneeled down next to the corpses and scrolled some sigils I recalled from Valrya (she was blissfully quiet in my head, its rather difficult to scry when some harpy is shrilling at you within your own mind). They were not the traditional tracking sigils, Valrya knew magics that were long forgotten (for good reason at times, this spell utilized well lets just say the dead bodies weren't really dead all the way and I kind of borrowed some of the remaining life), I was able to not only see where the killer had gone but got an impression of the final moments, the mother did die protecting her child, her great crime? Not answering fast enough, and the biggest shocker was that the killer was a child no older than ten.

"You said the killer was a child, you didn't tell me he was barely out of his mothers arms."

"That's why he needs to be killed, I heard as much from the family he murdered, but I'd hoped they were mistaken and it was something else, I assume your scrying can tell us where he's going?"

"In a manner of speaking, he's going north to the Red Hand and we better get to him before they do." I had resaddled my horse and wanted to be away from the dead.

"Why can't they handle one corrupted?" She paused next to the bodies I know she wanted to give them some kind of ritual, some kind of peace, but I knew we didn't have the time.

"They can, but not in the way you'd want, corrupted to the Red Hand are tools, they would enslave the boy and keep him on a chain, or worse use him for study or any other horrible things."

"He wouldn't be our problem anymore though, and a life of enslavement might do him good for his crimes." Did I mention that the followers of the fire god are vindicitive people? Yeah they are the most vindictive.

"Depending on who finds him they might simply unleash him back down here to kill again, kids fully corrupt barely a person anymore, you don't want this loose anywhere." We rode on, he had a days head start and from what I saw also was on a horse (probably some farmers son damn idiots teaching their kids to be more mobile). I had hoped we'd catch him before he made the Red Hand lands, sadly we did not. And we suffered for our inability.

Notched Arrrow Diplomacy

I hear a drawstring being extended back (its a distinct sound even when asleep), "Murderer."  The voice is low the kind of angry husky voice you hear from someone who suffered a throat injury and never fully recovered.  I open my eyes and see a woman dressed in mostly red leather, a drab maroonish red, like dried blood. Behind her a brown horse sat absently eating dried out weeds.  Dyed leather was big back then as I recall. It was all functional no style (most leather armor was, now morons wear it to be all scary looking and don't protect anything).

"I am a murderer, but probably not the one you are thinking about." I could hear Valyra's voice scream something in the back of my head, but I was dealing with this. I mean when you're laying face up staring into an arrowhead notched back to kill you, you can either A. Be sarcastic try and calm the situation or B. Kill the person with the arrow before they can kill you, since she looked kind of hot I went with A, also I really didn't think I could pull off B.

"Get up!" Still with the growling.  I got to my feet with minor difficulty (I was sleeping prior to being threatened), I got a good look at her, she was taller than I was (and I'm not a super short guy so that put her as fairly tall lady) with dark black hair and pale white skin (which stood in contrast to the red armor). "Where's the boy?"

"Boy? I don't know what boy you are talking about, I'm a man lady." Again sarcasm, Valrya's screaming gave me a headache now, I almost ate an arrow for putting my hand to my head to hold back the madness.

"You just don't know when to stop talking do you?"

"Well when you ask a question I assume its not just a rhetorical, I can only assume the boy you are looking for is the one who burned down the houses nearby." You have to give armed people some info past a certain point, or they start to regret not just killing you, well aside from me, I love to talk.

"How are you involved with that family?" She had suspicion, but I think she wrote me off as a danger, at least for now.

"I'm not, I was just passing through, all the fire and smoke kind of clued me in that something was up."

"Where were you traveling?"

"Somewhere else, decided to check out the fires, made a camp here close by to inspect the ruins after..."

"To loot it?" She pulled harder on the bow string.

"To find out who did the killing, its what I do, I find, but now I have to wonder what you're doing in the middle of nowhere dressed to kill." Not to be all anti female or anything, but they tend to work in groups not solo, I'd suggest its because men are loners and women tend to work better with others, but thats purely speculation from a loner who doesn't work well with others.

"Surviving family member came to the church burned up claimed a child did it, I decided to look into it and here I find a lone male sleeping nearby. And from the look of you, you're a magic user."

"A warrior priest out in the middle of nowhere who knows magic users, I'd be touched if you weren't planning on killing me, speaking of which can you back off with the arrow lady, I'd hate for you to get tired and I end up impaled." That actually started a war once, well not just one archer, but same prinicipal.

"Not a priest just a follower of fire, as was the family the corrupted killed." I'd suspected it was the result of a corrupt (too much damage to just be a lone jerk, I mean its possible I could do the same, but why kill a family in the middle of nowhere?)

"Follower of fire? So you worship campfires?"

"The fire god moron, are you a none believer?" She lowered her bow, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Not much of a believer in anything really lady, but thanks for the insult to my intelligence."

"When you start showing some I'll start worrying about the insult." Ouch.  "I'm losing time speaking with you, the corrupt is out there, if you want to help I won't turn you away, you seem capable enough, well aside from just falling asleep near a road."  I wanted to say the only thing I have to fear is my own insanity, but I really didn't want to get an arrow through me for being honest.

"Names Trezlan Lorentino and you are?"

"Lorissia Trumane, servant of the fire god, now if you're done chit chatting lets go hunt us a mage." She remounted in one swift move and off she went.  I was left for a moment to repack my gear and catch up, thus began my education on the fire god.  In retrospect I should have just picked up one of their books, would have been a lot easier and less painful in the end (both physical and mental, one of those scars hasn't healed and its not the physical one).