The Novalight Renaissance

[Sadron]

Spoiler:

I'll be experimenting with different writing styles and elements in this thread, so at different points in the story I might change point of view, things like that. I'm still learning to write, so forgive me if this is outright terrible. Thanks for reading!

A Life for a Life

On the deck of the Phoenix Dawn, a young Elf stood looking over the water. Thalion was pondering his decisions in life. With he and his siblings voyaging to bring his family's history into light, he was trying to bury his own. He had killed Sanguis, which allowed him to live as an innocent man with his family again. The wind tugged at his cloak, and his expression was one of reflection.

I am no stranger to killing, but that doesn't make me a monster... does it? I have murdered before, killed innocent people, under the belief that the people I killed needed to die. That it was the right thing to do. That I had the right to take these peoples' lives away because they were corrupt, evil. That they had sacrificed their right to live by worsening the lives of others.

Now, I realize that I didn't have that right. Death is a punishment all too severe, one that no man should have the authority to administer.

I don't like fighting. I don't like violence. I don't like murder. I am a coward, who wears a mask when he fights to hide his fear. Taking these traits into consideration, why did I choose to become an assassin all those years ago? Why did I choose to sacrifice my innocence? Why did I think that in killing for money, I was becoming the hero I always wanted to be in my childhood? I don't remember why. I only remember what.

Reigen.

I killed her brother. I threw a dagger and it landed in the back of his head. I carried his body back to the estate and placed it on the ground in front of my father. I cremated him, and gave Reigen his mask, to give her a piece of him to hold on to.

Did Sanguis have to die? If he wasn't killed within a month, I was told, I would be hunted down in his stead. For doing what was right, for trying to destroy that research, my family exiled me and wanted me dead. It was a life for a life, and fate chose me.

But why? Did he really deserve to die... any more than I do?

Thalion huffed a sigh, I will change this family. I will bear the burdens of my siblings, of my friends, so that the name Novalight will be remembered in the folds of history as an example of morality, rather than greed. I protect my family from the shadows, as I always have.

He looked up at the sky, and took a deep breath, "Rest in peace... Sanguis Sunfire." The assassin closed his eyes for a moment, and turned to head below deck. The journey was just about to get underway, and Thalion was needed now more than ever.

[Sadron]

Our Elders are Against Us.

The soft echo of a hawkstrider's footsteps echoes through the eerily quiet forest of Eversong as it moves along slowly. The chill of late evening hangs upon the air, carried by a sharp northern wind. An Elf wearing black, white and red leather armor of excellent quality sits atop the beast. Two daggers are in sheathes at his waist, and there is a bow and quiver full of arrows at his back. His eyes are half-closed, and he appears to be mid-daydream.

"The very thought of it sickens me."

The quiet rides around Eversong atop his strider were times that Thalion quite enjoyed, they provided ample time for thought and reflection, time which he severely lacked. It was also easier on his feet. Just hours before this walk, Thalion met with his brother Zariel, sister Alteryia, and romantic interest Tedia to discuss their current situation. They believe that the Elder council is plotting to remove them. Their means or exact plan remains a mystery to the Novae, but Jidaeo confided his concerns in Thalion, who takes them quite seriously.

Thalion blinked and narrowed his eyes with determination, "I will not be removed." He stops his strider and tightens his fists around the reins, "Alteryia was right, we need to remind the Council who is in power in this family. I will not simply stand by and allow them to assassinate my siblings and I." He allows his strider to trot along again, albeit slowly, "How we will deal with this, I don't know. Other than surviving it, we can remove the council. Or kill them..."

The Elf closes his eyes and breathes deeply, interrupting his train of thought, "This can be solved by means other than murder. My first priority is protecting Zariel. If they know about our search he will be their first target, he's the one Diel'vani went to." He loosens his grip on the reins and pushes his lips together a moment before thinking aloud, "If they have turned our backs on us... if they hurt Zariel... or Xanthe..." Thalion sighs and glances to the left of the road.

"The Council wants us gone because they're afraid of us, they see that we each have the will of our ancestor." The assassin grins widely, his usual confidence and optimism returning. "We will draw the corruption out of the family like poison from a wound, starting with the council. They can't stop us, no matter how many assassins they hire." He snaps the reins and rides along the road.

I'm a part of this family again. I can't run away, no matter how much I am afraid. No matter how much easier running away from everything would be... I must hold strong. If not for me, for my siblings. I am the eldest, and someday I will hold the family on my shoulders. When that day comes, I must be here, and I must stand tall.

[Sadron]

The Goliath's Fall

Thalion emerged from his tent to see Zariel sitting on a bench in their little camp tending a fire. The air of Stranglethorn was humid, as usual, and Thalion questioned the need for a fire. Shifting his gaze around, he got a bearing on his surroundings. He had just awoken from a well deserved nap, and needed to adjust himself once again to the waking world.

Zariel observed his brother as he lit a cigar and puffed on it, "Hey."

Thalion blinked and shifted his attention to his younger brother, "Hmm?"

Zariel smirked, "It's... a greeting brother."

"Right, hey." Thalion shook his head, "Sorry, I'm a tad distracted."

"Yeah, me too. What's wrong with you though?"

"I was just thinking of what will become of the council." Thalion responded, "I don't feel too comfortable having people that are trying to have me killed filling seats of power in the family."

"We'll change that." Zariel added with a nod. "I'm more concerned about mother."

"I haven't heard any news on her. It's worrying."

Zariel nodded, "I agree. I haven't started looking for the other artifact. I think I will hold off the search until we finish this. No need to be stretched so thin. We already have Alteryia's blade."


"We're already spread thin." Thalion said with a sigh, "If we can't deal with either the Council or mother quickly, we may run into problems."

"What should we do?"

Thalion scratched his chin as he thought for a moment, "I would move to save mother first. I think we have a larger time frame in dealing with the council."

"I agree." Zariel said with another nod, "Have you spoken with Xanthe?"

"Not since I saw her in Silithis. She's a hard one to tra-" Thalion was unable to finish speaking as a figure and a big white cat sprinted into the camp and- before Thalion had time to react- had engulfed Zariel in a storm of slashes. He instinctively pulled his bow off of his back and notched an arrow in it, but was unable to really tell Zariel from the attacker- they were too fast. Without thinking or aiming, he let the arrow fly.

Zariel fell back with a scream, his left arm and chest drenched in blood. The figure had stopped moving now, and Thalion had a visual on him. he was wearing a mask that concealed most of his face, only his mouth and eyes were visible. He had long blonde hair- which seemed familiar to Thalion. He also wielded two fist weapons, claws by the looks of them. The figure clicked his tongue twice and his cat immediately leaped for Thalion.

Unable to move out of the way fast enough, Thalion got clawed on his left arm. Swearing under his breath, he threw his bow away and drew his daggers. Looking over his opponent once more, he saw that his arrow grazed his arm and managed to draw blood.

"Not a significant wound, but it's a start."

"The consequences of your actions!" The figure yelled out as he darted for Zariel once more. Thalion sprinted for the figure with his daggers in hand. The attacker dodged Thalion's attempted backstab and rolled to the side. As he got to his feet again he assumed a limber position with an arched back and low-hanging arms. "You all deserve this."

Thalion was quiet for a moment, trying to study his opponent's face under the mask. Along with his voice, he had an idea who it was.

"Tialis?"

"I know that face."

Tialis spoke plainly, "Of course. It is gorgeous." He reached into a sash he was wearing and pulled out a dart, which he threw at Zariel. It landed in his neck and he droped to the ground.

Thalion darted for Tialis and kicked him in the chest with as much force as he could muster. He fell backward, groaning and curling up on the ground. Before Thalion could revel in his glorious foot-strike, the cat that he seemingly had forgotten about pounced on him again- this time from behind. The cat clawed at his back and left arm.

Tialis whistled at the cat, which swiftly released Thalion, "This is my prey."

"The cat's got claws, I'll give it that." Thalion winced as he steadily pushed himself to a kneeling position.

Tialis stood over Thalion, and spoke with conviction and disgust, "Your father your mother and their discgraceful children. Moving in an estate away from us like you're better. Now you want to -lead- us into mockery with a human, or with our aids? With undeath after our attack and with what? A smile? We were ruthless and wealthy, respected and powerful. We were elite."

Thalion rolled his eyes at the speech, "Greed and pride make terrible motivations."

"Says the weak minded and willed." Tialis retorted as he moved over to Zariel.

Thalion watched him, ready to strike if he made a sudden move, "Says the noble."

Tialis sneered, "There is nothing noble about this trash." He grumbled as he stuck his foot into Zariel's side. "You are a killer, even though you resemble our family's second biggest mistake since the orginal Jidae-"

"You touch my brother again and I slit your throat." Thalion declared. He was visibly tiring of Tialis' speeches. This had a negative effect, however, as Tialis called for his cat Vega to sit at his side. Tialis sat next to his cat, on Zariel's unconscious body. "Oh, you have guts."

Tialis merely smiled under his mask, his fel-green eyes becoming narrow slits, "Tell me one thing."

"Can he just fight me and be done with it? Why- in any stretch of the imagination- does he think I'm fine with talking with him after what he just did to my brother?"

"Since you were one of the useless people who let my mother die. Who killed her?"

Thalion sighed before answering, "Right, Tialis. You were Agorine's Son. She was killed by a warlock named Sanguis Sunfire. He's dead though, you're welcome for that." As Thalion finished speaking, Tialis stood up and clicked his tongue. His cat, Vega, stayed sitting by Zariel's side. Thalion moved his right foot back and assumed a combat ready position. Tialis lunged forth with a flurry of slashes. It seemed like his claws were coming from every direction at once, and they were hard to block. But Thalion managed, deflecting three strikes before jumping out of Tialis' range entirely.

"Want to try again, blondie?" Apparently not, as Tialis quickly lept away, leaping over wood boxes and barrels to jump over Thalion's tent and scurry behind the tree he emerged from in the beginning of this conflict. With a scoff and a shake of his head, Thalion went off in pursuit.

Tialis dived into some bushes to grab his bow, but Thalion didn't see this. As he reached the tree he looked for his enemy frantically. His ears twitched as he heard the sound of metal scraping against wood, and he looked up to see Tialis scaling the tree like some kind of animal. Just as quickly as he appeared, he was lost in the branches of the tree.

Just then, a rain of arrows fell from the tree. Thalion was quite nimble himself, and did a good job evading most of the arrows. However, one lucky shot flew straight down from the tree and into Thalion's shoulder.

Thalion grunted in pain and stumbled back from the tree, dropping his dagger and gripping his shoulder tightly. It was hopeless, he didn't have any throwing knives, and he had thrown away his bow earlier. As he was thinking, another lone shot came from the tree and hit Thalion in the same shoulder. This arrow, was different. It was poisoned. He screamed with pain and fell to his knees, resting his forehead on the ground.

Tialis slid down the tree and stood just two feet away from Thalion, taking the opportunity to rub his assumed victory in Thalion's face, "You should've stayed away. That way Zariel's death would be your fault because you weren't here; not because you failed to protect him. Like you failed to protect my mother, or your sister." The words hurt Thalion more than either of the arrows in his shoulder did. This was nothing new to Thalion, but it cut him every time he heard it. He knew that he had failed his family in the past. As consequence, his mother and sister died in the Third War and Zariel was forever scarred. Agorine died at the hands of Sanguis, right before Thalion's eyes. Now Zariel's life hung by a thread, and Thalion was beginning to realize that he had the chance to save him, and he was failing.

Thalion lifted his head from the ground and looked at Tialis, his brows furrowed in anger and his lips curled into a scowl. He remaied silent and shakily took his dagger in hand. He lept to his feet and, mustering what seemed to be the last of his strength, ran at Tialis. He slashed his chest and stabbed him in the stomach quickly. The attack was a surprise to Tialis, who coughed up blood that splattered between the grills in his mask.

Thalion made eye contact with Tialis, seeing his widened eyes. Finally, he felt he might have the upper hand. He might be able to protect Zariel after all. "Nobody hurts my bro-"

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through Thalion's body. The poison from the arrow had really beun to set in. He backed away from Tialis, taking his dagger with him but dropping it shortly after. He swore in Thalassian and fell to his knees while holding his heart and panting. He let loose a yell that rumbled in his throat, trying to find some way to help him deal with the pain.

Rain started to fall from the sky, and Thalion chose to focus on the feel of it running down his face. Even though he hated rain, he hated pain more.

"Th-...Thalion?" Zariel had awoke and rolled over, seeing the scene by the tree.

His brother's voice gave Thalion a shot of determination. He tried getting to his feet and making one last stand against Tialis, but he fell back to his knees and winced as this only increased the pain. He took a shallow breath.

"Only me. Not him."

"Zariel... Go."

Tialis scoffed and moved towards the helpless Thalion, thrusting his claw into his throat as the finishing blow. Zariel scrambled to cast a teleportation spell, and Thalion could hear his crying out before being teleported away. Blood began to gush out of his throat and he fell back and off the claw. With desperation clear on his face, he thrashed around and tried to find some way to breathe. After a moment, he didn't have the strength to move anymore. He blankly stared at the sky.

Tialis looked at Zariel's blood, "He won't get far." He then looked down at Thalion, "You were stronger than I thought you would be." He whistled for his cat and continued to watch Thalion.

Thalion simply continued staring at the sky. The pain he felt was slowly fading away, and what used to be clouds and the tops of trees that he could see had turned into a dull gray swirl, like dirty water going down a drain. He closed his eyes and again focused on the feel of rain on his skin. It didn't feel so bad now, but even that was fading away. Steadily, the life faded from his eyes.

"It's..."

"...So..."

"...Cold."

[Sadron]

Weakness.

The past few weeks had been difficult for the eldest Nova. After being killed by Tialis, there was nothing. If there was an afterlife, Thalion didn't remember it. The next thing he saw after dying was Diel'vani pouring light into him, bringing him back from the other side. His resurrection was kept a secret. To the world, Thalion Novalight had passed on.

He rested in Diel'vani's tower for a few days, before he had to be moved. En route, he was kidnapped, and for the next week he was kept as a prisoner in an empty monastary, with many other people. He was forced to rely on other people to survive, at first being unable to walk or talk properly. One of the guards was his mother, who he believed to be dead. She was actually enslaved by a necromancer, and Thalion was powerless to help her. Another failure on the list. After a few days, his voice returned, but he still needed a cane. He promised to protect a young woman carrying twins, Faelara, from any danger she might come across. He failed her, and partway through the week she was tortured without reason.

One of the friendlier guards, a Troll named Bijir, and Mokaku's mate, managed to slip him a cane. There were a couple of singers in the prison, and one Sin'dorei woman sang a song that touched Thalion's heart. He nodded, and commited to remember that song. If not just for its beauty, but for what it meant to him at the time.

Sleep was difficult to find, as Thalion soon discovered that he was plagued by terrible nightmares. He awoke after a deep sleep to find that the leader of their captors, a nameless woman, had been killed, and the prisoners were free... sort of. The exit was blocked off, and everybody- from guards, to enslaved guards, to victims- was still trapped.

Eventually, miners broke through the rubble, armed women appeared, and a fight broke out. Thalion did his best to cane down everybody who came near him, and then poke them with his dagger until they stopped moving. Faceless showed herself, and it turned out that she wasn't truly dead. In the ensuing fight, Thalion was hit by waves of fire, shocked by electricity, and still was injured by being hit by a hammer before. Eventually, Solis- another friend of Thalion's- threw a knife which landed in the woman's face. Thalion fell unconscious.

The next little while was a bit of a blur for him. Clovis healed his injuries, Solis gave him the knife that killed Faceless, and Thalion went to stay with Faelara in Hearthglen. He met Diel'vani, and they decided that until Thalion could fight again, he would have to keep himself a secret.

However, keeping his status away from his siblings will be more difficult than it seems.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

The room where Thalion slept was dark, and quiet. It was a small house in Hearthglen, belonging to Faelara Sunsong. Thalion slept on a bench by Faelara's bed, electing to give the pregnant lady more room.

The silence was broken by Thalion awaking from another nightmare. He sat up quickly, gasping for air and returning to reality. In this nightmare, he saw Tialis laughing as he butchered Xanthe, his youngest sister. This was usually the subject of Thalion's nightmares- his siblings dying because he died. Because he failed them.

He looked over at Faelara, who was sleeping peacefully on her side with one hand on her stomach. A lock of her orange hair resting on the soft skin of her face.

Thalion smiled, "She's so pretty..." His voice was barely audible, but he felt compelled to speak out loud rather than think. "I like her. I really do... but I don't want her to get hurt... Maybe I should leave." The Elf shook his head and touched the scar on his throat, the constant reminder of the strike that ended his life, "I can't protect her. Not right now. I'm... powerless."

He looks over at his cane, leaning against the table next to his bench and heaved a sigh, "If I only could. I'm useless. I can't fight up close anymore... I can't even stand." He shook his head again, "No, the last thing I should do is run away. That's not me. I don't run away. No matter what happens. I promised to protect my siblings. To protect Faelara. To save my mother... To save my family. I intend to follow through with these. All of them."

With a quick nod, he looked back at Faelara. A smile graced his face, and he lay back down and fell asleep.

I won't fail again.

[Sadron]

Home

"What have I been doing?"

Thalion stood by a mailbox with three letters in hand. His expression was solemn as he looked between the letters and the slot in the mailbox.

"I feel like I'm wasting my time. This recovery- no, it feels more like a vacation than anything. Whatever it is, I think it has gone on long enough. The only exciting thing I do during a day is go for a walk, which is really all I can do considering my condition."

He slipped the first letter into the slot, which bore the address of the Novalight Estate, with the recipient of the letter being Tedia.

Spoiler:

Tedia,

I'm sorry. I'm coming back to you.

Each letter was just as vague as the first one. Thalion was careful to make sure the letters couldn't be traced back to him if intercepted by any family officials. He had altered his handwriting, and had not given his name or a return address.

"Faelara is nice, and pretty and I'm very grateful to her for taking care of me... But I can't have feelings for her. I just can't allow it. Even if we did end up having a relationship, it wouldn't last. This... whatever it is that we have- it's temporary. I can't allow myself to be anything other than her friend, for both our sakes."

The second letter found its way from his hand into the mailbox, this one was to be sent to his youngest sister, Xanthe.

Spoiler:

Xanthe,

Thank you for the compass. I'm almost home.

"I need to go home... I've had enough of this gloomy town... I should be ready to travel this Monday. I'll leave... that night, morning. Whatever. My family needs me more than I need- or... want- Faelara... I want my life back. It may never be what it once was. Maybe Xanthe will never think I'm real. Maybe Tedia left and found somebody else. Whatever happened... whatever happens, I've been given another chance. I won't squander it."

He dropped the third letter in the box, to be sent to his younger brother Zariel.

Spoiler:

Zariel,

It wasn't your fault.

"Tedia... Zariel... Xanthe. Those three were probably the most affected by my death. I like Tedia- a lot. Not like Faelara, in a passing kind of way. Tedia's special... The kind of girl you want to love. That probably sounds stupid- but I don't really know how to describe her.

"Zariel is my brother, so I've always been close to him. I'm sorry he had to see me die. Alteryia's death had an effect on him- I wasn't around to see it, but I heard about what he went through. I don't know what he's going through now either, but I'd wager he's grown since then. He'll pull through.

"Xanthe... is more difficult to read. Whenever she sees me she thinks she's dreaming. I hope this is just a phase, because I'm beginning to miss the normal conversations Xanthe and I would have. She mentioned that she would sit by my body when I was dead, waiting for me to wake up, or get hungry, or breathe. It made me cry- that's difficult to do. It made me break down and sob in public."

Thalion placed his hand on the mailbox and heaved a sigh before walking away. The rain was getting heavier, and he needed more rest.

"I'll have to say goodbye to Fae... no, maybe not. I'll leave her a note. Maybe it will hurt her, maybe she won't care. It's easier for me... at least."

[Caravan]

On Contemplating Arrow-ness.

Spoiler:

So, I don't have any screenshots, but I do have this lovely song!


Forgive any choppiness of the following text, as it is taken directly from RP, cleaned up only a bit!

The waves lapped against the base of the ship, the sea creating its own sort of music as the day inched towards night. Xanthe perched on the railing and dangled her feet over the edge. Her toes wiggled in the cooling desert breeze wafting in from the coast. Footsteps behind her alerted her to her brother's presence on the deck; uniquely his, the soft pats marked the tread of one used to being silent but not afraid to be caught.

“It’s not like they compare it to, the spring moon.”

Thalion blinked, walking closer to Xanthe before leaning on the railing, “How so?”

She smiled fondly as the sun began dipping behind the mountains. Behind them, the moon slowly rising like an unbalanced scale. “There are many who say that the spring moon is as young and tender as the first blossoms. It is not, though. The spring moon is not only eager, but stoic, as it takes the mantle of the sky from the Sun. It must watch as the world stretches, breathing in winter and breathing out warm.”

He looked at the setting sun, mulling over Xanthe’s words.

“It is a burden, the watch of the Spring Moon. The fingers of Winter can grasp tightly and not wish to let go. The Moon must coax the fingers, one by one.” She goes silent as the sun becomes but a crescent. She waves her fingers gently towards it, as if bidding farewell to a fond friend.

“I have been contemplating arrow-ness.”

“Oh?”

Thalion nodded.

Xanthe continued to look forward into the quiet darkness on the horizon. After a long pause, she finally said, “What do you know of arrow-ness, Thalion?”

Thalion rubbed his hands on the wood of the railing, “Arrows are brave, I think.”

"Why are arrows brave?”

“The arrow leaves the safety of the quiver and is launched by the bow into danger. The arrow sacrifices itself, for the good of the archer. At least, that’s what I came to.” He shrugged.

She nodded thoughtfully. She sat quietly for a few minutes before she offered in her soft matter-of-fact manner, “Arrow-ness is unique to the Archer because we see in the arrow what we know of ourselves.”

“I don’t quite understand.”

“The arrow is the most trusting of all Beings. Unhesitating. It blindly ventures forward, putting all of its faith into the belief that the Hand has chosen it a target and that the Hand will lead it to its target.” She tapped her fingertips against her knee thoughtfully, “But an Arrow as a Sacrifice?” She turned her head to the side and regarded Thalion sadly. Finally, she repeated softly as she wrung her hands, “A sacrifice?”

His lips tightened before he offered, “Not a sacrifice, self-sacrificing.”

“Where is the difference?”

“Self-sacrifice has meaning. It’s giving yourself up to something greater than just you. Being sacrificed is being thrown away. That’s how I see it.”

“You are very focused on gone-ness. On absence. On not-there-ness….on Loss.”

Thalion says nothing aside from a half-hearted ‘hm.’

Xanthe leaned back slightly and, without a moment’s hesitation, removed an arrow from the quiver. She held it out to Thalion without looking at him, “This is the first arrow I ever released.” The arrowhead is old, bearing scratches, though still very strong and intact, worn, but the wood is much newer.

Thalion regarded the arrow closely, “You still have it?”

“At the moment of release, there is a promise. It is carried by the first breath of the breeze created as the feathers brush the air. It is the promise of the Hand to the arrow. For the Arrow’s faith and unending trust, the Hand promises to send it to its mark. Promises to bring it home. The Hand promises to reward the Arrow’s faith.” Xanthe rest the arrow against her left palm, her fingers curling lightly over it as if holding a rose. She smiled fondly at the arrow. “The Arrow is not a sacrifice.”

He stared at the arrow, his expression tinged with sadness, “…Oh.”

She turned back again towards Thalion and held out the arrow, point down, with the warmest and sincerest of smiles, “I should like you to have it.”

“Wha-bu-…Isn’t it special to you?”

“It is my most treasured being. And it is my promise to you.”

“…Promise?” He looked up at her.

She nodded, once. “I promise to send you to your mark. I promise to bring you home. I promise to reward your faith.”

Thalion hesitantly reached over and took the arrow from her hand, “I will treasure this arrow.”

Xanthe smiled, “Yes, okay.” After a space she added, “That was a good contemplation, Thalion. Your arrow-ness.”

With a shrug, he huffed, “It was wrong.” He looked down at the arrow before he tucked it away in his robe.

“It was not wrong. It was your arrowness.”

He sighed and looked back at the ocean, “…Right.”

“Tomorrow, you should contemplate bow-ness. Or Flight.”

“I think I will contemplate bow-ness. And then flight after that.” He grinned at her.

Xanthe smiled warmly.

“What do you mean, anyway? By flight?”

With a giggle, she exclaimed, “I cannot tell you before you contemplate it!”

Her brother snickered, “You mean birds flying? Or an arrow? Or running away?” As Xanthe removed herself from the railing and began walking away, he stammered, "H-hey! How am I supposed to know what it is??"

[Sadron]

Spoiler:

I'm going to be writing Thal's posts in the first person from now on. Why? Because I feel like it.

The Archer

After Annabelle's wedding, which was very beautiful, Xanthe and I returned to Eversong for some well deserved rest. It really was a beautiful ceremony, it brought a tear or so to my eye. I remember Xanthe was admiring the reflection of the moon, and I was un-stringing and restringing my bow passively. Doing that has sort of become a habit, I do have to perfect it after all.

"Were you ever married, Thalion?" She spoke up. I didn't really know how to respond to that, even though I knew the answer. After a moment, I shook my head slowly. "I do not think I will be married." Her voice was very matter-of-fact, and she didn't really seem sad about the idea.

"I'd like to be married someday, but I don't know if I should." I answered.

"Will you marry Tedia?" Again, I wasn't sure what to say. That happens a lot when talking to Xanthe, she'll ask these questions that you really need to give thought before answering.

I bit my lower lip, and gave the question the thought needed. I love Tedia, I really do, but I'm not in love with her... not yet. "I don't know." I finally answered.

Is she nice?

"Very nice." I half-whispered as I looked up at the stars. Tedia is a very beautiful woman, first off. She has this beautiful dark hair, and her skin is soft and smooth to the touch. She listens to me, and she's helpful. I don't like venting my problems onto other people, but I just feel like I can speak my mind with Tedia.

"How often do you think of her?"

"Often." I said, smiling.

"Then, if you wished to marry her, I would support you." Again came the dilemma, I don't know if I should marry. My life is dangerous... it's already killed me once. I know Tedia is a strong woman, and she can take care of herself... but... I suppose it's just my nature to try and protect everybody.

We went on talking. I confided in her why I left the family to go on my own all those years ago, and we talked about leading the family. During a silence, she looked back and saw my bow, "Do you know bow-ness?"


"I...I think so." I paused, and Xanthe waited for me to continue, "The bow represents understanding. The bow cannot know when the arrow will be released, but it must understand that it will be. It must trust the archer to guide the arrow, and hold to their promise. It also represents calmness."

Xanthe spoke slowly, thoughtfully, "Tell me more of calmness."

"Calmness... the moment when the arrow is released, is when all three must be in harmony."

"What are the three?" She said. I thought again for a moment before I replied.

"Arrow-ness, bow-ness, and archer-ness. The arrow must trust the archer, the bow must understand the archer, and the archer must be at peace."

Xanthe gave a slow nod, and said, "Calmness, in archery, is the same as stillness. It is the forest at dawn. The sleeping mountain. The winter pond. We must be still in our mind so that the Hand, the Arrow, and the Bow can speak to each other and communicate trust. The bow must understand the archer? Good, Thalion. Very good. " She was quiet for a moment, almost as if she mulled something over, before she echoed what I had said before, "The bow cannot know when the arrow will be released, but it must understand that it will." She smiled and tucked her knees up close to her chest, looking down at her feet, "So you see that Arrow-ness and Bow-ness are not really separate. They overlap. They complement."

I nodded in response. I love moments like this, when Xanthe opens up and I get to see some of the workings of her mind. She makes an excellent teacher, and I mean that. "The archer is not a puzzle, made of many separate pieces. The archer is a unified being." I said.

The words echoed in my head. The archer is a unified being. I'm hardly unified, but I will be. To understand the bow... to trust the arrow... I will have to understand and trust myself.

I will become the archer.

[Sadron]

Freedom

Spoiler:

Apologies if this is a bit choppy, it's from in-game text. Thanks for reading!

I have been wandering a lot lately, since I don't have anywhere safe to call home. I think it's good for me, traveling, it has helped me get my strength back since my resurrection. I found myself in Silvermoon, with Faelara and another man, and we stumbled upon a Goblin selling some wares. I bought a pair of dice, because I felt like it, and a picnic basket. The latter I bought with Tedia in mind. As I smiled down at my purchases, a familiar voice called out at me.

"A word when you are free, elder brother?" The voice was that of Zariel, and it carried more of a mocking tone than a polite one.

I looked up from my basket and forced a smile. I really wasn't happy to see him standing there. Zariel and I have been at odds lately, and I'm not sure he knows why. I'm not sure he ever will. I walked over to him and replied, "Oh, I didn't see you there. I'm free now."

He pointed to the city gate, "It won't take long." He said, as we walked just outside the city. "How have you been?"

I could tell he was just trying to make small-talk, and that there was something more business oriented coming,"Well enough, you?" I said.

Zariel's tone was bitter, "Fine." He spat after speaking, which is something I wish he didn't do.

He seemed to be acting spiteful, "What soiled your mood?" I inquired.

"Father blames me for Xanthe's departure," He began. I furrowed my brow at this, because he was blissfully unaware that Xanthe stepping down was his fault. "and a few other things that are out of my control. So I am going to lay low for a while, following in my beloved elder brother's footsteps. If you haven't heard he wishes you to lead the house now. And he is going to take care of our problem. Two contracts are out."

I crossed my arms and frowned. Here he was, spouting family business at me. I had been doing some thinking since I had returned to the family, how only Xanthe and myself really recognized how serious my death was. Zariel in particular, since I gave my life defending him from Tialis, had been nothing but contemptuous and mocking of me. He always was that way.

"The council member is going to be taken care of, and Tialis has disa-"

"There lies the problem." I interrupted him.

"...A problem? Surely you aren't going to pursue a life with the commoner with the twins, of another man, might I add." Zariel said. He meant Faelara.

"I'm not going to lead the family, Zariel." I said. I had changed since I was younger, I didn't want to be a leader, of anything. I didn't know how.

Zariel paused, "Hm. Good. We'll see what our Father and Grand Uncle do then." He finally said with a nod.

I sighed, he wasn't understanding my point. "You'll see, you mean. I'm done. Zariel, I'm stepping down."

My little brother folded his arms and paused, "...I see. I can't say I am entirely unhappy, I do hope this won't hinder our bonds in the future. I haven't spoken to Xanthe since she left."

"I have." I replied. I could tell this had caught him off guard, but I was surprised that he was happy about it.

A small gust of wind blew by, "Good for you. I'm glad she's alright." He finally replied.

"She's fine. I saw her in Ferelas. She said she stepped down because it was 'what the family wanted'." Really, I was following Xanthe's example by doing this. She was right, this family didn't want her, and it didn't want me.

"I understand. So what will you do?" I hadn't actually thought of that. I had really devoted myself to the family for so long, I didn't really have anything to do by myself.

"I'm not sure. I think I'll join the Farstriders, eventually settle down and have a family." We were quiet for a moment, before I continued, "Maybe I'll return someday, probably not."

Zariel spit again, and I wrinkled my nose and looked down at the glob of saliva, "Family isn't something that you can leave and return to when it is convenient." He said. As much as I hate to admit it, he was right. However, I didn't intend to disappear without a trace like before. I would still be there for my siblings when they needed me, I would still protect them, but I didn't want to have to lead a family, to do a thankless job. "Looks like Alteryia and I have work to do." With that, he charged up arcane and teleported somewhere. I didn't really care.

There was a bittersweet feeling in my gut. I felt like I had betrayed Zariel, Alteryia, and my father by doing this, but that it was the right thing for myself. I was free.

I walked away from where we spoke feeling almost like a new person. It was done. My renaissance was complete.