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Post by Neo on Jun 26, 2015 22:07:54 GMT -6
Orion sighed with relief as Eden came to. Then, her hand slipped out of his and she turned away, though not before he caught a glimpse of the utter agony and shame in her eyes. That single look affected him more than anything had in years, and suddenly he found himself on the verge of tears. He took her hand back in his and leaned close to whisper gently into her ear, his words only for her ears. "Eden... Listen to me. I understand. Believe me, I do. But there's a difference between shame and guilt. You're a good person, Eden. I may be a hypocrite for saying this, but don't let your past rule you."
He smiled, and tenderly brushed her hair away from her ear. "You can come back whenever you're ready, Eden. We'll be here waiting."
Realizing she was already out of it again and likely couldn't hear him, he sighed and leaned back in his stretcher. But he didn't let go of her hand. A few minutes later, Jurian and Rhys walked in.
"Can you stand?" Jurian asked him. He noticed their locked hands, and an odd look came into his eyes, but he said nothing.
Orion nodded and swung his legs over the side of the stretcher, reluctantly letting go of Eden's hand. He slowly but steadily stood up and found he was fine. When Jurian moved to pick up Eden, Orion quickly stopped him. "Her leg is still very tender, Jurian. Do you know how to carry someone with an injured leg?"
Jurian gave him a look not of annoyance or impatience, like Orion expected, but of respect. It caught him off guard a bit. "Yeah. I've got some experience as a battlefield medic, Doc. I may not have an entire encyclopedia on medicine in my head like you do, but I know how to carry an injured comrade."
Orion smiled. That was good enough for him. He retrieved his staff, then followed Jurian and Rhys upstairs. Once in Eden's room, Orion helped Jurian tuck her into bed while Rhys waited outside.
"You go get cleaned up," Jurian said to him, giving him a knowing look. "I'll stay by her side until you get back."
Orion nodded and walked towards the hall, then abruptly stopped in the doorway and turned back to Jurian, as he realized something. "You didn't call me 'boy'."
Jurian looks up at him oddly. "Pardon?"
"When we were downstairs, you didn't call me boy. You called me Doc."
Jurian shakes his head slowly. "You've outgrown that nickname, I reckon. A man keeps his promises. And you've shown you can do that. Just wouldn't be right to call you boy after that."
Orion nods wordlessly and leaves the room. He's met by a beaming behemoth in the hallway. "You should be proud!" Rhys announces happily, slapping him in the back so hard he almost sends poor Orion flying across the hallway. "That old fox still calls me boy, and I'm only a few years younger than him! Wear it like a badge, my friend! Oh yeah!"
The giant's booming laughter echoes down the hallway as he walks away. Still a bit surprised, Orion returns to his room and quickly showers and shaves. He then changes into a simple white sleeveless shirt and brown pants, slips into his sandals, leaves his sword in his room and grabs his staff as well as some of his favorite books on folktales and fairytales, then returns to Eden's side and relieves Jurian, who thanks him quietly and leaves, closing the door behind him.
Orion sits down on the floor with his back against the bed, and begins reading to her.
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 27, 2015 17:31:09 GMT -6
Somewhere in Pergrande...
A merchant caravan stopped near the gates of a city, and a young girl, no older than ten, jumped out of the back of the cart. She looked up at the wall surrounding the city, where she could see hills and the buildings covering them peeking out from beyond the height wall, much further in the city. Her first impression was that it must have been built on a mountain to take on such an appearance. What didn't cross her mind was how much work it would take to get around the city on foot, as she would have to from that moment and the foreseeable future.
She thanked the merchant family for their help, aware that she would never have been able to make it to that city without their help. All she had been able to offer them in trade for their generous offer to help feed her and take her to a city on the coast of Pergrande was an extra set of hands to help pack crates of produce, since she was too small to lift the crates herself, making loading and unloading the caravan out of the question. They had insisted that it was no problem; they obviously had plenty of food, and they were travelling on a route that would be taking them to that very same destination. So as long as she would work and would be patient as they stopped in other cities along their delivery route, she could come along. But she knew that more than anything their willingness to help her was born of pity.
---
According to this flyer, the place I'm looking for should be in this marketplace...
The little girl, a help wanted flyer in hand, was huffing and puffing as she climbed yet another steep hill, then exited an alleyway and found herself in a bustling, vibrant market that filled one of the rare, relatively level streets. The scent of fresh baked bread from one stall combined with the scent of oranges and wafted towards her, and her stomach growled. However, it did turn out to be useful, as she could follow the smell of oranges right to her destination. The produce stand was long, taking up most of the length of the exterior wall of the house behind it. She stood in front of the stand, on the tips of her toes just to see above the counter, and slid the flyer towards the woman who ran the business.
"Hello, ma'am, I'm looking for work, and when I entered the city yesterday I found this. I've been trying to find you ever since then!" the little girl said.
The woman, who had been wiping down the wooden counter after helping the last customer, stared at the girl for a moment before walking out around the counter to get a better look at her. Her eyes narrowed with disapproval, but she softened when she saw the child's condition. "With those dark circles under your eyes, I would almost believe that you had been looking all night long as well."
"I have, ma'am. I can't eat or sleep until I find work."
"And when was the last time you ate?" she asked.
At that the child's cheerful attitude dimmed, and she looked down at her bare feet. There was silence until her stomach growled yet again, very loudly that time. The woman sighed, grabbed an orange that was about to be overripe and unsellable, and handed it to the little girl, who held it with both hands and thanked her.
"So, why should I hire someone so young to deliver produce all across the city for me?"
"I may be small, but that means I can get through crowds and tight places easily. I can run really fast, and I don't get tired from it unlike an adult," she said.
The woman thought for a moment, before she walked back behind the counter and began riffling around for something. She puleld out a basket and a burlap bag, placed them on the counter. She motioned for the girl to pick them up, and after seeing that they were the right size for her to carry, the woman smiled.
"Does this mean I get to work here now?" the girl asked.
"Yes. What's your name, little one?"
The girl put the basket back on the ground and held out her hand to the woman. "I don't know my real name anymore, so people call me Eden now. I'm pleased to meet you!"
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Post by Neo on Jun 27, 2015 18:23:22 GMT -6
Almost two full days passed. Almost two days, and Eden still hadn't fully returned to her senses. The Guild was solemn and quiet, and the usual energy that lit up Silver Chimera like a beacon had vanished. Everyone was feeling down and depressed, and even Zalia had a hard time lifting everyone's spirits. There were no performances on the stage, and Lucian hadn't teased Velia even once. Both Ryner and Jurian had left on jobs before Zalia could call them back, and Rhys had been staring at a blank canvas for the past two days, unable to paint a thing.
As for Orion... He rarely left Eden's side. The few times he did, Zalia had to come upstairs and practically force him to leave. And even then, it was only to shower and change. He slept on the floor next to Eden's bed, ate with her, and helped her eat and drink whenever she needed to. He hadn't shaved in a couple days either, and he was plagued by nightmares when he slept, so his eyes were underlined by very dark circles. The worry he felt over Eden's condition was plain as day, though he still had faith in her. He knew Eden would come back in time, and so he waited patiently. Her physical wounds had all healed, but Orion knew from experience, that wounds of the heart were always far more difficult to treat. So he stayed with her, read to her until his voice was hoarse, and reassured her she wasn't alone.
It was about an hour before dinnertime on the second day when Eden finally stirred. The Sun was just beginning to set, and Orion had just closed another book when her eyes opened, and she slowly sat up. Her eyes had regained clarity, and relief consumed him.
"Welcome back," he whispered, smiling.
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 27, 2015 18:28:08 GMT -6
"I don't believe that I'm really welcome back here. Not now," Eden said quietly as she looked out of the window.
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Post by Neo on Jun 27, 2015 18:39:20 GMT -6
Orion's eyes watered as he rocketed from his stool so quickly he sent it skittering across the room. He was sitting on the edge of the bed next to her in an instant, and pulling her into his arms.
"Don't you dare say that," he breathed against her hair, tightening his arms around her and tenderly crushing her against his chest, careful not to hurt her. "Don't even think it. Everyone has been worried so much about you. The Guild just hasn't been the same without you. I know I may not have the right to say this, but... You're part of this family, Eden. And family doesn't quit on each other. Like Zalia said, we all make mistakes, and we all have secrets we want to keep. But we don't quit. We don't give up. You were the one who taught me that. So don't you dare think you aren't welcome here. Of course you are. And you always will be."
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 27, 2015 18:54:43 GMT -6
"I-... I guess yiu really did want me to come back. Thank you. But until I hear it from the others-... and I can only imagine what they think, based on the horrible things they already know, and they don't even know everything yet... You don't even know everything yet..." she said.
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Post by Neo on Jun 27, 2015 19:07:15 GMT -6
"I know you're a good person," Orion replies softly, gently caressing her back. "And I know you're family. That's all that matters to me, and that's all that matters to everyone else. Are you ready to go downstairs and see everyone, or do you want to stay here a bit longer and collect yourself? I'll stay with you for as long as you need me to, Eden."
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 27, 2015 19:08:46 GMT -6
"I want to stay here, and I want to talk to Zalia," Eden answered.
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Post by Neo on Jun 27, 2015 20:32:01 GMT -6
Orion inclined his head and smiled. "Alright. I'll be right back, Eden."
He reluctantly let her go and stood up. He lingered a moment longer, tenderly cupping Eden's cheek in his palm and affectionately caressing her cheek with his thumb. Then he walked out and quietly closed the door behind him.
Everyone looked up expectantly when Orion walked downstairs. It was almost dinnertime, so they probably just assumed he was coming down to get Eden's dinner. He let them think that, just for now, and went to find Zalia. He found her easily enough, in the kitchen behind the bar, finishing dinner.
"Eden's awake, and she wants to speak to you," Orion says to her.
Relief floods over Zalia's face, and she nods. "Thank you, my boy."
She fetches Velia and leaves the food to her, then quickly walks up the stairs and down the hall, her long strides covering large amounts of ground. Orion had to hurry to catch up to her, and when he did, Zalia was already sitting on the edge of the bed and holding Eden tightly.
Suddenly feeling like an outsider, Orion lingered in the doorway only for a moment before he turned and left them alone. He closed the door and disappeared down the hallway.
--------
"How are you feeling, my dear?" Zalia asked, her voice thick with concern.
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 27, 2015 20:41:42 GMT -6
"Zalia..." Eden said, beginning to cry, "There aren't words for the shame and the emotional agony. I could never hope to describe it in a way that could be understood."
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Post by Neo on Jun 27, 2015 21:04:17 GMT -6
Zalia tightened her arms around Eden and held her as she cried. "My dear, sweet girl... You don't have to tell us everything right now. Take your time, as long as you need. Everyone loves you Eden, and no one is going to judge you. This is your home, and that will never change. You're safe here. Your past is in the past. I know it's hard, but try to look towards the future, hmm?"
Zalia suddenly grinned mischeviously and looked towards the door. "Speaking of the future... Orion is a fine boy, don't you think? You could do a lot worse. He took care of you all the time you were out, he barely ever left your side. He even slept in here with you."
Ah... Don't hate me too much, my boy. I'm sure you understand.
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 27, 2015 21:18:50 GMT -6
"I-... I want to talk about my past, Zalia. You deserve to know the whole story," she said.
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Post by Neo on Jun 27, 2015 21:25:29 GMT -6
No reaction? Blast. I was hoping that would brighten her up, at least a little. But maybe talking about it will help her come to terms with what happened.
Zalia smiled, and nodded. "Very well. I'm listening, Eden."
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 27, 2015 21:41:31 GMT -6
Eden swallowed hard, and struggled to look Zalia in the eyes as she started to speak. "How much have I told you about my childhood, Zalia?"
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Post by Neo on Jun 27, 2015 22:15:16 GMT -6
"You've told me about the places you lived as a youth," Zalia answered, smiling tenderly. "I know you were orphaned at an early age, and I know you struggled finding what you want to do with your life, more so than most."
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 27, 2015 22:18:37 GMT -6
"How did you know I was raised as an orphan? I didn't tell you or anyone else about that," she said.
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Post by Neo on Jun 27, 2015 23:02:53 GMT -6
Zalia smiled knowingly, and began to lovingly stroke her hair, much like a real parent might have done. "No, but you did tell me you struggled to find work for a long time.This old Owl still has a few tricks up her sleeves, my girl. I was able to piece that bit of info together over the years. Often times, simple things like a person's behavior, such as the way they talk or act, can tell you more about that person than any magic, or even their own words. Watching and learning is the key to understanding each other, my dear. Otherwise, how would I know if you were truly upset? I would have to wait for you to tell me, and by then, it would be too late. I wouldn't be there when you really needed me. It's the one trait all Guild Masters share, Eden. While some are more observant than others, all Guild Masters are like that to an extent. It's because they have to be. Would you like to know a secret, my dear? With enough practice, you can use this to your advantage to always pick out a Guild Master in a crowd, even if they're hiding, or trying to keep a low profile. Just look for the one who watches everything."
Zalia smiles a very motherly smile, and gently undoes Eden's ponytail, letting her silver hair fall freely. "I'm sure your parents were wonderful people, Eden. They must have loved you dearly. And who knows? Maybe you're following in their footsteps, without even realizing it. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Zalia smiles again and sits back, brushing a silver bang away from her face. "There. Your hair is very beautiful, Eden. You should wear it down more. If you're worried about your bangs getting in the way, I might have something to help with that. I know, after you finish telling me your story and get cleaned up, I'll do your hair for you, and then we'll go have dinner in the park, just the two of us. You don't have to explain everything to the others tonight. How does that sound?"
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 27, 2015 23:53:28 GMT -6
"I don't want to tell the others yet..."
And I don't know if she'll really be so happy with me once I'm done telling her everything either... What will I do if Zalia won't help protect me?
"When I was still very young I was forced out of the orphange where I had been living becuase they couldn't afford to keep me there, and I was the oldest child there. I couldn't survive where I was. The entire city was poor, and I lived in the poorest part of it. There were no jobs, and there weren't even enough scraps of food being thrown out to support the people living in poverty. By the time I was ten I had travelled to Pergrande, to a city on the coast, up on a cliff, trying to find a way to keep myself alive. I found work at a produce stand, where I could make just a little money and buy the food that was about to go bad, so I could survive on my little income and the rare tip I got from deliveries. One day, when I wasn't working, after I had managed to scrape up just a little extra money, I got caught in a bad situation. I had been looking through shops, imagining what I could buy with my savings, when I noticed that something wasn't quite right. I got scared, and I couldn't say anything. No one else could feel the trouble in the air, but I could."
Eden wrapped her hands around the locket at her neck, and tried to stay calm, but the distant look in her eyes gave away that she wasn't just recounting those events, but reliving them inside her mind, just as she had been for the past two days. "Some... people started watching what was going on very carefully. One of them started talking to the shopkeeper. I was standing in front of the door, and one who wasn't talking to the shopkeeper started to walk out, but didn't notice me. I was too scared to move, I just knew something wasn't right. He bumped into me, and I made some noise. The next thing I knew the shopkeeper was yelling, and both people were running out of the door. The one, who must have been trying to creat a distraction before so the other thief could get out unnoticed did see me before they reached the door. It was like everything started moving slower. The shopkeeper took out a knife I started to chase the thieves, so the thief that noticed me decided to grab me and put me between himself and the shopkeeper, knowing they wouldn't attack if it meant they might accidentally hurt me. The thieves ran out of the shop, and they ran for a long time, never stopping until they reached a nearly deserted part of town, where no guards were. They had lost everyone that had been following them. The one man set me down, and first the first time I realized that he had been holding a hand over my mouth for a while to keep me from screaming, and he kept doing that while holding my shoulders with the other hand so I could run or pull away. He said something about how I should stay quiet if I didn't want to get hurt. I nodded my head to agree that I wouldn't tell anyone what happened, and he took his hand away from my mouth. Before I could begin to run back to where I had been sleeping at night, my stomach growled, because I hadn't eaten all day, and it was already getting dark out. Something on the man's face changed, to what I thought was pity, and he opened up a bag and pulled out a heel of bread and an apple, and gave them to me. I thought it was kind, but I was still very scared and confused. I realized I was too hungry and weak to run back home, so I sat down there and ate the food really fast. And when I finished, after seeing how hungry I was, he offered me more bread. It wans't often that I had anything to eat other than overripe fruit on my budget, so I accepted. I remember saying something about him not being as bad and scary as I thought he was. No one had shown that much concern for me since... as long as I could remember. And that really messed up my head and my judgement. I guess they could see that in my face, how naïve I was, because then they asked if I wanted to have as much food as I could possibly want. I had never felt full in my life, and the idea of all the food I wanted seemed so unattainable. But I wanted it. And that brought me to my first big mistake."
"I ended up agreeing to help them by talking to shopkeepers. I didn't really think at that time that I was going to be helping them steal by distracting the people they were stealing from. I guess a badly clothed, barefoot, gaunt young child is a very good distraction that is hard to look away from, because it worked. By the end of that year I was learning how to pilfer things on my own. In a few more months I had surpassed the two who had taught me originally, simple and unsophisticated as they were, so I went looking for something more. I could travel all over Pergrande using ill-gotten gains... And I caught wind of a whole guild of thieves, good thieves, hidden away. So I sought them out, and I got more than I bargained for."
"My stomach always seems to give away my thoughts. Every time I've gotten myself into something, it's because my stomach said what I would not. You've noticed that too, haven't you?" she said, chuckling in a way that was far more sad than humorous.
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Post by Neo on Jun 28, 2015 0:31:23 GMT -6
Zalia gave a comforting, understanding smile. But a deep sadness, as vast as the ocean could be seen in her eyes. "Eden, my child... I've said this many times. We all make mistakes. You were young, and impressionable, and you barely knew any better... Surely even you can't fault yourself for that."
Zalia took a deep breath before continuing. "You had no way of knowing you were stepping into one of the worst documented Dark Guilds in history, child. And before you say anything else, let me say this: Committing even the gravest of sins in order to survive does not make you an 'evil' person. Feeling guilt over something you were forced to do is only natural. But it is nothing to be ashamed of. Do you understand the difference between shame and guilt, my dear? In the most basic sense, 'shame' is thinking you are inherently a bad person. 'Guilt' is feeling remorse over one's own actions. Nothing you can say will ever make me hate you, Eden. I will never turn against my family. So, tell me... How did you escape?"
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Post by GX1997 on Jun 28, 2015 12:14:07 GMT -6
"Before I ever tried to escape, things fell apart. After some time I began talking to other members of the guild, who were around my age. They never said much, because they were so afraid of retaliation, and I didn't know why. When they finally told me their stories... and I realized they were slaves, taken from their homes as children, I was so upset. I was scared again. I couldn't figure out what to do, because before I could eve think of leaving, I got caught up on their plight, and thinking about how they couldn't escape. I must have perpetually looked like I had seen a ghost after that, because some of the few guild members who weren't slaves took notice, and deemed me a flight risk. That's when everything went wrong..."
Eden stopped for a few minutes, as her expression turned dark and pained. Zalia didn't say anything, knowing that Eden just needed time to collect herself before continuing. And when she did continue, she still had difficulty, but she forced herself to spit it all out so she could move past it already.
"If you ever wondered why people didn't leave Siren Scale, it's because they never made it out. Anyone how did manage to make it outside the guild's walls was hunted down like an animal and dragged back to their torment, because death was a fate too kind. Anyone they thought might flee was immediately dealt with, by having a large group ambush and capture them. Defectors and would be defectors alike were hauled down to Siren Scale's own prison. What happened when you were there depended on what thpe of person you were. Slaves got the worst treatment, but they were never killed, just broken and put back to work. Anyone who had joined willing had very low chances of ever seeing the light of day again. For them, if they hadn't been deemed broken enough within a week and sent back to work, they were nearly guaranteed that they would stay there until their bodies could take no more, and died."
"I passed the first week. The most they did was try to break me by near starvation. But I already knew how that felt, and surviving it was something I didn't think about, but just did it. I wasn't too badly injured when I was ambushed, so I healed quickly, and that wasn't an issue. What got to me was the prison. The cells were tiny and dark. I wasn't scared of small places before, but... that started to get to me. Things went on like that while I stopped trying to figure out what day it was. Instead, since I already knew I was going to be left to die there, I focused on finding a way out. So whenever they did bring me a little food and water, I would purposely wait to drink the water. I used it divine first, then I drank it, since I couldn't afford to die of dehydration. I became completely fixed on finding somethig that I could use to my advantage to escape when I was divining. That was how I got out of there."
She squeezed her eyes shut and placed her hands on the metal that hung from her ears, and nearly whispered the last part. "But I have too many reminders left from that. New fears... Scars... Nightmares... Even reminders for when I look in the mirror... All because of what they did, to make me pay for betraying them. All before I even actually betrayed them. Payment in advance. Things that I will have to carry with me for as long as I continue to live."
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