Snowfeather
12-20-2005, 03:50 PM
Snowfeather’s corpse lay at the bottom of Freewind Post for two days. While it clung to the side of the needle, the poison in her veins had been stunted from causing any further damage. Out of her body, her mind was intact. She was free to search for the Grimtotem who was also wasting away above her shell. She barely knew him, but what she did know was like the first taste of Ambrosia. Could she find him .. Could he help her before she was dead for good?
In the Gray, the truth of things were exposed. There was only what was - no facades, no hidden agendas, no interference. Sounds were like waves lapping a shoreline - silent then crashing. Disjointed pieces of thoughts.. Cries from battle... Whispers of lust, desire, hate, sorrow and the constant call of th wind echoing in every recess of her mind.
Roaming every Grimtotem settlement from Dark Cloud Pinnacle to Stonetalon, Snowfeather searched in vain for Yichimet. He was nowhere to be found. Had he truly began his ascension to the Green Fields - or - was he hiding from her?
Resigned to failure, she looked at her left hand. Seeing straight through its ethereal form, Snowfeather could make out the image of a daisy. Its petals, the same shape as the bite on her hand. Even as a ghost, she could still feel Licidion’s teeth on her. Her flesh popping as each tooth punctured her tough hide... the warm blood oozing down her fingers and sliding down his neck in a thick stream.
It took half a day to return to Thousand Needles and to her body. The time to search for Yichimet was over. Now was the time to search for the living.. Unliving.. Betrayer. Licidon must be found. In a flash, the color started to fill her mind. Smells of the iron soil and dry acrid air surrounded her.. calmed her. Snowfeather had returned.
__________________________________________
"Snow...fea...ther"
It did not take long to find him. Licidion’s zombie like voice was calling out to her as she saw the Tauren guard lying in her blood. Her own rib jammed through her eye socket, finding its final resting place at the back of her skull. Licidion lurched over her like a rabid wolf and its prey.
"Snow...fea....ther" As she saw Laughingcrow face down in the dust. His horn bandages, but his spirit waning. Heard his mumbling of the Grim fighting Grim.. The dishonor.. The disgust.
"Snow...fea..ther" As Licidion lunged for her. Stepping backward, Snowfeather lost her footing and fell from the needle... again. This was the second time in a week she had taken to free-falling - both at Licidion’s doing.
From the graveyard, Snowfeather mounted Proot and called for help over her hearthstone. She called the Grims to Freewind. Called them to kill one of their own. Called them to kill the Forsaken who proclaimed his love for her. The Forsaken who she denied.. Who she corrupted and tortured with her dismissal... The Forsaken who she turned into a monster with five small words less than a week ago.
Licidon slipped away. Rogues have a knack for that. Though, every now and then he could be heard over the hearthstones of every Grim "Snow...fea...ther".
Finally, a few of the strongest members of the House captured the Monster and imprisoned him in a cage at the Royal Apothecary Society. Under their guard, his body was to remain without visitation from anyone - including his own guild. Just two days ago, Vuuduu snuck both Snowfeather and Maledictus in to see what was left of him. Her plan was brilliant. She transformed the two as skeletal guards and she herself acted as a prisoner.
They snuck in easily enough and Snowfeather had to stand on her new boney tip-toes to see inside the cage. Her nose was filled with the truth.. It was Licidion, or parts of him. Smelling the sickness surrounding the arms in the cage, Snowfeather flashed back to the night of Licidon’s complete mental failure.
Salty taking a small blue spider from his pack and driving its mouthparts into her infected, oozing wound..
"I’m like your knight.. This bug’ll save ya. Gotta keep you safe Snowfeather. Because.. I.. Because ... I .... love ya!"
Stinker slicing a notch from Laughingcrow’s horn. Wadjet holding new fractured ribs and a hidden scratch from Licidion’s infected fingers. Licidion stabbing Snowfeather in the back from the shadows...
Five simple words changed his life forever. Yes, the words were forced. Stinker threatened Laughingcrow’s life. Snowfeather couldn’t have two lives over her head - she could barely manage her own. She chose Licidion’s life to mourn.
"It can never be, Licidion."
__________________________________________
Yesterday, Snowfeather watched unmoved as Wadjet’s body sunk in the pool near Sen’jin Village. Her body was dying too.. Due to the scratch a few days back. It was the only way to stop it, Snowfeather explained. The spider that had cured her was dead.. The place to get another was out of their reach.. Those who could help didn’t. Having her dead and wandering the Gray was a .. Small price for Snowfeather to pay in the grand scheme of things. It was at least one less person to worry about for a time.
__________________________________________
Last night, Snowfeather watched from the shadows. She watched Licidion transform for a third time before her eyes.
She sat behind a cage of humans and watched Vuudu sew his arms back on. Watched as Hektar healed his wounds. Listened as he moaned..
Snow..fea..ther..... An..ti...dote....... spi...der...."
Hektar, Vuudu and Licidion made their way to an anti-chamber in the pit of the RAS. Green ooze dripped from the ceiling from the tail-end of.. Something unknown to her. She stealthed in behind them.. Took a place within viewing distance, hoping she would not be spotted.
She watched as Licidion pulled a loose brick from the wall exposing a small rusted cage. She could make out the familiar blue legs as the same type of spider that had bit her in Freewind.
Expecting Licidion to give the Spider to one of her guild mates, Snowfeather started to leave. As soon as was almost out the door, she looked back to see the spider sinking its fangs into Licidion’s wrist.
Spasms.. Vomit.. Pools of slimy ichor... then nothing. Vuudu trapped the spider before it made its way into a crevice - his new home a green bottle. Licidion lay on the floor for some time. Hektar, doing what his instincts told him, began crying out orcish healing mantras. Vuudu applied bandages. Snowfeather was as still as a corpse herself, though her mind was reeling with confusion.
__________________________________________
Staring right at her, the new form of Licidion spoke:
I am the one that is both "Salty" and "Stinker".. I am both.. I am at peace."
It was then he told the group that he too had been infected with the same illness that Snowfeather and Wadjet suffered from. That he was an experiment of ‘someones’ design. That there was another, like him, who was infected. Abric - and his time was running out.
The party went their own ways. Vuudu took Wadjet’s redemption and headed for Kalimdor. Hektar to sleep off the strange turn of events. Snowfeather followed Licidion to the courtyard of Lordaeron.
Small talk. Apologies.. Hidden sorrow... then it was over.
"Three" Snowfeather whispered as he rode off on his green warhorse.. Still trying to fully comprehend what the week had given her.
__________________________________________
This morning Snowfeather received a small holiday package in her post.
A small sprig of wildflowers... daisies...
The note was short:
"He would have wanted you to have these.
~Licidion"
"Damn rogues.." She whispered as she clung tightly her flowers and to the memory of Salty.
In the Gray, the truth of things were exposed. There was only what was - no facades, no hidden agendas, no interference. Sounds were like waves lapping a shoreline - silent then crashing. Disjointed pieces of thoughts.. Cries from battle... Whispers of lust, desire, hate, sorrow and the constant call of th wind echoing in every recess of her mind.
Roaming every Grimtotem settlement from Dark Cloud Pinnacle to Stonetalon, Snowfeather searched in vain for Yichimet. He was nowhere to be found. Had he truly began his ascension to the Green Fields - or - was he hiding from her?
Resigned to failure, she looked at her left hand. Seeing straight through its ethereal form, Snowfeather could make out the image of a daisy. Its petals, the same shape as the bite on her hand. Even as a ghost, she could still feel Licidion’s teeth on her. Her flesh popping as each tooth punctured her tough hide... the warm blood oozing down her fingers and sliding down his neck in a thick stream.
It took half a day to return to Thousand Needles and to her body. The time to search for Yichimet was over. Now was the time to search for the living.. Unliving.. Betrayer. Licidon must be found. In a flash, the color started to fill her mind. Smells of the iron soil and dry acrid air surrounded her.. calmed her. Snowfeather had returned.
__________________________________________
"Snow...fea...ther"
It did not take long to find him. Licidion’s zombie like voice was calling out to her as she saw the Tauren guard lying in her blood. Her own rib jammed through her eye socket, finding its final resting place at the back of her skull. Licidion lurched over her like a rabid wolf and its prey.
"Snow...fea....ther" As she saw Laughingcrow face down in the dust. His horn bandages, but his spirit waning. Heard his mumbling of the Grim fighting Grim.. The dishonor.. The disgust.
"Snow...fea..ther" As Licidion lunged for her. Stepping backward, Snowfeather lost her footing and fell from the needle... again. This was the second time in a week she had taken to free-falling - both at Licidion’s doing.
From the graveyard, Snowfeather mounted Proot and called for help over her hearthstone. She called the Grims to Freewind. Called them to kill one of their own. Called them to kill the Forsaken who proclaimed his love for her. The Forsaken who she denied.. Who she corrupted and tortured with her dismissal... The Forsaken who she turned into a monster with five small words less than a week ago.
Licidon slipped away. Rogues have a knack for that. Though, every now and then he could be heard over the hearthstones of every Grim "Snow...fea...ther".
Finally, a few of the strongest members of the House captured the Monster and imprisoned him in a cage at the Royal Apothecary Society. Under their guard, his body was to remain without visitation from anyone - including his own guild. Just two days ago, Vuuduu snuck both Snowfeather and Maledictus in to see what was left of him. Her plan was brilliant. She transformed the two as skeletal guards and she herself acted as a prisoner.
They snuck in easily enough and Snowfeather had to stand on her new boney tip-toes to see inside the cage. Her nose was filled with the truth.. It was Licidion, or parts of him. Smelling the sickness surrounding the arms in the cage, Snowfeather flashed back to the night of Licidon’s complete mental failure.
Salty taking a small blue spider from his pack and driving its mouthparts into her infected, oozing wound..
"I’m like your knight.. This bug’ll save ya. Gotta keep you safe Snowfeather. Because.. I.. Because ... I .... love ya!"
Stinker slicing a notch from Laughingcrow’s horn. Wadjet holding new fractured ribs and a hidden scratch from Licidion’s infected fingers. Licidion stabbing Snowfeather in the back from the shadows...
Five simple words changed his life forever. Yes, the words were forced. Stinker threatened Laughingcrow’s life. Snowfeather couldn’t have two lives over her head - she could barely manage her own. She chose Licidion’s life to mourn.
"It can never be, Licidion."
__________________________________________
Yesterday, Snowfeather watched unmoved as Wadjet’s body sunk in the pool near Sen’jin Village. Her body was dying too.. Due to the scratch a few days back. It was the only way to stop it, Snowfeather explained. The spider that had cured her was dead.. The place to get another was out of their reach.. Those who could help didn’t. Having her dead and wandering the Gray was a .. Small price for Snowfeather to pay in the grand scheme of things. It was at least one less person to worry about for a time.
__________________________________________
Last night, Snowfeather watched from the shadows. She watched Licidion transform for a third time before her eyes.
She sat behind a cage of humans and watched Vuudu sew his arms back on. Watched as Hektar healed his wounds. Listened as he moaned..
Snow..fea..ther..... An..ti...dote....... spi...der...."
Hektar, Vuudu and Licidion made their way to an anti-chamber in the pit of the RAS. Green ooze dripped from the ceiling from the tail-end of.. Something unknown to her. She stealthed in behind them.. Took a place within viewing distance, hoping she would not be spotted.
She watched as Licidion pulled a loose brick from the wall exposing a small rusted cage. She could make out the familiar blue legs as the same type of spider that had bit her in Freewind.
Expecting Licidion to give the Spider to one of her guild mates, Snowfeather started to leave. As soon as was almost out the door, she looked back to see the spider sinking its fangs into Licidion’s wrist.
Spasms.. Vomit.. Pools of slimy ichor... then nothing. Vuudu trapped the spider before it made its way into a crevice - his new home a green bottle. Licidion lay on the floor for some time. Hektar, doing what his instincts told him, began crying out orcish healing mantras. Vuudu applied bandages. Snowfeather was as still as a corpse herself, though her mind was reeling with confusion.
__________________________________________
Staring right at her, the new form of Licidion spoke:
I am the one that is both "Salty" and "Stinker".. I am both.. I am at peace."
It was then he told the group that he too had been infected with the same illness that Snowfeather and Wadjet suffered from. That he was an experiment of ‘someones’ design. That there was another, like him, who was infected. Abric - and his time was running out.
The party went their own ways. Vuudu took Wadjet’s redemption and headed for Kalimdor. Hektar to sleep off the strange turn of events. Snowfeather followed Licidion to the courtyard of Lordaeron.
Small talk. Apologies.. Hidden sorrow... then it was over.
"Three" Snowfeather whispered as he rode off on his green warhorse.. Still trying to fully comprehend what the week had given her.
__________________________________________
This morning Snowfeather received a small holiday package in her post.
A small sprig of wildflowers... daisies...
The note was short:
"He would have wanted you to have these.
~Licidion"
"Damn rogues.." She whispered as she clung tightly her flowers and to the memory of Salty.