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KhreRiovtRex

Edge of Despair - a log by Khre'Riov L'haiy ira-Rexan t'Vatrix

Edge of Despair - a log by Khre'Riov L'haiy ira-Rexan t'Vatrix

 

The sight below was as if someone had given her a sharp blow to her abdomen, causing her to lose her breath. She found it difficult to swallow, and felt the moisture welling up in her eyes as she surveyed the damage to her home below.

 

The home had sat on a beautiful vista, overlooking sheer cliffs, and the sea spreading out below. A gentle breeze often blew in from the ocean, keeping the home comfortable, even on the hottest of days. Below her now, she could see that a few of the outer buildings where some of the full time staff resided had survived, but the west wing of the residence, where their personal rooms lay, including the nursery…now lay in a charred shell of stone and burnt wood, collapsed upon itself, consumed by the flames that evening.

 

How could it have come to this? They had obeyed the terrible orders they had been forced to comply with, with assurances that if they did so, then no harm would become to….

Unable to finish the thought, and not wishing to prolong the view from above, she headed towards the landing padd located just over the rise to the compound. Evidence of destroyed personal and military conveyances had been hauled to the side, as it was apparent that someone had been using the landing after the attack.

How many years had she served? And this was her reward? For defending their home world, for doing her duty?

 

This…..?

 

A litany of more specific questions ran through her thoughts, but try as she could, she found herself unable to tamp them down. Or even try to reason them out to herself.

They had specifically staged the attack on the family compound, targeting their child, knowing that they both had not been there!! A child!!? What spineless kllhe could have done this!?

 

What had she done, to suffer the wrath of the Elements so harshly? And worse yet, to have been brought back just to suffer so much more. So many had tried to yy’a her in the past, several came very close. Most had failed, and yet, when she finally had been dispatched by a member of her own crew, she had been brought back.

Why? Did the Elements intend that she suffer more personal pain, a penance for the yy’a she had left hrrau her own wake? Penance for a hate, that had its unknowing start in actions based on jol and deceit?

 

She sat in the ship for some time, her mind in turmoil, unable to bring herself to open the hatch, and go inspect the carnage she had viewed from above. She knew what awaited her a short distance away and what she delayed having to face.

 

She had received word from both Galae forces, Var’lon’s confidants, and from members of their household staff, that their son, Val’ron, had been there during the attack with the hru’hfe that had been caring for him. She had received word, and been show evidence of their charred remains.

 

She was tired. Tired of the struggles, the battles, qiuu the secrets and bickering. She had finally been able to step away from it all, give it up, and just quietly have a family……and then, unwillingly forced back into the fray, serving as a pawn in someone’s much bigger game. She was done playing, and wanted to just give up.

During the attack by the combined forces, when she had been forced into the valley with the fire fight above, she prayed for a stray shot, to end it all. She tried leading into the battle several times, yet….her people defended her, or the weapons fire for some reason singed around her, but none to put her out of her misery. She would have seen to it herself, yet for some reason, the very crew that she’d known to have hated her for years, insisted that she was needed to lead this fight. Needed as the most visible officer available in the command chain, and needed to pull Galae back together. Ironic, as most of Galae had wanted her gone for so long, most having had derogatory names for her, used behind her back for years, and now, insisting that she must be the one to lead them until their other leaders could be found or freed.

 

The woman whom for years, she had considered as io of her only friends, now regarded her only with hate and contempt. The other woman with whom she had thought that she had repaired their relationship, the io which had finally yy’a her, and then reconciled with and had thought she had finally understood, had once again attacked her, finding herself in the same position as the time she had yy’a her before.

 

And now with Var’lon missing and presumed yy’a, the only one these many years that had kept her from feeling utterly alone, she finally just wanted to give in to the despair and let the Elements take her. She had na to live for anymore.

 

Finally, she reached over and keyed the hatch to open and slowly exited the small ship, and found a few of the former household staff standing outside the small ship, as they had waited patiently for her to disembark. Each inclined their heads in a show of respect, knowing that it was her first time back, and that she must be grief stricken.

Io of Var’lon’s staff approached, and motioned for her to follow him down to the right, as part of the main path was still damaged, and it was getting late and the sunlight grew dim.

 

She barely heard the words they offered her, registering only some of the details, that after the attack, Othan officers came and ransacked the remaining portions of the building, looking for intelligence and secrets, and worst of all, souvenirs and trophies which they could claim they wrested from house tr’Vatrix.

 

Evidently some Othan veruul decided to use an undamaged portion of the edifice as his command point for controlling this continent, and ordered the surviving household staff to remain and serve he and his forces, which is why they were still here.

 

They led her down a path, towards the home, but when she just stood there looking at he burnt shell, one of the women took her by the hand, and led her around towards the rear of the home, out towards the bluff that she had spent so much time relaxing upon and playing with their son.It was there, that she had noted a small area with what appeared to be graves, she assumed for some of those that did na survive the attack, then noted that they led her towards her favorite spot in the garden, where they had evidently interred the remains of her son.

 

It barely registered with her, that they were talking to her, explaining that the Othan tried to take samples from the charred remains of her son and the hru’hfe as proof, but the fire had been too intense for any but charred soot and bone fragments to be recovered. After the Othan had left, those remaining of the household, brought him here, where they thought he most appropriately belonged.

 

She sank to her knees, placing her hand on the soil of the small grave, and felt the hot tears stinging her raw eyes, the breeze drying them into salty trails upon her cheeks.

None of the staff wished to disturb her, and finally withdrew as evening drew near, save for two who felt it their duty to watch over her, yet give her space enough that their presence was na noticed, but they also kept an eye towards the storm blowing in from the west, surely to arrive soon.

 

Soon the storm had arrived, rain pelting down, lightening flickering across the sky, occasionally illuminating the grief-stricken woman still kneeling at the grave. They had tried to coax her to come with them into the servant’s quarters and out of the weather, but her angry reaction frightened them enough, that they withdrew lest she should turn upon them with ie’yakk or kaleh.

 

As the cold biting wind and rain pelted her face as she cried to the heavens above, all the while cursing the Elements for having let this happen, she knew what she must do. She must join them, if she could na be here with them…… then……..her eyes darted out towards the lightening filled sky past the edge of the cliff…..

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