Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-3293219-20140623222942/@comment-3293219-20140625095206

Nepht was released from Lilina’s embrace, causing her to stumble backwards a little as she had almost been lifted off of her feet. She was shocked to receive such a warm welcome but then again, she didn’t know what exactly to expect.

It was then that she noticed that she had been stood, mouth agape for several moments and she should probably say something at this point.

“Y-You’re Lilina, aren’t you?”

This got a slight chuckle from Lilina and a nod before she gave a warm smile to her subject, the golden light from the stain glass windows shone on her face.

“I am… It is good to finally receive you in my chapel.” The Altmer turned around and raised her arms as if she was praising something, prompting Nepht to approach, walking timidly from behind, with a slight shuffle as she folded her arms, stopping by Lilina’s side.

“So… The woman on the windows… Was you?” She asked, she already knew this of course but hopefully it would get her talking, unknowingly filling the Dunmer in on her surroundings. The obviousness of the question caused Lilina to chuckle again, lowering her arms and turning to face her new ‘subject.’

“It is… This is my chapel child, where I hear the worries, concerns, hopes and desires of all of my flock.”

Suddenly, there was a loud bang at the door, where someone was beating their fist against it, rattling the handles vigorously.

“Nepht!”

The Altmer calmly looked to the door before tilting her head back to Nepht, giving her a slight smile and rolling her eyes.

“I see that your friend’s up…”

“Yeah…” Nepht nodded, looking a little glum as she turned back to her, she didn’t know what to make of this ‘Lilina’ woman. She was more than a little unstable but she was so friendly and welcoming at the same time, something that easily won over Nepht’s trust and after forgetting the lesson with Selano, back at Fort Farragut…

“I’ll let her in.” Lilina shrugged, raising her hand and snapping her fingers, prompting the doors to swing open and the Nord to stumble forward, panting heavily from the exhaustion of getting angry and beating the door on such a hot day.

“Welcome, Manja… It is good to finally see you here, I would have thought that you would have woken up first but I suppose that your injuries kept you for a moment.”

“Yeah…” Manja grumbled, still marching up to the altar, looking like she was going to hit this ‘Goddess’ right between the eyes.

“Was that one of your traps?” She asked, suspiciously, stopping and folding her arms as soon as she reached the Altmer.

Lilina just chuckled and shook her head as if the idea was ludicrous and that Manja was just grasping straws, she turned around and gently walked around the altar, skimming her fingers along the holy water until she was at the opposite end, where she placed her hands on it and leant forward.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Manja… I couldn’t set such a trap if I tried, it took Nepht and I a good few minutes just to find the release latch. Hopefully, you won’t remember what you went through as we figured it out.” Lilina replied, with a slight smile and a shrug.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nepht stopped to think for a minute, pausing and glaring over to Manja as she found herself suddenly bothered by the fact that she couldn’t remember anything about how she got here. She remembered the trap, looking for help but the rest of her memories were…

<p class="MsoNormal">None existent, like her mind was a book and someone had torn the pages from it, to hide the evidence. She kept quiet about it though as Lilina held a lot of power here and she didn’t want to aggravate her.

<p class="MsoNormal">Or Manja…

<p class="MsoNormal">“It might have been one of Conor’s traps.” Nepht suggested, looking back to Lilina, with a shrug, prompting Manja to glance back to her.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ah yes… I’ll have to warn him about that, things could have been a lot worse.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah? Well, does he have any other traps out there? ‘Cause I’d hate to take ten steps out of this place, just to have my leg broken again on yet another misplaced fox trap.” Manja grumbled folding her arms and glancing away before looking back to Nepht.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Speaking of which, I think it’s time that we left…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Left?” Lilina asked as if she was shocked by the fact that Manja would want to leave her humble community.

<p class="MsoNormal">“But you have homes here!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Manja looked to Nepht in confusion, who confirmed this by pulling an old key from her pocket and showing it her.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well, looks like you’ll just have find someone else for the house. C’mon Nepht!” Manja called, turning around and wandering over to the door, confidently wandering over to the chapel door, leaving Nepht awkwardly at the alter.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Um… I’m sorry… I guess that you should take this back.” She mumbled, passing the Altmer the key with a saddened look on her face. She felt a little bad for this goddess woman, she’d tried so hard to give them new homes and a town to live in and Manja wasn’t even going to give it a chance but at the same time, Manja was right. Lilina could be dangerous and even if she wasn’t, they needed to get Nepht home.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Keep it… And know that you always have a home here, Nepht.” The Altmer smiled at her and nodded to the door, where Manja stood waiting, tapping her foot. The Dunmer nodded and wandered over to the front door, joining Manja there and prompting the Nord to step out. Nepht lingered in the doorway, giving Lilina one last look of regret before turning back to the outside, shaking her head and following Manja out.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Nord stomped through the town, not even bothering to look its people in the face as she strode past them, determined to get Nepht home and away from that egocentric mad woman. She wandered past the inn and went around the back of the general store, wandering into the wilderness.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nepht just shuffled, timidly, behind her, looking back over her shoulder and giving the town a half-hearted wave as she went back to following her guardian into the wilderness, feeling incredibly disappointed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You could have at least thanked her for fixing your leg…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Manja glanced back over her shoulder, looking a little angered for a brief moment before shaking her head and sighing. She knew that she was right but she didn’t want to take any risks…

<p class="MsoNormal">“She could have apologised for breaking it…” The Nord grumbled, turning her attention back to the path in front of her as she stepped further into the woods. Nepht sighed and shuffled along behind, forgetting about her weapons and armour.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Is this that… Nord thing about mages?” The Dunmer decided to ask, it sort of blurted out, she didn’t especially want a fight but she would demand an explanation if she had the stomach for it.

<p class="MsoNormal">“N-Not all of them are bad… She could have been like Veneficus or Grandma Chloe.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Veneficus and Grandma Chloe didn’t live in a chapel dedicated to themselves and they didn’t ask anyone else to worship them. Even powerful, mad, egotists like Agatha…” Manja snapped, possibly for the first time at Nepht, though the Dunmer hadn’t noticed due to the heat of the moment.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well… She’s a little crazy but she isn’t hurting anybody, Izak and Conor seemed happy to be there.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Exactly, think about that Nepht, they live in the ass-end of nowhere, worshipping some crazy Altmer woman and they’re ‘happy?’ I’m telling you Nepht, something’s wrong with this picture… It’s like that shithole settlement, just south of Chorrol? You won’t remember it but its people used to capture people and torture them in some underground temple thing.” Manja replied, glancing over her shoulder in case they were being followed by cultists.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m telling you Nepht, these backwards people? They’ve always got some weird shit going on…”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Manja, she gave us homes and she hugged me, the second that I stepped into the chapel, like I’m her daughter or something! It’s weird… but they were nice people, we shouldn’t have just blown them off like that.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Nice to you maybe, they were probably just grooming you up as their virgin sacrifice.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh, well at least your safe…” Nepht grumbled, though it was a little louder than intended and it got Manja’s attention.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“N-Nothing…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Manja shook her head, and picked up the pace to get away from her, it was strange as Nepht often had little moments where she’d suggest that she knew more than she was letting on, that the whole child-like thing was just a charade.

<p class="MsoNormal">Or maybe Manja’s influence had still seeped through the memory wipe…

<p class="MsoNormal">“Whatever…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Nepht remained silent for some time before looking up at the sky, through the trees, such a beautiful, clear, Cyrodiilic summer’s day. There were clouds in the sky but Nepht never understood that expression, surely the clouds were the only things that filled that endless blue void above her head. Except for possibly the birds and the airships…

<p class="MsoNormal">Manja finally let out a heavy sigh before turning back to her companion, looking a little calmer, now that she was out of the woods. Figuratively speaking of course…

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m sorry Nepht… But that set up just didn’t feel right, y’know?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I know… You were just looking out for us…” Nepht admitted before returning her gaze.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m not sad that we had to leave, I just… Wish that we could have been nicer about it…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Manja nodded and hung her head with a sigh, shaking it slightly as she stepped forward, noticing a sudden absence of trees; they were getting close to a road or perhaps another town. She looked up to see the back of a large, grey, stone building. Most likely an old fort or ruin, Manja tried to lift her head, to get a better look but the rays of the sun hit her eyes and caused her to squint, blocking the view as she pressed on, wandering around the side of the building.

<p class="MsoNormal">Nepht stopped at the side of the building, looking to her feet as a golden ray of light hit them before looking back to the ruin intently as Manja came to a stop.

<p class="MsoNormal">Manja stood, just in front of the building, her mouth agape at the sight before her, blocking out all sight and sound, not noticing the creaking of a cart as it was rolled up to her.

<p class="MsoNormal">Her young Dunmer companion was staring at the source of the golden light, a large image of an Altmer woman stood over her, the light shining through her and casting onto Nepht’s worried face, prompting her to look over to Manja.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Heh, back so soon?” Izak asked, in his usually tone, friendly as always as he rolled on past, heading back to his little farm.

<p class="MsoNormal">Manja didn’t even respond, she gazed at the familiar sights, the fountain, the inn, the general store. There was no doubt about it, it was the same town. They’d gone in a circle…

<p class="MsoNormal">Manja’s confusion turned to anger as she frowned and clenched her fists, feeling like she had been cheated.

<p class="MsoNormal">How the fuck is that possible!?