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Post by eragon on Dec 30, 2019 20:15:38 GMT
Sebastian hadn't been able to bring himself to go home last night. There were too many memories that haunted the hallways, memories that had been brought back to life by the scene at the wedding. After escaping from the castle, he had run until his breaths were coming in heaving gasps and his legs felt numb, and he'd sunk to the ground of the forest, curled up, and begun to cry, his gasping breaths intermingling with sobs. All of the feelings that had only just begun to fade had resurfaced. More than that though, he didn't know what would become of him now. He'd always disliked his brother to an extent, and things had been broken between the two of them for the last few months, but Wolfgang had been all he'd had. Seb was just a kid, really, and now his guardian was probably going to be executed as a murderer and monster. Slowly, he had fallen into an uncomfortable slumber haunted by nightmares of Wolfgang hunting him.
He woke in the morning to sunbeams in his eyes and lifted a hand to block them. He sat up and stared at the ground for a moment, unable to think of what he should do now. It probably looked bad that he had run, he reflected, probably looked like he was a monster just like his brother. Then, he remembered Evolet, and his horror grew. She had been sitting right next to Wolfgang. Had she gotten out? He couldn't remember, couldn't remember those few moments where he had stood transfixed as Wolfgang turned. Seb stumbled to his feet, and after taking a minute to figure out his bearings, began to make his way toward the Nethilor castle.
It took him several hours to get there on foot, and he didn't arrive until mid afternoon. As he stood at the edge of the forest surrounding the castle, he realized he would need to enter inconspicuously. His face would likely not be a welcome one. For this reason, he'd need to wait until dark. Fortunately, he and Evolet had stumbled into this problem before while spending time together. Her father, of course, wouldn't welcome the sight of a young man alone with his daughter in her private chambers, even one who was just a friend. With a sigh, Seb settled down for what he knew would be a rather boring day of waiting. As he sat there, the memories pushed at the fringes of his mind, a constant and unwelcome companion.
As darkness began to fall, Seb observed the movements of the sentries carefully before slipping up to the castle wall and hurriedly removing several loose bricks, just enough to make a small gap he could squeeze through. He had just enough time to replace them and move away from the wall before the sentry closest to him turned to begin pacing back the way he had come. After this, it was easy enough for Sebastian to move through the castle grounds and toward the tower containing Evolet's chambers. Glancing around to make sure there was no one close enough to notice him in the darkness, he used his magic to slowly propel himself upward until he was level with her window. Seeing her inside, he breathed a sigh of relief that his efforts to find her hadn't been in vain, and he rapped lightly on the glass.
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Post by Elvander on Dec 30, 2019 20:25:28 GMT
Evolet had spent the day following the massacre in a daze. She sat in her room, alternating between crying and periods of prolonged silence. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks tearstained. Her heart was heavy. She had lost her two best friends. She had seen Poppy go down, and she had lost track of Arabella. As the hours stretched on and the woman did not return, Evolet feared the worst. And on top of that, the man she had grown so fond of had hidden a devastating secret from her. Her engagement was ruined, her judgment tarnished.
As she heard the rapping at her window, she recognized Seb and felt frozen with fear. Had he known? Was he one too? Evolet began to tremble, but she moved to the window and unlocked it, allowing him in. She hugged her arms around herself, feeling heart sick and exhausted. "Seb... I... I don't know what to say," she mumbled and then broke down in sobs again, backing away from him.
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Post by eragon on Dec 30, 2019 20:49:59 GMT
The relief he felt upon seeing her alive became tinged with pain as he saw the fear in her eyes, the way she seemed to tremble as she moved forward and unlocked the window. As she opened it, he pulled himself inside and let his magic fade, dropping lightly to the floor. He was still wearing his clothes from the night before. His dress shirt was rumpled and half untucked, smudged with dirt, and he looked a mess.
Seb hesitated, wanting to hug his friend but sensing that would only make things worse. She was scared of him. "I'm not like him, Evolet," he said quietly, his voice slightly hoarse from all of the time he had spent crying too. "You don't... Have to be scared of me." He paused. "I just wanted to know that you were alive."
He squeezed his eyes closed, pushing down tears and wishing that none of this had ever happened. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.
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Post by Elvander on Dec 30, 2019 23:04:39 GMT
“Did you know?” Her lower lip trembled as she gazed at him through her tears, sensing his pain. He was being honest with her about the curse not being upon him as well, but she still didn’t know how that made her feel. She adored Sebastian too, and he was one of the last friends she had, if not entirely the last. The princess sniffled, wondering what sort of pain Sebastian was in over this discovery. But he must have known, he shouted at everyone to run. “Why did you let me get engaged to a monster?”
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Post by eragon on Dec 30, 2019 23:56:12 GMT
Seb gazed back at her, his mouth tightening at her questions. He had come to be honest with her, to explain, so he might as well get it over with. "It was an accident that I found out. A couple of months ago, he... Shifted. I was there... He attacked me... I almost died. I probably would have, without my magic and Stark finding me... I didn't know until then." His words were halting, void of emotion and with only the barest details. His eyes flickered away from her and back again several times. "I couldn't tell you without outing him. Without ruining his life. We've never had the best relationship, but he is my brother. I couldn't do that to him, and he promised me he had a handle on it. I lived my whole life without knowing so... It seemed like maybe he did. I guess I know better now. I'm so sorry, Evolet... Now you know, at least," he finished lamely, wishing he had a better sense of what to say, what to do, how to express everything. He stood in front of her, shoulders slumped, looking haunted and tired, waiting for her to order him out.
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Post by Elvander on Jan 1, 2020 21:40:01 GMT
She would rather have never known. At least, she would never have found out this way. Evolet buried her face in her hands, trying to get a grip on all of her emotions. Seb has almost died, and he hadn't told her that either. So many secrets, from the people she had trusted most. Did Wolfgang's nature make him a monster? The man was so well spoken, so intelligent and charming. But Evolet could never look at him the same again, not without fear gripping her and turning her veins to ice. She took a breath and looked up at Seb finally, deciding that she couldn't bear to lose someone else tonight. She reached out with a pale hand, beckoning him toward her for a hug. "What are we going to do, Seb?" she breathed out softly. If Wolfgang lived after tonight, he would have to be imprisoned. But for how long? Was he curable? And would Seb still call him brother after this massacre?
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Post by eragon on Jan 1, 2020 22:07:56 GMT
He stood in wary anticipation as Evolet processed what he had told her. Finally, she reached her hand out and relief flooded through him. Seb stepped forward quickly at the invitation and pulled her into a tight embrace, feeling the tightness in his chest ebb just a little at her words. We, she had said. He wasn't alone.
Gathering his thoughts, he pulled back just enough to look at her, wiped the last tear from her cheek, and put his hands on her shoulders. He didn't want to dwell any longer on the memories still haunting him. "I don't know," he said honestly, looking troubled. "Wolfgang has a close relationship with Alister, but this isn't something that the king can overlook, especially depending who was killed. He'll be imprisoned, permanently, I'd imagine, if they don't kill him, and I'd say the odds of him not being hung for this are slim." He paused for a moment and then said, "And I don't know what will happen to me either. Beyond Wolfgang being my guardian, we share blood. I'm not like him, but they won't take me at my word like you did, and the fact that I ran doesn't look good. You, I'm sure, will be fine, as long as you maintain that you didn't know anything about it. You and Wolfgang haven't known one another long, and if you knew, it would have jeopardized the union; there's no reason he would have told you." In sharp contrast to a few moments ago, his words were spilling out, an unstoppable torrent. His sharp mind was working overtime, trying to figure out a solution.
Seb released her shoulders and began pacing back and forth. "As you know, I've been interviewing magic users, trying to determine the source of power for different people. I hadn't had a chance to tell you yet, but I talked with a girl imprisoned in the dungeons, Lacey. Her touch kills people. She wasn't really helpful, but I told her I would find a cure, a cure for her magic. Maybe if I can do that... I could do the same for Wolfgang." He heaved a frustrated sigh and made a small gesture with his hands. "There's so much we don't know though. It could take years."
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Post by Elvander on Jan 1, 2020 22:27:44 GMT
Evolet listened as Sebastian spilled his thoughts to her, and it gave her comfort to hear them. "I won't allow anything to happen to you, Sebastian. You can take refuge in Nethilor if it looks like things are going bad for you. What happens to Wolfgang is out of our hands now," She murmured, and sank down on a little sofa at the foot of her bed. "I'll have to arrange for the bodies to be picked up and brought here for a burial," her voice wavered again as she thought of her friends, and other Nethilor nobles who may have been slain." Like Sebastian, Evolet was now thinking of the responsibilities she had following the horrific evening.
"As for a cure... I don't know. I've heard old wive's tails of a witch in the Cave of Sighs with powerful magic. The cave of Sighs itself is said to be a powerful place for creating magic. Perhaps you will find something there. Or perhaps cures for magic lie elsewhere in the world?" She wondered, distressing at the idea. Evolet had always wanted to be blessed with magic. Now, she could see how it could be a curse.
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Post by eragon on Jan 1, 2020 22:51:17 GMT
He shook his head, still pacing. "Wolfgang never explained to me how he got this... Ability. Obviously, it's not transmitted by bite, or I would also have it. But it could still be through family line. How do I know I don't hold the cure to it in my blood, Ev? What if I have something that blocked it that he doesn't, something that made me have a different power?" He waved a hand and one of the books sitting on her desk rose in example, then lowered gently. He felt torn. Wolfgang was his brother, his last living relative. He didn't like him, true, but he felt an obligation to him, one that was urging him now to confront the situation, rather than hide from it. "While I appreciate the offer, I doubt your father would side with me either. He saw what Wolfgang did, and he won't be so trusting. If Alister comes knocking, or maybe even if he doesn't, he'd hand me over."
Sebastian paused, chewing on his lip for a moment. "Maybe that's something to explore. This witch you talk about might know something. As for the rest of the world... You could be right, but it could take just as long to search for an already known cure as it would to try and find one here."
Suddenly, he seemed to notice the way her voice had wavered and the heaviness in her posture, and he felt bad for being so wrapped in his thoughts. Seb stopped pacing and stepped lightly across the room to sit down next her. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently, looking at her. "Who did you lose?" He asked quietly, sensing the bodies she mentioned belonged to friends.
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Post by Elvander on Jan 1, 2020 23:01:50 GMT
"I hope you find a cure, Seb. I really do. I'll help in any way I can." Evolet couldn't do much, but she could read and research. She could come up with ideas. She would never forgive Wolfgang, but if she could help him be less dangerous, she would. She sighed, resting her head on Sebastian's shoulder. "I don't know for sure. But Poppy, she was one of the first ones down. Maybe Arabella too, we got separated. A few other Nethilor nobles also lost their lives, and I feel responsible for them being there."
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Post by eragon on Jan 1, 2020 23:40:31 GMT
"Thanks," Seb said, squeezing her hand again. He knew she would do what she could. As she went on to talk about her friends' deaths, he felt a pang of guilt. Maybe if he had said something, turned his brother in, none of this would have happened. "I'm so sorry," he said, repeating the words he'd uttered only a few minutes ago. "But it's not your fault, Evolet. No one can be blamed for this but Wolfgang." Although he wasn't sure he entirely agreed with his last statement, still harboring the thought that maybe some of the blame was his for doing nothing, his voice was firm.
Silence hung for a few moments and then he said, "What do we do now? Not in the broad sense of how to fix this mess, but right now."
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Post by Elvander on Jan 1, 2020 23:59:24 GMT
"I don't know. I feel tired, Seb. Can you stay for a bit?" She implored him, squeezing his hand. "I don't want to be alone." She needed him to stay. Her whole life, and his, had just caved in around them. Evolet thought they deserved each other's company. "I can send for some wine, if you like."
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Post by eragon on Jan 2, 2020 0:08:51 GMT
As she said the words, he realized how tired he was too. His sleep the night before had been restless and filled with nightmares, and since he couldn't go home without those nightmares growing tenfold, he had no where else to go, really. "I don't want to be alone either," Seb said. "I'll stay as long as you want." Maybe her presence would keep the memories at bay. Some wine wouldn't hurt either, he reflected, and said, "Wine sounds good."
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Post by Val on Jan 2, 2020 1:26:44 GMT
Alaric was furious. He'd been deceived, his people had been slaughtered, and his daughter was now entwined in this mess. He spent the day after the massacre putting his kingdom and castle on lock down. His dwindling trust in Raevaryn was out the window- there would be no peace, as far as he was concerned. After a long meeting with his advisers, the king decided it was time to check on Evolet once more. Now that he'd failed to protect her from trauma, it was time to help her pick up the pieces. Approaching her quarters, he dismissed the guards stationed outside her door and knocked lightly, "Evolet, it's me, dear," he called, "May I come in?" he requested, listening earnestly for her response. He intended to enter the room either way and so, after a moment of silence, he opened the door.
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Post by Elvander on Jan 2, 2020 1:50:13 GMT
Evolet could not react fast enough. She'd been on her way to the door herself, to send for wine. When her father opened the door she stiffened, "No! I mean, just give me a second!" She called, gesturing wildly at Sebastian to hide before the king waltzed in.
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