Plain Cold Ice
Jun 22, 2021 23:17:00 GMT
Merla, the Daughter of Summer, Jaezred Vandree, and 3 more like this
Post by Wil Frozendagger on Jun 22, 2021 23:17:00 GMT
The waves gently rolled along the beaches of Port Ffirst, illuminated by the glow of the moon in the sky and little else. Nothing could be heard that night save for the the gentle wash and a sword striking a makeshift pell fashioned from a piece of flotsam. The figure striking it was clad in black armour and a black mantle, and his blue eyes glared with disdain through his target. A diminutive, almost translucent figure stood to the side, watching him. Her fluid form had begun to quake without her noticing.
"Wil, it's well past midnight, surely you've had enough."
"It's never enough, you know this." The swordsman replied grimly.
"I know, but at this point all you'll do is tire yourself."
"I'm good."
The dull thuds of metal on wood continued to echo on.
"Wil, I'm going to speak candidly here. You're starting to scare me." The Water Guardian stated plainly.
The strikes stopped for a brief moment before resuming.
"Go on." He responded.
"Ever since the incident with the Aegis Accords you've been... disequilibrated. You've been rash and destructive, even more so than usual, and I haven't seen you in good humours at all. You're becoming more distant and I don't like it. I'm starting to feel like I can't understand you and that is terrifying. I wish I knew how you felt."
"...do you really want to know?"
"More than anything in the world."
Wil stopped his drill, pausing to catch his breath for a few moments before dropping his sword and taking a seat next to the Water Guardian, looking out to shore. He rested his head on his fist and furrowed his brow for a bit, just long enough for the words to come to him.
"I hate the Feywild so fucking much."
Where normally the Water Guardian would have been quick to admonish him for such a statement, now she held her tongue.
"I always found it kinda funny that they were the ones that looked down on us. All 'so mundane, so simple, so utterly drab, how boring'. They don't realise that that's their defect, not ours. I suppose when you grow up in an environment like that you're going to end up as overstimulated brats, unable to appreciate the true salt of the earth. They say they feel emotion so much more intensely but I'm not convinced. It's all disproportionate, you see? They haven't known true pain or sorrow like us. You can't be all up all the time. When you've known true suffering, that's when those moments of joy are beautiful and authentic. When you know true hatred, that's how you know you are capable of true love. When you've seen true evil, you will come to understand the goodness in the hearts of man. They swear they have the best stories, and the best music, and the best parties, and the best romances. To that I say give me a pub punter's tale over your legends, give me the amateur's wail over your arias, give me the lads round a table over your revels and give me the hand of a tired labourer over your finest. It is I who pities them, that they've become so blind that they can't see the beauty that surrounds us here. Wayward souls, endlessly bored who will never know peace. Why on earth did we ever ask them to guarantee ours?"
"...you never were a fan of the Aegis Accords."
"It was fine if you didn't think too hard about it, but a lot of people stood to lose, which anyone could have told you. We ended up lighting the spark on the Feywild's political explosive, and guess who they got to try and put out the fire? And it was so easy too! They just waved morals in half of our faces, and money in the other half, and we fucking went hook, line and sinker! They've been playing us for fools this whole time. And even when they can't get their own house in order, they still mock me! I bust my arse for them and the best they can give me is doublespeak and nonanswers!"
"Your family..." The Water Guardian finally understood the main source of his stress.
"Surely it's a simple request, right? 'Do you know where my family is? Know about anyone encased in ice anywhere? Where is the Traverse Master?' AND THEY KNOW WHERE HE IS, BUT WON'T TELL ME. I have every single right in this godsforsaken world to be mad about this. Everyone's picking sides now, between the courts. They have their reasons. I'm going to join whoever can guarantee me that they will actually try to help me instead of being obstructive nuisances. And I will do what I must."
"You're going to make enemies like that, Wil."
"Wouldn't be the first time."
"What if your friends get in your way?"
Wil paused, taking in the statement, mulling it over in his head.
"Family is everything to me, and my will must stay unshaken. I pray that they'll stand aside, but as I said, I'll do what I must." A cold wave came over the boy as he realised the harshness of the statement that came from his mouth. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be scary, I just... I'm at the end of my rope here."
"I know, Wil, I know... you'll get through this."
"Well yeah of course!" Wil exclaimed, giving his companion a wry smile. "I'm tough as nails and cold as ice! And the Feywild will learn that even plain cold ice will shock you if you're not expecting it!"
He laughed a little, unsure if he believed his own words.
"Wil, it's well past midnight, surely you've had enough."
"It's never enough, you know this." The swordsman replied grimly.
"I know, but at this point all you'll do is tire yourself."
"I'm good."
The dull thuds of metal on wood continued to echo on.
"Wil, I'm going to speak candidly here. You're starting to scare me." The Water Guardian stated plainly.
The strikes stopped for a brief moment before resuming.
"Go on." He responded.
"Ever since the incident with the Aegis Accords you've been... disequilibrated. You've been rash and destructive, even more so than usual, and I haven't seen you in good humours at all. You're becoming more distant and I don't like it. I'm starting to feel like I can't understand you and that is terrifying. I wish I knew how you felt."
"...do you really want to know?"
"More than anything in the world."
Wil stopped his drill, pausing to catch his breath for a few moments before dropping his sword and taking a seat next to the Water Guardian, looking out to shore. He rested his head on his fist and furrowed his brow for a bit, just long enough for the words to come to him.
"I hate the Feywild so fucking much."
Where normally the Water Guardian would have been quick to admonish him for such a statement, now she held her tongue.
"I always found it kinda funny that they were the ones that looked down on us. All 'so mundane, so simple, so utterly drab, how boring'. They don't realise that that's their defect, not ours. I suppose when you grow up in an environment like that you're going to end up as overstimulated brats, unable to appreciate the true salt of the earth. They say they feel emotion so much more intensely but I'm not convinced. It's all disproportionate, you see? They haven't known true pain or sorrow like us. You can't be all up all the time. When you've known true suffering, that's when those moments of joy are beautiful and authentic. When you know true hatred, that's how you know you are capable of true love. When you've seen true evil, you will come to understand the goodness in the hearts of man. They swear they have the best stories, and the best music, and the best parties, and the best romances. To that I say give me a pub punter's tale over your legends, give me the amateur's wail over your arias, give me the lads round a table over your revels and give me the hand of a tired labourer over your finest. It is I who pities them, that they've become so blind that they can't see the beauty that surrounds us here. Wayward souls, endlessly bored who will never know peace. Why on earth did we ever ask them to guarantee ours?"
"...you never were a fan of the Aegis Accords."
"It was fine if you didn't think too hard about it, but a lot of people stood to lose, which anyone could have told you. We ended up lighting the spark on the Feywild's political explosive, and guess who they got to try and put out the fire? And it was so easy too! They just waved morals in half of our faces, and money in the other half, and we fucking went hook, line and sinker! They've been playing us for fools this whole time. And even when they can't get their own house in order, they still mock me! I bust my arse for them and the best they can give me is doublespeak and nonanswers!"
"Your family..." The Water Guardian finally understood the main source of his stress.
"Surely it's a simple request, right? 'Do you know where my family is? Know about anyone encased in ice anywhere? Where is the Traverse Master?' AND THEY KNOW WHERE HE IS, BUT WON'T TELL ME. I have every single right in this godsforsaken world to be mad about this. Everyone's picking sides now, between the courts. They have their reasons. I'm going to join whoever can guarantee me that they will actually try to help me instead of being obstructive nuisances. And I will do what I must."
"You're going to make enemies like that, Wil."
"Wouldn't be the first time."
"What if your friends get in your way?"
Wil paused, taking in the statement, mulling it over in his head.
"Family is everything to me, and my will must stay unshaken. I pray that they'll stand aside, but as I said, I'll do what I must." A cold wave came over the boy as he realised the harshness of the statement that came from his mouth. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be scary, I just... I'm at the end of my rope here."
"I know, Wil, I know... you'll get through this."
"Well yeah of course!" Wil exclaimed, giving his companion a wry smile. "I'm tough as nails and cold as ice! And the Feywild will learn that even plain cold ice will shock you if you're not expecting it!"
He laughed a little, unsure if he believed his own words.