The Final Petal Falls (Celeste and Xander)

[Torqin]

Vhalar 1st, 718

Torqin was awoken from his brief slumber by the sound of coughing. It was a constant these trials. The plan had been to leave Ivorian, but that had been ground to a halt. With needing to find more information on the Webspinners, they'd stayed just a bit too long. And before they could leave, she'd fallen ill. Her fever was off and on. She had good trials and bad, but her energy levels were so low, her pain levels so high, she couldn't travel.

So they were stuck in the inn which they'd taken refuge.

Torqin opened his eyes to see the paled woman in her bed. She'd lost so much weight in such a short period of time. The local doctors said it was an infection, common to streetwalkers. If caught early, it could be cured, but sometimes the symptoms didn't show until it was too late. The herbal medicines they tried hadn't worked so far. And they'd tried everything in their power.

She was left to the Immortals now.

But the doctors had left them with the comfort that she "might" recover on her own. They'd seen people come back from worse. It had sounded like false hope to Torqin. The sickness wasn't contagious, so the children were at least safe. Ever since she'd fallen ill, Torqin had taken up his post in their room, usually seated in the chair in the corner, quiet and stoic, or standing at the window.

The trials were so long when they were bad for her.

He heard a cough again, it sounded... wetter this time, a bit more rattly. Worse than it had been the trial before. Looking out the window, Torqin could see the sun was just now rising. So he stayed quiet, not wishing to wake Xander or the children if they were still asleep, but his eyes were fully upon the shadow of the woman he was charged to protect.

The woman he'd failed within a single season.

And so, Torqin sat and watched in that hot, humid, dark room, hoping the change in her coughing was a sign of improvement. But deep down, he knew it wasn't.

[Celeste Andaris]

It didn't hurt any more.

The relief of that was something which her fevered mind recognised as a blessing, but that small and terrified voice in her head, that part of her which knew she was dying, whispered to her that it was a very bad thing. She couldn't listen to that voice right now because she had so many things to do. Peake was here. Her brother. She needed to give him the invitation to her wedding. She and Alistair Venora were getting married, but Peake had bruised her throat. It was why she was coughing, she thought, because of what Peake had done. How he had grabbed her.

As she gasped for air, she wondered if he was still on top of her and that was what she felt. The weight on her chest, making each breath a struggle. That could be it, but she couldn't see him. The coughing fit intensified and she tried to pull herself up to sit. The crack on the ceiling swum into her blurred vision as she heard the quiet sound of birds in the distance. Celeste was too weak to move herself and, so, frustrated and confused, she raised her head as far as she could, trying to get up because she had so many things that she had to do.

"Torqin?" The Andaris heiress and Baroness turned to look at the shadowy figure of the man who had been her friend since she'd been a small child. The fever which consumed her was raging. Sweat matted her hair to her head and her cheeks were ashen white; brown eyes turned to him and she smiled. "I dreamed I had babies. Is Sparkle ready?"

A wheezing, racking cough ripped through her and, as he lifted her, Celeste was burning to the touch. Her body, once strong and fit, had been battered and bruised from the outside and assaulted from within. She had no strength to fight, yet fight she did. "I'd like to ride Sparkle, to-trial," she whispered, no longer strong enough to even lift her hand to her mouth. Her head rested, briefly, against him as she more or less drooped where she was. But then, she lifted her gaze to him and she spoke, for the first time in a long time in her own voice. Nearly. But stronger than she'd sounded for an age. "Promise me, Torqin. Don't let my children watch me die."

It took all the reserves she had to do that, and so she closed her eyes and rested against him. Soon, though, she was once again in the grip of the fever which held her and Celeste mumbled. "I'd like to ride Sparkle, Torqin. Will Xander come too?" Frowning, she considered, "I need to tell him..."

But whatever she had to say, it was lost in a fit of coughing which left her close to unconscious.

[Xander Andaris]

Xander sat on the edge of his bed, eyes trained on one of the uneven floorboards below his feet. He grimaced at the sounds that came from the adjacent room, memories of his sister cutting their way to the surface of his mind. Sickness seemed to follow him everywhere he went, it claimed those he loved without mercy and here he was once again praying to any immortal that he thought would listen to spare his wife.

The Shieldbearer felt hopeless and useless, unable to save the woman he loved. It was the worst feeling to be forced to stand there and watch the person you cared about slowly die. It hurt and yet he knew there was no way it hurt him more than it did Celeste. Shaking himself out of his mind and back into reality he wiped the sweat from his brow and went to check on his wife.

Xander was, however, second to arrive and so he remained in the doorway. He rested himself against the frame and watched, listening to the words of his dying lover. Somehow he knew they were close, there was a pit in his stomach that seemed to go forever and he was unable the ignore the sounds that came from her.

She had been delusional before, back before they had married and they were still in the early days of their relationship. She had been sick and afraid, memories of Peake had surfaced then but from what he could tell now it was memories of Torqin and her childhood horse. The fallen noble did not move, not until she spoke his name then he approached and perched on the edge of the bed.

She had just finished coughing and he wasn't even sure if she would be able to understand him but he spoke anyway. "I'm here my Dragon, don't try to speak just rest." He brushed the matted locks of hair from her cheek and forced an sorrowful smile. His chest felt heavy as he took deep breaths unable to keep his own fear from his eyes.

[Torqin]

Torqin focused back on Celeste as he heard her gasping and saw her waking up. Torqin saw Xander was there now. So many trials spent in this chair, in this room, he must've spaced out. Not good for a bodyguard. But neither was a dead charge. Failure after failure piling up.

He heard his name.

He looked up, seeing her trying to sit up, and failing to do so. Instantly, the large man was at her side, kneeling by her bed. He slipped a hand beneath her head, another behind her shoulders, and aided her in sitting up. She was so light. Too light. He hated being able to feel every ridge of her spine through the thin cloth she wore. Once she was comfortable, he stayed there on one knee, listening to her delirious words.

At first, she was just talking about Sparkle, lost in the fever. He smiled at her, a mask for her own benefit, though he wasn't even sure she could see him. "Yes, Celeste, Sparkle is ready for you. He's.." Torqin had to pause for a moment, "He's waiting for you." He felt the stinging heat as his eyes filled with tears.

He reached out to take her hand, only to find her head slumped against his arm. She couldn't even stay upright. But she spoke again. Not Celeste the fever riddled. The real Celeste. He looked intently at her and listened. "Yes, Celeste, I promise." Formalities were long since dispensed. He knew this was the final command he'd receive from her. He just knew.

And he'd carry it out.

Once Xander was at her side, she was already slipping back into delirium. The man gently set her back to the bed, and he stood up. The children were sleeping on the other side of the large bed. He walked around the bed, leaving her and Xander to their side. He gently woke them, "Come little ones, let's go get some breakfast." They were groggy, but nodded their heads sleepily. He scooped them up, Ala'ni in one arm, the twins with the other.

Each step he took from that point on felt heavier and heavier. He prayed to every Immortal, to his ancestors of old, to the seven, to anyone that would listen. Let her live. He slowly took them from the room, tears streaming down his face silently as he closed the door, leaving the married couple alone. He carried the kids down the stairs of the inn and into the kitchen where the proprietor's wife was cooking.

She knew everything that had been going on, and had been accommodating. Torqin set the girls down on the stools around the center table. The eldest, Ala'ni looked up at him, "It's okay. I cry too. I just tell mommy I love her every trial." Then Alani coughed a bit, and Torqin failed to notice the red upon her face now that there was enough light. He was too distracted by what she'd said.

Those words struck a strange chord in Torqin. He felt numb as he watched the plump, middle-aged woman put some oatmeal in front of the kids, "Do... can you keep an eye on them for a little bit? I won't be long."

The woman closed her eyes a moment and nodded her head. She sat by the twins, since they were so young, and Torqin turned on heel heading up the stairs, begging her to still be alive. He opened the door, interrupting whatever conversation they might be having. He looked at Xander with determination, though not severity. And he gave his first and only command to those he served.

"I need a moment with her."

He definitely wasn't asking, and at this point, he didn't care if Xander offered privacy or not. Torqin knew there wasn't much time. He moved over to the bed, kneeling down on one knee, just as he had when he'd sworn his fealty to her that night in Drakengard. He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it just a bit. "I hope you can hear me, really hear me Celeste."

The tears were already flowing heavily, his throat constricting. He'd never felt weaker than he did now. But he swallowed that down, "It has been my honour to serve you. To be your knight." His voice dropped a bit, "To be your friend."

His eyes were scrunched, tears falling on the bed beneath his chin, "Even as a girl, you were the greatest leader. I would follow you anywhere. But now... You're going where I can't follow Celeste."

He touched his forehead to the bed, "As much as I want to, as much as I would, you would never allow it."

His voice dropped a bit more, squeezing her hand once more, "Just... I..." He choked up a bit, before taking a deep breath, and in that moment, it truly just was him and her, Queen and her faithful knight. "I love you Celeste."

And with that, he let go of her hand, not bothering to acknowledge Xander, barely able to see through the tears. He knew it was beyond out of line, but he didn't care. Xander wasn't his leader, she was. Let the chips fall as they may, once she left this world, all ties with Xander were done. He knelt there, looking at her sweat glistened face in the blur, as he felt his heart shatter in spite of just having given it to her.

[Celeste Andaris]

Her words to Torqin, as she told him what she wanted were clear and she knew that he would follow her command. Her hand in his squeezed, though it would be hard pressed to tell the different, so weak was she. Looking at him, Celeste had a thousand things to say to the Lotharro who had been such a loyal friend to her, but they fell from her and descended into the fevered delirium He made her a promise though and she smiled, not sure what he promised, but quite sure that he meant it. She watched her babies through fevered eyes, but there was no recognition in her gaze.

Breathing in, her chest rattled and another coughing fit hit her. Xander was there this time and he told her not to talk, to save her strength. Tears fell down her emaciated, burning face and Celeste reached out to him. "Rest... soon," she said and she tried to grab hold of him. But her hands wouldn't move, her body slowly shutting down to fight - as best it could - against what she knew was inevitable. "Xander?" The room was spinning, her focus on reality held by less than a shred, yet he was there. Her husband. Each breath was a wheeze, but she looked at him. So many things to say, so much to tell him. Yet time was leaving her, she knew that. It was growing dark, which was odd because it was morning. So, she told him what she could. "Live.. love..." tears fell, her voice was less than a whisper. "My pup..."

Celeste closed her eyes, laying back in the bed and she fought. If she just kept breathing, she could do this.But they were going out soon, there was going to be a picnic. Father had told her to get ready for riding and something dark had come. It was a monster, the little girl knew it was. Monsters lived in the shadows and there were shadows everywhere. He was in those shadows, the monster, and she thought that, this time, he was going to catch her. He'd chased her before, more than once. As her brother held her by the throat and pushed her into the bath, drowning her, the monster had been there in the darkness of the water, in the desire in Peake's eyes. When Rafael Warrick had stabbed her, the monster had been in his eyes, taken over his soul. It had devoured him, but it was hungry again.

It was hungry and coming for her.

The darkness where the monster lived reached for her, but then a knight came and drove it back for a moment. Like he had all those arcs before when he had saved her from the drunken hands of her father. Her knight came and knelt there with her, held her hand and told her that he was her friend. As the woman gasped in her last, desperate, rattling breaths, the little girl smiled at how silly Torqin was. Of course he was her knight and her friend. He always had been.

Her father and her brother both had sought her, groomed her, because of how much like her mother she looked. Celeste never recognized it, of course, because she remembered her mother as a hollowed shell, cheeks sunken from the illness which had consumed her. Had she looked in a mirror now, the mother she had adored so much would be looking back at her. She knew that all she had to do was keep breathing, but the monster was sitting on her chest and she couldn't lift him off. Torqin said something to her, Xander was there, but neither of them could see it. It was so heavy, it stopped her breathing and she had to fight in wheezing, rattling gasps.

There was a voice though, telling her that he loved her. Was it Xander or Torqin? The little girl was afraid of the monster and it was here to eat her, but then, they loved her and that held the monster at bay, so she smiled. Because that meant that they could go and play. It was a beautiful trial and the sun was warm. Those were her favorite kinds of trials, warm and full of love.

And she breathed out, eyes losing focus as she breathed her last.

[Xander Andaris]

It was unbearable to watch as she broke out into yet another coughing fit, she was barely even able to string a sentence together. Her breathing was laboured and her eyes blank as she spoke to him, although it was clear that she was emotional. Maybe it was the tone or just the content itself but she clearly knew what she was saying to him. Xander squeezed her hand like he had many times in the past, possibly for the last time.

Celeste's words stung him, he knew she meant well, he knew she would not want him to linger on her forever. Still his love was so strong it hurt, Xander could not just live and love. The noble would never forget her nor would he ever get over her. She would be with him forever because she was part of him, what he had become was a mirror of what she had given him. She would live through him in what he did and he would love her forever.

"I will live for our children and I will love them twice as much, they will know you through me." He promised her this as he kissed her forehead, reckless like he had been when he had stayed with her in the Krome House while she was sick. Torqin decided he had something to say and Xander stepped aside, moving just outside the door to give him his moment. The man had been the only other person to help Celeste more than him, Torqin deserved his own goodbye.

Still the Shieldbearer listened and was not surprised at what he heard. Maybe he had known it deep down in himself, nobody fought as hard as the Lothar had if they did not love what they were fighting for. Strangely in that moment Xander didn't feel jealous or insecure like he had with Andraska seasons earlier he didn't care to stop the bodyguard or question his confession.

He simply didn't care if it was inappropriate because it didn't matter any more and he entered looking at the man who knelt by his wife. Maybe she would have been better off if she had fallen in love and married him, the harsh and painful truth was that in this end this was all Xander's fault. "She loves you too you know." He was sure of it whether it was a brotherly love or not he didn't know but he could tell she had cared for the man almost as much as him. "She really did know how to love."

He moved to her side and too looked at his wife as she drew her last breathe. Tears now streamed down his cheeks, he was unable to hold them back as he watched the life drain from Celeste. His hand gently brushed her pale cheekbones and the curve of her jaw, this really was the end and it hit him like a falling wall. "Goodbye Dragon." He stumbled to the corner and slid down the wall burying his face in his hands as he stifled a yell. Teeth were digging into his palm as he held back the screams he wanted to let out and he simply sat there.

This was his time to grieve because once he went down stairs and joined his children he would have no time for it, they were what was important now.

[Squirrel]

A funny little fact about death; there are a lot of loopholes.

Lisirra had figured that out early. Ways to snatch back mortal souls from Vri's tender embrace, at the doors to Pier and Pre's court of judgement. It was a subtle process, requiring no small amount of cunning on her part, and a good deal of fortune. It was almost like fishing, she mused with a wry chuckle. Timing was perhaps the most important part. She needed to wait until the light had completely left their eyes; the moment that their soul rose from their body, the earthly ties that had once held them safely aground shattered at their feet. A brief glimpse of everlasting freedom. A taste of bliss. Now now, a little further. Yes, that's it.

Like a striking snake, a gigantic hand shot out from the ethereal mist and wrapped her in a crushing fist, snatching her back from that final release and callously balling her up against its palm like a wad of clay. It'd give her a moment to realise that this was all she was, now. Everything she was and ever would be, her naked essence, nothing more than a lump of congealed etheric slime. She should feel lucky; few mortals ever got to see what lay underneath all that flesh and viscera. Not that she'd likely remember it, or understand the significance of it all. Few ever could accept themselves, even when she showed it to them. Ungrateful primates. Regardless, neither of them could afford to dwell for long. With one hard snap, like a master pulling on the leash of their dog, the hand shot back into the darkness and dragged Celeste with it. Time to have a chat.

Something like air whipped all around her, but she should be thankful she couldn't see what lay beyond that fist. That was a lesson she wasn't quite ready for yet. The things found beyond the mortal realm were not made for the eyes of humans, no matter what some of them might say. Especially not where she was going. See, that was one of those loopholes. Death and all that came beyond it might have been Vri's domain, but Pestilence and Toxin was hers... and within her domain, she made all of the rules. That meant that everything that happened under the influence of her pestilence, including the moments leading up to and after her death as a result of it, were hers to use as she pleased. But that was a special secret that few had really figured out just yet; a good thing too, given the longstanding implications. Vri knew. Soon he'd figure out what she'd done and come running to claim his debt, rightful or no, so they couldn't afford to delay, but as a rancid stench filled the air around Celeste, filling the nose she no longer had, a rumble would sound from behind her in the ears she no longer had, another thing that few mortals ever felt before they died - an Immortal's pure wrath, Vri's anger raging against the sealed doors of her influence. Then again, Celeste was already dead, so perhaps she didn't count!

Finally, clarity. The hand opened and for a brief moment, the world shaped itself. Celeste's body manifested, forcibly reconstructed. They didn't have time to go through all that nonsense of self-shaping, nor did she have the patience to teach a primate about it. She'd never bothered to ask how it felt to have your body stitched together from nothingness, but she'd inferred that it was horrific. The room around her came next, a simple box, something like mortals lived out of - and then furniture, shelves containing jars of unknown specimens, a desk, chairs to sit on, little half-melted candles flickering away and filling the air with a faint scent of smoke, burning wax and vellum. Stacks of parchment covered with scribbled writing, and tomes thicker than they were long stacked haphazardly everywhere.

Finally, Lisirra herself. A perfect image. Pale, with full lips and high cheekbones. Though a little young; barely mature, thirteen years old at best, dressed in a simple white gown. Her black hair ran straight and narrow down the small of her back, a raven waterfall. "Tessa," she said at last, smiling. "Hello there." There was nothing cruel in that smile. Oh no. She was very happy that her little chess piece had finally moved itself into position. "Let's have a chat, shall we?"

[Torqin]

Torqin heard Xander return to the room, heard the words he said, and still held Celeste's hand, even after he watched the light fade from her eyes. She was gone. Torqin wanted to throw his head back and scream, to unleash the rage and pain of his ancestors at the loss of the only pure light in this world. A light that seemed everyone in this wretched existence wished to see snuffed out. It seemed the gods themselves deemed her fit for punishment.

Those heartless fucks.

Torqin lost track of how much time had passed while he knelt there, tears streaming down his face, her hand slowly losing warmth in his own. He knew what he had to do. He stood, looked at Xander, "Go to your children, they are in the kitchen. I'll make arrangements."

He dropped Celeste's hand, making sure to place it next to her side, to preserve dignity, rather than letting it off the bed. He turned, and left, first stopping to get his coinpurse from his room. He walked past the kitchen, not responding when the girls called out to him from their breakfast. He made his way down the street, to a shop that the doctor had told him about when it seemed unlikely she would be cured.

The older man smiled, "What can I do you for, good sir?"

"I need a funerary litter, the finest you have crafted." There was a pit deep in Torqin's stomach, and a businesslike coldness in his demeanor.

"Of course, sir. Follow me."

His feet were so heavy as the man showed him the many litters. Torqin was surprised at how many options were available. Eventually they settled on a litter of a dark wood, with a turquoise stone inlay to look like a river wrapping around it. It reminded him of when he and Celeste fled to the woods. When he truly became her knight. He wished he could afford fancier, but he suspected she'd like it. It was a covered litter as well. He didn't want the people of this cursed country to see her. They didn't deserve the honor.

Once it was paid for, a couple of assistants from the shop carried it back. He was told it was meant to be a four person litter, but he knew that he and Xander would be just fine on their own. The whole process of the purchase and returning to the inn took a break, enough time for Xander to be with the kids and prepare Celeste's body as needed. The assistants agreed to hold the litter at the door to the inn, and Torqin went inside, and up the stairs. He dressed in the cleanest clothes he had, and donned his armor, that he kept perfectly polished. He belted his club and wore his shield upon his back.

He waited by the door to Xander and Celeste's room, standing at attention, awaiting for Xander to bring her out to the litter. Xander deserved that honor as her husband, just as he received the honor of carrying the litter from the front, while Torqin carried it from the back. He would determine where she would be laid to rest. Torqin waited, the servant to a now dead queen, to carry out his final duty. He had no words during this time. He felt nothing but emptiness and determination. To do this one last thing, and to do it right.

This was the Knight's final walk.

[Xander Andaris]

Xander did as was suggested but not before splashing his face in the wash basin to bring down the redness in his cheeks and cool him off. He had to be strong for the children, he had done his crying and now it was his turn to let Ala'ni grieve. It would be hardest for the adopted daughter as she would be the only one old enough to truly remember Celeste as the arcs would pass but he too would have to be there for the babies. It fell on him now to fill the shoes of both father and mother, no easy task he was sure.

Taking a few deep breathes he descended to the kitchen and joined them at the table and after a moment breaking the news to Ala'ni. The tears came in rivers down the poor girls face, her sorrow seemingly even more than his own as he held her close to him. "It will be okay my sweet girl, I am sure she is in a better place now, somewhere safe and warm. Its okay." At times he wasn't sure if he was reassuring her or himself but he did his best to help her understand.



After a while and seeing that Ala'ni was tired Xander left the girls once again with the inn keeper to rest and returned to Celeste's body. Her skin was cold to the touch and pale as a sheet, it was a sight he had hopped not to see, at least not this early in their life together. She needed to be cleaned and dressed, made to look the best he could for her final moments above the earth.

So he got to work bringing the wash basin to the bed side and taking a clean towel he began to clean her, starting with her hair and face he wet the hair and ran a comb through it. He gently worked out the knots until it was straight and untangled, shimmering almost like it had so many times before. He gently dabbed the towel over he skin, cleaning up the sweat and grime that had accumulated over the time in bed. She was slowly beginning to look better but still she was clearly dead and Xander was no make up artist so she would remain that way.

Finally he collected a dress from the wardrobe, a simple outfit that covered her and smelled clean and fresh. He removed her shoes and left her feet free, it seemed more natural as he heard Torqin in his armour signalling it was time. Gently Xander lifted Celeste in his arms and made his way down to the litter and place her softly and neatly within. He glanced at the bodyguard before taking his place at the head of the litter.

She was to be buried where was meant to be their home, in the fields surrounding the house he had bought for them. That was where she would lay, in the place they were meant to have a happy life together. So the wolf lead them out of the city towards the house, to bury his wife and say his last goodbye.

[Squirrel]

Trinkets for the Cursed...

Torqin: 15
Knowledges: N/A
Loot: N/A
Renown: N/A

Tessa: 15
Knowledges: N/A
Loot: N/A
Renown: N/A

Xander: 15
Knowledges: N/A
Loot: N/A
Renown: N/A



Sorry this was cut off - however I've gone ahead and given this a quick review regardless. If any of you have any knowledges or other rewards that you would like to request, please don't hesitate to throw me a PM and I'll add them in here at the bottom. Thanks all!