Retirement for the good at heart.

So many lost memories of lives lived in this place.

Kerrwynn leaned back against the log he had shifted to brace himself. The spray of salt air reignited the certainty that his choices were in his best interest. The past few months had been filled with whatever work he could find, in the end it paid off. He had Paid off all his debts and secured a position as an on call forward observer for a small trader. The job was simple and paid well. When the trader needed to move from one point to another, Kerrwynn was to run ahead and make sure the coast was clear, easy enough.

He had made the conscious decision to pursue only honest work for the rest of his days when he needed it. The weight of his sins had started to weigh heavy on his heart. The frequency in which his hallucinations came back showing what he could have had had increased. There had been hours when he would hold conversations with the image of his lost lover and child that never was. Even in his sober dreams the pair of violet eyes and cinnamon hair danced at the back of his mind.

Kerrwynn kicked off his boots and stoked the small fire he had made to keep him company. His back stretched along the width of the log and he took in the serene view before him. Off to his left was a small panther cub he had purchased and hoped t train to be like his last companion. Her attitude was already very similar, while almost useless when needed she showed signs of calling Kerrwynn her territory. The onyx feline was occupied chasing butterflies and attempting to eat the fluttering morsels. Kerrwynn reached into his backpack and pulled out a small manilla folder and his tobacco tin. From the folder he pulled out two pencil sketches he had commisioned earlier in the week. The faces that haunted him only in his mind now had a permanent residence within his hands. He stared at the faces for a moment before placing them beneath his leg and opening his tin. From within he pulled his pipe and appropriate filler to feed his craving.  Hours passed like this and he soaked in every moment.

As the cool kiss of evening touched his face Kerrwynn was jolted awake by the shifting of the log he was laying on. Before he could turn around the world around him erupted in a violent roar and the pungent odor of his attacker surrounded him. For such large beasts there was a surprising amount of grace in the steps of the bear. Kerrwynn moved forward but the cub was with him and became entangled in his feet. As he went forward gravity pulled him down and his face and torso landed in the hot coals of his now dying fire. Instinctually e pressed his hands down to push off and the searing now covered his hands. As he rolled off the fire pit he could feel the heat surrounding his face and hands. The scent of singed hair and seared meat engulfed him. His left hand raised to assess the damage and his peripheral vision had been reduced. His landing in the pit had been just angled enough to have a coal sear through his eyelid and drain his eye beneath.

He turned as another roar erupted and a much weaker attempt followed. The cub was not backing down and stood between Kerrwynn and his newfound foe. The bear stepped from off the log and swatted the cub off to it’s left. The tumbling form enraged Kerrwynn. He reached down to pick up his bow, but found he had left it along the log and it was now being bent and snapped under the weight of the approaching beast. Kerrwynn was fueled entirely by adrenaline and yelled at the top of his lungs while spreading his arms out to appear bigger. As he spread his arms a sharp pain hit him just beneath the rib cage. His right hand reached for the injury and a crossbow bolt was sticking from his abdomen. Kerrwynn looked up and from behind the bear approached a human donned in earth toned covering. In his right hand he lazily carried a now unloaded hand crossbow and in his left he walked in step with a spear. The human approached causally and under no seemingly sense of concern for his well being. As Kerrwynn watched the human from the corner of his eye he witnessed a small black mass roar and leap towards the bear. Without any difficulty the bear opened it’s massive maw and dissected the cub within its mouth.  The tail end of the now lifeless body was whipped to the side as the heart and mind carrying half were devoured as a snack. Kerrwynn went to step forward but found that his legs were unable to carry him or any longer support his weight. He fell forward onto his knees. As he struggled to stand his breathing became more labored and shallow.

The human pat the bear on the shoulder and the beast wandered off and sat down. He human picked up the now strewn about contents of Kerrwynn’s backpack and whatever didn’t make it’s way over near the bear to be collected later was poured onto the embers of the fire. The human picked up the sketches that were now blood and dirt stained. He looked them over carefully and tossed the image of the child onto the pit and its presence reignited the flame and allowed the heat to dance about and consume all the items contained within. The human studied the sketch of the former lover for a moment before folding it up and placing it in his belt. Through the flickering of the flames Kerrwynn could see the hungry smirk and obscene wink that was passed to Kerrwynn from behind a loose bundle of golden hair.

Kerrwynn’s breathing was almost pointless now. He was beginning to feel tunnel vision and all his senses were dulled.  As the human continued to scour the campsite for his loot, A small puff of smoke appeared and through it walked the Succubus that had tormented him so much. Behind her were the woman and child

“ You know what’s next. you’ve begged for this. I may have forgotten to mention before. She was never pregnant, nor dead. I still own your soul, and she still walks this earth hoping to see you again one day. Poor thing.”

With a snap of her finger the image of the child vanished and it was replaced with a vision of Synaria casually reading in bed, her violet eyes looked around the room as if she felt she was being watched.

As her eyes looked into what felt like Kerrwynn’s the vision vanished and in a momentarily flicker of the flames Kerrwynn saw his last kiss. The blade of the spear had been leveled and reared back for a thrust. Kerrwynn attempted to move but his body was paralyzed. The tip of the spear penetrated just beneath his Adam’s apple. The rest of the blade followed. The thin steel easily severed his carotid artery and jugular simultaneously. The human attempted to retrieve his spear but the tip had become lodged in Kerr’s spinal column. With a boot to his chest and a sharp pull back the human retrieved his weapon. Kerrwynn fell limply to the floor and his last conscious feeling was his own blood pooling around his face.

The human used his boot to roll Kerrwynn onto his back and kicked him a few times to ensure the elf was dead. He waved his hand over him and the bear approached. The bear took Kerrwynn’s shoulder into his mouth and tossed him into the sea as if he were but a child’s toy.

To whom it may concern.

Kerrwynn sat at the familiar patio chair his coin purse stared back at him. A pair of gold coins locked their gaze with his own. His bourbon had stayed in steady supply and his ivory haired vixen had never left him wanting, event supplementing his dessert with a meal at times.

He had seen the recruitment signs and given the same heralds call as everyone else.

“Report to the warchief!” it once again worked in his favor that taking orders was a character traits he never embraced. Regardless he was in need of coin, and more so feeling the withdrawal effects from his empty pipe.

He stood and retrieved a parchment sheet from the lectern in the room and dabbed the nib of the quill into the midnight ink.

“Kaevia,

I have neither seen nor heard from you. Given recent events engulfing the world I was wondering if you were still in need of my services. I feel this could be mutually beneficial.

Kerrwynn Azure’Eish"

With a flourish of the quill and extravagant pen stroke he committed his name to any job obligation he could conduct. He folded the letter into thirds and let the cheap wax from the illuminated candle drip onto the edge. The milky wax was tainted with specks of brown from the mold. Before the puddle cooled Kerrwynn punched his hand into the wax closure. The inverted chevron that he had made his calling card held closed the missive beneath.

His eyes looked at the doorway and a low whistle was produced from a pair of pursed lips. Moments later his raven appeared. He handed the letter off and whispered the addressee’s name as he stroked the birds crown. With a single yell the raven turned and began her journey. Kerrwynn watched as his messenger faded into the twilight smothering Silvermoon. He retrieved the decanter from the same desk and took a long pull straight.

“Here’s to feeding my habits" he raised the decanter again and took a pull deep enough the caramel hued drink spilled from the creases of his lips.

@k-sunrael

Old jobs, and old haunts

Kerrwynn sat on a small patio chair. His feet were up and resting on the table. He raised his right hand and took a slow sip from his hardball of bourbon. The Row was alive with voices and the exchange of commodities that tend to be illicit in nature.  He stood and felt the soft linen of his pants brush against his skin as he returned to his rented room. His hired company was still asleep on the bed. Her outfit half covering her and half strewn across the floor. He picked up his pipe that she clutched in her hand. Using the knuckle of his thumb to crush the mana crystals he packed the powder a little tighter. Using the flame from a beside candle he warmed the pipe bowl and moved the flame to kiss the translucent blue contents. A deep pull was taken from the mouthpiece as his lungs filled with the chalk flavored smoke. He placed the pipe on the bedside table and moved to collect his clothing. With each piece laid out and organized he looked again to his companion. Her snow white hair draped across her face in a delicate flow. This contrasted greatly with the darker leather she wrapped around herself. Kerr walked to the foot of the bed and kicked it sternly to shake the whole mattress.

“Get up, get out.” He muttered blankly as he took another sip from his glass.

“Fuck off.” She responded and covered her face with a pillow as a hand shot from under the covers and presented him with a single fingered response.

Kerr sighed and walked over to her purse and pulled out the money she had stored within and threw the rest of the contents out of the exterior door frame he had previously entered. He dropped the coins onto his equipment and set his glass down as well. He stepped lightly to the side of the bed she was laying on and lifted the entirety of the mattress with her still laid on it. He rest was abruptly halted as her body began to slide the width of the mattress and the height of the bed frame. He couldn’t see her but he heard her body hit the floor and the struggle she began to unbind herself from the blanket wrapped around her.

“I threw your shit into the street, you’re next. I said leave.” Kerr dropped the mattress unevenly back onto it’s frame and collected his drink. As he walked back over to the patio He heard her swear him for throwing her purse and caught her from the corner of his eye pulling her shorts on as she dashed from his room. From his vantage point a few moments later he say a flurry of Ivory hair picking up the dispersed contents of her purse. The coin would never be found by her. Given the area the purse fell it was just as likely to be stolen by a stumbling drunk.

Kerr returned to his room and refilled his drink as he stared at his gear. News of the world had reached his ears and he was all too happy to hear about it. The warchief had set Teldrassil aflame. While he remained neutral as to the reasoning he did see a chance to make a profit smuggling people too and from. Not to mention the spoils of war that would be looted when the embers died.

His excursion to Southshore had been very beneficial. The location he wanted to set up a small point of business in was completely abandoned and free to use. Networking from there would prove to be difficult but he had already made contact with a source that could prove to be fruitful.

He turned the glass upwards and emptied the fresh liquor into his mouth. A slow shiver crossed his spine as the alcohol burned his throat.

Kerr sighed and looked towards the sounds of the row. The wave of euphoria from his mana crystal addiction began to creep from the back of his mind. As he let it take hold he closed his eyes and when he reopened them his solitude in the room had been broken. Sitting on the edge of the mattress was an adolescent sin’dorei female. Long cinnamon hair framed her face and a road of freckles crossed her nose. Her eyes matched that of a woman whose love he once held above all else, and her heterochromia proved that lineage. One golden iris remained pure while the right Iris was violet.

“ I’ve missed you daddy. Did you forget about me already?”

Kerr stumbled and blinked, when his eyes reopened the mattress remained empty and all the sounds of the row were drowned out by the heaving of his chest struggling to breathe.

OOC post 1

Im not sure how to preface this. When I play female characters they/me get flirted with IC and OOC. I inform them I'm a Male and it stops, no harm done. This interaction left me a bit unnerved. I will admit I used player instead of character in this and that is a mistake I admitted to.

Feel free to share or blast me in my inbox if I was wrong here.

Don’t my taxes pay for this?

Eversong was still quiet. The warmth of the sun had not yet brought life to the trees and wildlife that would soon be serenading Kerrwynn and whispering warnings to turn back from his venture. As was the custom before each job Kerrwynn stood motionless in contemplation; he tried to visualize how this would transpire, ultimately he was usually incorrect. Every little detail about him was focused on momentarily to bring the whole situation to a reality. The weight of his bow in his left hand was judge a few times by bouncing it in his palm and feeling the weight and balance rest where it should. He moved his head from side to side to gauge the length of fabric surrounding his face and how much of his peripheral vision would be obscured. A deep inhale of air was taken in and the straps of his pack were felt on his shoulders.  The weight of everything physical he owned was there, Prior to packing the bag he meticulously unloaded and reloaded the bag this morning to optimize his balance. He twisted his body to his left at the waist. At the full extent of the turn he felt the pommel of his knife barely graze his abdomen. His right hand shot up smoothly without interference and grabbed the handle of his blade and pulled it from it’s leather sheathing. A short toss in the air showed Kerrwynn that the balance was still uncompromised. When the blade was eye level his hand once more shot forward and mid rotation his fingers wrapped around the stacked leather handle and in a semi-circle arc lead the blade back to it’s sheath.  When his fingers let loose of the handle, without hesitation his hand shot to the quiver on his back. As his right index finger and thumb grasped the fletching of an arrow his left hand brought the brace of his bow up the eye level. The shaft of the arrow was dropped onto the brace and the fingers of the nock were wrapped around the freshly waxed bow string. The creak of his bows limbs as he drew back seemed to be the loudest sound in the forest that morning. Kerrwynn gently released the tension on his bowstring and placed the arrow back into the quiver with it’s comrades.  A few more deep breaths and He started this short trek.

The night before he had approached a solemn looking woman at the base of the fountain in Silvermoon. Conversation ensued and within that time frame a job presented itself. The words Bandits came up and a joyous yell rose up within him. As much as Kerrwynn walked the line between good and evil, thuggery just for the sake of preying on the weak was never acceptable.  In the course of his questioning he agreed to scout a shorter route where complaints had been noted and victims had been created. His client repeatedly thanked him and insisted on payment. Little did she know this was a pleasure for him. He loved his job and hated walking about the city trying to find a self inflicted adventure to set upon.

Eversong woods proved to be of little excitement. The choke points on the main roads were few and far between. Where they existed there also seemed to be a guard presence patrolling the area. His walk was almost carefree whilst the warmth of the sun shone down on his face and let the song of the woods caress his ears. With each passing guard he waved kindly and it wasn’t until the guard coming north from Ghostlands that his walk turned into works again.

“ How goes the patrol guardsman?” Kerrwynn Chimed a little above a normal decible to ensure the guard heard him.

His attention fixed on the guard as the closed the distance between them. The guard locked onto his eyes and remained in stride. He said nothing until the two Sin’dorei were side by side.

“ Stay vigilant, if you continue on this road.” The guard said barely above a whisper. His stride remained unbroken and a moment later he was past Kerrwynn and showed no inclination to look back to where he had just come from.

The comment perplexed Kerrwynn but he continued along his route.  When the border to the Ghostlands was in sight He came upon a forsaken woman sitting in front of a long since abandoned home.  Her dingy black dress now stained with colors of grime and unkempt. As he raised his hand to wish her a good morning she raised a single decayed index finger to her cyanotic lips and pursed them against the finger. Her indication to remain silent also served to prevent him from approaching her.  He nodded and continued along his route.

Kerrwynn stepped to the bridge and took a deep breath. He stopped when his left foot hit the wooden plank. He retrieved an arrow and placed it against the string of his bow. He remained motionless letting every sound surrounding him swirl about him and then the location of each be detected. A skill he had learned years ago that served him well.  He tapped his left foot harder on the wooden plank to simulate a careless footstep. The sound of the leather rapping hard echoed underneath the bridge and the sound of a frog jumping into the water could be heard, the sound of the retreating “plop” was synchronized with a face leaning around a post opposite Kerrwynn and looking for the reason for the footstep.  The fel green eyes went wide upon seeing Kerrwynn and the words “ Run, run.” could be heard. Moments later a pair of Sin’dorei teenagers could be seen bursting from behind each post and running off to the west.

Kerrwynn shook his head and replaced his arrow.  His footsteps once again carried him to the south. The road to Tranquillien was eventless. The guards in the town seemed to completely ignore him. He kept up the pace and by mid day he was leaving the southernmost edge of the small town. As he  walked he pulled a new tool from his belt. A throwing hatchet was a new investment and he examined the blade and tossed the weapon in his hand to entertain himself as he walked. This entertainment showed to be short lived as he approached Andilien  Estate. When he was passed the road leading to the house he heard incoherent yelling. He turned to see a rough looking Sin’dorei male stumbling towards him with the look of rage on his face. Kerrwynn gripped the handle of the hatchet tighter and prepared to defend himself. Nature has a funny way of working out though. As the man was within striking range his boot caught the cobblestone of the road and his stumble became an uncontrolled freefall onto the road. The sickening crunch as the front of his skull connected with the stone was audible and unsettling. Kerrwynn flipped the hatchet so he was holding the base of the head and the handle stuck out between his index and middle finger. He used the butt of the handle to prod the man. There was no response. Kerrwynn squatted and lifted the fallen man’s face. The warmth of his blood was immediately sensed and there was noticeable bleeding and crush injury at the front of the man’s skull. Kerrwynn stood and continued along his way. Another dead drunk.

The sounds of Kerrwynn’s boots on the stone road was the only thing audible for a few hours as he approached the end of the ghostlands. Thalassian pass came into view and the biggest concern of his trip came to life. This gateway held many hallways and shadows for unwelcome secrets to hide. Once again he mated the end of an arrow with his bowstring and proceeded into the corridor. The sounds of hushed whispers could be heard. He stopped upon entering the gateway letting the shadows of the rood wrapped around and conceal him, and listened momentarily. The whispers were still present, but shorter this time.

“Hello, is anyone there? I think I saw some robbers on the road, and they are headed this way.” Kerrwynn spoke softly and feigned a tone of distress. Before he saw the attacker he saw the glint of the blade in his hand. Three slender humans stood from behind the southernmost wall. The one holding the knife smiled as he stood and stepped towards the scout. The grin on Kerrwynn’s face matched that of the human as a look of fear and understanding crossed the bandit’s face. The creak of Kerr’s bow was echoed in the corridor. With a expertly timed release of his thumb and forefingers the arrow launched from the rest and sang through the air. The other two men stood just in time to see the first man crumble to the ground with a well placed arrow through his left eye.

The duo charged at the scout. Kerrwynn didn’t have time to draw another arrow so he relied on the blades fixed to the front of his bow. He swung the bow wide in and attempt to slice the closest human. His swing missed and while focused on one human the other ran passed him and was able to tackle him to the ground. Kerr’s bows slid from his hands and across the stone floor. When he hit the ground he felt the sharp pain in the back of his skull and saw stars momentarily. He felt a crushing pain on the right side of his face and could taste the iron in his blood from a busted lip. He felt a dull blunt pain in his ribs and realized the  human he tried attacking with his bow was kicking him in the ribs.

Kerrwynn tried to reach down and guard his sides, but instead his right hand dropped along his abdomen and his fingers wrapped around the knife at his waist. Pulling the blade out and immediately against the attacker on top of him punching him in the face. The first slice against his stomach made the human sit up and cover his wound. With this moment Kerr pulled his arm back and shoved the blade up and into the man’s throat and jaw. The resistance of the muscle stopped as Kerr penetrated the man’s windpipe. The man moved his hands from his stomach to his throat as he attempted to stand and run. The red ichor spurted from his wound and spayed over Kerr as he moved. Kerr rolled from under the human and against the attacker that was raising his foot for another kick. Kerr swung the balde behind the human and easily sliced through his cloth shoe and felt the tension of the tendon release as he separated the fibers of his achilles tendon. The human howled in pain and dropped to his knees. Kerrwynn continued the roll and brought himself onto the balls of his feet. His right hand still holding the blade and his left forefingers balancing him up. He stood and walked over to the remaining bandit. His left hand grabbed the mess of brown hair that was beginning to thin atop his head. With a wound to match that of his counterpart, Kerrwynn exposed the bandit’s neck and shoved his blade hilt deep into the soft tissue of his throat. Kerrwynn pulled the blade and wiped it on the cloth of his assailant.

He could hear the agonal gasps of the humans and the sound of blood drowning them filled him with a sense of accomplishment. He collected his bow and searched the attackers. 4 gold pieces later he continued his trek. Kerrwynn went over the encounter again in his mind. He was a bit disappointed that there was no bit of evidence to suggest they were hired.  A few hundred yards at the base of the pass he was met by another Sin’dorei that informed him to be safe. The man had to walk through the bodies in order to reach Kerrwynn. As the man left Kerrwynn to venture alone, he rubbed his jaw and spit out a mouth full of blood. In the crimson puddle there was a single ivory molar.

“ Shit.” Kerrwynn bent over and collected his own tooth and placed it in his belt pouch.

The road to Light’s hope chapel was uneventful, just common practice of avoiding the undead that roamed these lands. As he crossed the bridge before his destination he could feel the eyes of the guards burning into him.  He approached the gate and was met by what could only be an officer who addressed him in broken Thalassian. “ What’s your business here?”

“Kerrwynn looked up at him, completely exhausted and just wanting to rest for a moment. “ I dealt with the bandits along Thalassian pass, I need a drink and a bed.”

“You’ll only find one here ranger, no drink on Chapel grounds.” The guard said to him with a nod and turned to grant him access to the grounds.

Kerrwynn stared at him for a long moment. He slumped his shoulders in defeat and turned on his heels to return to Silvermoon “ I said drink first for a reason.”

Future witholdings

This damp tomb had become a second home. The scent of decay and the heat stripping stone afforded him a macabre comfort. Lying in the middle of the floor were the deformed remnants of a long since abandoned purpose. The purpose and drive for futile even the maggots had lost interest in the wretched form. His meditation and embrace of his shadows was interrupted by the echoed chirp of a bird singing it’s morning greeting.

Kerrwynn stood and deftly grasped the handle of his bow in his left hand. He padded silently up the stairs.His journey today was just outside the door, but the reasoning for it bothered him. Rumors of war had begun. War and death were not a bother to him, open conflict was actually very profitable for him. His grievance lay in the fact that his seclusion was jeopardized by a small outfit looking to set up a base of operations on the fortified walls he had grown used to.

Kerrwynn entered the derelict building he scouted the day prior and proceeded up the stairs. In the westernmost wall he had removed a portion of the slatting to gain exterior access.  Through a series of grunts and twists of the body Kerrwynn found himself resting on the roof of the building. He squatted and leaned his back against the chimney. The warmth of the sun’s kiss had begun to rejuvenate his vigor and bring life to the world surrounding him.

His quarry would soon be awake. The outfit had paid him handsomely to eradicate the sole leader of the ogre infestation in this location. The thought of a single arrow filling his pockets that much let a sly grin spread across his lips. Kerrwynn retrieved pair of arrows from his quiver and rest them both on the brace of the bow, just above his left hand. He closed his eye and began to mumble as he focused on the lowermost arrow. A pair of violet arcane serpents appeared at the fletching of the arrows and began to gnash at each other. The more focused on the spell Kerr wynn was the more vicious the fight until simultaneously the serpents erupted in a double helix around the shaft of the arrow coming to rest at the broadhead and locking their respective jaws at the base of the blade. The entire arrow now hummed with a dull arcane energy. He raised the bow and pulled back the string to allow him to adjust his gaze right down the shaft of the arrow. When he was certain of his trajectory he loosed the enchanted arrow and watched the projectile soar and land perfectly. Sticking into the ground in front of a house. The ground surrounding the arrow coming alive with the same violet energy. The sound of the metal hitting the stone walk had the intended effect.

Kerr quickly nocked the secondary arrow and whispered another enchantment into the falcosaur feather fletching as he drew back the arrow. The entire world seemed to slow and the swaying of the trees began a dull hypnotic shift. The hustled amble of the ogre leader was now a slow and clumsy stomp. The broadhead lined up with the target and Kerr loosed the arrow. As soon as his fingers released the arrow time returned to it’s normal pace the arrow soared through the air singing through it’s flight.

The ogre didn’t know what hit him but as he ran through the door frame a force stopped him in his tracks. Bewildered but for a moment he was frozen in place. He could hear something whistling. A second later the sharp tearing was felt in his neck. There was a warmth that followed the pain. Instinctively his hand reached up and found an arrow lodged in the meaty tissue that connected a pair of heads to a cumbersome body. Futile attempts to grasp at the arrow were made, but the volume of blood leaking from the wound quickly rendered the struggle useless. The ogre felt himself drop to his knees and his breathing become more rapid.  The world was becoming a colder place and his vision darkened.

Kerr stood from his position and watched as the target dropped to his knees and bled out. It didn’t take long for the spurting of blood to stop and the lump of meat to be nothing more than the next meal for the birds. Kerr spun on his heels and sprinted towards the edge of the building. As he neared the edge he lifted himself with his feet and felt the weightlessness of flight. Moments later his feet touched a tone column and he rolled forward to keep momentum and slid off the column landing in the entryway of the fortification. His stride reduced to that of a causal walk. He made his way north and then north east to collect his payment, and unfortunately return to civilization.