Storyboards: Aelida
Author’s note:
This story contains adult themes and the verbage is coarse. If you
are offended easily I do not suggest you read this story.
Outcast Making
her way | Sadness | The
Wanderer | The little green bottle |
Moving on | News
from Tolnedra | Revenge | History
| Musings | She rises from
the ashes
Outcast
Tears were streaming down her face as she rode. Between sobs Aelida
relived the last few hours. The day had started out beautiful. She
awoke in her family's wagon early, like usual. After helping her
mother with the morning chores she ate breakfast. For once there
was no lecture from her father about how Breyon would be a good
match for her and she should accept his offer for marriage. It would
be soon enough when they discovered the reason behind her disinterest
in him.
By mid afternoon, Aelida found herself in the arms of her true love.
Gallia was a year older than Aelida, and the two girls were part
of the same clan. It was a chance event that brought them together.
Aelida never get thought she'd love another woman, even in those
nights where Breyon and her stole away. Breyon, in his clumsy attempts
at pleasure paled in the happiness Gallia brought her. Gallia and
Aelida thought they were safe in the thicket. How did they know
one of the clan's colts would stray? How did they know Aelida's
father would wander in on them?
All she could see was her father's face. His eyes were full of shame
as he banished Aelida from the clan. Gallia's family was so angry
they beat her to death. Her dear sweet Gallia, gone forever. Aelida
wasn't sure if her parents, by keeping her alive were kind or cruel.
Time would only tell. Aelida sighed, well she was resigned to wander
forever an outcast.
top
Making her way
Aelida was tired. She had been riding for a week. The gold she had
stolen from her father was running short. She saw in the distance
a neat, Sendarian village. She should be able to find shelter there.
Riding into the town she realized it was not as nice as it looked.
She went into the tavern. The barkeep told her the cost to rent
a room for the night, 50 gold. She only had 20 on her. Looking around,
her mind was racing.
Fortunately Aelida's feelings were nonexistent. She felt nothing
as she approached a man at a table. She felt nothing as he led her
out the door and into his cottage. She felt nothing as he undressed
her and made clumsy attempts at sex on her. But she did feel better
as he handed her 100 gold pieces. The inn had a soft bed, a warm
bath, and good food. It was only her body; who cared what she did
with it? She certainly didn't.
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Sadness
The sun was shining brightly through her golden hair. Her golden
eyes filled with love, hope. Laying there in the meadow, flowers
all around us. The sky filled with fluffy white clouds. We lay there
proclaiming our love for one another, wrapped in each others arms.
We had eternity, or so we thought.
Aelida sighed bitterly. Here she was, in a tavern again drinking
till she got drunk enough to take a customer for the night. It had
been about a year since the fateful day she was banished from her
clan. Since then she had been whoring her way across the Sendar
countryside. It was a way to make money and Aelida didn't care much
about herself. But lately she found it was harder and harder to
distance herself from her destruction. The dockworker sitting next
to her took a moment to absorb her words. He then grunted and grabbed
her hand as he led her to his apartment in the NW corner of Sendar.
Closing her eyes, she imagined herself back home on the Algar plains.
Her family was there, they still loved her. Gallia was still alive,
perfect and beautiful. She blocked out his guttural noises and his
half whispered moans with thoughts of her happier past. She silently
took his gold when he was done and left quickly. She didn't start
crying till she passed a lovely garden on Clan Road. She stood looking
at the flowers in the moonlight, thinking of her life.
As she touched the velvety softness of the rose, it was as if she
was kissing her beloved Gallia again. The world and all her unhappiness
came crashing down upon her. She buckled underneath the weight of
her sorrow. She began to weep as she sank to the ground.
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The Wanderer
Aelida had to summon all her strength to raise her head. Someone
was kneeling next to her. Looking up she saw a woman looking at
her with concern.
“Good, I thought you were dead.” There was relief in
those grey eyes. Aelida nodded mutely, tears still streaming down
her face. “I was just.. (ahem).. meditating in the garden.
I thought I heard someone fall to the ground, might have been a
victim of the Poisoners' guild down the street.” Aelida could
not take her eyes off the woman. She looked as if she had seen unimaginable
wonders in her travels. It was difficult to discern her age, she
seemed timeless. Her hair was a soft grey colour that matched her
eyes and it had streaks of white here and there.
“Where am I?” Aelida croaked between sobs.
“You're in Sendar. I'm Shinara, leader of the Wanderers. You
look like you need a place to stay. We have plenty of room. You
can stay with us. Would you like to do that?” Aelida nodded.
Something inside her told her this was the right course. She closed
her eyes and let out a big sigh. As she opened her eyes she saw
standing next to Shinara the image of her beloved Gallia smiling.
As Aelida stood up she took the older woman's hand as she was led
through the doorway to the Wanderers' clan hall. Looking back, Aelida
saw Gallia waving goodbye and goodluck. She smiled and waved back
to her. And then Gallia was gone.
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The little green bottle
Aelida could not stop the shaking. Her body convulsed constantly,
she was also sweating. Every muscle in her body hurt. She ached
for the relief the little green bottle in her satchel gave her.
She crawled over to the corner where she had put her things. Opening
her bag, she reached in and grabbed the bottle. Its colour was beautiful,
the Nyissan who made the bottle was talented. How did he make it
look so alive? Suddenly it began to speak to her.
Open meeeeeee… Aelida blinked. I can make it all go away.
Why did you leave me? I am your friend. I take away all your pains.
She started to shake even harder.
No, not again, I do not need you!
Aww come on, you know you wanna. Just one more time. For old time’s
sake. Aelida started to open the top of the bottle. Well just one
more time, then I am done! HAHAHAHAHA I knew you couldn't resist.
I am your only love. You won't ever leave me!! Aleida stopped.
THAT IS NOT TRUE!!!! I loved Gallia! You are just a drug! She threw
the bottle against the wall. Its contents shattered all over the
wall, bleeding into the stones.
“I was wondering when you'd do that.” Shinara was standing
in the doorway holding a try full of food. “Eat something
it will help you get better.” Aelida nodded mutely. She shuffled
to the bed. Looking at the food Shinara had sat on a table she thought,
‘ I should eat, then nap. I'll feel better tomorrow.’
top
Moving on
Waking up was beginning to get easier and easier as time moved on.
Living in the Wanderers' hall had started repairing the damage 5
years of self loathing had done to Aelida. Rather than looking haggard
and used, she was regaining the natural gracefulness of her Algar
heritage. Her face, which had started looking sunken in was filling
out accentuating her lovely brown eyes.
She stood in front of the mirror looking at her reflection, boring
deep into her own eyes, thinking. She had been clean for two months,
the elixir that Drasnian had given her had purged the last traces
of alcohol and drugs out of her system. It had been hard at first
trying to avoid temptation. But once she adjusted to her new lifestyle,
there was no desire to escape anymore.
Her latest worry was what to do next with her life. She had heard
from Shinara that there was a man in Sendar that might have some
jobs for her. She figured she was ready to face the world as the
new Aelida. She dressed in her new garb, a pair of Algar riding
pants and vest, new Rivan boots, and a moss green linen shirt. All
were gifts from Shinara.
As she walked to the questmaster's home, she saw a few of her old
customers on the street. Blushing she quickly walked by until she
realized they could not recognize her. She smiled, and with a new
spring in her step she continued along the streets of Sendar.
top
News from Tolnedra
The old man looked furtively around as he talked with his cronies
in their customary spot in the park. "The baker told me that
the killer has been stalking people in the light of day. He's bold
that one, walking right up to them and dragging them into an alley.
"
There had been rumors flying around like mad in the streets of Tol
Honeth. The local Legionnaires were baffled. There seemed to be
no rhyme or reason to the choice of victims. The citizens of the
city were constantly on the verge of panic. Tensions were running
high.
In a small room in Sendar there was one person who cared nothing
for life. Aelida sat on her bed in a daze. Shinara had to travel
to Tol Honeth to pick up the lank, wan Algar. She sat there, looking
out into space not part of this world.
"They say he cuts off their hands and feet. How gruesome!"
The mother stood over the fence talking to her neighbor as her brood
played in the sun. "Well I am no longer allowed to go to the
market on my own, for fear of him attacking me. I cannot imagine
what Tildarr would do if I were killed. Those poor families."
The neighbour whispered.
The Algar just sat on her bed, lost in her thoughts of a beautiful
face, olive skin, and blue eyes.
top
Revenge
I hate what you did
You took her a way from me
I am now hollow, empty, bitter
She was happiness, she was freedom
I have no soul
I will hunt you down
I will make you suffer
I will live my life solely for one purpose
To kill you
I have no soul
I only have revenge.
top
History
An excerpt from the life of Aelida the Vengeful.
After the death of Deliza, her lover, Aelida had to be taken back
to Sendar. There she was cared for by Shinara, her mentor. The temptation
to go back to her life of drugs and sex was very strong. The only
thing keeping her clean at the time was thoughts of revenge. After
weeks of isolation, Aelida emerged as a changed woman. She was lean,
and fit, ready for battle. She left Sendar to train in the art of
war and became a swordsman of some renown. She was once an open,
carefree person but after her training she was single-minded in
her desire for revenge. Four years later, Aelida set out to Tolnedra,
to find Deliza's killer.
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Musings
Her new room was nice, it was simple but comfortable, and had a
window above the bed. There she sat, and was lost in her thoughts.
Her mind wandered, reflecting on things past... Revaluating her
future. She saw him... Deliza's killer. And when looking at him
she saw in his eyes, insanity.
She shook her head free of the thoughts of pity. She wasn’t
supposed to be soft. She was trained to kill, and lived for revenge.
That's all she had known for the last eight years. But those ideas
were changing. Here in Camaar she lived with Algars. She had avoided
her countrymen since her own caravan had exiled her. She had fallen
in love with another girl, something which her ultraconservative
family had forbidden.
Even now, she questioned that facet of her life, she had enjoyed
the company of both men and women. She didn’t know what to
think. This new flood of compassion was confusing her. Everything
she'd ever thought as the truth was crumbling around her. All she
wanted was happiness, peace. And yet she felt she was never going
to have that ever.
Was her warrior life really what Belar had set forth for her? Was
she meant to kill? Was that what her skills were for? Or were they
to be used elsewhere. She shook her head, watching the sun set out
across the Camaar skyline. Maybe she should sleep. It won’t
seem so bad in the morning.
top
She rises from the ashes
The halls were quiet, for once. Aelida wandered, exploring her new
home. Today she would go to the church of Belar. It was a place
she'd not been in for years. She had many many sins to confess.
Her thoughts wandered, for she was at the point in her life where
she needed to change. It was time to let go. She knew that.
Letting go was something she knew she had to do. And it wasn’t
just letting go of her need for revenge, it was letting go of her
old ways. She had to start growing as a person, and allow herself
to feel once again. Her heart ached, there were memories of warm
tolnedran nights, and soft blonde hair. But she knew, she needed
to focus on the good things, on Deliza's happiness. Not her death.
She walked through the marketplace and stopped at a booth. There
she saw the most beautiful piece of embroidery she'd ever seen.
It was a wall hanging, and on it in vibrant colors was a phoenix
as it rose from the ashes. She just stared at it, it was her. She
was a phoenix.... And she knew then. She bought the wall hanging,
and stode to the temple of Belar.
It was time she rose from the ashes.
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