III: Rin pt. 2

Previous Entry

✻  ✻  ✻  ✻  ✻

Lana began to explain, in near truths, to Rin what had happened after they parted ways yesterday. After agreeing to wash each other’s backs, Lana left Rin on a promise they’d meet up at the Magic Flute later when she needed to get her things. It so happened that she ran into ‘old friends’ who asked if she’d assist them with a job. The truth was she over heard two men talking about their guild. Needing protection and wanting to accomplish her justice upon Barut, she persuaded the men to her plight.

There was the one, tall, blonde like her, with sky blue eyes named Sylis and the other with dark hair and with sharp features named Shadar. Sylis was wrapped around Lana’s fingers from the moment he saw her. Shadar took more convincing. In the end, they made an attempt to take Barut, but to no victory. Lana woke on the floor of the Inn, pain aching throughout her body, a weight forming as she realized her mortality and brashness.

It bothered her so much that the next morning, she left the men without a goodbye to pay her mother’s grave a visit. What had been a peaceful visit quickly turned. Hours had passed and as she left, a gargoyle attacked! And it didn’t stop there. No. It would seem her thirst for blood had unsettled something sinister. The only luck she held onto was Sylis and Shadar happening to be at the graveyard when she was attacked. Two other guild members aided too, Emmerick, a wizard, and Shard, a Warforge.

They were there to uproot the dark workings that had been reported of late in the cemetery. For Lana, that was news since she had visited her mother’s grave every day for the past two weeks. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Lana ended up tagging along, remembering all who helped were rewarded by the guild. But three hundred gold pieces didn’t seem like much after fighting ghouls, encountering a blood cult, and killing a ghost that took turns possessing the men. It had taken a great toll on all of them, the men having aged, and all with their various cuts and bruises.

An Elf, Wendelin, the one who had requested their services in the first place, urged them all to return once more to the crypt, sensing something dark still remaining. Lana should have suspected then when she reminded them it was okay to run too if whatever it was that linger was greater than their abilities to handle. But the lure of money sang to her and with Shard and Shadar, Lana returned.

The pits of the crypt bore forth a demon. It was what the cult was summoning. Lana quickly realized her feeble bit of fire magic held no effect. Swiftly she retreated to the raised well of holy water. She filled an empty vial with the liquid as well as her emptied water skin. Lana rushed back and threw the glass bottle at the demon. It smashed against its monstrous head. The water sizzled as the creature agonized. It then sent a chain at Shard, knocking him out.

Shard and Lana ran back to the well, Lana pouring out the holy water in the hallway behind them. She then jumped into the pool, part of her wondering if the water would affect her adversely. Her thoughts didn’t linger long as the demon came into sight. It squeezed down the hallway, through the holy water, and rounded the corner to attack Shadar. When he dropped, Lana began to splash the water all over. It was her only defense, her only hope to keep the demon at bay. She then sucked in a deep breath and plunged beneath the surface of the water.

Moments later, a current sudden and strong pulled her from the well and over the crumpled pieces of the structure. The beast had broken the well and screamed in it’s agony as the holy water burned its legs. Lana scrambled to her feet and fled. Wendelin said it was okay to flee. There was no more holy water to use. There was no one else to help fight. She would die if she stayed.

Out of the crypt Lana immediately went into her hysterics. People would come. Someone would help! Her adrenaline was pumping and it was easy to use it to the effect she needed. The first person was a hundred feet from the crypt and Lana began to explain what was happening, looking back once to see if the demon had followed. When she returned her eyes to the person, her mouth fell open and the tears stopped.

Mother? How?

With joy greater than anything she would have expected, she threw her arms around Emma. In that moment there was no demon, no Barut, no nothing that made her afraid. But hands pressed against her shoulders, pushing her back. Lana looked into the eyes of her mother only for them to be filled with anger. “You killed me,” she stated coldly. “You killed me!”

Eyes wide as saucers in her confusion, Lana attempted to explain herself. Emma had been slowly dying since Lana was six years old. Her lungs were deteriorating and the healers couldn’t fix it. Many memories flooded to her mind of her mother sitting in a chair, conserving every breath she could. Before long Emma was bedridden. When Lana was nearly twelve, her mother one day said absent mindedly, “I wish this all could just end.” So she acted mercifully, knowing how to take away the pain and struggle. She had done the same to other animals on the farm when they were wounded beyond help.

Kraig had walked in minutes later to find the pillow forced upon his wife’s face, the limp hands that rested fitfully on the bed, and his daughter unperturbed by her actions. That was what got her sent to the Asylum.

But there she was, in a graveyard being accused by Emma for murder when all this time she thought she had helped her. Something deep inside broke and for the first time hot tears of remorse poured down her cheeks as she ran.

Lana returned her gaze to Rin. She took another sip of the tea he had made her, its calming effects welcomed as her encounter with her mother remained raw. “Indeed, I was asked to help with a job and now I bitterly wish I hadn’t for now I have a demon after me.”
Rin kept his muddy brown eyes upon her as he sipped at his tea. She hadn’t told him the exact truth, but it still left her squirming inside as she awaited judgement of whether or not he found the brief story believable.

“Maybe Rin help Lana?” he finally asked.

“If you can, I’ll be sure to return the favor. I’ll wash your back if you wash mine?” Lana replied, trying to throw humor in to mask her sincere gratitude. Rin shook his head.

“Lana need not pay me back. Lana is Rin’s friend.”

Lana remained speechless as real emotion replaced the facade that was her wall. Rin somehow saw through her defences.

There it is again! He sees me!
Next Entry

II: Rin pt. 1

Previous Entry

RIN

He sees me. He actually sees me!

Of course Lana knows she’s not invisible. As she sat sipping the tea Rin had made her, the emotions that had washed over her, raw and real, ebbed away. A calm replaced the worry, the sorrow, and the anger. She looked into the muddy eyes of the unlikely friend and for once felt different. Rin sat across from her, his fingers laced about his own cup, arms resting on the table, and looking Lana in the eyes with utmost concern. It was his eyes that seemed to pierce through her as they remained unwavering.

Lana wasn’t use to that; anyone showing genuine concern for her. Maybe her parents once looked upon her with similar care, but it must have been a time before she could remember. And Doctor Tomlund only looked upon her as a puzzle he couldn’t figure out. But Rin... he saw her. At first she hated that he made her feel, but whatever he used to make the tea kept her calm.

Of all places, why did I run here?

Lana prided herself in suppressing her emotions. It was one of her hooks for control. But today she had felt real sorrow and cried blindly to Rin. Now he was watching her, waiting patiently, relaxed as though she hadn’t stood him up the day before.

She had found herself in a rather bad situation yesterday morning. Barut Mirehook, a local sleaze, had raped one of the tavern maids that worked at the Magic Flute. Lana had been staying there and the way he had persisted after the girl, grabbing her in spite of her polite refusals, was enough to connect him to the tears and bruises that covered the maid. Lana helped clean the girl up, suggesting she report Barut. A vile taste came to Lana’s mouth as the girl refused. She was being stupid, but then again, if she did speak up, would the authorities treat Barut in a similar manner that the judge treated her father?

Lana’s father, Kraig, had abused her for as long as she could remember. And when she was eight, her father deluded what she thought was love. It only lasted a few years, but the damage was done. She thought Kraig loved her, even after he sent her to Dr. Tomlund's Asylum for Young Girls. Lana was sent there for killing her mother, but was returned to her father when she was sixteen, having been deemed suitable for society. By then Kraig had found another victim and Lana realized she meant nothing to him and that she was only desired for one thing. She took the matter to the judge, but because there was no proof of the incest and the town knowing her history, her father was left alone without consequence. For Lana, that was unacceptable.

She murdered Kraig in their barn. His new pet was there for their rendezvous, Lana loathing her for taking her father’s affections. After stabbing him repeatedly, Lana carefully stabbed herself; once on her right arm and once in her stomach. She still remembers the fire that filled the wounds. She threw the dagger at the feet of the sobbing girl before running to tell a guard what had happened, how she and her father were attacked.

Barut was going to have a similar justice paid to him.

Lana had attributed her talents to being something rather great. She had killed her father and conned her way all the way to the big city of Sharn without trouble. No kinks had come of the quick thought plans. But Barut was stronger and not one to let his guard down in the midst of his lust. Lana had just reached behind her back to pull out the hidden dagger that was to bury itself into the man’s neck, when Barut grabbed her hand and felt the knife. Lucky for Lana that she was quick. She maneuvered off of her target and jumped out the window.

The cold stone ground met her feet a second later and quickly she sprinted. She could hear Barut shouting in pursuit. Lana could only hope that she would out pace him. She then noticed a Halfling running down the alley next to her. “Why girl running?” he had asked in a brisk whisper. “There’s a bad man after me,” Lana began letting the water works start. Tears always made men cleave to her cause. Soon she was directed into a side alley and through a plank of wood that hid a small room. As she stood, trying to catch her breath silently, she learned the young man’s name was Rin.

He was handsome enough. Short, somewhat untidy black hair, brown eyes that matched his earthy outfit, and dirt under his nails as though he’d been working a field or petting a horse.
Of course today Rin looked cleaner. His skin was pink and his hair brushed. His clothes were the same browns and greens.

As they waited around, listening to Barut come and go, Lana knew she would need to return to the Inn eventually to retrieve her things. So she asked Rin if he’d watch her back. The man thought over the proposal longer than she had expected before giving a slow nod and raspy response of, “Rin wash Lana's back... Lana wash Rin's. Yes yes! Rin wash Lana's back!” And he had meant it. Lana slipped out of the home, lying about meeting up with him later and figured she'd get her gear on her own. When she finally returned to the Magic Flute to retrieve her items, she heard, “Rin washes back! Rin washes Lana’s back! Tub and bubbles!” over and over from the washroom. He made so much noise he never noticed her entering and exiting the room.

But here she was, staring back into the murky brown eyes that seemed clearer. Who she took for a creep seemed anything but. He was kind. Other men were kind. But something seemed so different about Rin. Perhaps it was the tea.

“What has made Lana upset?” Rin asked finally.

Yes Lana. What has made you upset?

For the first time, Lana didn’t feel like lying.

✻  ✻  ✻  ✻  ✻

Next Chapter

I: Lana

LANA

Just keep running!

Lana hit the ground hard as she leapt from the window. She had about a second to get moving again before her target got to her. She quickly sprinted down the alley, pulling from her head her wig and slipping off the dress she wore.

This was not what she had intended when she went into the room with Barut Mirehook. Running away from him was far from her mind. She had made a stupid mistake and he caught her, knife in hand before she could make the kill.

Lana had been living in Sharn a few months. She belonged to a small town governed by the city. By foot, it was a week’s travel, and when she arrived with her bat in hand and a pack in the other, she hadn’t predicted she would have been taking upon herself an assassination. No. She had been thinking about entertaining in the means of dance, but she allowed herself to meander about, enjoying the sites the city had.

She was staying at the Magic Flute and made it a point to get to know the staff. The stable boy agreed to pay for her room in exchange for romantic favors. The bartender gave free drinks as she sat listening to his past adventures, pretending to be enraptured by his selfless acts. The cook gave her the first bucket of hot water for baths if she helped peel potatoes or shuck corn. And the young maids traded food for Lana’s wild exploits with men. They were already impressed that she was out on her own at sixteen and were astonished that she already knew the arts of being a woman.

Though her stories were lies, Lana wasn’t inexperienced. She had been on the receiving end of her father’s affections for a quarter of her life. Since leaving her home, she had used her body as a means to pay for the necessities. It wasn’t something Lana plans on doing all her life, but as a young woman in which every man stared at her for one thing, she would use her tactics to survive.

Lana had been at the Magic Flute two weeks when a particular man began to crawl under her skin. Barut was always at the Inn at week’s end. He’d harass the maids, making crude gestures and inappropriate remarks. He had tried for Lana a few times, but she made it clear she wasn’t interested.

It was the morning after Barut’s start of the weekend, when Lana found one of the maids not acting right. She was shaking and more clumsy. It made perfect sense why when she ran from the room as Barut entered. A fire in Lana’s stomach ignited and she set her mark upon the vile man.

Though legally an adult, Lana was still too young and brash. Immediately she slipped away to avenge the maid. If only she had stopped to think, perhaps she would have concocted a better plan than luring Barut into his room alone.

Instead, she found herself running.

Please let me make it out of this!

Next Entry