Eskila

Eskila
Status	Active
Race	Prydaen
Gender	Female
Guild	Paladin
Instance	Prime

Description

You see Initiate Paladin Eskila, a Prydaen.
Eskila has a round face, cat-slitted crystal green eyes and a small nose.  Her bright orange-streaked black mane is shoulder length and fine, and is worn in a mop of unruly cowlicks.  She has tortoiseshell fur, a slender tail and a scrawny figure.
She is average height for a Prydaen.
She appears to be a a mouse-catcher.

She is wearing a blood orange dragon lily, some black steel-rimmed spectacles, a long orange tunic wrapped in a veil of soft mists, an elegant orange velvet skirt and a pair of bright orange leather sandals.

Eski Facts

• Grew up on a pig farm.
• Girlfriend of Opol.
• Owner of Ms. Beanpop Snow the red-eyed white rat.
• Likes the color orange, it matches her fur.
• Favorite colors are teal or purple.
• Trains too much.
• Always tired.
• Collects all the worn knives. Daggers are not knives.
• Against raisins in things.

Quotes

Anuril quietly asks, "Does Opol want you to sacrifice yourself for her?"
You wearily say, "If she doesn't, she shouldn't have flirted with a paladin."
Anuril says, "Point."

You wearily say, "I am... a shield."
Kethrai quietly says, "I think she wants you to be more than that to her."
You wearily say, "Then she's going to have to forge that part herself or with me, because when I became a shield, there wasn't anything else left."
Kethrai says, "I think she might be happy to build it with you. Or discover it, at least."
You wearily say, "I'd be happy to, too."

You wearily ask, "That island... it was evil wasn't it?"
You wearily say, "It was gross, and painful, and scary."
Kethrai says, "Most evil place I've ever seen."
Kethrai says, "Hopefully that record lasts a long time..."
You wearily say, "There was something awful and wrong about it that I don't understand."
You wearily ask, "And the paladin weapon I helped with fixed some of that?"
Kethrai says, "And it saved us all, and let us all get home."
You wearily ask, "How would you feel if that island was broken into a million small parts, and each part was inside someone's heart?"
Kethrai quietly asks, "Scared?"
You wearily say, "Ok."
Kethrai says, "But, you don't have... the evil island in your heart, Eskila."
You wearily say, "No, I don't."
You wearily say, "This is the strength of my soul."
You rub the tailband...
It gleams brightly with a pristine luminescence!
You wearily say, "Soul is memories."
You wearily say, "Memories are heart."
You wearily ask, "Right?"
Kethrai says, "Sure."
You wearily say, "I'm here to protect you from the pieces of that island that live in the hearts of everyone else."
Kethrai says to you, "I'm just... glad that you're here."
You wearily say, "So have no fear."
You wearily say, "I don't."

You wearily say, "I'm not afraid. I just don't know what to do if it happens again. I think I faced the scariest thing I might ever see in my lifetime, and then I was put in front of a weapon that made it go away. I had that power, in my hands. And now I don't. Not scared. Just helpless."

Story

Part 1

    Her sister's tail slipped from her fingers.

    "Come on, Eski, try to keep up."

    "I'm trying... you're just so fast..."

    "I'm only walking, slowpoke."

    "I can't... breathe..."

    "OK... I'll wait around the next corner!"

    Eskila stopped jogging and doubled over in the snow, panting for breath. The dark, blurry figure of her sister receded into the distance, vanishing into the scenery before the road even turned. She rubbed her eyes, blinking away the frost from her eyelids, and slowly toppled backwards to sit and breathe. If Skylea would wait like she said, then she could wait, too.

    Her chest didn't stop hurting, but after a few minutes she stood up and plodded along the path anyway, going her own pace.

    Skylea was waiting, dozing off in the cover of the small trees just off the path.

    "You OK?"

    Eskila stopped to gasp for breath again, nodding.

    "Come on, sis..." Skylea got up and knelt before her, taking her hands and turning around to wrap Eskila's arms around her neck. "Want to be home for dinner."

    Eskila let herself be lifted onto her sister's back, her eyes closing in relief. 

---

Part 2

    "Mom, I can go to the market myself next time."

    "Its OK to be slow, Sky. Eskila needs the fresh air."

    "I don't want to spend all day waiting for her! She can't even last a mile anymore."

    Her family's voices drifted through the curtain-covered doorway as she lie in the darkness of the bedroom, her body aching even after the sun had set.

    "Honey, its the only time she gets to spend with you, can't you just enjoy it?"

    "I used to. Its not fun."

    "Just give it time. The new medicine should start working in a few days, she'll get better."

    "Can't she stay home until then? I already have to do her work, its not fair to carry her too..."

    Eskila pulled her pillow over her ears and tried to fall back asleep.

---

Part 3

    She woke to the feeling of her sister sliding into the bed next to her. She nudged herself to the far side, pressing her back to the cold wall to not take up so much room.

    Skylea sighed and pulled her close after getting comfortable, and Eskila let out a short purr at the softness of her sister's fur caressing her body. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but Skylea's snoring never came. She gave her sister a gentle poke.

    "Sky?"

    "What is it?"

    "I wanted to know if you're awake."

    "Yes, I am."

    "OK."

    They lie in silence. Sky's fingers crept up along Eskila's back and began to gently massage her, eliciting more purring.

    "I wish I'd gotten sick instead of you," said Skylea.

    Eskila's purring stopped.

    "Why?"

    "You were stronger than me before."

    "That's not true. We were six. Six year olds aren't strong."

    "You never complain about anything."

    Eskila dug her face into her sister's neck, saying nothing.

    "You never tattle. You never tell anyone no, even when you can't do something. You just keep trying until you do it, or you faint. I have to tell dad all the time I give up, when we're working. Giving up is easy. Why can't you do it? Why do you have to be so pig-headed all the time? Wasting everyone's time."

    "I'm sorry."

    It felt like an hour had gone by before Sky whispered back.

    "Me, too. Its hard for me. I can't imagine how hard it is for you. I know you never wanted to be anyone's burden. Look... I still love you, OK?"

    "OK."

    "I hope the new medicine works."

    "It won't."

    Skylea's claws pressed into her back.

    "Don't say that."

    "None of them worked..."

    "Because that crackpot alchemist was a fake... dad says this is the real stuff this time. Its going to work. Its going to work, you're going to be able to breathe again. I didn't mean what I was saying... I don't want you to give up, not ever. Not on this, OK? Esk... hey, stop that... stop crying, you'll wake them up..."

    "Sky... Gladnyss said her boy died of it... he said he couldn't see her face..."

    "Hush..."

    "She said... when he was dying... he said... it was just colors..."

    "Eski... Eski, you're not going to die..."

    Skylea's claws drew blood as she held her sister tight as she possibly could, Eskila's sobbing and wheezing turning into wracking coughs that eventually wore her out until sunrise.

---

Part 4

    Summer sunlight baked the side of her face, making her eye ache and flicker shut.

    "Eski, hey... don't doze off now."

    "I'm not dozing, daddy."

    She clutched the stick tightly, wishing she could snap it in half, tear it into splinters. Her neck ached with the effort of keeping her head upright. Everything ached. She could barely keep the stick in her grip. Stupid stick. Stupid chair. Stupid bell.

    "Sky says your breathing's been better, since we ran out of the medicine."

    "A little."

    "I'm sorry we wasted so much time, baby. Those awful potions. No more of those for you. So... we're going to the city tomorrow."

    "OK."

    "And I've sold the pigs, so we have... We have enough for a healer."

    Eskila shut her eyes again, so she wouldn't have to pretend to look at her father's face, but her ears perked forward.

    "I want to know if you think you're up for a wagon ride."

    "I don't know," she said truthfully.

    "We'll take all the pillows and blankets to keep you comfortable. We'll take it slow."

    "I'll try."

    "That's my girl. Hey, just a little longer, baby, OK?"

    Half of her face smiled, for a moment.

    "You need anything today, while we pack up?"

    "Can I go outside?"

    She felt his lips touch her forehead, then the chair lifted clean off the ground. Her tail dragged along the ground, her muscles too weak to lift it. She opened her eyes and colors blurred together until they burst into a dazzling, blinding blue, and she felt the chair turning slowly until the soft warmth of sunlight fell onto her shadow-cold fur, and shivered at how nice it felt.

    "Here good for you?"

    "Thank you, daddy."

    "Tap the bell if you get thirsty." She hated them reminding her. "Don't yell."

    His fingers brushed through her mane, then she was alone.

    There wasn't any wind. Her family's muffled voices would drift around her, in and out of the house. No work today, she thought. Maybe no work ever again, without the pigs. The sun got hot, her throat got dry, and she somehow found the energy to lift her arm enough to wave the stick between her knees, until it hit the little bell dangling down the front of the chair.

    Skylea's fingers brushed her arm shortly after, and the wooden rim of a cup pressed to her lips. She flicked her ears "yes" and coughed as the water came too quickly. Sky had never figured out how to go slow.

    "Sorry. Hey. City, huh. River Crossing. That'll be fun, right? I heard there's shows. Real fun things people do. Drinking contests... hey, I'll sneak you something, you want?"

    "No."

    "OK. More water, head up. There we go."

    Skylea sat down next to her, her tail curling around Eskila's ankles.

    "Dad's tough to talk to lately. Mom just clams up like you. Neither of them told you why we're all going, did they?"

    "No."

    "We're turning fourteen soon, right? Dad said I'm... I look fifteen, from all the work. They want me to join a guild. I haven't decided yet. Which one, I mean. Can you imagine, me doing magic? I'll probably go with barbarian. They're cool, right?"

    Half a smile again.

    "Yes."

    Silence. Then:

    "Wouldn't be around much. With the training. The bounties, hunting down goblins and things."

    Silence.

    "I don't want to do it, Eski..."

    Silence.

    "But I want to be more like you, so I'm going to do it. And when you're better, you better come join me, OK? Who knows... I've never seen an Empath before, but with the stories... maybe we can join a guild together, right after? We can stay together. And we'll be really cool heroes, helping people, making money for mom and dad, they won't have to work anymore, no more pigs, no more mud..."

    Sky's hand, fingers wrapping around her fingers, clenching tight enough to hurt, but she doesn't cry out.

    "That's what I hope for. You and me. How it should always have been."

    Silence, but her cheeks tickle as tears drip down through her whiskers.

    A sigh. Sky's fingers retreat.

    "Sun's setting. I'll go get dad to bring you in. Everything's changing tomorrow. Try to cheer up, OK? We're getting our lives back. We're... we're starting our lives... Eskila, I promise... no matter what I have to do... I'm going to be there for you. I mean really there for you. With you. Whatever it takes. I love you... I..."

    Her voice cracked. Eskila's ears turn towards her.

    "I love you, too."

    She holds her hand out, but Sky's footsteps patter up into the house.

---

Part 5

    The sky rumbled, nothing but grey as far as she could see in any direction, until the forest canopy squeezed in over the wagon.

    The smooth dirt path gave way to a rocky, bumpy trail, then to a muddy, wobbly road. Something big and dark and also grey passed overhead, and the wheels rattled on stone.

    "We're in the city now, Eski," said Skylea. Her voice was grey, too.

More to come...