Volfen: Endings

[Sakes]

[ Just something I've been kicking around in my head.  This never actually happened in game.  One of many possible endings for the character, I guess ]

When did things get so out of control? Without thinking he rubbed the finger wearing his ring.

That ring.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.  He had to ensure her safety.  He couldn't control his power, and that could have been dangerous.   It was for her, afterall.  So they could be together without risk.  So he could hold her in his arms without fear for harming her.  It was the only way... this ring that offered him full control of his powers.

But he never understood the price.  The ring that was supposed to free him had bound him.  The ring which was supposed to bring them together had torn them appart.

He couldn't feel anything for the things he had done in the service of his new masters.  Nor could he feel anything for the shadows of the past that haunted him.    He felt nothing, no remose, no guilt, no regrets.   But it was different with her.  The one feeling the ring could not conqueor in him was his love.   Love was indomitable, even to charms as powerful as the one he now bore.

He recalled the last time he was with her.  It was less than a week ago, and they both knew what the future had in store.  They would have to face eachother.    Yet, for one night they were able to forget this war, forget the conflict which had driven them apart.  They were simply together as they had been so long ago.  


But that night was long gone, and the dreaded time had come.  

Volfen stood amoung his troops, looking at her.  The tattered remains of what was left of those who gathered in defense of the camp stood with her.

"Leave Khyarha to me.  Kill the rest..." He spoke the words flatly.

The commander frowned and turned to him.  "Volfen, this infatuation of yours troubles me.  Its a weakness and time you purged yourself of it."

"She does not need to be killed."

"On the contrary" His commander spoke evenly. "I think its time you proved your loyality and ended this once and for all.  Kill her."

"No." This was the first time he had openly refused them since coming into their service.  


"You dare refuse my order? I think its time I reminded you of that ring you bear."

Pain flashed through Volfen's mind as the ring activated.  He screamed aloud as he felt to the grond, writing in agony.  the solders looked on with amusement as what was left of the camps defenders watched uneasily.  Khyarha watched in horror as she realized how he had been being controlled.

Then,  the pain stopped.  Volfen breathed heavily as he tried to recover himself.

"You must be free of.... other considerations.... kill her."

Volfen stood, and strightened himself and recovered his sword from where he had lost it when the ring was activated.  He looked over to Khy,  flatly, he was stoic as ever, his face unreadable.

"I'm sorry Khyarha.  I didn't want it to end this way. but..."

He raised his ringed hand to her, his sword in the other.

"....one of us has to die."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe.  She thought back to the last time they were together.  She had know he would kill her.  Then why did she not killed him then?  She had the chance.  Because she couldn't.  Even though he was about to take her life she couldn't bring herself to do it.  The fragile hope that the man she once loved was still alive in him was  enough to stay her hand.    

She was not afraid to die, and she knew Volfen would let it be a quick death, she had deserved that much.  Her eyes opened.  She would meet death, not hide from it.

But there was no magic released.  Instead, in a quick motion, Volfen's sword cut the air, severing his other arm at the wrist.  Volfen cried out in pain as his severed hand fell to the ground.  The hand with the ring still on it.

The eyes of his commander openned in shock.  "Kill h-" is all he had time to says as he was encompassed in a ball of flame.

Without the ring to control his powers, and the pain from his severed hand, Volfen lost control.  Flame lashed out from all directions, fueled by Volfen's pain and rage.  The soldiers turned and tryed to flee.  Those who weren't engulfed by flame were cut down by the camp's defenders.


The hellish outburst was intense, but brief.  Volfen fell to the ground, his powered expelled.  Though the fight was quick,  he had lost a great deal of blood, and he had not been able to escape his own blaze.  He was badly bured, as well as drained of all strength by wielding his powers so recklessly.  

He fell on his back, watching the canopy of trees and thought of home.  The pain began to melt away, and was replaced with a peaceful numbness.  His breath came to him only in shallow rasps.

He felt someone take his hand.  He mustered the strength to turn his head.  He knew who it was.  He wanted to see her face one last time.

"Khyarha... forgive... me..."

She said nothing. No words were needed.  He felt her arms wrap around him.  He was with her again.  That was good enough.   The world faded away, and he slipped away into nothingness.

[Chyelle]

*huggles sakes* awp, all for love.

[Talie]

Loved that story! and yay! someone actaully dies in the end ^_^ score for the dark side!

[AngryKidJoe]

*liked the story as well*

[Firegurl50]

The last trembling sob escapes her as she slowly rises from holder her now lifeless love.

 Much time had past, her protective spells had long since dissapated. Slowly she rose to her feet attemtping to wipe tears from her now stoic face with the back of her leather sleeve. Useless that was, the scorched leather mearly smeared teary soot across her face before crumpling to nothing in places.

 That asided, she regains compsure, understanding now all to well the mental status of her mentor. The once full of vigor and compassion elven undead huntress turns also to apathy.
  She looks to the amputed hand of her late love, picks up the ring as the finger within crumples to ashes.  The flames in her eyes die and turn cold as she wraps the ring in a cloth then stows it in a belt-pouch at her hip.  Quite possibly, mearly just a trinket now she would keep it as a reminder with a secret vow to herself.

 One of vengence? Perhaps.

 She looks to her weapons and scrolls, sorts her belongings and removes all things pertaining to flame or fire. Save protections from it. She lay them all with him. Never again would she be comfortable using fire in battle. It would likely result in a distracting depression.

 She would go on though, through the motions of life till she could join him once again. Khyarha was certain Volfen would wait for her in the elven- after-life. Till then she would return to the only thing she knew.

 Keeping the undead inanimate.

  Was that a rustle in the bushes over there, a small movement in the shadows from the corner of your eye? It could be her, observing and not disturbing.  Wars, turmoils, good, evil, just, unjust... all perhaps just different points of view to her now. Sometimes she might peer in on old friends (avoiding campfires save perhaps occasionally her old usual trees-roots) and attempt to reminisc or rise any feeling she may have had before. Failing miserably as she plummets into numbness. Her only companions now, her stealthy feline friends (more like family to her), the land she thrives off, her bow, and two curved blades.

[Whitefeather50]

Much time has passed, evils have come and gone,  an entire city crumbled, human aquaintences aged some passed away, many other aquaintences simply moved on out of the wood. Much had changed very little remained the same. Few remnants of her past remained in the wood as all she would do is observe silently from the shadows. Noticed or not it did not matter to her with each significant event she would simply turn away.

  In her solitude she took solace, more feral she became, back to her roots, a part of the woods. Though loneliness often drove her to observe the good old camp she would observe select few that would catch her interest and watch their lives as if reading a book. This would usually be enough to keep her company.

  Till this night...

 She found herself at the base of her favorite tree in east neverwinter wood. A old ring in her hand. Here they often would come for privacy to be alone in each others arms. This place seemed appropriate, she used her old scimitar and dug a deep tiny little grave for this ring, hidden between the roots of the great tree. She dropped it in and scooped dirt over it unceremoniously.  Then with  feline grace and a feral gleam in her eye she sprang up a tree and scampered along the canopy to the western edge of the wood.
 
 Time to move on...

 She slipped down out of the wood onto Western road and headed for the old tomb. Part of the little that had remained the same of course was the continuous battle against the undead. She observed a specific few she had come to admire continue with the same determination against undead she once had. It was time to assist them. Her skills had all atrophied she was aware save the ones she had never stopped using. She would have to learn new techniques anyway refusing to tap into her mageblood would change things greatly. No longer would she enflame her blades..No longer would she shoot explosive arrows..

 She still wore her three old patches on her leathers one her old symbol of a guardian of the old druids Circle.  Delimar had long since passed away she was no longer in that ...though still wore the patch with pride. Right with her symbols the elven eyes of Fenmarel.. and one of the Broken Arrow. Perhaps some of her past still clung to her.

 Later she would return to camp. No longer hidden, why bother the stench of undead about her would definately give her away. The old tomb had even changed. It was the same on the outside though the inside a bridge had crumbled yet there was more.. and with it plenty undead still arrising due to the cultists. She had her fill for the day. Now it was time to show her face to at least one of those that she had been watching for so long...Amusing how though she were in plain view it still took awhile for the druid to notice her....

[Wolf]

I enjoyed both Sakes and Kyri's post very much.