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Mikaela knew the mission wouldn't be easy—not if it meant keeping the life Lathander had lovingly granted her at Aelita's request. She was grateful, if quietly somber. Completing the task was the only way to find joy in this unfamiliar existence.
Eating, drinking, breathing—it was all new. Her body still bore the pallor of undeath, though she suspected she'd always been pale. She couldn't be sure. Even restored, her memories hadn't returned—only those forged after her turning remained. Memories of her friends, the only family she'd ever known.
She missed them terribly. Pie's ridiculous name games, Aelita's innuendos, Pippi's earnest praise—even Temerity's brooding silence. She pursed her lips, recalling their last exchange. It had felt... hollow. Maybe she'd expected more. But Temerity had his own path, and she respected his choice to turn inward when she left.
Her making had not been... an easy birth into undeath. She had been forced under the wing of her Master vampire for some time, doing as he bid, when he bid. It seemed Elyndros, her Master, had found his brood more malleable without the drawbacks of memories. Pft. Personalities. Who needed them? However, his capture had proven quite helpful in tracking down her nest mates. All had fallen quickly. Resplendently. Being a pawn of the Dawnbringer had some perks. She hefted the morningstar in her hand, weighty, with a balanced pommel that helped even out her swing... and muffled the reverberation on a stiff hit. Not to mention the cuirass that protected her torso, a light metal thing that glinted in the light. It had taken her some time to get used to the constant shine of... everything regarding the Dawnbringer. The tinted spectacles helped some, though. Her free hand held the sceptre and her Master. Elyndros.
Set me free, Mikaela, and I will ensure yo-
"Shut the fuck up. Once Milas is dead, I'll be free of you and everything you've ever tainted." The red jeweled sceptre grew silent, the glow of the ruby dulling down to nothing but a simple stone.
Mikaela stood before an old door in a decrepit place. The ruins were... familiar. Not in the kind of way someone might remember a place, but in that eerie, far-reaching... almost a whole picture way. Mikaela had made her way through a maze of traps and monsters, the blood of the latter smeared across the gold emblazoned across her chest. This grand place had once, coincidentally, been a Temple dedicated to Lathander, now it housed Milas. The last of her coven. Turned the handle and threw open the door. Watched as the door banged against the stone wall behind it, the sound clattering down the hallway that opened before her. The other end? A flickering reddish glow from beyond.
"Welcome. Please, enter Mikaela. I have been waiting for you." His voice was deeper than she remembered. Or perhaps he had aged somewhat. Instead, she walked down the hallway, one armored foot behind the other.
"It's over, Milas. Elyndros is captured, and your time has come." Mikaela entered through the open archway into the glowing space. A hearth held a lofty fire, this was... a study by the looks of it. Books lined deeply stained shelves, heavy rugs covered the old wood floor, and the place smelled heavily of cigars and whiskey. Down here, deep in this Temple, Milas' nest had hollowed into the sacred ground, burrowing deep into the land. She could feel the light of Lathander's fire surrounding her.
"Look who sold out.... my lovely sister," An equally pale man sat in a leather chair, swirling a deep crimson drought in a simple glass chalice. He took a swig before setting the drink down on the side table next to him and standing. His movement was fast, and before she could blink, his cold, clawed hand was wrapped around her throat. Her feet dangled below as he lifted her. There, eye to eye, gasping for breath, Mikaela found that similarity again.
That eerie place of recognition.
A memory...
Pain. Everything was pain, white hot and lancing through her body as slowly the cold seeping into her veins. She gasped, her lungs failing, the liquid cold from his bite on her neck becoming the focal point of her pain. Her eyes fluttered briefly, catching the mirrored pain in her brother's eyes. His body wracked with each open-mouthed gasp. His fingers, his hand reaching for hers. Trying to hold her hand. Just as his fingers curled around hers, the darkness had consumed her mind, and she succumbed to it. Wholly.
"Ah, there you are." His smile held a small dose of menace, something that had once been... kind to her. Mikaela still struggled in his grip, and she gulped desperately for air.
"Living.... no dear sister, you cannot escape undeath and leave me behind." His fangs elongated, his mouth opening wide as he moved in to bite. The sharp pain in her neck caused a clenched-jawed groan. Her hand clenching her morningstar, she reared up, and with all the strength she could muster, she hit him with it. The jarring motion caused his teeth to tear into her neck more. However, Milas dropped her and moved back with a hiss. Mikaela slapped a hand to her neck, uttered a healing word, and stemmed the blood flow. Then turned to point the bloodied morningstar at Milas.
"I'm done. No longer will I be ruled by others. You, or anyone else." She lunged, bringing the morningstar into an upward arc, and he dodged to the side and struck as well, scraping his claws against the armored chest piece. With another heft, Mikaela slammed the Morningstar into his shoulder. She bared her teeth at him, even without fangs, the movement was a habit, and he responded in kind. Mikaela took a step back, holding her weapon aloft.
"You have nothing without this life, Mikaela. Without Us!" He growled, eyes locking onto the sight of the sceptre Mikaela held next to her.
"Oh? Found our friend? Our Master?" She waved the sceptre at him, a smile splitting red full lips. "Don't think he can help you. In fact, no one can. You're done. And so is he." Mikaela brought the ruby of the sceptre and smashed it into the wall behind her with a quick jerk. The ruby shattered, and a forceful wave of power blasted through the room. Mikeala stutter stepped forward while she watched Milas' eyes go wide. Before he could utter another word, she brought the weapon above her head.
"Anar ná auta, lómë ná vanwa!" Sunlight flooded the room in a broad beam, engulfing Milas in flames as he succumbed to the radiant light. Mikaela watched, and for a moment, sorrow filled her chest at the sight of him. His charred hand reached out for her, and she felt the sting in her chest. She was done. She had completed Lathander's mission. She dropped to her knees, and tears spilled. Memories flooded back, a life. Her life. Her... home in Neverwinter. Her Husband. Her children. Even their dog. She had enjoyed raising their son and daughter while Enrin worked at the college as a librarian. Tears came freely now. The ring around her finger glinted in the firelight. Every tender moment they had shared, every laughing sprint to their favorite picnic spot, their days in the sun while their children played. All of it morphed into a night of horror. Mikaela had returned late one evening due to rain. Her home had been ransacked, their belongings torn through. Her children... She blinked through tears as she heaved in a sucking breath, remembering what she had found that night. Her husband torn to pieces. Like a rag doll. And Elyndros standing above him, his mouth and chin coated in the crimson blood.
Mikaela slammed her fist against the wood of the floor. Then again and again. It was centuries old now. These memories were a past she could no longer reach. Gold light fell over her then, as Lathander made his presence known once again. A heavy hand grasped her shoulder, warming the metal of her armor, then she looked up to see Lathander's worried face.
"Knowledge isn't always... pain free, but it is a treasure to have their memory. You are free of my charge, of my debt. You have proven yourself worthy of this new life, and I gift it to you freely now." He helped her stand, holding his hand out to her, and she did. The pale elven woman shook her head, her eyes squeezed shut. "I didn't even get to say goodbye. I've wandered in the darkness for so long. Oblivious. Lathander. It hurts." Lathander braced Mikaela in an enveloping hug.
"You will know what to do when you figure out your role in this life."
"Will you... guide me?"
"I will be your Dawn, child. It is simply your choice on what to do with the day that follows."
"I have some business to attend to."
Eating, drinking, breathing—it was all new. Her body still bore the pallor of undeath, though she suspected she'd always been pale. She couldn't be sure. Even restored, her memories hadn't returned—only those forged after her turning remained. Memories of her friends, the only family she'd ever known.
She missed them terribly. Pie's ridiculous name games, Aelita's innuendos, Pippi's earnest praise—even Temerity's brooding silence. She pursed her lips, recalling their last exchange. It had felt... hollow. Maybe she'd expected more. But Temerity had his own path, and she respected his choice to turn inward when she left.
Her making had not been... an easy birth into undeath. She had been forced under the wing of her Master vampire for some time, doing as he bid, when he bid. It seemed Elyndros, her Master, had found his brood more malleable without the drawbacks of memories. Pft. Personalities. Who needed them? However, his capture had proven quite helpful in tracking down her nest mates. All had fallen quickly. Resplendently. Being a pawn of the Dawnbringer had some perks. She hefted the morningstar in her hand, weighty, with a balanced pommel that helped even out her swing... and muffled the reverberation on a stiff hit. Not to mention the cuirass that protected her torso, a light metal thing that glinted in the light. It had taken her some time to get used to the constant shine of... everything regarding the Dawnbringer. The tinted spectacles helped some, though. Her free hand held the sceptre and her Master. Elyndros.
Set me free, Mikaela, and I will ensure yo-
"Shut the fuck up. Once Milas is dead, I'll be free of you and everything you've ever tainted." The red jeweled sceptre grew silent, the glow of the ruby dulling down to nothing but a simple stone.
Mikaela stood before an old door in a decrepit place. The ruins were... familiar. Not in the kind of way someone might remember a place, but in that eerie, far-reaching... almost a whole picture way. Mikaela had made her way through a maze of traps and monsters, the blood of the latter smeared across the gold emblazoned across her chest. This grand place had once, coincidentally, been a Temple dedicated to Lathander, now it housed Milas. The last of her coven. Turned the handle and threw open the door. Watched as the door banged against the stone wall behind it, the sound clattering down the hallway that opened before her. The other end? A flickering reddish glow from beyond.
"Welcome. Please, enter Mikaela. I have been waiting for you." His voice was deeper than she remembered. Or perhaps he had aged somewhat. Instead, she walked down the hallway, one armored foot behind the other.
"It's over, Milas. Elyndros is captured, and your time has come." Mikaela entered through the open archway into the glowing space. A hearth held a lofty fire, this was... a study by the looks of it. Books lined deeply stained shelves, heavy rugs covered the old wood floor, and the place smelled heavily of cigars and whiskey. Down here, deep in this Temple, Milas' nest had hollowed into the sacred ground, burrowing deep into the land. She could feel the light of Lathander's fire surrounding her.
"Look who sold out.... my lovely sister," An equally pale man sat in a leather chair, swirling a deep crimson drought in a simple glass chalice. He took a swig before setting the drink down on the side table next to him and standing. His movement was fast, and before she could blink, his cold, clawed hand was wrapped around her throat. Her feet dangled below as he lifted her. There, eye to eye, gasping for breath, Mikaela found that similarity again.
That eerie place of recognition.
A memory...
Pain. Everything was pain, white hot and lancing through her body as slowly the cold seeping into her veins. She gasped, her lungs failing, the liquid cold from his bite on her neck becoming the focal point of her pain. Her eyes fluttered briefly, catching the mirrored pain in her brother's eyes. His body wracked with each open-mouthed gasp. His fingers, his hand reaching for hers. Trying to hold her hand. Just as his fingers curled around hers, the darkness had consumed her mind, and she succumbed to it. Wholly.
"Ah, there you are." His smile held a small dose of menace, something that had once been... kind to her. Mikaela still struggled in his grip, and she gulped desperately for air.
"Living.... no dear sister, you cannot escape undeath and leave me behind." His fangs elongated, his mouth opening wide as he moved in to bite. The sharp pain in her neck caused a clenched-jawed groan. Her hand clenching her morningstar, she reared up, and with all the strength she could muster, she hit him with it. The jarring motion caused his teeth to tear into her neck more. However, Milas dropped her and moved back with a hiss. Mikaela slapped a hand to her neck, uttered a healing word, and stemmed the blood flow. Then turned to point the bloodied morningstar at Milas.
"I'm done. No longer will I be ruled by others. You, or anyone else." She lunged, bringing the morningstar into an upward arc, and he dodged to the side and struck as well, scraping his claws against the armored chest piece. With another heft, Mikaela slammed the Morningstar into his shoulder. She bared her teeth at him, even without fangs, the movement was a habit, and he responded in kind. Mikaela took a step back, holding her weapon aloft.
"You have nothing without this life, Mikaela. Without Us!" He growled, eyes locking onto the sight of the sceptre Mikaela held next to her.
"Oh? Found our friend? Our Master?" She waved the sceptre at him, a smile splitting red full lips. "Don't think he can help you. In fact, no one can. You're done. And so is he." Mikaela brought the ruby of the sceptre and smashed it into the wall behind her with a quick jerk. The ruby shattered, and a forceful wave of power blasted through the room. Mikeala stutter stepped forward while she watched Milas' eyes go wide. Before he could utter another word, she brought the weapon above her head.
"Anar ná auta, lómë ná vanwa!" Sunlight flooded the room in a broad beam, engulfing Milas in flames as he succumbed to the radiant light. Mikaela watched, and for a moment, sorrow filled her chest at the sight of him. His charred hand reached out for her, and she felt the sting in her chest. She was done. She had completed Lathander's mission. She dropped to her knees, and tears spilled. Memories flooded back, a life. Her life. Her... home in Neverwinter. Her Husband. Her children. Even their dog. She had enjoyed raising their son and daughter while Enrin worked at the college as a librarian. Tears came freely now. The ring around her finger glinted in the firelight. Every tender moment they had shared, every laughing sprint to their favorite picnic spot, their days in the sun while their children played. All of it morphed into a night of horror. Mikaela had returned late one evening due to rain. Her home had been ransacked, their belongings torn through. Her children... She blinked through tears as she heaved in a sucking breath, remembering what she had found that night. Her husband torn to pieces. Like a rag doll. And Elyndros standing above him, his mouth and chin coated in the crimson blood.
Mikaela slammed her fist against the wood of the floor. Then again and again. It was centuries old now. These memories were a past she could no longer reach. Gold light fell over her then, as Lathander made his presence known once again. A heavy hand grasped her shoulder, warming the metal of her armor, then she looked up to see Lathander's worried face.
"Knowledge isn't always... pain free, but it is a treasure to have their memory. You are free of my charge, of my debt. You have proven yourself worthy of this new life, and I gift it to you freely now." He helped her stand, holding his hand out to her, and she did. The pale elven woman shook her head, her eyes squeezed shut. "I didn't even get to say goodbye. I've wandered in the darkness for so long. Oblivious. Lathander. It hurts." Lathander braced Mikaela in an enveloping hug.
"You will know what to do when you figure out your role in this life."
"Will you... guide me?"
"I will be your Dawn, child. It is simply your choice on what to do with the day that follows."
"I have some business to attend to."