Leila's Death (Ekheim)

[22:37] Cayden would be seated cross legged on the ground, a body laid in front of him, gently on top of the flowers with a cloak covering their form. One could just notice that it was a small body, not much more without taking the cloak out yet.

"Ekheim..."

He greets his brother in a low voice.
(Cayden Arborea)
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[22:40] Demios stands quietly, his tail swaying about uneasily, wings pressed tightly to his back.
(Demios Arborea)
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[22:40] He squinted at the group. Was it trouble brewing? The heck are these kids doing on his lawn...

Of course, the tone appears a tad darker when he notices a scene of something more grim.

"Cayden," a familiar voice rings out. He seems more in awe, rather than stern. He was confused.

"What in Aschea's name happened down here... I heard reports you and a group of yours were south, but I hadn't any idea what you lot were up to... Do explain, please."
(Hadwin Hazaiah)
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[22:42] The man followed Demios to the front of Myllenoris. Not knowing what to expect. He muttered to himself. "What could be so important?" Once he turned the corner he saw a dire scene. Immediately his face darkened... he didn't know what he was looking at. Why does he need to see whatever this is? By the looks of it, its a dead person?

"Yea...?" He said quite worried of what he is about to see...
(Ekheim Theseus)
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[22:47] Getting up to his feet, he doesn't answer Hadwin, nor does he answer Ekheim, instead, he simply raises his hand above the body.

"I failed you Brother... I'm sorry..."

Whispering those words, they could be heard by all those around in the silence of the nice. The cloak starts to float due to the small ammount of metal it had.

"I arrived too late..."

One could feel the feeling of shame and failure hanging off him.

What was revealed under the cloak was a White haired Felinae's body. It wasn't a pretty sight, a gunshot wound on her right shoulder, wounds caused by sand, broken bones and... a small ammount of metal cleanly having filled and covering the hole she would otherwise have on her forehead due to the bullet which killed the woman. It hadn't gone through the other side of her head, and the bullet had already been removed.

The blood had also been cleaned as much as he could.
(Cayden Arborea)
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[23:03] As the body was shown to him the look on his face deepened. Like he had just died himself. His expression went lifeless. A pool of tears forming at the base of his eyes. --Taking a few steps forward, he begins to ball proper.

"... What?" He seemed to not want to understand. He had just told her how much he cared about her. How he wanted to see her happy. Living a life she was proud of... "You... --that can't be..." He didn't wanna believe it. Was that really the last time he was gunna be able to hold her, pet her head... the last time... He was gunna ever hear her voice again?

He walked up to the corpse. Tears falling and hitting the flowers around her body. His hand shakenly takes a hold of hers. Feeling the cold sense of death that he hated so much. "My... --Kitten is dead?" The man leaned over and pressed her hand against his cheek.

He let it lay there for a moment before he let her hand fall into his lap. Leaned over he released a waterfall over her lifeless body. "... Sh--… This world is..--" He choked up on his words.

Ekheim gave up speaking and caressed her head, looking up to Cayden. His watery eyes looking deep into the covered face of Cayden.

"Who did this? I will kill them... I need to kill them."

His words held a heavy meaning for those who know him. Ekheim doesn't like combat nor death... Cayden knows that Ekheim has only killed once, and it was for Liz. His words were steadfast, and held authority.

The man's gaze looked down. "Why couldn't you have been faster... Why couldn't she have told me..." He muttered under his shaken breath. He felt it was his fault for her death... as much as it was Cayden's...

His red hues moved back to Cayden while waiting for the answer. As for him the rest of the world has ceased to exist.
(Ekheim Theseus)
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[23:09] With a heavy heart, he watched his brother start to cry. He himself was almost at that point too, and then it hits him. Not only the question about who had done it and that his Brother needed to kill them but also...

Why couldn't you have been faster...

His heart turns to stone and a cold feeling passes through his body, any semblance of emotion once held in his body language now gone. The man was as stoic in his interior right now as his helmet made him look most of the time.

His voice is calm as he answers Ekheim.

"I warned her... she made her choice... she went after Silvain. He tried to kill himself after killing her just as we arrived... and as he was about to die, I took him off Domino's corpse and burned him in that cursed forest until he was nothing but ashes."

In his waist, there was a coin with the symbol of a lion, he takes the coin, holding it in between his indicator finger and thumb.

"This is what remains of him..."

Iron collected from the man's blood.
(Cayden Arborea)
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[23:17] What could be said. Flotsam was casually walking, until they heard the cries of a familiar voice nearby. Cries turned into words, threats, murderous intent. It spoke to him, cause their feet to hurry to the situation.

How he wished, they had not. Immediately their own heart shook, becoming broken. There lay a corpse, one of someone he had seen briefly, alongside a man who seemed to be delivering it. But that was not...What shook Sam, it was Ekheim.

"...Why." A word was muttered to the wind, not wishing for a response. The young man was a friend, one he had spoken and heard some of the dreams of. He knew enough to know, they did not care for the war...They wished for peace, on all sides.

Which was why exactly he was heartbroken, they already knew...That the outcast would not be the same. Who would be?
(Flotsam)
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[23:20] He knew Ekheim. He wasn't that bad of a person... This was who Cayden referred to as brother? This world truly is smaller than he would have expected.

And all he could offer were his condolences. He drew parallels between his feelings towards Freya being harmed... he could never hope to comprehend the possibility of her dying like this.

He at least could relate to the hollow feeling of having the deed of revenge performed at his behest- the man is already dead, according to Cayden. He... pities the man.

But, what truly strikes him the worst... He heard the report of these people hanging out by Myllenoris. By the forests. He thought naught of the decision to avoid confronting them at the time- if they were really going to cause trouble, they would have by then, and no crafters were scavenging for supplies at the time.

If he went out there with the others... could this have been avoided? Hadwin tried to dash the thought as much as he could.

Tilting his head behind him, he looks to Sam. While Cayden associates himself with those of Ilburg... he obviously would make no effort to approach under any capacity.
(Hadwin Hazaiah)
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[23:24] His body started to tremble. The tears unrelenting, as they fell atop Leila's body. The purely saddened tears turned to that of rage... something that isn't normal for the happy, kind being that is Ekheim.

"You just told her the risk? You didn't STOP HER?" He got up from his kneeing position and grabbed the cloth on Cayden's armor. "IT was Silvain? I--…" He weakened his grip. Letting his hand slid down the armored man. Resting at the middle of his breastplate.

"This was my fault... --She died because of me..." A jolt of energy coursed around his palm slamming into Cayden's chest. More than likely denting it, while also causing the mana in his body to pulse violently. --An aura of energy shrouded his being. As if he was gunna attack Cayden.

He didn't know what to feel right now... how he should feel right now. His mind was fading... it was going blank. To have lost someone he held dear to him... While she might not have been his lover... he felt that they were that close.

His fist slams into Cayden again. Before backing away, his eyes fell to the earth. "... I... What am I suppose to do... If I can't stop one... person from dying. How can I plan to ever stop others from suffering. --I suffer for others... To let them have a great life... that's all I ever wanted. --I didn't want anything like this to happen. --No one should have to deal with this.." His voice still very shaken to his core as he spoke.
(Ekheim Theseus)
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[23:36] Being suddenly grabbed, he makes no move and just let's it happen. Half lidded eyes staring at the Theseus' as they yelled at his face.

". . ."

His eyes narrow as the jolt of energy pushes him back slightly, causing a dent in his armor, but thanks to his feet being firmly pressed on the ground, he just slid a bit.

No words are spoken nor any reaction is given, not even when he's hit again, this time being forced to take a step back, but just as quickly as the damage came to his armor, the metal bent and returned to how it originally was.

Passing a hand in the area he was hit, as if dusting the place off, he tilted his head.

"Tem years ago... I lost both of my parents in a trip outside of Esshar as our caravan was raided by bandits. They were murdered in front of my very eyes."

A small story begins to be told out of nowhere. His calm voice not breaking for even a moment. This wasn't something Ekheim had ever heard before, even though they had known each other for years.

"I also felt lost... wondering what was I even supposed to do with my life... I would have died if the Kalvore hadn't found me."

"With you all, I learned... even if everything has been burned down, and everything feels lost... feels over... that we can still rebuild from the ashes, so long we have hope, and the Will to do so."

A hand goes to hold the pendant at his waist, which held the symbol of their Clan.

A Phoenix.

"No one can decide what you will do from now on, besides yourself."

They may have failed one person, but there many more out there who still needed saving. If the Theseus would go through with his dream to help as many people as he could... he was the only one who could decide that.
(Cayden Arborea)
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[23:44] Lemuria proceeds to slip in with the crowd.
(Lemuria K. Multhunder)
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[23:50] His teary red hues, stay facing the earth. Not looking up to Cayden, while he spoke. The man's mana flowing around his body faded. Dispersing out like the mana itself wasn't his to begin with. He crouched down and picked up Leila. Holding her like he did before laying his sleepy kitten to bed. Though when he puts her down he wouldn't ever pick her up again. As it this will be the last time he will carry her off to bed.

He looks at Cayden giving a silent nod. His feelings were nothing but dire. He felt the world around him was collapsing... again. The story that Cayden told didn't help that feeling. All this made him want to do is go home, put Leila back to bed and kiss her good night... He also wants to make sure he tells Liz how much he loves her. Seeing as she is probably the only one to be able to comfort him at all right now.

His eyes turn the crowd of people. Only now walking home in dead silence. Not a word ushering from his lips. If someonewanted to halt his movements they could but who knows how he will react in his currently volatile state. It was for the best to leave the man alone.

Tears falling and hitting his kitten all the way home.

'This was my fault...'
(Ekheim Theseus)
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[23:53] He watches the scene... It's such a heartbreaking display. One that didn't need to happen. A lot of this never needed to happen.

Turning his head towards the crowd that appears to have gathered in his wake... He may as well use his authority for something.

"Alright, you all. There is nothing to see here. I recommend you go about the rest of your evenings..."
(Hadwin Hazaiah)
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[23:55] Valkai silently steps aside as The young man turns to leave with the girls body. Just over a year ago he'd met her, full of life and energy. Now, just a shell, empty and lifeless. At the very least there was no one who blamed anyone more than themselves. The killer had been dealt with. No further death would come from this, only pain for those left behind.
That much at least was something Valkai would consider a blessing as he makes his way home.
(Valkai)
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[23:59] Demios had been silent, watching Ekheim bubble over with grief.
There was nothing he could really offer his friend in consolation, but understood full well that sense of loss, the dark road it could lead one down.

His burnt orange hues assessed the situation, his attention being drawn to the crowd that had gathered.
His tail thrashed a couple of times, not know of their intent, but surely they would allow Ekheim to grieve, allow Cayden to leave.

Demios casts his gaze back to Cayden, the pain he must feel, the sense of failure.

To think Silvain could have been the cause of this pain, sickened him a little. There was a time, not too long ago that he considered Silvain a friend, but to cause this level of pain... and for what?
His wings twitched as his shoulders rolled.
If Silvain had become monsterous enough to have done this, then his death was warrented.
(Demios Arborea)
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[23:59] Lemuria would watch as the red-headed man walked away.

What a place.... This stuff didn't happen in Jianghu....

"...Huh..." She would take a quick drag from her pipe as she exhales. The pipe looks really old, too. Like a family artifact or something.
(Lemuria K. Multhunder)
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[00:31] The man slowly brought his kitten into his house. The place she had some of the happiest moments of her life. The only place in the whole world she could let loose. Show her true colors. Where she was Leila... not Domino. Fate wasn't what caused her to die. It was her own doing, even if at the final moments of her life she didn't believe that. --He let her leave his house that night, letting that be the last moment he ever saw her. The only time she had ever said she loved him. As that was the only thing that ran through his head. Her final scene with him. At least his final words to her was...

'I love you too...'

He began to take his shove and started to dig a hole for her. --He felt his magic swell up inside him, as he finished the grave. At first he didn't notice. He just picked her up again and placed his last kiss on her lips. Sobbing, before placing her into the hole. All the experiences they had together ran through his head.

Once he finished placing her into the grave he pat down the dirt. He just kneeled before it. This was where she will lay... forever, in his house. It was the only place he felt she could let go in. Where she could let herself go and be free.

"I'll always love you... and won't ever forget you... Your always my little kitten." And as if on que he felt like someone was watching him... not just one. A group... He looked around him, while he wasn't able to see them he felt them.

A familiar voice came from in front of him before the grave. As it felt like it was fading away... "Thank you. --Thank you.... for everything." It was in Leila's voice. His eyes widened. As he felt something inside him grow stronger.

Orbs of mana poured into his person. Like a group of people gave Ekheim a new found strength... a power. --He couldn't help but look down and think that Leila had just given her last gift to him. A way to remember her from something that's not just memories.

His warm smile crossed his face before he got up and wandered to bed. He just wanted to sleep and grieve for his loss.
(Ekheim Theseus)