Lightstar Family/Xarnelf/Roleplay 34

Successful Delivery

Xarnelf's countenance brightened considerably after hearing the news from one of his men that Lord Orphen had just been seen passing through the gates with his unit of archers. Immediately, he handed his note to the man with instructions to deliver it personally to the Pontifex with all haste.

`~`

Lord Orphen,

I must report a past occurence most grave, one which I knew not the significance of until two days ago. This event which I speak of occured in Arcaea during my quest for information in regards to the Arcangela's leave-taking before the last winter. Unbeknownst to me at the time, it was the dire harbinger of sorrow.

I was returning to the barracks, which I had rented for my men, at a late hour in the city of Remton after a fruitless search for rumors through most of the city's inns and taverns. Seemingly out of nowhere, I felt someone's fist knock the wind out of me with a blow to my stomach, and then a second hit to my head laid me low. While I tried to recover my bearings, my unknown assailant recited the following words, which I doubt I will ever forget:

'So shall His retribution be dealt upon the heads of those seeking to meddle in affairs that concern them not.
So shall His equilibrium be maintained, for every action must have its corresponding consequence wrought.'

He ended by quoting it from the Book of Promises. Next, all the surrounding torches simultaneously extinguished themselves, and, as a result, I was unable to obtain any certain observation at all regarding the stranger's physical appearance. He proceeded to say two more lines of what I now understand to be great import. They were:

'Firstborn, you have been warned today.
Pursue, and the eldest shall pay.'

As his voice faded away in peculiar echoes, all the torches lit themselves in the same instant, suggestive of the work of some greater force.

The next day, I began my return trip to Nahad due to pressing financial matters. Though the aforementioned incident had greatly troubled my mind, I could draw no logical conclusions and thus pushed it aside as a minor inconvenience, not realizing its true impact in my inexplicable mindlessness.

Following the completion of my business in the city, I moved out to start my search anew with the intent of further research at the Arcaean Library. On the way to Larmebsi, I experienced a pain in my head that steadily increased in intensity until I lost consciousness.

When I came to, it was to discover that both my father and grandfather had been stricken with the symptoms of fever and headaches identical to my own during the same day as well. Sadly, my grandfather succumbed to his ailment and never recovered. Perhaps it was due to old age, or perhaps there was another reason.

In reviewing my attacker's fateful words, it would appear that I did not heed his warning in setting out to return to Arcaea to continue my quest; by my doing so, the "eldest" did indeed pay a price: all three eldest Lightstar sons paid it in full. But was it the Aenil who dealt the punishment, or was it some other higher power?

I feel very lost and confused, like a shipwrecked sailor in turbulent waves, uncertain of which direction to swim towards to reach solid ground. My mind tells me that the Aenil themselves must be responsible for the troubles caused by the Book of Promises, that all the evidence points to them as the cause of the disappearance of Lady Arella; yet my heart says that this is not so, that things do not appear to be as they truly are.

Milord Orphen, pray tell, what are your thoughts on this matter? I do not know what to think any more.

Sincerely,

Xarnelf Lightstar