Do You Want a Night Light? (Solo)

[Cara]

Spring 89, 511 AV Cara was huddled up beneath a mound of covers. Iaera was sleeping soundly at her feet, curled up into a furry crescent moon. The Vantha was sleeping fitfully, tossing and turning all the time, and clutching the pillowcase angrily between her fingertips until they grew white. She was dreaming of darker days, days that had come to pass many moons before this cold Avanthalian night. Days in which the girl was pulled up and off the ground by her long black hair. Each individual strand would send a soft, shooting pain through her scalp. Alone, the pain was tolerable, but when a single hand claimed them all and tugged, the pressure was unbearable. Each time, the young Cara would close her eyes, and press her fingertips into her scalp, trying to decrease the pull on each strand. But it never worked. Just like shutting one's eyes and going to sleep never got the pain to disappear. If anything, it merely made sure that one relived each moment of it. Cara turned over again in her sleep, as her left arm fell off the side of the bed. Iaera's ears twitched as her own dream continued. Cara could hear someone screaming, but not the words that erupted from the speaker's mouth. The door to Cara's room creaked open, and Iaera's tail twitched. Neither of the two dreamers awoke, their subconscious chalking the irritating noise as nothing more than a wind, or poorly made hinge. It was nothing worth waking over. Subtle sounds of footsteps, floorboards gently creaking as a figure shrouded in shadow crept through the open door and into the room. The figure approached Cara's bed, and extended a pale hand to Cara's lips. Frail fingers pressed into Cara's flesh, surrounding her mouth. The other hand deftly slipped beneath Cara's head as the girl awoke from her dream with a start. Although exhaustion and the pale glimpse of a dream still tugged at the edges of her eyes, Cara's had opened wide. Her royal purple irises were lined with fear. Just what was going on? Iaera's ears twitched one last time before the fox lazily lifted her head. She noticed a figure standing over the bed of her mistress. Tiredly, she hopped off the bed as her fur began to bristle. She parted her lips, exposing her long, white teeth; glistening with saliva. She was growling at the impostor; her eyes flashed menacingly. If the impostor wasn't careful, Iaera would pounce. "Don't make a sound," the impostor hissed. It was a woman's voice. She turned to Iaera, "the same goes for you puppy." Instantly, Iaera stopped growling, and tucked her tail between her legs. She slunk off to a corner of the room, and looked on with sad, puppy dog eyes. That is strange, she has never done that before, Cara thought as her heart began to pick up the pace. Just who is this person? "Kick off your covers as quietly as you can," the impostor instructed. Cara obeyed instantly, her covers pooling at her feet. "Good now get out of bed." A shiver shot up Cara's spine as she sat up slowly. The woman's hand hadn't left her mouth yet, and the girl couldn't help but wonder why this was happening, and just what the woman wanted with her. Cara kicked her legs over the side of the bed, and stood up. "Now go put your boots on, but don't you dare make a sound. Or try to leave." Cara nodded as she walked to the far side of the room and slipped on her boots. She stood awkwardly, awaiting her next set of instructions. Why are we even listening? What is compelling us to obey? Soon enough, Cara felt a warm body pressing into hers. A set of fingers wrapping around her lips. The woman's left hand was pressed into the middle of Cara's back, nudging her forward. "Now walk outside, and try not to make a sound." Reluctantly, Cara stepped forward and out of the door that led into her room. Iaera didn't follow. The two women walked down the hall, slowly, so that the impostor could keep her hands on Cara, and control of the situation. When they reached the door that led out of the hold, Cara extended her right hand to the knob. It felt so cold beneath her fingertips. Slowly, Cara turned the knob counter-clockwise. When the lock clicked, she pulled the door open silently. A burst of cold air swept through the frame, buffeting both Cara and her captor. The occasional snow flurry swirled around them as they walked outside. Neither of them had bothered to close the door. The snow crunched beneath the feet of the two women, as they were bathed in the milky light of the crescent moon. The sky was dark and devoid of cloud cover, as well as the sparkling of the silver stars. The woman's hand slid from Cara's lips to her shoulder. When each of her hands had pressed into Cara's shoulder-blades, she gave a sudden shove. Cara stumbled forward, and into the snow. She managed to stop her fall with her hands. The snow, however, was rather cold, and caused them to grow white, and shiver slightly. A second later, a ball of fire appeared by the side of Cara's head. It sizzled as it melted the small bed of snow that had cushioned its landing. Within seconds, it had disappeared, living naught but a thin trickle of grey smoke. Cara's eyes grew wide as her irises changed to a sapphire blue. "Mom?" she whispered, as she rolled herself through the snow, away from where the fireball had landed. When she had gone no more than two feet, Cara pulled herself to her feet and looked over at her attacker. She was framed by the door that led into the Frostfawn hold. It was trembling slightly in the wind; and inviting several snow flurries inside the hold. A milky white glow pooled around the figure that stood there. Her long black cloak was fluttering in the midnight wind. The figure was unmistakable: Cara's mother. The mouth of the young sorceress hung open, exposing a row of pearly white teeth. "Surprised to see me darling?" her mother asked as she took a step closer to Cara. Her voice was laced with ice, although a hint of amusement lingered in the corners. A slim smiled crossed her delicate lips. "Well yeah, considering the fact that you're supposed to be dead!" Cara hollered. Cara's mother cackled. "You honestly thought yesterday's events were enough to kill me?" There was a slight pause as the woman walked two paces to the right, and out of the doorway to the hold. "No Cara, it will take far more than your last attempt to destroy the likes of me." Ohhh lovely, considering how she nearly killed us last time. "You just got lucky. Considering how all magicians over-give sometimes," her mother continued. She took another step to the right. "But don't worry, it won't happen again. One of us will surely fall... tonight." Cara gulped. She had intended on living just a bit longer.

[Cara]

Another fireball had appeared over her mother's right palm. Oh great, here we go again. Didn't we do enough of this yesterday! Cara took a deep breath in through the nose, out through the mouth. She could do this, she could end the life of her mother, who was far more skilled than her, right? Yeah no. You're kind of screwed darling. An intense tingling sensation coursed through every inch of Cara's body. It filled her heart with a deep sense of warmth. The sensation seemed to begin in the girl's stomach, and then radiate outwards, towards her limbs. As it shot through each of Cara's arms, the young sorceress knew that she was just about ready to combat the challenge her mother was presenting her with. It was then her mother shot the next fireball at her. Cara ran to the right, narrowly dodging the flaming ball of fire as it whizzed past her nose. She could smell the smoke as it landed two feet behind her. Sizzling to an end in the snow. That was a little close Cara, you should be more careful next time. The girl's eyes had grown wide as the tingling sensation reached her fingers. Almost there, you just have to keep yourself from turning into tonight's barbecue a little longer. Within the next minute, a translucent light blue mist had begun pouring out of the tips of her fingers. They pooled together into a light blue orb that hovered just over the girl's palm. The mist was res. Something she could easily manipulate and fight her mother with. Another fireball flew over Cara's right shoulder. It landed in the snow behind her. Another sizzle, another trickle of smoke floating up to the sky. You might want to try killing her now, before she kicks your ass. Cara smiled weakly as she lit the outside of the res she was holding. The res was engulfed in a bright orange flame. It gave off the occasional wisp of dark grey smoke. Finally, she was ready to fight back, at least physically; emotionally, not so much. She wished that Nysel still held her in his arms, and that everything that seemed to be happening to her, wasn't entirely real. She wished that if she were burned, it wouldn't matter; for she'd still be alive and well when she woke up. That was the way with dreams- they sucked you into memories and nightmares; the worst possible scenarios. There, they destroyed you, and yet, when you awoke, it was like nothing that happened. The only thing that signified the dream was a bead of sweat upon the brow, and perhaps a yellow liquid on your bed-sheets, if you were little more than a child. "Ready mother?" Cara asked as she raised her right arm, preparing herself for the next move. "A good sorceress is always ready," her mother replied. "Unlike some people," she hissed, as she hurled yet another fireball at Cara. It missed by a long-shot. Well at least her aim sucks, that gives you a slight chance of living. Doesn't it? Cara gulped. She could do this, right? Cara tossed the fireball at her mother. It whizzed past the woman's right ear, and landed in the snow, an inch away from the door that led into the Frostfawn hold. Good thing you missed the hold, you might have had to pay for that. But, please, do us both a favor, and don't miss your mother again. The snow that had wrapped itself around Cara's ball was singed with a dark black streak. A thin trail of smoke was floating up to the sky, hoping to reach the side of the moon. Her mother cackled, "that the best you can do?" Cara growled. Her hands balled up into fists as she readied herself. She would not miss her target again. She was concentrating on her djed when another orb of res appeared over her right hand. Instantly, Cara threw it at her mother. Her mother threw a fireball at the same time. The fireballs passed each other as they tried to reach their respective targets. Their smoke seemed to mingle at their closest point, before they continued onwards, missing each of their targets. Cara could hear footsteps coming from behind her. The subtle crunching of snow. They were getting closer. Louder and louder; steadily. What is that? Perhaps her mother had heard them too, because she seemed to hesitate for a moment as well. Each of the women seemed to sense that they were no longer alone. Yet, before long, her mother returned to her fighting, and threw a number of fireballs at Cara. They all missed by several feet. Can she even see you anymore? Because she is fighting like a blind-deaf guy. Cara smiled wickedly, just before a giant polar bear came into sight. Petch. Instantly, the polar bear transformed into a rather tall human of about six feet. He had long, white blond hair that tumbled past his shoulders, and forest green eyes. The man was nude. "And what are you two doing up so late?" he asked of them in a rather deep, gruff voice. "Trying to rid the world of an evil lowlife," they growled in unison. "Well, you're supposed to be in bed, first of all. Secondly, no one shall die on my watch, so why don't you two Frostfawns scurry off into bed?" he instructed. Cara began to head back to the hold. When her shoulder brushed that of her mother, the woman leaned over and whispered. "This isn't over, just because he saved you tonight, doesn't mean that he will tomorrow." Cara shuddered as she walked through the door and headed to her room, her mother didn't follow. Perhaps she didn't live in the Frostfawn hold anymore, or perhaps the Kelvic had other words for her. Whatever it was, the girl was thankful as she kicked off her boots, and slipped into a dry set of clothes before she tucked herself back into bed. Within moments, Iaera had curled up at her feet again, and Nysel had claimed the young Vantha for the remainder of the night.

[Cheshire]

. Character: Cara Experience: Reimancy +1 Lore: Following Orders Additional Note: I loved this thread. You need to stop saying your solos aren't good. They are great! PM me if you have any concerns.