[Writing] Two in One
[note: The :: :: is heard mentally, spoken by the fire crystal (which gives Sorsha her power over fire)]
Sorsha strolled out of the kitchens, in her hand was a very large spoon with a very large gob of cookie dough on it. The cookie dough was being made into cookies for the girls, but there was so much of it...just a little wouldn't be missed. She walked down to the library, blinking for a second after realizing that she had never even been down here before.
It smelled musty, the dust in the room made her sneeze, but she shrugged, licking a little of her cookie dough off the spoon, and wandered over to a row of books. The bookshelves themselves were enormous in size, stretching high up to the twelve foot ceiling above her. Looking up, she frowned, wondering how she was going to check any book up there. How Saeric had been down here reading all these books and gotten any of the ones up there was simply beyond her.
"Well..." she said as she licked another bit off her spoon, "Start with the easiest first, best way to do things."
She ran a finger down the spines of a few books, then snagged one that could be what she was looking for. It wasn't a very large book, and it looked like it hadn't been touched in years. She licked her spoon again and walked over to sit down at a table when an all too familiar voice entered her mind.
:: What are you doing? ::
"Researching..and eating cookie dough, the ultimate in sweet tooth and comfort food." Sorsha answered, opening the book and flipping through the pages. "I can research, can't I?"
:: I have given you the answer you seek, is that not enough, Phoenix?. :: came the retort, the warmth of the flames within her mind were seductive, as if to draw her away.
"Your answer was and has been cryptic, a straight answer would be nice. And I happen to be looking for a few things, not just that. There are quite a few towns here, and I wanted to also see if we had any type of information on them."
:: You already know the answer to the question. You waste valuable time in this. ::
She shrugged slightly, taking another bite of cookie dough, "I told you, it's not the only thing I'm looking for, and I've already asked Kiserai as well..I should know before too long."
:: Perhaps. ::
"Besides, wouldn't you like to see me find places to burn to the ground? I'll do something in the northern continent later..perhaps Kalm...or one of the villages outside Corneria? Just let me get this out of my system, alright? I'm curious...and you know better than anyone that my curiousity isn't silenced easily."
:: As you wish, Phoenix. Do not take too long to find something you already know the answer to. ::
Again she shrugged, turned a page and read..spoon now hanging from her fingers as she munched on cookie dough.
[Note: This I'm going on the stories that there should be only One Phoenix at a time thing...well, something like that]
Sorsha wandered back up from the library, back to the kitchens to return her spoon, then back to the throne room to think for a while. At least, for a while anyway. She hadn't been able to find anything she was looking for in there, not even any of the prophecies that were supposedly writing down somewhere. She supposed she would find out later, if Kiserai dug up anything.
Perhaps, she thought to herself as she walked slowly back to the throne room, she would go on an outing afterwards. Her thoughtfulness, however, was subdued by a smile that reached her lips. Talking to Kiserai had made her feel better about a few things, and for that, she could never express to him how much she was thankful for that.
As she approached the doors to the throne room, she noticed something odd about the two guards posted there. Neither seemed to notice her approach, or even her presence. Usually they would at least stand at attention when she started towards them. When she reached the large oak doors, she curiously looked at each of them, scanning over the two of them. The two of them had vacant expressions on their faces, a pair of ice blue eyes and dark brown, almost black eyes glazed over; as if both of them were in some sort of trance. Even now that she was next to them, neither looked at her, which seemed strange, but perhaps they were lost in their own imaginations about their lovers. How was she to know these things without prying.
She shrugged and opened the doors, walking inside as she thought about getting more cookie dough, when a voice ripped her from her thoughts.
"Why...sister...what a surprise." Medivh sat, kind of sprawled on the throne, one leg over the right arm, looking very comfortable.
She felt the shock emerge in her face, and quickly subdued and quieted the look with a calm feature. "Surprise? I live here..and what are -you- doing here?"
He shook his head slowly, "I do not mean why are you here -presently-. I mean why are you on this continent at all. You should be whoring yourself somewhere up north right now. You being down here to meddle in my affairs just won't do."
"Last I heard, it was a free world, I can have -my- castle..and -my- throne anywhere -I- wish. I couldn't of known that you would be down here of all places, you were supposed to be dead..remember?"
Her brother laughed softly and winked at her. "Rumors of my demise are...unfortunately true. Lets just say that you can't keep a good man down." He stood, slowly walking down the dais towards her. "I mean, good always wins in the end, right?"
Keeping her eyes on him, she was unable to keep from looking shocked for long. The look kept creeping out of her pours like a scorpion from a burrow under the sand. "Something tells me there was more to it than that..." she shrugged slightly, again trying to hide her shock. How did he find her? The crystal had been right, she did know the answer to the question. He had, like she..rose from his own ashes. He was a phoenix, even though that was supposed to be impossible. They were, in fact, a paradox for even existing at the same time.
"And as far as my sexual life goes, Medivh, that is none of your business."
He waved a hand dismissively, "Your...escapades...do not interest me. I always knew you would be a whore and here you prove me right. I'm not here to gloat...I'm here for the sword."
"What would you know about anything when it comes to my life? Nothing. You never did." she answered, flames alit in her eyes. He knew nothing about her or the hurt that she had been through to dare call her that. Two men did not constitute being a whore. "And you can't have that sword. I put too much work into fixing what you broke to let you just have it back. No, you're not taking it."
"Not taking it back? It was never -yours- in the first place, Sorsha. It was merely left with you until I needed it."
She took a few steps forward, "'Oops, I broke it...Oh well, I'll just have it sent to Sorsha so she can fix it..'" she mocked, her voice lowered and full of an accent that was usually not known of her to use. "You are not taking that sword. It's mine. I -bled- for that sword..I worked for that sword..not you."
"The sword was sent to you by mistake...one of our late father's servants. I have since rectified matters and it will not happen again. Anyway, I am not here to argue..." He reached out to his side and Terminus Est appeared in his hand, and then Medivh grimaced, "I'm going to have to aural cleanse this now so I won't wish to vomit every time I summon it forth."
Her jaw clenched down as she tried to keep her breathing even and her temper down. "I can't believe I was actually sad when I got news you died. But at least now I know why our mother didn't want to risk having more children." Vulcan's Hammer blazed into her hand, as she cocked her head to the side, her brown eyes fierce and focused on her twin. "Now, give me back the sword."
"No." He looked at the hammer, and shook his head ruefully. "Yes, force was always your style wasn't it...never had the brains or the will for finesse."
"No, that was your style, dear brother. I was the one that didn't want that. But I will fight you for that sword."
By now, he was seemingly annoyed rather than angry. She was going for angry..but she could never push his buttons the way he could hers. You made mistakes when you were angry, this she knew. But she couldn't help be anything but. "I do not have time for your childish games now. If you persist, then I will have no choice but to punish you...is that clear?"
"Punish me? Oh please." she quipped, smirking slightly. He couldn't touch her..she was the wielder of the fire crystal. She had its power on her side. Of course he wouldn't be able to touch her. "Now you're starting to sound like dear old dad...but..what would you know about him anyway...They -liked- me." She smirked again, satisfied that at least that would be the right button. She could remember him getting so angry when it came to their parents and any type of attention she had gotten.
"...That was something I'm sure they lamented over greatly when I tortured them to death."
Her smirk fade, and anger boiled and raged inside her. She was not told what had happened to their parents, exactly. only that both had suffered great wounds and they both died. She shook with anger, her brown eyes an inferno, "..You killed them.. you fucking bastard. Now you defiantly aren't leaving this room with that sword, because I'm going to end up killing you."
"I see you are talking but all I hear is 'blah blah blah, I'm a spoiled little whore...give me attention!' Looks like you really haven't changed much other than that over tasteless change to your torso."
"You don't know two shits about me, Medivh, -shut the fuck up.-" She brought Vulcan's Hammer up, swinging it towards his midsection.
Medivh lazily blocked the Hammer with Terminus Est's blade, the hammer's power somehow absorbed by the sword when they touched. "Come now Sorsha, you should know better than that!" He turned and backhanded her across the face full force, adding to it a large kinetic boost.
Sorsha was thrusted backwards and into the wall, falling down to her butt with a thud. Standing quickly, she peered at her brother with a fierce gaze, "Fine," she said, her voice low as she drew on the power of the crystal, submerging her brother in flames.
He stood within the inferno, untouched, seemingly bored more than anything. "Are we done? You cannot defeat me sister, you never could. You are nothing but a mistake, a flaw that when I am less busy with important matters....I will rectify."
Her eyes went wide with complete shock. "No..that's not possible." The shocked and dumbfounded expression on her face faded into pale horror. "That's not possible."
'There is only one. That's me. He couldn't of been able to survive that.' she thought to herself. 'No one could have withstood those flames but the Fire Fiend.' She was trembling, something she could not seem to stop.
Medivh laughed, almost falling down from the force of his own amusement, "Does it finally dawn on you? Now? I knew you were slow but...this is rich!"
Her trembling didn't stop, but she growled at him, angrily swinging a first towards his throat. "Would you just fucking die already?!"
"What is the line? Been there...done that," He yawned, "Anyway, dear sister, its time for me to depart...Good night." Medivh raised his hand towards her and a cone of energy much resembling the fabled 'Foop' issued forth.
Her eyes glazed over, the hand that was in motion now suddenly stopping and the force of her own inertia caused her fall into a clumsy heap on the floor.
He strolled through the guttering flames, picking up Vulcan's Hammer, testing it's heft. "...Too bad...well, I will leave you with this reminder." He spun, throwing the hammer full force at the throne, the stone and wood of it shattering with a deafening explosion. "See you soon, sis."
Then he was gone.
Sorsha blinked, finally coming to hours later. Her head pounded so badly it made her not want to keep her eyes open, her jaw hurt. Her trembling hand rose up to her cheek, testing out how badly it hurt. She winced, and groaned as she started hearing the hushed whispered voices of guards and healers.
She tried to raise herself off the floor, only to fall back down to the floor, hitting her head on the cold wood under her. She cried out in pain, the voices around her went completely silent for a moment.
“Your majesty,” a gentle woman’s voice came, “Try not to move.”
Through the pain in her jaw, she found some way to talk. “Where did he go?”
“Pardon, my queen?” came another voice, male in origin. “Where did who go?”
“Medivh. Where did he go?” came her croaked and pain filled reply.
“We have seen no one come in or out of these walls.”
“And you’re all fucking blind. Medivh!” she growled, jaw clenched down to try and help with the pain, “My Brother. He looks like me; only he’s got a fucking penis. Where did the fucking bastard go?”
Sorsha clambered up, her breathing erratic, her hands still shaking, to stand on her feet. “Search the grounds, Search Delain. Search everywhere you can think of. I want him found. Five minutes ago.”
She stumbled her way out of the throne room, knees shaking so badly that she did not think it possible for her to stand without outside assistance. But through the pain in her head, her thoughts raced, and she knew the clear answers to her questions.