Tansay Chronicles: Meriumae’s sacrifice

[Atebos]

Koviaem walks through the crowd and approaches the Red Dragon Inn.

You say 'Koviaem?'

Meriumae props her back against the wall of the tavern, hugging her knees.

Koviaem stops for a moment directly before the entrance of the inn, he looks towards the direction of the voice.

Koviaem says 'Meriumae.'

You say '... Yeah.'

Meriumae closes her eyes and lays the back of her head against the wall.

You say '... You alright?'

Koviaem's eyes stare into yours, the throngs of citizens pass by noisily.

A gleam passes through Koviaem's eyes but then fade, he answers, 'Everything is how it has always been.'

Koviaem slowly makes his way from the crowd and into the entrance of the Inn, he walks past the bouncer without a word.

Koviaem walks south.

The Red Dragon Inn Commons

You stand within the Red Dragon Inn commons. A large wooden

bar spans the room here, and a very pretty serving girl is

here, pouring ales for the guests. A large stage has been

set up here for traveling performers, and a small stairway

leads upward to the rooms on the next floor.

[Exits: north south]

A magical spring flows from the ground here.

A long wooden bar spans the room here.

Koviaem the Minstrel is here.

Tamara the Bartender is here, preparing ales.

Tamara gives you a passing glance.

Koviaem walks past the entrance tables and into the dark corners of the bar.

Meriumae leans on one of the tables and sits down at it, trying to keep Koviaem in her line of sight.

You say '... Koviaem.'

With a deft move of his hand, Koviaem sweeps his cloak from behind him and sits at an empty booth.

The shadows seem to cover Koviaem's body completely, but they cannot mask his figure.

Meriumae narrows her eyes for a moment and stands back up; 'Hey!'

The crowd in the tavern seems to grow a little less noisy.

Meriumae circles around the table; 'Are you alright?'

Turning his head slowly, Koviaem addresses you, 'It would seem so.'

Koviaem drawls, 'And no, everything is not alright.'

Meriumae sits herself at Koviaem's booth; a few curious patrons watch her casually.

You say 'I want to hear about it.'

Drawing his body frame upwards away from the table, Koviaem stares at your clothing, your body, then your eyes.

Meriumae's is as slender and as young-looking as always; 'Common, out with it.'

Koviaem says 'What do you want Meriumae?'

Meriumae seems to shrug the question off and give a semi-serious answer: 'I want you to tell me what's going on.'

Koviaem says 'I have..'

Koviaem turns his head away.

Meriumae stays seated and takes a deep breath; 'Want to know something that's not alright?'

Koviaem's posture is rigid and fixed, his gaze directed towards the busy tavern.

Meriumae balls her fist up against the table for a second; 'I'm dying, and Khranin doesn't know about it -- that's what's not alright.'

You say 'Now could you, *please*, explain to me what else is wrong?'

Koviaem intakes a breath and drawls out some words, 'Death will come to all.'

Meriumae scoffs and stares up at Koviaem.

A waitress leaves a glass of water on the booth table and walks away...

You say 'I'm not afraid of death -...'

Koviaem turns once again to face you, 'But how we die is up to one's disgression'

Meriumae repeats herself with a new air in her voice; 'I'm not afraid of death.'

Koviaem half-chuckles, the hair on his head wobbles slightly and a single strand of hair falls to the fore of his brow.

Koviaem says 'I am..'

Meriumae sighs and rubs her forehead. Her voice returns to an abnormal slur; 'Y'know, I ...'

You say 'I'm not afraid of death or how the hell people die, or want to die, or whatever.'

Koviaem turns his head away from you and observes the nearby patrons.

Koviaem says 'You don't know how scared I was..'

Koviaem closes his eyes tightly, '..in hell.'

The patrons in the tavern return to their ruckus.

You say 'You weren't dead though.'

Koviaem drawls, 'No, but I was as good as dead.'

You say 'Will we care when we're dead? Don't we go to some place that not even gods can get their greedy fingers on?'

Koviaem says 'Anyone can be brought back.'

Koviaem says 'Saruk is a pure example of such'

Koviaem says 'That filthy..slimy..cur.'

Meriumae sighs a long, dry sigh; 'There's one death, and then there's *the* death. Saruk, he ...'

You say 'I talked to that cad.'

Koviaem says 'I despise him, 'I shall teach you about economics.''

Koviaem says 'Psah'

You say 'Saruk is over zealous, and he pisses me off too.'

Koviaem shrugs his shoulders lightly.

Meriumae slouches back and bites her lip for a second; 'What am I going to do about any of this?'

You say 'There's no way in hell I can go on for much longer ... I can't find Khranin.'

Koviaem turns to face you, his left eye twitching spastically, 'It failed..'

You say 'I can't tell him what's happening, you're being ... damnit, cryptic and vague!'

Koviaem mumbles, 'Khranin's brotherhood...it failed.'

Meriumae leans forward again, resting her elbow on the table; 'Yeah! Yeah it did!'

Koviaem says 'And what .. now'

You say 'Thanks to that piece of ettin **** Aokami and his tradition-fondling zealoting.'

Koviaem says 'The lands are doomed.'

Meriumae Meriumae takes a long drink of water and wipes her mouth with the back of her wrist.

Koviaem widens his eyes, the vessels can be seen clearly against the whites, 'DOOMED..all of them.'

Koviaem says 'There is no salvation as the fool prophet claims.'

Koviaem slams his fist on the table, 'Damn him!'

Meriumae turns to Koviaem; 'I don't care ... about the brotherhood.'

You say 'And I don't care about the world. When I die, I will die in my way.'

Koviaem says 'And how would you die..hrm?'

Koviaem licks his lips.

Meriumae slouches back again, her neck elongating as her shoulders sag.

Meriumae closes her eyes and lies her palms face up on the table; 'Somewhere like Khorandain.'

Koviaem says 'If I die, I want it to be with you.'

Koviaem says 'I realized this long ago.'

Koviaem says 'The connection we share.'

Meriumae rolls her head a little and she opens her eyes at Koviaem.

You say 'I could never have children ... so I thought.'

Koviaem tenses his neck, the hair on his head rolls over onto his face.

Koviaem says 'Ever wondered what happened while you were possessed?'

Koviaem licks his lips.

Meriumae's eyes seem a little hazy, but her face is obviously in thought.

You say 'Ha-... while? I must have been t-...'

Meriumae exhales the rest of her breath; 'What? Yes, I wondered what happened.'

Koviaem drawls, 'Ever wondered why the demon took such an interest in you?'

Meriumae sighs thoughtfully; 'Sure I did. I always thought it was because I hated so many things.'

Koviaem draws a shaky hand to brush away the hair blocking his vision.

Koviaem chuckles softly, his shoulders rising and falling with each exertion of his breath.

Meriumae keeps her gaze on Koviaem; 'So what? I hate elves.'

You say 'So what? I hate my father. I hate the gods.'

Koviaem says 'You still..you still don't know do you? DO YOU?'

Meriumae swallows and shrugs; 'Not for sure, no! Hey!'

Meriumae narrows her eyes a little; 'Calm down! Yes, you're right!'

You say 'I don't know why. Not for sure, I only ever guessed.'

Koviaem says 'And what did you guess, Meriumae.'

Meriumae stammers for a moment, unable to look into Koviaem's eyes now.

You say 'I, umm... I guess that, umm... he drank from my hatred.'

You say 'And fueled it somehow. He liked that I hated him, and he liked that I hated so much other stuff.'

Koviaem says 'He drank from your soul.'

Koviaem says 'And I am that which he has taken from you.'

Koviaem says 'Do you understand this?'

Meriumae raises her eyebrows and sits back a little; 'I'm... no, I don't follow you.'

Koviaem's large eyes stare at you, the pupils dilated in excitement.

Meriumae's eyes dance with a far more intimidated light; 'You're not ...'

Koviaem shrugs his shoulders, 'No, I am not.'

Koviaem says 'But Meriumae, I am dying.'

Meriumae taps her chest; 'Because *I'm* dying?! Is that it?'

You say 'What are you, what part of *me* are *you*?!'

Koviaem brings his right arm onto the table and tears the sleeve off.

Koviaem says 'See these runes?'

Meriumae jerks slightly at the sudden action. Her eyes scan up the runes.

Koviaem says 'They twisted themselves from the wound I was given on birth.'

The crowd of patrons has dwindled, though some of them stay on, silent and watching.

Koviaem says 'They grow stronger as time passes.'

Koviaem whispers, almost in a cry for help, 'It weakens me..'

Koviaem says 'I cannot continue like this.'

Koviaem says 'My soul is but a shattered form.'

Meriumae looks passed the runes toward Koviaem's eyes; 'What are they?'

You say 'Did he take something from me? What are *you*?'

Koviaem says 'They are your hatred, your malice.'

Koviaem says 'You feed it.'

Koviaem says 'You are destroying me with every thought, fear, and despair.'

Meriumae's jaw drops and she looks back at the runes; ' ...How?'

You say 'How could he manage something like -...'

Koviaem winces in agony as the runes flash a brilliant purple.

Koviaem gasps from the pain.

Koviaem closes his eyes tightly, his teeth gritted.

You say 'How else are we connected, Koviaem, I need to know.'

Koviaem leans his head back against the booth.

Koviaem says 'I know not.'

Koviaem says 'This is all the knowledge I have gathered.'

Meriumae sits up as straight, her gaze fierce; 'What happens when *I* die?'

Koviaem says 'You are my mother.'

Koviaem says 'I am your offspring'

Koviaem says 'HIS offspring'

Koviaem says 'A shadow of yourself.'

Meriumae shakes her head and looks away; 'I can't be... No. No.'

Meriumae's chin quivers; 'I'm barren, the Demon did not make a child *with me*!'

Koviaem closes his eyes once again, not out of pain.

Meriumae looks back at Koviaem; 'We adopted you, and he captured you!'

Koviaem says 'Your soul was the fruit that bore me.'

You say 'No! Koviaem, don't ...'

Koviaem says 'I have not explained what else I have found.'

Meriumae bares her teeth for a moment, long tears falling from her eyes.

Koviaem says 'There was a witness.'

Koviaem says 'A whore from Miruvhor.'

Meriumae sniffs loudly and sinks back into her chair, listening.

Koviaem says 'She saw you give me to an old couple.'

Koviaem grips his right arm tightly.

Koviaem says 'You hid me.'

You say '...Khranin, he tried to ...'

Koviaem says 'But you were possessed?'

Koviaem says 'How?'

Koviaem stares at you through his large eyes.

Koviaem says 'HOW?'

Meriumae covers her right eye with her hand, still sniffling; 'I was then!'

Koviaem says 'How did you escape his possession, for that short period of time.'

Koviaem says 'The demon does not lapse into carelessness.'

You say 'It wasn't until much later that the possession was lifted...'

You say 'It had several levels, Koviaem, it ... it tricked Khranin.'

You say 'He had to defeat it many times until *I* was strong enough to finish it off.'

Koviaem says 'The whore noted that you seemed possessed at first, but were different for the length of a shift.'

Meriumae leans forward, rubbing the table with her nervous hands; 'I don't know, I can't remember any of that ...'

Meriumae chokes on a sob and shakes her head; 'I'm not the De-Demons whore to produce someone with such pain.'

You say 'I'm not.'

Koviaem says 'But I am here..and I am you.'

Koviaem says 'And I am me.'

Meriumae meeps and covers her mouth with her hand; her face reddens.

You say 'It can't be -...'

You say 'Koviaem, don't... please, I'm not, something else could ... you're wrong.'

Koviaem suddenly lifts his head up.

Koviaem says 'Your right.'

Koviaem says 'This can't be true.'

Koviaem says 'The whore lied.'

Koviaem nods to himself.

Koviaem says 'It must be'

Koviaem looks at you.

Meriumae tries to regulate her breathing to recover her lost sobs.

You say 'Y-Yeah...'

Koviaem winces in anguish and clutches his right arm.

Koviaem falls to the ground, writhing.

Koviaem gasps in pain, 'Aggh'

Meriumae shrieks and leaves the booth, sitting on her knees.

You say 'Koviaem!'

Sniffling, Meriumae sturdies her voice; 'I'm not afraid.'

Chairs and tables are upturned as Koviaem writhes about the floor, the runes on his arm flash brilliantly.

Every patron is now gone from the tavern...

You say 'Koviaem, no more!'

Just as sudden as the pain came, the runes stop their zealous display and leave Koviaem lying on his back.

Meriumae slides to Koviaem's side, panting; 'K-...'

Koviaem stares up at the ceiling, his right arm laid across his chest.

You say 'It's me, isn't it ...'

Still as death, the figure of Koviaem does not stir.

You say 'The Demon used -... me.'

Meriumae looks into Koviaem's eyes while she talks to herself; 'I'll accept that. I'll accept it, if its true.'

Tears slowly spring from Koviaem's eyes, drop..by..drop.

The vision makes Meriumae's voice crack; 'Oh, my son ... my poor son.'

His body still rigid, Koviaem softly murmurs, 'I hate Khranin.'

Meriumae shakes her head at Koviaem; 'W-... what?'

Koviaem murmurs something incoherent.

You say 'Koviaem ... talk to me.'

Koviaem whimpers softly, his lips pursing and unpursing.

Meriumae puts a hand on her chest; 'I-If I'm you... really, really you...'

You say 'And you are ill-begotten, and in pain...'

Meriumae stares at Koviaem with expectant eyes; 'What happens if I die?'

Until now, Koviaem's body has been rigid from his strains, but now his eyes swing back and forth.

You say '... Koviaem! Damnit, speak to me!'

Meriumae grips Koviaem's stiff shoulders; 'Talk to me!'

Koviaem murmurs, 'I will die as well.'

You say 'Will you be at rest?'

Koviaem's eyes frantically skip around inside their sockets, 'He will come for me, and I will be tortured, once again where I was brought.'

Koviaem says 'I am his, so long as I am dead.'

Meriumae grips a fistful of her hair and sobs again; 'Koviaem, what escape is there?'

You say 'How can we beat him?'

Koviaem whispers, 'To serve him..'

Koviaem says 'There is no choice.'

Koviaem says 'Or perish and be forever within his wicked grasp'

Meriumae's eyes move sporadically across Koviaem's face.

Koviaem says 'I do not want to do either..'

Koviaem whimpers.

You say 'I'm not afraid...'

Meriumae puts her hands back on Koviaem's shoulders; 'I am *not* afriad!'

You say 'When *I* die, you will go with me...'

You say 'I will drag you will all of my strength to the void, and no one will touch us ever again.'

Meriumae stares into Koviaem's eyes; 'Do you understand me?'

Koviaem whimpers.

Koviaem says 'I cannot.'

You say 'I'm going to beat him! You trust in me, I will beat him...!'

You say 'And if you are more mine than you are his, I will take you with me.'

Koviaem shrieks in pain, 'He will have hold on me, just as he did before!'

Meriumae slips a long, thin dagger from her boot and holds it by her hip.

You say '... Not if I sacrifice myself for you.'

Koviaem whispers, 'You die, and I am forever his slave.'

You say 'No, I don't believe that.'

You say 'If I helped make you, I have equal share!'

Koviaem's eyes look into yours, pleading, 'Would you risk eternal damnation for me?'

Tears drop from Meriumae's chin; 'You can bet your *** I would -... I'm not afraid of him.'

You say 'If there's death, or slavery, I choose death.'

Koviaem slowly regains the power over his limbs.

Koviaem shakes his head slowly from side to side.

Koviaem murmurs, 'Death is slavery.'

Meriumae's bones seem to loosen as she watches Koviaem; 'No, no its not.'

You say 'I'd rather die fighting for freedom than live and submit!'

You say 'Do you understand me? Death might be a way to submit, but it’s the hard way!'

Koviaem says 'But you were not his to begin with.'

Koviaem says 'You can control your fate'

Koviaem says 'I cannot.'

Meriumae leans over toward Koviaem; '*If* you are part of me, I will fight for what's mine.'

You say 'I fought the possession out of me once, I'm ready to fight again!'

Koviaem says 'You will fight for the malice and hatred?'

You say 'I will drag, and struggle, and fight for what was mine, and I will have you!'

Meriumae puts a hand on Koviaem's shoulder again, lifting the dagger to her chest.

Koviaem struggles to his feet, swaying back and forth before steadying himself on a table.

Meriumae rises herself up as Koviaem slips out of her hand.

Koviaem drags an arm up and grips Meriumae's dagger hand.

Meriumae's fingers stiffen around the handle of the dagger.

Koviaem coughs violently, 'Don't do it.

Koviaem pleads, 'I beg of you.'

You say 'Koviaem, I don't have a lot of time anyway ...!'

You say 'What happens when I don't get to choose?'

Koviaem says 'If you die, and fail to bring me with you, I will be torn.'

Koviaem says 'I will be as a spirit.'

Meriumae scoffs and extends her arms to the sides; 'What else can I do?'

Koviaem whimpers.

You say 'I can't fight for you as I am now, but if I die, I can take back what was stolen from me, and take you with it.'

Koviaem says 'You do as you please, I am not your master.'

Koviaem says 'You would have to discuss that with my lord.'

Koviaem says 'He holds power over me.'

Koviaem says 'His will is my action.'

Koviaem hangs his head down.

Meriumae shakes her head and hisses; 'I will discuss *nothing*... he didn't discuss anything with *me* when he used me to make your suffering!'

Koviaem brings an arm up and claps it to your shoulder.

Meriumae's shoulder weights down by Koviaem's hand.

Koviaem says 'You must do what you think is right.'

Koviaem looks into your eyes.

Koviaem says 'But think of the consequences'

You say '... I can do this, I can take you out of his grasp. I can do it now better than I could later when I die in my sleep!'

Koviaem releases his grip from your shoulder and allows his arm to hang loosely by his side.

Koviaem blinks slowly, his left hand tightly gripped around the runes.

Koviaem says 'I will await destiny.'

Koviaem hugs you.

Meriumae flips the dagger around and puts its point against her chest; 'I'm not waiting for anything.'

Koviaem stalks off into the throngs of citizens and disappears.

You say 'Koviaem...?'

Meriumae tosses the dagger to the table; 'Koviaem!'

You say 'I don't belong to destiny! And neither do you!'

Meriumae spins on her heel and stares into the new group of patrons.

You yell 'Koviaem! Damnit, I can free you!'

Meriumae grabs the dagger and points it end at her heart again.

You say 'Damn it all...'

Meriumae puts her palms on the butt-end of the handle and bares her teeth.

You say 'I'm not Malchaeius's doll.'

Meriumae stares at her own hands; 'I'm not his slave. I'll find Koviaem, get what is mine... and go to the void, with or without him.'

Blood begins to soak into Meriumae's dress from below as she sinks the point deeper into her chest.

Meriumae squints her eyes and tries to focus...

You say 'I *can* save him... I will.'

Meriumae trembles and drops the dagger. It clatters to the floor, and she faints right beside it.

[After she wakes up, she writes a letter to Khranin, Koviaem, and Herald]

Meriumae: [A letter with scattered and random recipient names]

To: Khranin Koviaem Herald

My Dear Khranin,

When the Demon possessed me, he reaped from me my fear and my malice

and poured it into Koviaem once he had captured him. Koviaem finally

confessed to me the truth of his wounds and runes. They are *me*,

they fill him with agony in the moments of my strife. He is my son,

fully and completely, synchronized with my stubborn anger.

I am not impulsive, but I am ready to do what I have to in order to

save him. If he dies, he returns to Malchaeius. If he lives, he is

Malchaeius's slave. If I live, I too will have to become Malchaeius's

slave; I have been weakening lately, dying and failing gradually to

the atrocities committed against my spirit.

When I die, I will search for Koviaem, take back what is mine, and

steal him with me to the Void. Malchaeius will not have *me* in

death, and I will fight, and fight, and fight to save him from it.

I love you, so very much. When we are together beyond the stars,

beyond the Rift, beyond the engine of Chaos, we will have a peace

unlike any other. Do not blame Koviaem. Know that I go on my own

terms, free and ready to save my son. Our son. Always strive for

freedom, for creativity, for honor, especially for the ones you love.

[Meriumae Tansay]

Meriumae grips the dagger again and quickly forces the sharp end into her chest.

Meriumae chokes and slumps back against the stage, gritting her teeth.

Meriumae's breath softens; 'To the Cycle with it. I'm not afraid... K-Koviaem.'