Vazra’s Letter to Anariel
A letter arrives, accompanied by the necklace you gave Vazra
“Lady Anariel,
Your very name once me brought joy. You were dear to me, all of us, any Archon would have died for you. Now your soldiers come to kill us. Words utterly fall short of the betrayal we feel. It is truly a sad day when the Pheonix turn to murder and banditry. Looking down at the Gallent Feathers, prepared to slaughter my people, I could cast myself from the Spire in heartbreak… but I must persevere for the sake of my people. They have come to murder, subjugate and pillage my people, I must protect them. What truly stings is that had the roles been reversed, the Archons would fight to the last man defending the Fire Isle and our dear friends the Pheonix. You know this to be true, and you know these so called allies you’ve chosen would abandon your people the moment it was convienant. Whatever our faults, we have always been loyal friends.
What the Pheonix is doing is evil. The people of the Spire wish only to live in peace and you have come to subjugate us and slaughter us in our homes. Still, I cannot bare to spill Phoenix blood. The very thought of it makes me wretch.
Abandon this endeavour completely, and we will forgive you. You don’t have to be bandits or killers. You could even join us in defending our home, the people of the Spire can be saved, this is a battle we can win, and you can still do the right thing.
Enclosed is the necklace you gave me symbolizing our friendship. Return it as a sign of our people’s continued bond, and I will know the Pheonix have reconsidered. We would be truly overjoyed. Keep it, if you yet intend to do us harm, and I will drink myself into a stupor on your wine, as preparation for the solemn task of killing my once dear friends. I have thrown myself into mortal danger to protect your people before, I beg of you, harming them would be unbearable, it would end me. Please reconsider.
Signed,
Vazra”
The ink of this letter has smeared, tears have fallen upon this parchment.
~
Anariel’s Response to Vazra
Dear friend Vazra,
I am very sad that you returned the necklace I made for you. Things have gotten very sad and confusing. I know that the Phoenix are not attacking your settlement and will not as long as you do as they ask. They are doing this to protect all of Mardrun.
When things happen in the past and you got in trouble. I knew you made mistakes and felt bad for them. I knew this world was confusing for you and maybe you didn’t know that killing unarmed civilians was a bad thing, even if they were around Undead. Maybe they didn’t know that it was bad to have Undead just like you didn’t know it was bad to kill them when they can’t defend themselves. So when they put the mark on your back I was so proud of you. It showed how much you loved the people of Mardrun. You wore that like a badge of honor. And I couldn’t tell you how happy it made me. It showed that the people of Mardrun meant more to you than your magic or anything else. That you did want to help everyone and you were willing to bare that burden. But then people told me when I asked about you, that you were fighting the mark. Like you didn’t want it anymore… it confused me. Why would you want this Mark off before they took it off of you? I thought you were showing everybody how much you loved the people and wanted to protect them even if you weren’t sure how. People are now saying that you are a very dangerous man trying to kill others. I thought you had learned that this was not a good thing. Why are you still trying to hurt people? Vazra, I want to tell you- that’s bad.
The Gallant Feathers are only here to take you in to custody so that you do not hurt anyone. This makes me so sad and I have cried a lot about it. They do not wish to harm your settlement and do not want your crops, houses and people. They just want you. But now you are telling me that you will not go? That you will stay and put your people in risk? I am shocked Vazra! I thought you would do anything for the people of Mardrun and when they say you are a danger and people need to be protected from you- that you won’t listen and do what is good for Mardrun? Why? This is not the actions of the man I idolize and this makes me very sad indeed. Reggie hasn’t been eating his flies for days now.
I made the Magis promise me that we are not taking anything from the settlement that the villagers need. We are not the bandits you say we are. We are not here to subjugate (I had to ask what that meant). We do not wish ill will on your people. Why do you say these things about the Phoenix?
I beg of you to reconsider and be the man I know you to be. I will carry your necklace and if you are that man, I will give it back.
Your friend always,
Anariel.