Thursday 2 September 2010

Sharp Focus


Angelina stood on the beach, the wind picking up and causing the long grasses to sway, the waves were beginning to get larger. The sky was dark, the colour of lead. A storm was coming, and from the looks of it a harsh one.

She walked over the dunes to the funeral pyre that she had built. Twenty Geisha surrounded it, all wearing their finest, looking their most beautiful. All however streaked with tears. For on the pyre lay Ithiria Deritan. She looked at the pyre and waited.

Hours before the Geisha had seen her walk into the forests, and a gunshot had been heard. Immediately summons had gone out. Carmilla, Victor, Angelina. Angelina had arrived first. Together with the geisha she had scoured the forest, her cries loud in the early morning and they had found her. The primal scream that erupted from her lips as she cradled Ithiria's body shook even those who knew her. There was something in that scream that made the blood run cold.

Carmilla and Victor arrived soon after, within minutes of each other and made their way to the beach. Both were surprised at the change that had come over Angelina. Gone were the slave garments she used to wear for her old Master, and the old Guristas flight suits she favoured. Instead she wore a long tight fitting, flowing dress of old gallente origin. They both walked to her and tried to comfort her, but she brushed them away.

"This must be attended to first."
"But what happened? Why did she do this?"
Angelina turned and looked at them both, a wad of paper in her hand which she was lighting.
"She had no reason to do this, so I can't believe she did it. I believe she was executed."
Victor paled and Carmilla shook her head.
"No it can't be, no one would do that. No one has reason to anymore."
"She's right Angelina," Victor placed his hand on her shoulder,"There were those who did once, but they have gone ever since....."
He left the sentence open, but they all knew what he meant. Angelina walked towards the pyre and lit it, watching the flames dance as it consumed the wooden frame and the the flames licked around the body. Carmilla looked on, heart beating fast in her chest, screaming inside with rage. Victor, as ever, looked impassive, no one really knew what he was feeling inside. But it would be similar to what they felt.
"Esna."

They both looked at her, expecting her to say something, but not that.
"What... do you mean?"
"Esna threatened to kill everything I held dear if I ever left him. I never thought he'd go through with it."
"Now wait a minute... we don't know....."
She turned around with hate in her eyes.
"Ithiria had no reason to kill herself! She was executed as a message to me. It has to be Esna!"
"Esna wouldn't do something like this, Ang......"
Carmilla stopped as she saw the look on Ang's face. A look she'd seen before, a look many had seen before, briefly. Someone, was going to die. For whatever reason the dull outlook on life that had been Angelina's had been brought into sharp focus. Once more she had a purpose, and pity those who got in her way.

Vengence!

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