[RPG] [FEI][TA] A Return

[Anthony Anderson]

Ragged and exhausted, Arella stumbles homeward.  Each step seems to take an
hour.  She didn't know how long it would take her to return to Idapur and
her people.  The weaknesses in the prison had been shored up between her
first visit, which lasted a few hours, and this recent visit, lasting three
or four days and ending with her paying the ransom.  She knew they would be,
but still the one-time angel struggled to escape day-in and day-out.  After
her initial booking, none had come to visit her, and she had plenty of time
to speak with the guards alone.

Unfortunately, she learned little more from them than what she already
knew.  Ethiala's large alliance only continued to grow.  "I've ne'er even
seen some o' them people we gots allied wit' us.  'Ow can I know they's
trustworthy?" one of them questioned aloud.

"Yeah," piped in another.  "It's as if the King's compensating for
somethin'.  The mighty army of Ethiala should be able to fight on its own.
We don't need no pansy allies mucking around in our business."  He thumps
his chest for some sort of emphasis.

The only real connection any of them could gather was the strange guild of
war that had spread throughout the island.  To Arella, and others, it had
become a plague.  Alliances were forged and wars were fought based solely on
who was in and who was out.  Reason was thrown to the wind, because all they
really needed was an excuse to fight.  Of course, the guards didn't really
care in the long run, so long as they continued being on the winning side.
She sighed.  They didn't realize how alike they were to the nobles leading
them.

Just thinking back on it made the woman sigh again.  Her time on this earth
now numbering thirty years, she wondered if there was anything she had
accomplished that had been at all worthwhile.  Or at least, that wasn't
already undone and destroyed.  Ornaz was now occupied by Ethiala.  Rumors on
the streets as she travelled said that Lasanar was now snatching up
federations like they were going out of style.  Palnosos was being overrun
by Nighthelm, for reasons known only to the Angels.  Arella was sure they
would claim it had something to do with fighting on the side of their
massive alliance.  She also knew the real reason was that they saw it as an
easy target, and yet another chance to gang up on those smaller than them.

How honorable.  How courageous.  How valiant.  Isn't that some of the
"values" touted by those in their guild?  Then why was it that everything
they did- every war they started, and every campaign begun- ended in a
massacre by their allied forces, and left a wake of destruction behind them?

The Arcangela trudged on.  She had recently crossed into Larmebsi, and she
immediately noticed the difference.  The air was cleaner, the grass was
greener, and the people were some of the friendliest she had ever met.  They
had been through so much.  After Toril had formed out of Arcaea, they had
shown signs of aggression, and even moved to attack Talex.  This is when the
Mark stepped in and plucked both Ornaz and Larmebsi out of their hands.
Since that time, Larmebsi's counts had a history of disappearing, making
some believe the region was cursed.  But they held strong and lived their
lives in a way that showed they had no concern with folklore.

Arella smiled.  It was good to be home.
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