to marry and produce an heir, and soon. With war coming, who knew how much longer her father would still breathe?
As soon as the coldness of the mist surrounded him, Lukor drank in every inch of the Spirit Realm. One soul he longed to see, but although he saw souls of every race, age, and creed, he saw not the one he sought.
In fact, 'twas she who found him first.
Her soft voice teased him. Lukor took a step forward, into the Realm. Belatedly, he realized he had dropped the barbarian's hand. He did not care. Nothing else mattered.
"Lucia," he called out, still not able to locate her.
"Lukor," she repeated, her voice stronger this time, louder. Before she had merely whispered his name, so faintly he feared he'd imagined it.
The goliath whipped around to see his sister standing before him. To see her like this was not much better than the last time he saw her: bloodied, face down, hacked nearly into pieces. Such savagery could only have been accomplished by a barbarian. Indeed, a scrap of their clothing with that blasted silvery purple hilt upon it had been clenched in her hand.
Her light green even lighter than Lukor’s but her dark green far darker, only two inches shorter than he was, Lucia held out her hand to him, her eyes bright and her smile wide. "How I have missed you."
He tried to touch her hand but felt only ice where her hand should be. "I have... missed you as well."
Her smile lessened. "What is it, my brother?"
His tongue felt awkward within his mouth and refused to cooperate. Words failed him. He had so much to tell her, but where to start?
"Do not frown. It makes you look so much older."
Lukor's laugh died swiftly. Lucia would never age another day. At eighteen, she'd been murdered long before her timeline should've expired.
"Twenty-two now," she continued. "I'm so proud of you."
Proud? What had he done to make her proud?
"You always looked out for me." She reached out as if to hug him.
He stepped back even though she couldn't touch him. "If I had, you would not be in here."
"Oh, is that why you're so grumpy? Come now, it isn't your fault I ran off."
"I should have gone with you."
"You were busy with Golic." She shrugged, her eyes brimming with tears at the name of her betrothed. "How... how is he? Good I hope. You'll find him a good goliatha, won't you?" Lucia's form dimmed for a long moment.
"Do you want me to tell him anything?"
"I relive our memories every day. Especially by the waterfall."
The misty look in her eyes and the wide, wavering smile left him unable to ask for more specifics.
She wiped some tears. "Do I wish I was still alive? Of course, but I loved to explore, you know that. Just like Darcia. How is our dear cousin? Still sneaking off?"
"Yes." The word snapped out of his mouth. He smacked his lips together into a flat line, the tip of his tusks digging into his upper lip. Darcia running off as Lucia had months ago had been yet another reason why Lukor left Ordisium. Her trail had long grown cold before he had met up with Ivy.
If a barbarian had crossed paths with Darcia and killed her too...
"Which barbarian killed you?" Lukor demanded, his voice raspy and harsh.
"You sound and look like one yourself." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes to tiny slits.
"Do you want me to avenge your death or not?" he growled. "Why else would you be trapped in this accursed place?"
"Yes, this place is wretched, and yes, I hope to move on once my murder has been avenged..." Her bright aqua eyes dimmed to a dreary blue. "But you must swear to me you will not go after him."
Lukor scoffed.
Before he could defend himself, she continued, "At least not by yourself."
"Do not worry. I have a plan to ensure that he, and all others, will not live much longer."
Her sudden smile vanished almost as soon as it appeared. "I thought I saw you with a barbarian."
"A means to enact that plan. Nothing more. Now, tell me what he looked like. I wish for his death to be particularly
As soon as the coldness of the mist surrounded him, Lukor drank in every inch of the Spirit Realm. One soul he longed to see, but although he saw souls of every race, age, and creed, he saw not the one he sought.
In fact, 'twas she who found him first.
Her soft voice teased him. Lukor took a step forward, into the Realm. Belatedly, he realized he had dropped the barbarian's hand. He did not care. Nothing else mattered.
"Lucia," he called out, still not able to locate her.
"Lukor," she repeated, her voice stronger this time, louder. Before she had merely whispered his name, so faintly he feared he'd imagined it.
The goliath whipped around to see his sister standing before him. To see her like this was not much better than the last time he saw her: bloodied, face down, hacked nearly into pieces. Such savagery could only have been accomplished by a barbarian. Indeed, a scrap of their clothing with that blasted silvery purple hilt upon it had been clenched in her hand.
Her light green even lighter than Lukor’s but her dark green far darker, only two inches shorter than he was, Lucia held out her hand to him, her eyes bright and her smile wide. "How I have missed you."
He tried to touch her hand but felt only ice where her hand should be. "I have... missed you as well."
Her smile lessened. "What is it, my brother?"
His tongue felt awkward within his mouth and refused to cooperate. Words failed him. He had so much to tell her, but where to start?
"Do not frown. It makes you look so much older."
Lukor's laugh died swiftly. Lucia would never age another day. At eighteen, she'd been murdered long before her timeline should've expired.
"Twenty-two now," she continued. "I'm so proud of you."
Proud? What had he done to make her proud?
"You always looked out for me." She reached out as if to hug him.
He stepped back even though she couldn't touch him. "If I had, you would not be in here."
"Oh, is that why you're so grumpy? Come now, it isn't your fault I ran off."
"I should have gone with you."
"You were busy with Golic." She shrugged, her eyes brimming with tears at the name of her betrothed. "How... how is he? Good I hope. You'll find him a good goliatha, won't you?" Lucia's form dimmed for a long moment.
"Do you want me to tell him anything?"
"I relive our memories every day. Especially by the waterfall."
The misty look in her eyes and the wide, wavering smile left him unable to ask for more specifics.
She wiped some tears. "Do I wish I was still alive? Of course, but I loved to explore, you know that. Just like Darcia. How is our dear cousin? Still sneaking off?"
"Yes." The word snapped out of his mouth. He smacked his lips together into a flat line, the tip of his tusks digging into his upper lip. Darcia running off as Lucia had months ago had been yet another reason why Lukor left Ordisium. Her trail had long grown cold before he had met up with Ivy.
If a barbarian had crossed paths with Darcia and killed her too...
"Which barbarian killed you?" Lukor demanded, his voice raspy and harsh.
"You sound and look like one yourself." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes to tiny slits.
"Do you want me to avenge your death or not?" he growled. "Why else would you be trapped in this accursed place?"
"Yes, this place is wretched, and yes, I hope to move on once my murder has been avenged..." Her bright aqua eyes dimmed to a dreary blue. "But you must swear to me you will not go after him."
Lukor scoffed.
Before he could defend himself, she continued, "At least not by yourself."
"Do not worry. I have a plan to ensure that he, and all others, will not live much longer."
Her sudden smile vanished almost as soon as it appeared. "I thought I saw you with a barbarian."
"A means to enact that plan. Nothing more. Now, tell me what he looked like. I wish for his death to be particularly
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