(A/N): I've just revised most of Midnight as well as changed Dusk's introduction into a character map so this chapter comes off as a bit delayed...
Crimson Twilight: Midnight
Chapter 39: Seihanine Xalascent
Part I: Overwhelming Guilt
"I know it hurts and it seems that you don't have the time to ponder on such things anymore, Seihanine Xalascent. Anyway, I'd like you to ponder something for me for the first day of "Raven's week" as I'd dub it."
Seihanine barely even looked at the woman who was talking to her. She was still on her knees after being struck by Raven Huer's spell. The white-haired wizard was gone but the woman called Lizan Killranae was still looking over her. Even if it was their first time meeting, Seihanine felt an intense dislike for this woman. She was a busybody and stuck her nose into other people's businesses. In short, she was like a female Raven Huer, popping out of nowhere and meddling as she pleased.
"Look beyond me for a minute, Seihanine Xalascent, and think. Ask yourself why you picked up a bow. Ask yourself why you gave up so many other choices and picked the Way of the Bow, instead. Why didn't you wield a lance or a sword or a spell? What does archery say about you? What does it mean to those around you? If you find something to make you go on in those answers, I'll find you. If not…"
Lizan Killranae looked at Seihanine straight in the eyes. She had the gray eyes of someone who had seen too much for a time that was far too long. She had a friendly face, a small nose and a slightly pointed chin. Her black hair was slightly wild, falling over her forehead in curious locks. There was a forbidding look in her eyes when she spoke.
"If not…you can roll over and die."
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"I will roll over and die…rot in the abyss."
A day had passed since her encounter with Lizan. Seihanine had suddenly run out of energy during that day. She staggered back to her house to rest and remembered that Kreizen was still in the infirmary with Moonlight. Seihanine remembered dragging herself to her bed and immediately falling asleep. The following day did not do anything to decrease the tremendous weight that she felt was pressing on her. She found it difficult to move let alone rise and do what she had to do.
'Why did I give up so many choices to be a huntress?'
Seihanine's eyes widened when another voice answered her thoughts. It was a soft, feminine voice that seemed to surround her from all sides. It almost sounded like a purr.
"You became one for me, baby sister…"
Seihanine looked around. Her sister's presence jolted her into action. Once more she had the opportunity to destroy the madwoman. The voice seemed to seep from the alls of her room. Maiha's soft, mocking laughter flitted about her. One moment it chuckled behind her and the next it was moving to her front. The huntress looked around and grabbed her bow.
"Where are you?"
As quickly as it came, the laughter vanished. Seihanine looked around, her trained vision picked up no sign of Maiha. She didn't smell the blood that would have been noticeable as the assassin was badly injured from fighting her brother. Her door was still closed and nothing had appeared on her window. Now that the laughter stopped, she didn't even feel a presence anymore.
'She was here…I know she was.'
Seihanine's eyes narrowed. There was no one in the room but her. The entire room was silent and dark. The weather still didn't change above Prontera. It was still overcast skies and cold winds. It wasn't surprising as autumn was almost over. It would probably be two weeks more before winter settled in. Soon, they would be fighting raydrics in the snow. Seihanine lowered her bow. Was Maiha gone? Was she even there in the first place?
Several minutes passed and the room was still silent. Seihanine continued to look around for her deranged half sister. Finally, she was convinced that there was no one in the room. Once more, Lizan Killranae's questions came to mind.
'What does archery say about me? What does it mean to those around me?'
"Your archery was for me, baby sister. It means death and pain for anyone else around you. Admit it, baby sister; you've dedicated your entire life to me. It's so sweet, really.'
Maiha's voice echoed all over the room. Seihanine spun about, trying to pinpoint where her half sister was. It was impossible. It was as if Maiha was everywhere all at once. Seihanine reeled back slightly. The soft laughter continued to echo around her it grew louder as if pressing around her from all sides. The room itself was starting to stifle her. A knocking sound to her left caused Seihanine to reflexively fire an arrow at that direction. The oridecon-tipped arrow plunged into the wooden wall without hitting anything. The laughter stopped again and Seihanine found that she was alone in her room. The huntress's heart was racing. Something was wrong. Maiha was doing something that allowed her to completely mask her presence.
"I did not dedicate my life to you…all I wanted was you dead."
Silence greeted Seihanine's reply. She was alone again. She had always prided herself for sensing the presence of others. She was familiar with the nuances that assassins and rogues make when hiding. That was when she noticed her falcon, Kalyx. The bird was still by his perch and staring at her calmly, as if wondering why she was so worked up.
"My dear, sweet baby sister, you've been doing so much for me. You've been chasing after me for so long that you were willing to sacrifice anyone to be with me."
Once again the voice was everywhere. Kalyx didn't even flinch when Maiha spoke even though the falcon was always agitated in the presence of the assassin. That was when she distinctly heard it; the metallic singing sound of a dagger being drawn from its sheath followed by a knocking sound. Seihanine drew another arrow and fired at the direction of the sound. All she hit was her wall.
"Let's talk of Reiz, baby sister. Our hard-working, cheerful and…attractive older brother; I'm sure you've heard the stories about what he did the day you were born?"
Seihanine knew that story well. Everyone was sure that she was a still-born. She wasn't breathing when she came out of her mother's womb. At some point, everyone had given up. It was a Xalascent female anyway. Even Rizzed, who refused to accept such reasons, had decided that there was nothing more to be done. The four year old Kreizen never did. He had broken through the surrounding relatives and managed to grab his little sister. At that point, something happened and she started breathing. The triumphant Kreizen held his newly born little sister above his head in triumph.
"How much do you owe our sweet, older brother, little Sei? You owed him your life the moment you were born."
Seihanine never stopped searching for Maiha. It disconcerted her that the assassin seemed to be reading her mind. The only one she knew who could do that was Khaesilya. Kalyx continued to look at her curiously.
"How many times has he taken responsibility for you? How many times did he have to make amends for all those injured archers you kept producing when their clans came to him demanding restitution? He was perpetually broke because of you; because he wouldn't tell the clan about those incidents and bring you to shame…"
Seihanine remembered those archers. She remembered the foolish look they took on while hunting with her and then getting mauled by some beast or falling into some hole. She remembered the indignant faces of their clan members, demanding payment from Kreizen for his sister's actions. Kreizen paid them all because he didn't want it to get out. Seihanine was an aspiring dancer; she couldn't make do if she developed a reputation for any scandal such as the ones that may arise if her brother took it to his clan. A female archer injuring a male one while hunting was inexcusable among the payonese clans. It would bring shame to Clan Xalascent. With their father, Rizzed, dying when she was only two years old, Kreizen took on the responsibilities that their father should have carried with regards to her.
"How many men did he challenge and kill for insulting you?"
Seihanine remembered that as well. She had many suitors even when she was still an archer. She recalled the annoying poetry and trophy bragging. She also remembered rejecting them all. They despised her in return. Men despised what they couldn't have instead of accepting that it wasn't meant for them. They spread rumors or made comments such as "She's an ice-blooded, payonese witch anyway." Kreizen would always find out. The payonese clans had strict rules about challenging people to duels. The honor of the duelists' clans was always at stake so the duels were to the death. Kreizen killed no less than fifteen such suitors. He was the future Clan Xalascent patriarch and to refuse a challenge from him brought shame down the entire clan of anyone who refused.
"Reiz was always there wasn't he? But where was little Sei when Reiz needed her most?"
Seihanine suddenly remembered Glastheim. She remembered chasing down Maiha only to enter a room that was full of raydrics. She remembered going on ahead while Kreizen dealt with the raydrics and then taking the shot that should have ended her half sister's life.
"Where was Sei when Reiz needed her? She was with Maiha, that's where. Too busy having fun with Maiha to bother with Reiz. Maiha was more important after all."
Seihanine looked about furiously before clutching her head.
"That isn't true! It isn't…Reiz defeated them. He won…he-"
"What if he didn't? He'd be dead. The man who was more father to you than Rizzed Xalascent, the man who did far more than what a brother had to would have been dead and he would have died alone; the person he had given so much not even looking back to check on him…"
Seihanine was trembling now. She could hear her sister but she wasn't in the room. Another sound of a dagger being unsheathed made her whirl towards the direction. There was nothing there.
"Even when I nearly killed him in the last battle, where were you? Lying in bed, that's where; it's no surprise that he isn't here for you anymore. How much can a man really give for an ungrateful and ugly woman like you?"
Seihanine shook her head and clapped her hands over her ears. It didn't help. Maiha's voice was everywhere. She seemed to be laughing derisively and talking at the same time. Her voices were overlapping, turning into an insane cacophony.
"That's right, you ugly, pathetic woman. He didn't take you as a concubine as clan traditions demanded because he believed that there was a more suitable man for you and that you should only sleep with the person who loves you that way. It was also partly because sleeping with you would make him vomit his guts out!"
Maiha's voice lost its soft quality, becoming a menacing hiss.
"You ugly, ungrateful, undeserving woman! You're pathetic as a huntress and useless as a sister. No one would love you! Not Reiz and as you can see now…not Zein. I'm the only one who sees use for you, baby sister, because I delight in the pain and sorrow you cause!"
The voice continued while Seihanine fell to her knees. She was sobbing now and the gloom in her room seemed to completely smother her. It was becoming more and easier to accept her half sister's words as true. That she was ugly, pathetic, worthless and ungrateful. She was better of dead…
"Zein died for you and all he got were a few tears which had to be squeezed out of you eyes. Every spell costs him blood and sacrifice, all for a cold glance from you. Do you find it surprising that he wants you dead? Why he wants you to rot in the abyss? Even Zein knows that only I am the only one good enough for you!"
Seihanine trembled even more. Her heart was hammering in her chest. It was true. It was all true. Maiha knew everything about her. She didn't deserve Zein and she didn't deserve Reiz. She was killing them and they went along with it. The laughter continued to echo so loudly that it was making her ears ring. The wooden walls creaked and groaned as if closing in on her. Maiha's dagger sang from all over the place. Kalyx didn't even move from his perch. Images suddenly started flooding her mind. She couldn't fight like this! Her half-sister could strike anywhere and she wouldn't be able to react. Her chest constricted as she imagined Malys emerging from the shadows of her room, piercing her flesh and cleaving through the bones of her chest. She was breathing hard now. She looked about in panic, expecting the assassin to attack and kill her. She would…she would…
"Boo, baby sister!"
The voice lost its omnipresence and came from one direction only. Seihanine saw her only chance. She drew two arrows and pointed her bow at her target. Finally, she saw Maiha! She saw the assassin's hateful face, twisted into a vicious snarl that was filled with malice. The assassin's eyes gleamed with ferocity and insanity when she aimed a gakkung at her. Her pale blue hair whipped about as she fired the arrows…
Time seemed to freeze momentarily when Seihanine released the arrows. She was sure it was Maiha! Only one person could look so hateful and mad! She vaguely recalled that Maiha had dark blue hair and dark brown eyes. She didn't wield bows…
Seihanine's bedroom mirror shattered when the arrows struck it…
"I…no…it was a trick…"
The huntress stared at the broken pieces of the mirror. The room was totally silent. There was no one in there, just her and Kalyx. She finally realized what she had been doing and collapsed. She curled up and started shivering, tears streaking down her eyes. She was so scared…what was happening? She needed someone…she needed Kreizen…she needed Trenzein but they were both gone. She had driven them away. She was alone in the dark. Was she even alive? The room was getting cold and darker as well. She felt dead. She grasped a mirror shard and sliced a cut on her hand. The blood flowed. She was still alive, the pain felt almost pleasant…
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Lizan Killranae watched the Xalascents' house as she strolled along the streets of Prontera. It was about time she paid a visit to the huntress. She didn't like scrying on students like Raven or teleporting inside someone's house. She would just enter it and see how Seihanine Xalascent was doing. She placed a hand on the door knob and stopped, frowning.
Lizan heard a muffled laughter inside the house...
