Chapter 26: Monah do dii
Everything was all so familiar yet different, as she walked through her childhood home. The walls still felt the same as she ran her hands over the rough wood, the floor still creaked with each step. The sparse furniture still sat in the same place her mother arranged it, waiting for the inhabitants to return. Only the back room her parents slept in was different, the smell of rain and neglect souring the memories of her home. She stepped through the threshold into the destruction and frowned as rain dripped from the caved ceiling onto her face. The walls were smashed along the back of the cabin, and the roof was dipping into the room, brushing against the accident bed that had long decayed were her parents slept. It was a rude reminder that they would never lie in that bed again, or grace this house with their presence. The cabin out in the wilderness had stood for an age, weathering the storm while her parents had passed on. She clenched her fists, and stepped further into the room, the old floorboards threatening to buckle under the weight, rain assaulted her through the holes in the roof and she welcomed them like tears washing over her. She looked up into the blackened skies and searched for any signs of stars, for her father. Through the blackened and angry skies, she could see them, so far away like little diamonds her forefathers, dragon souls lighting the sky just for her. she blinked away the rain, her violet eyes glowing in the dim light until see found him, her father's star, bright and beautiful watching over her and she smiled as tears slid down her pale cheeks.
"Bormah, Monah mindin pah daar tiid mu los pah pahvoth ontzos" she whispered to the stars.
"What does it mean?" Jarvan's voice echoed through the room and Shyvana whirled around her eyes scanning the semi darkness until his silhouette came into view.
She could feel her heart beat pound in her chest, and took a breath to calm herself as she gave her father one last parting glance before bowing her head and moving from the remainder of her parents' bedroom to stand before him, his blue eyes smoldering as he stared down at her. She smiled softly and shook her head, tiny water droplets spraying over his already soaking armor.
"It's draconian, I was talking to my parents, I know it sounds foolish but I hope that wherever they are they can hear me, it gives me strength" she said bowing her head, her smile faltering as memories of them came flooding back, and the fire in her eyes dimmed.
Jarvan reached under her chin and tipped her head up, catching her eye, the sparkling lavenders dewy with unshed tears, and brushed his thumb across her cheek "It's not foolish shy, they can hear you, they would be proud of you" he pulled her swiftly into an embrace, his arms wrapping around her smaller form.
Shyvana smiled against his chest, a warmth spreading through her, as she felt new flames tickle her heart. "Thank you Jarvan"
He pulled away and smiled at her "Of course shy" he said stepping back into the small hallway in the cabin, ushering her forward "Now if you wouldn't mind we need help starting a fire, and you need to find some new clothes, I don't think my cloak is proper traveling attire" he said a smirk on his face.
Shyvana rolled her eyes and nodded, smacking him gently in the chest with her palm "Okay Captain, give me a moment and I'll come start your fire"
He smiled and ran his hand through his wet hair, opening his mouth to comment on her last sentence his eyes sparkling with mischief, when she reached up and placed a finger against his lips, silencing him, her own eyes glowing and a devilish grin on her face "go Jarvan I will be right behind you" he grabbed her smaller hand and kissed her knuckles chuckling to himself "as you wish my lady" earning a snort from the dragoness.
He left Shyvana standing there alone, the warmth of his presence quickly evaporating as she stood there watching him go. She yawned, her white fangs flashing and stretched her arms above her head; it had been a long and taxing day and she was tired. She summoned a small mote of flame in her outstretched palm and brought it out in front of her smirking, it was nothing for a dragon to conjure flames at will, unlike her mortal companions. The pale skin of her palm turned a dark violet as her skin toughened and the smallest of ebony scales crept up her fingers, as her flames burned brightly in the darkness. She sighed and clenched her fist shut, extinguishing the flame as quickly as it came and turned to explore her home. She walked carefully through the backside of the cabin, the smell of mildew causing her to snort, smoke billowing around her head. She waved her hand in front of her face, and held one hand out towards the wall, guiding herself by memory alone to her small bedroom she had as a child.
It was tiny, and sparsely decorated, a small bed in the corner of the room, the blankets tattered and ripped. A small chest of drawers along the southern most wall, Shyvana walked toward it slowly, and brushed her fingers ever so lightly across its top. It was covered in a thin layer of dust, but the wood was smooth under her fingertips, she turned and walked towards the doorway, her foot brushing against something solid and she frowned. It was dark in this tiny bedroom and she peered down at her feet to inspect the object on the floor. Her eyes glowing, she knelt and picked up a small toy, it was a carving of a dragon, expertly crafted from wood. She bit her lip to keep herself from crying, it was a celestial dragon, the image of her father, she clutched it to her chest the way she remembered doing as a child. Running her fingers over the surface, she noticed something inscribed on the bottom, and flipped it over
"Fah dii Mon, ful tol rek aal alun dahmaan zey"
She could feel tears prickling her eyes and pinched them shut, clutching the dragon to her chest she whispered, "I will always remember father"
She left her small bedroom and wandered back towards her parents' old room, minding her footing around the destroyed floorboards to the western wall of the bedroom. She was looking for something to wear, hoping that something from her mother's clothing had survived long enough to cover herself with, despite the thought turning her heart to ice. The chest of drawers in the room, was in bad shape, a beam from the ceiling lay across its top and buckled the legs on one side. Shyvana placed her craving on the floor and bit her lip, summoning her strength she easily tossed off the beam, cringing when it crashed heavily onto the floor. She rummaged through several drawers, pulling out scraps of cloth and old blankets. She took the blankets and shook them out setting them beside the dragon carving, deciding that with or without holes they were better than nothing. She moved to the back of the room, the whistling of air and the sting of rain all too real as she neared the all but destroyed wall. She could see outside and she frowned, holding out her palm to summon a flame, one hand clutched around her chest to hold the cloak closed. There was scarcely anything else in the room, most things were destroyed when the roof caved in, broken furniture scattered around the room. She moved the mote of flame back and forth slowly and something caught her eye.
A small metal ring, along the floor glistened with dew as the purple flame passed over it. She moved closer and brought her flame towards it, the flames burning brightly until she could see it completely. A large and slightly rusted metal ring, fastened to the floor with equally rusted bolts. She knelt and wrapped her hand around it, the cool metal biting into her skin and pulled, gently at first waiting for something to happen. She could hear a loud groan as ancient hinges screamed to life as she pulled harder and the almost unnoticeable trap door gave way.
She stood up looking down into almost complete darkness, the light from her flames licking at the entrance. She did not remember this as a child venturing into her parents' room, her chubby feet running across the floorboards and her mischievous hands grabbing everything in sight. She narrowed her eyes and snorted, she found it off putting that she didn't know about this secret room, however scolded herself that she was the child and her parents needn't tell her everything. She poured more energy into her flame and the once small mote of purple flame grew large in her outstretched hand its firelight illuminating the entire room. The heat from the flame, billowed her cloak and dried her wet hair clinging to her cheeks, she took a deep breath and stepped towards the trapdoor her foot making a set of old stairs untouched for an age creak under her weight.
The floor was damp and soft under her feet and the air smelled earthy and undisturbed, a staleness to it. She swept her flame back and forth to illuminate the secret room and she cocked her head in confusion. It was small, about half the size of her parents' bedroom, the walls and floor both cut out from the earth, above her were wooden boards, in the center of the room stood a solid beam, decorated with draconian inscription. She moved closer and ran her fingers over the wood, whispering the words aloud to herself.
"To my daughter Shyvana, if you ever return to this place and find yourself here in this room, know that I never meant to keep secrets from you. When your mother died I had to return and see to her most precious belongings, knowing one day I would pass them onto you. Keep them close to your heart my daughter, may they protect you when one day I cannot"
She peaked behind the beam and scrunched her brow, in the back of the room stood a tall thin cabinet, and a tiny sitting table. She walked carefully to the back of the room and moved to open the cabinet, her fingers shaking slightly as she pried open the double doors. Her breath hitched in her throat as her flame illuminated her mother's belongings. Before her stood a beautifully crafted set of ebony armor, its surface twinkling as the firelight flickered over its surface. It was like nothing she had ever seen before, the chest plate was dark as pitch with silver detailing, the pauldrons small and feminine also had the same silver detailing. The entire suit of armor was cut for a woman's figure, fine lines and delicate detailing, the metal plating overtop a suit of ebony dragon scales. No mortal hand made this; the quality of the smith was beyond her understanding and she knew of no smith capable of making such armor. She brought the flame closer to the armor admiring its beauty when she caught sight of another inscription on the inside of the left pauldrons, it was scribed in mortal tongue
"For Honor, Justice, Duty and unrelenting courage in the face of adversity"
She had never heard these words before and frowned as her fingers brushed against cold steel. There was so much she never got to know about her mother and she felt new rage seep into her heart. She was stolen away from her, a child, never to know her mother from that monster and she would have her revenge, her mother's armor a shield from his fire and her father's blood the power to destroy him. she closed her eyes and clenched her fists closed bathing the room in darkness, her heavy breathing the only sound as she tried to calm herself, her talons poking into the flesh of her palms. She opened her eyes, the glow illuminating her surroundings and she took in the sight of the armor again, noticing for the first time a slim, long blade sitting along the back wall. It was sheathed, in the same ebony plating as the armor, its hilt decorated with silver, and several fine gems. She reached behind the armor and pulled it out, it was a slender thing in her hands and she wrapped her fingers around the hilt unsheathed it. The shining metal sword looked just as magnificent as the armor, a sleek and slender double-edged sword, masterfully designed. Along its upper edge, her mother's name was carved into the blade "Yvannah" and the other side contained what she assumed was the name of the sword, an odd name if she had to choose one for a blade but it was her mothers and she would cherish it "Ebonblade".
She sheathed the sword and placed it gently on the table, moving some very old papers containing odd pictures of symbols she had never seen before. They were hand drawn, the charcoal used to illustrate them stark against the yellowing pages. She turned her attention back to the armor and discarded Jarvan's cloak to dress herself in it, whispering a thank you to her mother.
The armor fit her surprisingly well, the dragon scale suit clung to her curves and accentuated her pale skin. The heavy metal plating was almost a perfect fit for her tall figure and she fastened the heavy leather straps in place. It was odd having this much on her person at one time, especially heavy armor but it was comforting all the same. She smoothed out her hair and gave herself a once over, checking everything was in order before bending down and equipping the sword to her hip. She took the helmet in her hand and frowned when she realized she wouldn't be able to wear it with horns, but she decided she wouldn't leave it behind and took it with her upstairs.
It was odd walking with so much extra weight and she had to adjust as she moved up the creaking stairs into the bedroom, her footfalls heavier and her movements more sluggish. She stopped and picked up her dragon carving and the old blankets and moved into the small hall towards the den to rejoin the others, equipped with her mother's sword and armor.
She could hear them, gathered in the largest room in the relatively small cabin, next to the stone hearth. They were mumbling to themselves, and tearing at something. It sounded as if they were tearing pages from a book, and she cocked her head to the side trying to figure out how they obtained paper at all. she walked carefully around the corner to see them, huddled together armor discarded, cloaks hung over whatever furniture they could find. Shyvana smiled and shook her head lightly at her friends' poor appearance, they were soaked to the bone. She watched as Garrett and Dagonett sat beside the still unlit fire inside the stone hearth, her arms crossed over her chest in amusement at their apparent lack of fire starting skills.
"Do you need some help" she called, rolling her eyes as everyone turned and stared at her with shocked expressions on their faces.
"Umh, Shyvana were did you find that?" Garrett asked running his hand through his shaggy wet hair, his blue eyes wide as he stared at her.
Shyvana snorted and pointed to her chest plate "If you are referring to this, it was my mothers, my father left it behind for me"
Dagonett cleared his throat and quickly passed his gaze towards Jarvan, who was completely oblivious to his glance, as he was staring openly at the dragoness. the lieutenant smirked and flicked his eyes towards the dragoness again, and inspected the new-found armor. It was classified as a heavy armor, equipped with pauldrons, greaves, chest plate, sabatons, and thick plating over her thighs and hips. It was blackened to give it an ebony appearance with a high shine. judging by the fine quality it hadn't been worn recently or ever in battle, it was detailed with silver that accentuated the chest plate and the feminine cut of the armor, clearly designed for a woman of status. Under the metal plating she was wearing a body suit similar in fashion to that of Jarvan's so he assumed it was also dragon scale. It contained no sleeves and her pale shoulders stood out against the dark metal. He trailed his eyes down her legs and noticed the boots contained the smallest of heels, also decorated with silver and ebony. Next his eyes found the sword fastened around Shyvana's hip, he could not see the blade only the matching ebony sheath, the hilt, decorated with silver and gems was shaped like the open maw of a dragon, the blade extending from its mouth, its eyes two gleaming purple gems.
"Well, firecracker you have found yourself quiet the impressive set of armor" he smiled at her, his green eyes holding hers.
Shyvana nodded her head and found herself returning the easy smile, her hands subconsciously running down the cool metal on her hips.
"It's like nothing I've ever seen before, it's amazing" Garrett interrupted, getting up to approach the dragoness when Dagonett snorted and grabbed the younger man by the shoulder and shoved him down
"Hey now lad, I still need you to help me with the fire, leave the lady alone" he scolded the blond ranger
"Who did you say your mother was shy?" it was Jarvan's voice that caught her attention
Shyvana turned to look at him a puzzled look on her face, her violet eyes searching his "I don't remember much about her sadly, I was so young when she passed. But I do remember her eyes a violet like mine, and long black hair. She had an amazing voice, it was soft and sweet her laugh sounded like birds singing, it used to make me feel safe" her face feel and she looked down at her hands, a sad smile on her face as she picked at her gloved fingers "My father used to tell me about her when I was young, she was his viintaas fil, it means shining star in my native tongue" she felt a tear slide down her cheek and cling to the bottom on her jaw as she bowed her head, her lavender bangs shielding her from the others.
"Was she from Demacia by chance?" it was Connors voice, and she turned to stare at him.
He looked in poor shape, his cheeks ruddy from coughing and his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. He was leaning on his side, the wet cloak still clung around him and she could hear his uneven breathing, as he shifted his weight from his elbow to his palm trying to sit up. She nodded her head slowly "Yes, my father told me that was where she was born, but I don't remember her ever mentioning it, why?"
Connors sighed and ran one hand over his weary face, the other holding him upright and let out a sigh that turned into a fit of coughing. It took him a moment to recover, his cheeks bright red and he inhaled deeply letting the breath flow from his mouth in a shaky wheeze before he looked up at the dragonesses confused face
"Because lass, that armor you got there, it was crafted in Demacia"