Lyssa’s Tale Chapter One Part One

Before you sink yourself into Lyssa’s Tale I would like to discuss something serious for a brief moment. Lyssa is a completely fictional character whose history I have finally gotten around to writing and filling in the blacks. In no way shape or form do I condone or approve of some of the things that happen within this story. I do not recommend this story for any one under the of seventeen as it does contain violence, abuse and sexual content. Everything in this story is from my imagination with several different inspirations. The first and foremost being Neverwinter Nights.

In this story you will meet and learn about Lyssa’s growing up and how she came to be close with Pania. You’ll see the heartaches and struggles that Lyssa goes through to obtain a sense of self freedom. Bear in mind that this is a rough draft and will contain grammatical, spelling, punctuational and other horrific mistakes that will be beaten out.

Thanks and enjoy Chapter 1 Part 1 of Lyssa’s Tale

Meadow Brook

“So you want to know about me?” the red haired elf asked softly. She pulled a small silver tin from her vest pocket, a faint smell of cloves filling the air as opened it. From it she pulled a small dark brown cigarillo, placed it to her lips and lit it with a small, silver lighter. The air filled with a heavier pungent smell of tobacco and cloves as Lyssa inhaled the first drag.

“I would, Miss Stormwater,” a second voice, a man’s, replied. “I’ve followed Miss Alow’s works, you are mentioned in them and I am curious as to what your story is.”

“Really. And please call me Lyssa,” her voiced purred. “Well then, I suppose I could tell you. It’s a long story mind you, and not nearly adventurous as Miss Alow’s, but an adventure none the less.”

“I’ve got time Miss Stormwater,” the man told her, obviously ignoring her request to be called by her first name and remaining formal. It seemed overly professional. “I have hours, days if you need them.”

Lyssa looked over at her interviewer with sharp green eyes and smiled. “I’ve had centuries of time. This will take more than a few days to tell and I do hope that you can write quickly.”

Taking a pull from her cigarillo, her eyes swept over him. Long hair the color of mud, eyes to match. He was average, plain, someone Lyssa wouldn’t even give a second glance on the street. If it wasn’t for the small note she found stuffed in the door knocker, she wouldn’t have known he even existed. The anonymity of her interviewer annoyed her the way a mosquito bite does anyone.

“What is your name?” Lyssa asked after a moment. Her eyes flickered over him once more, though she kept her expression quite tame.

“Xavier Wallock,” he replied.

“Well Mister Wallock,” Lyssa mused, as she kept up the formalities. “Allow me to take you back before Miss Alow came in to my life the first time.”

My brother Toeryn removed me from my family home. At first I thought it was because he loved me, after all he had been affectionate towards me even when my mother wasn’t. I was the result of an affair my mother had with one of the merchants in the city we lived in. When my mother had me, she was upset by the color of my skin. It was not golden like hers and fathers, but rather pale with a slight blue undertone. I exposed my mother’s affair the day I was born. He left her, Toeryn and me with very little money. Mother used what she had to get us back to her family home in Meadow Brook.

Toeryn was welcomed with open arms as was my mother, but I wasn’t. For as long as I could remember my grandmother referred to me as her or half-breed. Soon as I was old enough, she set me to work in the kitchens. My mother pleaded with her to stop making me a servant, but she had lost her will and soon gave up when my grandmother shouted; “That half breed will never be apart of this family! If anything her birth has done nothing but disgrace this family.” I was standing in the door with a tray of tea and biscuits for mother. Grandmother stormed past me, her eyes looking beyond where I stood.

“Come here, darling,” Mother crooned as I closed the door and set the tray down. “Come sit with me and have tea.”

I retrieved my small china tea cup from its secret hiding spot in mother’s trunk and set it on the table. She came to join me after a moment, I could tell in her eyes she was dreading the conversation that inevitably was going to happen. Mother did her best to hide it as she smiled warmly at me.

“Momma, why doesn’t Grandmother like me?” I asked her, sliding into the chair and pouring us both tea.

“Anarar’ithil,” she started, reaching over to gently stroke my face. “My little sun and moon.”

I smiled at this soft touch. It wasn’t something I received often, since I only seen my mother once a week and in secret.

“Your are old enough now to know the story about your heritage,” Mother continued. “Your name tells it all, you are of the sun and the moon elves. Your father is a moon elf, whom I loved very much.”

“But momma you were married to Toeryn’s father.” I said with a confused tone. Even at my young age I was very observant. I had heard her and grandmother discussing what happened.

“Yes, I was,” she replied. “But I was unhappy. You see, Baellianvan was a wealthy man who believed blood lines should be as pure as possible. Your grandmother believes the same thing and she arranged for me to marry Baellianvan. At first I didn’t love Baellianvan, but after gave birth to your brother, I grew to love him.”

My mother sighed heavily as she took a sip of her tea. I knew it pained her to drag up the past, though I was happy that she was able to do so. “I was shopping in the main square of Tel’thurian when I met your father. He called to me, saying all the right things to get me to notice his wares above all the rest. Your father sold cloth, hand blown glass bottles, and all other things that were exotic.”

The door open and my brother stepped in, softly closing it behind him.

“Grandmother is sewing, you’ll have about another hour,” he told us, stepping to me and kissing my head lightly. “How have you been Ana?”

“Good,” I replied with a shrug. “Nodelia is teaching me how make bread. She’s wonderful when grandmother isn’t around.”

“Yeah,” he said with a grin, slumping into a chair. “So what is the topic of the day?”

“I was just telling Anarar’ithil about her father.” Mother said glumly.

Toeryn’s face sobered. He knew most of what happened, but he didn’t blame me for his father leaving. His brow creased slightly as the unpleasant memories flooded his mind. Toeryn was never one to tell how he was feeling, though his face said everything he wouldn’t. I looked back to mother while he poured himself a cup of tea and nicked a few biscuits.

“Your father tried his best to sell me an intricate jewelry box. The price was outrageous, though it looked well worth it. Small red roses dotted silver lid, each one different, each on more beautiful than the last. Inside was lined with purple velvet, and contained a small mirror on the lid. He did everything in his power to keep me there. I’m sure other people noticed the chemistry between us. You could say it was love at first sight.” she said with a sad smile.

“I went home that day feeling girlish, like a young woman in love for the first time. Baellianvan didn’t seem to notice, or care. I had suspected that he was being unfaithful to me, but never once said anything about it. Such things were left unspoken.” Mother sighed. Toeryn grunted softly but otherwise remained silent.

“Momma this is a very lovely story, but it doesn’t explain why Grandmother doesn’t like me.” I said.

“She doesn’t like you because you aren’t “pure in blood” like the family.” Toeryn said bluntly. Sometimes I hated him for this. Mother shot him an annoyed glance, he just shrugged and went back to eating another biscuit.

“He is right Anarar’ithil,” She told me. “Your grandmother shared the same ideals as Baellianvan, sun elves should only be with sun elves. Anything else is considered impure.”

“So Grandmother hates me because I’m half moon elf?” I asked, the idea clicking in my head painfully.

“I’m afraid so.” Mother said softly.

“And with good reason too,” Grandmother’s voice rang out from the door way. Guiltily, we looked towards the door and there she stood, her back pulled back almost like she had a steel rod holding her up. Toeryn flew out of his seat and moved to stand between Mother, me and Grandmother.

“Mother, leave her alone,” My mother told her, standing up trying to block her from coming towards me. Her voice wavered as she spoke. “She’s here at my request.”

“Grandmother, please. Anarar’ithil has done nothing wrong. Will you not permit her to see Mother?”

“You conniving little half breed!” Grandmother shouted as she stepped towards me. “Alurian, you disobeyed me when I told you to cut off contact with her!”

“Would you deny me my own flesh and blood?!” My mother screamed back incredulously.

“Given what she is, I’m surprised you didn’t kill her at birth!” Grandmother screamed at her as her hand shot out to catch Mother’s face. I stood there paralyzed with fear. My eyes filled with tears, Toeryn stared at our Grandmother with a stunned expression. He had never seen Grandmother this angry before. Mother stood there her hand pressed to her cheek, helpless. I began to back away from the table as she came closer to me.

“You vile little wretch,” She screamed at me. My eyes were wide with hate, and then there was pain as her fingers grabbed onto my hair. I let out a shrill scream as she gripped a handful of my hair.

“Mother! Help me please!” I cried out.

She remained motionless, her spirit broken by her fear. Toeryn watched and comforted Mother as our grandmother dragged me from the room. My screams filled the halls, servants from everywhere came to see what the noise was, but did nothing to help me. None of them wished to cross Grandmother. The whole time she screamed at me to shut up, and told me exactly what she thought of my heritage. Down the stairs, each step slamming into my small frame. Grandmother took no care in my well being.

The pain was excruciating, I gave in and let darkness consume me. I awoke later on to a bucket of ice cold water splashing me. I let out a sharp screech and was promptly slapped in the face.

“Silence half breed!” The voice boomed. “You disobeyed me, you disgrace my family and my good will to let you stay in my house and live!”

I felt the bite of a cane come down harshly on my back as she beat me. “For each scream, you will receive another ten lashes.”

“N-no.” I shivered. Tears already pouring down my cheeks as the cane bit me again.

A shrill scream escaped my lips. Eighteen more. Grandmother was ruthless on my back. I didn’t know how I managed to keep myself from screaming. Perhaps it was fear or the feeling of numbness. When she was finished, I was left to lie in the mud. I dared not to move, the pain seared my nerves. I heard footsteps a few moments later, the sound of a metal dog bowl being sat on the ground.

Not allowing myself to look up, I remained still as could be. She loomed over me, sneering and finally spitting on me before going back to the house. Only when I was sure she was gone, did I push myself up to a sitting position. Fearing she would come back and beat me again, it was a slow process. Around my ankle was a thick chain, held in place with an exceedingly strong padlock. Eying the bowl of water and food she left for me, I tried to reach it. Even with extending my leg and laying flat again, I could not reach it. My grandmother had planned on keeping me and hoping I would starve to death. Quietly I sobbed and cursed my father for falling in love with my mother.

I fell into an uneasy sleep, awakening at the first light of day. Rubbing my eyes with dirty fists I looked around the small enclosure I was in. It was a disused dog pen. The walls were high and smooth; a small stone dog house was the only shelter I had from the elements. I noted that the chain was connected to the dog house, perhaps I could somehow get it out of the wall. When I heard the iron gate open I scurried into the dog house and remained there. It was my grandmother again. She looked around curiously for a moment, making note of the chain leading into the small shelter. Hastily, she poured some fresh water into one of the bowls and something that looked like congealed noodles and brown gravy into the other. The bowls were still just out of my reach. When she left I came out of the dog house and slumped against the wall.