Samantha
she breathed a heavy sigh as she reigned in her breathing, the little rascal was beaming with joy looking at the guardian vines sprouted from the walls, slowly retracting back into the wooden, the spell's core dimmed as it wasted energy to reform and strengthen the wood, the spell visibly exhausted her, leeching mana from her to energizer itself, seeping back into the wall.
The baby in her arm did not take notice of her at all, he stared at the spot at which the spell core disappeared, his mouth gaped, forgetting to breath. She pinched his chubby cheeks and walked back to her room, in dire need of rest after the little accident. Her mind growing weary from simply commanding a ward. Her days out of service has made her sharp and durable mind dull and easily exhaustible.
Her brisk walk into the room was interrupted by a loud knock on the house's door. She quickly laid the baby in its crib before hurrying to the door, not before she took a wooden staff on her way out of the room. "Who is it?" she shouted standing a few meters away from the door, armed and ready. She knew her husband would not just knock on the door and any welcomed person would have announced themselves by now.
Blood sped in her veins as she prepared an Ice bolt spell core on the end of her staff, a comforting chill radiated off her staff as she walked closer to the door. She swiftly unbolted the lock and pointed her staff.
The staff fell of hand as her knees gave in, a broken man stood there silently crying, eyes lost in tears that slipped between silent sobs.
Dimitri walked past her figure carrying a tightly wrapped figure, Helena and Sol peaked from behind the stair railing on hearing the drop of their mother. They saw their shivering bundled brother, his face contorted with a pained scowl, blue and black veins snaked pass his right shoulder, climbing halfway to his neck.
Samantha's tear stained eyes were glued to Alfred's face, her heart barely felt the need to beat any longer. The dark thoughts were banished by two tiny pairs of arms wrapping around her.
She looked down towards her sniffling children, she returned their hugs. The final barrier was broken and wails filled their house.
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Adam[????] 2 months old
The atmosphere felt dark in the house recently, mother's warm and gentle smile disappeared, the warm glint in father's eyes was replaced with trepidation. The girls' smiles were forced when they attempted to play with me, their laughs that used to echo on the walls just went up and disappeared.
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I only saw the reason the reason after an old lady, ancient as oak, bashed the door into the living room, she did not greet or speak to father and mother as she walked around the stair well into a room.
Father and Mather rushed after her, I managed to see a young boy no older then 10 laying on a bed shirtless, blue and black veins crisscrossing on his body leaving only his head and small part of his sternum and neck untouched. The old lady took a necklace from somewhere in her robes, placing on the boy's neck. It had a finger sized marble like stone shaped like a rain droplet.
Light erupted from the stone blinding everyone in the room. The light adjusted quickly into a candle's gleam, the light seemed to push the dark veins slowly away from its source. The veins stopped retreating after reaching the edges of the boy's torso. The boy's breathing and face softened. The old Hag exploded with what I would think to be insults, shoving her bony fingers into my 'father's' face, shouting in volumes I would not expect from someone like her could even produce.
'Father' frowned but kept it all together quite well in front of her shower of spittle and insults. 'Mother' hugged who I figured by now to he my older 'brother', sobbing quietly.
The old Hag huffed and left the room, the sound of her cane staff smacking on the floor slowly got further and further away, smacking the door close announced her exit of the house.
'Father' silently stood and watched the family crying before walking away, conflicting emotions visibly warring on his visibly aged face.
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DIMITRI
I walked out of Alfred's room, the girls' cries still ringing in my ears, I couldn't do anything for my own son, I felt like a boulder was placed on my heart, slowly crushing it with every beat.
Dorothy's words hung like a noose on my thoughts, five years.... ten if he is lucky, I couldn't do anything, we were lucky that Dorothy had a Blessed Necklace from the time from the time she served in the empire. Without the necklace Alfred would have fallen in a few days, he bravely fought the corruption, but no child should go through all that pain.
I couldn't lose hope yet, but every thing felt wrong, every old friend or ally refused to meet me nor even reply to anything I have sent. People I fought with my whole life, just stonewalling any reply.
Something was amiss, I am sure of it! I will find whoever is behind this.
He walked towards the door picking a heavy axe on his way out, anger gushing through his veins, looking for something to vent on.
He passed through the towns walls without a hassle, the guards toughing knowing glances as he passed, spotting his white knuckles on his axes handle.
*****
Hours flew in a blur as cries rang in the forest surrounding the town, the tower watch caught the sight of scurrying small predators fleeing for their lives.
They spotted a blood covered eldar bear emerging from the forest half a mile away, slowly lumbering over, the panicked guards manned the walls ready to peper the three-meter beast when they saw the figure below dragging the bear from an axe impeded in its throat.