Post #2488454 in Fire and Ice Collide, a roleplay on RPG

Tamar's eyes widened at the mention of Ahuv, her smile turning into a concerned expression. At that moment, she stopped her work. She felt like there was more to what Crystal was saying, yet the woman indulged the princess the information. First, she turned her eyes to the side and said, "Yes, I know him quite well."

She continued from there. "Ahuv was not the original person in line to inherit the throne. It was actually his older sister, Ruth, whom he looked up to quite a bit. She was the one whom got him interested in swordsmanship. Not only was she a skilled fighter, but also one whom broke the status quo for a princess, even one meant to inherit the throne. She held no interest in anything fancy. I imagine that was where Ahuv got the idea that anything super elegant was 'too frivolous'. It even shows to this day whenever a woman from the Eldurian nobility attempts to court him. Many a girl would dress up to impress him, only to be immediately dismissed." Tamar laughed softly for a moment before adding, "I remember him being at a festival with all the clans gathered. All he did at the event was stand watch in case of troublemakers."

Getting more serious, now, Tamar felt it time to move on to more important details. "The reason Ahuv is in line, now, is because of a Vatnitian-conducted ambush at my home village. I remember that dreadful day as if it was yesterday. We were dangerously low on water from the well, so the Eldurian royals came by to assess the situation and discuss with the village elders the building of an underwater canal leading from the river so that there would be a more lasting supply of water. Right in the middle of planning, the assailants arrived and started massacring the inhabitants of the place I had called home up till that point. Our local militia and the royal troops worked cooperatively to keep the enemy at bay long enough for most everyone to escape. Being only a kid at the time, just like Ahuv, I stayed behind and watched; I did not know any better.

"What I saw involving Ahuv was the leader of the raiders stopped what he was doing when he caught site of Ahuv, then tried to kill him. His mother and Ruth kept that from happening, at the cost of their own lives. I could see the mix of despair, anger, and hatred swelling within Ahuv immediately after that moment. Tears came down his eyes, his muscles shaking from his emotions, until..." Tamar brought out a lava stone shard and showed it to Crystal. "His lava stone broke right before the man could get the chance to deal the lethal blow to him. This was the one piece of it I could find. Once it broke, fire was released from him uncontrollably, killing off most of the attackers at once. The guy in charge of the raid barely made it out alive before begrudgingly ordering a retreat to the surviving enemies."

Tamar put away the shard prior to resuming the explanation. "The village was later deemed hazardous because of its close proximity to the wall. Nobody was allowed to live there, since. The ruins remain as a reminder of the tragic deaths of the of the Queen and Princess of Eldur, as well as the horror witnessed in the area. Everything was left undisturbed after the battle. You can see the village as it was in the aftermath of that day, assuming you were to ever go there. The glass on the ground is from Ahuv's Inferno, as the ability came to be called. The flames only subsided when he lost consciousness."

Looking towards the display of an Eldurian sword, her sword, displayed as a trophy, she continued, still. "Years later, as his bodyguard, I saw that he had become a man whom buries all of his emotions. Every last one. The only indication of how he feels is the expression in his eyes. It takes a perceptive individual to decipher his emotions. Most of the time, his eyes entail a bitterness, a hidden rage. Sometimes, from those same eyes, there is sadness. I don't recall a time he has ever been happy, not since the Queen and Princess died."

"Frequently, he will take his troops to quell the fighting among clans competing for whatever scarce water sources there are beyond the river. I would accompany him every time. Were his words to fail to pacify the clans, he would kill the leaders on all sides to make the point clear that order and cooperation with each other is demanded by the royal house on pain of death. Justice is swift and brutal in cases of civil war between factions. The royal house of Eldur tolerates no such conflict within the land. Ahuv is called the Inferno Paladin because he upholds such order and more, helping the poor and needy where the nobility would not, thus preventing further bloodshed between clans. He is a hero of the common folk."

Tamar turned her gaze back to Crystal. "As far as his involvement in the war with Vatnis, his strategies against armies are only a cover for his one motivation: to kill the man who slew his mother and sister. In between international battles, he will continue his pursuit of that one assailant from that day. If he learns that the one he is after was banished to the outskirts of Vatnis, that is where Ahuv will go. He is that determined. I doubt anything can stop him, at that point. He has entertained thoughts of revenge for so long, it would take a miracle to change his mindset. In training with his personal troops, he trains his mind and body for the day he and the killer will meet again."

Ahuv realized he could not hope to make it to his destination in one night. So, heading over to the southern side of the river (the side closer to the nearest outskirt), he set up camp further away from the river so not to be seen by the guards. Most would be focused on more populated areas or the battles going on. The same fighting would provide an excellent distraction for his pursuit.

Snippet #2488454

located in Jorindra, a part of Fire and Ice Collide, one of the many universes on RPG.

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