Her quickened breath misted in as it was expelled to thechilled air. The corpses of two downyaevis lay before her, their dark blood soiling the pristine snow.  One aevis was split, stem to stern, rightdown the center of its body. The othersported a stump where its head had been only moments earlier.  Aspasm wracked the headless body; the toothy maw of the creature lay several feet away, wide-eyed and unmoving.Â
Snow had started to fall, coupled with a chill wind thatwhipped at the cloth of her armor. The weatherwas showing the tell-tale signs of an ensuing, violent blizzard.  The elezen’s golden eyes darted around, asthough she expected a third Dravanian to strike from somewhere unseen. Slowly she lowered her massive, two-handedblade, easing into a more relaxed stance.Â
She offered a controlled exhale of breath to the Coerthan air as the tipof her dark blade sunk into the snow.Â
Upon her face the woman wore an expression of emotional turmoil.Â
Close. So close now… Â
She and her Au Ra companion had ventured close to StoneVigil, deep into territory that had remained uncontested and within the claws of the Dravanians for years. It was asite of memories for the elezen, a place that brought back the wave of dark emotions that she had spent so many years trying to suppress. Magdelena whispered softly, “I had notthought to ever lay eyes on this place again…â€Â
While she was not alone, the elezen spoke it more for her own benefitthan for the Au Ra’s.Â
The snow crunched beneath her blackened greaves as shetraipsed into the small, stone courtyard.Â
The tip of her enormous sword carved a neat furrow in the snow as shedragged the blade with a single hand.Â
Magdelena’s breath caught in her throat as she gazed across theplaza. She closed her eyes briefly, onlyto open them to the sight she’d witnessed so long ago.Â
Near the far stonewall, her brother’s corpse lay motionless, his innards spilled from his frame. His body rendered nigh unrecognizable by thedragon’s talons. His twin brother layseveral meters away, a gaping hole bored through his chest. Dark, dried lifeblood covered the elezen’schin. A roar echoed through the air,causing her to pivot and bring her lance to bear. Lance?Â
Instead of a lance, she held a mighty, double handed blade. Confusion washed over her. Her attention was ripped from the dragon forthat split moment as she pondered her weapon.Â
The split second cost her as the Dravanian unfurled his wings andlunged.Â
Magdelena roared savagely at the air as she swung her swordin a great arc before her. Her bladewhistled harmlessly through the air, catching naught but the snowflakes that fell silently. The hallucination faded,leaving the elezen gasping for breath.Â
Sweat beaded upon her brow, her visage etched with a terrified expression. Her golden eyes flicked to the spot where herbrother’s body had been but a second ago.Â
Not but pure, powdered snow lay upon the stone. There was no body, nor an attackingdragon. She clenched her teeth beforeshe fell to a knee and rested her forehead against the chilled steel of her weapon. The hallucinations now plagued not only herdreams, but now her waked moments as well.Â
Snow had started to fall, coupled with a chill wind thatwhipped at the cloth of her armor. The weatherwas showing the tell-tale signs of an ensuing, violent blizzard.  The elezen’s golden eyes darted around, asthough she expected a third Dravanian to strike from somewhere unseen. Slowly she lowered her massive, two-handedblade, easing into a more relaxed stance.Â
She offered a controlled exhale of breath to the Coerthan air as the tipof her dark blade sunk into the snow.Â
Upon her face the woman wore an expression of emotional turmoil.Â
Close. So close now… Â
She and her Au Ra companion had ventured close to StoneVigil, deep into territory that had remained uncontested and within the claws of the Dravanians for years. It was asite of memories for the elezen, a place that brought back the wave of dark emotions that she had spent so many years trying to suppress. Magdelena whispered softly, “I had notthought to ever lay eyes on this place again…â€Â
While she was not alone, the elezen spoke it more for her own benefitthan for the Au Ra’s.Â
The snow crunched beneath her blackened greaves as shetraipsed into the small, stone courtyard.Â
The tip of her enormous sword carved a neat furrow in the snow as shedragged the blade with a single hand.Â
Magdelena’s breath caught in her throat as she gazed across theplaza. She closed her eyes briefly, onlyto open them to the sight she’d witnessed so long ago.Â
Near the far stonewall, her brother’s corpse lay motionless, his innards spilled from his frame. His body rendered nigh unrecognizable by thedragon’s talons. His twin brother layseveral meters away, a gaping hole bored through his chest. Dark, dried lifeblood covered the elezen’schin. A roar echoed through the air,causing her to pivot and bring her lance to bear. Lance?Â
Instead of a lance, she held a mighty, double handed blade. Confusion washed over her. Her attention was ripped from the dragon forthat split moment as she pondered her weapon.Â
The split second cost her as the Dravanian unfurled his wings andlunged.Â
Magdelena roared savagely at the air as she swung her swordin a great arc before her. Her bladewhistled harmlessly through the air, catching naught but the snowflakes that fell silently. The hallucination faded,leaving the elezen gasping for breath.Â
Sweat beaded upon her brow, her visage etched with a terrified expression. Her golden eyes flicked to the spot where herbrother’s body had been but a second ago.Â
Not but pure, powdered snow lay upon the stone. There was no body, nor an attackingdragon. She clenched her teeth beforeshe fell to a knee and rested her forehead against the chilled steel of her weapon. The hallucinations now plagued not only herdreams, but now her waked moments as well.Â