He was always prompt, Heulioux never expected anything less of the midlander. He knew his role well in this structure and knew who to report to. Without addressing the staff to let him venture through these halls, the youth rounds a few corners until reaching the office of his superior. He left the door ajar for him to enter. The young man knew not the reason of this summoning, nor did he feel that wrong-doing was done or that he erred in some way. However, he still felt the uneasiness set in the moment he walked past the door-frame and entered the room.
The air was heavier here, even with the mild relief that the ceiling fan gave him, it was too thick for him to breathe properly. He found his Commander seated there, hands folded over paperwork that seemed to have been smeared with ink. Amber eyes scanned the entirety of the room; he concluded that no fight took place here, but tension came from another source. The commander’s features were grave, though a sense of calm enveloped him. When Ivaan finally sat down, and looked forward, he saw him produce a folder that was sealed.
“Sergeant Arkwright, I am glad you came so immediately.†A hand came to land upon the folder, pushing it forward. He extends out his hand, palm facing the ceiling. “Let us not waste any time, this is your assignment, go ahead, open it.†He settles in his chair, watching Ivaan’s reactions, reading every detail upon his scarred visage. The man never failed to assist when it was needed. He would not fail him this day.
“Sir?†Ivaan took the envelope and broke the seal casually and opened it, only to take pause. His throat constricts and air is not allowed passage. He forces himself to swallow and pull his composure together immediately. The image he saw first was the woman who he was partnered with in the past, a mentor of sorts, one who trained him, showed him the life of one who was truly cloak and dagger. She took him beyond his rank into a world of darkness, molded by the orders of the Adder. He saw her face as she was now, with waves of golden hair framing her features. Another photo showed her at an early stage of her career, for she was smiling, she was young, and the sketch truly captured the light in her eyes.
And now she was his target.
The Commander gave him but a moment to let this sink in. There was loose papers within, giving Ivaan every intricate detail they could muster about her before she was forced to become a serpent. Her failures, her victories, her conditioning. Rivienne was forged in the heat of battle, and Ivaan was privy to the details she kept hidden from him. He was violating something and knew it.
A smile touched his features. Barely.
Heulioux stood up and took a deep breath as Ivaan looked away from the work; amber depths were sharp, narrowed and focused at his superior. “The crime on her head? If I may ask, she was my partner, after all.†He inquired calmly, keeping his hands over the folder. He saw his Commander’s eyes shift to their corners, a flash of something was found in them, something searing, it was anger. Ivaan didn’t regret this question. But, the answer was not one he expected.
“She is a threat to your countrymen. Her mental stability is beyond repair, for already she has attacked her fellow men, and perhaps killed one. Due to the information she holds, we can not allow her to continue under our banner. Your assignment is her, bring her, or cut the head of the snake. This forest is her playground, this land is her home. Who better than you, her husband is gone. He is useless to this task, and love would blind him.â€
Ivaan’s frame soon rose and he bows his head, “Very well,†he responds without another word and takes the folder in his arms. The task would be completed, Heulioux knew this well. For who better to destroy someone, than one who cared for her, one who knew their obligation came above such trifling emotions, bothersome as they were. He could get close enough to her, to talk to her. Either his words would reach her ears, or she would find herself with the fading image of the world she loved far from her grasp. Guilt was something he had to push aside, thoughts of her would remain memories at best.
“You have your orders then. I will expect nothing less of you, Ivaan Arkwright.†He finally spoke as his eyes settled on the youth’s face, who wore determination clearly across his visage.
“Find her.â€
The last words he spoke to him were heavy with the implication that this was something that could not wait another day. There was little exchange, except when his eyes met that of Heuliox and he could almost sense something there, hidden underneath the sternness in his glare. But he wouldn’t know what it was, nor would he question it. With silence shrouding him, the youth, adorned in customary uniform, simply made his way to the door, opened it, and stepped out.
In the hall, he stood where she had, staring at the folder held in his hands. No clear expression touched his features, but the shadows produced sharp shapes across his profile. Rivienne Juliette Navarre, he never knew her middle name, and for a long while, Rivienne is all that he was graced with. There was another world beyond the facets she allowed him to see, and now he had such a world in his possession, and he was the one that was to crush it. A familiar face to ruin her, instead of strangers in the dark. He would confront her in the light, and rid her of life, for the sake of Gridania..
For the Order of the Twin Adder.
The air was heavier here, even with the mild relief that the ceiling fan gave him, it was too thick for him to breathe properly. He found his Commander seated there, hands folded over paperwork that seemed to have been smeared with ink. Amber eyes scanned the entirety of the room; he concluded that no fight took place here, but tension came from another source. The commander’s features were grave, though a sense of calm enveloped him. When Ivaan finally sat down, and looked forward, he saw him produce a folder that was sealed.
“Sergeant Arkwright, I am glad you came so immediately.†A hand came to land upon the folder, pushing it forward. He extends out his hand, palm facing the ceiling. “Let us not waste any time, this is your assignment, go ahead, open it.†He settles in his chair, watching Ivaan’s reactions, reading every detail upon his scarred visage. The man never failed to assist when it was needed. He would not fail him this day.
“Sir?†Ivaan took the envelope and broke the seal casually and opened it, only to take pause. His throat constricts and air is not allowed passage. He forces himself to swallow and pull his composure together immediately. The image he saw first was the woman who he was partnered with in the past, a mentor of sorts, one who trained him, showed him the life of one who was truly cloak and dagger. She took him beyond his rank into a world of darkness, molded by the orders of the Adder. He saw her face as she was now, with waves of golden hair framing her features. Another photo showed her at an early stage of her career, for she was smiling, she was young, and the sketch truly captured the light in her eyes.
And now she was his target.
The Commander gave him but a moment to let this sink in. There was loose papers within, giving Ivaan every intricate detail they could muster about her before she was forced to become a serpent. Her failures, her victories, her conditioning. Rivienne was forged in the heat of battle, and Ivaan was privy to the details she kept hidden from him. He was violating something and knew it.
A smile touched his features. Barely.
Heulioux stood up and took a deep breath as Ivaan looked away from the work; amber depths were sharp, narrowed and focused at his superior. “The crime on her head? If I may ask, she was my partner, after all.†He inquired calmly, keeping his hands over the folder. He saw his Commander’s eyes shift to their corners, a flash of something was found in them, something searing, it was anger. Ivaan didn’t regret this question. But, the answer was not one he expected.
“She is a threat to your countrymen. Her mental stability is beyond repair, for already she has attacked her fellow men, and perhaps killed one. Due to the information she holds, we can not allow her to continue under our banner. Your assignment is her, bring her, or cut the head of the snake. This forest is her playground, this land is her home. Who better than you, her husband is gone. He is useless to this task, and love would blind him.â€
Ivaan’s frame soon rose and he bows his head, “Very well,†he responds without another word and takes the folder in his arms. The task would be completed, Heulioux knew this well. For who better to destroy someone, than one who cared for her, one who knew their obligation came above such trifling emotions, bothersome as they were. He could get close enough to her, to talk to her. Either his words would reach her ears, or she would find herself with the fading image of the world she loved far from her grasp. Guilt was something he had to push aside, thoughts of her would remain memories at best.
“You have your orders then. I will expect nothing less of you, Ivaan Arkwright.†He finally spoke as his eyes settled on the youth’s face, who wore determination clearly across his visage.
“Find her.â€
The last words he spoke to him were heavy with the implication that this was something that could not wait another day. There was little exchange, except when his eyes met that of Heuliox and he could almost sense something there, hidden underneath the sternness in his glare. But he wouldn’t know what it was, nor would he question it. With silence shrouding him, the youth, adorned in customary uniform, simply made his way to the door, opened it, and stepped out.
In the hall, he stood where she had, staring at the folder held in his hands. No clear expression touched his features, but the shadows produced sharp shapes across his profile. Rivienne Juliette Navarre, he never knew her middle name, and for a long while, Rivienne is all that he was graced with. There was another world beyond the facets she allowed him to see, and now he had such a world in his possession, and he was the one that was to crush it. A familiar face to ruin her, instead of strangers in the dark. He would confront her in the light, and rid her of life, for the sake of Gridania..
For the Order of the Twin Adder.