Lies, Deceit, and Betrayal [Open]

[Aldotsk]

Anelia has been having nightmares every night. She has been restless on the bed from the room of Hourglass Inn and had been having headaches. All the traumas and grudges have been stacking up in her head.

 

She lost her sister Fiore four months ago, due to her careless decisions, and yet she lost her brother Aurenn who renamed his identity as Renn Taelwyck. Aurenn was originally Sultansworn who betrayed Scryed Scar squad long time ago and made a pact with the void magic to battle against Anelia a year ago. However, when Anelia defeated her brother – Aurenn perished and fell into the cliffs of Mor Dhona borders; where it was not too far away from Carteneau borders.  Anelia found out that her brother was alive and had amnesia. He had been living off as a merchant known as Renn.

 

When they reunited three months ago, it was a bitter reunion for a short period of time. Anelia happened to end up meeting him as a militia soldier, as he regained his memory. She was assigned to aid the Maelstrom militia to fend off massive Sahagins invasion near the west coast of La Noscea.  She sent in a request for help to Jenlyns . There were no reinforcements, or any news from him. Instead, the two and a foreigner named Mizuho Mitarashi fought together during the assault against Sahagins. Renn eventually sacrificed himself against the Sahagain assault leader for Anelia to have the opportunity to defeat it. This time, Renn actually perished with a smile on his face.

 

Every family member is actually perished in her life. Thereis one who is lost and long missing. As for Anelia, she still fought her ways against Sahagins with Mizuho’s help and pushed them back to the southwest of La Noscea.  Anelia who was heavily injured from all the battles, have saved Mizuho to give her the opportunity to escape. For her, she ended up drowning into the whirlpool and then woke up near the Moraby Drydocks.

 

She recovered for three months, and had nothing in her mind but to return to Ul’dah to let people know that she is still missing. That’s when she took the alias name Marila Averlyn. It has been two weeks since Anelia Sadowyn, took the name Marila and resided in Ul’dah streets. She couldn’t trust anyone that was around her. When she came back, she met a new sergeant named Coatleque Crofte and her former subordinate Bartolomeo Filangieri and gave her real identity because she trusted both of them. However, something has not been settled yet. She had many questions to Sultansworn why they have abandoned her when they were the ones who asked her to help the Maelstrom in La Noscea.

 

‘Three months. I’ve been waiting for three months for this. ‘

 

She bites her thumb tightly in a very irritated mood, and kept searching for

Two weeks ago, Anelia has visited to see Jenlyns Straightblade. Anelia approached to his office while under her goggles and different outfits. Jenlyns glances at Anelia in a very confused look.

 

“Can I help you citizen?” Jenlyn asked, with his brow raising at her.

 

Anelia took her goggles off and looks directly at Jenlyns and smiled at him. “Hello, Captain Jenlyns Straightblade. It’s been a long time.”

 

Jenlyns stood up from his seat and look at her as if he's seen a ghost. He smiled at her. “Anelia! You are alive! People told me that you’ve perished…”

 

“No. I had been alive. Just that I was recovering from seven hells I’ve had to face without you sending any reinforcement.”

 

“…What do you mean? I’ve never received any requests from you ever since you’ve taken the offer to aid in La Noscea…”

 

“What do you mean? I-…” Anelia thought about it for a moment. She sent in someone with a letter two days before she went into the battle. Could it have been that the letter has failed to reach Jenlyns? Did someone not want her to live? She has known Jenlyns for a long time. He is her veteran leader, and he has always complimented her about her ideals of a paladin. This is why she was reinstated and regained her position back when she left back and forth. Anelia shook her head and sighed instead.

 

“I’ve sent a letter, but I guess it never reached you. I amback alive, and recovered. However, I intend to stay as the name Marila Averlyn for a while.”

Jenlyns gave Anelia a disbelief look, and yet he looked extremely confused. “What do you mean by that?”

 

“I can’t tell you right now. But what you tell me is that you never received any notice three months ago, it clearly means that someone doesn’t want me to live.”

 

Jenlyns rubbed his chin lightly and sighs a bit and shook his head. “I told you not to get involved in Monetarists. You are pushing them into the thin ice here, Anelia. I won’t be able to save you. I can’t reinstate you yet anyways. I’ll have to be away for a while, and I’ll have to speak with the higher ups who will help you get reinstated. Also I’ll find out who can help you.”

 

“It’ll be only matter of time they find out that I am herein this city. I think they are already on my tails.”

 

Jenlyns shook his head and sighed “This will only be a while until I come back with good news.”

 

“I’ll try then.”

 

Jenlyns gets up and pats Anelia’s shoulder gently “I won’ tbe here for couple of days. Try to keep yourself safe until I come back.”

 

Anelia nods gently and puts her goggles back on. She has no other choice but to agree with Jenlyns. Should there be any assassins that are after her head, she will have to be prepared.

 

Three days after since she spoke with Jenlyns. He is currently out of Ul’dah, and there was no news so far. She felt much impatient about the whole situation. She has noticed there were some people staring at her. Quicksand was not the best place for her to loiter.  She stepped out of the bar and then took a small shortcut to leave the Nald district. Right on the corner of the street, she has noticed that there were three guards following her to the Steps of Thal, near the Pearl Street.

Sultansworns. But they are not with Jenlyns.

 

She stopped at the dead end corner and turned back at them.She glared at the three, and raised her hands. “Did I do something wrong, paladins?”

 

The three drew their blades and pointed directly at herface. “You are under suspicion of being in the city. There has been order that you are to come with us to be interrogated, visitor.”

 

“I don’t think there is any type of interrogations if I am arrested. I am sure you three are not with Jenlyns. How much monetarists have paid you three to get rid of me?”

 

The three laughed and charged right at her by thrusting and swinging their blades at her. Anelia quickly used her sword to parry one guard’s then grabbed the other’s sword and thrusts it at the third guard’s throat. Then she slightly steps back away and quickly draws her second sword and severs the first guard’s arm and slashes at his throat.

 

She puts both of her blades away and notices that there were few more calling them out for reinforcement.

 

“Tch, they are really determined to get me…” She jumped into the storage window to find her way out from Brass Blade and Sultansworn guards. She managed to get out, but realized that staying in the city is no longer an option until Jenlyns comes back from Ul’dah.

 

 

Two days after Anelia left Ul’dah, she moved to Silver Bazaar of Western Thanalan to hide. The higher "corrupted" officials of Sultansworn and Brass Blade have notified their men to find Marila Averlyn and have her be executed at once should she resist. They have called for any former Sultansworns too for this matter, to reward them should they succeed.

 

These higher officials have brought any available people and called for a meeting. During the meeting at the headquarter of Sultansworn, the statement was this following:

 

 

"Marila Averlyn is a very dangerous individual, who has threatened to rebel against Sultana by slaying three Sultansworns. She is very dangerous and will do anything to resist. She was heard to be found in Silver Bazaar. She must be subdued at all costs. Should she resist, execute her in spot."

[Aldotsk]

It had been three days since Anelia was hiding out in SilverBazaar. She stares outside at the window, wondering when Jenlyns would come back. Time was running out, and the situation could not get any better when the defected Sultansworns would attempt to kill her, making it look like she is the criminal.

 

‘Should I have identified myself?’  Anelia thought about it, but it would havebeen worse if she did. She would have left herself as a traitor, and also deserter while Jenlyns is out of Ul’dah.

 

Even if she did turn herself in, thereis without a doubt that she will be killed inside the gaols. This is different situation from how other prisoners get treated. She will get killed. Wasn’t the first time where politicians have covered up the traces to make people disappear in Ul’dah.

The innkeeper walks to Anelia with a dish of food and looksat the window.

 

“Still waiting, captain? “ The innkeeper looks at thepaladin in a concerned look. “You can always run away. There is still a time.”

 

Anelia shook her head for a bit then sighed. “Jenlyns toldme to stay around until he can give his final words. I have to remain here. But… if you want me to leave without jeopardizing you all, then I could do so.”

 

The innkeeper smirks and pats Anelia’s back “We got you.Monetarists surely ain’t gonna feed us people. You helped us out one time.”

 

Anelia smiles lightly, and stares outside at the window fromfar away. She notices a red haired woman in a dress approaching to the village.

 

Crofte.

 

Very unusual for her to wear something unrelated to Sultanswornarmor, but she is definitely unarmed. Anelia trusts Crofte’s decision and words. There is no evil intention or corruption through this Sultansworn. Perhaps she might understand. Perhaps not.

 

“Is it alright for you to walk outside, captain?”

 

Anelia nodded slightly and opened the door after taking aslight sip from her soup. “It’ll be brief.”

 

She walked out to greet Coatleque. But the Sultansworn’sface was not the face to greet her. Coatleque looked at Anelia in a concerned, yet serious face. Of course, sergeant Crofte was probably confused why Anelia killed the three Sultansworns in cold blood on a narrow cornered street. It really was a perfect play to make it seem like she is the criminal, and cannot stay in Ul’dah at all. No matter what one says, it’s not easy to escape out of crime if they killed Ul’dah’s finest.

 

Anelia tried to explain about the controversy and her pastbefore she disguised herself as Marila Averlyn, but it seems like Crofte didn’t really buy it. It’s either she turns herself in or resist. But both options are death regardless, and the only way is to wait for Jenlyns and retaliate besides being stuck in gaols and be poisoned or stabbed by someone.

 

“I will not go back. I will wait for Jenlyns. I am sorry.”

 

 

Those three sentences were clearly given to Coatleque, andshe had no other choice. Who could she ask for help besides fighting all of the soldiers by herself? However being disguised as Marila Averlyn and not Anelia Sadowyn, she realized that she has to fight alone…for now.