[attr="class","lvappbody2"]

[attr="class","lvappbody3"]

the boy of contradictions

keep your friends close and your enemies closer

He is the child of two covens (both alike in dignity in fair salem where we lay our scene), and it's a union that is held in secret. For it would mean certain punishment on the two young lovers. And so they hid to keep their secret.[break][break]
---[break][break]
He runs, swift as the wind, barrelling through the scraping branches and leafy ferns. He doesn't stop - the words "run" echo in his head. One foot unadorned with a shoe, he winces as sharp points dig into his sole, drawing blood.[break][break]
His heart thumps fretfully in his chest. Are they gone? Is Mother safe? And most importantly - where is she?[break][break]
He pauses for only a moment, listening for signs of a fight, for the telltale snap of a branch. There is nothing save the lonely cry of a loon. His eyes gaze the space behind him before he turns and runs again.[break][break]
What had she told him, minutes before their door had been torn to pieces? "You cannot stay. You must run - as far as your feet can take you. I -"[break][break]
He slams into a tree, caught unawares as he muddles through his thoughts. He shakes his head - he must go. But something nags at the edge of his mind - he can't remember those last words.[break][break]
The ssshhhh-ing of water interrupts his thoughts. He follows it - his father had told him of a bridge that lay here. He vaguely recalls that it had been a week since he'd last seen him. An uncommon occurance, but it had happened in the past. "Work", was all he'd said.[break][break]
The river is strong and fast, and there is no sign of a bridge save for an uneven line of slick rock that leads across. He hesitates - it doesn't look safe. But it's a better option that meeting what's behind him.[break][break]
He steps forward, cautious and careful as he checks his balance. The rocks are sturdy beneath his feet. He eases a little, his shoulders unwinding, and he takes another step.[break][break]
He falls, cold icing his veins, the current dragging him down, water over his head.[break][break]
---[break][break]
Fabre is the name of the lady who takes him in. He feigns amnesia - there's nothing in his past he wants to revisit, and all that matters to him is the present. That's what he tells himself, tells her, as she nurses him to health.[break][break]
He idles through the next years, unsure what his goals are. What he should do. And anyways, what can he do except act an assistant to the renowned Fabre of the Silvertongues, a vigilante of sorts. He remains nameless to her fans - to her, he is Florian. To him, the name is a second identity. No one need remember his first.[break][break]
Fabre's long past her time - she teaches him what she knows, and he's lucky she's a summoner, too. She takes his early success as talent - he keeps a hidden smile as she teaches him more. But as her name dwindles in fame and her time shortens, he watches with despair as she falls into a tornado of depression. He does his best, but she abuses the drink and her pipe far too much.[break][break]
Fabre gives up. He watches as she's put on a pyre, as her ashes are scattered to the sea as she wished. And he's alone again. [break][break]
What is there to live for? What has he got to lose? He wonders if it's time for him to act.[break][break]
And so, he takes a step forward.