and some by virtue fall; Elysteria

[Kushiel]

Kushiel is not known for saying the right thing, or even saying a good thing. Most days, he took pride in this. Other days, he wished he could get it right for a change. Today he felt the latter, for however much he liked to tease Elysteria, she was a good solider, and more patient then most. If only she would wise up and come join the Chamber. Then she would be perfect. Good things, it would seem, did not always happen to good people. Kushiel was living proof of that. His life had been nothing but good since the moment he stood his shaky little hooves on the ground.

On that day, the devil had looked up and said, “oh shit.”

While Elysteria’s story sounded more than a little far fetched, Kushiel didn’t doubt it. Stranger things had happened. He looked at her closely, and hoped she had some friends in powerful and magical places.

“It sounds like you got on the bad side of a magician.” Kushiel paused, considering this. He had recently had a rather uncomfortable run in with a magician. He had been dumped unceremoniously in the Deserts and had to walk home. No, it was not a tale of woe to equal hers, but it was blasted annoying none the less.

“I can think of only a few magicians, and none that you would want to speak too.” That much, at least, was true. Kushiel did lot of stupid things on a daily basis, but even he wasn’t foolhardy enough to confront some of the more powerful magic users in Beqanna. Scary bastards, the lot of them.

Kushiel ended his musing on magicians when Elysteria answered his next question. His face went from sober to dreadfully so. There weren’t a lot of things that Kushiel held dear in this world, and as much as he would never, ever admit it, his mother was at the stop of that list. As tortuous as she was, Kushiel would rather have her meddling in his life than all the peace and quiet in the world. He offered her a sympathetic smile, for all the good it would do her.

“I’m sorry Elysteria, truly I am. A mother’s love may be a heavy burden, but I wouldn’t inflict it’s lack on anyone.” He looked back at the little filly. She was lucky to have a sister to pick up the slack. Children in similar situations often weren’t so lucky. He was still looking at the little girl when Elysteria spoke of fathers. He snorted loudly, for he knew a thing or two about deadbeat dads.

“Tell me about it, sister. It’s impossible to find a good man these days, am I right?” He was trying to make her smile, and maybe it was he wrong tone to strike. Kushiel couldn’t really do sweet, and he had a hard time with comforting, the jokes, however, came easy. It would be well within her right to fly away, he wouldn’t even be mad, but you know what they say, laughter is the best medicine.