JRWI stories :)

The Monsters Inside Us (JRWInk day 4)(mild spoilers for idk)

Sylnan stared into the puddle below him as the party stopped for a rest. The feeling of the demon pulsating inside of him never ceasing. He pulled his daggers from their sheaths, striking them against each other, creating sparks.

Each ember fizzed out in the water in front of him. Each ember reminded him of all he's done, with no help from the demon at all. Maybe Sylnan didn't even need the demon to kill, to rob, to be cruel. He had yelled at Br'aad so many times, he had murdered men heartlessly when they got in the way of his crimes.

The purple tracing up his arm felt like it was burning. All this demon did was watch. Sylnan took a deep sigh, the face staring back to him in that puddle was one of evil and cruelty, a smile of sharp teeth glistened. He jolted back, pushing himself off the moist ground.

The party looked over at him, worry spread across their faces. Sylnan gave a tight smile. "Thought I saw something."

Br'aad frowned, knowing his brother was lying but didn't want to say anything in front of the others, maybe tonight he'd talk to him. Sylnan had always cared so much for Br'aad and yet he would just wait to talk to him? Sylnan would have gone and talked to him right away. Br'aad was a horrible brother.

Sylnan had taken care of him for years, pickpocketing people, robbing nobles. For Br'aad to do what? Sell his soul to some deity that would end up killing Sylnan? To get them into such deep trouble that now they're going to face a fucking dragonturtle with a world ending prophechy?

At the end of the day, Br'aad had one it all for power. He had ruined the life Sylnan had worked so hard to keep them afloat in because he felt too weak. Br'aad shut his eyes, trying to keep the tears in.

He was a monster, he had let his brother down so many times.

Mountain looked over to Br'aad, pursing his lips, noticing how upset the half-elf seemed. Mountain gave a sigh, looking down at his calloused hands. He was the oldest one here, he should have kept these kids from a fate like his wife's.

His wife... she had died. And it was all his fault. Time would repeat itself again and the fated would fall, only leaving Mountain to mourn, he felt it.

Mountain squeezed his eyes shut. How dare he drag these people into an early death he would never have. The ones he had witnessed way too many times. He couldn't let this party die. How could he stay with them knowing they would die by his hand one way or another?

He clenched his fist as his jaw tightened. He was a killer whether he meant it or not.

Taxi watched nervously as Mountain gave a long sigh. What if Mountain was mad at him? Why wouldn't he be mad at him?

Taxi had killed people. People who didn't deserve it. How could he just move on from that? Their scared faces haunted him at every turn. Just because Sylnan had been dead didn't mean those people deserved death. Maybe that's why Oriana didn't like him anymore. Maybe she was always just trying to get away from him?

What if it was his fault they had gotten in this mess? If the fated hadn't met this they wouldn't be in this whole mess.

He was a monster, he was a killer. No wonder Oriana wanted nothing to do with him.

Velrisa sat quietly looking across the party, her friends. Her very few friends. No one really liked her, even when she tried to be friendly. They always looked though. Always staring.

She was just a creature to them after all, not a person. Well, was she a person at all? She had killed people, even if it was her job. Even if Wee Jas said it was right, did it make it right? Or was she just a stone cold killer, just as good as all those she had killed.

Maybe she was even worse, trying to justify it with a god. Maybe Vel was the monster like all those people had told her she was. Maybe she was just a killer, bringing down the party with pointless ideas to stop an inevitable death.

Maybe she was just a monster with no heart, with horns to prove it. Leading her friends along with false hope to a better world.