Mariyna Del'Sun

[Tyrial]

The tang of iron, the coppery smell of blood, and the screams of all-consuming fear.
These were the things that filled the young girl’s mind as she slept, curled up tightly into a ball. Small whimpers escaped her lips as nightmares claimed her dreams as it did every night.
“No! Don’t harm her!” A woman’s voice. Sharp and shrill, full of fear. The voice never had a face. It just had pressure, like arms clutching the girl tightly. Warmth of a body. But never did the girl see the woman. It was always the voice.
The girl curled ever tighter into a ball. Arms moving together against her face as if to ward off the dreams.
A chilling laughter, but as with the woman’s voice this laughter didn’t have a source. It seemed to echo around, sliding into the ears of the girl no matter how hard she tried to block it out. “Her blood is mine. I will mark her for your sins. Our daughter shall carry the weight of this curse forever.”
The girl thrashed, but the nightmare refused to release her.
The warmth of the phantom arms were ripped away, replaced only by cold. And pain. Searing pain that seemed to radiate from the core of her being. “You will always be mine my daughter. No matter how far you run. No matter how you tried to hide. You are mine Mariyna.”
The girl woke with a sudden gasp, eyes popping open. Her body was racked with shuddering sobs and to silence any noise she might make, the girl brought her left arm to her mouth. Even before she bit down, she could taste blood on her arm but that didn’t stop her from digging in with her teeth till pain and blood flooded from her arm.
It was a long time before she sobs stopped, though no sound escaped the young girl after she bit into her arm. It was an even longer time before the girl opened her eyes once more, having closed them from the pain. With her eyes open she opened her mouth and trembled as she looked at her forearms. From her wrist to her elbow were bloody marks, some still bleeding. A shudder ran through the girl and she fought the tears this time, pushing them back.
Motion eventually claimed the girl, as anything was better than returning to sleep or falling back to into her tears. So she sat up slowly her nightshirt clinging to her skin. It and the sheets she had been laying on were soaked with her sweat, as well as traces of her blood. She crossed the room, to a small table where a bowl of water rested. With a tremble she submerged her arms, watching as the blood swirled off her arms to mix freely with the water. When she could no longer stand the sight any longer she scrubbed her arms and removed them. A towel waiting beside the bowl was used to pat dry the water away.
The girl looked over her arms, staring at the faint scars of bite marks and scratches that would soon be joined by the ones she had gained tonight. A violent tremble ran through the girl but the girl was already moving. With the ease of much practice she wound strips of white cloth around her forearms, using her teeth and free hand to tie it tightly into place over her newest wounds. She stared at the bandages and could hear the echo from her dream rising up unbidden. “You are mine Mariyna.”
Mariyna shook her head to try and dispel the echo, before turning her eyes to her bed. She swallowed once and turned away from it. She moved over to a dresser, shedding her night shirt as she went. She spared the shirt a brief glance, eyes finding each speck of blood on it. She balled it up and tossed it away from her. The girl yanked open the dresser and removed the neatly folded outfit she had grown to enjoy wearing. She was soon dressed in her soft leathers, feet tucked into boots. Pants tucked into boots. Belt holding the pants in place. Her sleeveless top fit to her budding curves comfortingly but all too soon she was dressed, save for two items still sitting in the drawer. She withdrew them but another violent tremble ran through her and she dropped to the ground, butt hitting heavily.
She waited until the violent trembling stopped, hugging the leather pieces she had yet to pull on close to her. As the shaking slowed the girl resumed motion, pulling on the bracers that she had made to cover the bandages perfectly. They ran from wrist to elbow, hiding her scars, her shame from the world. She had always worn something that hid the scars. This outfit, her messengers outfit, even the only dress she owned she had been sure to check if it had long sleeves. Everyone had a secret, her nightmare induced self-mutilation was hers.
Once more she used her teeth and a free hand to tighten the laces until her eyes filled with tears from the pain. She always made it tight so that it would never show the bandages. With her last bit of dressing done she slowly worked herself to her feet. She went back to the small table with its bowl and the mirror that hung behind it. She regarded her reflection silently, taking in her green eye and its mismatched blue one. She took in the bags that were starting to form under her eyes, the limp hair that still clung to her skin, and the terrified look that still filled her eyes. It was a minute or two before she moved to gather her hair up into a ponytail, binding it with a red ribbon.
With nothing left to do in her room she looked it over. The sheets were still rumpled and most likely wet with her sweat and blood. The dresser still had an open drawer. In the corner was her night shirt. For a moment her eyes searched for Rippy, her stuffed teddy bear. She had named him for what she did to her own body while she slept. But Rippy was with her sister. And so she could not gain comfort from holding onto the bear and whispering her problems to him. So, she walked out of the room without once looking back.
Mariyna always seemed to walk in a half-asleep daze when she woke up. Everyone had always assumed she was just still waking up. But it always took her a while to banish her dreams, to bury them down deep. And so she wandered out of her room, out of her parent’s house and into the gardens of her home. She would have preferred to be out in the woods, where she felt a monster like herself should really be. But the garden was all she could manage. The sun rose well into the sky before she left the garden.
She had buried her pain, and the memory of her dreams once more. And she placed her mask upon her face, hiding away the scared little girl she truly was. The world would see a bright, happy, smiling girl. They would never think twice to look beneath to see the scar covered cowards that lay underneath.

[Tyrial]

The words tumbled endlessly through her mind, they ran through her head until the words blurred out and she forgot them. And all that remained was the feelings behind the words. Hot anger, sour confusion, cold sadness. They left a bitter taste in her mouth and a jumbled mess to her mind. It lasted from her parents first harsh words, to the ride home in the carriage, to being changed and tucked into bed beside her mother.

Mariyna didn’t sleep, but she pretended, she would have done anything to make her Mother and Father smile at each other again. Harsh words and a lonely night put an icy fear into the young girls heart. She feared the loss of her parents, feared what would happen to her if she did. The last time, had cost Mariyna her sanity for several days. She stabbed someone who was trying to take care of her. Thinking they were covered in giant bugs.

And so she stayed awake, eyes closed beside her mother. The bed smelled like her father and mother. Her senses were good, and she picked out each parents scent. It was both comforting to her heart, but also slid the icy fear deeper inside her.

When time passed and she was carried out of the room by her mother, placed beside the scent that could only be her sister Sali, the girl kept her eyes shut. Time passed, but sleep didn’t claim her immediately. When it did, the nightmares were the same. She woke with a start and fled the room to her own. She did her usual ritual, bathing her forearms, but this time there was little blood. Instead it existed at her fingernails, each chewed ragged. It was new, and she hadn’t any idea how to take care of it. So Mariyna left it, dressing herself in her usual garb and sneaking from her room.

Her steps took her back to her sisters room, where she peeked in, hoping that her flight hadn’t woken the younger girl. But her worries were replaced by a different one, as on the pillow her head had rested on was a tiny dark stain. Even in the dim light, she knew what it was and the ache from her fingers shared her belief on what it was. And so she fled, uncaring of sound as she ran from the room and just away. She wanted the outdoors, the calming familiarity of trees, the smell of pine and the sounds of the animals working even in the night.

She only stopped running when her feet tripped over plants, sending the girl sprawling. Trembling she laid there, until a familiar warmth settled itself beside her. It took only a small effort to lift up and burry her face into the fur of a large white and black tiger. “S-sarand….I-I…” The scared voice managed out.

A low rumble passed from the large beast and through the girl. “Hush little cub, you needed me and so I came.” The voice was deep, low, and rumbled. “I told you before. I will always come. No matter what pesky walls or energy you hide behind.”

In a quiet, stutter the girl told the tiger everything that had happened. Every worry, every feeling, every bit of pain. She sat up and showed her fingers to the tiger who dragged his rough tongue over them and declared them alright.

He knew about the wounds that lay under her bracers, he had been there enough to help her to a river to wash away the blood. The fingernails were minor in his mind. But he was brought short now as the girl pulled herself onto him, small arms wrapping around his neck. Face pressed into his fur. “Take me home…” The girl whispered to him.

The girl felt the muscles move under her, betraying the motion of movement from her friend. “Little Cub. You are already home. But I will take you to the tree, do not let go.” The girl held on all the tighter. Anyone looking on would have wondered the girl crazy. But Sarand had explained it to her time and time again. She could talk to and understand the creatures of the wilds because she knew how to listen. Not with her ears, but listen with her being.

It could have been hours, minutes, or seconds. But it was all too soon for the girl that the muscles under her stopped and she heard the rustle of leaves underneath her heavy friend. “We are here.” He rumbled, letting the girl slide off and into a pile of leaves and soft grass. “Sleep little cub, I will guard your dreams. Your sire shall not trouble your dreams again tonight. Dream of the woods, dream of the creatures, dream of your family. But your sire shall not trouble these dreams.”

Before he had even finished speaking to the girl, she was asleep. He eyed her with something akin to affection before turning his gaze skyward to the heavens. Beside him, he could feel the dreams leaking out from the girl as it always did when he guarded her dreams. He could feel the laughter, the happiness, the call of Family that she had recently gained. He would protect that happiness, because he feared what would happen if the little cub of a girl grew up to be as cruel as her true sire.