Skyla

Information

Player: Ausica

Character Full Name: Skyla Highdal

Character In-Game Name: Skyla

Nicknames: None

Associations: Silvermoon City

Race: Blood Elf

Class: Hunter

Age: 120 (19 in human years)

Sex: Female

Hair: Golden Blonde

Eye: Glowing Jade

Weight: 55kg

Height: 5'10"

Appearance

Still very young, Skyla is of a medium build, with golden blonde hair messed up a little, never unruly though as she likes to keep herself looking at least semi decent at all times. Her skin is smooth and slightly tanned, but it holds the usual pale, well defined look of her people. Inside her left palm is a wide pink scar, which is something she immensely dislikes talking about.

Usual Garments/Armor: Bright and beautiful robe when in the city and a ranger's leathers when in the wilds.

Other: A wide pink scar inside her left palm.

Personality

Skyla is a rather bubbly and fun Elf, often very friendly with those around her. She is a reasonably skilled hunter, but still makes her share of blunders. Looking at her fellow elves, she hopes to one day stand with them as not a learner, but as a skilled equal. Her new friends mean everything to her, and without them she knows she has absolutely nothing. Despite relying on her friends, she knows how to take care of herself when she has no one else but because of the hardships in her past, she would find this very difficult and would prefer to stay around those she can trust.

History

Silvermoon, the city of gold and magical splendour. Lined with the magnificent trees of the Eversong woods, from which a single leaf glides over the enormous walls and down into the street filled with the hustle and bustle of the cities citizens going about their daily lives. Robed figures, adorned in bright colours and soft fabrics swirling about them in a wash of brilliance, moving in a sea of ever-changing movement. Their skins are smooth and pristine, free of normal mortal blemishes and wrinkles, features defined and beautiful. They are the vendors, the buyers and of course, those on their way toward unknown destinations.

A small stand, set near the middle of the street lined with fruit and meats from various fish and forest creatures fills the area with a delicious scent. Standing with his white and slightly stained apron is a tall elf. His hair tied back from his face with his neatly trimmed beard seemingly flowing from his chin in a dark cascade. A sharp knife in one hand he happily greets each customer and slices them their selection before placing it before a smaller female who then wraps it and ties with golden coloured string and then graciously places it into the waiting patrons hands.

The Highdal stand had become very popular these last few hunting seasons, and with it's popularity came the hope of Aiji and his wife that soon they would afford their own real shop. Of course, the only thing that had changed these past few seasons was the addition of a new hunter in the family. But she seemed to have a gift beyond her years for it. Aiji liked to think of it as a trait passed down from him to his daughter, while his wife enjoyed correcting her it was more likely her womanly intuition that had passed to their daughter.

Aiji glanced down at his racks with a frown then with a raised hand beckons to a small, young elf. “Skyla, Skyla!” he shouts over the din of the passersby. The girl moves through the crowd toward him, almost tripping over his feet as she reaches the stand. Aiji smiles, but pretends not to notice her awkwardness. “Skyla, the racks are almost cleaned out already, we need more deer meat before we run out.” “But father, I was just ab-” Aiji flashes a stern look toward her, the kind only a father can give. “Now Skyla”. The girl, obviously defeated and daring not to protest any further breathes in deeply before letting out his reply in a great sigh. “Yes father...”. Smiling, Aiji reaches out and slips his hand onto her head, then cradles it behind pulling him in close. “Thankyou my little hunter. Do us proud again” “Argh Father! Not my hair! And my friends are all just over there!” Her father barks out a loud, affectionate laugh then continues. “Very well, shall I go over and give them a hug as well? Perhaps they feel left out?” Skyla face straightens in a deep frown as she looks up at his father, lips tightly drawn closed. “Now now Aiji, leave the poor girl alone. Any wonder he has become so good at his trade, having a father who picks on him so much!” came the warm smooth voice of Skyla's mother, Eiksha. Now laughing, and knowing he was out numbered Aiji holds his hands up with a broad smile then continues to serve his customers. “Skyla, thankyou, you know we both appreciate it” her mother says as she looks around herself. “Now, don't forget your spare bowstrings, make sure you have a stone for your skinning knife and for goodness sakes please pack enough arrows this ti-” “Yes mother, I know... it wont happen again”. “Good, you don't want to be climbing trees to get away from Springpaws again” Eiksha grinned as handed Skyla a small bundle. “And here is your hunting tunic, freshly repaired and cleaned”. Skyla smiled and kissed her mother softly on the cheek, “thankyou”. Skyla turns and starts to head toward the city gates, her fingers still fastening the leather strap of her quiver across her chest. “Skyla!” Comes her mothers voice as she heads off, Skyla turns and looks back as wonders what she could have possibly forgotten, “I love you my little hunter!” Skyla cheeks turn into a fire of red. Then in a hushed yell back “I love you too Mother” And with that, Skyla headed off to the forest on her days hunt.

The scent of smoke, the skies not the blue they should be, but instead a boiling sea of grey. Something is very wrong. Skyla heart stops as she reaches the edge of the woods and her eyes behold the sight of the aftermath of a great battle. Wounded and dying city Guardians laying in the dirt. Broken wreckages of Arcane defenders, still smouldering strewn here and there. The bodies of citizens everywhere. Skyla mind freezes, unable to think, then the moment of terrible clarity comes as she sees the wall that once shielded the street his families stand was on is no more than a pile of rubble and shattered stone.

Dropping her bundle of meats, she runs, each step feeling like a decade in the coming. His ears deaf to the crying and mourning people as she passes the grieving. Only one thought in her mind, one fear. My parents.

She reaches the street, and stops cold. The gutters are scarlet, the bodies around her she recognises, her friends, her fathers customers. A red, torn canopy swings from what's left of a cart, set near the middle of the street catches her eye. Her heart freezes again, her body numb. Skyla doesn't even feel the tears roll down her cheeks, nor the way the fractured wood cuts into her hands as she pulls back the wreckage to see if they are underneath. Please, please no! Not them!

Skyla pulls back the final piece of wood, and stares into her mothers lifeless eyes. Her face grey in death, spattered with flecks of blood. Skyla eyes roll back in her head and she collapses. The sticky paving stones catching her fall, the young elf lays unconscious in the street.

“There, there little one. You are safe now”. A familiar voice, but not. Shrouded with agony it comes to his through the blackness, something about that voice. Her eyes flutter open, and widen as he sees her father before him. Throwing herself into her arms she breaks down into uncontrollable tears. An arm reaches around her to comfort, the hand supporting her, then the other arm. Then the sound, the deep sound of another crying. His Father. Never had Skyla ever seen her father in tears, he slipped back and looked into her face. He gasped as she saw the broken man before her. With the Sun Well corrrupt, each day seemed longer then the last as she no longer had any magic to satisfy the thirst. Skyla watched as the people around her suffer to the addiction of magic and having nothing to feed it. This was until the Elves returned from Outlands with a new found method to restore their hunger, absorbing Fel Magic. Skyla was one of the more reluctant ones but, in the end, she found no other option but to succumb to the tempting magic. This was when she became known as a Sin'dorei.

The years passed slowly, Skyla no longer hunted to sell but instead now simply hunted to feed herself. Sitting at the inn in a far corner, the young child elf was now a young lady. Still extremely youthful looking. As she sipped his cup of melon juice as she thought about the years that had seemed to have passed by without her family. Her father, Aiji, had passed on with what he believed was a broken heart. He had been tossed into the street as he couldn't pay his way. Now she was a child of the forest, and a child of the streets when need be. Spending most of his time out hunting and fending for himself was easy, coming back here always brought back the memories though, she was always grateful to return to the forest to sleep. Much safer than the cold dark streets at night, and away from any reminder.

As he swallowed a final mouthful of melon juice, a cloaked figure brushed past her table, a small parchment fluttered from the cape to the floor. Looking around first, he slowly leant down and picked it up, before moving back out into the street. As he strode toward the gates he looked down at the parchment in his hand, opening it she saw a detailed crest. It seemed noble. In the half light he could make out the words “Never give up”.