Anev was taken in by Leverage. A gang that worked under the notice of the normal folk and keeping it that way by lining the pockets of officials and officers. Ardor their leader, knowing what Anev was made her into an assassin and enforcer, a ghost. Soon the gang got a reputation of being able to turn even those closest to you. People not knowing that it was all Anev wearing the faces of her victim's allies. Anev didn't do this willingly. Her first rebellion was not telling Ardor her name. Because of this he took to calling her Luck or his lucky charm. When her rebellions got worse he fashioned a collar that if she went too far from the job dictated it would start to choke her.
When she was first ordered to kill she flatly refused. And Ardor told her that she didn't have to go. She was too relived to question why he hadn't punished her for defying him. The next morning she heard that he had sent Robin, a young girl that was a new recruit, to do the job in her place. Robin was caught and killed.
Ardor came to her. "Now you better do the job right or I send someone else, maybe May? Or your friend in the kitchens? His family is late on their payments." "I'll do it." She pleads and Ardor smiles.
Anev closed off. She hid behind her many faces, the most common identity she took was a dark skinned elf with dark purple hair. She didn't let herself get close to anyone fearing that Ardor would use them against her. So when Davan Pendergrass a halfling rogue from a small farming village joined Leverage she expected the whispers about her to keep him away. But not only did he seek out her company but he seemed to see through all her masks. He persistant in being her friend and after she let him in. Telling him her name, what Ardor asked of her how she felt trapped and anything else she had kept to her self from year to year. And he listened. He was there to comfort her after the hard jobs and soon they became lovers. She begged him to be careful to just keep his head down and not show he cared about her.
One day Davan found her and she told him that she had been ordered to kill the children of an official in the disguise of their grandmother. That she would be sent in three days. He asked her to refuse to do it. She said that she couldn't that if she did that Ardor knew about them and was... She couldn't finish explaining before the sobs took her words but Davan knew the pattern. Davan promised that he was going to get them both out and to wait for him at the scout's tunnel to the sewers. She waited for him. And late that night he came running catching her hand.
"It was a bluff the collar," He rips it off. "It can't hurt you." "Ardor-" "Taken care of just go."
So they ran and she helped him out of the sewers. She is dancing in glee at the freedom coming back to kiss him. But once she touches him she realizes how clammy his skin is. He leans heavily against her and that is when she notices the blood. She tries to rush him to the nearest temple.
"Anev-" Davan's voice is barely a whisper. "I'm not leaving you behind!" She rushes to the steps of Michter's temple the priests haven't seen her or Davan yet. She stumbles and just barely catches him. "Hold on...please" But Davan stares at the night sky not responding. She knows he is gone but still tries to wake him up do anything she can to close the wound feeling more helpless than she ever has before. Forced to face the truth she cradles his body and cries, and with nothing left to do she says a prayer.
"Raven Queen, please, I need him back, please bring him back."
Anev didn't expect an answer. So when the world went completely black and cold and she saw the silver mask peering down at her through lines of ink black hair, she was frozen in awe. In the heartbeats that felt like an age. The Raven Queen told her “You’re deserving of what you ask, but anyone can be deserving. Figure out what it means to be worthy, and you’ll have him back.”
![[Art] Nightmare](https://storage.googleapis.com/paperdemon-prod-la/submissions/thumbs/art_55640_thumb_6ab8b8f0489da76ed5f61e41512fed7863f57a517f1ab.jpg)
Anev was taken in by Leverage. A gang that worked under the notice of the normal folk and keeping it that way by lining the pockets of officials and officers. Ardor their leader, knowing what Anev was made her into an assassin and enforcer, a ghost. Soon the gang got a reputation of being able to turn even those closest to you. People not knowing that it was all Anev wearing the faces of her victim's allies. Anev didn't do this willingly. Her first rebellion was not telling Ardor her name. Because of this he took to calling her Luck or his lucky charm. When her rebellions got worse he fashioned a collar that if she went too far from the job dictated it would start to choke her.
When she was first ordered to kill she flatly refused. And Ardor told her that she didn't have to go. She was too relived to question why he hadn't punished her for defying him. The next morning she heard that he had sent Robin, a young girl that was a new recruit, to do the job in her place. Robin was caught and killed.
Ardor came to her. "Now you better do the job right or I send someone else, maybe May? Or your friend in the kitchens? His family is late on their payments."
"I'll do it." She pleads and Ardor smiles.
Anev closed off. She hid behind her many faces, the most common identity she took was a dark skinned elf with dark purple hair. She didn't let herself get close to anyone fearing that Ardor would use them against her. So when Davan Pendergrass a halfling rogue from a small farming village joined Leverage she expected the whispers about her to keep him away. But not only did he seek out her company but he seemed to see through all her masks. He persistant in being her friend and after she let him in. Telling him her name, what Ardor asked of her how she felt trapped and anything else she had kept to her self from year to year. And he listened. He was there to comfort her after the hard jobs and soon they became lovers. She begged him to be careful to just keep his head down and not show he cared about her.
One day Davan found her and she told him that she had been ordered to kill the children of an official in the disguise of their grandmother. That she would be sent in three days. He asked her to refuse to do it. She said that she couldn't that if she did that Ardor knew about them and was... She couldn't finish explaining before the sobs took her words but Davan knew the pattern. Davan promised that he was going to get them both out and to wait for him at the scout's tunnel to the sewers. She waited for him. And late that night he came running catching her hand.
"It was a bluff the collar," He rips it off. "It can't hurt you."
"Ardor-"
"Taken care of just go."
So they ran and she helped him out of the sewers. She is dancing in glee at the freedom coming back to kiss him. But once she touches him she realizes how clammy his skin is. He leans heavily against her and that is when she notices the blood. She tries to rush him to the nearest temple.
"Anev-" Davan's voice is barely a whisper.
"I'm not leaving you behind!"
She rushes to the steps of Michter's temple the priests haven't seen her or Davan yet. She stumbles and just barely catches him. "Hold on...please" But Davan stares at the night sky not responding. She knows he is gone but still tries to wake him up do anything she can to close the wound feeling more helpless than she ever has before. Forced to face the truth she cradles his body and cries, and with nothing left to do she says a prayer.
"Raven Queen, please, I need him back, please bring him back."
Anev didn't expect an answer. So when the world went completely black and cold and she saw the silver mask peering down at her through lines of ink black hair, she was frozen in awe. In the heartbeats that felt like an age. The Raven Queen told her “You’re deserving of what you ask, but anyone can be deserving. Figure out what it means to be worthy, and you’ll have him back.”