Chapter 1: The Aftermath

     

    There is something I tend to keep to myself and that is my love of writing stories. I tried my hand at it with my podcast that I did late last year and early this year. I have writing stories since I was in high school and sometimes I was brave enough to read them in front of my class. Unfortunately, most of the time the end up getting typed up or scribbled down never to see the light of day again. I love sitting down and coming up with a story or a scene because my imagination just runs wild with ideas about it. For example, what is going to happen after Ashes of Malifaux? How will the story progress? Are there going to be any big shake ups? Will we see new main characters or returning characters? What happens when the overall plot isn't being the center of attention? Well, this is a story I wrote about Sonnia after her fight with Damien (spoilers!!). As I have mentioned in a previous blog post I really do love Sonnia! She is my Malifaux gal. I know a lot of people call her "evil", "villain", and so on and so forth but what if... what if that was slightly different? Well, here is that story and a more human side to Sonnia Criid herself. Let me know what you think!? If you enjoy it I have the start of the next chapter waiting in the wings. 

“You can never escape me! You are mine! You pathetic human! You will never defeat me. A tyrant is never destroyed!” a fiery face speeds out of the darkness startling Sonnia awake. 

She jolts upright out of her chair and in the process knocks over several books that she had laying on her lap.

“I am imagining things! I must be because he is gone” Sonnia takes a deep breath in and out trying to regulate her heart rate. 

This isn’t the first time this has happened but with each time the presence gets more real. As if it is just right in front of her. Even though he has been gone for a while she could still feel his irritability, rage, and overall hatred inside her mind. It affected her in ways that she still couldn’t comprehend, she still yearned to figure out how to sever the tie completely. His presence left its scars both physically and mentally. 

She runs her fingers across the recent scars on her face. She remembers other Guild officials telling her that McMourning did his best to fix her back up but it would never be perfect. The tips of her fingertips feel warm to the touch as though they were close to an open flame. These physical scars were easy to hide especially when she wore the metal mask. The relic that kept her safe from his control for so long. She did her best to hide those mental scars behind her research and whiskey which was easier said than done.

She stands up collecting the books that have fallen to the ground. The first one she picks up is an old leather bound volume that reads in fine gold letters on its spine “The History of Malifaux; what came before, during and after” by Christopher Livowitz.

“I wonder if I will ever get to finish this book without falling asleep.” Sonnia finishes collecting the books that she knocked over. S

She neatly sets them on a stack of other books near her chair then she grabs a glass that is sitting on her desk, drains the contents and grabs the nearest bottle to fill up the glass again. Many people including her own coworkers thought of her as a recluse. Especially since she kept to herself most of the time or was out searching for relics of Malifaux’s past. What those people didn’t know is that she was searching for something. Maybe somewhere out there could help her sever the final ties of the tyrant Cherfue.

“Sonnia, are you there? I can see light coming from under the door so that means someone is there.” There is a light knocking on the door and a deep, gruff voice behind it.

“It’s alright Sam, still pouring over these old books hoping something is here.” Sonnia replies as she takes another sip of her whiskey.

“Come in and have a seat we have things we need to discuss” Sonnia says with playful tone in her voice

Sam makes his way through the door and does his best to step over the stacks of scrolls, books, oddities, and relics that are scattered across the floor.

“Sonnia, this place is a mess! Do you know where anything is?” Sam says as he finally makes his way over to an empty high back chair.

“Yes, in fact I do! Smartass” Sonnia retorts

Sam grabs a glass, peers into it and gives it a quick wipe. He grabs the bottle of whiskey off Sonnia’s desk, pouring himself some while topping Sonnia’s glass.

“So, why did you decide to call for me at this ungodly hour? You know most people are sleeping.” Sam takes a sip of his whiskey “At least you brought out the good stuff!”

Sonnia grabs her glass and falls back into her chair, careful not to knock over the pile of books she just made.

Shocked Sonnia says “Wait, why are you here!?” she thought for a moment trying to remember why she asked for Samael to come to her office.

Sam shrugs and says “Sonnia are you ok? I mean. Do you even remember sending someone to get me?”

Sonnia grabs her glass and drinks the rest of her whiskey then grabs the bottle for another one. Right as she is about to pour another helping Sam stops her by reaching out his hand and stopping her from pouring more whiskey into her glass.

“Sonnia, we have known each other for years. Since Cherufe broke away from you, you have seemed odd. Not the normal kind of odd that I have known you for but distant. Almost like you are not fully there” Sam says with a reluctant tone in his voice.

“Sam, you know me as a secretive person. Although I have known you for years there are still some things I cannot tell you. If I told you, you would throw me into an asylum.” Sonnia pours more whiskey in her glass with a somber tone in her voice.

She takes a big gulp of the freshly filled glass and says “I’m alright Sam. Not 100% but better than I was there are remnants of Cherufe left. Those remnants tend to keep me up at night sometimes. Before you walked in I was startled awake by one of those nightmares.”

She pauses for a moment and continues “It seems like with each passing day his grip on me weakens but there is a piece of him that is still there. It nags at my soul and it feels like I am slowly being suffocated.” 

Sam doesn’t say anything and instead takes a few sips of his whiskey. He starts to look around the room and says “Well, your money is still good even if you are nuttier than a bag full of nuts.”

Sonnia smirks “Sam, have I ever told you how much of an asshole you are.”

Sam chuckles and says “all the time but that ain’t gonna stop me from calling it like I see it.”

Sonnia waves her hand as if she was telling some to leave. “Alright, enough of this banter. Let’s finally talk about the reason I asked you here.”

Sonnia takes a deep breath knowing how difficult this next sentence will be for her to say. “What have you found out about our friend Damien Ravencroft and his associates?”

Sam falls into one of the high back chairs and shakes his head “Well, after your tussle he went underground. The members of his group that we have captured are not talking. Well the ones that have the ability to do so which is not many to be honest”

“Has anyone gotten even a sliver of evidence? A clue? Scrap a piece of paper!? Or something!” Sonnia yells angrily as she slams her hands down on the table.

She closes her eyes realizing that her anger is getting the best of her. He was gone so why was she still so easily angered. She had to find out!

She continues on with her sentence “Our friend Damien is the only case that I know of that someone has managed to revert back to themselves after being turned into a Witchling Stalker. It is extremely dangerous for someone like that to be out in Malifaux! Who knows what he has up his sleeve!?” 

Sam stays quiet for a moment letting the tension release in the room. After a long awkward silence he says  “What do you suggest we do, Sonnia? Kick down every door till we find him!? You damn well know that his people are loyal to his cause. We know he is out there but after that tussle he has probably gone underground for a little bit. We don’t know his group's strength, only that they are unsanctioned magic users.”

Sonnia starts to pace back and forth watching out for the various stacks of books on the floor. 

“He has a friend Sam. It’s Bellaventine Thorpe. She is on his side helping him out.” Sonnia sighs.

“Well, damn! Not like I didn’t see that one coming. I mean she did help him escape our facility. Unfortunately, that means his group might know a lot more than they are letting on. It’s best we keep our heads down for a little while ourselves. We did lose a lot of good people in that fight. Also, with the state of our reputation I don’t think we have a long list of candidates waiting to join the ranks.” Sam shrugs as he finishes off his whiskey and sets the glass on Sonnia’s desk.

“Sometimes Sam I wonder if you are smarter than you look” Sonnia scoffs

He just laughs and says “I guess you will never know.”

“Goodnight Sam, sorry again for waking up at this ungodly hour” Sonnia says apologetically

Sam smirks and replies “stop reading those books and get some sleep! When was the last time you had a full night's rest?” 

Sonnia rolls her eyes in response and says “Jeez, here you go again.”

And with a wave of his hand Sam leaves the room heading back down the hallway from where he came.

Sonnia falls into her chair and gazes into the fireplace then slowly drifts off to sleep.