Voltairine Maloran, the Avatar of Kerun

Voltairine, Avatar of Kerun

Voltairine, the Avatar of Kerun, is one of the most beloved amongst the Avatars. Her origins and past are shrouded in mystery, though there are many a story about her escapades before she was granted Avatar status — nothing confirmed, however. It is well known that she happens to be married to the Third Archknight, Gyanda Maloran. Her choice to take his last name was a convenient one for her, as it has served to further obscure her past from those who may wish to probe. Personality wise, she exudes a carefree demeanor, but she also has a very strong sense of justice that tends to favor the oppressed, and this colors her decision making as an avatar. 

***

The early afternoon sun disappeared behind the side of a mountain as the creaky cart turned along a bend in the path. As they rode through the cold, grey mountain pass, Volt swore and gritted her teeth, pulling the large fur blanket she borrowed tightly around her shoulders and knees. She glared daggers at her travelling partner.

“I hate you. I hate Heron. What good is coin if you freeze to death before you can spend it, huh?” she growled at the smiling, dreadlocked man. 

Before Zara could respond, the cart’s driver looked over his shoulder at the pair, donning a scowl. “Damn disrespectful foreigners ain’t welcome on my cart if that’s how you talk, got it? You want me to toss you and your coin to the rocks?”

Zara chuckled through his own chattering teeth. “No disrespect here, mate! We love your beautiful country and your lovely hospitality!” He nodded emphatically, grinning apologetically at the man before turning to Volt and lowering his voice. “Listen, the place we’re going is warm as a Galean summer. And there’s coin. And beer. And food. Tasty food,” he emphasized. “So chin up! It’ll be worth it, just like you said!” Volt merely scowled back, cursing her decision to take this job as she huddled next to Zara.

“Well, I’m a bloody idiot!” 

*

About four hours later, Volt was cackling gleefully as she and Zara made off from Nacre Hill, jingling with as much coin as they could fit in their clothes, and lugging as many valuables as they could nimbly carry. She whooped as she leapt from one boulder to the next in front of her. 

“I told you this job’d be excellent!” she shouted back at him with an impish grin as her braids bounced around her wildly.

Zara snickered, smirking back at her over the large sack he carried, a golden candlestick poking out from the top. “Like you’re ever wrong about a good time.”

Volt glanced over her shoulder at the path behind them as they made their way up the steady incline. “Okay, with the trail we planted, the guards oughta be kept busy for a good long while — plenty o’ time for them to get in and get out, yeah?” 

The pair reached the peak of this very particular hill, atop which stood an old stone monolith, that likely once carried the Piers heraldry. It was about six feet high and made of stone, with a pair of hooks screwed into the side. Volt pulled a large, crimson piece of cloth from her sack and attached it to the stone. She took a few steps back and put her hands on her hips, watching the signal flag billow in the crisp breeze. 

“That oughta do it.” She turned back towards Zara and picked up her pack before leading the way towards the drop point.

Down the road till you see the stone wolf, turn right through the gap in the pines, take twenty paces to the hollow tree, Volt recalled from the rundown she’d gotten earlier. She and Zara followed the process easily, coming upon the hollow tree just as the full moon had started to show through the clouds. 

Volt leaned over and shook out her top, pouring out a nearly implausible number of coins. The pair divvied everything up and shoved half the coin and any useful items in a sack in the tree, just as was agreed upon. 

“So, ready for a real party?” Volt asked, smirking and leading Zara eagerly back towards the road. 

*

Late into the night, Volt’s laughter could be heard ringing through the hills surrounding the small village they celebrated in. Volt pantomimed comically as a tipsy Zara enthusiastically recounted her actions at Nacre Hill to a group of resistance fighters, along with a woman who was very recently freed from the Nacre Hill dungeon. She had curly auburn hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose — and she watched Volt move with a loopy grin on her face. 

“Awright, so these blokes are all jus’ droolin’ all ovah the tables, watchin’ ‘er shake ‘er you-know-whats, and all of a sudden, she gets real close — too close — and I get awful nervous, ‘cause you know these lords are supposed to be pretty uptight ‘bout stuff, yeah? I was just thinkin’ it might be too much is all, but,” He shook his head and threw up his hands. “Turns out they don’t mind a Galean lady’s hands all ovah them as long as their wives ain’t there, right?” Volt snickered and winked at the auburn-haired girl from across the table as she wrapped her arms around Zara’s shoulders. 

“Yeah, they got pretty handsy, for all their talk o’ piety and shit,” Volt added with a grin.

Zara sighed and smirked. “Not as handsy as you, milady. And whaddya know — before those rich bastards knew it, she’d taken every damn coin off e’ry one of ‘em! I wouldn’t be surprised if one of ‘em woke up tomorrow morning and realized his gold fillings were gone!”

The audience laughed heartily, but a second uproar sounded when Zara gasped upon realizing Volt was dangling his own coinpurse in front of his face. She tossed it on the table before running her hands down Zara’s back and sighing contently, whispering something in his ear. He smiled at her, kissed her on the cheek, and gave her a wink. She rounded the table towards the auburn-haired girl.

“So, you’re a free woman now, I hear,” Volt remarked with a roguish grin, leaning on the table beside her.

The lady turned towards Volt and looked into her enticing brown eyes, lowering her voice. “Yeah. Been thinkin’ what I should do with my first night out o’ that damn cage,” she replied, tilting her head.

“I think I have some good ideas,” Volt replied with a chuckle. “And I’m told I’ve never been wrong about a good time.”