Fragile Ground To Walk Upon. [open!]

Draconian · May 07, 2015, 01:14:20 AM

Raizel watched him curiously. "I see." She didn't really, not being a mage meant there were some things she just didn't understand. Magic and wands being one of them. His trick made her give him a good natured applause, a small smile on her face. The gem in the wand made her press her palm to her chest, she'd always forgotten about the thing under her skin but she kept quiet and simply watched him.

"I don't have any magic." She supplied this information in an attempt to keep the conversation going, "I'm simply good with a sword. A pity though, magic looks useful." She nodded towards the fire, "Thank you, by the way. That was much faster than lighting one manually."

JackieCat · May 07, 2015, 07:48:58 AM

"No problem," Kilarhas said when she thanked him. "And magic is useful, though sometimes it's a bit of a handful. I travel a lot, and in some placed mages aren't so welcome. I was chased out of Connlaoth not long ago. They would have killed me, I'm sure, if Keyne hadn't been there to save me. Keyne is a dragon, she's somewhat like a familiar, if you know what that is, but rather than she being my companion, we are each others. We were born at exactly the same moment. Keyne is a Sirrian Dragon. We will both live to be around a one hundred if to we live to old age. We are magically bound together, and if we do live to old age we will die at the same time. But if one of us were to die from a illness or wound, the other would live on to the age that we would have lived to if we had been able to live to old age. It is the same for both of us. Yes, it's kind of confusing, I need to work on how I phrase it. And I bet you're wondering why she's not here now, if we are bound. She likes to travel on her own, but we are connected. If I need her, I can mentally call her and she will be able to know where I am and come, the same if she calls for me. Though I will undoubtedly take more time in getting there, after all, I can't run as fast as she can fly!"

Kilarhas smiled, thinking back to when she said she had no magic. "One can always learn magic. It just might take a while. Well, it does most of the time, but there a few very gifted beings who can learn magic extremely fast, me not among them!"

Draconian · May 09, 2015, 02:55:39 AM

The look on Raizel's face was cool interest.

"I don't know what a Sirrian Dragon is but it sounds very short lived if she's only going to live to be a hundred." Again she tilted her head and looked at him examining his features as best she could from across the fire, "Really? A hundred is old age? For a dragon and an elf?" Raizel laughed, entertained more than she probably should be, the raven on her shoulder gave a grumpy noise and nipped at her ear to which she went quiet and scratched his back, muttering a quiet sorry.

The smile didn't leave her face and she just gave him a look, one eyebrow risen up and her head turned down slightly when he stated anyone could do magic. "I appreciate the vote of confidence though, Kilarhas."

JackieCat · May 09, 2015, 12:34:01 PM

Kilarhas smiled. "Thank you, and yes, for dragons and elves, one hundred is pretty short. We are both species of our kinds that have that lifespan. Some elves scorn me for it, but I think that a shorter life causes one to enjoy it more. Knowing that you d not have a lot of time causes you to do better things with it. At least in some cases."

Kilarhas was thinking of the evils in the world, and not all were long lived demons. Humans, elves, and other beings who were doing the wrong thing. Some lust made a mistake, others born evil, and yet other not evil at all, just forced to do the wrong thing.

Kilarhas frowned, thinking. "One hundred years? Is that about how long a human lives? Or is it more like eighty?"

Draconian · May 09, 2015, 06:56:34 PM

There was a slow nod, it wasn't like she could make any comments about it. She didn't know how old she was. Didn't know how old she could live to be. Sure there was a slight point to her ears and she knew something had been removed from her back but other than that? No idea. There were no majorly defining features she carried.

"I'm not sure." Raizel confessed, honestly, "I suppose a very healthy human might live for a hundred years." She tilted her head, gave him a once over, "How old are you? You seem quite young."

JackieCat · May 11, 2015, 08:43:36 AM

"I'm twenty-four," Kilarhas said. "You? Oh, nevermind, you probably don't remember," he smiled somewhat sympathetically at her. "I would guess you're maybe, hmm, twenty-eight. But that's just a guess from how you look. From what we know you could be a million year-old sage."
Kilarhas narrowed his eyes, now deep in thought. "I could probably take a sample of your blood or something and magically scan it, then I could figure out your age within probably ten years, and your race. . ."

He snapped out of his thought train and shook his head. "Sorry, that was kind of weird. Okay, stop me if I'm intruding on you, but I see your ears are pointed, do you know if you're a half-elf? Or human, or something different?"

Kilarhas picked up his staff and shrunk it back down to wand size. He put it into his pocket and rested his chin in his hand, leaning his elbow in his knee.

Draconian · May 12, 2015, 05:02:33 AM

Raizel smiled, a gentle look coming over her face before she looked back at the fire. "I don't know." She said and mirrored the way he was sitting, her head in her hand and the grumpy sleepy Raven's tail feathers against the side of her face. "Do elves have wings?"

All the travelling she'd done hadn't found her any. Maybe she was alone. Completely. Raizel's features turned dark and her smile slowly faded. It wasn't wrong of her to be content alone, was it? "You're not intruding. You saw me slaughter six people." Raizel made eye contact for a moment before looking away, "You're closer to me than anyone else at the moment."

JackieCat · May 13, 2015, 02:20:00 PM

"Elves don't have wings," Kilarhas said. "Well, at least from what I know they don't, there could be some with wings, but I have yet to come across one or hear of one in my travels, and my travels have been pretty extensive."

When she said he was as close to her than anyone else at the moment he smiled softly and bowed his head. He felt sorry for her, but then reminded himself that perhaps she had been mind-wiped for a good reason. What if something terrible had happened to her and the only way to preserve her sanity had been to clear her mind of the memories? Kilarhas didn't know. He looked back up at her and cocked his head to the side.

"If you wouldn't mind, I could magically scan you to find out your age and species," Kilarhas said. "But that still might be pretty weird."

Draconian · May 13, 2015, 03:37:02 PM

"If they don't have wings then I'm not an elf." But she offered no more information. She clearly had no wings. There was a soft chuckle and she moved to sit with her legs tucked under her. Then she opened her arms and have a nod of her head.

"Be my guest, good sir."

Raizel wasn't expecting anything but this should prove to be interesting.

JackieCat · May 13, 2015, 04:27:54 PM

Kilarhas raised his eyebrows when she said she couldn't be an elf. She clearly had no wings, but that didn't mean much.

Though he would find out soon enough, he found, as she agreed to let him scan her.

"Okay," he said, and he got to a crouching position, moving towards her and stopping right in front of her a foot away.

He took out his wand and laid it on the ground between them. Then he lifted his arms and pit the tips of his fingers on Raizel's temples. Then he closed his eyes and started to chant.

"Corporis ergo aperui ad spectare vestra corporis intro amplius lucis atque spectare intra."

He repeated this mantra several times, and on the third time the end of wand started to glow brightly. Then he abruptly stopped chanting and withdrew his hands. The wand stopped glowing and Kilarhas sat back, a puzzled look on his face and his eyes wide.

"First off, I know your age, twenty-seven," he raised his eyebrows, his eyes still wide, "and that you have a very powerful magical artifact in your chest, which is pretty strange to me. I also found that you are an elf, a kind of elf I've never heard of before, a kind of elf that has wings." He cocked his head at her. "You don't have wings, do you? Or are they just magically hidden?"

Draconian · May 14, 2015, 01:13:45 AM

The contact with her temples was a little odd, but she stayed quiet and watched him do his thing. It was an odd thing to be sure but she stayed quiet and Kilarhas do his work. Raizel didn't expect any other expression from him and the look of confusion made her have a smug grin on her face.

"Twenty-seven?" That was it? Raizel made a face, she sure didn't feel twenty-seven, not that she knew what other ages felt like. Self consciously she shifted her weight and rolled her shoulders, casting a brief look over her shoulder at the tree. There were no wings there.

"I don't have wings," She stated, "You know how, if someone has a limb amputated they can still feel it there?" It was a rhetorical question, she wasn't expecting an answer because she continued talking, "Also, the scars." Her voice went quiet then and she gave a shudder, not wanting to remember that pain. By the time she knew herself everything was mostly healed. Raizel didn't want to remember the pain of having wings torn from her back.

JackieCat · May 14, 2015, 09:29:42 AM

"So you think you used to have wings?" Kilarhas asked. "And they were, well, removed?"
He wondered if that had been the traumatizing experience that had led to her memory being cleared. Or perhaps not, for all Kilarhas knew, she could have fallen, hit her head, and forgotten her past.

But he doubted it.

Something strange had happened, he thought, something out of the ordinary.

"Oh, yes, I also know kind of how long you'll live. Well, not really, it's very vague, but a couple thousand?" Kilarhas shrugged. "I'm assuming you know about the thing in your chest," Kilarhas continued. "But do you know anything about it? Even the smallest inkling of memory? Or have you researched about it at all?"

Draconian · May 16, 2015, 03:13:06 AM

Raizel felt her eyebrow twitch but she kept the amused smile on her face, this man was just being nice and it would do no good for her to be nasty to him for trying to help. "Yes, they were removed." The mass of scars on her back and the muscle spasms were enough to lead her to believe so. The back of someone who used to have extra limbs. She tried to imagine herself with big wings, but nothing came to mind. She couldn't picture anyone.

"Research!" There was a chuckle and it was quickly followed by an angry caw from the raven. "You think I can just walk into places and go 'i have this thing in my chest, where might i find it in your books'?" She rubbed her hands against her thighs and shook her head, "You're precious." She tucked some hair behind her ear and tilted her head.

"Let's talk about you, Kilarhas, The night is young, your fire is bright." Raizel leaned back against the tree, moving her legs out from under her and crossing them out at the ankle while she leaned back, "Why haven't you gone and gotten your kingdom back. Your father sounds like a guilable fool, there's probably already been a coup d'état and you don't even know it." She nodded at him, "Probably one of those people that lied to your dad is the new king. Wouldn't that bust your chops."

JackieCat · May 16, 2015, 11:17:35 AM

"Well, that's what I would've done," Kilarhas said when she said about researching the artifact on her chest.

When she asked about his kingdom he looked down and shook his head. "The truth is, I really don't want to go back. I like my life, how it is now, traveling, adventuring." Kilarhas frowned. "But I do feel guilty. Maybe you're right, and the kingdom is under another's rule, the rule of an ruler even worse than my father, but I don't really want to find out, because I know that if I do hear that something bad has happened, I'll want to go back and fix it. I am ashamed of myself. I'd rather live a life of blissful ignorance and do nothing for my people that to know their troubles and help them." Kilarhas put his head in his hands. "I am indeed a coward."

Kilarhas had never talked about this to anyone before, and now as he talked he realized even more the damage he could be causing his people, what troubles they could be going through while he ran around Le'raana, doing as he pleased.

Draconian · May 17, 2015, 04:22:42 AM

Well that didn't work out. Raizel just stared at him, sort of amazed he just up and accepted that it was a possibility and he was selfish after all.

"I was just trying to be super nosy and make you uncomfortable." Her hands went out and she shook them slightly, "But you see." She held out one hand as if she was weighing something, "you can go on and be free and jolly and accept that maybe things are good." Then she held out the other, "You can go on and learn that things are bad and hate yourself forever for leaving."

Then she pressed her palms together, "And then we're in the same boat."

Raizel crossed her arms over her chest and just stared ahead, giving Kilarhas a once over. "I don't remember my past or who I am. Maybe it was awful - good that I've forgotten, I don't want to know, I am content. If it's good, well, tough shit for me, I don't remember." Raizel pressed a hand through her hair, "Maybe someday someone will recognize me." A shrug and she looked back at him, "As it is, I don't care. If I was important, I'll hear about some missing person and go 'oh hey, that's me. Which is probably why I usually avoid towns and cities." She wrinkled her nose.

"Do you avoid news of your home? So that you don't have to know, one way or the other?"

JackieCat · May 17, 2015, 08:53:42 PM

Kilarhas sat silent for a moment after her question, thinking. Then he looked up, frowning. "I don't exactly avoid it, but I don't go actively searching. I want to know what's happening in the kingdom, I want to hear news, but at the same time I dread it. The dread overpowers the want, though, and I haven' head any news since I left."

Kilarhas narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. This woman had asked some questions that really made him think about what he was going to do with himself. Was he going to continue to ignore his people? He knew he couldn't do that forever, but when would he finally go to see what had become of them? As he thought,sitting there and staring into the flames, he realized he couldn't wait much longer.

He mentally shook himself and looked up. "I understand how you might not want to remember, but don't you at least want to find out what happened to make you forget? I think I would," Kilarhas smiled a bit, "but I've never been in your situation before! Or maybe I have and have forgotten it!"

Draconian · May 20, 2015, 11:43:29 AM

Raizel shook her head slowly.

"No. I don't."

Maybe it was selfish of her. Maybe there were people she'd forgotten about, ones that were waiting for her. She rubbed at her arms and let her head for a moment. No. As much as Raizel wished she could care for these supposed people, there was nothing. Maybe not being selifsh got her into this mess in the first place.

"You should get some sleep, Kilarhas." Raizel suggested softly, "it was a nice talk. You're a good person." Looking up at the trees she sighed softly, "I'll keep watch, so don't worry."

JackieCat · May 20, 2015, 12:47:06 PM

Kilarhas smiled at her. "Good idea."

He pulled his bedroll from his pack and rolled it out, lying down on it on his side and looking into the woods. His mind was filled with turmoil as he tried to sleep, thinking about his kingdom, his people, his father, and of Raizel's memory loss.

His thoughts turned to dreams as he drifted into sleep, and his dreams were a raging battle in his head as he slept.

Draconian · May 20, 2015, 01:38:15 PM

When he woke up, Raizel would be gone.

The light was brightening the sky before she left. Giving the man a fond small smile. She picked up a discarded feather that Aki had dropped and placed it where she was seated. As silently as she followed him and his bandits, she was gone. She'd left behind some food and a container of water but she was gone.

Maybe if Kilarhas was intent on finding her again he would. She made no effort to cover her trail. Still, she moved on. Raizel couldn't afford to make friends and while Kilarhas was a friendly man, she didn't want anyone to depend on her, emotionally, physically. In any way. It would only lead to trouble.

JackieCat · May 20, 2015, 01:47:20 PM

Kilarhas took it as a challenge, even though he didn't know if she had meant it as one.

When he woke and saw the feather he smiled. He packed up his things, doused the fire, and took up her trail. He understood her leaving, she was troubled, at least that's how he saw it. She had made no effort to cover he trail, and as an elf and very good tracker, Kilarhas had no trouble following her.

He made great time, and after nearly four hours of walking he saw her.

He was about to call out when a shadow passed over him and he heard the whoosh of great wings.
The dragon landed right in front of Raizel, blowing ice from its maw on the ground in front of Raizel, far enough away to not hurt the woman but close enough to be threatening.

Kilarhas sighed and ran forward.