o/ I walk aloooone o/ (Gold! Here please!)

[Anonymous]

His mind was clouded with a strange fog. This always happened when he tranced. Sleep was a wasteful thing, while the trance he could induce in himself was far more efficient. It allowed him to operate longer, and it meant he wouldn't feel tired. Drained perhaps yes, but not tired. This was a slightly different fog, it was almost starting to clear up, and he'd be able to walk in his mind freely. However, he knew there was going to be trouble the moment the fog would lift. As he predicted of course, there was something terrible that happened as the fog started to clear. His eyes snapped open, and he sharply took a breath. He had awoke from his trance. He heard of this condition in people who dreamt before. They would often try and discover something in their sleep, they would run toward something they valued, but just at the last minute they would awaken at the last minute.

Well. That was enough of thinking on such nonsense. He needed to continue walking.

The man who had such a strange way to him was sitting simply in the middle of the vast plain of grass. He was an odd sort of fellow, he was dressed in a rough brown leather jacket, with a pair of thick brown wool pants, heavy leather boots in his...trademark brown, a black belt surprisingly was around his waist. The man topped the whole getup off with a large brown fedora, faded slightly from thousands of years of weather and sun. All of his clothing was very similar in that aspect, they were worn and weathered but they were still very strong.

The man's face was rather...rough looking. He had a strong jaw, a broad face, crooked nose from being broken so many times, and there was the fact that he was missing his left eye. A large scar ran from his scalp, down past his eye socket, cheek, and ending near his lip. He had a grizzled chin, covered with a rough bit of facial hair. Not fully a beard or moustache however, but enough to make his chin feel a bit like sandpaper.

The man was a stranger to this world, at least in his mind he was.

His one good eye looked skyward. It was...odd. There was white, only white, except for a small black hangman's noose as a pupil perhaps. He was very...very strange looking to say the least. The man glared slightly at the sun as he got to his feet. He could remember worlds with three suns, and the heat that bore down on him was intolerable. This sun however, seemed to be just far enough away for him. There was even a cool breeze that flowed along the grasslands, which was nice to say the least. The man surveyed the land, his eye like a hawk as he observed everything he could possibly look at. He hungered to say the least, and he would require some food. He never thought to bring anything with him in a satchel that hung at his side.

The question now was...what was within range to eat? A few birds flew overhead...a couple of field mice...and quite a few bugs. Those would have to do then wouldn't they?

First was the bigger things. The birds that soared above him. His left hand clenched, covered in fingerless gloves which strained as he formed a fist. He calculated the movement of the birds as they flew, just waiting for to enter the right area. Something strange was happening to his fist. A long blue rope was forming in his hand, one that seemed to crackle with a strange and intense energy. The birds moved...and finally he whipped the strange blue rope. A lightning bolt crackled forward from the tip of the rope. His aim was true and as it hit one of the birds there was a rather rattling thunderclap. The three other birds in the sky fell to the earth and he retrieved them. Each of them was dead, and he began to eat them. It was a gruesome thing, nothing was wasted, everything was devoured, and it mattered not what it was. The tiny birds were not a filling treat, and he moved on next to the mice. They were perhaps a bit more lucky than the birds. The man simply used earthen spikes to kill them, pinning them through the head with the rocky spikes. They were quickly scooped up and devoured. The bugs were easier, he simply fished them from the earth using a small piece of twine. He seemed to be able to push it into the ground, and when he pulled it up, bugs were caught and stuck to it. He tied several ropes to his belt, and decided to continue on his ways.

It was almost like a snack for him, he picked a bug off of the ropes and popped it into his mouth. They mostly crunched as he chewed them alive, ignoring the fact they were bugs. He had eaten worse things than this. They actually had some good protein content, at least he assumed that much. He never had time to research this sort of thing, he had been quite busy with...other research matters.

A dreadfully grim smile crossed his lips as he thought about it. There had been some good times. He snapped from his thoughts as he thought about something he wanted...a drink. As if he could find it out here fo course. A white rope was produced as he began to drag it across the ground. If there was one thing he knew, there was quite a bit of dew on the grass. The rope was to suck it up, to allow him to drink it at his leisure. Yes he could have simply created water, but it always had a strange taste to him. This however would not be as...funny tasting.

The rope was brought to his mouth and he opened his lips and let the water drain into his mouth like a faucet. Perhaps he was cheating just a little bit, but still, he was sure that no one would care. Since the plains held only him, to his current knowledge, who would be there to judge him?

The rope was discarded, the simple thing simply disappearing before it hit the ground. Then he decided to see what he could muster up. "Hello!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs, hoping to hear an echo, but knew it was nothing more than a futile attempt. There was nothing to bounce off of after all, so it would be useless. Still...he wondered if any game would be scared up. He had been wandering these plains for a good week now perhaps, he was even sure he had gone in a circle few times, but really...he wasn't actually sure he cared. He wanted to avoid really big cities, he wasn't sure of these people yet. They were so different from the people of his own realm. He had to be careful, very careful with how he acted here.

[Goldie]

The plains...all around her Oinnanai saw the beauty that her Goddess gave to the earth. The green grassy surroundings were alive simply through the grace which the sun gifted each living strand, allowing growth and beauty. The space, oh the space! No mountains, nothing to block the sunlight that shown down in brilliant beams! It was a beauty that only a Lumenari could fully appreciate! This would certainly be the place to praise Her goodness and might.

Great Holy Mother, Goddess of all good and just. Your light shines upon this green earth and grants such lowly beings your blessings. Guide us with your wisdom, your beauty, and your strength as we, your blessed people, struggle to spread your word to all creatures under your blessed beams!

"Lumaenai, Lumoundai, Suraimaenes lumos" Shine with us, Shine for us, Be our light she muttered softly, reaching her hands into the sky to soak the rays into the tips of her fingers. As Her High Priestess, Oinnanai traveled across this earth to spread Her great words and reunite all of Her children under one covenant. Nothing was more important than following the will of the Great Mother and proving to others that Hers was the way of truth. In he travels, Oinnanai had seen many wonders, as well as many evils the world possessed. Yet here she stood, unwavering in her faith. Not even the darkest of evils had been able to destroy the burning light within her soul. Despite her seventeen years, Oinnanai's wisdom had grown monumentally in her childhood, and rivaled that of an old crone. Her golden eyes could stare into a person's soul and read their deepest secrets. Perhaps not in exact words, but in feelings and understanding. She had been trained since infancy in the arts of the Priestess; she was born to be Her High Priestess and nothing could shake her from her path of truth.

This was her joy, and her curse. For sometimes the Great Mother's wishes were not those humans would accept with joyful hearts. She was a strict Mistress and tested even her most devoted servants. After all, who could honestly say their greatest faith resides in the Great Mother without it being tested? Those who stand unwavering in Her anger will be granted the greatest of joys in their future.

Simple people could never understand. The pain suffered at your Mistress's hand is both ecstasy and anguish.

Following her feet through the plains, Oinnanai did not know where she would end. Everything looked peaceful and exactly the same in every direction. So forward was her best choice. If she continued in her straight path then surely she would stumble across something important.

So she walked.

Not daring to think any further ahead than her next step.

She walked.

And behold! There in the distance sat a man. A lone figure on the tall grassy plains. This must be her next stop on her life-long journey for the Great Mother.

In a world where everything is flat, distances become skewed to the minds-eye. What looked like a few minutes walk, turned into a few hours until she finally made her way close enough to the man to hail him. By this time, the sun was slowly fading over the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant colors of gold and purple. It was a perfect time to stop, and company was always better than solitude.

"Pardon me" she addressed him, her soft voice carrying through the wind with an almost dream-like quality. Her white-blonde hair hung in ringlets down her back, over the light satin gown that draped across her slim figure, revealing pale arms that almost matched her eyes. At a glance, she might look like a ghost, but upon further scrutiny her perfect Lumenari beauty was awe inspiring; a porcelain doll that would crack under the softest touch.

"I would ask if I might share your fire this night." If he refused, then she would continue on her way until the time for her nightly ritual to the Great Mother was upon her. However, she doubted that she would be turned away. This man, while many would be afraid of his strangely white eyes, she found a beauty in them that rooted her in her place. This man, whether he knew it or not, surely had been touched by Her sometime in his life. His light eyes were proof of it. His missing eye did nothing to sway her certainty, nor cause fear to gather in her heart.

In her mind, she had found a kindred spirit.

[Anonymous]

Though the plains were flat, they were expansive by all means of the word. All he did was walk, but he never tired, nor did he ever think he would. However, the sun was warming the plains, and his outfit did cover quite a bit of him. He was sweating lightly, and he could feel that he was just a tad warm. The breeze along the grasslands was not unpleasant though, and he was quite grateful for it. He finished off his little snack of beetles and worms without any sort of grimace or disgust, he actually found them very delicious.

It was all he had out here. Most creatures were smart enough to stay away from a place where you could be spotted over vast distances. Not even a wandering wolf or baleful bear, both of which would have been a fine feast. A deer would have been quite nice as well, yet nothing really seemed to approach.

No.

That was a lie actually.

Something was out there. A speck in the distance, and he actually had to stop to look toward the strange figure that was a mere dark shape. His one eye became slightly brighter as he, in his mind, zoomed in on the figure. It was hard to see exactly what was there, or who it was, but he could tell that it was heading toward him. The question of course, was whether or not he should stay here and wait for this person. Lord knows that he didn't like a lot of people, but this was only a single person...and it had been a while since he had met someone in this strange world.

What harm could this do anyway? If he didn't really like the person, he could easily have some fun with the stranger. The grassland could easily absorb the person anyway, it would just be another missing person in a long line no doubt. Even if people came looking, what would it really matter? These people probably didn't have a universal police force, though he would probably have to keep an eye out for assassins. He muttered darkly to himself as he reached up and touched upon the empty socket. It didn't hurt anymore, he had used a fire to cauterize the entire inside so it was not more than scar tissue. The only thing that was really distressing was that he could no longer look in two separate directions.

No matter though.

The sun was setting and he decided to stop his walking. That person was getting ever so closer now to him, and he decided that he might as well get comfy for the night. There was very little in the way of fire material, but he found a way to make it work however. It wasn't a very large pile to light on fire, but it was enough. He decided to use the flint and steel in one of the small satchels on his person. A bit of dried grass caught fire in the pile of wood. He blew softly on it, coaxing the small flicker of fire to bring itself to life. The fire began to burn and he sat back, smirking to himself as he stared it for a moment.

That's when a quiet voice came to him. Female. He could tell that already. The smell of the air, and the sound of the voice gave it all away. His eye swivelled in the socket to look at her carefully. The man took every little bit of her grace and beauty and locked it into his mind. Stopping had been a most agreeable idea didn't it? Though one could have thought she was a spirit, his eye penetrated through her gown and skin. He could see her beating heart, pulsing blood, and breathing lungs. Lord help him she even had beautiful lungs.

Would they stay on the inside however? Good as question as any to him.

"Go ahead, it's as good as it will be however...this land's too sparse to have anything good for a nice fire." He could use magic to sustain it, he could make it as big a house and keep it under control, but he didn't much feel like that would be the smartest thing in the world at this point. Some worlds were very hostile to magic...others revered it and worshipped it. Both of which he didn't much care for. In his world, they were a little more...relaxed with that sort of thing.

"Question for you poppet, what is it you're doing out here? For someone dressed like you, this doesn't seem to be a place that you should be wandering around in." She was polite to him, so he figured he might as well be as polite to her as he could be. It was the least he could do after all. He was wary of her though, something about her seemed wrong but...then he remembered his own world. There was no telling what she was at this point, but she was relaxed and she was almost uncaring. "I can offer you some food, but I hope you're not opposed to mice and perhaps a small bird or two." He'd have to hunt for it, but there wasn't a person out there that could say he wasn't a gracious host now.

[Goldie]

ooc: >_< I don't know what to write about!!!! Shizzy I'm sorry if this fails Dx

ic:

The High Priestess allowed a soft smile to wind its way onto her porcelain cheeks, soft rosey lips lifting ever so lightly at the corners. The man's assessment that she was beautiful was certainly true, as all Lumenari women were when blessed with all the aesthetics the Great Mother could give. Her priestesses especially exemplified Her magnificence as they were Her prophets, Her messengers. They were the earthly examples of her beauty and thus were needed to show outsiders the closest material thing to Her. If they were not attractive by the standards of the Great Mother, no one would understand, at least not just from words.

Thus, Oinnanai's beauty was a gift from the Great Mother to help her in her ministry. So...in a sense, when people appreciated her beauty, they were actually thanking the Goddess and praising her work.

It always helped appeal to Oinnanai's vanity...having people look at her with approving eyes....

"I thank you." she replied, settling herself on the soft grass, opposite of his position around the fire. She watched, amused, at his attempts to create a fire. It seemed there were very small amounts of kindling on the great flat plains. His fire was a quaint, childlike endeavor and she watched him as such, indulging his efforts like she would a novice in the Solisi Temples. It was...cute....nothing more.

"May I?" she asked quietly, gesturing to the small (almost embarrassing) fire. She did not wait for his reply as she folded her hands before her, whispering a small prayer of thanks in the Solisi language before holding her hands towards the flames. Oinnanai took a deep breath and clicked her tongue. The effect was immediate as small, sand-like crystals materialized above and around the fire, shimmering in the soft glow of twilight. In a swift motion, she blew out all the air she held in her lungs and clapped her hands together with a [/i]crack[/i]. The fire sprung to life, expanding in size so much that many would feel compelled to move further away in fear of being burned.

Smiling at her work, she bowed her head once more and whispered some more Solisi words before gazing across the fire at her new companion.

"The plains are not conducive to natural fire, I'm afraid. It would be unfortunate should it fail before morning without anymore kindling to prolong its life." For a moment she gazed deeply into the flickering flames, losing herself in Her great, glorious beauty before looking up at him through her lashes.

"I must apologize." she murmured, pale cheeks glittering in the firelight as if tiny jewels encrusted her skin. "Here you have kindly accepted my company and I have not begun introductions. My name is Oinnanai, and as to my being here...well..." she opened her arms and swept her eyes across the expanse of grass that ended only at the horizon, "I follow where I am lead. Should the wind change, I shall walk elsewhere. A wanderer of sorts. I find what I need, and when I do not, I make do with the clothes on my back and what gifts I have been granted." A true disciple. If she met any unworthy on her travels, she would wash her hands of their presence and continue on her path towards the betterment of mankind. Those who did not accept would burn in the fires of Her vexation, becoming no better than her enemies the Drow.

"What of you? You, too, are alone in this plain."

[Anonymous]

"It's no skin off my back." He told her after she thanked him. At least he hoped it wouldn't be. There was very little to fear from this beautiful young woman, so he found himself almost...uncaring of what she might do. She couldn't hurt him, at least he didn't think so. There was little thought to her magical capacity, but as for physical, she wasn't a person that had any weapons on her, and he had looked very carefully for any such things. He had found none, and as such, she was safe.

Safe from hurting him or stabbing him at least.

"Go right ahead." Magic. That's what she was going to use. He sat back from the fire, expecting it to no doubt burst into a bonfire. He watched with very little interest as she set about making the fire larger. Magic was magic to him, but he had heard the strange language she muttered before hand. Interesting indeed. He was inspecting his fingernails when she started to make the crystal appear around the fire, his eye flickering upward once in a while to watch it critically before he went back to his inspection of his nails. The moment that her breath exhaled, her hands clapped, and her breath exhaled, he moved his legs into a sitting position, to stop them from burning. He did not however move away from the fire.

He didn't feel the heat as much as others did. Granted he couldn't even feel the cold of a snowy mountain, so having a fire was useless to him, but he was going to enjoy the woman's company in the very least.

"I'd have found what was needed to keep it alive." He told her roughly as he finally stopped inspecting his hand to look at her, his eye focused and centred on her, the hangman's noose that was his pupil in full effect. Already this was becoming dangerous territory, and it made him all the more wary of this woman. He felt that there was just something about her that he should be careful of.

The man carefully listened to her little speech. Religious. That was the only way to put it. Gifts that she had been granted. That was the turning point, that had given it all away. However, he continued to smile at her, giving no indication that he had caught anything. No doubt to her she didn't care that he knew, but still....it was an upperhand for him at least. It made him feel like he had something on her, that he could use to his advantage. Whether that was actually true would come to be soon enough.

"Yes, I suppose I am." He took a deep breath as he leaned back, using his elbows to prop himself up. It allowed him to watch her and the fire with a bit more ease, plus...he really just wanted to relax. "I myself am just...running. Been running for a few hundred years now I suppose. Out of time, out of thought, through the spaces between the spaces..." He gave a rather rough laugh as he thought about it now. Just trying to escape the grasp of a being who had given him life, who had made all the strangeness of his life just so she could have him. Sickened him to say the least.

"But not totally alone. I've got my thoughts, I've got my voice, both help to keep whatever insanity may be found by wandering alone for so long." Another chuckle from his lips. That would be a kicker wouldn't it? He goes insane from being away too long? He'd at least have thought himself stronger than that. For a moment he could have questioned his sanity. Maybe this woman wasn't here, maybe she was actually a figment of his imagination.

Nah, he couldn't have dreamt her up.

"Call me Nexus though. Nexus Savaros." He said finally, remembering that he should probably give his name out to her. "Like you, I'm just wandering from place to place....though, your expanse of wandering is rather limited, while mine has a bit more...broadness to it." The left corner of his lips pulled themselves up into a smirk as he thought about that last sentence. He assumed she was from this planet, from this world, which would make his statement true. She was stuck to this one planet, hell she might have even been stuck to this one continent. He...was not as much. Nexus was able to move from world to world, realm to realm, slip between the universes if he so chose to.

"Well, now that introductions are out of the way." Nexus sat up and made sure to brush the dirt from his elbows. "Do you want something to eat? It'll only be whatever flightless bird or burrowing mammal comes across my path, but at least I've a few spices with me to mask any foul taste they might have." Just because he could eat bugs and garbage, didn't mean he didn't appreciate the finer tastes.

He slowly got to his feet, looking at Oinnanai for her answer.

[Goldie]

ooc: don't hate me if this is crappy and short and full of crap >_< Oinnanai is HARD for me to post, I sowwy!

edit ooc: OMG OMG OMG! Oinnanai has a fun story now! But I'm not telling you what it is! It's going to be a surprise for you when it comes up! xDDDD but Oin is NOT BORING ANYMORE! *bouncebouncebouncebounce*


ic:

She smiled courteously and bowed her head in acknowledgment when he commented on his abilities to keep a fire lit. "Of course" she added softly, aware that her actions and words could easily have injured his pride. She did not wish to put off her companion only moments after meeting him, that would be rude.

She did notice, however, that the man had not shied away from the blossoming flames she had conjured. He seemed unimpressed by her abilities and rather....just...perhaps she was hoping for him to appear nonplussed, and instead she got his irritation for assuming he would not be able to keep the fire burning.  This, of course, was not her intention at all! Quite the contrary! She simply wished to make the fire burn stronger to please the Great Mother and begin the evening ceremony. When the sun left the skies, her followers kept her living in their earthly flames. It was merely customary.

Not that it was expected for anyone other than a Solisi to understand the importance of the flame. They were a blessed people and it was her job as high priestess to undergo many hardships in order to spread Her great light.

A blessed job.

A blessed calling.

"Nice to meet you, Nexus Savaros. I would love something to eat if you can spare it. I know that food is hard to come by unless a herd of antelope decide to stampede through your camp." She chuckled lightly, golden eyes dancing in the firelight as she reveled in the heat the exuded from her handiwork.

"Do not worry if it puts you out in anyway. I have gone much longer without food, and would hate to be the reason you lose your nutrients" smiled Oinnanai, moving her knees from under herself to adapt a more comfortable seated position. Her sandals protruded from her thin satin dress, the gold laces tied in intricate patterns over her petite feet before disappearing under her dress where the laces continued up her leg. Her loose curls hung down her back, a few strands slipping over her shoulder and blowing lightly across her cheeks.

Sitting there beside the fire, she looked more doll-like than ever. Her flawless complexion more apparent in the twilight. She looked almost....not human....ethereal...

As if she were created rather than born.

But that was just silly. Of course she had parents...people don't just pop out of the dirt. Yes, she was taken away from them at a young age that she barely remembered them at all...but she had parents. To say otherwise would just be silly.

Gazing up at the sky, Oinnanai noted the position of the sun against the horizon and realized that she had only a few moments before her evening ceremony would need to begin. Forgetting to do so would only result in the Great Mother's wrath, and as the bridge between lowly humans and the Great Goddess, she would hear her displeasure rather than assume it existed. She would wait to see what he had in means of nutrition before beginning the ceremony.

That way she wouldn't interrupt his scavenging and be available to give some aid if he so needed it.

"How did you get that scar?" she asked while she waited, eyes drawn to his significant lack of eye, "It looks like it might be the beginning of a terrible tale."

[Anonymous]

((Nothing could ever suck when you type it Goldy! And I wanna know what your plaaaan is! I waaaaaaaanna knoooooooow!))

Fire was just fire, and he certainly could handle a lot more heat than what this fire could dish out. She was controlling size, spread, light perhaps, but she didn't seem to be making it output any undue heat. It was pleasant enough, at least to him, but he couldn't exactly gauge temperature. Maybe she was rather smart indeed. Nexus kept a close eye on what he was doing, trying to show no surprise at this time. After all, this was all about control, and he wanted to ensure that he was still somewhat in control. She may have dealt with little mortals and people who were afraid of the dark, or perhaps her fire...but he was not.

Control.

"Yeah...if only one would wander by." Nexus was certain that he could try to lure them here, but that would be...well..a most difficult task. He wasn't the best animal caller in the world, it was not a speciality of his really. He'd figure something out for him and his new...friend to enjoy. He was hoping that she wouldn't be offended by his magic. It was odd to say the least, but his magic was at least entertaining.

"Me? I can meditate for energy if I need it. Eating is...mostly for emergency energy...when I need to regain my power quickly." That was the truth of the matter too. If he wanted to, he could simply meditate constantly to regain any energy that he used. He shook his head as he watched Oinnanai carefully, taking in her beauty and studying her clothing. He had to admit that she was dressed quite...differently. If she wasn't a person of some importance, then he wasn't a sadist.

And he was most certainly a sadist.

Nexus wondered about this strange girl. What exactly was she? Where had she come from? He sighed as he thought about where he had come from. It had been far away, a planet whose name escaped him, who he really didn't care about actually. He had lost his leash there...he could remember watching a murder there, a young woman being stabbed by a rather intimidating fellow. However...he could remember smiling, and thinking to himself "Wow, that looks like it could be fun." He killed three people that night, along side the rather intimidating fellow...and then he killed the fellow as well.

It hadn't been out of wanting to right the wrong of the poor murdered girl either. It had been because he wanted to, because the man had annoyed him. A smile came to his face as he just thought about that moment. He had screamed so nicely too, the man had just cried out in so much pain. Nexus had figured out after killing the man that he was free. Her control over him had been broken finally. It had taken so many years, and travelling over so many realms and worlds but he had done it! He was free of Her!

He had danced a little jig when he had figured that out.

"The scar?" He reached up to his face to touch along his scar, up to his eye socket, lingering there for a moment. His hand dropped away and he sighed, sitting back down. Perhaps a little dinner could wait, he wanted her to listen to his little story.

"It was years ago, many...years ago. On my world, much like your world for that matter. I was...younger...much younger, and perhaps a little stupid. I was doing my...Divine job at that time." When he spoke, the word divine was like acid, he spit it like poison was on his very tongue. His face showed disgust as he thought about the whole thing. "My brother Rift was always stronger than me...in so many more ways. He had broken free of Her control long ago, and had been following me, taunting me. Whenever one of Her agents...that's us...we are Her 'Divine' agents as she calls us..." He shook his head, taking a deep breath as he closed both his eyes. It didn't matter, part of his curse. Nexus could see through his eyelid, which didn't help him any.

His eyes opened, one of darkness, and one of almost pure white. "My brother visited me as I was doing a job. I was sent to punish a man and his family for some very heavy transgressions. It was however an ambush...my brother waited there for me with the man and his family, he had them hanging like pigs from hooks in a butcher shop." He had been surprised, and impressed by the work. The family had lived for quite a while despite all the torture. "Rift jumped me while I was inspecting the bodies. We got into a fight, and eventually I figured out what was happening." Nexus fell silent as he thought about it, about his stupidity, about how he hadn't seen the plan as it unfolded right before him.

"Rift made a lot of mistakes in the fight, and I was so blinded by desire to best him that I never even thought about. It was too late though, and he pulled a hook from one of the bodies. Turns out the body had been strung up differently. He pinned me to the ground, sat on my chest as he held the hook close. It was razor sharp...I'll give him one thing, that he never let anything dull." Curiously, Nexus would ponder how that were possible despite his given powers. That was something to dwell on later however.

"He dragged it across my face, stuck it carefully under my eye and pulled it from my socket. He severed the magical connection it had to me, and put it in a small vial of vinegar or something rather to preserve it. Still carries it around with him. He tells me that he'll give it back once I join his side but..." Nexus gave a rueful laugh at that comment. "I'm done taking orders from people like him. I break the collar and leash of one, and he expects me to take on his?" Nexus shook his head as he looked toward the fire with a weary expression on his face. That story never got old, no matter how many times he told it.

Still, there were was new business to be at hand however.

He stood once more, turning and fixing his gaze upon the girl. "If you stay here and tend the fire, I'll go and retrieve us something to eat. We wouldn't want your strength to get low Oinnanai."

[Goldie]

She listened intently to his story, a few parts raising questions in her mind, but she refused to interrupt until he was finished. It sounded horrifying, what he went through in this story. But ultimately, she had been right. It made a good tale. After all, not many people could say that they had their eye gouged out of their head by a hook...And yet, here he sat telling it calmly, almost as if it barely phased him. Perhaps he was numb to the story by this point. That was highly possible. That injury wasn't exactly hidden and he probably go questions about it all the time. Maybe told the story again and again whenever he ran into people.

Yet...at the same time, here he was in the middle of nowhere. How many people could he actually run into? It seemed almost as if he avoided people rather than embraced company.

In fact...hadn't it be she who approached him? And, yes, she hadn't really been expecting to find anyone here...but would he have even blinked in her direction if she had decided not to stop but continue on her journey across the plains? Probably not...

So...maybe it was less of a "numb" to the story, and more a time thing. Perhaps enough time had passed that the story no longer brought back any ill memories. That, or she was simply reading into things. It just seemed odd that the story was so...factual. No excitement, nothing in his voice that denoted he even cared that this had happened to him.

Would she be that strong in a similar situation?

The real question she had, however, was his mention of "Her". He did not elaborate, but it was apparent that she had a great influence on his life...on his direction. She did not sound like a person...but a more dominate figure. It just sounded as if when he said Her it was a proper noun, not merely a pronoun. A capital H.

It was very similar to the way she spoke of the Great Mother. Oinnanai considered Her a strong, influential Goddess in the world. Did this man...did he have a Goddess whom he left? This, of course, made her job both easier and more difficult. For one thing, she wouldn't need to convince him his religion was false. Yet on the other hand, convincing him that hers was correct and he should consider rejoining a faith...that was the tricky part. She would ask him about it when he returned...

"Of course, I will tend the flames." She bowed her head in his direction, the gold circlet on her forehead glittering in the firelight. It was so plain...so simple for a priestess....but that made it dynamic. Perhaps because she didn't need all of the decorative headdresses that some of the priestess's wore simple for the fact that she was the perfect Solisi woman. Should she ever have children, they would inherit her beauty and become perfect Solisi children. She needed nothing to accentuate her body, her skin, her hair...she merely needed herself. The circlet, along with the flowing satin dress accentuated her own flawless beauty rather than create it.

"Thank you for your kindness."

Once he was away she would begin her ceremony.

[Anonymous]

He'd come to terms with his loss of an eye a long time ago. He used to wear an eye patch, but then he saw no need of it. People KNEW he was missing an eye still, and a fake eye just looked...fake. It would have been a poor substitute for something that had been really nice. Telling the story though helped he supposed. At least people regarded him in a new light when he told it. Some feared him, some were intrigued by him, some had a new level of respect for him, but the story did help him with his reputation.

And on this planet, he really didn't have a reputation, at least, not that he was aware of.

Fun times.

It was true that Her was a special person. A Goddess indeed, through and through to some degree. Gods and Goddesses of his world were a bit different than most. They had true feelings, they could be hurt to a degree, imprisoned, overpowered, and most importantly...they were fallible. That was something that he hadn't ever understood at first. The Gods were fallible. They fell in love, they were greedy, they were paranoids, they were just like people...except they could control the world in ways that he never understood. The things they could do were beyond the power of any person he had ever encountered. Oh they were Deities alright...just...they were fallible.

That was a shock to a lot of people. It was also probably why he was able to break free of Her control. She was...fallible. Her control was limited, as was all the deities he encountered. They could only operate within the bounds of their home realm, at least, as Gods...they could take the power of a greater mortal, like an incarnate, but they'd never be like themselves.

If only they were forced to take the forms of lesser creatures like mice.

"Hah hah...yeah...don't worry about it." Depending on how things played out, his kindness might disappear on her. She was really a beautiful woman, though young as she was. It meant a certain amount of inexperience, which was better for him. He'd been around for ages, literally, and it gave him a certain advantage over her. However, if he was right about her being important, she'd been taught to defend herself. She had no weapons on her, no knives hidden, no daggers, and she knew magic, so that would be the answer. Magic. Fire with fire he supposed...perhaps fire with water.

Nexus was on the look out. Night and Day to him were unknown concepts in a way. He could see in both of them the same, very well, which was not something that would go well for the creatures of the plains. He decided not to make a show of lightning and thunder, most of the creatures out flying with bats and the like. Sure, a few nocturnal avians were out but Nexus had respect for the owls that flew. So he stuck to trapping prairie dogs instead. He did manage to secure himself a few handfuls of bugs and worms, which would make for a tasty snack.

A few conjured pieces of silver rope were needed to keep onto his loot of four prairie dogs. None were adolescents, which meant there would be a good amount of meat on their bones. When he started to near the fire's light, he slowed down and waited. She couldn't know really how long he'd need to be, and he wanted to study her in the darkness a bit more.

Know your company, observe them when they don't know you're out there.

Find out everything you can so you can use it to your advantage if you need to. He was still thinking like that, which amused him in some small way. She could be, without a doubt, an enemy, or she could be nothing but a harmless girl travelling the plains. The latter wasn't as likely however. She had done well for herself, and a girl of such beauty, it wasn't something that he trusted. Something was wrong with her, something about her, something that made him edgy. He hated not knowing, he hated having to be on the edge like this, to not be in full control. There were mysterious variables in the whole thing, and they bugged him

[Goldie]

Oinnanai watched him disappear into the fading sunlight, her warm smile slowly fading from her face and was replaced by one of sheer calculation. Who was this man? The more she spoke with him the more she found that she wanted to know. It really was for no other reason than...the feeling she felt of kinship with him was slowly dissipating. She couldn't really explain why....perhaps he seemed overly fake in his kindness towards her.

But was that so strange? She too was acting in a similar fashion.

He hadn't flinched away from the flames either...should she take that as a good sign? Should she be more worried, or believe that his acceptance of flame was Her greatness filling him?

Best not worry too much about it now. He was being kind, and until he showed her any other colors, she could do nothing but accept things at face value and try to further understand him. Staring into the flames she willed to hear her mistresses voice, telling her exactly what it was she needed to do. Today, however, her words did not fill her high priestess, and she was left with a deep seated emptiness.

Sure, there were a few times when Oinnanai did not receive the guidance she wished, but it always seemed to be at the worst times. Perhaps it was the Great Mother's way to teach her children to follow their own hearts, and in this way only would they be brought closer to Her. She just wished that it had happened yesterday rather than today when she found herself seating by a man she didn't know, uneasiness slowly replacing muted excitement.

But for now she had to stop worrying. The sun was nearly behind the horizon and the evening ceremony was upon her. With a deep breath of the clean outdoor air, she closed her eyes and raised her face towards the light breeze. Standing, she traced her fingers through the air, small sparks igniting at her fingertips sending diamonds of flames through the air. Slowly she picked up the pace, the fire now following her fingers in unbroken strings through the air. It was like art, the faster the speed, the more connected and making symbols through the air, painting a story, welcoming Her warmth and light into the dark of night.

As she moved, she began to sing. First low, and then a little louder, the words in a language that only Her followers were taught. As she danced, her hair spun around her head like a crown of white flames. Her eyes reflected the light show she was producing, flashing with each passing ribbon of heat. With a final spin, the flames spun around her body, caressing her curves before disappearing into the night. Her final gesture was to kneel in the direction of the fading sun and whisper a few words of prayer as the last rays disappeared, the stars twinkling in the now night sky. Straightening, she faced the fire and clapped her hands, the flames expanding exponentially with the command of her will. Being alone, she no longer needed to worry with the appearances she had done the first time she created the fire. The night was becoming colder so she allowed a bit more heat to emit from them.

Reaching forward, she ran her hands deliberately through them, watching as the orange gold tongues licked her skin, removing her hand and watching the fire dance on her palm before extinguishing it by closing her fingers.

Now just to wait for her companion to return. She hummed softly to herself, waiting contently by the Great Mother's flame.

[Anonymous]

It was all coming together as Nexus stayed a nice distance away from her, watching her carefully. He had gotten low, with one knee in the soft grass, while the other was out of the grass, his foot planted on the ground instead. Just in case he had to get up in a hurry of course. He had no idea what was happening at this time, but he could make a few dozen guesses, and none of them seemed really favourable.

No, scratch that. Exotic fire dancer.

Double scratch that...Erotic fire dancer.

Though a small smirk crossed his face, he knew that he'd never be that lucky. No, this seemed a lot more like something sacred, and that could never be a good thing, now could it? She was a religious person then, after all, one didn't usually do this without a reason. The language she started singing was unknown to him, though it sounded...nice almost, more so coming from her. He only wished he could understand it, that he had been given the gift of many tongues, but...alas her words were nothing but pretty sounds in his ear. For some reason, this act bugged, and pacified him. It bugged him because he wasn't overly fond of religions or their followers, but it pacified him as well because he finally understood that air about her.

She was a religious follower.

Whether she was important in her religion, or just felt she was important because she was part of her religion was a whole different matter. He wouldn't ask her about it, he decided that he didn't care. She had just wanted to share his fire with him, and that was fine by him. He saw it as...a way to kill time at least. His religion had no real...fancy things to it, and his story was mostly one of being bred for the sole purpose of being a puppet. It was not a happy story to tell, and he'd probably just make something up. He did feel a slight bit of guilt however at the thought of lying to her. Then again, he felt a lot of feelings toward the young woman. Anger, guilt, lust, frustration, all just bottled up inside of him.

She had finally finished her little ceremony however, and he was thankful he hadn't situated himself in the west or the east. It obviously had something to do with the setting sun, after all, she hadn't started during the day or while the sun was still a bit over the horizon. Idly he wondered if this would be repeated in the morning.

That was a saving grace for her.

She'd stay alive, if only for him to find out what might happen in the morning.

He got up from his hiding spot and headed back to their little encampment. "I hope you like prairie dog." One of the more...interesting things would be trying to cook the damn things. They had no sticks to speak of, no way to hold their meals up while they cooked. He decided the best way to go about it was to cook them up using the string he had available. It wouldn't melt or burn, wouldn't get hot after all, and he could just hold them above the flame. It'd take a little bit of doing but he was pretty sure that he could cook them.

He did start cleaning them properly with a knife he had strapped to the side of his shin. He made sure to gut them, behead them, that sort of thing, so that it would be almost completely edible, save for the bones. The fur was also cut away from it, and he even had his back turned to her so she wouldn't see him doing this. "It's not a pretty sight, you really don't want to see this." He assured her. He'd gathered the other parts up into a small satchel, which he'd dispose of later, far away from them. Any wild animals would be more interested in the leftovers than in them.

Once they were neatly cleaned and ready, he stood by the fire, the four prairie dogs tied to one hand, around his fingers and held above the fire's flames as they began to cook. Each of them had a light sprinkling of different spices upon them, just to give them extra flavour. "I've a few wine skines with me, some of them filled with non-alcoholic beverages even if you're thirsty Oinnanai." Nexus was trying to be as kind as possible, remembering certain manners his parents had once taught him so many years ago. Trying to ensure that he didn't come off to imposing, like...She had told him. His free hand clenched unconsciously into a fist but then relaxed a moment after.

"I'll admit this, you do know how to take care of a fire."

[Goldie]

She smiled delicately when Nexus returned, a few dead things dangling from his hands. She herself had killed small game for food before and had no issue with death. In fact, it was a simple fact in life that some animals were simply not superior enough to survive. The same could be said about humans too.

After all, she had been in charge of destroying some of those horrid Drows in her life. Their blood was on her hands...if you could even call it blood. They were the filth of the earth. Really, she was doing the world a great favor by destroying their despicable lives. The opposite of all that was good and right in the world, the opposite of Her way... and in a way, anyone who opposed Her message would face the same downfall as the Drow. They were considered "in league" with the dark, horrible, slimy, vile creatures of the underground and would be shown the same courtesy.

These images rifled through her mind when he turned his back in the attempts to hide the skinning. Yes, it was a bloody process, but she had seen much worse in her short seventeen years. How old had she been the first time she had seen one of those vile creatures sacrificed to the Great Mother? Too young for her to remember....the first time it was frightening. The next, it became more and more beautiful, knowing that the world was destroying one more creature that would oppose Her will. When she was a little bit older she had led the sacrifice.

If she could do that, skinning was absolutely nothing. So, she sat watching his back with an amused smile on her face. He was being gentlemanly she guessed...but it didn't make it any less amusing.

She nodded towards him politely, "Thank you for the meal. I'm sure it will taste delicious once it's finished." She wasn't exactly a picky eater either. She had lived off of worse things, and eating a few prairie dogs wasn't going to kill her by any means. In fact, it didn't smell horrible while it was roasting over the fire. It smelled almost pleasant.

"Wine would be lovely, as well." She added with another smile, pulling herself up to her knees, "I can go and get that if you'd like. Your hands are a bit more occupied than mine at the moment." She chuckled lightly, "And yes, I have a small amount of experience with fire. I've been trained in its sacred arts since I was barely a year old." When she spoke of her training, her golden eyes seemed to take on a haughty sparkle, one that was subconscious and habitually induced for years. She truly believed that the Great Mother was the be all, end all of the world. Anyone who didn't believe it was a heathen and a blasphemer, and she would eradicate them the first moment she could.

Of course...she would always allow them ample amounts of time to figure it out and choose the correct path.

"So..Nexus." she mused, "You had mentioned in your riveting tale a "Her." She seems a bit more important that a simple pronoun. Who is She?"

[Anonymous]

He had very little knowledge of her, and would almost be aghast at the amount of deaths and sacrifices she had witnessed. At the same time however, her stuff was ceremonial and usually in the confines of an eradication war. He on the other hand...was plain sadistic in his way. His occupation as Agent of Order didn't always constitute killing someone, and he would admit that sometimes he killed people for fun. When he did kill a person for fun, it wasn't quick, it wasn't clean, it wasn't in any way ceremonial or for a just cause in his mind. It was because he wanted someone to suffer, he wanted them to hurt, to feel pain, he wanted them to scream and beg and plead. He wanted them to know that he was in control, and that their life was nothing to him.

She might even be appalled at the sheer force of hatred and what it could conceive.

He continued to skin the dead creatures, it was no doubt lucky that they had been killed or they might be squeaking in such horrible pain. He wouldn't have minded it, but at this time, he had very little idea of what she had been exposed to. It was best for him to not do anything out of the norm. She was some important person after all. Whatever she was, he hadn't quite figured out, but in time all things would be revealed he hoped.

"It should. These things were a bit fat and the spices I have usually do a good job." Had she not been here, he'd have eaten them raw, and whole. No skinning, no de-boning or gutting, just take a bite and chew. It made little difference to him after all. Once more, that probably wouldn't have been appreciated by his guest, and it wasn't like he was opposed to cooking them. After all, you had to spoil yourself once in a while didn't you?

"Don't worry about it, you'd never find them anyway." She'd note he had no backpack, but satchels and pouches on his belt. He reached down with his free hand to one of the pouches and undid it, dipping inside. It was no doubt bizarre to see his whole forearm disappear inside, him leaning sideway trying to reach down until he found whatever he was looking for. He pulled out a couple of wine skins, ones that looked a lot bigger than the small satchel at his side and tossed them at her feet. "Red wine and white wine. The little rings at the top of the pouch tell you which one...red for red wine, white for white wine." He was at least organized.

If he could glare, he probably would though. The sacred arts. She was a religious girl then, without a doubt in his mind. He even noted that she seemed smug about it. Great. Just what he needed. To hear something like that. He wouldn't let it spoil his mood though, she wasn't preaching or anything like that...but that haughty smug look of hers did annoy him. He wanted to smack it off her pretty little face.

"Who was She?" He turned to look at her carefully, eyeing her openly as he tried to figure something about her. Were these people intelligent enough to know of other realms and of other universes? Judging by how he had seen their civilization, probably not.

"That all depends on you poppet. I don't really know your level of intelligence...or your apparent religious background...so what I say could constitute full on blasphemy to you. I've met a lot of people who have thought me as nonsense and blasphemous with my background so...I wouldn't want to have this little...whatever we have going get complicated and unfriendly." That was probably the safest way to put it for the time being. He honestly didn't know how she'd react, and the biggest thing would be having her laugh at him.

That'd earn her a one way ticket to death's doorstop.

"Maybe I'll tell you after supper, which is...just about ready." He said as he lifted the prairie dogs up so he could inspect them. Yep, they were cooked through and through, no pink meat or blood left in them. Nexus carefully slid two of the loops off his fingers and held them out to the girl. "Go ahead and grab the string, it's not hot anywhere." That was a useful little thing about some of his ropes. He could make it so they didn't snap from heat, which in this particular case was lucky.

After she had taken the two from him he sat down and began to eat the prairie dogs, ripping into one of his own chunks of cooked meat while staring straight upwards. Of course, you'd never really tell where he was looking, as his noose pupil was hiding inside the socket itself. He was admiring the stars they had in the sky, they were quite lovely. Occasionally he took a swig from a wineskin he had retrieved from his magical pouch, this one had a distinctly black, white, and yellow band near the top.

"Everything good, nothing wrong with the food?" He didn't know if his earlier comment to her had offended her in any way, at the same time though, she seemed a tad understanding, so maybe she wasn't too offended.

[Goldie]

"Blasphemy..." she mused, chuckling lowly to herself as she gazed down at the base of the fire. Her golden eyes glittered with an odd sort of mischief, but only for a split second and no onlookers could really be sure it was ever there. "What is blasphemy? Surely, whatever it is your are guilty of from your home would not be blasphemy for me. Indeed, any type of heretic from another religion would simply be a step towards the Light. Should you have left Her for any reason, it would show itself as an opportunity to one such as I."

She gazed across the flames at him through her lashes, graciously accepting the food he offered. This one had caught her interests and she planned on exploiting him to his breaking point. Civility could only extend for so long, and she knew that truth fit in better with disdain and anger than forced courtesy.

The High Priestess wondered how far she could push him.

And when they reached that breaking point....?

Then what?

It was intriguing and she continued down her road. The food was really anything but a tasty meal, but she had most certainly had worse on her travels. With a swift look at the two wine skins he pulled out of his pouches, she accepted the white, taking a swig and contemplating the flavors on her tongue. It was not like any other wine she had had before. Honestly, there were much better to be had, but she would not complain. The wine served in the temples would always be superior to anything nonbelievers carried. It was definitely strange, however, the manner in which he cooked the meal. Never before had she seen these strings or whatever.

"The food is fine." replied Oinnanai in a curt manner that she had not initially intended, "However...this manner of cooking? It is strange magic, yes?"

She paused for a moment, a deviant part of her brain fighting with some semblance of reason before voicing her next comment. Looking down at the ground, she hid the smirk on her face and looked up at Nexus, her face pleasantly blank yet curious.

"Is that magic something that...She....taught you?"

[Anonymous]

She was one of THOSE people then. Now there was a little regret to letting her stay with him, but...still. She was simply ignorant, he could handle it. This was just...how these people were. Stupid was a word he could use for her no doubt. He hated some religions, just for their pure ignorance and stubborness to accept certain truths in the world. He wondered just what they did and didn't believe for that matter. He really wasn't planning to find out that much about her religion and her knowledge. Already she was starting to bug him a slight bit.

That wasn't a good thing of course.

She'd die a peasant's death if she was wanting to continue on this path.

He continued to eat his food in a bit of silence. He wasn't a really loud and disgusting eater, but he was somewhat noisy, if just for his own particular satisfaction. "Good to hear." He murmured as he continued his feast on his prepared dish. Despite looking so rough, he actually pulled a handkerchief out and wiped at his mouth as he chewed.

"Nn?" He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. He swallowed his current mouthful and shook his head. "Maybe for you, but it's pretty normal at this point." It was only strange if you didn't have a sort of imagination. Granted, he was cursed to have his magic manifest like this. He didn't have any particular choice in the matter. He had to create a rope, or string, thread, wire, ribbon, yarn, anything along those lines to use magic. His favourite of course was a bull whip, but that was neither here nor there at this time.

He didn't believe her curious look on her face. It was too...perfect. She was good at hiding herself, he could tell that. She hadn't been surprised, she hadn't been shocked by some of his...actions or words...instead, she had just stared, cold and calculating. Oh no, she was not going to get away looking like that. He knew...oh how he knew.

"Learned it myself. It was a bit of a surprise. I wanted a man to suffer, so I raised my hand and just...all my hatred manifest in my hands, and this large thick piece of blue rope began to drip from my hand. It felt...cold and watery...so I shoved it in his mouth. I kept feeding the rope into his mouth, and eventually he drowned on it. All I had to do after that was pull it from his mouth and all water in his body came with it. He looked like a human raisin after ward." Nexus gave a chortle as he thought about it. It had been rather amusing for Nexus really, but it wouldn't have been for him. "However, it was Her that told me my magic would only manifest in a particular form." He took the end of that particular answer to take a long drink from his wine skin, draining it of all the liquid content before replacing it in the satchel at his side.

She was interested, but he wasn't sure about what however. There was something that was bothering him, something about her that just...she was like a peach, gorgeous on the outside, ripe and sweet, but on the inside she had a worm. This would be interesting to see where this all went, if she got really annoying he'd just bash her teeth in and slice her tongue out.

It'd get her to shut up after all.

[Goldie]

Oinnanai hid a grin from behind one pale, perfect hand. Her golden eyes glittered in the firelight; the first time she had let her demeanor slip in his presence. Something about the way he described killing...it should have sent chills down her spin but instead it just raised the stakes of this dangerous game. He was not afraid to kill, in fact, he seemed to be drawn to killing. He hadn't been caught in a fight and accidentally killed a man, he had gone into it wanting that man to suffer...

It was thrilling.

Like she had stepped up to the end of a cliff and was looking down at the ground hundreds of feet below. Some people might be scared, but she was intrigued and wanted to see if the cliff-side would crumble. If it were to fall, she would simply spout wings and watch as the rocks became rubble as they struck the earth below.

Well, not really sprout wings, but she had her own share of hidden abilities that this man could not know of. Yes, she could control fire, but the ceremonial way in which she enhanced the fire before was merely that: ceremonial. She didn't need to use the flare and showmanship that she demonstrated. The amulet that hung around her neck did more than just sparkle in the firelight as well, and she would use it if she needed. This Nexus would not get the upper hand in a fight, even should he pull that string out of his fingertips and shoot ice daggers from his eyes.

He did not know the full power of Her servants.

At least not yet.

"Hmm...." She mused when his story finished, different directions in which she could take this conversation racing through her head. "It sounds like this man truly wronged you. Perhaps it is your goal to find Her and do the same thing?" She took a dainty sip of the wineskin she held on her end, the liquid sending warmth through her throat and to the tips of her fingers. She was careful, however. It would not do to become dumb with drink and then remain at his mercy. High Priestess or not, she was a small woman and did not stand above the effects of alcohol. "Is that what brings you out to this plain? The hopes of finding her and shoving your...string...." Her eyes danced, completely aware of the dangerous path she was on, "Into her again, and again...?"

[Anonymous]

Oh if only she had known that his entire life, the very existence that was Nexus...was to kill. He was born into the world with a Goddess looking over him, teaching him and guiding him to become an instrument of pain and suffering those who weren't just and good. He had been made into the most diabolical device for killing his fellow man that was possible. She had done this with several people, and all she had to do was point and turn them loose.

She had been foolish, and let them stray too far.

The girl didn't seem at all...scared by his story, and he knew something was wrong with that. While at the same time, he wasn't really sure that he cared. She should have been disgusted, and yet...she almost seemed...intrigued. He guessed that she wasn't all that she said she was either, and that she was really something that he'd have to be careful about. She had fight in her no doubt. Why that mattered, he didn't know at this time.

"I can't even really remember what he did. I think he had insulted my hat." To a Savaros, a hat was an almost sacred thing. None of his brothers knew why, and his Goddess wasn't going to share it with them. The hats didn't hold any power, they didn't do anything special, but the Savaros loved to wear a hat...and they'd never figure out why. When she spoke again to him, it made him laugh outright. In fact the laughter was almost insulting as he did it, as if the thing she had said had been what you'd hear from a child that didn't no any better. Which she sort of was.

"Ah...ah thank you...I haven't laughed like that in a while." Nexus made a show of wiping tears at the side of his eyes from laughing so hard. "First, you can't kill a Goddess, believe me I attacked her once. Let me tell you something girlie, when your consciousness is still intact while every speck of your body suddenly gets torn apart...you feel it. She made sure to let me know that this wasn't a game, and she wasn't lying...but that is besides the point. She isn't here on your world. She's back in a different realm, no doubt stewing over the fact that her faithful flock has left her." Nexus let out a bitter laugh as he lifted the wine skin to his mouth and began to drink until it was completely empty.

"That's what pisses me off...can't sleep, can't get drunk, can't do drugs to forget...it's a slippery slope, never being able to forget, even for just a few hours about your shit-storm of a life." He growled as he put the wineskin away in the small bag attached to his hip. At least he had the portable hole.

"So what's your angle anyway poppet? You seem to have taken a great interest in me and my story." The way she spoke, the way she acted, it wasn't right of a priestess...at least not a priestess that he would have really liked to be around. A peach with a worm in it, a worm that you knew was there. The peach was delicious looking enough, but the inside...you just knew there was something bad.

Nexus however...could eat anything.

He wondered if she'd ever have been subjected to rape before. He didn't much care for raping priestesses, they never really cried, just shouted curses that God would strike him down or some other nonsense. It wasn't as satisfying. He still went through with it of course, and he did often torture them afterwards for several hours but it never had the same release as raping a peasant or a noble.

Pity that.

[Goldie]

"My angle?" she asked, a single perfect eyebrow shooting towards her hairline. A small grin remained on her rose colored lips and she adjusted her seated position to raise one knee and rest her elbow on it to support her head as she gazed at him sideways. Golden eyes, the pools of their depths were like little suns planted specifically into her face to speak the words of the Great Mother, without her actually speaking.

"I think you misunderstand." Her smile widened and her face returned to a pleasant smile, "I do not have an angle merely a perspective. It is entirely up to you whether or not my perspective turns into an angle. But you see, I find that it's far too early to jump to hasty conclusions, don't you think?" She took a swig of the white wine he had passed her, enjoying the tingling sensations it sent through her limbs. Not a drunk feeling, nor even tipsy, simply...enjoyable. Her eyes remained uncannily focused upon his face, taking in everything from his missing features to the ones that still remained. Gazing at him she realized that his face was like an oxymoron. One side of his face was the sun, a bright eye shining out in the darkness, the other a black hole.

She determined, from this observation, that he was capable of both great, and terrible things. A personality forever split because of what was taken from him.

Or given, depending on how one viewed his situation.

"And that must have been a terribly important hat, to react so violently." she sat down the wineskin and then rested her head on her hand again, continuing to stare at him without shame, without any awkwardness exuding from her. At least, she didn't feel awkward, but perhaps her staring unnerved him.

She could only hope.

"Now." she added with a dramatic sigh and switching her position into indian style and resting her hands elegantly in her lap. "You have been so kind as to provide me with a lovely story about you life, so I feel it is only fair I do the same. You see, I feel it is important to be on equal footing. Now...hmmmm" she pressed a perfect finger onto her perfect lips, parting it slightly as she thought and held that pose, purposefully appearing slightly seductive and slightly air-headed.

The more that people continued to look at her, the more it became obvious that something was not quite right about her. And not simply the fact that she did not find his past, bloody history surprising, nor disgusting in any way, but just her appearance. When she held still she looked like a doll, an intricately designed doll that seemed to, somehow, gain life and parade around making others feel horrible about their own plain bodies.

"Ah!" her finger left her lip to point in the air, the spell her stillness wove broken with movement, "Just the story. You see, I too have quite a bloody past. Although, I don't suppose I can even, honestly, say that these creatures deserve to have blood to be shed. The first time I saw death, I held the knife and bathed in its blood. I am, after all, the High Priestess of the Lumenari and it is my duty to lead the example." She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, "I can remember like it was yesterday....his pitiful cries as we dragged him through the sunlight, dark skin becoming crusted and cracking...tying him to the alter before raising the knife..." her eyes remained closed and her hands made movements as if raising a knife clenched in both hands. She was lost in a euphoric memory. A bloody, euphoric memory.

"The sound of the blade slicing through his skin...it made him scream. Goddess yes, and I could feel Her work being done by my hands. That creature was not fit to walk the earth, neither on it nor under it. He squirmed....oh he squirmed...until my blade penetrated his heart and he shuddered and died."

Opening her eyes, she blinked as if waking from a dream and dropped her hands back onto her lap.

"I believe that makes us even, Nexus, no?" she asked, milking his name as if it were candy on her tongue.

"Now." she leaned forward, sweet smile back on her lips. Now it seemed almost creepy, the change in her persona after such a detailed, loving description of death. "Where were we? Something about an angle? Ah, yes...well...I might pose the same question to you. After all, for all I know this wine I'm drinking," she took another swig, "Is poisoned and in a few minutes I'll become paralyzed and you'll have your way with me." the grin on her cheeks widened and provided proof that the idea did not scare her in the least.

"Or perhaps," she leaned closer to the fire which seemed to reach towards her face with a loving caress, "You'll just use one of those strings and wrap it around my pale neck."

[Anonymous]

"Oh do I?" She was small, she was insignificant and she had no idea did she? Her look however said otherwise, her look said different, that she was important in some way, important in her mind. He liked that, because she thought it to be true, but the future would forget her, save for if she was 'important' in her organization. Then she might be remembered, but she would still be dead. That was the important thing, he may not be remembered in books and in tall tales of song, but he would not be dead. He could live on, and honestly, reading about your deeds or having people sing about you while they thought you were dead was quite...disconcerting.

Her stare wasn't so bad, he sort of liked her particular attention to him. Though he found it oddly discomforting for the mere fact that she seemed like a predator watching him, and he found that slightly scary. She was watching him, like he were a sheep. He himself was a predator just as she was, and yet she seemed to have the upper hand...almost.

"It's been with me for more years that you've seen." He reached up and took his fedora off, scuffing off a bit of dirt and dust with his sleeve before he placed it back on his head. The fedora, the leather jacket, the eyes, they were his signature. Well, so was his magical style, but really, it was the outfit that gave him the most he believed. People knew him by his magical style, at least on his planet. They'd probably have forgotten about him for now, he had disappeared many years ago. No matter though, he didn't want them to remember him, more so his Goddess. Nexus was very happy to be forgotten by them. This was his new world, his new life, his new world, and he was comfortable with it really.

Nexus gave a slight smile as he slowly leaned back, putting one hand on the ground and relaxing, watching her carefully. Here it was then, she'd finally tell him everything he wanted to know, everything about her. It would give him the proper insight into her life, proper insight into her capacity and her ability. He had wanted to know just what the hell she was, just what he should be careful of. Nexus desired to know his opponent, their capacity for harm against him and how they might be able to do such. Was she trained in some martial art, some weapon, he already knew she had magic capacity, no doubt she was more improved than she let on to believe, but the question was...what else could she do? What else should he look out for? While he couldn't spot any weapons on her, she could be like him and have a way to create a weapon, a great flaming sword perhaps, or a javelin of intense heat and energy.

The possibilities were endless at this point.

His eyes looked away from her, to his free hand which did not support him. He created a small red thread with a heavy coil at the end to weight it down...then he began to twitch his finger to bounce it up and down. He was paying attention to her yes, but he wanted to seem like he was bored already by the prospect of her story. It was an act, to show that he had some strength, some power that she didn't know. He didn't know what the Lumenari was, but he knew what a High Priestess was, and it spelt some trouble. She was in one of those religions. Like his own actually, and it sparked his interest in a way which was surprising. He missed the life to a degree, but he hated it because of the restrictions, because of the hypocrisy and the decadence that came with it. He hated how he was a monster, created for a sole purpose...he hated...

He hated how he was never asked.

No one asked him what he wanted, he had just been forced into it, using animal instinct and basic wants and desires to do what he was told.

Nexus listened to the little story, his eye flashing up to look at her as she did the knife movement, recreating how she butchered a helpless man. That he always found sad, they never gave the sacrifices a chance, never let them fight and sacrifice the priest. They were so willing to take the lives of others, to take the gold of others, but never willing to give their own, never willing to go under the knife.

It sickened him.

"I suppose it would." He said as his eye flickered back to looking at the little thread that sprouted from the end of his fingertip. Was he enjoying himself with this? Perhaps just a tiny bit yes. How could he not? This was all a bit of a game really, to see who was stronger of mind. She might win, he was easy to anger, while she seemed able to hold herself in check. She however did not understand the anger, the rage, the power that could coarse through him and fill him, giving him the strength to overcome. A blinding rage was actually helpful sometimes, and if he needed to ignore pain and scathing comments, it could help him.

Slowly, Nexus stood up, dismissing the string of power from his finger with a small flick of it toward the fire. The string shot into the fire and caused it to burn higher, trying to reach at her face which was perhaps a tad too close. He turned away from her, and his shoulders began to shake as he laughed. It was a deep laugh, a very mocking sort of laugh as he kept his back to her. She was just a conceited little creature wasn't she? It was adorable. He bent slightly, his hands on his thighs as he laughed more. Slowly though, the laughter was silenced and he turned around to face her.

"If I wanted to fuck you, I would. I would have pushed your face into the dirt and sodomized you when we first met. I don't need poisons or ropes to 'have my way with you' Oin." Nexus told her as he focused his eye on her, a rather terrible smirk playing on his face. It was an insult, to think he needed such an underhanded tactic such as poison to have sex with her. Threads perhaps, but choking her with them? It wasn't often his style. If the person really deserved it, he would choke them with his own two hands...but sometimes he would hang them with rope or thread. She however, didn't seem to be intimidated by the threat, she seemed almost...intrigued. Oh the things he wanted to do, the things he could do, raping her was one of the 'best' things he could do to her. It was true too, and it was one of the least debauched things that he could make her live out on these plains. There were many other pleasures, or pains in her case no doubt, that he could let her experience.

Ironically, a lot of things involved heat and fire.

"But you act like you're unafraid of the prospect, that the idea of anything happening to you is laughable. I find it...interesting." Slowly Nexus raised a finger upward and dragged his finger through the air. A strange small piece of white thread was trailing behind it. He did this a few more times until he created a wispy sort of N out of the threads, which were pulled by the wind. "Funny thing about fire, it's just a reaction, it creates a lot of things, lots of people like the heat, heat's good...but they don't always realize the light aspect. That's the good part really. Light is great, some may say the darkness is better, but oh no...the light has quite a lot of uses. This is a neat little trick I picked up back when I was young, you'll appreciate this one for sure. " His eyes rolled back into his skull as he continue to trace the N with his finger, moving it back and forth slowly. The light weight of the white thread was enough to keep it afloat, which he continued to do over and over again.

"And it's...fun." He snapped his finger, which caused the thread floating in front of him to explode with bright light white, the fire in front of Oin doing the exact same thing, suddenly bursting to a full bright white like a flash of lightning, before it completely disappeared, leaving nothing but a pit of ash and smoke, the embers and coals having gone out in the sudden burst, no longer having any fuel to burn.

Nexus on the other hand, was already on the move. He was going to grab her, force her to the ground, and show her that he didn't need to wrap a rope around her neck. oh no, he could use his fingers. He just had to pull his eye to look forward once more, he had made the flash perhaps a tad bright, he wasn't sure how protected she might be to it, and even him with his special eye could have ended up blinded. That would have been horrible, no amount of talking would have saved him there.

His only question was whether or not he should paralyse her and have his way with her first, or after.

[Goldie]

She watched him laugh with amusement and felt her smile falter for a moment before it dawned on her that she had finally reached his breaking point. In a way, she had won the game and now waited for his counter attack. Or whatever it was he would try to do. His words proved he was beyond confident in his own abilities and that merely upped the stakes. He laughed, and she calculated, watching the each muscle in his body in an attempt to predict his movements.

Oinnanai did not stand, but it was her time to grin, no longer looking sweet but looking manipulative, cocky, and full of confidence.

She spread her arms and said, "Oh you wouldn't have to do that. If you want to fuck me, who's to say I would struggle. Even women need to fulfill their own lusts. Maybe I am simply waiting for you to come and ravage me, slam into me, take your pick." her grin widened, very conscious about how her clothing left very little to imagination. The smooth silk clung to each curve and a gold cord tied under her breasts emphasized her assets. After all, if he wanted her, who was she to deny him his human longings? And it would, quite possibly, be one of the last things he ever did. The energy emitted from a passionate coupling was like a drug, and it strengthened her. Sex was like lighting a candle, sparking a light, and She was there within. Her servants were strengthened by all acts that were done in Her name.

"Oh, I'm not worried." Oinnanai smiled thoughtfully, "No no, not in the least. You see, people tend to underestimate me." she did, however watch the N that wavered in the air curiously, always keeping one eye on Nexus for his attack; for surely that was what he was reving up to do.

He mentioned light and before she could even respond, it happened.

His attack was light.

A cackle escaped her lips as she threw her head back and laughed, opening her arms to the light that surrounded her. Foolish. Goddess this man was foolish.

The light was neither blinding, nor was it dangerous and she welcomed it in a loving caress, standing she beckoned the light, allowing it to penetrate each and every perfect pore on her perfect porcelain body. While the fire dissipated in his magic, there was still a light that shined brightly in the night. At first glance it looked like the light had consumed Oinnanai until her laughter became clearer and clearer until it was a peal of crystal, and the light formed around her and slowly absorbed into her skin, making her glow in ethereal luminosity.

Her eyes were like bright suns beneath the burning white light of her body, and her hands were surrounded by orange flames that licked her fingers and began stretching its way up her body until the white light dissipated to a soft glow in her perfectly white skin, and the fire encompassed her body. The silk dress turned quickly to ash and the beautiful, glowing High Priestess stood before Nexus, skin crawling in flames. The only article of clothing that remained was an amulet that hung around her neck, glowing with its own inner flame.

And she laughed.

"Foolish, Nexus." her voice had taken on a deeper echo that made it sound as if multiple people were talking through her at once. "Light is My domain, light is My Servant's power."

A flame whip formed out of the fire that clung to her body and it seemed to move with a life of its own. In the other hand, Oinnanai held out her palm and the same blinding light he had created began growing there like a black hole. The stars began to blink and disappear, their light filling the circular shield of light.

"Let us play."

With a swift, lithe movement the whip lashed out towards Nexus, the flames itching to gouge out his only good eye. She had not been made High Priestess for nothing.