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Common Misconceptions (M)

Started by RedOptics, February 03, 2017, 06:37:38 PM

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RedOptics

Killed, kidnapped, then rebelled. That's quite the life. Keona had to admit, she was glad that her life wasn't as hellish as his. There was a twinge of happiness knowing that he was able to escape, knowing that he was trying to live a better life. Looking down, she sighed, before suddenly hugging him from her spot. How had he stayed strong enough to survive all of it? It was impressive, but Keo found herself over-sympathizing for him, probably because she never had the chance to do that for anyone but herself.

"Sorry..." She murmured upon pulling away, not making eye contact with him and only staring at the fire, "I've never felt such emotion much before... no one really cared when I was feeling down, they only stroked my hair and told me 'the feeling will pass'." The half-native explained, sniffling before petting the now awake feline. Outside the moon had already risen, and a cold breeze brushed through the windows, making her shiver.

Keo got up and took the stick out from the shutter, letting it slam closed and latched the door shut. Safety precautions were always in order, just in case for her. If she sleep walked, who knows what she could do. Can't make fire while dormant... She reminded herself with a deep breath.

Wrathwyrm

He honestly wasn't sure what to expect.  This was the first time anybody asked and the first time he'd ever told the story.  He thought she'd take it like a fairy tale, oor shrink away because it was basically horrifying.  In no way did he ever expect Keona to hug him.  Maybe because he'd wrapped it up with the little hopeful element that because he was here and in one piece that reacted this way.  He didn't know.  The one thing he did know was that it felt good having someone like her do that.  It was surprising...and warm, and not just because she was a fire elemental.  Keona was a warm and caring person.  He shook his head at her apology.

"You're a good person, Keona.  You're heart's in the right place.  If you be who you are, I'm sure you'll be alright."

Because while their lives had, in some way, been turned against them, they were better than those circumstances.  Once Travis came out of his hellish trauma, he made his decision without regret and now he was enjoying himself.  He was sure that Keona could make it in a place where people don't even harm her.  They sounded a bit indifferent to her, though, according to her.  He hadn't seen any sign of that, but then he was still new here.  What'd he know?  Once she'd closed the shutter and such, Travis decided it was time to broach the subject.  He stood up now, giving her a calm look.

"So, I've told you about my life.  Will you tell me about yours?"

Knowing that he understood her uniqueness among the Yoreiqi people, Keona shouldn't have any worries in telling him, right?  He'd been through a great many things...  Who better to listen to her tale?

RedOptics

Keona hesitated when she took the lasy stick from the window when he placed his statment. She gripped the stick before setting it down and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm not like the others... obviously. Just look at these surroundings. Green everywhere. I could set it all on fire if I wished.... But that's why I fear myself. When I was little, the way I discovered my power was by hurting someone on accident." She turned to face him, eyes locked onto the ground, "The Shamans knew of my power before birth but never told me. I was scared. That day was the day I vowed to never use my abilities in public..

"It wasn't long before I realized I couldn't do much either way. I couldn't go swimming, hunting, or even cook without somehow burning the meal. I eat charred meat, I can only swim in the hot springs on the volcano, and the animals will smell me three miles away before I can kill them." Keona lookied into the coals that now held a warm glow. Her face didn't hild much emotion towards the subject, but because it had been so long she didn't much care for it any more, "It wasn't until I became a woman that they figured out my use. Visiting the volcano was easy. So why not? It's my job now."

There was a twinge of happiness for the little use she had. Maybe in the future she'll mean more to someone.

Wrathwyrm

It was hard to tell which kind of life could give you the most grief: Starting with nothing and having to work your way up, or having what you have...but it being ruined by a constant problem.  In Keona's case, her day-to-day life was problematic because - after already feeling guilty that she could hurt people with her power - virtually everything she did could be marred by accidentally burning.  As a fire elemental, water must be a weakness to her, so that was a problem.  The animals smelled smoke and immediately balk at that, so hunting was out.  And cooking...  Well, that would just take practice.

Thing is, though, it looked like her main problem was that nobody knew how to help her.  So, while she could deal with the volcano or whatever it is they asked her to do there, Travis figured he could do something for her while she was here.  True, she wasn't in the same boat as him and his magic was different, but magic was all the same underneath its effects.  You're doing something with your will and energy to call upon the power.  Keona was having trouble with that, but he could manage himself quite well.  Travis approached the girl and put his hands on her shoulders with a clever smile.

"What would you say to my helping you work out some of those problems?  I'll bet that I can give you a much better handle over your power, if nothing else."

RedOptics

There was a moment of silence before the weight on her shoulders arrived. Looking up into his eye, she saw something she hadn't seen in so long. The will to help her.

"You'd really do that?" Her voice was small. He'd feel her skin warm immensly, to the point sizzling of natural oils could be heard. Ira stood and sat at their feet, his watchful gaze settling on the two before heading over to his small little hut to sleep in. The woman was genuinly happy now, and hugged him again, but more full- heartedly than before and tightly. Her heat was intense but his clothing would surely protect him from her burning skin.

"Thank you!" She repeated as if sobbing. Joy felt good, and she hoped that she would continue to feel it in the future. Not knowing how long she stayed there, she pulled back quickly and cleared her throat, "The moon is high, you should get some rest."

Wrathwyrm

"Oh yeah."

He spoke that confirmation with a grin.  This'd be fun.  He wasn't just gonna help this girl, he was gonna enjoy doing it.  It'd be like an adventure, as he got to see more of this island and what it was like.  Fun in the sun, like he said.  As for the heat coming off of her...clothing aside, he wasn't going to feel it like a normal person would.  Even if he hadn't been more durable than a human, he got power from pain, and as such was able to still do things while under extreme agony.  This was nothing.  In fact, Keona might be surprised to find him hugging her back when she did hers.  He let her go when she pulled away, though.  It was actually getting late now, and she suggested they sleep on it.

"Alright.  It's your house, your rules, but wake me up when you do, so we can get a decent start of it."

RedOptics

Nodding, Keona gave him a blanket to use while he slept, but she when afterwards to check on her cat to see if he was sleeping. He wasn't of course, not until she would at leasr. Instead he rubbed his head under her chin while purring, as if saying goodnight before she removed her robe and tosed it aside onto a branch. She then grabbed a large pillow, almost her height and settled down closer to the firepit. It was warm and cozy here, exempt from the cold moonlight and darker around the edges. Keo hugged the pillow as if it were a teddy bear, making herself comfy before tucking her wings closer to herself to hold the warmth.

Most nights she would be alone, but the feeling of someone being in the same room as her was slightly worrying. She knew she was dormant in her sleep, and vulnerable, but surely he wouldn't try anything violent. Her eyes slowly hovered closed, and her skin's heat faded into a colder temperature than a normal person's. Only her insides were kept toasty in her sleep, never will her abilities show in this state no matter how bad the nightmare is.

Wrathwyrm

Travis accepted the blanket and made to sleep, even though he'd been in a light doze earlier in the day.  Well, it was one of those sleeps that was semi-aware of the world, before, ones where you think you're doing waking things, when you're actually sleeping and doing not a damn thing.  You know those dreams.  They're the ones that make you question reality because you're vividly getting up, having your breakfast, and so on.  In this case, however, Travis went to sleep and dreamt the dream he kept on dreaming all the time.

He dreamt of the greatest battle of his life, the fight to end all fights.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The main thing to remember, of course, was that the Lord of Pain was a creature of tortured flesh who had no threadhold to reach at all.  No matter how badly you hurt him, he was conscious and fully aware and willful to strike back.  Lord Revenant was an abomination, a creature who became worse and worse, the more harm you do it it.  On the first strike, the armored-and-horned demon knight had split him in half, causing the two parts of him to burst with muscle and sinew-covered limbs and eyes and claws.  On the next few strikes, the red-brown flesh had torn and grown and created terrifying mouths that were large enough to eat him.  He was already twelve times his own size by then and growing larger.  Soon, the room wouldn't be able to accommodate them.

"YOU WILL REGRET YOUR REBELLIOUSNESS FOR ALL TIME!!!"

"Well, before that, I'm gonna really enjoy carving you up into bits!  Little tiny bits!  ALL THE BITS!!"


They're both mad, out of their gourd, merry-go-round crazy.  Revenant's consumed by rage and Travis' decided that crazy is the best way to confuse him as he goes.  The thing to remember, though, was that Revenant was ungainly, not quick.  He worked in inevitability because he was immortal and ever-growing.  He made his opponents despair.  Travis...cut and blasted and pounded and splintered him until the old demon actually WAS bits that could not immediately stand up and attack, basically finding an area where Revenant was temporarily useless, and then called it a day, or week, or whatever...and left.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fight was actually hours-to-DAYS long, so really Travis' dream was the highlights of the venture.  It was the quest of a nothing-to-lose guy looking for a better life, and then getting one.  Pleasant dreams, in his case, even though it was choking with violence.  So, what will tomorrow bring?

RedOptics

The morning came at last, shining through the nooks and crannies in the hut, and a single beam hitting Keona in the eyes. She moaned softly, turning over so that her back was exposed to it. Her dreams were nothing but a fiery blaze, always crackling and popping in her mind as if she was the fire herself. Soon she opened her golden eyes, taking a breath to move and stretch like a feline would by sticking her rump in the air and pressing her arms out. Her wings stretched themselves as well, nearly reaching opposing walls at their fullest length.

Taking a moment to gather herself, she stood on all fours before rearing up to stretch in another direction and hearing her back satisfyingly pop. Running her fingers through her messy hair, she rubbed her neck and stood, turning to look down at Travis, she tilted her head. Something about someone sleeping quite peacefully in her presence set off a feeling of appreciation before she kneeled down over his head and poked his cheek.

"Hey, Travis, time to get up." Her hair spilled over her shoulders, and toned arms before she poked him again, urging him this time with a slight smile.

Wrathwyrm

Travis DID sleep rather peacefully.  The truth is, he didn't even need to breathe, but did so out of natural instinct.  By this respect, he could also hold his breath indefinitely, as well, though why he would want to do that is unknown at this time.  Still, at least he didn't snore.  When Keona poked him in the cheek, he had still been in dreamland, so the immediate response was...

"All the...bits..."

By the second poke, some awareness began to return to his being.  He opened his eyes eye, his right hand naturally going to his face to check on his other eye when - of course - he remembered he didn't have one.  It makes one wonder just what happened to it, just a little.  He looked up at Keona's face and couldn't help but take in the view.

"I'll take this over a sunset, any day."

She may not have been like anyone else on he island, but the juxtaposition of her light skin with her dark hair and tattooing, along with those burning eyes, was a winning combination.

RedOptics

Unsure by what he fully meant, she hovered there for a moment with a smile before pushing herself up. Ira was already awake and about, having caught a mouse and began to chow down.

"I want to show you something today," Keona said, finding a necklace made of bright red beads and yellowed, sharp teeth. Barbaric, but definitely the style. There didn't seem to be a particular nervousness when it came to her in the mornings, she just preferred to get things moving along. Taking a brush, she combed it through her hair then her feathers, grooming the black and red masses. There was a metal sheet that acted as a mirror jabbed into the wood of the hut, keeping it clean was one of the priorities.

Next, she galloped outside into the next room, grabbing bananas and orange as well as a few apples and bounced back in before purring simething in her native tongue. She set down the bowl on a makshift self from the tree trunk near Travis, taking what looked like a coconut before expertly shredding its shell to break it.

Wrathwyrm

Apart from the pleasant face of his host, Travis would wake up to find the young tiger munching on a mouse, looking for all the world as though he were about as chill about things as he was.  He sat up, smirking at this as Keona mentioned something she wanted him to see.

"Oh?"

He got all the way up and we would now see the Travis McNaire morning routine: Yawn, stretch the arms and the spine along with the wings, Pop the joints and the neck, muss the hair and smoothe it back, scratch the odd itch, and assume the relaxed posture, ready to go about the day.  The first challenge?  Oranges.

There's nothing wrong with oranges, overall.  They taste good and they're good for you.  Granted, Travis had no idea if the benefitted him at all, but he could still taste.  They'd left him with all of his senses down in the demon world so that he could know what it was to be deprived, year after ungodly year.  Not important.  Here's what is: Oranges were a bitch to open.  Not as much as other fruits.  For instance, if that was really a coconut Keona had opened, then she was a total expert.  Travis, on the other hand, elected a different approach.

Sitting down at the stump-like table, he produced a chef knife of shadowsteel - and by produced, we mean it just appeared in his hand with only a slight black glow preceding its sudden existence - and then simply cut the round fruit in half.  Its defenses properly pierced, removing the skin and peeling off segments was basically a snap.  The knife remained in case he needed it again.  The pellet from yesterday was gone by now.  Can't have anybody slipping on that.  Still, he had to wonder just what Keona had in mind before they got down to work.

RedOptics

Raising her arm and head to drink the last of the milk, whatever missed her mouth would sizzle and burn right off. Keona watched him carefully after he created the knife, as if seeing the weapon put her on edge. Without thinking about it, she used a sharp stone sliver to scrape the guts from the nut, gathering it before putting it into her mouth to chew. Once finished, she'd throw the waste into the firepit after lighting it, and almost immediately it turned straight into hot ash. Staring for a moment, she turned her gaze back to Travis before standing and greeting Ira.

The place she had in mind was the best sunspot on this island. Trees didn't seem to grow there, and a vent had caused the watering hole to heat up immensly. It was the only relaxing place on this island for her, other than the Volcano. Water couldn't snuff her flame, neither could magma, but it all depended on temperature.

"Travis, what's it like on the mainlands...?" Keona asked out of the blue, not looking back to meet his gaze as she fussed over patting down the cat's fur. He finished his mouse and jumped onto her shoulder, and Keo was careful that her heat wouldn't hurt him.

She had always dreamed of going to the mainlands, to see the people and learn their ways. Yoreiqi was odd, or so she heard, according to most people who visit. Oh well.

Wrathwyrm

Travis had been attacking a banana as she asked them that.  He wondered...

"The mainland is huge.  It has several different countries, each one with its own way of doing things.  I'm actually still working on exploring it all.  I didn't exactly know much as a kid, and I've only been back in the world a while.  Even still, I've been around some of it."

Noticing how she had disposed of the fruit skins, he copied her act of tossing it in the fire before continuing.

"It's kinda' because I was trying to figure out where I came from, originally.  I think it was Serendipity, but I can't be too sure.  Serenian people have lighter skin like me, and magic is openly accepted in society.  Well...not like the kind used on me.  That was terrible.  But you'll have wizards and mages and sages, here and there, unlike Connlaoth, which really hates magic.  Not sure you'd like it there.  People invent all kinds of new things - new tools and stuff - at Connlaoth, but it's because they're afraid magic users are gonna do wreck everything.  They've even got Mordecai, people who just stop magic from working."

Well, most magic.  Apparently, he was unaffected by the normal ones, or mostly so.  Demons worked on their own principals, maybe, or something like that.

"Now, the first two places have got reasonable amounts of grassland, woods, and mountains, but Adela is more forest than you can imagine, and their soldiers - uhh, warriors - ride dragons.  Big winged scaley lizards, if you've never seen one before.  They're a part of what protects Adela, and they breathe fire at will."

He was making special mention of the magic on the mainland and things like fire-breathing dragons to show that her own fire power wouldn't be as uncommon or shocking as you might believe.  Well...he wasn't going to hide the truth about Connlaoth.  I mean, be reasonable.  She deserved to know.

"And one other place I've been is Essyrn.  The country itself is small, only slightly larger than a city - And I know you've never seen a city, but they can get bigger and more complex than your village, by far - and the whole place is surrounded by a dry land of nothing but hot sands for miles.  And north of it, there's even a place that is covered in glass.  ...have you ever seen glass, Keona?"

He had to wonder just what she'd ever seen from visitors to those parts.  Explaining the world she's never seen might be problematic if she had no reference points.

RedOptics

Stretching then curling himself into her arms, Ira made himself comfy as she shifted before turning to face the man. Keona listened with great interest, her expression brightening with every word he said.

"I know what glass is. When the Volcano erupted two years ago I remember being sent to scout the damage since they knew it wouldn't affect me. The beaches were turned into glass and stayed that way for a while until the ocean flooded them yet again." She explained, pacing around and looki at the ground as if trying to remember, "The mainlands sound amazing. I wish I could go there..."

Stopping with her back facing Travis, she suddenly turned with a pleading look, "Could you...- nevermind," Keona shook her head, "We should get going." Setting down her companion then unlatching the door, she waited for her guest to be ready and follow.

Wrathwyrm

He kept forgetting that Keona regularly visited a volcano, and that all the heat in the thing could have all the effects of other areas of extreme heat.  Funnily enough, he'd never been able to find anyone to tell him how the Seraj Isa was formed.  Most people just shrugged and said 'It's always been that way.', while others might have some kind of legend that was basically unable to be determined.  Still, he could see that the girl was interested.  She even...  He could tell that she wanted to see, but...there was a problem, of course.  The water.  If that was the reason she said nevermind, he could understand.  Still...it might be nice, showing her the world.

"Yeah, I guess we should go."

Double-meaing statement, right there.  He'd address this perhaps after they'd come to the place she wanted to show him.  At a guess, they might only be able to enjoy it in the morning sun, and time was a'wasting.  There was still so much to do.  Travis gestured her to lead on, now.

RedOptics

having grabbed something on the way out, Keona quickly tied a silk criss-cross over her chest, then crouched on the edge of the deck. She pushed herself off and opened her black wings, pressing higher and higher over the canopy.

The birds came out of the green in flocks of five or more, creating a cascading iridscent of colour. Below them, the glimpse of larger colourful wings from gatherers and hunters peeked from below as their shadows casted over. The flight wasn't fast, but it wasn't entirely slow eiher. Keona wanted Travis to see her world the way she did every day.

Ahead was the Volcano, still a long ways away, but the volcanic strands reached out much closer. They would reach a waterfall, and then various small watering holes that expelled heat.

Her face visibly lightened up, and it wasn't long before she dove down at an angle to a short waterfall. She hovered there for a moment, looking down at her own little perfect paradise. The water was blue and indigo, with a hole that led to seemingly the abyss as it collected the already heated water from the fall. Around the are was sand and rock, before gradually returning to the same greent the rest of the isles, "I come here occasionally to practice my power. The flames are snuffed by the water, but I myself am not. Come on!" Keona waved him down before descending herself to land on the warm sand.

Wrathwyrm

He was actually curious to see how well she flew, given the wing power that was ever-present on these people.  The answer was...quite well, and Travis was perfectly capable of following her, though he was working demonic bat wings instead of feather ones.  Once he was out here, though, he realized...he didn't fly anywhere often enough.  A bird's eye view was a pretty cool one.  He was getting a good look at the island below in his one eye.

I really should fix this thing if I'm just gonna kick back and relax.

Yeah, the only thing was that he still wondered what tore up that animal yesterday...  Well, no matter.  Plenty of time for that later.  So, it seemed that the volcano had some kind of reach across the island, and that Keona was heading down to a waterfall area, which she apparently spent alot of her time.  This was like...  He landed by sailing down and then dropping to the ground with a hop.

"This is like a painting.  People have drawn pictures of places like this."

Then, he paused.  The water doesn't snuff her?  If it doesn't harm a fire elemental, then it must be hot, right?  That...sounded very relaxing.  No wonder she liked it here.  He turned to face her now.

"Tell me about your power.  When does it come out?"

RedOptics

Hopping onto a rock ledge, she spread herself across it, basking in the sun as her wings hung off either side. It took a moment before she processed what he had asked, and she let off a sigh.

"Normally when I'm scared or angry. Being angry isn't really idea here, so normally I'm just scared. And living in a jungle, you'd think I'd know the dangers around here, but they just keep seeming to pop up out of nowhere..." Keona trailed off, turning over to look into the water, "I've been seeing things my whole life, and I'm not the only one, others are starting to see them too. They're dark, shadowy things, things that resemble bears and huge eagles.... I think I burnt down a good portion of the forest running from one when I was a little girl." Making a soft sound, she moved closer to the heat, settling down on her stomach and resting her head on her arms.

"Whenever I go hunting, I've always encountered something that scars me. That animal yesterday... not the first time. In fact, I've been seeing grotesque things since I was sixteen. It began with animal bones, then full tiger and wolf heads hanging from trees," Keona wasn't visibly saddened at the point, "Then, once I became a woman, full, unrecognizable bodies began to pop up once in a while. That's the third time in the past two months I've seen something as horrifying as that."

Pushing herself up, Keo' looked into the wood, as if expecting to see a creature or a dead animal, and slightly disappointed that she didn't just to prove her point. "My fire is defensive, is what I'm trying to say. I've never found the need to go out looking for something to attack. Not without good reason." She turned her head to him, waiting for a possible explanation from him.

Wrathwyrm

He could understand her discomfort, talking about things like uncontrolled magic, but in order to help her, he really had to know.  So, he listened and...ummm...this was not what he expected.  These things have been happening all her life?  This was not normal.  Someone or something was doing this to a purpose, or at least that's how it sounded to him.  At least one thing was clear, though.  Her fire appeared in heightened emotional states.  Like him getting power from pain, her power surged whenever something distressed or enraged her.  And actually, he thought maybe it was when she was excited or happy too, because of her reactions yesterday, as well.

The answer was her will, like all magic, or at least that's how it seemed.  Travis stepped on over to the rock ledge she was on and decided to sit with his back against it, so Keona would essentially be looking down at him if she did at all.  He seemed calm, though the weird happenings of her life were clearly a problem.  He wanted to solve that one even if it was all just a coincidence, which it probably wasn't.

"Well, I think I know how to deal with the fire problem, right off.  It's untamed magic, and people born with magic they don't know how to control either have to figure it out through trial-and-error or someone helps them focus it, shape it properly, and make certain to keep it from blasting out at the wrong time.  That's something that I can do, even without knowing any fire magic."

He now cradled his head with his hands as he put one leg over the other, and said...

"The complicated part is about all the carcasses.  It seems deliberate, as though trying to disturb you.  I can't tell if it's sloppy because other people have seen it or crazy because whatever the cause of it is might not care.  Someone or something on this island has some dark intentions, and I wanna know what.  But before all that...I think there's something you should see, so you won't be afraid if I do it later.  I am a demon, as I've said, and I've got a much scarier form that you may see in the future, so I don't want you to be unprepared, okay?"

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