((Brought to you by late night boredom and many suggestive winks from the Ravenloft setting's Core Rulebook... XD
All cultural and social information is generic stuff, as with all societies deviations are bound to happen.))

Ecology: Full, thriving.

Terrain: Mountains, plains and forests.

Climate: Temperate. Connlaoth's weather is mild in fall and spring. Its summers are a tad humid and its winters are cold with light to medium snowfall. Rainfall is fairly even throughout the seasons and most storms occur in spring and early/mid summer. Ball lightning is an eerily common phenomenon along the western border.

Inhabitants: Humans make up the majority of Connlaoth's population, though no particular ethnic type predominates among them. Their skin color ranges from fair (and often freckled) to a deep brown. Leucistic albinism is uncommon (but more common than typically normal). Hair is commonly red (bright and firey to dark auburn) or brown (fawn to near black), black and blonde hair occurs in some families. Every once in a while a Connlaothian will have very dark red hair that looks black unless they're in the light. These people usually stain their hair black to avoid unwanted suspicion. Eye colors run the gamut, though those with oddly colored (or bi-colored) eyes are often suspected of magic use. Among non-humans, those that aren't overtly magical are accepted (though some humans can be slightly bigoted).
  --Dress: Connlaoth's population typically shies from robes or solid colored clothing with non-military glyphs. Slits are commonly cut into sleeved shirts or tunics with long tails or dresses that reach the ankles.
Women are free to dress in skirts or pants as they please with no social stigma. Though, wearing a skirt will arose much suspicion for a man, and not just about his sexual orientation...
The most popular footwear among Connlaothians are leather boots that almost reach the knee and cling snugly to the wearer's calves. Through the years it has been fashionable to accent these boots with feathers, fur, lacings, embossing, and the currently trendy, embroidery around the mouth of the boot (typically simple non-offensive designs like shapes). Sandles and simple shoes are also worn.
Pants are typically solid colored and most prefer them cut with a thin lower leg that can be tucked into their boots. Cuts that can impose on others' personal space like trapazoid pants or pouffy breeches are typically frowned upon.
Skirts and dresses are either solid or patterned and commonly fall to the middle of the shins, anything longer will have knee length slits on the sides. Some young unmarried women wear knee length or higher skirts, their hems falling just below mid thigh at the highest. Skirts with hems above mid thigh are considered whorish.
Upper bodywear ranges from long sleeved shirts and coats to sleeveless shirts and vests. Long coats are strictly military so most end at the hip. Cuts are quite varied and more are solid colored than patterned. Exposing the shoulders is considered pretty for women's shirts/tunics. Plunging necklines are acceptable for both genders as long as they don't expose anything below the waist. It's considered old fashioned to wear a corset above the shirt.
Jewelry, for those that can afford it, is simple and geometric. Some prefer pendants shaped like a leaf. The most popular gemstones are emeralds and other green stones, followed by amber. Wearing a gemstone pendant in a contrasting color to the dominant one in one's outfit is currently vogue.
Long haired Connlaothians are fond of wearing ponytails and/or braids (one or many). There is no social stigma against women that wear their hair short or men that wear their hair long. Those that have hair that frizzes a lot in the heat often wear head wraps during the summer. Fancy combs are becoming popular among some young Connlaothian women.

((That's all for tonight, will write more later.))

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HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
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(3/21/04 2:44 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del All   Gyah! Ouch!
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 Well, it looked like Antaeus was going to be out all night, didn't it? Kaiya was overreacting.. Dusk had just set in! But still, she wasn't used to him being so far away or gone for so long. She had been watching for him from the window for a long while now. She'd already fed the horses, tended to everything and had supper all ready but.. He wasn't there and he wasn't coming up the street either.

She felt so lonely, being in the house and not having him to talk to. She felt just completely alone. She'd always had her brother with her, at the very least. The house had a wierd feel without him in it.

Well, she could go pick some flowers! She'd seen a patch of them in the forest just outside the village. They didn't live very far from the edge of the village, anyways! She could be there and back in no time!

She grabbed her jacket and skipped outside and down the street. She began to walk, smiling at her idea. Yes, it'd be nice to have some flowers inside! In the village everything was basically dead but there were a few types of flowers that could survive the winter and she'd seen the in the forest!

She got to the forest and the path into it wasn't very well used. She forgot why no one ever really went in here. It definately was beautiful! Some trees had lost it's leaves, but others were still green and--there! There were the flowers! But.. It looked like a horse and some people had just trampled them! She felt a bit discouraged, but she found some nice ones just beyond a few trees. She began to pick them and as she reached for a third one she felt her thumb get pricked by a thorn. Startled by the sudden pinch of pain, she withdrew her hand and took a look at the cut the thorn had created.

"Ouch," She said in a low voice before sucking on the part of her thumb that was hurt. She didn't remember these flowers having thorns!
 
Small Wonder  
Bishounen Hunter
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(3/21/04 4:24 pm)
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   Oh, shoot!
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 Makyo took the path Vernados had told him to, walking the trail from the Light Mage Village back to the forests of Connlaoth, whistling absently to himself. At first, he was overly cautious, ears and eyes straining for the slightest noises, the slightest signs of human life, ready to hide himself if need be. After all, the humans of Connlaoth would likely be looking for him...the guards, at least. He had broken many laws. Hell, just by living he was breaking the law!

He sniggered at that thought, briefly interrupting his whistled tune. He was a rebel without even trying. Heh...fun.

Yep, cautious he had been when he had first started out, but after getting deeper into the journey, he became less and less so. Bah. This road didn't look like it had been used in decades, and he hadn't seen the slightest sign of human life. Besides, it was winter. What crazy human would be out in the woods when hardly any animals were here, even? They had no reason to come here.

Before long, the forest he was guarding came into view, and he picked up his pace. Perfect timing! His feet were just starting to get sore, too! Now, he just had to run some quick rounds, see if there was anything that needed to be done, and--

He froze as a foreign sound he hadn't been expected met his ears. A sound that sounded suspiciously like "ouch". And, as he looked to the sound's source...oh damn! It was a bloody human! Just his luck!

Quickly, he jumped to the side, off the path and behind the thick trunk of a tree, pressing his back against it and lowering himself to a crouching position. Just his bloody luck! Oookay...he didn't think he'd been seen...so, now all he had to do was wait for her to leave...

~*~

Rhi's Bushel of Bitchesâ,,¢

Sachi || Cadmus || Tiaret || Natara || Lena || Rheiku || Zeirne || Questa || Tsukiyo || Makoto || Dokuja || Taidra || Sanyu || Sunni || Kiade || Hatame || Aniketos || Nakaris || Raijah || Ishtaq || Makyo || Fayrik || Yokanil || Alice || Kajioh || Kujin || Neviko || Pure Magic || Orion || Yuma || Yhuni Naresca || Vahnin || Zidane || Darkfate || Thorn || Meria || Taima || Zharith || Raki || Beatrid
 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
Posts: 595
(3/21/04 4:34 pm)
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 Kaiya looked up quickly as she heard a rustle in the bushes. She dropped the flowers she'd been holding and peered to the side a bit. She could see nothing, still.

"An?" She said slowly, taking a few steps forward. "Ani?" She said again. It didn't sound like an animal and she could have sworn she'd seen something jumo fromt he corner of her eye! It wasn't a rabbit or anything of the sort, but something human. It had to be her brother, Antaeus! Who else would want to hide from her?

"Antaeus, stop being sil--AH!" She had began, peering around a tree and there he was. The prisoner she'd seen be dragged into the court yard! She jumped back and continued to back up until--Ouff! She tripped over the protruding root of a tree ajacent to that which Makyo had been found hiding behind.

Her heart was pounding--she imagined this must be what a rabbit must feel when it is cornered by a wolf--tears began to well up in her eyes. She expected this was the end. She was at a loss for words and--Ouch!--her ankle hurt from the fall! She looked directly at Makyo, right in the eyes before fear struck her and she looked down, cringing as she awaited for some violent attack...
 
Small Wonder  
Bishounen Hunter
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(3/21/04 4:58 pm)
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    AHHHHH!
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 For a moment, all Makyo could do was stare back into her eyes, surprise rooting him to the spot. And then, his eyes registered her in her entirety...and he gave a gasp of alarm and drew back sharply. Oh dear Gods, it was that girl! She and another human, a male, had walked by when he was chained up, and it was then that he had felt that gut-wrenching emptiness...they had been responsible for that sensation...that horrible feeling of helplessness and defeat...if she did that to him, he wouldn't be able to do anything...

His own expression must have mirrored her's pretty closely, his breath and any words he planned on speaking frozen in his throat, though he tried very hard to keep his expression unfazed. Oh geez...he couldn't remember the last time he had been so freaked. Hell, even in the clutches of the guards, he had been defiant. But that emptyness...damnit, but pride or not, that bloody scared the hell out of him! Helplessness, loss of magic, being caged up...those were some of the darkest fears any fae possessed. Threaten a fae with that, and you could get the proudest fae begging.

Yet, after a few moments, as Kaiya looked down and cringed, Makyo seemed to realize, she's just as freaked as I am... he thought, and when he glimpsed tears in her eyes, he realized she was probably even more scared than he.

He swallowed audibly, working moisture back into his mouth. "I...ah...I'm not gonna hurt ya..." he managed quietly, still not daring to move. "I...please, don't be frightened, I mean no harm...I never did, and never will...I just want to return to my home, that's it..." He bit his lip, watching her cautiously.

~*~

Rhi's Bushel of Bitchesâ,,¢

Sachi || Cadmus || Tiaret || Natara || Lena || Rheiku || Zeirne || Questa || Tsukiyo || Makoto || Dokuja || Taidra || Sanyu || Sunni || Kiade || Hatame || Aniketos || Nakaris || Raijah || Ishtaq || Makyo || Fayrik || Yokanil || Alice || Kajioh || Kujin || Neviko || Pure Magic || Orion || Yuma || Yhuni Naresca || Vahnin || Zidane || Darkfate || Thorn || Meria || Taima || Zharith || Raki || Beatrid
 
 
 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
Posts: 596
(3/21/04 5:11 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del    Re: AHHHHH!
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 I'm going to die. This is it, it's the end. Kaiya thought, those very thoughts were racing in her head. Don't look up, don't show tears.. You're not scared. He's a pathetic magic user.. if he touches you he'll be killed.. Who'd find him? Who could say he did it? He was going to murder h Not going to hurt her?! it was a sick joke and Kaiya didn't dare look up at him.

She quickly struggled to her feet, grabbing the tree for support as she cringed when she put weight on her left ankle. "Then go home!" She yelled. Yep, those tears were just flowing now. She was just laced with fear. They were tricky, dishonest things!

"He's a killer" She said to herself under her breath. She didn't dare look over at him. She feared that he was only waiting to kill her so that he could see her fear and revel in it.
 
Small Wonder  
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(3/21/04 5:28 pm)
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    He-ey!
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 It was Makyo's turn to cringe when she yelled. Erk...he really hoped there weren't any humans nearby that could hear that and be drawn to the sound. Still, he stayed where he was, still unmoving. She was frightened of him, and reminded him of a spooked prey animal. And, apparently, he reminded her of a predator.

So, with that in mind, he stayed where he was. If he made a sudden move, he feared she would either use those powers of hers to harm him, or bolt. Even the latter would be bad, for from the way she was standing, she was already injured. She could only hurt herself more. And, besides...he did not want her running off to tell other humans about his return, so he could be hunted again.

"I will go home," he told her--nevermind that he was already home! "but please...all I ask is that you tell no one about me...alright? I'm not going to hurt you, I swear it on my life. If I was going to harm you, I could have done so already. Just, please...keep this secret..." Erk. He had a feeling asking that was like asking her to saw off her own arm.

Especially when he caught part of the comment she apparently meant to keep to herself. After all, faes had exceptional hearing...though he only caught the "killer" part.

"I'm not a killer!" he exclaimed with sudden indignance that replaced the fear in his voice. "Maybe I've killed an insect by accident, but Gods, I don't even do that on purpose!"

~*~

Rhi's Bushel of Bitchesâ,,¢

Sachi || Cadmus || Tiaret || Natara || Lena || Rheiku || Zeirne || Questa || Tsukiyo || Makoto || Dokuja || Taidra || Sanyu || Sunni || Kiade || Hatame || Aniketos || Nakaris || Raijah || Ishtaq || Makyo || Fayrik || Yokanil || Alice || Kajioh || Kujin || Neviko || Pure Magic || Orion || Yuma || Yhuni Naresca || Vahnin || Zidane || Darkfate || Thorn || Meria || Taima || Zharith || Raki || Beatrid
 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
Posts: 597
(3/21/04 5:37 pm)
67.68.6.115
Reply | Edit | Del    Re: He-ey!
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 Don't tel anyone about him?! Was he insane? He must be! What he was asking her to do was clearly the plead of a lunitic! A psychotic killer!

"This place will be crawling the guards! just you wait!" She said bitterly. "Use your magics while you can--once my brothers gets home.. You-you'll be locked in the dungeon and--" Gyah! Walking away and talking was not a good combination! And it would appear so as she sat there on the ground once again. Her ankle hurt, a lot.

"Your lies won't work with me." She told him, again not looking at him. "Whatever you were being punished for before is going to be nothing compared to this! My brother's a Mordecai, y'know and you won't get away with anything!" She hoped she could scare him off... They had to know what the Mordecai were...
 
Small Wonder  
Bishounen Hunter
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(3/21/04 6:06 pm)
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    Oi vey...
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 Slowly, carefully, Makyo stood up, ready to go after her and stop her if she went any farther. He really didn't want to have to do that--it would only scare her more, after all--but if she left and told anyone else...he was dead. Or as good as dead. Even if he wasn't sentenced to death, he would die in captivity in no time.

Fortunately, she sat down, her ankle obviously paining her.

And, his fear was quickly disipating, replaced by that tell-tale pride of his. "I was being punished for healing a tree," Makyo said in exasperation. "Bloody hell, what can I do to make you believe me? I...look, you're not gonna get very far in the state you're in. And this forest is rarely visited. Your ankle's hurting you, badly. If I was truly a murderous, evil person, I could do you in now, easy. But I'm not that kind of person." He gave another exasperated sigh. "Rather, I'm going to heal your ankle...if you like. It's paining you badly. And no, I won't use magic...I know how to heal with herbal remedies, too."

He sat down a ways from her, crosslegged, hoping to appear as harmless as he possibly could, and trying hard to ignore her threats. "Again...all I ask is that you tell no one. Please..."

Gods, this was hard! How the hell was he supposed to get her to believe him!? He had to get her to trust him. If she didn't...he doubted he could get out of these woods in one piece before the place was swarming.

~*~

Rhi's Bushel of Bitchesâ,,¢

Sachi || Cadmus || Tiaret || Natara || Lena || Rheiku || Zeirne || Questa || Tsukiyo || Makoto || Dokuja || Taidra || Sanyu || Sunni || Kiade || Hatame || Aniketos || Nakaris || Raijah || Ishtaq || Makyo || Fayrik || Yokanil || Alice || Kajioh || Kujin || Neviko || Pure Magic || Orion || Yuma || Yhuni Naresca || Vahnin || Zidane || Darkfate || Thorn || Meria || Taima || Zharith || Raki || Beatrid
 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
Posts: 598
(3/21/04 6:33 pm)
67.68.6.115
Reply | Edit | Del    Don't you "Oi vey" me, Mr.!
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 He continued to lie! She didn't expect much else, but he could have at the very least made the lie more believeable! Healing a tree? She'd sooner believe that pigs could fly than that farfetched little lie of his!

Kaiya had been with those who hated magic her entire life. She'd heard stories--horrible stories!--of dark mages who would slowly torture their victims to a slow and very painful death. She could only imagine what this one was going to do. Win an ounce of trust then BAM! he'd have torn her leg right off and thrown it aside!

"Don't touch me!" She said, her voice getting a bit choked up in her tears. She had to stop crying, it was doing her no good. Gyah! But that was hard! Here was death on her doorstep and she could do nothing but protest!

It looked like if Makyo wanted to get an inch closer to her and help her out, he'd have to do it against her will. There was no way on Heaven, Hell or Earth that she'd just openly let some sort of mage-scum put a finger on her--hurt or not!--she'd rather die.
 
Small Wonder  
Bishounen Hunter
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(3/21/04 6:49 pm)
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    Well, nyah to you, too!
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 He sighed and raised his hands in a gesture of indifference. "I'm not gonna touch you if you don't want me to," he said blandly. "It was just a suggestion. I just don't see how you're going to get anywhere as you are now. It must hurt a lot...that's all. Just an offer, take it or leave it."

Well, geez, they were sure going nowhere fast.

He folded his arms across his chest, frowning slightly. Okay, so, what now?

He sighed slightly, shaking his head. "Some magic-user must have done something really horrible to you for you to fear us so much," he muttered, looking up at her and grimacing slightly at the sight of the tears rolling down her face.

~*~

Rhi's Bushel of Bitchesâ,,¢

Sachi || Cadmus || Tiaret || Natara || Lena || Rheiku || Zeirne || Questa || Tsukiyo || Makoto || Dokuja || Taidra || Sanyu || Sunni || Kiade || Hatame || Aniketos || Nakaris || Raijah || Ishtaq || Makyo || Fayrik || Yokanil || Alice || Kajioh || Kujin || Neviko || Pure Magic || Orion || Yuma || Yhuni Naresca || Vahnin || Zidane || Darkfate || Thorn || Meria || Taima || Zharith || Raki || Beatrid
 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
Posts: 599
(3/21/04 6:57 pm)
67.68.6.115
Reply | Edit | Del    Thems fightin' words! TRALALALA!
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 Options! She had to look at her options. Alright, there was let herself die--No! I will not die here!--she could struggle on back to the village--No! He'd never let me leave... he knows I'll tell!--Gyah! She didn't know, her options seemed to one sided.. at the very most she might escape with her life but she had to tell! At least Antaeus and then he'd storm in here and she'd never have to think of this demon again!

"I-if I let you heal me... I can go home and I won't tell anyone you're here?" She said, though as her words started out as a question, near the end it becme a statement.

"Please don't hurt me.." She said in a quieted voice. Hell! It was almost as if she was praying to be spared!
 
Small Wonder  
Bishounen Hunter
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(3/21/04 7:18 pm)
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    *smacks with glove* We meet on the field on onions!
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 He nodded. Whew...looked like he was finally reaching her. "I was never going to hurt you in the first place, I never would," he told her slowly. "I'll heal you, and you can go home. But I can't stress it enough...don't tell anyone where I am. Don't even mention seeing me. Alright? I help you, you help me, alright? I'm trusting you not to go against your word...break it, and you're no better than the so-called murderous magic-users you hate. Got it?"

He looked at her hopefully, letting it sink in, and slowly, carefully, moved closer to her.

"Okay...healing...which do you prefer? I don't have to use magic...magic is faster...but I know other ways, too. But first...do I have your honest, sincere word that you will keep this all, everything, between you and me?" he asked, lowering himself to the ground a few feet away from her. He had no way of ensuring she would keep her word--all he had was, well, her word--but, damnit, if she told, he would be screwed on so many levels. Even if he got out of Connlaoth before the guards came...what then? The forests of Connlaoth were his responsibility, and to desert an area you were a guardian of, regardless of risk factor, was one of the biggest no-nos in fae society.

And then, that was only if he got out, which didn't seem very likely if the guards came. There were those emptiness causing kind...Mordecai? The girl had said her brother was a Mordecai, and Makyo had quickly put two and two together, that the male with her was probably her brother, and that he was the one who caused the magic loss, and, therefore, that was what a Mordecai was. At the same time, it was also a bit of a relief to know it was her brother that had the skill, not her--though even before she told him that, he had begun to doubt she had that ability, for she had had plenty of opportunities to render him helpless if she had possessed it...

He watched her expectantly, hoping he appeared relaxed and relatively at ease. Everything depended on her--his life was, basically, in her hands, and that was something he definitely didn't want her to realize...if she hadn't already. Still, regardless, he wouldn't hurt her either way. And, likely, he'd even still help her, even at his own expense.

Damn that bleeding heart of his. Yep...despite his prideful, sometimes defiant and rough-around-the-edges personality, it was also in his nature to be soft-hearted. He wouldn't abandon even his worst foe if he was lying wounded and helpless at his feet.

~*~

Rhi's Bushel of Bitchesâ,,¢

Sachi || Cadmus || Tiaret || Natara || Lena || Rheiku || Zeirne || Questa || Tsukiyo || Makoto || Dokuja || Taidra || Sanyu || Sunni || Kiade || Hatame || Aniketos || Nakaris || Raijah || Ishtaq || Makyo || Fayrik || Yokanil || Alice || Kajioh || Kujin || Neviko || Pure Magic || Orion || Yuma || Yhuni Naresca || Vahnin || Zidane || Darkfate || Thorn || Meria || Taima || Zharith || Raki || Beatrid

Edited by: Small Wonder   at: 3/22/04 10:21 am
 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
Posts: 600
(3/22/04 5:32 pm)
67.68.21.186
Reply | Edit | Del    << Kaiya
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 "Are you daft?" She asked incredulously. "Don't you dare even think about trying any of your magics on me!" She said in a very bold protest. He had to be insane to even fathom the idea of even thinking about magic with her right there! What an ugly, untrustworthy, disgusting demon!

Well, as he took his time to get closer to her and to let his words sink in, Kaiya was able to, finally, get a clear glance at him. She had been given time to stop her crying, feeling a bit more at ease though she was still rigid with fear.

Why is he being... nice? She thought to herself. it was incomprehensible! Why should a lowly magic user like him be nice or try to help her? Even if she didn't tell her brother about this encounter, they would find him anyways and she would have no remorse when the guards publicly beat the tarr out of him.

Or would she? Something deep inside her was growing more at ease, even gentle to his presense--much to the contrary of how she'd been acting not ten minutes ago!--but perhaps it was his desperation that gave her ease? A sense of power over him and not the other way around? No, that couldn't be it. She was just as horrified, even if she was slowly untensing and easing up.

"Don't compare me to them!" She said, regaining her head and a bit of her fury. How could he even compare her to them! The murderous bastards who took the lives of her brother and sister?! He may not have known about it, but even being compared to them was sickening... or was it?

She was taught to hate them, brought up in learning the harm and hate they brought to the earth and yet, he was nothing like she had heard. Never before had she actually conversed with a magic user [if this could be considered a conversation ^^;;] and he was nothing like she imagined one to be. All she could bring to comply with this demeanor of his was to know that it was jsut a mere trick. A dirty, spineless trick they used to save their skins.

Edited by: HeavenzGift16   at: 3/22/04 5:33 pm
 
Small Wonder  
Bishounen Hunter
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(3/23/04 11:31 am)
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   Daft!?
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 Daft? Makyo, despite himself, was starting to get a tad annoyed. Wasn't she listening to a word he said? He'd said twice at least that he wouldn't use magic on her if she didn't want him to! No need to flip out. Er...then again, she still thought him a killer, didn't she? Right. This was a delicate situation. He couldn't let his pride get in the way.

"Herbs it is, then," he said simply with a shrug as he rose to his feet. "And I wasn't comparing you to anyone. Just saying that if you break your word and I die innocent, you're no better than the things you fear...ya know? It's not a comparison until you actually do the act, and you haven't...and, obviously, I hope you don't," he told her calmly as he stopped beside a plant heavy with bright green berries.

For a moment, he was silent as he stood near the plant, eyes half closed as though he were listening to something. But then the moment passed, and he plucked free a handful of the ripe berries and continued speaking. "I'm not gonna stop you either way, though. You see, I can't. Fae honor and chivalry is a tricky thing, and I won't harm a thing unless it hurts me--or another--first. Though...even if I wasn't bound by honor, I'd play by the same rules just the same."

He settled himself down in front of her and set the pile of berries on the ground. "Alright. Let's see that ankle. Or...er...if you still don't want these vile hands touching you, you could do it yourself. You just have to squish up these berries and smoothe it over the swelling. Wonderful plant...brings down swelling in no time. But never eat the berries; they're good for healing, but are poisonous to everything but some birds when ingested. But, anyway...I don't think it's broken or anything...if it was, you'd be howling. We should check it, still, but if you don't want me to..." He shrugged to, hopefully, show that he wouldn't lay a hand on her against her will.

~*~

Rhi's Bushel of Bitchesâ,,¢

Sachi || Cadmus || Tiaret || Natara || Lena || Rheiku || Zeirne || Questa || Tsukiyo || Makoto || Dokuja || Taidra || Sanyu || Sunni || Kiade || Hatame || Aniketos || Nakaris || Raijah || Ishtaq || Makyo || Fayrik || Yokanil || Alice || Kajioh || Kujin || Neviko || Pure Magic || Orion || Yuma || Yhuni Naresca || Vahnin || Zidane || Darkfate || Thorn || Meria || Taima || Zharith || Raki || Beatrid

Edited by: Small Wonder   at: 3/25/04 4:21 pm
 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
Posts: 612
(3/27/04 6:49 pm)
67.68.27.18
Reply | Edit | Del   Yes, genious: Daft.
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 Arrogant little thing, wasn't he? Trying to stall or something? "..you still don't want these vile hands touching you..." Well, that was a given! But obviously, under these circumstances, she really didn't care. The sooner she could leave; the better. Aside from that, she had a feeling Makyo knew her brother was a Mordecai, not just some big tough guy. With that in mind, he wouldn't dare touch her! Or would he?

"I don't care!" She said in a rather flustered tone. "I just want to go home." She added. Yeeesh! All this for a few flowers! Antaeus owed her. Big time.
 
Small Wonder  
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(3/29/04 8:56 am)
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    Well...well...well...you're a big poop-head!!! So there!
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 Biting back a groan of annoyance, Makyo turned his eyes skyward. She was not making any of this easy, even though it would benefit her if she would just. Frickin'. Cooperate. Just a little. Did she still honestly think he was going to murder her or something? Probably. And she still hadn't given him her word that she would keep this secret--and even if she did, there was no guarantee she would keep it. But...there was still time for that.

He hoped he could gain her trust. For one, he didn't fancy being thought of as some lowly, murderous creature. Two, if she told, well...it was either stay and try to keep out of sight, or flee--and try not to get caught. And, in Makyo's mind, fleeing was out of the question. He could hold his own. And there was just no way he was running back to that angel's place with his metaphorical tail between his legs--and so soon after just being bailed out by him!--nor was there any way he was running back to his tribe to be labeled inept for the job. This forest was his responsibility. He could deal with it, and everything that came with it.

Drawing a deep, calming breath, he turned his yellow eyes back to the girl. "Well, if you honestly don't care..." He reached out with both hands to gently take her injured ankle between them and carefully remove her shoe before she could protest. Hey, she said she didn't care. That was as good as giving him permission, in his mind. Besides, she was being so bloody slow about everything. The sooner it was taken care of, the quicker it would heal.

"Yep. Just a sprain," he told her, gently feeling her swollen ankle. Even though he already thought it was a sprain and not a fracture or break, he had to be sure, just in case. "Not too bad, luckily."

He took a handful of the berries and crushed them in his hand, turning the bright green gems to green mush. Then he began to smoothe the stuff over her swollen flesh. "You're just gonna have to let this stuff sit for a while, and it'll start taking down the swelling. Once it's gone down a bit, we can bind your ankle."

Wiping the remains of the berry mush onto his breeches, he sat back again and crossed his arms, falling quiet and still save for the occasional twitch of his green dragonfly wings.

~*~

Rhi's Bushel of Bitchesâ,,¢

Sachi || Cadmus || Tiaret || Natara || Lena || Rheiku || Zeirne || Questa || Tsukiyo || Makoto || Dokuja || Taidra || Sanyu || Sunni || Kiade || Hatame || Aniketos || Nakaris || Raijah || Ishtaq || Makyo || Fayrik || Yokanil || Alice || Kajioh || Kujin || Neviko || Pure Magic || Orion || Yuma || Yhuni Naresca || Vahnin || Zidane || Darkfate || Thorn || Meria || Taima || Zharith || Raki || Beatrid
 
HeavenzGift16  
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 Let it sit?! This wasn't a quick-fix type thing? Well, it made sense.But why had she thought that once those berries hit her flesh it would feel perfectly better? She knew how medicine worked.. But then again, she did want time to travel more quickly. She wanted to be gone from this forest and find her brother. With Antaeus, nothing could harm her. This little demon wouldn't even dare look at her with Antaeus beside her!

The silence was deafening. All it did was make her anger build until--finally-she let out a sigh. That felt good. She eased up a bit, letting her poor muscles relax finally. Her hand stopped gripping the tree root that was beside her and she slowly placed both hands on her lap.

Well, he didn't seem vicious. Maybe he was one of the weaker magic users? Maybe he was scared? well, after that beating at the castle--hey! He didn't have a scratch on him! He can heal things, she reminded herself. Silly her.

"So..." She started, rather uncomfortably. "Do you have a name?" She asked. It seemed like anything could be better than this bitter silence.
 
Small Wonder  
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    And I hope you get zapped by lightning in your bathtub!
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 Makyo blinked in surprise at her question, then nodded slowly. Whoa...that was a shocker. He would almost think these mage-haters believed mages were so low they didn't even possess names!

"Mhm...it's Makyo," he answered cautiously, though he knew caution in this case wasn't really required. There was no harm in giving his name. After all, his name wasn't what he would be identified by, but his appearance, and the whole castle guard had already seen him. Giving his name was harmless. "What's yours? Er...that is, if ya don't mind my asking," he added quickly, quirking an eyebrow slightly as he wondered if, even now, she was still suspicious of his motives. "It'd just be a lot easier than calling you 'girl'. More respectful, too." He remembered how her...brother, he imagined it was...kept referring to him as "it", and how pissed that made him, even in his weakened state.

For that matter, that still pissed him off, actually, just thinking about it.

And freaked him out, at the same time, reminding him of just how precarious a position he was in right now, with this girl--that bastard's sister--right next to him...

But she, at least, seemed different enough from that jerk. Kinda.

"How's your ankle feeling now?"

~*~

Rhi's Bushel of Bitchesâ,,¢

Sachi || Cadmus || Tiaret || Natara || Lena || Rheiku || Zeirne || Questa || Tsukiyo || Makoto || Dokuja || Taidra || Sanyu || Sunni || Kiade || Hatame || Aniketos || Nakaris || Raijah || Ishtaq || Makyo || Fayrik || Yokanil || Alice || Kajioh || Kujin || Neviko || Pure Magic || Orion || Yuma || Yhuni Naresca || Vahnin || Zidane || Darkfate || Thorn || Meria || Taima || Zharith || Raki || Beatrid
 
HeavenzGift16  
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 He spoke rather levelly, like a human would. How peculiar. Perhaps he was much different from the rest? He seemed it.

Kaiya was definately letting her guard down now. How could she not? Something about Makyo was taking that wall down brick by brick and she didn't understand why. He had been so incredibly arrogant not five minutes ago! Well, she had been too, but she was positively petrified! Now her opinions of him were changing and she didn't even know it! She was thinking of how cautious she should be right then, but at the same time she was easing up and actually thinking about what and how she would reply to him!

"I'm Kaiya," she said in a rather quiet tone. It was hard to find her voice with these mixed thoughts. He didn't look like he was capable of harm, but she knew all magic-users were.

She stretched out her leg and rotated her ankle a bit, wincing rather silently as she brought it back down. "Still hurts," she replied, looking at it.

[OOC: Rhiiii! get your bumon MSN! Peeeez!]

Edited by: HeavenzGift16   at: 4/3/04 6:46 pm
 
Small Wonder  
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   WEE-MAN!?!?! You're a dead girl walkin'!
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 "Kaiya...that's a nice name," Makyo commented conversationally. He could tell she was starting to become more at ease, and in seeing that, his own guard began to slowly lower--though not completely. He could never forget how tricky a position he was in; she was still scared, he reckoned, and if he made the wrong move, they'd be right back where they started. He had to be really careful with his words and actions.

"Yeah...the berries won't get rid of the pain, unfortunately--that'll take time. But it looks like the swelling's starting to recede a bit. That's a good sign." He decided it was best not to comment that magic would have gotten rid of the swelling, pain, and injury all in one go. He knew that subject was taboo.

Er...let's see...conversation starters! The silence was awkward, and it would likely be a bit before he could wrap her ankle. But...gyah! What kind of conversation could he start? Hmm...maybe it was best if he held his tongue until she initiated conversation, lest he overstep his boundaries. It was still a sensitive situation...and he didn't want to undo the progress he had made with a possible slip-up.

Well, that would be the ideal scenario. But Makyo was never one who could hold his tongue for long.

Carefully, he rose to his feet and gathered up the flowers Kaiya had dropped not far away before returning to his previous spot, once again settling down on the ground before Kaiya. "Ya dropped these," he said, offering them to her.

~*~

Rhi's Bushel of Bitchesâ,,¢

Sachi || Cadmus || Tiaret || Natara || Lena || Rheiku || Zeirne || Questa || Tsukiyo || Makoto || Dokuja || Taidra || Sanyu || Sunni || Kiade || Hatame || Aniketos || Nakaris || Raijah || Ishtaq || Makyo || Fayrik || Yokanil || Alice || Kajioh || Kujin || Neviko || Pure Magic || Orion || Yuma || Yhuni Naresca || Vahnin || Zidane || Darkfate || Thorn || Meria || Taima || Zharith || Raki || Beatrid
 
HeavenzGift16  
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 Kaiya was rather surprised that Makyo would have noticed she had even had flowers, not to mention return them to her. These little acts of courtesy and kindness were tugging at her thoughts and her heart. Why would a bloodthirsty magic-user want to help her in the least? He could kill her right now and no one would know! She'd told no one that she was leaving and until Antaeus returns home, she would not even be thought of by anyone.

"Th-thanks," she said rather uncertainly as she took them and looked at him with some confusion and disbelief.

He was slowly changing from the stereo-typed bloodthirsty, angry killer to an actual person with a face, a name and an entity. She didn't want to admit that her feelings about him, at least, were being twisted and shaken up.

"W-where do you live?" She asked, looking about. He had to live close by if he had been obtained near the village and now she saw him here. Though, she wondered if he'd tell her since he probably trusted her as much as she trusted him!
 
Small Wonder  
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   NYAH NYAH NYAH! Haha! Take THAT!
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 He gave a small shrug at her question. "Nowhere in particular. We fae aren't like you humans in that area. We can be anywhere and be content, so long as it's free of boundaries. That is to say...the whole world is my homeâ€"though, since becoming a Guardiaâ€"ah, nevermind. Anyway, I've been living here lately. So...I guess you could say this whole forest is my home, house and backyard, heh."

Makyo gave a small, nervous laugh. He didn't know if she would understand what he was saying. After all, he knew that humans built a house, and that was their home, where they lived and stayed and stored all their belongings. Fae didn't do that. Sure, they built shelters when the weather warranted it and they couldn't find a natural one, but that was all it wasâ€"a shelter. Some fae didn't even need to do that much; some tribes had a way of making themselves immune from the elements, so snow wouldn't be a discomfort, nor summer heat.

He didn't fear telling her, either. After all, he didn't live in one particular spot...and the forest was vast.

"You?" he inquired lightly before realizing his mistake. Erk! That probably wasn't a good thing to ask...she'd think he'd try and stalk her, no doubt! Gyah. He had hardly noticed up to now that he was gradually becoming far more relaxed around her. Too relaxed, and when he got relaxed, his tongue tended to loosen up.

He winced. "Er, I mean...sorry. Don't answer that if ya don't want to. Just making conversation. So...um...hey, are you cold?" he asked abruptly, suddenly becoming aware of the chill air himself.
 
HeavenzGift16  
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 Kaiya listened to Makyo, and though when she'd first encountered him, she felt that his very presense was repulsive, she was interested in what he was saying. Her certainly was different... and unique. Sure, she didn't quite understand what he meant sometimes, he tended to trail off or stop himself. She assumed he'd keep much from her, if she was in his position, she'd do the same.

"My brother and I live just on the outscirts of the village," she replied before she could even think about what she'd just said. Well, it wasn't as though he'd want to go looking for her, Antaeus would kill him!

She rubbed her arms when he mentionned the cold. That was odd, she hadn't even thought about the cold before now. She'd been too petrified as well as hurt! Makyo had taken most of her attention off her ankle, but those had been the two things she'd been thinking about.

"Yeah, I guess." She said, her mind now thinking about the three things at hand: the cold, her ankle and Makyo. Her mind was just bouncing with so many thoughts, especially her own actions! She had no idea why she kept slipping up and saying things to him. The silent treatment had seemed to work so well...
 
Small Wonder  
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 He nodded when she admitted she was cold. Heck, if he was feeling the chill air, she'd have to be! After all, he was accustomed to this environment.

Poor thing. He imagined that if he hadn't mentioned it, she likely wouldn't have, either. Like him, she obviously had a lot of doubts and concerns on her mind. Makyo was just a little better at hiding it. A little better.

Rising to his feet again, he began collecting twigs and small fallen tree limbs from the ground until he had a modest bundle bunched in his arms. He carried them off the main "trail" and into the forest and, setting them down, dug a small fire pit, encircled by stones. After arranging the wood, he began searching around again for something else--a good makeshift flint.

Bah. It would have been so much easier if he could use magic! But he didn't even want to suggest that around her, as he knew the mere mention of it would break down any trust they had managed to develop between them. So, he had to do it the hard way. And he was in no way skilled at building a fire the good ol' fashioned human way.

Eventually, he found a stone he imagined would work well enough--it better!--and. crouching, began trying to work a spark from it.

Erg! Would be so much easier to use magic. Hrm...maybe he could sneak in a little...make a spark using it, just a little one. He doubted she'd notice. And he was starting to get really frustrated with this whole--OH! A spar--damnit, it went bloody out! Bloody breeze!

Yes, magic was very tempting. Somehow, though, he refrained, and after a mild struggle with the damned flint and breeze combination, he managed to get a small flame kindled, which spread to the rest of the timber. The fire was overall small, but that was the effect Makyo was going for. He didn't want to risk a bigger one that would attract attention, and this was small enough to provide warmth and be indetectable off the main trail and within the safety of the woods.

Settling down, he made a motion to Kaiya and then, remembering her ankle, got back up and walked over to her. "Here, need help?" he asked, extending his hand to her. He doubted she'd want to touch his vile self, but, hey, no harm in offering.
 
HeavenzGift16  
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 Kaiya watched Makyo try to start the fire. He was going about it alright until it came to using the flint. That part he did horribly. He was trying to catch the fire onto wood which wouldn't burn slow enough for the other pieces to catch, but oh well, it seemed to finally work out in the end.

She was still on guard, there was no question about that. She knew the kind of mess she'd gotten herself into and she knew that she could die at any given moment. A villain could always seem nice at first--she'd seen such in plays and stories. She wasn't stupid, she knew that she was in a mess and that she couldn't get out without much pain--plus, she'd be sluggish in actually running away, though the pain in her ankle seemed to be dulling a bit as time went on.

She basically ignored his offer for help and would have given him a mouthfull if he'd be a normal man, but once again silence gripped her.

She used the tree for support and slowly got up without having to put any weight on her ankle. A mission well accomplished. She then hopped on one foot over to the fire, carefully so she didn't get hurt or trip before finding another tree to help her settle back down. She was sure not to sit in the direction the smoke of the fire was moving.

She heaved a sigh. How long would she be here for? She wondered.

"If you put some cloth on the fire, the flint can catch it easier because it doesn't have to burn it that much for the fire to hold," she said to him, looking at the fire.
 
Small Wonder  
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 Makyo shrugged slightly when she ignored his offer. Well, honestly, he didn't expect any different; he would have probably found it odd had she accepted! Oh well.

Besides, regardless of the situation, it was pretty darn funny watching her hop on over to the fire. What a feat that must have been, what with the random tree roots jutting from the earth! But he kept his amusement hidden, and, like Kaiya, sat upwind of the smoke--and also made sure not to get too close to her.

Well, this was a mess. It was getting late fast, and, from the way she was acting, her ankle still hurt bad enough to prevent her from applying any amount of pressure to it. So, she obviously couldn't go. Of course, he could have always escorted her out--if she didn't think him a murderer. Like she probably still did. And he wasn't so sure he really wanted her to leave yet, anyway, as she still hadn't given him any reassurance that she wouldn't rat on him.

But then, he did want her to get out, soon...after all, there was that horrible brother of her's, and likely he would look for her once it got too late and she wasn't home. But would he think to come out this far?

Makyo took a moment to study the fire more. No...it was too small for the smoke to reach beyond the tree-tops, and the glow would be well hidden with all the foliage about. It was still risky, though. It would have been so much easier to use magic, magic which could warm without creating a glow and smoke! But, around her, he didn't dare use it...and with that option gone, this was the only alternative. Unless they wanted to freeze and--

"Huh? Oh...okay," Makyo answered, startled from his muddled thoughts by Kaiya's suggestion. Cloth? Hrm...he didn't have any cloth on him save the clothes on his back. But, whatever, that'd work. After all, he didn't want to disagree with her where he could help it, not now. He had to work on building her trust, and, as she thought "his kind" to be so wild and murderous, that meant being the picture of meek.

Tearing a few strips of cloth from his shirt, he laid them on the flame and, before long, they caught, just as Kaiya said they would. Of course...

"Warming up better? I would offer a blanket, but the only one I have is at my shelter..." he told her, absently stirring the fire with a stick--at least, until that finally caught, as well. "My 'house', I mean...that's what you humans would call it. It's not really a house, though, at all. A temporary shelter. We fae have lots of those, and they're never permanent, because we move a lot, and...yeah."

He stopped himself. Erk. He was blabbing again!
 
HeavenzGift16
The Fallen Angel
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(6/22/04 9:14 am)
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   << Kaiya
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 Well, she had meant that fires catch easier with cloth when starting a fire, not when one wwas already going... But oh well, maybe he'd think of it the next time he was starting a fi--He had magic! Of course,t hat was why he didn't know. Likely.

She listened to him, the more he spoke the more she'd either forget he was a magic user, or something in his story would strike the memory and she'd be uptight and rather angry once again.

"Why don't you stay in one place?" She asked, flexing her ankle a bit to the point where it would hurt again, then she rest it...
 
Small Wonder  
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   Laaadeedaaa!
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 "Well...it's not really my peoples' nature. We're a free spirit, and don't like being confined to any one place. We get claustrophobic like that." Not to mention what happened if any of his kind ever had to suffer from captivity!

Then, with a small smile, he asked, "Why do you stay in one place?" It'd be interesting seeing how she responded, and keep the conversation flowing.

She seemed to be more at ease...that was good. But from the way she flexed her ankle, it was still no good. Dang. And it was really getting late, now. He hoped no one was sent looking for her...and hoped that, if so, they wouldn't think to look here.
~*~


I was goosed by Gold!

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Zidane || Darkfate || Thorn || Meria || Taima || Pure Magic || Orion || Yuma

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HeavenzGift16
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(6/22/04 1:19 pm)
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   << Kaiya
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 Kaiya thought for a minute. Well, people always stayed in the same home unless they had to move.

"Home's somewhere where you should feel safe.. Something that's your's." She said with a shrug. She and Antaeus were even lucky to have a home with the little money they had had and their home was on a bad end of the village, right near the forest, really. There were a few taverns around their home, a lot of drunks came around at night and Antaeus would have to threaten them--with empty threats--to get them to go away.

"If you're alwaying moving, how can your friends find you?" She asked. That was another reason they stayed in the same home; what if they were needed and couldn't be found?
 
Small Wonder  
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   Oh damn...
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 He listened to her explanation, tilting his head slightly. He always felt safe in the woods, among the natural shelter nature provided. And Nature was his...just as he was Nature's. But...he was a fae, and he didn't expect humans to entirely understand. So, he would just leave it at his original description.

"Hm? Oh, my friends? Well, if they need to find me, they will. It may seem difficult, but for faes, it works. We can find each other when we need to--for us, it's not hard at all. We're all connected in a way, you could say, and that connection cannot be broken. Well...unless you're an Outcast, but there aren't many of those."

Realizing she probably had no idea what he was talking about, he blinked. "Ah...Outcasts...they are 'bad' fae, you could say, fae that enjoy causing harm just for the sake of causing harm, causing damage just for the thrill...those are Outcasts. They aren't cast out right away...they get lots of chances, and many potential Outcasts are even set straight. But those that refuse to...those are the ones that lose their wings and are cast out. There's no choice but to do that...a fae's wings are the source of their--well, you know--" He grimaced, not wanting to say "magic" or "power", "--and in with their wings, a potential Outcast in dangerous. We don't believe in killing except in self defense, so the concept of execution, as humans use, is non-existant. So, we have to remove their wings...it makes them safe..."

He gave a shudder. The removing of one's wings was the most horrid punishment a fae could endure--among other faes, that is.

And then, quite suddenly, he gave a violent start. Oh, damn! His mouth got working and he just didn't stop! Now she bloody knew about their wings! Oh dear Gods...and given where he was...goddammit!

Stupid stupid stupid!

A look of utter horror passed across his face as he stared at Kaiya, his mouth gaping slightly as it dawned on him.
 
HeavenzGift16
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   << Kaiya and Antaeus
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 It was strange. Kaiya animosity for Makyo, at least, was wearing down the more he talked. Hearing more about him gave the sense of familiarity which thus created less apprehension and Kaiya became more calm. She wasn'tquite aware of her change of feeling--though it was likely to change if it was realized--and was interested in what he was saying. Different cultures made sense in their own ways, she'd seen many different ways of life on their journey to Connlaoth.

She was perplexed by Makyo's sudden look of horror and didn't understand it for a moment until she realzed he was still a magic user and the trust between them was almost nonexistant.

"Kaiya?!" A voice rang loud and strong. Antaeus was walking down the path, picking up the dropped flowers. The guards posted at his home had pointed him in this direction. Kaiya used to pick flowers a lot when she was little.. perhaps they were her's?

"I never saw you," Kaiya said with a weak smile as she slowly stood,rolled her pant leg down to hide her ankle and began to hobble out into the open where Antaeus could see her.

"I'm here, I just stumbled.." She explained, hopping over towards him and getting away from the fire.

"Are you alright?" He asked, lifting her into his arms to get her off her injured ankle.

"I'm fine," she assured him.

Edited by: HeavenzGift16 at: 7/10/04 8:52 pm
 
Small Wonder  
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   Yipe!
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 Makyo's eyes widened even further suddenly, even before he heard a male voice ring out. An all too familiar feeling of emptiness struck him abruptly, making him sway uneasily where he sat as though he had been physically struck...and sheer panic struck him as well when a masculine voice called Kaiya's name, reinforcing what he already knew. He quickly bit his lip to stifle a gasp.

Dear Gods, it was her brother...a...what had she called him? Mordecai? Gods...he had quickly learned to be scared to death of Mordecai, and Makyo wasn't easily spooked. Like most of his tribe, he was a trained fighter. By the laws of his tribe, he was a fighter only in self defense, but he was a fighter just the same, and had fought quite a few battles. But Mordecai...that was way different. The whole concept of Mordecai was, for a fae--or any other magic-user--a concept to be feared.

He looked quickly over to Kaiya, the movement making him feel dizzy in his weakened state. He'd never gotten her word...and here he'd actually grown comfortable around her, and blabbed his whole life story to her without thinking! He should have been prepared for this, and prepared himself to flee, been alert and listening for people approaching! Gods, he was so stupid!

Panic-striken and woozy, he awkwardly started to attempt to rise, prepared to attempt an escape, but Kaiya rose first--and took him completely by surprise when she smiled and told him she never saw him. He blinked in surprise, staring at her as she hobbled away. Was she...serious?

Well...he'd just have to trust that she meant it. The sickening emptiness had increased enough to make him feel faint...oh, damn, the fire! It wasn't bright, but it still crackled softly, which to Makyo sounded deafening. As quietly as he could, he gathered soil into his hands and let it fall onto the flame, snuffing it out. And, that done, he remained crouched, unmoving, close to the ground, wings pressed against his back. He didn't dare move...he was skilled at being quiet when he wanted to be, but drained and dizzy as he felt, he doubted it was possible to move without making a racket. Hell, he doubted he could move without falling over!
 
HeavenzGift16
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   << Kaiya and Antaeus
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 Antaeus looked down where Kaiya had been and cocked an eyebrow. He felt something wasn't right.

"You made a fire?" He asked, seeing and smelling the smoke. "How long have you been here?"

"Just a few hours.. I didn't want to try walking on my ankle until I was sure it was ok to walk on--ya took forever to get home." She answered, trying to take Antaeus' mind off of whatever he was thinking as he looked for something in the direction she and Makyo had been--but he would have left by now, right?

"I know, I'm sorry," Antaeus apologized. "But I'm working a few things out for a new plan of action." He said as he turned and headed home, carrying Kaiya.

When they got home, Antaeus carried Kaiya right to bed, it was late enough anyways.

"Its alright, I'm fine." She assured him again. He offered to make her something to eat, but she said she wasn't hungry. He relunctantly left her room for his own.

She layed awake in her bed for quite a while, thinking about Makyo. She felt horrible to keep it from Antaeus, but she wasn't sure about things. Makyo hardly seemed like the bloodthirsty, heartless killer that had takent he lives of both her sister and brother a few years ago before she and Antaeus had reached the Kingdom. It was their deaths that had truly fueled the fire within Antaeus and it was probably that experience that brought on the Mordecai's powers, for if he had had them before he might have been able to stop the attackers...
 
Small Wonder  
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(7/14/04 2:41 pm)
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   Close call...
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 When Antaeus mentioned the fire...Makyo thought he was, to put it bluntly, screwed. And he would have been if Kaiya hadn't distracted him! Yeesh...if Antaeus had seen him, Makyo would have been virtually helpless. As it was, he felt ill and weak and shaky, barely able to sit without swaying dangerously.

It was not a good state for him to be in.

But, by the grace of some deity that was obviously looking out for him, Antaeus left, along with Kaiya, and with his absense the horrible feeling of emptiness and illness left. For a while, Makyo stayed unmoving, waiting until he was absolutely certain they were gone, before he shakily rose and put out the fire immediately. Argh...he had known it was a bad idea to build a fire. That had nearly cost him, and all thanks to that bleeding heart of his!

He'd just have to be more careful from here on out.

Fire extinguished and hidden, the first thing he did was open his wings and go up onto a high, secure branch in one of the leafiest trees he could find.

He'd had enough close calls in the past few weeks...he didn't want another one anytime soon!
 
HeavenzGift16
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(7/14/04 3:03 pm)
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   Afterthoughts
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 Kaiya sat awake and after a while she pulled the covers off her legs and looked at her ankle. The sludge was gone and as she tried to moveher ankle, she felt no pain. She was both surprised and relieved. She had thought for a while that the 'medicine' Makyo had put on her ankle was nothing at all or something to make it worse--fearing he would fit into the general magic-user mold she'd heard too much about--but his medicine had worked and her ankle felt fine now.

She got up and walked over to her window, which overlooked the forest. Well, one good thing about living on the edge of town was that she could see al the animals at night and a clear view of the sky and stars.

This night was a rather hot night, so she pulled her window open and sat on the edge, letting the breeze catch her hair. She wondered about Makyo... She felt that she had made a friend, but remembered what he was. She liked to be openminded, but she wondered if keeping him a secret and perhaps going to thank him and talk to him would overstep openmindedness and venture into stupidity and betrayal...
 
Small Wonder  
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   Uh...stuff!
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 Makyo didn't remember when he'd fallen asleep. Hell, he'd hardly believed he'd be able to, after that scare. His nerved had been on edge, his body tense...but, sometime during the night, exhaustion had taken its toll. And rightly so! It had been a while since he had slept properly, and the walk home had been pretty tiresome.

He woke with a start to a fuzzy caterpillar crawling across the bridge of his nose, and his eyes crossed as he looked down at it, and gently plucked it off his face, setting it on a nearby branch. "...rude little bugger, waking people up like that," he muttered with a yawn, stretching, and then wincing. Ugh...his back and neck were sore...

Rubbing his neck, and cursing grumpily at himself for forgetting that trees never made the best beds, he slowly picked his way down to the ground--after scanning the forest floor to make sure it was safe. Landing with a soft thud, he stretched out more fully, sighing in relief as his back popped. Ahh...that was a little better...

No more sleeping in trees for him. Ever again. Though, well...he had felt safer up there...

He gave another yawn. Bleh...so tired...

Oh well. He had the uncanny luck of never being able to go back to sleep once wakened, so he might as well start making the rounds.

And, hopefully, this time he wouldn't be interrupted by soldiers or something.

He'd just have to keep on alert. After all, he assumed soldiers would be scouring the woods, since he was supposedly a murderer and all...
 
Small Wonder  
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(8/18/04 6:29 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del   Fly to a dream far across the sea... *on a Nightwish binge*
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 The morning was overall uneventful. Humans had always been the primary source of destruction, and it didn't seem humans came here much--accepting that Kaiya girl--which overall left him with very little to do. After all, Nature took care of Herself. Makyo, and the other faes, were simply there to lend her a Her a helping hand when needed.

That left him with plenty of free time to do as he pleased--at least for the time being. And he was determined to take advantage of that time. He hadn't explored much of the forest thoroughly, for he hadn't been here long--at least not long before being interrupted by those human guards--and he decided he'd do that today. He'd have to be overly cautious, given his position, but there was no way he'd let some self-righteous humans scare him into hiding like a spooked rabbit.

Besides...he was bored and, though he hated to admit it, lonely. It truly was his first time alone...and he wasn't as thrilled about it as he had initially thought he'd be. And, thus, he had hopes of perhaps encountering forest sprites or pixies of some sort. Every wood had those. Even a wood in a country that prohibited magic, he imagined. After all, they tended to run on the smallish side...and they were near impossible to capture.

But first...he had to attend to something that he hadn't the chance to properly attend to...which was really bugging him...

A stream snaked through the woods, and it wasn't difficult to find--Makyo memorized the locations of any water sources he ran across. And, after picking out the deeper spots in it, Makyo thankfully peeled of his soil, sweat and blood-stained clothes, waded out into the stream, which was cool enough to pebble his skin, and promptly began scrubbing the dirt from his skin, hair and irredescent wings.

Blech. Warrior-fae or not, he couldn't stand being dirty and smelly when he didn't have to be. Washing his face at Vernados' place had been a small reprieve, but this was infinitely better.
 
HeavenzGift16
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(8/18/04 9:13 pm)
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   Re: Fly to a dream far across the sea... *on a Nightwish bin
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 Antaeus was out of the house before the sun had even fully risen in the horizon. He left quietly, eating n

Seventy-five gold wouldn't hurt me any 'Phion mused, glaring at Pink who was bouncing along ahead of it, making a game out of leaping over every obstruction on the street. The dragon-cat insisted on coming with it to the village this time and when 'Phion ignored her, fabricated a cloak of her own and trailed it. Damn menace.

'Phion was in it's usual human cloak, the grey haired man in a blue coat with an eyepatch over the right eye. Pink's cloak, however, was irratatingly eye catching. She appeared as a little girl with flame-red hair to her waist, big violet eyes and a very white dress that clasped at her neck with fluffy skirts descending to her ankles which were in equally white lace up boots. The mind flayer focused on her cloak as she scampered, looking down at the actual creature would seem odd. Humans didn't usually walk with their heads down unless they were feeling depressed, and it wasn't sure it could come up with a good depressing reason if it were confronted by a soft-heart.

A tanned woman with light brown hair gathered up in a messy bun passed the red haired girl and the grey haired man. She pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and glanced over her shoulder at them. They were different...somehow. She had no time now to trail them, she had an appointment. The woman let her eyes linger on the pair long enough to get a good impression of what they looked like. The sun was nearly at the roof of the sky, Tearshed would be getting antsy if she didn't show up soon.

Tearshed swished his pointer finger along a ridge of patina crusting the arm rest of the bench he was sitting on. Burgundy was late, she was always late. Damn whore, she was probably busy with a customer. Boredom breeds thought, and think Tearshed did, smirking at the first one that crossed his mind. A whore named after a wine. It was fitting, in a lewd way. And there was the little lewd lady now. Her face was flustered and her steps quick. Tearshed grinned at her, there was no way he could be angry at her when she had guilt painted all over her.

At least it was guilt and not the cheap cosmetics most whores smeared over themselves. Some just didn't have the brains to apply it so they looked better. Burgundy was probably too poor to afford it, which confused Tearshed a little. She was fairly attractive, she was either diseased or had a litter of brats at home to take care of. No matter, the men she did sleep with had no control over their tongues and she was willing to share any interesting information she heard. Which was why this meeting was taking place.

"Sorry," she gasped, slumping beside him. "I got held up a bit."

"Doesn't surprise me," he said softly, tilting his head down some so his words wouldn't be audible to any others. "I'd bet a whore would get a lot of men that can only hold it up a bit. Got anything to tell me?"

Burgundy wanted to roll her eyes at Tearshed's comment, she held back though. "There's a turncoat in the castle."

Tearshed recoiled, blinked a bit to let the shock settle in his mind and leaned forward again, locks of black hair falling over his eyes. "You sure?"

"Yes, I've heard both soldiers and shadows talk about him, in a good sort of way too."

"Shadows eh? Who?"

"Silverleaf's apprentice Pine has given his word and the words of other shadows in that cabal."

"Hmmm, tell me about him."

Thirty feet south of the bench Alcée Maverikko reined his red gelding to a halt. The horse pinned his ears back and stamped his foot, irritated with the sudden stop. "General Verde?"

Verde, a tallish man with unmistakable ginger hair combed away from his face and behind his ears, started and turned towards the voice, leaving him halfway across the street he was crossing. "Ah, Lord Maverikko. Out for a ride?"

"Yes," Alcée answered slowly, he was going to find Paris. Jinny's planning and preparing be damned. Seeing General Verde wasn't an odd enough occurance to halt for. Though seeing General Verde walking in the village wearing civillian clothes was... odd. "What brings you out here?"

Verde put his hands in his pockets and licked his lips. "My sister is ill. I wanted to see her without drawing attention to myself."

"Then I won't keep you from her," Alcée nudged his horse forward, keeping his eyes on the road and his thoughts back on Verde. Without drawing attention... Verde couldn't get that much attention when he was visiting.

Verde counted to three after Alcée rode off, looking over his shoulder on three. His horse was traveling at a steady pace, his hair wasn't disturbed, there was no flash of sudden movement. Good, the Mordecai had no reason to be suspicious, he was only here to see his sister after all.

Tearshed smirked, Burgundy definitely earned her gold this time. Her news made his blood run a little faster. Or, perhaps it was just her. He pulled a few coins from his pocket and placed them in Burgundy's palm, clasping his fingers around her hand. "How'd you like to double that?" He breathed, perking an eyebrow.

Burgundy fought the shudder, but there was nothing she could do about the sickening air curling in her stomach. Just because she Saw her meeting the evening before didn't mean she had to be accept it completely. There was nothing she could do to avert it without destroying the wheels she set in motion, so she smiled coyly, raising both eyebrows.

"Try and catch me!" Pink called, leaping into the air and hovering, her cloak jumped and whirled. 'Phion looked annoyed, as always, but Pink didn't care. This was the first time in a long week and half that she got to go out and stretch her wings. She skirted around the corner of a building onto another street, tossing her head back and laughing.

<center><font size=7>!!! BOOM! </font></center>

For a deafening moment the entire street was lit up by rolling flames that came racing from the doors of the buildings. Black smoke lingered thickly after the explosion, blotting the sun for a moment until the breeze dissapated it.

The closeness of the blast made 'Phion lose his footing. The mind flayer shook its head and stared dully into the smoke. It'd been a while since he'd been in a city where one had to watch for explosions...

"F*cking hell," Tearshed growled, grinding his heels into the ground and looking up at the cloud of smoke snaking its way up the sky. He let go of Burgundy's hand and clenched his fists.

Burgundy didn't hold back her grin. This occurance was so very wrong, but she did love surprises.

---

Pink couldn't remember why she was on the ground. Her nose, mouth and chest burned and itched. All she could see were wisps of black and grey. She couldn't move, and she tried. Tried standing, tried fluttering her wings, tried lifting her head. Nothing would budge, they all felt so heavy. The shallow breathes she managed to suck in stung bitterly. If only her eyelids would close, so she could wake up from this nightmare.

'Phion stood and walked into the destroyed street as the smoke was clearing. The explosion charred everything in its path to a dull black. Everything, except for Pink's cloak which lay bent in the center of the street, it's white dress and red hair bright against the char. 'Phion dismissed it and stood looking down at Pink.

Her eyes were open, staring up at him because the eyelids were burnt off. What remained of her fur was blackened and stiff. The leathers of her wings were gone and only the stumps remained. Lines of smoke curled off her body which in most places was burnt enough so the flesh clung to the contours of her skeleton. She drew a little breath and her pupils flitted over to him, widened a little.

"There is no hope for you," 'Phion chimed, crossing its arms. "Rest your eyes and it will be over quicker."

Once the explosion sounded the animals within hearing range paniced. Alcée's red gelding flung his head up and spun away from the street. He ran for a block and a half before Alcée got him back under control.

"Sh*t," Alcée looked over his shoulder and scowled at the rising smoke. He couldn't afford to be drawn into this situation, Paris was out in the world somewhere and needed to be found. He nudged the gelding into a rolling canter, which the horse happily complied, and guided him on the road leading to the castle. After he left the village he could sweep around and continue on from there.

Burgundy ran, letting her shawl fly behind her like the wings of a bird. Tearshed left her soon after the disturbance and she fled as soon as he was gone. The streets nearby were full of running people and animals, but their feet were fueled by fear, anxiety or pure curiousity while Burgundy was almost dancing with joy.

Pink sputtered and tried to get to her feet. 'Phion was lying, right? It was just being cynical like it always was, right?

It was leaving. Pink drew a whistling breath and called after him mentally.

Ulliphion!

'Phion!

Don't go.

Please don't go.

Please??

The mind flayer melted into the crowds of people entering the street, curious onlookers and those desperately trying to find loved ones who had business on the street that day. One woman began crying loudly.

Pink's neck wouldn't move, so she couldn't turn to look at the newcomers. She would catch snatches of glimpses of them. Rushing away, not even noticing that she was there. Their colors faded, dulling to greys and finally jet black. The burning smell fading to an afterthought and the heaviness in her limbs diminishing. Then thumping of feet against the burned earth began to quiet, leaving only the sound of the woman crying to linger on a moment before it too faded away.

It seemed it had taken Makyo forever to reach the castle gates and now, as he approached them, he felt about ready to keel over in exhaustion. Normally, travelling over long distances didn't really phase him; he could walk when his wings got tired and fly when his feet got tired, after all! However...that was only if he was in good health.

He had been too utterly exhausted to even fathom flying, and the trip by foot had taken days...he had lost count; he didn't know how many, anymore. Far too long, that was certain. And he had been far too slow, and in far too much pain, to keep up with the man he had tried to follow. Hell, it was a miracle he even made it to Serendipity! He didn't know the way! But once he'd gotten out of Connlaoth, he'd chosen to stick to the roads and had asked a few people along the way, and only because of that had he made it.

About halfway into the journey he'd suddenly regretted his decision, and even seriously considered turning back, and might have if he already hadn't come so far! His arm, previously wounded from an arrow and treated only haphazardly, due to the hurry he was in, had begun to grow infected, and the pain had only increased in it as the days passed, the skin around the wound growing inflamed and angry. Now, as he staggered up to the castle gates, he was starting to feel the first signs of fever...but...he just had to get there...

He'd heard of the army whose aim was only to destroy. And though fae had no concept of good or evil, that did not mean they didn't have a code of ethics and honor. Their duty was to nature as a whole; and war was unnatural, and not exclusive at all to only those who fought it. There were innocents involved...wars could maim the Earth itself...

But as he finally approached the gates and was stopped by a set of guards, it suddenly occured to Makyo: either he was on time and the war hadn't yet begun, or it had already finished. It was...quiet beyond those gates...

"I...I am Makyo...Makyo of the Orinae Tribe...of fae," he told the guards, bowing his head respectfully and touching his hand to his heart briefly. It was a quick motion, though if he had been in the presence of someone of even higher authority, as in a King, Queen, Elder, or Noble, the posture would have been held longer. Not that that would matter or that they'd know of his tribe or what all the gestures meant. But just as he would report to the Elders and Nobles of his own tribe, he would do so to human leaders, out of respect. "I came to...because I heard there was gonna be a war...and a friend of mine, I think he came ahead of me..."

Well, he didn't really know him, but the way Makyo saw it, it didn't hurt to call him that. Cleared up complications, and Makyo was in no state to explain. He was exhausted, his metallic green, dragonfly wings drooping...and the fever in his body was visible, flushing his cheeks and making a fine layer of sweat coat his skin, making strands of his wild blonde hair cling to his face.

[pardon the crappy, crappy title...of anyone can think of anything better...rename it! XD]

Beatrid followed Fahmida as she lead the way to the village, all the while smirking to herself. Kuro would be late, and he'd be reprimanded, the show-off. And he'd deserve it, too, for not following orders. Because he was obviously too good to follow orders like the rest of the Mordecai.

...Which was, as of late, herself.

She had no idea where this Antaeus she'd heard of was, or where he fit into the scheme of things, and Tyne, as usual, was off doing his own thing. Probably hitting the sweet shop or flustering another tutor. Anything to avoid work. And then there was Kuro, of course, who also did his own thing, because he was better than the rest of them. He wouldn't even let her do her job! Everytime she was in some element of danger he had to go and play knight in shining armor and save the only female Mordecai, because she had apparently turned into a damsel in distress without even knowing about it. Oooh, but she couldn't think of another person that aggravated her more than him!

Newsflash! She was a Mordecai! A trained soldier! Of course she was going to be put in dangerous situations, and she had accepted that when she took on the job! She didn't need saving. And someone injuring themself to save her from injury was just...just...stupid.

She'd do it for someone else without a thought. But she didn't need someone else doing that for her. She didn't like being in anyone's debt.

And she didn't like being the only responsible Mordecai, either. It was crap.

However, all feelings of frustration and aggravation faded away when she saw what state the part of the village they had entered was in.

Holy hells.

It looked like a warzone.

On impulse, Beatrid tossed her long braid out of the way and reached back to take her crossbow, holding it out in front of her and loading a bolt into it. Couldn't be too cautious.

Glancing over at Fahmida, she finally spoke up for the first time since following the woman, working moisture back into her suddenly dry mouth. "What...what happened, here?" Whatever it was, it looked recent. Beatrid could still feel the heat from the attack, and the smoke was making her eyes sting.

__________________QUICKFAX
Name
Niaaki D'varan
Age
23
Gender
Male
Orientation
Pansexual
Species
Half fae, half human.
Height
5'5"
Occupation
Ex-noble/freeloader
Birth Place
Featherfall, Serendipity
Additional Images
Niaaki
Yuuki and Niaaki
Niaaki's scars

TRUFAX__________________
Physical Description
Niaaki is fair-skinned with a slim build that's a little on the underweight side. He has a fine-boned facial structure and androgynous looks, due to his fae heritage, and he is often mistaken for a pretty woman as a result. His shoulder-length hair is silver in color, his ears are pointed, and his eyes are a silvery blue.

He typically dresses in plain traveling clothes (and oh so misses the days when he could buy richer things), and dresses modestly, usually making sure his arms are covered to his wrists. He sometimes wears gloves, as well. His only accessories are a corded necklace with a small teardrop sapphire, matching earrings, and a ring with his House's sigil on it.

Beneath his clothes (and the reason he always wears long sleeves and keeps covered up) he is marked by a series of intricate, interwoven designs that look almost like tattoos. They are a pale violet in color but stand out obviously against his light skin. They start on his right arm, starting at the wrist and working up to his shoulders, decorating both and spreading to the back of his neck and partway down his spine. The same pattern is then duplicated on his lower back, hips, buttocks, and down his left leg to the top of his foot. Though quite pretty and intricate, these are actually scars--scars caused by the bad reaction magic had on his body when he was born. They do not look or feel like normal scars, for the skin is perfectly smooth.

Wherever he goes, he also carries with him an old, ragged doll (named Butch) that is literally falling apart at the seams and has been stitched and patched back up multiple times, has most of its yellow yarn hair missing, and has one blue button eye gone.

Personality
Niaaki is stubborn, playful, spoiled, headstrong, selfish, manipulative, capricious, and determined. He wants what he wants and he will find a way to get it, whether it's by laying on the charm, hinting, pouting, begging and pleading, outright demanding it, scamming, or just by working out some way to pulls enough strings to finally get the result he wants. Being part fae, he feels his emotions very strongly, though while he does have a temper, he generally burns cold and steady after the initial outburst, snubbing the one who pissed him off. (At least until he eventually forgets to be mad.)

He has a playful sense of humor, enjoying silly banter and often making jokes at his own expense or playing along with random scenarios. He's extremely loyal and would do anything for a friend, and stand by them against all odds. Niaaki is also very trusting--to the point of naivete. While he realizes there is bad stuff in the world, he doesn't quite realize how bad, and so is prone to making bad judgment calls and poor decisions.

He's a very tactile, affectionate person that loves touching and being touched. Hell, he just loves attention, period, whether it's good or bad. He loathes being ignored.

Beneath all that, however, is a shy and insecure person. In a lot of ways, Niaaki just feels inadequate, for he sees himself as a weak, scrawny, unattractive person and doesn't really have much faith that anyone could love him. Most people mistake him for a girl, men and women alike, and are disinterested when they find out he's male. Kind of a blow to the self-esteem, as he desperately wants to be accepted as he is. He is also quite co-dependent as a result of his low self-esteem.

He just does a good of hiding all that beneath everything else.

Weaknesses
He's physically frail, thanks to being born sickly and almost dying as an infant, and the side-effects of that rough start seem to be that he can't gain weight no matter how much he eats. His body can only handle so much magic at a time, and expending too much magical energy can seriously drain him, which often has physical effects. When that happens, his scars bleed.

Niaaki is claustrophobic. Small closed spaces can send him into a panic, even though he has no logical reason to fear them. But he does have fae blood, and claustrophobia tends to be an instinct within that particular race.

Strengths
Magically, he is strong and has the potential to do some nasty, potent spellwork. He just has to be careful not to draw too much magic, or he could hurt himself. He's found ways to make his magic work without expending too much energy himself, such as enchanting items for others to use by slowly building upon a single enchantment for days, piecing it together like a sewing project.

Niaaki can be diplomatic when the need arises. And while he doesn't like confrontations, he also doesn't shirk them--he hates to leave things unfinished, and he will not hesitate to fight back. He has a strong will and likes to get his way, and he will go to any length to get it. And, though he hates his appearance...he also knows how to use it. It comes in handy when it comes to playing the innocent card and getting people to do what you want.

Magic/Abilities
Niaaki's body is not a strong enough vessel for the magic he possesses, so it had to be sealed into an inanimate, inorganic object of some sort. His doll, Butch, serves this purpose. The doll was close by and convenient at the time--an object that no one would care to steal. However, if the object is destroyed, the magic would need another vessel and without another vessel readily available, it would return to the obvious one--Niaaki--which could be disastrous for him. If stolen, while the thief would not be able to wield the magic, the thief could manipulate Niaaki. Quite literally, as magic is an intrinsic part of his very existence.

To use his magic, Niaaki has to be touching Butch. The contact establishes a connection between he and his magic, and allows the magic to channel into and through his body, allowing him to draw upon as much or as little as he wants at any given time. His magic is purely elemental.

Relationships
His mother died giving birth to him. His father, Akaaji, is a noble, likely still alive unless he was murdered or something, as those with fae blood have lengthy lifespans. Niaaki was an only child. Niaaki doesn't really want anything to do with his blood-family, though. His new family is Yuuki, who is like the older brother he never had. Yuuki is his family; Niaaki doesn't really consider his father to be family, and he considers the whole "blood is thicker than water" line to be a crock.

History
Niaaki was born sickly, and his rough start in life has affected the rest of his life, as well. The thing is, it was his own fae blood that almost did him in, and DID kill his mother in childbirth. Niaaki is one-fourth fae, and three-forths human, and that seems to be a deadly ratio, as was soon discovered. Even though other fae genes might be dilluted as they mingle with a human's, the fae magic, the very essence of a fae's being, stays just as potent. A half-human, half-fae would have enough fae blood to be able to withstand the magic, and a third-fae and two-thirds humans would have a bit of a hard time, but could persevere. However, Niaaki simply has too little fae blood and too much human in him to be able to handle such potent magic.

With fae, the magic within them springs to life at birth. In other cases, this process would be unnoticeable; the little fae, no matter how small and weak, would be able to handle the magic. However, Niaaki could not, and instead of gently springing forth, the magic assaulted him. His body could not handle it, could not hold it, and some of it even lashed out at his human mother.

It was only the quick improvising of his father, who was part fae himself, that saved him. He managed to place the magic into a doll--an inanimate object could handle it safely whereas a living, flesh and blood body could not--where the magic still dwells today.

His actions saved Niaaki, but Niaaki's mother died a short time later, and Niaaki was forever scarred from his rough introduction into the world. The magic's assault weakened him horribly, and even after he was saved, he almost didn't make it, and he's had quite a few close calls in his life due to this. His body has never been able to recover from this experience and is, likely, forever damaged.

Niaaki grew up the son of a noble, and lived on the estate for most of his life (which isn't very long). It was a peaceful life, and he had everything he could want and, yes, he was spoiled like mad. But he was ignored by his father who never got over the loss of his wife, and who blamed Niaaki for taking her away from him. So, Niaaki truly got everything he wanted except affection, which was what he truly wanted the most.

Ultimately, it was at the age of thirteen when he would run away from home. He'd always known about how his mother died; he'd been told the full story long ago, because his father was brutally honest when asked a question. And he knew his father didn't like him, that he was angry at him, but yet he put up with all the cold shoulders because he felt that, deep down, he was loved, even if he was never told such. After all, his father took care of him. Actions spoke louder than words, right? Yet one night at supper he dredged up the courage to actually ask--and the answer was no. His father didn't love him. He only raised him out of obligation. Niaaki would grow up a proper noble and carry on their house's name in honor. That was the depth of his love.

Niaaki ran away two days later at the age of thirteen, and...that wasn't such a smart move at the time. Truth be told, he didn't actually intend to stay away. It was more like the typical teen stunt that kids pull, only wanting to run away for a little while in the hopes of "teaching them a lesson" and changing their folks' minds. And after all, he had no experience with life outside the grounds of the estate. He'd been to the marketplaces and villages before, but never alone.

So, of course, one of the first things that happened was he got horribly lost.

The next thing that happened was he got mugged.

Wearing fine attire kinda made him stand out, and his lost "I don't know what the hell I'm dooooing..." expression probably didn't help.

Anyways, it was during this time that he met Yuuki, probably while he was curled up sobbing somewhere after getting robbed, not knowing what to do or where to go and hungry on top of it all. In any case, the older (by four years) and streetsmart Yuuki took Niaaki under his wing and got him food at an inn, where they introduced one another, and they've been together ever since. ^__^ Yuuki was apparently attracted to Niaaki because he reminded him of his younger brother, who had been murdered. And Niaaki was drawn to Yuuki because, finally, there was someone in his small world that actually cared, someone that could love him.

So, in the end, instead of running away for a day or two like he had planned...he's been running away for about four years now, and has no plans whatsoever of going back.

Aaand...Niaaki has no idea that Yuuki knew about him a few days before they actually met. Heh...Yuuki first learned about Niaaki because he heard of some lord wanting to marry off his daughter. By accident, since Yuuki didn't know what lord was being talked about, he ended up following Niaaki and his father home, thinking Niaaki was a girl. However, when he asked Niaaki's father about his "daughter", Niaaki's father replied he had no daughter and sent Yuuki off on his way.

So, no...Niaaki does not know about this, and probably never will. XD Yet it was this little incident that, in truth, was the cataclysm that caused Niaaki to run away from home. See, this little mistake put his father in a pretty darned bad mood because he was already disappointed in Niaaki for a lot of different reasons, and now having his son mistaken for a daughter...yeah, that was pretty depressing. It happened to be this night that Niaaki asked the question that would cause him to run away.

Dis
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(10/16/03 6:56 am)
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 A large white dragon appears over the treetops, vast wings beating the air. Her thunderous roar makes the ground shake and scares the birds into panicked flight, but it is a cry of pain, not of anger.

Her wings buckle, and she falls downward in a haphazard spiral and crashes to the ground, raising up a cloud of dust. When the dust cloud clears, she can be seen writhing there on the ground, growling and snapping her teeth. She bleeds from dozens of cuts and punctures all over her body, but that is not what pains her so. It is the egg she strains to lay, the egg that is trapped inside her, killing her, tearing her open as she tries to force it from her body.
 
Dis
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(10/17/03 5:29 am)
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 At last, the dragon bellows a mighty roar and the egg falls from her body with an outpour of blood and fluids. She collapses, utterly spent.

For a long time, she lies still as death, then her eyes open to slits. She strains to pick herself up and turn herself around, clawing her way inch by inch to the egg. Must destroy it. Must close her jaws over the leathery sphere and crush the hateful thing inside. She can feel her body dying all around her, but her eyes burn with hate for that egg.
 
Maelthra
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 The young woman scanned the earth with large, dove gray eyes. Where was the pain and hate coming from...?

There! She folded her small, leathery white wings and landed, thick tail of the same color swaying lightly behind her. It was adorned with a small red bow, as was her slender throat. Clawed feet carried her swiftly toward the white dragoness, her flute clutched in one slender hand. "Oh my! Are you alright?" She asked in a language all dragons could understand.

She had spent much of her time around dragons, and her flute's music had a special effect on dragons of all kinds. Still, she could not help worrying over these majestic creatures.
 
Dis
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(10/17/03 2:19 pm)
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 The dragoness collapses. She can move no more, not even to get to the egg. She says a quick prayer of thanks when Maelthra comes to her aid. With a supreme effort, she growls out her wishes.

"You must destroy it," she says, and blood gurgles from her mouth when she speaks. "I am dying and I cannot. Please, it is an evil thing. I cannot bear to inflict it upon the world. Worry not for me, just destroy it!" She tries one more time to reach the egg, to close her claws around it and crush it, but she cannot reach it. Her whole body shudders. Her time is nigh.
 
 
 
Maelthra
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 Maelthra gasps at the request, looking over at the egg. She couldn't possibly be serious? She wouldn't wish death on her own egg would she?

"But...but i can't!" She began to protest, but the dragoness gave her last, painful breath. She was at peace now, but Maelthra is not. Could she really bring herself to destroy it?

Slowly, she comes up to the egg and kneels beside it, placing her free hand on the leathery surface. Evil...could something not yet born, not yet truly living be evil?

Now she had to make a choice, one that was so terribly hard for one who cared about the earth, and also for dragons. How could she bring herself to destroy it???
 
Dis
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(10/17/03 3:11 pm)
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 The egg is large, almost as tall as half the height of a man. As if Maelthra's touch triggered something, the egg bucks beneath her hand. The leathery sphere stretches and bulges, and through the semi-transparent membrane, something can be seen moving inside, fighting to get out.

The sun creeps out from behind a cloud, casting light onto the egg. The thing inside pushes against the side of its prison. The light hits it just right, shining through the thin membrane, and the sillhouette of what looks disturbingly like a human hand pressed flat against the inside of the egg can be seen.
 
Maelthra
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 The young woman gasps and falls flat on her rump. Her bow tipped tail is quick to curl into her lap, leathery wings pressed tight to her shoulers. Her already large, reflective eyes grow wider as the sun hits that leathery thing just right...

"Oh my heavens...." She whispers in disbelief, getting to her knees yet again and leaning foreward. Too human...it looked too human. She couldn't destroy it...she simply could not bring herself to destroy it.

Slowly, she sets her own hand against the side of the egg yet again, right over the sillhouetted hand on the inside of the egg. What was this...?
 
Dis
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(10/17/03 4:34 pm)
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 The thing inside the egg grows quiet when she places her hand over its own. Its struggles cease and it remains calm and peaceful for a few moments, made still by her presence. Then the hand pulls away, and with a final, frantic attack, the outer membrane is torn apart and Dis falls naked from the egg in a wash of embryonic fluids.

He falls to the earth, mouth open in a wordless cry as he struggles to take a breath. He gags, then vomits and choaks and hacks until his lungs are clear of fluid and he can at last gulp in a few breaths of air. With an animalistic snarl, he wipes the stuff from his eyes and opens them to slits. Beside him, half hanging out of the egg, is the dragon embryo whose life he stole to save his own. That much he remembers.

Shaking, confused, and without the sense to make words at the moment, he gets to his knees and squints up at Maelthra, blinking in the bright sun.
 
Maelthra
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 For that brief moment she can feel the strange creature grow calm. She usually had that effect on beings, mostly dragons. She knew this was no dragon.

Biting her lip, she again scoots away from the egg as it finally hatches. Her head jerks to the side as the man falls out of the egg, a semi developed dragon also spilling forth. A few of her golden curls fall in her face as she simply stares. She can tell already the baby dragon is not alive, its limp, soggy form never having the chance to live.

With a few shakey breaths she stands, flute clutched to her chest. "Are you..." She gulped, steadying her voice. "Are you ok?" She managed, dove gray eyes fixed on his shaking form.
 
Dis
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 He opens his mouth, but only formless sounds come forth, and he clamps it shut again. For a brief, panicky moment, he thinks he's forgotten how to speak.

No. Deep breaths. Now, say it: "I...I need..."

Need what? He looks down at his naked body, which is dripping with gooey embryonic fluids. Disgusting. "Take me to a lake, or a stream. I need to wash."
 
Maelthra
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 Hearing his request, the young woman nods. "Alright, give me a moment." Kneeling a little, she launches herself into the air, white leathery wings unfurling. Her bell shaped dress fluttered about as she scanned the trees, looking for an opening that signaled water.

There, her dove gray eyes spotting the winding stream. Turning around mid-air, she quickly flies her way back to the gooey mess of a man. Hovering above him, the many layers of lace under her dress keeping her from flashing him or somesuch, she grins. "OK, i found one. This way." She slowly begins back tracking her way to the stream not far off.
 
Dis
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(10/17/03 7:53 pm)
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 Dis gets to his feet and falls right down again, his legs giving out on him after months of hibernation in that egg. He curses and stays on the ground a moment, catching his breath.

When he is ready, he pulls himself up again, slowly this time, and gets his legs under him. His whole body is shaking uncontrollably, but he will accept to help. He walks on his own, making slow progress at first, but becoming more confident in his steps the farther he goes.

He staggers after Maelthra, unconcerned with his nakedness. At sight of the water, he makes a sound that is half sigh, half groan, and lurches forward, wading into the middle of the stream. He stands frozen in the waste-deep water, eyes closed, his senses reawakening with frightening sensitivity. Every current of cold water, every bird singing in a shrill voice, every scented flower is a painful overload of sensation to his raw nerves.
 
Maelthra
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 She watches him with her natural worry, somehow knowing he is not the type to accept help. She does not seem concerned at any extent with his nakedness either, and continues to slowly flit along.

When he finally reaches the water, she hovers near the shore, clawed toes just inches from the earth. Her bow tipped tail gently waves behind her, her hands gently clasped together at her front. She was still wondering why he would have been in a dragon's egg in the first place, why that dragon felt he was so evil.

Evil or not, Maelthra was always one to help others. The next thing that flitted to mind was that he would need clothing soon. She was grateful this had all happened right on the outskirts of a town, for there would be plenty of places to shop there. For now, though, she waited for him to finish bathing before voicing any of her concerns or ideas.
 
Dis
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(10/17/03 8:09 pm)
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 Dis goes under, then comes back up again. He comes his fingers through his hair, trying to get all that crap out of it, when he peers over at Maelthra with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, don't just stand there. Go get me some clothes, and try not to take forever about it."

Again, he goes under, and again he comes up and wrings out his rust-colored hair. The embryonic fluids seem to be washing out of it nicely.
 
Maelthra
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 A fresh frown breaks out at his demand and she crosses her arms. With a little huff she flies over to him...
And promptly smacks him over the head with her solid wood flute. She then turns and darts off into the air, towards the village.

She'd get him clothing, of course, but that didn't mean she wouldn't smack him again the next time he tried to order her around.
 
Dis
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 "Ow!" He grabs his head and splashes water at her, but she's too quick for him.

The moment she's out of sight, he tries summoning, but he is out of touch with even the first level of Hell. He tries a Glamour, his best and most developed craft, but cannot conjure even a ghost light. He tries everything he can think of, taps ever talent, but his channels are closed.

He washes his whole body clean, considering all the while how he can best recover from his current. He has so much to do, he doesn't even know where to start.

When he is done washing, he drinks his fill of the fresh water, then wades back out and stands on the bank to wait for the girl. Physical needs must come first: clothing, food, and shelter. Then he will see about the rest.
 
Maelthra
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 She flew up from behind him and dropped the newly perchased clothing on his head. "Hope you had a nice bath." She said with a grin, crossing her arms and staying just out of reach in the air.

Pulling her flute out from the folds of her dress, she begins playing one of her happy tunes. For a simple flute, it made some very beautiful music.
 
Dis
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(10/17/03 9:12 pm)
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 Her cheerfulness is like a cheese grater on his nerves. His eye twitches when she starts with the happy music, and he wants more than anything to yank the flute from her hands and break the damn thing in half.

After pulling on his clothes, he starts back toward the village. "I'm famished," he says over his shoulder. "Is there a place we can eat?"
 
Maelthra
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 She quirked an eyebrow, noticing his apparent annoyance with her song. Chuckling, she tucks it back into her dress and flips a few times in the air.

As he walks, she follows in the air, white wings beating every so often. "There are plenty of taverns and restaurants and such in the village." She answered calmly, then remembered what the dragon had said. Frowning, she zoomed in front of him and touched down. "The dragon that gave birth to that egg you were in was dead set on destroying it. She said it was evil." Her large eyes were unreadable. "Why do you think she would say that? I'm sure its not just because you stole the life of her real baby."
 
Dis
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(10/18/03 12:11 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del   don't worry your pretty little head about it
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 He chuckles, a smooth and charming sound. "She exaggerated," he says, slipping past Maelthra and continuing on. He can see the village through the trees up ahead. "Don't worry about it."

He stops at the outskirts of the village, and his eyes drink in the sights as he speaks. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to pay. I have nothing. No coin, no possessions, nothing. Whatever you spend I will pay back with interest. So, where are we going?"
 
Maelthra
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(10/18/03 12:19 pm)
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 She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her small nose before trotting to keep up with him. Falling into step behind him, she glances around. She wondered if Slash had apologized to that girl yet...

Hearing him speak, she glances up at him. "Well, technically you have one possession: your clothing. I don't mind paying." She gave a small shrug and twitched her bow tipped tail. She allowed her sharp eyes to scan all the different places on either side of the dirt and cobbled street. "Um..." She chewed on her bottom lip out of habit, thinking on it. She guessed he'd probably prefer a tavern of some kind.

With a small sigh she wondered off down the street and used her sense of smell to find a tavern that had half decent food. "Mmm, this doesn't look half bad." She mused, slipping inside.
 
Dis
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(10/18/03 12:32 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del   tell me...
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 Dis takes a stool at the bar and sits with a frown of concentration knotting his brow. This place, this whole village, reeks of black magic and foul intentions. How fortunate. He orders without really paying attention to what he is saying. So much to do, so much recover.

"Tell me about this place," he says to her. "Everything you know. Where am I? What kinds of people live here? How many other villages are there nearby? Where do you live?" All this he says while staring straight ahead, elbows propped up on the table and hands clasped together in front of his mouth.
 
Slash
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(10/18/03 3:04 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del   False Alarm, or So to Say
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 I find myself speeding into the Dark Mage Village. What is Maelthra doing here? This is probably why my senses went wild. I land in front of a Tavern and rush inside, slamming the doors open. I spot Maelthra, peacefully sitting with a man and my paniced look disapates. I calmly proceed to the table where she sits with this human. I do not trust him. He has a sort of akward aura that I cannot pinpoint on. I pull out a chair and sit next to Maelthra, but as far away from the human as possible. "What's going on here?" I ask the femme gargoyle as I keep my eye on the human.
 
Mealthra
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 She didn't mind all the questions and set to answering them, not bothering to order anything for herself. "Well, this is the Dark Mage Village. Basically those who prefer to practice the dark arts without being hunted for it live here. There is the Light Mage Village near by, and then Adela and Serendipity kingdoms a bit beyond that. And i don't live anywhere in particular. I just wander, as many do." She answered calmly, curling her bow tipped tail into her lap.

Jumping, she swivles in her chair and beams at Slash when she spots him. "Hello again Slash! Did you find that girl and apologize? Oh, i'm helping this gentleman get his barrings straight. Popped right out of a dragon egg, strangest thing i've ever seen." She decided not to mention the fact the mother dragon had died trying to reach and destroy that egg before it hatched.
 
Dis
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(10/18/03 3:30 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del   mmm
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 The food is placed before him and he eats it all one slow bite at a time, closing his eyes and relishing the texture of the food, the taste on his tongue. How good it is to be alive and awake!

The bartender asks if he wants more, but he asks only for a glass of water. "Who are you and how to you know this girl?" he says to Slash, sipping at the water.
 
Slash
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(10/18/03 3:55 pm)
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 It is most certain that this individual cannot be trusted. I don't know why Maelthra is helping him. "No, I couldn't find her. I thought you were in distress, so I came as fast as I could." I speak to Maelthra as I turn the human and glare at him. "I am Slash Dracomoon and Maelthra here is all my heart desires. Who are you, might I ask? And why are you so demanding?" Yes, demanding people are on my dislike list. There is a possibility that this one might have more to him that I'll dislike. I drape my wings over my back like a cape and I mischeviously wrap my tail around Maelthra's leg.
 
Maelthra
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 "Oh, hmm. Well, if we see her again you can apologize then." She pulls out her flute and gently taps it on the wooden bar, deciding playing it in such a setting would not be wise.

She nearly begins laughing at the shifty, non-trusting tone to Slash's voice. Over protective...She gives a small squeak and glances down as Slash's tail curls around her leg. Wiggling her clawed toes, she isn't sure whether to be offended or to laugh.
 
Dis
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(10/18/03 4:09 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del   back to my dragon friend
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 An involuntary grin curls his lips. "Is she?" he says, devouring both of them with his eyes, noting their body language, the way they talk to each other, the way Slash wraps his tail around Maelthra's leg. "Good to know. And you can call me Dis, by the way."

He hops off the stool, leaving Maelthra to pay, and ventures out into the bright sunlight. He's feeling stronger now, less helpless, and he has an idea.

The huge, fresh carcass of the dragoness who bore him here is still lying in the middle of the village. It has begun to draw a crowd. Dis ventures over and looks down at all the blood and bodily fluid that is drying on the grass. "Ugh, what a disgusting mess." He slaps one hand against the dead dragoness's flank. "Varala, my dear, you do know how to make an exit."
 
Slash
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(10/18/03 11:26 pm)
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 Thankfully, he's gone.I truely disliked the way he looked at us after I told him about my love for Maelthra. I have a feeling that this isn't the last time I will see him. Before Maelthra could even dig inher pockets for money to pay for his meal, I drop a couple of gold pieces on the table. "Why do you burden yourself for this human? He is not one to be trusted. How did you come across him anyway?" Of course I ask, but not because I am curious. I ask in concern for my love's safety. I stand up from my seat and hold out a hand to offer to help her up from her seat. I know she doesn't need the help, but I thought it would be very gentleman like of me.
 
Maelthra
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(10/18/03 11:33 pm)
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 She didn't like the look Dis gave them either. But for now, she'd brush it aside. Blinking, she watched Slash pay for the food and shook her head. It wasn't necissary, but it was kind of him.

Grinning, she took his hand and hopped off the stool. "He was pretty bad off after popping out of that dragons...oh my!" She suddenly darted out of the inn, making a bee-line for the carcass.

She watched Dis smack the dragon's rump and frowned, taking to the air. Coming up behind him, she again smacked him with the flute. "Don't disrespect her body like that!" She commanded, then flitted over to the dragoness' head. Landing, she went to her knees and bowed, letting go a prayer for the dragon's soul.

As a Dragon Charmer, it was her duty to make sure this ritual was completed.
 
Dis
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(10/19/03 8:53 am)
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 Dis avoids the flute this time, jerking his head to the side in a swift, snake-like movement. "Hmm," he says, lost in his own thoughts again. He ambles along the length of the dragon's carcass, trailing his hand across the body and staining his fingers with dragon's blood.

He stops at the limp, half-formed body of the baby dragon. He stares down at it with youthful curiosity in his pretty eyes, absently licking the blood from his fingertips.

Meanwhile, Maelthra's prayer is beginning to move the dragon's spirit. The body shimmers and the spirit rises up, trying to take shape with the help of Maelthra's prayer.
 
Slash
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(10/19/03 10:06 am)
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 I trail out of the Tavern after Maelthra and watch her zoom off in a certain direction. I follow, not too far behind, but stop at the grusome sight. I watch as Maelthra swings and misses at Dis' head and then begin a prayer. I continue to watch as the bastard disrespects the dragon's corpse. It seems as if he is the reason for this dragon's death. I refuse to take anymore of this. I hope I'm not mistaking this, for my actions are harsh. I unfold my massive wingspan and give my wings a strong flap. This launches me forward, off the ground and at full speed. I pull back a fist in rage and slam it into the human's face. Not too hard though, I don't want to kill him. Just hard enough for him to understand the faulty of his actions.
 
Dis
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(10/19/03 10:15 am)
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 He sees it coming, he knows what will happen, but his reflexes are not quite recovered yet, and he makes no move to avoid the attack. Slash's fist slams into his face and sends him sprawling on the ground.

Dis' head rings for a moment. He is on his back, looking up at the clouds as they drift across the perfect blue of the sky. The force of the blow made him bit his lip and blood trickles down his chin. It is a curious sensation, this pain, after spending months in numb sleep. He sighs, a sound full of weariness and frustration. "Why did you do that?" he says, his eyes still on the clouds overhead.
 
Maelthra
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 She was too in depth in the prayer to notice anything else going on around her. Slender hands clasped together, she continued to chant softly in the native language of dragons.

Her own leathery wings were half way open, curling around her small form. Her tail lay still on the earth as she continued to urge the spirit to fly to the greater resting place. After the mother, she'd pray for the unborn baby.
 
Slash
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(10/19/03 10:47 am)
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Reply | Edit | Del   Not Good to Piss off a Weredragon
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 "You deserved ever bit of that! That is no way to treat a corpse! Especially a dragon! The way it seems, you killed it. White dragons are peaceful ones. They never go about the harm of others." It is ideal that I am very angry at this human. I'm not the hot-headed type and it takes a lot to get me mad, but Dis has crossed the line. Whatever happens to him in the future, I will hold no remorse to him.
 
Dis
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(10/19/03 11:08 am)
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Reply | Edit | Del   uh huh
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 "Don't be so quick to judge," Dis says, looking insulted and a bit disappointed as he pulls himself up off the ground.

The dragon's spirit rises and takes shape. She does not depart for the Heavens just yet, but instead looks down at Maelthra. "Oh, child," the spirit says in a wispy voice. "I see he has hatched. Why did you not destroy the egg as I bid you?"
 
Maelthra
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(10/19/03 11:21 am)
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 She sighed, knowing that question would be asked of her. She opened those large, dove gray eyes and looked up at the spirit. "I am sorry, i just couldn't bring myself to do it. I have been raised to respect and protect dragons to the best of my ability. To just destroy a dragon's egg...I'm sorry, i just couldn't do it." She bowed her head. "Please tell me, what great evil is he that he should not be allowed to live?" She whispered, clutching her magickal flute close.
 
Slash
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(10/19/03 11:36 am)
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Reply | Edit | Del   No Reasoning for Dis
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 Great Evil?! I guess there is more to this human after all. "If you don't like my judgement, then we should listen to the dragon's judgement. Dragons are not know to lie. Then your punishment shall proceed." I note as I glance at the dragon spirit, cracking my knuckles at the same time. It is not a good thing to get on my bad side. I am a 7'2" being with endless possibilities and immense strength. He's just lucky that I don't intend on withdrawing my sword.
 
Dis
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(10/19/03 11:50 am)
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Reply | Edit | Del   no honor
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 The dragon spirit lets out a great sigh. "I see," she says. "You are kind and merciful, and those are noble traits. Never lose them. But this thing I released is an abomination. He was near death when he transported himself inside the egg and stole my child's chance at life. He is deceitful and cunning, and you must never trust a word he says."

Dis laughs aloud, and the dragon spirit growls at him. He folds his arms across his chest. "Your babe wouldn't have lived long anyway, Varala. I know that you devour your children after they hatch. You think it will give you immortality."

"Lies!" the spirit roars. "How dare you accuse me of such an atrocity! Have you no shame?!"

Dis is quiet for a moment. Then, quite slowly and deliberately, he places his foot over the baby's skull and crushes it. He smiles slightly, relishing the sound of tiny bones grinding beneath his boot. The dragon spirit roars and breathes a column of pale fire at him. Dis stands motionless and amused and lets the harmless ghost fire wash over him.
 
Maelthra
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(10/19/03 12:04 pm)
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 As she listens to the hateful words tossed at each other, she slowly stands, still holding the dragon charming flute. "Dis, she is dead now, so what she did and why no longer matters. And i cannot yet judge you as evil, for i have not seen enough doings of yours to make a sound judgment." She said it very softly, carefully keeping her eyes on the earth...

And then heard the crushing of the baby's skull. Her head snapped up, loose golden curls bouncing with the movement. "Will you not let the dead rest??" She murmurs, dove eyes wide and unreadable. "Her fire will not harm you..." She sighed, the earth shuddering beneath her. "His will..." It was then the earth snapped forcefully right under Maelthra's feet. She did not seem frightened as the earth opened and she began to fall. It was then the great, knobby head of an earth dragon appeared, Maelthra perched solemnly between his eyes.

His skin was hard as rock and even appeared to be made of them, a mossy grass like covering spreading down his back. Many spikes and horns were present, dark chocolate brown eyes glaring down at Dis. Maelthra couldn't interfere with this...Rynt had come of his own accord and would leave of his own. She couldn't stop what ever it was he wished to do.

The huge dragon snarled, the sound booming. "So, i have found the one that caused Varala so much pain. And still he thinks he can defile the dead without punishment. Maelthra may be kind and merciful, but i am not!" He roared, then cranked open his jaw and spewed his own fire, laced with sharp rocks and other objects that dislodged themselves from his mouth.
 
Dis
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(10/19/03 12:25 pm)
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 While Rynt is rising from his earthen dwelling, Dis is already searching for a place to hide. There! A mother and her children are playing in front of their cabin. He sprints for the cabin even as the fire spews after him. A jagged piece of heated rock lodges itself in his arm, and he staggers but keeps running. The mother screams and rushes inside the cabin with her children, but Dis grabs a little girl by the arm and drags her with him as he takes shelter behind the cabin. He holds the crying child in his lap and calls out to Rynt when the fire stops.

"Wait," he says, his voice strained by the pain of the hot stone embedded in his arm. "Please, I am defenseless. Is your own honor so weak that you would kill a helpless creature for unproven crimes? Please, at least hear what I have to say."
 
Slash
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(10/19/03 12:41 pm)
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 With my intense speed, I rush at Dis and grab him by the throat. I drag him a few paces and slam his back against a tree, holding him up at eye level. The Earth Dragon's breath just barely breezes passed my back. It may seem like I harshly saved this evil human's life, because I did. Death is not in my ways of fighting, but near death is. Which is what I intend on doing to Dis, just to teach him a lesson. "I should tear you, limb from limb. Be glad that I have no intention of killing you." I toss him to the side, onto the ground and begin to walk towards him. My brown eyes are now glowing completely white. No color remains in them at all. This is a very bad sign.
 
Slash
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(10/19/03 12:42 pm)
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 I was afraid that would happen. Now we need to deside what really happened.
 
Dis
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(10/19/03 12:55 pm)
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 "Stop!" Dis says, halting Slash before the weredragon can even lay a finger on him. Dis clenches a fist in the little girl's hair and places his other hand beneath her chin. "You may be fast, but I can snap her neck before you even get to me." Slash doesn't seem to realize just how easily and how fast Dis could kill this little girl.

The child whimpers, and Dis's eyes grow softer. "Please," he says to Slash. "Give me your word, swear on Maelthra's life, that you will not kill me, and I will let her go and throw myself on your mercy."

Dis raises his voice so Rynt can hear him. "You too! Swear on your honor as a dragon that you will not kill me, that you will be merciful, and she will go free."

His whole body is taunt as a bow string, poised to snap the girl's neck at the slightest movement from Slash, but his eyes are pleading.
 
Slash
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 "I never intended on killing you. I am not as murderous as you, human. I just want to beat you to the inch of your life for what you did. I knew you couldn't be trusted, the minute I looked at you." My fear for the little girl's life has left me frozen in my spot. The moment the little girl is free, Dis will suffer.
 
Dis
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 Dis narrows his eyes at Slash. "Murderous, am I? Then why am I the one begging for my life?"

He takes a deep breath. Blood is oozing from the wound in his arm and soaking his shirt. He feels faint. "Then swear it, on Maelthra's life, that you will not kill me."
 
Slash
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(10/19/03 2:08 pm)
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 "Well, I'm not the one threatening the life of a little girl who is way more defenceless than yourself. I refuse to believe that you a defenceless if you have to stoop down that low. Very well then. I swear on the life of Maelthra that you will not perish by my hands. Not quite sure about the dragon though." I'm pretty sure what I said has at least hinted him to what he is saying or doing.
 
Dis
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 "You pushed me to this!" he says. "Why can't you people just go away and leave me alone?! I've done nothing to you! Whatever sins I committed against Varala are between she and I and have nothing to do with you!"

Dis blinks as darkness stabs at the edge of his vision. His head is swimming, but he will not let the girl go until Rynt relents.
 
Maelthra
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 (Well...thanks for waiting. lol)

Rynt snarls and twitches rather violently as Dis takes a girl hostage. Maelthra has stood up now, large eyes closely watching what is going on.

Rynt is not going to let up so easily. "You did not feel her blood seeping into the earth around you! You did not hear her cries of pain! And look now, you threaten the life of one so innocent and young!? You are a murderer of children of all species and ages! You deserve to be killed!" And in his blind rage, promptly forgot about the child still in Dis' clutches. He opened his mouth once more...

And froze as Maelthra's song flitted through his mind. She had begun playing her enchanted flute, pouring as much emotion into it as possible. The huge dragon calmed, closing his mouth and sitting down. His deep brown eyes remained fixed on the two men before him, but he was no longer rage filled. Maelthra stopped playing and flew down to them.

Her face was unreadable, the flute still calmly held in one slender hand. "Let the girl go Dis, please. Rynt won't attack you, and Slash had better not if he knows whats good for him." She shoots the tall weredragon a look that would have been comically coming from one so small if this situation hadn't been so dire. She looks back to Dis then and speaks again. "You are bleeding, you need to have that wound looked at. Please Dis, just let her go and calm down." Even without her flute, she still had the ability to calm. Her touch, and her voice, had always been soothing.
 
Dis
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(10/19/03 4:27 pm)
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 Dis closes his eyes and leans his head back against the wall of the cabin. "Go," he says, pushing the girl away, and she runs to her mother.

Dis sits there with his eyes closed. He can't move, he can't even think. He was weak after he emerged from the egg and now he has exerted himself too much and lost too much blood. "I am yours," he says to Maelthra, "to do with as you will. I haven't the strength to fight you."
 
Maelthra
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(10/19/03 5:36 pm)
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 She quickly steps up in front of Dis, blocking him from Slash's fists and fury. She quickly drops to her knees, placing both hands on the wound in his arm. She tries to sooth the flesh as best she can before yanking the rock out. She knew it would be a painful thing for him.
1...
2...
...3!
She pulled it out with a graceful yank then immediatly pressed on the hole with both hands. "Slash! Get me some sort of cloth and a hot piece of metal!" She comanded, leaning on her hands and using her body weight to keep the wound from bleeding as much.
 
Slash
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(10/19/03 8:22 pm)
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 I stand here as if I don't listen. I then pull off the rest of my shreded shirt and hand it to Maelthra. I then slide out my extremely curved blade, the Wolf Claw. I hold it out, away from everyone else and spit a small ball of fire on it. After the fire disapates, I hold the blade forward. "Point out where you want me to place this." I look into my love's eyes and speak once more, "Trust me."
 
Dis
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(10/19/03 8:34 pm)
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 Pain has never been his weakness, and he only grunts when Maelthra yanks the rock out. He waits in passive readiness for the heated metal. His mind is far away, on the edge of consciousness, drifting...
 
Maelthra
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(10/20/03 2:43 pm)
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 She takes the shirt with her tail, absently cleaning it with a small spell she didn't really realize she was casting. She saw Dis drifting away and chewed on her bottom lip. "Don't black out on me now."

She glances over her slender shoulder at Slash. She smiled at the trust remark. Why wouldn't she trust him? "When i move my hands, quickly lay that across the wound to burn it shut." She says before counting mentally to five and pulling her now blood covered hands away. She could only hope this would work.
 
Slash
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 It's hard to imagine that I'm accually helping Maelthra save the life of this evil intented fool. There could only be one reason for that. Her. She is the one thing I desire most and I will do anything in my power to help her. I also, unnoticingly, stand as her guardian. All must go through me, before laying a finger on her. That is the strength of my love. She pulls her hands from Dis' arm and I immediately place my heated, godly sword on his arm. If he were conscious, he would be able to feel the aura of my blade's power serge through the sword. I wrap my tail around Maelthra's tail and pull her closer to me. I pull the sword away from Dis' arm and reach behind Maelthra to snatch the shreded shirt from her tail's grasp. I then wrap it around his arm and tie it, tightly. Finally, I look down, into Maelthra's eyes and gently place my hand on her cheek.
 
Dis
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 Dis is ready to drift off into blessed unconsciousness, but the touch of that godly sword wrenches him back to himself. The holy power in the sword violates the heart of him, the black and rotting core of his being, and he opens his eyes wide with an unhuman hiss of pain that has nothing to do with the wound or the hot metal.

He scowls as Slash binds the wound. Varala's spirit, who has watched this whole affair in silence, prepares to depart.

"My only regret," she says, "is that I did not have the courage to kill myself, for that at least would have ended him, as well. Remember my words, Dragon Piper: never trust anything he tells you, or you will find yourself caught in a web of lies. Farewell." She calls to the spirit of her child, and they both rise to the Heavens and disappear like smoke on the wind.

Dis rolls his eyes, but even that small movement makes his head hurt. "I need a place to sleep," he says, his words slurring together.
 
Maelthra
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 She winced as the curled hiss of pain errupts from Dis as the blade is pressed onto his flesh. The acrid smell of it makes her small nose scrunch up instinctivly. She blinks a few times as she is pulled along by her tail not long after, the piece of cloth being yanked from the grip of her dainty tail.

As Slash looked down at her, she was looking up, anger in her lovely eyes at not being allowed to finish the task. The warm look and tender touch smother that and she can't help but grin just alittle, even if she wanted to be mad.

The voice of the ghost brings her back to now, and she cranes her neck to watch and listen. Nodding softly and murmering a prayer, she watches the dragoness drift off. She would remember those words.

Standing, she was careful to keep her blood stained hands away from her only dress. "Slash, i think we should get him to an inn of some kind so he can sleep. He doesn't look so good." She suggested softly, still worried, whether Dis was evil or not.
 
Slash
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(10/21/03 5:45 pm)
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 "This is the last thing I will do for him. I heard what the dragon said and I trust a dragon spirit way more than a measly human." Maelthra is too caring. She's lucky I'm continuously looming over her shoulder. She needs me more than anything. Likewise on my part. Love is strong with me. I slide my sword away and pick up the human. "To the Dark Mage Village?" I ask one question as I look down at Maelthra.
 
Dis
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 Their words come to him as if across a great distance. He feels himself being picked up and carried. He realizes now, with disturbing clarity, the depths of his own fragility. The long hibernation has left him weak and has closed his channels of power.

But that is a worry for another time. All he wants at the moment is to curl up and sleep for hours.
 
Maelthra
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 Before she could even hear Slash's question, she was already in the air. They had been just on the outskirts of the village, well within range of the people's eyesight. Many were giving the trio strange looks.

Maelthra made a bee-line for the nearest inn. "Over here." She called back to Slash, landing and holding the door open for him.
 
Slash
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(10/22/03 7:50 pm)
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 I land in front of the Inn with the human, limp in my arms. I proceed through the entry way and up to the front counter. "One bedroom, one bed." I note as I place a few gold pieces on the counter. The Innkeep snatches the gold pieces and hands me a key. I continue up the stairs and to the bedroom. Inside, I lay Dis on the bed and stand over the bed until Maelthra desides to leave. I refuse to leave her alone in here with him.  

[status: transferriiiiing...]

Hey! I have a demon character in the nomads, currently, named Lhakya. *nodnod* And he needs someone to go bug/torment/rescue/something him. Heh heh. Currently, he's in the thread "Blood and roses" and is very messed up and newly blinded. *nodnod* But he doesn't know that yet.

Yep yep!

Pain. That was the first sensation that entered Lhakya’s groggy, waking mind, a sharp, biting pain all over, stabbing into his flesh, cutting into his skin like a million tiny barbs. But there was another pain, too, one that throbbed in the side of his head, and as his unnatural sleep gradually began to wear off, he became aware of other sensations, as well. A sticky wetness that slowly crawled down the side and front of his face, a feeling that was mirrored in a hundred other places, though to a much lesser extent…

And a faint, tantalizing scent, a scent that sent off warning signals in Lhakya’s confused mind: the bittersweet smell of copper and overpowering scent of roses.

Roses? Lhakya grimaced slightly, slowly working his eyes open, though he wasn’t so sure he really wanted to, and not just because of the pain that blazed suddenly within them. He didn’t know why that seemed important or significant, but his mind really wasn’t functioning at its best right now, and he was painfully aware of that. His thoughts felt as though they were coming to him through a thick fog, though they were surprisingly lucid once they finally registered. Well, clear for someone who had suffered a head injury, at least, and Lhakya knew he had suffered at least that much. What had happened to lead up to this, though, he really couldn’t remember at the moment. And as for the other pains, he wouldn’t be able to say what had caused them and how bad they were until his eyes started functioning. Right now, though, there was no difference between what he saw behind veiled eyelids. Just pure black, and every eye-blink sent pain coursing through his eyes.

He was pretty screwed up, that was certain.

Painstakingly slow, as he waited for both his vision and any increment of strength to return, he attempted to piece together what had happened prior to, apparently, being knocked silly, but it seemed as though that tidbit of knowledge had been knocked from his brain in the process. He <I>knew</I> he’d gotten in a scuffle of sorts…but that was nothing new for him. Fighting was a part of life for a creature that was both predator and prey.

That last thought, however, unnerved him as soon as it occurred to him, his hazy mind working as quickly as it could under his body’s stress. Obviously, he hadn’t come out on the long end of things, and that brought up a series of potential…problems. He had fought with someone. <I>Who</I> and <I>why</I> had they been fighting? He hadn’t come out well…but how well had his opponent? Who had initiated the attack? Where was he now?

Who had been the hunter, and who the hunted?

His vision was not yet clearâ€"far from itâ€"he still felt infinitely exhausted, his head hurt, and, hell, his body hurt all over, but those thoughts spurred him to action. There were so many unknowns. He couldn’t take a chance. He <I>had</I> to get out of here, wounded and sightless and tired or not.

But, to add to his long list of problems, another one made itself known as soon as he attempted to move. Pain shot through his body, those pinpricks of pain heightening, and then as he shifted he could actually <I>feel</I> a hundred tiny barbs driving deeper into his flesh, and feel something tangled about his limbs. Immediately his struggles stopped, pain, dizziness, and sheer exhaustion, both from blood loss and his head wound, staying his attempts at freedom.

And it was then that the previous odd smell of roses clicked in his mind.

In this case, he had been the hunted.

And, apparently, his captor had a creative, if sadistic, means of making sure his victims would not escape. Lhakya could not see what had been done, but now he knew what had. He could feel it...

Indeed, there, in the woods, blood smeared thickly across his eyes and matting his jaw-length hair, which was black save for a patch of reddish brown in the front, a young human slumped where he was confined, tangled in an unnatural mass of thorny, blood spattered vines. At least…on first glance he looked a human, save that his ears were pointed, and if he were to bare his teeth, his canines would be dangerously sharp. On closer glance, claws also tipped each finger where blunt human nails should have been.

A few rose blossoms, red as the blood that dripped from the many lacerations on his body, grew from those vines, only adding to the scene’s gruesome appearance. But their scent was strong and sweet, overriding the bitter scent of freshly spilt blood. Clearly, it was a small measure taken so as to better hide the soon to be kill from other potential predators while still ensuring a successful torture.

Breathing heavily with exertion, Lhakya’s eyes shut for a moment, their color undetermined with the blood so thick around and in them, and he took a deep, calming breath. He had to get out of here. And quick. He doubted any predator would leave their prey alone for long. Shit. How he was going to get away...that was another story. He couldn't move without pain. He couldn't use his hands, for each was wrapped tightly, thorns piercing his wrists. He couldn't see...

It was indeed getting increasingly difficult to breathe calmly, but he held onto what rationale he had and racked his fuzzy brain for something, anything, that could lead him out of this mess.

[Blue as Sakkata, Terri, and Torr. Small Wonder as Hatame. Continued from HERE and HERE.]

<font color=yellow>How interesting. Here they were, back in this bustling little village. Back where so much happened to her young friend and student.
Terri was obviously very uncomfortable with the situation. Unlike herself, the young Drygan could not take the shape of a human, and therefore felt vulnerable out among all these humanoids.

Sakkata grinned and glanced down at Terri. The girl was hunched up in her cloak, careful to keep her face hidden. Only a few locks of short blue hair hung loose. Everything else was completely covered by the deep brown cloak.
Sakkata was in a human form, with lightly tanned skin and long, starking white hair that fell in a long ponytail down the length of her back. Baggy cream pants were tied off at her ankles, a deep green vest the only thing covering her upper half, leaving her arms bare.
Eyes of yellowish amber watched everything about her.</font>

<font color=blue>Terri shifted uncomfortably as they strolled through the crowded streets. She didn't like being around humans. Not after what they had put her through. Never after that.
Ice blue eyes warily watched the world from beneath the protective cover of her cloak. She did not expect to see anyone she recognized, as Sakkata might, but was more watching out for danger.
This new wariness was hard grained into her from her years as a slave.
So was her defiant nature.</font>

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OOC: Heehee...finally drew a good pic of Hatame! It's in my sig! ^_~ And it's mouseart!

IC:

It had been a while since he had been separated from Sakkata during the chaos of the manor fire--a long while, it felt like!--so he hadn't really expected to see Sakkata around anymore. Not here, at least! He figured that she'd probably have moved on.

However, there was no mistaking the Drygan, who was walking with...another Drygan? Oh! Wait! That must be...ah! So, she lived, then, obviously. Good. Sakkata sure had risked a lot to make sure she did.

And they both didn't look bad, either.

Huh...he probably should have been more surprised that he stuck around. He didn't know everything about Sakkata's traveling habits, but he knew about his, and he was as nomadic as a nomad could be. He never stuck around a single area long. Odd that he decided to hang around here as long as he did...

But, oh well! Since he was here and they were here, might as well pay a surprise visit to his ole Drygan "buddy"! Then again, there was no need for him to go to them...not when they were about ready to walk past where he stood in an alleyway.

He waited until they were just about ready to pass him by before catcalling and shouting to Sakkata, "Hey, sweet thing, lookin' good! Work that tail, baby!"

Yeah. If that didn't get her attention, he didn't know what would.

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(Woo, hot stuff! Heehee, veeeery good pic! He has no man nip-lees. Eh heh ^^'' , forget i said that, my weirdness has taken hold. I'm not called 'Traumatized' for nuthin...
Oh, lol, and Sakkata is in human form, but now i'm going to twist it and make Mr. Hot-Hatame special. Feel the specialness, dammat!)

If Sakkata had been paying enough attention to her surrounding, she probably would have caught scent of Hatame long before she reached him. Terri noticed, but couldn't quite place the familiar scent, for she had been nearly out cold when she had caught it for the first time so long ago.
Now, Sakkata would pay for it with heated embarrassment.

"Hey, sweet thing, lookin' good! Work that tail, baby!"

Oh.Dear.Lord.

...Hatame...

Yeah, he had gotten her attention all right.

Sakkata swung around so fast, she nearly toppled the young Terri over. The younger Drygan gave a startled hiss and clutched the cloak even tighter about her distinctly Dryconic form. Sakkata stared blankly at him for a few brief moments before feeling the urge to charge over there and pummel him.
"You...you..." She sputtered, unable to come up with a reasonable response to his stupidity.
Wait a minute? Work that tail??? How the hell could he see her tail!?
Sakkata's expression changed from enraged and embarrassed, to confused and thoughtful so fast, it was like a light turning on and off.
"You can see my tail??" She glanced back, but confirmed she was still in human form and it was not there.
"Hatame..." Her voice had a dangerous ring to it as she stared hard at him. "Do I look like my true self right now, to you?" She had to ask it quietly, for those around were not to know what she might be. It was dangerous for people to know.

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OOC: LMAO!!! You're like the third person to mention Hatame's nipple-less-ness! One was my mom, actually...gave me quite the guilt trip. XD Guess I'll go and give the poor boy his man nipples, now!  Ahahah, and silly me, I somehow misread about Sakkata! Whoops! ^^;; Oh well! Now Hatame gets to be special, eh! YAY!

IC:

It took a great effort not to burst out laughing at her utterly priceless expression and to keep a mask of innocence plastered on his face. Never failed. He knew all the right buttons to press, and the outcome never disappointed.

What a rewarding reunion.

"Yes? Me what, sweetie?" he asked wryly as she sputtered, and could have continued to embarrass her--until she pummeled him, that is--except that her expression suddenly changed in a way he hadn't seen from her before. He blinked in surprise, suddenly confused, as well.

And then he stared hard at her like she had gone insane when she asked if he could see her tail.

What kind of a question was that?

"Er...yeah. You know I can see your tail. This some kinda trick question?" he asked, mimicking her hushed voice out of instinct and tilting his head. Hmm...didn't sound like a trick question, though. He recognized that particular tone of voice. "Your true self? Well...you look like a Drygan, yeah."

Well, this was really weird. Why was she all weirded out about it? It was pretty obvious...

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Sakkata hissed and shook her head sharply. It was NOT a trick question, the idiot...
Trick questions were something he would do.
She was perfectly serious, and now a bit worried.
He could see her tail, and the rest of her as a drygan.

Oh, of course he would blurt it out!!

In a flash Sakkata was standing right in front of Hatame, one slender hand clamped over her mouth. Face furious, she bared her teeth, which to Hatame were dangerously pointed. "Shhhhhh! Idiot! You're not supposed to say that word around other people!!!" She growled, and Terri was quickly on the alert. Eyes of icy blue quickly began scanning the crowds around them, making sure no one dangerous might have heard the word.
Hatame might not realize it, but there were many people and creatures that might love to kill any Drygan they found. These were people about as secretive as the Drygan themselves.

Stepping back, Sakkata began to pace, and for Hatame, her tail thrashed angrily behind her. Skin of light blue replaced the tan in Hatame's eyes, and normal nails were more clawlike and black. Feet shaped suspiciously like a dragon's took her back and forth, back and forth. "This is very odd. Hatame, I'm in my human form. I don't know how you can see me as myself."
She continued to puzzle over it, one hand at her chin and the other cupping that elbow.
So very, very odd...

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Hatame jumped when Sakkata was suddenly in front of him with a hand clamped to his mouth...and back to being royally pissed. Eh? What had he done this ti--oh...right. The "D Word". Oops...

"Ack! Sorry, sorry! I forget! The 'D Word' is off limits in public. Right. Got it," Hatame whispered when Sakkata stepped back and began to pace, and he watched her, still as confused as ever. He was the idiot? Well, she wanted to be so secretive, so why wasn't she cloaked like the other gal? She was like a walking neon sign with Drygan flashing all over it, and she was complaining about his slip-up?

Odd, odd woman.

He was about to mention something along those lines when she spoke up.

"What? Ah...you are?" He raised an eyebrow as he swept his eves over her, head to toe. Looked pure Drygan to him. Hmm...but, then, it made sense. It would explain why she wasn't getting any stares from passerbys.

He blinked, and rubbed the back of his neck in thought. "Weird...but...then...if that's so, why could I see you in your human form before, and not now?"

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Sakkata was chewing furiously on her bottom lip, and simply shook her head at his question. She was trying to figure that out herself. He had been just a susceptible before hand, and now he could somehow see her as a Drygan.
It didn't make sense, really. This was not the type of spell that just made her appear human. No, this was true flesh and blood, molded from a set amount of magick. If you were to have your hand where her tail is in Drygan form, you wouldn't feel some invisible mass. No, she was human as far as she could be.
So how could he see her???

And then it hit her. The magick exchange when she was healing Terri. Hatame had offered up his magick to her!
That was it!

Grinning, Sakkata whirled around. "I've figured it out." She announced, and the vigil Terri turned back to listen. "After the burning house incident, I had to try and heal Terri, remember? But I didn't have healing abilities, so you offered to help with your own magick. That must have been what did it. Sometimes magickal connections play hell with the spells of the two involved afterward." She was slightly relieved to have figured it out. Terri nodded vaguely. Sakkata had told her of the decision, and it did make sense, in a way.

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"Gyah! Would you stop doing that!?"

Bloody hells, the woman had more mood swings than all the women he had met in his lifetime combined! Once again, he jolted in surprise when Sakkata swung around to face him, suddenly grinning when moments ago she had been furious and deep in thought. She had to have a switch in her brain or something to be able to turn her emotions on and off like that. Or maybe it was just a Drygan thing.

"Ah...so that's it, huh? Makes sense. That's still kinda weird, though...it's been a while since we did that. Funny it's still acting up...wonder how long it lasts."

Then, with his usual playful smirk, had to add, "Not that I mind. I rather like looking at your tail, babe. It's one fine appendage, if I might say. Nice and muscular and oh-so-sexy."

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...It was just a Drygan thing.

Sakkata shrugged at his ramble. "How should I know? It's like the numb foot thing, I can't dictate how long it lasts. Maybe a few months, years...forever." She couldn't help but grin remembering that foot incident. It had been funny as all hell, watching him stumble around...

And then her face contorted with his comment. Sakkata snarled angrily, her cheeks purpling lightly with what might be to her a blush. "God Dammit Hatame!" And with that she spun sharply, bringing that 'sexy' tail around to thwap him one good.
Terri was staring openly, mouth slightly agape. He had complimented her tail...oh dear, and he probably had no idea what-so-ever how deep a compliment that was. Man, how'd Sakkata get stuck knowing a guy like that anyway!?

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Hatame was just about to make another comment on how cute she looked when her face turned that purply color when--

WHAP!

Ooh, wow, he could swear he saw stars that time.

For a few moments, he just laid there, waiting until the pain ebbed and the flashing lights in his vision cleared. Then he slowly picked himself up off the ground and brushed himself off. Wow...she really hit him good. But her reaction was so worth it!

"Ahh...you know, I was actually starting to miss those love taps," he murmered with a smirk as he tried to stand without swaying too much.

Heh heh...and from the looks of it, his comment reached Terri, as well. She looked royally shocked. Heh, he'd have to remember that line for future use...

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Sakkata was positively heaving. The idiot...you didn't compliment a Drygan female's tail unless you intended to mate with her!!!
ARGH!
God...he was just so stupid...

And now she was blushing furiously. The heat had crawled up her neck and fumed at her ears, causing her cheeks to darken to a nice shade of purple. It wasn't overly dark, as the blue of her skin wasn't all that dark either.
Still, it was obvious she was blushing.
"Take care of him!" She snapped at Terri, then spun on her heel to vent on something that she wouldn't accidentally kill.

Terri watched her stomp off, then sighed and came to Hatame's wobbling form. Her slender hand clamped down on his shoulder, keeping him from swaying. Her face was exposed as she looked up at him with hard icy eyes. The white coloring of her skin was hard to miss, the light causing the surface to sheen with all the colors of a rainbow. "You really are stupid, I hope you know." She began, shutting her eyes and shaking her head. "My names Terri, and that makes you Hatame. Now sit." She shoved him into a sitting position against the nearest wall.
"She hit you heard enough to perhaps give you a minor concussion. Just sit still." With that command, she placed both small hands at either side of his head and called on her secondary power, that of earth, to heal him.

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"Ahh...nice to meet you, too, Terri. And thank you for updating me on my intelligence," Hatame replied wryly with a grin, not putting up any resistence as she lead him around and made him sit. Ooo...that sudden movement made the world spin even more. Yikes. She had clocked him one rather good.

"Heh heh...wow...never got quite that kinda reaction outta her before. She hit extra hard this time. Huh. Wonder what it was...then again, Sakkata-dear is so terribly modest and--ack!"

He jerked away from her touch abruptly when he realized she was channeling magic into him, feeling the tell-tale beginnings of the sensation that spread through his body when he came in physical contact with magic--and it started with a burning sensation deep inside that spread to each nerve.

Unfortunately, his jerky motion didn't help his head much.

"Erk...no magic. Sorry, probably shoulda mentioned it, but...ah...magic doesn't like me too much..." he explained, waiting for the familiar burning sensation to fade, leaving a faint tingling behind.

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Terri would have to explain to him just what it was he had said. However, she first had to get him to sit still.
"Dammit! Stop moving!" Her hands now grasped his head, holding it firmly in place. She glared at him as he explained, then chuckled and shook her head. He really didn't understand anything about Drygans.

"I'm not using magick per-say. I'm channeling your own ability to heal into your head wound. Just a shifting of Earth's energy is all. Calm down. It won't get any worse than this." She slowly released his head, and again concentrated on her task. She was using his own body's ability to heal and manipulating it. To pass the bit of time, she decided to start explaining why Sakkata got so heated.
"The ah, compliment you gave her was a bit...deep. One only compliments a female Drygan's tail if one wishes to make his desire to mate known. Um...I don't think the two of you have...ah...progressed quite that far in your relationship yet."

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He gave up fighting and obediantly held still, seeing as how it wouldn't be of much use, anyway--and trusting Terri's word. Huh. She was right, though. The burning didn't get any worse. Odd...but a relief.

"Interesting...using my body's own natural healing...Gryphon magic focuses solely on channeling magic from the outside, so Dry--er, you guys'--magic focuses more on the inside?" he mused aloud as he felt the pain gradually lessen as Terri worked on him.

And then Terri went on to explain why Sakkata had gotten so...flushed. And Hatame nearly choked, both with laughter and surprise, momentarilly breaking his stillness.

"Dear Gods, you're telling me I just asked her to...? Good lord! Ahahah...wow. Ah, that's very...interesting." He gave a nervous laugh.

Wow. Drygans certainly had a lot of crazy buzz words incorporated into their culture. Idly, he wondered what would happen if he complimented one on their colorful skin. Hmm...no, he'd leave that for another day.

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Maybe he wasn't so stupid after all! Terri beamed and nodded at his deduction. "Yes, very good. The magick comes from within, but sometimes we can pull energy from around us to help as well." She sounded like a teacher happily congratulating a struggling student who finally figured something out.

Terri gave an embarrassed look and withdrew her hands, putting one gently behind her head. "Um yes...interesting. I just suggest you don't do it again any time soon." With those words of advice, Terri stepped away from him and crossed her arms, huddling further into the cloak so as to remain unseen.
For a moment she stood there, in the alley, simply awaiting Sakkata's return.

And then...a scent that sent her nerves racing. "Damn!" In a blur, something rather huge had tackled Terri's cloaked form, slamming her into the ground about five feet back. A lot of hissing and snarling was coming from the scuffling two, and a sudden blast of icy magick shot the huge form away from Terri.
In a flash she was up, the cloak having been ripped away by the aggressor. Her entire body was covered in that shiny white which shifted colors in the sun. Her tail was still just a stub, and her ears remained cropped short. They would not regrow on their own. Her hair was just about as short as it had been, only to her ears, and predominately that dark blue, with a few bright streaks of white running through it. She wore a light blue tunic and similarly colored pants that went to about her knees before stopping.

The creature across from her was quite obviously a Drygan male, simply by looking at his build. He was huge, gold in color, with a few random streaks of ebony across his skin like stripes. Oddly, his hair started off sandy brown, but then turned white suddenly. It was long enough to reach between his shoulder blades, where there was a small clasp holding the ends together. A simple vest of brown, and cream pants tied off at the ankle were his wardrobe.
And no, he did not have nipples.

(sorry Rhi, couldn't help adding that in, lmao!)

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OOC: LMAO! No, don't worry! XD Gave me a good laugh! Eheheheheh!!!

IC:

He couldn't help but roll his eyes slightly as he caught Terri's congratulatory tone. Hey! It wasn't his fault he didn't know about Drygans! Sakkata was the first he met--and, as seemed to be the trend, he didn't learn something new about Drygans until Sakkata was beating the information into him after an apparent slip-up.

Er...well, actually his "slip-ups" were intentional...he just didn't know the exact, sensitive implications they held for Drygans!

He grinned at Terri's plainly uncomfortable look as she moved away from him. "Oh, don't worry. From now on, I promise I'll save it for when I really mean it."

But his amusement was cut short when Terri walked away...and was attacked by an unmistakably Drygan form.

He jumped to his feet, quite relieved that Terri had healed him, but Terri had already...ah...blasted the other Drygan off her and had gotten to her feet by the time he reached her. He had no time to take in her unique appearance fully just yet, for his attention was on the new figure. And that white bit of hair. Erk. Hatame could vaguely remember Sakkata talking about white hair, way back when they first met...the whiter the hair, the stronger...or something along those lines...

"Y'okay, Terri? And...whatever happened to that line about your kind being secretive!?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the newcomer.

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Terri hissed low, the sound coming from deep within her throat. The male standing not ten feet from her was smirking mildly, arms crossed, and looking quite cocky. Terri found his hair very odd. She had never heard of a drygan with hair like that. Why were the roots sandy brown and the rest white? It did not make sense. Her blue and white hair remained that way even as it slowly grew. The white roots were white, the blue roots were blue.
Same for Sakkata and her white hair.
It was just so odd...

"Not all of our proud race choose to creep around and hide in the shadows like pitiful rats." The male answered Hatame's question in a deep, arrogant voice. He was obviously quite full of himself. But then, with the amount of white hair he sported, he had all the reason to be.
Terri shifted uncomfortably, but snarled with anger. "We are not rats! We hide because of beasts like you that would attack us otherwise!!"
She had no hope of defeating this creature in a fight. She had only to hope Sakkata would work off her aggravation and come back soon.
Therefore, it was a stalling game for now.
Hopefully Hatame was good at it.

"What is it you want?" Terri demanded of him, her entire small frame tense.
The male grinned calmly, his own muscular tail flipping out behind him lazily. "Where is the other female that was with you?"
Terri blanched. Dammit! He was looking for Sakkata!
Damn damn, and double damn!
"Not here, obviously." Terri managed to hiss back, fear creeping up the back of her throat.
The Drygan smirked. "Yes. So where did she go?" His snapping amber gaze shifted to Hatame, as if posing the question to him and not Terri.

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Erk. This was a mess. The more white hair, the more powerful the Drygan, that was what Sakkata had said. And the guy had a lot of white hair. Nope...definitely no way they would be taking him--even if he had use of his magic. He was a sorceror among Gryphons, sure, but his magic had been repressed before he could fully strengthen it. He had seen what Sakkata was capable of, and that wasn't even what she was fully capable of. He could only imagine what a guy with half of the white hair Sakkata had was capable of.

And, contrary to popular belief, he really wasn't an idiot. He could be serious...when he wanted to be--or when something triggered the response, deep within him.

This sitiation, sadly, called for it.

Unfortunately, he was a bit confused as to whether it was a good thing Sakkata was absent, or a bad thing. It was good because the guy was looking for her, and thus she ought to stay away...but bad because, likely, she was the only one who could deal with him without being pounded into the ground. Erk. Quite the situation.

So, yes indeedy, stalling was the best bet.

He gave the Drygan an awkward look, shifting uncomfortably. "Er...sorry, but you just missed her, actually. Where she went...ah..." He cleared his throat. "Well...er...it's best not to say. You see, she's terribly modest, and would likely kill me if I mentioned it. But, um...we'll...ah...just say she's...taking care of basic bodily needs, if you catch my drift. Best not to mention it..."

Clearing his throat again, he looked back at the Drygan. "But...er, that aside...whatcha looking for her for? Sure seems important."

[MOVED THREAD! Damaged16 (Heavenzgift16) as guards, Kouken, and Liam, The Versifer as Istalia, Seda as Seda, Jester as Bullathra, Gold as Fenway]

HeavenzGift16
The Fallen Angel
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(11/14/04 10:16 am)
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 [OOC: thought I'd reply to them in one post  Just easier since both characters are at the same place]

Guards were heavily stationed all over the castle, and what was even better--for the safety of the castle--was the ample amount of archers in the towers, and many unseen in hidden areas.

Not only that but the Queen's guardian--and greatest friend--Kouken as well as her uncle's guardian, Liam, had been basking in the sun on the steps to the castle all day. There was not much for them to do until either the Dread Army attacked or was defeated by others before getting to the castle.

Kouken, a pure black lion with a short mane--his body structure resempling more that of a siberian tiger--with pale blue eyes was the first to raise his head at the ever-growing croud at the castle gates. Liam, as of late, had taken the form of a silver tiger. A silver body with black stripes. His eyes, too, were silver--or atleast a silver-like shade of gray.

The two made their way down the steps and down a cobblestone road towards the gates. Kouken sat down before the gates, looking at all those on the other side.

"Queen's busy at th'moment." One guard explained to a commoner who wanted to speak with her. "If y'want an audience w'the Queen, you'll 'ave t'request one beforehand." He explained.

Liam cocked his head as he saw the girl, Istalia. She wasn't arguing to get into the castle--which was why she stood out among the crowd. Kouken, on the other hand, was weary of the dragonwolf who'd just landed. He had a bad feeling about the intentions of the dragonwolf and kept an eye on him...
 
The Versifer  
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(11/15/04 2:03 am)
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 OOC: Fair enough.  

The young minstrel's clear blue gaze shifted from the guards as she noticed the approach of the two large bestial figures. A traveller in faded blue, she stood quietly among the jostling crowd with one arm curled protectively over her lyre, watching them. Unlike some around her, who paled at the sight of the big cats, she was not afraid. Her quick eye had noticed something different about these two - they were most definately not common beasts. There was something too purposeful and human about the way they moved, and they radiated power.

Her attention was caught again by a gust of air as a dragonwolf descended from the sky, scattering some of the nearby crowd-members. As the woman who had been riding on its back approached the guards, speaking above the clamouring of the crowd, the golden-haired minstrel turned back to the two great cats on the other side of the gate. Sensing that they were of authority here, she dipped a second curtsey, to them. She had caught the guard's words to that villager, and hoped that she would not be turned away likewise. If the Queen was occupied at the present, she could always wait. And besides, it was not a specific audience with the monarch that she sought. Anyone willing to listen to her music would do. The girl troubadour reasoned that showing courtesy to these two creatures couldn't harm her chances of passage. A great black lion and a silver tiger. There was something almost balladic about that. She was one to relate almost everything to music.

 
Seda
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(11/17/04 1:11 pm)
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 Seda slid off Diego's back and walked a little ways forward.
'Okay, here it goes," she thought mentally so only her friend could hear.
"Good day to you gentlemen. Do any of you know where a warrior might find work in these parts?" she stated this with politeness.
The crowd out here was certainly large and loud. All of them wished too see the queen? Out of the corner of her eye, Seda saw two great cats. Well, this was certainly interesting.
 
HeavenzGift16
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 The guard looked over Seda for a moment. She certainly did not look threatening, but the beast she came upon indicated otherwise. Generally people didn't bring their pets to the castle unless they wanted to look intimidating. But nevertheless, the castle was always willing to test out those so-called warriors and see if they had any use for them--especially with the threat of attack forever looming.

The guard glanced over to Kouken and Liam, then looked back to Seda, the gates opening by his signal. "Best find Lord Fenway or Her Majesty, then." The guard said. "These two can take yeh to 'em"

And the minstrel, Liam said telepathically to the guard.

"You too, now." The guard added, motioning his hand for Istalia to come forth. Once the three were in, the gates closed.
 
 
 
The Versifer  
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 The minstrel shifted back slightly to allow the dragon-wolf rider to speak with the guards. She listened to the short dialogue exchanged between the woman and the guard, and watched as the heavy gates swung open. Obviously the kingdom desired to build it's army. Her gaze lifted as she heard the guard's next words, and was motioned through the entry-way. A little surprised, but very pleased nonetheless, she gave the guard a courteous nod and a brief smile. As she did so, a watcher with a keen eye may have seen a hint of artfully swirling colour across the right side of her face, before it was hidden again by the falling curtain of gold. Perhaps, a testimony that she was not simply the peasant-troubadour that she appeared.

Stepping through the entry-way in the wake of the warrior-woman, the girl's sky-hued gaze travelled the palace grounds. Her eyes danced across the trees and immaculately-tended plants, taking in the green of the stretching lawns. Amidst all the landscaped beauty rose the various out-buildings and pavillions, and the palace itself could be seen rising above it all, flying the flags of Serendipity. It was an exceedingly beautiful place, but it was heavily guarded, and the singer could pick out the figures of guards at various doorways, and archers perched in places on roofs or walls.

Her lute across her shoulder, the minstrel-girl came to stand level with the dragon-wolf rider. She was silent for the moment, as her eyes returned to the two jet lion and the silver tiger, sensing that she had them to thank for her admittance. Ever-humble, she waited for one of them to address her.

 
Seda
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 Her eyes casually swept over the pavilions and the like as they were led through the castle.
'It's pretty for a castle, do you think?' Seda 'thought' to Diego, glancing at her friend beside her. And she privately thought that they must not trust visitors, seeing the hidden archers with arrows aimed at the company, just in case.
Smart, very smart.
 
Jester
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(11/22/04 4:07 pm)
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 From the direction of where the travellers are being led to, comes a nearly ten foot tall minotuar. Along with the added height of his horns, it's amazing enough that he isn't digging trenches into the ceilng with his horns. With him, he totes a massive, twelve foot battle ax. He peers at the three travellers and the two royal cats with sky blue eyes.
"Greetings fellow travellers. I am Bullathra Hornadango. I assume you have come to assist this beautiful kingdom with its current situation as well?" The minotuar notes politely with his deep, intimdating voice. Quite odd, seeing such a monstrousity being nice.


The Versifer  
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 The sound of heavy footsteps caused the minstrel girl to look up, to see the ten-foot, horned figure rounding the corner, carrying in a firm grip an ominous-looking battle-axe. A minotaur. A brief ex-pression of startlement crossed her features, for she usually kept out of the way of this often viscious species. However, his words were at odds with his appearance, and did not seem threatening. Besides, with the ample defences in place around the castle, it seemed unlikely that any visitors with ill intentions would be permitted inside. In response to the minotaur's question, the young troubadour nodded politely, and again colour was visible across the right side of her face for a fleeing moment. Breaking her silence, she spoke in a clear voice, albeit soft, which carried entwined with the words a faint hint of song.

"To give what happiness my music may bring, sir."

She gave a gesture indicating the lyre held under one arm. Behind her sapphire eyes, her mind returned to his mention of a "current situation". She had heard, down in the village, references to a pending attack on Serendipity, but she did not know from which party, or for what reason. However, she was not deterred, knowing that if she was invited to play here for a time perhaps that would lighten the hearts of troubled people for a while. And, if word of real trouble reached the castle, she should be able to leave if she wished.

The minstrel's attention returned to those around her, watching the two magnificent felines who had been leading their small party.

 
HeavenzGift16
The Fallen Angel
Posts: 992
(11/27/04 7:47 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del   Right.. well..
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 Liam glanced at Kouken. Of the two, Liam was much more laid back--or rather, he was too out of the swing of things to be able to have much say in what went on around the castle. In the time he'd been in in The Realm, well... It went so much faster than the time in this realm. He'd been in The Realm for... how long? Lena had grown up and then he'd left. Well, not left but.. He was here now.

"Right, well, come along." Kouken said telepathically to the three new arrivals, leading them up the main steps to the castle doors, through them and up a set of steps. He followed a familiar scent until he found Fenway in a sparring room with a woman.

"Those wishing to fight for the Kingdom address Fenway." He said. He assumed the musician was here for other reasons, though for the reasons she was here for had no real person to discuss about it, she was really free to offer her music anywhere until nightfall where she would most likely be asked to leave to avoid confusion and such...

Liam and Kouken sat rather regally by the door where Fenway was. It was not that they were conceited, but rather just by their motions, they seemed regal. The great cats were certainly a sight to see.
 
The Versifer  
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 The fair-headed minstrel, obiedient to the voice of the onyx lion in her mind, followed the two great cats into the palace. As they walked, her eyes lingered on the lavish surroundings - the fine tapestries that bedecked the walls, and the ornate architecture. She had played in small forts and at the estates of music-loving nobles before, but the castle of Serendipity was quite exquisite, though of course these outer passegeways would be nothing to rich audience chambers and the like.

The clash of practice weapons was audible as they neared the sparring room, and she caught a glimpse through the doorway of the figures of knight sparring with a warrior-woman. She had no interest in such things, but was silent as the lion spoke again. This was what the dragon-wolf rider had come to the castle for, then. Briefly, the singer wondered about the pending battle, before her thoughts turned to her own reasons for coming here.

Quietly, in that voice that held a faint thread of song, she addressed the two great cats. Her tone was courteous, that of a humble troubadour.

"My Lords, I wonder if I might be given leave to wander the castle grounds, and offer music to those who would hear it, unless there is some official I should be presented to."

 
Seda
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 Seda watched as Fenway and the woman sparred. Her eyes caught every attack exchanged and she was very impressed.
As the sparring match ended she walked forward into the room a little. She bowed deeply before addressing him.
"Forgive my intrusion my lord but I was told to address you because I wish to aid in keeping the kingdom safe."
 
Gold
Miss Oblivious
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(12/5/04 7:57 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del   <---Fenway, he liveths!
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 As he began to walk across the practice yards, he was stopped once again by another woman who wished to aid the kingdom. Although slightly annoyed, it pleased him to know that so many people wished to aid in the castles protection, and the protection of their Queen and the kingdom of Serendipity. It seemed that after the siege more and more people began to offer their assistance, and he was more than happy to let them try their hardest to win a place in the guard.

He smiled amusedly as she addressed him, and bowed his head politely when she finished speaking.

"I will be more than happy to test your abilities." He told her with a kind smile, "I am quite glad that so many citizens are willing to join the palace guard. But please, I am not "My Lord". I have never been comfortable with people addressing me so formally. Please just call me Fenway. May you be so kind as to give up your name?"

 
Seda
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 She nodded. "Very well Fenway. I am Seda Adair, at your service." She glanced at the sparring area and motioned to it with her hand. "There?"
 
HeavenzGift16
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(12/8/04 4:31 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del   << Kouken and Liam
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 Kouken nodded to Fenway once he took charge of the situation concerning the warrior. He then looked to the minstrel and thought where her services might be of use and comfort.

"If you've no preference as to where you'd like to play your music here, I could take you to someone who might benefit from a gentle tune." Kouken said before leading, or hopefully leading, Istalia down the halls and up the stairs towards where he'd last seen Caanan and Sachi.

Liam followed, slowly. He knew who Kouken was talking about and... He still felt ashamed to look at Caanan. Caanan had sent Liam to protect Lena because he himself could not leave his family to do it and what did Liam do? Wind up imprisoned and weak and thin and back here! Without Lena! He didn't know exactly what Caanan thought--but that didn't matter--all Liam had to worry about was living with himself for what he failed to do; what he failed to protect.
 
The Versifer  
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 The young girl troubadour nodded pleasantly, agreeing with the words of the great cat. She had no preference as to where she played, nor as to whom. She counted it an honour even to have been accepted into the palace in the first place.

"That would be perfect, thankyou."

She dipped another small curtsey, then followed as the obsidian lion began to move off down the spacious hall, away from the clashing sounds of practise swords that echoed from the sparring rooms. Ascending the flight of stairs that the magnificent lion turned towards, the bard's thoughts turned towards the threat of attack on this anciently beautiful castle. She hoped that with all the defences she had seen being utilised today, the inhabitants of Serendipity would be able to throw of their attackers.

Following that train of thought, her mind shifted towards what songs she would sing. Her memory picked up the threads and sifted through the melodies of the many battle-songs she had added to her cache of repertoire, envisioning the fingering needed for the accompaniment on the lyre. Songs of heroes, songs of great armies, songs of death and terror. War, it seemed, always spawned many songs. She decided against most of them, choosing only a couple whose themes followed glory and triumph that may be acceptable. The rest would be themed around happier topics and times.

[MOVED THREAD! Damaged16 (Heavenzgift16) as Dawn, Small Wonder as Cadmus, Jester as Bullathra]

HeavenzGift16
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(10/4/04 2:20 pm)
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 Dawn had spent the whole morning trying on different pairs of boots, and with those boots, what types of sheathes fit best and most comfortably in them. She had picked out swords, she'd picked out daggers and basically any other weapons she might need.

The clothing she wore was loose fitting and easy to move about in. She had a light, silver crossbow handing from her belt, on the opposite side that her sword was sheathed. In each boot were daggers, one longer than the other and both very sharp. She had just recently gotten all of her weaponry sharpened and fitted for her.

When she was done, she wandered the top floor of the main building for her Uncle Cadmus. She thought that maybe she could sparr with him and test out her new weapons--plus, she'd gotten him some new weapons as well...
 
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 Cadmus sensed Dawn before he ever saw her, picking up her scent easily with senses greater than any a human possessed. He was, after all, a Gryphon, even if he now spent the majority of his time in a human body. He didn't really mind as much anymore, either; with time, he had grown more comfortable with both it and with being around other humans. Besides, he was in a human kingdom. Walking around in his true form here would do nothing but frighten the uninformed. Very few here knew what he truly was...and, quite frankly, he liked to keep in that way.

No use in scaring people or, worse, giving any hunters any ideas. He'd been in the human markets, and there were plenty of hawkers there selling the furs and parts of various beasts.

Not that that worried him to begin with. He had no problem holding his own. But he just didn't wish to start anything.

"Hey, Dawn," he called, even before he rounded the corner that brought her into sight. Of course...though he had known she was coming, his sense of smell certainly couldn't predict what condition she would be in, and as he looked her over, noting all the weapons upon her... "Ah, I get it..." he said with a wry grin. "Let me guess...sparring?"
 
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 Dawn was a bit startled as she heard her name, but saw no one, but she was quick to realize who had called her name. There were very few who could sense her before seeing her... most who could were in her family--she had quite the unique family! Even if it didn't count her parents anymore... But Cadmus had helped fill that gap, serving as the closest thing Dawn can remember to being a father figure. She'd been too young to know what her real father had been like, though it didn't stop her from wondering.

She gave a sly smile. Not that it was very difficult to understand what her intentions were, but the way Cadmus concluded it was amusing.

"Everyone's getting anxious waiting for that stupid army," she said. It was obvious she was young--nearly eighteen with quite a few years of her life lost to magic--by the way she spoke, or of course that could just be the fact that she was with her uncle and formalities we unneeded with him.

"And, I got a few things made for ya!" She added with a smile. "So that means you'll have to test them out, so we can spar a bit." She said with a wink, basically saying he had to help her train. Not only would it be for testing his own new weapons--which she'd show him once they got to the training room she had had them sent to--but it was the right thing for an uncle to do!

"Well, I mean if you're too old to train a bit, I'll understand..." She said with a quirky smile. A, teasing Cadmus was fun! He hardly looked old at all! But that couldn't stop Dawn from teasing him! He'd do it to her, anyways!
 
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 Cadmus grinned in amusement at her comment on his age. Indeed, he was hardly old. Hell, he only looked a few years older than Dawn, if that! "Nah...I'm not old enough to be unable to spar just yet! But...do go easy on me. These old bones aren't what they used to be, pupâ€"er, young'un..." He chuckled at his own slip-up; Gryphon young, or Gryphlets, were often affectionately called pups by their relations...and Cadmus certainly felt like he was related to Dawn.

He couldn't quite describe the feeling, but...well...the closest he could come to describing it was...he felt almost like her father. Not that he knew what that felt like. He'd never had a father figure, after all...he wouldn't know what that would feel like.

Right?

"So, what new stuff ya got?" he asked. By nature, from his years of perpetual bondage, he usually spoke in a formal tongue; it came naturally to him, for that had been the way he had been taught to speak. Yet, around Dawn, more and more, he had started to slip out of it, and he hardly noticed.

Dawn was wearing off on him...and he didn't mind a bit.  
 
 
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 Dawn giggled at Cadmus' slip-up. She usually caught the terms that were used with Gryphons. She understood most of them, anyways. It was like Cadmus' personal dialect, to incorporate some of the language he'd used in The Realm, and some that people used here.

Dawn lead him to a training room down the hall and, spread out on a table was a new black belt, with a black and silver sheath. Inside the sheath was a silver sword, curved slightly for easier maneuvering. The metal was very light, but still very strong. Mages had worked magic into the actual medal before it had hardened. Engraved very finely on the sword was a gryphon rising up from flames. Of course, there was no colour, just the outlines, but it was still very beautiful. The sword's handle matched the sheath fairly well. It had a better handle to grip which, hopefully, matched with Cadmus' hand.

Beside the sword as a shield, much like the sword (with a gryphon rising from flames), but it also held the symbol of the Serendipity Kingdom. And finally, there was a small dagger in a soft leather sheath, one that could be attached to his ankle or arm to be hidden, which was why the sheath was soft. It was rather plain, but had a unique curve in the blade.

"I thought you could use some new weaponry," Dawn commented. Plus, it was something nice for her to do for her uncle--even if such pretty things were going to be used to hurt people, if the siege ever did come--or any attack, really.
 
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 Cadmus was by no means an expert when it came to weaponry; after all, for the majority of his life, his weapon had been his body: his claws, his beak, his strength, his magic. That was all he had needed...but, here, of course, he had had to learn to use other types of weapons. A human body was pretty useless by itself, no offence, of course, to his companions and loved ones. But...it was true, and most humans seemed to realize this. He certainly did.

However, expert or not, it didn't mean he couldn't appreciate beauty. And that was one word that certainly described the weapons that were laid out on the table: beautiful. And new. He could sense their newness. These were swords that had never before seen battle, never before tasted blood. "Dawn, did you have these made forâ€""

He stopped in mid-sentence as his eyes landed on the engraved symbol on the blade and, slowly, he walked toward it, brought his fingers to trace it lightly. A Gryphon...

"They're...they're amazing..." he murmered, tarnished-gold eyes slightly widened.

It was hard to believe such items would be used in war. They hardly seemed fit for it! Oh, they felt strong, from what he could tell...they could do a lot of damage, he assumed...but they were so ornamental...he'd never seen weapons such as these. And the Gryphon sigil...heh, only Dawn would think of that...
 
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 Dawn felt so happy to see Cadmus' expression. Seeing him happy and speechless made Dawn so happy. She'd never really given anyone a gift. She'd been taken away from virtually anyone she gave a damn about before and now that she was back and with her family... She was beginning to understand things clearer. Especially about some joys she'd never understood before.

"They're your's." She said with a smile on her face. "Besides, Caanan and Ravi have their own swords... You should, too." She said, though...Caanan and Ravi's were different. Ravi's had been Ciyran's. The swords had come from Desmond and were swords that served as a link between Caanan and Ciyran, their colours entwined in them, the markings... She didn't know the whole story behind them, but she knew Ravi had gotten their father's sword and it had made Caanan so proud.

"Well, try it out!" Dawn said cheerfully, wanting to see Cadmus hold and get a feel for his new toys. She was worried he wouldn't be used to the lightness of them and maybe not be able to use them... Things always had such a great space to go wrong!
 
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 At the main gate to the grand Serendipity Castle approaches a massive figure. A nearly ten foot minotuar to be exact. He walks up to the guards at the gate with a twelve foot battle ax in hand and a smile on his face. He looks down at them with sky blue eyes.
"Greetings, fair warriors. I am Bullathra Hornadango, a mere traveler. I have wandered here today in hopes to meet the ruler of this lovely kingdom." The minotuar speaks with a kind and caring voice. Not usually normal for that specific kind of beast. He's either faking it or he truely is kind at heart, making him a bit of an outcat to his kind.

 
HeavenzGift16
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 One of the guards stepped out of the line and approached Bullathra, looking at him wearily. The archers in the towers had already readied themselves incase the visitor turned out to be unwelcommed.

"Have you requested an audience? Or have you a summons?" He asked, looking for a sheet of parchment that might let them know that he was asked to come to the castle.

It was obviouse the security around the castle had been made much tighter and stronger. Previous attacks and threats have lead the Kingdom of Serendipity to become more and more cautious and thus they had upgraded their defenses, and offenses, greatly.
 
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 "No, not really. But I can request one now, if it's not too much of a hassle. Unless you want me to come back some other time. I have all the time in the world, just name it." Bullathra explains, maintaining his smile. It was his goal to travel the world. It was an even greater goal of his to attempt to bring the world to peace. Even if he has to do it, one kingdom at a time.

 
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 "They are?" Well, he knew he'd be using them, but that they were his alone hadn't crossed his mind. "Thank you, Dawn..." He said it with sincere gratitude, but also a bit of awkwardness; he simply wasn't used to recieving gifts, and thus didn't really know how he was supposed to respond.

Oh well...he imagined he'd get used to it with time.

Doing as Dawn excitedly suggested, he grasped the sword by the hilt and lifted it experimentally, shifting it in his hand as he tested the weight and balance. Perfectly balanced...and extremely light. And he certainly didn't mind either factor. Of course, the lightness would take some getting used to, as his other sword had been the standard one of a soldier, but it was certainly not something he'd miss.

The only part that would take the most getting used to was actually using it! It was so ornamental...he'd almost feel bad to put a scratch in it! But he was sure that, in the heat of battle, that would very quickly change...

"It's great, Dawn!"
 
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 Another guard checked a roll of parchment for the audiences the Queen had for the day. Not many, hardly any at all. He nodded the the guard who had addressed Bullathra to inform him that there was time if he decided Bullathra would be permitted within the gates.

"She's in the east wing," the guard said to a servant as he ran up. The servant was Hinsho, one who spent a lot of time around the Queen, tending to certain things... last time he helped with the siege Lord Ryver had brought onto the Kingdom.

"He will take you to Her Majesty." The guard said, and Hinsho gave a nod and, when Bullathra was ready, lead him to the room where Cadmus and Dawn were.

_____________

"Well you deserve them--you deserve more, but I guess these are a good start." She told him. he did deserve more. Dawn wished Cadmus could have all he wanted. She knew that he had been happy with Charumati, but Dawn had begun to dislike her because she had just left Cadmus--Oh! And Serendipity Kingdom! Cadmus also deserved some acceptance from Caanan and Ravi, which reminded her: Where was Ravi?!

"Test them out with me," Dawn said, backing up onto the mat that was used for sparring. She drew her sword and stood ready for him.
 
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 Bullathra nodded greatfully to the guard and began to follow after the servant, hooves clicking on the ground as he walked. He walked as slow as he could, but maintained the same speed as the servant, directly behind him. He uses his ax like a walking stick, fitted for his stature.
"What is it you call yourself?" The minotuar asks the servant as he walks behind him. Might as well make the best of his short trip.

 
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 "H-Hinsho, sir." Hinsho said, stuttering a bit. he always stuttered--well, not always, but a lot--as a result of uneasiness. Before he was a servent of the castle he'd been tossed around from Lord to Lady as a servent or just as some type of entertainment.

He stopped as they reached the room and slowly Hinsho knocked on the already opened door, bowing to the Queen and Lord Cadmus before exitting and leaving Bullathra there...
 
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 Bullathra greatfully waved at Hinsho as he took off. He looked back through the doorway to see the two with sky blue eyes. When he finally decided to enter, the minotuar had to crouch down to get in. His horns added more to the height, so he didn't want to destroy the door frame. He didn't know who to bow to, so he just kneeled down and laid his twelve foot battle ax before him. He lowered his head before he began with the introduction.
"I am Bullathra Hornadango, a Peaceseeker. I travel the world in hopes to bring it together, by means of peace. I hope that my journey to your beautiful kingdom has not been in vain." Though his voice may be deep and rumbling, Bullathra speaks true of heart.

 
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 He laughed softly, shaking his head. Heh...he was the adult here (well, technically! Dawn had grown up fast while in the other realm, where time apparently worked differently) and yet Dawn was practically taking care of him!

Not that he didn't appreciate it. He did.

She was the one that had brought him back to himself when it seemed like everything was falling apart around him, when Charumati had vanished and he'd felt isolated even among his own familyâ€"well, among Sachi and her family; he felt accepted enough around her, but as far as Caanan and Ravi went...that was another story. And he'd recovered. And he'd moved on. He had her to owe for that. It was impossible to get down around her.

Smiling, he followed Dawn's example and moved back onto the mat, taking the new sword with him. "You're on," he told her with a small grin. "Ladies first."
 
HeavenzGift16
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 "Ladies first indeed," she said with a smile and motionned for him to go first! She laughed at her remark and stepped onto the mat.

She then saw the giant minotaur enter the room--it was quite hard to ignore that! She didn't know exactly what to do. She hardly looked like she was the Queen, dressed in a more casual outfit for training.

"Not quite in vain, but I suppose you havn't heard about an army that wants this Kingdom for itself?" She asked, stopping and sheathing the sword she'd unsheathed only moments ago.

It seemed her playfulness had vanished. It had to! She couldn't be a the Queen that referred to her uncle as a lady!
 
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 Bullathra rose his head when he heard the female of the two speak. Perhaps she is the lead to this kingdom. His face went from joyful, to serious. Maybe his timing was much better than he expected. He remained kneeled as he began to speak again.
"Perhaps my arrival to your kingdom has mistakenly become a blessing in disguise. I will be willing to to lend a hand in your kingdom's defence until this army is driven off. Though I may seem intimidating, I could never put someone to death myself." The minotuar continues as he raises his massive ax to hold it vertically while kneeling.
"I have had this weapon for over a century now and it has never spilled any blood. I woulod like to keep it that way for as long as I shall live, but I will fight for the safety of your kingdom. Do you accept my assistance?" Bullathra finally asks.

(OOC: This is my way to make up for Norriden not being around for the Siege :P)

 
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 [OOC: kekeke! Great! ^__^]

"I accept it, gratefully." She replied. Well, this was some good fortune! Though Dawn was aimed more toward taking out a few members of the army.

"They've already attacked before and we've been waiting for their second attack." She told him. "If you choose not to kill that's your own choice, but whomever you fight I want them captured." She added. If he wasn't going to kill them, then capturing all they could and dealing with them under the laws of the Kingdom would do justice anyways.

Dawn remembered the chaos they caused last time.. They came intending to kill.
 
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 Cadmus laughed at Dawn's remarkâ€"he should have expected something like that from her!â€"and was about ready to retort with some smart remark of his own when from the corner of his eye, Cadmus glanced a dominating figure entering the room. Immediately, and instinctively, he went on edge, turning to face the figure. And if he had been in his true form, he would have bristled in surprise. Even kneeling...that was one tall creature...with one big axe.

Thankfully, though, by his stature, the being was completely harmless, and Cadmus was easily able to recognize that. Still, he was a little unnerved. He should have been able to hear his approach long before he came...but he had been so distracted. That was what was truly unnerving. After all, Cadmus didn't entirely trust the other guards to do their job properly and adequately protect Dawnâ€"that was just the way Cadmus was, naturallyâ€"and if that creature had indeed been posing as a threat...that could have been really, really bad.

Lowering his sword, he watched as Dawn took charge, her playfulness melting away as she put on a mask of regality. No, her attire certainly wasn't that of a queen...but her attitude made up for it.

She was getting good at this.

It was a necessary mask that needed to be worn, sadly...
 
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 Bullathra smiled as he was accepted and stood up from the ground to tower over the two once more.
"Then I shall graciously assist you and your kingdom. By all means, I was intending to take captives anyway. If they have reason to attack a beautiful kingdom, then they have reason to be captured. Only fools wage war with the peaceful." Bullathra explains as he begins to unintentionally tap one of his hooves.

 
HeavenzGift16
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 Dawn smiled. "Thank you," she said to Bullathra, his desire to help the Kingdom, and so out of the blue, was appreciated.

Dawn fell silent then, unsure whether she should introduce herself or not. Usually someone announced her, but today she had planned on having a very casual day with just her uncles and aunt and some others in the castle who knew her for her.

"I'm Dawn, by the way." She said finally. "And this is my uncle, Cadmus." She added, motioning her hand to Cadmus. It must have been a long while since someone hadn't referred to him as "Caddus" to another person... Though, Dawn did find it rather funny when Akamu did it, more so because of his accent.
 
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 Cadmus cracked an amused grin at Dawn. Wow, she was the first person in what felt like ages to pronounce his name correctly, and it was a refreshing sound! He didn't exactly enjoy the sound of "Caddus"...and he still couldn't figure out what was so bloody difficult about adding that "M" in there! He sweared people did it on purpose, just to bug him.

Hopefully this newcomer wouldn't jump on the bandwagon, as well.

Still remainig silent, he watched both Dawn and Bullathra. Indeed...he was glad the minotaur was on their side...

(SPS! GRAH!)

 
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 Bullathra smiled as Dawn introduced herself and her uncle. He nodded to them in reply.
"A pleasure to meet the two of you, Dawn and Cadmis." He notes, not able to pronounce the man's name right. He always had trouble with such things.
"Is there anywhere in particular you want me stationed?" Bullathra asks, not really knowing what position he'd rather take to defend the kingdom. He's fine anywhere he goes.

(Couldn't resist XD)

 
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 Dawn thought for a moment. Bullathra could be a great asset to them in the fight, but she had no real idea as to where to station him. Of course, he would probably he more comfortable outside--with more room. And if he was outside, it would be best if he was near one of the guard towers so he could be notified early if anything was seen by the watchers and archers on the high towers.

"If you'd be more comfortable outside, you should be near a guard tower..." Dawn said, "however if you feel alright inside the castle, I suppose anywhere will do-so long as you aren't in the way of any of the guards or anything." She added. It really was his choice. Dawn felt like she had covered the entire castle with guards and archers and felt that Bullathra would be fine wherever he decided he wanted to go.

"If you feel like you need practise, I'm sure there would be someone of equal size or strength who could sparr with you." Dawn added.
 
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 Cadmus was barely able to conceal his grimace as, once again, his name was utterly slaughtered. Well...at least this particular slaughter was slightly less pronounced, he reasoned. At least the minotaur hadn't dropped the "M" in his name as Akamu did. But it was annoying nonetheless, and was growing more annoying with each misproununciation...

Why? What was so bloody challenging about his name!? The minotaur had a far more difficult name than he did! Unless, of course, the minotaur had also slaughtered its own name.

He just couldn't figure it out. That was what was probably most irritating about the whole deal. Well, that and the fact that, like most Gryphons, he had a great deal of pride. Not egotistical pride, but pride nonetheless.

"Cadmus," he interjected quickly, unable to restrain himself as he felt the minotaur's mistake eating away at him.

Whew. Now that he'd gotten that out of his system, he felt oddly much better. Weird how such simple things could just gnaw at your nerves. And now that, hopefully, that was taken care of, he was able to focus on Dawn's speech more closely. And from the sounds of it, she had it all covered. Nothing he needed to add that he could see...

Except for that comment about sparring. Cadmus didn't think he'd seen anyone around that was as large as the minotaur...unless anyone around here was also secretly a shape-shifter. Ah! Heh, Caanan was, wasn't he? After all, when he had faced him, he'd turned into a dragâ€"

Cadmus ended that train of thought very quickly.

 
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 When Cadmus decided to interrupt by correcting his own name, Bulltathra turned his head to the man and smiled gingerly.
"Cadmus. Forgive me, I'm horrible with names." The minotuar notes politely. He then turns back to the Queen to hear her suggestions.
"Practice isn't necessary. I may not have spread blood in my existance, but I am quite experienced nonetheless. I guess I'll just patrol around the castle until the time comes. When the attack begins, I'll be sure to be in the frontlines." Bullathra explains before he bows his head in honor of the royalty.
"If you need me, just whistle. My hearing is quite accurate when it comes to that, no matter where i may be in the castle." With his words, Bullathra turns about to head towards the exit of the room, making sure to slightly crouch down so he doesn't hit his head.


HeavenzGift16
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 Dawn turned once Bullathra left and it was obvious from her change in posture that she was relieved not to have to play Queen for a while.

"That was a stroke of luck," she said with a smile. It wasn't every day some massive minotaur walked into the castle wanted to fight for its safety!

"Well, I guess we'd best get back to it, then." She said walking back over to the large mat at the center of the room. "I can't remember the last time I sparred with ya," she added. Come to think of it.. had she ever? When she came back she was hardly in the mood to sparr or fight at all. She just did not like to do things the bastards in Desmonds taught her to do. Though now she had cooled down about those things...
 
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 Mimicking Dawn by returning to his side of the mat, Cadmus laughed. "Dawn...I don't think you've ever sparred with me," he told her with a grin, once again raising his new sword. At least, he couldn't remember a time they had actually sparred. They'd fought side by side, but never against one another.

This should be interesting. Cadmus wasn't the best swordsman. He was decent, and could hold his own in battle, but he was still learning and fine-tuning his skills. For the most part, he preferred fighting in his true form; it was more effective, he was more intuned to that body, and the natural weaponry he possessed in that form was far more lethal and caused far more damage than any sword he could weild. Hell, the only reason he ever refrained from fighting in that form was so as not to startle or scare any soldiers among their own ranks! It wouldn't be good if they viewed him as the threat!

Dawn, on the other hand, he knew to be an expert; Desmond had drilled the skill into her head...

Sliding into the proper stance, he looked to Dawn. "Ready when you are, Your Highness," he quipped, grinning teasingly.

[MOVED THREAD! Damaged16 (Heavenzgift16) as Akamu and Small Wonder as Tiaret]

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 "Well, tha' was interestin'," Akamu commented as the centauress went on her way. "Don' tell me tha'appens often!" He said with a wink.

That really was interesting for him. He could not cross of quite a few things on his unbelievable list. This world was just full of surprises, but oddly enough, most of the surprises were pleasant and unique. He was glad not to be in the past, where murders were the norm and everyone looked at everyone else as a potential killer--or at least enemy.

"So, back t'th'training, righ'? He asked. His accent became more prominent when he was amazed or scared.. Or really anything but calm. It really came out when he was drunk!

He swung the sword back up to hold it properly, as Tiaret had instructed him to earlier, and spaced his feet apart so he could hold it good--and so it wasn't so heavy on his wrists.

"Alright... Now wha'?" He asked.
 
Small Wonder  
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 "Actually...it does," Tiaret replied seriously. She'd seen all sorts of interesting types around hereâ€"heck, she was one of them!

Grinning slightly, Tiaret lifted her sword, as well, and returned to the proper stance. Tossing her head to throw her coal-black hair out of her face, she nodded. "Yes. Back to training...well, first things first. We cannot jump straight into sparring yet, we need to run you through the stances, through the various parries and thrusts. First, we'll practice parries...those are the most important of all; they keep you alive."

Walking over to him, she positioned herself next to him. "Just do as I do. I'll run you through the different types of parries, and then you can practice them against me," she told him, and with that said, began to demonstrate them, explaining as she went about what each one was used for, and in what situation. "...And also, parries aren't only used to defend. They can be used to counterattack off of, as well. Comes very much in handy, and, if done right, can give you the upper hand. If done wrong...it can put you in serious trouble. But we;ll go over those later. For now, just the basics..."

Running him through them a few more times, she finally stopped, then looked over at him. "Think you got it? If you don't, we can practice some more, but if you think you're ready, you can actually practice them against me..."
 
HeavenzGift16
The Fallen Angel
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(10/14/04 1:08 pm)
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 Akamu watched Tiaret carefully, knowing that it wasn't a laughing matter because he knew he'd have to use a sword at some point. He'd basically made up his mind that if Caanan liked it here so much, and if Caanan was going to stay here for the rest of his life, then Akamu would too. Thing were simple,in their own way--everything was more simple than the world Akamu had come out of, or rather; the time period.

"Righ'," he said, as he (in his opinion) matched one of his parries to her's. "Yeah, I thin' I've got it." He confirmed.

"Better t'try it out in an actual situation," he added. "Best way t'learn." He added.

He looked at Tiaret and waited for her to start, not exactly sure how it all went about. In the last siege, he'd seen a lot of magic used, and a lot of other things. Those with swords were going at their opponents without an inch of room to rest.
 
Small Wonder  
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   bwah!
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 Nodding, Tiaret moved so that she was positioned in front of him, spaced apart just enough. "I'm going to attack, now, and I want you to respond with the appropriate parries. Don't worry...I'll go easy on you," she reassured with a small grin. "The point isn't to beat you, but to teach you. We'll get competitive later, when you're more experienced. But for now, don't focus on besting me, and do not focus on attacking. Simply parry. Simply focus on form, not strength. Form is probably the most important factor when it comes to swordfighting. Strength only comes second. Ready?"

With that said, she started, at first announcing her attacks to give him time to respond and alternating between high and low thrusts. But, as the practice continued, she gradually stopped warning him of her actions...and started mixing up her attacks, so that they were no longer predictable.

After a while of this, she paused, lowering her sword. "How are you doing?"
 
 
 
HeavenzGift16
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 Akamu tried his best to keep up, reacting a bit late with some of Tiaret's unannounced attacks. Well, the fun had been sucked out of this little event--not that he had expected it to be fun, but he had become more and more focused on actually fighting and doing what Tiaret had told him to do... More than he had thought he would have been.

"Somethin' tells me y've done this b'fore..." Akamu replied to her once she stopped, a grin on his face. "I'm doin' fine, its'not tha' bad." He added.

Akamu was in no rush to be competitive with Tiaret. he was content just knowing how to use a sword. He was different from other guys in that respect. He was happy being second to someone, or even last. He knew what he could and couldn't do, so being able to do things he previously couldn't was fun and challenging. He liked it. He had no problem with Tiaret being better, it meant she was good at something and wasn't too high and mighty to teach it to others.
 
Small Wonder  
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   Heh!
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 She gave a light laugh. "Very perceptive of you. Yes, I have been doing this long." Ever since she got here. Indeed...that had been her first lesson. Self defense, combat. Oh, like most Gryphons, she could hold her own just fine while in her native body. But human bodies were so much different...

And she had learned that the hard way.

But, that was over with. And she certainly didn't want to brood on it now. "No, you are doing well, Akamu. Swordfighting certainly is not something one picks up in a few rounds, nor is one born with the gift. It takes practice...lots of it. I was in your position when I first began, and you are doing well." And it really helped that he wasn't like most guys she'd seen. He was really focusing, and doing as he was instructed. Not at all like those testosterone driven males she'd seen make fools of themselves on the streets...

"Now...are you up to more practice? Perhaps we could move onto attacks, just introduce you to them. That is...if you wouldn't like a break..."

 
HeavenzGift16
The Fallen Angel
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 "Eh, I'm fine." He said with a shrug. "An' a guess attacks migh' be the next best thing, righ'?" He asked.

"S'when'd yeh learn all this?" Akamu asked. She certainly looked like she knew what she was doing! And she was a good teacher--and Akamu was one to know what teaching was! He had been one himself, though ironically he had taught English. Looking back on that, he felt a bit sorry for the poor American students who had had to keep up with his accent. He could have only hoped he taught on days that his accent was rather hushed!

"Yer quite the teacher Ms. Tia," he added with a grin. He didn't know if children around here called their teachers Mr. or Mrs....
 
Small Wonder  
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   Let's not go there...
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 "I...I learned all this when I first came here..." Tiaret replied awkwardly, brushing black hair from her sand brown eyes. "Everything is so much different here. Well...different, I suppose, because of, well...thisâ€"" She made a sweeping motion with her hand that took in the whole of her body. "This form...human bodies are weak, quite unlike my own body. I had to find a new way to protect myself, to fend for myself. That is why I took up swordfighting. It was the next best thing...and most effective option."

Not the whole truth, but truth enoughâ€"the only truth she would willingly offer.

Offering a small smile, she gave a slight shrug. "Glad my lessons are effective. It is my first time teaching...you are my first student, you could say." She didn't question his use of "ms." before her name, even if she didn't quite understand it. After all...she had no idea what a teacher was. Well...not in the way Akamu was thinking, at least. Those kind, classrooms and professors, simply didn't exist here.

"Well? Would you like to practice more, or take a break first?"

[MOVED THREAD! Damaged16 as Caanan/Akamu (Heavenzgift16), Small Wonder as Tiaret/Sachi, Gold as Fenway, RaspberryGold as Daynassea]

HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
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(6/16/04 12:34 pm)
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 Nearly two weeks had passed since the unexpected attack on the castle. It was said that, in the frey, Cameron's former master had been killed. The soldiers of the castle were all well again, any who had suffered injuring were as healthy as they had been. Measures had been taken to secure the castle walls after concluding that they had needed to be more durable. It was not only rocks that went into them now, but magic. The castle mages had worked on the overall structure of the castle, finding weaknesses in the stone walls and reinforcing them with magic.

Outside, Kouken and Liam were basking in the sun, on the front steps to the castle's main doors. Though some bickering continued between the two, they seemed friendlier than they had been before Liam had left to guard Lena.

The subject of Lena was never brought up. It pained Liam seemingly more than it did anyone who inquired.

Today, Dawn was in a combat room usually used for the top knights. She practised, mainly, hand-to-hand combat. Her magic was powerful, her strength was not. She was learning methods to overthrow an opponent without the use of magic or strength, but by hitting weaker points in the human body, points that are unprotected; like the stomach and neck and such.

She was interrupted when a servant came into the room ith a glass of water and some issues that needed to be tended to. Dawn stopped and had the messenger take down a letter to which he was to deliver before she returned to her training...
 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
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(6/19/04 6:31 pm)
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 Whoa, what luck! Cameron's visit must have made Sachi just completely forget about why Caanan had been late on the evening of the banquet. Of course, Caanan wasn't keeping it from her, but he felt it would be better not to bother her with it and besides, he could deal with it she didn't have to worry about it.

He woke up rather latethat morning and looked out the window of their room to the vast forest the stretched beyond the village. He wanted to go home, but... Well Aki was never wrong when it came to his visions because they weren't exactly his. They were visions of the future given to him by some divine source..

Caanan watched Sachi sleep and debated waking her. Better not to, she got tired quicker now...

He exitted the room and was taken down by Akamu, who nearly jumped out of his skin and began to continue running until he realized who he'd ran into and stopped, out of breath.

"Tha'... guy..." Akamu gasped, looking down the hall in hopes he'd tricked his chaser some where down the hall to taking a wrong turn. "Tha'... damned... ugly..."

"What?" Caanan asked, looking down the hall with a little worry. Maybe an attack? No, Akamu as referring to just one.

"The bloody demon--'e was 'ere last time," Akamu said, leaning against the wall with one hand.

"The one like you?" Caanan asked, lowering his voice half way through the question to ensure no one might overhear.

"Yea, th'ugly one." Akamu said. "I think I lost 'im." He concluded, taking another look down the hall...
 
Gold
Miss Oblivious
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   <--Fenway
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 The soldier stood on the ramparts, looking across the sunlit lawn of Serendipity. Everything was just as quiet as it had been the night after the banquet, and the night after that...in fact, nothing terribly exciting had happened after that day, and he was entirely fine with that. Where most warriors prayed for a chance to show others their strength, it seemed to him that fighting was so common now a days that it was a relief to have a break, even if it was only a month or two before the next attack.

A hawk landed on the stone wall close to Fenway and ruffled his feathers haughtily, his cold amber eyes watching the knight keenly. Fen glanced back at it and a half smile appeared on the side of his face.

"Shouldn't you be hunting my friend?" he asked it, still gazing across the lands. He glanced back over and saw the bird give him a look that clearly said, What should I hunt? All of the vultures have scared the rodents away. The damned scavengers had hung around for days after the battle, even after all of the bodies had been disposed of until they had finally given up just recently and left to find a better feeding area.

Still smiling, he looked up at the sun and saw that his watch was nearly over, and after that he would head down toward the training grounds and catch up with his most desperately needy skill of archery. He was fine with the sword and hand to hand combat, but archery gave him the largest headache, and he had promised himself that he would at least attempt to improve.
 
Small Wonder  
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(6/21/04 12:13 pm)
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   *yaaaaawn*
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 Sachi woke not too long after Caanan arose, the sudden lack of warmth that Caanan's body provided disturbing her rest. Cracking her eyes open confirmed that, as was common, he was up and gone before her.

Hmm...gone again...

Stifling a yawn with her hand, she carefully rose out of bed and dressed, a bit slower than the months prior. And understandably. Her belly had swollen some in the past few weeks, which had surprised Sachi. It was still early in her pregnancy, so she hadn't expected such an amount of growth. Not yet, at least. But then, she was a Gryphon, despite being in a human form--and despite being more human than Gryphon due to being in this form for so long--so there were probably a lot of differences there. She never thought to ask Natara about what to expect...

Oh well. The growth of her belly didn't bother her, really. It meant she was getting closer to seeing her child, after all! The only annoyance was when it came to selecting clothes. Her old wardrobe had been replaced with looser fitting clothing, and much to her annoyance, the majority of it did not include breeches, but gowns. It made sense, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

Finally dressed, she made her way out of the room to find Caanan--and to get some breakfast. Her stomach was rumbling, and she doubted it was all her. After all, now she had two mouths to feed.
 
 
 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
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(6/21/04 12:22 pm)
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 "Jesus!" Akamu yelled as Sachi exitted the room rather suddenly... to him, at least! He had almost bolted out into a run but Caanan had grabbed his shirt.

"Calm down," Caanan said with a serious look on his face to Akamu. He didn't have to publisize the fact that there might be a demon in the castle and by doing that he might as well jsut tell people Akamu was a demon anyways.

"-ey! You're no'the guy who's on ugly's 'it-list!" Akamu argued and got loose of Caanans grip.

"Sorry there, Sachi," Akamu said, apologizing incase he had scared her. "Jus' a tad jumpy." He explained with a weak smile. He was still worried about seeing the demon come storming down the hallway.
 
Small Wonder  
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   AHHHH!!!
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 Sachi felt she had probably jumped a good three feet into the air when, her heart lunging into her throat, someone yelled in alarm--and she added her own yelp of surprise to the noise. "Holy--! Agh, Akamu!" she gasped as her eyes registered the flighty Akamu, who was being held onto by Caanan. Geez! What was that about!?

Drawing a deep breath, she leaned back against the wall behind her to catch her breath. "Ah, it's okay...geez...don't ever do that again, oka--'ugly's hit list'?"

THAT caught her attention, and she raised an eyebrow. "Ya better not be talkin' 'bout me," she murmered wryly, cracking a tired grin.

 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
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(6/21/04 12:58 pm)
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 Caanan put his arm around Sachi, hoping she was alright. It hadn't scared him, but then again he was pregnant or being chased by a demon.

"Nah, there's a lad who wants t'kill me," Akamu said, heaving a sigh. Okay, he was pretty sure he was safe by now. The demon was slow, but not this slow! He must have left.

"Have you done any deals lately?" Caanan asked.

"I'm clean, I swear!" Akamu said, though they weren't talking about drugs. Akamu had been a hussler, more so in the trafficking of magical items than anything else. He'd met a few back demons that way, but none that he been of the same species of demon that Akamu's father had been! "'avn't been doing tha' stuff fer 'least a month!" Akamu added.

"A month? That's not too long," Caanan replied now beginning to think Akamu had upset someone he'd dealed to.

"Whoa, no! No one looked like tha'! I swear!" Akamu said. He was positive this was not his mistake.

It just occured to Akamu that Sachi wasn't well educated in the winding road that is Akamu's life. He thought about something to say, he didn't think Sachi would want to know about all the bad news that followed him...

Hell, both Caanan and Akamu didn't have a cover for it. Caanan didn't really want to cover it up, the more Akamu let slip the easy it would be for him to say it to Sachi, but he was not ready to do that!
 
Small Wonder  
Bishounen Hunter
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(6/21/04 1:15 pm)
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   Uh...say wha?
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 Sachi followed the conversation with a blank look on her face, silver eyes blinking very slowly. Deals? Clean? SOmeone out to kill Akamu?

Er...

"Ah...what are ya two talkin' 'bout again...?" she asked slowly, tilting her head to the side. Maybe it was secret code or something...

Or just language from their world.

"Someone wants to kill Akamu? Why?" That was really the only thing she understood completely.
 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
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(6/21/04 1:24 pm)
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 "We're not sure," Caanan replied, looking back at Sachi. "Nothing to worry about..." He added, not wanting Sachi to get worried or anything, as far as Caanan knew the demon could be dealt with... well, killed.

"Nothing t'worry about?! 'e's huge!" Akamu corrected, eyes wide... before he realized Caanan was trying to make sure Sachi didn't get worried. "Not that it matters.. 'e's just go'a grudge 'gainst me..."

Caanan sighed and shook his head. it was no use treating Sachi like a child. He was worried because she was pregnant, but she was stupid and she'd know they were trying to shield her. "It can be taken care of," he said reassuringly.

"Hungry?" He asked Sachi, heaving a sigh and forgetting about the argument with Akamu and the demon.
 
Small Wonder  
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(6/21/04 1:38 pm)
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   Ooookay...
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 On one side, she was getting reassurances that it was nothing to worry about. On the other, she was getting visions of a huge monster. Oi, was she confused...she had walked in at a very, very bad time, it seemed.

However, Caanan seemed like he really wanted to just change the subject, and Sachi didn't try and say otherwise. She knew how Caanan was, sometimes...and she also knew that she'd weasel the truth out of him eventually if she didn't push too hard. Knowing Caanan, now was not a good moment to get answers.

Speaking of which...that reminded her that she still never had gotten a certain answer from Caanan concerning his whereabouts and those scratches, as Cameron had interrupted them...

"I'll take your word for it...for now..." she said slowly, her voice betraying her displeasure. She knew they were both trying to protect her...but argh! She didn't like all the secrets! She liked it when people were upfront and open with her, and this...erg. She would most definitely be having a talk with Caanan after breakfast.

"Yeah, we're both hungry," she said with a small smile, placing a hand gently on her belly.

 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
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(6/21/04 1:46 pm)
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 Caanan couldn't help but smile at Sachi's comment. The thought of his child just lifted his heart to a place where the negativity and such couldn't get him. In his life, two things made him happy: Sachi and the fact that he was going to be a father. It was all he needed and it was all he wanted.

"I think the kitchen's free," he said and slipped his hand into Sachi's, leading them towards the kitchen.

Akamu shrugged his shoulders, not quite hungry after his epic journey to elude the demon through the castle.

"See y'guys later," he said before heading off in the other direction. Maybe he'd find Tiaret somewhere...
 
Small Wonder  
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   FOOOOOD!
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 Forgetting the negativity as well as soon as Caanan touched her hand, she followed him into the kitchen. For now, she could put off other thoughts and forget about not being told the truth.

For now.

That would be taken care of later.

"So, whatcha gonna have?" she asked Caanan with a small grin, and raised up on tip-toe to kiss him on the cheek.

~*~

Meanwhile, Tiaret had also recently gotten out of bed. She normally never slept in, and was usually an early riser--when she actually had some place to live other than the streets...when she lived there, she slept during the day to be safe--but her night had been sleepless.

Damned nightmare...another haunting, reaccuring reminder of everything she tried so hard to forget...

Argh! Stop thinking about it! she told herself sharply as her mind began to linger on those more-than-unpleasant memories, and she immediately reverted her thoughts to more pleasant things. The hospitality she had experienced, the friends she had made of late, Akamu...

Akamu!?

"OOF!"

She didn't have time to react. As she rounded one corner, he was apparently coming from the other side, and she bumped quite roughly into him, so much so that she was lucky not to fall on her bottom. But her reflexes, groggy as they were, were quick, and she quickly regained her balance.

"Erk, sorry about that, Akamu! I didn't see you coming!" she exclaimed apologetically.

 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
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(6/21/04 2:23 pm)
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 Caanan kissed Sachi back as she kissed him, one hand rested momentarily on her stomach and as he drew back he smiled. He may not have had much of a family growing up, but he had one now.

"Whatever you're having," he replied. "Name it." He said, getting ready to cook her whatever she wanted.

~*~

Akamu fell back and could have jumed out of his skin if the fear of soiling himself hadn't crossed his mind! He was a wreck! He wasn't the type to fight unless it was done dirty and he had a huge advantage!

"Jesus!" Akamu exclaimed, trying to catch his breath.

"Oh, hey Tia." He greeted when he saw who it was--half ready to run away. "No 'arm done." He said with a weak smile. "Just got up?" He asked.
 
Small Wonder  
Bishounen Hunter
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(6/21/04 2:56 pm)
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   Poh-tay-tohs!
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 "Hmm...well...are there any--?" She stopped suddenly and grinned sheepishly. "Ahaha...it's just funny. I have the strongest craving for potatoes and strawberries..." she murmered. "...for breakfast. Not mixed, of course."

Strange combination. But damn! It sounded good!

~*~

"Yeah, just got up not long ago," Tiaret admitted, rubbing the back if her neck. "Heh heh...sorry...I didn't mean to spook you so much..."

OOC: SPS! Die!

 
HeavenzGift16  
The Fallen Angel
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(6/21/04 7:53 pm)
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 Caanan gave a quirky, rather uncharacteristic smile to Sachi's craving. Was this the pregnancy or something else? Well, straberries and potatoes would be good in their own seperate dishes, anyways..

"Potato omlet?" He asked, trying to think of what to make with the two foods. "Fruit salad?" Those two seemed like simple enough dishes that couldn't burn the castle down.

~*~

"Y'didn't spook me," Akamu said with a shrug. "I'm just a tad jump t'day, tha's all." He explained.

"Any plans for this beautiful June morn'?" He asked, dusting himself off. He'd hit the floor a few times this morning!
 
Small Wonder  
Bishounen Hunter
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(6/22/04 9:35 am)
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   Give it to us raw and wrrrrrriggling!
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 "Sounds good!" Sachi chimed. "Fruit salad and potato omelet." She was also really craving salt, but she decided not to mention that. She never really liked salt before...definitely not to the extent that she was craving it. Must be the pregancy.

"Need help, Cane?" she offered.

~*~

"No, no plans...ahah...just woke up, after all. I haven't thought ahead that much." Despite herself, she gave a yawn, and stifled it with a hand. "And yourself? You seem like you've been busy..." she noted absently, looking over him as he dusted himself off.

 
HeavenzGift16
The Fallen Angel
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(6/22/04 9:41 am)
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   Raw and wrrrrrriggling, you say?
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 Caanan smiled and shook his head. "No, no, you just sit down." He objected to her help and took out a pan to start the omelet in.

He found a few vegetables--potatoes, of course, and some others--and started to chop them so they could fit into the omelet nicely before tossing them into the pan and waiting for them to cook a bit before adding the eggs. He added a few seasonings--salt, pepper--and once it was fully cooked, he put a large piece on a plate and served it to Sachi with a fork and knife before he made the fruit salade...

~*~

"Ah, well.. Y'know, nothin' like a mornin' run about the castle t'get yer 'eart pumpin'!" He said, noting he was still rather out of breath. Three times he'd been scared of people who weren't his chaser and once he had a great green spikey demon on his heels!

"Maybe y'can teach me more of that sword stuff t'day?" He asked.
 
Small Wonder  
Bishounen Hunter
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(6/22/04 12:57 pm)
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   Yesss! And keep yer nasty chips! Pfffft!
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 "If you're sure...just try not to ignite anything!" Sachi teased as she took a seat, from where she watched him cook.

Hmm...so there were some benefits to him being overprotective of her, she thought as she watched him fix their meals. And she almost giggled at the thought. Wasn't every day she got to have her love cook for her. She rather liked that...she could get used to it.

"Thanks, love," she said as he set the food down for her, but she didn't touch it. Not because she wasn't starving or because it didn't look good! She just wanted to wait for him.

~*~

Tiaret's eyes seemed to light up slightly when he mentioned swordfighting. It was no secret that she enjoyed sparring, and swordfighting was one area she was particularly good in. And she rather enjoyed the sense of being in control that it gave.

However, when it came to training...well, of course she was far more gentle.

"Alright. Go grab a sword and meet me outside. I'm going to grab something to eat," she told him with a small smile.
 
HeavenzGift16
The Fallen Angel
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   You leave my chips alone! *hisssss*
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 "Don't think I can do that much damage ith just an omelet," he replied with a grin.

Caanan didn't notice that Sachi was waiting for him until he lifted his head up after cutting the fruit. The salad consisted mostly of strawberries to sooth her craving. He wasn't quite a big breakfast eater, so the fruit salad was all her's but he'd have some of the omelet.

He took a seat opposite to her with his own place and brought the fruit salad over. He smiled at her.. This was nice. It wasn't chaotic or interrupted or anything. It was just the two of them, well, the three of them.

"It's a nice feeling, knowing we're gonig to have a family," Caanan said honestly. His tone of voice was always so sincere with Sachi. He couldn't help but be happy with her--he certainly wasn't chatty with many other people!

~*~

Akamu went back to his room and basically dragged the sword outside with him. "Damn thing's so 'eavy," he mumbled as he went down some stairs, the sword clinking and tapping with each step.

He stretched his arms out before lifting the sword to a position he thought was right as he waited for Tiaret... The castle guards must think he's a complete nutter!
 
Small Wonder  
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   Nevah! Thems chips be nasssty, preciousss!
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 "Oh, ya never know..." Sachi replied to his comment with a smirk as she waited for him to finish making their meal.

When he finally came and sat down, bringing the fruit with him, it took a lot of willpower not to dig in right then and there! It all looked so good...and she was starved!

"Yeah, it is," she agreed sincerely, glancing down at her swelling belly. She just wondered how long that would be! It had only occured to her recently that, because she was a Gryphon, her length of pregnancy might be different...

Guess they'd find out.

"I can't wait to meet him...or her..." she murmered, meeting Caanan's eyes--and then her stomach gave a rather loud rumble, and she blushed. "Ahah...guess he or she's trying to tell me something," she laughed, and, lifting her fork, took a bite of the omelet. "Mm...good job, Cane!"

~*~

Tiaret came jogging down to meet Akamu, still chewing the food she had grabbed on her way out, her sword buckled to her belt. Luckily, because she had food in her mouth, she was able to refrain from laughing when she saw Akamu. He looked so ridiculous standing out there alone with his sword raised! And holding it the wrong way...

Swallowing her food before she could laugh and choke herself, she picked up her pace so she could hurry and save him from any further embarrassment. She didn't know if he had noticed, but a few guards were sniggering at him.

"Hey, Akamu! Nice...ah...try...there," she grinned, somehow managing not to chuckle. "Heh...you almost got it. Here...just gotta reposition your hands a bit...and spread your feet apart a bit more, so your weight is distributed evenly to both legs. Here..." Coming up beside him, she moved her hands over his to position them correctly on the sword handle. "There. Probably feels more comfortable, now. Now just stand like I told you, and we can start."

She had moved to stand a few meters away, and had drawn her own sword, though she hadn't yet moved into a fighting stance. That she could do with ease on the spot when needed...
 
HeavenzGift16
The Fallen Angel
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   Preshy? Where?!
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 Caanan stifled a small laugh as Sachi's stomach growled and took that as the dinner bell. Food always tasted different when it was you who cooked it because you knew what all the tastes were. He didn'tmind it though, he'd done a good job and hadn't even left an eggshell in the omelet!

"So, what'd-ya think it'll be: boy or girl?" He asked.

~*~

Akamu did as he wastold, but when Tiaret put her hands over his he had to think about what was going on between them. He didn't know how she felt, but he knew that he couldn't. It wasn't an option to him but... Things were just left untold. He didn't know how she felt--he knew Caanan's perspective of all of it and didn'tquite appreciate the insight. He would have never thought of it if Caanan had never brought it up before!

"Eh," he mumbled, holding the sword in the proper fashion. "Yeah, bu'the damned thing's still rather'eavy." He said with light chuckle.

"Now what?" He asked.
 
Gold
Miss Oblivious
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(6/23/04 7:54 pm)
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   I need to break up all these Rhi and Ivv posts ^^()
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 ooc: mind, it's gonna be short, but what the hey?

ic:

His relief came and Fen quietly walked down the stairs to the inner courtyard of the castle, running his hand through his hair with a sigh as he started of towards the training grounds. He wanted to be prepared, just in case. The last attack had caught them by surprise and thanks to the Queen, everyone was being trained in case of another surprise attack. All the battlements were being fortified...they would not be so easily breeched as before.

Upon entering the training grounds he spotted the Queen. Stopping, he bowed to her and then continued on towards the targets and picked up a bow. Testing it's strength in his hands, he picked an arrow, not sure which would be the best to use...he was never good at judging the flight of an arrow, but rather the balance of a sword. Placing the arrow to the string, he raised the bow up, pulled the string back and let the arrow fly. It landed with a thud against the target, but it was nowhere near the center.

"At least I hit it..." he mumbled to himself and began searching for another arrow.

 
Small Wonder  
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   XD
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 Resting a hand lightly on her belly, Sachi's silver gaze turned thoughtful.

"Ya know...that's a good question. Honestly, I dunno, but either way, it's a blessing. It'll be a surprise, either way!" she said with a grin. "What about you? What do you think he or she is gonna be?"
 
RaspberryGold
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(8/16/04 10:41 pm)
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 It had been many years since Daynassea last set eyes on Serendipity Castle. Her bright blue eyes sparkled enchantingly at the sight of such a large castle. The wind picked up softly and pushed her sapphire hair into her face. Her hand crept up and removed it slowly. A few stubborn strands stuck to her ornate mask. It was similar to her twin brother's, but it had small emeralds that shone in certain light instead. The sun painted a pattern on it of a face with strange markings.

It took her a moment to stop daydreaming. She was slightly amazed at how well kept up the old castle still was. Humans had a tendency to let things go very quickly. Sections of the wall looked newer and sturdier now. She had heard from the townsfolk in the surrounding village that they had a war here not too long ago. She glanced at the bottle she held in her hand. Inside was a desperate plea for help. It was found a couple of days ago in a coral reef not too far off of Sirena Island. She felt obligated to come and apologize for not coming sooner. She laughed bitterly. By the time the Neocia people got the message, the war was over.

Daynassea was glad to get out of her own castle. Though as she walked inside the large gates to this one, it brought a certain homesickness to her. How could her twin brother stand to travel so much? She glanced around the courtyard for some guards. Where was everybody?

"Hello...?"
 
HeavenzGift16
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(8/23/04 5:48 pm)
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Reply | Edit | Del   << Mister Caanan my-lovely-rrrrrow-hottie-hubba, hubba
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 Caanan quirked a smile when Sachi wouldn't make a pick as to whether it would be a boy or a girl. really rather typical of a parent--he couldn't even decide! Though, from his experience with having Dawn when she was little, he figured a boy would be much less hassle and yet he had loved having his niece around. She had just brought so much spark and life to any situation.

"I don't think its possible for us to choose." He replied after coming up with no definate answer to the age-old question. He'd love to have a son or a daughter, there really was no urgency to have one over the other. The very thought of having a child was amazing and yet scary at the same time. If Caanan could, he would make a perfect world for his child to be born into. He feared the thought that his child might face death and sorrow so early in life--as Dawn did. Ravi had as well, but he had been oblivious to what had happened until just two years ago when all was revealed!

Caanan got up when he heard a confused call from down the hallway. He'd never seen a visitor come so far in the castle without running into a guard and by the sound of it she was only a visitor as if she was here to cause trouble she most likely would not have purposely made a noise.

He got up from where he sat in the kitchen and walked into the hall, seeing the girl. "Can I help you?" He asked.
 
RaspberryGold
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(9/7/04 10:51 am)
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 (OOC: So sorry! I was on vacation and then I couldn't think what to type... Won't happen again!)

Daynassea nearly fainted from fright at the voice behind her. She should have been paying closer attention, she berated herself.

"Hello... Who are you? I mean, where is the King or Queen. I want to meet with them."

She was still a bit flustered as she gracefully walked over to this human. She carefully pushed back her aqua colored hair from her emerald studded mask. Light seemed to dance across the mask as she moved. Never lighting the whole mask as once. She stared deeply at the human and allowed her mind to wander momentarily. He looked familiar...
 
HeavenzGift16
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(9/10/04 7:17 pm)
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 [OOC: heh, don't worry about it.. this is SotE! Where you can be gone for two months and come back and jump in where you left off! ^_^]

Caanan cocked an eyebrow.. She was rather ambitious, wasn't she? It wasn't often people ran through a castle trying to look for his niece--well, the Queen--with good intentions.

"Generally people request the Queen's audience. They don't just go looking for her." He replied rather flatly. "What's so urgent?" He asked.

Caanan certainly did not look like he could be Dawn's uncle, but then again Dawn had spent most of her life in another realm where the time moved differently than it did on earth. Furthermore, he and Dawn shared very little resemblenec physically. Only those who actually knew them knew that they were related.

Actually, Caanan had no place in the castle. In any castle. He the the King of Thieves! But being Dawn's uncle gave him much freedom as far as Serendipity was concerned and he never stole from the Castle and rarely from the village. He saved all his creative stealing ambitions to Adela mainly...
 
RaspberryGold
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(9/14/04 3:07 pm)
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 (OOC: Yeah, school has completely messed up my RP schedule.)

Daynassea couldn't help but smile to herself. It has been many years since she last saw a human. Still her interest quickly faded with the human. He was nothing special. She shifted from one foot to another as she listened to him talk. Even though he didn't talk for long, she was already growing bored with him. She could understand why her twin brother would rather "play" with these creatures rather than converse with them.

"I wasn't aware I needed to schedule an appointment." She laughed cheerfully. Humans were such unpredictable creatures. One generation says you can come in whenever, the next says you must make an appointment. It was all so typical of the species.

"I am Queen Daynassea of the Neocia people. Your Queen had sent us a message. You were having some sort of war. I just came to apologize. We had not recieved the notice in a timely manner."

Usually Daynassea hated to be so formal. She really just wanted to see the Queen and make sure they were still allies. She watched the human impatiently for a response.

 
Small Wonder  
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(9/19/04 12:02 pm)
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   Sachi wife-y. XD
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 Caanan got up, and Sachi rose to follow, curious. That hadn't been a familiar voice that had called out--not that she knew all the castle inhabitants...what with all the servants! But servants knew their way around, and never sounded so lost--so of course she wanted to see what was going on.

Coming to stand beside Caanan, a young silver-haired woman with, oddly enough, a silvery lion's tail that swayed and twitched behind her, she gazed over at the new woman curiously, just catching her last sentence, about not arriving in a timely manner. Sachi tilted her head to the side inquisitively. Timely manner? Wait...was this about the seige? Oh, geez, she'd almost completely forgotten about that! Her few moments alone with Caanan had wiped away all worry...

But she kept quiet, and slipped an arm around Caanan as she stood near him. Caanan had knew more about what was going on than her, as she'd just come onto the scene. He knew what was going on, and he'd handle it.
 
HeavenzGift16
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 Caanan smiled as Sachi slipped an arm around him and he did the same with her. Having her with him could lighten his mood all the time.

He'd never heard of Neocia. He'd been here for nearly four years and had never heard of it, which was odd to him. He knew almost everything there was to know about this earth without having been born here, that is. He knew the arrogant bastard that ran Adela, he knew Connlaoth was a young kingdom opposed to magic, he knew Necromancia was basically its own little world and he knew Serendipity was the eldest of them all and with the deepest history.

"Best find Caddus," he said with a grin, forgetting Sachi was beside him and might correct him or give him a hopefully playful elbow for saying it. Akamu was such a riot with that, though. Caanan could never tell if Akamu truly did not remember Cadmus' name or if he did it because he was friends with Tiaret and thus wanted to annoy him. Either way, it was funny and Caanan decided to try it.

Furthermore, if this woman wasn't who she said she was, it would be better to send her for Cadmus to deal with than Dawn. It would also be amusing.

It truly seemed Sachi had lightened his mood. Now he was thinking about how funny it would be to see Cadmus get a royal beating--again.

Small Wonder  
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   Caged... [Rheiku]
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 Rheiku didn't know how exactly it happened. All he knew what that it was after he and Enyalie had been separated in the Mountains, right after they had completed the trials that had won her freedom from a debilitating curse. And, right after she won her freedom...ironically, his was taken away.

He had returned to Serendipity Village, to see if she turned up, as well. After all, that was where they had first met, so he hoped she would look there first, too. As usual, he stuck to his human form, to better blend in...but at night, he took to sleeping and hunting in the woods in his true form, thinking nothing of it.

Big mistake.

One morning, he woke up--and wasn't in the same place as he was when he fell asleep. When he woke up, he was...well...here. Just as he'd been here for the past few weeks.

Sighing, Rheiku paced boredly within the confines of his cage, his large silver wings flattened against his body to keep from rubbing against the bars, but it wasn't long before he gave up on that and sat back on his haunches to stare blankly outside. People passing by occasionally stopped to peer wide-eyed into his cage, just as they eyed the other caged creatures his captor possessed, mostly fairly common, but nonetheless exotic creatures, such as a few small wildcats and a wolf, and even some little serpant his captor tried to pass off as a dragon. Rheiku felt sad for them--they were in the same predicament as he--but he couldn't focus much on them when his own fate was uncertain. Rather, Rheiku focused on the people.

He longed so badly to call out to them. He could speak the human tongue; he could tell someone he was really a human trapped in a Gryphon form, and they could get him out of here!

But he couldn't. A silver collar was fastened firmly around his throat, blending in nicely with the rest of his fur and feathers. It was simple, and nothing remotely special...but it was the bane of Rheiku's captivity. There seemed to be a spell of sorts infused into it, and it prevented him from speaking, or uttering any sort of noise that required the use of his vocals cords. And what was more...he couldn't weild magic.

So, he was forced into silence, and forced to wait in this cage day after day for who knew what. To be sold? That was what he was guessing. But sold for what? As a "pet"? As something to "display"? As something to be...erm...

He shivered slightly, and slowly lowered himself until he was laying down, curled up as much as he could manage. From his vantage point he could see quite a lot of the marketplace, and among the sights, he had seen vendors selling what had looked like furs, horns, and claws...that had not been a comforting sight.

Whatever the case, even though he wasn't able to convey it by whimpering, he was scared to death. He didn't know where he was, only that he was caged, alone, and had no idea as to what was in store from him.

Edited by: Small Wonder   at: 7/1/04 5:15 pm
 
Blue the Traumatized
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(7/1/04 6:27 pm)
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 Marketplace browsing. One of the things she liked to do in her spare time. It was more like an excuse to watch the people go about their daily lives, watch them sell, trade, buy.
She even found things she liked.
One was the little dagger tied at her hip, though the all-encompasing cloak covered her body and the weapon. Only her head was free, showing her slightly exotic features. Her eyes were gray, but tiny speckles of yellow were scattered in them, almost like little storm clouds. Her hair was gray silver, and currently pulled back in a loose ponytail.
At the moment, the only visable jewlry were the small, gold hoop earings.

Wandering more into the beast section, cages started to appear, as did little shops selling furs and the such. She preferred not to look at those for too long. The cages did catch her interest, however, and she wandered over to start looking at the various creatures.
She had had a pet back home, a little white rabbit. Odd pet for a Gryphon, but she'd never think to eat the tiny creature. Still, she now missed that sort of animal companionship.

Moving on, she started to notice the animals were getting bigger and a bit more exotic. Carnivors and the like. Kneeling, she gazed into the cage of the wolf, careful to keep her distance. Still, she always had felt wolves were beautiful animals, and couldn't help but at least look.
She hadn't yet noticed the silver gryphon just a few cages over...
 
Small Wonder  
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(7/5/04 8:40 pm)
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    ENYA!
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 Rheiku was absently gazing through the bars of his cage, eyelids starting to droop slightly in a mixture of boredom and anxiety-induced exhaustion, when a woman entered his field of vision, heading over toward the cages. For a few moments, he thought nothing of it; people came and went all day everyday to look at he and the other captives, after all. However, as she came closer, and as he continued to watch her from beneath his heavy lids...

His eyes snapped open and he leaped to his feet with a start--and his head collided hard with the barred ceiling. But, aside from a sharp gasp of pain, he otherwise ignored the new ache in his head and turned his attention entirely on the woman, studying her closely. Was it...? It...it had to be! He'd never seen another human with those exotic features--except himself in his human form--and...oh Gods, it had to be!

Hopes rising sharply, his beak opened to call out to her.

Enya!

He grimaced as no sound left his mouth, though his mind shouted her name. In his excitement he had forgotten completely about the collar! Argh! Stupid thing! Panic slowly began to replace excitement...but he stubbornly swallowed it down. She was at the cages now...she'd see him...he'd get her attention somehow...

Thinking fast, he began to claw desperately at the bars, and to bang his shoulder up against the side of the cage as much as he could, hoping to create enough noise as to get her attention. Enyalie was only a few cages away, peering into the cage of the wolf.

Enya! Over here! Enyalie! ENYA! Look over here! Please, Enya... he thought in a near panic. She was moving so slow! And part of him dreaded that she would leave before she got to him...or not recognize him. The latter was a pretty silly fear, he knew, but it was a real fear nonetheless. After all, he couldn't speak...and he doubted he looked his best, after being caged for a couple weeks.

She'd notice him...and recognize him...she had to!
 
Blue the Traumatized
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(7/5/04 9:19 pm)
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 At first, just the usual hum of voices in the area and the occasional sound of a beast floated in the air. But that calmly murmur did not last long. A sudden ruckus from a few cages over immediately caught Enyalie's attention, putting her on alert as well as sparking her curiosity.
Standing, she moved over to the rattling cage, kneeling to better see into it.

A GRYPHON!!!

A rather familiar one at that. Could that be...? "Oh my lord! Rheiku???"
She all but bashed her head into the bars in her surprise, trying to get a better look at him. What was he doing in a cage?? And with a collar around his neck??? Pressing into the bars, Enyalie quickly shoved both slender hands through to inspect the collar.
"What are you doing in a place like this?" It was more of a demand then a question really. Could he not stay out of trouble???

(Dear lord...the SPS is really starting to attack me...*cries*)

Edited by: Blue the Traumatized at: 7/6/04 5:35 pm
 
 
 
Small Wonder  
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(7/5/04 10:14 pm)
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    Get me outa here!
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 OOC: Oh no! Evil SPS! *beats it*

IC:

Rheiku could have collapsed in relief as she recognized him, but instead he nodded his head vigorously as she spoke his name, his turquoise eyes wide with hope. She recognized him! It was her! Oh man, was this ever convenient! He had been looking for her for so long...and now they'd found each other, and she could get him out!

Out of habit, he opened his mouth to answer her...then sighed and shook his head slowly, and shrugged for added effect--a human habit. Stupid collar! Hopefully, she understood...he couldn't speak with it on, or do much of anything else. Oh! Maybe she could get it off! That might make this whole situation easier!

He stretched his neck out and ruffled his feathers as she examined the collar, hoping she would take the hint. He didn't know how it was fastened, if it had a simple clasp or if it was locked with a key or something, but she would find out, hopefully...
 
Blue the Traumatized
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(7/6/04 1:54 pm)
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 (*Helps in the beating of the ebil SPS*)

Enyalie was a bit confused when he did not respond. Not a word. Not even a sound! Was there something...?
She glanced down at the collar. That must be it.
Face pulled into a look of concentration, Enyalie began to work on it. She rotated the band of metal so she could see every inch of it. How to get it off...Good question. It didn't appear to have a latch or lock or anything.
Well, it seemed like a magickal item, so perhaps magick had to unlock it. Well damn...she wasn't so great at magick.
Perhaps she could pry it off with some good bites from her hardy beak, but she couldn't exactly transform right here and try to reach him through the bars. Speaking of bars, this cage needed to be delt with as well.
"Do you know where the key to this cage is?"
She hoped he could at least show her the right direction, since he couldn't speak.

Edited by: Blue the Traumatized at: 7/6/04 5:35 pm
 
Small Wonder  
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   It's...uh...somewhere...
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 The key?

Oh, right! That would be useful! However, it would be even more useful if he actually had an idea of where it was.

Well, actually, he did know where it was...he thought. But, that was the problem. From what he gathered from his observations, the man that oversaw he and the other creatures kept the key on him, and he had no idea where he was--Rheiku hadn't seen him since this morning when he fed him. Erk. Very troublesome...how the heck was Enyalie going to be able to get it!? But, even more troublesome for the time being was figuring out how the heck he was going to communicate all that to her!

Taking a deep breath, he began a clumsy pantomime--which was even more difficult to execute given the tiny space he was provided--and did his best to try and illustrate where the key was. He pointed to Enyalie, then pointed to a man passing by in the distance, then to the cages, and then shrugged. Oi...he wasn't very good at this acting out stuff...but he was trying to tell her that the key was with the man that tended the cages, and that he had no idea where he was.

He probably looked ridiculous. A Gryphon doing pantomimes wasn't something you saw everyday.
 
Blue the Traumatized
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(7/6/04 5:41 pm)
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 Enya gave Rheiku the strangest look as he began his odd little acting. She had no idea what in the world he was trying to get across to her, which didn't help their situation any. Fine, it was just up to her then. Screw the key.
She could pick the lock.

Scooting around to the lock, Enyalie withdrew the petite silver dagger from her hip and began to work at the lock. It looked as though she knew what it was she was doing, her face one of expert concentration. Good thing the dagger was so small, or it might not have fit into the key hole.
Fiddling carefully, Enyalie kept an ear close, trying to manuever her way within the lock using only her hearing and the sounds metal on metal made.

Suddenly, the lock clicked, and the door opened. Grinning, Enyalie sat back proudly, the dagger again dissapearing beneath her cloak. "Come on!" She urged with a sharp whisper, standing and blocking the open door from sight as best she could. She could work on that damn collar a bit later on.
 
Small Wonder  
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(7/6/04 6:39 pm)
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   YAY!!
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 Rheiku fidgited in a mixture of anxiousness and excitement as Enyalie worked on the cage lock, turquoise eyes watching her intently. C'mon, Enya...you can get it! he urged her mentally, long tail twitching impatiently. The knife fit in the lock perfectly...she'd be able to undo it, right?

And then, just like that, the door opened!

Rheiku didn't need Enyalie to tell him to get out, and it was lucky his voice was gone for the moment because it stopped him from shouting in happiness. With a start, he leaped out of the cage, landing with a soft thud on the ground. Man, he never thought the pavement would feel so good on his feet!

He wanted to prance in his happiness and relief, for the first time in weeks able to do just that if he wanted! Gods, he couldn't wait to just stretch out his wings! Or stretch, period!

But he did neither yet. He wasn't out of the woods yet, and needed to be careful and quiet.

Sticking close to Enyalie, he looked up to her. He'd have to rely on her to get out of here...after all, for now, he couldn't shapeshift, and a Gryphon would definitely draw unwanted attention...
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Enyalie stared down at Rheiku for a moment, pondering. Well...she could always pretend she bought him...
It could work.
"Come on Rheiku...think pet thoughts." She grinned and grabbed hold of his collar with one hand. Well, it was time to lead her new 'pet' out of this market place and somewhere a bit more private.

Then, she could change into a Gryphon and get to work on that collar of his. For now, she just had to act like a girl with a pet...a rather exotic pet.
Heh, hopefully this would be as easy done as said...

(*Cries* SPSSSSs.... *flops*)
 
Small Wonder  
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(7/7/04 8:13 pm)
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   Thinking pet thoughts!
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 Rheiku gave a silent laugh. Pet thoughts? Hmm...

He pranced along beside her, long tail wagging like he'd seen some other domestic animals do. Hey, wouldn't hurt! Anything that would make their act more convinci--

"HEY! Hey you, what do ya think you're doing!?"

Rheiku jumped in alarm, quickly looking over his shoulder at the sound of the voice, as well as the thudding of boots on pavement. ACK! It was that guy! Of course! He would have to show up now!

He jerked forward in alarm, tugging at Enyalie urgently. Enya...!

OOC: SPS!!! *bites it*
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Enyalie jumped a bit too, staring over her shoulder quickly. Oh damn...
Ok, time for plan B.
And plan B was...?

RUN!!!

Enyalie bolted, hand still secure around Rheiku's collar. She was surprisingly fast in her human form, boots smacking on the hard-packed earth. Time to get out of this market place as fast as possible...Hopefully worst wouldn't come to worst and she'd have to turn into a Gryphon and fly away.
 
Small Wonder  
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   AH!
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 Rheiku had no choice but to run--not that he would have done any different!--as Enyalie bolted, her hand still secured to his collar. He gave an involuntary grunt, lurching forward as he was tugged along, but he soon recovered and took to galloping beside Enyalie, taking pains not to go too fast. She was fast in her human form, faster than most humans, but he still had to be careful; weaker than her though he was, in his gryphon form he could still easily outrun her and most other humans, and even most animals. Had she been in her gryphon form, too...that would have been a different story.

But...shoot. This still wasn't fast enough. Humans were everywhere, and Rheiku wanted out of this horrible marketplace as soon as possible--and he wanted out of this stupid collar! This all wouldn't be so bad now if he was in his human form...but right now, he felt as vulnerable as a black rabbit in winter!

And there was no way he was gonna get caught and end up back there again.

He only wished he could speak and warn Enyalie in advance...

Quite suddenly, he turned and took a beakful of Enyalie's shirt, then tossed his head to send her up, over, and onto his back. Not quite a graceful procedure, but grace was not one of Rheiku's strong points. His pace instantly increased, and a moment later, his wings had snapped and he had lunged into the air, wings beating forcefully to compensate for Enyalie's added weight--and the fact that he wasn't physically at his best; the man hadn't fed him as much as he'd have liked...
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Enyalie had realized she was not running fast enough, but she could not help it. Even sprinting full out, Rheiku was faster. Unfortunately, in order to change, she would have to stop running, and that was not an option.

Quite suddenly, Enya found herself upon her friend's back, and their speed increased dramatically. She held onto his feather-fur tightly, leaning forward and pressing flat against him to keep them as stream-line as possible.
And when they took to the air, she experianced something completely new. Sure, she knew how flying felt from her own point of view, but riding on another Gryphon was completely different.
It was not her body, her wings, her muscle and sinew that powered them, but Rheiku's, and she could feel it all in motion and understand it.
"Wow..."
 
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   Wheee!
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 Each powerful beat of his silvery wings took them higher into the air, farther from that horrible marketplace. Truth be told, he didn't know where he was taking them, only that they were going away...and that he was now free. His wings were spread to their full span, stretched out in a way steel bars wouldn't allow, and he was in the air, where boundaries were non-existant, where even he could be graceful.

Rheiku was in his element...Gods, he had missed it so much. He could hardly believe it had only been two weeks...

He heard Enyalie's exclaimation and, glancing over his shoulder at her, offered her a gryphonic grin. That had to be a different experience altogether, trusting yourself to the flying skills of another and experiencing the flight in a different way. He couldn't even begin to imagine what that must be like...
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 (YAY)

Recovering from her initial awe, Enya took a moment to survey their surroundings. The town was dwindling into the background, and all around them was the vast wilderness that made up the unpopulated areas of the earth.
Turning her head a bit, Enyalie caught the grin and returned it, squinting a bit against the breeze.
"Where do you want to go?"
It didn't seem as though they were heading in any particular direction at the moment. Personally, she didn't have a preference.
Wherever Rheiku wanted to go was good enough for her.
"Hey," She called with a grin, reminiscing back to when she had been ill. "Aren't you getting tired of flying me around all the time?"

~~~`**`~~~

.:Creations From Blue's Traumatized Little Mind:.

~Blade~Shadow Walker~Michael Morro~Gabriel Morro~Taracotl Kirvana~Lotha Errdegahr~Akso~Tasarin~Arkarian~Maelthra~Renor Senger~Sierra~Sakkata~Terri~Enyalie~Blue, the Mentally Traumatized~Barra Arisa~Facyt~Kyle~Rakkalepta~Bob~Waelin~Kanto Strike~Serke~Naule~Aya Nightlark~

 
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   Hehehe...
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 Rheiku's body shook slightly with what might have been laughter at Enyalie's comment, except no sound came forth; the collar made him completely mute. Shaking his head amusedly as though to answer her questionâ€"he didn't mind, and besides, her human body was far lighterâ€"he did, however, turn his face away to start scanning the ground for some place to land. He did want to get this collar off...and one couldn't exactly figure it out from the air!

Sighting a clearing in the woods below that looked secure and isolated, he began to slowly spiral down toward it. They could stop there for the whileâ€"and try and see how to get this thing off him!â€"and then decide on where to go from there.

He couldn't stand this whole communication gap thing!

With Enyalie on his back, Rheiku took extra pains to land gracefullyâ€"or, gracefully enough for Rheiku, meaning he actually landed on his feet. It was a rough landing, though, one that jolted him and likely Enyalie, and he very nearly lost his footing, but stubbornly dug his talons into the earth to, literally, hold his ground.

Folding his wings, he glanced back at her sheepishly and apologetically. Heh...landings were never his forte.
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Enya grinned as she felt the movement of laughter, though that damned collar stopped sound. Well, he seemed not to mind. Which was good, since she might need the service again.
Finally, they began to spiral towards the earth. Enya held on tight, and then realized Rheiku wasn't exactly the best at landing.
"Oh hell..."

At least he didn't tumble to a stop, but it was one heck of a landing. The jerk pulled Enya free of her seat, and she went tumbling head over heels right off of him. Rolling in the grass, Enya finally stopped movement, dizzy but ok.
"We really need to work on that Rheiku..."
She muttered, slowly sitting up and rubbing her head.

~~~`**`~~~

.:Creations From Blue's Traumatized Little Mind:.

~Blade~Shadow Walker~Michael Morro~Gabriel Morro~Taracotl Kirvana~Lotha Errdegahr~Akso~Tasarin~Arkarian~Maelthra~Renor Senger~Sierra~Sakkata~Terri~Enyalie~Blue, the Mentally Traumatized~Barra Arisa~Facyt~Kyle~Rakkalepta~Bob~Waelin~Kanto Strike~Serke~Naule~Aya Nightlark~

 
Small Wonder  
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   Too true.
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 Rheiku winced sympathetically, and embarrassedly, as his landing sent Enyalie tumbling, and his beak opened to mouth an apologyâ€"but, of course, no sound came with the motion. Erk. If he had been able to speak, he could have warned her...though, of course, she was right. Might be better to improve his skills so a warning no longer became necessary...

He nodded ruefully and walked over to her to nudge her shoulder gently, apologetically. And also to put his neck close to her, where she might be able to access the collar. It was really getting frustrating not being able to speak! There was so much he wanted to say...
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Well, that had been interesting. Nothing broken, just a few bruises though. The apologetic nudge was received, though she didn't feel it was necessary. Ruffling his feathers, Enya winked and grinned.
"Hey, I've had worse. As you know."

Getting into a kneeling position on the soft grass, Enya pondered over the collar. Brute force, or magick? Well, force would be easier for her. As they both well knew, she was not the greatest at magick at all. Just transforming from human to gryphon was a pain enough.
And it seemed as though being a Gryphon was more beneficial for this task.

Taking a moment to concentrate, Enya slowly shifted out of the weaker humanoid form, and was again her powerful gryphon self. Silver plumage, and the thick fur of a snow leopard. No less magnificent than she had ever been, though her kind was so very rare these days.
What ever did happen to other silver gryphons anyway??
Clamping her thick black beak on the collar, Enya gave a few might bites, jaws working feverishly. With a bit of work, she might actually be able to bite through the metal. Sure, her beak could crack bone like it was nothing, but metal? Now that was a different story.
Still, she was determined to get it off. And so she chewed doggedly on it, and didn't stop even when a few chips appeared in her sturdy beak.

~~~`**`~~~

.:Creations From Blue's Traumatized Little Mind:.

~Blade~Shadow Walker~Michael Morro~Gabriel Morro~Taracotl Kirvana~Lotha Errdegahr~Akso~Tasarin~Arkarian~Maelthra~Renor Senger~Sierra~Sakkata~Terri~Enyalie~Blue, the Mentally Traumatized~Barra Arisa~Facyt~Kyle~Rakkalepta~Bob~Waelin~Kanto Strike~Serke~Naule~Aya Nightlark~

 
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   Freeee meeeee!
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 Rheiku watched as she shifted to her Gryphon form, turquoise eyes widening slightly in surprise. Well, she'd had to concentrate quite a bit, but she still did it! He remembered when he'd first met her...he'd had to walk her through the whole process. She was improving, that was for certain!

He thought that when he could speak again, he'd exchange lessons in magic for lessons in flight. More specifically, lessons in landing. He really needed them...before he broke something again.

Stretching his neck more to give her easier accessâ€"and to assure she didn't bite him insteadâ€"he let her work on the collar, even though he couldn't help but wonder...could she really bite through metal? Well, he wasn't about to doubt her. If she thought she could do it, she could. Besides...right now, he had no means of protest, anyway!
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Hissing in frustration, Enya chewed even more vigorously on the metal. She refused to give up, and was putting as much strength into each bite as she could manage. And...the metal was denting!
Her hope renewed, Enyalie viciously attacked the collar. She consistently bit in the same spot, chomping ruthlessly at the helpless metal.
More chips appeared in her beak, the thin sharpened edges breaking off and leaving thicker, blunter edges behind. All the better for biting this damn collar with...

The muscles in her jaw were beginning to ache, and soon even those in her neck were throbbing as well. She had made some real progress, and thus refused to stop. She would get this off...she would!
Finally, a good hour later, the collar cracked, a piece of it coming off in Enya's mouth. Spatting it onto the earth, Enya grabbed the collar with her taloned forefeet and pulled it over Rheiku's head.

However, she had payed her price. Her beak was a wreck, the metal having worn down or broken huge pieces off. Her mouth tasted metallic, and she gave the gryphon's form of a grimace.
"Therrre. All done." She muttered, sitting back and hoping her jaw would stop aching. But then it would be stiff...for a week. Wonderful.
But hey, Rheiku was free! That was the important thing, right?

 
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   Yowch.
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 Rheiku didn't like the sounds Enyalie's beak was making against the metal, and couldn't help but wince. The first thing he'd done when he'd been captured and woke up caged was snap at the bars that had kept him imprisoned, and...he had nearly chipped his beak. He could chomp through bone easily enough, but metal...that was another matter.

But Enyalie was determined, the collar was far thinner than the thick, solid bars of his cage, and there was no way he could speak to protest, anyway. Besides...how else would they get the stupid thing off? They didn't have the key. That was still with his horrid captor, and there was no way he was going back there, not even as a human! That place reeked of death and...well, scariness in general!

...Though...maybe, at the same time...it might be neat to return there sometime. Maybe free the other creatures that were being held there. Hmm...that was a thought...

His own outstretched neck began to ache from holding the position for so long, not daring to move, not even to shift his feet a little. He'd lost track of time...

Crack!

He jumped at the sudden sound, and Enyalie spat something onto the earth before grabbing the collar with her forefeet and slipping the collar free.

And it felt like an emmense weight had been lifted from him.

Turquouise eyes wide with relief and amazement, he twirled around to face Enyalie, and looked about ready to pounce her, too. "Enya!" His voice came out a near croak, but he didn't mind! He could talk again! And he could feel his magic! And he was free! Finally! Never would he take his magic or his ability to speak for granted again, ever! "Thank you ssso mucâ€"gyah!" He stopped, right on the verge of tackling her, as his eyes fell upon her damaged beak...

"Erk...arrre...ya alrrright...?" So THAT had been the crunching he had heard. Hadn't all been from the metal...
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Enya felt sore already, and knew it would only get worse. So, she forced herself to slowly move her jaw to keep it from stiffening. The horrid cracks in her beak itself didn't really hurt, but her muscles sure did.
A small gryphonic grin was formed, and Enya shook her head.
"Been beterrr, actually. But you can ssspeak again!"

Shifting her jaw again, Enya felt it had been well worth it. And since he had haulted in his glomp, she decided to pick up the slack. Tackling him, the silver gryphon laughed in the strange sqawking manner of her kind.
"It'sss good to sssee you again Rrrheiku! And hearrr you asss well!"

(icky short post!!! >.<)

 
Small Wonder  
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   YAY!!
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 Laughing joyously as he was tackled, instead, he rolled around on the ground with her, playfully batting at her with feet and tail. "Sssame to you, Enya!" he laughed. Dang, it felt good to be able to speak again! "I misssed ya! Wherrre werrre ya, anyway? Oh, neverrrmind that! Thank you sssoooo much! You'rrre a lifesssaverrr!"

Seriously.

Her being there had been a really lucky coincidence! After all...that was the last place he'd expect her, or any other non-human creature, to be.

Finally flopping over onto his belly, limbs splayed, he grinned a playful gryphon's grin at her. "And hey! Ya actually ssshifted on yourrr own, too!"
 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Enyalie tried only half-heartedly to dodge his playful swings, the result being she got batted a few times. And that was no problem at all.
Batting him once herself, Enya sprawled out likewise.
"I've been arrround. No place in parrrticularrr."
Basically, being her normal, nomadic self.

The silver gryphon grinned and poked Rheiku with one magestic wing. "Yesss, I did. I've been prrrracticing." And it was true. Every day at least, she'd practice shifting from one form to the next. She was getting pretty good at it, too.
"Ssso, assside frrrom getting yourrrssself capturrred, what have you been up to?"

 
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   Wheeeee!
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 Rheiku laughed happily, tail swishing back and forth contentedly, even as she poked him with her wing. "It rrreally ssshowsss, too, Enya! You'll be prrro in no time!" he told her proudly. "And then I can teach ya other magic ssstuff, too! If ya want." Then, a bit sheepishly, added, "In exchange forrr...ah...landing lesssonsss, of courrrssse..."

At her question, he gave a small shrug. "Prrretty much the sssame asss you! I trrried looking forrr you, too, but couldn't find you anywherrre. But that'sss alrrright! Thank you ssssooo much, too! Sssorrry you hadda messs up yourrr beak, though...but it'sss not too bad at all!" he told her cheerfully, ever the optimist.

 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Enya laughed softly at his enthusiasm. He was the cheerful one...
And as for lessons?
"Sssoundsss like a plan."
A quick run-over wither her tongue did not prove Rheiku's opinion. Her beak was jagged and rough, and would take a good bit of growing and wearing down to get back to normal. Oh well...as long as she could still hunt with it, she'd be fine.

"Hey, why don't we ssstarrrt thossse lesssssonsss now? I'll teach you how to land and sssome fighting and hunting ssskillsss. How about it?"


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   Wh00p! There it is!
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 With a grin, Rheiku bounded to his feet and shook out his fur and feathers, sending a few brilliant silver feathers fluttering free of his body and to the ground. "Whoo! Sssoundsss like a plan!" he said, echoing her own pervious statement.

Cool! She was gonna teach him to land and hunt and fight! 'Bout time he learned. He was really getting tired of living off small rodents and spraining limbs everytime he landed. Unfortunately, he'd just never had anyone in his life to teach him these vital, basic skills. His own family had disowned him, and had never paid much attention to him to begin with. What he had learned had been mostly from observation. Thank Gods Rheiku made up for what he lacked in strength with what he had in intelligence!

Whoa, wait, fight?

Erk. Well, he ought to learn it...there had been that one incident with that other Gryphon, and then the dragon. Much as he hated confrontations, it would be a useful skill. Here's hoping he never had to actually use it, though!

Fighting just wasn't his thing.

"Alrrright! Ssso, which arrre we gonna ssstarrrt with?" he asked, spreading out his wings to stretch them out before returning them to their previous folded position.

 
Blue the Traumatized
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 Enyalie thought about it for a moment. Her beak was too jagged and sharp now to use in a sparring match without possibly hurting him. So it seemed landing lessons would be first on the agenda.
“Landing firrrssst.�
Spreading her wings, Enya pushed off and quickly flapped to gain altitude. This, she had a feeling, would end up being a painful lesson for Rheiku. He really was horribly at landing.
“Let’sss go overrr the basssicsss. Firrrssst, when you arrre about to land, you need to backwing a bit to ssslow down. That, orrr be rrready to land and rrrun forrr a bit in orrrderrr to slow down enough to ssstop. Got that?�
She called to him, sharp eyes keeping a close watch on his earth bound form.
“Now watch me do it.�
Wheeling about, Enya started to angle towards the ground, no longer flapping her wings but simply coasting. Once close to the earth, Enya flapped hard a few times, aiming directly at the earth, and brought herself to a slow and graceful landing.
Now, hopefully, Rheiku could copy her and not crash beak-first into the dirt.
 
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   You're my shiiining staaaar! *bounces to Nami Tamaki*
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 Whew. Landing first. That was a relief. Rheiku didn't know if he was quite up to the idea of sparring just yet! He just knew Enyalie would beat him. Especially since he hadn't even the slightest idea how to fight. Sure, he'd managed to take on that dragon...but that was pure luck as he saw it! And he couldn't remember a thing he had done. And he'd been following Enyalie's instructions, anyway...

Landing! That was more comforting. Even if was still a really, really embarrassing subject for him, being a gryphon who was unable to properly land. What flying creature had as much trouble with that as he did!? He'd never seen a bird crash land, that was for certain.

He watched Enyalie as she spoke, sharp eyes easily able to make her out, even at that height, and keen hearing easily able to pick up her voice. "Got it!" he called back as she paused. Of course, he always learned better from example than orally, so her words didn't fully sink in until she wheeled around and went in for the landing. Watching intently, he watched her angle down, then glide the remaining distance toward the ground and, once she was close, backwing and land easily.

Easily for her, that is. She made it look so simple! And it probably was, too.

"Alrrright...herrre goesss, then. Wisssh me luck!" he told her as he snapped his wings open and shortly after pushed off into the air, wings carrying him higher into the air with every powerful beat and limbs tucked protectively beneath his body, making him more stream-lined.

No, he'd never had an issue with flying. He could take off with ease and maneuver effortlessly through the air, no problem. He loved flying, and always had. He'd just always had to...limit himself when it came to flight. Because flight usually resulted in injuries, not from the flight itself, but from when it came to and end and he had to return back down to Earth.

He wheeled around above Enyalie a few times, high in the air, and then took a deep breath. Alright. Time to give this a shot, then.

Wheeling around one final time, he angled his body down toward the earth, just as Enyalie had done, and held his wings spread out and still as he glided down toward the ground, which grew more and more detailed the closer he got to it. Just a little closer, and he would begin backwinging as instructed. Just a little more...little more...NOW!

Flapping hard, his muscles strained against the powerful force of his descent as his wings abruptly halted that descent...

...Before the sudden, added stress on his muscles became too much for his undersized body, and caused them to simply give out.

With a surprised squawk, he fell the final eight feet that separated him from the ground, landing with a thud in a collapsed tangle of limbs.

Well...at least this time nothing had been broken or wounded, unless you counted the bruises that blossomed as a result.

Stirring, he raised his head and drew his wings back against his body. "Ugh...I had it, though!" he grumbled, slowly pushing up to sit back on his sore rump.

http://wolfwonderess.deviantart.com

Yup! Shameless self promotion...lalala...

Alrighty! A year ago, an army called the Dread Army, lead by Mina, laid seige to Serendipity Castle in the hopes of overthrowing it. Unfortunately for them, they were defeated...

But not discouraged.

Now, the time for another seige has come, a better one, too.

However...the Dread Army needs members! And fast! So, if you have a dark character, join up! Pleeeease? XD It's fun! And it'll go down in history, just like the last one! Everyone wants to get this rolling as soon as possible, and the more members, the better!

So, step right up and offer over your characters! You know you wanna! ^_~

The Dread Army can be found in the Dark Mage Village under the thread: ".dreaded.ressurection."! So go! Shoo! ^__^

And if you have a character that's already signed up for it...get your booties back over there, pronto!

The more the merrier! let's make this seige a good one!

Alrighty! A year ago, an army called the Dread Army, lead by Mina, laid seige to Serendipity Castle in the hopes of overthrowing it. Unfortunately for them, they were defeated...

But not discouraged.

Now, the time for another seige has come, a better one, too.

However...the Dread Army needs members! And fast! So, if you have a dark character, join up! Pleeeease? XD It's fun! And it'll go down in history, just like the last one! Everyone wants to get this rolling as soon as possible, and the more members, the better!

So, step right up and offer over your characters! You know you wanna! ^_~

The Dread Army can be found in the Dark Mage Village under the thread: ".dreaded.ressurection."! So go! Shoo! ^__^

And if you have a character that's already signed up for it...get your booties back over there, pronto!

The more the merrier! let's make this seige a good one!

And yep! It begins on the 2nd of February, which is a Wednesday (and works a lot better for me in that case, too, as Tuesdays and Thursdays are my real uber heavy days at college [and will probably mean very little posting on those days], and Wednesday I only have one class at night! Booyah!) as opposed to February 1st.

[MOVED THREAD! Author: Nightcandle as The Matron]

The Matron rose from her chair and looked out of the window behind her. She couldn't see the Village from her study, but she knew what happened, having heard about it moments before. "Did anyone recognize you?"

"Your brother my Lady," replied General Moko Verde, an end of his lips pulling back somewhat. "He didn't seem too suspicious. More surprised, like he was caught in the middle of something."

"Going after Paris," The Matron turned back to General Verde. "Was it before or after?"

"Before."

The Matron's eyebrows crossed slightly and she crossed her arms.

General Verde remained still, taking in the Matron's shifting features.

"A full closet has trouble staying shut," The Matron mused, her eyes crossing more. "Make sure the noose is tight."

"Yes, my Lady."

"Summon our officers and proceed as usual. You are dismissed."

General Verde bowed at the waist and exited the study.

The Matron kept her eyes on him until he left, afterwards turning back to the window and placing a hand against one pane. The coming winter bleached most of the grass a dull yellow-brown and cast the sky grey.

How fitting.

[MOVED THREAD! Author: YBNRML778 as Alba]

Alba walked into Connlaoth, heart pounding. She was covered by a cloak that hid everything but the bottom of her face, but she still didn't feel safe. Not for the first time, she cursed her need to explore.

She'd heard stories about what the people of Connlaoth did to mages. And her being a fire elemental...

Shaking her head to rid herself of such thoughts, Alba continued on into the village. She brushed her hair out of her face and sighed. "I can't turn back." She whispered to herself. "I want to see... What it's like here..."

She continued on into the village of no magic, wondering what was to befall her.