In a land surrounded by a fog of no color, where tall towers coexsist against the crags of mountains, and streams flow endlessly through the churning mills and the natural beauty of the architectural design of a kingdom long forgotten to time itself.
This was a kingdom of no name, for it had been as forgotten as the people and it's myth. Bordering the mountains and thick throngs of trees, this empire once stood, mighty and powerful, a forced to be reckoned with. They had once been blessed by the Guaridan of the Forest, but as it stands, only ruins remain...
Though, in a vastly different world, exsisting on a vastly different plain.. the angered Goddess had sent her protectors to wallow in their own miseries as punishment for their crimes. Dabbling into such powers.... it lead to their own damnation, no matter the reason. It was forbidden, and the prince himself took the bait....
Now, living in a world of Purgatory and withering wait, Prince Draven, not feeling it appropriate to name himself King- a king of what? A nation that had been cursed away, locked up from the world and being snuffed of all its memories, life and color? No, a prince he remained, but a head strong one; proud and still a wonderful leader for his people that began to turn into just nameless beings before him.
Time never affected the people here, but memories faded over the centuries so that the people of the city became nothing but mindless, wondering shells. Somehow, the royal blood line persevered, but in recent times Draven had come to realize they were hardly saved, and that it was becoming increasingly more evident that this plague would soon effect them.
It was why he had to save his family, to fidn the cure for his people; no matter the cost. It would be his destiny to return his Nameless Nation back to is' former glory...
No matter the costs.
Drawing away from the massive, stone balcony he had been perched upon, he turned around to admire his castle. It was his, all his, but it was nothing without a name, without the memories that cradled inside...
He could recall much of who he was and what they were...
but it was the names that began escaping first.
Everyone seemed to forget the name first...
and then other things began to go...
Now the whole valley was lame with color, and the skies had long turned to a dreary grey.
Yes, it was time to let his brother and sister know his plan... but his sister, he feared for her most of all. She seemed to be more affected than the others, and his worry grew. His brother, on the other hand... he worried, at times, that he was not affected, for he was the same Laighean he had ever known and smirked when he caught sight of him and gave way to a wave.
"Laighean!" his voice echoed over the massive balcony and carried into the vale as he stepped at the open ledge, his smile widening at his brother. "Why don't you come up here for a minute?"
Standing high on the decrepit ramparts of an ancient castle there stood a young man peering out beyond over the decaying landscape below. Death and decay reigned supreme in every single inch of earth and the sky was a dark and ominous shroud that denied this world even the smallest glimmer of light. The young man pulled hugged his woolen cloak about him more tightly, though it offered him no comfort or warmth against the eternal chill that gripped his land as well as his soul.
He held his hand out , trying to catch snowflakes in his hand. They passed right through his fingers and he couldn't even feel a change. He was cold. He always felt cold. He sighed. What he wouldn't give to feel something different for a change. Or the nice warm body of a lady...
On rare occasion, he found himself slipping into the dead woods, wandering alone to the Goddesss's shrine to offer her a prayer, but he could not be certain if she even listened anymore. And he wondered about the new magic that Draven had mastered, but he never questioned his brother's decisions. He trusted the man, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of deep regret nagging at his heart. Ever since Draven had acquired it, everything had changed. For the worse.
Everyone had changed, everything. And the Goddess no longer spoke to his people. She had turned her back on them, sealing them away to resolve the problems that they had created. And it seemed their time, as long as it was, was limited. They would need to make amends with the Goddess and heal the land they had selfishly ravaged or fade as if they never were.
"Laighean!"
His brother's voice jolted him from his contemplation. He swiftly descended from the wall, and jogged across the courtyard, his steps making not a sound as his boots moved over the cracked stone.
He found Draven waiting for him, perched on a balcony. Having spent far more time at home in the forest than in the castle proper, climbing things became natural to the young man. He pulled himself up to stand beside the man and looked up at him with an easy smile on his face as usual, " You called?"
ooc: I have no idea where Draven is supposed to be so I was vague about this. >>
Fíona nearly passed the room without a glance, but something -- an unusual glimmer in the corner of her eye -- made her stop in her tracks. She studied the wooden door in front of her, trying to determine what it was about this particular door that had caught her eye.
It was an old door, rickety, really, with gaps forming between its planks. Her head tilted slowly to the left -- and there! There was that strange glimmer again! It seemed so familiar, and yet... What was it?
Heedless of where this unused door might take her, the woman pushed open the door and into a narrow, winding staircase. The stone stairs glittered with fallen snow, making the well-worn steps slick even against Fíona's bare feet. She didn't notice -- neither the treachery nor the cold -- as she ascended; her eyes remained on the growing glimmer of light, just faintly visible, far above.
It didn't take her long. One moment, she was climbing those narrow steps -- and, in the next, she had burst onto the battlements of one of the ancient towers. The wind swirled about her, tugging on the skirt of her dress and blowing her hair every direction. She hurriedly brushed her long locks out of her eyes so that she could see it clearly.
This was the source of that glimmer.
And she remembered it now.
Like a pocket in the storm around her, she could see an archway...and on the other side, she could see something truly wonderful: sunshine. The archway opened upon a vast meadow. There was so much color there: greens and yellows, blues and reds...and the sun! It spilled outwards onto the narrow walkway.
Heedless of the danger, Fíona stepped forward with her arms outstretched to either side of her, as if she could embrace the archway and the beauty it brought. A melody, the words of which she had long forgotten, rose to her lips as she felt the warming touch of the light spill over her.
It was so beautiful...
"Dum de dum dum," she sang out, flinging her head backwards with her eyes closed, simply basking. "De de doo dum..."
And to those far below, her white dress would be all-but lost in the swirling snow -- but her hair would wave like a red banner. And to them, there would be no sign of the sun nor the flowers nor the blue sky -- just a crazy girl, high above, lost in a hallucination.
Draven placed his hands on his hips and looked down at his younger brother.
"And you wonder why I call you a monkey," he qipped, shaking his head at him. "But none of that now, where's your sister?" he glanced around, but didn't see her. "Never mind that, I need to talk to you anyhow." he said, shaking the thought momentarily away and gesturing for his brother to follow. "Come with me over here. I need to show you something."
It only took a few strides before the two found themselves standing on the opposing end of the overlook before Draven paused, his eyes scanning the colorless water that spilled through the architecture. It was a marvelous architectural wonder, to build the tower they were perched beside around a tall, thin water fall that fell like glass from the tall mountains that reached for the sky.
and this was the first time this place appeared... more grey, faded even as he stared at it.
"Another piece of the castle has fallen to the colorless," he said, staring at it for a long while before he finally turned to face his brother. "Laighean, I've called you over here today because I can't sit here any longer, waiting for the dim, grey color to take the rest of my mind and memories. Nor yours, or your sisters." He hesitated, after mentioning Fiona."It has been countless years that we had to witness the slow decay of our people, feeling there was not much more we could do but pray. But I think there is a solution. Something we're becoming ignorant of as places and names and faces become lost to us."
Laighean smirked a bit at his brother's posture. It almost looked a bit haughty, scolding.
At being called a monkey, Laighean grinned broadly.He was the best one at climbing among them and scaling tall surfaces was second nature to him.
He frowned at Draven's question though. Did anyone know where Fíona was half of the time? His sister might have had an even greater wanderlust than even he did. She could roam the forests for hours, picking flowers and speaking to the spirits or the animals or whatever it was she did. She'd always been just a little bit odd, but that was what Laighean found to be so endearing. He shrugged and his eyes followed his brother's gaze but then turned back to focus on Draven as the man spoke once more.
Draven claimed to need to show him something. Nodding, Laighean followed his elder brother, his would-be King, obediently. "What would you have me see?" He frowned, observing the freshly tainted portion of the castle that his brother revealed to him.
"If it is the Guardian's will..." Laighean trailed off, choosing to swallow his words, and his thoughts. Draven would not want to hear this opinion. He shook his head, sighing , "That's well and good, brother, but if we cannot remember anything in the slightest ...what good does that do us? Do you not think that I've thought of this myself? Day after day I visit the Guardian's Shrine, looking for clues. I....recall she spoke to us before we fell to shadows. But her words are lost in the mists of my clouded mind. Everything is beginning to break apart. I can hardly see father's face anymore..." He sounded remorseful, and looked as though he might have been in pain. He bowed his head momentarily.
"Perhaps it might have been nothing, but there's something nagging at me telling me that is not so. I wish I could remember." How terrible it would have been if he'd forgotten words that could have saved them from this mess!
"But never mind me and my ramblings. Please, tell me more about this solution of yours. "
Draven grew somber as his brother went on about the Guardian. He knew where their faith's lay, but he couldn't help but be on edge everytime there was mention of it, for not a day went by he did not contemplate the meaning behind their existence here in the veiled world.
After all, he could never forgive himself. He was the only one to blame.
Draven placed a hand shoulder on his shoulder.
"Laighean, not a day goes by I don't fear the same thing. We'll find a way to get over this we'll find a way to-" It was only then Draven took notice of something.
The voice, the song he heard from earlier was far, far above them as he craned his eyes upwards and noticed with a start..
"Fiona!!"
What was she doing!?
OOC: Ugh, had to fix my typos XD I Shouldn't post when watching a movie >>
Laighean did look up too and when he recognized bright red hair that only he and his little sister shared in common with their mother. He clapped his brother on the shoulder, "I'll get her!" and then took off running.
Having had centuries of free time on their hands, Laighean knew where to go. He crossed through a room , vaulted up the crumbling stone steps high through the tower and when he reached the top of the narrow , winding path, he joined Fíona on the battlements.
He approached her casually and greeted her with the usual adoring manner that he always did, "Fíona, dear sister, what are you doing up here?" He stepped around her and tried to get a better look at whatever it was that she was so intent upon. He didn't expect to see anything , however.
He took her gently by the arm, " How about we go downstairs together and see Draven? He wants to speak with us both."
Ooc: I made it short and to the point. SUE ME. Bwaha!
"Can't you feel it?" Fiona asked dreamily, her expression so content and peaceful as she stared (seemingly) into the swirling snow. "I'd forgotten... It's been so long..."
With the sunlight -- so vibrant and beautiful -- in front of her, she could scarcely believe that she had forgotten, that for a moment she had failed to recognize such a simple and lovely thing as sunshine...
"It's so warm, isn't it?" It was so real to her -- she could, in fact, feel the caress of the sun on her face and hands. Obviously, Laighean should be able to feel it as well!
"Laighean," she said suddenly, bringing her attention to her brother and settling her free arm on his shoulder. Her eyes were large and sparkling with an enthusiasm and joy that so many of their people now lacked. Even Fíona sometimes lost that sparkle of life sometimes -- but her expression was rarely as vibrant and beautiful as it was now. "I want a flower." Her eyes went back to the meadow Laighean could not see, and her breath caught in her throat as she considered the options. "Imagine what Mother would say if we brought her an entire bouquet!"
And although the narrow walkway was barely large enough for two, she stepped forwards, towards that source of beauty, light, and warmth.
"Laighean!" Draven called after, then looked up, growing frantic as she stared at his sister. His heart raced inside his chest as he feared for her life and safety, and once his brother was up there, he found himself pausing in his pacing, hands to his hips as he released his anxious breath.
Though he kept his neck craned, he studied them a moment and debated going up there to be with them, then found himself faltering as Fiona stepped forward.
"FIONA!" his voice boomed, echoing across the wide expanse of the land covered in a sightless light and dusty snow.
He bared his teeth, braced himself, holding a breath and even whispering a prayer...
Great Guardian.. don't let her fall...
Laighean started at his sister curiously, "Feel?" He shook his head. He felt numb physically, almost spiritually even. "Yeah. Met too." Perhaps if he pretended , if he agreed she'd be satisfied and come down with him.
She babbled on about warmth. He was almost jealous of her hallucinations. None of his dreams ever brought him warmth. Heck, he could hardly dream anymore. "Fíona, it's snowing . I think you might have hot and cold a little mixed up..."
Though his words died on his lips when his sister turned to look him in the eyes. So directly. For a moment, he saw a rare glimpse of the sister he could still remember growing up with. He embraced her briefly and laughed softly." You and your flowers." He frowned, looking back to where her eyes had been. He thought of his mother too and nodded, " I imagine she'd love that. But what do flowers have to do with what I asked-"
He didn't have the heart to remind her that everything was dead now. Her flowers included. Not that she'd accept his reminder as truth each time...she was now funny like that.
He heard his brother's yelling carried on the wind. Were he not so focused on concerning himself with the possibility of his little sister slipping and falling, he might have yelled assurance back at his brother. That he had the situation under control. He really didn't but Draven's hysteria wasn't really helping. It only made him even more nervous.
"Fíona?! Fíona, please come down with me. I'll get your flowers for you, I promise. " Then under his breath, "Mother is going to kill me!" He begged her. Did she seriously think there were flowers up here!? She probably did!
Fiona looked at him as though he, perhaps, was the mad one. "Everything," she answered him simply, as though it were obvious. A gust of wind tore her laughter away from them, crashing it down into the wall behind them. Her expression was filled with mirth as she turned, searching for the owner of the voice who had called her name. When she found him, so far down below, she lifted her hand to wave.
"I didn't bring the picnic basket!" she called down to him merrily. She offered him a final wave, then turned to face Laighean again.
Taking both of her brother's hands in hers, she told him, with complete sincerity, "I think we might fall through. But we'll come right back once we have our flowers."
So saying, Fiona turned her back on Laighean, releasing his hands only just long enough to turn her body. Then, she took his hands again and began marching forward towards the doorway with a confident, purposeful step.
"Quack, quack!" she announced gaily, oblivious to anything but her goal.
And, as they approached the archway, hovering over the walkway a mere two feet from a collapsed portion of the battlements, Laighean might -- if he allowed himself to be led -- notice a familiar flicker of something... And the closer they came to the arch, the more color would swim up to his gaze -- and the more he would be able to see what Fiona saw, like a shimmering mirage.
Laighean's cheery expression instantly altered to one of sheer dread. "Fall?" What in the Guardian's teeth was she talking about?! She was in the grips of madness again. There was to be no reasoning with her and he wasn't so sure he wanted to play along because he did not like this idea of falling...from a very high place. Because even in this realm...they could 'die' and end up as nothing. That idea terrified him more than existing here...
"Fiona, I am serious, " He now spoke sternly, "you come with me right this in-" She took his hands and spoke to him in a tone that was devoid of madness. She sounded pretty convincing. Oh why was he even considering this!? " Sis, I don't understand. I -" And perhaps , stupidly, he trusted her, allowing her to lead him...but to where? "Fiona there aren't any flowers that way!" He protested.
If things took a turn for the worse, then he might have to use magic. Mother wouldn't mind. It would be for-
Oh? "What-? What is...? Is that...?" He thought he'd seen...? He shook his head and blinked. "Oh Goddess. Now I'm losing it..." But the view was...he had no words. But he wanted to believe it wasn't a hallucination because it was one of the most beautiful things he'd seen in centuries.
"The sun," Fiona answered happily. "I think I want a blue one for myself..."
Because he really should have been able to see the flowers and the meadow all along!
Heedless of any danger -- and in spite of the yawning chasm located on the other side of the arch -- she tugged her older brother happily along in her wake. She was determined to reach that meadow, to play in the sun and to pick some flowers. Maybe she'd make a crown for her mother -- she would, truly, love that, she thought! If she could find the right colors, she might even able to make one that would match her eyes...
...And she would smile for the first time in a very long time.
Fiona reached the archway first, of course; one moment there was cold stone beneath her feet, and, in the next moment, it was the soft grass of a meadow that stretched in every direction. In between the two places, she had felt something -- something like a lurch, as though she had just passed through a wall of molasses that did not want to let her go. The moment was quickly forgotten, however, as she released her brother and hurried over to the nearest flowers, admiring their beauty and leaning forward to inhale their scent deeply.
It was all so beautiful!
"It is bright, " Laighean mused as they drew closer to archway, " I guess that would make sense but how is that even poss-" His sister pulled him through out of the land of dismal grey and into a world that was vibrant and radiant.
The trip through had a bizarre effect on him. It felt as though something were trying to keep him from leaving , but it wasn't quite strong enough to win against his sister's determination and it released it's hold of him swiftly. He felt a rush of queasiness grip him and he stood there for a moment, shielding his eyes from the blinding light of the golden orb in the sky. "The sun...?" He had to lower his gaze. He had not seen the sun like this in....so long.
And the second thing he noticed...was he could feel the breeze, gentle and cool against his skin and the warmth of light on his face. He could smell the flowers...and he tried to contain his emotions at this revelation.
Surely, he reasoned, he was mad or he was dreaming. For this could not be. And yet ..."It feels real," he murmured, kneeling down to observe the verdant grasses and feel therm between his dexterous fingers. "I can't believe it, " he felt a swell of emotion building deep in his chest and he brushed a tear from his eye.
He did not dream. This was real or he'd gone insane. And even if it was the latter, he strangely found himself not caring anymore. This hallucination , if it was one, was far better than being trapped in a dead world with his sanity intact while watching everyone else lose their minds and fade from existence.
He looked over his shoulder at where his sister was, contentedly gathering flowers. He smiled. It reminded him of times long ago. He remembered. Partially. His memories weren't quite so broken as others, but even his mind wasn't immune. There were chunks of time lost to him as well.
He rose and made his way over to where Fiona was gathering flowers, "Are you going to make a crown for Draven as well?" He teased, picturing his brother with a flowery mantle on his head.
Speaking of Draven...they probably ought to return soon but Laighean wanted to linger. Just for a little bit. He dared to look over across the meadows and the rolling hills and east towards the mountains and forest. "I feel as though I should know this place, "he said softly to himself. And he turned away, looking to the West and saw the ruins of what looked to be a castle that was nearly identical to the one they'd lived in.
"Draven doesn't like crowns," Fiona replied matter-of-factly as she gathered up the flowers. Quite the bouquet was forming in her hands, filled with all the colors of the meadow -- red, blues, yellows, purples, and whites... She acted like this was no wonder, as though this place had simply been hiding behind a door waiting to be discovered. "I'll make him a necklace instead!"
Yes, Draven would get a necklace... Their mother would get a crown... And for Laighean and herself...
She momentarily paused in gathering up the flowers long enough to tuck a forget-me-not in Laighean's lapel. "One for you, too."
She scooped up her bundle of flowers, laying them gently in the crook of her arm to rest. She rearranged them neatly, and, although they had been hastily pulled and assembled, they added a splash of color against her white dress that was beautiful.
"We don't belong," she reminded him softly. "How would we ever find the door again?"
"Are you sure? I thought I saw him wearing mother's the other day," he snickered. He admired the vibrant bouquet arrangement his sister had made. He laughed at her declaration to make their elder brother a necklace instead, "Even better."
He looked down at the forget-me-not, " Thanks," he was perfectly fine with not having to wear a flowery necklace or a crown. The pollens tended to irritate his nose a little.
He nodded solemnly, "Perhaps not. We seem to have crossed through...I don't know. A tear or a rip in the magic barrier the Guardian created. I wouldn't have even noticed it without your help. Though before we crossed through I felt something peculiar. A distortion in energies. It's not that easy to detect unless I'm nearby. Although, I suppose we could try leaving some sort of marker near so that we might not lose our way. We should go back though and tell Draven about what we've found. And I'm sure you're eager to give your mother her gift."
ooc: It's very possible that I misunderstood what she meant. x3
OOC: It doesn't matter if you misunderstood or not! <3
Fiona's eyebrows drew together into a look of confusion. Sometimes, she forgot that not everybody saw what she saw; not everybody held the same unique understanding for the world around them...
"It isn't always in the same place," the woman explained patiently, as though he were but a child to whom the concept was brand new and she the experienced tutor. "And, anyway, it's dangerous to be here. It's..." Fiona paused a moment, then reached towards his shoulder. She moved her hand slowly down his arm, hovering half an inch above. "You're coming unraveled."
With a hearty sigh, she held out her hand for him to take.
ooc: You have no idea how much of a relief it is for me that you said that!
ic:
Laighean blinked , puzzled, "Dangerous?Unraveled? What do you mean? " He had felt strange ever since coming here. Uncomfortable. Ill. Weak. It was not an entirely unpleasant feeling to endure in exchange for the ability to feel period.
He took his sister's hand and would let her lead him, but let his gaze linger on the grassy meadows. He almost wished he could stay there forever, but he would never leave his family or his people. Not for anything.
When they turned around, their brother was standing at the other end, arms folded over his chest.
"I suppose this is your method of handling things?" Draven chided with a scrutinizing tilt of his head.
"Laighean, when you rushed after your sister, I thought you meant to protect her from danger, not lead her into it."
He was careful when he approached his sister, his face softening into a smile as he held out his hand for her.
"Fiona, why don't you come with me? I bet there is a lot for you to see in the Courtyard."
OOC: Because I shouldn't post when I'm sleeping- disregard the strike out text above XD~
IC:
DRaven had grown anxious, watching both his brother and sister disappear and found himself racing towards where they were, only to be halted in his tracks when he did not see them. Fear gripped his heart- had he missed them? Had both fallen ... had...
Where on earth had they gone? Surely they hadn't continued out onto the dangerous ledge. But then he thought he heard their voice in another direction and turned around, making chase towards the echoes.
OOC: There, I attempted to fix? lol >> If this still doesn't work I'll give up untila fter i eat my breakfast! <3
Fiona didn't bother to try and explain; she couldn't describe what she saw, even if she tried. Instead, she simply took her brother's hand and smiled serenely. "It's alright, Laighean. I have the flowers I need."
To her, that was the end of it.
Stalwartly, she led him back through the doorway. They left the bright, beautiful meadow basking in the sunshine behind and, with another of those disconcerting pops, stepped back into the gray, lifeless world that was their own.
Her smile brightened considerably as Draven suddenly appeared in front of them, stepping out from around a thick wall that had long ago fallen into ruin. They were on the ground, now, just inside the gates of the castle.
"Hi, Draven!" she called, releasing her brother's hand in order to wave to the eldest. "I've brought you flowers!"
But, slowly, the color was already draining from the flowers; they were withering and dying in Fiona's arms.
Draven felt relieved when his sister appeared.
"Fiona.." he began, stepping towards her when he paused, noting the dead flowers withering away within her arms. He raised his head, face twisting in confusion as he looked to her, then his eyes went to Laighean and narrowed.
"I suppose this is your method of handling things?" Draven chided with a scrutinizing tilt of his head.
"Laighean, when you rushed after your sister, I thought you meant to protect her from danger, not lead her into it."
He was careful when he approached his sister, his face softening into a smile as he held out his hand for her.
"Fiona, why don't you come with me? I bet there is a lot for you to see in the Courtyard."
Though his gaze continued to fall upon the flowers when he finally asked, "Where did you get those any?" Had he seen them with color? Or were his eyes deceiving him. It was hard to tell in this wretched place. Perhaps it was only natural he was going crazy.
Fiona frowned at him, clutching the flowers closer to her chest. "Laighean came to protect me, Draven. You can't be mean to him for that!" Indignantly, she added, "No flowers for you!"
It was then that she looked down at the flowers in her arms...and her face fell. Already, all that was left was practically colorless, like a sheaf of dried grasses. When her arms tightened around the bouquet, petals and dead leaves drifted down to the ground. They fell around her in a small arc, and she stared at these as hard as she had stared at the bouquet a minute ago.
"I don't understand," she whispered mournfully, gently caressing the dead husk of a daisy with her fingertips. Even under her gentle attention, the withered flower released the last of its petals. They had been whole a moment ago -- whole and beautiful...
And she had had such plans for them...
As they passed through one plane of relaity to the other, Laighean could see his brother waiting on the other side. "Looking grumpy as usual I see?" The young man greeted , chuckling with amusement.
"I suppose this is your method of handling things?" Draven chided with a scrutinizing tilt of his head.
Laighean took a step back. He didn't care all that much for his brother's attitude. What in the Guardian's name was his problem?
"Laighean, when you rushed after your sister, I thought you meant to protect her from danger, not lead her into it."
The usual joviality that could be found in his eyes were immediately extinguish, replaced by a look that was as icy and hard as this world they existed in. And where were you? He thought bitterly, fighting the urge to become nasty with his brother. He didn't wish to dampen his sister's spirits with petty bickering.
Fortunately, he need not say anything. Fiona stood up for him. A good thing too because the words he'd prepared himself to say weren't very kind.
Fiona frowned at him, clutching the flowers closer to her chest. "Laighean came to protect me, Draven. You can't be mean to him for that!" Indignantly, she added, "No flowers for you!"
"I'm sorry, little sis," Laighean told her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder lightly. He was also at somewhat of a loss. The curse obviously had something to do with it and he pondered what he'd felt on the other side. It had felt so good, but deep in his soul it felt like something was trying to pull him apart. Was that what his sister had been referring to when she mentioned him becoming 'unraveled'?
"Draven, I think Fiona found a way out of here. We passed though a barrier of sorts and on the other side...the world is alive. " Part of him grew excited by this prospect but the other part of him was filled with trepidation. What if the Guardian knew? What if she was angry? He didn't like to think about what would happen to them if they invoked her wrath a second time.
Draven didn't like being stern with his brother, but kept his hard face, even when his younger sister tried to reprimand him. He had to tell himself she knew not what she was doing. Poor thing, she was becoming lost to this place more and more every day.
However, at what Laighean proposed, Draven's face fell, before he furrowed his brow.
"What? What do you mean? You think you've actually found some way, some connection to the outside world?" If so, it would explain what had become of the two, or...
at worst..
Meant now his brother was starting to become as crazy as their sister.
"Can you explain? It's hard for me to understand what you're getting at. We've spent so many countless years here praying for such a thing to exist.."
Could there really have been a clue, an opening.. a way out, somewhere locked inside the decaying castle this entire time?
"I don't think, brother, I know. " A very bold claim,but he was determined to believe in them. "There's a tear in the magical veil that allows the physical to transition from one plane to another. " But what did that mean? Surely, the Guardian's influence wasn't weakening , was it? But if it wasn't then why was there a tear ? Was she not aware? Or had she intended for them to find it?
"She works in mysterious ways, " Laighean murmured to himself and shook his head. He tucked a few long strands of his wavy red locks behind his ear. Then , more loudly he said , " I know you think that we sound mad, but this is something you'd have to experience for yourself. Words don't do it justice. "
Draven set his jaw and brow in a furrow, keeping Laighean under a sharp eye though as he pressed the issue, he couldn't help but shake his head.
"If that's all true, and the barrier, sealing us within this wretched place is weakening... I don't know what it would mean, but by the God's, it could mean our salvation..." he moved his jaw as he thought. "... or damnation. If the barrier is weakening, what can that mean for the Guardian and the world outside these grey, foggy walls? And if what you say is true, and I only partially doubt the eye sight of any one of us, lest we forget we are all falling prey to the nameless presence here that is gobbling our sense and memories, then we have to figure out this thing out- to see if it is truly some pathway to get us the hell out of here."
He studied Laighean.
"Maybe the Guardian wants to give us a second chance?" He could only hope so, but his heart was full of doubt. He kept Laighean under his gaze. "Are you able to show this to me.. this.. potential tear?"
It was definitely worth checking out.
"It could have been her intention for us to find a way out or it could mean that there is something wrong. Either way, we remain ignorant if we don't investigate the matter. " Laighean looked at Fiona," I cannot. However, she can."
ooc: Short, but to the point!
Fiona gave no indication that she had heard any of their conversation at all. She had sank to her knees and, with the bundle of dead flowers set down beside her, was working to repair them in the only way her shattered mind knew how. With determination and gentle fingers, she gently picked up each fallen leaf and petal. And when they crumbled beneath her fingers, she only bowed her head and bent to her work with even more determination.
All in all, she was doing little but fracturing the pieces of dried floral into smaller and smaller pieces and collecting all that she could in the palm of her hand.
And as she worked so diligently, she quietly hummed a melody to herself. Once again, she was lost in her own little world...
Draven frowned. The idea all of this sudden build of hope was coming from only Fiona, their sister, who was the first of the three to show signs of her mind going and now... now what of it?
Draven moved away from Laighean and approached her silently, remaining at her side and watched as she tried to tend to the dead bouquet of flowers.
He crouched down beside her, still silently studying before he turned to look at her face.
"I bet you made this bouquet all by yourself," he said, smirking a little towards her. "Perhaps I can help you next time you want to pick some flowers in that field?" He paused, staring at her hands as they worked and listening to her melody, then looked back towards her face.
"It has been sometime since you and I got a chance to play in the fields." He smiled at her, finding the memories almost fading.
"I think there was a time I was carrying a huge bunch of flowers, than Laighean.." his eyes wavered. "I remember him scaring me and I dropped them all."
But the vision ended at the echo of memories.
He looked to the dead flowers, fearing the worst for them all.
No, he got them into this mess. He'd find a way to get them all.
"Do you think we could just pick some more flowers?" he inquired, staring off into the court yard.
Fiona worked with an unending patience, allowing Draven to speak beside her and making no indication she heard a single word.
Long after Draven's questions had faded away, she finally turned towards him to give him a puzzled look. "There are no more flowers, Draven. Everybody knows that."
Rather than return to her work and dead bouquet, she stood. The collected dead leaves and petals fluttered once more to her feet, and she stepped over them as she made her way towards the front door, as though she meant to go inside.
Instead, she paused on the steps and turned back towards them. Her expression was sober, and her voice -- usually spattered with childlike inflections or a sing-songiness -- sounded soft and forbidding as it carried across the yard. "The door is never in the same place, in our world nor in theirs. And if you do find it, there is no telling how long it will remain there. If you lose the door on their side, you will die. Do you understand?"
"Well, that sounds like it could be fun," Laighean said , amused, " so we'd have to be aware of our surroundings in case we fall through the earth and end up in someone's wardrobe. Hopefully a lady's. " He imagined it, " A real beauty with nice long legs and shapely hips, "He was practically drooling over the imaginary women in his head.
ooc: I HAD to post it. It amuses me! x3
Draven could only stare at his baby sister, confused.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," he told her bluntly, though he felt sorry that he did not. What did she mean by it? Or was it just more nonsensical ramblings as always. Yet.. why did he feel compelled to want to believe her, or try to decipher what she spoke, as if it were a code?
"Perhaps someday you could it explain it to me. Or just show me," he said with a dry laugh and approached, touching her shoulder warmly.
It was then Laighean spoke and Draven's brows furrowed. Really, did he have to talk about this like it were some type of game?
"Really, Laighean," he scolded. "Thinking of women at time like this?" he shook his head, but could't help but smile a little.
"Come on, Fiona. Let's get out of this place before Laighean drools on us." He offered his arm to his sister as an escort. He was, after all, a prince and gentlemen first and fore most!
Fiona stared at Laighean, her expression unreadable. That same, empty expression shifted to Draven when he offered her his arm.
"I cannot explain it to you," she said sadly. "You cannot see what I see, and, I think, if you could, your mind might snap like a twig underfoot. You -- both of you -- are proud, but even you must bear the weight of the yoke if the Goddess commands it."
She pointed at the empty lawn immediately to her left.
"There is your doorway. Go through it if you must, but do not linger there, or you will not return." She cast a speculative look towards the palace door. "And that would break Mother's heart."
Her eyes returned to Draven, regarding him with her chin held high and her eyes flashing with righteousness. "Go on. It stands open beneath that tree. Laighean will show you."
With that speech made, she turned on her heel so swiftly that her hair swung out behind her in a red wave -- and then, without a word further, she was gone.
Draven only laughed, but in a kind manner, towards his poor sister.
"Fiona, I am sorry but I do not.." though something did catch his eye, as he found himself staring at something..
and it started as a sparkle, a flickering of light...
then he swore he saw color.
He couldn't look away, nor could he move as he merely stared at it.
"I think I've gone mad..."
Yes, for before them a faded image of colors- but nothing really defined, moving like ripples of water.
"Laighean..." he breathed his brother's name. "Do you see what I"m seeing?" ANd just before his eyes, the image melted into view..
and he saw the beautiful image of the cascading waters of a fountain.
Laighean merely shrugged. What was there to say, really? He'd always been a skirtchaser! And why not dream a little, jest to the lighten the mood? They'd had centuries to be depressed and serious! Now that there was genuine hope for finding something more than this dismal existence, he couldn't help but feel giddy. He was already imagining all the things he'd experience if he escaped again and one of those things would have to be a woman! Or maybe more than one! A whole room full! And...
He forced himself to stop fantasizing , half hearing Fiona say something and then his brother calling his name. He walked over to where the man was and peered down through the tear, peering at the pristine , flowing waters."I'm not sure, " Laighean said slowly in a very solemn tone, "I think we should find out!" With a mischievous laugh, he shoved Draven forward and followed him shortly after.
He could have killed Laighean had he not been suddenly emersed into a world he had nearly forgotten. Colors, both vibrant and dull tickled his senses. And noises, some, once long muted, were reclaimed to his senses like water to a dry man's throat. He took it all in with awe and wonder.
And it seemed like forever Draven would stand there, staring at the lapping sounds of the fountain, the happy giggles of the children at play, and the tall, sweeping arms of a wind mill creaking as it turned. It was all so regular, but all so magical to him as he took a step forward to catch himself from falling to his knees.
Laighean wasn't quite as stunned the second time as he had been the first. He was surprised , however , to find that their newest place of emergence was nowhere near the ruins that appeared to look remarkably a lot like this castle. He walked around the fountain, admiring the foreign architecture.
The sounds of playing children drew his attention away from where his brother marveled. He watched the two boys chase one another around the fountain, laughing and seeming oblivious to his sudden appearance. Further on there were more people, strangely dressed foreigners whose language was similar but their dialect not quite as harsh.Laighean listened and observed . Few people gave him odd looks, but one small girl stared at him as though she'd seen a ghost. When he smiled at her, she gasped and ran off to tell her mother than she'd just seen two men appear out thin air! Like magic!
Shaking his head, Laighean made his way back to his brother, "We shouldn't linger. Remember what Fiona told us. We'll be stuck here if we don't go back."
Draven was still in awe, but at his brother's words he released a nose through his nose.
"Yes, you are right." he turned to his brother, a smile raising on his lips, a rare one he hadn't shown in ages, the same with the sparkle in his eyes. It almost appeared as if he were sad or about to cry.
"We... we should go back and find Fiona.."
though when he turned around, he was surprised to see a fragment of the world waver. Blinking, he approached it tentatively and reached out...
"Do you suppose this is the gate in which we entered and that in which we could return?"
He turned back to Laighean curiously, then back at the world, a look of longing tugging at his face.
Laighean folded his arms over his chest, "Don't get all sentimental on me, brother. It's not like you. " He grinned and then shook his head. "We can come back another time. Maybe not to this particular spot so if you're really attached to that fountain , I'm afraid there's little I can do about that."
He nodded and approached the distortion in reality, grazing his fingertips across the 'surface' of the 'gate'. "Yep. Same spot . This should be the way back. We should...probably tell mother about this," though he wondered what help the Queen would be. She hadn't spoken much since...he couldn't remember. It had been too long since they'd heard her voice. All she seemed to do was smile or frown.She was usually quiet. Maybe a bit of good news might illicit some change in her. Laighean hoped so!
"I'll go first this time, " Laighean announced, "don't push me!" He dove forward into the distortion , leaving behind the world of light to emerge into darkness once more. "We're back!" Laighean announced dramatically to a listless audience of roaming specters of castle townsfolk. "Try not to get too excited. We were only gone for about two minutes!"
ooc: lulz
Draven couldn't help but smile as he shook his head at his younger brother.
"Laighean..." but he let it go, turning his attentions back to the world before him.
"If anything,t his is cruel. To think.. we can only stare at it for but a moment.." he reached out, as if to capture some of it, before turning back to watch Laighean, and smirking at his comment about the push.
"I am more civil than some," he jested, then moved forward, glancing back once over his shoulder before following his brother through..
The dim world before them set a chill to his bone, and a frown upon his face as he stared over at Laighean who seemed to be bowing to a crowd that wasn't there.
"Laighean... we need to figure out what this is, and if this is a sign or some sort of clue, part of the puzzle we need to unlock to get out of here." Sighing, he looked for their sister. "Perhaps we should see if Fiona has anything else to say."
Laighean laighed, "Are you kidding me? It's more than just seeing, Draven. Can you not feel the warmth of the sun on your back? Can you not feel the wind, smell the baking breads? Hear laughter? No, I don't call this cruel at all because I know this isn't a trick of my mind. I know is real and so long as I can still feel all of these things , I know that there's still hope for us, for me..." Laighean shook his his head," Even if I couldn't be a more interactive part of this world, I could stand here forever...just content to watch. It's better than where we were...in a world where you don't feel anything but cold and see nothing but dismal greys...there's no laughter, no smiles... it's maddening. "
Laighean shrugged at his brother's comment concerning being civil and just smiled, Sure you are. "
Once they were through and Draven interrupted his antics with seriousness, Laighean nodded. "I'm not sure if even Fi knows but we don't have much else to go off of. I still think we should tell mother. "
Draven flattened his lips. He knew Laighean was right, but even he had his doubts, despite having felt the warmth, seen the warmth and smelled it.
"I am aware, but still we need to proceed with caution. Fiona told us, showed us the way, but also warned us for a reason."
He frowned now.
"Do you think she might understand?" Naturally, by she, he meant their mother. It had been ages since she had even talked...
"You don't need to explain everything as if I were daft, " Laighean muttered under his breath.
He shrugged his shoulders, " Just because she doesn't speak, it doesn't mean she's completely lost. When you think about it, she doesn't have much to smile about. But this bit of news might cheer her up and give her something to look forward to." Laighean remained hopeful though all the signs pointed to otherwise. Their mother might have been even further gone than their sister was. He'd rather not think about that for he was closest to her. After all, his mother had been his mentor in magic, and in the teachings of archery and knowledge of the woods and its guardian.
Draven turned towards his brother. He admired him. Long had Draven lost hope for their mother...
her poor soul...
She had been one of the first to go.. yet she remained twisted in some sort of perversion over the rest..
Not having completely lost her color..
Simply her voice.
Sighing, he smiled.
"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps we shall go to her first, though..." he glanced around, furrowing his brow. "Fiona!?" He called out to her, his voice echoing. Where did she go?
ooc: Sorry for the delay!
ic:
"We could split up, " Laighean suggested, "if I know Fi, she's probably wandering. Somewhere," She could have been anywhere. It had been common to find her in the woods, but now that they were dead, she seemed not to be drawn to them quite as much. There was a possibility that she might have headed that way though. "If she's in the woods, I'd have better luck at finding her than you. " They both knew the woods, but Laighean knew them just a little better because he'd had more time to know them and , possibly, more interest in knowing them.
Because Draven had spent more time with father, learning how to be King.
Laighean studied his brother for a moment, "You haven't spoken to her in some time. I think you should be the one to give mother the first bit of news. " He patted his brother gently on the shoulder, " I'll be back soon."
Before Draven could protest, Laighean had run off!
"Laighean," Draven tried to protest, sighing as he dropped his arms away, watching his brother run off. But he was right. He hadn't spoken to his mother in some time..
and for many reasons.
He felt he had no right to- who was he to face his mother- the first of them gone and lost to this wretched curse? A curse only brought about by himself.
Watching his brother disappear, he sighed again and turned back towards the castle, it's tall form menacing and grey.
Fiona would make herself apparent almost the moment Draven stepped inside. She was nestled in the crook of the winding staircase. Perched sideways on the railing at a precarious angle, she was practically lounging there with her cheek pressed against the rail of the stairs heading up. She looked a bit cat-like in her contentment.
As he stepped inside, a lazy smile appeared on her face. Without opening her eyes, she said, "Don't forget to wipe your feet, Draven. Mother will have your hide if you drag in dirt from the yard and smudge her rugs."
Draven was startled to find his sister in such a precarious position as he craned his neck up at her.
"Fiona!" he started, "What are you doing up there? Don't you know it's dangerous to hang about on the stairs like that?" He moved closer towards her, with much swiftness up the steps, not taking any heed to her warning about wiping off his boots.
"Here, give me your hand," he reached one of his strong arms out to her. "We needn't have mother worry about you falling from the railing now, do we?"
"But it's comfortable!" she protested, only opening her eyes when his hand brushed against her. Reaching out, she grasped her eldest brother's hand, although she made no move to climb off of her perch. "Draven, this is perfectly safe. If I were to fall, I would have to land on my head to crack it open." She paused, considering. "Though I might break an arm if I were careless enough to fall."
She squeezed his hand gently, her smile as bright and beautiful as it had ever been. "You worry too much, Brother Dear. Worry will turn you gray before your time. Or make you lose all your hair. You don't want to look like Uncle Seiorgi, do you?"
Draven couldn't help but laugh.
There was the Fiona he'd missed, but eve he knew she wasn't all there, and not to expect such humor and emotions from her all of the time-
or rather, cast emotions TOWARDS her.
He nodded his head
"Yes, but worry also keeps us alive, mind you," he playfully retorted. "And also without injury. Why don't you let me take you to mother? She might like to hear what you have to say about all of the flowers you've seen..."
and.. the rip in the veil...
"Pish-posh!" Fiona answered with a laugh. "I'm not in any danger unless someone pushes me. And who would do that?" No one, that was who! Still, she swung her leg back over the rail and straightened, now standing safely on the other side. "I'm not quite the daredevil Arthwys is, but he's right. Life is about taking chances -- and having fun for once! You're so gloomy lately! Just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you have to be so serious and responsible all the time."
Playfully stepping away from him, she said, "I probably shouldn't tell you -- and you have to promise not to be mad at him -- but Arthywys does this wonderful impression of you! He gets this real serious look, and he squares his shoulders, and he says things like, 'Don't jump on the bed!' and 'Stay out of the trees in the garden!'" Her voice deepened with the impression.
"He's so good at it that I told him he should try to fool the guests at your birthday party this year!" She slapped her hand over her mouth, eyes widening slightly as she regarded him. "Oh. Don't tell him I told you he might. And don't tell anyone else either! It's supposed to be a surprise!"
She was chattering way about their brother as though he still lived and breathed -- but Arthwys, always joking and taking bigger and bigger risks -- had died a hero's death early on in the war. Fiona didn't seem to notice.
Draven raised his brows at his sister.
"You don't think your dear older brother would push you, now?" he gave a smirk. "And come, let us not speak or Arthwys, what if he hears you speaking of me so? Do you think he would be angry for these secrets?" He smiled at her fondly, but also sadly..
It had.. been sometime since Arthywys had died..
the war... the war had taken many.
he wasn't sure what fate was worth- his or theirs, but a hero's death was a hero's death, and he would rest in peace, while the remainder of their line struggled in this graying purgatory.
"And I promise not to tell anyone if you promise to behave yourself," Draven went on. "Do we have a deal?" he asked, bending over to be at her level, brown eyes meeting to her's.
"I always behave," Fi answered impishly. She considered it for a moment, then said, more firmly, "I promise!"
She grinned at him and walked away, moving at her own pace towards the great kitchens that had once bustled with life to serve the proud Clan Flannchadh and their guests. This had once been a hub of activity, where servants bustled, chefs shouted, and children played.
Fi moved as though those people were still there. She swept to the side as if moving out of someone's way, then wove in an uneven pattern towards the center of the kitchen. She reached up onto the counter with a giggle, as if swiping an invisible piece of food, then made her way out the back door.
"Draven," she said, turning to wait for him there with a hand extended, as though it held something in offering. "If you could have anything for your birthday -- anything at all -- what would it be?" She was looking at him with a child's gravity and earnestness. It was meant to be a serious question. "Even if you will be 24 tomorrow, I think it would be okay to ask for something silly."
"F-Fiona!" Draven called after her. Really that girl! Could she not control herself? He knew her mind was turning to grey- much like everything else around here and he tensed and followed suit, watching her carefully as she wove herself between the invisible servants.
When she paused, he halted too, examining her with wary eyes. But then when she asked the question, he simply blinked, tilting his head to one side, looking very much like a hawk as his brown eyes met to hers, and brown eyes, which were raised like spikes, caught the faint false light of their dull sun.
"What do you mean? One wish?" his eyes followed down to where her hand was held out, then raised his eyes back to her.
If the question was asked in a more serious light, he would have told her their freedom..
to fix the curse he had awakened...
But they were too far gone for that-
but still, the seed of hope remained, and with this new revelation, this break in the 'veil'.. the seal that kept them locked away i this dying world well....
At her mentioning about him being so young, his face fell, but a sad smile soon replaced it as he stepped forward and took her hand into his own and patted it lightly and affectionately looked into his sister's gaze.
"If I had to ask for anything, anything at all, it would be for a giraffe." he smirked. "Just to be able to see your face from it. Did you know their necks crane high up into the trees while their bodies remained planted, to the earth, like horses?"
Even if he felt horrible for his sister's loss, her mind being the first to go, it did not mean he could not be a big brother to her. After all, he still had some humanity left inside him for a joke-
and he also wanted to find any means to forget that..
well..
She was falling amongst the grey.
But if there was this hope..
was there even enough time to save her?
He feared, like the others, she might become lost-
as lost and distant and cold and quiet as their mother.....
Fi laughed in absolute delight. "A giraffe!" she exclaimed, trying to conjure the image of one in her mind. It wavered, however, looking too much like the horse in Draven's description. "Would you keep it in your room?" she wanted to know, quite obviously taken with the concept. "Or would it have to live in the stables with the rest of the horses? And what will you feed it with all the leaves dead? Does it eat cake?"
She jumped suddenly and whirled with an expression of alarm, as though startled by a sudden sound. Her hand tightened on his as she stared over her shoulder towards the silent forest, searching its depths for only the Goddess-knew-what.
"Horns," she said, turning back to Draven with a frightened expression. "They must be at the gates." There was an usual tightness in her voice. Her ashen face swung back towards the forest, and she murmured, "No. In the forest. Laighean's out there, Draven!"
"No, but we could keep it in your room," he jested, but when her expression turned most grave and Fiona mentioned horns.. trouble, and Laighean, his interest perked.
He placed a large hand on her shoulder.
"Fiona, what do you mean?" his eyes searched her's, then follows her gaze out into the forest. "Where is Laighean?" Was something wrong?! "What do you mean he's in the forest!?" His eyes looked desperate towards the grey woods but unlike his sister, he could see nothing there.
Fiona looked him dead in the eye, as grave as she had been during her pronouncement of the dangers of the doorway earlier.
"The squirrels told me."
With that line so seriously spoken, she took off in a flat-out run towards the woods. "Draven!" she called back over her shoulder, expertly ducking beneath a low-hanging limb even as she turned. "Bring your sword!"
It wasn't the squirrels, exactly -- but the Veil was chattering away like an old friend. Laighean was in trouble! "Where?" she demanded of the voices, heedless as to whether Draven was behind her or not. "Where is he?"
But then she saw it...and the set of footprints leading up to its archway.
"We have to go in," she said to her brother as she stopped before it. It was dark in there -- and, absurdly, she felt afraid of that darkness. But if Laighean was in danger... She made a fist with her hand and reached for Draven with the other, weaving her fingers through his.
"Let's hurry," she said. "There isn't much time."
Into the doorway they stepped...and into the narrow confines of a lady's closet. It was impossible to know that, of course -- there was only darkness, and the soft brushes of clothing as they passed...and, there, at the other end, a sliver of light.
"Fiona!? Fiona, wait up!" But soon their finger's were interlocking, heart thumping, beating with worry until the pair disappeared into the other side...
OOC: To be temporarily continued in the thread: "Coming out of the Closet (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=14063.msg123790#msg123790)".