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Common Misconceptions (M)

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

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RedOptics

The scene she came across was more than enough for her fiery mind. Keona was horrified to look upon the corpse of a creature no longer recognizable. Its chest was torn open, and all of its insides trailed a few feet while the blood trailed further. Looking into its glossed over eyes, she could see the pain this poor animal went through to simply die, and for once it wasn't her fault. There were no scorch marks on the fur, only dried blood and strange marks.

Some creatures hunted for sport here, and if one of them was proven to kill so violently, then she would be at ease. But never before had she witnessed such a thing. Burning her prey always came when it fell into her hands, but this time is was just a gory mess that something else had let her find.

"I'm not touching it," Keona said, brushing her bright red and gold loin cloth, "I know the saying is 'food is food', but I'm not even sure it's edible anymore." The ocean behind her crashed, and she felt the spray, making her whimper and bounce off a little, looking back with pure dislike for the water. The droplets sizzled and fizzed before evaporating completely after she raised the temperature in her skin.

Wrathwyrm

Well...that's certainly a terrible image to inflict upon a young lady.  Wonder what did that?  Maybe this will help ease things up a bit.  Something that seemed to interest the people of Yoreiqi - facinated them, even - was the appearance of strangers.  We're not exactly sure what it is about that, but they definitely like that which is different.  This may be why nobody panicked when Keona was born, though that's really down to her upbringing.  What we're trying to get across here is that out of the distant mists...came a boat.

The boat was little more than a dinghy, to be fair.  It was a simple wooden sort, with a basic sail, rudder, and oars for rowing.  Funny...  Was there nobody inside?  From a distance, that might be what one was likely to see, but as it came closer, you could see that there was somebody there, someone having a snooze.  Well, he might have been sleeping, but then he was also idly whistling.  That was a big strange...  Then again, strangers are what they are, right?

This particular stranger was young man of at least six-foot, clad in black leather - including a longcoat - and wearing an eyepatch over his right eye.  Curiously, as one might see once the boat was even closer, he appeared to have bat-like wings coming from his back.  He would be fully visible and nearby as his boat came to rest against the beach, and he could be seen lying there, cradling his head in his hands, maybe or maybe not sleeping, as stated.  Where in the world had he come from?

RedOptics

Almost immediately, Keona had lost complete interest in the scene behind her, and became engrossed with curiosity over the structure that made its way to shore. She had never personally met a stranger before, due to the fact she fussed too much over her own powers, worried it'll scare them off.

Looks like today was that day.

Keona, upon watching the craft hit shore, studied-with wide, amber eyes-the man inside. He looked even stranger than the norm around here, but that only seemed to intrigue the woman further. She quickly crouched, looking feline-ish in this position, as she prepared for the worst. Her wings twitched, ready to fly in case she needed, but for some reason, the need to do so would fade as she spent a few moments wondering why he wasn't getting out.

A loud, alerting wail escaped her throat, a few, quick clicks following thereafter. She was not yet brave enough to touch noses, and doesn't think she ever will be, but despite her thoughts it is part of tradition. Either way, approaching the boat would be difficult, as there is ocean spray all around.

Wrathwyrm

The truth was that the stranger was half-asleep, and only aware on the subconscious level that the dinghy had come to a halt.  Upon hearing a sound that...he couldn't exactly identify, his own eye opened, and an expression of some confusion hit him, like 'What in the hey?'.  For a moment, he also tried to open the other eye - the one that would normally be where the eyepatch was - and his hand went up to check that.

Yup.  That's an eyepatch.

Okay...yeah.  He was still doing the one-eye thing.  He could put it back, but its absence gave him a boost in his overall power.  Mind you, he was pretty strong for a guy his size and age, so a boost to that would give chunkier men a run for their money.  Soon, he sat up, yawned, and stretched, scanning the horizon and noticing...oh, there's land here, and he's not alone.  He was, in fact, viewing a rather nice-looking girl with brown hair and orange eyes, not too dissimilar from his own.  Funny, wasn't he headed for those islands where the people have really dark skin, though?  Hmmm, well...why not ask?

"Oh, hey there.  Is this Yoreiqi?  Think I'm a bit lost."

RedOptics

What should she say? Clearly he asked about this land being Yoreiqi, but what should she tell him? Perhaps she didn't need to speak, so instead she hesitantly nodded, easing off a bit. Keona backed away,standing once her bare feet reached grass, causing her to flinch from the sudden coolness of green. The sun beat down hard through the cloudless sky, reflecting off her bare white skin. One of her mothers had made the suggestion to go nearly bare in this heat, and though she accepted it regardless heat wouldn't affect her greatly.

The woman kept her troubled and wide gaze on him and the sight of something made her perk up a little, He has... wings? Maybe he's distance Yoreiqi? Keona gulped a hard lump in her throat, and reached for her spear, just in case. It was nothing but a primitive toothpick in this scenario, since this stranger looked as though he could easily snap her in two, heavily build or not. Something about him set a cold fear off in her stomach, something she's never really felt before.

"Stra-..ang... Stranger...." The words came out heavily struggled, as if she had never spoken the determine language before, "You to hurt me...?" Visitors always arrived at the port, but that was when there were others around, and she wasn't alone. Normally she could speak better, but the visible shaking in her hands and spear would be a clear indication that that wasn't possible, not at the moment anyways.

Wrathwyrm

So, he'd made it to Yoreiqi...  Great!  Bright sun, blue sky, big sandy beaches, and...apparently nice-looking girls to boot.  Honestly, he thought they were gonna be a little more exotic.  Not to say that there was anything wrong with the girl before her.  She was very easy on the eyes.  However, she seemed to be a bit concerned about something.  It was when he was just stepping out of the boat - after throwing an anchor into the sand - that he heard what she said.

"I...what?"

He didn't understand, of course, until he saw the spear, which she was pointing at the currently unarmed guy.  He put up his hands defensively.

"No no!  Uhh...how do I put this?  I'm here to have fun in the sun.  No bad shit."

He then noticed the very dead animal and turned to look at it in a crouch.

"Wow, I have no idea what could've done this.  Any ideas?"

RedOptics

Shoving the stick to stand up-right in the sand, she cautiously made her way to crouch in front of he animal as well, "I found it dead." Was all she said before standing to her full height. She grabbed her spear and marched past the dead corpse, shaking her head as the thought of wasting food was disgusting enough. Keona stopped at a short cliff, turning back to the dark-clothed man but hesitating, "Come."

It was standard custom for strangers to be taken to the villages, and it doesn't matter when or by who since their homes were almost always busy. Leaping down, Keona was careful not to let surrounding poisonous foliage hit her legs or bare chest, or for prickle plants to catch her tough feet. She could lose him now if she wanted in this thick jungle, but her bright piece of clothing and gold/red tattoos would give her away if not immediately.

Stepping lively and hopping from root to root when it came to uneven land, she looked back to repeat herself, "Come." Then continued forward quickly, calculating each move carefully. Keo did her best to push the gory scene she had witnessed aside, but every time it returned she either slipped or pricked herself in places it would be hard to fix.

Wrathwyrm

The girl said she'd found it this way and he believed her.  The creature that did this...was either way more vicious than necessary wen hunting, or actually took pleasure in the kill to the point of pure sadism.  Well, at least tthe girl had calmed down a little.  The young man spared the animal remains one last glance and got up from them.  She was prompting him to follow her...somewhere.  It should be noted at this point that this man, Travis McNaire did not really know much about this island, its customs, or anything like that.  He didn't even know his own customs, truth be told.  But basically...no idea what the tattoos were about, or the regular practices, or much of anything about the people except that they were friendly.  Well, so saying, he decided to see if that was true.

"So, what's your name?  I'm Travis."

Travis had, as well, no knowledge of the local flora or fauna.  And while his pants and shows kept the plants that were poisonous from touching him, he was taking NO care because he had no idea.

RedOptics

She didn't look back at him when he spoke, only continued to navigate her way through the jungle. Eventually, Keona stopped to listen before she finally nodded at him, "Keona." Pressing on through the thick  greenery, she vaulted over a raised root, slowing down to a walk as they had reached a path to brush off dust form her chest and stomach.

"Travis," Keona said, as if practicing, "Travis, Trav-is..." She's never heard the name before, is was strange for it to be rolling off her tongue, "Tr-ah-vis, Tr-oh-vis, Tr-ay-vis... Ira!" She suddenly gasped, leaping with joy as she bounded forward to look up a tree. The woman lowered herself in order to take a leaping start to climb the trunk to its first branch. A Bengal Cat was crouched near the end, feasting on a colourful bird it had caught. Looking back at Keona, it leapt for her and the woman caught it, hugging it closely.

Dropping back down to the jungle floor, she returned to the path and strode down, not really paying much more attention to Travis behind her. The cat in her arms purred, rubbing his head along her chin as she returned with stroking his fur.

Wrathwyrm

So, his guide was surprisingly limber, though she appeared to not be using he wings on her back...  Hang on, why DID Keona have wings on her back?  I mean, he knew why HE had his wings.  He was a demon, but this was different.  What was she?  Were they all like this on this island?  And also - he wondered, idly - how well could she fly?

After simply hopping over the raised root with a wingbeat, himself, they were walking along and Keona was trying out his name.  Did she not speak Common that often?  Common was about the only thing he DID speak, as they didn't exactly teach other languages in the demon underworld.  Likely, he could read demonic runes by instinct, but a formal education?  Forget it.

The name-test was unexpectedly interrupted as she said something and...holy crap, there was a tiger up there!  They had tigers here?  It was not a big tiger, but it put Travis slightly on guard, as he did not want to have to deal with a vicious feline that...was...happy to see Keona?  Okay...wasn't expecting that.  Color the one-eyed fellow surprised.  He didn't think they were tameable.

"Does everybody keep tigers as pets here?  I thought only the rich did that."

RedOptics

She could speak Common, but she wasn't entirely great at it, since she didn't bother, "No." Her exoctic accent was heavy as she hummed while holding the feline close. "Bird is common companion." Companions were normally based on their spirit. In this case, birds indicated a free spirit, while a feline of any kind determines the bravery of the spirit. Keona was brave enough to have earned the trust of this little feline, and she loved him to death.

Soon the sound of life would reach their ears, and Keona seemed to brighten up a little more. The edges of her feathers burned with a flame for a mere moment before dying. The Village was lively as usual, and people bustled about or flew up to tree houses. Keona watched for a moment, before letting her companion down to do whatever he wished. Turning back to face Travis, her expression fell back to her same determined one from before, but this time with an excited glint in her eye. What exactly was she going to do now? Keo grabbed his wrist, pulling him along, "Come." This time she spoke in a much relaxed manner. A stranger without purpose on the land was to be treated as an equal, and since he may know something about her other half, she was eager to ask him a few questions.

Yanking on his arm, she lead him to a tree then let go to climb it, using her wings to help her along. Her home was in the canopy of this particular tree, away from everyone else for good reason. If she were to practice her fire abilities in the range of others, she feared that they would be scared of her thereafter. Isolated, just how she liked it.

Wrathwyrm

Hmmm...  Judging by the tiger's appetite, maybe not everyone has a bird companion...  Then again, if he's that friendly around the people, he probably knows better...somehow.  As the sounds of more people became audible, Travis noticed that Keona's wings were...on fire?!  Okay, he'd seen alot of things in the underworld, but he's not suppose to be seeing that in the living world, right?  Uhh...okay, they put themselves out, apparently.  Maybe they were all magic, or she was part phoenix, or something.  It did surprise him a little, but since there hadn't been any screaming, he had to conclude that it was alright.

The village itself answered some questions, but raised so many others.  These were the people he'd been told lived here, and they were all tattooed and bearing wings.  True, Keona was also tattooed, but she had also looked like she was Serenian and tattooed, you see.  This was different, and this was surreal.  It was the kind of thing he'd hoped to see: Something cool.  It was like everyday people, only they were able to leap and fly around like birds, their houses up in the trees and their business undisurbed by the guy or the girl of light complexion.

Well, at least I won't have trouble getting around, but damn...

He almost didn't see Keona grab for his arm and beckon him onward.  It looked as though she wanted to show him something - as though her pet tiger and her village weren't something - and didn't want to wait.  He was led to a tree, and then invited to climb, as she was.  He began to climb as well, but he would be a bit more reliant on his wings, since she obviously did this every day of her life and he was just generally good at physical feats.  Without knowing his exact destination, he could just fly there, so he simply followed.

"I know you probably don't need one, and I'm alright too, but other people in he world might need what's called a ladder.  Ever heard of it?"

RedOptics

Stopping to look over the edge, she crawled over and entered the cozy area. The jungle wood was dark, and the windows were sheltered by the thick leaves, therefore giving the large room a dim atmosphere. Keona ignored his statement about a ladder, not really knowing what it was in the first place as that word had never been spoken in her life. It was probably called something else in their language, but for now she left it on her to-do list. She stood and walked over to a hanging lantern, using her index finger to light the candle within. There, a much more homey kind of feel flowed through the area as there was some light.

"Home." The woman looked back and gestured to a bunch of pillows where he may sit. Might as well welcome him to the tribe for however long he needs to stay, so why not? She slithered into another room, one without a ceiling, only leaves, and climbed several branches to get to some mangoes and papayas she had stored from the fruit bats. She also draped what looked like a silk robe over her body, feeling the temperature drop drastically. Meanwhile, Ira somehow found his way to the top of the tree and wandered inside, padding cautiously over to Travis who had some how gotten some of Keona's scent on him.

Walking back out with a bowl of fruit, she set it down beside him while taking a mango for her own before sitting on her knees opposite of him, "Where do you come from?" She asked out of the blue, tilting her head as she took a bite out of the yellow fruit.

Wrathwyrm

No response, vis-a-vis the ladder conundrum.  Guessing that meant there was no mention of it ever before.  He'd try 'steps' and 'climbing rope' later.  After all, if these people were open and friendly to guests, then they might need a bit of an aid, right?  I mean, he was agile, so it didn't matter, but you'd get people like...like...  What was that one guy's name that runs a little shop?  Achmed?  Akbah?  Couldn't remember.

Suffice to say, Travis made it into the way-high treehouse, wondering if he should've just flown.  He could've made it, quite easily, in fact.  The main room was already lit by the time he walked in and Travis plunked himself down on the sofa a comfee pillow, as was offered.  Sittting with his legs crossed, he had a look around while Keona did...something.  Dunno.  She'd left the room and, during that time, the little tiger had wandered in, unexpectedly.

"Oh, hi."

Not even hesitating, he gave it a pet on the head, coincidentally using the same hand that Keona had taken hold of before.  See, he'd thought if this younger cat was gonna lash out, that that'd mean its mother wouldn't be far behind, and a tiger can be hell on a good coat.  Plus, they were great-looking beasts, unlike some things in the world and he didn't wanna have to kill one.  At any rate, Keona took a seat beside him with a bowl of fruit and asked him a question.  Well, at least the tale of local curiosity was true, right?  The answer, though, was gonna be a bit complex.

"The thing about that is...I actually forget where I grew up as a boy.  I've been away, so I'm really more of a wanderer than anything else.  But it's okay because I like travel."

He completely missed the fact that she might be offering him some food.

RedOptics

The cat purred softly as the stranger patted his head, before turning away to sit in the pit between Keona's legs. She combed her nails through his gold and black-spotted fur as she watched Travis with the same amber eyes, only this time warmer.

"I see..." She was disappointed, it was clear in her voice that she was. He held no answers that would benefit her, "Why come here? Sun is everywhere." Keona pointed out, remembering what he said on the shore. Putting down the fruit, she didn't bother to tell him to eat, but only nudged the bowl closer to him while pulling the silk further over her arms. There was a small firepit in the middle of the room, and the cold breeze that entered pressed her closer to the warm coals that had once burned earlier. She took in a silent breath, and pushed it out gently, commanding the heat to raise and cause flames to catch onto the burnt bark.

Her gaze once again returned to Travis, this time locked onto his eyes with curiousity and acceptance for a stranger. He was interesting to look at, on the other hand, and he had a strange scent to him. Of course she's seen wacky and bizarre dress from other men and women who arive from the mainlands, but he was different, respectable even, and the musk he carried was nothing she could place from here. She liked it. Maybe that was why she was so intrigued to know more about him? The thoughts continued to run through the woman's eyes before she realized she was staring, and quickly looked around her hut, listening the the village on the ground and to the few treehouses surrounding the area. It was soothing, but the noise would begin to die down as the sun had reached more than three quarters of the sky already.

Wrathwyrm

At her comment, he gave off a mirthful laugh.

"Okay, that's true, but they tell me that beach sun is the best sun.  The weather's nice, it's a pleasant atmosphere, the people are friendly..."

Her gaze into his currently only eye was returned with a smile.  He'd meant that compliment about her, specifically.  Seriously, other people had been alright, but apart from wondering if he was a pirate or something - which was possible - Keona had been the very core of hospitality.  Heck, she'd even provided food, which he just now noticed.  He picked up a papiya and because to eat of that.

It's funny.  Keona was definitely - by her temperment, her tattooing, and her wings - one of the people here, but she was different.  Perhaps she had a foreign parent?  However, there was something else that definitely set her apart from what he'd seen so far: The fire.  It'd happened again, and the room's temperature changed without her doing anything herself.  Well, having made it apparent, there couldn't be any harm in asking, right?

"Do you do magic or something?  I'm pretty sure you can't do what you just did without it."

RedOptics

The fire cracked, makig Ira flick his ears around. Keona turned to Travis then smiled at his compliment. People here were birthed into a society that prized kindness and love over anything else. But many more things had rubbed off on her, more negative than positive. For one, she was way too curious, and two, she was constantly hiding away.

She could feel his gaze on her after she had lit the fire, and that's when her worry kicked in. Would he be afraid? When the question was asked, she simply looked at him with surprise, "I-I..." She stuttered, not really knowing how to react.

"I am Fire Elemental. My father was pyromancer, or so the Shamans said...." Keona trailed off, "I can't ask for myself. He left before I was born." She explained, "The only thing I am good for is Volcano Goddess...." As if sensing her quick change in attitude, Ira stood up and licked her face, making her smile again, "I think everyone is scared of me."

Wrathwyrm

It appeared this was a sensitive topic.  Since he didn't know the state of how magic was treated around here, he couldn't know, though.  To Travis, though, this was completely acceptable.  He saw no harm in magic, in of itself.  In fact, being a demon who wasn't interested in being a demon, this was perfectly fine.  However, it looked like the state of being a fire elemental had given Keona worry.  It didn't seem like people were glaring at her, wary of her.  They just seemed to go about their business.  Maybe he just didn't see it.

"I'm not afraid of you.  Magic isn't a crime, Keona.  They may think so in the country of Connlaoth, but for everyone else, it exists and you can either live with it make rules about its use to live with it.  At the end of the day, it's all about the person using it, and you're not a bad person.  Hell, I can do magic, and I'm alright."

He held out a palm and, before her very eyes, created sling pellet of chilly shadowsteel, the alloy of the underworld.  Generally, his power to produce such things was limited to weapons or tools, but he could fudge it and say this little orb was a projectile.  He didn't want her to think he was being threatening, just demonstrating that he had power, as well.

"I gained my magic after I was taken from home, as I was.  It's not a pleasant story.  Whatever it is you've been through, whatever 'being only good for the volcano goddess' means, I can sympathize.  I've been through some bad times.  I'm still here, though.  I'm okay, or trying to be."

RedOptics

He wasn't afraid? She was never told that she should be afraid, but the tails of fires burning down whole jungles and the stories about how the Volcano Goddess, when upset with a tribe, would set someone or something ablaze. Her eyes clouded over for a moment.

Then he demonstrated a sliver of his power to her. Keona studied the metal sphere for a moment, wanting to touch it, but afraid she may melt it on accident. There was no way it could melt at her highest tempterature, so instead she tapped it. The spot was warm from her touch, but soon faded back into the cold material. Looking up at his one eye, there was a form of pity that shocked through hers, as if she could see his pain for the moment.

"Please, what happened?" Her voice was low and coo-like, as if she attempted to hypnotize him with her own charm. The outside only grew darker every minute, leaving only e flickering light of the candles around the area and the dying fire before them. She was warm, both physcially and mentally, knowing that she wasn't alone right now, kniwing that she was with someone else who had a sad past.

Wrathwyrm

He tried not to focus on the past, and instead focused on the past lived in the now, in the life he could have now.  It was not a subject of terrible pain now that he had overcome it, that he was effectively free, but he also didn't want to throw his baggage onto somebody else's back.  It's just...  He looked into those amber orbs and he saw a yearning to know, to understand his situation.  Perhaps it was because he sympathized, while others may not have.  He didn't know her life, and she didn't know his.  Honestly, he thought he was going to frighten people with his own tale, but...maybe not.  Who knows?  Give it a try.

"Alright, why not?"

He did a bit of a stretch of the arms and got down to it.

"The first thing you have to understand is that some people DO have terrible ideas about magic and how it should be used.  Some things require sacrifice, and sometimes what those who have it do...is sacrifice people.  That's pretty much my earliest clear memory.  I was sacrificed to perform some ancient rite that I didn't understand."

So, Chapter One: Travis was killed when he was just a boy.

"I don't know what's suppose to happen when people die, but I went somewhere where there was nothing but pain and suffering, and for years...that's where I stayed.  I don't even know how long.  I...think I'm over twenty now, maybe twenty-five?  Because of those men, whoever they were, that was where I was stuck.  I don't even remember it all because I was trying to blot it all out.  People can only take so much."

Chapter Two: Travis suffered horribly until somewhere close to his adult life.

"Somewhere along the way, one of the demons there - a powerful one - decided to mold me into his servant, a warrior, a vanguard - whatever you want to call it.  And from that time on, I was a demon, not even aware of what I was doing to people until I sort of woke up.  I don't know exactly how it works, but the real me - the me that couldn't stand the pain and suffering - basically went to sleep until it stopped hurting enough.  I decided to rebel against my master, the demon that changed me, and basically went 'no mercy' on him, because nothing less could ever beat him, trust me."

Chapter Three: Travis became a demon, but he also regained himself and turned on his 'creator'.  At this point, he smirked.

"The story obviously has a happy ending.  I'm here, I'm living my life, and I'm doing whatever pleases me.  It wasn't easy getting here, but I managed it in the end."

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