One Lost Identity [Open]

[Shay Valkyrie]

Mala-Vaye span slowly, gazing up at the tall trees that loomed above her and shaded her from the high morning sun. Her sharp toothed grin spread over her lips as she snapped her head down and burst into a sprint, the cool wind clawing at her long hair and the breeze whistling in her eyes. She let out a loud laugh. This was the life! Solitary; no other people around to glare at you and said you caused trouble. You could cause as much trouble as you want here in the woods and no one would say a word. All the natural sounds that enveloped you, all the small creatures in probably their thousands surrounding you silently. Mala-Vaye loved these woods, they were perfect for her. Being secluded in such beautiful surroundings was just right for her, she could feel it!

Today could be counted as the first day that she had cared enough to start taking her thoughts and ideas about her origins and put them into action. She had thought about the woods and how much she loved going there to spend her lazy days. Then she also remembered about the temple that was located deep within the vibrant wild. Years ago, she had come across it while simply exploring the woods and since she was hardly a religious person, she thought nothing of it and moved it on. Now she couldn't get the damn place off her mind! What if that's where she came from? What if she was the daughter of a power priestess? Oh! What if she was that powerful priestess? What if their was some religion that not even the monks and priests throughout the land hadn't ever of heard of and she was the only one who knew about it! ... Well, before she forgot about it obviously. Maybe going inside would unlock all her memories! What if they had been sealed away by a rival religious leader? Mala-Vaye gritted her teeth, "Never trust those religious nuts, that's what I've always said!"

After a few more minutes of running, which were accompanied with thoughts about how she could convert all of Zantaric and become practically royality to them all, she stopped when she finally had the ancient temple in her sights. Her grin grew wider and her topaz eyes gleamed brightly. This was it! Walking towards it, she gazed up at it as it started to loom over her like the trees the closer she got. She put her hands on her hips and examined the building. Her temple sure wasn't in great shape.. Straining her ears, she couldn't hear anyone inside.. But she couldn't be sure unless she checked. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself and calm herself down, Mala-Vaye headed for the entrance.

[Anadwen]

"And don't return!" the innkeeper shouted as he banged the door behind him. Athran groaned and turned around the dirt and mud, blinking in the morning sun. He just got thrown out of an inn for losing his money bag and drinking three goblets of wine for nothing, his head hurt and he felt like throwing up.

He slowly stood up, holding his head in his hands. It felt like it's going to explode, and he was only stumbling through the town towards the woods. The sun appeared too bright for his eyes that couldn't get used to the change from the dark, dusky inn, and too warm for his thick clothes. He didn't even realize how, but after a while of treading through the streets, he found himself on the edge of the forest.

At least no one can arrest me for anything in here, he thought. Nobody cared how much wine he's drunk, how much blood was on his weapons, nobody even noticed him at all. Nobody cared about anybody. Athran loved the business in Zantaric - an assassin was paid well, and there were no guards to even try and jail him. The wine was as good as anywhere else, the inns just as terrible, and people were mean, but nobody gave him a single glance, no matter what he was doing. No one would raise a brow even if one ran naked through the streets - not that he'd do, or even wish to do that.

Right now, however, he just wanted to get lost from all the sounds of the streets and sleep off the hangover.

It took him a rather long while, walking between the trees, until he came upon a small building of stone. The old temple. On other days, he wouldn't even look at it, as he hardly ever believed in any god, but now, he just walked in through the door and laid down in the closest shadowy corner.

"Good gods help me... And let me sleep." he sighed to himself.

[Shay Valkyrie]

Mala-Vaye squinted her eyes, standing at the entrance to the temple as she peered in. Rays of sunlight sifted through the obstacle that was her body and dust danced along the beams. She waved her hand and squirmed, holding in a cough. She couldn't make out a lot of things. Her eyes weren't that good. All she could tell was that it seemed to go a little deeper. Patting her breeches right pocket, she gave a smile at feeling of the tinderbox against her hand. There would have to be some place to light a fire in here. But for now, she'd just have to be careful on her feet. Something she had always been a natural at.

Softer than a cat on its paws, Mala-Vaye crept into the temple, her eyes never stopping in just one position. They darted around, looking for something she could light and also, keeping watch for some kind of distraction. The worst form they could come in were people.. As she got in further and the rectangle of light from the door started to become smaller and smaller, Mala-Vaye couldn't help but feel her excitement bubble. She could definitely feel the comfort. She was meant to be here! She could feel it!

Mala-Vaye then grinned, clenching her fist in triumph. Lanterns! Four in a row, to the left and right. Just as she was about to reach for the tinder box and get a better look at her temple, she blinked and turned around swiftly on her heels. She could make out an outline in the darkness of a corner, one which was moving slightly. Breathing. Mala-Vaye threw her eyes upwards along with her hands, letting them drop aimlessly and biting down on her tongue so that she would not  give an exasperated sigh. Then her hand moved up slightly to her hip and her fingers curled around one of the many daggers that adorned her belt. In Zantaric, you saved questions for later..

The dagger was hurled at the figure at great speed. It wouldn't have hit it though. It would just hit the wall, near enough between their visage and their chest in order to startle them up. Mala-Vaye never hurt anyone, especially someone she didn't even know! That was what the rest of Zantaric would do. She, on the other hand, was slightly different.. Slightly being the key part of the phrase. As if nothing had happened, Mala-Vaye started to hum a cheerful tune and she made no effort to cover the sounds her heeled boots made on the stone floor. She pulled out her tinderbox and headed for the first lantern. She called over her shoulder as she fiddled with it, "You reek of terrible wine and no where in Zantaric does wine that bad other than that inn."

Her hands were fast, juggling the tinder from the box and fiddling with the lantern swiftly. Before even a minute had passed, a fire had been lite. She swiveled round and walked to the lantern opposite and repeated the quick process as she poke to the figure once more, "No one knows the name of that inn, ya know. We just call it That Inn or, The Inn With the Cursed Sign." Now there was enough light to illuminate most of the top of the room as well as Mala-Vaye's features. Her midnight blue hair always shimmered like water, even in candle light, and her yellow eyes would be glistening in amusement. She continued the tale as she lite the second pair of lanterns.

"Every time they put a new sign up, see, something always 'appens to it. Gets smashed, gets stolen. Anything can 'appen to it in a place like this. I came close to seeing what it was supposed to be called once, when I first came here. But, minute I set ma eyes on it, it got busted see. Fell right off it's bearings before it was secure. That's one of the funny thing about Zantaric. A lot of things be fallin' off their bearings before their secure, if you know what I mean."

Shaking the tinder and then snapping her fingers so that it would fall to the ground, Mala-Vaye put the tinderbox back into her pocket and then slipped a dagger from her pocket. This would be enough light for now. She twirled the dagger in her hands playfully, a grin coming over her lips.

"Things aren't secure in Zantaric. Things 'ang around and try and get comfy, but unless they've got the right 'ead, they all lose their bearin's sooner or later... But a temple sure is a strange place to fall."

[Anadwen]

Athran only stared at the stranger, blinking, hardly able to move. She lit a fire... And talked. She said something about the inn he left just a while ago, but he didn't really pay attention. After a while, he simply collapsed onto his knees, holding his head in his hands.

"Damn the gods... Why did I even drink it when I can't fall asleep even in a temple..." he groaned. The light was annoying, too bright for his eyes, which felt like burning even in dim light of lanterns. "I don't even know how I got here. Darn, I hardly remember what happened tonight... What time of day is it?"

He pressed his hand on his mouth to surpass the urge to throw up everything he's eaten since yesterday, and pulled his knees closer to his chest. Everything was spinning around, and he found it easier to close his eyes and remain coiled up in the corner.

"Who are you, even? What are you doing here?" He had a ton of other questions, mostly regarding himself, which she, however, couldn't answer, and so he kept those to himself and asked her the two simplest things that came to his mind. Although it was almost pointless to ask something like that in Zantaric, since everybody lied and one never knew if he's not being fooled, he tried his luck every time. In the end, he was old enough to distinguish most lies, although he doubted that his brain would be capable to do it now.

He opened his eyes to a tight gap, but his vision was too distorted and fuzzy to recognize anything from the inside of the temple, what seemed to be wildly turning around his head, and he rather closed them again. It was bad enough even without trying to stare at the stranger.

Oh dear. I haven't had this kind of hangover and been so broke at once in years...