Thursday, January 20, 2005
Rune Aeterna 5
Rune Aeterna (http://www.asheri.com/forums/index.php)
- (http://www.asheri.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=13)
-- (http://www.asheri.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=126)
Posted by Keiru Emerald on 11-11-2001 10:17 PM
Started 11/11/01
Kudos people, keep up the good work, everyone. I've enjoyed reading all of the stories..
__________________
-You say you want a revolution, Well you know, We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution, Well you know, We all want to change the world
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-11-2001 10:27 PM
The Journey
After riding the pony and getting jostled constantly on the bumpy road, Mavi's butt became sore and raw and saddle sores formed uncomfortably on her knees. She and the 5 other men had stopped to camp beside the road near Daggerwood, south of Pontifar. The horses and pack mules were tied securely to a large fir tree and the men started a fire surrounded by a couple large rocks and some stumps. She takes a seat on the stump farthest from the other men and nearest the forest because they make her unconfortable, and one of the men, named Gilek notices her fear of them and calls her into the circle. she hugs herself from the cold, being so far away from the fire and shakes her head swifly. Gilek just shrugs and continues to listen to another man telling a comic horror story. With every laugh she shudders and begins to think of her lost family.
While she thinks of her family, the merry atmosphere is split with the yells of a small band of robbers that run from the forest to Mavi's left. Her instincts take over and she springs from her stump before anybody missed her. she flew around the tree she was leaning against and shinies up the trunk and hides in the branches and watches the action below. The men scramble for their weapons but they were caught off guard and the robbers easily overtake them, stealing the horses and the pack mules. Surprisingly, They do not take her pony, most likely because it is so small and insignificant. She lets out a sigh of relief which is short lived. A few of the robbers stay behind to search for anything else worth while. One of them studied the scraggly pony and grunts. He lets out a chuckle and cuts the rope and hits the pony's rump. The pony, however, had a different idea. The pony was old and stubborn like a donkey and would not move. He shrugged and went to his friend, who was still searching for anything of value.
"Wait...Junnas...wasn't there a kid here? I saw her when we were stalking...she just...disappeared!"
She took in her breath and could feel her heart pumping when she realized they were talking about her. She froze in her position and let them talk amongst themselves and search the general vicinity. Junnas came around her tree and looked up. Fortunatly, her dark clothing blended with the darkness around her and he missed her. After what seemed like an eternity, they gave up and ran after the rest of their party. She let her breath go and examined the destruction below. Her party were laying on the ground, dead. The fire was still burning and her pony was still standing there, defiantly munching on some grass.
Before she could stop herself, she put her head in her hands and her body shook with sobs. She cried for a while then got a grip of herself. She knew she wasn't far from Pontifar, so she decided to go back. She crawled down from the tree and landed softly on the mossy ground below. She walked back into the camp and looked up at the starry, black night with the almost-full moon shining above her. She struggled to keep the sobs from ripping from her throat and took a deep breath before mounting the pony who whinnied in a complaint. She took out a broken arrow and poked the pony. Finally, after almost stabbing the pony, it moved. She directed the stubborn animal back up the road.
She sighed as she disappeared from the view of a watchful eye...
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-11-2001 10:55 PM
Being watched...
As she made her way up the road back toward Pontifar, riding the painfully slow pony, she doesn't realize that she is being watched. She groans as her sore butt and the saddle sores make their presences known. Her face hot with tears, she doesn't feel the cold wrapping around her small body.
Behind her, stalking her, hiding within the darkness of the trees, was a solitary dark figure moving from one shadow to the next. One could tell that this figure was a skilled stalker, and excelent at shadow-hopping. He followed the child with an evil, twisted and scarred smile. He had his hand on the hilt of his mightly sword, Iggileck. He was always annoyed when people called his sword Iggy...and those who did felt the wrath of its sharp blade. In undoubted swiftness and silence, he suddenly appeared next to the child and the old pony.
She screamed. Oh gosh how he hated it when little children screamed in their highpitched squeal. He slapped his gloved hand on her mouth and pulled her off the pony, who just stood there, its eyes half closed. The figured dragged her into the dark forest and he shoved her roughly against a large tree. Keeping his hand over her mouth, he gripped her wrists and looked at her with his hidden, deep set eyes that suddelnly glinted in the moonlight. Mavi took in a breath and kicked him right where it hurt. The man closed his eyes for a moment then opened them and they glowed a yellow. Frozen by fear, Mavi stopped struggling against him. She tried to take her eyes off his and succeeded. He let out an angered growl.
"Alright little girl. Tell me what you know."
He took his large hand off her mouth and held her wrists with both hands.
She looked at him as if he went insane.
"Huh? tell you WHAT?" she spat on his face and he moved one of his hands to his face. She used her free hand to hold onto his arm and she clamped down on his forearm with her teeth, embedding them into the fabric of his black shirt. The man released her wrist and she kneed him in the gut and kicked him in the groin again. Then she took the heel of her palm down hard onto his nose and the man doubled over. She took off in a run just as he took out Iggileck grabbed her arm with the speed of a tiger. He pointed the tip of the sword at her chest and she conceded.
"Now don't try anything kid."
"What do you want to know? My parents died...i got shipwrecked...i arrived on the beach of Pontifar. What ELSE do you want to know?!"
The man curled his lips into a sneer and he hit her face with the back of his hand and she let out a small whimper.
"Shut up kid. You know what i'm talking about; the stone! Give me the stone!"
She gave him a look of curiosity and she raised an eyebrow.
"What are you talking about mister? Do you LIKE attacking little kids on the road?"
"you act a lot tougher than a 7 year old."
"Ya, maybe its 'cause i'm 8!"
"8, whatever kid. Now tell me where the STONE is!"
She sighed and told the moron that she hid it in the saddle bag of the pony. He released her arm, which was a mistake. He was quick, but not bright she thought as she bolted to her right into the forest. She judged that if she continued like this, she'd come out of the forest and come out near Pontifar. She had been facing the road so it was logical.
The man didn't even expect that and he was just too slow to catch her in time. He sighed and went to the pony, asleep in the middle of the road. He took one looke at the pony and concluded that it didn't even have a saddle, just a thick, quilted blanket tied down. He let out a yell that echoed in the emptiness. The sound he made made a flock of birds escape from the forest.
She ran until she could run no more and collapsed in the mossy earth and looked back, seeing no one. After resting a while, she stood up and walked on. Eventually, she saw the road and walked to it. She made her way toward it. She walked on the road until she saw Pontifar in the distance. By then the sun was come up in the horizon. She sighed in relief and smiled a bit and walked into the safety of Pontifar...or so she thought.
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Orocia Agua on 11-12-2001 03:37 AM
Orocia stared at the necklace. Her arm was stretched out, her hand hovering over it, waiting to pick it up, but... She felt nothing. She thought nothing. She wasn't there. Her eyes were staring at the ashes.. But none of the experiences her body sensed were registering, like feeling stuck in a bizarre dream, half wondering if it's real, if it's really happening and half wondering how to prove it's real, if you can really wake up or if your thoughts are just the beginning of madness. Emptiness seeped throughout her body, and only from far away could she hear her own thoughts, What just happened?
Her hand almost touched the pendant... It was the fear that, if she touched it, the dream would become all too real...
“OROCIAAAAA!!!!!!!!”
She woke up. Her eyes truly opened. It was like her eyes were closed even though they were seeing what she finally saw now. Her senses began to register, she felt in sync with her own body again. She looked up, and towards where she heard Scarlet scream her name.
Alexandros walked past her, presumably going back to wherever he came, now that his job was done. She looked at him now, making herself realize he was real.
"Wait! Please!"
He looked back over his shoulder to her. She wiped the tears off her face with her glove in one rough swipe, and sniffed back any that challenged to come. "Just wait, ...please. I have to go, but I'll be back!"
She nearly hesitated to pick up the necklace again, but forced herself to grab it from his ashes as she got up in a rush, not knowing where Scarlet's voice called from, just wanting to run outside, really just wanting to get away from it all. Hopefully Scarlet wouldn't be taken from her as well, be it from lost memories or someone else. The last thing Orocia needed was to be alone.
Orocia saw a flash of light, like lightning. "Scarlet?..." She hurried to get towards the entrance and hopefully catch the coach. As she ran into the hallway, an arm from out of the shadows stopped her and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back.
"Miss Agua, what a surprise it was to see you at this party!"
Orocia screamed but was stifled with his hand over her mouth. In one swift move, Xarou pinned her up against the wall, her feet dangling helplessly above the floor, needing only one hand to hold her by both of her slim wrists above her head. She struggled against him but found herself caught in his icy stare.
She shut her eyes tight to free herself from his lock and opened them to stare back at him in defiance,"Where's Scarlet?!"
"She's in the coach ready to leave. She's had an exhausting night, and we both would like to get back to my mansion for some rest. I hope you weren't planning to speak with her just now?"
Orocia struggled again but Xarou pushed himself on her so that she was trapped between the wall and his body. Distantly he anticipated a similar action between him and Scarlet.
She looked down at him in frustration and rage,"What did you do to her?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!?!"
Xarou calmy put a finger to Orocia's lips,"Shhh. I wooed her, that is all, and she fell for me. Nothing more." Xarou now held Orocia's face firmly by the chin, causing her to look directly into his eyes. His face was just a breath away.
"So tell me, Miss Agua, how does the infamous Tiger Lily get respect from men when her body is the kind a man would use like a worthless sex doll one lonely night and throw away?"
Orocia felt her breath get stuck in her throat and found herself almost suffocating from the blow of the insult, her eyes captive in Xarou's. The insult stabbed her in the heart much like she had stabbed so many men. Xarou held her chin so firmly she wasn't able to speak, anyways. "But I prefer women who don't fight back," he cooed softly, brushing his fingertips over the swell of her breasts. Her body tensed tightly in rage. He smiled sinisterly as he spoke, grasping her chin again,"I know you'd like to see Scarlet, but please understand that we've just begun to get to really know each other. I'd hate for you to ruin it all. I know she's your friend, and believe me when I say she couldn't be in better hands..." A sly grin spread across his face implying the true meaning of that choice of words. "If you want friends, I could always send some charming bounty hunters your way. How about that, hmm? Wouldn't that make you happy? I'm sure you'd all have fun playing cat and mouse!!!" Xarou let the threat sink in and watched Orocia's eyes widen in horror at his knowing of her little secret, smiling at her still. He loosened his grip on her chin, wondering what she could possibly say now.
"How...?" she could barely whisper.
Quickly he backed away and pushed her down while he released her, leaving her to fall to her knees below him. "I have my sources. I hope you think twice about following me, Miss Agua." He left her there as he went back to the coach.
She sat there, staring at nothing in disbelief at all that had happened tonight. At all that had happened since just a few nights ago. But she left her thoughts as she made herself get up and run out, just to see the coach already on its way. Anger replaced her disbelief as her hands balled into trembling fists. She saw Alex appear in the corner of her eye.
"So... I'm waiting."
CUE: Alexandros,Scarlet
Posted by Nelcar on 11-12-2001 05:15 PM
A Shadow and a Shine:
Nelcar stood, his legs feeling unusually tired and roadweary. The stiff knee boots were unforgiving, and he could no longer bear to kneel upon the mat, although it was, undoubtedly, soft and well knitted. He made his way through the great hall toward the massive hearth. The stones beneath his feet were warm, and, as he neared the healthy fire, he could feel the heat upon his face. High above, beyond the rafters, he could hear the rain falling. For a moment, he looked up, attempting to pick out the sound of each and every raindrop as it landed upon the rooftop. The rafters were ancient and beautiful, carved long ago, before the great hall was erected. Indeed, each rafter was but part of a tall pillar that, at its top, plumed outward in all directions. There, upon each plume, was suspended a dark, copper candelabra. Within each copper arm burned a long white candle, illuminating the heights of the hall with a faint flicker. The wax dripped, ever so softly, into a basin suspended decoratively beneath each arm.
Nelcar again turned his attention to the fire that burned brightly within the hearth. Stepping to the right, he stooped and lifted a large log from a stacked pile and placed it gently upon the mound of glowing embers. The flames seemed to jump as if they were eager to be fed. Truly, the hearth was a grand fireplace. The stones were massive and dark, and deposited soot made them even darker, almost black. Along the sides of the mantle, great, woven quilts of many colors were hung, resting upon the stoney walls. Later that evening, his mother Alare would gather them and place them upon the beds within the house. He would sleep warmly tonight if he decided to stay. Long he stared into the burning hearth, watching each flame dance and die, dance and die...
...
Minando cried in pain. The sword had pierced him, through and through, and he knew that he would soon fade. Blood trickled like a stream, flowing between the valleys of the plated mail. It pooled before his feet, and he dropped to his knees. Then his head touched the ground, and Minando laid there like a miserable creature. As he prepared to be enveloped by the darkness that would soon consume him, he opened his eyes to look upon the world a final time. Before him stood a figure, shiningly brightly in white light, holding the darkness at bay. He wavered and reached for the light, but the figure turned and departed.
...
Nelcar found himself grasping the sword at his side. His hand was clenched, but, like the memories of his brother, he let go. The sword swayed for a moment and was still.
Turning again to Saeth, at lengh he spoke, "This has naught to do with honor. Soon, I shall take from Hethilin the Cenacaiison, and I shall not be waylaid. I go now to live in a living world. The Great Forest may thrive forevermore, but it does not grow, nor has it grown for many an age. And so, I will take with me what little life it may have left, and perhaps, with fair fortune, it may someday live again."
"And you have come here to tell your father the same? Do you suppose he will permit you to leave? Indeed, do you even suppose that he will understand?" replied Saeth as he stood.
"Alas, I do not care!" Nelcar shouted. "I have decided, and now, with my blood, shall my promise depart. If you have a mind to appreciate wisdom, then listen now. Under the Eaves of Hethilin, your peoples, for I shall not claim them as my own, have thrived, but you, like the Great Forest, have become as stone is to time, unchanging and solid. Although you may be strong and powerful, you have become unliving substance. I, however, have not yet turned to stone, and so, I shall continue to live, for, beyond your world, there is another, and there I shall wander, apart from your world that now diminishes, day by day. And, whilst I wander, I shall sing of what I have seen, and perhaps, someday, I may return and give back to this forest what I will now take with me."
Cue: Saeth.
__________________
Tend to the litany,
and bare it with your wisdom.
Then, with wisdom more, bear it,
and litigate that which has now become your Law.
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-12-2001 05:23 PM
Pontifar
She walked into the town and made her way to the market. Something was wrong. Why wasn't anybody in the market? She walked down the lane and noticed that all the carts and vendor's tables were still there, their goods still placed out neatly as if the vendors and everybody else just...disappeared. She walked down the lane toward the Widow's house then broke into a run. When she reached it, she saw that the door was open. She rand toward it and walked in. The house was still in place but Mandiva was gone...nobody was there!
She ran out and went from door-to-door looking for life. She went to the stables and saw that the horses were still there, some were out of their stables gorging themselves on wheat, barley and oats as well as hay.
She walked slowly to the Mayor's mansion and walked right in. She yelled for someone to answer but there was no one there.
Her heart pumping, she walked to the town square and began to cry bitterly.
"WHERE IS EVERYONE!?" she cried
she looked around as a breeze swept through the abandoned town.
She woke up sweating in the moss of the forest. She darted her head around madly and breathed heavily, leaning against the nearest tree. She got a hold of herself but the reality of her situation hit her like she had been slapped. She was alone, somewhere in the forest not knowing where the road was. She stood up and looked around. It was evening and she was where she had landed in weariness after she had that ordeal with the stranger. She wiped the tears from her cheek and just walked in the direction she was facing. She looked up through a crack in the canopy of the forest and saw the first stars comming out. She must have not been sleeping long, for when she had met the man it was dusk. She wandered the forest until it was black as tar and she could not see where she was going. She barely saw a large tree in the distance and walked to it. She looked up in the branches and shinnied up into the enviting wide crotch of the tree. She curled up and slept in the tree.
By the time she woke up, the sun was in the middle of the sky and shining bright. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. She took stock of her surroundings and sighed. She listened for anything suspicious before she came out of the safety of the tree. She looked around and grinned when she saw the road in the distance.
When she reached the road she hoped that this was not a dream. She poked herself with the broken arrow and smiled.
She reached Pontifar within a hour. She sighed relief when she saw the bustle of people.
She ran to the Widow's house and burst in the door to a surprised Mandiva.
"Mavi!! why are you here? you were going home...where is your party?"
Mavi frowned and told her what happend and Mandiva looked like she was going to faint. Instead, she held Mavi tightly in her arms and Mavi cried which made Mandiva sniff a few times although she did not admit she was crying.
"Alright, i'll send you with the party leaving for Balanum. This one has a boy about your age...i think he's 9."
Mavi smiled. She was happy that her dream did not become reality...it was terrifying.
Mandiva gave her some new clothes and gave her some food to eat. She ate the pleasant food and told Mandiva the odd dream. Mandiva frowned and looked up into space thinking but shrugged.
The next day, she was to report with the party heading for Balanum. She joined it with her new pack with her. Mandiva hugged Mavi and waved as she was lifted onto the back of a small horse. The horse next to her was the boy. They became immediate friends and talked often.
Come evening, they camped at the place Mavi had camped the night before. Some of the party went to the site and buried the bodies and payed their respects. The pony was still there in the road, this time it had died of something. The pony was just a pony so they put it in the ditch and covered it with loose dirt with leaves and branches. They started a fire in the same pit and kept sentries posted around the camp.
This time, Mavi was near the fire but closest to the trees. The boy, who was named Kansivan, but she and the rest of the party of 8 called him Kans, was sitting next to her and they talked to each other while the other men talked amongst themselves. Most of the other men were merchants and traders but they hired 3 soldiers who were no longer with the Pontifar army.
That night, under the starry sky Mavi could not sleep. Again, she dreamt that the town of Pontifar was abandoned, this time the People were dead instead of gone. The bodies littered the ground and the horses, cattle, sheep and other animals were either slaughtered or stolen.
She sat up quickly, sweat making her clothing stick to her body. The sentry still awake took a glance at her but just turned back to watching out for robbers.
When she fell back to sleep, she dreamt of nothing.
The next morning they packed up and continued toward Balanum. The followed the road until they came upon the town of Filiam. They restocked their provisions and Mavi and Kans wandered the streets while the other members of their party bartered and fought for good deals.
While they were looking at the trinkets she told Kans both of her dreams. Kans shrugged and couldn't figure out the meaning. From that they wandered a few moments more and went back to their small caravan. She noticed a few more strangers had joined the trip and their population increased by about five people, one was a young woman.
That night, they camped in the region of Nyliam along the side of the road. When Mavi finally slept, the dream was the same, but this time it had changed again. She dreamt that She, Kans and the rest of her party were attacked also right where they were: along the road to Militus then to Balanum. She saw the shadow man once again, holding the sword Iggileck to her neck.
She woke up screaming. Robbers surrounded them.
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Aramus VanVehementi on 11-12-2001 05:28 PM
OOC: Yeah, posting... what's that??? OK, basically, I've been absent again, and for that I appologize. I will have Keiru Emerald administer a prompt beating to my skull (skuh) and I will get back in the writing saddle. As for Dargent, we'll just say that it has remained in a Militia state, and for further motivation, we will note that the Nylinus Council in Fayre has grown weary as to the sudden drop off of communications. Post to follow after dinner-
__________________
"Unlike my fool of a father, I don't just talk of ambition... I realize it!"
Posted by Volsung on 11-12-2001 05:58 PM
There was a circle of fire all around Volsung and closing in fast. Then Volsung had a Idea witch he quickly put into affect first he put energy into his ora below his body and then he used the heat from the closing fire lift himself up and over it…
*******(Volsung Waking up)***************************
“What a dream,” Said Volsung to himself. “That’s was one of my training sessions with Met, and I flew. I flew, Ollis was right people dedicated in fire can fly.” Then Volsung stopped and looked around. “You know what its before sunrise, I have time to try this flying thing before Ollis get up.” So, Volsung got out of this bed and walked a few hundred yards from there camp. Then Volsung started concentrating on controlling his ora. First, he simply put all of he ora below his feet, after he felt like he had complete control of that he worked heating the ground. The air around him started heating up and Volsung started ascending into upward. First only inches, then one foot, two feet and so on until he was about ten feet in the air. “I’m doing it, now all I have do is to master the horizontal.” Volsung thought to himself, but it was not meant to be. Because just before Volsung was about ready to try moving right and left, Ollis called Out.
“What is the hell are you doing?” As soon as Volsung heard Ollis voice he lost his concentration and fell strait to the ground and landed on his face, making a grand cloud of dust. “Well it looks like your learning how to fly but you really need to work on your landings.”
“Well I won’t have fallen if you hadn’t distasted me. Now I couldn’t use A little help here because I think I broke a few ribs when I landed.”
“Fine, but only because your going to pay me extra for this.” Ollis moved quickly to aid Volsung. When he got there Volsung didn’t look very happy, but Ollis had big smile on his face. “Its not like you just have the ability to fly it take time and practice. Lets eat Breakfast and see if you feel any better I mean most normal people have to fall a lot farter down then ten feet to break some ribs.” Volsung still wasn’t smiling, but he did feel a little better. Then Ollis gabbed him and helped him back to camp. As they walked Volsung and Ollis didn’t talk but when they got to camp, there was a hung stack of pancakes stinting where Volsung had been sleeping.
“That looks like great the breakfast.”
“It’s was, those are the burnt ones, so I gave them to you, I already ate mine.”
“You know there are people who are to honest.”
“Ready I just telling it like it is. If I wouldn’t have told you about the burnt pancakes you may have thought that I was a bad chef.”
“I guess that sounds fair.” With that Volsung started eating, and even though the pancakes were burnt they were still better than most. After Breakfast, two set on foot around the wilderness to Ciwa.
__________________
"Listen! I've traveled every road in this here land!"
Posted by Keiru Silver on 11-12-2001 07:31 PM
Caliph and Indigo rode for the next two days. They knew that the dinner was long past, but the disguises and invitation may yet be of use, so they held onto them. They stopped at a tavern in Fayre to seek info from the locals and sleep from the inn.
Both of them hunkered over their drinks at the bar and watched keenly as a mysterious figure entered the bar. He had short ashen hair, and grey eyes. He sat at the bar next to Caliph and ordered a drink.
"Easy to find solace in the drink, isn't it? Especially after a tough job..." he muttered absently to Caliph.
"What's your business, stranger?"
"You aren't from these parts, either. It's obvious from your clothing and slight accent. ...I'm a hunter."
"Don't hunters usually wear skins?"
"My prey's skins usually don't last beyond the hunt..."
By now he had both Indigo and Caliph's attention.
Cue: Alexandros. Have any information on a girl that was at the party? Goes by the name Scarlet?
__________________
Welcome to my world...
Posted by Scarlet Rosenblade on 11-12-2001 08:39 PM
Beyond the point of no return....
Scarlet came out of her faint just as the coach pulled into the darkened courtyard. She moaned softly and held her head in her hands.
“X-Xarou..?” He helped her out of the carriage and steadied her as she swayed on her feet.
“Yes?”
“What happened..? I-I remember being in the hallway and then…” She groaned in pain. Her entire body felt like it had been ripped apart then carelessly put back together again. Xarou led her into the parlor before answering. He wrapped his arms low around her waist, pressing her to him.
“It must have been the shock of seeing what happened.” He murmured softly. “I’m sorry that you couldn’t say goodbye to your friend. But if she was in company with that monster, then she could have been a monster too. I didn’t want to see you hurt….I-I wanted to protect you. I’m sorry…” He ended in a choked whisper. Scarlet brushed the hair away from his face and kissed him softly, feeling guilt for doubting him.
“I understand. I’m sorry too.” Her knees gave way beneath her causing her to lean into Xarou. She felt him shiver and press his palms into the small of her back. Maybe it was the way he held her, or the way he breathed then, but she was becoming aware of something unspoken transgressing between them. Her throat became dry, making a barely audible clicking sound whenever she swallowed. Something was happening……. It frightened her.
“I’m going to bathe before I go to bed.” She said in a steady voice, completely opposite of how she felt. Xarou reluctantly released her and only watched as she exited the room to prepare herself for the bath. The faintest trace of a smile crossed his lips. He could tell she was nervous. That only added to his excitement.
********************
Scarlet submerged herself in the hot spring water, letting it envelop her like the arms of a lover-
(his arms)
She shook her head. There was that little voice again. It was the one that always popped up whenever she felt close to remembering something. For some reason she found she trusted that voice and tried to listen whenever it spoke.
But for now, all it offered was silence, so she decided to let it go. She sighed heavily and moved toward the small waterfall.
When she finished, she squeezed the excess water from her hair and flipped it over her shoulder. Water continued to drip onto her back as gravity pulled it to the ends of her hair. Steam rose from her body as she stepped out into the chilly night air, making her break out in goosebumps. She walked toward where she had laid out her nightgown and robes and was surprised to see a note lying on top of them.
Scarlet,
I wish to see you later. Please come to my chambers when you are ready.
Xarou
Scarlet read it, confused. What could possibly be so important that he had to see her now instead of tomorrow? She dressed quickly, not allowing her mind to dredge up any answers and walked out of the bathing area. As she progressed through the labyrinth of hallways she began to have an eerie sensation of being pulled by a magnet rather than walking of her own free will. What did he want? She reached the doors that led into his room and raised her hand to knock. ……… It hung suspended in midair. In her heart of hearts, she knew once she was inside there would be no going back. She stood in that position for several minutes, feeling her heart race in her chest, sending the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She lowered her hand….
…..striking the oak doors as she did so. Xarou’s voice echoed from within.
“Come in, Scarlet.”
Hesitantly, she pulled on one of the handles opening the door about an inch. Another tug allowed her enough room to slip inside.
Candlelight washed over her. Xarou sat casually on the edge of a bed so large in size it made Scarlet’s seem fit for a dwarf. He wore only the black leather breeches he had donned for the party and a small, controlled smile. He rose and crossed to where she stood looking absolutely dumbfounded.
“What did you-“ His mouth closed over hers, cutting off her question. Her heart leapt into her throat. She felt his hands roaming all over her body, caressing her gently. Her robe slithered to the floor, leaving her in only the thin gown. She began to tremble, but not in anger, surprise or cold. He broke the embrace to whisper in her ear.
“I want you Scarlet…..” His lips migrated down her neck, leaving a trail of kisses that stopped at her shoulders. He felt her hands running through his hair.
“Xarou…..”
He brought his mouth back to the nape of her neck where he bit gently. A gasp escaped from Scarlet.
“Do you want me too..?” he cooed softly. She pressed against him. He took it as a yes. Scooping her into his arms, he laid her down onto the bed and continued to kiss her.
Scarlet was overwhelmed. It seemed that his mouth and hands were everywhere making her lose control of her senses. Once or twice she thought she heard that little voice cry out. But it was swept away in the furious onslaught of Xarou’s kisses. Soon nothing would be able to halt their progress. Nothing at-
A voice whispered from the depths of her mind. Not the voice she was accustomed to hearing, but a different one….familiar….
(Scarlet!)
Her eyes flew open.
Who’s calling to me?…
(Please Scarlet, don’t!…)
Her mind reeled. This was all wrong! She belonged to someone else! Someone….
(Indigo!)
(Don’t!!….)
“….Don’t…” Xarou faltered. Scarlet looked up at him pleadingly. “Please don’t. It’s not right. Not yet….. Please..” He debated whether or not to ignore her pleas. They had come this far. It was damned near impossible to stop now, and he felt he had every right to keep going with or without her consent.
But he did stop. He rolled onto the stretch of bed next to her, trying to calm himself as best he could. Scarlet sat up.
“I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” She swung her feet over the edge of the bed, preparing to leave, when she felt Xarou’s hand brush her shoulder.
“I won’t do anything you don’t ask me to. Please stay with me tonight.” Scarlet turned to face him and smiled.
“Of course.”
(Thank you, Scarlet……)
[OOC] Let me say now that nothing beyond a bit of necking has occurred! In this case Scarlet and Xarou are sleeping together in the most literal sense.
__________________
"When one forgets to put the emotions that overflow in her heart to rest, they burn the color of passion."
Posted by Aramus VanVehementi on 11-12-2001 08:55 PM
*sigh*
Aramus had been travelling for quite some time now. The sojourn had been most unfortunately interupted on more than one occasion. Gregorynn, VanVehementi's most humbled of servants, had encountered many roaming patrols of the Nylinus Council. Though he had no fear of their intervention as yet, Gregoryn found it prudent to avoid even the possiblity of hastles less he once more face the meniacal rage of his master. By such reasoning, he had doubled back on several occasions, all the while losing ground, to ensure the safe passage of his employer. Alas, the carriage was now nearing its destination.
"Sir, reports from the east wall sight the Emperor's carriage drawing near."
Bjorn was quick to respond. "Good work watchman, summon the welcoming commitee and the honor guard. I want them assembled by the main gate post haste!"
"Of course, at once General Bjorn!" The private quickly sprang to action and hailed the appropriate parties within Dargent's walls. In only a few moments, a fanfare would be formed in rigid and rehearsed fashion to await the arrival of their Emperor.
Gregoryn addressed Aramus for the first time throughout the entirety of their journey, "Aramus, we are closing on New Dargent." Gregoryn had at long last learned to hail his master informally. However, he found it more difficult now. His life changing encounter with Aramus still woke him from sound sleep and prevented him from any moment of real peace. Granted, he had slept with Aramus' wife but living eternally in fear was not how Gregoryn had priorly envisioned his life. Aramus was at one time the closest of friends with him, but the lines of fate that they had both crossed only served to divide them in silence. Gregoryn's actions in saving Aramus' life had indeed spared his own, but at what cost? In the mean time, at least Aramus was calm and rational again. Besides, Gregoryn had much work ahead of him. To reaffirm their tarnished friendship, he had accepted Aramus' offer to become his private bodyguard. Whether he was prepaired or not, his duties had just begun as he halted the carriage before the main gates of New Dargent.
"Aramus, you are home," Gregoryn spoke as he opened the door to the all black carriage, motioning to the Nylian Empire banners which triumphantly hailed to him from their posts along the east wall.
"Thank you Gregoryn. Your service has never ceased to impress me." Aramus slowly exited the carriage as though fearing the peircing rays of sunlight that illuminated his every pale feature. 'I've always preferred a night entrance' he mused as he strecthed his travel worn legs.
"I'll be right at your side Aramus."
"I have every confidence in you old friend. I wish to speak to you later this evening regarding that very sentiment.... something has been on my mind for the longest time now."
"I will await your conference Aramus, but for now we must press on. We've lost much time in travel due to Council."
"A lingering thorn in my side... however, we may be remedying that very plight sooner than originally planned. Bjorn has encountered a sympathetic company that just might aid us with their abolishment."
"It appears as though fate has dealt you a welcoming hand."
"Indeed Gregoryn. Let us hope the deck remains stacked in our favor."
The two men walked calmly to the gate. Without even a word from either of the pair, the large wooden doors swung open to reveal a most jubilent of crowds. As the hulking giants drew open the fanfare sounded and from the forefront approached General Bjorn and Major Rivell upon the most regal of red carpets. This was truly the welcoming of an emperor.
"Hears your chance to win their hearts Aramus," Gregoryn whispered to his master has he subtly handed over a pouch of gold coins. Aramus could only smile at his servants forethought. Without hesitation, he took his cue and pried the canvas bag open. As he peared at the faces of his new subjects. They all appeared apathetic to his presence. 'You will love me in time' Aramus thought. WIth that his hand penetrated the bag and exited quickly sending a torent of wealth to the feet of the peasantry. As if mandated by heaven itself, a sea of bowing and scraping began as the commoners dove and scooped for all the coins they could reach. Wave after wave of golden trinkets rained unto the masses until the pouches contents were exhausted. 'Just remember who it is that you serve' mused Aramus.
Just as he had been planning all throughout his journey, Emperor VanVehementi motioned for the silence of the people. Again, obediant of their wealthy visitor, a hush soon fell over the now appeased crowd. With that, Aramus spoke.
My dear fellow people, it has been uttered in this world on more than one occation by more than one imbecile, that we have been created upon this world in equality. This may hold true within the confines of the Creator's grand vision, yet in brute reality, we know this to be incorrect. I have wealth and power, yet you do not. I have prestige and recognition, yet you have none. However, I propose we finally bring balance to this world. Those now in charge see to fit to keep you silent in your powerless positions upon this great continent of Asheri. If you truly have sworn your loyalty to me, than I shall personally see to it that your voices are finally heard. For those of you that have been entirely content with your lives, those of you that see no room for improvement, those of you who don't like to take control of your own destiny, I am afraid that I am wasiting your time and I freely invite you to leave at your own disgression. But for those of you that know you deserve so much more, that want your family names remembered, that want a say in the political legislation that you are forced to abide by, then you may consider me your savior. Support me and I will shout your cries from the peaks of Mount Nyliam, I will carry your message through the plains of Lunis, I will refresh the lands of Farai with your wihes, and I will see that your every whim is engineered in Balanum. Join us and you shall in turn help save those not just in our fair city's neighborship, but in every city upon the great and wondrous land of Asheri. In doing so you will have taken up the power, entitled yourselves to the prestige, and collectively earned the wealth that you so desire. Your family's will never die, their names shall live on forever by our honor. This is the solemn pledge and oath of the Nylian Empire. Join us, support me, and take what is rightfully yours!!"
As he concluded his final words, an errie pause overcame the masses. For what seemed an eternity Aramus held his hands in the air with his eyes closed tightly anticipating what he felt inevitable. Sure enough, one Nylian soldier bellowed out what would soon become a chorus, "Long live Emperor Aramus VanVehementi and long live the glory of the Nylian Empire!!!" One by one, the Dargent citizenship, finding itself overwhelmed by the tremendous emotional response began to join in the chorus; their emperor's coins clinking noisily in their pockets. Soon the response was echoing off of the city walls as it swelled with the addition of applause. It was music to Aramus' ears.
Later that evening, Aramus was the talk of the town. Every dinner table within New Dargent had his name crossing over it in the form of conversation. For the most part the skeptics had been one over. While no one was exstatic about having an emperor, they were greatly intriguiged by what he had to say. All throughout the day, Nylian soldiers had been returning to their bunkers sharing stories of commoners saluting them in the streets. This was only aided by Rivell keeping his promise to release all prisoners that swore loyalty to the empire. Only one man remained in his cell. Lt. Colonel Sarrofey had overheard the commotion from his confinement and could only sit and cup his hands over his face. Little did he know, he was the next priority of Aramus VanVehementi.
Sarrofey stood rigidly as the iron gate to his cell slid open. From the darkness of the hall, Sarrofey could not see his visitors until they stepped into the dull light of his cell. Before he could comprehend what was going on, Sarrofey was face to face with the emperor.
"Reginald Sarrofey, I have heard much about you from my reports. I respect your valiant attempt to resist my troops. In light of such events I'm even happier to meet you. Those that oppose these men usually do not survive for long. They are the elite of the elite."
"I would fight the Creator herself is she posed a threat to this city or its people."
"That is what I like most about you. Your people first, political agendas second. That is why I would like to retain your services."
"I don't have the slightest idea as to what you are talking about."
"Allow me to paint a picture for you then. In a very short time the majority of my men will be leaving this city. I will eventually have to leave New Dargent to greet my many new subjects. But who will remain in authority to care for my subjects in my absence? I would leave my officers in charge but you know how the military handles the day to day problems. We don't need orders being barked at our fair citizenry now do we?"
"First off, they are not your subjects. They're not your people. They're nothing you may lay clam to-"
"On the contrairy, they have all sworn loyalty to me and from the sound of things earlier today, they don't seem to think I'm all to bad of a person. What will it take for you to come to that realization? I'm offering you a chance to once again take up your post to protect your beloved people. To lavish in the respect they once gave you and to also gain the respect of my men."
"..."
"Perhaps I am unable to communicate with you but I have some one here that may better relate to you. Major?"
"Yes my emperor?" Rivell entered the cell at the call of his leader.
"I can't seem to get through to our dear comrade here, could you perhaps phrase my offer in any better of terms?"
"I'd have to make this a soldier to soldier ordeal."
"By all means. Come Gregoryn, we will leave these two to talk." With that, Aramus and his servant left the cell and let Rivell and Sarrofey alone.
"Come on Reginald. Just give up your resistance. What are you holding out for? You can accomplish nothing in this cell!"
"...."
"Surely you'd like to see your people again. Just swear your loyalty, stay out of the way, and your life can go back just the way it was."
"I never had an emperor before. Is that going to change back to normal?"
"Just think of Aramus as the Council. Only in a singular sense. Its exactly the same."
"But he's going out to other cities to do the same thing he did to my men. I can't stand for that. You keep asking me to follow him, yet you've never told me why you follow him!"
"If you only knew of the former might that the Nylian Empire once possesed. We're bringing back civilization in its truest form."
"HA... The Nylian Empire. A relic from more than fifty years ago. What could you possibly know of the Empire? You're what, twenty, twenty-one?"
"My age has nothing to do with this. I've studied the empire since I was a young student at the Nyliam Magistrate Academy."
"..."
"Let me put it to you this way. If you don't stand to represent your people, then just to spite you Aramus will appoint the most hostile of his men to lead the city in his absence."
"The people would revolt."
"Maybe, but Aramus would publicly courtmartial him upon his return only to regain the peoples favor! Aramus will succeed with or without you. You might as well protect your people in the mean time."
"And just what will I be protecting them from? They're already under martial law."
"The Nylinus Council is somehow aware that something is different here. We don't know how they would suspect or for that matter, even what they suspect. We do know that they will defiantly oppose us and use all of the force they can muster to push us out of the city if and when they find us. That means more innocents may die. Something you have the ability and personal honor to prevent. That is what we ask of you."
"By the honor of my people I will once again become their protector and by those means alone. I will swear no allegiance to your emperor."
"As long as you stay out of his way, I can respect that."
"Agreed, for my people."
"So be it. I will inform Aramus of your acceptance. We will leave it at that. Thank you Lt. Colonel Sarrofey. You may return to active duty. However, as a closing note, your new imperiral title is Regional Governor. Carry on Sir!"
Major Rivell walked calmly out of the cell. Sarrofey couldn't believe it. He was free. He soon followed suite and exited the place of his imprisonment and took a deeo breath, He hadn't tasted outside air since Dargent fell three weeks prior. As he made his way out of the brig, he thanked the creator for it being night. He knew sunlight would have nearly blinded him had he been released during the day. He quickly hurried home to freshen up after which he woudl report for duty as New Dargent's Regional Governer.
"Thank you Major Rivell, you have once again proved all too useful. You are a standing example of what the Magistrate Academy expects from its cadets."
"Thank you my emperor." Rivell made his exit from what was now to the Imperial Mansion. The greatest of inns within New Dargent had hastily been made into the house of the Emperor. Security was very heavy all throughout its many halls. Inside the emperors personal chamers now only resided Aramus and his one handed body guard, Gregoryn.
"As to what I had mentioned earlier today old friend. I've been thinking about this for some time. I truly wish to appologize to you about your hand. I was so caught up in the moment I..... I.. I'm sorry."
Gregoryn was caught off guard. He was being appologized to by the Emporer of the Nylian Empire. "I don't know what to say Aramus. Thank you for the sentiment, but I can hardly blame you under the circumstances. I'm sure Mireilles memory pains you much more than I." Gregoryn was playing it safe. He wanted to be certain that his master was being genuine before he could trust him as a friend again.
"That lying bitch!!!" Aramus began to resemble the vengeful man that Gregoryn had come to meet that dreadful night, but amazingly his tmeper soon subsided. "I wouldnt't be here if you hadn't stopped her from poisoning me. I owe you my life. I should not have taken your hand. I know all too much of Mireilles charms. I cannot blame you for succumbing to her will."
"Thank you Aramus... really, thank you!"
"To compensate you, General Bjorn informs me that his contingent studying terra magic is growing more competent by the day. So far they can only achieve significant effects by linking their efforts together but when they become better, I will see to it that your hand is regenerated. I know such things can be done. I've read about it in the histories of the old world."
"I would greatly appreciate that old friend."
"Soon we will see a new day Gregoryn.. soon a new era shall begin and we will be at its forefront. Soon my Nylian Empire will overcome the last of its obstacles!!"
__________________
"Unlike my fool of a father, I don't just talk of ambition... I realize it!"
Posted by Alexandros Fatali on 11-13-2001 12:13 AM
Alexandros' wounds ached. All in all, he hadn't done as well as he would have liked against the Vampire. Both of his arms had been gashed quite deeply, and his leg was blistered with the burn. That girl that had been with the demon had come with him this far, but only because she agreed to tell him about the Vampire Rublicant. Otherwise he would have just asked her why she was tainted, and killed her if the excuse was inadequate. She had gone on for some time about how he needed to rest, and about how he was hurt. The attention was nice, but of course he was hurt! He just killed the strongest demon he'd ever encountered.
The girl, Orocia, had cared for him as they rode together this far, which took them a little more than a day, and as they arrived, Alexandros payed for a larger room at a nicer inn. He wouldn't mind her company, but he liked the endeavours of one night flings, and he had a feeling this girl was going to be around for a while, if he let her live. Nonetheless, the girl, Orocia, though several years younger than him, was quite attractive overall. Perhaps he'd just have her, make her tell her story, and if she did not tell of a good reason as for why she displayed the taint as well, he would end her. Then he would go find that Vannemeyre fellow. He had the taint as well. Alex was always on the lookout for leads to his heritage.
Their inn, The Raging Wyvern, was situated in the Garden Ward of Fayre. The Chora Tree sparkled in the distance, and the city of magic blazed with magical light as the sun set. Becasue Orocia had told him that there were bounty hunters after her, and becasue Alex had lost enough blood in the last two days, he had asked her to stay behind at the inn while he went out for a walk.
He walked for some time, admiring the city itself, and reflecting for a long time in the park that surrounded the Chora Tree. As he was making his way back to the Raging Wyvern, he stopped into a small pub in the Market Ward. He sat at the bar, and ordered an Lunari Pale Ale. His arms ached, and the dressings needed to be changed on both his arms and his leg. He'd have to see about finding a Dedicated healer.
He looked to his right and there was a man who looked as if he might be Balanian, if not for his deathly pale skin. Next to him sat a man with a gun at his side, the same make as Indra and Ramuh, but not the same model. Alexandros painfully raised his glass a bit to the pale man.
"Easy to find solace in the drink, isn't it? Especially after a tough job..." He said absently to the pale man.
"What's your business, stranger?" The man responded as Alex drained the glass and ordered another, dashing several mels onto the counter.
"You aren't from these parts, either," Alexandros comtemplated. The man looked Balanian, but something was strange about him, He knew the accent from his home. Alex had the same one, "It's obvious from your clothing and slight accent. ...I'm a hunter."
"Don't hunters usually wear skins?" The pale man spoke, and his friend, a boy who had strange blue hair, looked over.
Alexandros sneered, and took another deep drink. His wounds were starting to throb again, "My prey's skins usually don't last beyond the hunt..."
Both men looked at each other and then looked back to Alexandros. Alex smiled warmly as he produced his Meshai from under his shirt and extended his hand, "Alexandros Fatali, Demon Hunter, at your service..."
The pale man took his hand, and shook it. Alexandros was happy to sense it's warmth, becasue he was in no mood to handle another Vampire right now, "Caliph Wyrdwyrm,"
The blue haired boy extended his hand, and it was promptly taken by Alex, "Indigo Grei, Silverblade,"
"Oh really?" Alexandros replied, "What art?"
Indigo simply tapped his revolver.
Alexandros smiled, as he flipped back his jacket and laid Indra on the bar, "It sems we have something in common, no?"
All three men chuckled. Alexandros ordered a round of drinks for them all, and after nearly a half an hour of conversation, blood began to trickle down Alex's fingers.
"What's that from?" Asked Indigo.
"I killed a Vampire a couple of days ago, at a dinner party near Kenoblious,"
Caliph raised an eyebrow and Indigo quickly inquired, "Was it given by a Lord Fenstril?"
Alex nodded.
"Did you happen to see a girl with firey red hair? About back length? With lavender eyes?"
Alex shrugged, "I don't think so, but she may have been there..."
"Did you see a man about 6'5" with black hair and dark amber eyes?"
Alex tensed, and spoke raspily under his breath, "Vannemeyre..."
Indigo's eyes lit up, and Caliph even brightened for a moment, "Do you know where he was going?"
"No, but I can track him, and will track him. He's one of my next objectives,"
"He's a demon?"
"No, but he has the Shadow Taint. So does this girl I found at the ball, Orocia. She was with the vampire for some time, I can guess. If she doesn't have a reason for being tainted, that is, if the Vampire tainted her against her will, I'm going to let her go, otherwise I'll execute Asherian Church law on my terms, as if she were Sevron,"
"That seems harsh,"
Alex shrugged, "Nonetheless, she got pushed around by the Vannemeyre fellow after I had finished dispatching the beast. She said some name.. I think it was the girl that was with Vannemeyre, Sara? no... Susan? no... Scarlet! That's it,"
Indy's eyes flashed and he quickly asked, "Will you take me to this Orocia girl?"
Alex rubbed his fingers together, and Indigo reluctantly coughed up a dralar piece, after which Alex smiled happily, "Follow me..."
With that the three left the small bar, and proceeded towards the Raging Wyvern. The three joked while walking, and Caliph noted that Indigo seemed quite hopeful. Not only did they find someone that could track Xarou, but also they had found confirmation that Scarlet was with him. Alexandros was looking foreward to a change of bandages and a dose of the Balanian painkillers. The other two were looking foreward to the information they could get from the girl. They entered the inn, and proceeded to where Orocia was waiting.
A shadowy woman watched the three from the rooftops. It was a shame that Indigo had regained his sense, She thought, but more of a shame that he had met up with, of all people, the son of the master. The master must be notified of this, and, She thought, I must work more quickly than I had anticipated now.
Cue: Orocia, Indigo, or Caliph
__________________
May the Creator shield you and light your path...
Posted by Orocia Agua on 11-13-2001 02:00 AM
Again Orocia found herself incapable of feeling. She sat now, almost supine, curled up with shoulders hunched and arms between her bent knees, deep in the sinking cushions of a leather lounge chair next to a huge window, staring up at the ceiling, twirling one of one of her daggers between her hands. At least she was thinking, albeit the thoughts were distant, haunting whispers in dead silence.
She was no longer dressed for a ball. Earlier, she left the inn, despising feeling like a caged animal, and bought men's underclothes: a pair of boxers and an a-shirt. She was accustomed to wearing men's underclothes, from living with her brother to being the sole female on a ship, and despite the strange fit the boxers and undershirt were the only things that gave her any comfort now. Alexandros was the quiet keep-to-himself type. Not that silence bothered her, but she sensed nothing from him but cold feelings towards her. She was able to buy the clothes because she had a hidden pouch of money strapped to her garter belt underneath her ball gown, along with her two daggers. She hoped the daggers wouldn't be needed. Mindlessly she felt the cold edge of the blade with her fingertips, the familiar details of the handle.
Orocia adjusted her seating in the lounge chair, still lazily hunched up in a curl but laying on her side so that she was now looking mindlessly at the city below. She could care less what happened to her now--
No! A fire of hope leapt in Orocia's slowly cooling heart: she recognized this empty feeling, and she didn't want to go there again. Not ever again... Not back to the nothingness: no feelings, no remorse, no haughty pride or guilty shame, not back to the void: the detachment from the soul, the emptiness of a machine, the lack of warmth of a cold hearted killer. Alone.
I'm not a mindless, enslaved machine anymore!! But why was her heart going back to that? She left her past! Why is it coming back? Why won't it DIE?!?
A breathless gasp escaped her lips. "Die." Death. Death was her bridegroom. She was married to death, cold, lonely, death. That was it. Death was all around her, it was her, it was kill or die, it still i--
She heard several footsteps in the doorway. Inwardly she was relieved because it stopped her mind from continuing on; amazingly, her thoughts had silently crescendoed to nearly a scream without her noticing. But she was always ready to welcome her husband Death home with a kiss, as she held her dagger, hidden at her side next to her thigh, waiting, wondering who it could be.
CUE: Alex, Caliph, or Indy ^_^
Posted by Keiru Silver on 11-13-2001 03:15 PM
Alexandros opened the door, and Indigo walked in. Orocia was sitting on the floor, toying with a knife.
"You were at the ball, right? Did you see a girl with red hair?"
"Yes, and no. I know who you're looking for, but something was wrong with her. Scarlet..."
"So she was there, right? And Xarou? What has he done to her?"
"Your name is Indigo, right? We met in Noit, very briefly. I saw you with Scarlet, but you probably don't remember me." She put the knife away and stood up. "Xarou is somehow controlling her. He claims he simply wooed her, but I don't think Scarlet would have been attracted to such a man no matter how charming he was."
Indigo rubbed his forehead. "I don't understand this. One night, she's there in bed, and now she's with Xarou. How was she acting? Did it seem like she was forced to attend against her will?"
"Indigo... I think she wanted to be there. She was... ...having fun. But she didn't remember, Indigo. She didn't remember anything. Not me, not you, she didn't even know she was dedicated!" Orocia stammered.
Indigo clenched his fists. "You don't toy with someone's memories..." he said through clenched teeth. "In this world, it's all we have... You just don't do it!" He slammed his fist into the doorframe. He stood there for a second, then crumpled to a heap. His eyes closed for a second, then opened. He sat up, suddenly calm. The rest of the group looked at him.
"What was she wearing?"
"A formal gown, silver earrings, a pair of bracelets, and her pendant."
"Bracelets? Earrings? That pendant is Scarlet's only jewelry." Something flashed through his mind. "What did the bracelets look like?"
"All black. They were too small to slip off of her wrist, but I didn't see a clasp or anything. Maybe enchanted."
Indigo turned to Caliph. "When I was clearing out the thieves' dens in Callendar, I remembered someone saying that someone had met with a merchant who was found dead the next morning. All of his wares were still there, except a pair of bracelets. I talked to some other people that the merchant... well, thief... anyway, I talked to a guy the thief tried to sell his stuff to. He wanted a lot of money for the bracelets. He was selling them as puppet bands."
"I've heard of them," Caliph said. "They allow the person applying the bands to control the wearer's movements. But I've never heard of them affecting someone's memory."
"Well, that has to be it, doesn't it? It's all I have to go on. I say we find someone who knows where Xarou lives in Kenoblious, and go remove the bands, with force if necessary."
"Indigo, I think seeing you will only confuse her," Orocia said.
"I don't care. I have to see her for myself."
Caliph and Alexandros nodded. "I'll come with," said Caliph.
Alexandros agreed.
Cue: Orocia. Are you coming with? If so, we're going to Kenoblious to find out the truth... Caliph and Alex, we'll head to Kenoblious, but don't post for me beyond our arrival... I have something planned.
__________________
Welcome to my world...
Posted by Alexandros Fatali on 11-13-2001 03:37 PM
"I'll meet up with you in Kenoblious. I have business to attend to in Dargent first," Alexandros spoke as he re-wrapped his arms in clean cotton gauze. His face calmed as he smoothed on the creams and salves for his wounds.
"Alright, where do we want to meet?" Asked Indigo.
"There's an Inn called the Platinum Ray, in the Dock ward of the city. It's low key, and I know the Innkeeper. I took care of a problem for him about a year ago,"
"Well enough, what about you Orocia?" Indy asked.
"She's coming with me, for the time being," Alex cringed as he tightened his bandages, "She still hasn't told me her story,"
Indigo shook his head and Caliph stood silently. Orocia looked irritated. Alex didn't care. He fingered the trigger of Ramuh in thought.
They would leave tomorrow morning. It was about 2 days to Dargent, several more days to Kenoblious from Dargent, then he could worry about meeting up with these men and handling the Vannemeyre fellow. But now he had only two objectives on his mind. Collect his pay from his contractor in Dargent, and determine the girl's fate.
Cue Orocia.
I'll meet up with you two, Indy and Caliph, in a few days...
__________________
May the Creator shield you and light your path...
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-13-2001 09:00 PM
The Attack...
She screamed. Her histerical screams woke the rest of the party woke up and immediatly took up arms. They fought like Banshees. She looked around and took stock of her situation. She looked over at the sentry and saw him slumped in death, an arrow protruding from his back. She bit back another scream and sprang up. She whirled around the trunk of the tree behind her and shinnied up it quickly. She hid in the crotch of the tree and she had an intense feeling of deja vou. She leaned against a large branch reaching upward toward the starry night sky. the sun was slowly rising beyond the horrizon and began to light the dark sky. She looked down and scanned the coming devastation as more and more robbers came in and were overpowering the men. She bit her lip and felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She let out a tiny squeel and turned quickly, pointing a small dagger she had taken from the nearest pack. She turned to face the shocked expresion of Kans. She let out her breath and rested her hand in her lap. They exchanged simple words and Kans went higher into the tree with his slingshot. She went further out on the thick limb and put the dagger into her belt. Being only 8, she was tougher than she looked. She clung to the branch in front of her and waited until one of the robbers backed into range. She swung down fron the branch and had her feet collide with the man's skull. She smiled in satisfaction until he whirled around and stared at her, still hanging from the branch. She let go of the branch and tried to run away, but he grabbed her around the waist and hauled her up.
She screamed and cried at the same time. She brought her fists down onto his hands but he wouldn't let go. He swung her over his shoulders like a sack and walked swiftly toward the road.
Kans looked down from his treetop perch and saw his friend being hauled away. He took hold of the branch and swung down, a dead man breaking his fall. He stood up and rubbed his butt then took off toward his friend, still screaming.
Mavi screamed until she could scream no more. Her throat was raw but her tears kept flowing as her view of the camp disappeared in the darkness.
She was taken to a cart hidden in the woods covered with leaves and branches. More men surrouned it and the stood up when they heard their presence. They quickly reconized her captor and nodded. They hauled the cart out of its hiding spot and took it out to the road. The cart was loaded with barrels, baskets and buckets of food littering the bottom. She noticed an empty spot as they lifted one of the larger baskets. Her captor roughly set her down in that empty space and a thick woolen blanket was put over her. She took one last look at the magnificent sunrise as blackness covered her.
The cart started down the road roughly. She waited quietly, trying to figure out where she was.
Suddenly, the cart stopped. The blanket was lifted and she saw Kans being half dragged to the cart. He was reluctant until he saw Mavi. He smiled and let them put him down in the cart. The blanket was lifted and put over them.
They were whispering amongst each other when they were hit on the head with the butt of a crossbow, instructing them to be quiet. She could hear the movement and bustle of town or village life. Carts jostled along the road going which ever way.
They were taken through the town until they noticed a definate difference in the population. They agreed that they had left the city limits. They were proven wrong when the blanket was lifted and they were blinded by the bright sun in the sky. It had to be about noon for the sun was near the center of the sky. They were lifted from the weathered wooden bottom of the cart and taken roughly to a small, ugly hut. She looked behind them and she noticed tall mountains which seemed to loom over the town like a mightly ogre. There was evidence of recent rock slides for there were great gray rivers of stone that covered the surface of the rock cliffs.
They were taken inside the hut. The modest home reeked of manure and was infested with flies and rats. She and Kans were shoved down onto the unconfortable couch stuffed with hay. They examined the home from inside and they quickly came to their verdict: they hated it.
Their captors were now talking to the owners of the home. They were a hard faced man with a weathered face and an ugly woman with a twisted face. They talked in a hushed voice until a question of the date came up. When Mavi heard the date, her disheartened soul was lifted up. Today was her birthday! She was nine!
She told Kans and he grinned.
Their joy was short however. The hard faced man handed a fistfull of gold to one of the men who captured her and Kans. Their previous captors left, smiles on their faces and a pocketfull of money. Mavi knew what it meant in a matter of moments. She looked over at Kans, who realized it too.
They had just been sold as slaves.
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Caliph Wyrdwyrm on 11-14-2001 06:30 AM
Caliph still hadn't drawn his gun except in sport since he had left, and yet seeing Alexandros fingering his trigger had nearly made him draw his and drop him there. His instincts were too hair-trigger, as tight and as easy to pull as the one on his rifle. He didn't think it bode well.
They rode on now, the two of them, Indigo sternly driven and Caliph following steadily.
"Indigo, I have to wonder what the point of all this is."
Indigo looked back at him, eyes flaring. "I love her."
Caliph swallowed. "That's not exactly the point I was driving at. The questing, I understand. It's why he's interested in her so that I don't seem to understand. Assume that these puppet bands she seems to be wearing really work. Why, then, would he care to use them, this Xarou -- because if he can't have her of free will, then he really doesn't have her, does he?"
__________________
They say confession is good for the soul. But what if you don't have one?
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-14-2001 06:00 PM
Slavery
Mavi looked at Kans, her eyes wide in disbelief and fear. Kans looked back, his face equally disbelieving. So it seemed, the couple had aquired a hefty sum of money. They had purchased a mansion somewhere in the upper class section of the city. They were ordered to stand up and walk outside to a cart waiting for them. When they came upon the lavish cart which turned out to be a chariott, they were ordered to trot beside the horses. Unsure why, they did what they were told to do, just to keep from being punished for disobeying.
They arrived at the beautiful mansion made of marble and trimmed with gold leaf and ivory. They walked up the marble steps behind the couple, still dressed in their peddler's clothing. A fellow servant walked up to them and handed them some velvet and silk clothes. The couple took their clothes and a couple other servants walked forth and handed Mavi and Kans some clothing as well. Their clothes were made of linen and were simple in the design. They were escorted up stairs that seemed to last for eternity. When the reached the top, they saw two simple wooden doors. Mavi was told to take the left door, and Kans the right. They nodded and went to their doors.
When Mavi opened the door to her living quarters, she was utterly disgusted. The room was small, cold and poorly furnished. At the opposite wall, a small, brass-framed bed with a bowed middle welcomed her. To her right, a small wooden dresser stood there covered with endless years of dust. On the left wall, a dirty window dimly lit the lightless room. She walked over to it, keeping the door slightly ajar, and dusted the dirt and grime from the panes. She peered through the glass and made her height measurements. The window was big enough for a possible escape, but she was about four stories up in the southern tower facing the mountains. She concluded that she could not be able to safely escape, for they were not close enough to the mountain side to get to it. She opened the ungreased window which did not open well at all. When she got it open, she looked down and got a small bout of verdigo.
She knocked on the wall to her current position. She waited for an answer to make sure she and Kans shared the same wall. He knocked back an answer and she sighed in relief.
She peered out the crack of her door and saw nobody. She smiled a little and slipped out. She knocked gently on Kan's door and she opened it. He was sitting on his bed, his head in his hands.
They talked for a while until she heard footsteps on the winding staircase. She escaped to her room and waited for an entrance. When the door did swing open, a servant woman with a hard, worked face looked at her with an expressionless look.
"You and your companion are to report immediatly to the servants' chamber."
She left before Mavi could ask where the Servants' chamber was. She walked out of the doorway and met Kans exiting as well. They looked at each other with a curious expression. They shrugged and walked slowly down the stairs. When they made it to the bottom, they were being waited for by another servant. She began to wonder how many servants there actually was.
The new manservant led them down the marble hallway. She and Kans looked up and around the massive hallway decorated extravigantly with rare antiques and artifacts. The vaulted ceiling showed off magnifisant paintings depicting gods and legends. She let her mouth gape slightly at the magnifisance of the mansion.
They were led to the end of this hall, to a large pair of mahogany doors. She expected for them to enter the through the doors but the servant veered sharply left, through a secret panel, hidden completely.
The servant quickly ordered for them to enter the dark expanse. They did and the panel was replaced quickly.
The man stopped behind them and lit a match. From there, he lit a torch and the dark, dusty, cobwebbed hidden hallway was revealed. Mavi and Kans gasped in unison
The servant pushed them forward and they obeyed. The hallway was lined with layers of dust and pips protruded from the walls.
When the reached the end of the hallway, they were met by wall. Kans and Mavi both slumped in disapointment, but the servant leading them reached over them and pressed a stone in the wall hidden by a pair of thick pipes. the wall clicked and light peeked through the tiny crack that was formed. The servant quietly told them to push the panel and they found themselves in a small, torch-lit room with no windows. A vent on the ceiling proved that the ceiling was exposed to the air outside.
Inside the room, several servants sat on stools and small chairs poorly cusioned. They had lined the walls with torches and candles. Hay-stuffed pillows were thrown in a pile in the corner to Mavi's left. She sucked in air hastily.
"Welcome newcomers," spoke the oldest servant who Mavi faced, "Welcome to the Servants' chamber! As you might've guessed, this place is not known by the masters...if they knew of this place, than...well, you will not see this place again. This place was created by the builders of this mansion and most were slaves themselves. They made this sanctuary for other slaves and servants after them."
The woman smiled and asked their names. They replied and she gave them a sweet smile.
"My name is Orpah, i'm the oldest servant on the premesis and this," she motioned to the young man sitting next to her, "Is my son, the next to be "ruler" of the servants' chamber. This means that my son, Boaz, will be responsible for all of you, and the wellbeing of you. In other words, he is the the monarchy of servants in this household. But don't get cocky with the masters and give away our location, if you do, it will be most catastrophic! We do have an escape route, in this vent." She pointed to the vent, which was small but could fit a somewhat large person, although everyone present was rather slim and well built.
Since Kans and Mavi were the youngest, all the other servants were to pitch in and protect her and her friend. She looked and Kans and grinned. She was part of an underground! She had dreamed of being a the hero of an underground resistance toward evil, especially the evil rulers and lords.
They continued with their normal routine and met in the chamber only at nights, when the masters were in bed. The personal maids and manservants to the masters were always the last to come inside.
Mavi, at first was assigned to the kitchens, but she was too young and she often too much in the way, so she was placed with the launders. She stayed as a launder until she was again in the way. Her last job to fufill was to be the mistress's handmaid. She was required to wait on her hand and foot, bring her her breakfast, lunch, dinner and other luxuries.
Kans was placed with the workers, helping to haul wood in for the fireplaces, sweep and clean the horse stalls, and groom and wash the animals. Kans was often jealous of Mavi, getting the rather easy job of little to no work.
That night, Mavi was released from duty by the mistress and she quietly snuck inside the secret chamber. Unfortunatly, the master was returning from his office and passing through the hall when the panel was shut. He stopped short and rubbed his eyes. Then he ran into the master bedroom and called security. The secret panel was opened, but it was a long and difficult process. When they reached the end of the secret hallway, the master and security came to the wall. The soldiers made plenty of noise trying to open the wall and alerted the occupents of the chamber. Shocked and terrified, they looked up to the vent. Kans was lifted on the shoulders of one of the men and he unscrewed the vent. He was pushed up to the roof and he motioned that it was all clear. Mavi was second, and the smallest and weakest were put up first. The strongest man was last and landed safely on the roof and replaced the vent immediatly when the soldiers had discovered the trigger to open it. They stormed in and looked around. The master was furious.
Breathing heavily and hearts beating, the servants sat on the roof relieved that all was well. They listened to the muffled voices inside and began to laugh quietly when the reality of their safety sunk in.
Boaz crept to the edge of the roof and peered over the edge. They were on the main floor and the ground was an easy leap down. Boaz told the strong man who was last up to the roof to jump down and check it out. The man agreed and disappeared from view in a matter of moments. Everybody daring enough crept to the edge and watched the man, who she discovered was named Jierran. He peeked around each corner and nodded that it was safe.
When everybody was safe on the ground, Mavi stood by Kans and waited for the word. They were at the southwest corner and facing the stone expanses of the mountains. swiftly, they were ordered to scale the mountains.
It took a long time of climbing, ducking and hiding until they reached the top. They group took the time to look over the town and Mavi saw that the mountains created a large horseshoe around the city, making it a well fortified town. She smiled when they made it to the other side. She looked over the wide expanse of glorious blue ocean, lapping lazily on the sandy shore.
They all walked along the beach until sundown. They saw a hidden outcropping of rock that proved to be an excelent spot to hide and sleep. They set out three sentries who would switch places every hour. Mavi and Kans huddled in the center and fell asleep, surrounded by fellow escapees.
That night, she had another dream. This time, she saw the bright sun rising behind the mountains of Rysend. She smiled in her sleep and ran toward her mother, father and her baby sister. They smiled and she hugged her father. Suddenly, Her father slipped through her arms like sand and she looked up to see a long endless plain of sand. She turned and saw nothing but sand as far as she could see. She was alone, no animal or plant grew around her and the sun beat down on her unprotected body and she looked at her hands to see them wither and thin before her eyes. She wrapped her hand around her waist and saw her ribs protruding sickly through her chest. Her stomach was becomming bloated with hunger and her tongue was parched and scraped along the roof of her mouth. She closed her eyes and was in Pontifar. There, she was not hungry and her mouth was wet with saliva. She was at the door of Mendiva's house and she entered through the open door. The house reeked of death as soon as she entered and she gagged for fresh air. She walked into Mendiva's bedroom and saw the rotting figure of her. She stiffled a scream and bolted out the door. There, she saw the grouned littered with dead bodies and animals. The houses were burned and arrows and swords protrued from the limp bodies. She screamed and woke up, her clothes clinging to her body with sweat. The cool ocean breeze swept over here and chilled her. The sentry closest to her turned and walked to her side. The young man and her talked together and tried to decipher the meaning. Kans awoke and joined the conversation.
When she, Kans, and the sentry finished talking, the sun rose in the sky and banished the moon from reign of the night and ruled the morning. The whispy clouds turned pink in the sun and a flock of small birds swept through the sky. The ocean lapped gently at the shore and a fiddler crab scuttled out from the safety of a clump of seaweed. The others rose and they began the trek again.
What could ruin the beauty of the morning?
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Saeth Shen on 11-14-2001 08:26 PM
"Well enough. I shall await your departure. You shall not leave the great forest with the Golden Plant. The High King shall know of this..."
With that Saeth turned to leave.
"I do not believe that the High King will stop me, so long as I have his son by my side,"
Saeth payed no heed, and left the dwelling.
Unfortunatley for Saeth, he was back at the Home of Oloth within two hours, and he had orders given by the Prince of the Elwain to protect his friend. He had not even made it so far as the audience hall before the Prince found him and made his declaration. He had given Saeth a large pouch of Gold and told him to accompany this Neclar as far as he ould roam, but also to observe him and be sure that he did not stray too far from the ways of the Sularion. Saeth was going to do the best he could to bring the queer Elwain back to Evisis as a shamed Sularion. All in all, Saeth was not happy.
Cue: Neclar
__________________
By the honor of my Father, the love of my Mother, and the pride of the Esiai'desh'mirain, you shall not harm my charge...
Posted by Leo Saotome on 11-15-2001 05:23 PM
The Letter.
Out on the street, Leo's mind went to work. After much internal debate, Leo found an inn to spend the night. The place wasn't what one would say "five-star", nor "one-star", nor even clean. In the dim glow of a grey, most likely re-used candle, Leo unwrapped the package. This is where he found his dagger, along with a letter. The letter, written as the writer was in tears, or perhaps just sea-spray and a thrashing ship, reads as follows:
"Aunt Bella, I send this to you to ask a favor.
I would like you to look after my son. I have named him Leo-" and here, what might be the rest of a longer name and a last name is smeared in tears or sea spray.
"You will notice he doesn't have my or his father's surname. I do not want him to grow up taunted with his parents' names. Please tell him" here, the words are apparently struck through as well as smeared.
"Please tell him something. Or nothing. Just raise him well, and give the enclosed dagger to him when he is old enough to use it. It belonged to his father. I suppose I will let you decide the rest as it comes along.
"Your Neice," and again, a fold as well as tears or spray smears the signature, as well as the closing.
"P.S. Please love him as you know I do." Leo, here, was in tears, and he set the letter aside for fear of making the parchment no more than ink smears and dried wrinkles.
Admiring the dagger, Leo decided to buy for it a sheath, and decided to set out in the morning from here in Noit for the city of Sungan, of which he had be told fantastic tales of trade and art.
__________________
~Leo Saotome
Intelligent, soft-spoken, and aggreeable.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-15-2001 06:57 PM
Curious...
The brilliance of the sunrise seemed incapable to be ruined. Mavi walked beside her friend Kans surrouned by her fellow escapees. From their escape from slavery in the mansion, they walked nonchalant and with raised spirits. The sandy shore was not wide, it was sandwhiched between the pristine water and the rocky cliffs of the mountains. In the rocky soil to her left tufts of grass sprang up in every available spot and craps scuttled in and out of the hiding spot. They passed a tiny valley in the rocks which supported fertile soil which allowed grass and flowers to grow like a wildfire. When the passed it, she kicked a pebble into the valley and two birds took flight. She went and investigated and noticed a small nest with three eggs of good size. She motioned for Kans to join her and he did so. They grinned and took up two of them, leaving one left inside.
That night, they found another small valley and made camp. Kans and Mavi enjoyed the two eggs, one each. The other members of their party were slightly jealous but content eating three pheasants and a crab.
She fell asleep and had another fitfull dream.
This time, Mavi and her party were standing in the valley with the fire still burning. The sun was in the center of the sky and scorching the earth. All was well until everyone, including Kans turned towards her and had no face! In her dream she was amazingly unconcerned and just stood there. She blinked once and she found herself in the desert again. She turned and saw all eleven people laying on the golden sand, dead. She was standing, her skin red and burnt by the sweltering sunlight. Heat waves excaped from the sand and rose into the sky. Mirages flashed before her eyes and she blinked. She found herself in Rysend and she reconized her home. She walked toward in, melancholy, and opened the door. Inside, sitting on the couch, her Grandparents were sipping tea and eating cookies. None of them noticed her arrival and she waved her hands in front of their faces. She noticed that her Grandma was wearing her black mourning dress and her Grandpa was stiff and stoic. She could see his effort to keep from weeping like his wife but suddenly broke down and the torrent of his cooped-up emotions exploded. She looked down at a small plaque and read her parents' names, her little sister's name...and HERS?
She woke up without a sound and stared at the starry sky. She held her tears and struggled for sleep.
The next day, she told Kans her dream. Both confused, they could not help but ask themselves what they all meaned. All her dreams were the same, all the people closest to her heart all died. The desert was mentioned two times, and she was at Pontifar several times. Now, she was dreaming of her precence, yet non-presence in Rysend. She kept silent as she and the eleven others walked solemnly along the seemingly neverending shore.
They finally made it to the end and she saw the desert.
She stopped short, her eyes wide with terror. Kans felt her fear and stopped too.
"Whats wrong? why aren't you commin'?"
"The desert! Can't you see the desert? It was in the dreams that i've had!"
Kans looked over in the general direction Mavi was pointing and he saw the great expanse of sand. Swirls of sand danced in the sunlight and the heatwaves shimmered. She ran ahead to the leader, the woman she had met before the excape. She listened to her statement and thought a moment.
She agreed and they kept close the mountains. They kept the the grasslands and made it away from the desert.
When the walked around the last bend in the bow of mountains, she looked to her left and saw the town. She whispered her findings to the nearest person and he nodded, telling her that that was Hillslay. She nodded and she and the others walked toward the road, silenced reigned over the group.
The walked along the road until hey came to a town. A sign hung on the gate of the city and read Karakai.
They entered the bustling matropolis and wandered the streets, gazing hungrily at the fruit and exotic foods. Everyone searched their pockets and found nothing of value. They sighed heavily and walked on. At dusk, the escapees gathered at the front gate and decided to find friendly people willing to board some poor travelers.
Mavi and Kans, being young, were exepted quickly by kind townsfolk. They had found a old couple's home and slept confortably on cots. Mavi had a dreamless night, to her great satisfaction and woke early in the morning, never had a better sleep, no less the breakfast. The older woman was a master of the kitchen and cooked eggs, bacon and a delicious sausage she didn't reconize. They were well stocked with provisions and sent off. Mavi and Kans met up with the others at the front gate. The people were jealous but kind enough. Mavi and Kans shared their food for those less fortunate enough to discover a good home. They continued down the road, unsure where they were going.
They continued until they came upon the town of Farlarn and searched for welcoming homes, which Mavi and Kans found easily again. This home was owned by a kind couple with three kids, two boys and an older girl, about fifteen. The boys were twins of eleven. Mavi, Kans, and the twins, named Jonha and Kainan. They played in their small room until bedtime. Mavi slept in the girl's room, named Kyri. They talked a while until nightfall.
The next morning, the woman gave Mavi and Kans a map of Asheri and told them to use it to their advantage. The map was beautiful, written on expensive parchment, brilliant pigments decorated the map. They thanked the family and said their goodbyes. This round, the people of Farlarn were kinder, and all of the pary members recieved food and board. Kans took the map up the Orpah who was smiling with glee at their find. The people, now having a pleasant demeanor talked amongst themselves and Mavi discovered many of their homelands. Two came from Teyr, one from Nevyel, three where from Fayre, one was from Balanum, and three were friends from Endroth. Kans was from Parvani, which was the closest town to Rysend. This day was a pleasant one and everybody fell asleep quickly that night in Nevyel, all crammed into the small home of the one from Nevyel.
That night, a solitary figure slunk in the darkness and took hold of the doorknob and turned silently. He glided into the room like a shadow and walked toward Mavi and Kans, sleeping. Mavi was dreaming of evil, shadows danced in her mind...
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-15-2001 07:08 PM
Her eyes snapped open and she was face-to-face with the eyes of a man.
Mavi screamed, and woke the majority of the group. The man jumped backward and hid in the shadows opposite Mavi.
"Mavi, is it a bad dream again?" Kans asked, a yawn escaping from his mouth.
"No. Theres some person in the room!" She pointed to the shadows and everybody followed her finger, seeing nothing. The crickets chirupped and split the silence. The bravest of the group stood up and stretched. Nonchalant, he walked to the shadows and stuck his hand through them and waved his hand back and forth. The shadow was small, so he couldn't have walked off, so he had to be there, thought Mavi.
The man sighed and took one more sweep of the shadow. Suddenly he let out a fearfull yel as he suddenly fell to the floor, screaming in pain.
Mavi stared at the action as he stood up, still screaming in pain, cradling his arm. Suddenly a glimmer cought her eye and a sword penetrated the man's body. The toppled over and let one more gurgle escape his lips before he died, his face twisted him pain and death.
She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She backed up against the wall with Kans, now awake with fear. Everyone scattered when the figure walked forth from the shadow.
Mavi stared at the evil man. He raised his arm and let it fall hard against her head.
Suddenly, everything went Black.
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Scarlet Rosenblade on 11-16-2001 12:08 AM
Xarou woke with a start. He had that dream again. The dream of times gone by. He looked down and gently stroked Scarlet’s hair. She stirred, but didn’t wake. Unbeknownst to him she was having her own dreams of the past.
For no particular reason he leaned back against the pillows and allowed his mind to dwell on the girl….What was her name again?….
*********
Reika stared out the window in one of the castle's spiraling towers, watching the raindrops wind their way slowly down the smooth glass. She had been there to comfort her parents ever since she heard of Scarlet’s disappearance. They wouldn’t allow her to search for her younger sister so all she could do was pray and hope Xarou would bring her home soon.
Xarou….
*********
Reika…that was her name..
They had met in the courtyard of the Ganian Royal Palace shortly after Reika’s failure to become Dedicated. She had been training vigorously with her katana and very nearly decapitated the young man who’s ebony hair matched her own.
“Hey watch it! You could’ve killed me!” He yelled. She didn’t reply, but glared at him as she turned and walked away toward the water fountain. Intrigued, if not slightly nervous, Xarou followed her. He was seventeen years old and captivated by the elder princess.
“Feel free to apologize.” Reika stood facing the fountain.
“Go away.”
“Not until you apologize.” She wheeled on him angrily.
“Fine! I apologize!! Now go away!” He smirked and bowed his head as he turned to leave the courtyard. But not before saying cuttingly over his shoulder,
“Your stance is terrible by the way.” Reika snapped. Who was this boy to criticize? She called after him furiously.
“What’s it to you anyway?! Just who do you think you are!?” He stopped and turned.
“My name is Xarou, knight in training. And like I said, your stance is terrible. How long have you been wielding a katana?,” he asked with the slightest note of disdain in his voice.
“In training? Then you have no room to criticize my technique.,” she retorted waspishly. Xarou laughed.
“You call that technique? It looked like a bunch of random swings to me.” Her body began to tremble in rage, but he stayed outwardly calm.
“Then why don’t you try and prove yourself instead of insulting me?!,” she yelled raising her katana.
“Fine,” he answered unsheathing his own broadsword. “I need practice anyway. Though I’m sure you’ll present no challenge.” Reika glared at him over the top of her blade and allowed silence to descend over the both of them. The fountain gurgled tranquilly behind them.
Suddenly, Reika dashed forward swinging the katana in a wide arch to her right. It was easily blocked by Xarou’s blade. Not wanting to give up, she charged again, this time hurling blow after blow, each one blocked. She charged one final time only to be cleverly disarmed and sent staggering toward the fountain. Xarou brought the flat of his sword against her rear where it made a satisfying smack that echoed throughout the yard. She crumpled to the ground, defeated.
He walked to her side and noticed her shoulders were shaking.
“You’ve had your fun….please….just leave me alone.” Tears could be clearly heard in her voice. Xarou felt a sting of regret for his rashness. He knelt to his knees and gingerly put an arm around her shoulder. She didn’t protest.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so hard on you.” She looked up at him, locking her solemn gray eyes with his deep amber ones. The next second they were embracing and that night Xarou found himself being given his first experience with a woman.
The remainder of their relationship had been a whirlwind of romance, lust, and infatuation, and of course was doomed from the beginning. During this time, Reika’s parents had entrusted her with the welfare of Scarlet and had given her a large plantation where she could live and raise her younger sister. It was also during this time that Reika discovered she could find peace within her status as a Silverblade and so, grew less and less dependent on Xarou. Less than four months after the eventful day in the courtyard, Reika had finally cut ties with him. It hadn’t been easy, and perhaps she had been a little harsh, but she couldn’t continue.
Xarou was heartbroken. Feeling unable to continue back to Gania, he lay beneath a tree trying to regain some feeling in his numbed heart. A voice belonging to that of a small girl chirped from above him.
“Are you sick or something?” He sat up and saw a young girl, around ten or eleven standing in front of him. She had flaming red hair and sparkling lavender eyes with the slightest hint of silver around the pupil….
“You’re Reika’s little sister..” She smiled and sat down next to him.
“My name’s Scarlet. What’s wrong? Did Reika hurt your feelings?” He sighed heavily and leaned against the tree trunk.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Why?”
“You just wouldn’t…”
“Why?” Xarou began to grow irritated.
“Because you’re too young to know what love is!” The harshness of his tone didn’t seem to affect the child. Instead she furrowed her brow in intense concentration. Her voice came out surprisingly calm.
“I know that love is supposed to make you happy. Isn’t it..?” He looked back at her and instead of seeing a small child he saw a graceful young lady. The way the light danced off her face and the serious expression she wore foretold of the lovely women she would become. Xarou thought his heart skipped a beat.
“If you love someone, they make you happy. If Reika didn’t make you happy, then you were never in love with her.” He was speechless for several minutes before he finally answered.
“Yes…I think you’re right….Thank you Scarlet…” Her face broke into a sunny smile, completely opposite of the way it had been only a minute before.
“You’re welcome! I have to go now! Bye!!!” Xarou watched her run off, and smiled to himself.
“Scarlet….”
He came out of his meditation as Scarlet turned over still asleep. They had been sharing the same bed for a few nights now, quite innocently. He slid back underneath the covers and rested an arm over her waist. Ever since that day under the tree, he never forgot her flaming red hair or her lavender eyes.
And now she was here with him as a woman and not a little girl. He marveled on the way fate orchestrated as he descended back into sleep.
If you love someone, they make you happy……..Love is supposed to make you happy, isn’t it..?
__________________
"When one forgets to put the emotions that overflow in her heart to rest, they burn the color of passion."
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-16-2001 02:35 AM
Weakly, she opened her swollen eyes. Mavi's head pounded as she lifted it to search the landscape. She was in a familiar place, yet she could not put her finger on the location. She blinked her eyes several times and the world around her went into focus. She knew where she was now, she was in the mansion where she was enslaved.
She was laying on a large bed, bottles were lined up on the bedside table. Her head was filled with blurry images and she had to lay her head back on the down pillow. She gazed at the ceiling, which was painted with images of gods, legends and magical creatures. She reconized it as a similar copy as the ceiling of the grand hall. She sighed and closed her eyes, a tear trickling down her cheek. Feeling hopeless and alone, not to mention confused, her body shook with sobs that ripped from her throat before she was capable of stopping them.
She fell into a fitfull sleep, as her mind searched deep for memories.
The next morning, she woke to the feeling of liquid flowing down her throat. She woke suddenly and sat up, startled. Sitting on a chair beside her bed was a woman, dressed simply in cotton as a maid. She was just as shocked as she was but they both settled down.
"What'd you pour down my throat?" She demanded, gripping her throat exageratingly.
"I don't know, the mistress told me to give it to you." She looked at the label but the lettering was deliberatly blotted out.
She frowned and told her that she refused to take whatever the putrid pinkish liquid. The servant simply shrugged and walked through a door to her right. Her eyes clearer, she gazed around the room, the walls decorated with flowery wallpaper set off by a dark green paint on the bottom. The bed she was in was large, undoubtedly a queen or king sized. On either side were small, neat little tables, simple in design. The pillows were frilly and dark green, as was the rest of the sheets and coverings. She swept the coverings aside and saw that she was dressed in flannel pajamas. At the floor beside the bed was a pair of furry slippers on an oval woven rug, blue and green. The floor was polished cherry and a chest sat across the room. In the center, she was facing a door. On the left side of the door was a tall wardrobe. She looked up again and noticed the light fixture. A chrystal chandalier, it glittered with the candles which flickered. A fireplace was at the far left of the room and another door to the right of the fireplace. She turned to her right and looked at the door that the attendant walked through.
Curious, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and slipped her feet into the warm slippers. She walked over to the door and opened it. A long narrow hallway becond her to walk down it. Mavi walked down the poorly lit hall and went to the door at the end. She turned the dull brass handle and opened it into a laundry room. Two women were working at a large basin in the center of the room and noticed her arrival. Shocked, they immediatly bowed.
"Why are you bowing to me?"
"You are our mistress...thats why"
"Mistress? But i'm only nine! and...thats all i remember."
She burst into tears and the women were touched. They dried their hands and walked over to her. They conforted the young child until she stopped crying.
"You don't remember anything? Do you know your name little girl?"
"No...It start with an 'M' though..."
Mavi cocked her head and thought. Her mind was muddled and fuzzy. She could make out little of her past, and she burst into hopeless tears again.
"Oh, don't cry child, we'll find you your name, we are good at that." The woman smiled and held Mavi in her arms.
Her face red and hot, the women cooled it with damp cloths. She immediatly felt safe and loved in the care of the two laundery women. She sat content on a cusion as she and the women talked. As they talked, pieces of the puzzle fitted together. She remembered her name, where she once lived, the names of her parents, the fact that her parents and little sister died in a shipwreck, and that she was here before. The women were proud of Mavi's progress and the three would be practically inseperable. Mavi discovered the two were both sisters, widowed when their husbands died in a ship accident as well. Their names were Kiarra and Lessia.
She returned to her bed late in the day. She entered through the servant's door and found a man sitting on a chair beside the fire, waiting for her. He looked oddly and frighteningly familiar. The man smiled kindly, but Mavi could sense a deeper evil. She sneered at him and clenched her fists.
"WHY'D YOU TAKE ME AWAY?! WHAT'D YOU DO TO ME!?"
The man was shocked. He searched for the right words but Mavi interupted his thoughts, for a young girl, she had the lungs of a grown woman. Her high-pitched yell made his ears throb as she walked toward him and stood directly in front of him, screaming at him.
"YOU ARE AN EVIL EVIL EVIL MAN! YOU TOOK ME AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS IN THAT PLACE...AND YOU MADE ME NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING! YOU ARE GOING TO HELL FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME MR.!"
Despite her being so much younger than him, she owned a very authorative voice. He wondered how she knew what had happened. He had drugged her with a drug that made a person become unsure of their past. But she obviously had not taken the right doses because she seemed to remember fine. Her small face was red with anger and her brow furrowed.
"Now listen child, you-" He was cut short
"I'M NOT 'CHILD' I'M MAVI!! YOU TRIED TO MAKE ME FORGET MISTER! WHY? WHAT DID I DO TO YOU? WHY'd you..."
Her voice was choked with tears and she ran for the bed and threw herself on it, her small body shaking as sobs broke free.
The man, her previous owner before she escaped, named Binam, was angered with the servant told to give her the medicine. He had plans for her...he could just feel it.
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Shadou Darkness on 11-16-2001 03:45 AM
The Shadow's Destiny
The Beginning of the Search
"After years locked up I have now found an answer to what I'm looking for. I should not waste anymore time. The time has come to search for my spirit. But where to start?" thought Darkness as he walked down the bare hallway of his lair. His lair is nothing more than an underground cave furnished only by his two servants to so it would look like an old ruin. But this is a very complex cave. Traps lie within floors and ceilings to hold off unwanted explorers. Hidden passages are found throughout the cave and are known only to him and his servants. The purpose of these passages is mainly for escaping but is often used to navigate the lair faster.
"ZEAR!!!" shouted Darkness as he made his way to the main hall.
Zear quickly hurried to the main hall as he heard the call of summons from his lord. He was not wearing armor at that time and is just wearing leather clothes. He was back from patrol to make sure no one sees the lair and was just getting ready to rest. "Yes my Lord? Anything I can help you with?" said Zear as he kneeled down infront of Darkness.
"Stand up. I?ve been waiting a long time for this. The prophecies said the time to search for my spirit has come. Call Gali. Tell him to meet me at the map room. I want to have a meeting before anything else happens."
"Yes my lord. I will see to it that we will come to the map room fully suited in our armor and weapons."
Minutes later the two generals arrived at the map room fully suited in their armor. "We are ready to serve you, my lord," said the two generals together in a loud but respectful voice.
"Fine. Come here, you two. Since I've never been outside and you two have always been outside, you two will accompany me into searching my spirit. There will be no hesitations." The two just nodded. "Now tell me Gali, what map is this?" asked Darkness. He pointed to the old and aging map neatly placed on the table.
"That is the map of Asheri, my lord. It is one of the continents of Aeterna and it is the continent we are currently residing in."
"Good. As I?ve sensed that the mortal I am destined to kill is nearby but is still too far away. Maybe he is on one of these places?? Darkness pointed to the Northwest part of the map. The name is blurred and cannot be read. "What place is this?"
"Ahhh. That place is called Nyliam, my lord. It is the capital of this nation we are currently in. It has a very different form of architecture than any of the cities. There are also many people there of different classes. It is very far away from our location now and will take weeks before we reach the city. I suggest we stop over Karakai then Militus before we go to Nyliam. We can gather information there and maybe find what you?re looking for in one of the cities. I don?t want to be rude my lord but can you tell us specifically what that character looks like?" asked Gali as he stopped to catch his breath.
"I do not know what he looks like but for some reason I can tell if the character is close to me or not. My research also shows that the one who possesses the key to revive my spirit will be a formidable foe and is skilled with the use of melee weapons. Anyway, never mind that. Prepare all things you have to prepare. We leave tonight!"
"Yes, my lord" the two replied in unison as they left the room to prepare the things they will need for this long journey.
While the two are busy preparing the things and other stuff, Darkness went back to the library to find the Scroll of the Prophecies of Spirits. It is in that scroll he found how to return his spirit to him. He also found out in that scroll different information about activating the ritual to revive a spirit. The important part of the scroll reads:
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The Necromancers of Death
To revive thy spirit, thy soul, and thy mind.
This ritual can only be performed once and must be performed only by beings that are cursed by eternal damnation.
To kill another being, mortal or immortal, one must succeed in this first task.
To find thy being is in thy blood, as it will be sensed by the being with no soul.
Beware of the one who holds thy key
In melee the being stands out!
If not careful, it can kill you with no mercy
After thy task is fulfilled another clue will thou appear.
Get it! So the next will be revealed.
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After reading this one more time, he then kept it in his belt and then proceeded to the main hall where Gali and Zear were already waiting for him. "It is now past dawn, my lord, We are now ready for our journey. Shall we go, my lord?" said Zear in anxious voice. The two are already dressed in their traditional armor and cape with their weapons hidden at their back. They also have prepared three sturdy horses so the journey can be a bit faster. "We will also bring money, my lord. It will greatly help us throughout our journey.
"Very well. If there are no more things to be done, we leave now!" said Darkness in a sort of loud voice.
The three then got on their horses and then proceeded through their destination, Karakai.
(OOC: This is Darkness in his still weakened body. Imagine years locked up in a ruin.....)
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-16-2001 03:34 PM
Running Away.
Since her memories were clearer, she remembered the hidden chamber. She bit her lip and climbed from the bed. She carefully opened the door in front of her. She peeked out and saw no one. She slid through the crack and tippy-toed down the hallway. The hallway was lined with doors and her bedroom was the doorway at the end of the hallway. She walked down it until she came to the main hall. She tried to remember where the panel was and remembered. She saw the location of the panel and pushed it. The panel was secure and would not budge. She frowned and turned around and gazed at the familiar hall. She saw the stairs and slowly climbed them. Her heart ached for her friend, Kans as she walked up the winding stairs. She reached the top and saw the two doors. She carefully opened the one she used to live in and found it unoccupied. She closed it and opened the one where Kans was kept, and it too was unoccupied. She frowned and sat on the floor and leaned against the wall between the two doors. She felt tears welling up and she struggled to keep the tears from flowing.
Kans opened his eyes. He was laying on the floor in the hut in Nevyell. His companions also woke up and rubbed their heads. A few groaned and then finally realized what had happened. The body of the dead man still lay there, and the smell of rot was beginnning to form. The shadow was gone and the sun was in the middle of the sky.
"What happend?" He turned to the place where Mavi was and found her gone. "WHERE'S MAVI?!"
The others looked where Mavi was and frowned. Nobody knew where she had been taken but they felt attached to the young girl who lifted their spirits. Kans was inert with fear and sorrow that his friend had been taken away.
Suddenly, a voice in the back of his mind reminded him of the mansion where they had all been taken too for slavery.
>but why didn't they take me? or the others?< Kans thought.
Kans and the others got up and cleared their minds. They walked out of the home and breathed the fresh air and listened to the chirping of the birds.
-------
Back at the mansion, Mavi was sneaking down the stairwell, keeping a wary eye out for other people. She made it down the stairs and looked longingly at the main door. She peeked around the corner and found the hall abandoned. She took and deep breath and let it out. She then took one more look down the hall and bolted for the door. She turned the massive handle, still peeking around her shoulder. She struggled against the brass knob but it refused to turn. Frustrated, she collapsed at the bottom and cried.
Solemnly, she walked back into her bedroom. Removing the sheets were the sisters, Kiarra and Lessia. They smiled at her arrival and she tried to smile back. The sisters noticed her melancholy spirit and asked her about it. She walked to her bed and sat on it. In tears, she told them everything. The women stood, deep in thought, until they both, in unison, grinned and raised their hand. They looked at each other and laughed. They then whispered between each other and smiled.
Kiarra spoke,
"We know a way to get you out of this place! You just need to curl up and hide in a large laudry basket, from there, we can take you outside and let you escape!"
Mavi was pleased with Lessia and Kiarra and their astute minds. She grinned and they went to work on their plan. She was led down the servant's hall into the laundery room. She waited until they rustled up some not-so-dirty clothes for her to be hidden in. They did not smell, so Mavi was pleased. She sat down in a large basket as clothes were packed around her. Clothes were placed on top of her and she looked up at the sisters, who smiled in reasurance. She chose to keep her face looking up as they placed a towel and some tunics over her head. Soon, she felt the basket being lifted from the ground and taken somewhere. She felt the basket stop moving and the muffled voices of the sisters, as well as one of a man.
The muffled voices stopped and the basket felt again like it was moving. She sighed relief and shortly after felt the basket being set on the ground. Her heart pumping rapidly, she felt the clothes being removed. Finally, when the towel was taken off her face, she looked up to see the smiling faces of Kiarra and Lessia.
They helped her out of the basket and lifted her out.
"Where do i go now?"
"Anywhere child, find those friends, be happy." Said Lessia.
"But...aren't you comming?" Mavi felt the tears well up again and she ran her hand along her eyes, drying them.
"Don't be sad about us Mavi child, we'll be fine, we have each other to talk to, so we'll be fine." Spoke Kiarra.
Mavi gave up trying to convince them to come with her and walked up to them and hugged them a goodbye. She waved to the sisters who waved back as she bolted out of the yard, trying to avoid searching eyes.
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Kans and the group stood in the yard, talking amongst themselves. A few of the group didn't care about the child so three stayed and remaining nine walked in search of Mavi.
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Unbeknowest to Mavi, a pair of watchful eyes followed her every movement. The solitary figure lept from his perch, which was a tree branch in a tree that Mavi passed, and landed softly on the ground. Mavi kept running, but she became tired so she slowed down. At that weak moment, the figure pounced on his quarry, trapping Mavi beneath his weight. He clapped his hand over her mouth and felt her trying to bite through his thick, black leather gloves.
"I wouln't try anything you worthless wretch. I was hired to keep you here, and not to run away, so you'd better come with me."
Mavi stopped struggling as she reconized the voice...who was it? Why did the raspy, evil voice sound so frighteningly familiar?
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Shadou Darkness on 11-16-2001 08:52 PM
The Shadow's Destiny
Fight for the treasure
Darkness and the two has stopped. They have been travelling for some time now without stopping for rest. The horses are very tired from the long journey from south of Dark Wood. The two companions of Darkness are also very tired. "Okay, we stop here for awhile. You two get some rest. I don't need any. We proceed to Karakai tomorrow." said Darkness.
"But my lord! Should our task be guarding you? You are still weak. You need to recover." said Gali as he stepped out of the horse.
"You two rest. I'll be fine. I still remember my aura and shadow blade spell. Besides, I want to explore the outside world for awhile." said Darkness.
"Thy lord is right. We need some rest. Let us set camp here and leave Lord Shadou far awhile." said Zear.
Gali just nodded. The two unpacked their belongings and has set camp for the night. Although Darkness did'nt like the day Gali and Zear persuaded him to travel during the day because of the monsters roaming the night. After some time they finished setting up camp. They finished eating their food of a hunted piglike monster and were just getting to sleep. Meanwhile Darkness has been exploring the terrain for some time now. Night is quickly approaching. Zear has warned him of monsters and bandits roaming the night but he hesitated and said "I am a part of Night. I cannot be defeated by a bunch of peasants nor monsters who live by me." While busy admiring the coming of night, he saw a nearby cave and decided to go exploring. He stepped off his horse and went into the cave. The interior of the cave is just a long and narrow hallway. Stalagmites and stalacites nearly blocked the way into the interior of the cave. Darkness had a hard time making his way into the very inside. He has to smash some overgrown stalagmites just to proceed inside. It is just the that he noticed something strange in one of the smaller tunnels of the cave.
"A light? Who in his right mind would want to live here? whispered Darkness to himself. Then suddenly he heard voices.
"WHAT A PIECE OF CRAP!!! This is our reward for raiding a caravan? I dont even know what this is for!!! said a man in an angered voice.
"Well, at least we've got some good weapons. What's that scroll you've got? Maybe it can fetch a good price at an antique shop." said another man with a lowly voice.
"The scroll said The Necromancer's of Death but I can't read the other scriptures written here" said another man with a raspy voice.
"The Necromancers of Death Scroll!! I must have that scroll no maatter what!!" said Darkness. He then began to charge up his dark aura and then showed up in front of the bandits. "GIVE ME THE SCROLL" said Darkness in a fiery and frightening voice.
"Well, what do you know. The scroll is ours and we'll not give it to you without a fight." said the man with a lowly voice. The bandits are more than Darkness has expected. They number in almost twenty. Their bodies are made up of muscles and are carrying giant axes and swords. They wear leather clothes with bloodstains on them.
"Easier said than done" You know it's not fair. You number in almost twenty. It's not fair for your side" said Darkness.
"Enough talk!" said the man with a raspy voice. The whole of the bandits charged up on Darkness. They weilded their weapons and chopped Darkness as if he was a pig about to get cooked. "He is dead!"said one of the bandits. Then suddenly one of them flew and crashed on the cave wall.
"Ever heard of Illusions?" said Darkness "It's what you chopped off. Not me." He then appeared in front of a bandit wielding an axe and punched it strait in the face. It's face together with it's skull burst into nothingness with the power of the punch. Parts of the head flew everywhere. The headless bandit just slumped into the ground. Another bandit stalked up behind Darkness and and swung his sword into Darkness head. Darkness caught the sword with his hand and landed a punch in the chest of the man. The ribs cracked and the lungs exploded. He landed another punch and let go of the sword.The man crashed into the other side of the cave wall. Upon seeing this, the other remaining bandits fled leaving everything behind including the scroll. Darkness picked up the scroll and left the cave.
"I better go to camp" said Darkness as he hid the scroll in the back of his belt. It is dawn when he returned to camp. The others were awake and are waiting for him.
"What happened my lord? You look very tired." asked Zear.
"Nevermind. Pack up. We continue our journey to Karakai" said Darkness.
The two packed up without hesitations nor questions. They woud'nt want their lord to get angry with them. After awhile they left and continued their journy to Karakai. Another day and they'll be in Karakai.
Posted by Leo Saotome on 11-16-2001 11:00 PM
The Girl
The first rays of sunshine woke this giant of a teenager rather subtly. Having slept on the floor, deeming the bed unfit for sleep, Leo had a stiff neck. He actually felt well, despite the conditions he awakened in. Looking about, Leo was at first startled. He had forgotten the events of the previous night. Now, looking at the dagger resting on the nightstand, it all came rushing back.
Leo shook his head. Can't let this get me down, he thought. Gathering up his meager belongings, Leo set out the door. He gave the overweight, gruff-looking manager a cheery smile, and set backward out the door.
This backward movement would later prove the most and least saving factor of Leo's life for-
"Oof!" protested an unfamiliar feminine voice as Leo backed up into her and set them both on a collision course for the unforgiving earth. "Watch where you're going, you ox!"
"Ox? I'm no ox." replied Leo as he stood up and rubbed his still sore neck. He offered the woman-no, teenaged girl, Leo ammended- a hand up. She refused.
"Right. If you were, you'd be down at the docks earning an honest living, not knocking innocent, pretty, intelligent, noble, famous, nice, well-liked, and most of all HUMBLE women over!" As the girl(? Woman? Leo hadn't a word in his thesaurus for the age between. ) raved on, Leo noticed she was atleast pretty. She was, as Leo had grown used to, a foot or more shorter than him. She had a healthy weight-not a waif nor a pear, mind you- and had characteristic long, braided, firey orange hair and indeed some equally characteristic orange freckles and bright green eyes. Her figure was indeed a rounded one, so Leo deemed she was atleast fifteen. The other qualities she deemed herself, due to her shabby-looking tunic and unlady-like rage, seemed unlikely to Leo. "So who are you anyway?"
"Me? I'm Leo." Here, the girl looked at him oddly, "Leo who? I'm Leo..." Come to think of it, Leo didn't even have a surname. The letter didn't help matters. In an almost-panic, Leo looked about for items to become his last name. Mug? No. Glass? No. Shop? Family? Saotome Family General Store! "Saotome! Er.. no relation to the owners of the shop behind you."
"Funny surname. Doesn't match the first. My name's Diss Arna Reidun Trine Freida Ragni Idona Unne Eldrid. But you can call me Arna. Remember it. I'll be famous some day, and I won't forget you." This was Leo's turn to look at her oddly, "I'll just pretend I never knew you. Oh! I'm late!" With that, Arna swiftly grabbed the things she had dropped, and set off in the direction of the docks.
Leo rubbed his neck, and shook his head, "Insane." Without a second thought, Leo picked up his bundle and walked across the street and into the general store.
__________________
~Leo Saotome
Intelligent, soft-spoken, and aggreeable.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw
Posted by Orocia Agua on 11-17-2001 08:16 PM
A sullen expression seemed permanently drawn on Orocia's face as she sat behind Alexandros on his horse, Angelheart. The trip to Dargent would take at least two days. And Alex really was her only ride. Not the best company, considering he threatened to kill her. Actually, she felt sorry for the horse, wondering how sore its back was from the extra weight.
"Are we going to stop anytime soon? I feel sorry for Angelheart..."
"...You're not that fat."
"Ha, ha, ha," Orocia laughed with a monotone that expressed her sullen mood all too well. Some silence passed, and Alex spoke again,"Angelheart's a strong horse. She'll tell me when she needs to rest." Orocia gave out a resignated sigh. But she was thankful she had the sense to sell the ball gown and its accessories for a handsome price, and in turn buy some much more comfortable clothes. She was dressed in a light blue short-sleeved collared shirt, almost military styled, and a pair of brown, soft leather breeches, complimented with cream cotton stockings and black tie-up boots that reached half-way up the shin. Her daggers were sheathed on either side of her, and a pocket full of gold hung in front off a matching black belt. A red kerchief tied her hair up in a ponytail, contrasting the dark tendrils that fell around her face. If anything, Orocia had a frenzied fetish for fashion, nevermind the environment. The pretty countryside and knowing she looked good was enough to keep her from hittting Alex upside the head, just for being Alex.
Just then, Angelheart gave out a short whinny. Alex laughed silently,"Great timing..." He looked for a nice tree to tie Angelheart to and sit under. Again, Orocia was glad she made snacks because already she was starving.
"Keep eating like that and you will be a problem for Angelheart."
"...Shut up." Orocia scarfed down a sandwich and chugged down on a canteen.
Alex pulled out one of his guns, and pointed it at Orocia,"Now would be a good time to talk your way out of death." He looked at Orocia's daggers,"And don't try anything stupid."
"I never need to. And it's impolite to show weapons at a meal, by the way." Orocia's eyes showed only irritation.
"Does it look like I follow rules?" Alex smiled slyly. He cocked the gun.
Orocia paid no attention to the silly threats and finished her meal, finally chugging down another gulp of water and wiping her mouth, and leaned back against the tree. She didn't say anything for a while and ignored Alex. She hoped she was irritating him as much as he was irritating her. But to her dismay, when she finally turned to Alex, his face was as calm as ever, still holding the gun. He sat cross legged, and his elbows rested on his knees.
"What do you want to know?" Orocia crossed her arms behind her head and got comfy.
"Why were you with him? And why do you have the taint?"
"Well, I kinda just ended up with him. When I was visiting port at Noit, I went to a bar that I used to work at, for a little reunion of sorts. My boss thought it'd be a great opportunity to use my fame for fortune, and... well, this guy whose hand I sliced off a year or so before just happened to be there and thought this was a great opportunity for revenge. Well, I kinda finished the guy off after he almost did the same to me. I didn't mean to kill him..." and Orocia's voice trailed off softly into silence. No, you didn't mean to, but you did. You always will. It's who you are...
That damn guilt again. She never had such a problem with guilt before, but back then, she had no need of it. Killing was her job. Why couldn't she have a normal life now?
"And..?" Alex intruded on Orocia's thoughts,"How did the vampire get in the picture?"
"Oh, yeah. Sorry. My mind wandered again..." Orocia recomposed herself,"Well, a few nights later he walked in the bar and told me that Ol' One Hand Charlie's crew wanted me dead. I really can't see how anyone could like that dirty bastard, but anyways, Rublicant told me to meet him a hotel. I never trust anyone that easily, so I went in there armed and ready. He was actually very nice. And guess who barges in? The crew. And Rublicant saves my life. He tells me he's a vampire and I'm like, Okay. I asked him why he even cared. Guess he fell in love with me... Anyways, I need to get my butt out of Gran Adageros and Rublicant, being Mr. "I'm in Love With You" whisks me away, like the knight with his princess, off to his mansion. Really, I think we were only together for a week or so..."
Alex looked at Orocia warily. "You didn't have the same feelings for him?"
Orocia looked down, flustered. "...No. I don't think so, anyways. It... wasn't real. Wasn't like it would've worked out. I kinda wish he would've left me alone, I could've handled the crew..." Orocia's voice again trailed off, but this time into a self-criticizing frown.
"What wasn't real?"
Orocia snapped her criticism short with a humph!. "It was just like a fairy tale. Except in the dark. And... my feelings... I was stupid for getting soft. I let myself get hurt. Such a stupid mistake, I know better." Orocia looked down, with sad eyes, and angry eyes. "Those feelings weren't real, now that I think about it. I don't think I ever loved him, just used him for an excuse to get away." Orocia suddenly lifted her eyes to look at Alex, putting on a smile. "Well, it ends with you falling down from the sky and killing him in one fell swoop! What else you wanna know?"
Alex sat silently for awhile. But continued,"Why are you tainted?"
Orocia looked at him in confusion,"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You're tainted. That means you have evil running its course in your blood. Why?"
Orocia looked at him, wide-eyed. Was she evil because of her past? She never thought of herself as evil. Just not all good. She sat with her mouth agape, not knowing what to say.
Alex stood up and pointed the gun down at Orocia. "You have three seconds to speak or I kill you."
"Ha ha ha!! Nice try, buddy. That's no way to get me to speak!" Orocia stood up and unsheathed her daggers. "You shouldn't be so pushy. Besides, how do you know about me? You know nothing of my past. Why are you bothering me?!?"
BAM!
Orocia side-stepped the shot and was behind the tree. Alex gave away the shot. But she had a feeling he gave it away on purpose. Anyways, it was enough to make her take him a bit more seriously. But immediately after side-stepping she ran right up between both his arms and held them straight out, staring into his face. She had the blades of her daggers at his wrists.
She spoke earnestly,"I honestly don't know what you're referring to. Unless you're a priest who can read minds. But priests save their flock from darkness, instead of killing them without a chance to repent. And I'm pretty damn sure you can't read my mind. At least I hope not."
"You have dark, enchanted blood, that's the taint!"
"What the fuck?! Enchanted?!? I'm not even dedicated! I have no knowledge of terra magic, either, you shithead!" Orocia was beyond pissed.
"That's beside the point. You're still tainted." Alex kept his composure relatively calm, compared to Orocia, whose anger was practically emanating heat. "And this time I won't let you side-step so easily." Risking leaving himself open, Alex sharply drew his arms behind him away from the blades but Orocia kept her daggers to herself. She hoped Alex would recognize the gesture as somewhat friendly. He drew the other gun and pointed them both at Orocia. "Big mistake, you should've slit my throat when I was open."
"No. If I was truly evil, I would have."
Alex drew back his fingers from the triggers. "I never give second chances."
Orocia smiled,"Of course. You're obviously no forgiving priest. But listen to my confession, anyways. It's really simple, now that I think I know what taint you're talking about."
Alex grimaced,"I'm waiting. Again."
Orocia proceeded,"Well, One Hand Charlie slashed my chest before I could get at him that night I told you about." And Orocia proceeded to unbutton her shirt enough to show where the cut had been. "It was a nasty cut, needed like 40-something stitches to close it up. The navy medics did a good job, but that night I went to see Rublicant, it started to bleed. Just my luck, Rublicant was a doctor. I don't remember if he told me, but I think he healed me with his own blood. And as you can see, he did a pretty good job. You can barely tell anything happened. Is that a good enough answer?" She smiled up mischievously at Alex as she redid her shirt.
Alex dropped his guns and put them away. "Yep. Now, I think we scared Angelheart." Orocia nearly forgot the horse tied to tree, its rope giving it enough leeway to stand somewhat safely away from the short standoff. "Let me calm her down before we get back on the road again."
Orocia gave a sigh of relief as she sheathed her daggers and plopped down against the tree again. Out of nothing else to say, and partly to jest, Orocia asked,"Anyway to cleanse myself of my sins?" She didn't expect an answer from Alex as she took another swig of water.
CUE: Alexandros
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-17-2001 09:28 PM
Mavi looked up at the face hidden by a dark hood. Who was it? Who was this person? Mavi knew the voice but his hood covered his face. Her arms were pinned and she could not move. She frantically tried to remove the heavy man from atop her. He let his hand off her mouth and reached into a pouch and took out a bottle and kerchief. He poured the contents of the bottle onto the kerchief and placed it over Mavi's nose. She knew immediatly what it was so she held her breath and faked her passing out.
The man smiled to himself and he lifted the child and draped her limp body on his shoulder like a sack. Still awake, she looked for a dagger in his belt. She frowned with she noticed that the man was wearing a large robe over his clothes so his dagger was inaccessible to her at the moment. Her heart was thumping as she racked her brain for a move that would render her captor dead, or immobile for a long enough period of time for her to escape, if not hide. She tried to keep herself from moving too much in order to alert the man of her not being knocked out.
She thought until her captor had reached his point of destination. He stopped and felt him pulling her down from his shoulders so be became limp and closed her eyes. She felt herself hit the bottom of a cart, or something hard and wooden with a hollow thump. Her head hit the floor hard and it began to throb. The pain was excrusiating but she bit back the tears. She felt the platform begin to move. She cracked open one eye and saw the trees pass by. She gently turned her head and saw that she was in the back of a hay wagon with the hooden man driving. She lifted her head and scanned the surrounding area. She noticed that the cart couldn't be a hay wagon for the walls were much too short, only about a few inches and there was no tiny peices of hay like there usually is. She sat up and saw that they were traveling on a small path winding through a grove of trees.
Mavi rubbed her head as she blinked the blurryness out of her eyes. She gave her head a gentle shake as she thought of a plan. She peered over the edge of the cart and smiled at her witty plan. She gently swung her legs over the side and let them swing there. She turned her head and saw that the man was sitting on the bench holding the reigns to the horse trotting along.
She lept from the cart and landed softly on the ground. She ran quickly for the cover of trees and breathed a sigh of relief. She ran along the cart hidden by the trees to see where it was going. By now, the horse had been slowed to a walk so Mavi didn't have to run herself ragged. She followed it and occasionaly ran ahead. Finally, she saw the road meet up with a wider, more populous roadway. She waited, hiding in the trees around the bend and watched the man stop the cart and get off. Curious, she walked back to get a better veiw of his plan. Suddenly, he let out a blood curdling yell of anguish and anger. He was looking at the back of the cart and saw that Mavi had gone. Smiling in satisfaction, she bolted for the roadway and joined a small caravan. The people there were a bit curious of her sudden appearance but payed her no mind, as long as she stayed away from their goods stored in the oxen-driven carts. She stayed near the back as she saw the people move into a city. She read a small sign on one of the massive gate doors. It read:
Fortress Callendar, Province of Lunis
She walked through the gates and was awed at the extent of the town run on trade. She walked through the village and went to the harbor. She stood on the end of the pier and frowned. She had silently vowed never to trust a ship again, unless she was going to die anyway on land by a fiery, painfull death.
She payed her respects to the deaths of her parents and little sister.
Leaving the pier, she decided to go to Nevyel to search for Kans and the rest of her previous group.
She exited the gates after being examined shortly by a guard to prove she hadn't stolen anything. She passed and so she walked down the road, just as the sun began to float behind the mountains far north.
------
Kans sighed as he saw the sun setting in the north. His party made camp and started a fire. Nobody seemed in the mood for small talk so everyone skipped the pleasantries. That night was a fitfull one, and they woke at dawn with little to no sleep. Rousing slowly, the air was tense and many faces grew stoic and hard with old worry and hatred for evil. They slowly progressed forward toward Farlarn or Callendar. They knew that Mavi's captor did not go West from Nevyel for nobody knew here there, and they strongly believed that she had been taken to Hillslay back to the mansion, but Callendar or Farlarn had to have been a stopping point in their journey.
-----
Mavi, tired and worn from walking, came to a fork in the road that had a sign posted on the split. Pointing to the right, the sign read Nevyel and pointing to the left read Dargent ruins, and Farlarn.
Which way was she to go?
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Leo Saotome on 11-17-2001 10:58 PM
The Preparations
Once inside, Leo looked about. The building seemed bigger from the inside than the outside, Leo marked. He thought that it must just be good organization.
"Welcome!" greeted a man Leo was sure must be the shop owner, or Mister Saotome.
"Ah.. hello!" Leo found the cheerful greeting a rather contagious one. "Would you happen to sell coverings for weaponry? I'm looking for one about as long as my forearm.."
"My, what a fine specimen you are!" the nimble, if not aged man exclaimed, leaping over the counter. "No no, this weapon will not do! You must have something.. er.. better! Yes, better. Perhaps I may interest you in something longer?" With that, the man lead him off into a back room.
Leo looked down at him, "Really, I just wanted a sheath.." The man looked back up as if Leo had grown a third arm.
"Really, you can't be serious! You need a weapon with a longer reach! When fighting a fully rested enemy at only a forearm's extension of arm's reach, the battle is already lost. You need a weapon for melee. Surely, with a frame like yours you realize a dagger is only a last line of defense and a weapon of deceit in the presense of friends?" At this, the man startled himself and looked suspiciously up at Leo, "Well. You don't seem to have blood on your hands. I suppose it's safe enough. Here, stand still." With that, the strange man took measurements of Leo's arm, shoulder breadth, neck, torso, and chest.
Leo had the feeling he was being tried on for one of the funny black and white jackets he had seen a consort of Rose's in one night when she went out for "a walk." The owner studied the measurements and went up and down his row of all sorts of armaments. Leo fidgeted, to the man's protest, "Stand still, stand still! There now, that wasn't torture, was it? Now, let me have a look and see what've got that fits you." At length, the man spoke up, "Here it is, here it is! I have just the weapon for you!" He grabbed and brandished a short sword, perhaps a might big for that man, who was even yet smaller than the girl--Arna, was it?-- he had met not twenty minutes before. Added to that, the man was a scrawny bit. And pale, too, which made his black hair and steely black eyes stand out all the more. "Best stuff in my stock! Err.. but not expensive, mind you! And comes with two sheathes of your choice, on the house!"
"But I didn't want.."
"There now, it doesn't matter what you did or didn't want if you're dead. I'm not letting you leave improperly armed." The man scowled darkly.
Leo was beginning to feel the man was indeed genuine, but he knew at the same time this prized weapon won't come cheap, "How much?"
"I knew you'd see it my way! Only a hundred and five gold grans!" the man took Leo by the arm and escourted him back out front, to the cash box and the rest of his goods.
"A hundred and five? Who do you think I am, some world-renowned treasure hunter? I haven't even thirty and five, much less three times that."
"Hmm hmm, tell you what. I'll start a line of credit with you. I sense a strong will within you. Your destiny is a great one. When you have the money, come back here." The man picked up a piece of paper and scrawled a number, "What's your name, last first, first second, with the initials of your middler ones following?"
Leo sighed. He couldn't very well say he was Leo Saotome here. "Ah.. Leo. Just Leo."
"Ah, Leo J. S. E. O. Queer name."
"No, sir, I haven't a last name, much less middler ones. I'm.. an orphan."
"Ah, no matter. I'll just call you Leo Broadshoulders. And, of course, your line of credit won't be interest free. I'd never make a profit giving loans to orphans without last names. Take the sword, and whatever else goods you might need, and be on your way before my better sense takes me."
Now with free reign of the store, Leo looked about. He found himself a pack with a strap to hang on his shoulder made of, he guessed, imported leather or the tanned hide of another beast. He set in it provisions that would last him atleast until he guessed the end of the mandatory sea-voyage to Sungan. Finding a map, Leo folded it up and slipped it into a breast pocket. He went to the man, and set the bag down, along with the equivalent of fifteen gold grans and the map.
"Dear Creator, you're going to run me into the ground on one day's bad business. By the way, I've got your name but you haven't got mine--"
"Saotome, right?" interrupted Leo.
"No, goodness, no. I just haven't had the heart to paint over it. They're a legacy, you know. The Saotome couple disappeared around a decade and a half ago. Baby went with 'em. Queer family they were, going away for months at a time and returning each time richer than before. I hear rumors of the Magi hunting them. But for all I know, that's all they are. Goodness, I have usurped your time! And before I'm interupted again, my name is Tomeo Kenjiro Toshiro. But you may call me Hiroshi, because that's how I'm feeling today. Here, take these as well." Hiroshi set out two sheathes, each of appropriate length for his two new weapons.
Leo nodded, and slid them both on his belt, sword on the right hip, dagger on the left. He filled either with the appropraite weapon, bowed graciously to man Hiroshi, and set out the door, map in pocket, dagger secured, shoulder weighted, and pouch lightened.
Turning about in the fog, Leo looked best he could for the docks. "Hmm. West, I suppose." Leo said aloud, to no one in particular. He found the sun, determined it was still not yet noon time, by the lack of hunger, and set off in the direction he determined was West.
__________________
~Leo Saotome
Intelligent, soft-spoken, and aggreeable.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw
Posted by Alexandros Fatali on 11-18-2001 03:30 PM
Alexandros walked from the New Dargent Thieves Guild, located underground of the ruins of Dargent. A large sack of coins hung from his belt, and he stashed it in Angelheart's saddlebags for the time being. This gold and dralar would keep him going for another month or two, before he'd have to work again, if he couldn't find work sooner. But he had that lead on Vannemeyre that he was going to follow up. He looked up at Orocia, who was sitting atop Angelheart.
"I'm sorry for being so cold to you in the past days," He smiled sincerely, "I have to, it's just part of my job. You're free to go, and if you need some money, I'll give you some,"
She looked back at him for a moment, as cold as he had been for the past few days, and the a grin broke her face, and she suddenly seemed to jump from existing as being of shades of grey into full vibrant color. Orocia looked down at him from the horse, and then slid off so that she was standing in front of him. They were nearly the same height. Alex scowled inwardly.
"I'd like to come with you, If that's okay, I want to find out what happened to Scarlet, and see what Xarou's been up to," She grimaced for her friend.
Alex thought for a moment, "That's fine with me, but let'smake a small agreement," He extended a hand, "All past arguements forgotten?" He was sincere and looked as if he was sorry for being so hard on her.
Orocia took his hand and shook it, "Agreed." She blushed slightly, knowing that she could have killed him, and he could have killed her. In all likeliness, that's exactly what they both had assumed would happen in the grove.
"Well enough," spoke Alexandros, and as a gesture of kindness, he helped Orocia up onto Angelheart, and then deftly jumped atop her.
"Wait! Can we stop by the manor? Rublicant's manor? I have some things there I want to get, and I need to tell his family that he's dead," Orocia held on tightly as Alex reared Angelheart about and began towards the east.
"Certainly,"
The pair set out towards the manor. Alex would take one of the beast's horses from the manor and let Orocia ride on her own horse, as it would make their travel faster to Kenoblious. As they exited the occupied town, Alex hid his face from the guards. They traveled in respective peace and quiet, with a few interludes of conversation. Alex told Orocia of his past, of how he was found on a street in Balanum, of his adoption and his upbringing, and of his training and abilities. Orocia elaborated on her past as a Sailor,m but delved no deeper that that. They were both orphans, and they seemed to have a common bond in that respect.
"Do you want me to purify you?" Alexandros asked as they took a short break nearly ten miles out of the city, "Cleanse you of the taint?"
Orocia looked up from her snack, "Sure, why not. It could get me into trouble later," She kind-heartedly shot a glare at Alex, who blushed and shook his head.
Alex set about getting the proper materials out of his bags, and when he had then all, he drew with the redeemer on the ground a meshai, and asked Orocia to sit within it. He sprinkeled a red leafy aromatic powder into the design on the earth, and began to chant in Ancient Lunari. He produced a vial of holy water, and sprinkled it upon Orocia, and after several minutes of this, produced a small knife, and cut open his pointer fiunger and pinky finger on his left hand, and sprinkled his blood upon her. Finally, he made the sign of the meshai on her forehead with his own blood, and a wave of coldness passed over her.
"It is done, you are pure now," Alex spoke softly, sucking his bleeding fingers
"Thanks Alex,"Orocia certainly did feel different, happier, perhaps, just better as a person.
"Don't call me Alex,"
OOC: *laugh*
Cue: Orocia
OOC: Just start your post as we arrive at the manor house
__________________
May the Creator shield you and light your path...
Posted by Stefen Shatterstar on 11-18-2001 07:44 PM
Stefen treaded water through the murky canals of Fayre with his knife clamped uncomfortably between his teeth. He had been lurking outside Welsley Mansion for over an hour. Stefen was waiting for the signal. He had been running "operations," as Amber liked to call them, for almost a year now, but the feelings of nervousness and anticipation had not dissipated. He still felt like a boy in a deadly game that most men would not survive. Hell, he WAS practically a boy. He had not even recieved his first scar. He was lucky. All of the "operations" he had participated in had gone smoothly. Of course, that was to be expected, he was working with the best of the best.
Amber Darkheart was a woman of legend and myth. She was a bedtime story used to frighten children. "Eat your dinner or Amber Darkheart will come for you." . . . The children always ate their dinner. Once a child reached a certain age, he would come to the realization that Amber Darkheart was merely a story to be passed on to HIS children.
Amber Darkheart was Stefen's mentor and surrogate mother.
Where was that signal? Stefen squinted his eyes and gazed into the foggy night. With a fog this thick, would Stefen be able to see it? He checked his supplies which were bundled on a miniature raft behind him. Still there. He was just letting the suspense of the moment get to him. The signal would come. It always did.
In the dirty business of assassination, Amber Darkheart was queen. Only the most highest ranking nobles and influencial men and women had access to her services, and even those did not believe she existed. Her name was an institution. It meant death. They would speak to a trusted servant who knew a cook who had spoken to a cobbler who had heard tell of a footsoldier who had once encountered an emmissary of Stalyn, a member of Amber's team and head of her extensive network of spies. Stalyn, would in turn send an emmisary to the noble in question. Within the week the job would be completed, with no trace leading back to the client . . . for a price.
The goal of this particular mission was to remove the occupant of this mansion, William Welsley. Being a relative amateur and new addition to the team, Stefen was only informed of what he absolutely needed to know. He had no idea who had hired them to kill Mr. Welsley or why. The only thing he was certain of was that William Welsley had stepped on the wrong toes.
Stefen was jolted from his reverie by a white dove gliding across the night sky. The signal. In a flurry of silent motion, Stefen sprang into action. Untying a grappling hook from his bundle of supplies, he swung it up to the roof and searched for purchase. Too easy. Growing up an orphan on the streets, Stefen had been forced to learn the basic skills of a thief for survival. What he hadn't learned then, Amber had methodically drilled into him when she took him in. He had a significant amount of experience with a grappling hook.
Stefen removed a coil of rope from around his shoulder and firmly tied the bundle of supplies to his back. Grabbing the rope of the grappling hook and firmly planting his feet on the mossy surface of the wall, Stefen began the arduous climb to the top. It was his job to secure the roof, play lookout, and direct the other members of the team.
Once he neared the roof, Stefen became deathly still, listening for activity. Footsteps. Methodical footsteps. Someone pacing. A guard. A guard on a routine patrol. He listened to the pattern, memorizing the pace. As soon as he heard the footsteps fade into their farthest point, Stefen cleared the wall and landed deftly on the roof. He could see the guard about ten yards away making a circuit of the area. His back was turned as Stefen knew it would be. Stefen removed an opaque bottle from his bundle of supplies and poured some of it's contents onto a handkerchief. Chloroform, Amber called it. Kerchief in hand, Stefen silently shadowed the guard's footsteps. With a practiced move of his hand, Stefen forced the Kerchief over the guard's mouth and nose. Within seconds, the hapless man passed out. With the rope that had secured the bundle to Stefen's back, he secured the guard's arms and legs firmly behind his body, rendering him immobile. Finally Stefen shoved the Kerchief in his mouth, using it as a gag and hid the man in the corner. He had secured the roof. Now the hard part would begin . . .
Posted by Alexandros Fatali on 11-19-2001 01:40 AM
Alex was riding down the lane to the Al'Teyr Manor, Orocia at his back. The trees that paralled the lane were trimmed neatly and efficiently, and the pair passed several servants that were working the gardens. Orocia directed Alex to the right, and they began to pass through part of the garden that was filled with statues.
The pair passed a statue of Gaxx of the Crags, holding Tempest in his hand, comissioned by Laurana in her younger years. It seemed to almost be alive, and several servants and even Laurana claimed that on more than one occation a bowl of mutton had appeared when a hungry servant, or even noblewoman, passed by.
More hedge walls and elegant plants from all over Asheri passed by before the couple came across the largest statue in the garden. It was of Ezra Al'Teyr, Salamander Armada, and Tsion Aeterna. Ezra stood behind the other two, his robes billowing about him, his hands crackling with spirit energy. Tsion stood to his right, holding his strange three bladed weapon as if he were about to throw it. Salamander, broadsword in hand, stood as if he were ready to recieve a blow upon his blade. It was an elegant piece, comissioned by Zeravan Al'Teyr, and completed just before his death.
It was a shame that the Al'Teyr estate would have to revert out of Ezra's line. But Ezra's sister, Sareth Al'Teyr, gained some fame in the Great War as a healer, and when she married a lesser noble, he had adopted the Al'Teyr name. That family of Al'Teyr's lived in Fayre, in a small mansion very close to the Chora Tree. This made Alexandros wonder what Orocia's business was.
Alexandros dropped Orocia at a side door and reared Angelheart about. There was something about that one statue that just wasn't right. The one of the Three Lunari Heroes of the war, the statue seemed strange. Alexandros made his way back to the statue, and as he did, a strange feeling came over him. he stood before the creation and simply gazed. There the statue loomed, as if it were a thousand feet taller than the man. But then, from the clear sky, came a bolt of lightning. It struck Alexandros as if he were a lightning rod built to attract the strike, and he stood for but a moment, before he collapsed to the ground.
"Alexandros?"
"Be paitent, he's not awake yet,"
"As always, my friend, your wisdom is admirable,"
Salamander and Ezra stood side by side, etheral ghosts that had brought one from the plane of the living to their own world for a specific reason. Ezra stood in his green and blue summoner's robes, and Salamander stood in his diamond armor. A war was brewing again, and as the two Lunari heros that were in the spirit world, they felt as if action was nessecary.
"Alexandros?" Salamander spoke again.
"H-Hello?" Alexandros struggled to sit up. His muscles did not work, as his movements were all from his thought. Ezra and Salamander both smiled as he sat up.
"Hello Child of Darkness, Raised into Light, Alexandros Fatali, Son of the Prince of Lies," Ezra spoke in his noble voice, as if he were addressing an assembly, "Salamander and I have summoned you here for a special reason. We know of your plight to rescue the princess. Help her, and do it quickly, for she is also nessecary,"
"Princess? What?" It was only then that Alexandros realized who he was speaking to. He ackwardly stumbled to the pair and took their hands in a strong clasp, "What do you mean, Son of the Prince of Lies? Do you know who my Father is?"
"Yes, we do," Salamander motioned towards Alexandros, "But we cannot tell you that. You must, on your way to rescue the princess, notify Fayre of an imminent attack by the forces of Aramus. Find the princess, and then make your way back to Fayre. Then it is all too important that you find a man by the name of Adamas Tribune. I have communicated to him, and he is coming back to Asheri to oppose the tyrant as well. He will be the political edge behind the Lunari efforts agaist the Tyrant, and you will be one of his holy knights,"
"How ironic, that the son will fight against the father, do you not think?" Ezra chuckled good heartedly, and clapped Salamander on the shoulder.
Alexandros looked at Ezra as he spoke, "Does this princess have to do with Xarou?" Alexandros sighed in confusion.
"Find him and you will find the princess. She plays a role in all of this as well, be sure that she comes to no harm," Ezra instructed, "Find the way. Go into my manor, and into the master bedroom. pull the Candleabra closest to the curio, and a doorway will open. Decend the stairs, and discover my blessing ,"
Salamander smiled, and followed suit, "When you make your way to Fayre, find the path. Enter the Old Academy of Battlemagic. Find the dormitories. There is a room that was once mine. My blessing to you shall be hidden in darkness cloaked by light,"
"I am to do what?" Alexandros questioned, but suddenly a force seemed to slam into him, and there was a searing pain.
In unison, the heroes uttered, "Back to Asheri, back to Lunis, Noble One, Child of Darkness, Raised into Light, Revered Sir Alexandros Fatali, Son of the Prince of Lies. All will become clear in time. Remember your goals, and remember our blessings. Without them, your task will be much harder, and without them, you will never know your father,"
Then all was white...
Alexandros drew a deep breath and screamed as he fell to the ground. It was as if he had been holding his breath for minutes. He suddenly reeled to the side and his body seemed to go numb. Sweat poured down his face, and his breathing was erratic. He keeled about and vomited onto the ground. Finally, he simply collapsed. Even in his semi-concious state, the heroes' words rang clear in his mind.
"A Holy Knight? Me?" He considered it for a bit in his semi-conciousness, "If I must, for the Creator, for myself, and to find the truth, then I shall,"
And the world faded to darkness...
OOC: I'll pick this up tomorrow... Orocia, feel free to reply whenever, I'll work around it, just please don't leave the manor.
__________________
May the Creator shield you and light your path...
Posted by Alexander on 11-19-2001 08:33 PM
Beginnings
Alexander strode through the Daggerwoods, his path nothing but a route remebered that avoided many of the tree roots, pitfalls, and hornets nests that covered the wild woods. He had long ago discovered many of the spots surrounding his home that would cause him trouble, eaither the hard way, or by sighting such places from a distance. (though mostly the first, many times he had been running through the tangled woods and stumbled on such a place.) He paused as the 'trail' of sorts came through a circle of tightly-knitted great oak trees, and ran his fingers allong the worn and sick bark. They were dieing, slowly, just like much of the other life around his home. Memories slowly slid through his mind of when he was younger and the life where he stood was healthy, but it had not been so for several years now. Things were slowly dieing, and it was because of his old caretaker, a family friend that had taken him in when some event he could not remember turned for the worse and his father left, his mother dieing shortly afterwards. But that was not important now. What was important was Alex had spent the whole morning and much of the afternoon makeing his way to Filiam and back to the woods, where he bought a raspberry pie for his old man's birthday today.
Alex thrust the unplesant thoughts of life and death aside readly and strode forward, into the glade where he and his caretaker and his son lived. It was getting dark, and the sun splattered the sky with bright reds, violets, and pinks, though it itself was not visible through the dense trees. Alex pulled the hood of his dark green travel cloak down as he approched the door to the small log house the three of them shared, and pushed it open gently, setting his staff aside just on the inside of the door frame. A table made of pine sat in the middle, behind it a small fireplace, and in that three great slabs of meat. Allong the door wall and the two walls to its side lay one bed. They, like the rest of the house were rustic and worn, but were comfortable enough.
"Draven," Alex spoke softly as he stepped over twords the bed to the left, where lay a old man. "How are you feeling?
The man coughed heavly and spoke in a dry, worn out tone. "Better, thought I still can't figure out what I might have.. and why my Fire won't cure it."
Janus let a dark smile cross his face for a moment as he spoke: "Well, maybe a Magi had found what you are doing to this woods, father?"
"Nonsense.. then why would both of you be still here, and able to use your magics?" He replied swiftly.
Alex spoke again, in a soft voice, as he carefully took the intact pie and placed in on the table. "I've brought something back for our dinner.."
Both of the others eyed it, Draven was the first to speak: "Hah, so you spend all this day on the road to bring a old man something sweet to ease his pain on his last birthday?" The tone of his voice caused Alex to look down slightly as the old man stood slowly, and reached for the table, then sat. "Raspberry.. my thanks, but I don't think it will do me much good."
"Enough, the meat is done. Let's eat." Janus stood from where he was seated on his bed and gave each of them one of the three pieces.
They ate in silence, but that was useual. All three of them never really had any words to speak, at least not when thier was food to be had. As they finished, Draven spoke something nearther could understand then stood, raised one finger as if to make a comment, then collapsed on the floor.
"Draven!" Alex stood and knelt near the crumpled man, calling to his aid what little skill in Body magic he had.
Janus sat, then stood, slowly, speaking harshly: "It won't help, Alex."
"What?" Alex glanced back at his friend for a moment.
"He's dead allready."
"How do you know?"
"Deadly Thistle."
Alex blinked and stood, faceing Janus with a burrowing stare. "Poison? He's your own father, Janus!"
Janus sighed in return, the glare and distain in Alex's voice matched by his own. "And he was killing our grove, Alex. His time was up years ago."
"And? A few more months, a year at most, and he would be gone!" Alex snarled.
"Alex, do you think that clump of oaks you love so much would last? You know this is what you wanted too."
"Yes, we both agreed that he could not last much longer.. but.. this.." Alex looked back twords the dead body. "Janus, your-"
Janus finished for him. "-lack of morals never ceases to amaze me."
Posted by Alexandros Fatali on 11-19-2001 10:06 PM
Ezra's Blessing...
Alexandros rose shakily. Smoke rolled off of him and his clothing, which was a bit singed. He, however, other than feeling quite sick, was unharmed. Several servants of the estate had rushed over to him to see if he was alright, and he waved them off after they had given him some water to drink. He brushed himself off, and decided that when he arrived in Fayre, on the way to help Indigo and Caliph, along with speaking with the council, he would have to purchase some new clothing.
He walked to Angelheart, and calmed her a bit. She had run a ways off, but had stopped to munch on some of the greenery. He led her to the Manor, and tied her off to a shutter. He made his way into the house, and, with smoke still slightly rolling off of him, passed through the kitchen and into the great hall of the manor. From there, he made his way upstairs and walked the hallways looking for the master bedroom. Eventually, he found his way into the large room, and followed about the wall until he came to a large dresser, which had candleabras mounted on each side of it. He pulled one, and it did not move, so he moved to the other side of the cabinet, and pulled the other.
A grinding noise filled the room as the candleabra gave way and tilted towards Alexandros. The dresser slid to the side and revealed a stairway leading downwards. A feeling of darkness flowed over Alex as he decended the passage, and he could feel the long gone weavings of shadow, performed by Ezra himself long ago. The stairs spiraled down and to the left, until Alex was deep underground. He opened up into a large room, and though it was completely dark, a small amount of illumination was given off by the etheral Ezra that stood before him.
"Take my blessing, noble one, be resolute, and do not fail, for failure is death," Ezra smiled at Alex, and raised his hands above his head.
In a flash of light and a blur of smoky colors, the pair was atop the highest mountain in all Asheri, Mount Nyliam. The air was cold about Alexandros, and Ezra stood waiting, oblivious in his ether body to the cold. Alexandros wrapped his acket about himself as tightl;y as he could, and truged foreward. He knew why he was here. To take the Creator's test. To become a Holy Knight.
Alex truged through the snow for several minutes until he came to the crystalline doors of The Chapel of the Creator. He pushed them open and was greeted by the smell of pungent incense and the warmth of the church. The closed behind him slowly, and he was left to marvel in the glassy features of the small chapel the Creator had put upon Asheri herself. He had read of those that had come and failed, and of the few that had come here and passed the trials, only to be marked with the signs of a Holy Knight, the silver Meshai under the right eye, and on the palm of the left hand.
He walked between the rows of seats within the caphel and knelt at the alter, giving his own thanks to the Creator for this chance he was being presented with. The doors to the test were behind the alter, and Alexandros knelt for several hours in silent prayer in the empty chapel before he proceeded foreward to the doors. Over the doors were carved the three virtues of all Holy Knights. Faith, Courage, and Temperance. Making the sign of the Meshai, Alex passed through the doors.
A flash of light.
Where am I?
What is this?
And then the path opens...
Courage
Alex stood alone, Redeemer in hand, his pistols gone. He had no idea where he was or how he had come here. As he looked about, he realized he was atop a hill, and behind him was the grave of the one he had for so long called Father. He fell to his knees, sobbing, and read the tombstone. The light pierced his vision and the words burned into his soul. His adopted father had been slain by a demon. He had failed.
A shadow appeared aver Alex's shoulder, and as he rose, he saw that the shadow was not that of a human, but rather one of a giant of a demon. Grasping the Redeemer, Alexandros rose to meet his fate. The demon was red skinned and stood at least twice as tall as he. He charged the blade with frost energy, and walked slowly towards the devil.
The beast spoke raspily, "So you come to avenge your friend? Your father would not approve," The demon shook a finger as if scolding him.
Alex did not reply, rather dropping into a defensive stance and simply motioning the demon to come towards him. And come it did. the beast rushed towards him with fearsome rage, and slashed multiple times. Alex parried several of the attacks, but was gashed badly on the right leg and lightly upon the left side of his neck. Blood began to soak his clothes with the all too fimiliar pain accompaniment.
The demon came again and again, each time scoring multiple hits on Alexandros, and Alexandros wounding the demon only slightly, if even that. After almost five minutes, Alex leaned heavily on the Redeemer. His left leg was all but an incapacitated mangled ruin. His right had sustained injury as well, but would still bear his weight. He leaned with his right arm on the blade, for he had lost his left one to the demon's maw. Yet he was resolute. The demon came again, and instead of raising his blade, he mouthed a silent prayer and commended himself into the Creator's loving arms.
A flash of light.
Where am I?
What is this?
And then the path opens...
Faith
Alex blinked his eyes and walked through the plague ridden town. He was in Farai, that much he knew, but how he came here, or why he was here, he did not know. He passed a young woman whose body was left on the roadside and left to die. He removed his Meshai from his shirt and took the girl's hand, reciting a prayer aloud. He went to fetch some water for her, and was appalled by the conditions of the town. When he returned, the girl was dead.
Alexandros would not pity these people. The Creator had his reasons for inflicting this upon the people, and either the people deserved it, or this was all part of the grand scheme. Alex stayed in the town for several days, ministering to the sick, and leading the ones that were still healthy in prayer for their loved ones. Until one day, he came down with the symptoms himself.
The reaminder of Alex's days were spent in agony, as the disease ravaged his body, destroying his physical being. There were moments of weakness when he doubted the Creator, but always he would come back to his original point. The Creator had his reasons for inflicting this upon him, and either he deserved it, or this was all part of the grand scheme. His agonizing final hours were in the company of the people he had helped in his days in the town. Until in a violent fit of coughing, his heart gave out.
A flash of light.
Where am I?
What is this?
And then the path opens...
Temperance
Alex stood within an elegant Karakian harem, how he came here, or why he was here, he did not know. What he did know is that he needed to get to Fayre as soon as possible to meet up with his wife. Several girls were approaching him, and one began to kiss him as another began to peel off his jacket. They were slim, petite, and dark, just Alex's favorite kind of women. They all wore soft gowns that were see through in parts, but solid enough to not give anything away.
Alexandros reeled away from them, before one of them spoke, "What's wrong, cutie? Don'tcha want to see what's under the covers?"
He was tempted. These women were better looking than his wife, and likely more experienced at pleasuring men. One of the women jumped on him and threw him onto a bed. The three women laughed girlishly and began to remove his boots.
"No, really," He laughed, "I can't,"
"Come on, I know I can do you quick," One of the girls leaned over, dressed in a dangerously low cut dress, she was almost already spilling out.
"No me!" cried in another. Soon all three of them were fighting over Alex.
Alex wanted so badly to lay back and expierence what pleasure he could here, but he knew of his nessecity in Fayre. And his wife, he could not betray her trust. he rose from the bed as the three were fighting, grabbed his boots, and made a run for it.
"Where are you going?" They all cried in unison, but he was already gone.
A flash of light.
Where am I?
What is this?
And then the path opens...
Alex stumbled out of the doorway to the space behind the altar in the chapel. A burning sensation was upon his face and left hand. He had done it. He had become one of the Revered Holy Knights. He was now Revered Sir Alexandros Fatali.
He made his way around the altar and bowed to give his thanks for the strength the Creator had given him to complete the tests. He clearly remembered all of them, and clearly remembered that he did not know he was being tested. He thanked the Creator that he had the steength tho pass the tests, and also, in the back of his mind, he somehow knew that he was the 1,313th person ever to complete the test. He once again offered his praises to the Creator.
It was then that he saw Ezra standing behind him. The spirit's body was fading.
"We must go now, Noble One, may the Creator shield you and light your path always..." Ezra spoke soflty and embraced Alexandros. Then, in another flash and blur of smoky colors, he was gently deposited in a puff of smoke next to Angelheart. Ezra was nowhere to be seen.
Alexandros looked to the sky, and spoke to himself, "For you Ezra, and for you Salamander, and for Her, I shall stand resolute for all time..."
OOC: I'll update Alex's profile soon
__________________
May the Creator shield you and light your path...
Posted by Alexander on 11-20-2001 01:55 PM
Beginnings 2
The next day-
Alexander pulled the hood of his cloak up tight to ward off the cold wind that had just started blowing. Bad omen, he thought to himself. He and Janus had just finished burying Draven, Janus had gone inside while Alex wanted to stay out a moment more and think about the recent events. Janus's actions had proven his afinity for Shadow. It would be obvious to anyone who could put two and two together, when one looked at his attitude. Maybe it's time we go our own ways... ...but the two had known eachother since they were five, and Janus was Alex's only friend. Sure, it was mostly because he was the only other kid his age that was around, but still. Friendship was friendship, as far as Alex was concerened. He turned from the grave and picked up his walkingstick with one had from where it sat against a tree.
"Janus," Alex spoke quietly.
"Yea? Your done, finaly?" Janus came from the house.
"Yes." Alex ignored the scorn in his friend's voice.
"Why do you bother, anyways?"
Alex sighed softly as he walked twords the edge of the glade, Janus just behind him. "Because he took me in."
"Still, he is dead. Tear's don't benifit the dead."
"Do you ever think of anything besides yourself?"
"No. Not useually, anyways. Is thier someone or something else I should think of?" Janus looked at Alex questioningly as he let his lute slip from where it was strapped on his back to his hands, and began to tune it.
"I hope so." Alex sighed.
And Janus laughed softly, sing-songing a verse:
"The fields lay dead
The rivers run with dust
Nothing to break the lifeless
Nothing but the black hole sun"
The two came upon the highway shortly after Janus compleated his verse, and with one quick look each direction, Alex divined the way south and started walking twords Filiam. As the sun began to set, he saw smoke in the distance against the dark sky.. not enough for a fire, just the smoke of a cold city with many burning hearths. By the time the moon was up, they entered the city silently. Alex was haveing some trouble seeing, as he had not yet learned Body magic enough to let him see in the dark, but Janus was haveing no problem, and soon he spoted a inn in the distance the could stay at.
Janus pushed the doors of the building, 'The Lumberjack's Rest', aside, squinting slightly and putting a hand up to block the glare from the bright lights inside disturbed his darkvision. Alex entered after him, allso squinting slightly, he let his eyes drift around the drunken mess inside the common room. There was a healthy fire in the fireplace, allong with a oil lamp on each table, leaveing the room with a smell of burning oil, wood, and, most of all, beer. The best way to discribe those in the room would be rabble. Every one of them was drunk or quickly on the way to being drunk. Alex stepped forward, trying to ignore the mischivous grin that was slowly forming on Janus. He paid for the rooms quickly, pointing out Janus to the barkeep.
Janus quietly sliped to the front and square in the room, and un-strung his lute. He strumed it once, then tuned it again, slightly, addressing the crowd: "I could not help but notice the lack of proper music for such a party," Sarcasm dripped from his words, though apparently no-body recognised it. "and I thought I would be so kind as to share."
He began to play, a roudy bar song that rolled off his lips like magic. He gathered the attention of the crowd with one swoop of his song, like a farmer harvesting grain with a scythe. As the long song came to a close, some of the more richer drunken rabble tossed coins at him as thier was a general cheer- a weak cheer, seeing as that is all that could be managed, but a cheer still. He bowed, and began gathering the coins quickly. Mostly copper and silver, but still it would add up eventually. Janus smirked softly as he could feel the Shadows whipping around him like they allways did when he called on them. Quickly he made his way upstairs and to his room. The night was half over, and no doubt they had a long day of travel ahead.
Posted by Keiru Silver on 11-20-2001 02:32 PM
Indigo and Caliph had arrived at Kenoblious the previous evening. Indigo had been quite restless, but at Caliph's insistency, they had decided to explore the town and gather information before rushing about, guns blazing.
They split up, Indigo heading for the market, Caliph heading for the taverns. The search had yielded little for Indigo, and he had not yet met up with Caliph. A few people knew of Xarou, but no one seemed to know which of the mansions was his. It seemed that the lower class was kept ignorant of the doings of those higher up.
Indigo stopped at a vendor selling firearm modifications.
"Interesting wares," he commented.
"I was exiled from Balanum during the war 20 years ago. I was one of the few people who knew how to make handcannons. Now it seems everyone knows. I guess it's a blessing that most people are too used to swords."
"Well, that's strange. I figure someone in your business would want more people to use them."
"I make a living. That's all I need. I don't want to be rich at the expense of lives."
Indigo nodded. "What's this one do?" It was a cylindrical tube, with a lens at each end.
"It's a scope. Basically, it's like a telescope for your gun. Go ahead, try it."
"Wouldn't it have to be calibrated?"
"You're a smart man, I see you've been playing with that model for a while. I'll do it."
"Silverblade. Dedicated to the ways of the barrel, I suppose."
The man tinkered with Salamander, occasionally looking through the scope. "I should ask, this is a lot of work if you aren't going to buy it."
"How much?"
"3 silver."
Indigo rummaged around his pouch. "All I have is two silvers and a copper."
"Close enough, I guess. Not a lot of customers today. It's a deal. Here. Try this."
Indigo took Salamander and held it at an arm's length. "It's strange." He peered through the scope. "I wonder if..." He changed his stance and held the gun directly in front of him with both hands. "Yes, that's better. It feel more nat-"
Indigo's eyes widened. Between the etched lines of the lens, crimson hair disappeared around a corner. Indigo flung the coins towards the man. "I'll take it!" he shouted, running towards the place where he had seen the girl.
He turned the corner, and his heart leaped. "Scarlet!" Scarlet turned around and stared.
She was with someone... Xarou. "Do I know you?" she asked.
Xarou, seeing Indigo's face, smiled faintly. "Just some boy who heard about your beauty and wanted to see for yourself."
Indigo's face was a mask of pain. "Xarou, step away, or I swear, I'll put a bullet in that remorseless head of yours."
"Young man, there's no need to be violent," Scarlet said, trying to smile.
"Scarlet, it's me! Indigo! I love you!"
"I understand that you're captivated by her beauty, young man, ah, Indigo. But love is more than a rumor of someone's outer beauty. If you love someone..." Xarou trailed off.
"They make you happy, right Xarou, dear?" Scarlet finished, holding onto Xarou affectionately.
The following scene seemed to move in slow motion. Caliph came around the corner behind them and yelled Indigo's name, trying to dissuade Indigo from firing. Indigo's weapon was trained on Xarou's chest, crosshairs unwavering. Local authorities, alerted the the scene, appeared to protect the peace. Xarou turned to assess the situation, taking his eye off of Indigo.
Time froze. Indigo's finger squeezed the trigger, and the flash from the barrel seemed to blaze for minutes, rather than split seconds. Indigo grimaced, and the soldiers were upon him, wrenching the gun away.
Scarlet knelt at Xarou's side, but her attention was on Indigo. How do I know him???
Caliph looked at Indigo, and Indigo nodded. It would do little good for them both to be captured, so he walked casually away from the scene, avoiding attention.
And in the middle of it all, because of the look of pain on Indigo's face, and despite his own wound, Xarou smiled, for Scarlet had not left his side...
__________________
Welcome to my world...
Posted by Scarlet Rosenblade on 11-20-2001 03:50 PM
Scarlet felt like a fly on the wall. Everything was in chaos around her but she seemed distant from it…Xarou was surrounded by doctors who were administering emergency medical aid. She tore her eyes from his bloody chest and looked after the young man being drug away from the scene. Everything had been so peaceful moments before….
“SCARLET!! DON’T YOU REMEMBER??!”
(Indigo!)
A steady pulse began to build in her head until it felt like it would split. She gritted her teeth and held her throbbing head in her hands. What’s going on? From overhead she heard the boy crying her name, adding to her confusment. A burning sensation through her body now accompanied the silver pain in her mind.
(Indigo! Don’t leave me here alone!)
She fell to her knees and began to scream. The pain was excruciating. Worse than the pain was the feeling that she was forgetting something crucial. People began to close around her fearing she was having a breakdown. She screamed again, but not in pain. It had subsided as quickly as it had come. The boy! She had to see him!
(Indigo!!!) It had become a steady chant in her subconscious, filling her conscious mind with a sense of urgency.
She struggled to her feet and ran after the boy that had shot Xarou. Fearing she may have lost them she rounded a corner to see him being beat into submission by the guards surrounding him. Instinct overruled her judgement.
“No!!!!”
The soldiers looked up from their prey to the girl with flaming red hair. Whatever urge had made her follow the group had left her and she found herself at a loss for words.
“Lady Vannemeyre, this man shot your Lord. Why should we show mercy?!” Scarlet looked down at the crumpled figure of Indigo. As much as she felt she had a right to, she couldn’t be angry at him….She wasn’t angry at all…..She was.. Her shoulders slumped in defeat and her mind was completely blank.
They picked him up and began to drag him toward the jail. He looked over his badly bruised shoulder and cried out weakly.
“Scarlet…” Indigo’s heart lurched when he saw that her eyes only looked at him. He could see no spark of recognition within them.
Helpless, she could only watch as they drug him away. Why am I here?, she thought. Why should I even care what happens to him? The answer came to her, startling her in its simplicity.
I know him….
She couldn’t remember him at all. So why was she crying? Unbeknownst to her, tears were streaming down her face, but not because Xarou had been hurt…..
Why am I crying?
She turned to a hooded figure that seemed to be studying her tears. She held out hand, her fingertips wet with the salty fluid.
“They came of their own….I don’t understand…” She turned back to where the young man had been.
“I know him..”
The echoing chorus faded into the mist again. Her eyes became hazy and she swayed as dizziness enveloped her. She walked shakily back to where Xarou lay, the hooded figure following her as she did so….
__________________
"When one forgets to put the emotions that overflow in her heart to rest, they burn the color of passion."
Posted by Scarlet Rosenblade on 11-20-2001 06:33 PM
Scarlet sat on the edge on the bed, gently stroking Xarou’s hand. They were both back in his mansion now and evening had already descended.
The wound inflicted on Xarou had been on mark, but fortunately the breastplate he had worn stopped Indigo’s bullet from piercing his heart. Although Dedicated doctors had been on hand to prevent him from simply bleeding to death, they couldn’t replace the blood he had already lost. Instead they wove a healing spell over him to quicken the rate of blood regeneration and recommended that he should have bed rest for at least three days before attempting daily activities again. He had been in a state of unconsciousness, but the doctors had assured Scarlet that once his blood started to increase he would come out of it. She released his hand and stood up, letting her cloak spill around her feet.
Now that she was sure Xarou would be fine, she had other matters to attend to.
Using the servant’s entrance, she slipped out into the misty night. Xarou’s mansion was fairly remote, but she had been outside enough times to see where the paths were that led to the road that ran into Kenoblious.
Cautiously, she made her way to the stables and mounted a horse that she had saddled beforehand. On horseback, the trip into town would be quick, and hopefully she would be back by the time Xarou woke so he would have no knowledge of her absence. She shivered, pulling the cloak tighter over her shoulders. He wouldn’t approve of what she was about to do. But she was determined to do it anyway.
She was going to talk to the man from earlier that day. He obviously knew her from somewhere and she had a feeling she knew him too. He may be able to tell me something about my past, she thought hopefully, steering the horse onto the path. She waited until she was far enough away that the sound wouldn’t travel to bring it up to a gallop.
He said he loved me......, she thought, feeling the slight burning sensation of a blush spreading across her face. Vaguely she wondered if the real reason why she was sneaking out in the dead of night wasn’t because of that.
She had no knowledge of it then, but in the short, violent time she had been reunited with Indigo, even in her current amnesiac state, she had fallen in love with him all over again.
CUE: Caliph or Alexandros. Perfect opportunity for one of you to intercept Scarlet on her way to the jailhouse. She’ll be very untrusting of you at first, but if you can convince her you’re really Indigo’s friends she might consider withdrawing her dagger from your neck. However, she wants to see Indigo on her own so whatever you want to say to her, say it before she gets to the prison.
And Indy, I’ll let you take over the conversation in the jail. Scarlet won’t remember you of course, but you can easily get past the barriers she's put up against you and soften her heart.
__________________
"When one forgets to put the emotions that overflow in her heart to rest, they burn the color of passion."
Posted by Leo Saotome on 11-20-2001 11:11 PM
The Dedication and The Girl, Again.
The Dedication
Either Leo's stomach had mislead him, or his navigation skills were not exactly up to par. At any rate, Leo was heading one-hundred -eighty degrees in the wrong direction, and any time he held his map he was holding it backward so that North was South and vice versa.
"I would think the docks would be closer," sighed Leo, dismayed, as he left the city limits and continued eastward. As the day wore on, Leo began to get discourage. Finally feeling the first pangs of hunger, Leo reached into his pack and pulled out a slice or so of toasted bread and afew strip of jerky, which he ate as he walked on. He looked about, and determined to stop at the first sign of civilization and ask for directions, and even if these mystery docks existed. Leo was clearly lost, and the narrow visibility didn't help matters.
At long last, Leo saw the outline of a building which, even shrouded in mist and at the distance of ten yards, looked indeed quite dillapidated. Coming up to the building Leo looked it over and took in all that he could of it. The place seemed to him like a religous grounds that had fell into misuse and finally its current condition. Perhaps I may find someone left inside, he thought.
He pushed aside the still-sturdy door, and stepped inside.
"Leo! Son! Is that really you?!" exclaimed a short man, shorter even than the man, Hiroshi, Leo had met earlier. He was also quite round in the belly, but sturdy-limbed, as if he lived a hard life followed by one that rewarded him so far as he had worked. The man wore a silken black cap on his head, from which the last of the man's sun-bleached hair poked out around the edges and pulled together before his ears down into a thick bushy blonde beard and moustache. He wore a blue jacket with matching straight-legged pants, a silvered vest and a fluffed white shirt under it all. "Well, don't just stand there!" The man urged, "Give Daddy a hug already!" At which Leo heartily complied, nearly even in tears. "So what do you think of my-I mean, our our- new home?"
Leo looked about once more. The place inside was not at all as Leo had seen it on the outside. Here, inside, was a room of luxury, fine mahogany stands tapped with oil lamps, paintings of great detail, a very comfortable-looking set including a sofa and lounging chairs, and to top it all off a dining set made with cherry wood, the table of which was set for four to dine comfortably. Something gnawed at the back of Leo's mind- how did he get here?
"Dad?" Leo tested. It sounded familiar enough, if a little rusty from his misuse of the word. "Dad, how did I get here?"
The man appeared to have been taken aback by that question. He seemed to consider something, then took Leo's hands, pulling him down to eye level. Leo's father lusts after a woman-"
"No, not that- how did I get to this house? It seems the last thing I remember is a nice man named Hiroshi. He was very generous and-"
"Leo, silly, you moved here with us just this last few days!" stated a wp,an Leo assumed was his mother. She was rather tall, Leo noted, and her waist-length dark brown hair made her look still quite youthful, possibly in her late thirties or early fourties. Leo noted in her hair a streak of grey and afew stray strands of that color now and again. She had come in from what Leo decided was a back room or a kitchen, and was holding a covered silver platter as a token from that room. She wore a white apron with "Mom" embroidered in navy blue lettering at the top right-or left, from her perspective- over a red dress that well fit her child-bearing form. Something still wasn't right.
"Then why were you so surprized to see me?" the young man retorted in the direction of his father, who promptly chuckled.
"Because you normally aren't out of bed until the sun's been set an hour." Leo looked behind himself and out the door-or rather, into his bedroom. "You're dense today. Enough with this ninety questions business and get to dinner already!" Again, Leo complied and sat at the guests end of the table, opposite his father, who sat at the head. Leo's mother sat at his father's right and Leo's left.
Leo thought to ask who the remaining place was for, but before he could ask, his question was answered. The place was filled by a little girl, about eight years old, with the same raven hair as her mother's, only in perspective it seemed longer. She sat down opposite her mother, smiled sweetly andsaid in a pretty little voice, "Hi Leo! Something smells good.. " This atleast, Leo agreed to without question. He smelled what must have been some sea-fish from far away. It was familiar and at the same time foreign, Leo determined. Looking out the window, Leo watched the sun set. The view itself was so enchanting that Leo was simply enamoured with it. In his distraction, Leo missed the sudden change, and nearly missed his own death for-
"Gah!" Leo was knocked backward out of his seat by his father, and at the same time scratched across his chest with deep scores. He scambled out from underneath the wolf that had been his father, and moved to the far corner. Leo's first thought was to flee for his life. His second was one of more reason. No. The puzzle pieces don't fit, he thoughtThis isn't my family. In the same moment, the black and greyed wolf that had been Leo's mother leapt over the table, knocking it down in the process as well as effectively putting herself between Leo and the only exit. He drew his sword by instinct, but hadn't yet dared to use it. With Leo distracted again, the smaller black wolf tore at Leo, leaping high into the air. Leo moved back and swung hard at the small body, effectively hewing head from body. Both fell to the ground with a sickening thud and reverted to the humand forms. Leo had to look away from what had been his sister.
With Leo overextended from the last blow, the bleached wolf pounced Leo from one side and pinned him to the ground. In the momentary scuffle before hand, Leo's sword was separated from his hand, and glided harmlessly across the floor to the overturned table. Leo's freer and more dextrous left hand searched for and quickly found his dagger, which glowed as brightly now as one hundred stars, and through some panicked impulse stabbed the blonde wolf in the abdomen just as it sank its teeth into Leo's shoulder. This wolf howled a sickening howl before falling limp on Leo's body, head beneath Leo's chin, and reverted to the human shape. Sadly, Leo pushed the body of his father aside and moved to retreive his sword, turning his back to the forgotten black wolf. Before he was near enough to grab his sword, he was pinned chest down to the ground with his left arm pinned firmly, a practiced movement. Suddenly, it hit him.
Leo, using a great deal of force, rolled onto his back and grabbed the wolf's neck, "You are not my mother! Release me now or swallow steel for impersonating her, you miserable cur!" The wolf, now baying and snarling as it tried fruitlessly for Leo's neck, bore down on him ever harder, succeeded breaking Leo's defense, sinking its teeth into Leo's neck as he cried out, "I know what this is, now stop it!"
And suddenly all went black.
Leo stood alone in a now moonlit room with rubble all about him. Without warning, a sweet yet disappointed-seeming voice spoke in Leo's mind. You have failed, it started, You are Cast. You hesitate even to face your duties and defend yourself. Learn to defend yourself and work with your destiny. Accept this fate, and move on.
Leo looked at the back of his hand and saw there a rune. He knew its universal meaning was a rune to emphasize "Talented," but Leo took it as a brand to cast him into the same pit as the "Failed."
Leo sighed and stood alone in the dark a while.
_____________
The Girl, Again
When Leo finally left the temple, he knew he was in sore shape. He was indeed still tired from the previous events, although and wounds and the memory of receiving them had left him. His weaponry, too, was retruned to its original setting on either of Leo's hips. Leo knew his food supply was finite, and he was still no less lost than before.
"Fire! Fire! How could I be Dedicated to fire?! I'm a First Mate for crying out loud!" ranted a familiar female voice. Leo, who now sat at the bottom of the steps leading up to the temple, looked behind himself, and was startled. There, he saw Arna in rather queer dressings, a step or so up from the rags Leo had met her in. She wore now a tanned leather traveling vest with a long-sleeved white shirt beneath, and a non-descript skirt that ended inches above her knees. Leo thought it looked nice, but he didn't stare long. In her latest rant, she hadn't notice Leo. "Sailors are supposed to be Dedicated to wind and water, it makes logical sense! What is uh-agh!" This, apparently, was Arna's turn to be clumsy. She tripped over her own foot, did a falling flip of sorts, and landed conveniently on Leo's lap.
"If the question was 'What's up?' it apparently isn't you." Arna wasn't amused. She scambled out of Leo's lap, twisted around to face him, fists on hips, took a scolding position.
"You block! You stone! You worse than senseless thing! That's twice now I've run into you and twice now I've fallen! You're a jynx, you know!"
"I don't beleive in superstition. And make up your mind, what am I really? A block, a stone or an ox? I certainly can't be a jynx because they don't exist." Leo grinned and winked partially at Arna.
"Ooo! Men!" Here, Arna was bright red, and any that saw her would tell you she wasn't imbarassed. Leo was afraid she'd burst into flames, quite literally. She huffed off, and Leo followed, seeing his only route off the island leaving.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Arna. I'm..er.. lost. Could you tell me the way to the Noit docks?" This, Leo thought, simply wasn't enough. Leo, in his despiration, could only think of this to add, "Please?" Arna stopped, and pointed angrily in the opposite direction they were walking, which was indeed the true west.
"But it won't do you any good. The Gran Adageros ports are being closed due to some squirrely people doing squirrely things on the Northern continent." Arna added, quite helpfully.
Leo was surprized, "Really? But I must get to Sungan. Or atleast, off Noit and into the rest of Akaros." Leo remembered something, "Didn't you say you were a skipper?"
"First Mate, thank you, and I'll be Captain soon as my Pops shoves off this mortal coil."
"So that means you've got a ship! Hey, waitasecond. If the docks are in the west, why're you heading east?"
"Alright, Magi. I'm going east because that's where the ship is!" Before Leo could interrupt, Arna interjected, "Yes! It's most likely illegal to shove off after the ports have been closed! But lives depend on us, and that's what really matters!" This is where Leo saw Arna in a new light. Her haste, temper, and hot-headedness were all explained in that short little phrase. At least, some of it. "So before you can go off and squeal, you're coming with me!" Arna produced a rope, "Willingly or if I have to drag you."
"Fair enough. I'm coming along, and willingly. But you have to get me passage to Sungan, so I may live my life in peace." Leo leaned forward, and lifted his sword partway from its sheath, for emphasis. At that, Arna laughed openly.
"Yer lookin' at the First Mate of the Sea Ship Maelstrom! You're in no position to bargain, seeing as you've got nothing of value. And I don't have my position lightly jsut because my Pops is Captain. You're no threat to me, as I've bested all other candidates for first mate in swordplay!" She leaned forward, mocking Leo, and lifted her curved, ornate flat-bladed sword partially out of its hilt. "So back off, sit tight, make no demands, take no prisoners and follow me!" At that, Arna was off into the mist.
Leo followed not far behind, until they came to the Maelstrom. It was a glory to behold..
______
OOCly: Oops. Heh heh. Forgot an end tag.
__________________
~Leo Saotome
Intelligent, soft-spoken, and aggreeable.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw
Posted by Orocia Agua on 11-20-2001 11:46 PM
Orocia was well inside the manor, on her way to Laurana's room. Laurana was Rublicant's grandmother. Orocia walked down the hallway leading to the room, and pulled out Rublicant's necklace. She had not picked up his dagger from that night. Some random noble would have the chivalry to send the daggar back to the manor. She didn't forget to pick it up, but felt compelled not to, not after what had just happened. A pang poked at her heart from thinking of Rublicant. Poor guy... And yet again, Orocia found herself questioning her feelings for him, but stopped herself, making herself forget it like she did with all her other bad memories. Ironically, she knew it would only come back to haunt her, another ghost to fight with. She had no idea what would happen when her personal demons would overpower her will to fight back. She could only hope she'd still have hope. She could never pray, not with her damnable sins. That'd be a slap in the face to the Creator. She wasn't worthy. She knew no matter how much she tried, she'd always fall short. And yet she hoped. Hopeless, if you asked her what she thought of herself.
She cleared her mind in an instant, prepping herself up to tell the bad news. An awful, slow, crawling shiver seeped through her nerves. She tensed her muscles and relaxed, took a breath, and walked in.
The room was warm with light yellow and pink dancing on the walls from the about-to-set sun. Orocia walked slowly in and saw Laurana sitting peacefully in a chair at a desk, looking at the window. Some papers were on the desk.
"Laurana?"
Orocia had only spoken to the elder woman twice, one a formal introduction by Rublicant and the other a informal bump in the many hallways Orocia got lost in. Laurana seemed very sweet, maybe a bit overprotective, but it hurt Orocia to think that Rublicant wasn't able to talk with his own grandmother, not the way he used to, before his transformation as a vampire. She could sense his pain when he talked fondly of her. Again, she almost pushed these thoughts away but not before Laurana answered,"Orocia? Come in, please, come next to me."
Orocia blushed slightly; she was always shy around people she recognized but wasn't familiar with. She went and kneeled at Laurana's side. For her 75 years, the woman was still remarkably strong bodied and sharp minded.
She turned to Orocia,"Come now, you needn't be so proper with me anymore, young lady." A sly smile spread across Laurana's lips.
"No, it's quite alright, I'm more comfortable this way." Orocia spoke more formally to show her respect. "Laurana...?"
"Yes?"
Orocia's voice was soothing and soft,"Listen to what I'm about to say: "
Laurana's face sombered, and she looked back to the window. "He's dead. Rather, been freed, but killed in the process. May the Creator have mercy on him."
Orocia's face was still in shock, with only her eyes widening just a little so that she wouldn't frighten the woman. Her lips were pressed together tightly, as if to keep her jaw from dropping.
"How di--
"A little birdie told me."
Again, Orocia could only stare speechless. She would not ask any further, that'd only be disrespectful. She really did not know what to say, and sighed in defeat, looking down. Her eyes rested on her hands and noticed she still held the pendant.
Orocia hesitated at first to speak,"...He gave me this." And she handed the crystal pendant to Laurana. Instantly her face was warm again at her recognition of it. Orocia could only wonder what it was and asked accordingly.
"A good friend to have," Laurana smiled down at Orocia. "You'll come to be familiar with it soon, I promise." And she picked up Orocia's hands and put the pendant back in them. "Take good care of it... and it will take good care of you."
Orocia's mind was full of questions, but she trusted the old woman with her assurances. "Okay..." Before Orocia could think of what else she needed to say, Laurana interrupted her thoughts with,"Take a look at the papers on my desk, please, Orocia."
Orocia stood up and bent over the papers, skimming over them, then picking them up to inspect them more closely.
"... .. . . ah. Uhh."
Laurana laughed cheerfully behind Orocia,"Well, go on and sign it. It'd be a disrespect to me if you didn't." And Laurana put a disconcerting tone at that last statement for added effect.
"But! These papers will make me the heiress of your wealth! I.. I..."
"Hurry up and do it, I might die if you stand there too long." Orocia could hear the grin in Laurana's words. It didn't calm her at all.
"But Madam Al'Teyr! You barely know me! I'm not worthy of this good fortune!!"
"You question me?"
Immediately Orocia knelt and bowed in respect to Laurana,"Forgive me, I mean--"
"Didn't I ask you to not be so formal with me?"
Orocia looked up at Madam Al'Teyr with the most pitiful face. "I'm sorry... I.."
Laurana could not help but laugh. "My dear. Whatever inner battles of yours you have, to succeed to fight them for this long means you have a strong will. You've got fighting spirit. And I know you'd never let that flame die within your heart!" Laurana picked up Orocia's face in her hands,"Rublicant saw something in you, Orocia. And despite what may have happened, I trust his choice. Anyways, you gave me a good first impression!" Laurana patted Orocia's cheek affectionately and pulled her up to stand. "Now sign, and take on the name."
Orocia picked up the pen, and signed her maiden name on the documents, and on the final document, found herself signing the name Orocia Agua Al'Teyr. She watched the letters of the new name draw themselves upon the paper, in hesitation at first, but then in amazement. How is this happening? She stood back from the desk, and turned to Laurana.
"Thank you, Orocia." She smiled warmly up at her,"I'll have my lawyers take care of it now." Laurana paused,"I see you're going somewhere...?"
Orocia looked slightly uneasy at Madam Al'Teyr,"Yes. An adventure of sorts. Will you be okay by yourself? I'll stay if you nee-"
"No! No, no, no, don't worry about the nice old lady!" Laurana's eyes shone with laughter,"I can handle sleeping and eating and getting babied by servants quite well, thank you. I'm not going to take the joys of youth away from you! Enjoy it while it lasts!"
Orocia smiled, finally, at Laurana, and bowed to her goodbye. "It's been a pleasure, Laurana." And as Orocia left, she heard Laurana call out, "Good luck, Tiger Lily!" Another shock to Orocia, who could only wonder how she knew her nickname. Quickly, Orocia went to the room she had occupied and found her duffle bag. She pulled out all of her weapons in it: the machete, her brother's butterfly swords, her folding fan/butterfly knife she had since she was a child, the hairpin from those darker days. She noticed her wooden flute, wrapped in a ribbon with a letter attached to it. But Orocia left her thoughts hanging in hurry, as she picked up the machete and its scabbard, hung it on her belt, stuck the hairpin in a boot and the folded knife in her coin pocket, and finally hung the crystal pendant around her neck as she rushed out of the mansion, so that there'd be some sunlight left when she met with Alexandros, and for when they would start back on the road to Kenoblious.
CUE: Alexandros
OOC: I hope I played Laurana correctly!! *sweatdrop*
--Indy, Caliph, and Alex: Orocia's just gonna hang out in the background, and be quiet, but feel free to strike up conversation, she's friendly and easy-going when not in a hostile environment. She's a great cook by the way! She'll be happy to do what favors you ask of her if it's reasonable, but remember she's leaving it up to the guys and is more just a back-up for when things get icky. Which, looks like they have... Heh. ^_^;; Her motive to tag along is to make sure Scarlet is really okay.
Posted by Alexander on 11-21-2001 04:45 PM
Alex woke suddenly as light streamed through the single window to his small room at the inn. He glared at the curtains as they blew about, taken up by the wind. It wa early morning, when he would usually wake, but the last few days had left him feeling drained and worn. He pulled his blanket up over his head for five long minutes, waiting for some indication of what the day would hold to come to him. As it turned out, it only took those five minutes to divine they might spend it running.. or, anyways, Janus might. Alex had felt the shadow magic Janus commanded last night, if only vaugly. But the general idea that he had been pulling some trick came through clearly. He rolled from one side of the bed to the other quietly, then stood, and pulled on his clothing, and strode out of his room, eyes roaming the common room. He noted that the door to Janus's room was open, and that he must of left earlyer. The common room was empty, most of last night's rabble had cleared out and been cleaned up, it appeared. Alex tossed the key to his room onto the counter and left the building.
The sunlight was even brighter outside, forceing Alex to pull the hood of his cloak up. He leaned on his walking stick for a moment, and shut his tired eyes. "Janus, where are you?" He heard himself whisper softly, in the kind of straited tone that said he suspected trouble.
A hand touched his shoulder gently for a moment, then fell away. "Finaly. Let's get out of this place, huh?"
Alex let out a held breath. "Fine, you lead, since you seem to know where your going."
He followed Janus quietly. "Where are you going, anyways?"
Janus spoke softly, his left hand on the Kami at his belt. "Mt. Karovan."
"Test of Dedication?"
"...Yes."
Alex laughed softly. "The thought of you wielding Ki magic.. your like the opposite of spirit, you know?"
Janus could not help but smile ever so slightly, one eye glanceing over to his friend for a moment. "Funny, Alex."
---
The hours slid by quickly as they allways seemed to on the road, givin a good pace. The sun shown bright over one shoulder, giving the two travellers plenty of light, but not in thier eyes. Alex had put down the hood of his cloak down as a sharp wind began to blow, as he occationaly enjoyed the wind blowing around him. Janus could not seem in worse company with the cold wind, though one could not tell by looking. Thier was too much energy in the wild wind to be of any comfort to him.
Janus forced himself to speak, if just to keep his mind off the cold. "Are you planning to come all the way to the Mt., then? No doubt it will help you from being detected if you passed the test."
Alex stopped for a moment, eyes down on his right palm, where he imagined the mark of Dedication would go. "Maybe. You ever heard the saying, 'too much of a good thing can be bad'?"
Janus laughed softly as he turned back to his friend. "Yes, and it's no doubt nonsense."
Alex looked up, then started walking again. "And who knows what Ki magic might do to the realms it draws on, anyways?"
Janus looked at him square for a moment. "You would rather screw up your own home than someone else's?"
"Yeah."
Janus shook his head silently. "Whatever."
"Besides," Alex spoke softly. "We know when things start to go bad here, and we can stop. And I think it would be easyer to fix things here, too." Alex stopped and kneeled near the edge of the highway, near a small sappling. He brushed his fingers allong the leaves gently.
"What are you doing, Alex?" Janus approched to within a few steps, curious.
"You see?" The sappling grew a little higher just then, maybe a ninth of a inch. "Let me see one of your Kami's."
Janus readly placed one hilt first into Alex's outstreached palm.
Alex took the weapon, and sliced the first segment of his finger open, from tip to join in one quick cut. "I think the reason everyones scared of Terra magic is because people like Draven only knew how to take. They never bothered to return."
Janus shook his head as he watched the little tree grow another small bust. "Drop the metaphysics, Alex. No one around here gives a damn."
Alex laughed softly. "Yeah, well. What can I say, Draven's actions made me think." He stood slowly and handed the Kami back to Janus silently, then glanced at the cut on his finger and stuck the injured finger in his mouth for a moment as the two began walking again. "In any case, I think I have a point."
"No one cares if you have a point, Alex." Janus growled the words softly as he wiped his weapon clean and replaced it.
"That's just like you, Janus. Do you give a damn about anyone but yourself?"
"Not useually. Should thier be something else I care about?"
"Hopefully." Alex sighed. "Same words, huh?"
Janus smirked and glanced to his friend, squinting a little against the setting sun. "You should know better than to ask by now."
"It's getting late, why don't we just move off the road and set up camp? We should be able to get to Militus by noon tomorrow, and I feel like collapseing here."
Posted by Alexandros Fatali on 11-21-2001 05:25 PM
Alexandros rode Angelheart into Kenoblious three long days after leaving the manor of Al'Teyr, and Orocia rode beside him on a horse she had taken from the estate. Her horse was fair and strong, but not so strong as Angelheart. But her horse was better looking. Orocia had seemed to withdraw from Alexandros after she returned to him and found him somehow become a Holy Knight. She wouldn't or couldn't even look him in the eye. When she spoke, she seemed distant, and she always stared off into space, even when Alex tried to see into her eyes. Alex comtemplated her actions as of late as they passed through the gates of the stone walls of the city. She had not been aggressive as of the last days in travel, even though they had been hard even on Alex. She just seemed well, withdrawn, as if she was hurt or ashamed of something. He contemplated bringing this up to her later, when a pair of guards approached Alexandros.
"Revered Sir! It has been too long since one of your kind has come into out fair city, may I ask your name?" One of the guards, a slim tall Lunari, asked.
"My name is Revered Sir Alexandros Fatali, Son of the Prince of Lies. I have come to this city to find a man by the name of Xarou Vannemeyre, do you know where he takes residence?" Alexandros tilted his head slightly, and sunlight glimmered off of the Meshai upon his face.
"Yes sir! Lord Vannemeyre lives in a mansion just outside of the city," The guard provided directions to the mansion, and was all in all, quite helpful.
Alex began to pass by the guard, and gave the Holy Knight's salute to them. Many pieces of common knowledge about the Holy Knights had been apperaing in his memory as of late. The Holy Knight's salute was one of them. He knew there were only seven living Holy Knights, eight including himself, and he knew their names, and had a general sense of where they were.
They passed into the cities Dock ward, and arrived at the Inn where Alex had asked Indigo and Caliph to meet him. They stabled their horses outside of the Platinum Ray, and entered the establishment. Alex was looked upon with awe by many of the patrons of the establishment, but the Innkeeper, a round man with rosy cheeks, hopped over the bar and made his way towards Alex and Orocia.
"Alexandros! What has happened! You, a Holy Knight?" The innkeeper, Rodin, laughed good-heartedly.
"Yes Rodin, me, a Holy Knight. But I'm going to need a pair of rooms, and a good warm meal," He looked over to Orocia, who simply stared at the floor, "Make that two,"
"Ale or wine?"
"Wine," both Orocia and Alex responded almost simultaniously. Alex looked at Orocia and laughed. Orocia simply feel back into her withdrawn state.
"Rodin, has a pale looking Balan fellow checked in here in the past few days? With a boy with blue hair? They both were carrying guns,"
Rodin nodded his head, "The pale one's here, but he's out at the moment. The blue haired boy got in a scuffle with a lord and was put in jail to await trial,"
Orocia gasped somewhat, and Alex gritted his teeth. Perhaps Vannemeyre was already dead. Nonetheless, if Indigo was imprisoned for the killing of Sevron, perhaps Alex could help to get him out. Alex did not know why, but he felt that the boy was good-natured enough to not deserve punishment for the deed.
The pair sat and ate their meals with their wine, they had a simple conversation, Alex asking questions and making conversation, and Orocia answering with short phrases and often simply a "yea", or a "not really". After they had finished their meals, Alex decided to wait for a while and see if Caliph would come back. If not, he would go out and see if Vannemeyre was truely dead. But at the back of his mind was the nagging thought..
What about my becoming a Holy Knight has upset Orocia so much?
Cue: Caliph, or Orocia, or myself.. whoever comes first..
__________________
May the Creator shield you and light your path...
Posted by Caliph Wyrdwyrm on 11-21-2001 07:53 PM
Once the innkeeper had left to fetch their meals, Alexandros felt a tap on the shoulder. "It's bad enough that I've been seen. It's absolutely horrible that I should be asked after." Caliph sat down and brushed the cloak back off his head after a few moments consideration. "I've got a room in this inn, but I stay at another. Several, actually. I'm the wayfaring companion of a man in jail who attacked a local noble. That doesn't exactly put me in a position where I try and keep myself on the skyline."
Alexandros narrowed his eyes at him. "You didn't really strike me as such a coward before."
"Nobody told me you were going to do a knight's promenade into town, either. Or that she was a heiress. I may be a coward, but I keep my ear to the ground." Caliph gripped the edge of the table lightly, keeping his hands up, away from the sinful comfort of keeping a grip on his weapon. Sometimes you shouldn't draw your gun.
Alexandros snorted. "Fair enough. So what do you intend to do about this situation?"
"Well, one, Indigo needs to be brought out of jail, and those damnable puppet bands need to come off Scarlet. I'm no enchanter. I don't have any ways about what we need to do after that. I know that if we want Xarou dead, that's arrangable. Indigo may have wanted to do it himself, but with that... a short-range piece, nothing more than a melee weapon with some distance. And he's good... dead-center mass is an admirable choice, but we need a marksman to go for the head. I can do that. And then I can fade. Which is why I don't want to appear like I was here at all."
Alexandros and Oroica were both chilled by his easy talk of these matters, but he spoke first. "You're really willing to kill that man. To have his blood on your hands, for a crime he comitted against people you hardly know."
Caliph lifted his hands from the table now, holding them up for both to see. "These hands may seem white, but they're stained red, for anybody that would care to look at them for what they are. I may look equal part monk and vampire, but I assure you, I'm neither. I don't live by blood, but I live with it."
__________________
They say confession is good for the soul. But what if you don't have one?
Posted by Keiru Silver on 11-22-2001 12:34 AM
Scarlet slipped into the jail without much hassle, the guards were more than willing to grant a favor to Lord Vannemyre's latest lady.
They pointed her to Indigo's cell and let her be. The jail was a dingy place, poorly lit by a few dying candles. The guards were too involved in their card game to escort her to the cell personally.
She walked quietly down the hall, past most of the sleeping drunks and thieves to where Indigo was imprisoned. He was chained to the bed, half asleep. He sat up when he saw her, and time had given him a chance to think things through.
"I knew you'd come. But why Xarou?"
"Xarou cares for me..."
"Indigo. Something's really wrong if you don't remember my name. You should take those damn things off, they don't suit you."
"What things?"
"The bracelets. Try to take them off," Indigo said, trying not to cause the guards any alarm.
Scarlet looked them over as if seeing them for the first time. "I don't see the clasp. But it doesn't matter, these aren't important. I came here because... you might have answers."
"I'll answer anything, Scarlet."
Something flashed through Scarlet's memory. Did Xarou ever say her name that way? There was something about using someone's name in a sentence that made it all different... sincere.
"Who are you?"
"Indigo Grei. We met in Noit. Well, actually, before that, in Gania. We were both on the way to become dedicated."
Scarlet stared at the mark on her hand. "That's right... I'm dedicated... but why can't I use magic?"
"That I don't know. I don't know what Xarou is telling you, but you're also the princess of Gania."
"Your story just got a bit unbelievable."
"It's true. Want to find out for yourself? Go to Gania. Tell Xarou. If he tries to prevent your trip, you'll know he's lying to you. If he lets you go, you'll find out for yourself."
"You claimed you love me. I think I would remember that."
"What's the last memory of your parents you have?"
Scarlet thought for a second, and then shook her head. "I don't know..."
"And friends. Who do you know personally outside of Xarou?"
Scarlet shook her head again. Messages were coming to her in pieces, vague and distant. "I don't..."
"Where did you live before Xarou's home?"
Scarlet grabbed her head. "Please... stop asking questions... it hurts... something's wrong... I can't remember anything..."
"I don't want to see you in pain, Scarlet, but you have to remember! Resist the urge to fight it. Just let the memories come back!"
Scarlet stood up and staggered to the wall, clutching her head. Indigo watched and she dropped to her knees. He strained against the chains, but he couldn't reach her. "Scarlet... I love you... just take my hand for this one moment."
Scarlet reached out, and took his hand.
Scarlet... remember. We shared so much. We had so much fun together... We loved each other...
Indigo, I can't see anything... what is this pain?
The memories are returning... but I can only do so much... go, see your parents...
Scarlet's eyes fluttered open. "If I go, you'll lose me. I don't remember everything, but if I go, I may not come back."
"Scarlet, I only want what's best for you. I want you to be happy."
"I was happy with Xarou, for that time..."
"Were you? Or were you blind to your own pain? I want you to be happy, but I want you to be you. Go, find out for yourself."
"I... I don't know... But... here. Take this. I didn't know what to expect, but I think you should be free." She handed Indigo a small pin. "But... please... Don't follow me. It's too painful..."
Scarlet ran from the cell, tears streaming down her face. Indigo watched her go, tears forming in his own eyes. He wanted her to be happy... but he wanted her to be happy with him...
After a few moments, he picked the lock and stood up. He promised he wouldn't follow her... But if he ended up in Xarou's chambers and she was nearby...
So be it.
Salamander was easy to obtain, the entire lockbox was kept under one key, and the guard was easy to persuade, especially since Indigo had beat him senseless. Violence wasn't his style, but something had to be done. The other guard was a bit harder to persuade, but a chair to the head was all he needed.
Something deeper than his good natured demeanor was driving him.
Indigo hated liars and thieves.
And Xarou was a liar, and a thief of memories.
And he was going to return what he had stolen to it's rightful owner.
The barrel of Salamander glistened in the moonlight.
__________________
Welcome to my world...
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-22-2001 02:50 AM
the decision
Looking at the signs with her small, tired eyes, Mavi felt wilted, unable to continue. She glanced up at the darkening sky and sighed deeply. She glanced around her looking for a place to sleep. She saw a small grove of weak saplings to her right, and a clump of bushes in front. To her left was an open field with sand gently blowing along the weathered, wind-beaten ground. The air was nipped with cold and it encircled her body. Whisps of chilled air floated over her bare arms as if Jack Frost himself was running his icy fingers up and down her back, arms and tapping lightly on her cheeks. She shivered and hugged herself in a frantic wish to be warm. She sighed again as she walked toward the clump of bushes.
On closer examination, she found the bushes to be terrible to sleep in. The closely woven branches were lined with sharp thorns and the space inside was not large enough for even her. She frown and felt her throat close up in fear and she felt the tears well up in her eyes. The tears of frustration soon came as she walked solemnly up the road that headed to Nevyel.
Her body writhed with the rapidly cooling air and the tears. With every breath, a wreath of vapor excaped her mouth and floated in the air lazily, then disappeared. She could remember when she was a little younger, like 7, when the translucent steam that came forth from her lips was most amazing, and her mother used to scold her for standing outside in the bitter cold just to watch the rising vapors swirl in the breeze. Now, the same amazement was torture to her. The vapor always meant ensueing cold and misery for an ill-clad youngster.
The tears had stopped and the watery trails they left froze on her face. By now, the sun was replaced with the silvery moon. Wisps of clouds floated listlessly across the deep blue sky. The moon was almost full and illuminated her path. Occasionally, a lone cloud would trespass across the moonbeams and darken the earth, but the moon would win the battle and light would flood the landscape.
The land around her was barren, with few trees and the ones present were scrawny and wind-beaten. She kept her eyes open for danger, since danger seemed to follow her everywhere she went.
An small bird fled from its shrub hiding place and startled Mavi. She let out a small sqeak of fright as the bird chirped its contempt.
The night was lonely, with few sounds and signs of human life. She felt as if she was the only human being alive on her planet. She lifted her head to the void of night and watched as the cloud of steam floated up to the dark heavens, as if to kiss the moon. She stopped and stared at the twinkling stars and felt a deep yearning for what else could be out there.
A sudden rustle in the bushes ousted her from her reverie as her head darted toward the sound. Her eye caught a movement in a bush beside a large rock. The movement brought back memories of the horror stories her mother told her and her little sister. She stood stock-still and petrified with real fear. She watched the bushes with keen eyes, her ears pricked to any sound in the silent night.
Her mind flew from one subject to the next as she watched the bushes. No more movement came from the bushes and she let her gaurd down just a little as she continued walking, never letting her eyes leave the shrub. Until she passed it, her eyes never wavered from their target. Her shoulders slumped and her cooped up breath escaped into the wisp of vapor as a squirrel darted out of it and whiped its head around then bolted across the roadway. Smiling to herself for her foolishness, she turned and walked again down the road.
Wraping her arms around her bare arms, she looked down at her feet, clad in simple shoes made of leather, the thin cloth breeches hanging loosely on her small figure, the equally thin tunic also hung loosely on her small shoulders. In the cold air, her body was shivering uncontrollably and her teeth were chattering. The sound of her clapping teeth broke the dead silence of the night. The only other sound was the steady crunch of her feet on the dirty gravel roadway lined with deep ruts from carts that passed through here. Along the road every few miles was an abandoned campfire and/or a solitary piece of torn, dirty, worn clothing.
When the sun finally rose majestically above the mountains, winning over the night, Mavi was almost hypothermic. Her lips were blue and her fingertips and toes had lost all feeling. Her eyelids drooped with the lack of precious sleep and her pace had slowed. Her eyes were glazed with open-eyed sleep and exhaustion. She was walking mechanically when she heard the first signs of life she had heard the entire walk she took. She lifted her achind head to see a cart moving gradually toward her. Her lips gently curved into a smile as she felt the feeling slowly return under the golden sunlight. Her fingers and toes, however had suffered much cold and wouldn't warm up for a considerable amount of time. Her body was weary from shivering but her teeth still chattered.
"You there! Kid! What are you doing out here so far away from a town without proper clothing and protection? You should know that you could have been killed last night! You look deathly cold, please, come here!"
She looked up enough to see the man addressing her. The man was holding out a woolen blanket and a woman held a small bowl with steam rising from it. Withought thinking, she walked more swiftly toward the couple in a horse-drawn buggy/cart.
The man and woman were generous and kind. They were old, with all their children older and gone. They delighted in seeing a young child again, and were bent on assisting her in anyway possible. She was given the thick, warm blanket and allowed a bowl of stew. That one bowl quickly changed into several. The couple were amazed at Mavi's large stomach for one so small and seemingly fragile.
Mavi told them her current position and they beemed with pleasure. It turned out that they had met a small troup of men, with a small boy included. They said that they were in search of a young girl.
Mavi was sent down the road armed with fresh provisions and a warmed body.
Some time later, her feet sore and swollen with walking, she saw people in the distance. She blinked and refocused her eyes. Indeed, she had seen people cresting a hill.
She screamed with joy and waved her arms side to side as she jumped up and down when she saw a short person among many tall ones. The boy saw her and jumped up and down, waving his arms as well.
Despite her exhaustion, she ran to meet Kans and the others. Almost collapsing in Kans' embrace, she felt the breath leave her lungs. Gasping for breath, she released her friend as she kneeled on the ground, her face frozen with fear. The breath would not come!
She gasped as she felt her heart pumping in her throat. Kans and the others surrounded her, but soon they began to become fuzzy and the whirled around her as she felt her body fall to the ground in a heap.
Everything went black.
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Mavi Denn on 11-22-2001 03:03 AM
Sickness
Mavi's brown eyes flickered then opened. She looked up at the three faces hovering above her. She could only make out the kind features of Kans, but the other two were unfamiliar. The room she was in smelled of whiskey and alchohol. She could hear the painfull moans of other people. She concluded that she was present in a hostpital.
"W-where....where am I?"
"Shhhhhh little one, you must rest."
"She's been "resting" for about a day! can't we help her with anything else?"
"A...a day? Whats wrong with me?"
"Nothing child, you were just exhausted as well as hypothermic, thats all."
Thats all...thats ALL? what, was the man crazy? she had fainted dead away on the road the Nevyel! Mavi thought bitterly.
Mavi closed her eyes and breathed the tainted air.
"Mavi....Mavi....Don't die!"
"She won't die boy, she's just very weary from her trip."
"Well mister, she doesn't look that good! Plus, if my friend dies....I'll....I'll....."
"Lad, calm down. She WON'T die!"
Kans was not convinced but agreed anyway to let Mavi stay in the rank hostpital. Faithfully, he stayed near her and they talked about their adventures and how many they'd have in the future.
Suddenly, Mavi began to think of Kans's parents...She and Kans had met in Pontifar almost a month earlier. The trip was supposed to take a week tops. Kans's parents must be worried to the point of mourning his death.
"Kans...you need to go home. Your parents are worried."
"Yeah. I know." Kans frowned as Mavi drifted into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning, her body felt strong and sturdy for reentry to the world outside. Staring up at the crumbling ceiling, a distant voice whispered into her ear and called her...
*Mavi.....Mavi.....*
She craned her ears for more.
*Mt. Karovon.....Go there...*
Mt. Karovon? She racked her brain to try an remember where she heard of that before....
Mt. Karovon?
__________________
God Bless America
Posted by Alexandros Fatali on 11-22-2001 06:11 PM
Alex walked through the streets of Kenoblious, admiring the deep blue sky in the night. His thoughts ran to the brief moments he had spent in Fayre, trying to convince the Council of the imminent danger to the city. They basically ignored him, despite his being a Holy Knight, they whirled around him with all of their diplomacy, and sent him off. Alex was somewhat angered at the diplomats for not taking his word, but he could see that one man, from Balanum, coming to Fayre with news that they were about to be attacked by an army that the Council had never even heard of was farfetched. He was simply glad that he had tried, for Salamander and for Ezra, for himself and for Her.
Moonlight shimmered off of the silver Meshai upon Alexandros' face, as it began to rain. Alex wished that he had been riding rather than walking, but the rain almost felt cleansing, like the tears of the Creator come down to comfort all of her subjects. He continued walking, and passed by the Jailhouse where Indigo was being held. It was a shame, and Alexandros realized it would either take a large sum of money, or a relatively irritating process of diplomatic action to get him out of there. Unless he were to break out, that is..
After a bit longer in the rain, Alex looked up into the rainy night and saw a woman riding a beautiful horse. Her hair was crimson, and even in the rain, she looked as if there was some great sadness that had come over her. When she lifted an arm to wipe the tears from her face, a strange bracelet appeared, that seemed to have no clasps. He remembered what Caliph had mentioned. He approaced the woman. Perhaps he could help, Alex thought.
The thought that this girl was Scarlet had also crossed his mind. But that almost seemed to be too hopeful.
Cue Scarlet
__________________
May the Creator shield you and light your path...
Posted by Scarlet Rosenblade on 11-22-2001 06:12 PM
Scarlet couldn’t tell which hurt worse, her head or her heart. Shakily, she mounted her horse and steered it back toward Xarou’s mansion. All the while her heart longed to go back to the jail…just to see him again. It hadn’t stopped pounding ever since she held his hand. He seemed so…close…like they had shared something important. Frustrated at her incapability to remember and her torn heart she burst into tears again, just as the sky above began to weep with her in sympathy.
“What’s wrong with me?”
She rode past a tavern where a live entertainer sang in a foreign tongue, but for some strange reason, Scarlet was able to understand the meaning of the song.
I'm walking the streets all alone,
even though
I want to be with you.
Even though I know it's heart wrenching,
I keep thinking only of you,
even when
I can't see you.
Even though
I know I shouldn't think about
how I wish we could always be together,
even now, the voice of my heart,
which I've tried to suppress,
seems to overflow
endlessly...
so much so that it hurts.
I should have known.
I just can't keep my love for you
inside, all to myself. *
"Scarlet... I love you... just take my hand for this one moment."
(Don’t let go Indy!)
She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head even though the rain had already soaked it through. Why couldn’t she stop thinking of him?
(Don’t you remember his arms?)
Do I?
(Yes…)
No, I don’t! I don’t remember anything!
(Then why are you falling in love with him?)
Her eyes widened as she prepared to deny what she felt. But she couldn’t….It was too real….too familiar…
What about Xarou?
Did she love him? Could she possibly love him in light of what she felt for Indigo?
(No. You don’t love him and you can never love him.)
It was true. Even though she had no recollection of him aside from a ghost of a memory she wanted to be with Indigo more than she ever wanted to be with Xarou. A voice sneered from the back of her mind.
Then why are you going back? She hunkered down against the saddle.
“I have to go back….”
*Wakatte-ita hazu (I Should Have Known) from the series Fushigi Yuugi.
__________________
"When one forgets to put the emotions that overflow in her heart to rest, they burn the color of passion."
Posted by Scarlet Rosenblade on 11-22-2001 07:41 PM
Alex approached the girl cautiously, feeling increasingly resolute that this was indeed Scarlet.
“Excuse me, I noticed you seem distraught, is there anything I can do to help, milady?”
"Not unless you can retrieve the past.."
Alex looked up at the girl. She couldn't retrieve the past? He had to go out on a limb, "My name is Revered Sir Alexandros Fatali... Are you Scarlet Rosenblade?
Surprised by his inquiry, she pulled on the reins making the horse back away slightly. "How do you know me? Are you in love with me too?" she added with more than a hint of sarcasm. Alex shook his head.
"Indigo..." He patted the horse gently to calm it, and looked into Scarlet's eyes, "I'm here to help you, and to help Xarou, and to help Indigo. I'm a Priest. Can you listen to me for a few moments?"
At the sound of Indigo's name her heart began to race. "Do you know Indigo?" She paused for a moment, trying to decide whether or not she should trust him.
"Yes," His tone was soft, "I do. And you have seen me before, nearly a week ago, at the Fenstril Dinner Ball," Alex smirked, "I was the one that came crashing through the ceiling. After that, I met Indigo. He has been searching for you for a relatively long time..."
She jerked the horse away from him at the news. Whether or not he was a friend of Indigo's she figured that talking in the rain with a known killer in the dead of night was not the best of situations. He sensed her sudden fear and called out to calm her.
"Wait!" Alexandros' voice was still soft and soothing.
"Are you going to kill me too?" Her voice was fearful and Alex decided that his next statement should be reassuring or else she may ride off.
"No, I am a Holy Knight, I can only fight in defense of myself or others," He exposed his left palm and with his right hand pointed just below his right eye. "The man I killed at the ball was a Vampire, and a menace to all living creatures. Believe me or don't believe me, Scarlet, but believe in yourself, and in what you feel..." He knew by the sudden change of expression on Scarlet's face that he had struck a chord. He could see the tears dancing in her eyes.
She relaxed inwardly, but only slightly. There was no denying he was a Holy Knight. What did he want with Xarou though?
"I can't stay....but if you could come to the mansion tomorrow we can talk as long as you’d like. You may find that the conditions will be a little better as well.," She added looking up at the sky. Alex took Scarlet's hand and kissed it lightly.
"Believe in yourself, Scarlet," He spoke softly, "I'll come tomorrow... I want to help..." He turned to go...
"Wait!" she called reaching out for him.
"Yes," he smiled, moonlight glimmering across his Meshai as he turned about.
She hesitated, then took off a small silver ring that she wore. It was fashioned in the shape of a dragon with glittering moonstones for eyes. It might have been a gift but she had no recollection of where she got it. She held the ring out to Alex.
"Indigo is free now. If you see him....please give this to him for me." She had no idea what significance this would prove, but it felt right, so she did it anyway.
"I shall, Milady," And then it struck him like a warhammer. Was Scarlet the Princess he was supposed to save? "May I escort you back to the manor?"
She smiled, fully trusting him now. "If you please. It's just as well that you know where it is so you can find it easily tomorrow."
__________________
"When one forgets to put the emotions that overflow in her heart to rest, they burn the color of passion."
Posted by Scarlet Rosenblade on 11-22-2001 07:50 PM
[OOC] I apologize for the triple post, but ideas tend to change at the last minute and so must be added in accordingly.
They reached the mansion just as the rain started to taper off. The sudden shower had been brief, but refreshing. Her mind was clearer now than it had ever been while she was with Xarou. She smiled and turned to Alexandros.
“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Alex nodded and turned to go back the way he came, making sure to note landmarks on the way.
Scarlet turned her attention back to the horse and led it into its stall then proceeded to prepare herself for bed. Only tonight she was going to sleep in her own room. The thought of sharing the same bed with Xarou now made her feel a sickening sense of guilt. She fell asleep quickly with her head filled with nothing but thoughts of Indigo.
____________________________________
The mist was even thicker now, swirling around Scarlet tauntingly. Indigo’s voice called from every direction.
Scarlet!
Where are you?!
I’m here!
Indy, I’m scared…
She began to cry as she turned around in frantic circles, looking for the source of the disembodied voice of Indigo. Out of the corner of her eye she saw an area where the mist had thinned and saw the silhouette of man standing there. She recognized the small silver ring twinkling on his finger. Overjoyed, she ran into his arms.
Indy! I’ve missed you so much!
I love you, Scarlet…
Her eyes widened in horror as she looked up into the face of the man she thought as her beloved.
No! Not you!
She turned and saw Indigo standing less than ten feet away.
Indy!
He turned and began to walk in the opposite direction, leaving Scarlet behind in the arms of Xarou.
Indy! Please don’t leave me!! INDY!!!!!!!!!
Scarlet…
Scarlet…
___________________________________
“Scarlet…” A hand lightly brushed her face. She screamed and bolted upright in the bed. Xarou sat beside her.
“What’s wrong?” Scarlet looked at him and then turned away a second later. Her heart raced in her chest.
“N-nothing. I was just having a nightmare.”
“About what?” She sighed heavily and looked down at the sheets.
“I can’t remember. You know that.” He rested his hand on her shoulder.
“Yes, I do.” Scarlet’s eyes flashed and she found herself growing suspicious.
“What else do you know?”
“What?” She bit her lip and shook her head. There was plenty of time later to question him.
“Nothing. Shouldn’t you still be in bed?,” she asked, changing the subject. He smiled deviously at her.
“I am in bed.”
“I meant your own bed.,” she replied curtly. A look of hurt quickly crossed his face and he stood up.
“I see.” He turned abruptly and stalked out of the room, shutting the doors behind him a little harder than necessary. Scarlet didn’t try to deny the sense of relief she felt with his absence. Things had changed, literally over night. Later that day she would inform him of her decision to travel to Gania, with or without him. Although at this point she’d rather have the latter.
She rose from the bed and prepared herself to meet with Alexandros.
__________________
"When one forgets to put the emotions that overflow in her heart to rest, they burn the color of passion."
Posted by Leo Saotome on 11-22-2001 08:59 PM
The Ship
(OOCly: I haven't posted in a while, but this one is going to be short. And why hasn't anyone else been posting here? Am I alone? *cricket chirps*)
Arna's father's ship was sitting in the fjord at high tide, as if it were in a make-shift port of its own. Men were loading crates with their mysterious life-saving contents into the ship, one at a time. The ship itself was the first Leo really recalled seeing in real life, and it was quite a magnificent one. It appeared to have been made from a single trunk of a wood Leo didn't recognize. Leo noticed it must have been five or six stories from the top of the middle mast to its belly. He supposed the pieces were put together so neatly that they didn't form a noticeable seam in the hull of the ship.
Leo looked the ship over from bow to stern as Arna left him and ran over to supervise the loading of several crates into the ship. The ship had an ebony color to it, and bright white sails. It had a golden plate marked in ornate black lettering "Maelstrom". The crow's nest held a scrawny looking man whom he would later find was affectionately nick-named "Scurvy." At the front of the ship was carved the head of a behemoth, and the tail was that of a behemoth's as well, only foreshortened. While taking a second look at the masts, Leo noticed something odd. There was a place to stand behind each, and they looked as if they had restraints for wrists and ankles. Leo thought it odd, but he found the reason for them soon enough.
Noticing he was the only person standing on the fjord, Leo rushed aboard the Maelstrom. Here is where he met the Captain.
CUE: Anyone that is on Gran Adageros. I'm getting lonely here, it's ridiculous.
__________________
~Leo Saotome
Intelligent, soft-spoken, and aggreeable.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw
Posted by Keiru Silver on 11-23-2001 11:25 PM
Indigo had slept the night away just outside the manor walls. No one had disturbed him, except for a lone night guard who mistook him for a bum. He played the part, and shuffled away, returning after the sentry had left.
Night had given him time to think things through. Indigo had done something rather impetuous, and landed himself in jail. He would not be so rash this time.
He had failed to meet with Caliph after escaping the prison. He did, however, sense that Caliph would understand his urgency. Of course, Caliph was likely to have some words of wisdom against his chosen course of action. It would have gone unheeded anyhow.
But the sun had not yet begun to rise, and Indigo scrambled over the wall. He had climbed sheer cliffs before in Xellos, a castle wall was nothing. At this juncture, stealth was the only viable option. The loud report from Salamander's barrel would draw more attention that Indigo desired.
He found a entrance through a kitchen, and headed into the main hall. The place was not empty, but neither was it crawling with guards. He was not an expected guest.
Good. Nothing ruined the game like guards.
A sentryman on his patrol route came down the main hall, and Indigo ducked behind a massive ornate chest. Apparently, Xarou was fond of fine things. He had chosen Scarlet, Indigo thought. He wasn't sure if he should be amused or infuriated. He pushed the thought from his head and fell into line behind the soldier.
WHAM!
Indigo slammed his elbow against the guard's head. He crumpled to a heap, and Indigo dragged him to a nearby closet, closing the door behind them.
The guard was unconscious, which was a good thing, for had he been awake, he may have objected to Indigo's theivery of his uniform.
Indigo exited the storage closet dressed as a guard. He marched up the stairs to the hall which led to what he assumed was the master bedroom.
"Hey you! Stop where you are!"
Indigo's flight up the stairs in a stolen uniform had not gone unnoticed. He grabbed Salamander and fired a shot in the approaching antagonist's general direction. He ran down the hall and approached a pair of doors.
It was either Scarlet's room... or Xarou's.
Indigo grabbed the handle and flung open the door.
Cue: Scarlet. Well? Which door is it?
__________________
Welcome to my world...
Posted by Scarlet Rosenblade on 11-23-2001 11:44 PM
The doors flew open to reveal....
...an empty bedroom.
Cursing under his breath, Indigo closed the doors just as a pair of doors slammed further down the hall. He turned to see Xarou storming down the opposite end of the corridor. Instinctively his hand reached for Salamander, but he held off at the thought that the second pair of doors may lead to Scarlet's room.
Half praying, he waited until Xarou was out of sight, then with cat-like agility sprinted down the hallway and into the room. He knew he had guessed right when Scarlet's voice, full of surprise and embarassment cried out.
"Indigo?!"
__________________
"When one forgets to put the emotions that overflow in her heart to rest, they burn the color of passion."
Posted by Caliph Wyrdwyrm on 11-24-2001 02:13 AM
Caliph looked around the bar. Alexandros had left to attend to his own business. Oroica still hadn't said a thing. And he was sitting here while Indigo was still rotting away in jail.
At this point a man ran in the door, panting. When he'd finally recovered himself, he shouted, "There's been an escape at the jail!"
So much for that theory.
Oroica looked at him. "Do you think..."
"I know. Most people in jail don't tend to do things like that before the trial. Tends to prejudice the judge. You act innocent before trial. Unless you have nothing to lose." He picked up his bag, slung it over his shoulder, left more than enough coin on the table, grabbed Oroica by the arm, and pulled her out.
"Hey, stop that! No, stop!"
He let her arm go as they were outside the Inn. "Quit making such a scene of things. You can kill me when this is over, if you can get close enough." He led her out to the stable. "That's Indigo's horse. He might want it. You can ride?"
"Well..."
"Yes. Hop on. Let's go. And cover up. I wouldn't want the Lady ill." He spat out Lady like he would a bad ale.
"Now, Indigo could do two things. The smart thing would be to hide and discreetly find us. Or he could charge over to Xarou's mansion."
But he didn't say any more, and simply drove his horse forward.
Oroica half-followed him. "And what makes you think you know where he is?"
Indigo had his hood up now, so his reply was muffled. "Men in love never do the smart thing."
"Oh."
And they drove forward for a spell in silence. Finally, she spoke up. "So if Indigo's doing the stupid thing, why are we following him, exactly?"
Caliph said nothing.
"Well? Come on, you can at least answer me!"
His head turned back, his white face dripping with water from the rain. "Sympathy for an idiot."
__________________
They say confession is good for the soul. But what if you don't have one?
Posted by Keiru Emerald on 11-24-2001 06:49 PM
OOC: As Alexandros...
Alexandros had risen early that morning and went into the market ward where he had found a tailor, who was not at all busy. He was fitted for several new suits of clothes, two like what he was wearing now, a white robe and the appropriate undergarments for it, and a red and white suit of clothes much like what Priests wear, but made to be more versitle. He had left the tailor, and when he had returned several hours later, after eating a good breakfast and cleaning his weaponry, as well as polishing The Redeemer and purchasing a new pair of boots, the clothes were ready and laid out by one of the Tailor's many assistants.
Alexandros returned to the Platinum Ray, where he dressed in his new red and white suit. It was a pair of loose comfy white pleated pants, a red vest worn over a white collared shirt, a white necktie with a red Meshai upon it, and a white loosely worn long jacket over it all, that hung open in the front, and was loose and soft. Three red bars were on each sleeve. Alex had had a silver Meshai embroidered into the right breast of the jacket as well. Alexandros liked the way he looked in it, even though the holster belt took some of the peace from the outfit, when he tied the jacket with a red sash that he had also purchased, it was barely noticible.
Alex left the Platinum Ray just after ten o'clock, by the town clock, and departed the city by the North road. In less than an hour, on foot, he arrived at Vannemeyre manor. He had left The Redeemer at the Inn, for it was far too conspicious. Now that he was really thinking of it, the jacket didn't do such a good job at concealing the pistols. It was already too late, however, and Alexandros passed foreward to the main gate.
"State your business, Revered Sir,"The guard was cordial and happy to see a priest coming to see his master.
"I am a Priest, Alexandros, come to see Xarou Vannemeyre, and Lady Scarlet on Church business..."
"You may pass, Revered Sir, I'll send for the Lord and lady to meet you in the gardens"
Alex passed through the gates, and thought about what the best way to find Scarlet. Alex wandered over the stone paved way towards the manor, when he turned into a garden. He wandered there, observing the flowers and herbs, picking a mint leaf from a small shrub and chewing it lightly in his mouth as he hummed a gentle rhyme.
Alex gently brushed a wall of the hedge maze for a bit, when he looked towards the manor for a moment, and saw, on the second floor of the manor, Scarlet looking out of the manor into the garden. Alex waved to her, and even from where he stood, he could see a small smile appear on her face. She made a gesture as if to say "stay there" and dissapeared from the window.
Alex waited paitently, drawing from his sash a small book of scripture written by St. Trevin in Ancient Lunis, and reading quietly. He sat cross legged upon a soft patch of grass and continued to read, and to wait. For he knew he would soon have the opprutunity of talking to both Scarlet, and Xarou, together. Perhaps he could make a difference...
Cue Scarlet...
__________________
-You say you want a revolution, Well you know, We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution, Well you know, We all want to change the world
Posted by Keiru Silver on 11-24-2001 11:31 PM
Xarou knocked on the door, and Indigo dove for the closet.
"Scarlet, there's someone here to meet with us."
"Uh... Okay. I'll be out in a minute."
"May I enter?"
"Actually, I'm not dressed yet," she lied. A second later she realized that that would probably be more incentive for him to want to enter, but she knew the door was locked.
She waited until she heard footsteps leaving the door. "Indigo, I want to talk to you some more, but I have to go. Things are coming back to me... but I still have a lot of questions. Please wait here."
"I'll try. No promises."
Scarlet and Xarou met with Alexandros in the courtyard. Much to Indigo's dismay, the balcony was in clear sight of the yard, although he was lucky that Xarou had his back turned when he peered over the ledge.
What the hell is Alexandros doing here, and why is he dressed like that? Indigo thought.
Well, I'd better do this before good sense persuades me to wait. Indigo jumped over the ledge, Salamander drawn. At the same moment, Caliph walked through the small gate at the rear of the courtyard, Orocia in tow, although she showed a bit of reluctance.
Xarou spun around. "You!"
"Indy!" Scarlet cried.
"Indigo, no!" Caliph yelled desperately.
Alexandros was little more than half surprised, and stood the best chance of dissuading him. "Indigo, is this really how you want it to go? Scarlet's already confused. Do you want to engrave this memory on her in this state?"
"Step aside, Alexandros. I've thought this though."
"No, you haven't!" Caliph retorted.
Xarou drew his blade and rushed Indigo. "You bastard... you've ruined everything!"
"Shit!" Indigo dove to the side awkwardly, landing on Salamander. There was a flash from the barrel, and Indigo screamed and grabbed his leg. "It... it misfired..." Blood began to soak through his pants.
"You had what I always wanted, and now it's mine. You can't have it back!" Xarou poised to thrust his blade into Indigo's chest.
"Lord Vannemyre, stand down. Do you want this murder on your conscience?"
Xarou turned to face Alexandros. "Yes!"
He raised his sword to strike again. Indigo grabbed Salamander, pointed it, and prayed.
A gunshot came, but not from Salamander. Caliph stood, barrel smoking, rifle to his shoulder. He had assembled and shouldered it faster than ever before. Xarou dropped his sword, his hand bleeding, his expression confused. He dropped to his knees just in front of Indigo.
He looked up, into the eyes of Indigo and the barrel of Salamander.
"It would be so easy... after all the pain you've caused us... to just kill you now. But... I'm not going to." He pointed the gun at Scarlet, and everyone gasped except Indigo himself.
He fired the gun, and things went black.
Scarlet stood in shock, grabbing her wrists. Indigo had removed the puppet bands in the most startling way possible. In the confusion, Caliph had made the lethal shot for Xarou, and Alexandros stood, praying for the best outcome.
Scarlet ran to Indigo's side. No words were spoken... only a mutual feeling of relief, and pain. Indigo had not forgotten about the wound to his leg.
"Scarlet... I'm so sorry for what you've seen, and what you've been through. I want you to go to Gania, by yourself. Answer your questions."
"I want you to come with..."
"No... you have to be free to do what you want... go to your parents. When you remember everything... I'll be here... waiting."
"How will I find you?"
"I'm thinking about settling down for a while. I'm going to become a gunsmith... maybe set up shop here in Kenoblious. I'll wait for you. But you have to go. I think this is best for you. I've always wanted what's best for you..."
The priest nodded. The pale gunman sighed. The Tiger Lily ran to Scarlet's side. Indigo laid back and bled. And Scarlet, the memories flooding back, held on to him with all her heart.
Thus ended the long journey for Indigo... When he had set out from Xellos all those months ago, seeking adventure and the other continent, he never dreamed he would have found adventure, friendship and love in the same place. But as his friends came and tended his wound, he closed his eyes, and thanked the creator that it had all worked out all right. He had had a long journey. It was time to start a life anew in this place. Free from danger, and wait for his love to return.
No more adventure...
...
At least... not until tomorrow.
Cue anyone. This will give me a chance to do some big things with Adamas for a while...
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