Ьȴʊє Ͻ a r a v a n 🚙 🚙 🚙 (new thread!)

Favorite Character Poll Round 10!

Lucien Balthazar Mchale - Vicious hunter of humans and dragons.	27.3%	[ 3 ]
Vasul Calim Shahrad - Crown Prince of Shahrazad and righteous eagle among a flock of vultures.	9.1%	[ 1 ]
Lorelei 'Ellie' Katerini - Knight Errant and Defender of Justice who will kick your butt!	18.2%	[ 2 ]
Inyri Ven - Sharp-minded beauty and budding lady of wares.	18.2%	[ 2 ]
Eriol Epheis - Mysterious man with an eye for the prize.	27.3%	[ 3 ]
Total Votes:			[ 11 ]

This poll closed on November 27, 2014.
No longer accepting new votes.

[Agent Of Dreams]

Aiden Hale

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Remember the past, live in the present, and fight for the future.

Yeh know what I feel like?: Listening and sorting out people
S'nothing that I haven't dealt with before: Prefect
They're not so bad...: Caden, Winged boy, and three others

Yeah, I've been around. Yeh wan' to hear about it?
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Aiden looked away from the group for a moment, just to check to make sure that nothing was sneaking up behind them. At first glance, there was nothing. But that changed quickly, as a... What was it? A man? It had the body of a human, but there were great feathery wings sprouting from it's back, and a tail he'd expect to find on some kind of lizard waving through the air. On top of his head were a pair of horns. While Aiden had seen quite a deal of very strange things in his life, nothing even came close to the oddity that was this... Man. For a split second, Aiden wondered if he should sound the alarm, but as the man moved closer, Aiden could tell from the way he looked at Caden that he knew him. The man stayed as far away from Aiden as he could, and Aiden could tell that he didn't trust him. No surprise there. The man sidled up next to Caden and spoke in a low voice to him. This was another oddity, his speech. It was broken, as though he didn't fully have a grasp of the language he was speaking, and was minimizing the amount of words he used to ones he knew. Was this man foreign? And if he was, where in all of Albrind did he come from? Aiden shook his head. He'd have to ask about it later. Right now wasn't the time for an interrogation.

As unsettled as he was by the new mans appearance, Aiden did catch what he was saying. Something about a Mage? Aiden looked back into the clearing, at the strange mist that was there. Was a Mage behind this? Again, Aiden shook his head. Questions were piling up, and there were no answers to them just yet. Aiden didn't really like that, but what choice did he really have? He looked to Caden.

And found that Caden was looking at him. Caden made some motions with his hands, and Aiden, accustomed to this kind of signing language, understood the gist of his plan. He was going to go into the clearing and speak to these people. If everything was alright, he would give them a signal and they could come in. If something funny happened... Well, Aiden had his crossbow loaded and ready to go. A moment later, he spoke the words aloud, which confused him. Why speak it aloud if he had just signed it? He looked back at the other man, and this time got a better look at his face. Aiden could tell, right away, from the thousand yard stare the man had in his eye, that he was blind. Or at least, nearly. More questions popped into Aidens head, but he shook them aside again. He'd probably get all the answers he wanted later.

Aiden nodded his head to Caden, indicating that he understood. He lifted his crossbow up and down a little, and nodded his head towards the clearing. If he had been with his friends, they would understand what it meant. "If anything funny happens, I'll be ready. He only hoped that Caden would understand what it meant.

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[Watervoir]

Ѵeȴɩus Kɩɾʈɑ
ɳoble

The sound of shuffling prompted a turn of his head. The words were in his mouth and ready, but Kemun was off before he could convince her otherwise. His lips pursed in confusion. "Didn't she hear a word I said?" He cupped his two hands and called after her back before it disappeared behind the foliage completely: "Curiosity killed the cat! He didn't understand why the woman would step away at the best part of Willa's demonstration. Even if she wasn't as keen on the woman's magic as he was, he thought that whatever intel about the spring her powers gathered would give them the edge they might need before diving right into the fray.

"The least decency she should have shown was to write a will granting me everything she owns." With that, he dropped his hands and allowed his arms swing to and fro. "Whatever, her loss." His lips twisted into a conniving grin. "While she risks her neck out there, let's carry on." Over the years, Velius had amassed a variety if ways to snoop on others and was eager to add to his arsenal. His eyes turned to the wooden bucket. It was disorienting to peer downward and see the sky gazing back at you. It was even stranger when the sky you were peering at wasn't the same stretch of sky was the one you saw while looking up. He took a closer look, and was pleased to discover that the change in angle allowed him to view the top of the canopy. With a further shift in his head, he made out the image of Oliver and others.

Others. Other travellers, all the way out here? Curious. Did they come with the lightning? He leaned an ear towards the water, wanting to test if there might be any sound, but the patter of approaching footsteps and a breeze carrying the scent of apple caused him to lift his head. "Meddie!" he greeted her brightly before his attention was drawn to the space behind her. "You've made friends!" The woman was like incense smoke in a room, warm and sincere but an enigma you could not grasp with a fist. It was a challenging past time of his to try throwing her off. Granted, he had a habit of trying this exercise on everyone, but it was extra fun when effort was involved.

It was unusual to see Medayo fret, and her concern beckoned him to pause and reconsider the level of danger they were facing. She had access to one more sense than he had to work with, even if it did not function at its full potential. "It's certainly something new but it would appear that it has yet to kill anyone." He indicated at the heavy bucket which would prove to her that at least one merchant apart from Medayo herself was alive and well. "Perhaps its purpose is to herald visitors," he proposed with a meaningful flicker of his eyes towards those behind the woman.

[anais nighteyed]

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artwork by Midori Foo, from Book of Picturesxxx

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She scrutinized the horizon as she descended the wagon’s steps, wearing a frown and a furrowed brow. In the last few days, their time in the mountains left her feeling uncomfortable and bare. These lands were too strange to her. She was unaccustomed to feeling so close to the sky, and with their ascent the air seemed to grow thinner. She wondered if she would find herself unable to draw breath, and oftentimes sleep eluded her. When she lay awake at night, Nasrin had taken to seeking out shapes and figures formed by the stars until she was lulled.

The shopkeeper glanced at Elijah before leaving. Nasrin half-listened to him when he remarked on the lightning, and her eyes followed the dark-haired woman as she hurried away with urgency in her step. “You saw it?” she said to him. She hadn’t misheard, but this bit of news brought little relief. If this was a place where lightning could manifest in a clear sky, leaving oneself exposed held obvious risk. Nasrin sighed, somewhat disturbed.

With her hands on her hips she turned her attention where Elijah indicated. “I don’t like the look of this,” she admitted. A part of her wanted to find her horse and promptly leave the mountains behind, but she wouldn’t deny she was curious about the odd weather. Judging by the smoke rising above the forest, she guessed the lightning had struck nearby. The smell of it made her nose wrinkle. “If I find that lightning can strike here without need of a storm, I will quit this place.”

Nasrin trailed after the shopkeeper, tracing the path she had taken through the gathering of wagons. “Where did she wander off to?” She was beginning to suspect she had taken a wrong turn when she glimpsed her quarry near a campfire, now in the company of a man and two women. The fellow acknowledged her as she approached the group. Giving no greeting, she made no attempt at introductions and came to linger behind the shopkeeper. She meant to ask about the lightning and if this sort of event occurred frequently, her gaze on the man’s face. He was gesturing at a bucket when Nasrin happened to notice the color of his irises.

In that moment, all else in the world was hushed. She didn’t feel the sun on her skin or the breeze in her hair; the words in her throat fell away and were forgotten. If one were to catch a glimpse of the look that crossed her face, they would see it was one of unfettered rage. This change was fleeting, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. She composed herself in an instant, reigning in the emotions she did not want to leave so exposed. This man couldn’t have offended her more if he’d tried.

She knew what he was. He was entirely a stranger to her save for one part of him. He bore the taint of the city she so deeply hated, marked by dark hair and eyes red as blood. His birthright was his only offense, but it was enough. She smiled when his attention drifted in her direction again, but the gesture was hollow. “Pray tell, was that lightning an ordinary occurrence?” she asked, meeting his gaze. Her voice was calm, but it carried an edge that hinted at what seethed beneath, painstakingly restrained.

[Watervoir]

xxxx
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xxxxCaden AlinarixxxxGuard
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Caden watched Aiden's motions carefully, taking in the gesture with the lifting of the weapon and the incline of the head towards the clearing. He interpreted it all as an indication that he had his crossbow ready and would keep an eye out, and Caden demonstrated his appreciation with a nod of his head. He was grateful that Aiden seemed cooperative, and was willing to trust Caden's decisions. It would become clear shortly whether or not he was correct of Aiden's motivations, but for now he could rest easy that the operation was still going smoothly.

With that, Caden set off, clinging to the shadows as he circled to the other side of the clearing's perimeter. On his command, the three of them would have the clearing's three occupants surrounded, in theory. He found it interesting, however, that he could sense another presence amongst the three. The fourth one had been obscured by the one that had given him the pain in his mental eye, the same one he was actively trying to avoid focusing his attention on. This fourth individual was in the spring's waters, or more accurately and if his sense was correct, hovering above it.

Caden stopped and sent his attention wayward to that peculiarity. He was starting to reconsider his earlier conclusion that Oliver could even possibly be harmless. Granted, he must not have been around when it first appeared, but even so, why were none of Oliver's group alarmed by the magic? Could they not see it, did they not consider it strange, or was Caden missing something entirely?

Mindful not to attract attention to himself, he reached into the foliage and pushed it apart ever so slightly to begin taking in the scene with his eyes. He could make out Oliver's back, and he hoped that the magic the woman had was not the ability to see through thick bushes.

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[artfreek]

~~~~Nesa Cormec~~~~


Nesa moved closer to Willa and her bucket, she glanced away as Kemun moved to the woods. She wondered if she should follow the woman. Velius yelled at her, but she kept moving. Nesa's attention was drawn back Medayo came up to the group worried about Velius. Nesa's eyebrows shot up with that. She wouldn't have expected her of all people to worry about someone. She was grateful to the woman for putting her back in her body, but still found her unnerving.

Nesa's attention move behind Medayo as two people settled behind her, a man and a woman. The woman had dark skin and pale hair, a combination Nesa hadn't seen. She saw the woman's flash of anger and found her gaze settled on Velius. His talents have broaden. He managed to annoy someone he has never met. Nesa's eyes slid to the woman's companion and she was surprised to find that his hair was a shade of purple rather than the black she had first thought. Was that a natural color?

She glanced at Velius as he spoke then back to the newcomers. The woman's gaze was on Velius again. It seemed to have a challenge behind it. Nesa had to wonder if these two had some sort of history. There was a hint of venom as the woman spoke.

“Not that we know of.” Nesa said answering the woman's words. She had felt the need to break the tension. Velius would have accepted the woman's challenge. “We've been in this area for a while and this is the first we have seen of it.” She said glancing at Velius. Then back to the woman. She was still trying to figure out what she didn't like about him. She would have said something about looking, but she wasn't sure if Velius would want Willa's talent known nor was she sure Willa would either.

[Dayum We Roll Hard]

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A breeze swept the clearing. So gentle was it that it could easily have been missed entirely, but the haze that hung above the spring's surface reacted nevertheless. The particles became like ashes, circulating, twisting and curling into itself, coming together in the shape of a loosely defined sphere, a dynamic work of art. Soon after, however, they lost their form and began to become more dispersed, and as a result the sphere became more of an oval. It was as though the mind behind the particles was taking a breath after a weary day.

But not long afterward, it seemed to stir from rest, and once more the particles continued to swirl, and they steadily but rapidly built momentum like a tidal wave. Then, sudden as a sneeze, the particle cloud shook, causing the collective to seem as though it were shuddering.

Once again, the dynamic collective began to churn, but this time towards the middle of the cloud, a part of the circulating dust budded from the heart of the cloud, forming a torso, arms, and a head. It was a faceless and primarily featureless entity, and its lack of contrast against the rest of the grey and black particles made it barely visible, but it was impossible miss it after catching the first sight of it.

The silhouette lifted its "head" and looked onwards towards Mei. For a moment, it did nothing but hang in place and stare. Eventually, the particles it was comprised of shifted, and by then it seemed its attention was on Dae. The silhouette was still as it gazed upon the woman, and even the particles circulating appeared to slow down to take note. Finally, the silhouette tilted only its head to its side to study Oliver, and continue in its chain of observation. It held in place for the longest time while it did so, and right when one might start to become unnerved or annoyed enough with the silhouette and its behaviour, it tilted its "head" ever so slightly again to look on towards a particular area of the bushes. It was the spot where Caden was hiding.

[Leelee_Mraz]

Willa Odette Wilafax

"I am not fat!"

" Oh that?.......is just....a...watermelon I stole..."

Willa looked around as her comrades began to gain gather around the bucket. She focused on the connection with the spring, not wanting to disappoint. The water rippled and wavered a little bit when Willa was distracted by Kemin running off into the forest. Willa thought that was not a great idea and Velius seemed to agree. “ Kemun....” She said looking away with a pout. She then felt the connection slipping and looked back to the bucket, excited to see nothing but sky. That seemed normal enough. Willa jumped as another group of people that she had yet to meet approached. Willa gave a shy wave and tried not to listen as she and Velius shared words. WIlla looked back in the bucket and angled her head a bit. She smiled . “ Look. It’s Oliver!” she said proudly, as if she had accomplished something. She smiled into the bucket, ready to break the connect and call the case closed. Then something in the image shifted. Willa watched with wide eyes and an open mouth as the figure at the spring began to form.

“Um...V..v..” She trailed off as the figure form got even more confusing. Her heart began to pound. Maybe this was a little bit too much for her to take in at the moment. Willa backed away from the bucket a little, and found that she was starting to feel a little sick. Despite being pregnant, this tended to happen whens he got worked up while she was using her powers this way. She began to pale again. “What’s it doing?” Willa said, the water’s surface going blurry because of her fear. “ W...W..what is that?” She said nervously. As the form approached Oliver, Willa broke the connection. Willa shook her head and he and in front of her as if trying to shake off the fear. It was strange, not much scared her, but the only magic she had really seen was her own. This was beside the craziness back in Lenti, but that explained her willingness to wait in the wagon during that whole episode. Willa fanned herself and sat back on her bottom. “ I’m sorry...I need to lay down.” She said turning on side to begin to stand up. She found herself lightheaded, but she stood up, a bit wobbley. She looked at the others, unsure how to interpret what she had just seen.

"You put that hand on my belly.....you are not getting it back."

[ChinchiIIin]

Dae'elis Baequirretyn

Dae was quick to note the sudden change in the mist that hovered over the water. Almost as if it was alive, it began to shift shapes within itself. Utterly fascinated with the potential properties of this strange substance, the elf watched as it morphed forms yet again, this time taking a bit longer to discern what exactly it had become. That is, until it moved. The figure was unnerving, to say the least, even for her. She had seen many strange and unsettling things in her lifetime, but she would have to rank this near the top of that list.

Dae felt little threat as it looked at the priestess beside her, but couldn't help but glance at the girl. Even as she did, she felt the thing's 'gaze' on her instead. Her eyes turned to lock onto it, daring it to do anything and prepared to defend herself if it did become violent. But much to her surprise she felt nothing in terms of threat level from the being. Strange. The elf couldn't help but be puzzled a bit by the actions of whatever this was as it turned to the male among them. Certainly it had made no moves towards any of them let alone anything that would imply a dangerous situation. Oh how she wanted to get closer to the thing.

Until it moved once more, looking behind the group to the trees behind them. Dae frowned heavily. It had only shown attention to living things thus far. Granted, there were many living things in the forest, but all save the horse she had been using had fled the spring. Animals were very easy to spook, and it had been a wonder the old horse had stayed put when all the rest fled. Thus, if not an animal, it had to be a person. Why would a person be hiding behind them though? The elf turned, following the direction the being was looking. Of all places one could hide, it did seem ideal.

Dae left little time to let whoever it was simply run or get the upper hand with a surprise attack. She tapped into the energy within her staff for the second time that day. “Ekheda. Vuns pymmc du pa yssihedeuh vun so femm.” Once more the fluid stream of the ancient tongue came from her lips as fire ignited around her, multiple flames swirling into balls the size of a small melon fruit. No sooner had they formed did her command leave her lips. “Vena.” One of the balls shot off, flying through the air to collide with the ground just beside the largest of the bushes, the elf having taken an educated guess on where the hidden one might be. The force of the attack, however, pushed the hood of her cloak back far enough for it to slip off the back of her head slowly, her hair falling around her shoulders once more as the long, slender and delicate ears were revealed once again. Inconvenient? Yes, but she had bigger things to worry about at that moment. “I would suggest you reveal yourself slowly, whoever you might be, or the next shot will not miss,”

[Leelee_Mraz]

Whitnee remained quiet and after nobody offered a sufficient answer to his questions, the doctor soon became distracted by a another noise behind them. Due to the present strangeness, he readied his weapon and turned, beginning to venture slightly away from the group and into the words, where he heard another sound that was somewhat familiar to him. Not in the sense that he knew to whom the voice belonged, but in the sense that he recognized the name it questioned.

“Phedre?”

WHitnee followed the voice and smiled coming upon the female merchant from the caravan. “ Hello there. “ He greeted calmly. “ I take it you have come to check out the festivities. Strange weather we are having today. “ He said looking up at the sky. “ Me and the others in my half of the hunting party are just there.” He said pointing through the trees. “ Come along. The others suggest there might be danger. We might as well die curiously together. “ Whitnee said talking her hand and leading her to where Phedre and Graves were. “ Look. I have found Miss.... or dear... I am horrible with names. Karen was it. noo....It’ll come back to me. Anyhow, Let us move forward. “ Whitnee said moving toward where the sound had come from and stepping out into the clearing.

The sight that he saw puzzled and worried him. A mass of...stuff in some sort of living form was engaging Oliver. What on earth. The figure gave Whitnee chills. “ Oh.... Oliver. “ He said nodding briefly to the women present and then looking back to Oliver and the ...thing? “ Who’s your friend there?”

[Dayum We Roll Hard]

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A sharp wind whipped at those in the clearing, but it was fleeting, and felt more like a by-product of power than anything malicious. The magic wove through the forests and touched each and every person in the spring's clearing, the surrounding forest, by the blue caravan's fire, and at the bandit camp. It delved deep into the bones of their toes and flooded up to their sinuses, filling them to the brim with a force that rendered them lighter than a feather. Their feet could no longer remain in contact with the forest floor. Caravan members and nonmembers and bandits alike were lifted from their spots like leaves in the wind, and when a gust blew there was no choice but to get swept up into the current.

The forest was now miles below them. The caravan was only an ant on the mount that was the cliffs and mountains of Western Bethryl. It was only visible for the split second before they were carried away. The land was now flatter, but rugged. Where no forest existed sat cliffs and sudden drops, characteristic of the land of Cliffrock. A flash later, and they were in the cold lands of Northenwood, where the trees were thick but sparse and the spring melt had only just begun.

It was then that their direction changed abruptly. No longer were they headed north; their target seemed to be towards the west, to a land unknown and plain. It was the frigid north, an expanse so far reaching and bare that it was difficult to see where the ground ended and the sky began. Eventually, however, a line of great mountains came into view. Their size paled in comparison with the grand giants of the Racluear, but in the unmerciful weather, it could only be considered a blessing.

Like a vortex, the humans were sucked in a flurry, whipping madly before finally being expelled at the other end. They floated calmly through city streets and past grandiose statues of ice, between people bundled up in layers and trading meat and other goods. Another gust picked up and they ascended, carried through windows and into large halls fit for kings. Standing at the head of the particular chamber they were led to was a boy in his mid teens. His back was turned to them but it was clear by the shape of his shoulders that they were heavy with responsibility.

The boy turned, revealing crystal blue eyes that were hardened by sorrow and regret. Their flight took them closer and closer towards the boy's irises. In the split second before the journey was over and they were engulfed completely by his pupils, of which were equal in darkness to the boy's hair and skin, a faded reflection of fire and ash swept across the reflection of his eye...

They were each back where they had been before, and in the same positions as before, whether standing or otherwise. It was as if they had never left ground at all, and it felt very possible that it was the case. Slowly their awareness would creep back to them, as well as the notion that they were no longer within the confines of their mind. In that exact moment it felt like every cell aligned onto an unknown pole suddenly. It felt as if they had tapped into an yet unknown sense that spoke on a primal level. At that instant, burned into their memories would be the unopposed pull, almost a need, to travel to a particular place: to Pilantos, the land of ice and little else.

The experience had now ended for those who were not at the spring, but for those in that clearing, it had only just begun.The being on the surface of the water was once more transformed: now there were three distinct outlines, light in weight and colour. Behind them were similar silhouettes, although they were fuzzy and seemed to fade in and out of existence.

The shape at the front seemed to give a nod. One didn't need Caden's sixth-sense to feel its presence. Among other things, it was the embodiment of the wisest and most committed person they had every met. That spirit, if it could be called that, lowered its hand, and the primal feeling settled in the bottom of their minds like tea leaves in a kettle.

The second figure beside the first felt like the most basic representation of optimism and drive, and when it smiled they were instilled the strength to brave the undoubtedly perilous journey that would ensue. This third figure, serious and grave, was a complete contrast with the second. Its presence burdened the humans with the gravity of the situation and a sense of doubt that the task would ever be complete.

The first of the figures lifted his head, and seemed to be looking down at Oliver. Then, the dirt beneath the merchant's feet churned. A horn, ivory in colour with only the slightest tinge of blue, bubbled to the surface. A line of azure carved through the surface of the horn in a lengthwise fashion. Following its path was a line of diamonds, the only thing beautiful and sharp enough to cut into the material. A similar pattern could be found on the other side of the horn.

The outlines of the three figures were beginning to dissociate back into the mist. The particles jittered and danced, both like a swarm of mosquitoes but at the same time not quite. Eventually the figures could no longer be distinguished from the background fuzz. The particles continued gaining energy, vibrating faster and faster in space, until like a flame being extinguished, they were all in an instant sucked into one little pinprick in space, and gone.

[WanderingMercenary]

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Oliver Mendel
Merchant
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Today kept getting better and better. First, the caravan guard tried to kill him for believing that he had tried to assassinate Velius, who turned out to be someone of note, if Caden was the mans bodyguard. Then he nearly got spelled to death for disturbing a conversation between two apparent priestesses. And now there were spirit-y figures coming out of the mist.

Oliver held his breath as the figure began to look at him. He felt his hand begin to shake. Why was the spirit looking at him longer than it had the others? His hand tightened on the amulet. This must be it. The spirit must have sensed it's presence and was intrigued. But then, why hadn't it spent this much time on the pointy-eared woman? She was capable of much more magic than he was.

He didn't have to ask when the spirit turned it's gaze away to a point behind him. He turned to follow, and saw Whitnee emerge from the foliage. Oliver heard him ask a question, but before he could answer, he was suddenly swept off his feet. He gasped, dropping his crossbow, and watched as the forest became smaller and smaller. With wide-eyed wonder, he could only watch as he was swept across the countryside, faster than was thought humanly possible. He saw the boy, and wondered who he might be. He could feel the yell rise in his throat as he realized they were headed straight for one of the boy's eyes. He threw a hand in front of his face, waiting for the collision.

It didn't come.

Instead, they were back at the spring. Oliver fell to his knees from exhaustion and panic. When he looked across the water, he noticed there were now three figures. They nodded to each other, as if in discussion, but Oliver couldn't hear it. They turned back to him, and the ground in front of him began to churn. A horn appeared, and he was awestruck at its beauty. He picked it up with both his hands, and turned it over, noting the pattern on both sides. He looked back at the figures, and watched them disappear.

In the silence that followed, Oliver could only follow suit. His shoulders suddenly felt heavy, and he felt them slump forward. He was tired, he realized. Tired from panic, confusion, and everything that had just happened. It took him a moment, but he stood himself up, and turned toward everyone, presenting the horn.

"Well...." was all he could say.

[anais nighteyed]

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artwork by Rain, from Midnight Inks Illustrationsxxx

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Before she could venture deeper into the quiet wood, she heard Velius call out to her from the fireside where she had left him with the others. His words were not lost on her, but the warning wasn’t enough to draw her back. Her mind was made up. She was worried about the caravaners that made up the hunting party, and that was greater than the apprehension she felt as the smell of smoke grew ever stronger. Fire did not strike fear in her, but she knew it was not to be taken lightly.

She did fear whatever force was behind it, because it held the power to make lightning fall from a clear sky. Kemun pressed on tentatively, calling out the names of the missing caravaners on occasion. She watched the trees for movement, silently reminding herself to stay observant. She didn’t know what waited for her in the forest, and Velius had been quick to tell her so. She proceeded at her own risk. Her hand never moved from the hilt of her knife, and she was ready to draw it at the first hint of trouble.

The wind began to pick up, and the boughs overhead swayed for a moment under its touch. Her ears were filled with the susurrus of leaves. She became tense, suspecting something was about to transpire. A figure began to emerge from the surrounding woodland, and Kemun started when she glimpsed its approach in the corner of her vision. Her knife leapt from its sheath and the blade trembled when she abruptly turned to point it at the interloper. She quickly lowered her weapon when she found the man was familiar to her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. “Forgive me,” she said, grateful he wasn’t an enemy as she listened to him remark on the weather.

Now that she gave it a proper amount of thought, she didn’t know what she had expected to encounter. She doubted the Mage would spring out of the brush to attack her, but thoughts of the creatures cloaked in shadow haunted the back of her mind. Furthermore, what would she have done? She had but a knife and a few small tricks that took the place of a tinderbox. The longer she dwelled on it, the more she felt like a right fool. The doctor’s mention of the hunting party quickly drew her back to the present. He seemed unusually calm about the whole affair. This struck her as odd, but his lack of concern served to quell her own.

“So no one was injured, I take it?” she asked, looking to where Whitnee indicated. Earlier in the day she had said she would join the hunting party’s excursion, though she hadn’t imagined it would take place under these circumstances. No sooner than she returned her knife to its sheath did Whitnee take hold of her hand, leading her to where the others had gathered. Kemun did offer feeble protest to the man’s methods, stumbling after him in surprise. When she saw Phedre and a white-haired man she couldn’t recognize, Kemun gave a half-hearted wave of her hand.

She followed the Whitnee into the clearing. The lightning’s ruinous path had ended at the forest’s edge, searing the earth in its wake. The greenery it had touched still smoldered, but one detail seemed out of place. The ground near a patch of shrubbery was scarred by fire, though it was unlike where the lightning had left its mark. Kemun lingered by the doctor’s side, eyeing those who had gathered there. She noted the strangers among them, likely travelers who had been drawn by the earlier disruption.

She was startled when she saw the flames that circled one of these individuals. The woman appeared to be unharmed. Her hair was pale, yet her ears were long and tapered. At first sight Kemun assumed she was one of her kin, but the woman possessed traits that were unfamiliar to the merchant. She had never seen anyone hold such sway over fire, and she was taken aback by the display. What had transpired here? Confusion mounting, Kemun looked to Oliver when Whitnee addressed him, hoping the other merchant could shed light on the situation.

When she did, a sharp gust of wind tore at the hem of her robes. It settled on her skin and then sank through it, threading through her bones. She began to have the sense she was being lifted, and she found her feet no longer touched the ground. The clearing drifted away until it was a distant stretch of green. She caught a glimpse of the caravan and the great mountains before she was whisked away from them. Out of fear she had tried to grasp of something to keep herself tethered to the ground, and in desperation she had grabbed fistfuls of Whitnee’s clothing.

Out of the myriad of sights that appeared before them, one tugged at her more than the others. She saw her homeland, but her wish for a longer look was not granted. They were ferried elsewhere, first to an expanse of mountains and then to a frozen city. The wind bore them through windows and grand halls unlike any she had ever seen. They were brought to a chamber where a boy stood, but their journey did not end. Releasing the doctor, Kemun moved her arms as if to shield herself as they drew closer to the boy, frightened by the image his eyes reflected like mirrors.

Then he was gone. She found she was in the clearing again, and it was almost as if someone had hastily drawn back a curtain, revealing the scene that lay behind. Most unnervingly, she became conscious of an indescribable need to travel west, and it was like an urgent tug. She laid a hand over her heart in an attempt to calm herself. Shaken, she looked about them in search of some trace of all they had seen. Had it all been just an illusion? A haze lingering over the waters of the spring drew her attention. She discerned three figures that appeared to be composed of ash and dust. Behind them were several more, similar in appearance yet indistinct, frequently disappearing from view.

Kemun watched the three at the head, transfixed. Eventually they began to dissipate, their outlines growing fainter. The particles of ash that gave them form seemed to move erratically until the figures vanished, a candle snuffed out. She stared at the place where they had once been. Oliver was the first to speak, and she turned to him. He looked weary, but she couldn’t blame him. Her gaze fell to the horn in his hands. “What did you find?”

[Agent Of Dreams]

Aiden Hale

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Remember the past, live in the present, and fight for the future.

Yeh know what I feel like?: Temporarily insane, please try again later.
S'nothing that I haven't dealt with before: Still good
They're not so bad...: A whole bunch of people, it would seem.

Yeah, I've been around. Yeh wan' to hear about it?
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Aiden was watching intently from where he was hidden. He knew, since he had not just walked out into the clearing, that Caden was sneaking around to try and get into a better position. Whether it was so he didn't reveal Aiden and the other guys position when he went into the clearing, or whether he just wanted to surround them, Aiden wasn't sure. He couldn't see Caden, so he contented himself with watching the going ons in the clearing.

Something was happening to the mist. It was beginning to change. A gust of wind caught it, and it was as though the wind were a catalyst. Pretty soon it had formed into a sphere. Quickly enough, though, it changed again. It was roiling, churning about like some storms that blew into coastal regions tended to do. Churning and roiling it went on, until, quite suddenly, it formed itself into what was, unmistakably, a face of some kind. Aiden watched the whole thing with interest.

The face turned to look at everyone in the clearing in turn. Then, it turned to look at a specific patch of bushes.

In that moment, a lot of things happened. Firstly, that lady with the staff said some words. He didn't know what they meant, but being accustomed to such things, he knew they were a magical chant of some kind. Then, fireballs the size of small melons formed up near the woman. She said another word, and one of them shot of towards the patch of bushes which the entity had looked at. Aiden knew at once that was where Caden was hiding, and he wasn't about to let some Witch torch the person who's back he was supposed to be watching. With one fluid movement, and stood, shouldered his crossbow, and stepped out into the clearing.

"Hold it righ'-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp gust of wind blew across the clearing. Then, something pulsed through him, like a great power of some sort. It touched every part of him, and quite suddenly, he felt himself floating. Up he went, and with another gust of wind, the forest was far below him. He was swept along by this wind...or power...or whatever, until he was someplace entirely different. Flat, no trees, and lots of rocks. Aiden didn't quite know where this was, and he wasn't given much time to figure it out. The next moment, he was pulled off to somewhere entirely different.

This place had thick trees and snow and ice, and Aiden knew where this was. Northernwood. He had been here once, with his friends. And, again, he didn't linger. He changed direction, and found himself soaring over mountains he had only seen from a distance before. Pretty soon he found himself floating through the streets of a city, some kind of market place. He didn't recognize it, and soon enough, he was blown into a large hall, large enough to be fit for kings. Out in front of him was a boy, hardly old enough to be to be fifteen. Aiden could see that his shoulders were hunched, as though he were carrying a great weight with him.

And then the boy turned, and Aiden was swept up in his look. Aiden knew it all too well. There was sorrow and regret there. A look of sheer and utter hopelessness, as though there were nothing left to live for, as though he wished he was dead. Aiden knew it quite well. He had had that look about him, not so long ago. His current journeys had made him forget all about those feelings. But now, looking into the boys eyes, they came flooding back.

He didn't even notice that he had returned to where he had been before, as though he had never left. He didn't even notice he had tripped over his own feet. Aiden was lost in his own mind, quite possibly his worst enemy right now. He saw the boy, heavy with responsibility, and the look as though he had failed in those responsibilities. The boy changed, and Aiden was now seeing himself, that same look on his face, the same hunched posture. He felt what the boy must feel. Like there wasn't anything he could do. Like he had failed, utterly and completely. Like he had nothing left to live for. He found himself, wishing, once more, that he was dead.

Hitting the ground was what jolted him back to the present. But it didn't banish the images from his mind. He must look stupid, laying on the ground like that. Vaugely, he realized he was lucky he hadn't shot himself with his own crossbow when he had landed. He also had a little thought in his head that he should get up. But, no, for the moment, he just lay there, his face now matching that boys face. Maybe he'd get lucky, and one of those fireballs would find him. He could only hope.

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[Leelee_Mraz]

It was funny how something could happen so fast, yet somehow in the same instant seem to take years. Whitnee was not a total stranger to the supernatural, but this is unlike anything that he had ever experienced, As the wind picked him up and swept him away , at first all he could do was close his eyes. He was stunned to silence when he peeked to see the world moving below him. He was stunned , mesmerized despite his slight fear of heights. As they arrived at the destination, Whitnee started at the little boy curiously. He quickly understood that whatever was happening him was for silent observation. There wasn't much that he could do anyway. After the blue haze that was the boy’s eyes , and Whitnee was returned to his very spot, the impact of the encounter knocked him off of his feet.

He watched at the three figured manifested with deep emotions connecting to deeply to him from an unnerving unknown source. The third in particular pulling at his feelings. A vision flashed a moment in his mind. The last blink of a green eye. The last blink of of a most beautiful blue eye. Whitnee shook his head, his hand instantly flying to the key that dangled on the chain under his shirt. A dull pain spread through his chest, and he looked up just in time to see the strangeness disappear.

He looked up as Kemun spoke, having not noticed the horn. Whitnee slowly picked himself up. He seemed somewhat daze, but mostly unnerved. Not by the experienced themselves but by the feelings and memories that the whole ordeal invoked. The place entered in mind again. “ Nice place really. “ he said softly. “ I would quite like to see it...” he said staring at the space where the particles and beings were. Whitnee cleared his throat. “ I think that is enough excitement for one day...” He turned, nodded a goodbye to all and swiftly began to make his way back toward the caravan.

[azora natashi]

☤ ☤ ☤ Ӎ ε d ɑ у σ ☤ ☤ ☤

☬ Medayo, at her lords comment, held an expression on her face that could be interpreted as mildly mortified. "They are not my friends." She spoke in a frantic whisper, as if the very thought of a familiarity to people repulsed her. "I need not friends, I dedicate my life to serving." A silent 'you' hung in the air, and she took the chance to reign in her ragged breathe and emotions. She gingerly smoothed a stray hair from her face and nodded, Velius was right. No one had yet been killed, possibly not even injured, panic was not the appropriate response and the probability of lightening striking people in their environment was small.

But Velius always did have a penchant for attracting trouble. She turned and caught a glimpse of unfettered rage on her customers face, and could just barely feel the heat of it radiating from behind her. Would she care she would ask what a stranger could do to off put in such a way.

The ground flew from beneath her and she was flying, mountains were but crumples in the earth, the tundra a lake of white clouds. A city of ice and snow emerged on the horizon. A boy and then fire.

The vision ended abruptly with a primal compass long asleep in every human suddenly whirring to life. She fell to her knees, and looked into that direction. A tree stood in her way but she thought back to her flight. Mountains, and an icy expanse and finally the city, the boy, they were all in that direction precisely. Was this some premonition? I sign of things to come? ☬