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 Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:24 pm
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 The reminder of the blatant and ironic insensitivity displayed by her brothers towards the dragons did indeed give rise a reaction. The ridiculously selfish disregard the men had shared for their scaled foes had only deepened her infuriated disillusionment towards them at the time. The angel began to straighten in her seat as her mouth opened to speak, but she was stayed by the hand that rose up, anticipating her reaction. Parted lips could not help but smile faintly at the gesture. How well her friend knew her mind.
Falling back into the cushions, any mirth drawn in her features wilted away with Relm's observations about Uriel and Gabriel. It was true that Gabriel's fancies were all too easily swayed by engaging opinions. The more dramatic the outcome appeared, the more intrigued he became. She had long reached the conclusion that Gabriel fed on the drama, just as he had fed so long on the romantic dreams and forbidden delights of various human maids seduced by his great charm. He had a great love for the romance, his daliances with those all too willing participants a whirlwind of passion and tragic partings. And to think, he had professed that he would give all of that up for her. The memory soured in her thoughts just as quickly as it had emerged. Stupid, foolish man.
Uriel was another matter entirely. With his naturally aloof and secretive disposition, the brooding angel had never taken to the pleasures of such companionship. Indeed, he left the impression that he viewed the indiscretions of his brethren with supreme indifference. He was of course above all that.
Before her internal musings could expand upon Uriel any further, Relm's final murmurings gave her pause. Curiously, it also brought to mind something else she had said that Ash had somehow glossed over before.
... Nor will they break their usual patterns to explore whether there is any other allies they could call upon to aid...
... Not in these lands, at least...
Surprise lifting her features, her gaze fell upon her old friend. "Other lands? Have you been traveling Relm?" the words leaving her lips before she really had a chance to think them through. It was well known among the brotherhood that the other continents across the oceans had little to offer. Their primitive civilizations had surely died off centuries ago once the dragons were no longer there to protect them. Unless..
Hope suddenly flashing in her eyes, Ash straightened abruptly and clasped Relm's closest hand. "The breeding grounds... have you found survivors??"
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Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 2:22 pm
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The ancient magi could almost read the thoughts playing across the palely beautiful features of her long-absent friend, partially because Ash was so incredibly expressive... But partially because Relm did indeed know her just that thoroughly. It had been some time since her windowsill had been darkened by her dear visitor, but that could not erase the decades that had passed. Years upon years where they had shared some of their innermost thoughts, their concerns... Their dreams.
As before, seeing the familiar expressions so clearly related to the Cathedral, and the fools within it, Relm couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the woman before her. Ash had always been willing to face the harsh honesty the Kae'Dryn typically dealt in, and had always managed to at least consider her words before emotion burst free. Unfortunately, their conversations still had a thread in common with their talks of old; They already knew, deep in their hearts, what the answers were... Hearing them from another's lips was just the final catalyst, the final push that changed the path they were traveling.
Relm merely wished she could view the Cathedral with the combination of good and bad memories that Ash had, rather than her own heavily biased view.
But those lines of thought slithered to a stop as Ash registered the hint Relm had offered, and her first question was voiced. A hint of a smile began to form on the Kae'Dryn's lips as her dear friend's mind worked with it's usual quickness, but was quickly replaced by surprise as her hand was seized and Ash's mind went in a decidedly unexpected direction...
"Breeding grounds? My dear, you know as well as I that there was no population of dragons left in these lands to support such a place. Considering this was the land that the dragons were most active in," Relm allowed her voice to trail off, offering a slow shake of her head. "No... The age of dragons as we knew it is long gone, and is not likely to return. Besides, you know as well as I that if there were any dragons left, they would happily tell your 'brothers' to solve their own mess. Even the most noble of them had learned to hate your kind," she concluded quietly, a hint of sadness entering those crystalline tones. |
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Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 9:15 pm
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A beautiful roaring scream, of joy and sorrow so extreme...
The delighted chime of Talise's laughter was audible only a moment before the growling rotors struggling to pick up speed drown her out completely. Thoroughly amused by Ky's response, she watched him with glee as he checked his footing with trepidation. She and her tinkerer companion were, for their part, entirely too familiar with the rigors of flight. As the mischievious little gypsy allowed herself to partake in the amusement that was the reaction of their new passengers, she could not help but wonder if this was what it felt like for Domini that first time she was taken out.
Her mood significantly lifted now, Tali slipped from her perch on the supply crates as the commander made her way over to join them. Noticing the shock and awe of the other elf, she found her heart swelling in pride. It pleased her a great deal to know they might appreciate the masterpiece of machinery that was now raising them above the earth. And it should! For a brief moment, her thoughts wandered to Domini, hoping that she would also get to see the spoils of her triumph etched on their faces.
Moving to the hatch, she reaches out a hand to squeeze Ky's arm lightly in support, flashing him a smile reflecting the warmth only the sway of this, her second home, could produce.
"It gets easier mate," she assures him happily, "Come on. I'll show you down to the berthing. We'll set your hammocks up."
There is a love in me raging. A joyous, magical feeling... |
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:42 pm
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Urban Thorne
"Breeding grounds? My dear, you know as well as I that there was no population of dragons left in these lands to support such a place. Considering this was the land that the dragons were most active in," Relm allowed her voice to trail off, offering a slow shake of her head. "No... The age of dragons as we knew it is long gone, and is not likely to return. Besides, you know as well as I that if there were any dragons left, they would happily tell your 'brothers' to solve their own mess. Even the most noble of them had learned to hate your kind," she concluded quietly, a hint of sadness entering those crystalline tones.
A thoughtful pause followed Relm's reply as Ash regarded her friend closely. It was well known to her how cryptic the sorceress could be when it suited her. Sometimes her admissions needed close scrutiny to catch the breadcrumbs of knowledge hidden in her words. Relm made no secret that she enjoyed the game, and the angel had good reason to believe the older woman's opinion often rose for those fortunate enough to catch her in her slyness.
"These lands once carried the largest population of all races, to be sure," came the slow, contemplative reply, ".. but we are not talking about these lands. I remember the dragon region in the younger lands. I sent a handful of my brothers there just before the turning point in the war, hoping to find more allies like yourself." The memory surfaced a slight pain in her voice, reminding her that none of those brothers ever returned.. "We lost contact after that, and Gabriel never allowed others to follow. Not even Kim..."
Refusing the let the harsh recollections stray her from her goal, Ash firmly pushed the rising feeling of loss aside and refocused on her companion. She decided to cut right to the chase.
"But if it is not dragons, what other prospective allies could you be alluding to?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:19 pm
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The ancient magi couldn't help it; A faint smile began to creep onto her features as Ash's words showed she had noticed the hints, and refused to be distracted from them. Relm gave Ash's hand a soft squeeze before sliding it free, settling herself deeper into her cushions and pillowing her head on an arm.
"...You know as well as I, that humans will grow and prosper if left uninhibited. It is what they do, it is part of their nature. So imagine... Imagine a land free of the Cathedral's influence. A land where they had to take care of themselves, where they had to develop their own faith and beliefs, based on what they saw as true or false," she murmured quietly, those golden eyes drifting half-closed as she watched her oldest, dearest friend.
"A land where most of them are besieged, yes... But a land where they prosper well on their own nonetheless. A land that could, with just the proper spark, transform into an unwavering ally. My dear, long-lost friend," she continued, a strong thread of warmth entering those crystalline tones as she gazed at her pale compatriot, "...You and most of your kind have for far too long held the Cathedral as the center of your existence. Your gaze searches out from the gilded heights of that structure, and fail to see what is beyond the horizon..."
"Perhaps it is time that you correct that..." |
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:15 pm
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. o O ((Yaaaaay, Tali is back~! Alright, going to go ahead and move the story along a bit, take advantage of folks being available. ^.^ )) O o .«<{› ¤The Crusade¤ ‹}>» Aboard the Forenya Sul, the trip north had progressed incredibly swiftly. Domini's deft piloting and familiarity with the skies had allowed the Dalelands to fall swiftly behind them, and the soaring airship to rush with hardly believable swiftness across the wilderness that stretched between those final human lands and the unclaimed wilderness. By the time the sun rose, and her passengers had risen from the small cargo hold serving as their quarters, the air had started to take on the harsh bite of snow, and the field of view from the deck showed the Sul racing into the northern mountain ranges... A trip that would have taken over a week by horse accomplished in a mere handful of hours. As they raced through the mountains, Domini's deft hands aimed them well away from any inhabited locations, long years of both paranoia and practice still determined to keep her precious ship as secret as possible. Fortunately, though, the Kael'dorei were not so numerous that she needed to steer far off course. Within the hull of the ship, Talise knew where all of the various supplies were kept, allowing for the small crew to get their first chance to really rest and recover since the battle with the Beast. There were many amenities available to them, including a small brass bathtub that offered either water cascading from the ceiling from a perforated brass nozzle, or a much more sit-down use. Hot water seemed to come from one of the knobs near the tub, with a counter-knob to help cool it. Talise knew, however, that such amenities were to be used briefly, as the ship only carried so much water on-board. Food was also of the highest standards, as the pilot was never one to sell her desires short while supplying what tended to be her own personal larder. _____________________________________________________________ Keeping herself awake and more or less alert with a strongly brewed tea of unknown origin, Domini kept the ship heading swiftly north. Beneath the hull, the mountains began to shift, the very air slowly seeming to become somewhat more magically charged... and the landscape becoming more barren. She couldn't help the faint feeling of nervousness that began to creep up her spine as the horizon began to show how close they were coming to the Blasted lands... She only hoped they could reach them before dark... Fortunately, the tea and the years of practice managed to help the small pilot reach her goal. As the sun was beginning to near the horizon, the mountain range began to thin out dramatically, and the inventor throttled the rotors back. Unhooking herself from the hanging seat she had situated once they were well underway, Domini stretched thoroughly, and unhooked the "sextant" from it's place by her compass, and made her way towards the bow. Pausing there, she eyed the approach to the second-most dangerous stretch of airspace she had ever encountered, rather thankful that the terribly chilled air had kept her companions below-deck for the most part... So they would not see the rather nervous, perhaps even worried, expression on her bundled features... |
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:36 pm
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«<{› ¤The Crusade¤ ‹}>» Settling herself back into her chair, Domini wrapped slim fingers back around the control levers for the rotors, preparing herself. Taking a deep breath, she ran the blades back up to full speed, the ship shooting forward once more. It took very little time for the vessel to dart across the border between the normal lands, untouched by most of the effects of the wild magic that so effected the land ahead... _____________________________________________________________ Every race knew something of the Dragon Wars. A war where Humans, Elves, and even Dwarves had stood united against the marauding wyrms of the northern-most lands. A war that had seen some of the most terrible magics and weapons unleashed by both sides. The stories themselves varied as wildly as the tellers as to how the war actually came to an end, but one thing was clear; The final stroke had destroyed the northern-most lands. Magic had gone completely mad in the expanse of land reaching from the mountain range that many Kael'dorei cities claimed, all the way to the pole. Incomprehensible storms and wild winds were the least of the concerns in this place... For the very ground had been torn asunder by the terrible Arts that had been unleashed. And that land had not been satisfied to simply blast through the air, and eventually fall. Chunks of the very land itself drifted through the air in these lands, disregarding the laws of gravity with complete negligence. Pieces ranging from the size of granular sand all the way to hundreds of feet in height or width hung in the air, some drifting lazily, some darting across the sky at alarming speeds. Collisions were a regular occurrence, and only the most vague prediction of a particular section of land's path could be made from watching it's course. It was into the edge of this very madness that Domini took her precious ship, thin hands tightening on the control levers... |
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:46 pm
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Ky lowered himself down into the brass tub and sighed with content. It had been ages since he had been able to take the time and enjoy a hot bath. Even if it was with less water than he'd like, it was a god send all the same. He wouldn't complain. He understood all too well the need to ration water.
He had allowed the commander and Lady Anora time to have a wash first, and now it was his turn to release some tension. Not just from the war, but also from the unforeseen stresses of flight. The pressure in his ears was one thing. That was easily solved, thanks to advice from Talise, by simply swallowing. How that worked was still beyond him. No, it was the sickness.
He tried to get used to it, but the combination of being so high up and the constant motion of the ship made it much more difficult to adapt to then sea travel. So far he had done well enough not to vomit, but it was a lingering sensation that he didn't enjoy. It didn't help that Talise, the commander, and much of Domoni's crew had taken to making sport of his discomfort.
The young knight placed a damp wash cloth over his eyes and lay his head back on the rim of the tub. The heat of the water felt good against his skin. He focused on the comfort. It wasn't long before his sickness subsided, and he found himself enjoying the trip. With his eyes closed, and his mind in the moment, he began to hum a tune he had heard in a pub many years ago.. |
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 8:22 am
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 4:46 pm
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 The previous night had not been a restful one for Asmyrra. The strange sound of the ship, the odd feeling of movement, the slow shift in the air as the temperatures dropped... She just could not bring herself into a deep or restful sleep. Instead, she had slipped quietly from the small cargo room that she and Ky had been shown to, and wandered the interior of the ship.
Sadly, the interior was much, much smaller than the exterior lead to believe. Three locked doors were all that prevented her from exploring the majority of that unknown space, though the intensity of the vibrations behind one of them indicated that whatever machines powered the ship were what was concealed. Instead, she had managed to find herself in the bathing room just after dawn. A little experimenting with the devices therein had revealed what their use was, but... Asmyrra had a guess that water was rationed aboard the vessel. Instead, a few lengthy incantations later, the bath was filled with steaming water conjured by magical means... She may be tired, and worn, but she would at least be clean...
After that point, Asmyrra had found herself lingering in the small kitchen-like area. The various foodstuffs tucked neatly away in the cupboards had been something of a delight to her, as those violet eyes quickly determined at least the nature of them, if not the specific identity. Instead, she tasked herself with coming up with something for her and her three compatriots to eat, before settling down at the table with the books from her saddlebags. There she had stayed, interrupting her studies only when one of her companions entered... though she did notice that their "hostess" never seemed to join them...
It was the sudden drop in the noise of the ships machinery that brought Asmyrra out of her quiet contemplation, those violet eyes looking about in confusion as the ship's movement seemed begin winding down. Closing her books, Asmyrra stowed them carefully away before bundling herself against the frigid air she anticipated on deck, and made her way towards the stairs... |
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 5:07 pm
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Minai chan "What of the deserted lands to the east? Has a population sprung there as well?"
"No... After the fall of their original strongholds, the humans who went to that land insisted on making the same mistakes they had during the war. My only satisfaction is that their foolishness, compounded by the lack of wisdom offered by the elder races, eventually spelled their downfall," she stated firmly, the hint of disgust in her crystalline accent giving account to her feelings on the matter. Shaking her head faintly, one long-nailed hand offered a dismissing motion as she continued. "Whatever people still dwell in those lands, if any, will be of no aid to you... Those lands are, in fact, probably as bad off in their own way as our own Blasted Lands."
"In some ways, it is a pity that your brotherhood seem to have followed the dictates of Gabriel so surely. It is almost as though he assumed there would be no civilization beyond the borders of this small continent," she said instead, a hint of wry amusement entering her voice. Relaxing back upon the cushions beneath her, those slanted golden orbs focused on her friend's azure ones, her tone shifting into query, and a mysterious smile curving her unadorned lips.
"Tell me, my dear... How much attention have you, or any others in your brotherhood, paid to the western coasts of your lands? Specifically, the ocean-going communities in the southern areas...?" |
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 12:08 am
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A beautiful roaring scream, of joy and sorrow so extreme...
Hugging her thick fur wrap around her shoulders with one hand, a steaming mug gripped in the other, Talise pressed through the chilly winds towards her destination. It seemed to take longer than it should to reach the pilot compartment, and she shoved the wooden door closed with a grateful sigh. Even with the rumbling of the ship's workings, the room seemed suddenly quiet compared to the unforgiving gale she had just come from. Looking up to their pilot, her only reply to her friend's queried glance is a warm, but tired smile.
Moving closer to the tinkerer, she sets the steaming mug of drinking chocolate in the small holder carved below the controls designed just for that purpose. Unwilling to break the comfortable silence between them she lays a reassuring hand gently on Domini's shoulder and stares out into the chaotic lands before them.
Although unfamiliar with this region, Talise knew they would be landing soon. In the distance she could see the mountain range signalling their approach of the Kae'dryn's fabled tower. She had never been there herself, nor had any in her caravan, and she felt a strange sense of accomplishment that she would be the first.
The first of her caravan to actually meet the Kae'dryn.. the elders would have been so proud.
Flickers of faces on the other side of the bonfire dancing between them lit her memory. For a moment the mechanical sounds faded away, replaced by the sound of bawdy, mock-jeers followed by laughter and good-natured cajoling. It seemed distant somehow.. fading.. she closed her eyes, trying to remember their faces.. grasping at the images teasing her through the flames..
There was movement beneath her hand. The steady rumble around her was changing. It was enough to draw her back to her current reality. After blinking a few times, she managed to focus on Domini. The little tinkerer was moving levers and checking gauges, her eyes darting from readings to the shifting scene outside. Retracting her hand from her friend's shoulder, Talise brought her fingers up to tighten the wrap around her arms. Were they were descending?
Still feeling a slight sense of loss from her earlier recollections, she gazed out towards the approaching land. She could not help but feel that something was coming.
A moment of truth.
There is a love in me raging. A joyous, magical feeling... |
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 12:46 am
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The serious implications behind her friend's deceptively relaxed conversation were not lost upon the contemplative angel watching her from the comforts of the cushions. Twice now Relm had avoided a direct answer to her queries about the western lands. Twice she had cleverly guided the conversation in ways that seemed to provide resolution, but in fact had dodged the more meaningful nature of the question... the 'allies'.
The sorceress could not possibly be referring to the humans. Even if they had survived, they were doubtful to prove any more effective against the Beast than the humans located here. Furthermore, the idea that perhaps there were civilizations beyond the reach of the Cathedral and its recent odious machinations was rather pleasing to Ash. If there was any truth to it she could not justify destroying their amiable progress with the condescension of her brothers. No, if they had found prosperity on their own the last thing she would possibly wish was to alert the Order of their presence.
Azure iris scrutinized her companion as she meandered the continents in her conversation. There was no denying that Relm had to know Ash would take a protective disposition regarding the younger races and her Order. Johannes had made no secret after the fiasco now known as the Sorceress Wars that he had no qualms standing up against Gabriel to protect their wards. The only disagreement between he and Ash was just how far, and perhaps how public, they were willing to go against Gabriel's wishes. Ash had always been the more impulsive of the two of them. She was quite capable of disregarding his more reserved nature to outright defy their glorious leader. Relm knew this. To be sure, it was one of the qualities the older woman found so agreeable in her younger feathered friend.
Why then would she bring this up when she is clearly trying to tempt me into something... ?
"Tell me, my dear... How much attention have you, or any others in your brotherhood, paid to the western coasts of your lands? Specifically, the ocean-going communities in the southern areas...?"
The angel barely registered the inquiry at first, but the mention of the southern regions combined with her already troubled thoughts to remind her once again of the Sorceress Wars. Abruptly her internal musings were wrenched back to the present and her gaze shifted downward as she recalled exactly why those areas were avoided.
"The lack of apparent interest is absolutely intentional, I assure you," she replied ruefully, a slight sardonic sadness laced into her tone. "As far as the central regions of the continent are concerned, the eradication of the sorceresses was a complete success. As I am sure you remember, there were several brothers that assisted Johannes and I with their escape to the south. Those brothers have attempted to check in with them occasionally, but the need for discretion is so great they usually keep their distance."
"As for myself..." Ash shifted slightly in the cushions, suddenly feeling a bit awkward with the topic, "I grew uncomfortable with the enamored attentions of a certain lead sorceress. You can't possibly have forgotten about that," the last word stressed with a reproachful look. "She was so very forward with me, and yet she could not bring herself to feel the same for the rest of me..."
A faint bitterness traced along her features and also reflected in her quiet mutters meant only for herself, "... which seems to just be my lot in life really."
With a soft sigh she valiantly repressed those memories back into the dark hole from whence they came and focused on Relm once more. It was becoming painfully obvious that there was something going on in the western lands. Something Relm obviously wanted her to find for herself. Instinctively Ash knew that any further attempts to extract the information would be pointless if the older woman had already set this conclusion in her mind.
"Not that all of this emotional conjecture isn't great and all but let's just cut to the chase, shall we?" her frankness highlighted by an affectionate exasperation. "You think I should head west."
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:53 pm
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Relm's words to her had not been gentle, nor had they been few.
Those golden eyes slid closed faintly as the ancient magi rebuked herself mentally. With all the going-ons and complications, combined with the long absence of Ash, it wasn't accurate to say she had forgotten, per say... She just had not thought of it in a long time. One of the many pitfalls of having a life that could remember events from millennia ago. But, to be fair... Relm had to acknowledge that Ash would not have known about anything else happening in that area. No-one wished to duplicate the events that had caused religion and magic to war against each other in the human lands again.
Sighing ruefully at herself, those golden orbs slowly opened once more, peering at the reclined angel settled across from her. "The eastern lands are lost, and the 'protectors' of these lands are failing. While I do understand, and in part agree, that bringing notice to the refugees of your people's recent witch hunts would have been disastrous, perhaps your brothers have gone too far in protecting those women," she murmured quietly, a faintly sad tone entering her voice. "Complete lack of interaction is probably not doing them any favours, and it is leaving this land dangerously ignorant of events happening around them."
"Do I wish you to go west," she asked, her voice taking on a more brisk tempo. Sitting up, she offered her long-lost friend a firm nod, those angular features conveying some of the seriousness the ancient magi regarded the topic with. "It is your only chance, Ash... Something must be done to stop the downward slide these lands are facing. And perhaps the spark, the fire that you possess, can actually help them begin to---"
Relm suddenly cut off as the threads of several of the wards surrounding her tower severed, those golden eyes widening as she bolted quickly to her feet. Focusing her attention inwards for a long moment, she followed those severed magical lines to the point where her shaping of the Weave had been compromised... And her pale features became a faintly expressionless mask, concealing some kind of emotion.
"We have visitors, coming from the lake to the north of my tower... And from the looks of it, at least one of them is from your Cathedral..." |
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 3:27 pm
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«<{› ¤The Crusade¤ ‹}>»The trip into the edges of the floating debris field was, if nothing else, extremely exciting. Domini's deft maneuvering of the control arms arrayed around her had sent the ship smoothly around the larger chunks of floating rock and debris, though the ship was by far too large to avoid everything. Sudden shifts of altitude orientation, turns, and the occasionally dramatic drop in physical altitude were often punctuated by the hollow «BOOM!», occasionally hard enough to jar the entire ship, of some rock or boulder impacting on the hull. Even if not something so direct, the sound of gravel and sand splashing against the ship was occasionally deafening, and compounded the almost dizzying shifts of the vessel. But Domini had faith in the Sul, and she had faith in her piloting skills. She had to. Nevermind the passengers she had not wanted to take, Talise was with her. There was no way she would allow her dearest, and only true friend to come to harm. Besides, she wasn't completely unfamiliar with this turn of events... She had tested the material of the balloon above them several times in exactly this situation, and had slowly developed a proficiency at reading the "patterns" the debris usually followed. That was not to say she was completely unconcerned, though. The white-knuckled grip she tended to show on the control levers definitely attested to that. After what probably felt like forever to the various passengers, the Forenya Sul finally managed to break free of the Blasted Lands, her slightly battered bow turned south once more. From that point, it only took a small handful of minutes for Domini to find the lake she had scouted several times in the past. The darkness falling actually served to help reassure the high-strung pilot as she deftly guided the ship over the center of the small lake, one hand venting the lofting gas from the sail while the others stilled the rotors. The vessel's hull struck the smooth surface of the water with an audible splash, and Domini allowed the ship's last erg of momentum to carry them towards the shore. Tired, mismatched eyes judged the distance carefully as the ship slowed, a thin hand still hovering over the lever controlling the vents in the balloon. Fortunately, her practice at these kinds of landings became quite evident as the ship came to a gentle stop, the reinforced keel of the ship digging into the soft mud of the bottom of the lake. From there, the little inventor allowed the remaining gas to vent forth, the ship settling deeper into the water... Effectively using the embedded keel as an anchor. From this point, Talise knew the routine; Pack a change of clothes into one of the waterproof bags belowdeck, and make a swim for the shore. Once all of the 'crew' was ashore, the little inventor turned her feet in the direction of a very faint path worn into the vegetation and stone, and began leading the people south, towards a structure being silhouetted by the rising moons...  |
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