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 Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 4:08 pm
Tura was about to use a little of her remaining energy to catch the falling combatant but when Sai beat her to it she landed gratefully and stood panting in the snow. She said calmly,
The barrier about her own companion flickered and died and Vilya was once again visible. Her expression was distant and when she faced the gryphon it seemed as if she looked not at her but through her. Silently she waded through the snow, collected her scimitar and headed toward the main lodge without a word to anyone.
Tura sighed as she watched her friend go.
She thought sadly.
She turned to Stratus and Sai.
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:22 pm
Sai walked over to Kin and managed to lift him up onto his back. He began shuffling through the snow back toward the lodge with the young mage weighing him down. Damn, Kin's a lot heavier than he looks... Sai made to to the entrance and glanced back at Stratus who had taken up a position near the door. Stratus sensed the question without it needing to be asked.
Stratus sent a mental affirmative.
Sai walked through the door and carried Kin across the room towards the hearth. When he was close to the hearth he carefully lay Kin down on the floor while supporting his upper body. Sai managed to remove his pack from his back while supporting Kin and lay it down the floor. Once that was done he lowered Kin until he lay on the floor before the hearth, his head resting on Sai's pack like a pillow.
Sai turned his attention back to the rest of the room, his eyes immediately seeking out Vilya. Wondering where she was, and how she was. He felt another pang when he thought of the expression on her face when she had appeared from behind her barrier.
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 4:40 pm
Vilya had already vanished upstairs. Tura noticed the old woman was gone as well. Most likely tending to her. She shook her feathers free of snow and lay by the hearth on a pile of bearskins that had been set out for the group. Her feathers glinted delicately in the firelight, purple shining with the gold of the flames. Her violet eyes fixed on Sai. Blankets were brought, intricately woven, as well as more furs, food and drink. Tura did not eat, but combed the fur under her talons thoughtfully. Her raptorial features unreadable. When most had gone and Kin had been set to rest Tura spoke to Sai quietly. The gryphon suddenly seemed older, as if her many years had finally caught p with her. She gazed into the fire sadly. Tura paused for a moment, thinking of how to carry on.
A few years before I arrived the village was hit with a fierce pestilence. How or why it appeared I do not know but when I investigated the houses I could sense traces of a great magical power.
Vilya may have lost her powers, but I was trained as a mage.
When she found out Vilya asked that I train her. But even with training there was no hope of her becoming strong enough to fight in the capital.
It was with that truth that I left her when I struck out from the village, but fate it seemed had other plans.
Vilya followed me for three days, until the day that she saved my life. I had broken a wing however and though I still refused to help her she brought me back to her home, nursed me until I could fly again.
At the end of months, when I was finally ready to leave she was standing at the gate, scimitars drawn.>
A faint smile could be seen playing on Tura's beak, as if she remembered the scene with fondness.
With the thought of what may have befallen me without her, it could not have been a more fair offer. I fought her, and I lost.>
She looked back at Sai, her eyes had regained much of their usual intensity.
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:15 pm
((Is Tura able to actually speak aloud? Or was that just an oops?))
Sai took it all in as Tura explained her and Vilya's pasts. She was not a mage. Now that he thought back on it he had almost never seen her casting, only the results of her spells. Because they hadn't even been her spells, they were Tura's. Her home, her family, her people; all but wiped out. Sai had decided to become a combatant and enter the tournament in the capitol for prestige, for pride. Vilya had entered not through desire, but through need. Only she could save her people.
Sai sighed, his gaze had fallen as he had thought over what he had been told. Now, he raised his eyes to meet Tura's again.
"Thank you, Tura, for telling me this. You're a good person. Vilya, she's lucky to have you as a partner. You're lucky to have each other."
Stratus sensing the conflict within Sai's heart and mind called out to him.
There was a pause.
Sai could also feel the heaviness in his spirit. What did he do with this information now? Did he reach out to Vilya? But would she feel comforted by that or would she feel as though he were belittling her. He felt as close a friendship to her as he ever had anyone, and it hurt him that she had not trusted him with this. At the same time though, all he cared about was how she felt.
Sai turned and looked towards the stairs, towards where Vilya had gone.
Vilya...
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Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:46 am
((Ah yes, I'm just so used to writing her with real speech, I'll fix that.))
Tura followed Sai's gaze up the stairs.
Tura, though she knew her partner well, did not know everything. As they spoke downstairs Vilya laid a set of clothes on her bed. They were black and as she put them on seemed to sap the colour from the room.
The fabric was thick, falling loosely until her elbows and tightening about her wrists. The trousers hugged her form but did mot limit movement. A pair of silver bracers Vilya produced next. Instead of the delicate forms of animals that decorated her scimitars these had an image of an angry sky, a bolt of lighting cutting the picture in half, striking a symbol that to her people meant evil.
Vilya stood and looked at her arms. The clothes felt strange to her, but the rage that boiled inside of her flared when she recalled the face of the mage as it disappeared in the storm.
He had been there, the night her village was nearly destroyed. She had seen that same face as the storm descended and the horrors began.
Vilya removed her scimitars from their leather sheaths and placed them on the bed. A small dagger was sheathed at her side and the drew this and placed it carefully in her hand.
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Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:55 pm
"You're right, Tura. I know that she's more than capable. I don't feel sorry for her, not for her lack of spellcasting. I empathize with her for the loss of her people, though. I think I'll go see if she'd be willing to speak with me."
Sai, who had not turned his gaze from the staircase while speaking with Tura, walked towards it. He walked up the stairs and down a short hallway. There were several small rooms, all the doors were open, and Vilya was in none of them. Sai came to the last door in the hallway, the only one that was closed. He knocked gently.
"Vilya. It's Sai."
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 5:31 am
Vilya pressed the dagger against her palm when just then there was a knock at the door. She did not move for a moment, then sighed and set the dagger on a table.
She opened the door wide, her expression was hard and emotionless but seemed to flicker when she saw him.
The scimitars lay on her bed, a bag packed with provisions for one sitting beside them.
"So," she said softly, opening her arms wide in the doorway. "What do you think? Now that you know what I am."
What Tura had done had hurt her. A small part of her told her it was to protect her, but it seemed all but washed away in the flood of pain and anger that coursed through her. That and the thought of finally avenging her people.
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:28 pm
"I think of you what I thought of you before I knew. You're still the same talented, kindhearted mage that's so quickly become my friend. If anything, I find you more impressive than before." Sai said.
Sai took in Vilya's dark clothing, the bracers on her arms, her scimitars on the bed. He took in her dark expression, her mask of emotionlessness. It hurt him to look at her like that. It hurt him to think of what she had been through, and what she must be feeling now.
"I'm not going to pretend that I know what you're feeling. Whatever it is, though, I'm sure it's not good. Don't lose yourself in it. You're one of the closest friends I've ever had, and I'd prefer not to lose such a good friend to darkness. Whatever it is you decide to do next, though, count me in."
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:05 pm
Vilya let her arms fall to her sides, this was not the response she had been expecting. As Sai spoke her expression changed, a small glimmer of the old Vilya shone through.
'you are one of the closest friends I've ever had' he had said. Part of her wished he had not asked to come...what would he think of her when he knew what she was setting out to do? All of a sudden it mattered a great deal what he thought of her.
She closed her eyes and drew in a breath. "Don't lose myself," she repeated. There was a hint of an accent in her voice, betraying her now in the state she was in to the southern grasslands, where she first learned to speak.
There was a small pause before Vilya went to gather the bag and her weapons.
"The mage responsible for this storm, was the same man who attacked my village..." She faltered as the faces of her parents flashed in her mind. Before she could not remember them at all, now Vilya could not get them out of her head, they were a constant reminder of what she had lost. What had been taken from her.
"...The customs of my tribe demand retribution. That is where I'm going."
The assassin's spell could wait until later, Vilya put the dagger back in its sheath on her belt.
Sheathing her scimitars as well she shouldered the pack.
"You'll need warm clothes, and enough food for a few days...I'll wait for you downstairs." She walked past him into the hallway, pausing at the top of the steps and turning back.
Her storm-gray eyes were suddenly soft as she spoke; "You're one of the closest friends I've ever had too."
With those words she disappeared down into the main lodge.
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Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 3:04 pm
Sai stood for a moment and let it all sink in. The mage who had killed her parents. She was going to kill him. And Sai was going to help. He would help, if vengeance was what she needed, he would be there for her. Some part of him felt tarnished for helping her seek vengeance, like he was doing something wrong. Like he was helping her do something wrong. But he'd do it for her anyways. He tried to tell himself it wasn't vengeance, that it was justice. It didn't help.
Sai lifted his head, coming out of his reverie. There was an older woman standing at the head of the stairs, looking at him.
"Ma'am, could I possibly purchase some supplies from you?" Sai asked.
Several minutes later Sai bore a pack full of dried foods that would last him the next several days. He was dressed in new attire, which had previously belonged to one of the men of the lodge. They fit him well, and were of good quality. They were heavy, though not restricting, and the way they were woven would trap his body heat within them, or so he was told. Thick socks, to keep his feet warm. His own leather boots. Trousers, which he had let fall over the tops of the boots, but which he had belted in place over them. A sleeveless tunic of average weave. A jacket, of the same weave as the trousers buttoned on over the tunic. Sai had included his own belt and scarf. He did not have a cloak as part of this new ensemble, as he thought the snapping of the fabric in the wind might give them away. Fortunately the jacket had a hood. The clothing had all originally been an off-white color, though Sai had put together a simple spell combination to alter the color, so that they were now a dark gray. Lastly he strapped his sword on over his shoulder, so that the handle pointed up over his right shoulder.
Sai walked down the stairs and into the main lodge. He was ready to depart immediately, if that was in the plan. His eyes roamed over the room, seeking out Vilya.
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Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 1:46 pm
Tura raised her head as her companion came down the stairs. When she saw the dark clothing and the pack she gave Vilya a painful look. Her worst fears had been confirmed, but the expression she wore told Tura she could not be argued with, not at the moment. I can only hope she comes to the right decision when the time comes. She though to herself, rising off the skins and stretching.
"You think I'm only doing this for myself?"
Vilya didn't answer. "You don't have to come. Stay with Kin."
Tura did not let the words or Vilya's harsh tone hurt her but continued as if they had not been said;
Vilya was silent, but did as Tura suggested, placing the parchment by Kin's pillow.
the gryphon continued as Sai appeared down the stairs.
Tura had seen the ceremonial dagger, and knew it for what it was, but she knew Vilya had not cast the spell yet as her hands were still unmarked. She had learned much about the customs and culture of her companion's tribe during her stay with them.
Tura suddenly caught Vilya's eyes and held them for a long time. Vilya thought many times to look away but she did not. The gryphon's gaze was fierce and intense, but through it Vilya saw all the kindness and intelligence that could never be seen in an ordinary beast.
Tura saw anger and pain, but also doubt. This was what her customs demanded yes, but was she being true to herself? Tura hung onto the doubt in her companion's eyes.
Vilya opened the door, still hurt and angry; "What would you know about it?"
Tura watched her leave out into the snowy evening before quietly following in her footsteps, holding her thoughts in her own mind;
<...more than you know...>
The walk into the mountains wasn't long at all. They could still see the houses when the first signs of wild magic could be picked out of their surroundings.
The rock of a canyon wall seemed gray at first, but as they walked the colours separated and soon there was an abnormal patterning of white and black stretched as high as they could see.
Tura padded on, keeping her head down and ears forward.
Vilya walked just ahead, stone-faced and silent, her thick wool cloak drawn tightly around her body.
How Tura missed her companion's old demeanor.
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 5:23 pm
((Sorry for the delay. I've been so tired lately, it's mostly been work, come home, sleep...))
Sai followed behind Vilya. He knew he needed to let her have her distance at that moment, but he also wanted to be close by, in case she needed him. Stratus followed along behind, near Tura. He walked along the ground, something that he normally did not care to do much, but Sai had told him they could not risk being seen approaching from the air.
Stratus had accepted what he had been told, that the mage they had combated had not truly been slain, and that Vilya had a personal interest in making sure that he was ended. Sai had sworn to help her, and protect her however he could. Stratus knew that this was not the whole story, but he trusted that both Vilya and his partner had their reasons for keeping the whole truth from him. He knew only that Sai was going into something dangerous, and he would not be left out while his partner risked his life.
Sai stared at Vilya's back as they walked, thinking about everything he now knew, trying not to think of what they would be doing. He went over his spells in his head as they went, those that he knew by heart. His teleportation spell, was a personal favorite, he had been incredibly lucky that his master had shared that one with him. His wind and lightning spells were staple spells passed down from his family. He still had a few that his father had taught him that he had not used since using home. Home. Back there his family were regarded as Storm Mages. Sai didn't fully live up to that legacy, but his father had not let him escape without teaching the fundamentals of their family's magical combat style. He wondered how far he would have to take those teachings in his next battle...
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Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:05 am
((No worries, I'm not too fussed. Oh, the Literate role-playing guild is holding a contest for newly joined members, its part of a revival campaign I've decided to follow. It sounds like fun.))
It was fully dark in the sky When Tura stopped them.
"It would be far too dangerous to travel through wild-magic-tainted lands at night.
What few trees Vilya could see had now become twisted and deformed, and seemed to move, even though there was no wind.
The torn cry of a beast Vilya had never heard before broke the silence and she followed Tura to look for shelter.
A cave, by no means warm, but dry and free of snow served as their camp. It was open, and had space for a fire. Tura volunteered to fetch the wood and left as Vilya pulled the bearskin off her pack. A tiny magelight served to illuminate the dark space, its pale blue glow casting a ghostly light on everything it touched.
The cry came again and sent shivers down Vilya's spine.
Tura returned shortly, a thick branch clamped in her beak. There was a long scratch down her flank, not bleeding, but her fur had been scraped away.
she said simply before setting it down.
"What happened to this place?" Vilya asked the second question after Tura had answered her first.
Once the fire was going Tura lay behind her companion, letting the girl rest her head in her feathery flank.
The warmth brought little comfort to Vilya, as she lay there and thought about what she felt she had to do a great hollow feeling crept into her heart.
She suddenly realized she hadn't said a word to Sai in hours, the more she thought about it the more she thought he shouldn't be here.
"You don't have to come with me." She said finally, looking at him. "In fact, maybe you'd better head back tomorrow.."
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 1:14 am
Kin's thoughts were racing as he was trapped inside a very detailed dream.
A small child with dark brown hair stood in a worn shed next to a wooden house dunked his face into a cold bucket of water and attempted to watch his face with a dirty rag, wiping away the blood and gashes from his face. There was much noise of food, drink, and conversation being heard inside the house. His golden eyes stared back at him in the murky water. He hated living.
He then heard horses and yelling outside the shed. Glasses began to break and screaming took place from within the house as well as all over the village he could hear chaos begin. Villagers were running past the opening of the shed where Kin watched all the adults get slaughtered and houses began to catch fire as bandits pillaged.
Flames engulfed Kin's dream and the scene changes.
The same dark haired boy is much older now and changes in his physical appearance show that he is much healthier and stronger than before. He is wearing a warm black cloak in the back of a wagon along with many other men armed with weapons. The eyes of the small boy were just a golden as they were long ago as he stared emotionless ahead of him as they approached a village under the mood lit night.
Again the same chaos takes place except this same small child with golden eyes is slaying villagers just as his were.
Kin's dream is now washed away in blood and the scene changes again.
A young man with dark brown hair and gold eyes is relaxing on a wooden bench outside a general store. The village seemed to be much larger than others he had been in and was fairly booming with festivities and with the exchanging of goods. He was dressed more formal in a light brown robe with elegant gold designs. An old man in around his 50's exited the general store and the young man stood up to the old man's appearance and bowed slightly.
"Kin, let us go back to our training at the temple." The older man stated to the young man with gold eyes. "Yes, master." Kin replied.
Time passed and it was dawn. Kin and the older man sat on the edge of the wooden pathway build along the sides of the temple, facing the courtyard inside the temple walls. Kin sighed and laid back.
"That technique is difficult and especially hard to practice if you don't let me use it." Kin complained.
"Kin, you must always keep a clear mind. That technique puts tremendous stress on the body, ten fold over the other techniques you already use. That technique was design to be powerful in time of need. To protect those dear to you." The old master preached.
"Wouldn't a strong person be able to use it any time they wanted?" Kin questioned.
"A truly strong person knows when there is reason to fight, I taught you so you can protect. Kin, you are strong and will continue to become stronger, but you won't ever be truly strong if you continue the path you continue to take. Promise you will never use that technique for evil and only when there is reason to do so. Promise me for my sake and your sake." The old master pleaded seriously.
"I-" Kin began.
Kin's eyes slowly opened to a dark room with only a candle lit to light the room. He was in bed. Looking to his left there was a piece of paper with writing left there on the nightstand.
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:27 am
As they walked through the twisted landscape Sai's hand kept twitching to reach for his sword. He was starting to wish he had not moved it to his back. It had been easier to draw the blade when it was sheathed at his hip, but it was more out of the way over his back. He settled for taking a few calming breaths and going over the hand-to-hand techniques his master had taught him in his mind.
Sai had followed behind Vilya for hours, until the sun was setting. The four of them found a cave and set a scarce camp. Stratus curled up on one side of the cave, opposite where Vilya was. Sai rolled a heavy rock over near to the fire and sat down with his back against it. He alternated looking onto the fire they had started when Tura had returned with a dry log and glancing up at Vilya. His friend appeared lost in her thoughts, she had not spoken in hours, but Sai was content to leave her to her contemplations.
Finally, she spoke. Sai heard her words, and thought he could read emotions behind them that she had not voiced.
"That's not going to happen." Sai said. "And I know I don't have to come with you. I want to. This is dangerous, and you're my friend. There's no way I'd let you go into this alone. If you were hurt, or if you didn't come back, I'd never forgive myself for not being there. We're gonna see this through together. Because that's what good friends are for, someone you can count on to watch your back, to help you when things get tough."
As he had spoken Sai had opened his pack and unwrapped some dried bread, meat, and cheese. Now he rose and walked over to Vilya with the dried travel rations. He lowered himself down and sat beside her. He offered the rations to her.
"We should eat. We're gonna need our full strength when we get to where we're going."
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