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 Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 7:09 pm
chaeval There was a hint of mischief in her voice as she patted the tree the last time. *Do you not think such a tree worthy of a royal court in of itself?* she joked softly *How m any kings can claim such a treasure in their throneroom?* "Only time can tell." Io said, smiling slightly at the pun. "There isn't much left of the royal ballroom..." She said, turning to the right and walking gingerly though the broken rubble and twisting vines. She entered a large clearing, a few trees growing here and there, broken statues covered in moss. "This... was where it happened." She said softly, as if to herself.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 10:43 pm
Kataio F Zahar nodded slowly. 'Certainly I will take you to the ruins. It may be a bit dangerous though. I could call out to a few other masks that may be in the area and maybe they could help.' Zahar looked into her empty tea cup again with a sigh. 'Just let me know when you are ready to go. I will have to clean up our little tea setting and then grab my weapons from inside. Then if you would like I will call out to a couple of the other masks and see if they will help us on our way.'
She brought her hands into her lap sitting there staring off into the distance. Zahar's eyes didn't look rushed or pleading for exceptance. Her whole body seemed rigid though, as if she was not really there and someone had made a very believeable wax sculpture of her. the breeze slightly moving the tips of Zahar's hair, her breathing, and once in awhile blinking of her eyes told anyone watching that she was still indeed alive.
Zahar started to think to herself. I am not looking for pity, I am not looking for acceptance either. I just had not been thinking. Oh, I shall do one more thing and then leave this place. I am guilty and even if everyone forgives me, I cannot forgive myself. Her body shivered as if she caught a chill on the wram breeze.
Slowly pushing himself into a standing position, he bowed lightly to Zahar and then set his empty mug onto the tray she had brought them out on. Thank you for the tea. I am in no hurry to visit the ruins, if you had other plans feel free to attend to them, I do not want to get in the way of anything. I would like to head back to Rhia's ship and gather my armor before we head out though, and perhaps take a weapon or two of my own.
The small samurai's bright eyes narrowed slightly and the outer corners crinkled as he gave Zahar an uneasy smile, I am by no means a warrior, but perhaps even I would be able to assist someone, should they require it. He gestured to the tray with one hand as his wings twitched behind him, Would you like assistance with anything here?
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 10:50 pm
*Io...talk to us please.* she entreated, stepping around the rubble as well. *None of this...none of this is doing anything to help memory. You know what happened...can't you tell us?*
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:35 pm
Io paused, not looking at them for a second, then pointed to the stage for another throne. "The King... Nika... sat there. It was a party. And you..." She said, pointing a little distance from the throne, "Were there."
"We were supposed to find out about an engagement that night. My sister, Light... I don't know what her name is now, I don't really care. Was going to announce her wedding to her advisor, fire." She took a deep breath, finally turning to them.
"I didn't like it. I didn't think he was good enough for her. But it was what she wanted, so I went to the balcony..." She pointed to the most broken part of the room. There were trees growing in the opening. "To get some air. She was to inherit half of the kingdom. I was to get the other half. It suited us."
"But it didn't suit him." She sighed, walking towards the balcony area as the memories rushed over her. "When I was on the balcony he came out. Tried to convince me that he really loved me... not light. I didn't buy it. He was too selfish to love anyone other than himself. And he might have been having an affair already. I wasn't sure." She went silent for a second, her shoulders slumping.
"Elementals... all of us... have more power than we should. But the royal families... they're far too powerful for their own good. And too foolish to understand that fact. Light had been taking lessons from my aunt. Your sister, Nika. And when she found us on the balcony she used one of the spells Lyra had taught her. She was jealous."
"But... she didn't do it right." Io finished, shrugging. "And we were all stuck in the masks we wore that night, waiting for someone with coinciding spiritual... something or other to come and get us out. There was just one problem." She went silent, not knowing how to explain it.
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:13 pm
Nika chuckled lightly at Shiva's joke and turned to follow Io into the ballroom. He stepped carefully around the rubble. This he remembered, the room atleast. It was familiar, even with age, and it was a bit comforting. When I spoke, he glanced at her and listened carefully.
Zahar and Kasai? He had known that aswell but... Fire had done WHAT? His eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed in anger. That was... that was... so unbelievably infuriating he couldn't even begin describe it. They were his daughters, for heaven's sake! He should have been able to do something...
'One problem?' he lifted an eyebrow at Io, his voice uncharacteristically bitter, 'I'd say there were a hell of a lot more problems then that... '
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, 'We were masks when our Chosen first met us, weren't we? So, when, exactly did we turn into masks? I mean, if we did wait for somebody to lift the curse?'
He remembered something... A bright light, was it?
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 5:02 pm
Shiva laid her hand gently on Nika's arm in response to the emotion she felt from him. It had een entirely too strong to miss.
She wasn't entirely sure how she felt. Appalled, angry...but ultimately sad. *That is what happened then?* her voice was overly soft with emotion. *An ineptly charged spell launched from a fit of momentary anger. That is what has done this to us all? Killed...hurt us? Nothing greater than that? Just...a child's anger.* her tone was grieved.
That was it? A selfish act that was in reaction to a selfish act.
*What was the true intent of the spell?* she asked.
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 5:43 pm
"We changed when the spell went wrong. All of us. Including Lyra." Io said, frowning slightly. "And the one problem... the most serious problem... is that while Ice's energy woke me from my mask... I'm almost certain it woke Lyra as well." And how was she to explain that Nika's sister wanted to kill him most of all?
"I don't know what the curse was meant to do. I never trained under Lyra." Io said, turning to Shiva. "But I know it wasn't meant to do what it did. Not if it wound up with all of the people being trapped in masks. Lyra loves attention above all else."
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 5:51 pm
*Another Royal?* Shiva looked confused for a moment. *Is she among us as well?*
How frustrating this was becoming. She should know all this, and know it intimately. Information was the most important toolfor strategy...and ignorance its curse. How could she function as she needed if she couldn't recall the basest of facts?
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:07 pm
Nika smiled at Shiva, calmed slightly by her touch... Lyra was awake? Lyra was... alive? Nika blinked, remembering that he and his sister hadn't really been the closest of siblings. Well, uh... that wasn't good. Not if her feelings towards him remained the same as they had always been.
'She's awake?' he shook his head, 'and her mask, is it still there?'
If she was maskless... Well, he was assuming the worst now. Best not to imagine.
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:05 pm
Rhiannon Everwind Kenshi pulled his hands apart and placed his palms flat against the table, falling into silence once again. He wasn't exactly sure why he wanted to go to the ruins, or what it was he would do once he got there. He just felt like he should go. Whether he knew the reason or not, he just... had to go. He looked over to his mug of tea, still at least half full, and curled his left hand around it. He pulled the mug closer to him and swirl its contents around for a moment, staring at a small portion of his distorted reflection before picking it up and drinking the rest of it. It tasted bad, really bad, and he couldn't help the small grimace of displeasure from forming itself behind his masque. But he knew it wasn't the tea; even if he tasted something that he normally loved it would be bitter and revolting at this particular moment in time.
Slowly pushing himself into a standing position, he bowed lightly to Zahar and then set his empty mug onto the tray she had brought them out on. Thank you for the tea. I am in no hurry to visit the ruins, if you had other plans feel free to attend to them, I do not want to get in the way of anything. I would like to head back to Rhia's ship and gather my armor before we head out though, and perhaps take a weapon or two of my own.
The small samurai's bright eyes narrowed slightly and the outer corners crinkled as he gave Zahar an uneasy smile, I am by no means a warrior, but perhaps even I would be able to assist someone, should they require it. He gestured to the tray with one hand as his wings twitched behind him, Would you like assistance with anything here?
Zahar stood now as well, stretching a bit with a faint smile in her eyes. She ran her hands down the front of her dress, and turned her head into the breeze to brush the strands of loose hair away from her mask. Yes, she would help this one get to the ruins. Then she will go off on a quest of her own. Maybe she could start to dig up old sites, map out the land again for the rest. Taking a deep breath and then letting it out she reached down for the tray and picked it up. Maybe then she can start to study her powers, and magic again. Maybe some how she can learn how to reverse the spell other then having someone release them. Zahar looked to Kenshi for what he would like to do.
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:41 pm
santa_kitty kaliskanny Galilee was surprised, then he realized this guy might know the way out. He didn't know how to call to him or ask him for help, so he started following him. he stopped in his tracks and glanced back. "may i help you? or are you going to attack me again? well if you can understand me anyway... can you write or lip read or something? ive seen the others comunitcate. im guessing yuo all speak telepathically or something to do with psionics.. maybe not.. either way you will have to comunicate with me somehow here..." he turned fully and folded his arms looking inquisitively at the much bigger man and waited. he blinked remebering the connection between this man and the girl who was co-responsible for saving his life "oh an if you understand me and ever see the fire masked guy and the yellow skinned girl... tell them i owe them my life and will fullfil my debt to them even if it takes my life or until i feel it is complete... now... can i help you or am i wasting my time even talking to you?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 6:35 am
"Well... I know she's awake... but as for her mask..." Io stopped, looking away. "Uncle Sei says she's changed. And only he and Fauve have seen her... but... That's why I insisted on coming. I don't know."
Then she spoke again, almost sounding frustrated. "She was messing with Fauve's head... I know she was, and then all of a sudden it was as if she lost interest. But that's what I really don't get. If she wanted to kill you, she could have done it at any time. Even with her mask on. But maybe--"
She stopped looking around. "Maybe she figured out long before we did. There's nothing left to kill you for, is there?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 9:04 am
Shiva felt the despair of the words themselves if not of the speaker and looked around again. All of it was gone. Even most of the memory of it. She couldn't even judge if they were unimportant memories...if they were things that were better off not thought of. It was simply an emptiness.
Nothing left. An empty and crumbling ruin guarded and claimed by beasts and trees. A handful of survivors that were shells of what they were, unaware, ignorant...and perhaps happy with that fact.
She felt cold suddenly, and depressed. What had all this been for anyway? Even any philosophical meaning of their "rebirth" had been taken away. It was not a new chance at all, or even a blow levelled by an enemy. It had been the actions of a stupid, selfish child that had found out too suddenly that the world was never a fair place. Even for royalty.
She wanted to ask what they should do now, but who the hell could answer that question. Was it over entirely before it began?
Ghosts. They were the ghosts that haunted the remains of a past. In time...they too would fade away.
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 11:50 am
'There isn't,' he agreed with a shake of his head. His his eyes sadly wandered around the crumbling room. Knowing that his sister could have killed him any time she had wanted didn't surprise or upset him. He wouldn't have put it past her, either. She had always been jealous of him and he had hoped that her feelings towards him would change someday. Maybe that day had finally come?
'Is she with Sei now then?' he ask Io, tilting his head to the side, 'Is that how you knew he was alright?'
Nika glanced at Shiva. It was impossible to read her expression through that mask...
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:46 pm
"Yes. She is." Io replied, almost calmly. "And Sei's the one that can remove the masks." She gave a little smile, looking over at Shiva. "Dissapointing, isn't it? No grand destiny in front of us, no clear cut revenge. The person I hate most is probably myself. I would kill my sister... but what would that gain me? I would kill fire, but I don't believe he even remembers what he did."
"That's why I ran away for so long, you know. I spent weeks with Sei, learning to live off the land. Trying to get over this empty feeling." She headed to a corner, crouching down and picking up a shard of mask. "We've lost so much... so many." She stood, turning to them. "And these are your grand memories, Father. These are the things you came here to find."
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