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 Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:17 pm
"Alright. Let's do this."
*As they reach the edge of the earth, Kato separates from the group and prepares to open the earth for them. Bryce closes his eyes and begins concentrating.*
Here goes nothing.
*Bryce's amulet begins glowing, and soon his whole body is eminating a bright green glow. The glow quickly spreads and surrounds the rest of the party, excluding Kato.*
"I'm ready, Kato."
*Kato opens the earth and Bryce moves the party down towards the shield with the energy of the wind.*
"Okay. Don't make any sudden movements. Relax. I'm going to break off from you and try to work on that shield. I'll be back soon."
*With that, Bryce floats down away from the others to the massive shield surrounding Halconia.*
Now, how am I going to break this?
Think about it.
Maybe if I try and find a weak spot...
*Bryce searches vainly for a spot to get through, but none is found.*
There must be some other way!
You still haven't unleashed your true power.
Would it be safe?
I'll bring you back to normal when necessary. It won't be so bad because you're in the proper mental state.
*Bryce closes his eyes and begins concentrating harder than ever. The green light surrounding him begins to whirl rapidly, pushing his cloak off his head. His silver-colored hair blows in the wind and Narya's amulet raises up toward his forehead. In one sudden movement, the amulet breaks off its chain and smashes into Bryce's forhead, causing a ripple of green light to spread over his body. Once the light dies down, it is revealed that Bryce's hair is no longer silver, but has a slight green tint and his eyes are clouded over.*
I hope this works.
*Bryce outstretches his hand, almost without thought, and puts it to the shield. A green light swirls around his hand, then gushes through the shield, disintegrating a twenty-foot diameter circle. Bryce turns toward the others with a queer look on his face.*
s**t! I have to stop this! He's not responding!
*Bryce jets up to the others, right next to Daewyn. As he is raising his hand towards her, he stops, then falls backwards. The green light around him disappears and he plummets toward the ground. Narya struggles to bring Bryce back to conciousness while keeping everyone afloat.*
Why did we have to resort to that! Wake up, dammit!
*Slowly, Bryce opens his eyes, realizes what he's doing, and regains control over his body.*
What just happened?
It took over. I had no control over what happened. I was lucky to get you out before something happened.
I didn't....
No. Almost. But now you're back to normal. Get them to Halconia and don't worry about it.
Okay.
*Bryce floats back up to the others' strange looks.*
"Sorry about that. It won't happen again."
*Looks towards Kato*
"Hey! All done! What do you want me to do about you? I can get you down from there if you want."
"Damnit! It's more of a burden on us when we don't know her faults! And what's worse, she pushes herself! She barely tells us things unless were on a need-to-know basis. Can't she tell that we're her friends? And that she should keep us informed so that we can take care of her as she takes care of us? Damn, it's like she thinks were constantly judging her, or something."
Baikasu looks at her collapsed form, then sighs, takes off his jacket, taking the heavier objects out of it, a gas mask, and lays the jacket on top of her. The party hears a distinct clunking/thuding sound come from the large jacket.
He then attaches the gas mask to his pistol holdster around his waist, then, as he turns around to find the rest of the party gawking at him, he says, "What? It's normal to lay a blanket or jacket on a sleeping person, isn't it? Besides, it's not that heavy. Just 50 pounds total."
Bryce says, "What the heck to you have in there?" Baikasu then says, "Medical herbs, vials, C4-luckly C4 doesn't explode when burned-, grenades-I only have a single smoke grenade, though. Gotta restock- various types of ammo, etc, etc. Though, we may need to get short-wave radios in case the party gets split up again."
NPC Kato:
"Um...no, that's fine," Kato replied, hidden deep within the cave that he and Daewyn had created.
The Master of Earth has a very fond fear of the wind and heights, a voice echoed out of the lump that was Naoko under Baikasu's jacket.
Everyone around, with the exception of Kato, seemed to jump back a few feet.
"Wha...what was that?" Daewyn asked, peeping her head out from behind Bryce's shoulder.
"....That...that couldn't be Naoko talking...is it?" Baikasu stuttered.
"No...it's her amulet," Kato nonchalantly replied, although everyone could tell that the look on his face was more than a bit annoyed.
"...They could do that?" Bryce asked.
More or so, yes. Daemon's voice boomed from the small crystal that hung around Naoko's neck. But it requires a lot of energy to do so. Unless you have been affiliated with your guardians directly through blood.
"You're...Daemon, aren't you?" Daewyn murmured in astonishment.
"Well. That makes sense then...so, are you going to get down yourself, Kato?"
*looks at him inquisitively*
Nida drew herself up from her reverie after a few moments. She'd exhausted her sob quotient for the day; she was too emotionally drained to bother with any more self-pity.
She walked over to Tanasha and offered a hand-- withdrew her hand, coalesced all the various oozy bits covering her into a gelatinous choker-style ring around her neck, offered her hand again. "C'mon, let's get that leg healed up," she sighed. "Thanks for jumping in. I don't think I'd have made it out alive without your help."
NPC Kato:
"So, are you going to get yourself down, Kato?" came Bryce's question.
Stupid old man... Kato had thought during the entire time when Daemon began to reveal himself, nodding his head as an answer to Bryce's question.
"You don't need to worry about me; I'll get myself back into the city," he said.
"But the seal..." Daewyn murmured.
"The seal is nothing more than a hindrance to me since I've lived in Halconia for all my life," Kato reassured her. "You all should go to the city as quickly as possible to see if there had been a lot of damage."
The young Earth master has told to not worry, Daemon repeated. A soft light began to encircle around Naoko's unconscious body. The city should be not far from here. Once we have made it through, call for one of the Halconian dragons.
"How would we know the difference between a dragon and one of the townspeople?" Baikasu muttered.
"They'll be the only ones with silver hair and amber eyes," Kato told him, his own eyes beginning to glow a dark green.
"You all should go to the city as quickly as possible to see if there had been a lot of damage," Kato said.
"Fine. We'll see you there," Bryce replied.
*The green light resurrounded the party and they slowly descended through the shield to the ground.*
"Okay, we're finally here. Who wants to call on the dragon?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:22 pm
*Hefts herself up off the ground without Nida's help, a little shakey but seemingly stable*
No problem. Bastards like that are well worth the ammo... As long as they get it downrange...
*Gesturing to her leg as she checks her equipment and puts it away*
Tell me, is this stuff good as a bandage? Or should I smack some thread and cotton on it?
Nida looked down at the ooze-cast again. "To be honest, I'm not absolutely positive, but I think we ought to just get you to a healer or something. I mean, I just did that to suppress the immediate bleeding."
The others gather, they gather in the town; she should meet them; where were they when she needed them?
Nida winced at the vitriol in Xachta's thoughts. She turned and started down the corridor. "C'mon, let's go meet the others."
*Daewyn twitched impatiently. The earth felt weird, and it was making her skin crawl*
I think we should hurry....something doesn't feel right.
*She waved goodbye to Kato and grabbed the others' hands, taking them the rest of the way to the city. She looked around at the crowd of near-panicked people*
Do you think we should split up to find these dragon people? I don't see silver hair anywhere....
"Right. Sounds like a good idea. I'll go with Daewyn. Don't go off by yourself, though."
*Daewyn and Bryce made their way through the crowd of people as best they could, but still saw no sign of the amber-eyed, silver-haired people. Daewyn chewed on her lip nervously. Her skin was still crawling, perhaps worse than before. Something of great portent was about to occur and speed was of the essence. Daewyn tugged on Bryce's sleeve*
Bryce.. *a slight whine detectable in her voice* If you were a dragon where would you be? This is taking way too long....
*Her eyes darted around nervously*
"I would probably be somewhere out in the open...away from the crowd," Bryce replied.
*looks down at Daewyn*
"They're used to flying freely, so they'd probably be around an open field or something. Let's look for one."
Nida stepped out of the temple gates and back into the maelstrom.
People were still milling about, chatting with animation, pointing this way and that. No one spectacle held a majority focus, so Nida assumed that nothing too traumatic had happened during her little scrap with Mister Evil. She couldn't see any of the other party members... she hadn't felt the seal on the way out of the gates, but that might have been due to happenstance or an automatic system.
Where are they?
Here, there. Xachta cannot tell for certain. They abandoned us in our hour of need; only the broken one came to us. Daemon is to blame. Find Daemon. We will speak with his bearer.
Can't you just do the whole telepathy thing like you normally do?
I'm already stretching the limits of my self-control right now, gar-ul. Don't ask any more of me.
Nida returned her spear to its stowed position and pushed into the crowd.
NPC Kato:
Like he had reassured the others various times, it was rather easy for the Master of Earth to shift through the seal. The seal blocked any of those who were not of the Master of Elements, which of course was not him. All he had to do was to reach towards the tablet the lay across the top of the city's "temple" (the one above water) and chant the words engraved across it.
Of course, he could only allow time enough for himself to come in, unlike Naoko who had the capabilities of opening the entire seal for everyone to enter instead of just oneself.
Kato jumped down from a stepping stone, surprising some of the Halconians who were wandering around nearby.
"(By the heavens, Master Kamanake!)" one elderly woman exclaimed. "(Scare the rest of us to death...)"
Kato scratched the back of his head. "(I'm sorry...)"
"(How did you get back in, Master?)" a young boy questioned him, curious.
"(What had happened to you out there?)" another person asked.
"(Uh...)"
"(Leave the Master of Earth alone, he has much to worry about,)" a young Halconian dragon broke in, walking through the small group. Her silver hair was tied back in a braid, allowing her amber eyes to shine brightly.
"(Coskatei,)" Kato addressed her, giving a slight nod while the rest had bowed reverently. She was just the person he needed to see.
"(Master Kamanake, it's a surprise to see you through this chaos. I'm assuming that Lady Naoko had found you?)"
"(More or so, yes....have the others entered town, yet?)"
Coskatei tilted her head slightly in confusion. "(Others?)"
"(The mortals that were accompanying Naoko,)" Kato explained to her. "(Have they arrived yet?)"
Coskatei's young and beautiful face curled into a frown. "(No...I haven't seen them...)"
"(We must hurry. I'm not sure how much longer can Daemon keep Naoko awake.)"
The Halconian dragon's eyes widened. "(You mean she...)"
Kato nodded, brushing past her and the small Halconian group. "(Melbanic cyclone. There's not much time. They should have arrived by now.)"
He stopped in mid-stride, closing his eyes, feeling the Earth. They were not far from his position in the city...
*wakes up not remembering that had happened*
"(Where are they, Master Kamanake?)"
"(Not far...)" Kato replied, allowing his eyes to shift back to its normal color. "(Although...I think....)"
He began heading off in another direction, trying to sense Naoko's aura. Coskatei followed him.
Honestly...he knew that there wasn't much time left.
Another noted time lapse. Both of our posts seemed to come in at the exact same time, so Baikasu's dialogue begins just before the NPC counterpart for Baikasu.
When they hit the ground, Baikasu picked up his jacket and put it on, then he lifted up Naoko in his arms, then he thinks:
Macnor, where's the nearest inn? I need to put Naoko down someplace so the rest of the party can find a dragon to help her.
Well, seing as this is a hidden city, there's not much room for an inn. <********. Now where am I supposed to go? If there aren't any inns here-
You'll have to find someone who speaks your dialect who can help you.
Damnit, I don't think she'll last long enough for that!
NPCing Baikasu:
"Dammit, okay, they leave me here..." Baikasu mumbled to himself, shifting Naoko's weight on his back. Halconians weren't going to be much of help to him, as they couldn't speak his language nor could he speak theirs.
After contemplating for a few moments on what to do, Baikasu heaved a great sigh and began to move through the crowds again. The most logical idea that came to his mind was to find an inn. Maybe Naoko would be like how she was last time when they had first met...she recovered pretty quickly then, so maybe it was something like that now.
One problem: He couldn't read the ancient handwriting.
Um...Mancor...I can use some help here...
Unfortunately for him, his guardian spirit did not respond. Baikasu wasn't even sure if he was there or not.
"Hey, Baikasu!!"
He turned around at the call of his name, seeing Phey and Shuu run to him, breaking through the crowds at a miraculous speed.
But then again, maybe that was because Shuu was moving twice as fast as usual.
"Hey..." Baikasu managed to say before Phey had automatically grown wide eyes and rushed to Naoko's side.
"What happened to Naoko?" Phey asked him, putting her hand on Naoko's forehead. She had reflexively pulled back her hand upon the touch of Naoko's skin. "Holy s**t...she's freezing cold!"
"What happened to her?" Shuichi added.
s**t... Baikasu thought to himself, once again shifting the weight that was on his back.
"Do you know where the nearest inn is?" he blurted out helplessly. The crowds were starting to get to him.
Both Shuu and Phey looked at one another and then back at Baikasu, shaking their heads.
"The writing's so hard to figure out..." Shuichi explained.
"Great, just great..."
Somebody's hand grasped his shoulder. "This way."
If it wasn't for him carrying Naoko along, Baikasu would have automatically drawn out his gun. But the face was familiar....
"Kato?!?"
"Looks like you need some help," Kato replied, smiling. "I'll carry her. Coskatei's home is not far from here."
As Baikasu gently handed Naoko over to Kato, he gave a look to Phey and Shuu who were mouthing "Coskatei?" to him. He shrugged because he, too, didn't know what was going on anymore.
Their questions were quickly answered when a young woman with silver hair tied back in a braid and piercing amber eyes appeared behind Kato, smiling and nodding.
Nida found that the crowd yielded well enough; she supposed she looked enough like a local that those who didn't pay attention to her elaborate robes simply paid her no mind. At one juncture, she saw Shuichi dashing off, and caught a glimpse of Phey stepping from the shadows to follow. She changed course and ran between two monolithic dome-capped structures to intercept their path.
She had to backtrack; the two had apparently altered course slightly. By the time she caught sight of them again, they had joined up with Baikasu, a boy wearing some muckety-muck outfit, and one of the dragonesses. Baikasu was lugging someone around, but the angle was wrong. Nida couldn't see who.
Daemon's bearer. She has relapsed. Perhaps it is for the best; the old man could stand to take a bearer outside his own family, the nepotistic jackass. Maybe he'd learn a little about how the rest of the world lives.
Relapse?
Some sort of disease or other, she has. Terminal. It was expecting her to die long ago. She has outlived her usefulness.
What's up with this hate you've got on for her? What'd she ever do to you, aside from your usual excuses for self-pity?
Xachta does not care about the Melbane girl. Xachta cares only for the mission. And Daemon's insular attitude and closed mindset has threatened this mission many times. He has been steeped too long in prophecy and symbolism. Too often has he kept us in the dark about the past, and about the present, and at times about the future. He needs a solid a**-whooping, is Xachta's opinion.
So you resent him for knowing more than you and occasionally deciding when it would be for the best if you didn't know something.
It feels nothing of the sort. It merely does not agree that there is only one way to skin a Ceourl.
Nida held back from the group, uncertain of how to approach. She followed from far behind.
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:25 pm
Daewyn: Let's go this way.
Bryce: Okay.
*As Daewyn and Bryce walk across the square to find a field, they notice someone running in the opposite direction wearing fancy robes.*
Bryce: Is that...?
Daewyn: Nida?
*The two look at each other, and then race after her.*
Bryce: Maybe someone found a dragon to help Naoko.
NPC Kato:
"(How is she?)"
"(She's lucky. Maybe a few minutes longer and...)"
A ruffle of silk. A sigh.
"(...Is she...is she going to be alright?)"
The glow around Naoko's body slipped back into the amulet.
"(Why don't you ask Master Daemon? He knows her best, after all,)" Coskatei replied.
"(You can talk to him?)"
"(Of course I can. He is a telepath, after all.)"
Daemon sat alone in his realm, watching. Listening. Speaking to the young Halconian dragon.
"(He says that she'll be fine within a few days of rest,)" Coskatei informed Kato. "(She has a strong will to live after all.)"
"(...Yeah, you're right about that....)"
So it was, so it was. Despite being literally quarantined as a child, Naoko Rolfe surprised all the medical healers in the village when she surpassed the expected lifespan of 3 years old. She continued to thrive, and eventually, let the disease become just a hindrance in her life. As Kaen had always said to him, Naoko was a fighter.
It was only a matter of time for her own soul to heal.
*Tanasha stops outside the temple and lays down at the bottom of the steps, her leg in the air above her and resting on a setp. She readies her medical equipmen before slowly peeling the goo away from all the edges, being careful that the last part to be removed is the part where the wound is. She grabs a towel and douses the area with a cleansing/antiseptic agent, quickly usign the towel to wipe the grime away. Noting that it's still able to gush, she takes a packet and busts it onto the gash, collecting the white powder over the artery itself as it rapidly turns into a globby red mass, and the bleeding slows. She quickly wraps it with the bandages before taping it off, the bloodflow - but not circulation - having been completely stopped. She cleans-up the mess and looks around, wishing that she had thought to bring a collapsable crutch as she sees a notable lack of branches.*
Nida caught sight of Bryce and Daewyn out of the corner of her eye. She stopped her forward progress; anyway, the procession had reached what looked like an inn (why would such an insular community have an inn? Force of habit, obviously; that, or it wasn't an inn at all), and Nida felt no inclination to go dashing inside quite yet. She turned to meet the two fellow party members.
"Baikasu, Shu, Phey, Naoko, and some locals are all up thataway," she noted as soon as the pair grew close enough for conversation. "I hear Naoko's got some sort of chronic condition. But what's happened since the new girl and I scrapped with Mr. Bad Guy in the temple? How did things go topside with that fight doohickey?
"Well, let's see. We were fighting Dante, when he vanished. We determined that he had gone to the temple, so we had to figure out how to get back."
*Daewyn nodded in agreement, a little out of breath from their dash and all the energy she'd exerted travelling through the earth*
Bryce continued, "So Naoko drew this symbol on the ground, then it started glowing, and she passed out. Kato and Daewyn brought us all through the earth to the top of this cavern, then I took them down from there and broke through the shield. After we landed, we split up to look for a dragon. I guess Baikasu found one?"
"Dante? Was that his name?" Nida snorted. "He kidnapped the priestess girl and teleported off, after making the new girl waste about a billion and a half bullets on him. He's totally invulnerable. If you see him again, don't waste your time."
She sighed. "And as far as all the other mess... I think there's a dragon with them. One of the local kids, too. I might head up there myself; I've got some rest to catch up on, and if I don't eat soon, I'm gonna start digesting myself."
"Yep. That's him. We'll be better prepared next time."
*Stomach growls at the mention of food*
"You know, I don't think we've eaten since we went into the temple. I sure could use some food too. Maybe there's a restaurant near the inn where we can get some grub."
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:27 pm
*Daewyn caught her breath and perked up a little when they mentioned food*
Could we really get some food?! I'm soooo hungry!! How can we get food if we don't speak the language though? Maybe the people taking care of Naoko could help....
"All right, then. Food." Nida adjusted her pack and turned to start up the path. "Food, and then we speak with Daemon. He has much to explain. Please disregard what I just said two seconds ago." She sighed and shook her head; Xachta was working itself up into a fair tizzy.
"(Mama, where are we going??)"
Their mother said nothing, only continued on running and pulling her children along as the fire and screams of the dead and dying continued to ring into their ears. Bullets whizzed past her head as the enemy tried to take her down, but she ignored them. They were useless compared to her power.
And it was only a matter of time.
The little girl of only six years stared at her brother who also said nothing. She was confused, frightened. The same words kept on running through her head:
Why?
They had reached the temple, its color blending in with the flames. The girl imagined that it was a temple of hell.
Was it?
"(Mom, what are you doing?)" came the first words from her brother's lips.
Again, their mother did not respond. She only guided her hands to an insignia engraved into the stone, letting her eyes shift to its element.
It was only a matter of time, she had kept on saying to herself.
The hidden passage opened upon her touch, and without hesitation, she shoved both children into the passage. They protested, eyes wide with the realization of what she was about to do.
"(Mama, don't do this!!)"
"(What are you doing?? Don't!)"
She just smiled back at them, letting the tears in her eyes show.
"(I'm sorry...)"
And darkness flooded their eyes.
~~~
Naoko had sharply turned her head, eyes still squeezed shut. Coskatei pulled her hand back, surprised by the reaction. Out of all her years of treating Melbanic cyclone, none had ever moved.
Was this why she was able to survive? she thought.
"Mistress, calm down," she softly said to Naoko. "I'm only trying to help you."
It is best that you leave this up to her, Daemon's voice spoke to her in her mind. A battle to live resolves in a battle to deal with tragedy.
Reluctantly, Coskatei nodded. She put away the medicine and began to take another approach. Carefully, she let her hand feel Naoko's forehead, whispering a spell. The soft glow of Daemon's seal revealed itself to her and Coskatei let go.
There was nothing she could do for now.
"All right! Let's go!"
*Nida, Daewyn, and Bryce began walking toward the inn where Naoko was, looking around for somewhere to eat.*
The trio arrived at the inn, such as it was; the proprietor seemed just as agitated as the people in the courtyard had been (small surprise), and a pantomimed conversation revealed that yes, Naoko and company were here, but that it would be best if no one entered for the moment. The production of amulets to prove their right to see Naoko swayed the proprietor not a bit. So the three settled at a table, picked up a menu, and realized that no one could read the language.
"Well, ********," Nida sighed. "I guess we'll have to wait for someone to come out from wherever they went."
Bryce perused the nonsense on the menu. "Are you that picky? I'm hungry enough to eat just about anything they put down in front of me."
"What about local currency?" came Nida's riposte. "What do they use around here, anyway? Fossilized shells? Whatever they've got, I bet it isn't gil."
Daewyn was opening her mouth to say something when a silver-haired woman emerged from the hallway which led to the rooms. "There's not a lot of meat on the menu; if you're looking for substance, I'd suggest the bread and a few fried Pirhana."
"How's Naoko doing? Is she okay? She's gonna make it, right? I mean, she was just fine a few minutes ago. How long ago was that, anyway? I've lost track of time. Are the others still back there? Who--"
Coskatei interrupted Daewyn's torrent. "We've done what we can. Patience is the watchword of the day now." She turned aside and spoke a few words to the proprietor, who scurried back toward the kitchen. "Don't worry about the cost of your meal. The temple will take care of it."
With that, the dragoness glided out the door, leaving the three companions to await the judgement of the cook.
::enters the inn and sits at a table::
::falls asleep at the table::
"Lovely...at least we know Naoko is okay."
*Looks at Nida and Daewyn*
"Well, let's try some pirhana and bread, then. Waiter!"
NPC Kato:
All he did was sit and wait as she slept. It was all he could do.
Instinct naturally told him to find Dante and get his sister back, but he had no clue where the man was nor was he going to leave without extracting some information from Naoko first. She seemed to know more about the situation than he did, and honestly, Kato felt a bit jealous.
Yet again, it was natural for any master of the Void to know what was going on.
"She just needs rest, and time," Coskatei's voice rang back into his head. "It's all we can do right now."
How much time depended on Naoko's will, but knowing her, that wouldn't be too long.
NPCing Shuichi:
"Ugh...I'm stuffed," Phey finally said, leaning back against the chair and rubbing her stomach.
"Yeah...after you ate the entire damn meal and everyone else's that you couldn't finish..." Shuu mumbled as he took in another sip of his drink. He had ordered something that Coskatei had translated to him as something simliar to a mint tea drink, and it was far from it. The mint inside was much too strong.
Still, he liked it anyway.
"So...what to do now?" Bryce wondered aloud.
"Sleep..." came Daewyn's response from the end of the table. "I'm so tired after all that fiasco.."
"Aren't we all," Gwyn agreed as he, too, leaned back in his chair. "Who would've thought that this would've been more troublesome than the last one."
"The last one?" Nida asked.
"Melbane Temple. That one we were literally stranded inside there," he explained to her. "And it was so weird, too, with the temple eventually fallen into pieces and all."
"Naoko was our guide, too...but somehow she got out of the temple," Baikasu added.
"Oh yeah, that too..."
Shuu decided to remain silent. Too many memories of that event flashed by his mind.
Their small conversation was interuppted as they caught the presence of Kato coming down the stairs. His hands were in his pockets, eyes downcast. Without a word he had left the inn using the back exit.
"...That guy's so quiet," Bryce murmured.
Baikasu snorted. "A little too quiet, if you ask me. How come all of these Halconians are like this?"
"....But he's nice," Daewyn softly replied. "He helped me figure out how to move in between the Earth when we were coming down here."
Silence.
"Well, there's really no point in sitting around doing nothing. I think I'm gonna go to sleep unless there's something better to do..."
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:31 pm
Sleep...
It made a deal with the gar-ul, it did, and it will keep its word. She sleeps undisturbed for now.
"I'm dead tired myself," Nida sighed. "I think I'm going to see if a mattress will improve my mood any. Today has been... overeventful." With that, she stood and moved toward the hallway. Hopefully she could find Coskatei, or another dragon, and arrange lodging-- she didn't know what arrangements may or may not have been worked out in advance between the proprietor and the dragons.
*Daewyn's head began nodding until it hit the table (and the empty plate in front of her) with a bang, waking her fully. She jumped up, reflexively clutching her bag, then relaxed and grinned sheepishly when she realized what had happened. She reached a hand up to wipe the debris from the plate off of her face, giggling softly*
I...I guess I was tireder than I thought! I'm gonna go sleep over on one of those cushions in that room over there....
*Daewyn stumbled over and flopped onto one of the padded mats, curling into a ball around her bag of treasures and quickly falling asleep*
"Yeah, I should probably do the same... I haven't had any rest since before we got here, and I'm damned tired. Well, if you guys find anything interestingf, be sure to let me know, okay?" And with that, Baikasu went to the room of cusions, put himself in a position where he's completely hidden from within his cloak except for his head and right hand, and fel asleep in a corner.
*Bryce headed over toward the lounge area and looked around.*
Hmm...interesting arrangements. Well, I guess it's better than nothing.
*With that, he walked toward the opposite wall, sat down, and pulled his cloak around him.*
This is actually pretty comfortable. Good. I need rest.
*Bryce nodded his head and fell quickly asleep.*
After a quick search, Nida still hadn't found any dragons, and she didn't want to deal with the proprietor right now. She wandered back toward the bar area to see what everyone else was doing.
On the way, as she passed a door to her left, she felt Xachta stir.
Why don't you rest, too, hm? We can worry about Daemon after Naoko's gotten some rest.
It will not be chided like a little girl, certainly not by its bearer. Daemon's interference with the mission must be addressed.
It can be addressed later just as easily as now. You've been frothing all day, Xachta. Don't tell me you're immune to the need for down time.
Xachta flared a short burst of green into the back of Nida's head, but said nothing. Nida noticed Daewyn, Baikasu, and Bryce in the lounge; she shrugged, sighed, and took a spot near the door, using her traveling tunic as a blanket.
*Bryce yawned as he awoke from his sleep. He looked around at the others sleeping peacefully around him.*
At least we found somewhere safe to stay for a while. We needed some rest. I wonder how Naoko's doing.
*Bryce stood up and quietly walked out of the lounge.*
Looks like nobody is awake yet. I guess I'll look around until they do.
*He begins to wander around the inn, looking for Naoko.*
Baikasu wakes from the sound of footsteps, then, realizing that it was, in fact, a friendly rather than a hostile, put his gun away andstood up. "Eh, might as well let them sleep. I never was good at waking people." and he quickly went in search of Naoko, who was still at the apparent INN, hopefully beating back her illness.
I STILL think she should've told us.
Remember that she didn't want to overburden us, even though she DID wind up overburdening herself in the long run.
Yeah, I think that we should all sit down and have a nice chat about hoqw we organize our group, so we can funtion properly.
What's there to organize with you? They tell you to shoot something, you point and click. What's so hard about that?
Har de har har. Very funny, Macnor. You must've been the life of the party, huh, You little sanity-challenged piece of crystal.
Being an amulet for thousands of years can do that to a person. Heh heh. ANYway, at least I don't hurt myself whenever I channel any energy.
Hey, don't blame me! I dunno why it does that, either!
And on they went with their bickering, all while going to Naoko's bedside to see how she was doing.
::wakes up from the table in the inn and leaves::
Time has fast forwarded here to a week afterwards
One week.
It shouldn't have bothered her much, but it still did. She was out for one week??
Baikasu and the others wanted to talk to her, she guessed, when they heard the news from Coskatei that she had awoken.
But she didn't want to speak to them. Not right now.
Too many things ran through her head, figuring out what the next approach was, how to do this, how to do that. The fact that Halconia was an underground city helped her none. She wanted some fresh air. Real fresh air, with a sky and sun.
"(I'd figure you'd be up here,)" came Kato's voice behind her.
Not surprised, Naoko turned her head around. She was sitting on the edge of Halconia temple's roof -- the best place for her to sit and think without interruption.
She gave a weak smile back at him. "(Did Coskatei tell you that I was here?)"
"(No..I figured out myself.)" Kato took a seat next to her. "(Your friends are looking for you.)"
Naoko simply nodded, not moving from her spot. The words she wanted to say were simply too hard for her to...but she had to try.
"(I'm..sorry.)"
Kato looked back at her, confused. "(For what?)"
"(For letting him take her. For everything.)"
Kato shook his head, wrapping an arm around her. "(It's not your fault. It's no one's. Fate makes it change this way.)"
"(You know why he took Layla, do you?)"
"(...Yes. But it's forbidden for anybody in town to say it.)"
"(Oh..I see...)"
They continued to watch the action of the city below in silence.
"(You know, you're going to have to speak to them.)" Kato finally said.
"(...I know.)"
"(When?)"
She let her eyes shift a little bit into the Void, listening to Daemon's advice. "(Soon.)"
"(Define soon.)"
"(When we get to Demetrie.)"
Kato sighed, shaking his head. "(That's not soon, Naoko.)"
As she had done every day since the first night at the inn, Nida was spending her morning on the loamy roof of a local shop, dancing. The shop wouldn't open for another hour, and not too many people were up at this time anyway; the circadian rhythm of Halcon seemed to be a few ticks off from the surface world. Her dance was rote, practice; this time, she was running through the middle stanza of "Regicide", the tragic scene in which the princess goes mad from the poison in her wine the night before. It was one of her standy warm-up pieces.
Coskatei had informed the party in her usual standoffish manner that Naoko had awakened. The party's leader was nowhere to be found, however, allowing Nida to stave off Xachta's "speak to Daemon" mantra for the moment.
Nida, too, missed the sun.
-----
Xachta had done better than its earlier promise to its bearer: it had granted Nida a full week of dreamless sleep. In fact, the elemental spirit had withdrawn into its own thoughts so deeply that it hadn't even bothered to think about its bearer for the two days preceeding Coskatei's announcement.
Nor had it engaged in much conversation with the other guardians; a few brief thoughts with Terra left the impression that there was a chance for reconciliation, and a well-intentioned jibe by Kain had been pontedly ignored, but not maliciously so. Xachta got the impression that its siblings were trying a little harder this time around. Perhaps their leniency was born of the situation; this time was for real... they had found their final bearers, and for better or worse, this was their final and most meaningful attempt to prevent the nastier of the prophecies from being fulfilled.
During the fight with Dante, the barest hint of a thought had brushed against Xachta's mind: the guardian was connecting with this bearer more than it had any other. In fact, Nida seemed ready-made for Xachta's intentions. There were the traits which had first attracted Xachta to her-- lack of education, lack of family or friends, age, gender, background, prowess-- but these paled in comparison to the girl's ability to adjust to anything which was thrust upon her. In three days, Nida had learned to control some of the intermediate aspects of the conjoining of amulet and bearer. And like most loners, the girl was also beginning to adjust her personality to better fit the niche surrounding it-- in this case, the niche Xachta was carving for her.
However, some of these same qualities made Xachta nervous. Nida's simple learning curve was a blessing during the temple trials, but it posed a problem: should Xachta choose her as its bearer, Nida might outpace Xachta's control, even to the point where Nida would be the one possessing the amulet, and not vice-versa. Could Xachta afford to take that risk? Nida might be malleable, but she was still strong. There was no guarantee at all that Xachta could superimpose its own goals onto hers. And now Nida had a support base, as she was beginning to befriend other members of the party. Xachta would have to fight against that restriction as well.
In the end, Xachta decided to take a wait-and-see approach. It would be a minor task to arrange Nida's death if necessary, though Xachta would prefer to simply leave her behind if it came to that.
It might not be beginning to like her, but she had earned its grudging respect.
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:34 pm
*Daewyn wandered the streets once again. She had been exploring the unusual town everyday for a solid week, and there were still so many interesting places to discover. The people here were friendly, friendlier than she imagined they usually were with outsiders considering the location of this odd city, but then again she did possess the earth amulet, and she imagined it largely had to do with that. A few had even taken the time to teach her some of their language, which she caught on to very quickly. She had always had a gift for languages, probably because of the amount of wandering she had done in her short life, and where she failed Terra helped out. Daewyn had been astonished when she discovered that Terra knew the draconic language. When she asked why Terra hadn't mentioned this before, the amulet's only response was "You didn't ask," a very un-Terra like comment. In fact, Terra had been very distant recently. Daewyn couldn't figure it out. At first she was too busy with the fighting and everything to think about it, but now it worried her.
As she turned a new corner the sight that greeted Daewyn's eyes both astonished and delighted her. It was the largest marketplace she had ever seen. As she walked along the streets lined with vendors selling everything from rich silks and jewelry to exotic fruits and nuts Daewyn had never seen the like of, she listened to the strange babble of the draconic tougue, occasionally catching a familiar phrase or two that she had learned over the past week.
Ahead of her, perusing through some musty, highly over-priced books that the vendor claimed were priceless, one-of-a-kind treasures was a richly dressed gentleman. Daewyn hardly took notice of him, such prosperity was oddly common in this place, until as he walked away she saw a leather wallet fall from his pocket. Before she knew what she was doing, she picked it up and slipped it into her pocket, years of instinct over-riding any warning signals that might have gone off in her head to warn her of the danger of stealing anything while a guest in a city such as this. She began to calmly walk off to another part of the large square, when she felt a deathly tight grip on her shoulder. The hand slowly turned her around, giving her no choice in the matter no matter how hard she might have struggled to be free. She turned instead and looked up into amber eyes of one of the draconic protectors of this city.**
Uh oh....
Kato had left her alone in her thoughts again. As Master of Earth, he, too, had other issues to go around town. That was one of the major disadvantages for being chosen as a Master of Element. Naoko always hated that. Speaking to the others, going to the elders, meetings, etc.
She stretched back her arms and fell back down to the temple's roof. A million thoughts burned through her mind, but she was still very tired. Daemon had not been of very much consolance, either, the past couple of hours. She figured that he might have been restoring his energy.
I think it's more on the terms -- he's staying away from the others or else he'll harm them, no doubt. came her mother's voice. Naoko blinked a few times.
What do you mean?
Silence for a few moments. Then: You have heard of who he was in the past, have you?
She mentally nodded. The elders had told many stories about the ever so famous Daemon Rolfe, the first Master of Void who had guided the other guardian spirits to the final battle. All following masters or mistresses of Void were direct blood descendants like herself.
How could the Rolfe family still survive after the Melbane massacre was beyond Naoko's imagination. She always told herself duty before personal matters.
But sometimes, she couldn't help being lonely.
The both of you are very much alike, even more so now that I have joined the Void with the other mistresses and masters.
"Alike?" Naoko asked out loud.
It is why he looks after you so closely, my daughter.
Naoko sighed again and closed her eyes, not entirely understanding her mother's reasoning.
It's hard to believe I've spent a week in this place.
It is weird to stay in one place for such a long time...especially for us.
I'm surprised nobody has recognized me. I've been shunned from every other town we've been to.
Well, Halconia is a bit secluded...
True. But it's still weird.
*Bryce sat on a rock overlooking a lake on the outskirts of the city. In the week he had spent here, he already knew every nook and cranny and had deemed this spot the most secluded and peaceful one around, except for the occasional dragon-guard flying above.*
It sure is nice down here. Really peaceful.
*As Bryce looked up, he noticed two dragons do a 360-degree turn in midair and rush back towards the city.*
Uh oh. Something must be happening over there. I hope everything's okay.
Baikasu, realizing that they were going to be in Halconia for a while, decided that he may as well look at the shops, to see if they have any of the items he required. The night before, he had made this decision, then asked Macnor if he could help with the language barrier. The conversation is as follows:
Hey, Macnor.
What is it?
Can you speak Halconian?
Why do you ask?
Well, I would like to be able to talk to merchants if I were to see something that caught my eye. You know how I am with items equipment.
Yes, I'm also well aware of your lack of local currency, since we both allready know that they don't take gil. Also, you have absolutely no knowledge of the customs here, so you would most likely make an a** of yourself. Also, you don't know the value of Halconian currency, so you would most likely be ripped off. Besides, it'a not likely they would have grenades here, since, you know, it IS an ancient civilization completely contained in rock for protection from the outside.
Look, I was just planning on seeing what kind of goods they have, and I didn't plan on really being noticed. Well, as unoticed as a person with a rifle can be, such a place it is. Also, I'm bored to death waiting around at the inn, plus the fact that I wanna get the really serious stuff out of my head at least until we get the word to move, or at least hear from Naoko. It's really annoying that she won't speak to us right now, let alone worrysome.
You DO have a point.
C'mon, will you just tell me just enough to not get killed?
Well, sorry, but I haven't a clue. I only know the standard dialect from when I was acually human, and the current dialect. I never really was much of a linguist.
DAMNIT! Why the hell did you have to lead me on like that?!
It was just such a great opportunity, I just couldn't resist. Heh heh heh... Well, I'll tell you what. I'll tell you a few phrases that should help.
I thought you said that you don't speak Halconian?
I don't, but Terra, Daewyn's "Amulet" does. She WAS Halconian, after all.
ANYway, back to the present:
He had seen pretty much the same thing that Daewyn had seen, not that he knew that yet. After a good solid hour of browsing, he saw Daewyn with a Halconian Dragon off in the distance.
What is she doing over there I wonder. With that thought, he starts wading through the crowd in the general direction of the two, but kepping a distance so that they wouldn't notice him. I think that I'm just gonna watch from a distance, just to see what happens. I got a long amount of time to kill, and I haven't done any stalking for a while. Just think of this as practice, okay?
*SIGHS* This won't end well.
A sharp shrill reached her ears, causing her to sit back up. She could hear some words spoken, and...Daewyn's voice?
Oh no, not again... she thought to herself, making the effort to finally jump off of the roof. She might as well make her appearance known now.
The Halconian dragons were a bit harsh in preserving their customs, anyway.
Naoko made her way through the city streets, following on the sound of the voices instead of their auras. Her powers had not completely recovered yet, partially because she had used to much and partially because she needed to preserve the rest. Most of the Halconians maintained their silence as she passed by them. A few respective nods here and there; it was all it took for a greeting.
NPC Kato:
Something had caught his ears as he was busy speaking to the item shop owner. Kato turned his head, curious.
**Terra turned her wandering attention to the young teen. She had been avoiding talking to Daewyn lately. The girl just reminded her too much of her own daughters, and in this place the memories were too fresh and painful. Now that she refocused on Daewyn she quickly realized what her lack of care had gotten her. Daewyn had stolen from a high-ranking Halconian official. This was not going to end well. She just hoped that she could do something before it was too late.**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**Daewyn's eyes stared fixed into the amber eyes of the dragon guardian. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't turn her eyes away. He stared at her coldly; demanding something she couldn't understand in his own toungue and pointing insistantly at her bag where she had stashed the wallet. She gulped and handed it over to him. He opened it up and searched through it, but to him the bag was empty. Daewyn knew this was going to happen; no one but the owner of that treasured bag could find anything inside of it, but she had been too scared to say anything and he wouldn't have understood her anyway if she tried. He thrust the bag angrily back into her arms and pointed at it insistantly, demanding something else of her. Just then two other silver-haired guardians arrived and began talking ernestly, looking over at Daewyn every once in a while.**
Terra...I'm scared. What are they saying?
They want you to take the wallet out of that bag, as well as anything else you might have stolen.
But that is all I stole!
Yes, but there will be a hard time convincing them that considering the way your bag works. No one but you and I can know that for sure, and though I know you are being veracious, they do not. You are in a lot of trouble child.
**Daewyn silently began to cry as she pulled the wallet out of the bag and handed it to them. The man she had stolen it from was standing there. The dragons handed him the wallet and he searched through it quickly before giving them a quick nod. It was all there. The man left, then the dragons turned their attention back to Daewyn who was standing silently with her eyes fixed to the ground. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice. Her eyes looked up to meet the red eyes of the Melbane.**
Naoko!
**Daewyn ran to the woman and threw her arms around her sobbing**
I'm so sorry Naoko!! I didn't mean to steal from him, I just wasn't thinking! I didn't steal anything else, I swear! Please, you have to tell them!
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:39 pm
Now that the city was starting to wake up, Nida had moved from the shop roof to the side streets. The few Halcons there didn't pay any attention to her at all-- her striking resemblance to their own genetic stock was the perfect camouflage, now that she was back in her traveling gear instead of her robes-- and so with little trouble she was able to track down the source of the commotion she'd been hearing. Not surprisingly, it appeared that one of the party was at the center of attention. What was Daewyn doing, signing autographs or something?
Xachta, what's going on?
Nida edged nearer to the disturbance, though she kept herself along the back wall of a building. She didn't want to be recognized right now. Even though the excitement over the party's presence had begun to die down, it was still embarrassing. Her new vantage point offered no real view other than the back of one of the dragons (the silvery hair gave him away).
Xachta!
... it-is-call-what-desire...
Apparently, Xachta was still sleeping it off.
s**t. Looks like she stole something. She just took something out of her bag and handed it to some rich looking guy... Wait! There'as Naoko! That's it, I'm going over there.
Like I said before, this is definatly not going to end well.
*Baikasu quickly walks over to the group, zig-zaging every which-way through the emense crowd, until he then gets to near the others, which was suprizingly empty despite the commotion being caused there. As Baikasu gats close to the group, he says, "Naoko! There you are- what's going on?"
"(What's going on?)" Naoko managed to speak over the crowd.
Daewyn, who was near close to bursting into tears, made a dash towards her through the separated crowd, throwing her arms around her.
"I'm so sorry Naoko!! I didn't mean to steal from him, I just wasn't thinking! I didn't steal anything else, I swear! Please, you have to tell them!" the young teenager blubbered out admist the tears that had now fallen.
Naoko was a bit surprised by the action, but she was mainly trying to figure out what Daewyn was saying.
"You...what...?"
Some more racking sobs from Daewyn, some more mumbled words. She could understand this time, however, and sighed.
"(Mistress, what in the world is the meaning of this??)" the Halconian "victim" cried out. "(Having...this...MORTAL around creating mischief!!)"
Naoko kept her eyes focused on him. "(She's just a child...)"
"(A CHILD?!? A child like this shouldn't even be allo--)"
Her eyes immediately flared into a dark red glow. "(What do you mean not even be allowed?? You must remember that Daewyn was the one who had to forgo this trial! Many children here are mischievious as well; even we were at this age.)"
Before the other could reply, Naoko cut in again, still angered. "(Do I must remind you of your place??)"
Silence. Of course everyone knew where the Mistress of Void was placed among all other social classes.
But then again, this was not her home. One of the Halconian dragons who had caught Daewyn in the act in the first place stepped forward.
"(Mistress, I must ask that you and---)"
"(They are not going anywhere,)" came Kato's voice behind him. More separation of the crowd as he stepped forward. "(Whether or not they leave is under my jurisdiction only.)"
The Halconian dragon stepped back. "(Master Kamanake...)"
Ah, her line bred true. Beyond arrogant, beyond imperious, beyond hope of redemption.
If you've got a problem with Daemon, don't take it out on Naoko. She's good people. And what finally woke you up?
It's been awake, dumbass. And I have issues with the Mistress as well. If the gar-ul hasn't noticed, Naoko has many attributes in common with Daemon: to wit, she is self-important, self-aggrandizing, and withholds critical information from her followers. Note the term "followers" rather than "peers".
Seeing as I don't know Daemon, I couldn't say whether they have anything in common whatsoever. And so what if Naoko's a bit--
Insular?
Is that what that word means? I always wondered. What's the problem with it? There's probably a reason we don't know everything.
Trusting, trusting gar-ul.
Nida started to edge back away from the crowd's line of sight; she definitely didn't want to get caught up in this now. Naoko looked ready to spit fire, and a few of the more conservative-looking individuals in the back were fit to start a riot.
*By the time Bryce reached Daewyn, it became apparent that everything had been resolved by Naoko.*
Well, it's a good thing she got here on time. We need to try harder to stay out of trouble.
*Bryce walked over towards Naoko and Daewyn.*
"Everything okay?"
*Daewyn looked up at Bryce and hiccuped back a sob. She looked up at him, the scared look still in her eyes, before rushing over and clinging to him fiercely*
Naoko watched Daewyn run to Bryce for a split second before focusing her attention back to Kato. He was speaking to the Halconian dragon that had been speaking to her. The rest of the crowd, with the exception of the victim, began to slowly disperse, murmuring words to one another. She could catch the words "Void" and "bearer", but she ignored it. Of course they were talking about her. The Mistress of Void wasn't known to speak so passionately about anything.
It's good that you let them know what was happening. came Daemon's voice.
Naoko mentally frowned. What in the world is that supposed to---
"Hey, Naoko...what the hell happened?" Baikasu asked her, managing to break through the crowd.
"Where have you been?" Phey added.
Naoko tore her eyes away from Kato's form to turn to the others, then at Daewyn, who had resumed her crying.
"Um...I think Daewyn's instincts got the better of her..." she answered the first question.
She could sense the Halconian dragon's aura flare a little, catching her attention once again. It seemed as if everything was catching her attention right now.
Kato had remained firm in whatever he had told the dragon, stifling any protest that the dragon could create. He had reluctantly nodded at Kato's words, giving a bow of respect before walking off. One more glance at Naoko, another bow (which Naoko acknowledged with a slight nod), before disappearing to its normal rounds.
"Um...is everything still okay?" Bryce managed to speak out as the crowd itself began to go back to its daily business. He had one arm wrapped around Daewyn, who was still crying a little bit.
Naoko turned back around to Kato who was walking towards them, waiting for any solution.
I think she'll be occupied for quite a while, Xachta.
Back to the inn, then.
Nida kept to the lee of the buildings' rear walls until she was a relatively safe distance away; having not insinuated herself into the Daewyn situation, she didn't want it known that she had been watching. She took a roundabout path toward the inn in hopes of avoiding the growing morning crowds.
At the inn, she sat at a table and ordered the piranha (not a lot of variety in her diet lately; another reason to leave town ASAP). She had her back to the entrance, but she would be able to hear when the door opened.
*Walks into the inn and slumps her pack against a table leg, and mangles the local language until it's almost unrecognizable in asking for a meal. *
Baikasu says to the others, "Guys, I'm gonna go back to the inn, okay? I'm not really needed here right now, anyway." He then makes way towards the inn, and goes inside.
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:44 pm
A short blonde girl appearing to be no older than five enters the 'inn' and sees a woman sitting at a table, her back to her, and a man off at another table to the side, soundly asleep. The girl goes to walk past the woman and abruptly stops next to her, something familiar catches her attention. The girl turns to look at the woman and sees the amulet she wears. Xachta...
"Is something wrong?" Nida asks the little girl.
"No, everything's right. Finally, I've found one of you." the small girl replied.
"What are you talking about?"
The girl climbed up onto the chair opposite of Nida, then pulled a necklace out from under her shirt. It had a ring and a large gem on it, a very odd gem; it looked to be crystal save the fact there seemed to be a white swirl cloud inside of it. Stranger still, the cloud was... Moving, shifting, changing every second, never looking exactly the same. Nida gasped, then looked down at her amulet. It was glowing faintly. Shuichi's amulet glowed aswell, but he was too busy sawing logs to notice.
"So, what element does that amulet contain?" Nida asked.
"The amulet holds nothing right now. I am the one with the power," the child replied. "I am... Different, from you and your companions."
"Different how? With how young you are?"
The blonde shook her head, smirking. "Looks can be decieving. I'm not as young as I look, I'm much older." She saw doubt cross Nida's face. "Well, how many five year olds do you know walk up to complete strangers and engage in conversation?"
"... What's your element?"
"All elements, but at the same time, none of the elements."
"I don't think I understand."
"... I am Anatares, Mistress of Illusion. The very fabric of belief is my plaything."
"Hey Nida. Who's your freind?" Baikasu had entered the inn, and after saying this, and sat down at Nida's table.
Macnor...
Anatares looked up and smiled at Baikasu. "There's more of you, isn't there?" she said, gesturing to Baikasu's now glowing amulet. "I'll explain everything when everyone else is here."
"OoooKAAAAAAY. Um, yeah, you do that. e to meet you." Baikasu then stands up and looks around the inn, and spots The New Girl[T-Boss]. He then thinks Oh, what the hell. She looks like s**t, so if I piss her off I MAY be able to outrun her. He then walks over to her table and says, "Where the hell have you been? You look like hell." Baikasu asks the waitress for some ale upon her return with the new girl's food. "What the hell is your name, anyway? I'm getting sick of calling you 'New Girl' all the time."
*Doesn't even favor Baikasu with any form of physical acknowledgement as she starts into her meal*
My name isn't for those who blow thier loads into the severed necks of newborns. Get the hell away from me.
*She motions for the waitress to stay for a moment as the imp walks in the door, calling to him in something that sounds unlike any language you've ever heard, the imp responding and a short conversation starting up. They talk in some odd melange of at least three or four kinds of languages, with no word being more than three syllables, and only a few of them beign recognizable. When they're finished she nods and turns to the waitress, again mangling the local tounge in requesting another meal.*
"How many times do I have to tell you! That was Dante, I believe, not me. And besides, YOUR the one who brought up newborn-neck-rape. What the ******** is your problem, anyway? Did you get tent-raped or something? You sure act like it." Baikasu then takes a swig of ale, then continues."Look, why the hell are you even traveling with us, anyway? You seem dedicated to causing my mental health to go down the shitter, as if it weren't allready."
Anatares sighs. Well, just further proves that my new face is effective.. She notices Shuichi sitting across the room. Auubi... So we meet again...
Anatares goes silent for a while, lost in memories. She plays with the ring on her necklace, and closes her eyes in sadness.
*Snorts*
As if it wasn't already obvious that your mental health is at 'poor' and in a free-fall. Tell ya what, if you can avoid taking pot-shots at innocent people in the future then I'll let your disturbed sexual prefferences slide... For now.
"I never *DID* take potshots at innocents, but allright, I agree to your terms. Now, who the ******** are you?" He takes another swig of ale.
*Grins as the meal comes for the Imp and she resumes eating*
Did I say I'd tell you?
Anatares sat there, eyes closed absently playing with her ring and brooding. It's been... How many years? I forget... I should ask Auubi when he's done recharging... I never did get the chance to thank him for extending my life like this. I've always been essentially the most useless of us all, my powers only affect non-living things or people who believe in them. Oh well. Doesn't change the fact that I still must help with the seal... I wonder what happened to Dios, I don't sense him anywhere...
"Nida?" Anatares spoke suddenly, opening her eyes.
"Hmm?"
"Is there anyone amoung you with the guardian Dios?"
"Fine then. If that's the way you want it, then I will call you Munchkin Crack-Whore from now on. Fitting name, isn't it? Well, Gotta go, Crack-Whore. C'ya." With that, Baikasu got up, walked over to Nida and said, "I'm gonna go find Naoko again and tell her that one, we've located the New Girl, and to also tell her about our new freind, Anatares. Want anything?"
"Me? No thanks." Anatares replied.
"Nothing for me either, thanks. I've had my fill of pirahna for a while." Nida responded.
"Ok, then. Mind if you two make sure that Crack-Whore over there..." Nudges his head in T-Bosses direction. "doesn't ge into trouble and blame it on me? And don't ask me WHY I'm calling her that. Let's just say that she was annoying me and wouldn't tell me her name, so I decided to use a name I would be using a lot of."
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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:51 pm
"Uhh, sure." Anatares replies, not exactly knowing what to say. That's not exactly a nice thing to call anybody, especially when you're not familiar with the person...
"Alright, cool." Baikasu said as he left.
Who is this chick?
Let's not get into that right now. Xachta's tone fairly dripped evasiveness. One crisis at a time, gar-ul. You're basically incapable of handling things monoeventually anyway.
Disgusted with the repartee between Baikasu and the new girl, Nida abruptly stood. "Tired," was her flat excusal. She huffed off toward the lounge room.
There goes any hope of having lunch with "Daemon's bearer".
There will be other opportunities, fleshling.
NPC Kato:
Kato walked towards them after the talk with the dragon, his eyes focused on Naoko. It was clear that he wanted to talk to her: alone.
Naoko turned back to the others. "Um, I guess you guys can head for the inn. I'll be back in a while."
Without answering any other questions, she and Kato wandered off to a different area of the city.
Shuichi and Gwyn looked at one another, blinking in confusion.
"Is it just me or is there something going on between those two?" Shuichi spoke out his thoughts.
"Nahh, can't be..." Phey piped up, her tail swishing back and forth.
"Bah, whatever. They probably just gotta talk for a little bit," Gwyn added, heading to the Inn...where ever the hell it was. "Didn't Kato say something or other to you guys that they were childhood friends?"
"Well, something like that..." Daewyn murmured, drying her eyes. They were very, very red.
NPC Layla:
She just sat there, staring at the food in front of her. No desire of hunger surged through her mind as it had once done countless of days before. Dante sat next to her, waiting, before getting up from his seat.
"Not hungry, again? That's not good, Layla," he said to her in a sarcastic fatherly tone.
Layla clenched her fists tightly. She couldn't speak because of the very strong lingerence of Silence spell cast on her. That didn't mean, however, that she could not speak her mind.
Why is Wyvern in you? came her first mental speech.
Dante strode about the dining room with a very malicious smile on his face. A low chuckle rumbled through his throat, making the young priestess inwardly shiver.
"Why ask that?" he enigmatically replied, grabbing an idle artifact that he had collected over the years of travel.
You know something...
"Something? As in why I still keep you alive?" Dante asked the questions that she dare not ask. His crimson eyes were transfixed on the artifact as he rotated about in his hands. Another chuckle. "Little Layla, they never told you, did they?"
Layla blinked in confusion. Who were "they"? A strong sense of doubt began to linger in her mind as the Master of Wind began to fortell the secrets of the legend known to all yet its true story hidden beneath the mask.
*Daewyn follows the others back to the place they had been staying at, careful to stay close to them. Even though she stayed with the group to avoid trouble, her crossed arms, hunched shoulders, and downcast eyes made it clear she desired to be left alone. When they got back to the Inn Daewyn slid over to the cushion where she had been sleeping and curled up around her bag, shallow hiccups wracking her chest as a residue from her tears as she slowly drifts to sleep.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(( Return of the Terra Story!!! DUN DUN DUN!!!! ))
*Terra removed her consciousness from the amulet and hovered next to Daewyn, watching over the sleeping child. Terra's spectral hand reached down to wipe a stray piece of hair off of Daewyn's forehead only to pass right through her. Terra bit her lip in frustration. Her carelessness had almost gotten this child hurt, perhaps even killed. She checked the room to make sure Daewyn would be safe, then wandered out of the room. Terra hadn't been able to leave the stone of the amulet like this until after the Trial. She couldn't stay away from the necklace too long, for the wandering made her very tired, but she had been returning to the same place every time she did wander. This time was no different. Her spectral eyes gazed over the crystal-blue lake, then roamed over the hills around it. Though they now supported only the strange vegetation of the skyless world, Terra could recall a time when her little family had farmed this very ground. Then it had basked under the warmth of the sun....then everything had been hopeful and bright. Feelings she had repressed for far too long began to flood her once again. Tears that she couldn't cry stung at her eyes that weren't really there when she heard the haunting laughter of children long since dead. Terra had tried to forget that laugher for so long as well as the pixie-like faces it had belonged to, but Daewyn had brought all of that slowly back to the surface ever since Terra felt her dainty little hand clasp around the stone that had encased Terra's spirit for so long. Terra had never before regretted the sacrafice she made for her people. Her people had needed protection and she had nothing else to live for anyway. She still didn't fully regret her choice; it had meant that she could prevent what had happened to her daughters from happening to hundreds of others during that frightful time. Terra pondered these things as she made her way back to the sleeping Daewyn and her crystal prison. Her arms ached to hold the child who looked so like her own daughter. Instead she bent down to brush her insubstantial lips across Daewyn's cheek before reentering the dark green stone and resting her wounded spirit.*
Terra... Long time no see.
**Terra stirred at the voice, awakening from her inward reflection**
Anatares....it's been so long... I didn't imagine I'd ever hear your voice again.
Anatares scurried off to the room with the mats and sat against the wall, glancing at Daewyn curiously before closing her eyes, resting. It had been a long day, and there was still a lot to say to the amulet bearers.
It's been far too long old friend... Quite the reunion we have here. I just noticed, your bearer looks a lot like... Isn't my memory awfully fuzzy, that daughter of yours...
No, it's not her. You and I both know what happened that day.
Right, I'm sorry.
Don't worry about it, I have to get over it eventually. Coming home like this makes it hard though...
Wish I could remember what 'coming home' felt like, but that's the past. How many temples have been finished? The trials?
Only two have been completed. The Void and Earth. We must hurry. I don't know why but something is holding us here. That missing priestess...we must find her before we can leave, and I somehow have the awful feeling that all of this is done to delay our quest to the point of it being too late. I feel we must hurry, and sitting here in a place of deep memories is not helping.
**Terra turns her attention to where Anatares is sitting against the wall and projects herself sitting in front of her friend.**
Where have you been all these years? And how did you manage to get into this place?
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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:55 pm
To be completely honest, I don't really remember much of the past, except what's important and the rest being grueling and complicated. I remember my daughter, my husband, my people, my city and how it came to ruin. The memory that whines for attention the most though, is that of the seal and the rest of us, we guardians. For some reason the seal has been broken, and we're being assembled once again by fate. Fate brought us into existence, after all. There is still much to tell the amulet bearers, though I'll leave that for the morning. You should regenerate too. Good night my friend.
With that, Anatares sunk into deep meditation.
*Bryce sat in the inn, watching Daewyn sleep peacefully.*
I still don't understand what keeps me attached to this girl...
Or why she is attached to you. You saw her back there. Right when you walked up, she ran to you.
She just seems so familiar...but I can't place it.
I know, Bryce. For some reason, I can't even figure out where I've seen her before all this.
...Narya?
Yes?
She couldn't be....no.
Who?
Rayne.
Hmm......
But that wouldn't make sense. Why would she call herself Daewyn if she was Rayne, though?
Well, so much happened to you over these years that it's amazing you still remember who you are.
True. We can hope, right?
Yes.
*Bryce closed his eyes*
Rayne...
"(What is it that you want to talk about?)"
They had entered into a private sector of the temple that was usually used for meditation. Kato had been uncharacteristically silent while on their walk.
After a few seconds came the reply, "(It's Layla...)"
Naoko held back a pang of guilt, calming her nerves, and maintaining an emotionless face.
"(You know who lies deep inside of her, right?)"
Naoko looked down at her boots. "(...Yes..)"
"(What does Dante want with her?)" he asked her, trying to make eye contact.
She shook her head. "(I don't know...)"
"(He says to us that he doesn't believe, yet why did he take her?)" Kato asked more to himself than to her. "(It doesn't make sense.)"
Naoko frowned, thinking as well. "(...Did anybody say anything to you while I was out?)"
Kato shook his head. "(...Not that I remember of. Why?)"
"(Nida...Nida and Tanasha were in the temple, weren't they?)" Naoko asked, trying to form the idea in her mind.
Daemon, within his realm, could sense that she was trying to remember what he had told her before. He looked on with curiosity. What is she getting at?
Kato nodded. "(Yes....)"
"(Did they tell you anything?)"
He shook his head. "(I had been too busy taking care of you that I never asked them....)" he was beginning to get what she was trying to point out.
Naoko strode around the room, her fingers tracing out the engravements of the temple's history. It, like all the other ancient temples, would depict the final battle of heaven and hell at Nekleska. One member of each race, one member chosen to fight...all to die upon sealing the evil back to its own realm. They would become the guardian spirits of today, awaiting the day for their time to return.
Naoko had always believed this story, imagining what it would be like to be one of them. Yet in the back of her mind, she had always thought that the legend was a bit...unreal. How could you get to destroy so easily? How did they all die? It couldn't be the sealing process....there had to be something more to it...
"(He knows something that we don't...)" she murmured. "(And they know something that we don't...)"
Nida sat in a dark corner of the lounge, paying little attention to Daewyn or Bryce. Her elbow rested on her knee; she absently swung Xachta around her finger by its chain. The spirit had slipped back into its self-absorption, leaving its bearer to ponder things alone.
Naoko was out for a week... I would have expected her to gather us all together and play the fearless leader again. Maybe go after Dante and that girl. But so far, she hasn't so much as spoken to any of us except those there at the incident this morning... all the spirits seem to be keeping their own counsel, or at least I haven't seen or heard anything to convince me otherwise. We're like sandbar islands waiting for the tide to rise and mingle us together again.
The dissociated feel of the group was stressing Nida to no end. The implications for this vague Battle Against Evil aside, if the group splintered, she would have no companions, and therefore no protection. Xachta hardly counted. Nida had no intention of allowing herself to be enslaved to Xachta's personal crusade, which was almost certainly what the amulet would attempt should they be isolated.
But another thought snared the girl's attention, one which had darker bearings than the dissolution of the group.
If we're brought together by a rising tide, what horror will that rising tide be?
Baikasu says, "Man, I've been lookintg for a hour and still haven't found her. Oh, well. It doesn't really matter. I guess I'll go back to the inn and clean my weapons. Though, if I had the local currency, I would've bought those grendaes that one merchant was selling. Though WHY someone would want to use them in such an enviroment is beyond my grasp." He then starts to head back to the inn, ignoring the merchants who were trying to talk him into buying some oddly colored potion. When he gets there, Baikasu goes in and sits at the table Pheys sitting at. "So, wuzzup?"
*Bryce slowly closes his eyes*
Rayne...
*But he fights to keep them open*
Just a little longer, then I'm sure she's safe...
*His eyes close again*
Oh well. I need rest....
*Bryce drifts off to sleep and dreamland*
**Daewyn, despite all the restless tossing she was doing, managed to keep her bag locked safely in her arms while she slept. Images long forgotten disturbed her usual rock-solid sleep...
"Rayne? Bryce?!" A woman with long reddish-auburn hair and sparkling blue eyes stands on the steps of a quaint little house. Soon a little girl and boy come running up to the woman, followed by a man, obviously their father. The woman picks up the little girl and they all walk into the house together for dinner. It is obvious that the little girl is the woman's daughter, Rayne. The only difference between them is Rayne's bright green eyes which match her father's.
As she watches the family together the scene of felicity changes with a knock at the door. A messenger hands an officially sealed letter to the father and departs. The father reads it and hands it to the mother. Soon whispered conversation ensues between the parents, which the children can only here snatches of, phrases such as "great opportunity" and "only a boy." Then suddenly the scene switches. The boy is now dressed in an old but carefully mended suit and carries a small bag with all he owns in it. Rayne, the little girl, rushes past her parents before they can stop her and runs sobbing to catch her big brother in a deathvice of a hug. Between her sobs she gets out, "No, Bry, don't go!"....
Daewyn murmers mournfully in her sleep, tears wetting her cheeks.**
"Bry...no..."
Naoko sat in her room at Coskatei's home, observing the object that was in her hands. It looked like a key of some sorts, glowing a mysterious blue light in the dark. She began to think back about the evening's conversation with Kato.
[Flashback has taken place]
"(They know something that we don't...)" Naoko murmured, still deep in thought.
Kato leaned against one of the large windowsills to the room, sighing. "(It seems that way. There were always two sides to everything, even legends and prophecies.)"
Naoko took out her amulet, staring at it as if Daemon would just come right out and talk to her. Unfortunately, though, he decided to maintain his position deep within the other realm.
Why did you never tell us?
"(Naoko.)"
She looked back up; Kato had walked to her again and pulled out her hand. He clapsed it, letting the object fall from his own hands. Naoko didn't know what to do except stare.
"(This will get you and the others out of Halconia,)" he softly replied. "(And it will also open the gates to Demetrie.)"
He let go of her hand and in it was a keychain of some sorts. Naoko's eyes widened. It was the keystone to literally destroy the seal of Halconia, leaving the city unprotected from harm.
"(Kato, I can't...)"
"(I've discussed this with the other dragons while you were still recovering,)" he told her. "(And they said that they wouldn't mind at all. Of course, the people are a different matter, but it will just test us on our strength for survival.)" He looked back up at her. "(You know as well as I do that Layla's in danger. Who knows what Dante will do when they reach Nekleska. For all I know, he probably told her the truth of her ancestry.)"
Naoko silently nodded, understanding. "(Don't worry, we'll find her.)"
Kato smiled. "(You and the others are also welcome in Halconia whenever you feel like returning. If any of the locals protest, they'll have to speak to me personally about it.)"
~~~
They would be leaving tomorrow; she was sure of it. Naoko let the key fall back onto her lap as she fell back into a restless sleep.
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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:58 pm
*Bryce looked down from his spot in the clouds. His vision zoomed down towards a small house off to the side of a town. The house had a garden all around it and a lady watering her flowers. The field nearby was growing and a man was checking his crops. The inside was quiet, since there were no children. They were underneath the large tree in the backyard, playing. The little boy was helping the little girl pick an apple.*
"Come on Rayne, you can reach it!"
"I'm trying!"
"Just a little more..."
"Got it!"
"Good!"
*The two quickly run over to the lady in the garden.*
"Mommy!"
"Look what we got!"
"That's wonderful, honey. Why don't you see if you can get some more and I'll make a pie for you," she replied.
"Yay! Let's go Rayne!"
"Okay!"
*The house slowly fades into the distance as Bryce returns to consciousness.*
Rayne. Mom. What happened to you?
Nida stood on the roof of the store where she'd been keeping up her dancing practice, looking out over the town. Only a few people were out. Most of them were on their way back to their homes. The only ones who ever bothered to look up were the occasional dragons, and they maintained their usual aloof attitude. Nida had long been ignoring them as well.
We leave tomorrow.
Been talking to the others?
It feels. They realize time grows short, as if such was a new development.
Nida nodded her acknowledgement.
Xachta was conspicuously silent.
We should get some sleep. ... Do you ever need sleep, or some sort of rest?
She waited for Xachta to respond. Seconds stretched into minutes. Nida fidgeted. The air outside of the Halconic buildings was cloying and thick; the lack of any true breeze down here made the night eerie.
A soft orange glow lit the entire city for a few minutes before it faded away, back to its original dark brown texture. Dawn. It was one thing to describe it. Halconia had such a unique way to describe the sunrise, it was almost impossible to tell if there was a ceiling of rock or not when dawn and dusk came.
Naoko stood outside the inn in her travel clothes, waiting for the others to awaken. There weren't that many Halconians up early this morning, but the few that were around often glanced at Naoko strangely for a little bit before she looked up and they walked away, seeing her eyes.
How funny that her eyes would always tell who she was, even in a city that was similar to her own kind.
She started to fiddle with the key Kato had given her again, admiring its craftsmanship.
Then she heard a familiar voice.
"Aaagggh...man, what a night," Shuichi yawned as he stepped outside of the Inn with Anubi following behind in its wolf form. It had turned its head upon recognizing Naoko, causing Shuichi to turn as well.
"Oh, Naoko! You're awake?" he asked her.
Strange to her that he seemed to be always cheerful. She nodded, smiling.
"Are the others awake yet?" she asked him.
Shuichi scratched his head. "Um...no...I don't think so. Lot of us stayed up pretty late...whatever you call late in this city, anyway."
She nodded her head again. "I see."
Auubi cocked its head to one side, its eyes piercing back at her. Do you want us to wake them?
Shuu jumped, wondering how in the world his guardian can speak to her. Naoko smiled at the reaction.
"Yes, if you don't mind speeding up time."
"Um...we can do that?" Shuu wondered.
The wolf nodded, looking at its bearer. Why yes, of course.
In a split second, it was no longer dawn. Instead, locals were walking about, doing their usual duties, and the Inn became crowded once again the the smell of food lingering in the air.
Shivering, Nida turned to head back for the inn.
*Bryce awoke to the sounds of hustle and bustle in the streets*
"Well, everyone seems to be alive and well today."
*He got up, glanced around the room, and then headed outside to see what the others were doing*
*Daewyn woke groggily from her restless night of sleep. Hints of a dream half-remembered teased the back of her mind. When her eyes landed on Bryce as he was walking out the door they seemed especially insistant on surfacing, but she couldn't quite grasp what it was about him that she was trying to remember. She tucked the thought away in her mind and looked around at the nearly empty room. Phey was already up and ready, but other than her Daewyn didn't see anyone. She stood and tugged on her clothes until they were in a semblance of order, then ran her fingers over her braids. They would have to be re-done. As her fingers reworked her hair she greeted Phey*
Daewyn: "Good morning... what's going on? Where is everyone?"
Phey: "They've already gathered outside. We're the last to get ready. Hurry up, we're leaving today."
Daewyn: "We're leaving?!"
*Phey nodded before stepping outside. Daewyn quickly finished her hair before placing her things back in her bag and grabbing a piece of local fruit and some bread from the bowl on the table on her way out the door. Kelwyn saw all of her companions assembled, but none of the Halconians. She had mixed feelings about their absence. On the one hand she was relieved for she was fairly certain they were still incensed at her, but on the other hand, she had made many friends here and wished to say goodbye to them. She decided that worrying about it wasn't going to change anything. Approaching Naoko, she stopped again when she saw Bryce's blue eyes on her. That same feeling she had earlier when she saw him leaving the room returned to her; she saw a similar look in his eyes, but after a moment shook it off and walked up to Naoko. She smiled up at the crimson-eyed Melbane.*
Are we leaving now?
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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 3:01 pm
*Bryce found Naoko and waited for the others to arrive. After they all showed up, he looked over at Daewyn and saw something in her eyes for an instant, and then it left.*
"Looks like everyone's arrived, Naoko. How do we get out of here?"
They're leaving. Get a move on.
Nn? Feels like it's still dark out.
She sleeps late. She is weak. And the dog did something to the flow of time anyway. So up, gar-ul; we have things to do and discussions to accomplish.
Nida awoke, stretched, and began gathering her things together. Six or seven minutes later, she stood outside with the main group, awaiting the stragglers.
We wait to talk to Daemon until our afternoon break, I take it?
Xachta, brooding as usual, didn't respond.
Naoko quietly waited for a few more minutes as the rest began piling out to the entrance of the Inn.
"Looks like everyone's here, Naoko. How do we get out of here?" Bryce asked.
She managed to look up from the ground again, tearing herself away from her thoughts. Daemon had once again given her space, not communicating with her the past few hours.
After giving a small glance to each person, she smiled and said, "Follow me."
They did, a small line of people following behind her as she guided them through the various streets and alleys of the city until they reached a small plateau at the "outskirts" of the city where a white building lay.
"..What is this place?" Phey asked in wonder.
Naoko looked a bit distant for a second, conversing with Kato telepathically.
"Shoku," she replied. "In the ancient tongue it means 'Light' or 'the holy place'. Only a few shoku exist in the world; this is one of them."
"...So...what is that supposed to mean?" Gwyn asked, scratching his head, receiving a hard elbow in the stomach by Phey.
She turned her head back. "It's our way out."
Anatares snapped out of her trance to find that everyone was gone. She tried to tackle the situation calmly.
"Aiee! I'm late! I'M LATE!"
And failed.
She leapt to her feet and scurried through the room, stopping herself so suddenly at the doorway that she almost faceplanted.
"Right."
Anatares snapped her fingers and she seems to age about thirteen years. She was now about three feet taller, now has long red hair halfway down to her ankles and her face and voice changed. The only thing similar between the old Anatares and the new was the signature blue-green eyes that revealed peace and curiosity but hid sorrow aswell. Ana continued on her way out of the Inn and ran after the others, calling after them in her new voice.
"Hey, wait up for me!"
As soon as Naoko said the words "holy place", Nida felt Xachta recoil.
Long ago, someone mistranslated something and "Holy" became synonymous with "conducive to the well-being of living creatures". Thus the sentient races of the world think that holy places or Holy-aligned objects are inherently good. And yes, circumstantially, it supposes they are - at least, as far as being a trump card against some of the nastier manifestations of other elements. But never forget, gar-ul, that as a flame consumes a candle wick, so Holy eventually overcomes the natural world. Holy and life do not go together, and thus Xachta has no love lost for it.
Well, that was the gist of it, anyway; a good portion of the speech was relayed in mental images and emotion.
So all shoku are like that?
All the Holy-aligned ones, yeah.
"So, this shoku thing is our only way out?" Nida spoke up. "We can't, say, just tunnel through the dirt?"
So we're going to a Shoku. Interesting.
What is it Narya?
It's just that I haven't travelled through one in ages.
Yeah...sometimes I forget that you're quite old. So, what is it like?
You shall see.
*Gwyn just let out a confident smile*
Gwyn: Hey, no problem! If its our way out, I say we get going. This place is pretty, but I'm starting to get a little bored with it. So which way is it Naoko?
Crap, not a shoku. I never did like these things. They always made me feel queasy.
What do you have to be queasy about? Your in a little amulet.
Last time I went through one of these, I puked.
Well, last time I checked, I'm not you, so most likely have nothing to worry about. Besides, I'm used to things like this now. Hell, If I can handle traveling through solid rock, I think I can handle a portal.
I wouldn't get so over-confident if I were you. Last time I got that cockey I got my a** beat.
Macnor, why don't you go take some Dramamine and wait about an hour, then talk to me when your not quite so nausous. I need to ask a few questions to the other bearers.
Fine be that way. But if you throw up, Ill going to laugh my non-existant a** off, and I'll NEVER let you live it down.
Works for me!
After the inner-Dialogue, Baikasu walks over to Naoko and asks, "So, who's temple are we going to after we leave Halconia?"
"So, this shoku thing is our only way out?" Nida spoke up. "We can't, say, just tunnel through the dirt?"
Naoko shook her head, smiling. "Unless you want to dig through several kilometers of dirt, then go right ahead."
Given the looks that she was getting, she elaborated a bit.
"Haloconia is several kilometers below the Earth. One could actually go through it last time was because you had two people strongly aligned with the Earth element. Daewyn can't handle all that stress alone -- concentrating on moving and digging at the same time takes up a lot of energy."
She could mentally hear the flap of wings in the back of her head. Apparently, Daemon decided to take his spot back in her mind. She shook off the feeling, leading the way once again as they headed closer to the Shoku. A soft hum could be heard in the air.
"Don't worry about the singing," she reassured the others. "It's just the guardians of this place."
"Wait, the guardians?" Phey piped up. "Weren't the guardians the dragons?"
"For Shoku, no."
As they approached the entrance, Naoko took out the key that Kato had given to her the night before as a sign of passage for the guardians to "see". Shuichi took in the surroundings of the shoku's entrance, surprised to see white shadows protruding out of the walls and nodding their heads upon seeing the key.
Um...Auubi...what are those? he asked the wolf trodding along next to him, a bit disturbed.
The shadows seemed to perfectly blend into the white walls of the shoku, their eyes merely black specks on their face. He could see them move, and Shuichi wondered if the others could see them, too. Apparently, as he took a quick glance at their little group, they hadn't.
Nymphs. Guardians of the Shoku. his guardian answered.
Naoko and the others stepped into what seemed to be the only room of the shoku, dark crystalline walls covering every inch of the place. Such a contrast to the white walls of the outside. A cool breeze swept through, and Naoko couldn't help but shiver. She could feel the Nymphs moving again, watching them carefully.
Now what? she wondered.
Insert the key into the stone at the center. Daemon told her, the first words he had spoken to his bearer since late last night. And then all the rest will be taken care of. I've warned the others to notify their bearers of how Shoku works. She heard him laugh. It seems that old memories can never die.
And what is that supposed to mean? Naoko asked, as she stepped towards the center of the small room, holding out the key. It glowed softly in the artificial darkness.
As she inserted the object into the stone lying at the center of the room, the open doorways of Shoku slammed shut, literally scaring Daewyn to her wits as she was in front of one. Bryce had been the closest one next to her, and she clung onto dear life on his arm.
Naoko's eyes began to adjust to the darkness, a soft red glow emanating from her eyes.
"Okay, here we go..." she whispered just enough for everyone to hear.
Archaic symbols suddenly glowed beneath their feet, spinning around in circles until they had finally decided to synchronize into one. The Nymphs' songs began to accelerate as well, falling to one final note as the light began to descend on them.
Forcing their eyes shut and wishing for the best, everyone waited for the song to end, opening their eyes to a soft blue sky.
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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 3:04 pm
Nida's eyes, scrunched in terror for the previous several seconds, opened.
Blue sky.
Sighing contentedly, she spread her arms and fell onto the grass.
Tsk, tsk. No time to waste, gar-ul.
Why don't you go ******** yourself, Xachta, came Nida's cheerful reply.
Oh. Wow.
*Bryce looked around at the sky and the grass below him*
It sure is nice to feel the wind again. Daewyn, it's okay now. Look up.
*Daewyn lifted her head from Bryce's arm and opened her eyes*
Looks like we made it out just fine.
*Daewyn looked up to see Bryce's hauntingly familar smile. She grinned back at him and looked around*
The sky! Look Bryce!
*She giggled happily and spun in circles, breathing the open air in deeply*
Naoko lifted her hood just enough for her own eyes to see. And they took in what was left of peace in her soul.
A soft smile fell upon her lips as Daewyn began to spin around in circles at the open field. Sometimes the young teen reminded too much of herself before Melbane fell apart.
"So...who's temple is next?" Baikasu asked after snapping out of the trance he fell into like the others had. He was still blinking quite furiously, adjusting to the light.
"Depends on where we are," she murmured back. She didn't want to tell the others that she still wasn't quite sure where they were. Shoku had a way of transportation, but it didn't really specify about destination.
She had hoped that they were near Demetrie, but the area looked a bit too vague for her memory of the outskirts of that temple.
She plopped down on the grass, having a sudden need to sit down. A small object pressed firmly against her hand and she looked down, opening her fist. The key was still in her hands.
This place looks familiar somehow...I can sense something in the wind.
I sense it too.
Could it be, Narya?
It is quite possible. There's only one way to find out.
*Bryce walks over to Naoko, passing Daewyn dancing about*
I still can't place her...but I'll deal with that later.
Naoko? I was wondering if you wouldn't mind me looking about the area. You all are welcome to come along, if you wish, or I'll be back in a little while. I think I've been here before, and I want to check to make sure.
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Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:35 pm
Baikasu turns to Gwyn and says, "Hey, Gwyn, how about you take a look at where we are with an aerial view? It's better than sending ground scouts, and I'm pretty sure your dragon would like to strech his wings."
Get up, gar-ul. Now's our chance.
Geez, Xachta, get a grip. We've been stuck in a giant cave for the past week, and all you can think about is bitching at Daemon.
Xachta broiled indigo in the back of Nida's mind, but kept its temper out of its thoughts. She knows it has valid reasons; why does she stand in its way?
Nida heaved a heavy sigh, but relented. She levered herself to her feet; by the time she had fully stood up, Xachta had slipped into her system. They weren't pumping ooze out of their pores quite yet or anything... just somewhat joined.
They walked quietly to where Naoko stood. Or were in process, before Lucavi approached.
"... We know him, yes. From below. He ran crowd control, he did. They understand the confusion he might have; the group is large, and there is little chance that everyone would be acquainted."
*Taking Naoko's silence as an affirmative, Bryce set out to look around.*
Even if Gwyn does fly around, he won't see anything. There's nothing here anymore...at least that's what I heard. I just have to see if this is the spot.
*Bryce walked over to a small hill and gazed over the edge. He could see plains stretching out in front of him and mountains in the distance. A stream ran through the middle of the area. There were sparsely populated trees around, most of which looked like fruit-bearing trees.*
This has to be it.
*He looked more closely and could see that grass was not as thick or as high in a large area around the stream.*
There. I finally made it. Aneidan. What happened to it?
*Gwyn nods and whistles loudly. CaranᲠrushes in from the distance, and arrives in about one minute. Gwyn hops on and calls down to everyone.*
Gwyn: I'll take a quick look!
Baikasu takes in the scenery "Well, wherever we are, we're nowhere near Baskai Village, that's for sure." He then walks over to the closest tree[I'm assuming there are trees nearby] and slumps down at the base of the trunk, cleaning his equipment as he thought.
Naoko continued to sit in her place, watching some of the others begin to search the area. She was busy arguing with Daemon.
What do you MEAN that we're near Aneidan? That's--
Across the world from Demetrie. Yes, that's right. Daemon cut her off.
Naoko heaved a great sigh, rubbing the sides of her temples. ...It was because of the Nymphs, wasn't it? They don't trust us.
Those creatures like to play with their intruders' minds and destinations. You know that quite well from past experiences and stories that the elders have told you.
"Don't remind me about it.." she murmured softly, squinting her eyes against the glaring Sun.
The look from Bryce's eyes when he had asked her to search around the area flashed back in her head. There was something he knew about this area, and maybe something about himself could be told in this quest.
I would not try it, if I were you, Daemon warned her, knowing her actions. You still have yet to fully recover from the energy that you had spent the last time.
Naoko frowned again. Then she made her decision.
She would get up and find the source of the city in the sky.
*Daewyn stopped her spinning when she heard Bryce taking off. Trotting after him for a reason even she didn't understand, she finally caught up to him as he stopped to gaze at what used to be farmland. The scent of apples triggered a wisp of a memory in Daewyn's mind, this one stronger than before, but it still wasn't clear. She tugged on Bryce's sleeve and whispered to him in an odd, urgent voice.*
I... I've been here before... What is this place Bryce?
*Gwyn comes down from the sky and shakes his head.*
Gwyn: All thats here is an open plain with a few trees here and there.... looks like the ruins of a city to the west a little ways. Thats about it. So... what do we do now?
Baikasu stands up[Having completed cleaning his weapons], turns to Gwyn, an says, "Well, it's up to Naoko, but I say we go to those ruins. It's the most likely chance we'll find another temple, if not a few supplies that haden't been destroyed. You never know." Turns to Naoko, and says, " What do you think, Naoko? Think we should go?"
*heads towards the pretty lady*
Excuse...Can you tell me how I got here? I dont seem to remember anything.
*voice inside Lucavi's head*
You dont remember do you ... THATS RIGHT CAUSE A SLAB OF ROCK SMACKED YOU DEAD .. so i had to control this chunk of meat you call a body
*falls to his knees and grasps his head*
IM DEAD wait wait who are you
FOOL YOUR NOT DEAD
completely lost it .... havent you ... boy
*In confusion looks up at Nida*
Do you hear a voice screaming at me?
Well, Daewyn, this used to be my hometown, Aneidan. I lived here long ago with my parents. It was just a quiet little town enriched in farming and crop trade. That's where I lived...until I got old enough and was sent to a school of magic. And that's the last time I've been here. After a while, I heard that it had been destroyed, but I don't know how. I guess that's what we're here for.
*Daewyn nodded her head lightly, slowly absorbing all the information.*
I also had a little sister...hmmm.
Let's go back to the others.
*They walk back towards the group, Bryce in the lead with Daewyn dancing around behind.*
Okay. This used to be Aneidan, my hometown. It was destroyed sometime ago by unknown reasons...so there's nothing here now. From here, we should head across that plain towards the mountains. There is another village over there. It's quite a walk, but it's on easy terrain, so it shouldn't be difficult. We could fly there...but the villagers don't see dragons too often, and I don't want to scare them. So whenever everyone's ready, we should head north. There's an orchard by the stream where we can stop for a snack on the way. Plus, that's near where the actual town was...so maybe there's a clue or something nearby.
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Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 5:17 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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