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 Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:30 pm
Strange Little Horror {Rizel}
Rizel accepted Ky's help, and gave another smile of gratitude to him. She was not excited that her weak state was so exposed, but she would not be stubborn and refuse help.
"Yes... yes, I am quite tired," she murmured honestly. Rizel did not realize how thirsty she was until Ky offered her water; the combined effects of exhaustion and unprotection from the fire smoke left her throat like burnt paper.
She understood his move in proving the water's purity, and took the bottle with long, lithe fingers and without hesitation. She drank liberally, but would not tolerate to drink it all; it was Rizel's nature to be completely selfless. She handed it back wordlessly.
The water added a significant boost to her mind and body, and she felt a surge of boldness.
"Would you... would you help me stand, please, sir?" she asked.
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Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 8:35 pm
 Never mistake tears for sadness...Eva paused for a brief moment as she considered the task then smiled hesitantly and bowed. The pause was more to gather her thoughts than truly consider accepting the task. Eva was pledged, body and soul, to the Cathedral and would never pass an opportunity by in favor of her own whims or desires.
"I live to serve, Mi'lord, though I know not if my tongue would be swift enough for this purpose. I shall depart, then, and pray that I suceed in this."
She bowed stiffly, feeling odd from the formal speech that had come upon her. It seemed appropriate at least. Rising, she returned to the remnants of the towns avenues, following the thin stream of soldiers back to where she hoped she would find their commander. At first she drews no curious looks or furtive glances but that soon changed. Thankfully, the eyes she drew seemed purely curious rather than suspicious. Eva walked with false confidence as she tried to ignore the growing numbers of enemy soldiers around her. She would do as she was instructed and join their ranks. There were good men in the Iron Fist yet, men she could help save from their blindness. Her strides lengthened as her unease fell away. In this she was sure: She would not fail in her duties.
In was in this state of mind that she approached the small group of strangers. One an obvious member of the rogue group, a male, and with an air of authority that drew Eva towards him. He would be the one to address. The two females beside him were curiousities she could address later. The one the male was supporting seemed weakened by something. She was no warrior and certainly no villager. Eva brushed aside this line of thinking and pointedly ignored the part of her which wanted to approach the second woman and grinned widely.
"A fair skirmish we had this day. No fight beyond us though! Beastie was handled quite quickly by my eyes. Did you happen to catch the sight of it?"
Not waiting for an answer, Eva continued genially.
"Nasty thing it was, not that I'm surprised. Tales enough of that evil creature to make for accurate enough suspicions. Evalin S'karl at your service."
She bowed ever so slightly, still grinning and brimming with the strange, thought bouyant, confidence.
[Aah, yes. She's crazy.] ...that will only bring you grief.
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Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:59 pm
 A beautiful roaring scream, of joy and sorrow so extreme...
Although the formal young man had not triggered any alarms, the sweet honey tainted voice that flowed from the woman in his arms screamed of coy deception. Talise allowed herself to smile faintly, knowing it would be masked under the pretense of relief or pleasure at the news that the woman was all right. As with all truebloods, Talise had been trained in the every method of distraction, deception, and persuasion that feminine wiles could offer. She had used that silken tone many a time and on many a fellow. Her eyes flicker to Ky, observing his reaction with amusement. So much for his mind not being swayed so easily.
If an outsider were to try that trick on a gypsy man, he would have seen right through the ageless ploy but would have played it out simply to discover what it was that the woman was hiding. True to the nature of her people, Talise would do the same. The thought excited her. Discovering the secrets of another was always an enjoyable pursuit.
She was the first to notice the third woman to join their little shindig. The woman completely bypasses her and immediately addresses Ky, giving Talise ample opportunity to study the girl. The newcomer was a half elf by the looks of it, although her extremely talkative nature left Talise inclined to believe that she might have been raised by her human heritage. Or maybe.. it wasn't her nature. Gypsies often practice fast-talk, or the art of bombarding your target with pleasant, and sometimes meaningless, jabbering. The woman was obviously as new to the group as Tali herself was, given the buoyant introduction that was offered. She could simply be a talker, or she could be the type that rambles when she's nervous. That consideration was intriguing as well. What would she be nervous about?
Talise was delighted. She hoped the two women would be traveling to wherever she was going to be headed, then she would get a chance to observe them more thoroughly. If they were here, the elders of her band would be rolling their eyes and scolding her for her overwhelming curiosity. She was always finding oddities to investigate, challenges to conquer, and mischief to be had. Good thing they aren't here. she thinks to herself in satisfaction.
There is a love in me raging. A joyous, magical feeling...
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:16 am
 Ky took the bladder back and looped it to his belt. Maintaining his smile he assisted her up in the same manner that he had before, one hand on her back and the other taking her hand. "Not a problem young miss. It seems that water may have been more helpful than I gave credit. What do they call you where you are from Miss?"As he stands her up he takes notice of yet another female stranger approaching him. He went on guard mentally as she delivered her introduction. Her rough vernacular suggested that she was of a more rustic upbringing. He relaxed a bit, though still on guard. It was at this time that his mind clicked. The soldier standing beside him had said that Commander Asmyrra was injured during the skirmish, yet he had never said by what. The most likely culprit was The Beast, but yet again it could have been someone else. It could have been any of the new people he had met just now. He scolded himself for allowing his chivalrous nature to get the better of his judgment. He couldn't alert them to his epiphany though. He would maintain his current stature and observe them. Yet even as he made this claim to himself, he couldn't help the building warmth inside of himself as he held the young ladies hand. Never the less he even had to be suspicious of her. As the new woman bowed he nods in response, his smile fading to a more serious expression. "I am Ky Kiske, 1st platoon leader of the Iron Fist. If you saw what transpired here then perhaps you can shed some light on the situation. Am I correct in surmising you saw what forced The Beast to retreat?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 10:28 pm
As Nephyris made her way carefully to the location of the fallen Iron Fist commander, she had to dodge and evade many of the Iron Fist's faithful knights, offering what aid they could to the desolate townsfolk. Ruined homes, debris of all kinds, bodies, and fires ranging from low-burning embers to raging infernos engulfing entire buildings helped add more than a small element of chaos to the scenery. But, perhaps suspiciously, as she approached the location of the confrontation between the Angels, it was disturbingly... quiet... almost as though something was keeping the lesser creatures away.
As her careful search began, perhaps it was that suspicious quiet that lent a feeling of being watched to her, like an intense, weighted gaze settled between her shoulder blades. Or perhaps it was the shadowy figure outlined by the flames behind him that caused the feeling. A figure with a long, vaguely sword-shaped object carefully dangling from a clenched fist by a crudely fashioned sling of cloth. A figure that used it's mostly divine energies and abilities to approach Nephyris silently, and unobserved... until she turned around, and found herself looking into a pair of cold blue eyes standing not terribly far away...
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:00 pm
A busy day at the market concluded with an odd pair making their way away from the protective walls of the Kael'dorei city of Irrilaeth, and down a faintly treacherous path balanced delicately against the unshaped stone of the mountain face below the city, and the yawning abyss of the cliff descending to a mountain valley below. The path was several miles in length, though the middle-aged robed Elven woman in the lead made her way down it with a casual stateliness to her stride, an obviously spellcaster-designed staff held casually in her right hand as she walked. Following very near her was a much younger woman, with several parcels deftly bundled together in a manageable fashion, navigating the same path with a level of familiarity bordering on, if not quite matching, that of the woman in the lead. There was often an exchange of words between the two women, but the fickle wind gusting along the surface of the rocks often grabbed the sounds and scattered them like dust long before any listener could discern what was being said.
Towards the end of that treacherous path, the walkway began to meander away from the mountain face that supported Irrilaeth, diverting itself towards a separate peak. Nestled in between those two locations, the path began to widen quite notably, developing into something of a small valley, surrounded on most sides by stark shearing cliffs. That small valley was home to a stunningly appointed garden, as beautiful to the eye as it was to the olfactory, and auditory senses, all obviously carefully sheltered from the vicious winds by some sort of magical field. The garden itself ran all the way to the face of the tall, slender elven tower that capped, and terminated, that small valley, it's runed and scrolled surface allowing no small amount of ivy to climb a short distance up it's surface. The path itself terminated (albeit with several side-paths going through the garden itself) at an enclosed alcove sheltering a set of beautifully ornate double-doors, at which the two figures paused.
Pressing a hand against the door for a moment, the older Elven woman closed her slanted golden eyes for a brief moment, issuing a mental command to the various wards and protections sealing the tower closed against intrusion. Certainly enough, the faint feeling of foreboding dissipated from that archway, and one of the doors unlatched itself, welcoming the two women in. A faint smile curved the lips of the older woman, and a soft alto voice murmured to the younger woman in a cool accent that pronounced each syllable with bell-like clarity, "For a true Weaveshaper, strength is not in how flashy one turns mountains into gravel. Skill is not shown by how brilliant the lightning storm you summon is. The truly observant will note what did not make itself obvious... and that will be their first, and hopefully only, warning...."
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:17 pm
 The young elven woman at her side nods faintly in understanding. "It makes sense really," she comments, prompt steps entering through the doorway into the larger than would normally be expected room beyond. She pauses there on the threshold, waiting for her mistress to follow. "Displays of flash and glamour almost seem as though they are an attempt to prove your immeasurable skill to all who come across it." While she waits, she absently shifts the weight of her parcels to a more comfortable position. "Do we have any idea of when the newest additions to the towers will be arriving? I am curious as to how many will be with us for supper."
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:31 pm
Minai chan "Do we have any idea of when the newest additions to the towers will be arriving? I am curious as to how many will be with us for supper."   Almost silent steps carried the middle-aged woman through the entryway behind her companion, that thin hand pressing it's long-nailed fingers to the door again as she re-instates some, though not all, of the wards once more. Those pale lips curve into a much fuller, and definitely more impishly pleased, smile at Aerith's words, those slanted golden orbs drifting mostly in her direction as she rests her staff in it's customary place near the door, and begins to doff the cloak and outer robes she wore for their journey into the city.
"It often is, my dear. After all, they seem to think that such displays initially will deter people from pressing the issue further," those crystal-clear words, markedly different in accent and cadence from even the normal Kael'dorei speech, replied. But the second question caused the older woman to tilt her head faintly to one side, a thoughtful look crossing those mobile, angular features as long-nailed fingers began unfastening the braid that bound her ankle-length hair. "Hmmm... according to the messenger their family sent, they should be arriving at some point before the White Star falls below the mountain's crest. And as far as how many, well... there should be two, a brother and a sister. That is, unless we find one, or both, of them have been swept away by our fickle winds en route, hmm?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:45 pm
Moving passed the various pieces of ornately carved and rather archaic furniture, Aerith finds her way to the kitchen. She lays the parcels down upon the rustic countertop and begins to fish through them, pulling out the items will find there home here. As she identifies them, Aerith murmurs a soft chant that restores the shrunken package to its original size. "I suppose I should have known that I would not be the only study here for long." she replies with a faint smile. "Are they here to study magic, or will I have some competition with the archery lessons?" Opening a cupboard, she draws out a few jars and begins to disperse the new herb wrappings into their various containers.
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:58 pm
Minai chan "Are they here to study magic, or will I have some competition with the archery lessons?"
"No, these two are here for magical lessons, as most younglings sent to me are. You, my dear, remain one of my very few, and thus very savored, deviations from the norm. Hopefully, however, the unusual harmony between these siblings described by their sires will be of some interest, or at least will be able to be shaped into more than a mere carnival trick... that would be a sincere disappointment."
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:17 am
"An unusual harmony? Are they to be learning ritual magics that require the participation of a partner?" Her curiousity peaked. It was uncommon for them to have younglings here working together. The other studies she had encountered during her time here always seemed to have a deep need to prove themselves to the Kae'dryn. They ran around constantly trying to one up eachother. If they were lucky, Ishtarelm found their antics amusing and even sometimes stoked the competitive fires between them. All too often however, the aggressive exploits proved overdone and obnoxious. In a way, it was a powerful learning tool for Aerith. Not many her age have any concept in the proper way to inform a noble family that their child has been .. dismissed from the Kae'dryn's teaching and would not be returning home. It was not as if you could simply inform the parents, 'I'm sorry Ma'dam. Your son may have only been a second rate spellcaster, but he was a first rate second course.'"I hope that they are not prone to annoying spats", she comments, continuing aloud the train of thought running through her mind. "I have informed families before when one of their children will not be returning home from this tower. I have never had to explain the disappearance of two."
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:22 am
 Just as the shop keepers of the market close for business, another odd pair stride onto the mountain path to the home of the old mage. Heron yawns and scratches his head, sighing at the long path down to the location they were given by their parents. "Oh come on, why does this old crone feel the need to live at the bottom of a gorge?" As he shoves his hand in his pocket and readjusts the shoulder bag. He turns his head back toward his younger sister, "How are you holding up Nay Nay? You're not going to pass out on me are you?" He says with a smirk.
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:30 am
It takes a moment for his words to register, as his sister is far too distracted in her birdwatching to be paying him any heed. "I don't think you should get used to calling her an old crone." She replies airily, a smile forming along her lips as the magnificent hawk she was watching ruffles it's feathers and squawks to them as they pass. "Remember what our parents said. This is the most fearful and skilled Kae'Dryn known to our people. They had to promise many favors before she would even agree to instruct us. If you do not treat her with respect, they will surely be disappointed."
I am a leaf on the wind...
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:41 am
"I know, I'm just getting my kicks in now when she can't hear me. I'm honestly psyched to be taught by her. Especially with you so I can make sure you don't...hey, would you stop birdwatching and come on. I don't know about you but I'm quite famished." With that he starts the long hike down the path. As the path begins to become more hospitable, he whistles at the garden that they walk through, "I wonder if she cares for all this by hand." he stops at the at the large double doors and looks up, finding himself in awe of the enormous tower. "Well...here we are. Are you ready?" He asks his sister, hoping she isn't too distracted by the garden.
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:44 am
Minai chan "I hope that they are not prone to annoying spats", she comments, continuing aloud the train of thought running through her mind. "I have informed families before when one of their children will not be returning home from this tower. I have never had to explain the disappearance of two."
"Ritual magics are often beyond the typical agreement I reach with the nobles, my dear. Those sort of things take decades to master, and I am not often of a mindset to put up with outsiders for such a considerable duration. No, these two may have some sort of unusual sibling synergy in their abilities... I am uncertain as to exactly how much, or how thoroughly. Undoubtedly, it will come out during the first few tests, however. Secrets seldom keep themselves as such around me... though I do heartily agree with you on the avoidance of anything resembling the word 'annoying'...," she murmured, that unusually accented voice taking on a slightly more menacing tone... and sounding rather startlingly appropriate with it. "You are one of my most favored apprentices... and I would not be pleased to have to spare you for any measure of time because of lesser students."
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