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 Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 11:09 am
"No grudges against anything that protects you, I promise." Anna smiled and snuggled into his warmth as was becoming her habit with him. Pyralis always had that gift of calming her, just by existing and being near. Thinking of this, she gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek.
"You know... you are such a comfort to me. Even your room has this air to it, like I've known this space for so long. Are you enchanted?" she asked with a playful tone. "Because I'm almost quite sure you're something else entirely from this world."
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 12:09 pm
Another round of laughter. "Oh, you never know. I've been wondering the same thing about you."
The two sat there contentedly for a moment longer before the silence was broken. "It's a good thing you're a healer dear Anna because I'm a fighter through and through. It's likely that I'll always find myself part of a war somewhere. Even now, I'm prepared to fight in the war raging between heaven and hell." A gentle hand stroked Anna's hair. "You've shared a piece of your past with me, now it's my turn. Unfortunately, I don't know where to start. Blood and fighting colors my past." With a sweeping gesture, he motioned to the many items that covered the walls and shelves. "Pick any item and that story will be yours to hear. You, A'mael, may even pick one of the locked chests." Very few souls were allowed that right.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 12:19 pm
"Oh, please, don't," she said to his readiness to fight once more. She couldn't bear losing him to war. even his stories of the past frightened her so.
But at the words 'locked chest,' her mind went reeling back to adventures and secrets. Secrets that she, as an archaeologist, enjoyed finding out. Anna slowly rose from his embrace to walk over to a rather small chest sitting right by his desk. It didn't seem remarkable on the outside, but with a slight try at the lock, it was indeed closed tight.
"Would you be willing to tell me about this one?" she asked with a tilt of her head.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 12:33 pm
The corner of his mouth turned up into a half-smile. Of course a locked chest would get the attention of this curious woman. "I did say pick anything." Rising, he walked over and picked up the chest, fished an old-fashioned key out of his desk, and motioned for Anna to sit once more.
The chest was placed on the short table in front of the couch. With the key he had fished out of the desk, Pyralis placed it in the lock and chanted quickly under his breath before turning the key and unlocking the small chest. Reaching in, he pulled out a stone ring with dark gems inlaid in it that flickered in the light and a jeweled stone dagger. The dagger was far from being sharp, but it was also far from ordinary stone. Grinning, he placed both in Anna's hands. "Now my little archeologist, can you tell me where these are from?" It was an uncommon substance, but the more he got to know this intelligent elf, the more she supprised him with her knowledge. It had to be from her curiosity over everything.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 12:38 pm
"Earendel." Her trained hands placed them gently on her lap before she quickly wiped her hands on her dress, just in case she had any damaging oils or other substances on them. The dagger was the first to be handled once more. "Third age, judging by the designs used on the hilt and guard. Remarkable condition as well."
But Anna looked to Pyralis to hear the true history of the piece with the end of her rambling. It was his story to tell, after all. She was doing mere guesswork, though she was almost always right.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:01 pm
He almost laughed to see her wipe her hands and the way she took great care in handling the items, but he thought better of it. He also thought better of tossing the dagger up in the air a few times. That would most likely result in him getting hit, so he pushed the thought away.
"Very good. These items are indeed from Earendel." It was better that she hadn't guessed at their purpose yet. Pyralis just had to estimate the best time to reveal it. "They are used by the tribes native to the land for special ceremonies... At any rate, these tribes don't get along. Just as you'll find with most tribes that are seperate and native to a single area, many fights broke out. Usually these fights die down and no one but the tribes are the worse for it. The other people of Earendel, at least, never bothered with them."
"You see, there was a small group of fighters," Shifting to a more comfortable position, he smiled, thinking his old comrades. " I was among them, and our purpose was to stop wars and battles in the Realms that got out of hand. There were times when neither side had a purpose anymore and it was our job to stop it before more people were dragged into the pointless fighting." His face darkened for a moment, thinking of what came next. "We'll never be sure of what happened, but the small fights that broke out exploded into a larger war. It was close to encompassing all of Earendel. Even the neutral parties were getting dragged into it. My comrades and myself were sent to battle." He sighed. "There weren't enough of us and we were separated. I was still young. Just when I thought I had calmed my side of the battle, I was overtaken by the western tribe." He let her see the images he remembered. The dead and dying, blood, being wounded, and the sudden blackness of being knocked out.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:07 pm
Anna listened intently. It was ironic how she loathed battle herself, but would gladly handle a knife used for some ceremony of death. Perhaps she was content with seeing the craftsmanship and not paying attention to what the detail was used for.
With the thoughts in her mind, Anna was swept away in the story, so much so that when Pyralis communicated being knocked out, her hand made a swift motion to the back of his head for healing. "Oh," she said, stopping herself in mid-reach, and laughing at herself. Sometimes she was simply carried away by her desire to keep him safe that even memories posed a threat. How silly of her, she thought, blushing. "What happened next?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:32 pm
Her attempt to heal his past wound returned the smile to his face; and he continued on, letting each memory flash clearly in his mind for her to see so that it would aid his words.
"Being young still, I had gone unconcious in human form, but awoke in my true form. I had returned to being a dragon. I'll bet that shocked a good deal of them. Actually, that probably saved my life. It's impossible to simply slit a dragon's throat, as you are aware." Thinking over this, he was very casual talking about the impossibility to slit his throat as you could a human's. "Having captured a dragon, they thought themselves very lucky and started to prepare for the ceremony of strength and prosperity. Dragon meat was believed to provide strength, not to mention there would be plenty of it."
Without thinking about it, his hand went to his chest, right over his heart. "With hammers and the like made of the same element as that dagger, they cracked my scales and proceeded to open my chest in the ancient manner handed down from their elders." The pain of this process and the faces of the villagers were sharply clear in his mind. Not wanting to alarm Anna too much, he pulled back slighty for that part. Few substances would penetrate a dragon's hide. "The dagger was ready and their chief would be the first to stab my heart."
He stopped and looked at Anna. "I was sure death would come...but not to worry. Instead, two of my oldest friends and comrades came looking for me. I was the rookie afterall." At this, he actually found reason to chuckle. "Those two found me alright. Talk about last minute rescues. Just their appearance caused enough disruption that one freed me while the other frightened off the villagers." Firey eyes fell on the ring still in Anna's lap and he picked it up. This particular item he couldn't help but to toss up and catch a few times in triumph. "The stupid cheif stuck around. He still wanted my heart. I was weak and bleeding everywhere, but I still got a mouthful of him. Disoriented as I was, I bit off his hand instead of his head. The others took care of him, but I got this ring."
He dropped his hand. "But as you can see, I'm just fine. I healed up alright, just a scar left and endless taunting from my comrades."
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:39 pm
While listening, Anna had placed both hands over her mouth, eyes wide. "They... they tried to eat you?" A nervous laugh escaped her, but the very idea made her stomach churn. Eyes still in disbelief from the story, Anna placed the dagger aside and went in for another hug. "Good grief, Pyralis... I should have chosen something more tame in here. I can't imagine what you've gone through... but thank goodness you're alive."
The elf pressed a pointed ear to his heart with a mischievous smile, knowing that the heartbeat she heard would only cease when hers did. She had been told that, and would always hang on to his words. "I suppose he couldn't have your heart because it would one day belong to me, and mine to you."
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:54 pm
His warm arms wrapped around her. "You are probably right, A'mael. It seems my heart was always meant for you." Just as her heart seemed as if it was meant for him. It was the bond of having found each other, and it would only grow stronger over time.
But tame? Pyralis laughed deeply and warmly. "My dear Anna, there is nothing tame in this room. Even it's occupant can't count as such." There would, no doubt, be plenty of other stories to share in due time. Out of habit, he tossed the ring up and caught several more times. "Every item has a story."
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:59 pm
"No, I suppose not. I would never want my dragon to be... tame..." Anna's eyes caught on to his hand tossing the ring up and down, up and down. Needless to say, the curator and archaeologist within her nearly had a heart attack.
"Good heavens, Pyralis, that thing is older than you are!" she said, having a snatch at it, but missing. "You're tossing it about like a ball! It's a priceless artifact!!" Anna, regardless of her exasperation, wasn't yelling at him or truly upset; she was more giddy with the idea of it falling, breaking, and having one of the gems forever separated from the piece. She had strange reactions to threatened history, it seemed.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:07 pm
Another round of laughter. "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe...oops." He mock dropped the ring, but his other hand caught it easily. Her face at that was priceless. "I'm sorry Anna, but I promise it's still sturdy." Most of the artifacts in his room were handle this way. Not roughly exactly, just not with the great care that his love would handle them. No special protection other than spells to make sure the items weren't stolen was used. To appease her, he put the ring back into the chest. The dagger was next. As he picked it up, he gave it a few tosses and upon catching it, it went back in the box.
Locked and returned to it's proper place, as well as the key, Pyralis turned to face Anna with his arms open and palms up. "See, all is well in the realm of the artifacts of this room." A mischevious grin played across his features.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:13 pm
Anna reached out in vain every so often, but once it was safely back in the chest, she could breathe a sigh of relief. "Ooh, you rogue. You're terrible..."
Anna walked up to him to poke his stomach in a tickling fashion. Such antics were becoming part of his wonderful personality, and coupled with his innocent smiles, she knew she loved him more than anything. "No respect for the past! It's a miracle any of this made it along safely with you."
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:20 pm
Being ticklish, he fled somewhat, coming from behind her and scooping her up. "I have plenty of respect for the past, I just don't believe it to be delicate." Grin softening, he set her gently down and tucked her hair behind her ear. "True treasures I'm very careful with." Pyralis leaned down and kissed Anna for the second time that night.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:27 pm
They stayed as such for a few moments before Anna gently pulled away. Being so close to him gave her an opportunity to truly examine his features, such as the markings upon his face, and the color of his eyes. They were so much more complex than just red. They were deeper than that, and much more divine.
"I love you," she told him, with such sincerity that her eyes almost brimmed with tears. "I love your eyes and your face, and your laughter and your voice... everything. I want you to know that."
As it was getting late, Anna's own eyes were looking a bit sleepy, but it gave her a gentle beauty and not an appearance of looking haggard. Elves were gifted with that ability to bend their looks around their states, and not succumb to them.
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