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 Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 1:48 pm
Kyil reached down and pulled the slipper from his foot as he listened to Mikaril speak. Pressing the pads of his thumbs into the arch of his foot he gently rubbed at the muscles. "I suppose I see your point Master. Keeping track of time will really do no good until we reach our destination. If anything it will make the journey seem longer." As he spoke, Kyil's lips turned into their usual friendly smile.
"No no. Do not apologize Master. I enjoy listening to you. You have a lot of wisdom that you are shareing with me, even if you do not realize it. besides..." Kyil set his foot down and tilted his head so he could look over towards Mikaril. "I enjoy all of our discussions. Speaking with you makes me feel comforted, even in all of this gloom. I do not feel any depression out here, because you are with me. You are wonderful company after all."
Kyil reached down and replaced his slipper back onto his foot. He was grateful as the thin material slid back over his sole that he had used some of the endurance charms on his own cloths as well. He was not certain his beloved outfit would have fared any better on this trip then the one he had worn before Mikaril had found him.
"I suppose a little rest will be good for me. You can wake me if you would like to rest as well master. You will right?" Kyil asked as he wrapped his cloak tightly about himself and shifted his body down a little flatter on the ground so he could rest. he did not believe Mikaril would waken him until it was time to start moving again, but he wanted to ensure his friend knew that he was willing to do his part too on this journey. Hopefully by the time they were ready to return, he would have learned enough to be a proper useful ally out in the wilds, rather then just someone to be looked after still.
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 4:32 pm
As he settled down on the ground for what promised to be a long vigil, Mikaril couldn't help but think on Kyil's words. He had never given his thoughts much value, since in his world, the worth of a male's words was about the equivalent of rothe dung. He valued his own council, of course, but never really expected anyone else to. It seemed as though he made Kyil happy without even trying. It only surprised him a little to find that the feeling was mutual. Just having him there was making him forget his melancholy yet apparently wise ramblings.
He had better keep an eye on that. Many a drow had succumbed to thoughts as dark as their surroundings when they had been faced with months and years of solitude in the utter silence of the wilds. Such thoughts only served to sicken the body and the mind, and when that happened, one might as well take a roll in rotting meat and wait for the nearest hook horror. He needed to think of nicer things, like what he was going to show Kyil as soon as they got to his favorite part of the Underdark. And a small part of him was actually looking forward to seeing the magical city and watching his friend react like a child in a candy store.
He found himself smiling as he placed an ear to the ground, listening for the telltale rumble of the caravan moving off. For what seemed like a long time, he remained in that position, allowing his eyes to close and watching his breathing stir the dust on the cold, hard stone. He found his eyes closing, and he could almost feel his body going numb from a state of almost-sleep when he heard the rumble, almost indistinctly. He blinked and straightened up, brushing the dust from his cloak before slinking over to Kyil and shaking him awake. "Time to go; they're on the move again." He quickly gathered up his sack and looked off in the tunnel they were following. He figured it wouldn't be too much longer before they reached the city, and then they would have a little fun, not to mention a break from the silence.
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:56 pm
In such a short period of time, Kyil had dropped once more into the deep sleep that he usually did. He had not cultivated the hyper alertness that Mikaril had, and perhaps he never would. As he traveled with someone he trusted so completely, it was easy for him to sleep so completely next to him in the dangerouse wilds.
When l shook him to waken him, he came around with only a small amount of groggyness. His pink eyes fluttered and blinked away the sleep as he automatically pushed himself to his feet. The brief respite had been restful, and he knew once he started moving he would waken more fully. Ah..but the silence that had to follow would be a dredge. He supposed he could use the hand language to speak with Mikaril, but they needed to be on guard while they traveled. Ah...well...soon they would arrive in a city and then they could talk! Sshamath...what a city it would have to be, and what spells! he hoped he did not embaress Mikaril when they arrived, he had warned it was not a good city for thieves, but....the useful spells he could obtain....it just made him excited!
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:10 pm
Still paying no attention to the passage of time, Mikaril led Kyil through endless tunnels and yawning caves, following the caravan for many miles. Once or twice the sound of faint cries and shouts echoed from ahead, but Mikaril always stayed put and listened stoically. In the Underdark, one seldom went to anyone's rescue, and besides, he reasoned, better them than him and Kyil. They were greater in number and stood a better chance of standing up to any beastie that reared it's ugly head.
After a while, they came across a few clues strewn by the wayside. Dark stains that carried the faint reek of dried blood, bones picked clean or were in the process of being cleaned by scavengers, which Mikaril warned Kyil not to approach. In spite of its bout with misfortune, the caravan pressed on, and they were able to continue following it. More than likely they had come across a predator; a hook horror perhaps; and likely lost only a few. At any rate, it was going at nearly the same pace as before, indicating that there was no emergency that would cause them to hurry to their destination. Just as well; Mikaril didn't want to lose them.
Finally, he began to notice that the path they were walking on seemed a bit more well-traveled, and the air seemed to carry faint hums and slight glints that hinted of lights up ahead. Growing more excited, Mikaril quickened his pace, turning his head back once to flash an encouraging smile at Kyil. he could almost smell the magic vibrating in the air, making the hairs on teh back of his neck stand up and feeling as though he was getting a charge through merely being this close.
A short trip through a tunnel suddenly ended, and Mikaril stared with wide eyes at a huge cavern roughly the shape of a pumpkin, with an impossibly huge stone pillar jutting out from the middle. The path they were on led right to the pillar, and wound down the edge of it like a gigantic corkscrew, with many small bridges streaming away from it like strands of webbing. And on the floor of the cavern was the city itself; a bustling metropolis that thrummed with magic, and the bazaar could be made out by its literal forest of tents and hollowed-out stalagmites. One end of the city was thick with the smoke of many forges as undoubtedly many magical weapons and items were being made by the score. Mikaril had seen it before, but the sight still left him breathless.
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:00 pm
As Kyil paid longer attention, he was begining to pick up on the slight signs that Mikaril so easily followed. He paused and listened when signaled to. He strained to hear and feel as his worldly friend was capable. He missed much, but what little he gleamed was just a small step in the correct direction.
Sadly, what he did not miss and would have greatly loved to have, were the signs of the battle fought. The blood stains unsettled Kyil. While he had seen blood before, in the form of lash wounds and thin cuts, this type of blood he had never before witnessed. At least not in such a way. His time out on the street had shown him much, but many battles and unpleasent acts were carried out in the shadows. Kyil had avoided the shadows a great deal until Mikaril began to teach him to be a thief.
Now though he saw blood. And worse! The bones and corpses of other elves being devoured by monters! Kyil tried rather desperatly to keep his features calm. But he felt such sickness in his stomach that he feared he was going to lose it at such horrible sights. No warning was really neccessary to keep him clear of such macabe things.
Kyil's mind was preoccupied for the rest of the trip by these images. They disturbed him and left him unsettled. The fact that the bodies were just left as scavenger fodder made him feel uneasy. Those men were gone now. Vanished really from life, and...would no one miss them? It was as if they never were there to begin with. Kyil could not ever imagin leaving Mikaril's body behind just because he was dead. Surely a priestess could raise him up? Or at the very least his body could have been entombed so some sort of marker could be made. Kyil feared even that something like that could happen to him!
He missed the encouraging smile sent to him by Mikaril, though he did notice the quickening pace. Picking up his own steps, he peered forwards into the darkness curiously....
And was overwhelmed by such a sight like he had never seen before. Coming to the opening ledge, and looking down into the city, Kyil found himself catching and holding his breath. "Oh...my..." He breathed softly. This was a whole new city. With different drow and..and just..many different things. He felt a electrical rush wash over his skin as he felt...such magic! The horrifying discovery on the trip was lost momentarily. Those pink eyes of his remained fixed wide and large. "Oh Master...it is...beautiful.... All that magic. I can feel it. It's so strong. Like a caress of cool air on my flesh. It's so...refreshing." Kyil lifted a hand, and reached out in the air before him and down towards the city. As if somehow he could just touch the magic in the very air itself.
"I would like...I... I mean....do you think...we could gather some magic from here before we go. i...I feel so short sighted now. Thinking only about a magic bag. I feel as if there is a hundred times more potential here. I want to just... enfold myself in the magic..and gain greater spells then before..." Kyil's head turned, the awe struck look in his face unfaded as he looked at Mikaril. "Master.... Why don't we come back through this city on the way home? If we gather up some sort of.;.special token. Something to represent your gang. I could enchant them all to help your fellow thieves. Like with your insignia. I could take magic like that and put it in their own insignias. Only..it would be Your gang."
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:50 pm
Had Mikaril given some thought to the still-tender nature of Kyil, he might have tried to find a way to at least console his friend as he walked past the remains of the caravan's attack. But he had grown used to bodies laying there like rocks, ignored by all. That was the way it was; unless you were a necromancer, the dead were practically useless and not worth attention, save to avoid them lest you run into a scavenger or pick up an illness. He felt none of the indirect attachment to the fallen that Kyil had had; nobody would mourn him if it were him; he saw no reason to do the same to some strangers that he merely followed for the convenience of attracting most of the danger. He had no doubt that were he one of the fallen, the survivors would do the same.
At the moment, he smiled at Kyil's predictable enthusiasm, though he did wish he could share it. Excessive magic tended to make him feel uneasy, as though he was constantly being watched by thousands of eyes or overcome with that strange tingling sensation that happened just before a spell was cast upon you. It made him nervous and on edge. Though he couldn't deny, the city itself was beautiful and refreshingly different from the cities he had visited often enough to become used to them. "Yes, it is.....strong." He looked at Kyil with a smile and nodded as he began to walk forward, toward the pillar and the obvious way down into the city. "Just be exceedingly careful where you might choose to siphon it from; I've heard this place is thick with enchantments that are there to protect the city from any unfriendly advances by strangers, and even though your intentions wouldn't be hostile, sometimes a spell can't tell the difference. Perhaps a little at a time from the air; something that wouldn't be as noticable."
He reached the top of the pillar and began to walk the winding path down to the city, trying not to look down too many times at the sheer drop that the unwary might face. Not that he was afraid of heights; the constant winding coupled with the height just made him feel slightly disoriented. He found himself wondering then if the makers of the path had had that very thought in mind when they had designed it. He was glad when they finally rounded the final bend and found themselves on solid ground, the pillar towering away above their heads. Remembering just then the other idea that Kyil had voiced, Mikaril turned to him. "If you like, we could indeed stop here on the way back and get some insignias custom-made. With the items we're sure to come away with from my House, it would be easy enough, I think. That's a really great idea. And I would still consider it 'our gang'; we're creating it together, and besides," he added with a nudge and a wink, "There's no way I'm going to let you just run off and leave me to deal with leading an unruly rabble of robbers."
He looked about at the bustling market, the very air tinged with a thousand different kinds of magic, and prepared to do a thorough search for the one item they would be needing. Spotting a stand that looked as though it had a good bit of practical survival items, he meandered through the crowd until he was standing before it and began to look at the satchels and richly decorated bags, looking for one that would suit their purpose.
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:36 pm
Kyil inhaled deeply once more, then turned and follwoed Mikaril down the winding spire. His eyes continually drifted down to the city below. They were at a dizzying height, and there were moments as he walked that it seemed as if the slightest breeze would knock him off and down a terrifying drop. Yet still he could not stop looking. He could not stop himself from watching as, with each step, he drew closer to the base and bottom.
"I shall be cautious Master." Kyil murmured as he followed along. "I suspect you are quite right about the protections. I do not want to make some err that will end up putting you in danger." No indeed. Thias definatly not a city to have trouble arise in!
Once it was that they were on the ground, Kyil took note of Mikaril's words again. A faint smile breaking out over his face as it seemed Mikaril had given thought to, and approved of, his suggestion for his own gan symbol. "Ah. Ha ha. Yes Master. Of course." He could not help but laugh gleefully at the wink and nudge he had recieved. "I will help you in any way I can. When we return home, our city will come to respect our gang very much. I will use my abilities to help ensure this for certain!"
But for now... Kyil's gaze was caught by the many different tents and the thousands of potential stealable objects. Stealing the magic of enchantments from items seemed very...sly to Kyil. The theft of the magic would be less likely to be noticed right away after all, and he could wander away and no one would be the wiser. After all, how does one prove you have stolen magic of all things! Kyil followed Mikaril's lead, and began to browse the tent they had approched. A part of him, the inexperienced part he knew, wants to just snap up all the magic eagerly. The way a child would gobble candy. The charm that automatically mended the tears on a bag was tempting, as well as the one that would cause a purse to change color and match whatever outfit was being worn. Ah! So much magic! but..a single theft was more likely to be overlooked then four or five. So Kyil carefully touched the bags, searching until he found the enchantment he was seeking. Now..was the difficult part!
To better hide the outward effect of the magic being siphoned off, for Kyil felt secure enough that drow with powers like his were so few to be found that no one would commonly have a warding up to protect against a stealing of magic. He tucked the bag under a larger bag, and placed his hand on top, as if he were gaugeing the difference in size. While he did so, he kept one hand underneath, buried and covered by the fabrig of the bags, he allowed himself to drain away the magic. Once again he felt the wonderful rush of magical energy filling him, and the knowledge of the enchantment casting filtered to the fore of his mind. now..he just needed to gather the proper components. Hnnn...he would probably need to consult Mikaril about that and see if he had the items in his bag....
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:14 pm
A minute or two passed before it became clear to Mikaril that Kyil was siphoning the magic off of the bags themselves. He smiled and shrugged a little; it would have been so much easier to merely buy the bag itself, but hey, what was thievery without a little risk, and life without a little chaos? He smiled wider as he imagined a scene hopefully long after their leaving; a fuming wizard screaming himself purple at the shopkeeper for trying to sell him a 'magic' bag that had all its magic siphoned off. He would almost feel sorry for the shopkeeper then; only almost.
When the shopkeeper noticed them and came bustling over, Mikaril made sure to steer him away from Kyil and decided to inquire about a bag that was specially designed for transporting.....live specimens. "I have a rare sort of plant, you see," he told the heavily cloaked drow, "But it needs to be secreted out from its current hiding place, and I need to ensure that it will not be damaged. Do you have such a bag?" He watched as the shopkeeper's eyes darted back and forth from him to Kyil, then he finally said, "I'm sure we can find something that will be adequate for your rare plant, and then perhaps something can be found for your friend...?" Mikaril let his gaze follow the other's over to Kyil, then he waved his hand in a trivial fashion. "My servant is merely looking for some ordinary traveling bags with magically enlarged insides; hardly any trouble to find. But if you wish to speed us on our way, that is perfectly fine."
'Perfectly fine' felt like the understatement of his life. He still felt an enormous measure of discomfort just being around all this magic; at times he half expected it to permeate his cloak and cause him to float away. Still, he wouldn't have minded if any of that stuff should choose to enter his ears and return them to normal. How he wished that in a city full of wizards he could find just one whom he would be certain wouldn't hand him over to the city officials when he showed him his peculair ailment! It would certainly make his trip back to his house easier, knowing that he wouldn't have to worry about his family finally seeing the disasterous results of his sister's malicious spell. Being surrounded by possible cures and being unable to use them frustrated him.
He watched as the shopkeeper returned with a bag tainted so dark that it looked like it was made of smoothly flowing ink. "This shall seize your plant in a state of suspension once it is placed inside, so that it will not be jarred nor any of its parts lost as you travel. Will it suit you?" Imagining his beloved rosebush hanging in a dark place with nothing to so much as shift the potting soil, Mikaril nodded once. "That will be..." the shopkeeper said, and named a price that caused Mikaril to frown a little deeper. So much for supply and demand. Ah well, he figured Kyil could probably use the extra time to siphon off as much as he dared to. For good measure, Mikaril turned his back to where Kyil was as he bartered, forcing the other to focus on him and not on Kyil.
Mikaril finally finished bartering, paying for the bag at a higher price than he would have liked, but feeling that it was a sound investment just the same, he walked over to where Kyil was, well aware that the shopkeeper's eyes were on them intently. "Are you about done here?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:24 pm
Kyil's eyes wandered from stion to section. He was not alert enough to notice that the shop keeper was keeping a eye on him. In his mind, kyil did not believe he was doing anything that was openly detectable. His bag was remaining shut tight. His hands stayed out in the open more as he picked items up. he was even being good enough to put things right back where they were. And he knew he wasn't a filthy sight the way he had been the last time he and Mikaril had shopped in the merchants quarters.
Ah! He wanted to take so much more!! But Kyil rationalized that it was less likely that his theft would be detected if he limited himself to only that single theft. It still was hard though. SO much magic.... His hands could not help but touch and troke and desire...until it was that Mikaril came and spoke to him. Withdrawing his hands, he turned to Mikaril, and gave his head a minor nod. "Yes master." He replied seriously.
He would only speak again after they left the merchants tent. As they walked he looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers slowly. "I have aquired the enchantment Master. I just need time and resources to cast it. I think we have everything I need, save for a small scrap of black cloth. I suppose I could tear it out of my other cloths but...you bought those for me and I do not want to ruin them." He paused, and dropped his hands to his sides. Looking over at Mikaril, he took a keener notice of the bag he had purchased.
"What is that?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 8:00 pm
More than happy to be walking out of the tent and away from the suspicious gaze of the merchant, Mikaril listened keenly as Kyil spoke of what he had accomplished in the time he had given him. He allowed himself a smile; a scrap of cloth would be easy enough to find in a shop that sold spell components. Kyil could have torn up his thievery clothes if he had wanted to, but it was obvious that he would rather not, and Mikaril agreed. Kyil needed those clothes, and he needed them to be in good shape should he have need of them between this place and the next 'civilized' city.
"It shouldn't be hard to find a scrap of cloth around here; I bet here we would find spell component shops as plentiful as dust motes are in the wild." He blinked and followed Kyil's curious look over to the bag he was carrying. "Oh; this. I did manage to find something I liked after all. This bag will ensure that my rosebush makes it safely out of my house should I be lucky enough to get to my secret room and pick it dry without anyone noticing. I know it wouldn't fetch much of a price except perhaps to collectors of exotics, but that bush has....sentimental value, and I would very much like to see it liberated from my house and gracing our cave."
As he had predicted, they soon came across a shop that sold all manner of spell components, from bat guano to lodestone, from diamond dust to bits of dehydrated flesh. Mikaril found himself wrinkling his nose at a wicker basket full of dried mushrooms. The tent itself was dark and damp, and he fancied he could feel several invisible sets of eyes on him and Kyil as they walked in. Mikaril leaned in and whispered to Kyil. "This is out of my league; I'm letting you lead in here. Gather what spell components you might need so we can get out of here; this place is unsettling."
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:45 pm
"I am very curious to see this plant you think so much of." Kyil replied as they walked. Mikaril was going out of his way to ensure this plant would be safe. It had to be very special if this was the case. As they walked, Kyil lifted a hand and brushed it over the sheer material covering his tattoo. He had never seen a flower outside of pictures. What sort of plant was this bush? What would it look like? What would it smell like? Was it edible? Well...maybe he ought not ask that last question. He would not want Mikaril to feel protective of the plant because of such a silly question. And what about the sentimental value he mentioned? Why did it have such value? Nothing that Kyil could think of that he owned was of value that rare. So many questions were ariseing from just simple comments!
The next place they stopped was...most exotic. At least to Kyil. His eyes drifted about the shop, and he had a incredibly uneasy sense that to steal from this particular place would be incredibly unwise. That feeling intensified when Mikaril spoke to him in confidence about how he felt in his current position. Yes...this was definatly a place to tread cautiously...
What struck Kyil as odd, as he folded his arms over his chest to avoid accidently brushing against anything, was the lack of immediate attention by the vendor. He seemed confident enough to let Mikaril and Kyil browse his wares with hardly a word spoken. Kyil felt such a intense buzzing of magical energy around him. Perhaps, hidden under the magical potential of all these items, there was some masterful spell that would catch a thief?
Yes...Kyil was certain of it, and was so certain he dared not use his ability to detect the magical spell craftily hidden.Kyil finally unfolded his hands, and he stirred his memory to recall the familar basic components needed for many of the spells he was practicing. He was not coming up with much at the moment... Perhaps he should just...collect a few random things that did not look too expensive? The cloth was easily collected. There was a bin filled with scraps of different colors. Should he take more? Ah! Well, if he was going to possibly steal more enchantments like the one he had now....
Kyil busily began to collect at that point. A few more scraps of cloth, a couple pouchs of powdered elements. A few minor jemstones. he stopped himself from collecting the actual alchemist equipment for making most of the resources he was collecting now. The kit looked expensive and...well...it could wait until a later date he was sure. Perhaps once they had managed to turn their cave into a better home? Ah! A book! Kyil's pink eyes lingered on the slender red volume. he didn't even know what it was and he already wanted to caress it's spine and see what secrets it's pages held.
And through it all the vendor sat back and watched over the top of his own book. Kyil felt his face blushing as he brought the handfuls of items to the males counter. The vendor barely glanced at the items before quoteing a price that turned Kyil's ears red. So much!? But...it seemed like so little! He peered down at the assoreted jumble of items. Well..maybe he didn't need two of those...or three of that... Kyil pushed a few of the items from the group and asked the vendor what the price would be then. Again a price was named and again, Kyil cut more things from his purchase.
Actually Kyil was quite terrible at the whole bargaining thing. He didn't have a single whit of capability when it came to haggleing. In the he paid a sum he hoped was not too high, and walkeonly a half handful of components. Well... he had enough to cast the spell on his bag. Kyil peered down in dejection at the two stones, the black square of cloth, and the single bag of powder in his palm. "Master..I fear that I would have to become a thief if I were not one already. If only to be able to practice my magical studies. Magic is most expensive!"
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 10:16 pm
Mikaril had merely nodded as Kyil mentioned interest in seeing his plant, and as they wandered through the shop's dark interior, his mind began wandering back to that small, helpless bush that rested snugly in the corner of his sanctuary. So far from its original home, just like he was. And, he had to admit to himself, the only reason he would even contemplate doing something as foolhardy and dangerous as going to the surface. He had heard of the plants growing in abundance up there, no doubt trampled to dust by the thoughtless and cruel surface elves. Surely they could not even fathom the appreciation a creature of the Underdark would have for such a rare and precious thing. It was like imagining the most powerful staff in the world being used as a back-scratcher; the very idea was insulting, especially to those who saw the the object for what it was.
He meandered around the narrow isles while Kyil made his purchases, his eyes roving around the bottles and pouches, his sense of unease growing as he spotted more and more familiar things. He knew that that particular pouch contained a component used for casting a spell of long-term paralysis, one that would cause every last muscle to scream out when it wore off quite suddenly, and a shimmering dust in a bottle was part of a spell that summoned millions of miniscule spiders small enough to enter ones mouth and nose in droves. He was quite glad when he saw Kyil exiting with what seemed like an armful of items, and he walked after him as swiftly as he could without arousing suspicion that he was trying to make off with something.
Hearing Kyil's lament, Mikaril looked down at his friend's load, which upon closer inspection wasn't nearly as much as it had first appeared. He chuckled a little and put a hand on Kyil's shoulder. "Apparently they're stingier than I thought about their magic. Well, no matter; less to carry on the trip, and I know for a fact that the merchants of Undrek'Thoz are nowhere near as unreasonable. And if you're worried about coin, we can always hold up a goblin patrol or two along the way." He gestured back in the direction they had come, toward the towering pillar and the hole in the ceiling where they had first entered the city. "Shall we move on then? I have to backtrack a little bit before I can find the right path that will take us to the Glimmersea, and on to Undrek'Thoz. I would ask around for a portal to shorten the trip, but this city has strict limitations on portals and teleporting; it would be a lot less trouble to just go back the way we came."
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:54 am
Mikaril's light hearted response to his sorrowful comment broke the dreary feeling Kyil had been suffering. His lips broke out into a faint smile and his eyes lit up a little. "Perhaps it is because this is a city of magic that such supplies are so expensive? Because so many people need to purchase them in order to conduct their spells and such?"
Kyil slipped his lawfully aquaried items into the bag that he would soon be enchanting. He could do it later, when he and Mikaril stopped to rest for the night. Ah, he did not miss the obvious eagerness that Mikaril seemed to want to leave the city, so his head bobbed in agreeance. "I would be happy to practice any skills you think I should learn master. Though I must admitt I am leery of confrontation. I suppose I just do not feel useful enough in such a situation. Perhaps once I understand more about my power I will be less hesitant?"
The Glimmersea...he had only heard of such a place a few times in the past from customers that had wanted his services just as a listening ear...and...well...as a cook too. It always amused him that someone would pay so much just for a cooked meal they could eat without fretting over. "Perhaps I should work towards mastering portaling spells then master? It seems like it would be exceptionally useful magic to have. Particularly if you wish to visit this Sea from time to time. I am actually rather eager to see it myself. I hear it has a beauty that is hard to describe."
Kyil spoke as he followed Mikaril back towards the spire. Ah well. Easy in, easy out...perhaps in the future once he was a better thief he could return to this city and gather more information. Kyil had the odd feeling that no matter how much he learned...there would always be more awaiting him to study.
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:06 pm
Mikaril felt better with every step he took as they ascended the enormous pillar and through the same cave they had entered the city from. As the noise faded away, so did the creeping feeling of magic, and Mikaril found himself breathing easier. He smiled at Kyil as the walked, his voice dropping to a whisper again now that there was no white noise to compete with it. "There's no shame in not looking forward to confrontation. You just have to prepare yourself in case it does happen. Hope for the best, and prepare for the worst." He looked ahead at the expanse of dull gray rock. "As soon as I find the correct path, we can take a small break and you can cast the enchantments upon your bag."
In the meantime, he had a lot to do mentally. He brought old surivival skills to memory; once the Glimmersea was into view, they would have to make a few preparations before setting out on it. They would need to catch and prepare some fish, so that they would have an adequate food supply while they sailed; it wasn't the best ides to cast a line right out onto the Glimmersea, lest you unwittingly catch a fish bigger than your entire boat. They also neede to make sure they had a means of making water drinkable; fewer things were as frustrating as being surrounded by water and being plagued by thirst. Finally, the boat had to be inspected to ensure that it was still sailable; it had been a while since he had used it, and one couldn't be too careful of the occasional sentient being stumbling upon it and doing it some harm out of mischief.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he found the cave he was looking for, but when he had found it, Mikaril finally indicated that it was time to rest by sitting down as hard as he dared on the cold stone floor, slightly off the road and in teh shelter of a huge stalagmite. He yearned to remove his armor, but he knew it would be the utmost folly to do so in a place such as this. He settled for tugging on it until it was loose enough to allow air to seep in and be felt on his damp clothes. He looked over to Kyil and this time used the hand gestures; something he told himself he needed to get back into the habit of doing now that they were in the wilds. We shall rest here for a time; we shouldn't be seen readily from the road. Now would be a good time to prepare that magic bag. As he finished, he settled down more comfortably and prepared to watch.
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 10:42 pm
He was encouraged. Yes. Definatly encouraged. Kyil's smile was certainly not forced as he kept pace with Mikaril now. Though they were leaving the city now, Kyil did not feel even half of the anxiety that he had when they had left for the first time. Perhaps that was because this was not his home city? That could be it. And they were hardly there long enough for him to become used to the bustle of civilization again.
Actually, the quiet of the tunnels was nice. If only because it was just himself and Mikaril again. This time, as they traveled, Kyil felt more sure of himself. Maybe it came from the magical energy he felt within himself? The mentioning of being able to rest and cast his enchantment was exciting. particularly because it would ease the weight he was carrying with his books. THAT he was certainly looking forwards to!
When it was that they came upon the cave, Kyil hardly gave it a glance. All he needed to know was that Mikaril had choosen this place for them to rest in order for him to feel more secure and safe. Immediatly he dropped to his knee's and he y out his bag. The motion of Mikaril's hand stopped him though, and he looked up long enough to read Mikaril's words. Ah. He would have preferred to just talk to him. The sound of Mikaril's voice was pleasent and he preferred to hear it rather then the silence really.
- I understand master. Enchanting the bag will take a few hours though. Then I think I will need some more rest to recover from the casting. How long shall it take us to reach our next destination?-
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