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 Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 1:11 am
page o2, post o1. Directory o1 Directory
o2 Christmas Delivery!
o3 [Solo] Leaving Home
o4 [PRP] The Long Road Ahead
o5 [META Prompt] A Crow Bearing a Gift Most Unwelcome
o6 [PRP] A Walk Through the Market
o7 [Solo] A Moment's Respite
o8 Mission Prompt Part I - Request
o9 [PRP] A Nature Stroll
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Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 4:48 pm
page o2, post o2. Christmas DeliveryIt seems Maiya has received a Christmas Gram - which quickly developed into a stunted plague!
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 8:37 pm
page o2, post o3. Leaving Home
Coming of age, was what they'd said. Honestly, Maiya could have done just as well without. For eighteen years, she had lived a happy, albeit mundane life amongst her tribe. To the outside world, they were savages - clinging tightly to simplicity long since forgotten to the rest of the world. Why hunt wild animals for their meat when you could raise them yourself, and pay another to do it for you? Why skin that animal for it's hide to make leathers when you could make your clothing from cotton instead? Industry was foreign to her, and here was her family, trying to force her to face it alone! The eighteen year old Maiya's face was filled with visible displeasure as she sat atop her grandfather's bed. To think, he had once been an adventurer himself - but now he could scarcely slaughter a rabbit all on his own. How could a man so hunched forward and brittle have possibly survived in the outside world? Although the many scars and stories he'd always had to tell made it impossible for Maiya to contest his claim.
"Why is it me who has to go? Wouldn't it be better to send one of the men? I hardly like going out to hunt as it is - now you'll send me into a world of perverts and criminals! Not to mention, all of those sick ones."
Maiya contested, speaking quickly in their native tongue; a dialog carried over from the Dalae continent. Usually, even the abrasive young tribal would have been more delicate when speaking to her grandfather, but this was an unpleasant matter. It was normal to set out on a pilgrimage to prove one's self - but never so far as the Northern part of the continent! Not to mention, from the way her Grandfather spoke, it became quite clear that this was only a secondary objective. They were cut off from the world, and curious. All around them, people and animals alike were falling to this Plague; her grandfather had seen this first hand, and understood it. At the very least, Maiya, as the only person both old enough to be trusted on her own, and young enough to stand the trials that awaited her, could stand to gather intelligence, and help in whatever way she could.
"Child, child, there's nothing that can be done. We're placing our faith in you - don't you want to make your family proud?"
Her grandfather spoke, pulling a small, but dark chest out from a small shelf. He turned to look to his young Grand daughter, his own eyes almost matching her's in shade - although the grey in his was brought on by nearing blindness, rather than natural pigment. As Maiya's grandfather drew nearer, Maiya shifted away, pushing back on his bed and narrowly avoiding the two wrinkled hands that attempted to cup her cheeks. No, she wasn't a child anymore! In a month's time, she would be nineteen. She was too old to allow her grand father to sway her. She had a choice, didn't she!
"Maiya, you're thinking of this task in the wrong way. When you were a little girl, you always spoke of adventure. Remember how you listened to my stories? This is for everyone's benefit. This village is aging, and the world outside is very different. If we don't change... spread out, we're going to crumble away."
How.... philosophical. Although, while Maiya attempted to ignore it, he had a point. All she had thought of since being informed of her impending journey was how much of a hassle it would be. Learning about the Plague, and to learn more of her own magical abilities and heritage, as well as those of the conventional mages on the continent. Hell, phrase anything like that and pose it as an "opportunity" for a teenager, and you'd be certain to be met with disinterest and reluctance. But, were she to think of it as an adventure.... Well, it didn't seem so bad! She wouldn't be restricted by the rules, by studying and family chores. Maiya could say and do what she wanted! Some of the folks in their small clan had always been so bitter of the outside folk; spoken of them as if they were demons, even. However, the Southern girl came to realize that now, she had the opportunity to make her own assessments and opinions. If she just let those primary missions stay at the back of her mind, the journey didn't seem quite so bad.
Maiya quietly relented, not letting on how enthused she now felt about her impending pilgrimage.
"Fine, I won't fight it anymore. I guess I can't change what needs to be done. When will I have to leave home?"
A crooked, trembling smile touched the old man's lips, and this time, Maiya did not veer away as he reached out to cup her cheeks. As a small kiss was placed upon her forehead, the man spoke, warm breath brushing against her skin.
"A month's time. We still need to get all the funds together, and there's still some teaching you need. Don't worry, though - I have a special gift for you. I'll give it to you when it's your time to leave."
A.... gift? Maiya quirked a brow, eyes settling upon her Grandfather as he straightened his posture once again. The former adventurer once more took up the small chest, patting the worn wooden surface gently, to indicate whatever he intended to gift her was inside.
"Wha-at~? I have to wait a month to even see it?"
The younger gasped, although was met with only a quiet nod. Well, there was no settling it. Her grandfather was kind, but he was hopelessly stubborn. In that way, the two were very much alike. Regardless, Maiya let it be, sighing in annoyance as she stood. It was late, as well as time to leave her Grandfather be.
"Alright, fine. Then, I guess I'll try to see it as a Birthday present. Good night, Papa."
As Maiya exited the small hut, she was left naive to the fact that in a month's time, she would find herself in the possession of something touched by the very Plague she was meant to investigate.
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 8:42 pm
page o2, post o4. PRPStill a loner in a strange land, Maiya meets a young man just outside of town. Polite, he regails the curious Southerner with tales of living, tiny creatures very similar to humans, called Plagues, and their Grimms.
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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 10:13 pm
page o2, post o5 Der Pestdoktor A crow has nestled incessantly nearby you, wherever you may be, and clutched within its beak is a frail roll of parchment wrapped around ever so carefully in black ribbon. The crow is gleaming a seeping black, as if it was tainted by the Death, and around it is the aura of careful whispers. You reach for it, though you might not know why, exactly, and you unravel the contents of the parchment and, in that instance, you hear-- "Grimm,"In a hushed voice, the parchment, whose inked words also glow with an uneasy black, whispers to you this: " Maiya Enslin, A magical origin such as yours would not be welcomed in Shyregoed, young Mage. Up there in the snowy walls of the Fellowship they will only condemn you for what is but your nature. The magics you and your tribe practices are too powerful for them to understand and, like children, they will only fear and revile it. It is crumbling in upon itself as you take your long and treacherous pilgrimage which will go unappreciated. However, we admire it. We want to nurture it, to help you understand and control it. We are stronger then they could ever imagine and you could be as well." After it whispers to you, the crow's brittle wings flutter as it disappears into the sky, and the parchment unravels in your hands and melts into a mess of delicate black ribbon. It was strange to think anyone could find her, that anyone would seek her out. She was an unknown in these lands, and for good reason. Yet, here, a crow had found her. It swooped gracefully through the air, it's black wings making it stick out against the pallid morning sky above. Yet, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone - leaving only a letter in it's wake. From it's midnight colored beak she had plucked the strange parchment, opening it with a mixed sensation of excitement and dread. Even in their culture, a crow was a bit of a jynx. Not to mention it had come with a letter that, as Maiya discovered, was addressed to her.
She'd been on the move constantly, never stopping, avoiding many of the towns or attempting to blend into the crowds of fair-skinned passerbys. Yet, the letter boldly stated her name, addressed to her, at it's top. The thrill of receiving contact from an unknown began to fade, as some eerie, tickly sensation began to spread up her spine. The tone was meant to be comforting, she supposed; yet, Maiya had no words to describe why she felt so uneasy. The fact alone that they knew who she was, and the kinds of magic she practiced, was worrying enough, but the fact that they were beckoning her to some unknown collective only proved to further unnerve her. Who had sent this letter, and why?
Just as quickly as the letter had been delivered, it began to unravel, dissipating until only a collection of dark-tinted ribbons remained pooled in her palms. Her teeth grated gently against her lower lip, and only then did Maiya realize she was paralyzed, a cold sweat at her spine. Was this... fear? In all the time she had been away from home, even with the many animals she had herself slain, this was the most chilling thing she had had the displeasure of reading.
"Uhhg, who would send such a thing?!"
The native finally gasped, hastily releasing her cupped palms to allow the dark ribbons to fall to the ground. Immediately, Maiya turned on her heels, eyes darting to the trees above. Nothing, it was... quiet. Somehow, the fact that she couldn't see whether or not she was being watched only further concerned her. Clenching her fists, Maiya again shifted on the backs of her boots, turning back towards the very much abandoned road. She had a family, and even if her magic wasn't accepted, even if it was feared... she wasn't going to depend on some creep who stalked from afar for guidance. After all, her pilgrimage was all about discovering her own path.
Yet, even with this resolution, Maiya found herself walking much faster than before, wanting nothing more than to distance herself from where she had had the misfortune of receiving the crow's letter.
From now on, she would have to make sure to avoid any crows. Whatever unnatural magic could give people such delicate information, to cause letters to offer such strange words as, "Grimm," were something Maiya couldn't say she wanted to be a part of. In truth, she knew little about her plagued item; perhaps if she had, she would have been rightfully more concerned, and more ready to shoot down the crow were it to come calling again.
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 6:04 am
page o2, post o6 PRP
Down on her luck, Maiya snatches some apples from a street vendor. Within the safety of a nearby alley, she believes she has avoided notice while committing her crime. However, when a young boy confronts her about her deed, Maiya is left to diffuse the situation; or else face possible imprisonment.
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 6:27 pm
A Moment's Respite Maiya Enslin Writing in this language still feels so strange to me. It is difficult to remember not to let a word slip that most people here would not understand. The winters have been cold, and I've only met a small number of people, but it made me realize how little we are understood.
No, that isn't the right word. The word would be, how unknown we are to them. At home, we had so many stories of the outside world, of the Northern people. My people painted them as demons who refused to understand, who viewed us as some sort of troublemakers or abominations. However, for as many stories we had that demonized them, I was surprised to see that very few knew about us at all. Has it really been so long since the battles I was told of as a girl?
Most mistake me for a person of.. our ancestral home, Dalae. I do not think most people I've met have been there, however. From what I know, over the years, our appearance has changed. Mostly, it's our skin tones that remain the same.
I thought, however, it would be a good idea to write down a bit of what it is like for us, how our magic works. The skills that were passed down to me, I am so surprised to see so few even know the existence of. In a way, it is a blessing. Most assume our rituals are bad evil evinotgood dirty, I would say.
"Blood magic," is mostly the exploration of how our bodies work, and how we can leash them to our desires. For many, controlling your limbs, living within the boundaries you were born in to, is fine. They do not see blood for what it is - the essence of our bodies. It powers our hearts, or brains. If you lose your blood, you will die. If you are cut, you are scared for the loss of your blood. Because it is our "essence," it contains every bit of what you are. Your strengths, your weaknesses. Papa, at a time, told me of how in old times, some in their pique would offer their blood for use by future generations. The vials that I carry with me are from such men, so that I may always have their strength at my side.
However, I do not think the people here agree with these beliefs. I admit, what I've learned has shown me that our beliefs are very different, both from the people here and from those on Dalae. It is difficult to find what to believe in - though as long as it gives me the strength to fight, I don't really mind what lies might hide behind the knowledge that was given to me through my upbringing. The more I am exposed to the religions of this massive world, the more confusing what I've always believed becomes. Our beliefs are correct, are they not? Then, how can so many people have different beliefs? Can so many be so wrong? I would be scolded for such thoughts at home, but on my own, with no friend to assure me of what is right and what is wrong, I can not help but let my mind wander.
I think it would be best if I stopped resting so much, even if walking in the snow is painful.
Fingers plucked gently at the parchment's corner, a gentle sigh escaping the southern girl's lips. How long had it been? The world had, of late, been enveloped in chaos. She didn't understand the politics behind it, but a queen had betrayed her people, and an important figure in the Fellowship left dead in her wake. Or, so Maiya had heard. The House, as it was called, had a large hold in the South. With the murder and deceit, rumors spread of spies. It was enough that Maiya was certain to receive a strange look wherever she went. Her garb, her behavior were strange; but what made suspicion lay with her most of all seemed to be the plague's stench that wafted from the crisp blade of her hatchet. It had never occurred to the Auvinus native to shelter it away from the prying eyes of others. Why, to anyone who looked towards her rounded hips, the worn wooden handle and oozing blade head seemed to scream a bad omen.
Plagues, the small creatures that resided within such objects, were not such a secret anymore. How could they be, with so many plagues involved in the scandal? Maiya at first tried to ignore it, but their shunning glares were too much. They spelled a kind of danger that involved a mob and a witch hunt, and so, for quite a while, Maiya made certain to avoid settlements completely.
Most of all, it was lonely. She found herself looking more and more to that accursed blade. Sometimes, it oozed on it's own. In other instances, it was completely clean, seeming to grow shinier and sharper the more it came into contact with blood. Perhaps it was simply the solitude, but her... kinship with this seemingly inanimate object seemed to grow. Day by day, it felt less like an item, more like a friend. Like her, it's strength was dormant, drawn forth by contact with the very life giving essence within them.
"Mmph, maybe... yes, soon, I'll go back. Things will be calm by now."
Her voice came murmured, as if testing the words for a hint of doubt. Maiya had no problem surviving on her own, it was trivial, really. Yet, for a girl who had grown up so close to people, what she found the most difficult was the sudden lack of them.
Even if they looked at her odd, even if they didn't quite understand her... She didn't want to be alone in the wilderness any longer.
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:33 pm
page o2, post o8 Mission Prompt Part I - Request
A small parcel, sealed with a solidified white seal bearing the faintest scent of the wilds has been delivered to Anica. While the language may be a little clumsy, the message remains clear. Maiya's letter To The Fellowship of Mages,
It is strange to start a letter with mention of another letter, but I have been haunted by the words of one, one sent by a group I have learned are known as "The House of Obscuvian". They warned that I would not be accepted by you, that my only chance at growing was to join them, so that they may nurture my abilities. I suspect that their interest was in exploitation, rather than giving me the place in this world that I desire. I do not need a House of secrets to tell me about the abilities I already have, but I know what I do need, and it's something I will never obtain while alone.
I request admittance into your Fellowship, so that if I again receive such callings again, I alone will not have to face it. More than that, I know that I am not yet strong enough. I have heard whispers of a change in the Fellowship. For you, it may mean a change in balance, danger and risk; but for me, it means my first chance at finding a place to belong in this outside world. I request an opportunity to prove my loyalty, to show that I am worthy of your knowledge and time. I will be heading North soon, and I hope by that time I may count myself among your ranks.
-Maiya Enslin
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:34 pm
page o2, post o9 PRP
Maiya, having a difficult time hunting North, moves down towards Auvinus again to replenish her food stocks. There she causes a minor accident with a man named Wickwright and his plague, Hopkin.
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Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 11:26 pm
page o2, post 1o Mission Prompt Part II - Response and Mission Objective
The white-sealed parcel arrived in Anica after a bit of effort from several mage hubs across Panymium. Its origins were suspicious, having come from Auvinus, and a team of Seers investigated its contents before reporting it to the Grand Magus for review. Its journey back was even longer, kept safe within the Fellowship's cloaks as it traveled from one check point to the next. From Anica to Colwe, Ignis to Veritas, it finally came to rest in the join Councilship of Thorn in Northern Auvinus. From there, a courier was sent who traveled the wood in search of the wild woman.
After some weeks, a robed man located her and approached with caution. He handed her the parcel, sealed with a deep purple wax emblazoned with the all seeing eye of the Fellowship. He told her the Grand Magus wrote it herself and that she was to burn it once she followed its directions. With that, he bowed, and disappeared with a quick puff of mint colored smoke.
Her letter was crisp, neat, addressed with a swirling text, simply “Maiya Enslin”. The parchment was thick, perfect for withstanding the cold and frosty North. Its ink a deep purple, nearly black unless one held it to the light. A Thick Letter Bearing the Mark of the Fellowship Greetings, Maiya Enslin,
First and foremost, I must commend your resourcefulness when confronted by those so wretched as the House. I can only assume you understand that, as a whole, the Fellowship of Mages is not aligned nor do we agree with the House's intentions, motivations, nor actions. To this end, I express my gratitude for your contact.
Secondly, these are dark and dangerous times. While before we would trust such simple correspondence, we can no longer do so at face value. I hope you can understand that what you are asking will be a challenge at best and difficult at worst, but we are most willing to attempt your request. The Fellowship cannot afford to turn away its allies.
The fact that you received such a letter from them tells me one thing: you keep a plagued item. It is my understanding that this is how they were able to trace you. You are not alone in receiving a letter such as this – many with an item or living Plague in their care received one, myself included. This alone is a good sign, as Plagues are something of a commodity among the Fellowship. A necessary item, it could be said, well worth admission into our walls. However, we cannot accept you solely for this fact. You asking for an opportunity is, to be sure, the most we can do at this time. Under normal circumstances, I should like to meet with you personally but this cannot be done for now.
In the mean time, I am sending a second letter to the nearest Mage settlement in Auvinus, Thorn. You are to take anything from your encounter with that crow, should you still have it, as proof of your story. This can be a feather from the bird or the black ribbon which it was no doubt tied with. If you were able to transcribe the letter prior to its dissolving, then this will also be acceptable. At Thorn, you will be provided room and board. You are to show this item to a woman called Arcana. She will help you in understanding the current situation and answering any questions you may have. Once you have been suitably reviewed in this manner, your true mission will begin. The details will be left for later, but I will tell you as much as necessary so that you may have a choice in such matters.
Within the wood of Auvinus, and all over Panymium, lie the tiniest of fox holes which hide the House vermin. They lie in wait, wearing guises of black silk and porcelain. In this world, they are not only the Fellowship's greatest adversary, but humanity's. One of these groups, a pocket of their main religion, has come into possession of an important artifact of the Fellowship's. It is imperative that this item be returned, if only so that its powers will not be abused or its image misappropriated. We've no more use for vigils, it is time to act. If you truly wish to prove yourself, Maiya Enslin, then you must show these cretins that the Fellowship is not as weak as they think – nor are you.
For now, I await news of your arrival in Thorn.
Be Just and True,
Grand Magus Sage Estratus
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Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 12:19 am
Forget Me Not Ribbons
(First part of the mission; obtaining proof to be presented to Arcane in Thorn.)
The note that had been so carefully placed into her custody was thick, the heavily starched parchment leaving her fingers feeling rather dry. Maiya just couldn't believe it. It had been weeks since she had first, with many doubts and feelings of uncertainty, paid the small amount of money she had to send the letter from Nylle. She knew nothing of how fast or how slow the mail system went; after all, her only experience had been on the receiving end of a rather chilling letter from what she had learned to be the "House of Obscuvos," though they had wisely left this name out of their letter. Even so, in the end Maiya had been wise in her unease and eagerness to be rid of that letter. At the time she'd received it, all sorts of trouble had broken out around Panymium; murders, spies, missing artifacts, and all of it the doing of one cult. Even now, Maiya could barely shake the urge to shudder, even as she looked at this new letter. It was far less nerve wracking than the lase, at least from outwards appearances. It also bore a vaguely familiar seal - yes, this had to be from the Fellowship! Finally pealing back the wax seal, and carefully peering down into the rather lengthy letter within.
Even if much of her pilgrimage had been spent alone, the Auvinus native felt confident. She had met several people, "Grimms," in fact. They had, for the most part, been informative. Her grasp of the common language had grown, just as her knowledge of plagues had. So it was no surprise when the letter confirmed her suspicions - that the item she carried at her hip, that had been her sole companion for much of her journey, was a "Plague". Yet, it did not elicit the same discomfort as being contacted by the House. Cultists were somehow more disturbing than a tainted ax. Well, after all... it could grow. She had seen tiny men, their faces tinted black and their eyes burning white. Maiya had yet to hear of any Grimm falling victim to their plagued item, and in fact, it had already assisted her greatly with daily survival.
No, her hatchet.. she would trust her life to it, this Maiya knew.
Though, for a moment, Maiya was left scratching her head. Coal-colored eyes scanned the letter again and again. It seemed trust was a bit of a rare commodity these days, at least within the fellowship. They were a bit slower to extend their hand when compared to the cultists. She would have to go to Thorn, just East, and...
"Wait - they want that?!"
The copper-skinned girl exclaimed, though was met only with the distant chirps and soft buzzing of the life just outside of Nylle. Travelling to Thorn was the simple part, after all, Maiya had traveled extensively already. However, there was an additional request, as proof of her claim. It was required of Maiya to bring the thing she had immediately shed upon receiving it; proof of having received that reviling letter. A frequent nervous habit reared it's head, manifesting as Maiya ground her upper teeth against her plush lower lip. No, she had dropped the ribbons, and certainly, the last thing the southerner had thought to do was touch that strange crow, much less make a grab for one of it's ratty feathers. Maiya couldn't believe it - was her opportunity gone before she'd ever even had it?
A while of silence passed, Maiya pacing, pondering, wondering if her evidence could be forged. No, no - they expected that. There would be only one option for her... She would be forced to retrace her steps, go back weeks, and seek out those awful black ribbons.
-------
Reaching Thorn would have taken but a matter of days on foot. After all, Maiya had no need to travel the winding Panymium roads dug into the ground more for the benefit of carriages than people. Yet, nearly a week had passed since receiving the letter; the letter that she had sworn not to destroy until she had discovered those damnable ribbons. Each day was met with frustration - the nights and looming trees blanketing anything that might have rested upon the ground beneath a thin layer of dirt. Each morning was uncomfortable, the night spent on the move with nary a moment to rest. Yet, she persevered. There were so many things Maiya desired, her time alone had given the tribal born girl an abundance of time to realize that.
What Maiya wanted was to learn; No, that was not correct - she wanted to be powerful more than that. Knowledge had to be applied, and what better place to find such knowledge than the Fellowship? Even greater was her desire to shed the stigmas that had been laid against her. She was an outsider, an oddity to be regarded with suspicion. Was she a spy? Or a thief? Even the Fellowship had been given pause by her brief letter, wondering for a time if the letter that came from an area dense in cultists could have been a ruse. After all, it wouldn't have been the first time that the House had made an attempt to hide within their ranks. She had met a man, a person of the Fellowship before.. perhaps her greatest desire was to meet him once again.
This fostered Maiya's determination. An occasional passerby traveling between Nylle and Thorn, as infrequent as they were, would pass the searching girl a look of confusion. After all, she was traveling roads, back and forth, looking beneath the upturned dirt in the wake of spinning carriage wheels and moving feet. It must have been hilarious to some cruel higher being, to see Maiya not yet even on her mission, yet expending so much energy. Yet, at her wit's end, Maiya continued, if only for fear that she might permanently be labeled a spy by the Fellowship, should she simply fail to arrive.
At last, on her seventh night of searching, Maiya found a glimmer of hope. The looming, seemingly endless blue sky of the night, dotted with stars and the gaping white of the full moon, illuminated the well-worn dirt road. While a fair bit narrower than most, there were signs of frequent travel by carriage, though to find a deep gouge in the nearby grass from where one had veered off course was certainly nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, it was not these details Maiya paid attention to, in fact, they were nigh insignificant, a simply frame as if part of a large canvas, the focus being the thumb-sized black mess trapped beneath a small rock. It flittered and tumbled in the wind, though it's attempts at escape were ultimately futile. While it could easily be missed, or mistaken for a bug, Maiya knew what it was. It drew a sigh of relief from her lips, the Southern girl practically pouncing upon it, almost closing the distance between her now grinning face and the rock a little too much.
It was a feather, frail and frayed, that had just barely managed to become wedged beneath the corner of a stone. It was black in color, seemingly more ebony than any night sky Maiya had ever been witness to. To some, it was insignificant, yet, to her, it had a profound meaning. In all the time she had walked these paths, explored northern Auvinus, she had only once seen a black bird. It had been a crow, bearing an unsettling letter with her name attached to it. While having been on her gut, staring as a giddy school girl might into a poster, Maiya began to raise to her knees. Fingertips scraped against the dirt, unearthing the root of the feather and plucking it free. Maiya could... feel it, as if something was calling her, signalling her to look into one direction; and sure enough, her gaze was met with the sight of another trapped feather - this one a bit larger, and caught between the cracked bark of a tree.
Ahh, all she had to do was follow them. It... it had to be fate! And so, she did. Running with renewed vigor, and looking all the less sane to any who happened to be travelling the narrow night road. More feathers, here and there, drawing farther from the surrounding flora, and closer to the road itself. Until finally, the largest feather of all, rested neatly atop a small mount of dirt. It was unsplit, utterly perfect as if it had been freshly placed. Maiya even raced her dark eyes, as if to catch sight of a fleeing figure who had been so kind as to leave these clues.
Yet, there was nothing.
The woman crouched, balancing her weight and ignoring the gentle clatter of metal against metal. Gloved hands removed the feather, carefully wiggling it between her middle finger and the ring that her glove was so carefully met with. There, it stayed, sticking out above her wrist while Maiya began to mercilessly destroy the dirt pile. Sure enough, beneath it were two ribbons; dirty and pale from their time beneath the passing wheels of carriages, but the ribbons no less. No doubts remained in her mind, she felt.. invigored. As much as she detested them and regarded them with disgust, at least at one point, now they were a sight met with a smile. They were cupped between trembling digits, while Maiya wiped away the brimming tears in her eyes. Why was she so emotional? Was it because all those doubts had suddenly left her body?
"I... I found you!"
At last she sighed, as if forcing all the negative feelings that had accumulated during her search from her chest. Wrapping the ribbons around one palm, Maiya used the other to remove the stiff letter she had been given exactly one week ago. At last, she could burn this thing and find her way to Thorn...
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Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 11:37 am
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