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 Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 10:07 am
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 10:32 am
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M Y R S K Y' S . W A N D E R I N G . P A T H
Solo: Recipes Book of Spells
Words: 1081
After traveling for many days through the mountains and hills of Sauti, Mrysky decided to rest for a few days in a valley he’d stumbled upon. It had a nice lake in the middle of it, which attracted plenty of animals for him to hunt should he need as well as supported a wide field of growing plants. Amid a few scraggly trees he set his tent up and created a small comfortable camp. To live in the wilderness was easy for him; he did not get lonely easy, not after growing up with only his Obalen. Surviving in the cold harsh mountains of Zena made this land of warmer weather was not as much a challenge to him. Both Zena and Sauti were harsh lands; difficult to find food or shelter. But in Sauti he did not have to worry about finding a cave or freezing to death! Though the lack of water was an issue….
Perhaps I shall just stay here for a while, he thought, I can go visit the Obans and see if their way of leadership is preferable to ours… Wait for the fighting to die down, let them get over the hostilities so to speak. He smiled; anything that put off having to deal with people was a good thing! Plus, he thought, I need to practice my magic! I haven’t even really opened that old book my granny gave me! Should also practice the stuff I watched her do.
Myrsky loved magic, making things answer his call and bend to his will. To open his mind to the world and hear its voices, to create from emptiness or destroy what lay in his path. He knew the basics of healing: how to pour his energy into someone to heal them…. Not that he’d ever tell or show anyone! Then they would pester him like they did Obalen! No, he would not go that path, he’d channel his power elsewhere, concentrate upon the elements and world and ignore the people. He didn’t want anything that could make others come to him for help!
Finishing his meal, he got up and stretched, walking about his camp to make sure nothing was trying to creep up and checking his traps and trip wires he always set up to alert him of anything approaching. Satisfied, he headed back to open that book his Obalen had given him.
It was an old book, the hard leather covers faded and the edges torn and bent. The pages of it were yellowed and the ink fading from them… but he could still read it. Inside was a note:
Boy, I know you are not going to be a healer; you just don’t have it in you. Here’s an old book that’s been in my family for many generations. I was supposed to pass it on to my daughter or one of my sister’s daughters as we pass our knowledge through the females. But seeing as I have not contacted my sisters and have no daughter of my own, I want you to have this. It’s a recipe book to be honest. Recipes for spells. You’ll see a lot of notes in the margins.
Don’t let yourself be bound by others words. Walk your own path and try new things. Good luck lad.
He smiled sadly; trust in his granny to make him feel loved! He felt a wave of homesickness and shook it off. Now was not the time! He’d return back a strong mage to make her proud!
Eagerly opening the book, he scooted closer to the fire so he could read it; words and symbols poured into his brain. Recipes for potions, ways to cast spells, runes, notes about changes that worked better or were disasters scratched out in crabbed writing danced across the pages. He sketched symbols into the dirt next to him to practice the runes he saw, enjoying the feeling of writing the magic, visibly bending it to his will.
He could only understand some of the stuff, knowing only a handful of the odd terms that were used, but he felt that with time he could understand it! Closing it and putting out his fire, Myrsky headed to his tent to rest for the night.
Magic! There was nothing about healing in there, just ways of manipulating power into shapes and forms he could use. After reading the first chapter he knew what he wanted to do. Who cared about using a staff as a focus! He would use runes to channel his power! Runes that could be carved into tools and weapons to help him survive, runes that could be used to trap places, runes to draw into the earth or air and call forth power! Yes, the path of a Mystic was the one he wanted to walk.
Myrsky stayed for a few weeks in that valley, practicing a few of the runes, trying to channel power into them like the book said to. But like the techniques of healing; he had difficulty figuring out how to power his power in. It was so much easier to open himself up to the energy that ran through the world and manipulate it that way! But Myrsky did not like to give up; that was to admit defeat, to lose. And the stuck up young man hated to lose. So he kept at it, trying his hardest to follow the book’s advice, to make a rune that did something other than look nice. Slowly, ever so slowly, he made progress. He could not create a rune that held power for long… but he could at least put power into it!
Happy with his small success, he packed up and headed off to find another valley and food source. It would not do to stay in one place too long so he wouldn’t hurt the fragile ecosystems that lived in Sauti.
Maybe, he thought as he traveled, just maybe I shall venture into a wind tribe to find a teacher. Perhaps they can help somewhat…. I followed Obalen’s advice so far and it’s worked, and as much as I wish to stand alone and learn alone…. Magic is not something to mess with lightly. I shall eventually find someone… and I guess apprentice myself to them for a short time. Learn what I can. And maybe I shall see what the Oban’s have magic wise. Perhaps they have different types of runes that I could learn! |
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:11 pm
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M Y R S K Y' S . W A N D E R I N G . P A T H
Solo: Saving Dawn
Words: 1181
Myrsky had wandered out of the hilly regions of Sauti into the heat of Tale. The sheer lack of mountains and trees unnerved him. He felt like the sky would consume him without the solid rock of the mountains beneath him. Event eh very earth was different! Instead of ice, snow or stone his boots stepped upon soft sands that gave beneath his feet just enough to make him feel like he was sinking without actually sinking.
And the plants! The grass was hard! Who ever heard of spiky grass? It was colored in pastel shades, making Myrsky wish to be back in his icy homelands surrounded by calm blues and whites not this…. Too bright and happy land! Because the savannah was so flat, with only slight rolling hills here and there, Myrsky could see for a long distance and could see the small groves of stubby trees that dotted the land. He knew other animals would head there since trees meant food and water; but Myrsky was confident in his skills to fend for himself.
He found himself lost in more ways than one. Direction was easy to determine; the sun led him west. But himself? What am I doing out here? He wondered, why do I do this? What’s the point? Why’d he not stayed in Zena and learned from his own kind? Surely they were better teachers than the people that lived in such a desolate place! He felt like the path he’d been forced upon was wavering and he couldn’t see it anymore. Learn magic; he told himself; I just got to find a teacher… or struggle on my own to learn. Always better to struggle on your own than be forced to rely upon the dubious aid of others! He told himself this but wondered if perhaps he should at least approach one of the tribes he’d run across but never actually approached since that last wind tribe over a month ago.
The emptiness, the sheer overwhelming presence of the sky made him feel empty, like he was all alone in this wide world. It was almost like the land itself was trying to get him to open up, expand his mind and heart… It was one night he sat looking up at the glittering expanse of the starry sky above him that he heard a loud screech split the silence that threatened to engulf him.
Startled he stood up and looked around; it’d been close! Right? Sound carried so oddly in this open land; not like the mountains that echoed and rebounded and changed with distance. As his eyes scanned the land, he saw small dim lights moving; it was not nearby, but was close enough that eh felt he could venture out and not get lost trying to return to his camp.
He started walking but picked up his pace when the screech sounded again, more frantic and loud. He slid to a halt at the top of a shallow ditch that slunk across the land. Below him he saw an odd scene. A large bird; reminding him of the pale morning sky just as the sun rises above the mountains of his home, was scrambling about caught in a net, struggling to rise while two lean hunters approached with spears. Struck by the beauty of the creature and the wave of homesickness that hit him, Myrsky acted without thought. His hand raised and sketched a single rune in the air, he opened himself to the world around him and channeled the feelings of ice and wind through himself into the rune that glowed briefly before a spire of ice shot from it at the back of the shadowy figure. A second rune quickly joined the first and sent forth a blast of icy air to howl down into the gorge.
He heard curses and saw one man stumble; the thin spear of ice lodged into his shoulder. Good, he thought savagely, how dare they try to kill the very essence of dawn? He sent down one more spear of ice but saw the two men and their small glowing crystals flee. He stumbled down the side of the gorge, feeling exhausted but needing to free gorgeous creature.
“Shh,” he said softly, “I’m not here to hurt you.” The creature stopped struggling and gave a soft sad cry that hit him straight in the heart. He quickly pulled out a knife and began to cut away the net’s bonds until the great bird could stand. He sat back to look up at the creature and smiled.
“You must be the most beautiful thing when the sun shines on you.” He whispered; right now it was dark and he could barely see any color now that the men with the lights had left. He stood up and staggered, startled by how much he was exhausted. Must have been the magic, he thought. I guess using it like that for the very first time, actually calling forth ice and wind was more taxing than I realized! The creature, a Scorra, stood and looked at him before bending its long neck to nudge him.
“Hmm? You should go flee. Go somewhere safe where the hunters cannot find you.” Myrsky said, much as he wanted to stay and see the creature in the light he did not wish to capture it. That would be like trying to cage the dawn itself! No, better to know it was running free in this wide open empty land bringing light to it. He started back up the side of the gorge, stopping at the top to see the giant bird, with its glorious plumage standing and staring up at him.
He turned and left; I better move my camp he thought. Those men may come back and I do not want to be caught by them! He knew that hunters hated to have their prey taken from them. He’d seen them get angry when another hunter took what they called “theirs.” No reason to assume it would be different out here than in Zena! In fact, he thought with a sigh, it’s probably worse! Considering how barren this place is… A sound behind him caused him to turn around. The creature stood right behind him and gave a chirp.
“Wha--? No! You have to go run! Those hunters could come back and catch you!” Kindness Myrsky showed almost no one came easily for animals. Animals he could deal with; people were just irritating.
She chirped and nudged his chest with her beak before giving a more determined squawk. Myrsky sighed, giving in. Who was he to argue? Besides, now I can see it in in the day! And make sure no one tries to hurt it again!
“What are you?” He murmured as they walked back to his camp. “I’ll have to go ask around... when we get far enough away from here but till then I’ll call you Dawn, because that’s what you are.” He smiled and reached out to run a hand across the soft broad feathers. |
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2014 3:09 pm
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Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 3:55 pm
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 9:01 am
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:18 pm
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:19 pm
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M Y R S K Y' S . W A N D E R I N G . P A T H
Solo: Lessons of Runic Magic
Words: 832
“Not that way!” Her voice was shrill with disgust; “How many times must I tell you that the line is straight not curved! Are you trying to summon wind? Fire, boy! Get your mind away from your icy mountains and into the desert flatlands of Oba.”
It was a phrase Myrsky was sick of hearing. He knew only of what he himself had seen; how was he to focus on a land he’d never seen? How could someone who’d grown up among the tall mountains willed with snow understand something flat and dry and hot? Not to mention that he did not do magic this way! We wrote his runes a certain way to channel and focus the power he poured into certain shapes and elements. Nothing at all to do with his mental state!
“Straight, hard and honest; that is earth and fire.” Fire was not honest, not to him, but he kept his mouth shut as he continued to try and master the new rune shapes this crazy old oban was teaching him…. though how it was teaching he had no clue! All she did was show him it and make him practice it. again and again while she just went on nagging.
“Do it faster! Fighters don’t wait for you to take your time, silly blue boy! Faster faster faster!” Shut up, shut up, shut up! Myrsky wanted to scream; he worked best when it was quiet! He always went slowly at first, aiming for perfection and memorization than he went on to speed…. not drawing as fast as possible and creating sloppy runes that didn’t work.
“You need to use bold strokes! Flick your wrist and move that arm boy! Bold moves I said, not elegant!” Myrsky kept his feelings buried, knowing he’d spend a good hour creating walls and then destroying them later to vent his anger.
He was sitting crosslegged on a pillow in a strange room… strange to his Zenan eyes at least! The room was filled with tapestries and rugs, all in bright warm colors, with bold black and brown lines and geometric designs. Amid the bright colors where scrolls that hung on the walls, simplistic paintings of strange places and animals drawn with only a few colors. It made him want to splash blue and green everywhere…. And cover the paintings with doodles of plants and water. He was using a brush on paper… wasteful if you asked him. What was wrong with using a sand board that just needed to be smoothed before he could start again? As it was, he was wasting parchment need it upset him greatly.
“Your hand isn’t movin boy…. I’m not spending my precious time with an ungrateful brat who sits there doing nothing!”
Myrsky looked at her, and without looking at his hands, sketched (speedily with a bold flick of the wrist like she kept harping) the rune for fire…. and poured his power into it. The rune flared to life, a burst of flame consuming the paper… but left not a mark upon the low wooden table.
“I believe that’s enough for today. My wrist will need rest and I’m sure you’ve got things to do today.” He said smoothly, his polite mask held firmly on his face as he stood and gave her a nod.. but no bow. He’d never bowed to her before and he never woud; to bow would be to elevate another at his cost, to admit he was lesser than another… and that was unacceptable. No one was greater than others… sure they may have more power or talent or skill…. but that did not make them more worthy.
Besides, he’d memorized the symbols she’s taught him.. and his arm was almost healed. Time for him to leave!
“I will be leaving soon, Lady. I may not be coming back for another lesson…. thank you.” He had to force that last bit out.. but she had been helpful for all her nagging and harping. He’d learned more runes, interesting ones… ones to create more intricate shapes than his simple spears, walls, and gusts. So she deserved a thanks.
He left quickly, ignoring her sniff of disapproval, some papers rolled up and stored in his pockets, filled with quick sketches of the runes he’d seen in her book…. a book he had sneaked a look at when she’d left to go yell at her son about some slight. He shouldn’t have; it was wrong… but the temptation was too great! He’d copied as many as he could and knew he’d spend the next few weeks learning to draw them correctly and figure out just what they did.. how the rune shaped the magic. He would also, he realized, need to start writing down all the runes he’d learned… make his own scroll of knowledge!
And maybe, he thought with a smile as he walked towards his camp, I can make my own runes. Combine others to create more and stronger runes! |
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:21 pm
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:27 pm
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Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2015 6:36 pm
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M Y R S K Y' S . W A N D E R I N G . P A T H
Liniesha's Mischief
Words: 1058
Myrsky was very happy about the chill that was invading the lands. It was a blast from home; the cold that made his fur cloak actually wearable! He’s never actually taken it off, instead he’d suffered the heat of Tale rather than do something so disgusting as strip. On his walk towards Oba he saw others shivering and trying to fight the cold, trying to protect their gardens and houses from the freeze that was affecting them. You’d think they’d never had winter before, he thought scathingly to himself, unaware that indeed winter and freezing really was foreign to them. He on the other hand was quite happy as he walked across grasslands that were steadily turning to scragglier desert plants. It was a vast difference from the white snowy mountains he loved; it was brown here, browns, golds, and greys. Rather ugly to his eyes! But it was a hardy land and he was grateful that his time in Sauti and Tale had taught him how to find water in parched lands.
One day, as he was packing up camp, he heard the sound of tinkling, like small bells. It was soon followed by irate bellows. Curious as to what the tinkling was (and because it was on his way), he followed the sound. Only a few minutes’ walk away across the frosted dirt and brittle grasses he came upon an interesting scene. A small figure, about the size of his forearm and thin, blue and black with dark wings that buzzed in the air above a pit. It was from this that he heard the chiming of bells; he smiled when he saw it. A winter sprite! It must have followed the frost into this dry land, he thought. The black meant it was apparently evil… if you believed the silly rumors of the villagers! He for one disliked all rumors and thought them mostly lies.
“What brings you out here?” He said softly to the sprite, approaching it carefully and making sure Dawn stayed in her spot.
The small sprite gave a bright brittle laugh, like the shattering of ice, and buzzed about him. He merely held up a hand and sketched a run in the air, one of frost to create a gentle puff of cold air in his hand. The sprite clapped all four of her hands together and buzzed through it, happily wrapping the chill about her before settling on his hair and laying back against his pony tail. He smiled; apparently she liked him! It was a she… he thought.
“Oi!” he heard a voice from the pit; a deep voice with an odd accent very much like the obans he’d met in Tale. “Is there someone out there? I could use some help!”
With an amused smile he strode over to look inside the pit. He smirked when he saw what it was; not just any pit, but a deep ice filled one! He heard the sprite on his head snicker as she rolled off to sit on his shoulder.
“You seem to be in a pickle.” Myrsky said in an amused tone to the trapped boy below. “Did you try to capture the sprite?”
The oban looked irritated. “Well… The nobles pay high prices for the new creatures in these lands….”
“Then you’ve earned your predicament;” Myrsky reached up a finger to scratch the rather affectionate sprite under the chin, making her buzz a small purr and nuzzle him back. “All sprites are mischievous… winter ones more so than the others.”
He got a glare in return; “Looks like she’s yours… you turn your pet on me?”
Myrsky’s smile vanished and he glared down at the boy below him: “Sprites are not owned. They accompany one and may leave whenever they wish! But no… I have never seen this one before though I have seen plenty of sprites.” He had been willing to help the man before but now he really didn’t want to. Hunters irritated him… especially hunters who trapped animals to sell. In Zena he hadn’t minded but out here? Out here he’d run into leaf hunters who had soured him towards the whole hunter thing with their rather disgusting habit of attacking Scorras for feathers and the way they’d treated him and Dawn. And this fire earthling seemed to be made from the same cloth.
“Ahh… look.” The Oban sighed and leaned against the pit wall. “Sorry about that. It’s just... you try being stuck in an ice pit! With this freeze I’m not gonna be able to get out till midafternoon! And this is Janarim territory! That means death!”
He looked down, unimpressed. “And what is a Janarim and why should I care?”
“Well… when trained they make real good battle mounts but uh… wild ones tend to eat us. You get my drift?”
Myrsky sat on the edge of the pit and pulled out a berry to feed the winter sprite; “Perhaps… And why should I help you? I do not deal in favors; only in trades.”
“Hey! I don’t like debts! Especially not to barbarians like you…” The Oban muttered. He was, Myrsky noticed, younger than him by a few years.
Myrsky raised an eyebrow and sketched a run to cause the ice at the others feet to trap his boot. “I would be careful what I say if I were you.”
The boy yelped and had to spend a bit to break the ice at his feet much to the sprites amusement. Though, like all sprites her attention waned quickly and she found something else to do. She fluttered about and began to unbraid and re-braid some of his hair. While Myrsky haggled with the boy below. Once satisfied with his ‘reward’ for getting the other out of the pit, Myrsky stood up and sketched a new rune with his foot. It was blocky and shaped far different from the elegant lines of his people. It was an earth rune taught to him by the strange old oban lady he’d met. He smiled as it worked properly and simply filled up the pit, displacing the oban onto the now flat surface.
He smiled; now to use this boy to learn about Oba! Not magic.. but plants! And animals.. the janarim did sound rather interesting.. though not if it tried to eat Dawn! |
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robot kitten rolled 2 4-sided dice:
4, 3
Total: 7 (2-8)
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 4:55 pm
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M Y R S K Y' S . W A N D E R I N G . P A T H
Spring Rains :: World Event VP
Words: 805
Prompt Spring Showers
Prompt 1
Solo or RP Format
Can be used toward Solo or RP req
After the frigid chill of the harsh winter had left Tendaji, it seemed that most were happy to just return to their normal routines, though the normal routine didn’t seem to be what the weather had in mind. It wasn’t long before almost everywhere noticed the way that the winter air had seemed to push precipitation onto the land in its place. Rain flowed seemingly non-stop, reaching all the areas of Tendaji, even frozen Zena saw its share of rain, though the temperatures were still much too cold to support such a thing and rain turned to hail, which froze over the ground.
The critters of Tendaji only wanted to seek shelter from their flooded homes and the wet downpour that surrounded them. They found their way into homes, huts, sheds, anywhere that could stay dry - and preferrably warm.
Roll 2D4
Roll 1: The type of familiar in the area you encounter.
xxxxxOba || 1: Ward, 2: Perzi, 3: Impa, 4: Zore
Zore (pl. Zores) - With a wingspan of four feet, these scavenger birds scour the deserts for any meat they can come across that they don't have to kill themselves. With light feathers to reflect the heat of the sun and dual sets of wings, they can almost be called beautiful with their long necks and fluffy chests if it weren't for the way their feathers stain so easily from their meals.
Roll 2: How many are encountered.
xxxxx3 || 20
Myrsky, once he was done picking the oban boys mind, let him go. He didn’t need company and frankly the lad’s snide comments and arrogance really got on his nerves! He felt a bit guilty thinking that, knowing he often rubbed others that way. But he quickly buried that thought. He at least tried to talk to others! Usually... sometimes… alright only a few times! It’s so hard to lie to yourself; he thought as he walked along, especially when trying to feel self righteous!
He sighed and began to look for a place to set up. It was raining a lot out here.. not that he minded since it kept the dry arid landscape from killing him and his furs with the heat. But it also meant he had to set up camp in higher spots to keep from getting flooded out! And that meant he was in plain view of any people or animals about the place. Something he was very nervous about!
He was tired of rain…it was not snow so he disliked it. It made his clothing cling to him, turned the dirt into mud, and soaked his fur. And made Dawn smell like wet feathers which was not a fun smell at all! He much preferred the elegance of snow; it covered the land not soaked it and turned it to mud! The cold he didn’t mind, and it didn’t soak into his clothing or into feathers… or at least not as much. Bout the only thing he liked abut the rain is the smell and the fact everyone was hiding inside. It was like walking all alone through a strange landscape, surrounded by the soft pattering of ran upon rock and dirt. He was almost as good as a snowstorm.
He finally found a small tree with enough cover that the ground wasn’t drenched beneath it… Though he still had to use magic to dry out the ground as he set up his tent. He did not want to sleep on mud! So he strengthened the earth and made it harder… he had a bedroll and was used to sleeping in the icy caves of Zena. A hard ground was not a hindrance to him!
After everything was set up, he set about removing water from Dawn. Magic made this so much easier, foe could summon water from her soaked feathers.. though it did make them poof up. Better fluffed than wet, he thought as she curled up inside the tent, taking up most of it. He shook his head and crawled in after her, then repeated the drying process on his own clothing. He did not want any rashes or colds that could come from wet clothing…
He fell asleep curled against the warmth of his Scorra, wondering what he’d see tomorrow and wondering just what he was doing out here. Why had he come to Oba… from what he’d seen he did not like it.. he was actually rather glad that his people had won… though they’d lost the first battle.
He Was suddenly startled awake by the sound of flapping wings. Lots of flapping wings. Dawn perked up and gave a curious chirp. There were a lot of creatures outside… what had that boy told him about animals… The name that popped into his mind was roar.. a large wing span and scavengers.. why are they outside? There’s no meat for them to scavenge?
He yawned and crawled out to look around and see what was up. He was stunned briefly by the sheer numbers of wings he saw. The sounds of the feathers rustling almost drowned out the rain. A bunch were perched on the tree next to his tent… and even more were hopping about on the ground about the tent.
She stared at them; they were all brightly colored... though the stains upon their chest ruffles, head, and feet marred their beauty. He smiled and shook his head. So many!
“There’s no food here.” He said in an amused voice not that they could understand him. But he found that talking calmly to animals usually made them less likely to attack… except for predators that just attacked anyways! But there’s always a chance that a clam confident front would drive them off.
Instead they still hopped about, landing on the tent and almost making it collapse. They all looked rather drenched.. so Myrsky began to craft a shelter for them. They flew off startled… but came back when he was done…
They must just want to be dry, he thought with a smile. He created small rods of earth for them to perch upon and then went back to rest. Kindness towards animals came much easier to him than it id towards his own kind. People were just harder to get used to! |
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 9:43 am
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M Y R S K Y' S . W A N D E R I N G . P A T H
Lesson Learned the Hard Way: Part 1
Words: 1136
Myrsky looked over the sprawled city in front of him and scowled. It was disgusting looking! To him it was a smear across the harsh landscape, a pile of buildings stacked next to each other and on top of other boxes as if the people had tried and failed at making a mountain of their own. Liniesha perched on his head, chattering to herself in shrill bell toned chimes that seemed to him to convey disgust that matched his own. Dawn was not too thrilled with it either… but then she wasn’t thrilled with this place at all! All the dangerous smells that told her large things that ate her lived here! It made for one scared Scorra; but she would follow Myrsky… for it was safe being with him and he was her partner!
He sighed and started to head down to the city. Much as he disliked going into towns, he needed some information… and he’d promised Obalen he’d go ‘see the world.’ Which meant he had to at least bring back tales of far off places and a souvenir for his granny. Plus he was getting sick of dried foods. He wanted a real meal… and while he had some things to trade he was unsure how he’d pay for food. The boy he’d found Liniesha teasing had told him that while there was a barter system Obans used money more often than not. Which was a lot like Zena, though Zena relied upon pelts for barter usually rather than coin. He looked at the pouch that Liniesha had stolen from that boy, there were coins inside it… so he had something. Now if only he knew what was what!
Myrsky hated this feeling; hated not knowing what to do, what was worth what, or how he’d get stuff. But he’d come this far so before he headed back to his safe and pristine snowy home he had to get something for Obalen as proof. I’ll just hit Neued on my way back as well and spend time there, he thought, I know there’s thriving trade there so I’ll stay there instead of staying here too long. I’m sure that place will be far better than this at the whole broadening of my horizons.
He was aware of the eyes upon him; the stares, the whispers, the pointed fingers... and that just infuriated him more. Bunch of crass idiots, he thought to himself as he strode into the city, ignoring them all with his usual aloofness. He stood out within this city; all around him were tan and brown buildings, dark brown skinned people with their orange crystals and red eyes, wearing their blacks, tans, and maroons while he was blue. Blue skin, blue crystal, dark blue hair. Wearing his tan, blues and greens with a small blue sprite and a colorful Scorra…
He reached out to lay a hand on Dawn’s back, making sure she stayed with him… and that no one tried to do anything to her. He could see other animals that looked interesting, ones that almost made him lose his aloof manner. A lizard standing on two feet that was taller than a scorra! And it had that feathered crest and tail… They were covered in rightly covered scales and he wondered if he could get one… and if it would be safe to have around Dawn. He saw the large beast that could only be a janarim. It matched the description he’d gotten earlier perfectly. No wonder Dawn’s so nervous here, he thought with wry amusement; that thing looks like the type to love eating Scorra!
He was surprised out of his thoughts when an urchin ran up to him, a wide grin revealing a missing front tooth.
“Hey! Yer not from around here! Need a guide?” Came the accented question, asked with the cheeky audacity of a boy looking to make some money. Myrsky eyed the boy for a second; a guide would be useful… but would cost wouldn’t it?
“Depends on how useful your ‘guidance’ will be.” He said after a bit. “And how much it’ll cost.”
The unclean urchin chuckled. “Ah shucks, a stranger with brains! I’ll tell ye about our laws, what our currency is, show ye the good places for food and sleep, and where ye can keep yer bird where she won’t get et.”
Myrsky was a bit relived by that... but could this urchin be trusted? How did he know that this boy wouldn’t lead him into an alley and take everything? Myrsky felt confident he could hold his own… but did not want to risk another injury that had occurred from the leaf tribe members he’d messed with in Tale.
The urchin grinned as Myrsky just looked at him with a raised eyebrow, expecting the worst. “An dinna worry! I won’t lead ye into any alleys or dark streets! All fer just a few coins!”
Myrsky sighed and waved to the side of the street. “I’ll have to risk it.” He said grumpily. “Lets talk on the side.”
The kid whooped and scampered over to perch himself on a barrel happily. “Ye won’t regret it sir!”
“We’ll see…” He said as he leaned against the wall and let Dawn sit down for a bit as he prepared to grill the boy about this city and land.
He learned many things that afternoon; their religion (who ever heard of a Parthenon of Gods? Chi was all you needed!), their currency (which he found out he had a nice amount… that boy he’d ahh… ‘rescued’ must have been from a wealthy family), and their laws. Which he dislike. There were too many of them! Such a rigid and smothering land this is, he thought as he followed the boy down a street towards a decent inn (he hoped) with a bath and large room that he could take Dawn into (no way he’d leave her out for thieves to take!)
The inn he was pleased to see was a god one. Clean, the building was in good repair with new paint and furniture that was not patched together. It was worth the price he paid… especially after he saw the baths! Myrsky hated being dirty… And after his long travels across Oba he was in dire need of a bath. The food was strange… but good. All in all, it had been an okay first day. Linisha had behaved herself admirably; for which he was grateful! The little sprite had a tendency to cause chaos… Which, he sighed when he saw her flit out the window... it appeared she was going to do. Oh well, he thought as he continued to soak himself in the hot waters; not my issue. It is dark and Liniesha can hide better than anything at night!
((Continued in the next Solo!)) |
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 3:24 pm
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M Y R S K Y' S . W A N D E R I N G . P A T H
Lesson Learned the Hard Way: Part 2
Words: 1094
Myrsky awoke the next morning to find Liniesha curled up on the pillow next to him, buzzing softly as she snored away. He smiled to himself; I wonder what devilry she got up to last night? And then, because he wanted to and finally had access to enough water, he took another bath and put on his only clean set of clothing. The inn keeper had mentioned a laundry service… I guess I will have to rely on them to not ruin my gear, he thought as he looked at the dust and grime on the other two sets. He had only managed to give them some simple cleaning before in the small oasis he’d passed. Maybe I should buy some clothing, he thought. Not that he wanted to wear oban style but… it had been pretty miserable wearing his thicker clothing on the way in. And that had been during winter and spring! He’d be leaving during the hotter months… He sighed as he began to brush Dawn. He’d given, after he’d asked permission, her a bath and brushed her once already. But with the dust he wanted to make sure she got a good brushing at least twice a day! That and it was relaxing, to clean and take care of his Scorra had become habit and part of his daily ritual.
Then he brushed his hair and let it lie free and unbraided or put up for once. Going down for breakfast he was greeted by stares. He sighed and crossed his arms; “What?” His voice was cross; he did not want to be stared at so early in the morning! Rude firelings…
“Your outfit and looks…” The innkeeper gave an embarrassed shrugged as he shooed his staring children into the kitchen. “We’ve never seen your kind before…” I guess me being cleaned and properly dressed is unexpected of a ‘barbarian,’ Myrsky thought with an inner sniff.
“What is your kind?” The smallest ducked under her father’s hands and peeked out at Myrsky from under a table. “And how come your hair is all long? Wasn’t long yesterday…”
“I am an Ice earthling, I come from Zena which is the mountains farthest north on this land. And it was shorter because I braid and tie it up.” He said as he sat down.
She clambered onto the bench next to him. You’re grumpy.”
“And you’re nosy.” He replied as he looked at the father; “What do your people usually have for breakfast?”
The girl, not dissuaded at all, poked him; “What d’ya do for a living? What’re you doing here? Do your people follow our gods?”
“I’ve got a pot of porridge on… though my wife said she’d be willing to make hot cakes for you.. since you are the first.. Zenan to visit. Kishi! Be respectful!”
Myrsky sketched a sigil on the table, summoning up a small burst of snow and wind to dance briefly across the table.
“Mage. Because I was told to go broaden my horizons. And no. I worship Bergchi, our lady of the mountains and wind. Why would we of Zena bother with other tribes religions?” He sniffed at the very thought; worship someone other than Chi? He knew that others worshiped different gods, but had always just figured they were the same with different names.These obans were so self centered! His thoughts were quite hypocritical, but he ignored that fact The girl was asking questions.. rudely yes… but trying to expand her knowledge; who was he to not answer them? Plus if he answered maybe she’d stop pestering him!
Myrsky had no such luck… she (and the other children) asked him questions all through breakfast. His display of magic just made them all the more eager instead of dissuading them. What sort of magic did they have, what were these mountains like, they only had one goddess? All the questions! And since he was answering questions, Myrsky asked his own. He needed knowledge to prove he’d ‘broadened his horizons.’ At least that is what he thought Obalen wanted, never realizing she instead wanted him to live a little, see the world and people out there. To learn yes, but also to experience life beyond the icy mountains and, hopefully, to mature a little. Living alone in the mountains was fine for Obalen; she had lived her long life almost to it’s end… she just wanted the boy she’d raised to also experience the world… and not be a hermit his entire life.
Eventually, tired of the questions and having gotten answers that he was not sure how to take, Myrsky left his dirty clothing to be cleaned and sauntered off into the city He left Dawn behind, figuring his Scorra would be safer at the inn where she could rest from the long journey. Liniesha joined him though; flitting about and chimming to herself as she darted about the street.
Myrsky was not sure what he was looking for.. maybe some food, maybe cloth to make himself some lighter clothing…. Or perhaps some materials for him to carve more runes into. He smiled; yes, he’d go look for more stones upon which he could carve and store magic. Especially, he thought wryly, since I’ve carved all of my stash up! They were sitting in his pouch, easy to get at.
Strolling about, he found himself wandering into the slightly better looking streets; not as cramped looking, with actual space other than tiny corridors that could be an alleyway between the buildings. This street market was far cleaner than the one he’d wandered through yesterday, with people wearing far more elaborate clothing from more expensive materials. He was looking at a jewellery stall, examining the large crystals on show to see if any would be good for carving into, when he was accosted.
“Oi! Foreigner!” He looked up, a scowl crossing his face at the rude interruption. “That your sprite?” The man growling at him was rich his clothing made of fine light fabrics, heavily embroidered with shimmering thread and decked out in (Myrsky’s opinion) far too much crustal and metal jewelry. He also looked quite angry.. and the gaurds behind him had hands upon their weapons. Not a good sign at all!
Liniesha, perched on the stall awning, gave a shrill laugh, pointing and chiming to herself in that brittle voice, obviously much amused by something.
“Liniesha belongs to herself. Sprites cannot be owned by anyone.” Myrsky responded, eyes narrowing as he fingered a rune within his pouch. Had Liniesha done something?
((Continued in the next solo!)) |
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 4:21 pm
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M Y R S K Y' S . W A N D E R I N G . P A T H
Lesson Learned the Hard Way: Part 3
Words: 1441
The man sneered, and Myrsky noticed that the street was learning. Perhaps this man was considering important? And who would try to step in on the foreigners side? He thought with disgust; no one would. He took a few steps away from the stall, not wanting to have the rather worried looking shop keeper caught in this. Myrsky disliked involving others in his affairs; if he didn’t involve them then there was no need for debt.. or in what this was looking like: guilt over damaging their goods.
Liniesha twittered away, mocking the noble. She did do something, he thought with a sinking feeling.
But she wa a sprite! Sprites were their own beings, and she was not ‘his’ persay.. not like Dawn was! ut eh doubted that the other would understand. Obans didn’t seem to be very open minded or willing to listen, he thought… again with a feeling of hypocrisy that he buried.
“It’s either yours or it isn’t! And because its so attached to you…” The other arrogantly sneered at Myrsky; “It’s done damage to my estates this past night! Stolen items that were mine and set the stable on fire. I demand compensation!”
Myrsky snorted; “First off, Liniesha is a she.. not it. Second; what makes you think I will pay you for something I did not do? Liniesha is her own person, her actions and deeds her own.”
“She’s your sprite, you thief!”
He laughed bitterly; “Thief? Of what? Foolish fireling. If you go through my gear you’ll find nothing of yours. And again; she is not mine. I do not arrogantly claim to own people.” Unlike your people, was the words he did not say.. but they hung there.
The man’s face darkened; “How dare you!”
“What? Disturbed to find you cannot bully me? That I don't just bow and cower before you? I am from Zena, we do not kneel to anyone other than Bergchi!” Myrsky had two rune stones in his hand, ready to cast them in a second. He could see where this was going; arrogance was world wide.. as was stupidity. “If you want to punish Liniesha for the damage she has done… feel free to try. Just realize I will defend my friend.”
The man growled and gestured to his guards; “Get the thief! I will not be insulted like this!”
Myrsky, seeing the men draw their swords, threw his runes of ice unto the ground, covering the ground about him in a thick sheet of slippery ice. “Oh yes. Please do try and ‘get me.’” He mocked. “So far you’ve done nothing but spout words…. If you leave it at that, no one needs to get hurt.” He sketched with his foot another rune as he pulled out his stored rune stones. They floated about him, hovering using the imbued power he'd placed within them. Smooth river stones with wavy loose runes painted upon them to summon balls of water to absorb attacks. Harsh pure white crystals that gleamed in the light, craved and painted with jagged sharp runes to summon his ice spears and sheets of ice. Rough stones with carved blocky runes to create walls of earth. He did not bring out his fire runes though; those were too dangerous to use right now.
The guards hesitated, but approached anyways, carefully walking along the slippery surface as their boss yelled at them. Just what, he wondered, did she steal? Or was this a pride thing? Myrsky would never capitulate to such arrogant words, nor would he bow and scrape or apologize for deeds not his own! The idiot should just realize this and go away; he'd only get people hurt insisting on fighting like this.
He shrugged; so they wouldn't leave? Perhaps he needed to dissuade them some more. His eyes narrowed and he triggered two more rune stones; unleashing a wave of earth and then ice again; capturing the guards legs in an icy earth embrace. Icy alone could be melted by fire; so he made it earth and icy so that when melted it would become mud and still impede their progress. He did not yet use any lethal spells; all he was doing was keeping them away.
Over to his right he heard chanting and looked over to see that the man had other allies.. or minions. And this one was a mage; young looking but still a mage. He snorted; chants? Chants were easy to interrupt! Spells that required verbal incantations were, in his opinion, pathetic. All you had to do was shut the mage up and no spell!
He reached out, touching one of his larger crystalline rune stones, summoning up his favorite magic; the ice spears.
They came into being above the mages head; a nice combination rune he’d made up of wind and ice to do so. He saw the other pale and his chant came to a stuttering halt as they landed in a ring about him. Myrsky was not in the mood to kill anyone; he never was really. If he could just make them go away, he would be satisfied! But the younger mage did not know that, and those large spears of ice were heavy enough to kill if they hit.
For several minutes he continued as such; keeping them at bay, only ever using his spears to threaten. He could tell that this was seriously annoying the rich man. Then the tide turned… magic battles in the middle of town were frowned upon, especially so close to the noble’s section. Myrsky knew instantly that other mages were joining in.. and that they were stronger than him… or at least some of them. The sense of power he got from a few of them made him sigh. Today was not his day….
The man started yelling; “Catch that man! He’s a thief and burned down my stable!”
Myrsky just shook his head in disgust. “Change of story now that others have showed up ehh?” He was sick of this; sick of this city, sick of people. In his rising anger, he acted far more rashly than he should have. In his disgust, he reached into his pouch and grabbed one rune he had been avoiding till now... fire. For fire was too dangerous. But that man, with his lies, arrogance, and refusal to just go away and let things be, angered him.
I'll burn him with his own people's magic. Make him shut up and then leave this place. Myrsky was filled with heat; full of anger for the first time in his life. The battle just added to it; he wanted to destroy this place.
He tossed the rune up and, in the air about him, sketched the bold straight lines that he’d been taught by the oban lady in Yera. Oban runes… runes they had not been expecting and were startled to see. Runes of fire that melted the ice about him as a pillar of flame launched out at the noble. Myrsky hated to kill; it was a waste. Once dead there was no coming back… but he was just so disgusted and angry at this moment he wanted this done and over with... in a fast and bloody way. He wanted the other dead.
Other runes were sketched; runes he had seen and copied from the ladie’s book but had yet to test… Even if he had, there would have been no effect… for they were canceling runes; runes to black out his specific fire rune.
Myrsky snarled; no one had tried to help him, no one had asked his side! No, they just jumped onto the wealthy arrogant bastards side! It was always like this; the world was against him, it never helped!
Eyes narrowed, face set in an icy mask, his hands came up, both to sketch simultaneous runes that mirrored each other, jagged harsh looking runes that glowed and he poured what was left of his power into them. Fueled by his anger the dual runes exploded, sending out a hail of sharp ice spears with a core of earth. The core strengthening it.. and if melted a spear of rock would hit instead. This was his own rune; one he’d made just in case bandits attacked him again. He heard cries of pain and knew he’d hit someone…
But he was not done; he pulled out the last of his runes and crushed them, pouring their stored power into his dual runes that gleamed in the noon light, gleamed and froze the area about him.
Sounds of walls breaking, awnings of the stalls ripping mixed with the sound of creaking ice that spiked out of the muddy water and ice that coated the street. Tall crsytalline spires rose about him, an icy flower of destruction; a fortress to keep others away.
So cold was it now that small ice crystals formed in the air and his breath could be seen. It was almost like being home again. A layer of ice spread out from him, coating the stalls, walls, and street about him; this was thick ice, the blue ice of the Zena mountains. He saw the flames coming at him, and merely strengthened his ice; the frozen air weakening the flames and his runes sent spears of ice to snuff them out. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, the young mage who’d been there from the start; still trapped in the ice cage. It was this sight, the sight of the boy, probably a little younger than him, crouched and shivering, hands desperately trying to keep a small flame alive to keep him warm that made him falter. Myrsky had seen bodies with that position before.. dead bodies, frozen to death and only to be found after the snow around them had melted....
What am I doing? He suddenly wondered, why am I doing this? Why am I hurting them? His power faltered as his concentration did.. and He reached out to break the ice around the boy, hand sketching a rune of healing... the one rune he had never used on another, to heal the boy, to keep him from dying as the other mage’s spells and runes bore down on him.
I did not mean to hurt them, I just wanted them to leave me alone… Was his thought as the earth below his ice buckled and clamped down upon him, burying him and suffocating him. Why did I not try to talk, he wondered as the darkness claimed him… if I had talked.. would I have avoided hurting others? Why did I just.. fight? Why did I act so aggressively? |
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