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 Posted: Wed May 04, 2016 6:44 pm
"She sounds like a very brave woman." Taijana didn't miss the way he spoke in past tense. It was hard to imagine having a mother that you could love, let alone losing her. She felt for him, but didn't want to insult him by claiming sympathy. There was just no way for her to know; if her own mother passed on she would grieve for the lost chance at a relationship, not for the woman herself.
And besides, her own mother wouldn't have left her journals and maps.
She took the jar with her small hands and watched him shake his own. Right before her eyes the whole thing seemed to come alive. It was enough to draw a gasp from her, her glowing eyes widening in the darkness. Taijana raised her own jar to shake it, but stopped, "It doesn't hurt them, does it? The bugs?" It seemed cruel, to shake them around and then expect them to light the way.
"My name is Taijana, but most call me Tai."
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2016 6:59 pm
"She was." Kieran smiled towards the woman, "But that's a story for another time. We're exploring are we not? I doubt she would want me to embarrass her with sob stories in a place like this, especially with a lovely lady." It wasn't a flirt, just an offhand comment that he could imagine his mother making. Perhaps it was a good thing she was passed on else she would be ribbing him right now about taking a female with him on an underground adventure.
Feeling along the cave walls the male took a few steps forward, but the sudden question made him pause. "No one has ever asked me before." He replied with a small smile, "I asked once a long time ago and I was told that their glowing is their representation of agony." His gaze seemed so sincere and earnest before he reached out to gently tap the glass, "Of course I was just being teased at the time. They're mostly annoyed not in pain...that is as long as you shake them gently of course. I time things as well so that they don't perish in the jars. Once they've served their purpose I let them go back to an underground system and collect new ones to temporarily take their place. Hopefully that soothes your heart for them."
"Tai." Kieran flashed a smile in the darkness, "If you would prefer then you can call me, Key." That stated he continued forward, "Careful the floors will be slick so hold onto the wall. Not even the jars cast enough light to truly see in some places." He tapped the roof of the cavern ceiling as well, "Formations may also appear so try to keep your head low. Unless of course you would enjoy sporting a new lump on your head." Chuckling softly the male took his free had and began to find his way down through the darkness. Eventually the cavern path would split and become more open allowing easier movement as they made their way forward.
"So do you explore often?"
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 8:54 am
Lovely lady? If it was meant to be a compliment it was taken otherwise. Taijana didn't appreciate flattery from strangers; if anything it put her on edge. The only ones to talk to her like that were strangers who wanted more than she was willing to give, or the ones who said it sarcastically. Hopefully he wouldn't do it again; she didn't like the idea of having to be on edge with him this far back into a cave. There would be no where for her to go and- Taijana inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. If she didn't calm herself she would have more to worry about than misplaced words.
Her face openly expressed her horror. "Their agony?!" Taijana's voice, normally so low one had to concentrate just to hear it, was a slightly louder squeaky shriek. "You were...teased...Oh thank the spirits." She could handle annoyed so long as the poor things weren't suffering. Her thumb traced the jar, following the little paths they made.
Hold onto the...Taijana looked down at her hands with a little grimace. In one hand she carried the jar, and in the other was her crossbow. In such tight spaces it was easier to hold it behind her, ever at the ready, than have it strapped to her hip as usual. Her bare feet moved across the slick stone slowly, always on the lookout for something to help brace herself with. If she could do that then maybe she wouldn't need to hold onto the sides. And as for her head...well, she was a very petite girl so those should be easily avoidable.
"Yes...and no. In the past few years I've been getting out on my own, but before that I was only ever allowed out when Papa could convince Mama to let me." She hadn't seen or heard from her mother in so long....Was she alive? Was she well? Was she still mad? And it had been months since Papa last visited..."I do like getting out, though. It's very relaxing."
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 10:46 am
The faintest of amused smirks crossed his features at her reaction. Having such company definitely added to the adventure. Though perhaps he did feel a bit of guilt at playing at her gentle spirit. Still, weren't such spirits the ones that became exhausted so quickly? His glowing gaze looked towards her for the briefest of moments before he moved forward. She was a stranger so it wasn't his place to worry about how she lived her life.
"So I'm guessing things changed and now you have more freedom to do as you want." Kieran nodded as he took a moment to assess their path. "It splits here by the way so keep to the right, I believe the left is a dead end if the map stands correct." As he moved forward the male did smile slightly at her comment, "Relaxing I suppose is a good word for it. Personally I think it's good to get out and stretch my legs. It keeps my mind at ease since I have to focus on what I'm doing rather than other things."
As he spoke the cavern walls seemed to become slightly drier. While the air may have been getting a bit warmer as well...the faintest of glows were starting to shine before them. "We're close. Be careful there path starts going down from here and there may be a few drops...like here."That explained Kieran jumped forward before placing down his jar and turning back to glance upwards, "It's only a couple of feet and I can catch you if you need." He raised an eye as he noticed finally how she was holding her crossbow, "I doubt you have to worry about any creatures attacking by the way. Unless you fear a few Keldari?"
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 12:47 pm
"Somewhat, yes." She was certainly able to travel more freely now that her mother wasn't tying her down. However, most of the time Taijana chose not to. Very rarely did she go off on her own, and most of the time she stayed close by her siblings. It was safer that way for her. There no was no one to say she had slipped off to do something she hadn't if there was a witness.
Tai kept right at the fork, just as instructed. She used her forearm to guide her, since the hand that held the jar couldn't very well do it. Her crystals pressed against the slick stone, sending a little shiver up her spine. It felt odd, but strangely homey here. "What other sorts of things do you do? Or are you a full time explorer?" She knew of strange boys who lived in the forest, others who were city Princes and some who were trying to gain back what was lost. What kind was he?
Her crossbow felt heavy in her arm by the time they reached the drop off. It was heavy enough for her to carry on her own, small as she was, but when she did it was two handed. One moment Key was in front of her, the next he and his jar had dropped out of sight. She moved carefully to the edge, worried of just falling off the side but when he toes touched the lip she stopped. At least she could see him, or rather, the outline of him from here. "Yeah, I guess you're right." It was probably stupid of her to have had it out to begin with. Even if something attacked them in here, what good would she be if she couldn't even really see?
Taijana set her jar down and focused on fastening her crossbow to her hip. Once it was attached she lifted her jar once more, "Can you really catch me? I won't be too heavy?"
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 12:41 pm
At her question he paused, "I explore mostly and then record what I explore." He smiled, "Though I also sell crystals and other valuables that I discover at the market. It makes for a good profit here and there while allowing me to do what I enjoy." Of course mostly because it was all he knew. His mother had never taught him about how a normal Yaeli should live. Instead he learned from the mountains of books that were stored in their home and from the lore and stories that she collected from the people. A great collector...but was that truly his path?
As he placed down his own belongings, Kieran glanced up to where he could see the vague outline of Taijana. "If you're too heavy for me to catch then I should retire already." He quipped in return, "Don't worry. I've got you. On the count of three okay?" He braced his legs and held out his arms, "One, two, and three..."
As if to help entice the jump, a couple of disturbed keldari seemed to rattle their tails in the passage way behind Taijana. The sudden sound seemed to bring the otherwise quiet cavern to life. While Kieran knew them to be harmless the male wasn't certain what the reaction of the girl. Not that he thought much on it since Keldari to him were a common feature of the caverns he explored.
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 3:09 pm
Taijana simply wasn't as confident in his strength as Kieran seemed to be. She couldn't help remembering how youthful he had looked; so very unlike her father, with his thick arms and solid frame. She was likely to either hurt him, or cause him to fall, which would then hurt him.
She bit her lower lip, swallowing back a lump of nervous saliva that left her mouth uncomfortably dry. This wasn't a good idea, no no no no...Then, as if the spirits were moving her forward, the keldari began to make noises. Taijana had yet to meet anyone who fully understood whether the serpents' bite was deadly or not, and she had no desire to test that out for herself! The sight of them, one moving so close to her own foot, was enough for Taijana to turn around with a squeal, heart beating madly inside of her chest,...
...dropping her right off the edge of the drop off. It happened so fast that she wasn't able to calm herself at all. As she was falling Taijana was aware of only the muffled static in her ears, and by the time she landed in Kieran's arms she had already passed out.
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 4:28 pm
"Tai!" Her sudden fall made Kieran dash forward. Instead of a graceful catch it became more of a stumble that ended up with him serving as her fall cushion. Honestly he had to take a moment to catch the breath that she had knocked out of him with the sudden weight. Okay, so that was not expected at all! Seeing that she had passed out the boy almost panicked. Did she have a health problem or something that had caused such a reaction? Or....was it simply that the keldari had startled her? Either way it was best to not leave her here...
Sighing, the male braced himself as he took the older girl up in his arms and slowly moved forward. If she hadn't fainted then Tai would have seen the glimmering drops of condensation on the cavern walls slowly solidify into something more. Crystals began to not only jut out from the walls, but also from the floors and the ceilings. A true cavern of crystal...
Smiling Kieran noted the gentle purple glow that seemingly came from the stones. Mostly though it was from those same worms in his jar that now glowed along the ceilings. The crystals took that glow and refracted it throughout the cavern. "I suppose it's not smart to leave a girl on the ground..." Frowning thoughtfully the male took off his shawl and folded it over to make a pillow for the girl's head. That done he patted off his pants and went back to the tunnel to collect their belongings.
He just hoped that if she woke up before he returned that she wouldn't react the same way she had with the keldari.
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 5:18 pm
Taijana awoke to a glow that pierced her eyelids. It felt so odd to her; they were in a cave, where no sunlight should have been able to touch them. And yet, there was a different sort of light calling her to open her eyes. What she saw took the young huntress' breath away.
Crystals jutted out of the cavern's anterior. At first she was fearful that the larger members of their group would break off, and pierce her where she lay. Taijana rose slowly, careful to keep an eye on the ceiling while simultaneously becoming distracted by the sheer grandeur of it all. She moved forward, then halted when her toes brushed against fabric. A quick glance down showed Kieran's shawl, which she stooped to retrieve, but a more thorough look around illuminated the fact that he wasn't there. Had he left her here? All that she could remember was the keldari and then...nothing.
There was no blood on or around the crystals, nor was there any on his shawl. It worried her that he wasn't there, her mind automatically went to the worst case scenario, but logic told her that he was fine. Exploring another tunnel, maybe, but fine.
Finding a more solid patch of crystals, Taijana moved forward to run her hands along their surface. These were less abrasive than their kin, with smoother hides and less of a point. One was large enough to swallow her palm, but ultimately cool to the touch. On impulse she leaned forward and pressed her forehead against it. It was as if she could feel the very pulse of the crystals, like the cavern itself was a living breathing being. How could I not have known this place existed?
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 3:56 pm
As he walked back to where he had left the girl, Kieran paused. Was that movement? Realizing that his companion had recovered and was walking around made the male stop his fast pace. Rather he took the time to quietly watch as Taijana explored the area around her. It brought a smile to his features to see another's amazement at this secret find of his. Almost was enough to remind him of his own very first visit to the crystal cavern...
"Are you trying to fuse with it?" Kieran commented lightly as he passed by the girl, "But isn't it beautiful?" He grinned as he placed their items down nearby. "It's strange being here with someone else...but if you enjoy it then I suppose it's worth revealing my secret to the girl who tried saving me from falling today." That stated the male grew quiet as he took the time to glance about the cavern as well. Even though he had promised himself not to become sad just being in this place brought back memories of his mother and the last moments that they had shared. His own hand ventured up to trail along one of the smooth crystals...it truly seemed as if nothing ever changed here in this place.
"If you close your eyes it's almost as if you can feel the earth breathing around you." He commented softly with a whisper.
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2016 7:58 am
Taijana pulled away from the crystals as if they had burned her.
Which they might as well have, for all the warmth being caught had brought to her skin. "Y-y-yes, it's very beautiful," she squeaked out, suddenly feeling very much like a small girl again. The huntress forced herself to calm down, which wasn't a very easy feat, and so she wouldn't fidget Taijana clasped her hands behind her back. "I'm sorry for doing that; not trying to save you, but for almost causing you to fall."
Still, if she hadn't tried then she would have never met Kieran and he wouldn't have shown her this cavern. There was a sadness about him that she would disturbingly similar to her own. The loss of a mother was strong; even if hers was still living, she could still share her grief with him. While she mourned the loss of a bond, he mourned the woman who had birthed and coddled him. She wished that she could speak to the spirits just so that they would release her back to him, but Taijana knew the rules of the dead.
Following his lead she closed her eyes. All around her she could feel the movement of air within the tunnels, just wisps enough to flutter the feather residing in her hair against her ear. Tai could definitely feel a pulse, though it was most likely her own in it's agitated state.
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 5:47 am
Painted Moose Can finish this one if you'd like and start another~
As she closed her eyes the male walked around until he stood in front of her, "Here." With a soft smile, Kieran reached forward and grabbed one of Tai's hand so that he could press a slender crystal into it. Slightly violet in hue the piece was smooth and a miniature version of the giant crystals that loomed from the rock crevices. "A momento for you since you did so much for me today." That stated he bent back down so that he could scoop up his belongings.
"Even so - despite being beautiful it does get a bit stuffy in here. We should head out soon, just let me know when you are ready and I'll lead the way."
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 7:46 am
Peeping first one eye, then the other open Taijana watched as a crystal was placed n her palm. It's cool surface felt so soft in her hands, even with it's edges. The young huntress smoothed her thumb over the violet stone with a soft smile. "Thank you so much."
Even if Taijana felt that she hadn't really helped him, not in the ways she had intended anyway, she was still happy to receive the gift. It was a physical sign that she was moving in the right direction, and that...that was a much needed boost.
"Lead the way and I'll be right behind you." Taijana slipped the crystal into a pouch at her side, and gathered up her belongings. Once Kieran started moving she would fall into step behind him, vaguely wondering about what other sorts of adventures this boy would get into.
And maybe, just maybe, he would tell her all about them one day.
(Fin)
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