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 Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:46 pm
Iri keeps walking. Normally, she would have flown, but she has her reasons for hoofing it. For one, she's checking the field surrounding her Dojo for more of Syn's strange plant, Warrior's Remorse. She wants to make sure Shokubutsu got rid of every last trace of the plant. Aside from that, it's easier for her to talk to Dalcon this way.
After walking in silence for a minute or two, Iri drops her pace to match that of her student. "So, that scroll was interesting. You knew the meaning behind Daedalus' name, so I guess you've heard about Harpies, Sirens, and Furies, right?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:00 pm
"Mm, a bit. Your standard high-school education's worth," Dalcon replies. "Why?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:31 pm
"Well, I think I'm a Fury." She pauses, her head taking on that bird's tilt. "It's a long story, so let's see how well I can shorten it."
The avian keeps walking, thinking to herself. When she's ready, she begins to walk backwards so she can look at her student.
"Some sorceress/alchemist created an army of creatures based off of the Harpies, Sirens, and Furies. She used them, because she needed flighted creatures to guard her mountain keep. The Harpies were made the way you would think: People with the bottom halves and wings of birds. The Sirens looked something like angels, and lured enemies into traps with their voices and beauty. Furies looked like the Sirens, but grew fangs and claws when angered."
By now, Iri is entering the treeline surrounding the property on which her Dojo resides. She keeps walking. Apparently, she knows exactly where she's going. If she's good enough to keep walking backwards, she either knows the path very well, or is using some sort of air trick to navigate blind.
"So, the sorceress eventually died. When she did, the army didn't die with her. She had introduced male versions of the creatures into the army, giving them the ability to breed. And they bred quickly. Within a few decades, they were crawling all over the sorceress' mountain. Gaians surrounding the mountain couldn't fight so many of them, so the air spirits that shared the mountain with the winged army took pity on the Gaians. They invaded the army camps at night, and turned the creatures into mist. From there, the spirits merged with them. In one night, the air spirits erradicated the army. There were a couple of problems, though. The air spirits became mortal creatures. Also, the souls of the Harpies, Sirens, and Furies couldn't be totally destroyed. So, the air spirits had to create a method of meditation to control the souls and keep their anger in check."
Finally, Iri turns around to walk with her eyes facing the trail.
"In the end, the air spirits took on angel-like appearances to accomodate both their love of flight and to prevent Gaians from mistaking them for the things that had terrorized them. The only indication one has of an avian's bloodline now is the eye color. Red is the color of the Harpies, blue is the color of the Sirens, and violet is the color of the Furies. The souls of the creatures were eventually contained, but the air spirits found that they were passed down from one generation to the next. It became a sort of curse. So, the avians perfected a form of meditation to keep them in check. Some members have weaker minds than others, or their hereditary souls are stronger and more wicked than they are good, and that's where the strain of insanity comes from in my family."
She stops there and looks back at Dalcon, waiting to hear his opinion. It's rare for her to talk so much, but she wanted to get it all out while it was fresh in her mind.
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Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:59 pm
Understandably, that's a lot to drop on a kid as...well, let's face it, mentally fragile as Dalcon is. He scratches his head lightly, wondering exactly what to say in this situation.
"...And? You come from that, but it's not who you are. I mean, you seem the furthest thing from crazy.."
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Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:52 pm
Iri knows Dalcon is a little fragile. But he's also shown a great ability to adapt. Whatever happens, he will eventually get over it. And Iri may have to rely on that.
"I'm not crazy, because I have a stronger will than that of the Fury from which I'm descended. I've always had a habit of keeping my emotions at bay and keeping a grip on my feelings, too. That's why it's never shown through. What I'm about to try, though, might bring out the Fury in me."
Somewhere nearby, the sound of rushing water can be heard. It's not a large body of water. More like a creek.
"Since I was old enough to understand meditation, my mother made me practice a certain routine. She would have me concentrate on all of my negative feelings and destructive thoughts, and told me to lock them away in a fortress in my mind. Every dark thing I ever felt went into that imagined fortress. I think the remnants of the Fury's soul are part of the things I learned to contain. Good that she's contained, but if I can release her and all of my pent up aggression, I could use it to my advantage in a fight. I may even get access to the remnants of the Fury's power. It's risky, but I think it's worth it."
Sunlight makes Iri's hair shine like fire as she steps out of the cover of the trees. She's leading Dalcon into a small meadow. This one is full of wildflowers and tall grasses. A creek runs right through the middle of it, the water deep enough to totally submerge one's self. Sitting next to the creek is a boulder, nearly flat on top and big enough for one or two people to lounge on. It's a place Iri used to visit very often. The air flows in a particularly pleasant way. Very calming. Perfect for meditation. Though Dalcon probably wouldn't notice the difference between the air here and the air back at the Kaze Dojo.
Iri hurries over to the boulder. With a leap and a pump of her wings, the avian alights on top of the big rock. She sits down with her legs folded beneath her and makes herself comfortable. Then she looks over her shoulder at Dalcon.
"There is a reason I brought you. I don't really know what will happen when I try to unlock the Fury. It may not even work. So far down the line, the Fury's soul may have weakened to the point of dying. But, if she is still there, and something bad happens, I want you to go back to the Dojo and tell Jin. I brought you instead of him, because I think you'll be smart enough to get while the going's good, and fast enough to do safely do so. Jin... He's fast, but I'm still not sure about his intelligence. What do you say?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 9:15 pm
"Umm, yeah," Dalcon says, reluctance heavy in his voice. "Though I dunno about you trying something so risky.."
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Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 10:19 pm
Iri just grins and dismissively waves a hand. "Oh, I don't think anything bad will come of it. Just sit back, relax, and splash me if you need my attention, 'kay?"
With that, Iri looks away from Dalcon and settles back into a comfortable position. She lays her hands on her thighs and closes her eyes. For a minute or so, she just breathes. With each breath, she expels all of her tension. Every bit of awareness leaves her body, with the exception of her sense of feeling. That will be her key to coming back. If something touches her, the trance will break. Until then, she should only feel the caress of the wind and the warmth of the rock beneath her.
In Iri's mind, she's standing in front of a fortress. It's a castle, with high stone walls, and sitting on an island in the middle of a lake. Iri is standing on an old wooden dock. Taking a steadying breath, she walks to the end of the dock. As she walks, the castle's draw bridge lets itself down. And so she crosses the lake waters and enters the fortress.
Once in the fortress, Iri starts to hear things. Some of it is recognizable as voices from her past. Her parents, sister, kin, and at one point Psyche's voice reaches her ears. Nothing is decipherable. She can only hear jumbled whispers. But she knows what those voices are. Things that hurt her feelings as a child, for whatever reason. No matter what it was, Iri was taught to bottle it up and store it here. And that place is the castle's courtyard, made up of dirty old cobblestone. This isn't what she's looking for, though, so Iri keeps going.
The avian woman makes her way into the castle's interior. From there, she has two choices. She can either ascend into the towers and look there, or she can take another door right in front of her and go straight into the dungeons.
As a child, Iri's mother had told her to avoid the dungeons. She should only make sure they were locked up tight at all times. And so, of course, Iri walks up to the dungeon door. These are kept in place with a heavy padlock and chains. The door itself is ten feet tall, equally as wide, and made of cast iron. Iri places a hand on the padlock and closes her eyes. Some part of her subconsciou self rejects the command. It fights it. A part of her truly does not want her to do this. But, in the end, Iri wins, and the padlock drops. Heavy chains fall to the ground. And then Iri steps back to allow the cast iron door to open. Taking another deep breath, Iri steps into the torchlit hallway.
The hallway descends in a slow spiral. The staircase is slippery with condensation and slimy molds. The air is musty and old. Part of Iri is still tugging at her, telling her to go back. Determination has already kicked in, though. She'll see this to the end.
Finally, the staircase ends. Rock walls have given way to a dank cave. Before Iri are inch thick cast iron bars. A single padlocked door is in the middle of the wall of steel. Just visible in the dim light of two torches is a small figure. Its hair is red, and looks as though it may be much longer than Iri's hair. What looks to be a dirty, tattered leather tunic is all it wears. Wings extend from its back, the same color as its hair instead of bright white. It's as pale as Iri, but its skin is smeared with the dirt of the cave. And it just sits there, crouching on the ground like a dog sitting on its haunches.
Thickly swallowing, Iri approaches the bars. She reaches out with both hands and grips the cold, damp iron. "Erm, excuse me? Ma'am? Wou--"
Faster than Iri could follow, the thing jumps up and slams into the bars. It grips Iri's hands with its own. The Fury's fingers end in three inch long claws, grey and looking as though they may be as hard and sharp as steel. A hiss issues from its mouth, out of which protrude inch long fangs. Lastly, Iri notices its eyes. Bright, glowing violet, and crimson blood flowing from its eyes like tears. Most terrifying of all, every other detail of its face might as well be a mirror image of Irianna's face.
Thirty minutes after falling into her trance, Iri's physical body gives a sharp intake of breath and her eyes widen to the point of almost opening. The woman is distressed, but not to the point of needing to be disturbed. Not yet.
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Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:12 am
Iri holds her ground and stares back at the Fury with defiance. "Really, was that necessary? You get a visitor and you just have to act out."
The Fury tightens her grip and laughs, but her laughter is about as pleasant as the blood streaming down her face. "Stupid girl!" The Fury's voice perfectly matches that of Iri. Another reminder of the vile relation. "What do you think you'll accomplish here? Your ancestors have been smart enough to keep me locked up and forget about me."
A smile crosses Iri's lips. "They don't have the kind of talents I do, though. None of them, for many generations, have learned to use the air like I have. Now, stop looking at me, and look at yourself."
With confusion on her face, the Fury looks down at her body. Starting at her hands and working its way elsewhere is Iri's energy. Like she does with her students, Iri's letting her energy flow through the Fury. The creature sees what's happening and yanks back, her hands releasing Iri's. But, she finds that she can't go anywhere, not matter how hard she pulls. Iri has glued them together with energy.
Iri's smile turns into a smirk. "Familiar, eh? How long has it been, ancestress?"
Before she can give a scream of rage, the two bodies flash and dissipate. The bars of the Fury's prison shatter like glass.
Her voice emanating from seemingly everywhere, Iri says, "The air spirits must have been very afraid of your kind, or too proud to taint themselves to such a degree. But I'm not above this. You've been taking up time and space in my mind since I was born. I remember you from childhood nightmares. And I'd hate to pass you on to any children of mine. So, instead, I'll make it so you die when I do."
Without another thought, or thought from the Fury, Iri's soul envelopes that of the enraged creature. Generations ago, this would have ended badly. Now, the Fury is weak. Iri had guessed as much. So, instead of being corrupted by the anger and hatred in the Fury's soul, Iri's soul breaks down the Fury and uses it to bolster its strength. Any good that was in the Fury is left intact, but everything else is gone for good. What was left of the Fury's power disperses to flow through Iri's veins. It's not much of a power boost, but something is better than nothing.
Sitting in the sunlight, a change occurs. For a moment, blood appears to run from Iri's closed eyes. Her fingers end in those horrible, steely claws. Fangs protrude from her mouth. Both wings take on a blood red hue. But, in the bat of a lash, she's back to normal. Then Iri opens her eyes and looks around.
Stretching, she says, "Well, that's one bitchy relative I don't have to worry about again."
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Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 7:30 pm
A figure looms in the shadows of the forest, in plain view from Iri and Dalcon's positions, but it doesn't move. It dons a heavy cloak, seemingly reinforced with plates of steel. There is an enormous, wicked-looking sword slung across the stranger's back. It stands, watching the two nin with enough harmful intent to be felt by either of them, even though it doesn't act on them, yet, at least.
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Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:41 pm
The avian blinks, feeling eyes on her. Curiously tilting her head, she looks in the direction of the stranger. Now, where did this come from? Must not have been there long, or Dalcon surely would have awakened her from her meditation. At least, that would have been the smart thing for him to do.
Iri gets to her feet and stands so her body is at an angle to the stranger, making herself less of a target. In her left hand, the one currently hidden by her thighs and sarong skirt, is a ball of swirling air. Its her naginata, ready to be formed and put to use. Though she figures the gesture will be lost on this one, which emanates such evil intent, Iri forms a friendly smile with her lips.
"Can I be of service to you?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:57 am
"Let's hope so."
The woman didn't waste any time getting started. She drew the massive blade on her back quickly and advanced on Iri, slamming the tip of the sword into the ground as she came to a clear patch of dirt. She flung a good chunk of earth up at Iri, the sand beading up and flying at her with reasonable force. As the earth scatter-shotted Iri, the woman aimed the sword at her and lunged forward behind the distraction.
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:14 am
Without so much as a gesture, a concentrated burst of air blows the shower of earth back. It's a defensive move, but not for her. She wants to direct the fight away from the general area of her student.
Iri's body flashes and she disappears. When she solidifies again, it's in a low long stance behind her attacker. Iri's naginata is already swinging and aiming to slice her opponent's legs off just below the knee.
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:13 am
As she turns around, the naginata slices through the bottom of her cloak, then stops with a petal-on-metal ring. The woman is apparently wearing thick plate armor under the heavy cloth and metal of her cloak. She effortlessly finishes her turn and brings her sword down with one arm, to strike the naginata into the ground.
"I don't care about him unless he can use Kaze, so don't put yourself in a bad spot to protect the worthless dog. I need you at your prime."
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:15 pm
Iri pulls the naginata back, at the same time jumping back and giving her wings a powerful pump to gain some distance. Against that sword, using her fans would be difficult, so it wouldn't do to let her naginata get pinned. She changes hands with the weapon and gives the now free hand a good shake. It had taken the brunt of the vibration caused by the impact of metal on metal.
"At my prime, eh? Okay. Why not?" A grin crosses Iri's features. Then she thinks about the woman's words. Worthless dog? My student is a worthless dog? Worthless dog. How rude... Inside, something stirs. The beginning of her latest experiment. "Alright. If you want my best, then let's just make sure to keep other people out of it. All I need is space and concentration."
Iri jogs back a few paces, taking the fight further away from Dalcon's position. "Ready when you are, Missie."
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:35 pm
"Good. Show me the demon you've become."
The woman keeps her serious expression as she hefts her sword back over her shoulder. She follows Iri slowly, her left arm hanging loosely by her side. When Iri speaks, before she can even finish her sentence, the woman yanks down on the hilt of her sword, letting the blade arc around her shoulder and slam into the ground. As it made contact, the earth split and cracked under Iri, and with the trees, neither of them could exactly take to the sky well.
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