|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 6:00 pm
Fao watched Nekcal subtly gesture with his apparently injured hand. "Nor I," she concurred with Sachara. Then she looked pointedly at her two female companions. "I think we're all used to bits of blood, if you know what I mean."
She lightly fingered the tattoo of her wolf on her collarbone. "But no, blood isn't a problem for me. But thank you for asking, Nekcal."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 8:13 am
Blood? What kind of weirdo is this guy? I don't think I want to know... Anise ignored the other two women, not caring much for Fao's jest, especially considering her own body had ceased observing that function ever since her infection with the Bloodfire. Anise eyed Nekcal with a look somewhere between distrust and curiosity. "I have a problem with blood, but not in the way you're referring to it, I think. You can bleed all you want, I don't care. But if it's my blood you're after--think again." Anise knew full well what would happen if he decided to go slicing and dicing on her skin. While the rational part of her brain didn't really think that was what he had meant, the more impulsive part of it couldn't yet rule anything out. The fact that the wizard had even brought up such an unusual subject indicated even more strongly that he was a man of strange ways, and only served to strengthen Anise's distrust of him. Still, he was offering a good deal of help, and for the moment Anise was willing to quiet her instincts in favor of reaching her goal. Nothing was more important than the goal.
Silently, Anise wondered. My disease is blood-related...I wonder if external sources of blood can trigger it as well. I should think not--obviously I've seen a lot of blood before now that hasn't been my own--but still. The priest said this Bloodfire thing would be unpredictable. And who knows what this man's got floating around inside him. Better keep my distance, I think.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 8:38 am
Nekcal listened in grave silence to the ladies while noticing their reactions to the question itself. The two elves seemed to find the question amusing, a rather predictable reaction when one considers their ignorance of the question's gravity. Anise's reaction was also within expectations. Her experience with Blood-fire would certainly increase her sense of caution in matters relating to blood. He nodded sharply once.
"Good. I'll explain later but I needed to know, for certain, now." Nekcal met Anise's eyes, brushing a lock of his white hair out of his face with his wounded hand. "We should leave as soon as possible, correct? I would suggest that, if we have no further need of planning, we should individually go and make whatever aquisitions or arrangements that seem necessary and meet at some designated location when we are fully prepared."
Nekcal was aware that the chance of finding the gate in the ruins was quite low. If they didn't then they might have to head farther north, into the frigid region known as White Meadow. If we end up heading further north I will need clothing better suited to the cold. I must assume that these ladies are competent enough to prepare for such a clearly visible contingency. He leaned forward slightly, shifting as if to rise from his chair.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:23 am
Sachara's curiosity grew about this man. What are his intentions? Why is he willing to help us, most of all, Anise? It seems like he has a hidden agenda, or else he wouldn't be willing to help us... She nodded, "I guess that's it for now, then?" She placed a hand on her staff and shifted on the bench slightly. "We could always meet at the entrance to the docks, or a tavern near there."
(Sorry it's so short, I don't really know what else I could put sweatdrop )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 12:22 pm
"I agree. We should meet at the entrance to the docks. How soon would you like, Anise?" she asked. Time wasn't an issue for her, she could gather the supplies she needed as soon as tomorrow, but she'd would like to have a bit of time. But it was Anise's mission, and she was the one with the fatal disease.
"And I think we should each get out own personal supplies," she added on a haughty last note.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 4:49 pm
Anise tried hard to contain her irritation. She knew that was just the emotional part of her reacting to all this stress. That the others weren't trying to totally wrench control away from her. No, they were just trying to help. Fao didn't have a tone to her voice. That was just her imagination.
Right.
Of course.
Had to be.
No other explanation.
Anise cleared her throat.
"You are correct, Nekcal. I intend for our schedule to be very tight. I want to leave no later then the day after tomorrow. The sooner the better. As for supplies--I think from this point on we should buy things as a group. That way I can split the gold we have into equal portions and none of us come up short in our shopping." She reached her leather-bound hand into the recesses of the battered traveling backpack, rummaging around clumsily for some minutes. At length she pulled out a tiny, unassuming little drawstring bag. After fumbling with the strings for a moment, she managed to open it up. Taking a cautious glance around to make sure none of the tavern's patrons were too close by, she emptied the bag's contents into the middle of the table.
Twelve gold coins spilled out onto the array of maps and papers, followed by twenty five more coins of platinum and five coins of a darker, bronze like metal that Anise assumed was some sort of distant cousin to copper.
"This is everything I've got left. Some of it's from random odd jobs. People seem to take my little accessory here as some sort of sign I'll go find their lost chickens for them, but I've managed to scrape by. Everybody drop yours on the table as well, and we can divide everything up into equal portions, or as equal as we can mange. Part will go to pay for the ship, the other parts for traveling supplies. The ship should provide the bulk of the food for our journey, but I'd still like to take some along ourselves, just in case anything nasty happens. We can keep it aside in our packs and not use it unless we need to. Nekcal will handle the ship. Sachara can go supply shopping and Fao can pick up some extra weaponry. I want it to mostly be small stuff, portable, and easy to conceal, although if you need to buy a few larger things that's fine. I've got absolutely no idea what we may encounter, and I want to be prepared. I'll handle the foodstuffs. Sound good?"
The situation wasn't really up for debate--at least not in Anise's mind--but she figured on being polite anyway. To her the plan seemed flawless and logical, as it should have. She'd been spending a lot of long nights trying to work everything out just so...planning to embark on a dangerous journey from which one would probably not return was a shockingly efficient way to stop from falling asleep.
Anise looked at each of her companions in turn, waiting to see their reactions.
((Small note concerning the money: Yes, I know on Earth that platinum is waaay more valuable then gold, but this isn't Earth. So it makes sense that it wouldn't have an identical makeup of available metals and minerals. Gold, for instance, is a lot rarer in Secotha then platinum, thus making platinum worth slightly less. The brown coins aren't either bronze or copper, but I don't have a name for that metal yet so just refer to them as brown or bronze. Or don't refer to them at all. Your choice. ^_^
Also--what Anise has got is an absolute pittance. Most adventurers would carry almost triple what she's got, though I leave it to your discretion as to what each of your characters is carrying. Obviously their different personalities and jobs they've been engaged in recently will effect how much money they have. To make sure everything adds up ICly, I would suggest at least ten gold coins for each of you, though you may certainly add to that amount. Gems are also permittable, especially for magic users.))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 8:28 pm
Looking over the money spilled on the table, she reached into her armor and brought out a seemingly-heavy leather pouch. She opened it up and dumped the contents in front of her:
One ruby
Fifteen gold coins
Twenty-six platnium coins
Twelve 'bronze' coins
She tucked the bag away, pouting as the ruby shined in the dim light of the tavern. "I picked up some jobs from anything between clearing an area of beasts to pest control... I told them not to pay me since the practice was good enough, but they insisted."
Sachara glanced up from her apparently prized ruby to Anise, "What exactly do you mean by supplies? Additional clothing, medical things, and the such? Or what do you have in mind?" Here eyes momentarily returned to the ruby, and she remembered exactly how she had earned such a precious gem- at least to her.
"Do you think you can handle him?" The man looked over the top of the flame lighting his small, camoflauged cabin. He was well hidden in the woods, and he had good reason to be. Some sort of flying beast had assumed territorial control of the area, and every time the man attempted to leave his house, it would dive upon him.
"I don't think it will be a problem." Sachara doubted her own abilities with this task, but was willing to give it a shot.
After a fight of magic and claws through a stormy night, Sachara returned to the man bearing a scale form the beast. It was covered in blood. Her green tunic was in shreds as well. The man held the scale, gazing into the crimson substance covering it, then turned and moved ino the back room of his cabin. He returned carrying a piece of black armor made from the scales of this beast- ones that had apparently dropped off of it's hide,leather boots to match, and a shining ruby about the size of any given eye. Sachara attempted to refuse the offer, but the man insisted.
She left with a new armor and the ruby weighing down her sack slightly more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:01 am
((How does gyminite sound as a name for the metal/mineral that Nekcal's staff is made of, Kurikins? Oh, and it's good to see you! smile ))
Nekcal listened carefully to the words that each of the ladies spoke. He noticed some undercurrents in Sachara's tone of voice that seemed curious but he turned his eyes to Anise before more than a tiny flicker of comprehencion would be seen. Her eyes revealed a slight amount of slumbering irritation as she spoke. The amount of money she possessed clearly showed that she had been working on this plan for some time and that she could not afford a further wait. He nodded once.
Sachara's substance was not inconsiderable, quite respectable for an adventurer of any kind. Nekcal, however was not just a normal adventurer and he had many different resources at his disposal that he brought with him to the mainland from his home. His manner seemed serious, if not slightly weary, as he responded to Anise's words.
"Yes, you are the leader of this group." Nekcal smiled slightly. "Besides, your idea is better than mine anyway."
He relaxed his posture, the smile fading, and shifted his grip on his staff to his bandaged hand in order to reach beneath his robes and produce one pouch of fairly large size and another, rather small one. Both pouches were new and seemed to be made of a kind of leather that had been dyed a deep blue. He emptied the large pouch first causing a significant amount of coinage to fall to the table, specifically, thirty gold coins, fourty platinum coins and a dozen brown coins that looked rather worn. The smaller pouch yielded three diamonds, about the size of the tip of one's finger each, two emeralds and a sapphire, of about the same size. All of the stones were cut and unflawed. He looked at them only briefly, not seeming to have any real attachment to them.
"I am not expected to return." Nekcal said under his breath. No human would have been able to even tell that he spoke from even two silent meters away. His voice and eyes raised again. "I have other possessions that could be used for currency but I have other, more important uses for which I would like to reserve them. Also, I will not require much money to obtain the vessel. I have... other means to achieve that."
Nekcal's eyes drifted closed briefly and he glanced at his bandaged hand, noting a slight red stain on the bandage. It opened again. A very faint sigh escaped his lips and his eyes seemed to lose their focus as he remembered.
"We can do nothing more for you and you have known this for almost nine years now. Haeo, the lad you played with as a child if you can remember, has gone missing on the mainland. If you find him, tell him to come home." The elderly man smiled sadly, his white hair blowing in wisps across his wrinkled face. The elder looked down and his grey eyes widened slightly, turning orange with surprise. "Nekcal! You're bleeding again?!"
Nekcal closed his bandaged hand into a light fist around the necks of two pouches to keep the stained spot from the elder's eyes. His other hand tightened on the twisted staff of twisted, shimmering gyminite. "I will handle myself well Elder. You know I can." His pale eyes met the eyes of the elder, blue as dark as the sea's heart.
The old man's hand reached up to touch Nekcal's hair, white, abnormal. His aged eyes remained dark blue with sorrow. "Goodbye... my grandson." He turned and walked away then, leaning on his weathered staff for support.
Nekcal closed his eyes abruptly, forcing them to focus on the present. They knew then that I had no intention of returning. They... don't need to see. He raised his eyes again to look directly at Anise. She is the leader. I must tell her first... but after the others are gone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 6:49 pm
((Sorry, everyone, but I'm leaving this RP. I'm still going to be in HD, but I just don't have a very good feel for this one. It's really late, and so I haven't read all your latest posts, but Kurikins asked me to make a last IC post.))
Fao put her thumb and forefinger on the bridge of her nose. "You humans and you're talk. Don't you see? By the time we're all finished 'shopping', whatever it is we're looking for may have moved already. I dn't agree with you being in charge. You haven't even been in our world for an entire year. You're as green as the beautiful Shelk'ma, of which you abhor." She pounded her fist on the table.
"And you!" she hissed, turning to the other elf. "You are a disgrace, youngling. Clumsy as a human and none the wiser. I will not be held in the same breath as any of you."
"I apologize for my abruptness," she whispered, clenching her eyes closed frustratedly and trying to calm herself. Standing, she nodded her head to each of them. "May you find what you're look for, Miss Thomas."
And with that, Fao Lunaraine left the tavern, to wander the countryside with her familiar, in search, as ever, for knowledge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 12:09 pm
"Thanks so much for the warning, you flighty little b***h," Growled Anise under her breath as she glared daggers into the retreating elvish woman's back. The Bloodfire within her surged suddenly as it mingled with her fury. The room turned a hazy shade of orangeish red, and she felt her stomach churn unpleasantly. With great difficulty, she kept herself seated, though her left arm had taken a disturbingly tight grip on the edge of the wooden table.
"Would anyone else like to take some shots at me before they get up and leave? I'm perfectly open to being insulted! No, really, you should do it now if you ever intend to--it's perfect timing! Why don't you just spit in my face while you're at it? That'd be a fine touch! Truly artistic!" Anise ranted frantically, fueled by unnatural fires inside her mind and body, unable to stop herself and unable to care enough to even try. Fixedly she glared at the empty doorway of the tavern as if Fao still stood there, her bulky gauntlet suddenly flaring to life and leaving finger marks in the old wood of the table. "Snippy little elven b***h..." Anise hissed under her breath.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 2:55 pm
Sachara blushed as Fao yelled, and Anise turned her fury unto them. She wasn't the only one who had been insulted. Sachara turned her eyes up at Anise not in anger, but with tears in them, "Do not turn your anger on us, for we have done nothing to anger you." She paused a moment, "Also..." Her voice softened drastically, "you do not understand what it is for an elf to be compared to a human in such a manner." She swallowed back her tears and rubbed any moistness from her eyes and face. Recomposing herself after a few deep breaths, she found herself able to speak again. "I do believe that we'll be fine without her. I do not know th extent of the powers of either of you, so I cannot speak for you, but I can defend myself. Even though I may be clumsy and no wiser than a human, my magic does what I want it to..." she winced at her own words, but only very, very slighty. Most of the time...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 3:53 pm
((Losing someone in the middle of something like this... oye. Well, I hope things get better for you, Artemis. smile ))
Nekcal had no chance to return any words to the frustrated elf. However, he had quite a few that he would have liked to relate at some lenth. His grip on his staff tightened, opening the wound in his hand still farther and causing a single drop of blood to ooze down the staff's length. His expression showed his anger quite clearly but his eyes took on a horrific aspect. His irises were completely black and thin tendrils of black reached into the white of his eyes as well. His voice was pitched for normal conversation but the tone carried a burning cold anger, more terrible than the flaring rage of a berzerker in its way.
"I believed that the tales of elven arrogance were inaccurate... apparantly there are cases when they do apply. One like that has no place being anywhere with anyone else. We will survive more easily without her getting in the way." Nekcal turned his abyssal gaze on Sachara and Anise then. "Control it Anise. The two of us who remain with you possess the rudiments of good manners at least. Such pathetic and petty prejudice does not become the proud status of an elf in this land. She is an embarrassment to her own people."
Another drop of blood ran down the staff from the half-soaked bandage as Nekcal trembled with the effort of suppressing his growing fury. The butt of his staff dug into the wood of the floor as he sat. He bowed his head slightly and closed his eyes, avoiding the confused and drunken glances that some of the tavern's patrons had been giving to them.
"Regardless of the fact that we are reduced in number by one we know what we have to do. The plan is set, right?" He raised his head to look at Anise, a slight halo of blue ringing the black much like during an eclipse. "I need to speak with you after this meeting is concluded, Anise. It is a matter that you will need to know as the leader of this party."
Nekcal was obviously fighting for control. His blunt and direct manner warring with the simple reality that the object of his rage was no longer there to receive it. I must not.... fry her... no... I will not... send a fireball... or lightning... or a whirlwind... after her... to rip her body to. He closed his eyes again, breaking the chain of dark thought that had begun to demolish the corona of blue in his eyes. I am no good to anyone if I am dominated... by rage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 7:27 pm
Anise felt tears of frustration spring to life in her eyes, and automatically she reached up to bury her face in her hands...only to be reminded by the abrupt sensation of rough leather against her skin that she could only use her right hand for the task. The emotions inside her peaked as she glared hatefully at the gauntlet, and for a brief moment she would have given almost anything to be able to tear it off, and the flesh beneath it as well. Everything. Torn away.
It took everything Anise had left in her not to break down, but she managed it. She paused, and took a deep breath, and reminded herself what she was feeling wasn't real. Sachara and Nekcal were both speaking the truth--it was Fao who had dealt the blow, not either of them. To drag them down into her hate as well was not only unfair, but unethical. She sighed heavily, and discreetly wiped the tears from her face with a quick movement of her right hand. She didn't even notice Nekcal's sudden change in demeanor, or the change in his eyes.
"You're both right. I'm so sorry. Really, I am. I just lost it there for a moment. It's...getting harder to control my feelings." Everything's getting harder...I'm running out of time... "I've come so far, and endured so much, and to have it thrown in my face like that...anyway. You didn't deserve my hate, and I apologize most sincerely. We should get on with the plan. I guess we'll need to team up, Sachara, if you wouldn't mind. What we want should be pretty much in the same spot anyway, assuming there are any suppliers open this late at night. Nekcal, how long do you think it will take you to make arrangements at the docks?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:43 pm
Sachara immediately brightened up, "That sounds good to me, it does!" she grinned happily, the tears that had once bene in her eyes seemingly non-existant. Of course, the hurt still burned, but she knew that she would just have to prove Fao wrong, even if she would probably never met her again. "I'm not sure if any place is open, but we can always make sure to look!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 11:41 am
"Hmmm..." Nekcal forced his mind to turn from thoughts of anger to thoughts of the problem at hand. Suppliers... open this late. There probably aren't any that are officially open but I might be able to convince one to make a deal... we are in a rush after all. He opened his eyes once more and looked at Anise, his eyes noticing her emotionally fragile state. I don't know if it would be wise to tell her about this right now. I think I'll wait until she is more stable emotionally. She doesn't seem to have noticed my words... perhaps that's for the best. At least Sachara seems skilled at maintaining her composure.
"I should be able to make the arrangements in a matter of hours but the actual loading and preparation time would vary depending on the supplier." He frowned slightly as he calculated. "It could be ready by tomorrow night if I make good time in getting to the port and encounter no problems with travel or negotiation. I would have to get to the port tonight and see to purchasing the ship and then get back here to talk to a supplier. I would have to get all of this done before morning to meet that deadline though." Nekcal sighed quietly. No sleep for me tonight. "In any case, the purchases that the two of you need to make are all here in the city. I don't have reason to remain here since the two of you have decided to handle personal gear for us, as a group." Nekcal rose to his feet, his eyes now a steady dark blue as they drifted from Sachara to Anise. "I believe that we should prepare for a journey into White Meadow, just in case. Warm clothing will be necessary as well as the equipment that we would need to survive there."
Nekcal stood, listening for Anise's decision regarding all of this as he watched her. You are the leader, Anise. Act like it. I'm sure you can. His eyes grew slightly more pale, closer to their origional shade of palid blue. His painful grip on his staff no longer was tight enough to maintain the slight flow of blood from the wound and it had already stopped bleeding. There was a thin path of dark red that ran down the staff and his bandage was obviously in need of replacement but the blood was quickly drying.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
