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 Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 8:17 pm
I was brought out of my moment of respect for Inari when I heard Ratchet behind me. He was shaking and shuddering, almost as if in terror.
I nodded to the statue, before stepping over to him. I blinked at him before becoming engulfed in purple fire again, and stepping out of the flames as my humanoid form. I reached out and put my hand on his cheek as I took his other hand.
Ratchet? Are you alright? Why are you scared?
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Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:16 am
She frowned momentarily, a flicker of worry in her eyes as she watched her son depart from their sight. His distrust of the stranger was understandable given the recent interactions between the humans and the gorgons' general wariness of outsiders. But Sarakshi would rather risk threat from a single person than whatever had been wiping out entire races of other kinds. Something told her Rakia was genuine in her desire to help. She patted the woman's arm lightly, her snakes tilting their heads as they looked at the fox.
"I apologisse again for Re Ssthart. Do not let hisss attitude get to you, he iss a reliable and hardworking persson who alwayss workss for the good of our people. It iss natural for uss to be untrusssting of sstrangerss and begging your pardon, we have never before sseen someone like you. Not many come near thesse partss and thosse whom we have recently encountered had betrayed our trusst. He will warm up to you, once he seess you are trusstworthy" she smiled reassuringly.
"He takess more after hiss father - tactical, alwayss trying to plan ten sstepss ahead"
As her new guest walked alongside her undulating body, she listened to what she had to say and looked at her in surprise. She then smiled brightly, eyes creasing at the corners and her fangs showing clearly
"Ss! Well then, I am confident in your abilitiess. Merlin Alfer isss a good friend of mine. We have known each other for many yearss! Any friend of hiss iss a friend of the gorgonss. Your earth magicss will be invaluable to uss in consstructing our defenssess" she led Rakia outside and began to show her all around the villages, pointing out where the wall would need to be constructed around the borders of their land. Some places had extra defenses, such as being on a slope, or having a small river running where they could place the wall just behind it, creating a moat. Others had thick jungle that was difficult to get through, or quicksands.
"We should be ussing large, heavy granite sstones, shaped and smoothed sso they will fit together like a puzzle. Thiss way, the interlocking piecess are much harder to break through. And when they are sealed together with my passte...they will be nicely fixed" she explained, linking two hands together to demonstrate her idea.
After showing Rakia around, she took her to the special workshop where gems that were found were cut and polished, showing her which ones they had available. She let Rakia pick out any gems that she would need, even if they were rare or costly. "Pleasse, take anything that you need"
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:39 am
Rakia nodded in understanding. After so much death, I wish to help those who could possibly be targets as much as I can. I am willing to bear the mistrust for now, as long as I am able to prove I am trustworthy later. And few of my ken left the safety of my homeland... well, before it all burned to the ground, with fire that could not be snuffed.
She walked with Sarakshi and studied all that the gorgon queen could show. She nodded with approval at the type of stone, and of the interlocking puzzle pattern that would make the wall's defenses stronger.
Upon further mention of the Rakia's mentor, she smiled fondly. He was like a grandfather to me, Merlin Alfr. He was strong and kind and taught to me as a kit the basics of the four elemental magics, Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind before teaching me others, such as Plant, Light, Shadow, Ice and Metal. I still carry the books he gave me and study them, after all this time. I am glad he is held in such high standing and I am grateful that you hold me with such high esteem.
It wasn't long after that, that they reached the workshop. Inside was gemstones, of all sizes, some huge chunks, others the more traditional size, small and cut. She smiled upon seeing them.
I will need a map, if you have one, of your city. I can work with what you have showed me, but a Map would be beneficial in my buildings of the wards. They will be more well formed and structured if I can plan out the walls with one. These gemstones are perfect... Hmmm... do you perhaps have any parchment and ink?
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Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:30 am
Her smile faded into a more serene expression as she listened to some of Rakia's tale concerning her own people.
"We will be watching withh anticipation and hope. I am ssorry for your losssess alsso. Violence iss never the ansswer to peace. Peace is the answer to peace".
she chuckled, trying to make a joke of her odd little sayings, but it sounded sad and flat and soon died.
She was much happier to change the subject and when it came back round to the Merlin, she nodded knowingly. "Sss, I susspect one who hass lived a** long as he hass would find it hard to come acrosss a** anything other than grandfatherly! a** for the high regard, well, there wass once a time when he ssaved many of our people from a terrible plague that utterly ravaged our villagess - Including my Re Sthart".
She paused for a moment, her expression becoming unfocused. The serpents in her hair writhed and moved in agitation, hissed as though something was upsetting them, before she ended the memories with a small shake of her head. The snakes gradually settled back down, curling closer to her hair again.
"But that iss passt now. Ever since that time, he hass earned a place in our heartss and our tribe. He hass not sseemed to age ssince my sson was very young. It iss good that he found an apprenticce to share ssome of the ssecretss of the world withh"
she looked approvingly at Rakia
"He iss sssorely misssed whenever he iss gone and godsss know thiss world needss all the help it can get. I ssuppose you know that better than anyone".
Watching her study the gems and stones that they had to offer, the queen of the gorgons took her request and acted upon it. She had but to make a slight motion of her tail, a slight gesture of her hand, and a slender gorgon came slithering over to them as silently as a whisper. He had pale grey scales that glittered like a slick wet pavement and a lighter cloudy grey belly. His light grey hair fell over his eyes and darker blue stripes ran along the length of his body, as well as through his hair. He bowed to the queen with quiet dignity, his navy blue eyes tracing the newcomer with quiet intelligence. A quill pen was tucked behind one ear, and he held several scrolls in his arms. His fingers bore splotches of ink stains.
"My Queen, what may I asssisst you withh thiss fine day?"
"Thiss is Inyavan, our masster of ssscrolls. He hass several mapss and much ink and parchmentsss for you to usse. He alsso hass a great deal of knowledge about many thingss of importance in our landsss. He will be able to assisst you. I have given to him sssome sspecial inkss that he would be happy to allow you to ussse a** well"
To Inyavan, she said "My beloved ssservant, Rakia is a special guesst who iss here on important matterss. Though I know you are bussy, I musst ask you to sshow her the most precise and largesst map you have of our landss and explain the different buildingss and areass"
He nodded obediently. "It iss my pleasssure, Misstresss"
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:50 am
She nodded knowingly. He is not the Merlin for nothing. The title of Merlin is saved for the greatest mage of the age; a mage who rises above Arcmage status! He has, no doubt, earned it. And yes. I have tried to find him, in these so many years that I have been witnessing such loss of life, but for some reason I cannot find him, cannot see him... something shields him from my sight... It worries me. Her eyes flashed gold, and she seemed to stare at nothing for a moment, before closing her eyes and shaking her head with a wince. What has become of Alder-Sensei...?
Upon seeing the pale snake with blue patterns, she bowed respectfully, first to the Queen and then to the Scroll master.
Thank you Sarakshi-Denka. She then turned to the Scroll Master. Inyavan-San! We have much work to be done! She said with a smile, before clearing a space on the table with the gemstones, and waiting for the map.
Sarakshi now saw something she had not seen yet in the creature's eyes. Hope.
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Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:41 am
"I would agree" Sarakshi answered warmly, "Though not jusst for hiss power and knowledge. A pity you could not find him in ssuch presssing need. But he hass alwayss been known to have a way of sshowing up on hiss own. Perhapss he iss held up by ssomething that blockss him from your ssight and will appear before thisss calamity can extend much farther. He may even be holding it back, attempting to sstop it from harming any more. He'ss very sstrong"
She would allow herself to hope, having wistful thoughts for seeing their friend the wizard again. She had to believe that he was all right. If somebody that strong had fallen...no, he was merely preoccupied. He would come. She was sure of it.
While Rakia spoke with the scroll master, Sarakshi went to summon serving maidens to prepare a feast for their guest and run a hot bath for her, infused with the queen's special mix of mineral salts. The fox woman had traveled through many hardships, they would do what they could to make her comfortable throughout her stay here.
Inyavan's mouth tweaked in an appraising half-smile when she spoke to him. He turned and slithered off to return with a long sealed tube made of stone and a sheaf of new parchments. Uncapping one end, he slid a large rolled parchment from the tube and began to spread it out on the table. Helped her smooth the largest map out carefully, placing sparkling gems on the corners for paperweights. It could be seen that the entire thing was neatly and accurately hand drawn with various inks. The inks had not faded and the parchment was in good condition.
Fishing a simple compass from a pocket attached to a belt on his waist, along with a magnifying glass, he took the quill from behind his ear and handed it to her, along with a small jar of blue ink that had metallic silvery sheen to it. "Ssss" his forked tongue flickered out throughtfully as he studied it for a moment and then without warning, launched into a lengthy explanation, leaning to point at things here and there on the map while explaining them to her. "All right, sssee thiss part here...thiss iss the border that trailss all the way around the landss of the ancesstorss, possessed by many different queenss and kingss over the centuriess-ss. The different kindss of liness, dotted, dashed and ssso on, are the different territoriess expanding over the yearss. Thisss large one that runnss around the outermossst edge, thiss is the one that our current ruler, bless her Sssight, isss pressiding over. The sssymbolss here, here and here indicate human campsss that we have dissscovered in recent timess" He went on, filling her in on where the main temple-palace was, the servant's quarters, the main marketplace, residential areas, rivers, crops of fruits and foods, groups of animals and the various types of things that lay around the border where the wall would be built.
He was patient with explaining and in fact seemed to really enjoy it, his voice steady and pleasant to listen to. He asked her questions occasionally but mostly seemed to enjoy answering them, giving her tidbits of history or the layouts of where previous buildings used to be, what they were for and what they looked like. He pointed out the quarry, the places where they mined different minerals and stones, and whatever else she needed to know, letting her take notes on the parchment as they pored over the map together.
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:52 am
Rakia smiled, before taking down the notes of the map. When it was all explained thanks to Inyavan, she started by making a copy of the great map of the lands, before carefully plotting out the winding course of the wall that would keep disaster out.
When she was done, she took four very large blank scrolls and started to draw upon them, the pattern of the stone and the gemstones and their patterns, sizes and shapes. She drew out the wards, plotting them out with the map, making the whole thing to scale and very precise...
~~~
Time passed, and as Alder and Sarakshi had bonded and become close friends, so had Rakia and Sarakshi. Together with the tribe of gorgons, they built the grand protective wall that would turn aside any flood, turn away the sparks of any fire, and combined with the Earth magics of the Fox and the special sealant of the Queen, could hold off an army. The wards glittered and shimmered as they were being built into the walls alongside the rest of the stone.
The wall had been nearly completed, and it had only taken three months to do so.
This day found Sarakshi talking with her son about hunting... when up the steps came running none other then Rakia.
Sarakshi-San! Sarakshi-San! The fox looked extremely worried, and she looked like she had not slept in days. She held the four very large ward scrolls in her arms, and she stood at the entrance of the room, just before the steps.
Come quick! I need help telling if my eyes are deceiving me!
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Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:34 pm
"Word came there were ssome wild pigss spotted near the small poolss. Thosse are large enough to feed - excusse me"
The queen paused mid-conversation, turning away from Re Sthart at the sound of hurried footsteps. With everyone in their tribe having serpentine bodies, it could only be Rakia coming to see them. Surprise and concern flickered over the woman's face when she saw the dark smudges under her friend's eyes and the drawn, pale look about her. Even more astonished was she at the urgency and sound of worry in the fox's voice. Something had to be wrong.
Her snakes hissed defensively as she slithered over for a look at the maps Rakia held aloft, a bad feeling stirring in the pit of her stomach. Her coils curled more tightly together as she prodded for answers, trying to sound calm and hide the apprehension in her voice. "Rakia! What iss the matter? Iss it the wardss? What hass you panicked ssso? Have we run out of materialss to finishh building the wall?"
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:49 pm
The fox woman panted.
Yes, I fear it is the wards. Someone has altered their design whilst under my nose, Sarakshi-san! She carefully put the maps down, before pulling one out and unrolling it to the section of wall visible from the entrance tot he stone temple palace. She opened it to show Sarakshi, and indeed, the gem placement and gems used were much different then the design on the scroll.
The design of the walls are solid, and your paste did a phenomenal job sealing them shut, Sarakshi-san. However, the wards had been messed with! The wards I designed were to keep things out! These wards are going to keep things IN! If something got past the now purely physical defenses of the wall, your people could not scale the walls to flee! The city has become a great deathtrap!
Sarakshi could see the frustration in Rakia's eyes-- the fox looked like she wanted to stomp the ground or cry.
This will take months to fix! Cried the fox. And I don't know if and when disaster will strike!
Behind them, Re Sthart would have been pale as a sheet if it wasn't already for his paper white skin...
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Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 7:34 pm
The silence in the room hung upon them on like a great weight. No one dared say anything. Or couldn't. The news was too big to comprehend. What could have the power to complete such a horrendous act? Such a thing was unheard of and abominable. The loss was too fast.
Sybil stayed slightly behind and to the side of the fox-turned-siren. She was starting at her hand, wrapped tightly around her harp.
"They can't all be gone. Their could have been some that weren't on the Isle, right?" she asked softly. She couldn't bare the thought that there was not even one left.
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Lady Aryana of the Seelie
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Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:16 pm
Lady Aryana of the Seelie
Looking about at the other sirens, she looked back to the queen.
If I may... would you allow me to ask for aid? I cannot allow them to go without a proper burial. I wish to collect the bodies of the Minos out in these waters and take them back to their Isle, and preform a proper cremation there.
The Queen glanced at her people, and listened to the murmurs of them. They seemed to approve of this request... Sybil could hear people who wished to participate in the effort...
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 3:26 pm
She studied the map carefully, comparing what she saw on the wall to the intricacies of design on the parchment. Her eyes narrowed as she frowned deeply.
“Who would do sssuch a thing?” Sarakshi’s snake body writhed in agitation. Anger, frustration and despair were all evident as she asked that one question they were all dying to know. Why would someone sabotage their plans? They would have to have known right from the beginning, which meant it had to be one or a group of the gorgons.
“Monthss and monthsss we have worked with betrayal in our midst. Sssss!” her snakes glared as they echoed her venomous hissing, raring up as though ready to strike at a moment’s notice. The queen was shaking, growing fury beginning to set fire in her eyes.
As she stared at the parchment, she was shaking in both fear and anger. A strange change swept over the delicate paper, making it appear more solid, smoothing out creases and giving it a smooth and slightly gleaming finish. Sarakshi, realising what had happened, quickly closed her eyes and took a moment to calm herself, breathing deeply in and out several times until her shaking had subsided. Accidentally turning the map of the wards to stone was enough reminder to keep her emotions under control. If she had been looking at Rakia then…she didn’t want to think about it.
Her snakes were still acting snappish but she appeared somewhat calmer and the fire in her eyes had dimmed to a steady but faint gleam.
“We mussst then find a way to essscape before thiss threat comess upon uss. We may not be able to fix the whole wall, but we can break one or two partss and flee through the gapss. I could ssscatter my people to the windsss, in hopesss that sssome of uss will sssurvive. The other option we have iss to prepare to put up ssuch a fight together that perhapsss thiss evil may be overcome. All of usss have the ability of turning thingsss to ssstone sso long asss we have a clear view of the target. And we can make weaponss…”
Poisons, powders, gases sleeping toxins, paralysis, acids, burning oils, explosives, neurotoxins and many other things Sarakshi could craft with her alchemic knowledge and equipment. Though, it would take a long time to make enough to supply her entire tribe with them.
“Maybe if we cut holesss in the wall, that would allow uss to attack through our defenssesss. We will…we will reverse what we can. We will think of sssomething!” She fisted handfuls of hair as she began to pace back and forth, thinking, thinking, trying to think of anything that could reverse the disaster or turn it to their advantage.
“Re Ssthart!” the queen turned suddenly towards her son, as though noticing him for the first time since Rakia entered the temple. She waved a hand at him,
“Go and – and sssearch for cluess asss to the traitorsss in our midst! They mussst be found immediately before they can causse uss more misssery!”
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 3:41 pm
For a moment he didn't notice her, his mind reeling as emotions were flooding into his heart. Too many in fact, and on top of that a voice kept calling out to him. He was suppressing it but something inside of him wanted out! It wanted to wake up. What the heck was going on? Ratchet then looked into the eyes of Silvia and hugged her. Holding her gently in his arms he closed his eyes and didn't want to let go. "I...I don't know..." was all he said, his voice mixed with frustration, sorrow, and confusion. Silvia knew, but he couldn't risk having people die around him. Ratchet kind of hoped this was all just bad indigestion or lack of sleep. Strangely enough, holding Silvia was calming him down some. He felt peaceful and safe with her around. Which also was sort of strange to feel as well. Could this be, what love felt like?
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 5:04 pm
Rakia looked down at the now stony map, and set it down very carefully. It had turned into a sheet of white marble.
Re Sthart looked incredibly shaken, as she turned her attention to him, and he slowly slithered towards the door upon his mother's command. Rakia and Re Sthart locked eyes for a very long moment. For some strange reason, as the two locked gazes, Re Sthart seemed to be under some sort of spell. He reached up, eyes widening, to cover his heart as if shielding it from her...
You... You tried to make them ineffective. You did not trust me that much.... did you? How easy was it? She said, approaching the now suddenly terrified Kingsnake Gorgon. He was slithering backward, nearly tripping over his own tail. For some reason he could not bring himself to use his stony gaze. Wards are NOT something you toy with boy! She made a strange barking hiss. Two gems swap and you get a completely different result! BAKA! WARUGAKI! AHO! NOROMA! DOJI! BOKE! AND YOU REVERSED ALL THE DAMN GEMS! She screamed at him, nearly turning red in the face as her eyes lit up with unfamiliar pale blue flame, and her tails lit with bright purple fire at the same time.
The Prince of Gorgons fled as if for his life, down the stairs with the flaming kistune woman hot on his tail (literally), all the while still swearing at him in her native language...I smiled gently as I felt him calm as he hugged me. Kissing him on the forehead, I gently steered him towards the bed.
Come now, my love. Perhaps a good night's sleep will make you feel better?
We crossed the bridge together to another sheltered area that had the two beds, one large fox bed the other a regular human bed, and various other things such as a wardrobe, a table for crafting things, and a desk, presumably for something like paperwork and a computer. The bamboo was denser here, forming a screen for privacy...
I steered him towards the bed and sat down with him, still holding him gently and reassuringly...
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 11:27 pm
She saw her son move to obey her order and then something utterly unexpected happened. It seemed to happen all at once, without any warning. One moment the lavender white gorgon was making his way down the temple stairs and the next there was a strange exchange and the fox woman was exploding at him. She watched him flee with Rakia blazing after, and remained frozen in one spot. She felt like a spear had gone straight through her chest and pinned her there, her mind struggling to accept what was true. Re Sthart…it couldn’t be. She didn’t want to believe it, could not believe it. And yet she had to accept what she saw and heard right upon the steps of her home.
"No...No..." The words strangled out and fell from numbed lips, unheeded by her.
She hugged herself tightly, taking breaths to try to calm herself as her snakes hissed and writhed as though they were in pure agony. Her mind was pelted with questions, both from them and herself. Why had she not seen the signs, noticed his mistrust of her friend? Why had he hidden his fears and concerns from her? When had he found time to swap all the gems?! Did he do it alone, persuade others to help? Did half of the tribe think their queen had been leading them into a death trap? But what grieved her most was the terrible price that he would now have to pay. Yes, they would all have to pay, but she would not wish what was about to come upon him on anyone. To have that guilt and the blood of all their people on his hands…he would go to the hells, to suffer eternal punishment for his crimes.
Sarakshi could not speak. She did not notice the tears that dripped freely down her face and her arms, she did not register that she was shuddering with emotion, nor that she was slithering around the temple in distraught, disjointed patterns. Re Sthart was the only reminder she had left of her husband, her only child.
A shriek of despair and anguish left her, echoing from the temple to be heard easily by all around. Losing all of her tribe was terrible enough, but losing them and her child was too much to bear.
Certainly she would still try to undo what she could, save them if she could. She would try with all her might…but for now, she wanted to cry her heart out, before it shattered into pieces and killed her then and there.
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