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 Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 10:17 pm
Urban Thorne
Stepping forward quickly, the Rosso monster snatched Tali's hands in her own, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper, once more shifting to that mountain dialect that was so likely to not be understood. "How did they get you?? Did one of the towns call the soldiers on your family?! You know why you're the only passenger..." A beautiful roaring scream, of joy and sorrow so extreme...Taking her frantic friend's hands in her own, she tugs Domini closer, the piercing gaze of her sapphire eyes locking onto those mismatched irises. She waits a moment for her stare to break through the hysteria for a chance to catch the mechanic's attention. Realising that moment might never come, she drops the hands gripped in her own and instead catches her friend's face to hold her still.
"Ipo.. Ipo.. " she pleads quietly, her lowered tone laced with a mounting desperation. "The soldiers didn't come for my caravan, Ipo. The Beast did. I come back from a routine drop off a few miles south and the wagons are in flames. There was nothing left Ipo. Just burning embers and smoke."
Releasing her friend's face, she digs into the pouch at her side. Raising her palm, nimble mocha fingers brush off a bit of ash from the seared beads resting in her hand. "The beads of the Elders.. I found them among the cinders." She whispers, her voice cracking softly. "They were mixed in with singed scarves.. small ones.. too small for an adult..."
There is a love in me raging. A joyous, magical feeling...
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 7:02 am
 Ky remained silent and unimposing as Talise spoke with her small friend. He listened with great interest as the two of them exchanged points of various interests. That is, until Lady Rosso began speaking in her mountain dialect. Ky had heard of the rustic language, but he seldom time to study up on it as much as the more common tongues of the world. His eyes harden as Talise explained her reasons for leaving her caravan. Though sympathetic to her plight, Ky could not even begin come close to imagining the loss she must have suffered. Rather, what coursed through his veins was determination. The beast had taken much from the people, and it was wrecking further havoc as The Order sat on it's hands. Hearing of her caravan's demise only served to further his resolve. He...they had to succeed.
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:12 pm
Minai chan "The beads of the Elders.. I found them among the cinders." She whispers, her voice cracking softly. "They were mixed in with singed scarves.. small ones.. too small for an adult..."   Panic isn't all that easy to divert, especially when you're talking to someone who's in the middle of a bunch of soldiers, after having been chased by more soldiers, and----
The Beast. Tali's caravan... The Beast.
Mismatched eyes blinked in shock as the words really began to sink in, and tension began to drain from her muscles as faces flashed through her mind, drawn from years of memories of spending time with Tali's family. As the realization that she'd never see any of them again, those same mismatched eyes began to tear up a little. Domini reached up, taking Tali's hands from her face and squeezing them, as she struggled to find the words...
Squeeee... Suffice it to say words aren't her best field.
After several long moments of reigning in her grief and shock, those slanted eyes shifted from her friend's face, and aimed at the soldiers around them...
"...Who... who are they? They know someth--.. err... Way to fix Beast," came the hesitant querry.... o O ((Sorry about the delay, spontaneously went from not working to 9 hours a day, every day. Will try to keep up a bit better. ^.^; )) O o .
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Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:12 am
Urban Thorne
After several long moments of reigning in her grief and shock, those slanted eyes shifted from her friend's face, and aimed at the soldiers around them...
"...Who... who are they? They know someth--.. err... Way to fix Beast," came the hesitant querry...
It was difficult relating the circumstance as to why she.. a heathen and suspected outlaw simply by heritage.. had approached an army camp full of soldiers to seek assistance.
Even for a weathered gypsy lass such as herself, keeping up a lighthearted and carefree appearance had taken incredible effort this last week. The anguish she felt with the loss of her caravan had no words, the pain so unbearable it was almost without meaning. Like a phantom appendage, their memory was made flesh within her own subsconscious. The shock of their loss was just too much to comprehend. Her mind had utterly rejected to accept it and instead chose to bury the horrible truth that she did not have a home to return to.
The only lifeline she allowed, the only reminder of that repressed vileness, was the beads she carried with her. This was the first time she had ever released them for another's viewing. The faint scent of sulfur seeped into her skin through her senses and slithered through her viens. As oil coats everything it touches, that scent left a trail of shattered lives as it traced its way to her heart. Barely noticing her friend's reaction to her admission, the brave little gypsy closes her eyes and steals herself against that wretched feeling as it coils around inside of her, enclosing her heart.. squeezing the air from her lungs.. making it difficult to breathe..
Domini's voice cuts through the darkness clouding her mind, and Tali realises it is her own companion's hands squeezing hers that she is feeling. Blinking back the tears that are threatening to fall, those sapphire eyes refocus on the tinkerer's features. Taking a slow, methodical breath she channels the growing sensation of loss to a more worthy cause.. a determination to fight.
"I think they can help us.." she begins, her words coming with quiet conviction, "Rumour amongst the caravans is that they have special assistance.." Switching to the mountain tongue, she murmurs, "Rumour is they have Ash helping them.. the Ash."
There is a love in me raging. A joyous, magical feeling...
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:03 pm
...But those were just stories, right? The wars that drove the ancient dragons from the world ended centuries ago, when the alliance between the older races and the younger ones broke. Any tales of the Ash vanished at the end of the Dragon Wars, just like her mysterious allies had... Possibly destroyed by the horrors dwelling in the broken northern lands.
Shaking her head doubtfully, Domini eyed the militant folk for several long moments, those mismatched eyes studying them, almost as though measuring their worth... But this wasn't for them. This was for Tali... And the family that welcomed her, even if only because Tali vouched for her so unconditionally. She had to do something for them....
"You know way, fix Beast," was the eventual question directed at them, her Common heavily stained by doubt. "Only way Rosso help... you better know way. Tali's... er... fa-- family!... They deserve. But you better know way, fix Beast...". o O ((Oi vey... Last week was horrible. Will be better about posting, promise. >.<; )) O o .
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 9:16 pm
Ky lowered his hands from his passive stance. He turned his palms outward to show that he had nothing to hide. As usual, his tone was sincere and honest. "Lady Rosso, I would be lying if I said we knew a definitive way to rid this world of that fiend. Our group's efforts have been for naught, and The Order has done nothing to directly confront The Beast. That is why we travel. We need the help of the older races."
"Our purpose is to obtain more knowledge, personnel, and tools to destroy the creature. The Beast threatens us all, and so we must band together. You have my word, Lady Rosso, that your assistance will go a long way in ridding this world of The Beast. You have my word, that Lady Anora's family will be avenged."
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 10:02 pm
Rikki Tikki Travi "Our purpose is to obtain more knowledge, personnel, and tools to destroy the creature. The Beast threatens us all, and so we must band together. You have my word, Lady Rosso, that your assistance will go a long way in ridding this world of The Beast. You have my word, that Lady Anora's family will be avenged."
The bantering voices of her companions seemed oddly distant to Talise, the inner workings of her mind already toiling on their next obstacle. Domini was in and that meant.. transportation.
She already had a pretty good idea of where she wanted to go.
From the moment the rumours spread to her caravan about the possible reappearance of the angel lass, Talise was certain such help would be critical for conquering the Beast. Perhaps it was her gypsy roots, superstitious as they were, but deep down in her heart she believed it would take a creature of legend to destroy a creature of legend. And the Beast was certainly that.
Originally she searched for the rebel barracks with the intention of debunking the claims. Human defectors of the Order were rare perhaps but not unheard of, and even more common were rebels against the Order who had never stepped foot in those sacred halls. Much to her surprise there was not only an angel with them, but an elf as well. This led to her hope as she had not dared hope before that there was weight to the rumours.
But she did not see Ash.. not that she expected to.. and if these rebels knew anything about the lady angel, they were much better actors than she would ever give them credit for. So how was she to find this angel? How does one locate a being of lore that has managed to stay hidden since the Dragon Wars?
There was only one answer. There was only one person that might have remained in contact with her.. one who shares the love of secrecy and mystic might.
Refocusing on her companions now, she glances between them before settling on Domini. Her gaze and voice determined.
"We must head North. We need to speak to the Kae'dryn."
There is a love in me raging. A joyous, magical feeling...
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 2:25 pm
  Asmyrra had been listening intently to the conversation, allowing the others to handle a majority of the negotiating with the little inventor. After all, her aversion to the mountain elves had become quite clear, and Asmyrra had no wish to contaminate the woman's thoughts with her rather obvious origin...
But at the mention of the Beast, the legend of Ash, and the mention of the mythical Kae'drynn, she found herself unable to remain cautiously aloof. Stepping up beside Ky, she nodded firmly, squeezing his arm in affirmation before allowing her stilted voice to emerge.
"It is true we have no concrete idea of exactly how to deal with the Beast, but... We do know at least one way of driving it back to it's own hellish home," she stated quietly, her accented soprano ringing with a soft confidence, and certainty. "If the Kae'dryn is still dwelling at her tower, she might be able to tell us a way to duplicate the feats the Angels can manifest... There seems to be some sort of secret in the energies they wield that is anathema to the Beast."
Pausing, Asmyrra considered her next words very carefully, no small measure of uncertainty starting to creep into her features. "However... Approach to the Kae'dryn's tower from the north would be terribly unwise," she stated, her voice losing a hint of its confident ring. "Irrilaeth is the northern-most city of the Kael'dorei, specifically to study the energies of the Blasted Lands. The Kae'dryn has her tower positioned uncomfortably close to the borders of those lands... to travel further north would be desperately dangerous..."
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 3:43 pm
"Only way, app--... er... ap--.. approach! Approach from north. Better not get caught. Mage lady would cook quick, if people from city pest," she stated absently, her tone dismissing the trouble of navigating the Blasted Lands with a possibly uncomfortable amount of bravado. Instead, those mismatched orbs drifted over the small collection of soldier-like folk arrayed around Talise and Rosso, fingers ticking off the number as she compared their number to the amount of space "available"...
"Tali better chose careful, Rosso not taking this many. No room! Squeee... Not sharing cabin, nonono. 'Sides, mage lady cook, if so many come to Tower at once. If she's home," she stated, her expression suddenly dubious... Kae'dryn was well-known to the Kael'dorei, yes, but she was also known for not being seen for years at a time...
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Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:32 pm
  The rustle of feathers and beating wings intruded upon the quiet evening tranquil that had descended upon the Kae'Dryn's ancient tower.
Alighting on the tiled balcony floor, Ash leaned against the alabaster railing and paused to catch her breath. She had crossed a great distance to reach this place. Azure tinted eyes gazed at the forest surrounding them and the mountains towering above the emerald canopy to all sides. So much time had passed since her last visit, it was true, but nothing here seemed to have changed.
Memories creeped into her thoughts bringing images of her first meeting with the Kae'dryn to flash through her mind. A tiny figure crumbled in a heap upon the ground in the center of a massive trench. She remembered the great redwoods flattened around the channel carved into the forest floor, wondering what could possibly have carried such force that it had slammed into the earth so hard. Frantically she had climbed down towards the woman with only the faintest hope of survival. She looked so small.. so frail.. The tattered mess of black hair, sticky with blood, clinging to bare ivory shoulders. So bruised and gravely wounded was she that the angel had to put every ounce of energy she had into her healing. Her reward came as a struggling breath choking free from her patient's throat. Filled with relief, Ash gently brushed back the woman's hair as golden, unfocused eyes slowly opened to stare up at her in confusion and disbelief...
Coming back to the present now, Ash blinked the memories away and focused on the ornate door of stone and glass now separating her from her old friend. Idly she wondered if this was still the room Relm used to retire. There was only one way to find out.
Bringing a hand up, she hesitated only a moment before rapping her arrival on the door.
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Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 4:57 pm
  A known habit of the Kae'Dryn was to depart from her students an hour or so before sunset, and vanish into the upper levels of her tower. There, notes were made, materials were checked, wards were tested, and the various spells applied throughout the tower were shifted to their evening configurations. After such preparations were made, Relm finally relaxed for the evening, drawing a hot bath and soaking for some time... After all, even for one such as her, the years were very long, and not easily ignored.
As such, when the light tapping at her balcony window came, Relm was garbed in a simple kimono-like robe, settled in front of her desk, running a brush through her hair for it's nightly one-hundred strokes and humming some random tune to herself. Brush and humming stopped the instant the odd sound came, however, and those golden eyes narrowed... Usually only one kind of visitor came to the upper reaches of her tower, rather than entering through the main door.
Silently setting the brush down on the wooden surface of her desk, she swiftly slid free of the chair, one hand's fingers curling as though around some globe-like object, as she moved quickly over to the balcony door. Taking a steadying breath, she allowed the destructive energies within her hand to peak as she severed the alarm wards and cast the door open with her free hand...
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Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 7:23 pm
Urban Thorne
Silently setting the brush down on the wooden surface of her desk, she swiftly slid free of the chair, one hand's fingers curling as though around some globe-like object, as she moved quickly over to the balcony door. Taking a steadying breath, she allowed the destructive energies within her hand to peak as she severed the alarm wards and cast the door open with her free hand...
So disturbing was that thought that she was struck with the paranoid urge to check the skies above. Rocking her weight on her heels, she fell back a few steps as she raised her gaze to the heavens...
And just in time too!
A surprised yelp escaped her as the ornate, tinted glass doors suddenly burst open like a giant maw snapping at her retreating toes. Instinctively a hand landed on the hilt of her sword, but gratefully her wits caught up almost as quickly. Bypassing the weapon, she whirled her shield around as her body knelt to crouch behind it, her back bracing against the stone railing to the rear. In the faint frenzy of movement, she nary had the time to rid herself of her wings and the force with which she ripped the shield from its harness sends a few speckled gray and white feathers fluttering to the ground.
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Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:52 am
«<{› ¤The Crusade¤ ‹}>»
Listening to the little Elfin woman's tirade, Asmyrra nodded in reluctant agreement. Motioning for Ky to accompany her, she made her way over to where Eva and Azen were waiting. Quietly explaining the situation to them, she imparted the importance that the Iron Fist be notified of this sudden change of plans. Drawing the small store of coins she kept on her person, she directed Ky to do the same as well, and then claimed her possessions from her horse... If only a couple of their entourage were allowed to go, she doubted this strange woman's method of transportation would have room for such large creatures. With a final bid of good luck to the pair, she motioned for Ky to come with, and rejoined Talise and her friend.
________________________________________________________________
Domini watched the quiet exchange between the soldier folk with a feeling not unlike a boulder settling on her chest... Her most precious possession and secret was about to be shared... But nonetheless, when Ky and Asmyrra rejoined them, she turned the small group deeper into the mountains. It took a full day of climbing and trailbreaking to finally come to one of the tiny streams bleeding off from a larger lake, but the Sky Captain seemed to take great heart in it's discovery, turning the small group along the stream's path. By that nightfall, the tired, worn group had finally managed to reach a somewhat largish lake, deep in the uncharted forests above the Dales.
As the moons rose, the traditional silvery-blue light reflected off of the lake's calm surface... and glinted off of several metallic objects on the far side of the lake. Domini lead the group around the shore towards said glints... And as she did, a very odd-looking ship became discernible near the distant shore. Sitting very low in the water, the ship looked just over 35 meters long from the tip of it's forward-most "mast" to it's stern, and had a flowing, very fluidly streamlined look to it. There appeared to be only one mast on the deck, a surprisingly massive in girth, but very stubby in height structure. Attached to said mast, and thoroughly netted to the rest of the ship by various riggings and lines appeared to be some kind of folded sail... But the riggings and whatnot looked entirely wrong.
Finally reaching the strange little ship, Domini lead them to the tiny little dock she had managed to build for her ship. With ever-slowing steps, she lead the odd assortment of knight, rogue, and magi up to her precious secret...
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Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:05 am
"...Far too often in the last many decades has some upstart come to visit wrath upon me using your customary approach, my speckled friend," was the quiet statement from that crystalline accent, the Kae'Dryn allowing the fiery orb grasped in her left hand to dissipate as the tension drained from her slight figure. "It almost caused a great deal of trouble, the first time, as I had expected the person on my balcony to be you... But enough of that. Get in here before some wandering eye, magical or otherwise, spies you from the city. Those silly folk have decided that this is the best place to study the Rupture from, and they oft do so at night..."
As those chime-like words fade, the Kae'Dryn stepped back into the softly-lit interior of her personal quarters, a long-nailed hand quickly beckoning the winged woman inside...
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Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 10:25 pm
The long trek had fatigued Ky a good deal. He longed for the time when he could come home to his private quarters, take a bath, and then settle down for a good night's sleep. Were he a lesser man, he would have said as much. He wasn't going to allow himself any moment of weakness. Ky dusted off his normally white uniform, which was now mostly gray, and looked toward the ship that lay before the party. He wiped the sweat off of his brow and took note of how strange the vessel looked. Ky may not allow himself moments of weakness, but moments of curiosity were another matter. "I must say lady Rosso, I have never seen a vessel like this before. Does she have a name?"
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