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 Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:18 pm
Time passed...and Kyil honestly had little to focus on. His mind threatened to overwhelm him at times. If only he could make his thoughts stop for a time. He glanced at Mikaril, wistfully envious of the deep sleep his master was enjoying. Even when he made sounds of pain or fear, he still did not waken. Kyil hovered over him at those times. His hand reaching to stroke gently upon the back of Mikaril's neck in hopes of soothing him back into his healing sleep.
His mind kept...defying him. Kyil's pink eyes lifted to look at the exit to the room. If he left right now...with haellara under the effect of the potion...he could get her to do anything. he could get her to heal Mikaril fully. He could get her to stock them with supplies. he could even find out what it would be like to be held and kissed....-no-. Kyil shook his head in a pair of viscious shakes. he would not allow such a thought to even linger in his head. She was under the influence of magic. Such a act would be deplorable. he should not have even kissed her! He could claim that it was to give her a taste...to let her savor the moment of a loving and tender act...and it was. Ah! If he could only trust that such a example could open a door in a heart such as her's. Perhaps she would realize how enjoyable..perhaps...
Again Kyil shook his head violently. He wanted to throw those thoughts right out of his skull. Their very presence was dangerouse. Thankfully the movement of Mikaril helped distract him. he peered over at his master, to see with relief the open eyes of the thief. "Master." He murmured softly. Kyil set the object down into a small pile he had prepared and crossed to where Mikaril remained lieing. He knelt himself down beside the cot, and reached to gently place one hand carefully upon Mikaril's forehead. His fingers dragged slowly over his masters brow, then withdrew.
"I have heard nothing. I have been with you while you slept. I did not dare leave you. It has been many hours. I am not certain if it will be safe, but I must risk ventureing out. You require food and our magical bags are stored in Aldzi's room. I could not leave though, as I could not recall how to pass the room of chains. Otherwise I would already have our supplies prepared. How do you feel Master?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:43 pm
Mikaril watched Kyil come closer to the cot, then he let his eyes rove upward, following Kyil's hand as it came down softly upon his forehead. He found himself becoming still, not entirely sure what Kyil was searching for; none of his family had bothered with such a gentle gesture whenever he had been ill as a child, and on his own, he had relied on his own judgement of how he had felt. Of course, it could be just that; a gesture; and nothing more, though he vaguely remembered Kyil doing the same thing when he had woken up from his bout with poison. Feeling his mind beginning to protest at this sudden upsurge of usage, Mikaril put the thought away and watched Kyil's hand withdraw, and he keenly listened for any new developments on the House they were both hiding from, and it's violent and doubtless fully-recovered matron.
In spite of his gladness that his sanctuary still remained safe, he felt disappointed that nothing had been found out since they had arrived. He should have thought before he dropped off; Kyil wouldn't risk going out to hear news only to find himself locked out! He had never really explained the rooms they had gone through; he had just been concerned with guiding Kyil through safely. Now, in order for them to come and go safely, he needed to show Kyil just how to decipher the traps, namely the room full of chains. He had little doubt that once he showed Kyil how to find the right chain, he would be able to come and go with ease; he remembered thinking that the main reason Haellara would never make it past that room, even if she knew what to do, was that she would never suffer the indignity of lying on the dusty floor like a rag.
In answer to Kyil's question, Mikaril placed his hands on either side of him and carefully eased his body up until he was sitting up. He could feel the new skin on his back stretching a little, but not hurting, and as he looked down, he saw flakes of black coming loose and floating down, revealing a trace of swirls and miniscule texture coursing down his chest and part of his stomach. He shrugged mentally; so there wasn't enough of the potion to avoid ALL of the scarring; it could have been a lot worse. They would fade in time, or he may even be able to find a way of getting rid of them, if he so wished. What mattered to him now was that he was feeling better. "A lot better than I was several hours ago. I'll need more of course, but I can always get that later, once we have our supplies back. It must have been kind of dull for you these past several hours." He found himself wishing he had been able to fill his bookshelf with reading material, then it might have helped Kyil while away the hours, but how would he have known that he would be here with a real friend who happened to like magic books?
He moved his legs over until his feet were touching the ground. He tried to rise, teetering a bit before he stood solidly. "Well, I do think I ought to at least move around some, so that I can start getting my strength back. Though right now I wouldn't trust myself carrying a lot or if we had to run." He was inwardly frustrated at being so weak, but he knew Kyil needed his help. Snapping his fingers suddenly, he smiled at Kyil. "I have an idea; why don't I come with you to the sanctuary's entrance? The traps will reset themselves when we go out, and when you return, I can show you how to bypass them."
The agreement made, Mikaril took a few practice steps to ensure his balance was intact, then he led the way through the onyx puddle, coming out on the other side and back to the unremarkable room. He then showed Kyil a tiny switch on the floor that brought the stairs down when stepped on. Once they had stepped up to the chain room, the pair of them ducked their heads to avoid accidentally touching any of the chains, listening as the stairs rose again and became a harmless part of the floor mosaic. As soon as they saw the tiny gleam of light that shone through the slit in the wall, Mikaril first peered through the slit to ensure that no one was in the treasure room, and then he fiddled with something around the slit until the stone statue moved aside with a shudder, revealing the gleaming treasure room beyond.
Already Mikaril was feeling winded from his trek up the stairs, so he leaned against the wall and smiled at Kyil. "You remember how to get back in here, right? Find the mural, stab the spider and turn. Then I can show you how to get past the chains." He reached out and grabbed Kyil's shoulder before he walked out. "Good luck. And please be careful." He waited until the statue had closed once more, then he moved over to the slot and peered out, ready to watch Kyil depart.
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Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:27 pm
His acceptance was relieving. Kyil had feared that Mikaril might have pushed himself immediately. He did not wish to struggle against Mikaril's desire and the common sense that told him Mikaril needed at least another day of rest and food before they fled. This place was a horror. A terror for his master. He understood the desire to flee immediately. But...this -was- a safe place. They needed to take advantage of this. Kyil flexed his fingers after touching Mikaril's forehead. There was no sign of fever, which was very heartening. It meant that his master was going to recover. Kyil watched Mikaril as he sat upon the cot. His pink eyes flickered over his naked chest and watched as the skin flaked away to reveal the newer healed skin beneath. "I have been keeping myself occupied master." Kyil replied after a pause. His head and he gestured to the items that he had moved about. "I occupied myself investigating your treasure. Many of it is very pretty. I was trying to get the items gathered so we could pack them easily for our trip. I did not think you would care to leave anything behind."
When Mikaril rose, Kyil's automatic reaction was to reach for him. he wanted to steady him, or at the most pick him up so he would not strain himself standing. Mikaril's words though gave him pause. He had been incapable of standing for so long... Being able to do this, even as weak and wobbly as he was, would have to go a ways to restoring some of his dignity. As well as help him recover from his trials. "It may be in our best interest if we take advantage of this lull master." Kyil murmured as Mikaril would fight his frustration. At the snap of his fingers, and the idea that popped into Mikaril's head, Kyil could not help but grin. "A excellent idea." If he learned the way, then Mikaril could focus on healing and Kyil could manage the runs to prepare them for their second part of the escape.
Though...Kyil had to admit he disliked letting Mikaril navigate and lead the way on his own. His attention was entirely wrapped up on watching Mikaril. Should he falter and fall, it would be ill fortune if Mikaril broke something! Before he was even aware of it, they were back at the painting. He watched as Mikaril leaned against the wall, and he nodded his head slightly. "I recall the portrait well master. I know to slip a dagger into the spider and turn in order to open the way." As he spoke, Kyil reached up into his own hair, and he withdrew the slender hair pin that he had used the first time through. He only pulled it halfway out, so it would remain tightly wrapped in the coil of his hair when he slipped it back through. He paused when Mikaril touched his shoulder, and he formed a faint smile.
"Do not worry master. Even if I am seen or caught, I do not believe I will be in any form of danger. Haellara will not wish harm upon me for now. Not even in the wake of your escape." Thus spoken, Kyil turned and exited the hidden passage. He felt no need for caution at first, though as the door swing shut and he was left alone..well..the very first thing he did was place the invisibility spell upon himself.
He only had that day to use the magic he had taken from Haellara, so Kyil felt no unease at 'wasting' the spells. Her magic had been quite potent after all. And it was incredibly useful as he crept down the halls on tip toes. His first target was the room he had shared with Aldzi. Down a few levels, Kyil had to duck into niches and learn to press himself quite firmly against the walls to avoid being bumped or brushed by the very active servants that roamed the halls and searched the rooms. perhaps it would have been for the best if he had waited a full day? Ah! But without his magical items he would not have been able to cast the invisibility spell. Kyil reached a hand up to touch the numb area where his ear was still torn. Would a healing potion fix his ears? he hoped so... Though for now, anything that healed would certainly be used on Mikaril first. Perhaps if he kept his ears covered...
For a moment Kyil almost laughed aloud and risked discovery. he placed a hand over his mouth and took a second to calm himself. Mikaril hid his ears, and now Kyil would be hiding his own. Irony yes? Kyil shook his head and continues on. It would take him well over three hours and a refreshing of the invisibility spell to reach the servants room. There was just so much activity! Kyil found the folded magical bags tucked under the cot he had often used before Haellara and Nuumia had begun to make his night times...busy. Dragging them out, he smiled faintly at their lack of weight. Aldzi had probably checked them at least once, and had found them empty. He would not fault the servant for curiosities sake. It would have been odd if he had not at least checked them once. Seemingly being empty is surely what caused them to be overlooked and discarded by any searching for him as well.
Kyil looped the bag's over his shoulders, and began the slow crawl of a return to the treasury. Kyil dearly wished to hurry...but... Mikaril would certainly not want him to risk another venturing out too soon after he returned. So..Kyil added another stop to his travels. The kitchen. Reaching the place was just as dangerous and long as the travel to the servants quarters. Kyil found himself growing weary and taking...risks... he began to place less care in moving silently, and he started to move more swiftly down the empty halls. When he did arrive at the kitchen. he found waiting for a opportune moment to present itself so he could slip in behind another servant was trying. Eventually he merely grabbed the door as it swung behind another drow and slowed it's shutting so he could slink inside. he avoided the kitchen proper, and entered a store room that was closest to the door. How many hours had passed now? Five? He hoped that Mikaril would not do anything foolish such as coming to look for him...
The store room provided Kyil with some food. Looking through it he was disappointed to see that many of the foods would spoil in a short period of time...Hmm... Reaching to his side, Kyil drew out the special bag that Mikaril had obtained for his plant. Surely they could use the bag for the food items until they had to leave? Kyil quickly gathered small wrapped packages of mushrooms, roots, and edible moss. He carefully placed the plant based foods into Mikaril's special bag, along with strips of fish and rothe that was also stored in the same room. Bread and cheese in hard wrapping Kyil placed in his own bag. Food was all well and fine..but what about water? He still had his water skeins from the trip to the city. But there was nothing within the store room that he could fill them with. He would have to accept what fortune he had managed to come by though...
Kyil escaped the kitchen, with only a small incident where he and a servant collided when the male turned unexpectedly to reach for something on a table behind him. The male cried out, and Kyil fled, knocking another servant over in the process. He wanted to apologize to the males that he had been working with for so long, but he dared not give voice that would identify him. Fleeing the room, Kyil ran blindly down the halls that were empty. A poor choice really..as Kyil found himself in a section of the House that he did not wish to be in.
He recognized the hall well, as it had been one he had traveled on his way to Haellara's room. Well! he had no intentions of going there! Kyil leaned against a wall to catch his breath. Thankfully, these halls above were less busy then those below. His carelessness had led to a frightening revelation. He, for all his pride in being reliable and patient, still had much to learn. Kyil rolled his head a bit to look to the side..and was startled to see Nuumia glaring at him. Kyil's heart sank to his knee's and he froze up. Nuumia's angry black gaze did not remain on him...and Kyil felt the ice that was his heart melt into a cold trickle of ice through his veins. Nuu's eyes swept past him, and Kyil watched as he stalked down the hall past him. The small male emitted a aura that, for lack of a better description, promised death. Perhaps Kyil had also been too niaeve to believe that things had become safer for him. if anything...perhaps it was more dangerous? If Nuumia caught him now...
Kyil swallowed thickly and resumed his careful creeping. He would take no more chances. he would not allow his desire to hurry to overcome the sensibility of care. Kyil crept his way through the halls, pausing only to make one more stop. In a empty guestroom, Kyil filled the water skeins from the bathroom tap. By the time he reached the hall where the treasury was, his invisibility had faded...
And he was out of magic. He had renewed the spell several times over the course of the passing hours. The duration of the spell was limited by his own level of skill, and being low as it was, he had needed to recast the spell over and over. Kyil felt ill as he slunk down the final hall. he had felt..secure and safe with the invisibility cloaking him. How bold Mikaril had to be to be a thief without such spells! How talented he had to be in order to carry out his thefts uncaught! Kyil entered the treasury, trembling and exhausted. Now he felt as if he should sleep for days! He swept a hand through his damp hair. Sweat and blood had left the white strands feeling foul under his fingertips. As soon as he had a chance he would bathe for a hour. Hot or cold water, it hardly mattered so long as it was clean! Kyil looked about the treasury and began to approach the spider painting. It was, however, as he reached the middle of the room that he paused and looked around him. His pink eyes swept over the room, and turned back to the door.
Goddess.
How had he been so blind?
Kyil knelt beside the nearest chest, and he opened it up. Within were all sorts of..things..treasure truly. It -was- a treasury after all... Kyil slipped his bag off from around his shoulder, opened the top, and began to scoop large handfuls of gems, coins, and jewelry into the open top. If he and Mikaril fled, wealth like this would go a long way to buying silence. It would also help provision them for the road ahead. They could equip themselves in a fit manner. Plus, Mikaril could keep his own treasure and they would only use Haellaras. Again and again Kyil pushed more wealth into the bag. He aimed mostly for gems, as their worth often far surpassed any coins value in weight. When the gems pickings became slimmer, Kyil took the bag to another area and ravaged it as well. Gradually the bag in his hands began to puff out, and he felt the weight increasing. he did not want to over fill it. All this wealth would mean nothing if the bag got heavy enough to slow him down in their escape. Regretfully Kyil closed the flap and turned about to find the painting. he reached into his hair, and removed the hair pin as he approached the painting. He'd enter, and hopefully Mikaril would be waiting for him, instead of wandering and looking for him after so long a absence.
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Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 9:13 pm
Mikaril continued to watch through the hole even after Kyil had left the treasure room behind and had carefully closed the door, not really knowing why he stayed there. Perhaps he was afraid of hearing the sounds of discovery almost immediately; some sign that Kyil had been thwarted. Would he be able to stay put if such a thing happened? He remembered how happy and yet upset he had been when Kyil had appeared in the playroom with the intent of turning him loose so they could both escape. But Kyil had been fit and strong, more or less, and right now he himself was still regaining his breath from a simple stair climb. He supposed the question truly wasn't would he, but could he.
Finally, he found himself beginning to tire, and moving to the right side wall, Mikaril gently lowered himself down until he was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his back against the wall. It felt nice and cool, and he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying the silence and the dark. He had had plenty of dark in Haellara's playroom, but instead of being threatening and smelling of blood and chemicals, the hidden hallway smelled of dust and a very slight tinge of oil and burned wick that came from the sparsely distributed lighting implements throughout the treasure room. He remembered fancying that he could even smell the coins that lay in small mountains everywhere, though he knew that he was as nearly-nose-dead as any drow growing up among insence.
He tried not to think about the time as it passed; would it normally take Kyil this long to retrieve their gear and pick up some supplies? Supposing he had been caught? Was he even now being tormented my Nuumia or Haellara, being made to reveal their hiding place? Was this entire thing just a trick of Hael's, a long, drawn-out lie to make him think that he had a chance of escape, only to bring him back to reality, where he was still strapped down and being made to wallow in pain to prevent dehydration? He put that thought away quickly; those thoughts lead to hysteria, and if he was still in a hallucination, he should at least keep his head; it would only get worse if he didn't.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but as no sound of discovery sounded, nor did a contingent of armed guards storm the treasure room looking for any secret rooms, Mikaril found his eyelids growing heavy, and he fought to stay awake. Kyil might be back any minute....he had to show him the way past the chains, and it wouldn't do for him to be all sleep-muddled when he did it, or he could very well pick the wrong chain. But as time continued to pass, he ceased to fight it, and it seemed as though the instant he lowered his guard, sleep dashed in like a charging dwarf gladiator, eager to rob him of his consciousness and continue the work it had started back in the sanctuary.
Mikaril blinked suddenly at the light that danced off of the coins and gemstones that surrounded him. He saw right away that he was now out of the hallway; the statue stood behind him, defying it's extraordinary secret, and even the spider mural seemed more harmless than it previously had. How had he come to be out here? Did he sleepwalk out? The thought horrified him; to have that little level of control when he slept would surely spell trouble further on down the line. Had Haellara magicked him out? Did she know where he was? And what had become of Kyil? He had no idea how long he had been just standing there. Hours? Minutes? His body seemed oddly robbed of feeling; even the residual aches from his beating in the throne room were gone.
His ears pricked as he suddenly heard a noise; it sounded almost like something......wet, moving around outside the treasure room doors. It was almost like a sucking sound, as though someone was slurping soup, or drawing a pained breath, like a hiss. The sound caused the hairs on the back of Mikaril's neck to stand; surely Kyil would not make such a sound! He tensed as one of the double doors to the treasure room creaked open, stopping about halfway and remaining, while nothing stirred outside. Fighting to quell his unease, Mikaril ventured a tiny whisper. "Kyil?" There was no answer, but he saw a shadow moving about beyond the door, and he focused on it as it seemed to slowly move into view. Oddly enough, it seemed as though his vision was somehow obstructed even as he stared; the door seemed off to the side, and the shadow was preceding along the door's smooth front even as the shadow-caster come into view behind it.
At first it looked to be long fingers, translucent blue and pointed to ridiculous points; more like daggers jutting out than fingers really. Nor did they grasp the door, but they continued to slowly hover into view, followed by a long, thick limb resembling an arm, until the entire thing entered slowly into the room, with the shuffling gait of the walking dead, though Mikaril was finding himself ferverently wishing that it was indeed a member of the walking dead that stood between him and the way out of the treasure room. What stood before him was unmistakeably an ooze; a usually brainless creature that could dole out unimaginable destruction, depending upon its make. He was certain Haellara's fire slugs had been part ooze; it had to be the only way they could survive their own umbearable heat. This one was, oddly enough, standing upon two 'legs' instead of crawling about, and its 'fingers' still extended out like the hungry tendrils of a deep sea monster. It made no sound, but moved with a slow and steady deliberance that found Mikaril stumbling backwards and away from it.
The thing turned toward him, its blank, featureless head seeming to fix on him, and it began to shuffle toward him, limbs outstretched. Something deep inside Mikaril's mind began screaming that if the ooze should touch him, he would be absorbed into it with no trace, lost forever. Terror gripped him, and he turned and ran the rest of the way to the statue, where he pulled his dagger and jammed it into the slit in the widow's hourglass; he would flee to his sanctuary; it surely could not get past the chains; even if it had the sense to try a chain, oozes were only so powerful.
But the dagger would not turn. Panting with exertion and terror, he struggled to make the dagger turn and open the statue, but it was as though he had just stuck his dagger into an ordinary wall; he could not even withdraw it to defend himself, never mind that a puny dagger was no match for an ooze. Suddenly not wanting his back to the advancing creature, Mikaril whirled around to face the thing, which was now less than a foot away from him. He could almost smell the acrid stench of it; all of the bodies it had consumed, festering within like the molding shells of shrimp. He almost closed his eyes, not wanting to see those tentacles reaching for him, when he suddenly noticed a distortion in the creature's face, as though it were trying to give itself features. A nose appeared, then a pair of eyes, all the same inky blue as the creature. Long tendrils of hair sprouted from the head, and three small points adorned the back of the scalp, like feathers. Mikaril knew that face, but.....it couldn't be. "Kyil....." he whispered, voice laced with despair. The creature....it had found his friend, and now......
Before he could think further on this, he gasped as the creature, seemingly at the sound of Mikaril's anguished whisper, went suddenly spastic; the hair was lashing about as it was sucked back into the head, as were all of the features on the face, forming into one anguished look before vanishing altogether, until it was smooth once more. Then a huge slit appeared, taking up the entire head until it seemed as though the head was going to split in half. The slit opened wide, revealing an enormous eye, blood red with a hot yellow coal in the center. Just as he had known the face well, he knew the one eye well; it belonged to Haellara. He knew the truth then, even as the eye loomed closer, filling his line of vision until he saw and knew no more; she had sent the creature to hunt him and Kyil down, and it had now done its job. At least he would be joining with Kyil in a way he never would have thought of.......
Mikaril gasped as his eyes flew open, the thundering of his heart loud in his ears. He saw the dust motes drifting lazily about in the corridor, brought to light by the thin beam that sifted through the slit in the wall, right beside the back of the statue that marked the entrance. Allowing himself to breathe out his mouth, Mikaril shakily reached up to wipe the beads of sweat that had gathered on his face. He had dreamed the whole thing for......how long? He couldn't remember. He tightened his fists in frustration; was she to haunt his dreams forever now that they were out of her grasp? Was this her revenge; to make their freedom as sour as she could without laying a finger on them? Or him at any rate; Kyil had yet to sleep, so he didn't know if he would likewise be plagued with nightmares. He decided not to mention it to Kyil upon his return; he surely had enough to worry about without the possibility of restless sleep.
Forcing himself to breathe normally so that he could steady his still-racing heart, Mikaril stood up and stretched carefully before moving to the slit and peering out. He let out a mental sigh of pure relief when he saw Kyil immediately, bending down to.....pick up gemstones. His eyes nearly left his head; Kyil was raiding the House treasure room! He smiled so wide it almost hurt; it reminded him so much of him when he had first become a thief: dire situation, slim chance of success, and yet still making time to collect a few spoils. More than a few, judging by how the bag bulged. Mikaril's eyes picked out the other bags that Kyil was burdened with; apparently he had been successful in obtaining their equipment. Good; the fewer trips made, the better, he thought fiercely, the ooze still fresh in his mind. He saw Kyil walking toward the wall, and he stepped back, ready to lead and maybe even help a little, since it seemed as though Kyil had quite a bit.
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 5:05 pm
Kyil slipped the dagger into the spider, and turned it as he recalled. This actually was the easiest part of the steps. Even stepping through the onyx sands had a level of difficulty for him. As the doorway swung open, Kyil was greatly relieved to see Mikaril standing behind the hidden doorway. "Master." He murmurs in a soft and relieved tone. He saved any further words for after he was safely inside and the passage was once again hidden from those outside. "The House is in..a state." He begins to explain before Mikaril can question him.
"I believe all of the guards are on alert. Security seems more tight on the lower levels, for obvious reasons I suppose. I do not know if they are aware we are still inside the House or if we have escaped yet. Though..I suppose now they may suspect the latter." Kyil moved to gesture down the passage. "I obtained our bags. obviously. Your armor is in your travel bag. I snuck into the kitchen to gather supplies so we could wait out the excitement of the House and you could focus on recovering more."
Kyil gently patted the special bag that Mikaril had obtained for his roses. "I hope you do not mind. All the food in the storeroom I managed to get into was of the fresh variety. I thought the magic of this bag might help preserve it a bit longer. I believe we have enough for three or four days. I obtained water from one of the guest room bathrooms. So we really should be able to wait for a bit. I had been worried about further raids on the House to prepare for the escape. but..." Kyil paused then and looked down at his heavier and plumper magic bag. "I realized we could just buy what we needed once we completed the escape. I was thinking, we only need food and water to last the boat trip across the Glimmersea. Once we reach the other side we can invest in a pair of rideing lizards, to make the trip more quick...Do you wish to return to our ho--ah..the cave? Or do you think a further destination is wise?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:00 pm
After seeing Kyil closer up and seeing that he was uninjured, Mikaril had indeed been ready to question him, but as Kyil rapidly began to explain, he shut his mouth and looked to see if there might be anything he could carry as they would make their way back to the room. But it seemed as though Kyil had everything well in hand, especially after showing Mikaril the use he had made for the bag that was originally purchased for the transportation of his roses. Far from minding that it was now being used to carry food, he found himself intrigued. Did the food weigh less when it was in such a suspended state? The bag certainly didn't seem as though it had several days worth of food inside it. He wondered what else the bag might carry, or what else it could be used for; maybe even something such as covering a magical device that would keep its magic from activating! The possibility was momentarily staggering.
"You sure accomplished a lot in the time that you were out," Mikaril said as he walked down the passage, taking the lead. "I've not had much experience with riding lizards, but I think I could learn well; so long as we have the means to feed them as well; I hear they're not averse to eating their riders when they get hungry enough." Upon reaching the room with the chains, he lowered himself to a crouch, gesturing for Kyil to do likewise even though he knew he would probably remember after having already been in here twice. "We should return to the cave first; really, I don't think we have anywhere else to go once we're away from here. We can decide on another place then if we need to."
"Now watch carefully." Mikaril lowered himself to the room's dusty floor and positioned himself onto his back, gesturing for Kyil to do the same. He pointed up at the dangling chains, which at that angle seemed to resemble a thousand floating spiders; the knobs that dangled from the chains. Unnerving for many creatures, but certainly not for any drow. "Okay, when I first came here, I followed a clue that mentioned grabbing a head; if you look carefully at the chains, you'll notice that they aren't all spaced the same length apart; many of them are bunched close together. If you focus on a particular place with those close-together chains and follow it, you should notice that they eventually form the pattern of a snake. If you hold your finger up and trace it, it's easier to see." He pointed up to a cluster. "You might also notice that the knobs you pull are different sizes, just as the chains are different lengths. The tail end of the snake has a smaller knob, and that's how you know it's the tail. This end over here has a bigger knob, so you know it's the head."
He carefully picked himself up, making sure as always to keep the knob in sight. "Make sure you keep the knob in sight once you find it, so you don't accidentally pull the wrong one, and make sure your hand is covered." To emphasize, Mikaril undid his shirt, wrapped it around his hand, and gave the chain a yank. He pulled his hand away quickly, observing the frost that was already caking on the black cloth, then smiled as he heard the familiar grinding of the stairs sinking down into the floor and settling into place. "Now you know to look for whenever you come back here; just look for the head of the snake."
He gestured for Kyil to follow as he led the way down the newly reappeared stairs. He felt a moment of vertigo as he descended, but he used the center of the stairs as support and he managed to walk down the stairs with only a few stuttering steps. He walked right over to the pool of onyx and passed through it without trouble, but as he re-emerged on the other side, he felt the urge to sit back down growing increasingly persistent. But as he was already up and about, and now that Kyil's having the special bag had reminded him once more, he vowed to observe his rose bush before he succumbed to fatigue.
He walked over to the corner where the bulky tent was, and he carefully pulled the top of it off, concealing the source of the stingy yellow light in the confines of the cloth. His face fell as he saw his beloved bush. The once lush green bush now resembled an emanciated twig, dried and shriveled leaves and petals carpeting the dry soil like a funeral shroud. Mikaril felt like he would cry; was there nothing left of his beautiful plant? Blinking tears back, he suddenly noticed the two small buds, so young and small that he had at first mistaken them for knobs on the dried branch, their still-green leaves tightly closed. Perhaps there was still some life left in there yet!
Setting the tent and crystal down on the floor, Mikaril walked quickly over to the cot and sat down, shoulders slumping and head lowered. "Kyil.....you mentioned having water. Is there enough to.....give some to the plant over there? It needs water....so badly." He really wanted to keep awake, but his last sleep hadn't exactly been restful, and it tugged at his consciousness with maddening persistence. Perhaps he could focus more if he were given something to do, like putting the rosebush in the bag once Kyil had watered it and emptied the food out. Then he could also see what Kyil had managed to sneak off with.
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Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:26 pm
Kyil noted the searching gaze of Mikaril, and he made a small show of readjusting the straps of the three bags more comfortably on his shoulders. As it stood, he had his personal bag slung over his left shoulder so it hung upon his right hip, and both of Mikaril's were similarly carried on the opposite shoulder. "A lot?" Kyil echoed with no small amount of surprise. He looked at Mikaril with a curious expression. "I have been out for many hours master. I've drained all of my magic reserve that I stole from Haellara just to keep the invisibility up. In fact the last spell I was capable of casting ended before I reached the relative safty of the vault." He paused then to contemplate why Mikaril would feel that so little time had passed. "Your time confinued must have had a effect on your ability to process the passing of time. Not that I can't imagin why."
He carefully followed Mikaril, and his lips twisted into a faint smile. "I have never ridden either. I would suggest a carrige or cart, but that would slow us down and I believe it may even attract predators. Perhaps we can purchas one lizard then and take turns rideing it? Or we could double on it, if it is large enough. I am sure we can use one of our bags to carry enough fodder for the beast, at least enough to last between cities." Hearing Mikaril agree to returning to the cave was something of a relief in a way. It seemed more like..home...then any other place he could recall. Though they really needed to work on making it more suitable. "I am certain that we can make the cave a good hiding place. If I study hard perhaps I can erect some spells like those what protect your room here master. And if all else fails..I can steal such spells from somewhere else in the city."
Though in all honestly, Kyil had to admitt to himself as he followed Mikaril's pointing hand to discover the trick of the chains, he was relying a terrible amount on a skill he was untrained in. Of all the magic he had taken from haellara, he had thought it would have lasted him longer. So there had to be some limitations he was unaware of. It would be good to be able to sit down and study his books again in peace. Hopefully he could convince Mikaril that three or four days of rest in this garunteed safety would do them both a world of good. Kyil's fingers twitched slightly as he looked upon all of the chains. They were all imbued with magic. if he did not respect Mikaril's secret place he'd have been hard pressed not to gather some of the energies into himself. There was something addicting about feeling that magical essence tingleing under his skin.
"It is a very clever trick. I do not think I'd have ever been able to decipher that clue the way you had master." he spoke as he followed Mikaril down the spiral staircase. Silence followed as Kyil walked to the onyx pool. Unlike Mikaril though, he hesitated. Now that he had nothing so pressing as Mikaril's safety in mind, he felt a relculance to enter the black sands. It made his stomach flip flop with expectation of that cold smothering feeling. He did not wait too long before walking forwards. he did not want Mikaril to worry about him after all. Once he was on the other side and past that chilly sapping feeling, he did indulge in a full body shiver. He could only imagine how a true mage must feel walking through that pit.
By the time he had come through. Mikaril was already inspecting what looked like a thorny and very unpleasent vine. At the mention of water, Kyil reached into his bag and pulled out his water skein. "Of course master. I have four. I am sure we can spare one for the plant. If we ration the rest it will last us until it is time to complete our escape." He answered as he handed the brown skein off to Mikaril. He paused though mid-gesture and took a closer look at Mikaril. "Master...you look as if you are about to fall asleep. You should go lie down and sleep. We both should actually. Now that we are safe we should take advantage of the garunteed safety. Your plant has waited this long for you. After the watering I am sure it will survive some more hours while you sleep."
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Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:27 pm
Kyil noted the searching gaze of Mikaril, and he made a small show of readjusting the straps of the three bags more comfortably on his shoulders. As it stood, he had his personal bag slung over his left shoulder so it hung upon his right hip, and both of Mikaril's were similarly carried on the opposite shoulder. "A lot?" Kyil echoed with no small amount of surprise. He looked at Mikaril with a curious expression. "I have been out for many hours master. I've drained all of my magic reserve that I stole from Haellara just to keep the invisibility up. In fact the last spell I was capable of casting ended before I reached the relative safty of the vault." He paused then to contemplate why Mikaril would feel that so little time had passed. "Your time confinued must have had a effect on your ability to process the passing of time. Not that I can't imagin why."
He carefully followed Mikaril, and his lips twisted into a faint smile. "I have never ridden either. I would suggest a carrige or cart, but that would slow us down and I believe it may even attract predators. Perhaps we can purchas one lizard then and take turns rideing it? Or we could double on it, if it is large enough. I am sure we can use one of our bags to carry enough fodder for the beast, at least enough to last between cities." Hearing Mikaril agree to returning to the cave was something of a relief in a way. It seemed more like..home...then any other place he could recall. Though they really needed to work on making it more suitable. "I am certain that we can make the cave a good hiding place. If I study hard perhaps I can erect some spells like those what protect your room here master. And if all else fails..I can steal such spells from somewhere else in the city."
Though in all honestly, Kyil had to admitt to himself as he followed Mikaril's pointing hand to discover the trick of the chains, he was relying a terrible amount on a skill he was untrained in. Of all the magic he had taken from haellara, he had thought it would have lasted him longer. So there had to be some limitations he was unaware of. It would be good to be able to sit down and study his books again in peace. Hopefully he could convince Mikaril that three or four days of rest in this garunteed safety would do them both a world of good. Kyil's fingers twitched slightly as he looked upon all of the chains. They were all imbued with magic. if he did not respect Mikaril's secret place he'd have been hard pressed not to gather some of the energies into himself. There was something addicting about feeling that magical essence tingleing under his skin.
"It is a very clever trick. I do not think I'd have ever been able to decipher that clue the way you had master." he spoke as he followed Mikaril down the spiral staircase. Silence followed as Kyil walked to the onyx pool. Unlike Mikaril though, he hesitated. Now that he had nothing so pressing as Mikaril's safety in mind, he felt a relculance to enter the black sands. It made his stomach flip flop with expectation of that cold smothering feeling. He did not wait too long before walking forwards. he did not want Mikaril to worry about him after all. Once he was on the other side and past that chilly sapping feeling, he did indulge in a full body shiver. He could only imagine how a true mage must feel walking through that pit.
By the time he had come through. Mikaril was already inspecting what looked like a thorny and very unpleasent vine. At the mention of water, Kyil reached into his bag and pulled out his water skein. "Of course master. I have four. I am sure we can spare one for the plant. If we ration the rest it will last us until it is time to complete our escape." He answered as he handed the brown skein off to Mikaril. He paused though mid-gesture and took a closer look at Mikaril. "Master...you look as if you are about to fall asleep. You should go lie down and sleep. We both should actually. Now that we are safe we should take advantage of the garunteed safety. Your plant has waited this long for you. After the watering I am sure it will survive some more hours while you sleep."
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Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 9:22 pm
Eyeing the preoffered skein the way a homeless waif would look at a chunk of mithral, Mikaril took up the container and fairly leaped up and walked to the shriveled plant, uncorking the stopper and pouring water carefully onto the cracked soil, whispering encouragingly to the two small buds, not really minding how he must look to Kyil. Before, when the plant had been lush and green and full of fragrant blossoms, it had seemed as though it enjoyed being spoken to, almost like a familiar. He had always been alone before, so he had never thought about someone watching him talk to a plant. Still, he doubted Kyil would think any less of him for it.
When he had seen that the soil had accepted the offering of water, Mikaril handed the skein back to Kyil with a smile, water still sloshing around inside of it. "It didn't need a terrible lot; maybe about half of the skien. And I'm fairly sure that once we put the bush into the bag, it will hang suspended and not need water again until we take it out." He just wanted to endure that his poor plant would not have to suffer another minute, not while he was here once more to look after it.
He returned to his cot and his shoulder-slumped posture, relief at his plant's re-watering easing his mind and making it even more susceptible to the creeping tendrils of sleep. He found himself nodding mechanically. "It will be okay now....now that it has water. Now it can wait more happily." Had he not felt so tired, and once more felt equally safe enough to indulge in some restful sleep, he would have peppered Kyil with questions, like where would Kyil sleep, and how long would they be sleeping, and with the information gathered, how long would they be planning stay here before they left? As much as he had missed his own little hideaway, the sooner they left, the better.
But despite his mind's unrest, he found his body more than happy to agree wtih Kyil, and almost before he knew it, he was lying down on his back on the cot, his body already succumbing to the stillness of sleep. Almost immediately, he felt his mind quieting down in turn; they would figure out things as they went along; better to worry about them when the time came, rather than when it was far ahead. Right now, their main concern was to regain the energy they had lost in their....month of torment? Mikaril smiled wearily as he remembered what Kyil had said about his time in confinement interfereing with his detrmining the passage of time. Perhaps he had been right, but then again, he had never really had much use for time processing.
Feeling his eyes drifting closed, he managed a mumbled, "Sleep well, Kyil," before he closed his eyes and let sleep take him. Almost as though it sympathized with his plight, his significantly calmer mind put forth a dream where he was rowing his boat in the Glimmersea, which had turned to roses, and the glimmering ceiling dropped fragrant glowing petals all around him like flourescent rain.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 7:34 pm
Kyil watched the eagerness and care that Mikaril took with the ugly plant. He could not imagin what it's appeal must have been, but he did not question it. He did find it odd that Mikaril would speak to it. Was it one of those special plants that had a sense of sentience to it? If that were the case then he could understand why mikaril would speak to it so gently. He waited in silence until Mikaril handed him back the water skein. Holding it up, he took into consideration the amount left, and then tucked it into his own pouch. "Then all is well master. i am sure your plant will be...quite happy." Yes. It had to be sentiant for Mikaril to use such a emotional term for a plant of all things. Kyil glanced at the thing, wondering what it must be thinking of him at that moment.
As Mikaril laid himself down to allow slumber to claim him, Kyil knelt by the palnt carefully. he was weary as well, but he wanted to make certain Mikaril's plant friend knew he was a good drow. One that he would not have to worry about being in the same area. It was..male? Or female? Did the plant have a gender.
"Hello. I'm Kyil. It's nice to...meet you plant." he uncertainly spoke to it. It really did look ugly. All those brown and shrivaled limbs. Kyil reached a hand up to his arm and he lightly touched the body art decorating him. "I am master Mikaril's apprentice. I like plants too. See? I have pictures of them on me. i think. I'm not familar with what sort of plant this is." He waited to see if he'd recieve some sort of reply from the plant. When none came, Kyil assumed that it was either grumpy for being alone so long, or perhaps too shy or weak. It had gone without water for a long time. Perhaps it needed rest and care like Mikaril? Kyil pulled the bags from his shoulders and dragged them over to where Mikaril was currently sleeping. Kyil laid himself on the floor next to Mikaril's cot. useing his own magic bag as a pillow, he reached a hand up searchingly to slip his fingers into Mikaril's own. he wanted to make certain his friend was still near, just in case some unforseen event happened that might try to take him away. he needed the assurance that Mikaril was close before he'd allow himself to drift off into a very weary slumber.
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