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Welcome to Elenlond, an original medieval fantasy roleplaying forum! We strive for creative, free-form roleplaying, in the hopes of allowing each and every single member the power to achieve their potential.
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| Welcome to Elenlond, an original medieval fantasy forum! We're always looking for new, dedicated members. Elenlond is composed of two continents: Soare and Esiria. Esiria, a land now isolated due to the efforts of the last remaining Goddess, is inaccessible to all beings and lies in the east. Soare, a continent in the west, is composed of three distinct nations: Ashoka, Soto, and Morrim. Lying between the two major continents are the Scattered Isles. Since the dissolution of the pantheon and the fall of the gods, these countries have existed in relative peace and prosperity. But how long will that peace last? Enter Elenlond; Turn the pages and tell your own tale. If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Quiet... Wait, Quiet?; (Alyth) | |
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| Topic Started: Jul 11 2009, 08:57 PM (187 Views) | |
| Drake Aurelis | Jul 11 2009, 08:57 PM Post #1 |
The wielder of the Light that dispels the void.
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Drake was sitting in the library, reading a book. It was rather an interesting story, about a boy whose sister got killed... And then her spirit trapped inside an item that was required for the world to stay alive. So he used another powerful artifact, a sword to split the world in two, which apparently was supposed to keep the worlds alive anyway, but broke some sort of pact with the spirit that originally gave him the sword... but he still kept the sword. Blah blah blah, heroes find out about all of this, kill the brat that caused all of it, manage to get the worlds to stay alive as one... Alright, so stories can sound very stupid when summed up in just a few words. This one was actually pretty good, if a bit... Odd in places. Drake finished the book, and sighed. He then realized that everything was nice and quiet, peaceful. That was never a good sign. Drake's life was such that when things were peaceful, it was quite likely that a meteor would somehow crash through the roof of the building he was in and cause mass panic. Or lightning would strike all the way through the roof and hit the ground in front of him, and a strange geyser that appeared to be made of blood would appear right where the lightning struck. Or something. Either way, craziness always happened. When things were quiet for an extended period of time, things would become that much more insane when they did. Some sort of rebound effect... Or something. All Drake knew was that he'd have to keep his guard up... Oh forget it, he'd enjoy it while it lasted, even if a stalagmite would shoot out of the ground across the world, fly all the way to him, and then bonk him on the head with a blunt edge afterward. Or something similarly insane to make up for the peace. Drake put the book back, and grabbed another one off of the shelf. Apparently this one was about a man with a huge sword that was mortal enemies with a guy with a sword that was equally huge, but because of sheer length rather than length and thickness. Whether it would actually turn out to be good or just as stupid as it sounded... Well, he supposed he'd see. If chaos didn't attack suddenly. Which it almost certainly would. |
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| Alyth | Jul 11 2009, 09:40 PM Post #2 |
Muse Faucet
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Alyth stood in a corner of the library pretending to read a rather large tome that looked ungainly in her slender arms. It was an old volume, slightly dusty with cracked leather covers and a broken binding. To those who watched closely her right ear twitched spasmodically. A man stood very close to her, pretending to read over her shoulder. He was a good head taller than her and thick limbed. For all his size and the position of their bodies she could be his shadow. Keeping to the pretense the half-feline remained crouched over the piece though her eyes never moved and she never turned a page. The man scooted closer and seemed to whisper something into her ear. The ear pinned itself back on her head and she fought down a growl. Her black tail flickered in agitation but they otherwise looked normal. After a few minutes of this the young woman jumped and nearly dropped the book. The man hissed something at her and she hastily stood as still as possible. Then it happened: when Drake removed the second book it was like a switch going off. The man looked up suddenly and Alyth turned around. With as much speed as she could muster in such a tight space, the half-feline unvelveted her claws and slashed at the man's arm. The knife he had cunning concealed with his body clattered to the ground. He whipped around and punched Alyth in the stomach, who fell to the ground gasping for breath, completely winded. The man grabbed her up like a rag doll by her hair, which was long and loose in his thick hands. Immediately he retrieved the knife and held it outward like a sword, daring anyone to come near. His furtive eyes were already darting to the exit which he approached with long strides. The heavy book lay abandoned on the floor upside-down, its pages bent backward. As she recovered her breath Alyth began to struggle. She flailed about with her claws, scratching the man again and again. He tried to pull on her hair and she winced, but it only made her flail harder. The man then pulled upward, forcing her onto the balls of her feet like a grotesque parody of a dancer. He spun her about and crushed her body against his, grabbing her wrists in the process. Alyth grinned ferociously then and the man stepped backward a pace in surprise. The half-feline followed him, baring sharp teeth. Fangs grew quickly out of her mouth and she lunged forward and sunk them into his flesh. The man cried out and staggered backward. He fell to the floor and she clung grimly on, blood beginning to run out the sides of her mouth. Edited by Alyth, Jul 11 2009, 09:48 PM.
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| Drake Aurelis | Jul 11 2009, 10:02 PM Post #3 |
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The wielder of the Light that dispels the void.
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A noise shattered the silence. Drake closed his eyes for a moment. "I knew it..." he muttered. Then, he stood up, and looked at where the noise had come from. He knew that chaos would come. There was a knife, on the floor, and a girl standing right next to a man. The man punched her in the stomach, and she collapsed to the floor. He bent down, and picked her up by the hair, and then picked up the knife. Meanwhile, Drake was trying to figure out the best course of action he could take. Should he cast a spell, or just charge in. Or even just go into dragon form? The man was now holding his knife out threateningly against anyone who might come near. Drake almost grinned, being in a rather unpleasant mood once his reading had been interrupted by something like this, though he'd known it would. The man began walking toward the exit. Which was Drake's cue to begin a spell. The girl the man had hold of was fighting to get away. Drake then finished his spell, summoning a one foot long, curved blade of wind. Which Drake immediately threw at the man, with nearly the force of an arrow across its entire length. That would probably hurt. The wind blade connected with the man's back... As he was already falling. It left an extremely nasty cut though, that was for certain. Drake noticed that the girl had latched on to the man with her teeth. That was interesting. Drake walked over to the two, and drew his sword, pointing it at the man. "I know it's probably none of my business," Drake said in a slightly cold sounding tone, "But what the hell is going on here?" Drake then directed his voice at the girl, "You can probably stop biting him now. I don't think he'll want to try and get away from a dragon holding a sword." Drake could already feel that his eyes were changed. The irises were now golden, and the pupils slits that appeared to be looking into endless flames. He wasn't sure why, what he felt right now wasn't quite anger. Nor quite annoyance... Well, actually, it was somewhere between those two, and almost cruelty. Drake was in an odd mood... One where he not only wanted to kill the guys that would harm the innocent, but rip them apart... Slowly. Very slowly. And watch them writhe in pain very gladly, feel what they caused to others... Truth was, he was actually slightly bored. He wasn't actually much in the mood for reading, he'd just decided to do it because the library was there and it had been so long. Why it had to be when what he really wanted was to make bandits and other such creeps suffer for their deeds, he didn't know... Nor why he was in such a cruel mood in the first place. Well, he couldn't really help it... It was rather rare for him to feel like this though. |
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| Alyth | Jul 12 2009, 11:00 AM Post #4 |
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Muse Faucet
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Alyth felt the force of the wind magic flare around her attacker as he fell. It seemed to leave a bitter taste in her mouth quite separate from the blood. Despite the new man's words of questioning and confidence Alyth did not take his advice and let go. She did not like his overconfidence and arrogant attitude. Instead she unvelveted her footclaws and dug them into the attacker's thighs. He cried out in pain but was unable or perhaps unprepared to roll over and squash his quarry. The feline had luckily, and quite literally, struck a nerve. Of course, it did not help the attacker any to see another man standing over him with a sword. The attacker had lost his knife when Alyth slashed his wrist and was now weaponless. He was also rapidly losing blood. The wound was not close enough to a major artery to cause him to die outright, but it left him weak and dizzy. He glared up at the dragon warrior with his furtive eyes. Slowly the eyes went out of focus and settled back in his brutish skull. The half-feline waited a few moments after the attacker stopped struggling before releasing her grip. Hastily a pink tongue with small barbs on it darted out and licked the blood from her lips. She winced as she stood up, her stomach bruised from the deft punch she'd received earlier. The young woman appeared to ignore the dragon man. She reached forward and with a great heave flipped the attacker over. Immediately she looked over his body, pulling the fabric roughly aside. To most it might look like she was ransacking the body like a scavenger. The true purpose behind her actions was more driven than that. "So you are a dragon?" she asked in a dangerously conversational tone. "Thank you for coming to my aid..." she paused for a moment to take off the attacker's large leather boots. "That's a nice sword you carry. " She stripped the man of his stockings and proceeded to check both feet. On the right foot she found a red ring around his middle toe. Hastily she dropped the foot and backed away. "Did you not wonder why he did not shout at all? Why he did not say anything to you? Why he was armed with only a knife?" Her overall tone remained light, as if they were two acquaintances sharing the same well, but it contained a slight edge. Without pausing for an answer she bent toward the body on the ground. She squeezed his lips apart like a fish, exposing a split and mutilated tongue. The tongue was also banded red. She let go of his mouth with disgust and wiped her paw on his shirt. Alyth felt she did not have to say more. The man was obviously a member of a brutal underground cult. The young woman was obviously the next victim in their series of ritualistic sacrifices. Each man carried a single knife for such a purpose, and was not allowed to speak so that people could see his tongue. "Now...what to do with him," she mused, mostly to herself. She only had a small desire to kill the man still, and it was out of the question anyway. If the cult members protected each other she would become a greater target. If she let him live he might not say anything. It was shameful to lose quarry and they would certainly punish him. Then he might want revenge for the pain he received by her paw. And the Dragon's... she amended reluctantly. Now he was involved as well. |
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| Drake Aurelis | Jul 12 2009, 12:25 PM Post #5 |
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The wielder of the Light that dispels the void.
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Drake was slightly confused when the girl refused to let go at first. Did she enjoy biting the man? Well, whatever. He didn't really feel like stopping her, it was probably rather painful for the creep. Drake was surprised when he noticed... She had claws! And she had just used the ones on her feet to attack the man. That was... Interesting. Drake didn't sheathe his sword, he didn't want to risk this guy getting away. He watched as the girl stood up, and the man appeared to have stopped fighting. Drake noticed the girl flinch, and exclaimed, concerned, "Are you alright?!" Even in a mood like this, where he wanted to cause suffering to creeps like this, it was mostly driven by his desire to protect others, and his disgust for the monsters who would harm people just for greed or similar things. Drake hadn't really thought much when the girl licked the blood off of her lips, though he did have an idle thought about it being slightly odd... But not really mattering. The girl flipped the body over, and appeared to start looking over it like she was looting the corpse. Drake looked confused, "Er... What are you doing?" he asked, really not having any idea why she was doing that. The girl asked him a question about him being a dragon. Drake responded, sounding slightly uncertain actually, "Well... I know I can turn into one at least. I don't know why though..." He shook his head, remembering his past. In truth, he'd originally lived nearby, in this very city. He'd thought he was human before... He had no desire to go and meet his parents again. At all. Nor anyone else in that dysfunctional, insane family, he'd been glad when he found out he wasn't really related to them. He probably would have left home soon even if he hadn't found out about his ability to transform into a dragon. It had been about a month since he originally left actually... Well, whatever. Drake snapped back to reality, and what the girl had said after that registered in his mind. "You're welcome, but I couldn't just let someone get attacked in front of me, could I?" And... Something about his sword, "Er... Thanks." He didn't even know where his swords were from actually, he'd been given them when he saved some people from bandits. At this point, the girl had taken the man's footwear off, to reveal... A red ring? She seemed scared. Then she started pointing out some things... It was odd, now that he thought about it. Why hadn't he cried out even once when he'd no doubt been in so much pain. Was he trained to not respond to pain...? Drake didn't find anything that odd about not talking or being armed with a knife, not really. You didn't burst into a library and try to kidnap someone while wielding a sword... Well, nor did you tend to do it with a knife either, or at all. The clawed girl then did something somewhat unexpected. She squeezed on the man's mouth, and his tongue poked out... Very unusual, definitely not naturally that way, tongue. "A cult...?" Drake mused to himself. Drake heard the girl musing as well, wondering what to do with him. He said, "We certainly can't let him go. I think we should see if we can try and find out more about what's going on..." he then thought of something. "Do you have any idea? Why they might have been after you?" Drake really did just want to help, even if he didn't really know this girl. It was just the way he was... |
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| Alyth | Jul 13 2009, 05:56 PM Post #6 |
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Muse Faucet
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Alyth cast Drake an appraising look. Her paws were resting on her hips and she chewed her lips thoughtfully. "I think so as well...we cannot leave him here. In fact, it might be best if we move him." Her eyes darted about the library, coming in contact with a few figures who hastily turned away. "We have attracted far too much attention to ourselves," she explained in a lowered voice. "What do we do? I can grab under his arms if you would not mind grabbing his legs. I am afraid I cannot lift him all on my own, and dragging him would leave a trail of blood." Her eyes shifted back to Drake and she considered him curiously. I wonder why he is here...why he has helped. Perhaps he is a noble citizen. Perhaps he seeks reward. He looks strong...maybe strong enough to overpower me in a fight. I hope his intentions are as pure as his eyes suggest. The young looking woman blushed slightly and looked away, having caught the glint of gold from his eyes that seemed warmer than her own. She knelt down on the ground once more and gripped the man tightly under the armpits. Lifting from her legs she struggled to raise his upper body from the ground. Sudden inspiration made her drop him again. She gathered up his worn boots and stockings and crammed them back onto his thick feet. Only the strain in her face suggested her extreme distaste. Hesitantly she picked up the knife, holding it firmly but away from her body. "What should we do with the knife?" she hissed, trying to get Drake's attention without attracting other interest. "We cannot put it on him in case he wakes up but it is also full of blood. I could carry it...I am already covered in blood. Yet we could easily be identified by it." She considered his question also, and thought about the knife's purpose. "He wanted me to come with him quietly. I think I was intended as a sacrifice. He also wanted that book I was holding, but I do not believe he could read it. He made me get it for him...said something about not tarnishing something holy. I think he had a high opinion of himself." Alyth looked about her anxiously. They were wasting too much time standing around by a bloody body. The few patrons of the library seemed to be leaving while her back was turned. If they did not leave as well someone was sure to alert the authorities. Such people did not always ask questions first and Alyth had no desire to find herself inside a cell. As it was the authorities might not want to be involved in such a matter, fearing the cult's retribution. It was a sticky situation indeed. The half feline knelt down again and lifted the man's torso up by the arm pits. She began to drag him toward the front door, hoping Drake would take the rear. It would be better to remove the man from a back door but she was not sure the library had such a surreptitious exit. She hoped fervently that he would catch on to the plan and be able to offer some ideas. |
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| Drake Aurelis | Jul 13 2009, 07:27 PM Post #7 |
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The wielder of the Light that dispels the void.
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Drake agreed, they should definitely get out of here. He had bent down and was about to help her pick the man up when she dropped him again. Drake stood up again, slightly confused, when she put the man's stockings and boots back on him again. Then, she quietly asked what they should do with the knife. Drake didn't really know... He listened to what she was saying. She said that the knife was full of blood...? Did it store blood inside? Or was he misinterpreting what she was saying? Then she explained, mentioned that he'd made her get a book, and said something about not tarnishing what was holy, and that the man probably had a high opinion of himself. At this point, Alyth looked around again, and then knelt down once more, picking up the man. Drake took the other side of the man, picking up his legs, and walked with Alyth toward the front door of the library. Drake started wondering... Where should they take this guy? Drake glanced around nervously. He wasn't sure what exactly he was glancing for, but he was glancing. Then, he saw someone he was not interested in seeing... His "mother" who probably would want to kill him if she found him now, just because she hated those that weren't human and would probably feel wounded pride at having raised one for sixteen years... Drake knew for a fact that the only reason she didn't go around slaughtering everyone that wasn't completely human was because she knew she couldn't get away with it. Whether she'd gotten away with some secret killings, he had no idea... Oh dear god... Drake thought, Not now... Please, don't let her see me... She was currently buried in a book, but if she looked up, she'd see him. And he wasn't an easy person to not recognize, what with his height and his dragon-shaped mark on his right hand. Although the height at least was less obvious while he was bent of like this, helping carry the man. He seemed to shrink slightly, not wanting to be seen... His eyes, which had returned to their normal green color somewhere during this, had a look of dread in them... |
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| Alyth | Jul 17 2009, 07:13 PM Post #8 |
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Muse Faucet
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Alyth groaned with the weight of the attacker. Ugh...what a heavy man. He was not her idea of a traditional temple man, but then he was not a traditional temple man either. Grunting with effort she slowly shuffled her way to the entrance. It was close enough, and once they were near she thought she felt Drake lag. She paused to readjust her charge, looking up at Drake with curiosity and light concern. His eyes seemed to be a different color....were they not just gold? He also seemed inordinately uncomfortable, glancing back at a woman she did not recognize. This is strange... "Come on, Drake!" She hissed, perhaps a little loudly. Taking charge she backed up as fast as possible and snuck out the door. A few passerby stared but were spared further curiosity as she steered them behind some bushes and along the side of the building. There she allowed her end to fall with an unceremonious 'whump' before glancing over her shoulder. "I think we are ok so far, but what were you doing? We really need to figure out what to do with this guy. People saw us, and there are not many places I can see to take him." She looked around quickly as if hoping to prove herself wrong. There was some foliage about that provided their current cover, the side of the library, and the muffled voices of people going about their daily business. Alyth's thoughts turned wildly to eating the man or burying him, but those thoughts sickened her and left as soon as they came. She had no tools to bury him anyway, regardless of whether she felt he deserved a proper burial. The man on the ground twitched a little and Alyth jumped. He flexed a few fingers and attempted to sit up. Alyth stared at him, her heart racing. She still had his knife clamped tightly in her paw, but it was a small comfort. His brute size was enough to cause a few problems. Likely he would try to escape instead of fight them. Once he was back on the street he would be a free, safe man. They would not be able to pursue him for fear of enlightening the guard or running into his cult. "Quickly--he is waking up!" |
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| Drake Aurelis | Jul 18 2009, 12:09 AM Post #9 |
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The wielder of the Light that dispels the void.
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Drake heard Alyth hiss at him "Come on!" and felt as she started moving the body faster. He quickened his pace as well, glad to get out of sight from that vile woman who he wouldn't put it past her to be reading about torture methods to use on anything non-human she could get her hands on. He followed Alyth outside and to some bushes at the side of the building. Drake let go of the man as well when Alyth dropped him. Alyth asked him what he'd been doing, before she said that they needed to figure out what to do with the man. Drake had no idea what to do with the guy either, so he simply sighed. Then, he decided to answer Alyth's question. "That woman in there, who you may have seen me glancing toward... She was the one who raised me." He shook his head, "I don't know who my real parents are, but I'm somehow glad she's not one of them. She hates anything that isn't completely human with a passion, and would likely have attempted to slaughter me, and you, if she had noticed us." Drake couldn't stand that woman. He was shaking with rage just thinking about her now, his eyes were flaming golden again. Suddenly, he noticed that the man on the ground was moving, waking up. He heard Alyth mention that the man was waking up. Yes, what a helpful and completely not-obvious comment. Drake lifted his left foot up and slammed it down on the guy's chest. He drew his longsword and held it to the man's throat, and whispered icily, "Don't try to escape. I will kill you." He wasn't interested in playing games with this kind of creep. Drake looked up toward Alyth, "Do you have any ideas?" he whispered urgently. "I don't know the area that well, I used to live in this city but I didn't go out much." He shook his head. This wasn't going to be easy... They couldn't just keep hiding the guy in these bushes forever. Killing him and running didn't sit well with Drake, he wanted to find out more about who the creep worked for and how to deal with it. Drake glanced down at the man at swordpoint with a rather cold look in his eyes. The cultist looked rather scared, he was sweaty and his eyes flicking between Drake's face (especially the golden eyes most likely) and the sword he held. |
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| Alyth | Jul 19 2009, 08:01 PM Post #10 |
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Muse Faucet
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Alyth scratched her chin and looked up at Drake in surprise. So that woman is his mother! No wonder he paused...what a vile thing to do, hating her own son. Even if he is only a surrogate son, there are far worse things than being half animal. In fact, it can be quite useful at times. She shot another nervous glance back at the library entrance. "Will she follow us, do you think? I mean, we were incredibly obvious. I am sorry you have been caught up in this, thank you again for the assistance. Perhaps I will be able to help you in the future." It was worded as an offer but came off as a promise. Being of a noble stock, Alyth presumed Drake would understand the need to repay such kindness in kind, even if it was not strictly necessary. The man stirred again but shut his mouth as soon as Drake threatened him. Although outwardly an idiot the thick man knew when he was beat. Still, his heart pumped and his face glistened sickeningly with sweat. His throat swallowed convulsively against the cold weight of the dragon's weapon. He looked at length into the terrifying golden eyes and found himself mesmerized and unable to look away. Alyth crossed over to the man and winked at Drake quite obviously and unnecessarily. She knew Drake would know what she was up to, but she wanted to give the thick man the idea that Alyth and Drake had an understanding. If he thought they were old friends that went way back and conspired together his nerve might fail. "You will tell us why you attacked me," she began in her most commanding voice. "It was foolish. I am not what you thought I was, or you would not have come alone. You will tell us who you work for and why. Either that, or my friend here will carve his name into your skull with his very eyes. The sword is ornamental," she added matter-of-factly. A little white lie might press the point. Surprisingly the man talked. He said he was an agent of a cult, one that detested the half-animal. He went for Alyth since she appeared a weak target. He wanted to use her for his first sacrifice as an official member. When he began to go into detail the half-feline nodded at Drake, hoping he would do something to shut the man up for a few minutes. While her back was turned the man fidgeted about, presumably to get more comfortable. The man also said he wanted the book because it was a fairy story that explained about old parts of the city and was therefore invaluable. The branch he joined was relatively new and thankfully not under jurisdiction of the higher cult they wished to emulate. His own case of disfigurement was extreme. "Who is your leader?" Alyth inquired imperiously. The man remained silent. "I said, who is your leader?" She leaned toward him then swiftly back. His fidgeting had not been natural. The man had invoked some sort of poison or spell, or at it activated on him. He was dead. The young-looking woman was disgusted and it showed clearly in her stiff stance. Yet she was also curious and frustrated. Who was this man really? Was he speaking the truth? "I think he was speaking the truth. He probably was killed for speaking too much, whether by his own will or something forced upon him." What a terrible way to die. Then again, I suppose he had it coming to him. What shall we do with the body now? The old questions came back again. Unsure of what to do, she turned to Drake, then faltered, a slight, anxious smile gracing her face. "Can you burn him?" |
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| Drake Aurelis | Jul 19 2009, 09:25 PM Post #11 |
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The wielder of the Light that dispels the void.
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Alyth asked him if he thought that the woman would follow them out. Drake paused for a moment, and then shook his head before saying slowly, "If she noticed us, we probably would already be hearing from her... Of course, if she hears from someone else, there is still a danger..." He shook his head once more, this time a bit harder. Best not to get distracted by that. Alyth began interrogating the man, though giving Drake a strange wink... It was times like this that Drake found it rather annoying that he occasionally missed even the most obvious of things. He understood that the wink meant she was up to something that involved him, but he didn't understand how he was supposed to play along... He simply narrowed his eyes at the man further to see if it would make his fear any greater. Alyth seemed to be making things up to try and scare the man... Drake hardly would fault her for it, he was rather impressed even, though he never had been able to bring himself to make any kind of lie himself... Though depending on circumstances, he wasn't opposed to phrasing things misleadingly so that though they were true, it would be thought that something else was meant. Drake listened as the man began to talk. He became more and more enraged listening... He hated creeps like this. They claimed that people of other races were monsters when really they were the monsters themselves... When the man began going into detail, Drake became extremely annoyed. Around the time he was thinking about doing something, the man began fidgeting... Drake didn't realize that the guy was dead until Alyth asked her question and there wasn't an answer. His eyes widened, "What...?" was all he managed to get out. Alyth said that she thought the man was speaking the truth... Drake didn't doubt it. At all. Then, she asked him if he could burn the body. He looked toward her startled, and then said back, "I could try, but I don't know fire magic yet, and the flash of light when I transform would make our location more obvious than it currently is. I'm also unsure if I could avoid setting the bush on..." Drake suddenly heard a voice he recognized and dreaded, and the last word of his sentence came out as a stunned whisper. "Fire." Drake looked toward where the voice was coming from and was just barely able to make his mother out standing just a couple of feet away from the bush, though not facing it. He heard her speak, the words themselves being far from comforting as well. "I know I felt him die right around here..." she was musing to herself, "Where are they? I really should work on that spell, it was far too slow, no doubt he managed to tell that troublesome boy and his cat friend some amount of information before it activated..." Drake got a chill down his spine, and he stood perfectly still. He whispered in as quiet a voice as possible, hoping that Alyth would hear, but his mother wouldn't. "I think that the body is the least of our problems now..." Most likely, they were. Clearly his mother was involved with this cult... He wouldn't put it past her to have started it. This was very, very bad... What now? He could probably go into dragon form and fly off, but... He refused to simply leave Alyth to her death... |
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| Alyth | Jul 23 2009, 11:01 AM Post #12 |
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Muse Faucet
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The half-feline felt a strange tingling creep along her spine at the woman's voice. She hadn't felt that kind of fear even as the thick man attacked her. It was the kind of voice that brought to mind skeletons walking in the moonlight or the dying cry of a horse. There was a power in it and something that felt evil and it made her shiver and her ears fall back on her head. Perhaps she was only intimidating because she was supposed to be Drake's mother. Perhaps it was because she had seen them together, and it sounded like she was the cause of their trouble. There is always something more sinister about a leader, since they are often cunning and ruthless. Panic blossomed in Alyth's stomach and she reached out quickly, hoping to snag Drake's hand as she broke into a run. The half-feline was unnaturally agile. She soon approached the far edge of the wall where it intersected a courtyard. Darting inside she cast about for a likely spot to hide. Without halting her mad dash she lunged forward and leaped into the air, crashing precariously into the lower branches of a tree. With any luck Drake was swept along with her or followed close behind. Swiftly she ascended the tree and made another, smaller leap onto the rooftop. She landed slightly lopsided, kicking a foot out sideways to regain balance. Alyth lay still a moment to catch her breath. It was more from fear and surprise than the dash that she needed to recover. Things were getting more complicated now. Is it merely chance that Drake is helping me...or is he an agent of this enemy cult? Maybe they do not fear beasts at all or maybe they do but use their power to dark devices. She looked over her shoulder toward Drake skeptically. Was that fear I saw in his eyes before? |
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| Drake Aurelis | Jul 23 2009, 12:15 PM Post #13 |
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The wielder of the Light that dispels the void.
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Drake felt Alyth reach out and snag his hand, and then start running. He followed as quickly as he could, but he wasn't as agile as her, and when she jumped into a tree, he was unable to follow. He looked up and watched as she climbed up the tree and then to a rooftop. However, then he heard the footsteps behind him and whirled around to see... His mother. That horrid witch. Who he felt radiating power... Something was definitely wrong here. She stopped running and looked at him with a confident smirk. "Well well," she said, "It appears that you couldn't resist coming back and seeing your loving mother." She put a sneer in those last two words to emphasize that she was anything but "loving." Then she laughed, a sound which put chills down his spine. Finally, she said, "You know, I never was sure why I bothered taking care of you. That mark on your hand should have been a clear sign that you weren't human, along with how you couldn't seem to cast so many spells even though you really should have been able to. Oh well, now I can destroy you, and that cat friend of yours!" Drake wasn't about to let that happen. "I don't think so." he said, with steel in his golden flaming eyes, and in his voice. He simply wasn't going to let that happen. There was a flash of light, and then he was in dragon form. His mother simply laughed again, "You think you can survive me? Hah! I don't think so!" Drake saw her appearing to be casting some kind of spell and then suddenly, what looked almost like a spear of darkness appeared in her hands. "Die!" she cried, before throwing it at him. Drake barely managed to dodge, and he heard... Was that an explosion?! He glanced behind him for just a moment and saw... There was a crater in the ground not far behind where he'd been just a moment ago. He shuddered, he'd have been dead if that had hit him. Drake said urgently, only so Alyth could hear, Alyth! Get out of here, I'll keep her occupied! Then he flew up into the air, above the rooftops, but not near where Alyth was, and said to the witch attacking him, You think you can kill me? Good luck, I'm very difficult to kill! The situations he had survived thus far were rather ridiculous. Such as that dragonslayer with the lightning lance, who he'd managed to kill... With some help from Tzel. Her cocky grin widened, as she said, "I'm very difficult to survive!" Then, she began shooting more projectiles at him, and though they were smaller and less powerful than that spear she'd summoned, they came faster. Drake instantly began moving, barely managing to avoid being blown away like a number of tiles on the roof below him were being. There was a pause, and Drake quickly conjured a blade of wind and threw it at her. She hadn't been expecting it, and took the hit, but barely did more than flinch. Drake glanced over toward where Alyth had been a moment ago to see if she was safe yet. Drake didn't want to keep this fight going on any longer than necessary... |
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| Alyth | Jul 28 2009, 09:16 PM Post #14 |
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Alyth darted back near the edge of the building and crawled on her stomach the rest of the way to the edge. She peered over, trying to discern where Drake was. The trees bordering the courtyard were obstructing her view. He had been following her, she had felt the catch as her hand jerked. Then she felt the separation as she climbed up the tree. Apparently he could not make it and was trapped on the ground. I should not have climbed! Where is he? Oh! She watched with apprehension as his mother appeared. The half-feline watched the mother for a while, taking in her actions and words with care. Her ears lay back on her head and her tailed flickered backward and forward. Her body became abnormally still, alert and poised. It was the stance of a feline on the hunt, stalking her prey. She wanted to help Drake in a way that would not give away her position to the enemy, who identified her as Drake's friend. Hang in there Drake. Magic is a poor substitute for character. As his mother began shooting projectiles Alyth became angered and reckless. Using her powerful footpads she launched herself off the building. She aimed for the mother and felt a terrible jarring as she fell. Without waiting to see what happened she leaped up again and started running toward the sound of wing beats pulsing in the still air. After a few strides she jerked forward and fell again. Her body rolled several times, bouncing against the hard earth, before coming to a stop. Hastily she staggered upright again and ran, ducking and dodging. At last she saw him, flying about away from the building. Putting on a burst of speed she leaped into the air again, aiming for the closest part of the dragon she could find. Even under the strain of the situation she could not help being awed by his size and strength. If he could get close to his mother surely he would snuff her life out like a candlewick in water. Unfortunately she was skilled in combat magic for they stood little chance against her power. Alyth did not know the full extent of Drake's power but as he seemed bent on drawing her power away than actually fighting she did not want to guess. |
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| Drake Aurelis | Jul 28 2009, 10:56 PM Post #15 |
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The wielder of the Light that dispels the void.
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Drake's mother was surprised when Alyth jumped toward her... As was Drake himself. He'd told her to just get out of here! He didn't think that they could stand up to his mother's power... Alyth had succeeded in knocking the witch earlier. As she got off the ground after Alyth began running away again, there was a look of rage on her face as she snapped, "Stupid feline!" Suddenly, she began charging energy for an attack... One that Drake could sense a lot of power from. NO!!!! Drake cried, and darted in the way, as he began charging an attack of his own. Three seconds later, they had both finished casting... Drake unleashed a beam of light toward her, while she unleashed an obviously more powerful beam of darkness toward him. Drake held her power back, but he couldn't stop it, it was slowly pushing his power back... And then after ten seconds, his beam faded, leaving hers to hit him full on with its full power. For five seconds, Drake felt pain beyond belief. AAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Drake cried out with his telepathic dragon form speech, at the same time he released an incredibly loud roar that rang out through the area. Drake then collapsed to the ground, having barely any energy left at all. He lay there for just a moment, stunned, then shifted to human form and forced himself to get up. His mother was panting, it appeared that she'd put all of her energy into that spell. She had a slightly arrogant grin on her face. Drake struggled to get up, and drew his swords even though he was shaking from lack of energy, getting into his ready stance. His longsword, held in his right hand rested on his shoulder which was pointing away from the opponent, his mother. His left hand held his shortsword, which was held horizontally, as if ready to block. Really, he looked like he could barely stand, and yet here he was, still defying her. The witch laughed at him, "Ha! You think you can oppose me now?" Although... She was clearly rather exhausted herself. She glanced toward Alyth, and looked as if she suddenly doubted her ability to defeat both of them. "On second thought..." she said, "I think I'll let you both live. For now. We'll see how long that lasts though..." She was enveloped by what seemed almost to be a black light, which then seemed to collapse in on itself, leaving what looked almost like a black hole, before she disappeared. Drake couldn't believe it... It was already over. They were alive... And then he collapsed, his swords clattering against stone as he dropped them, and he fell to his knees. "Urrgh... She's... Powerful..." he managed to say, before collapsing the rest of the way to the ground, and feeling darkness overtake him. He soon fell into unconsciousness, which led to nightmares... Nightmares of infinite darkness. |
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| Alyth | Jul 29 2009, 06:51 PM Post #16 |
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The battled ended in a few last words and sudden flashes of light. Alyth was knocked off her feet again by a sudden rush of magical wind and she lay still as her body knitted itself together. A loud crack snapped in her chest and she cried out, the sound muffled into the short grass. Some floating rib had reattached itself painfully. She would be sore for many days. With numb movements the young-looking woman sat up and gazed groggily at the body of Drake lying as if asleep on the ground. Thinking the worst, she solemnly walked over to his prone body. She crouched at his side for a few moments as her fuzzy thoughts reformed. The grass by his mouth moves, so he must be alive. Yet there is something about this I do not like. Was it her fatigue, or did Drake's body seem unnaturally contorted? His expression seemed to allude to visions darker than what Alyth was seeing. "Come, Drake. Your mother is gone. Now...what can be done? I seem to be a regular beast of burden." Warily she looked at him, deciding it was time they left the enclosure of the library. It would be hard to move him, and dangerous, for he appeared wounded, and she knew not how deep they went. Yet if they stayed they would surely be discovered after all the commotion they made. Carefully Alyth eased Drake's swords out from under his body. She rolled him onto his side and un-strapped the sheath for the shorter of his swords. This she attached to the back of her own black baldric and secured in a diagonal fashion across her back. As it was the sword came to her ankles as she stood. The longer sword would be too much for her to carry alone, yet she did not want to leave it where all could see. Hastily she dug a long, shallow hole behind some close, dense shrubbery, and laid the sword inside. Covered up it was barely visible up close, and even less so from a distance. Not feeling particularly satisfied, but unable to do more, she proceeded to lift Drake up and support him over her left shoulder. His feet would probably drag along the ground but it could not be helped. Grunting and groaning with pain and tension she slowly dragged him around the corner and away from the library. She decided to carry him through the back alleys of the town, which were safe enough for a city. It was a risk to run into people yet worse to run into guards on a main road. Echoes of sprightly music serenaded them, muffled by the wooden walls of houses. Two right and a left later she found herself on a remote part of the border between Kinaldi's town and the village-made woods. Alyth struggled on, listed sideways under Drake's weight. The sword did little to balance it. After a few strides she tripped over a tree root and almost lost her charge. She swung sideways to grab him and shrieked as her tender rib cracked apart again. She grit her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes as she hoisted his limp form up and continued on into the woods. Once safely under the cover of trees she dropped him unceremoniously to the ground. Her arms and shoulders ached and her chest felt pinched. Her breathing came in short gasps and she sat down hard on the ground, paws clutching the wounded spot. Shafts of sunlight falling through the branches of the young trees spoke of a night fast approaching. It seemed they would be stuck there for a while. Feeling sick but unwilling to rest the half-feline repositioned Drake so he could sit upright against the trunk of a tree. She sat down again opposite him, waiting for some strength or news to reach her. |
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| Drake Aurelis | Jul 29 2009, 11:12 PM Post #17 |
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The wielder of the Light that dispels the void.
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Here it was again. That laughter, that horrible laughter. It rang out, cold, cruel, arrogant, a hollow whisper that echoed through the void. That wasn't the worst part though. That voice that haunted him... It was his own. He was not the one laughing, and yet it was his voice, even if it was filled with evil that his very being railed against. Just as last time, a demonic energy came from nowhere. It was made up of a strange combination of colors, even deeper black than the surrounding darkness, reds, blues, purples... All of it came together to seem far darker than even the deepest of black could. Drake felt as if all the life was draining out of him just looking at it. It was... So horrible... The energy formed into one spot, and then began fading, to reveal a human figure... Or was it simply forming into the figure? Drake looked at what had just appeared in horror. It was... Him. It was like looking in a mirror... And seeing something very wrong with the reflection. It had his face, his build, everything, but its clothes were black, except for the gold near the shoulders, which was red. It also wore black metal gauntlets, while Drake himself didn't wear any gauntlets at all. And its eyes... They made him feel even colder, a chill going through his very soul. They were solid black... Except for the slit pupils, which were an eerie red color... The dark mirror image began speaking, in a voice that was just like the laugh, cold, cruel, and arrogant, filled with malice and evil. "You are weak. One hit from your mother, and you're off into dreamland... Or at least, the nightmare void. What's happening to Alyth right now, I wonder? Suddenly, there was no longer void. He heard what sounded like distorted music, almost like chilling wails of lost souls trapped in a demonic symphony of pain. He could also hear a woman's screams... Alyth? But no... Drake knew, this wasn't real. It felt like an incredibly small part was, but even that was distorted... And yet, what part of it was real? Drake struggled, trying to wake himself up. He knew this was a nightmare, he had to wake up! The monster that looked like him laughed again, It's no use. You cannot escape the darkness sealed within you!" The dark energy from before flared up again, gather in the creature's open palm. "Feel the pain of eternity in an instant! Blood Pain!" It seemed to form beams that shot off in fifty different directions... And then they started heading straight toward him. He was helpless to move, and they converged... Drake woke suddenly with a scream of agony. "AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" For that one instant as he was hit, he felt infinite pain. And then he had woken up, cutting it off. Drake's cry faded, but he still felt really... Horrible. There was still a bit of pain, but he also felt... Just weird, an incredibly unpleasant feeling that the closest to describing in words was... Almost like he was being pulled in all directions at once... Including inward. It was NOT a nice sensation... Between that beam that witch had sent at him, and the hundred beams converging on him due to that demonic nightmare version of himself... Yeah. Drake looked around, wincing as he did so. Where was he? The woods...? He was leaned against a tree, and Alyth was sitting in front of him. Drake began trying to speak, "A-Alyth...?" He was having trouble speaking, "Did you... Did you bring me out here?" And then, "Are you alright...?" Despite his own pain, Drake was more worried about Alyth. He was extremely drained, but hadn't taken any real damage... Though he would have died if that beam had lasted all that much longer. Drake was still barely awake, he had no energy left, and there were no enemies that he could see. His eyelids closed and then opened again suddenly, as he waited for Alyth's response before he would fall back into unconsciousness... Edited by Drake Aurelis, Aug 5 2009, 12:32 PM.
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| Alyth | Aug 5 2009, 11:48 AM Post #18 |
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The half-feline nearly jumped out of her skin when Drake screamed. Her paws flew up to cover her ears and she recoiled as if the scream was a physical force. Her own, lesser shriek mingled with his as her rib suddenly decided it was time to reattach itself again. She huddled up on the ground, her paws itching to clasp her chest yet unwilling to leave her ears. She sat like that for some time until she could see Drake relax and his mouth moving again. "Yes...I brought you here. I did not think we should stay. Your mother disappeared but guards were still about..." She crossed over to him and looked down on his seemingly pale face. "I will be ok, will you? " She tried to crouch by his side but paused as the sword sheath got hung up on the ground. Quickly she stood up again, but made no move to remove it. "I also carried your lesser sword. The other was too long and heavy, considering I had you to carry as well. I left it back at the courtyard, buried. It should be hidden well enough for the moment." Feeling worn out and confused Alyth took a moment to glance at their surroundings. They were further back into the woods than she first guessed, but still nearer to the city border. The trees here were already old enough to have character. Long, thick roots lay thick on the ground providing hollows for animals. Both deciduous and coniferous trees had been planted making the woods close and shaded. It was an ideal place to take refuge. She removed her pack and set it on the ground and began to rummage inside it. "Not a good time for a fire, I am thinking. Enemies might be about, and the smoke would carry during the day, even in here." She pulled out some salted rabbit meat wrapped in leaves and a skein of red wine, half full. Some of the meat she ate herself and drank a few mouthfuls of wine, then set the rest beside Drake. It took the edge off her hunger and calmed her mind. "When it is dark we might risk one. There is enough cover to shield the flames from the city and I can make it so as not to set the forest alight. Someone might track it later, but they would surely track our camp as it is." Alyth settled herself down against a stout tree opposite Drake. It felt good to rest her aching muscles, though she kept watchful. Even through the trees the last vestiges of light were turning golden and crimson as the sun fell into the west. Her keen ears twitched, picking up the sounds of wildlife emerging in the night. Twigs cracked and boughs rustled, and the strange cries of unseen animals pierced the still air. She caught the scent of a fox nearby and listened as it romped off into the gathering dusk. |
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| Drake Aurelis | Aug 9 2009, 02:02 PM Post #19 |
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The wielder of the Light that dispels the void.
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Drake barely managed to stay awake as Alyth spoke. Yes, she'd brought him here. She then asked if he'd be okay, Drake managed to speak, though his weariness came through in his voice as he did so, "Ye...Yes, I'll be... Fine..." He clearly was taking some effort to speak. "No... Energy... Feel strange... So... Tired..." He couldn't stay awake. He was in a half-sleep while Alyth continued speaking. Saying that she'd left his sword behind... But he was too tired to care even if it mattered that much. Drake thought he heard something about fire before he fell asleep completely. Drake had nightmares of various kinds that he couldn't understand as he slept... But no more of that strange demonic mirror image of himself that haunted his nightmares. Drake was still pale as he slept, and Alyth would probably notice that he seemed to be struggling against something at some point in his nightmares. Eventually, Drake's eyes opened again, slowly. He felt somewhat more rested... But he couldn't remember his dreams, just that they'd been mostly unpleasant. It was fully nighttime by now... "Alyth?" Drake said suddenly, "How long was I asleep?" He shook his head, "Wait... Why does it matter..." He still felt somewhat tired, but little more than what he normally felt when he first woke up. That strange feeling of being pulled in every direction at once was still there, but not as intense as earlier, and all outright pain had faded away. Drake then remembered what had happened. "Oh, Alyth... Thank you for saving me, not just leaving me there." Then, he got up, "I think I'll go get my sword. I dunno, if something comes along and attacks for some reason, I'd rather have both of them..." He then laughed, "Though I'm not sure why. I often just fight in dragon form instead..." Suddenly, he realized something, "Oh... I don't know where the sword is really?" He sighed, "If you don't mind, could you possibly lead me to where you put the sword?" He winced slightly, feeling really awkward. He had just woken up, and now he was asking her to take her to get his sword, which he probably didn't really need... Gah! He felt ridiculous. |
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| Alyth | Aug 10 2009, 09:13 PM Post #20 |
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After a while her thoughts and vision returned to Drake. He had passed out again, or fallen asleep, and seemed to be struggling. She got up and crossed over to him, feeling a strange amount of pity for him. He seemed so helpless to her, even though she knew he was not. Alyth had no living knowledge or memory of her own mother, but to have one alive that hated you was something else. For better or ill blood ties were strong, almost a magic in themselves, and for this reason she had not openly attempted to fight the Mother herself. It will be something he will have to do someday. It might break his sanity to do it, but to allow another would be an impossible kind of failure. The lackey who attacked me is dead...I have no real claim on her, even if I would like to. I do have a duty to him, I did give my word. The half-feline pulled an old shirt from her pack and tore it into strips. She poured some water from a skein on the rag then bathed Drake's brow with it. It would not do to watch him struggle and possibly die after he had done her such a noble, if un-asked for service. Really it was because of him she had become entangled in this mess, and she resolved to ask him more about it if he woke up. She did not have long to wait. He regained consciousness a few minutes later, and seemed little worse for the ordeal. "Well...it is night now, as you can see. So you have been out a couple hours. Also, you are welcome, though we sort of saved each other. I consider our debts of honor canceled out, if you do. Though I want to know why this happened and if it will happen again." She undid the straps holding the sheath to her baldric and handed the shorter sword and sheath back to Drake. "This is yours as well. If you follow me, I will take you back to the other sword. There is an alley that runs close to the library courtyard where it is hidden." Conscious of Drake's injuries she set off at a slow but steady pace through the woodland edge. She was tired physically but the night held a special interest for her. The half-feline could see almost as well as if it were day. Her strangely colored eyes threw the forest into visions of silver and grey. She followed the sounds of the town's musicians carried on the night air. The lively music led her to the edge where she entered the back alley. There she began to jog, hoping to escape drunkards and other things that might lurk there under the cover of stone and darkness. At one point she tripped over a broken bottle but passed through the rest of the alley without event. The courtyard was silent save for the wind rustling the tops of the trees. Alyth directed Drake to the back of the yard, behind some bushes by the wall. "I buried it here. If you want to dig it out I will stand guard by the entrance. Then I suggest we find somewhere to hide for the night. A tavern might be wise, since we would be two in a crowd. Otherwise we might part ways, and thus draw off the enemy. Think it over, and let me know what you decide." Stalking cautiously to the edge of the yard she leaned against the wall. The darkness of her clothing and fur blended in with the wall as she waited and watched. |
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| Drake Aurelis | Aug 11 2009, 04:27 PM Post #21 |
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The wielder of the Light that dispels the void.
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Alyth said that he'd been asleep for a couple of hours, and said that they'd saved each other, not just her saving him. He supposed that she was right... He was still grateful though. And Drake really would have saved her even if she was a complete stranger... Though granted, he didn't know her that well yet anyway. It was odd, he realized. He had no difficulty getting along with most of the people he talked with quickly, despite his awkwardness. ...Another mystery was how his thoughts would sometimes end up drifting so quickly. He really had no idea why he suddenly started thinking about other things for no reason... Alyth then said that she wanted to know why this had happened and if it would happen again. "Huh?" Drake asked, confused. At this point, Alyth handed him his shortsword and said that she'd lead him to where his other one was. "Oh!" Drake exclaimed, partially just acknowledging her, and partially realizing what she'd meant with her question. "Thanks..." he said, and then, he tried to answer her question as best he could as he followed her after taking his sword and putting it at his side again. "I don't really know much more about the situation than you do." He sighed, "I knew nothing about there being a cult or anything around before, just that my mother is a horrible woman who hates non-humans and gladly would kill them if she thought she could get away with it and didn't see a way to use them for her benefit..." Drake clearly didn't like thinking about her. "I would honestly not be surprised if she's leading that cult though..." Drake realized that he was becoming frustrated as his voice became more bitter, and he stopped talking before taking a couple of deep breaths. Drake didn't resume speaking as they walked, instead waiting for Alyth to speak as well. When Drake heard music, he listened and enjoyed it until they reached a back alley and Alyth picked up speed. Drake started walking faster as well to keep up. At one point, Alyth tripped over a bottle, Drake asked her, concerned, "Are you okay?" When she continued leading to where the sword was, Drake continued following. They finally reached the courtyard from earlier, and Alyth directed him to where she'd buried the sword. She then said that if he wanted to dig it out, she'd stand guard. She then asked him what he wanted to do. If he thought they should try to find somewhere to hide together or if they should split up and draw off the enemy. Drake paused for a moment, thinking, before he spoke, sounding unsure. "We... Should probably just leave Kinaldi as soon as possible." He shook his head, "My mother is a noble. We'll probably be wanted for the murder of that man. She'll probably craft some story to overlook that he attacked you, and bribe witnesses to confirm her story." He sighed. "So, we'll probably be wanted criminals by morning. No... There's very little doubt. She has a personal grudge against me, her wounded pride at having raised a non-human for sixteen years. You'll probably be targeted for associating with me as well, and she has no reason to remove you from whatever ridiculous tale she's going to come up with... GRAAAH!!" Drake suddenly cried out in frustration, realizing just how much he hated that horrible woman, how much thinking about her made his blood boil. "I hate that horrible witch!" he shouted, "Even before she found out I wasn't human, she never treated me with more than disdain. When I needed something the servants couldn't directly provide, she'd give it to me just so I wouldn't talk to her anymore! And she made that very clear too." Drake's voice was bitter, and the sigh he let out now managed to be as well. His voice lowered, but remained bitter as he continued speaking, "I quite frankly don't see why she adopted me in the first place. She has no goodwill toward anyone, only disdain towards the whole world. The only other thing she every shows is outright malice toward many people... Her husband is too much of a coward to have even suggested anything to her either." Drake laughed bitterly, "Sorry. I'm just going on and on again..." He shook his head. Suddenly, he shifted into dragon form with a flash of light, and flew over to where Alyth had said she'd buried his sword. He rapidly dug it up with his claws, then while holding it, he flew back over near Alyth and shifted back into human form again, attaching it to his side. Drake suddenly remembered something. "Actually Alyth, I think I do know more about this, however little." He took a breath, and began explaining, "A friend of mine, also non-human, and I were both captured a while ago. After escaping some kind of weird prison of illusions, we were sent into an arena where non-humans are forced to fight each other to the death. We somehow managed to escape, but..." He paused, "I think that it might have been related to this. Our captors were dressed strangely, as if they were part of a cult. If it's not the one that witch is in, it's likely the one that they're supposedly trying to emulate." Drake shook his head and sighed once more. He did that a lot. "Well, we shouldn't stick around here. I still think that we should leave town, but what do you think?" Drake actually was afraid that he might be missing something, some reason for them to stay. He tended to do that... To tell the truth, he wanted to kill that horrible woman who raised him, stop what she was doing. But he wasn't sure that he could. She was too powerful... |
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| Alyth | Aug 19 2009, 04:12 PM Post #22 |
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Alyth watched for guards while Drake dug up his sword though the night remained calm. At one point she heard voices but they receded into the glow of an open tavern. The light promptly winked out again as the door closed. She felt exhausted by the day's events and was ready to be rid of the curious dragon and his problems. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Genuinely nice guys tended to get themselves killed. Although he helped save her, it was his problem that she had gotten pulled into. Though she did feel some pity for the man, it would be something he would need to figure out on his own. Not really his problem, she amended to herself. He did not ask for this. I wonder why she did adopt him. She probably had to maintain a socially acceptable standing in society. Although a lot of people do it, nobody likes to admit abandoning a child. "An arena you say? Where non-humans must fight. How terrible it sounds," she replied after Drake changed form again. She herself had been in a similar situation years ago, and remembered the cruel event with bared teeth. The brutality of arena fighting was renowned. Beings were often matched unfairly or pitted against those half-crazed, without any sense of honor or decency. Most also had a two men enter one leaves rule. It was not a place to find yourself, as escape was nigh on impossible. Respect for Drake blossomed in her stomach like wine, bolstering her attitude. "If you can survive an arena you can survive your Mother, especially if she was behind it. "I have...places to be. I also agree with what you say. Separation is probably our best defense at the moment. I will travel lightly and swiftly from here and not return until all memory of me is faded. I suggest you do the same, until you are able to face that which plagues you. I wish you luck, Drake. If ever you should need me do not hesitate to track me down. It should be easy enough for a dragon such as you. If I find anything more out I will attempt the same, though I can promise nothing. I have a feeling we will meet again before all this is through, for better or worse." With a nod in his direction she grinned one wicked, feral grin before dashing off around the corner. She would return to the forest and travel for many days before finding herself stuck in a swamp. She would evade the guards and scouts this way, though the swamp would nearly claim her life. From there she would find refuge in a dirty town and be attacked, resulting in her capture. Beaten nearly senseless she would forget about Drake and disappear into the life she so narrowly escaped. |
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