SUMMER

Angkar: Wet season. Precipitation is common during the late afternoon and evening hours. Vegetation grows significantly during the summer, but flooding is a danger due to the monsoons that ravage the country. The rainforest sees evenly distributed rainfall throughout the season.

Ashoka: Desert: Extremely hot and dry. Violent, heavy downpours following long dryspells. Jungle: Hot and humid with frequent, violent rainstorms.

Morrim: Relatively hot and dry, but with a chance of thunderstorms from time to time. The heat may cause forest fires.

Soto: Hot and humid, tree cover is dense while ground growth is restricted. Thunderstorms see the most amount of rainfall during the season, and it can be very windy. On occasion, there are flash floods that can destroy homes and farms built on flood plains.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

March 30th, 2018 As you might have noticed, Elenlond has changed hands and is now under new management! If you have any questions, please direct them to DaringRaven! As for the rest of the announcements, including a season change, you can find them over here at the following link!

January 16, 2018 As you might have noticed, Elenlond has a new skin, all thanks to Mel! Don't forget to check out the new OTMs as well!

December 2, 2017 Winter has settled on Elenlond, bringing sleep for some and new life for others.

September 26, 2017 With the belated arrival of autumn come some interesting developments: new OTMs, a Town Crier and the release of the Elly Awards winners!

July 14, 2017 After a bit of forum clean-up, Elly Awards season has arrived! Head on over to make your nominations!

May 31, 2017 Summer has arrived and so has activity check! That's not all though – we also have some new OTMs for you and some staff changes!


WHAT IS ELENLOND?

Elenlond is an original free-form medieval fantasy RPG set on the continent of Soare and the Scattered Isles, which are located to the south in the Sea of Diverging Waters. The four chief nations of the western side of the world—Ashoka in northern Soare, Soto in western Soare, Morrim in eastern Soare, and Angkar, the largest of the Scattered Isles—continue to experience growth and prosperity since the fall of the Mianorite gods, although power struggles within the countries—or outside of them—continue to ensue.


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    Shadows of shadows; For Glede
    Topic Started: Jun 3 2014, 10:17 AM (378 Views)
    Lena
    Member Avatar
    The Purple Shade

    The duo had left the Still Water’s hideout early morning since it was a long boat trip to the main land they had to leave early. It was that time again, for Lena to polish her skills as a thief, as a shade, so once more she would take on the mantle of Shiver. Fin, or in this case Stray Cat had been the one chosen to accompany her on the trip, and it was about dusk by the time the boat had reached the Soarean shore. About time as well, Shiver was getting frustrated along the boat ride, too many nothing and bright light, if not for the lower decks the trip, any trip, would have been unbearable. Getting off the boat the pair hooded up, black clothing, dead eyes, leaving behind the boat that was being tended by the crew. This was Morriam soil, a country that Shiver despised but stealing from it was one of her life’s pleasures, not to mention it had many forests and woods that were the perfect cover during the night time. It was in fact night time when the duo reached the first tavern, Shiver reached out into the inner pockets of her combat garments and gave Stray a pouch, that most likely contained coin.

    - Hither thou are, some coin for tonight, I shall be back by dawn. – Said Shiver as she handed over the coins.

    - Hum… you sure? I can… t-tag along if you don’t mind.

    - I do mind. This is my night to practice, thou are to stay here. Have a drink or enjoy the company of a woman, should thou desire.

    - No… I think I may have a drink… Also Shiver, you should, hum... drop the noble words…
    - What thy mean by that? – Shiver was offended by the suggestion.

    - Tonight… you see, hum… you are Shiver. Maybe you should… t-think about that.

    - I see… - Shiver gave it a moment to ponder what Stray had said. – To be considered. Now run along, and if I catch thou trailing me, there will be more than words.

    - I live to serve you! – Stray was quick to answer, no lingering or stuttering.

    Shiver put up a though face, trying to be the leader she was supposed to be, but on the inside it was like firecrackers firing off upon hearing such a heartfelt cry of obedience, hard to keep appearances but she managed. She also did not linger in the area for long and began to run for the trees, taking out her staff she used it to elevate herself into the air and with her whip she latched on to a thick tree branch, swinging her body forwards and making way to the tall tree line were her motions would be concealed, jumping in the shadows.

    It had been a while since she left the tavern and Stray behind, she made sure he kept his word, because as fast as he was her vision in the darkness was sure to catch sight of him. She was pleased that her favorite underling was nowhere in sight. Jumping from tree branch to tree branch, using her whip on long distance jumps, making sure to avoid trees where birds had made their nests, she silently made through the night until she set her purple hues on a target. She stopped to gaze at the medium size mansion that probably belonged to a merchant that made good for him, a commoner with ambitions to be more than he was meant to be. I shall enjoy robbing thou of thine wealth. She licked her under lip, grinning to herself. A few more jumps and she started to climb down the tree carefully, her mind busy with the “ins” and “outs” on how to break into that mansion and find the cache of gold its owner should have.

    Reaching the ground her eyes were set on the prize, it was a trilling feeling for her, and incredible a adrenaline rush. Just as she was coming behind the tree from the deep cover of the shadows the corner of her eye caught sight of something, a dark armored figure, but she did not have time inspect it any further as she hid behind the tree quickly. Did he see me? What kind of merchant has a heavy armored guard posted so far away from the property? It did not look guarded to begin with. She retained her breath, her muscles tightened while she tried to be as invisible as she could possibly be, but if he had seen her, it was all for nothing.
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    Glede
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    And with his sword my breast he cleft, / My quaking heart thereout he reft, / And in the yawning of my breast / A coal of living fire he pressed.

    What was that?

    The forest hung about him like dripping syrup, mottled moss, the trunks of trees muted and twisted; he felt foolish as he spun, chain sounding a metallic rustle, and reached for the pommel of his scimitar with one hand. He stood a few moments, scanning the trees from the inky darkness beneath his hood, a gangly, armored shadow in the midst of the forest.

    Glede had little love for the emerging merchant class, after what he had seen of the treatment of the poor in Ashoka. The ladder of social class irked and disturbed him, in no small part due to the fact that he stood, socially, miles away from it; when you wandered from here to there, welcome nowhere, it gave you a poignant impression of the rigid awfulness of social class, and the constant greed for upward momentum that everyone but you seemed to possess. Had he known someone was preparing to rob the wealthy merchant’s property, in all likelihood, he wouldn’t have protested.

    He was on the property himself for a number of reasons. The last place he had stayed inside was an inn in a nearby town, one of the run-down ones that didn’t ask any questions—one in which he’d come across a great deal of unsavory fellows, all of which upset and offended him morally—one of the few that he could go to, what with the manner of creature he was. He’d heard there, however, that a merchant lived some distance from the town whose daughter was ill, and who was in need of a healer, services he felt he ought to offer if he ever expected to advance both socially and in his rather lately-adopted and dubiously hopeful career.

    This, and he’d heard the merchant was Ashokan, and though he could hardly identify with Ashoka as his homeland, he had some reason to suspect he’d been Ashokan before his... well, his taking. The thought of some lead as to who he used to be sent angry butterflies whirling in his metaphorical stomach. And he had to question: Could he, if he found “himself”, ever become a human again? A whole, true human, who did not have to hide and take seedy rooms in seedy taverns? One that could heal clients who did not fear him?

    Or her, he supposed—he could’ve been a her.

    And he’d been dawdling here, confused about how he felt, frightened they would turn him away or attack him on the merchant’s doorstep, when he’d seen a shadow split from a tree that oughtn’t have been there—and then dart quickly behind it. He began to slide his scimitar from its sheath, a clumsy and hesitant almost-pacifist who appeared, rather unfortunately, fearsome and impassive in the dusk, an automaton of metal and terror.

    “I know,” he began, rasping, voice echoing malevolently around the trees, “that you are there. Show yourself. If you are the merchant-lord’s guard or assassin, I swear I have business here and will not harm anyone in his household. I...” You, he told himself, were always a terrible liar anyway, Glede. “I am a healer. I swear to the heavens. If I were planning anything sinister, I would have snuck in.”

    —even if Glede had registered that his rambling to thin air might’ve gotten him in trouble, there was no way to take it back now.
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    Lena
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    The Purple Shade

    No, no, no…. NO! She could hear the halting of the movement of the other, she could hear the sound of a blade as it cleared the sheath, she could hear all those things, and when put together they meant one thing. I am seen… but what if, it is just being cautious? The glimpse of hope was shattered by the words “I know”, she continued to listen to him as the deep voice indicated it was not a female. Shiver was trying very hard to keep her cool, her face blurring immensely to the point her sash become loose. She was that calm and Shiver knew that she had to exteriorize those feelings otherwise she might turn to smoke.

    - UUUAAAARRRHHHHGGGGGG!!!!

    Frustration, disappointment, she felt those in great amounts has there was no one but herself to blame for the failure, no minion to pin that burden on. She tightened her sash and began punching the tree, trying to let all the childish anger grow out of her. Pouting, she gazed upon the banged up tree trunk, but still it was but a dent in the massive oak ancient. She kicked the ground and the other could see leafs coming out of her hiding spot, and moments later she would show her figure, and hand in her waits just over her whip. The time had come to diminish the feeling of failure, while she was entirely to blame, if she could make the other feel partially guilty for her wrongdoings, maybe it would provide her would some degree of satisfaction.

    - How dare thee lurk around hither at night? A peasant above it all! Thou are but armored fool that has little to no business to be here. Came to aid have thee? Ashamed thy should be to show thyself wearing such menacing armor, not to mention the cowl that hides thine face. Thou Sir are a liar! Thou intend to harm that family over there…

    She paused to ponder, maybe if he was indeed there to harm the family it would not be so bad, she could take pleasure in that. Still it did not help the situation, as she would have rather go in undetected to steal from the living and not the dead, since such activity was demeaning of her talents. While if he was there to aid, maybe she could use that, a distraction was not unheard from and this house was such a fine target. Would she be able to find another before the night was over?

    - Since thou owe me a sincere apology for the insult brought upon me, and if thou are indeed here to so as thou say, maybe we can find a profitable solution together. – She smirked to the other her glowing eyes staring and inspiring confidence, in all her peach trying to avoid in fact who she was or why she was there. On a fleeting thought she remembered what Stray had said before. Should she drop the more polite speech? It was second nature to her, hard to dismiss on a whim.
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    Glede
    Member Avatar
    And with his sword my breast he cleft, / My quaking heart thereout he reft, / And in the yawning of my breast / A coal of living fire he pressed.

    ((Many apologies for the lateness of this reply.))

    He jumped as she groaned; a tremble ran down him, evidenced by a series of metallic shufflings. His hand trembled so that he nearly dropped his scimitar, one great foot sliding back, sinking into the undergrowth. Sucking in his breath, he firmened his grip on the hilt of the blade. The rattlings of his gentle shaking quieted and then stopped altogether as he reclaimed his wits.

    When she came out into the open, he raised his sword with a new vigor. “Stay back,” he croaked. But the warning had nothing behind it. And she—what could he do? He could not judge from here how powerful she was; he only knew that something about the glow of her eyes disturbed him, something about the way that his eyes could not pin her down (she blurred, drifted in his vision—subtly). Priests talked of ghosts, of Dead, of Ashoka’s peculiar brand of necromancy that produced strange wispy dark things that walked in shambles, but he’d neither seen nor heard of anything like what he saw before him now. He eyed the whip at her hip.

    And yet—she’d punched the tree like a spoiled brat. Who in the gods’ names was this?

    Her manner of speech solidified that impression. He found his voice, despite all his fear and misgivings, taking on a patronizing tone: gods only knew how much older she was than him (he could only lay claim to a few years of consciousness, and who knew how old he’d been before he’d been sealed int his wretched shape?), but he could not help the instinctual distaste. Well, he thought, not without some conflict and confusion, if one acts like a child, should not one be treated as a child?

    The sword did not immediately fill its sheath, but instead lowered, no longer entirely on guard.

    “I do not know why you speak in that strange way. Or why you would insult me so. But I will play your game, whether or not you believe my intentions are true.” He dipped his head with a slither of chain. His hood fell low over the empty framework where a man’s head might’ve been, giving no impression of what lay beneath. “But I owe you no apology, girl, until you tell me what I have done to hinder you. I cannot show my face. I have none.

    “What ‘profitable solution’ did you have in mind? I want nothing of these people—it was my intention to heal the daughter of the household and then leave. I want nothing otherwise.”
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    Lena
    Member Avatar
    The Purple Shade

    Shiver could see that the man's resolve was not absolute, that the sword in his hand was not firmly gripped, she had seen it on the green recruits many times, a simple whack with the staff would have disarmed him easily. This was not a recruit however, and she was not in the guild's hideout, in here the fact that she knew the other did not have the confidence required played in her favor, as long as she kept that knowledge to herself. She could not help but smile however, like the girl she was, she still had to grow some more.

    What, thou have no face? - That did take her by surprise, something she did not expect at all. A black night without a face, does it have a body, or it lacks one as well? She felt all warm inside, what a magnificent find, this guy could be the new terror of the guild, an unstoppable force, even if he did seem a bit shaky, she would correct that. - That is incredible, but what are thou? Let me see it, or not see it...

    She began to circle around him, from a distance granted, making sure that scimitar was out of her reach, her glowing eyes focused on every bit of the armor, every detail she could find. She felt like a ten year old again, and she had always been a bit of a tomboy, but don't let anyone tell her that or they may find themselves with their tongue misplaced. - May I touch thee? I am most curious.

    She began to approach the armored figure. - Thou want to know why I am here? Want to know about this profitable situation I speak off? Well, let us say that I came here to reclaim what was stolen, Yes, trick him, he won't aid if the truth is spoken. It is true this man's daughter is sick. - She did not know that at all. - A tragedy, even if the man deserves it, the girl does not. He has conned and stolen coin from the poor, and amassed quite a few riches out of the suffering of others. - She shook her head, she always had a knack to lie and play out the situation. - It is unforgivable, and I have come here to do nothing but good, even if by twisted actions. Yes I have come here this night to rob the man of most his wealth, the profitable situation for us is to aid everyone caught in this man's treachery. I pray thee, aid the lady, and keep this vile merchant distracted while I sneak inside and do the grim deed, even if it costs me dearly, I will have to atone for that sin for the sake of others.

    What an outright lie it was, so ridiculous that by the end she had to turn away her head to conceal her face of mockery. If this played out well she could convince him of anything really, he would come back to the guild thinking them to be a group to aid the others, something along those lines. Pray believe me, pray believe me! Hopefully her previous behavior would not tip the other to the lie, why would it?
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    Glede
    Member Avatar
    And with his sword my breast he cleft, / My quaking heart thereout he reft, / And in the yawning of my breast / A coal of living fire he pressed.

    Glede was at first stunned and appalled by her inquiries; he could barely contain himself, and would’ve burst out, had he not felt a terrible sort of trepidation around the (apparently) young woman. Even now he did not sheathe his scimitar, his grip tightening and his wrist loosening up to the best of its abilities, the motions mechanical but now trained—he tried, despairingly, to harden fear into skill, into danger. But he was a pacifist at heart, and a silly gullible thing, he supposed, and he found himself complying, albeit with obvious irritation.

    “You cannot—see—anything.” A low metal shiver like a growl. What a distasteful subject! “What you see before you is all that exists, save my soul—which is not a thing that can be seen. I am—I am a thing. Made of metal. I cannot draw back my hood for you, but if I could, there would be... nothing... under my helm. I am sorry,” he blurted, surprised at his own semblance of etiquette around this petulant creature. “I cannot... please--”

    He began to circle with her, slowly, feet tramping in the mud. In the dimness he found it difficult to follow her blurring shape, dark as if some cloud had forever cast its shadow on her; he felt assaulted by her movement. Her eyes burnt into him, prickling at everything in his soul, and he wondered why a young girl should be so fascinated with a spiky wretch of a being like him. The gears turned loud in her head, but he could not fathom to what end.

    “--please stop that; and stop examining me! I cannot bear it. Stop. Stop moving. Y-You... you may touch me, if that is your wish, but only briefly. Know that I am capable of defending myself, should you use this as an excuse to harm me.”

    Her proposition unsettled him more than anything else. She appeared between the ages of thirteen and fifteen, but carried herself like an adult, save snatches of impetuous ridiculousness. Her accent would land her somewhere—somewhere Glede hadn’t been, somewhere he’d no knowledge of, for it was utterly alien to him. He found her manner of speech difficult to follow and her expressions more than suspicious enough to warrant concern. But the proposition itself made an incredible amount of sense: He was pleased to know he was correct about the lord’s greedy habits, and the thought of the money being... moved (stolen? what an ugly word for justice!) back to its rightful owners...

    He stopped following her movements, weary; joints locked with a nasty metallic clank.

    “I am not certain I believe you,” came his stern (but wavering) reply. “You will... give the coin to the peasants he took advantage of? How can I be certain?” A pause. “I suppose it is no concern of mine what you do while I go about my business. But—how can you be certain that he will welcome a... thing... like me into his manor, girl? Even you, strange child though you are, would be more welcome on his fine carpets. I am a hideous brute.”
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    Lena
    Member Avatar
    The Purple Shade

    When he let her touch him, she rejoiced, it was so intriguing to find a walking piece of armor, that she had to feel it. At first there was a hint of hesitation, but then she touched the cold metal frame and gave it a light knock, the sound it made confirmed what he was saying. It was indeed hollow, and yet it moved. – This is most fascinating. I never came across with such an enchantment.

    Then she stopped and looked at him, or at what would be his head, even if she knew by now there was none, it was kind of strange when you really think about it. – To answer thine question however, thou cannot! There is nothing in life thou can trust by thyself. That being said… I understand that thou won’t trust me, after all I did come here with the intention of robbing that man blind. Despite my goals, what I am about to do is a crime, and criminals cannot be trusted. – Shiver lowered her head, trying to fake sadness, like she was some tragic martyr in a holy crusade or something. She was neither, in reality she was just a liar and a thief.

    - I am a shade, and I figure I should use my gift to aid others, even if this is the best I can do with it. – Yes Lena, thou have him now. In her mind she smirked, but he did bring a valid point, how would he distract the merchant if he did not trust him, it was not like she was going to score any kindness either, not dressed the way she was. – Thou may be onto something, but listen, I believe in thee. I think if thou are to go out there and speak thine… heart! The merchant will welcome thee inside gladly. After all, he is a desperate man, capable of believing anything. – Not that she believed he would get past the door really, she did not care about it at all, as long as the black armor managed to occupy the merchant’s time, she would have her path clear.

    - Thou understand that I merely ask of thee not to tell the merchant of my presence here. Think of the children, I pray thee, think of the children.
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    Glede
    Member Avatar
    And with his sword my breast he cleft, / My quaking heart thereout he reft, / And in the yawning of my breast / A coal of living fire he pressed.

    The strange girl’s knock sent a sensation of such utter discomfort through him that he reeled back and nearly capsized in the tall grass. He jittered a moment, scrapmetal rustling, then stabilized. His opinion of her began to flush with distrust, spurred on by the tang of embarrassment and otherness. “Thank you,” he said. “I am pleased to be unique.” He could not keep a note of wryness and bitterness out of his voice; the drawl was there, despite its harsh, unearthly tones.

    In the next few moments, Glede examined her closely. Pride eventually relinquished its choke-hold, leaving him drained and confused, grappling for validation. Despite her strange appearance and suspicious manner, he felt some compassion toward her: When she lowered her head and proclaimed herself a criminal, he found himself wont to exclaim in protest. If what she said was true, the wicked merchant-lord of the estate was the true criminal, having stolen away the coin of the poor; what she called “theft” was merely re-appropriation into the hands of the oppressed. She had even admitted that he could not be sure of her true intentions! This, if nothing else, showed her to be the virtuous creature she claimed to be.

    He shuffled, uncomfortable. “There is a legend in my home—a man in Eldahar. He steals from the wealthiest and gives what he steals to the beggars on the streets, to that they may find a better life somewhere far away.” A clumsy anecdote, he thought, cursing himself. After a few moments of hesitation, he sheathed his scimitar and stooped, as if lowering himself to eye-level would somehow help him discern the truth. “Yes,” he grated sadly. “In this world, many are cursed to be called ‘outcast’ and ‘abomination’. But I think Nailah curses us so that the trials we face lighten our souls and ready us for Ma’at’s scales.

    “If you are true, then you honor her. You take what tempts you to evil and turn it to good. I can find no fault in that.”


    He rose stiffly, nodding.

    “Very well. We will try. If he is desperate, as you say, he may look more kindly on me. But I will help you no further than distraction. I will make my case and perhaps help his daughter, and if you should use this ‘distraction’ as an opportunity to rob his manor, then I will not hinder you. But first—what is your name, shade?”
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    Lena
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    The Purple Shade

    She had the armor picking from her hand now, Excelent! She would have grinned too if it was not suspicious on her part to do it, but she kept her innocent expression on. – I must apologize for my previous behavior too, for a moment… I thought I was caught or worse. – That much was true, not that she was sorry for her behavior, but she did thought it was all over and that she would have to run for it, luckily enough she found a gullible character, as interesting as the armor construct was, he was but a sap, just how she liked it.

    - My name thou ask… - She let out a long sigh, she had to think of one quick, but since nothing was quickly popping into her mind she had to improvise or the other would catch up to her hesitation. – We shades have no real name, – It was a partial lie. – we are usually called by the feelings and emotions left on other people, the feelings our actions cause. – That was actually true to change things. – I am called… Wonder, since it is the reaction people have when they find their coin stolen, or when they find a big pouch of coin left by their bedside. They wonder… - If she had said Shiver two things could have happened, first, the name could be recognized or secondly and most likely, it would raise suspicion on the other. Why was that? Shiver was not really a pleasant emotion, while wonder left a sort of margin for her to work with.

    - I have given thee my calling and I hope this is enough to satisfy thy curiosity. – She did not ask for one in return, she thought about it, but truth be told she did not care to know it, at least not just yet. If this armored being proved to be an asset in the future, there would be time for the two to get acquainted, but for now she had to focus on the one thing she came to do. Rob the merchant of his coin. The sooner the better, it would not be night forever. – We should get to it then, the girl is in need of medical aid right? Pray see to it! – Those last words almost came off as an order, it was an old habit.

    She nodded and offered Glede a fake smile, intended to be that of a sweet little girl. If Shiver knew one thing was to act, she led a double life for a while now, and even if she didn’t, a noble knows how to mask their feelings well and portrait other feelings with the same ease. There was a good chance Glede saw her smile as genuine, heartfelt. She quickly crossed the road and disappeared from sight in an inhumane speed, leaving the armor behind to carry on as they had agreed, they would see each other briefly most likely.
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    Glede
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    And with his sword my breast he cleft, / My quaking heart thereout he reft, / And in the yawning of my breast / A coal of living fire he pressed.

    Wonder.

    Well, it was certainly something he felt. He’d been stunned, at first, frightened on her sudden arrival, and it had sent wretched shivers down his frame—but the time of shivering had passed, leaving only a dull, incredulous amazement. The name Wonder suited her. This, along with the examples she’d given, delighted him: Reluctant as he was to step in with both feet, a certain excitement filled him at the prospect of lending his aid to such a swashbuckling, fable-worthy figure. Perhaps the stories the Ashokan impoverished told were true! He could not imagine a more worthy pursuit than redistributing wealth from the hands of the gorged to the hungry mouths of those in need. Her angelic smile furthered his good feelings, and he grew certain this was the Right thing to do.

    “Very well, Wonder--”

    The words had barely slipped from his helm before she’d vanished; his eyes could not track her progress, and he shuffled in place, obviously discomfited. Once more, the solitude of the woods threatened to swallow him whole. The presence of another person had pushed off the pall of anxiety that had begun to blanket him--Will they shun me? Will this all be for nothing?--and now, in her absence, it returned with an angry vehemence. His armor began to rattle as he shook once more.

    Well— He could see the lights of the mansion from here, peeking through the spread of twisted vines and leaves; torches and candles swayed and flickered here and there, moving in and out of dark windows, patrolling the property. Mentally readying himself and resisting the urge to put a hand on his scimitar, he started again towards the estate, the strange encounter having both steeled him to some degree and confused him beyond all help.



    They had, at length, admitted him. But only at length—and a long and tiresome length that was!

    The guards, first, had brandished their weapons at the sight of him, barking hoarsely for a name and entreating him to leave on the grounds that they were expecting no mercenaries or men of combat. When he explained his situation, no one believed him. This did not surprised him, precisely—in fact, he’d rather expected it—but it nearly put him off the whole ordeal entirely. He might’ve left, had not the merchant-lord heard him shouting at the guards that he was a healer, a healer, a healer and come downstairs to see what exactly kept him from a good night’s sleep.

    Apparently Lord Banister’s desperation had left him trusting. The servants interrogated Glede, certainly, but let him in in the end, after he’d exhausted them with religious proverbs and pleas. Nevertheless, Glede had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t his good nature that allowed him access to the sick daughter—he couldn’t believe it was a coincidence that they’d grown much easier to convince once he’d said he required no payment. This bothered him--then, he’d thought, is the lord merchant this welcoming to any criminal who walks these woods, so long as it profits him?--but he reminded himself that ensuring the girl’s welfare took priority over reprimanding her father’s foolishness. He might do that later, had he the time and energy.

    They left him waiting for permission to enter the girl’s chambers; he sat in a small room with a single window, clumsily overflowing in the tiny padded chair that was the room’s only furniture. He was alone, though he wagered the window was unlocked and found himself hoping Wonder would give him some signal soon.
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    Lena
    Member Avatar
    The Purple Shade

    Her light feet were back on the prowl, she was convinced that the one she left behind would not betray her. If he did, there would be grave consequences and she would make sure that no matter where he went he would always have someone on his back, he had to be always looking over the shoulder. No one wished for that, it was not like she told him what would happen but if he decided to go down that path it would be by his foolish self alone, she could not really be blamed for the poor decisions of others. As she got near the wall of the mansion, she noted it was not too tall, she could jump over with the aid of her staff, but she would be jumping in blindly, so she needed to assess the situation prior to jumping in. The tall tree near the mansion would provide her with all she needed, cover and a clear view.

    Swift was the climb, making sure to keep herself hidden from the eyes of the guards, she made her way to a vantage point where she preyed upon the property. She saw it all and her new found friend was true to his word, both to the one he gave to her and the one he gave himself. She could hear it as well, they were right to be suspicious about him, he should have his armor silver coated, if she were a better person she would help him with that. She wasn’t a better person at all, in fact some part of her wished they would attack him, an all out brawl would be the perfect distraction. Just as she predicted however, the merchant was a desperate man, how typical. Still he was greedy to the end, only when the merchant realized the services Glede was offering were for free did he invite him in. She made a story of a villain, a greedy merchant that stopped at nothing to get rich, and even with a sick daughter he was not willing to pay for her care. Maybe Shiver's lie was not so far from the truth has it could be expected, not that she felt like she was doing the right thing, she was merely looking out for herself. It took a while for the guards to resume her posts and patrols, she had been waiting for that, and from high in the tree she could see it all, eventually she found a week spot.

    The guards were spread far too thin and while they tried to offer a line of sight in between each other, there was a section at the back of the house where the guard that covered it was isolated from his companions, that was her entry point. She made it back to the ground in a manner as swift as she had gotten up the tree. Knowing that her staff would be a nuisance inside, since it was a modest sized mansion with normal sized windows and doors, she would have to leave her weapon behind for the time being. It was fine really, she was not hopping to get in a fight anyway, with careful timing she used the staff the make the jump across the wall, and just like she had planned the guard was facing the other direction. She took hold of her whip and began to sneak closer to the guard and just as she was within the ideal range she swigged the whip and it latched on to the neck of the guard. Quickly she ran to catch up with the man, as she kicked the back of the man’s leg and he fell to his knees she pulled on the whip, beginning to deprive the guard from air. He struggled in silence but eventually lost conscious, she released the hold, not really wanting to kill the man, but there was a chance he would not sleep for long, so she reached inside her bag to take out a rope and tied the man properly, finally she ripped the guard’s shirt and used the cloth to gag him. Perfect!

    After making sure the guard was concealed by some bushes she ventured near the house, quickly peeking inside windows and moving with great speed to the next trying to get a feel for the inside layout of the mansion. In one such window she saw him, the selfless savior, he is but a fool, yet he can still be of use. She gave the window a light tap announcing her presence, and as she tried the window she found it to be open. – Hello again! It seems like we both made it inside, very well indeed, also I thank thee for not letting them know about me. – She did not really wanted to thank anyone, but truth be told if he had lied to her like she did to him, it could have gone very badly. It still could, but he did not seem like the kind that would lie. – I am glad, it seems like thou will be able to help the girl after all. – She offered another smile, but she could not care less about the girl, she just wanted to keep herself in the good grace of the armored construct. - Listen I need thy help again, - She‘d let out a small sigh. - I just need to know how many people are inside.
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    Glede
    Member Avatar
    And with his sword my breast he cleft, / My quaking heart thereout he reft, / And in the yawning of my breast / A coal of living fire he pressed.

    The silence grew thick in the small room. Through a series of doors, he became aware of a shouting, a slamming of sorts—then more silence, then footsteps, pacing and rough. Creaking. Once or twice the pit-pat of feet grew near enough to either of the doors that he thought it might open and grant him some reprieve from waiting, but this was folly. It appeared he would be waiting a great deal longer than he'd have anticipated, and, given the severity of the girl's sickness, liked. Come now...

    He jumped with a clink. Something had changed in the air: It was as if some regular sound, one he hadn't cared to notice before now, had cut off abruptly outside the window. The patrol of a guard, suddenly felled? He thought to go over and look, unsettled. The situation was beginning to fill him with terrible anxiety.

    He might've quailed, had not Wonder tapped on the window at that instant. At first, he was too shocked to do much of anything, knitting his fingers in his lap with a whetstone scraping; he gestured for her to stay away, in case some guard returned, but too late. His soul screamed in annoyance at her friendly countenance and chipper words, and the ease with which she climbed through the window. He thought to himself that she was not being cautious in the slightest—though, being that his first impression of her had been a lithe shadow throwing a tantrum against a tree, he couldn't claim to be surprised.

    More wretched noises filled the air as he flexed his fingers, nervous energy welling up in him like fire. “Wonder. Yes. Y-Yes—I—it was no trouble. For a noble pursuit such as yours.” The construct watched and listened, surprise having deadened his senses to anything else. “I—how many of them?”

    He'd passed—gods, but even thinking about it made him dizzy! He'd no clue how many servants and guards lay within the manor; indeed, he hadn't even kept count. Who, indeed, would? And even then, how many wandered outside his range of sight, wandered paths he hadn't been taken down? He shook his head at the Shade with a rustle of chain.

    “Many apologies. I pray Kahlil guides you in seeking what you wish to find, but I can be of no service in this. My observations yield only that there are many--”

    “--Guards! Guards! Intruder! The demon brought a burglar!”

    He sprang to his feet, staggering and nearly pitching over as the door burst open and admitted a guard. As the man drew his sword, others joined him, clamoring with fear and anger. A scimitar whooshed from its sheath and Glede held it at the ready, ashamed at how quickly he had thought to draw it.

    “He's armed!”

    “Wonder,” whispered the construct, voice nothing less than panicked. “W-Wonder!”
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    Lena
    Member Avatar
    The Purple Shade

    She waited… then waited some more, she kept on waiting and her figure started to blur more, and when he had nothing she could not help the frustration inside her and blurred a great deal. Only briefly, she should have known better than to hope a thing that could hardly hold his sword to be of any use in this situation. Before the armored construct finish his sentence, someone shouted, alarming everyone in earshot of her presence. What?! Of course, the thing changes everything. I was not careful enough… She did not have much time to think things through as a guard burst through the door. Her first instinct was to run and leave Glede to his fortune, but on second thought she found use for him still, she would help him just a bit.

    She drew on her whip and it quickly snapped around the neck of the guard, it took some effort but she pulled the guard off balance and he started to stumble across the room, in her direction, the last pull made him tilt forward, and the guard's forehead met with the heel of the frontal kick she did, he went down like a tree. – I bet he will “wonder” about the bump on his head in the morning. – She said turning to Glede, but then her expression turned serious. – We must split, meet me down the road, to the south there is an abandoned wagon, I will wait for thee. – She was quick to turn away, and jump out the window, someone screamed, “There it is!” not really sure what she was, but she was quick to reach the wall and jump over it.

    She hugged the outer wall behind her and closed her eyes, her skin so dark and her clothes so black that the man that jumped the wall just proceeded forward, unaware she was there. She heard more men soon after, they too trailed away into the woods and she also heard that most of the commotion was still being held inside the walls of the mansion. It was a safe assumption that the metal armor would not tire or bleed, and there was a good chance that unless pinned down it managed to bolder his way out, just like a certain goliath she knew. It took a while but eventually she could tell that the noises were coming from the front gate, and then moved away from it. My time!

    Looking out for her staff, she used it once more to hoist herself across the wall and it looked quiet, very quiet. The armored construct had managed to drag most of his guards away from the mansion, just as she expected him to do. Making her way back inside the house she trailed carefully, no longer looking for the “pot of gold”, no, this time around she was looking for the bedroom of the young girl. It should be upstairs. She heard some argument coming from the top floor, and she was careful when going up the stairs. The merchant was arguing with one of the guards, possibly the one in charge for the security of his modest mansion. They were too distracted to notice her and she sneaked into the hallway and went about sniffing the doors, trying to pick of a hint that would suggest the presence of the girl. In one door she picked up a pleasant fragrance, fine perfumes with sweet tones, she carefully opened the door and there it was. The girl was awake but sweating immensely, probably delirious.

    She approached the girl, the thing was no more than seven years old, but probably younger. As Shiver stood before the child, there was a call out for the dad, but the child's words were weak, not enough to reach the merchant's hears. She had no pity over the girl however and she ripped a piece of the fine linen of bed sheets, to gag the child up, the sick girl hardly could put up a fight as she proceeded to tie wrists and feet. Shiver made her way to the window and lowered a makeshift rope made from the girls bed sheets. She placed a ransom note on the bed and she was good to go. Oh this is the hard part… She held the girl and threw the fragile body over her shoulder, even for a small girl the body was still heavy. Climbing out the window with the girl was hard enough, but this was the reason she trained her body daily, not the first time she did it either. Despite the hardships faced so far, making her way back to the ground was actually the easy part since the hard part was getting the girl across the outer wall. Remembering the tree by the wall she pulled on the makeshift rope and made her way to that particular section. She lowered the girl on the ground and tied the rope on to the bindings, then made it so she would throw the rope across the branch and make a pulley out of it, and just like that she used the rope to climb on top the wall and then hoisted the girl up. After making her way over to the other side and getting her staff all that was left was just a painful walk to the wagon.

    -
    What a night, I can’t believe I decided to aid that fool. I should have gone for the coin, I feel tired from carrying her around. I just hope he makes it, or else I have gone through all this trouble for nothing. Then she heard something, something heavy was approaching, she leaned on a tree and peeked. A smile grew on her face. – Took thou long enough, so nice of thee to join us. – With that she gestured to the very sick girl that rested on the ground.
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    Glede
    Member Avatar
    And with his sword my breast he cleft, / My quaking heart thereout he reft, / And in the yawning of my breast / A coal of living fire he pressed.

    The 'fight'--if you could even call it that—seemed to last only a few seconds, and knocked the reason from Glede for their duration; he could only stand, watching dumbly, as she knocked the intruding guard out. Wonder... about the bump...? How—cruel. He stared at the limp body for a moment, then looked back at Wonder. A cruel necessity? A terrible joke! Not amusing at all, he thought, hand clasped to his breast, rustling against the hollow metal.

    She was leaving him. Another cruel joke.

    “Split? Meet? I--” He turned, nigh stumbled; he caught a glimpse of her blurring, shadowed form swarming over the wall as he reached the window, dizzy. “Come back, by Kahlil! By all the gods, I cannot—I cannot escape alone, I know not—you cannot leave me here--”

    Hob-nailed boots thumped out a discordant rhythm behind him, a cacophony of panic. Slithering mail, whispering surcoats, long-nosed Morrimian faces poking themselves round every corner. He felt assailed. He could not, he thought, unsure of what he could not do; perhaps everything, perhaps nothing. Perhaps fighting. Perhaps getting away with his 'life', if you could call it that. Yet collapsing into a rusting heap was not an option, so long as he possessed the soul of a man in his hollow, wretched Construct's body. No matter the quantity of arrows that pinged from his pauldrons or snapped in his chain, he would feel nothing but shame, tickling, and a rabid fear of imprisonment.

    It was this fear that spurred him into motion. I will not let it happen again. He knew not what these men would do if they caught him, tried to string him up, found themselves incapable of destroying him without soul-wrenching magic. Would they use him? Would he be passed off to some enchanter who wished himself a servant? For what cost? The thought of following orders again, mystified, bloodying his hands for an unfamiliar and ugly master, shook him to his core.

    He cried out. He was aware that it was pathetic.

    Surrounded, now, he would have to find his way out somehow, through thickets of bodies—it reminded him of Eldahar, of the streets, of the panic only a desert-and-scrubs-dweller feels when faced with tiny corridors packed with human forms. He would have to find his way out somehow.

    I will kill no one. I will... kill no one.

    He flourished his scimitar, watching some men fall back and some stagger forward.

    *

    He had thrown the guards for a loop, threatening them like some terrifying warrior and then turning tail and running like a coward; he had evaded their arrows and advanced a fair distance from the manor when he felt, dizziness calming, that they no longer followed.

    His hands were trembling, trembling, a rustling of metal leaves. Awful noise.

    The sudden sound of her voice sparked something in him.

    “Wonder.” Glede was not sure if he could feel the sort of anger that possessed most men—that made men brawl in taverns, made them say horrid things. But an embarrassed offense burned within him and gave his voice a petulant, whining edge, strange in such deep, menacing tones. He came around the tree and saw her there—and saw the girl, sick, delicate.

    Wonder!

    His head swung, creaking; his shoulders drew up. His voice was hurt, more than anything else. “Wonder, by the gods, why? Was it your desire to bring her back? Not even a ghost could be that silent, could carry out such a task! And indeed less so, if she is kicking and screaming for having been abducted!” He felt suddenly as if he was dealing with a child, exasperated. “You cannot... you cannot do this. You cannot, you silly girl.”
    Edited by Glede, Aug 16 2014, 12:05 PM.
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