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Post by atlantis on May 17, 2013 23:11:11 GMT -5
The night was still, the sky black and moonless. A few clouds hovered overhead and the only sounds were the splash of the gentle waves below and the click of brass on brass as Markas opened and closed the lid on his father's compass. He was standing starboard, leaned against the side of the ship overlooking the water and fiddling with the trinket in his hands. "Thinking about the attack?" The voice surprised him a little, but not enough to cause him to move. It was Soren, his sunny-haired antithesis and best friend, approaching from his left. He was wrapped in a vibrant blue wool coat probably three sizes too big for him, shivering in the cold air. Markas shook his head. "Praying for their protection." Soren raised an eyebrow and gave a hint of a smirk. "Have you been listening to the old men tell stories again?" The question was meant to mock in the most amicable of ways. Soren liked to tease him for his susceptibility to superstition. Markas ignored him, staring up at the dark sky instead. "There's something amiss in the air tonight." "There's nothing, Markas," Soren replied, placing a hand over the compass. "Nothing but your bad memories haunting you." The captain turned his head, his eyes falling on Soren only for a second before shifting past him. The shadows were alive, moving-- sprinting-- along the walls of the quarterdeck. One of them seemed to take shape, becoming the form of a tall, slender man, before disappearing around the corner. Markas chased it, Soren calling after him from a few feet behind. When he turned the corner, however, he saw nothing. "What's wrong?" Soren panted nearby. "I thought I saw...." The sound of a question saturated his words and he wondered for a moment if he was losing his mind. Markas rubbed his eyes, clearing away the drowsiness fogging his mind. Still he saw no shadow-figures, no phantoms or monsters of the deep. He shook his head and was about to head back when a piercing shriek echoed through the ship from the sleeping quarters. Soren's eyes met his in an instant. "Svana," was all his friend said before they both dashed off again. It was dark inside the quarterdeck, all lights put out while the crew slept. Markas withdrew a small tin from his pocket and pulled off the bottom to reveal a glass jar containing a tiny ball of light. It was a lumina, of foreign make, but he'd had the metallic case etched with Rovani designs. He banged hard on Raum and Kaspar's doors, shouting for them to wake up. His sister, Ildri, had already crawled out of bed and stood squinting at him from her doorway, blond hair glowing in the orb's light. "What's going on?" she asked sleepily. Soren was already at Svana's door, practically throwing it open, sword at the ready. Inside, there was only a flourish of shadows as the light flooded in and then the room was empty. Soren entered in a panic, searching the bedsheets and each corner, calling his sister's name again and again. When he at last gave up, he fell to his knees and turned back to Markas hopelessly. "What did you see?" he demanded in a low whisper, unable to disguise a slight crack in his voice. "What's going on?" Ildri asked again. She was more awake now, her eyes wide as she began to realize the situation. "Nothing," Markas said to Soren. The remainder of the crew took it as an answer for Ildri, however. "Then why, for the love of the gods, am I out of bed?" Raum grumbled. "I heard Svana scream," Kaspar said pointedly. "Where did she go?" Ildri only shook her head. "She's not here, obviously. Let's search the ship." But before she and the others could leave, Soren had leapt at Markas, pinning him to the wall. The light fell to the floor and went out, leaving only the moon shining in from the open cabin door to light their faces. "You saw something. What was it?" There was a dangerous glint in his friend's eyes and he knew it was best to give Soren an answer. "I'm not even really sure I saw--" he began but Soren shook him hard so his head hit the wall again. Kaspar made a move to break it up but Ildri stopped him. She had seen the pair fight before and she understood when and when not to interfere. "I thought I saw a draugr," Markas answered quietly. Soren let out a loud, cheerless laugh. "My sister was taken by a ghost?" "Don't be an idiot, Falk," Raum scoffed. "There's no such thing." Soren released Markas and turned instead to the carpenter. "Then tell me where Svana is." When he received no reply, he glanced back at the captain. "I know the draugr is a myth. But my sister is missing and I have no other clue." "Soren," Idlri began pleadingly, "listen to reason. If she's not in her room, she must be somewhere else on the ship." "Her scream sounded from her quarters," Kaspar argued, shaking his head. "So you believe it was a draugr, too?" Markas's sister asked with exasperation. "Well, I..." the surgeon searched his thoughts, evidently unsure what to make of the mystery. "I trust the captain saw something. And for him to describe it as being a phantom... it must have been something strange. Until a more logical conclusion can be found, I'm afraid we must rely on Markas's witness." Markas stood tall, tired of listening to them quarrel. "That's enough. We'll search the ship as a group. Ildri is right; Svana must be here somewhere." He heard Raum mumble something under his breath. "If you have a complaint, you should speak up." Raum crossed his arms gruffly. "If we're going to spend the rest of our night hunting ghosts, we should split up. We can find her faster and then I can go back to sleep." "We don't know our enemy; it's too dangerous to roam alone," Markas explained, but Raum only rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. The group continued out of the hall and back into the night, taking the stairs to the next deck. Markas opened the cabin door cautiously, the hairs on his arms prickling with fear. The moon poured into the empty space over his shoulders and he was relieved to find nothing there. He stepped inside, followed by the footsteps of his crew. The second deck had only three rooms, each far larger than their humble sleeping quarters. Behind him, he heard a door open and turned to see Kaspar peering into the kitchens. "Svana?" The surgeon had only just spoken the name when icy black hands stretched out of the room and wrapped tightly around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Kaspar gave a startled yelp as he was pulled into the kitchen. A spasm of energy passed through the remaining crew as they hurried after him. What they found waiting for them was the most otherwordly thing any of them had witnessed in their lives. Kaspar was suspended in the air, almost completely covered in shadows that moved like rushing wind all around him. Markas held Ildri back to protect her from the.... draugr? He was terrified, his mind blank. Beside him, Raum drew his sword and charged at the shadows. "No, dont'!" Soren yelled. "You might hit Kaspar!" Raum didn't listen, however, and swung the blade at one of the monsters. The attack did nothing to the draugr; the iron shattered and broke within the shadow, as though it were made of the finest porcelain and Raum could do nothing but gape in horror. Kaspar was hardly visible now, only his hands and a few places on his face poking through the darkness. Ildri shoved past her brother and grabbed Kaspar's hand, trying to pull him free, but the shadows began to wrap around her as well. Raum, too, was now being circled by the draugr and Markas saw little choice but to leap into the action as well to try and save his friends. But as he ran forward, a bright flash came from behind him, flooding the kitchen in light. He turned quickly to see Soren had opened his own lumina and was brandishing it at the demons. To Markas's astonishment, the shadows fled and burned away in the light and Kaspar and the others fell to the ground. Ildri picked herself up and crawled over to the surgeon who lay unconscious. She placed her hands on his face gently, repeating his name as though the sound of it was the only thing in the world that would save him. "What... happened?" Raum asked thickly. "When you used the lumina in Svana's room," Soren explained, more to Markas than Raum, "I saw the shadows scatter. It was too late for my sister, but...." Markas grasped his shoulder warmly. "But we know how to fight them now. We'll sleep here in the kitchens with all the light we can find. In the morning, we'll head for Rovanieme to see if it's possible to help Svana. If anyone knows about the spirits of Rovan, it's Matka and his saints." Soren only gave a small half-smile in response and the crew began preparing the kitchens for bed.
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Post by atlantis on May 23, 2013 19:38:16 GMT -5
Tyr
It was cold in the forests around Arenne, which is why Tyr was jogging through the snow. Occasionally one of his boots would get lodged in the thick white stuff, stuck in the mud that was hidden below, and he'd have to stop to pull his leg free. He was in a hurry, though. He was supposed to meet up with his brother in a few minutes and he was running a little behind. He slowed as he saw the first of several cabins up ahead, smoke funneling out of the chimney.
He hadn’t been told what they were meeting for, or why they were meeting here, in an outpost a couple miles from the main city, and he hadn’t bothered to ask. It was best not to ask questions of his family; they would scarcely answer anyway. He reached out to grab the doorknob and felt the warm wave rush over him as he entered, defrosting his nose and gradually the rest of his body.
He saw Garmr sitting at a table in the corner as he took a few more steps inside. “The snow tried to keep me down but I made it,” he announced with a grin, taking off his gloves and coat. “Tell me you have something warm to drink.”
Garmr Sitting at the table and sipping some ale with a newly inducted member of the Guardians who had agreed to help him, Garmr muttered, “Where is that boy? I asked him to meet me here two minutes ago!”
Suddenly the door opened and Tyr walked in. He frowned at his brother’s nonchalant behavior. “Tyr,” he said sternly. “If you want to get warm, fight my friend here.” He gestured at a 5’10”, twenty one year old, brown haired female in the corner. “After that, you won’t need anything warm.” Garmr nodded at the girl, and she stood up drawing a bastard sword out of the sheath on her back.
Tyr
Tyr blinked at the girl as she readied her weapon. “You want me to what, now?” But their unflinching expressions told him it wasn’t a joke. “Alright, if you insist...,” he shrugged, taking one of the spare shortswords standing against the wall near the door. He had learned to rely on smaller swords and his own quickness in contrast with most Forsvarin who favored heavy steel and brute strength. He charged her, hoping to keep her in the corner, and swung swiftly from above.
He should have known not to attack someone taller from above, but the entire situation had thrown him off guard. His sword bounced off hers and she quickly punched him in the gut, backing him up several steps and allowing her to advance from her corner. He looked up at her, watching to see what she would do next. When she didn’t move, he leapt at her once again, this time swinging at her side from below. She didn’t block his attack with her sword; instead, she caught his hand before he had finished the movement and twisted it so the blade fell from his grip.
Tyr’s mind began to race, looking for anything else around he could use for a weapon as Garmr’s friend began moving toward him, backing him into the opposite corner. Running out of ideas, he grabbed a chair and threw it at her, slipping behind her in the aftermath and running for his sword. She gathered her wits before he reached it, however and was standing over him in a matter of seconds. In a moment of desperation, he grasped the fire iron from the fireplace and brandished it at her wildly, accidentally brushing her arm with the still-burning end.
Garmr A disappointed scowl had not left Garmr’s face during the whole fight. Was this really his brother? All of their sisters could fight better than this boy. He had thought that surely the Academy had taught him something, but Tyr seemed like a baby trying to fend off a wolf. It was very disgraceful.
Suddenly, things turned dangerous. Tyr grabbed a glowing fire iron and began to wave it frantically at the not so seasoned fighter. He must have poked her with it because she let out a yelp of pain, and her eyes shifted. No longer did she seem like a bored warrior toying with someone. She seemed like she was actually out to hurt or kill his brother now.
“Enough,” Garmr said suddenly. He pulled one of the two large battle axes from his back and sprinted between the pair. He was just fast enough to stop the blade from cleaving his brother’s skull in twain. After standing with their weapons locked for a few moments, Garmr was able to shift his weight and with one swift movement disarm the women. He repeated himself more firmly saying in a commanding voice, “Enough, Birna, sit and drink. You fought well.”
Glaring at him, she took her seat and began to nurse the drink she had started earlier. Garmr on the other hand turned to his brother, the scowl etched on his face. “Tyr!” he cried. “What were you thinking? You fight like a coward! Not only did you choose the weakest weapon from what I had lined out for you on the wall, you allowed yourself to be cornered and could only escape using that cheap trick. On a real battlefield, there are no hot fire irons to save you.”
Tyr
Tyr bristled at his brother's insults, climbing to his feet. "I chose the weapon that plays to my own strengths-- which in case you haven't noticed," he added, gesturing to his small frame, "isn't strength! Not everyone was born the size of a mountain. Besides, let's be honest, do you think our father would ever let me anywhere near battle?"
Garmr Tyr’s yelling stung Garmr. He really hated being like this at his brother. It reminded him too much of how their father was unfair towards poor Tyr, but he couldn’t let the boy get away with burning someone else. He signed, put his axe away and laid a hand on his brother. “I’m sorry Tyr,” he said softly now, kneeling so he was at eye level. “I really thought Birna would be a good match for you. I should’ve started you off with someone easier. I’m just so worried about The Tournament coming up. If you don’t show well there, no amount of begging or bribing can keep you in the Academy.” He sighed and continued, “I know our Father isn’t the most supportive, but it’s just because he cares about you.”
Tyr
“Yeah, that’s what mother says, too,” Tyr replied, looking away. “You shouldn’t worry about the tournament, though. My first opponent isn’t too bright. If I can keep out of his reach long enough, I can win without a problem. And if I lose... well, I guess I’ll go to Rovan and become a pirate,” he joked. “You should come watch-- win or lose, I’d want you to be there.”
Turning to Birna, he added, “I’m sorry I burned you. It wasn’t on purpose; I only wanted to keep you from hacking me open.”
Garmr Standing up, Garmr rubbed Tyr’s head. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he replied and then his stern face broke out into a smile at the Rovan comment. “You know Mother would tie you up and lock you in the kitchen before she’d let you go that far away.”
Birna just grunted and nodded disgruntledly in Tyr’s direction. She was mostly just annoyed at the inept boy. He may be the brother of a fighting genius, but he wasn’t worth her time.
Sitting down, Garmr pulled the chair out next to him which seemed to have a mug with a steaming cup on it. “Here’s your drink kid,” He said, his face was back to being stern, but it wasn’t an angry sternness, just the seriousness that normally covered his face.
Tyr
He grabbed the mug greedily and let the drink fill him with warmth-- though as Garmr had promised, he had worked up a bit of a sweat in the fight. “Anything new and terrifying in the world I should be afraid of, oh Defender of Itova?” Tyr was, in his heart of hearts, a little jealous of his elder brother. Garmr was the man he wanted to be-- who everyone wanted to be: an officer in Ara’s Guard, a valiant soldier, a paragon of strength and Forsvarin excellence. That, unfortunately, didn’t look to be in his future, so he settled for listening to Garmr’s stories.
Garmr Taking a long swig of the ale, Garmr thought about his brother’s question. For a split second, he considered not telling his brother anything. Then he shook off that thought. It really was an odd one considering his family didn’t hide anything from eachother as a general rule. He leaned in closer to Tyr so he could talk more privately. Birna wasn’t really paying attention to the boy’s banter anyway, but he didn’t want to disrupt chain of command and have her hear information she wasn’t ready for.
“They say,” he said softly. “That there have been disappearances all across Itova. Good and bad alike are going to bed and not waking up there the next day. Some people have even been saying the shadows are taking them and there’s no way to guard against it.” He shook his head. “Bad things are coming Tyr, I promise you that.”
Tyr
The worry in Garmr’s voice was enough to unsettle him. “But how could a shadow take a person?” he asked, more to himself than anything. “That doesn’t make sense. But... with the gods and guardians in place... I mean, we’ll be okay, right?”
Garmr “Yeah, we’ll be fine” Garmr replied patting his brother on the back. ”No one from Forsvar has disappeared. I think it’s just weak people from other cultures blaming their troubles on silly superstitions. Because they don’t train to fight like we do, they can’t protect themselves, and they talk about ghosts instead of reality. I know dangerous times are coming, but they’ll never reach to Forsvar. We’ll make sure of that.”
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Post by Zabby on May 24, 2013 17:54:40 GMT -5
OT: Sorry for it being so long. From now on, I don't think TK and I will be doing JPs Tizoc The sun hitting her eyes started to pull her from sleep to the realm of the waking. Taking a deep breath before opening her eyes, Tizoc could have sworn that she was still in Chlaco. The smell, the feel, the sounds, felt just like her home, but when she opened her eyes, that familiar sinking sadness settled in her stomach.
Sighing, she got up and looked around the house she’d lived in ever since she came to this country. It happened this way almost every morning. Tizoc couldn’t help that fact that everything in this country reminded her of home. It made it a comfortable place to live, but it was also lead to this disappointment every morning. She could not lie to herself, as Tizoc looked around her Meian house, all she really wanted more than anything else to go home.
Pulling on the most modest clothes she could find in Meia, Tizoc went over to the green and purple parrot she kept. “Panyal,” she said to the animal as it shook it’s head. “How was your night?”
“Fine,” the bird replied to her in a deep man’s voice. “Another lovely night with nothing to complain. How about your’s?”
“I didn’t sleep well,” Tizoc replied with a frown as she rubbed her neck. “You know, I’m thinking that maybe we’ve spent too long here. We could find ourselves a boat and explore a little.”
“Don’t talk like that, my sister. I know what you’re thinking you’ll find, and it is something that can never be.”
“Mhm,” There was a pause and then Tizoc continued, “I must meet Ylla today. She seemed very anxious to talk. Will you come with me?”
“If that is what you want.” Panyal flew over to Tizoc’s shoulder and they took off to the center of town where breakfast was being served to all the children of Lotanni.
Ylla
Monsters were running everywhere, People being torn apart, blood. Lot’s of blood. Then a red headed man appeared in the center of the chaos. He mouthed something but the screams of terror coming from the people were too loud.
Ylla tried to get closer to see what he said, but she didn’t need to. The man shouted almost painfully loud, “Wake UP!”
Ylla jolted up in her bed. Itulei stood in her doorway with his signature half grin on his face. “You’re late for training, get around and meet me on the beach in ten minutes. We’ll only have half an hour of training before breakfast. And Ylla, try not to talk in your sleep. It’s weird.” The man walked out the door and Ylla just sat in her bed for a moment.
“What the heck were those things?”
Shaking off the bizarreness of her dream she got up and slipped her favorite blue outfit on and grabbed her favorite knives. She had other knives, but these were special. They were brought back from the wreckage of Desch. She admired them for a second before remembering she was on a timer.
She rushed to the beach and found Itulei with his knives at his side. Usually he would say something by now, but instead he just stood there with his eyes closed.
“Uh, Itulei? You okay?” With that he swung his blade close to Ylla throat.
Ylla quickly flipped backwards and upon regaining her balance launched an offensive of her own, a quick kick to the chest which he easily sidestepped and capitalized with by sweeping her other leg of the ground, Ylla landed with grunt but quickly jumped back up and unleashed a flurry of quick blows which he met blow for blow with his blades. The two went on in this battle for the next 20 minutes or so until with one wrong step, Ylla was left wide open, Itulei used this to his advantage and with a swift kick to the gut, Ylla was sent flying back.
Ylla looked up at her master in shock, the man may have been double her age but he hadn’t let his body know that. He was still in top physical condition. Knowing that she was beat she stood up and bowed as she usually did in respect to her master. He gave her the usual talk about not being so headstrong and using cleaner cuts, but she just ignored it as she usually did. The two got cleaned up from their training and went to the breakfast hall.
Ylla kept silent about her plan to run away. She loved Itulei dearly, but she knew that he would never let her leave if she told him that he was going to run away. She walked with a smile on her face though. She was glad that her last memory of Itulei would be a good one. She walked over to the eating hall and spotted Tizoc. She ran over to the seat next to her friend and placed her knives under the table. Tizoc had come to Meia for rather mysterious reasons but all in all, Ylla was glad she did. Tizoc had been a good friend and the only person Ylla found trustworthy enough to tell about her dislike of the community marriage.
“Hey Tizoc! How are you this morning?”
Tizoc Hearing Ylla call out to her, Tizoc looked up and smiled at her friend. She was lucky to have found Ylla. Most people here were nice, but Ylla understood her in a way she couldn’t quite explain. “I’m doing well Ylla,” she replied. “How’re you?”
Ylla
“I’m good, a little banged up from training this morning but I’m fine.” She was afraid she answered a little too quickly. She didn’t want to act too suspicious around Tizoc, but naturally, the harder she tried the more obvious it was she was keeping something, realizing that she was failing horrendously by the spilled juice and the shaking of her hands she decided just to come clean.
“Tizoc, I’m running away. I’m sick of things around here. I’m going to Klilik and going to get on a ship to somewhere. Maybe Chalco, or I’ve always wanted to see Rovan.” She looked at her friend in hope that she would understand.
“Are you mad?”
Tizoc Tizoc’s breakfast companion was acting a little cagey. Then she spilled her drink and revealed her plans.
“Ylla!” she exclaimed in a whisper, shock covering her face. “Why? You always seemed so happy here. There’s no reason for you to leave. Traveling is a lot harder than you think it is. Please, reconsider.”
Even while Tizoc was counseling her friend to stay, deep in her heart, she only wished that Ylla would invite her to come along. To see Chalco again or to even be in another place would be exhilarating.
Ylla
“I have reconsidered. Alot.” Ylla replied in a whisper, “But I just... I just feel like my destiny is so much greater than what Meia has to offer. I don’t want to be held down here when there are adventures to be had elsewhere... If you hate me for leaving, so be it. But this is something I have to do.”
She continued eating and tried not to think about it, but she couldn’t leave Tizoc behind. Even if she tried, Tizoc would follow along.
“I could always use a traveling companion...if you want to come, nobody would be stopping you.”
Tizoc “You know I could never hate you Sister,” replied Tizoc at her friends concern. “It’s just, I understand your desire. I just don’t think this is wise.” Then Ylla asked her if she wanted to come.
Panyal, who had been sitting on her shoulders squawked at the suggestion. They had decided when they first left Chalco that they shouldn’t reveal who Panyal was, so he didn’t talk when others were around. Not even Ylla suspected Panyal was anything other than a bird.
Tizoc shot a look at her bird and said without even batting an eyelash, “I would love to take you to Chalco and show you my homeland.” It had been nine years since her banishment. Surely they would overturn their ruling. Her sister should have worked everything out by now and when she got back, her facial mark would be a sign of honor and loyalty rather than disgrace like they had intended. Things just had to work out if she returned.
Ylla
“Well, I’m... We are heading out tonight. I’m only bringing a shawl, my knives, and a blanket. Plus fruit. I’m sure we will find more fruit along the way but better safe than sorry I guess.”
She smiled at her friend, she appeared to be more accepting when she was asked to come along.
“I guess we just go through the day as we usually would until it gets dark out, then we get our things and leave, I can get Itulei’s fishing boat at the docks and we can sail out to where the Iath runs into the ocean. We can put the boat on the shore and then walk the rest of the way to Klilik, we can rest there and wait for a ship to take us anywhere.”
Tizoc “Why wait?” asked Tizoc excitedly. She really didn’t want to have to talk this over with Panyal during the day. “No one will question us going out to fish. We can make it look like the boat sunk and we died. That way no one will worry about us. If we disappear from our beds, they’ll be searching for days, but if we stage our deaths, there are no questions.”
Ylla
“That sounds good. A little weird, but good. I’ll go get the boat. Meet me at the dock in 15 minutes okay?”
She ran out of the eating hall, not caring that everyone else was still eating, and made way for her home. She got her shawl and her favorite blanket and put it in a bag made from Lorga scales, she looked on the shelves were she kept her fruit but found nothing but one banana. She grabbed it, put it in her bag and then snuck into Itulei and Leos’s to raid their fruit. It wasn’t really raiding, considering the village was one big happy family, but she still wanted to be quiet. She took a few more banana’s and a couple mangos. She also found a paopu fruit. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but Paopu fruit were not only the sweetest fruit on Meia, but is known for being a blessed fruit.
The story goes that Lotanni created the fruit by accident, but he loved it so much that he kept it and blessed it. It’s used in many different medicines and perfumes. Legend says, that when two people eat of the same Paopu fruit, their souls become intertwined.
This legend was discouraged from being told because it supposedly was added to the original Legend. But to see Itulei have one, even though there could have been hundreds of other reasons as to why he had one, Ylla knew that it was because Itulei didn’t agree with the community marriage just as much as she did. He and Leos ate it to symbolize in the best way possible, that those two individuals, were married to each other and no one else.
Ylla left the star shaped fruit on the shelf and with saying goodbye under her breath, ran out to the docks.
Shella, the dock worker, was tending to her own boat when Ylla got to the docks.
“Hey Shella. Tizoc and I are going fishing. We might be gone for a little while okay?” The old, but still energized, woman just smiled and gave a nod. Ylla got the boat prepared and had it ready to ship off, she was just waiting for Tizoc to get there, and their adventure would begin.
Tizoc “Okay, see you soon,” replied Tizoc. She waited for Ylla to leave and then took off to her house moments later.
“This is a bad idea,” replied Panyal when they entered Tizoc’s house.
“No, we’ll be fine,” stressed Tizoc. “Look, not only do I have our Mother Toci on my side, my other self should have worked this all out by now. The only reason they didn’t send anyone out to bring me back to Chalco is because they don’t know where I went. I’m sure when I arrive on the shores they will have a warm welcome for me.”
Panyal let out a sigh. “Tizoc, my baby sister,” he said in a heartbroken tone. “I promise you that if you set foot on the shores of Chalco, you will be forfeiting your life. Toci knows where you are, and she would have come for you if things had changed. Please, don’t do this to yourself.”
Shaking her head, Tizoc refused to hear Panyal’s logic. She started to pack the bear necessities for their journey. “I need to go home Panyal. I’ve never felt comfortable here, and you know every other land will be the same. I just want to go home. I want to settle down in a quiet house in the jungles and just live.”
“I know, young one.” Panyal put his head on her neck. “I will let you leave, but we will not land in Chalco, I promise you that.”
“We’ll see,” replied Tizoc as she finished packing and rushed to where they kept the boats. On the way there she saw a large pile of wood. Taking one of the blankets she had, she wrapped up the wood and continued on her way. When she arrived she saw Ylla standing by a boat.
“I’m here!” She called to her friend. When she got to the boat she revealed the bundle in her arms and said in a whispered, “This is to make it look like our boat crashed.” Then she stepped in to the boat.
Ylla
Tizoc came up with some wood, when Ylla heard her plan she nodded, “Great! Lets get this adventure started!” Ylla pushed the boat off and jumped in the boat. She was so excited, A real adventure! I can’t wait! Just me and Tizoc! she thought, but then she saw ‘the bird’. Ylla didn’t hate Panyal, but she didn’t like him much either. She accepted Panyal as a part of Tizoc, but still, she wasn’t exactly thrilled to see ‘the bird’ coming along.
The two started off to the Iath where they had planned to stop and ‘die’. A few minutes passed and conversation was pretty dead. Ylla shifted a bit but after a few minutes she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Tizoc, why did you come to Meia in the first place?” She wasn’t sure what response she would get, but it was something other than dreaded silence.
Tizoc “That is a great question,” said Tizoc with a sigh. She had been rubbing the head of her bird. “Should I tell her, Panyal?” she asked the bird. It responded with a gentle cooing sound. “That means about everything, even you.”
The bird then opened its eyes, looked at Ylla and said, “That’s fine. Since we’re over water, I’d rather be a fish anyway. It’ll be more comfortable.” The bird then took off from Tizoc’s shoulder and dove into the ocean, it was transitioning to a colorful fish as he hit the water.
Then Tizoc looked back at Ylla. “You see,” she said looking at her friend. “I didn’t leave Chalco because I wanted to. I left because I was banished.” Tizoc went quiet then. She wasn’t sure how to explain what happened next.
“Ylla... Sister,” she continued after a few moments. “I have a person, in Chalco, we call her the other me, she was born at the same time as I, and we look exactly the same. She was a brilliant, impressive, fantastic person, but one day, she was accused of killing someone. She didn’t do it, so I took her place and her name to give her time to prove she wasn’t the culprit. It didn’t work out, so they banished me.” Looking up at the sun she shaded her face. “Panyal came to me right before I left. He guided me to Meia. He’s from here, you know. A long, long time ago he left to found Chalco. I don’t know what he looked like before he became the chosen of Toci, but he’s guided and helped me for as long as I’ve been traveling.”
Ylla
Ylla watched in a mixture of terror and amazement as Panyal turned from a bird to a fish. She listened to Tizoc’s story without taking her eye off of Panyal. When she ended her story Ylla stayed quiet for a while.
“I’m sorry... I didn’t... I didn’t mean to cause bad memories.” Ylla finally said with a twinge of guilt.
They continued floating for a bit until they reached the river entrance to the Iath.
“Okay, here’s our stop.”
Tizoc “It’s okay Sister,” said Tizoc with a comforting smile. “I’m confident that the issue has been resolved. My sister has had years to explain what happened. When I get back, they’ll welcome me with open arms,”
When they reached the lath and Ylla said it was time to go, Tizoc hopped out of the boat. “How do you think we should do this?” she asked.
Ylla
“I say we bring it to the shore and make it look like a Lorga attack. Those snakes would eat anything that comes in their path, we could destroy the boat and then we could find a bird or monkey or something around here, cut it open and throw some blood around. That would make it look like a struggle.” Ylla had been planning what to do ever since Tizoc finished her story. She didn’t think of Tizoc any less. She was still a friend. Panyal on the other hand was beyond weird now. Ylla did her best to ignore the bird-fish thing.
“Whaddaya say?”
Tizoc “I can’t condone killing an animal,” Tizoc said her face a little crestfallen. “If there is a cousin that passed, then we can add blood, but otherwise, I’m against it. The rest of the plan sounds good though.”
Ylla
“Hm, you’re right. No point in killing an innocent creature.” Ylla said in agreeance. “Forget blood, we’ll just destroy the thing and get it over with.”
She grabbed her knives and in a quick flurry, had the boat torn to shreds. Proud of her work, Ylla turned to Tizoc. “We should walk in the water so our footprints aren’t noticeable.”
She turned to the ocean and as soon as she did everything around her went fuzzy. Everything seemed to fade and then, clear as crystal, the red haired man from her dream appeared in front of her. He tried to say something but he seemed to be struggling. It sounded like ‘prepare yourself’ but she couldn’t be sure. The haze of everything wore off and the man was gone. She just shook her head and kept walking. She didn’t know who this man was, but he obviously needed to say something and Ylla was determined to figure out what it was.
After a little bit further the port city of Klilik was visible. Ylla turned to Tizoc with excitement. “We’re almost there! Where do you think we’ll end up?”
Tizoc “Okay,” said Tizoc as she watched her friend destroy the boat. She could never do something like that. While she had been trained in some combat, it was enough to protect herself, not do something like this. Then Ylla mentioned something about walking in the water, “That’s a good idea,” she replied as she followed Ylla. She didn’t think anything of it when Ylla zoned out for a few seconds. She assumed it was just her daydreaming about the adventure.
After walking for awhile she saw Klilik, the town she had come to when she first arrived in Meia. “I hope no one there notices me,” she said offhandedly concerned. It had been a good six years since she had left the village, but sometimes people remembered.
Then Ylla turned to her excited and asked her what would happen. She smiled and said, “Sister, hopefully we’ll be in Chalco in a few days, but who knows because of your destiny we could be pulled all over Itova by the Gods.”
She continued to walk until they reached the edge of the village, “Is there anything you want to do before we go friend, or should we go straight to the docks to get a boat?”
Ylla
When Tizoc asked if there was anything that she wanted to do before they got to the docks, Ylla thought and thought and only one thing came to mind.
“Well, there’s this cliff off the coast of Klilik. Legend says that those brave enough to jump off of it will be blessed with luck. I’m not sure if I believe in luck but it sounds like fun! It will only take a few minutes.” But then she remembered that at anytime somebody could recognize them. Cliff jumping would draw lots of attention. “On second thought, I don’t think that would really be a good idea. Maybe we should just wait at the docks until a ship comes by?”
Tizoc Smiling as Ylla mentioned the cliff. It would be just like the Meians to have a test like that. “No, you should jump. I’ll wait by the docks. Panyal can go with you. He’ll make sure nothing back happens.” Tizoc hugged her friend and started to walk away.
Panyal The man had been swimming along the coast with the girls for a while. Oddly enough, he could hear everything that was happening, but when they got close enough to the city, he turned into a Squirrel Monkey and sat on Tizoc’s shoulder.
When Tizoc mentioned leaving him with Ylla for cliff jumping, Panyal sighed, but he knew better than to argue with Tizoc about it. She wanted her friend to have a good time, and nothing he could say would convince her it was a bad idea.
During the hug he transferred to Ylla’s shoulder and said, “I’m ready when you are kid.”
Yll
Ylla hugged Tizoc but let out a small squeal when Panyal jumped on her soldier. Knowing that Panyal was sentient made him even more creepy. She started off to the cliff but not without praying to Lotanni that Tizoc wouldn’t be recognized.
When they were away from the beach and getting closer to the cliff she tried to make conversation with Panyal.
“Sooo.... You’re originally from here?”
Panyal
“Yes, I left Meia from this very port about 400 years ago,” replied Panyal as he got off of Ylla’s shoulder and scampered along beside her. “I had a dream from Toci that there was an island, beautiful like Meia, full of wonders and things to explore, so I left.”
Ylla
“Wai-wai-wait! You actually know Toci? As in the 8th daughter of Kyros?! What is she like?” Ylla asked inquisitively. She couldn’t imagine actually knowing Lotanni. As they neared the cliff she turned to Panyal. “And if you really do know Toci, why did she give you to Tizoc? She’s not in any sort of trouble is she?”
Tamat
Tamat watched from a tree not too far from Ylla and Panyal. He figured Panyal could sense him, but as long as Ylla stayed oblivious everything would go smoothly. Well that was until he fell out of the tree landing on thorn bush. “Yeow!” he screamed. Birds went flying from the trees around him, squaking a lot louder than they usually seem to.
“Way to be stealthy Tamat.” he got up and pulled a few thorns out of his shoulder and walked up to Ylla and Panyal. “Hey guys what are you up to?” he said in his most friendly and kinda cheesy voice.
Panyal Panyal let out a chuckle at the girl’s questions. She was just like every new inductee of the Council. They all wanted to know everything about the goddess. Smiling his monkey smile, Panyal said what he normally said to all young folk. “Don’t worry about all that with Toci. You’ll probably end up meeting with her someday, especially if you’re Tizoc’s friend. She loves to meet people.”
Then his face hardened when the girl started asking him about Tizoc’s situation. “She’s in more grave danger than she realizes,” Panyal told her honestly. “Ylla, Child, Tizoc refuses to accept that her sister really did kill a Council member. She will never be accepted back in Chalco, and I’m here to make sure she never tries to return.”
Sighing, Panyal continued. “It would have been easier if Toci had just accepted Tezoc as lost and cleared the situation up, but Toci was, I mean is, so convinced that she can save Tezoc from the darkness.”
Before Panyal had time to explain anything more he heard a weirdly familiar cry of pain from the trees, and then he recognized the voice that came later. “Tamat, nice to see you.” he said in a somewhat exasperated somewhat pleased voice. Sometimes, he hated to be around Tamat because the boy seemed to be so impressed by him, but he really was a good kid who tried hard in the service of Lotanni. “We’re just looking to jump off a cliff. Would you like to join us?”
Tamat
“I haven’t gone cliff jumping in decades! Sounds f--” Before he could finish he had a knife to his throat.
“Whoa! Is that any way to introduce yourself to a stranger?”
Ylla looked at the man with steady eyes, she was sure that it was the man from the dream and the vision. “What do you want with me?” she asked sternly.
“Would you believe me if I told you I wanted to ask you on a date?” he said in a joking manner, trying to hide the fact that he was actually nervous about having a knife set to kill him.
“Date? The priests banned those years ago.” Ylla said, not realizing that she had the Saint of Lotanni at the end of her blade.
“Well, yeah. They did. But not under Lotanni’s instructions. It’s a big mess that I really don’t want to explain right now.” Seeing that she had no signs of releasing him, Tamat summoned his spear from a flick of fire from his fingers. He jumped back and with a quick reversal had Ylla at the end of his spear. “Now that I don’t have a real threat of dying, I say we go jump off that cliff. I’ll answer all of your questions Ylla. Just not right now. Promise.” He said as he sent his spear away in a column of fire.
Ylla
After looking like a chump due to this Tamat guys swift counter and getting promised that she would get answers she, reluctantly, walked to the edge of the cliff. She looked down and acquired a sense for the jump. Not the largest cliff she’s jumped off of but far from the smallest. As she prepared herself for her jump, Tamat came charging beside her and did a cannonball into the water. Ylla cringed. “You know Panyal, I think I might already hate him.”
She turned and dove into the water with a graceful twist and a flip. When she resurfaced she saw Tamat sitting on the rocks behind her.
“I give you 9.” He said with a little boy like grin on his face. Ylla just rolled her eyes and swam to the shore, followed right behind by Tamat. She called up to Panyal, “Come on Panyal! Lets get to Tizoc before a boat gets here!”
Panyal
Rolling his eyes, he watched as Ylla attacked the young saint. “Ah the glories of youth,” he said to himself just watching the situation play out. They were both rash and judged quickly, but what else did he expect out of two Meians. Finally, when both of them jumped and Ylla called out to him, Panyal followed suit.
It would have looked surreal for onlookers to see such a small monkey dive off of a cliff, but he didn’t have anything to worry about. Right before he hit the water, he changed into a fish and swam over to the two. He said to them when he was there, “Time to swim over to the ports, right?”
Ylla
“Yeah. Hopefully Tizoc hasn’t gotten into any trouble...” As she said that, Ylla thought about what Panyal said earlier. The whole thing sounded like a big heap of trouble that Ylla normally wouldn’t involve herself in. But Tizoc was like a sister to her, by Meian standards she was, she didn’t want anything bad to happen to her.
She made it to the docks and looked around for Tizoc, hoping that they could find Tizoc and get their adventure started.
Tamat
As they made it to the docks Tamat looked around for anyone that could be Tizoc, but he kept getting distracted by Ylla. “You have no idea what you’re in for Ylla. Not a single idea.”
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Post by purplemunster94 on May 26, 2013 3:11:54 GMT -5
Elias sat behind his desk reading over the history of Meia. Meia was a very strange culture to the Aramazd, but Elias still wanted to know as much as he could of the other countries, every single one of them was so different from the culture that he had always known in Aramazd, they were very intriguing. Occasionally Elias glanced up from his book to keep an eye on the students in the library. He never understood why he had to keep such a close eye on them, it was a very rare case when a Aramazdian student acted against the rules. However, ever once in awhile a person from outside of Aramazd would find their way into the library and cause chaos, but today was not one of those days, it was uneventful.
Elias returned to his book, reading the chapter about marrying the whole town. Elias frowned, this is why the people of Aramazd stayed away from emotions. To prevent unnecessary traditions, such as this one. Elias was submerged in his book when he heard the scream from the back corner of the library. He stood quickly from his chair and walked briskly in the direction of the noise. It was unusual for screaming, especially in the library, it was strictly against the rules.
Elias was taken aback when he saw what had happened. The books in this section had been thrown everywhere, some pages torn, and the lights had burst. The whimper from behind him made Elias turn quickly, a girl of around 15 sat with her knees pulled to her chest and her head burried. Elias could tell that she was forcing back her tears. He did not understand why she would be so close to crying.
Elias kneeled down next to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder, she jumped, but relaxed when she noticed it was her. Elias’ eyes searched her face, trying to find any glimpse of trickery in them, but found nothing. “Tell me, what did you see here?” The girl shivered, and Elias waited for patiently for her to speak.
“It was awful, sir, I was studying with a boy from my school, when all of a sudden the lights exploded, I’ve never seen anything like it before. Then....” The girls eyes went wide and she grabbed harshly only Elias’ robes. “Then, dark shadows came from nowhere, they....they took him. They grabbed him and he disappeared, into nothing.” Elias didn’t understand, the last time he had seen someone this distraught was when his father had passed, his mother was very upset. However, this was less sad, more frantic and scared. Elias stood and turned to the area where the lights had gone out. It just seemed like someone was just trying to vandalize the library, but what would make this girl lie, when Aramazdian’s cherished honesty. He turned back to the girl, and pulled her to her feet. She didn’t fight him, but she seemed shocked when he tried to move her away from the area. “But, sir, what are we going to do about Diandre?” Elias turned his gray eyes to her. “You will return home and stay there to study, and I will report this to the council, do you understand?” The girl nodded slowly and quickly turned and exited the library.
Elias sighed and headed toward his front desk, pushing the loudspeaker button. “Excuse me, I am sorry for the inconvenience, but due to a strange occurance in the library, I am going to have to close the library early. If you would please exit the library quickly and quietly, you may take a book with you, as long as it is returned within a week.” Elias had no doubt each and every book taken from the library would be returned, it would be dishonest to take them permanently. He watched as the last person left the library, then turned off the desk light, and headed for the door. As he was getting close to the door, he felt a cold draft pass by him, and he looked over his shoulder searching every corner he could see, but nothing was there. Something was definitely wrong.
Elias locked the doors and pulled his hood over his head, walking hurriedly to the council member that he could get in touch with easily, his mentor. He slowly pulled knocked on the door, then waited for the man to answer the door. He was not sure what he was going to tell the man, because he truly did not know what was happening, but he could not keep the incident to himself. When the door opened the council man looked sternly at Elias, “Mr. Wernholm? What are you doing here, shouldn’t you be working right now?” Though tall, Council member Jaelson was quite shorter than Elias, however, he still struck fear in Elias because he was a very strong willed man. It was good that Elias was very good at hiding his emotions, because he did not want to show his fear to Jaelson. “I would be at work, if it were not for the strange occurrence that happened today. I’m not sure where to begin, but a young girl told me a tale, that I could not ignore about shadows. Shadows very similar, to something I know I’ve read before. I want to believe that this girl was making it up, but she was not lying, her eyes told it all.”
Councilman Jaelson listened to the story that Elias had to tell, but his reaction was not one that Elias could have ever imagined. “Mr. Wernholm, you say these shadows, that stole the light, and the boy, are things you have read about. What do you believe them to be, because I too believe that these shadows, which are suddenly coming, are not mere stories, but true entities that we should not overlook.” Elias did not waiver on his answer, “I read about a creature who can only survive in the dark, but I was sure that Nilo and the rest of his brothers and sisters took care of it. These shadows, were followers of the children of Kaos.” Jaelson nodded, and proceded to turn back into the house. “I am unable to tell you anymore Elias, but I am sure you don’t need it. However, I can say, this is not the first, and the council is very worried. Something in Aramazd is not right, and from what we understand we are not the only ones.”
As Elias walked back to his small house he couldn’t help but think of all the events that had happened in the last few hours. He wanted to sleep, he wanted to erase everything and find comfort in his bed, but he knew his mind would not rest. When he made it home he sat at his table and stared out the window, trying to make sense of everything. How could something that had happened so long ago be returning. Aramazd was supposed to be crime free, and the safest place to be. Elias leaned his head on his hands, letting his hair fall in front of his eyes. What could he possibly do with the information he had. He was one man, and not even one that had any say in most things, his ideas were more often than not, ignored completely when he attended council meeting.
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Post by Zabby on May 26, 2013 21:50:00 GMT -5
Tizoc Walking into the town, Tizoc saw a lot of sites that were familiar to her. In fact, she remembered the lay out of the city surprisingly well. It was out of the corner of her eye she saw someone selling scarfs near the entrance to the town. She smiled at the merchant saying, "Can we make out a deal for one of your lovely headscarves?" Even though they were in Meia, sometimes the merchants were foreign and required reimbursement for their wares.
The old man smiled back at her and said, "For you, my dear, I request nothing. Take one for a beautiful lady deserves beautiful gifts."
Tizoc blushed a little while saying, "Thank you, so much. May all the sons and daughters of Kyros bless you and keep you in good health."
She picked out a nice green and gold scarf, and wrapped it around her head. She had picked one up to cover her tattoo. She knew that some people in Klilik would recognize her by it. She was only able to mostly cover up the markings on her face as she made her way to the docks.
At first glance, Tizoc was disappointing. Nothing seemed to be helpful for getting out of here quietly. She was almost going to give up and tell Ylla they should head back to Almei when she saw it. The boat was large and Rovanni-made. It was exactly what she was looking for. Walking over to it, Tizoc just stared, wondering how in the world she would get access to this boat and make it safely to Chalco.
Markas
They had opted to empty their holds at the nearby Meian port of Klilik before heading to the Rovani capital. This way, they could earn some money for food and supplies-- and maybe a few more lumina-- for the journey home. It was a decision that didn't please Soren, but Markas knew it was the smarter choice. Raum was practically glowing over the idea of getting a few coins in his pocket and seemed to have forgotten the entire experience of the previous night, but the evidence of their encounter with the draugr was clearly etched in the faces of the others. Ildri had spent all night worrying over Kaspar who still hadn't woken up, only showing small signs of improving earlier in the morning.
Markas accepted a large pouch of coins from a Meian merchant as Soren and Raum unloaded the last crate of cargo. "Thank you, sir; anything going out this time?"
The man gestured to a group of barrels behind him. "These are for the Giants of Grefforstag. Lucunan Mokorahi. To keep the Guardians of the world warm."
"Is there any extra to keep the carriers warm?" Raum asked, stretching his back after setting down the last crate. Markas frowned; the question was over-inviting and obnoxious. Raum was not supposed to interact with the customers.
Nevertheless, the merchant only grinned slyly. "If the carriers are willing to purchase it," he said with an inviting and gracious bow. "It is worth nine hundred gold pieces." Raum was suddenly disinterested. He grabbed one of the barrels and began carrying it up onto the ship, followed by Soren.
"I apologize for him," Markas said quietly. "They'll finish loading that. If you need anything, talk to Soren. If you'll excuse me, I have to find some supplies for the rest of our trip." With the merchant's dismissal, he turned to see a girl staring at the ship. She was of darker complexion than most Meians with a mark around her left eye. She almost seemed a little lost and somewhere inside he felt sorry for her. "Her name is Sjodrekkar," he called out to her. "Dragon of the Sea. I can take you anywhere you want, though admittedly I've got a couple prior engagements."
Tizoc Breaking out of her thoughts, Tizoc heard a male voice talking about his ship.Looking over at him, she saw a strapping Ravonni boy. He seemed seawarn and rough, but there was a kindness behind his proud eyes. She smiled politely back at him and said, “Thank you, Brother, but I doubt you’ll want me on your boat. I am traveling with a friend and a parrot, they are on their way, and we have no way to pay for the voyage.”
Markas
He came closer, walking away from Soren (and especially Raum, who would be unhappy for another person on the boat, particularly if they road free), mulling over her statement. “Well, you don’t seem like you belong here. Can either of you cook?”
Tizoc
Noticing the boy walking closer to her, Tizoc’s heart jumped a beat. Maybe they would be able to leave soon after all. “I can cook,” she replied. “But I only know how to make dishes that don’t use animal flesh. I don’t know if that would be a problem.” She bit her lip thinking. Ylla might be able to cook, but she doubt it considering there were always communal kitchens in Meia. “My friend can fight though,” she volunteered hoping that would help.
Markas
He smiled at her innocence. If for nothing else, he wanted to help her for that. "Shouldn't be a problem. Our cook has gone missing; bit of a scary story, actually. We’ll be busy elsewhere and glad for the help. Keep them fed," he said with a nod back to the ship, "and you'll be on your way. As for your friend, we can always find a place for strong fighters. We’re headed for Rovanieme first, and then to the North. Beyond that, wherever you desire.”
Tizoc A wide smile grew on her face. “Really?” She asked hopefully. “That would be fantastic. We’d llove to go to Chalco as soon as you can. Have you ever been?”
Markas
“I’ve visited Malinalco once or twice, but I’ve never been too far inland. It’s a beautiful place,” he admitted. It was beginning to make sense now; she didn’t belong here because she wasn’t Meian. He wondered how she had found her way here, but he didn’t want to pry.
“There is a small detail I should warn you about...,” he hesitated a moment, wondering whether or not he should mention the terror of the previous night. “I wouldn’t tell you this if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes... I believe the ship may be carrying some kind of spirits. The draugr are what took our friend. You should carry a light with you at night to keep them away. That’s the reason we’re returning to Rovan.”
Tizoc Nodding with Markas’s assessment that it was beautiful, Tizoc was smiling. Things were really going her way today. Then his tone turned serious, and he started to warn her about draugr. Tizoc knew what he was talking about right away because the Chalco and Ravonni shared many myths.
“Really?” Tizoc asked a little concerned. She believed the old myths more than most in Chalco. Sighing, she said, “I wish I had my cousin here. He would know how to get rid of them.”
Markas
It was the best news he’d heard all day and it was written all over his face. “Your cousin... is he nearby?” He skimmed the crowded harbor with his eyes, searching for what he imagined to be some kind of shaman among them, but not having any luck. “I’d give you both all the gold in my possession if he could rid my ship of that curse.”
Tizoc Tizoc let out a little giggle when she realized the miscommunication. Shaking her head and said, “The parrot,” said Tizoc smiling at the boy. “In Chalco animals are our cousins and everyone are our brothers and sisters. I’ve heard that animals keep the draugr at bay.”
Markas
“Ah,” he muttered, feeling a little embarrassed for not knowing such things. “I see. Well, let’s hope that’s the case.” He held out his hand. “I don’t think I’ve said so yet, but my name is Markas, from Skane.”
“We should be leaving in about an hour, after I gather some food and drink and light. Can you meet me here with your friend and your... cousin?” He took off a necklace bearing a pendant of Rovani runes and handed it to her. “If I’m not here when you return, speak with Soren and show this to him to prove I’ve accepted you on board.”
Tizoc Taking his hand, Tizoc replied, “I’m Tizoc, from...” she trailed off here. She wasn’t sure how to identify herself. “From here, I guess.” She flashed an unsure smile at him.
Then she nodded saying, “I’ll probably just wait here for your return. Thank you though.”
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Post by atlantis on May 27, 2013 22:48:55 GMT -5
GarmrRight after informing his younger brother that everything would be fine, a young Guardian burst through the door of the tavern. “Garmr!” he cried in panic. “Garmr! The Generals are looking for you. They have a mission you need to go on right now.” Looking at the Guardian, he was about to ask what was going on, but he realized this young man would have no idea. “Tyr,” he said suddenly. “Come with me. Did you bring your flying bear?” TyrThe next few moments went by fast-- a Guardian came into the cabin with urgent news and Garmr asked Tyr to tag along. It was like a dream and he couldn’t help but just gape at his brother for a moment, before realizing he’d been asked a question. “Yeah, but they made me leave him at the first post, downhill.” Garmr“Fine,” he said while he rushed to the door. “There should be enough room on my wolf for the two of us.” Garmr’s parents sent some of the Guardians to look for the largest, noblest animal they could find, and they came back with a winged direwolf. There was much concern when it was brought back because it seemed like no one could tame it, but, at his father’s orders, they gave it to Garmr when he was accepted into the Guardians, and somehow Garmr was able to tame the beast. “We’ll come back for your bear later.” Soon they were at his wolf. Garmr mounted it with ease and held out his hand for his brother. TyrHe didn’t have time to hesitate, even though his hands were shaking at the idea of accompanying Garmr on a mission. He followed his brother to the wolf and took his hand to climb on, curious about what awaited them. GarmrKicking off from the ground, his wolf took to the air. They were dashing towards the large tower where the Guardians met. Within a matter of moments, the large wolf landed on one of the higher floors. As soon as the paws of his animal hit the marble floor, Garmr was off it, walking hurriedly towards the wide doors of the Generals’ room. Before he stepped through the doors, he said to Tyr, “Keep your head down, don’t make eye contact with anyone and don’t say anything. They should just ignore you.” Then he pushed the doors open and walked through. On the other side of the door, two generals were sitting, waiting for them. One was the father of Garmr and Tyr, and the other was a close friend of the family. “Garmr!” The Senior Sunden greeted his son. He shot a quick glare at Tyr, but did not draw any more attention to him than that. “It is good to see you. We have a pressing assignment in Aramazd for you, to investigate an alleged attack of shadows. We have here.” He handed Garmr a rolled up scroll. “All the information you’ll need for this assignment.” “Thank you, sir,” said Garmr with a serious look on his face. “Please, sir, I request permission to take this student and give him special training on this mission.” A flicker of anger crossed their father’s face before he said, “Fine, take the student, but he is your responsibility now.” “Yes sir, I understand,” replied Garmr with a bow. Then he walked quickly out of the room. TyrHe nodded obediently at his brother’s instructions as he followed him into the room. A squirming started in his stomach as he recognized one of the generals as their father, but he followed Garmr’s advice and kept his head down, eager to stay out of trouble. He listened to their summary of the task and his panic only became worse. Those were the monsters Garmr had only just told him about. If the attack was in Aramazd... their people weren’t known for their superstitions, or for misplaced blame as his brother had predicted earlier. There was something more to it than old stories and cowardice. But what could make a person just vanish? How could shadows attack people? He shuddered when they left the room and glanced at the scroll Garmr carried in his hand. “This sounds serious. Are you sure you want me with you?” He wanted to go, but he didn’t want to be in the way. Not to mention he was nervous about what would happen. GarmrSmiling down at his brother, he patted him on the back a little too roughly. “Don’t worry about it Tyr. I doubt they’ll be much fighting or anything on this trip. Besides, I need to keep you in my sight and training for the trials coming up. If we don’t increase your skill, they’re going to kick you out.” TyrHe stumbled forward a step or two to keep his balance when Garmr patted him on the back. “I guess you’re right. So... where are we headed?” Tyr could remember the brief time he spent in Olethea, studying in the private academy there when he was a boy. The landscape was filled with wonder and beauty but the people hardly showed any interest. In anything, for that matter. They spent most of their time reading and had a deep distrust of anything new or different. “It’s not like Aramazdians to lie,” he said abruptly. “They wouldn’t have made up this story about shadows, even if they were ashamed of their weakness-- which is also unlikely. They’re a proud people.... So that means the creatures are real?” He wasn’t sure what he believed anymore. If the story was true, then mere shadows had not only life but wicked intent, but if it were false, why would the worshippers of truth spread the very thing they despised? GarmrListening to his brother’s talk, Garmr began to unroll the paper. He stopped mid step and stared at his brother. “This,” he said, his voice shaking a little, “Is Ara’s own handwriting.” He knew because when men and women were inducted into the Guardians, they signed a contract written by Ara’s own hand. It was the greatest sign of respect. “Tyr,” said Garmr his jaw dropping. “I-I, here you take it. You’ve always been smarter than me. I don’t want to misinterpret the Goddess’s words.” He shoved the scroll at his brother. Tyr“Goddess...?” he said, his breath visible in the cold air. Tyr looked at the scroll and saw the elegant calligraphy scrawled across the page. “This is from Ara?” he asked in disbelief. Darkness approaches, my Guardians. The threat it poses can no longer be ignored because those most truthful have revealed the terror to us. Go into the heart of Aramazd, to the steps of Nilo's temple and seek guidance. Speak with the man named Elias Wernholm and discern what shadows knock at our door. Dispel this evil if you can and report back to your goddess quickly.“She wants us to visit Olethea and talk to someone named Wernholm,” he informed. “These shadows have her attention. She even seems... worried. Like she’s afraid of them.” GarmrGulping, Garmr was starting to regret his decision to bring his little brother along. Honestly, he had had not thought this was going to be a dangerous mission, but it was shaping out to be. With a sigh, Garmr turned to Tyr and said, “Pack your things. I’m sure you know what you need to visit Olethea. Meet me with your bear in twenty minutes. We’ll ride to Olethea as soon as you’re ready.” TyrHe nodded and ran as quickly as he could down to Venn, the winged bear his mother had gifted to him when he was thirteen. Before returning to Garmr, he hurried into the cabin at the first post and grabbed a bag, stuffing it with a few pairs of clothes, a map, a compass and some dinner rolls for the trip. Back outside, he filled some larger bags on Venn’s saddle with light armor and daggers and fastened a shortsword to his belt. He threw on a cloak to keep himself warm and climbed on the bear, headed back for his brother. He tried to calm down on the way, careful not to seem afraid in front of Garmr-- or maybe to convince himself that he was brave. He wanted to solve the riddle, wanted desperately to be the hero, but that seemed unlikely, so he decided to settle for sidekick. He landed heavily in the snow, flecks of white flying everywhere. “I’m ready,” he declared with confidence (and he almost believed himself). GarmrGarmr watched Tyr scurry off. He walked back to his room and grabbed a pack he had prepared for travel; when you were a Guardian, you really had to be ready to go at a moments notice. He walked back to his mount and patted it saying, “Freki, I really don’t know what’s going on here, but I have a horrible feeling about all of this. Be sure to keep a special eye out for Tyr, okay?” After waiting a while longer, Tyr landed heavily on top of his bear and declared he was ready. “Okay,” said Garmr with a reassuring smile. “Let’s go.” He launched his mount into the air and began to take off in the direction of Olethea. TyrThey flew for what seemed like forever, through snow storms and clouds and eventually over the sea and into foreign territory, until finally he saw the familiar skyline of Olethea down below. He followed Garmr until they landed outside the city, resting Freki and Venn in the stables (getting some surprised stares from the workers there. They entered the city, heading for Nilo’s temple located in the center of town. The temple was a massive building, decked in columns and statues, with short flat steps leading up to the entrance. “The goddess’s letter said to seek guidance here. Maybe there’s a council member or a saint inside who would know Wernholm and where to find him.” Garmr“Okay,” said Garmr taking the lead back from his brother. He walked into the temple and saw an impressive room, but before he could get good stock in his surroundings a small man came up to him and said, “Are you the Guardian we’ve sent for?” “Yes, sir” Garmr replied a little relieved he wasn’t going to have to deal with the hustle and bustle of the atrium they had just entered. “Good, follow me,” the man said as he began to lead them to the library where Wernholm would be.
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Post by purplemunster94 on May 28, 2013 3:55:35 GMT -5
Elias had only been home for an hour when there was a knock at his door. He stood and made sure all of the fear from the unknown was wiped from his face. He opened the door, and was shocked to see not only his mentor, but multiple members of the council. The oldest man in the group stepped forward and addressed Elias. "Elias Wernholm, we have been notified of the incident that happened withing the library that you are in charge of."
Elias nodded, "Yes, sir. I did not witness the incident myself but I did see the remains and I personally heard the account from a young woman who had seen it." The man nodded, "Yes, we have met with her. However, we need you to go back to the library immediately. We have called for a guardian, and we need you to speak with them, since you were there. Your word is worth more than the girls." Again Elias nodded, he had suspected this would happen. It was very rare for the Aramazdi to call upon the guardians, but as soon as he saw the girl's face, he knew they would be needed.
After the council left Elias quickly left his house, and headed for the library. The small walk between his house and the library was very different than any other day. Elias did not want to set foot in the library, he would never admit it, but he was afraid.
When he got to the library he walked to the back corner of the library where the 'incident' happened. The books still layed as he had left them, he wanted to pick them up and return them to their appropriate shelves, but knew it would be better to leave everything as it was. He stepped closer to the lights, trying to find any reason why they stopped working. When he had first seen them he had assumed they had simply burst. However looking at them closer he realized that was not the case. The light bulbs were in perfect condition, as if they were still working. That was absurd, his mind was playing tricks on him, he would leave the investigation for the professionals.
He headed back to the front desk, and sat. Normally he would get out a book and read while he waited, but he was not sure that his mind would let him focus on anything other than what had happened. After what seemed like an eternity, he saw a council member leading two men, who were definitely not a part of the Aramazdi. One was big and stern looking, while the other looked almost as if he was going to be sick. Elias looked the man, more like boy, over. He was not a guardian, the other one, yes, this one, no. Either that, or the standard for guardians had drastically changed.
Elias stepped around the desk and walked toward the two. Though he was taller than most Aramazdians, standing at around 6'4" Elias still felt very small next to the big guardian. He stopped in front of them, and bowed his head slightly, in greeting. "I am Elias Wernholm, this is the library that I am in charge of, but I know that is of no importance to you. I will tell you that I did not witness this incident with my own eyes, but the young girl who did told me everything, and I have no reason to doubt her. If you will follow me, I will show you where it happened, I left everything as it was." He turned gesturing them to follow. "If you have any questions feel free to ask. My turning around was not to keep you from learning all that you can on what has happened here. The sooner we know the truth, the better this will all be." He stopped when they reached the corner, and stepped aside for them to see. He pointed to the closest book shelf, "That is where I found the girl cowering in fear."
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Post by Zabby on May 28, 2013 20:19:52 GMT -5
Garmr The council member filled Garmr and Tyr in on the events as they walked swiftly to the library. When they got there, a slender, respectable sized black haired man was standing behind the counter.
He wordlessly followed the man until he saw the scene. Then he bent down, looking at the disturbance and asked, "Are there any books or anything missing?"
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Post by Bhunivelze on May 29, 2013 21:22:52 GMT -5
Tamat
”Tamat. I need you back in the tunnels. Something has come up.”
Snapping back into reality from the daze of people in Klilik, Tamat realized that Lotanni was calling out to him telepathically. It wasn’t the first time he had called out to him like this, but it was something Tamat could never get used to. Like echoes of whispers. Seemingly quiet but at the same time the only thing he could focus on.
Tamat called back, “What about Ylla? Shouldn’t I stay with her?”
”You’ll see her again soon enough. She’ll be safe. Trust me. Now get back here. Quick!.”
Tamat looked at Ylla, her face had just lit up and she was walking towards some girl in a hood. Smiling, he turned and ran off into the jungles of Meia.
Tamat had every square inch of Meia in memory. He had traveled around the country at least 200 times. He had climbed up every tree and had dove off of every cliff. He had explored every cave and had swam in every lake. But entering the tunnels that Lotanni called home was always confusing. The tunnels always changed, always being shifted under the earth by Lotanni’s will. Thankfully, the god had a path of small flames on the ground for his Saint to follow.
When Tamat had reached the sanctum of Lotanni’s home the ground changed to amethyst and the ceiling to onyx. Purple curtains were draped everywhere, pits of fire lined the hallways, providing a striking but beautiful contrast to the dark colors around it. Silver designs were etched on the ceiling. The place was truly a palace. Tamat walked to the doors of Lotanni’s throne, the doors having black pearls and amethyst jewels lined perfectly together to make a flame.
Tamat stripped of his usual clothes and put on a plain black robe with silver designs, circling their way to the back of the robe where the Glyph of Meia was sewn in with an assortment of jewels.
Tamat opened the doors and walked into the inner sanctum. The circular room was lined with fire starting at the posts of the door. Large red flames flicked at the door flame but the closer they got to the other side of the room the smaller they became. Not only did the size change, but the colors slowly morphed into a mesmerizingly beautiful purple flame. Then, across the room, a beautiful throne made of black pearls stood as reminder of Lotanni’s power. Then in the seat of the throne sat Lotanni himself. Tamat bowed, showing respect to his master as it was customary, but smiled when he stood back up. Lotanni may live in a palace that looked like it could belong in a nightmare, but Lotanni is just like a 20 year old that doesn’t want to grow up. He loves to goof off with Tamat and will commonly pull pranks on him, they treat eachother as brothers. But Tamat still knew that if Lotanni were to get angry he could raze all of Meia and even more within a snap of his fingers.
“Lotanni, what was so important that you needed to drag me all the way down here? Besides, that Ylla girl was kinda cute. I might have a chance with her.”
“Oh nothing. I just think it’s funny to see you in that robe. You look ridiculous.” The god said with a chuckle.
“Then why have you made me wear it for all these years!?”
“Eh, no reason.”
Tamat rolled his eyes. “You can be a jerk sometimes you know that?”
“The thing is Tamat, I really don’t care. But on a more serious note, something really is up. People are getting restless. Not just here in Meia but all over Itova. There have been disappearances for a few weeks. In fact Tiam has seen three disappearances in the last month alone. Not many other than that have taken place in Meia. But Rovan has been hit and most recently, Aramazd.”
“Has Asakaria gotten that powerful?” Tamat asked.
“I’m afraid it’s much worse. I’m guessing it’s Kaos himself.”
“Kaos!” Tamat exclaimed. “You mean, he’s coming back? How?”
“I don’t know. I’m looking into it, but for now I just need you to stay on your toes. Protect Ylla, she serves a greater purpose than you might imagine. But for now, train. ”
“I will Lotanni. I swear to you.”
“Good. Now change out of that robe. You really do look stupid.”
Ylla
Ylla saw Tizoc standing next to a ship with a smile on her face Ylla grinned and ran up to her friend. “Tizoc! You missed it! It was alot of fun except for this creeper dude.” She said motioning behind her. But when she looked back, Tamat was no longer with her. Puzzled, Ylla turned back to her friend. “See? This guy even runs away when I try to introduce him to friends.
Looking up she looked at the ship and smiled even bigger. “So did you get us a ride?!”
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Post by atlantis on May 29, 2013 21:39:24 GMT -5
Tyr
He followed Garmr quietly, listening carefully to everything the council member told them as they headed for the library. The building was perhaps even more monumental than the temple, with a labyrinth of bookshelves that soared for two stories toward the cathedral ceiling, a sweeping staircase in the center of everything, and a marble floor with hundreds of little nooks for reading. It was a somewhat familiar sight as the location of many study sessions when he was a child, but he had almost forgotten the sheer magnitude of the place.
The councilman left them with Wernholm at the front desk who led them to the scene of the mystery. There were books everywhere and pages ripped out and scattered among them. It was as though by just looking at them Tyr could feel the energy of the attack-- as though a wild northern wind had come crashing into the silent library. Among the debris, he saw a page tucked under a rather heavy tome with an interesting sigil drawn on it in black ink. He pulled it out of the mess to look at it more closely; three curved hooks spiraled around each other, creating a triangular hole in the center of the page. Dots lined the sides of them in some places and strange letters were written all around the image. It was hand-drawn on yellowed parchment with painstaking care and he doubted it belonged in any of the books. It didn't look like anything he'd ever seen before and though he didn't know what it was, it gave him a prickly feeling on the back of his neck just to hold it.
Tyr set the page down on the table, glad to get it out of his hands. "Mr. Wernholm, what is this?" he asked, glancing back at the other two. Then he realized he was interrupting the answer to Garmr's question (though he couldn't remember Garmr saying anything). "Ah, sorry."
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Post by purplemunster94 on May 29, 2013 23:14:32 GMT -5
Elias
Elias watched as the two started looking through the rubble. The larger one asked about the books. "No sir, the books are all there, just in pieces. The only thing that was taken...."
He stopped when the smaller of the two interrupted and asked about a piece of paper. Elias turned toward the boy slowly, and looked at the paper he was holding up. His eyes widened slightly and he stepped toward the table the boy had quickly put it on. "This is not anything from my library. However, I know I have seen this symbol somewhere before, but I do not remember where. This is not an Aramazdi symbol, so I do not know why it is here."
Maeko
Maeko leaned against the wall waiting for Nilo. She had only been waiting a few minutes when he came into the main temple. "You called for me sir?" Nilo nodded and walked toward her. "Do you remember when I told you about Elias Wernholm?" Maeko nodded, but did not speak. "Well, his importance will soon be known, but there was an attack very close to where he was located. I do not think this is a coincidence so I want you to keep an eye on him. Though he is very knowledgeable, he is not trained to fight these creatures. I realize I should I have prepared him more, but there is only so much you can do without drawing attention."
Maeko waited until he was finished, though Nilo appeared to be only 30 he was wise, and demanded respect that Maeko had never known someone to. "My lord, if I am to protect him, am I suppose to reveal myself? I feel it is only right, for him to know who I am." Nilo nodded, "The time for him to know you will come, but now it is just your job to keep him safe. Even though at the moment he is in very capable hands. You must be careful, he does not trust easily, so if he sees you more than once he will be suspicious. My people, though I wish they wouldn't, do not show emotion, as you know, but Elias more than others. He has hardened himself, you will not know, but he is frightened as he should be. Watch him closely, keep him safe."
Maeko smiled and nodded. "I know the customs. I was once part of them. I will watch over him, and until you wish it, he will not know that I exist."
She bowed and swiftly left the temple, sneaking by the high council. She hurried to the library where Elias would be. When she found him with two guardians she stayed clear of them. She did not want one of the guardians to know she was there, because they were trained to know when people were watching. She would stay away, until they left, besides Wernholm would not be in any danger with the big one around.
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Post by Zabby on May 29, 2013 23:46:02 GMT -5
Tizoc Looking over when she heard Ylla's cheery greeting, Tizoc saw her and a slightly wet parrot Panyal.
"Well, don't worry about it too much Sister. We would have a hard time explaining why we're leaving Meia to him anyway."
Then at her friend's question, a large smile crossed Tizoc's face. "A very nice Rovanni captain agreed to have us on. I'll be cooking and you'll have to defend the ship if anything happens, but it's free passage. He said he'd take us to Rovanieme and somewhere to the North, but after that we can go to Chalco!"
Her eyes were bright with excitement now. "We're going on a real voyage," she said much more excitedly than she was before. "We're really getting out of here Ylla, and I'll be able to get home."
Panyal Giving Ylla a meaningful look, Panyal flapped over to Tizoc's shoulder. He landed a little more heavily than usual and dug his nails into her flesh. Not enough to break skin, but enough to express his displeasure at what she way saying.
Tizoc Feeling the pressure on her shoulder, Tizoc realized what Panyal was trying to say, but she decided to distract him.
"Guys," she said lowering her voice. "There is something you need to know before we get on this ship. There was an attack by a draugr, a shadow, here. Panyal, if you know how to prevent against it, tell us, and go alert the Gods." She saw a look on his parrot face that meant he was about to protest, but she reasoned, "I'll be stuck on a boat for days. You don't have to worry about me running off, really. We both know you can do all this and still beat us to Rovanieme."
Panyal Letting out a defeated sign, Panyal said concerned, "If it truly is a draugr and not some other beast, the only thing that will help you is light. Sleep in the kitchen and keep a fire burning, both of you. I'm sure there are other ways to fight them, but I can't remember right now exactly what those are." With an annoyed sigh he gave into her idea and said, "I'll watch you guys until you leave, and then go find Toci. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."
The bird lifted up it's damp wings and began to fly to the roof of the nearest buildings.
------ Garmr "Hrmm.." the Guardian said scratching his chin as he watched what his brother found. This was all getting to be too much. Why had the Guardians set him? He was known for his fighting abilities, not his mental prowess. He wasn't going to get anything out of this that the Aramazdians didn't already know.
"Well, if you can discover a meaning for that symbol, I would appreciate it. I also have a few more questions for you. Do we know any of the relations of this young man? Did anyone in his family have any enemies or did anyone want to do him harm?" These were fruitless questions he knew, but he felt as though he had to ask them, to at least seem as though he was competent.
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Post by Bhunivelze on May 30, 2013 21:39:28 GMT -5
Ylla
Panyal went flying off after giving some instructions about sleeping by fire. Looking down out Tizoc, Ylla wondered how she got this ride.
“So Tiz. How did you get us on here? Not that I’m complaining, but... this is a whole lot better than what I was expecting.”
(Sorry for the shortness. I just couldn't think of anything.)
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Post by atlantis on May 30, 2013 23:37:32 GMT -5
Markas
He had already purchased enough food to last them through the journey to Grefferstag, hoping his choices would provide plenty of options for Tizoc's limited menu. He'd even gotten a barrel of Mokorahi delivered to the ship, though it wasn't as refined as that from Lucun, and now he found himself in a small magic shop. He'd come to have his lumina repaired and to find a few more to help keep the ship better lit, but he found himself browsing at all the various curiosities. Though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, the entire event had shaken him deeply and he would buy the whole shop if it meant they might be a little safer. Earlier that morning he had devoted an hour to carving protective symbols into various places on the boat, including all the doors and one on each side. But it still wasn't enough. He ended up buying five extra lumina, a handful of small candles and one heavy large one that smelled of cedar. On the way back to the ship, he brought out his knife and carved into the largest candle, etching symbols into the entire surface of wax.
Back at the ship, he found Tizoc was still waiting patiently, now joined by her friend. He tossed the candle into his supply bag and put his knife away before approaching. "Well, are the two of you ready?"
Tyr
He stepped over some of the books so he could sit in the chair where the disappeared boy had been and he realized the position was almost completely hidden by bookshelves. "This spot was probably chosen carefully. Whatever attacked the boy was either already familiar with the library or spent some time studying it. Has anyone unusual been in lately?"
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Post by purplemunster94 on May 31, 2013 1:15:46 GMT -5
Elias
Elias nodded, "As soon as I know, I will let you know." He then listened to the big guardians questions, but did not know why he had to ask these questions. "I'm sorry sir, but it is a very rare occurrence for an Aramazdian to have enemies. Unless you count enemies outside of Aramazd, but they would not a random boy. If they were to attack anyone, it regrettably would be a council member. So unless the family of this boy are lieing about making someone angry, then it makes no sense, and I am almost positive the family would not lie."
Elias closed his eyes slowly and took a deep breath. "I have already explained to the council member I talked to, this was not done by a human. The girl who witnessed this incident was terrified out of her mind. Are you aware of the Aramazdian customs? Emotions are a weakness, so there is no reason other than an attack of an unknown source to make this girl act like this. There are too many things that are don't add up. If you don't mind me saying sir, I believe this has something to do with creatures of darkness, which I believed to be only in the past."
Elias was drawn from his train of thought by the smaller guardian heading towards a chair and sitting down. "I can promise you the most strange person that has been through those doors since I have worked her, no offense, are the two of you, but yes I agree with you. Who, or whatever did this knew exactly where to attack where I could not see, and no one would know until it was too late. I feel if I had not been submerged in my reading, I might have been able to stop this terrible act." Elias stopped and made himself gain his composure, he could not let these two see how he felt. This was not supposed to happen in Aramazd, it was supposed to be a safe haven for all, free of crime and sadness. He looked back at the younger guardian. "Your observation is a very good one, but nothing unnatural has happened, before, well, this." He motioned to the mess around them.
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