Introduction
Over three decades have passed since the end of the Holy War, but the continent of Taakeria is still recovering from the devastation it unleashed. It seemed that the entire world would face a depression until three years ago, when a miracle presented itself to the people of Akhar. Deep in a mine, a miner found a peculiar, glowing, purple gemstone, the likes of which he had never seen before. The gemstone ended up in the hands of a royal mage, who discovered that it had the power to greatly amplify magic, and also "memorised" any spells which it was used to amplify. The stone could cast any spells it had "memorised" when made to do so by a mage, whether or not the mage could cast the spell themself, and seemingly never ran out of energy to cast them. Akhar upped its mining efforts in an attempt to find more of this mysterious stone, and it did. The stone was named "magicite" and soon all the other nations began to search for it within their own borders. There seemed to be an abundant supply of it everywhere, and it was soon discovered that it could produce limitless amounts of energy. Magicite veins also began to grow, expanding from beneath the Earth up to the surface. Many speculated that it had formed during the reformation, others claimed that it was a gift from the gods to help Taakeira get back on its feet. Whatever it was, it all seemed too good to be true...
But every silver lining has a cloud. Recently, strange tears in space have been appearing across the entire continent, which have come to be known as "rifts". The rifts seemed harmless enough at first, the first reported rift did nothing; it was just there. Days after, a rift from which a pail's worth of water poured from was reported, and days after that a rift from which a brick fell appeared. The rifts seemed harmless enough, so nobody tried to do anything about them. These harmless rifts carried on popping up for some time, but then the rifts gave people a reason to fear them. From a rift in Yesterhold a hideous creature appeared: a black, two-headed, venom-spitting snake the size of a big dog. The creature slithered into a village and murdered six villagers and a guard before it was finally put down. The news spread like wildfire, and the rifts became increasingly common. More monsters spawned from the rifts, not all of them like the snake that had wreaked havoc in Yesterhold, some did not even resemble worldly creatures. To make matters worse, Gar has begun to rearm; using magicite to power war machines and make weapons from. Many fear that Gar is summoning the monsters, although monsters have been spawning in Gar as well. The more widely accepted theory is that the use of magicite is causing the rifts, but the use of magicite has not been banned anywhere, as there has been little evidence to back up this theory. But now the least expected thing has appeared from a rift: a person. Nobody knows who this person is; even they don't know. Are they a stranger from another universe, are they the cause of the rifts, or are they here to end them? Only time will tell.
Strictly speaking, Taakeira is just the continent of the world it's on, but it's the only continent, and so the whole world is often referred to as Taakeira. Taakeira is almost like Pangaea, but its shape is far different and it has various little islands dotted around the mainland. The mainland consists of five large, almost circular masses (known fittingly as circles) that would be separate islands were it not for the thin land bridges that all connect the centre of Taakeira to a peninsula known as "The Dragon's Pass". It is so named because it is home to the great dragon Klatzo, a sentinel of the gods who exists to prevent war amongst the different circles. His five children (Degetbura, Kaatanmura, Thorak, Alsar and Hclia) each guard one of the land bridges. His mate, Niria, guards the seas. The dragons have varying personalities, but all give people a chance to cross. Each land bridge is named after it's respective dragon.
The first circle lies in the northwest and houses the countries Akhar and Gar. The second circle lies in the north and houses Ik'Ra. The third circle lies in northeast and houses Bhaeldron and Yesterhold. The fourth circle lies in the southeast and houses Dhara. The fifth circle lies in the southwest and houses Ghaliar and Irvar. The island country of Thania is situated west of the Dragon's Pass.
Taakeira has not always been shaped like this, though. Before the Holy War, Taakeira had not been one large continent, and such powerful dragons had been but myths; people had only been accustomed to the much smaller wyverns which inhabited various wildernesses around the globe. The gods, appalled at the violence that their creations were causing, reshaped world so that war would never again break out. This event was known as "The Reformation".
(For more specific information about the countries, look under the places section.)
The Stranger - Flynn Rowe (Taken)
Nobody knows who the stranger is, nor where they came from. They just fell out of a rift with no memory of anything but their name and basic bodily functions, such as walking and talking. (16-20 years old, ♂/♀)
The Farmhand - Kai Silverwood (Taken)
Born and raised in Ley, the Farmhand has lived a somewhat unexciting and ordinary life. He has never ventured beyond the nearest town, and as a result knows very little about urban areas. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed and has few skills beyond farming, but his heart is in the right place. (14-18 years old, ♂)
The Mage - Jacia Zash (Taken)
Once a student at the Arcane University in Kalistos, Akhar's capital, the Mage left the university in order to learn about the world through first-hand experiences as opposed to simply reading about them. She is well-trained in the ways of magic and well-read, although little of her knowledge has practical uses. (18-20 years old, ♀)
The Squire - Iridian Valka (Taken)
The Squire is a young man in training as a soldier in Akharian military. He has spent much time training in Kalistos before he was assigned to a post in Ley. His work in Ley would supposedly be "an easy way to round off his training". He's fairly capable considering the amount of training he's done, and can think on his feet. (17-20 years old, ♂)
The Princess - Melissa Bellhouse (Taken)
The princess of Thania. As the only child of the King and Queen, she is the rightful heir to Thania's throne. Since she knew that she would one day have to reign over Thania, she decided that she would need to be knowledgeable of the world outside her palace in order to be a good queen, and so, with her parents' reluctant consent, she set off too see the world. She is extremely intelligent for a girl of her age, but still views the world from a childish perspective. (10-14 years old, ♀)
The Guardian - Cadbury Roverfield (Taken)
The Guardian is the bodyguard of the princess of Thania. He is a foreigner to Thania, but lived there ever since the princess was born. He has always served as her bodyguard, so the two have a close bond. He continues to look after her as the two travel the continent and upholds the ruse that she is the daughter of a wealthy merchant. (25-40 years old, ♂)
The Cleric - Phile Mortimer (Taken)
The Cleric was born in Ley to fairly normal parents, but she proved to be less than normal. At a young age she demonstrated that she could use healing magic, so she was sent to be raised by the clergy, who could help her to develop her powers. She eventually returned to Ley where she now serves as its priestess of Sol. (17-20 years old, ♀)
- Code: Select all
[right][font=Aharoni][size=200]FULL NAME HERE[/size][/font]
[img]IMAGE URL HERE[/img][/right]
[size=150][font=Aharoni]Role[/font][/size]
[size=90](Who is your character?)[/size]
[size=150][font=Aharoni]Age[/font][/size]
[size=90](How old is your character?)[/size]
[size=150][font=Aharoni]Nationality[/font][/size]
[size=90](Which country is your character from?)[/size]
[size=150][font=Aharoni]Gender[/font][/size]
[size=90](Are you a boy or a girl?)[/size]
[size=150][font=Aharoni]Personality[/font][/size]
[size=90](How does your character behave?)[/size]
[size=150][font=Aharoni]Pros[/font][/size]
[size=90](What's great about your character? Any magical abilities go here.)[/size]
[size=150][font=Aharoni]Cons[/font][/size]
[size=90](What are your character's flaws?)[/size]
[size=150][font=Aharoni]Appearance[/font][/size]
[size=90](I know there's a picture, but describe your character anyway. You can verbally add to or subtract from the picture here.)[/size]
[size=150][font=Aharoni]History[/font][/size]
[size=90](What happened in your character's past? It doesn't have to be too long, but don't be too brief. Not necessary for the Stranger.)[/size]
[font=Aharoni][size=150][url=LINK TO THEMESONG]THEME SONG NAME HERE[/url][/size][/font]
[size=90]Theme Song Lyrics[/size]
[font=Aharoni]Other[/font]
[size=90](Anything Else? Optional.)[/size]
- 46 posts here • Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 7 authors
Kai's feet pounded violently on the rocky mountain pass as he hurtled headlong down the trail, sweat pouring from his brow and his lungs burning. Suddenly, from seemingly nowhere, a gargantuan golden dragon shot up into the sky and let out an ear-splitting roar. Kai was unsure why, but a sudden wave of relief flooded over him and he stopped running. It was then that he realised that he was accompanied by six others. He recognised two of them as the village priestess and one of the guards, but who the others were he did not know. As he turned around, he realised why he had been running, behind him stood a legion of armed troops who had stopped dead in their tracks and were staring in awe at the dragon. A man cloaked in a regal mantle barged his way through the soldiers and shouted something at Kai and his companions. Kai's head began to swim, and he couldn't make out what the man had said, but he could tell it was a threat. His companions shouted back, and an argument broke out between the two sides. Kai was still unable to process anything properly, but he could have sworn that the dragon had said something. Kai's head suddenly throbbed violently, blurring his vision, and a bright light suddenly flashed before his eyes. Once his head cleared, the dragon's corpse was lying on the mountainside, blood trickling from its skull. The man spoke up once more, and this time, Kai understood his words:
"Kill them."
Kai suddenly shot up, his heart hammering away in his chest as if it were trying to escape his body. As he looked around, he saw that he was only in his room, and his heart began to return to its normal pace. Kai's dreams had always been either fairly mundane or nonsensical in the past; never had he experienced a dream so vividly terrifying. Still shaken by the dream, Kai climbed out of bed and got dressed with trembling hands.
It was slightly chilly outside; Summer was on its way out and Autumn was creeping slowly in. The fact that it was cold was probably a good thing, as it would help to wake Kai up. It was fairly early in the morning, and the rest of the Silverwood family were still asleep. Kai would have liked very much to go back to sleep, but that was not a possibility. Instead, he had left the house to go into the fields for some fresh air to clear his mind. As he stepped into a cornfield the air a few metres away from him began to shimmer, and appeared to be tearing apart, creating some sort of rip in space. Kai suddenly realised that it was one of the rifts of which he had heard travellers talking about. Wanting to be prepared for whatever horrors the rift would realease, Kai grabbed a scythe which was resting on the barn wall and adopted a fighting stance. To Kai's bewilderment, what appeared from the rift was no sort of abomination. Instead, a young man tumbled out of the rift and fell into a gap between the rows of corn. At least he hadn't damaged any of the crops. As Kai approached the unconscious figure he noticed that the young man was stark naked, but a shield had fallen from the rift with him in a position that conveniently covered his nether regions. The young man's face looked familiar, but Kai couldn't remember having seen him before. Unsure of what to do, Kai simply fetched some clothes and laid them down next to the unconscious man. He was too scared to wake him, for all he knew, this man could crave human flesh. After all, he had just fallen out of a rift, and flesh-eating monsters usually appeared from rifts. Instead, he returned the scythe to its original position and briskly left the field.
As Kai paced down Ley's empty streets confusion swam through his head. What could have done? What should he have done? It's not every day that a naked man with a shield pops up in your cornfield out of seemingly nowhere. Should he alert the guards? Maybe if he just left him, he would put on the clothes and go off on his merry way and everything would be fine. Kai continued to pace along the street, and continued to think. You could tell that he was flustered, because thinking wasn't something that Kai did very often.
Flynn's eyelids slowly opened, rapidly scanning his immediate surroundings from his vertical position. Ascertaining that he was indeed laying down, he slowly rose to his feet. He had no idea where he was, or even who he was, but the simple act of performing basic human functions was giving him a better understanding of his predicament.
"Flynn...Rowe..." he uttered to himself, "Aegis..."
This was a good sign! Not only was he able to recall is own name, but he had the capacity to think, reason, and communicate via a spoken medium. However, despite this revelation, he couldn't quite pinpoint the significance of the word 'Aegis,' though something in the back of his mind told him that that particular qualifier was important. In addition to the enigmatic term, some dormant reflex urged him to address another very prevalent issue- he was completely naked! Although initially docile, this realization also comforted him, as the knowledge of nudity and its various taboos outdoors were indicative of his civilized nature. He was also comforted by the fact that it was dark- both by the fact that it indicated that there would probably be nobody around, and by the fact that he was able to make that connection in the first place. He scanned the perimeter once again from his standing position, finding a peculiar host of items at his disposal. At his feet lay a peculiar shield, and to his left a pair of overalls and some tattered shoes.
He drew his attention to the clothes; they were, of course, an immediate remedy to the issue of his nudity. Lifting the overalls to eye level, he quickly ascertained how to properly garb himself with them, then proceeded to do so. Comforted by the fact that he could do something as simple as putting on clothes, he then challenged himself to tackle the provided shoes. They were a little big for his feet, but they certainly fared better than trekking through unknown territory barefoot!
His attention then turned to the shield that rest at his feet. He leaned over and grasped the tool by the handle on the back, effortlessly bringing it to his side. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around why, but something told him that this shield was his. It felt comfortable in his hands, and the insignia shown on the front of the tool brought him a sense of relief.
Finding no other clue or tools, Flynn thought it best to navigate around his surroundings. He cautiously made his way through the cornfield, treating each ear as though it were some foreign treasure that he dared not defile. After a few moments of aimless wandering, Flynn found himself in the streets of what appeared to be some sort of settlement. Torches lit the streets at intermittent points, and there were no signs of anything living save for a lone young man pacing back and forth.
A dormant instinct drove Flynn to a cautious demeanor. Clenching his shield tightly, he slowly made his way towards the gentleman, adopting a more open posture once he came into the torchlight.
"Excuse me, but..." he wasn't quite sure how to explain his predicament, as he was unsure of the right words himself. Even so, he managed to muster, "Can you help me?"
---
It was early morning- though the sun had yet to creep out, Cadbury knew that it was only a matter of moments until daylight broke through the crisp, dusky visage. As he turned the reigns on the Thranian horse (whom lady Bellhouse affectionately named 'Sir Trotsalot,) he took a glimpse back at the Princess, who sure enough, was sleeping like the dead in the back of their humble caravan. Smiling at the child, he once again turned his gaze forward, eyeballing a small village in the distance.
The two had been on the road for the better part of an entire day- weariness had taken its toll on the grizzled butler, and though the Princess would be remiss in admitting it, he could see that she, too, was feeling the bitter sting of nonstop travel. Although he made it a point to speak eloquently on her behalf to her parents, he still wasn't quite sold on the young Princess making such an arduous journey. While he could assuredly get behind the notion of the young maiden broadening her horizons, he was perplexed at the very unconventional notion of making the journey with naught but a single bodyguard. It certainly paid to travel in smaller numbers, but surely the king could have spared some of the elite guard to serve as part of the convoy? It wouldn't be a stretch to assume that the "daughter of a wealthy merchant" wouldn't employ an extra bodyguard or two...
Still, his duty was not to question, but to protect. With a bow and a smile, Cadbury could do nothing but acquiesce to this absurd request and accompany the young Lady Bellhouse on this campaign of enlightenment. The cart began to near the small village- though it pained him to do so, Cadbury felt it prudent to wake the young Ms. Bellhouse to inform her of the first stop in their journey.
"Milady," he quietly, yet jovially beckoned, "I hate to awaken you, but we are arriving at the first stop on our journey. The sun will be rising shortly, so if it pleases you, I would recommend that you gather yourself and awaken! This will be your first day as the daughter of a wealthy merchant, so we must prepare to act our parts!"
Her dreams were a simple affair. Certainly not dancing sugarplums-- the act of riding a full day on a cart pulled by a horse saw to that. Yet, they weren't nightmares either. They were pleasant enough, more akin to a waking dream. Not completely awake, but not enveloped fully in slumber either. Neither here nor there. Her mind was awake enough and her imagination just vivid enough to create the vista's she believed she would see. Gentle rolling hills, sky-scraping mountains, fields of crops, plains of wildflowers, snow strewn rocks-- she'd been more excited about this trip that she initially let on.
Despite all of her enthusiasm for this journey through the lands she was still human, and a small one at that. The whole day before had been devoted to traveling, and it was already beginning to sink it's claws into her mind and body. She was tired, and her posterior was more sore than she'd ever let on-- though a quick glance at her could reveal hints. Lissa couldn't sit still after a while, and she slept on her belly as opposed to her back, using her arm for a pillow.
It was a good character building journey, she'd tell herself. She wouldn't be a fragile queen who could only sit on her throne. She'd be a woman of the people, and though higher-born, she'd be just as tough as they were-- at least that was the hope and plan. In practice, being "one of the people" was a lot rougher on the rear than she first believed. When she closed her eyes, she was out like a gentle breath on a candlelight. She could still feel the bumps and jars in the road even in her dreams.
One of these dream-thoughts were of Ley-- the next village they were to be passing through, Cadbury had told her. A town that farmed and raised livestock to survive, what he told her. A simple village and nothing more, they were lucky if they had an inn. So of course this particular dream-thought had upright cornstalks for as far as the eye could see, all the way to the horizon. Animals were everywhere too, the clucks of chickens, the bleats of sheep, and bellowing of cows could all be heard within her dream scape.
The one thing she did not expect though was a aged voiced, edged with wisdom. What would Cadbury's voice be doing in her dreams? It was at that point that Melissa exited her dream-thoughts and into her thoughts proper. She found herself seeing with eyes she didn't remember opening the twilight of early morning. It took her a couple of moments to register everything, and to further decode Cadbury's words before they were finally digested.
"So we get to see the sunrise. Marvelous," she stated. In any other mouth, the statement might have felt sarcastic, but in Melissa's it felt like the honest truth. And though she would have rather had a couple of hours more of sleep or whatever it was she was doing moments ago-- seeing a sunrise somewhere else besides her castle window was an opportunity she wouldn't waste.
Yawn issued forth from the girl's learned maw as she stretched and popped her bones. With little effort she rolled herself off of her belly and on her back, wincing a bit when her sore rear met uncompromising wood again. There she rested until she regained enough energy to stand, at which point she took a seat beside her guardian to get a better look of the place. A woman of the people shouldn't just sit in the back of a cart as life was happening outside.
"Ah yes. The part. I'm no actor, but I shall give it my best... Er-- What were our names again?" She questioned, a crimson eyebrow turning quizzically.
His lap around the cornfields came to an abrupt stop when he realized the first glimmers of sunlight where peeking out from the horizon, challenging the brilliance of the torchlights scattered around Ley. Iridian's brow furrowed. That wouldn't do. He was running a couple of minutes late. The realization hit him like a nourishing wave. Eyes set hard on the boundary between cornfield and grassland, he resumed his trot with renewed energy.
The idea of being late poked at his mind like a stick against his rear. The cobs that grew beside him, Ley's own corn, held an agreeable sweet flavor he had never tasted before and provided an excellent nutritional kick for his evening shifts if he had some for lunch. The cornfield should rank among the very best of Taakeira. It was no exaggeration to think of it as one of Akhar's treasures. But how was he supposed to defend it if he was late? It wasn't proper soldier attitude. Ley deserved better, the very best. He sped up to greet the last hundred meters of his daily morning lap.
When he was back where he'd begun, Iridian's eyes sought out the sun's position, their pleased glimmer betraying an underlying hope. Oh. Nope. He was definitely late. From where he stood, the sun was already above the baker's window. Those five minutes would affect his patrolling schedule, then carry over to training practice and the rest of his duties up until night patrol. Somewhere, a rooster crowed, simultaneously rubbing salt on his wounded pride.
No matter! Duty was still duty and he would be damned if he'd let such a misstep, big as it was, affect his responsibilities. He would start by taking some seconds off his post-run stretch. He bent down and touched the tips of his fingers to those of his toes. One, two, three. He stretched his calves. One, two, three. He arched backwards. One, two, three. Neck to each side; arm to the side; arm over head; arm behind back. One, two, three.
With a satisfied sigh, Iridian headed to a very small house nearby. It was what he called home now and what the citizens of Ley could barely describe as their barracks. What with Ley being so small, it was the roof of a mere handful of soldiers. Soldiers who were currently sleeping, for the most part, prompting Irid to tiptoe around the bunkbeds. It was easy enough now, he did so on a daily basis. As the only squire, and a transfer at that, it was natural for his workhours to begin earlier than theirs. They were full-fledged soldiers who'd proven themselves whereas he wasn't quite there yet. Almost, but not yet.
Irid stripped out of his morning exercise garments to don the much nobler, and more hygienic, uniform of the armed forces of Akhar. Tiptoeing once more, he made his way to the armory and rescued his lance, scabbard and shield from their nightly reclusion. It was time to start his professional duties!
As Iridian made his way out the barracks and into the village proper he noted what he did every morning. Although he was late Irid was still up and at the ready before most of the villagers were awake. Good. He was one guardian ready to serve every waking hour of the people of Ley. Except it turned out two men had readied themselves before Irid had. Curse his tardiness. He made his way to them.
With every step bringing him closer to the men, he was able to make out the face of one of the Silverwood children, the male. Kai, his name was. Iridian recognized him as one of the few villagers who routinely managed to get up before even him. He greeted him with a curt nod. The second man, however, was still a mystery with no name and a peculiar scar on his cheek. He seemed a little on edge.
Iridian saluted him, "Good morrow, young sir. Pray tell but I don't seem able to recognize you." In a village as small as that, such was an accomplishment... Unless the stranger was a newcomer. "My name is Iridian Valka, guardian of this our village of Ley. Our scouts reported that a merchant of some coin was on his way here, would I be correct in assuming you to be him? Sadly, they reported no name."
Irid had always found it easier to protect those whose names' he knew.
Jacia shot up in her bed in the same manner that a lightning bolt shoots down from the sky. For all she knew, she could have been struck by a lightning bolt, judging by the overwhelming sense of magical energy she felt. It would be illogical however, mostly due to the ceiling of the inn above her, the bottom of the bunk below that, and the fact that Ley, in this season, rarely ever had thunderstorms. As these thoughts skimmed her brain, her body continued to shoot skyward, and like a falling bolt, she eventually connected to ground. In her case, the ground happened to be the bunk above her. She registered the pain in her forehead somewhere between "falling on the ground" and "running into a tree", and then dismissed it. Whatever had caused that immense rush of magic was nearby, and needed to be discovered, poked, prodded, experimented on, and recorded.
"What was that all about?" A groggy voice called from above. Her head-bumping had awoken her bunkmate, a man who had not given his name, but who she had affectionately labeled as Beerbeard. As anyone with eyes may have guessed, it was because he had a very thick beard, and last night he was drinking a great deal of alcohol.
"Sorry!" Jacia shouted, realizing too late that shouting was only to be done after noon, and only when necessary. That rule was the seventh hardest rule for her to follow when she had been staying at the university, so naturally she needed only to remind herself once this morning to not shout unless required. She continued: "I thought I may have been struck by lightning but, realizing how silly that is, especially during this season, I figured it must have been a dream. Or perhaps some alien magic is preparing to tear the world apart, I don't know..."
"Mages..." Beerbeard grumbled, then collapsed back into his straw pillow. Jacia, meanwhile was busy readying herself for the day. That entailed the following, in order as presented: Putting her overcoat on, wriggling to get comfortable, sending a small shock through her clothes to eliminate wrinkles, sending a similar shock through her body to wake her up even more, running magic haphazardly through her hair so as to change "bedhead" into "hair explosion", and finally, pulling her boots onto her feet. Today it took her twelve seconds to get ready, and that was almost a record. She resolved to make eleven seconds the next day.
She left the inn, rummaging through her bag for one of her preserved sweets. After removing a powdered mini-cake and gorging herself with it, she begin flipping through her notebook, looking for a blank page. Finding it, she wrote down exactly what she felt this morning, so she would not forget. She continued to walk down the empty street, muttering a few spells here and there, attempting to ascertain what had caused the surge she had felt. She had almost given up when she saw it. In the middle of a cornfield, clear as day, was a rift, or rather, what was left after one closes. To a layman, it would have appeared as a barely visible shimmer after the rift closed, but to a trained mage it was a cascade of purple, green, orange, and blue. She'd seem rifts before, so she was not too concerned with studying this one, especially since it was closed and fading. What she was concerned about, however, was what came out of it. The last rift she had encountered spewed forth a blob of tentacles with teeth that attempted to latch on to and kill her. She immediately raised her guard, calling to mind a few spells.
Jacia approached the corner of a building, and carefully peered around. No monsters, no hellfire, no readily visible magic. At the end of the road stood three men. Two appeared to be farmers, the third looked like a town guard.
"Perfect!" She grinned. She could report what she learned to the guard, he would wake the others, and they could search out whatever came from the rift and hopefully capture it for study. She couldn't bear the thought of blowing up a possible specimen, even if it did spit acid. She rounded the corner and made her way towards the group. She hurried, but did not rush at them.
"Excuse me, guard!" She exclaimed, trying her hardest to sound cute, serious, and authoritative all at once. When she reached them, she continued, "Jacia Zash," she introduced herself, "I am a mage from the Arcane University, travelling the country to study the rifts that have been popping up lately, and I believe, no, I know that a rift has very recently opened up, just out there." She paused to breath, "Well? What are you waiting for? Go fetch the other guards and hopefully we can catch whatever came of the rift before it kills anyone!"
This certainly was turning out to be a most perplexing event- at the question of his identity, Flynn was at a complete loss for words. Try as he might, he couldn't quell his brow to furrow in complete and utter confusion.
Gathering his bearings,addressed the Guard, who seemed far more approachable at present. "Actually, I was rather hoping that you might be able to provide me with such information." At this point, the hapless amnesiac was simply adding to the already kindled blaze of confusion, but these people seemed to mean him no harm, so he saw no reason to employ deception.
"You see, sir, I awoke in that field over there, with naught but this shield that I may call my own possession. These garments I adorn were situated next to me as well, though I can't fathom that they are mine, as they are rather ill-fitting."
He paused, taking a moment to let the bewilderment sink in not just to his listeners, but also to himself.
"As for whether or not I am this merchant of yours...I simply cannot say. Not because I wish to conceal my identity, but because I am just as ignorant to who I am as you are. I can't seem to recall anything about myself, save for my name and a peculiar honorific.
He straightened up, realizing now that, though utterly dumbfounded, he was among friends, "Flynn Rowe is my name. 'Aegis' bears some significance to my standing, though what it is exactly, I am unsure.
Before he could ascertain the name of the guard and farmer, however, a persnickety young lady approached them, bearing news of some sort of 'rift' harboring potential ill-will towards the village.
"Milady," Flynn began, "I've actually just come from where you've indicated. On my way to this village, I saw nothing matching your description to my own eyes..."
He paused to ponder the situation, trying desperately to put two and two together. Surmising what he think may be the solution, he immediately addressed the girl again, "I don't suppose...do you think that I could be the source of this 'rift' you spoke of? It would certainly explain my predicament."
---
"Names, eh?" Cadbury led out a regal chortle- for he had gone through all of the meticulous planning of routes, finances, and pivotal contacts, yet he forgot the simple act of constructing false identities. Leave it to Lissa to set her senile Guardian straight!
"I suppose that we should figure out who our characters will be prior to introducing ourselves then, now shouldn't we?" He gave the Princess a hearty wink, a certain twinkle emitting from his eye as the sun began to creep over the mountains, "You, my dear, are the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Since we are not traveling very luxuriously, however, it is only safe to assume that I shan't be playing the role of your father. No, instead, we will operate under the ruse that you are under an apprenticeship to began your career in being a merchant. Seeing as the Merchant's Guild frowns upon immediate family acting as the apprentice's master, I will assume the role of a family friend who is seeing to your tutelage."
He began to smile uncontrollably, enjoying the notion of portraying a character far more than he should, "As for our names, they should prim, proper, and hoity-toity-just as the characters we are going to portray! I was thinking something rather grandiose and frivolous for my character, such as 'Ichabod Devonshire III! What about you, milady?"
The village of Ley was slowly but surely coming closer to the wandering Thanians, and the whispers of a confused and harried discussion could begin to be heard.
Kai had no idea how long he'd been pacing about for before his train of thought was interrupted. Suddenly, a voice piped up in his ear.
"Excuse me, but... Can you help me?"
Kai turned around to face the person asking the question, and nearly jumped a foot in the air and out of his skin out of fright; it was the man who had fallen out of a rift into his field mere minutes before. While Kai didn't jump much, a terrified meep escaped his mouth as well as a garbled "Ohgodspleasedon'teatme". Fortunately, the stranger probably didn't understand Kai's initial response due to its poor delivery. Kai was very tempted to jump behind a nearby crate for cover, but he had regained enough of what little sense he had to realise what a poor idea that would be.
Kai was embarrassed enough now it was, and the sudden arrival of one of the town guards made Kai turn as red as a beetroot. How long had he been standing there for? Kai wasn't paying much attention to what he was saying, but he heard him ask if the man who had fallen from a rift was a wealthy merchant. What man of that status would suddenly pop up in a stranger's cornfield with nothing but a shield to cover himself with?
As if things couldn't pressure Kai any more, another voice arose, this time from a young woman hurrying towards the group.
"Jacia Zash. I am a mage from the Arcane University, travelling the country to study the rifts that have been popping up lately, and I believe, no, I know that a rift has very recently opened up, just out there. Well? What are you waiting for? Go fetch the other guards and hopefully we can catch whatever came of the rift before it kills anyone!"
A mage from the Arcane University? Ley certainly was receiving some unexpected visitors. Still, it didn't exactly make Kai feel any more secure; if anything it made him panic more. As much as he wanted to just run off and never see any of these people again, he couldn't have them tearing up his cornfields looking for the product of the rift. After all, he was the only one who knew what had come from it.
"It's him!" Kai pointed at the man who had emerged from the rift. Kai was still garbling, but his speech was now intelligible, "A rift appeared in my family's cornfield, and he fell out of it! He was naked but for his shield, so I left him some clothes. And, and I just left him. I didn't know what to do, it's not every day a naked man falls out of the sky into your cornfield! For all I know he eats people!"
Kai began to realise the stupidity of his words, and so he slumped down, sat on the crate and stared at the ground, wishing it would just swallow him up so he wouldn't have to endure the fool he had made of himself any longer.
Dew had set early on this late-summer day, chilling the leaves of her garden cold to the touch. Running pale fingers over the late flowering herb, Phile listened for the prelude of the new day.
Phile Mortimer has always been a morning person. She rose with the morning mist, nipping at her ankles and wetting the hem of her robe. Doctor Renalds once told her that she resembled a specter, the remnants of a dream wandering about as the living still slept, an ethereal figure surrounded by silence and stillness and stars. Phile remembers the crinkle around his eyes as he added that her ghost was that of a face ink-stained and leather-bound journal in hand. His hand was heavy upon her head, ruffling the white curls she had so carefully styled.
Six months have passed since but few things have changed. Doctor Renalds was still with the clergy and Phile still rose at the break of dawn but the responsibility, the duty which she carried now was different. Knelt amid twisting broths and seeking vines Phile shifted over to her right. Pausing but a moment to admire the jewelwood blossom she plucked twelve of it's leaves in quick succession, her hand moving with the confidence of a master and care of a mother. This garden was born of her own sweat and tears, a labor of love cultivated to perfection after it's previous gardener passed from old age. Under her care the garden had transformed from a simple public garden to a lifesaver, the plants she cultivated favorites from the clergy famous for their healing properties.
The jewelwood leaves were stuffed into Phile's hemp satchel after careful examination; they were to be pulped and strained later to make a salve for a farmer's daughter. It was an easy job and one Phile delighted in, working hard at the morter, mixing summer's fragrant herbs carefully to create the most effective salve. An apothecary's job, none fitting for a priestess in her white, dirtying her robes in a garden plucking weeds! Well, Phile suspected that's what Ley's pastor thought the first time he spotted her toiling in the mud. More romantic, she mused, to be among the growing rather then then the soon-to-be dead.
Phile stopped her train of thoughts there. Inappropriate, unbecoming, immoral she scolded herself silently, snatching her hemp satchel, heavy with the morning harvest and stood as fast as her knees allowed. There wasn't a soul awake in the abbey save the cat but Phile couldn't help but feel embarrassed. It was a good thing that no one was awake, seeing the normally collected priestess look so flustered with little provocation would've been concerning. Shaking her head, Phile wondered how indeed had the thought troubled her so.
A soothing heat from the abbey hearth greeted Phile as she entered the wood and stone building. Upon reaching the nearest workbench she set to work, dumping the contents of her sack across the surface hoping to fall in a steady working rhythm. The single candle which she worked by became increasingly useless as the east-facing windows lite up; Phile paused as her salve strained to watch the sun rise.
Hurried steps sounded behind her, a frenzy of clacking shoes and fluttering robes. What's the rush, Phile thought, there has never been need of 'rush' in a village like Ley.
"Beautiful morning isn't it Miss Ingram, perhaps we should go out for a walk later," she coolly suggested, her eyes still watching the haloed picture of Ley.
The frenzied movement of the woman stopped in shock. Phile spared a glance and mentally congratulated herself in guessing correctly who had approached. Miss. Ingram however looked like a trapped deer, eyes wide and completion pale. It sounded as if she had ran a marathon with the heaving breaths she was taking. Between her heaving breaths she managed, "PriestessPhile *gasp* arifthasappeared!"
Miss. Ingram's words hit the priestess like a ice-cold wave. Ley had yet to experience the terror brought forth by rifts but Phile had plenty experience with them during her studies abroad; stretchers of injured carted through an over-crowded clinic where panic hung in the air like the reaper, women and children huddled within the cold marble halls waiting with breaths held when news of the monster's death were brought. It was time like that when students were called forth to help.
"Thank you Miss Ingram, your quick thinking has already saved many," Phile crossed the room, face still impassive but a sense of urgency lit, "Please take a moment here and catch your breath. I will alert the guard and make necessary preparations. Do not worry yourself anymore." She slipped in a reassuring smile and was out the doors of the abbey in seconds.
"Ichabod Devonshire?" She asked. A corner of her mouth turned up as she couldn't help but grin at such a name. It certainly was, as he had put it, hoity-toity, but she left any further comment on the name lodged within her throat. Instead, she opted to address Cadbury's rather... Enthusiastic approach to the act. "Dear Cadbury, you're loving this aren't you? I had no idea that I also had an actor in my guardian!" she said with the sweetest smile she could muster. Again, there was no sarcasm in her voice, and she seemed to genuinely share in his enjoyment of the part.
Then she was quite, a forefinger pressed to her lips, red brows furrowed, and blue eyes peering upward deep in thought. Not everyday that she could pick another name for herself. Not to be mistaken, she loved her own name. Melissa was pretty and rolled off the tongue, and Bellhouse was a strong name, denoting her as heir to the Thanian throne. Still, a new slate was exciting! Lissa's head tilted to the side, throwing the cascade of red curls in that direction before her eyes widened and she snapped.
"Elisia Hartford, named so after my mother, Elise Hartford, and after her mother, Elsie. My great grandmother was named Agatha, but we don't talk about her. I am the heir to the Hartford Trading Company, a steadily rising company stationed in Akhar's capital, who deal with goods of all kinds and quantities. Though everyone just calls me Lisa," She said in a tone reminiscent of Cadbury's prim-and-proper comment. However, once she fancy introductions were done, she devolved into a giggling mess. It took a couple of moments for her to regain herself. She placed her hand to her chest and took a breath, donning the air she had about her before her fit.
"Oh my. This is fun. I didn't expect to play actor on this trip," she said, smiling a bright smile. Though a commotion brought her eyes back to the forefront. The whispered discussion grew louder as the cart began to approach a gathering of some kind. There was a guardsman, two farmers, and a woman, all discussing something. As to what that something was, she had no idea. One of the farmers was flailing about, pointing at the other. Whatever they were discussing, it sounded excited and hurried. Perhaps too exciting. Yes, she wanted to watch the people. It was the point of this entire venture, but she was not so blinded as to throw herself into the middle of a crowd if it could be helped.
Once again, Lissa found her head tilting on it's own accord, this time due to curiosity rather than thought. "Hmm, I wonder what they're discussing," Lissa posed. However, she was just some simple merchant's child, and certainly not a Princess. Perhaps it would be prudent to not stick her nose where it does not belong. However, if Cadbury wanted to introduce themselves, she would not be opposed...
"Well Mister Ichabod, what shall we do?" She asked.
Well, well, it seemed as though more people than usual were up at that time of morning. Or perhaps the number of people was normal and his perception just flawed because of his tardiness. Ack. Truly, it appeared the day would prove to be a long one. Although on second thought... getting through it with flying colors was just the kind of challenge he liked. Yes, good. Iridian liked challenges. Indeed, the first few minutes of the start of his shift were already making sure he had his hands full.
First, the unknown man had informed him, with rippling overtones of politeness, that he had absolutely no idea who he was. He looked helplessly lost. Then, a young mage had approached the soldier to inform him that a rift had most definitely opened up in Ley. Iridian's eyes had widened in a mix of bewilderment and excitement, though it was most certainly more troubling news than the last. Finally, the Silverwood farmer had brought both stories together. The man - Flynn Rowe - had fallen out of the rift. Iridian's eyes spoke of confusion.
Fast as a cat threatened with water, he stepped between Rowe and the other two people present, hands on his lance, protective stance adopted.
If there was one thing high command had stressed during the latest years of military training, it was that Rifts were inherently misunderstood and should be treated with the utmost caution. That included assuming everything and anything that came from them to be extremely dangerous. Still, his stare spoke of a man who had acted on protocol over principle. Perhaps it was because he'd never faced a Rift before, let alone a creature that spawned from one, but Rowe didn't seem exactly dangerous.
"Mage... Zash, was it? I-I don't think I've heard of a person falling from a Rift before. How common is this?" His first instinct had been to take the stranger to jail so he could be questioned while the villagers remained safe. However, the sole cell found in the barracks of Ley was small and otherwise already inhabited by old Ronald whose drunken actions two days back at the alehouse had earned him a weeklong pass. In lieu of that, and because Rowe appeared to be more frightened than anything, Iridian thought it better to get his story out then and there with - hopefully - the help of the mage. They'd avoid a bureaucratic labyrinth that was imprisoning a foreigner and be able to act on time if any danger were about to strike Ley. No Akharian would come to harm on his watch.
"Rowe, Silverwood. I need to know. Did anything else come from the Rift?" Albeit he questioned both men, his stare kept a tight grip on Flynn's own. Assume everything and anything that comes from a Rift to be extremely dangerous. He wondered if Jacia would be able to ascertain their claims. Whether or not the men had seen a monster it didn't rule out the possibility that one might've appeared close by. Did beings that come from Rifts possess some sort of magical scent? There was so much he didn't know about Rifts. It threw him off, put him on edge. It added to the higher stress of being late. How was the soldier to protect the villagers if he knew nothing about the immediate threat?
The stare that Flynn gave back mellowed his worry. The man looked as innocent as his words were polite.
"Perhaps we ought to take Sir Rowe down to the Abbey. The clergy might have ways to tend to his...forgetfulness." Not to mention that Iridian could keep a better watch on him there and, were he to be dangerous, he'd be contained in a building. It would be safer for everyone. Plus, he trusted the followers of Sol.
On the road, he saw a cart that he'd failed to notice moments ago. They were in no position to greet more travelers.
(Flynn will wait for Jacia's response before responding to Irid)
Though the now-named 'Lisa's' curiosity had indeed gotten the better of her, 'Ichabod' had some reservations about diving headfirst into the affairs of others, especially when they were as hectic as they appeared to be.
"Miss Hartford," Cadbury began, "We may better fare keeping our curiosity in check, lest we draw undue attention to ourselves. I suggest that we remain here, until-"
His rationale was cut short by the abrupt appearance of a rather hasty member of the clergy. Rounding the corner of a nearby building, he almost missed her entirely.
"Well now, Miss Hartford, perhaps we may be able to get to the bottom of this inconspicuously after all! Cadbury bade her to follow his example as he addressed the rapidly approaching Phile.
"Excuse me, fair Clergy Maiden, but might you know what all of the commotion is about? We are a merchant caravan, and we are expecting to meet with some of the towns guardsmen and entrepreneurs."
Jacia listened to the boy recount his tale, that he had not seen a rift, that he had come through the cornfield towards the village. It was hardly a likely story. Firstly, given the timing of the rift's appearance, there was no way he could have missed it. Even to non-mages, the a rift in full swing was clearly visible. Secondly, who walks through a cornfield to get to the village when there are at least three perfectly acceptable roads leading into said village? Her questions were put to rest when he asked if she thought he was the cause of the rift.
She squeaked when he said it, and almost wanted to berate him for his oblivious conclusion. If he had come from the direction of the rift yet had not seen it, then circumstance indicated he was not the source of the rift, but the product, and if he were the product...
The conversation escalated quickly from there. The farmer pointed at the alleged product of the rift and half-shouted, half-vomited, "It's him! A rift appeared in my family's cornfield, and he fell out of it! He was naked but for his shield, so I left him some clothes. And, and I just left him. I didn't know what to do, it's not every day a naked man falls out of the sky into your cornfield! For all I know he eats people!"
The boy's ability to quickly get to the point rivaled even Jacia's. She was impressed. However, upon realizing that the alleged rift product was now the confirmed rift product, she grew concerned. If it wasn't for the guard stepping between her and the rift product so quickly and so fluidly that Jacia couldn't help but admire him, she would have shocked the product to unconsciousness.
Then the guard addressed her, and she squeaked again at the recognition.
"Mage... Zash, was it? I-I don't think I've heard of a person falling from a Rift before. How common is this?" She responded instantly, as if expecting the question.
"Very uncommon. As of right now, the odds are one out of however many rifts have thus far appeared, which is a lot. Can I ask why you have not yet bound it? The farm boy's concerns about him eating us are also mine. In my experience, most things that come from the rifts eat people." She leaned around the guard to better view the product. It looked harmless, like a normal, young adult human. Then again, the Piofera plant looked exactly like a marionberry plant, but if you so much as brush against it the berries explode in a shower of acid. That was when it struck her: this rift product was a scientific first! It needed a name, a proper name, and she was the discoverer, so naturally she would get to name it.
All manner of names popped into her head: The Zashite, the Zashian, Subject Z, etc. Hell, she might even decide to be generous and give the town some credit. They could call it the Ley-Zash incident, or rather the Zash-Ley incident. That one rolled off the tongue so much better. She bounced lightly on the balls of her feet in excitement.
She popped back into reality, catching the end of the guard's response.
"Yes, let's do that." She interjected before anyone else could respond. "Although I should express my doubts that the clergy could offer any help with his amnesia. They can't even do anything about my forgetfulness, and mine isn't even a magical matter." She started off towards where she remembered the abbey being when she had entered town the previous day, expecting the others to follow, but then stopped, made an about face, and returned to the group. "I'm so sorry!" She pined, almost too close to the guard for any normal person's comfort, "But I forgot to ask you for your names? How rude of me!"
It wasn't long after Kai had sat down that Iridian span around to protect Kai and Jacia from the possible threat that Flynn posed, although the look in the Jacia's eyes made it seem more like Flynn was the one in need of protection. Despite the fact that Kai had considered his comment about Flynn's possible lust for human flesh rather silly after making it, Iridian and Jacia found it much more plausible. Perhaps he just wasn't giving himself enough credit.
Unsurprisingly, Iridian was still firing off questions about Flynn. Kai began to feel rather sorry for the poor man, providing his eating habits weren't questionable. Waking up naked in a cornfield with no memory and then being treated as a threat must have been quite a shock.
"Rowe, Silverwood. I need to know. Did anything else come from the Rift?"
"Nope, just him." Kai replied, "The rift closed up right after he fell out of it." Kai began to muse out loud again, without paying any attention to what was coming out of his mouth, "What if he doesn't eat people, but can summon things that do?"
Iridian quickly suggested taking Flynn to the abbey, a statement which Jacia quickly voiced her support of, but raised doubts over. It was obvious that she didn't know anything about the town's priestess.
"You'd be surprised." Kai stated, "Our town's priestess is capable of working wonders. She's a mage, just like you, only she specialises in healing magic. She can close wounds with her mind! I'm sure if she can do that, she can help with a little memory loss. She's also versed in herbal medicine, which could be of use."
Jacia quickly began to wander off, but turned around and came back once she realised nobody was following her and lingered next to Iridian at distance he probably found uncomfortably close. Perhaps city people had different social norms.
"But I forgot to ask you for your names? How rude of me!"
"Kai." Kai introduced himself as stood up and dusted himself off, "Kai Silverwood."
Flynn's expression turned to fatigue just as rapidly as it had succumbed to confusion. It was bad enough that he didn't know his own identity, but seeing these three complete strangers essentially prescribing it to him was quite taxing. The guardsman posed a question for the amnesiac and his discoverer- the latter of which answered first.
"It's as my discoverer says," Flynn reinforced, just as eager to get to the bottom of this as they were, "Though I know not of what these 'Rifts' are, I awoke only with my shield and my thoughts. I saw nothing between then and now."
Almost as quickly as he had spoken, however, he once again was interjected by his harried discoverer and equally energetic mage of some sort. The exchange continued, moving rapidly from further accusations of Flynn's alleged danger to the notion of moving him into some form of quarantine. He did his best to keep his frustration in check, though by now his face was showing unmistakable signs of weariness, both from the conversation and from the physical ordeal he had been through.
It was when the mage beckoned the guard and the discoverer (whom he now knew as Kai Silverwood,) that he could keep his tongue in check no longer.
"Guardsman," he began, doing his best to diminish any hint of frustration or fatigue, "I assure you that I mean neither the village nor its people any harm. However, given that I can't present any proof to the contrary, I am willing to submit myself to whatever confinement you deem necessary. I am just as eager to discover the nature of myself as you all are...even more, I would wager."
He recalled the mage's insistence upon his restraint. Though he himself felt it unnecessary, he also felt it prudent to adhere to whatever the customs of the people were- offering more cooperation had a higher probability of having more of it offered to him in kind. Subsequently, he dropped to his knees, gently laying his shield to his side and placing his hands behind the back of his head, adopting the least-threatening gesture he possibly could.
"Bind me if you must, Guardsman. I only ask that you let my shield linger by my side. It's...the only thing linking me to wherever I came from."
Brandon Cole was the first member of the guard Phile had came across, standing near the eastern entrance of town square stationed between the tailor's shop and Mrs. Smith's general store. He was an older member of the guard as well as the largest; prolong peace in the Akhar countryside wore away at his wits and at every evening tea Mr. Cole was prone to over indulging in honey cakes. His weight has been detrimental to his health, never mind his ability to preform his duties as a guard. Hardly able to touch his toes Mr. Cole came in only last week to have Phile heal a gash caused by his careless handling of a sword.
"Morn'in Miss Mor'imer. 'Tis early fo' such a lady 't be up!"
This was not the man Phile had hoped to see. Familiar with all of Ley's guards she had hoped to stumble across Iridian who, if she recalled correctly, went for a morning run at the break of dawn everyday without fail. Such dedication to his duty was admirable, zealous as he may be, such a contrast to the half-dozen other guards. A city man, the village girls swooned, who was chivalrous to every lady he met. Or, at least that's what they told her, Phile herself only acquainted with the idea of Iridian, but his many admirers were regular visitors to the abbey.
Phile squared her shoulders, speaking quickly without missing a stride. "Mr Cole ready yourself and alert all residents, a rift has open near Silverwood's farms. Miss Ingram came flying into the abbey to alert me and it is my intention to minimize damages." Beside her Mr Cole waddled to keep up with the priestess.
"Now wait ta' min't Miss Mor'imer, I ain't seein' nor hearin' a rift any where here," Cole sputtered out in surprise; evidently the thought that Ley could be the location of a rift hadn't crossed the man's mind, "Hol' on a min't Miss." He slapped down a fat hand onto Phile's slim shoulders; she nearly fell.
"Mr Cole we have no time-"
"Jus' take a good lis'en Miss and lis'en close." Brandon Cole gave her the most piercing of looks, his thick brow scrunched in concentration, framing his beady brown eyes. She listened. Dawn was passing, the silence which hung over the early morn was lifting as the farmers, bakers, tailors, and mothers rose to tend to their responsibilities. Phile heard robins songs and whispering trees carried on the wings of the wind, like a symphony who's melody could be so easily missed in the bustle of life.
"All is peaceful,"Phile said slowly, her voice barely a whisper. "There is no sound except that of a new-day stiring. All is peaceful. " The hefty guard nodded, removing his hand from her shoulder placing it instead on the waist band of his pants.
"Yes Miss Mor'imor," Brandon's eyes hadn't left Phile, the older man regarding the young priestess with a cool Phile envied. He neither seemed boastful or excited in his ability to perceive what she had not. "No rift Miss, but had there were, I'd been there ta handle it before ya had ta chance ta risk ya self."
Phile nodded, "Thank you Mr. Cole, that's very," she struggled to find the word, "considerate of you. Even so, I will go investigate the claim and make sure all is well. Good day Mr Cole."
The guard waved at her retreating figure. Phile was perhaps to quick to judge the man based on habits and appearances. Had she encountered the young Iridian she doubted that their encounter would be resolved as quickly. In fact, it may have caused more trouble then an empty rift would've.
She rounded a corner and before her lay Silverwood farms, but a ten minute walk. Indeed there was no rift, no horrid monster, no black magic spewing forth from who-knows-where but instead it looked as if a small gathering of people huddled around the edge of the farm's cornfield. Interesting, something must have happened, but what?
So resolute was her focus (now that the initial danger of rift monsters seemed null) she didn't notice the man and accompanying girl approach.
"Excuse me, fair Clergy Maiden, Phile jumped and squeaked with a start; she struggled to calm her heart as the man continued," but might you know what all of the commotion is about? We are a merchant caravan, and we are expecting to meet with some of the towns guardsmen and entrepreneurs."
Phile folded her hands in front of her, composed once again, "I apologize, I did not expected to be regarded so early in the morning." She glanced over the travelers, curiously examining the two but cautious to be polite and welcoming. The young girl had the most fiery hair Phile has ever seen, only matched by the fire of youth that shone behind the girl's eyes. Must be an apprentice of sorts Phile thought, with the man her guardian or master.
"I cannot say what the gathering is for, I was sent to see for myself," Phile purposely omitted news of a rift and continued, "If you're looking the town guard, allow me direct you east into the village. A man by the name of Brandon Cole should be able to help you connect with the people you seek."
There was something odd about their story. Ley was a small village and a great distance away from any of the major cities. If the goal of this excursion was to teach the nuts and bolts of mercantilism would it not make greater sense if the man took his apprentice to a town? Perhaps this warrants more investigation then the supposed rift.
"However, if you are weary, allow me to lead you to the abbey. We welcome all and will be serving breakfast soon. My name is Phile Mortimer, I am the priestess of this village." She offered a smile but decided to prod a bit, "It's rare that we get any visitors seeking to do business. Usually travelers come for a drink before leaving to parts unknown. Excuse my forwardness, but please what stories do you bring?"
Phile ushered the two up the path she had come, giving one last glance towards the cornfield gathering; that investigation could wait.
"If my fair mentor here has no objections, I don't see any harm in taking breakfast at your abbey," Lissa answered. This way she was able to observe how the clergy of this village began and set about their day. It was the real reason she was out in the world, after all. To immerse herself in the local customs and get a feel for people and not just those behind the stone walls of her castle. This was not part of their act, this was her reason. So obviously she jumped at the chance. Not to mention the possibility of warm food was casually thrown about. Breakfast sounded nice, after their hard day of traveling.
"Greetings and good morning Miss Mortimer," she greeted the priestess, lips smiling at the added alliteration. "My name is Elisia, and this gentleman here is Ichabod, as he says, we are merchants," she added with a soft smile. Though she may had been young, still a child in her teens, some gracious deity had saw fit to gift her with a silver tongue. She spoke with the diction of someone older, someone intelligent beyond her years. Maybe it made up for the fact that her arms were spindly things.
As the cart followed behind the priestess, the woman saw to pry a bit into their history. Melissa responded with a light chuckle and agreement. "I asked my mentor here why as well. He saw fit to teach me his craft not behind a desk, but on the road," she said shaking her head. "I am the daughter of a merchant, you see. My father hopes to see me follow in his footsteps one day, and in order to do that, I must learn what being a merchant really means. The Merchant Guild frowns upon family teaching it's trade within itself-- something about attempts to create a dynasty... I'll be quite honest, I do not understand it fully myself, though it's not in my position to question. Fortunately, Mister Ichabod here is a close family friend and offered to take the reins of my apprenticeship. Of course, the last thing I expected was to be on a cart bound to your little hamlet the very next day. Personally, I believe he did this on purpose. Throwing me right into the water, if you will." She added the last bit behind the transparent screen of her hand, as if trying to block the view of her conversation from Cadbury.
The lengthy explanation just rolled off of her tongue like water from a grail. She found weaving this story to be quite the fun endeavor, seeing how she got to expound upon Cadbury's skeletal frame. She was still a child, and a child's imagination was a marvelous thing. Particularly, Melissa found herself enjoying playing make believe. "Though, I will admit, the first thing I've learned is that this cart is in some dire need of cushions. I think that if I ever get out of this seat, I won't be able to sit back down for quite a while!" she said with a mirthful laugh.
"If I may, Miss Mortimer, may I inquire about your duties as the priestess? I find myself curious-- and perhaps to extend our pleasant conversation. I've had no one but Mister Ichabod to speak to for a day, and while you could not want for a nicer gentleman, I find myself in need of a fresh voice," She said, doing that little head tilt thing she does. It gave her the appearance of a curious little kitten.
Assume everything and anything that comes from a Rift to be extremely dangerous.
But a single human had been the sole being to come from the Rift. And the mage had said that Rowe was the first human to come from one, as far as she'd heard. Coupled with the stranger's face and posture of resignation, the situation was actively challenging Iridian's principles. It wasn't an easy thing to do, like eating with one's hands once the use of silverware has been learned. But the villagers could be in danger.
The soldier looked around. A cart had arrived in town. Noises of shuffling, dressing and eating came form the windows of the houses around them. He could spy a handful of farmhands already at work some fields over. Worse still, villagers were already going about their business in the streets of Ley. Worst of all, some were shooting glances in their direction. Yet Iridian saw no other soldiers, save for the entrance to town, the early morning shift was scarcely populated.
He looked at his cuffs, hanging ever so casually from the side of his belt.
"Get up, Sir Rowe," he said, trying to be authoritative despite his furtive glances, some of which were unfortunately returned by the villagers. Irid made for Flynn's arm and helped him back to his feet. He didn't let go, however. "I don't think binding you would be... prudent."
Word spread fast in a town the size of Ley. Had Iridian made use of his handcuffs, what little witnesses there might be would likely make sure the rest of the villagers learned about the arrest. Questions would be asked. The abbey would be flooded with nosy children and old wives. He didn't want to know the kind of whispers that would be muttered once the people of Ley found out Flynn came from a Rift. Perhaps Rowe wasn't really a threat, or not yet, but widespread panic could very well prove to be one. In fact, it seemed the more imminent of the two at this point. Irid had a duty to the villagers.
"Mage Zash, my name is Iridian Valka and I'd be honored were you to accompany Sir Rowe and myself to the abbey." Of course, though he said 'accompany' he truly meant something more along the lines of 'escort' as his tone of voice should've made clear. The soldier didn't want to alarm anyone who might hear his words. "Silverwood, I'm sure the priests and guards would very well like to speak to the only witness to the... incident. Please, come with us as well." He hoped Kai was actually the only one.
It was a short distance to the abbey. Granted, in a village that size, everything was a short distance away, save for the next settlement. As they walked through the streets of Ley, Iridian's muscles were a bundle of tension. His hand still held Flynn's arm in a strong grip, not hurtful, but definitely tight. Their pace was somewhat accelerated as well. The soldier wanted to be out of the public eye as soon as possible.
As soon as their goal was in sight, Iridian eyes turned to tunnel vision, tuning out anyone and anything not directly between them and the building. The abbey was made of light gray stone and stood as one of the bigger edifices in Ley. An old sculpture of Sol crowned the front doors, majestic in its artwork and conservation. The gardens leading up to the abbey were extremely well-kept, with an interesting diversity of plants, most of which Iridian had failed to recognize before. Just as how he now failed to recognize the morning greetings of another soldier, Mr. Cole.
When Irid's boot met the last step leading up the entrance, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. They were at the abbey.
"Get up, Sir Rowe. I don't think binding you would be...prudent."
Flynn smiled as the dutiful guard helped him back onto his feet. He lifted his shield onto his left arm, leaving his right arm for Sir Guardsman to keep ahold of. He kept a firm, yet nonthreatening grip upon it, briskly leading him throughout the village. He did his utmost to avoid the quizzical gazes of the townfolk, though his eyes could not escape that of a choice few.
He grew more and more uneasy by his other two escorts, the mage Jacia and the farmer Kai. Young Silverwood's tongue seemed to move faster than his brain, and Flynn couldn't shake the feeling that this mage had more sinister motives than his.
"For what it's worth, Sir Valka, I am much more at ease in your custody than that of our companions here..." Flynn murmured to the Squire, a hint of joviality in his tone, "The fear for my well-being in either of their hands far outweighs whatever threat you believe I pose."
Flynn was amused- not by his own joke, but by the fact that, despite his ignorance to his identity, he still appeared to have a sense of humour buried in his subconscious. The rest of the walk was uneventful, right up unto the groups first steps upon the abbey stair. Flynn sized up the building, rather surprised at his accommodations.
"I must admit, this is not what I had expected." Flynn mused, "I suppose I should thank you for your accommodations."
He paused for a minute, momentarily stunned at the notion of discovering who he was, "Sir Valka, before we go through with this, what is your plan? If indeed this Priestess is able to recover my memories, and I revert to a potentially more hazardous nature, how do you intend to see to everyone's safety? If I am truly anything at all like these monsters Lady Zash described, a humble building such as this would prove effortless to level..."
This Elisia child was a wonder to hear speak. So sharp, so well-spoken, Phile felt her suspicion melt away to pure curiosity with the girl's energetic chattering, having no reservations in joining with Elisia's light laughter with a giggle of her own. Merchant's apprentice indeed, the girl was gifted with golden words that could charm every gold coin from a greedy man's hand.
Phile lead the way around the back of the abbey along a branching path as the young Miss presented her own queries. Though entertained she was not quite satisfied with the explanation the girl gave, partially because the older gentleman had nothing to add and the notable--thought easily overlooked-- lack of details: names, dates, locations, etc. Still, the odd pair seemed unlikely to be at all hostile, the curiosity the young girl expressed genuine too.
"Oh I suppose why not, but I do hope Mr Ichabod understands it was hardly my fault if you had mind to make a change in vocational studies," she shot a playful wink in Elisia's direction before continuing, "A priestess' duty varies from city to city, village to village. Here in Ley I would say that I am only 'priestess to Sol' sometimes and 'a skilled healer' most. During festivals and holidays I don my white robe, balance a silver headpiece atop my head and lead celebrations with, well, celebrating. They are but few days of the year however."
Hours of her time had been devoted in learning how to properly carry herself as a high priestess, time wasted the moment she had been assigned to Ley. Not that she resented the fact. The volumes of text she had read were enlightening (if not a bit dry) and Phile took joy in simply knowing, even if that knowledge was not used as often as her knowledge of healing. For the better too, her interest was far more invested in healing than religion.
"My duty as a healer is far more rewarding, though equally stressful. I see to any injured or ill within this region meeting calls for help even it means a half-hours ride on horseback." Phile wondered if the swell of her chest was visible or simply a feeling perceivable herself. Indeed she was proud and couldn't help but show off. "Whether it be midwifery or potion-brewing I am here to serve, out of love not duty. See over there," she pointed off to her left where her garden lay. The three had reached the back of the abbey and Phile was in the middle of tying the horse down to a post, filling the trough with water. "In my free time I tend to the abbey's garden who's plants I use to pulp into salves and creams that treat bruises and cuts. Should you like a tin I would happy to provide."
Unlocking the back door with a key kept at her hip, Phile ushered the two through the door taking lead. Already the smell of breakfast wafted through the stone corridors, the sweet scent of porridge made with fresh milk and a spoonful of honey enticing to her empty stomach. She lead them into small room, close to the kitchen with an excellent view of Lay's countryside.
Bowls and platters were set about filled with food but Phile didn't join at the table; a young woman in a tawny robe had skittered in, not uttering a word but pulled at Phile's sleeve urgently."Perhaps the most exciting of my duties--excuse me, duty is hardly the word, perhaps habit-- is to make visitors welcome here. I've had a pleasant time speaking to the two of you, but please if you would excuse me..." The woman whispered in Phile's ear and for a moment she allowed her collected composure slip but a hair.
She looked back at the mid-aged man and young girl and thought longingly, if only I could stay to chat longer. Elisia and Ichabod seemed to be the most interesting pair to pass Ley in months but, oh woe, her duties called her elsewhere. With one last smile Phile was struck by an idea, a kindness.
"Miss Elisia, one last thing. If you go into town you'll find a small tailor's shop run by Mrs. Smith. A frightfully stern lady she is but makes the best cushions in Ley. If you just tell her 'Priestess Phile needs this favor done'," she said with a mischievous sparkle in her eye,"Mrs. Smith will happily comply."
And with that, she was off.
What a morning this has been, Phile huffed as she strode to the main entrance of the abbey. The sun had hardly past the horizon and already her feet tire.
"Silverwood, I'm sure the priests and guards would very well like to speak to the only witness to the... incident. Please, come with us as well."
Kai let out a short sigh; he had been hoping to just go home and let the people who had some idea of what they were doing deal with the situation. However, he knew that as the only eyewitness; his presence would prove useful. So, after taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the coming inquisition, Kai plodded along behind Iridian on the way to the abbey.
It wasn't much of a walk to the abbey, but Kai still needed to occupy himself with something on the way there, so he took some time to sum up his new companions. He already sort of knew Iridian. He had turned up some months before in order to finish his training as a soldier, and had a rather different attitude to most of the other squires Kai had seen before. Irid's predecessors had lazed around and done very little, as they were just as aware as the villagers that the worst thing that ever happened in Ley was the occasional misbehaviour from the town drunk, Ronald. Irid on the other hand would wake himself up early in order to patrol the town at dawn and generally overwork himself. Kai didn't quite understand why Irid felt the need to be so dutiful, but Kai was a little jealous of his ability to keep on top of it all.
Next, there was the mage, Jacia. Kai hadn't realised just how tiny she was, since he'd been sat down for some time. She was almost a foot shorter than Kai, and didn't even go up to his shoulders. Another feature he had paid little attention to was her wild, crimson hair which took the appearance of a startled animal, which led Kai to half expect a pair of eyes to open and peer out through her hair at any moment. Her eyes were rather odd as well, they were a vibrant shade of blue with orange specks dashed around her irises, which caused a strange contrast. Apart from their unusual colour, Jacia's eyes also seemed to have an odd glint to them, a glint which Kai was entirely comfortable with. Her whole appearance made Kai question her sanity, and he dearly hoped that she was not a pyromancer.
Finally, there was Flynn. His face seemed fairly normal but for a cross-shaped scar on his cheek. He was wearing the clothes Kai had left him, which appeared slightly too big for him; the sleeves of his shirt almost concealed his thumbs and his boots were rattling around on his feet. The scar, baggy clothes and the shield made for a strange contrast; with any luck they would reach the abbey before any suspicions arose.
Minutes later, the group had arrived at the abbey. Upon passing through the gates, Kai instantly felt safer, but couldn't quite put his finger on why. His eyes scanned over the abbey gardens as he passed through, admiring the strange array of plants kept by the priestess. He recognised very few, but they all blended together to form a picture of beauty in the gardens. Mounted atop the doorway of the abbey was a small marble statue of Sol. As usual, he was portrayed sitting cross-legged with the sun behind his head, an open book in the outstretched palm of his left hand and a scepter clutched in the other. His face was one of a kindly old man, with soft features, long, flowing hair and a short beard. He was dressed in a simple toga and sandals which wrapped their way up to his knees.
Flynn suddenly stopped at the doorway and turned around to speak.
"Sir Valka, before we go through with this, what is your plan? If indeed this Priestess is able to recover my memories, and I revert to a potentially more hazardous nature, how do you intend to see to everyone's safety? If I am truly anything at all like these monsters Lady Zash described, a humble building such as this would prove effortless to level..."
"Good luck with nothing to level it with." Kai grinned as he walked past Flynn and into the abbey. The halls around Kai were empty and silent, so Kai thought it would be easier to call for the priestess instead of looking for her in the abbey. "Miss Moooooooortimeeeeeer!"
As if it wasn't loud enough, Kai's call echoed around the halls of the abbey. Anyone inside would have been deaf not to hear it.
It was all Cadbury could to do keep from shedding a tear at the sheer grace with which the fair Lady Bellhouse spoke with. Though her regal tone probably incurred more than a few suspicions from the gentle Phile, it was a trifling concern when compared to the enormous amount of pride he had for her.
As the two chattered on about their lives, he couldn't help but reminisce about how much the young Princess had grown. Why, it seemed like just yesterday that he was changing young Lissa's soiled diapers. How long had it been since he had patched up a scabbed knee, or comforted her in the wee hours of the morning after a terrible nightmare robbed her of her slumber?
Part of him felt rude for remaining silent after the young Priestess had gone out of her way to remain hospitable to them, but he simply couldn't find it in his heart to deprive Lissa of this opportunity to talk with people outside of the castle walls. This was, after all, the entire purpose behind the campaign. He felt that he would have to address her manner of speaking at some point during their travels- they were fortunate enough to have encountered another fellow silver-tongue, but he feared that her mastery of language might leave the lay-man struggling to understand.
Which was a painful thing to consider, as he spent an insurmountable amount of time teaching Lissa everything he knew about the inner workings of proper speech!
Before he could reminisce any further, however, the three had reached their destination- a rustic and very beautiful abbey, positioned at the heart of the little village. Entering its welcoming doorways enticed both visual and olfactory senses, as the aroma of freshly made breakfast wafted into his nostrils. His stomach gave an antagonistic gurgle, reminding him that it had been an entire day since he had a proper meal. Despite his slim stature, Cadbury had an impressive appetite!
Sadly enough, however, their new acquaintance would be whisked away from their very eyes just as they were about to settle down. She instructed his protege about a local tailor- an endeavor that he was actually quite interested in exploring! His aspirations to meet the tailor, however, were quickly quashed by an abrupt disturbance.
"Miss Moooooooortimeeeeeer!"
The shrill cry rang throughout the halls of the Sanctum of Sol, defiling the otherwise aura of tranquility. He shot Melissa a playful smirk, sensing her own curiosity.
"Well milady, if I know you as well as I lead myself to believe, I would wager that you are far more concerned about whatever Lady Mortimer is being called to attend to? I imagine it probably has something to do with the commotion we observed earlier."
While Cadbury himself would rather not draw undue attention upon themselves, he couldn't still his insatiable longing to figure out just what was going on. For all his bowing and silver-tonguing, Cadbury had a faint streak of mischievous curiosity that none save his wily Lissa could detect. Of course she should be able to- it was undoubtedly her impish nature that rubbed off on the otherwise characteristically 'prim and proper' butler in the first place!
"Unless, of course, you would rather consult the master tailor?" Cadbury joked, "I'm sure you are simply chomping at the bit to have a go at mending my Under Garmaments!"
Most people believe that Cadbury's non-work related joys come from his work with Magicite. They couldn't be farther from the truth, as it was, in fact, moments such as this that gave him insurmountable amounts of excitement- any opportunity to make the Lady Bellhouse either cry from laughter or cringe from embarrassment!
What brief moments they had spent before the soothing presence of the abbey were already acting upon the squire. The tension from the walk to the house of prayer was seeping out of his system with every exhale. It was like even the very air had a different quality around the building, although he had the feeling that if he were so much as to turn around and look at the village the knots of tension would be tied into his back once more.
Flynn must have felt a similar sensation to his for within moments he was thanking him for the 'accomodations' he had provided. Iridian's thoughts were less definitive, "Clearly, Sir Rowe, you pose no immediate threat to us nor have you made any attempt to devour a single villager, the abbey would seem to be the best place to treat your condition. However... whether or not the clergy will decide to receive you after hearing your procedence yet remains to be seen." The soldier said nothing about what would happen to the stranger should he be denied. Truthfully, Iridian wasn't too sure himself. A case like Flynn's had not come up in his training.
The politeness in the stranger's speech could have been easily outcompeted by his tone of pessimism, Iridian found. What he said afterward proved the truth of his observations. "Sir Valka, before we go through with this, what is your plan? If indeed this Priestess is able to recover my memories, and I revert to a potentially more hazardous nature, how do you intend to see to everyone's safety? If I am truly anything at all like these monsters Lady Zash described, a humble building such as this would prove effortless to level..." He was voicing Iridian's fears as well as his own. Perhaps Jacia's too, except the Mage seemed a little... harder to read than most people. For alone knew, fear might work differently with people who could spit fire and shoot lightning bolts.
Assume everything and anything that comes from a Rift to be extremely dangerous.
"Should that be the case, Sir Rowe," he began, looking at the stranger dead in the eye, "Then I hope that, for your sake, no Akharian comes to harm." Iridian tapped the butt of his lance on the ground twice and gave Flynn a smile. Not an unkind smile but a frank one.
Iridian pulled Flynn into the abbey following Kai's cry for the priestess of Sol. Perhaps it would be better for them to wait in the foyer.
At the very least, there was a bench.
"She's a mage, just like you."
"Just like you."
"like you."
The words echoed in Jacia's mind as they were walking to the Abbey. Really? What sort of ass-backwards life would one have to live to be so idiotic!? Jacia hadn't even met the priestess, and she already knew they were nothing alike. Without even going into the differences between healing magic and the superior magic that Jacia wielded, there was just no way they could be even remotely similar. She was, after all, a genius, and she knew from experience that there were no geniuses in the priesthood. Closing wounds with her mind? That was the feat that so astounded the farm boy? Jacia had to remind herself that most of the people out here were not as intelligent as she, but it still vexed her. If only he knew what magic was truly capable of!
Jacia returned to reality, finding herself with guard, who was now labeled Iridian Valka, the farm boy, Kai, and the product of the rift, who, after proving to be impossible to accurately label, was grudgingly accepted as Flynn Rowe by Jacia. These people were not used to the structure imposed by scientific inquiry, so she was left with no choice but to abide by whatever they deemed appropriate. Such a shame, too.
The group was within the first steps of the abbey. Jacia made a mental note to stop spacing off and lose track of her surroundings. Such actions lead to catastrophes. She glanced at Flynn, speaking with Iridian about leveling the abbey. Iridian must be either very trusting, or very dense. Or deaf.
And then Jacia wished she were deaf. Kai, who appeared to possess fewer manners than a cow, decided that the best way to get the attention of the priestess was to shriek as loud as the human voice would allow, mere feet from Jacia's ears. She let out a disapproving "hmph!" and turned back to Iridian. He was being polite to Flynn, but remained stern. Iridian, she observed, had no patience for jokes when his dead countrymen were the punchline. She wondered if she could get the man to laugh at least once today. Laughing was healthy.
Although Jacia deeply wished to be studying Flynn like a child studies ants, she figured it would be better for everyone's nerves if the priestess were to examine him first. The wait, however, was killing her, and her feet were killing her. There was a bench, and Jacia had tried sitting, but could not keep still for longer than fourteen seconds(she counted), and so took to pacing the perimeter of the foyer, running one finger along the wall. Feeling the imperfections and bumps along the wall, she soon figured out the pattern. It was barely there, and most people might have considered it truly random. However, Jacia was not most people, and she was able to memorize the pattern. She removed her journal, using the wall as a surface and wrote the pattern down, drew a flower, and then wrote a short poem about the sun.
As it had now been exactly three minutes and twelve seconds since arriving at the abbey without moving forward, Jacia let out an audible, "UUGHHHHH", bunny hopped twice, then calmly walked over to Iridian and Flynn and spoke, "Iridian, would you believe me if I told you that I have read over one thousand books in my lifetime, that I have sat through lectures on spellweaving that lasted nearly six hours, and yet nothing I have ever done has ever been as boring as this?" She put her index finger on his chest and pushed, but he was too heavy for her to even budge and so instead she pushed herself onto her heels and further, to the point where she began to fall. In an attempt at catching herself, she grabbed desperately for Iridian's arm, but she feared her momentum would topple them both if he grabbed her.
How come genius always came paired with awkward?
Speaking with Sir Valka had yielded lots of information about his character. Though uncertain about his motives, Iridian spoke with respect, always choosing his words carefully, and always referring to him as 'Sir Rowe.' Even when he presented the worst case scenario to the guardsman, he remained civil, calmly reminding him of his loyalties and his duty to contain the threat at whatever cost. It was a noble gesture, if not a little ambitious.
"A commendable answer," Flynn smiled back, "If your skills with a lance match the courage in your eyes, then these people have nothing to worry about."
It was clear that the guard was merely putting up a front, but Flynn could not help but admire the guards demeanor in the face of such a bizarre predicament they had found themselves in. He decided then and there that he liked Sir Valka, and wished nothing but the best for him.
It was the matter of the other two that Flynn was still unsure. Kai seemed to act on impulse, offering a quip to Flynn's very real concern- if indeed these 'Rifts' produced such abominable creatures, then Flynn wouldn't need any conventional object to kill a person, much less level an entire building. His lack of conscientiousness also became readily apparent when he screamed throughout the abbey for the Priestesses presence. It was still early in the morning, and people may still be asleep.
Still, he seemed harmless enough, if not a little impulsive.
Then there was the mage. Miss Zash had been quite removed from the conversation for the entire duration of the stroll, only to become anxious and fidgety as they entered the abbey. He was at first uneasy around her, fearing for what foul intentions lie behind her stares of intrigue. However, after only a few minutes in the abbey, her quirky nature began to manifest itself in the form of the most bizarre of antics.
Flynn smiled- not because he enjoyed the sight of her falling on her backside, but at the fact that, despite all of her gallivanting about science and research, that she appeared to be quite human as well. Though she still put him ill at ease with her gaze that seemed to peer into his soul, he was warming up to Jacia.
It was almost enough to take his mind off of his predicament. The fact that, somewhere deep in his subconscious, he might be a monster after all- his 'condition,' as Sir Valka so aptly put.
"My anxiousness mirrors your own, Miss Zash. he responded as she gathered her bearings, "For both of our sakes, I hope that we see a quick and efficient conclusion to this predicament..."
At the walking pace of a priestess who was enjoying her morning, the time it took to get from from the abbey kitchen to the gateway took approximately five minutes when sunny, six when rainy, and seven when the sky drummed out it's great light shows. Today it took two.
Her strides were light but she wanted no surprise with her coming. "If," Phile announced with a light tone that gave no indication of the whirling clouds of annoyance that brewed underneath her cool exterior, "there is a banshee in need of an exorcism, I am afraid you have come to the wrong place. Mrs Silverwood is the primer expert, having extensive experience dealing with her children."
It was mean, yes Phile knew, but the jab was small in comparison to what she faced later in the afternoon because of Kai's rather boisterous summons; gossiping old hens with their poisonous words, angry monks scolding, "Miss Mortimer, an abbey is no place to court suiters." Oh how her ears already burned with embarrassment.
Then again, everyone would be occupied with the rift.
The subject of rifts was a hard one to shake from ones mind. Even during her conversation with Elisia, the shadow of the rift hung over Phile's mind like a big brother who could take any action he pleased while all she could do was react. Even if there hadn't been a monster this time, Ley could not remain idle. The very fact that one had appeared meant possibilities of dozens more, not all empty as this has been. No, investigations must be conducted, drills implemented, emergency training renewed and retaught just in case. She herself would have to review shielding magic.
Covering the distance between herself and the group of four, Phile studied them closely before speaking. Two of them were unknown to her eyes, the girl with tropical birds for hair lay sprawled in the ground (a story for another time Phile was sure) and a young man seated beside the guard, his clothing ill fit for his demeanor. A mage and a warrior Phile guessed by their guess, and she was rarely wrong.
She gave a brief nod of acknowledgement to Iridian and a pointed raise of the brow to Kai before speaking directly to the two strangers. "Ah, excuse my rudeness, please don't let my previous statement shape your first impression of me. It has been a long morning," a terrible excuse, Phile resisted the urge to wince.
"My name is Phile Mortimer, I am the priestess of Sol in this little town," she introduced herself then offered a hand to the mage on the ground before continuing, "Welcome to Ley, both of you. While it isn't unusual for guests to stop by the abbey I must admit, Mr Valka, your presence is most concerning. Has something happened?"
A part of her felt bad for the deception, omitting the fact that she was well aware of why the group was here. As Mrs Ingram had informed her at dawn a rift had opened over the Silverwood cornfield. Phile could only assume that Iridian was the first to respond, drawing the attention of the two strangers whose own interest in the matter she couldn't guess. Even so, Phile had learned long ago that sometimes staying silent drew more information then questioning itself.
- 46 posts here • Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
View All »Arcs
Arcs are bundles of posts that you can organize on your own. They're useful for telling a story that might span long periods of time or space.
There are no arcs in this roleplay.
View All » Create New » Quests
There are no quests in this roleplay.
Add Group » View All » 0 Factions to align with
Here's the current leaderboard.
There are no groups in this roleplay!
Game Master Controls
Welcome home, Promethean. Here, you can manage your universe.
Arcs
Arcs are bundles of posts from any location, allowing you to easily capture sub-plots which might be spread out across multiple locations.
Add Quest » Quests
You can create Quests with various rewards, encouraging your players to engage with specific plot lines.
Add Setting » 18 Settings for your players to play in
Settings are the backdrop for the characters in your universe, giving meaning and context to their existence. By creating a number of well-written locations, you can organize your universe into areas and regions.
Navigation
While not required, locations can be organized onto a map. More information soon!
Add Group » 0 Factions to align with
There are no groups in this roleplay!
Collectibles
By creating Collectibles, you can reward your players with unique items that accentuate their character sheets.
Once an Item has been created, it can be spawned in the IC using /spawn Item Name (case-sensitive, as usual) — this can be followed with /take Item Name to retrieve the item into the current character's inventory.
Mobs
Give your Universe life by adding a Mob, which are auto-replenishing NPCs your players can interact with. Useful for some quick hack-and-slash fun!
Mobs can be automated spawns, like rats and bats, or full-on NPCs complete with conversation menus. Use them to enhance your player experience!
Current Mobs
No mobs have been created yet.
Spawns
Locations where Mobs and Items might appear.
Events
You can schedule events for your players to create notifications and schedule times for everyone to plan around.
Orphanage
By marking a character as abandoned, you can offer them to your players as pre-made character sheets.
The Forge
Use your INK to craft new artifacts in Rift. Once created, Items cannot be changed, but they can be bought and sold in the marketplace.
Notable Items
No items have been created yet!
The Market
Buy, sell, and even craft your own items in this universe.
Market DataMarket conditions are Quick Buy (Items Most Recently Listed for Sale) |
Open Stores
View All » Add Character » 9 Characters to follow in this universe
Newest
Jacia "Z" Zash
"What others see as "distracted" is really "fathoming the unfathomable."
Phile Mortimer
"Is there a thing more important then love?
Cadbury Roverfield
"Good evening! How may I be of assistance?"
Iridian Valka
My duty is to the people of Akhar.
Kai Silverwood
"Well, that's enough work for today. Time for a nap!"
Flynn Rowe
"I'm afraid of sinister consequences due to my presence...but nontheless, I still have to help these people!"
Trending
Phile Mortimer
"Is there a thing more important then love?
Kai Silverwood
"Well, that's enough work for today. Time for a nap!"
Flynn Rowe
"I'm afraid of sinister consequences due to my presence...but nontheless, I still have to help these people!"
Jacia "Z" Zash
"What others see as "distracted" is really "fathoming the unfathomable."
Cadbury Roverfield
"Good evening! How may I be of assistance?"
Iridian Valka
My duty is to the people of Akhar.
Most Followed
Flynn Rowe
"I'm afraid of sinister consequences due to my presence...but nontheless, I still have to help these people!"
Jacia "Z" Zash
"What others see as "distracted" is really "fathoming the unfathomable."
Iridian Valka
My duty is to the people of Akhar.
Cadbury Roverfield
"Good evening! How may I be of assistance?"
Phile Mortimer
"Is there a thing more important then love?
Kai Silverwood
"Well, that's enough work for today. Time for a nap!"
View All » Places
8 posts · 0 characters present · last post 2013-08-01 02:27:36 »
The world in which our story takes place.
4 posts · 8 characters present · last post 2013-07-30 20:17:16 »
Akhar ↪ The Tunnels Owner: Flexar
Tunnels beneath the abbey of Ley.
34 posts · 0 characters present · last post 2013-07-17 23:55:10 »
A small village on the border between Gar and Akhar.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
Taakeira ↪ Thorak's Bridge Owner: Flexar
The link between Dragon's Pass and the First Circle.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
Taakeira ↪ Degetbura's Bridge Owner: Flexar
The land bridge that connects the Second Circle to the Dragon's Pass.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
Taakeira ↪ Alsar's Bridge Owner: Flexar
Alsar's bridge connects the fourth circle to the Dragon's Pass.
0 posts · 1 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
Taakeira ↪ Kaatanmura's Bridge Owner: Flexar
Kaatanmura's bridge connects the Fifth Circle to the Dragon's Pass.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
Taakeira ↪ The Dragon's Pass Owner: Flexar
The peninsula at the centre of Taakeira.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
Taakeira ↪ Hclia's Pass Owner: Flexar
Hclia's Bridge connects the Third Circle to the Dragon's Pass.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
A nation on the fifth circle.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
The only country on the second circle.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
A country on the first circle.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
A country on the first circle.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
A nation on the third circle.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
Taakeira ↪ Yesterhold Owner: Flexar
A country on the third circle.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
A nation on the fifth circle.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
The only nation on the fourth circle.
0 posts · 0 characters present · last post 1970-01-01 00:00:00 »
An island nation west of the Dragon's Pass.
Fullscreen Chat » Create Topic » Rift: Out of Character
Discussions
Most recent OOC posts in Rift
Re: Rift
Seeing as Phile would be nearly useless against mobs of soldiers, I vote she go down the right tunnel.
Safety in numbers, yes?
Safety in numbers, yes?
Re: Rift
Well, now that the group's been divided, we need to decide on who's going down which tunnel. One group of three (including Kai) gets to go down the left tunnel with definite soldiers, and the other four go to the right tunnel with possible soldiers. If you have any particular preferences as to which tunnel your character goes down, it would be a good idea to voice them.
Re: Rift
I've actually been at camp lol, but now don't feel as bad considering that nobody else could get on haha! :p
Re: Rift
So did mine, and considering the fact that nobody seems to have been on during that space of time, I'm going to assume it was the site's fault. After all, this site isn't exactly known for its stability.
Re: Rift
OMG finally! For the past three days my computer just plain out refused to get to RPGateway for whatever reason.
I'm here. Phew.
I'm here. Phew.
Re: Rift
The first post is up! I do hope I've adequately portrayed miss Jacia, and I apologize for the time its taken to finally make an appearance. Nevertheless, I believe I've done a fair job, and hope you all enjoy! Again, thanks for having me. Can't wait to see how this RP turns out!
That said, I must retire - Coming up on 4 AM, and I've yet to even eat dinner. So I shall do that, and I wish you all farewell and goodnight!
That said, I must retire - Coming up on 4 AM, and I've yet to even eat dinner. So I shall do that, and I wish you all farewell and goodnight!
Re: Rift
Well, I'll be going to bed fairly soon, since it's past midnight in England, but you'll still be able to make the post. I'll accept your profile in the morning and take down the old one.
Re: Rift
Howdy everyone! Finally checking in officially to the OOC. Finished going over everything, and I believe I'm ready to throw myself into the fire!
Flexar - I'll submit the new Jacia profile before tonight and hopefully get a post in.
I thank you all for the opportunity, and hope this RP the best! Great potential, characters and writers to see that this story fulfills all hopes and expectations that I have for it!
That said, I have a few other things to attend to before I get started, so I shall see y'all later!
Flexar - I'll submit the new Jacia profile before tonight and hopefully get a post in.
I thank you all for the opportunity, and hope this RP the best! Great potential, characters and writers to see that this story fulfills all hopes and expectations that I have for it!
That said, I have a few other things to attend to before I get started, so I shall see y'all later!
Re: Rift
Post is finally up!
I feel like Cadbury's getting so shafted now in terms of usage lol, I'm hoping that getting out of Ley will give the old badger some better development :p
I feel like Cadbury's getting so shafted now in terms of usage lol, I'm hoping that getting out of Ley will give the old badger some better development :p
Re: Rift
I know how you feel. This site has made me paranoid, so I back up just about everything I write here even OOC posts. It's like the site staff gain sadistic pleasure from deleting the work of innocent roleplayers. This morning I sat down at my computer, only to be greeted by the infamous "502 Bad Gateway" error message (one I find particularly ironic).
Re: Rift
No problem!
And in other news, Gateway had one of its famous crap-outs while I was in the middle of a post, so I basically ragequit the internet for the night. Once I simmer down, I'll re-do it :p
And in other news, Gateway had one of its famous crap-outs while I was in the middle of a post, so I basically ragequit the internet for the night. Once I simmer down, I'll re-do it :p
Re: Rift
@Castella: That's fine, but it would have been nice to have notified us. If that wasn't possible, I apologise.
@Eskay: I know, he's PM'ed me. He'll start posting once he's gone through all of our posts. Thanks for recommending him, I didn't want to see Jacia go any more than you did.
@Eskay: I know, he's PM'ed me. He'll start posting once he's gone through all of our posts. Thanks for recommending him, I didn't want to see Jacia go any more than you did.
Re: Rift
Gettin ready to make a post nowish.
And heya Castella! I hope that your trip was good?
EDIT: Ayo Flex, just talked to Centi, he says that he's interested in the role!
And heya Castella! I hope that your trip was good?
EDIT: Ayo Flex, just talked to Centi, he says that he's interested in the role!
Re: Rift
Hello there....sorry....
Ahaha, yea that trip was a day longer then 3 but then some things came up and, to put it simply, I've been struggling to pull myself up to the computer and get writing. But, a cup of strong coffee and a wedge of lemon should help so give me...oh 3 hours to work up something.
Again, sorry. =.=
Ahaha, yea that trip was a day longer then 3 but then some things came up and, to put it simply, I've been struggling to pull myself up to the computer and get writing. But, a cup of strong coffee and a wedge of lemon should help so give me...oh 3 hours to work up something.
Again, sorry. =.=
Re: Rift
That would be nice. Castella's 3-day trip seems to be considerably longer than 3 days; let's hope (s)he's not fallen to his/her doom. Once Flynn and Iridian are back at the abbey, I'll godmod Phile if need be so that we can get everyone into the tunnels.
Centi85 said he'd look at the roleplay and get back to me, but that was a while ago. If he doesn't give me any form of response by Monday, I'll see what I can do about finding someone else. The person I was going to ask, but then remembered had left the site, has recently returned, so I'll ask her should Centi85 not get back to me.
Centi85 said he'd look at the roleplay and get back to me, but that was a while ago. If he doesn't give me any form of response by Monday, I'll see what I can do about finding someone else. The person I was going to ask, but then remembered had left the site, has recently returned, so I'll ask her should Centi85 not get back to me.
Re: Rift
Let's say that Ley has about 100 citizens, including guards. There would probably be between 10 and 15 guards, and other than Iridian, they'll all die (maybe excluding Cole, I rather like him). Roughly 50 of the villagers will make it to the abbey and into the tunnels, including our characters.
I wouldn't say that getting Walhart at the end of the game stops him from being overpowered. He's still overpowered, he's just not all that useful.
I wouldn't say that getting Walhart at the end of the game stops him from being overpowered. He's still overpowered, he's just not all that useful.
Re: Rift
Lol you didn't exactly miss it, feel free to jump on it! At this point, Flex and I are kinda just clashing against conflicting philosophies on adequate game design haha :p