Al'Kaera's Story

Did not survive the fall? Mortal?

The woman physically flinched as the reality hit her like a sack of bricks. A deity? Or use to be. Winged beings were not all that strange here, and there was even a race of winged people. But dealing with deities was way out of her range. Especially, as it seemed, this one had lost her grace.

She through the fog in her mind, she tried to come up with an answer. "I guess we're just use to it. The plants may sting, but they will numb the cuts soon enough.." Her ears perked at the sound of steps behind her and she turned. A bit too quickly at that, her face turned a bit green.

"I-I'm alright.." She said, although it was very obvious she was about to faint from exhaustion and exertion. "Not sure about her though.. I've done what I can.." She added, swallowing hard at the end.

There was no alarm raised in Dhaelhel as the elven man approached. She was not used to emotions of fear or caution. Dhaelhel was trusting and eager to meet the creatures here. She was also sad for them because Dhaelhel knew that Naar was here, hiding. He was going to seduce and seethe his blackness into them all.

"She made the pain go away," Dhaelhel said with an innocent smile. She examined the poultices on her arms. The remnants of her wings folded against her back as they should. "I must give you some payment," Dhaelhel spoke as she took the elaborate gold necklace from around her neck and pinned it around Curtana's.

"You are a beautiful creature," the fallen god stated before she looked to the man and then back to Curtana. "Does he belong to you? Are you of the same kind, or blood? I do not know what you are. What do you call yourselves?"

A slight smile crept onto his face behind the mask; nodding to the Elf, though looking more closely he wasn't sure she was a full blood, he walks a respectable distance towards the winged woman, taking note of her wounds.

As he came closer and made out the words spoken about him, his smile broadened slightly; the notion that he may have 'belonged' to someone was amusing, simply put. Instead of commenting on the mention, he speaks in a low, soothing tone. "I am glad to hear she put your ails at ease."

He then looks towards the half-Elf, allowing her to answer as she saw fit, waiting until he was addressed to offer any response. By this time he had, naturally, slid his bow onto his shoulder, and was offering a small metal flask to the drained woman. "It may help," he says simply; it was a regenerative draught he carried, made of many plants from his home.

"No, no payment is necessary--" Too late, the winged woman had pinned the necklace around her neck, and her too drained to stop it or fine a polite way to refuse. Mentally she sighed and shrugged off the effort to try to refuse the woman.

She had recently dealt with Deities. At least, one. And he was a bit forceful when he wanted something done. She may no longer be a deity herself, but she was once. And her attitude would not have changed that swiftly.

A blush replaced the green tint on her face at the other woman's comments. "Erm.. No, he does not belong to me.. In fact, I never met him until now." She murmured. "I'm pretty sure we are partly the same kind. I am half elf, half human.." She explained, though the last part gave her a bad taste in her mouth. "I think our friend there may be full elf." She explained.

She took the flask gratefully, sniffing the contents before daring to take a sip of the liquid inside.

In the cloud of settling dust and ash was a silhouette of a female. She stood at the edge of the crater. Maree knew who was in the crater. She knew of the deity and she knew of the elven man. Maree had come at the sign of the meteor to help Dhaelhel's Fall. What Maree did not expect was for Al'Kaera to be present.

"It has been a very long time," the en lighte called down to him in her melodic voice. Maree carried herself down into the crater to join the gathering there. She was wary of Al'Kaera and did not approach him at once. Yes, they were lovers but it had been a very long time since they had last seen each other.

And even though Al'Kaera was her sole motivation for living, Maree knew she had to preserve Dhaelhel.

"Lumariale," Dhaelhel greeted and the fallen deity stood like a foal standing for the first time. Her knees knocked and her legs shook but eventually Dhaelhel stood upright. Maree looked on her like a loving mother and held out a hand for Dhaelhel to take.

"Thank you both for aiding Dhaelhel. She is the Old God of the Sky from the world Arcanum. She is now mortal," Maree stated as Dhaelhel hugged to the elven woman like her own child. "She's just like a newborn child."

"Who is your friend, Al'Kaera?" Maree asked. Her gaze locked onto him. The flame of desire and an ache of sorrow was present in her eyes but Maree kept her composure. Aderas how I have missed you, Maree thought to herself.

The liquid of the flask had both a rejuvenating, and yet soothing affect, setting the edges of her fingers, toes, ears, and nose tingling slightly. Its taste was something that could only be likened to a deep, woodsy bouquet, as if pine and earth had some hand in the making.

"Astute observation," he remarks charmingly, maintaining the soothing tone he had adopted. He decidedly had not removed the mask or hood as of yet, as, despite the air of calm and peace that was descended over the healed woman, there was still the possibility that whatever had done this may be near; Angelic beings did not, usually, simply drop from the sky.

Shifting his footing, he looks around somewhat, having sensed a new presence approaching; the man, normally composed and calm, felt his jaw drop. "Am Mathanuo!" He exclaims. His eyes, a steely silver, shifted abruptly to a lavender, almost purple hue. He stood transfixed as she approached, explaining who the Angelic being was, she herself having may as well dropped from the sky. Composing himself, he nods towards the half-elf woman.
"I have not been introduced, but I expect we can make introductions..." He pauses, somewhat at a loss for words. "Al'Kaera is what you may call me," he says, bowing his head to her, before looking towards Maree and Dhaelhel. "And this is Maree Erd Lumariale," he says, feeling it his duty to make introductions; he pauses however, uncertain.

Curtana felt the effects nearly instantly and couldn't help but smile foolishly to herself. She remembered mixtures like these back in her childhood, but was never taught the combination.

She had only guessed he was elf. The way he moved, the way he spoke and the fact that he seemed dignified, even in the fact of this chaotic scene it could have only meant one creature. Curtana had retained none of the qualities from her elf mother. She would hand him the flask back. "Thank you, sir." She said, bowing her head slightly. "I--"

Her words were cut off as the elven woman approached. This made Curtana's ears droop. She was gorgeous, and graceful. Added to her wisdom to who the deity was, this made Curtana feel very inadequate. She lowered her eyes quickly, as if to show respect to the two full elves, her shoulders drooping slightly. It was what she was taught to do as a child, since she was not full blood.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Al'kaera, Madame Lumariale.." She said, bowing low. "I am known as Curtana Lierre. I am sorry if I could not be more of assistance.."

"Maree. Please, call me Maree. There is no need for formalities. Those years have been placed far behind me," Maree said with a serene smile. "Stand up. You are not a child. There is no reason to humble yourself in our presence because you only hold half our blood," the elven woman said. A frown did touch her face at that moment. She did not like others feeling inadequate around her.

"And do not call my supposed husband 'master'. It will go to his head," Maree said with a return of her smile. A blush colored her cheeks and Maree felt as if she were just a hundreds years old being courted by men again. Al'Kaera had always done that to her.

"It's large enough as it is."

"Lumariale," Dhaelhel spoke. "He belongs to you?"

"Yes," she replied. "For as long as he will allow me to have him."

"Do I belong to you?" Dhaelhel asked.

"For as long as you need to belong to me, yes. Until you are ready to face Naar. Now, come," Maree said. "Let us not linger inside this crater any longer. Dhaelhel will need food and water soon. Al'Kaera, will you help her out?"

Still composing himself, he almost didn't realize that Curtana had introduced herself, let alone was offering him his flask; tearing his eyes away from the Angel and Maree, he does his best to offer a smile to Curtana. "A pleasure," he says, finding his voice; while not as steady, he managed to keep it, if nothing else, deep and soothing as he liked to. "You may keep that," he adds, gesturing to the flask; it was mostly full. "You did very well, I should think."

With that, he returned his full attention to Maree; he had never been one to blush, but his eyes were a very bright lavender by this point. "Maree," he says shortly, chuckling. "I'm not quite so full of myself, thank you." Her joking helped to ease him into the situation, but he was still shocked at her appearance; it had been long since he had been to this realm, and to find her waiting for him...

"Of course," he replies to the request for food and drink. Flipping aside his cloak briefly, he produces another flask, this one of wood, and a bundle of leaf-wrapped, dry fruit. The brief flicker of his armor would tell much; no longer near-pristine, it was marred and torn from years, lifetimes of struggle.

Offering the food and drink to Dhaelhel, he bows his head briefly. "For you, as much as you wish," he intones. "And then we shall find a path out... into the woods, or did you have another destination in mind?" He asks this particularly of Maree, but turns to include Curtana in the decision as well, unfamiliar with the new woods as he was.

The half-elf straightened, but still kept her eyes away from theirs as she replied back to Maree. "Forgive me.. The elven people that I am part of think it quite a dishonor that I even speak to you.. H-habits die hard, but I shall attempt to please you by calling you by your chosen name.." She murmured, her feathered ears still drooped and her cheeks still flushed. She had found the man rather attractive, but she brushed those ideas out of her mind now. Husband? Bah.

She felt awkward still being in the conversation, as two love birds courted each other for their first spring. Even though she was considered young herself, she wasn't that immature. The only benefit of being half human.

She however, kept her eyes on Dhaelhel. That being was now her responsibility. If only for a while. A commitment of healing was something that her kind did only out of desperation, and then the person in question was in their care until full recovery. Bad things happened if you didn't stay true to that commitment, like angry spirits ripping your innards out.

As they spoke about leaving the area, Curtana's ears perked and she suddenly seemed worried. "I erm..!" She coughed, clearing her throat. "If you won't mind.. Can I please stay with you three? At least until I am very certain that she is alright.." She added that last part way too quickly. "I-I have a cave near by that I kind of sort of l-live in, if you want to rest there for a while.."

Maree felt a sting when Al'Kaera's answers were lacking. He made no comment on her bond to him and Maree, for perhaps a first, was uncertain of him. It had, after all, been a long time since the two had even set eyes on each other. There may have been another woman, human or elven or maybe some other being. Maree kept the pain hidden to be released when Al'Kaera and she had time to themselves.

Dhaelhel took the food and drink from Al'Kaera and methodically figured out how to ingest them both. She fumbled and made a few mistakes but eventually the Old God of the Sky was eating and drinking on her own.

"Curtana," Maree said. "You are more than welcome to stay with us for as long as you feel you must stay. If it is your destiny then follow it. I am not someone to tell you differently. My own destiny has brought me here as well as Al'Kaera and Dhaelhel. Each of us has met or reunited for one purpose or another. Now we just need to figure out why and it revolves around her." Maree gestured gracefully to Dhaelhel.

"You did not tell me it would hurt," Dhaelhel stated in a small voice.

"I did not know," Maree replied. "You are mortal now and I must teach you things before we can begin. Curtana and Al'Kaera may help if they wish?"

Dhaelhel looked at the other two and beamed with a smile. She was one of the more pleasant gods of Arcanum. "Yes, they may help if they wish."

Al'Kaera had finally managed to reign himself in, now that Maree's attention was less on himself. His eyes, shifting away from the lavender to a neutral silver, took in their surroundings again; he'd only been there for a few hours, scouting the ruins for a place to stay himself. His companions were scattered to the winds by now, save one.
"I think that's a fine idea," he replies to Curtana, hoping to diffuse her discomfort. He could sense Maree, too, was in ill sorts, but he would need to have a private discourse with her, rather than make their issues public.
There was also the notion that she knew, and had something to do, with the falling of this Angelic being, which was curious. To say the least.
He took a moment to observe the Angel, Dhaelhel, trying to figure her way around the provisions.
"I will help, gladly," he adds brightly in response to Maree. Casting a smile at Dhaelhel, he bows his head. "I thank you for the chance, M'lady." Casting his eyes about again, he decides to climb back up the slope he came down, making barely a sound and leaving almost no trace of his movements.
"These ruins seem to bear no dangers, but I have not been here in many years," he calls down lightly, his voice raised above the low, soothing tone only slightly. "I do not doubt curious parties will be drawn by the fall much as I was... albeit, I was within the blast radius, but I digress."
Looking back down the crater, he nods to the three of them. "I say we move quick as possible."

"Of course I will help, in any way you ask. You are my charge for now, and I shall see to it that you are well rested and completely healed or so help me I shall tie you up to the bed you lay on." Curtana said firmly, placing hands on hips. She almost sounded motherly, her eyes fierce and stubborn, and something suggested that she would hold true to that very threat if she must. The red-headed half elf probably had over-stepped her bounds on this one, but she was not about to let her work go undone if the goddess-turned-mortal decided to be reckless. Besides, she had dealt with a demi-god of war and pain, she couldn't be worse than him.

Curtana nodded gently, as if in agreement with what Al'Kaera said. He was a curious being, and that was what attracted her to him. She allowed a gentle smile to form on her red lips. "Y-yes. There are more people who might believe this to be a falling star, much as I did.. Many blacksmiths would have used the rock to make legendary weapons-- That is, if they could figure out how to work the stone." She said, swaying on the balls of her feet. "But it might draw unwanted attention as well.."

Her ears drooped slightly, looking towards the sky. She was listening nervously to something, to the spirits who were still shouting with anger. They already had unwanted attention, especially from the ancient spirits that surrounded them. The half-elf knew they had to tread carefully not to upset them further. "This way." She stated softly, starting off in the direction in which she had come from. She began to murmur, although not to any to the party of three now behind her, but the spirits around them. They had to be appeased-- Somehow.

"We will follow soon," Maree stated in an assertive voice. Her eyes never left Dhaelhel. "I must speak with her for a moment." The Old God of the Sky shifted onto her knees and looked up at Maree. There was no trace of uncertainty or distrust in Dhaelhel's eyes. She merely smiled up at the long form of the elven women.

Maree on the other hand had a most serious look on her lovely face. It was not one that Curtana could have picked up on but for Al'Kaera such a look was reserved for the most dire of situations. The last she had worn that expression was when Maree had fought the great Lucian Lachance so many years ago.

"I need you to show me," Maree said to Dhaelhel. The fallen god's smile died away as if someone had slapped her. Dhaelhel hesitated and then nodded. Maree knelt down onto the crumbling earth before Dhaelhel, who looked around to see if they were alone. To her estimation they were and it was enough for Dhaelhel to do what Maree asked.

"You have to see inside," Dhaelhel spoke, taking Maree's hands. "I have nothing left." The elven woman nodded and grasped the offered hands.

"I will heal you while I see," Maree said.

They both fell silent and a wind picked up. It was a light breeze that stirred the grass at the edges of the crater and rustled the leaves in the trees. Dhaelhel's skin glowed softly with a radiating light. Her broken wings began to mend and straighten past what Curtana's magic was able to do. All the cuts and bruises began to reverse themselves. Even the small split in Dhaelhel's lip disappeared.

Meanwhlie Maree looked into Dhaelhel's memory. It was unlike reading a humans or elves memory. It was the compendium of a god's recollection of an entire world and the ethereal world that existed in Arcanum. There were details that even Maree's memory could not account for.

She concentrated and focused on Naar.

Seconds later Maree let out a harrowing scream that pierced the air.

Dhaelhel took the cowering elven woman into her arms and held her. Huge billowing white wings soft as goose down surrounded them both in a protective circle. Maree cried silvery tears as Dhaelhel spoke tender words.

Al'Kaera did not want to leave Maree alone, but he knew she could handle herself, and he would not go far, regardless. Giving her a serious nod, he looks towards Curtana, and follows her lead.

After a few moments of walking in her wake, Al'Kaera speaks up, his voice a low murmur, so as to not distract himself from the surrounding sounds of the woods. "How long have you traveled these parts, M'lady Curtana?" His words were eloquent, the baffled surprise he exhibited minutes before practically vanished.

As he listened, he noticed a wind whispering its way through the trees, which itself was odd; in these woods, seldom did the air see fit to descend so, in his experience. His revery was broken by the sound of a scream, in a voice he was very familiar with. "Maree," he cries out, turning on his heel and charging back towards the crater.

Arriving in but a few moments, he stops at the edge of the hole and peers down; he could see the two women, the angelic being shielding them both with her powerful wings. There was no danger he could see, but Al'Kaera was wary nonetheless. Despite this, he remains silent, knowing that Maree was in better hands than his, for the moment.

Maree signaled to Al'Kaera that they had gone far enough. She was tired and drained. Since viewing Naar in Dhaelhel's consciousness, Maree had seemed to weaken.

And it had not been easy for her to transition to losing her eyesight.

Her elegant hand rose up to touch the band of cloth Maree had cut from her clothing that wound around her eyes. A liquid not unlike blood still wept from beneath the gold cloth. Maree had not been able to figure out what this liquid was or for what purpose. All that Maree knew was fear; a bone-shaking horror that chilled the elf down to her immortal soul. There had not been many things Maree had feared in her three thousand years of life, but Naar terrified her.

"I need to sit," Maree spoke to Al'Kaera. "I think we have gone far enough to speak with each other. I cannot do what I need to do unless I understand us. I cannot have our history or our future distracting me from the task at hand." Maree had not spoken much of what she had seen, nor had she told Al'Kaera what must be done with this Naar. He, nor Curtana knew who Naar was but it seemed Dhaelhel had a glint of knowing in her eye.

"Please sit and speak with me, Al'Kaera. Why did you not answer when Dhaelhel asked if you belonged to me?" Now that they were alone the pain in Maree's voice showed. She allowed her weaknesses beyond the physical break through knowing that if she held them back, those pains could destroy her on the inside.

He had drawn her away to the relative peace and safety of a small clearing; Al'Kaera was carrying Maree away from the place Curtana had brought them, so that they might have a moment of private conversation.

He had been stricken by the loss of her eyesight; he felt terrible, as she had not been able to look upon his face as he would have wanted, but, such was fate, cruel in this case. At Maree's request, Al'Kaera makes his way towards a log nearby, and sets her down gently, with her back supported by a stone.

Despite her lack of sight, Al'Kaera still decided to remove his hood and mask. His eyes were a pale gray now, such was his worry. Were she to reach out and feel him, his cheeks would be fairly gaunt, and somewhat cool, compared to the life they bore in his past. Sitting next to her, he removes the glove of his left hand and places it upon her own; it, too, was unnervingly cool.

"Am Mathanuon," he says softly, in response to her inquiry. "Forgive me. It did not seem the place, as it has been... quite some time. Much has changed," he says simply. "But our fate has not," he adds, with a stern resolution to his voice. "Our meeting, those many years past, was fated, as was our bonding... and while I never attained the proper rites to grant us the favor of my throne," he explains, his voice faltering somewhat at 'throne', "I am yours, as you are mine. Do not doubt that." Despite his words, there would be an air of expectance; as if he was leaving something out, to give her time to process all of what he said.

When Al'Kaera told Maree that their bond still held true, she did not feel the way she expected. An even heavier burden seemed to settled down onto her slender shoulders. The hand that rested on her own, Maree lifted it. Her warm lips pressed against the back of Al'Kaera's hand. She stayed like that for a long moment, thinking.

The only sounds around Maree and Al'Kaera was the natural ambiance of the woods. An owl hooted, and nocturnal critters stirred leaves on the ground. The stars above peeked through the boughs overhead but the moon hid behind a single, lone, cloud. When the moon did finally break free, that was when Maree straightened.

Her hand fumbled for Al'Kaera's cheek and her sadness was so great at the lose of her sight, Maree's bottom lip quivered. But when she did find him, the sorrow waned.

"If our bond holds true still, Aderas, why did you leave me? All these years I have been left alone in my journeys. I looked for you but you were nowhere to be found by me. I am the last of my kind, my people, and finding you was my consolation for enduring that pain. You disappeared." Maree was in tears by the time she had finished. She grabbed for his shirt and pressed her face against his chest, weeping.

There was a sudden and audible twig snapping somewhere in the woods. The sound echoed among the trees before fading completely. The soft sound of rustling leaves followed as if they were crushed under something.

They were not alone in these woods...

Despite the gravity of the situation, Aderas couldn't help but smile somewhat; she had called him Aderas, for one, and the soft warmth of her lips on his chilled hand was revitalizing. Still, he did not linger on the smile. They had many serious matters to discuss, not the least of which was clearly at the forefront.

He helped her find his face with his free hand, using the other to hold her to him. His cloak and leather armor bore the faint scent of blood and soot, and other things much less natural.

"I..." he begins, before hearing the unnatural sounds around them. In a fluid motion, he detaches Maree from himself and stands, ensuring she stays righted on the log; in his second motion, he draws and fits his bow, keeping it aimed to the earth, but staring about with his keen eyes, listening for the direction.

"Show yourself; you are intruding on a private moment," he demands, his voice powerful, as Maree might have remembered it, but stern, a side he had seldom shown.