Synchronicity: Paradise of Lights and Shadows » Places

         

Oliver Fendil

Anatoli Clocktower

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Oliver gave Fia'ye a long, odd look, then stared at the outstretched hand, holding coins, bread, his knife, and a handkerchief. He then stared back up at the knight... and his resolve broke. This woman was genuinely trying to help him, with little to no thought as to how she might benefit... he couldn't lie to someone like that. He sighed heavily, took back his knife and his bread, and closed her hand around the coin and hankie. "Y-Your kindness is appreciated... but truthfully I have no need of this either." He stood up, walked to his belongings in the corner, and put his knife away.
Asani, you and Talbot should leave now. I can't lie to her anymore... but you two can still get away. Who knows? Maybe she'll even help us! That's the vibe I'm getting anyway.
He pulled out a piece of cloth and wiped his dirtied face with it and pushed his hair back before walking back to the now rickety table and sitting down across from the red knight.

"Obviously, you already know who I am and why I made such a racket. Well, you would be correct, but before I answer any of your other questions... I must ask one of my own." Oliver looked quite different now. Sure his clothes were still dirty and his hair looked like a bit of a wreck, but his demeanor had changed and his were eyes sharp and focused.
"When you came up here, you said you were in the midst of an investigation, not "in pursuit of criminals". This tells me that you aren't yet sure who the guilty party in this grand mess called Anatoli is. Not yet anyway. So please, tell me this. What do you truly think about the queen?"

         (...and then I was weird enough to write one more post in an RP about to be closed. Again.)

19th of June
Somewhere in Voreia

After over a month, the sketches had finally become reality.

A boy with brown hair sailed through the cloudless midnight sky on white wings, whooping with uncontrollable enthusiasm. Golden armor covered his torso, shins, forearms, and head. A large green shield of crystal was strapped to his right arm, while a golden bow was in his left hand. From all the components (bar the shield), feather-like projections of neon green, blue, and violet light sprouted.

"This is even better than I thought it would be!" the boy exclaimed as he swooped down before pulling up and soaring back towards the clouds. "With this level of control, it even feels like I'm an actual angel now!" He had been flying for more than 8 minutes already, and it seemed he would not be stopping any time soon.

Finally, though, the boy descended to the ground. As he landed, he noticed a girl with long, black hair walking towards him. She was smiling, with equal joy, but a more calm sort, as she sat down nearby. "Well, Durbe, are you finally happy now?" she asked, looking up at his face. "All that time you've been complaining that your father and si...I mean, the princess...have such wonderful magic and you've had none of it is finally behind you, with the armor completed."

"Yeah, it's really amazing!" Durbe replied, beaming with excitement. "It's kind of a shame that I can only be on the same level as...basically anyone who uses magic, really...when I have this, but..." Looking down at the ground, a trace of sadness flickered through his eyes and didn't quite leave. "I'm just glad I have this, Ayu. It makes me feel like I'm actually something...not just some guy who was called a 'sign of peace' because a constellation shined brightly during the night of his birth, and failed to live up to that."

Quietly, Ayu watched his expression, before continuing. "But, what will you do now?" she asked, standing up. "You're not going to use it to fight wars, and I doubt you would go as far to attack your father right away. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there's really any scenario in which this armor could be put to good use..."

Shrugging, the prince glanced back at the sky. "To be honest, I really don't have much of a path in life at all. I don't care about being a prince, and half the significant figures in our castle--probably including all my family members--hate me. If I could do what I wanted, I'd just travel."

"That's it? You just want to go gallivanting off on some idealistic crusade?" Ayu shot him a look of annoyance. "I don't think you're exactly ready to be a knight in shining armor yet, Durbe."

"I didn't mean that I'd be going off to slay dragons and defeat dark lords or any of those fantasy things!" Durbe protested, before he looked down in thought. "Although...I guess that wouldn't be too bad, heh."

Nearly toppling off her feet, Ayu let out a groan of disgust. "For crying out loud, Durbe of Occidens! You're hopeless!"

"Well, what would you rather do?" Durbe asked, doing the shrugging motion again. "You'd rather be out of the castle too, wouldn't you? Especially after those assassins showed up, probably from my father..." A dark, frustrated look flashed through his vision for a moment.

Nodding, Ayu walked next to him. "You're right. There isn't really anywhere safe for us anymore...so, you would rather just travel 'wherever the wind would take you,' or some flashy line like that?"

"That sounds about accurate," Durbe laughed, gently wrapping both arms around her waist. His wings appeared on his back and flapped several times. "Come on, let's go!" With that, they took off...

As Ayu and Durbe looked at the moonlit countryside beneath them, marveling at how beautiful Voreia looked compared to Occidens, the girl looked up at the sky, and suddenly her eyes lit up. "Durbe...look!" she called, pointing.

Following her gaze, Durbe saw the formation of seven stars gleaming brightly from above. "That's...the Grand Chariot," he breathed. Yes, this was the very constellation which had supposedly been shining brightly during the night of his birth. "To be honest, this is actually my first time seeing it and knowing it's there," he laughed, scratching the back of his head while wearing an embarrassed expression.

"Well, I'm no astronomer, fortune teller, or what-have-you," Ayu mused, "but this is a pretty good sign for the start of our journey, right?"

Somehow, looking at the constellation made Durbe feel that much more confident. "Yeah, it is," he agreed. "Hm...you think we should do something stupid like chase the constellation? No, I'm just kidding." Chuckling, he tried to ignore Ayu's irritated glare. "Well, anyway, I guess we'll head to Anatoli like I was supposed to, not that we have to care about Occidens anymore...wait a second. Wow, the Grand Chariot's right above it. Hey, guess we're chasing the stars after all!"

Both of them laughed at the joke as Durbe's wings guided them towards Anatoli under the beautiful star-filled sky.

         

Oliver Fendil

Anatoli Clocktower

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So he'd been right, the woman was a knight of the queen... The situation was certainly beginning to escalate. He could only pray that Talbot and Asani didn't do anything to foolish, not that he believed they would. Oliver frowned at the woman and forced himself to stop shaking as she placed her spear against the wall. He lowered his knife slightly and muttered "...O-Oliver. So long as you 'aint here to nick ma' things, do as you please." He continued to eye the woman suspiciously though, after all she was probably looking for them!

What she did next though really confused him, she reached straight into her pocket and pulled out a handfull of beautiful, glittering, heavy golden disks of pure monetary value, about fifteen of them, and offered them to him. Without asking for ANYTHING. Oliver was dumbfounded, and dropped his knife in shock. Was it some kind of trick? Was she going to grapple him if he tried to take them? His mind racing, Oliver came to the most logical conclusion he could think of, trade. Reluctantly, he ripped his meager loaf in two, plucked three, just three, coins from her open palm and placed half the bread into her hand before stuffing his coins into his boot. "T-Trade..." was all he could bring himself to say, still quite worked up about the whole ordeal. It wasn't really his... usual product, but he could not sell her any of his information! So bread would have to do,

         

Alessia scrunched up her nose, peering over at Doran who, due to her kneeling and his sitting, was still at least a head taller than she - not an uncommon occurrence when her height was involved. She was quite short, she would admit, at the height of 5'5.5", but that was the only thing that anyone had on her. What she lacked in height, she compensated in skill.

Frowning at him, she crossed her arms beneath her breasts, her gloves brushing lightly across the glinting armor that shielded her chest.

"'Tis not wise to fool someone like myself, Sir Doran," she said, lifting her hand and flicking him in the forehead.

Raising a brow at him, she peered into his face.

"I told you. He does not believe your skills to be worthy of the Royal Guard. Do not take it offensively," she said, waving her hand at him. "He tests every person who is offered to join the Regiment, for he wishes only to protect his lineage," she told him, but her voice was a bit sour on the second half of her explanation. The corner of her lips turned down in a slight scowl, and her eyes hardened a bit.

After a few moments, she shook her head, pushing herself to her feet. Her hands braced on her knees as she rose, and once straightened, she held her hand out to help him up. Once he was standing, she went on her toes, her face near his and her eyes peering into his own. Her eyes were narrowed and her lips slightly pursed.

"I have yet to meet a knight, or soldier of any standing, such as you, Sir Doran," she said, her expression curious. Leaning back down, she began a slow circle around him. "Most soldiers with your skill level are cocky - they think themselves invincible and the most skilled of all of the warriors. You, on the other hand ..." She paused once she was in front of him once more. "You are the exact opposite. You are quiet, modest - and shy," she laughed, flicking his nose. Turning away, she brushed a few stray hairs back from her face.

The man was definitely an enigma - and she enjoyed solving riddles.

Taking a few steps away from him, she glanced back over her shoulder. "Well? Shall we? My grandfather requires a report on your techniques, skill-level, and reliability by the morrow."

         

Town of Skystead
On the Border of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Vóreia and Occidens (previously Nótia)

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Jack had seemed rather eager to spirit him back to the tavern, but his feet told him otherwise and he knew he’d regret it if he didn’t get moving. They were still a few days outside of Vóreia, and Cassius had the strangest feeling that he’d find what he was looking for once he got there. His journey was just beginning, and in Vóreia he’d take the first steps towards saving the girl from his dreams. Or so he believed, that is. He wasn’t entirely sure what was guiding him, but he felt it in every fiber of his being that some higher force was pulling him north (even though his heart knew that his final destination lied somewhere in the Eastern Queendom of Anatoli).

At times, Cassius had wondered if he was simply deranged. There was no sense in chasing down a face he’d only seen in his imagination. But, he was driven with conviction and convinced that she was as real as he was. For sixteen years he’d watched her struggle and live in darkness, experiencing every moment of her anguish and torment as if he was the one imprisoned inside the cave and not her.

"Well, you know best yourself, mate. Just follow the main road towards Vóreia. I'll catch up with you in the evening. See you then, lad.” Staying on the main street, he wove his way through the plaza, surviving the dangers and intrigue of the marketplace before finally reaching the northern edge of the city. Just before stepping outside the city gates, he heard a voice in a nearby alley… a voice that immediately lured him into the dark decrepit corridor.

“Cassius…” A mere whisper in the wind, he only stepped further into the darkness before something snatched his wrist, dragging him onto the ground. Slumped against the wall, he saw only a silhouette in the shadows near him as slender bony hands reached out for him. The figure cackling, it revealed its discolored hood draped around its head before finally its dark beady eyes fell onto Cassius. Shivers sent spiraling down his spine, beneath the hood he could just barely make out the grotesque creature beneath.

“You’ve kept me waiting a long time, boy. They talk about you, yes, yes, they talk about you. All the time, you see. Nobody listens, they should listen, and nobody does… but I did. You’re special! You were meant to be a farmer… no, not a farmer at all. She thought you were dead see, dead! But you’re not dead now, are you… ?” Terrified, he pressed his back to the wall, fingers curling around the hilt of his… wait, where was his sword?! He must have left it in the tavern. “Dammit…” Having no other options but to indulge whatever it was, he hesitantly stood up. “What are you talking about you old loon?”

”There was twins you see, twins, just like you with pink hair and everything. I saw them I did, I saw them! They didn’t want me to see, but I see everything.” Of all the things that made sense to him, he’d never really acknowledged the fact that he’d shared quite a resemblance with the girl from his dreams. But twins… was that possible? He’d always been the outcast in his village because not many people had hair like his… except for one that he knew of.

”Awe, you realize now, you do, you do! The Queen won’t be very happy when she finds this out, not very happy at all. You best make big friends traveler because you’re going to need them where you’re going.” And just like that, it was gone… leaving Cassius alone with his thoughts. It wasn’t long after the encounter that Cassius was well out of range of the city, his hands deep in his pockets as he mulled over everything he’d heard. The biggest question that rattled his brain was… who the hell was that? And how did they seem to know more about him than he did.

Could it be possible that he had a twin? And what did the Queen have to do with any of this? He was nothing more than a lowly peasant; surely he wasn’t in position to interest a queen in the slightest. “Who am I?” Staring into the sky, he almost didn’t hear the sound of hooves clicking behind him. Jack had come as promised, a welcomed site no doubt as Cassius took note of his sword hanging over the side of Jack's horse. “Am I happy to see you. Maybe there were some supplies I needed after all.”

         

"Anything can be fickle, no matter what it is - especially magic and it's redeeming qualities."

"Janittey, dear, would you mind fetching me the jars of pig's feet, sheep wool, and horse hair, please?"

A young girl of only twelve years, Janittey was child-like only in appearance. Her personality, however out-matured those beyond her years - hence why she had begun such serious training at such a young age. A sorceress-in-training, she had been taken in by Celestial when she was only six years old. The elder woman had found her wandering in the forest near her home, her memory completely gone, with only her ability to communicate with nature guiding and protecting her. She had been lucky to have been discovered by Celestial when she was, for surely the girl would have ended up as wolf food not too long after.

Due to their similarities in abilities, the Magister had deemed her a worthy apprentice, and as soon as she turned eight, she began to train her. It began with smaller spells - growing plants and flowers for herbal and medicinal uses, or calming animals when they were skittish and nervous - but the girl had progressed so impressively that she was already learning not only defensive potions, but also offensive potions. Her main focus, however, remained on nature and animals, due to both her love for it and Celestial's refusal to over-teach her on things that could corrupt a young mind, despite its maturity.

Janittey nodded eagerly, turning and scampering off to a nearby shelving unit. Their room was stationed on the main floor, yet near the back of the palace for safety purposes. It was one of the largest rooms in the castle - it had not been claimed for anything before Celestial's arrival only for the fact that it would become immensely drafty in the winter-time. However, she had no problems with that, seeing as she used her magic to warm the large, stone room.

The girl returned, holding out three jars to her mentor. Celestial accepted and opened them, dropping one product of each into the large mixing bowl. A puff of smoke flew up, before the fog inside of the bowl settled. Celestial turned her spoon in it a few more times, before removing and setting it aside.

"Alright, so what potion did I just create, Janittey?"

The girl pursed her lips and scrunched her nose, a face she often made when she over thought anything.

After a few moments, she spoke hesitantly. "Um ... From the ingredients, I want to say that it was one of your potions that you made to use as a joke against anyone who made you angry. So I want to say that it was the Hair Removal potion, applicable to any part of the body. Once applied, the hair on that section burns off, never to grow back?"

Celestial clapped her hands, smiling as she did so. "Correct, my dear. And why is this potion one that is not often allowed for creation?"

Janittey paused briefly, before beginning slowly. "Because it is wrong to harm others, no matter what they've done to you. Magic and Potions are for good, not evil. If you are being forced to do something that you know is wrong, atone for it later - because your safety is a number one priority. Right?"

Smiling, Celestial dropped her hand onto the girl's head, leaning over to be at her height. "Very good, my Ittey-Bittey Apprentice you!" Janittey beamed at the praise. "Now, lessons are over for today. Run along and play with the children of the staff - I'm sure they're waiting for you outside the palace." The girl nodded and eagerly bounded off, her black ponytail bouncing as she did so.

Turning back to her work bench, Celestial quickly discarded the potion. Plucking up her spell book, it immediately zipped down to the side of a silver dollar, and she slipped a chain through a hoop at the top of it. Dropping the chain around her neck, she tucked the book beneath her top.

Seeing as the Queen had yet to request anything special from her, and she had already finished her ordinary duties around the palace, her schedule was relatively free at the moment - a rare occurrence for someone of her abilities and title. Honestly, she wasn't sure what to do with the free time she had been granted.

Shrugging, she adjusted her dress before turning and striding from the room.

Only to bump point-blank into none other than the Queen's Protector himself, Nginnam. Catching herself on the wall, she finished shutting the door, pulling the large gold key that adorned the same chain as her spell book, and turned it in the lock before returning it beneath her clothing. Turning back to Nginnam, she bowed her head at him.

"I apologize for bumping into you. I hadn't a clue that you were out here," she said, tilting her head back to see his hidden face. "Speaking of which, what are you doing in this wing of the palace? It's rare that I see anyone here at all, let alone you. Aren't you supposed to be with the Queen?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, her curiosity evident. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she went on her toes. "Do you have any food by chance? Bread? Mutton? Anything? I'm positively famished!" she exclaimed.

         --

         

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The dragon's deep throaty voice startled her, she had yet to realize he had fully awaken and was now addressing her. Emma would have answered had she not been preoccupied by the glistening crimson that adorned her fingertips. "Rest now girl...There is no need to destroy one's own body or mind." All the female on the stony floor could do was nod her head as the initial shock wore off. It was almost mesmerizing watching the blood drip from her hands and onto the floor.

A new character entered the cave, one Emma was far too familiar with. She winced at the sound of his voice and attempted to move, to wipe the blood off somewhere but the only place Emma could think to wipe it off was her white dress, which would only make the situation worse. "Have you been taking your medicine?" Emma slowly nodded her head as he suddenly forced it up and pinched her cheeks between his fingers, tipping a terrible tasting solution down her throat. Emma swallowed and cringed as the awful concoction made its way into her stomach. "If you continue to forget your medicine, then you are going to die - just as the Dragon Keepers before me. Or have you forgotten the stories I told you?"

On shaky feet Emma rose, wiping her mouth and looking up at man who had raised her. "I've been taking it everyday," it wasn't a lie, Emma was not one to make excuses. "If you don't take your medicine, I will stop bringing you books to read," Emma pouted and crossed her arms, glad that he was here although she did her best not to display her affection. "But I've been taking it." There was honestly nothing left to say, Jack would know if she was lying, he was magical like that. "I brought you a history one that also explains the outside world. If you want it, than you need to promise that you'll take the medicine I made you." Emma nodded her head and went over to the tray of food he had placed on one of the stones he had shaped into a table. There was steam still rising off of the freshly baked bread. "Yummy," sometimes Emma wondered where the food came from, but then she remembered that she didn't care, as long as she got to eat. Occasionally the food was so scarce that all she got was a loaf of bread and a glass of milk, but sometimes, for example today, Emma got delicious delicacies she would savor to the last bite.