Announcements: Cutting Costs (2024) » January 2024 Copyfraud Attack » Finding Universes to Join (and making yours more visible!) » Guide To Universes On RPG » Member Shoutout Thread » Starter Locations & Prompts for Newcomers » RPG Chat — the official app » Frequently Asked Questions » Suggestions & Requests: THE MASTER THREAD »

Latest Discussions: Adapa Adapa's for adapa » To the Rich Men North of Richmond » Shake Senora » Good Morning RPG! » Ramblings of a Madman: American History Unkempt » Site Revitalization » Map Making Resources » Lost Poetry » Wishes » Ring of Invisibility » Seeking Roleplayer for Rumple/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time » Some political parody for these trying times » What dinosaur are you? » So, I have an Etsy » Train Poetry I » Joker » D&D Alignment Chart: How To Get A Theorem Named After You » Dungeon23 : Creative Challenge » Returning User - Is it dead? » Twelve Days of Christmas »

Players Wanted: Serious Anime Crossover Roleplay (semi-literate) » Looking for a long term partner! » JoJo or Mha roleplay » Seeking long-term rp partners for MxM » [MxF] Ruining Beauty / Beauty x Bastard » Minecraft Rp Help Wanted » CALL FOR WITNESSES: The Public v Zosimos » Social Immortal: A Vampire Only Soiree [The Multiverse] » XENOMORPH EDM TOUR Feat. Synthe Gridd: Get Your Tickets! » Aishna: Tower of Desire » Looking for fellow RPGers/Characters » looking for a RP partner (ABO/BL) » Looking for a long term roleplay partner » Explore the World of Boruto with Our Roleplaying Group on FB » More Jedi, Sith, and Imperials needed! » Role-player's Wanted » OSR Armchair Warrior looking for Kin » Friday the 13th Fun, Anyone? » Writers Wanted! » Long term partner to play an older male wanted »

Snippet #2765690

located in The World of Ambar, a part of Ambar: Chapter 1 - Snow & Ash, one of the many universes on RPG.

The World of Ambar

None

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Callion Lightson Character Portrait: Mara Timbers Character Portrait: Phaedra Mithalvarin
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

Footnotes

Add Footnote »

0.00 INK

The red headed woman flinched as Callion blasted the walking corpse’s head open, it’s contents spraying out the back of its skull, some of which even fell onto the woman. With no more movement or life, the body collapsed on top of the woman causing her to gasp at the dead weight. Her brows furrowed in a look of confusion as Callion asked her questions indirectly as if the woman wasn’t there. She didn’t seem to like that too much by the look of disgust on her face.

When Callion crouched down beside her, she quickly grabbed her dagger from the jaw of the body on top of her and held it in his direction. She held her weapon like a silent threat and by the looks of her she’d use it if he got any closer to her. The red head didn’t answer his questions, or say anything. Instead she stabbed her knife into the dirt beside her before she shoved the corpse off of her. Cracking and rattling bones echoed in the silence when the lifeless body hit the ground. Mara shifted uneasily, watching.

The woman exhaled deeply through her nose as she wiped her face with the back of her hand, removing the blood, dirt and whatever else from her skin. Her nimble fingers brushed thick crimson locks behind her ears. At first glance she could be mistake for an elf if it weren’t for the slight differences. Her red hair, no doubt, wasn’t a common color… but it was the ears. Not as pointed as most elves, the woman's ’s ears were soft with a more gentle curvature. Mara, curious as ever of new people was itching to know the woman's background.

The woman rolled her eyes slightly at the others as she took her blade from the earth and moved to her feet. She appeared to take a step back, while staying within the barrier, but kept her dagger out before her. ”I’m… Fine,” she answered with apprehension, ignoring Callion’s questions, only addressing Mara.

Mara shifted nervously from foot to foot. Looking from the woman to Callion. As Callion had requested, she remained close to him, and within the barrier he had erected.

"Good... good... well... we will probably have... much to discuss at a safer time..." she murmured softly, sifting through her pack and locating her bow. It wasn't a very pretty weapon and was clearly handmade, but they were surrounded by undead and she knew she had to pull her weight. "Please, miss... stay near Sir Lightson... as I shall. I am a poor shot... but being together will be safer than being alone..."

"I don't need protection," the woman interrupted with a little bite in her words. She didn't leave Callion's barrier nor take a more threatening stance. But the way she carried herself and spoke, the red head wanted it known that she was more than capable to take care of herself. By the looks of her, the stranger had enough knives on her for every corpse in the village.

"Of course you don't." Callion stated with enough exasperation as to create fog from the chill in his breath alone. Whatever his thoughts were, it was evident he wasn't a fan of bravado.

Mara winced as though the woman had physically struck her. Despite the woman having been unconscious and a bit battered... she was still proud. Mara nodded, flushing and inching a little behind Callion, like a cowed child. "I... I see... I did not mean to offend, Miss. I only meant... that if you are... perhaps knocked unconscious again... it might be best not to be alone." Mara murmured softly, looking at her shoes. Shakily, she put an arrow to place and drew back, readying her weapon. Cautiously, she kept it pointed to the ground. "l am Mara Timbers, this..." she nodded her head towards Callion, "is the spell-chucker, Callion Lightson. " At the mention of calling him a Spell Chucker, Mara noticed a slight wrinkle to Callion's nose, but he didn't say anything, so she continued. "Our party split up to investigate this place... they told us there were no survivors... but I am glad to see they were wrong." Mara said bashfully to the woman. "What may we call you?"

The woman did not sheath her dagger, still keeping her blade pointed at the two of them but in a slightly more relaxed manner. By the look of her constantly shifting gaze, she was confused and still trying to wrap her mind around everything that was going on. Her free hand raised to touch her chest as she began to speak, "I'm Phae—" She stopped speaking abruptly as her eyes fixed on Mara, almost like it took the woman a moment to understand what she had said. "Survivor? I'm not a survivor," she corrected.

Mara managed to lock eyes with the woman at her correction. If she was not a survivor, she could be an enemy. Mara's green eyes flashed sharply as she listened.

"I arrived..." the woman's voice trailed off as a puzzling look covered her face. Her brows furrowed and nose wrinkled in thought. "Yesterday... I think." She didn't sound so sure about her exact arrival.

As if the realization of her unconsciousness truly just hit her, the woman began to search her body like she was checking everything was where it should be. Her free hand finally froze when it came to a pendant on her necklace that had been hidden behind the neckline of her silk blouse. She cupped the tricket while she chewed on her bottom lip, deep in thought. Finally, she spoke up once again. "I'm Phaedra... Phaedra Mithalvarin."

Mara shifted uneasily. The woman didn't seem to have a concussion. Just no knowledge of the present day. That was concerning. Mara exchanged a glance with Callion, expression wary.

"Well, Lady Mithalvarin..."

"Phaedra," the woman interrupted. "I'm no lady," she corrected.

Mara nodded and continued.

"if you wish to go on alone, I suppose I have no right to stop you. Though..." Mara held out her wrist, revealing her small calloused hand and the mark, like an angry burn, that scrawled across her skin. Phaedra's gaze fell to her wrist where her own mark peeked out from under her glove. "The king did summon us to his side due to this marking... and it appears you have one to match." Mara gave a small, shy, smile before jumping nearly a foot in the air as an undead creature hit Callion's barrier with a sickening fizzling sound. Mara yelped, swinging her bow around and loosing her arrow in her fright. The arrow lodged in the creature's milky eye and it slumped backward, onto the ground. Mara put a trembling hand to her chest as if to stop her heart from bursting forth. That was a lucky shot. Mainly, lucky she hadn't been holding it aimed at the people beside her.

Phaedra didn't move at Mara's outburst, instead watching and waiting. She quirked a brow when the arrow somehow made its way into the creature's eye. Mara fumbled in her quiver for another arrow, and gingerly fit it to the bow, pointing it toward the ground. "S-Sorry..." she mumbled, feeling ashamed of her fear. This woman had nearly been eaten alive and she was still insistent on being left alone. Mara might consider begging for the opposite. Callion gave a slight huff as he looked back at the zombie now laying on the ground with an arrow in it's eye. Mara couldn't tell if he was amused by the spectacle or surprised by the shot, but either way he seemed to brush it off as he looked back at the two of them.

"Well... Phaedra, now that we're on a first name basis, do you mind lowering the knife?" Callion asked, sounding as if he was offended. "After all, there are already plenty of things wanting us dead without adding a paranoid blade to the mix." As he spoke, sounds started coming from around them as debris was being moved. The groans of the dead could be heard, but it was as if Callion was either oblivious or deliberately ignoring them as his stature didn't change for a moment.

Phaedra didn't say anything, but by the way her facial expression twisted and tightened, it appeared that she didn't like the comment of a 'paranoid blade.' She started to look around them as more undead seemed to stir. "And you would be calm if you awoke to two strangers carrying you to Gods know where?" Her tone was sarcastic and sharp. Phaedra looked as if she was about to lower her dagger, but she tossed it upwards. The weapon spun in the air before she caught the tip of the blade between the tip of her index finger and thumb. Her arm winded back before she threw the knife.

At first the blade looked as though it was going straight for Callion, but as it reached him it whizzed past his head, the wizard flinching and falling to the side slightly. With a sickening crunch it imbedded itself between the eyes of other dead thing sending it toppling back on the ground. Phaedra then quickly closed the distance between herself and Callion, but moved around him to recover her dagger. As she wiped the blade off on her pants, she looked over at him from the corner of her eye. "Now we're even."

"Even? Even in what sense?!" Callion sputtered, recovering from his nearly kneeling position. "This barrier prevents them from reaching us using the combination spell of force and-you know what, that explanation would obviously be lost on someone so ungrateful." Callion stated, dusting his robe off and picking off faint particles of dirt off the lower half of his attire.

"Am I supposed to be grateful for something? Phaedra retorted sharply as she aggressively shoved her dagger back into its sheath.

Mara had frozen, bow shakily cocked, looking from Phaedra to Callion with a discomforted expression. Then slowly, she straightened. There was a brief moment, much like when she was first to speak in the throne room where Mara straightened and her eyes held a firmness, a determination...

"If I woke being carried by a stranger... whom had bandaged my head wound and left me unbound... I would not quickly decide they were a threat... as they had done nothing threatening." Mara toned firmly, head tilted almost scolding. As she spoke, Phaedra's brows furrowed as she raised a hand to her head as if she hadn't noticed it before.

Mara looked to Callion, eyes still holding his gaze. "Never expect someone to be grateful for anything you do... do things for your own satisfaction... that is what I know. Expecting more is foolish." She said, voice slightly raspy.

"Listen, I am sorry that when I woke up to two strangers, I wasn't Susie Sunshine, ok?" Phaedra chimmed in, holding her hands up in a surrendering manner. "I came here because an acquaintance of mine was supposed to be in town... And I found this." She motioned her hands toward what was left of the small village. "And then I touched this stupid mystical bullshit that gave me this stupid mark and knocked me out. And then I wake up to people I don't know... And walking corpses?! So, I'm sorry if I'm fucking on edge."[/b] Stating her peace, Phaedra sighed. She crossed her arms over her chest, her nostrils flaring in frustration.

Mara nodded slowly, acknowledging Phaedra's explanation, but showing neither belief nor disbelief in her expression.

As if suddenly realizing herself, Mara once more looked down, staring at the fallen corpses outside the barrier. She swallowed, nervous. "Please... can we work together to leave this awful place?" The whisper was back, and she couldn't seem to face them after managing to be so bold.

Callion's expression on the whole matter was either unreadable or all over the place depending on your point of view, resulting in Mara being unable to tell if he was feeling guilty, angry, indignant or constipated. Instead all he did was turn with a slight flourish and start heading towards their agreed upon rendevous with the rest of the group, the edge of his barrier quickly approaching the two of them as they stood there.

Taking Callion's reaction as at least agreement, Mara began to follow him, staring mostly at the back, bottom part of his robes. They had gotten dirty, she noticed. Perhaps later, she would offer to help him clean them. And apologize for her outburst.

"Come if you like..." Mara said, looking over her shoulder at Phaedra's knees, still concerned she had crossed some line in their standings. Pulling into herself once more like a snail into her shell. Then, not waiting for a reply from the obviously irritated woman, she followed at Callion's heels.

After a moment, Mara heard the begrudging crunch of footsteps behind them as they went.