Introduction
Nestled away in green rolling hills of forest filled pines and lakes is a kingdom. Most call it the Hidden Valley as none have ever found it and those who have, well they never returned. Then there are those lucky enough to live there, they call it Home. They call it that as they haven't quite decided a name for it yet, there are too many disputes. Some would prefer to name it after their first king Raoul but others thought it well… lame. They thought of calling it paradise but that was considered far to cheesy. And so since no name could ever be achieved for the residents of this kingdom they decided to be quite literal and call it Home. As it was.
Home is a sanctuary, the dark ages had descended upon the world and magic was considered evil. All magical folk alike found themselves hunted and killed. They were to blame for this calamity the non magical folk had reasoned. It was a sad state of affairs over all. Lots of death really. Best not to dwell on such sad things. Rather lets focus on the magical folk who built themselves a home far away from any hurtful magic haters. They called it Home.
Home is a beautiful marble castle that shines with the sunset and rise. It was a beacon of their freedom and safety. They had built a wall around themselves as well. It was a massive stone wall to high to climb and to strong to tear down with out a lot of effort. But that was not all the magical folk built to protect themselves, they used their magic. Protective spells surrounded the area, the castle was difficult to see even up close to those who were under a protective spell. Other spells would make people forget why they had come this far and turn them around. They were never terrible spells that harmed or killed, the magical folk thought themselves above the regular humans and too good for their savage ways. They thought only to protect themselves and their way of life. All they wanted was peace.
They wanted so much to have peace and prosperity they regulated the lives of their own people to the point that if one had a different opinion it was the dungeon for you. Home was corrupt. Alas it was the current King to blame, Cain was as ruthless as a Drake. (Here meaning destroyer) He had the people slaving away under his rule, he had a fascination for gold and had miners dig deep under the castle searching for hidden veins of gold. While they were down there Cain had them build dungeons and chambers for those who displeased him. There were whispers of a cache of Cain's most prized possessions hidden among the tunnels and vaults of the underground. Anyone who went down there with out a map surely was lost.
The outside of the castle looked just as beautiful as everywhere else, farmland was fertile and Home was able to sustain itself. This was also a commandment, everything must be beautiful and there must be plenty. If a crop showed any sign of decay or pestilence the entire harvest would be thrown away in fear of contamination and the farmer would have to start over. The farmers have gotten good at hiding the imperfections how ever and there hasn't been a purge of a crop for a few years.
There are a number of fountains and ponds through out the buildings that are placed around the castle. The buildings are beautiful old fashioned buildings with brass knockers and brown trim. Its a quaint sort of living style, the houses normally have a large kitchen with a wood burning fire and a few bedrooms. The ponds and fountains that can be found among these houses are the clearest of blue, they are very deep however and are deep enough to hold a few caves.
The castle is where only those in high standing with the king get to live. They enjoy a large bedroom with all of the finest luxuries. Dinner in the great hall around a giant table. The finest library is in Home, right in the kings courtyard. Only a few privileged may enter the library as the knowledge there isn't one might share lightly. Secrets of past kings and deeds lay hidden in the library.
From a unawares standpoint Home is beautiful, one might even go so far as to say heaven. The people seem happy, there isn't any crime and music can be heard at all times. What's not to like?
Well the fact that you can move a toe with out Cain's permission. Things have a certain order and if you disobey these orders then you may never see the light of day again. One little trip and its farewell, but the citizens have learned to live with the rules and regulations, though some plan to change it.
There are a number of species in Home which can no longer be found in the rest of the world. One might call them endangered but they prefer to think of it at protected.
Mermaid's normally resemble women but there have been a few that resemble more so a man. They are however genderless. They have no need to reproduce as they are born of a certain flower named the Aqui touching the surface of the water. They are happy creatures that enjoy splashing passer by's. They are generally harmless but if you get on the wrong side of one they can easily drag you down to the depths of their little lakes. Mermaid's can go on land but it requires a lot of flapping about to get anywhere, they do eventually dry out and die of lack of water if they are left away from it for too long, but that takes days normally.
These are both male and female, they generally are a lot older than they look, (20 is 1000 years give or take a few) Mage's are not as powerful as Warlocks or Wizards in anyway but they do have the touch of magic in them. They can never do anything elemental as that is too powerful, but rather they can do quite a few things to do with humans, for example take their life force or heal them. Mage's are often healers but there's been the odd one that decided his powers are better used for taking rather than giving. Mage's use runes as a part of their magic and can only preform weak little tidbits with out them.
Shades are creatures of the night and often won't be seen out and about during the day time. Shades however are not bad creatures at all. Their magic is more towards the dark arts and they preform rituals at every new moon. Shade's a quiet creates as when they speak it sounds a bit like hissing, but a trained ear can understand them. They are quiet creatures that ave made most of the protective spells on Home. They are manipulators of the mind, they can make you have your worst nightmare or your favourite dream come true. They enjoy flirting in and out of heads collecting dreams. Each Shade has a little sack of dreams they keep close to them and treasure.
Soldiers are often seen around Home even though their isn't any crime. These men and women are violent, but only on Cain's command. They do all the dirty work for him and send people to the dungeons down below. While out and about they pretend to be peacekeepers rather than peacemakers. They are friendly with most people but if given the chance they will more than happily cut off your hand. They don't have magic in the sense that they can use it, rather they have been enhanced by magic. They are stronger, faster and often more cunning that all of the creatures living in home. The problem is that they don't realize their power to change how ever, they are so powerful because of Cain and they don't realize they can change things, thats something that will never change.
Fay are small creatures who love to flutter about causing all kinds of nice shiny things to disappear. Fay are about the size of a regular human hand. They are beautiful creatures and know it, they take pride in their appearances. They live in the trees above the mermaids and often the two are good friends. Fay enjoy gossiping and spying on other people, their size and stealthiness makes it no problem at all. Cain has a dislike for Fay as the dust they leave from flying often makes him sneeze and so there has not been a Fay in the castle since his rein.
Familiars are able to connect with a certain species of animal and bond with them. The animal and human become true friends and they often call on one another for help. Familiars magic is the weakest of them all as they have no magic themselves except for the tiny spark that attracts animals to them. They often said said they let animals into their homes and live in harmony with them.
Dryads are elemental sprits who often dwell in the element they own. They have complete control over the element given to them and so if you make a water spirit angry expect a 100% chance of thunder showers. There are a number of different elemental types and they often have their own nicknames for one another but a basic generalization of them is Dryad. The elements are as such: Water, Fire, Earth, Air, Metal and Tree. They often take the form of women but a rare man is said to have been seen floating around. He is only a legend though and no real proof of him has been unearthed.
Summoners are often seen as the Hybrid of Familiars. They don't have the ability to communicate with already placed animals upon the land, but rather they call forth minions of their own. They can take the shape of any animal or demon depending on the Summoner and how they are feeling at the moment. Most are limited to only one sort of animal summoned but some talented summoners can summon more than one. There is a catch however, since the animals are called from the Summoner, if one of the animals is hurt of killed a part of the Summoners life force will fade away and they grow even closer to their death date.
Adepts are humans who have been blessed by the magical. They often gain an incredible talent from a wish. If the wish is deemed acceptable by the magic folk they will bless the human and their wish is granted. For example incredible beauty or the ability to run very fast. There were even those that wished to be an Adept in music so they could make incredible music for all to enjoy. Adepts are a dying breed as no human has been blessed for many many years. When the human is blessed their life expectancy does grow but eventually they too grow old and die.
Sirens by far are considered the most beautiful creatures upon the planet. They have the power to drown any being in lust. They are very sexual creatures naturally and enjoy a romp here and there. They do however have other priorities as well such as sewing. Sirens love their clothes and they are quite materialistic with other things as well. Sirens often have large collections of items that strike their fancy.
Wizards are the most powerful of the lot, they can create and take away. Compared to Wizards the rest of the magical folk are weak. So this is probably the reason Cain is the king, he is a Wizard and a powerful man. Like all wizards he has an extensive library of spells and potions he has concocted during his life. Normally Wizards like to have a niche in which they like to settle into. Cain has settled into the botanical niche allowing him to control plants and other things of an organic nature to his each and every will. With each spell a wizards power is drained and they must go through a resting process to gain their power back. As long as they have the power for it Wizards can do what ever they imagine.
Elves can be a few different species. They can be dark, wood or light elves. They stand taller and are very elegant creatures naturally. They often have hidden troves of knowledge hidden in their noggins and will only share it at a price. Elves never do anything for free as that is not their way. For every action there must be something of interest gained. Perhaps a feather or a shell you find might suffice, or maybe a lock of your hair. What about your soul?
High Elves are a completely different species all together from Elves. They are considered royalty even to Cain himself as there are so few in the world and those that do exist are beautiful creatures that they command authority. ofter their opinions are regarded as law and it is a privilege to speak to one. This of course has gone to their heads and most High Elves are quite the snobs refusing to deal with anyone other than their own kind and royalty.
The market is by far the busiest place in Home, here vendors of all kinds come to sell their wears to make a living. There are many professions in Home, for example farmers, jewellers, tailors, artisans, cooks, leatherworkers etc. Anything and everyone stops by the market at least once a week if not everyday to sell and buy.
The giant Library belonging to Cain is nestled in the very heart of the marble castle. He built it in the middle of a courtyard and let the trees in to protect his books. It is his sanctuary and he lets very few people in. He has too many secrets, too many things that could be used against him here. Its almost impossible to get to with out his permission and so far only his faithful companions have seen it.
These are the homes of the lower class people, every family is permitted a house and if you live alone well lucky you, you get a house all to your self. All homes a two story and laid out to the users preferences. It was a gift from the first king Raoul that ever citizen was entitled their own home, how they like it for free. The houses look the same on the outside save for the few personal touches here and there but every house is different on the inside.
This is the Great Hall where Cain takes most of his guests and holds his finest events. Every month or so he holds and elaborate masquerade ball to which everyone is invited. Its one of the few events that lets people up to the castle to see it in all its gloriousness. Unless of course if you live at the castle then you get to see it everyday.
Nestled into an underground cavern near the entrance of the castle is the hall of dead kings where citizens can come and pay their respects to past rulers. The place is overgrown as Cain has ignored it but that does not stop new flowers from appearing on the graves everyday.
And finally the dungeon. Pray you don't end up here.
Rules
Well thank you for taking the time to read all that. So first! two rules!
1) Post at least three times a week (More is wonderful)
2)Be creative, take time with your posts, add description, thoughts and etc.
This is meant to be a fun roleplay and I would love to see thought and effort put into your characters. so for your character I would like to see the following but feel free to add more!
1)Name
2)Age
3)Race
4)Gender (If not a gender then put none)
5)Brief History
6)Personality
7) Flaws
8)Talents
9) Does your character know of the corruption of Cain? if not no worries they can find out about it later in the story. So bot scenarios are good!
- 27 posts here • Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 9 authors
It was wrong. All of it was wrong. A handsome man stood his hands clasped behind his back and peered down at the frightened young man kneeling before him. What a disgrace His top lip curled over his teeth and home king let out a low growl.
"P-Please your highness." The man before him sputtered and his soldiers restrained him as she tried to crawl towards him begging to be saved. "I'm so sorry, it was a mistake, and honest mistake." The man was puled back by his hair and he let out a small yelp of pain.
"Pathetic" Cain sneered and he took a step towards the man and the crouched to be on the same level as him. The ground between them cracked a little and a small vine slowly grew its way up towards Cain. It slithered almost lovingly around Cain wrapping loosely around his wrist and resting there. The young man gulped, a small bead of sweat dripped between his eyes and he stared at Cain wondering if this was the end. "You know what we do to rule breakers here?" Cain asked him softly as the Vine began to move again, this time towards the man. The man didn't answer but instead let out a little whimper as the Vine began to wrap painfully tight around his leg and then slither up to his waist cutting of his air. He gasped for breath and tried desperately to get away but he was forced to stay by the two soldiers holding him. "We take them away." Cain spoke even more softly still "And they never come back" He chuckled softly and suddenly his left eye was twitching and the hands that were so calm before were in front of him, he was moving his fingers erratically. His hands clasped and un clasped and he let out a loud laugh that echoed in the halls. "You're mine boy!" He stood and as he did vines more vines rose from the ground with him and they too began to wrap themselves around the poor man. "Good bye!" Cain said as he bowed flamboyantly. The soldiers moved away from the man and he tried for escape as well but the vines held him. Then suddenly they were pulling him. She slammed him against the ground and there was the definite crunch of a bone breaking and a scream of pain and terror. The floor opened like a black hole and the man was sucked in dragged deep beneath the castle. It was dark. So dark.
Cain let out a delighted giggle and waved his hand over the floor as it head back to its perfect gleaming marble. He smoothed a shakey hand over his dark hair took too a deep breath only to let out another laugh. "Oh that was fun." He said as he went to sit at a large golden throne. He crossed his legs and uncrossed them and then tried the other way. Neither felt comfortable but he went back and forth between the two variations. As he did an officer went and stood by him, he always had a constant guard around him. Not that he needed it, he was far too powerful of course. The officer was no lady, but rather a woman who was as deadly as a dragon. She was called Alys and he quite liked to look at her so he kept her near by, then again Cain liked to look at most women. Sometimes he even liked to touch. He stood after the crossing of his legs was evidently not working and stepped to the window. Out down below people were starting their days, it was around the time that they were allowed out of their homes.
Cain rubbed his chin and looked down at the empty streets below him for a while more and then headed back inside, he wanted to go to his library. His head was pounding after such excitement and he couldn't stop moving. He wanted more, more screams, more pain... But no one else was breaking any rules so far, which disappointed him. He stepped into a long hallways and walked towards the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with exotic plants and at the middle of the yard a round stone building stood. It was a tall building and trees seemed to be growing half in and half out of it. Already he could feel his brain calming and his hands steading. Cain stepped into the library and went for the nearest chair. He conjured up a drink called Firebrand and took a long gulp. He contemplated what to do with the rest of his day and realized that at the end of the week was the monthly masquerade ball. That put a wide smile on his face. He loved parties, there was always someone who would slip up at them and he would get to punish them later. He giggled a little and rubbed a hand over his twitching eye. He waved his hand and a quill and parchment appeared before him and began to write the things that he needed. He hummed softly and tapped his foot to the song. Above him the trees grown into the library rustled softly and then were once again still. lots to do, lots to do, went the voice in his head.
Reagan woke an hour before curfew and stretched happily. She arched her back and he bed shifted under her growling softly. "I know I know, but its about time we got up." Reagan said to her bed as it there was nothing wrong. She stood and looked down at her bed which was in fact a giant black bear curled up comfortably. She smiled at him, bent and ruffed that sweet spot between his ears and he grumbled and curled into a bigger ball. She laughed softly and then went about getting ready for her day.
Her fiery red hair was brushed and brushed and much to her dismay it was still a frizzy mess. She rolled her eyes and blew up at a strand of hair that was in front of her face and then went about braiding it. Once her hair was braided she studied herself in the mirror and frowned again. It wasn't a masterpiece but hey, she wasn't really trying all that hard. she got dressed in her hunting grab which was a leather jacket and cloth clothing underneath. She pulled on a pair of boot and then opened her pantry looking for something to eat. Her cupboards were pretty empty and she made a mental note to buy a few things from the market.
She glanced out side and figured it was about time that she was allowed out and she looked over at Benjamin and whistled softly. The big lazy bear raised his head and grunted and then dropped his head back down and was asleep in moments. Reagan had a pouch of money at her side and she hummed softly as she headed to the market. She browsed through a few stalls and had a few apples in her hands, after inspecting them and deeming they were fine she passed a few coins over and then placed them away in a brown bag for later. She wanted Salmon as well for Benny and went off to find another stall. She passed a large sign posted in the middle of way. People would occasionally glance at it and check to make sure they were following the rules. The sign was a large one that was a good person tall listing all of the laws put into effect since Cain had become king.
All citizens must:
Be home by 9
Out of home but 10
Attend every party thrown by the king
Hold one item in their home that has an image of the king
Never disrespect a Soldier
Never wear brown on a Thursday
There more rules each sillier than the next but she had learned to live by it. Reagan turned away from the sign and shrugged and went off to find more food.
The woods were thick with the trunks and branches of the trees. There was the occasional chirp of the bird far off, or the swoosh of deers legs thumping past the brush. It was within this forest Gideon once again found himself utterly and competently lost. He could have sworn he had passed that rock twice now all ready. The handsome man scratched his bearded chin and realized that he needed to shave. He took a sniff and frowned... and he needed to bathe. Perhaps he might stumble upon a river.
There was the happy chatter of a squirrel up above him and Gideon looked up and focused his eyes on the tan animal. " Well hello." He said only to be greeted by more of the talk of the animal. "I don't suppose you know where I might find a river?" He waited for an answer but the Squirrel took it upon itself to stop its chatter and look at him blankly with its dark eyes. Gideon gave it a few more moments and then sighed. " I guess I can find it on my own." He said. Gideon trudged along humming a soft tune of his people. The Dryad tune was a soft melodious one that spoke of the birth of their people, of how they came to be through nature and when magic was at its highest.
Eventually after a few more tunes, Gideon did find his river. He wasted no time in stripping himself of his rags and jumped right in. He shouted as the water proved to be less warm than it looked and sent chills through him. He forced himself through the cold and let his hair wet and he moved his fingers through it. It took about half and hour of scrubbing and yelling that the water was 'too damn cold' when finally he deemed himself a lot cleaner than he had been before. He climbed out of the water and moved on over to where he had left his clothes only to discover that they were in fact missing. Looking around confused Gideon heard a soft giggle behind him and he whipped around to see a forest spirit flowing along the river waving his clothes at him.
"Hey! Wait! Those are mine!" Gideon took off, buck naked after the spirit who only flowed further down the river. "Aw come ON!" he shouted, hating the feel of the wind against his body, it sliced through him like knives. "Give me back my clothes!" He command running as fast as he could after the mischievous spirit, but there was no way he could catch up after the river itself. So slowly and regretfully he came to a halt and panted heavily for breath. He leaned down to rest his hands on his knees and then stood. He sniffed, sneezed and then looked down at his lack of clothes. " .... Now what?"
It was dark. It had to have been made from old wood, a strong tree, Alladel thought with a smile. Perhaps one a thousand years old, one that had survived wars and famine and strife, only to be cut down, and made into something completely different. It was more a fanciful notion than actual knowledge, for Alladel knew nothing about flora, certainly not which ones had survived such things. The instrument was longer than most others of it's type, and decorated with the smallest, the most delicate carvings. It looked much like someone had added an extra part to it, since the lacquer changed hue, and intricate metal pieces wrapped the end furthest from the mouth piece. Their purpose was clear, it was to make it possible to create new sounds.
"May I try this one out?" Alladel asked the man behind the stall. For a travelling merchant, the seller was quite fat, with a patchy beard and a receding hairline. His clothing was not that of a poor man, and so, Alladel assumed that this person knew how to sell at a high price.
"If you can play, yes." The merchant replied, as he glanced around to the other stalls at the market, not really bothering to look at Alladel. This was annoying, on a rather childish level. Had his goods not been as wonderful, Alladel would have moved on at once. But this flute really was something out of the ordinary. Besides, no one liked being famous and then not being recognised. Well, at least not anyone as self absorbed as Alladel.
Playing the instrument was no problem. From the first note, it was clear that the flute belonged with the musician playing it. The melody was sweet, happy and lively, but there was also a trace of sadness in it. It was an old song, many knew the words to it, and many had briefly stopped to listen. As far as Alladel remembered, it told the story of a very crafty young woman, who tried to impress a young man she loved. Unfortunately, he loved another, and so the young woman was left burned. Alladel had always found it amusing.
"That's not half bad, that isn't." The merchant said, now smiling, showing a missing tooth or two. Alladel returned the smile, still holding the flute. "I expect you'll ask quite a price for this."
The merchant shook his head, and held up a hand, as if to signal a stop. "No, you can just have it. Belonged to me wife, she ran off with the smith last month. Couldn't get meself to break it, so I'm just happy someone will take it off my hands." He didn't seem particularly bothered by the loss of his wife, but then again, Alladel figured that since she'd run off anyway, there was no use in missing her.
"Let me at least pay you a little, otherwise I'd feel like I was robbing you." Alladel said, while thinking for a moment. It took only a few seconds to rummage through the things in the robe, and an earring came out of it. "Ah," Alladel began. "This belonged to a former lover of mine, I'd say it makes us quite even. The stones are genuine, I guarantee. She too, ran off. But not with the smith."
"Deal!" The merchant said, and the items were exchanged. With instrument in hand, Alladel then headed for the nearest inn. Such a trade deserved a celebration, even if it was a small private one. But there was no rush, and so Alladel walked with slow steps, taking the time to look over most of the market.
"May I try this one out?" Alladel asked the man behind the stall. For a travelling merchant, the seller was quite fat, with a patchy beard and a receding hairline. His clothing was not that of a poor man, and so, Alladel assumed that this person knew how to sell at a high price.
"If you can play, yes." The merchant replied, as he glanced around to the other stalls at the market, not really bothering to look at Alladel. This was annoying, on a rather childish level. Had his goods not been as wonderful, Alladel would have moved on at once. But this flute really was something out of the ordinary. Besides, no one liked being famous and then not being recognised. Well, at least not anyone as self absorbed as Alladel.
Playing the instrument was no problem. From the first note, it was clear that the flute belonged with the musician playing it. The melody was sweet, happy and lively, but there was also a trace of sadness in it. It was an old song, many knew the words to it, and many had briefly stopped to listen. As far as Alladel remembered, it told the story of a very crafty young woman, who tried to impress a young man she loved. Unfortunately, he loved another, and so the young woman was left burned. Alladel had always found it amusing.
"That's not half bad, that isn't." The merchant said, now smiling, showing a missing tooth or two. Alladel returned the smile, still holding the flute. "I expect you'll ask quite a price for this."
The merchant shook his head, and held up a hand, as if to signal a stop. "No, you can just have it. Belonged to me wife, she ran off with the smith last month. Couldn't get meself to break it, so I'm just happy someone will take it off my hands." He didn't seem particularly bothered by the loss of his wife, but then again, Alladel figured that since she'd run off anyway, there was no use in missing her.
"Let me at least pay you a little, otherwise I'd feel like I was robbing you." Alladel said, while thinking for a moment. It took only a few seconds to rummage through the things in the robe, and an earring came out of it. "Ah," Alladel began. "This belonged to a former lover of mine, I'd say it makes us quite even. The stones are genuine, I guarantee. She too, ran off. But not with the smith."
"Deal!" The merchant said, and the items were exchanged. With instrument in hand, Alladel then headed for the nearest inn. Such a trade deserved a celebration, even if it was a small private one. But there was no rush, and so Alladel walked with slow steps, taking the time to look over most of the market.
Eyes darted from word to word. Every word seen by his eyes were taken in to solve a piece of a puzzle known as a sentence, and that sentence would show Asher how to cast certain spells. It was against the law to be practicing magic. In some cases, people were imprisoned for reading books about magic. Heh. Woo, look at me. I'm breaking the law already. Asher mentally chuckled.
As the sun began to rise, Asher felt that someone had entered the woods and nearly found his house. Sighing, the Wizard stood up and closed the book in one hand, placing it on the ancient bookshelf. The guy took his old, threadbare cloak and exited the house, careful to cast quite a few protection spells and traps in case someone else finds his house. You can never be too cautious, as the old man would say. Asher thought.
The Wizard walked through the woods, enjoying the peace and quiet that he had grown used to for a long time. At one point, he was tempted to go mute to help with the silence and tranquility, but that would've been useless anyhow. Of course, all that he had enjoyed was broken when Asher started to hear yelling and shouting. At first, it was about the cold winds, then something in frustration. "Give me back my clothes!" He heard clearly as he approached the source of the noise.
What the hell... What's going on over there? Asher thought as he curiously yet cautiously jogged to the river. The most noticeable feature when he looked to his right (which would be down the stream) would've been a man. Not just any man, but a... Why is he naked? Asher recoiled a bit in disgust, but then he realized a possible answer. The stranger took a bath in the river. Shaking his head, Asher brought out a spare cloak (and his master said he didn't need one) as he got out the river and approached the man from the side. "Hey!" Asher called out. "You need some clothes?" Asher held out the large hooded cloak that used to belong to no one. It was a spare one that he kept around the house in case the old one was lost or ripped (but in Asher's case, just lost as he never wants to stop using something that could still be used). "Here. Take it and wrap it around yourself. A cloak is better than walking around butt naked."
As the sun began to rise, Asher felt that someone had entered the woods and nearly found his house. Sighing, the Wizard stood up and closed the book in one hand, placing it on the ancient bookshelf. The guy took his old, threadbare cloak and exited the house, careful to cast quite a few protection spells and traps in case someone else finds his house. You can never be too cautious, as the old man would say. Asher thought.
The Wizard walked through the woods, enjoying the peace and quiet that he had grown used to for a long time. At one point, he was tempted to go mute to help with the silence and tranquility, but that would've been useless anyhow. Of course, all that he had enjoyed was broken when Asher started to hear yelling and shouting. At first, it was about the cold winds, then something in frustration. "Give me back my clothes!" He heard clearly as he approached the source of the noise.
What the hell... What's going on over there? Asher thought as he curiously yet cautiously jogged to the river. The most noticeable feature when he looked to his right (which would be down the stream) would've been a man. Not just any man, but a... Why is he naked? Asher recoiled a bit in disgust, but then he realized a possible answer. The stranger took a bath in the river. Shaking his head, Asher brought out a spare cloak (and his master said he didn't need one) as he got out the river and approached the man from the side. "Hey!" Asher called out. "You need some clothes?" Asher held out the large hooded cloak that used to belong to no one. It was a spare one that he kept around the house in case the old one was lost or ripped (but in Asher's case, just lost as he never wants to stop using something that could still be used). "Here. Take it and wrap it around yourself. A cloak is better than walking around butt naked."
Gideon's head snapped up in alarm at the voice shouting for his attention. He saw a silver haired man manoeuvre across the stream and approach him from the side, he was asking "You need some clothes?" Gideon raised a brow at the question and he bit back a sarcastic remark when he saw that he was being offered some clothes. The goose bumps on his skin made him shudder as another slice of wind rushed passed them.
He was holding what appeared to be a long cloak, that promised all kinds of warmth. Gideon gave the man what he hoped was a smile rather than a grimace from the cold when the other man said "Here. Take it and wrap it around yourself. A cloak is better than walking around buck naked."
Gideon couldn't help but snort a little and he reached over and took the cloak and as he wrapped it around himself "Many thanks." Gideon wrapped himself tight into the cloak and said "Hope I didn't blind you." he sighed a little after his lame joke and ran a hand through his damp brown hair. He gave the man a look and then held out his hand "I'm Gideon... Thanks again for the cloak. I don't suppose you have anything I can do to repay you? I don't like to have unpaid debts."[/b] he said.
He took the time to give the man a once over and he wondered what on earth someone was doing out here, unless of course they too had been banished by Cain. He wondered if others had suffered that same fate.
He was holding what appeared to be a long cloak, that promised all kinds of warmth. Gideon gave the man what he hoped was a smile rather than a grimace from the cold when the other man said "Here. Take it and wrap it around yourself. A cloak is better than walking around buck naked."
Gideon couldn't help but snort a little and he reached over and took the cloak and as he wrapped it around himself "Many thanks." Gideon wrapped himself tight into the cloak and said "Hope I didn't blind you." he sighed a little after his lame joke and ran a hand through his damp brown hair. He gave the man a look and then held out his hand "I'm Gideon... Thanks again for the cloak. I don't suppose you have anything I can do to repay you? I don't like to have unpaid debts."[/b] he said.
He took the time to give the man a once over and he wondered what on earth someone was doing out here, unless of course they too had been banished by Cain. He wondered if others had suffered that same fate.
Amia was awoken by the insistent rapping upon the door to her luxurious room where she lived in Cain's costly palatial home. The sun filtered through the blinds at her window, bright, with little motes of dust hovering in the air like a glistening rain of glitter to her perceptive High Elf gaze. The tapping at the door was soft, respectful, but unrelenting, and eventually forced Amia to drag herself from the final dregs of sleep and call out "Come in...". She knew full well who it would be.
Her favorite serving girl, Ada, stumbled in. "Mistress, my lady..." She performed an awe filled curtsy as she always did, and Amia smirked. "It's past 10, my lady. King Cain says that-"
"Yes, Ada, I know. But Cain isn't going to have a problem with me having a tiny little lie in, now is he?" The High Elf smiled and arose from her soft and sleep warmed bed, dressed in her night gown. Even with her hair ruffled with sleep, Amia was still beautiful, and she acknowledged the fact with a detached neutrality that the serving girl did not possess. Ada averted her gaze, her eyes wide as she stepped away from her Lady, deciding that it was best not to reply. That was why Amia liked her.
"Ada, would you fetch me a gown suitable for the day?" The soft command, disguised as it was in the form of a request, sent the girl scurrying as Amia stepped bare footed to her bathing room, and drew herself a bath. Amia had just removed her clothes when Ada walked in. Amia's own lack of self consciousness made Ada's reaction more humorous. As she walked in on the bare skinned Elf, the human girl gasped, her cheeks turning the same ruby color of Amia's expensive perfume bottle. She sighed. Ada didn't hesitate before attempting to close the door, catching her own foot in it, and then sending herself falling in a most ungainly way to the ground, with today's gown held away from the ground.
Amia sighed at the clumsy girls behavior as she turned to slip into the steaming hot bath. She would bathe, and then dress herself, and do her hair, and perhaps she would visit Cain before taking a stroll to her favorite dress maker to have a new outfit made for the next ball. She spoke to Ada in a low, lazy tone as she became disinterested. "Ada, when you have finished lazing about, please hang my gown up and then bring me my breakfast". Ada gasped, bowed, muttered some ungraceful words of apology and farewell, made a racket as she hung the dress up, tripped once more over her bed as she made it, and then retreated from her quarters.
It took Amia almost an hour to finish bathing, and dressing her hair. She had braided it, and securely pinned it up in a graceful updo. Her gown was of the finest cloth, and tailored especially for her. It fitted her upper body in a subtle, feminine way, and then flowed freely about her legs. It was dyed a rich scarlet, trimmed in a darker hue, and embroidered with golden thread that wove patterns at the hems. Glancing in the mirror before she left her room, she was tall, elegant, and graceful; everything and more that people expected of a High Elf.
She strode down the corridors, having broken the law of "Out of home by 10", making her way down to pay her respects to her King. She regarded the meeting with a sort of reluctance. He was old, older even than she was, and his mental capacity was swiftly deteriorating so that it was nigh on impossible to hold a coherent conversation with the man.
The day was pleasant, and the breeze pervaded the air with a delicious coolness even as she entered the great Library. As one of the very few people allowed to enter the room, she regarded the great doors with an incredible sense of awe as she entered. It was silent after the heavy oak doors swung shut behind her, and her eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness. It was deceptively peaceful, and it was unmistakably Cain's territory; the trees loomed down protectively over the King, who she could hear had confined himself to a table where he was scribbling on a scrap of parchment.
Amia had to smile. So often had she found him in such a position, cooped away, making lists and demands, and more often than not, new laws. She sighed and approached the sound of scratching quills.
She stopped a respectful distance away from her King, and waited until he deigned to turn his frenzied gaze upon her calm and collected composure. She bestowed upon him a warm smile as she inclined her head, finding the situation not quite formal enough for a complete curtsy. Amia looked at King Cain, and straightened up before she spoke to him in her ever soft, exotically accented voice.
"Cain...Good morning"
Her favorite serving girl, Ada, stumbled in. "Mistress, my lady..." She performed an awe filled curtsy as she always did, and Amia smirked. "It's past 10, my lady. King Cain says that-"
"Yes, Ada, I know. But Cain isn't going to have a problem with me having a tiny little lie in, now is he?" The High Elf smiled and arose from her soft and sleep warmed bed, dressed in her night gown. Even with her hair ruffled with sleep, Amia was still beautiful, and she acknowledged the fact with a detached neutrality that the serving girl did not possess. Ada averted her gaze, her eyes wide as she stepped away from her Lady, deciding that it was best not to reply. That was why Amia liked her.
"Ada, would you fetch me a gown suitable for the day?" The soft command, disguised as it was in the form of a request, sent the girl scurrying as Amia stepped bare footed to her bathing room, and drew herself a bath. Amia had just removed her clothes when Ada walked in. Amia's own lack of self consciousness made Ada's reaction more humorous. As she walked in on the bare skinned Elf, the human girl gasped, her cheeks turning the same ruby color of Amia's expensive perfume bottle. She sighed. Ada didn't hesitate before attempting to close the door, catching her own foot in it, and then sending herself falling in a most ungainly way to the ground, with today's gown held away from the ground.
Amia sighed at the clumsy girls behavior as she turned to slip into the steaming hot bath. She would bathe, and then dress herself, and do her hair, and perhaps she would visit Cain before taking a stroll to her favorite dress maker to have a new outfit made for the next ball. She spoke to Ada in a low, lazy tone as she became disinterested. "Ada, when you have finished lazing about, please hang my gown up and then bring me my breakfast". Ada gasped, bowed, muttered some ungraceful words of apology and farewell, made a racket as she hung the dress up, tripped once more over her bed as she made it, and then retreated from her quarters.
It took Amia almost an hour to finish bathing, and dressing her hair. She had braided it, and securely pinned it up in a graceful updo. Her gown was of the finest cloth, and tailored especially for her. It fitted her upper body in a subtle, feminine way, and then flowed freely about her legs. It was dyed a rich scarlet, trimmed in a darker hue, and embroidered with golden thread that wove patterns at the hems. Glancing in the mirror before she left her room, she was tall, elegant, and graceful; everything and more that people expected of a High Elf.
She strode down the corridors, having broken the law of "Out of home by 10", making her way down to pay her respects to her King. She regarded the meeting with a sort of reluctance. He was old, older even than she was, and his mental capacity was swiftly deteriorating so that it was nigh on impossible to hold a coherent conversation with the man.
The day was pleasant, and the breeze pervaded the air with a delicious coolness even as she entered the great Library. As one of the very few people allowed to enter the room, she regarded the great doors with an incredible sense of awe as she entered. It was silent after the heavy oak doors swung shut behind her, and her eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness. It was deceptively peaceful, and it was unmistakably Cain's territory; the trees loomed down protectively over the King, who she could hear had confined himself to a table where he was scribbling on a scrap of parchment.
Amia had to smile. So often had she found him in such a position, cooped away, making lists and demands, and more often than not, new laws. She sighed and approached the sound of scratching quills.
She stopped a respectful distance away from her King, and waited until he deigned to turn his frenzied gaze upon her calm and collected composure. She bestowed upon him a warm smile as she inclined her head, finding the situation not quite formal enough for a complete curtsy. Amia looked at King Cain, and straightened up before she spoke to him in her ever soft, exotically accented voice.
"Cain...Good morning"
❝ Glenda Periwinkle ❞
The sharp thorn often produces delicate roses.
The sharp thorn often produces delicate roses.
The breeze was soft, the air warm. Glenda let the stray pieces of her air float around her face as she listened to the small hum of the quiet bees. She sat alone in the courtyard, where she found herself spending much of her time. She enjoyed the atmosphere of Cain's royal gardens. They were all very elaborate with over thousands of different kinds of plants. It seemed as if she could step out and find a new flower each day. Exploring the layout of the whole area occupied most of her time around the castle. She didn't have much to do, without many to talk to and her family always busy.
The garden itself was lovely, it was another thing that made her admire her ruler Cain. Leave the castle behind when you pass under the purplish foliage of an enormous smoketree near the entrance. Take care where you step, because there has been planted sedum, moss and other small plants here and there in the crevices between the old-brick patio to soften the space. The first object that draws the eye is a pergola that supports a lush climbing vine and shelters a low bench, from which a person can survey the garden. To the left of the pergola is a lovely koi pond, with two well-tended fish and a few aquatic plants. She didn't like to rest beside water too much, knowing she couldn't swim she was a bit frightened, though the pond was only a few feet deep. Her favorite area was a private seating area at the rear that was hidden from the rest of the yard by a tall screen of three evergreen bushes. Even from the height of the windows of the castle, others can only glimpse one of the comfy-looking benches clustered under the shade of a cherry tree. A bank of bamboo in a shields the conversation nook from the rear. Plants include hydrangea, salvia, cone flowers, catmint, astilbe, black-eyed Susans, semi-cactus dahlia, oriental lilly and forsythia. Charming garden ornaments here and there reflect the artistic sensibility, which is also evident in the beautifully appointed rooms you pass through on the way. The stone walls that surrounded the area of the garden were old but well kept. A few patches of moss and vines here and three gave it a decorative look.
Glenda stood from the bench she'd been relaxing on, and smoothed out her silky dress. It was a very subtle pinky white, with a few sashes that tied in the back. It was a semi-casual dress, that is for people of her standard. It was strapless and light, perfect for the weather of the day. The detail of the dress, any lining and a few of the strings and tassels were a burgundy color. Her strawberry blonde had turned lighter since she'd been in the sun for awhile, giving it more of a blonde look than a red. In one hand she held a small grip on her dress, lifting it slightly so she wouldn't trip. She gracefully moved over to another area of the garden, where the roses lay. She adored roses of any color. Pink, white, yellow, peach, and red. The way she seemed to move made her look as if she were floating, her dress covered the evidence of her light footsteps touching the stone paths. She leaned over, taking a sweet breath of the refreshing scent of roses. She let out a small sigh along with the air, and continued through the garden.
It was then that she saw Cain emerge from one of the long hallways entrances to the courtyard. Her heart jumped a bit, considering she rarely spoke to him. She'd adored him since she was a child in the castle, when he'd occasionally speak to her and her parents. He'd always been so kind to them, which Glenda didn't know was because Cain needed people like them to stand behind him. Either way she seemed to hang around the gardens on the slight chance that she'd see him, whether he noticed her or not. He hadn't this time, for he continued into the library in what seemed to be a hurry.
Only a bit disappointed, because seeing him was a surprise in itself, she walked elegantly around to another side of the courtyard, seating herself on a bench under the shade of a dogwood tree. It was then that she dreamed of the masquerade ball, that was to happen at the end of the week. She wondered if she'd find someone interesting to dance with.
"Thank you for the safe passage." She said turning and giving the tree a kiss before making her way through the market district to the area where farms would set up stalls to sell their various kinds of produce. Today was her food shopping day and as much as she would love to escape to the forest for the rest of the day this needed to be done. Flora may be a humanoid plant creature and could survive on the sun and water but that was only if she chose to take root as a tree but she felt that there was just too much to see and do to stay stationary her whole life. So here she was picking out the best and healthiest fruits and vegetables. With her affinity for nature she could always tell which those were.
"I wonder if eating this makes me a cannibal?" Flora jokingly said as she inspected a bushel of spinach leaves. She often joked about the fact that she was a vegetarian, well closer to a vegan really. Not that it was by choice of course, she just couldn't ingest anything other than plant life and water. It didn't agree with her system.
While she shopped she would visit a while with each of the vendors as she knew them all personally. Flora worked as a private contractor of sorts. Her ability to make things grow and her connection to nature made her highly sought after. If a farmer was having trouble with their crops they would come to her to see if she could fix them before the King caught word and had their entire crop destroyed. If she couldn't heal the crops she would give them advice on what they should do. Needless to say they all appreciated her work and aside from pay her for her services, would also give her a discount whenever she shopped with them.
Once she had all that she needed Flora made her way back to her house. She lived alone in her two story home seeing as how she had no real family to speak of, the tree that birthed her hand not birthed any others before or since her. Though if she were to come across other Tree Dryads she would refer to them as 'Brother' or 'Sister' and Dryads of a different race were always referred to as 'Cousin'.
After putting away the produce Flora left her house and approached the tree that grew beside it. "Please see me safely to my destination." Flora asked as she gave a curtsy before the tree. Stepping forward she submerged herself into it's trunk and left the hustle and bustle of Home behind her. Today was her birthday and even though leaving home was forbidden every year she would make a trip outside Home's great wall to the willow tree deep in the forest that had granted her life.
Sky paused for a moment and pulled her curtains shut before flicking the dark hood of her cloak back, revealing bright, silvery blonde hair that hung in long, flowing tresses down to her hips. Unlike most of the ladies on Cain's court, she very rarely pulled her hair back. She preferred to keep it free as she enjoyed the feel of it on her arms, and the looseness of it as it bounced around her.
Quickly, Sky whipped off her cloak in a swift spinning motion of her arms and folded it gently, returning it to it's place in her dresser. After this, she made her way into her bathroom to wash her feet off gently, effectively destroying the evidence of her midnight outing. Not only had she been out later than Cain would approve of, but she'd been meeting with a man known to hate him. She got on Cain's bad side often, but she didn't want to give him a reason to lock her away for good.
After cleaning herself, a knock sounded at her door and Skyleigh smiled slightly. She loved being pampered. Morning was her favorite part of the day. "Come in!" She called lightly and two of her serving girls stepped in sheepishly. Minnie and Molly. The girls were twins and quite young, but Sky liked them.
She sat at her vanity so that Molly could brush out her long flaxen hair while Minnie picked a gown for her to wear. "Miss?" Molly said sheepishly from behind her as she brushed through her hair. "You... You have leaves in your hair.."
Sky flicked a wrist gently, dismissing the comment. "Midnight stroll in the garden." She said with a mischievous grin. Her opalescent eyes locked on the small girl's in the mirror as she raised a slim finger to her lips as though gesturing that it was their little secret.
Once her hair had been fully brushed out and Minnie had pinned little purple orchids throughout it, Sky dressed in a lavender gown and gestured for the girls to leave her as she gazed at herself in the mirror. She was a true work of art. Not stunning, like some of the women on Cain's court, but surely an eye-catcher. She had a way of making others nervous and twitchy with just a glance. Something in her eyes. Maybe that touch of madness you could see to them, despite the cool and collected exterior. Or maybe it was just the fact that she was on Cain's court, and highly privileged. One of the few residents of the castle that was not a High Elf.
"They'll worship me mother." She whispered to the mirror, no longer seeing her own face, but her mother's eyes staring back at her, cruel, condescending, and filled with a wild madness. Sky had to blink her eyes tightly and wipe away the illusion to keep from screaming at the top of her lungs and tearing the mirror off the wall.
Composing herself, Sky turned away from the mirror in a swirl of lilac and silver, and left her room, stepping lightly down the castle halls.
Once she'd managed to steady her hammering heart and regulate her quick, short breathing, she rolled back over and sat with her back to the brick wall, looking around the vicinity. She was in her "home" under one of Home's many bridges. Tucked away, hidden from the world. Safe. Well, not exactly safe. She was still wanted. Still banished and living like an animal. However, at the moment, she was not in any danger.
Kali smiled at the thought and stood, gazing around at the many paintings that covered the underside of the bridge. Everyday she woke up alive, she added to the collage of little pictures that stretched all the way across the bridge. Some were happy depictions, others scenes from a nightmare, but all were personal to her.
Stretching out her muscles luxuriously, Kali daintily picked up her brush and hopped gracefully up onto the low ledge that she slept on, adding a picture of a raven between a picture of a flaming scarecrow and a picture of a moonlit sky.
Satisfied, Raven leaned back to inspect her work and smiled. Painting reminded her of her mother. The fluid motions of the brush, the way a flick of the wrist could turn a thought into a reality. Just the very smell of the paints brought her back to when she would sit with her mother in her studio and watch the Adept woman create.
A low rumbling sound from her stomach shook Rae from her daydream and she hopped gently down from the wall again, bare feet hardly making a sound against the concrete as she returned her brush back to it's resting place and grabbed the pale blue hooded cloak from her small pile of things.
Time for some breakfast. She thought to herself as she slipped on her cloak and pulled up the hood to hide her long black hair and shadow her facial features. She had two cloaks. A deep, heavy purple one for the night, and a lighter, sky blue one for the daytime. Both, she'd taken a knife to along the bottom so that they only hung down to her knees to allow her the freedom of movement without tripping, just as she'd done to all her dresses.
With quick, smooth steps, she left the safety and cover of the bridge and stepped out into the sunlight. She wrapped around, up the hill to the road, and crossed the bridge into the city.
As she passed through the city, she made sure to keep her eyes alert and her ears open. Breakfast... She thought as she made her way into the market, passing, and ignoring Cain's long list of silly rules in the center. Sights, smells and sounds overwhelmed her as she glided in and out of people, generally unnoticed, something she knew how to do well as a Shade. Raven lifted her head as the smell of freshly baked bread drifted towards her and she smiled, spotting the vendor a little ways down.
Unfortunately, there was a soldier standing nearby, but Raven liked a challenge. She was a swift thief and was rarely caught. When she was, she typically managed to slip away before they could nab her, and she was so hungry, and the bread smelled so good.
So, with the bread vendor as her target, Raven slipped thought the crowd just as she had been before and, just as she was passing a man bringing out a tray of steaming rolls, her hand swiftly nabbed one and tucked it away in her cloak before anyone could see.
Quick. Easy. Just like that.
But... Who'd grabbed her? Rae turned her head to look into the eyes of whoever had thought it a good idea to grab her wrist. As usual, for she was small, she had to look up. Way up. The very tall, very strong soldier she'd seen earlier had a firm grip on her wrist.
Shit. She cursed in her head as he yanked on her arm, causing her hood to fall and her body to crush against his chest as he reached for her other hand.
But she was quick, and she tucked the roll she was holding in her other hand into a hidden pocket in her cloak just a milisecond before he yanked her hand forward and looked, perplexed, at it's emptiness.
Raven shot the man her best innocent look with her doe-eyes and tried to wriggle her tiny wrists free from his huge hands, but it was no use. He merely yanked her closer and squeezed her wrists tighter. If Raven could have cried out, she would have, for the pain was excruciating. She could practically feel the bones in her wrist bending, almost to their breaking points.
"Please." She mouthed, though no sound came out as she twisted her wrists back and forth in his grip and struggled frantically to pull away. She couldn't be taken to Cain's dungeon. He wouldn't let her through again. She had to get away. There was no way she would go to prison over a stupid roll.
"You're a thief." The man growled, spitting in her face, and Rae had to resist the urge to roll her eyes and nod, making it clear that he'd pointed out the obvious.
Instead she just shot him her best frightened look and shook her head frantically. "Then how'd you get these?" He asked and flicked her ears, gesturing to the ruby, the turquoise, and the silver hoops she kept in them.
She couldn't tell him they were her mothers. She had no way of doing so unless she sent it to him telepathically, and she was far too worked up to concentrate on a message. "Please." She merely mouthed again, to which he responded by squeezing her wrists, just about making her fall to her knees as he dragged her through the streets towards Cain's castle.
Cain was hunched over his desk muttering softly to himself. His writing was shaky as thought upon thought flowed through his head. He was making a list for the numbers to be played at the ball. He had always liked the Ode to Cain But alas the Cain my king Was growing in popularity. He hummed and hahed over this ordeal for quite some time. As he did vines seemed to come alive from the ground and they rose up high over his head and reached the uppermost shelves and began to take books of the shelves and deposit them in new places. There was no rhyme or reason as to why and Cain seemed to have no qualm with the going's on of his plants.
He had just decided to have both tunes played when the giant doors to his library opened and in walked a vision of beauty. She was a high elf who had captured his attention for quite some time now. When ever he saw her, she was groomed to perfection and he could never seem to find a fault in her. He stood knocking the chair he had been sitting on to the ground. It clattered loudly and he flinched for a moment, and froze to look at the chair as if in utter disbelief. He was quiet for a moment and then looked away from the chair and gave Amia a wide charming smile. The chair, already forgotten.
He stepped around piles of books so that he might reach her, she inclined her head just so and then straightened again. When he was about a meter away from her Cain suddenly looked up and said "My dear... you are...." There was a long pause, "Late." He pondered the ceiling as if it could tell time and then let his gaze drop back down to her. His voice was harsh now "Why?" He didn't wait for her to speak but instead went up to her and boldly took a hold of her hand and kissed the delicate knuckle bones. For a moment he fantasized the crunch they would make should he drop something heavy on them. He let her hand go and let his gaze move over her dress and appreciated. "You look lovely." His tone had changed again to something akin to tenderness. The thought of screams and pain always brought him comfort.
His mind calmed for a moment and he took a deep breath through his nose and then let it out through his mouth. As he did so a lovely rose blossomed up from her feet and the stem rose to her waist. The blood red flower presented it's self, ready for the plucking and Cain chuckled "To go with that lovely dress of yours... I'm sure you'll be getting another for my ball this week?" He spoke, lifting his hand to catch a falling leaf. " Do tell me you'll bring and introduce me to all your lovely friends this time." He said making small talk.
Guarding the great hall was Alys' least favourite job when it came to being a soldier. Her beloved king had left the hall leaving its marble walls and floor in silence. She missed the screams already. Sighing to herself, she leaned against a pillar and took out a small folding knife from her jacket. She played with it flipping it this way and that between her fingers and changed it between her palms. She had gotten quite good at this from the hours of boring guard duty.
She only did it for the reward at the end. Alys loved when the brought in thieves and traitors and any other kinds of hooligans that the could wrangle up. It was always fun to see them squirm and beg for forgiveness, and as always she would lure them into her trap. Make them think that they had won her over. Appealed to her feminine side perhaps, made her like them, When lives were on the line it was interesting to see how desperate people got. Alys loved to give them hope, to see that light in their eyes and then in the very last moment when they knew that what they had felt was all a lie, to watch that light die in their eyes was the most beautiful thing.
She licked her lips and folded the knife away just as a soldier marched in a young girl with hair as black as night. Intrigued Alys stood and walked over to the group. "Aidan." She greeted the soldier and he grunted in return.
"Found her stealing in the market." he explained shaking the woman roughly. He had a tight grip on her arm and Alys was sure it would bruise.
Alys made a clucking noise with her tongue and she reached out and gripped the woman's chin and forced her to look up "Not your lucky day now is it?" she asked, smiling a truly terrible smile.
Alladel had seen it. The cloaked woman, the soldier. Not the actual act of stealing though, just the aftermath. The sight of how the soldiers treated the common folk was never nice. If one, like Alladel, was of a slightly higher standing, it was easier to escape such harsh treatment, but the soldiers were wholly cruel. There was no doubt that they possessed the jobs they did because of their willingness to hurt, rather than because they sought to protect and uphold calm. That was how Cain ruled, and as a direct consequence, there was quite the many mind games being played in the court. Alladel was able to avoid most of this, being an outsider only employed there for brief periods of time. Often, he only appeared in Cain's palaces once, maybe twice a month. But Alladel was always there around the balls. Firstly, because he never missed a party unless there was a very good reason, and secondly, he was always employed to perform at these events.
"Here ya go, Mister!" The young girl behind the stall said as she held out a large cinnamon roll, wrapped in a piece of white cloth. The girl seemed hesitant, and then continued. "... Or is it 'miss' is I may be so bold?" She had a lovely face, a wide smile and full lips, eyes with the spark of life filling them. There was something mischievous about her.
Alladel smiled, amused that she had the guts to ask. Most just assumed whatever they wanted, seeing as Alladel either looked like a very masculine woman, or a very delicate man. "It's mister, miss." He said, as he gave her a coin to pay for the pastry. She laughed, wished him a good day, and he couldn't help but to smile a little more, even if he wasn't exactly looking forward to the next stop he was going to make.
Eating as he went, he headed towards the king's home. He was to pick up the list of songs Cain wished to hear at the upcoming ball. No matter how many adepts the orchestra did or did not have, they'd still need to practice. A single wrong note, and someone would get to see the dungeons. The buildings and gardens of the palace were in themselves gorgeous, a masterpiece and study in architecture and aesthetics. At this time of year, most of it would be in full bloom, so Alladel took the time to stroll around a bit. He wiped the corners of his mouth with the white cloth, of course wishing to be presentable, and then headed for the main building.
"Here ya go, Mister!" The young girl behind the stall said as she held out a large cinnamon roll, wrapped in a piece of white cloth. The girl seemed hesitant, and then continued. "... Or is it 'miss' is I may be so bold?" She had a lovely face, a wide smile and full lips, eyes with the spark of life filling them. There was something mischievous about her.
Alladel smiled, amused that she had the guts to ask. Most just assumed whatever they wanted, seeing as Alladel either looked like a very masculine woman, or a very delicate man. "It's mister, miss." He said, as he gave her a coin to pay for the pastry. She laughed, wished him a good day, and he couldn't help but to smile a little more, even if he wasn't exactly looking forward to the next stop he was going to make.
Eating as he went, he headed towards the king's home. He was to pick up the list of songs Cain wished to hear at the upcoming ball. No matter how many adepts the orchestra did or did not have, they'd still need to practice. A single wrong note, and someone would get to see the dungeons. The buildings and gardens of the palace were in themselves gorgeous, a masterpiece and study in architecture and aesthetics. At this time of year, most of it would be in full bloom, so Alladel took the time to stroll around a bit. He wiped the corners of his mouth with the white cloth, of course wishing to be presentable, and then headed for the main building.
Jasmyra
The leaves above Jasmyra's head rustled. It was morning, and the suns rays peaked over the tree tops. Jasmyra sat up, and arched her back. two of her minions, a wolf and a dragon, lay curled up beside her. Jasmyra was a very fair and kind Summoner, and gave all her minions names. The wolf was called Akira, and the dragons was called Mon'reth. Akira lifted her white head, and rested it in Jasmyra's lap. She smiled, and rested her hand on top of her muzzle. "Come on girl, we have to hunt. Care to join us Mon'reth?"Jasmyra asked, standing up. Monreth lifted his head and let out a huff, he stood up and followed Jasmyra and Akira as they walked away.
"Come on, Akira." Jasmyra whispered to the wolf. They were stalking a deer that was grazing on the grassy plains. Jasmyra was known to the people of Home as the girl who conjures animals. no one knew her name, but she was allowed to wander the village, and considered not a threat. Monreth was slithering under the bush. Despite that he only had front legs, a long tail and massive wings, he was surprisingly nimble.
When Jasmyra gave the signal to attack, Monreth slithered, roared and pounced. Akira bounded after him, with Jasmyra at her heels. Mon'reth was wrapping his snake like tail around the unfortunate deer, and was squeezing with all his might. Jasmyra ran over to it, said words of wisdom and sliced the deer on her throat. "You have served your world well. May you climb the starladder in peace, and reach starclan. " She whispered.
The deer whispered "Thank you, may my meat make you strong....", and her spirit left her body, turned around in the air, and gave a nod of thanks, before leaping away to the stars.
"Many thanks. Hope I didn't blind you. I'm Gideon... Thanks again for the cloak. I don't suppose you have anything I can do to repay you? I don't like to have unpaid debts." The stranger said as he wrapped himself with the cloak. Asher closed his eyes for a few moments, thinking of the possibilities of what to say to the stranger. "Hm..." Then, an idea sprung up in his mind of his. The books. Yeah... they're all messed up. I think he can help me organize them. Asher thought.
"Well, I do have ONE idea." Asher started. "You can help me organize some of my books..." Asher made a slight smile. Some? No. Make that a god-damn lot. Asher laughed inside his mind, hoping to see the look on this guy's face when he sees the mess.
"Well, I do have ONE idea." Asher started. "You can help me organize some of my books..." Asher made a slight smile. Some? No. Make that a god-damn lot. Asher laughed inside his mind, hoping to see the look on this guy's face when he sees the mess.
As she half walked, half stumbled through the halls, she began to push and prod at the guard's mind with her own, looking for something she could use. A weakness. An illusion she could weave that would cause him to let her go, or at least allow his grip to loosen just enough for her to slip out.
"Aidan." A voice called, pulling her out of her concentration, just as she thought she'd hit his weakness. Oh well. She supposed she could always just go with fire. Everyone was afraid of burning alive, it was just more fun to watch the soldiers cry out loud as illusions of their worst nightmares and fears came to life before them.
"Found her stealing in the market." Her soldier told the source of the voice. A female soldier, with an intrigued look in her eye. Raven stumbled as Aidan shook her around roughly, causing her to wince in pain. If he didn't break her wrists, she would be in shock. That's what it felt like at least. He seemed to like shaking her around like a doll. Seemed to like his advantage over her, for he did it again, making her teeth clack together roughly.
Not a second after she'd steadied herself, the woman shot a hand out and grabbed hold of her face roughly forcing her to look in her eyes, so she did, she found the woman's eyes with her own half blue, half green gaze. She could no longer use her voice, but she'd learned a long time ago that almost anything that could be said with the lips could also be expressed through the eyes, and now, she was shooting the woman defiant daggers, refusing to be intimidated. "Not your lucky day now is it?" she asked, smiling wickedly, and Raven just shrugged as though it was an average day for her.
She wanted to use telepathy so bad. Wanted to shoot all kinds of sarcastic comments into the woman's mind and startle her, but she didn't want to tip her off to her mind powers, for, while the woman and Aidan were antagonizing her, she'd found Aidan's weakness, and, surprisingly, it was fire, just as she'd thought.
Raven shot the female soldier and equally wicked smile and pushed an illusion on the man instantly. On the outside, Rae and the female soldier only heard the shout and saw the frantic flapping about, but Aidan was feeling and seeing a consuming fire crawl across his skin, burning it to ash as he shrieked and released Raven, waving his arms wildly. His worst nightmare, now his living hell.
Now free, Rae wasted no time. She simply straightened up, looked at the other soldier and gave her a small, sarcastic solute before taking off towards the nearest window at top speed and leaping out of it.
There was a brief moment of flying before her bare feet slapped the ground outside, and she took off towards town, hoping they wouldn't follow her, though knowing they probably would. She couldn't go to her home under the bridge. They would follow her. But if she could reach the cover of the forest just over the bridge, she might have a shot of getting away, so she steered her dash in that direction.
~Yanos Odron~
It was still the dine of the morning for many of the creatures and beings that resided within the land. While some beings would be rising for the start of the day others would be slinking off from the long drive of work or back to their own homes for the sheer nocturnal nature of their lives.
Yanos was not in any understanding of this class, his life had long been dictated by the whims of others and it was only the time that he spent alone that he was able to do what he loved or garner whatever needs he had. It was mostly around this section of his day that he stayed in his room, in the castle or here in the Hall of dead Kings. The silence here in this place was deafening for most, which would end with the sound of buzzing due to the amount of fireflies in the air.
The rays of the sun were just breaching the holes in the ceiling of the massive hollowed section of earth and Yanos could be seen laying on a large slab of stone within the multitude of carved figures and crumbling pillars. He hummed to himself as he took a long draw from his favorite pip and exhaled the darkly green tinged smoke into the air above him. The edges of his robe splayed out across the edges of the slab as he shifted his legs from side to the other and his eyes danced behind their lids to the tune he heard from the surrounding area.
* * *
This was the tune that he loved as a boy, it was the sound of the fey humming in response to him. An uncountable collection of minds and bodies that danced and played beyond the view of sight to a tune that they all created and he leaned up with a smile on his face to greet them.
It was then a small glowing figure darted from the shadow, awash in a hazy green light that basked its form in radiation so pure it cast no shadow beyond itself. His other arm darted out in time to allow the little figure to land on the end of his fingers and it was revealed that this was a small feminine form with six small translucent wings. She was wrapped in a large leaf folded into a dress and her arms were covered in large gloves fashion from flower petals. The very look of her brought a smile to his face, seeing as they usually spent all their time in a pure state without clothes it did seem they did so for his own ease.
He looked as she gave a small bow with her amber colored hair bobbing too the side and her lightly colored emerald skin basking in its own glow. Yanos gave her a small nod and rubbed a finger across her head as if to pet her, but the thought and meaning of this interaction was deeper then just a mere semblance. The moment was over after that, she flew up and away taking the rest of the humming chorus with her.
Yanos took that as his cue to leave as he stood up off the edge of the stone slab knocking the rest of the ash from his pipe on its edge. His robe did little to cover his chest and stomach as was his usual dress, despite its effect to cover his back and how it fell around him the attire offered very little literal protection. He walked away from the graves and dismissed himself from the presence of the fallen, though it was sure to be the best he knew of the kinds that was kept in memory. Yanos was rather unwilling to even think of Cain as his King and more as his jailer seeing the current predicament he was in.
The light that hit his face as he reached the top of the great stairs before the bridge out of the courtyard was intense, its early rays of the day ready to beat the night into submission and force it back. Yanos looked out towards the walls of the castle courtyard and sighed a strong low sense of relief as he sank himself once more into the reality of his life.
There was something coming however, footsteps.. hurried on by a steady sound of determination in their noise. But it was still hard for the mage to see, his eyes burned as he turned to look and the rays passing over the walls battered his face. He barely had enough time to recognize a living figure break into his view and put up his hands before impact.
The impact was rather harsh, he had the time to ready himself and prevent either him or the one running into him from tumbling over. His mind raced with possibilities as they touched and his hands worked to fish out what his eyes could not see. There was a brisk air of dimness about the person and they were smaller, with a lithe form. His eyes were not even open and he could tell by the amount of hair bathing across him and the feel of their body pressed against him that it was a woman.
"Whoa there miss.." His voice rang out.
Not loud but beyond earshot his tone was light, despite this the years of servitude weighed on the sound he made. Like someone rubbing a two smooth stones together, this in turn made his sound both lite and deep to hear like a man who sings bass for a living.
His eyes opened to see a sprawl of dark locks flutter past his vision as she manages to recoil from the heavy impact, her hair was like a flock of ravens passing by in a dream. He had her in a small grasp to keep her up, one arm around her and the other holding her left shoulder as he looked to see her face. But her rush was evident, the girl was in a hurry to get somewhere and she spun off of him gracefully like a fish gliding through a waves current. His only saving grace was that he was able to retain his grip on her shoulder before she fled past him. "Little miss is there something wrong?.. something amiss?"
However, Rae had forgotten to watch out for the entrance to the Hall of dead kings. So, when a man stepped out from it suddenly, she had little-to-no time to react and even slow herself, let alone stop herself. She crashed hard into the man, but luckily, he'd managed to take most of the impact, keeping them upright, however, now he was holding her and she really needed to go. Quickly, without hesitation, she spun out of the man's grip, ready to dash again, but his hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Little miss is there something wrong?.. something amiss?" His voice, somehow managed to be light, and yet heavy at the same time, and it made her hesitate where, normally, she would have just shoved him off.
She looked at the man. His grip wasn't tight or brutal like the guards'. She could have easily slipped out of it if she wanted to, but most people would have just yelled at her, or cursed, telling her to watch where she was going. He seemed to want to know why she was running, rather than why she'd hit him.
Not for the first time in her life, Raven was utterly frustrated by her inability to communicate like a normal person. She didn't have time for charades, and she didn't have time to stop and make him understand why she was running. She should really just continue on, but she gestured frantically to the castle behind her.
Not sure if he'd understand, she held out her wrists for him to see, which were both now badly bruised, and mouthed the word "guards" slowly. She gestured ahead of her, signaling that she really had to go. If he was going to help her in some way, he'd better make up his mind quickly and either let her go while she was still ahead, or be of some assistance, though how he'd help, she had no idea, what mattered was getting hidden and now. She didn't want to see Cain again. He wouldn't let her out alive this time. She had had a head start by taking them by surprise, and leaping out the window, so she had a few seconds while the male guard recovered, and, of course, they probably wouldn't leap out the window, buying her a bit more time, but if they'd chased her, any moment now, they would be on her and they would know then what she could do, and make sure to be wary of it, giving her a very slim chance for a second escape.
Amia watched as her King stood, flushed like a child, and tipped his chair over in his haste with a small smirk, hidden behind a single delicate hand. Cain was old, yes, she knew that; but he didn’t look it. He had the youthful appearance of a somewhat eccentric young man, and as far as men went, he was relatively easy on the eyes. However, his theatrics with the library furniture didn’t do much to make him seem mature.
”My dear…you are…Late” The King spoke in his harsher tone , in way of greetings.
His grip on her hand was rough, demanding and persuasive, and this contrasted with the tender way Cain kissed her soft skin. Amia raised a perfectly formed brow, having already predicted the course of this meeting. In fact, she almost counted the seconds down before Cain became distracted, and she had the good grace to blush at his compliment. Despite all of his oddities, the man was incredibly sweet in a sadistic, manipulative way, but she was well above being caught by his sugared words.
Amia smiled as Cain used his infamous powers to create a rose, and she stooped to pick it up. Examining the blossom, it’s gorgeous hue was perfectly colored to match both her gown and her dark hair. Amia replied to her king as she slipped the rose in her hair.
“My lord, your kind words do me a great honor. Thank you for the flower, it is beautiful. And of course I will be attending your ball, I look forward to it. Your events are always something to enjoy. Are we perhaps hearing Cain, our Lord and Savior? It is particularly popular at the moment…”
Amia moved to set to rights the chair that the King had accidentally knocked over, dusting it off as she spoke, and then sitting in it. She would probably need permission to do that in a formal meeting, but she smiled endearingly at Cain as she did so, folding her hands in her lap, hoping that he would forgive the informality.
“And yes, my lord. I am to see the tailor about a new dress shortly. Of course, my companions and I will be attending. We wouldn’t miss it for the world. In fact, I have a particular friend –her name is Rhea- who has expressed her desire to meet you. She is young and somewhat vulnerable, however I think you will find her delightful company. Although, I have one question… What is the theme for your ball? Only, I desire to dress to match”
Amia smiled sweetly at Cain as she spoke, hoping to entice him with the thought of her young, innocent, High Elf friend.
”My dear…you are…Late” The King spoke in his harsher tone , in way of greetings.
His grip on her hand was rough, demanding and persuasive, and this contrasted with the tender way Cain kissed her soft skin. Amia raised a perfectly formed brow, having already predicted the course of this meeting. In fact, she almost counted the seconds down before Cain became distracted, and she had the good grace to blush at his compliment. Despite all of his oddities, the man was incredibly sweet in a sadistic, manipulative way, but she was well above being caught by his sugared words.
Amia smiled as Cain used his infamous powers to create a rose, and she stooped to pick it up. Examining the blossom, it’s gorgeous hue was perfectly colored to match both her gown and her dark hair. Amia replied to her king as she slipped the rose in her hair.
“My lord, your kind words do me a great honor. Thank you for the flower, it is beautiful. And of course I will be attending your ball, I look forward to it. Your events are always something to enjoy. Are we perhaps hearing Cain, our Lord and Savior? It is particularly popular at the moment…”
Amia moved to set to rights the chair that the King had accidentally knocked over, dusting it off as she spoke, and then sitting in it. She would probably need permission to do that in a formal meeting, but she smiled endearingly at Cain as she did so, folding her hands in her lap, hoping that he would forgive the informality.
“And yes, my lord. I am to see the tailor about a new dress shortly. Of course, my companions and I will be attending. We wouldn’t miss it for the world. In fact, I have a particular friend –her name is Rhea- who has expressed her desire to meet you. She is young and somewhat vulnerable, however I think you will find her delightful company. Although, I have one question… What is the theme for your ball? Only, I desire to dress to match”
Amia smiled sweetly at Cain as she spoke, hoping to entice him with the thought of her young, innocent, High Elf friend.
~Yanos Odron~
The girl thrashed for a quick moment as she tried to pull away from Yanos's grasp and he felt the tension in her body rise with every passing instant of breath. Her small fair features were only heightened by the look in her duel colored eyes as she stared back at him for a moment and he contemplated what she was doing and where she was going.
Her movement to explain to him what was happening was made all the more hectic by the fact she mouthed the words for her pursuers and the resounding thought of the Guards themselves came to his mind. As she showed him the tight dark marks on her wrist of being retained earlier and the small stray shards of glass in her hair that made it obvious she was going for an escape.
Yanos brought his hands onto the girls shoulders and gave her a sly solemn look as he put the tip of his long nailed finger to his lips and shushed the small girl. It was ironic for the moment seeing as she had yet to make a sound and now there he was telling her that it she should calm herself.
The heavy cascading sound of iron boots were trumping down the pathway from around the corner as he looked up from her and his eyes slowly drifted down to look her over and his face quickly grew a smile as he slowly turned her to face the direction that the footsteps were coming. He held her tight and brought his arm around her waist as the stomping got louder, growing every second.
It was easy to tell that this was not sitting well with the girl in his arms, her body became more tense as the men were getting closer and all Yanos did was look over her shoulder in the same direction.
But in the moments that followed something happened that was rather hard for the two of them to miss.
The air grew stale and silent for some reason, and all he did was stare towards the noise made by the guards. As their sound reached its apex he drew in a great breath and clacked his teeth shut, this somehow caused the stiffness in the air to strike harder on ones nerves. The girl herself could also feel that it was rather difficult for herself to breath as well, as if something was constricting around her lungs with a snug fit. The guards broke around the corner as Yanos held tight to the girl in his arms, the tension in her form was ready to burst as they rounded the corner. But for some reason there was no interest in their eyes, the men who numbered three were still running full force against the winds to catch their assailant. They seemed to stare past the two who stood ahead, gripped together in silence.. and then it happened.
Were the men would have made contact with the two standing silent in the center of the walkway instead they passed silently through. There bodies could not connect to the guards, they drifted through the form of Yanos and his charge without notice or pause and continued to run. It passed as quickly as it came in the beginning, the sound of pounding feet drew away and over the bridged pond as the men ran into the cities street.
With the knowledge that all was clear Yanos released his breath, the tightness of the surrounding world did the same as his mouth exhaled and a light grey dust was expelled. Pulling away from the girl he looked her over again as if to see that she came through the spell unscathed. He even took hold of her wrist and for an instant there was a cleansing warmth that passed from his hands to her arms, slowly making the dark blemishes disappear. "There you go.. a few days worth is enough to heal any lite wound." He looked at the girl as if he expected her to speak in response.
Gideon raised a brow at the man and he shrugged, "Well if that's all you need..." He held out a hand that was winkled from the water. "I'm Gideon. Thank you for this cloak." He offered him a crooked smile. Once he had shaken the man's hand he let a hand run down one of his arms appreciating the fabric. He smiled thinking of another cloak that had been given to him by his dear Kate.
His thoughts turned sad and he pushed them away. He let out a low breath and then gestured. "Lead the way." He took a step and followed after him. He wondered for a moment why his hair was so silver and let the obvious answer pop into his head. "Magic." He mumbled under his breath and he wiggled his fingers for a moment feeling the earth move a little under his feet as the metals formed together. What a great power we have. He thought to himself as he let the metals disperse and move back to their original place.
They headed on over to the house where there was sorting to be done.
Aly's was just about to give the rude little girl when suddenly her fellow soldier started to scream. He began to flail about uselessly letting go of the girl. Aly's made a grab for her but she missed and was rewarded with a sarcastic salute and then the girl was gone. She growled softly and narrowed her eyes after the black hair that leapt through the window. She took a step after her but Aidan grabbed her leg and made her trip.
"Damnit Aidan." she gave him a swift kick to the face which only made him cry more, but nevertheless he let go of her. Aly's gave him one look back and then ran after the girl and looked out the window. But it was no use. She hit the marble walls and let out a cry of frustration. Needing a walk to let off steam she headed on out of the castle leaving Aidan where he was crying in a little heap. He was a mess but she couldn't care less.
As she walked across the bridge that led to the great hall she came upon a man.. or a woman. Either way she knew him as a musician who played at the balls often. She lifted a hand in greeting and wondered what he was doing there. She then remembered that there was a ball coming up and she stopped in front of him and presented him with an incredibly practiced smile. "Well hello" She was still angry from before but perhaps she might find a fault in this man and be able to take him away, and so she smiled at him ever so sweetly and said "Come to pick up music for the ball then? King Cain has been picking songs all day." She told him.
She was blushing at him and Cain thought her ever so wonderful. She was a flower among thorns. When she accepted the rose from him and slipped it into her hair he thought her quite fetching and once again had to kiss her hand.
"My dear... it is you that does me a great honour." He nodded when she agreed to tend the ball, of course she would, everyone had to come, he made a law making sure of this. She requested a song and he snapped his fingers. A vine crept up to the desk and took hold of a quill and added the song to his set list.
She walked past him and straightened the chair he had knocked over in his haste, she sat down and her skirts fanned out around her feet. He leaned back against the table and placed a hand upon a vine that came creeping up to meet him. As if it were a pet he gave it a few affectionate pats. She promised him her friends would attend and he smiled thinking to himself that perhaps he would invite them all to his quarters after the party. [b]"I like the name Rhea. That sounds like an obedient name. She sounds... perfect." Secretly he hoped for a slip up. The evening was never any fun without any screams. "I was thinking perhaps a summer theme. We could use a little brightness and beauty." He said softly, he was looking at her but it seemed as if he were deep in thought.
He smiled back at her and then straightened [b]"Well, we've got things to do. I will see you at dinner tonight. You are invited to bring your lovely friend Rhea if you like." He offered. He went to kiss her hand again,
As the footsteps grew louder, Kali whipped her head around in panic to follow their sound. No faces just yet, but the sound was drawing nearer. She turned back to face the man again, urgency clear in her expression. He, though, simply looked slowly over her, as though they had all the time in the world, his lips stretching into a smile. She was about to rip away and forget the man when he turned her around, to face the thumping of the approaching guards. Oh God. She immediately thought. He works for them. Panic filled made her insides jump as he wrapped an arm around her waist and held her tightly to him.
He was going to hold her there until they showed up and turn her in. Raven's whole body tensed in anticipation, as she shot her mind out to prod at the man's, just as she had done with the guard, looking for something she could use against him in an illusion that would make him release her. Something that would get her out of here. Oh god. She thought as the seconds ticked, and her panic was making her lose focus. She couldn't get a firm reading on the man.
Rae was just about to give up and go with the illusion of fire for the second time that day when something strange happened. The air around them seemed to grow stale and thin. Things seemed to quiet, as though she was swimming through water, the only clear sound, the urgent running sound of the approaching men.
Just as she knew the guards were going to turn the corner and see them, the air seemed to rush out of her lungs, and she felt as though there was a great weight on her chest, keeping her from breathing. What was happening? Was he trying to kill her before they got there, or just immobilize her? Whatever it was, it was working, for the stillness of the air wasn't allowing her to think right, so she couldn't focus on mentally setting the man on fire.
Then the guards rounded the corner, and she felt the man squeeze her tighter, causing her to tense up even more in fear, panic, and anticipation.
But they didn't see them. The eyes of the three soldiers glazed right past them as though they weren't there, and Raven suddenly felt relief. The man must have weaved his own illusion, making them invisible to the men.
Then she realized they were still heading at them full force. They would crash into them, and it would all come crumbling down! She'd be caught. Dragged in to where Cain was, and, at best, be thrown in the dungeon for the rest of her life. If she could have whimpered, she would have, as she leaned backward into the man, bracing for impact.
But nothing happened. The men passed straight through them and continued on their way as if they were nothing but air. It was amazing, she'd never seen anything like it. She could weave an illusion on a man's mind, making herself invisible to him, but she had to be centered, focused. She had to be within mental reach of the man, and, she may not be visible to him, but she was to everyone else around her, and she was still physically there. If the man were to bump into her, the illusion would be shattered and he'd see her again. This man now, however, had somehow, through the use of magic, allowed the soldiers to pass right through them.
Suddenly, the air seemed to come rushing back to her, as did normal sound and breathing, as it was all over and the man released them from his magic. He let her go, and she turned to face him again, unable to keep the relief from her eyes as she looked at him. He lifted her wrists and a warmth ran through them briefly, and she watched as the dark marks disappeared. "There you go.. a few days worth is enough to heal any lite wound." He said, looking at her, almost expectantly.
It took her a moment to pull her thoughts together for a response, and she looked up at him and nodded with a smile as she gently rubbed her wrists, as though to prove they were really healed. "Thank you." She mouthed, hoping he could read her lips. She gestured to the scar at her throat, that followed her collarbone, then at her lips. "Can't speak." She mouthed again, shaking her head. She wasn't going to use telepathy without his permission, especially not after he'd just saved her. People tended to get wary about a person who could get into their head, and it was a complete invasion of his privacy. The thought, made her think about how she was just about to make him think he was on fire, and she felt a little guilty.
Then Raven remembered something, and reached into the hidden pocket of her cloak to pull out a sketching pen that was resting there, next to her roll, still warm. She didn't have anything to write on, so she simply wrote on the back of her hand. "I'm Raven. Thank you." She showed him the writing, and the used the hand to flick the raven feather dangling from one of her ears as though it was a source of identity.
Alladel had been standing on a bridge, silently watching the fish swim around underneath. He would always be mystified that someone like Cain had been able to create such a beautiful space. Perhaps it was a testament to the man's true nature? While Alladel had met the king on several occasions, he did not feel that he knew him at all. This did not surprise him, as he would have expected any king to play a daily masquerade, metaphorically speaking. Every situation would demand a new mask, every intention would also.
Alladel was not surprised until he lifted his gaze from the pond under the bridge, and saw a soldier walk towards him. Her face was not unknown to him, seeing as she was almost always in Cain's immediate presence. Alladel had always thought it a shame that she was in the line of business that she was. Sure, the musician was known to be quite the ladies man (and mens man, for that sake too,) but he had always been fond of this woman, more so than many others. He had never approached her about this, because he knew that even the slightest mistake would mean that he would be locked away and never heard from again. Every word had to be watched, every gesture, even the words one mumbled in sleep. Such a life would be unbearable.
He straightened his back, and made sure that his garments were not wrinkled or improper. As she greeted him, he bowed his head. Not enough to indicate submission, but rather respect. "Yes, I'm here for the list. Do you know if it's done, if our lord and king has time?" He smiled, hoping that his tone was kind enough, undemanding. "The rest of the orchestra are anxious to rehearse for the ball-"
He interrupted himself for a moment, and then tilted his head slightly. "Speaking of which" he began, "I hope I'm not out of bonds for asking, but are soldiers and guards like yourself required to attend too? As guests or employees? I cannot recall having seen you at the last ball, or those before."
Alladel was not surprised until he lifted his gaze from the pond under the bridge, and saw a soldier walk towards him. Her face was not unknown to him, seeing as she was almost always in Cain's immediate presence. Alladel had always thought it a shame that she was in the line of business that she was. Sure, the musician was known to be quite the ladies man (and mens man, for that sake too,) but he had always been fond of this woman, more so than many others. He had never approached her about this, because he knew that even the slightest mistake would mean that he would be locked away and never heard from again. Every word had to be watched, every gesture, even the words one mumbled in sleep. Such a life would be unbearable.
He straightened his back, and made sure that his garments were not wrinkled or improper. As she greeted him, he bowed his head. Not enough to indicate submission, but rather respect. "Yes, I'm here for the list. Do you know if it's done, if our lord and king has time?" He smiled, hoping that his tone was kind enough, undemanding. "The rest of the orchestra are anxious to rehearse for the ball-"
He interrupted himself for a moment, and then tilted his head slightly. "Speaking of which" he began, "I hope I'm not out of bonds for asking, but are soldiers and guards like yourself required to attend too? As guests or employees? I cannot recall having seen you at the last ball, or those before."
Jasmyra
Jasmyra was walking through the forest, admiring the scene before her. Birds swooped back and forth ahead of her, enjoying the afternoon sunlight. She smiled to herself, and gazed at a small rabbit that hopped along the man-made path she was walking on. It still looked natural, but it had gravel that was lined along it. Unable to bear the pain of walking bare feet on gravel, she cut to
the side of the path, walking deeper into the forest. This was the part that not much residents of Home went into. Only the Dryads, elves and ore went. But if there was trouble, she could easily summon her beasts to fight alongside her.
She swivelled to the left, then came across a beautiful river. A bath was what she needed, after all, her feet where coated in mud, and her face had a long gash that had dried blood crusted onto it. When she started walking to the river, she saw that it had footsteps leading into the river. Jasmyra had a belt on her hip that had knives, a water bottle and a couple of packets to keep things in it. She bent down and scooped up some water into the jug. She started walking away, and hoping to find if there was any people in this forest.
Jasmyra walked deeper into the forest.She came across a fallen tree, that was propped up on a rock. It was like a bridge, and was perfect to spy. She heard voices, and jumped up on the tree, and ran up it, crouching. She took out her bow, just in case the people attacked her. Then she saw them. Two men, one wearing a cloak and another one with silver hair. She dropped her mouth open as she stood on a jagged rock, and let out a stifled gasp. Then came on a weak spot of the tree, and she fell out. Jasmyra landed awkwardly to her side. She looked up, and tried to catch her breath. The fall had winded her mildly, and she looked around her. She saw that the two people were staring at her in panic. Oh gosh
Amia rose from her seat, nodding slightly to herself. Summer colors. Perhaps a dress of dark forest green, trimmed with gold? Or perhaps a rich wine color, with silver detailing. She already knew that she would wear a light material, something that would rustle in the evening breeze…and maybe even knee length. She would have to consult her friends.
The High Elf smiled, agreeing with Cain as he invited her and her friend, Rhea. At heart, she knew that Rhea was a minor, unofficial, High Elf reject. Yes, the woman was beautiful, but that was where the similarities with others of her own race ended. Some called her an anarchist, and she tended to speak of nothing except for Cain’s own tyranny and careless attitude to Home. Amia knew that Cain would enjoy Rhea’s company, in more ways than one.
Rising gracefully from her seat, she elegantly nodded. “Of course, my lord. Rhea would be honored to attend with me. And I would be honored to dine with you” Amia smiled warmly to her King, as she bowed over her hand, clasped in his.
“I will see you tonight then, my King. Until then…” She spoke in her gentle tone, and left the library. Now…the tailor.
When she was finally free of the confines of the palace, Amia considered riding down to the tailor shop. Yes, she wore a dress…but as a High Elf, she would only be considered even more independent and the public would only be in more awe of her when they saw her riding down Home’s main road upon a horse summoned by herself. The image was pleasing, so she drew in a breath, exhaled, and focused her mind.
The Sun was warm on her skin as she found the image of the animal that she desired in her mind, and the shadows around her loomed, and darkened erratically. It wasn’t the smooth creation of a being that true Summoners could accomplish, but when she opened her eyes, she found herself looking into the dark, lifeless eyes of her creature. The horse was tall, slightly taller than most normal animals, and it was the same darkness that shadows were made out of.
In one single elegant movement, she mounted the horse, noticing how its mane was like smoke, rather than the fine hairs of a real horse. Its ears were a little misshapen, and she sighed. She really wasn’t the best Summoner, but this was the best that she could do for now. Amia smirked at the awed gazes of the men and women around her.
The High Elf smiled, agreeing with Cain as he invited her and her friend, Rhea. At heart, she knew that Rhea was a minor, unofficial, High Elf reject. Yes, the woman was beautiful, but that was where the similarities with others of her own race ended. Some called her an anarchist, and she tended to speak of nothing except for Cain’s own tyranny and careless attitude to Home. Amia knew that Cain would enjoy Rhea’s company, in more ways than one.
Rising gracefully from her seat, she elegantly nodded. “Of course, my lord. Rhea would be honored to attend with me. And I would be honored to dine with you” Amia smiled warmly to her King, as she bowed over her hand, clasped in his.
“I will see you tonight then, my King. Until then…” She spoke in her gentle tone, and left the library. Now…the tailor.
When she was finally free of the confines of the palace, Amia considered riding down to the tailor shop. Yes, she wore a dress…but as a High Elf, she would only be considered even more independent and the public would only be in more awe of her when they saw her riding down Home’s main road upon a horse summoned by herself. The image was pleasing, so she drew in a breath, exhaled, and focused her mind.
The Sun was warm on her skin as she found the image of the animal that she desired in her mind, and the shadows around her loomed, and darkened erratically. It wasn’t the smooth creation of a being that true Summoners could accomplish, but when she opened her eyes, she found herself looking into the dark, lifeless eyes of her creature. The horse was tall, slightly taller than most normal animals, and it was the same darkness that shadows were made out of.
In one single elegant movement, she mounted the horse, noticing how its mane was like smoke, rather than the fine hairs of a real horse. Its ears were a little misshapen, and she sighed. She really wasn’t the best Summoner, but this was the best that she could do for now. Amia smirked at the awed gazes of the men and women around her.
~Yanos Odron~
The whole intense moment was done now and it was good that the girl did not intently panic from the whole ordeal, but it was good to see that she was made from sterner stuff then the soldiers that came looking for her. The spell itself was slightly taxing on its own, not many can simply step into an alternate section of reality and come right back out while carrying a passenger. He could feel the grains of his own ash pushing up back behind his teeth as he started to breath more freely.
He ground the feeling in the back of his mouth for a moment before he put his eyes back on the girl before him. She was rather happy with what had happened and so was he, Yanos was not one to just allow a fate like the dungeons befall someone if he had something that could be done about it. She produced a small writing utensil as she scrambled with her hands to write out the word Raven on her hand and show it to him. The young girl was mute thanks to what happened to her neck, but she seemed to be coping well with the way she had to communicate. She flicked the feather hanging from her ear as if to help signify her name to him.
He smiles back and gives a light bow. "Yanos, Court Magician to his lord Cain.. which I can see you already have a rather long history with." His head comes back up from the small bow and his face no longer bears the smile that he had before. "If you wish I can help you with that as well..?" Yanos made the gesture as his fingers made their way towards Raven's neck. It seemed that his intent on fixing the problem was slightly outweighing his ability to recognize whether or not she wanted it.
Was he offering to just fix the scar, or bring her voice back? Would she even want either? The scar and her lack of voice kept her hate for Cain and all who associate themselves with him going. Sure, there were a thousand other reasons to hate Cain, but when she got tired of acting out against him, on the days she'd sit under her bridge and think about maybe moving into town, being an average citizen, and having an easier life, she was reminded of the cruel things he did to people through the simple fact that she could not talk. It was a real pain in the ass sometimes, but it also helped to keep people away from her, for she liked solitude. The only reason she was standing here, talking to this man now was because he'd just saved her life.
Raven looked up at him and shook her head gently. She didn't want him to fix her. She liked the way she was. She wanted to leave, but she still had a question to ask. She didn't exactly want to write the whole thing on her arm, and she wasn't fond of looking like an idiot playing charades, so she bit her lip. She'd have to use telepathy. Hopefully he didn't get upset.
Raven took a step closer and locked her eyes onto his. I can speak through minds, though I don't usually like doing it. It invades privacy, and people tend to get angry. She explained, the message flowing from her mind to his, in her old voice. The one she lost. It was unusual for a Shade to speak clearly, for usually their words were warped by a hissing noise, but due to the fact that her mother had been an Adept and not a Shade, Kalista actually had a lovely voice. Her mother used to love her voice as it was musical and light. I have a question though... She sent tentatively If you're part of the court, and you serve Cain, why did you help me?
OOC: Egh, not sure what to do with Sky, that's why I haven't posted for her in a while... I'll try posting from her on my next post.
Aly's watched him fix his attire and she smiled brightly, was there anything she could get him for, she wondered. He always seemed to be in such good standing and always had the right things to say. She sighed softly and supposed that she might get in trouble if she sent him away to the dungeon. It wouldn't give Cain enough time to find himself someone new to take over the position of head musician. She had always wondered what it would be like to see those perfect features (as difficult as they were to place to a gender) contort and twist in pain. She wondered what he feared the most, she knew with a bit of prodding she could get most anyone to spill their darkest secrets. It wasn't all that hard really, break a bone here, cut a little there. He bowed to her and she listened to him explain his reason for being there. She nodded and said "I can take you to him if you like, he's just out in the library. I'm sure a visit from you would surely be acceptable. He spoke of a song that would like to play and for a moment rambled on about an orchestra. She nodded understanding that practice was the only way to make sure they played perfectly. After all their lives were on the line.
One wrong not and it was all over for the whole ban. She always liked watching the pressure Cain put his subjects under.
He changed his subject asking if solders were to attend and she nodded. "We are required to be there, but these last few balls on was on outside guard duty to make sure no one left early. This ear Cain has told me I must be in in the ball room and because of this I must dress up." She seemed a bit displeased about the fact but her emotions returned t normal and she turned gesturing for him to walk along sider her. "I do know each musician gets a break for a few songs. Perhaps you would like to share a dance with me then?" She made small talk with him as she led him into the giant marble hallways of the castle. She walked up a small flight of stairs and soon came upon Cain's library. It seemed quiet for the moment, other than a small annoying chirp of a bird that had flown in. "He is in there,, all you need do is knock." she told him. "I will be here when you come back to escort you out."
***
Cain said his farewells to Amia and he looked forward to meeting her friend. When she was gone he turned back to his quill and murmured something. He scratched his chin and for no apparent reason a whole row of daisy's grew at his feet. He looked down at them in apparent surprise, and then taking it in stride, he plucked a candle from a table and proceeded to set fire to the happy white petals. He could almost hear the pleas for help. He found himself laughing suddenly, and could not stop. The candle dropped from his hand and extinguished as it hit the floor, and so he sat there laughing, as every mad man would, surrounded but burnt Daises.
- 27 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 » 1 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.
The Forge
Use your INK to craft new artifacts in Home. 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 » 17 Characters to follow in this universe
Newest
Flora Silvana
"All things in nature have a light within them, some are just larger than others."
Asher Lucian
"Long ago... this Home was made for peace and freedom... As of now, we are only given illusions of them.
Amia Hananae
Cain's Acquaintance and Lady of the Court
Alladel Bridges
An adept person, incredibly skilled as a flutist and a prominent member of the social elite.
Skyleigh Bones
"Have you ever heard the term, Sly as a Fox?"
Kalista Raven
"Watch your step around me, if you so much as walk in a way I don't like, you'll be dead before you ever see me."
Yanos Odron
Court Magician
Trending
Skyleigh Bones
"Have you ever heard the term, Sly as a Fox?"
Alladel Bridges
An adept person, incredibly skilled as a flutist and a prominent member of the social elite.
Flora Silvana
"All things in nature have a light within them, some are just larger than others."
Amia Hananae
Cain's Acquaintance and Lady of the Court
Yanos Odron
Court Magician
Asher Lucian
"Long ago... this Home was made for peace and freedom... As of now, we are only given illusions of them.
Kalista Raven
"Watch your step around me, if you so much as walk in a way I don't like, you'll be dead before you ever see me."
Most Followed
Amia Hananae
Cain's Acquaintance and Lady of the Court
Skyleigh Bones
"Have you ever heard the term, Sly as a Fox?"
Alladel Bridges
An adept person, incredibly skilled as a flutist and a prominent member of the social elite.
Yanos Odron
Court Magician
Kalista Raven
"Watch your step around me, if you so much as walk in a way I don't like, you'll be dead before you ever see me."
Asher Lucian
"Long ago... this Home was made for peace and freedom... As of now, we are only given illusions of them.
Flora Silvana
"All things in nature have a light within them, some are just larger than others."
View All » Places
Fullscreen Chat » Create Topic » Home: Out of Character
Discussions
-
- Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
-
Home
1, 2by Onuwa on Thu May 23, 2013 11:46 am
- 25 Replies
- 1686 Views
- Last post by desire99600
on Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:12 pm
-
Home
Most recent OOC posts in Home
Re: Home
I am rather worried that no one else has posted in such a while and for a game this new it should not be like that. Rather in fact i hope that things can pick up for everyone so they can return.
Re: Home
If I don't get a response after tomorrow I guess i can move on with Yanos, do something that would free him up from Kalista.. I was kinda liking the whole conversation though.
Re: Home
Its good to see that the post have started, I do like the use of pictures for once in the Rp. Many of my past experience's have proven ill on the receiving end with no real inspiration at all. I for one don't really use them but I have had the idea to put some in later on, especially with this ball coming up.
Re: Home
No worries. My posts do that sometimes too. I've never really needed the bartender... now that I think about it.
Re: Home
So sometimes, my post randomly tags an NPC bartender.. Not to confuse everyone.. hahah, I don't know why it does that.
Re: Home
Such amazing characters you guys! I really hope we can keep this going! :) The start date is monday but still feel free to submit a character after that! :) We will always be accepting characters.
Re: Home
It's always good to try new things, I always say.
Not generally my style of RP, but this looks pretty interesting. I think I'll make a character or two, if you'll have me ^^
I was thinking ... well, I'll keep it a secret for now ;) Let's just say: a Wizard and a Shade.
Not generally my style of RP, but this looks pretty interesting. I think I'll make a character or two, if you'll have me ^^
I was thinking ... well, I'll keep it a secret for now ;) Let's just say: a Wizard and a Shade.
Re: Home
Hey there, I submitted a character yesterday, and I just wanted to say that it still needs some work. I haven't been able to find a picture that fits yet, so until I do, would it be allright to just add a written description?
Hope I get accepted, this rp looks really promising. :)
Hope I get accepted, this rp looks really promising. :)
Re: Home
This game does have much promise, I like the fact that the featured Rp for this week has been inactive for nearly a month. So you can see how elated I was to find a fresh roleplay that was the genre I liked.
Re: Home
Ooh! Count me in! You don't mind if I make sort of a Wizard in training (nowhere near as strong as Cain but a bit stronger compared to other wizards) do you?