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Post by aylin on Mar 27, 2009 8:59:44 GMT -8
The sun's light seeped past the horizon gentle as the tide. Aylin stood, looking across the great span of water. The verdant forests were already beginning to succumb to the shadows of the night. Lake Poseidon lapped gently against its pebble shores. In the distance...jagged mountains loomed upwards, disappearing into the murky clouds that inhabited that region. They were not far from a village, those with sharp eyes could see the faint glow of the towns between tangled branches and brush.
Aylin kneeled, her back against the wind, and dug her hand into the black soil to form a pit. Once satisfied by the size, she placed a few dried pieces of driftwood into it and with a small whisper, a fire ignited. She leaned back against the heel of her hands and swung one leg over the other. Although clouds were in the northern region, here the stars were scattered and bright, like thousands and thousand of lanterns hovering in an onyx sky. Every so often a glistening flame darted across the heavens, leaving an azure tail that lingered in the dark hours of night.
Her mind was flitting from one question to another, and she found herself in the state she returned to more and more often...one where she was an observer, just like one of those little flickering lanterns high above them.
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Post by hawkeye on Mar 27, 2009 13:40:56 GMT -8
Alexandra studied her companion, silent and just as distracted. Her head ached. The crackle of the fire and the low whistle of the wind lulled her, giving a quiet melody to the images in her mind. She reviewed the day; the beginning of their journey made little sense to her, and this ending would not have been what she had predicted.
She sighed, shaking her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. Alexandra stretched her stiff limbs, getting the blood flowing into them, then settled into a position to mimic Aylin's.
"What're you thinking about, dragon daughter?"
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Post by aylin on Mar 30, 2009 16:51:24 GMT -8
Aylin turned to her, silent. Her image reflected in Alexandra's eyes, just as the flames of their fire did. "How to say this..." she said carefully.
"For me, every time a being enters this world, I feel a shift. With every shift, my body feels less and less connected to itself." She gave a side long glance at Alex. "Usually, it's a simple disturbance that goes away. But since you arrived, the day you arrived.....something is happening to me. "
"I think I know why...see, there's this "prophecy" thing I guess, where two guardians merge and there's this whole battle for Ira-blahblahblah." she waved her hand as if to push aside the details. As Aylin explained, her excitement showed more. "Anyway, Shirah reacts to you just as she did to Hiro and Arion, I think you must be one of these heroes that are a part of it!"
She fully turned towards Alex. "It must mean we're right at the end of it all, and now that you're here, I think it's almost time for me to change fully." The excitement slipped from her eyes a few moments after having said this, and then grew dark. "But....I should be happy, right? It's just that something feels so wrong. I feel things less and less, emotions I mean. Same with my physical body. I'm a part of everything around me...not just me anymore. It's as though I only half-exist. Every action, every movement is something that I make happen from somewhere else. God, I must sound like a scared kid." With a loud sigh, Aylin looked at loss as to what was being said even then.
A sudden, light laughter escaped. "But I think this is as much expression I've shown around someone for a while. So thank-you!" Aylin smiled as brightly as she could. "I want to know more about you. All this time I've spent on this plane and I haven't once really gotten to know anyone. Your powers, for example. How the heck did you turn me into a....what was that...a hedgehog? I want to be friends, so let's start here!" She blurted, trying to not make it sound so obvious that her social skills were rusty.
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Post by hawkeye on Mar 31, 2009 13:42:21 GMT -8
Alexandra sighed, the idea that maybe her presence was making the life of this girl worse a little disheartening. She looked out over the water as Aylin spoke of Shirah and prophecy. “You’re welcome…”
"You are you. Your emotions, your personal memories... That’s all what makes up the 'true' you... This physical manifestation is simply... the shell that contains you." Alexandra looked back at Aylin. "The shell is important, but even if it fades away, you still exist. Its still scary but..." She sighed. "Its not the end.”
She pulled out her fans, and, touching her bag, realized she hadn’t left her ceremonial clothes in the village. “Aw… Well… It would take little explanation of my people’s beliefs. For us… Ira is the mother goddess. From her, all is born. She and her husband, as well has her children make up the deities. My people are descended from them. My family serves the daughter goddess Frey… She teaches healing and protection. The power I used on you to change your shape is under Artel’s magicks; he’s a tad whimsical that way.”
She opened her fans and offered them to her. “I’m part of the faction of the Circle of Sanctuary, a group that works with the government… So I’m trained in basic combat…” Alexandra smiled, her eyes distant. She reached into her bag and pulled out the roll of her ceremonial clothes, and unrolled them. Her circlet sat in the middle. “These are very typical of a daughter of Frey… The circlet gem has to be given by Ira to the owner… It means you are blessed by her to do her work.”
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Post by aylin on Apr 25, 2009 15:44:12 GMT -8
"Like me!" Aylin exclaimed, reaching up to touch the gem embedded within her forehead. She smiled. "I know I remain myself but, in the end I'm only an extension of Ira and her will. I suppose you would say the spirit Shirah is a god of Ira, just as her counterpart is." She reached towards the circlet. "Mine used to be only a trinket. When I met Arion, though, it melded as you probably noticed." Aylin tapped it then, and it responded with a small pulse of light. "weird, huh?" She plucked a twig from the ground and began to prod the driftwood in the flames. Her eyes looked distant. Looking wearily at the woods beyond the lake, the wind began to pick up. The trees howled from the gust, trunks creaking as they bent from strain. "We have to move soon, " She planted her hand against the ground and allowed Ira's energy to enter her. "I've never tried that before you showed me. It's energy enough, for now." Closing her eyes, Aylin centered her mind and thoughts. "There was one thing I had been wondering for a while now...you can switch into a different plane, right? Can you go into any at all? If so...I would show you my own. Under the condition you take no one else there, of course." ((Sorrrryyyeeeee! Life's been crazy calmed down a bit now I won't be straying for a while, let's get this piece of it rolling cause we're behind! Cause of me...I know ))
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Post by hawkeye on Apr 25, 2009 23:52:54 GMT -8
"I wonder what would happen to mine...?" She wondered, turning the fine silver over and over in her hands, the light weight familiar and comforting. Alexandra sighed. The flame's light flickered and danced across their faces, causing strange shadows for s fraction of a second, only to shift again.
"It'd probably be a good idea to move..." The elven girl glanced out across to the forest beyond. The tree line itself was rather monotonous, but the darkness beyond the boughs seemed almost malicious. Alexandra looked over to Aylin when the energy in the life surrounding them shifted toward her. She felt a little pull on herself, but held against it.
"I.. don't know, actually. I've never really tried, to be honest. When I do, I don't spend much time there; I tend to be a little more focused on other things..." Alexandra tipped her head to one side, thinking about the handful of times she'd ever changed planes. "This whole plane jumping thing is not exactly the most logical thing for me. But... If you're up to it, lets get going and we can keep talking along the way." She slowly got to her feet.
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Post by Dogrim Bloodaxe on Apr 26, 2009 18:17:47 GMT -8
Deep within the forest the demons moved. Silent and fluid they slipped through the foliage with ease. The thick trees that had long ago enveloped them was nothing to these seekers. They moved as shadows, nearly unseen to all but those who were looking. These demon wolves moved in packs, coming the forest for their masters book. Leading them were a higher form of Demon, a massive human shaped being, muscles bulging on every inch of their bodies. Two thick horns jutted up from their beaten and torn faces. Large wings on their backs aiding them in keeping pace with their weaker brothers. Soon these wielders of green fire would find the tome Sirigoth sought, and they would be greatly rewarded.
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Post by sirigoth on May 3, 2009 15:18:52 GMT -8
(sorry forgot to switch people when i posted that last one. You guys have been taking to long, times up)
After days of searching without pause they had found what their master required. Deep within the forest on a black pedestal, covered in dead vines rest one of the oldest of tomes in all of Ira. The book was full of ancient and deadly spells, although there was one in particular that their master wanted from the book. The Necromancer had warned them to summon him when they found it for the book would consume all but the strongest of magic users. Gathered before the book stood the host of Demons that had been sent. The call had been given out. Now they sat waiting for him to come.
Silent as death he emerged from the trees black silky robes clung lightly to it's frail pale form. Face hooded and protected deep in shadow the form moved slowly toward the book, muttering spells as it went. Spells to protect him, and destroy those that kept the book held in place. At last his hands came to rest upon the ancient tome. An eerie green light slowly leaked forth through the forest, illuminating everything within it. Then suddenly the forest fell still. One moment the Demons and their master had been there. The next they were gone, the tome taken with them.
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Post by hawkeye on May 3, 2009 18:36:19 GMT -8
((I suppose it goes without saying how infuriating this is...))
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Post by hawkeye on May 10, 2009 17:50:39 GMT -8
((Aylin, I love you to death and I hope you're well, but Christ... I'm moving us around so we can continue.))
For all its silence beyond the cursed wood, the pounding in the elven girl's head was almost intolerable among the trees. Never had she been so assaulted by the very nature of the earth, in this world or in hers, but Alexandra could not dwell on it now. She ran, blind and no longer able to walk across the air, for it was still and there was no sky to see. A branch curled out and caught her in the chest. She twisted away, trying to minimize it, and got caught up in the roots. She hit the ground face first. The dragon sword pulsed against her thigh, egging her on, anxious to be out of this place. Alexandra dragged her hands across the dirt, gritting her teeth.
'We've failed we've failed we've failed...' She moaned in her head. 'That's it, we're done, I've failed.. Ira... Frey... mother...'
--
It seemed a life time ago that she and Aylin sat beside the camp fire, but only two days had passed since that time. The pair entered together, tense, anxious, but excited and confident. Thirteen hours after their entry, they would be separated by the will of the forest. Five more and Alexandra would notice the ache in her mind and an hour after that she would lose her ability to walk across the air. She was over taken by a small contingent of demon wolves at one point, and had been pursued for a good distance, before they suddenly stopped and changed direction, away from her. Alexandra followed, but was slower, the forest still fighting her. She came to a clearing, the burns of demon life clear on the ground, and a pedestal in the center. It was empty. The forest seemed to howl with misery- it had failed at what it had done for so long. With a cry, Alexandra sank to her knees. She too, had failed. She choked a little, mumbling prayers and twisting her fans in her hands. Not even the ever growing pulsing in her head took away the sense of despair.
Wind suddenly blasted through the trees, knocking her back, as to say 'Get out'. Alexandra nodded, still a little numb, and ran back the way she had come.
--
Finally, the tree line thinned and the forest ceased to fight her. The entity left her head with a huff, and forest retracted from her to lick its wounds. Alexandra felt light headed and nauseous, stumbling over nothing. She came to an abrupt halt by the lake, and collapsed. It was the first rest she had gotten since their campfire.
The gentle lapping at the lake shore eased her back into the conscious world an hour late. She moaned, rolling over. The splash of putting herself in the lake woke Alexandra immediately- she jumped up and shook herself out, staring at the water. The lake seemed to laugh at her. She stared at her reflection as the water settled down. Her hair had fallen out of its bindings and framed her face. It was darker, streaked with dirt and sweat. She pursed her lips, studying the rest of herself.
"Hey, Aylin, I-" Alexandra turned, almost expecting the dragon girl to be there. Of course, the air was empty. She stood there, confused for a moment. Aylin was still in the forest. Alexandra bit her lip. She pondered a moment, considering her options. Going back into the forest was a futile endeavor at best... The forest was huge and angry. Either she could wait here or return to Druid's Keep to find out the boy's progress. Alexandra glanced back at the water and then to the forest. She sighed, took her bag off, and plopped onto the ground next to it, attempting to lay her things out so they could dry. After a few minutes of sitting, she got up, passed, then decided to quickly wash out her hair and clothes while she waited. They too laid out in the sand and rocks, and she donned the garb she had come to this world in. It felt awkward on her; not quite what it had been. She sighed. Eventually she took to pacing, anxious, waiting for Aylin.
The air shifted, interrupting Alexandra's turn in pace. She touched to the earth, tense, reaching out mentally, looking for Ira, or Aylin. A movement caught her eye at the edge of the forest. She tentatively pulled out her fans, then dashed toward the figure. Alexandra came to a screeching halt when she recognised the fallen figure.
"AYLIN" Alexandra scooped up the girl in her arms, and rocked a little with her. "Aylin..." She lay motionless, unresponsive. Only the quiet, shallow breathing clued her in on how alive Aylin was. "Ira, help me..." She moaned, trying to heal whatever was ailing her. "Aylin... Frey, Ira, heed my call, save your daughter from this fall, felled by darkness of the past, I pray thee mother bless her fast..." There seemed no apparent change. She stood up, carrying Aylin bridal style, and started toward the direction of Druid's Keep as fast as the air could carry her. Maybe Luvaran would know what to do.
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