Shards of Twilight [Closed]

[Naimo]

Hyena took one glance at her map, and then handed it to Ashley. "I won't need it, and it's inconvenient for me to carry around." She cast a glance over the steed. "Not for you, though, you've got a horse." Smiling even wider, and licking her teeth, she continued walking out of camp, now licking her elbow. She couldn't understand why it itched so much ... it was probably from all that hunting and dirt. Hyena soon resmued back to all fours as the boders of the Avalon camp appeared. Any minute now, Ashley was going to go through the gates with her, and then ... freedom, though of a restricted kind that took the form of a mission.

[Guest Ixigo]

OoC: Since you guys seem to be handling things well, I'll let you continue RPing alone for now - I'll enter with another GM post when you reach your respective destinations.

 

=====

 

"Uhm... yeah, sure thing." Victor mumbled. "With your permission, my Lady." He bowed deeply again. "We will be withdrawing to the workshop." It seemed he would not have need of the materials he had left hidden in his cart over the ground, which suddenly seemed measly and insufficient for the task that lie ahead. "Would you mind leading the way?" He asked one of the guards, who nodded sharply. Deus in tow, Victor found himself walking through another maze of corridors, until he finally reached his destination.

 

"Whoa."

 

He couldn't help but be impressed. Before him stood the largest smithy he had ever seen. A massive anvil in the middle, with a pot for cooling hot iron. A giant heater to provide all the warmth necessary. Multiple tools, some of which Victor could not even begin to identify, hanging on the walls. Carts full of unprocessed iron and bronze, copper and steel and even rarer minerals, in smaller quantities. If he had access to that kind of thing before - he could have made a fortune!

 

But now was not the time. He quickly turned to Deus once the guard had shut the door behind him.

 

"I won't pretend I have any sort of notion on how to do this," he said quickly "but I do have a very strong notion that if we don't do this, we will be in for a very unpleasant surprise. So we might as well begin, and hope we get somewhere." He coughed slightly.

 

"My ability is the enhancement of an object's purpose of creation. Since we don't have any items that were designed with the purpose of improving your powers, we will have to create them from scratch. That is not a problem" he waved his arm, indicating the vast amount of resources available "but to do that, I need to learn more about your abilities and how they work."

 

=====

 

OoC: Sorry for controlling Deus a little, Broken - I assumed you were ready to depart so...

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce glanced back at Paradox, raising one slim eyebrow in a dubious expression at the sight of whatever bizarre concoction he was mixing, which was emitting a strong scent. "Uh, Paradox?" he called back, still pressing his steed forward at a moderately quick pace. "Just what exactly are you doing? Are you trying to give away our position, or just attract every animal in the vicinity?"

[encapturer]

Narth lead the group as everyone left the camp, stopping a few yards outside. He turned back to everyone, noting that they were all ready for this mission. Facing forward again, he uttered two words before his horse took off in a sudden burst of speed.

 

"Let's Ride!"

 

The others followed him, following the path marked on the maps. Ashley wondered how Hyena would follow the path without her map, but assumed that she probably had some sort of instincts for these situations. Instead, she just enjoyed the ride, admiring once again how well the world stood up against the catastrophe years ago. The corrupt senate and widespread brigands are just small stains that Ashley planned to clean up, she figured.

 

Speaking of cleaning up, I haven't had a bath in about a week, Ashley thought. They were planning to camp by a river, and she could probably use the water to wash off the dirt. A towel was a part of their supplies, anyway. She wondered if she could get Hyena to wash as well.

 

Wouldn't hurt to try.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox stopped grinding herbs for a moment, then continued to mash the herbs.

 

"Although you will probably think I am crazy, but this combination of herbs was used by ancient shamans for thousands of years to ward off evil spirits. Then again, you probably think I am some crazy pagan who holds on to useless knowledge already. If you feel uncomfortabl about it I will stop..."

 

Paradox put away his herbs and continued to spur his steed on.

 

"So...Considering we have time to pass, why don't you tell me about why you came to Avalon?"

[Tempest Dahlia]

"Quite the gentleman, l see," Elisabeth said, standing straight up and looking annoyed.

"That's fine..." The woman said, changing her tone. "You'll come to your senses. You'll find it hard to resist me, and impossible to get away... just like a beautiful rose."

She took out a lipstick from her bra, applying some on her already blood-red lips, and placed it back inside.

She gave a short chuckle then walked out of the room.

"I'll be back in two", she said before she left Roland in his seat to dwell.

[The Warden]

OOC: It is quite alright, I expected you to.

 

Deus wasn't as impressed with the smith, obviously because he never cared much on how metal was worked and he doubt he ever would. 'My powers are of illusion, allowing me to conjure images at will. Large illusions take up a lot of concentration and I weary afterwards, but small illusions are no real issue, allow me to demonstrate' Deus stated, reaching behind his back and pulling out a dagger. Before Victor could react, he rammed it into the smith's left shoulder.

[Naimo]

Hyena gave a victorious howl - or rather, short laugh - as she dashed ahead. Her muscles felt stiff for the first few feet; it had been so long since she had ran in the great outdoors. Her muscles eventually loosened and as she dashed, she could feel her blood pumping through her muscles, helped by her heavily beating heart. She could smell fresh earth beneath her, blades of grass letting off hidden scents as a way of welcoming her back, flowers hanging on the magnificant trees overhead was showering her with their perfume-like smell, and the sky and sun unanimously beamed down upon her; her human scent was disappearing, she was blending in again, embraced again by Mother Nature, her only parent left in the world.

 

Hyena easily kept up with Ashley. True to her word, at times she overlapped but she stopped soon and waited for Ashley to catch up, before running alongside her again. She soon heard the gentle flow of the river, and remembered that was their location. Might as well get a drink, she thought. I'm parched.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce frowned at Paradox; it was obvious what his personal opinion was regarding the man's outdated superstitions. He drew his horse closer to Paradox's steed, slowing his pace. "I don't consider your convictions pagan or crazy," he said, his expression losing some of its sternness. "While I cannot bring myself to agree with them, I have no influence over what you choose to believe. It has been my experience in life that your so-called magic and the 'old gods' do not exist - thus, in my opinion, any such appeals to them are useless."

 

The young man clicked his tongue softly and guided his horse around a steep curve on the dust road. Although he did not look at Paradox, his emerald gaze was uncharacteristically sharp. "You may believe in what you like," he continued, "as long as your actions do not endanger our mission.

 

"As for my reasons for joining the Avalon..." Cerce straightened in his seat and snapped the reins. "I think I will keep those to myself for now." He dug in firmly with his heels, and his steed picked up the pace quickly, outstripping Paradox and his horse.

[Vector Nightmare]

"Wait, wha - ?! OUCH!! GODDAMNIT, YOU BASTARD, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Victor clutched his shoulder, still trying to comprehend why on earth the priest would stab him, while bracing himself for the possibility of a second attack.

 

---

 

OoC: I do not feel proud for making the shortest post in this thread, but... time presses right now >_<.

[Tempest Dahlia]

Elisabeth knew exactly where she was going next. Through the tunnel, she retraced her steps back into the Audience Chamber, looking for the silver-haired woman. Her heels clicked loudly as she walked in, looking at the throne chair where Cyndane was seated before.

"Hello? ls anyone here l can talk to?" She called sweetly, keeping a mental note that she didn't have much time before she had to depart.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cyndane frowned at Elisabeth - she hoped the girl hadn't simply walked out on Baltimer before she was completely briefed on her assignment. The silvery-haired woman inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment of the girl, giving her permission.

 

"Yes, Elisabeth? Is there something you needed?" she asked with poisoned sweetness.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox urged his steed to meet back up with Cerce. His steed struggled to match Cerce's steed under the extra weight of Paradox's supplies. When his steed finally caught up with Cerce, Paradox spoke again.

 

"The gods are all around you. You simply have grown accustomed to their presence. The water you drink, the steeds we ride, the grain we grow and harvest, the gods are all there. The wind you wield, the gods are there too. Our ancestors have been punished by the gods by believing that the gods do not exist. They became arrogant and the gods humbled them. I acknowledge and give the gods tribute and help others to honour the gods as well, so that we may not walk down the same path as our ancestors. That is the reason I joined Avalon. Huh, well, I've rambled on enough. Now it's your turn to share a kernel of wisdom."

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce gave Paradox a vexed glance—it was obvious that the man would simply not give up. "You want a kernel of wisdom?" he snapped, his unhappy memories of the Ethereal Twilight brimming past his serene veneer. "Here's one—believe what you like, but nothing you can say or do can convince me that your ancient 'gods' exist. I have lived my life depending solely on myself and my talents; I have no need of anyone else, and my powers are mine alone to use as I see fit."

 

He tossed his head angrily, each word accentuated to a sharpness rivaling that of a cutting knife. "If these divine deities of yours really did exist, then why would they permit our country to suffer in this state of suspended civil war? Why would they allow evildoers like the Amethyst Order to flourish in the shadows? If there ever were any gods, they gave up on humanity when the Ethereal Twilight struck the earth and doomed us to darkness and misery." His green eyes flashing and his expression rivaling the intense one of his steed, he snapped the reins and reduced the pressure he was exerting with his knees. The beast drew up slowly, pawing the ground irksomely.

 

"I think it's time we took a short rest," Cerce said coldly. "Sundown is within two hours, so we'll want to set up camp before it gets dark." He dismounted from his horse with a sullen grace and strode off the dirt road, leading his steed into the cover of some of the trees and shrubs that inhabited the semi-arid land of the hills. With a sharp movement, he tied the horse's reins firmly around a tree and stood with his back to Paradox. The horse whinnied and nuzzled his hand, but he did not turn around.

[Tempest Dahlia]

"Oh! There you are..." Elisabeth said with a slightly surprised tone, turning to Cyndane.

"Well... l'm about to go on my mission, and l leave very soon..." she started, making sure her hair was in place, as usual. "I'm just waiting for Roland, really... l don't know Baltimer's whereabouts, so l came back here."

"Well, since you're here, and i'm here... l was figuring we could... chat Miss Cyndane. lf that's alright with you, of course..." She added with a warm smile.

"Well? Are you up for a small talk?"

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox was left rather speechless after Cerce's strong reaction. Paradox knew that he had opened his big mouth and scolded himself inaudibly under his breath as he dismounted his steed. His horse could sense the tense atmosphere and nervously scratched the ground with it's hooves. Paradox dug through his supplies and took out his tent. His orbs emerged from his staff and begun assembling the tent. Paradox took out his belongings and spread them out on a mat. Various herbs sat alongside a small undecorated shrine to no god in specific. Paradox then lit incense that filled the air around the new campsite with white sweet smelling smoke. Paradox remained silent, hoping not to bring on more anger.

[The Warden]

Deus sighed, yet he smiled as the dagger shimmered and vanished, the entry wound and any blood with it. 'That is one of the curious things about my weapon and injury illusions. When an illusory weapon impales a target, they feel pain even though the weapon is not real. This is because the body registers that it has been attacked and automatically assumes the pain it should be feeling. However, they only think they are being hurt. Should an individual who can think even whilst under pain, well, they would notice how they can't feel the warmth of the blood or the cold steel of the blade. That would in turn make them realize that it is a fake' Deus explained carefully to the man.

[encapturer]

For now, all was quiet in the forest where Ashley, Hyena, and their escorts set up camp. Ashley was resting in her tent to prepare for tomorrow, when the mission truly begins. A drying towel was laying in the grass next to her, which reminded her of how she unsuccessfuly tried to get Hyena to wash up after she was finished. What was her problem, anyway? All Ashley tried to do was get her clean, but she just darted off someplace! Ashley shook her head, and just laid down on the grass, trying to relax for a bit longer. After all, soon it will be her turn to keep watch...

[Saiba Aisu]

Cyndane gave Elisabeth a cold, incredulous look. Who did this girl think she was? "Do I like look I have the time to prattle aimlessly?" she demanded icily, tapping her fingers irrately against the marble armrests of her seat. "Forgive me, Elisabeth," she said, "if I decline your offer for 'small talk'. The Amethyst Order doesn't run itself, you know." The silvery-haired woman regarded Elisabeth for a moment through liquid, dark eyes.

 

"Baltimer gave you the paralyzing poison, then?" she asked. "It should be very useful to you on your mission..."

 

===

 

Cerce turned at the scent of the sweet-smelling smoke and the noise Paradox made as he assembled the tent where he would spend the night. His expression hardened slightly as he spotted the small shrine, but he said nothing, and after a brief moment, his face once again resumed its serene, characteristic look. He caught his horse's head and patted it gently, stroking the mane. Then he loosened the knot tying the creature to the tree to give it more room to move and then removed the cloths and pegs he would be using to mount his own tent.

 

Materials in hand, he swept over to Paradox. "Forgive me, Paradox," he said. "I spoke badly and out of anger. Your beliefs are your own to do with as you will; I only ask that you respect my own opinions and stop trying to convert me." He knelt and began assembling his own tent, sending the ceiling upwards with a billowing draft of air, cleaning the cloth of dust.

 

"If we're going to complete this mission successfully," Cerce continued, "we need to work together and trust each other. Alicia told me that I wouldn't be able to depend on you if I was ever in danger, but I am certain that you will rise to any challenge we face." With another billow of air and flick of his wrist, he sent the blue cloth swiveling around the structure, placing the finishing touch upon the tent. Cerce regarded the shrine emitting the sweet-smelling smoke once more. "I respect your beliefs," he frowned, "but I'm going to have to ask you to extinguish your incense. Apart from attracting animals that might cause trouble, white smoke is easily discernible and could give away our position."

[Tempest Dahlia]

"Ok, ok then," Elisabeth said dejectedly. She didn't expect Cyndane to be about business all the time...

"... Yes, he gave me the poison." She pulled out the vial of liquid poison from under her dress. "We're allowed to administer it on anyone... Who knows, it could actually save our life." She stashed the vial back under her dress.

'Well, i'm aware you're busy, so i'll leave you to your... work.' She smiled, turned, and walked toward the exit.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox acknowledged Cerce's apology, but did not immediately extinguish the incense. He put the herbs on the shrine and said a series of short prayers in a strange tongue that was unlike any language existing. Then bowed to the shrine and set the herbs into the flame of the incense. The smoke billowed with a large puff, then stopped producing smoke.

 

"It seems that religion has no place in tactics. Excuse me, I had to give offerings to the gods of the tempest that they may keep our journey clear of storms. You may not believe, but do give me the privilege of giving myself peace of mind," Paradox said as he packed up his little shrine.

[Tempest Dahlia]

Elisabeth had turned away from Cyndane and had begun walking back to the room to collect the neccessities. She walked briskly through the narrow stone tunnel, deep in thought. Her head was down, and she hardly noticed that she had bumped into Roland.

"Hey! Are you blind-?" She said in anger, looking up and seeing him. "Oh! It's you." Her voice changed to that of poisoned honey.

"Hey big boy. Did l leave you in there too long all by yourself?" She mused, giggling to herself. "I apologize."

[Umbra]

Roland sighed under his breath. When you speak of the devil, he appears on your doorstep. When you speak of Elizabeth Soleigami, she almost throws you to the ground. He forced a smile.

"It's alright; I didn't see you either, Elizabeth. Maybe I am blind." He let out a short laugh, and noticed something: Elizabeth's lips were redder than before. She must have applied some sort of dye to them, to... make herself attractive? In times of war? He had overestimated this woman. She was vain, and very much so.

 

He could use that to his advantage.

"So, we have about two hours before we're heading into the catacombs... what do you think we should do, pretty one?"

[Tempest Dahlia]

"Well..." she started, bumping up her hair casually, almost modestly. She pretended not to notice the compliment.

"We should start getting ready. We only have two hours to do whatever we need to do, and the last thing l need is a scolding from Cyndane or Baltimer..." She gave a slight shudder. "Man, that lady breathes cold air... She really needs to lighten up..."

"But anyway." She said, trying to change the subject. "We could always take a walk? Just you and l? Together?" She grabbed his hand.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce regarded Paradox askance for a moment, then his green gaze softened. Above them, the moon was beginning to rise. "Do as you like," he said as way of reply, sweeping away towards the tent he had just assembled. "As long as your superstitions do not endanger our mission or slow us down, I will not disagree. Good night." Having said so, Cerce ducked under the entrance of his tent and dressed quickly for bed, laying his staff down reverently next to him. They had made good time today - if everything went well in the following morning, they would reach the Tower by midday.

 

The dark-haired man sighed and laid down upon the several blankets and small pillow serving as his bed. The hills around New Antioch were of middling temperature, but during nightfall, they could become quite chilly. Cerce closed his eyes for a moment, premeditating any possible complications they might encounter tomorrow.

 

I won't fail the High Lady Niobe, he vowed, turning to his side and drawing the blankets close. I know that much.