A Shop on a Prime
It was time to put the gears into motion on Primes, and thus me and Mashanie ushered Vor (the construct I created some time ago) outdoors from our house.
Whereas we sat into Shade, our 'jammer, Vor grabbed a tight hold of its hull. After checking that everything was in order, I let Shade to unleash its stored energies, effectively forming a temporary portal from Karasuthra to Toril, to a specific location there.
The trip through the temporary portal was very much unlike a trip through the portals persent in Sigil - briefly even scary, especially when upon arrival one of Shade's sailwings hit a building midflight, sending us spinning around without control for a while. However, I got a grip of my nerves and stabilized the craft, landing it more or less smoothly in middle of something akin to a bazaar.
The locals were rather friendly after the initial shock of seeing us - as it was, our 'jammer wasn't the first nor the last one seen in the city. After a while of chatting with a guard patrol they led us to the shop which Mashanie had acquired during his earlier trip to the city.
-~-~-~-~-
Setting up the shop took couple days for we weren't in any hurry. And in the second day, we got our first customer; Karan bought armors and weapons for around 500,000 gold worth, but paid in diamonds which could with right buyer and timing be worth a lot more.
Before leaving the shop, Karan gave me a red crystal rose... The rose woke a memory fragment from my past, crumbling into fine dust after the "vision" was over...
-~-~-~-~-
After closing the shop and leaving it guarded by Vor we headed then back to Sigil, leaving Shade behind our shop, invisible and wards at ready, to recharge its portal generator.
Mir Fnar
-
*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Showdown with the Nar
I had spoken in the past with my friends about the Nar who had so long been after my tail. And then the day finally came to face them on my own terms. I went forth and gathered a few of my friends to the Foul Olde Spirit inn for last moment's plans before heading to the Nar's base in Hive.
Never really thought about it before, but although I didn't round up for the raid more than a fraction of my friends - those which I found readily at bazaar, it wasn't a small group heading out; me, Mashanie, Maelfina, Amaku, Ymerion, Bergimon, Danielle, and even someone I didn't know truly – Neristranna. I couldn't help but smirk, if I had found everyone, it'd been an army...
By lead of Mashanie we headed to Hive and there to the Nar's base, an old tavern which now was (at outside) nothing but long ago burned down wreck.
There didn't seem to be any movement nearby whatsoever, not even insects... The only way in seemed to be the front door as the windows were boarded tightly shut all around. Bergimon summoned three of his vampire comrades to further increase our numbers.
Mashanie checked the front door, but didn't figure out how to open it as it seemed to be barred from indoors. Ymerion tried to slam the door in, but the door was much sturdier than it seemed and it barely budged. Maelfina shapeshifted into a giant and ran into the door, bringing down not just the door and its frames but a portion of the walls at sides of it too. However, it turned out to be so that the door had been trapped and the moment Maelfina crashed through it, she was engulfed in fire and lightning. She endured the ordeal, but was left badly wounded and headed back downtown by Amaku's suggestion.
Mashanie checked briefly if there was anything to be seen and noticed something which he didn't recognize, thereby calling me to see. What I saw was that the trap, a magical one without any physical parts, had reset itself, the energies at ready to be unleashed again. Someone suggested trying Disjunction, and only a moment later Bergimon casted such - the result was as expected, the trap destroyed or forced inert for the time being.
We proceeded then indoors with care, Amaku and Ymerion in lead. Far we didn't get though before to-me-familiar woman emerged from the shadows in front of them and we stopped on our tracks. As surprising as her appearing was, our little group regained composture in a blink.
The chat wasn't long with the woman, but it ended rather surprisingly; Amaku tried to charge the woman, but instead of slamming into her, she ran right through her - the woman was incorporeal! Surprises didn't end to that; unlike Nars of the history, she and her friends weren't mages but priests instead, which she proved by turning Bergimon's vampire allies into frightened chickens, in a manner of speaking.
The woman disappeared shorty after the little chat, and at the same moment three Simian creatures popped from nowhere right behind me, trying to grab me. One of them caught my ankle, and the scenery changed literally as it teleported elsewhere and took me along with it.
I appeared along the Bar-lgura to a large stone walled and floored hall where resided a multitude of demons – Babaus, Succubi, and couple Hezrou. In the lead of the ragtag horde seemed to be a Fallen Deva. In moments I was stripped of all other possessions but underwear and then thrown into a small cage.
The Fallen Deva, Shadowdark as she introduced herself, spoke with me briefly – wondered why I kept resisting her ”friends”, and explained that I still had a chance to willingly become their servant. That thought didn't strike my interest in the least, but anyway I thought to play along a while, trusting that my friends would find me sooner or later.
What little she told about the Nars' plans, was that they were planning to retake their long lost empire on the Prime of Toril.
However, our short chat was cut even shorter when my friends barged in to the hall. And after they had spoken briefly with Shadowdark, and Amaku had verified that I wasn't a willing captive, a fight ensued between them and the demons...
The fight didn't last long, and my comrades were struck down each. But then, I noticed a collar around Shadowdark's neck, a collar engraved with binding runes and magics somewhat similar to what the Nar used to bind demons with. I shouted to my friends to break the collar around Shadowdark's neck, for as it occured to me, she wasn't a willing servant either, as much as she tried to claim otherwise. A brief bout ensued, couple spells flew, and soon the collar was broken, and Shadowdark freed.
Shadowdark went through a surprising change upon the collar's breakage – she became again the Deva she had been before the collar was closed around her neck. Wasting not a moment, Shadowdark banished the demons, except for one succubus – the one which I knew from the past, and which I had wished to try release, too.
Right when the demons vanished, a pair of Nars popped into the hall, furious about what had transpired. Their fury didn't last long though for the male was struck down by various spells flung by Bergimon and others. The female had a different fate; I tackled her to ground, headbutting her senseless... and then Ymerion offered his blade to me. The decision was made long ago – I wouldn't let them live, and thus I lift the heavy falchion and cut her head off... Finally I was free from them!
...
I had spoken in the past with my friends about the Nar who had so long been after my tail. And then the day finally came to face them on my own terms. I went forth and gathered a few of my friends to the Foul Olde Spirit inn for last moment's plans before heading to the Nar's base in Hive.
Never really thought about it before, but although I didn't round up for the raid more than a fraction of my friends - those which I found readily at bazaar, it wasn't a small group heading out; me, Mashanie, Maelfina, Amaku, Ymerion, Bergimon, Danielle, and even someone I didn't know truly – Neristranna. I couldn't help but smirk, if I had found everyone, it'd been an army...
By lead of Mashanie we headed to Hive and there to the Nar's base, an old tavern which now was (at outside) nothing but long ago burned down wreck.
There didn't seem to be any movement nearby whatsoever, not even insects... The only way in seemed to be the front door as the windows were boarded tightly shut all around. Bergimon summoned three of his vampire comrades to further increase our numbers.
Mashanie checked the front door, but didn't figure out how to open it as it seemed to be barred from indoors. Ymerion tried to slam the door in, but the door was much sturdier than it seemed and it barely budged. Maelfina shapeshifted into a giant and ran into the door, bringing down not just the door and its frames but a portion of the walls at sides of it too. However, it turned out to be so that the door had been trapped and the moment Maelfina crashed through it, she was engulfed in fire and lightning. She endured the ordeal, but was left badly wounded and headed back downtown by Amaku's suggestion.
Mashanie checked briefly if there was anything to be seen and noticed something which he didn't recognize, thereby calling me to see. What I saw was that the trap, a magical one without any physical parts, had reset itself, the energies at ready to be unleashed again. Someone suggested trying Disjunction, and only a moment later Bergimon casted such - the result was as expected, the trap destroyed or forced inert for the time being.
We proceeded then indoors with care, Amaku and Ymerion in lead. Far we didn't get though before to-me-familiar woman emerged from the shadows in front of them and we stopped on our tracks. As surprising as her appearing was, our little group regained composture in a blink.
The chat wasn't long with the woman, but it ended rather surprisingly; Amaku tried to charge the woman, but instead of slamming into her, she ran right through her - the woman was incorporeal! Surprises didn't end to that; unlike Nars of the history, she and her friends weren't mages but priests instead, which she proved by turning Bergimon's vampire allies into frightened chickens, in a manner of speaking.
The woman disappeared shorty after the little chat, and at the same moment three Simian creatures popped from nowhere right behind me, trying to grab me. One of them caught my ankle, and the scenery changed literally as it teleported elsewhere and took me along with it.
I appeared along the Bar-lgura to a large stone walled and floored hall where resided a multitude of demons – Babaus, Succubi, and couple Hezrou. In the lead of the ragtag horde seemed to be a Fallen Deva. In moments I was stripped of all other possessions but underwear and then thrown into a small cage.
The Fallen Deva, Shadowdark as she introduced herself, spoke with me briefly – wondered why I kept resisting her ”friends”, and explained that I still had a chance to willingly become their servant. That thought didn't strike my interest in the least, but anyway I thought to play along a while, trusting that my friends would find me sooner or later.
What little she told about the Nars' plans, was that they were planning to retake their long lost empire on the Prime of Toril.
However, our short chat was cut even shorter when my friends barged in to the hall. And after they had spoken briefly with Shadowdark, and Amaku had verified that I wasn't a willing captive, a fight ensued between them and the demons...
The fight didn't last long, and my comrades were struck down each. But then, I noticed a collar around Shadowdark's neck, a collar engraved with binding runes and magics somewhat similar to what the Nar used to bind demons with. I shouted to my friends to break the collar around Shadowdark's neck, for as it occured to me, she wasn't a willing servant either, as much as she tried to claim otherwise. A brief bout ensued, couple spells flew, and soon the collar was broken, and Shadowdark freed.
Shadowdark went through a surprising change upon the collar's breakage – she became again the Deva she had been before the collar was closed around her neck. Wasting not a moment, Shadowdark banished the demons, except for one succubus – the one which I knew from the past, and which I had wished to try release, too.
Right when the demons vanished, a pair of Nars popped into the hall, furious about what had transpired. Their fury didn't last long though for the male was struck down by various spells flung by Bergimon and others. The female had a different fate; I tackled her to ground, headbutting her senseless... and then Ymerion offered his blade to me. The decision was made long ago – I wouldn't let them live, and thus I lift the heavy falchion and cut her head off... Finally I was free from them!
...
-
*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Nar Aftermath
Not long after having gotten rid of the Nar I received a message from Abyss to come to a private meeting outside Sigil; at Abyss, naturally. I was allowed to take one other along me, and the first which came to my mind was, of course, Mashanie.
We didn't waste much time in getting to the meeting place, where I did then as per instructed in the message – located a certain rune and uttered its name in abyssal. A few moments later a pair of somewhat unusual looking succubi arrived and greeted us. Of course they suggested that groveling in front of their master who was to arrive soon would be the appropriate thing to do, but as they didn't mention who it was, we decided to do nothing but wait.
A portal opened after a while and the succubi stepped further aside – not exactly reverently, but not far from that either. But who arrived, came as somewhat a surprise to both me and Mashanie – for he was no less than the Ebon Lord, Graz'zt... After the initial greetings back and forth, he wanted to chat with me in private; Mashanie moved out of the cave to wait.
Graz'zt was a natural charmer in demeanor, and it felt behind the curtain of liberally verbose “chit-chat” of his that he was on some level even proud of what I had achieved – something what he hadn't.
He proposed an alliance, of sorts, with mutual benefits... However, there was this nagging sensation somewhere back in my mind that didn't let me give him any other answer than “I'll think about it”. Surprisingly enough, he was content with that and said that whenever I came into conclusion, whether to accept or not, I was to come meet him in this same cave again and to call him the same way I did earlier.
For a while after Graz'zt's departure I just stood there, perplexed, until Mashanie suggested that we return to Sigil.
Not long after having gotten rid of the Nar I received a message from Abyss to come to a private meeting outside Sigil; at Abyss, naturally. I was allowed to take one other along me, and the first which came to my mind was, of course, Mashanie.
We didn't waste much time in getting to the meeting place, where I did then as per instructed in the message – located a certain rune and uttered its name in abyssal. A few moments later a pair of somewhat unusual looking succubi arrived and greeted us. Of course they suggested that groveling in front of their master who was to arrive soon would be the appropriate thing to do, but as they didn't mention who it was, we decided to do nothing but wait.
A portal opened after a while and the succubi stepped further aside – not exactly reverently, but not far from that either. But who arrived, came as somewhat a surprise to both me and Mashanie – for he was no less than the Ebon Lord, Graz'zt... After the initial greetings back and forth, he wanted to chat with me in private; Mashanie moved out of the cave to wait.
Graz'zt was a natural charmer in demeanor, and it felt behind the curtain of liberally verbose “chit-chat” of his that he was on some level even proud of what I had achieved – something what he hadn't.
He proposed an alliance, of sorts, with mutual benefits... However, there was this nagging sensation somewhere back in my mind that didn't let me give him any other answer than “I'll think about it”. Surprisingly enough, he was content with that and said that whenever I came into conclusion, whether to accept or not, I was to come meet him in this same cave again and to call him the same way I did earlier.
For a while after Graz'zt's departure I just stood there, perplexed, until Mashanie suggested that we return to Sigil.
-
*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Memories...
Me and Mashanie wandered to home to see what had disturbed our wards. To our surprise there was two figures standing around near the house, seeming to wait for someone. As we approached, the slender one of them waved to us.
- “Hey, you two”, a familiar voice greeted us – Karan, my 'little brother'. I stopped on my tracks in surprise, and uttered,
- “Karan? Didn't expect to see you this soon.”
- “Neither did I... but he wanted to talk with you”, he replied, pointing at the Gith at his side, whom I then recognized as Zahn'tra, the spelljammer engineer. I broke into a delighted smile, greeting both with a nod.
- “He is right, I wanted to have a word with you, Mir”, Zahn'tra said and nodded alike.
Our pet bird, Varas, had stolen Karan's hat – just like it has a habit to do to anyone's hat whatsoever. Mashanie and Karan went to look for the bird, and quite likely to talk business while me and Zahn'tra headed indoors.
Zahn'tra seemed to like of our home, saying it was cozy indeed. For a while he walked around, taking in everything, until he stopped at the door to my work room and library, gazing the detailed carving of me on it. Without exchanging a lot of words we entered my sanctum, which decoration he obviously approved on, tracing his fingers along the ornate bookshelves with a wide smile on his face.
- “In knowledge we grow... Speaking of which, may I?”, he said and asked, pointing at the floor.
- “Sure”, I replied nodding, sitting then on the floor, he doing the same a moment later.
- “So then, how much do you know, Child of the Planes?”, he asked.
- “Eh... depends on subject...”, I uttered slightly perplexed.
- “About which was you before you became what you are now”, he clarified.
- “Not really much, at least not consciously”, I answered.
Zahn'tra quieted down and took out a pipe and filled it with something faintly sweet smelling, lighting it then and puffing a while without a word. He then said that Karan had told him I had blocked out almost everything, and very successfully, too. Zahn'tra couldn't tell me why I had done so, but there definitely was a reason, that much was obvious.
- “Not all the memories were bad...”, I muttered.
- “I believe that, and that also was told to me by Karan”, he replied and narrowed his eyes, studying me a while. “Impressive, Child of Planes, you are very resilient”, he said, puffing clouds from his pipe while speaking.
I asked whatever he meant, and he said that the special extract of herbs he was smoking was intended to make me more relaxed, but that my mind kept resisting the effects with surprising ease. However, after a while the herb mixture made me somewhat lightheaded, and he asked what I wanted to know. I glanced across my shoulder...
- “I overheard you mentioning my wings... those which I've had but have no more.”
- “As you wish. Though I have to ask one thing. If you find someone else then you expect in that part of your past, what will you do?”, he inquired.
- “Hm, I don't know... Study?”, I replied shrugging.
Zahn'tra took my hand and gazed straight into my eyes, with a power glowing deep within which I had never before seen, the touch of his mind like a slight and gentle push, as I was thrown into a torrent of colors and thought patterns. He was by my side as we descended, soon landing softly on a stone floor, in a room of a tower.
The room was small and tidy, with a bed, a table with a mirror, a chair to go with it, and a wardrobe being all there was. There was a small window at side, outside of which the darkness of night. As I looked around, I recalled fragments, where I kept my comb, where the parchments of my hidden thoughts were, in which order the clothes were in the wardrobe...
I strode across the room, the eyes of the Gith following me as he let go of my hand, and went to the table, taking a silken red headband from it and wrapped it around my head. As I looked at the table itself, I saw the top covered in shallow scratches... “My nails”, I thought and glanced at my nails, then traced them along the scratches. I tightened the headband and looked at the mirror; I looked back, wearing a majestic black garb with golden engravings and short sleeves, along a short skirt that left my legs show beyond the thighs. And along my shoulders, a white feathery mass stretches, dotted with black, like someone let ink splash onto white parchment.
I stared into the mirror a while, then glanced across my shoulder – the mirror wasn't lying – they were wings, and I felt the presence of almost forgotten muscles at my back. I shrugged them, then stretched them, the feeling somehow delightful – both new and old. The feeling of being free and commanding the wind jumped into my mind, and the nightly flights in pouring rain.
I strode to the window, gazing out into the moonlit night. “Selune”, my mind brought forth. “Luskan”, it continued as I glanced down at the city which opened below. I turned then back to the room and Zahn'tra.
- “This isn't just a memory, is it?”, I asked and turned back to look out of the window.
- “It is the you of the past, Child of Planes. I just show you what your mind preserved behind bars. But since it is you, you can shape this fragment to your liking, to a certain extent”, he answered.
- “Hmm, I wonder if that includes trying out my wings...”
- “Try them then”, he replied smiling.
Without hesitation I climbed onto the windowsill, the magical window expanding to the sides to allow me pass, a small foothold extending to allow me stand with ease. I examined the wind a moment, and then leaped into air with my subconscious telling to my wings what to do.
The nightly breeze carried me on its back, lifting my wings with force I needed for uplift. I hung in place for a few seconds until my momentum carried me along the winds away from the window and into the night sky. A lilting laughter burst out as I soared high, gliding then a while to examine the scenery below, letting the wind carry me for some time, circling, and simply enjoying of the sensation. Every move a new sensation, every maneuver I found myself capable of was both brand new and yet something I had always known.
I flew for a good long while before turning back to the tower, followed a while by an entourage of curious bats until I landed.
Upon landing, there was a knock at the room's door, and after a moment of hesitation I went to answer it. At the other side was a man standing, with a charming smile on handsome features that were crowned by long black hair falling straight onto his shoulders. In his hand, standing on the floor with the point down, was a massive two-handed sword which blade was deeply covered with runes of power as it gently hummed, basking in a dark light. Something at back of my mind gave into a feeling resembling love, a memory of such emotion.
The man greeted me with a kiss and set the blade stand against the wall.
- “Evening, lovely”, he said with a wide smile.
- “... evening. Looking good yourself”, I replied, fighting to remember the man's name.
- “Well, the next ruler can't look bad in front of his people, now can he?”, he chuckled, which made my hairs stand up at my neck.
I glanced down at the blade, the barriers weakened by the Gith's intervention breaking as I reached into the past in my mind, and the image of the man became one with the flow of memories – Elander, a priest of Bane, the man that held reign over me for almost a decade, the man that made me believe he loved me, the man who used me for his deeds, and the man who in the end betrayed me. “You shouldn't have failed me, puppet”, echoed in my mind.
I grit my teeth at the memories and sent a brief sidelong glance at Elander before grabbed the blade's hilt. I registered some movement behind me, the Gith looking at me and wondering in a long glance as I reached for the weapon. The sword felt my own in a way, sitting perfectly in my hands, the hilt bearing my nailmarks, and yet it was oozing a dangerous presence, and something that was my exact opposite.
- “So, this blade made you a ruler, Elander? Or maybe it didn't...”, I muttered, sending rather murderous glare at Elander.
- “Not yet, but tomorrow, as soon as you kill the current one for me, love. I take it from your look that you can't await it”, he replied with a nod.
- “Oh yes, you're quite right. This needs some using...”, I growled softly.
- “I'm glad you agree. It is made for your... capabilities”, Elander said grinning.
- “Which capabilities you might mean?”, I asked with a grim smirk.
- “The strength you draw from arcane, and your power to channel the elements. The sword was gifted by Bane himself, to augment your powers, and to better serve him”, he continued, whereas words in my mind shout, “And me... you bitch, you failed me in front of my Lord!”
The feeling of burning pain shot through my head as I remembered it all. Hanging upside down on a chain, dangling helplessly in a dark room, lit only by a flickering torch. Elander screaming in my face, then grinning like a madman. He took a rusty saw and stepped to me. “Yes, I know you heal, but I promise, this won't!” And then the burning pain as he one by one cut the muscles, tearing the flesh of my body, severing my wings, and letting them to fall on the floor, bloodied and lifeless.
I gripped the sword's hilt tighter, then changed the hold somewhat as the blade shifted shape in my hands, becoming a slim rapier in a moment.
- “So, it was you...”, I growled at Elander.
- “What the...”, he begun to ask, but was cut short as the blade swiftly impaled his chest, coming out from his back until the hilt met the flesh under his clothes. With horror in his eyes he begun to fall.
- “The only thing I failed, was that I didn't do this earlier already. Take my regards to your Bane”, I hissed and spat on him, kicking him off the blade. He was dead before he hit the floor.
The building begun to shake, the walls to crumble. The memory fragment was at end of its course. Soon there was left but night sky and me and Zahn'tra floating in the air, and the bad memories... they blew away along the gentle breeze around us and I smiled again, happy, as if I had wiped Elander from both existence and memory at the same time, once and for all, to never return.
Moments later I woke, sitting on the floor of my library, staring into eyes of the Gith.
Me and Mashanie wandered to home to see what had disturbed our wards. To our surprise there was two figures standing around near the house, seeming to wait for someone. As we approached, the slender one of them waved to us.
- “Hey, you two”, a familiar voice greeted us – Karan, my 'little brother'. I stopped on my tracks in surprise, and uttered,
- “Karan? Didn't expect to see you this soon.”
- “Neither did I... but he wanted to talk with you”, he replied, pointing at the Gith at his side, whom I then recognized as Zahn'tra, the spelljammer engineer. I broke into a delighted smile, greeting both with a nod.
- “He is right, I wanted to have a word with you, Mir”, Zahn'tra said and nodded alike.
Our pet bird, Varas, had stolen Karan's hat – just like it has a habit to do to anyone's hat whatsoever. Mashanie and Karan went to look for the bird, and quite likely to talk business while me and Zahn'tra headed indoors.
Zahn'tra seemed to like of our home, saying it was cozy indeed. For a while he walked around, taking in everything, until he stopped at the door to my work room and library, gazing the detailed carving of me on it. Without exchanging a lot of words we entered my sanctum, which decoration he obviously approved on, tracing his fingers along the ornate bookshelves with a wide smile on his face.
- “In knowledge we grow... Speaking of which, may I?”, he said and asked, pointing at the floor.
- “Sure”, I replied nodding, sitting then on the floor, he doing the same a moment later.
- “So then, how much do you know, Child of the Planes?”, he asked.
- “Eh... depends on subject...”, I uttered slightly perplexed.
- “About which was you before you became what you are now”, he clarified.
- “Not really much, at least not consciously”, I answered.
Zahn'tra quieted down and took out a pipe and filled it with something faintly sweet smelling, lighting it then and puffing a while without a word. He then said that Karan had told him I had blocked out almost everything, and very successfully, too. Zahn'tra couldn't tell me why I had done so, but there definitely was a reason, that much was obvious.
- “Not all the memories were bad...”, I muttered.
- “I believe that, and that also was told to me by Karan”, he replied and narrowed his eyes, studying me a while. “Impressive, Child of Planes, you are very resilient”, he said, puffing clouds from his pipe while speaking.
I asked whatever he meant, and he said that the special extract of herbs he was smoking was intended to make me more relaxed, but that my mind kept resisting the effects with surprising ease. However, after a while the herb mixture made me somewhat lightheaded, and he asked what I wanted to know. I glanced across my shoulder...
- “I overheard you mentioning my wings... those which I've had but have no more.”
- “As you wish. Though I have to ask one thing. If you find someone else then you expect in that part of your past, what will you do?”, he inquired.
- “Hm, I don't know... Study?”, I replied shrugging.
Zahn'tra took my hand and gazed straight into my eyes, with a power glowing deep within which I had never before seen, the touch of his mind like a slight and gentle push, as I was thrown into a torrent of colors and thought patterns. He was by my side as we descended, soon landing softly on a stone floor, in a room of a tower.
The room was small and tidy, with a bed, a table with a mirror, a chair to go with it, and a wardrobe being all there was. There was a small window at side, outside of which the darkness of night. As I looked around, I recalled fragments, where I kept my comb, where the parchments of my hidden thoughts were, in which order the clothes were in the wardrobe...
I strode across the room, the eyes of the Gith following me as he let go of my hand, and went to the table, taking a silken red headband from it and wrapped it around my head. As I looked at the table itself, I saw the top covered in shallow scratches... “My nails”, I thought and glanced at my nails, then traced them along the scratches. I tightened the headband and looked at the mirror; I looked back, wearing a majestic black garb with golden engravings and short sleeves, along a short skirt that left my legs show beyond the thighs. And along my shoulders, a white feathery mass stretches, dotted with black, like someone let ink splash onto white parchment.
I stared into the mirror a while, then glanced across my shoulder – the mirror wasn't lying – they were wings, and I felt the presence of almost forgotten muscles at my back. I shrugged them, then stretched them, the feeling somehow delightful – both new and old. The feeling of being free and commanding the wind jumped into my mind, and the nightly flights in pouring rain.
I strode to the window, gazing out into the moonlit night. “Selune”, my mind brought forth. “Luskan”, it continued as I glanced down at the city which opened below. I turned then back to the room and Zahn'tra.
- “This isn't just a memory, is it?”, I asked and turned back to look out of the window.
- “It is the you of the past, Child of Planes. I just show you what your mind preserved behind bars. But since it is you, you can shape this fragment to your liking, to a certain extent”, he answered.
- “Hmm, I wonder if that includes trying out my wings...”
- “Try them then”, he replied smiling.
Without hesitation I climbed onto the windowsill, the magical window expanding to the sides to allow me pass, a small foothold extending to allow me stand with ease. I examined the wind a moment, and then leaped into air with my subconscious telling to my wings what to do.
The nightly breeze carried me on its back, lifting my wings with force I needed for uplift. I hung in place for a few seconds until my momentum carried me along the winds away from the window and into the night sky. A lilting laughter burst out as I soared high, gliding then a while to examine the scenery below, letting the wind carry me for some time, circling, and simply enjoying of the sensation. Every move a new sensation, every maneuver I found myself capable of was both brand new and yet something I had always known.
I flew for a good long while before turning back to the tower, followed a while by an entourage of curious bats until I landed.
Upon landing, there was a knock at the room's door, and after a moment of hesitation I went to answer it. At the other side was a man standing, with a charming smile on handsome features that were crowned by long black hair falling straight onto his shoulders. In his hand, standing on the floor with the point down, was a massive two-handed sword which blade was deeply covered with runes of power as it gently hummed, basking in a dark light. Something at back of my mind gave into a feeling resembling love, a memory of such emotion.
The man greeted me with a kiss and set the blade stand against the wall.
- “Evening, lovely”, he said with a wide smile.
- “... evening. Looking good yourself”, I replied, fighting to remember the man's name.
- “Well, the next ruler can't look bad in front of his people, now can he?”, he chuckled, which made my hairs stand up at my neck.
I glanced down at the blade, the barriers weakened by the Gith's intervention breaking as I reached into the past in my mind, and the image of the man became one with the flow of memories – Elander, a priest of Bane, the man that held reign over me for almost a decade, the man that made me believe he loved me, the man who used me for his deeds, and the man who in the end betrayed me. “You shouldn't have failed me, puppet”, echoed in my mind.
I grit my teeth at the memories and sent a brief sidelong glance at Elander before grabbed the blade's hilt. I registered some movement behind me, the Gith looking at me and wondering in a long glance as I reached for the weapon. The sword felt my own in a way, sitting perfectly in my hands, the hilt bearing my nailmarks, and yet it was oozing a dangerous presence, and something that was my exact opposite.
- “So, this blade made you a ruler, Elander? Or maybe it didn't...”, I muttered, sending rather murderous glare at Elander.
- “Not yet, but tomorrow, as soon as you kill the current one for me, love. I take it from your look that you can't await it”, he replied with a nod.
- “Oh yes, you're quite right. This needs some using...”, I growled softly.
- “I'm glad you agree. It is made for your... capabilities”, Elander said grinning.
- “Which capabilities you might mean?”, I asked with a grim smirk.
- “The strength you draw from arcane, and your power to channel the elements. The sword was gifted by Bane himself, to augment your powers, and to better serve him”, he continued, whereas words in my mind shout, “And me... you bitch, you failed me in front of my Lord!”
The feeling of burning pain shot through my head as I remembered it all. Hanging upside down on a chain, dangling helplessly in a dark room, lit only by a flickering torch. Elander screaming in my face, then grinning like a madman. He took a rusty saw and stepped to me. “Yes, I know you heal, but I promise, this won't!” And then the burning pain as he one by one cut the muscles, tearing the flesh of my body, severing my wings, and letting them to fall on the floor, bloodied and lifeless.
I gripped the sword's hilt tighter, then changed the hold somewhat as the blade shifted shape in my hands, becoming a slim rapier in a moment.
- “So, it was you...”, I growled at Elander.
- “What the...”, he begun to ask, but was cut short as the blade swiftly impaled his chest, coming out from his back until the hilt met the flesh under his clothes. With horror in his eyes he begun to fall.
- “The only thing I failed, was that I didn't do this earlier already. Take my regards to your Bane”, I hissed and spat on him, kicking him off the blade. He was dead before he hit the floor.
The building begun to shake, the walls to crumble. The memory fragment was at end of its course. Soon there was left but night sky and me and Zahn'tra floating in the air, and the bad memories... they blew away along the gentle breeze around us and I smiled again, happy, as if I had wiped Elander from both existence and memory at the same time, once and for all, to never return.
Moments later I woke, sitting on the floor of my library, staring into eyes of the Gith.
-
*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Furniture, and Something Not-so-usual...
Some time ago me and Mashanie finally recalled that we had made a furniture order long ago and decided to go fetch them. We ventured, as usual, via our shop at Kara-Tur, to the local carpenter there.
It was winter there, every street and roof covered with white snow upto and past ankles in depth. The sight was delightfully pretty, the air chilly. The locals seemed to stay indoors if it wasn't necessary to go out, for to humans and other such it was too cold for comfort, but to us it brought no discomfort.
After wading a while in the snow, and wandering through the now “deserted” bazaar, we arrived to the carpentry shop.
I was just about to open the door when it opened in front of me and an Erinyes stepped out, almost colliding with me in hurry, carrying a neatly wrapped package in her hands. We stood there a while, staring at each other; something in my mind told me that I had seen her before at the bazaar behind our backs, but back then it had been summertime.
Being momentarily at close range, I noticed the Erinyes wearing a collar of some sort, and very unusual to her kin, her skin was part covered with poorly healed cuts and bruises. Normally she would've healed from such within moments. She seemed to recognize me alike, but uttered an apology and hurried past me, startled maybe, but stopped on her tracks when I mentioned the wounds to Mashanie.
The Erinyes seemed to hesitate, glancing over her shoulder in some direction across the bazaar, but then looked back to us and begun to spoke quick.
- “Help me... if you know how to undo this... UGH!”, she managed to say before her back arched, writhin in pain.
I stood still a moment, surprised, but then pulled rather instinctively a scroll from one of my pockets and unleashed disjunction at the Erinyes' general location. The magic hit her spot on, bathing her briefly in eerie light which reflected flaring from the snow. The Erinyes fell on her knees, at least momentarily free from her torment.
She wished I'd kill her to free her, she'd rather take the disgrace at Baator than remain on this plane as a slave. I sighed, about to fulfill her wish when something else occurred to me and I pulled an Electrifier into sight from another pocket.
- “I could destroy the collar instead, or at least try to”, I said thoughtfully.
- “You are no ordinary Tiefers”, the Erinyes replied smiling, obviously recognizing the device.
- “Far from ordinary, and I for one am not from this plane either”, I answered and touched the collar with the device, activating it to dismantle the enchantments contained within.
The collar crackled and heated up, taking a bright yellow hue as the electrifier absorbed its powers. The skin of the Erinyes seemed to smolder and she let out a loud shriek. Then there was a bright flash and the electrifier hummed happily, fully charged, the collar now nothing but a lump of molten metal and charred leather.
- “Uh, sorry for that – I've never before dismantled an item worn by someone, so didn't know it'd do that”, I muttered to the Erinyes.
- “Much better!”, she replied, ignoring my words, a wide smile appearing on her lips as she spread her wings wide, the wounds now regenerating at clearly visible rate. “Better for me to leave. But before that... Pluck a feather... one you like. As a memento... and perhaps... more.”, she continued elated and turned around.
Smirking I plucked the first feather which caught my eye, a perfect and large one, once snow white but now spotted with black.
- “Ay, that'll do nicely. Just keep it, it might grow on you”, the Erinyes said grinning and taking wing.
- “Will keep”, I replied smiling.
- “Take care, Murkblood. I'm sure my former master will want to know who robbed him of his favorite toy...”, she said before soaring up the sky, soon to disappear to the gray clouds, a victorious tingling laughter echoing after her a while.
I glanced about, tapping my lips with the feather in thoughts a moment, turning then to the carpentry shop, tucking the feather to stand on the other of my armored coat's shoulderpads. But as I did that, there was a tingling sensation in my shoulders and the feather disappeared, and I felt a warm touch on my skin underneath, like a sprout from a long forgotten tree... I examined the feeling a while, my smile widening moment by moment.
- “Well... that was...”, Mashanie begun chuckling.
- “...unexpected”, I finished.
- “Aye”, he nodded.
- “Maybe there was something indeed for the 'more' part”, I mused.
- “Aye, I think she meant literally what she said”, he replied to that with a grin and embraced me. It'll come, if it's meant to be, love. Now then, chairs and tables and such it is... or shall I get a bird house?”
- “Bird house? First the other things”, I said smirking and poking him playfully.
In the shop a bit elderly lady came greet us, and soon we were represented our order, a great number of furniture; a work desk, interwoven with images gargoyles and Hezrou, massive in appearance, but with a hint of elegance; a chair to go with it, the legs forming that of an Androsphynx; a pair of tables, the chairs to them; a set of cupboards and shelves; a trio of couches; and various other items, all equally massively elegant, crafted with great skill from dark oak and matted bronze, the seats covered with soft, dark satin and velvet.
After I paid the whole they were transported in carts to our shop to where I guided the teamster. At the shop I went and called Vor forth from the basement, the massive frame of it following me out with cat like grace and without slightest of sound. The poor teamster wet his pants upon seeing it and sat like a statue while the golem moved the furniture indoors with unparalled swiftness. I paid the poor sod a few coins for his unfortunate troubles, after which he hurried the carts down the alley like he was escaping from an exploding fireball...
Something caught my eye on a rooftop across the street, next to our shop. A hooded figure tried to avoid my gaze and to hide behind a chimney, but I had noticed him or her by then and flicked my hand toward the chimney. The roof was briefly ablaze, a wall of fire igniting the spy's clothes before the snow dulled the fire, the spell thus leaving the roof itself intact.
- “Teaches you to spy”, I snorted, watching how the figure, arms flailing, fell from the roof out of sight.
- “Huh?”, Mashanie asked and glanced where I was looking at.
- “Oh, nothing much... Just a spy again”, I replied grinning. The grin however fading a bit when there rose an angry yell of some woman from behind the house next to our shop.
I ushered Mashanie indoors with haste and closed the shop's door after him, breaking giggling afterwards.
Bit later I opened a portal to our home and we moved the furniture there...
Some time ago me and Mashanie finally recalled that we had made a furniture order long ago and decided to go fetch them. We ventured, as usual, via our shop at Kara-Tur, to the local carpenter there.
It was winter there, every street and roof covered with white snow upto and past ankles in depth. The sight was delightfully pretty, the air chilly. The locals seemed to stay indoors if it wasn't necessary to go out, for to humans and other such it was too cold for comfort, but to us it brought no discomfort.
After wading a while in the snow, and wandering through the now “deserted” bazaar, we arrived to the carpentry shop.
I was just about to open the door when it opened in front of me and an Erinyes stepped out, almost colliding with me in hurry, carrying a neatly wrapped package in her hands. We stood there a while, staring at each other; something in my mind told me that I had seen her before at the bazaar behind our backs, but back then it had been summertime.
Being momentarily at close range, I noticed the Erinyes wearing a collar of some sort, and very unusual to her kin, her skin was part covered with poorly healed cuts and bruises. Normally she would've healed from such within moments. She seemed to recognize me alike, but uttered an apology and hurried past me, startled maybe, but stopped on her tracks when I mentioned the wounds to Mashanie.
The Erinyes seemed to hesitate, glancing over her shoulder in some direction across the bazaar, but then looked back to us and begun to spoke quick.
- “Help me... if you know how to undo this... UGH!”, she managed to say before her back arched, writhin in pain.
I stood still a moment, surprised, but then pulled rather instinctively a scroll from one of my pockets and unleashed disjunction at the Erinyes' general location. The magic hit her spot on, bathing her briefly in eerie light which reflected flaring from the snow. The Erinyes fell on her knees, at least momentarily free from her torment.
She wished I'd kill her to free her, she'd rather take the disgrace at Baator than remain on this plane as a slave. I sighed, about to fulfill her wish when something else occurred to me and I pulled an Electrifier into sight from another pocket.
- “I could destroy the collar instead, or at least try to”, I said thoughtfully.
- “You are no ordinary Tiefers”, the Erinyes replied smiling, obviously recognizing the device.
- “Far from ordinary, and I for one am not from this plane either”, I answered and touched the collar with the device, activating it to dismantle the enchantments contained within.
The collar crackled and heated up, taking a bright yellow hue as the electrifier absorbed its powers. The skin of the Erinyes seemed to smolder and she let out a loud shriek. Then there was a bright flash and the electrifier hummed happily, fully charged, the collar now nothing but a lump of molten metal and charred leather.
- “Uh, sorry for that – I've never before dismantled an item worn by someone, so didn't know it'd do that”, I muttered to the Erinyes.
- “Much better!”, she replied, ignoring my words, a wide smile appearing on her lips as she spread her wings wide, the wounds now regenerating at clearly visible rate. “Better for me to leave. But before that... Pluck a feather... one you like. As a memento... and perhaps... more.”, she continued elated and turned around.
Smirking I plucked the first feather which caught my eye, a perfect and large one, once snow white but now spotted with black.
- “Ay, that'll do nicely. Just keep it, it might grow on you”, the Erinyes said grinning and taking wing.
- “Will keep”, I replied smiling.
- “Take care, Murkblood. I'm sure my former master will want to know who robbed him of his favorite toy...”, she said before soaring up the sky, soon to disappear to the gray clouds, a victorious tingling laughter echoing after her a while.
I glanced about, tapping my lips with the feather in thoughts a moment, turning then to the carpentry shop, tucking the feather to stand on the other of my armored coat's shoulderpads. But as I did that, there was a tingling sensation in my shoulders and the feather disappeared, and I felt a warm touch on my skin underneath, like a sprout from a long forgotten tree... I examined the feeling a while, my smile widening moment by moment.
- “Well... that was...”, Mashanie begun chuckling.
- “...unexpected”, I finished.
- “Aye”, he nodded.
- “Maybe there was something indeed for the 'more' part”, I mused.
- “Aye, I think she meant literally what she said”, he replied to that with a grin and embraced me. It'll come, if it's meant to be, love. Now then, chairs and tables and such it is... or shall I get a bird house?”
- “Bird house? First the other things”, I said smirking and poking him playfully.
In the shop a bit elderly lady came greet us, and soon we were represented our order, a great number of furniture; a work desk, interwoven with images gargoyles and Hezrou, massive in appearance, but with a hint of elegance; a chair to go with it, the legs forming that of an Androsphynx; a pair of tables, the chairs to them; a set of cupboards and shelves; a trio of couches; and various other items, all equally massively elegant, crafted with great skill from dark oak and matted bronze, the seats covered with soft, dark satin and velvet.
After I paid the whole they were transported in carts to our shop to where I guided the teamster. At the shop I went and called Vor forth from the basement, the massive frame of it following me out with cat like grace and without slightest of sound. The poor teamster wet his pants upon seeing it and sat like a statue while the golem moved the furniture indoors with unparalled swiftness. I paid the poor sod a few coins for his unfortunate troubles, after which he hurried the carts down the alley like he was escaping from an exploding fireball...
Something caught my eye on a rooftop across the street, next to our shop. A hooded figure tried to avoid my gaze and to hide behind a chimney, but I had noticed him or her by then and flicked my hand toward the chimney. The roof was briefly ablaze, a wall of fire igniting the spy's clothes before the snow dulled the fire, the spell thus leaving the roof itself intact.
- “Teaches you to spy”, I snorted, watching how the figure, arms flailing, fell from the roof out of sight.
- “Huh?”, Mashanie asked and glanced where I was looking at.
- “Oh, nothing much... Just a spy again”, I replied grinning. The grin however fading a bit when there rose an angry yell of some woman from behind the house next to our shop.
I ushered Mashanie indoors with haste and closed the shop's door after him, breaking giggling afterwards.
Bit later I opened a portal to our home and we moved the furniture there...
-
*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Reflections of the Past...
It was a dream, and yet not truly a dream but a memory instead.
After various sights at the “Desert of Memory” and finding fragments, pieces of an infinite puzzle, my past, and a junction between the past, the now, and that-what-may-come, I came across an oasis although I had followed a scent that of a sea.
The scent gained strength as I came next to the waters, and I heard the sound of waves and that of sea birds. A moment later the waters parted and I saw something small glimmering at the center of the pool's bottom. I took a careful step, then another, soon to wade to the middle at ease – the watery walls seeming as solid as granite.
I picked up the shiny object, an ornate mithril ring, and examined it a moment. On the surface of it had words “Forever Yours” engraved in draconic and encircled by a set of small perfect white pearls. It felt warm, almost nostalgic... As I held it, the walls of the passage wavered and I noticed the scent of Zahn'tra's herbal smoke. I reached for the other wall with my hand, more curious than worried.
- “So, you finally found this place by yourself. I cannot be with you this time, but remember that your choices matter”, I heard the Gith's words as his image appeared in front of me in the watery wall.
- “Ah, 'this place' being...?”, I inquired perplexed.
- “This place is the place you forgot and sealed away. Karan's and my intrusions weakened its walls, and now you stumbled into it. If you wish to continue, don the ring. If you want to leave, go to your ship... and awaken”, he continued.
- “A place which I forgot, although something resembled more a junction between past, the present and what will be”, I muttered and donned the ring.
- “Your mind is the junction between past, present and future, but this place... is your 'bag of holding', that which holds the things you refused to remember”, Zahn'tra said and then smiled, “Have a good journey.”
The passage collapsed into a torrent of blue and green and I fell...
… And then I landed on a sandy beach, stumbling onto my feet and glancing around, trying to figure out where I was. But however much I strained my mind, only two things crawled up from the murky mess of memories – “Dragon Isles”, and “Nothrien.” The latter of the two seemed important, but right then I didn't know why.
I begun to walk the beach at slow pace, wiggling my toes in the warm sand, until I noticed a small house with a spacey terrace among the palm trees. The door to the house was open and I heard a man's voice humming aloud and a sound of something thumping against wood.
Ever curious I walked quietly to the door and peeked indoors. A tall man with neatly cut hair, wearing just short pants was chopping vegetables on a wooden board. The air carried scent of freshly cut onions and meat.
The interior of the house was homely, cozy even, and something in it felt very familiar. Without really noticing, I had begun to hum along the man. A moment later the man finished with the onions and in absence of the chopping sound, noticed my presence. He was a bit taller than me, features handsome and with a never ceasing smile, and his eyes blue like the sea.
A jumbled mosaic of memories assaulted my mind as he smiled to me – the crack of shackles, the sight of a young adventurer as he finishes off a robed man with a glowing sword. A hurried flight of two from the city. The hiding amongst others in villages across the land. The first excited touches, the nights of love making... The ring I wore was given by him – Nothrien – signifying us as one, and the house at the beach was built by our own hands.
- “Why bury a memory like this?”, I asked from myself while my smiling lips asked from Nothrien, “what you cooking?”
- “Just your favorite, minced beef with onions, assorted vegetables, and some brown rice. I wish I had something more glorious to commemorate our anniversary. But this is not Waterdeep”, he replied chuckling.
- “As if anything more glorious is needed”, I smirked and smelled the scents as I stepped indoors, “But, anniversary?”
- “Ay, three years ago is the day I killed your 'master', and you came along with me”, he said while preparing the food which soon ended into a bowl and into an oven.
- “But did he truly die? And if did, why we ran?”, I asked from myself, but again my lips spoke other, “Three years already?”
- “Yes, three years since we had to run from Waterdeep. After the mage died, his peers wanted answers, and it wasn't safe to remain there – not for you. Some other would've tried to 'claim' you again. And I couldn't let that happen”, he replied and glanced at me thoughtfully.
- “Not that it'd been this nice there anyway”, I laughed and spun around with a finger pointing around in a circle.
Nothrien stepped close and embraced me chuckling and wondering if I had been sunbathing too much again as the house was designed by me. His words broke yet another memory barrier and I recalled the planning and the nights spent in making it all. And it had also been my idea to move to the Dragon Isles at the Trackless Sea, far from Humans. I took a better look at him in his embrace, just then noticing the hints of his celestial origins.
Nothrien went back to cooking and I checked what was behind the closed oaken door (the other door went to our bedroom). There was a few shelves, on which two sets of armors; the other, platemail and a longsword, was Nothrien's, and the other, a light elven chain, mine. Aside my chains stood a greatsword, imbued with arcane, and my bow... made by the elves of Myth Drannor. And on the armor an amulet, imbued with the magic of ancient times – granting protection to the wearer from magical attacks, reflecting them back to the assaillant. I remembered how I had been ordered by my master to destroy his rivals and enemies with its help.
I snapped out of my thoughts when Nothrien asked something.
The point of view changed... I watched myself sit at the table, having a meal with jesting conversation as the sun slowly settled. I saw myself being walked to the bed and lost my mind for a moment in a torrent of pleasure. And then I felt it, the seed of new life blossoming. I was caught in a torrent of light and knew that the days spun before me like a spindle out of control.
When I came back into focus I was on a bed and someone held my hand reassuringly. The pain of giving birth struck my mind, barely hearing Nothrien's words, “Push, love, just a bit more!” I cried out the pain but nonetheless did what was told to, and my effort was rewarded by the cry of a new life, a healthy yet meager voice as the new born greeted the world around it.
- “I can see the other one, too”, an elderly woman's voice exclaimed, “M'lady, one more healty push.”
I decidedly blocked the jarring pain out and obeyed the woman, and second voice joined the first. Twins in a way, the other a boy and the other a girl. I felt relieved, and happier than ever before – and even more so when the new born were given to me to hold. The boy had taken after his father, a pure Aasimar with equally blue eyes, whereas the girl had taken after me with equally yellow eyes, her tiny tail curling around my wrist, gripping it for safety.
I named the girl 'Niana' and her brother as 'Ceredon'.
As I uttered the names, the last foothold of that particular memory fragment's barriers crumbled and as opening a floodgate, I remembered the years with Nothrien, all of them. The careful nurture of both children, the cuts and bruises collected, and every little one of their whims. I recalled the nightly tales spun for them, the caring love they clung to me for years to come. And amidst all, I remembered staying the same eternal youth, while my man slowly changed by my side – the brown hair of his turning gray with time, his skin loosing the beauty. He still stood proud and strong, but time did its work. Only his eyes and smile remained unchanged during those years. The children grew up, and their happy life on the island lasted for two decades. I closed my eyes, sighing with fondness at it all.
Time and place raced headlong with my thoughts. I could still feel the light touch of my children in my arms, but now they stood before me and Nothrien both mature. Niana had a knack for arcane, just like me, and was longing for the world. Ceredon took his father's armor and expressed his wish to be with his sister on this journey. As they stood before us, they reminded me of myself and Nothrien, and of myself and Mashanie. Nothrien's aging face smiled at our children with pride.
- “Adventurers, eh? Chip o' the old block”, he chuckled.
- “Didn't expect fishers either, did you?”, I snickered and nudged his side, turning my words then to the two youths, “By all means, there's a lot to see and do.”
At the beach was a small ship waiting Niana and Ceredon, and as I knew we were going to meet, I gave them a simple farewell in my own way.
- “Be seeing you two, and take care.”
- “Be seeing”, they answered smiling in unison.
As I turned when their ship sailed behind the horizon the wheel of time turned with me again. I felt another decade pass by me, with content and happy times spent at side of my 'husband'. Our children returned every year the same time, bringing tales and riches along.
I glanced at our home and then back at the sea. “Their ship should arrive soon, I have to tell Nothrien to hurry up”, I thought when the torrent of years slowed down and headed indoors. I stood in the doorway when I noticed him. He was sitting by the table, and seemed he had nicked in during the preparation of the food for arrival of our children. A terrible foreboding filled my mind and I strode with haste to him and grabbed his shoulder, giving it a firm shake. He didn't react...
- “NO!”, my own cry echoed through the house, but it was not of my lips.
Nothrien had passed away during my walk. On the table was prepared the favorites of our children, and halfway done, never to be completed, my own favorite dish. The smile on his face was a telltale of his death being peaceful and swift. His features were soft as always, but the eyes, those of the blue of the sea, ceased to shimmer forever. I burst into a quietly wailing cry and lift him off the chair, slumping down on the floor, cradling him in my embrace.
- “Make it go away! Don't make me remember! The ring... the ring... Take off the ring! Forget and seal it forever!”, my mind cried to myself.
- “It was bound to come. He'd not throw my memory behind bars if the parts had been reversed”, my I groaned with iron resolve, scolding myself for even thinking to do such.
The voice silenced, the echoes of it faded into the gentle wind of the sea. There was a cracking sound and the scenery gradually dissolved around me. I stood in the oasis again, my hands still clutched, but only grasping air. The ring shone warmly on my fingers and the barrier around the oasis crackled into shimmering particles, being then swept away by the wind. The sand gave space for a myriad of flowers sprouting rapid, blossoming and changing into a field of roses.
I sniffed, letting the tears fall free, but my lips curving into a smile as I gazed across the field.
- “Now, you'll smile again”, I said softly, recalling forth the smiling blue eyes of Nothrien, the grief subsiding.
At my words a single flower sprouted among the red ones, one with the color of blue, the blue of the sea.
- “Your son and daughter... were called heroes”, the voice of the Gith resounded, “So, what of you, Child of the Planes? Where does your road take you?”
I gazed the blue flower, listening to the old Gith, and gave the flower a gentle kiss – not picking it up, but letting it flourish amongst the others.
- “Where? That is yet to be decided. Where it leads, not even gods can see beforehand”, I replied softly sighing.
- “The one you were and the one you are, they will clash sooner or later”, Zahn'tra's voice sighed, “But I will be there, to see it for myself, and to know your fate. You opened the doorway – if you wish to know more, just visit this place and walk the Roads of Sand. But now, awaken.”
And I woke up, snugly in sleeping Mashanie's embrace on our bed made of pelts of Winter Wolves at our home.
It was a dream, and yet not truly a dream but a memory instead.
After various sights at the “Desert of Memory” and finding fragments, pieces of an infinite puzzle, my past, and a junction between the past, the now, and that-what-may-come, I came across an oasis although I had followed a scent that of a sea.
The scent gained strength as I came next to the waters, and I heard the sound of waves and that of sea birds. A moment later the waters parted and I saw something small glimmering at the center of the pool's bottom. I took a careful step, then another, soon to wade to the middle at ease – the watery walls seeming as solid as granite.
I picked up the shiny object, an ornate mithril ring, and examined it a moment. On the surface of it had words “Forever Yours” engraved in draconic and encircled by a set of small perfect white pearls. It felt warm, almost nostalgic... As I held it, the walls of the passage wavered and I noticed the scent of Zahn'tra's herbal smoke. I reached for the other wall with my hand, more curious than worried.
- “So, you finally found this place by yourself. I cannot be with you this time, but remember that your choices matter”, I heard the Gith's words as his image appeared in front of me in the watery wall.
- “Ah, 'this place' being...?”, I inquired perplexed.
- “This place is the place you forgot and sealed away. Karan's and my intrusions weakened its walls, and now you stumbled into it. If you wish to continue, don the ring. If you want to leave, go to your ship... and awaken”, he continued.
- “A place which I forgot, although something resembled more a junction between past, the present and what will be”, I muttered and donned the ring.
- “Your mind is the junction between past, present and future, but this place... is your 'bag of holding', that which holds the things you refused to remember”, Zahn'tra said and then smiled, “Have a good journey.”
The passage collapsed into a torrent of blue and green and I fell...
… And then I landed on a sandy beach, stumbling onto my feet and glancing around, trying to figure out where I was. But however much I strained my mind, only two things crawled up from the murky mess of memories – “Dragon Isles”, and “Nothrien.” The latter of the two seemed important, but right then I didn't know why.
I begun to walk the beach at slow pace, wiggling my toes in the warm sand, until I noticed a small house with a spacey terrace among the palm trees. The door to the house was open and I heard a man's voice humming aloud and a sound of something thumping against wood.
Ever curious I walked quietly to the door and peeked indoors. A tall man with neatly cut hair, wearing just short pants was chopping vegetables on a wooden board. The air carried scent of freshly cut onions and meat.
The interior of the house was homely, cozy even, and something in it felt very familiar. Without really noticing, I had begun to hum along the man. A moment later the man finished with the onions and in absence of the chopping sound, noticed my presence. He was a bit taller than me, features handsome and with a never ceasing smile, and his eyes blue like the sea.
A jumbled mosaic of memories assaulted my mind as he smiled to me – the crack of shackles, the sight of a young adventurer as he finishes off a robed man with a glowing sword. A hurried flight of two from the city. The hiding amongst others in villages across the land. The first excited touches, the nights of love making... The ring I wore was given by him – Nothrien – signifying us as one, and the house at the beach was built by our own hands.
- “Why bury a memory like this?”, I asked from myself while my smiling lips asked from Nothrien, “what you cooking?”
- “Just your favorite, minced beef with onions, assorted vegetables, and some brown rice. I wish I had something more glorious to commemorate our anniversary. But this is not Waterdeep”, he replied chuckling.
- “As if anything more glorious is needed”, I smirked and smelled the scents as I stepped indoors, “But, anniversary?”
- “Ay, three years ago is the day I killed your 'master', and you came along with me”, he said while preparing the food which soon ended into a bowl and into an oven.
- “But did he truly die? And if did, why we ran?”, I asked from myself, but again my lips spoke other, “Three years already?”
- “Yes, three years since we had to run from Waterdeep. After the mage died, his peers wanted answers, and it wasn't safe to remain there – not for you. Some other would've tried to 'claim' you again. And I couldn't let that happen”, he replied and glanced at me thoughtfully.
- “Not that it'd been this nice there anyway”, I laughed and spun around with a finger pointing around in a circle.
Nothrien stepped close and embraced me chuckling and wondering if I had been sunbathing too much again as the house was designed by me. His words broke yet another memory barrier and I recalled the planning and the nights spent in making it all. And it had also been my idea to move to the Dragon Isles at the Trackless Sea, far from Humans. I took a better look at him in his embrace, just then noticing the hints of his celestial origins.
Nothrien went back to cooking and I checked what was behind the closed oaken door (the other door went to our bedroom). There was a few shelves, on which two sets of armors; the other, platemail and a longsword, was Nothrien's, and the other, a light elven chain, mine. Aside my chains stood a greatsword, imbued with arcane, and my bow... made by the elves of Myth Drannor. And on the armor an amulet, imbued with the magic of ancient times – granting protection to the wearer from magical attacks, reflecting them back to the assaillant. I remembered how I had been ordered by my master to destroy his rivals and enemies with its help.
I snapped out of my thoughts when Nothrien asked something.
The point of view changed... I watched myself sit at the table, having a meal with jesting conversation as the sun slowly settled. I saw myself being walked to the bed and lost my mind for a moment in a torrent of pleasure. And then I felt it, the seed of new life blossoming. I was caught in a torrent of light and knew that the days spun before me like a spindle out of control.
When I came back into focus I was on a bed and someone held my hand reassuringly. The pain of giving birth struck my mind, barely hearing Nothrien's words, “Push, love, just a bit more!” I cried out the pain but nonetheless did what was told to, and my effort was rewarded by the cry of a new life, a healthy yet meager voice as the new born greeted the world around it.
- “I can see the other one, too”, an elderly woman's voice exclaimed, “M'lady, one more healty push.”
I decidedly blocked the jarring pain out and obeyed the woman, and second voice joined the first. Twins in a way, the other a boy and the other a girl. I felt relieved, and happier than ever before – and even more so when the new born were given to me to hold. The boy had taken after his father, a pure Aasimar with equally blue eyes, whereas the girl had taken after me with equally yellow eyes, her tiny tail curling around my wrist, gripping it for safety.
I named the girl 'Niana' and her brother as 'Ceredon'.
As I uttered the names, the last foothold of that particular memory fragment's barriers crumbled and as opening a floodgate, I remembered the years with Nothrien, all of them. The careful nurture of both children, the cuts and bruises collected, and every little one of their whims. I recalled the nightly tales spun for them, the caring love they clung to me for years to come. And amidst all, I remembered staying the same eternal youth, while my man slowly changed by my side – the brown hair of his turning gray with time, his skin loosing the beauty. He still stood proud and strong, but time did its work. Only his eyes and smile remained unchanged during those years. The children grew up, and their happy life on the island lasted for two decades. I closed my eyes, sighing with fondness at it all.
Time and place raced headlong with my thoughts. I could still feel the light touch of my children in my arms, but now they stood before me and Nothrien both mature. Niana had a knack for arcane, just like me, and was longing for the world. Ceredon took his father's armor and expressed his wish to be with his sister on this journey. As they stood before us, they reminded me of myself and Nothrien, and of myself and Mashanie. Nothrien's aging face smiled at our children with pride.
- “Adventurers, eh? Chip o' the old block”, he chuckled.
- “Didn't expect fishers either, did you?”, I snickered and nudged his side, turning my words then to the two youths, “By all means, there's a lot to see and do.”
At the beach was a small ship waiting Niana and Ceredon, and as I knew we were going to meet, I gave them a simple farewell in my own way.
- “Be seeing you two, and take care.”
- “Be seeing”, they answered smiling in unison.
As I turned when their ship sailed behind the horizon the wheel of time turned with me again. I felt another decade pass by me, with content and happy times spent at side of my 'husband'. Our children returned every year the same time, bringing tales and riches along.
I glanced at our home and then back at the sea. “Their ship should arrive soon, I have to tell Nothrien to hurry up”, I thought when the torrent of years slowed down and headed indoors. I stood in the doorway when I noticed him. He was sitting by the table, and seemed he had nicked in during the preparation of the food for arrival of our children. A terrible foreboding filled my mind and I strode with haste to him and grabbed his shoulder, giving it a firm shake. He didn't react...
- “NO!”, my own cry echoed through the house, but it was not of my lips.
Nothrien had passed away during my walk. On the table was prepared the favorites of our children, and halfway done, never to be completed, my own favorite dish. The smile on his face was a telltale of his death being peaceful and swift. His features were soft as always, but the eyes, those of the blue of the sea, ceased to shimmer forever. I burst into a quietly wailing cry and lift him off the chair, slumping down on the floor, cradling him in my embrace.
- “Make it go away! Don't make me remember! The ring... the ring... Take off the ring! Forget and seal it forever!”, my mind cried to myself.
- “It was bound to come. He'd not throw my memory behind bars if the parts had been reversed”, my I groaned with iron resolve, scolding myself for even thinking to do such.
The voice silenced, the echoes of it faded into the gentle wind of the sea. There was a cracking sound and the scenery gradually dissolved around me. I stood in the oasis again, my hands still clutched, but only grasping air. The ring shone warmly on my fingers and the barrier around the oasis crackled into shimmering particles, being then swept away by the wind. The sand gave space for a myriad of flowers sprouting rapid, blossoming and changing into a field of roses.
I sniffed, letting the tears fall free, but my lips curving into a smile as I gazed across the field.
- “Now, you'll smile again”, I said softly, recalling forth the smiling blue eyes of Nothrien, the grief subsiding.
At my words a single flower sprouted among the red ones, one with the color of blue, the blue of the sea.
- “Your son and daughter... were called heroes”, the voice of the Gith resounded, “So, what of you, Child of the Planes? Where does your road take you?”
I gazed the blue flower, listening to the old Gith, and gave the flower a gentle kiss – not picking it up, but letting it flourish amongst the others.
- “Where? That is yet to be decided. Where it leads, not even gods can see beforehand”, I replied softly sighing.
- “The one you were and the one you are, they will clash sooner or later”, Zahn'tra's voice sighed, “But I will be there, to see it for myself, and to know your fate. You opened the doorway – if you wish to know more, just visit this place and walk the Roads of Sand. But now, awaken.”
And I woke up, snugly in sleeping Mashanie's embrace on our bed made of pelts of Winter Wolves at our home.
-
*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Some Days Can Be Odd...
The day was in the beginning not much different than any earlier, except for that there was now a war brewing between Mercykillers and Anarchs. Fargul was more than pissed that the Reds wanted to check through his orphanage, of all possible places, for anarchists no less.
Later the day I saw, and heard, the Factol of Reds. With her attitude and inflated ego, a small wonder that she still breathes. Whoever did let her rise to power in the said faction was out of their mind...
The day went on... me and a group of others (Mashanie, Managarm, Ales, Davoren, and Twerp) went to smuggle the kids from Fargul's orphanage to safety – Factol Alisohn had quite clear said that she'd burn the orphanage down, with the children inside, if she happened to find anything related to anarchists. Not that there'd be any anarchs hiding in the orphanage, but after observing Alishon for the brief time she was at bazaar, it kind of occurred – at least to me – that she might do so in any case, whether she found anything or not.
Well then, after we got the kids to safety to Elysium, Shaper decided to chime in for a visit to us at Hive. He was rather pissed, or then just annoyed, hard to say. Davoren had betrayed his trust, which however in itself was 'old news' to me. I don't know what Shaper had in mind really, but seemed that he 'tested' what kind of loyalties we had and whether there was any seed of sympathy to his causes. But as it turned out to be, we more or less held side with Davoren, and Shaper left the scene.
Shaper, however, didn't leave without a nasty surprise, for a bit after his departure Davoren changed shape into Illithid. It'd been just a weak prank if it had been magical change, but in this case the change was reality. Suffice to say, Davoren was not amused...
After a few whiles of disorderly banter we headed to the Signers at the Hall of Speakers, Hildmor, who had arrived a bit before Shaper left, in lead. At the Hall, Hildmor gave the Ashenblade to Factol Darius' associates, Jarun and some erinyes lass, Sharlotte, which two then left to deliver it elsewhere for safekeeping.
Darius attempted to return Davoren back to his original form, and succeeded partially – turning Davoren into a gnome. At least Davoren got mouth now instead of a tentacled face.
The speculations thrown about, the mind numbing banter of possibilities... Shaper this, Shaper that, what to do and what to not do... I was about to fall asleep due sheer boredom, my head resting on Mashanie's shoulder. But then he nudged my side and roused me more alert, just to then hear Darius wondering where Jarun and Sharlotte were, as they should've been back a long while ago.
Sharlotte arrived soon enough, and she was wounded, claiming that Jarun had taken the Ashenblade and ran down some alley or road, soon losing Sharlotte from his trail. I face palmed, having guessed beforehand with Mashanie that something like this would happen. And as expected, a 'blame game' begun – who's fault that was this time... For now I refrained from remarking that I had days ago suggested that me and Mashanie'd throw the accursed blade into the Sun, which we could've done with ease with our 'jammer.
Davoren then suggested and insisted that he'd call the Keeper to get back what was stolen, along something else what was stolen before that. I had no slightest clue what or who the Keeper was, until Hildmor told that it was one of Far Realm's entities – not a god, but not too far from such either.
A trek to Abyss ensued, and with Hildmor's spellweaving we arrived there in just a few moments. Davoren prepared to call forth the Keeper, asking a lock of hair from me, Chari and Hildmor, to anchor his sanity, which he might otherwise lose in the ritual that followed soon thereafter.
The Keeper was eventually summoned and a request made to bring to us the one who had the stone stolen from Darius. We expected to see a Mindflayer, but instead of such, the Keeper presented us Jarun. Jarun was wounded and bruised, and had a rather maniacal gleam in his eyes... And as it goes, Davoren and Hildmor wanted the man dead, and that was his fate in just a brief moments. Chari would've liked Jarun be kept alive, but at that point it was late as the eldritch and other magics were already unleashed.
By the Keeper's words it occurred to everyone that Jarun had been innocent, and instead of him it had been Sharlotte who had tried to get the sword from him. Something did go wrong though, and Jarun ended up in the Far Realm, quite promptly losing his mind...
But now timing was critical. Keeper opened its doors, letting us from Abyss directly back to Darius – and not a moment too late, for Sharlotte had already a knife at Darius' throat. Her plan to kill the Factol was spoiled though – Mashanie emerged at Sharlotte's side through the shadows and knocked the arm and the weapon aside, and a heartbeat later she was dangling impaled on a katana held by Hildmor.
Darius was saved, and Davoren did something what I wouldn't have expected from him at all – somehow he redeemed Sharlotte, freeing her from the Shaper's chains. What happened then, I don't know how to explain... but all in all, it was much more than eye could see... I snapped out from the permeating warm and happy feeling when Darius addressed me and Mashanie with a few words,
- “You two shall recieve a spelljammer in honor of your actions”, she said.
- “Oh, well, umm... we kinda have one in construction already...”, I uttered.
- “It was in construction?”, Darius replied grinning, implying that something had been done, “Lets just say... construction went up by 80%? The power of the mind can do even the most impossible thing, if one thinks hard enough, and makes the impossible into reality through their force of will.”
. . .
The day was in the beginning not much different than any earlier, except for that there was now a war brewing between Mercykillers and Anarchs. Fargul was more than pissed that the Reds wanted to check through his orphanage, of all possible places, for anarchists no less.
Later the day I saw, and heard, the Factol of Reds. With her attitude and inflated ego, a small wonder that she still breathes. Whoever did let her rise to power in the said faction was out of their mind...
The day went on... me and a group of others (Mashanie, Managarm, Ales, Davoren, and Twerp) went to smuggle the kids from Fargul's orphanage to safety – Factol Alisohn had quite clear said that she'd burn the orphanage down, with the children inside, if she happened to find anything related to anarchists. Not that there'd be any anarchs hiding in the orphanage, but after observing Alishon for the brief time she was at bazaar, it kind of occurred – at least to me – that she might do so in any case, whether she found anything or not.
Well then, after we got the kids to safety to Elysium, Shaper decided to chime in for a visit to us at Hive. He was rather pissed, or then just annoyed, hard to say. Davoren had betrayed his trust, which however in itself was 'old news' to me. I don't know what Shaper had in mind really, but seemed that he 'tested' what kind of loyalties we had and whether there was any seed of sympathy to his causes. But as it turned out to be, we more or less held side with Davoren, and Shaper left the scene.
Shaper, however, didn't leave without a nasty surprise, for a bit after his departure Davoren changed shape into Illithid. It'd been just a weak prank if it had been magical change, but in this case the change was reality. Suffice to say, Davoren was not amused...
After a few whiles of disorderly banter we headed to the Signers at the Hall of Speakers, Hildmor, who had arrived a bit before Shaper left, in lead. At the Hall, Hildmor gave the Ashenblade to Factol Darius' associates, Jarun and some erinyes lass, Sharlotte, which two then left to deliver it elsewhere for safekeeping.
Darius attempted to return Davoren back to his original form, and succeeded partially – turning Davoren into a gnome. At least Davoren got mouth now instead of a tentacled face.
The speculations thrown about, the mind numbing banter of possibilities... Shaper this, Shaper that, what to do and what to not do... I was about to fall asleep due sheer boredom, my head resting on Mashanie's shoulder. But then he nudged my side and roused me more alert, just to then hear Darius wondering where Jarun and Sharlotte were, as they should've been back a long while ago.
Sharlotte arrived soon enough, and she was wounded, claiming that Jarun had taken the Ashenblade and ran down some alley or road, soon losing Sharlotte from his trail. I face palmed, having guessed beforehand with Mashanie that something like this would happen. And as expected, a 'blame game' begun – who's fault that was this time... For now I refrained from remarking that I had days ago suggested that me and Mashanie'd throw the accursed blade into the Sun, which we could've done with ease with our 'jammer.
Davoren then suggested and insisted that he'd call the Keeper to get back what was stolen, along something else what was stolen before that. I had no slightest clue what or who the Keeper was, until Hildmor told that it was one of Far Realm's entities – not a god, but not too far from such either.
A trek to Abyss ensued, and with Hildmor's spellweaving we arrived there in just a few moments. Davoren prepared to call forth the Keeper, asking a lock of hair from me, Chari and Hildmor, to anchor his sanity, which he might otherwise lose in the ritual that followed soon thereafter.
The Keeper was eventually summoned and a request made to bring to us the one who had the stone stolen from Darius. We expected to see a Mindflayer, but instead of such, the Keeper presented us Jarun. Jarun was wounded and bruised, and had a rather maniacal gleam in his eyes... And as it goes, Davoren and Hildmor wanted the man dead, and that was his fate in just a brief moments. Chari would've liked Jarun be kept alive, but at that point it was late as the eldritch and other magics were already unleashed.
By the Keeper's words it occurred to everyone that Jarun had been innocent, and instead of him it had been Sharlotte who had tried to get the sword from him. Something did go wrong though, and Jarun ended up in the Far Realm, quite promptly losing his mind...
But now timing was critical. Keeper opened its doors, letting us from Abyss directly back to Darius – and not a moment too late, for Sharlotte had already a knife at Darius' throat. Her plan to kill the Factol was spoiled though – Mashanie emerged at Sharlotte's side through the shadows and knocked the arm and the weapon aside, and a heartbeat later she was dangling impaled on a katana held by Hildmor.
Darius was saved, and Davoren did something what I wouldn't have expected from him at all – somehow he redeemed Sharlotte, freeing her from the Shaper's chains. What happened then, I don't know how to explain... but all in all, it was much more than eye could see... I snapped out from the permeating warm and happy feeling when Darius addressed me and Mashanie with a few words,
- “You two shall recieve a spelljammer in honor of your actions”, she said.
- “Oh, well, umm... we kinda have one in construction already...”, I uttered.
- “It was in construction?”, Darius replied grinning, implying that something had been done, “Lets just say... construction went up by 80%? The power of the mind can do even the most impossible thing, if one thinks hard enough, and makes the impossible into reality through their force of will.”
. . .
-
*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
One Dream Come True
. . . and it seems Darius was true to her own words, for not a many days after we had met her Mashanie handed me a little note, “She is ready to fly. Don't know how that happened, but she is.” --Zahn'tra.” I stared at him silent a while, glancing then with a wide grin to 'bickering' Fargul and Jiro, and currently to their antics facepalming Ymerion.
--“Gotta go!”, I exclaimed and dashed hasted through the bazaar and Lady's Ward, through the portal to Karasuthra and there to our home. However, the last stretch before we reached Shade, which was 'parked' there, Mashanie carried me on his arms, his expression as happy as mine.
Our pet birds noticed our excitement and flew to us and into Shade like greased lightnings, and without wasting time for sightseeing I woke the craft and took flight, soon to fire up a portal to Garden.
We emerged nearby Garden, outside the heavily trafficked routes. However much I felt eager to see our beauty in her glory, I didn't want to risk crashing into anything or anyone. Garden wasn't the only sight greeting us, for just a bit later we saw a small craft heading toward us with a huge trail of light and fire at its stern – and soon to zip past us, the gnomish pilot of it waving to us with both arms flailing, signaling us to follow him. That was Strin and the craft “Lightning”, which meant that my brother was at Garden for Lighting wasn't capable to make long flights.
Shade was no match for Lightning in speed, but then we felt a peculiar yank when one or other of the gnomish inventor's toys captured Shade's nose, dragging us along at breakneck speed, soon to swing us like a slingshot toward Garden. Instead of hours, we got to Garden in one quarter, steering ourselves with grace to docks while Strin raced forth like no tomorrow, making couple pirouettes around two big haulers before settling down further away.
--“Sheesh, a small wonder he hasn't yet crashed into anything”, I muttered and shook my head to the gnome's antics.
--“Well, we almost trashed the main mast of Tempest...”, Mashanie commented at that.
At the dock we were greeted by four familiar figures, my brother Karan, Zahn'tra, Thrond, and Var'niell. Mashanie hurried me out of Shade to go greet the quartet, and a moment later I found myself in a bearhug of my brother. Warm greetings were shared among us all, Zahn'tra though having a puzzled and wondering look on his face.
--“Greetings to you, Child of the Planes. I... truly don't know how to explain it”, he begun to say.
--“Do try?”, I asked.
--“We ended work yesterday and I sent the men home. Just thought about the helm, too. Then in the middle of the night, I felt a presence. I checked on the ship, and it was... ready”, he coughed and glanced at each of us.
--“Seems Darius was worth her word”, I chuckled and nodded, beaming a smile at Mashanie.
--“Sign of One Darius?”, he asked.
--“Ay”, was my short reply.
For the first time since I met Zahn'tra, the old Gith burst into laughter. He laughed and laughed for a long time until spoke again.
--“Oh my... This is”, he said breathing hard, “... extraordinary.”
Zahn'tra then led us to his shipyard. As we entered, I already registered the sight – in its full beauty, the Tangerine Queen stood there, railing removed, awaiting me to come on board. On the deck a great deal of people hurried along, preparing the ship for imminent liftoff. The craft's aquamarine and sapphire blue hull with golden and bronze hues shimmered from the light sources around it, the tangerine fiery sailwings open at the back. No spot left tarnished, the glassteel plating reflected every single beam of light that shone on it. I felt an urge to dash up the ramp which was lowered for us, but somehow managed to keep walking instead.
--“Captain on deck”, Mashanie voiced, and the crew stopped what they were doing, saluting as one.
I grinned at him, my tail twitching merrily, greeting everyone with a short “hello all” before the flood gates of exuberant joy broke and I spun a full circle, arms wide, and yelling with lilting laughter.
--“MARVELOUS!”
The men didn't move an inch, though a few smirked lightly at my reaction. Mashanie burst laughing also and lifted me up into air from my waist, spinning me around again, then whispering that I should tell them to be at ease or otherwise the crew'd stand there like that forever. I hadn't expected to see crew on the ship quite yet, but our friends had taken liberty to choose the most suitable men. Of course they weren't working for free, but paying their wages wouldn't be difficult to me.
Naming the ship was a little ceremony itself, and then Zahn'tra guided us inside the ship to show the places. The corridors and rooms were lit, the light coming from an unseen source; the dark oaken walls reflected it shyly. I smiled, following along, my fingers trailing across the intricately ornamented surfaces as we went forth, a complex mesh of enchantments faintly noticeable all around.
The ship wasn't yet furnished for most part, only the “critical” crew quarters had bunks and such, and the mess hall had tables and benches, a busy dwarven cook barking orders to his underlings, making last prepares for food storage. Our own “second home”, however, was finished to the minute detail – the quarters big enough to contain a good sized house as one floor, divided into sections with bookshelves, hanging curtains, plants, and other furniture, the whole carrying a similar relaxed and cozy atmosphere as our home at Karasuthra. How it was made so exactly to my wishes was a small mystery, but we decided to “blame” the old Gith and his ability to read me like an open book.
Then we were led to the last, but by far not the least part of the ship – the bridge. In the middle of the bridge stood the Helm, the heart and the soul of the ship. As per my instructions, it was a marvelous piece of art in itself, made entirely out of Nephelium with an added tangerine hue, standing silent there, awaiting my arrival. The shape of it akin to a slender throne, but more elegant and lot less flaunting, and – peculiarly – at back of it at shoulder blades' height, the helm extended into a pair of reddish translucent wings, giving the whole thing an exotic look. As I sat on it, I felt how it was designed for me and me alone, snug fitting to the shape of my body like second skin, and the wings set like they stemmed from myself as I sat.
The view was perfect to outside through the stainless glassteel windows, I could take in everything that went on around the ship, and as I looked up the roof above dissipated translucent, giving me a clear view to the rocky ceiling of the shipyard.
In the very instant I sat on the helm I felt “at home”. And not long after that the ship was ready to fly. I relaxed in the helm, examining it with my mind... and got assaulted by a hundred voices and sights in my head as I became one with the ship. I managed to sort them out quickly though and soon felt them separately, able to see and hear all what was going on within the ship. It was rather peculiar feeling to see and hear myself from “outside” when I set my attention briefly to the bridge.
A low rumbling sound caught my attention, along the words of Zahn'tra.
--“It seems it's almost the time. Child of the Planes, take her out”, he said, clearly proud of his handiwork while the shipyard's hangar doors opened.
Controlling the ship was quite akin to steering Shade, although due sheer size it responded with more noticeable delay. Mashanie set our map gem on a pedestal as per the Gith's instructions, and it flared into life at my whim in front of us. I extended my wings, the ship's sailwings, and set her to slow glide, turning her as per instructed by Zahn'tra to head out of the shipyard.
Outside we were greeted by a customary but memorable sight, the local jammers welcoming the newest addition to their family. In front of “me”, all brothers and sisters stood in two silent lines. The corridor comprised of at least a hundred ships of all sizes and shapes. And then my brother's thousandfold amplified voice roared through the rank.
--“Jammers of Garden, Realmspace, other places, and visitors from afar. Welcome the newest of our ranks. Please, give a healthy welcome to the Tangerine Queen and her captain, Mir Fnar.”
--“They all want to see you, love. They all came for you”, Mashanie said and knelt at my side at our moment of triumph.
At that my eyes went into tears of joy, which soon got kissed away by Mashanie.
--“Not a welcome I'd ever before greeted like”, I managed to say.
As we glided through the corridor we were introduced to each ship and each captain as we passed them, finally to arrive at the end of the corridor and Tempest's Fury and Velvet Moon, the ships of Karan and Var'niell.
--“Welcome home”, Karan's voice ended the introductions.
The last two ships cornered the Tangerine Queen from sides, their crew giving a cheery salute. The welcoming ceremony was customary for all new ships coming from Zahn'tra's shipyard, but it indeed made me feel like I was welcome, and at home.
--“Come now big sister, lets fly around a bit like we used to so long ago. But this time, you're on my wings”, my brother stated then.
--“Alright”, I replied laughing, my voice ringing outside the ship.
--“Try to keep up now. Lets see whom Zahn'tra made a better ship”, his voice echoed with laughter as Tempest's Fury shot off from me, gaining speed rapidly.
I smirked and flung the sailwings full open, urging the ship to race after the other. It was rather obvious that their helm was using a dweomer boost, and my mind sought after the same or something similar. Soon I found it, too, perceiving an image of sort of a furnace into which my magics were hurled into, to fuel the ship's and my desire for speed. I let loose every ounce of arcane I found at my disposal, and the furnace flared up deep red. I felt how the engines came alive at the back of the ship, a gentle rumble echoing along the structure, and the Queen shot out into the darkness, coming soon head to head with the Tempest. My smile widened and I chuckled content albeit excited about the brand new experience and the race with my little brother.
--“Oh my, oh my... big sister. Zahn, you bastard, you held out on me?”, his voice laughed.
The Gith chuckled a bit and leaned closer to me, telling that I had one more reserve to throw into the game, my many forms. That was something what hadn't occurred to me, and I had no faintest clue how to project them to outside. But the helm took in my desire, and I saw myself shedding every form I could take on as they were given to the furnace. And then I felt something more. She, the ship itself changing form. The wings grew thinner and longer, snugging to the sides of the Queen. The engines howled and the ship grew another pair of those. A slight hue formed along the hull, and the speed burst launched it forward, the Tempest left behind by the glowing ship with white angel wings.
It was absolute bliss, feeling the ship, feeling the wings, soaring the void with lilting delighted laughter. Albeit not as quickly as Shade, the Queen followed my will, majestically soaring forth, turning as I felt fit. I forgot about the race, flying around for a long time just for the sake of enjoying it so much.
But then from the recess of my mind overseeing the ship's functions, I felt that the euphoric ride was nearing its end, the furnace having burned up the excess power I had fed to it. The Queen took its normal features and slowed down to normal speeds. For a moment I didn't notice it, but soon I found myself feeling completely drained of energy – happy, but barely able to lift my finger and all my spells spent.
I left the Queen to Zahn'tra's capable hands as he was (and is) the only one whom the ship listened to, whereas Mashanie carried me to bed for rest, although making a detour through bath first.
. . . and it seems Darius was true to her own words, for not a many days after we had met her Mashanie handed me a little note, “She is ready to fly. Don't know how that happened, but she is.” --Zahn'tra.” I stared at him silent a while, glancing then with a wide grin to 'bickering' Fargul and Jiro, and currently to their antics facepalming Ymerion.
--“Gotta go!”, I exclaimed and dashed hasted through the bazaar and Lady's Ward, through the portal to Karasuthra and there to our home. However, the last stretch before we reached Shade, which was 'parked' there, Mashanie carried me on his arms, his expression as happy as mine.
Our pet birds noticed our excitement and flew to us and into Shade like greased lightnings, and without wasting time for sightseeing I woke the craft and took flight, soon to fire up a portal to Garden.
We emerged nearby Garden, outside the heavily trafficked routes. However much I felt eager to see our beauty in her glory, I didn't want to risk crashing into anything or anyone. Garden wasn't the only sight greeting us, for just a bit later we saw a small craft heading toward us with a huge trail of light and fire at its stern – and soon to zip past us, the gnomish pilot of it waving to us with both arms flailing, signaling us to follow him. That was Strin and the craft “Lightning”, which meant that my brother was at Garden for Lighting wasn't capable to make long flights.
Shade was no match for Lightning in speed, but then we felt a peculiar yank when one or other of the gnomish inventor's toys captured Shade's nose, dragging us along at breakneck speed, soon to swing us like a slingshot toward Garden. Instead of hours, we got to Garden in one quarter, steering ourselves with grace to docks while Strin raced forth like no tomorrow, making couple pirouettes around two big haulers before settling down further away.
--“Sheesh, a small wonder he hasn't yet crashed into anything”, I muttered and shook my head to the gnome's antics.
--“Well, we almost trashed the main mast of Tempest...”, Mashanie commented at that.
At the dock we were greeted by four familiar figures, my brother Karan, Zahn'tra, Thrond, and Var'niell. Mashanie hurried me out of Shade to go greet the quartet, and a moment later I found myself in a bearhug of my brother. Warm greetings were shared among us all, Zahn'tra though having a puzzled and wondering look on his face.
--“Greetings to you, Child of the Planes. I... truly don't know how to explain it”, he begun to say.
--“Do try?”, I asked.
--“We ended work yesterday and I sent the men home. Just thought about the helm, too. Then in the middle of the night, I felt a presence. I checked on the ship, and it was... ready”, he coughed and glanced at each of us.
--“Seems Darius was worth her word”, I chuckled and nodded, beaming a smile at Mashanie.
--“Sign of One Darius?”, he asked.
--“Ay”, was my short reply.
For the first time since I met Zahn'tra, the old Gith burst into laughter. He laughed and laughed for a long time until spoke again.
--“Oh my... This is”, he said breathing hard, “... extraordinary.”
Zahn'tra then led us to his shipyard. As we entered, I already registered the sight – in its full beauty, the Tangerine Queen stood there, railing removed, awaiting me to come on board. On the deck a great deal of people hurried along, preparing the ship for imminent liftoff. The craft's aquamarine and sapphire blue hull with golden and bronze hues shimmered from the light sources around it, the tangerine fiery sailwings open at the back. No spot left tarnished, the glassteel plating reflected every single beam of light that shone on it. I felt an urge to dash up the ramp which was lowered for us, but somehow managed to keep walking instead.
--“Captain on deck”, Mashanie voiced, and the crew stopped what they were doing, saluting as one.
I grinned at him, my tail twitching merrily, greeting everyone with a short “hello all” before the flood gates of exuberant joy broke and I spun a full circle, arms wide, and yelling with lilting laughter.
--“MARVELOUS!”
The men didn't move an inch, though a few smirked lightly at my reaction. Mashanie burst laughing also and lifted me up into air from my waist, spinning me around again, then whispering that I should tell them to be at ease or otherwise the crew'd stand there like that forever. I hadn't expected to see crew on the ship quite yet, but our friends had taken liberty to choose the most suitable men. Of course they weren't working for free, but paying their wages wouldn't be difficult to me.
Naming the ship was a little ceremony itself, and then Zahn'tra guided us inside the ship to show the places. The corridors and rooms were lit, the light coming from an unseen source; the dark oaken walls reflected it shyly. I smiled, following along, my fingers trailing across the intricately ornamented surfaces as we went forth, a complex mesh of enchantments faintly noticeable all around.
The ship wasn't yet furnished for most part, only the “critical” crew quarters had bunks and such, and the mess hall had tables and benches, a busy dwarven cook barking orders to his underlings, making last prepares for food storage. Our own “second home”, however, was finished to the minute detail – the quarters big enough to contain a good sized house as one floor, divided into sections with bookshelves, hanging curtains, plants, and other furniture, the whole carrying a similar relaxed and cozy atmosphere as our home at Karasuthra. How it was made so exactly to my wishes was a small mystery, but we decided to “blame” the old Gith and his ability to read me like an open book.
Then we were led to the last, but by far not the least part of the ship – the bridge. In the middle of the bridge stood the Helm, the heart and the soul of the ship. As per my instructions, it was a marvelous piece of art in itself, made entirely out of Nephelium with an added tangerine hue, standing silent there, awaiting my arrival. The shape of it akin to a slender throne, but more elegant and lot less flaunting, and – peculiarly – at back of it at shoulder blades' height, the helm extended into a pair of reddish translucent wings, giving the whole thing an exotic look. As I sat on it, I felt how it was designed for me and me alone, snug fitting to the shape of my body like second skin, and the wings set like they stemmed from myself as I sat.
The view was perfect to outside through the stainless glassteel windows, I could take in everything that went on around the ship, and as I looked up the roof above dissipated translucent, giving me a clear view to the rocky ceiling of the shipyard.
In the very instant I sat on the helm I felt “at home”. And not long after that the ship was ready to fly. I relaxed in the helm, examining it with my mind... and got assaulted by a hundred voices and sights in my head as I became one with the ship. I managed to sort them out quickly though and soon felt them separately, able to see and hear all what was going on within the ship. It was rather peculiar feeling to see and hear myself from “outside” when I set my attention briefly to the bridge.
A low rumbling sound caught my attention, along the words of Zahn'tra.
--“It seems it's almost the time. Child of the Planes, take her out”, he said, clearly proud of his handiwork while the shipyard's hangar doors opened.
Controlling the ship was quite akin to steering Shade, although due sheer size it responded with more noticeable delay. Mashanie set our map gem on a pedestal as per the Gith's instructions, and it flared into life at my whim in front of us. I extended my wings, the ship's sailwings, and set her to slow glide, turning her as per instructed by Zahn'tra to head out of the shipyard.
Outside we were greeted by a customary but memorable sight, the local jammers welcoming the newest addition to their family. In front of “me”, all brothers and sisters stood in two silent lines. The corridor comprised of at least a hundred ships of all sizes and shapes. And then my brother's thousandfold amplified voice roared through the rank.
--“Jammers of Garden, Realmspace, other places, and visitors from afar. Welcome the newest of our ranks. Please, give a healthy welcome to the Tangerine Queen and her captain, Mir Fnar.”
--“They all want to see you, love. They all came for you”, Mashanie said and knelt at my side at our moment of triumph.
At that my eyes went into tears of joy, which soon got kissed away by Mashanie.
--“Not a welcome I'd ever before greeted like”, I managed to say.
As we glided through the corridor we were introduced to each ship and each captain as we passed them, finally to arrive at the end of the corridor and Tempest's Fury and Velvet Moon, the ships of Karan and Var'niell.
--“Welcome home”, Karan's voice ended the introductions.
The last two ships cornered the Tangerine Queen from sides, their crew giving a cheery salute. The welcoming ceremony was customary for all new ships coming from Zahn'tra's shipyard, but it indeed made me feel like I was welcome, and at home.
--“Come now big sister, lets fly around a bit like we used to so long ago. But this time, you're on my wings”, my brother stated then.
--“Alright”, I replied laughing, my voice ringing outside the ship.
--“Try to keep up now. Lets see whom Zahn'tra made a better ship”, his voice echoed with laughter as Tempest's Fury shot off from me, gaining speed rapidly.
I smirked and flung the sailwings full open, urging the ship to race after the other. It was rather obvious that their helm was using a dweomer boost, and my mind sought after the same or something similar. Soon I found it, too, perceiving an image of sort of a furnace into which my magics were hurled into, to fuel the ship's and my desire for speed. I let loose every ounce of arcane I found at my disposal, and the furnace flared up deep red. I felt how the engines came alive at the back of the ship, a gentle rumble echoing along the structure, and the Queen shot out into the darkness, coming soon head to head with the Tempest. My smile widened and I chuckled content albeit excited about the brand new experience and the race with my little brother.
--“Oh my, oh my... big sister. Zahn, you bastard, you held out on me?”, his voice laughed.
The Gith chuckled a bit and leaned closer to me, telling that I had one more reserve to throw into the game, my many forms. That was something what hadn't occurred to me, and I had no faintest clue how to project them to outside. But the helm took in my desire, and I saw myself shedding every form I could take on as they were given to the furnace. And then I felt something more. She, the ship itself changing form. The wings grew thinner and longer, snugging to the sides of the Queen. The engines howled and the ship grew another pair of those. A slight hue formed along the hull, and the speed burst launched it forward, the Tempest left behind by the glowing ship with white angel wings.
It was absolute bliss, feeling the ship, feeling the wings, soaring the void with lilting delighted laughter. Albeit not as quickly as Shade, the Queen followed my will, majestically soaring forth, turning as I felt fit. I forgot about the race, flying around for a long time just for the sake of enjoying it so much.
But then from the recess of my mind overseeing the ship's functions, I felt that the euphoric ride was nearing its end, the furnace having burned up the excess power I had fed to it. The Queen took its normal features and slowed down to normal speeds. For a moment I didn't notice it, but soon I found myself feeling completely drained of energy – happy, but barely able to lift my finger and all my spells spent.
I left the Queen to Zahn'tra's capable hands as he was (and is) the only one whom the ship listened to, whereas Mashanie carried me to bed for rest, although making a detour through bath first.
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*AniKai
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
