Fantasy Auraelion: The two worlds

[AshenLily]

"An Elf...?" Once again, she didn't understand. "O-oh. Yeah. An Elf. That's right. One of those." Moving on quickly, she formally greeted him as Elose. As he asked the question, her demeanor changed drastically. Sighing, and offering a small shrug, she decided it couldn't hurt to share the tale.


"Well, I've spent my entire life in service of the temple of Ardyle in Skaya, preparing for the day I'd become a Guardian. During a routine sparring practice, one of the others in the temple was under the impression he was to be using standard arrows, rather than the heavier, flat-ended practice arrows. I got careless, and... well, you know..." she looked down at her feet, and her voice trailed off, as she once again shifted her wings, ever so slightly, in a self-conscious manner. Forcing a soft smile, she looked back up. "Though it is unfortunate, and I wish I'd gotten to experience flying at some point, it appears Ardyle has other plans for me." Her smile grew slightly wider. "I'm not sure what those plans are, but whatever I was meant for, I will become. Nothing more; nothing less." Once again, the smile on her lips had reached her eyes. Though the loss of her ability to fly surely was a difficult topic for her, Cerin had faith that Ardyle would shape her into whatever she was meant to be.

 

[Der Kojote]

The exchange between Moose, Key and Nakir. He drew 3 conclusions from it 1. Moose is level headed, seems to be able to keep track of the bigger picutre. 2. Key could be terrifying and more Utilitarian then Alfred when it came to important matters, 3. Nakir was a racist...and quite frankly after that last confrontation, the wind was going to be taken out of his metaphorical sails for a while. Though this seemed to just stop the outward projection. Still that was good enough for him.


He continued on with the group until they came to the mages' guild, Xerith tilted his head to the side squinting. "well...that is...a thing...a building style I guess." For so long he had been used to the Architecture of the Monastery that he had grown up in, the cold stones, this was a vast departure from the norm alright.

 

[Rynnthewriter]

Elose smiled once more, "I see, well those are some good ambitions," he said. He looked away for a moment, but didn't say anything, his past was more of something he rather not tell, as it was rather long winded and boring, at least to him. And he wasn't exactly the type to open up, "Well, I hope that maybe one day, you could fly again,"

 

[cojemo]

Nakir glanced over the guild house quickly, unimpressed by its design. It seemed to be a crudely replicated elf house, at least from what he had read up on and seen. He never understood the fascination of living inside of a tree. Sure, it worked, but why when there better alternatives? Stone was much more sturdy, and didn't have a weakness of fire. There were a few Druids of the guild wandering around the outside of the house, seemingly under the influence. He couldn't help but sneer at them. What a waste of a life. They could be getting things done, yet they were burning their time away 'experimenting' with 'substances', He couldn't stand wasted potential.


As Key went off on his own into the hut of sorts, Nakir propped himself up against a tall, strong tree. He had no reason to be afraid of some lesser being. That 'thing' as he decided to refer to him as, was just another person thinking he was tough, trying to act strong. Don't be so easily intimidated next time, you wuss. You're strong, and the strong don't back down. He nodded to himself at this idea, yet he still felt a shiver run down his wings as he thought of the encounter from before. For the time being, Nakir leaned against the tree, not close to anyone in particular but not far enough to be missed if he was needed.

 

[AshenLily]

Brightening even further at Elose's words, she nodded. "I certainly hope so! If Ardyle wills it, of course." These "Elf" creatures were so fascinating! This one, though quiet at first, seemed to be quite friendly, as well. Cerin hadn't really put much thought into the possibility of regaining her ability to fly. After the injury, the Priest who'd examined the wound said it would never heal properly, and she would never fly again. She took the diagnosis at face value, never considering another alternative, until now. Just imagine! Flying would be so incredible. Though she knew she shouldn't get her hopes up, she couldn't help but get excited over the idea. Truthfully, she'd never even tried to fly before. Once again, she spread her wings to their fullest extent, this time with the intention of testing their strength. Her wings fully extended, she gave a strong flap, and-- she jumped, as her left wing solidly thumped against something...or someone. Turning quickly, she saw, to her horror, that she'd hit one of the Children of Destiny.


Shrieking, she ran over to Anali. "A-are you o-okay? I'm ever so sorry!" She spewed apologies, her shock at striking a Child of Destiny drowning out her common sense, which was busy trying to explain the amount of damage a feathered wing wouldn't do. She paused her apologies, long enough to inspect the Child. "Don't worry! I can heal. Where are you hurt?"

 

[Rynnthewriter]

Elose watched as the girl tested her wings, and immediately stood up when she had accidentally hit one of the children of destiny, though he knew that a feathered wing would probably do now damage. He crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled silently to himself, watching the scene before him.

 

[Dovahkiin]

Eris smiled at Kadron for his compliment, giving him a quick "thanks" before turning herself back towards the building. She studied it for a moment, trying to grasp the logic behind it's architecture, then sighed. A voice to her side caused her head to turn in its direction, seeing it belonged to Xerith, and nodded subtly. "Certainly is different," she agreed absently, gaze cast towards the odd building. A loud thump, followed by a matching scream yanked her into facing its source.


A little relief settled over her nerves as she got an eyeful of a frantic Cerin rush over to Anali. Not that it was a necessarily relaxing scene, of course, but it hadn't been life-threatening, and that was enough to somewhat calm Eris.

 

[Cad]

Moose was partially taken aback by the awkwardness of the others, especially the children, around other people. He'd been watching everyone for quite some time now, and was confused at first, and then sympathetic towards them, as they've probably never experienced the real world before. Come to think of it, Moose is probably one of the only few people here who wasn't devoted to the monastery. He was sanctioned by the King himself to join due to his commendable service and loyalty to the royal guard.


Do the others just see me as some sort of unfeeling bodyguard? Missing out on something a drunk Druid told him, he turned and stepped into a dark corner of the guild's tree home, and rubbed his thumb and index finger over both of his charms. No. I promised Kova that I'd never act like this again. I need something to show everyone, well...at least the children...that I'm a regular human, and not this strict fearsome wall of meat that they see me as.


Ulno had no idea how he would do this. His right hand seemed to search his pockets without his knowledge, and from out of his pocket came his money bag, a bunch of lint, which he discarded, and a crumpled up piece of paper that he'd never seen before. He unraveled it, revealing a scribble of a peacock from a book. He must've accidentally left it in there from his last visit to his home.


He grabbed his coin bag, and went inside. Was it smart to have a round of spirits when they were supposed to be as coherent as possible should something go wrong and the children be in trouble? Probably not. It looked like all the Druids had was noxious alcohol, hallucinogenic juice made from various plants, and various foods. Ulno decided against purchasing anything from the guild in the line of food, and instead simply went back outside in time to almost get run into as Cerin dashed crazily towards Anali.

 

[DarkWolf13]

Kadron smiled back at Fae and waved his hand dismissively. "Of what little time we've spent on this quest, quite well." Again, his eye twitched slightly at the comment of 'little', but knowing that it was meant as a joke helped to prevent anything else from happening. Kadron stood and stretched his wings out to full length, feeling something crack. He hadn't flown much.


Then, noticing the commotion caused by the angel named Cerin, he chuckled slightly. Everyone here was incompetent. Why were they in charge of these Children of Destiny anyways? It should go to people who would actually do their job, and not go wandering off into the shadows like the Moose fellow. Kadron blinked. Well, at least it's only in my thoughts....

 

[Seanzah Angel]

Anali was listening to the exchange between Cerin and Elose, keeping her eyes to the ground, watching a few bugs skitter about, some running into each other, some even running over each other. She never understood bugs, but if she could, she would like to become one for just a day. To see what it would be like. Perhaps she wouldn't even survive. But if she did, it would be quite a marvelous adventure. Perhaps she could be an ant, and meet the queen and -


Her thought process was cut off by a very heavy, but delicate blow to her body. It caught her off guard and she lost her balance, but because the blow was done by a simple wing, she only landed on her bottom. At first her vision was stuck straight ahead, attempting to process what had just happened. Interestingly enough, she felt no anger. Only shock. And then, all of a sudden, she began to laugh. It was a kind of laugh that would be heard at a jester's actions, and then it morphed into something that would be heard from someone that would partake in an amusement park ride.


She began to laugh even harder as Cerin began to apologize, and she began to stand up, still laughing, and looked at the Angel. "Please, there is no need to apologize." She told her, her laughing having subsided to a dull chuckle. "I am unhurt, but I thank you for your concern." A smile stuck to her face as she went on. "That was fun, though. I haven't laughed like that in quite a long time."

 

[AshenLily]

Certain that the blow to the girl's head was causing the hysterical laughter, she apologized once more, but slightly backed off. "I'm so sorry!" Cursing to herself once more, she continued. "I, uh... I didn't quite catch your name. Earlier... miss." She hadn't remembered the girl saying her name, at all, but didn't want to make the mistake of outright asking for it, if she'd already offered it earlier. Of the things Cerin had learned in the temple, her place in the world was one of them. She was a Guardian. A prestigious position, though it was, she was speaking to a Child of Destiny. The importance of a single Guardian paled in comparison to the importance of a Child, in the grand scheme of things. As the initial panic of the situation faded a bit, she realized this, and curtsied once more, offering her standard greeting that had been drilled into her mind from the time she was just a girl. "Cerin. Cerin Laegwyn, beloved daughter of Ardyle, and Sister of the Temple. At your service." Though she had introduced herself earlier, she couldn't be sure the girl had heard, or that she remembered. It was necessary to ensure she gave the proper greeting, so the Child would know how to address her, when she was in need of her services. Straightening her wings, she remained curtsied, awaiting permission from her Child to rise.

 

[Der Kojote]

Xerith looked on the commotion between Anali and Cerin. He didn't know whether to laugh at the scene that had occurred or shake his head at the amount of embarrassment the angel was experiencing. Though still, he settled on a grin when he head Anali say that she hadn't laughed like that in a while. So much seriousness, so much ritual about this. The fact that his fellow Child hadn't laughed like that in a while was a travesty. He needed someway how to break the mood, the tension that was wrapped up in the protection duty. They would be traveling together for a long time, and if things like this kept on happening...well, this was going to be a little more than awkward. He thought that any step, any trip, and scratch would be met with a stream of apologies. The demon sat dawn on the ground to ponder these things.


He thought about the people in their group, he figured one thing, First thing's first, to keep my own sanity...I need someone who I can talk too...someone not so obsessed about the rituals that doesn't treat us like some relic to be guarded and kept immaculate. Looking through the options he shook his head, Moose was a leader, and was going to put protection duty first. Key was not much of a conversationalist, and was all to focused on the mission. As he was as far to Xerith's understanding, essentially MADE for the mission. Cerin had proven herself to be...well the curtsy was a great indicator of how she'd react. Some of the others were older. One choice in particular weighed on his mind. Of all the people in the group...that one person didn't seem to care, the term Child of destiny seemingly meant nothing. He figured that any Verbal abuse he soaked up would be well worth the break from the smothering embrace from the rest of the group. Yet, one thought made him grin a truly devilish grin, as his tail twisted in delight. After the "Beast" comment levied at one of his other companions, yell let's just say Xerith thought annoying the person would be payback enough.


He headed over to tree that Nakir was leaning against, and taking the opposite side leaned back as well, not knowing if the man had noticed him or not, he started off "You know something? You're different. I've lived in a world obsessed with the thought of protecting and training us. Coddled and smothered, So much so that buildings of a different architectural style is new to us. You, You have the Gaul to call one of us "Beast." Not to mention make the monotone one actually show some other emotion other than...well actually that's the closest thing to emotion I've ever seen from him..." He figured this was a good stopping point, if the Angel was going to return with a comment or two...then a door for dialogue was open...if he was going to ignore him, Payback for the racism was going to be long, hard earned, and sweet.

 

[cojemo]

Nakir had been silently observing the others as they interacted like a bunch of school children. What was this, a social gathering? It seemed no one in the group he was forced to work with had even a shred of maturity. Not like they needed to be serious about their so called 'mission to protect the children', but they could at least be less childish. To his dismay, the other angel seemed to be the worst of the bunch, profusely apologizing over even the simplest mistake. Great, even the angel is nothing more than a lower being.





He suddenly was brought to attention by a voice coming from the other side of the tree, one he vaguely recognized from earlier, though he couldn't pinpoint from where. Peaking behind the tree, he saw the demon from before who was complaining about the whole 'child of destiny' deal before. In fact, the demon was one of them if he remembered correctly. A beast AND a so called savior of the world, great. He listened to what the demon, Xerith something if he remembered, had to say, then retorted. "I just see things how they are. This whole 'child of destiny' garbage is just that. Why should I care about any of it? As long as I get stronger, I could'nt care less if they all died. Besides, what's your point, you spoiled beast?" This 'Xerith' had just randomly decided to drop by and tell Nakir what he thought of him, and it made absolutely no sense. Usually, it would be followed by an insult, or a demand for an apology, or a question, but there was none of that. He was curious to say the least.

 

[Rynnthewriter]

Elose leaned against a tree, watching everything from the vantage point. He had to admit, this group was entertaining to watch for sure. He hadn't really gotten to know anyone in the temple, as he had kept to himself most of the time. The Angel seemed nice enough to talk to, and her curiosity was amusing. It seems that she was raised in the temple, as she doesn't know much of the outside world.

 

[Der Kojote]

Xerith chuckled thinking to himself Contact established, "Spoiled beast! There you are at it again, see you're not the only one that quite frankly is too thrilled with this whole "child of destiny" business, he brought up his fist and hand making it talk, opening and closing it to ever word, "Xerith, you're a child of destiny! Xerith it is up to you and the others, No Xerith you cannot go outside you must train as the fate of the world depends on you! Oh Xerith are you injured? Are you alright? yaddah yaddah, and on and on the priests went." He put both hands in his pockets and shrugged, "You say spoiled I'd more say deprived...I didn't get a childhood, or a normal life. I got a gilded cage a Sunrise to middle of the night training regime, and the smothering protection of a group of people I never really wanted, but ended up having to deal with. Hell I don't even know what my parents look like." Pausing then looking back, he added "feel free to throw in the whole, they probably looked like the scum from under a stone routine...or be inventive, I'm sure you got something better."


He pointed back to Nakir still facing the opposite direction. "You ask what my point is. My point is that, just like you, I see how things are. You might be a terrible racist, you might be fairly combative, and hell, you said yourself this is a personal quest for you. But, to be honest you are the only one I know that isn't going to give a damn about this destiny business. You are the only one that I can be sure of is not going to pull any punches, and in fact probably throw them. Congratulations, by some miracle of providence, or as it may seem a curse to you right now...you are the only person I can probably talk to who isn't going to act like some overly pious paladin questing for some sacred relic or protecting some mobile shrine..." He rolled his eyes and shook his head as he stared in Cerin's direction. "And after 20 years of that routine...you have no idea how refreshing that is..." Xerith chuckled, "you know Key said that he'd kill you if you lowered morale, I have no idea what he's talking about, I haven't had this much fun in years. Morale hasn't been higher!"

 

[cojemo]

Nakir rolled his eyes as Xerith complained on and on about his childhood and his destiny. He was definitely an animated individual, that's for sure. "Just shut up about your 'horrible past' already! You say you weren't spoiled, but you definitely act like it. Who cares what happened in the past? If you were strong and learned to deal with your problems, you would adapt and push all that away. Dwelling on the past is a sign of a true coward, as they are too afraid to just push on forward and leave it all behind. Look at me. I'm strong, tough, and probably the most well suited person for this job, let alone that Key thing. However, I wasn't always-" He stopped himself suddenly from going on a rant. His past was his own, and it wasn't important others knew. Coughing into his hand, he continued. "Anyways, the point is adapt. Who cares if you've never seen your parents? It isn't imperative you see them, it's just some selfish, unnecessary wish." He chuckled mildly as Xerith took a guess at his insult."Did I ever say that you beasts were ugly? No, that's the C'than, those abominations. Besides, your parents probably just threw you away just for the sake of depriving their child of a proper upbringing."


Nakir couldn't help but let out a laugh. "You wish you were like me!" He brushed his hair away from his eye, slightly turning his good side to look back at the demon. "Besides, if all it takes to raise your morale is me being harsh, then you are definitely are one simple creature." He sighed as he turned back away from Xerith. He wasn't too pleased with having a spoiled beast obsessed with him. However, despite all the downsides, he could see himself having some fun with this. Let's see how long it takes until he can't stand me anymore. A small grin spread across his face. It would give him at least something to do during this stupid adventure of destiny. And hey, at least it was someone who had his sentiments regarding the children.

 

[Seanzah Angel]

"It's okay, my name is Anali Tenil. However, just because I am a Child of Destiny does not mean that I am any more important than you. You are equal here - everyone is." She said, a smile wide on her face. It was true, though. There was not a single person here who was more important than another. They would all need each other to make it to the end, whatever that was. "I am quite glad to have you fighting by my side, Cerin. You seem to be quite positive. I like that. It puts my mind at ease." That was true, as well.


Seeing that they weren't moving very far very fast, Anali thought it best to take a load off of her legs. Surely it can't be good to be standing so much, when they have far to go. So, she sat down on a tree root that was exposed about a foot from the ground. It felt good, even though they hadn't even been on their feet for very long. She motioned next to her for Cerin to sit with her.

 

[AshenLily]

Cerin rose, taken by surprise. In the temple, the way things worked had been very clear. If someone was a superior, they were your superior. The humility in the girl was new to Cerin, and she wasn't quite sure how to respond to it... either way, an order was an order. She sat on the tree root beside the girl who called herself Anali. Her ears were also pointed. Was this a common thing? Regardless, the girl was quite pleasant. Cerin could see herself becoming more than just a Guardian to the girl. Maybe even a friend. She'd never had a friend. She'd had many acquaintances, but never a friend. She'd only read about them, and quite frankly, they sounded lovely. Unsure of what to do or say, she sat awkwardly on the root, looking around, and taking in all of the details around her. She'd never thought a place could be so beautiful. Cerin's handmaiden, Lysae, had once described a forest to her. The mental picture hadn't turned out nearly as incredible as the scene around her.


As she sat, her mind turned toward more serious matters. Though the outside world was breathtaking, she had more pressing matters she should be concerning herself with. Namely, the tournament. Cirith grimaced as she thought of the events to come. Ignorance was a lovely thing at times, though there came a time when it was necessary to do away with it, and accept reality. The tournament would involve killing. It would involve death. Of course it would. She was a fool, if she thought otherwise.


She'd only read about it. Never had she experienced death, let alone been the cause of it. The books she'd read made it out to be a beautiful thing. The end of one's life cycle, allowing the soul to be reborn within a new body. It sounded pretty, sure. Her encounter with the live arrow that had hit her during training, severing her wing gave her a reason to believe otherwise, though. That wasn't death. That was only pain. Excruciating pain, though she hadn't even been remotely near death... if pain hurts so badly... what of Death? Unsheathing her sword, she examined the blade. This blade knew blood. This blade knew death. She'd heard tales of her mother, a great warrior. They were only tales, maybe even fabricated by the temple's staff. That aside, the question remained. Could she do it? When it came down to it, could she take the life of an enemy, pleading for life? The temple of Ardyle preached peace. It preached forgiveness; now she was to be the executioner of any who stood between her and her goal...


Releasing a deep sigh, she sat back. What's real in this world? The thought struck her as odd... yet appropriate. Everything she'd learned during her life in the temple, seemed so distant. So... useless. With so many forgotten details of the world, what were her beliefs, anymore? The temple? There were others. Why was Ardyle worth worshiping, more so than the other Gods of the world, with equally grand temples, and equally dedicated followers? She knew the God was real... didn't she? Alarmed, Cerin realized the turn her thoughts had taken. Questioning the world was one thing. Questioning her God? Quite another. She'd lived in the temple her entire life, built herself up for this chore, to serve Ardyle, and fulfill the God's wishes. But what of the other Gods? What of their wishes?


Deep in thought, Cerin hardly noticed the single tear drip from her eye. Quickly standing, she cleared her throat, and excused herself from the Child's presence. She needed to clear her head. She stayed within sight of the group, only venturing approximately a hundred feet, or so away from the others. So many questions... kneeling to the ground, she pulled a text from her back. The sacred text of Ardyle. All of those in service of the temple were given one, when they came of age. The book was still pristine, and at one point, held more emotional significance than any of her other possessions. Pulling the tome out, she clasped it tightly to her chest. "Ardyle, my master... I have so many questions. How do I know all of this is right? Am I on the right track?" Bombarding the God with questions, she awaited the answer that would not come. She waited for anything. Any sign. It never came. Thinking back over the course of her life, it occurred to her that she'd never received an answer. Offering a minimum of three prayers a day, since she could understand the concept of prayer, and she hadn't been answered once. Frustration setting in, Cerin returned the tome to her pack. Had she truly expected something different? Cerin had never been taught the meaning of doubt. Up until now, it had been something she'd only read about in books. For why would she question the teachings of the temple? Why should she?


"Ardyle works in mysterious ways." She'd heard that line all too often. Was it true, or was it just an excuse to cover the lack of immediate proof of the God? Tears flowed freely from her eyes. She wept softly, unsure of her past, her present, and her future.

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Key sensed the commotion outside, and to his favour, the Archmage of this guild didn't seem too doped up to process his request. As a Church and Royal official, he had the right to simply demand a transfer, which is exactly what he did. Save money for whenever we need it. He left the house as he was told to wait for a few minutes for the preparations to be done, and he immediately noticed Nakir and Xerith's little argument. They seemed to be in some sort of love-hate thing right now, but it might cause dismay for others of the party to listen to them. He had subconsciously picked up on their entire conversation, and now used magic to return it to his head. He nodded when he heard all of it, and then quickly moved down and in between them. Key was powerful enough over these people to move at speeds they couldn't even see, so it should've looked like he teleported to in between them.


He looked straight forward, at neither of them, and cleared his head for a few seconds, and then began to speak; "Child of Destiny garbage... Do you not have any idea why we are doing this?... The world itself is in decline, and will crumble if WE don't find a way to reunite it with it's other half, but I'm sure you've heard that much already.... So what if I tell you.." He turned away from the entire group and walked a couple steps away. "That this is the last chance. This is the last possible journey, and if we fail it, the world will crumble. And that would be a problem for you, wouldn't it, Nakir? If you become a demi-god, you'll live an eternity in nothing, and rising in strength was your plan, was it not?"


"And heh, pious paladins. None of us here have a very pretty future, so if someone is actually like that, don't worry, it will change. You should both stop comparing your backgrounds, if you don't want to seem like exactly what you claim everyone else is." And with that he walked away. "Ugh, didn't think I'd have to act a kindergarten teacher."


He noticed one of the angels, a girl... Cerin. Having a some sort of mental breakdown or anxiety issue. He contemplated it for a while, and then tapped in to her thoughts. Mindreading was very illegal for anyone but him, as it's a question about personal integrity, but seeing as he actually doesn't care at all about anyone's personal thoughts, the magic was added to him during his construction. He walked up and sat down beside her, on the ground. "Well, Cerin, if you were a god, would you have time to respond to each and every person praying to you? I've meet Ardyle, and he's a pretty cool guy." Well, he was, at least to the point where Key understood what "pretty cool guy" meant. "If he knew he was causing you trouble, I'm sure he'd respond, it's just that not even he can observe all of his followers at once, and that's why we have bishops and the like."

 

[Der Kojote]

Xerith slowly pushed of from the tree looking back after the responses form both Key and and Nakir, as Key left, he gave a quick bow "It seems Key has returned, and with that we should probably depart. by the way, you think that I would like to be you, Utter-nonsense, I just said that I see things as you see them." He began to Walk away though he paused, "Oh and the continuing insults, i'm going to have to come up with something good, you yourself said adapt didn't you...hmmm... Ehh I'll come up with one later, gonna need to shop around a bit. currently the only thing that sticks out in the fact that 5'6" doesn't really seem all that imposing... I think this is going to be a great rivalry of mutual annoyance, we'll pick it up later." and with that Xerith headed back over to the group mostly in the direction of Key.


He walked up to him and said, "yeah, it was childish of me, but after the Beast comment, I figured that my presence would be enough to annoy him. Though, you said kindergarten teacher and I have a request in lieu of that phrase." he motioned to the direction they came from, "You have knowledge we don't. We've barely been outside the monastery, I'm not going into my usual line of complaints, because that probably is tiring for everyone now however... upon being teleported in we had no knowledge and if it wasn't for the map...well we'd be wandering. So, I need to know, cultures, languages, customs, bizarre laws, what to do and not to do, geography and all the like. If you could inform me of all that, that is if you have the time, I'd be appreciative.

 

[Mika Rin]

Fae turned slightly at the commotion between Cerin and Anali. She tensed, ready to leap into action if necessary but then realized the child of destiny was indeed.....laughing. It had been no more than an accident. Fae relaxed and chuckled herself, as the angel frantically apologized. She seemed slightly scattered. But none of the less, Fae glanced back at Kadron who seemed to be in thought now. Her eyes drifted towards Key who had entered again and had gone to once again confront Nakir about something. More racist comments she assumed. She sighed rolling her eyes and turning back to Kadron, dropping her voice slightly.


"So what do you think of our racist angel and our friend Key? Honestly I think he's a been strange...." she muttered referring to Key, her lips pursing together slightly as she continued. "He'll definitely be of help on the journey though, I mean, who knows what he can do huh? But he doesn't seem straight business I mean..." her voice trailed off once again as he looked to see him talking to Cerin. She sighed shaking her head.


"Jeez. Overall, this should be fun huh? Or if anything, interesting to say at the least."


She shifted, putting all her weight on her other foot. Another question burned inside her. She had noticed his eye twitch and curiosity was close to getting the best of her at this point. Fae opened her mouth to ask but after a few seconds, closed it. No, now wasn't the time. She didn't even know him well. Slightly embarrassed, Fae instead decided to cover up for her mistake.


"So uh....this is dumb I know but what's it like to......fly?"


She had sometimes admired them, soaring through the sky, seemingly not a care in the world. Though don't get her wrong, Fae loved the elven race. It was her family. Her home. She felt comfortable there, she knew many people there. But she couldn't help but picture herself being of another fae race sometimes, the different area, maybe even different abilities. Mainly angels is what she admired the most at times. The ability to fly was one she would never be able to experience first hand. She wouldn't be able to feel the wind pushing at her face, the wings on her back, light, carrying her through the sky.


She sighed at such thoughts. "Stupid. You should show more appreciation to your race."

 

[AshenLily]

Startled as the man sat beside her, and spoke of her most private thoughts, she slightly raised an eyebrow. "How did you-- nevermind. It's not important. You say you've met him? I envy you..." pausing for just a moment, she contemplated Key's words. They did make sense. In the temple, she'd known over a hundred Priests, Clerics, and other members of the temple. Suppose they all offer prayers at once? Silently, Cerin resolved to never ascend to Godhood, if ever the situation presented itself. It sounded like a lot of work. Continuing, she added, "I feel like I wasn't prepared for this journey, at all. Everything I've been taught my entire life, is such a tiny view of the world. Now, viewing them in a different light, so many of the temple's teachings contradict themselves. I've been taught blind faith my entire life... quite frankly, I'm sick of blind faith. I want answers..." her voice trailed off, the last sentence more of a thought she'd made aloud to herself, barely audible.


Cerin was a Cleric of Ardyle. That much, she knew. Above all else, no matter her beliefs, or her questions at this point, she'd come too far to just throw it away. Hell, she couldn't even if she wanted to. Her job was to ensure the Children were able to save the worlds, as so many before them had seemingly failed to do. She had no room for her beliefs, or her questions to interfere with that. Resolving to worry about these things at a later time, perhaps a time when the fate of the world wasn't at stake, she turned to Key. "Th-thank you, Key." Though the man(?) seemingly had no emotions, he was kind. The thought seemed to contradict itself, but it was appropriate, given the situation. Studying him briefly, she leaned toward him, and wrapped him in a tight hug, not sure of what his reaction would be, and not particularly caring, either.

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Looking up a Xerith, he responded; "I will tell you, but we don't currently have the time. Instead, I'll explain whenever I feel it's important, or you ask about a specific subject I can get a quick response to." He still thought that this man was a bit childish, and only trying to prove to Key that he was better than the man he just argued with. Currently, neither of them were making good examples of how the Childrens guard were supposed to be. Oh well, that would change eventually. Right now, this seemingly unstable girl was his top priority, so he turned his attention back to Cerin.


"You've meet him? I envy you.." "Don't. He's just like the rest of us... Just more powerful..." He kept looking forward into nothing. "I feel like I wasn't prepared for this journey, at all. Everything I've been taught my entire life, is such a tiny view of the world. Now, viewing them in a different light, so many of the temple's teachings contradict themselves. I've been taught blind faith my entire life... quite frankly, I'm sick of blind faith. I want answers..." He chuckled at this. He had all emotions, they just weren't very strong any of them, and he had asked himself multiple times whether he was made that way, or if there still wasn't anyone skilled enough to create real life. "That's usually the deal with churches. You've been in there your entire life? Not strange then. They usually glorify the gods. They aren't as holy and amazing as anyone claims. Gane is, as a matter of fact, a right asshole, for example."


He looked down at his pale hands. He was getting more and more emotional lately though. He could even feel anxiety. He wasn't sure he liked it, but an increase to his sympathic and empathic abilities could always help with the morale. Every mighty general knew morale was very important. Or well, at least that's what he had printed on the inside of his skull. "Th-thank you, Key." He responded without lifting his head; "No prob-" He was cut off and flinched when she hugged him. His initial reaction was to violently throw her away, but he surpressed it, thinking that injuring the guards definitely wasn't good, and this might help with her mental stability. Instead, he raised his hand and patted her on the back. He didn't really know what to say though, he was equipped with the preliminary knowledge to deal with this. Instead he just waited for her to let go. He kind of enjoyed it, actually, but you'd never get him to admit that.

 

[Seanzah Angel]

Anali watched Cerin as she walked away, obviously consumed by her thoughts. If at all possible she would have provided some helpful advice and insight, but she had none, seeing as Cerin didn't seek her council. All was well, however, as she was also listening to Key's exchange with Nakir and Xerith, and then watched as Key strode over to Cerin. It made her smile, that he would go out of his way to put her at a peace of mind. Even if it did involve him reading her thoughts, which was all too obvious. She had learned a trick or two about it, at least, though she would never try such a thing. She saw it as an invasion of privacy. If Key wanted to, though, then so be it, but she made a mental note to add blocks in her mind.


She was immediately taken aback by Cerin hugging Key. She raised a curious eyebrow, wondering how that came to be. She wasn't one to snoop, but she had never seen someone so eager to give a hug, and someone so tense upon receiving it. She looked away, turning her eyes back to the ant hill at her feet. Two ants were fighting for a small piece of a leaf. Both of them had their pincers clutched on it like their life depended on it. Perhaps they thought they could get worker points for bringing the most leaves.


Smiling, she picked one of the ants up, gingerly and delicately so as not to hurt him. She placed it on her hand, and it bit her. Her eyes widened in surprise and she gasped. She had not expected it. She narrowed her eyes and set the creature back down on the ground, and took another leaf from a few feet away, ripped a piece off, and gave it to the ant. She figured even though it hurt her, it was acting purely out of instinct. Perhaps like a lot of them were. This whole time they've been trained 'fight or flight', and being out here, as one of the chosen, you had to choose fight. She wondered if this was the same for animals. A wolf, hunting a deer, a snake hunting a mouse. The latter creatures choose flight, and that's why they die. But two alpha wolves, both choosing to fight - that's where the interesting part is. Both choose fight, and that's where it becomes unpredictable. Dangerously so, sometimes. Here, they were all alpha wolves, trying to fight for the top of the group. Dangerously unpredictable.

 

[AshenLily]

Cerin felt Key tense up as she hugged him, and nearly let go. However, as she continued to hug him she felt him... relax? Slight, though the feeling was, it pleased her. She hugged him even tighter. Finally releasing him from her embrace, she sat back, only a little. Studying him, she asked a question she'd been wondering of, ever since she'd first heard the rumors. "So, is it true, what they say? You were made?" Common courtesy eluding her, once again, she never considered that the question could potentially be offensive, or a bit too invasive, considering the two barely knew each other. Well, considering she barely knew him. She wasn't sure how much he knew of her, but she imagined it was quite a bit. Nevertheless, she reached up, and placed a quick peck on his cheek. The act was a display of gratitude in the temple of Ardyle, though it didn't occur to her at the time, that the action could bear any other meaning, whatsoever, in the outside world. Leaning around him, she inspected the rest of him. He appeared to be a man, at least on the outside. Could it be true? Not waiting for an answer to her first question, she continued. "What are you made of? Who made you? Why did they make you? And how old are you?" Cocking her head to the side, she scrutinized him. "You don't look very old. Though I suppose that was probably something they took into account when they made you, hmm?" Firing question after question, she leaned forward, once again not understanding the concept of personal space. Their noses nearly touching, she stared into his eyes. "They look like real eyes..."