Blood and Tears of Tamrill (PeaceFu1 & Dani_Elle)

[PeaceFu1]

Tamrill was once the land of wondrous technology and huge sprawling mega cities, giant spires with pulsing blue crystal tips generating the impenetrable light walls that surrounded these cities. The humans that occupied these cities living content behind their light walls, malicious corporations ripping apart the lands and sea with huge mechanized machinery. Wars and fighting ran rampant, many innocents losing their lives during the conflicts.


That had all come to an end when nature fought back against the human plague. The day of blood and tears, the day the ground shook violently a loud rumbling rolling through the entire planet. It lasted only a matter of minutes before the ground gave way. Large roots and vines burst forth from the ground crushing most of civilization and covering the domed cities forever sealing the humans who lived there inside.


Small numbers of humans survived the ordeal, beginning their life in an entirely new world. Huge forests now covered most of the lands, their fight for survival had just began.


_________________________________________________________________


A New World


Centuries past in the lands of Tamrill, human settlements popping up across the lands. Hardened survivors building new lives for themselves. With time came clarity and peace, the forests having returned to their deep slumber. Humans weren't the only ones to survive the day of blood and tears, beasts now roamed the lands threatening the lives of those who did not live behind fortified settlements or the remnants of light walls.


We begin our story in one such settlement, Gaurm. Built upon the ruins of old technology and protected by the remnants of a light wall, it is a small sprawling town. The buildings were made of scrap pieces of metal salvaged over the years, aside from small trinkets and a bit of technology here and there the town would seem rather old fashioned.


There was a large market at it's center where townsfolk and traders from smaller villages converged to show their goods. The market was surrounded by shacks and homes for the residing villagers. Slightly to the north of the village sat an old stone temple, in it's center sat the light wall core. The strange objected seemed misplaced with it's large cylindrical metal canister which held the glowing blue orb. Connected to the canister were large cables which pulled forth energy to convert into the light wall.


The only way in and out of the city was a cave made of roots that exited not far from the light wall. At it's entrance was a wood and metal gate, where a single soldier sat and kept watch, allowing merchants and travelers passage.

 

[PeaceFu1]

It was dark, eerily quiet, a small red light blinked lighting up the small cylindrical pod. A mass of wires and computer units surrounded a man clad in strange armor. Suddenly a cracked screen mounted to the left turned on, dimly at first eventually brightening a luminescent glow pouring through the cramped pod. Revitalization Sequence Initiated... 1%...34%....68%....81%.....99%..... Awakening subject 337.... Vitals stable...Process complete, displayed the small screen right before the pod seemed to power up.


Inside of the strange armor the man stirred, slowly opening his eyes. A three dimensional display came up inside of his helmet forcing him to squint at the soft blue display. Slowly he reached up knocking against his helmet, he gave it a good smack and it opened wide. He took a deep breath as he oriented himself softly shaking his head. His long purple hair was in a pony tail that was neatly tucked into his suit, his silver eyes probing the inside of the pod.


"My head is killing me..." He said as he reached above his head flipping a few switches on a control panel, before he pressed a large green button. The walls of the pod began to line with deep blue light before it reached a pinnacle above his head each line meeting a clear orb at the center of the ceiling, it quickly became the same dark blue. The trace of a smile crossed his lips, "Aria, system status."


"Systems running at eighty four percent efficency, sir." Came a lovely feminine voice responding to his statement. He turned his head as he attempted to adjusted in the cramped quarters. "Fair enough, Aria, what are the scans outside reading?" He said as he looked at the cracked screen near his head. "My scans indicated a clean atmosphere, sir" said the female voice as the screen displayed a bunch of numbers, and symbols before coming to a stop. "So the oxygen level is actually increased, that means the atmosphere must have change drastically. Aria, how long have I been out?"


"You have been in stasis for nearly six hundred years, sir." Said Aria as he tapped on a small keypad on the wall to his right. "My my, it has been a long time. Aria open main shutter." He said as a series of beeps alerted him before the metal shutter rose up revealing a medium sized window. As the sun light poured in he almost choked. Before him stretched a completely foreign landscape, giant trees, multi-colored plants, off to the left he could make out the beginnings of a large pool of water. Straight ahead the forest dropped down into a deep valley stretching out for miles.


"Aria, open main doors." He ordered the computer, the sounds of air locks breaking as the pod depressurized. Slowly the old door lifted upwards forcing vines out of it's way. The man pulled himself forward grabbing onto the edges of the opening. He placed a foot on the edge as he leaned out of the pod taking his first breath of fresh air in six hundred years. He noticed almost instantly that the air around the pod smelt sweet. There were also sounds of birds chirping high above in the tree tops that towered over him.


He sat at the edge of the pod for quite a while as he took in his surroundings, looking up he noticed that his pod was half buried in the trunk of a large tree, roots and vines having almost completely overtaken it. "Well this looks to be interesting."

 

[Dani_Elle]

Neela pressed her lips together in a firm line, staring off into the cave with a determined expression. It was darker in the cave, casting shadows along all the cracks and crevices of the roots. She was hidden behind a large black root that wound along the outer edge of the cave. Her hair was tucked into the hood of her brown coat, hiding her turquoise locks from the eyes of the guard. Blue eyes peered around, taking in the tangled mess of roots and vines. Some would almost call it beautiful.


A shallow path had been made along the base of the cave where wagons and caravans had worn out the roots when they traveled. The cave wasn't traveled very often... But around two forty-five every day one wagon would come through. It was a family of three, a father, mother, and a young boy around the age of seven. They went out every day, gathered fruit from trees nearby, and then came back. It was a simple task really... So long as they could keep away from the creatures that also liked fruit.


Currently it was around... two thirty-ish. Giving Neela a few minutes to sit and think...


Gaurm was such a boring place sometimes, nothing was ever new or different. Neela liked new and different things. It gave one a chance to discover the world. And that is what she planned on doing.


Some supplies were waiting outside the gates, things Neela had managed to sneak over and store. The hiding place for them was amazing actually... There was large split boulder not far into the woods, giving Neela the perfect place to wedge some items. There she had hidden a sack and a bow. The sack contained fruit, bread, home made arrows, bandages, a thin coat, and the most essential item, water. Just a few more items and she would be ready to roam.


Neela glanced around, her lips turning downward into a slight frown. The wagon should be arriving already... Turning she looked over at the guard, biting lightly onto her bottom lip. She had never tried to talk to him before... Maybe she could use her charm and get him to let her out... Ah, if only that would work. She shifted her torso slightly, getting ready to some out of her hiding place when she heard something. The squeaky sound of wheels turning... A grin spread across her lips, Neela peeking around the root to see what was coming. It was the wagon. Right on time.


The wagon was a simple one, wide bed in the bad, thin bench in the front. It was a basic cargo wagon. The man and his wife sat on either side of the bench, the young boy between them. Two crudely made wooden spears were laying in the back, either for protection or getting the fruit she didn't know. Six large wooden crates where in the back, there to separate the various fruit they gathered. All Neela had to do was jump onto the wagon and hide under a crate... Easier said than done.


She shifted out of her hiding spot, staying hidden in the shadows until the wagon passed. It was going at a slow pace, making it relatively easy to get on. But the tricky part was staying low enough the guard wouldn't notice and still enough the family wouldn't feel the movement of the wagon. Once again she maneuvered herself under a crate, staying to the back left side so it was easier to get out.


They passed by the guard easily, the man glancing up once to see who it was before he let them pass. Like mentioned before, they came by every day.


The wagon jerked slightly as they came to a stop, waiting as the gate was opened. Gears churned and pressed against each other, opening the gate slowly. Once it was open enough for only the wagon to fit through, the guard stopped opening it. The wagon trudged on, jerking again as they moved on through. The ride was bumpy, but Neela could breath again knowing that she had made it out once again.


Once they were a safe distance away she lifted the crate and slid out from under it, glancing up to the family before she slid off the wagon. Her departure went unnoticed... Standing up straight she looked around and then turned to her left, heading off into the woods.

 

[PeaceFu1]

He took in his surroundings for quite a while, his eyes adjusting to the light. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he turned leaning back into the pod. Reaching forward he tapped a few buttons on a keypad off to his right. "Alright Aria, lets see what we've got." A rectangular shutter rose up next to the keypad revealing a few items each held on a small shelf.


The first item was a the size of a small marble, green in color with hues of purple. He took it up in his right hand turning over his left hand. There was a slot large enough for the stone and he gently clicked it into place. Almost immediately it began to glow giving off a soft yellow aura before it dimmed again. "Oh that is beautiful," he said his eyes moving to the next item in the small locker.


It was a small cylindrical rod, about a foot long with finger grips molded into the handle. In it's base sat another marble sized stone, dark blue in color with flecks of bright red throughout. He picked it up rolling his fingers across the finger grips, perfect fit. With a quick motion he locked the handle into place behind his right shoulder.


On the bottom shelf sat a tiny canister, he grabbed it flipping open the hinged pressurized lid. Inside the canister was empty, he nearly laughed out loud as he tossed it to the side. So I'm six hundred years in the future, the world seems to have terraformed itself, and all I the Company gives me is this? This doesn't surprise me. He thought to himself as he spun back around facing back outside. "Well, shall we Aria." He said as he raised jumped forward several yards falling quite a ways before he hit the ground below with a soft thud, knees bending to absorb the impact.


He straightened looking around, "Aria, do a pulse scan and see if there are any lifeforms nearby." A series of beeps resounded from the com system in his suit before Aria replied. "Sir, I'm picking up a few minor lifeforms, nothing larger than small reptiles of unknown origin."

 

[Dani_Elle]

The leaves softly crunched under her feet, leaving behind shatters and fragments. The sun shone through the branches to cast a golden light over everything. Birds sang above her, serenading the forest in a melody. Something shuffled beside her foot, causing her to look down at the small creature. A dark brown lizard scurried out from under a fallen branch and up the tree.


Reaching up Neela pushed back her hood, allowing her turquoise tresses to fall down her shoulders and back. She walked on through the forest, taking her steps slowly. Silence was her friend when she was out here. If she was quiet she could hear things coming.


It didn't take to long to get to the boulder, Neela looking over the gray stone before she reached into the crack. Her hand wrapped around a thin leather strap and she pulled, tugging she sack from the stone. It was a light brown color, dark brown threads holding the pieces together. The sack had only one pocket, a small flap on the top to keep it closed. Feathers from the arrows stuck out the top, ready for use. She pulled the strap onto her shoulder, letting the bag hang as she reached in for the bow. It was made from a tree, split and carved into just the right length. The sinew that ran from length to length hadn't been made by Neela, but bought from a merchant in town. She pulled the bow over her head and shoulder, making sure it was secure before she started off into the woods.


So far she had traveled about three miles in each direction, but today she wanted to expand her limit. She had no disturbances or strange sightings so the walk was silent and peaceful. Neela had always enjoyed walking around the woods, it made her feel alive and free. Walking the three miles was easy now that she knew where she was supposed to be going.


She came to the edge of a lake, pausing for a brief moment. Orange and blue fish swam under the crystal clear surface. Following invisible patterns in the water. She crouched down, brushing her fingers over the top of the water. Ripples spread over the surface, disturbing the cycle the fish were traveling in. Reaching up she pulled her bow off and set it down beside her before she sat down. Pulling the pack off her shoulder she set it in her lap and opened it, pulling out the bread.

 

[PeaceFu1]

"I guess my first mission should be to find some kind of shelter and some drinkable water." He turned too his left setting his eyes on the beginnings of the large pool of water. A smile crossed his lips as he began to make his way, the streams of light piercing the dense tree tops played off the multicolored plants making the landscape before him seem almost painted.


He wasn't really silent as he moved through the thick underbrush, however as he neared the large lake the foliage seemed to think out completely giving way to mossy ground until the waters edge. Slowly he approached the water, the lake was rather large stretching for quite a way. It's surface was crystal clear, the bottom visible even several hundred yards out. A plethora of vibrantly colorful fish swam around, some of them looking quite large. He knelt down cupping his hands together as he submerged them not even bothering to ask Aria to check. He raised his hands to his lips drinking from the cupped water, this is delicious! These plants must filter the water making it this pure.


He lifted his vision pouring the rest of the water back into the lake. Quite a distance across the lake a young girl emerged, he noted the turquoise color of her hair first. "My my, what do we have here?" He said to himself as he slowly backed out of view taking up a position behind a large root. He flipped down the hood of his helmet bringing back up his three dimensional display. "Aria, get me a reading on her."


As Aria scanned the young girl he zoomed in bringing her more into focus. Colors outlined her body in quick succession, reading many things about her before a large spinning circle locked onto her. "Sir, she is human. No abnormalities or mutations detected." Aria replied over the com system.


"Lets get a closer look shall we?" And with that the panels of his suit soon became completely see through eventually making him invisible. Quickly he moved circling around the lake side, moving as quietly as he could. As he neared her he slowed his movements moving to a tree several yards behind her. It's trunk was huge nearly twenty feet in diameter, it's huge roots covered in moss. He took a step forward making to move around behind one of it's roots but a loud crack resounded as a branch beneath his foot snapped. Even being invisible he still stopped dead in his tracks.

 

[Dani_Elle]

The bread had a soft, sweet savor to it, making it delicious. She only ate a bit of the bread and then put it back in her bag. Reaching down she pulled a crumb off her shirt, moving her hand to the side as if to toss it then stopped. "Here," She stated quietly, holding her hand over the water. Dropping the crumb she watched as it sank down into the water until it was swallowed by a bright yellow fish. Smiling lightly she sat back again, watching the fish as they swam around.


Her smile sank lightly, turning into an emotionless expression. Neela almost felt sorry for the fish. Being stuck in one place for so long, doing the same thing over and over... It seemed like some of the people back in Gaurm. The baker came out of his hut, flipped around his sign, went back in, measured the flour and started baking... Every single day it was the same thing. That's why Neela couldn't stay. She couldn't stand watching the never ending cycle of things. If something was different it was on a special occasion, never a regular day. Maybe if she managed to get into some trouble things would change.


With a light sigh she leaned back on her hands, looking over the lake and then up to the sky. It was a beautiful shade of blue, contrasting greatly against the greens of the forest. Leaning her head back she closed her eyes, soaking up the caressing warmth of the sun. It was amazing... Peaceful, Clean, Refreshing... Everything Neela ha-


A sound cut through her thoughts, causing her to act on instinct. Her hand wrapped around an arrow, pulling it from the sack as her other lifted the bow. She was on her feet in an instant, bow and arrow raised and aimed at the woods. Something was out there. And she didn't plan on letting it get any closer.


Only one step, but it hadn't lightly stepped on a branch. So it was big... But not an animal. Animals weren't smart enough to only make one sound... And they didn't hide... Somebody. Had they followed her? Was it the guards come to get her and take her back?


"Who's there?" She called, her voice stern and sharp. Her blue eyes prodded at the woods, searching for anything out of the ordinary. The wind rustled through the trees, picking up Neela's turquoise locks as it passed by. Bringing the bow up she looked down the length of the arrow, searching for something... Anything.

 

[PeaceFu1]

Damius moved off to her left circling away from where she was aiming silently. "I mean you no harm, so just lower your weapon. I am going to reveal myself try not to be startled." He said as his suit uncloaked itself revealing it to her. He must have been quiet a sight in this environment. Covered from head to toe in a red and silver metal suit, an armor of times long past.


He noted her movements and how quickly she had turned in his direction. That took skill and years of practice to hone such swift actions. She was certainly intriguing. He reached up and tapped on his helmet causing the faceplate to open, a wide smile on his face.


"I know I must seem strange to you, though all of this is strange to me." He said gesturing to the environment around them. "You may call me Damius, may I ask your name?"

 

[Dani_Elle]

Neela swiveled around to where his voice was, aiming the bow right at his head. Her heart started pounding, fear gripping her as he revealed himself. Like she would trust someone that just appeared out of nowhere. He was a stranger, and Neela had been taught as a child to avoid strangers.


His suit was strange, something Neela had only seen in the history books. Was he from the past? There had been rumors of someone surviving. But no one had dared go searching.


As his face plate opened she readied the bow, waiting for something strange to emerge... He was human... She slowly lowered her bow, eyes moving over his suit. Smiling... He was actually smiling. It looked sincere and real. Everyone she had ever seen had these fake smiles plastered onto their faces.


When Damius gestured to the environment she tensed, still unsure about this person. "Where did you come from? I haven't seen armor such as yours in a long time." Neela didn't answer his question about her name right away, waiting a few moments.


Could she trust him? Would he just end up killing her? Or was he someone she could trust and talk to?


"Neela," She answered, lowering her bow completely. Her hands remained holding it though, still ready if the need arose.

 

[PeaceFu1]

"It is a pleasure to meet you Neela. From what I know I've been in stasis for almost six hundred years." He said as he eyes her. She still held the bow ready to fire off an arrow at him should the need arise. Her body language spoke worlds about her, not much lost on him. "But I'm from earth, well, old earth anyway. Back before it became this."


He clenched his left fist the stone giving off its yellow aura. Slowly at first small octagons formed traced in blue light all around his suit, each bit disappearing one of the other until he stood before her in a slim black and red jumpsuit, leaving only a small metal band around his wrist, the stone still visible underneath.


"That's better I suppose. So Neela, why are you alone out here?" He said as he moved past her towards the waters edge. Several fish swimming close to the bank waiting for more break crumbs.

 

[Dani_Elle]

Six hundred years, that was a very long time. He was from history! Neela watched him, her eyes widening as his suit disappeared. Wow! She had never seen anything quite like that before... This man was very strange, to say the least.


"It's peaceful. And no one else dare come through the cave. Unless they're traveling. Or just plain stupid..." A small smirk came to her lips, Neela realizing that she had basically just called herself stupid. Ah, no matter.


She stepped back, tensing slightly as he came toward her... And then to the water. Turning she watched him, her eyes moving over his suit again. That was still so strange.


"What was the old earth like?" She asked as she sat down, setting her bow beside her. If he was going to kill her then let it be... Neela didn't have anything else to stay around for.