Take Back the Crown

Oceana simply stepped gracefully past Dorian so they could walk the canyon some.


She was silent for many strides before she let loose what was on her mind.


"I'm just torn between feeling so proud and yet ashamed to be different. And all of these strangers make me nervous." She admitted, eyes widening slightly as she hadn't realized her true feelings until they came tumbling from her mouth.


"I-I mean! That is to say-.." The elf stopped and shook her head, frowning.


She could not cover it up with a lie. Dorian was a master of such things and would see right through her. 


Plus it felt wrong to go back on what she said. Because what she said felt right.


"I have been alone a long time" she said "And for all that time I was content to be alone."


Cerulean eyes turned to regard the group near the fire over one fur-clad shoulder.


The elf sighed.


"Now I'm nae sure what I want."


She turned her step to dodge a scorpion, barely missing an unfortunate sting.


"I cannae trust any of them with my heart and yet I want to be near them.... It has been so long..."


Oceana sucked in a breath, shoulders tense, bracing; her next words were almost physically painful.


"I suddenly feel so out of touch"


" So lonely."


Once again the elf marveled at the ease the familiar brought despite his previous occupation.


No doubt he could kill me with a snap of his fingers.


So why did she trust him out of all people?


Perhaps because he can kill me. What do I have to fear from a man who needs nothing from me; Who would be satisfied with my death when I have faced so much worse?


The raven-haired elf tugged at the edge of her cloak idly, feeling strangely relaxed.


Not only that but I can sense a gentleness in him no matter how hard he tries to hide it.


She smiled over her shoulder at the man and said nothing more.


@L1d1ja
 
Dorian nodded at Oceana's words, staying quiet for a second as he walked besides her. "You wouldn’t believe just how much I can relate to that. My whole life, my only goal was to survive. Besides my brother, I was alone. A lesson was hammered into my head: 'friends are people who you must betray before they betray you'. I was tough that the city guard would kill me on sight, that no-one would knowingly keep an assassin in their midst, unless he was a weapon to be used. And look where I am now, dragged along on a foolish quest by a previous enemy to whom I have tied my mind, soul and magic. Completely out of my element. I still keep on waiting for a knife in my back." He stated, deciding to share a little about himself. A secret for a secret, a story for a story, a word for a word, that was how he dealt. Dorian couldn't help but smile softly and chuckle when he remembered what a mess it was when he first met Garrett, and how everything was now.


@OlKaJa77
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The elf's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the knowledge Garrett and Dorian used to be enemies. They seemed strangely close. Not to mention the special bond between familiar and Mage.


"You and Garrett.. Used to be enemies?" She asked incredulously.


Her eyes narrowed, expecting an admittance of it having been a joke.


@L1d1ja
 
"I'm a thief, assassin and crime lord. Garrett was a soldier, then commander, in the city guard. Do you really think we were best friends?" He chuckled. "His job was to catch and hang me. My job was to make his work a nightmare. When we first met, he shot an arrow through my leg and I said thanks by pushing him off a flight of stairs down a tall watchtower."


@OlKaJa77
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nick jumped a little at the loud voice, looking around for the source.  "Just many of you are there?"  He quickly packed up his stuff into saddlebags on one of two horses (both seemed not only the least bit concerned about the recent explosion, but downright exasperated at Nick's shenanigans).  Nick led them along behind him as he walked beside Lilith.  "It's quite alright, Lilith.  I suppose I'm a bit of a strange fellow.  Nice name, by the way.  I like how it sounds..."  He gave her a kind smile.  As they came into view of the rest of the group, Nick stopped in his tracks and took in the sight.  "That's a lot of different people crammed into a group.  It's a wonder you aren't all at each other's throats."  He jerked his head, causing his goggles to drop over his eyes.  "And that's a lot of magic."  He glanced at Lilith through the goggles, noting a unique energy in her scars.  Necromancy?  Interesting.  He made no comment, unsure on what the current popular attitude on necromancy was... Even he was a little wary of that field of magic, but he made sure that didn't cloud his perception of Lilith as a person.  As he looked at the members of the group, he noticed several unusual lingering energies and traces, some of which he hadn't seen before.  He also made note of the various weapons and armors.  "Ok... Wide assortment of magical abilities, combat preferences, and cultural backgrounds... Gear for traveling, horses and tack for long distance... You're in a hostile, inhospitable desert, and Dorian said you're just passing through.  What are all of you up to?"


@ Anyone I guess.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oceana recoiled a little at the somewhat-accusation.


"Of course nae!" Her accented voice muttered. Another signature shake of the head.


"I certainly donnae think you were close but enemies was certainly a stretch."


But after her initial shock the elf smirked.


"Although this group is full of unlikely allies. I'm nae very surprised you and that mage number among them."


Her smirk grew.


"But what you say cannae be the end of it. There's more to the story than that, breugach."


@L1d1ja
 
"Well, long story short, we only became friends when we both fell down a ravine and had to get out through a cave full of giant spiders. I almost died and tied myself as his familiar only for the ability to teleport away from a cave-in. Didn't kill him afterwards as a thank you." He chuckled. "A hellish few days I'd rather forget. I'm sure you have more interesting stories than that."


@OlKaJa77
 
Oceana merely blinked at Dorian's dismissal of his past with Garrett.


As vain as the familiar might seem he truly did not like talking about himself. The elf nodded and tilted her head a fraction. She figured Dorian was the type to like games. Not chess or skipping rope but rather mind games. And people were the pieces.


Smirking, she decided to play along and answer his indirect suggestion. 


Oceana decided to tell him about her escapades in a small city near the sea.


"I once kicked a noble from a bell tower... Naked." 


The elf chuckled, remembering his bright red face, eyes wide and jowls shaking, right before he went over the balcony with a swift tap of her foot. He was a chunky smear his guards found the next morning, broken and bloody on the cobblestones.


Served the bastard right for trying to force himself on some poor servant.


"Although that's as exciting it gets from me I'm afraid. I'm but a humble hunter." her accented voice intoned with just a smidge of sarcasm.


@L1d1ja
 
"How did you even manage to get into that kind of situation? I guess the noble did something to deserve it, didn"t he? You don't seem like a person who would kill for no reason, and I'm rather sure you're no killer for hire."


Dorian asked, holding back a laugh as he tried to imagine the situation. 


"And hunting's fun. Be it hunting for people or beasts. Nothing beats the thrill of the chase."


He smiled, thinking back on how he used to chase down targets, be it bounding down a forest as a wolf, or just prowling around in shadows, ready to strike and bury blades into someone's back.


 "But that might just be the influence of my animal forms speaking." Dorian added with a shrug.


@OlKaJa77
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nameen merely remained where she stood as Oceana departed before either of them could say any more.  She sat back down, still watching the retreating figure of her elven companion curiously.  


Alone now, and a little ways from the camp, Nameen reopened the book she still clutched.  The night was quiet, but not without the occasional mysterious echo of a desert creature in the distance.  She read with no more distractions, from outside or from her own mind.  


After a relaxing while, Svetlana's summons rang through the corridors of the canyon, causing Nameen to lift her head.  She figured it wasn't for her specifically, but decided it would probably be best if she headed back to the camp.  


Upon returning, Nameen went and found Oceana's things to return the borrowed book.  After placing it among them, she made her way over to a spot directly in front of the glowing fire, ignoring the new stranger.  She pulled her cloak back over her shoulders, orange light reflecting off of her scar and near white skin. 


@/ anyone who wants to approach?
 
Oceana smiled at Dorian. She greatly appreciated his love for his animal forms. 


Rather than a monster, she considered him an inspiration of sorts.


One could not be closer to nature than to be it. To hunt as a wolf. Or fly like a hawk.


"I'm glad you are with us Dorian." She murmured and turned to walk back to the fire.


@L1d1ja
 
Dorian only hummed in agreement and thanks as they walked back towards the camp. "Try not to get too upset with the new guy. He seems to be a bit out of time, so to say. And also rambles like a madman." He warned the elf after a minute of silence. "This group is getting stranger with every person we meet." The familiar chuckled as he looked around at the group. His gaze seemed to unfocus for a second, eyes flashing the same way that animal eyes do when reflecting light during the night, but they soon went back to normal.


@OlKaJa77
 
Lilith smiled and blushed slightly, though it was still noticeable due to her pale skin. "Thank you, very much." She noticed his interest towards the strange group that she had been traveling with. "Ahh, trust me. Right now it my not seem like we're at each others throats, but everyone has had their moments. And it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon." She chuckled to herself. She hasn't been in a quarrel with anyone as of yet, but she's witnessed quite a few. Nick commented on her magic. That made her a little uncomfortable. "I suppose it is... I've honed it since I was young, and practiced many forms of magics." She replied to him, rubbing the scars on her left arm. She was quiet for a moment before responding. "Now I would direct that question toward the Princess or Svetlana. Perhaps you could ask them about it over dinner. It isn't my place to give information as of now. But I don't think it would be a problem, though you should still ask them." She explained. She noticed his two horses and took one of the reins from him. "We should probably leave them with the other horses. Perhaps they'll converse with one another as well, while we eat." She offered, hoping to help a little bit.


@GlytchMeister
 
Oceana scoffed, cerulean eyes rolling.


"This is supposed to endear him to me?" She muttered from her place just in front of Dorian.


Stopping just outside the ring of firelight she stopped to pick up her things.


Reluctantly, she went to go near the fire where the others were fussing over the dog of their new dark elf acquaintance.


As she got closer, hoping to see the animal better, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she nearly let forth a primal hiss.


The thick odor of powerful magic radiated off of the fluffy, little thing; dark and oily with an undercurrent of the sour stench of death.


But she resisted the urge to harass its owner since she seemed fond of it. And the others would jump on the chance to shout her back down again.


That didn't mean she was going to welcome the thing either. Whatever was in there, it was most certainly not a hound. 


She strode quickly to the other side of the fire, as far from the "dog" as she could get. And plopped down in the sand and stared anywhere but at that thing and the crowd of foolish mortals petting it.


@Tater
 
Dorian smirked. "No, it was just a warning in advance." He stated, before also walking off, shifting shapes mid-step. The panther was soon curling up next to Garrett, engaging in silent conversation with the mage.


(If anyone wants to talk to any of them, you can)
 
      While Svetlana got up to greet the newest visitor, Yaroslav finally relaxed enough to lean back and shut his eyes. Hjlamar had his fill of soup and set the bowl down, he found himself playing with the gears of his crossbow out of boredom. Surprisingly, the explosion wasn't all that out of the norm, and though it startled everyone, it was short lived and completely expected. He laughed at how common those events were becoming. Though he quieted as he saw something move in the corner of his eye, a slight whisper in his ear. He whipped his head around to see nothing, just the shadows cast by the fire dancing on the canyon wall. He sighed, this had happened the night before, and it was the reason he couldn't sleep. The mark he had almost forgotten about, thanks to all of the traveling and day full of distractions, began to itch.


      "Did you see something?" He heard Ashlar ask, as the man took a seat by the fire after having gotten up to pester the elf.


      "No." The thief replied, still uncomfortable with this newcomer, "Just a shadow."


      "In my experience, something must cast a shadow for it to be there." He smiled, "It wasn't simply 'nothing'."


      "Maybe it was one of those crawlers you talked about? I don't know."


      "Oh, dear Etheron above, no. Crawlers are big, aggressive, and loud. They make these annoying little clicking sounds when they're close by, and if they're close by, they'll be attacking you. They're such territorial hungry devils, they are." Ashlar objected, "I was talking more about something magical." He said, "Something... darker."


      Hjalmar just looked at him, "As I said, it was just a shadow." He retorted, and that would be the end of it. The man was odd, saying strange things, like he knew something more then he let on.


      Maybe Ashlar was right, ever since Hjalmar received the mark, he had been seeing things and hearing things. But the thought that a daemon or some other evil dark force was causing hallucinations was unsettling, and he was trying not to dwell on it. So he simply went back to focusing on his crossbow and trying to ignore the pulsing sting of the mark under his sleeve... and trying to ignore Ashlar's stare. It was almost as if the man was trying to peer into his mind with his eyes.


@ anyone and everyone (sorry I don't have anything better to write, I've been on vaca and I can't really think of anything better right nOW)
​
 
While silently chatting with Garrett, Dorian kept looking around at the other people around him. It did not take long for him to spot Hjalmar and Ashlar, the thief obviously unsettled by the other's presence. Normally the familiar would not intervene, but he always tried to help fellow thieves, and he somehow was ticked off by Ashlar, so telling the guy off would be a bonus.


Shifting back to human, he strode towards the two.


"Hey, Hjalmar, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked in his friendliest tone all while shooting Ashlar the awkward yet goodnatured 'could you please go away I'm having a conversation' smile people often did without noticing, hoping that the guy would take a hint and go away.


@Lo Alyssa
 
Nick smiled reassuringly at Lilith and spoke quietly.  "Not to worry.  I'm a little nervous about necromancy, but not about you because of your choice to pursue it."  He raised his goggles again as she took a moment.  "Trust me, I'm the last person you need to worry about.  I might want to watch you at some point.  Necromancy is a little difficult for someone like me to study... What with the conspicuous lack of necromancers..."  He suddenly brightened.  "You might find this interesting... You ever heard of the Black Grimoire?  I have a fairly ancient copy of it in my tower in the highlands.  Not sure what you people call the mountain ranges nowadays."
Nick let Lilith take one of the reins and walked beside her as they led his horses to the pen where the others were.  "Thanks.  And they probably will.  Horses are almost as social as wolves... Not nearly as outgoing as birds, though."  He chuckled slightly.  "These two probably have plenty of stories to tell."
The horse Nick was leading tossed it's head slightly and nickered.  The other one gave a rather exasperated sigh.


"I'm sure there have been conflicts here and there.  That's just how things go... wait."  He blinked several times and turned to face Lilith.  "Did you say princess?"  He looked back at the group, dropping his goggles again.  "Who?  The white-haired lass?  She certainly has some sort of hereditary magic.  There are some strange magics floating around these people.  It almost looks like an artifact residue, but it's much too strong..."  He looked back at Lilith and stumbled back - the magnification made her appear much, much closer than he was expecting.  "Gah-oh... Ahem... Whoops."  He raised his goggles and smiled a little awkwardly before noticing a little old lady with purple scales on either side of her face approaching as the two returned to the main group.  "Hello, ma'am.  Sorry about the explosion," he extended a hand out to her before continuing, "I'm Nick.  Thanks for inviting me over."


@Queen of Fantasy @Lo Alyssa
 
Last edited by a moderator:
      Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Hjalmar stood up at the familiars request, perhaps a little too fast. It was probably painfully obvious to the stranger-guide that he was anxious to exit their conversation. The man returned the odd stare to Dorian before lifting his hands defensively and scooting over a bit, closer to the fire.


      Internally grateful for Dorian's help, voluntary or no, he flashed him a smile, "Uh- what did you need?" The thief asked, taking a step away from the fire, far enough away that Ashlar would hopefully not be eavesdropping for entertainment.



 
​


      "Not a problem, dear." The old woman said with a friendly smile, "I've caused numerous explosions in my long life time, nothing to fret over. It just startled us a bit, that is all." She waved for the man to come sit down next to her, "Now, I'd wager you have quite the appetite after traveling the hot desert, help yourself." She added, handing him a clean wooden bowl to scoop up the broth, "What would your name be, young man?"

 
Dorian almost laughed at how fast Hjalmar too the chance to get away from Ashlar.


"Nothing in particular. It just looked like you needed an excuse to step out of an awkward situation." Dorian answered, speaking low enough for Ashlar not to hear. "And because I am supposed to be holding some kind of conversation here; nice crossbow. How accurate can you shoot with it?" He added.


@Lo Alyssa
 
      "Well, it's appreciated. Can't put my finger on it, but he gives me the creeps. He acts like he knows more then he's letting on, I just don't know what." Hjalmar said, glancing back at the man who was already engaging in a conversation with someone else- more like intruding.


      At the follow up question, Hjalmar laughed, "What? This old thing?" He unhooked it from his back and turned it over, "It's a piece of junk, but decent enough I suppose. My ma helped me build it, so I suppose it has sentimental value. It's stronger than a bow, lets me pierce through most thick armor." He added, "I say most because there were a couple times that didn't work." He shuddered, "Those were some sticky situations. Word of advice, don't mess with Mage Paladins." He chuckled, "But yeah, I've not missed a target since I was young, I think I'll keep it around for awhile longer."


      He returned it to its rightful place on his back, and sat on a rock not too far away, "And you? I assume you use magic to do your dirty work, eh? Oh, the things I'd do if I could use magic." He mused, thinking of some of the tricks his mother had used against adversaries.

 
"No, not really. I prefer to do my work the old fashioned way: with knives and bows. Couldn't really use magic until a few years ago, and now I'm more used to normal weapons. Plus it's never good to be dependant on it, because it might just dissapear in some situations." Dorian answered. "But I do admit it is useful."


@Lo Alyssa
 
Cass moved quietly away from the campfire, glad the explosion had distracted the others before she had to explain why she could not consume soup. She moved off to the side as people went to investigate, and when they returned she watched the new man. She heard him comment on the looks of peoples magics from where she was tucked away and flinched badly, before turning to move a short way on into the canyon. She hoped that her disguise would hold, but if her aura was unmasked it could cause issues. Around a corner away from the main group she leaned back against the canyon's stone walls and relaxed. She stood there humming an old tune that came to her mind. She recognized it as not a memory of her own, but for once she went with it, humming an eerie ancient tune as she stared up at the stars.

Not really an interactive post, mostly just a placement post as I have not posted in far far too long. If someone would like to interact they are welcome to, but I am also fine with nothing further happening with her until departure. If someone should feel inclined be aware I may be falling asleep soon, whether I intend to or not.
 
Aggie looked down to Pip, who had curled up in her lap and decided to call it a night. Stroking one of his ears, he looked up to Bo and the other that surrounded her,"So what made you decide to go on an adventure like this?" her silver eyes flicked to her companions, curiosity flicking through them. 


Pip's ear flicked a little and a single eye opened. ' They probably want the magic all to themselves, Aggie. I want that thing. I can feel it from here. Imagine how powerful I can-... we can be with that. We want it.' 


Aggie brushed her palm over her pet's eyes, shushing his thoughts to her. 'No we don't.'
 
At this point, Bo had been asked the question so many times he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to give a serious answer, a semi-serious one, or the one that would be easiest to tell. 


"Adventure." Well, dammit, that wasn't what he wanted to say. "And I hope that, by being a part of this, I'll be doing something really good for the world. I want to make things better if I can, even if our chances of doing so are discouragingly slim." 


Phew. There, a mix of both (although, the whole thing really was honest).


@Tater
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Back
Top