Fantasy ~The Lords of the Magistone~

[Pequeno Burraidh]

Seeing the commotion Helia watched for a couple moments before running towards a patch of dirt. Once there she emptied the skein she held from earlier onto the dusty patch and watched as it turned to mud. Happy with her result, the woman rolled about in the patch of mud, thoroughly coating most of her body and clothes.


Upon standing, there wasn't a single part of Helia that didn't match the rocks in texture or hue.


Using a pair of microbursts, Helia launched herself across the valley and in just the right place that when she turned around she'd look like she was not part of any group. If anything she looked like she'd been drug through the desert during a rainstorm.


Satisfied with her location Helia sat against the wall and watched, nearly invisibly, as the trio talked.


The enemy would have to pray to whatever devils they believed in if there was to be conflict later, because with the set-up, not even their gods would be able to save them. Not with Helia recovered as much as she was.

 

[SkyGinge]

Finally, the man stopped his bizarre scrambling circle and withdrew on a fit of gleeful laughter, confirming Skyre's suspicions that he did somehow gain enjoyment from the action. "Oh, that was splendid fun, nyes!" he chirped, clapping his hands together and bouncing from foot to foot. "It's been a long time since I'e seen anybody living and so I had to capitalise on that fact and make a fun interrogation, oh nyes indeedy! Thank you, friends, for the fun you have given me, nyes."


"You're quite welcome, sir," Skyre spoke up, "and perhaps as payment for that you could offer us a name?"


"Oh nyes, how rude of me to forget introductions, oh my!" the man shook his head in dismay. "What a well mannered young boy, indeedy! I am Pashan, one of the three Lords of the Shadow King's Council."


"Honoured to make your acquaintance," Skyre managed a restrained bow, "I suppose you were out looking for survivors."


"Oh, no no no. Nonono nono, nonono no no no, no. No!" Pashan shook his head incredulously with each no, then stopping and thinking. "Erm... Yes, actually." Suddenly nervous, the man scanned around, almost as if he were chasing a non-existent tail. "But I am rather busy, so I must take my leave, nyes!" And as quickly as he had arrived, Pashan scampered off in the opposite direction, his Shadow Warriors flanking him along.


Frowning, Skyre was left very confused by their encounter. What on Valia had the man been playing at? And why had he let them go? He turned to Ari, dumbfounded, and raised both arms into the air. "Well, that was bizarre."

 

[PicaPirate]

Warren watched the whole event with curious eyes. Once the enemy was out of earshot, Warren called over:"What ain't bizarre lad is some people here are hungry and unconscious! I say we get to camp and fill us with some food!" Warren proceeded to walk the rest of the cliff face to the end, now not worried about not being seen.


He put his arm he used to keep him straight under Desiree, carrying her with two arms again. Warren awaited for Skyre to come back up and lead them to camp, which was right now what everyone needed.


Tapatalk is for scrubs. I use Tapatalk. Why are you talking to this scrub?

 

[SkyGinge]

Skyre was a little annoyed at the way Warren brushed off their little incident like a dead insect from his cloak; he hadn't been down there to realise its sick oddity. But he did concede that the muscle man was right; they did need to find a camp quickly and settle down, allowing themselves time to hunt. It was a little bit of a sudden drop back into reality for him, a ladder out of the confusing strangeness that they had just encountered.


"Yes, you're right, lets continue on our way to a new camp," Skyre called back, turning to Ari. "I'm going to use the last of my wind magic to boost us back up there. I'm so sorry for what just happened to us, and I hope that's the last we see of him, though I expect that it may well not be the case." Skyre could have used his last drops of magic energy in a number of different ways, some more intimate than others, but wanted no confusion over his affections; he span his arms in quick succession and created a swirling spiral of air that would take them back up to the cliff top. "Ladies first!" he gesticulated with a grin.

 

[Cookie]

Ari had placed one finger on her mouth thoughtfully upon Pashan's strange departure. She removed it, opening her mouth to say something, but she was at a loss for words. Her hand went back to its bewildered position and she simply shrugged at Skyre's initial remark of the encounter.


"Well, good riddance. I don't think I could have stood his smell much longer." Ari shook her head, smiling. "I suppose then that Shadow Warriors don't have noses. Perhaps that's why he joined the Shadow King's ranks." She thought for a moment on what she'd just said. "But I don't understand what use the Shadow King would have for a man like that. A council member, he said? Maybe we don't have as much to fear from the Shadow King as we originally thought." Ari knew it was a wistful assumption, but it gave her some comfort.


She heard Warren shouting from their position up above. It was a good thing that Pashan and his battalion were out of earshot; the shouting could have changed their encounter drastically. But for now, food and camp sounded like a good deal. Ari turned towards Skyre, stepping casually onto the air column.


"Shall we go?"

 

[SkyGinge]

"Sadly, I can't share in your hopefulness," Skyre smiled wryly as he stepped into the column and the pair rose to the cliff face above. "I have a sneaking suspicion that there's something especially nasty lurking deep beyond those glasses. After all, we know how dangerous the Shadow King was, and like you say, Pashan must have been spared for a reason. I only hope that we never et the chance to find out." Waiting for everybody to file through from the steep cliff, Skyre resumed their journey through the mountains.


/////////


Half an hour later, the group had escaped the mountains and reemerged into flatter forest land. Skyre had wanted to travel further, but everybody was beginning to grow tired, and they needed to leave time for hunting, this the young magician stopped them to set up camp in the middle of a small clearing amid the trees, about half the size of the previous clearing. "This is it. Our camp for the night. Everybody who is injured should stay at camp, but everybody who is still fit should hunt in the near vicinity. Cheers."


As the group piled into the cosy clearing, Skyre watched Warren carefully to ensure that Desiree was laid down carefully. He had intended to join the hunters but, having realised that she had exhausted herself once again, thought it best to watch over her. He thought back to the words on protection he had given her earlier that day, and realised that he had to live up to them. So, whilst some of the other hunters went further affixed, Skyre hopped up into a tree and, wind magic slowly returning, decided to try and catch and hunt birds whilst watching over the sleeping Desiree. He intended to provide her with a good meal.


///////////


CONDITIONAL POSTING is now Active





(RPers are free to start conversations with each other's characters and hunters may cover the events if their hunt, but you may go no further than the cooking of the meal.)

 

[Shura]

The bolder had startled Rusar but she had some sense of satisfaction watching the rattish man dance around trying not to get hit. She kept her hand on her quiver ready to draw the whole time Skyre and Ari were being inspected by the man she was grateful to not have been spotted for there was a high possibility that she would not have kept her temper. Instead she stayed crouched and watching the events ready to draw should thing turn south for the pair. Part of her wanted something to happen to give her a reason to shoot the scrawny man but none came. Even as the army continued its march into the distance she watched anger still burning until Warren spoke up and broke her trance. She glanced at the army once more before silently following down the cliff trying to refocus her mind on making sure she didn't slip or hurt herself.


Rusar was grateful when they cleared the mountains and were back on flatter land, by the time they reached the clearing her temper had cooled significantly but she could feel some lingering like glowing embers. Hunting was probably the best therapy at the moment but she decided help set up camp and start a small fire first since she still had some rabbit meat left along with the catches from earlier in the day.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree woke. She last recalled hanging on to Warren's strong arm and then stumbling ...? And now she was lying amongst some maple trees around a small campsite. She sat up on her elbows and tried to make sense of it all.


Several of the party were resting and re-dressing their wounds. The others, she wasn't really sure where they were. A small, cheery fire had been lit which did little to warm the emptiness that she still felt inside.


Cold wasn't the only feeling inside. She was hollow and weak. She needed to eat, soon, or Shadow King or not, she would die. On unsteady legs, she rose and crossed to the fire. "Where are we?" she asked with a feeble, exhausted voice. "Where's Skyre?"

 

[Shura]

Rusar put what raw rabbit was left to cook to get something going while hunting was going on. She noticed Desiree wake up and stumble her way over to the fire. "At least she didn't wake up screaming." She smirked slightly stabbing the meat threw with a stick before setting it next to the fire to cook. "We 're about half an hour away from the mountains give or take." She replied before pointing up into the tree Skyre had flown into. "He's up there."

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree completely ignored Rusar once she saw the rabbit on the skewer. Her eyes glazed over and focused on the meat. Cooked or no, she reached for it.

 

[Shura]

Rusar blinked when she saw the girl completely zone out and reach for one of the sticks. "Hey wait!" she grabbed her hand before she could burn her self. "I don't think you'd want that unless you like blisters." She warned before digging through her pack and pulling out the last bit of dried meat she had. "Here this might would better." She offered not wanting to deal with someone complaining about being burned. It wasn't pleasant, nor did it heal quickly.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree looked at Rusar with glazed eyes, but at the sight of the dried meat, she snatched it from her hand and wolfed it down without even a thank you. Within seconds, it was gone – so fast there was no way she could have tasted it.


She looked back at Rusar. "Is there anything more?" Desiree's eyes pleaded with her. "Please, I haven't eaten in days."

 

[Shura]

Rusar was surprised when Desi nearly inhaled the food and was surprised the girl didn't choke. She'd never seen anyone eat that fast. She was reminded that not everyone was as lucky as she was and knew how to hunt and collect food from the wild. She felt bad that she didn't have anything else that was edible and shook her head. "No... but if your patient there will be." She replied before pulling out her kills and supplies from earlier and started to do the same as before, this time it would be more difficult since quite a bit of time had passed already. Still meat was meat and the group needed all they could get.

 

[Kharmin]

Patient? Desiree was too hungry to be patient and now that she'd had something to eat, her body screamed for more. Who has time to be patient?


The crazed, starving look in her eyes diminished as reality weighed in. "I, ah, thanks," she said to Rusar. "I appreciate whatever you can spare."


She took another look around the camp. "So, where are we?" she asked again. "And where's Skyre?"

 

[Shura]

Rusar paused in her work and just stared at Desi for a moment. Did she imagine answering the questions or did she imagine it? Perhaps the girls hunger had just messed with her head? Rusar shook herself out of her confusion and sighed. "We're about half an hour away from the mountains give or take." She replied once more before pointing up into the tree Skyre had flown into. "He's up there."

 

[Effervescent]

Rederik was uneasy by the exchange that happened below. He kept Skyre and Ari within his line of sight while also keeping out of the strange man's. Questions arose in his mind and churned as they returned unharmed. As usual, he remained quiet during their journey to their next campsite.


Fatigue had finally caught up with him. The path led by Skyre had visibly strained him, his brows knit together in both pain and stress. He had every intention to press on for a hunt once they arrived, but his breathing had become ragged again. When they finally stopped, he nearly collapsed on the spot for a bit of rest.


Rederik followed Narayan to a thick tree and found a suitable place to rest nestled between its roots. Naraya yawned mimicking Rederik's own. The initial inhale caused the breath to catch from the sting, and then he exhaled slowly. Rest was welcomed despite his usual aversion, and he drifted into slumber within minutes.

 

[Pequeno Burraidh]

Helia landed on a tree branch just above the majority of the group. The mud that she'd covered herself in was now dried and either cracking off or dirtying her clothes.


Focusing as much as she could Helia formed a pocket of air just above her skin before pushing it outwards. The result was the grime, dirt and dust blasting off of her in all directions. Before it could fall to the group below Helia started a breeze to drift it away from camp. Satisfied with her hygiene, Helia finally spoke.


"I followed after the group for a bit to make sure no one doubled back. From the looks of it the thought didn't cross a mind. Oh, and there is the beginnings of a river about ten minutes off thataways for water and fish." Helia finished, pointing off to her right, "Aside from all that, we seem to be faring well, though we need to figure out where everyone will be and what their roles are for the next time we get into a spat."


Finished speaking, Helia laid down on the broad branch she'd picked out and began munching on berries, which reminded her.


"Oh, we need to gather food stuffs too, nuts, berries, figure out hunting and fishing parties, that sort of thing. You know, teamwork and stuff."

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree turned to the small woman who was talking about following some group. That made no sense. What group? she thought. And who is this woman anyway? She recalled her as the one Skyre was shielding at the deserted village, but beyond that ...


Desiree quickly closed her mind from thinking about those events. The pain of loss was still too raw; perhaps in time she would be able to accept it, but not now. Not today.


Still, the woman looked no worse for the wear. She seemed to have some talent with air, which jabbed a little to close to home for Desiree. The woman's casual display of shedding the dirt that covered her was, in Desiree's mind, a pitiful show and a waste of talent.


But, she had scouted ahead and returned with good, helpful information.


Damn her, she thought angrily, for helping remind me of what I've lost and how useless I've become. The blonde turned away from the woman perched in the tree, her visage scowling with disgust.

 

[SkyGinge]

FREE POSTING is now Active


"Ah, you're awake now," Skyre jumped down from the tree unaided by the wind and landed gracefully on his hands and knees beside Desiree, one hand on the undergrowth, one hand clutching the necks of a small bunch of birds. Rising to his feet with a grin, he tossed the birds to Rusar by the fireside. He had only been up in the trees for about twnety minutes, but had managed to spot and use whatever returning wind magic he had to aid them towards his sword; an easy dinner. He knew it was unwise to use up his magic so quickly and leave him so drained, and indeed he felt tired as a result of the constant draining, but he hid it very well from the others.


"How are you feeling?" Skyre asked Desiree, wondering what mood she would be in. Scanning around camp, he noticed that only a few of the others were out camping, thus they made quite the cosy company.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree's scowl at the woman in the tree was replaced by a more calm, collected demeanor at Skyre's arrival. She took great interest in the birds he produced and turned over to Rusar and reminded herself that she had to be ... patient.


Desiree stood and raked her ratty, tangled hair from her face with her fingers and sighed. "I'm a bit better, I think," she answered Skyre and tried to grant him a smile. Her eyes were still filled with fatigue and her stomach growled as she couldn't help by smell the rabbit cooking in such close proximity to them.


"This will all still take some getting used to," she continued as she shook the dust from her cloak, crossed her arms and followed Skyre's scan around the camp. "I've never been in a situation quite like this." She chuckled and shook her head which caused a few loose strands of her hair to fall back into her face. "Hells, who am I kidding? I've never been in any situation like this."


Desiree looked toward him with blue eyes partially concealed by her unruly hair. "How about you, fly-boy?" she asked. "How are you feeling," she paused and then added knowingly, "... all things considered?"

 

[Pequeno Burraidh]

Dropping silently, as to let the girl have her chat with Skyre, Helia began pushing berries into one of the two thirds full skeins before beginning to knead it. She learned long ago that the berries that grew so abundantly could be mixed with water to add both flavour and substance.


Helia also pulled out some regular berried in case anyone wanted to munch on them now and left them out for anyone hungry.


As she did so she regarded Skyre carefully. She was trying to get a feel for his magical capabilities. She didn't know how far his progression was, yet after her cleaning she showed quite clearly that she herself was more than adept at the manipulation of the magicks. Then there was the girl. Helia wasn't sure what to make of the nasty look she'd received, but she wasn't eager to start a fight either.


It seemed integration into the group wouldn't be too easy after all.

 

[SkyGinge]

"I'm good," Skyre said with a cryptic smile, "a little tired, but aren't we all, hey? And... all thing's considered?" He leaned a little closer, and spoke softly. "Patiently chuffed." Withdrawing, he got to his feet with a wide, cheery grin, filled with a wonderful new confidence after events with Desiree earlier. Of course she knew how he felt now, as silly yet similataniosly beautiful it was given how short they had known each other. He still didn't know how she had reacted inside; with all her erratics she was fairly unpredictable. Perhaps that was what made her so interesting to him, that and the shining eyes and blonde hair that were still stunning despite their unruliness.


Nevertheless, time would tell, and like with his querries about the Shadow King and his newly discovered cohorts, he knew there was no point in milling them over, and thus he focussed on the present positives - Desiree was stable and at least partially well, a fact that brought greater cheer to his good mood. He leapt over to the fireside, and asked Rusar a question. "Anything I can do to help with cooking?"

 

[Kharmin]

Patiently chuffed? Desiree thought. What in the Hells was that supposed to mean? She looked at Skyre and tried to judge his mood. He seemed tired, as he stated, and a little jovial. Well, perhaps I had something to do with that? She wondered. Then, again, chuffed?


She watched him easily vault the small campfire with a light step and offer to help Rusar. Desiree took the more circuitous route around the fire and gently placed her hand on Skyre's arm to get his attention. "Here, let me help Rusar," she suggested with a slightly firm stare. "You work on leadery-stuff, and let me do this. It will give me something to do."


Desiree added with a slight scowl as she nodded toward the small woman Skyre had rescued yesterday, "Go talk with her; she apparently has helpful information about the surrounding area."


She then turned to Rusar, "That is, if you will teach me?"

 

[Shura]

Rusar quirked a brow at the birds that had been wordlessly tossed her way before simply shaking her head and pushing away irritated thoughts. Better not to dwell on dark thoughts as not to stir up what lingered of her temper. Hopefully she could be done with the task soon so she could go off and hunt for a bit. She finished stripping the meat and bones from the rabbit she had caught the earlier it wasn't very big but it gave decent amount of meat. She was startled slightly by Skyre jumping over to her side not really expecting the chipper red head to start bouncing about. Desiree took a more calmer round around the fire thankfully. "Any help would make the work go faster and the food done sooner." She nodded accepting the help.

 

[Kharmin]

Desiree nodded to Rusar. "I'm all for it being done sooner," she quipped as she added a smile. "Just, um..." she looked around, lost. "Tell me what I'm supposed to do?"