Fantasy ~The Lords of the Magistone~

[Shura]

Rusar chuckled "Hey, I'm not some kind of helpless flower. I can fight my own battles." She defended with a quirked brow. "I might have not been able to do much before but I'm more than capable of defending myself." She smirked. "Still its good to know I have you to watch my back..." She added softly before noticing some disturbed brush which diverted from the path. "I think they went this way..." she muttered changing directions to follow the new path.

 

[PicaPirate]

He laughed at her saying that she could defend herself now, the jest in her tone much noted. He was about to say something along the lines of 'Better safe than sorry' when he was interrupted by her adding something in a softer tone. He wasn't sure how to interpret it, but that train of thought fell through when Rusar noticed a difference in shrubbery.


"Well, let's go see if it's them!" He added jovially.


Sent from my stone tablet using Tapatalk because I used a Tardis.

 

[SkyGinge]

When everybody had finished drying off, Skyre began to lead the group into the bleak forest. They had barely been travelling for a few minutes when Skyre suspicians were confirmed. They came across a definitive pathway stretching out through the trees, a five-or-so metre wide trail that curved out into the forest on both sides. Like everything else in the forest, it was laden with logs, twigs and fallen bark, but underneath all that in small patches some kind of stone paving could be seen. "So people have been here before," Skyre noted aloud, kneeling down to brush a little of the debris from the path. So the question now is, how long ago?


Well, at least Rusar won't have to go to too much trouble to find us, he smiled to himself as he began to lead them down the trail. The paving underneath felt cracked and uneven in places, and on two seperate occasions their path was blocked by a fallen tree trunk, or a large boulder fallen from further up the mountain. Sometimes they were forced back into the trees but they always found the track again. And soon they reached their destination.


The path widened out at the end, and the group found themselves in what looked to be another abandoned village. Several crumbling structures, made out of the same dull grey stone as the buried path they had tracked, lined the edge of the village, though it was by far the smallest settlement they had found themselves in. However, the signs of wear looked far more ancient than anything they had seen so far; the very architecture of the houses was similar to some of the oldest buildings in the most traditional of villages. The windows were mere rough carvings in the edges of the houses, with no sign of glass ever being there, yet despite all that, the bases of almost every house was left standing. Most of the upper floors had caved in and lay as huge piles of bricks, like the mountain screes above them.


Most interestingly though, the village was completely flat. Gone was the slight angle of everything; the village looked to have been totally carved out of the mountain. At the mountain edge, there was a sudden steep rock face, and at the otherside, a cliff drop. Clearly a lot of work had been put into creating the village, and also keeping it standing. Such a shame they ultimately failed in that, Skyre smiled wryly, walking down the ancient streets. Large boulders lay at the mountainside of the village, having fallen several decades, no, maybe even centuries earlier. And in the mountain wall, there was a large opening, adorned with a dusty archway. A tunnel, leading right into the mountain. I wonder who lived here? And why nobody knew of this place?


Skyre's thoughts were interrupt by a loud growl from his stomach. In the distance, the sun had almost disappeared over the jagged line of mountains, and evening was almost coming to a close. And yet they still hadn't eaten. "We rest here tonight," he announced to the group. "We need to set up supplies and begin cooking the food we collected earlier. Sorry for the sddun shock back into action after our trip to the hotsprings, but now we know they're only twenty minutes or so away, so we can return there in the morning." With that, he returned to the treeline to start collecting firewood.

 

[MrMouse]

The woods seemed endless, the constant crushing of dead leafs and branches echoed as her feet trekked on. The few rays of sunlight that broke out reflected on her hammer as she reached the mountain edge. Breaking from the clearing the young woman's hair spread wide as she took a deep breath as if emerging from and endless sea of green. She dropped her hammer upon the rock as a loud thud of earth and steel echoed from the surrounding area. Pythe wiped the small amounts of sweat from her forehead as she looked up towards high peaks. Her father's last words left her seeking the only hope she had, the unknown west of the desert and the chance of survival. It was all the woman had to hold unto.


Removing her bag she looked to the last bits of dried meat sighing at the thought of stretching it for so many days. Still the climb would be long and exhausting even for such a small mountain. Taking a swig of water she picked up her hammer and proceeded up the narrow stone trail. The path looked freshly traveled no more then a few days or hours. She kept alert fearing the legion had traveled even this far beyond the kingdom. She hugged the stone walls and lowered herself on every hill or pass over to scout the area ahead. She wasn't the best at being agile but she wasn't stupid enough to go spouting her location.


Night had passed over her and the heat of the previous day was still stagnant on her skin. The weight of her hammer and pack was taking her over and for a moment she felt it was best to camp off. Still the path and foot prints kept Pythe intrigued and worried of what lay ahead. Finding a small crevise between to rocks she rested using her hammer as a brace to prevent her from slipping. Though she wanted to find the makers of these tracks her body was aching from her travels. How many days has it been since the great sundering of Valia? How long has it been since she last seen a living person. She recalled the patrols of blacken armor and only the sound of heavy marching and smell of burned lumber. Even these past few days in the deepest wilds of the forest she felt the shadow every growing and extending its reach. Her thoughts fell to her father as she drifted into slumber.


Pythe awoke hours later feeling the chill of the night stiffen her joints. Stretching and tossing her hammer back over her shoulder she removed a dry piece of meat to chew upon. "Enough rest dear girl lets find out where father has sent us..." as she continued to follow the broken path of broken brush and disturbed dirt. The sun was slowly rising as she felt a familiar form in the forest clearing of the mountain. The earth below her was warm and this sense of something unnatural yet welcoming urged her forward. She finally found herself breaking through the trees to see scattered like diamond pools of warm water. She noted that there where others who had ventured here and from the looked took to enjoy this gem. At the very least it provided her evidence that whoever they where a dark mindless army was not.


Not wanting to wait a second longer she did a quick look over the pools for any signs of individuals before resting her hammer upon a rock. Removing her clothes she lay them upon the edge of the pool to clean later. Feeling the crisp night air course around her body she quickly formed her hands around her. The waters below started to stir and twist before rising like snakes coiling around her body. She adjusted to the heat but of more importance was the feeling of her element once more in such volume. The rivers where no longer safe with constant patrols so she took advantage of this great gift. The waters started to swirl around her before pulling her into the pool. The flash of heat rushed and flushed her body. She felt as if layers of dirt and grim fell from her body, the waters tossing and turning around her as she cleaned. Soon she sent one of the tendrils towards her clothes. The water stretched and tossed the clothes turning from a clear volume to a murky brown and gray. The clothes literally steaming and cleaning with each turn.


She smiled at feeling the natural waters flow once more to her will as she layed the clothes to dry upon the rocks. The only odd question was the source of their heat, seeing such pools was truly rare and naturally followed the flow of the earth below, but she could not tell as the mountain did not show the signs of volcanic activity. Recalling how her father showed her the forms of the earth and how even the simple pebble could unravel the story of the land. She smiled at the memory as she rested upon the edge letting her hair spread within the pools. She would pamper herself a little longer before she attempted to continue tracking who or whatever was ahead. Her only fear was more despair but she hid it well in her smile burying her thoughts behind.

 

[Cookie]

Although the hot springs had been a welcome break, it was only temporary. Ari had taken the chance to clean up a bit and rinse away the dirt from days past. The cares and the worries were still there when she'd finished, but at least the dirt was as gone as Warren's clothes during his soak.


The refreshed feeling from the springs wasn't going to last. Ari knew this much and she wasn't optimistic enough to think otherwise. But it still came as a nice surprise to find a semblance of civilization so soon. Perhaps not a very big one, but it was something. In fact, Ari came to realize, it was something she'd never seen before nor had knowledge of any sort about. A village carved from a mountain? Though she knew that there were towns around the mountains (before the Fall at least), it hadn't occurred to Ari that the side of a mountain could be molded to inhabit humans. The unnatural sheerness of the mountain's altered face seemed to loom over her as she took in her surroundings. The village seemed to have been uninhabited for quite a while; buildings were crumbling down with the stones of the landscape they'd been carved from as the mountain slowly reclaimed itself. It was a strange sort of beauty, like an unspoken agreement between the earth and the people who had once resided in the crumbling village. They could make the most of the land while they had it, but eventually their work would succumb to the forces from whence it came. Already, it was well along in the lengthy process of doing so. Ari felt as though they were the first ones to step foot on the stone-paved walkway since the original inhabitants had...gone. Time was too winding to tell why they'd gone, if they'd fled, if they'd died, or if they'd simply moved on as their company would soon have to.


In any event, the stone remains felt hidden under the mountain's carved face. Hidden maybe from even the Shadow King's forces that had plagued them thus far. But it was by no means a comfortable sort of hidden -- the mountain frowned upon them as if not yet sure whether to allow them to be there, in its ancient sanctuary. Ari walked along a bit, her feet kicking loose stones from both the dilapidated houses and the shaved mountain face. There was no telling which, though (she supposed) it was all originally from the mountain. The evidence was plain enough all around her that the mountain could send a torrent of stones their way if it disapprove. But it was safe enough for now, so long as they didn't decide to travel into that ominous looking tunnel at the mountain's base. Ari suppressed a shudder, knowing that she would never go down there willingly.


The rest of the village seemed plenty secure, if not particularly inviting. Perhaps there were some practical items still within it, relics that could still be put to a use.


Ari looked at her clothes. They were worse for wear, but nothing too bad. Her boots were fine as well. If anything needed replacing, it was her cloak. She was wearing her only spare, as the first one had been...Ari couldn't quite remember. Shredded by Shadow hounds? It seemed too much had happened to remember exactly why she'd needed to change cloaks, though it couldn't have been more than a week ago. But in the time since then, her spare cloak had begun to transform into a rag. It was frayed along the edges, muddied at the bottom despite Ari's best efforts to soak out the dirt. Long shreds and threadbare spots caused Ari to shiver when the wind blew the wrong way. It might hold out for a few more days, she mused, contemplating whether or not it would be worth it to search for a new one here. Ah, well there's nobody here that's gonna miss anything...even if there's anything left to miss.


Skyre was already off collecting firewood and the rest of the company seemed to be settling down for dinner. Ari set her stuff down, along with the well-worn cloak. It was much too warm here for even a threadbare cloak. Like the hot springs, this land too seemed to radiate warmth. Ari didn't think too much about it, being preoccupied with the activity at hand. "I'll go check if there's anything useful left in this place." She explained herself as she walked towards a nearby row of houses that had not yet succumbed to their own weight completely.

 

[SkyGinge]

Skyre soon returned from collecting the firewood; it wasn't exactly hard to find suitable logs when the path and surrounding forest had been littered with so many fallen branches and twigs. It took him a little while to ferry it all from the forst edge to the centre of camp, where stood a raised platform faded but still in one piece. The stone showed signs of obvious charring, so Skyre presumed that the village's old inhabitants had also used it as a communal fire. We'll honour their traditions as we shelter in their town, he thought, respectfully, setting up the fire atop the platform. He was hardly a superstitious person, but Skyre thought it at least respectful and quite interesting to live similarly to how their undiscovered ancestors had. Soon the fire was roaring with life, and other campmates hurried around to begin cooking.


NowvSkyre found himself relieved of any duties, and free to explore like he had been itching to since they arrived. As he arrived, he had seen Ari disappear into one of the houses. She had been typically quiet, and Skyre realised how little he'd actuallly spoken to her before. In fact, that extended to almost everybody in camp. I was so caught up with Desiree that I neglected everybody else, he realised. That changes now, he nodded, resolute, as he followed after her into the house.


He stepped into a dusty, abandoned room completely bare bar the large spiderwebs that decorated each and every corner. The house, like many older houses, was built very simply, with just one larger room leading to several smaller compartments upstairs. The entire bottom floor of the house was remarkably still standing, but even from the entrance he could see that the primitive stairs had caved in on themselves and now stood in an ugly pile of rotting, fungus-ridden rock at the far side of the room. Skyre was facinated; it was like taking a step back in time.


"Interesting stuff, isn't it?" Skyre grinned, approaching her.

 

[Shura]

It didn't take very long for Rusar and Warren to find their missing group members. Thankfully they were both safe so they started the trek back to the hot springs where everyone was last seen. Rusar hoped that they didn't get too far with out the rest of the group. The fact that they all split up didn't exactly sit well with her given that the territory was unfamiliar and they still didn't know if anyone else was on the mountain. They hadn't seen any signs of other life but that didn't mean they were exactly safe either. Still the huntress kept her concerns quiet as they made their way to the join with the rest of the group.


As they neared the hot springs Rusar slowed slightly upon hearing a splashing sound. "Did you guys hear that?" She asked softly. Sky had mentioned everyone getting ready to leave when she left to find Lapis and Cyril, did they decided to linger longer? Anything was really possibly at this point but Rusars cautious nature kicked in all the same as they neared the springs. She didn't draw her bow but was still ready just in case.


@PicaPirate @Icefox11

 

[MrMouse]

The waters bellowed around her as she felt its warm source massage her body. Finally letting her skill rest the waters fell back down upon the pool causing a light splash before settling still once more. Looking to the stars and the last rays of sunset she figured it was time to return to her task at hand. With a light mumble she swam back to the edge of the pool before climbing out. The brisk cool air snapped at her skin as she started to part her hair and dry it. Though she could have manipulated the waters to remove from her body she was taught that natural flow of nature. Recalling how the professors always stated how to go with the flow and to be one with nature, never to abuse the gift they where taught.


Still the chill was tempting to her for drying as she rushed for her clothes. She paused a moment as her face turned from relaxed to a serious focus. There was a snap that had caught her attention but with no sign of who or what it was she stayed cautious. Dressing quickly she fastened her shoulder guard and lifted her hammer resting the hilt in her hand. Taking slow breaths she backed away from the pools as softly as she could though her firm frame wasn't the most light footed. Each step seemed to echo around the area as she finally reached the tall brushes.


@Shura

 

[Cookie]

Ari had heard someone enter the room, but her hand slid off of her knife handle as Skyre spoke. "Interesting?" She repeated his word choice to him. "If you find rubble and dust interesting, then I guess you'd be correct." Ari was not one for historic nostalgia. She kicked a stone across the floor, sending it skittering into the decayed remains of part of the upper floor. A cloud of dust that had likely been undisturbed since it first settled rose from the impact.


She turned away from the bare room to face Skyre. To Ari's surprise, he was alone. Desiree had not accompanied him. An unusual sight. Ari wondered briefly why he would choose her company over his beautiful lover's. Or why anyone would, for that matter. Ari was not exactly a joy to be around alone and she certainly didn't say much in group settings either. Perhaps Skyre was attempting to remedy that. Well, if that's the case, she pondered, I suppose it'll be good for the both of us.


"I don't think there will be much of worth left behind, but I figured I should at least look." Ari explained herself simply. She looked around the barren room again. Clearly, nothing of any use was left on the first floor unless you counted cobwebs among useful items. Ari did not. But perhaps something could still be salvaged from the upstairs rooms. Wandering to the far side of the stone floor, she glanced upward to see if she could discern whether it was worth it to check the upper floors.


"Hnn...I can't see anything." Ari stretched to her toes to improve her vision, but to no avail. Anyone else would have been better suited to the task than her, the shortest among their company. "The stairs aren't much use either." She turned back to Skyre. "I'm not too sure I'd want to set foot on the upper floor anyways. Most of these houses can't even hold their own weight and I'm not really feeling lucky enough to step up there." Ari headed for the doorway, prepared to check the next house.


Her feet stopped at the threshold. Maybe she didn't have to set foot upstairs. Maybe nobody did. "Hey..." Ari spoke as her idea formed. She turned back to Skyre with one hand still on the doorway. "Why don't you go check it out?" She smirked. "Just make sure your feet don't hit the floor...fly boy." Ari raised her eyebrows in a sort of feigned innocence. She'd once heard Desiree use that as a pet name for him or something, but Ari's tone held none of that endearment. It left her lips as a friendly challenge, an implicit I bet you can't hover over the floor long enough to see what's up there. Of course, Ari had no doubts in Skyre's flying abilities, having depended on them at one point. She simply wanted to see how he'd respond. Ari took her turn to grin now. Certainly this, and not the crumbling remains of the bottom floor, was going to be 'interesting stuff'.

 

[SkyGinge]

Skyre smiled to himself and looked down as Ari kicked the stone away. Clearly she wasn't a much of a fan of the local history as he was. "It's not the dust and rubble that makes it interesting," he said, watching her peacefully, although he knew that she'd meant more than that, "It's the if's and but's that fascinate me. That here, on this forsaken mountain, we're now setting foot in something untouched for centuries of years. A time capsule made of crumbling stone to a time in the far distant past. A time completelty unlike the present, and a mystery we will never truly be able to solve. But we can try, we can speculate, and that's the fun of it all."


He grinned a raw yet calm grin at her as she turned around. Living in his traditional, rural village as he had, he'd never discovered much of the kingdom's history besides records of the village. He'd been too up in the clouds at the time to truly let a historical interest manifest, but that had all changed when he had gone to the University of Wind Magic. He'd often lost himself in the castle library, researching geography and history whilst most others around him focussed on either simple living, or the fresh science of magic. His smile dropped ever so slightly as his thoughts lingered on fond memories of the university. Memories now shattered like the broken foundations of the stone stairs.


Skyre nodded at her explanation, and watched curiously as she walked to the other side of the room. He hadn't expected more than a barren room, but his excitable mind had hoped obscurely that they would discover some kind of remarkable artifact from ancient times. A souvineer from history. There'd be little purpose for it now, of course, bar sentimental value that Skyre knew he should stray away from. He smiled sadly at her explanation, masking his musings well. After all, he had followed in afetr her for the purpose of talking with her. Then again, he had also expected somebody quiet like her to only talk of current affairs, and he himself was no stranger to general vagueness. His ever-present smile turned wry at the irony of their predicament; two people probably intent on talking and yet struggling to share very much at all.


"Staying cautious is a good idea," Skyre agreed as she surveyed the stairs, walking up to stand behind her, arms crossed thoughtfully. "After all, it'd be a horrible shame to get all this far and then have somebody fall foul to a stone hut." He prepared to follow her out, but then... she unveield her forming plan. Skyre watched it form on her lips, his eyes narrowing curiously. He raised a thin, near-invisible eyebrow, his smile now perplexed.


"Is that some kind of a challenge?" he jested back to her calling him 'Fly Boy'. No, he didn't like the nickname, he decided. And were it not for the fact that Desiree had coined it, he'd have asked for it to be buried a long time ago. He could almost read her trail of thought, eminating out towards him as a sort of try me. Maybe that was the hurdle he would have to overcome to break the barriers and start talking properly. And it was something he could potentially do; he had barely used any magic energy the entire day, and what little he had used to help him with the journey he would have long since recovered in the hot springs. He felt invigorated, ready for a challenge.


And if it's a challenge she wants, then this is challenge accepted. Skyre eyed her curiously, and then stood at the bottom of what was once the staircase and was now instead a pile of ugly rocks laid out underneath a rough rectangular opening. He would have to be very, very controlled; the only times he had flown before had been at fairly fast speeds. In fact, Skyre realised what he was about to attempt was something he'd always wanted to try out. And the current precarious setting only adds to that thrill, he grinned.


Regarding the pile of rocks like a scientist might a test speciman, he walked slowly towards it, and turned around, to face her with a sly grin. He stretched out his arms, his small, almost child-like hands angled towards himself, and still giving her the challenge accepted look, he slowly ascended into the ceiling, like an angel rising up into the clouds. No doubt he'd looked fairly impressive in doing so, but now came the real challenge.


His feet still visible in the lower room, Skyre found himself in the claustrophobic rafters. Two huge rugged holes where the ceiling had collapsed allowed a thin drizzle of dim, evening sunlight to seap into the room, but where it didn't fall, the stones were dark and dank and dust-ridden. He span himself slowly round, regarding the darkness patiently as his eyes adjusted to seeking through the blackness. Turning, he found himself face to face with an absolutely huge spider, about the size of his head, nestling in thick, ugly strands of stringy web. Good thing I'm not an insectophobe, he thought, all the while feeling slightly uncomfortable with the size of his new friend and spinning himself back round to face the rest of the room.


"Very roomy up here," he shouted down to her, remarking at the compactness of the upper room. It was evidentally not designed for standing, only sleeping or resting. However, in making hi remark, he inadvertantly inhaling a cloud of dust and struggling to supress a cough. All the while he desperately tried to hold his focus on the capsule of air he suspended himself up with, his feet trembling slightly as he tried to resist. If he were to sneeze, he'd definitely do so in such a violent manner that he'd lose any control he had over the wind surrounding him and fall painfully to the unforgiving stone scraps below him. Yet the tickling in his nose persisted, and he knew he'd have to do something, or lest end up with a face full of rock.


Death by sneeze would be tragically ironic, he mused, using the wind to tilt himself him and angle himself flat. He felt his food sink into the gooey web and tried not to think about the giant spider. Floating himself slowly forward, he desperately tried not to sniff up any more dust. But the floor was adorned with a carpet of the stuff, and he knew it was fairly worthless. Dropping his arms slightly, Skyre angled the flow of wind to just buffet himself up into the air, and abruptly sneezed, a cloud of dust whizzing into his face and propeled up onto the ceiling by the torrent of wind.


With a begrudging grunt, he continued his bizarre trek into the darkness on the far side of the room. Floating on waves of air above a grim sea of unloved stone like a human-shaped sailing boat. Ancient rocks, all around him, wrinkled and crinkled and cracked, lined with putrid moss, etched in microscopic potholes. A corpse of a building, stowed away in the grave of the forgotten forest. And the dust in inumerable measures, a saplike skin to preserve it. He wished for a brief second he hadn't been so willing to comply with Ari's challenge.


Eyes now adjusting to the darkness, he craned his neck and found before him some kind of ancient cot now half-submerged in rock and ruin. Though the wood, marred and charred like everything else and curiously standing, was beginning to rot, there was no mistaking its old purpose. Skyre imagined for a second some ancient figure, bearded and robed, lying awake at night in that very spot. How different it must have looked, how fresh and ingenuious the structure would have seemed. Now to look at it, what the great worksman would think. Still, the remains of a senior citizen's bed is hardly an essential discovery for the group.


That was when he saw it; nestled behind an outstretched bed-leg, a pile of faded papers. He floated himself over to them, and to his surprise, found that they were still somewhat legible. He could make out the faint lettering even through the shroud of darkness, and suddenly he had been presented with his key to unlock the gateway to the past. Perhaps the faded manuscripts contained... well, they could contain anything! That was the beauty of fresh history, and he felt himself grinning to the ground.


"I found something!" he yelled again over his shoulder, but this time the dust was too quick. Before he had time to react, Skyre sneezed loudly, and the cage of suspending air collapsed. His body dropped and smashed onto the cot, the stones visibly groaning under the alien feeling of weight. "Get out!" he managed to shout through clenched teeth, pain rocketing up his sides, as finally, after years of standing proud, the ceiling drew its last breath. The creaking cracks and creases increased tenfold, a plague of chasms crackling across the floor. Instincually, Skyre reached for the manuscript, his desperate hand grappling the papers into his hold. As the floor collapsed beneath him, he forced himself to spin, positioning his other arm underneath him and, just as he was about to hit the ground, blasting a shockwave of air beneath him. He launched up towards the trembling roof, a roof which alo began to crumble, and as hefty chunks of ceiling stone dropped around him, he quickly flashed his remaining arm around his body. A bubble of wind surrounded him, and the chunks of stone flew harmlessly past him, raining for one long moment until at last, the building was nothing left but a mass of jagged rubble, Skyre floating harmlessly above it.


With one last boost of air, he swung his falling body away from the rubble, landing in a roll just away from the mess of stones. He felt a heavy impact on his back as he landed, and promptly collapsed into an exhausted heap, narrow chest rapidly rising and falling. But in his outstrectched arm, pointed up to the heavens, was the manuscripts, his precious prize exhibited proudly to the onlookers. And despite his fresh pains, Skyre climbed to his knees wearing a wild grin.


"Challenge complete?" he grinned.


@Cookie

 

[Kharmin]

<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_09/57a8c05c32e09_Desiree_Markup-Crop-50.jpg.1f503c4e2d330b33ed9ccfab43b72d3c.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="29647" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_09/57a8c05c32e09_Desiree_Markup-Crop-50.jpg.1f503c4e2d330b33ed9ccfab43b72d3c.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p> Desiree remained at their make-shift campsite as others in the group fanned out to explore the ruined village that they had discovered. She had just enjoyed a steaming hot bath and even though they had traveled a ways from the hot springs, Desiree wasn't keen on digging through ancient rubble and debris and getting dirty all over again.


So, she helped those who had remained behind to set up the camp. Desiree lightly hummed to herself as she re-arranged things and otherwise situated their area in a way to accommodate their large group. She passively communed with her element; Desiree now was always in touch with it as they had realized their dependency on each other but they also enjoyed each others touch and presence. For Desiree, it allowed her to sense the changes around them, but really only when she focused her attention on doing just that. Otherwise, they existed in harmony and both were enlightened by their shared connection.


A sudden change in the air nearby alerted Desiree. Someone was pulling pretty strongly on her element, and she turned to face the direction of the disturbance. Actively sensing now, Desiree listened to the wind and beckoned it to advise her on what she was sensing. Before any answer came, an acrid taste to the air revealed to Desiree that Skyre was the culprit.


His pull on their mutual element wasn't a strong or panicked one. Desiree thought that with his control, she would be hard-pressed to know the urgency with which he worked with his talent. Her brow furrowed as she kept her gaze in the direction of the turbulence. For a few moments, nothing really changed so Desiree relaxed and concluded that Skyre's actions foretold no threat to their merry band.


Suddenly, just as she was about to discard the instance, Skyre's touch became stronger and then completely ... gone.


Without warning to the others, Desiree sprinted in the direction of where she sensed him to have been. She hadn't determined his exact location – Desiree's communion with her element didn't always help her in that regard – but she had a good idea where to find him.


She passed around the corner of one dilapidated building and skidded to a halt several dozen yards from where Skyre was animatedly excited about something that he had found and was now sharing with Ari.


Desiree quickly scanned the area and found no apparent threat. As she walked toward the two of them, she exhaled and gulped some air to catch her breath from her quick run.


"Everything ok?" She asked them as she approached.


@SkyGinge


@Cookie

 

[The Wizard]

Ethan sat upon a stone from one of the collapsed homes. It made for a solid seat as he gathered the embers of the fire to keep the heat and flame going. Looking at the town Ethan felt the world around him was trapped in time. To see that their where mages who could cut rock like this and build upon a mountain was amazing. Still who and what they where was a mystery and one that didn't seem priority for him considering the status of the kingdom.


Still it was a nice change from the smell of ash and the fear of death lingering in the air. The wisp slowly hovered around him as he laid in thought curious to what they would do. The desert was inching closer and the surroundings where becoming more disperse then before. Vegetation and even rivers seem to be scarce, other then the hot spring their didn't seem to be much for an alchemist to gather. As the flames picked up and the embers where not red hot Ethan dusted his hands and decided to search the town. Ari and Skyre seemed to have gone further into the village and with the others in search of Lapis and Cyril it seemed time was a luxury for him.


There was one pressing question that still irked the young man as he stood up looking over the abandon town. Looking up to the cut of the mountain Ethan scratched his head then recalled the spring. Surely this mountain was not volcanic or a town would never seek to rest upon its face. So what was the source of the heat? Had Rusar been here it may have been easier considering her skill with the element. Still with no sign of their return and nothing else to do Ethan felt it best to try on his own for now.


Walking the quite road of pebbles and dirt his feet echoed the reminder of this towns ghostly surroundings. His wisp hovered over the small huts and the ancient markers as he looked to the face of the mountain and the flow of the cut. Reaching the stone wall the texture looked cleared away versus broken by tools. What sorcery or skill would it take to do so though just added to the many questions he had on his mind. "Ethan..." the faint voice of the wisp spoke as he turned to face the ball of light. It hovered to some overgrown bushes and vines. For a moment he felt it was of no importance till he felt a breeze flow towards the overgrowth. Curious he removed his dagger and began to cut slowly through till finally a tunnel was revealed.


Like the mountain the tunnel was molded almost clean cut with no edge. Make shift stairs and old torch holdings lead down the dark corridor. Ethan felt it best to inform the others but the wisp flew in "Come on Ethan lets see whats down here!" she spoke in an almost curious and mischievous tone. "We should get the others first Aurora..." but the wisp lit up bringing the darkness of the tunnel into light. "Come on where's your sense of adventure we won't go far." as he felt his feet move forward falling for her advice. His steps reverberated down the tunnel as he followed the wisp keeping a keen eye for anything of risk in order to turn back quickly. As the entrance faded from behind Ethan could feel the trickle of the cool breeze from behind his back.

 

[SkyGinge]

"Sounds like footsteps," replied Cyril in a very not-quiet and secrative tone. The others had aparently sent some kind of primitive searching squad to track out the vacant pair, which Cyril thought was fair enough. He had half expected angry shouts and vicious threats, but there had been none of that, and as a result the prince was perfectly happy to tag along quietly. Now though, there was an interesting situation at hand. They were indeed footsteps of some sort, and by their slightly rushed echo, he inferred it was somebody doing something they shoudln't be.


"Tis probably some ghastly blighter lingering in this place for far longer than survival code dictates," Cyril pushed his way to the front of the pack, and peered out over the bushes in a not very inconspicuous manner to survey the area. He felt the warmth of the water against his long face, but as inviting as it was, he daren't not relent his decision to scarper. After all, he'd be contradicting himself for one, but the thought of sharing a bath with a gaggle of irritable commoners almost made him puke. He had accustomed himself to at least being respectful in their presense, but that was definitely a step too far.


"Well, whoever they are, they've jolly well packed their bags and toodle-pipped out of here," he retorted, rising to full height and stepping out beside the hot springs, "Either they've got a very desperate date with destiny, or some unnessisary guilty concious they'd want to keep hidden." He snorted indignantly, and turned promptly to head towards the far forest. Little did he know, that he was now heading straight towards the hiding spot of the unseen intruder...


@Shura


@MrMouse

 

[MrMouse]

Pythe kept quite as the sound of the night was broken with the outburst of a voice. Whoever it was sounded very pig headed to his situation let alone stating the fact they themselves now gave way their position. Still this was no animal now nor shadow solider or wolf. Bracing her hammer she felt cautious unsure if the intruder was an ally of the Shadow King's army. At the very least they where talking with another which left Pythe in an outnumbered front.


As the stranger approached closer she could make out their outline from the distance. She was confident in her strength and knew eventually she would have to face whoever left these tracks eventually. Their was some luck in her court as the pools of water where near providing her a much needed assistance should it be called. It was then a spark ran across her mind, an idea that left her with a smile. As the steps came closer she concentrated as the pools of water started to lightly ripple. When the stranger finally reached near the brush she began her plan of attack. Two large snake like forms of water rose from the pools as she stood up with her hammer poised for attack.


Soon as her eyes caught the individual she found it to be a young man who seemed for the most part worse for ware. Three others where behind him, a large fellow who's muscles reminded her of the miners, a young woman with a sword hilted on her side, and another carrying arrows and bow. Part of her damned her thinking as it was not two versus one but four. Still she wasn't about to fall victim of the King's deeds not till she got her revenge for her father. The two large tails of water fell to the group attempting to split them as she directed her attention to the young man.


"Who are you and what business do you have on this mountain?" she stated in a strong overbearing tone.

 

[SkyGinge]

Quite suddenly he heard and almighty splash behind him, and spinning around almost let out a whimpering scream at the sight of two massive snake heads. Then, blinking, Cyril realised what was actually going on. Their flesh was translucent, glistening liquid, their shining eyes no more than a reflection of the fading sunset. Nevertheless, the form they took petrified him, and for a while he stood there eyes locked on the watery predator, trembling slightly. Then in splashed down behind him, and he dived out of the way with a frightened grunt.


A female voice called out from the bushes. Cyril groaned, and climbed to his feet, composure now, well, composed now that the beast had faded away. He scowled. "I say, pipe down will you? Some of us were enjoying the peaceful echoes of oblivion." He stated with a sharp glare, looking over the newcomer. He brushed off the dirt from his robes once more, once again finding himself aggregated at the fickle twigs which now adorned his outfit. He scrubbed manically at one particular twig for the best part of ten seconds, but when it showed no sign of budging, he sighed glumly and gave in, turning back to the woman.


He examined her intently for a moment, eyes scrolling intrusively up and down. Her tanned, olive skin caught in the dim sunlight cast her dramatic shadows across the bushes behind her. She was immediately quite a roguish figure, and Cyril couldn't help but wonder what she'd done to need an eyepatch. With her hammer in hand, she looked like something out of a commoner's adventure novel he'd picked up once. But more reassuringly, she was human and by her words certainly didn't seem affiliated with the Shadow King.


Still, Cyril was not Skyre, and after pretty much attacking them with her water magic (he presumed), he had no reason to be immediately trusting and accepting. "Well, one might say it's a royal affair," he mumbled articulately, once again frustrated that yet another subject had failed to acknowledge him. What, had the fall of the monarchy in the kingdom erased all knowledge of them from history? "Don't you recognise your former monarch to be?" he asked a little aggressively, seemingly oblivious to the hammer in her hands. And that was where he left it. He was too oblivious to realise that potentially this was an opportunity to snuff up another new survivor. That would fall to another.


@PicaPirate


@Icefox11

 

[Shura]

Rusar looked to Cyril as he walked forward out of the cover of the bush. "Hey wait!" She hissed as he he walked out into the open with out so much as making sure it was safe. She cursed under her breath drawing arrow and her bow ready just in case. She spotted unusual ripples in the water and stood up already feeling something was about to go wrong. Just as she stood up so did another figure just beyond the veils of steam followed by two streams of water. "Oh great." She growled under her breath drawing a second arrow just as the tails started to move towards her and the other. She drew back and rapidly fired two arrows in quick successions with all the skill of a well seasoned hunter. As soon as the arrows came in contact with the column of water the heated water burst into steam since the water was already near boiling point.


Rusar herself waited no time in moving forward and drawing a third arrow readying it to fire at the water mage. "Try that again and you won't have a head." She threatened. She looked to the prince as the remind calm through the small exchange wondering what he had in mind.

 

[SkyGinge]

"Or you could just do that..." Cyril muttered a little dismissively as Rusar made her threat. Violence would probably work, and the hammer wielding newcomer should soon realise that they had little chance of victory. Cyril had absolutely nothing with which to defend himself, mind, so her was probably a very easy target.


However, the feeling of power he now felt as they potentially held an upper ground against their attacker was strangely assuring, and harked back to the times he could order around any servant he wanted to do whatever he wanted. He'd hardly abused the privilage, but now that it had been taken away from him he suddenly felt its absense. A calm and somewhat chilling smile formed on his features, and he wondered what to do with the woman now. And in his oblivious ecstasy, he completely neglected his lack of defencive options and remained stood there, apart from the rest, cold and calculating.


@Shura @MrMouse

 

[MrMouse]

As one of the water tails erupted into steam Pythe looked to the archer who now was poised to attack. The other however seemed either bat crazy or oblivious to what had transpired. His smug smile now seemed to irk Pythe a little. Still with a noble no matter how loud they where to be way out here meant he was either working with the Shadow King or had hired mercenaries to protect him. Looking to the archer she smiled a bit causing her one eye to close as her face made a pleasant grin. "You win I understand when one is outnumbered." as she dropped the heavy hammer.


Its weight echoed across the hard ground drawing their attention to its metallic thud. At which point she quickly removed the water pouch from her side. Small dots of streams flew like the wind as one went straight for the arrow poised to her direction. The other stopping mere inches from the nobles neck wrapping around him slowly.


"I don't think your trick will work a second time, less you want to try shooting that arrow through his neck miss?" as she twirled her hands around mimicking the water that was slowly forming into small blades. "Now I don't know how much he is paying you but maybe this time you'll answer my question?" as the blades of water spun faster "Who are you and why are you on this mountain? Did the Shadow King send you or are you cowardly guarding this man for gold coins?" her voice rang with full intention of getting her answer.


Pythe wasn't the most brilliant of people but she knew how to handle herself in a fight, though outnumbered if this band of mercenaries where with this noble then they wouldn't want to lose their cash cow.


((sorry didn't know how best to work this so figured thinking he's a noble you "rough necks" would be his mercenaries lol))

 

[SkyGinge]

As he had expected, she had the common sense to know when she was beaten, and Cyril smiled with narrow eyes at their small victory. "Jolly good, then perhaps we can talk-" The prince found himself interrupted as despite her words, the newcomer tried another trick. His eyes widened trivially, as if he had just heard of a shocking result in one of the magic tournaments the castle used to host, and he watched patiently as the water formed to swords around him. He was half surprised Rusar hadn't fired before, but wasn't particularly worried.


In fact, he wasn't scared at all. Something about being thrown out of the secluded, friendly, nostalgia discussion with Lapis had soured him up. It was as if the arrival of the very stupid rock man and the cautious archer had reminded him of his current predicament, and how he had fallen from his noble position. At that moment he didn't particular care if he died, and despite normally liking to reserve his magic, he decided purely for the sake of exhibiting his sourness he would use it here.


"Oh no, what are you going to do?" He said a little sarcastically with a sour smirk. "Never heard of water slicing people open before," he retorted, noting her expert mastery of the element and slightly hating the show-offish need to spin the blades around them. "If it were more common I suppose you'd hear all sorts of bizarre tales about far old men slicing themselves to little gooey chunks as they tried to wash their inherent dirt off of their flesh." He did though have no doubt that these blades would function at least somewhat effectively. After all, you don't become an expert magician without some grasp of common sense.


"You're quite anxious for answers now though, aren't you?" he grinned spitefully, toying with her a little. "I already told you who I am, and if you still think I'm affiliated somewhat with that narcissistic barbarian then I'm starting to wonder if you would be better off without a head. As for our link, you couldn't be further from correctness. If you were to stab me now, I doubt my companions would do more than merely growl. Besides, who needs gold in a decaying kingdom? Perhaps you should think your insults through a little more in future."


A wild scheme was forming in his mind as his spiky grin spread. "But go on then. To prove it's true, slice me. Stab me in the arm. I dare you." And maybe purify this infernal sourness in the process.


@MrMouse


@Shura

 

[PicaPirate]

Warren watched incredulously them with their rather odd exchange. There were pillars of water and other things he just didn't understand. If someone could explain what the hell was going on, that would be mighty pleasant. He had to give to the woman though for carrying the large hammer, though he could probably toss it like a boomerang.


Warren cracked his neck and walked to where the woman was in front of her, zero fear in him. The dense (in several aspects) muscle mountain stood in front of her, exclaiming: "HAH! You try and take it pretty boy and you'll probably faint from your own blood! Let a real man do a job like this."


A sensible person would of course not try to get themselves slashed by a stranger. Warren however had muscle as dense as a brick wall, along with by no means being sensible.


@MrMouse


@Shura


@SkyGinge


Sent from my stone tablet using Tapatalk because I used a Tardis.

 

[Cookie]

Ari waited near the doorway and watched as Skyre easily floated around the top room. From her view, he looked quite compressed by the dimensions of the room. Apparently, it was smaller than she'd imagined. Skyre made a remark about the spaciousness of the upper room as he floated around.


She couldn't see him very well from her vantage point, so Ari gazed at the surrounding walls. They were webbed with cracks, ready to give at any moment. Maybe it was a bad idea to send him up there... she thought, her eyes following the cracks up the wall. Ari inched slightly closer to the doorway, just in case. The longer she stared at the fragmented wall, the more she felt that they were going to cave. Skyre doesn't even need to touch the ground for this whole place to come down on us. Ari mused, looking back towards the second floor. Wisps of dust rose and dispersed with the slight changes in air.


Skyre sneezed and Ari jumped back outside the doorway. A dust cloud rose for perhaps the first time in years from the disturbance of air. Cautiously stepping inside again, Ari forced herself to calm down. It could be years before the house fell. But it could fall now, a nag at the back of her mind said, and then you'd be responsible for the death of the group leader. She shook the thoughts from her head. It wasn't going to happen.


"I found something!" Skyre startled Ari for the second time. She was just regaining her calm and about to suggest that they get out when he sneezed again. There was a thud of something falling and Ari ran back outside to the street before Skyre could even yell "Get out!". She turned just in time to see the house collapsing in a wave of dust and debris. Instinctively, Ari raised her arm and shut her eyes to shield from the blast of dust.


She gave a horrified look at the ruined house, imagining Skyre underneath it all. Oh, she'd done it now. How are you going to explain this to the others? How are you gonna explain this to Desiree?! Ari felt a wave of panic as she started to run back toward the house. She stopped abruptly, noticing something in midair.


An insurmountable feeling of relief washed over her as Skyre launched himself away from the rubble. Ari fell into a sitting position, suddenly very glad that Skyre could fly well. She looked at him with an open mouth, unable to put anything in words. There he was, smiling stupidly and holding his prize. Beaming despite the near-death experience. "Challenge complete?" Skyre spoke through his wide grin.


This kid. Ari's expression changed to match his smile. "I hope those papers were worth it." she shook her head, smiling with mixed feelings of relief and nervous joy.


Desiree approached with a look of concern and a question that reflected it. Ari paused for a second, certifying that everything was, in fact, okay. Skyre seemed to have sustained some injuries, but those could be repaired in no time at all with the help of Mr. Healing Hands Cyril. Looking up at Desiree, Ari opened her mouth to give the damage report.


"Uh...hah, ahhaha" Ari's damage report came out as nervous laughter. It escalated slowly until it became a laugh in earnest, an uncontrolled burst as the gravity of the situation dissolved. She put her head between her hands and laughed truly for what felt like the first time in ages. There were no words to describe what she felt in that moment, but her laughter proved a more than effective way to convey her relief. As idiotic as she might have appeared in that moment, Ari had no desire to stop feeling as joyful as she did then.

 

[SkyGinge]

Skyre climbed tentatively to his feet, hunchign over as with his free hand he stroked his throbbing back. It'd taken quite a big impact when he had hurriedly escaped the building, and his left side was also bruised from when he smashed against the stone-embedded cot. As the adrenaline from the action faded away, painful ahing leped in to replace it. He gritted his teeth. That'd probably hurt for a small while now, although he could always get Cyril to see to it.


Nevertheless, he had grasped his treasure, his prize, and continued to smile, laughing along with Ari's raw laughter. It was the first time he'd heard her laugh, and as a result it felt more precious, like riches stored away to preserve their worth. All the while, Desiree had arrived, concerned, completely oblivious to what had happened in their little escapade. He joined the other girls chaotic laughter, only to end up coughing violetnly as he clutched his side, bending over double to steady the pain.


When he straightened back up, he still wore the same smile. "Well," he said with a deep breath, "I removed a little bit of history from one of the houses. But history was all it had left, so it collapsed like some ancient skeleton." He gesticulated over at the large mess of rubble, and then fanned out the manuscripts eagerly to show to her. In the greater yet still dim evening sunlight, the papers looked much more faded than they had appeared in the darkness; they were coloured an anaemic cream colour, stained by centuries of dust. In some places large chunks of writing had faded, but elsewhere a distinctive wild scrawl decorated them. It was the kind of handwriting that was so neat it was illegible, more artistic than practical, and there were a couple of unfamiliar letters scattered throughout the document. In the dim sunlight though it was a strain to try and decipher, and Skyre turned instead away from the faded papers to look at Desiree, who always shone no matter the state of sunlight.


"I wonder what they say," he speculated enthusiastically, "They're visibly ancient: this could be somethign really ancient. I'm not sure what success we'll find in figuring it out, mind. But even if we can't, I'm still overjoyed. To hold a slice of history in your outstretched hand..." he sighed deeply, eyes lost in a cloudy daydream. "My pre-fall self would've had a heart attack in glee."


@Kharmin


@Cookie

 

[MrMouse]

Pythe wasn't amused by the noble but considering the reaction of the others it seems perhaps they where not working for the Shadow King. Sighing at her blunt forwardness she realized she probably now looked like the bad guy to these folk. Considering the heavy muscles and the now pinning arrow it wasn't like she could hold out for long against them anyhow. Especially considering they had one more in the back who had yet to speak out.


Raising her hands the ring of water trickled soaking the noble rather then cutting him as the pools slowly calmed and settled once more. Looking to the group she still wasn't sure of her safety still she felt it was nice at least to see a living face after such a long journey. "Guess my bluff was no good then..." as the water bag fell to the ground next to her hammer. Worried for her life in the hands of strangers she bet all she could in them sparing her. "...so what will you have done to me?" she spoke out in protest as she slowly stood arms up staring back at the two who seemed more threatening then the soaked male now.


Her body was tired and her will to press on alone seem to be drawn out even if it was to end here she was glad to have at least heard another's voice.

 

[MsPoppernickle]

Harper was traversing the edge of the mountain from the east side for several days now. Unsure of where to go or what to do she could only push her weary body to keep walking. The heavy pebbles of the steep slopes echoed down the wall of the great earth below her. Her face was dirty and her clothes where slightly torn. The sun was setting and night was approaching leaving her skin and mouth parching. Squeezing the small remains of the skin pouch only a few drops had came to tease her tongue. Tossing it into the dirt she had no energy to through a fit or complain.


Collapsing upon a small ledge she was ready to give up when the sudden sound of something crashing echoed faintly in the distance. Her eyes widen as she pushed up hard to see where it came from. Unsure of its direction she only knew it was something different even if it was the enemy's camp the thought of supplies or water was enough to force her to search. Her body ached and screamed but she pressed on quickly jumping from rock to tree to ledge as swiftly as possible.


When her legs finally gave way she fell upon the ground hard unable to endure the pain. Her eyes fell to the distance no more then a few thirty feet away a village. She tried to rise quickly hoping to find something buy her limbs refused to budge an inch. When that failed she tried to call out but her dry throat left her voice rasp and lost within the wind. Finally with panic and fear she forced all she could into a single vine having it crawl and slither towards the village. The green tendril of growth hurried with the short life it was given but soon slowed till finally stopping all movement just barely reaching a wooden holster of one of the buildings. The last ounce of magic seeping out of the vine and Harper.


Harper laid motionless as darkness fell to her. Her only thought was how if she was to die why then could she not have with her family. Her vision faded and her eyes shut accepting her fate as the warmth of the earth blanketed her. "I...don't...want to..." her whisper last words fell as she slumped into a dangerous sleep. When all was lost the vines weight seemed to be the last clutch for the ragged building forcing a part of the wall to cave in rupturing the side of the old home.

 

[SkyGinge]

Cyril growled like some kind of wildcat as the spray washed over him. If he'd wanted a wash he'd have jolly well jumped in the bally-huge steaming pool behind him! But clearly this woman had no manners, for even in defeat she was callous with her magic usage. To have that, a tanned, scraggy peasant stoop to soaking him, topped off his violent homesickness, and after a moment where his narrow eyes seemed impossibly huge in anger, he raised his head, eyes so cold and icy it almost felt like you were freezing merely to look at them.


Cyril walked towards the newcomer, the sound of her weapons clanging to the floor only a distant echo in his mind. He was filled with an intense confidence, an almost frightening aura around him, a sinister, malicious smile spreading to his face. From her accusations he knew she wasn't technically the main enemy, but she had attacked them, made a mockery of them. What little honour he held left untainted painted his eyes red, and all he heard was the steady bass-drum boom of his heartbeat pulsating around his body. He needed to flush out his sourness. And this woman was now the ideal target.


Ba-dumph! Ba-dumph!


"Your bluff was childs-play," Cyril snarled, his dangerous intent clear from his tone. "Only a donkey would believe water can cut and slice," he retorted despite contradicting himself as he'd desperately wished it was able to cut him. "As for what we'll do for you, that's not my decision. Nothing's my bally-decision any more." He stopped in front of the girl, looking down over his long nose to stare directly at her. "But I want my demonstration to continue. Give a fallen prince his wish. If you have a knife, cut my arm." A pause, then a shout: "Do it!"


@PicaPirate