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Post by Trippy Hare on Jun 14, 2010 3:16:58 GMT -5
Calasi felt His presence in her mind, both pleased and annoyed at the departed- and the living- she had found for him. Yet, she had thus far failed, as well- she had been following the Templar for weeks, and not yet learned anything of value. He seemed to be little more than an ordinary man. In fact, he seemed even more ordinary than most men, aside from that incredible armor of his. Strange, that such a wholly unremarkable person should cause such unease for the Lich.
Calasi wandered around the periphery of the plantation, surveying the ruined fields and buildings. Something here had brought Barax and Nura, almost as if they had known about the privations of the mob of bandits who had taken control of it- just as they had known about the attack on the other village a month ago. Granted, two settlements in a month didn't necessarily constitute a pattern- but the entire time she had followed them, they had traveled with a purpose, as though they knew where they were going. "But that's impossible- Terrans can't use magic," Calasi murmured, lost in thought.
Could it really be possible? Could the reason the Lich was concerned about Templars was that they knew some form of magic? It seemed impossible, as she hadn't seen Barax do anything even remotely magical. Nura, on the other hand- she was clever enough, but aside from being more quick-witted and even-tempered than most Terrans, she hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. Sure, her horse never misbehaved, even when they were being attacked. And every living thing near her flourished, without any actual intervention on her part.
Calasi couldn't decide if that constituted magic or not, but it was the latest piece of a pattern that had persisted from the moment she had seen the pair of them. That alone made it worth mentioning to the Lich- he was immortal and wise, and perhaps he could interpret the signs, where she could not. Calasi sighed, and searched out a secluded place to make contact. As she needed to speak to the Lich directly, it would take most of her concentration, and leave her body vulnerable. 'My master, I have news for you concerning the Templar and the woman- but I am not as learned or infinite as you, and am in need of your wisdom.'[/i] Within seconds, His presence filled her mind like a soothing balm of chilled water. He was pleased with her, more so than he had been, at least. Even though her body was nearly immobile, she still managed a smile...
Until a moment later, when a bolt of lightning struck her full on the chest, instantly shattering her concentration and severing the mind-link. Calasi gasped in surprise, both from the lightning and from the fierce, tingling sensation coursing through her long-dead nerves. It wasn't pain, as the intensity was nowhere near that of pain. But she shouldn't have felt anything, and the fact that she did was unsettling. Calasi moaned, and slowly got to her feet. The sky was starry and cloudless, so it could not have been a storm. Only magic could rain lightning down out of an empty sky. "You have courage, mortal," she began, turning around to face the direction from which she had been struck. "But what courage has bestowed to you, indiscretion and impulse can easily lay bare," she hissed, drawing her sword.
A heavy, rhythmic drumming filled her ears, akin to hoofbeats, yet the oddest hoofbeats she had ever encountered. "Attacking on horseback, in the dead of night? Perhaps I mistook courage for stupidity!" she spat. Whoever this fool was, he would not be granted the honor of service to the Lich. His death would not be the result of injustice, but the natural consequence of a brash and heedless life.
A shadow darker than night approached fast- and as her unholy eyes caught sight of the shade and took in its form, her eyes grew wide, and for the first time in many, many years, Calasi felt a twinge of fear. This was no mere knight, come to seek glory for himself. This was a great monster, a horned beast of great speed and strength- a Daemon. A Daemon who could wield magic. This did not bode well. Then again, she was all but immortal herself, and even if she were torn apart, the Lich could put her together, just as he had before. "Strange that you should be so far from the peaks, great beast- of course, you'll not live to see them again, nor will your kind mourn you!"
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Deva
Adventurer
DISCO DISCO!!!!
Posts: 55
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Post by Deva on Jun 19, 2010 15:51:18 GMT -5
Sliding to a stop, he stood to his full height of 13 feet and bared his unnaturally white fangs. He was an abomination, but this...this thing standing before him, hiding behind the form of a woman, it was just....wrong. You would know something of strange, wouldn't you creature? You, who from your smell are nothing more than malevolent, evil, necromantic magic keeping that long past dead shell of a body animated. He could smell...sense the energies keeping her in the perverted state of undeath, whoever was powering her was extremely powerful, and would be a problem for anybody trying to engage it in direct combat. "I find it humorous that you think I will be killed in this battle.....I find it amusing that you, a simple emissary assume that you can best me." He chuckled a bit when she said his kind wouldn't mourn him, it was funny because his kind were heartless, there was no need for caring. If you weren't strong enough to survive, grown stronger, conquer, make the world your own....you didn't deserve to live. "You're right creature, I won't be mourned, but I don't expect to be. I doubt your master will much care if you are ended. Someone of such power should have no trouble finding a replacement....all he has to do is visit a mausoleum and steal one of the bodies.
But someone of such power....it doesn't do it's own dirty work does it? No matter, we've talked enough. But know this, before I end you, you will tell me where you took the people, or I'll make you wish you weren't immortal." Small flames began licking from his mouth, then they turned into a literal inferno that shot towards the undead female as he roared his challenge. (OOC, his Great One voice sounds like Unicron.....here's a vid. If you don't know, Unicron is the planet looking thing making Megatron his man servant, lol. - www.youtube.com/watch?v=oItKg8l7htE&feature=related)On another note....sorry for the shortness. Not having my own computer is really impacting my ability.
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Post by Trippy Hare on Jun 19, 2010 15:57:45 GMT -5
( w00t, oldskool Transformers reference! And no worries, man, we've all been there :-) I'm probably going to post another response for Calasi sometime in the next few days, to move the drama back towards the plantation, if that's cool with everyone )
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Post by VecaVjestica on Jun 19, 2010 22:53:33 GMT -5
Don't worry, Deva :-) RPing is supposed to be fun, not a chore. Nobody's gonna take the fact that you can't post regularly or make big posts because of things you have no control over against you *huggles* Yeah, it's cool, Trippy. Drhahmah away!
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Post by Trippy Hare on Aug 13, 2010 19:15:48 GMT -5
"I find it humorous that you think I will be killed in this battle.....I find it amusing that you, a simple emissary assume that you can best me." Calasi was impressed by this creature- it was formidable, yes- but it was intelligent, beyond the simple malice she had seen of its kind. They did not usually chat with their prey, they just descended en masse and tore them apart. This one was different somehow. "You're right creature, I won't be mourned, but I don't expect to be. I doubt your master will much care if you are ended. Someone of such power should have no trouble finding a replacement....all he has to do is visit a mausoleum and steal one of the bodies. But someone of such power....it doesn't do it's own dirty work does it?"Calasi snarled, as rage began to fester within her. "think yourself clever, do you? Well, monster, learning to speak is one thing- but pretending to understand matters beyond your scope is another!"[/color] Calasi darted forward, her sword held in both hands to lend strength to each blow. She swung low, towards the monster's knees. Most creatures defended themselves above the waist- protecting their face, or their vitals. A blow to the knee was seldom defended, and would severely limit her adversary's mobility. Her sword hissed as it cut through the air, but it was naught but air that she managed to slice. This creature was fast. "You may be quick as the wind, beast- but you are only a mortal, and you cannot fight forever."[/color] She swung again, this time straight down- another sneaky tactic she had learned over the years. A foe facing this attack would step back hastily or lose a few toes. Either way, their balance suffered, and the vertical slice of her blade kept them from attacking in that moment. "No matter, we've talked enough. But know this, before I end you, you will tell me where you took the people, or I'll make you wish you weren't immortal."Its mouth began to glow and tiny flames licked the night air. Calasi swung in a long, horizontal arc across her midsection, switching her sword to a single hand as she spun and drew her shield. Just in time, as a gout of flame struck against the polished disc. "If it is your wish to know their fate, then I shall send you to meet them!"*** Barax could still feel the fear from earlier in the night gnawing away in the pit of his stomach- but it seemed less impertinent, now that he had eaten something. He had managed to convince Nura to get some sleep, even though he personally felt as though he needed it more. But they couldn't both sleep, as then the whole plantation would be helpless. Besides, this gave him time to elaborate on his plan in greater detail, without the hustle and bustle of daily duties as a distraction. That was when he saw the burst of light- but this was not like the last one. This one was more muted and sporadic, like a flickering torch. "I must be getting tired," Barax said to himself. It had certainly looked like a fire, but it had also gone out quickly- and besides, everyone was inside. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, trying to press the fatigue out of them- and saw another sudden orange light burst into existence, flicker, and then die away. Something was definitely going on. His suit groaned in protest as he fired it up- the tanks were going dry again, as he had been too busy to fill them. 'I'd better use the water from the tainted well,'[/color] he thought to himself as he manually pumped pressure into the suit's control lines. 'No sense in using the good water, and besides, purging the steam lines might clear out the taint.'[/color] His suit was sluggish and slow to respond and he trudged towards the light source, but he paid that no mind. there was nothing in this world he had seen that could stand up to a Templar suit, even a sluggish one. As he approached, the sound of raised voices began to grow more prominent. He didn't recognize either of them- but they sounded hostile. 'More brigands,'[/color] he assumed, 'back for revenge. Well, we shall see who gets vengeance tonight.'[/color] He smiled, relishing the thought of decimating whatever cowardly scum were laying in wait. "You won't be preying on the helpless this time, cowards!" he shouted, as he stomped forward as fast as his suit's diminished capacity could muster. Barax briefly thought of popping a Sodium tab into the suit's liquid tanks for a quick pressure boost- but it seemed like a waste. After all, it was only bandits... As he crashed through an obscuring patch of bracken, he immediately regretted not having done so- because it wasn't bandits he saw, and it wasn't their campfire that had made the light. Not at all. The light, it turns out, was from the gigantic fire-breathing monster. It stood, at the very least, as tall as his armor. Barax was taken aback for a moment at the shock of seeing such a creature for the second time in his life- the last time he had encountered such a beast, it had attacked his village, mere months after he had become a Templar. To see another such demon was surprising, to say the least. Even more surprising- it was fighting someone much, much smaller- a human, or humanoid at any rate. Barax could barely see him, as this besieged stranger must have been dressed in dark clothes. The demon's claws drew sparks as it struck, which could only have meant the strange figure had armor. 'What the Hell is going on here?' he wondered, as his mind spun in circles. The night had already been tumultuous enough, and now this?That's when one- or both- of the combatants spotted him. Without having time to think, Barax raised his shield and charged in, firing a trio of bolts as he did. The clearing was ringed in patches of flames, making the light flicker and dance as though haunted. Barax could barely see, which certainly didn't help clear his head. The demon was obviously a bigger threat- but the stranger had armor, and nobody around here had armor. Still, the stranger was a mystery, but the demon was a clear threat. Barax swung his sword down in between the combatants, shouting "Enough! Cease and desist immediately!"Of course, that didn't do any good. It never did. *** Calasi dodged another bolt of lightning, using the momentum of her leap to roll her landing and add extra momentum to her throwing knife. It bounced harmlessly off the creature's hide, making a noise akin to scraping stone. A ball of fire came as response, and Calasi barely managed to raise her shield in time to deflect it to her left. The dry grasses quickly caught, adding yet another danger to this predicament. The demon knew magic- and had fairly good control over it. To stay at length from her foe would make her little more than a shooting gallery target. Which meant that she would have to get in close, very close, in order to keep it from launching more spells. Calasi dodged another fireball, and charged, her footsteps pounding the earth with a fierce tremble. Calasi howled in rage as she attacked, her sword casting sparks as it parried the beast's massive claws. "Your time is nigh, monster! mighty as you are, you cannot fight forever!"Blow after blow rang out on her shield as she parried its assault, each time with a quick slash or jab from her own weapon. The crack of their weapons meeting filled the clearing like thunder- then, a moment later, the Templar came strolling into their midst, as though he were on a picnic. He very nearly stepped on her, in fact. The surprise of seeing a large metal man appear in front of her only threw her off balance for an instant, but it was entirely the wrong instant, as the demon's great fist smashed against her shield and sent her sprawling. The Templar now stood between her and the beast- Calasi used this to her advantage, deftly ducking between its steel legs. She heard him shout something or other, and saw him swing at the demon- this gave her the perfect chance to escape. With the demon's attention now on the Templar, whose back was turned toward her, Calasi took off, sprinting back towards the plantation. There was still that abandoned silo she could hide in, and perhaps there she could make contact with the Lich once again- preferably without magical lightning-shooting superbeasts bearing down.
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Post by VecaVjestica on Aug 23, 2010 14:02:35 GMT -5
Whether it was the fact that she always did her best to have as little as possible business with men or that she had little true contact with people in general, but at the time it seamed to Nura that she had never before and never will again meet as someone as odd as Barax was sometimes...like right now, for example. A soldier of the realm, a Templar, and an otherwise down-to-Earth man, he was now letting panic affect his better judgment, not to mention his intelligence. It took her much longer than she hoped for to get his full attention, but at least, once he was actually listening to her, he began to calm down and his replies started to make sense. Mostly, he confirmed what she had already known or expressed the same suspicions as she herself had felt, which didn't bode well – if they both saw and realized the same things, then they were probably true...and, taken all things into consideration, this time, she would've happily preferred to be completely wrong. She could survive another dent on her ego; but to see more pain and suffering be inflicted on innocents without being able to protect them or have another dangerous encounter with obscure and malicious preternatural creatures...that didn't sound so well. During their hushed conversation, Barax managed to both calm and disturb Nura. The calming factors were his general common sense seemingly returning and the ideas he had about insuring the safety of the plantation and its inhabitants, while the new fears he awaken in her mostly considered the similarities between what happened tonight and the things the Necrid woman had done nearly two months ago at the Matchless Mine and, of course, Deva. When Barax told her Deva had been following them for quite a while now, chills ran down her spine and the suspicions she had of him flair stronger. Not for the first time in her life, she wished she had the power to harm; people don't take you seriously when they think they have no reason to be afraid of you. If she could do damage, she could use it against others – for example, sit Deva down and make his tell her everything she wanted to know. But there was no use in wishful thinking. There was nothing constructive she could do in this situation but act as a beacon of calm and try to prevent the people from doing something stupid out of fear or confusion. Gods knew they felt a lot of it at the moment; it was almost palpable. On the other hand, Barax's firm stance on not interfering with Deva's current doings and leaving him handle this situation in his own, made Nura want to argue - she felt finding out the truth as soon as possible was necessary - but she held her tongue, a little bit because Barax obviously felt better when he had the illusion of being in control of the situation and a lot more because she knew that, if the two of them get into an argument in front of everyone, the little peace she insured by acting confident will go out the window. People needed to see someone who had no fear or concern about what had been happening outside of the great hall so they would feel inspired to remain calm themselves, and since Barax, Nura and Deva ended up as leaders of this small congregation, it was their job to set the example. With Deva outside, doing whatever he was doing, Barax and she needed to stay and show that there is nothing to worry about and things are being taken care of...even if they had no idea whether or not they actually were. And then there was the bad news Barax gave her about Jørgen. Her hands began to shake and she drew in a loud breath when she heard he too had disappeared. No, no, no! How!? Why!? Who or what!? She felt panic creep up on her once more, and again pushed it back – but it was so much harder to do this time. There were few people Nura ever considered friends and, for the better part of their relationship, Jørgen came close to that definition. To think that something bad happened to him right here, under her nose, when they could finally think things have taken a turn for the better...it was killing her on the inside, so much that she couldn't bring herself to speak much for the rest of the evening. She merely nodded to the orders Barax issued and then proceeded to fulfilling them, only speaking when she had to instruct people to do what was needed or when it seamed they needed to hear something more or less positive to stay focused. As agreed, after the hall was cleared and cleaned for the night, she sent the people downstairs into the great cellars beneath, telling them that it was for the best for the time being, seeing how Deva hadn't yet returned and brought them news of what was going on. "Or would you risk going outside facing Gods only know what?" she asked one of the more pigheaded young men to whom the recent fighting had fired up the blood. It made him doubtful, she could see it right away in his eyes. To save his face, she smiled to him and added in a reassuring tone: "I know you mean well, but Deva is a professional. He is far more equipped to deal with this than anyone else here, save Barax – and do you honestly think a Templar would sit idly here if there was something seriously bad going on outside? Relax, and stop arousing people, please. Everything's fine, and this sleeping arrangement is just for tonight." It seamed to work, because he stopped arguing and finally did as she had asked him. The only thing they did that breached their security was bring the sickly from the improvised infirmary they made earlier that day, but Nura insisted; after Barax had told her of Jørgen's disappearance, she wouldn't allow them to stay out there, unprotected. Luckily, the dispensary was on the side of the hall that prevented the people to see what Deva was going trough at the moment, so peace was kept. When Nura realized this, she told the men to bring some of the haystacks and blankets as well – if they had to sleep in a cellar, they didn't have to be completely without comfort. It was good that there had been enough food for a few days in the cellar, and a few barrels of beer and wine, should they need to stay downstairs for longer than a night, but Nura hoped this would not be the case. After everything that happened at Sureeta Dawn lately, it didn't seam like an unreasonable request for the Gods, she felt. Finally, after a small argument with Barax concerning which one of the two will go to sleep and which one stay on guard and wait until Deva returns, Nura took a lantern and descended downstairs, closing the hatch behind her. The only problem was, she couldn't sleep. She was too tired, too worried, too lost in thoughts that just wouldn't leave her alone. For all her brave posture, she felt no real peace, and so she waited for everyone to fall asleep before she went back up again, to join Barax. She knew she won't be able to rest, not even a little bit, until she was sure no harm will come to the people under her charge. Only Barax wasn't there. Nura's heart leapt. What the hell was going on!? Where did that air-headed Templar go now!? Why did he leave without telling her!? If he had showed up in that moment, Nura would've thrown him over her knee and give his backside such a trashing he's never forget it – and considering he was about as tall as she was and how furious she was with him right now, she actually might've succeeded in putting that impulse into action. Without a second thought, with the lantern in hand, Nura ran out and began looking for Barax. But what she found instead some minutes later washed away all her anger and resolve like icy rain, leaving her to stand and stare in awe at the sight of Barax, in his Templar armour, fighting an enormous winged fire-breathing beast. This was a sight fairytales were made of. This was a sight nightmares were spawned from. Suddenly regretting every bad thought she had of Barax and losing her courage, Nura ran as fast as she could to the nearest building, a nearby empty silo. But there was no safety to find there either, for contrary to everything she did and didn't expect to find there, Nura found herself face to face to the beautiful and deadly Necrid woman in black. A gasp escaped her lips as her eyes widened at the sight. Worst thing of all, they were facing each other, so there was no chance for Nura to run away or at least hide, hoping to go unnoticed. She was facing the most frightening creature she'd ever met – even the (for the lack of better word) dragon that was fighting Barax outside didn't drive fear into her bones the way this woman did. He was a direct danger, but she...she reeked of the promises of pain and suffering to come. And now she was alone with her, unprotected and with nobody knowing where she was. Breathing heavily, she stared at the woman, her eerie beauty shining in the dim light of the lantern. Even here, in an empty, half-rotten and stinking silo, she looked glamorous. She looked like men would happily die just to spend a moment of passion with her, and like women would sell their souls to be her for a single hour. And she was not only beautiful, she was powerful, intelligent and strong, it oozed out of her in waves of smug confidence only people who knew not many people could take them on and win. "You know, after all that has happened since you walked into my life, I would not be at all surprised to find out you are the fabled Calasi Ascendant. If anything else, you look the way legends describe her," Nura finally spoke, feeling - and not just acting - oddly calm. There was a strange kind of peace in staring your death in the face; if anything else, you knew exactly what was going to happen to you. It seamed like such a foolish think to break into hysteria now; if she only had a few short minutes to live left, at least she could spend them retaining her dignity.
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Post by Trippy Hare on Aug 24, 2010 9:37:46 GMT -5
Pain was not something a Necrid was accustomed to feeling- but Calasi certainly did. Her chest still felt aflame from the demon creature's lightning bolt, and her head was beginning to throb uncomfortably from the sheer frustration of it all. Still, she had a moment's respite, at the least, and there were important matters to attend to. Primarily, her injury- though the magic that gave her immortality would return her physical body to the precise state it was in when the Lich raised her, it would still take time this far from Erchaea, and such an obvious injury would blow her cover instantaneously. Thus, more to keep up appearances should someone spot her than any other reason, Calasi would have to dress the wound.
Fortunately, there were enough rags and strips of cloth in the silo to make a passable bandage, and that problem being rectified, she decided to once more attempt to contact the Lich. "Master, I have suspicions about the girl,"[/color] she began almost immediately. No room for pleasantries this time, as the last time she had maintained formalities, she'd been struck by lightning. "The Templar seems to be just an ordinary Terran, nothing remarkable whatsoever."
She didn't feel a response from the Lich right away, but it could have been that he was annoyed at her brusque manner, or at the abrupt way she had broken off communication earlier. The lightning wound stung as she thought about it. "The girl, however, seems to have a knack for living things. There were at least a dozen people on Death's door prior to her arrival, but only four did not recover. Animals seem drawn to her, and plants seem-"[/color] she continued, before a shooting pain from her chest interrupted her. Calasi reflexively squeezed her bandages, and her eyes popped open in shock when she saw blood seeping through.
She was bleeding. Necrids don't bleed. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.
""You know, after all that has happened since you walked into my life, I would not be at all surprised to find out you are the fabled Calasi Ascendant. If anything else, you look the way legends describe her," a voice behind her said, quavering in fear. Calasi winced at the pain she should not have been able to feel, and turned around to find Nura standing in the doorway of the battered silo.
"You are remarkably astute, for a Terran. I am indeed who you say I am... though it surprises me a little to hear that I have been relegated to legend. I must be losing my touch, if I am considered little more than a myth."[/color] she purred demurely. "You have an interesting choice of words, Nura- thinking that I walked into your life... I go where I am needed, and lately, I have been needed everywhere you have gone,"[/color] she added, her voice becoming softer and lower, though no less threatening. There was something about Nura, something unlike any other Terrans- and strikingly familiar. Calasi felt as though she almost knew Nura, and it wasn't just how her hair was hauntingly like Calasi's had been while she lived.
Her chest throbbed and continued to bleed, though with the pressure she had applied, the bleeding was much less than it had been. "It's a strange coincidence,"[/color] she began, sitting down as she spoke, "but your hair is very much like mine was, when I lived. It is not a common color among Terrans- though I was not entirely Terran. Perhaps that is something else we have in common?"[/color] she whispered softly. The way Nura's eyes widened proved that Calasi's suspicions were not entirely without basis in reality.
Calasi had been half Elven in life, and in the intervening years, she had learned much about Elves, owing in large part to the Lich's preference for them. Many Elves could use Magic- and among Elves, there was a rare magical gift, which caused all that lived to flourish, so long as it was near to the elf who possessed the innate magic in their veins. Calasi had never met such an Elf- though there were spells to mimic it, it was exceedingly rare for an Elf to possess it innately- and if Nura's unusual locks were the result of being part Elf, and that Elf had the gift, then it was plausible that Nura had it as well.
That explained much, such as her rapport with animals and how quickly she healed the injured and sick. But it couldn't explain everything, such as how Nura and Barax crossed her path so often. There was something else missing here, and Calasi couldn't see it, preoccupied as she was with bleeding apparently. "I'm afraid now is not the best time for this discussion,"[/color] she added, sitting down. "I have not bled in centuries, and I am not particularly fond of the experience."[/color]
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Post by VecaVjestica on Aug 31, 2010 8:40:42 GMT -5
It would never be quite clear to Nura how she managed not to crumble down in sheer terror, but instead remained on her feet and had a surprisingly clear conversation with the creature she presumed will be killing her within a moment or two. Maybe it came from the fact that the Necrid woman seamed too heavily wounded to risk attacking Nura...but that couldn't be it – Necrids were supposed to be impervious to pain and physical injury, and he herself had seen this very woman be hit straight in the chest by an Elf's arrow and do nothing more than scoff and pull it out of her body before setting all hell loose in the tavern and disappearing in the midst of a magical flash. Which immediately beckoned another question - who was it that injured her this badly in the first place and how in the world did they succeed in that? Barax was her first choice. Yes, that's right! He probably noticed her around while he was keeping guard, so he suited up and attacked her. Yes, that seamed plausible. Managing to give her a blow she couldn't defend herself from, that had been either an amazing stroke of luck or he had been a much better fighter than Nura gave him credit to. Either way, Nura was pretty sure that the woman then summoned that terrible creature outside, probably trough the courtesy of her ungodly master, and then ran to the silo for protection, much like Nura herself did. The woman looked hurt, and yet didn't lose anything of her hypnotizing, unusual beauty. Her eerily white skin shone in the dim light of Nura's lantern, her almond-shaped eyes glimmered like a wolves and their strange coloring made it impossible not to stare into them until you lost yourself inside. Her lips, though occasionally twitching in pain, called to mind a delicious, yet poisonous fruit, and her entire stature, her clothes, the luscious shape of her body even now, when she was far, far from her best, made Nura feel like a mangy, flea-ridden nag next to the King's prize mare, and sure that she would feel exactly the same even if the stress and lack of rest wasn't plainly visible on her face, her dress dirty and stinking of sweat, and her hair a mess. It was uncanny - if there was ever a moment in her life when she had every reason to be afraid, it was now, and yet she found herself admiring her soon-to-be assassin. She was like a beautiful and dangerous wild animal, and for a moment, Nura felt the desire to extend her hand and stroke that marble cheek. "You are remarkably astute, for a Terran," the woman spoke, her voice a soft purr, soothing and alluring, like a siren's hum, "I am indeed who you say I am... though it surprises me a little to hear that I have been relegated to legend. I must be losing my touch, if I am considered little more than a myth." Nura said nothing. It didn't seam very prudent to mention that she personally always thought Calasi was nothing more but a female version of the bogeyman invented for grownups. Pressing her hand against the makeshift bandage she wrapped around her wound, Calasi Ascendant, the creature of fairytales, spoke again: "You have an interesting choice of words, Nura- thinking that I walked into your life... I go where I am needed, and lately, I have been needed everywhere you have gone."Again, Nura remained silent. The tone in which Calasi spoke, though sedate, still carried a sharp edge of immediate danger, and for all her odd amazement at the woman, Nura's instinct told her to thread carefully. Realization that she was an interest of the Necrid princess was not a pleasant thought, not just because of her natural aversion towards drawing anyone's attention to herself, but also because it was a clear fact that being interesting to someone as deadly as Calasi Ascendant was decidedly not a good thing. The woman even knew her name, and Nura knew for a fact she never mentioned it to Calasi. And yet, the way she looked at her, as if she meant to absorb every detail of Nura's face, though frightening, didn't feel as unpleasant as she expected it to. It reminded her of the winter they spent in a village in the mountains on the west when she was a little girl. Her mother allowed her to join other children for a toboggan ride, something Nura begged her to do for days. The raise the children used was tall and steep, and the light wooden contraption they rode in flew like the wind. Nura, who was sitting in the front, was frightened out of her wits – and excited more than she ever was before. The speed, the danger, they created a rush that made her deliriously ecstatic, and she couldn't stop laughing, almost hysterical with joy and excitement and happiness that she made it down the slope alive and uninjured...and wanting to do it all over again. And now...now she felt much the same. The woman sat down, once again sharing her conclusions with Nura: "It's a strange coincidence, but your hair is very much like mine was, when I lived. It is not a common color among Terrans- though I was not entirely Terran. Perhaps that is something else we have in common?""I don't see how you and I could have anything in common," Nura replied in an, for her, unorthodox lack of tact and caution, which was probably the result of the shock Calasi's very correct presumption that Nura is not quite human created. She felt a new wave of fear...but then relaxed. This encounter will surely end in her death, so why bother with mincing words? "This shade of red may be rare here, in Waeleden, but my mother had it as well," she continued, trying to establish at least some level of equality – there was no need to allow the Necrid to enjoy her fear. With the same goal in mind, Nura put the lantern on a nearby barrel and seated herself down as well, though careful to sit on a safe distance...though she had to wonder if there was, indeed, such a thing as being on a safe distance from this woman. "I'm afraid now is not the best time for this discussion," she added, a moment later, "I have not bled in centuries, and I am not particularly fond of the experience." Though her first instinct, as always, was to approach and heal, Nura remained seated. This was not an innocent she was facing, it was a monster that, if the legends were true, killed, maimed and tortured many, and relished in it, too. She did not deserve her help. Still, the innate effect of her gift will still have a healing effect on Calasi, Nura knew that, but she was too afraid to try and escape in an attempt to not only save herself but further harm the Necrid. "Having bled myself a few times, I can relate to that sentiment," she replied as nonchalantly as she could. She remembered the way she affected the King's Undead guards, and suspected something similar is happening to Calasi as well. Only, they were unharmed, and Calasi wasn't, so there was no telling in what would happen by the end of this conversation. "So what happens next, Calasi Ascendant? Do you just relieve me of my misery, or should I prepare myself for something more unpleasant?" she asked, deliberately condescending in tone. This situation was packed with a heavy tension, and she did not enjoy it, not one bit. Death was better than the torture of her own overactive, dramatic imagination flicking pictures of terror thought her mind. "Being who and what you are, I'm sure you won't bleed for long...or even that a mere bleeding wound could stop you from dealing with me when this fleeting amusement you have with me passes in a minute or so," she finished her thought. She wanted closure and wanted it now, for her exhausted nerves were not handling things very well at the moment, and she was sure that things will definitively not get better as more time passes on.
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Post by Trippy Hare on Aug 31, 2010 17:33:34 GMT -5
"I don't see how you and I could have anything in common,"Nura replied quickly, almost recklessly. The immediate, thoughtless response of one taken by surprise. Calasi almost laughed- the living were so predictable. Nura was just being contrary, out of a need to be as unlike herself as possible. It was almost cute.
"Oh, don't be so quick to judge. I was alive once, a very long time ago. I certainly do not miss it, but that doesn't change the fact that I once breathed, and bled, and ate, and shared in all of the accoutrements of mortality,"[/color]Calasi said, chuckling. She eyed Nura carefully- she was terrified, of course. But there was something else written in her expression, a fascinated sort of excitement. Highly unusual. It was intriguing.
"This shade of red may be rare here, in Waeleden, but my mother had it as well," she said, setting the lantern down and taking a seat herself, though keeping her distance. Calasi's eyebrow raised in mild surprise- other than an occasional Dwarf, very few mortals ever expressed an interest in idly chatting. It was the last thing Calasi expected her to do.
"Interesting company you keep," Calasi mused. "It must certainly keep things exciting."
"Having bled myself a few times, I can relate to that sentiment," she replied nonchalantly. "So what happens next, Calasi Ascendant? Do you just relieve me of my misery, or should I prepare myself for something more unpleasant?" she asked, deliberately condescending in tone. The palpable tension, atop the day's other stresses, was visibly eroding her nerve. Calasi felt a small glimmer of pity- which was itself something of a shock. Still, there was no need to be rude about it. "Being who and what you are, I'm sure you won't bleed for long...or even that a mere bleeding wound could stop you from dealing with me when this fleeting amusement you have with me passes in a minute or so."
"Here I thought we were having a pleasant little chat," she purred, smiling seductively. Terrans- male or female, it made no difference- were often susceptible to her charms, and less capable of controlling their words as a result. "But if it will put you at ease, no. I have no intention of killing you, unless you or your metal boyfriend attempt to kill me. Or unless you have done something that deserves such a punishment, but as far as I can tell, you are not capable of thoughtless brutality, as some of your people are." She stretched her arms above her head, arching her back, and winced slightly from the pain in her wound. It still bled, but less so than before. It was almost as though it was healing- which confirmed her suspicions about Nura's magical heritage.
Still, the fact that Nura's latent ability could somehow reverse Unbirth was unsettling. It did not undo the Lich's magic entirely, as she was not rapidly succumbing to her true age, nor had her skin tone changed color. Either her ability was too limited, or the Lich's abilities were flawless and perfect in their execution, and not even the ancient magics of ancient races could undo them. Calasi smiled at the thought- the Lich was the very pinnacle of perfection, the only truly flawless being to walk the planet, his perfection had refined and purified her merely by association.
"I shall be honest, Nura- I am most curious about you, and it is not just your hair. You and your companion have thrice appeared where I have been sent, and twice you have intervened to save lives which would otherwise be unjustly lost. Though I am loathe to admit it, you- and to a lesser extent, the most boring, ordinary man I have ever seen- have earned a modicum of my respect." She could feel the muscle in her abdomen re-knitting itself, and skin reforming over it, as she spoke. The speed at which her body, at least the part of it that once more lived, was regenerating was astounding. It was little wonder that some of those people so close to death's door had made a recovery. "Despite what I am sure you have heard, there is a code of honor among my kind- we do not attack the innocent, nor do we take the unwilling. All who serve had their mortal lives cruelly stolen, all were offered a choice, and all accepted. We are not monsters- not entirely."[/b]
Nura's expression of disbelief was sufficient a reply- she, naturally, didn't buy a word of it. Calasi merely smiled playfully, and leaned her head back against the wall. "I suppose it is possible that mere coincidence has led our paths to so often cross. But somehow, I doubt that coincidence alone could explain it. There is something more that explains why you and- Barracks, if I'm not mistaken- are traveling together, and from the way you two bicker, I doubt it is romance. Still- a slightly more than ordinary girl, traveling with one of the king's Templars, is an unusual sight. You must be of worth to the King, for him to dedicate a Templar to you. But then... if you were so valuable, a man as greedy and loathsome as Waeleth would keep you close. wouldn't he?" she asked playfully, licking her lips slowly, like a cat preparing to pounce. Or one who had just caught her prize.
"Unless, that is, you were also a threat to him. But what threat could you possibly pose, Nura? The only skill you have that others lack, and that cannot be defended against, is healing- and who in the world could possibly see being healed as a threat?" she said, her voice lowering. Her chest no longer hurt in the least, meaning the healing had completed. It wouldn't take more than an instant for her to strike, if she chose to do so. And if Nura wasn't forthcoming, she would, regretfully, be forced into action. Aside from my kind, that is. But one of the gifts bestowed by Unbirth, is an intuitive knowledge of where all of my brothers and sisters are- and there are none anywhere near the king's palace- or even within the Palace City." she said, her voice growing quieter and quieter until it was barely more than a whisper.
"Why, then, would he send you off?"
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Post by VecaVjestica on Sept 1, 2010 7:28:29 GMT -5
"Oh, don't be so quick to judge. I was alive once, a very long time ago. I certainly do not miss it, but that doesn't change the fact that I once breathed, and bled, and ate, and shared in all of the accoutrements of mortality," Calasi said, making fun of Nura, something the tempered young woman didn’t take lightly, but she knew when it was better to keep her mouth shut, though her eyes were gleaming in that kind of gold they usually did when she was about to hit someone. However, she was not a fool, and to go against a mighty Necrid – or any Necrid, for that matter – when you are nothing more than a simple woman, physically unthreatening, barely armed and not exactly astute in combat, would be more than foolish. It would be down-right idiotic...and Nura was no idiot. Still, the woman was testing her patience, already stretched thin by stress and tiredness, because whatever Calasi’s intentions were, she was not ready to reveal them yet. Instead of either springing into action or stating her business, she seamed more interested in chatting, which Nura found strange and confusing. "Interesting company you keep," the woman commented, "It must certainly keep things exciting." Nura gave her an odd look before replying, a fine line of irritation sneaking up in her tone: "It is not by choice. If I had it my way, I’d still be in Swordstroke Moors, living my life in peace, with nothing more than an occasional drunken brawl to disturb it. I liked it there. It was a home." Her eyes turned sad. "I never had a home before," she said, Gods know why. She was certain nothing could touch Calasi Ascendant, and she certainly had no intention of trying to inspire sympathy so her life would be spared. It just...came out. But her own question, rude and aiming to insult for no other reason than to spring the Necrid into whatever action she planned for Nura, caused an effect much different than what she thought it would. She expected a short speech about the unworthiness of humankind, followed by either a swift or a slow and painful death, but Calasi managed to surprise Nura with her reply. "Here I thought we were having a pleasant little chat," she started off with a purr so deep and sensuous that it unsettled Nura once again and creating another array of strange and exciting feelings, "But if it will put you at ease, no. I have no intention of killing you, unless you or your metal boyfriend attempt to kill me. Or unless you have done something that deserves such a punishment, but as far as I can tell, you are not capable of thoughtless brutality, as some of your people are.""Thoughtless brutality? You give me more credit than I deserve," Nura replied while the woman stretched before her like a lazy cat, testing her wound, and somehow managing to make even that look sensuous, making Nura envious of another woman for the first time in her entire live, "If I resort to brutality, it’s always thoroughly thought of, albeit decided about within a short period of time." She sighed. Once, she almost killed a man right here, on this very plantation, and her only remorse was that she was stopped by others before she managed to finish what she started. She enjoyed every swing, every spatter of blood, every wound she inflicted. It frightened her sometimes, the amount of violence she was capable of, but at least she had the comfort of knowing she would never relinquish the control she held tightly around her temper in order to harm someone who didn’t directly deserve it. She wasn’t a good person, she knew that, but she wasn’t bad either, and that was more than she could say for a good deal of people she met in her life. "As for whether or not the Templar Knight who is my ward would attack you, that I cannot say. He does have a tendency towards that silly kind of heroism men seam to be fond of, though, so I think it’d be safe to assume he would try something at some point...as long as that doesn’t put an innocent in danger, of course," she continued, underlining the nature of relationship between Barax and herself and answering Calasi’s one expressed concern, though even that wasn’t strictly a concern, more like a warning that, should anything be tried against her, the Necrid would retaliate immediately. It still amazed Nura that she was to walk away from this encounter unharmed, and she was curious about why exactly that was – a curiosity Calasi soon satisfied, though in a way that gave Nura another reason to be cautious and afraid. "I shall be honest, Nura- I am most curious about you, and it is not just your hair. You and your companion have thrice appeared where I have been sent, and twice you have intervened to save lives which would otherwise be unjustly lost. Though I am loathe to admit it, you- and to a lesser extent, the most boring, ordinary man I have ever seen- have earned a modicum of my respect," Calasi said, causing Nura to frown. "Believe it or not, the only place we intended to arrive to was Sureeta Dawn. The others were simply on our way. Also, we had no idea what we would encounter, here or at any of the other stops we made...though, unlike you, I am glad we made those stops. We saved people’s lives and property in that poor village the bandits attacked, and here..." Nura sighed again, though more out of anger than sadness this time, "I can only wish we came sooner, to prevent all the terrors the people here survived. But at least we were able to do some good.""Despite what I am sure you have heard, there is a code of honor among my kind- we do not attack the innocent, nor do we take the unwilling. All who serve had their mortal lives cruelly stolen, all were offered a choice, and all accepted. We are not monsters- not entirely," Calasi stated, though Nura didn’t quite understand why. From anyone else, it would’ve sounded like an attempt to justify what they did, their nature, but Calasi didn’t seam like the type. In fact, she seamed proud of herself, her brethren and her master. Though she managed not to scoff, she was sure the expression of her face showed the Necrid she didn’t believe her words. Oh, she was sure Calasi was convinced in what she said, but the general truth of it? No. This apparently amused the woman, and she gave Nura a playful smile before leaning back and saying: "I suppose it is possible that mere coincidence has led our paths to so often cross. But somehow, I doubt that coincidence alone could explain it. There is something more that explains why you and- Barracks, if I'm not mistaken- are traveling together, and from the way you two bicker, I doubt it is romance. Still- a slightly more than ordinary girl, traveling with one of the king's Templars, is an unusual sight. You must be of worth to the King, for him to dedicate a Templar to you. But then... if you were so valuable, a man as greedy and loathsome as Waeleth would keep you close, wouldn't he? Unless, that is, you were also a threat to him. But what threat could you possibly pose, Nura? The only skill you have that others lack, and that cannot be defended against, is healing- and who in the world could possibly see being healed as a threat? Why, then, would he send you off?"Nura became more and more nervous as Calasi exposed to her the conclusions she came by. She was very correct, though that wasn’t what frightened her the most. "You know, the way you just said that, it almost sounds like I should be the one concerned about someone following me around on my travels, not you," she commented, a bit to try and sway the woman off her train of thoughts, and a bit for no other reason than to annoy her a little. That look she had on her face, a smug look of a cat that swallowed a canary the size of a roc bird, went on Nura’s nerves, and the nearly threatening tone her voice was getting towards the end made her feel like a cornered animal – a feeling she most certainly did not enjoy. "Why the High King does why he does, you must ask him yourself. I have no insight into that man’s mind, nor do I wish to. He is not a good person," Nura said, sticking to denial and hoping that, if she is stubborn enough, she’ll convince Calasi that she knows nothing that could be interesting to the Necrid or her master, "Barax was given to me for protection, and I am traveling because I was given a job to do – to bring some people to the justice they have managed to escape for much too long. On our travels, we just happened to run into some trouble we took the time to help the people affected resolve it the best we could. That is all. The fact that you seamed to be on the same trail as we were is none of our doing." She did her best to sound firm and confident, for it was the only thing she could do at the moment. One dangerous and powerful man already knew her secret and he was abusing of that fact from moment one. What the Lich would do if he knew of her...she was too afraid to even think of it. This is why she didn’t take the woman’s bate and even do so much as mention the King’s Necrid guards who were returned to life just by standing next to Nura. If the Lich knew she could have that kind of effect on his creations, the best thing that could happen would be that he kills her. And the worst...no. She would not think of that. Her life held too much nightmare material as it was.
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Post by Trippy Hare on Sept 5, 2010 11:36:33 GMT -5
Calasi had been in the habit of carefully observing people's expressions for as long as she had been, for lack of a better term, alive. Mortals gave away a great deal about themselves through their expressions, and Nura was no different. Calasi saw her facade slip as she spoke of the village where their paths had first crossed. "It is not by choice. If I had it my way, I’d still be in Swordstroke Moors, living my life in peace, with nothing more than an occasional drunken brawl to disturb it. I liked it there. It was a home. I never had a home before," Nura said sadly.
"Homes are overrated," Calasi said, her voice tinged with bitterness. "If there is but one thing my long years on this world have shown me, it is the impermanence of things. It is better to avoid getting attached, whether to people or places, because those attachments will only be torn apart when change inevitably comes. Though to be fair, I have a more long-term view than most," Calasi added.
"Thoughtless brutality? You give me more credit than I deserve," Nura replied while the woman stretched before her like a lazy cat, testing her wound, and somehow managing to make even that look sensuous, making Nura envious of another woman for the first time in her entire live, "If I resort to brutality, it’s always thoroughly thought of, albeit decided about within a short period of time."
Calasi had to stifle laughter at that- very few mortals had ever really made her laugh. "I stand corrected," she replied coyly. "But in my defense, very few mortals are so quick-witted."[/b]
"As for whether or not the Templar Knight who is my ward would attack you, that I cannot say. He does have a tendency towards that silly kind of heroism men seem to be fond of, though, so I think it’d be safe to assume he would try something at some point...as long as that doesn’t put an innocent in danger, of course," Nura said, matter-of-factly. Calasi noted how defensive she was about the nature of her relationship to the Templar. That usually implied the opposite, or the desire for the opposite to occur. From the way the two of them bickered, Calasi almost believed her- but not quite.
"Then it would be best for everyone if he were kept in the dark about our demure little conversation, wouldn't it?" Calasi replied playfully. "I'd hate to have to kill you both. That would be most irritating- and rather inconvenient for the two of you, I imagine."[/b]
"Believe it or not, the only place we intended to arrive to was Sureeta Dawn. The others were simply on our way. Also, we had no idea what we would encounter, here or at any of the other stops we made...though, unlike you, I am glad we made those stops. We saved people’s lives and property in that poor village the bandits attacked, and here..." Nura sighed again, though more out of anger than sadness this time, "I can only wish we came sooner, to prevent all the terrors the people here survived. But at least we were able to do some good."
This mortal woman was very presumptuous, though Calasi assumed it was fear doing much of the talking- and no doubt had a hand in the facade Nura put up, as well. "Unlike me? Oh, come now- do you really think I desire only to terminate the living? If such a thing were true, Then every village you came across would have been a barren wasteland. I am not a hurricane, Nura- any destruction left in my wake is entirely intentional, as is any lack thereof. As I said before, there is a code among my kind. We do not take the unwilling, nor do we kill the innocent. Such is the nature of our rebirth that disobedience is simply not possible, save in our own defense."[/b]
Calasi took a deep, slow breath. She had almost lost her temper- and the most galling part was that, in all probability, Nura had gotten her nearly to the point of losing her calm entirely on accident. As someone skilled in the art of teasing whatever she desired to know out of a mark, Calasi was well aware of how effectively anger changed a topic- and Nura had managed to derail her from learning of the king's intentions entirely on accident.
Nura became more and more nervous as Calasi exposed to her the conclusions she came by. She was very correct, though that wasn’t what frightened her the most. "You know, the way you just said that, it almost sounds like I should be the one concerned about someone following me around on my travels, not you. Why the High King does why he does, you must ask him yourself. I have no insight into that man’s mind, nor do I wish to. He is not a good person," Nura said, sticking to denial and a stubborn refusal to say anything that may be useful. "Barax was given to me for protection, and I am traveling because I was given a job to do – to bring some people to the justice they have managed to escape for much too long. On our travels, we just happened to run into some trouble we took the time to help the people affected resolve it the best we could. That is all. The fact that you seamed to be on the same trail as we were is none of our doing." She sounded confident and self-assured, but Calasi knew better. It was a ruse, albeit a rather impressive one, for a frightened and stressed out mortal woman.
Still, it was only a ruse. She knew something- something she was trying to keep a secret. "Oh, believe me, I would very much like to ask the king in person- however, the last time I managed to determine his whereabouts and await the opportunity to speak to him, I was attacked in a tavern by a pair of elves- an attack that, most unfortunately, revealed me to be an immortal, and thus ruined any chance I may have had at speaking to the king, outside of his castle keep, without his knowledge of whom I represent," she said, tinging her voice with a subtle hostility. "Since the opportunity to determine for myself exactly what his intentions are has thus eluded me, I must content myself with gathering information as to his possible motives and making deductive guesses as to what he is hiding. I can assure you, it is much more time consuming a method than what I had originally intended."[/b]
She stood up slowly, languidly, like a snake unwinding itself from a coiled striking pose. "I am going to assume you are not going to tell me what it is you know about the king, and, for now, I will accept that. But, just so you know, I am going to be keeping an eye on you. And, sooner or later, I will find out what it is you are trying to hide from me,"[/b] she purred, drawing a dagger. "And when that time comes, bear this in mind- just because I am inclined to not mark that pretty face of yours, doesn't mean I won't mark up his,"[/b] she whispered, running her tongue along the blade of the dagger. She felt it cut, but did not taste blood- she was fully immortal once again. "Let's not let it come to that, shall we?"
She stretched her arms above her head, as though she hadn't a care in the world. The distant crashing noise had faded, which could only mean that the daemon and the Templar were no longer in combat. This would be an opportune time to leave- but despite her better judgment, Calasi was sure that Nura knew something of use, which meant that she could not simply ask the Lich to teleport her back to Erchaea. She looked over at Nura, who was still seated, still watching her with a mix of fear and awe. Calasi smiled- she got that look a lot. "It would be wise to leave now," she added, "I need my privacy, like any other woman." She slowly walked towards Nura, a small smile played across her features. "Or, would you rather stay and watch?"[/b]
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Post by VecaVjestica on Sept 5, 2010 14:31:14 GMT -5
It seamed Nura had hit a sore spot when Calasi bitterly responded to her little unguarded moment of emotionality: "Homes are overrated. If there is but one thing my long years on this world have shown me, it is the impermanence of things. It is better to avoid getting attached, whether to people or places, because those attachments will only be torn apart when change inevitably comes. Though to be fair, I have a more long-term view than most." Nura raised an eyebrow. "Spoken like someone who has never had a true home. Sad, considering how long you've been alive," Nura commented, and corrected herself a moment later: "Pardon, existed." She knew she was playing with fire, deliberately irritating Calasi, but she couldn't help herself. The woman simply hit a bad nerve in her. Nura didn't take being lectured to very well. Still, Calasi seamed to be amused with Nura...when she wasn't annoyed by her, that is. The Necrid tattered between those too, making Nura doubt her sanity a little. One moment, she was complimenting her wit and the next she was either threatening her life with poisonous sweetness or spitting angry remarks. It was frightening how she believe that what she was and what she did was right. There was a kind of fanaticism in her that made Nura wonder what would happen if she did decide to "take the unwilling" and "kill the innocent". She wanted to say: "You forget that I saw your code of honor in action. And who the hell do you think you are to pass judgment of who is innocent and who is not!?" but she kept her mouth shut. Just because being ordered around woke in her the insolent, stubborn, down-right stupid streak in her, it didn't mean it shut her brain, or her self-preservation instincts, down completely. She'd be stepping the line of safety that she'd been threading on for quite a while now. Calasi may decide Nura isn't all that interesting after all and kill her if she pushes the wrong button, and she was not ready to risk it, at least not without a good reason. But it wasn't until the end that Nura lost her resolve to remain defiant. Calasi was in no way fooled by her bravado act and Nura was sure the Necrid woman knew there was something much more behind the story she had told her, something that would be potentially important to her. The way she looked at her was no longer a luscious look of a person intrigued, but grew more and more hostile instead, growing into a clear threat and a promise of brutal violence if Nura keeps displeasing the woman. And just when Nura thought she couldn't get any more frightened, the woman stood up, approaching Nura with the slow, deliberate display of deadly elegance, reminding her once again of a viper ready to strike. "I am going to assume you are not going to tell me what it is you know about the king, and, for now, I will accept that. But, just so you know, I am going to be keeping an eye on you. And, sooner or later, I will find out what it is you are trying to hide from me," she purred, drawing a dagger, and confirming Nura's deepest concern. She could literally feel fear creeping up in her bones, her breathing became more and more shallow, and she couldn't take her eyes off of Calasi's. "And when that time comes, bear this in mind- just because I am inclined to not mark that pretty face of yours, doesn't mean I won't mark up his," she whispered maliciously before performing the most ominous and disturbing act she ever witnessed – licking the razor-sharp blade of her dagger, deliberately cutting herself for Nura to see. She had no idea what goal exactly was the woman's planning to achieve by this, but if it was turning her blood into ice, she was most definitively successful. "Let's not let it come to that, shall we?" she added in the end, and Nura sucked in a loud, trembling breath while Calasi merely stretched again, careless and once again in full strength – even in her current state, Nura could notice that, and it woke another concern in her: that there are Necrids that her latent talent had no power over, for unlike the King's guards, Calasi didn't return to life, but remained undead. "It would be wise to leave now," she declared a moment later, from the look on her face very satisfied that Nura was, once again, mortified of her, before nonchalantly adding: "I need my privacy, like any other woman." But even though she knew it would be the best, Nura couldn't move. She was frozen, staring at Calasi, unable even to reply. Amused with this, the Necrid came closer to Nura, their faces as close as those of lovers would be a moment before their first kiss, and said with a venomous smile: "Or, would you rather stay and watch?"Too afraid of what that might imply, Nura ran, nearly knocking over the wooden box she was sitting on. She didn't think of the lantern she left there, of the darkness outside, or the battle that was raging on the plantation grounds. All she could think of was putting as much distance between Calasi an herself, and finding the only person she knew here and could make her feel safe – Barax. Oh, yes, boys and girls. The sensible, practical Nura Besazar was running straight between the fire-breathing monster and a suited Templar who were in the middle of a very heated fight with the desperate idiocy of a person who was not only worried for her life, but her soul as well...and she didn't even remember she could be in just as much danger there as she was in the barn. EDIT: I just noticed a typo, so I fixed it. :-P
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Post by Trippy Hare on Jan 4, 2011 17:39:38 GMT -5
The battle was not going well- whatever this creature was, it had greater strength than Barax, even in his suit- though admittedly, not by much. That was problematic enough, but the fire- the fire was making his life difficult. The cab of his suit was boiling hot, steaming his spectacles contantly and making his entire body quake and burn. sweat poured off of him and evaporated almost instantly, the controls singed at his fingers, and his strength was rapidly failing. The creature, however, seemed impervious- he'd struck it hard several times, and the only result was a cascade of sparks, and it was too dark and his vision too clouded with steam for him to risk using his ballista. Barax reeled as its tail smashed against his shield again- he toppled forward into the monster, then pushed as hard as he was able. The beast staggered and stepped back- and someone else came running into the fray. Barax blinked, stunned, and tried to clear his vision- and then he recognized Nura. "Nura?! What happened?" he asked, too stunned to realize she was in mortal danger for just an instant. A sudden wave of fatigue seemed to crest over him, and his suit's controls felt sluggish. He was on the verge of heatstroke, and he knew it. But he couldn't just leave the monster to ravage the plantation, or leave Nura alone and unguarded right next to it. "This ends now, creature! Come no closer!" Barax shouted, emptying his entire canister of bolts into the ground, between himself and the creature. He stepped back, with his shield up and his sword crossed over it, crouched defensively in front of Nura. Her presence seemed to help- his foggy head was clearing, and his aching and stinging hands hurt less than they had. Her ability must have been taking effect. Even still, he was hungry and tired. This battle was over, and he had lost- for the first time since getting his suit. This creature was far more durable and intelligent than the last monster he had fought, or he was far slower. He'd been lax in his training, perhaps. "We must get back to the manor house- I think I spooked the monster enough to keep it away for the moment. But we must plan to evacuate if necessary," he panted, as they both slowly withdrew. As soon as he could no longer see the beast behind a smattering of trees, Barax slowly knelt down next to Nura, and opened the suit's cab. The cold night air was like an invigorating blast of lucidity, and immediately cleared some of the cobwebs in his mind. "We don't have much time," he began, taking huge gulps of air into his overheated lungs. "I need to know what happened, what you saw, but we cannot discuss it at the manor, as I do not want to cause a panic. If anyone asks, I chased a shadow into the trees, and it turned out to be a terrified coyote or something."As Barax spoke, he felt himself calming- this battle hadn't been a loss, as he had feared, but a tactical withdrawal- a draw, as it were. He simply did not know enough about his enemy, and that was a mistake he would correct as early as possible. Nura seemed a little less terrified, though not by much. Whatever she had seen must have been severe- even more so than the creature. Barax lowered the ladder from the cab to the ground in front of her. "It will be very cramped, and very bumpy, but you must climb into the cab with me so I can get you back to the manor as quickly and safely as possible. I apologize for the heat, and the smell, and do try to avoid the controls my legs are locked in to. You can tell me of what you saw on the way- we must make haste."
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Post by VecaVjestica on Jan 6, 2011 19:13:17 GMT -5
Several things happen to your mind when you are pushed beyond your limits - and Nura was not so much pushed as propelled through several of hers in only a few short days. Her senses have suffered a massive overload and she had the proverbial rug pulled out from under her feet more times than she could remember even if she tried, and it all happened just when she began to settle into a routine, found stability for the first time in her life. It was the worst turn of events that could've struck her, and it did so several times in a row. So, when you think of it, it really wasn't such a wonder that she would be so dazed and confused that she would run into a raging battle between a gigantic fire-breathing monster and an enormous mechanical humanoid with an arsenal no less formidable and if she couldn't wait to get caught between them...but hey, at least she had enough wits about her to run towards the Templar rather than the beast he was fighting. Trough the piercing sounds of the Templar Suit's mechanism, the "dragon's" shrieks and gods only knew what else, Nura could hear that Barax was speaking to her, but try as she might she couldn't force a reply to pass trough her stiffened throat and dry mouth, which only made the effect of her panic attack worsen. She wasn't a resolved, strong young woman who preferred to fight her own battles rather than hide behind a man like a helpless little damsel any more. She craved protection and safety, from everyone, from everything, and sheltered herself in the shadow of the only person she felt close to, the only one who could anchor her to the ground and keep her from losing the little sanity she had left - Barax. She all but clutched the right "leg" of his mechanical suit, her eyes large with terror as she watched the majestic yet horrifying beast in front of them as Barax planted the huge Templar shield in front of her, protecting her, shouting out a battle cry so fierce that it made Nura look up to him with adoration. How could she ever think of this man as annoying, tedious and clumsy? How could she not see that he was everything but that - that he was a hero? She couldn't believe the transformation in him, and yet there it was; in a few seconds' time, Barax went from a bookish-looking man built no taller or even much heavier than she was to a knight in shining armor. Literally, even. And, when the dragon was finally gone and no threats loomed above the two unlikely companions for a moment, while Barax tried to catch his breath as he laid down his thoughts and plans for what they should do next, Nura could not do much more than stare at her hero and think about how courageous he was, and how generously persevere he was in his efforts to keep everyone at Sureeta Dawn safe and sound despite his evident exhaustion. She only reacted when he made the legs of his Templar Suit bend as it assumed the kneeling position, taking a few steps back to give the giant machine room to maneuver. Once the machine was immobile once again, Barax opened the suit's cab, and Nura almost gasped. He looked even more spent than she thought, and the sight made her want to put him into a tub of hot water, softly scrub him with soap and sponge until he was all clean, rub soothing oils into his skin until all the strain from his body had melted away, fix him a delicious meal, and then, after he ate, tuck him into a warm bed and watch over him as he slept, making sure nobody and nothing disturbs him until he is fully rested. And all this from a girl who was everything but the mothering type. But, unlike Nura, Barax's mind was on business only. "We don't have much time," he urged her, "I need to know what happened, what you saw, but we cannot discuss it at the manor, as I do not want to cause a panic. If anyone asks, I chased a shadow into the trees, and it turned out to be a terrified coyote or something."That was enough to make Nura remember the reason why she ran to him in the first place, and subsequently made her shiver with fear and nervousness once more. She suddenly felt cold, so cold that she could feel the night's chill deep in the marrow of her bones, and instinctively she wrapped her arms around herself. However, before she could finally make herself tell him what happened, Barax lowered the ladder of the Suit down, signaling thus Nura to climb up to the cabin with him. "It will be very cramped, and very bumpy," he warned her, "But you must climb into the cab with me so I can get you back to the manor as quickly and safely as possible. I apologize for the heat, and the smell, and do try to avoid the controls my legs are locked in to. You can tell me of what you saw on the way- we must make haste."Nura gave him an unsure nod - she didn't like the idea of getting inside this contraption, but more than ever, she was inclined to obey every order Barax gave her and every wish he expressed, so she did exactly as she was told, doing her best to cram herself in that small space without being too much in the way of the controls. She knew little about machines and the ways they work, but she presumed Barax needed as much space as she was able to give, so she snugged herself to his side, getting out of his way as much as the small space and the voluminous skirt of her dress allowed - and still, they were cramped up together, tightly pressed against each other. Once the door was closed, she realized that he was right; the inside of the suit was stuffy and hot and it stunk of machine oil, smoke, and sweat. But she didn't care. She never felt safer in her life. "It was her, Barax...it was the Necrid woman from the Matchless Mine!" she told him, leaning her forehead against his shoulder for comfort, tears filling her eyes, as words flowed out of her without much order, clarity, or even in her usually discreet tone, "She's been following us all this time...and she knows about me, about what I can do...and she made it sound like she knows more about it than I do! And from the way she spoke, I think she is the one who stole the dead and the dying from the plantation! She said that she will be keeping an eye on us, and insists that we know something about the King and that she is going to find out what...she threatened to mutilate and kill to find it out...oh, Barax it was terrible! She was terrible! The way she looked at me...like she wanted to devour me, body and soul!" Her whole body trembled violently, making Nura scoot even closer to the Templar Knight, desperately in need to reveal herself of the terror and pain she felt. "Barax, we can't fight her..." she whispered as the tears finally broke the restrain she was forcing on herself and began flowing in what seemed to her as rivers, "The Necrid woman...she's Calasi Ascendant..." And that was all she could say before she broke into sobs. She never felt more weak, more powerless in her life, and it made her feel tired, so tired, that she just wanted to curl up somewhere safe and let other people be the strong and responsible ones for a while.
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Post by Trippy Hare on Jan 6, 2011 20:03:06 GMT -5
"It was her, Barax...it was the Necrid woman from the Matchless Mine!" Nura said, her words spilling out of her in a terrified heap. Barax had never seen her like this- even when angry or scared, Nura always had a sense of dignified composure. This was not at all dignified- she was falling apart. He could feel her shaking, and he couldn't help but gasp in surprise as tears rolled off her cheeks, and onto his. Then there was the actual words themselves- that same Necrid? Here? It didn't seem possible- or rather, he didn't want to believe it. "She's been following us all this time...and she knows about me, about what I can do...and she made it sound like she knows more about it than I do! And from the way she spoke, I think she is the one who stole the dead and the dying from the plantation! She said that she will be keeping an eye on us, and insists that we know something about the King and that she is going to find out what...she threatened to mutilate and kill to find it out...oh, Barax it was terrible! She was terrible! The way she looked at me...like she wanted to devour me, body and soul!"Barax was too shocked to think of anything to say, so he merely nodded, as Nura kept talking, her voice becoming more fearful as she continued. The thought of being tracked by an enemy that couldn't be killed and didn't need to eat or sleep was bad enough- but this thing had stolen their casualties without so much as a hint of her presence! How in the world did Nura, of all people, find her? How did she live through the encounter? It was all so confusing. Then there was the business about the King- who had Necrid guards! Barax's eyes snapped open. "Nura, think carefully- when this abomination mentioned the king, what else did she say? Did she give any sign of knowing about those, erm, guards, the king has that you told me of?"Her whole body was trembling violently, making Nura scoot even closer to him, despite the fact that there was simply no room for it. Her breath fogged his glasses a little at every exhalation, and even with the vents open, it grew very hot and stuffy inside the cab. He felt her breasts pressing against him every time she breathed, and with every trembling sob. It was actually strangely comforting- and he felt a stirring of something within. It made him want to protect her- not out of duty or following orders, but just to keep her safe, so that nothing could make such a beautiful woman so scared again. That's when it hit him- there was a beautiful woman, in his cab, pressing up against him. And despite his stature and appearance, Barax was still a man, after all- which meant his body was starting to react in ways he would rather avoid. In an effort to try and force his mind elsewhere, Barax listened intently to her every word, hoping to find something he could focus his mind on. "Barax, we can't fight her. The Necrid woman...she's Calasi Ascendant..."Normally, his blood would freeze at the name- but sadly, his blood was already feeling rather hot at the moment, so even hearing the name of the dreaded Princess of Death did nothing to sway his traitorous body. But this new piece of information, unsettling though it was, had rampaged through his brain and finally collided with what Nura had told him before. Calasi wanted to know about the king- the king who had necrid guards- but if his guards were necrids, and the legends of the necrid Princess were true, then perhaps the stories of the Lich were true also- and if they were, then the Lich would know anything the necrid guards knew. So why, then, would Calasi need to know anything about the king from the two of them? He felt sure he was onto something important, but he just couldn't figure out where it led. In any case, they had other concerns to attend to- the trail of the slavers and traffickers who had overrun the Sureeta Dawn had grown cold, and they didn't have any leads to follow to try and track the bandits. The trail of Carmine was colder still- though if anyone left at the manor house remembered him, they may also remember some seemingly trivial clue about his habits or his tastes that may give them at least a direction to travel in. What tobacco he smoked, what wine he preferred, anything at all could give them at least a heading. And if Calasi was following them, it would lead her from the plantation and its long-suffering people. "Nura, I have been thinking- we must leave the plantation. If what you say is true, we would be endangering these people by staying. Perhaps we can glean some little piece of information about Carmine, maybe just his favorite tobacco, and that could give us a direction to travel in. Even if we discover nothing, we cannot stay here- if that woman is following us, we'd be endangering everyone left here."
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