Antagonist's Anarchy: Desolation in the Daylight - Chapter II (Open)

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

Isokla

Following behind Ydalon, Isokla seemed subdued for most of the trip; she kept to herself and did not speak much, mulling through what they had found so far. When she did speak, she was sparse with her words. The trip had tired her; it was clear for anyone to see. A good night's rest in a warm bed and some hot meals should perk her up, but still, she was disquietened.

"So what now?” She asked their leader softly when he pulls them over for some final words before they entered the town. Her tone was weary and her bluest eyes were tired. Perhaps now they would finally get somewhere rather than wandering the wilderness for so long. Or so it felt to her.

[Ivelliis]

Telryn

Telryn, obviously burdened by his travel gear and also the full set of platemail he had carried since that day at the tower, plodded on quite merrily. For most of the trip he simply viewed his surroundings with glee, different to those he had seen living in the city for so long. By the end of it, Talryr was in sight, and not a moment too soon. Even a man of his size and strength got tired after a trip such as that, all he wanted as a nice bed and perhaps a decent meal.

"So what now?” Isokla asked, a lingering tiredness in her voice.

"I say a nice meal and a nice bed, for first things, then we see what to do when we're all rested," Telryn suggested
"Or is there another twist in the tale?" He said jokingly, although an air of seriousness was around the question.

[Legolas]

Ydalon

Though he too was drained by the trek, his enthusiasm at seeing the settlement brightened his smile at Telryn's words.

"We won't all be sitting down just yet," he spoke. "And I'd invite you to the boroughmaster's home but I've no desire to let him know I'm back. I know of an inn called the Golden Stream, with nothing gold about it, and that's where we'll rest up."

The boy nodded at the captive bandit.

"We're not paying for his room. I need a pair of you to walk him up to the keep and present him to the guards there. If the people suffered much lately the walk could be dangerous, so it's no job for ladies and the injured.
The guards might seek out whatshis- Eruwin in the morning, and then that's up to justice. I don't plan to be at the inn when they come asking questions, I'll do some early shopping instead."

Glancing back, he added: "It doesn't look like we've been followed, so it should be safe to rest here a couple of days."

[shamrock_uk]

Detheriel

Much like Telryn, Detheriel admired the settlement with an ill-concealed fascination. It had been some considerable time since he had visited somewhere of this size and he found himself quite keen to see inside the pallisade. Periodically he found himself admiring the smooth lines of the observatory that reached gracefully up to the heavens.

Well used to life on the road and travelling fairly lightly, Detheriel had not suffered any particular ill effects from the long journey. Sleep had been a little more fragmented than he would have liked as the prisoner had to be watched, but the wretch seemed to have behaved well ever since his encounter with Isokla. All in all, Detheriel felt well prepared for whatever adventures lay within the city.

He allowed a little shudder to pass through his body all the same at the thought of the prisoner. It was probably all in his imagination, but he could swear that revenge smouldered in the villain's eyes and that he was not yet completely divorced from his fanaticism.

With these thoughts fresh on his mind, he responded to Ydalon.
"I'll glady take the wretch to the guards if that is your wish" he replied. "Are you certain you wish to hand someone with so much information over to them though?" He gestured briefly towards the bedraggled soldiers further down the road. "They hardly look like the safest pair of hands...?"

He shrugged and gripped the shoulder of the bandit. "All set? Who else is coming then?" he asked the party.

Prompted by a sudden rumbling within his stomach he spoke up one final time. "Be sure to save us a seat at the table now, won't you!" he reminded them.

[ 11-27-2006, 08:08 PM: Message edited by: shamrock_uk ]

[Ivelliis]

Telryn

"I'll help you," Telryn offered, not waiting for an answer as he placed his hand on the bandits other shoulder.

"It may be best we take this bandit to someone with authority. As Detheriel said, they don't really look the best duo to take our captive to where-ever."

Telryn looked about at the motley crew of folk, hoping someone would back up his suggestion.

[ 11-28-2006, 01:45 PM: Message edited by: Ivelliis ]

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

Isokla

"If you boys want to take that...” Isokla barely refrained from insulting their captive, "Perhaps I and Ydalon can find accommodation for us for the night."

She paused and glanced over the captive one last time, musing aloud, "Rather than turn him over to the guards, perhaps we should enquire if there are any bounties on the local banditry. I'm sure the masters of this place - if these Lords of Vision hold sway - they would enforce their own laws and bring all bandits to the noose...” Her smile was not at all warm; if anything, it was wicked, like a predator's about to snap down on its prey, "We might even get a decent price for him. Especially if we point out the corpses we left behind." Now she smiled sweetly, "That is, if you boys are willing?"

Her adamant pacifism seemed somewhat subdued in light of her tiredness; as though the trek and the recent events of days past was slowly grinding at her. It was as if all the mercy in her had been used up; she blamed the bandits for forcing the party's hand and for the loss of their members. From the light in her eyes, clearly, she wished them to pay.

[Legolas]

Ydalon

"I wouldn't worry about that, the Lords may do many things but they ain't ruling my da. He doesn't like them any even without what happened to his wife. There's the barracks in town, they'll take care of the thug. And if you want to try and wrangle rewards, go ahead, it's no good turning down coin.
"Anything else? Let's go."

[dplax]

Nivram

The only one saying less words than Isokla during the trip had been Nivram. He had barely uttered a dozen words during the long trek, and most of those had been curt replies to questions. Even to the untrained observer it would have been quite visible that something troubled Nivram.

His thoughts kept going back to the conversation with Isokla, mulling over all the details, the facial expressions, gestures, looking for a hidden meaning that might not even be there. The conversation had pushed his doubts beneath the surface, but had not managed to get rid of them. It had also pushed Nivram on a journey inside his own pasts. Episodes had flashed in front of his eyes in the past few days in no particular order.

It had been raining for several days. The roads, the plants, even the stone walls of buildings oozed wetness. The inn where Nivram was staying had pools of rainwater on the floor, seeping through cracks in the walls and the roof. Only those needing drink the most were there that night. None of them knew where his sister was, so Nivram had learnt for the sixth time that week. That had been five hours and three bottles of spirits earlier...

The door to the inn opened. The wind blew sheets of rain inside even in the brief second before the shirtless man closed the door. His shoulder long hair was in disarray, sticking to his bare neck. Nivram stood up and walked over to the man, grabbing a hold of both shoulders.

"Ave you see...see...seen my sis...ter?" he asked, his words barely coherent from the alcohol inside of him.

"No, but I always wanted to spend the night with her. So if you-" His sentence was cut short by Nivram violently headbutting him. A knee to the groins followed rapidly afterwards and the man crumpled to the floor. A tooth flew from his mouth from the straight footed kick Nivram delivered to it. Drunk as he was, the same kick took Nivram tumbling to the ground.

He woke up fifteen hours later, in a cell. He was forbidden to ever set foot again in the town.

"I'll go with you", he said turning to Detheriel, uttering the longest sentence since talking to Isokla. "I have a question to ask of the guard."

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

Introducing Skye…

Isokla

As the others walked off, Isokla stopped Ydalon, upon seeing a shop with glass jars and bottles in the window containing various plants.
“Hold on, I need to restock on my herbal supplies. You go ahead, I’ll catch up. Let’s meet back here in say, oh, an hour or two? You don’t really need me to book accommodation.” She smiled and nodded to him“Besides, if I know you, you’ve got your own business to attend to.” Without another word, she waved him off and turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

Several moments passed; it could be safe to assume that the boys made their way to their various destinations, Ydalon passing several inns (and hopefully ending up in the Golden Crane Inn) and the others getting to the guards, or wherever they chose. Isokla preferred solitude over company though; the true reason she had chosen Ydalon as a companion in this latest outing. Entering the shop, she ensured she was not being followed. It was dark and musky in here; the scent of herbs and other concoctions filling the air as one might expect. Isokla examined the sellers wares, purchased a few here and there, sparsely collecting a few cooking ingredients but not trying spying what she wished for.

After a few brief words of conversation with the seller, she narrowed her eyes and left the shop – and the town. What she was looking for, a particular flower on a vine apparently grew within the nearby forest. Foolishness that the seller would not stock it. Still careful that she was not being shadowed, Isokla for once risked use of her magic, and concealed herself according to the incantation she knew; which not only rendered her invisible to the eye, but also covered her tracks. She also made sure no one saw her use such magic.

…and so, Isokla walked. And walked. Once she was certain no one had followed her, she dropped her spell; it was draining to maintain it and she would need her strength.


~~~

Aikia (& Isokla)

She had watched; watched through the birds, watched through the trees. She had seen the group attack and vanquish the nasty men. Men belonging to the ‘angry man’; Baron Bloodhawk, ruler of this region.

The woman that had hung back, but argued in private with the two men – her earrings and pendant were something that was familiar to Aikida. But the ‘nice man’ had a fifteen pointed star on his pendant. She only had seven…

Aikia eyed the woman who was unknowingly standing below her perch, then eyed her target -- the shiny object suspended around her neck. She scowled cutely at the thought that the nice man could have given this pendant to this strange woman.

She waited until the other woman was absorbed in examining the flowers growing along a nearby tree, and then silently swung herself down from the branch so she was suspended just above her head, her ankles tightly gripping the branch so as to keep herself secured. Breathing lightly, so as not to disturb her unsuspecting victim, her fingers reached out to the clasp of her glittering prize. But to her dismay, right at that precise moment the woman chose to bend downwards to inspect a flower growing closer to the forest floor. Grasping wildly in silent fuming frustration in the pendant's direction, Aikia's eyes widened in alarm as she realized her ankles were losing their grip on the branch she was suspended from. With only a moment's warning, Aikia dropped to the ground, where she was able to tumble safely to a defensive position, crouching on one knee, her obsidian dagger now out and her teeth grimaced in the direction of the woman, who was still bent over the flower.

Is she toying with me? she wondered wildly as she waited for a response from the other female.

Pale blue eyes set in a an almost ashen-fair slender face framed by silver hair, narowed and before the 'drop-from-tree-girl' could react Isokla held a dagger to her throat. Her tone was as chill as the icy mountains themselves, "Who sent you?" she demanded, though her tone was lower than a whisper, "If you are an assassin from them, I swear..."

She allowed the girl to speak, but did not remove the dagger. Isokla had instantly recognised the crystals in Aikia's hair for what they were; just as Aikia had recongised her pendant...

Aikia growled in the back of her throat, ashamed of her clumsiness. She attempted to talk, then coughed and tried again as her voice failed her.

"Assassin? I am no assassin, hume! Just wanted a look at your shiny blue stone…" she spoke with a pretty, soft voice, rough from lack of use and tinged with anger and a little bit of fear.

Isokla frowned a little and then her eyes locked onto Aikia's wrist, almost snapping as quickly as her unarmed hand flashed out and seized it. Twisting the palm around sharply, she demanded, "Then explain this. You are their servant."

Despite the knife at her throat Aikia attempted to twist her wrist out of the other woman's iron grip. Terror was beginning to well up in her, threatening to choke and overwhelm her.

"Nononono, I won't go back, don't make me go back," she pleaded, her stomach twisting nauseatingly. She could feel the strange sensation start floating around her, comfortingly, and she embraced the feeling and let it pull her out, out and away from this strange and threatening woman who reminded her so strongly of the 'angry man,' yet at the same time of the 'nice man.' It confused her and frightened her at the same time, and she couldn't handle it.

Looking down at her crumpled up body, fear still etched on its features, she looked around herself in a strange sense of calm, everything that had just happened seeming to no longer have any importance. Spotting her beloved Suki looking across at her now hovering embodiment, a look of concern in her black intelligent eyes, Aikia floated over and clung to Suki, who was now somehow larger than her.
She didn't question the change in size, nor why Suki was able to see her in this strange form. The both of them then gazed down at the other woman, who now had an unconscious and apparently dying body in her grasp.

"What is..." Isokla's eyes narrowed and she grabbed the girl's wrist, and checked for a pulse. "No," the woman hissed, suddenly afraid of losing another life, "Come back..." squeezing her eyes shut, she placed her hands on the other woman's breast, where her heart should be and poured her healing magicks back into the girl, restarting her heart and bringing the soulless body back to life. Any normal being should have felt themselves being pulled back into their body.

Isokla had not used so much magic all at once for some time. She would need to rest before the day was out, she suspected.

Aikia could feel the bodily tug on herself and somehow unconsciously knew it had something to do with the way the other woman's aura had suddenly grown and was swimming around her and her unconscious body, a shimmering blue made of weaving dark azure and lighter skyblues. At that moment she knew everything about the other strange woman’s intensions, and felt drawn to her, pity and understanding welling up in her. And she also knew she would never comprehend nor remember why she will have this understanding about this other woman, but that she must trust her instincts.

With a small sigh, she released her hold about Suki's neck and drifted lightly back down to her body. She watched with a slight fascination as she lightly ran her hand down her face's cheek, the color returning to where she touched, and as the woman shivered slightly when she accidentally brushed against her. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to be drawn back into the vortex that was her body, back into the fleshy prison where she must use her lungs to breathe, in, out, in out, her heart pumping lifeblood to her limbs.

Aikia stirred slightly, the little colour that existed in her pale china complexion returning as she took in her first breath. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, but she did not wake, too drained from her strange experience. She still floated, but now in a dream-world, a world full of strange and unique creatures, where everything was happy and right with the world, where crimson hawks and serpents did not compete, and blue crystals hovered about in the sky…

With a sigh of relief, Isokla took a deep, deep breath and realised that she was close to choking up. She wanted to cry and laugh at once; she had not taken another life; she had saved one. She did not want any more blood on her hands. Not today. Zakaria's death had caused her more pain than she initially knew. But... the young woman that lay in front of her was still an enemy.

In what most would call underhanded, and what would have labelled her a pervert had she been a man, Isokla, with all her medical knowledge of the human physiology examined, and striped searched her (without actually removing any of her clothing; just lifting and looking). She wanted no surprises of hidden knives or posion needles or the like. Oddly enough, she treated the girl in front of her as she would any other patient in her care; with an oddly gentle tenderness and respect. When she had finished her examination of her body, and quite horrified to see the number of scars lining the other woman's back, she examined the crystals in her hair, and the bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet seemed more like a shackle; for the skin there had scars caused from it rubbing repetitively against her wrist. Poor thing.

Isokla woke her with a slight frown, shaking her shoulder. "I have not bound you. Still yourself." the girl advised Aikia upon waking. "We should talk, you and I." she sighed, "I know what you are. If you attempt to strike me, I will unleash a call that will alert every guard in a five hundred mile radius. Do I make myself clear?" Before she could reply, Isokla continued, "And before you think of it - should you attempt to strike me down, with my last dying breath, I shall alert your masters of where you are." Her pale blue eyes were locked on the others; if she was bluffing, Aikia had a hard time detecting it. "Henceforth, our lives are bound, yours and I. For now, at least."

Aikia opened her eyes with disappointment about being drawn out of her lovely dream. Looking up at her intruder, all the recent events crashed back around her. Still fuzzy on what exactly happened between the woman discovering her tattoo and finding herself waking up from a nice dream, she listened silently to what the woman was saying. Hearing words like "alert guards," "dying breath," "masters," and "bound," Aikia sat still and did nothing. Sensing that the other woman was done talking and was expecting an answer, she inclined her head in a graceful bow, and made no eye contact with her new… master.

[ 12-04-2006, 01:01 AM: Message edited by: Calaethis Dragonsbane ]

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

"Don't... bow to me like that..." Isokla whispered, suddenly realising what she had done. "I am not your master." She gently placed two forefingers under her chin and gently tilted her head up. "Look at me." she commanded quietly, unknowingly ordering her after just declaring she was not the girl's master. "I won't hurt you. I just want to talk."

Aikia did as she was told and raised her mist coloured eyes to gaze just below her master's eyes, focusing on the bridge of her nose, like she had been taught. Make contact, without making contact. She kept her gaze vacant yet attentive, confiding yet not open. The china doll-faced girl inclined her head slightly to indicate that she was willing to talk, as the other one wished. As for the "I won't hurt you" part… well, she'll find out about the truth in that statement soon enough.

"What have I done?" Isokla sighed, closing her eyes in painful agony. "I never meant to... I only wanted to be sure you would not attack.. I do not want to hurt you. Please, stop this."

Aikia's brows furrowed slightly, creasing her perfect forehead. Stop what? Why was the other so upset? Was she doing something wrong? Maybe this master expected her to speak without being ordered to… She cleared her throat.

"I… do not understand what you speak of. I was merely acknowledging my willingness to talk. I will not attack." Her eyes flickered briefly downwards to her waist, realizing her carved stone knife was not in her waistband. Hopefully she would be able to look for it before the other wished to relocate to a more comfortable setting.

"How long have you been this way?" Isokla sighed, wondering if it was perhaps a mistake to save this one. "How long have you been masterless? What did they do to you?"

Aikia was unsure of how the rules worked when speaking to a new master about an old master, but she was sure it was probably okay, if the new one asked. She was uncertain what the first question was referring to, so she answered the easier ones first.

"I have been masterless for over twelve seasons now. And my reason for leaving was not so much what they did as…" she hesitated, wondering if she had said too much. She would die if this new master forbad her from seeking out the 'nice man.' But Aikia knew she had to finish her thought, or retribution would be swift.

"I am searching for a man who smells of sunshine and secrets, with eyes as blue as the azure in your pendant. That is why I left." She knew better than to reassure this new master that she would not run. It was general knowledge that all masters were untrusting and never believed the promises of one as low as her.

"I have a question for you." Isokla asked her, nodding slightly at her answers. She had not removed the hand that cupped the other's cheek yet. "In... your culture, if one person saves another's life, are they held responsible for what happens to that person?"

'Saves another's life?' Aikia was confused by the question, but she nodded in assent.

"Yes, that is generally the custom. It is up to the saviour what his reward shall be, although it is often affected by what the two parties' social class is," she replied.

"For example, if the saviour is of lower class than the other party in trouble, then he should thank the other party and ask if he can be of any other service, for it is his place to help the higher class party in any way he can. However, if the saviour is of higher class than the other party, he can demand a monetary reward if the other party is, for example, a merchant or someone of equal class, or if they are of lower status, he could even demand his life and his descendants lives in servitude."
She halted, realizing she was rambling on about the rules of court. How rude of her to lecture her new master, who surely knew all of this already and was merely testing her knowledge! Aikia lowered her eyes to the proper position of gazing at the bridge of the nose of the other, her cheeks taking on a faint rosebud hue to reveal her embarrassment.

Isokla gifted the other with the warmest of smiles and petted the woman's cheek softly, "Hey," she soothed, "I asked you a question. You answered. Don't be embarrassed." She paused and her eyes flickered for the briefest of moments, "I am not above anyone's class. I require no reward beyond knowing that I saved a life rather than destroyed one. You are free to leave when you wish. I hope you find this man that smells of 'sunshine' and 'secrets'."

Aikia was relieved by the other's answer, but confused. She was not sure how to explain to the other woman that for her, this situation was much more complicated than that. And where did saving her life come into the equation? Was that why she had been sleeping? She inwardly winced, since she knew she would now have to work doubly hard at pleasing this master, despite her words of reassurance.

Spying the girl's confusion, Isokla said quietly, "Unless all my senses mistake me, you were dead. Your spirit had departed your body and your heart beat no more. You would have died."

Aikia blinked, then inclined her head in understanding. She really had no idea what the other was speaking of, but that would explain why she had been sleeping… she wished she could remember what had happened after her new master had grabbed her wrist!

Isokla stood up. "I'm leaving now. Go off and find your master - this man of sunshine and secrets."

Without another word or a backwards glance, Isokla began to walk, leaving the other girl still lying on the ground where she'd left her.

Aikia sensed that this new master displeased of seeing her, and so remained where she was and waited until the other was at the forest's edge. Then she scrambled up the tree and grabbed her meager belongings that were stashed in a large hole in the trunk, where an owl had been living. Jumping lightly down and dusting herself off, after a brief search she located her dagger. Bending down gracefully, she picked it up and after polishing it quickly on the hem of her shirt she hid it again in its place at her waistband. Calling Suki to her, the small striped sugar glider quickly curled up in the small handmade satchel that Aikia had tied in a sling across her back.
Swiftly and as delicately as a deer she followed her new master, making sure to trail after her at what seemed a good distance, almost out of eyesight and earshot but close enough to be of assistance if the need arose.

Feeling suddenly annoyed with herself as past memories rose to the surface of her mind, Isokla felt the sudden need to be hidden. The past… was gone, she had to reassure herself. It would not hurt her. But the recent image of the girl bowing and scraping to her would not leave her vision, even as she uncomfortably cast her concealment spell on herself. They were far too close to home and it was a sore spot she had forgotten.

She had seen others bow to their masters like that before. There was a time when…

Aikia blinked in surprise as her new master just as quickly blinked out of existence. She quickly recovered herself, however, deciding that the other must expect her to cope with this string of events. Searching with her mind, she was able to disturb a small rodent from his crumb meal. Apologizing mentally to him for disturbing him during his meal, she showed to him the image of her new master in his perspective - the loud whisper of soft sandals, the scent of exotic flowers. After drudging through his short memory, the rodent provided her with a visual of a wooden wall, full of smells of delicious cheese and fermented grapes, and the less savoury smell of cooked meat.

Using his images and smells, she was able to pick her way through the city, being careful to remain as inconspicuous as possible, asking the occasional animal for more directions to continue along her path. One more intelligent cat was able to send her the image of the sign to the building - The Golden Crane Inn. Apparently its bird-like shape appealed to the cat's appetite. Letting out a soft sight of relief, she regarded the stout wooden door before her. After some consideration, she pushed the door open and delicately stepped across the threshold.

Isokla, who had long since reappeared blinked as the woman walked in. Her eyes narrowed and she walked straight over to her, ignoring all others, dragged her to one side by the arm and hissed softly into her ear, "What are you doing here? Need I tell you not to follow me?" A pause. "How did you follow me?"

Aikia felt fluttering panic start to rise up in her at her new master's reaction to seeing her. She knew she shouldn't have walked through the front door! However she calmed when the other voiced her curiousity, and felt pleased that she had perhaps passed her master's test.

"I just asked some friends who were able to help me. They are too lowly, like me, to be worth mention," she added.

With a groan, Isokla asked the empty air, "You're not going to give up, are you? I'm not going to be able to avoid this, am I? I'm stuck with you..."

Aikia merely blinked and smiled complacently at the other still gripping her arm.

Isokla narrowed her eyes and snapped in the other's ear, her words only for her, "Fine, follow me if you wish, but it is to your demise."

She sucked in a deep breath and regained her sudden flash of lost calm, and grumbled, waving a warning finger under Aikia's nose, "Fine, you may come along. But don't address me master, and don't call me 'mother' either, or so help me, I'll spank you until you're blue and name you 'child'. One foolish boy naming me that is enough. And trust me, you won't like me as a mother. And don't name me 'mistress' either!"
Akia inclined her head at her mast- mist-... the other's strange demands.
"As you say, m'lady," she replied agreeably.
"Or that."