Of Vengeance, Shadows, Bacon and Eggs

[raolin]

While Christian Greyseerer was away, a roving band of Orcs burned the village at which he'd been staying to the ground. He returns to find nothing but smoke, mist, ash, and bodies.

As he staggers blindly through the fog and darkness, he is very suddenly nearly ridden down by a ragged, shaggy man in brown, on a fat, ugly, shaggy brown horse. The rider manages to avoid him, but a second rider, in hot pursuit of the first, has no such qualms and shows no intention of changing direction.

Just as Christian begins to grasp at the power within him, the brown-clad man extends his hand, and an explosion shatters the night with blinding light, a cacaphony of noise, and a burst of unaimed magical energy whose only purpose is to blind the extrasensory perceptions. Blinded, deafened, and his mind racked with anguish, Christian falls unconscious.

When he awakens, the second rider seems to have fled. Our story picks up as Christian struggles to rise and make sense of what has occurred....

_____________________


thalin_stormhand (12/30/2005 4:38:50 PM): "Rest easy, friend," came a quiet masculine voice from Christian's side. "You look like you've had as rough a week as I have." Five points of light pressure came to rest on Christian's chest -- fingers. Christian would feel a strange tingling sensation run through his body for a moment; then the fingers withdrew. "All in one piece, it seems. A little bruised, perhaps, but I don't think you'd find it worth the pain of my sort of healing to deal with that." The world seemed to shift. For a moment, there was a vague impression of prismatic sparkles in the air. But maybe that was just a product of Christian's delerium. The hand returned for a moment, and a feeling of peace washed over Christian as he lay upon the warm, dry bed. -- Bed? Hadn't it been wet grass a moment ago? (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/30/2005 4:38:51 PM): :If Christian had no particular buffs against extraplanar effects in place, thoughts such as that would tend to skitter away, and he would seem to remember having been in bed from the moment he awakened. A bed under the night sky, with no roof overhead? In fact it wasn't a bed at all, so much as a comfortably-made stretcher lying on the ground with blankets and a pillow. "Sorry for the Fourth of July spell," the man continued. "And for almost running you down. You were invisible in the mist, and I had to shake off my pursuit or he'd probably have killed us both." It was completely up in the air as to what the hell the brown-garbed man was talking about.

richierich_of2003 (12/30/2005 4:47:08 PM): "That was you?" What else could he say. Things seemed to be getting stranger and stranger by the minute. "Light, you almost took my head off y'know.." He scratched the top of it as though to make sure it indeed, was still there. But the man seemed to be right. He felt no worse for ware except for the bruises and sore joints. Slowly and cautiously, he sat up on the stranger to swing his feet around so he could stand, all the while keeping his piercing green eyes on the brown garbed man. "Who are you?" Christian himself wore no more than green robes. Plain. Something that wouldn't attract attention, and that seemed to match nicely with the forest that surrounded them. "And who was the other that pursued you? I should be wary of you both, but you at least seem to be a reasonable
richierich_of2003 (12/30/2005 4:47:24 PM): fellow. The other one hasn't even shown himself." He turned his gaze to the surroundings, waiting for shapes to appear in the smoke-haze fog that still billowed from a fire out of sight and further south of them. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/30/2005 4:47:31 PM): :And he almost determined there wasn't anyone else. But to make sure.. Once more, and more warily this time, he let himself reach into the pool. Air shifting. Nostrils flaring. Green eyes blazing. The magic barely flowed to the core. It was only for a moment. And there... yes... there was someone else. A girl? Or a woman. Whoever it was, they were watching him. .. He turned, releasing the power, letting it wash away before he turned his eyes back in the direction he'd sensed another signature. Not a signature perhaps...but a presence. "Hello?" He called forth, peering into the blackness, before muttering back to the man beside him. "Perhaps that pursuer of yours hasn't left us afterall."

serena_ahnell (12/30/2005 4:55:47 PM): A hand clamped itself over her mouth, peeking out just a little more, trying to pierce the haze. The voice wasn't threatening at least, it wasn't a growl and it wasn't close to her. That had to be a good sign, right? She stepped out from behind the tree haltingly. Standing barely five foot, thin, insignificant when compared to the surroundings. She took one step, two steps forward and froze. Anxiety bubbling up within her again, her muscles moving much slower than they would under normal circumstances. She called out, not with a physical voice, but a mental one that would be recieved with those that had open minds, "Hello?" She didn't need to make an effort to push it out, her voice was faint, quivering. Her hands fidgeting, eyes darting about, paranoia edging in.

thalin_stormhand (12/30/2005 4:59:35 PM): The man stiffened slightly, then relaxed. "He is gone," he affirmed. "For the moment." He grimaced slightly. "I suppose my little diversion worked. My horse used to be able to outrun his. I hope that's still the case. Barrel and I have been working together for a long time." The way he said "long," it conjured up images of men who still had bits of a prehensile tail to evolve out of. But then the man seemed to come to himself, and shook himself slightly; his ragged brown cloak fluttered in the cool air. "My apologies. My name is Thalin, called Stormhand. And the man who pursued us was... an old, unpleasant acquaintence." His haggard face looked wryly amused by that; his own bright green eyes sparkled in the starlight. The mist, it seemed, had dissipated. "Don't worry about him for now. (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/30/2005 4:59:36 PM): "And who might I have the pleasure of meeting?" Thalin's bushy brown eyebrows arched quizzically. A moment later, he held up his hand and looked over his shoulder. "Well met," he called out into the night. "You might as well join us. This patch of the woods seems to have become a fine place for a party." He returned his eyes to Christian. "My apologies again. Do go on." He stretched out one hand; a thin stream of liquid flame jetted from his fingertips to ignite a small pile of wood that certainly hadn't been there a moment before -- had it? Now that one thought about it, hadn't they just seen Thalin get up and gather the logs himself? Thoughts fluttered.... Whatever, the fire blazed up merrily after only a moment.

richierich_of2003 (12/30/2005 5:11:24 PM): :What in blazes is happening here? Christian couldn't help but stay silent and puzzled for a moment. Letting his eyes dart between the fire, the brown-garbed man, and the stranger who was farther off. Who were these people? And how the hell did this fire appear when... he had seen Thalin gather it only moments before? .. Had he? Shaking his head, ready to be in an insane fit, he sat back down upon the stretcher. Confused as ever. "Christian," he muttered softly. It'd have to do for now. He was too out of sorts to be polite. "Fire...put out the damned fire man!" He was up again on his feet looking down at the thing in front of them. "There's been enough fire already tonight with the whole village being burned."

serena_ahnell (12/30/2005 5:16:38 PM): She swallowed the lump in her throat. Helpless. She was feeling extremely helpless right now. A foreign land and foreign people. At least they seemed to be friendly, with that encouraging thought she headed towards the light. The voices were getting louder, that was somewhat comforting. It wasn't threatening. She suppressed a groan at her slow pace, as the adrenaline, anxiety, and the cold were starting to take a toll on her. She really wasn't built for these sort of adventures... She wasn't made for adventures period. Her hands resting on the small of her back, pressing lightly to made her figure bow out slightly, trying to ease the aches that were settling in. Her eyes still wide and watching, heading towards the flicker of light.

thalin_stormhand (12/30/2005 11:01:09 PM): For a moment, the man called Thalin looked as if he thought Christian had some sort of physical weakness against fire. It had happened before. He'd raised a hand toward the flame -- no doubt to snuff it out the same as he'd cast it -- until Christian continued. Then he relaxed again and let his arm fall, the fire still twinkling. "Peace, my friend," he said gently. "There are fires, and there are fires. This one will do no harm, and might at least ward off the chill for a time." He gestured toward the bedroll. "Lie back down." His voice was soft, but there was a subvocal command in it. Unless Christian had raised a magical defense, he would feel himself... not exactly compelled to obey, but rather as if it was a reasonable thing to do. (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/30/2005 11:01:17 PM): Which it would have been without the magic. But in such circumstances, people did not often see reason immediately and of their own accord. Whatever happened, Thalin raised his green eyes to meet those of Christian. "I've only just arrived in this... part of the world. I'm a little behind on the times." He hesitated for a moment, then continued. "I don't know what happened to this village of yours, but developing a phobia of fire because of it will not help anyone." He settled back onto the ground and rested his back against a tree. He looked like nothing so much as a weary man approaching his middle ages, looking for a bit of rest, though his eyes remained bright and alert. "Why don't you tell me about it while our new companion finds her way here?"

richierich_of2003 (12/30/2005 11:16:14 PM): :The compulsion did seem more to be a reasonable thing. There were things happening here and Christian would usually be aware of. But the last few days had riddled him to the point of being sick. Without question, he laid back down onto the stretcher comfortably.. sighing deeply at the relief he felt. "It was fast." He began, while letting his eyes peer at Thalin, studying. There were so few magic users in the world these days. It was interesting to meet one outside his family.. Intricate creatures they could be. People who could fascinate him, and teach him. What might he learn from this Thalin called Stormhand? "Orcs, on horseback, with swords in one hand and torches in the other. That's what happened. Orcs aren't known for politeness." -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/30/2005 11:16:23 PM): :"Their more known for their forefronted hatred for all creatures that aren't orcs, and that seem easily pillagible." He sniffed derisively, laying back once more to place intertwined hands beneath his head. "I'm a Druid. I travel to villages and cities to offer my services which cover a wide range of things. Healing. Alchemy. Force, if necessary.. Although I like to avoid violence. When and if it is possible. I only arrived to this village yesterday. It was quiet. Peaceful. I didn't realize there was going to be a horde of orcs just beyond in the forest, preparing to make do what they do upon this place." -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/30/2005 11:16:31 PM): :Clearing his throat, he took a second to glance toward where the newcomer would be coming from, watching for the approaching figure. "I wasn't prepared to help these people. My...abilities...consist of preperation. It is my way. Before I knew I had to do something, half the village was already afire. And there was too much smoke to see anything, or see where I had to go... So I stumbled along. Listened to the dead and living alike before you and your...pursuer decided to take a try at clipping my head off." Silence would fill the air after his words. Christian laid back, sighing peacefully once more, as though the tail had lifted a kind of burden from heavily weighted shoulders.

serena_ahnell (12/30/2005 11:25:01 PM): Her chest was heaving by the time she reached the pair, a hand placed lightly on it as she stood half behind a tree. Shy as ever, only her head and shoulder peeking around to look at the two. Her small face covered in black powder, her pale silver hair a dull grey, her dress dirty and just as dark as her hair was. She looked comical as a set of pearly whites made thier appearance with her tentative grin, her eyes bright with curiousity. She looked down at the ground, stepping out from behind the tree, her hands now fidgeting nervously. Lilac orbs darting up once only to fall back to the ground. She was reduced to shifting from foot to foot. Genuinely at a loss for words.

thalin_stormhand (12/30/2005 11:31:12 PM): "Orcs." Thalin made a distasteful noise. "Bloodthirsty lot no matter where you go. I new one group, far from here, that was quite honorable and even good-hearted, but that's one variety of thousands, and even those seemed to think having a lot of scars made them great warriors. Myself, I've always thought not having very many scars meant you were a great warrior." He shook his head. "What's done is done, Christian. There's little you or anyone can do for this village now. Rest easy, for now. No further harm will come to you this night, not so long as my... pursuer remains cautious." He settled back against the tree, and a pipe appeared in his hand as if from thin air; the faint burst of prismatic sparkles that accompanied it might have been lost in the sparks from the fire. (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/30/2005 11:31:20 PM): The pipe was already lit (hadn't Thalin just lit it with flint and tinder?), and the brown-cloaked man drew on its stem. He blew out a thin stream of smoke, which resolved itself into a fair impression of a ring, albeit slightly wobbly. Thalin had taken up the sport recently (on the grounds that a mage ought to have a pipe); he hadn't yet mastered the art, and wasn't willing to cheat the way Gandalf used to all those years ago. Ships and horses, yet! Thalin snorted at the thought. "Are you hungry?" he asked as Serena stepped into the firelight. He made the question open-ended, inquiring of both of them. "Parched? A pipe, perhaps? Do be seated," he invited, gesturing for Serena toward a comfortable-looking expanse of the ground near the fire. (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/30/2005 11:31:22 PM): It was hardly the place one would ordinarily act as though offering hospitality, but someone had to take charge of the situation and make it appear as normal as possible. Otherwise there would be all sorts of panicking and whatnot. Tempers needed to be calmed before any real progress could be made.

richierich_of2003 (12/30/2005 11:40:06 PM): :was too lost in thought to give Serena any kind of welcome. He laid there, simply staring up into the night sky. Or what he could see of it.. The roiling smoke from the village still passed overhead from time to time, blotting out those twinkling lights which seemed to capture so much of an audience. Especially among humans.. A race which saw progress as their only goal. Progress. Travel. Expansion. Thats what he had learned so far anyway... being human. It was gather this. And make that. And get rich there, and destroy that before it destroyed you. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/30/2005 11:40:18 PM): A tiring game, if he'd ever played one... But there was still yet so much to be learned before he could return. Return where thought? "Civilized orcs? I'd never believed." Perhaps a moment of awkward silence had passed, but time was lost to Christian. However long she'd been standing there, Christian would finally raze his gaze to her, and give a greeting smile. "Evening, m'lady. Are you well? From the village are you? Any hurts? I'm the healer that was passing through.. It's good to see another face. From the village, of course." -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/30/2005 11:41:06 PM): He glanced at Thalin, and although he'd rather not be rude to the man, he actually questioned himself whether he was happy to see this Thalin called Stormhand. There was something mysterious about him.. Something sly, within that goodnatured face and tone of voice. Or was it just paranoia?

serena_ahnell (12/30/2005 11:53:50 PM): She raised a hand, clearing her throat... or rather hacking to clear it. Her figure doubled over for a moment before she turned from the pair, spitting the phlem in her throat into the woods. She offered a slight apologetic smile, grateful that her cheeks were blackened... because it would be even more embarassing for them to see how brightly they burned right now. She opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it, and then opened it again! Her voice was very quiet, "Water would be lovely. Absolutely lovely." She offered another grin, stepping closer and more into the light of the fire. Her eyes looked over to Christain on the stretcher and she shook her head, "All's well. I am from there... Well, I was passing through, like you were. Not a native, of course."

thalin_stormhand (12/30/2005 11:59:52 PM): Paranoia, no doubt. What else could it be? Who in their right mind would question the motives of a seemingly good-natured, mysterious, ragged, complete stranger who offered you aid after knocking you out cold while being pursued by someone who certainly wanted him dead? -- Thalin certainly would have. But then, Thalin was a cynic. "Well, perhaps 'civilized' is too strong a word," Thalin confessed absently around his pipestem. "They were what modern society would probably call barbarians, and quite warlike. Still, they prized honor, rarely warred amongst themselves, often helped those in need at no gain to themselves, and rarely attacked without provocation. Would that the same could be said of the civilized races." He chuckled softly. "But that was long ago, and far from here." (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 12:00:01 AM): As if he hadn't just rambled about something completely inconsequential, the man fell silent then and puffed contentedly on his pipe. With a smile and a slight incline of his head for Serena, he rose from his place and strode off into the forest. There was a faint rustling sound, a soft whicker as of a horse, and a happy-sounding, but soft, exclaimation from Thalin. A few moments went by before the strange man stepped back into the clearing. Under one arm he held a small barrel or keg, large enough to hold perhaps two or three gallons; in the other, he was balancing a number of glasses. "My horse found his way back," he explained. He filled one of the glasses -- water, as requested -- and handed it to Serena. (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 12:00:07 AM): He filled a second glass for himself -- from the same barrel, yet somehow with wine -- and cocked a questioning eyebrow at Christian. "Would you like anything?"

richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:08:22 AM): "You got anything stronger in there? A bit of ale? Bah'. Bad stuff if you use it too much over time. Just the water will do." He sat up, watching Thalin with hidden amazement. What else was this character capable of? There were so many unanswered questions. Questions, that didn't seem to have to be questions at all, though. So how was he going to fix this one out? If he even could.. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:09:09 AM): "Smart equarian. If only there were more of those. I've had bad experiences with horses.. My arse couldn't handle too many thumpings anymore, so I gave them up. Walking is quiet..when you need it to be. And it's good exercise. Keeps the blood flowing." He breathed in deeply, wondering why he was rambling on endlessly, when he could be trying to figure out his next move. Did he have a next move? Vengeance needed to taken for the dead, and the village. It was the least he owed them. Maybe he could find the band and deal them what they deserved. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:09:10 AM): But for now, there didn't seem to be anything logically wrong with sitting here, enjoying the fire, and the hospitality. "The Gods know hardly anyone bears such anymore.." He muttered softly...but not quiet enough to keep under his breath.

thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 12:20:07 AM): Thalin was always amused by how a simple parlor-trick could sway the crowd. In this case, it was 100% legitimate, but for all Christian knew, there could have been a dozen different tiny kegs in that barrel, and Thalin could have been rotating the tap to choose which one he used. But it was legitimate in this case; one of the many trinkets Thalin had picked up over a very long life. "Bears what?" Thalin asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear." He poured off a glass of water, stepped around the fire, and handed it down to Christian. "If you'd prefer ale, I've some of that as well," he added. "There is nothing wrong with it when used in moderation. In fact, I've heard a cup a day is good for the heart." He frowned inside his shaggy beard. "Or was that wine? I always forget." (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 12:20:09 AM): He shrugged his shoulders and settled back down against the tree he'd been using. "There are few companions as good as a well cared-for horse," he acknowledged. "Treat him well, and he will see you through dark times indeed." He drew on his pipe and puffed out a perfect white ring. He allowed himself a moment to take pride in the achievement. "Tell me, young Christian," he went on then. "What do you mean to do, now that this village is... no longer in need of your services?"

richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:31:50 AM): The sword had always been too sharp. The kinfe; too jagged. He'd always hated the feeling of blood on his hands. No amount of training had changed any of that. How could he have subjected himself to so much brutality? Mystria had provided his outlet. A person he could confess to, of the inhibitions he'd had with killing. The insanity of it... She had understood him. Cared for him. Kissed him till he was lost when he needed to be lost. Her soft and warm hands on his shoulders, caressing his cheek, fingering the scar across his neck. Where was she now? Perhaps with someone who could handle the price. Who didn't remind her of the pain they'd shared. ..She wouldn't be there when he destroyed the orcs. Not this time. Nor any other. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:32:20 AM): :"Hmm?" Only just then did Thalin's words break through his thoughts. "Oh...bears nothing. I was mumbling. And I do believe it's wine that's good for the heart. I've heard that somewhere before as well. I'd have some, but I need to keep my wits about me tonight." And he wouldn't have explained why had it been left at that. But no, Thalin had somehow come right to the heart of the matter. The thing that drew Christian away from the time that surrounded him, to a time that would come. Can he read minds? -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:33:11 AM): "Well.. I'm not sure." Young? Perhaps. He wasn't anymore than 25 now. Or 24... Oh who could remember. Traveling and wandering alone had driven away any sense he'd had for his aging. It would be endless anyhow, as it was for every GreySeerer. "I might go find a horse to purchase. From the sounds of it, perhaps I've only had a run of bad-luck. If they can help in dark times as you say, they're certainly worth looking at again." Would he tell him of orcs? Maybe. For now however, the goal would remain hidden. He'd give the band a day before he pursued them, and gave them what they deserved. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:33:12 AM): He crossed his legs in front of him indian style on the stretcher, watching as the woman took her water and proceeded to lay down before the campfire. Poor girl... Another wanderer? What made her choose such a path?

[raolin]

thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:03:52 AM): "Mmmm." Thalin narrowed his eyes slightly. It had seemed to be a weighted question, and for a moment he studied Christian intently. Then he sighed softly, expelling a cloud of smoke. Then he leaned forward. "The villagers are dead, Christian," he said frankly. "They are hardly in a position to thank you if you were to avenge their deaths." He shook his head and gestured with the stem of his pipe. "Vengeance is a dirty business, friend," he said, pipestem waving back and forth. "Take it from one who knows. It's nothing but a neverending cycle of blood and tears." The stem wagged like an admonishing finger, then stabbed forward. "If you must bring battle to these Orcs, do so to prevent them from doing this again in the future. Do not do so to avenge that which is already dust and ash." (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:04:09 AM): He smiled at Christian's expression. "No, I cannot read minds, friend," he added, which probably proved the opposite to Christian. "But it's written all over your face, and anyway, I've lived long enough to know how the human mind operates." He returned his pipe to his mouth, inhaled. Then, "And this is one of the things the human mind does poorly," he added smokily. "For a civilized species capable of reason, they are quite unreasonable." He smiled again. "Come, Christian. What difference could you possibly make if you rode against those dozens of Orcs alone? You could not stop them while they trod on unfamiliar ground; to assail them at home will meet with poor results. Alone, all you will achieve is to add your own death to those alredy accounted for."

richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 1:18:53 AM): A small smile threatened to spread across his pale red lips. The amusement, as well as the surprise, fed from those green piercing eyes as they watched Thalin. As his ears listened to his words. All that was said and done was taken into consideration. But the only expression Thalin would receive would be that grin. He fought hard to keep from chuckling. From showing. From revealing. Once he was sure Thalin had finished, Christian would take it as his turn to lean forward and give his reply. A constant tone of friendliness and kindness. But also, a harsh seriousness. A steely stubborness. As a GreySeerer should be. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 1:19:10 AM): "If I were but only human, I might be inclined to agree that taking on the band of orcs alone is quite foolish." The grin widened. The furance within his eyes roared. "And I've done it before. It's killing two birds with one stone, Thalin. They sow and expect not to reap their consequences. I do what I can to catch creatures like those, and give them their payment. In death, or other events that turn them to some kind of misfortune." He sniffed, shrugged, and took another draught at the water before placing the glass beside the stretcher on the ground. Then he layed down again on his back.-c-

richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 1:19:10 AM): "Vengeance can clense the soul. That is why it can be dirty. Depending upon reason, and the situation. And it's only a 'neverending cycle of blood and tears' if you only bloody the one you're enacting vengeance upon, and don't finish them entirey. The corpse of them may still cry, but it will be of blood, and while they're in the ground." He looked away, back into the flames of the campfire, losing himself once more. "You have a skill at reading faces. Granting kindness, and hospitality, where none should be guaranteed until you've seen evidence they deserve it. A kind hearted fellow, but I believe you've been mislead." -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 1:20:42 AM): "Now..if you don't mind, I'd like to catch some rest. Do you mind if I keep the stretcher? I shall return it to you. It's quite a comfortable stretcher.. ..Wouldn't want to make you stay if you don't want to... if you need it, the bowls of some trees are nice... I can make do.." Soft and gentle snores would begin to rumble. And Christian fell away from the world once more.

thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:27:17 AM): Thalin shook his shaggy head slightly, and no doubt he would have argued further, had the man not so neatly dismissed him. He sighed smoke. He supposed that he had been a trifle condescending. It was a habit of age. "My apologies, then," he offered. "It is none of my business, I suppose." He scowled at his pipe; it promptly went out, and Thalin slipped it under his cloak. "Think on it, then," he went on. "And if you insist upon this course of action, at least see to it that you are adequately... prepared... for this encounter. I would not like one to whom I've offered hospitality to end up facedown in the mud the next day." He smiled faintly and lay back against the tree. "The stretcher is yours, friend. Take it as a token of goodwill. Perhaps it will see you through hard times, as well."
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:27:50 AM): So saying, he fell silent, and allowed Christian to fall asleep. Barring the catastrophic, he would likely be there when Christian awoke the next morning as well.

richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 11:30:41 AM): Swirls. Yellow, red, and blue. That was the world. That was everything, and nothing. Where am I? came a far off thought.. not really there, but he remained aware of it. Floating within his mind, waiting to be answered. He always had an answer didn't he? Logically, deducted, and well thought out. It's a dream. One of several. Everyone has them. The swirls continued, brightly and full of energy. Vibrating with an unseen power. Oh but he could feel it... resonating in his chest; his ears; his head. It felt so good. He felt so full. Could he grasp for more? The swirls grew more bright, and he thought and willed his hand to reach out and . . . -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 11:30:49 AM): The world shifted. It was everything, and nothing. -- The castle loomed over the trees, blocking out the golden disk that had settled high in the sky, letting its golden rays spread and rest upon the rock-worked walls which held and had contained a family and its generations farther back than anyone could remember. It'd been so long since he'd been here. Home. A small smile tugged a this lips as he moved forward. His bare feet gently pressing against the earth, gliding through the grass. Like always. He wrapped his robes more tightly around him against the morning chill, and watched the trees. The Oaks - their own power resonating within their gathering, announcing the life of every GreySeerer that still lived. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 11:30:56 AM): All was well and in order it seemed. It smelled good. The air smelled of a winter just passed, and a spring just coming. The lush green that surrounded him gave him protection, and relief.. All was well right? - He passed through the doors, the marble worked floor hard and fortified beneath his feet. Cold, unrelenting, but thats how it had always been. "Hello!" He called out, unable to keep the full smile back. "I'm home! Mother? Grandmother? Faith! Where are you all? Uncle Kyle?" The halls flowed passed him. Pictures and tapestries. He reached the stairs and began to run. "I'm home! Hello?? I'm..." -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 11:31:03 AM): ...It is everything, and nothing... - The wind whipped at him. His jet black hair fell in chaotic tendrils that seemed unsatisfied with every placing they settled in across his face. His green eyes glowed brightly, surprisedly. "Oh come now Christian. It'll only take a little effort." He looked for the voice. The voice that was not there, and was. He knew it.. had listened to it as it was whispered gently into his ears. A voice from the lips that had given him new life everything he'd kissed them. - Mystria stood before him up on the castle wall, balancing, her wings spread wide and far. Ready to take flight. She smiled that wonderful smile at him, a small chuckle let forth that sounded like angels singing. A harp playing. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 11:31:12 AM): "Are you ready?" All he could do was look at her. It'd been so long. So long since she'd left him. Disappeared without a trace. And here she was in all her beauty, looking at him like they'd only been together yesterday. "Yes, I am." He muttered softly, and moved forward. "But we can walk, sister. We can walk and enjoy the view together. The Grove. Why fly? You know I don't enjoy it much. You miss too much." Her laugh made his knees quiver and his heart thump, but he smiled back and strode up to her to take her hand. "A walk, Mystria. My love. A walk will do us both..." -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 11:31:21 AM): It was everything, and nothing. - Fire and brimstone. He was standing before his cabin. His solitary confinement. The fire leaped and smoked into the night sky. "Mystria!" He cried, the heat beating against his body, but he leaped forward, knowing she was inside. "Mystria! I'm coming! I'm coming Mystria!" The flames licked at his body. Curled around his skin. Tinged his hair. Hurt his eyes. But he went inside. Took it all, and found her. Held her pregnant body in his arms and wrapped his wings around her. Wings of pure white; which might've grown like his mothers. Mystria laid in his arms, crying, tears spilling down from her eyes and over her cheeks. She watched him sadly, with a madness that had never been there before. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 11:31:29 AM): "Oh Christian...I never.. he was ours.. He never made it Christian." His wings burned away. Feather by feather. Hurt by hurt. It was everything, and nothing. "It's okay Mystria. We'll have another. Another Christian, and we'll raise him right. No matter what anyone says." But then she was gone. And he held nothing. Just memories. Thoughts that bubbled in swirls. His feathers burned and his wings melted away... He raised his blazing eyes and looked at a brown-garbed man, with pipe in his hand, smoking. "Peace, my friend," he said gently. "There are fires, and there are fires. This one will do no harm, and might at least ward off the chill for a time." -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 11:31:52 AM): Everything. -- Christian leaped out of the stretcher, breathing hard, and sweat rolling down his face, soaking his robes. A dream. Was the logical answer, but it did not do away with the images that had become blazoned in his mind. His eyes darted every which way, remembering, slowly, where he was. Village. The fire. Thalin. The girl. He remembered it all, quickly, looking to the fire that was no more than ash. To the girl sleeping farther off. And not seeing Thalin right away, he turned to look towards the village.. The smoke had cleared by now. The fires died. All that he saw now was burnt rubble. Not the cabin.. Not the castle. Just the village. ...Sighing deeply, Christian lowered back to the stretcher and put his head in his hands, shaking...shaking away the dream.

thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 11:48:39 AM): Thalin was, in fact, in the same place he had been the night before, when Christian had fallen asleep. He reclined against a comfortable tree, his eyes shut and breathing steady. How could he sleep against hard bark? The little alcove was shadowed now, though, by the last embers of the fire, and the night dark indeed, so it was not inexcusable for Christian to have missed him. Bright green eyes popped open as Christian lay thrashing upon his stretcher. For a moment Thalin considered waking him. He was no mind-reader, but only a fool would be unable to guess that Christian had lost something dear in the fire. In fact he was entirely wrong; it had been a different fire of long ago that Christian dreamt of. But the dream lasted only a few moments, though surely it seemed like hours to him.(C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 11:48:41 AM): Thalin allowed him time to shake off the dream. He kept his silence when Christian sprang to his feet, remained quiet when he realized for himself that it was only a dream, made no move while Christian lowered himself back to his stretcher. He allowed a few moments more before he finally broke his silence. Then, "Are you all right, Christian?" he asked. His voice was soft, so as not to startle him after a dream like that. "The night holds many terrors, but few so dreadful as those we imagine ourselves."

richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:07:19 PM): Christian raised his head enough to see the man before he lowered it again. He clenched his hands hard, rubbing his temples, trying to dig the images away. It was frustrating that he couldn't. They were floating there, beyond his reach. They taunted him, and they would taunt him until he went mad with anger. "I'm fine." His voice was tight with his teeth being almost clenched. Taking a deep breath, and loosening the jaw, he said it again in a much softer and friendlier tone. "I'm...fine, Thalin. Just a dream. Most of my nights do not consist of such dreams, but this same dream plagues me from time to time." Imagined? Yes. Mystria had never died in the fire. She had just disappeared. After their child... He couldn't finish the thought. And his brain leaped for something e
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:07:38 PM): else.. My wings? I lost those, surely. But why fire? The answer was so plain, he scoffed aloud as he realized it. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:07:49 PM): It was because of the village had there been fire. - Logical, deducted, and reasonable answers. They always calmed him in the end. -- Once his thought processes had been carried out, he raised his head again to look at Thalin. The pain that had twisted his face moments before was gone now. The remnants of the dream were there, but they had been dealt with. "Dreadful indeed. It is one failing among many for those creatures who are capable of imagination. But the list of good that comes from having imagination far out ways the failings.. So I will not regret having the dream." He rubbed his eyes, ridding them of crusted sleep.

thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 12:18:35 PM): In the darkness of the shadowy bole of the tree, Thalin smiled. "Then you have a strength I do not share, friend," he said. "I always regret having nightmares. It is ever an unpleasant experience." A glimmer of light was beginning to show on the horizon as the false-dawn broke. The first ray of light, reflected from a sun that had not yet risen, landed squarely upon Thalin's eyes. The brown-garbed man rose smoothly and stretched. Had he slept at all? His eyes were shadowed and the lids heavy. But perhaps that was only the darkness. "The sun will be up soon," he said. "I will see what nature offers for breakfast." A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, as if at a hidden joke that only he understood. (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 12:18:36 PM): "Sleep for a while longer if you like, Christian," he suggested then. It was only a suggestion, of course, which he went on to clarify. "Nightmares bring teasing, false shadows of the past more often than they offer glimmers of the future, and they seldom grant much in the way of rest. One often wakes feeling more tired than when he fell asleep. I will wake you when I've scrounged up some edibles, if the smell and the sun do not." So saying, he turned and disappeared once more into the trees.

richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:45:35 PM): "It is not strength, friend.." He whispered softly as he watched Thalin go. "..It's more the will and stubborness to put up with it." Once Thalin was gone he debated on whether he really would sleep some more. The rays were spilling over the forest, lighting up the area, and he felt rested enough, even with the dream.. "Sleeping would be a waste." He decided, standing up and stretching, glancing to the girl to see if she still slept soundly. "A waste, when there's knowledge to be gained." -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 12:45:42 PM): The footprints weren't hard to follow. Christian had spent much of his life tracking after his brothers and sisters when they ran around the forests outside Castle Del GreySeerer. Fun and games had given him an ability few could attain to. His eyes lit across the ground, seeing the path, and he followed behind. He kept at a constant pace, wanting to catch up to the man, but he moved slowly enough so his feet did not give his presence away. Perhaps Thalin didn't need to hear people to know someone was there, but whether or not that was the case, Christian would keep at stealthiness. No one can be too cautious.

thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:14:11 PM): Christian was in for an interesting experience. He caught up with the ragged man easily enough; Thalin was taking no great pains to cover his tracks. Nor was he paying any particular attention to anyone who might be following him. The first hike led only to his fat, ugly brown horse, which was standing (untethered) just outside the camp. Thalin mounted up without looking over his shoulder, and apparently without hearing anything from behind him. Even mounted, it was easy enough for Christian to keep up. Thalin kept his horse to a slow walk, as though he simply didn't want to be bothered with the effort of walking for himself rather than out of any need for haste. And then Thalin was riding slowly away from the camp, his horse ambling along unprotesting. (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:14:16 PM): Christian probably wouldn't be able to see it from behind Thalin, but Thalin's eyes slid half-shut as soon as he was on the horse. He never touched the reigns, nor applied any pressure with his knees except to keep the horse moving; he let the brute pick his own path. They walked for some time, and the world around them began to change. It was a very gentle, gradual change, but unnerving when taken into consideration, especially if Christian was familiar with the nearby terrain. A stand of stone to the left of the path... a ray of light from the unrisen sun breaking through the tree canopy just so... a small rabbit trail, which Barrel takes... rocks dotting the dirt... a treebranch fallen over the path, though there had been no storm the night before.... (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:14:34 PM): A mossy log beside that tree... the last of the mist of the night before fading... path widening out, becoming rockier... the glimpse of smoke from a chimney far off, though surely there were no villages left hereabouts... the soft calling of wildlife... a fox crossing the path... a cloud soaring slowly overhead.... The path becomes paved with cobblestones... a glance over the shoulder shows a cobblestone highway as far as the eye can see... trees beginning to thin... sun standing well over the horizon, though not ten minutes have passed... a group of children, led by their father, walking along the road in the opposite direction... a child calling out a greeting to another... the father passes, offering a smile to Thalin, who doesn't notice, and to Christian... (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:14:54 PM): the entire group is gone when Christian glances over his shoulder for them.... (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:15:05 PM): A hill, as leaves fall thick upon the path... a farmhouse comes into view over the summit... two milkcows in the field... half a dozen pigs in a pen... a small henhouse on the opposite side.... Thalin drew reign and dismounted, and the scene stopped altering. It was as if Thalin added what he chose to the landscape, and subtracted what he did not desire. The farmhouse had an abandoned look to it; the windows were boarded up, and there were no human tracks around. Yet Thalin walked on. He opened the door to the henhouse, strode inside as if he expected it. The chickens were in good health despite their owners' abandonment, having plenty of feed stocked up. Thalin swiped four eggs from under them, along with a rasher of bacon and a small loaf of bread from the farmhouse. (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:15:13 PM): It looked fresh, despite the fact that nobody could have baked it recently. (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:15:25 PM): Twin suns beat down overhead as Thalin was moved on, away from the farm, mounted once more, his findings tucked securely in his pack. His horse picked its way, but they moved in the same direction they had before. Once more the scene began to alter, as subtlely and gradually as before. It might have taken as much as fifteen minutes each time he completed the journey, but in the end the sun had... gone back down, as if it had not yet risen at all. The grey of the false dawn was becoming brighter, and the road was gone, the path gone. The trees had returned. Thalin dismounted at last, and, having traveled in a straight line, stepped, impossibly, into the same campsite, with the embers of a fire, a barrel of many liquids, and a girl sleeping nearby. (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 1:15:46 PM): Thalin frowned when he saw Christian's stretcher empty. But he shrugged, no doubt assuming that Christian had gone to relieve himself in the trees or something. From his saddlebags he produced a few pans and utensils. He began to toast the bread and fry the bacon, and the eggs he placed to one side. Throughout the entire experience, as the landscape changed and altered around them, the world seemed to rain with rainbow-hued sparkles... yet they were tiny enough as to not be intrusive, and indeed were entirely invisible except out of the corners of the eyes.

richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 1:30:11 PM): . . . Christian wasn't a greenling to the world in any way. He had seen death. He had seen the cities. He'd met all sorts of people and creatures. He was a Wanderer. Had become one at 18, and hadn't stopped since. He had met Queens and Kings. Watched soldiers in arms. Felt an evil taint so great he felt dead though his heart still beat and his eyes still saw. He had a power within himself, and had tested the amount of destruction he could cause. Or the amount of healing he could provide. He had...learned...everything. Or so he thought. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 1:30:26 PM): Perhaps nothing. - The power that he felt from Thalin, the altering world, and the world thereafter, was so different compared to what he could make of himself that it made his eyes boggle and his mind reel. And when they both returned to camp, Christian could do nothing but stop before the campsite and lean against a nearby tree, hiding himself, while he listened to his heart thump within his chest. Magic.. Magic I did not know could exist beyond the Peace Angels. Magic that was and will be. Magic that I could only have dreamed... had I not seen it. With my own eyes... He swallowed back the surprise. And tired to think how he could logically deduct this. -c-
richierich_of2003 (12/31/2005 1:30:26 PM): But he couldn't could he? No. He was awake. The girl was there. Thalin was there. The stretcher still laid out. And the burned village, beyond the trees. Everything was as it should be. Or perhaps nothing. -- Slowly, he moved away from the tree he leaned against and walked into the campsite after Thalin. And he stared at the man...studying...watching warily... So many questions brimming to the tip of his tongue, but there was no air in his lungs to carry them.

[raolin]

thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 2:23:32 PM): Thalin looked up and smiled as Christian re-entered the clearing. "Nature was kind, it seems," he said, and there was a teasing twinkle in his bright green eyes, reflected from the sun. The true dawn was breaking even as he spoke, deftly flipping the bacon as he did so. "How would you like your eggs done?" But as he studied the wonder and dazzlement on Christian's face, the wary look in his eyes, his grin slid slowly off of his face. The first ray of true sunlight caught Thalin's face as he paused his cooking. His face had become grim. "You followed me." There was a long moment of silence, and Thalin lowered his eyes. Then the ragged man sighed. "That was dangerous, Christian. More dangerous than you could believe." He looked up again. (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 2:23:36 PM): "If you had lost sight of me, even for a moment, while we walked, you could have been lost in Shadow for the rest of your life. I doubt very strongly that anyone else with my power would have stumbled across you to take you home; the odds would have been literally an infinity to one." He sighed again. "I might have managed to find you, if my pursuer didn't track me down first." He shook his head. "What you saw was Shadow, Christian," he tried to explain. Gods, it was complicated. All but impossible to explain in passing. "This world itself is Shadow. All worlds are Shadows, nothing more than reflections of the true realities: Order, and Chaos." He shook his head. "I can't possibly explain soon enough to satisfy what you must be thinking. It takes a lifetime to learn, and even then, it's ambiguous."
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 2:23:44 PM): Thalin considered his words for a moment. Then, "Think of two lights, a red one and a blue one, spaced infinately far apart, so that the light from one comes infinately close to the other, but never actually touches. In between the two, there are infinate combinations of red and blue, infinate different balances struck between Order and Chaos. That's what every world is. Some have more order, some are more Chaotic, some are almost perfect balances between the two. If you take a world exactly like this one, but add so much as a fallen branch, you're in a completely different universe." (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 2:24:25 PM): The ragged man shrugged his shoulders. "That is what I did, Christian. Every change I made took us to a new universe. But adding so much as a tree took us to a new world, and there may have been other differences that I hadn't foreseen. I can't pick and choose beyond what I can see, beyond what I intend. I cannot account for every possibility. Striding from Shadow to Shadow will take me to a Shadow that includes what I wish it to include, and does not contain what I specifically desire that it does not, but there are limitless possibilities that I cannot imagine to include." He shook his head. "Had you lost sight of me, you would have found that my footprints led off into infinity, or vanished around a corner." (C)
thalin_stormhand (12/31/2005 2:24:35 PM): "I would have had to retrace my steps perfectly, entering exactly the same Shadows out of the limitless infinity that I might have accidentally stumbled into, and searched each one of them in the hopes of finding you again. The odds would have been astronomical." Through it all, the man continued his cooking. The bacon sizzled merrily, and the bread was toasted to a golden brown when he fished it off the skillet and onto a plate. Even in his dubious explanation, he avoided explaining how he came to possess power over Shadow himself, and his eyes always moved to ensure that the girl had not awakened. "Now," he said as he piled toast onto three plates. A glimmer of a faintly-mocking smile returned to his lips. "How would you like your eggs?"

((There's a missing post here, in which basically Christian, unbelievably enough, ignores the last bit about the eggs and, instead, asks what Thalin is, where he learned such power, and why he is here. I can't find it anywhere on my archive. =/))

thalin_stormhand (1/1/2006 11:41:53 AM): Thalin sighed softly. If he put off the eggs any longer, the bacon and toast would be cold by the time they were ready. "Over easy, then," he suggested, deftly cracking the eggs one by one and spilling them out of their shells into the skillet. "That's my preference, anyway." He studied the eggs in their pan, prodding at them every now and then with a spatula to ensure that they wouldn't stick or burn to the bottom. "What am I," he repeated reflectively, if a little absently. "I've often wondered that myself." Again, that faintly-mocking smile. This time it seemed directed as much at himself as at Christian. "Power is relative, my young friend. Those with it rarely need to use it, and those without it could more often find a use for it." (C)
thalin_stormhand (1/1/2006 11:42:02 AM): He chuckled softly. "Look at me. I'm making breakfast with it. Whether that's just reaching for a frivolous use to which to put it, thus indicating that I have a great deal of power, or whether that indicates that I have very little power indeed to put it to so much use at every opportunity, that is for you to decide." He shrugged his shoulders, and the mocking smile was now certainly directed fully upon Christian, and no longer a mere tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Puzzle about it all you like. The truth of the matter is I'm starving, and this was the most expedious way to remedy the situation." He paused. "And the additional hellride gave my... pursuit another circular path to track and waste his time on when he begins his hunt anew." Humming to himself, he flipped the finished eggs onto two plates, two apiece. (C)
thalin_stormhand (1/1/2006 11:42:25 AM): "I feel a trifle guilty eating while our companion slumbers," he added, nodding toward the sleeping woman. "But I will leave food for her whenever she awakens. She looks to have had as hard a night as either of us, and I'd just as soon let her rest." Leaping nimbly from topic to topic, he went on: "And as to your final question, I am here because I was chased here, obviously." Teeth showed as he grinned, but he raised a hand to forestall any protest on Christian's part. "But I was here before that, yes. I find I rather like this particular Shadow. The variety of peoples is astounding, and the all the different magical trails throw my pursuit into disarray. This world is rather a nexus of Shadows and magics, if you hadn't noticed before. It's almost as powerful a world as my own, and much more... hospitable." Again, the mocking smile as he dug out eating utensils. Adding the bacon and toast, he passed a plate, fork, and knife across the fire to Christian.

richierich_of2003 (1/1/2006 12:03:54 PM): It would be foolish not to accept the food. His stomach grumbled while Thalin talked, and Christian couldn't help but stare at the eggs, bacon, and toast, as they cooked. The smell made his mouth water. And when his plate was passed to him, Christian accepted it graciously enough before digging into it with the fork.. Eating, like he hadn't eaten for days. - It was only after having finished one piece of bacon and his eggs did he break the silence. "I would puzzle it out in vain. I shall simply just have to remain a companion of yours in your travels until I learn just how much power you can wield." He glanced at the girl, before picking up his last piece of toast and beginning to nibble at it. "That is, after I've finished with the orcs."

thalin_stormhand (1/1/2006 12:20:01 PM): Thalin smiled as he tapped the small keg once again. There was a frosty tankard in his hand, though how it managed to still be frosty was anyone's guess. He filled it with ale, and passed the mug across to Christian while he ate. He filled a glass with wine a moment later, then set into his own meal with gusto. He, too, ate as if there were no bottom to the plate, and in fact had finished the last crumbs of his meal and was digging out his pipe by the time Christian began to speak. "Oh, I doubt you would enjoy that experience a great deal, my friend," he remarked. His pipe lit itself with a small flash, and Thalin placed the stem comfortably between his teeth. "The enemies I face are a trifle more dangerous than a band of ravaging Orcs -- not that those are any pushovers." (C)
thalin_stormhand (1/1/2006 12:20:03 PM): He puffed reflectively on his pipe, not bothering to make the attempt at smoke-rings. "I suspect the only thing that has kept me alive so long is that my... pursuit isn't entirely sure how to find me yet." Removing his pipe, he blew out smoke in order to take a sip of wine. A genuine smile, not mocking this time, lit his bearded face. "But why dwell on matters of pursuit and revenge on a morning such as this? Have you seen the sunrise?" By this time, the sun had broken the horizon in all its glory, a ball of smooth, molten gold. The sky was cloudless, and the mist evaporated, and the tang of nature fresh on the air. Thalin reclined against his tree, still smiling as he watched the sun. It didn't seem to bother his eyes to look at it. (C)
thalin_stormhand (1/1/2006 12:20:10 PM): "These are the joys of life, my friend," he said softly. "Even the greatest power will only take you so far. What power in the world can place you before a beautiful sunrise on a full stomach, a pipe in one hand and a glass in the other, in pleasant company? Vengeance, hatred, contempt... to hold such things in your heart at a time such as this is nothing short of criminal, when they only occur for a few short minutes every day, and rarely so well." He sighed softly. "I will aid you in your quest against the Orcs, Christian, but after that I fear we must part ways. I would not expose one whom I have fed and accomidated to the horrors which pursue me across the Shadows." A ghost of his smile returned. "But the Orcs will wait. They, too, had a busy night."

richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 3:19:15 PM): "You would not be exposing me, friend." A small smile threatened to curl at the edge of his lips before he too gazed upward toward the rising sun; to gaze upon the beauty of day approaching. "I would be exposing myself. I've little left in this world to bind me, Thalin. I have no wife. No children. And the villages and cities that I pass.." He turned and waved a hand toward the wreckage that remained of the last one he'd stopped in, "..benefit little enough, or not at all, from my presence. I am tired.. I have not been able to find my purpose." He sighed, leaned back, pushing at what food was left on his plate now. A look of resignation written across his face as he looked up once more. -c-
richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 3:19:22 PM): "If you help with the orcs or not, I will travel with you."

thalin_stormhand (1/3/2006 3:29:26 PM): Thalin studied the man across the fire from him from under bushy eyebrows and half-shut eyelids as he turned the thoughts over in his mind. Several long seconds passed in silence, broken only by thin streams of smoke that the man blew softly from between his lips. At last he removed the pipe from between his teeth and cupped it in his hand, bright green eyes intent upon Christian. "Well spoken, Christian," he said slowly. "I'm sure your destiny lies somewhere among the Shadows. In Shadow, all things are possible." He hesitated. "But I would be shocked if it lay at my side. I have never liked exposing a friend to danger, and travelling with me would be dangerous beyond your imagination." He paused. "It is within my power to allow you to travel with me or prevent you, Christian. (C)
thalin_stormhand (1/3/2006 3:29:27 PM): If I allow you, I will be taking responsibility for it."

richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 4:12:57 PM): Christian sat there for a moment, eyeing Thalin shrewdly as he thought over what he was going to say next. Calculating. Taciturn. That was as a GreySeerer should be right? Careful with each word. With each action. He had seen that within his grandmother and his mother at least. It was a smart way to live, if anything more than slightly limited. - Once Christian found the right words, he'd begin speaking in a soft-spoken way, as though he mind was slipping away from the present. -c-
richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 4:13:05 PM): "A life can be thought of as a single thread. A person travels that thread as best as they can, living through happenings and events that their choices thread together. There are many knots, or bumps in the road as some refer.. But however large those knots are, or however straight and perfect a thread is, any sharpened point can snap that thread in twine. And even if there is no sharpened point, threads cross each other...weaving into others, and others again, making layer upon layer..at times." He breathed in the morning air, sitting more comfortably back against the tree, sitting upon the stretcher, before continuing. -c-
richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 4:13:15 PM): "Our threads are our own, Thalin. We weave as we will to. No thread has responsibility over the other. Our own choices still come, and those choices will be made." He looked at Thalin again, a new light in his green eyes blazing brightly behind them. Fires that had been stoked within the furnace, belching something stubborn and strong.. Ancient and powerful. Something in his blood. Within his Core. "It is your choice to say you will take responsibility for my actions and decisions, Thalin, but the basic principal of it all is that they are my actions and decisions to make." -c-
richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 4:13:28 PM): His smile widened slightly. "In Shadow, all things are possible." he quoted. "Threads weave as they will. In Shadow or light," his tongue dryly mocking the terms. "You can either snap the thread, or let it remain weaving, and see where it takes us. Besides... because of your hospitality, and if you help me with my orcs, then I'll have no choice but to remain in your presence until I can return the favor."

thalin_stormhand (1/3/2006 4:26:37 PM): Thalin laughed, a genuine sound which was fairly uncommon for him in these times. "Well spoken again, Christian. But someone should have warned you against bandying words with a mage." He grinned across the fire, leaning back against the tree with his pipe in hand. "You can speak of threads intertwining all you like, but it remains my decision whether to tie your thread to mine. If I decide to go on without you, no force you could muster could prevent me, no matter how clever your tracking or how wily your tricks." The smile faded then, and his face became serious. "You wish to travel with me, Christian of no last name? You wish to repay the debt you believe you owe me? You would knowingly throw your very life in harm's way for the sake of eggs, bacon, and toast?" (C)
thalin_stormhand (1/3/2006 4:26:39 PM): A hint of wry amusement touched the corners of his mouth again. "I didn't know my cooking was that good." He shook his head. "Christian, if you wish to follow me, I will not stop you. I can sense the power within you, within your very blood. I know that you can take care of yourself. But much of your power has yet to be awakened, and the forces which would do me harm would show no mercy toward you for being uninvolved. If anything, they would delight in your torment with the knowledge that it would grieve me." His eyes met Christian's, green on dazzling green. "The way is treacherous, and the life unfulfilling. It is little more than endless running, for not even my power can match theirs. For theirs is the same power, in greater quantities and wielded, perhaps, with a greater mastery."

richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 4:44:34 PM): Christian nodded gently in aquisence when Thalin noted the fact that he could nothing about following the man if he did not wish him to. The fire flickered and licked at his face, warming him, as did the morning rays now spilling forth more brilliantly through the canopy overhead. As Thalin continued with his speech, Christian listened attentively while he shifted his position on the stretcher. With legs hanging over the edge, his arms placed gently behind his head, his hands intertwining to form a soft and fleshy pillow of sorts, he kept his attention to the mage. His grin would meet the man's while one pair of eyes held the other, weighing and judging, back and forth. And by the time Thalin finished his piece, Christian launched his finishing blow. -c-
richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 4:44:41 PM): Humor would begin first. "You're cooking is decent only. Nothing more. It fills the stomach, and though it has the potential of returning through the same systems it traveled through already, my stomach can handle it." A quiet chuckle passed before his voice became more somber. His face hardened as a deep pain that fought its way from within him threatened to contort his young-aged features. "I am plagued by demons already, Thalin. My dreams are full of them so that I have told you I have become used to them. They bother me 'naught as they once did. I have demons here, and now, within the fires and the air. Images of faces and whispers of voices I would saw my own arm off to forget, if I could." He sighed, tilting his head away and shutting his eyes. Painful..as if a hea
richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 4:45:00 PM): He sighed, tilting his head away and shutting his eyes. Painful..as if a headache was there, but was not. "My life has already been treacherous. It was filling, once, but no more. And I have been running for the last three years of my life to find something anew. Something to give me purpose." His eyes sprang back open, distant and alive, looking at Thalin. "Give me one more gift, my friend. Other than your friendship, and hospitality." -c-
richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 4:45:14 PM): "Give me a purpose and perhaps there is a chance I shall live again, as a GreySeerer should. What purpose I might've had in the past has long since expired and fled my reasoning. Give me a purpose and I promise to aid you against your enemies, and return the rare kindness you've shown me these last two days." A small smile began to work over his lips again. "Besides... what better way to find my power fully and bring it to frutition, other than to take a powerful Shadow-wandering mage as my companion?"

thalin_stormhand (1/3/2006 4:55:11 PM): The brown-clad mage grinned back at first. "My distant cousin would have done better with breakfast. He specialized in the culinary conjuration." Thalin chuckled softly. "In four seconds he could summon you a twelve-course feast the likes of which would take your breath away. I've seen him at it." He shook his head. "But, noble pursuit as that is, I must often put my power to other uses." Then the humor faded from his eyes, and he studied Christian with not a little sadness. "My friend, I can hardly promise you will find a purpose at my side. It often seems to me I have little purpose for myself, beyond the defiance of my pursuit and the struggle to stay alive for another day." With the toasted heel of the bread, Thalin scraped a bit of egg yolk from his plate and nibbled it. (C)
thalin_stormhand (1/3/2006 4:55:12 PM): "Not something I would wish on my worst enemy, let alone my friend. And our powers differ, young man. You might travel with me for decades and learn the principles of my power, which you could not use, and nothing of your own." He shook his head and popped the last bit of the toast into his mouth. "I will leave the choice to you, Christian, but it is not a choice to be made lightly. Should we walk among Shadows side by side, and I fall to battle or treachery, you would be trapped alone in an unknown world, with no way to get out. Even the teleportation one might learn in this world will not take you between Shadows."

richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 5:04:06 PM): "-Knowledge is Power.-" Christian leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, resting his head on his open palms, letting his eyes fall and stare into the flickering flames of the fire. "That is the first thing I taught myself when I was able to comprehend the world that surrounded me. -Knowledge is Power.- I come from a family of powerful potential, Thalin. We once grew and prospered, taking it upon ourselves to form a clan of sorts. A Clan of Guardians. Two families united beneath one banner, who called themselves Peace Angels. GreySeerer and Damasse alike turned to these paths, weaving themselves to wield the elements, and pledging themselves to protect their allies. The helpless. Their own." -c-
richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 5:04:17 PM): "I've chosen a different path. One that cost me but wings and that purpose-filled path a Peace Angel has. I've chosen to learn what is outside the realm my family has flourished in. I have gone to other lands where there are no Peace Angels. I have treated and met Kings and Queens, to learn of their monarchs. I have taken a larger glance at the world than any of my kin have before, I believe.. And I have learned the use of herbs. The use of Healing. The use of defense. There is always something I find somewhere that I did not know, but am able to learn." He let out a subtle sigh, before turning to Thalin again. "Try and teach me of these Shadows. Attempt to teach me how to travel. Even you say, there is a power within me not fully awakened. Do we know what that power holds?"
richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 5:04:27 PM): "I believe neither of us do. Teach me of your power, and of your Shadows. And if you fall to battle or treachery, at least the death of me will not follow vainly, or defenseless."

thalin_stormhand (1/3/2006 5:15:43 PM): Thalin laughed then. Laughed, and shook his head. "My friend, I cannot teach you to walk amongst the Shadows. To do so, you would have to walk the great Pattern, the symbol of Order, housed in Amber, the great city on the far blue end of the spectrum. The city that is Substance against the Shadows. The Substance from which all Shadows are cast. Or you could walk the Logrus, Sign of Chaos, housed in the Courts of Chaos on the far red side of the spectrum, of similar but opposite Substance." The twinkle in his eye then was not entirely gentle or kind. "But you would not like the process. Either would destroy anyone whose veins did not run with the Blood of Amber, or the fiery Blood of Chaos, for while Shadow may be cast by light on Substance, it cannot withstand the light itself." (C)
thalin_stormhand (1/3/2006 5:15:48 PM): He cleared his throat softly. "To translate, you are a denizen of Shadow. You might follow me among the Shadows, and even walk upon Amber or the Courts of Chaos. But to set foot upon the Pattern or the Logrus would mean your destruction." He smiled. "Take my word for it, friend. It sounds convoluted, but I do know what I am talking about. The only way a denizen of Shadow might learn power over them is through one of the Broken Patterns, one of the imperfect reflections of the Pattern found in Shadow. But that process is incredibly unsettling, from what I understand, and every time you exercise the power you might gain from it, you run the risk of insanity or destruction." He paused, reflective. "I have led only one to that option, and that was for a particular goal." (C)
thalin_stormhand (1/3/2006 5:15:54 PM): He sighed softly. "A mistake, perhaps, and one I would not like to make again."

faith_greyseerer (1/3/2006 5:21:37 PM): Daddy was back, but that was all she knew. He wasn't Home that was for sure. No one was. How irritating. here she had actually given a slight shit, and there was no one there to greet her. Typical. So she had left once again, knowing that if there was some huge family reunion she'd find out. She always did. They -all- did. Set about her meaningless wanderings, town to town, forest to forest. She liked the forests. So thick, so dark, and occasionally holding some hapless wanderer she could toy with. And it was these wanderings that brought her to this current place, a place that held a voice, a scent she hadn't taken in for a very, very long time.-c-
faith_greyseerer (1/3/2006 5:21:49 PM): Christian was here.. oh Rapture. Would he remember his Aunt Faith? Surely. He was with another as well, but who cared about him. It was all about her nephew now. She perched now high within a tree perhaps 50 feet from them, emerald hues glowing softly, raven wings wrapped about her supple and strong body tightly, hanging behind her far. Listening, watching, almondesque eyes narrowing as she took in Christians request of the stranger. What the fuck. What sort of dumbass shit was the boy getting himself into now? She smirked as he spoke of their family in the Past. Oh yeah, those were the Glory Days. It was all a bunch of crap now. -c-
faith_greyseerer (1/3/2006 5:21:57 PM): All scattered to the winds. Yet wasn't that the way of things? Of families? Sure was for the GreySeerer. Sight settling upon Thalin now as he spoke, gathering from his speech that Christians particular wants for more Power could be a bit..shall we say..unsettling. A slow blink, a loft of her brow, and she would simply bust up laughing. Rocking back upon the branch she perched upon, and truely guffawed. Oh yeah, if they didn't know before that she was there, they sure as hell knew now.

[raolin]

richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 5:34:52 PM): Most of it didn't make any sense to him. Nor did he care for it. They were just names. Titles for things too far beyond him to pay attention to. However, this Broken Pattern, and the potential of what could be gained by it caught his interest. His thoughts mulled and weighed the conclusions he could.. must make. Are you this greedy for power Christian? What is it you seek here? What is it you hope to find? His fingers gently pressed against his temples, trying to rub away the buzzing that had come for the forefront. Power. Power has broken your family more than once. Power robbed you of Mystria. Of your stillborn child. What do you hope to gain? What... -c-
richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 5:35:03 PM): "...What will I fill within the shell I have become?" He whispered to himself, burying his hands into the pockets of his robes. He stood, angry and frustrated. The flames no longer helped him focus the chaotic churning within his stomach, nor the tightness in his chest. "Thalin," he began, but never raising his eyes to look at him. "I have nothing to risk. But I have everything to gain. What might've held me to any past I've had is long gone. Take me to this..place, and..." The bursting of laughter broke through his words like the shards of glass cut flesh. Christian whirled on his feet, his face snapping upward to look to the trees. What he found perched up there, guffawing like a donkey lead to pasture, almost made Christian trip. -c-
richierich_of2003 (1/3/2006 5:35:10 PM): Faith? Those emerald eyes were so much akin to his own. As it was for all the GreySeerers. Green. Different shades of green. Lovely matches for the Grove they were all so entranced and connected to. His own blazed alight when he found her. His mouth opened into a circular shape of surprise. A ghost from the past. A wild and insanely creature. What is she doing here so far from home? No one had come out this far for him. No one. Not even his mother had, who had certainly threatened to. "Aunt Faith!" He finally called out, quickly recovering himself by forcing a warm smile of welcome to erase the one of surprise. "A surprise to see you! What are you doing way out here? Come down and give me a look at you. Its been far too long. Seemingly insane as ever are we?"

faith_greyseerer (1/3/2006 5:46:35 PM): Setting down into chuckles, she would drop from her tree, wings unfurling to their glorious 20' feet as her boots met the ground. A toss of her head would remove ebon locks from the beauty of her face as she began predatory steps towards Christian, basically ignoring Thalin for the moment. Gazing upon her nephew she would note his smile, and return one of her own. Just as sickeningly sweet. Giggling softly she would answer. -c-
faith_greyseerer (1/3/2006 5:46:44 PM): " Insane? My dear Nephew I've never been insane. I may be crazy but I'm far from stupid." Sauntering closer, she would stand near the fire, pursing lush lips as she looked around, arms crossed beneath the bounty of her breasts. " Love whatyou've done to the place. Hey, you know Dad is back? Peachy hmm? what's this shit about a Broken Pattern?"

[Jones]

[glow=green,2,300]<OOC> For all intents and purposes, I'd like to clear up the fine mess Rao left. ;D richierich_of2003 is christian_iii_greyseerer. Thank you. /OOC[/glow]

thalin_stormhand : "Nothing," the brown-garbed man broke in quickly. Thalin rose smoothly to his feet. "Nothing important. Just a convoluted mess that doesn't make any difference anyway." He directed a sharp look at Christian. On this, he had made up his mind, and Christian was not going to change it quickly. His pipe vanished into thin air, and he performed a small bow for the newcomer. "Well. You two seem to know one another." He smiled at Christian. I thought you said you had no family left, the smile said without words. That hadn't been exactly what he'd said, but that had been the implication. "But I've yet to make your acquaintance." He offered a polite smile for Faith. "You may call me Thalin. I apologize, but I'm afraid I didn't pick up enough food for so many. Perhaps I can offer you a drink?"

last_royal_vampyre_magdalena : A creature of moonlight and quicksilver, beautiful and deadly, Katerina stood alone in the great chamber Hall of Lord Morbidar. Her bounty strapped to an odd contraption she had engineered, Much like a small cart, the surface was flat with tall iron wheels that groaned as the mule pulled its cargo. two sets of chains held Jon Leary captive, wrists and ankles bloody from his struggles to escape. The beauty of the cart was its simplicity, it forced her captive to lay flat on his back, arms and legs spread out to thier furthest extent, where even the slightest movement would cause pain. As Morbidar Entered, Katerina motioned to her prize. "As you requested Sire, he is alive" Those deep blue eyes of hers seemed lifeless...dead, as if her soul had beeen taken long ago. (c)
last_royal_vampyre_magdalena : Morbidar gave a pleased nod and motioned for the gaurds, who released the poor man from the devilish cart. "Why do you insist on using that thing....Quite inhumane is it not?" Katerina shook her head, moving a hand through thick raven hair. "Inhumane would be what he did to that family Sire, this is just a taste of his own medicine, after all." Silently she crossed her arms and rested them along the firm line of her stomach, "Enough of that" she snapped, hating to remain in one place to long "My Gold, and my next target please" Morbidar knew very well that she had people out to kill her, and staying put for too long was dangerous. So with a slight nod he handed her a Rolled up parchment and a large bag of Gold, which was quickly snatched from his hand and tucked safely away (C)
last_royal_vampyre_magdalena : "Thank you" she bowed curtly and turned on her heel. Moments later she was outside. Standing near a large lake in the deepest of woods that surrounded Morbidars Castle. Here she counted her gold while munching on an apple, whiping hte juices away with the back of her hand. This new Target concerned her. He was much more powerful than most of the miscreants Morbidar sent her after. Quietly she rolled up the parchment and slid it into her satchel before tossing the apple core into the lake. This man would require a change of tactics....but first, she had to find him (E) (katerina will be arriving in the forest during the next post, think of this as her mini prologue *smiles )

christian_iii_greyseerer : "Dad?" My Dad? His brain almost exploded at the thought. No. That can't be right. "You mean Grandfather?" Yes, yes of course. It couldn't be -his- father. One so long gone that none seemed to ever utter the name anymore, except when they were saying his. Christian. I'm the third. And the last it seems. - Christian swiveled his head for a moment to catch Thalin's glance and shrugged his shoulders unperturbedly, knowing the accusation that was blatantly fixiated into the man's smile. But he had no answer for him now. Nor might he. He had said enough concerning his family these last two days. -c-
christian_iii_greyseerer : Much would probably be revealed anyway if Thalin only watched and listened now. -- Christian turned to his aunt with a friendly smile and gently laid a hand upon her shoulder. "It's hardly my place, Aunt Faith. I'm only passing through. How did you come by here? Searching for me, or off on one of your own wandering schemes as well? I haven't seen any of the family in months now. More than that...maybe." Has it been years yet? Damnitall, I can't remember. How long had it been since he'd left the Castle for good? Packed and all? And without a word to anyone. "How's mother?"

faith_greyseerer : Her piercing gaze never left Christian, remaining standing as she was, hips cocked, arms crossed. Thalin was being all nice and polite, but she wasn't there for him now was she? He was awful quick to jump up and insert himself though.. interesting. Watching Christian carefully, she wouldn't move as he layed a hand upon her. Touched her. She would tense quickly, her smile washing away and stepping back from him, shrugging off his touch. Her arms would drop, the many chrome buckles upon the skin tight body suit of leather would ching softly with her steps as she moved around Christain, coming to stand behind him, gazing over her nephews shoulder at Thalin as she spoke again.-c-
faith_greyseerer : " Doesn't matter how I got here. I'm here. As for your Mother, I couldn't say. She went to war and didn't even invite me. No one's been home in ages. I only recently felt Dads arrival. So yeah. What's a Broken Pattern? Sounds all eerie and shit. Much fun if you ask me.." Her eyes never moved from Thalin. Sweet as his smile was she didn't trust him. Didn't trust Christian much either but he had the fact of being family going for him. Another step back, for she found the light of the fire a bit too bright. Annoyingly so. Her wings of rainbowed raven would lift slightly, encircling her enough to wrap her curvacious form up, the fire light causing her jade hues to shift luminescent. Standing there, waiting for answers, waiting to see if she'd have to kill Thalin or not.-c-
faith_greyseerer : Yet all the sweet tranquilty she held..yeah right.. was blown apart as a jolt of pain slammed through her. Wings would snap open, her body bowing as she hissed deeply, dissolving into a low menecing growl as she curled into herself again, slipping her harsh gaze to Christian." Seems your Aunt Cass is home too. Yippee skippe, it's gunna be a family reunion.."

[Jones]

thalin_stormhand : The welcoming smile slid gradually from Thalin's face, replaced by perhaps the first dark expression any of these people had ever seen out of him. It was not angry or hateful, so much as... menacing. The ragged man, who looked like nothing so much as a hobo living in the forest, with his tattered cloak, his long and unkempt hair, his shaggy beard, the smell of pipesmoke all around him, his weather-beaten clothes, his worn boots... this ragged man was very suddenly transformed. Simply by straightening his shoulders and standing to his full height, he became someone new and dangerous. The warning shine in his bright green eyes danced with the aura of power that suddenly radiated from him where there had been none before. (C)
thalin_stormhand : And behind him... behind him, to those very sensitive to the supernatural, there hovered a Sign where there had been empty air. It was an enormous symbol, larger than Thalin himself, large enough that tendrils of it radiated all around him and vanished into infinity. It writhed and shifted, ever changing shape and size, and to the very sensitive, there would be a horrible sound just on the edge of hearing. The voices of a thousand madmen. The voice of insanity incarnate. The voice of Chaos, to herald the Sign of Chaos. Its tendrils swirled and engulfed Thalin's body, writhed around him, fed him strength. Waiting to be unleashed as Chaos ever desired upon a world balanced by Order. Waiting to be put to use. (C)
thalin_stormhand : "I asked you to drop it," Thalin said. His voice was quiet, but not gentle. The quiet of a blade slipping out of its sheathe. "I do not know you, Faith, whomever you may be, and you have displayed nothing to indicate that I would wish to divulge to you such tentative information as you have not already heard." The Sign cackled and writhed, on the edge of sight and sound. "I care nothing for the power you hold or the power you seek. The power I speak of is not for you, and your idle curiosity will bring nothing but poor results."

last_royal_vampyre_magdalena : Her horse Saphillia was in foul spirits this not, grunting and complaining in that horselike way, telling her master she wished to stop and rest. Katerina had driven her hard for the most part of three days so it was expected that the horse would begin to revolt. Gently she leaned over in the saddle and patted the top of her head, speaking in a soothing tone "There, There, Love....We will rest soon...a clearing lies in the woods just ahead" she clicked her tongue and the horse reluctantly picked up pace, heading towards the small space of woods that would signify a nights rest, and food. As they neared closer the raising of voices and slight murmur of an argument reached their ears. It was not in Katerinas' plan to come upon her target so soon, nor was it exactly (c)
last_royal_vampyre_magdalena : the way she had intended on killing the man Thalin. At the fine line of treess and foilage Katerina haulted Saphillia and dismounted, choosing to lead her inside. Her sword was strapped to the saddle, and as she no doubt intruded upon either a gathering or the remnants of one she offered a warm and kind smile. That ebon hair of hers was loose and wild upon her shoulders, falling down to the small of her back. While tight black leathers wrapped every inch of her form. Even her boots, although shoddy and worn were a deep midnight. It was just as she would actually step into view that a horrid screeching and raspy whispering would enter her head, followed by a blur of vision that shook her to the very core. Power...Magic...neither did she have knowledge of, but it was (c)
last_royal_vampyre_magdalena : emminating from this very place and crippled the poor Katerina in seconds. She had no knowledge of this thing Thalin used, which made her all the more suseptible to it. Clutching her ears she fell to her knees, Saphillia skittered away, leaving her mistress behind, alone and without a weapon. Slowly and with a steady motions she grasped the trunk of a tree and pulled herself to her feet. violet hues absorbing and soaking up every face that seemed to swim before her eyes. Only one face was recognizable. Thalin, the man she was to kill. At first she thought he knew of her arrival and sought to destroy her before she could do the same to him. But as she watched, she realized he was more interested with those directly in front of him. "Thank Gods..." (C)
last_royal_vampyre_magdalena : Now looking all the more a weary and bereft traveler she collapsed into the clearing rolling to her back, a hand falling limp at her side, while the other rested at her stomach. So much in so little time. Why had she not been warned...and what was to become of her now....and why had Morbidar sent her after something so strange to her....he must have known she it was a suicide mission. Those violet hues fluttered to a close as her simple mortal body attempted to recooperate (e)

christian_iii_greyseerer : Faith seemed to be the same as she'd always been. Unreadable. Unpredictable. And while his smile remained imovable upon those pale red lips of his, his green eyes held caution. The memories of a childhood long passed gave him the impression that there had once been a most loving and kind lady. He remembered the gentle smiles and soft-skinned hands when they'd been offered to hold. The peacefulness and acceptance of what surrounded those emerald eyes. Soft, sweet smelling hair. -- Looking at that same woman now, and what she had turned...molded...transfigured into.. That Aunt in his past had left a long time ago. -c-
christian_iii_greyseerer : Now there was a strangeness. An open hostility that tickled him painfully until his own spirits fell and a smile was made impossible to make. Or have I grown out of that too? The smile his face held at the moment was holding strong. He'd become used to putting up expressions less genuine and revealing to what emotions they were supposed to represent.. Faith's backing off from his touch didn't bother him in the least. He simply let his fingers intertwine behind his back, and kept them from any range of hers she deemed uncomfortable. -c-
christian_iii_greyseerer : There was a crackling of the air that caught Christian's attentions and thoughts so that he turned to watch a change overcome the brown-robed man. While he may not have been sensitive enough to actually see the Sign of Chaos, he could feel the power resonating. It hit him in waves, prickling his skin, causing the hairs upon the nape of his neck to raise. Each wave that hit him broke apart what smile remained upon his own features, and instead they warped into something representing agitation. His brows furrowed. His eyes narrowed. "Stop. Your hospitality ignored whatever characteristics of mine that agitated you. It should not stop with her, unless you're ready to give up your game of friendship and reveal a truer side of yourself?" -c-
christian_iii_greyseerer : His brow would raise questioningly at Thalin before his turned his gaze to the other. "I will agree on one thing. The Broken Pattern isn't any of your business, Aunt Faith. Don't overreach yourself here with me. I've grown, and though you may be my Aunt, I find the amount of trust I'd need to have in you to continue the conversation, lacking. We gave up pretending we're such a happy family a long time ago. What are you here for? If you can only give me shrugs on how my mother and everyone else I care about is doing, I don't think you'll need to stay long." -c-
christian_iii_greyseerer : Harsh? Maybe. But Christian was agitated enough. He too was curious of the Broken Pattern, and Faith's unexpected arrival had, for now, delayed his questioning with Thalin. -- It was only the approach of another that grabbed his attention enough did he stop speaking and twist his gaze around to look over Thalin's shoulder. Thalin's power fluctuations had disturbed him, and Christian's senses had heightened enough to feel the presence. Oh g'damnit'all. Who can it be now?

faith_greyseerer : Slowly pulling herself upright again, chuckling softly to herself, for indeed she knew what price cass would pay for that little jab. Surely Cass would be looking for her. Kinda obvious wasn't it. As she sent a clear message to her sister, she would watch Thalin, watch his demeanor change. Had enough fun whorin' with your little boyfriend? Looks like dad is back, unless he just goes hiding again..come find me hag.. A slender brow would loft, and a smirk would play across lush lips of natural blood red as she relaxed to her ' I could really give a fuck' pose again. And she couldn't. She was very aware of her own Power, and could definitely tell Thalin was screaming with a bunch of his own. Mister Big Shot. However, for all Faiths failing and prostrations, she was far from stupid.-c-
faith_greyseerer : She had faced down her very own father. had lost horribly, but had done it. And though this man, this obvious mage held something she found intriguing, as far as she was concerned, he didn't have athing on dear old dad. Maybe in the past she would have wrassled with him, noogied him to the point of breaking, made him give up his deepest, darkest secrets. Reiteration. She could give a fuck. " Whoa there capgun. Back the cart up. Gettin' all puffy now aren't ya? I just asked a damn question. You don't want to go in my basement and study then fine. Gawd.." Her attention would begin to settle on Christian once again before her head snapped up, nostrils flaring, body tensing for a fight yet again.-c-
faith_greyseerer : Sounds of a horse galloping away, soon to be followed by the arrival of some girl, looking like shit really, and collapsing quite near them. Oh yeah...can you say claustrophobia? It was settling upon Faith quickly now, even in the vast forest. Faith didn't deal well with strangers, unless of course she was baiting and draining them. Bait 'n' Drain...good name for a Club. She'd have to remember that one.. Christian was speaking, and her attention turned to him again, watching him, her tension easing somewhat. Maybe just a tad. He was all grown up now wasn't he. -c-
faith_greyseerer : And, go figure, his words did something to her. Don't ask her what because she'd just snort and turn away, but it was definitely there. Tiny bit. No her heart did -not- grow three sizes that day. It just kinda, opened her eyes. A little. She would grumble low, turning away from them all to leap up with cat-like grace to the nearest heavy branch, perching there like a rather lovely vulture. Wings of 20' wrapped around her, only almondesque eyes peeking out as she mumbled to her Nephew. " Hell if I know. Just figured I'd pop in. Say howdy. It's not my fault I don't know where anyone is. Gimme a few to figure out where the hell to go and I'll be outa your hair in a jiff.."

thalin_stormhand : Thalin's eyes locked with those of Faith, Chaos looming at his back. Christian's words fell on deaf ears, or at least so it seemed for the moment. The Sign was not a weapon in and of itself, not unless Thalin manipulated it to be so. Only a powerful display of readiness. A sign that he was fully prepared, should it become necessary, to unleash deadly force. But as the one called Faith backed down, the Sign of the Logrus winked out of existance, and Thalin lowered his hands. His face composed itself; the anger and danger fled his expression, to be replaced by calm, perhaps even the trace of a smile. As if he'd shaken himself or taken a deep breath. Or as if the danger of the moment had passed. Yet with his every sense alert, he detected the arrival of Katerina the moment she drew near. (C)
thalin_stormhand : "Friendliness and indifference can be met with friendliness, Christian," Thalin said softly, placing a hand apologetically on Christian's shoulder. Only for a moment; then he was already turning away. "Hostility, however, must be met with caution and readiness. I have not lived this long by extending my open hand to snarling dogs with hackles raised." Then he was striding off to the edge of the clearing, where he knelt by Katerina's side. He placed five fingertips lightly upon her forehead, was silent for a moment. Then he withdrew the hand. "She will be fine," he announced. "She must be particularly... sensitive. I do not envy her the headache she will have when she awakens, but she will be none the worse for wear." He lifted her easily, as if she weighed no more than a feather. (C)
thalin_stormhand : "If you're done with that stretcher, Christian...."

[Jones]

christian_iii_greyseerer : If there was anything he knew about his Aunt, it had been that she acted with hostile force whenever anyone faced her toe to toe. Christian had thought his words might take him to that edgy brink that could become dangerous indeed, but thats why he'd chosen his words so carefully. All the frustration, hurts, and pain, that still settled bitterly in his head and in his stomach was searching for something...ANYTHING...to unleash itself upon. A fight with Faith was all he needed. If he lived through it. -c-
christian_iii_greyseerer : So it was an all out brawl that he expected to come next. -- Instead, a stranger arrived. Collapsing almost as soon as her feet touched the ground. And Faith had backed down. Claws had been replaced by a nipped hand it seemed. Christian glanced at her with open surprise. "Well..." What was there to say to that? "You can stay...Aunt Faith." He muttered in a somewhat apologetic tone. "Just...come off this Broken Pattern thing would you? There's other things to talk about." He shrugged his shoulders, puzzled still, and strode off after Thalin for the stranger. -c-
christian_iii_greyseerer : "Here," he'd begin once he arrived, kneeling beside Thalin to look at what seemingly looked like a woman. "Who is she? Another friend of yours?" His eyes traveled up and down the figure, searching for some sign of a hidden hurt. But neither his sharp eyesight, nor the small pricks he took at the power to sense for pain, came up with anything. When Thalin took the woman and lifted her, Christian was already returning to their campsite to prepare the stretcher. "Yeah yeah. Bring her over here." Christian took the pillow that had come with the stretcher and placed it carefully on oned end of the stretcher.. "Lay her head here."

faith_greyseerer : She would watch from her perch Christians reaction to her own, chuckling a bit. His thoughts on her were generally correct, yet the way she acted was simply the way she was. He was correct in the assumption she might simply fly off the handle. Yet she was a sly kitty. Keep 'em wondering was one of her mottos. She heard Christians offer to stay, but honestly, as her Nephew and Thalin went about the business of helping the strange girl, she began to find all the kindness crap irritating. Dropping from her perch, curling a lip in disdain, she would shake her head. -c-
faith_greyseerer : " Nah. I'm gunna go. cass iscalling, and she'll be one huge Bitch if I make her find me. Besides, she and I need to have a huge talk.." With that she was turning away, slipping into the darkness of the forest, and disappearing. Surely taking to the skies, heading Home. yet before she left completely, she would send a whisper though Christians mind. Be warned. If Moons arrival is a truth, there's going to be a gathering I'm sure. Keep your calander open Nephew.. And with that she was gone.

thalin_stormhand : "I was about to ask the same of you," Thalin responded amiably to Christian. "I've never seen her before that I can recall, and all the people who have come to our little party seem to know you better than me." Smiling, he carried the newcomer to the stretcher, where he laid her down and covered her snugly with blankets. The morning was not cold, but neither was it warm. "No doubt she'll be awake soon enough, and none too happy for it if I'm any judge." He frowned at her choice of clothing, and his serious countenance made it look as though he knew something the others did not. Then he shrugged his shoulders slightly and raised his eyes to Christian as Faith vanished into the trees. "An interesting family you have, Christian," he said, raising one bushy eyebrow.

christian_iii_greyseerer : Christian watched the perch Aunt Faith had taken before she disappeared. The branch still twitched from the spring her weight and given to it. It waved in the air, slowly, without any remnants of the great and terrible creature his Aunt had become. Great and terrible.. Depends on the day. She's not all bad if it's a good one. He sighed and turned around then kneeled down before the woman on the stretcher, staring at her face, probing his memories for something that might make her familiar. After a few minutes of silence, he'd finally shake his head. "No. I don't know this one." Thalin's comment on his family brought a small grin to his lips before he replied. -c-
christian_iii_greyseerer : "Yes. Interesting, and extensive, to say the least. It's an old family. And time has worn away at it far too long. Some of us have handled the passing years better than others."

thalin_stormhand : Thalin smiled, but was silent for a moment. In fact he was stretching out with his senses to ensure there weren't any other visitors in the nearby vicinity. Apart from a few curious squirrels and a hungry fox, there was nothing worth noting. He returned to himself and shook his head. His amusement was tinged with bitterness, it seemed. "Few matters are more interesting than those of the family." He rose and cleared his throat. "Well. It seems we've more company to entertain." His simplistic, welcoming smile returned to his lips. "I suppose I had better go see if Nature has anything more to offer." He studied the woman for a moment, his smile fading. "Keep an eye on her, would you, Christian? There may be more to her than there appears."

christian_iii_greyseerer : "Tell me about the Broken Pattern." He kept his kneeling position, and his eyes upon the woman. She is lovely in a fashion, he thought to himself, sitting back onto his heels, and folding his arms across his chest. His black hair fell tenderly about his face. Each tendril gently tickling at his forehead, his cheek, and neck. It was beginning to be unkept-looking, but at the moment, such a thing didn't bother him. With Faith gone, and the other two who had the possibility of overhearing, were out for now. There was he, and Thalin. And the conversation on the Broken Pattern was ripe enough to return to. Or that's how Christian saw it anyway.
christian_iii_greyseerer : "Food can wait a moment, can't it?"

thalin_stormhand : "No," Thalin said sharply. He had known it would be coming soon, and he had hoped to sidestep the inevitable by changing the subject. Christian was having none of it, apparently. "It is not a power I would speak of freely, Christian. It is dangerous, moreso even than the Pattern or the Logrus in a sense. The Pattern and the Logrus will destroy a man outright who does not bear the Blood. The Broken Pattern can be walked by anyone of sufficient will, yet as that Broken Pattern is cracked, so is the imprint it leaves upon the mind, upon the very soul, cracked. Its very use harbors a risk, not just to those around the user, but to the user himself. I will subject no one else to it, and I regret having mentioned it in the first place."

christian_iii_greyseerer : A soft sigh was expelled before he sat down upon the ground, twisting around so he could settle his back and his head against the tree, but still keep the stretcher and the girl atop it in view. As well as Thalin, who stood off over the fire, prepared to go as he had been for more food. But Christian had ensnared him with the talk of the Pattern, and if it was still up to him, he'd not yet finished. "Blood. Blood is thin, and runs through all veins, Thalin. What is different between my blood, and the blood you speak of? Is it a matter of birthplace? Blood is the same in veins, my friend, no matter where those veins were first threaded." -c-
christian_iii_greyseerer : "In anycase," he continued. "I am in search of knowledge. Power, I know, will come to me slowly. I do not have to search this other thing out. But I want to know as much about the world as possible, before I have to leave it. This Broken Pattern is only one more thing in an infinity of knowledge. If I say I will not search it out, will you at least educate me about its origins? Its purpose?" The curiousity and thirst was plain in his eyes. They searched Thalin's. Waiting.

thalin_stormhand : "Blood is not the same, friend," Thalin said softly. "Blood can tie a family together, or tear them apart. Blood can hold power or corruption, strength or weakness, life or death. Blood can mean everything, or nothing." The mage looked old suddenly, though he couldn't have been more than thirty-five. Could he? "Or both." He shook his head slightly. "You were born in Shadow, Christian. More than that, you were born of Shadow. That is very different from being born of Substance, a creature of Substance. To be descended of the Pattern or the Logrus themselves, even a drop of the blood of Order or Chaos itself running in your veins." He seemed distant. "Some believe the families to be descended of the Unicorn or the Serpent themselves, the forms sometimes taken by Order and Chaos." (C)
thalin_stormhand : His eyes focused on Christian then, and he seemed to come back to himself. "It is different from your blood, Christian. Not better, perhaps, but different. Perhaps I demean you by speaking of you as Shadow and others as Substance; such was not my intent. But it is the fact of the matter. The Pattern or the Logrus, either one can be mastered only by one of the Royal Family of Order or Chaos, respectively." He smiled. "I suppose I'm giving you a lesson already." He settled down with a sigh. "Might as well continue. You've discovered my weakness for lecturing, it seems." The smile faded a moment later, and he continued. "The Pattern is Order, Christian. The physical manifestation of Order in all possible realities." (C)
thalin_stormhand : He considered for a moment. "It is the blue light, if you like. And Amber, the place where it is inscribed, is the Substance through which that light is cast. Blue material. On the other end of the spectrum is the Logrus, Sign of Chaos, and its respective home, the Courts of Chaos. The red light, and the red material. Between these two lights are an infinity of Shadows cast by that material, all of them similar and yet different. Reflections of Amber or the Courts, to varying degrees. This place is one such." He smiled. "A nexus of sorts. In most Shadows, Order and Chaos have arrived at a sort of equalibrium. One may be more dominant than the other, but both have accepted the balance as it lies." (C)
thalin_stormhand : "Sometimes," he continued, "great shifts, brought on by the people of a particular Shadow or caused by an event that occurred in Amber or the Courts that was reflected across all realities, can shift a universe closer to Order, or closer to Chaos, bringing about a time of stability, or a time of change. But for the most part, they remain as they are." He reflected for a moment. It was a great deal to absorb in one sitting. "This world, however," he went on, "is a seething battleground. Order and Chaos seem to bicker over this particular Shadow, each desiring it closer to them. This Shadow moves constantly along the spectrum, always in motion, yet always struggling to remain the same. It is truly a fascinating world, a unique world."
thalin_stormhand : (C)
thalin_stormhand : He cleared his throat softly. "But you wish to know of the Broken Pattern. Very well. The Pattern itself is reflected among the Shadows as well. In fact, it exists in two incarnations in its entirety, apart from the original." He paused. "Perhaps three. There has been some debate of late that what we believed was Amber was in fact first among Shadows, disguising a primal Pattern elsewhere. But that doesn't matter. These two incarnations are in Rebma -- the world underwater, which exists as a perfect, symmetrical reflection of the city of Amber -- and Tir'na Nogth, the world of dreams, which comes and goes with the moon. These are the only known Shadows in which the Pattern exists in its entirety." (C)
thalin_stormhand : Thalin paused for a moment then. A glass appeared in his hand, and he filled it with water. Lecturing was parching business. "Further from Order," he continued after a sip, "in Shadows farther from the primal Pattern, the Pattern continues to exist as an incarnation, for a while, before it vanishes under the influence of Chaos. Those reflections of the Pattern are theoretically infinate, yet limited as well." He smiled. "There are an infinity of numbers between Zero and One, but none of those numbers can be greater than Two, you see." He continued. "But these reflections of the Pattern are flawed. Broken. A crack runs through the Pattern, a crack which grows larger as things become less and less orderly. Eventually, the Pattern vanishes entirely, though Order still exists." (C)
thalin_stormhand : "Any of the True Patterns can be walked by one of the Blood, beginning first on the outside, and walking the line until one reaches the inside, though the way is difficult even for one of the Blood. A test. If one succeeds, the Pattern itself is imprinted upon his mind, and he can use its power to negotiate Shadow -- walking the Pattern, in a sense, walking along the line of Order which exists to some degree in all Shadows." He paused for a moment. "But the Broken Patterns can be walked as well. One can negotiate the crack in the Pattern, and thus arrive eventually at the center. The crack, I suppose, represents Order becoming less perfect. The Chaos behind the Order. It represents the struggle between Order and Chaos which takes place, to some degree, in all Shadows." (C)
thalin_stormhand : "Thus, one who has walked the Broken Pattern may exercise a similar power over Shadow, walking amongst them. But the image if the Pattern which is imprinted on his mind is also flawed, as I told you before. One draws strength from the crack in the Pattern rather than from the Pattern itself, yet every time one does so, one runs the risk of falling into that crack. From what I understand, that results either in destruction, or insanity." Thalin tossed off the last of his water and smiled. "Questions?"

[Jones]

[glow=green,2,300]<OOC> Just glancing through.. And there's no transition to mark the passage of time. From the post above to the beginning of this post, time has passed. Just to let the reader know.</OOC>[/glow]

christian_iii_greyseer: What the hell am I doing? -- The power fluctuated within his seven foot, muscular, writhing frame. His skin felt like it was being peeled. His brain felt like it was imploding. But through all the chaos, there was one clear thought: They're trying to kill me. His green eyes, ablaze with a light all of their own, turned upon the small throng of bandit orcs that tore through the trees toward him, raising up hideous things with spikes, rusted swords, and other wicked weapons too strange to put name to. His white wings, majesticly unfurled themselves, spreading outward, reaching their farthest. -c-

christian_iii_greyseer: To the orcs, it seemed a blanket of white had been thrown up before them and suddenly, there was only one target to charge at. With a maniacal ferocity, they moved toward Christian, their facial expressions promising the surety of death. Christian's face remained calm. Serene. Like a grandfatherly face watching children act like children. When the fear didn't seem to etch across his face like the orcs expected, they began to hesitate. Their steps slowed. Their roars turned into guttural growls, and they watched him curiously, beginning to bring down their weapons, knowing...somewhere in their thick heads... that their weapons would not reach their marks. -c-

christian_iii_greyseer: Christian's blade slipped free of its hidden scabbard with ease. Its silveryness flashing under the sunlit sky, revealing itself from the depths of his grey cloak. His face ever unchanging, Christian moved forward, curling his wings to spare them of the axe or of that spiked ball, that swooshed through the air behind him while his blade moved to block the swords in front. The clash of steel arose.. The battle, had begun.

thalin_stormhand Which, in turn, left Thalin to tend the fire. Just like Christian, the old mage thought, half-irritated and half-amused. Leave all the cleanup work to me. For there was plenty of it to be done. Orcish corpses already littered the campsight, and the fire had been squashed at some point. If someone didn't do something, there was going to be some sort of forest fire or another. With a sigh, Thalin began stamping out assorted sparks and gathering the bodies together. It was a disgusting and messy job, but it had to be done. Orc blood would poison scavengers if they were fool enough to try and eat the bodies. More annoying yet, most of breakfast had been trampled along with the fire. (C)

thalin_stormhand Steel on steel thundered through the morning as Thalin went about his task. He ignored until it was too much to bear, and until his chore was completed. With the bodies disposed of by fire (the stink was horrendous), Thalin gathered his possessions and, at last, began to set out in the direction Christian had run off. It would take him some time to get there. He was walking, leading the fat horse he usually rode, whereas Christian was running or flying. By the time he got there, the battle would probably be over. In fact, if he timed it properly, he would arrive just in time to watch the final Orc fall. There was never any question of Christian losing this fight, after all. Not in the conventional sense, anyway.

christian_iii_greyseer: Blood. It splashed across his face. Dripped down his wickedly sharp blade. Fell to the earth. There were puddles of it, around him. More. He could feel his blade's bite. Taste it.. as it tore through flesh. Heard it, as it ripped life away from the monsters he had come to more than just hate. At one time, Christian might have regretted having to resort to this kind of violence in a conflict. Things have changed. There was something about the bestiality of it all that now attracted him to it. Here, in the heart of the chaos, in the middle of the churning world of destruction, he felt a sense of strength within himself that he'd never known to be there. A cold and calculating intelligence he had never delved or experimented with.

christian_iii_greyseer: He felt like he was one with the blade.. A part of it. As though the blade was what lived, and he was the tool to wield it. -c-

christian_iii_greyseer: Images of past lives, floating thoughts, doubts, joyfulness, hurts, pains, all bounced off the bubble he had formed in his head. They were meaningless things to him now. It didn't matter where his family was or what they thought of him. It didn't matter that his son had died, and Mystria had disappeared along with him. It didn't matter that Mystria had abandoned him. Nothing mattered. Nothing, except the blood and the gore that followed in his destructive path. The next orc his blade could bite. The next life it could take. -c-

christian_iii_greyseer: ... By the time the battle came to an end, the sun had risen to its peak. The dust was thick in the air. Christian knelt on the ground, alone. His swordpoint dug into the ground, his hands grasping the hilt, and his head bent.. eyes closed. When Thalin approached the battlefield, a small cove of trees, where the bodies of twenty orcs piled atop each other between the trees.. The battle lust had washed away from Christian, leaving a hollow emptiness within his breast, and a shameness so great that it brought tears to his eyes. The black tendrils of his hair fell forward across his face, hiding those wet droplets, shielding him from embarassment. ...The battle had ended.

thalin_stormhand Thus did Thalin find Christian, kneeling down in well-earned shame amid countless dozens of corpses. For a long moment, Thalin simply stood there at the treeline and watched, resting his back against a tree, his face unreadable -- not that Christian was paying any attention. Thalin would have been surprised if Christian even knew he was there. So for a moment he held his silence and studied the boy. Corpses and blood littered the ground, soaked the earth, and Christian stood at the heart of it like some vengeful spirit. (C)

thalin_stormhand "Well," said Thalin at last, "are you feeling better now?" He peeled himself disdainfully away from the tree and began to slowly approach the scene, picking his way carefully among the bodies that lay carelessly strewn on the ground. He managed to avoid getting blood on his own boots, but his eyes never left Christian. "Proud of yourself, are you, boy?" His face wasn't quite so unreadable anymore. There was anger there, and disappointment. "Does the mindless slaughter of those who are little more than children to you fill you with fulfillment? Soothe the wounds of your past? Does it make you feel strong, Christian?"

christian_iii_greyseer: The bubble was still intact. The power coursed through his veins. What power? He didn't know what it was, but it was the one thing he had avoided almost all his life. His wings smoothly withdrew from sight, slipping back underneath the cloak through the holes they had made with their revealment. Christian would look to me no more than human again. A man in gray drabs, slowly rising to his feet. Green eyes opened to stare at the red streaks that ran along his cloak. Still wet. He sighed at it, and shook his head disdainfully before he even turned to consider Thalin. - A stranger. Newly met. How many days had they been traveling now? Or had it turned to weeks? -c-

christian_iii_greyseer: Mindless dribble of conversations came back to him. If anybody looked at the two, and listened to their conversations, they might mistake them for friends. Christian spent his days and nights asking away about the mysterious Shadow, and Thalin humored him back with tales and definitions that Christian, in deep sleep, catagorized and put into long-term storage. Only this morning did they find the tracks of the orcs that destroyed the village Christian had been staying in. And even with Thalin's objections ringing in his ears, Christian had slipped away before daybreak, and now...and given the orcs their, "Required justice." -c-

christian_iii_greyseer: He watched Thalin, letting the back of his hand wipe away the tears that had only overtaken him momentarily. "Someone needed to pay them back for their deeds, Thalin." His head swung from one side of him to the other, letting his gaze drift over his work. "'No good deed goes unpunished, but no one gets away alive with the bad one.'" Gingerly, he began to move towards Thalin, placing his feet carefully between the corpses. "I'm not proud of it, but it had to be done. And it was not to soothe my wounds. It was to give rest to the innocents they have slain during their long years of rampages. Why do you berate me?"

thalin_stormhand Thalin snorted softly and turned away. Green eyes took in the destruction. He could've sworn there was smoke rising from some of those bodies, and not very many of them were all in one piece anyway. "These Orcs were undeniably wicked, Christian, and they've done some terrible things in their short little lives. And they certainly deserved punishment for them, and if they were stopped before they could perpetrate such vile acts upon other people's families, so much the better." (C)

thalin_stormhand His head swung back, and his emerald gaze regarded Christian. There was still anger to be found there, still disappointment, and a touch of something else. Pity. "But you, Christian," he said quietly. "You killed these Orcs simply because you were angry, and because similar Orcs did horrible things to you in the past. You did not kill them for their misdeeds, not even for what they might have done." He shook his haggard, shaggy head and looked away. "You slaughtered these Orcs because you wanted to slaughter them. Because their destruction gave you pleasure, however brief." He raised his eyes. "And if I'm any judge of character, it was brief indeed." (C)

thalin_stormhand Again he lowered his eyes, scanning the battlefield. "Christian, you did not even know these Orcs. You had no way to be certain these were even a part of the same band that attacked us in the forest. They bore weapons of war and screamed in another language, but you know nothing of them. For all you know, these were one of the rare, honorable breeds of Orc who live their proud lives in relative peace, only reduced to combat when they are, themselves, provoked. You asked no questions, and heard no answers, and let your bloody blade do the talking instead." His gaze locked with Christian's then, and held it this time. "It makes me wonder who is the wielder, and who the tool."

christian_iii_greyseer: Anger flashed across his face. The briefest of quirks, in the mouth. The barest narrowing of the eyes. A spark within the green. Christian stood there and listened to Thalin's words carefully, stopping in his tracks once he was beside the man, almost toe to toe, but with him facing the way they had arrived. Once Thalin's words had stopped, silence would hang there for a span of seconds..before Christian's reply rumbled forth, cracking like the lightning of a new-born storm thundering across the heavens... Cold. "They bore weapons of war, yes, and raised them against me. Would you have me simply side step and avoid them? They were too many, and I was not about to let an edge touch me just for the sake of doubt. I retaliated in kind." -c-

christian_iii_greyseer: He sniffed derisively, his glare becoming apparent as his own gaze never shied away from the staring-down they gave each other now. "Honorable breeds of orc? HA. There is no such thing. And if there were, I wouldn't have had the chance to kill them because I would've fainted from shock and finding them. There was no provocation for their behavior. I tracked them Thalin, and stood in this grove. They decided to wield their violence at me. It was not my fault they picked a fight they could not win." Thalin's left comment was left to be ignored, for once Christian finished his words, he began his way back toward the camp. "Your judge of character may be excellent, friend, but you have yet to even delve into who and what I might be; so don't judge me."

thalin_stormhand "You retaliated?" Thalin demanded, his own anger quickly swelling. Were it not for his pacific nature, he might have struck Christian simply in the hopes of knocking some sense into him. "You contradict yourself with your own words, Christian! You tracked these Orcs down with coldblooded murder in your heart, and any animal would have defended itself from such a threat as that. Do not mock my intelligence with pretenses of innocence and self-defense, boy." The last word was a crack like a whip, and every bit as painful. (C)

thalin_stormhand "You are not proud of your actions, so you seek to justify them, to set it up in your own mind so that you are the one in the right." He shook his head and turned his back on Christian, his head lowered again. So much destruction, and for no cause; it could have been avoided with minimal effort. Indeed, with less effort than what was expended hunting them down and killing them. "You have never met an honorable Orc, Christian," he said softly. "And you never will, because you will never meet any Orc. The fact that they wear green skin is enough to boil your blood, enough to cause you to seek any excuse to cut them down. If they wield axes and swords, that makes them barbarians and evildoers, and that is enough for any closeminded child."