Wretches and Angels.

[Skylar]

Gently, her feet sank into the soft earth beneath the balcony. Without a second glance up, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. He had not gone far.

The moon dazzled the sky, its’ long arms of light stretching down, kissing her pale flesh that was not hidden in the shadows. Curiously, cautiously, she headed in the direction his scent took her. Perhaps her hasty exit was a rude one. Maybe the company she left would find her ill mannered and be angered by her leave. She didn’t care, she was a free spirit. She made her own choices. That much she knew of herself.

The thought of having to answer for herself to Eijin, or perhaps even Anabel was quickly pushed back in her mind. Unlike most, she was not a creature of habit, nor of impulse. She was a creature all her own, and now with her fresh start, she had no ties that bound her to any, or anywhere.

“Edicius?” A whisper- barely, through half clenched teeth she called for him, knowing no matter where he was, he had in fact heard her.

[Sage]

Edicius was not found far from the compound. He stood over a large slab of stone, looking at it longingly as though mourning a friend. He was full of desire for the freedoms of his powers, or at least a well-crafted tool for his work, but he would be allowed either for this work. For the most part, repairs were going well. He had managed to reset the foundation of the house and repair the major structure damage. All that was left was creating a mixture to fill any cracks in the stone, and repairing the finer aesthetic problems, such as the furniture he had broken, and the floor in Anabel's sitting room.

He carefully drew his fist back up and over his head, striking the stone with heavy, precise strikes on a singular point. With each painful blow, he managed to drive the fracture he was creating deeper so that he could break apart the stone. His senses, which had also been going haywire, rotating between being oversensitive and disappearing completely, did not catch Angel until she was nearly upon him. Shamed to be caught doing such demeaning work, he turned quickly, hiding his battered hands behind his back.

" Lucky enough to have Anabel cast you out, or just going for a stroll? "

[Skylar]

She spoke not a word as she watched him do his work, and well. She noted him hiding his hands behind his back and smiled at his words. She walked toward him, so close they were almost touching. She reached out and grabbed his arms, gently, of course. With a tug, she pulled them around so she could see his hands.

“I had my fill of the company that was present, and I excused myself.” She took a seat and patted the ground beside her. “We were in the middle of a game, and I’d like to continue if you don’t mind.” She reached down and tore a small piece of her undergarment off her dress, wrapping it around his hands should he not shy away. It wasn’t that she thought it would not heal, that was not the issue with her. It was a gesture of kindness.

“Is she always in your head?” Her voice was low as if keeping a secret from someone. Truth was, there was no reason to talk loudly, his hearing would more then likely be impeccable. There was something about Anabel that didn’t settle right with Angel. A wickedness even their kind could find disrespectful among their own kind. This, however, she would keep to herself. She, too could play games.

[Sage]

Edicius allowed her to feign the gesture of bandaging his hands, with his head tilted at an angle. She sparked a curiosity within him, as though he was not quite sure what to make of her, much as a dog might treat a cat out of reach in a tree.

" I suppose I haven't managed to get over her tricking and killing myself and my friend, and turning us into abominations. Not to mention the evil she evoked in Sophitia. " Edicius looked at the ground as he allowed himself to fall backwards into the cool grass around his workstation. The earth still felt like home to him, at least, even if he had lost touch with it to some degree.

" What about you? Don't you share the desire to bury yourself in the bosom of power and wealth? You seem like you might have been a socialite type, in another life. What with your fancy eloquence, and graceful elegance, and whatnot. " Edicius turned his head away from her, allowing the blades of grass to caress his youthful grin as he displayed it in full force.

[Skylar]

She lay down beside him, running her digits over the overly green blades of grass, listening to him as he spoke. She didn’t skip a beat. As soon as his words ended, hers picked up.

“No, not really. Losing myself for anothers gain does not seem like any way to live, no matter what I am. I assure you Edicius, I am who I am, and whoever that is, is not mean spirited.” It came out sounding like a riddle, but still in so many ways she was lost. It only made since to her to let herself act naturally, whatever felt right for now, had to be right.

“In so many ways I feel we are alike, you and I. I think I can learn from you, and you from me. Everyone is so formal, so proper. You’re a breath of fresh air, really.” She lay her head back, smokey locks falling chaotically around her shoulders. “I can only wonder why the fates sent me here.” It was more a passing comment then anything else, but it was truth none the less.

“If you could chose how you are to live this new life of your Edicius, what would you choose?” An odd question perhaps, but it seemed choices were something he was lacking in, and not by his own doing. It hardly seemed fair to her that he have all these opportunities, and no way to use them of his own accord.

[Sage]

Ed's happiness slowly trickled away as she continued. There could be nothing for him here, now. " I know your memory is lost to you, but it's not like you think here. There are no Gods here, no fate. There can be no freedom from her, and though you might not have experienced it yet, if she wills you to do something you are compelled to obey. There are only the First, and their playthings in Kalmarden. "

He mused for a moment, considering what life would be like for him in this state, should he ever manage to escaped before being ordered to stay, if his plan with Kraven was to succeed. " I guess, though, if I could get away I'd try to free my mother. " He chose not to go into further detail, and no amount of prying on her part would change that. He didn't know her well enough to share his burden, his story with a vampire.

Edicius worked his fingers against the earth, and it shifted to suit him. A misshapen mound of earth coiled up to seat him, and as he relaxed into his 'throne,' it began to appear more and more like stone. " I believe it's my turn. You seem to have no trouble remembering your education, or identifying things. Can you think of any other languages that you can speak? When you talk, do you feel the urge to say something in a way or dialect that is different from Common? It might help to figure out where you are from. "

[Skylar]

The words he spoke almost angered her, yet she remained composed. It bothered her to know that these people were no more then glorified lackeys. What enjoyment did they claim in their lives? It was quickly coming apparent that there was none.

She didn’t question him about his mother, or any more on his past. It seemed he was not comfortable talking with her about such things, and that much could be respected.

“For now, whatever feels right, I go with it. I haven’t had the urge to speak anything other then I am speaking now.” She sat up, to look him in the eye, only to become instantly dizzy. Her hand met her head and her eyes quickly closed. It was as if lightening tore through her mental images. Faces, people she couldn’t put names with. Land that seemed so familiar, but no idea where it was; and her.

A gasp escaped her lips as she planted her other hand on the ground to steady herself, working feverishly to bask in the memory that chose to take her over in this point in time. Eyes snapping back open, she seemed to be looking at Edicius, only....not at him, through him. “ Prodeo Electus Unus.” The voice that resonated from her lips was not her own, her eyes seemed glazed over in a dreamlike state.

Another loud gasp, and her other hand landed on the ground as well. Her gate seemed unsteady, her jaw slightly agape. Slowly she averted her eyes to Edicius, an almost frightened look upon her delicate features. “And then there’s that.....”

[Sage]

Ed actually laughed a little to himself, but softened the earth so that she could go down easily, causing small ripples in the ground which shaped to her. " If you weren't immortal, I might suggest visiting a physician. "


Maybe this was what it was like to have a friend, he mused. She hadn't yet abused their relationship to get him to do, or kill something. She hadn't pried at his innermost secrets to gain an advantage, nor had she mentioned anything casually that she wanted done, so that he might go and do it for her.

" What do you think of that ambassador? The aerokinetic. I heard some of the others talking about him, and heard he's the one that brought you here. "

[Skylar]

She remained sitting up, she was stronger then that, but offered him a nod in thanks anyways. “If I were mortal they’d have me committed somewhere for this.” She ran her hand over her forehead, and took a moment to look around the area as Edicius carried on with conversation.

“He brought me to the castle, yes. He seems nice enough. Perhaps too nice. Time will tell, however I am reconsidering the trip with him later this evening.” She looked at him matter of factly. “There is so much I don’t understand, and so much happening so quickly. It’s overwhelming.”

She sighed and looked up at the sky, stretching her legs out and crossing them at her ankles. She leaned back on her open palms that were lost among the long blades of overly green grass. “What do you think about him?” She raised a brow, so far, Edicius was the only one honest enough to give honest opinion on these creatures, even with his hate for their kind, he was not so blind by his own gains to lie through his teeth.

[Sage]

Edicius was nothing if not truthful, this much was true. And now that she had survived his first barrage of jackassery, he hoped she was not offended now.

" I do not like vampires, same goes for him. "

Edicius shrugged, knowing she would see an underlying message, whether it was there or not. It was not that he disliked her, at least not at this particular point in time. But he certainly didn't trust her, and he definitely didn't trust Eijin or Anabel.

" Who knows. He doesn't seem to be any better or worse than the other nobles, but I don't know how much that tells you. Then again, I've only been here two days as well, so I'm not the best person to ask. "

Edicius considered for a moment, then turned to her with an expression of curiosity. " Actually, I'm not even from here. I'm not the best person to ask about any of this. Why trust me? "

[Herald_of_Fate]

( continued from viewtopic.php?f=122&t=709&p=10921#p10921)

The Ambassador hovered a few moments before landing, a little embarassed by his blunder. Eijin allowed his eyes to take in his surroundings, Angel on the floor, Edicus in his stone throne, the foundation still under repair.

"Quite the job you seem to have ahead...I have heard you have some talent of the terra-kinetic variety," he said to the boy with a smile. "How would you like to journey with Angel and I? I'm fairly sure that if you showed me what to do and we combined our powers, we could finish this job in no time."

In truth, Eijin was a little flustered. Since stepping outdoors, he could feel something unsettling in the air, quite unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It was like something was barreling down on them, some great, terrible power that disturbed even the natural currents of air. Could anyone else feel it? Should he ask? He knelt beside Angel, a flicker of fear passing through him and just as quickly forced down.

"In either case, we must move quickly. I feel...something. Something that even the Mother may not be prepared for." he said grimly. "You are welcome to accompany us, young one. I know little of how you came to be here, though I imagine it was horrendous. I am a stranger here in many ways myself. But I tell you this, if you remain here, I'm afraid there is little hope for you. Or anyone here."

He looked to Angel, taking her hand and helping her to her feet. "We must depart soon...something comes. Something full of malice. Something...worse than Anabel or any of the sniveling cowards she surrounds herself with. A living storm."

[Skylar]

As she thought, her eyes burned through him like she sought to read his soul less thoughts. “ I trust you Edicius, because thus far you are the only one that has not treated me like a disease, or fresh meat.” There was hint of malice in her voice as she spoke. While it was true that her memories were hindered, she still had a mind and could think for herself.

“My words may mean little to you now, but I assure you one day you will believe me. There is nothing I would take from you if it is not mine to have. Perhaps one day you will call me friend.” She nodded to herself and quickly her back stiffened as a low toned hiss emerged from her throat.

“You seem to have a knack for busting in unannounced on others conversations Eijin.” She did not turn to look at him as he knelt beside her, nor did she take his offered hand to stand. Her eyes remained on Edicius as she spoke to Eijin. “Actually, I was just telling Edicius that I was considering staying behind. There is much I have not seen here yet, and overwhelming myself doesn’t seem like a good idea with my recent bouts of blackouts.”

She finally turned to Eijin as her words continued. “Besides, if something horrid is on its way, what safer place to be in then the bosom of the stronghold of the Mother herself?” With a dash of sarcasm in her words, she raised a brow.

[Sage]

Edicius allowed his seat to return slowly to the earth. Sinking and softening back into the ground, almost as though the ground there had never been disturbed. He peeled back the bandaging from his hands, which had already nearly healed, though there were still fresh markers of injury.

" More than some. But unfortunately I am not allowed to use my powers, or receive help in this, it is my punishment from the First. " Ed shrugged, no fear lived in him now for any threat or being. " If something is coming, then I suppose someone will need to defend Sophitia. And I am not going to Xexoria with the expedition if that's where you mean to flee. I come from Algeroth, we used to share a natural border with them before the great cataclysm mortals refer to as The End. Now it is an island, and the people there have nearly as much to fear as here. "

Ed stretched, his young lithe body a pale beacon in the moonlight, tattered rags clinging to him. He inhaled once, slowly taking in the cool night air as he stared at the full moon. " It's not your problem, anyway. I just don't have the energy to be betrayed again. "

[Herald_of_Fate]

On the Kalmarden Southern Border...

He stepped out of nothingness, moving with the deliberate lack of speed of a being to which the element of time was a mere formality. His black undertaker style hat jauntily askew upon his head, the traveler took a deep breath, his calculating blue eyes taking in the forest around him. He stretched out a white gloved hand, his right index finger pointing out before him. He spoke a single word, its echo trembling the air before him.

"Seek..."

His servants, dogs as big as grizzlies, composed of lving metal, sprang into existence beside him, thundering through the trees northward. Smoke belched from their mouths, a strange creaking of metal on metal coming with each stride.


At the Palace Grounds....

The Ambassador looked at Edicius with a raised brow. He honestly bore the young man no ill will. Eijin even found the way he'd been treated deplorable. In truth, he didn't expect any of them to survive should this new threat discover them.

"Well, if you truly believe that I'm so despicable as to betray you or turn tail and run for Xexoria of all places, you obviously don't know me very well," he said with a sardonic smile. "At the very least, allow me to ask a boon, though you truly owe me nothing. When things begin to go badly here, if you mean to return to Algeroth...take Angel with you. The only way I'll be able to stand even a moment before whatever is coming is knowing that she is safe."


He looked to Angel, an almost pained expression on his face. Though he'd only known her for a short while, he felt a connection with her he could not deny. "I'll go greet our guest...just promise me that if things go wrong, you'll flee and live."

[Skylar]

“Flee to where?” The look on her face held no emotion. She was not scared, fear was something that surpassed her these day, for reasons she was unaware of. Meanwhile her senses were still in tip top shape and she herself felt nothing of ill will in the air that surrounded them, least not yet anyways, and thusly she felt no reason to feel alarmed.

“I will not commit to a promise I do not intent to keep. If this is to be my home in the future it would make me look beyond weak to put my tail between my legs and run. I’ll be fine here.” She nodded to her own words and looked toward Edicius.

“Why is it your duty to repair this?” She looked around at the damage. It could have been easily fixed with his prowess if he were allowed. Learning how things were ran around this place seemed more and more confusing to her.