Thrown from a Sunken Realm

[Angel]

Rips and torrents blew through as a portal would open into a ruined area throwing a young woman out of the portal dressed in what looks like a ball gown torn to shreds. She is barely kept covered by the cloak worn. Her memories of the days lost only a vague dashing of her mind. The woman of blonde hair and amber eyes would lay there a bit before finally getting up. She would realize she was no longer where she was before. The distance between knowing and understanding an unrecalled dream that she never could remember. Her head actually hurt from hitting a rock. Blood dripped down the side, but soon dried up leaving the gash sealed as she sat there.

“I guess I was somewhere to be dressed like this. I need a change of clothing…and shelter.”

These were but mere thoughts in her head as she would take strips of the cloak cutting them with a knife and tying pieces together making a new outfit hopefully to hold her over till she found someplace to recover and take shelter. Her feet would walk the bare ground getting cut and slashed, but she didn’t care as she just kept walking hoping to find the charge set before her mind.

[Shin]

Arcty Caldiley or more commonly known as Arc, paced about the ruins of a once great nation, one that had fallen long before the recent disaster. He had been scavenging the ruins for the better part of two days and still had nothing to show for it. Though, it wasn't really like he was looking for something, merely poking about.

He had already drawn a detailed map of the area, cataloged everything that he took. Arc was fascinted by ancient ruins and even if there wasn't some obscure artifact or magical item for him to find the journey had already been worth it. He already knew a great deal about the peole that once lived here, simply by finding every day items and the layout of the city he determined that it was trade city at one time, probably a meeting point for two great cities that live at the far ends of the continent. It was near a river as well, an easy way to export goods to the souther portions of the continent.

He took refuge in a fairly open area, once a garden, or something similiar where herbs were grown. It was no longer tended and vegetation, despite recent events, continue to grow here producing all sorts of vegetables. He had taken it upon himself to dig up some of the vegetables and make himself a stew ... without meat however. Still, with what nature provided for him he was sure it would be rather good.

Absent midedly he hummed a tune to himself, a very beautiful melody that no doubt carried around his area. There was nothing abnormal about the tune, other then the angelic voice that produced it. If he had been paying attention he may have heard the girl talking a mere thirty feet from him, on the other side of a partially intact wall. But as it was, Arc was fully absorbed into himself ... if the music had cast a spell it did so on the caster, for he was oblivious to his surroundings.

[Angel]

Aelia’s ears would pick up the sound of someone singing that would startle her. Her eyes had narrowed as if trying to locate the sound, but ears alone would be her guide. Feet would travel the ground before finally coming upon the person singing her eyes of amber just staring at the man. Aelia was still injured however from being thrown from the portal. Blood still trickled from her head to the ground, from a gash on the side of her face. She’d probably have the energy to heal herself, but the magic that was in her body seemed to be in a recovery state. She could not tap into the unseen magic in her body.

“Who’s there, who is singing?”

Her voice this time would come from her lips that sounded almost exactly like someone whom was young. Her hair would blow gently in the wind carrying not a sign of destruction by her fall besides the blood on one side. She’d try to further find the source of the sound she heard. Aelia ignored her feet and her head that begged she rest or take a chance of falling unconscious. A strong willed woman is what she is as she looked around finally finding a man with items about him. A strangely dressed man, though she couldn’t say much for herself having used a knife to cut clothing for herself to wear.

“Are you the one singing? Where am I?”

Her voice again came forth as she looked him trying hard not to look menacing as finally the pain from her head took over. She would crouch to the ground holding her head and take the spare strips of cloth from the remaining parts of her cloak and make a bandage for her head and feet. The bleeding she hoped would stop, she did not like looking weak before others.

[Shin]

Arc was still humming is tune, bent over his small fire stiring the stew. It smelt! He congradulated himself on another job well done. If he didn't sing as good as he did then he could definatley fall back on his cooking! He brought a small spoonful to his lips, it was hot so he had to be careful.

"Deli..." He stopped suddenly. He heard a voice, to his right, a females. Exaclty sixteen feet away over broken ground. A bandit? Out here....doubtfully he told himself. Carefully he turned ever so slightly to take in the full view of this mystery...girl?

What was a girl doing out here, all by herself and dressed like that! It took a moment, but he registered what was going on and quickly rose to his feet. "Oh my... what happened?" He asked, warily, but quickly moving towards the downed girl. She was bleeding from her head...and feet.

"Come here, that wound could prove fatal, and a Harper never turns his back on someone in need, friend or foe!" He stated, extending hand and finger into the air to accentuate his meaning. He ignored her questions for the time being, if allowed he would make his way near, pack in hand and set it down near the girl.

[Angel]

She’d look at him carefully as she kept her hand to her head. She wasn’t sure what happened at all only to wake up bleeding from her head with no boots on and a tattered ball gown. Her eyes kept close on his as she was confused by his actions. Memories were vague on what happened so answering his question would come with a simple answer.

“I don’t know what happened. I only awoke with a busted head.”

Awoke was the key word as to why her feet were bleeding. That was as an easy answer by the rocks she was walking on. Her eyes tried to follow where he was indicating as she would stand again to move towards where he was. She wasn’t too weakened yet to unable to move on her own. Her hand would come down from her head as she walked before finally sitting down on the ground again due to needing to.

“Please, I must know where I am. I have no memories of where I was or why I’m here.”

She could remember her name and the abilities in her body, but Aelia could not recall anything that happened before her injury to the head. The blow could have been enough to remove her memories. Aelia would stop short of reaching his camp sight because of the pain from her head.

[Shin]

"You are in the ruins of a lost culture." He explained, carefully dealing out the information. "I don't know how you ended up here, these ruins are over a thousand years old. I don't have an exact date of course ... but if I had to guess I would say..Im sorry..im rambling, shall we get you fixed up?"

Arc took a half step away, bringing both arms together at his chest. "I am no cleric, but I can mend your wounds." It was true, the bardic college taught a minor form of healing, a melody unlocked in the great song that all bards strived to understand. It was from there that different melodies were taken, note and songs were sang. It was said that if one became skilled enough in the ancient arts and listened that you could hear the living song in all things. Arc wasn't sure if he believed that, but he certainly hoped it was true!

His voiced changed in octaves, until it reached a very low note. And from there he began another hum, more intricate then the one she had heard, but no less beautiful. After a few secnds her wounds begin to mend, her injuries would slowy close and become no more then red blemishes for the time being.

A minute or two past and Arc finally came out from his trance like tune.

"There, that should suffice for now. But now im winded. Join me for dinner? Perhaps we could figure out where you came from..." He would pull another bowl and wooden spoon from his pack and hand it to hear. He also pulled out wraps, normally used for bracing broken bones, but they would make do to protect her feet for now.

"Here...eat. My magic will do nothing to give you back the strength you lost from blood loss, only rest and food can do that." He handed her a full bowl of his stew, which mainly consisted of different vegetables he had found in the garden. He would then prop one leg up on his own and begin to wrap it.

"So, you said you awoke here, just now?"

[Angel]

Aelia had to take it into thought where she was. Her garments being less than lady-like, but she had no choice, as she would sit down on the ground near the fire of the stew. She had to get warm again because of the blood loss. She was sure that she could get warm again easily as she looked at him after he offered her some food. That was one of two things she was wandering about to acquire.

“I awoke here just now, but the area around me was scorched as if burned by magic. I cannot remember what would cause it other than a door of sorts, only magic I know that does that.”

Aelia kept her words honest as she took the stew into her hands. She could tell she was weakened by how she shook a little. Her body was cold as can be, but she was warming up each time she took a bite of the stew. The fire helped as well as she ate. Her eyes carried across the grass as he tried to figure her bearings more.

“The only memory I have of where I came from, is that the place was surrounded by water and my clothing saying I was someone important. I remember my name, but not why I would be sent away. Whomever did it have to feel it was important, they wouldn’t have sent someone out like done to me.”

Aelia stopped talking after that as the pounding in her head still existed only due to trying to recover lost blood and where the wound was upon her head. It might be healing slowly, but the pounding remained. Her feet looked better than her head did, but the stained tattered dress and ripped cloak to cover the parts of her body that would have been exposed.

[Shin]

Arc was a very good multi tasker, he listened to intently, never taking his own grey orbs off of her, wrapped both of her feet up and when he was finished with that he began to dig in his abnormally large pack. He wouuld fix himself a bowl later, right now he had a more important issue at hand.

"Well, I know something of magic, but not enought to even begin to guess what kind brought you here. A teleportation of some sort....ahh here they are."

Arc himself wasn't very big, five foot 9 inches and about a one hundred and fourty pounds. Though, his clothes would probably still be a little baggy on the girl. He handed her a tan pair of breeches, a belt, a white cotton shirt and a studded leather vest to go over the top of the shirt.

"Now, it will be big. But it will be much better then what you are wearing." He gestured. "As for shoes, im afraid all I can do for you is wrap them, my boots would be much to big and bulky."

He poured himself a bowl of stew and leaned back on a the stone debri that littered the place.

"By water ... I dont suppose if you can remember if it was an ocean, pond...scrying pool?" He asked, taking a bite of his stew as his mind begin to filter through all the knowledge he had that could be useful for this situation.

[Angel]

“It’s alright and thank you. I’m not sure but I remember the ocean being the most powerful element the land. I also remember that the land was parted as different aspects of each element as if formed by elementals themselves.”

She’d put the shirt on over the ripped cloth covering her and pull the breeches up. She would not cut the material up like she did her cloak as she tied the belt about her waste. The vest would also be placed on her as she left the strips of skirt still visible to hang over the breeches. Her eyes looked around now more fully. Aelia was sure she had been thrown from a place she called home.

“These should be fine for me, if I need to adjust I can cut the remainder of my cloak up. The bandages will work for my feet till I can find a place to get shoes or boots.”

She would then finish or attempt to the food given to her. She knew the bleeding from her head had lost a lot of blood as she could feel it just from how tired she was. Aelia felt weary and exhausted. Her hand would every so often reach up to touch her wound even if it was a blemish now. She would not remove the bandages for fear of possibly causing the bleeding to happen again.

“Thank you for whatever you did to my head and feet as well. What is your name?”

She finally remembered she hadn’t introduced herself and wondered if she can still remember her name. She hoped she could as she thought hard about her name and finally a name did come forth. Her name would come to the front of her mind.

“My name is Aelia.”

[Shin]

Arc smiled as she took the clothes, he had always been taught to lend a helping hand were he could. It didn't really matter the reason, no one deserved to be in any sort of pain, not if it could be helped. Arc leaned back against a fallen pillar and tried to think of a possible location the girl could have come from. She didn't give him much to work with.

"I honestly don't know. There are a million and one places with water... nearly as many by an ocean. Chances are that if you remember water and elements that it was on an island... maybe one with an active volcano or near one?" Arc was merely guessing, but seeing as Aelia was at near complete memory loss it was as good as place as any.

"If we can make to a city still intact there is a good chance we could find a powerful enough wizard to help construct your memory, I could stop at a library and pull out some maps, see if any are familiar to you."

He continued to eat as he talked, taking delight in his own cooking. "For now we rest. It doesn't seem like there is any danger in these ruins, but I can set up a ward just to be sure."

"Oh, you can call me Arc." He extended a hand towards the girl, then pulled forth a small pillow and blanket from his pack. "Here, take this."

[Angel]

Aelia would take the blanket as she placed it over her legs and lower body. The pillow would go behind her head, but she would slip the knife she had out just incase she felt danger. Aelia was a little cautious which would be visibly seen.

“I want to have my knife out incase, even if it seems safe. There is always danger. I’m probably a little too cautious, but I want to play it safe.”

Aelia’s words were those of someone whom probably had been facing danger most of her life. It was like some of her memories spoke for her, even if she couldn’t see them. She was trying still to remember where she came from. The mention of a city and having a wizard help her recover her memories was troubling.

“If a wizard can help, so be it but I am wary of them. I probably can remember where I came from by looking at a map.”

She was positive of there being a swampy area to her homeland and a mountain range as barren as a desert. There were a forest and lake that she remembered with high dangers within. A city by the ocean as a main means of bringing in jobs and food, as well as a palace; these were the only things she could remember of where she came from as she thought. Eventually she’d fall asleep unable to tell him about the recollection of the place, an island he said? That was possible as she remembered ocean surrounding the land.

[Shin]

Arc listened to Aelies but didn't respond, he sat in thought for a long time. All those things in one small area, it seeme rather unlikely. He remembered very few lands that even had a desert and any source of water near apart from an oasis..but a volcano and an ocean. He was truly perplexed. It sounded like the island was void of any sense, but then again he mused, perhaps magic was at work there.

He stoked his hairless chin and once again began to hum a small tune to himself. He wondered what kind of place could have survived the cataclysm that seemed to have struck all the land. Another thing dawned on him then, Wizards normaly required a small fortune for even the most mundane tasks, not many were as eager to help as himself and Arc didn't have much money on him, judging by the girls appearance either did she.

He would place the magical ward around their little camp, a simple spell that would alert Arc when anyone came within a couple dozen yards of their camp. He then leaned back onto his pack, and let himself fall asleep.

[Angel]

Aelia would wake in the middle of sleep due to a dream she had. It seemed to haunt and scare her. She’d be uneasy by this as she sat up. Her right hand would reach up to touch the head wound earlier acquired as she closed her eyes only for a brief moment. She was finally able to tap into her own magic to heal her wounds.

“By all that is healing, let the element of light guide.”

A simple incantation as she focused her magic on the wound, this allowed her right hand to begin to glow as she touched the wound. The healing process would seal the wound completely and remove signs she had a wound in the first place, the same action would be repeated upon her feet through the cloth used on them. She would look about being unable to fall back asleep. She would only rest to be sure that she had enough energy to move the following day.

[Shin]

Arc slep like a baby, reclined back on his giant backpack, one legged proped over fallen debris, head lolled back and mouth wide open. He was oblivious to the events that transpired while he was sleeping. In fact he wouldn't wake until the first rays of sunlight hit him in the face, making it bright enough behind closed eye-lids to show him discomfort.

"I hate waking up.." He murmered and rolled on to his side.

"Oh!" He shot up like an arrow, looking to where Angel had been sleeping. "I had almost forgot you were here!"

Now sitting up he looked to the fire, his stomach rumbling on cue. "Sometimes I think life would be easier if I didn't have to eat." He chuckled as he reached into the giant backpack and pulled out some dried meat and bread.

"Light breakfast this morning, we'll get on....wow, the wound on your head looks much better. Sleep really did you alot of good." He commented as he stood and stretched away the sleepiness. "There is a town on the river a few days walk from here...then I think we can catch a ferry down river to a bigger city. I'll have to check a map once we get there to be sure though."

[Angel]

She would look at him strangely about the food comment. She could make due with dried meat and bread, something about eating light didn’t phase her any like she had traveled before. This of course made her head hurt, because it was a memory of being attacked by a bunch of men and her fighting them off by water. She won the battle, but it was a hollow victory.

“A memory…”, she wondered if it was as she looked about for a second before shaking her head figuring it was just a passing phase her mind was going through. She’d eat the meal silently for a time before attempting to get up and try walking. Aelia figured that her feet would be sore from the injuries to them, but with her added magic it should be fine.

“It should be fine, I don’t mind the wait. It might give my mind a chance to recall memories on its own, though it seems painful to remember anything at all.”