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Anthony took on the countenance of a wise warrior giving counsel to a young apprentice. His dark eyes shone with a hardened sheen, and his long reddish-brown hair breezed out about his shoulders as a draft found its way down the corridor. Kitara could not afford to be naive for even a moment longer...
He closed his eyes into a soft frown... and without opening them, he drew his long broadsword out of its sheathe... He opened his eyes again----- They swam with gentle tears that tumbled down his cheeks silently. They left strange black streaks along the contours of his jaw... His face was hard, stoic, and sure; the kind of confidence such dark times demand of a warrior. He looked down at Kitara with a face devoid of emotion except for the tears that stained his face. He stood back and armspan and held the point of the sword squarely beneathe Kitara's chin........ It was the sort of picturesque profile always found woven into the threads of old tapestries depicting ancient people of lore... with young Anthony gazing down at this small innocent girl... knowing that her innocence could not be sustained despite how much as he wished it could. The tears fell harder as he let the blade rest just at her throat. "Kitara..." he said in a stern tone that was tempered with incredible sorrow. "You can not afford to feel fear. You can not afford to run. You can not afford to hide.... You must be strong now... If you run, you die. Do you understand? You must learn the feel of a blade and the burn of sorcery. You must learn to look an enemy in the eye with no fear or regret... You must learn to fight until there is nothing left of you to stand your ground... I am so sorry the burdens of this world have been thrust onto your shoulders, but you must learn to bear them all the same as we all have. You will bleed. You will cry. You will suffer. You will feel great pain and know intense darkness. Do you understand... Kitara?" He held his sword steady, and true. Kitara had no choice but to learn the feeling of looking up at an enemy with nothing but resolve and determination. "Are you ready for this life, Kitara...?" |
Kitara looked up at Anthony, trembling a bit. Her fists clenched at her side, her tiny claws digging into her palms. She didn't look at the sword, but right into Anthony's eyes because his face seemed to be saying so much more than the cold metal sword with its tip poised at her throat. Her green eyes glowed with shocks of yellow light through them as she finally spoke in a weak, resigned whisper.
"Yes...I understand. I am ready." She didn't really have a choice not to be did she? |
Through the red, moving filter of the flames, the shadowy figure outside was difficult to spot. Aideen had nothing better to do but watch, however, and the figure was a welcome distraction from her own roiling thoughts. It was also slightly disturbing in a vague sense the elemental could not define, only partly because she couldn't see it clearly and because it had done nothing threatening.
Or maybe everything in this world was slightly disturbing, including Aideen herself as far as she was concerned. Maybe the trick was knowing what disturbing thing was threatening, and what wasn't. Aideen wasn't sure what category she herself fell into. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to know. She swallowed, and finally spoke through the flames to the figure, her voice wavering. "Who are you?" she asked. "What are you? Please say something." As she was in the back of the fireplace, she fully expected the newcomer not to see her, at least not well. Perhaps a vague silhouette and nothing more. She hoped that wouldn't be too disturbing. |
Hollow entered the room wondering what happened to the fire elemental. She found her awake and Terrified. "Who are you." She demanded it more than she asked it.
Hollow noticed that she was in the need of clothes. Something that wouldnt burn would be more appropriate for her. Hollow thought she had something like that at her house. Hollow came infront of the fire and glared. Not on purpose tho. Glaring was her natural look. |
The figure stopped in front of the fireplace. Clearly it had heard Aideen, and even seemed to see her. Then it spoke. It sounded female, and a bit angry. At what? she wondered. So strange.
"My name is Aideen," she replied, unmoving. "Who and what are you?" |
"Name is Hollow." She said hesitant to give out her name, but the girl would end up finding out if she ever talked to Thalian. "Im a shadow child."
Hollow was a little irritated that she was talking to something she could not see. "Come out and talk to me face to face." It almost sounded like a challenge, but Hollow had no intention on fighting anyone right now. |
"Hollow," Aideen repeated, wondering just what a shadow child was. The name meant nothing to her. It was just an introduction.
The shadow child wanted her to come out of the hearth, but that was out of the question. Until someone, anyone set some clothes out for her and let her have a bit of privacy to put them on, Aideen was determined to stay safely hidden. But she wasn't sure she trusted this stranger enough to ask. "I can’t come out. I'm sorry. Are... are we the only ones awake?" |
Ben had freed himself of his sandy prison and began shaking himself dry as best he could. It was no matter to him where they happened to be. This place obviously had edible people... unless they weren't edible! Unless they were poisonous! It was such an alarming thought that the mad plushy did a spooky jig upon the sand. Maybe he should ask exactly what kind of creatures inhabited this... realm place.
Olivia, meanwhile was stammering out a response, "W-well... is there any way you can help us? I don't think we would survive long on our own... I'm... very fragile and my companion is not so... etiquette-minded as myself. I fear we would stir up all sorts of trouble, if left to our own devices." Diplomacy seemed the only way to go. While she could possibly penetrate the immense power that the lady Kara obviously possessed, she was certain she couldn't do it without alerting her... and being subsequently killed outright. This didn't seem like a very appealing option. Ben tottered over to the two, "what are you, anyway, lady? If you're a pirate, do you eat scum? I heard that pirates eat scum. Scum and barnacles. Those don't sound very tasty. Why would you eat them?" He sat on the sand, paw on his chin, other arm across his body, holding his cleaver, pondering this deep philosophical enigma... |
Hollow furrowed her brow. "Yes we are the only ones awake." She looked behind her at the people asleep on the bed. "Do you want me to find you clothes." Hollow knew exactly what Aideen was going through. She had been in the same position not two seconds ago.
A smile crossed her face. She knew exactly where she would get the clothes for Aideen if she needed them. She knew it was horrible to keep taking stuff from the boy, but its rude to let people go without clothes and he had done it to two people so far! |
The bear had a strange knife with him and didn't seem to be a stranger to killing things... even if they were only crabs. It made Kara uncomfortable, and she decided to avoid his silly question for now and continue talking to the one that was making the most sense at the moment. She didn't trust her either... Kara decided to cut to the chase and be very frank with them both.
"While normally I would not be opposed to helping the newborn of The Realm, there is a strange aura surrounding the two of you that I don't like, or trust. What are your names and where do you come from? I am curious about the kind of business that could traffic a small doll and plush bear to a place like this. Nothing of small note could do such a thing on its own... nothing good anyway." Kara stared hard at the little doll, not lowering her swords, subtly positioning herself into a more relaxed defensive stance that would allow her to react quicly should the situation turn sour. Rowan and Nelo stared eagerly out the dark glass window, ready to assist Kara any way they could if the circumstance called for it. Nelo turned her head for a brief moment to give Kitara some instructions and was suprised to see she had disappeared. "Kitara?" she called out in her small voice. Where did she go? |
Clothes. How could Hollow know about...? unless... Oh. Well, there went any illusions of modesty. Aideen did not want to parade around naked, either, though, and Hollow's offer seemed to be her only solution at the moment.
"Please," Aideen replied, adding, "I don’t think I will burn it." |
Valerie stirred a bit in her sleep as the girls talked. One of her arms flopped over right onto Rolgen's face.
He didn't even budge... |
"Ill go get the clothes and set them on the floor. When you cool down you can come out and get them." Hollow turned and walked out of the room.
She turned at the room she knew very well by now. She tip toed across the floor as to not wake up Thalian. He would most likley yell at her again and they would get in another fight and poor Aideen wount get her clothes. The drawers were still on the floor. She looked through the first one for a pair of pants and found some black ones that might fit the girl. She then shifted the top drawer and looked into the second one for a shirt. Thalian wouldnt mind if she borrowed a plain white one would he? Hollow laughed. Of course he would mind. She got up and walked over to the door. Her foot touched one end of the large shards that was leaning against the wall. It slipped and slammed into the ground with a large thud. Hollow hid her mouth in the clothes and looked back at Thalian hopping to god he wouldnt wake up. |
Hollow was not so lucky. Thalian not only woke up, but he fell out of his chair with a start, landing on top of his cloak chin-first in a rumpled pile, his wings hanging limp on either side of him.
"Ungh..." He moaned out from his predicament with watery eyes. He spotted Hollow. Despite how he woke up, he looked up at Hollow with a funny grin, clearly still half asleep. "Good day to you too..." He snickered. "Is every day going to be like this when you're around? Hahaha." His eyes beamed inspite of himself. I'm so glad she's alright.... Anthony withdrew his sword from under Kitara's chin, satisfied that she got the point. He resheathed it, and gingerly took her by the hand to take her to the kitchen as he had promised. He only needed to be serious for as long as it took to get his point across... and he was happy to take her to the kitchen for her hot chocolate and, hopefully, more pleasant conversation. |
When she cooled down? Aideen let go of a rueful laugh. Cooling down was not an option, not in the way Hollow seemed to mean it. Did the shadow girl mean for her to stay in the fireplace indefinitely, tortured by the prospect of clothing she could never wear?
She would be grateful to Hollow, but hoped the girl wouldn’t be offended if she didn't follow directions to the letter. |
Hollow used his clothes to hide her snicker. "maybe." She started inching towards the door. He probably still didnt notice the clothes in her hands "If i decide to stay." She wasnt sure if she would still. Hollow was glad he wasnt still mad at her for what she did last night, but then again he was only half asleep.
"I'll uh... be back." Hollow waited till she was out of sight then she started running towards the room. She, as quietly as possible, ran into the room and put the clothes on the floor infront of Aideen. "Put thoes on quickly!" Hollow ran out of the room. |
Kitara looked nervously at Anthony. She looked down at his hand holding hers as he led her to the kitchen. She tried to return to her happy self so she attempted conversation, not that she was the greatest at that. "Hehe...um, did you say you were going to make me hot chocolate?"
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Arianna carried the weight of her recent kill in an old discarded sack as she flew over the mountain tops. The only part that really mattered, to identify she’d dispatched her duties, the head. This one had been easy; they all became easier to kill as time went past. The first one was the most difficult, for she had never killed before.
He’d snuck into her cave while she slept, this half demon half man. He’d spotted her white wings that enveloped her while she slept, these wings that glowed whenever she felt peaceful. He’d wanted to take her for his own, he thought her weak and beautiful. She was awakened by him as he tried to unfold her wings, to take her. She panicked and opened her wings quickly, knocking him a few feet back. Unfortunately it was in the direction of her only escape and he’d quickly regained his balance, unsheathing his sword. He held it to her throat and directed her to remove her clothes, slowly. By shear luck she remembered the knife at her side hidden by her belt. So she slowly reached as if to remove her pants, instead she took out the knife and as she fell backwards she released the knife. It hit his right eye and knocked him down, he released his sword and it clattered to the stony ground. Arianna picked herself up and grabbed the sword as the demon thrashed on the ground trying to remove the knife, cursing her. She picked up the sword with two hands, it was heavier than she thought. Bringing it over her head she maneuvered herself over him and brought the sword down as hard as she could. Missing his head, the sword plunged into his shoulder instead. He thrashed and knocked her feet out from under her, sending the sword skidding to the end of the cave. Crawling to retrieve it there were only a few inches to reach it when she felt his hand grip her ankle. Unable to shake him off she started to kick at him, a lucky blow hit the knife in his eye socket. He seized up and loosened his grip, using that instant Arianna dove for the sword. She gripped it tightly not wanting to lose it again, she thrust it at him missing by centimeters. Using her wings she forced herself forward, swung the sword and caught the front of his neck. Though it didn’t go all the way through, it did end his life. She fell to her knees and wept, the blood on her hands marred her face and the sword reflected her image. She had become a monster, as hideous as the first one she’d killed. |
"That's right." Smiled Anthony, glad that Kitara had not melted away into a pile of tears and fear earlier in the corridor. He only wanted the best for her.
"I might be a man, but I can make a good cup of hot chocolate." He winked at her. |
Aideen heard Hollow enter, drop off clothing (she hoped), and leave again. The hasty instructions seemed to indicate that they were clothes. She'd seen no other movement in the room and, hoping that meant she was alone, she emerged cautiously from the fireplace.
Superficially, she'd recovered. A fine layer of ash and soot dusted her hair and peppered her eyelashes but, curiously, did not cling to her red glowing skin. Her wings, too, had regained their normal dimensions. She had energy. Now all she needed was fuel to keep that energy going. And clothes. Clothes came first. Glancing around the room nervously, she noted that she was not in fact alone. But the Valrae in the bed were asleep. She'd have to be quiet, so as not to wake them. She knelt, then, before the clothing Hollow had provided, and took a quick inventory. They were a man's clothes, trousers and a shirt, but she was in no position to be picky. She'd even overlook the lack of undergarments at this point. Both the shirt and the trousers fit loosely. The pants in a particular dragged their cuffs on the floor, and she absently wished for a belt to help hold them up. They held for the moment, though, as long as she was careful... Still, the wings fit through the back of the shirt, and she was in enough control of herself that neither garment burned. The black pants picked up quite a bit of the ash that brushed away from her hair as she pulled on the shirt, and it clung to them stubbornly. The elemental silently apologized to whoever they belonged to. It would do for now. She contented herself to wait by the fire for Hollow to return. |
Kitara's smile to Anthony was still hesitant and not all that joyful, but she didn't look so scared now. "Men aren't supposed to be able to make hot chocolate?" she asked in a confused voice. It was obvious that she was unable to not sound innocent no matter how hard she tried.
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Anthony picked up on her effort and laughed inspite of himself as he led her into the comfortably furnished kitchen.
"Kitara... You know that just because I was being very sincere earlier doesn't mean I expect or want you to act serious all the time. In fact I highly discourage that. No one around here would keep their sanity for long if we had to be grim and frowning all the time, so lighten up. I only want you to be strong when you have to be. Do you understand?" Thalian nearly collided with Hollow as she ran back down the hallway. He noted the classic mischievous look always plastered on her face, and grinned down at her. "Now now Hollow." He jested. "Just where do you think you're going in such a hurry? I certainly don't see any wolves chasing you this time. Hahahaha" She definitely seemed perkier than she had been the previous day. Perhaps he could coerse her into eating a good meal today. First, he needed to check on his parents and Aideen... He started down the hallway in the direction of their bedroom. |
Hollow fell to the ground in shock. She was laughing all the way up until he started to head for the bedroom. Hollow grabbed his ankle. "You dont want to go in there." she said thinking about Aideen changing. Shock might just cause her to burn his clothes and that would not be good. "Aideen is changing in there." Hollow thought for a while. "Do you want to get her a belt?" She added
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"Changing? Changing into what exactly? And why would she need... HEY! You stole more of my clothes again didn't you, you evil thing!" He tried to sound angry, but he also laughed. He couldn't help it. When people needed help, they needed help.
"Honestly, Hollow. How many times must I tell you. No one looks good in my clothes but me. Besides, I think Aideen would appreciate more feminine clothes like what she was wearing yesterday." He paused as he eyed Hollow up and down. "And YOU might appreciate a different selection as well. After all, your ass is too fat for my pants." He winked at her, waiting for the punch he knew would follow his statement. |
Kitara nodded and pouted at Anthony. "I don't think I can be serious all the time!" she exclaimed. "I just can't seem to flip between moods so easily, but I still don't see why its weird for you to make me hot chocolate!"
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