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Post by Faljere D'ael Elderbaden on May 30, 2014 22:45:04 GMT -6
The shadow's fell over the two figures moving stealthily through the still night. One had blonde hair, seemingly dead on his shoulders, while the other hid beneath a brown hood and cloak.
The one with the dead hair was a strong-looking man, and he was guiding the girl to his important destination. There were nagging voices in the back reaches of his mind, but that didn't phase him. He had a more important goal to take care of.
They were now at the base of the Fort's walls, and he placed his hands along the walls before turning to the smaller girl behind him.
"Know any way in? We have to get to that library." He growled.
It's important. It'll bring him peace.
"Yes. Peace from you."
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Idina Doc
Wildgardian
Could we start again, please?
Posts: 258
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Post by Idina Doc on May 30, 2014 22:56:27 GMT -6
Familiar stone walls almost beckoned to Idina as she and her companion approached them. The plains had thankfully been silent as they'd stolen across them from the city not too far away, and no one had disturbed their trek. Her apprehension wouldn't leave her, however, not given the circumstances. If she could take the "who" and "why" of this excursion out of the picture, she would be grateful to be back at Fort MacNeil.
She had her suspicions about the elf that accompanied her, the man who called himself The Clanless. She'd known him before, her instincts told her, and she felt she knew who he might be... But he might have been aware of her suspicions with his deterrences. He seemed to be almost purposefully making himself to be the farthest thing from a man she'd once known as possible, even going so far as to forget how to breach the stone Fort walls.
"There is a gate," she said simply. "Thankfully on the far side from the river; any barbarians would be too far away to see us. The gate is southward. Come on."
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Post by Faljere D'ael Elderbaden on May 31, 2014 20:46:32 GMT -6
The elf nodded as he was led by Idina towards the gate where they'd enter the Fort. He knew very well the people who dwelled here, but they didn't quite know him as he was now. That was what he wanted, and that was how he planned to keep it. Still, a thought nibbled in the back of his mind, causing him to ponder. The leader, a proud man known as Lord Gavin MacNiel, had always been very keen, and even if there was the slightest chance that they figured out his past, his mission would be ruined.
He stopped behind Idina and grunted. "Is it secret? Is it safe? I fear they might not be too welcoming of imposters, even with one of them being an ally."
They'll be welcoming. I know it. Not just to her, but to me as well.
"You are not me!" He cried out, swinging his arm forwards before he stormed in front of Idina. "Take me there now."
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Idina Doc
Wildgardian
Could we start again, please?
Posts: 258
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Post by Idina Doc on May 31, 2014 21:06:10 GMT -6
No sooner had Idina opened her mouth to speak did The Clanless storm past her, focused on something in his own mind. She trudged behind him, determined to keep level-headed. If he interrupted her one more time, she swore, she'd let him know just how she felt about that...
Her would-have-been answer seemed to be right, however. As far as she'd known, everyone in the Fort had sought warmer lands once winter had hit, and as the pair of them matched through the entrance gate, the territory beyond revealed itself to have been untouched for some time. The tavern, the tower, the well, and various other establishments within were just as they'd been left.
Seeing them again brought another surge of warmth through the girl. *You're almost home,* it seemed to say. But she still felt uncomfortable in the elf's company, and so couldn't delight in the familiar surroundings.
Assuming he'd keep up the act of not knowing the place, she reached forward and took a section of the furs he wore in one hand, tugging it in the direction she was pointing to with the other. "Over here," she encouraged. "The library is in this direction."
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Post by Faljere D'ael Elderbaden on May 31, 2014 21:59:24 GMT -6
Everything was so familiar when they entered the Fort. He'd known this place well enough to feel welcomed back even just by its aesthetics, and Idina seemed the same. She looked around with soothed eyes and open-mouth at the foundations of what made her home exactly that to the point that it seemed to creep into the monk as well.
Go ahead. I understand what you want.
The Clanless nodded and strode over towards the library; his walk, however, was far from the aggressive march he put on before. It was gentle, dreamy, tranced. It was that of a man returning to his home, or making his way right to heaven. It was obviously aggravating the Clanless. He didn't want to be seen like this. He skipped in his step and returned to an angst-filled trod before grabbing the doors of the library.
"This is it. We'll find the map here?" He growled to Idina.
They're your maps. You should know the answer.
This time, the Clanless used all his willpower to ignore the voice in his mind. He tapped his fingers along the rusted iron door handle, swinging it up and down nervously. Was this really what he wanted.
In a split second, the door was open, revealing darkness from the abandoned library.
"Let's go."
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Idina Doc
Wildgardian
Could we start again, please?
Posts: 258
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Post by Idina Doc on May 31, 2014 22:45:25 GMT -6
As they walked, the blonde let her feet carry her where they needed to go, and looked around distractedly at her surroundings. She had been used to seeing a silhouette at the top of the tower to the south of the encampment, and it felt out of place not seeing the lord or the Fort there now. That coupled with the sense of emptiness within the walls really made the whole situation feel all the more unreal. Moonlight bathed the area, emphasizing the dreamlike quality. *What am I doing here...? Am I really here...*
She was pulled out of her thoughts by The Clanless. Still somewhat in a daze from her thinking on the way over, she only nodded at his inquiry. What stuck out at her the most, however, was the apprehension with which he held the handle on the door. He seemed almost scared to enter the library, now that she looked closely.
She knew who he was, she was sure of it. She had to be right. And something was very, very wrong.
The inside of the library was pitch dark. "Light," she said under her breath. "Light, light... I think there were once lanterns in here. The librarian kept them somewhere..." He had better not ask her to light one, for she'd outright refuse.
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Post by Faljere D'ael Elderbaden on May 31, 2014 23:16:49 GMT -6
As soon as all was dark, it was light again. No, not light. His elf eyes were accustomed to darkness that he could see in pitch black as if it were daytime. Elf eyes were like that, considering that even through the smoke of the battlefield he could watch as his allies were slaughtered, and his enemies had their heads cleaved off. The night skies that reigned over their nation while flaming pillars of spirits joining the astral plain brought so much darkness that even elves had a hard time seeing. But the Clanless had seen more than most, and his eyes were used to darkness as black as the devil's soul.
As he walked forwards, his knee hit something wooden, and he grunted in pain. Looking down, he realised it was a small cabinet with books in it. His eyes looked closely at the books, realising that they were relatively new tomes about history. The first one, leatherbound and burgundy, seemed to be about demon texts. The one under it was a simple folder about elven nation criminals.
The last was a blue book with silver linings on the pages and bordering the covers and spine. The Clanless knelt down and picked the book out from the cabinet and sat down in the chair that was beside him; upon the wooden seat was a wool cover that seemed to be a cloak of sorts. The Clanless rubbed his hand back and forth against it, feeling it's warmth entering him like an old friend.
He finally stopped and looked the book over. It presented him the most basic information about Her. Stuff he'd known from his travels through Ireland.
There was a metal clink at his feet, and he bent down to see what it was, surprised to see that a simple blue and silver ring had fallen from the book. Disgusted, he threw the book into the shadows and kicked the ring, but an apparition appeared in his mind for a split second right as his foot made contact. That of a Raven mask, with sinister eyes and a wicked smirk hidden by a beard, and shrouded by blue smoke and dead...what were they? Magnolias? Coeropsi? The petals of a white rose? Somewhere in the mix, a winter rose stained with blood. It was enough to make the Clanless screech in anger and draw his blade.
He remained silent. The voices remained silent. The library fell silent.
All was silent.
Focus on your task at hand. Find me.
"Idina! Look through the east wing for that map. I'll search the west. And be quick." He growled as he sheathed his weapon and began to search through the different bookshelves.
You needn't search. You know where it is.
"No, I truly don't." He growled inaudibly.
Do not deny I was once a part of you.
"You are not me. You broke the promise of serving your nation. You hid in fear."
In the name of peace and sanity.
"But not in the name of Elderbaden." His voice, now a whisper, trailed off as he turned to Idina.
Then what is?
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Idina Doc
Wildgardian
Could we start again, please?
Posts: 258
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Post by Idina Doc on Jun 1, 2014 0:01:22 GMT -6
While the elf seemed to be able to manoeuvre just fine in the dark, his human companion couldn't make heads or tails of the place she'd sought shelter and friendliness in months ago. Idina pulled her hood down and brought her hands out of her cloak, bringing them to face level. She turned the ring on her right hand around so the stone faced inwards, then clasped her hands together, muttering a spell into her thumbs. When she opened them again, the gem glowed iridescently and cast enough light for her to make her way around without tripping over everything.
The edges of her circle of light showed the outlines of the bookshelves on the back wall, and made the spines of those embedded with gold or silver shimmer. She used this reflected light to guide herself to the shelves. These were the books she had looked through before she left last summer; she'd seen Faljere take the majority of the books he gave her off of this shelf. A wave of familiarity warmed her from the inside out once more, and she ran her fingers along the spines. Their titles promised magical prowess, however. The maps were somewhere else...
Suddenly the cramped-feeling space exploded with noise. A thump sounded from the other side of the room, and a sharp metal tink came from closer to her. Within a few seconds, The Clanless had let out a cry, and a shrill noise betrayed his drawn weapon.
...And just as quickly as it had happened, it was then that the library fell quiet again. The blonde didn't dare breathe, and adrenaline coursed through her body in huge amounts with every heartbeat that roared in her head.
Just as it was calming down, the elf barked an order at her, and she didn't hesitate to search the shelves. She forewent the volumes she'd seen earlier, instead inspecting the shelves closer to the middle of the bookshelf. How many times had she asked the librarian to show her the maps of the land beyond? They had to be somewhere, she knew it!
Here were the books of maps. The healer grabbed a few volumes off the shelf, piling them one on top of the other in one arm. She'd skim them in a second to find what she was looking for. Once she had placed a fourth on the top of the pile, she turned to look further, only to face The Clanless again. In the dim light her ring cast, she drew breath to call out the name of the librarian, but held her tongue before she could.
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Post by Faljere D'ael Elderbaden on Jun 3, 2014 20:57:13 GMT -6
The monk looked the girl straight in the eye and growled, forcing her to lean backwards to the point where her spine nearly snapped.
"Have you found the map?" He snarled, but before she could react, he rolled his eyes and stormed off beside her. Wooden bookcases smashed against the floor as he threw himself into a fit of rage. "I'll do it myself!"
Books went flying, and papers fell to the ground like leaves on a cool breeze. Dust began to rise, as the library had not been touched in months--as if he'd known that.
Stop it! Those are your books!
"They don't belong to me. Why should I care what happens?"
You know where the maps are. Just remember.
"No, I don't know! Dammit, these are not mine!"
Just think--where would you put the maps in your library?
"Shut up!" He cried out. The dust was making it impossible for him to see where he was going, which just enraged him even more as he stepped on cabinets and kicked down doors until finally, he stopped. Even through the dust, his elf eyes were able to visualize something hung on the wall. It's golden shaft was the length of his body, lined with leaf wrappings. Its blade was shiny and silver with runes upon it, and on the end was a small knob. His eyes widened, and as the dust settled, so did his breathing and attitude. What was in front of him couldn't be there.
It just couldn't. He didn't want it there.
But there it was.
A Naginata.
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Idina Doc
Wildgardian
Could we start again, please?
Posts: 258
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Post by Idina Doc on Jun 3, 2014 23:50:58 GMT -6
The library burst into cacophony once again as the Clanless turned it upside-down, throwing up the dust that had been settling for nearly a year. Idina's initial shriek of surprise joined the clatter before her lungs filled with particles, and her cry was replaced with a fit of coughing. She brought herself lower to the ground, both in hopes of protection and so that she could put the map books she was carrying onto the ground without dropping them. Bringing her hood back up and holding what she could around her mouth, she tried to stop her coughing, or at least to not aggravate it - or the elf - further.
An eerie silence suddenly rose from the noise. She blinked the dust out of her eyes, and was glad to see the stuff in the air was settling. Dismay came back to her, though, when she saw all of the books scattered across the floor; dog-eared, lopsided, some trapped under their shelves, some even torn. The precious library that once belonged to a dear friend of hers, very nearly ransacked and definitely flipped onto its head. So much information just thrown to the ground in his fit. She stood to replace some tomes into stacks, at the very least, but froze when she saw him.
The tall man was staring at a space on the wall, too dark for the girl to see. Her ring was still glowing; she lifted her hand to try and get a sense of what he was looking at. Metal faintly reflected the dim light back to her in the shape of a blade. She had seen something of this shape on the wall before, she recalled. This was the weapon Faljere had carried and kept, but to her knowledge, it had never been used, much like her own weapon.
Idina closed her hand again, throwing the blade back into proper darkness. Her posture was stiff, her mind unsure of what her companion wanted from the weapon on the wall.
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Post by Faljere D'ael Elderbaden on Jun 6, 2014 21:44:18 GMT -6
That Naginata.
There was a time that the benevolent monk once carried that weapon upon his shoulder, but not once had he used it. It was for defensive purposes, of course, but he'd never found need for it as his mouth and mind were his best defences. When it was used, it was to monetarily stun the attacker, giving him enough time to run away or talk to him about why he'd do what he was doing.
There was one time, though. The monk had figured out he was going to be sent back to his homeland to fight in a war that had been raging a hundred years now, and had grown confused as to what he was now: a mask, another false identity for his true self to hide behind, or a good man who had really changed. Through the stress, he'd lashed out at a local criminal, being the only one ready to kill him without remorse.
And that exact weapon was what stood in front of him.
For once, the voice fell silent.
The elf stepped forwards and reached for the polearm ever so slightly, his hand trembling as he did so. Soon, the shaft was in his hands, and he had a proper hold on it.
Then his second hand grabbed hold and he looked down for a moment at it.
Snap!
In his hands were two halves of the weapon, broken over his knee.
Snap!
A second time. It was now in four pieces, thrown at his feet.
"What say you now, Elderbaden?! This is you!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, expecting an answer.
This is my fault.
"It is. It is your fault."
But we share the blame. You are me.
"I am NOT YOU!" At that, he threw his arms into the air, bringing them down upon a bookshelf. "You were a mask I used to hide from them! But now your time is up, and you have to stop existing, and stop poisoning people with your venomous tongue, and stop running, and--and--"
His voice trailed off, and then he was in tears on the wood floor of the library.
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Idina Doc
Wildgardian
Could we start again, please?
Posts: 258
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Post by Idina Doc on Jun 6, 2014 22:26:13 GMT -6
As he'd begun to cry out, Idina had lowered herself to the ground again, although this time her hand stayed away from Winter Rose. His voice threatened to shake the solid library walls to the ground, but it wasn't the volume or power in his voice that scared her as much as his words did. And the moment that truly scared her was the moment where a crack in his voice stuck out in her ears, and from that second the elf rapidly lost his ground in his argument against himself. His last few words, she could've sworn, almost sounded like a number of people were speaking at once, even, and then he fell silent.
The truth and genuinety of his words tugged at her head and her heart. As she stayed in a stunned crouch and watched him begin to cry, a dark thought crossed her mind: she had been completely right.
She was right, and there was something so, very, extremely wrong with him.
Cautiously she straightened her legs, allowing her spine to come up at well. The light in her ring had dimmed; she brought the irredecent stone to her lips and murmured something to it, and it glowed once again. As lightly as she could, she took one, two, three steps towards the heap on the library floor.
With a deep breath, she dared to utter the name she knew: "Faljere?" She only said it once, and her voice was that of someone trying to wake a friend from a nightmare. She'd learned that voice well enough from him, or from who he'd once been.
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Post by Faljere D'ael Elderbaden on Jun 7, 2014 20:09:11 GMT -6
Faljere.
Faljere. Faljere. Faljere!
"FALJERE!" He cried out, swatting at Idina.
It was him. She was right, and he hated that. He hated that she'd seen his past, the past he wanted to be separate from. Not just the one, but all of them. They were all failures in his eyes, and he wasn't them. He was NOT them!
He got to his feet, but his steps were shaky and he had to lean on his blade. "I...I have to--have to find it. The maps." His voice was as shaky as his body. "Map. Give me that--that map. I must find it."
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Idina Doc
Wildgardian
Could we start again, please?
Posts: 258
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Post by Idina Doc on Jun 7, 2014 22:34:34 GMT -6
She'd jumped back when he threw his arm out at her. His nightmarish cry reverberated in her head, in time with her heartbeat, and her knees trembled within her long skirt; she willed her hands to keep steady, however, in particular the hand that bore her ring.
As the elf stood and tried to speak, however, any inkling of desire to run that the girl might have had ebbed away. He was much less threatening like this, although she'd never say that out loud; but beyond that, she was further convinced that she shouldn't and couldn't just abandon him. Not now that she knew she was right. Not now that he was betraying just how vulnerable he was.
Purposefully, she turned on her heels and went back to where she'd been earlier. The small stack of books she'd placed on the ground was still there. She bent down and gathered them in her arms before returning.
"I believe to have narrowed it down to these four," she explained. "I recognize the covers on each. If you see a symbol or something you recognize, that could help." Her own voice shook a little, only partly unintentionally.
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Post by Faljere D'ael Elderbaden on Jun 7, 2014 22:54:48 GMT -6
Without even letting her show him the books, he snapped the tomes from her hands and looked them each over. He stumbled almost like a drunk towards the closest study desk and put the first one down.
"Nothing." He said with a trembling voice, shakily shoving it off onto the ground where it hit the wood with a thud.
The second tome was no more disappointing, forcing him to shove it aside as well. He finally pulled the third of the four tomes up and looked frantically through the pages, his dead eyes somehow filled with at least one feeling: anxiety.
As he was about to give up, he turned the last page, and his eyes went wide.
There, staring him in the face, was the map he'd been searching for. The map of the Celtlands, and where he needed to go.
"This." He growled, pointing to the map with his index finger. "This is where I need to go...I need--here...by myself."
He twirled away from Idina and began strutting, muttering over and over that he needed to go and he needed to do it by himself. He abruptly halted and turned back towards the girl.
"You can't come with me, no. Not--not this time. I--have to go alone. Figure this out for myself...see Faljere. He has something for me, and I need to go alone." He muttered to her, not daring to look her in the eye. "No, Idina. Go home."
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