[hr]
Alesha tilted her head back, the corners of her lips curved upwards into her usual smile. "The shifting of Ypris is in accordance to the covenant," she said. She motioned outward to the gentle hills they were meandering through, "the covenant binds me to the world, and the world to me. I am Alesha, Daughter of Ypris, Gem of the World. Despite that old man's best intentions, he does not know me as I am." She walked forward and ran her hands through her long hair, throwing the brown mass up to a sudden gust of wind. "I am blessed by all, a beloved daughter of everything. There is no magic or trick."
Then she walked back to Inuart's side and clung to his arm.
"Hmmm?" Alesha suddenly voiced. There was a change in her mood as a sudden gravity came over her. As she grew serious, so did the atmosphere. The winds stilled and the earth grew silent. Where once the songs of birds filled the idle air and the rustle of leaves and branches danced in the sunlight, all was still.
There was a whistle, long and shrill. Three times long, twice short, three times long. It was followed by a long drawn out horn.
The monster had no eyes, instead it had three gaping mouths on it's face, drooling as it's teeth bristled in sickening spirals.
To the West there were six horses coming. That was where the horn had come from. But at that distance, there was no way they would reach before the horror devoured the caravan.
Lost to Love
[hr]
Code:
[i]inuart's story[/i]Alesha tilted her head back, the corners of her lips curved upwards into her usual smile. "The shifting of Ypris is in accordance to the covenant," she said. She motioned outward to the gentle hills they were meandering through, "the covenant binds me to the world, and the world to me. I am Alesha, Daughter of Ypris, Gem of the World. Despite that old man's best intentions, he does not know me as I am." She walked forward and ran her hands through her long hair, throwing the brown mass up to a sudden gust of wind. "I am blessed by all, a beloved daughter of everything. There is no magic or trick."
Then she walked back to Inuart's side and clung to his arm.
"Hmmm?" Alesha suddenly voiced. There was a change in her mood as a sudden gravity came over her. As she grew serious, so did the atmosphere. The winds stilled and the earth grew silent. Where once the songs of birds filled the idle air and the rustle of leaves and branches danced in the sunlight, all was still.
There was a whistle, long and shrill. Three times long, twice short, three times long. It was followed by a long drawn out horn.
There was a caravan up ahead on the road. Three canvas covered wagons and six carts. There were thirty or so people, but before them was a rotting monster. It looked half a dragon and half a bull. Thin emancipated arms grew out of an open rib-cage, reaching out blindly to swallow anything they could hold. The beast had horns that ran down it's twisted imitation of a spine. Thin membranes tethered the ends of each limb together in a opaque sheet.
The monster had no eyes, instead it had three gaping mouths on it's face, drooling as it's teeth bristled in sickening spirals.
To the West there were six horses coming. That was where the horn had come from. But at that distance, there was no way they would reach before the horror devoured the caravan.
[hr]
When morning came, Rugal found himself woken up by a terrible shouting and a crumbling of rock. The house was filled with the smell of baking sweetbread. There was another scream from outside followed by an explosion. Rugal, bolted up and rushed outside, unsure of what he might find.
What he found was not what he expected.
There was an old man. Well, in any case, his beard and hair were white, but that's about the only thing old about him. The man was massive, almost Rugal's height and nearly as well muscled. He was shirtless, shining with sweat. His face was contorted with a terrible focus. He screamed again and slammed a fist into a block of marble, blowing away a grapefruit sized chunk of white stone across the garden and into the wall where it exploded into fine dust.
He stood up and acknowledged Rugal with a nod, "German boy!" he screamed as a greeting, "I WELCOME you to my home." He flexed, sweat exploded off his body. Then he extended a calloused hand, covered in old scards, to Rugal, "LIVIA has told me all about YOU." He said, putting strange emphasis on his words as he flexed.
"Oh dear, please don't antagonize our guest," a softer, milder voice said from the house. There was a woman who looked no more than forty standing in the doorway. White streaks had just started to appear in her fire-red hair. Her eyes were a mellow amber. She cleared her throat, "We haven't met yet, Rugal Bernstein, but I am Veles and that impossible idiot over there is my husband Tenjin Vel."
"I. AM. AN. ARTIST." Tenjin bellowed.
"An artist that's going to wake the dead with your insane screaming!" Veles snapped back. She cleared her throat, "We're Livia's grandparents. As you can tell, we're not Romans by any stretch of the word. We're Scythians. Tenjin was a warleader-turned-stonemason and I used to be a shaman."
"I WILL NOT FORGIVE ROME FOR TAKING MY DAUGHTER FROM ME!" Tenjin screamed as he unleashed a barrage of punches on the marble block. It slowly broke away into something vaguely resembling a tombstone.
"How could any of us forget if that's what you start every goddamn morning screaming!? Wash up and come in, breakfast is ready. You idiot!"
[hr]
Breakfast was freshly baked bread and an entire barn's worth of eggs prepared in just as many ways. Some sweet jars of jam were laid out on the table next to a pitcher of water. Kleo, Ortha, and Phili were sitting meekly on one side of the table. Tenjin sat on the other, his massive frame dominated nearly the entire space. He chewed absentmindedly on a sheet of meat jerky as Veles served the rest of breakfast.
"Livia hasn't woken up yet," Veles said as she sat down, moving a cushion next to Tenjin. "And you girls better eat, even without your master. This is my house, my rules, and they take precedence over whatever stupid honor system you city folk have."
Ortha and Phili immediately began eating as if their lives depended on it. They were truly frightened by the woman sitting casually on the other side of the table, more so than in any way that they had been frightened by Livia. Kleo on the other hand shook her head. "I am fasting. For my friend."
Veles tutted, "Fasting ain't going to bring no one back from the dead. She'd be happier if you'd eat." Kleo insisted. Veles shrugged, "Suit yourself girl. But ain't no one happy about their friend dying of starvation."
She turned to Rugal, "So tell me about yourself, traveler. I can tell at a glance that you're from someplace, or somewhen, far far away. The way you hold yourself, your skin, your hair, and frankly your awful stench." She laughed, "I don't mean it like that, you smell like something awful. Like burned mud. It's unnatural, like poison. Something's in your veins or something else like that I'd wager."
"HE smells of DEATH." Tenjin said between mouthfuls of eggs and bread.
"Oh hush you. He does not smell like death. Such talk is not auspicious." She tore off a piece of bread and used it to pick up a honey-scrambled egg from a plate. "Tell you what, I like travelers. Tell me about yourself or something. Make our breakfast a little more lively."
Right to Rule
[hr]
Code:
[i]rugal's story[/i]When morning came, Rugal found himself woken up by a terrible shouting and a crumbling of rock. The house was filled with the smell of baking sweetbread. There was another scream from outside followed by an explosion. Rugal, bolted up and rushed outside, unsure of what he might find.
What he found was not what he expected.
There was an old man. Well, in any case, his beard and hair were white, but that's about the only thing old about him. The man was massive, almost Rugal's height and nearly as well muscled. He was shirtless, shining with sweat. His face was contorted with a terrible focus. He screamed again and slammed a fist into a block of marble, blowing away a grapefruit sized chunk of white stone across the garden and into the wall where it exploded into fine dust.
He stood up and acknowledged Rugal with a nod, "German boy!" he screamed as a greeting, "I WELCOME you to my home." He flexed, sweat exploded off his body. Then he extended a calloused hand, covered in old scards, to Rugal, "LIVIA has told me all about YOU." He said, putting strange emphasis on his words as he flexed.
"Oh dear, please don't antagonize our guest," a softer, milder voice said from the house. There was a woman who looked no more than forty standing in the doorway. White streaks had just started to appear in her fire-red hair. Her eyes were a mellow amber. She cleared her throat, "We haven't met yet, Rugal Bernstein, but I am Veles and that impossible idiot over there is my husband Tenjin Vel."
"I. AM. AN. ARTIST." Tenjin bellowed.
"An artist that's going to wake the dead with your insane screaming!" Veles snapped back. She cleared her throat, "We're Livia's grandparents. As you can tell, we're not Romans by any stretch of the word. We're Scythians. Tenjin was a warleader-turned-stonemason and I used to be a shaman."
"I WILL NOT FORGIVE ROME FOR TAKING MY DAUGHTER FROM ME!" Tenjin screamed as he unleashed a barrage of punches on the marble block. It slowly broke away into something vaguely resembling a tombstone.
"How could any of us forget if that's what you start every goddamn morning screaming!? Wash up and come in, breakfast is ready. You idiot!"
[hr]
Breakfast was freshly baked bread and an entire barn's worth of eggs prepared in just as many ways. Some sweet jars of jam were laid out on the table next to a pitcher of water. Kleo, Ortha, and Phili were sitting meekly on one side of the table. Tenjin sat on the other, his massive frame dominated nearly the entire space. He chewed absentmindedly on a sheet of meat jerky as Veles served the rest of breakfast.
"Livia hasn't woken up yet," Veles said as she sat down, moving a cushion next to Tenjin. "And you girls better eat, even without your master. This is my house, my rules, and they take precedence over whatever stupid honor system you city folk have."
Ortha and Phili immediately began eating as if their lives depended on it. They were truly frightened by the woman sitting casually on the other side of the table, more so than in any way that they had been frightened by Livia. Kleo on the other hand shook her head. "I am fasting. For my friend."
Veles tutted, "Fasting ain't going to bring no one back from the dead. She'd be happier if you'd eat." Kleo insisted. Veles shrugged, "Suit yourself girl. But ain't no one happy about their friend dying of starvation."
She turned to Rugal, "So tell me about yourself, traveler. I can tell at a glance that you're from someplace, or somewhen, far far away. The way you hold yourself, your skin, your hair, and frankly your awful stench." She laughed, "I don't mean it like that, you smell like something awful. Like burned mud. It's unnatural, like poison. Something's in your veins or something else like that I'd wager."
"HE smells of DEATH." Tenjin said between mouthfuls of eggs and bread.
"Oh hush you. He does not smell like death. Such talk is not auspicious." She tore off a piece of bread and used it to pick up a honey-scrambled egg from a plate. "Tell you what, I like travelers. Tell me about yourself or something. Make our breakfast a little more lively."
