Lord of Azure Flame Chapter 2: Glimpses of Elyisima

[Ether]

OOC:Way to kill a moment man...

[Ansem]

OOC: Edited for Damian's pleasure

[Kanami]

@Kai, I'm not having Reika be a shallow nitwit that doesn't take her past actions into consideration, she hates Morgan, dislikes Ether and Damian, and due to the others being grouped with (former?) Halton soldiers isn't too fond of them either. And I have no reason to join the main group yet. Reika wouldn't want to be employed by Damian, nor does she know that her weapon is a Crimson weapon, (she doesn't really know anything about crimson weapons)

@Snowy, You ruined my plans completely!!!!!.... Just kidding, I read the OOC and thought you were going to heal her with a vulnerary or something, when I clearly stated it wouldn't work, your post didn't really change anything, she's still dying, and my final intention for her was death anyway. Plus, I'm sure I've destroyed your plans more then once XD

The small girl stared blankly infront of her as a cleric stood up, bowed his head and left. something wasn't right. Everyone was too quiet, the world wasn't moving, she couldn't even tell if it was her own hands infront of her. The woman with the sword wasn't there, the cleric wasn't there, her mother and father weren't there, only grandma, and she wasn't moving, she wasn't breathing. "Grandma?" she asked feebly, uncertain whether it had been her voice or someone else that had spoken. "Grandma, wake up" she asked weakly. But the old woman lay motionless, realizing that she really was all alone in the world now she got up and tried to run off into the dark, but fell after a few steps, howling in pain and anger she got up and tried to run off again.

[-Cynthia-]

OOC: Hopefully Morgan doesn't drink any hemlock anytime soon.

Morgan was glad that the nomad had gone away. What an annoying little savage.

She remembered that that little girl had said something about a book similar to hers...she was curious about the type of wounds inflicted on "Grandma".

She was easily able to follow Rayton and the priestess. She saw Esphyr's sword buried into the ground.

She went over to Esphyr in alarm. "Do not leave that weapon unattended. Personal issues or no, if your sword should fall into the wrong hands, well that would be unfortunate."

Edited April 8, 2010 by -Cynthia-

[Ansem]

Helios took a shot at the bulls eye. This time he closed his eyes and focused on the target. He opened his eye and let the arrow fly. It sped clean through the bullseye and onto a tree. Looking pleased at his work he turned around to see if anything had happened. Out of no where a little girl bumped into him and fell. She was crying. Helios looked at her.

"What are you doing in this camp little girl" he asked

The little girl sobbed and pointed to a tent. Helios went inside and saw an old women. He put two fingers on her neck. There was no pulse. He looked back at the girl. She was crying. There was nothing he can do. Whoever this girl was the women died was her caretaker. She didn't have anyone left. He looked into her eyes.

"Just like hers" he muttered. "Loneliness and betrayal". "Do you have anyone else to look after you" Helios asked

[Snowy_One]

"If I could throw that blasted thing away so easily, I would have done so a thousand years ago." muttered Esphyr into the ground. She stood up, her right hand seemingly enshrouded in the crimson plasma that covered her blade. Suddenly she lasted out at Morgan, the crimson vapors forming and solidifying into a ruby red blade that stopped just short of the woman's neck. "But I can't! Wherever I go, it will follow me, hounding me." She pulled back her hand, dismissing the sword before she went over and picked up her blade.

"I'm sorry. Since the cleric is here, I know my arrogance cost that girl her grandmother and I know it. I... I want to see her again. I need to apologize."

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan sighed. Esphyr was certainly an emotional companion. "Do not blame yourself for things outside of your control. It is foolish to take personal responsibility when one you are not at fault. You lacked the ability to save this woman, yet you did everything in your power to save her. I suppose some would see that as commendable, though your time may be better spent in pursuits not doomed to fail."

[theonefate]

That last remark from Morgan was one of the few comments that had a history of really setting the male mercenary off. A blow low enough to have Rayton finally decide to give her a piece of his mind. Rayton stepped in between the two, giving Morgan a talk-to-the-hand motion. "You have got to be the biggest asshole I've ever met. You must also be incredibly moronic to not realize how the human mind really works."

He briefly glanced at Esphyr, then turned back. "She'll grieve, then bounce back, just like others I've met..."

And just like me as well...

He then folded his arms before shaking his head. "However, with that kind of demeanor you're going to alienate your allies quickly and potentially make new enemies even quicker. You'd best worry about changing yourself before trying to tell others how to act."

He then turned his back to her, walking past Esphyr. "I don't have time for her idiocy. I'm going back to camp. Meet me when you get back." He then walked off, fuming...

[Kanami]

"Do you have anyone else to look after you" Helios asked.

The girl burst out in a fit of tears at such an insensitive question, "Mommy and Daddy went to get Jamie and then the house fell and they didn't come out" she howled, it had been bad enough that the girl had felt such a sting of loss at her grandmothers death but now she recalled that both her parents and her brother were no longer around either, Despair clashed with loneliness as she tried to run off again, she didn't want to be here, it reminded her of her grandmothers pained expression.

[Ansem]

The girl tried to run away but tripped and fell. She was crying even more harder. "If she goes of on her own then she will definitely die" he though. "I cant let that happen". He offered her his hand. "If you run now you will have no place to go" he said. "Even if you do survive you will have to result to crime" he said remembering the young girl that gave him his wound. "Come i'll introduce you to the captain". "You will have to stay with us until we can find you a good guardian". His mind was racing hoping that he didn't say the wrong thing. He remembered how the last time he didnt watch his mouth it almost cost him his life.

[Kanami]

The girl looked at the man offering his hand, her face covered with tears, and the parts that weren't covered in either Ash or dirt. Salba Avernst she whispered shyly clinging on to Helios's hand, afraid that if she let go that she'd be left all alone the world again. Nervous about meeting someone so soon she looked around for this so called "captain" uncertainty crossed her face as the thought of being handed over to this "captain" settled into her mind. Afraid, she clung onto Helios closer making it hard for Helios to walk.

OOC: Don't you try anything funny or I'll call you a pedophile for as long as your on the internet Kai! XD

[Snowy_One]

Esphyr quickly sighed, then wiped her cheeks as if clearing away unseen tears. "I... suppose I knew I was doomed from the get go. It wasn't about saving that woman's life, or appealing to that girl; but defying my curse. If I could have made one thing go right, one thing, than it would have been like a breath of fresh air. How is it that you seem so calm about this whole thing? You hold a weapon as well; I saw you use it on that bandit. Yet you embrace the demons curse as if it were a gift. How is that even possible?"

---

Thirty seven milligrams of ground dragon tail, twenty seven grams of powdered werewolf feet, and the shavings off a succubus's back. With a weary sigh, Katie closed the book, dismayed. There was no way that ritual would work. No way any of the two hundred and eighty nine other potions, rituals, artifacts, or enchantments that she had looked up in the past hour could possibly work! She quickly discarded the book into a huge mountain of tomes that had arisen in the short time she had been searching. How could any of these things work? How could any of them be REAL potions in the first place? Werewolves only existed in mountain legends where a man turned into a wolf and ate unwary travelers and succubus's tailored their looks to suit each individual. Neither ingredient could possibly be real!

Still, she was not dismayed one bit. Something had killed her apprentices; she was sure of it. All she needed was the proper magical item or spell to decipher who. How hard could it be to find such a spell? All she needed was something that allowed her to glimpse into the past by a day or so after all. Nothing major! It wasn't as if she was trying to rewrite reality or something, just alter the flow of time in a localized area in such a way as to construct a visual portal over a unspecified place to observe the past!

Yet here she was now, the library of the Institute for the Study of Magical Elements nearly drained of all possible information. Reaching out for one of the last unread books in the 'scrying potions' section, she opened it up. Like lightning, she started to flip through the pages, outright dismissing anything that had no possible effect that could aid without even stopping to read the recipe. In less than a moment, the book was finished. Truth be told, she had barely even glanced the table of contents before tossing it aside, prevented from doing so only by one or two potions that sounded as if they might have promise.

Why me? her lips formed into the shapes that had once allowed her to form the words, yet nothing more than weirdly shaped rasps of breath came forth. She had slipped into her old habit of trying to speak once again, but didn't feel like stopping herself. If she could have screamed, she would have done so from the sheer frustraition of searching through the library.

[-Cynthia-]

So now she had angered the archer as well...were all people like this? So emotional and volatile, she was only speaking the truth.

In response to Esphyr's question, Morgan shrugged. "Honestly? I believe the tale that the Crimson weaposn are cursed is just a myth. The records do indicate a higher mortality rate among Crimson weapon wielders, but that is likely due to higher chances of fighting demons. Some wielders of the weapons lead very happy lives, many non-wielders have very unfortunate lives. To blame the weapon for all your misfortune is folly, and distracts you from true threats."

She gave Esphyr a pensieve look "Besides, it is not as if things are all bad. At least you have parents who presumably love and care for you."

[Snowy_One]

"Aye... I do. I work hard every day so that I can support them. If I can get rid of this weapon though... they won't ever have to worry about me again. No more will I be in the line of fire fighting demons, wolves, bandits, and the like. I'd be a simple farm girl with nothing more to worry about than how the harvest is going and if my children are playing too far down the river or not. I bet that girl lived a nice, peaceful, happy life in Darien before I came and the bandits followed. I didn't even earn anything for my work there. Just some money from that junk empire."

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan pondered over Esphyr's words.

"Perhaps you are right. I suppose that is incentive to finish up our task as quickly as possible then. Once the Crimson Weapons are no longer needed I see no reason you should have to take up the sword again. However, that day is a long way off. There is much more that needs to be done."

She looked over Esphyr "You should get some rest. This day has been quite eventful and you'll need your strength for future battles."

[Snowy_One]

"What about you? Don't you have family? Loved ones? A dream? Something that helps you to defy your curse for another day? You can't be just some trollip dandily skipping along like nothing is wrong with this rundown world. What keeps you going Morgan? Don't tell me it's my pretty little face alone."

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan sighed " I have no family, no friends, no loved ones. Just myself and Flemeth, and she does not count as any of the above."

" I am not blind to the flaws of the world, I recognize the issues that the common person faces. I do not however, consider their problems my personal responsibility. My responsibility, as is the responsibility of all the wielders of the Crimson Weapons, is to stop the Lord of Azure Flame. I recognize that this task may lead to my destruction, ignoring the suffering of others, or perhaps even harming innocents, but it must be done. That is what keeps me going I suppose, some sense of duty I have developed out of necessity."

[Ansem]

OOC: I saw it coming

Helios found it hard to walk with the girl holding his hand his hand so hard. He saw Damian talking to Aiya. "Damian" he said. He seemed to have caught his attention. "We need to talk now" said Helios to the Soldier.

[Ether]

Aiya held Damian tightly,allowing tears to flow from her,and stain the cloth of his armour with moisture.He softly stroked her back,whispering into her ear.

'It's been a while since she last did this...she must have been holding everything in again...Aiya...'

***************

Aiya had calmed down after a little while,and not wanting to trouble her,Damian had began simple small talk,trying to keep the conversation away from recent events.

"Damian...do you remember when we were at the military academy...?" Aiya asked Damian.

He hadn`t expected the question,but responded quickly.

"Of course I do...you were the only girl in the class at the time,so I was the only one you really talked to.Everyone made crude jokes,of course,but it didn't matter...we had a lot of fun back in those days...didn't we? No heavy responsibilities,no men to look after...it seems so simple now,thinking back on how we used to complain before a test..."

"And you would always look out for me Damian...it may sound silly,but when you stood up to Cail when he wouldn't stop asking me out...when you hit Jamie when he tried to...you were always there for me...I never told you this,but if you hadn't been there,I would have quit...I'd be a street urchin again like before I met you in the first place..."

"Aiya...you're strong...you would have made it through without me..."

"You're wrong Damian...but that's okay. You were always at my side,and I made it through...that's why I won't leave you..."

"I understand now Aiya...I won't do anything like that again...I thought you would be fine back in the capital...I must have sounded insensitive..."

"I forgive you Damian...it's alright..."

A soft,featherlike touch...it was a sensation foreign to Damian,it filled him with warmth,it felt so...right...

"A-Aiya..."

She pulled away from him slightly,still close enough that he felt her breath on his neck,the feeling of the light touch of her lips imprinted in his mind,and the pink tinge on her cheeks providing evidence that she had indeed just kissed him.

"I'm sorry D-Damian...I j-just couldn't h-hold it in any l-longer...I j-just..."

"It's okay Aiya,I don't mind." Damian told her,stopping her stuttering apology.

**********(Not a change of scene,but,it feels right to put a divider here)

And then,a sudden interruption.

"Damian...we need to talk."

The voice belonged to Helios,who had a young girl clinging to him.

"Yes Helios?" Damian replied to the mage.

[Ansem]

Helios couldn't help grinning. "Already? He thought to himself. But now was not the time for that. "I dont think you have heard yet but this girls grandmother died here" he said. "She doesn't have anyone that can look after her". With a grin he added "Since you cant have a kid of yours now how about you look after this girl until i find a parent for her". "I would look after her but i'm just one person opposed to you two". "She will keep you both distanced enough so you know what doesn't happen". He turned to the girl. "This is mommy" he said pointing to Aiya "and that is Daddy" said Helios. "Drive them crazy" he added with a grin

Edited April 9, 2010 by Kai

[Ether]

Note to self...murder Helios and find a new wielder for the Crimson wind tome...

"Keep your mind out of the gutter Helios." Damian responded to the mage,a hint of venom in his voice,and glared in his direction.

"It was nothing of the sort,I can assure you...now then,what is your name little girl?"

[Ansem]

"And i hope it will stay that way" Helios said. "Well i guess i will be off". "Take care of her" he added

Edited April 9, 2010 by Kai

[Kanami]

The girl glanced at Aiya and then stared at Damian. "They're not mommy and daddy" she whined, clearly unhappy about the comment. She didn't mind Damian too much, but being told that Aiya was her mommy was an insult she couldn't bear with. It must have shown on her face since Aiya frowned. "I don't want to" she whined loudly grabbing onto Helios. "She looks too mean to be mommy" Sabla whined, pointing her hand insensitively at Aiya.

[theonefate]

OOC: Helios is an ass... XD

Rayton began walking back, and for a while the trip was uneventful. Until he came across Helios and co. Seeing as something was starting to happen most likely he hung back at a reasonable distance, leaned against a tree, and began watching from then on out.

"Hmm..."

[Ansem]

OOC: I really had to resort to doing that

"Whats wrong" Helios asked. "Dammit if Lea were here she would know what to do". "She was the one who was great with children". The girl was clearly upset and by the way she was pointing at Aiya, Helios knew that she didn't like Aiya. "But you dont know her yet" he said. He was disturbed by the thought of him taking care of her. He shuddered at the thought. He really didn't know Aiya that much and could care less but right now he had to think of something. "Aiya is a very nice person" he told the little girl. "You'll grow used to her" he said. He hoped it worked. If it didn't he was screwed.