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| Ambush Predator; [P] Eliza | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sun Mar 23, 2014 6:55 pm (1,305 Views) | |
| Eliza | Tue Mar 25, 2014 7:25 pm Post #16 |
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Eliza followed several feet behind Ari, her hands held at her sides but ready. She very carefully avoided twitching or moving her fingers so that the sound of the gears wouldn't give them away. In a burst of motion the swordswoman struck, blurring forward and slashing with her blade. A yelp of surprise and pain sounded from inside, followed by the distinctive thunk of metal striking wood. The noble waited for several seconds before following her into the house, her right arm raised and fingers slightly curled so that they weren't in the way of the pulsing node, which began to glow red as she fed more mana into it. Ari had the intruder pressed up against the wall, her curved sword hovering near the woman's jugular. She nervously introduced herself as Melati, the one who had hired her to look out for Eliza. Although her host relaxed at the revelation, Eliza grew more tense. She kept her hand pointing straight at the woman, and the air around the node began to warp and shimmer with heat. The glow intensified, bathing the entire room in angry crimson light. "By all means. Sit." There was a slight quaver in her voice, but it was mostly masked by fierce determination. She waited until Melati had sat down, keeping the node trained on her the entire time. The runaway stayed near the door of the building so that she could easily escape outdoors if it proved necessary. "How did you know I was here? Why did you hire someone to follow and protect me?" Eliza tightened the fingers of her other hand into a fist, the metal digits screeching from the movement. |
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| Ari | Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:20 pm Post #17 |
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Shoving Agorst back into his sheathe, Ari turned. This gave Melati enough room to wobble over to the kitchen table. Even though she was much more comfortable without a sword on her throat, she made it no secret that that red light on Eliza's palm was putting her off. Unlike Ari, whose frame was packed with tight, ropy muscle, Melati was just tiny by nature. She looked to be in her thirties, skin a lighter shade of brown than Ari's, with narrow facial features and a hooked nose. Melati ran her fingers over her head a couple times while smiling sheepishly. "Hooo... this is what I get for trying to be mysterious. Um, I know you both have questions, so I guess I'll answer Eliza's first, since she is still threatening my life, yes. Scary women, you two." She took a deep breath. "For reasons that aren't directly relevant, I have a vested interest in the continued safety of this great country." "So you're with the government." "Gods no! This job came out of a collaboration I was doing with a local merchant alliance. Their leader wanted some help dealing with corruption in their ranks. I've got eyes on shady dealings between Nalai salesmen and various likely-corrupted officials in Striberg, Taras and Istan City... anyway, your name came up, Eliza. I did some digging and knew this was going to cause a disaster. If I didn't do anything I knew there would be an international incident on Nalaian soil for the first time in quite a while. A small incident, but one nonetheless. As for you," Melati turned not only her head but her whole body toward Ari, "I knew you had recently immigrated to Nalai and thought your skills would be perfect for this." Ari raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so why do you know who I am?" "The incident at Mandira." Melati tilted her head in a birdlike fashion. Ari's mouth became a straight line. "And before that, the incident with the sky demon king. In general, people tend to notice heroism. Oh! Being terrified of Eliza over there, I forgot to mention another important thing. I have a scholarly interest in incarnations. Bethari, I mentioned in your letter that an incarnation is involved with this. The one going after Eliza is special. He has no idea who or what he is." |
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| Eliza | Tue Mar 25, 2014 11:08 pm Post #18 |
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The noble listened to Melati's explanation with narrowed eyes, never lowering her arm. Only after her entire story was finished did she relax, the glow fading from the node. "Dammit." She leaned her shoulders back against the wall, slowly sliding down it until she was sitting on the floor next to the door with her knees folded up in front of her chest. "I just want to be left alone," she whispered, the words almost too soft to be heard. She wrapped her arms around her shins, tightly gripping her own legs and letting her forehead fall down against her knees so that her entire face was hidden. She stayed that way until Melati started talking about the incantation that was after them. She raised her head slightly, glaring up at the woman from underneath her bangs. "Then why is it a threat? Shouldn't they just believe they're normal? Can we take care of the incarnation before it realizes what it is? Or run?" Eliza sounded resigned by this point, her tone dull and lifeless. "Will it follow me off of Nalai, if I leave for the mainland?" It was almost always easier to retreat than to fight, especially if your only way of protecting yourself involved sacrificing control of your body to a magical symbiote. By now, H.A.T.O.N. had grown from the hollow of her neck down to her waist. |
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| Ari | Wed Mar 26, 2014 1:04 am Post #19 |
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Melati got up to go comfort Eliza, but Ari held up her hand and then pointed downward, gesturing for her to sit back down and stay where she was. The stranger probably would've made it worse, and Ari didn't want a hole blown into her house or whatever. She'd already done enough damage to her poor pantry herself. "He's a threat because of his powers. People around him get suspicious of one another. Sometimes so paranoid that they betray each other, even. And if he's got a good enough reason, he'll follow you all across Imythess. Incarnations might be drawn to Nalai--" she glanced at Ari, "--but they don't mind leaving if they have to. Any other questions?" "Answer my question from before. About the letter." "You said you got obsessed with it? Fascinating. I didn't bewitch that note or anything of the sort. All I did was phrase things a certain way." Ari could tell that Melati had finally calmed down. Seeing how sweetly she smiled put the swordsman in a bad mood. She opened her mouth to respond, but Melati continued speaking. "Would you mind if I gave you some advice? From an older woman to a younger one. Stop questioning everything. If something makes you happy or makes you feel more alive, don't spoil it by wondering why or fretting over it. Just enjoy it." "I'm so sick of Nalaians trying to act mysterious," the swordsman rumbled. "What I felt wasn't normal. If you know what's wrong with me, just say it." "You must think it's normal to feel little emotion, or have no goals in life or things you want or even basic likes and dislikes. Quick quiz: what's your favorite color? You have no clue. Same for your whole life, I bet. That's not normal, so stop pretending it is." Melati chuckled. "'Boiling blood?' I'd guess that's the first time in your life you've felt passionate about something." Ari eyed the woman. How spot-on her observations were wasn't comforting -- quite the opposite. But just because Melati was suspicious didn't mean those words couldn't cut deep. They did. When Melati stood this time, Ari let her. The slight woman crouched with knees together in front of Eliza, smiling warmly. "I have a question for you, miss. If there was anything you could do here in Nalai, something that could let you forget about your worries, what would it be? You should have the opportunity to forget your plight, even if for a short time. Bethari and I will ensure that. In fact, between the two of us, such a high level of security is unprecedented nowadays. I'm much stronger than I appear." |
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| Eliza | Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:02 am Post #20 |
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The two Nalaians spoke for a while as if Eliza wasn't even there, discussing matters besides the hunt for her. She kept track of the conversation in the back of her mind but did not contribute, instead thinking of where to flee next. She had visited Balefire and Cascadia since leaving Striberg, although she had skirted around Taras because she knew her father owned several businesses and warehouses in the trading metropolis. She could visit Kellen, perhaps, or maybe even go all the way south to Istan City... but if Ethan's hunters had found her in Nalai, they would probably be waiting there as well. Maybe she was fated to keep wandering forever, never able to stop and appreciate life without worrying about who was hiding in the shadows. Eventually Melati knelt down in front of her, her voice kind. Eliza stared at her for a second before a small titter escaped her mouth. "Forget?" She had to bite her lower lip to keep from laughing out loud. It took her almost a full minute to gain control of herself and continue. "You think I can forget? For a single moment?" Her voice shifted from incredulous to slightly manic as she lifted her hands, spreading her fingers wide. "You think I can forget about this? Tell me, do you think your beaches will change them back? Maybe some fine Nalaian cuisine? A tour of the mountains? Tell me, will that make the hunters stop?" By the last question she was almost shouting, and there were tears sparkling in the corner of her eyes. She raised one hand to wipe them away but paused at the last second. Instead she took one of the gloves out of her pocket and pressed it against her eyes, gingerly drying them. It had taken her months to get used to having metal hands after first being infected, and she was far more careful now to avoid pinching or bruising herself. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "You're right, of course. I should try to distract myself. The only other option is..." She cut herself off and shook her head slightly, pulling the glove back on her right hand. The runaway slowly pulled out the second one and put it on as well, hiding the organic steel from sight. "I don't know much about Nalai. What would you suggest?" Edited by Seele, Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:08 am.
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| Ari | Wed Mar 26, 2014 12:48 pm Post #21 |
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The Nalaian listened to Eliza's outburst with a neutral expression on her face. No pity, no sympathy, just listening. She didn't have to say anything to get Eliza to backpedal and apologize. "You must be so tired. On the run for so long, feeling like you can never relax... just awful. You should do something lighthearted and fun! Of course it's not going to help you solve your problem, but it will keep you sane." Melati used this as a way of thinking out loud. She took a moment to ponder the question. "The Festival of Masks is coming up soon. Great way to see Mandira all lit up at night and experience some local culture. I'll be taking an important role, too." She patted her chest with her fist all proud-like. "I'm not going to Mandira," Ari grumbled from the background. "You poor, deprived young lady. Your protector is such a stick in the mud! This is all my fault. Forgive me." Her tone was dramatic and she had a big grin on their face: her way of saying that there was pretty much nothing stopping them all from going to the city of temples short of Eliza not wanting to. "It's a beautiful town. You'll love it. Plenty of things to do. I promise we won't betray your trust when it comes to security, either." Melati held up the arm that Ari had injured, saluting. The limb was still bleeding freely, but the liquid had lengthened into a thin layer that was shaped like the wing of a bird folded against her arm. Droplets fell from the wingtips onto Ari's floor. "I've been in this line of work for many, many lifetimes. The fact that Bethari is helping is what makes this setup unprecedented." Ari stood up. "Get out of my house, Melati. You're giving me a headache." "Oh fine. Don't forget to come to the festival in three days! I'll help protect you." The swordsman ended up practically pushing her out. Once the front door was closed, Ari slid down the side of her own wall and slumped on the floor a ways away from Eliza. She cursed repeatedly. "That was an incarnation. I was just rude to an incarnation." She cursed again. The anger welled up. "Ever since I came here, everyone has been lying to me and manipulating me and intentionally keeping me in the dark! It's not even paranoia! That armor you'll see in the other room? My own family lied to me about what it was for, to the point that a being that Nalaians worship as a god was mocking me for my ignorance. Ugh!" Ari was back on her feet, angrily pacing the room. She pressed the knuckles of her fist against her forehead, trying to calm down. "Look. I'm really sorry about what you have to go through. I really am. But I have problems here too. I wish I knew what those problems were exactly, why I'm being treated like this, maybe it's a cultural thing, but I'll do what I can to make sure it doesn't get in the way of protecting you." The swordsman disappeared into the other room. Her house had two rooms, three if you counted the outhouse: a room that functioned as both a lounge and a bedroom, and a room that functioned as both a kitchen and dining room. The living room was incredibly messy, the floor scattered with books that were either stacked or sitting open and pages-down. An armor display showed the Painted Armor that Ari was talking about. At first it looked like a mere piece of art, but the scars and wear on it said otherwise. It was a gorgeous set of lamellar armor that was intricately painted with traditional Nalaian murals and symbols. The color that dominated was sky blue, but the paintings were of all kinds of things: demons, incarnations, agricultural fields, and stories from myth. Ari cleared some floorspace to plop a spare flat mattress that she'd retrieved from storage. Her own futon was dissheveled. The swordsman picked up books and closed them, looking defeated all of a sudden. "We'll go into Sangdan tomorrow. I need to buy a crossbow. You need anything?" |
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| Eliza | Wed Mar 26, 2014 9:02 pm Post #22 |
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Eliza watched the woman with dull, uninterested eyes. Her lips twitched up in a paltry attempt at a smile, but it was clear that her heart wasn't behind the expression. "The Festival of Masks. That sounds interesting." Thankfully, her lack of enthusiasm was partially mitigated by Ari's outright refusal to go to Mandira. Melati didn't seem to care one whit about their reservations, insisting that the celebration would be good for both of them. Her optimism and cheerfulness were not well-received by the swordswoman. She immediately demanded that Melati leave her house, a command that the woman heeded, although in a manner that suggested it was a request that she was graciously obeying instead of a fierce order. The runaway listened to Ari rant about the woman for several minutes after she left, adopting a defeated posture similar to her own. "Wait... She's an incarnation?" She thought back to the unusual pattern that the woman's blood had made as it flowed down her arm. She hadn't paid too much attention to it at the time, but in retrospect it looked oddly similar to a bird's feathers. Eliza shot up to her feet a few moments after Ari, eyes wide. "Wait... how do we know that she isn't working with the other one? They're both living myths... doesn't that mean they're connected somehow?" She shuddered thinking of how close she had been to the woman, a living myth. They hadn't gone over the details about any specific Nalaian heroes or villains, but it still baffled her that such an important individual could look so... normal. Ari apologized to her shortly afterwards, for both her circumstances and the current situation before disappearing into the other room. The sounds of someone tidying up came through the doorway, but Eliza didn't follow immediately. Instead she went over to the cupboards and opened one, scanning the contents quickly. H.A.T.O.N. mainly fed off of her mana, but it also absorbed some nutrients from normal sustenance. She quickly found some packets of dried fruit and an assortment of dried, salted meats hung inside the cabinets. She gathered some of both, throwing what tasted like cured pork into her mouth and munching on it. She balanced the food in one arm, opening the door to the living room with the other and joining the swordswoman. The room was still quite messy despite Ari's attempts to clean it up, but at least there was enough space for her to sit on the floor. "I didn't get to buy anything at the market today, so I'll have to get some food. I'll come along. Here." She tossed the bag of dried fruit to the woman underhanded, biting down on another piece of meat and looking around the room. Her eyes landed on the armor for a few seconds, but she didn't ask about it. Eventually she turned her light blue eyes back to Ari, regarding her evenly. "Why don't you want to go to Mandira?" Her voice was calm again, more curious than anything. "Did something happen there, or are there just memories you'd prefer to avoid?" |
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| Ari | Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:27 pm Post #23 |
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"When she mentioned all the lifetimes of experience she had? That kind of talk is literal around here. Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's an incarnaion," Ari said from the other room. Too bad she knew next to nothing when it came to Nalai lore. Half the books she'd hauled up this caldera were about the stories and myths and legends, and half of those were written in pretty impenetrable Shokanalai that required the swordsman to constantly consult her grammar and vocabulary books. Sure was a way to kill time, though. As for whether Melati was connected to the incarnation that could sow suspicion: "That's too much of a stretch. They're not a faction. There's only a couple dozen of them, and all of them do their own thing for the most part. Whenever they do interact, it's usually to fight each other. Sponsoring opposing sides of conflicts, that sort of thing." She looked up from her work to catch the bag of dried fruit. Mangoes. Her favorite. The girl asked about Mandira, making Ari point at the rack of painted armor behind her. Spoke up once she was done chewing. "Mistaken identity. Priest grandparents told me those paintings had something to do with the sky demon king. So I wore it to Mandira for a job, thinking people would just see it as religious. Except no, they didn't, they looked completely stunned. Crowds parted for me when I walked through, someone freaked out and started screaming... I got people running up to me all trying to talk to me at once. Saying things like, 'Everyone thought you had skipped a generation.' Or pushing meat and furs into my arms. Very embarrassing telling them all I wasn't who they thought I was. And my 'fame' made me lose the job, too." |
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| Eliza | Thu Mar 27, 2014 1:41 am Post #24 |
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Well, at least they wouldn't have to worry about Melati working alongside whatever incarnation was after her. Two living myths at once... even though H.A.T.O.N. had been developed as an attempt to create the perfect soldier, she didn't know if she could handle that much power at once.Eliza returned her gaze to the painted armor. It wasn't the steel plate or padded leather that she had gotten used to seeing in Striberg and other areas of Imythess. Instead it was made of countless rectangular segments woven together with thick thongs. Altogether, it looked bulky and old-fashioned, but she wasn't an expert on armor by any means. After all, her skin was being converted into an organic metal harder than steel. "Just this, eh?" She stood back up and walked over to the set, examining the painted patterns with interest. She didn't recognize any of the pictures on the armor. The gratuitous decoration made her think that the armor was ceremonial in nature, but there were scratches and gouges in the material that suggested that it had seen hard use, maybe even recently. Something about Ari's explanation of her experiences in the temple city seemed off to Eliza, although she couldn't exactly explain what. The reaction of the crowd to the armor almost suggested that the swordswoman was a celebrity, but if that was the case she probably would have mentioned it. The noble tore off another chunk of meat as she returned to the cleared section of the floor, folding her legs underneath her. "Well, since it's called the 'Festival of Masks,' I'm assuming everyone hides their faces, yeah? No one should recognize you. It should be safe." She shrugged off-handedly. "I wouldn't mind seeing a Nalaian celebration. If you'd prefer to stay behind, Melati could probably escort me by herself. If she's an incarnation, she has to be pretty strong, right?" She smiled slightly as she chewed on the dried meat. "Besides, it's not like I'm totally helpless. I've survived this long, after all." |
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| Ari | Thu Mar 27, 2014 2:29 am Post #25 |
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"No. I mean, no. I'll join you." The spark in her eyes came back at the thought of missing out on Eliza being in a public place. Still that thought swirled around in her mind: the noble being bait for a challenging opponent. Ari verbally backpedaled in an attempt to recover. "Because Melati said she would have an important role in the festival. So she might not be able to look after you. You wouldn't truly be able to relax. So I'll be your bodyguard. Because you're right about the masks. I'll wear a big buttoned cloak over the armor so no one notices me." Did she really need to wear the armor? It was a family heirloom, but it felt really comfortable on her. The only thing missing was its metal mask, but that wasn't a big deal for this festival. They'd give each of them masks to use. She might have to fight powerful enemies... Ari straightened the knee-high stack of books that was next to her mattress. "You've a good idea of the festival already. Basically everyone wears masks that look like well-known figures from mythology, or sacred animals. To scare away evil demons or something. There's games, food, singing and dancing, a parade, pretty standard for a festival. Or I guess I'm just assuming. Never been to anything like that." She shrugged. "You're probably the better judge than me. Not many festivals going through the outer quarters of Balefire." It was an elegant way of sidestepping the fact that she grew up poor, indicating it but not confronting the idea outright. Not in the presence of this noble, at least. |
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| Eliza | Thu Mar 27, 2014 9:04 pm Post #26 |
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Ari's insistence on accompanying her was a little surprising. The runaway would have thought that the woman would be glad to get out of the contract. After all, she hadn't sounded very enthused about taking the job in the first place. If not for whatever enchantment Melati had placed on the paper, she probably wouldn't have helped Eliza at all. Ari tried to make excuses as to why she wanted to tag along, but she couldn't quite justify the intensity of her initial response. The noble kept chewing on the meat so that she wouldn't have to respond immediately, giving Ari a sidelong glance. She would normally think that the woman was playing her for a fool, but her actions up to this point were too inconsistent. If she truly meant to capture Eliza and take her to her father, Ari probably would have tried to earn her trust instead of acting hesitant, bordering on sullen. Dammit, she wanted to trust her. She was tired of treating everyone like a traitor waiting for the opportune moment to stab her in the back. "Don't worry, I won't go anywhere without you," she reassured her host. "You carry that sword around like you know how to use it, at least. Eliza smirked when Ari commented on her past experience with festivals, but it was clear the jaded expression wasn't directed at her companion, but rather inwards. "You'd think so, wouldn't you? There was a bitter edge to the words. "I wasn't exactly allowed out of the house. With my condition, father thought it best that I stay cloistered inside. His little pet, in his little cage. I was lucky if I got to go down to the market with a full accompaniment of bodyguards, much less visit my friends or study at the Academy." Her hands unconsciously tightened into fists as she spoke, the noise of the gears and servos in her fingers just loud enough to be heard through the muting effects of her gloomwood garments. "By the end, I even had guards in my room at night. So no, I didn't get very much experience with festivals. This will be the first I've been permitted to attend since I was a child." |
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| Ari | Sun Mar 30, 2014 2:29 pm Post #27 |
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"That's awful." Ari couldn't come up with anything else to say. There wasn't really a convention for how to respond to admissions of such severe child abuse. Human experimentation was one thing, but what kind of man would experiment on his own daughter? And she could intuit that Eliza definitely didn't need pity. Beneath her victimized circumstances, there was a lot of inner strength. There was willpower. It almost made Ari a little jealous -- almost. She killed the afternoon reading. There was a nice cross-breeze coming in through the window, so that helped alleviate the problem of heat in the room. Resting was nice, but beneath her casual exterior she was constantly aware of the danger. Reading was more of a way for her to zone out and think about things. This whole incarnation business, her own changes, the festival, the plan in general... what was her plan, anyway? Beyond the general goals of defeating the leaders of the operation, the incarnation, and getting Eliza out of Nalai and to a safe location. Maybe Istan City? Their oppressive military dictatorship was probably a safe place to be, right? Maybe Melati had some reliable contacts in the Army of Istan who could watch over the girl. Ari worried that Eliza would be running forever so long as the people who wanted to catch her remained alive. She tossed a nervous glance over at the girl upon thinking this, wondering if she should mention it. Eventually she decided against it. It probably wasn't news to Eliza. Dinner was equally scant in conversation. Ari cooked, but the cooking mostly involved throwing everything into a big soup pot and cooking it outside. No meat, either. Didn't last very long in this tropical environment. The resulting mixture didn't look all that appetizing, but the healthy ingredients and hint of seasoning made it taste pretty good after all. Ari ate enough of it to feed three people. She'd always had a massive appetite, one that only became more ridiculous now that Agorst fed on her life force to fuel his powers. That was why drawing him from the sheathe always hurt like hell -- tiny tendrils of his parasitic body would burrow into the pores on her hand, establishing a connection. Time to sleep. Ari sat with her back against the wall in the same room as Eliza, one arm lazily draped around Agorst. She waited until she was reasonably certain the girl was asleep before beginning her quiet muttering anew. "Agorst..." Again! You flatter me, Bethari. "I'm shocked at how quiet you've been all day. I've been able to hear myself think." Perhaps you just didn't think too hard about anything until now. "Harsh." But probably true. Don't you think you're becoming more like a real person? Ever since you came here. You're planning, feeling, wanting things. You care. It's been absolutely fascinating to watch you grow. "Makes me wonder why you care." I'm a scholar. My thirst for knowledge is insatiable! Urgh. That was always his answer. "That doesn't explain anything." She grumbled, cutting off the conversation by sliding her fingers off the hilt of the katana. Awaken, Bethari. Your charge is stirring. Ari grumbled, bleary eyes opening. Shafts of light spilled through the insect-netted windows, bathing the room in warmth. The swordsman was used to sleeping while in a sitting position, but this time she hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep in the first place. Working the kink out of her neck, she pushed herself up to a standing position, joints crackling. "Morning. Sleep okay?" Ari wandered into the other room to start packing for their journey to Sangdan. "Let's get going." |
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| Eliza | Tue Apr 1, 2014 9:09 pm Post #28 |
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Eliza pointedly didn't look anywhere near Ari, her mien unreadable. "It is what it is." The two women kept mainly quiet throughout the remainder of the evening, which suited her just fine. Most of the words they exchanged were pleasantries, shying away from any topic that might upset one or both of them. Given the circumstances of their meeting, that meant pretty much everything was off-limits. When dinner was served the runaway ate just as much as her host, putting away far more bowls than seemed likely with her slight frame. Once, H.A.T.O.N. had been satisfied by simply draining away her mana, but the symbiote was always ravenous for more. She always ate as much as she could physically stomach in order to keep it from eroding her muscle tissue and replacing it with organic steel. Not long after dinner they went to sleep. Eliza curled up on the couch, holding the aurora drake close to her chest. If she dreamed, she did not remember them. The next morning they started to get ready for their excursion into town. The noblewoman yawned, nodding in response to Ari's question. "Actually, do you have any clothes I can borrow? Something a local might wear?" She shrugged off-handedly. "It might not help much, but anything that keeps someone from recognizing me will help." She quickly changed into the provided garments, although she kept on the gloomwood shirt and gloves, as well as her cowl. It might make her stand out, but the enchanted attire was preferable to having her features on display or making grinding noises every time she moved. Eliza patted the drake on the head. "I want you to stay here," she said with a small smile. "You're too recognizable. If anyone but me or Ari shows up, breathe in their face and go hide in the jungle." The runaway very specifically did not exclude Melati from the eye-searing punishment for breaking and entering. She was getting fed up with these "incantations." Maybe some temporary blindness would teach the woman a lesson. "If you think it'll be more convenient, I could probably fly us down there. So long as there's a good place to land where no one will notice us." |
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| Ari | Thu Apr 3, 2014 12:34 pm Post #29 |
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"I wouldn't risk it," Ari said, finishing tying a second sash around her waist, the one that held Agorst's scabbard in the right place. Eliza would blend in pretty well with her borrowed getup. Ari had given her a dark green robe and loose trousers. It was standard casual wear around here. "There are eyes overlooking the caldera. Watchtowers and such. And I'm not sure what this incarnation or its goons are capable of." It wasn't like they were in much of a hurry anyway. What waited for them back at her house was just... more books and waiting and humidity, Ari supposed. Once she was finished packing some things they might need for the day, they were off. Luckily the trip wasn't too long, since they managed to hitch a lift on the back of a trader's cart. Ari spent most of the trip leaning against some crates, somehow managing to nap as the cart rocked and bounced. It was the sun beating down on her face that woke her up. They had just exited the treeline and were driving on level ground. Huge farms stretched out far across the fertile caldera, all the way to the lake docks virtually. The merchant was nice enough to haul the two of them all the way to an outpost on the barest outskirts of town. The ox pulling the cart didn't seem to have any trouble at all with Eliza's heavy mechanisms. Sangdan was a busy city once they got into the thick of it. The streets were cramped, but everyone here didn't seem to have a sense of personal space anyway. In order to get anywhere Ari had to bang shoulders and push aside waists to clear a path for Eliza, who she dragged around by the hand so they wouldn't get separated. The markets were almost like a giant grid of streets and covered stalls selling pretty much anything money could buy. Anything. Someone got Eliza's attention: a short, lanky black man with a Tarasian drawl. "Oi, girleh, foinest exotic servants just down 'ese steps, like..." Ari cut between the two, preventing him from grabbing her. Her publicly worn sword and the brand-new crossbow she had slung over her shoulder helped her look even more intimidating than if she'd just loomed over him with her superior height. He immediately assumed based on the unconcealed weapons that she was government and ducked into a side-street with the alacrity of, well, a slave trader trying to drum up interest in a public venue. They entered a new block of the market and Ari stopped. Something was different here. The merchants and consumers weren't interacting. Most people just walked right on through. Ari's heart raced. She passed a very suspicious merchant doing something with his back to her -- nothing good. Eventually she flat-out let go of Eliza, but stayed nearby. Every face was suspicious. And Eliza herself... what was she doing in Nalai? What was she scheming by making Ari work as her bodyguard? The swordsman stopped in the middle of the crowd to face her, put her hands heavy on the Striberg noble's shoulders, eyes unnaturally wide. She looked like she was going to say something, but then only devolved into incoherent muttering. Ari grabbed Eliza by the wrist and dragged her toward the edge of the crowd. "All of Nalai is keeping secrets from me. They're watching me." Her voice and hands trembled. Eyes glazed over. The mumbling came back, this time easier to hear because of the fewer people around them. Still incoherent, though. "The mural at the temple, the Painted Armor... but I can't fight them like this. The energy I would need to hold them down would be more than it's worth to devour each morsel... and yet the source. It's almost familiar. Poison in the blood. Once, in a younger skin, maybe I tasted it..." She held her head for a second, shuddering from what appeared to be one killer headache. "I'll kill it, and wear its skin, then. And poison my bolts with its poison blood, then. Yes." |
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| Eliza | Sun Apr 6, 2014 7:11 pm Post #30 |
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Eliza frowned slightly. If there was one aspect of her slow transformation she actually enjoyed, it was the ability to fly. Still, Ari had a good point about not taking any unnecessary risks, so she resigned herself to another humid, sweaty hike through the jungle with a soft sigh. Thankfully, they hadn't traveled far when they came upon a trader heading down into the city that allowed them to ride along. The runaway stayed awake throughout the trip, watching the surrounding foliage closely as they traveled. She was on alert not only because it was her normal state of being anymore, but also because she was fascinated by the sheer variety of the local flora. Her companion settled down for a nap during the ride, which was unexpected behavior for a bodyguard but probably less awkward than an attempt at small talk. She wasn't entirely sure if she trusted her yet, so Eliza wasn't sure how much she felt comfortable sharing with the woman. The city itself was more familiar than the surrounding jungle, with cramped streets full of people. The northern noble made sure to pull down her sleeves and keep her hood up so that there was no chance of being recognized. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice how her features slipped from their minds as soon as they looked away. The merchants here were much more forceful than she was used to. In Striberg, goods were only openly hawked on the lowest tiers of the iceberg, and even then her status in the Exalted class meant that only the most desperate traders would accost her. Her anonymity meant that no such concessions were made here. One man was presumptuous enough to brag her and was offering to sell her slaves. Ari hauled her away before she could respond, intimidating the slaver with her demeanor and unconcealed weapons. "Thanks for that," she said. "I'm really not used to dealing with crowds." Eventually they reached a crowded area that was far quieter than the rest of the town. Eliza glanced around curiously, but couldn't see anything obvious responsible for the anomaly. However, after just a few seconds she started to understand. There was something wrong with this street. Everyone looked... shifty was the best word for it. Almost as if they were committing a crime and couldn't quite keep the guilt from their body language. The runaway hunched her shoulders as they kept moving, her free hand bunching into a fist. Some of the passersby were staring at her, she just knew it. She could feel their eyes on her spine, but every time she turned around they were resolutely avoiding her gaze. Could they know who she was? Could her father have hired this many men and women to trap her after discovering she was on Nalai? Ari turned and grabbed her shoulders, staring at her with frightening intensity. Eliza squirmed under her grip, eyes going wide. She must be one of them! It makes sense! Her and Melati are playing me for a fool! Before she could voice her accusations the swordswoman turned away, grabbing her wrist and yanking her towards the edge of the street. She started to mutter, and even though Eliza could catch one word out of three she heard enough to be terrified. "So that's how it is," she spat out, eyes flashing. "Not enough to stab me in the back, is it? He's tired of waiting and hired you to kill me?" She yanked her hand out of the other woman's grip, lips pulling pack in a snarl. "Lure me into a trap? Well, I'll show you. You want to know why he wants me back, do you?" There was some fact in the back of her skull, trying to wriggle its way to the front of her awareness, but she pushed it back. She could worry about it after defusing this trap. Edited by Seele, Sun Apr 6, 2014 7:46 pm.
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7:32 PM Jul 11

