Xanthus
The "Before" years
Existence Terminated[M:0]
Posts: 28
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Post by Xanthus on Feb 22, 2011 8:04:06 GMT -6
Xanthus watched Cess leave, a bit worried. He couldn't explain why, but he felt somewhat protective of this girl. Perhaps it was the conditions they had met under, or because she was so small. She seemed like she had enough protection with Wyrne around, but... he felt like she was part of something bigger than any of them.
Night fell with full force, washing the sun's light from the mountain. The group had eaten, and, after Wyrne's assurance that Cess would be fine, Xanthus headed off to the tents. he lay down on a sleeping pad, thinking of the day's efforts. He... No, all of them, had become adults now. He could become an apprentice now, start to find a trade, a home... a wife. Xanthus though he had come far, but he knew he had so much ahead of him. Sleep took Xanthus in it's odwny wings, turning his thoughts into dreams.
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Post by Cess Kache on Feb 22, 2011 16:21:20 GMT -6
Cess returned to the tents after everyone else was asleep. She was able to get some rest after crying a little. She dreamt of her family being whole once again. A dream that all-in-all remained a dream. The dream only made Cess more adamant about finding her sister.
Cess woke up early the next day, and started some training regiments outside. It wasn't anything special, just a lot of stretches to maintain her flexibility. She was very good at acro and aerobatics, and daily stretches helped her maintain this.
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Xanthus
The "Before" years
Existence Terminated[M:0]
Posts: 28
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Post by Xanthus on Feb 23, 2011 22:32:31 GMT -6
Xanthus woke not long after Cess. He packed his things and saw to waking the others. When everyone was up, they broke down their camp and headed down the mountain. The farther down they got, the more greenery appeared. This place was a stark comparison to the barren desert they had just come out of.
Salty air traveled in and out of the group's lungs, refreshing those who grew up breathing it. "Ah! The smell of home! Our village is not far, friends," he said to Cess and Wyrne. "We will see it once we pass through this forest!"
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Post by Cess Kache on Feb 24, 2011 19:34:16 GMT -6
"Cough cough cough, what's that in the air? It's too salty..." The air that refreshed the travelers returning home did nothing of the sort to a stranger. Cess had to cough a few more times before her airways were open again for breathing.
"I don't really like it Xanny, but I'm willing to get over it for the feast you promised." Cess no longer had trouble with walking on the rocks, but the new air was bothersome.
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Xanthus
The "Before" years
Existence Terminated[M:0]
Posts: 28
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Post by Xanthus on Feb 28, 2011 15:50:24 GMT -6
The wood they walked through consisted of mostly deciduous trees, an, because of the humidity, an abundance of ferns. The group wandered down a meandering dirt path, having their own conversations with one another.
"I'm sorry if the air to too strong here. We are very close to the ocean. The town, however, is set back a bit, and may be more bearable to you." Xanthus said to Cess.
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Post by Cess Kache on Feb 28, 2011 16:40:28 GMT -6
"Good, I wouldn't want my throat sore before eating." She said, giggling to herself. Wyrne seemed to have it all wrong about humans, this person was looking out for the well-being of a stranger.
Cess looked around through the woods, just now realizing that these trees were unfamiliar. "Hey, what are these trees? I haven't seen them before. So pretty..."
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Xanthus
The "Before" years
Existence Terminated[M:0]
Posts: 28
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Post by Xanthus on Mar 1, 2011 8:24:55 GMT -6
Xanthus smiles at Cess. She looked to be in her teens, but she still had a sense of childlike wonder. It must have been because she had never been out of the desert.
"These trees are the kind that change color when the season does. My sister says its an example of free magic in nature," he plucked a leaf from a nearby branch. "See how it is green now? Well, during autumn, they turn a variety of colors. Bright reds, dappled oranges, even yellow. It is a beautiful sight!There are many different kinds, such as poplar," he pointed to a tree nearby, "oak, maple... There are so many different kinds. You said you lived in an oasis, right? Well, I suppose only palm trees grew there, because of the desert heat. They provide animals with homes, and, in some part of the year, we harvest sap from them, and make a most delicious syrup. Yes, trees like this are a wonderful thing."
The woods were starting to thin, and the group could see stretches of farmland through the gaps. They were nearing the village.
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Post by Cess Kache on Mar 4, 2011 21:53:55 GMT -6
"Wow, it changes colors?" Cess figured the trees had to be some kind of magic in order to do that. She hoped that she'd be able to see plenty more trees on her journey.
More plants that Cess hadn't seen before. She hoped that she wasn't being to much of a bother for Xanny, but asked him her question anyways, "Hey, what're those?" she said, pointing to the farmlands.
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Xanthus
The "Before" years
Existence Terminated[M:0]
Posts: 28
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Post by Xanthus on Mar 5, 2011 14:09:26 GMT -6
"Right!" Xanthus said, motioning out to the farms. "Those are farms, we grow our food there. I'm not sure what sort of food you ate in the desert, without these. Without farms, there would be no people." Xanthus lead them crew through a coddled road. A large collection of houses, surrounded by an outer wall, grew ever closer.
"I sent a dove to mother and father when we left the temple," Xanthia said, "They should be waiting for us when we get back!"
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Post by Cess Kache on Mar 5, 2011 20:47:58 GMT -6
"Ah, I see. For food." She didn't really get it, like many other things. She just had to pretend like she understood so that she wouldn't bother people.
As they got closer Cess could see the wall of the village. It was much smaller than the wall around Arcadia, but that wall was there for a good reason. Cess's stomach growled, she giggled because of this. "Guess I'm a little hungry."
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Xanthus
The "Before" years
Existence Terminated[M:0]
Posts: 28
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Post by Xanthus on Mar 6, 2011 21:58:39 GMT -6
"Good," Xanthus said, "because from the looks of it, everyone is ready for us!" The four new adults, plus the two Arcadians, were met by practically the whole town. Coming of age rites were a big deal here, and, because if happened so seldom, everyone got involved.
The next few hours were spent in many various ways. Ajax told the story of their battles, Xanthus, after the feast, arranged for Cess and Wyrne to stay at the village inn, and pretty much everyone had a good time. The feasts and stories went late into the night, then, Parus, the old town storyteller, got up to spin one of his famous yarns.
"Twas many a year ago, so long so, that our celebratory four's parents were hardly thoughts in their own parent's heads. Aye, so long it was, that I traveled the sands. I wanted to find treasure, to find glory, amongst the dunes. Though I did not find what I was looking for, I did find a great deal of adventure.
" I happened to get lost, one summer's eve, in a great sandstorm. So bad it was, that even my mule could go no longer. But I went on. And when I finally made it out of the storm... What I saw, I still question to this day. There was a great wall, very many feet high, and behind it... Why, I could have sword I could hear otherworldy roars. And when I, filled with fear, turned to go back into the storm, I did see... A dragon.
"yes, the very creatures of myth, the creatures said to have been chased out of our world, dragons. It was a great scaly beast, colored yellow like the sands. It flew up, over the wall, and out into the far side of the desert. With that sight in my eyes, I fled back into the sandstorm, telling myself it was some sort of fever dream. After that encounter, my dear villagers, I came back here and lived a life like any other. Perhaps I had gone mad that day... Or perhaps, somewhere in this wide word, there still be dragons."
The crowd oohed at his story, and some laughed, but Xanthus... had fallen asleep in his chair.
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Post by Cess Kache on Mar 6, 2011 22:29:20 GMT -6
Cess was thankful for the big party, it seemed odd for her and Wyrne to pop up out of nowhere, but they were welcomed with open arms. The story that Parus told was silly. That would probably be as close as any outsider had gotten to Arcadia.
Later that night, when everyone had fallen asleep, Cess snuck out of her room. "Sorry Wyrnie. Thanks for getting me out of the village, but you're too stiff. Finding my sis will be harder with you around." She whispered to his sleeping form. She left the inn and headed into the darkness outside of the village.
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Xanthus
The "Before" years
Existence Terminated[M:0]
Posts: 28
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Post by Xanthus on Mar 7, 2011 14:25:41 GMT -6
Xanthus woke up the next morning, still in the same chair. He brushed back his hair and looked around. Most of the party had already been cleaned up, and people were getting back to their lives. He smiled, thinking of all the things he had done in his first days of manhood. He helped with the last bit of cleaning, then headed down to the forge. When he got there he found that his master, Icas, told him to take the day off.
It was just then that he remembered the two strangers. He walked around the village, looking for them, but they were nowhere to be found. Then, from the inn, Wyrne came running.
"Xanthus! It is Cess, she had ran off! Please, help me find her." the little man said.
"Erm, I suppose. Do you know where she could have gone?" Xanthus asked.
"No, but she can't have gone far!" Wyrne replied
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Post by Cess Kache on Mar 10, 2011 19:20:33 GMT -6
Cess didn't go very far. She was sitting on top of a tree outside of the village again. Sure she had run away, but she didn't know nearly as much about humans as Wyrne did. As soon as she left Nabata, she would be just as lost as Prin without a guide.
Until she could think of something to do, she stayed in the tree. It was nice up there, and more preferable than returning to the village and explaining herself to Wyrne.
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Xanthus
The "Before" years
Existence Terminated[M:0]
Posts: 28
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Post by Xanthus on Mar 19, 2011 17:25:50 GMT -6
Xanthus knew the area intimately, as he had often spent many of his childhood years playing amongst the verdant boughs of the nearby forests. He set off in the directing they came in, guessing Cess would stick to an area she knew. He flitted between tress, calling out, "Dame Cess!" now and again. He had wondered why she had left, but had no intention of forcing her back if he found her.
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