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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 24, 2012 21:44:31 GMT -6
Richter cracked a small, rarely seen smile. It was a smile of sincere happiness. A smile untainted by any negative emotion. "Well, that's nice to hear," he said, leaning this head down to touch Clair's. His lips brushed through her hair as he placed a hand on her waist. "Though I kind of figured that was the case. You're not exactly great at hiding your emotions."
Then, out of the blue, the commander planted a small kiss on the pegasus rider's head. By all standards, it wasn't much. Most would have expected a long, romantic kiss in the rain, but for Richter, it was a sincere, heartfelt show of his affection.
This...this was new for him, and part of it scared him, but he liked it. But at the same time, he wasn't going to push it. Cupping Clair's cheek in his hand, he took a small step back, tapping her forehead with his. Her skin felt soft in his hand. "It's late, we should get some sleep," he said, his usually stern voice laced with caring. He didn't want to go, but at the same time, he knew he couldn't stand here much longer. "Shall I see you in the morning?"
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 26, 2012 22:32:17 GMT -6
Clair closed her eyes and relaxed, just basking in the calm, and the fact that she was with Richter, without the need to hide anything. The chains were gone, replaced with feelings feathery, uplifting feelings of gladness. The kiss was like icing on the cake. Even if it was just her head, she really hadn't expected any kind of contact of that nature for awhile. Old habits didn't break overnight, after all.
She felt herself blushing a bit as he cupped her face with his strong hand, and she let the smile it triggered break forth. There was no need to hide the laugh that came as she spoke. She rested her own hand on his for a brief space, before separating herself.
"We don't really have to say good bye for the night, you know. Unless the others have a tent, I'll be able to look over at you from right across the fire." She replied, a bit of a smirk mixing itself onto her face.
"But yes. I'll see you in the morning." She stayed there a moment longer before slowly turning and heading back towards where her pegasus stood, casting one last glance back at him as she reached her steed. She stood for a moment, looking at her things, but paying them no mind. Who was this man she'd seen tonight? Three years with him, but she still knew so little about him.
She reached down quickly, and scooped up the saddle, bags, and other gear on the ground. She ought to get ready for bed, though that wouldn't take long. She dropped her things once again near the camp. As for the winged horse, it would simply have to be smart enough to stay close. It was time to relax, at last.
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Post by Richter Abend on Mar 20, 2012 23:07:18 GMT -6
Yawning, Richter rubbed his eyes as he was awoken by the morning sun. Half expecting to be greeted by snow or the darkness of a jail cell, it felt good to feel the warm rays of light upon his face. It was good to be free man once again, even if he still technically was a fugitive. Well, that was an assumption really. After Noello's little teleportation magic stunt, they might not even be in Etruria any more.
The Ilian groaned, sitting up straight, before looking around. He had been a bit...distracted last night, but now he was actually quite curious about his location. The presence of evergreen trees all but ruled out Sacae, and the land was neither cold and snowy enough to be Ilia, nor hot and sandy enough to be Nabata. That meant he'd either stayed in Etruria or was now in Bern, or Lycia. Any of those would be acceptably really.
Yawning once more, Richter slowly scratched the back of his neck, only to turn his head and see Ardus, no more than a couple yards away, cooking something over an open fire. Unfurling himself from his outdoor bedding, the younger Abend brother pulled himself to his feet. Past Ardus he could see Clair still sleeping a ways away. Good. She probably needed it after busting him out of jail. After all, he'd been on his rear the entire time, but she'd had to travel all the way here, and on that tiny pegasus at that.
Richter stretched his arms behind his back before walking over to his older brother. Getting closer, he could see that the man was frying up some sort of meat. Richter had been awfully angry last night, Ardus being just one of the reasons, and couldn't help but still feel a little sore, even if the older Abend's excuses for "abandoning" them, so to speak, practically mirrored the reasons why he himself had left Ilia. A little romance, a little reflecting, and a good night's sleep, however, had done wonders for Richter's temperament. Toning it down from caustic to his usual brusque, he could now spend his time discussing what in the hell Ardus was even doing here.
"So," began the younger Abend, awkwardly "where are we?" There was a pause as Ardus flipped over his mystery meat with a stick. "In Etruria," replied the older Abend, "roughly ten miles from the city." He looked up at his brother. "So safe, at least for the time being." Richter nodded silently. Good news. After breaking out of captivity it was nice to have a bit of a break, especially considering he was still nursing a sore rib cage.
Richter rubbed his injured side. His initial treatment and application of the near magical poultice back in Ilia had been good enough to at least bind his side and fuse his set ribs back together, but the injury had opened up...no. The Ilian rubbed his side again. No pain? That was peculiar. He ran a hand under his shirt, and was surprised at what he felt. The wound had completely healed, save for the stitches poking out of his skin. He'd have to remove those.
Richter's brow furrowed as he glanced over at the sword still sitting by last night's bed. The sword must have healed it. Convenient.
"I'm making breakfast," came Ardus's voice, interrupting Richter's internal observations. "Hopefully Clair and Noello will be awake by the time it's done cooking, though I doubt it, since Noello sleeps like a bear in hibernation."
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Mar 21, 2012 10:30:36 GMT -6
Clair pushed herself up suddenly, groggily looking around. Someone had said her name. She reached up and brushed some of her golden hair out of her face, before combing any tangles out with her fingers and resecuring it with the ever present string tied around her forehead.
Rubbing her eyes to clear the sleep from them, she pushed herself to her feet with a groan and wrapped a tan cloak she'd been using as blanket/bedding around her shoulders. Sleeping on the ground had to be one of the absolute worst things about traveling without a supply caravan.
Turning around, she spotted Richter and... Ardus was it? They were already up, working on breakfast, it seemed. She could smell it, and the smoke, in the air already. That was something welcome. She didn't know what it was, and didn't really care at this point. She was just realizing how hungry she was from yesterday. Something freshly caught would make a nice change from trail rations.
Checking through the tack, she made sure everything was there before grabbing a waterskin, taking a drink, and heading over to the pair by the fire. Her pegasus could be seen not far off, lazily eating away at the grass, there weren't any Etrurians attacking them, and Richter was here. Safe. That was her bright spot in the day, warmer than the sun.
"Good morning. Thirsty?" She offered the bottle towards the pink haired men. Not the most common sight in the world. The day, its plans, and its events would catch up with them. For now, it was easier to just let things progress on their own.
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Post by Richter Abend on Mar 23, 2012 22:42:34 GMT -6
Ardus shook his head, silently refusing Clair's offer, but Richter, seeing the flask now, realized he was feeling quite parched. It made sense; he hadn't had anything to drink since yesterday morning. He'd later have to check if there were any rivers or ponds nearby, so that he could load up the bottle Ardus had included with his sleeping supplies. As typical of the giant, pink haired man, he had thought of everything.
"Quite," replied Richter, taking the bottle from Clair's hand, and nodding in thanks to his assistant officer before emptying the flasks contents into his mouth. The Ilian gasped with refreshment, wiping a bit of splashed liquid off his lips before offering the now empty container back to Clair. Expecting a bit of annoyance, the Ilian preempted. "Sorry. If you want, we can go looking for a water source after breakfast."
To be honest, the proposal wasn't entirely practical. As eager as Richter was to get back on the road, this complete lull, combine with this calm sunny day was...nice. He wanted to enjoy it, especially if it meant he could spend some more time with Clair. Last night had been a bit full with emotions. A much calmer follow up would be nice.
"So Clair," came Ardus's voice, interrupting his brother's thoughts, "how long have you been traveling with Richter?"
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Mar 27, 2012 12:34:47 GMT -6
Clair took the bottle back from Richter and realized it was empty a moment later. She turned it upside down, and watched the last few drops hit the ground with a mix of a frown and a smirk on her face. Perhaps she ought to have drank a bit more herself before offering. Then again, he was the liberated prisoner. He probably needed it more.
"Apparently so." She commented dryly, before tossing the skin back onto her pile of things a few steps away. The offer to go find some water after breakfast.... She could easily go up on her pegasus and be back in a short time. It wasn't necessary for him to come. Maybe she just felt like spending some time with him after the events of the last... month, though.
"I'd like that." Oops. Richter could easily still be a little... shy regarding relationships and the public. Even... perhaps especially his brother. She had sensed some hard feelings there the other night. She'd probably be mad too if she found a sibling that was supposed to have been dead for several years.
She turned her attention to Ardus' question, still hoping that Richter wouldn't react badly to her openess on her feelings. She was fine, but the Ilian swordsman was probably more vulnerable to discomfort or embarrassment than she was. At least in this area.
"I think it's been almost three years now. I joined as his Assistant Officer. With no credentials whatsoever." She joined them around the fire, careful to keep the cloak she had wrapped around her away from the fire.
"Best stroke of luck I've ever had." She wore a smile as she spoke, enjoying the heat, and the idea of making light of their many serious, dangerous adventures for once. She understood some of the reason behind hiring her now. Outside employment meant she wasn't a plant from Etruria. It had certainly worked out nicely for her from that time forward.
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Post by Richter Abend on Apr 1, 2012 1:15:32 GMT -6
Rather than flinch at the woman's acceptance of his offer, the pink haired Ilian smiled a rare, heartfelt smile. It was good to be back with Clair. If there was anyone he'd pick to save him from an Etrurian jail, it would be her. So while Ardus had been the grandmaster of the operation, he was glad she had at least been part of the attempt.
Richter stood by as Clair answered his brother's question. It had been a long time, hadn't it? He'd originally hired her on for little more than the fact that she'd been Ilian, but looking back on it now, he'd like to think he'd made a good investment, and in more ways than one. "I'd say," he said, looking at Clair, her blonde hair illuminated by the dawn light. She was struck quite a figure, even if wrapped snugly in her blanket. "Paid out well for both of us."
"Well' isn't exactly the word I'd use," replied Ardus, stoically finishing up the rabbit. A bit of protest welled up in Richter at his brother's immediate disparaging of the situation, but he silenced himself because he knew exactly what Ardus meant. Sure, the events following his time in Castle Delfia had placed him at the head of the most significant rebellion force to ever challenge the Prophet, but those events had come at a high, trying price.
"But since I've got breakfast cooking and nowhere to go, I think now would be a good time to explain why I'm here," continued the older man. Richter nodded. "Yeah, I think that would be best," he responded dourly. Ardus nodded in turn. There would be time for catching up later. "So, this might seem an odd question, but what do you two know of the Scouring?"
Richter frowned at the question. The Scouring? Was Ardus looking for a specific answer? What was he supposed to know? "It was the war between humans and dragons. The humans rose up and overthrew the dragons, casting them out of Elibe with the legendary weapons wielded by the heroes." The younger Abend spoke matter-of-factly. Every child in Ilia was raised with tales of Barigan and the Scouring. Richter could still remember sitting on his father's lap listening to the stories.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Apr 1, 2012 20:20:14 GMT -6
"Hm...." With a bit of relief, Clair realized that Richter was not embarrassed, or even bothered by her response. Maybe she was worrying too much. He was strong and confident man, after all. Even if emotions had been awkward enough for him in the past to leave her somewhat amused on remembering those days.
Hearing Ardus essentially badmouthing their accomplishments left the Falcoknight annoyed at the older of the Abends. Events of the last few weeks certainly could have been avoided, but they had still managed to make it out and away from their enemies in Etruria. The things encountered on the way to this point.... The vast majority of changes she would like made in that time were actions of an enemy. It was her own actions and reactions that had shaped her to this point, and the same would continue to do so in the future.
She looked to Richter as he explained the tale of the Scouring for the ears of the present. She also remembered hearing of the the Paladin, Barigan, and his legendary lance, Malte. Not everyone believed the old tales anymore, but she had always thought there was something to them, even if they had grown in the telling over the centuries.
"After the war, the weapons were hidden away in order to prevent catastrophes from befalling Elibe, due to the danger of the weapons' might." How did the Scouring link in with all of Ardus' reasons for being here? What was the pink-haired man even up to?
"Did you come to Etruria for a reason, Ardus?" Other than helping Richter, of course. It was hard to imagine the man simply lounging in Etruria, what with the state of its leadership and citizenry. It seemed likely there was another reason behind his coming.
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Post by Richter Abend on Apr 5, 2012 0:50:34 GMT -6
"We're explorers," came a groggy, sleepy voice from a recently awoken Noello, who yawned as he walked over to other tree adventurers surrounding the campfire. He sat down next to Ardus. "Archaeologists to be more specific." The brown haired mage, nudge Ardus's shoulder. "What's for breakfast?"
"Rabbit," came the gruff, deep reply. "But, yes, Noello's correct. We've been traveling Elibe researching ancient ruins." The pink haired man paused, pulling the rabbit off of the fire and placing it on a rock to allow it time to cool, before continuing, turing back to Richter. "In fact, I was in Lycia when I first started hearing of your...exploits, but by the time I got to Etruria you already had a royalty's ransom on your head. You're lucky I was in the area, or you'd both probably be dead right now." Ardus dourly shook his head as he leaned back, shifting his weight back on his haunches. "Though if the Prophet wasn't so dead set on making Richter's death such a spectacle, I'm not sure I would have been able to find you."
Richter's brow furrowed. Ok, so that explained his presence well enough, but why ruins? Ardus had never been the scholarly type. "I thank you for rescue, Ardus, really I do, but you can't honestly be telling me you've been traveling the continent, diving through ruins for the past..." "Eight years," interjected Noello, picking a piece of rabbit up off the rock and tossing it in his mouth. "Only four years for me, during which we've made most of our biggest finds, but your brother has quite the one track mind."
Richter squirmed a bit, frowning at the mage's words. Eight years? Eight years? Eight years of absence. During those eight years Richter had watched his family die, escaped from Delfia under the Prophet's nose, stood at the final battle with Hargus, risen through the ranks of the Inquisitional Army, watched Ostia burn to the ground, destroyed Etruria's hold over Sacae, and rallied Ilian support to end the rebellion in Bern. And all that time Ardus had been picking through old rocks.
And as if seeing the look on Richter's face, Ardus resumed speaking, calm and collected. "You'd be surprised what time has managed to hide, Richter. What I've learned these past eight years has interesting implications, ones that you may very well be interested in," the giant man continued, looking Richter square in the eyes. "You were at Ostia. You saw what happened."
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Apr 7, 2012 11:04:35 GMT -6
Well, looks like Noello had finally awakened. At least when he asked the question, the answer wasn't as bad as it could have been. Rabbit made a decent meal with some preparation. It was almost considered a staple meal in many places near hunting grounds.
She kept listening to the story. Eight years was a long time to leave one's family behind. Especially when they believed you dead. She felt a stab of guilt, more intense than what she'd felt before, about leaving her parents disconnected for three years. It hadn't been planned. And she didn't like it, but somehow she had never found the time to write home in all that time. She was sure they were fine. They'd always been strong and dutiful Ilians. They would bear it, even if it hurt them, but it would hurt. It must have taken a painful and unexpected reunion like the one between Richter and Ardus to finally bring the fact home to her.
She sighed quietly, disappointed. They were on the run. Even now, she still wasn't in a position from which she could write. She wouldn't let the stresses of the war and travels steal her attention away from this again. Because, family was important. She'd told that to Richter more than a year ago, and yet, she was falling into the same trap. Three years....
"So turning over rocks for the past eight years is connected to Ostia somehow?" It sounded a little far fetched to her, but then, the whole occurrence at Ostia should have been impossible....
"We know next to nothing about that. Hearing a few ideas might be nice for a change." It was more of an open statement, but underneath it was a request to go on.
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Post by Richter Abend on Apr 11, 2012 19:14:15 GMT -6
Both Richter and Ardus turned to Clair as she spoke, staring at the pegasus rider for a long moment before the larger of the two brothers gave a curt, satisfied grunt.
"I did," said Richter as Ardus nudged Noello and thrust a thumb at their campsite. "The Prophet's herald burnt the city to the ground and made the dead walk." The younger mage nodded slowly as he got up and, yawning, trudge over to his bag. "I assume the bastard cast the same kind of black magic that Hargus used years back to resurrect the Heroes. What, did you manage to find some divine spell in one of their tombs that will let me blow him away?" Richter's voice was filled with sarcasm, but Ardus merely rolled his eyes at his brother's brashness. "Your curiosity is reassuring," the older Ilian replied, just as sarcastic as his brother. "Fighting blind will only get yourself killed. Probably somebody else too. If you're going to do it, you might as well go home." He then gave Clair a shrug of acknowledgement. "It's good to know my little brother has had someone a little more clear headed on his side all these years. Otherwise, I expect he might have ended up dead on a skewer" But the Ardus stopped, pausing blankly for a moment, as he realized his mistake. A grim smile broke out on the giant man's face. He shook his head. "No. Nevermind."
Richter's fist balled. Dammit, this whole situation was uncomfortable and awkward enough as it was without Ardus making shots at him and his ability to lead. In fact, the younger Ilian was about to respond in chagrin at his brother's comment, but before he could, Noello arrived back at the campfire with a roll large parchment in his hand, effectively redirecting the attention of the conversation back on to the topic at hand. "Here," muttered the mage, handing the roll to Ardus all the while turning his attention onto the slowly cooling rabbit like a hungry dog. "I think it's done." "Go ahead," replied the ex-mercenary, much to Noello's delight, so the mage grabbed the cooking pan, hungrily wolfing down a piece or two before offering the pan to Clair.
All the while, Ardus untied and unfurled the parchment, smoothing it out as much as he could on the grass in front of him. It looked like a drawing of some sort. Richter's brow furrowed. At the sight of the parchment, he had expected some sort of ancient manuscript, but a drawing? What was the point of this?
The picture was crudely drawn in ink and color, but Richter managed to make out the basic gist of it. It was a battle, a battle of humans and dragons. The Scouring, no doubt, and in the middle stood a man holding up a massive sword. Massive sword...Hartmut? No, Roland, wielding Durandal, and from the tip of the sword shot a bolt of lighting. Slightly interested at this point, Richter's gaze followed the lighting bolt upwards, the painting getting darker and darker as it went, before it met a dark form sporting a large pair of red eyes.
Richter moved towards his brother to get a closer look. The form, mostly indistinguishable from the chaos painted around it, seemed to be lurking in the background, behind the fighting dragons and humans. It's long tendrils draped around the edges of the picture, a framing that went almost unnoticeable initially, and seemed to begin to be leaking out into the rest of the image where the lightning bolt touched the sky. Something about it was, for lack of a better word, disturbing.
"Did you draw this?" he asked. Ardus shook his head. "No, Noello did," he replied. The addressed mage nodded affirmatively. "Yup, and it's a damn good drawing too," he boasted, licking a bit of meat grease off of his fingers. "Ardus said I had to get the whole thing painted down, exactly as it was on the mural. Scientific record. It wasn't easy, considering the situation."
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Apr 17, 2012 10:08:57 GMT -6
Clair shifted as Ardus made his remarks about his brother. An annoyed expression twitched into being on the Falcoknight's face. He'd helped them out of a bind, but if he was here just to throw potshots at Richter, he would soon find a cold welcome. For now, she would tolerate his snipes, as he seemed to be making his way towards something.
Clair took the pan of meat as Noello handed it to her, pulling a few bits out for herself before holding it out to Richter. She nibbled a bit on the rabbit, wishing for something to give it a bit more flavor. As she watched Ardus unroll the parchment, she contained herself, eating slowly to make the food last longer.
Clair studied the painting as she ate. It was of the scouring, no doubt there. It had more elements than what she could identify though. One of the heroes, dragons, and some figure shrouded in a black cloudiness.
"Where did this come from?... What is it?"
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Post by Richter Abend on Apr 21, 2012 23:51:57 GMT -6
"It's a mural," spoke Ardus, turning up to look at Clair. "We found it in an old ruin in the Western Isles." At the same time, Richter, staring intently at the picture, took the rabbit meat from Clair, taking a piece for himself. He chewed on the gamy flesh of the cooked creature for a moment before voicing his thoughts. "And what was the significance of the ruin? I can't imagine just being old warrants drawings," the younger Abend asked, his gaze not moving from the painting as he spoke. His older brother nodded.
"You're right, it doesn't," he replied. "Humor me, brother, of all the ruins in Elibe, can you guess which are the most important to our history?" Richter shook his head. "I don't know. The tombs of past kings? Old heroes?" he ventured. Ardus nodded in approval. "Yes, heroes. The Eight Legends to be more specific." "So this is...?" Richter squatted down and placed his finger over the sword wielding figure in the center of the picture. "Roland. Founder of Lycia and wielder of Durandal." "But didn't you say you found this in the Western Isles?" "Yes." "So shouldn't there be paintings of, uh..." Richter paused for a moment, searching for the right name. "...Durbans?" Ardus merely shrugged. "You'd think that, but clearly that wasn't the case." He spoke with a matter-of-fact tone. "So what, did you find Durbans's tomb or something?" asked Richter, pushing the topic further. "What good came from that? Durbans was resurrected in the Bandit War. His corpse wouldn't be in there anymore." "Who cares about some ancient warrior's rotting carcass?" interjected Noello, his tone surprisingly irreverent. Apparently digging around in the graves of legends long enough left one with a certain lack of respect for the legend itself. "It's the weapons that are important." The older Abend nodded in half-attentive approval, causing Richter's eyes to widen. The weapons. The Divine Weapons? Did Ardus really find Durbans's axe? The younger Abend looked hopefully at his brother, but was met with a shaking head. No. No they did not.
"Hargus wouldn't revive the Legends without their weapons," he replied to Richter's unvoiced question. Richter frowned, sorely disappointed. "So you go to the tomb of the legendary hero, Durbans, Ardus, and all you bring back is a picture?" He crossed his arms across his chest in frustration. This painting became far less interesting in that comparative light. "I can't say I'm exactly excited." "Understandable," Ardus agreed, leaning back on his haunches. "Then stop dragging me around in circles. What does this have to do with Ostia?" Richter's voice was growing decidedly more agitated. After so many years, his brother still enjoyed playing head games with him. Some things never changed. "Do you see the eyes in the painting?" "Yes." "We found them in the tomb." "I get that." "No, I mean we found demons in that tomb, Richter."
The statement was sudden and grave, and very matched the look on Ardus's face, a look met with sore confusion on Richter's part. "Demons?" Richter asked incredulously. "Demons." Ardus echoed, his voice stern. "Like, monsters? Demons?" An image took hold of Richter's imagination, of Ardus wielding his signature zweihander facing down a giant, black, many-armed, sharp-clawed beast in a dark, stone hallway. "A bit less material and more shadowy than what I imagine you're imagining, but yes, demons." "But..." Richter paused, not sure what to say, "why would there be monsters in the tomb of one of the heroes?"
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Apr 24, 2012 12:56:54 GMT -6
Clair listened as Ardus and Noello spoke. She took a back seat to this conversation, if only so she could set her mind to the facts. It was quite the tall tale, and if she hadn't had her own horrific and nightmarish experiences, she would have likely discounted it as pure fiction. Works of imagination, and flickering torchlights, combined with..., well, there was nothing natural that could be mistaken for what she'd seen. Even so, reports of these things being in the Isles were new to her. If they had made it to the isolated Western Isles, they could be anywhere. A bit of worry for Ilia, and her parents flashed through her mind. Richter's sister, Mary Abend was there as well. Hopefully, things were safe enough up north.
Ardus had said he'd encountered demons. 'A bit less material and more shadowy'... Why would he say that? They must be something other than the walking dead, or doom wolves....
"Ardus, what did you face in there? Tell us about your encounter." The Falcoknight turned keen blue eyes on the big man. She had a few avenues to explore with questioning now. Obviously, the explorers thought these demons were connected with what was in Ostia somehow, but Clair wanted to have a better idea of what exactly they'd confronted first. Then maybe it would be easier to form connections and possible theories.
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Post by Richter Abend on Apr 30, 2012 17:08:36 GMT -6
"I'm honestly not sure," replied Ardus, his words addressing both Clair and Richter's questions at the same time. His attention focused in on Clair, planning on answering the rest of her question first. "All of a sudden, the room grew dark. An obvious statement, seeing as we were underground, but this darkness seemed unnatural." "Yeah, my fire did nothing," chimed in Noello, nodding his head in grim confirmation. "It would still burn, but it wouldn't give off any light. It was creepy." "Right, and then it got cold," resumed Ardus, again taking control of the story. "Frigid cold. Like an Ilian winter, and I remember I only had a few seconds to acknowledge that fact before my mind was bombarded with darkness." The large Ilian man slowly shook his head as he thought back upon the moment. "It was frightening. I lost control of my senses as it felt like the walls were closing in around me, and although nothing was truly there, I thought I could feel things swarming all around me. Shades. Whispers..." Ardus gave pause as he ruminated on the events. It was obvious they troubled him.
"It was an enemy I was completely helpless against, and utter helplessness is a feeling I've only felt once before," he said, turning his attention to Richter. He stared at the younger man for a moment. "Last night, when I said I was shipwrecked on Valor, I didn't mention how I came across an ancient shrine." "You seem to be coming across a lot of those," muttered Richter, smirking at the convenience of it, but Ardus simply nodded in agreement. "Yes, but to be fair, I've been searching them out. This, however, was an accident, and though I didn't know it at the time, I've come to think it was the tomb of Brammiond." Richter raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed," he said. "The burial tombs of two of Elibe's greatest heroes. Was there a body in this one?" His brother shrugged, shaking his head. "I have no idea. I couldn't get inside," he replied, "but at the door, I was attacked by the same kind of evil energy Noello and I encountered in Durbans's tomb. It's what got me started on this whole hunt, you could say."
Richter frowned. What was Ardus trying to say? That the heroes were the source of the monsters? Had Hargus done something more to them when he had resurrected them? No, that's not right. Ardus had gotten shipwrecked on Valor before the Bandit War. "And Etruria is using this power?" Richter asked. Again, Ardus shrugged. "Perhaps," he replied. "For all we know, it could just be following the Eturians around." "But why now?" "Because Hargus disturbed the tombs? That's my guess." Ardus placed a hand on his chin, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. "Recalling the stories, like the ones father used to tell us, it is said that the power of the legendary weapons rent the very fabric of the world, and Hargus had the heroes waving them around like playthings." He shook his head ruefully. "Maybe that's all it took to upset the balance." "But that doesn't explain where the darkness came from, or why its in the tombs of the heroes." "No," Ardus replied. "No it doesn't."
"I have a theory," said Noello, entering the conversation where Ardus left it, "that the tombs functioned as some sort of seal, like a cork in a wine bottle. Maybe the heroes released some sort of evil magic when they fought the dragons, and after the Scouring, used the power of the weapons to fix the curtain, so to speak."
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