Down to Earth (Open)

[Ajari]

Ajari slowly descended the mountain peak, the biting cold not bothering her as much as one might expect. She'd been traveling days down the mountain, but at last she'd reached the height where she might start seeing people. The monks had told her of a village down here, in the valley between two mountains, but she'd seen no signs of it yet. She was unsure how she would even recognize it. The monks had tried to explain what a village was, but Ajari was not quite sure that she totally understood.

The cold assailed her frame, but found no hold in her thoughts. Her focus and discipline beat it back, along with some help from the stone woven into a band on her right wrist. She'd lived in the cold all her life, and her body was quite used to it.

As she descended into the unknown, she felt a little apprehensive. Her life had made her knowledgeable, so she thought. She'd been through every nook and cranny of the monastery hundreds of times. She knew it better than anyone else, having descended deep into the caverns beneath it simply out of boredom and a desire for knowledge.

Still, the monks were often trained that the unknown was not to be feared. It was by going beyond the possible, into the realm of the impossible, that we found our limits. Once those limits were found, we could begin the long task of moving beyond them. She was not sure what she would find as she descended the mountain, but she knew she had a duty. Her destiny was down here, in the 'Land of the People'. It was a different world compared to where she was from.

How different, remained to be seen.

[Deleted]

cold, just the way Djoser liked it. The old man was wondering around Ilia as if he was in a winter wonderland. He had heard there was a land filled with ice and snow, but in truth he never really believed it. Now finally after years of wondering and living in the mountains of Bern Djoser finally saw the truth. There was snow as far as he could see and he loved every inch of it.

"Kind of makes you wonder", spoke Djoser outloud to himself. "If this place is so cold and filled with so much ice, why do the Ilian Pegasus knights wear such short skirts. I mean it should be impractical." As Djoser talked to himself he noticed a figure moving into view. From what he could tell it was a young boy, but then again his eyes were not as good as they use to be. It could be a woman for all he knew. He needed to get a bit closer to have a proper look. He did not see any axes or swords on the figure so it should not be a problem to get closer. If it was a bandit then it would have probably screamed something about give me your money or I am going to kill you by now.

"Hello there", shouted Djoser as he began to walk toward the figure. "It is a ice day is it not", spoke the ice loving sage.

[Ajari]

Ajari heard the crunching of the snow long before the old man called to her. She'd heard him talk a bit more before that, but it didn't sound like it was directed to her. Did he have a companion with him that she had missed?

As the old man came into view through the whipping winds, Ajari began to see the man's shape form. Elderly, as his voice had indicated. His face was disheveled, hair flowing every which way, and he looked weak. It was odd. Even the elderly in the monastery looked strong and fit, because they were. Until the moments death claimed them, the monks had been in the peak of physical condition. This man, however, showed a much weaker frame than the others had.

Was this the fate of the elderly down here? Undisciplined and weak? No. That was not fair to him. She knew nothing of this man, she should not judge him solely on his appearance.

"Good day," she spoke clearly. "Have you lost your way? This does not seem like a place for one like yourself." Nevermind the fact that she was traveling in less clothing that he was, with little more than her monk attire and a cloak draped over her shoulders.

Living in the cold for five hundred years made you a bit resistant to it.

[Deleted]

Normally Djoser would take offense to anybody insinuating that he was weak, but today Djoser was in too good a mood to lash out over such a small snipe.

"No I am not lost", spoke Djoser as he walked closer to the woman. "I am simply enjoying this wonderful Winter Wonder Land. i had never thought there was such a place filled with so much snow and ice. Well with the exception of the top of a mountain, but mountain are suppose to be that way. That is why they are mountains. Still with that in mind I have to ask you the same thing youngin. This place ain't really a tourist spot unless your cold in the head like myself. Normally people get the chills when they see so much open snow and too little road."

[Ajari]

Ajari looked around their current location curiously. "But... we're on a mountain..." she said, looking over this odd man. His fascination with the cold didn't bother her. Everyone was different, after all. He then made the claim that she should not be here either.

"Indeed I am... just traveling through," she said. She didn't wish to reveal the location of the monastery or the nature of her mission to just anyone. After all, the monks had said that the people of the Lower Lands feared that which they did not understand.

"I'd heard that there was a 'village' around here. Do you know the way?"

OK, so maybe she was lost, by the most basic definition.

[Deleted]

"Wait we are",spoke Djoser with surprise. This was not a good sign for the old man. His memory was starting to go. How could he forget that they were on top of a mountain. Maybe it was because he was use to the cold and the altitude. He did live up in a mountain for over 30 plus years. Still Djoser hopped that would be the last of his slip ups. He prayed this was not the beginning to a long road to becoming senile. "Looks like I really am getting cold in the head", spoke Djoser.

The old man stopped and listen to her for a moment. It was clear to him she was hiding something, but that something was none of his business. She was obviously not a bandit and obviously meant no harm to him. "Village", spoke Djoser as he began to think back onto his travels. "Yes there was one in that direction", spoke Djoser as he pointed toward the place he had come to. "Well at least I think", he spoke again with a bit of uncertainty. 'As you can see the mind is not as good as it use to be, or maybe the ice had frozen my brain. Either way I can only be 90% sure that is the right direction. No I take that back. I am 100% sure that is the direction. Old Djoser ain't a ice sickle yet."

[Ajari]

Ajari looked at the old man with concern. His mind had started to fail him, that was unfortunate. She'd seen the effects of aging many times, and it never failed to hurt. The spry and sharp monks would slowly slip away into delirium, lost to the cruel march of time.

"Were you traveling somewhere? It doesn't seem like it would be safe to travel these mountains alone," she noted, looking in the direction he had pointed. Through the snowy winds, she couldn't make out much. Still, if the man said that was the right direction, then that was the right direction.

"I would not doubt your mind, but I may yet doubt your constitution. A place like this really is no place for one to be alone. Was there some pressing matter that required you up on this mountain?" He had to have a reason for being up here, right? Nobody would choose to climb a treacherous mountain on a whim, especially not at his age.

[Deleted]

"Reason", spoke Djoser with a confused expression. "Do you ask why the snow falls in the winter, or why it melts in the summer? I have no reason to visit the mountain, but only to enjoy the image pure brilliant snow. It looks so brilliant, so pure. So to give you a answer my reason for being up here is to simply look at the snow and enjoy the glorious image of it. I am not too much longer for this world, so I might as well fill my head with the images of things that excite. Still I can handle myself", spoke Djoser as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his spell tome. "I may be a old man, but I am not weak. I can call upon the power ice and snow at will. There really is no threat for me to be up here. In fact I have lived up in a mountain for thirty, or was it forty, well for a very long time little ice sickle."

Even though Djoser would not admit it he was a bit lost. Well it was more like he was distracted. He was suppose to be going to Lycia to cheek out the ruin city of Ostigar, however he allowed himself to be side tract with the thoughts of seeing Illia. It was a dream he had in his youth, but never really got around too it. Now he finally had the time and was making good progress at it. Though he was spending way too much time in mountains and simply wondering around. He wondered if his age was truly catching up to him.