Selibas
Hero
The Little Wolf
My Word is Iron.
Posts: 455
Etruria Fame: -1
Bern Fame: 4
Illia Fame: -3
Profession: Khan
Guild: Tribe of Sacae
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Selibas on Apr 12, 2015 20:07:48 GMT -6
Selibas grunted in his cold stone room. They had given it to him upon his arrival, and he thought it would be rude to deny the place they'd set aside for him. So for one night, he would sleep in this place of discomfort. How much better it would be to sleep low to the ground, with the taste of oxygen a few feet away. Instead, he was stuck in a room surrounded by bricks that felt like a cage, and the young chief had experience being caged. He took his shirt off after setting his blade belt down on his bed, and after placing the giant blade he wore on his back up against the wall. Selibas placed the shirt on top of a table that was in the room for some odd reason he might have understood if he were from Bern. He had had them move a few of his things there, and now he decided to take a look at one of them.
The little wolf reached under the bed they'd given him, and pulled out a wide rectangular box of wood. He opened the thing, and took out Zulfiqar, his first sword. Actually the second. The first one was buried deep in some wall in Lycia. This one he had taken from an Ostian reorganization movement's armory. It was a Cavalry sword, not one he ever should have used. A saber, one that he had never known how to use, a curved blade, that he had chosen to simply smack up against things. It had worked, and he was still here. The little wolf wrapped his hands around the hilt, it was larger in the middle than on either side, and made for a man much taller than he, meaning he could still hold it with two hands. Selibas spun the blade so that it passed his right elbow before he held it straight again.
It had seen better days, this sword. It was thin and nicked here or there. There were places his whetstone had never managed to reach, and some places he had reached too far. It was a blade that had been held by a thin, inexperienced boy. Now the hands which held it belonged to a man, much thicker in muscle, much thicker in pride. He had not used Zulfiqar for fear that it might break. It had sentimental value for the chief. Now he reconsidered. With this sword, he had started his journey. With this sword, he intended to finish it.
There was a knock on the door, Selibas looked over, and in a hurried flash re-sheathed Zulfiqar, and threw his shirt on. He unsheathed it again, he might want to get a few notches out of the blade. "Come in."
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Zacharia
Shaman
Kingmaker
"You fight for the promise of a better tomorrow for this country."
Posts: 172
Bern Fame: 3
Illia Fame: -2
Profession: Advisor
Affiliation: Bernese Senate
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Zach
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Post by Zacharia on May 3, 2015 12:12:51 GMT -6
The war council had ended some hours ago, with each soldier going their separate ways. Days from now they would depart; some for Larguz, and some for Poliar. But there were still butterflies in his stomach, for some reason. There always was; before the skirmish inside the Bernese mountains, or the trade that went sour, and especially before they took Macendew. And that wasn't even deatiling the rest of what happened during the meeting. Needless to say, the commander needed a way to unwind or he'd never be able to rest.
To the best of his knowledge, both Selibas and Zacharia were off-duty for the evening. It'd been quite some time since he'd last had the chance to chat with the Little Wolf; over a year ago, when Zach was so self-assured in his abilities. Dark times, eugh. If he never remembered them again, it would be too soon. But what better way to relax than to catch up with someone he hadn't seen in ages? Zach looked down at the sheet he scrawled a map of the manor on, and up at the door where the Sacaen reclined. This was the place, no doubt. Not that he could tell from a glance: if it wasn't for the tapestries or decor, all of these blasted halls would look the same!
Zacharia took a deep breath and rapped softly on the door. Selibas hadn't changed much after being a prisoner for so long; his spat with Saturos assured that. He just hoped that his comrade (friend?) was as excited to see Zach as Zach was to see him. From inside mumbled a "come in" - The mage fumbled with the goods in his arms as he tried to twist the knob.
"Selibas?" The mage popped his head around the door way, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that familiarly disheveled green hair. "It's me, Zacharia. It's been... Gaea, quite some time since we last talked." Eyeing the sheathed sword on his cot he shut the door behind him, and set his cargo down on the floor. "Have you been holding up okay?"
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Selibas
Hero
The Little Wolf
My Word is Iron.
Posts: 455
Etruria Fame: -1
Bern Fame: 4
Illia Fame: -3
Profession: Khan
Guild: Tribe of Sacae
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Selibas on May 26, 2015 20:34:36 GMT -6
Selibas grinned at the mage as he passed through the door. "Hello Zach, it's good to see you." Selibas sat down on his bed, and pulled a whetstone out of his travel bag. "Have a seat if you'd like." Selibas began to put the stone to his blade, running it along the edge. The first time he'd tried to sharpen it, he had cut himself, and had almost made the blade completely useless. It was odd holding it now. How different he had become, after all his days, living in fear, being protected by others as this blade and he struggled to avoid being broken under the pressure of the outside world. Unlike the blade, he had avoided being broken by throwing himself headfirst into the thick of the world's strain. The blade, he had shut up in its little box.
He looked at his brother in arms (friend?) and thought of how much he had changed since Selibas had met him. He seemed stronger now, not physically, but spiritually. Actually, he didn't look quite as paper thin as the last time Selibas had seen him, but that simply wasn't the point. He was doing well in his current role, and Selibas would do well to see him as an equal more than a soldier. Truth be told, Selibas saw himself as a soldier whose biggest responsibility was to talk louder than all the others. Selibas smiled, "So, I came out of that meeting looking like a strong competent leader, eh? Putting Aidan's life at risk in the opinion of his bodyguard and everyone else." Selibas looked down and shook his head, still smiling. He looked back up, "You did well though, they liked what you had to say. For the most part at least."
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Zacharia
Shaman
Kingmaker
"You fight for the promise of a better tomorrow for this country."
Posts: 172
Bern Fame: 3
Illia Fame: -2
Profession: Advisor
Affiliation: Bernese Senate
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Zach
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Post by Zacharia on May 27, 2015 16:09:03 GMT -6
"Saturos was in the wrong for making light of the pride of a Sacaen like you I guess. Or well, mainly a court full of people that are way way stronger than he is. ...I can never read that guy's thoughts, myself."
"But really, you think I did okay? To tell you the truth I was sure they were going to just reach across the table and snap my neck off when they got tired of me, eheh." The mage awkwardly shrugged off the swordsman's compliment as he made his way over to the cot, weapon in tow. Or at least, that was what he tried to do. "Zacharia tripped and fell" would be a better summary. Forgetting the bottle he protected so well just a minute ago, the mage took one step forward and immediately caught his boot under the wooden tray housed by the brandy. He thanked the fates as he sailed downwards that he still held his book tight.
Time slowed down for that instant of a second, and that was, thankfully, all the time he needed. Zach's book flew out of his grasp as he opened it, and at his command a flurry of tiny blue lights soared from of the Nether, safely catching the bottle mid-flight. Or at least, he didn't hear the sound of shattered booze - if not him, then the other lad caught it. Zacharia was stunned, gasping for breath. "Hah...hah..I'm sorry, Selibas." Disoriented as he was, he trusted the lack of glass tinkling on the floor meant that one of the two of them actually did save it. Did the catch look cool? He sure hoped it did. "That was a... It was a gift to me, from the other soldiers."
The mage picked himself from the floor with wobbly arms, and sat beside the Little Wolf. Scrambling everything back together wasn't too much of a hassle, though his cheeks were bright with embarrassment. "Though I guess... the surprise is ruined by now..." He wheezed. "Not just the drink but... I've gotten a little stronger while... I was away last...month, hah..." The mugs had chipped off in a few places. Nothing much to cry over, and woe be the man who actually managed to break a cup while it was already on the ground. Not even he could do that, he rationalized with a slight smile. "U-Um, thanks for not laughing. I thought you might want some of the stuff from the larders, and... I figured it might not be a bad idea to chat a while tonight, with something good to drink. I-If that's alright with you, anyway."
He had a thousand and one questions for Selibas, chiefly "What was jail like?" though he might as well curl up into a ball and die right there if he thought he could ask THAT.
"S-So! Really though, how have you been? Cyril didn't mention much about you last time I talked to him a few weeks back, and, well... I still don't know how to approach him yet, so I don't think I'll be doing that for a while. Other than him and Macendew, everything's been business as always for the rest of us." Come to think of "business as always", whatever happened to that Nacht person? Zacharia did admire his strength of character and powerful magic at the time, but after Aidan scolded the young boy, he never really saw the elder mage again. Weird; but not worth mentioning to Selibas unless the Sacaen actually met Nacht and thought of him the same way.
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Selibas
Hero
The Little Wolf
My Word is Iron.
Posts: 455
Etruria Fame: -1
Bern Fame: 4
Illia Fame: -3
Profession: Khan
Guild: Tribe of Sacae
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Selibas on May 30, 2015 22:40:27 GMT -6
"Heh, well, won't be the last time my Sacaen pride's hurt in this rebellion." Selibas leaned back against his bedpost, holding his saber in front of him with one hand. He looked at each individual nick and scar along the blade. "You did fine, besides, you're probably smarter than all of them, they wouldn't even be able to notice if you said something that wasn't a good idea." Zach probably was truly smarter than most of those commanders, based on what little he had seen of all of them.
Then suddenly Zach was tripping. From the items he carried came a bottle of booze. Selibas lunged to reach for it, but he didn't need to, something that Zach did somehow stopped the bottle from falling and crashing. A cluster of light erupted into life, and held the bottle suspended in the air. Taking care not to touch any of the lights, Selibas managed to grab the bottle. Slowly moving it away from the lights, Selibas opened it, and gave it a sniff. It was Brandy, but he couldn't tell where from. He had always liked Whiskeys better than Brandy, but Brandy would do. "I'd say you've gotten much stronger. When last I saw you cast, all you did was help me stay alive, now you've saved my drink. Something much harder and much more important." Selibas smiled at the young shaman just before he took a drink. As Selibas pulled the bottle away from his lips, he snarled, and closed his left eye.
"That," Selibas said, "is my first drink of alcohol in six months." It left a bitter taste in his mouth. He'd always liked drinking, but apparently he'd lost whatever taste he had acquired for it. "Me? I've been fine, other than being in prison." Selibas laughed, hard, and hurt his left side. He'd taken a wound there before his imprisonment, and had been wounded again taking down the Ilian fort. He closed his eyes and put his hand against it. After another quick gulp of the brandy, Selibas held it out to the shaman. "What about you? What's Zacharia been up to?"
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Zacharia
Shaman
Kingmaker
"You fight for the promise of a better tomorrow for this country."
Posts: 172
Bern Fame: 3
Illia Fame: -2
Profession: Advisor
Affiliation: Bernese Senate
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Zach
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Post by Zacharia on Jun 2, 2015 15:07:47 GMT -6
Zacharia nervously chuckled alongside the Sacaen, eyeing how he held his side so tenderly. In the notes he'd taken from the lording Lady of Macendew, they often spoke of herbal medicines and healing staves. Funny, because the foaming old hag never struck him as particularly caring. But a decent, wise ruler? Sure. Whatever the case was, there was nothing he could for Selibas' ills on his own. The mage hardly knew which side of a magic stick was the "heal" bit, forget the unimaginably complex human body. There was just an irritating feeling that he couldn't shake off - something more he could be doing with his gifts. At least for now, catching bottles mid-flight was something he could put on his resume instead.
"Zacharia's been up to..." The thought gave him mental pause. "Huh. To tell you the truth, I haven't given much thought to what I've done lately." What should he say? "I've become the right hand of the biggest face in Bern"? Well, he wouldn't be wrong, per se. It just seemed so... so, arrogant? Most likely, he felt that Selibas wouldn't believe him. "Oh, I've been.. here and there, all over Bern. I wouldn't even know where to begin, ever since the Wolfpack left it's been mostly a blur of memories. I-I did go into central for a while, though. Fought some monsters off, and found a new book for my troubles. Er, that's not to say that it's like all my other books, though - what I mean to say is, it's special."
In pause he took a swig of the brandy and after he took pains to set it down gently, pulled the lock strap from his book. On the cover there was nothing, save for the scratches and the dents in the worn leather bindings. Zacharia flipped through the first through the pages and turned to one near the center of the book. On the face of the page were meaningless words and diagrams, if you could call them that: Ink black, ever-shifting calligraphy slowly swirled around the weathered page, as if the letters themselves tried to avoid the rebels' gaze. "This is what I'd like to call a "Cipher". Master Boryn told me the author created it to hold limitless potential, but... I've only been able to crack the locks on the first few chapters. The rest is just gibberish."
"It's been a slow process," he sighed as he closed the book and placed it in his lap. "But it's something. How about Curtana, that beauty you found a year or so ago? You said something about it being a part of your family heritage. Don't get me wrong, I'd kinda like to hear about your heritage too, but... how's it work? I'd love to hear what you know!"
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Selibas
Hero
The Little Wolf
My Word is Iron.
Posts: 455
Etruria Fame: -1
Bern Fame: 4
Illia Fame: -3
Profession: Khan
Guild: Tribe of Sacae
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Selibas on Jun 4, 2015 21:58:02 GMT -6
Selibas listened as Zacharia briefly avoided something before hurtling himself into a discussion about his new book, simply glossing over the mention of monsters. Selibas listened as the excited shaman detailed the difference between his magical tomes. Then he asked Selibas about Curtana, and the little wolf grinned as he lifted himself. He walked over to where he'd leaned his swords against the wall, and lifted Curtana. The blade was light, more like a feather than a weapon, it surprised the young swordsman that it had ever been used in a physical battle. He turned back to the shaman, and pulled out the blade, holding the hilt just above the jewel at the pommel. He set the scabbard of the weapon against the bedpost, and sat down, holding the weapon over his knees with both hands, one cupped around the middle of the blade.
He looked at his friend, "The truth is, I don't know. I just have ideas. Anytime I hold this hilt, I feel as if it is my duty to protect everyone. Not just the soldiers in my command, but everyone. There's even a tiny voice in the back of my skull, my own voice driven by some overwhelming force of this blade, telling me that bandits need to be protected. Protected from what I used to wonder, but now I know that there are monsters walkin' Elibe. I use Curtana in the clearing of battlefields walked by men, and I wonder, is it right to use it? Even if it isn't it means less of my men die, so for now, it will have to do, and its misuse can weigh on my conscious another day." Selibas stood, and let go of the blade of the weapon, spinning the hilt so that he held the sword as he normally would, in his right hand.
"Whenever I have used it, I have always felt... prideful. I have never taken Curtana into a battle I thought that I would lose, and I have not given the blade a defeat. In order to weild its magic, I think I have to feel like I can do anything. When I swing the sword, and it duels another man like a phantom, I have to swing it knowing that I am standing on two solid feet. I don't think I could use the magic of Curtana if I were being dishonest, or running away." Selibas sat back down, and extended the weapon hilt first to Zacharia, if he wanted to hold it. Selibas took another drink before preparing to admit something that was potentially embarassing. "Zach, have you ever kissed a girl?"
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Zacharia
Shaman
Kingmaker
"You fight for the promise of a better tomorrow for this country."
Posts: 172
Bern Fame: 3
Illia Fame: -2
Profession: Advisor
Affiliation: Bernese Senate
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Zach
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Post by Zacharia on Jun 6, 2015 15:28:54 GMT -6
Dark magic was his area of expertise, so he knew little of the strange powers that Curtana carried inside the sword. It could have any number of possible abilities, all of them, or none of them, just like his book. It might not even have an effect, besides giving its wielder a massive savior complex. It was worth looking into. The only hitch was if Selibas' description of Curtana was right, Zach's research might end with a grisly shaman smudge on the ground. Ick.
"I dunno," he pulled at his collar with one hand, with the other hovering over the blade's hilt. "If your sword hasn't been wielded by anyone besides your ancestors for like a thousand years, maybe it's for the best that it stays that way." Even if the mage wasn't holding Curtana, he could feel the ebb-flow pulse of magic coming from the blade on his palm. Whatever its phantasmal abilities were, it was powerful. A good match for a man like Selibas.
"A... Kissed a girl? I don't think so. Hey, wh-what kind of question is that?! Have YOU?" Come to think of it, he hadn't really kissed any boys or girls he liked, no. But much of his life he had spent around old people, or gross scholars just like him. "I don't think I'm much of a romantic kind of person to t-tell you the truth. Or much of a lover, heh." He paused to sip the brandy. "Are... Is there someone waiting for you at home, like that? A boyfriend? Girlfriend? Or... haha, is there someone you're crushing on here in the army? You seem more suited to a partner that can fight alongside you."
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Selibas
Hero
The Little Wolf
My Word is Iron.
Posts: 455
Etruria Fame: -1
Bern Fame: 4
Illia Fame: -3
Profession: Khan
Guild: Tribe of Sacae
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Selibas on Jun 11, 2015 13:00:59 GMT -6
Selibas shrugged and sheathed the sword as the shaman told Selibas he wouldn't risk holding the blade. He carried the sword over to one of the rooms walls, and leaned it up against the stone. He turned back as the shaman threw out a barrage of questions concerning Selibas' ability or history in the area of romance. He slid down onto the bed again, only twisting his nose once at the pain. He pushed the majority of his weight onto his palms as he placed his hands behind his back. He let out a brief exhalation as Zach's questions stopped.
"No I haven't. Isn't that crazy? I have grown men following me into battles, men with children, and I've never given a girl so much as a hug. The only time I've ever touched a girls face," Selibas trailed off, then looked at Zacharia and smiled, "I think I was punching her." He laughed for a moment, before a chunk of his hair fell into his face. He moved it up out of his line of vision.
Thinking for a second, Selibas reached behind his head and tightened the band around his forehead, pushing it up. "I have... a tribe waiting for me back home. Once this rebellion is over, I'll be headed back, and then I don't think I'll be leaving Sacae maybe ever again. So, what will probably happen is some chief of another tribe will have a bandit problem, or something of that sort, and for a few weeks of our tribes working together, they'll offer a daughter or a niece to me for marriage. Won't that be something? A girl who wouldn't touch me by her own choice, forced to share my bed for traditions and obligations."
Selibas scratched his left eye lid. He smiled again as he looked at the ceiling. "I guess I bring it up because well, I think I am a bit of a romantic. I just haven't met anyone to express that to. I've been fighting since I was thirteen, haven't had much of a chance to meet women on the battlefield."
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Zacharia
Shaman
Kingmaker
"You fight for the promise of a better tomorrow for this country."
Posts: 172
Bern Fame: 3
Illia Fame: -2
Profession: Advisor
Affiliation: Bernese Senate
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Zach
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Post by Zacharia on Jun 28, 2015 11:28:01 GMT -6
The mage smiled as he took another swig of the drink set between the pair. That sounded like a Selibas-y thing to say. Heh, "celibacy". Kinda hard to believe that someone like the little wolf didn't have a significant other. The only detractor he could see was his... lack of height? Was that even a problem? Most couples seemed to prefer a significant height difference, so maybe that. "Sacaen customs always confused me," he sighed. "I don't think I'll ever understand why a chief has the right to give away their own flesh and blood like that. And for such a small reason, too. But I'd love to experience their ways of life, for myself. If I had to guess, it's probably all of the outdated things I've read that paints them in such a negative light, rather than Sacae itself. It must be quite a way to live, if so many nomads wander the hills there."
Zacharia frowned when Selibas spoke of leaving and never returning. "Do you... Would you really never come back? Being a chief has its obligations, I know that much. I guess I just never saw you as a settle-down sort of person. I've always had this picture of you traveling the globe, with Cyril in tow. You two are a good pair so far as I've seen." Still, it must have been nice to have somewhere to go after such a bleak war. The shaman knew Daniel trusted him about as much as Zach trusted him. The boy was his confidant. But if they won the war and Aidan truly became king of the nation... would Zacharia still have a place to go? His home was abandoned save for a lifetime of reading, and his family was scattered to the four winds.
"I guess what I really want to know is... do you think your tribe - no, your home would have a place for someone like me: a stuffy old Elder Mage?" Khayri had always scolded him for being such a shut-in. An airhead she might have been, but his old master had a point: if he ever wanted to perfect his skills, studying nature instead of dusty old books was about the greatest teacher Zacharia could find.
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Selibas
Hero
The Little Wolf
My Word is Iron.
Posts: 455
Etruria Fame: -1
Bern Fame: 4
Illia Fame: -3
Profession: Khan
Guild: Tribe of Sacae
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Selibas on Jun 29, 2015 10:05:24 GMT -6
Selibas lifted himself a little higher against the bed. "There are... a lot of things about Sacae I'd like to change. Not all of them are marriage practices, but still, a person's life is theirs." Maybe the little wolf would have a different opinion if he had grown up a part of those Sacaen traditions, but he hadn't. Selibas was an outsider in the rest of Elibe for his Sacaen blood, and an outsider in Sacae for his Bernese blood. In truth, he wasn't anything, or anyone that he hadn't decided. He chose to be Sacaen, because he believed Sacae could be better with him in it. He chose to be Sacaen because much of the world hated him for it. The world could go f*** itself.
The chief leaned back, and took another drink before extending it to Zach once more. He had been thinking of Sacae a lot recently. It was never truly out of his mind. However, what he would do once he got there had him puzzled. Whether he would be able to simply up and leave Sacae anymore, well, that seemed unlikely. He shrugged, "Well, truth be told, I don't know. I have a certain degree of vested interest in Bern as could be imagined." Selibas smiled for a moment before continuing. "If I had my way, I'd make sure to come back every once in a while, just to see how its doing. Hell, if I have my way, I'm going to be talking with King Aidan and his advisers about a number of things."
Selibas looked at Zach for a moment in regard to his last question. Keeping his face utterly serious he said, "No." For a moment he kept his face straight, then he laughed so hard his wound hurt him again. "Of course we would! You're smart and capable Zach, and even if you weren't simply the type of person Sacaens like, which I assure you, we wouldn't be friends if you weren't, you're a good fighter. How surprised would a group of bandits be if they were expecting arrows and all of a sudden, they were covered in elder magic?" Selibas had almost called it dark magic, but seemed to remember that that wasn't the right way to say it.
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Zacharia
Shaman
Kingmaker
"You fight for the promise of a better tomorrow for this country."
Posts: 172
Bern Fame: 3
Illia Fame: -2
Profession: Advisor
Affiliation: Bernese Senate
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Zach
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Post by Zacharia on Jul 10, 2015 15:40:29 GMT -6
Zacharia's face grew dark at Selibas' refusal. "O-Oh..." Was it his magic? Was it his hygiene? Was it just him? There must've been something wrong with him. "Well, I uh, I mean.. It's not like it was a big deal or anything, eheh," he shrugged it off, feeling dejecte--
"Wh-What? You were playing me?! You...You jerk!" At first the he mage wasn't really sure how to respond as Selibas had a laughing fit. But then he giggled, then started to chuckle so hard the real tears that were forming were replaced by tears of laughter, tears of happiness. Things were going to be alright from now on for the mage, as he laughed himself out of bed and almost onto the floor. "Ahaha, phew. That was a close one." It'd been a long time since he'd had something to smile about like that. Too long. The laughter ended, but his big dopey grin was sure to stay. "Thank you, Selibas. That really means a lot to me - more than you know."
"Change?" Righting himself upwards, the young man carefully weighed the little wolf's idea in his head. "You mean like... "change" change, right?" Selibas was a man of great perseverance. Zach couldn't tell if he was speaking metaphorically or if he was going to honestly drop everything and go out to Sacae. It made sense; war was brewing out on the plains, according to their sources and letters Zacharia sorted through. Not to mention that one of the most chaotic warlords in history had come back from beyond the grave and laid waste to the City of Heroes. "Mmm, maybe some change is in order. But that's something to be saved for after all the war in Sacae blows over, you know? Something that anyone can look forward to: change for the better. Heck, that's what we're doing here anyway. We've been trying to change Bern for its people since the start."
Shortly after taking another sip of the brandy, Zacharia rested his head in his hand. Oof. Either his face was red from too much laughing, or he'd had a tad too much to drink. Maybe both? It probably wasn't a big deal. All of today's duties were done, and the only thing he had to do for the next few days was sort through the mail, change his bandages, and pack his travel bag. "Speaking of Bern... tell me, Selibas: You're a chefta..chit..a leader from Sacae, right? But you're a general here in Bern. You never told me your story before, man. How did you go from a leader kid in Sacae to a general with an army at his command Bern? And... how does that Cindyfelter guy play into your story? You've mentioned him a couple times too. Is he a long lost uncle of yours, or something like that?"
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Selibas
Hero
The Little Wolf
My Word is Iron.
Posts: 455
Etruria Fame: -1
Bern Fame: 4
Illia Fame: -3
Profession: Khan
Guild: Tribe of Sacae
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Selibas on Aug 4, 2015 21:21:04 GMT -6
The Sacaen nodded at Zacharia's question on change, then reached out and pulled the bottle from Zach's hands. Selibas waited as Zach asked Selibas essentially why he fought, and decided he'd need a drink before anwering. He took a big drink this time. "Cinderfelt. That's how you say it, Cinderfelt." Selibas licked his top lip, and looked at the stone floor, and for at least ten seconds he was quiet. He looked up, but not at the shaman next to him, just ahead, at the wall. It had been a long time since he had detailed his story. He began after a shrug of his shoulders. Sixteen, maybe seventeen years ago, a Bernese rider passed through Sacae, on a mission to Ilia. On his way to Ilia, he stayed with a small tribe, that kept to the shadows of the mountains his fearsome beast was accustomed to. He didn't give them his name until leaving, but, and this is only what I've been told, the face of the chief and his son grew pale upon hearing it. Then, on his way back, he asked to be put up again, and somehow more afraid than before, the chief accepted."
Selibas took a sigh in. This part created a parallel he didn't much care for. "No one spoke to him. The people of the tribe, they made sure not to, not to let their children get too close. The chief's daughter however, saw something in the man she thought was a burning fire. She wanted to burn in it. That night, she snuck into the rider's tent, and they," Selibas hesitated. Instead of saying it, he just looked at Zacharia and raised his eyebrows. "The next morning, the man and the girl had gone. A few months later, they came back, and the man left the woman. Months later, a boy was born, and the girl left to follow the man who'd set her soul ablaze. The man was called Yerna, and the woman was," Selibas let a long sigh escape his teeth. "They never told me my mother's name."
Selibas swallowed the air. "I was treated as a child much like my father was he night he'd stayed with my tribe, I guess because they were afraid that I'd become something like him. They told me just enough. That a cruel Wyvern Commander from Bern had stolen my mother one night, then she had dumped me in my uncle's ger. So, people stayed away from me, they told their children not to play with me, or even talk to me, but, most did." Selibas nodded as if he agreed with his own story. "They made sure to tell me why they hated me, why their parents told them they should be nothing like me. It was difficult. When I was twelve or thirteen, it's hard to remember," Selibas laughed, "they never told me my birthday either. Anyway, a young man from my tribe, who had joined the Etrurian Army of all things, visited the village on minor leave, and saw me being bullied by my cousin for stealing a practice sword. He, I don't know, took pity on me, and taught me my first steps with a blade. Then, he left, and I tried to follow him. A few days later, I found that near a village on the border of Sacae and Bern, a troop of Wyvern riders had killed an Etrurian scout patrol. I don't know why they were so far from Salvation point, or wherever they were stationed, but the man, Roger, had been killed.
After another swig of brandy, Selibas continued, "The commander of the Wyverns was Cinderfelt. So, I set out looking for allies, that could help me to bring him down. Instead, I found a teacher, who inspired me to return to my tribe, and become its chief. I did so by defeating the cousin who'd bullied me as a boy in single combat. Then, after some time, I came to join the rebellion, because well, it seemed a good cause, and Bern was where the majority of my mercenary work had been done. I'll be honest though, a large part of my motivation for fighting in this war, is that I knew Yerna would be sitting there waiting to fight me if I made it close to the end."
Selibas looked at Zach and smiled. It's funny, this vendetta I've had that he's never known of. My whole life, I've dreamed of squashing him. Because my tribe, they thought I'd be like him. Because I thought if I killed him, I'd be his opposite. Funny, I think wanting to kill someone this badly for revenge and abandonment means I'm more like him than I'd care to admit. I created a story where this man is so horrible that I could seek him out, and kill him, and I would be in the right. What's odd, is that, everything I've heard of him confirms that. This man, is most definitely evil. If I kill him, I won't be playing a hero in a fantasized version of events. By beating him, I truly am a Hero."
Selibas laughed and scrathced his neck. "I never said I was healthy, you know, mentally."
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Zacharia
Shaman
Kingmaker
"You fight for the promise of a better tomorrow for this country."
Posts: 172
Bern Fame: 3
Illia Fame: -2
Profession: Advisor
Affiliation: Bernese Senate
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Link
OoC Alias: Zach
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Post by Zacharia on Aug 8, 2015 17:00:41 GMT -6
Zach looked to the slowly dwindling spirit the Sacaen held between his lips. They were running a little lower than the mage expected, but he knew better than to send for more. Already, his cheeks felt rosy and his head foggy, and from his end Selibas looked none the worse for wear. When it came to alcohol Zach was a lightweight and he knew it, but what harm could finishing off what little they had left do?
"And after that... I'm guessing I know the rest?" The dark mage nodded slowly, chuckling. "You look a lot saner than most I know, Selibas."
"But it shore is strange how closely our stories line up, huh? I mean, I'm not exactly a che..if, but... both bastards, both children of the Bernese military, both of us growing up in... less than ideal environments. Gaea's pretty funny with fate that way, I guess. And from the sound of it you've lead a harder life than most, but you steel.. still stand on yer own two legs. I think that's something to be proud of. Heck, I a long road ahead of me before I'm reddy to say I'm anywhere close to that." A great many foes still loomed in front of him, if the short lad's story had any impact on his own. He just hoped against hope that he wouldn't have to fight his mother, if push came to shove. The mage gulped. As a child, she seemed impossibly strong to him; an immovable brick wall, even if she was just any old Lieutenant in Bern's army. Now... Now he didn't know what had become of her. She could be dead, for all he knew. Or she could be slumped over in the throne at that very moment, as the new Empress of Bern. Either way, it was likely that age hadn't gotten her down in the slightest, if he knew her. Hopefully, if they met on the battlefield it would be as friends, instead of enemies.
Zacharia was surprised just how strong the Sacaen was, if not somewhat envious. Between his rocky beginnings and his recent extended stay inside of a prison, the Little Wolf still stood tall, so to speak, among his peers. Selibas was strong, he was durable, he was known, he was respected, he was all of these things and so many others. Zach had none of it, and shamefully he realized, he wanted all of it. Every last bit.
He rubbed his forehead with a free hand, and shook his loose hair violently. "Sorry, I had a bad thought."
"Regardless of your past, I'm glad that Gaea, or Mother Earth, or Providence, or... whatever's looking down on us from way up in the sky brought you here, to Macendew. We haven't talked in a while, or fought together in a while, but you're a..." Zacharia paused, a lump forming in his throat. Comrade? Brother-in-arms? Friend? "A uh, uh..." Would he be alright with a title like that? "I consider you a-a friend of mine."
The mage was thankful he was already visibly tipsy; at least Selibas would think he was just drunk, instead of afraid.
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Selibas
Hero
The Little Wolf
My Word is Iron.
Posts: 455
Etruria Fame: -1
Bern Fame: 4
Illia Fame: -3
Profession: Khan
Guild: Tribe of Sacae
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Selibas on Oct 3, 2015 12:00:42 GMT -6
Selibas smiled ever so slightly as Zach drunkenly slurred out a quick speech. Mother Earth? What a strange way to say her name. Selibas said, "We call her the Earth Mother in Sacae." Selibas looked at the stone floor for a moment. "You are a good friend Zacharia."
The wolf stood up, and the booze hit him. His legs would have given out had he not braced for it. The world very quickly began to spin around Selibas as his head felt like it spun the other way. He felt his feet slipping, but once more steeled himself. He was sure if he could see his reflection, his hair would not be all that was green. He quickly decided to return to his seat on the bed, but fell more than he sat down.
"What about you then Zacharia? When we met, you were with a teacher or something similar if I remember right. Sky Father damn it all, that was long ago. How much time did I lose in that cell?" The small Sacaen ran his hand through his hair. He had tried not to think of his imprisonment too much, but it had only been about a week since his escape. Now that prison was gone, and he was free. He spent far too much time as a prisoner, here, Ilia, Sacae.
"What were you doing there? What reason did you have to be on some kind of errand? Better yet, why if our stories are similar, would we end up at the same place? Less than ideal environment enough to make you want to leave the Bern military life?"
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