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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Oct 28, 2015 10:58:12 GMT -6
"It's been a while," she admitted a touch dourly, "but yes, I met him a few decades ago, living like a crazy man in a witch's abandoned hut in Lycia. We had tea." She smiled. "It was pretty good." And then Marcus, daft idjit that he was, had run - flown - off into the sunset to go exploring without waiting for longer than to say goodbye. Taken nothing with him, just ditched her and the cottage alike. Such an exciteable young man. Well... he was about her age, so she couldn't really take the old lady position, she supposed. "I did hear about it from Richter, though. I think he was more broken up about it than I was."
In retrospect she probably should have found a better path down for Remus, or if she had wings she wouldn't just flown them both down, but a little imminent death had never hurt anyone... right? Giving her current bulwark an experimental flex to make sure the tree was reasonably sturdy, she took another leap of faith, this one much shorter, to an outcropping only maybe two meters away, diagonally down the slope, catching on to it with one hand and digging her heels into the slope for purchase as she regained her bearings. "Well, aside from elemental sensitivity... sorta, but not really. I can usually tell if there's a dragon somewhere in the vicinity, but beyond that it's a game of hide and go seek to figure out who it is, unless they're transformed or something in which case any chump could."
"And the Ending Winter was the result of the Legendary Weapons consuming most of the natural magic in the world to weaken dragons, and expelling it to kill them. You ever hear of something called a "Pyrrhic victory?" "One other such victory would utterly undo him?" Yeah, comes to mind here. This island seems to have been pretty well unscathed by that though, which is cool."
Hmm... this was gonna take a while. If she'd been alone, Nayru reflected, she probably woulda just gone for a proper slip and slide and tried to armor herself from the worst impacts, but Remus was... hmm. Maybe if he cast Barrier on himself a bunch... eh. Who knew what the hell was down there, probably for the best if he saved his magic juice. "Man, this would be a lot faster if we could just fly down there. Don't suppose you happened to discover an affinity for wind magic or anything in the last half hour?"
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Post by Remus on Oct 28, 2015 12:45:25 GMT -6
Richter. That was odd. Everyone seemed to connect. Somehow. He knew Elias, who knew Richter, who Remus knew of but didn't quite know but who also knew Nayru, and he knew Nayru. Nayru knew Marcus, and Marcus knew her and Richter and ah...so many people that knew one another. It was a weird situation. Either way, he smiled a bit as Nayru described their meeting. Though it made him wonder.
Annnnnnnd he lost the thought the moment she started talking about the magic weapons. Remus gazed at Nayru from his clinging perch of a tree branch. He pondered it, but before he could speak..he needed to get somewhere where he wouldn't trip and fall to his death. Stumbling a bit, Remus kicked off the dirt and tried to slide down a bit more to the next tree. It was hard to stop himself from moving though. His shoes were not the greatest for this either, being fairly smooth surfaced. The priest used his staff for this, using his right hand to press firmly down on the ground with it and keep himself more reliably pressed against that point. Dirt kicked up again and the priest reached out shakily to grab the next tree. Yeah, this would be a good point to wait and catch his breath.
"Ah..Okay. So..That's what made the legendary weapons so strong? They fed off the magic around them and unleashed it on dragons? I ah..can't imagine that going over too well. Though yes. I've heard of a Pyrrhic victory. Though I wonder..if this island is unscathed...couldn't it be spread elsewhere? Could the magic come back? Er...though I could see that causing problems."
As the priest spoke he tried to shift his weight again, stumbling in full this time and yelping once more in surprise as he slid down the pathway with his hands catching the branch right above the other one. Roots exposed as it slid out from the priests weight, but he didn't have to worry too much thankfully because he was not doomed. The roots must've been rooted heavily into the rock-side, because they did not give out like he'd imagined they would. He quickly propped his staff into the ground and slowly eased himself up, looking at Nayru before trying to move to the next tree branch. They'd gone..what..fifteen feet so far? Awesome! Only eighty five feet left to drop. Hopefully they'd soon get to a height where they wouldn't instantly die if they fell. Well...where he wouldn't. He had a feeling Nayru was FAR more durable in that regard. "Yeah...no luck yet. So...you wouldn't be able to just...transform and me ride along all the way down? Er..that's not an option? " Somewhere in there was a horribly worded statement of him wanting to ride her that he could only dread before it accidentally came out as a horribly worded passing phrase.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Oct 28, 2015 17:03:49 GMT -6
"They ate most of the magic in the world." Her voice was mostly neutral, carefully so, but there was a hint of negativity in there - disgust or disdain - that she couldn't quite hide. "Not all, or there would be no mages at all... but most. Before the Scouring, magic was something that any human could access, they say. Less of a magic and melee split than the Elibe of today." Nayru paused, mentally shrugging. "Supposedly it was a huge part of architectural design then, and why today's structures tend to be less wondrous and unusual than their predecessors. Dunno if that part is true, but I always thought it sounded cool. The idea of whole groups of mages working together to forge otherworldly wonders with nothing but mind and magic... you'd almost be like gods, creating entire worlds."
Of course, people of today still made some pretty impressive stuff. Castles, cathedrals - it was clear that just 'cause they didn't have magic building techniques, modern architects weren't all useless idiots. But the tales she had heard, of floating fortresses and cities forged entirely of gold, of living temples and doors that moved themselves... Nayru hadn't seen many in action, outside of a small smattering of lesser creations in Arcadia, but some of the ruins she had come across had some gnarly crap in them, and she could only wonder what they had been like in action.
"Well, problem with magic coming back - the primary source is gone." She paused for a moment, not entirely sure if explaining was the best possible idea, but figured to hell with it and continued on a moment later anyways as she slid down to another footstep. "Dragons create magic. Only thing in the world that does. Get rid of the dragons..." The dragon trailed off, her meaning none too subtle. But there was an obvious flaw in that theory, one that had been bugging her since the moment she got a whiff of this place. "At least that's how it's supposed to work. There's still some degree of magic left in Elibe, which suggests there's something more to it - spirits of course. But where do they come from? They weren't always there, they just picked up the slack when the dragons packed up and left. And then we have the island. What makes it so different? Why is the atmosphere here so similar to pre-Scouring Elibe?"
Gone was the sarcasm and negativity of before, replaced by an almost childlike sense of wonder, her composure dissolving to some degree. "Is it dragons? Can't be, someone would have seen some overgrown lizards wandering around - only transformed dragons really exude that much magic. Is it something in the air? The ground? Is there something else here, living or otherwise, that can generate it?" Nayru pirouetted in place, not the greatest idea ever on a slope this steep, but caught another tree branch before she could entirely fall on her ass... or worse. "Maybe it's just a fluke, I dunno, but I bet there something here that could change the world, for better or for worse, and I want to know what it is."
Remus's question evinced an awkward smile as she looked away pretty quickly. Not so much out of fear or terror or loathing so much as not even wanting to think about the repercussions. "Yeah... I'd rather not start a forest fire. Gonna have to ixnay on the iding...ray. Is that right? I can never remember the rules for that stuff."
(OOC note: as with everything in this topic, but especially this post, Nayru is not necessarily actually RIGHT. She thinks she is. There's a crucial difference - please don't take this as a mod infodump... though some of it may be accurate. Feel free to guess which parts are huehuehue)
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Post by Remus on Nov 1, 2015 10:02:53 GMT -6
It would make sense. He had talked often with a few people now, about how powerful Athos, Bramimond, and Elimine had been. The fact that their magic was so devastating, so unimaginably powerful, that it could sunder dragons entirely. It baffled him, and likely many historians still who pondered the circumstances. However, with some context given by draconic supplements such as Nayru's exposition; it certainly made things far more believable. The priest felt a slight tug of wonder though. Trying to fathom just how powerful adept magic wielders could've been in an age where magic flowed through every breath of air. Every inch of space.
Pebbles and rocks trailed down as the blue haired man skidded a few short inches before re-gripping his twin armed vice upon another tree. His feet flailed as he scraped at the ground before rising and slowly making his way once again to the next tree. This process was grueling and terrifying. At-least if it was safe he wouldn't mind as much, but it put him on edge that every few steps could possibly result in a horrible rushing death that would leave him unsalvageable, assuming he even survived the impact. The priest was listening to Nayru the best he could though. However she asked herself the very questions he was about to inquire. This left him to ponder them internally while he bumbled down the peak of death, teetering on the precipice of obliteration and descending from the pinnacle of anxiety induction. He was really starting to dislike heights. That was a shame, given his desire to see the sights from atop the Saint's Tower, and how much of Etruria it could reveal.
Remus tried to expound on Nayru's thoughts, skidding a bit more and finally stopping early, wondering if maybe he could just possibly get the hang of this whole rock traversing thing. "Well...Where did dragons get it from? Has anyone ever asked that? I mean...is it possible dragons were not born with it initially? Just wondering since well..to a human that is something strange to me! Since people can't generate magic, only interact with magic from other sources and wellll...with that mindset in mind it just seems to make sense that it would be given to other beings as opposed to just forever naturally making it. Alas, then again it had to come from somewhere..no?"
Gyah!
A thought soon mimicked by an actual yelp.
"Gyah! "
The priest caught himself again, this time almost falling flat on his back as he tried to stumble lower and lower. Perhaps he wasn't as good at this as he thought he was getting. Boy..it sure would have been nice to have some superhuman agility and reflexes right about now.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Nov 1, 2015 13:22:38 GMT -6
To be completely frank, she didn't entirely understand Remus's question at all. What did he mean about where did dragons getting it from? She thought she had been pretty clear about that, and Remus definitely wasn't an idiot, so the problem must lay somewhere in their communication. Whether it be her misunderstanding or his, a mistake in her words or unclearness in his, it seemed as though they were talking along different tracks to some degree. It didn't even occur to Nayru to really entertain the thought; to her, it was as natural as life itself that dragons generated their own magic, a lifetime of experience with exactly that leaving her with no other perspective to draw from. She could understand that humans used spirits, and grasp it on a conceptual level, but that wasn't something she could really connect to herself.
"Where did you get your arms?" Her tone was a bit sharp, not angry so much as a rhetorical question. Nayru surveyed her path down the hill, not especially liking what she was seeing as the trees thinned out and the remaining ones didn't look especially stable for the most part - she had a feeling that some of them were likely to give way if they suddenly had to support her weight, roots not deep enough in. Had there been a landslide or something in recent years that made this slope sharper than it had been previously? "It's just what we are. I wouldn't have the faintest idea how to use thunder magic from a spirit if I tried."
Ah... this was going to end badly, wasn't it? Taking a lap of faith, Nayru pushed off, skidding down the hill barely upright as she neared her target, but realized nearly the instant she began to put weight on it that it wouldn't hold her. Crap. A push and she was off, slamming into another one a second or two later. Ah this was the life, getting knocked around by hard wood and probably falling to her death. Almost enough to remind her how much she hated everything! "If it helps, I heard a theory once that spirits are the souls of dead dragons. Something fun to think about whenever you branch out into Anima!"
Admittedly, that was... mostly... okay entirely just her f**k**g with Remus. It was technically correct that she had heard that theory before, and as everyone knew technically correct was the best kind of correct, but Nayru didn't believe it for a moment. It was certainly possible that spirits might be linked to dragons, perhaps dead ones, but souls? That was just too mumbo-jumo religiousey for her to actually take seriously. "Who knows, maybe Elimine was the first ever light dragon and you're taking a tiny chunk of her soul EVERY time you cast!"
The joyous tone of her words was in complete contradiction to their import, but with Nayru focused more on looking down the hill there was no way for Remus to see whether or not she actually had a crap-eating grin on her face. If he was a betting man though... probably a safe guess.
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Post by Remus on Nov 4, 2015 19:15:20 GMT -6
"Where did you get your arms?"
Honestly, Remus probably should've taken a moment to think his reply through. Instead of blindly blurting out something as he scrambled and fumbled for a better grip. His feet kicked a bit aimlessly at the ground beneath him while he thrust most of his weight onto the flexible small overgrown sapling that was likely the only tether between himself and the ground below. They were well over halfway down now but it was still, to him personally, terrifying. There was little he could do besides flail about and cling to any stable surface within reach in such moments, but as he blurted his reply he did not cease clinging. "The same place you got your er...wings...or..magic!" Such a smooth comeback. He'd best ready his staff of healing, because Nayru'd clearly just got burned. Suddenly the path that had been reliably solid a moment ago crumbled into tumbling pebbles and a cascade of dirty rocks as it gave way beneath the struggling priests weight. He yelped and abruptly found himself dangling around a branch and looking to Nayru with both shock and absolute helplessness.
His legs kicked and scraped against the sloped rocky cliff-face as he did his best to maintain his hold over the tree he'd been clinging to. His muscles were not very well developed honestly. He'd never spent much time doing many physical labors, and the weight of his body was not something he could readily handle. The priests knuckles flashed white as he gripped roughly at the branch with a desperate grip, arms snaked around it with his staff trapped between his body and the branch. It suddenly lurched downwards, and the roots gave out some as they became visible with the tree dipping down. The priest risked a fraction of a glance downwards to see that beneath him there was no direct trail for several feet, and even then it was like a brief mini ledge before descending to the rest of the fall. Remus looked back up to Nayru again quietly, as if holding his breath. He dare not yelp, and his struggling had abruptly stopped as he turned ghostly white; nearly looking petrified. The jovial tones from a moment prior gone before he felt the branch crack and shift downwards once more. The priest eased his eyes closed, and suddenly the roots ripped free causing the priest to drop.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Nov 4, 2015 20:55:01 GMT -6
"I don't HAVE wings, you goof!" Her very words danced with barely restrained laughter, Nayru far too busy being proud of the meek priest finally managing to grasp the basics of verbal jousting to worry about such petty things as being offended. It was honestly kind of fun to have people to DO stuff with these days, whether it be getting almost killed with Veigue or getting almost killed with Remus or... actually, no, that was how all of her adventures went with them. Hmm. The dragon wondered if it was just bad luck or some sort of occupational hazard. Certainly it wasn't HER fault that they were descending a literal deathtrap of a decline, or incline, whatever, without any sort of climbing equipment or regards for gravity... eh, maybe no one would ever know the answer to that arcane riddle.
Aaaaand neither was Remus if his little plight was any indication. In retrospect, she probably should have considered the 'noodle arms' thing, but how was SHE supposed to know that a cloistered magic user with little to no actual hiking experience would... slip and... okay, in retrospect it was kind of obvious, but hindsight was 20/20 as they said. She didn't know who said that or what a 20/20 it. "Just hold on!" Not the best advice, but short of spontaneously developing teleportation, flight, or telekinesis, she didn't really have any way to get up there and help him, so Nayru found herself glancing down the hill, trying to figure out what to do in a worst-case scenario. There was still a fair amount of distance to cover, enough to make a proper Remus pancake if he did go tumbling down, and she didn't like her chances if she fell too far either.
"Look on the bright side, at least you'll provide one... maybe two delicious meals to predators! Recycle and reuse, you know?" Nayru was quite aware that her 'help' wasn't actually likely to help, but she was trying to survey the slope for points of interest while simultaneously either pissing Remus off so much he held on just to spite her, or at least kept his mind off of falling. Hmm. She wasn't sure if that splotch down there was actually a tree or more of a - the noise above her grabbed her attention again, showcasing... yup, Remus falling. God- "DAMMIT" she swore, almost reflexively jumping up from her perch when she realized that he was just liable to fall past her rather than to her, catching the awkwardly Remus-shaped lump with a massive jolt to both of them that did pause his descent, on the bright side, but also ruined her ascent and recovery. Which was probably more of a downside. The brush she had been aiming for passed by well out of reach as they began the descent again, together this time. And she couldn't see all that well downhill either with all the god damn robes everywhere.
Trying to stay even sort of upright was hard, sort of like surfing on a wall of lava and also rocks, but she managed to catch one small tree as they passed it... and ripped it clean out of the ground without any issue. "Ah fu-" Her next words were left to the future to ascertain, but it was probably a safe guess that it wasn't 'oh deary me,' though she bounced off the giant friggin' rock hard enough to, almost predictably at this point, ruin any chance of immediate recovery. Aaaand they were still going downhill. On the bright side, the tree cover got a bit better further down and the slope looked like it leveled off, so if they could get there alive they would be fine! Uh, probably. Long as they didn't hit it at terminal velocity.
Ah well. Desperate times called for desperate measures! "HANG ON TIGHT" she hollered for Remus's benefit, trying to cup one hand around him better to make sure she didn't let go of him when the inevitable hit; "THIS IS ABOUT TO GET EXCITING!"
Yeah, because this was such a boring trip so far.
Blissfully unaware of how gut-wrenchingly hilarious she obviously was, Nayru reared her right arm back, flooding essence into it as golden scales erupted from it and slammed the rapidly lengthening limb into the hillside with enough force to shatter stone. Or dirt, as it so happened. The jolt was immediate and nearly enough to offer a momentary respite from the horrors of consciousness, but if nothing else they were anchored to the incline for a moment.
"Phew! Good idea on the shortcut. You uh, you doing alright there?" Nayru didn't think Remus REALLY needed to know her arm was stuck or anything, so she casually forgot to mention it when checking up on him. Purely an accident of course. She was too busy breathing for her life to think too much about it as well... what a pity, maybe she would never get around to telling him.
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Post by Remus on Nov 24, 2015 10:22:31 GMT -6
It was odd. Because of the loud rushing sound as he fell, he couldn't actually hear much. He'd exhaled as he fell and was having a hard time regaining his breath. Not for lack of trying on his part. It just felt as if no matter how hard he tried, his lugs couldn't inhale enough air for more than a split second. As if he was a fish out of water, attempting and struggling to no avail. The weightlessness of it made him feel even odder given the mixture of distress and out of place serenity trembling through out his psyche. His gut had a twist and turn as his insides squirmed, trying to gather his senses. It was all ultimately futile. He could no more control his fall through the air than a dog could control the way a storm moved. Remus tried to make that final moment at-least have some peace to it.
Before the blue haired priest could make his peace with the embrace of death, a divine intervention in the form of the divine dragon came to save him, which all in all, was a quite divine rescue. The priest flailed briefly at first, similar to aforementioned fish out of water as she shouted something to him he didn't quite understand. All the rushing downwards and jarring jostling impacts really distracted him. Then suddenly, a gut-wrenching stop! The priest flopped once more and dangled there in Nayru's grip as he lifted his head to look around. Well...they were far closer to the ground now. At this point he could probably survive the rest of the fall. Probably . He wasn't keen to test it, nor quick to. The priest, now having no option but to dangle there as he looked about, looked to Nayru and smiled sheepishly as he tried to defuse his own terror as his heart raced at mach ten within his chest; the organ threatening to burst from his ribs at any moment as it pounded furiously against him. "Well..jumping down was clearly the fastest way to get to the ground...so er...glad it worked out!"
The next time Remus's feet touched the ground...they were never leaving it.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Nov 24, 2015 12:53:51 GMT -6
Ugh, her head felt like an egg that someone had juggled for a bit and then launched into a wall at the speed of derp. Like a slurry of mush that had been stirred and shaken enough to mix it into broth, or, uh, something. She wasn't really doing very well with this whole simile thing, Nayru realized, and dropped it like it was hot in response. Besides, they had bigger things to worry about, like how far up they were and... hm. Daring a glance down, she realized they were actually most of the way there, the ground was already starting to level out. Well... relatively speaking. It was still a hill below them, just... not as steep. If she had to guess, this was where the mass of the cliff had gone; there weren't really any trees, so it was likely the dislodged dirt from a past landslide.
Well, at least it wouldn't be too hard to get down the rest of the way.
"Yup, good thinking. We saved a lot of time there, and you even got to experience flying, right? Everyone wins!" Ugh, she just wanted to lie down and never move again. Lay down? She could never remember which was grammatically correct. The thought occurred to Nayru that normal people didn't usually debate the grammar of lay/lie in their head, but fortunately she had given up on normality a long time ago, so it didn't really bother her too much. "New plan though: we never go near cliffs again. Sound good? Awesome, glad you agree." Nayru spoke for both of them, trying to refocus her mind after the confusion of a moment before while also keeping Remus's head in the present.
He seemed alright, though, so she didn't worry too much about him nursing a concussion or a bad case of death. Fitting that he probably got out of this more unscathed than her. Man had the devil's luck. "Alright, on the count of three. One, two," and she ripped her arm out of the earth, sending them both skidding down, falling eternally to certain death-
The ground was about half a dozen feet down if that, and angled enough that they didn't even hit it that hard, more of an awkward skidding slide that stopped in a few more feet. The dragon grinned at her prey, lightly tapping herself on the side of the head with mischief in her eyes. "Sorry, forgot what number came next." A suspicious man might suspect that there was some minor element of deception in her statement, but there was only innocence in her face, innocence and a devil child, but mostly innocence. And also the beginnings of a crap-eating smile. "Good news though, we're about one percent of the way there! This should be a wonderful adventure. You know what they say, a little hardship builds character, and you've got a LOT of character to build."
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Post by Remus on Dec 2, 2015 12:56:52 GMT -6
Remus was, and wasn't afraid of many things. It was an odd paradoxical situation. He could walk towards grotesque monstrosities with acceptance, willing to die to protect others. He could face overwhelming terrors if it meant his friends would be unharmed, and flinch at none of it. However, perhaps it was the idea of a meaningless death from even the notion of falling to his demise, that truly terrified them. Remus seldom thought of how he wished to meet his end. Especially not when he imagined his life being one directed towards trying to better others lives. The times he had though, he hoped with all his might it was in service of someone. Protecting a loved one, or a stranger. Shielding another from an attack. Something. Anything , as long as it wasn't meaningless.
He barely noticed the six foot drop as Nayru continued to ensure that the priest was, for the what was practically hundredth time, healthy and alive. To say he owed her his life was quite literally the greatest understatement of all history. Perhaps next to someone labeling the Scouring as say..a disagreement. Shaking his head to adjust himself as the priest shakily attempted to squirm himself to stable footing, he couldn't say he'd ever felt greater relief than to feel himself placed firmly on footing of ground that was solid enough to prevent him from falling over. The priest then firmly pressed his staff to the ground, leaning against it and feeling a partial sense of glee when it did not give out at his pressure downwards. The priest let out a small exclamation of contentment when he was able to shift his weight to the staff and not feel ground breaking beneath him. Blinking a bit, he looked to Nayru, repeating her statement while shaking his head a bit. "No...No more cliffs. No more canyons. No mountains. No heights like that for me. Right now, despite even your counting jest to scare me, I've no qualms as I am simply relieved to be firmly rooted among the ground. Ah..."
He stretched a bit, feeling the stiffness suddenly in his back. Brushing his sapphire shaded priest robes quietly, he dusted them off before looking over to her and taking a few steps for good measure, if not to simply celebrate no longer dangling from a cliff. His tone accompanied by a soft chuckle as he shook his head. "I'm quite comfortable in the quality of my character as it is now, I'll have you know. I've no desire throwing myself at death any more than necessary, and certainly not to develop that which I see no problem with." He grinned a bit and started looking towards the distance that they'd just spent a lengthy amount of time simply trying to access. He had no idea what Nayru expected to find, but part of him wasn't so sure he wanted to know that dark gruesome mystery either. No doubt it'd be more of a horrible "your dead!" type of surprise anyway.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on May 29, 2016 22:56:27 GMT -6
Ok, so, lessons learned. Nayru unconsciously rubbed her shoulder as it cried out in mostly-metaphorical displeasure at the workout she had just given it, though the audible crack sort of mingled with the metaphorical thing and turned it all into a big jumble of general unpleasantness. RIGHT then. No more jumping down cliffs, no more using Remus as a body pillow, try to remember that the squishy priest requires finding smoother paths even if they're slower. Good stuff. "Right, I think we've learned a lot of, ah, valuable lessons today," the dumbass dragon helpfully supplied, her words curdling on 'helpful' almost as if she was aware of how immensely terrible her choice of words had been. Mostly killed the point of agreeing with him, all things considered.
For better or for worse, she wasn't as fussed about the mess as he apparently was, long since used to the unpleasant realities of spelunking, adventuring, and otherwise ruining her clothing - a tale as old as time. Nayru gave herself a cursory inspection and shrugged, a little clump of dirt falling off of her hip where it had been casually resting. Eh, good enough. A little bedraggled, maybe, but what else was new? Satisfied in the balance of all things, completely ignoring the dust and dirt on her arm, Nayru turned her attention more towards their eventual destination than Remus's bitching, not... exactly... tuning him out, but coming dangerously close.
The great and almighty dragon was pretty sure she had a general idea of where she was going, probably, she had scoped out the path reasonably well from atop the cliff, but after a fall like that it was a little harder to remember where everything is. She retraced the path in her mind, trying to place together the thought process she had followed previously, the three-dimensional map springing forth in her mind as she pulled the pieces back together - putting her mind to work for a change. Skirt the riverbank... pass through the clearing, steer left to avoid the rough terrain... she mentally revisited the path, altering it somewhat to account for her initially over-demanding expectations of Remus. That was her mistake, she was forced to accept, born of not really having a great deal of experience dragging someone else along for the ride. She wasn't just going out adventuring - but trying to keep him safe as well.
So he probably wasn't going to like this next part much.
"Well, I've got good news aaaaand bad news. The good news is there are no more cliffs to go down!" The well-meaning but generally unsafe to be around dragon smiled wanly at her companion - friend - hoping he wasn't too put off by their little adventure so far. The rest would probably be a lot easier... just a lot more walking. And while she had been mostly joking earlier, they really hadn't crossed any real horizontal distance at all, so it was going to be a LOT of walking, probably a few hours of it if she had guessed their approximate rate of travel correctly. She was also hoping he didn't notice the qualifier on her words about cliff directions, or the lack of her actually volunteering the bad news. Remus never actually noticed it when she tried to be subtle, right? Like that time in Bern where she totally got away with her secret intact- oh. Hmm. Well then.
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Post by Remus on May 30, 2016 21:00:09 GMT -6
Well. At the end of the day. They'd lived. That counted for something right? In the endless slew of situations they could've ended in with the build up of plummeting to a gruesome end, gently landing (or gently compared to the alternative) into almost absolute safety was a huge relief. Though, safety was subjective while he was within the embrace-range of a particularly unstable brown haired human looking dragon; even if she was the first person in history to invoke the phrase "Lovably psychotic." His now stable figure adjusted as he combed slightly sore digits through his messy lapis hair. A look of exhaustion mixed heavily into his warm smile as he flashed the unshakable grin towards her that he'd become somewhat memorable for.
As Nayru knew quite well, Remus was unwilling to give in to weariness, a tired aspect, or the fact that he was physically exhausted. Anywhere she lead, he'd happily follow. With him adjusting his body and pressing himself against his staff that kept him from falling over while stabilizing him entirely, he turned to face the path she was. He even chuckled quietly at her remark of lessons learned, before he tried to better gauge their path. How could he though, when he did not know where they were going? Though, in all fairness, he wasn't quite sure she was either..
His tone belittled his weariness in every way as he spoke with an unwavering enthusiasm only capable by someone that just didn't know what it meant to give up; even in situations so horrible that most would've fled entirely.
"That's an immense relief to hear!"
He rubbed his neck along the back, palm pressing into it while he chuckled happily. He couldn't adequately match describe his then-standing excitement knowing that stable ground would be forever beneath their feet for that point on. He even took a moment to admire just how fantastically secure the ground was beneath them! Good job ground. Good job and please continue being amazing at your job. That did not last long however as he registered that she had only mentioned the good news, when she said there was good and bad news.
"So er..what then precisely is the bad news? Ah...I noticed you didn't precisely mention what it was, just that it er..existed?"
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on May 30, 2016 21:52:23 GMT -6
Nayru did pay more attention to her companion when he responded to her comments, any need to tune him out ending as quickly as his bitching. Partially out of common courtesy, partially because she did care about him even if her methods of showing it were ah... questionable at times, and partially because she wanted to try to gauge his mental and physical well-being after that last little adventure. Oh, she'd already confirmed nothing critical was wrong, but exhaustion and concussions alike could be pernicious, only realized after the fact, and she was going to have to make a decision about whether or not to press on in the very near future.
...Which was sort of intimidating, actually. She wasn't used to responsibility. The last pet Erim had let her have was a pet rock. She still didn't understand how it ended up on fire, or where the screaming came from, but that had been that as far as pets went. ANYWAYS, Remus. He was doing his usual 'hey guys I'm totally fine and all this blood is probably just a coincidence' thing where he was fundamentally incapable of being up front about it, the irony of HER recognizing that in him but not in herself completely lost on the blissfully unaware dragon. He... seemed alright though, at least as far as she could tell from his body language. At least alright enough to fight her on going back if she did suggest it, which didn't do much to assuage the tinge of guilt bubbling up in the back of her mind, but did enough to turn her inhibitions on the subject into mulch.
She was, after all, rather excited for this herself, and what was a bit of hardship but an entree that made the main dish all the more appetizing? Ugh, food metaphors. Now she was hungry. "Uh, I wasn't joking about there being a ways to go." It came out a little guilty, aaaalmost pleading if one looked too far into it - vaguely akin to a dog who had pooped on the floor just before his owner had come home. Which was a pretty specific comparison, but also pretty accurate, given that this WAS, essentially, her fault. "The rest of the journey should be a lot safer," Nayru helpfully supplied almost immediately after, "it's mostly flat ground - I mapped it out pretty well from up there - but we've got a long walk ahead of us."
She had never originally been much of one for hesitation, but whether it was a lingering relic of what she had become through her travels through Elibe, or a rare glimpse of something resembling good judgement, Nayru hesitated nonetheless for a moment, biting her lip as she tried to push down her own excitement to do the right thing. "Listen - if you want to go back-" The dragon broke off, taking a step forwards to lay a hand on his shoulder. The dirty one, of course, not that his robe would probably mind that much. "I'm pretty sure I saw a path a few miles down the cliff face. I can get you back to town."
It was a strange combination of self-awareness for her, trying to be considerate of Remus both physically and mentally - recognizing that where the spirit was willing, the flesh might be spongy and bruised, but also knowing him well enough to be... more than familiar with his tendency to push onwards for the sake of others even when it was a terrible idea for him personally. But it was up to Remus to do what he had to with her offer; she couldn't force him to go back or go with her, and if only for the sake of saying she'd tried, she wanted to try to be... well, a friend. She owed him that much, even if the whole concept was as old and near-forgotten to her as the last time she'd really managed to connect with anyone - centuries ago, back in Arcadia. And hadn't that ended WONDERFULLY?
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Post by Remus on Jun 1, 2016 12:16:23 GMT -6
A bit of a walk? That was it? Remus had become fairly positive that those two weary feet of his had trekked along most of Ilia, about half of Sacae, a third of Bern, and one very small Lycian Territory or two. Why, all that was left was to take on Nabata itself! Well..that and The Western Isles..but earnestly? Who walked along the isles? He had never been there..but he heard it was all piratey and covered with violence.
..
Hum. That was an odd way to think of it. Could something actually be covered in violence? A palpable thing sure, like covered in blankets, or covered in wheels. Violence? No, that was a weird choice of word. Perhaps the pirate infestation was literally covering it, and they all just happened to be violent pirates. Ah! That was it! He'd just have to find nice pirates, and try to ensure they persuaded the violent ones to take up other careers. Mayhaps smuggling toys to children in the dead of night? Ohh..that was an idea. He could clad them in red uniforms so that guards would recognize them, and they could sneak through roof-side chimney's so that parents would understand if they heard a noise from such places who it truly was. It was ingenious! Buttt...how would he get the pirates off their ships? If they weren't on their boats or on islands they would probably be useless. Curses, foiled! He really thought he HAD been onto something there.
Remus almost wanted to ask Nayru her thoughts on the matter. Since she was a dragon that'd seen countless human life-times, maybe she'd known about such? Ohhhh...what if dragons did that type of thing! Wouldn't that be splendid! Ah..hmm..the way she was looking at him gave him pause for concern. It was only moments later that she spoke up while he coiled fingers around his staff and leaned in to gaze at her brightly. He knew she was trying to look out for him, but she had to know better than that!
The lapis haired priest chuckled and shook his head from side to side before he extended a finger to point at her. If she had been a male, he'd likely have poked her but she had that whole chest thing that was inappropriate to poke; so he settled for pointing at her. His tone was mock-accusatory while he moved to the side a bit. "Now Nayru, do you really think I'd fall with you all those feet just to decide I'm walking back up another path? If spending time with you has taught me anything, it's this."
He held up his hand while he extended his first finger.
"Fist, that planting tree's is not a lucrative business, just fun for those not being planted."
His second finger ascended skywards while he tilted his head.
"Second, the best path to go is the one forward. I've never seen you backpedal."
His third finger lifting to complete the trio, this time flashing a grin towards her even as he beamed excitedly.
"Lastly, Back up our words and thoughts with action. Those few talks in Ilia that we had really drove that point home. I believe that we should stand besides those we care about. Soooo..in short? Your stuck with me~"
He almost said the last phrase in a sing-song tone while chuckling and nodding. He re-gripped his staff and moved along side her, walking to her and nodding to signify he was ready to go. She was, in most peoples eyes, the worst influence possible. To the scruffy haired priest however, she was an invaluable friend.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jun 2, 2016 5:40:08 GMT -6
Nayru could only watch as Remus appeared to be wrestling with some very difficult questions. She could hardly imagine the depth that was doubtless inherent to it, the questions of morality and theology that could hold back even a man of his fiber. Ancient sectarian splits, complex theological questions that had poisoned the absolution of Eliminism for centuries, bureaucratic optimization to better serve the poor - world-changing to the last no doubt, a testament to the young priest's potential!
Truly, she could only dream of the ability to change the world like that.
In the end he seemed to come to some august conclusion and continue their conversation, in turn putting her awkward consideration to shame in a uniquely Remus way. She had kinda figured that would happen, honestly, it wasn't like she didn't know how he worked by this point. But it was a little humbling. Sort of felt like being chewed out by a teacher or something.
...It was kind of nostalgic, honestly. It had been so long since she had been able to honestly feel that way. Caught up in herself, even the lectures when learning various trades had never affected her much. She hadn't been able to truly - feel it, not like this, since... Arcadia, wasn't it? Nayru's smile at Remus's following antics, his little reference to trees, and the admonishment at the end, was as much internal as at his actions, but genuine in both regards nonetheless. It was - nice. Familiar. She'd almost forgotten what it was like to just do things with friends. But that had been a very... very long time ago.
For now, though, it would be better to focus on the present, to cultivate new relationships. They could not replace the ones she had lost, but they could coexist in her heart, maybe, if this was not all merely a pleasant dream. Remus, and Veigue as well, were - precious to her.
"...Got it." It wasn't the most verbose of replies, but there was more to it than words, feelings she couldn't or wouldn't express right then. Nayru just thumped her fist into her chest instead, a simplistic show of readiness and excitement - pumping herself up for something she was already excited for. "Right! First landmark we're headed for is a river, it's not a straight shot as the wyvern flies but we should be able to make good time following the bank to bypass some of the deeper brush I saw."
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