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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 11, 2018 4:43:16 GMT -6
"Pfft. Heh. Hahaha!" Completely taken off guard by Kenshin's kidding she hoped, Nayru failed splendidly at the whole 'wise emotionless ancient dragon' thing and went straight to 'dumbass teenager laughing at stupid jokes...' which was, in fairness, her specialty, she just usually hid it better. It certainly screwed up the super serious and depressing atmosphere a bit though, for better or for worse.
"It's funny you say that," she said with a twinkle in her voice as he wound down a bit. "The idea of not being as concerned about a skilled opponent you can read, but an idiot whose moves are so obtuse there is neither rhyme nor reason to it... it makes sense, in a backwards and perverse sort of way. But it's certainly not the way you think of history going. 'Here likes Kenshin, fell off a cliff after being knocked unconscious by a thrown sword when his opponent tripped and dropped it.'" That... actually was pretty messed up, when she thought about it. Like that would be a hell of a way to go. Especially for a dragon. You always thought of a dragon only dying in an epic battle against a great hero or villain, a magic swordsman or an almighty lich. Not getting caught in a landslide or tripping or drowning. Food for thought, that.
"But yeah, I am a woman of many talents. Some call me a gardener; I enjoy planting dumbass trees. Others are too busy screaming and being on fire to comment. Just depends on the situation, you know?" The best part was that she WASN'T lying and so Nayru's terrible ability to lie wasn't even on display! She was seriously a genius, her solution to being bad at lying was to tell the truth!
...It didn't sound so impressive when she put it that way for some reason. Couldn't quite figure out why.
"The battle at the City of Heroes... yeah, I've heard of it. Wasn't there, but a friend of mine was. Where the dead walked again and Hargus unleashed elder magics on a scale that shouldn't have been possible since the Scouring." Her mirth died pretty fast at that. Nayru hadn't been there. She only really knew what she hard heard from rumors and Remus. She wasn't afraid of Hargus. But she had to respect that she didn't truly know what it had been like, or how it could have gone.
"...I believe that the tide of monsters and the Arum are connected, yes. It's only a theory for now, but the timing is too suspicious. Whether they are unleashing the monsters themselves or just profiting off of their return to unrelated causes doesn't matter. I don't know what happened to Hargus, but it's possible that he underwent the same kind of possession as the swordsman we both fought... though was it so much more impressive because of Hargus's own strength, or because of what he called to him? And how much worse could it get? A lot of good people lost their lives there. And the attacks are only intensifying. All across Elibe, larger and more powerful beasts are appearing. Arum sightings are supposedly down, but I can't imagine they gave up just because a couple were... killed? I don't even know if they can be killed, exactly, maybe just expelled?"
If this was a good book, she would have been the wise, elderly dragon giving the hero - obviously a human, always was - the information they needed the save the world. An eleventh hour superpower so to speak. But she didn't have much other than tantalizing tidbits of history, superstition, and suspicion to go off of. That, and the knowledge that at least one of them had beaten her within an inch of her life - and spared her. Whether from kindness or cruelty she didn't know. And Nayru didn't like not knowing things.
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Post by Kenshin on Aug 12, 2018 2:19:16 GMT -6
Richter was PISSED that Kenshin had drew his old sword, let alone brought it with him to Ilia. Once the two had regained their senses after the battle Kenshin was in his face barking out demands this time. Question after question all answered with a "I don't know", it had been a waste of time, energy, and breath trying to get any sort of information from the Ilian about the sword, the black skinned creature, or even what had happened to him.
"I guess since you spilled your guts about the Arum and told me everything you know I should do the same. That way we have access to the same information if we're going to be fighting one together sooner or later. The sword the Arum we fought had a different owner at one point, it was some Ilian named Richter who I fought against in Bern. It was during the big arena festival where there was an assassination attempt and a dragon appearing in the crowd. A lot has happened since then so I couldn't tell you exactly how long ago that was, but the sword didn't take control of his body. Before he disengaged it had shot out some dark magic but that's about it.
"I thought the blade was safe, and maybe the Arum had stolen it from Richter so I took it to Ilia to confront him about it, and that's when I had made a grave mistake. Once I had drew the blade the Arum spirit had taken control of my body, it had effected my appearance some, my skin turned charcoal color, my eyes had a shade of yellow to them, and my hair color was a darker red but over all it was still not like the Arum. I was able to see what was going on, barely as if everything was faded but I couldn't move a muscle and that's when my body had began to move on it's own. The two of us had fought, I tried my best to resist and that's when I had heard a voice in my head.
"It had said I wasn't a suitable host. It wasn't long after that the sword had taken some damage and blew up, then it had lost it's hold over my body. I can't confirm or deny if the Arum died when the sword was destroyed or got away. Hell, I don't even know if it had always been in the sword and couldn't make Richter it's bitch or it was asleep until Hargus showed back up. The I guess what you'd call a partial possession took place shortly before I had met you the first time, which is why I was on edge when you had mentioned the Arum running around the plains back then. Wasn't sure if you'd view me as a threat or not."
Kenshin had let out a loud sigh as he sat up, returning to the position he was before laying down. "After Hargus was killed, the monsters were cleaned up we began to rebuild my village, some of the bandits 'turned over a new leaf' and had helped us. Some of them had talked about this spell book he had that he read from before my corner of Sacae turned into a mini Ostia and after the battle nobody could find it. If that rumor is true, that book is out there somewhere."
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 15, 2018 10:59:52 GMT -6
Nayru tried very hard not to look like a little kid sucking a lemon, though her attempts met with only limited success. "Richter..." She didn't... HATE the guy, he was certainly no bandit or monster and overall hadn't done anything to earn that, but the way their personalities and worldviews had clashed so intensely made her less than fond of the name. The story did sound a bit familiar though. She contemplated going memory diving but didn't want to completely zone out in front of Kenshin mid-conversation so she settled for more of a surface scrape, much less efficient but also less taxing, and most of the way through his story finally hit a lead. Woo, she wasn't crazy! Well. About this.
"...Sorry. Can't say as that I got along with him well. But I do recall this story to a degree, you told me a very abbreviated version when we met back in Sacae. Not in this amount of detail though." The dragon tried very hard not to think about any similarities in her own berserking in the past... the spirit, albeit of herself, that had consumed her mind time and time again. That she had only finally tamed with Kenshin and Hayle's help. "That is interesting, though, that the sword seemed to be the... focal point of the creature. I wonder what would happen if you disarmed someone in that state? Whether figuratively or literally. Would that be an effective way of reversing the Arum's possession or would it already be too late?"
Hmm... something to consider testing in the future, if an opportunity arose. Nayru wasn't really in the business of dealing with possessed people on a daily basis, but if these Arum were actually going to show up more often, it was something to consider. "Though I wish we knew more about what the Arum actually were... are they just spirits of the Nether? Can they possess beings other than humans?" Like dragons, she thought. "Like a monster, or an animal, for example. Do, or did, they once have bodies of their own, or are they naturally souls without a body, and is that connected to their ability to possess others...?"
Nayru half chuckled, then shook her head. "Too many questions, not enough answers. I've got a few leads to pursue but if there is something big coming for our world, it may not be soon enough. We don't know what they want, where they're really from, who they are, or really even what they're capable of. Wars are won through knowledge and strategy, not blindly flailing at an unknown enemy. Kinda hard to save the world if you don't even know who you're actually fighting. And now we got a magic book that might or might not be capable of... what WOULD a caster Arum be like? Could they be as bad as Hargus? Worse?"
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Post by Kenshin on Aug 24, 2018 23:26:16 GMT -6
"Ricther's... pretty much a dick. We had a mutual respect for each other as warriors, but that's as far as our relationship went. He wasn't the first person I met like that, won't be the last. No sleep lost over that, so I can feel where you're coming from about him." The two had moved into territory that Kenshin wasn't too familiar with, theory crafting anything. The subject was further out of his reach than the skill required to figure out what and how Arum worked. While he knew next to nothing about them before comparing his knowledge to Nayru's, he figured he could bounce his information off her and the two could hopefully discover a decent theory.
When Nayru mentioned the possibility of them being spirits of the Neather, it did get his small gears turning. "Maybe... they hide inside of a weapon they prefer to use while waiting for a host? Or perhaps some of the monsters out there are normal animals Arum possessed? " Speaking of spirits inside of weapons, it just dawned on Kenshin to ask Amanojaku if he knew anything. "Amanojaku, you've been awfully quite the past few days. I assume you've been listening to our conversation, do you know anything we don't?"
The wind inside of the barn had picked up a little, enough to cause the camp fire to waver.
"Arum predates myself, by time I came around they weren't even mentioned. Besides what you two have said, all I know is I don't like'em. The one you fought, I couldn't sense any emotions from it."
Amanojaku's voice carried through the wind, which was quite strange to Kenshin who had been used to hearing his voice in whispers in his ears. Kenshin let out yet another sigh upon hearing the response, "Looks like we're back to square one I guess."
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Oct 6, 2018 0:29:05 GMT -6
Nayru settled for a bit of an embarrassed smile and laugh, not eager to badmouth other humans if not outright evil, but... not particularly good with his type, either. Though it was admittedly nice to know that she wasn't the only one at least. Talking with people like that was exhausting at the best of times. She wasn't sure how she felt about the idea that she could deal with superhuman horrors from beyond the boundaries of the world, but not with one dude that just rubbed her wrong. It seemed a bit pathetic, honestly. But then what else was new? The easiest problems were the ones she could just punch, after all.
"The... weapon itself as the source of the possession, or the true host of the creature...?" The dragon blinked, not quite sure how to take that theory; neither able to deny it with any certainty nor sure how to prove it in the moment. But the sword HAD, supposedly, been able to possess multiple people. So perhaps he was right. "It could be that some... or all Arum do function in that manner..." Rubbing her chin, Nayru vaguely noticed the sense of the wind picking up but wasn't really paying much attention to it until an unfamiliar voice garnered her attention with a jolt upward of the head and looking around for the source of the disturbance.
...A disturbance that Kenshin apparently wasn't at all bothered by, given how he responded to it with a dejected comment rather than, say, trying to murder whoever it was. Feeling very much like she was the butt of an unknown joke or missing something really obvious, the confused dragon turned to Kenshin, probably looking about as confused as she felt.
"...Please tell me this place isn't haunted."
(OOC: Nayru has no idea that talking magic weapons are a thing)
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Post by Kenshin on Nov 14, 2018 6:37:15 GMT -6
Nayru's reaction caught Kenshin off guard. The two had been talking about some other worldly creatures, then the rogue wind spirit he made a pact causes her alarm, he had let loose a quite chuckle. He had been traveling with Amanojaku for a while now, at first it bothered him when the spirit would talk to him but now, it made traveling alone slightly better, even if the voice talking to him demanded he murdered the next person he saw.
"OooOooOoOooooOOOoO" Amanojaku spoke, causing another light breeze to pass in the charred barn mocking a ghost.
"Amanojaku is a rogue spirit that I met a while back. I figured he'd be more use when it came to information but he proved to be as useless as always." It was quite a shock to see him in a playful mood. Kenshin wasn't about to ruin the mood by questioning Amanojaku's joke.
"That was a low blow, and you know it." Kenshin heard in his ear. Kenshin looked towards their food and noticed they were finished cooking. He leaned towards it and grabbed one of the sticks and pulled the cooked rabbit towards himself and took a bite. "Dig in" Kenshin said with a mouth full of food, breathing in as he chewed/talked. Luckily for him, he could blame the lack of table manners on the fact they lacked a table to begin with. He took another bite, this time waiting to chew and swallow before talking again. "Hopefully we'd be able to figure something out before we leave here in the morning."
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Nov 16, 2018 14:11:21 GMT -6
She... she was getting fucked with wasn't she?
Feeling more than a bit self conscious, Nayru looked down to hide her momentary embarrassment before she could regain control of her face, hearing Kenshin's explanation and looking up as if nothing had happened after a moment. She didn't really get how Kenshin had a spirit following him around, but hey, if it wasn't a vengeful ghost she supposed it wasn't REALLY her problem. Not like she was in much position to talk anyways, given that dragons were kind of like really fancy elemental spirits after all.
"Well... it's nice to meet you, Mr. Amanojaku." She felt a little stupid talking to a disembodied voice, but hey, why not feel dumber than usual today! Taking one of the rabbit skewers she bit in, as much to give herself a moment to think as out of actually being hungry, which she definitely was. It tasted surprisingly good. Nayru hummed approvingly at the taste, looking pretty accepting of it. Living for 500 years didn't mean you HAD to get tired of basic food after all, and she had always had a soft spot for meats. Maybe some kind of predatory instinct, maybe she was just thinking too hard about it. "Good stuff." Another bite, large and delicious; she knew OF table manners but by default Nayru was... not an especially picky eater nor an exceptionally cultured one. Too many centuries of mostly eating alone.
She thought as she chewed, and by the time she had a more or less free mouth had a bit more to add to the conversation. "Might just have to do some field testing. Try disarming the next Arum we run into. Figuratively and literally. It may not be something we can just imagine a solution to... but it would be good to know, sooner rather than later, especially if there are more coming."
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Post by Kenshin on Dec 21, 2018 14:42:59 GMT -6
"No need to be nice towards him." Kenshin responded to Nayru's greeting to the rogue spirit in between bites. He left it at that, he didn't feel like trying to explain their traveling situation. One trying to quill the evil desires of the other while they attempted to get the other to give into those desires. It was a pain in the ass to be honest. Kenshin cracked a smile when Nayru had mentioned disarming an Arum, figuratively and literally. "I guess it would be a temporary solution for that time."
The whole subject of 'we' was a fine question he asked himself. Assuming whatever called them out there wasn't an Arum would there truly be a 'we'? When they had met he had told her that he only cared for Sacae, the rest of Elibe could burn. While those feelings hadn't changed, going out on an adventure to stop the Arum would be more of a proactive way of looking at the defense of his home instead of a reactive one. If the potential threat in the coming days didn't turn out to be an Arum, he would keep that question on the back burner till they were out of the clearing, no need to waste time thinking about a what if at the current moment.
At this point he was almost half way done with his rabbit. "Do you think that someone in Arcadia would have an answer we're looking for? If they didn't maybe Athos would know who would? Assuming you hadn't asked him already."
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Mar 11, 2019 23:33:27 GMT -6
"You two are good friends, huh?" Nayru grinned as she spoke, not entirely clear if she was serious or sarcastic - and in truth, she wasn't sure either. Kenshin seemed to have a fairly relaxed and close relationship with the spirit but not necessarily one of close friendship much less absolute trust - but there was a level of trust there nonetheless. Perhaps she was merely overthinking it. But it did feel as though there was a level of complexity to their relationship that she was not privy to. Not that she was one to judge for hidden depths or vaguely explained relationships, after all.
She ate more quietly as Kenshin spoke of her Arcadia visit and the knowledge she might have gained there. In part gauging what to say. But she had already decided to be honest with Kenshin, at least as far as she could. But also piecing together some of the not-answers she had received. It had been a less than absolutely fulfilling trip, one that raised as many questions as it answered, and she had yet to find the answers to those new ones in turn.
She used an especially large bite to give herself some time to think, to put together the disparate pieces of an answer into one coherent whole, but for as much as Nayru liked to be the wise old lady of a conversation, she simply didn't have all the information to truly answer him. Didn't mean she wouldn't try, though. "I didn't get many straight answers. Athos didn't know. My mo- Erim... she claimed to only have theories, but I don't think she told me everything she knew. Her 'theory' is that the Arum used to live on Elibe, millennia ago, until they were consumed by the Nether. She's been alive long enough to have lived through it, so something's off if she's being that vague, but I think she wanted me to find... something... out myself."
Nayru looked down at her food, her hands; glad they did not shake from cowardice, but perturbed by the concern bubbling deep inside her. She still didn't really understand the daemon she had fought in that Nether-drenched otherworld, but she did understand how thoroughly it had defeated her - that it had held her life in its hands but given it back to her - and she didn't understand why. It sounded dumb even to her, she had always thought of herself as being mostly above the silly pride of dragons, but not even she could ignore the truth here; whatever or whoever the creature had been, he had been stronger than her. Not something she was used to. Not something she really knew how to react to. She didn't think she was afraid. But she didn't know what exactly it was.
"I mentioned him earlier, but the Arum I fought in Bern... it spoke like it knew me. Or... of me. I'm not sure. Erim seemed quite interested in that and suggested I go fight it again... that I might find some answers there. I don't know if the Arum ever were 'real' people, but finding out what happened to them might explain why they're coming back."
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Post by Kenshin on Mar 12, 2019 0:54:31 GMT -6
All of this talk of some mystical race of 'bad guys' had began to take it's toll on the swordsman and caused a headache. While Kenshin wasn't stupid, spending this amount of time thinking about a situation that didn't lead directly to somebody getting gutted was out of his forte so to speak. He propped up his rabbit near the fire to keep it warm for the moment while he got up and walked over towards his pack and pulled out a small sack and his water skin, opening up the small sack he stuck a couple fingers in pulling out a small amount of a ginger powder and shoveling it into his mouth before taking a drink of water. Sealing both the sack and water skin he returned the sack to his bag and tossed the water skin towards Nayru asking asking "Thirsty?"
Returning to the spot he once was at he sat down. "If I knew more about them, there would be a chance I could hunt one down and we could beat some answers out of it. Since it seems that your friend had some idea about them and wants you to find the one you fought before for a rematch, any chance she gave you a clue on how to find them?" Kenshin reached out for his dinner, normally he'd have more than just what he hunted but given the situation this was the best he could do. If he knew he'd need to be top fighting condition he would have done some foraging, but gotta make the best with what he's got. He did notice the quick shift of words Nayru used when mentioning Erim, but didn't pay any attention to it, honestly it was the least of his worries currently.
What he did focus on was the fact they apparently use to live on Elibe when dragons were just as common, if not more common, than humans. He did hear stories about an island with animal people that hasn't been seen on Elibe prior to that, maybe there was more races they didn't know about lurking on other parts of the world. "Or perhaps they have been hiding out on that furry island the animal people come from." He added before returning to eating.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jul 24, 2019 15:24:16 GMT -6
"Yeah, sure, thanks," she responded somewhat distractedly - not out of lack of interest in Kenshin as much of her multi track mind focusing on the problem at hand. When the obvious bad guys seemed to know you like an old friend, but you had no idea why, it did lead to a bit of confusion as to exactly what she should think of it. Did she used to be a world-destroying murder hobo? Nayru was pretty sure she could discount THAT much at least. She definitely wasn't that old, and if she was a world destroyer she had done a piss-poor job of it anyways, on account of the world not being destroyed and all. So what then? Was she related to an ancient enemy of theirs? Was Erim their foe, and she the unwitting pupil? Far from impossible, but... unlikely. the dragon decided. The strange creature had never mentioned or referenced Erim and seemed to know -her- personally to some degree, or at least, knew of her.
...Maybe he knew her parents, at least? Huh. She hadn't thought of that, but it made a surprising amount of sense. At least it fit the parameters she knew of. Maybe that was what Erim had meant. Nayru had had been given quite a lot of time to get over the whole orphan thing so she didn't really think about it much these days, she wasn't particularly broken up about it or anything, but it would be nice to know. Though it could be any number of other things too. No sense in getting worked up about it. She handed the skin back to Kenshin with a half smile, saying little of her previous thoughts but reacting to his related question nonetheless. "Not in general. I know where this one is, though, so if I can krump him good maybe he'll spill the beans." And maybe she could do some research on her own about whatever he had been protecting, too. Not just to keep to herself - but she did want to know what this was all about, and what she could convey to people that wouldn't screw her over too bad if possible. 'I'm a dragon' would probably not go over well with most.
Kenshin's commentary about Vinland did spark an unfortunate memory - the cavernous shadow behind that blocked off door in the temple. She had... misled Remus about it. Mentioned little at the time. But there was a festering rot somewhere deep beneath the blessed isle, likely the reason the temple had been abandoned entirely, and she still had to find out why. So when she responded, Nayru's tone was somewhat jovial but there was an undercurrent of truth there, as serious as the Ending Winter; "You may be on to something. Vinland is a beautiful island, free of the corruption above - monsters are natural rather than Netherforged there, and Taguel protect their island from darkness - but when I was there I found an area where the Nether threatened to leak into our world... similar to the location I fought the Arum in Bern. I had to deal with other things before I investigated it, but once I get the chance I will investigate that as well. I have a friend who I need to meet up with who may be able to help with that."
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Post by Kenshin on Sept 6, 2019 22:59:08 GMT -6
Nayru knew where the person she could possibly get answers from was which was a good thing in itself, but as far as their current situation it didn't help a whole lot. Someone, or something, had called the two out here alone for a reason, if it had ill intentions it would prove wise to nip it in the bud now so they didn't risk it following them else where and catching them at the worst moment possible. "I'd offer to go to Bern with you to help, I would be lying if I said these Arum things didn't interest me but I have other matters to deal with. Supporting the war against Etruria has been my main focus, I'm hoping with a success there would prove to the people of Sacae they don't need me like they believe. I have heard a lot of good things about Vinland and wish to go there without people thinking I abandoned them."
It wasn't long after he finished his meal he started to yawn, the day has been long and the current conversation has took a toll on Kenshin. If he didn't get some sleep soon tomorrow was going to be hell, he stood up and walked over to his horse and began to take the saddle off and looked around the barn. His horse walked around for a minute before laying down, even it had the right idea. "I hate to cut this conversation off like this, but I think I need to retire for the night. I have a spare bedroll with me if you'd like to use it." Luckily he packed planning for two, he knelt next to the saddle as he set it down and undone both bedrolls and took one with him and laid it out and got ready to sleep. "Hopefully we can get some decent sleep in here." He said before shutting his eyes.
Kenshin's eyes shot open at the sounds of screams, he was able to smell blood in the air as well as fires burning. Looking around he saw he was in a tent, he was starting to panic at the thought of his tribe being under attack. Grabbing his sword he rushed out of his tent in just pants, his eyes scanning his surroundings looking for the attacks in hopes of fighting them off to save anyone. The only thing he could see was the slain tribe members and some of the tents on fire, not a single soul alive. There was a constant buzzing sound overhead, he paid no attention to that at the moment as he started to wonder around. Every time he got close to a body a black insect flew away. This buzzing sound was starting get annoying so Kenshin looked up to see a black mass descending around him, he was engulfed in it as he started to swat at it.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Sept 21, 2019 16:45:36 GMT -6
It sure sounded like Kenshin had a lot on his plate. It was ironically something Nayru had never thought that much about, not from the earliest days of idolizing heroes through her early adventures in Elibe. Even some of her experiences meeting important people had focused only on them as people, never really interacting much with whatever honors and weights their lifestyle carried with them. Kenshin had made his dedication to protecting Sacae clear in the past, back when they met, but whether he was more comfortable with her now or just more honest when he was tired, she was seeing a bit more of a different side of him. A glimpse of someone who held to his beliefs, but struggled with the responsibility laid upon him. Could she empathize with that? She wasn't sure. She was definitely learning of the terrible weight of responsibility herself, but not to the degree it controlled his life.
Interestingly though, despite a pretty bad first meeting, Nayru had found herself coming to like this Sacaen swordsman. She had appreciated the Sacaen condition ever since she got used to it, more than some of Elibe did apparently; rather than savages it was the simple honesty that appealed to her, even if she never really got the spiritual approach many took to their beliefs. And she had been enjoying the conversation, but it was clear from his words and actions that he did need rest, so with some regret she agreed and accepted the second bedroll. She was pretty used to sleeping in awkward spots and without much bedding, and getting to sleep like a normal human being was a pleasant departure from the ordinary.
She didn't REALLY need to sleep, exactly, but with the uncertainty of the coming day and the seeming safety of their location she did allow herself to nap at least. Regardless of how confident she was in her combat abilities, it was unwise to dive into the heart of what was supposedly the most dangerous place in Elibe at anything less than her best, and she found herself drifting off to sleep surprisingly quickly propped up against the wall.
Will he still be so kind when he knows what you are?
Not who. What. The truth of it stung.
You will die here. Alone. Your 'friends' will never even know.
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Post by Kenshin on Sept 27, 2019 11:55:54 GMT -6
It had felt like an eternity being stuck in that black mass, he could see it slowly dissipating as the locus started to fly off. The scene in front of him was completely different than the one in front of him prior to being engulfed. Now he was in the City of Heroes, the people he had once fought so hard to protect during the siege were spread out around the city dead, with the locus scattering around their dead bodies. He saw Katara around the corner battling a foe he could not see, he had called out towards her only to notice there was no sound coming from his mouth. He began to move towards her, his body felt weighted down and moved slowly as he witnessed an axe striking her in the chest. He stopped in his tracks at that moment, the murder never revealed them self and he could hear them talk, the voice being recognizable yet at the same time not.
"All of your efforts will be for nothing. Everything you've known and loved has been destroyed and anything still standing will meet the same fate."
Kenshin tossed and turned all night as the nightmare repeated over and over each time it had reached the conclusion as he slept. When he had finally woken it up, he could feel the effects of the terrible night of sleep. He felt groggy and exhausted, he was also overwhelmed with the feeling of dread. He had a gut feeling that the nightmare wasn't a normal thing, as if it was artificially placed into his sleeping mind. Slowly sitting up he reached for his swords and used them to help him stand up before putting them on his belt. He walked towards the door, not paying any attention to Nayru, and opened it looking out into the distance. He had stayed there for a moment before stepping outside and scanning the horizon for anything other than the rising sun.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 29, 2020 21:24:43 GMT -6
Immortality was a curious thing.
Dragons did not die of natural causes. Each one was born with that most valuable of traits to mortals consumed by jealousy and insecurity - the certainty of knowing that they would live to see another age, perhaps countless of them, so long as they did not throw their lives away.
That certainty came with downsides; it encouraged cowardice, recognizing that in adversity lurked endings, in struggle the cessation of that seemingly endless life. So many dragons had withdrawn from the world or refused to risk themselves in keeping order that to no small degree, it could be said that the Scouring was the fault of dragons too fearful of their own safety to actually stop it in its tracks.
Nayru knew all too well the siren's song of safety - she had spent centuries wallowing in it, first in Arcadia, the land where peace was more valuable than reconciliation, where its citizens had given up on Elibe. Then she tried to be better, and found out why. It was impossible to simply bring humans and dragons together again with a gesture. It was hard enough to simply survive in a world that strove to genocide her entire race. It was harder still to hold to her childish ideals when she had been the one to betray them, in madness and weakness slaughtering countless humans when forced to transform.
She had nearly died so many times now, faced her very real mortality often enough that she had accepted it. Perhaps even grown addicted to that thin border between life and death. She was still young for a dragon, little more than the equivalent of a teenager, and yet by human standards she was ancient beyond measure - older than any human alive besides Athos himself, probably. The continuity of contradictions defined her as she defined it; was she an ancient wisewoman or an idealistic young fool, or both at once? She feared death as much as any human, perhaps more, yet she courted it daily, in some small way hoping that it would finally take her. Risking her life in a futile attempt to make up for the crime of having taken so many others. Did that make her fearless, or a fool?
...She wasn't sure what being fearless was like. Foolhardy at best. But if she had to guess, it was the idea of someone who didn't feel a need to atone for anything still risking their lives.
Nayru returned to consciousness quickly, her mood ambivalent and slightly soured by circumstance, but eager to be anywhere other than her own mind. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or concerned that she had not experienced the strange dreams that had been plaguing her, but it didn't really register as especially important. Just one more datum to be filed away for future use. Kenshin's gear was still strewn around the building, but he was nowhere in evidence. Facts that served to silence the insecurity within, the fear that he had left her behind for reasons unknown. Given she didn't hear any fighting or screaming, it seemed likely he was merely outside, either taking care of morning business or enjoying the... zombieview, or whatever it was one did in a land teeming with the dead and the damned.
The dragon stared silently down at her arm for a few moments as she flexed it, channeling a burst of essence down its length. Feeling the familiar warmth of the energy of her soul coursing through her, the birthright that granted her the power to assume her true form, then let it fall as she moved on to investigate Kenshin's whereabouts. She'd either die today, or she wouldn't. One would solve the problem entirely, the other would give her plenty more time to think about it - but now wasn't the time.
As it turned out, hunting down the Sacaen wasn't too difficult, on account of him standing outside the ruined building, clearly visible from the doorway. So she stepped outside as well, not particularly trying to mask the sound of her movement, and greeted Kenshin with a vague "Mornin'" and not a whole lot else as she stretched in the warm sunlight. If there was one thing good about waking up early, it was the sunrise. Maybe it was her Nabatan upraising, maybe she was just a freak, but she loved being out in the sunlight. It was relaxing. At least as relaxing as you could get in an abandoned country flooded with undead.
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