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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Aug 24, 2019 21:50:47 GMT -6
Erim looked almost nonplussed at Remus's response, an eyebrow raised in naked surprise at an apparently unexpected response - or maybe she was just faking it really well. Nayru couldn't tell; she hoped Remus could, 'cuz she was feeling real dumb right now.
"Hmmhmm, you are quite the earnest young man♪" Her voice filled with a rich tapestry of amusement, the elderly dragon responded with nary a trace of hesitation in her words. "Why would I wish for you to give up your ideals, Remus? Dreams are what separate us from animals; they are what breathes life into the menial struggles of Man, adds meaning to an existence none of us chose to partake in. That not all dreams can coexist peacefully does not mean you should give up on yours, for that is the nature of dreams; that which drives us consumes us, and the Dreamer alone may decide what he is willing to sacrifice for his dream. Himself, parts of his dream, or the dreams of others. Sometimes the dream consumes him instead, becoming more than something a single man can bear... more than one man can restrain. A jihad raging across the land, inscribed upon the soul of each who carries that one dream. Two men holding the same fever dream will not make it any less cruel."
She always kept talking like a winding river, seemingly against something in one moment but favoring it in the next. Maybe she was just trying to make her guests think it through, maybe she was just messing with them. Nayru didn't even know if Erim believed a word she was saying. But she also didn't know that Erim didn't. And while she didn't think that was the entirety of Erim's views on the subject, the ancient dragon had encouraged so many things that she couldn't see it as falsehood either.
-But it was also the kind of logic that sounded like Remus could become the same as Kraft without ever veering from it. Almost as if Erim was encouraging it without ever committing to it. THAT was something she was fairly confident in not being the case, but she also didn't get what Erim was trying to do with Remus; convince him of something, or make him think about something? ...Or was she supposed to be getting something from this too?
"Is it better to cast aside a dream that will cause suffering to others, and in so doing, save lives? Would it be worse to give up a childish dream to the cruel realities of life, or hold to that idealistic wonder, and perhaps leave the world a better place for your foolishness?" Erim smiled, lightly but not unkindly. Not the leering smirk of one who believed themselves the victor nor the supercilious dismissal of an adult belittling a fool. A warm, but distant look. A smile that drowned in the shadowed depths of her eyes, hinting of thoughts unshared and failures of a distant past; of someone who had forgotten more than any man could ever know.
"Allow me... to pose one more question to you, young Remus. It is not one to which I expect an answer. But I must ask it nonetheless, for it is a question that one who seeks to hold a dream must be able to answer. How far would you go for your dream? You speak of pacifism, of being horrified by death at your hands. Do you believe a dream you cannot defend will trump those who are willing to do whatever it takes for theirs? You speak of accepting one death for the greater good; how many does it take to tip the scales? Would you kill one of your fellow men to save a thousand? A hundred? Two? Would you slay a mad dragon who had lost themselves to the past? A spirit of shadow, once a man, now a monster?
To hold the power to take another life is no mean thing, Remus. You stand between worlds; a hero or a savior. You must be able to decide when it is right to take a life and when it is not. You cannot be everything to everyone; a hero to one may be a villain to another. I do not wish you to discard your dreams nor justify them to me, merely to think carefully exactly how you plan to effect change in a world where violence is often the easiest path to change the world, and sometimes the only path to save others."
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Post by Remus on Sept 22, 2019 13:43:45 GMT -6
Remus pondered. In part, at a loss for words. Glancing towards Thyrus, as he listened to Erim's words. His eyes scanning it for those particular details which defined it. Ancient etchings and carvings upon the ancient stave. Slowly, Remus continued to glance along it. Simply reflecting. He pivoted his head a moment later before looking directly towards Erim. The priest adjusted himself a bit more comfortably. Leaning forward, sitting up a bit straighter and resting the tip of Thyrus to the floor as he draped his hands over it partially. If he thought too hard about his answers, he seemed to doubt himself more than he should. Worrying was no doubt one of his biggest flaws, yet he would take a note from Nayru's impulsive side, if only to counter it. Chuckling, the priest smiled to Erim before offering a quiet shrug.
"Earnest...I uh..well I'm not too great at speaking other than from the heart ahah! I..have to admit however, I definitely couldn't answer that even if I wanted to. Sure, I have a dream. I think, for now though all I can do is continue to do what I always have. Try to help people. I...don't know that I'm the right person to look to for slaying though. Maybe my mind just isn't right for the kind of questions you pose, but at-least as it stands, I just can't fathom the idea of actively taking someone's life. Though...you mention dragon's, spirits, and monsters..and lately I start to doubt myself a bit more."
He paused. Looking to Nayru for a moment, then back to Erim. Hands clutching at the staff while he pondered, for a moment. Slowly, the priest exhaled before he tried his best to recall the moments precisely. Eyes closing for the recollection. "When I was traveling through Lycia, before meeting up with Nayru to come here..I encountered a small town being attacked by undead. Except...they spoke. They begged for help. All the while..an armored monster..one like which I'd never seen..attacked me and a few others trying to stop it. One of the people helping me was..a dragon. I'd..never forget it. His body morphing. Shifting. At first I was confused..but I'd seen Nayru do similar feats and it instantly dawned on me. That, and well..he was breathing fire... But the monster. It claimed to be something great. An Arum Knight. I..well Nayru told me a bit about it as I explained the incident. Yet the entire time it..seemed in pain. I don't know if that was the person it controlled..or the spirit..but I just wish I could've helped..."
He opened his eyes. Sighing slowly, with hesitant resignation as he glanced to Erim.
"The dragon that helped me fight it off, chalked it up as an unspeakable evil..but it fought so hard to survive, yet...begged to die. In my heart, I can't just..write that off as something terrible to instantly destroy. So..I don't think I'm suited to be some fabled slayer or hero, but I will try my best to help who ever I can!"
He paused, blinking after a moment before shrugging sheepishly.
"Sorry..I..realize it's a bad answer but it's just as genuine an answer as I could really offer!"
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Sept 22, 2019 18:13:20 GMT -6
"Oh, I like him!" Erim's smile was laced with mirth and danger in equal parts, giggling airily in puffs of smoke as her chest lightly heaved with each movement. "Nayru dear, you really need to bring more of your boyfriends home like this, he's so earnest and honest... why, I could just eat him right up!"
...And given the glance she speared Remus with, the ancient manakete was probably not joking, though it remained to be seen in exactly which ah, meaning she had attached to her questionable phrasing. The smoke from her hookah continued to curdle throughout the room, smelling deeply of incense - at once strangely familiar and innately alien to both her guests. For better or worse she didn't seem in the least discomfited by Remus's story of horror and suffering, though after her initial response she did seemingly calm down, taking a deep drag of her fragrant herbs, and moved on.
"Ah young Remus. The magic of the Saint is quite well suited for striking down others. As Elimine struck down those who stood against her, so too can you follow the path of your saint, and your Prophet. In the end, only history can truly judge you, and then only if you fail. After all, without strength you cannot protect anything, not even yourself. A saying she lived by, even if she was never too fond of it." Erim smiled, less of a look of mirth and more one of fond memory. "I suppose that is her legacy. Eschewing and embracing violence all in one. The dichotomy of weighing idealism against necessity, saving lives against taking them. Do you ever wonder why she disappeared, Remus? Why she chose to leave behind Etruria and the church that idolized her for parts unknown, allowing the Church to grow into what it has become today? What the differences between she, Athos, and Branimond may be; each faced with the prospect of eternity, each choosing to spend it differently?" The woman sniffed, seemingly distracted momentarily by the scent. "Mmm... no, I believe that answer is one you must find for yourself in order to truly understand it. Some things should not be taken on faith. No matter how reliable a narrator I am."
Winking at the priest conspiratorially, she latched on to one of the things he had said with a raised eyebrow and some perceived interest. "An Arum Knight, hmm? There is little 'great' in the ignominy of insignificance. For a mere specter to speak of- ah, well, perhaps it is not well to speak ill of the dead, as your kind say."
There was a pause as she smiled blandly, almost kindly. Then;
"....... H-HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"
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Post by Remus on Sept 22, 2019 19:00:08 GMT -6
Remus almost immediately coughed up what little Tea was left, that he had attempted to sip at while recovering from his mental fatigue this conversation had brought on. His coughing and sputtering contained as he coughed into, and grasped at the cup he'd initially clutched while letting Thyrus rest against him. Tea trickling down his chin, while he felt his heat flush intensely. Immediately trying to shove more of his face into the cup to recover and...save face.
-
It didn't work.
He was blushing with a crimson flush as he lifted his head, he'd nearly missed her final statement and immediately felt akin to a sheep within a pack of wolves as he tried to squirm a bit further into the couch. Exhaling and attempting, poorly to recover. It helped, when she began speaking in a more serious tone. At-least..he thought it was serious. Though, he was a bit perplexed by the tone she used. As she spoke of Elimine, and philosophy, he tried to chime in as much as possible. He'd never seen such a quote in any holy text, but he knew that that could also be due to selective narrative. Then again, maybe Erim was just taking him for a ride. It...was starting to feel like that was her hobby thus far. Even if she'd begun speaking of an Arum Knight as well.
Remus was quietly opening his mouth to respond. If nothing else, an attempt to justify his stance he was about to convey, declining her assertion, when a near head-splitting shout nearly sent him reeling over the side of the couch. At-least, the surprise of noise from Nayru caused him to yelp in fright and abruptly flop onto his side before he scrambled to try and adjust himself. That crimson flush retaining and slowly infusing as he silently began to shift upright properly. Though protesting a moment later as he tried to backpedal, having completely derailed his mind from the philosophical debate prior.
"Ah! I- I am certain I'm not Nayru's b-boyfriend. I don't..that is to say..um..I don't think I am that kind of person! I..just want to..um..ah..no. I'm not that kind of person!"
And so, with shovel in hand, he dug that grave.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Sept 22, 2019 22:15:28 GMT -6
Erim laughed and laughed and laughed, trills of genuine giggles wafting through the room like smoke amidst the shadows. Looking for all the world as though she was having the time of her life, but trapped in paroxysms of laughter she nearly dropped her pipe as she laughed til she cried. Or... didn't. Amidst Nayru's enraged shouts and Remus's unfortunate adventures atop the couch she eventually righted herself, adjusting the ornate kimono to... barely save some modicum of modesty from how it had slipped down. Best not to subject children to such depravity after all.
Nayru was wearing a bit of a flush of her own, her darker skin tinged red with embarrassment and frustration intermixed - she had forgotten how much Erim messed with people, bringing out sides of them they didn't even know they had, harping on obvious riffs and finding weaknesses that shouldn't exist. After so long being the oldest and wisest(ish) person in the room, she had almost forgotten how much like a brain-damaged child she felt next to older dragons, Erim worst of all. She had never really understood if the ancient manakete did it out of spite, merriment, or some grander design; she knew and respected the old woman's intellect and wit more than anyone, she just... didn't understand her mind, no matter how hard she tried.
But no matter how she was feeling, the all too familiar impotence and immaturity gripping her, Nayru had been listening to the exchange between them even as her mouth and mind caught up to the first accusation. The Elimine stuff - it wasn't that Nayru didn't care, exactly, but... okay, yeah, it sorta was. She respected Remus's choices and all, but she didn't care for what little she knew of the so-called Saint, and she REALLY didn't see why anyone should follow a religion dedicated to a mass murderer. So she was happy to let Erim and Remus argue about that.
But Arum - that wasn't a word she could ignore. Not when much of the reason she was here was, well, the Arum. Remus had told her a bit about that undead-raising Arum, and she had fought one in Sacae, and another in Bern. She knew... a bit about them, but not enough, and she needed to know if she was going to be helping people.
"Erim." Her voice was - not desperate, but serious, almost pleading in its intensity. Enough to rouse the relaxing manakete from her bemused observation of Remus finishing righting himself to sweep her gaze over to her pseudo-daughter. "Please. You know something about the Arum, right? Anything you can tell me - us - would be helpful." Not exactly leaving out her experience, but not eager to share a tale of being beat up and down.
For her part, Erim regarded her quietly for a moment. Her crimson eyes, seemingly burning dimly in the dusky room, partially shrouded by the cloud of incense. Intelligence in her eyes, but little to be read.
"What do you know of the Arum, Nayru?"
An excellent question. What... DID she know? She thought of her experiences in Bern and Sacae. Of what she had talked about with Kenshin. With Aerious. Trying to put together the pieces. "They're - Nether spirits, or something like that. They can possess people, I think. And they're... strong."
Was that the correct answer? Erim gave no sign of disappointment or joy. Instead simply staring at her for a short time. Dissecting her. Looking as if seeing her naked. Turning her eyes to Remus instead.
"And what of you, young man? Have you anything to add to Nayru's account?"
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Post by Remus on Sept 26, 2019 20:15:49 GMT -6
Even after the initial stroke-like flailing that he'd displayed at the teasing of the elder female, Remus still harbored a not-so-subtle flush upon his visage. Though a single glance at Nayru proved he wasn't alone in this. That, at-least made him feel somewhat better. Though, all things considered, he wasn't able to get much of a gauge on Erim. She wasn't exactly what he'd expected when he had previously tried to imagine Nayru's caretaker. Then again, part of him felt like he wasn't as surprised as he might initially surmise. She possessed such vast wisdom and insight, clearly, yet was able to live in such a light hearted moment. Perhaps he'd simply assumed all of great intelligence were molded into a more serious setting, but it was refreshing. He also, to a small degree, saw some of that in Nayru. It felt comforting to him. It made him feel at home, in a way.
Arum. Such a strange thing to imagine. Had he not experienced it twice thrice over, he wouldn't have believed it. Even with the things he'd seen, it was such a bizarre concept to imagine and comprehend. Remus tapped his staff lightly into the floor as he looked towards Nayru while she spoke. Her answer essentially confirmed everything he himself knew. When he looked back to Erim, however, and felt that ancient gaze level upon him, he tried to at-least contribute something else. Detail was all he could think of. Like every other time the priest attempted to recall back to that terrible encounter, he felt a faint chill traverse the length of his spine as icy fingers clutched at his very core. Some things just left an impact. Those burning crimson hues, even now he could still see them if he imagined with even the faintest ounce of effort. It was unsettling.
His was hesitant to speak. "They can brandish obscure..and horrible abilities. I've...seen one consume souls and drain bodies to leave them lifeless husks..I've seen another command the undead. It's weapon bolstering not just powers of the Nether, but an ability to project a barrier that repelled even my strongest magic. I saw at-least one contend with the strength of a dragon when they were...sort of human sort of not? I...does it hurt..when you do that? I feel like it would hurt..but I don't..know how it feels."
His curiosity had guided his words into an entirely separate line of thought as he quietly pondered, casting his glance towards both Erim, and Nayru in short succession as he voiced the sudden thought aloud.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Sept 28, 2019 19:45:33 GMT -6
The thin smile flitting across Erim's face belied some of her bemusement at the ongoing flushes in her latest victims, but she didn't push it further. Instead opting to listen to Nayru and Remus's accounts of their understanding of the dark forces threatening Elibe. The ancient manakete's face betrayed little reaction to their statements, neither worry nor interest. Her eyes were somewhere far away, hardly regarding the two of them anymore, but rather ghosts of a long forgotten past.
The room was filled with the sound of silence for a time. Only broken by breaths and after a time, a long puff of smoke from her pipe. A burst of sight and scent that seemed to billow through the room. Growing rather than fading. Her voice was quiet, distant when she spoke; the weight of ages bearing down upon all present.
"Long ago... before your kind drew their first breath." As she spoke, the smoke reacted. Seemingly floating around the room aimlessly, but as Erim continued, beginning to form into impressions of ethereal scenes. A pillar of smoke rose between the three, slowly morphing into a figure. Large and proud it stood, wispy wings and shifting outline that of a dragon - lacking in finer details, a figure wrought from nothing at all. "The Breath of Creation brought the first dragons to life. A world without conflict save that which was natural. Only beasts and the caretakers of a pristine but empty world. Lacking in meaning. Bereft of value. And so others came to join them." The scenery kept shifting, impermanent and ethereal. More figures sprouted up around the dragon, even as the smoke writhed and wreathed itself into scenery, Fields, forest, mountains flitting into existence one moment and dissolving the next.
"Among these children of the old ones..." the figures dissipated, reforming in the shape of great pyramids and endless trees, each growing, sprouting outwards into more. "The Arum were a peaceful race. Taking the great jungles of-" she hesitated for a moment, the scene almost freezing for a moment before it resumed alongside the sing-song tone of her voice. "-well, the word means little now, I suppose. A time when Nabata thrummed with life, and the southern reaches of the continent still existed. Their temple-cities rose above the canopies of jungles and stared across endless sands."
The shadows grew, and slowly the pyramids began to sink into the ether. "But long before the Scouring, there was a great war. On one side, the Arum. On the other... mortals, and their greed. The dragons joined them, for reasons long lost to history. Perhaps seeding their own destruction, in retrospect. But the war ended in darkness. A continent shriven by a titanic spell. An entire race consigned to oblivion. Even then, few knew who was to blame. Whether it was the Arum's final attempt to strike back against their persecutors, or the result of a final attempt to wipe them from history... it succeeded." The cities fell, crumbling into nothingness as far as the eye could see.
"Elibe's first genocide. Perhaps its greatest. But certainly not its last."
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Post by Remus on Oct 3, 2019 10:30:55 GMT -6
It seemed, that the best way to calm down from such a catastrophic embarrassment was to listen to history seemingly forgotten to time. Yet within Remus, as Erim spoke of this, he could not help but feel some faint stir within him. It felt almost as if part of him was waking from a slumber. As if Erim spoke of something he'd forgotten yet, should remember. It was so odd, the feeling as if he'd forgotten something terribly important yet could not quite remember it. That sensation only grew, as Erim spoke more of the Arum. The priest tried to picture this world. Of jungles, great cities and a singular peace. Then, she spoke of mortals and greed, and Arum in such a war. That side of him seemed to stir further. That consciousness within him. Yet still, he felt his memory lacking. The priest clutched Thyrus a bit tighter than normal, if only at the slight discomfort at his apparently abeyance in some facet. The blue gem within the center most of his staff was still faintly exuding the magic heat from it for that same soothing effect he'd been so fond of. Perhaps, because of his faint distress that the priest attempted to conceal, he did not however notice that it was not his will or magic that fueled the gentle conduit of energy.
When Erim uttered the word genocide, the priest lifted his head. Quietly glancing to her, and then Nayru. Feeling remarkably small, in a place of giants. Trying to quiet himself, as a maelstrom of conflicting emotions swept up within him. Erim did not have to outright say it, but he suspected mortals meant "humans". The priest's thoughts were uneasy. What she described was peace. Kindness. If nothing else, it sounded akin to that very world he found within his goals and dreams and aspirations. Yet it was not monsters that took that away, according to her, but humans who were the aggressors. The priest glanced to away from either woman, to look towards his staff. Turning it so that he could quietly see his reflection within the gem bedded into the solid white surface of Thyrus. Through shades of lapis, he saw his reflection and tried to calm his nerves. The priest felt as if he'd aged a life time, from this conversation. Though it was certainly an exhausting one to say the least. And yet...
Survive.
It was an echo not unlike the time when he'd first encountered Thyrus. The priests head lifted sharply. Almost, as if distracted for an instant as a notion washed over him. A single sensation of almost singular abnormality. His skin, for a brief second crawled as if he'd suddenly stood within cold water. An idea had come to him, though how he thought of it he could not quite recall. However, he felt almost as if he had to ask. The priest glancing to Erim, after a moment. Seeming, now at-least, completely calm despite a moment ago having failed to hide how unnerved the story had made him.
"Miss Erim...do you believe all have the right to survive? Do all have the right to fight for their survival? Dragon's, Taguel, Human's, Arum, Monster's...would you draw a line or believe that all deserve opportunity?"
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Oct 4, 2019 0:05:29 GMT -6
If Erim noticed the glow in Remus's staff or his momentary confusion she gave little evidence of it. Nayru for her part was transfixed by the tale, and the shadow-storytelling. She had seen Erim's seemingly effortless control of flame and smoke before, but the manakete had never done much of meaning with it, nor had she spoken so plainly of events so meaningful to Elibe's history. Tales from a past so far distant that even other dragons spoke of it as if they knew it firsthand. Was Erim just retelling a story she had heard in her childhood... or was she actually old enough to have lived through it? And either way, how much of that was the truth, and how much was misleading, intentionally or otherwise? She trusted Erim overall of course. But she better than most knew the ancient manakete had an unfortunate tendency to play with her victims quite often - it wasn't unthinkable that some or all of the story was false.
But... it wasn't entirely inaccurate. Of that she was sure. Not because of any trust in Erim, but from the centuries she had spent delving through ruins and studying history. She had found many that didn't seem to have anything to do with any known civilization, dragon or human. Writing systems she didn't know how to decipher. She hadn't known much if anything about the Taguel until recently - whether or not some of those ruins had been Arum or not was an open question, but it wasn't completely out of the question. And in Elibe's long and violent history. It made sense that some races might not have survived until the current day. Perhaps, yes, including the Arum. But... an entire continent? How much could have been lost?
Remus's question interrupted her own thoughts, surprisingly almost - harsh? She couldn't quite place it, but his unusually intense tone was enough to temporarily quell her own myriad questions for Erim. To think that the Arum might have been actual people...
For her part, Erim actually did evince some reaction of her own to Remus's question. Almost imperceptible in the dimly lit, smoke-stained landscape of the room. But for an instant a look of what might be surprise, even confusion flitted across her pale face. As if she'd seen a ghost. But her composure reasserted itself quickly as it had deserted her, her dreamlike tone lightly bemused by a joke only she was privy to.
"A familiar refrain♪ For a moment there, I almost thought I had glimpsed a ghost." Her silken tone light and airy, though her expression hardened a tad as she continued. "As to your question... asking whether a race has the right to survive is meaningless. It only matters that they do. There is no such thing as a 'right' to survive, but a requirement. One man may sacrifice himself for another. One woman may take the burdens of many under her wing. Humans, dragons, Taguel, Arum... we are all alike in that manner. That quintessential 'humanity' as you mortals like to call it. But as a race, we are conditioned to survive. Whether it be dragons aiding in genocide to better preserve the world, or their foes fighting for survival, or a particular eight heroes who took all the world's evil into themselves to save their race. Morality ceases to exist in the face of necessity. And any race that would not fight to survive would not survive, no matter what they think they deserved♪"
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Post by Remus on Oct 8, 2019 10:14:41 GMT -6
It wasn't the answer he had expected, but then again he wasn't quite sure what answer he had expected. Remus had observed Erim intently. Searching. Noticing, that brief look of surprise and wondering if what he'd said was something to dwell more on later. Though he was still reeling from his emotional journey to a degree, the priest was attentive. The pale woman's tone catching him slightly off guard as the lapis haired priest glanced to Nayru before looking to Erim. Listening, and for some reason, feeling affirmed. As if her words had given him confirmation he sought. The priest silently held onto Thyrus, clutching it before he looked between them, and silently thought to something Erim mentioned yet again. A running theme, it seemed.
The eight. Human's of such terrible strength and unimaginable might. Erim had revealed much to them, and more. He also tried to be sensitive of the topic at hand, given present company included two who had likely been directly or indirectly wronged by those he'd looked up to his entire life. Then again, Erim had just said it, hadn't she? Everything they did, had been for the survival of his race. They hadn't started the war. They'd fought to ensure their people didn't die out. Could he do that though? What if that was the level of sacrifice. Turning to a point where one must chose between their friends, and loved ones. If what Nayru and Erim had told him was true, during the scouring it was likely that many humans and dragon's had known one another. They, were forced to fight in the same way that humans now fought one another. Was it the same with the Arum?
The priest exhaled a moment later. Silently clutching his staff as he pivoted his head upwards again. Still feeling a wave of mental fatigue at wrapping his head around the thoughts. No doubt, he wouldn't obtain any immediate knowledge or life warping decisions as a result of this conversation. To do so would be irresponsible. Remus silently glanced to his palm for a brief moment when he digested that last notion. Looking to Nayru and Erim after a brief pause, and speaking in as genuine a tone as he'd ever done, if only to convey the truth. " It's hard to be here, in this place, and not feel a little guilty. Imagining what events led to my own comforts in life, and perhaps my life itself. It's terrifying to imagine, Humanity having done so much. Though...as you say, I imagine that most were simply attempting to survive what chosen few placed in motion to the detriment of most. None the less...it does make me wonder how far my desire to protect could reach in the face of such a scenario. Though, I suppose as you've said Miss Erim, only time would tell. "
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Oct 14, 2019 15:38:30 GMT -6
Erim simply listened impassively to the priest's commentary. Neither overtly disapproving nor approving, simply accepting his words for what they were. Nayru for her part was mostly confused, she didn't entirely understand Remus's question nor what had driven him to ask it, and still distracted by the Arum topic she was having a bit of trouble wrapping her head around Erim's response. She wasn't sure entirely why. The requirement of survival... but she couldn't argue the point, either. She had spent centuries desperate to survive, no matter how little she wanted to. Running from her past, running from her responsibilities, but never quite able to give up and accept the judgement she deserved. She was no stranger to danger, never adverse to throwing herself into it to fight and protect, but how much of that was actually meaningful, heroism or at least an attempt to do good, and how much was just trying to ensure her own survival?
The elder manakete was much less overtly conflicted, or at least much better hiding it if she was, offering Remus a sweet smile as she took another deep puff of her pipe, the shadows and smoke around them shimmering with pregnant uncertainty, as if unsure whether to grow or fade.
"Dragons have certainly visited their fair share of atrocities on others as well♪ Pride goeth before the fall, as the saying goes, and the only thing more common than one with a chip on their shoulder is one with an ego the size of Elibe. The scale of the retribution is one thing, but the desire for freedom isn't so wrong, don't you think? For a race to wish to chart its own course through history. For freedom from overbearing overlords. Perhaps it was an act of brutality by their oppressors that sparked the Scouring, a noble start drowned in blood... or perhaps it was rotten from the core. I doubt anyone alive could tell you that with absolute certainty. But it was more than a millennium ago, mm? You stand among the ruins of the dead civilization of a dying race. But you also stand among the one place on the continent - perhaps the entire world - that shows peaceful coexistence is possible. That humans and dragons can live together, love one another, and work with each other to build an enduring peace in a world where both dragons and humans alone have failed to do so.
Perspective is a wonderful tool, and you alone, young man, are the one to decide how you wish to see it. To ignore the past is to doom yourself to repeat it, but to live entirely within the past is perhaps even worse. It is up to you two... and the young of both races... to decide what the future may look like. Revenge for the fallen? Finishing your ancient task? Or a third path? You two are... perhaps uniquely privileged in helping chart that course. Perhaps even able to change the world. But to do so, you must both confront your pasts... no matter how ugly they may be."
That was why she had come here, wasn't it? Even before admitting it to Remus. When she told Veigue... Nayru had known even then that she had to come to terms with her past, in some form or another. Learning who or what she was. Trying to find a way to live despite the weight she carried. Nayru didn't know if she deserved to live, but she had spent so long running from the alternative that she wasn't sure what other choice there was.
...And she didn't know how far her desire to protect would reach, either. It was all well and good to say that she wanted to protect humans now, but what if she had to fight Aerious to protect people from his bitter rage? What if Locke or Aeos went mad and she was forced to fight... at worst, kill them, just to save people she didn't even know? It wasn't hard to say she liked Remus more than most of the people she'd met, but would she be willing to kill another dragon to protect him, or would she fumble trying to find a third solution, and in doing so betray her own cause, unable to do what needed to be done? Going into any plan, no matter how nice it sounded, without the courage and dedication to see it through was a recipe for disaster. She knew THAT much at least.
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Post by Remus on Mar 7, 2020 23:59:23 GMT -6
This lesson, was not one he would fully digest in that single sitting. By Erim's own words, it wasn't meant to be. As she'd put it, several minutes prior. Something to think about. He was certain, that he'd do just that. The priest's eyes glancing back to the staff that he'd spent so much time clinging, briefly adjusting when ever shifting to a new position on the couch, and he found himself reflecting back on his home. As things stood, they obviously wouldn't change in the immediate. That type of change, was too large scale. As it stood, he at-least could gain what wisdom and knowledge he could hear before bringing himself back home. Erim was right. This place was unique. A place unlike any in the world. Perhaps, he could find the solution it would take, or a path to it. After all, he'd already seen such miracles as a human and dragon living in harmony within the same breadth. The blue haired Etrurian priest, who still felt very much exposed without his all encompassing blue robes to conceal and hide within, bowed his head politely after a few moments of thought. Glancing to Erim after he'd bowed his head, he gave her a respectful smile and spoke in the same sincerity he'd always tried to uphold.
"Thank you, for your words of insight. I will do my best, to learn what I can from Arcadia before I return home. Maybe the solution I seek, is not one I'd find with just a human mindset. Maybe it needs both to be able to thrive. You earlier implied, that both sides shared blame. It then, to me, makes sense that inspiration for a solution should rightfully come from both sources. Idea's, concepts, problems, and their answers, that I could never dream of may be common sense to the youngest of dragons. Even if there was a day and age where no dragon wanted such a thing, if humanity can gain insight and wisdom from those who have come before, perhaps we can pave a road for those who come after."
He paused. Chuckling for a moment, before glancing in Nayru's direction.
"Maybe I'll need to visit more of these ruins you like to explore..Ah..as long as they don't try to blow me up..like uh..the one Lamia temple..."
Not precisely an experience he was quick to relive. Be it the suffocating darkness, constricting claustrophobia, or the brutal traps that had given him some serious pause to ever walk down stairs again.
The magical blue self-igniting braziers had been fascinating at-least.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Mar 8, 2020 7:05:32 GMT -6
Nayru found herself watching the procession of emotions crossing her best friend's face, realizing only after he had begun speaking how she had thought of him. Regretting it; not because she thought less of him, but because - she wasn't sure why. It bothered her. She had never been very good with friends. She didn't WANT to keep people out, but it seemed to come naturally to her. Friendships budded and bloomed easily, but withered and died just as easily; those who found her attractive or charismatic soon learned the ugly, boring, meaningless truth beneath the facade of personality.
At some point along the way she had learned to leave them behind first, so they couldn't get to that point. Easier for everyone involved. Or at least... easier for her. Another ugly truth. Elly had been a sweetheart, one she would have liked to befriend. Aerious... well, that had been his decision, not hers, but her admiration of him had been real. Veigue had come close, and then he too had left her behind, proving that whatever she had come to see in him was little more than wishful thinking. Remus was the one who had seen how hollow she was, the self-loathing bubbling beneath the surface, and embraced her nonetheless.
It was ironic, in a way. She, the centuries old dragon; him, an idealistic young man. But as he spoke, with foresight and wisdom that far outstripped his years, it finally struck home that she was the weak link in their relationship. He was the one who was destined for greatness... perhaps the one who could finally bring humans and dragons together. She was just a dumb urchin from Nabata who was glad to have one person she felt like she could trust. She was satisfied knowing there was no chance she was his best friend. She had him, and that was what mattered.
...She didn't know what her and Erim were, but that was something she could be grateful for as well. That despite her betrayal of the ancient manakete, the true bearer of the surname she had been gifted had still opened their door to her once more. Erim al-Saiduq. She who was the test and the truth, entwined as one.
For her part, the pale woman raised a bemused eyebrow at Remus's mentioning of lamias, something that it was probably for the best Nayru didn't pay attention to. "Hmmhmm. Few of your kind court death willingly, but the pursuit of knowledge is a path wrought with danger. Something else that perhaps you should share with another for your own benefit." If she had been moved by Remus's speech, she evinced little proof, though neither did she argue it. Given her personality, perhaps that was the most genuine response she could have offered. "We were speaking of the Arum, I believe, before the subject flowed to the question of survival. It seems you have both encountered them now, and found them remarkably solid for ghosts of a forgotten past. Tell me, Remus, Nayru, did you learn any of their names? As I recall those were quite important to their kind."
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Post by Remus on Mar 18, 2020 10:37:57 GMT -6
Remus paused at the shift in topic. Thinking back to the encounter's he'd had. Though the one in Sacae was not as direct. It hadn't spoken much. Had it? The lapis haired priest shifted. Fingers quietly brushing Thyrus as the priest leaned into the couch's back while adjusting himself. As if scooting back a bit. The young Etrurian furrowing his brow as troubled memories bubbled to the surface. He had to think back fairly hard on it, and the memories were uncannily clear. As if, had he closed his eyes, he could've relived them in every waking moment. Perhaps that would help? He imagined Nayru had more knowledge to contribute, or more to say on it. So in that silence, he spoke up while he closed his eyes. Already, he felt a chill shudder down his spine before a faint warmth seemed to ebb into him from Thyrus.
" Sacae...the City of Heroes. Hargus had been slain..one of the men fighting him had taken up a dark blade..his skin dark like scorched bark. He drank the power of several gargoyles around him. Almost like a pulse that dug a crater into the ground around him. Jya, a woman who had saved me from being taken hostage, along with Mana..another woman both helping defend the city, fought him. I was far weaker..my healing magic barely able to knit the weakest of their wounds. He seemed..unstoppable. He talked only of his hunger. How he would feed."
The priest looked up a moment later at the two dragon's before giving a weak shrug.
"He fled as more arrived to fight him but I..passed out of exhaustion during the fight. Ah...then there was..Laus."
He closed his eyes again. Visible shivering as his face grew pale for a moment and he quietly spoke allowed. Tone one slightly touched in distraught nature.
"At first it was just a few undead. Then it had grown to a seeming horde in the distance. It spoke with a woman's voice, yet screamed in agony. Spoke of maddness. It's undead thralls seemed pained. Unlike most undead, they begged for death. Screamed of pain and pleaded for salvation. The Arum...laughed and continued to taunt in maddness..it could obscure itself with barrier magic like my own, and fought until pressed to retreat. That was when I met the only dragon I knew..besides Nayru. Liam, but we have not seen one another since..he'd started transforming to try and fight it back. As if half man, and half dragon."
He glanced between the two as he clutched his staff again, letting it's warmth radiate through him as he felt a faint stirring presence. Within? The gem amidst the staff had begun to glow slightly, but he didn't recall igniting it with magic. Then he felt, strangely, so certain, what they were called. He remembered a similar sensation when him and Nayru had spoken of it on the trek to the very city they now sat within.
Hunger. Maddness. The only two names I could think of..that any might know them by. Unless they had..names other than that which I suspect is likely?
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jul 15, 2020 20:45:26 GMT -6
Erim listened quietly to Remus's words, the only real sounds in the shadowed room being his clear voice and the occasional puffs of smoke emanating the ancient manakete after deep inhalations from the hookah. Nonetheless, both she and Nayru remained quiet to allow him to finish, leaving only silence in the room in his wake.
The kimono-clad woman remained silent, almost drawn when Nayru looked askance at her, perhaps deep in thought or... hopefully not pausing for dramatic effect. When she spoke, it was as though her voice had aged a thousand years since last she spoke, her words heavy with meaning only she knew. "That those you met were creatures of darkness answers... a great question, one not asked in millennia. The cataclysm that tore their kind from Elibe was... an eruption of Nether magic on a scale rarely seen in Elibe's history. Most believed them entirely destroyed. But those who knew the power of the Nether, a power the Arum were always adept in, always wondered. A question once merely academic, now cruel reality; it is clear that in some manner they lived on, if only in part. Perhaps intent on vengeance against the world they had believed themselves caretakers of. Perhaps out of desperation for survival. Whatever the case, rumors of their demise may have been greatly exaggerated. Although..."
She sighed, pausing her speech to take a yet deeper draw of the incense flowing through the tube. "What has become of the fallen children of Gaea? To be reduced to spite-fueled shades of what they were. To lose their culture, their bodies, their identities, their very names?" She shook her head, her expression dark. "No, they were never known as such. If they are reduced to such existences now, returning in this manner, I would expect those names to be the catalyst of the power controlling them. Their kind were always sensitive to spiritual matters; it was they who pioneered binding, soulforging; always linked to the Nether they were so attached to. I doubt you were fighting the individuals they once were, but rather revenants... spectres born from the spirits of those they once were. Perhaps unraveling the mystery of their new names will lead you to the truth, if they were changed by one of their own or some inscrutable existence interred deep within the Nether."
"Though... Nayru, you said you fought one with physical form and intelligence, yes?"
Hm? Oh. Enraptured by the possibilities, Nayru took a moment to realize she had been addressed at all, much less expected to answer. "Yes. His body was... I think... warped by the darkness of the area, but he seemed to be in full control of himself, and his body. It didn't seem like what Remus described, or my other encounters, where they seemed to be possessed."
"Then I believe you already have the answer to that question in hand, hmm? Simply ask him for information. If he refuses, beat it out of him. You spoke of strength beyond imagining, and yet you of all people ought be able to bridge that gap. To have gained control of what she feared for so long... your power is a gift, Nayru, but also a responsibility. To honor it, honor yourself, you must not shy away from what you may learn there. Only through facing the truth can you be set free from yourself."
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