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Post by Obelisk on Jul 26, 2017 23:11:41 GMT
Obelisk stood on the icy, windswept plain, staring up. The sun was glaring, the sky shockingly blue. The only thing that broke up the sky were the floating islands not too distant, casting strange shadows on the ground beneath them. These are what drew his eyes now, even against the glare. He lifted one hand to shade his eyes, though the streaks of bronze in them still shimmered as though they held onto the sun in their depths. His hair was loose and long behind him, the light picking up hints of leaf-like shadows as though he stood beneath a tree rather than on a barren plain.
The cold bit into his skin. He was clothed for it, but only because he had to. In his true skin he would have been fine, as at home here among these stones as anywhere else. Maybe here, it was barren enough. Here, maybe he could be himself. It was cold and lonely. And there were those islands, denied to him unless he had wings. His back itched at the thought, a phantom ache in the muscles as though he'd clenched his wings close for far too long. But he didn't make any moves to shed his clothing and drop his shape. Instead he dropped his heavy pack and unstrapped the simply tent from it. Though midday, he intended to stay here for a time among the snow and ice. A few days at least, to see if there was anything to learn from this solitude.
Within an hour he had a small camp set up. His tent was little more than a covering against foul weather, a piece of canvas pegged down on the corners and propped up on the front edge by a long stick he'd brought for the purpose. He had no fire since wood was hard to come by here, so he contented himself with a bit of dry travel ration as he returned to his quiet contemplation of the landscape.
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Post by shaecayrn on Jul 27, 2017 2:30:16 GMT
Snow covered the ground, underneath it was solid ice, and the steady clomp of her horse's hooves was the only nearby noise that Shaecayrn could hear. The sky was a brilliant color, the floating islands as beautiful as they could possibly be, and the sun was bright. In fact, the snow was brighter, if possible. So much so that she had muttered a small spell to cover her eyes with a blanket of shadow, looking through it and into the world from a dimmer light. Her dark hair, in its multitude of tiny braids, beaded with gems and metals, clinked quietly around her head, muted by the hood of her cloak. The freezing wind whipped by her, and her mount as they continued.
Shaecayrn was hunting. She was always hunting. For a place, a home, herbs, energy, food, survival, her next job. Here, in this frozen land, she sought a particular thing though: Gems. The floating islands had never been mined. Perhaps they held more wealth than others believed. But it was a risky sort of business, such things, and alone it would possibly take a lot of magic.
Her mind wandered idly for a moment, and it was then that her gaze caught sight of something out of the norm. A piece of canvas. The approach wasn't subtle as she turned her mount in curiosity. The spikes on his horseshoes alone were enough to draw attention. Dressed in dark, shadowy travel clothing, she looked as though she wore a mask, skin blending to cloth and contrasting sharply with both the white landscape and the dappled silver mount she rode.
Once within earshot, she pulled the mount to a stop, observing the man who sat, contemplating the landscape, with curiosity and bemusement. "Are you wishing to freeze to death? A canvas cover will hardly protect you from the winds here." As if to punctuate her words, the wind rushed by for a brief moment, tugging her hood down to reveal her face, and the tattoo that shimmered down her cheek, though her eyes were still darkened by shadow.
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Post by Obelisk on Jul 27, 2017 2:46:21 GMT
He heard the clop of hooves and glanced over his shoulder, brows raised in surprise. He truly hadn't expected other travelers in this place. His dress of tans and fawn browns only blended in a bit better than her dark clothing. Red fox fur trimmed the forest green cloak that kept him mostly warm, over layers of silk and wool for insulation. Still, he didn't look terribly wealthy- no horse and minimal supplies.
"Hmm? No. It will knock the wind down enough that with a good bedroll it will be enough for me." He flashed a smile, posture easy and unconcerned. A short pole axe rested in his belt, but he didn't reach for it. It was his steel fang but he didn't expect to need it- until her hood fell back. Then his face changed into something more wary, skeptical.
"Mage." It was more a statement than a question. All early friendliness had cooled quickly. Although mages had done little to earn his ire in his youth, he understood that they had been instrumental in the creation of his prison. So he gave them due, wary respect. Especially when he wasn't in his natural form. Still, they were alone out here. If he changed, there would be no one to carry the story. Only, he was as easy to kill as man right now. And if she killed him first, it wouldn't matter what he was.
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Post by shaecayrn on Jul 27, 2017 3:17:13 GMT
His smile was nice. And she almost smiled back in reply, before catching herself and maintaining her cool, if polite, expression. Perhaps a good thing, as he went quickly wary when he saw her face. His statement was flung out and hit her ears like an accusation. The shadow that had protected her eyes shifted slightly with her expression as it darkened, a slight scowl tilting her lips. Her fingers tightened on the reins, and her horse stamped in objection to the tension against his mouth. Though her hands loosened her scowl remained, glowering at the man. It was not an uncommon reaction, really. Many were distrustful of her, for her appearance alone, even if they did not guess her race. But her reaction was enough to confirm that he was correct.
Shaecayrn's voice had a resigned edge to it's whip-crack into the cold air. "I no more chose what I was born as than you, stranger. Let's not allow it to sour our encounter, hm?" But her hand shifted again, and the horse swung to one side as if she was preparing to leave. Just before she started though, she pulled the horse to a pause, her voice shifting into curiosity as she stared at the floating islands in the sky. "I don't suppose you know a way to get up to the islands in the sky, do you?" The shadows of where her eyes were seemed to shift and waver as she looked back at him for a moment.
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Post by Obelisk on Jul 27, 2017 3:36:48 GMT
Quick judgement was, perhaps, Obe's worst vice. Old wrongs clung tightly to his mind and emotions. He knew them though and struggled sometimes to pass them. Other times he did not struggle and he simply allowed them to rule his thoughts and actions. Today his mind and heart were clear. It was easy for him to see the reaction his statement had on the tension in her hands and the sudden restlessness of her mount. He smoothed his face out to something more neutral and turned slightly away from her. If she was going to leave, he wouldn't stop her.
He reached back to pull his hair into a tail, the faint leaf-like shadows slipping undisturbed over the strands until there simply wasn't enough surface for them to show properly. Her statement on choice though made him huff. She didn't know what he was. That he was sure of. Part of her wanted to show her. But that part of him was tired in living in fear and isolation. That part of him wanted dragons to be able to leave without being hunted.
"I've had bad dealings with mages." He let the words fall from his lips without anger, schooling his tone to careful civility. "My apologies for my reaction." He couldn't revive any feelings of fellowship with her as a fellow traveler, but at least he had made a modicum of effort. That alone made him feel a little more balanced. Her next question made him snort and he turned back to her. The sun caught the metallic veins across the stony grey of his iris's, gleaming almost like cat's eyes in the night.
"Fly, of course."
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Post by shaecayrn on Jul 27, 2017 4:07:31 GMT
Disdain had shifted to neutrality, but she knew better. Anyone who had rough dealings with mages was unlikely to become a potential contact, let alone a friend. Perhaps hermit-hood would be a better option. Those sky-islands would make a good enough home if there was enough plant life. She acknowledged his apology with the smallest of nods, but did not verbally accept it. She would neither forgive nor take responsibility for the actions of her kind. It was not her problem that there were those who tended towards using their magic for evil. Even immortals or dragons or fae all had their bad eggs.
His snort came, and he looked at her directly once again. The snarky comment came, and her eyes narrowed, the shadows protecting them dissipating so that black orbs could meet metallic grey directly. "I am a mage, not a bird. Climbing a rope may be more advisable than the energy it would cost to grow myself wings." Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him more closely, her mount shifting under her. "Unless you perhaps are gifted with the ability of levitation. I pay those who assist me in my searches well." It was perhaps a backhanded sort of offer of a job, but she would not pass up the possibility.
Without thought, one hand rose, tracing the tear streak down her cheek as if in thought as her gaze returned up to the islands. A breathless murmur came from her "To see so far that the world drops below the horizon... what treasures might be found?"
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Post by Obelisk on Jul 27, 2017 16:33:33 GMT
He actually considered the offer. Arms crossed over his chest, he weighed the ideas of it. He doubted a rope would be scale-able to the heights the islands floated at but then he did not know. Perhaps one of the mage gifts she possessed gave her incredible stamina. He could certainly carry a rope of that length to the top and technically, if he did it at night, he might even get away with keeping ow he did it a secret. She could theorize all she wanted. That didn't mean he had to give her proof.
"Perhaps." He finally offered, not exactly saying he'd take the job but not denying he could do it. He wanted to go there anyway. Why not make a little coin while he was at it. Though he disdained the idea of needing wealth, the wheels of society turned on it and he wasn't inclined to be a thief. Nor was he inclined to shift just to mine for ore or gems to pay for his travels. So odd jobs were never completely off his radar so long as the morality seemed sound.
"It depends on how you define treasure." He responded to her murmur as if she had spoken to him, turning his gaze towards the islands as well. "Memory of the view alone is priceless."
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Post by shaecayrn on Jul 28, 2017 3:51:43 GMT
Her dark eyes, shadows of mystery swirling within them between awe and curiosity, turned back to him. He spoke as if he might possibly be able to aid her, but didn't clarify whether such would truly be possible. And his words continued, looking at how one defined treasure. A snarky comment came to mind, but when she looked back to the islands she silently agreed with his determining that the view alone would be priceless. The agreement came only in the moment of silence that they shared before she wrinkled her nose and looked back to Obelisk.
"So. Have you the ability to help me, or shall I continue on my own?" She wasn't particularly eager for this rather standoffish man to accompany her, but turning away a useful tool when hunting was like trying to hammer in nails without the hammer. Pointless, and often painful, alongside being much more difficult.
Once she was level with the islands, there were several cantrips that could lead her to a wealth of gems, which the mage had come to find were fairly useful, as well as pretty. Money, energy storage, channeling... Gems were truly some of the better things in the world. The patience of a hunter came as she waited for his response, eyes staring at him with an intense gaze that surely had turned away as many people as it had ever drawn in.
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Post by Obelisk on Jul 28, 2017 15:32:56 GMT
Oh he was tempted. He hadn't made it to the islands before- had never wandered so far from his territory when he was younger and travel on foot was much slower. He wanted to see what was up there, see the view. It would be a fair thing to make a bit of coin. He took his time considering the proposition further, perhaps much longer than most. He seemed in no real hurry. He turned away from her and back to his small camp, busying himself with nothing in particular. Adjusting the pitons, making sure the canvas was sound.
"It would depend." He finally said, his back to her. "On what you intended to do there and what sort of pay you were offering." He turned his gaze towards the island against, then turned back to her. "And an oath. A proper one, to say nothing of my part to anyone."
He sought her eyes, deadly serious. While he did not trust mages, he was from a time when a man's- or woman's- word was as solid as iron. It would feel good to stretch his wings, he thought. And really if she tried anything he would be in a much better position to do something about it. And if not then he could go back to his thoughts and philosophies.
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Post by shaecayrn on Jul 28, 2017 17:10:24 GMT
Her scowl increased as he drew out the moment, busying himself with make-work to avoid answering. The wind tugged at her still form, and she continued to wait, and wait. The gelding she sat on shook himself with a jingle of tack, and then settled again before Obelisk finally answered. Shimmer's nose wrinkled. It depended. Always things depended. He wished to know her intentions, her pay, and wished for her oath of silence on his involvement.
Steely orbs met her own black, serious as the dead. The moment stretched between them, with her obviously weighing possibilities. Finally, the shadow kissed woman moved, swingin down from her mount and putting herself upon even footing with him. She moved with a dancer's grace, her movement revealing a series of pouches and pockets, two knives on her belt and another in her boot. For a mage, she traveled well armed. She stepped forward, meeting his gaze again and pausing when she stood just out of reach, her posture speaking simultaneously of confidence and yet of one who may slip away at any moment.
"My name is Shaecayrn. Most call me Shimmer."She waited for his own introduction before continuing, though she did not offer her hand in the typical fashion of greeting. "My search is for a particular gem that is both beautiful and useful to me. If it is not present upon the islands, I will leave. If it is, I will collect only a few. I have no intentions of beginning a mine." Her voice hadn't exactly warmed, but it was no longer as cold as the ice surrounding them. "As for your payment, you have a choice. Either I can hand you wealth in gold and jewels, or you may have one favor of equal value to this one that you do me, to be called upon at a time of your choosing. So long as it neither threatens my life or my secrets, I will fulfill it."
One hand rose, fidgeting with a gleaming blue bead in her dark hair before she continued. "My oath comes with your agreement to assist in my task." She waited for his answer to confirm his agreement before nodding solemnly. Eyes maintaining a steady gaze into his, her voice fell into ritualistic cadence. "I, Shaecayrn, bind unto my magic this vow. So long as Obelisk keeps his part in our bargain, to assist me in my task both to and from the sky-isles of Krizala, without betrayal, I will not reveal his involvement nor how it was he assisted me in my task. Neither name, nor description, nor hint shall pass my lips. By the powers that reside within my mind, body and soul, I make it so." Her tattoo flashed a brighter silver against her skin, and a shimmer ran over her body, an outward sign of the mahic she had just bound her words with.
For a moment, her stance wavered, as if she had dizzied, but it passed quickly with a deep breath as she raised an eyebrow at Obelisk. "Satisfied?"
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Post by Obelisk on Jul 28, 2017 17:30:01 GMT
Obelisk, except for the responses required of him, waited. He watched. He listened. He let her words fall like stones upon the still water of his soul and felt briefly the binding, as real to him as a physical bond though as light on his soul as silk thread. When she finished he let the moment settle around them, then a smile quirked his lips.
"Yes, that was well said. For my part, I shall take a favor over goods, one that is of equal value so long as it places no threat to you or your secrets." He did not offer his hand either. There may have been no physical signs of their agreement but to Obelisk at least it was set in stone. The dragon in man's clothing gestured to his threadbare camp- there wasn't exactly anywhere better on this bare plain.
"Shall we settle your horse here? I don't believe he would enjoy the trip so it is best to make him comfortable. We can leave whenever you are ready." The itch in his back had grown to fire in the muscles at the chance to spread his wings. And not just to fly but to show someone. Perhaps it was vanity which his kind was often accused of. Perhaps it was simply a desire to be known for the truth of what he was. A sudden energy lifted the lethargy that often held him in it's grip and he glanced towards the islands and the sky. Even if they left soon, he doubted they could make it back by nightfall. Depending on how long whatever she was doing to find the gems would take.
"What gems are you looking far. What do they look like? Feel like?" The questions were pointed, eager. Though it wasn't his hunt, he had agreed to assist and he fully intended to. Besides, if she had some affinity for gems than he would have liked to know what it was.
He wanted to feel the earth. Deep in his bones what he wanted was to feel the stones and dirt sing to him the way they had in ancient times.
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Post by shaecayrn on Jul 28, 2017 23:20:12 GMT
She watched as his demeanor shifted from dislike to approval, almost welcoming. His smile was a pleasant expression, encouraging her own to lighten from a scowl. A nod was her reply to his offer of settling her mount at his barren camp. The placid gelding was more than pleased to have his tack loosened and grain to be offered to him. Never one to force an animal to stay in one place, and unsure how long that they would be seeking among the islands, Shimmer took one of the beads from her hair and murmured a small tracking spell over it. She tied the stone to the geldings forelock, securing it neatly.
Obelisk's question came to her ears then, and she paused in thought, amusement in her eyes. She had not expected such enthusiasm from the man who had come so distant. Thoughtfully, she debated how to answer his question. What did these stones feel like? Even as she did this, she reached into a pocket, pulling out a small bundle of silk. Unwrapping it, she revealed a crystal within the small square of silk. It was clear but for the natural cracks within it, sending prisms of light around, and double pointed. "They look like this. It is something that is like a quartz, but not, almost like a diamond but less durable." Her fingers traced over the rock before offering it to him to allow him a closer look. If he took it, any touch to her skin would be a brief tingle of energy.
"They feel..." She hesitated, lips pursing as she debated still how to answer. "Like standing in the middle of a storm." Once again, her hand rose, fingers picking out and fidgeting with a bead. This time it was bright green, an emerald, perhaps.
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Post by Obelisk on Jul 28, 2017 23:46:39 GMT
Obelisk waited, patient and yet restless. Restlessness wasn't new to him- he had many years learning to tame the restlessness and use it when appropriate. He didn't offer to help- she didn't seem to need it. Instead he turned to break down what he had set up. He would want clothes if he changed back to human once on the islands, and extra supplies were never a bad thing when exploring. He trussed up his pack, pulling his poleaxe off his belt and securing it along the side. Then he gave the whole thing a good shake to make sure it was well secure. Satisfied it would survive the flight, he turned back to her as she pulled the silk from her pocket.
He finally approached within arm's length of her, peering closely at the crystals. He did not reach for them until she offered, then took one between two fingers and held it up to the light, letting the sun shine through it. "Stunning," he murmured, bringing it close. He sniffed it, rolled it between his fingers, eyes half closed as he tried to feel it through his magic. But it was as though his magic was trapped behind glass. Blowing out a sigh of frustration he nodded at her description and handed the small crystal back.
"I have a preference for colored stones." He shrugged one shoulder and stepped back from her. His eyes followed her hand to the bead, then back to her eyes. "But you have fine taste in stones. Some would overlook what makes them beautiful for flaws." He moved back to his back, putting space between him and the horse and her. "Shall we go?"
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Post by shaecayrn on Jul 29, 2017 5:23:34 GMT
A small smile tilted just the corner of her lips at his compliment to her taste in stones, and she nodded as he asked if they should go. Even as she nodded, curiosity came. He had backed away from both her and her mount, and seemed to be... not just eager but preparing for something far more dramatic than she had planned originally. The mage had assumed that he held the gift of levitation, or something similar, but he looked as though there was something far more exciting in store. As he moved further away, she followed, feeling more cautious than before, wary, and beginning to feel as though she had gotten herself into something she hadn't expected.
Once they were a little further from the horse, just far enough that she felt that she couldn't run away truly, more confusion came. He pulled his clothing off, a piece at a time, but quickly. Each movement seemed slow, an eternity as her eyes took in bared skin before she took a sharp breath and averted her eyes slightly. At the same time, she wanted to keep him in her sight. What was his plan now? What was it possibly that could require the removal of clothing in this particular temperature? One hand slid under her cloak, caution bidding her to reach for a dagger, just in case.
Heat flooded her cheeks, though the darkness of her skin wouldn't show a blush, and she managed to choke out, sounding rather shocked and confused. "What... what are you doing?"
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Post by Obelisk on Jul 29, 2017 5:43:37 GMT
Obe moved quickly because without the cover of clothing the temperature was cold. He still took the time to fold them neatly and tuck them into the top of his bag so that he wouldn't lose them. Finally barefoot on the ice, he glanced up at her, head tilted curiously at her question. His grin turned a bit wolfish. So, there was something that could rock her composure. How funny that it was something as simple as nudity. A boyish sort of mischief kept the expression from being too predatory.
"I am taking you to the islands." Then he let go. It was like releasing a tightly clenched fist. There was not the bone crunching change of a were but merely a shimmer of magic as the form dropped and Obelisk was abruptly... whole. He stood frozen, claws dug into the ice, head tilted down towards the earth and eyes closed. His scales were dull in the bright sunlight, giving the impression of grey granite touched with moss along the crags and crevices. He looked like a creature meant for more fertile land than this, all the tones of green brought out by the lack of color in the surroundings.
He could feel the earth beneath the ice. He could feel it singing, the stones and the sleeping dirt and the dormant life that it cradled. He could feel that if the frost ever had a chance to soften the ground would burst forth with life. These were hardy plants. More he could feel the silver deep beneath. And above, like the melodies of stars, he could hear the floating islands.
He cracked open stone-gray eyes shot through with brilliant veins of molten metals, no obvious white or pupil. His voice rumbled like the echo of a landslide between mountains. "Come, Shaecayrn. And please bring my pack." He shifted his weight back to his muscular hind legs, cupping his hands together to form a stable and secure place for her to stay. There was nowhere secure for her to mount him like a common draft creature- he was simply too large. His wings were not held tight to his sides but were held loosely. They looked dark in the shadows but where the light caught the membranes they held shifting patterns like light filtering through tree canopies.
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