Re: Requiem of Depravity

by that fang Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:23 am

"Oh, okay," Aeliel said, still bewildered. He wandered off to find something to eat. There was a fruit bowl just sitting there, so Aeliel grabbed it and brought it back to where Evangeline sat. Atop the bowl was a curious yellow thing, shaped kind of like a crescent. Aeliel poked it and was a bit dismayed at the spongy texture of its skin. Beside the yellow fruit was an orange one - this one spherical and probably a citrus.

The Silarian surveyed the bowl again, the beginnings of a frown on his lips. "How is one supposed to eat these?" he muttered. None of them looked like the fruit at home, although some vaguely resembled others.

by **Masquerade** Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:27 am

"Oh my. That's a banana," Evangeline stated, taking the thing from him and placing her hand at the top. "We don't have these in my homeland either. We used to when importing was more widespread, but not anymore. You're supposed to peel it first. Like this," she explained, starting to peel the banana so that the skin was no longer obscuring the true fruit. She handed it back to him. "As for the orange, you can tear away its skin with your hands. The fruit requires a bit of prep work, but they're really good. Most things that require effort turn out to be good in the end after all," she chimed before polishing off the rest of her own motley assortment of fruit and bread.

by that fang Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:37 am

Aeliel bit into the banana, his face scrunching up to convey his distaste. This "banana" fruit was...rather mushy. It wasn't a bad flavor, but it was definitely a new experience. Nothing at home was like this.

"This is an...interesting...texture," he managed, looking at the "banana" apprehensively. He ate it anyway since his culture dictated he shouldn't be picky with things like food and turned his attention to the "orange."

Aeliel tried to peel away the skin, but it remained firm. Poking a whole into it with a fingernail, Aeliel tried again and was rewarded with a squirt of juice to the face. Grimacing (and feeling a tad embarrassed), Aeliel wiped his cheeks with a sleeve (luckily, the juice had missed his eyes; a lick to his lips revealed an acidic taste).

He noticed how the "orange" was already kind of divided into slices and tried to pull it apart based on that, ignoring the trainwreck of slush he'd created of half the fruit already. Eating a piece, Aeliel found it was a familiar flavor.

"I think we have something similar to this back in Silar," he commented. "Although it's something you just bite into. That "banana" one is really strange, on the other hand."

by **Masquerade** Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:49 am

Placing a hand to her mouth, Evangeline laughed quietly as Aeliel seemed to have a rather valiant struggle with his fruit. He seemed to get most of it for the most part, but there were definitely some casualties. "Well, I don't know a lot about fruit. Perhaps the something similar you had back in Silar was of the same family? I'm sorry the banana was not as good to you. They're really convenient for travel; you just peel and eat them while you walk. Maybe it's an acquired taste," Evangeline mused. "I'm sure if you ate them often, you wouldn't find their taste to be so strange, am I right?" Exotic flavors weren't called exotic for nothing. Things that were familiar often tasted as such, granted there were still a few cuisines in Usvaan she'd rather not have in her mouth.

by that fang Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:56 am

Evangeline was laughing at him, but Aeliel didn't mind much. He supposed he had looked rather funny having trouble with something the girl had done so naturally. Her mirth was contagious; Aeliel couldn't help breaking in a grin. "The taste, I could get used to," he agreed. "It's just the feeling in your mouth - I don't know. I'd prefer not to try again. I never did eat that much fruit back at home; they spoiled too easily. Besides, the forests had a plethora of edible plants and animals; we were never short on food."

"But I suppose Silar and, ah, it was Usvaan, wasn't it? They're probably very different. What was it like?"

by **Rose Hathaway** Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:33 pm

Corentine looked at Kaza. "There's no need to act upset around me. I'm fine now. I just have one question. Did he have any last words? Anything he said that could be important?" It was the one thing that had been on her mind ever since he had spoken to her. Did he think of her as he died? Did he think of Mom?

by **Masquerade** Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:38 pm

"I see," Evangeline nodded understandingly, thinking about how interesting Aeliel's eating habits were. He certainly sounded like he knew his away around a forest. "What was Usvaan like? Well, before the trouble with the Old Gods rising and the war, it was a very peaceful place. Still is, of course, but things were definitely a lot less tense. Every day seemed like a dream. The sun hardly ever peeked out through the gray clouds overhead. It didn't make things as dreary as you think; it made everything with color in the town stand out that much more. Other towns probably got more sun than we did, but overcast skies is something Usvaan's known for. Fishing around the lake was popular, and a lot of people had their own personal vegetable gardens, though there were large farms on the outskirts of most villages. I've always felt like Usvaan was hidden away from the rest of the world for some reason. It sure didn't stop us from being dragged into the war," she added sadly, rubbing one of her wrists nervously. Talking about the war made her realize how much she hated it. She prayed for it to end, but if it were to do so, the Old Gods would need to be stopped so that peace could finally settle over all the nations once again.

by **CodastertheDisaster** Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:53 pm

Kaza nodded. "He asked for help. At the time I thought it was for him, but I think he wanted to say something else. I cremated him. I didn't want his family to see him like that." He reached out and set a hand on her shoulder. "If for nothing else, I want to avenge the fallen soldiers. I want to strike the Old Gods down, for the brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, lovers and friends that lost somebody to the monstrosities." He turned around. "I wish I could tell you more, but I cannot," he said, then started walking back inside.
He took a seat next to Cielo, nodding at Isha and Aeliel as he sat down. "When do we leave?" he asked, directing the question to Isha.

by Book the Hero Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:32 pm

"Shouldn't we be leaving as soon as we possibly can, like when we're all awake, and ready to go?" Cielo said, before turning to Isha. "I overheard you when I was heading off to be, we're suppose to find a place to rest for during the hottest part of the day, right?"

by that fang Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:43 pm

"Oh, I'll go grab Sinclair then," Aeliel volunteered. "He's probably just wandering around somewhere." He'd memorized (kinda) the outpost this morning, so he was confident wouldn't get that lost. He excused himself with a grin to Evangeline and left to find his friend.

by **Rose Hathaway** Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:43 pm

Corentine let him go inside as she processed everything that Kaza had told her. She was grateful that he cremated her father's body, his logic made sense, but it would have been nice to say goodbye. A final goodbye, not one that sounded like he was back, like she would see him again. One day, she'll make Kaza take her to where he cremated him. She would say goodbye, maybe bring some flowers.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice a tear slipped down her face. The tear that dangled on her chin before falling to the dry and sandy ground made her dry her eyes with her sleeve and take a bite of the apple. She wanted to end the Old God that did this. She'd stay in the name of her father. She returned inside and took a seat next to Evangeline and continued munching quietly.

by MrMissMrs Random Fri Jul 20, 2012 1:11 am

"Yes. There have been caravans known to travel through these parts that talk of an oasis where one can refresh and lay in the shade until the worst of the days' heat is gone. However, after that we're going to have to travel a bit further..." Isha answered Cielo, trying to think about how long it took her to travel from the Hermitage, and that was only one person.

"Pack what you can, since we might be sleeping outside tonight." The girl replied soberly, before looking over at Corentine, staring at her. Her eyes were still a bit shiny, like she had cried.

by **Masquerade** Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:51 am

"Oh yes. If we have to sleep outside, it'd be best to fetch a blanket then," Evangeline replied as she arose. She still felt a bit odd in her new dress; it was much more liberating than the one she had stowed away in her bag. The priestess wandered off and asked one of the people at the outpost if she could buy a blanket from them. She didn't feel right just taking things, especially since she had the money to fork over. It was rather large and thick, so Evangeline rolled the thing up and strapped it to the top of her bag. She set about outside to fill a couple of waterskins at the well before heading back inside to snatch some spare bread leaving some money to one of the women tidying up the area. She was about as set as she was going to be.

Oh the desert has not been the best, but another trek through it shouldn't be too bad, Evangeline sighed mentally, a disconcerted look appearing on her face. The woman had surprising endurance when it came to traveling. She didn't need to eat or drink as much as other people, but the desert really stressed her when it came to such things. What you can do once, you can do again, she encouraged herself softly.

by that fang Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:34 pm

OOC: ...I feel like a bad person now since I'm manipulating Sinclair's mindset to explain his absence. XP

Sinclair had (unlike Aeliel) deduced that since they'd be travelling, they'd be needing some supplies. He procured some basic supplies (water, provisions, etc.) before beginning to search for other tools that would make the journey easier. This was what he was doing when Aeliel stumbled over him.

"Sinclair," Aeliel brightened, ecstatic he'd found his friend before he had gotten lost. He proceeded to fill the other man in on the little that had been decided that morning. Seeing the travelling supplies in Sinclair's hand, Aeliel figured he already knew they would be setting off soon, so Aeliel chattered only to fill the silence until they reached the others. After he ran out of material, he began to recount his endeavor with the breakfast fruit-of-evil.

As they turned the corner and saw the others, Aeliel broke off his story with a sheepish grin. "Er, you probably don't care," he murmured, turning red at the ears. He really needed a filter between his mind and his mouth. "Sorry to bore you," Aeliel laughed it off, waving at the group to signal he was back.

by **CodastertheDisaster** Mon Jul 23, 2012 3:06 pm

Kaza glanced around, checking to see that everyone had a bag of supplies before he said anything. "Isha, we must get going. You are the only one who knows where to go, so you must lead us." He stood up, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I believe we should stop wasting time here and set off now. Please, lead the way," he said, focusing his gaze on Isha.

by MrMissMrs Random Mon Jul 23, 2012 3:21 pm

Isha grabbed her bag of supplies and nodded, turning to the others. "All you must have anough water to last you throughout the day. We will not be stopping until we reach a certain point. Everyone must stick together. In the desert it is easy to lose your way, so be cautious."

With that, the girl walked out the door, giving the owners a small bag that jingled when it landed in the palm of their hand.

by **Rose Hathaway** Mon Jul 23, 2012 5:26 pm

Corentine filled her water pouch up along with an extra, and followed Isha out the door. She put some coins in the hands of the owner as well. She didn't know what to really say or do other than that.

by Book the Hero Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:14 pm

Cielo, who had finished packing up, and already had her waterskins of water, followed Isha. She was hoping they would be able to get to the oasis quickly, and then hurry on to reach the temple. Really, she just wanted out of the desert.

by **Masquerade** Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:13 pm

The priestess had already been waiting for some sign of mass movement from the others, and as soon as Kaza and Isha mentioned moving out, she steeled herself for another grueling trip through the desert. She had been rather fatigued when she passed through the first time, so her trip was sort of a blur, but now that she was fully restored, she would have to endure the heat and sand being of sound mind this time. Stay strong, Evangeline. The desert is nothing compared to the Old Gods. Remember that, she told herself before following briskly after the others with her water and the rest of her belongings.

by that fang Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:26 pm

Aeliel also stopped to pick up some waterskins, having forgotten about the basic needs in the face of adventure. On the other hand, water had been the first thing on Sinclair's mind when he'd been searching for supplies. Both hurried after the group (although the hurrying was mostly done on Aeliel's part; Sinclair followed calmly after).

"So I'm the Life Knight, and Sinclair's the Dragon Knight...I think," he began conversationally. "What do you suppose the rest of you are?"

by AlluredStep Tue Jul 31, 2012 8:57 am

Wiping sweat off his brow, Sinclair continued forward on the arduous trek through the desert. If he was the Dragon Knight, that would make sense, given his earlier vision of the serpentine creature. Briefly he paused to wonder what being one of the descendants would exactly entail, but shrugged the thought off for the moment as he continued walking. He tuned his ears to what Aeliel was saying and became curious as to what Knights his other companions were.

by **Rose Hathaway** Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:59 am

Corentine caught up with the others quickly, and thought for a moment after Aeliel asked his question. "I think I'm the Storm Knight. I was attacked earlier and lightning came from the sky and shocked him. No idea what happened, really. It just... did."

by that fang Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:44 pm

"Lightning?" Aeliel repeated, a bit stunned at her confession. "There wasn't any warning? It just happened?"

This was a frightening point to dwell on, since lightning storms were grimly regarded back in Silar. Wildfires caused by such storms had been known to ravage entire forests, leaving the villages that depended on them destitute and hungry. Now he was facing lightning without a storm - lightning that happened abruptly and at the whim of this girl?

Aeliel made a note to not underestimate Corentine. Or any of his new companions, he added. If the Storm Knight had these abilities, what dangerous skills did the others hide? He was ashamed to admit that he was most wary of the Tivuourian, the man called Kaza, specifically the gauntlet on his arm. He guessed from the emblem on the man's back that his powers would center around fire, which was unsurprisingly a bigger enemy to Aeliel than lightning was. There was a reason their countries didn't get along, even overlooking the recent appearance of the Old Gods.

by **Rose Hathaway** Wed Aug 01, 2012 1:04 am

"There were clouds.... I think. I was a little distracted at the time. In fact, I didn't even know I could summon it. I just knew I needed to get out of the arms of that creep. I thought Cielo or Evangeline would cover it, but I guess something told something else otherwise. I've never done it before." Corentine shrugged. She still didn't know a hundred percent how to harness it and be able to summon it at will, but she guessed the arrangement she and the lightning had for now would suffice.

by **Masquerade** Wed Aug 01, 2012 11:49 am

"I'm sorry, that sounds horrible. I didn't even know you were being attacked," Evangeline stated apologetically. "Cielo had run off to find Kaza leaving me at the clothing store, but then there was a scream and she ran off somewhere. I presume she was going to help you. Yes, it makes a lot more sense now," she affirmed to herself with a quaint nod. "It is good that we have access to our powers now, but they seem to be a bit difficult to control. Granted, it is difficult to control something you don't realize you have." She thought about her own abilities, though she had never before exercised some sort of power. She had always just been rather normal, praying and such. "As for myself, they do not call me the Maiden of the Mists for nothing. I am the descendant of the Mist Knight," she explained, even though the fact that she was called the Maiden of the Mists really had no direct correlation to the fact that she was the Mist Knight. However, she decided to keep that a little secret.

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