Page 9 of 14 FirstFirst ... 7891011 ... LastLast
Results 81 to 90 of 134

Thread: [M] The Sword and the Fang [Namingtoohard & Ashen]

  1. #81
    The Ashen One
    Ashen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    A land that smells of sunflowers
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    medieval fantasy, adventure, psychological
    Posts
    5,686
    Mentioned
    18 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    99

    Default

    Nothing Issa was doing was inspiring confidence. His voice wavered, nervous, and that energy was infectious; Lec’s shaking grew worse, and their hands trembled too powerfully to hide. His pacing was making them anxious too, but when he sat down and tried to keep himself still, that was even worse. His legs frantically bobbed up and down, and his hands were in constant motion, more erratic than usual. If Issa were this bothered, something was horribly wrong. Lec wished more than anything that he would just come out with it.

    When finally Issa started explaining why he was here at all, Lec kept fixated on him, though their shaking was turning distracting. They watched his face, watched the worry there, while trying to understand what he was saying. He was just talking about some silly prophecy; who were they to believe in the superstitions of their enemies, anyway? The names of these gods didn’t mean anything to them, and they didn’t feel they had time for a theology lesson now, among everything else. This was all so overwhelming, and so much of it was going over their head. Though their mind wandered, coming up with the worst, they tried to stay focused and follow Issa’s story.

    “Two heroes.” Their voice was small, scared, as they put together what Issa was about to say. It was a ridiculous idea, the two of them being chosen by gods to play a part in some celestial squabble, but… Lec’s attention fell to the window again, to the black snow, the proof of the destruction their people—and people across the globe—had yet to understand. Could it really be true, then…? No, they decided, it was a dumb suggestion, and they wouldn’t have it. Them, hand-picked by a god—they were too ordinary, too boring, too… worthless. They couldn’t begin to believe something so far-fetched.

    But Issa was right. All the things they’d heard and seen about their world of late, all the signs of impending death, did make sense in light of the Lucet story. Lec couldn’t deny that. Had their meeting Issa been coincidence as they’d until now believed, or had it all been orchestrated by a god? But why them? What was so special about them that they would be chosen? They shook their head. It didn’t make any sense. When they turned back to Issa, they opened their mouth to protest, to tell him all the reasons he was wrong, that his elder was crazy, but what came out instead was seemingly unrelated to any of this.

    “When I was born,” they started, their gaze falling to the window, the rug under their boots, anywhere but Issa, “my mother thought me a miracle. She said I was making fireballs before I could even talk. I don’t know how much you know about human magic, Issa, but that… that shouldn’t happen. Mages study tomes for years or decades before they’re able to do much at all, and even the most skilled mages can’t do what I can.

    “Magic is exhausting. It takes a great toll on the body and the mind, and because of that, most people give up before they make much progress. It’s just not worth it. Being able to light a candle or water your garden isn’t all that special when you need to practice every day for years to do it. But I never needed to do that. I was born knowing what to do, and I was stronger than anyone I’d ever met.”

    Lec paused. Soft blushes lit their cheeks, and they gnawed their lower lip. They didn’t like talking about this, didn’t like feeling like they were bragging. “It’s… genetic, sometimes,” they continued after carefully thinking about their words. An affinity for magic can be passed through the bloodline, but geneticists and mages both can’t agree on how. Dad studied magic for years, but he doesn’t have a magic bone in his body. He can’t even shape the wind through his teeth to whistle properly. My mother studied magic in university, and she could do some basic spells, but never anything all that impressive. Soren took after her, but I… Well, I don’t know where my skills came from.

    “When we studied magic in school, teachers couldn’t make sense of me. Professors and students from faraway universities came to study me and make me bend the elements for them in ways they’d never seen. They offered me scholarships to our best universities, just to test the limits of what I could do. They promised me I would achieve greatness, that my magic would be written of in our history books, but I… I didn’t want to leave my family, and I couldn’t bear the thought of being some kind of celebrity. Maybe, if I had gone, I’d be in one of those universities now.”

    Lec sighed and took a moment to steady their breath. “I started turning people away,” they admitted with another blush. “I didn’t like being in the spotlight. Ironic, I suppose. I wanted a simpler life, and being a performer felt… better. It felt like home. A lot of people think of me as a waste, but I’m happy now, doing what I do. I stopped questioning why I was so good at this and started asking what I could do, how I could make it beautiful. I never thought I’d ever figure out why I was different.” They hesitated, then brought their gaze back to Issa. They paused to swallow the lump building in their throat. “…Until now.”

    As much as they wanted to, they couldn’t deny what Issa was saying. This prophecy, strange as it was, answered too many of the questions they’d had all their life. Their magic, their mark, their world dying around them; this was all a burden they had accepted at birth, one they did not deserve. If Issa was right, then people around them would continue to lose their homes, would continue to die, unless they did something about it.

    Lec’s hands began to move, signed words Issa wouldn’t understand, words of affirmation, reminders to breathe. Their motions were automatic, as if this was something they had done many times before. They waited for their breathing to level again before they forced their attention back to their messenger. “Okay,” they finally said. “So your god wants us to fight. What… What do we do?”
    Thanks to Craze for the beautiful Bravely set!

    ~Recruitment Thread~
    Spoiler: Ashen's Personal Hall of Fame 

  2. #82
    Mistborn
    Namingtoohard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    3,797
    Mentioned
    20 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    498

    Default

    The first thing that came out of Lec’s mouth after Issa’s haphazard explanation was a far cry from the response he had been expecting. The story his human wanted to tell seemed unrelated at first, but Issa knew them well enough to know that a point was coming, if he could just be patient enough to let them reach it. Curiosity urged him to speak, to let loose with the collection of questions that swelled up inside him immediately, but the Lucet urged his tongue to be still. Thankfully, it listened. Either the answers would come, or Issa would have time to ask afterwards. Lec had done him the courtesy of hearing out his insane story – the least he could do was return the favour.

    All the talk of magic that followed was both fascinating and terrifying, in equal measure. Up until now, Issa had wrongfully assumed that Lec was the standard, just because he didn’t know any other mages to compare them to. The idea that most of them were much less powerful was comforting – the Lucet likely wouldn’t have survived this long if his original assumption had been true. At the same time, this news bathed everything that he had witnessed so far in a brand new light. Their escape from the cruise ship, and the performance Lec had given last time they had met…both meant so much more than Issa had understood. More than he had ever considered possible.

    It made sense, for someone so remarkable to be the subject of prophecy. If Lec really wielded so much more power than normal, Issa could understand why they might have been chosen. At the same time, though…he was nothing special amongst the Lucet. Issa had always known himself to be talented, certainly, but not to such an extreme extent. What purpose could he possibly serve, what role might he play, that another Lucet wouldn’t fill just as well? His elder certainly believed the two of them were the chosen ones, but…well, even if he did believe in the prophecy, Issa wasn’t so sure. Maybe he had been picked by mistake. Maybe their birthmarks were a happy accident. Maybe he was just a stepping stone, meant to lead Lec to their real Lucet partner. The possibility stung Issa’s pride, wounded him in a way that he wasn’t quite ready to admit, but…well, if the fate of the world really was at stake, then he couldn’t rule out the possibility. The feelings of one individual had no place in a conflict this large.

    Just as interesting was the new information Lec shared about their personal life. It was another side of them he had yet to see, another thing Issa desperately wanted to ask about. Again, though, they had more pressing matters to discuss. Besides, it seemed an uncomfortable topic for Lec…or was that just their general nervousness? He eyed the way Lec was pacing, the movements they were making with their hands, in silence. Either way, Issa reluctantly let the opportunity to bring it up pass him by, in favour of the question Lec ended on.

    “Frankly? I have no idea. That’s the problem with prophecies. Even in stories, they’re never as detailed as the heroes might like.” Issa’s tone was a carefully controlled neutral, in line with the calm way he was forcing himself to sit still. Or rather, the way he was trying to appear. Without realising it, the Lucet had begun to tap his fingers against his thigh idly, subconsciously beating out a familiar rhythm.

    “Heck, this particular prophecy doesn’t even say that we’re going to win the way that the ones in stories always do. For all we know, our best efforts won’t be enough, and all this will still lead to the world being destroyed.” A hint of panic began to creep into Issa’s words near the end, a look of uncertainty flickering across his face. He only dwelled on the possibility for a moment, though, before shoving it aside. Worrying would help nobody. They needed to break it down, work through the problem one step at a time. Especially since he wasn’t even sure he believed this was his burden just yet.

    “Are we supposed to go hunt the monster down, or should we just wait here, and let it come to us? Even if we wanted to track it, we wouldn’t even know where to start. We’d be following a bunch of rumours started by people who have just lost their homes and families. They’re probably all still in shock.” Issa’s expression deepened into a frown as he continued to think out loud, addressing the problems as they sprung to mind. “Heck, we don’t even know what sort of monster this thing is. If it’s actually a god given form, can it even be killed? Do we actually believe this story enough to try?”

    About half a second after the words had left his mouth, Issa realised that he was rambling again, and possibly upsetting Lec more in the process. He’d hold his tongue, let the question linger, in favour of glancing at his companion once more. Another attempt to gauge how well Lec was taking all of this. If they seemed close to panicking, then he’d prefer to try and calm them down first, before continuing down this path. They’d accepted everything remarkably well so far. Much better than Issa had expected. Frankly, Issa almost wished that they would laugh, or deride him for entertaining this lunacy. Any sort of denial would be a real weight off his chest.

  3. #83
    The Ashen One
    Ashen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    A land that smells of sunflowers
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    medieval fantasy, adventure, psychological
    Posts
    5,686
    Mentioned
    18 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    99

    Default

    Lec hadn’t realized how much they had been counting on the prophecy to tell them exactly what to do until Issa admitted he was just as clueless about the specifics. Their hands shook harder again, and they turned away from him to hide their nerves. Without a starting point, without even a hint, they didn’t know how they would ever live up to the expectations they did not deserve.

    When they faced Issa again, he was continuing on, pointing out the ambiguity in the outcome of his prophecy. If the legend itself didn’t even specify that they would succeed, then… Lec was quick to turn away again, this time with a lump swelling in their throat. It was getting harder to breathe, and the room was blurring with a wave of dizziness that made it difficult to stand. They reached out for something to hold onto, and they grasped the windowsill in an effort to steady themselves. They were overreacting, they told themselves, though that thought gave way to the possibilities before them. If they were to believe all this, it was up to the two of them to save the world, but what if Issa was right? What if they ventured across the world, only to fight a god-monster and die? They would lose, and they would take the whole world with them. Knowing that was a possibility—a likely outcome, even, given that they were just two ordinary people—how could Lec ever bring themselves to try? What was to stop them from turning Issa away now and acting like none of this conversation had happened?

    After steadying their breath, Lec turned to Issa, their face blank, cold, their gaze trained to the floor. “Issa,” they said, almost a hiss, desperate as they were to get the word out through their ragged breaths. “Get ou—” They winced, silenced, as pain shot through their chest. Their fingers drummed at the edge of their shirt, where their mark met their skin, trying to soothe the ache there. It was as if Issa’s gods were warning Lec against ignoring this, as if they were forcing them into action. They shook their head, embarrassed at having tried to move on, knowing what they know. Whether they liked it or not, this was now their problem, and the guilt of their inaction was a fate worse than whatever death they’d face trying to save the world.

    But accepting their responsibility was one thing; acting on it without any direction whatsoever was another. If they waited for the monster to come to them, how many people would die in its path? If they went out in search of a beast they knew nothing about, how much time would they waste looking where it wasn’t? There was no good solution. The refugees staying in Evimaire came from the west—that was a start. But the most populated lands in the world were to the west, millions of people who might unknowingly be lying in the path of destruction. There were expansive continents out there filled with scarcely populated land, too—how would they ever find one creature among the forests, seas, mountains, deserts? There was too much to search, too many options, and too many ways they would fail the people counting on them.

    Lec felt it, the clutches of unconsciousness grasping at their core, and they swallowed hard. If they didn’t get a grip, they would faint. All of this was too much to think about right now, but they couldn’t stop. They tried to focus on their breaths, tried to clear their mind, but Issa’s eyes on their back were impossible to ignore. They signed again, but their hands were slimy with sweat, and that realization only made their panic worse. Their body was reacting to the emotions they were refusing to acknowledge, but soon, it would no longer be their choice.

    Choked laughter escaped their throat, and the sound of it startled them. It distracted them from the tears forming at their eyes; if they were laughing, they could ignore their loosening grip on their sanity. Panic attacks were nothing new to the jumpy human, but they didn’t want one now, not with Issa here to watch, to judge. If he saw just how broken their prophecy partner was, maybe he would turn tail and get out while he still could. Lec tried to stop it, tried to get away from Issa, but they didn’t want to be alone, either. They stood by the window, trembling, panting, crying, unable to move.

    The fall was loud and inelegant, and they didn’t even flinch when they landed on their ankle. Their hands were half-signing, half-shaking, frantically trying to express their panicked thoughts. Trying to ignore what their body was telling them had been a mistake. Lec pulled their legs to their chest and began rocking, chanting softly under their breath. Their words were too rushed and quiet to make sense of, but they were rhythmic, tongue-twisters, as if they were saying them only to force their focus somewhere. They counted their breaths, in and out, in and out. If Issa tried to intervene, he would be ignored. Unresponsive as they were, like this, Lec knew what they were doing, and despite it all, they looked oddly in control.

    It was over in a few minutes, shortened by their own incessant reminders that they weren’t alone, that Issa was waiting, that they had an entire world to save. There would be time to panic later, to fully vent all of their confusion and frustration and dread. For now, though, as soon as they regained control of their breathing, they raised their gaze to Issa’s feet, cheeks ablaze, and sighed. “I’m—” they started, but the words caught in their throat, and they choked on something akin to a sob. Clearing their throat and wiping their eyes, they tried again. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what—”

    This time, they were interrupted by a distant sound outside. They’d heard the sound plenty of times before, often enough now that it had become negligible. The refugees had said it was louder abroad, back in their homelands. It was thunderous and terrible, like an animal screaming its last breaths, or… like a monster bringing the apocalypse.

    Lec shook, shaky on their own legs, and pointed out the window. “That’s it,” they announced, trying and failing to keep their voice from trembling. “That noise started when all the other disasters did, and no one has found an explanation for it yet, so it must be…” Unable to bring themselves to say it, they stopped, hoping Issa would understand. They grabbed for his hands and met his gaze, hoping he would not comment on their stained cheeks, their quivering lip, the whole episode they’d barely managed to pack up and bottle inside for later. “That’s where we need to go,” they said, oddly confident. “We need to follow the sound of that road.” They hesitated, then added, “Tomorrow.” Not nearly enough time to prepare for a trip like this, physically or mentally, but the more time they wasted, the more people would die. They gave Issa’s hands a squeeze, desperate. “Can you meet me at the border at noon? I’ll get us tickets for the next ship out, and we’ll figure out the rest once we leave Sthenorn.”

    This was an insane idea, one that was likely to get them both killed, but their mind was made up, and they’d brave what they had to to fulfill the prophecy. To save the world.
    Thanks to Craze for the beautiful Bravely set!

    ~Recruitment Thread~
    Spoiler: Ashen's Personal Hall of Fame 

  4. #84
    Mistborn
    Namingtoohard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    3,797
    Mentioned
    20 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    498

    Default

    Issa practically shrank in on himself when Lec began to speak the two words he had been dreading most, only to pause as they cut themselves off. When they began grasping at their chest, as if something were wrong, his fear quickly turned to panic. The laughter that followed sounded hollow and brittle, and left Issa at a loss. He officially had no idea what was going on anymore. No idea what Lec was doing, or what they wanted. No idea what he was supposed to say or do to make it better. The way Lec was behaving now struck him as strange, even for a human. It was as if they had been speaking a shared language this entire time, and now, Lec had suddenly switched to one that a Lucet was unable to decipher. The only thing he knew for certain was that this was bad. He knew it deep in his gut; a slow, creeping dread that refused to be ignored.

    When Lec fell, Issa rose. He practically jumped to his feet, rising so quickly that he barely realised he had done so. Then, the Lucet promptly froze, expression stricken. He watched Lec rock back and forth, muttering inaudibly to themselves, while his mind scrambled. He still wanted to help, but had no idea how. Had no idea if he could, or if any attempt he made would just make things worse. All Issa could do was watch, helpless, and suffer the knowledge that he had done this to them. All his talk of gods and monsters and prophecies had caused this suffering, and while it might not have been his intention, the blame still lay with him.

    After a few moments, Issa found himself unable to stand this any longer, and worked up the nerve to try. He called Lec’s name, only partially aware of how weak and shaky his voice sounded. He took a few halting steps towards them, tried to get their attention by waving, but to no avail. He was preparing himself to try something more drastic when, thankfully, Lec seemed to recover on their own. The moment they spoke out loud was the moment Issa felt like he could finally breathe again.

    He opened his mouth to apologise, to explain that it was actually his fault, and that he would leave without another word if Lec wanted him to, only to be interrupted by a distant roaring sound. Loud enough to be audible over all the noises of the city, if not quite so loud as to rattle windows. It was enough to make Issa pause, expression darkening into a small frown. Any Lucet was well versed in the cries of different animals, but he had never heard anything quite like this before. He quickly made his way over to the window, gaze sweeping the sky, as if searching for the source of the noise. He didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary. Was it actually the cry of some monster, as Lec seemed to believe? More proof that the prophecy was true? Both were important questions, but a subtle glance at Lec was enough for Issa to rule out asking them now. The last thing he wanted was to cause them more pain, and Lec’s reaction was already answer enough.

    When Lec reached out to take his hands, Issa reluctantly turned his attention away from the street beyond, in favour of meeting their gaze. Now it was impossible to avoid taking in their disheveled state. His eyes roamed over their face freely, just for a moment. Took in the redness of their eyes, their smudged makeup, the way their lip quivered. It broke his heart, to know that he had caused this. Hurt them so deeply that such a pretty face couldn’t hide their pain. This was no time for such useless lamenting, though. Not if the next words out of Lec’s mouth were anything to judge by. If Lec actually believed this, was already making plans to leave, then he had much bigger things to worry about for now.

    “The next ship out?” The first words out of Issa’s mouth reeked heavily of surprise, but he was quick to pause, reassess. He took a moment to calm himself, sucked in a deep breath. The next time the Lucet spoke, he did so in a gentle voice. The same sort of soft, careful tone that people used to calm skittish animals, or break bad news to family. “Are you sure that’s wise, Lec? I’m worried that you might be rushing into this a little bit.” His words were accompanied by a gentle squeeze of his own, in a manner that he hoped was comforting.

    “I can barely manage travel through this human settlement, even with your help. If we go out there, we’ll be heading into parts of the world that are already destroyed, with nobody to guide us. We’d have no idea where we’re going, or what the monster is, or where it might be. All the people that might be able to help us have already escaped and come here.” While he spoke, Issa took one small step back, and then another. Using Lec’s hands, offered so freely, he guided them towards the edge of the bed, as subtly as he was able. Encouraged them to sit, in the same place that he had occupied just a few moments earlier. It was a small gesture, but he hoped that it would help, somehow.

    “Even if there is a monster, we don’t know what it is, or where we’d find it. We might miss it without realising, and give it the opportunity to attack Evimarie unchecked. We might fail specifically because we didn’t take the extra time to prepare.” Issa was contradicting himself, he realised. Just a few moments ago he’d been trying to hard to make Lec believe him, and now here he was, doing the exact opposite. Trying to argue against his own words, in hopes of repairing some of the damage he had done. It was a strange situation, and the irony was not lost on Issa.

    “Even beyond that, I’m not sure that I’m ready to leave my family behind. What would happen to Soren, if you just disappeared?” Issa paused briefly, let these particular words linger. Perhaps it was cruel of him, to try and use Soren against Lec for a second time. Issa knew how much Lec cared for their little brother. Still, if that crime would let him stop this madness…so be it. In that moment, mid-speech, he was struck by the urge to embrace Lec. To reach out and hug them. Pull their head to his chest, and rub their back until all their fears drained away. He even went so far as to raise one hand, partially, before he caught himself. Instead, he reached out to cup Lec’s cheek gently. Guided his gaze to meet theirs, if necessary, and made sure they held his eye.

    “I’m not asking you to give up on the idea, but…just take some time to think it over. Please. If you still want to go by the end of the week, then I’ll be right there beside you. Okay?”
    Last edited by Namingtoohard; 01-28-2022 at 12:08 AM.

  5. #85
    The Ashen One
    Ashen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    A land that smells of sunflowers
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    medieval fantasy, adventure, psychological
    Posts
    5,686
    Mentioned
    18 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    99

    Default

    Unwell as they presently were, Lec could still see the concern in Issa’s eyes, mixing with the doubts and confusion that softened his eyes to a caring shade that Lec hated seeing. They didn’t want to be fussed over, and they hated that they were worrying him, but they were stupid to have thought Issa wouldn’t worry, after all that. Lec’s closest friends and family knew the reaches of their anxiety, knew to leave Lec alone during their many attacks, but Issa hadn’t known them long enough to know how commonplace this was. Or perhaps Lec was too desensitized, and Issa was right, and they needed to slow down, take some time to think about just what they were proposing. The trip they were planning could take them weeks, months, maybe even years. There was too much time to be hasty with something as big as this.

    Now on their bed, their fingers wove through their sheets and they counted their breaths as Issa continued to shoot down their idea. His fears were well-founded, but Lec gnawed at their lip, struggling to word the protest rising in their throat. At the mention of Soren, however, they shot a glare towards Issa, snarling. He had no business bringing up their brother at a time like this. Lec already worried too much about the kid, living in a house with a man who refused to learn his language, a man who had already disowned one of his children. They looked forward to the visits they stole with Soren, loved seeing his face as he talked so animatedly about whatever he was learning in school, or the book he’d been reading, whatever magical breakthrough he’d convinced himself of. If they were too hasty with this, and Lec didn’t come back—who would Soren have then?

    But if they took too long to start on their journey, Lec wouldn’t have to worry about whom Soren would talk to. They’d have to worry about planning a child’s funeral amid a land destroyed by a goddess’s monster—if they did not join their brother in his demise. The image of such a lifeless, ruined Evimaire sent a chill rippling down their spine, and they had to banish if from their thoughts as they felt the panic threatening them again. They needed to ground themselves. Needed to get rid of Issa so they could let the emotions out and not be judged for it—

    His hand on their cheek brought them back to reality. It was soft, and warm, and fit perfectly against their face. Issa made them look at him, and Lec was reminded of the concern in his expression. They’d hated it before, but now… Issa had come here out of obligation, to try to save the world from the disasters that had already started. But this, his comfort, offered so freely, so delicately, this was just for Lec.

    And for a few moments, as they held his gaze and steadied their breaths to match his, the panic drifted off into the background—not gone, never gone, but not so distracting, not with Issa here. They brought a hand to his chest and listened to the drum of his heartbeat through his clothes, the gentle rhythm that was Lec’s only comfort as their nerves threatened to suffocate them. His voice was soft, and Lec could focus on that, on the way it rumbled against their ear, instead of what he was saying. Their to-do list had grown monumental since Issa had arrived, but for now, they were going to do none of. They just wanted to sit with Issa and breathe.

    Until they realized their hand was on him, and their face was so close to his that they could feel his breaths against their skin. Lec drew back, a dark blush streaking their cheeks as they stumbled through their words: “I’m sorry, gods, I wasn’t paying attention, and I didn’t mean— That is, I wasn’t trying to—” But they quieted themselves, feeling like an idiot for the stuttering mess Issa had made them. They moved away from Issa and cleared their throat. “By the end of the week,” they repeated, more to recalibrate their thoughts than for Issa’s benefit. “Right.”

    They nodded to themselves, still unsure. “But no longer than that,” they added, their confidence wavering as they brought their gaze back to the man on their bed. “Soren, and your family—if we take too long to leave, Issa, we won’t have the luxury of worrying about what they’ll do without us. We can’t waste time wondering about what we should be doing or where we should be going. Not when the world needs us.” They paused, trying to form the right words, trying to emphasize the importance of their haste without discounting Issa’s very valid concerns. “Maybe we are clueless right now. We don’t know what we’re up against, or where to find it. But we have the prophecy. We have the refugees, and when we cross the sea, we’ll have the locals there, too. Someone is bound to know something. If we really are the prophesied heroes, we’ll find our way to what your goddess wants.” They nodded softly. “We’ll find a way, Issa. But not if we don’t get a move on.”

    Lec silenced, and their expression dropped. They were struggling to keep it together again, but they knew they had to think through things, too. They sighed. “The end of the week,” they repeated once more. “Okay.” They stood up and walked to where Issa had set his clothes and dagger. “We need to prepare,” they said, their cue for Issa to leave them to the mess of themselves they still had to tend to. “I’ll scour the library again, now with what I know, and try to find any accounts of this prophecy or your religion. We’ll reconvene in two days, at the border, to talk things over. If you have any new information from your elder, then would be the time to share it. Then we’ll meet after that, Saturday morning. If nothing comes up to stop us, we’ll leave then for a ship across the sea.”

    They turned to Issa, trying to find validation for their impromptu plan in his expression. Tomorrow or Saturday—whenever they left, they’d have to abandon everything they knew and travel the world with an enemy of mankind. What did their distant neighbors think of the Lucet? Would Issa be in more danger there than in Evimaire? And what of the magic-fearing lands Lec had read about, would they have to cross any of those? There were too many uncertainties, but as long as they prepared properly and approached this wisely, then all they could do was give it their all. Too much was counting on them.

    They walked back to where Issa was sitting and shifted awkwardly. “Is it a plan, then?” they asked, hoping Issa wouldn’t acknowledge the crack in their voice at their last word.
    Last edited by Ashen; 02-27-2022 at 08:13 PM.
    Thanks to Craze for the beautiful Bravely set!

    ~Recruitment Thread~
    Spoiler: Ashen's Personal Hall of Fame 

  6. #86
    Mistborn
    Namingtoohard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    3,797
    Mentioned
    20 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    498

    Default

    Given the sheer amount of distress he had caused them, Issa was willing to do whatever he thought necessary to help soothe Lec. Whilst his intentions were good, though, the Lucet was essentially navigating blind. He had no idea how he was supposed to help, or if he even could. For all he knew, any attempt he made to help might just make things worse. With no personal experience to guide him, Issa had decided that he’d just have to trust his gut, persevere, and hope for the best. So when Lec raised a hand towards him Issa worried, just for a moment, that he’d made the wrong choice again. That his human was about to push his hand away, or shove him back. That his misguided attempt at consolation had managed only the opposite.

    When Lec laid their hand against his chest, Issa was finally able to relax a little. He wasn’t entirely sure what the gesture meant, or why it seemed to help, but it didn’t matter. His understanding was secondary here. The Lucet would wait for as long as it took, become the personification of patience itself, if it meant Lec would be okay. He passed the time speaking in the same gentle tones as before. Offered small variations on the same handful of platitudes, over and over, until the moment Lec seemed to come back to themselves. When Lec withdrew their hand, stammered out something resembling an apology, Issa answered with a small smile, and by keeping any reservations to himself. For now, at least. Lec was clearly still nervous, still embarrassed, but it was an improvement. He would take it.

    When Lec began to talk through the specific details of their plan, Issa listened along quietly, nodding polite agreement. The Lucet had no intentions of following through, no matter how much his human planned things out, but he kept that information to himself. The Lucet was convinced that travelling untold distances to try and fight an unknown monster because of an ancient prophecy was a terrible idea, but he refrained from voicing his objections for now. He’d already won the first battle by convincing Lec to delay their departure. He could try and talk some real sense into them next time the two of them met, once they’d both had a little time to calm down, and Issa had planned out his arguments.

    Passing mention of the library was enough to make excitement bubble up inside the Lucet. He longed for another carefree day together, like the one they’d shared in the park, even if he wasn’t sure he remembered much of the human script. The timeline Lec placed on their next meeting was enough to curb Issa’s enthusiasm, though. The same circumstances that had brought him here suggested a need for haste, and Lec wouldn’t want him slowing them down. The human undoubtedly intended to handle it themselves, before their next meeting. That realisation quickly led to another – Lec was probably eager to be rid of him. Not for malicious reasons, necessarily, but Issa knew it to be true all the same.

    “We have a plan.” The half-truth slipped from Issa’s lips, heavy and awkward. Such a lacklustre declaration might have seemed out of place any other time, but right now, it seemed to fit the atmosphere perfectly. Following Lec’s lead, the Lucet crossed the room and set about gathering up his old things. He didn’t bother folding his clothes properly, and instead settled for wadding them up and tucking them under an arm. That done, he made his way back over to the window. Before Issa could think any better of it, he swung one leg out the window and into the open air beyond, before pausing. Before he could stop himself, his gaze had settled on Lec again. This…really wasn’t the note he wanted to leave on. There had to be something else he could say, right?

    “I, uh. I doubt that our village elder knows anything else, after our last meeting, but I’ll try and press her for more details, just in case. Maybe she forgot something that could be of use.” The Lucet’s voice trailed off, whilst his mind scrambled. Was that really the best he’d been able to come up with? When had this gotten so difficult for him? Squashing down his growing embarrassment, the Lucet pressed onwards. “I feel like we should try asking around, and maybe gather some supplies, but…well, you’re probably better suited to that than I am. I can gather food, but nothing that will keep. I’ll get a bag together, at least and…yeah. Think about how I’m going to say goodbye to everyone, I guess.”

    The silence began to grow, and Issa found himself wishing that he hadn’t said anything at all. After a long moment, he forced himself to meet Lec’s eyes again, and tried to muster up one of his usual smiles. Given all the pretending he was already doing, Issa could manage that much more…hopefully. “I’ll try and bring back the clothes I borrowed, too. So…I’ll see you in two days, then.” Before he could embarrass himself any further, Issa slipped the rest of the way out the window, and dropped to the street below. He crouched when he hit the cobblestones below, but was quick to straighten. Ignoring the strange looks he got from those lingering nearby, Issa set out almost immediately. Without looking back, he reached the corner and disappeared from sight.

    As Issa ducked and weaved through the streets, he found it difficult to focus on any of the wonders that would’ve caught his attention just a few days ago. Instead, he found his attention drawn back to the refugees that littered the streets, over and over again. They weren’t grouped up enough to be called a crowd, but they seemed ever-present. Now that he’d noticed them, Issa couldn’t help but see them everywhere he looked, crowding the corners of his vision. Before, they’d been an oddity. Now that he knew what had brought them here, though, every glimpse tugged at the Lucet’s heartstrings.

    Against his own better judgement, Issa stopped before a small group of them. A woman marked by her dirty clothes sat with her back against a nearby building. Her gaze was distant, if not totally despondent. Vacant, even. By her side huddled a young boy, no more than twelve, and impossibly thin. He cradled a swaddled baby in one arm, and grasped at his mother’s threadbare shirt with the other. The boy shrank back a little, and Issa knew he had been noticed. Would these people fear Lucet the same way the locals did? For once, Issa found it difficult to care. Acting on a whim, he hastily knelt down before the group, and lay his bundled furs out before them.

    “They aren’t totally new, or clean, but maybe they can help keep you warm.” Before the boy could find his tongue or the mother could rouse herself, Issa lay the furs out before them. Without waiting for a response, he turned and set off again. The Lucet set off towards the gates again, head tipped downward. The logical part of his brain argued that such a gesture was insignificant. Such a wide-spread problem couldn’t be solved with a single, targeted handout. If he really wanted to help, he’d need to tackle the much larger, much more monstrous cause, if the prophecy was to be believed. The knowledge that he’d helped at least one family made him feel a little better, though.

    After that, Issa tried to push all thought of Evimarie and its wonders from his mind, and focus on the real problem. He had two days to prepare for his next meeting with Lec, both physically and mentally, and this time he wasn’t going to half-ass things.

  7. #87
    The Ashen One
    Ashen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    A land that smells of sunflowers
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    medieval fantasy, adventure, psychological
    Posts
    5,686
    Mentioned
    18 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    99

    Default

    The Lucet was stalling, and Lec really wished he wouldn’t. They could feel it too, the tension in the room, the tension Issa did not want to leave them both with, but didn’t he also know they needed him to leave, needed to be alone, to process everything he’d told them and express the emotions they did not want him to see any more of? They felt weak and exhausted, and they feared they might collapse again soon, but Lec took another deep breath to try to ground themselves. They were silent as Issa fumbled through his words. They didn’t know what to say, so they just watched him, until finally he said he would leave. They murmured an acknowledgement of his words, and they started for the door to open it for him, but apparently, Issa had had other plans. Before they could realize what he was doing, Issa was climbing the window. “Issa—!” Lec shouted, but by then, he was already falling.

    Lec ran to the window, panic streaked across their face, as their eyes located the fallen Lucet. He was on his feet, already walking away. That man is bizarre, Lec thought to themselves as they watched him off. After a minute, they shut their window, muting the world outside it, and turned away. They slunk to the floor with a sigh. It had been too long a day, and it was barely mid-afternoon.

    With their company now gone, Lec finally had the privacy to let it all out like they had needed to. They braced themselves for the attack, for the shortness of breath, for the shaking, but none of it came. The minutes ticked on, but the tears did not fall, and they only sat on the floor, counting their breaths, for what felt like hours. Finally, tired of waiting, Lec picked themselves off the floor and looked around the room. They had a lot to do, and they wanted to start as soon as possible to ensure they didn’t forget anything before they left in just under a week.

    After washing their face and fetching themselves a glass of water, Lec took a seat on their bed with a pen in one hand and a pad in their lap. They hoped making a to-do list would keep them organized, but they wished it didn’t feel like a bucket list. Rushing the thought from their mind, they wrote the first thing that came to mind. They needed to go to the library, read whatever books they could get their hands on that seemed even distantly related to their new task, then ask around the city for more information; gather food, medical supplies, tools, perhaps even a weapon; speak with the innkeeper, tell her they would no longer need their room, and that they would not be around to perform for a little while; move their things, then, to find a storage facility or even sneak them back into their father’s house through Soren… And they would need to talk with Soren, to say their goodbyes to him, perhaps for the final time, and to confront their father after so long, now, to tell him he might be losing a child, and would he even care—

    Lec stopped writing when their fingers brushed over the damp, crinkled part of the paper. They realized their own tears were falling onto their list, and they jumped, startled. They were falling now in a steady stream, unannounced and unwarranted, and Lec tried and failed to choke back a sob. Their hands trembled, their vision blurred, and their breath was stolen straight out of their throat. Was this their panic attack? Why now, when they’d already thought themselves calmed down? They cursed their body, cursed their worthless brain, and pulled their knees to their chest. The weight of their responsibilities pressed on them, impossible to ignore, and they began wailing, muffled sounds filling the empty room. They thought of their fate, the fate of the world, and of the single Lucet who had changed their life.

    ~~~

    Lec wasn’t surprised to find the library had very little information on the Lucet. It had history books, ones Lec had already read, and none of them painted the red-eyed creatures all too kindly. According to the book, the Lucet were enemies, were aggravators, were murderers, scum worthy of only death, and Lec wondered how the writers could be so unjust in their descriptions, so ignorant. They thought of Issa, of the way he had held them just that afternoon, clueless but trying to make things better. Lec couldn’t imagine him a killer, a soldier in their war, a bringer of genocide like the book painted him out to be. Issa wasn’t like that; he was a gentle creature, and a passionate one, one who wanted to know about the world he lived in, the world he wanted to save. Just thinking of him brought a smile to their lips.

    They also found information on the Lucet religion, though not much. The books spoke little of their gods, and they called their religious rituals and ceremonies primitive and barbaric. Lec had to put the book down mid-sentence, disgusted by the way the writers wrote of what they did not know. It had never bothered them before, but now, they wanted to torch these books, to write new ones, ones that saw the Lucet as people and not beasts. Lec re-shelved the books they’d gathered, resigning themselves to the ignorance their culture perpetuated.

    The library was quiet, with most of the city home making supper, and Lec glanced at the other patrons milling about. An older woman sat at a table with a stack of books as tall as she was, glancing between several textbooks she had open in front of her. Across the room, towards the back of the library, a young man sat with his two toddlers squinting at the words in a colorful children’s book. From the looks of things, he was struggling to read as much as his little ones were. Lec hadn’t seen him around before, but nowadays, they could say that about most people in Evimaire. They walked towards the man with his kids and shifted awkwardly, unaware how to ask the question they had, until one of the toddlers pointed at them with a wary frown. The father looked up curiously, and when he saw Lec, he narrowed his eyes.

    “Um,” the mage said softly, wishing they had worked out what to say before approaching. “Are you from abroad?”

    The main raised a brow, his eyes showing the confusion he did not voice. He repeated Lec’s words quietly, wrapping his lips around them as if for the first time. “The…sea?” he asked.

    Lec coughed awkwardly. They should have seen the language barrier being an obstacle, too. “Um,” they said again, “yes. Past the sea. Is that where you’re from?”

    The man nodded, understanding flashing in his eyes. One of his toddlers clutched his arm, scared, and he pulled them into his lap. Lec saw the child’s arm was deformed, as if burned, and they looked away.

    “Do you know someone I can talk to?” they asked the father. “About your home?” It was a longshot, they knew, but they needed to start somewhere.

    The man considered that. “Talk,” he repeated, then nodded again. “Morgana. She… at sea—” He motioned in the direction of the ocean, unable to find the words on his own.

    “At the docks,” Lec supplied. “Is that where I can find her?”

    The man nodded. He mimed hair that went down to about his waist, then mimed someone shorter than him. “She talks good,” he said. “Find her.”

    Lec nodded, thanking the man for all of his help, and then they left the library in search of this stranger.
    ~~~

    Lec found a group of people sitting at and huddled around a table in a café at the docks. The woman at the head of the table wore elegant, lightweight clothes that did not come from such a frigid nation as Sthenorn. She wore the face of someone the world had wronged, and she watched Lec approach her table with a glare that would discourage anyone from mischief. She held cards in her hand, and Lec didn’t recognize the fronts of them, so they assumed the deck was a foreign one. As they approached, the people at the table pointed at them and whispered in their language.

    Lec bowed their head to the older woman. “Morgana?” they asked.

    She looked them over. “Yes,” she replied, playing a card from her hand facedown. “What do you want?” She had an air of regality, and she demanded the attention of those around her.

    Lec was intimidated by her, but they swallowed the lump in their throat and pressed on. Issa was counting on them to bring back something, and they did not intend to let him down. “I was wondering if you could tell me about the disasters abroad.”

    “Maybe,” she replied with a lazy shrug. “Why don’t you join our game? Play a few hands, show some coins, then we can talk.”

    Lec looked at the pile of bronze and copper coins in the middle of the table. They didn’t recognize the currencies, and some players had opted to bet walnuts and dried fruits instead. They didn’t have much to offer, and they didn’t know if this Morgana could be trusted, but for a few coins, they figured it was worth a shot. They took a look at the cards again, however, and hesitated. “I don’t know this game,” they admitted.

    “You look like you’ll learn quick,” Morgana said with a smirk. “Come on. Do you want me to talk or not, kid?”
    ~~~

    It wasn’t the last time Lec spoke with Morgana and her friends. When the twin moons had claimed the sky and Lec could barely keep their eyes open, they promised they’d be back the next day, and they returned to their inn. Even if they had struggled to pick up on the game or understand the language spoken around them, Morgana had spoken freely to them, even as her friends snickered and whispered about them. She had had a lot to say about the disasters, about the gods she believed had brought them, and the next day, when Lec found themselves at their table again, she revealed that some had seen an obsidian-black dragon bringing misfortune to their lands.

    According to the refugees she had spoken to, the dragon, which went by many names to many different peoples, had been asleep in the caves west of a small country called Cuthal for many years. Lec hadn’t heard of such a country, but a quick glance at the library’s atlases told them it was in the center of Ablor, the nearest continent across the sea. Cuthal was filled with tiny farming villages, and in its recent history, it had been under the control of a larger neighboring nation before winning its own independence. It had been its own country for just a few years, because according to one of Morgana’s friends, the whole place had been torched by dragon fire, and there had been no survivors.

    Lec spent a lot of time playing cards with those people, until the day they were meant to meet with Issa. They had a lead now, even if it had cost them too many coins and stolen snacks from their inn. Between card games, they’d begun gathering food and supplies, and they’d planned their schedule so that they knew what to do each day. Being organized had helped to relieve some of the anxiety they felt, though they still feared the journey they would need to make.

    They made their way to the border with a small smile on their lips. They brought their notes, and they read them over as they walked, preparing what they would tell Issa about what Morgana had told them. She had had a lot to say, and many people looked up to her, all with stories of their own. She would make a good leader, they thought, and perhaps one day, after this was over, when the world rebuilt the nations it had lost, she would become one. They had plans to meet up with her again, and with more of the people in their city, to understand what the world had lost, and to understand what they would be up against.

    As they waited for Issa to arrive, they thought of all the things still left to do, but they dismissed the thoughts as they felt the panic rise again. They had a lead, they reminded themselves, trying to keep calm. They would tell Issa everything they had learned, and together, they could come up with a way to prevent more loss, and to save the world.
    Last edited by Ashen; 04-06-2022 at 06:51 PM.
    Thanks to Craze for the beautiful Bravely set!

    ~Recruitment Thread~
    Spoiler: Ashen's Personal Hall of Fame 

  8. #88
    Mistborn
    Namingtoohard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    3,797
    Mentioned
    20 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    498

    Default

    When Issa finally returned to the Lucet village, he was struck by the odd sensation that something had changed during his absence.

    The difference wasn’t a physical one. The village looked exactly the same as he remembered it, more or less. The huts maintained their eternal vigil, proudly displaying the carvings and decorations that the inhabitants had foisted upon them. Wind chimes and dream catchers hung from the eaves, swaying in time with the branches of the trees. Thin rays of sunlight slipped through the canopy above, visible only in contrast, each one bestowing gentle warmth upon those they fell upon. The children made use of their boundless energy, chasing each other back and forth under the watchful eyes of ever-gentle Kiara. Their laughter filled the air, backed by the gentle melodies of birdsong. The adults went about their own business, each one moving with purpose, but not haste. They called polite greetings to each other, and frequently stopped to chat. The entire place was full of life, like a field of seasonal flowers in full bloom. Just the way it was supposed to be.

    Several of the people Issa passed called his name in greeting, or offered him friendly waves. He tried his hardest to return them all, just as he would on any other day, lest they sense that something was wrong. A few people invited him to join them in conversation, but these Issa politely declined, offering up a litany of general excuses. Try as he might, it was impossible to muster up his usual enthusiasm. Not after the morning he’d had, and the lingering feeling of dread that he was unable to shake. Issa desperately wanted to blame it all on his encounter with Lec. Tell himself that he was just feeling a little shaken after their discussion, and that everything was fine. He’d never been particularly good at lying to himself, though.

    Issa had almost made it back to his hut by the time he realised what was wrong. It wasn’t the village that had changed, but his own perspective. The realisation was enough to make the Lucet stop dead in his tracks. His confrontation with the refugees had dredged up some of his oldest fears, and forced him to confront them. Made them seem more realistic, more possible than they’d ever been before. What would happen if the monster really did come to Evimarie, and they failed to stop it? Memories of that downtrodden family danced through his mind, but this time, they boasted familiar faces and scarlet eyes. He thought of his family sitting on some gritty street corner, heads bowed. Left there to waste away slowly, ignored by the people of Evimarie, if not outright abused by them.

    If they even survived the attack to begin with.

    As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Issa shook his head, as if to banish it. He tried to tell himself that would never happen. That their ability to transform meant that they’d always be able to find a path forward. That the Lucet were quick-witted enough to escape. That if they were forced to leave their home, they’d find another forest, or carve out a niche for themselves elsewhere. His fears, however, refused to yield to logic.

    “Hello? Anyone home?”

    Issa practically jumped out of his skin when someone waved a hand in front of his face. He looked towards the source of the voice and found Syl staring at him, her eyebrows raised. Issa felt his cheeks flush slightly. He could’ve sworn that she’d appeared out of nowhere. Snuck up on him in animal form. That’s the way it felt, at the very least.

    “You really spaced out there for a second, Issa. Is everything okay?” Even if the concern in her voice hadn’t been palpable, the lack of a playful jab would’ve been enough to tip him off.

    “I’m okay. It’s just been a long day.” The excuse sounded weak, even to his own ears. The sunlight that had caught his attention before was a pointed reminder of the contradiction in his own words. Judging by the way Syl was pursing her lips, she didn’t buy it either.

    “We’ve known each other for our entire lives, Issa. If something is bothering you, you can talk to me about it. You know that, right? I’d be happy to lend an ear, or a hand.” Syl’s tone was even softer this time. The sort you used to calm a skittish animal, akin to how Issa had tried to soothe Lec during their panic attack earlier. The offer was more tempting than Issa cared to admit, and he entertained the idea, just for a moment. The Lucet were good at sharing burdens, after all. Issa had never been very good at being a traditional Lucet, though. What if Syl laughed at him for choosing to believe in the prophecy? She certainly wouldn’t approve of his trips to the human settlement, or his friendship with Lec. Not after the fire Soren had almost started way back then, sending his people into a frenzy. No. He wouldn’t risk their friendship like that.

    “I appreciate the offer, Syl, but I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it yet.” A part of Issa expected Syl to be hurt, but she only scrutinized him for a moment longer. He couldn’t help but feel as if she were looking through him, and Issa had to resist the urge to fidget. After a long moment, though, she smiled.

    “Well, if I can’t help with your problem, then maybe I can cheer you up.” Before Issa could voice another objection, Syl stepped to the side. Her gaze slid past Issa, settling on something behind him. “Mira! Can you come over here for a moment?” This time, she projected her voice, loud enough to reach the far side of the clearing.

    The name Syl used was familiar, but Issa was a little slow connecting the dots. It was only when he turned the other way, and watched one of the Lucet children bound towards them, that he finally connected the dots. He recognised her dark skin and black curls, though he couldn’t remember her parentage off the top of his head. Before he could do so much as greet her, Syl was speaking again.

    “Do you mind if Issa comes and plays with you? He really wants to. Isn’t that right, Issa?” Her voice was thick and sweet at honey; a strong contrast to the tones she’d been using before. Issa threw her a sideways glare, but if Syl noticed, she didn’t seem to care.

    “Really?” The excitement in Mira’s tone was palpable. She watched him expectantly, eyes wide. Inwardly, Issa let out a soft sigh. He had much bigger things to worry about right than entertaining the kids, but there was no way he could refuse now. Not when she was looking at him like that. A fact that Syl was very obviously counting on. Still, there was nothing for it. Fully aware that he was playing right into her trap, Issa forced himself to smile, and put on the closest thing he could muster to a cheery tone.

    “Sure. I’d love to play with you guys.”

    Mira’s grin was nothing short of ecstatic, and the sight of it sent a pulse of warmth through Issa’s chest. Reassurance that he’d made the right choice, despite his reservations. “Okay. You have to be it, though. You can use any animal you want, but birds are cheating!” Then, she was gone. Mira turned and sprinted back towards the rest of the group, a warning on her lips. Her duty done, the entire group scattered, fleeing in different directions. Issa threw another dirty look at Syl, who answered with a smug grin, before he set off after them.

    I don’t have to do this for long. I’ll just chase them around for a little while, and then come up with some sort of excuse.

    Simply tagging any of the kids would’ve been easy. Issa was taller than all of them, and had greater reach. He was faster, and more practiced at changing on the fly. While tagging another player might have been the purpose of the game, however, it wasn’t Issa’s goal. His first priority was to make sure the kids had fun, and there was no enjoyment to be found in a one-sided loss. So he ran fast enough to get close ,but never fast enough to catch them. His attempts at tagging were big, over-exaggerated gestures that always seemed to fall short by the narrowest of margins. He’d transform into a bear and swipe high, leaving the children just enough room to duck under his paws and dance away. Turn into a leopard and pounce, aiming just a few paces behind his target, and act surprised when they inevitably escaped him. Squeals and giggles accompanied every close miss, and Issa found himself smiling at the sound.

    It wasn’t long before Issa found himself enjoying the game just as much as the children. His plan of escaping faded to the back of his mind, drowned out by the sound of his own breathing. His muscles were suffused with the mild, borderline pleasant ache that accompanied moderate exercise. A part of him felt guilty, enjoying this game when there was danger looming, and so much work to be done. The more he played, though, the more his fears seemed to ebb away. Not concerning the prophecy itself, but concerning Lec’s plan to chase after the monster.

    This is what they were fighting for. So that these children, and all the other children in the world, would be able to keep laughing and playing. So they’d have a chance to live and grow old. If he waited until the monster came to Evimarie, then the forest would be at risk too. All of these kids, placed in danger, alongside everyone else. Issa still didn’t want to leave his home behind, but…if that’s what it took to make sure these kids had a future, then maybe it was a price worth paying.

    As with all good things, the game came to an end eventually. The sun began to set, and Kiara called the children away for dinner. They offered him their goodbyes, and began to trundle away. Issa slipped back into his human skin as he watched them go, the most genuine smile of the evening perched on his lips. The soft pad of footsteps was enough to let him know that Syl was approaching again, and Issa glanced sideways just in time to see her join him.

    “For a second there, it almost looked like you were having fun.” The pleased notes of her voice bordered on smugness. Issa found it hard to hold it against her, though.

    “Thank you, Syl. That…might have actually helped me find the answer I was looking for.”

    “Any time.”

    Without another word, Syl strolled off, leaving Issa alone once more.

    ~~~

    The afternoon before he was due to meet with Lec, Issa decided that it was finally time to make good on his promise, and see if the elder knew anything else that might be of use to them.

    Much like the rest of the village, the interior of the elder’s hut seemed unchanged since Issa’s last visit. He brushed aside the furs hanging in the doorway with one arm, stepped over the threshold, and was smacked in the face with the overpowering smell of burning incense. Peering through the smoke, he could see the old woman seated near the middle of the room, with a handful of small animal bones spread out before her. She was little more than wrinkles and bone herself, but she scooped up the bones and began to rattle them around in her hands without any obvious issues. When Issa cleared his throat, she glanced up at him and smiled.

    “Ah, Issa. Please, come in. Help yourself to a seat.”

    “Thank you, Elder.” Speaking with a sense of deference he reserved only for her, Issa did as he was bid. He lowered himself to the ground opposite the old woman, crossing his legs beneath him, and resting his hands on his knees.

    “It’s good to see you again, Issa.” Her words were punctuated by another throw of the bones, which scattered across the open space between them. One even came to rest against one of Issa’s legs, though he did his best to ignore it. “Never before have you come to visit me this often. I assume this is about the prophecy again, yes?”

    Issa ducked his head slightly at that, cheeks burning. “Yes, Elder.”

    “I told you everything I knew the last time we spoke. Did I not make that clear?” While the words may have sounded harsh, the old woman spoke them without reproach. They slipped from her mouth almost idly, whilst she examined the fallen bones. Displeasure danced across her features, and she began to collect them one by one. Issa knew better than to offer his assistance, even with the one that was touching his leg.

    “You did. It’s just…We were hoping for a little more direction.” The elder looked up briefly, then. Fixed her gaze on him for just a moment, before she looked down at her bones again. Issa waited, and when it became clear that no response was coming, he pushed onward. “I told my human everything, and they think they have to chase the monster down. Leave the city and travel, searching for it. Try and put it down quickly, before it can do any more harm.”

    “It was always your dream to see more of the world, was it not? Isn’t that why you left the forest with them to begin with?” There was no spite or malice in the question, but even so, it was enough to make Issa pause. He pursed his lips, turned his gaze away. The next time he spoke, his voice was soft.

    “I never wanted to leave the forest behind for good.”

    Issa could practically feel her eyes on him. “You’re afraid that you won’t come back. Or that we won’t be here when you return.”

    His shoulders drooped, and he bowed his head slightly, as if he were trying to shrink in on himself. “Yes.”

    Another rattle, and the soft clatter of bone striking dirt. The Elder hummed softly to herself for a moment, but Issa wasn’t sure if it was the bones or his words that she was considering. Then, she spoke again.

    “Someone will be here when you return.”

    The woman was trying to reassure him, Issa knew. He just couldn’t let the issue go that easily, though. “How can you be so sure?”

    “Your destiny is to fight this monster, Issa. Not to be the last of our kind.”

    The Elder’s reassurances left a bitter taste in his mouth, but Issa nodded his acceptance anyway, pointedly aware that was the best he was going to get. It was just another injustice, to be heaped in with all the others. The more he contemplated the realities of their situation, the prices he and Lec might be asked to pay, the more the unpleasant taste seemed to grow. It washed over him, until Issa found that he could contain it no longer.

    “I didn’t ask for this.”

    He only mumbled the words, but in such close confines, there was no doubting that the Elder had heard him. He knew it by the way she pursed her lips, and the way her features softened.

    “No. You didn’t.” Silence reigned for a short moment, and Issa got the sense that she was trying to pick her next words carefully. “You could just walk away, Issa. If you really wanted to.”

    “Then the entire world would be doomed.”

    “Yes.”

    “So it isn’t really a choice after all.”

    The old woman let out a soft sigh at that, while Issa stewed. It wasn’t the fact that might have to fight this monster that bothered him. If some sort of horror was threatening his home, he would’ve given everything to defend it, even without some stupid prophecy telling him he had to. It was the way his arm was being twisted that bothered him the most. Ever since he’d chosen to believe in it, to play along with Lec and plan things out, the end result had been inevitable.

    “Think back to the stories we used to tell you as a child, Issa. How many of those heroes got to choose their fate?” The Elder’s voice was gentle, consolatory. The implications brought Issa up short. She would really lump him in with the same people he’d grown up idolizing? Daydreaming about? Pretending to be? His younger self would’ve laughed with glee, or ridiculed him for resisting so much. Now, though, he couldn’t help but see those stories in a new light. Wonder what those people had lost, to accomplish the things they supposedly had. Of course, they’d all won their battles. Issa had no such guarantees. He thought he understood the point she was trying to make, but there was still so many unknowns, still so much hardship ahead. The notion made him distinctly uncomfortable.

    “No, I suppose not, but…I think we’re getting a little off-topic here.”

    “I don’t know what you should do, Issa. I have faith in you, though. I’m sure that whatever decision you make will be right.”

    “Thank you, Elder.”

    Thankful that she hadn’t objected to his hasty attempt at changing the topic, Issa bowed before the old woman, before rising to his feet. It seemed their discussion had reached something of a natural end, and the Lucet was starting to feel the hut’s interior to be too claustrophobic for his likes anyway, for reasons that had nothing to do with the smoke in the air. As he headed for the door, though, the old woman called out one last time.

    “I’d love to meet this human of yours, one day. Feel free to bring them here, if they’re ever interested in seeing your home.” That was enough to make Issa pause. He half-turned back towards the old woman, surprise etched across his features.

    “You want me to bring a human here? Are you sure that’s wise?”

    “Not any human, Issa. Your human.” A mischievous smile flickered across the woman’s wrinkled features, disappearing just as quickly as it had come. “Your concern is admirable, but if I choose to allow it, the other Lucet won’t object. You’re the only one who ever disobeys me, after all.”

    A soft chuckle slipped from her lips, but Issa was too busy thinking over the idea to appreciate it. He responded with a brief nod, if only because there was no harm in doing so. It wasn’t like he was committing to the idea, after all. He’d discuss the possibility with Lec at some point, and they’d decide together.

    Without another word, he slipped from the hut and was gone, leaving the Elder to her bones.

    ~~~

    On the morning he was due to meet with Lec, Issa set out for the border nice and early. He moved through the forest at a casual pace, his body on autopilot whilst his thoughts wandered further afield.

    He had spent a good amount of time pondering the arguments he would make to try and dissuade Lec from leaving Evimarie, just as he had promised himself he would. Now that the moment was here, though, Issa found himself feeling conflicted. He was relatively certain that he could plead his case effectively, with a tad more composure than their last meeting. That said…after the events of the past two days, he was no longer certain that he should even try and talk them down. His faith that they should remain in Evimarie had been shaken. He still didn’t want to leave, but could no longer deny that it might be for the best.

    A part of him felt guilty. He’d spent most of their two days coming to a realisation that Lec had already had, instead of doing something more productive. Still, maybe his planning hadn’t been an entire waste. Even if he no longer believed remaining behind was the right choice, maybe he could just play devil’s advocate. Try and poke holes in Lec’s plan, point out possible flaws that they could then try and fix, just to give themselves the highest chance of success possible. It wasn’t much, but it was the only idea that helped soothe his guilt.

    When Issa finally slipped from the treeline, he was surprised that Lec was already there, despite the early hour. Were they really so eager, or so afraid of failure? Perhaps it was his own fault. He’d spent so much time walking and thinking, instead of taking an animal form to rush here as quickly as possible. Issa supposed that it didn’t matter either way. The question was moot, the answer irrelevant. Figuring out who to blame wouldn’t change facts, and he needed to focus on the moment in hand. He did his best to push the thought from his mind, and plastered on a small smile as he approached.

    “Good morning.” Issa did his best to sound cheery as he closed the distance between them, despite the circumstances of their meeting. “You’re certainly looking better than the last time we met.”

    As soon as Issa spoke the words, he regretted them. Winced inwardly at his own stupidity. What did reminding Lec of their last meeting do, other than make things awkward again? Eager for a distraction, the Lucet’s eyes settled on the notes his human was carrying. While a few of the marks were vaguely familiar, Issa had no hope of understanding them without help. Still, the fact that Lec had brought them suggested that they’d found something worth recording. He latched on to that little hope and pressed onward, hoping to push ahead into safer territory.

    “It looks like you’ve had a productive couple of days, Lec.” Issa gestured towards the notes with one of his hands, trying to look casual. A subtle invitation to go ahead and share what they had learned, if they felt so inclined.

  9. #89
    The Ashen One
    Ashen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    A land that smells of sunflowers
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    medieval fantasy, adventure, psychological
    Posts
    5,686
    Mentioned
    18 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    99

    Default

    Lec hadn’t been waiting by the border long when they noticed Issa coming towards them, a smile on their face. Was it their imagination, or did the action seem forced? Lec greeted him with a slight bow of their head and a smile of their own, but as soon as Issa spoke, the smile fell away from their face. Their last meeting had replayed in their mind so many times that they’d lost count, and they hated the reminder of it. They should have done things differently, should have handled themselves better, and the more they thought about it, the more the panic began to creep in again. They’d been having a much harder time keeping it at bay lately. Lec turned away, awkwardly shifting their weight, and replied with a quiet, “Good morning.”

    Issa motioned towards their notes, and they looked at them, as if remembering for the first time that they’d even brought them. “Oh,” they said, “I guess so, yes.” They absently read the first few lines of notes, then brought their attention back to Issa. “I’ve found a group of refugees willing to talk to me, and I’ve been meeting with them to try to get information about what we’re up against and where we’ll find it. Their homes were destroyed by the dragon—that’s what they’re saying it is, a dragon black as the night, whose single breath can destroy whole villages. I’m sure these stories have been embellished—” That was what they’d been telling themselves, of course, as they imagined coming face to face with such a creature and nearly driving themselves into a heart attack. “—but I also have some very real leads as well.”

    They motioned their notes towards Issa and waited for him to take them. Lec knew he couldn’t read them, and they weren’t expecting him to. Instead, they flipped through the papers they’d brought until Issa was looking at a map. They’d drawn it themselves during one of their many trips to the library these past couple days. “This is the land out west,” they explained, “across the sea.” They pointed to a line of X’s they’d drawn, almost like a mountain range, congregated in the far west of the drawing. “These are the places I’m told the dragon has been. This isn’t a complete list, of course, and we don’t know where it started, or why, but it looks like it’s steadily and slowly moving eastward.” To Evimaire, and to the Lucet forest. Details Lec didn’t need to voice.

    They motioned to their written notes again once Issa had had a second to look over the map. “I made an…agenda,” they admitted, embarrassed at their idea. While planning out the places they’d need to visit and the people they might seek out was helpful for keeping their anxiety under control, they remembered how Issa had reacted to their suggestion to leave at all, and they wondered if he would care at all about the plan they’d made. “This is a list of cities across the sea that have inns we can stay at, and they’re all along the path towards where I think the dragon will be headed. I was making educated guesses based on where it’s already attacked, but I’d like for you to look over the routes. I know you don’t know the land, and really neither do I, but having another set of eyes on it would make me feel more comfortable.”

    They were inviting him to review their work, sure, but Lec was more interested in seeing what Issa had to say about the towns they’d chosen, the route they’d picked. Was he dreading spending so much time on the road with them? Or was a part of him, however small, looking forward to it? Lec’s own feelings on the matter were an unintelligible mess, and they wondered if hearing from their companion might help them to understand how they should have been feeling about all this.

    Realizing they were talking a lot, Lec’s cheeks grew warm, and they brought their gaze back to Issa’s. They hadn’t given him a chance to speak before talking his ear off, and they wondered what, if anything, he had been able to find. More than that, they wanted to know if he still even wanted to save the world, impossible as such a thing was, and if he was still having doubts about making such a great journey with someone like Lec. An enemy. A worthless little human. Lec hated how empty they felt, how unqualified, and they hoped Issa wouldn’t see their insecurities weighing on them.

    They cleared their throat. “Oh, I’m sorry,” they said. They looked around and realized they were still at the border, that they hadn’t even offered to take Issa somewhere where they could sit down. “We should go somewhere,” they blurted, then realized how sudden and stupid they sounded. “I mean to sit down. We should go sit down somewhere. If we’re going to be discussing such important things, then…” They silenced themselves, hating the fool they were becoming. Lec offered their hand to Issa, and when he took it, they led him to the same park they had gone to before, when they’d practiced their reading. They found a picnic table to sit at, and they spread their notes between them. “Right,” they said once they were both seated. “So what were you able to find?”

    With how much information—and especially bad news—Issa had already brought them, Lec wasn’t so sure they were ready to hear if he’d learned anything new. They knew they would never be more ready, however, and they wanted to know as much as they could before they set out across the world. But beyond that, beyond whatever Issa’s elder had had to say, or what the legends had told him, whatever conclusions he’d drawn himself, Lec wanted to know if he, too, was filled with doubts. Lec wanted to appear strong and fearless in the face of their newfound duty, but they wanted to know Issa felt how they did—absolutely terrified and self-conscious—and they wanted for him to voice those things so that they could feel validated. They didn’t know how to talk about what they were feeling, how scared they were, but if they just knew he was feeling the same way, they thought maybe that would be better. Without knowing how to ask him, though, Lec remained quiet, keeping their questions focused on what Issa knew about their prophecy.
    Thanks to Craze for the beautiful Bravely set!

    ~Recruitment Thread~
    Spoiler: Ashen's Personal Hall of Fame 

  10. #90
    Mistborn
    Namingtoohard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    3,797
    Mentioned
    20 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    498

    Default

    A dragon. That was the monster they were supposed to fight, if these refugees spoke truth. Lec’s description was basic, but Issa’s imagination was quick to fill in the gaps. His mind was filled with images of a body so large, the wings that bore it seemed to blot out the sun itself. Claws large enough to make adults look like children, and sharp enough to rend flesh from bone. Scales capable of deflecting the same bullets that had slain dozens of his kin with impunity. Great swathes of flame, billowing from an open maw. Hot enough to make the air shimmer, and scorch the very earth itself.

    A beast straight out of legends. Myth made manifest. The very idea was enough to make panic start bubbling up inside Issa. To make his skin break out in gooseflesh. On any other day, the Lucet would’ve denied the existence of such a creature with all of his being. Today, however…well, had the elder of his own village not just told him that his destiny would be akin to something out of their stories? Besides, Issa had witnessed the sheer number of refugees flooding Evimarie, and those were just the survivors. If any creature could be capable of such wide-spread destruction, it would be one of Tsana’s own disciples. Despite his skepticism, all the pieces fit.

    The thought was terrifying, but Issa wasn’t given much time to digest this new revelation. Before he knew it, Lec had moved on, and was gesturing for him to take their notes. The map was just as unintelligible as human script at first, until Lec’s explanation sparked understanding. Once it had, Issa’s eyes widened in awe. Most of his people never passed beyond the borders of the forest, let alone Evimarie. Lec had just handed him more information about the greater world than his entire race possessed, and was acting as if it were no big deal. Issa might’ve laughed at the absurdity of it, under different circumstances. As it was, he tried to push the thought aside, and focus on the important parts they were pointing out.

    Once he understood what the crosses represented, it was easy to see the message hidden within their pattern. Issa quickly came to the same conclusion as Lec, even before they spoke the words out loud. The monster was slowly working its way towards them. Towards Evimarie. Even more disturbing was the understanding that this dragon wasn’t attacking places at random. It wasn’t being driven by instinct or whimsy. There was a cold, simple logic behind its actions. This was systematic extermination. Issa wasn’t sure if it simply hated humans, or was actually possessed some measure of intelligence. He wasn’t sure it mattered. Either way, the implications were terrifying.

    All of this, and now he had an agenda to review too…it was enough to make Issa’s head swim. He might’ve been impressed by the extent of Lec’s planning, if he wasn’t feeling so overwhelmed. They hadn’t even began to discuss some of the more practical details, like supplies or equipment. What had happened to all of his own plans? He needed to sit down, needed a moment to collect his thoughts and think things through. When Lec suggested they relocate, Issa nodded absently. Still gripping the notes in one hand, he reached out and took theirs with the other. He allowed Lec to lead him onward, thankful for the short reprieve the trip offered him.

    By the time they made it to the park, Issa was feeling a little more grounded. Not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly better than he’d been moments before. The sights and sounds of the city were becoming increasingly familiar, and the short stroll had allowed him the time he needed to calm himself. The quiet and soothing atmosphere of the park helped, too, in part because it was the closest thing he’d find to home. Once they’d both seated themselves, though, Lec asked the question that Issa had been dreading the most. He’d known that it was inevitable, little more than a matter of time, but that knowledge did little to help him now.

    “Comparatively? Very little. I went and spoke to our village elder again, but she didn’t have any new information. All she did was tell me off for making her repeat herself.” The admission pained Issa, even if he couldn’t really be blamed for it. It wasn’t his fault that his Elder hadn’t known anything else, but he felt bad for his failure nonetheless. For how little he’d accomplished in their time apart, even if he hadn’t intended on actually leaving with them. Unable to help himself, he began tapping his fingers against the picnic table’s wooden surface. A familiar tell now, and an outlet for his restless frustration. “She did ask if you’d be interested in visiting, but I don’t think that has anything to do with our prophecy. Just the old woman’s curiosity. I’m not sure how good of an idea it is, though, considering…”

    Issa lifted both of his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug, as he allowed his voice to trail off. In the silence that followed, he allowed his gaze to flicker downwards. Allowed his attention to creep from one end of the table to the other, taking in the notes Lec had scattered across its surface. Even if he couldn’t understand them, the sheer volume of information was impressive. How many of these notes contained revelations as stunning as the map? Issa couldn’t help but wonder. Oh, how he wished he could understand them all. They also served as a pointed reminder of the elephant in the proverbial room. The other topic Issa wanted to discuss. If this was anything to judge by, Lec had already made up their mind. Even so, he felt compelled to ask.

    The Lucet cleared his throat noisily, before turning his attention back to Lec good and proper. Once he had their attention, he quickly spit the question out, before he could hesitate any longer. “Given all the work you’ve put in to this, I assume you’re still committed to leaving Evimaire, right? I know I promised to go with you if you were, and I’ll keep my word. I just…” The Lucet averted his eyes again. Took a shaky breath. “I still don’t relish the idea of leaving my family behind, knowing that we might not come back. Or that we might not have anything to come back to. I need to know that you did as I asked, really thought it over, before I commit myself to this.”

Page 9 of 14 FirstFirst ... 7891011 ... LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •