January 23rd, 1011The dark elf patted down his leather jerkin and did a last check that all gear was in place. Catching himself briefly in the mirror, Laurante D'Rhian made a mental note that should he want to have new garb later in life, Ulyaoth wasn't a bad choice for inspiration. Gathering up some cold-weather gear that Paradise had stored in the shoddy barracks, he held out an arm. "Come on, Kai'Kaeth; time to find a lost friend."Setting the sign outside his door to red, Laurante wrote down a date and a note: Looking for a lost one. Contact Quazar if not back in two days. Shifting the cold weather gear around, he picked up the wyvern, scratching her head. Think I'll be smarter and leave by a normal exit. Alright: Defender gear, a small bag with a blanket, the letter opener, the jar, the chalk, my regular questing and spell stuff, gloves, and the small pot. Kai'Kaeth gave a tiny growl. Oh, right. Food. Better grab things that won't smoosh or make a mess in the bag. And off to the kitchens they went. After gathering what they needed, Laurante kept looking for a servant on the first floor as he walked, and was able to find someone soon enough. The servant was attentive to the Sisters's guest. "What is your request, my lord?" "Please, no need with titles for me," he replied, bowing slightly. "I'm about to go travelling for a bit. Would there happen to be a cloak left behind by another guest or something similar for warmth?" The servant asked Laurante to wait patiently and left. After about twenty minutes of him being alone with Kai'Kaeth in the Grand Hall, the servant returned with a heavy purple and white wool cloak. "Reverse-able!" the servant added. "Thank you." Laurante bowed slightly again as he took up the cloak and wrapped it about his shoulders with style. He shifted Kai'Kaeth to the other shoulder and turned on his boot heels, heading straight out into the cold. Let's see...Find the Path... It ought to take me to the Lost Rune Kara. I'll get my initial bearing on foot and then inter-mix with some flight. The cloak will have to be removed before making wings. Not too worried about how long it takes either way. He smiled to himself. Got to get this done eventually. Laurante spent the entire evening until late looking, forced to find warmth sooner rather than later as neither he nor Kai'Kaeth were adapted to this cold. There were interspersed inns, farm houses, taverns, brothels, and the like through-out Chimeron, but none revealed a Kara that was a Lost Rune. I'm beginning to think Someone doesn't want to be found, he inwardly scowled as Kai'Kaeth cuddled closer to his mantle and neck. He glanced down at her lowered head, and commented, "You cold, too? Let's see what I can do for us... Vision," he cast, staring into the darkness, his breath fogging in the air. "How can Iru be used to provide warmth when travelling in the cold without starting a fire?" - The Defender sees the ways: Laurante coming to a halt in the snow, then quietly casting on his pet first, then placing the hand over his own chest armor and casting. It being a Vision Laurante hears nothing, but sees rune symbols! They are tinged blue as well when he casts, except for the one for (he thinks) Fire, Iru, which is bright red. The two travelers staying more to the ground and plowing through the snow resolutely. - Laurante blinked as the wind picked up, Kai'Kaeth's whimper bringing him back around. "Hang on, I want to try it on myself first. No need to harm you," he patted her head twice before steeling himself for a new spell. "Iru Matsu Antorbok Tier Santek," he recited, placing his hand over his chest armor like he had seen in the vision, with the intent to project warmth around himself. After a moment, his demeanor changed and he exhaled through his nose quietly. "Good. Now, you: Iru Matsu Antorbok Tier Aretak," he cast the warmth spell on his creature. A inner 'fire' seemed to spark within Laurante and Kai'Kaeth. I'll bet we can go for awhile. Only another hour before it dies down again. Really? Why's that? The Defender of Water and Sky in the middle of freezing wind chill and snow is casting a internal fire-based spell. Now you tell me 'why's that'? Didn't know you had a sense of sarcasm. There's a lot of things you don't know. We'll see about that, thought Laurante. Hours later, Laurante was braving the cold as best he could, looking to stop some place to warm up briefly. Saving the Inner Fire spell for Kai'Kaeth as she is less suited to the cold then he was, Laurante scratched her head and held her close. "I'll at least warm up a little with exertion. You won't. If only it hadn't started snowing," he scowled, looking up into the air at the big, fat flakes that were falling fast. Eventually, the snow became worse and blurry-some. But, after readying a third spell for the wyvern, Laurante caught a glimpse of light...many lights. ----- (My attempts to scry on what took place then and to the next point have thus far failed. What follows is where I could pick it up once again. It continues with Laurante in Defender Mode meeting a man called Jeremiah and a Rune called Kara in The Boar's Head Tavern. - Aven) ----- Laurante stood there, baffled by the implications of the runes not working. I hope I just used them wrong. But wouldn't I have Paradox? They did not activate whatsoever. Have to look into that, he thought as he nodded in the direction of Jeremiah. There was no look of response from Jeremiah, so Laurante turned toward the other man, noticing the actions of the bowl and tilting his head sideways. "Interesting..." he said quietly to himself. He walked over to the table and sat himself down across from the man. "You really should eat and drink something to help warm yourself up. I'm certain your friend will be fine." "He's not my friend. I haven't had any friends for a very long time. I don't even know him," the humanoid spoke slowly, staring into the water bowl, looking crushed. "He was being attacked by bandits. I tried to come to his aid, but he fell from his horse. I gave the two a sound beating and they ran off, but he won't move. And he won't move..." the man repeated, scrunching up his face a bit. "Well, friendship can be a difficult thing to find. I'm Laurante, and you might be?" he asked as he offered up his left hand to the man with a slight smile. "Kara. They called me Kara. So I am named Kara," the humanoid responded, and then looked at the hand outstretched curiously before outstretching his own left hand in the exact same way, but stiffly. He has no idea what I'm doing, Laurante realized when he noticed the pause. "Sorry about that." He lifted his right arm up so the man would have to look at his face to see it and then indicated his missing hand. "Had to lose the hand to fulfill a duty." Kara looked confused, then gave a grim, thin-lipped nod. "Duties to fulfill, I understand." He furrowed his brow. "But... I do not understand the... extension of limb," he took his own back to place beneath the table. "There are many customs I do not understand." "Ah. I guess it was not a tradition from where you came from. A handshake is generally a greeting of sorts. Devised in a time of war to indicate you bore no weapon in your dominant hand, typically the right. Unfortunately, I had to leave my right hand elsewhere and must break tradition by using the left." Laurante shrugged his shoulders and gave the wyvern a quick scratch. "You really should eat and warm up. I think you may have a long road ahead of you." "Oh? Why is it long?" Kara asked, perplexed. "And why is it ahead of me? Is there a road waiting for me outside?" He blinked twice, confused as Laurante munched on a piece of fruit. After swallowing, he answered, "Yes. There is a road waiting for you outside. It is the road of Duty. A road that can seem the longest of all at times and the shortest at others. A road that you need to walk once again." "I am Kara, and I am tired of walking," Kara said forlornly. "I am the Shield, or I was. But I am slow and heavy, and have been trying to protect the strangers I meet. But I am Kara, so I get run off. No thank you. No shelter. No upkeep. My shell-like appearance becomes more and more mundane. My face looks more human every passing of sun and moon. My claws..." he held up both hands, as if seeing them for the first time and moved each digit in a waggle, "they have become weak and fleshy." "Everyone gets tired of walking. Duty weighs heavy upon all who seek to fulfill it. Everyone comes to a point where they just want to give up and stop walking. The strong keep walking; no matter what others think of them, no matter if they receive thanks or not, and no matter how heavy the burden of duty gets. You may be slow and heavy, Kara, but you are strong for walking this long. Nimbus will be happy to know her friend has walked this long, and sadden to know he walked alone." Jeremiah arched an eyebrow at that, which Laurante noticed. The dark elf looked sternly at Kara. "The time to walk alone is over. I've come here to find you and bring you back to your duty. Now is not the time to stop walking, and I hope you will come walk it with me." What are you saying? Sorry, preachy Defender mode Laurante gets wordy. Thanks, Ulyaoth. Think I can have my mind back now? Fair enough. Defenders do make Inspiring Speeches when needs be. Remember that. Kara blinked slowly as Laurante spoke to him, then his face bore the look of consideration. "I am Kara... and I am the Shield. I want to go back to protecting people, not be slow and heavy and... becoming human. How... how can you make Kara, who is me, as good as before?" he raised his eyebrows questioningly. "I've been told that performing the sacrifice as you did once before will return you to your duty, but I do not know those details. There are other ways I've been told as well. I have not gotten all the details of anything though..." Laurante sighed. "I seek those answers though, but first I needed to find those who are lost like yourself. You needed to know that there were those looking for you who would count you as friend." Kara blinked slowly once again, nodding more grimly as he came to an understanding. "I am Kara, and I can wait. ...but, where shall I wait, until you find the rest?" Laurante smiled. "You can come with me to the city of Paradise near the lands of Chimeron. Sir Iawen and Hope would not turn you away, and would be more then welcome to provide you with a place to stay. Sir Iawen had taken me in when I was in need of a place to stay. She is a good person." The only time I would ever say 'Sir' Iawen. Damn defender mode! You invoked me. Kara slowly nodded, accepting this. "It is stormy out, and will be for some time. But I am Kara, so I will come with you, and Shield you on the road." He nodded again, this time his brow relaxing, but he didn't return Laurante's smile. A girl with glasses near-by looked up at Laurante when he mentioned Paradise, and arched an eyebrow when the dark elf mentioned Hope, pausing in opening her book to write in. Again, Laurante took notice. "It is stormy..." he echoed Kara quietly, then spoke a little louder. "I do not intend on leaving for awhile. There is someone who wishes to speak with me and I need to speak with him as well..." He idly scratched Kai'Kaeth's head. "With any luck, we'll get to travel before Hope decides to send people to come looking for me." The girl furrowed her own brow in confusion as a sheep tavern-woman approached her. "Will you be rooming tonight, or just wish a blanket, my lady?" she bleated quietly; most of the party had died down with the crowds having dispersed. "A blanket, if it is not too much trouble," responded the girl quietly. That sounds like a way younger Iawen. Like 'fresh, out of the box'. Hmm... Meanwhile, Kara nodded sagely, not recognizing the names but pretending like he did. "I will rest up. Will you rest, too?" he asked. "Rest? Oh. I have no need of rest," Laurante chuckled. "And the Tavern proves true to its nature once again... Excuse me for a moment, Kara," and the dark elf turned in his seat and spoke up so the girl could hear him as he looked in her direction. "Hello. Would you happen to be Abereis or another world's version of Hope's sister?" "Lady Aberes, pronounced Ab-brr-RAYS', yes, though I don't tend to view myself as a lady, really..." the girl floundered a bit on her verbal skills and turned it around. "And you are, good sir? Besides armed." Laurante smiled again. "I'm not sure if we had met yet from where or when you've come from. I am Laurante, despite what my current appearance depicts me as." "Well met, Lord Laurante," she replies back, her tone rather guarded as the sheep girl curtsies and heads away from their direction to snag a blanket. Laurante cringed visibly. "Please, I'm not a Lord. Just Laurante is fine if you will." "Is she going to walk a long road ahead?" Kara asks, staring, unblinking at Aberes, enough so that she moves her gaze down to her lap and shifts a bit, uncomfortably. He turned slightly to address Kara. "That's difficult to say without knowing which Aberes she is. The Tavern connects to anywhere and any-when. You could quite possibly meet yourself here if the stars played out that way..." he looked back to the young girl. "If it's not too personal to ask, is Nero still alive from where you're from?" To this, Aberes frowns, narrowing her eyes. "...yes. Why do you ask?" Laurante smiled gently. "I'm not going to hurt you or your family. I'm just trying to get a point of reference so I do not say anything that might tip you off to things you don't need to know yet. I come from a much different time then you and have lived for quite awhile..." he chuckled to himself a little. "Of course, my reservations could be pointless if you come from a different timeline." Aberes regarded Laurante and Kara with a defensive glance, then stared back into the fire, indicating through body language that she did not wish to engage in conversation with strangers any longer. The sheep girl returned with the blanket which Aberes took, and then she bowed to the two at the table. "Shall you be taking a room then, sirs? The snow is piling up." Laurante shook his head. "I do not require sleep at present and need to speak with someone first either way. How about you, Kara? "I am Kara, and I do not need sleep unless the charge I'm with needs sleep." He nodded slowly, and polished off the cider. Kai'Kaeth, however, had quietly left the table and was underfoot, attempting to get closer to the hearth fire. Laurante reached down and scratched the wyvern. "I don't think they'll mind you sleeping by the fire, Kai'Kaeth." He turned to the girl. "We could use more cider though." The sheep girl brought them warm cider as requested. Laurante stretched his arms and back some as he took a seat once more. "Tell me, Kara, have you run into any of the others lately? I've no real information on Jeta or Mannaz." "No. I am Kara... so Jeta and Mannaz kind of... got tired of me. Mannaz can defeat any male in anything, so he doesn't need me. And Jeta... just sort of left. Woke up one morning, was gone." "What about any of the others? I know where Ithabise and Sennaz are. I have a pretty good idea on Midoru, although I'm a bit torn on whether I should find him. I also know Elhazt is somewhere with the Black Star guild. Have you seen any others that I should be looking for?" Kara thinks. And thinks. And furrows his brow. And thinks. Soon, Aberes was asleep, and Kara hasn't stopped with the really hard thinking face. Kai'Kaeth was yawning and had found a safe place to nestle at the end of Aberes's blanket on the floor. Laurante noticed this and shook his head, affixing Kara with a friendly smile. "It's okay if you can't remember. You've been traveling a long time. I'll find everyone eventually. Maybe you can help me with something else?" "I am Kara, so I can Shield you while you think," he offers. "How can I help?" (still working on this. - A) |
Created by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 10-07-12 05:00 PM
Last Modified by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 10-09-12 11:05 PM