Fire, Wind, Water and Earth: the undoing

louie9090 · Fire, Wind, Water and Earth: the undoing

[[ let the RPing begin! and btw, dragon city is Romora, elemental is Antias, and neutral is Mytavia]]
Xaenai paced around her small room in Mytavia. It was raining outside, so she could practice with her bow, or her daggers. The indoor practice courts would be full to bursting, leaving the training courts where new recruits could fight with each other and not have the risk of getting killed by a more experianced fighter. Sighing, she put on her heaviest cloak, grabbed her stave, and headed outside to the training court accross from her building. "Stupid rain," she muttered as she walked through the door and took off her cloak. Her hair was soaking wet and plastered to her face and neck, even thought she'd tried to keep it dry. She turned to look at the trainees. Most of them were humans around her age or older, but some of them were middle-aged. There were a few elementals too, and one small dragon. Fining enough room to practice took some time, but soon she found a spot near the center of the room. Ugh, they're all going to stare at me now, she thought with annoyence. But I do need to practice, and this is the only free space.

KillerSlime

Kyo had just returned to town from several months of training, preferring to go out and train rather than learn or work in the city. while back in the city he decides to avoid his family's compound, and wander arround on some other land. as soon as it starts raining, though, he returns to his family's homes to avoid it... the rain makes him irritable... he sleeps at his adoptive father's house. in the morning, he goes and wanders arroung Myltavia, wondering just what he should do here... there seemed to be the usual commotion at the Neutral base in town, the only place making much of any noise at all, aside from the streets with the people buying things, and going about there day... ((what, i wonder, would be the entry policy to the neutrals...))

~Sylph~

Mytavia was nothing like home; not that Reevegaofar had been home much since taking her seat on the council nor even before fate had thrust that role upon her. Antias, where the council members met and lived had been her home of sorts for as long as she cared to remember. It at least had an order to it and a symetry that Reva actually enjoyed. It's four equally porportioned quarters, one for each of the elements, and perfectly round design resonated a feeling of harmony. That harmony had be broken with the death of... Reva sighed, "best not to think of that," and she looked out at the rain.

Antias also had a schedule and she spent most of her time in the heart of the city, where all four quarters met both figuratively and litterally, adressing council business. That schedule had been her life and it was a life she had enjoyed. Well, serving truth and the common good she enjoyed. The politics? That she could have lived without but everything had its price, didnt it? She knew the answer was yes. Surely rushing off like this and transfering her council seat abruptly to another sylphid while the council still was stymied on how proceed in it's war on the dragons would carry a price as well.

War! That had been the dragons decision, hadn't it? The rest of the council had been as quick to follow the dragon's lead though. And follow it they did with a singularity of focus inspite of Reevegaofar's objections and failed manipulations, since joining the council, to force it to spend more of its resources to investigate the initial murder. It was, it was... a sylphid that had been killed after all. Why hadn't anyone been willing to listen to her? Even her closest advisors had called for action and called her crazy to believe that 'some other force' was at work in this. Was that why she was here now, sylphish pride? An inability to accept that it was a senseless act: Nothing more than the dragons unofficial declaration of war?Reevengoarfar asked hersylph this question now but got no reply.

Or was it truth? Venegence? The questions kept coming but the answers kept flying away and over the horizon to place where Reevengaofar could not find them. Who was this murderer, where were they and why had they done it were the questions that rang in her head the most. In their place would appear the sight of those blood stain wings and look in those haunting blue eyes staring back at her. Thats why she was here, she reminded hersylph. Thats why she was in this dreadful place where everything was solid. Solid and crammed together, with all sorts of creatures scurrying about endlessly, like a bee hive. The infernal buzzing of all this activity only added to to Reevegaofur's already sullen mood.

She was alone now, having taken no one with her when she left nor telling any of them where she was headed. The truth didn't have an adress you could leave anyone anyway. The solitude didn't bother her. What did was that going it alone hadn't proven as effective as she had believed it would be. Reevegaofar had believed that her position as a council member, though effective for gathering information, had itsylph been what had kept her from the truth. But out in the world every single clue to the true murderers identity that she had used her power and position to learn had lead to a dead end and in bizare ways. Surely the war was to blame for some of their deaths, but even those insulated from the war who were implicated had either vanished or died. Too many of them mere days before she got to them to question them. This only served to fuel her belief that there was much more to.. 'this' than met the eye.

But now what? Home? Antias? There were no leads left to chase and no more that she could uncover. But, to do either would be to admit defeat and she wasn;t ready to do that yet. So she stared out at the rain, not seeing anything or anyone until her eyes caught the sight of a bow that looked like home? Certianly it was crafted out of the wrong materials and not very artisticly, but the way it was crafted shared too many similiarities to her own to be pure cooincidence. Sylphs kept somethings sacred and secret, even at a times of war, and crafting a bow like that was one of them! What was a human female doing with one? Reevegaofar almost unfurled her wings and flew dirrectly to this girl to demand answers. But, she had worked too hard and too long to keep her race and identity concealed and this was not the time to reveal them, especially not over a silly long bow.

She had been staring at the bow too intently to take too much notice of the girl holding it, beyond that she was human. Reevegaofar did now, marking the girls image in her mind so that she could be sure to identify her in the throng of people, with or without the bow. Reevegaofar gathered her things and made to 'walk' out towards the practice area but stopped at the door. This was foolish. Who cares where she got it, Reevegaofar thought to hersylph. You have better things to worry about. Bigger things! But did she? With a sigh Reva decided she didnt as she closed the door behind her and weaved thru the crowd of people. Too many people. Buzz.

k0zzmick_deemmin

Rain.

Kaz stares upward into the cloudy abyss on a deserted grassy hill-top and sighs. A few hundred yards away from a main part of the city, he is alone.

"Rain is..." His mind wanders. Today is a day after a big fight. A fight between dragons and elementals. He is, of course, an elemental (being a salamander), but his alliance remains with noone. Rather, he leads his cavalry squadron into war for the neutral side. Sure, some of the Mytavians stood for passifism, but he tried to keep the peace in a more 'active' way. He thinks about this and laughs at the irony.

He likes the somwhat inferior humans and often sides with them in the fray. For the most part, he wants to keep his loyalty with the elementals. But being a known neutral fighter has him at somewhat of a contradicting point to keep that loyalty. Him, his squadron, and some of the human fighters were out there yesterday. Kaz can't help but feel the pointlessness of it all, though... fighting both sides at once brings a sense of dare and lets his group hone in on and practice their skills, but it gets the wanted peace nowhere. The crunch of his sword plunging into a dragon's neck from the day before sounds in his mind. He sighs again.

But it's no time to think of things of that sort. It's time for solitude and inner peace now.

He slides out his sword, named Ko Kasai, from his back-strap. Balancing on one leg, he closes his eyes and sweeps the sword slowly around him. Behind his back he transfers hands and continues the round-a-bout and suddenly leaps into the air. Bringing the sword down, he flies downward and stabs the earth, then swings outward flinging dirt everywhere. He swings into a sword-spin and starts to breathe fire, making it sizzle in the downpour. His eyes still closed, he drags his shoeless foot to a stop and opens his eyes, running towards a lone tree. He swings horizontally and chops straight through the tree.

Closing his eyes again, he slides the grand daiklaive back into its resting place on his back, raising his left foot to rest on the inside of his right thigh and bringing his hands together. He hears the tree topple to the ground, the leaves russling, the thud somehow pleasant.

He stands there completely soaked for a moment and contemplates the pointless violence that brings some pleasure. Finding the irony in the relevance of what he just did and what his thoughts are, he chuckles and puts his leg down, opening his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess that was pretty pointless. Seems like I need to go buy another tree to replace this one. Sorry, little guy." Finding his apology acceptable, he heads off to a plant shop.

louie9090

[[ok, no passage of time like that here, KS... it's too crowded... but you can still do that on MG]]
Sighing, Xaenai started to practice the most complex moves she knew. She would need all her consentration, which meant she wouldn't notice if someone was watching her. She gradually picked up speed, her stave a blur in the air. Parry, block, thurst, ha! After a while she stopped, pouring sweat. Everyone was watching her, even the dragon and the elementals. "Hey, you!" a boy around her age pushed his way through the crowd, staff in hand. Xaenai, not liking his tone or his choice of words, scowled at him and snapped "What?" He faked fear "Woah, hold up. I was just wondering if you'd like to spar?" he said, a mocking grin on his face and a challenge in his eyes. She forced a tight smile onto her lips and bowed slighly. "If you wish to." His grinned turned into a snicker as he bowed to her too. I'm going to knock that smug little smile right off your smug little face, she thought, moving into the guard position. Who does he think he is, anyway, challenging someone with more skill then him? Unless he came here for the same reason as me... He moved into the guard position too, and they began to spar. She decided to be swift instead of powerful, her staff a whirlwind. He parried every blow, though, and soon Xaenai was on the defensive. After a minue, she was knocked on her back. Grinning, the boy pushed her staff aside with his, and was bout to put it to her throat when she locked her legs around his and yanked him down. He recovered instantly, jumping on top of her and swinging his fist at her face. It hit her eye, ans she cursed but blocked his next hit and shoved him off of her, straddling his chest and hitting his jaw, which made him swear. This went back and forth for a little while before strong arms pulled them apart. Xaenai fought against them, shouting insults at her opponent. He was struggling to get at her too, flinging back curses.
[[hehehe, that Parry, block, thrust, ha! part i sorta copied off of looney toons... heheh, Daffy Duck!]]

~Sylph~

Reevengaofar moved quickly and quietly thru the managerie of humans and occasional elementals, mostly salamanders, that packed Mytavia's streets. Contrary to the rest of the world, where war had thinned the population, here it seemed to have swelled it. Like flies to a carcass, criminals and profiteers gathered to claim what wealth they could. Refugees from the latest city, town or village left in ruin gathered in Mytavia too, in hopes of finding a new life or at worst shelter. Greatest in number though were those with an itch to fight that only war could scratch, even if it meant their death. And fight they did, even amongst their own kind, though at least with the humans it was rarely to the death. Dragon or elemental blood is what they craved, either for blame at starting the war, for glory, or for some other reason inscrutable to Reevengaofar.

It was this constantly waxing and wanning tide of sentients which both repulsed Reva and drew her here in the first place. How long had she been in Mytavia? Reevengaofar couldn't even remember as time had lost all meanning. She knew it was long enough though that the tales of the day that had begun all this were moving further away from the truth and closer to legends, the way all history seemed to in the hands and mouths of humans. Most of the humans she questioned these days didnt even seem to know what began the war, nor did they seem to care any longer. Those that did know some of the truth never shead any new light on the subject. Reevengaofar did have a question now that could be answered, would be answered, even if it lead no where. It had been so long since there was anything 'new' and Reevengaofar's pulse raced as she drew closer to the outdoor practice area.

When she arrived there, the one she sought to question was brawling with a male of her kind. Typical and untimely. It would make it all the harder to converse with her descretely."Ah, but its broken up now," Reevengaofar thought to hersylph and moved in quickly to seize both the oppertunity and the girls arm. Reevengaofar had a way of acting like she belonged where ever she was and ought to be doing whatever it was she was doing. It served her well on the Council and it served her well now as the young girl was easily lead away. She only removed her attention from her combatant long enough to grab her gear between hurling insults at him. She might have even spit at him, but Reevengaofar's focus was as intent on finding some place quiet and out of the way as the girl was at explaining to her foe how innept and worthless he truly was. Even without paying her words any mind, Reevengaofar could tell she didn't truly believe them.

Like that they were in one of the shops that skirted the practice field. It was a plant shop or a herbalists and Reva was glad for that. She missed plants. She was even more glad to see it was nearly empty. The girl's focus had shifted clearly on Reevengaofar by now and it looked as though she was still itching to fight as she yanked her arm free of Reva's hand. Reva measured her words and decided a compliment might actually work and if not, it would certianly cut straight to the chase.

"That's a... unique bow you have there. How did you come by it," Reevengaofar asked smiling gently at the girl?

KillerSlime

[sorry... Kyo doesn't like rain, i expected to be gone for a little while, didn't expect this to proceed so slowly through time... nice internal monolauge, sylph!]"hey, you stole my sparring partner!" Kyo calls after Reevengaofar. however, he thinks, plenty of other people to challenge here... besides, she fought with staves, he preferred fists and kicks... punching his hand, he challenged the closest person to a fight. beating the new person easily, he grows bored of fighting these people and realizes that the person he sparred was probably the best in the area... he decides to persue the person, and (not being very bright, otherwise he would have gone to a more vetran room...) wanders in the direction she left. seeing them still talking, he waits to challenge... people don't generally want to fight so much when you interrupt them on a conversation... he starts listening in, out of boredom, waiting for the person to finish...

[ edit=sylph: :p I was just finishing my back story. ]

louie9090

"It should be unique; i spent a lot of time making that," Xaenai wanted to get back to her fight... his smug little face wasn't bloodied up enough to teach him a real lesson. "And i was in the middle fo something very important," she grinned, wincing as her lip split and the taste of blodd filled her mouth. "So it had better be good," she finished as if her lip hadn't just started gushing blood, which it was currently doing.

KillerSlime

as she walks away, Kyo confronts her; "i've been waiting. the other people are boring. you better have a good excuse, sissy!" "or, there are other training areas, where people who aren't trainees are?" "um... uh... bring it on!" he charges, with his fists, no staff. the fight goes reasonably equal this time; she counters well, and they end up just standing there catching their breath while staring at eachother, waiting for the other to move...
[and, i can't write dialog well or action... anyway, did i properly transcribe your characters mode and/or accent? if not, you can just remove/rewrite that part... Kyo's responce is intended to be avertive, stupid, and abrupt...]

louie9090

[[it's fine...]]
Xaenai, not being one to wait, charged him first. It knocked him off his feet, and pretty soon it was as it had been earlier; neither had the upper-hand for very long. She was really beginning to dislike this guy.

KillerSlime

kyo smirked. this was being fun. much more fun than the newbies who now had forsaken training to come watch the fight. doesn't matter, of course, because that only means that there is more room to maneuver with all the trainees hurredly leaving when their fight approached. Kyo is eventually knocked back and pinned, however, when he fumbled a punch... catching his breath, he stood and said "best two of three?"

~Sylph~

[[louie: used to live on the streets before her town got destroyed in the war, so she knows how to pick pockets and read lips and other useful things most 'civalized' people don't know. Perhaps this could include 'liberating' the weapons she'd need to protect herself?]]

Reevengaofar notices a Salamandarian enter the plant shop at the exact same time as the girl leaves. "Kaz? Great, what is he doing here. Could the council have sent him to find me? That doesn't seem likely," Reevengaofar mutters to hersylph as she quickly ducks behind a large stand of flowers to avoid detection.

Kaz walks straight up to the counter and begins to engage the shopkeeper. Reevengaofar thrusts her hand deeply into one of the planted pots plucking out one of the stones, waits for the right moment, and then tosses it at one of the humans in the back of the store while keeping her eye on both Kaz and the shopkeeper. The human lets out a scream and both Kaz and the shopkeeper turn to stare at him as he picks a fight with the closest person to him. The sly sylph walks casually out the front door, comfortable that her little distraction has succeeded. She doesn't notice at all Kaz watching her departure in the mirrored surface of a large vase holding a sapling.

"Built it hersylph, Ha, likely story," Reevengaofar thinks to hersylph and looks again for the girl. Since everyone knows humans do not make bows in the same way as sylphids it's not exactly a revelation that the girl was clearly lying. Reev entertains the notion that perhaps a sylphid taught her how to make bows, but quickly dismisses it as unlikely.

Finding the girl is quite easy as she's resumed her conflict with the very same opponent. Since the subtle and kind approach wasnt so successful Reva decides a more blunt approach will work. She joins the circle of humans watching the fray and studies their styles of combat analyzing them for weaknesses. "That's four for me and three for you now. Ready to give up," Kyo asks while standing over Xaenai. No sooner than the words leave his mouth he's on his back as Xaenai grabs his shoulders and flips him a few feet away. Both are growing quite winded and the crowd thins to none but Reva. She takes this lull in attention to step between them.

"Since asking for the truth didn't get me it, perhaps a lesson will," Reeevengaofar calls to Xaenai. "Hey now, that's my sparing partner. get your own," Kyo yells to Reva and reaches for his staff. Before he can grab it Reva steps on it with her foot and in the same motion rolls her foot off of it, causing it to spin back onto her foot and then, with a flick of her ankle, flips it into the air off of her boot clad toes. Grabbing it out of the air, she rather unsportingly jabs him in the gut knocking the wind out of him. "Well I am afraid I am going to have to cut in yet again," Reva says to Kyo as he tries to catch his wind and move into a less vulnerable postion.

Reeevengaofar now turns her attention to Xaenai whose taken the time to grab her staff. "I'm no liar! And if anyone needs a lesson, its you, in manners," Xaenai shouts at Reeevengaofar and then lunges at her. Reeevengaofar easily blocks her attacks and proceeds to trounce Xaenai. It's not really a fair fight considering Xaenai is both tired from fighting Kyo and has been studied by Reev. Reev doesn't really care though because sparing is not what she's after.

Frustrated by being out matched, Xaenai over-extends herself in a last ditch attempt to take off Reva's head with a single blow from her staff. Reva dodges the swing. With one hand on her 'borrowed' staff she knocks Xaenai's out of her hand and then pushes Xaenai in the back and to the ground with the other. Xaenai hits the ground hard and face first but quickly rolls over prepared to leap back up only to see Kyo's staff in Reva's hands pointed straight at her throat.

Kyo, now back on his feet makes to plant a shoulder in Reeevengaofar's back, both for taking his staff and strangely to defend Xaenai, but a single hand stops him. It's Kaz's hand! Reva doesnt notice any of this and again asks the question burning in her mind. "One more time. Where did you get that bow? And I dont want to hear about how you made it yoursylph because I know better," Reeevengaofar fires at Xaenai.

louie9090

[[ it's days of our lives RP style! the drama, the suspense! Laughing Hard

]]
Xaenai wieghed her anwer carefully before answering. "I... found it." The staff was pressed against her throat. "Alright, alright, i stole it. but not really, because it was just lying in the open where a street rat like me could peek through the window and see it. the temptation was too much for my poor, and i mean poor in a literal sense, eyes."

~Sylph~

Reeevengaofar lowers Kyo's staff, extends her arm to Xaenai and says, "Fair enough." After a few seconds consideration Xaenai takes it and is pulled back to her feet. Reev leans in close and whispers in Xaenai's ear, "If you could tell me exactly where I'd make it worth your trouble," and as Xenia takes her hand back she notices enough gold pieces have been palmed in it to live well for a week. "Uh, yeah, ok..."

The two speak for a few seconds longer and then Reeevengaofar turns and begins walking away. "Forgetting something," Kyo asks annoyed and prepared to take back what is rightfully his, by force if necesary, now that he's slipped his restrainers grasp. Reeevengaofar realizes the staff is still in her hand. She flips both it and a single gold piece to Kyo who catches both easily. "Thanks for the loaner," Reeevengaofar says over her shoulder, already following Xaenai's dirrection to one of Mytavia's residential sections. Reev does a double take over her shoulder and notices that Kaz is no longer in the plant shop and has been in fact been watching all of this all of this with a smug look on his face.

Reev winces knowing her cover is likely blown and that Kaz is no longer a friend to the elementals cause. Not that he's a friend to anyones cause but his own Reeevengaofar thinks to hersylph. No time for confronting Kaz now, you have a lead, follow it, Reeevengaofar reminds hersylph. She begins weaving thru the crowded streets and alleyways, just in case she's being followed.

"What was that all about," Kyo asks Xaenai. "Like I know," Xaenai responds wiping the dirt off of her face.

KillerSlime

drat, i shouldnt have fallen for that... it's like she moved it in the air... noone should be able to do that... but now to matters at hand. "yo, lizzy. why'd you do that? why save some random jerk? it's not like she'd ever repay the favor, the way she randomly takes what isn't hers, be it staves, opponents, whatever."

louie9090

[[ wtf are you talking about?]]
Xaenai walked away from him, not feeling like a fight anymore. She felt like going to her room and wondering why the heck all this is happening. She felt like counting those gold pieces. She felt like spending those gold pieces. ANd she felt like going to see a healer. She decided that seeing a healer was more important then all that other stuff, so she trudged off in the direction of the hearler's tents.

KillerSlime

~Sylph~

[yeah I was trying to get koz/Kaz to join in]

Xaenai dirrections had been quite good. Well worth the price Reeevengaofar thought as she watched the ragged street level apartment from a block away on the opposite side of the street. Even from this distance in late afternoon on a rainy day she had a pretty good view of everything inside thru its wide unshuttered windows. It was no suprise it had posed such an irresistable mark to Xaenai. There was definately someone moving around inside. Though Reev's eyes couldn't make them out from this far her spirits rose none the less. Even if this turned out to be a wild goose chase, at least it wasn't another dead end, she thought.

The street was deserted except for a old beggar, who was lurching along, occasionally digging thru the piles of trash. The only noise she could hear besides his grumblings and rumblings was the pitter patter of the rain and her own heartbeat. Reeevengaofar made to stay behind and out of sight of the old beggar. As soon as he was finished with his slow staggering journey down the street and past the apartment, she would enter it and confront it's occupant. The beggar suddenly turned in her dirrection and she ducked her head back around the corner and out of sight. She waited five seconds and then dared peak around the corner again.

What she saw hit her like a staff in the gut: The beggar, who had been hunched over as if with old age and abuse, was standing upright, looking very healthy and entering the apartment! This can't be good her mind announced to her as she readied her bow and took off at full speed towards the apartment.

As she neared the door there was a blinding flash of light. The door exploded several feet off its hinges and straight at her. Her reflexes spared her from being knocked to the ground by the door, as she quickly dove to the grround, but she wasn't spared from being pelted with tens of splinters: The largest piercing her cheek and pricking her tongue. As the bulk of the door completed it flight and toppled to the ground a few feet behind her, Reeevengaofar rolled onto her side and blinded fired three shots from her bow in quick succession thru the empty door frame and roughly in the dirrection of the blast.

louie9090

[[ eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! ]]
Xaenai was half-way to the healer's tents when she heard a familiar noise from behind her and a little to her right. Her stomach lurched at the memories it brought back but she turned to look anyway. There was a little spiral of smoke coming from where she guessed the blast had come from. "That is not good," she said out loud. She wanted to turn away, to continue to the healer's and pretend nothing had happened. It would be so simple, so easy, just to walk away and then pretend to be surprised when word got out about it later. But since when have I left sleeping dogs lay? she thought, checking to make sure her daggers and staff were easily within reach.

~Sylph~

Apparently none of her shots hit their mark as a sylph bolted from the doorway and spread her wings as if to take off. Reevengaofar drew back hard on her bow, aiming carefully at the sylph's heart. Before she could get off her shot there was another blinding flash of light that hit the sylph square in the back. Reev's shot flew wild and her reflexes didnt save her this time as the sylph's body came down hard on top of her, pinning her arms and her bow between their two bodies.

Reev's mind was swimming and confused as she tried to fight the sylph off of her. The sylph only managed a weak, "Help me," as a response to this. Another blast came, this one thankfully missing both of them as Reev continued to to struggle to free hersylph from underneath the wounded sylph, who was now instinctually trying to hold on to her, as if this would protect either of them.

The few human residents of the area, who had started coming out to see what the first blast was about now retreated back inside at the sound of the second and third blasts.

louie9090

Xaenai ducked behind a building as a third blast missed her head by inches. Drawing two daggers, she cautiosly peeked around the corner and saw the sylph from earlier struggling with another sylph on top of her. Should I kill it, or leave it be? she thought, chewing her lip. Deciding on niether , she crouched down and half-crawled out into the open, not seeing anybody else.

~Sylph~

Between the rain soaked street and the sylph's extended wings Reevengaofar could get no traction. In her native tongue she barked at the sylph on top of her, "Retract your wings NOW little sister!" The sylph didn't respond and so she issued her command again as saw another flash of light. Reev braced for the worst, but it hit the street nowhere near either of them. Either the one firing these blasts was getting very sloppy or they had another target.

Reev didn't wait to find out which. The sylph on top of her had responded either to the command or the fourth blast and was retracting her wings. Reevengaofar barked another order, which was likely superfluous, "Hold on!" She then rolled them both sideways and out of the path of the doorway, making sure she ended up on top. Another flash of light!

Again it landed no where near them. With the sylph now under her and groaing incoherantly, she looked towards where it had hit and saw Xaenai dodging it. "Does this guy ever quit," Xaenai called over to Reevengaofar. There are no words in common tongue to describe how thankfull she was to Xaenia at that moment.

louie9090

Another blast came from the door, and Xaenia dodged it nimbley. She hadn't dodged anything being thrown at her since she gave up the life of a street rat, and had been worried that she wouldn't be able to do it anymore. But as a matter of fact, she hadn't forgotten and was actually enjoing herself. "That all you can do?" she taunted. Another blast, which she dodged easily. This person had a temper... interesting. Let's see if i still go it, she thought reverantly. Before she could say something, another blast was shot her way. She barely dodged it. Darn it, pay attention! she commanded herself silently. "C'mon, that one missed me by a long shot!" she knew it was a lie, but if the shooter knew it too, then it would work to her advantage. Apparently he did, for a moment later a window shattered on a house accross the street. "Nah nah, missed me!" she was grinning now. Again she was shot at, and again she dodged. The next shot she moved out of the way seconds before it hit the ground where she's been standing. She heard the sylph draw in her breath sharple. "Don't worry 'bout little old me," she called cheerily. "this guy couldn't hurt a fly..." she trailed off as a blast whizzed past her head so close that her cheek was now red and sore. PAY ATTENTION!!! she yelled in her head. That could've taken her head off.

KillerSlime

Kyo jumped from his perch up a little ways on one of the buildings, not that people were leaving. when there was a commotion in town, and he wasn't part of it, he's going to be sooner or later. seeing what was happening, he decided the place to be and the person to pick a fight with was whatever or whoever was inside; the jerk and that sylph could be left to later, they're keeping themselves busy and to be honest he had no clue which one to fight, not both of them at once, definitely. [this is the part where i wait and ask sylph what exactly it is that Kyo is wanting to hurt... unless she has no clue, of course, but if she had a plan...]

~Sylph~

[

hopefully not me, at least not right now]

Reevengaofar got to her feet and dragged the barely conscious sylph into an alleyway. She grabbed the sylph's face turning it towards her own, looked her square in the eyes and said, "Stay put or whoever that is in there wont be the only one trying to kill you. Understand?" The sylph looked scared to death, but nodded her agreement. Reeva decided that the girl, Xaenai, had been right: She did need to work on her maners. She'd just threatened the life of one of her own kind and had treated the only two people in this entire city who seemed willing to help her very badly. But, no time for such thoughts, she reminded hersylph.

When she got back to the street Xaenai was still playing the rather dangerous game of cat and mouse. She held her finger up to her lips in the universal sign of 'shhh' and kept it there just in case Xaenai looked her way as she inched along the wall ever closer to the door frame. However, Xaenai was too busy taunting and dodging to give Reevengaofar any confirmation of whether she understood or not.

She reached the edge of the door frame and considered her next move. At this range and angle her bow wasn't going to be much use and so Reevengaofar slung it over her shoulder. No sword, no dagger, no staff, no shield, nothing. She looked at her right hand, shrugged and hoped she wasn't too rusty. Stepping into the door way she finished her incantation and summoned the strongest lightning bolt she could at the 'beggar' who was standing halfway up the stairs and then jumped out of the doorway.

k0zzmick_deemmin

"Finally, this mess is out of the way," Kaz says as he finishes stomping the dirt around the newly planted sapling. "You better grow nice and big, I used up the money I was going to spend on food."

What a strange turn of events. No sooner had he bought the plant had he seen a familiar-looking sylph from his home city out of the corner of his eye. He thought he was hallucinating, but curiosity had gotten the best of him once a stone miraculously sprouted out of the air and hurled itself towards the back of the plant shop.

He looked outside, and low and behold, there she was... Reevengaofar, the counsel member for the sylphs, apparently in some biff with two humans. Dropping the plant for a moment, he went over and caught the male human's stalve so that maybe he could find out why a counsel member could possibly be accosting a poor human like that. He saw that the kid he caught the stalve of became a little biffed, so he backed off and watched the rest of the action.

"Sheesh," he thought. Kaz thought he was rid of that sylph a long time ago, but all of a sudden she resurfaces in Mytavia. Not that Reev was necessarily a bad thing...

His head jolts in the direction of the city as he hears some explosions. "Could it be...?" Oh boy, maybe she's gotten herself into some trouble. "Better go check it out," he says as he starts running towards the plumes of smoke seeminly close to where the plant shop he was at.

[Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I haven't been on the computer in a couple days. (Oh yeah, thanks for covering for me, haha, that worked out well.) Oh, and Sylph, her name is Xaenai, not Xaenia, just thought you should be aware of that.]

louie9090

[[ i was gunna say that, but whatever...]]
Xaenai was completely surprised and a little put out that the sylph had shot magic at the man in the door way. Making him angry was more fun then putting a toad in a girl's bed and listening to her scream bloody murder. Stupid ,squimeesh, good for nothing girls, she thought, walking over to the sylph. "Nice one," she said dryly. Sure, they weren't getting attacked. But then again, now they couldn't find out why they were being attacked. "I was going to lead him on a bit longer too. Pity you had to blast him into next october."

k0zzmick_deemmin

Jumping from building to building, Kaz finally reaches the battered house. As he looks down, he sees that one human from before and...

"What'd'you know, it is Reev." He looks in front of the two apparently in a conversation and sees a smoldering resemblance of a man. "I wonder what she did to him. I almost feel bad." He smirks and decides to have some fun, deciding that whatever provoked that attack made the man deserving.

He hops down through the smoke, in front of the big hole in the side of the building. Slowly stealthing behind the sylph, he stops. Kaz taps her shoulder and leaps backwards back onto the roof. Her head tilts back and to Kaz, by the chimney.

He smirks and waves.

Jumping backwards into the alleyway behind him, he saunters off. Not really having anything else to do for the day, he decides to start walking home.

~Sylph~

[thanks koz, I probably wouldnt have caught my mistake otherwise.]

"Thanks. I mean thanks for saving my neck," Reev said humbly, "but I don't know for certian that he's, well, dead." Reevengaofar didn't do humble well, but she was trying to turn over a new leaf. Just then there was a tap on her shoulder. She turned in time to catch a glimpse of Kaz. She started to go after him, down the wrong alley? Why was the alley Kaz went down the wrong alley? Her mind was trying to tell her she was forgetting something and that it was probably something important.

"Wait, shoot, the sylph," Reevengaofar shouted as she turned and ran away from the house.
"Shoot the sylph? Why?" Xaenai asked, confused.
"No, I mean... ...check him, carefully...," Reev yelled over her shoulder as she ran to the alleyway where she had left the sylph.

louie9090

Xaenai shrugged. Sure were some strange people in this city... She bent down to examine the man, and decided that he was still alive. Badly burnt of course, but still breathing. "What the heck am i supposed to do with you?" she muttered. She could bring him into the house, or she could just leave him there. After a moment, she decided to ask the sylph's opinion. She'd probably have less trouble deciding which to do then Xaenai, who had a tendancy to pick the illogical choice. She sighed and trotted down the alley the sylph had taken.

KillerSlime

[[wait, what's the corpse? there is one sylph, one Sylph, one Louie9090, one Kaz, one Kyo, and one smoldering-remains-of-some-guy, right?]
seeing the lightning, and of course being interrupted by it, Kyo is a little annoyed. and surprized... 'so she was controlling the wind, i'll bet. stupid mages... elementals... dragons... they're never fighting a full fair fight when they throw magic at people...' poking the zapped guy, kyo notices that he doesn't look the least bit special; nothing to distingush him from a beggar... in fact, he never saw the guy shoot the Sylph directly, for all he knew the guy was just a beggar that ms. Arrogant had fried... there was nothing really special about the place aside from the fried guy and the desolation. hmm...
walking back outside, he sees Xaenai and the Sylph interrogating the other, attacked sylph. walking up, he stays his distance but watches and listens, leaning on a building while the other people are preocupied.

~Sylph~

Reevengaofar reaches the sylph who is still lying in the alley. She notices how badly injured the sylph is and feels all the more guilty for threatening her. In her native tongue she tells the sylph that she needs to be taken to a healer and makes to pick her up but the sylph replies that she's well past any healing magic they have in this town. "My spirit itsylph is dead older sister. Just leave me to die," the sylph coughs to Reev. Reev sighs and notices Xaenai has joined them. "You need to find your peace then little sister. Tell me what you can," Reev says still in sylphish while wiping the sylph's forehead.

"There is no peace to be found from my betrayal and no words to explain it to you, Reevengaofar, that wouldn't ring hollow in both of our ears. No justifications but that I was a fool. I tried to right my wrong but I failed and I was as big a fool to try... it seems," the sylph mummered and then turned away from Reev. The sickenning feeling in Reevengaofar's gut was welling and doubled when the sylph had spoke her name. Biting back her anger and switching to common tongue Reeven replied, "Then right that wrong by telling me what you know. Who did you betray and how?!"

The sylph wouldn't reply and wouldnt look Reev in the eye. She only held out her clenched hand toward Reevengaofar and began dropping something. Reev quickly held out her hand to catch whatever it was and did. Reevengaofar stood up, looked at Xaenai and said, "She'll only speak in riddles to me. Maybe she'll say more to you, before..." Reev then left them both in the alley, visiblely shaking as she walked towards the apartment and Kyo who was glaring at her.

"I... I'm sorry for earlier," she said to Kyo and continued walking past him, without waiting for a response, on into the apartment.

louie9090

"Uh..." Xaenai didn't know to say to the sylph she's stoeln the bow from. She knelt, thought for a moment, and said "Ya know, if you tell me what you did, i won't laugh or nothing. I've done some mighty bad things, lemme tell ya." she eased back into her rough and uneducated street rat voice. She hated having to talk pretty in front of people, but she had to do it in order to get the little respect she could. It was embarresing to be caught talking like that. She rather liked being a respected low life. "Well..." the sylph muttered. "Aw, 'cmon. I ain't gunna tell nobody. I'm realy good at not rattin' nobody out."
[[Sylph, you take over the sylph... i don't know where you're going with it, and i don't know who she could betray anyway...]]

~Sylph~

[my thought on all of this is: The sylph and the mage/beggar were somehow involved in the original plot to slay the sylph that began the war between the elementals and the dragons. Further that we may be lead on some epic adventure from something we discover either from what the sylph reveals, presumeably before she dies, from what she gave me or on the apparent corpse of the mage/beggar. I was hoping one of yall would pick. However, I am about to remove one of those options. Wink

]

Reevengaofar comes walking back out of the apartment and asks both Kyo and Xaenai, "Where did you move the body too?" Xaenia simply stares at Reev as Kyo retorts, "I didnt move anything, especially not that guy you killed!" "Well either he wasn't dead or someone moved him," Reevengaofar replies and goes over to start picking up the pieces of the door from the street.

"What are you doing and why," Kyo asks. "Well it wont be long til people start coming out of their houses and asking questions," Reevengaofar responds as if this was quite obvious. "And you think picking up the door is going to make people forget all that lightning you were casting everywhere," Kyo asks while crossing his arms and staring at Reevengaofar with contempt. "Hey, I only fired once and it was to stop that beggar from killing me and Xaenai. I supose I should have let him do that," Reev shoots back as she stops picking up the peices of the door.

"I coulda dodged him for days," Xaenai replies annoyed by the implication that the beggar might have killed her, even if it might be true. Both Kyo and Xaenai were now staring angrily at Reevengaofar. "Can we argue about all this inside," Reev asks the both of them. "What about your door and her," Kyo asks pointing over his shoulder at the sylph in the alley. "I... guess you were right about the door and would you please help us carry her inside," Reev asks Kyo.

KillerSlime

kyo settles himself comfortably atop[and by atop, i don't mean sitting in but sitting on] a chair in the room, prepared to hear the explanation from the Sylph and completely bored by this. with this turn of events, it seemed the theme has gone from fighting to talking. she was saying it was "saving them" though the guy seemed distracted, and by experience he knew that Xaenai could fight for hours and keep dexterous to an aggrivating extent, it didn't appear that the guy was getting more acurate. besides, if Reevengaofar had just not poked her head in the way, she wouldn't have been in any danger. he could have taken the guy(he believes, atleast) and him&Xae together could have, no contest. street brawls are less astounding then lightning, they would have attracted a larger crowd... but for once in his life, he decided to just let it go, knowing Reevengaofar wouldn't relent, debate or anything, just state her way of things and that was how she would see them. "so, what on earth is up with this whole thing? who on earth are you? come to think of it, i don't know anyone here. now would be a good time to explain who you are."

k0zzmick_deemmin

[Just a side-note here, since my character's off walking somewhere--

Remember what your (meaning all of you) characters know. You might want to go back and look at your previous posts and find if your characters actually know the info that they supposedly know. For example, Kaz doesn't know Kyo nor Xaenai's name. And I may be wrong, but I don't think Kyo knows Reev's name. 'Matter of fact, I don't think anyone knows anybody's name. Again, I may be wrong.

Also, things like, "S/he should be able to" should be changed to something along the lines of, "It seems like s/he would be able to" if your character doesn't know the character in question. Just be aware of subtleties like this.]

louie9090

[[alright, i'll post later... too lazy to read all that now lol]]

KillerSlime

[actually, i knew that... he doesn't say that name, but it gets confusing since he also doesn't know she is a sylph, and if i use female pronouns for her that would overlap with the other character who i need female pronouns for, and i can't just keep calling her "jerk" for the rest of time... now we have another potentially female character, too. female pronouns are far, far too common here to use instead of names... sorry, just assume that i'm only using the names for distinction, perhaps i'll go look in the description section to build Kyo nicknames for them, but he should know their real names soon enough...] "well? is anyone going to talk?"

~Sylph~

[koz: Actually we have established that Kaz and Reevengaofar know each other by name, race and share at least some history.

killer: Sorry to have taken it away from combat action for a bit, but I figured a plot to drive the combat action would be helpful. Besides people have to talk to each other at some point. As koz pointed out, most of us dont even know each others names.

P.S. I think the [ ] tags are helpful but that also using italics might be even more helpful.

P.P.S. I have figured out what one of the two items is that the sylph handed me.]

"You may call me Reev or Reva. What I was doing here was trying to figure out what a sylph, that sylph," Reevengaofar says pointing to the injured sylph on the settee, "was doing in Mytavia when I was attacked. I believe she may somehow be involved in the events which began the war."

KillerSlime

[no, it's not me that's irritated, it's my character... i love dialouge, he doesn't... sorry... i shouldn't have made him like that... and, i was also trying to get names to peoples... sorry again... lots of appology...] rolling his eyes, Kyo says "neat. i'm Kyo. you can call me Kyo. i am one of many people who came here because someone exploded something."

k0zzmick_deemmin

[Don't I feel stupid, haha. I forgot about Reev/Kaz knowing each other when I was typing that... carry on.]

louie9090

[[ok, i read everything! yay me! this'll probably be a short post]]
Xaenai winced at his casual tone. "I'm Xaenai, call me anything else and i'll be forced to hurt you. I came here because i just had to live in some big market town that the dragons just had to destroy." She got some questioning looks, but didn't explain further. Her past was her business, not anyone elses. To get everyon's attention away from her, she asked Reeve "So... what'd that sylph give you? And don't say she didn't give you nothing because i saw it." Xaenai hoped that no one had noticed her slip-up. People got suspicous when you started tallking like some pick-pocket off the streets. Of course, that's exactly what she was. But they didn't need to know that. She sighed quietly and rubbed the scar on her hand absently.

~Sylph~

"You have a... trained eye Xaenai," Reev responded, a smile breaking from her face for the first time in a long time. Xaenia looked distractedly away as if the injured sylph had suddenly captured her attention. Reevengaofar looked from Kyo to Xaenai, decided she needed to start trusting someone else besides hersylph and that these were probably pretty good choices to start with.

"You asked me what she gave me," Reev began spliting her attention between Xaenai and Kyo, "and I will both tell you and show you." Reva then held out her hand and unclentched it, revealing a strange looking key and a crystaline pendant strung upon a crystaline chain. She plucked the key from her hand and flung it unexpectedly to Kyo, who caught it as easily as he would scratch an itch on his nose. "I dont know what it goes to, nor have I ever seen a key of it's unusual make before. Perhaps one of you can convince her to tell you what it unlocks and where. It doesn't seem to belong to anything here though. I... I am done speaking with her. And, if she wasn't already unconscious and dying, now that I know what she has done...," Reevengaofar trailed off as she looked at the remaining object in her hand with glassy eyes.

"This," Reev said standing up as she held the pendant by it's chain, allowing it to catch what little light a rainy day could muster which it scattered around the room ina dazzling array of colors, "belongs... belonged to... the sylph whose death began this war. It is the crest of the oldest known lineage of sylph and only death would have ever ripped it from her."

Reev turned away from Kyo and Xaenai while continuing to speak, "I have spent all my waking hours since her death searching for this... for proof of her killer's identity. That... betrayer over there hasn't the power nor the strength to have carried out the act by hersylph. But that she had this on her and admits to a betrayal is all the proof I need to know she was involved in... the murder. A murder I believe, and have always, that was conceived of but for one reason: to wrought more death and destruction upon the world. To what ends I am no closer to knowing, but I mean to find out."

Reev then spread the pendant's chain with both hands and placed it around her neck. Reevengaofar stood there motionless for a while, as if the weight of the pendant around her nexk took some getting used to. Its physical weight was nearly as light as air, but it and all it meant did weigh heavy on her. Almost to hersylph, but loud enough for both Kyo and Xaenai to hear she said, "And nothing short of death will rip it from its rightful heir now." Reev managed to get the last words out before the tears that had been welling inside her spilled over. She left the apartment, standing just outside it's vacant doorway.

The force of her greif caused the crowd of humans which were littering the street, examining the fragments of door, the blast marks in the street, the apartment itself to move on, feeling too awkward to be there and not share in it. Reev didn't blame them. In a time of war there is usually enough greif for everyone, without having to share in others.

louie9090

[[le gasp!]]
Xaenai watched Reev go before leaping up and snatching the key from Kyo. "Hey!" he shouted indignately. She grinned, saying "I'm going to hold on to it because a pick pokcet could steal this from you before you could even blink."
"How would you know?" His tone annoyed her, so she bosted "Because I used to pick pockets for a living!" He stared at her. She swore mentally. "Uh... forget i just said that." she said hurridly. "C'mon, let's find out what this key's for..." she grabbed his arm and dragged him outside, passed the greiving sylph and down the street. "I know someone who'll be able to tell us what kind of key this is." Kyo ripped his arm away and walked beside her on his own. "Well, i already thought of the lockesmith." She frowned at him. "Nooo, i was thinkg the king, of course." He sniggered. "You know a king?" She grinned coyly. "Yes. The king of the thieves."
"Oh, that's right. You're a petty thief." Xaenai sighed in exasperation. "I ain't no petty thief!!!!!!" in her anger, she revertd back to her old way of speaking. "I'm a very good thief! An' if ya talk to the king that that, you'll be hangin' by yer toes some'ere!" By this time, they'ed reached the part of town where most of the inns and taverns were.

KillerSlime

"so, we're here. in this area. nothing special here. this where you're king lives? he doesn't seem like much of a king to me, living in this district, but it's better than most theives."

louie9090

Xaenai shook her head at him. "All we have to do know is figer out which one teh king's in..." How would they do that? "Well... this'n looks like a good place ta start." She started to walk towards one of the bigger taverns on the street. It wasn't the nicest, but it was still the most likely place for the king of thieves to be. She walked through the door and into the noise of loud music, drunken men, and the sound of ale glasses being banged down on table tops. "I've missed this," she said happily.

KillerSlime

Kyo didn't like bars. he wasn't supposed to be here, and he didn't like the atmosphere; a place where drunken people pick fights. drunk people don't fight fair, and they don't fight well, and it's not like Kyo has ever wanted to join them in their drunkenness... when he's in a bar, Kyo likes to build himself a bubble, daring people to enter; this bar looked a little unpleasant, it looked like some people wouldn't heed him when he stared them down. it looked like it wasn't going to be a good day, for them, Kyo believed.

louie9090

[hey KS, i'm going to do this whole king/us dialog thing because, well, because i like doing thieves...]
Xaenai noticed that Kyo wasn't exactly comfortable, but she didn't care. They were here to find out what that stupid key was for. Looking around, she noticed a long table where a lot of thieves were sitting. Well, they looked like thieves at least. There was a man in his early 20's at the head of the table, with short curly brown hair and brown eyes. He seemed to be the center of attention, so she decided that of everyone there he was the most-likely to be the king and walked boldly over to him, hissing to Kyo "Let me handle this." The table quieted some when she came near, but she'd sort of expected that. After all, techniclly she wasn't a thief in this city, so they didn't know who she was. In fact, she probably looked more like a warrior then a thief, now a days. The man who she thought was king studied her carefully, sizing her up. Every man at the table was doing it too, but the way they kept glancing at the man proved he was their leader. She decided to let him speak first. He was, after all, a king. "Well, what do we 'ave here?" he said at last. Xaenai knew there was a bit of bad feelings between thieves and fighters, but didn't know the extent of it. Hopefully, it won't be too bad here, she thought before saying out loud "We're lookin' fer some... advice, of a kind." She raised one eyeborw slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. The man raised his own eyeborw in return, his eyes glittering with an emotion Xaenai couldn't quite name. His eyes passed over Kyo, and she fervently hoped he wasn't doing anything that might set these men off. Apparently he wasn't, because he look back at her again. "Advice, eh? Well then, come sit down and 'ave a drink b'fore we get down ta business." He gestured at one of his men, who got up and moved two more chairs over to the already crowded table. Xaenai sat down, Kyo following. "So, b'fore we get down ta business, my name's Vian." he looked at his two guests expectantly. "My name's Xaenai, and this is Kyo."
[ok, so not the whole conversation...]

KillerSlime

[sorry, i was just getting Kyo's oppinions here... you get to do all the theives -,^]Kyo tried to shoot a glare at Xaenai, saying that her revealing him wasn't nice, but she wasn't looking. 'ah well, leave the theives to the theives...' he thought, tensing to spring from his chair into a fight at any moment. he still didn't trust Xaenai, but he's not firmilliar with the customs of 'petty thieves'. coming from the reasonably rich family that he does, he's never had to deal with these people before, even to try to beat them. although, the simple entertainment value of it got ever more appealing as the conversation proceeded...

louie9090

[ hehehe, i like your character. he's funny and had given me the idea of making this conversation really interesting and/or funny.]
Instantly Vian's eyebrow rose again. Xaenai was a common name. That is to say, a well-used commoner's name that the commoners stopped using and the thieves picked up. "S'that so?" Turning his attention away from Xaenai and Kyo, he called "Hey, Uakui! Bring some drinks 'round for our guests!" A fat man in his late forties bowed a said "Yes, majesty." Ha, I was right! Xaenai thought smugly. When Vian turned back to them, she raised both her eyebrows at him and said "I was right about you..." It was as if she'd pulled a knife on him. The men around the table subtley reached for daggers. But not subtle enough that she didn't see them. Vian waved a hand and the men relaxed, although they still watched Xaenai and Kyo suspiciosly. "Who are you?" vian asked. Xaenai decided to just be honest with him, but before she could Uakui came back with the drinks. She didn't particularly care for ale, but when the king offers you some, you take it. She took a drink and said "I al'eady told ya my name. Other'n that, there ain't much to tell." Which was a truthful answer, if not a satisfactory one. Which Vian knew too, because he frowned at her. "I want an answer. A real answer this time." By the tone in his voice, Xaenai guessed things would get ugly if she didn't answer him. "Well then, ya shoulda said so in teh first place. I used to be a pick-pocket in Aeln town afore it got destroyed." She could feel Kyo's eyes on her, but would answer his questions later. If he had any. Most people do once they find out about that part of her past. She prayed that he didn't ask anymore about her thieving days. Apparently the gods were busy because Vian asked "How do I know you ain't lying?" She sighed inwardly and held out her right hand. There was a little brand on palm from when she'd been caught trying to pick a noble-man's pocket when she was 10. He seemed satisfied with her scar and took a swig of ale before saying "You said ya had a need fer some advice?"
[[ KS, you can take over if you want. my character wants to sit in brooding thoughts for a bit... lol ]]

KillerSlime

"We have a key that we need to find the lock for." grabbing quickly the key in Xaenai's possession, placing it infront of him on the table in a way that he could grab it back before anyone could grab it. "somewhere there's a lock which we could be on the other side of, but aren't, you understand, right?" yes, kyo had gotten bored, and seizing this oppertunity to take both the key and conversation, he did.

louie9090

Xaenai huffed indignately when Kyo snatched the key from her but stayed silent. Until Kyo started talking to Vian like he was 5. That was bad. "Uh... we ain't never seen a key like this'n and we- well, I- figured you could tell us what kind it is." Vian reached over to pick up the key, but Kyo snatched it back. Xanai rolled her eyes at him. "He ain't gunna reck it. He just wants ta see what it looks like."

KillerSlime

relenting, kyo slid the key at the person...

~Sylph~

Meanwhile...

The pendant around Reevengaofar's neck had driven home the fact that her mother was gone, forever, in a way that seeing her 'returning' hadn't. Sylphs, unlike humans, gradually dissipate back into the element which spawned them, air, over a period of hours or days, depending upon the strength of the sylph's spirit at the time of their death. Her mother's 'returning' had lasted weeks and as was the custom of her people she had be honor bound to be a part of rituals until the 'returning' was completed.

Reev had lost all concept of time in her greif, but when she came back to reality she realized it must have been some time that she had stood there motionless. People were passing by her now as if she were a fixture of the street, taking no notice of her. In fact, when Reev finally stopped clasping the pendant around her neck in her hand she startled an old woman bad enough that she dropped the basket of fruit she had been carrying. As the sylph bent down and helped the old woman she couldnt help but see her mother in this woman, though they bore no resemblance.

When she had finished helping the old woman, Reev turned around and entered the apartment. She was not suprised to see that Kyo and Xaenai were no longer there. She was suprised to see that the injured sylph had not only died but nearly faded entirely. Reev decided it was probably the damage she had done to her spirit which had expedited things so rapidly, not that the betrayer was likely ever fated to have had a 'returning' measured in days. Reevengaofar ...

louie9090

Vian picked up the key and turned it over in his hands. His brows wrinkled slightly, and Xaenai played with one of her knives impatiently. Hurry up! I want to know what it is! After what seemed like hours to her but in reality was only a few minuets Vian said "I ain't ever seen a key like this, except once," he looked worried. "It's some sort of enchanted key." Xaenai shrugged. "What's so bad 'bout that?" He frowned at her. "Teh enchantment is very strong, and prolly elemental-made." Xaenai nodded. That made sense, considering they'd gotten it from a sylph. "But the key itself is of dragon makin'." That... could make sense, she guessed. "So, when was it made?" she asked hesitantly. An elementaly-enchanted dragon's key wasn't bad on it's own, but in the right time period it could be. "That's the problem, see. There's always a chance i could be mistaken, but if i'm not, then that key o' yours was made just aroun' a year ago." That was just about when that sylph had been killed. "Ok... can ya tell what it's for?" Xaenai asked hopefully. Vian studied the key a little more befroe answering her. "I think it's fer a door of some sort." That made things a bit simpler. "But..." he started, and Xaenai sighed slightly. "Dragon key's are usually bigger 'n this one is. This key is fer a human door. It can't be an elemental door, 'cause elemental doors always have a lock made of an element, depending on who uses it. Therefore, the keys have ta be made out of that element, and this'n is made out o' regular old iron. It would do ya no good ta stick it in an elemental lock."
[whoo man, my imagination really wandered on this one... sorry if it's confusing. sadly, this is basicly what my thought proccess is like Razz

]

KillerSlime

"thanks, we owe you one." standing, Kyo takes the key back and says, "shall we go door-hunting?"

louie9090

Xaenai stood to follow him and answered with an almost-friendly grin "Sounds lovely." She still wasn't sure if she liked him or not. So she followed Kyo out the door, waving a cheerful goodbye at Vian. Finding a human door wouldn't be as hard as finding a dragon door, or an elemental one. "So... time to see if i can get us ta the other side o' the city without gettin' beat up or nothin' like that."

~Sylph~

Reevengaofar felt moved to perform the rites for this sylph. Maybe it was out of sympathy for one who had fallen so far, the memory of her mothers 'returning' being so fresh in her mind, or that she felt honor bound to treat even the least of her kind with the proper respect at the time of their passing. She hersylph didn't know which it was and didnt dwell on it. Reev simply closed her eyes, laid her hands upon the sylph and began the speaking the words in her tongue, "From wind we are born, Into the whirlwind thrown, To dance like clouds, Upon its storm..."

Before she could get another word out, her hands felt the settee. The sylph had completely faded away. Reevengaofar drew in a deep breath and held it as long as she could. She was suposed to gather all of her greif over this death into her chest and release it with the breath, when she could hold neither any longer. She did as she had been taught and then left the apartment.

She felt markedly better. Performing the rite had helped her clear her head. The rites were suposed to be followed by a celebration, but there was only her, and she didnt really feel quite so unburdened as to want to truly celebrate anyone's life, let alone a betrayer's. But, she could use a drink, she thought. A nice stiff one. She convinced hersylph that after all she had been thru today she really deserved one anyway. She could always try to find Kyo and Xaenai later, probably fighting one another for sport and no closer to the mystery of the key, she thought. But for now she didnt care about keys or mysteries.

She walked towards the bar she thought was a front for the theives guild in this town. Normally she would have avoided this place, as theives were far too observant for her liking and that didn't fit in well with keeping your identity and race hidden. But, she didnt feel like being in one of the higher end bars where people were oblivious and obliviously happy, at least not right now. She told hersylph that she wanted to be with people who understood life, but what she really meant was people that understood pain. Either way, theives did fit that bill.

She plucked a few of the lesser coins from her purse, placing them in her cloak's inside pocket and shoved the small purse into the left cup of her leather corset. She wasn't that well endowed, not that she cared, but the right side of her had been given a little more than the left. Her mother had always called it 'the blessing of the goddess' which had always annoyed her, but it was helpful for hiding things. And, one could never be too safe in a bar, especially one that might be a den of theives.

As she walked into the bar, she was suprised to see that Kyo and Xaenai were there, sitting with some shady fellow towards the back. They took no notice of her though. They seemed intent upon the words of the man they were sitting with. Reev continued on as if she hadn't noticed them. It might be bad if anyone suspected they were associated. It might seem to them like a set up or a trap. So she just sat there facing towards the bar ordering the largest glass of the cheapest ale they had, and trying to steal glances their way when she could, but without much luck.

Reevengaofar didn't really like the cheap stuff, she had always been one for the finer things as all sylph were, but it wasn't the place to be a big spender. That would draw attention here. She caught a flash of the key and she didnt like it. This was the sort of place where people would pocket something of value, if only to sell it back for a few silver and bragging rights. However, she was able to notice enough that Kyo was mindfull of it and treating it with the sort of protective nature it deserved. She found hersylph warming to him, or maybe it was the ale speaking.

The ale, bitter as it was, felt nice though; soothing. She was careful to pace hersylph though. She didn't want to get drunk. Well, that was a lie, she very much did want to get drunk, sloppy drunk, but again, this wasnt the time nor place. Xaenai looked like a fish in water here, so in her element that she seemed to glow to Reev and she felt comfortable trusting the girls judgement. Reevengaofar decided to stop being so paranoid and just enjoy her ale. Besides, Kyo was being cautious enough for three people.

Still, she couldn't help noticing the silent communications that were happening between the man they were sitting with and several of the other patrons. She had been right about this place. It was a den of theives and Kyo and Xaenai were talking to their leader! Well... probably a good place to find out about keys, not that theives prefered using them, but they certianly understood them probably better than some dusty old historian, which is where she would have taken the key. Probably more trustworthy than a historian as well, who'd want to lock away a key to solve the mystery themsylphs. Reev was impressed with Xae. Fate had given her two very worthy companions. It was up to her now to try and make sure she didnt lose them to anything, especially not to bad manners.

The sylph sat there enjoying her ale and musing over where hers had gone. She'd once been a council memeber, for winds sake. Suddenly Kyo and Xaenai got up to leave, with the key. Better linger a little longer, she reminded hersylph. Don't draw attention. Still, not too much longer. She flipped the barkeep a coin which barely covered the price of the ale and, as if it were a big tip, she winked at him. He merely grunted and walked away. She felt sylph satisfied that her ruse of poverty had been effective. it was pretty certian no one would would follow her when she left, to rob her.

k0zzmick_deemmin

[Oh my god, that part about 'the blessing of the goddess' was hilarious, hahaha. Oh, and I've noticed I've been using present tense. Wtf?]

Kaz, drying up from the sun peaking through the now-empty clouds, was headed towards home. Home wasn't fantastic in his mind, just a basic shack, but it got him by. A bed, a dresser, a place to put his sword, and a roof over his head was all he needed.

He decided to go through a different part of town, making his time. Maybe it'd be a more scenic change. While walking, he could of swarn he went in a loop not really paying attention and taking his time. This part of the town was a bit seedy, he noticed... but didn't take much notice of it. He very well knew that noone with any brains in their head would pick a fight with a salamander carrying a big sword on his back around like that.

He stopped dead in his tracks. Out a tavern walked those two humans from earlier. He couldn't believe it; How could they all possibly be in the same spot again? First off, he didn't want any business with a character such as that girl. It was obvious to the trained eye that she was no good, and even more obvious to a good memory of a well-travelled man. (He knew he'd recognized her likingness somewhere.) And second, he wanted no business with that twirpy fighter. He could practically sniff the fighter's personality from way over there as the two appeared to be talking. Kaz decided quickly that he didn't like that kind of personality.

He slid over to a nearby alleyway and peered around the corner. The two humans seemed to be deciding on something and started walking in the opposite direction. "I wonder what they of all people had business in this part of town," he pondered. "I guess I could find a reason for the girl, but --"

Just as he was thinking of this, he saw yet another familiar face walk out of the tavern. Of course, he thought, it's Reev again. What a whirlwind of twisted encounters the past couple of hours has been. "Uh oh, looks like she's seen me."

Wondering whether to run or not, he stood with his back to the alleyway, no longer peering around the corner. He knew he could just as easily jump up to the rooftops or sprint down the alley, but really there's no point. No harm could come of talking to her again. So he'd come to the conclusion that he'd wait it out. He wasn't even sure if she's seen him or not, or even if she was interested in persuing him. While waiting, he decided to count the bricks housing moss on the wall opposite him...

louie9090

[lol, i did that with the little spots on the cieling while i was getting my braces put on. the most boring hour of my whole life. and sylph, that gift from the goddess was very funny indeed... reminds me of Tamora Pierce's books. *cough* not obsessed]
Xaenai took some pleasure in the look on Kyo's face when she'd said that. Discreetly checking to make sure all of her hidden daggers were loose in thier sheeths, she headed off down a random street. Finding a human door would be easier than finding another kind of door, but how would they know which one to pick? They couldn't stick the key in every door in the city. And the door might even be in another city altogether! What would they do then? She felt a small hand slide into her pocket. Amused, she grabbed it and said "That don't belong there, does it?" before releasing the frightned child. Whoever taugh him how to pick pockets should be hung upside down by his toes. Even Kyo could've felt that hand in his pocket, stuck up clod that he was. Xaenai decided that she didn't quite like him as a friend, but he could be useful if things got out of hand. Or if she needed to release some excess anger. Leading him off to a deserted alley, she sat down and said "So, any ideas as to where the heck we're gunna go?"

KillerSlime

[what an interesting concept... this whole thing reminds me of Renga...] "yeah. AWAY FROM HERE. just standing here isn't going to help anyone much at all. it's boring, you know? and don't think of trying to steal the key back, i know what i'm doing with it. you may be a pickpocket, but i've fought stronger animals. let's get going! race you." yes, when kyo got bored, he results to stupid insults to try to pick a fight... anyway, he runs off, clutching the key in his hand, twoards the area where the sylph was living. knowing people were noticing, not caring, kindof hoping that someone would take offence so he could work off some of his boredom, running, jumping and such off in the general directio of that neighborhood...

louie9090

[yay action!]
"Hey!" Xaenai leaped up and ran after him. They were causing a bit of commotion, but that twit had insulted her! After a few moments they came to a street that wasn't so crowded. She recognised this street... it was where the sylph had lived. She was about ot stop when she saw the perfect opertunity to jump Kyo. Grinning, she put on an extra burst of speed and jumped at him, knocking him sprawling. Of course, he recovered quickly, and once again Xaenai found herself fighting her companion.

KillerSlime

looking arround, he saw a few doors he wanted to look at. ah well, a street brawl is a good way to 'accidentally' run into things! he'll crash into the doors once or twice... focussing now on his opponent, he backs at a building so as to jump off it at her with force.

louie9090

Xaenai took a quick step back, watching for the slightest hint of movement. When he didn't move, she said "Coward!" while throwing a punch at his face. She hit him full force, launching both of them into a nearby door. It exploded into a million pieces, and Kyo shoved Xaenai off of him and jumped to his feet. He wiped blood from his mouth and began to circle around her. Xae circled too, and after a moment Kyo surged foward. Xae expected him to hit her face, but at the last moment he hit her stomach instead. The blow sent her careening back into the door of a building behind her, but the door solidly held up to her wieght, making her head slamm against the wood,. Luckily, kyo found a way not to slam into her full-force. He did ram into her, but not as hard as it could've been. I should thank him for that someday, Xae thought sarcasticly.

KillerSlime

Alright! this door! but this is too fun to stop now, and if we stop we'll catch attention... ah well, it doesn't hurt to be certain... kyo sets it up so that he can be safely knocked back into the door... which he proceeds to do... (i'm assuming Xae is going to notice sooner or later the doors... but yeah, not important...) and... it's solid. more solid than Kyo's head, which is not a common thing.
'ah well, now it's time for the real fight!' springing back, he charges Xae, insulting her... all for the fun of it. trying the shifting thing again (not too bright, is he?) she counters and he twists so he goes away from the walls this time. it hurts sometimes to randomly hit things... drawing the fight away, Kyo tries to fake a switch, then hit her... and succeeds... knocking her down... "you want to go to a sparring zone? it's a little strange here, don't you think?" kyo says, preemptively running off to the training ground... note that this was all an attempt on his part (mostly) to annoy Xae.

louie9090

[[ hee hee, funfunfunfunfun! ]]
Xae charges after him. "Twit! Cur! Moron! Clod!" She shouted insults as she ran to catche up. Who did he think he was?! Kyo burst in the doors a second before she did. They were in a fairly crowded practice court, but everybody stumbled out of the way, although those who didn't got rammed out of the way. Finally Kyo turned around to face her. Carried by her speed, she ran into him. What a lucky accident, she thought to herself. They went at each other, Xae fighting mainly with brute force and Kyo on the deffensive using speed. Of course, the oder was reversed a few times before Xae got frustrated with the fight. It was going nowhere fast, and that stupid Kyo was mocking her. Hey, who was it who'd found the way to figure out what the key was? Her! He had no right to mock her! With these thoughts in mind, she twisted away from Kyo and yanked a stave from someone in the audience. There was a booing from the crowd, but she didn't care. Of course, Kyo grabbed a staff from a nearby man as well, and they went at it with staves. They were evanly matched at that too. Xae wondered what would happen if she pulled out one of her daggers... She slammed her staff against Kyo's with as much force as she could muster in an effort to divert those thoughts. She didn't want to kill him... ok, well, at that moment she did, but that would be stupid in this crowd. Gritting her teeth, she used the last of her strength in a complex twisting movment that made Kyo's staff go flying. It also hit a few of the watchers in the crowd, which made Xae grin malicously. "Now for yours," she whispered, her voice a viper's hiss [lol, nice phrase ain't it?] She threw down her staff and brought her knee up.
[ muhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!! i am in such an evil mood, i'm so glad you agravated Xae, KS. it really helped Twisted Evil

]

KillerSlime

dodging backward, Kyo pauses then lunges at Xae. she twists him down, though, and he rolls into the crowd... they quickly move away, but that gives Kyo enough time to stand. wiping his face, he prepares to counter if she charges him.

louie9090

[ awwwwww... lmao! Laughing Hard

]
Xae rushed him, by this time considering how to mkae Kyo's death long and painful. He was ready for her, and quickly dodged out of the way. She followed him, swinging at his head. He ducked, but was just a tad slow as her fist collided solidly with his shoulder. He backed away and came at her again, hitting her jaw. Man, i must be getting tired, she thought, irritated that she'd let him get a good solid hit so easily. A moment later, they were pulled apart. "At ease!" someone barked in a very military-like voice. "Stuff it!" Xae spat, trying o get at Kyo, who was being held by a burly grim-faced soldier. "I said at ease!" the man holding Xae roared. "I ain't no soldier!" Xae yelled back, still trying to get at Kyo. He wasn't struggling as much as she was, which made her pause to think. He should be trying to get at her too, shouldn't he? Why wasn't he? Who was holding her? And why was the building suddenly so quiet? Xae looked behind her with a sinking feeling. "Ah, crud..."

KillerSlime

[as the slime couldn't think of what could be happening... 'aw crud']

~Sylph~

[thanks yall!]

Reev walked out of the bar and into it's foyer, which was really no more than 5 feet of hall between two doors, she paused, allowing the solid wooden interior door to close. She was both waiting to see if she'd be followed out and to check the street thru its windowed door to see if anyone outside was laying in wait. What she saw instead was Kaz staring at Xae and Kyo and then all three of them running into alleyways; Xae and Kyo into one and Kaz into the other.

Puzzled by this she forgot all about the theives inside and walked out of the exterior door, looking first to see where Ky and Xae had run off to and then at Kaz, who immediately ducked back into the alleyway he was in. Her first thought was that they were hiding from her. Before she could come up with an idea that made sense, Kyo came running out into the street with Xae hot on his heels. Reev held back, crossed the street to see if Kaz would follow them, either up or out of the alley. The conflageration of Ky and Xae running thru the streets drew her attention back to them just at the moment that Xae tackled Ky.

Well, she had been right about one thing at least, she did find them fighting again. She was hoping she was wrong about the second part and that their time in the bar had been worth it. Hers had definately been. The ale had gone straight to her head. She decided she would have to return to this bar at some point, except she would leave her purse at home or something because it was damnably uncomfortable where it was now.

Ky and Xae seemed to be taking their battle some place else now and Reev decided that they were probably pretty safe on their own, though had she been entirely sober she would likely have followed them to make sure they didnt lose the key while beating each other senseless. She reasoned to hersylph that only one person besides her had tried to break them up, Kaz, and so no one would be likely to mess with them now. Kaz, yes, time to see what in winds sake he was doing here.

She walked straight away into the alley and noticed by the bored look on Kaz's face that he must have been waiting for her longer than he had wanted to. She could tell he'd noticed her but he did not take his eyes off of the brick wall, so she walked past him and leaned back against the same wall as he was, about five paces further into the alley. For a while they both stood there silently, each waiting for the other to speak first in sort of sparing way, as if the first to speak would be declared the loser.

They'd always spared verbally in the elemental city, as all other forms of sparing were expressly forbiden. Reev finally relented and fired the first shot by saying, "So tell me Kaz, do you believe in fate?" Kaz didn't respond for a while, then casually said, "That's a strange greeting, even for you." Reev replied immediately, as if she'd been hoping for such a response, but in a calm voice without any hint of sarcasm, "I guess so, but there's so many strange things. Like you propped against a wall in an alley, presumably watching the moss grow." Reev knew she'd scored some kind of hit with that last one as his face reddened slightly, either from embarrassment or anger.

She decided to keep jabbing in a tone of voice as if she were saying the sweetest and most polite things. "I mean after two years, it's truly strange for us to be speaking to each other for the first time here. It's almost as strange as seeing you show up right after I was attacked," Reev didnt give Kaz a chance to reply, though he looked quite ready to do just that over her implication. She felt she was on a roll and wasn't ready to relent just yet and so she contnued, barely stopping to take a breath. "Oh yes, and then before that, seeing you in that plant shop. I never knew you shared my affinity for plants. When last we met you were still using them for target practice."

This last seemed to be a miss as Kaz didnt bat an eyelash in response. Following the bizarre rules of engagement for these duels of theirs, Kaz kept waiting patiently for Reev to finish, which she seemed to do with a misdirrection by saying, "That ones my favourite. It looks like a rabbit." She then pointed at a blotch of moss on one of the bricks. Following her finger's dirrection he noticed, much to his chagrin, that it did look like a rabbit. He'd been busy counting them, not 'looking' at them and realizing that she knew it annoyed him. His face reddened a bit more.

Kaz waited three more beats to make sure she was truly done and wouldn't try to cut him off and then fired back a jab of his own, "Are you going to continue yammering on like always, or is there a point somewhere in all of this?" That one stung Reev badly enough that she nearly dropped her polite tone, which would have been equal to an admission of defeat in these little tête-à-têtes. Instead she paused and considered her response.

"Well I asked my first question because I know I am not following you. Once, twice, we show up in the same place at the same time so very far from either of our homes, that happens. But three times in a single day? Either fate has suddenly aligned us on the same course, or you are following me, or perhaps one of the two I fought with earlier? So which would you have me believe Kaz," Reev asked, losing all interest in a war of words.

louie9090

k0zzmick_deemmin

[Wow, nice use of chagrin, Sylph!]

After a brief moment of hesitation, Kaz risked his dubiosity. "I'll tell you now that I have no interest in persuing you." Turning his head lightly in her direction, "I don't know, maybe it is fate. But I assure you, noone's hired me to go after you. And even if they did, hell, I wouldn't go after a counsil member, especially you." Reev turned her head at Kaz while his head turned back to the moss. Bunny rabbit, hah.

"But don't take this as a sign of straght-forwardness," Kaz said after thinking for a moment, realizing his minor faux pas. "Of course not," the Sylph said seeing his self-correction, a smirk appearing on her face and turning back to look at the opposite wall as well.

"But there is something about those two..." Kaz trailed off a bit and started up again. "I swear I could smell some form of anticipation in them. You think they were looking for something?" He knew he struck gold when he glanced and saw Reev's emotion change into a more somber one. "Do you know something I don't?"

[I'm trying my best not to make it seem like they had a romantic relationship, ahahaha...]

KillerSlime

"yo, soldier guy. you got a reason to be breaking up duels? it's not like we were breaking the law, we weren't even breaking any bones. so, what is it?" kyo said, diverting the attention. a good sparring partner is despensable, but this was one of those 'i and only i get to beat the bit out of her' situations. it's no fun when any time they duel someone or something gets in the way. a good fight trancends walls and people, but if it's interrupted... and besides, a sparring partner so matched is one hard to come by...

louie9090

[ aw, how sweet... lol, j/k obviously...]
"Yea, this is a practice court; we ain't supposed to be complimenting each other, are we?" She stuck her tounge out at Kyo, who did the same. "'cause i can't think o' anythin' to compliment 'im on..." The general looked like he was ready to explode. "Do you know who i am?" he asked after a few moments of getting his temper under control. "Yes. You're some lunk-'ead general who jus' broke up our perfectly friendly fight!" Xae said. Ok, so maybe their fight was perfectly friendly... but it wasn't exactly un-friendly either. it's not like they were fighting to the death or anything. So techniclly, that made it a friendly fight. The crowd of soldiers gasped in awe and horror. She sniggered at them. "I am General Idaur, supreme commander of the neutral forces." [i know i used that name in my now-dead story, but it's a cool name...]Xae and Kyo exchanged looks. Xae swore and rammed her elbow into Idaur's chest as hard as she could. He let go, and she punched him again, for good measure. The soldier holding Kyo let him go and surged forward to help the general, completely ignoring her. "Moron," she muttered, unsheething a dagger with one hand and grabbing Kyo with the other. "C'mon!"

KillerSlime

"y'don't need to tell me twice. how many people have you ticked off this week, anyway?"he hissed, pulling away and dashing alongside her. "where on earth do you plan on running, anyway?"

louie9090

"I only tick off ev'ry other person I meet... and you don' expect me not to know any good 'ideing places, do ya? Once a thief, al'ays a thief." Xae said, secretly glad that she could use hee knowledge of the city at last. Of course, it wasn't the best circumstances that gave her the chance, but oh well. She led him to her apartment building and started to climb up the wall under her window. "Are you stupid or just crazy?" Kyo demanded. "This will be the first place they'll look!" Xae glanced down at him. "I'm just gettin' somethin'. Shut up an' climb." she ordered. When he didn't move, she sighed in exaspersation and said "Look, if'n you ain't going ta climb up with me, than keep watch, eh?" Not waiting for an answer, she continued her climb.
When she reached her window, she swung in and looked around quickly. No one was there. It was pitch-black in her room, but what good thief couldn't find her way in the dark? She walked quickly over to her desk and opened the top drawr [i know i spelled that wrong... i just know it....]. Inside were all her important or valuable things; her small pouch of coins, the dissasembled long bow she'd stolen, the short sword she'd stolen, and the pendent she'd found in the ruins of her town. Her quiver was under the desk because it wouldn't fit in the drawr. She put the coins and the pendent in a pocket on the inside of her shirt and strapped the long bow and quiver on her back. She hesitated before grabbing the two cloaks she had left (she'd lost the other one sometime earlier), one that was from her street rat days and another one that was a little bit nicer. SHe'd wear her old one because it had a lot of things in the pockets that she'd forgotten about but then remembered as soon as she thought about giving it to Kyo. He could have the other one that wasn't full of her things. Satisfied, Xae climbed back down the wall. Shoving the cloak into Kyo's arms, she put hers on and started to lead him to the hiding place she thought would best suit their needs.

~Sylph~

[lol Kaz, I think it's best left undetermined/undisclosed]

Kaz said nothing else, he quietly waited for Reev to reply, but her response was long in coming. There was so much for her to consider. She believed she could trust him with the information. What she didn't know was whether she could tolerate it if again he simply turning his back on his responsibilities to everyone and everything. It probably wasn't fair for her to see it that way, but it was how she had viewed Kaz's departure and ensuing renegade nature; fighting all comers, including his own kind.

It's not that she too hadn't left all that she knew behind and wouldn't fight her own kind if it came to that as well; she'd even come close to that this very day. But, hers was still a life of service, while Kaz had left that life behind to pursue his own goals, whatever those were. She not only resented him for being free of that responsibility, that she still wore like a yoke around her neck even without the title and expectation of others, but she'd never forgiven him for it either. She'd never even considered if she wanted to til now and it wasn't a decision she could make right now, ale or no.

"There are probably a lot of things I know which you don’t know and I don't mean that to be as cruel as it sounds. It's just that a lot has happened since, since you left Antias. A good deal has happened today, for that mater. Though I am sure at least some of both have filtered back to you…” Reev paused.

As she was organizing her thoughts she was interupted by two soldiers accompanied by a patron from the bar she'd just exited. "No, that's not them. That one's blonde didn't you pay any attention to Vian's descriptions," the man hissed at the soldiers. The three stopped staring at Reev and Kaz and continued down the street. The man continued talking and Reevengaofar managed to only catch the words "general", "not very happy", "every street" and finally "paid".

KillerSlime

always one to show off, Kyo didn't wear the cloak on the way down, jumping down in a chimnying(misspelled) way, reaching the bottom first. then putting the cloak on, he waited impatiently for the (i'm assuming) almost as fast Xaenai to catch up after she had gotten the race-to-the-bottom challenge from kyo's actions.

louie9090

"Cheater," Xae said frankly when she reached the bottom. She walked down the street, fixing the hood of her cloak over her face. A few seconds later, she heard the sound of boots in the main street. She yanked Kyo behind a large crate.
"... but the general sure looked mad when he ordered us out to look for that girl."
"Of course he was! She rammed him in the stomach, not to mention insulting him. Either that girl's very brave or very foolish." Xae grinned at the compliment.
"I wonder why she ran away like that? She must have something to hide."

k0zzmick_deemmin

Kaz's eyes followed the three men as they dissapeared out of sight. He knew who they were talking about; Those two seemed to be in some very big trouble. "Vian, I think I've heard that name before..." Kaz muttered to himself. The salamander thought for a moment, bringing his hand to his chin.

Turning back to Reev, Kaz began to carefully word his next diction. "You know as well as I that each and every entity living in this city has certain decisions to make. Decisions we make to survive. And we both also know that if we don't act upon those decisions, we won't. For whatever harm I may have done to you or your people, I apologize. But don't hold it against me. I've made certain decisions on my path of so-called fate, and if I hadn't made them, I very well couldn't be here today."

Reev's eyes seemed to pierce his soul, seemed to be looking into the very depths of his mind, Searching for resolve? he thought. She looked so kind and almost glowing at that split second, making a pang of guilt hit his chest. Looking back again to the wall, Kaz spoke once more.

"Go home and get some sleep. I can smell the ale." Suddenly and almost to his own suprise, Kaz double-wall jumped up to the rooftops avoiding any emotional hits that she could be capable of throwing back his way. I don't need to be reminded of my past, it's very well in me. Before disappearing out of sight, he smirked, looked down at her now-craned upward head and said, "And that's not a very good place to hide your purse," occurring to him how much she hasn't changed.

KillerSlime

"you know this is all your fault, right?" he wispered. "now i'm a co-colaborator, but it's not like i'll get a plea statement on you... noone in their right mind would try that. so, where we going, out of the city?"

louie9090

Xae snorted. "An' you talk about me bein' dumb. They expect that, see. It's the logical thing ta do. Which means we gotta do the illogical thing." Kyo didn't look convinced or comfortable about her plan. She sighed. "Look, we should at least try a few doors here before we leave. If we leave. 'Cause leavin' ain't such a good idea." Kyo nodded his head and said "Follow me." Xae followed him, grumbling. Why was he leading? I should be leading. He don't know the city like I do... well, i don' know the city all that great, but i know most of the back ways.

KillerSlime

Kyo smugly led the way to the door. sticking the key in the slot, it just... opens. nothing special there. inside is a ordinary room, the same sort of place as the other houses here. and then xae was crushed by his ego(Just Kidding)

louie9090

[hey! you should be crushed by my ego! *pouts*]
Xae forcefully grabbed the key out of Kyo's hands and looked at it, and then the lock. It was definately the right door. "Great, this's jus' great," she growled under her breath, rumaging around the room.

~Sylph~

[lol koz.]
[Killer: I was kinda hoping the key would open something more exciting, something worth the entire cities army trying to catch you two. Maybe it will yet?]

Reevengaofar removed the small purse from her corset and placed it an interior pocket of her cloak, all the while shaking her head. Normally she would have been indignant over Kaz looking down her corset, but the lingering effect of the ale had her take it as a compliment. He was right about the name Vian, it did sounds familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She decided to go look for Kyo and Xae at the training grounds, as that was the last dirrection she had seen them head. She was becoming more and more concerned about leaving the key in their charge.

When she arrived at the edge of the training grounds it was teeming with soldiers who were searching everyone gathered there. She decided to stay only long enough to determine whether Kyo and Xae were among those being searched. But, as she was scanning the ground she noticed two familiar faces that didn't belong to either of them. They belonged instead to Idaur and the leader of the theives guild whom were standing together talking.

Suddenly everything began to click into place. "Those treacherous leeches," she muttered to hersylph. Vian had sold them out to Idaur, which meant the key had the be very important indeed if Idaur was calling out the entire army to hunt for Kyo and Xae. Idaur and Vian appearing someplace together in public wasn't a good sign either. It meant that Kyo and Xae were in grave danger and Reev blamed hersylph that they were.

She had to find them and fast. But where and how? Perhaps Kaz had put the pieces together faster than her and was already following them. Maybe that was another reason for his speedy departure. It was a stretch and tracking him wouldn't be easy, but it was all she had. She returned quickly to the alley and began doing just that.

louie9090

k0zzmick_deemmin

[It's interesting how Reev thinks Kaz ran because of solving the puzzle when really his feelings were hurt. Haha, kind of ironic. Oh, and yeah, lol to the corsette.]

Walking along the rooftops with his sword out, looking at his feet, Kaz was remembering random battles in his past. "All the slaughtering I've done." The battles were countless, and for what? A resolution between the two sides? It's not like the dragons nor the elementals are anywhere nearer to one. Just more fighting and desctruction of where good, honest civilians live. Of course Kaz tried to protect those innocents... but it was all by killing. And he never even let his troups know what the reason was.

[Begin flashback sequence... delululu delululululululu]
"...Men! ...Fall back!" He hesitated.

The rest in the fray, LaComb ran back to the salamander. Yelling over the fighting, "But why, sir? We've got a good uphill advantage over the dragons that're down there. And even better, the elementals seem to not mind us being here this time."

Kaz looks down the hill to his men fighting, and then behind him, on the other side of the hill, to a small camp of elemental refugees. About a half-dozen or so dragons were attacking it, but the event seemed to be well taken care of by a portion of the elemental army. Hesitating again, he looked back to LaComb. "Those soldiers are protecting a great fortune of valuable magickal artifacts held by the refugees." He thought for a moment. "Never mind, you and the rest stay here. I can handle it."

"You sure, sir?"

Still yelling, "Yeah, just keep the dragons 'tamed.' I'll come back after a while."

LaComb headed back. He was human, but definitely one of his better men. Kaz turned and sprinted downhill towards the camp, holding his sword out, knowing very well that there are no artifacts of any sort in the camp.

Though he wouldn't let his crew know it, he actually cared for the innocents. There was indeed a soft place in his heart, but few have come close to knowing that. Being an independant force was difficult as it was. Reputation was always changing due to battles, not that he minded, but getting hired occasionally's a good perk and didn't need ruining from the employers finding out he's weak in principle. Of course most of his battles were of his own accord, and his men followed without doubt that he'd lead them to a better tomorrow.

Nearing the camp, he saw that a few of these soldiers fighting against a lone dragon didn't match the others. "What the hell are neutrals doing here?" He jettisoned into the air and landed right next to the dragon and helped deflect attacks and protect the camp alongside the soldiers.

"Idaur, what objective do you have in a battle like this?"

While fighting back with his rapier, the general returned his greeting. "Why, Kaz, what a nice suprise."

"You didn't answer my question." Kaz and Idaur jumped up and out of the way of the dragon's tail-swipe and dodged the following breath of fire.

"You seem a bit pestered. Why so glum?" Kaz jumped up to the dragon's head with a big leap and held on with proper footing. Ko Kasai plunged through the top of the beast's skull. It stopped moving, staying frozen for a moment. Finally it's head dropped to the ground and the soldiers backed out of the way, looking for the next dragon to fight. Kaz jumped down, still looking at the dragon. Idaur walked up from behind and put his left hand on his right shoulder. "Some of my men needed some excersize, why should it matter to you? You're just a petty rent-a-squadron."

Kaz, snapping, leaned down to shove his sword in the ground and brought his right elbow to Idaur's gut, sending him several feet backwards to skid on the ground. Idaur propped himself up on his hands, smirking and winking at Kaz.

"Stay away, Idaur. You knew damn well I'd be here today."

Coming back to reality, Kaz realizes his memory is a bit splotchy after that. What was up with him? He always seemed to be stalking Kaz. The arrogance was certainly annoying and he was always in his way. There was basically no reason to be following. It wasn't respect. He knew very well that Idaur couldn't in any way look up to him.

Jumping up to a two-story house's roof, he climbs the chimney, stabbing his sword through it near the top. He jumps up bringing his tail around the chimney and sits on the rest of it and the handle. Looking at the sun, he still thought about Idaur, but he was sure he was lost of him. "That awkward died in the Tillin Valley years ago, near the dragon city, trying to be brave and saving a soldier in a group of dragons."

[Dun dun dunn!! Wow, long post. Louie even posted while I was typing, hahahahaha...]

~Sylph~

[Louie: Kewl, sorry for my impatience]
[koz: I figure Reev has to have some flaws, one of hers is occasional bouts of insensitivity. Either by being rude or oblivious to others feelings. Glad ya liked the irony.]

Finding Kaz had proven very easy, far too easy. He hadn't moved very far from the alley and was standing atop a chimney staring towards the sky. Reev could tell by the look on his face that he was troubled. Much like Kyo and Xae's troubles, she believed she was probably the cause for his as well. Reev had managed to do several things right today, but as always, all she could ever see were her mistakes.

As she stood there staring at Kaz she found it much easier to forgive him. She'd lost sight of the apology which had been sandwiched between the mention of Vian and her purse. But, the look on his face now brought it back. Maybe she could fix two mistakes in one beat, she thought, and then felt guilty that her mind worked this way. Even though she tried to do good deeds she was always scheming of the right way to eke out a little something extra from it, either for hersylph or others. As a council member it had been an asset, but in her personal life it obscured her heart behind a wall of manipulations.

Reev flung back her cloak, which had a false backpack sewn to it, that concealed her wings...

louie9090

[lol, np... and Idaur is going to die sooner or later, Kaz, you do know that right? it'll make a nice little plot twist somehwere Wink

]
Kyo didn't trust her, Xae could see that. He went inside and started his own expection of the room, and then the drawr. He grabbed the scrolls and shoved them in his own pocket. Xae frowned at him and asked "What da we do now? I ain't holding onto that cursed magic thing fer longer then tanight." They were standing in the alleyway again. Xae, who still had the key, locked the door and with a resigned sigh handed it to Kyo. She had grudgingly admitted to herself that it was probably safer with Kyo a while ago, but didn't want him to feel smug about it. He looked a little surprised for a moment, but then it faded to be replaced by a smug grin. Xae shot him a glare that could peel paint and was about to say something when shouts of "There they are!" tore through the peaceful night air. Xae began running back towards Vian's tavern. Maybe he can help us, she thought, taking care to use the back streets.

~Sylph~

...and flew quietly and quickly to where Kaz stood; landing precariously behind him on the same chimney as he was standing. She had to flap her wings just to keep her balance. Perhaps she had flown too quietly as Kaz reached for the over-size sword but stopped when he heard her speak. "Kaz, I am sorry I brought up the past. I am sure your decision to leave couldn't have been an easy one. Maybe one day, if you ever wish to, you could tell me about it. For now though, I need your help, if you are willing to lend it, for as long as you are willing to lend it," Reevengaofar said as softly, kindly and earnestly as she could.

Kaz turned around, causing Reev to lose her perch on the chimney. "I cant keep flying around the town like this though or I am going to draw attention," Reev announced not meeting Kaz's gaze. "I must go try to find the two humans I was with. You were right, they do have something important, important enough that the Idaur and all his troops are searching for them. I'm not the tracker that you are, but I must start searching for them now. I... I am asking for your help," she said and then dove towards the nearest vacant alley causing her cloak to flutter behind her like a cape.

Right before diving head first into the alleyway, she pitched her legs forward, landing on both of them in mid stride and threw her shoulders back as she retracted her wings. This caused the her cape, with the faux backpack attached to it to settle against her back in just the right place to conceal her wings again. She continued on foot out of the alley as though she'd never left the ground.

louie9090

[ i'm developing this plot wether you like it or not... heh, that rhymed!]
Xae stopped so abrubtly tht Kyo nearly ran into her. The sylph from earlier, Reev, had just landed in front of her. "Ain't this a lucky surprise," she muttered...

KillerSlime

Kyo, secretly astounded by the fact that this lady had wings, he said "what's the point of this stupid quest? this is a key, find the door or something?"

louie9090

"We al'eady found the door an' all we got for our troubles was this stupid little piece o' magic." she dug out the pouch and held it out to Reev. "You take it. I don' need anything like that. That was all we foun' n the room the key led too..."

KillerSlime

umm... we're still at the room... "why'd you tell her?" he hissed at Xaenai. openly, he said "you SURE there wasn't anything more? like, records of who in town is likely to blow our heads off with magic or something?"

~Sylph~

Reev looked quickly at the round disc and then to her left and right, disappointed that Kaz hadn't joined her yet and that he might not. But, she reminded hersylph, it was better to lose him again now then later after she'd grown to depend on him, if for nothing other than his company. But this disc meant she'd need him or someone like him for a lot more than company. Reality hit her and she quickly pocketed the disc and then pulled them both back into the alley with her. Kyo looked ready to take off her head for grabbing him, while Xae just looked startled.

"In case you weren't aware of this Vian sold you two out to Idaur. Apparently he recognized the key you showwed him more than he lead you to believe. Idaur is scouring the entire town looking for the both of you and we must stay off the street, to say the least!"

Xaenai's mouth dropped open that Vian had betrayed her. Kyo, jerked himself free of Reev's grasp, brushed at the place she had grabbed him and spat, "Tell us something we don't know. And by the way, it's her fault not mine that..." Reevengaofar cut him off in mid sentence replying, "No, the fault is all mine. I've placed you both in danger for helping me and for that I am sorry. I know where I must go next and it's far away from Mytavia. I can't ask you to follow me further. You've risked enough already. I promise you, that if you wish, I will see to you safely out of the city. Idaur will stop at nothing to seize what you've given me. Wait, was there anything else, not records of names, but maybe some parchment with strange text on it?" Reev finally stopped talking long enough to take a breath as Kyo shifted the side of his cloak that held the scrolls behind his back, passing it off as though he had an itch. He then looked at Xae with raised eyebrows, asking with his glance whether to tell the jerk of a sylph the entire truth.

k0zzmick_deemmin

[Yeah, I was trying to set up the Idaur bit. And sorry for not posting, I wake up at 2pm every day, haha. Oh, and by the way Sylph, Kaz was sitting on the sword that was in the side of the chimney, but there's a saying in improvisational comedy that's "Yes, and," so you have to agree with whatever your fellow improvist says! That goes for all of you, it makes a good story, not that any of you aren't following it. Laughing

]

Kaz stood there on the chimney, wide-eyed, seemingly long after Reev had jumped into her descent. Idaur... Somehow that pest managed to creep back into his life. But he died! How in hell's glory could he possibly be living?

Quickly snapping out of it and returning his sword to his backstrap, Kaz jumped down to the first story overhang. Landing on a loose shingle, he slipped causing him and various other shingles to drop to the ground.

Reev turned around to see Kaz landing on his back with squares of terracotta platelets breaking around him. Kaz, still dumfounded about the upbringing of Idaur, gets up and starts jogging, slipping on loose gravel and stumbling into the alley walls. At the end of the alley there stood the two humans and the sylph closest to him, all of them wide-eyed and staring, except for Reev, who stood there with a pleased expression for a moment that faded away, probably to keep the humans from seeing.

Kaz now straighted himself and was panting, his somber expression gone. "You have some explaining to do. I saw Idaur die with my own two eyes years ago."

KillerSlime

[i have scrolls? now i'm really confused... she just took the circle, nothing more, right? she wouldn't have dared let me get anything...] Kyo, getting bored of this game, says "that and many other mysteries are left out there, with you giving us half-baked answers to our questions, and explanations that don't explain anything. there's alot of explaining to do; is there anywhere to do it?"

~Sylph~

[LoL KS; Yes you have them. Louie wrote: He grabbed the scrolls and shoved them in his own pocket.]

"The best place would be the room you two found. It must have some sort of enchantment. Glad you could join us Kaz, that umm, was one of your more unique entrances," Reev said churtling a little. "By the way Kaz, this is Kyo and Xaenai. Kyo, Xaenai ...Kaz. Now lets get off the street," Reev said in rapid fashioon as she was again talking up a storm with no break in it's clouds. Kaz gave Xaenai and Kyo a prefunctory nod which was returned by both.

"Let me have the key Kyo," she asked mater of factly. Without realizing he was going to do it, Kyo tossed her the key and then lead her to the room. The sylph slide the key into the lock, held open the door until all were inside and then used the key to lock the door behind her. this made Kyo nervous and so she tossed him back the key. the room was small, but they all sat as comfortably as they could, each in their own style. Reevengaofar talked for a very long time while the others listened patiently, except for Kyo who was fidgity and bored. By the time she was done she had told them a great many things, some of which one or the other of them already knew.

She told them how she was the council member for the sylph before the war began and for a time after, how her mother was slain and the other events which lead ultimately to the war between the dragons and the elementals. She told them how she had abandoned her council position to try to uncover the true events behind her mother's death, the one that sparked the war, and how unusual and fruitless that search had been, as most of the people in any way involved in the mater had ended up dead, until today. Even Kaz, who'd seen enough deaths for hundreds of people, seemed to find this fact disquieting.

She told them how sylphs generally shunned mankind and how that was why Xaenai's bow had sparked her interest so much, it being made from earthly/human materials. She showwed them her own bow to demonstrate the commonalities that it shared with Xaenai's and started to explain why sylphish bowcraft was such a fine art, but everyone looked bored by this topic, so she moved on.

She then summurized the events of the day, going into the most detail when explaining how she'd been attacked entering the now dead sylph's apartment and how the mage's true target had been the sylph he killed and not her. She explained that the only reason this door, it's room and it's contents hadn't been found by the mage or anyone else is because it was protected by a form of astral magic only sylph's knew. She explained Xaenai's daring distraction of the mage to Kaz and how it had both saved her life and allowed her to successfully attack the mage, who Reev told them she presumed to still be alive. Xae beamed with pride during Reev's complimentary retelling of this part of the tale.

She told them that this meant that somehow the dead sylph had gathered these things here and that the mage must have been after the sylph in order to get the items which they now possessed. She offered no explaination for how this sylph had become involved with humans, but that there were signs of human involvement beyond just the making of the key. Reev also had no explaination for how or why the sylph was involved in her mother's death, but upon showing Kaz her mothers pendant, which she had been wearing backwards (so that it's chain had looked like a choker chain), Kaz seemed satified that the dead sylph had to have been involved. Kaz believing it seemed to convince Kyo of the truth of this more than all of Reev's words combined had.

When she finally got to the part about Vian selling the information he knew about the key, including descriptions of the two he knew to posses it to Idaur, Kaz again asked how this was possible because and again stated that he had seen Idaur's death. Reev had no answer for this and that finally shut her up, allowing the others to speak.

louie9090

KillerSlime

[i'm sorry... i must have accidentally missed a page over finals...] kyo, thouroughly bored by all this, said "so why don't we go do something about it? it's bound to be more exiting than this!"