Author: arcanum, Posted: Sat May 12, 2018 9:33 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

"Thank you," he said simply, and he meant it. Accustomed to his own company, having someone else care after him was unusual but, he was finding, not all that unpleasant. She did not seem the sort to have ought to gain by her kindness to him, and so he had no reason to spurn her well wishing. His usual ghost of a smile remained, but as he lingered over his gratitude he found his otherwise pale cheeks warming with colour and at once averted his gaze, thereafter picking up his pace for a few steps. Then, having steeled himself in record time, he turned the conversation back around - with an easy grin no less, to his credit.

And to her credit, she caught him off guard yet again.

He nodded at her answer but instead of replying immediately he took instead to brooding. It was only with Nelanna's final, forced attempt at humour that he fully turned back to her, halting in his steps. They had just come across a visible path, a sure sign they were getting nearer their destination. He gave a shake of his head and a weak chuckle of his own. "Hopeless isn't the choice of word I'd use. It might help that you have more of an idea what you're looking for, but, well…" He shrugged, steepled his hands together before him, whirled on his heel and continued walking. "Sometimes things just fall together regardless of whether or not you know what you're after. You could doggedly put every effort into your pursuit… only to find what you were after on the one day you decide to take a break from your endeavour. Fate works in strange ways, or so I'm told."

He inhaled deeply, eyes closed a moment, then continued:

"I didn't… Well, no," he amended, coughing sheepishly, "I did mean to put you on the spot there, I'll admit. But I seem to be making a habit of saying just the wrong thing to you… and for that, I apologize. That aside, you'll be glad to know we should be nearing the forest's exit." The place really did have a mind of its own.

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Thu May 3, 2018 12:15 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    By the way his answer made it sound, he wasn’t too fond of the way things were going for him. Wishing to know how others like him managed to have normal lives; one would only say such things if they had a life they wish they could change. And the fact that he called this magic of his a curse. Then there was the herb he was searching for, one that bolster’s memories. Could it possibly bring back memories that had been lost, ones he wished to retrieve? Just what was his life like? Why did he wish for it to change? What does he want to remember? Her eyes narrowed slightly at her own thoughts, interrupting her own questions with a reminder that these were merely speculations. She knew not if any of this was true, and she wasn’t about to pry in his personal affairs.

Responding to his answer, she smiled softly with a light nod. “I may not understand everything about you, nor your life, but I do hope you will find what you are looking for,” she replied merrily. Now, it was his turn to ask a question of his choosing, and so she waited and listened, her ears twitching a little with slight surprise at the sudden change in subject. Back to that, eh?

“Hmm…” she hummed, raising a finger to her chin. “That’s quite a difficult question to answer. You see, I’m not certain what kind of man I’m hoping for. The one whom treats me right, I suppose. Of course, he must also be kind and caring, and respect my wishes.” Nelanna went silent for a moment to ponder more on the question. It was something she never really thought of before. Perhaps she always trusted that, no matter what kind of guy he was, as long as she loved him and he loved her, then it was alright. But, all of the men she had met that she might have had hope for were quickly checked off the list. They all seemed more interested in their lust for her than committing to a relationship. So over and over, her hope had been crushed.

She smiled a little sheepishly and lightly pressed her fist against the side of her head, as if she were punching herself for being so stupid. “Quite a hopeless girl, aren’t I? I’ll never get a man if I don’t even know what I want,” she giggled, though slightly forced. She was starting to see the reality of things.

Author: arcanum, Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 7:07 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

Stealing a surreptitious glance her way as she mulled over the question, his ever favoured ghost of a smile lingered. Coming across someone of her years who had not yet given herself to becoming jaded and dour about the state of the world seemed quite the feat, and Frey thought himself lucky for it. She still had her empathy, it seemed, and some part of him hoped she would hold onto that most of all. She was, at the least on the surface, very much the antithesis of the people he had only narrowly avoided growing up alongside.

How different might he have been, then? Would he have openly scoffed at that which she so generously shared with him?

"Admirable," he offered, quiet, pensive. Though he stewed in his own thoughts, he was not so impolite as to have ignored her by any means, especially not when he was the one who had posed the question. "My reason was hardly so noble, I fear. Where I come from…" And here he hesitated a moment, just long enough to be perceptible, before continuing: "The only people who can freely choose between any and all magical elements are those with these eyes." He looked over to give a better look as to what he meant: green eyes met her gaze, from the iris to the sclera where usually there would have been white. Perhaps having decided he'd held her gaze a moment too long, he awkwardly averted his eyes and, flushing slightly, stalked a few paces ahead for a moment.

"We're called the 'Green Eyed' or, the 'Magic Touched,' and so… Suppose, in a way, I was born into it. Never personally heard of any individual with the Touch who simply up and spurned the gift - or curse, if you will - and decided to go about having a normal life but, well, I suppose if there were I'd love to meet them and ask exactly how they did it, hah!" As he spoke, he gestured, and on that last note his arms had flung skyward in an expression of exasperation.

Glancing back, he huffed, sighed, and shook his head. Then, he smirked, and it was almost a wicked glint that settled in his eyes. "My turn, then. Let's see… Well, you mentioned earlier you'd like to settle down, find yourself a husband et all - I suppose after all this time you must have some idea… What manner of man are you looking for?" And then, quickly lest she get the wrong impression, he added: "I travel a fair bit myself, you see, and figured if I stumbled across such an individual, I might send him your way."

Was he teasing? It was hard to say.

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 7:35 AM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    Obligingly, Nelanna followed Mr. Mystery closely, her steps soon matching his as she came to his side, her hands clamped together behind her back in a comfortable way. She kept wondering why it was she felt so comfortable around the man when she knew nothing about him, and knew not whether he could be trusted or not. He would tell her nothing about himself, and it wasn’t until his mask was accidentally removed that he finally decided to show his own face, which most people would find is a bad sign. People don’t hide their faces for good reasons. And, there were even moments where she questioned whether he truly was going to help or out of the forest, or if he was leading her somewhere else. But every time that came to mind the thought quickly dissolved and was abandoned.

For some reason, she just couldn’t sense any ill willed vibe from him. Despite how dangerous and untrustworthy he seemed to the eye, her intuition told her he was safe. She had been following her intuition for many years, and not once had it ever failed her. She could trust her own judgment.

At his question, she smiled and glanced up with a thoughtful hum. It was quite an interesting question to ask, but a good one. One can learn a lot about someone just by knowing the reason they use magic. “Traveling so far and for so long, you really get to see what the world is like and what other people go through,” she began, her smile remaining just as soft, but her eyes becoming a little more woeful. “I’ve seen so many suffer. From war, famine, illness, injustice…A girl like me can only take so much of that before deciding to do something about it. Since I hold no powerful position, I began to learn healing spells so that I may help those I come across. As for my fire magic, that’s only for defense; a last resort when it’s absolutely necessary. But as I’ve said before, I’m not near as talented with it as I am with healing magic. It’s not what I’ve been practicing all these years.”

Her eyes lit up and she turned her head to look at him. “What about you?”

Author: arcanum, Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 5:49 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

He was half tempted to offer up more of an explanation - to simply unload the truth of the matter. He might have shared how, on one fateful day, he had come to realize the life he'd known was completely false, start to finish. How everything had, from then on, unraveled and continued to this very moment, to press upon his weary shoulders a tremendous weight. Instead, he kept mum and held tight to his secrets. Perhaps reaching out for help could have brought his quest to an end sooner but, with no idea who he could truly trust…

Best he continue to rely first and foremost on himself.

At the mention of the creature 'rudely interrupting,' Frey couldn't help a mirthful chuckle. For better or worse, everything had, thanks to that particular interruption, worked out. All's was left to do now was for him to properly lead them out, as he'd said he could. Steeling himself, he set an efficient pace - not too leisurely, but not too frantic, either.

"Hm, my turn, is it… Well! In that case, I must say, you handled yourself well back there. From one mage to another, may I ask what brought you to delve into magic in the first place?"

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:22 AM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    Her eyes lingered on him for a few moments, blinking slowly. He was hunting for an herb that bolsters memory? Why would he want such an herb? Unless, perhaps he had a hard time remembering things. What else it might be, she did not know. Only another thing to add to this man to make him even more mysterious than he already is. She might as well give up on trying to figure him out; it just wasn’t going to happen.

With a light sigh accompanied by a soft smile, Nelanna stood and dusted off her skirts. “Yes, I do suppose you’re right. I can’t wait to get out of this place. And a continuation of our little game should help bring my mind at ease,” she replied. Then, she looked up at him and placed a hand on her hip. “If memory serves me right, it was your turn to ask a question before that creature so rudely interrupted.”

Author: arcanum, Posted: Thu Mar 8, 2018 5:02 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

"It's come in handy," he said with a shrug and thereafter went about his business, carefully detaching the flowers and laying them atop a cloth he'd lain on the forest floor. He, too, had wondered as to the nature of the relationship between plant and creature. Perhaps it was symbiotic, but there was no way to tell - as far as he could see, it seemed simply that the earthen terrain atop its back was conducive to the growth of plants, and blue saffron seedlings had been the ones lucky enough to land and set down roots. If he had to guess, he'd say there were probably others of the same variety growing on the ground, but hey… he might well be wrong, and he knew it.

No matter. He had what he'd come for, and that was what counted.

His brows lifted with amusement and the corner of his mouth tilted in a wry smirk in response to her sarcasm. "I wasn't looking for the creature - that it carried what I was after was as much a surprise to me as it was to you. A happy surprise, mind. But… yeah. Lucky me." Noticing Nelanna move in to help, he smiled appreciatively. And then, suddenly, there it was: the question he'd been hoping to avoid.

He inhaled, pausing in his gathering a moment. Averting his gaze, he carefully picked out an answer: "They are used primarily to bolster one's memory."

And that was the end of that, s'far as he was concerned. "That should be enough of them, now," he said, and upon their last flowers touching down atop the cloth, he carefully wrapped and folded it over until he had a relatively safe package to carry. Stowing it away, he shouldered his backpack and got to his feet. "Well. We've a forest to exit and a game to resume then, don't we? I don't recall whose turn it was, mind you…" And still, fingers subconsciously lingering over his mask, he continued to avert his gaze.

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Thu Mar 8, 2018 11:31 AM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    “That’s quite a useful spell,” said Nelanna. “Quite useful indeed.” She looked down at her dagger and wiped the creature’s blood from the blade, then made her way to start helping LeSilve remove the blue saffron from the beast’ hide. For a moment she wondered if it hurt the cat-like creature, removing the plants that grew on it. How unfortunate. She almost felt sorry for it, knowing there was nothing it could do to stop them from removing a part of its body. That is, if it was considered part of its body. But she reminded herself that it was an herb. Surely it had healing properties, which would be useful for people whom are in need of healing. This world was kill or be killed, so it was natural she would choose people over beast. Sad, but true.

And as she listened to his words she couldn’t help but roll her eyes towards him was an amused smile. “Really, now. A lucky charm?” She repeated, sarcasm dripping from her words. “I suppose so. But how I see it is you just got lucky by finding the target of the creature you were looking for. I was just the poor, unfortunate soul whom got caught in your little hunt.” She giggled and pulled one of the herbs from the beast, setting it aside with the rest they had picked. “What exactly are these herbs used for?” she question finally slipped from her lips. Not all herbs were used for the healing of those in need of it. Some were used in poisons, and deadly potions. The thought had lingered in the back of her mind, making her feel uneasy knowing she could be helping this man gather herbs for deadly intentions.

Author: arcanum, Posted: Wed Mar 7, 2018 9:39 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

Frey shook his head. "No, didn't kill it. It probably didn't mean any harm - just guarding its territory, I imagine." Not that that would have stopped him, were lethal force proven necessary. "Just paralyzed it a bit, so I suggest we don't waste too much time… Still, look. This is how I did it."

Having relinquished her hand upon helping her up, he held his palm flat, face up, to his mouth and blew away from Nelanna. Tiny violet flecks appeared, flying in a loop before scattering to the ground. "My magic has rules: if something can justifiably be considered affiliated with an element, I can try my hand at it. In this case, spores are affiliated with nature, which is affiliated with earth. Same with the vines used to restrain it. There's a lot of room for creativity, but it does have its limits…" Limits he intended, always, to surpass eventually.

He gave his usual ghost of a smile before looking away. He went first to his mask, stooping over to pick it up. With a light sigh, his regret and hesitation palpable, he cinched it to his belt then turned to the creature laying immobile within the overgrown vines. Carefully, he began to work at retrieving the blue saffron, humming quietly to himself as he did so. For just a moment, he paused his tune, looking up with a wry grin. "Well now. Didn't take as long to find this as I'd imagined - should have you out of the forest lickety split. How's that sound? Ah. I should thank you for your help, by the by - perhaps you were a lucky charm, even."

He returned to his job, quietly humming away.

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Wed Mar 7, 2018 5:42 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    Relief washed over her like a wave when the creature was finally stopped. She took the hand of her companion with a weary smile, and allowed his assistance to pull her up from the ground. “I’m quite alright,” she replied, brushing off any dust and dirt from her skirts. Once she was satisfied, despite there being grass stains which she needed to wash later on, her turquoise eyes slid over to the beast with slight curiosity, and slight caution, as if she was half expecting it to jump back up and attack again. “What spell was that you used? Did you kill it?” 

She looked at LeSilve as she asked this with clear interest. Never before had she seen a spell quite like the one he had used, so naturally, she wondered exactly what it had done. Whether it had slain the beast or simply rendered it unconscious, she did not know. But either way, that spell would prove useful in many battles. Unlike her fire spell, which is mostly only good at keeping enemies at bay. But every once in a while, there is an enemy that does not fear the flames, which makes her spell useless. 

Author: arcanum, Posted: Tue Mar 6, 2018 6:07 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

It focus lingered on the elf, which suited his purposes just fine. Closer, closer, closer still he got until he was near enough to make a grab for the tail - right up until it changed course and suddenly veered, perhaps sensing his proximity. Her flames kept it at bay, but they did their job just a mite too well. The next instant, Frey found himself face to face - a little too literally for his liking - with the great beast. But that, too, suited him well enough in the grand scheme of things.

Staring it right in the eyes, Frey held its gaze and blew toward it a seemingly innocent breath of air. It blinked its surprise, but before it could register that anything untoward had taken place, Nelanna's dagger buried itself in the creature's side. With a yowl, it turned on its aggressor. Perfect.

"Got it, got it!" He shouted in reply mid-action, his hand - still holding the vine from before - having closed around its unguarded tail. The vine began at once to grow exponentially, splitting off into forks and all too quickly seizing the creature by its body and limbs and holding it fast. It had struggled, briefly, upon realizing its plight, but soon fell still, into an unnatural slumber.

Nodding in satisfaction now that the danger was past, Frey sidestepped the creature and presented his non-skeletal limb to Nelanna in order to help her up.

"Are you unharmed, Miss Fox?"

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Tue Mar 6, 2018 11:15 AM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    “Alright,” Nelanna called back, preparing another fire spell as the creature came at her again. The flames of her spell danced as they threatened the creature not to come any closer. But the beast was smart, and this Nelanna soon learned. It had avoided the line of fire and seemed to try coming at her at a different angle. But she quickly turned and blocked its attack with another burst of flames. But perhaps her spell was too good of a defense, and kept it too far from her as it then turned its attention on LeSilve. 

She cursed beneath her breath, not even caring if it was ladylike or not. Thinking fast, she prepared her dagger. Though it wasn’t a throwing knife, she threw it anyway with surprising accuracy. The knife pierced its side, and though it had been her intention to get its attention back on her, she felt her heart sink when it worked. It turned back on her, and too quickly for her to use a fire spell, it attacked her and pinned her to the ground. “Any time now!’ She shouted with growing fear.

Author: arcanum, Posted: Mon Mar 5, 2018 2:53 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

The creature hissed and spat, cinders flying from the singed fur on its face. It thrashed wildly, as though trying to decide which target it was better off choosing to face, all the while kicking up more dirt and dust and clumps of grass. Soon enough, for whatever reason, it settled again on Nelanna. While Frey was glad to have come across his prize sooner than later, the location of the blue saffron posed new problems. Although eviscerating the creature had hardly been at the forefront of his mind to begin with, now it was not even an option. The mage observed it from the back and, with a curt nod to himself, decided on a change of tactics.

"Can you keep it distracted a moment more?" he called out, inching closer behind it as he did so. He had grabbed a hanging vine from a nearby tree and carefully approached the creature, diligently monitoring the sway of its tail. Another runic circle hummed and spun to life around the skeletal limb that held the vine, runes brightly glowing, new magic brought to life.

Just a bit closer, now…

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Mon Mar 5, 2018 6:06 AM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    Nelanna watched as the creature’s whip-like tail lashed at LeSilve. She almost called out to him, worried that he might’ve been hurt. Until she noticed his mask fall to the ground. For once she was able to lay eyes upon her mysterious companion, and the timing couldn’t have been any worse. Briefly, she looked over him to make sure that he wasn’t hurt, but then he called her attention towards the creator. Blue saffron? With a glimmer of hope springing to life within her, she gazed around for the flower, hoping she could quickly pick it then they’d be free to make a run for it. But her heart dropped once she saw it was not on the ground, but on the creature’s hide.

 She kept her distance as LeSilve began launching a series of attacks on the beast, trying her upmost best not to recklessly jump in to help. She wasn’t cowardly by any means. But she was the healer, their only source of survival. If she were hurt she wouldn’t be able to heal him. She gritted her teeth and clutched her hand into a tight fist in frustration. Then, an incantation started slipping from her lips.

Just as the beast launched at her, she raised her arm towards it, and a thread of red flame thrust towards the creature and scorched its face. Nelanna has to hold back so she wouldn’t risk burning the herbs, so she used just enough to hopefully stun it. 

Author: arcanum, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 8:33 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

She seemed unharmed, which was a relief. But looking away for even that split second turned out to be a mistake. Just as his eyes darted back toward their opponent, he glimpsed its long, whip like tail snaking toward him. He lunged into a sidelong roll in order to avoid it, but only narrowly managed - the tail had caught the very edge of his face and knocked to the ground his mask, revealing at last his face.

Briefly stunned, he gave a shake of his head and resigned himself. No time to fuss over it. He renewed his focus on the creature. It had skulked around his wall. It looked heavy, but though its back appeared protected, its underside was less so, comprised of softer looking fur. That wasn't all: the stone covering its back bore flora, which was comprised mostly of short grasses and moss, but also of…

"There! That's the blue saffron!" The flowers on its back shook gently as the creature sauntered toward them. Gritting his teeth, Frey growled and launched a first series of violet spheres of ice at the thing, mostly meant to test the waters. They shattered upon it to little fanfare, apparently more an annoyance than anything. He had been hoping to keep its focus on him, but instead it turned away, toward Nelanna. With a snarl, it lunged.

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 8:03 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    Nelanna couldn’t help but to smile at his words. Though it was difficult to imagine, his words were true. Just because she hasn’t a husband and family yet, it doesn’t mean it won’t happen. She silently prayed that his words would come true. And this was when she realized how comfortable she had become in his presence. Here she was, stuck in a dangerous forest with a strange man whom won’t even show her his face, and she was comfortable with his company. If she didn’t know better she would’ve said she was beginning to trust this man. But that was impossible with how little she knew. But, despite all of that, she could tell he was a good person. His words and voice were kind and, frankly, inspiring. 

It seemed he was about to say it was her turn to ask the next question, when his voice suddenly fell. She looked up in time to see him take up a battle ready stance and put up a wall of earth before them. She had briefly seen a flash of a creature of some kind before the wall was up and blocking the view, but what creature it was, she couldn’t tell. But this was all she needed to know that the creature that had been stalking them had shone itself, and they were in danger. 

But instead of drawing back with fear, she put on an expression of fearlessness as she found her inner strength. She was warrior at heart and spirit, and now it has shown itself. She may have seemed frightened before, but as she had mentioned earlier to the man, she wasn’t easily frightened. Especially when the threat was in her sight. She reached for the dagger that hid beneath her cloak and took it firmly in hand, pulling it out from the shadows and revealing its long, metallic blade. Her other hand was stretched out at her side, her fingers slowly twiddling as she prepared herself to cast a spell if needed. Then, she glanced at LeSilve, and waited for his next move.

Author: arcanum, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 7:10 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

For so long?

A quirked brow and a none too subtle double take met her words, but all was soon made clear. He could have guessed at her appearance belying her years, especially given those pointy ears (and the fact that so much of what walked this land was not as it seemed), but… a thousand years. He suppressed an appreciative whistle in light of the less than enthused tone she had ended on, but found himself impressed nonetheless. "A whole millennium, huh…" He shook his head in wonder, blinking back his renewed curiosity.

"I apologize if I stirred any discomfort by asking. However, know that I don't find the idea silly at all." Certainly, it was not for him - he still had things to do, places to see, and the idea of a family was bloody well terrifying. But it was a fine dream nonetheless, a respectable one. "Who's to say it won't happen in the next five years? It may not seem like a lot of time compared to what's come before it, but…" He fell quiet a moment, frowning in thought. He sighed, raking a hand through his dark brown hair.

"Truly, you never do know what's in store. Me, I ascribe to the idea that 'que sera, sera' - what will be, will be. Perhaps it wasn't meant to happen until now? Chin up, Miss Fox. I'm sure you will find what you're after if you keep at it." Sunny optimism was hardly Frey's forte, but here he had managed. After all, who was he to dash another's hopes? He had dreams of his own. "In the meantime, though, I do believe it is your tur-"

-CRACK. Before he could finish, their third wheel had deigned join the party, vaulting through the trees and landing in a mess of splinters and dust and torn moss. In the nick of time, Frey had throw his left arm upward in a diagonal slash, raising a protective wall of earth against which the creature had crashed. But given the protective layer of stone about the creature's forehead and back, it was not daunted for long. It looked somewhat feline in nature… if one squinted really hard, maybe. Regardless, it was large, and clearly angry judging by the way its lithe tail lashed back and forth as it stalked towards them.

Standing his ground, Frey grinned and lowered himself, skeletal arm tingling with a fresh burst of magic. A runic circle glowed and hummed and spun at the tip of his fingers, preparing a new spell. "Think I'll take a rain check on our game," he offered with a huff, attention focused mostly on the creature… though he did spare Nelanna a quick glance, just to make sure she was all right.

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 5:58 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    Nelanna giggled at his response, but was caught off guard by his question. “In five years?” She repeated, as if she was making sure she’d heard him right. Nelanna looked up ahead as she began to think. She was already over one thousand years of age, had been all over the place, met countless people and had seen countless places. What more was there to do either than settle down for a while?

She turned her gaze downcast, as if she were embarrassed with her answer, “Well, after traveling for so long, I like to think that I’ll finally settle down somewhere. Perhaps have a husband and some children to raise.” She shrugged lightly and looked around again, as if to avoid his gaze. Though, she wouldn’t be able to see his reaction due to that blasted mask of his. “I suppose that might be a little silly. I’m over one thousand years of age now and haven’t managed to find the right man. It surely won’t happen within five years.” Her own words pained her heart. For the longest time she had wished for a family. But, she feared that she may be doomed to be alone forever.

Author: arcanum, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 4:38 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

At the mention of magic, Frey visibly perked up. "A sorceress! Fancy that." And a healer, to boot. At the least, he was comforted by the knowledge she could handle herself, and that hey! If worse came to worst, and that beast got the better of him and somehow not her also, she might take pity on him and be able to patch him up.

Of course, better that it never come to that.

Scanning the forest ahead for any signs of either monster or saffron, he gave a quiet chuckle at the half expected return of his own question. "Please. Trust that I am capable enough. Hardly invincible, but I'd hope after so many years abroad I could handle myself. I'm a mage myself, though I'm afraid I, for my part, make a piss poor healer." And that, he knew, he could thank his heritage for. Only one aerkai in all of their known history had been able to heal. The rest either had never tried - because why bother? most aerkae vastly preferred carnage to healing - and those few who had tried, had learned the hard way exactly why it was that they were not meant for the cleric's path. Frey shuddered at the painful memory. No - he'd leave healing to those who could more effectively wield it.

Besides, it wasn't all bad. They couldn't heal others, but they in exchange boasted a rather robust immune system that included a resistance to most poisons.

Ah. But here he was, getting carried away with his thoughts.

"My main affinity is for ice, but I suppose I've been called a 'jack of all trades' before when it comes to magic. Most elements come easily. Rest assured, I'm no stranger to combat." Between tournaments past and a great deal of treasure hunting, he'd seen his fair share.

Hm. His turn again. "So. We are both fellow travelers, and both practitioners in the art of magic… What else is there to know?" He hummed aloud to himself a moment, pretending at being deep in thought. For a moment, he'd contemplated asking about where she came from but, truth be told, that there was one question he did not care to have turned back around at him. "Future aspirations, then, if it is not too early to ask after such a thing. Where do you see yourself in five years from now, Miss Fox? Any exciting plans, I wonder?"

He was so chipper, so casual, it was almost like there was no creature stalking them, no increasingly dark, eerie forest surrounding them.

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 3:27 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

   Nelanna felt disappointment wash over her by his reply. She had hoped he at least knew what dangers lied before them. But, perhaps she wasn’t specific enough. When her turn to answer a question came she glanced up at him, a confident smile beaming as she placed a hand on her hip, just as she had done before. “Of course,” she replied rather proudly. “It isn’t easy being a traveling woman. Men come after you because you’re alone, and because you don’t have a man around you need to take care of yourself. As a matter of fact, I am a sorceress. Though, I excell in healing magic.” 

With his question answered, she looked away once more and started thinking about her next question. What else did she want to know about him? Perhaps she could ask him the same thing he had asked her. Feeling satisfied with that, she decided to go along with it. “What about you? You seem rather comfortable out here. I assume you must be pretty capable yourself if you aren’t even worried about what’s out there?” It was more of a question on how strong he was, which, was also just for pleasure. A girl always wanted to know how strong a man was. Physically, and with magic.

Author: arcanum, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 2:59 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

"Nope!" He punctuated the reply with a shrug and a bark of laughter, and seemed for all the world unaffected. "It appears to be rather quick, however, and it may just be my imagination but it seems to be getting more aggressive the further in we travel. Perhaps it is protecting something?" Another head tilt, another shrug. "I don't really care so long as it doesn't get in my way. Maybe it will have decided its greeting back there, fleeting though it was, will have posed enough of a warning."

Nonetheless, he kept at the ready, filaments of energy dancing at the fingertips he kept hidden within his robes' long sleeves. Come what may, he wouldn't go down without a fight. His magic was prepped, and so he felt a bit better about his odds. Still, he'd feel even better knowing his company could hopefully hold her own.

"My turn, then? Hmm… Let's see, then: are you equipped for combat, should it come to that?" Can you fight?

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 2:46 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    Nelanna had inched her way to LeSilve until she stood at his side, her worry filled gaze locked on the area where she heard the noise. And when he said it knew they were there, she glanced at him, wondering just how much he knew. Did he know what it was? Did he know what it wanted? But instead of asking, she proceeded to follow him, staying far closer to him this time and keeping her eyes on their surroundings.

“Alright then,” she replied a little absentmindedly. Nelanna wasn’t sure about the game now, but her companion didn’t seem too worried. Perhaps she could allow herself to relax, just  a little. But, refusing to look away from the depths of the forest for any signs of danger, she began with her first question: “Do you know what’s out there?” Right now she figured that was a better question than who he really was and such. Right now, he wasn’t the biggest threat.

Author: arcanum, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 2:31 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

He nodded in understanding. Nothing wrong with a little risk. As a fellow traveler, he could see the appeal. Sometimes the payout was more than worth it and you wound up finding a great deal more than you were expecting. Sometimes that meant treasure or tales to keep or to tell, but to remember either way. And sometimes that meant people, who might wander their own way, never to meet again, or who might come to be of great importance in each other's lives. Fate often worked in strange ways, and Frey had long ago given up questioning it.

Her suggestion of a game was more than enough to pique his curiosity. For a moment he simply stood, head tilted in consideration, and it seemed he was about to give his answer when came an interruption. At the noise, he whirled around to face Nelanna, and there he caught only a shadow out of the corner of his eyes, flitted away too fast for him to catch aught other than a mere glimpse. But it was gone for now, as far as he could sense.

"Looks like it knows we're here, and doesn't care if we know." From the tone of his voice, he was sure he didn't have to say it out loud: be on your guard. Perhaps if it thought they had been lulled into a false sense of security… well, either way, he intended on being ready for its next strike. Gaze hardened, he set out again, his steps more determined than before.

Still, that didn't stop him offering up a shrug and a moment's whimsy: "Hmm. I think a game sounds lovely right about now. Care to go first, show me the ropes?"

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 1:46 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

     Nelanna followed suit and started helping the man with his search. She herself knew a little about herbs, though she was a novice. But this saffron herb he was searching for didn’t even ring a bell. It must’ve been one she had yet to discover. Her ears swiveled a little when his voice sounded from behind her, and instead of turning towards him, she looked along the ground and roots of a tree for the herb. But she didn’t ignore his question. “I’m a traveler, you see,” she replied willingly. There was nothing wrong with her reasons for entering the forest, and there was nothing she had to hide. “I was venturing around the area when this dangerous looking place caught my eye. Now, being as challenging as I am, I sometimes welcome a little risk. So I wandered in.”

When she didn’t find the herb, she stood up straight and faced the man with a sheepish smile. “Well, you see what good that did me. I seem to have a bad habit of biting off more than I can chew,” Nelanna chuckled then looked around for another moment, her turquoise orbs scanning the forest floor of this blue saffron. “Since we both seem so curious, fancy a game of questions?” Her eyes slid back to him, a challenging smile growing on her beautiful features.

The question game was always a good way to learn more about someone. And when it came to seducing a man, it was fun as well. But this one…she only wished to know if she could trust him enough to turn her back towards him. Another distant crack reminded her that he wasn’t the only thing in this forest she should keep her eyes on, but a snap soon followed, sounding as if it were right behind her.

She felt a chill run down her spine as her blood ran cold, and she spun around as quickly as she could. But there was nothing there. She gulped, wondering if there was something there that could not be seen by the naked eye. Or perhaps, it may have just been the normal sounds caused by the forest. She wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case as well. Whatever it was, it had her spooked, and she found herself inching closer to the man. She didn’t know if he’d try protecting her in a moment of peril, or if he’d just run to save his own hide. But just knowing that she wasn’t alone, somehow put her at ease. At least a little.

Author: arcanum, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 1:00 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

Frey bowed his head slightly in return as she curtsied, more so preoccupied with their surroundings than with formalities. Glancing back at his company just a moment, a light frown tugged at his brow. Her curiosity was hard to miss, though he could hardly blame her for it. Now leading the way, he kept his ears perked, certainly, though that hardly stopped his thoughts from wandering. Many a time he'd mulled over simply tossing the mask away, but every time he shirked it, things seemed to go sideways. Someone would recognize him and he'd panic and, inevitably, chaos would ensue.

Amnesia was a tricky beast of a burden, and the mask helped with that. It meant he didn't have to deal with it if he was not ready to.
But in other ways, the concealment was a shackle for, mask or no, his quest to regain his self had long ago consumed him and weighed on him no less in the here and now.

Perhaps he was simply not strong enough to move on. Looking instead forward, he took to peering about the roots of trees for his quarry. Best to focus on the prize. Nelanna's answer did not surprise him, but left his shoulders sagging the slightest bit with disappointment nonetheless. Slowing his pace just enough for them to walk abreast, he offered a sidelong wink. "I figured it couldn't hurt to ask." He listened, then, to the rest of what she had to say, and gave a curt nod.

"Of course I do," the mage replied with a huff feigning indignation, meeting her challenge head on - and again his grin reached his eyes. They twinkled with a mix of amusement and confidence both. "You can count on me for that, at the least. I've always been able to trust my 'internal compass,' if you will. Rather fortunate, really, as it's made exploring a tad more convenient. Speaking of exploring: you know now why I'm here… what, then, brings you to these thick woods, if I may ask?"

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Sun Mar 4, 2018 10:45 AM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    Normally, if she had seen a man stiffen when they saw her beauty she would tease him a little, but she missed it entirely when this man had done so. Her mind and eyes were locked where the sound came from, and on instinct, she slipped her hand under her cloak and touched the dagger she kept hidden in an attempt to reassure herself. With a light sigh, she finally looked back at the man and smiled. “It is a pleasure meeting you as well, LeSilve,” said she, gathering her skirts and bowing a little in greeting.

Once she regained her posture -shoulders back, back straight, head high -she looked at the man with curiosity twinkling in her eyes. She didn’t quite trust this strange man, but she supposed he sounded sincere enough. She would feel much better if he removed his mask and showed her his face, but she couldn’t ask him to do such. Why would someone wear a mask to hide their face when they’re in such a mysterious place? Masks were used to conceal the wearers identity, but why here? Where no one was around? A thought occurred to her, and she instantly became more wary of him, but she forced herself to stay relaxed. 

Even when he’d explained his reasoning for being there, and what it was he was searching for, she didn’t feel any less suspicious of him. Though, her curiosity was somewhat satisfied. She figured he was searching for some riches that were hidden somewhere within the forest, or perhaps he was hunting for a rare beast that was worth lots of money. She imagined there must be such creatures there. But herbs? He was searching for herbs? Well, she supposed that could be a treasure of sorts. Depending on who wants it. 

And at his question, she began searching her memories with a thoughtful hum. Nelanna had been stuck in the forest for quite some time and saw a fair amount of plants, but she didn’t recall seeing the one he’d described. So, she shrugged slowly and shook her head. “I don’t believe I’ve seen such a plant,” she replied. “I’ve seen many different plants around here, but I don’t recall seeing any that resemble saffron. As for me joining you in your search, I honestly don’t mind one bit. As I’m sure you’ve already noticed, I was having some trouble using the map, whilst you seem to know your way. So staying close to you will give me higher chances of getting out of here.” 

She rested one hand on her hip, pulling her cloak back a little to show more of her hourglass figure. The dress she wore was a common one, and wasn’t very fancy or special, but it fit her body perfectly, showing all of her curves. But now her eyes were challenging, with her lips curved in an amused smile. “You do know your way around, don’t you?”

Author: arcanum, Posted: Sat Mar 3, 2018 11:45 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

Frey near flinched as she pulled her hood down, but not for the reasons one might have thought. He was taken aback, yes - indeed, she was beautiful, gorgeous as far as women went, and yet… it was those fiery red curls of hers that gave him pause, and for the wrong reasons at that. There were at least three redheaded women in his life he had known that he remembered - as much as his whirling memory of past friends and enemies and acquaintances allowed for the time being - and, well…

at the least two of them had been fiery, tempestuous creatures in their own way, and the third had been difficult to deal with in a different way altogether. A guarded glint in his eye, he couldn't help glancing away. With his mind the way it was, he'd no way of knowing if she was one of them, no matter that her name didn't ring any bells. He didn't trust himself to remember well enough… Which meant he most certainly did not trust her, either. But as far as traveling together went, he supposed he would simply have to give her the benefit of the doubt. For now.

"Well met, Miss Fox," Frey said simply, his voice quiet, reserved. "The name's LeSilve." Carefully, albeit discreetly, he gauged her reaction for any sign, any hint of recognition to the introduction. And though his amused smile hid behind his mask, it was evident now in his voice and in the way it subtly reached his eyes. "Perhaps you won't be stuck with me too long of a while. If the fates be with us, we won't need to tarry-" and there was the snap! "-…in this place overmuch."

Bristling slightly at the sound, he inhaled a calming breath, then whirled on his heels and began to walk in neither the direction of… whatever that Thing was, nor in the direction he'd come from. Instead, he veered to the left, off what little remained of the beaten path. "I want to tend to matters here, but I've no wish to take more of your time than need be." And so, to that end: "What I am, first and foremost, looking for is a rare herb said to grow here. Blue saffron - a cousin to ordinary saffron, but it does not require as much light and has vastly different properties." Glancing back over his shoulder just a moment, all the while ever mindful that something was lurking somewhere nearby, he shrugged. "You wouldn't happen to've seen any during your time here, would you?"

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Sat Mar 3, 2018 6:32 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    He was looking for something? Out there? In such a mysterious place? The thought was almost amusing, but also suspicious. “I see,” she murmured half to herself. She was tempted to ask just what it was he was looking for exactly, but a lady never stuck her nose in someone else’s business. Usually if there was something worth searching for in such a dangerous place then it was of high value. She imagined it must be if one is willing to risk their lives to obtain it. With that coming to her mind she was even more curious, but she kept her mouth closed.

Instead, she decided to reply to his last words, a charming smile playing at her rosy red lips. “I don’t fancy being lost in this forest, so I suppose I’ll take you up on your offer.” She proceeded to pull her hood down, figuring that if she was going to be with him for a while she might as well introduce herself and show him just whom he was speaking to. It was the polite thing to do, and even if he wasn’t a gentleman like he claimed he wasn’t, she was a lady, and would act like one. 

With her hood down her fair skin, beautifully large turquoise eyes with long eyelashes, inviting, full rosy red lips, and luscious curly red hair were revealed. She rolled the map up and stuffed it back in her backpack, then made her way over towards the man, extending her hand for a handshake with a friendly smile. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Nelanna R. Fox,” she said. “I suppose I’ll be stuck with you for a while now, won’t I.” The question was quite rhetorical, and she hoped that with her tone it was obvious.

When she heard yet another crack, she spun her head in the direction of the sound, her previous paranoia returning. Something was out there. She could sense it. But now she was stuck with this stranger, whom she didn’t even know she could trust. But she had no choice. She had higher chances of making it out of the forest with him as her guide. She could only hope that he would find what he’s looking for before they become lunch.

Author: arcanum, Posted: Sat Mar 3, 2018 5:55 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

That he'd not been the only one startled worked a great deal toward assuaging the mage's nerves and soothing his embarrassment. Where he'd been tense just a moment ago, he relaxed some now, standing at ease - well, as much as he could, given her answer. If it had been her, then… One could only imagine what manner of creature was out there, lying in wait. At her own question, he shook his head. "No, not lost, I think, unless the woods have got a mind of their own - which I'd hardly rule out, I suppose. Mostly, though, just having a devil's time finding what I'm after, is all."

In any case, having no set destination in mind had its perks, apparently: he did not consider himself 'lost' all too often, these days. Wandering feet aside, mind you, he trusted his memory - or what parts of it worked the way they ought, at the least.

The mask had but a single visible eye hole, revealing the bright green of both pupil and sclera hiding behind it. Again, his gaze flickered down at the map, before looking back up at the stranger's face - or what he could make of it beneath that hood of hers. She, for her part, had admitted to being lost. Weighing his options, he came to an eventual conclusion:

"Suppose the gentlemanly thing to do would be to offer you help out of here, wouldn't it?" From his tone, it was easy to picture the way he was skeptically raising his brows behind that mask of his. "But I'm afraid I'm no gentleman. I've got a mite of business left in the forest, y'see, and I'd rather like to tend to it. Although…" And here, his tone softened, if briefly. "If you cared to tag along, I'd gladly see you out of here after the fact. Of course, I can leave you to your map, if you prefer." He shrugged, affecting nonchalance.

Then, distant and yet a little closer than the last time it seemed, another snap! sounded.

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Sat Mar 3, 2018 4:45 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    Hours seemed to have passed before Nelanna finally managed to locate the forest on the map. Since she had bought it she never took a gander at it, so she wasn’t even sure where she was in Revaliir. But, eventually she had discovered some familiar looking marks on the map, so she was able to find her current location. How accurate it was, however, she wasn’t sure. But she was willing to risk it. Anything to get her out of this forest. It seemed to grow even more frightening my the minute. She constantly felt as if something were watching her, causing her to look around every few moments with growing paranoia.

But the one moment she decided to concentrate more on the map than her surroundings, she was approached. Almost jumping out of her skin with fright, Nelanna yelped as if she’d had been attacked, feeling as if her heart leaped out of her chest. She looked over to see that it was only a man, and she felt a slight sense of relief. But she was also wary. The man was wearing a mask, and being in such an awfully peculiar place made him look suspicious. But, with her dark cloak hiding most of her figure, as well as its hood hiding her face from the light she decided she didn’t look any less suspicious herself.

So, being the lady she was, she stood and dusted off her dress and acknowledged his greeting and question with a friendly smile. “I’m afraid that was not my doing,” she replied. “Are you lost as well?”

Author: arcanum, Posted: Sat Mar 3, 2018 4:17 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

He moved like a shadow, dark, star-flecked robes quietly shimmering as they caught the increasingly rare sunbeam from above. Darkness encroached, but he had little care. The time of day had long stopped mattering to the man, same as the direction his feet might take him. He had purpose but, with little but the odd clue to go on, Frey found himself more often than not aimless… and oh, how bitter that fact made him.

In his practised way, he continued to move quietly, ears on the alert. A lack of caring concerning his current whereabouts did not preclude a lack of caring for his general well being. The forest had already proven far from friendly. Better not to let his guard down. Better not to get complacent, even though his own light steps had been his only company for minutes, hours, seemingly days even.

Then came a startling crack! from off in his distance, and he could have sworn his heart had stopped for a moment. Shaking his head at his own folly, he grinned behind his mask and started in the direction of the noise. Danger or not, it was the best lead he had for now.

It was barely a handful of minutes before he stopped abruptly at the sight of another - and indeed, so abruptly that he tripped over a wayward root and inelegantly caught himself in the nick of time, stumbling awkwardly back to his feet instead of tumbling completely to the ground. Catching his breath, he offered his company an innocent smile before remembering the mask he wore that hid it. Right. Still wasn't quite used to the thing. Whoops.

Then, he noticed the map. "Howdy," he greeted, absently dusting himself off as he spoke. "Lovely day for a traipse in the woods, aye?" he offerered as he plucked a leaf from his hair and casually tossed it away. "… You wouldn't happen to've been the one to cause the sharp sound of something snapping a few minutes ago, would you?"

… Because if it wasn't her - and it had sounded too loudly for someone fitting her frame, he'd wager - then something else was still out there, potentially nearby. Hm.

Author: Nelanna Fox, Posted: Sat Mar 3, 2018 12:59 PM, Post Subject: Lost [O]

    Nelanna Fox. A beautiful elfin maiden whom loved traveling. Ever since she left the farm and her adopted parents she wandered, only stopping to rest here and there but never settling down. The longest she had ever stayed in one place was no more than a month. It was impossible for one to travel so far and for so long without having to stop and stay somewhere, and sometimes a day or two just wasn’t long enough to rest. And during all of her travels she never had the need to use a map. Her intuition and free spirit was all she had to guide her, and it was all she needed. But now, she had finally found a place where her intuition wasn’t enough. This was the first time she had ever become completely lost, and the more she tried to free herself from this forest, the more she became entrapped by it. No matter how far she ventured, no matter how much she looked, her surroundings never seemed to change.

She groaned to herself, rubbing her forehead gently with her fingers in frustration. How could she have let this happen? She was foolish to enter the forest. Before she had wandered in she noticed how…unwelcoming it looked. But she wasn’t easily frightened and was too confident in her own abilities to get herself out and protect herself. She was often times intrigued by dangerous looking places and challenged them. Now, here she was. Lost, hungry, and completely vulnerable. Sure, she had a dagger that could be used for protection, but against bigger beasts it was useless. And this forest looked like it was home to such beasts. 

A crack somewhere not far off instantly made her turn her head, fearing the worst. But there was nothing there. Nothing that she could see anyhow, other than trees. She released a breath she wasn’t aware she had been holding, raising her hand to clutch her clothing above her pounding heart. For the first time in a long while she felt scared. Who knew what dangerous hid within this forest. Some were probably watching her from the shadows, waiting for her to let her guard down so they could attack. 

Nelanna shook her head, shaking the thought from her mind. This wasn’t over yet. She wasn’t giving up on finding her way out of there. This was when she had finally managed to remember she had a map rolled up in her bag. Feeling a wave of relief, all the while scolding herself for being so forgetful, she pulled the backpack off herself and opened it. She took out the map and unrolled it, her eyes scanning the picture of Revaliir for the forest she was in. Thankful she had bought the map from a traveler she had met in a tavern, just before entering Revaliir, and it was the best thing she had done. Now, she took a seat at the roots of a large tree, taking her time to look at the map, and hoping she could find the way out before something else found her first.