Author: Kythe, Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 6:33 AM, Post Subject: (P) New ways to torment oneself

Kythe gave the man a small smile; her emerald eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at him - she was quite sure that she had seen the man before but could not quite place his face. As he spoke Kiba's name she smiled wider and with happiness in the expression, nodding. "Adopted mother truth be told but mother none the less; as ancient as I am you soon learn that blood does not always make a family." She added before shaking her head vehemently. "Oh no! Kiba is alive and well… it's my family I mourn… it's hard to explain." She sighed softly as she ran her fingers through her hair. 
"I remember the Guild; I was part of it for a short time before I returned to my home world to raise my children." 

She chuckled. "That's alright, you stumbled upon me doing much the same after all. Kale… I know the name! We probably met in Kiba's Guild but as I say I was not there for very long. Kythe, Kythe Sitari, it's a pleasure to meet you Kale." She said with a nod. "You found him?" She said softly and without hesitation she pulled the man into her arms, embracing him tightly. "For that you have my thanks and my undying gratitude. I was not here for my son when he needed me most but I am glad that someone he knew was here to take care of him - if you hadn't found him then he would not have found me." She laughed softly, her smile sad once more. 

Author: elusivephantom, Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:51 AM, Post Subject: (P) New ways to torment oneself

Listening to the woman, he couldn’t help but frown. “No, no,” he said quickly, “If anyone should apologize it’s me. I didn’t intend to intrude or pry. Gods everywhere know I’ve done more than my fair share of grieving.”

It had taken a moment to break through his panic, but this woman had called Kiba ‘her son.’ “Wait a second,” he said, “You’re Kiba’s mother? And is it him that you’re mourning?” Kale shook his head for a moment; he was putting the cart before the horse, as the saying went. “I’m sorry,” he said, “Yes, I’d say I’m a good friend of his. If you’re his mother, you must know of the guild he ran before? According to him, that was built on a pledge we made to one another long before.” He smiled at the memory of those days. They were arguably better days than the ones he’d had after coming to this world.

“Sorry about that,” he said with a smile, “I get lost in memory from time to time; it comes with age, I suppose. My name is Kale Grenich; once known as a pirate of the skies… Among other things.” His smile spread into a grin, “I’m not sure if you knew this or not, but I found Kiba when he first got here. He didn’t know much then, but surely he recovered his memories by now!”

Author: Kythe, Posted: Mon Feb 4, 2019 6:13 AM, Post Subject: (P) New ways to torment oneself

A sound caught Kythe’s attention; her sensitive ears picking it up from above. Head whipping around she immediately sought out the danger; emerald eyes narrowing on the man descending swiftly through the air; the images of her loved ones long forgotten as she turned slightly to face the man and whatever threat he might be to her.
It was when he spoke her son’s name that Kythe halted her movements; her battle stance vanishing as she took a second to relax and learn more of the man that had just appeared in her space. He knew Kiba; that earned him a minute amount of trust for the moment - an enemy was less likely to call out her son’s name in such a tone after all so clearly the man had been coming to greet the vision of her son not harm it.

Standing up she stood tall, her wings furled against her back, the journal forgotten at her feet for the moment - the man seemed vaguely familiar to her in his features but she could not place his face to a name let alone a specific meeting - if he knew Kiba then maybe she had seen him in passing when around her son; that seemed the most likely scenario. “A moment of grieving, I had thought I was alone, apologies if I caused you any concern.” She replied with a nod. “You called out my son’s name; are you an acquaintance of Kiba’s?” She asked.

She was getting too old for this; her aching heart was testament to the fact that she had done this far too often. Meeting new people in new worlds was all well and good but learning whom to place her trust in was growing fairly tiresome - the one good thing she had was that Kiba was well known here and her son was no fool, if these people she met who knew his name were friends then she would give them the benefit of the doubt in terms of how trustworthy they were… after all, if they betrayed Kiba they would have his mother to deal with now… and Kythe had a bloody awful temper.

Author: elusivephantom, Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:13 AM, Post Subject: (P) New ways to torment oneself

Oddly enough, this was a new experience for the ageless pirate; carriages carried through the sky on strange metallic wire. Down below, the landscape was changing from crystalline trees to grassy lands with what looked like rainbow colored rivers running through it. The spectacle drew Kale’s attention instantly, bringing him to hang partially out one of the carriage’s openings to get a better look. What would happen next wouldn’t have surprised anyone who knew him.

Looking down, there were figures moving about beside the river; two of them seemed to be fighting or sparring while the third was watching. The man above rested his one arm on the ledge, watching and taking in the motions when recognition struck him. Those movements were Kiba’s! A wide grin spread across Kale’s face as he stood. The guide, realizing his intention, called to him, “Sir, step away from there, please.” It was already too late, of course. Before the guide had finished, Kale had already thrown himself from the carriage and was falling towards the scene below, calling towards his old friend as he fell.

Wind blew through jet black hair and, for a moment, the man’s eyes closed as he remembered days long passed. He remembered the spire from his long-gone island, the salty breeze on the high seas, and so on. It came flooding back for those few moments he fell. As the ground below loomed and grew ever closer, icy blue eyes sprang open once more just as the man’s body was enveloped by swirling winds and dissipated within. His body coalesced at ground level just as the figures vanished. “Kiba,” he questioned.

A puzzled look had spread across the pirate’s face at the sudden disappearance, though his confusion was short-lived; a woman had let out a scream that pulled him from his bewilderment. “Is something wrong,” he asked. Never let it be said that Kale Grenich couldn’t look beyond his own problems when the situation arose.

Author: Kythe, Posted: Tue Dec 4, 2018 1:52 PM, Post Subject: (P) New ways to torment oneself

She had picked up the book by sheer chance; it had been a long time since she had kept a journal of any kind but she had heard somewhere that it was a good way of getting out the thoughts in your head to keep your emotions in check… until they knew what to do with her shoulder (if anything) or even how to deal with her shoulder she needed a way of keeping herself as calm as was possible while still grieving for the loss of her family… and the betrayal at the hands of her Gods yet again. She had no idea why she had been drawn to the book in the shop; its leather bound cover had intricate gold decoration and something about the peacock feather quill tucked away in it's center had caught her attention and made her buy it. With her journal tucked into her bag she had taken off from the Fortress to explore Revaliir further - she didn't know the world and while she had been lucky enough to stumble onto the doorstep of someone she loved dearly she still had to find her feet on her own despite the hardships she had faced. 

Kythe had found herself in the Valley of Vada and her breath had been taken away at the sight of the rainbow coloured river shimmering in the sunlight. Even DaeLuin had not had anything like this nor did Myna and she had been awestruck in both worlds at the sights she had found there when she had explored. She had found a patch of grass close to a rivers bend to settle and for a while she had just… sat… and watched the river flow with its ever changing myriad of colours, relishing in the quiet of the world around her for a moment. Large black Draconic wings furled against her back as she pulled her knees up to her ample chest, careful not to knock her shoulder as she did so. After a moment she took out the journey, pulled the quill from its center and placed the tip to the pages. 

I don't know where to begin… Beginning feels like the wrong world given everything has been taken from me and I feel as though my world has ended. I've found Kiba; by all the Gods I never thought I would but here he is as large as life, he's grown so much and yet he's still that young man I trained with a quarterstaff all those years ago. I wish Pol could see him; he wouldn't recognise him anymore… maybe it would have done Raith some good to meet him, to be taught by him to Kythe abruptly stopped as she realised that there was movement around her; as she looked up she watched as Kiba appeared before her - both the man she had found here in Revaliir and the youngster she had first taught, suddenly Pol appeared with Raith beside him - her son shaking hands with Kiba, training with him with a quarterstaff… the vision vanished as she reached out to touch them, her heart racing in her chest as her breath caught in her throat as she sobbed at the sight of them. How? Why? What was… looking back down at her journal Kythe realised that the words she had written there had vanished just as the vision of those she loved had and it broke her heart. Of all the books she had picked out to write in why this one? Why the one that could give her everything she wanted and take it away all in one breath. 

Closing the book she screamed angrily as she pressed the cover to her forehead and wept. Part of her wanted to throw it into the river; to rid herself of the cursed book before she fell too deeply into its clutches… but she knew better… knew that her desperation to hold onto that which she had lost would win over the logic of grieving properly. This book held nothing but heartache for her and she knew it… and yet… and yet she could not let go of it… Even if it broke her heart it would give her a chance to see them, to hold onto them for just a little bit longer, was that too much to ask after all? To cling to that last little bit of hope that maybe one day they wouldn't just be a memory or a magical vision from a book? Sighing Kythe placed the book beside her and wiped the tears from her cheeks, concentrating on the river before her as she calmed her breathing, her arm now throbbing as she realised she had gripped it too tight in her frustration. "So much for writing your thoughts down to deal with your emotions." She muttered.