Author: Harmony, Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:40 AM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
She didn't remember very much about her time in the cell, or just how she had ended up there in the first place. THe world had been in upheaval, and she had cast a spell to protect herself and a few others that she had found. Then a portal had opened beneath their feet, and all had faded to black. But Harmony did know that she had been imprisoned for exactly four hundred and fifty six days, nine hours, forty eight minutes and three seconds. And she knew the precise time because of her innate time-sense as a Novella. Then a familiar face had entered the haze, freed her and the others, and led them to another land entirely. It felt familiar, but the stars were all wrong to be that place. And she knew deep in her hearts that land was behind her. There were some places that even Novella couldn't enter. She would mourn the friends and people she had known, but she also looked forward to making new friends and meeting knew people. It just part of being nearly immortal.
The young woman nodded at Sabishii's words, she remembered Blaze well and missed the elf.
"A pleasure to meet you, Hiro. Please forgive me for not shaking hands," Harmony said with a chuckle. Her hands were shimmering with a soft bluish-silver light as she tended to Sabishii's wounds. They weren't bad, but it was not difficult for wounds to become infected and fester. And she would rather be certain that something so simple didn't kill the man. Harmony bowed her head to Moliira as she left the grove, she knew that she would have to visit the realm of Maral'hal at some point. But not now. Not with a wholly new world for her to explore.
"So tell me Hiro, you've been here longer than your father and I. Where would you suggest we go first?" she asked, a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. She didn't want to leave the older Kouen just yet, her healer's nature wanting another day or two to ensure the wounds had been properly dealt with. And having an idea of where to go was always a good point to start.
Author: Moliira, Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 6:04 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
It was rare that she took pleasure out of anyone's misfortune. But there were occasions that Moliira was willing to make an exception. She shook her head, saying
"There will always been enemies of some manner. They just wear different faces. Might even have your own face," she said with a shrug. But she was certain that Hiro would elaborate if need be. The drow had yet to run across any mention of Sabishii in this world, but there was always the possibility that the past here had been different.
"Indeed. Just keep your eyes open, you never know who you may come across," Moliira said, approving of his optimism. While she was more realistic than Sabishii, she also knew that he would be fine here. Especially with his son present.
It seemed that he was in good hands between Killian's daughter and his son, and Moliira felt that her work had been done. It was time for her to go home.
"I must go, though don't think you are rid of me. You do owe me quite a favor," Moliira said with a mischievous grin. What that favor was, she did not know at this time. But Sabishii and Hiro were both resourceful, and having them owe her a favor would be a great advantage.
"If you need refuge, my home is easy enough to get into, just spill a bit of blood on the ground and speak Maral'hal. Farewell, for now," she said with a bow. With a gesture, she opened a portal back to her own home, and she stepped through along with her priest.
Author: Sabishii Kouen, Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:45 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
Sabishii listened as Moliira explained what happened to other Deities who came from the Other World. He missed Judge, but didn't get to know Mendean very well. They were both gone. Sabishii rolled his eyes thinking about Dimitre being in this world, probably declared himself God-King of his own country, or some such. Both the father and the daughter fell and were being forgotten about.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish! Think I'll like this place very much! It is a fitting punishment for Ol' "Dimmy" to be forgotten about. He wanted to be worshipped beyond a God to fill his vain ego. 'Make our country great again' my arse!" Sabishii gave a joyful laugh through the pain he was feeling on his side.
"It's almost like I've died and gone to heaven. All my enemies seem nowhere to be found. Though not all my friends are here either, which is unfortunate. But I'll have to find people who came from the other world, and I'll have the chance to make new friends." Sabishii kept happy about this whole situation. He looked toward his son who was petting Ember, who was wagging her tail happily.
A young woman appeared, with blue eyes, and black hair. She was introduced as Killian's daughter, Harmony.
"Ah, yes, Killian! I didn't know him very well, but from what I saw, he was a good man, and a friend of Blaze's. Apparently, I left a good impression on him? It's nice to meet you at last, Harmony. Not sure if you met my son yet, Harmony, meet Hiro Kouen, he's also a Phoenix Knight." Sabishii winced a bit as she started to work on treating his wound.
"One of those energy bolts got me in the side good. But it's not that severe of a wound. Partially I'm exhausted from that whole ordeal. Not as young as I used to be, I guess." Sabishii managed a laugh. Hiro bowed courteously to the young lady.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Harmony," Hiro said politely.
"A friend of my father's is a friend of mine, I'd like to hope. Please take care of my father. I'd like to keep him around for a good while longer." Managing to find a smile through that thought was hard, but his father had assured him it'd take more than this to be the end of him.
Author: Moliira, Posted: Thu Mar 9, 2017 11:46 AM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
There was a smile on her face when Sabishii could see he was somewhere familiar, it was probably a steadying presence to the man. The drow waited patiently for father and son to talk before interrupting. Some of the people from the cells were already beginning to disperse into the city, and Moliira knew they would be fine. she would of course keep an eye on all them, but Moliira was fairly certain they would be grateful for a second chance at a life.
"Judge died in this world, same as our old home. Mendean was here for a time too, but he has fallen. Runya, I do not know. Now about Dimitre… you would be amused," Moliira said, her tone shifting from somber to vindictive. She told the Phoenix Knight that both Dimitre and his daughter had been gods here for a time, but they had both fallen, and were slowly being forgotten.
"That is perhaps the worst thing for a being like Dimitre, as proud as he was, to simply be forgotten," Moliira said, a malicious smile on her face. It wasn't often she took pleasure in the misfortune of others, but Dimitre had been only rude to her on every occasion their paths had crossed.
A woman with sky blue eyes and black hair approached, wearing clothes from another world. One that the drow recognized. It took her a few moments, but Moliira realized who the young woman was, and an eyebrow went up in surprise.
"I remember you, your father and I spoke on many occasions. Sabishii is injured, he needs your help," she said. The young woman only nodded, turning bright blue eyes on the stranger.
"I remember tales my father told me of the Phoenix Knight, never thought I'd get to meet you. I'm Harmony, my father was Killian," she said simply before turning her attention to the wound.
Author: Sabishii Kouen, Posted: Sat Mar 4, 2017 6:16 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
Sabishii and Hiro made their way through the portal, along with Ember, and everyone else. Sabishii's eyes were blinded by the light of the natural sun above them. He shielded his eyes briefly. When his vision had adjusted, he saw a somewhat familiar sight. A cobbled together city with buildings made from many different styles. Moliira told them they were in Hoja Mesto.
"Dad, it's not just your home. It's our home. It's everyone's home! All of you guys! Welcome home!" Hiro said, mirroring Moliira's sentiment. Sabishii turned and smiled at his son, looking around the town he was in.
"You're right son, it's our home now. If this city is here, then does that mean Judge is here too? Or his son? Is Runya here too? Oh god, I bet that bastard Dimitre made it here too, please don't tell me he's a Deity here. Urgh . . ." Sabishii suddenly felt pain from his side, the adrenaline rush from earlier was wearing off, and he felt an ache from the side of his body. He fell to his knees, groaning.
"Oh! Dad! Are you all right? What happened?" Sabishii could hear the concern in his son's voice.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I got hit in the side by one of those magic weapons. It aches, but just get me a bandage or healer or something. I'll live. It's just the rush wearing off," he said, reassuringly. He pointed to the side of his body that had a burn mark through his tattered clothing.
"Can we get a healer over here? My father's been wounded! We don't need him to get an infection!""Hiro, I'm gone for how long, and suddenly you're deathly afraid I'm going to keel over. 'Tis just a flesh wound, son.""I'm just worried I'll lose you again, after just getting you back, Dad. I don't want to you to die. We lost Mom, you and Ember are all I have left." Ember barked at the mention of her name, and started to shower Sabishii with wet kisses.
"It's okay, you won't lose me so easily. I'm determined to see you become a grown man, a great hero in this land, and you're starting to look like one now," he said with a smile, petting Ember's head.
Author: Moliira, Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:21 AM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
She only shrugged and grinned at Sabishii's response, he did have a point at least. But now wasn't the time to debate those points, there was a mission to accomplish. And he was doing his part quite well. She could hear Hiro and Ember somewhere in the background, and Moliira was certain the boy would get his part done as well. The people within the cages seemed to understand the nature of the rescue, and she was grateful they didn't have to argue with anyone to get them out. Once Sabishii appeared at her side, Moliira knew it was almost time to go. She only shook her head with a smile at his reaction, it would buy them them as well.
"Lets go then. You might recognize where we are going… is the name Hoja Mesto familiar?" she asked as they ran for the portal. Moliira could hear more boots behind them, and the woman shouting in an unfamiliar language. But no matter the language, anger and aggression were always clear. She watched the Kouens step through, and turned to look behind her once. Waving a farewell to the woman, Moliira stepped through herself, back into the clear air and open sky of the walking city's grove.
"Xarann, close it, now," the drow said before leaning against a tree. Sabishii's comment was wrong, and she had to take a moment to calm herself. The adrenaline would leave her system soon enough, but she had prepared for that many times before.
"So, welcome to Revaliir, all of you. You can make a home here. This city is a good place to start," Moliira said, addressing the crowd that had been released from the strange cave. There were another three dozen beings, and they all looked around at the grove in curiosity. They came from different places, she could tell, and this city would be the best place to find common ground and a new start.
Author: Sabishii Kouen, Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 10:18 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
Hiro laughed at what Moliira said about him being faster than this father. Sabishii just playfully huffed.
"Psh, not everyone gets to stay an immortal deity, nor is everyone an ageless drow or elf. Not like they provided me with a razor to shave my face with, or I would have slit the throat of the guy who gave it to me and escaped from my cage long ago." Sabishii thought he aged gracefully, he kept in shape for years before he was captured here. He was still in shape, just rusty, he wasn't able to train much here at all. What Sabishii wouldn't give for a nice shave and bath right about now. He would feel like a new man. But first they had people to save, and a place to escape from. Moliira looked the same to him as ever, at least physically. Maybe things changed for her, maybe something beneath the skin. He wasn't going to ponder about it for now. He had more important things to think about.
A bolt of energy grazed his side, Sabishii winced, then punished the guard who managed to hit him by blasting him with a wave of flame from his hand. More and more guards entered the room, and he noticed a woman with a net frantically trying to give orders to the guards. He didn't know if this woman was merely the leader of the guards, or the head of this entire operation, but he'd seen her before. He felt a burning anger toward her, as he'd suffered insult and injury from this woman. She took something from him of great importance.
Moliira had released the rune that opened all the cages. Hiro was doing the best he could to guide all the people and creatures that had been just released through the door. He thought he saw Ember helping the best she could with her yappy barks, herding people through the portal. It was pure chaos, and now that woman was covered by a net that Moliira threw back at her. Moliira was telling them to get out of here. Sabishii glared angrily at the woman, and was gone from the place he stood, reappearing in front of this mysterious woman. He drew back a fist and decked her in the face. He could have sworn he knocked a tooth or scale loose from her as his fist connected, her body hitting the ground hard. He reached down and pulled something this woman kept sheathed to her side. He was lucky she carried it with her. It was a handle of a broken sword. It couldn't be used as a weapon, but it was a trophy that she took from him. Now he had it back. The handle of his trusted sword, Temenos. It was all that was left of the mighty weapon. At some point, the sword was broken during the fall between worlds, despite the Phoenix Knight thinking the sword was near indestructible. But at least he had the handle back. With that accomplished, Sabishii blasted another guard that came toward him to protect that woman with an eruption of flame. Moliira was making her way back to Sabishii, so he met her halfway.
"I'm ready to leave now. I want to go to my new home." He smiled warmly, and started off toward the portal with her. Hiro and Ember were at the portal, it seemed all the people had exited, and they stayed behind to wait for Moliira and Sabishii.
"Dad, I got everyone through the portal. It's our time now, quickly! Before the guards get too numerous! We can't hold them off forever!" Hiro unleashed a few fiery bolts from his hand, piercing several guards that were chasing after Moliira and Sabishii. Within moments, Sabishii, Hiro, and Moliira had reached the portal. Sabishii and Hiro stepped through the portal together, into a blinding flash of light. Sabishii was to be welcomed to his new home.
Author: Moliira, Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 12:24 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
She almost corrected the younger Kouen, but Sabishii answered before she could. Before Hiro left, she quickly added
"And you move quicker than your old man here. Right Sabishii?" she said with a grin at the older man. He did look older than Moliira remembered, but that was the way of humans. She wondered how much different she looked to Sabishii, but it was a fleeting thought in the face of the fight ahead. Squinting through the darkness, Moliira's eyes found the rune and she nodded. Though she didn't know just who or what had been captured and held in the cells, she knew it was not a prison and they did not deserve to be locked up for gods only knew how long.
Looking at the guards, she had one more thing to say.
"I do not think this is a fight to win. We get the people here out, and when we need to leave, we go. Got it?" Moliira said. She only started moving towards the rune once the Phoenix Knight agreed, she hadn't come all this way just to see him killed. It would have been foolish for her to make a run straight for the release rune, and she planned carefully. Already guards were starting to work their way around Sabishii, and she knew that she had to move quickly.
Choosing a random pattern through the cells revealed something interesting to the drow. One of the soldiers followed her, trying to track down the drow. It only moved in a set pattern, one left, two right. Sometimes Moliira moved three cells one way and two another, sometimes two cells then one. She reached the button and slammed her hand against it without thinking. The cells all fell away from their inhabitants… and instantly there was chaos. It was clear that some had been there for quite awhile, but most were moving quickly, heading towards Hiro's shouts.
A whisper of noise was all the warning she had, but it was all that Moliira needed. She snatched the net from the air before it landed around her, and only grinned at the person who had tried to shoot it around her.
"You know, if you want to capture someone, you really should be sure that they cannot control the lightning as well," she said with a chuckle. The female looked at her with narrowed eyes, and Moliira could tell that she was not a woman accustomed to being thwarted. Cold black eyes stared at her from a grey-blue scaled face, and she could hear the woman hissing order. Moliira turned and yelled to Sabishii
"Time to go!" and started making her way back to the Knight.
Author: Sabishii Kouen, Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 10:50 AM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
"But we just saved him, I should be the distrac–" started Hiro, but Sabishii looked at him with a serious look that turned into a smile.
"Son, don't you trust your father not to die after all this time? I'll be fine, I promise, you're still a hero if you save all these people from long time of imprisonment," Hiro nodded, turning to guide all these people toward the portal. He shepherded all the poor souls they had rescued toward the portal, throwing a few fireballs to cover their escape.
Sabishii looked at Moliira and grinned.
"Of course I haven't. I'll keep them busy. There's a panel against that far wall that has a master release rune for these cages. It's like a big red glowing rune that screams 'do not touch.' You'll be able to find it." He narrowly managed to avoid being blasted by one of the guards as Moliira pulled him behind one of the cages. The guards were large, armored creatures with glowing green eyes, armed with crossbow-like weapons firing green energy blasts. Sabishii peaked from behind the cage, taking a look at the number of guards that were charging into the room. They were not taking any cover. They were cruel, but also stupid. They thought their energy weapons and armor made them invincible, but they were fighting one really pissed off, armed and dangerous Phoenix Knight.
Sabishii jumped into the fray, setting guards ablaze with flashes of flames from his left hand. He got close to one of the guards, smacking him in the face with the pommel of his sword, stunning his opponent, then slicing through his stomach with his broadsword. The enemies turned to shoot their weapons at him, but Sabishii quickly phased out of the way, disappearing from their sight, reappearing behind one of the guards, holding the broadsword to his throat with one hand, and taking his other hand to his weapon, using the brute as a "human" shield, while simultaneously aiming the guard's weapon at his comrades and blasting them with green energy bolts, sending them flying. He slit the throat the guard that he was using as a shield the moment his weapon ran out of ammo, then tossed the guard's body at another guard. Hopefully Moliira and Hiro were going to be able to free as many captives as possible, before the guards became too numerous for him to handle.
Author: Moliira, Posted: Thu Feb 9, 2017 4:58 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
She watched the reunion between father and son with a small smile on her face, though she listened more to their surroundings than the conversation. The sound of boots was far off for now, so she let Sabishii and Hiro speak for a short time. But Sabishii heard them before she could interupt, and the drow's face broke into a grin. It had been awhile since she'd had a good fight, and there were plenty of foes. It was just a matter of thinning them out a bit.
"I do not know that we would win against all those forces, but we should bring as many of your follow captives as we can back to Revaliir. Hiro, head to the portal and guide the people we free to safety," Moliira said, quickly taking charge of the situation.
Watching the fireball fly through the gloom to its target, Moliira grinned. This would be fun.
"Sabishii, you make as much of a distraction as possible. I wouldn't imagine you've lost your flare for destruction. Is there a master release switch for the cells?" she asked quickly. But before he could answer, green balls of energy were flying their way. She grabbed the Phoenix Knight's shoulder and pulled him behind a cell next to his. Peering around the edge of the cell, she could make out tall, armored forms bearing crossbow-like weapons. They all looked the same, having humanoid features on their helms and cold glowing green eyes. Oddly, their eyes matched the balls of energy that were again flying down through the cave.
"How much help will you need with them?" she asked, a mad glint in her eyes.
Author: Sabishii Kouen, Posted: Thu Feb 2, 2017 5:32 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
The man stared out through the blurry glass at a face that was trying to talk to him. He banged at the glass, but he didn't seem to react. He wondered if he was being pestered by some kid trying to spook him, as if he were some kind of zoo animal. There was a barking noise, and the sound of voices could be heard, but he couldn't make out the voices. They were muffled too much by the cage. He stared at whoever was trying to break the cage, and looked away. He didn't understand what was going on, the isolation dulled his emotions and senses. What was his name? They called him specimen #00172 from world #DL0007, or some crap like that. Some weird creature visited him once and said he looked like a funny ape monster.
Suddenly, the glass cage shook and shattered with a blowing of cold air entered the cage. Sabishii looked startled. Was this a jail break? Or was he going to be punished again? if they caught him escaping, they'd beat him again. They took most of his power, his magic every time he tried to escape, he eventually gave up, especially after all the beatings. A dark figure entered the cage, they grabbed his arm, and started pulling. What did they want with him? He suddenly felt a hard blow across his face. A woman talked to him, jogging memories from long ago. He placed his hand on his face, which ached from the slap.
"M-My son?" He rubbed his eyes, suddenly things becoming clearer. He was outside the cage. He was outside the cage, and two people and an animal were staring at him. He recognized them.
"Moliira?" He turned to the boy that was now crying visibly. The boy threw himself into his arms.
"Dad! You're alive! I was afraid I'd lost you! It's been so long!" Hiro looked up at him, tears running down his face."Hiro?! You're alive?! Thank the Gods you're alive! I was afraid something terrible had happened to you! They said you wouldn't have survived that fall! They said you were dead! Your mother . . . she's . . . somewhere else, I don't know. But I've missed you so much! I love you, son! I almost didn't recognize you, you've grown so much!" Sabishii could feel the tears flowing down his cheeks as he hugged his son tightly, for the first time in forever. Ember jumped at his leg and barked happily. Sabishii picked her up and hugged her too. "I didn't forget about you either, Ember, you good girl." After a good few moments of hugging, Sabishii pulled away and dried his tears. "I'm sorry, thank you so much. Hiro. Moliira, you look well, thank you for bringing Hiro here and coming for me. I'll ask for details about how you got here later. I need a weapon. They took mine a long time ago, I don't know if it's in the collection or what ever happened to it, but any sword will do for now." Hiro reached into the air and channeled magic into his hand, summoning a spare broadsword and handing it to his father.Sabishii drew the blade from it's sheath and studied it briefly. "This'll do. Thank you, son. It'll do. You've gotten stronger, and seem to have learned the art of item summoning. Good job, son." Sabishii stood tall and brandished his sword. "Let's free these people, son! There are people and creatures that've been here longer than I have!" He started summoning his strength, flexing his muscles that hadn't been used in forever. Mana that hadn't been channeled in a long time. He summoned a flame to his hand experimentally. He heard the stamping of many feet approaching the room they were in. "I think they had a silent alarm attached to that cage I was in. They got tired of me trying to break out so many times in the past, they made the alarm silent, and made the cage fire proof. Guess they didn't expect ice magic to be used against it. Hah! We may have to take out whoever comes out from that doorway." He threw the fireball at whoever stepped through the doorway, without even seeing who it was, or what they looked like.
Author: Moliira, Posted: Thu Feb 2, 2017 11:35 AM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
She heard Hiro smashing cases, and quickly found an old friend from what she could glean. That was good, it meant they were on the right track. Moliira kept searching, knowing there had to be some kind of master release mechanism in the cave. She scanned the cells, curious as to what and who was kept in them. But a question came to mind quickly. Just who or what had put these entities here in the first place? She heard the young man shouting again, she could tell he had found his father.
Perhaps they would have to free everyone, one at a time. But the Phoenix Knight she remembered would be a valuable ally, and he would not approve of those trapped here. Hopefully the three of them could free everyone here.
"Stay back, Hiro. I want to try something," she said, studying Sabishii's cell for a few moments. The drow nodded to herself, she could tell what it was guarded against. And what it was not. Placing her palms flat against the glass, Moliira concentrated and dropped the temperature of the area as quickly as possible. The frosted glass obscured the figure inside, and the drow drew one of her swords, a blade chased with frost. Then she swung hard at the glass.
Surprisingly, there were no alarms when the glass shattered. But the man inside only continued to stare at them dully, as if he had no idea just who was there to save him. Moliira grinned, there was at least one was she knew to jar someone out of a stupor. Grabbing Sabishii's arm, she hauled him out of the cage, then slapped him hard across the face twice.
"No time for moping, Phoenix Knight. Your son is here, and there are people to help. You coming?" the drow asked with amusement in her voice.
Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 10:40 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
Hiro started looking through the glass cases, wondering where his father was. There were so many! He didn't know where they were, and it seemed Lady Moliira didn't know either, she said they weren't on Revaliir, meaning they were . . . somewhere else? Not in the world he came from, so some other plane of existence? Another planet? It didn't really matter though, he wanted to find his father, free whatever creatures were here. Hiro started smashing cases with the pommel of his blade, until he found one with what looked like a small, long bodied dog, a dachshund, which is a breed that originally developed for hunting badgers. It's hair was long, but it also colored unusually, it was orange-reddish, with a weak aura of fire surrounding it. Would have recognized that dog anywhere. It was the only one he knew of. It was a fire elemental dachshund, also known as a "Hot Dog." It was HIS dog from the other world he came from.
"Oh Gods, Ember! My baby!" He smashed the glass to the cage, and ran inside. Ember was just laying on the floor, appearing disheartened, depressed. He hadn't had any attention, likely, in forever. Hiro approached the dog.
"Ember, your brother's here! It's Hiro! Oh girl, what happened to you? My good little girl!" The hot dog turned its head weakly and wagged its tail. He noticed it was also chained with a spiked collar to the ground. Hiro quickly grabbed the collar, and removed it from his dog. He pulled out a canteen of water, carefully giving her a good drink of water, then pulled out a bag that contained emergency, healing rations, a kind of bean or kibble-like food he carried around. He held a couple of the rations in the palm of his hand, the dog, weakly looked at them, sniffed them, then gobbled them down. Ember wagged her tail and started licking Hiro's face between cries of happiness and barks. He scooped the dog up and held him in his arms.
"Oh Ember, I missed you too, girl! I missed you so much! How did you end up here? Where's my father? Can you help me find him?" Ember followed Hiro out of the cage, and lead him toward another glass cage.
This cage was different from the others. The ground under the cage was scorched black. The cage itself was blackened with soot. As if someone inside had tried to free themselves with intense flames many times. There was a single soul sitting in this cage, wearing rags, facing away from Hiro and Ember. Ember barked at the cage enthusiastically, scratching at it with her front feet, as if she was trying to get in. The sign on the cage read, "Extremely Dangerous, Former Conclave, Fire Elemental, Phoenix-Tainted
Homo Sapiens. Specimen #00172 from World #DL0007"
Hiro knocked of the cage with the palm of his hand. The figure turned toward them, the figure was almost unrecognizable, unshaven, with brown, red, and silver hair across his face. But he had those intense glowing blue eyes. The blue eyes he was familiar with, those these were wracked with intense sorrow.
"Dad! Dad! It's me! Hiro! Oh gods, I found you! Let me get you out of there immediately!" He started slamming against the cage with all his strength, using the pommel of his sword, but the cage wouldn't break. He stood back and charged at the cage, slamming the blade of his sword against it with his full strength, but he was unable to break the cage, he merely bounced off, and the cage reverberated intensely with the energy he threw into it. He then drew back his arm and unleashed a powerful wave of flame at the cage, but still the cage tanked everything he threw at it.
Hiro panted heavily, out of breath, it seemed his father had tried to escape many times, so they setup a reinforced cage that he could not break. The cage itself seemed to have a glittery silver color, instead of the fully transparency of the others.
"Lady Moiira! I found him! We gotta open this! It's fire-proof and shatter proof!" The figure in the cage seemed cold and distant, looking away from the display of power Hiro used on the cage.
Author: Moliira, Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:30 AM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
The sight of all those cells made her blood boil.
"No, we are not on Revaliir. Where we are precisely, I am not sure. But we should find your father and leave as soon as possible," Moliira said, her voice low as she scanned the cells. She was searching for guards, sentinels, anything that might be keeping a watchful eye on this strange place. It was making the hairs of the back of her neck stand on end, she did not like how quiet it was in the strange cave.
"Mark this place well, it is our way home. Xarann will keep the gate open until we return. And yes, we should free as many as possible. Hoja Mesto is the perfect place for people to enter our home," she said, her voice still low but determined.
She left Hiro, turning to other cells, studying the inscriptions. There was one that caught her eye, and she used the pommel of her blade to smash the glass. A fragile looking creature slithered through the broken glass, its quicksilver eyes shimmering in the low light of the cave. The snake-like elemental coiled around her arm, clearly weakened from its time in the cage. But it knew her for a friend, and Moliira smiled. She wondered just what or who else they would find here.
Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 4:28 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
Hiro pondered on what Moliira said about her "darker" self, it was better not to question it. Some things were better off not questioned. He would leave it at that. He'd not ask any further.
Hiro found himself wiping his eyes off when Moliira opened up some kind of gateway, which Moliira was ready to guide himself through. He steeled himself and took a moment to gain his composure. He entered the portal with her, and found himself somewhere else, in a large cave, filled with glass cubes with plaques marking them.
". . . The hell is this? It's like a zoo, or a laboratory. Someone could be showing off a collection . . . of people and creatures. Or they could be experimenting on them. I have no idea. Where is this? Is this place on Revaliir?" There were so many questions he hand, but then Lady Moliira told him that his father was likely in one of those cells.
"You know what? It really doesn't matter why they are really here, but we need to find Dad, free him, free the rest of these prisoners, and find the bastard who would dare make my father and all these people into zoo animals! I'm sure you agree that people don't deserve to be treated like a . . . spectacle. It might draw out whoever is responsible for this." He drew his blade from the sheath on his belt and shattered a hole through the nearest glass case with a two handed blow.
Author: Moliira, Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 1:07 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
"It is some of both. But I will not trouble you with my darker self. We have your father to find," Moliira said, and that was the only insight she offered the young Kouen to who she had been here. The smell of incense wrapped around the trio, and the sounds of the city grew muted as the priest's chanting continued. Moliira nodded to Hiro an encouraging smile on her face. While she wasn't overly find of Sabishii's sometimes overzealous means, he would be a valuable ally, and certainly someone welcome on this world.
The memories were a bit difficult to sort through for her, since they were not her own, but Moliira knew what she was looking for. Her mind latched onto Sabishii's voice, the faint traces of scent still on the tabard that Hiro wore, the sight of a man she had fought once and come to admire, and the heat of the world's end. It was all there, and from those memories, Moliira cast a subtle spell. A shimmering length of magecraft, looking like fine spidersilk, settled around Hiro's image of his father, then around Hiro just as the young man opened his eyes.
"I've bound you to your memories of your father. And that is what we will use to find Sabishii," she said, before speaking a chant of her own.
A translucent gateway opened in the space between the three, a soft shade of gray that was only half visible in the shade of the grove. A third strand of spell-web went from the young Hiro to the gateway, and Moliira nodded in satisfaction. There was only one more tie to make so they could search for Sabishii. She tied the last strand to Xarann, who nodded once to her. Everything was ready. Moliira stepped through, a hand on Hiro's arm to guide him through the gateway.
But what greeted her eyes was the last thing she expected. They were in a large cave of some kind, filled with cube shaped glass cells. The cells were filled with mist, and dark shapes that were not moving.
"Where in Onnan's name are we?.." Moliira muttered to herself, voice trailing off as she moved between the cells. This place didn't make sense to her. Until she peered more closely into one of the cells, and found a face staring back at her. There was a plaque on the dais, and it read like a zoo exhibition.
"Hiro… I think your father is in one of these cells," she murmured.
Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 9:51 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
Hiro listened to what Lady Moliira said. She told him how some people had lost memories, while others remember everything. Hiro knew that some people from the other realm had dopplegangers, while others didn't.
"You . . . remember both lives? Sounds odd, having lived two lives. I'm not sure whether that is a blessing or a curse. If your double did things you yourself would never do, I imagine that'd be hard. Like if I or my father had a double here, and they were murderers, thieves, anything like that, that'd be horrible. But I've met very few people who knew of my father. Lady Angela knew him, you did too. Lady Dalanesca said the name sounded familiar. There was that swordsman guy with the big sword, he seemed suspicious, he seemed to know my name, but claimed not to. They're all people that came from my original world."HIro watched and waited as Mollira, and now her priest, Xarann, started their preparations for the ritual they were about to perform. He could pick up parts of elven in the language they were speaking, but it sounded. He could tell it was Drow, his parents had taught him Elven, but he only knew limited bits of the Drow dialect. They had also taught him how to speak and read from draconic runes.
"Okay, I'm ready for what is to come. He took a deep breath of the smoke and closed his eyes." He started thinking back on his father, Sabishii Kouen, the Phoenix Knight, he tried to remember what happened the day the world ended . . .
—-
I see my father. I remember my birthday. We had cake. Everyone was happy. Dad was smiling happily, he was always cut a dashing figure, with his exotic brown and red hair, with a sprinkling of silver in it. Mom never seemed to age though. She had dark, raven hair, and a curvy figure. I can smell the candles and the cake. My friends were around the dinner table. It wasn't a big party, I didn't have a lot of friends, but the few I had were nice people. My dog Ember was there, she was really excited and happy, her tail was wagging like crazy.
I got a shiny new sword from Dad, a sword he forged himself. Mom got me a tabard, the one I wear now, the one with the Phoenix on it. She said it was important to Dad that I represent our family well. She said I was growing up a good boy, and that I was almost a man. Later, I remember telling Dad I want to explore the world, and make my own name. He seemed a little reluctant, but he said he had to talk to Mom about it. I went to bed, hopeful he would give me the answer I was looking for.
The next day, I remember waking up alerted by a catastrophe. The ground was shaking like the most violent earthquake ever imagined. There was a loud shout from outside. I got out of bed, and hurried to find my Dad outside. The sky was lit as if it was on fire. Trees were being uplifted, the ground was cracking. The world was falling apart and crumbling.
"What's going on? What's happening?" I was very confused, lightning streaked across the burning sky, all the buildings around us were crumbling in our town. Dad had grabbed my belongings, he looked very worried. He thrust my clothing and my equipment into my hands.
"Son, you have to listen to me. Please. Long story short, you're about to get your wish. There's little time to explain, but the old Gods have fallen. The world is changing. You have to get out of here quickly, I'll be right behind you. We're bringing you somewhere else, a new home, a new world," he responded with a struggling voice. But I was still confused, I didn't see Mom anywhere.
"Where's Mom? How did the Gods fall? Is . . . is the world ending?" Dad looked pained, looking down. I thought I saw tears freely flowing down his cheeks.
"She . . . she's gone. But I'm afraid I don't know where she ended up. I'm sorry, Hiro. I've failed as a husband, I failed as a protector of this realm, an Avatar and Guardian, but I won't fail as a father. I couldn't protect her, but I'll protect you." I felt confused, and I remember my eyes tearing up. The ground shook violently, nearly knocking me off my feet, but Dad caught me. He hugged me closely.
"Please, Son, Hiro, listen to me. No matter what happens, your mother and I still love you, no matter where you end up, I'll be looking after you. You'll take the mantle of Phoenix Knight after me, Hiro Kouen." The world continued to crumble around us, I held him closely, both of us were crying. Was this the end of the world? Was I going to die? If I was going to die, at least Dad was with me. A heard and felt loud surge of energy behind me. I turned around to see a portal open up behind me. I got pushed backwards by my father. He pushed me into the portal, I fell, reaching upwards, I tried to grab onto something, to grab onto him. I could see meteors raining down behind my father, explosions, then the ground crumbled beneath him, he fell forward towards the portal as it started to close around him. I had no strength in my muscles, I had no magic to do anything. He fell into the void as I did.
"Dad! No!!" I cried out into the void. I could see my father disappearing into the distance, but I could hear one last thing before I blacked out.
"Grow strong, son. One day, you can find me if we both survive. If not, I love you, son. Always"—-
Hiro opened his eyes, his voice was hoarse from speaking so long. There were tears flowing down his face. The gravity of the situation hit him. His world ended. His father was either dead, or lost in the void. He didn't know which. His mother was lost too, maybe she was trapped in the void, or maybe she ended up somewhere else. He didn't know, and his father didn't know either.
Author: Moliira, Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 4:39 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
The holes in his memory were curious, but not uncommon. It did make Moliira wonder if the boy had a doppelganger here somewhere, a person like him he had not yet met. But that was an investigation for another day. Was there another Sabishii here too? She doubted it, that would likely be a person she had beard of before now.
"You are far from the only one with those holes. There seems to be little reason for who remembers what. Some people from our old home remember everything, people with no doppelganger find themselves with memories missing. It is strange. I am lucky, in a manner. I remember both lives," she said. There were times it was more of a curse, knowing the acts of that other, darker self. But there were other times that the memories were quite useful.
Once she finished drawing the runes in salt, her priest appeared. Xarann had been born a second son, deemed worthy only as a sacrifice by the matriarchal drow society. His older sister had smuggled him out, and he been trained in an outcast town near the surface. His ghostly gray eyes peered at Hiro, but he said nothing, instead turning to Moliira and bowing to her.
"This place is good. But I must ask, why him? He is not even of our blood," he asked. She only glared for a moment, but decided to answer his question anyway.
"His father did me a favor once. It is time I repay that," Moliira said. The male drow nodded, then accepted the bundle of herbs from her.
Moliira sat next to Hiro while her priest started singing in the Drow tongue as he spread the smoke from the herbs around them. The language was beautiful in its own way, but harsh and eerie. If Hiro had heard much Elvish, he would almost recognize some of it, but Moliira's people had twisted the language to better suit them.
"The runes will hide us from unwanted eyes. And the smoke gives us a beacon of sorts, a way to find this place again while we look for your father," Moliira explained in a soft voice. It was better that Hiro knew what was going on, trying to calm a panicking human tended to annoy her. Once the smoke wafted around them, Xarann set the smudge of herbs on a silver plate, sat down to complete the circle, and put the plate in the center.
"Breath in the smoke, and focus on the man you wish to find. Think back to the last time you saw him, and tell us. Every detail, sounds, smells, sensations, everything will help. She will do the rest," the priest said to Hiro, then closed his eyes.
Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 1:16 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
The Goddess listened to what he had to say, she seemed to be pondering how hard it would be to find his location. She came up to a decision, and said she would help him if he followed her.
"Thank you, I appreciate any help you can offer." He followed her as she explained that the realm was beginning to crumble when they left. He tried to remember what he could of what happened, and his memories were coming up blank.
"I hope they're still alive. But I just don't remember everything that happened. Like there's holes in my memories of what happened prior to and upon entering a portal here." He scratched his head quizzically. Moliira came to a vendor who was selling all kinds of herbs, and she haggled for a bunch of them, giving up a bracelet for them.
They came to another section of the city, Hiro stared at the strangely colored leaves of the trees that dotted the area. Some were pine trees with purple needles, others had ashen colored leaves. He followed her directions, staying in the spot she requested of him. Hiro shook his head at her question.
"I'm sorry to say I have not. I imagine there will be some risk in something like this? If my father's in trouble, I'll do whatever it takes to help him and the rest of my family. I risk my life for strangers all the time. This is for my family." He watched as the Goddess started putting salt and Drowish runes down in a circle around him, before sitting cross legged on the ground. Something told him he was due for one wild ride with this.
Author: Moliira, Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:48 AM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
The drow nodded, listening to the young man silently, assessing her options. She knew of the world they had both come from, and Moliira did find it strange that his father had not passed through as well.
"I did know your father. He is a good man. I can understand why you would miss him. Finding him though…" Moliira said, her voice trailing off. Now that would be an interesting exercise in her abilities, seeing just how far she could stretch herself. Perhaps that alone would be worth it. And she was curious to see just what had happened.
"I know a little of scrying. One of my priests knows more. But I know he will need a few things from this city to bolster his abilities. Come," she said, before turning and headed for another of the markets. Moliira figured that was enough to tell Hiro she would help him.
The market she sought was in a slightly shadier part of Hoja Mesto, but Moliira knew it was the easiest place to get what her priest needed.
"When I left that world, my realm there was beginning to crumble. I do not know what we will find of your father… but I know him, he and your mother have found a way to survive. It is a matter of finding that way," she said before stopping in front of a cart covered in dried herbs. She and the cart-keeper started a swift round of haggling, and in the end Moliira gave up a bracelet of iron and lapis to the vendor. But there was a satisfied smile on Moliira's face.
"These herbs will open the mind, and allow us to track your father down. My priest knows how to guide us, and he is coming here. I know a safe place within this city," she explained, before leading Hiro to another part of the city.
It was quieter here, and there were strange trees growing from the dirt made of ground stone. Some had needles of purple, others had leaves the color of ash. But there were birds singing in the trees, lending the strange grove a tranquil air.
"Stay there for a moment, Hiro. I need to protect us," she said, waiting until the young man was in place. She walked in a circle around him, casting salt down in Drowish runes. The circle would also serve to shroud them from curious eyes, which could be dangerous in multiple ways. Sitting cross legged on the ground, Moliira looked to Hiro.
"Tell me, have you ever done a spirit-walking ritual?" she asked, although she knew the likely answer already.
Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2016 7:29 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
Hiro heard the voice of a woman speaking to him, breaking him out of the heavy reverie he was in. The thoughts of his father, his mother. They all vanished when he stepped through a portal that he only vaguely remembers stepping into. He tried to remember that day, but something kept muddling the memories. He turned to see Lady Moliira speaking to him.
"Oh! M'lady, I'm sorry I didn't see you there, I was heavily in thought as you could tell. Yes, I am looking for something. I was looking for a scrying device. But I have a feeling such a device may not exist strong enough to find what I'm actually looking for. I'm looking for a means to an end. I came not from this world I now inhabit, I come from another world, and I realize now that this world existed parallel to Revaliir somehow. All I remember of the last time I was in that old world was that it was around my sixteenth birthday, and I wished to go out into the world to seek my fortune. What came next is very hazy in my memory."I remember father bringing me to a portal, and I stepped through it, and ended up in the rain forest here in Revaliir. I'm looking for my Father, my Mother. I'm looking for my family. I want to know the whole story of what just happened. If something happened in that world, is he still alive? Is he here too? I don't know what happened. So I thought to find a scrying device that would show me him, but if he's in the other world still, I'm afraid a regular scrying device wouldn't show me anything." Hiro scratched his head. He hoped that Moliira, who his father knew, would understand what he was saying, and be able to help him understand what happened to that other world, or explain what happened to his father.
"I haven't shown it much, but I miss my family, I miss Father and Mother. Kakou, the Phoenix he kept. Our dragon friend Ryuujin. I miss Ember too. That was our dog. I just miss everyone. You knew him at one point, so that's why I feel I can trust you, Lady Moliira." She didn't have to work hard to get out what was troubling him, all she had to do is ask, and he was willing to tell her. One thing that Hiro inherited from his father was honesty, and being talkative.
Author: Moliira, Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2016 2:12 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
The streets of Hoja Mesto hadn't changed, yet Moliira saw many new sights as she walked. It was good to be in the mortal realm, and there was a manuscript she wanted to find. This city was the best place for that chance, though Moliira knew there was a chance she wouldn't find it. But she had to try. Her sister was seeking the same thing in Wyllmochvar, and Yazaere had wanted to see more of the world as well.
Then a familiar smell crossed her nose, and Moliira smiled. She was curious what he was doing here, and there was an easy way to find out. For once, she didn't feel like trying to trick it out of the young man.
"Greetings again, young man. It is good to see you, Hiro. You have the look of a seeker. Mind if I ask what for?" she asked, slipping up beside him while he was between stalls. There was purpose to his movements, and he wasn't pausing for pleasantries. Perhaps she could help, something about the young Kouen intrigued her, and Moliira was curious to see just where his path was leading.
Author: Hiro Kouen, Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2016 7:18 PM, Post Subject: [P] Searching for what was Lost
A young man walked amongst the market place of this strange city. The buildings were built in a variety of styles, and the whole place was constructed with ropes and pulleys with a large element of verticality. Not to mention the city constantly moved. It stood on legs, and every so often you could feel the rumble of the city taking another step. Hiro heard it used to be ruled over by some God, but he didn't know the specifics of the story.
Hiro, the Phoenix Knight-in-training, walked from stall to stall, wearing a hooded cloak over his crimson armor. He stepped with purpose, looking through each stall and asking for a very specific kind of item. He didn't know if it'd work, even if he found the item he wanted, though. He needed some sort of scrying device or something similar. A powerful one. One perhaps that could look between worlds, if such a device existed. He didn't know if a scrying device could do that, or how powerful one would be to do that. But he wanted to find his father, if he was in this world, a simple one would probably do, but if he was somewhere else, what device could locate him? Would someone here have what he wanted? Could he find out what happened to his father?
