private The Fall of Andalasia ~Book 1~

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@@Sanctified Absence,@@RunsWithSquirlz,@@Dji,

 

Eventually Robert found Zaddion and- throwing manners to the wind- grabbed him by the arm and dragged him downstairs. Technically, Tulla did say to grab him, after all. He hurried back to the others with the mage in tow. "There, I got him. Now what should I do?"

[Sanctified Absence 126]

Zaddion had sensed the sudden rush of the air, he sensed the danger it posed to the people outside and the Princess. He dashed to her to try and pull her back in when it happened, but he was far too slow. Perhaps it would've been better if he didn't try, because not only was he now holding his hand over where the fallen Princess was, but he got a terrifyingly clear view of what happened to her. He froze, her aura was strong enough earlier that there was no way to tell whether she was alive or dead right now.

 

When his name was called he didn't care, all he could do is look down at the broken Whisper. There was a brief change in interior alignment that moment, Light began to fade and Shadow slowly festered in its place, were it not for Robert's sudden actions ancients know what he was going to do to whatever caused that unnatural wind. All he could do now was emptily follow Robert's lead without even the will to speak.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

As we walked I noticed what was apparently the princesses magic was slowly taking affect, relived that she would be alive I continued walking with the mechanical wagon. Then came to question why I actually gave a damn about the princess in the first place, I never actually liked royalty in the first place. I just chalked it up to having to do this contract.

[Torrent505 370]

Clarke could feel her bones grinding and knitting back together in his grasp, he stared as bones moved under her skin and gashes became cuts. "Marvelous," he adjusted his goggles to better observe, "simply astounding." This was the little princess and she was going to make him a rich man.

 

He looked at the armored man and 'hmm' a water Mage that were jogging to keep up with his cart. "It would seem she is healing at an alarming rate and doesn't wish to go to the doctor. I obviously can make my own conclusions from this but I might as well give you chance to be honest with me and explain what exactly is happening here."

 

**************

 

A small girl with a bit of dirt on her her face and unwashed hair stopped to curiously watch Adrass work on his guns. She stood swaying and swirling a sundress made of burlap until he looked at her, that made her stop and look a little nervous but she gathered the courage to speak. "My mommy says hunters are all monsters and everyone is whispering that you're a hunter but you look like a normal person." She gave a nervous smile, "are you really a hunter? Are you hiding it? Can I see your claws?"

[Shadow Dancer 111]

@@Torrent505, "When our friend here is awake, she can tell you. But its not like you need to be told, at least if you are as smart as you seem." I looked at the man and decided against warning him about what would happen if he tried to play a slight of hand I think he could figure that out himself.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

@@Torrent505,

 

Adrass looked up from his maintenance ritual and made eye contact with the girl - pausing for a moment, a slight scowling frown on his face as he snorted slightly under his breath. 'Kids say the damnedest things' as the saying went: he wondered if she realised just how true she was.

 

"Your mother sounds like a wise woman." He answered in a suitably gruff tone - fixing the pistol he was holding into place under his new coat before pausing again. "No claws, see?"

 

Holding out his three-fingered left hand for inspection, the hunter allowed his mind to wander a little - absentmindedly reminding itself that this might well be another young sorceress in the making. You could never be sure when they were young: since some didn't actually develop any of the taint until they closer to maturity... and those that did earlier were harder to sense that a full-fledged magister.

 

What might have earned the ire of the folk around here? Probably a well-liked member of their town - a healer or something of the sort - had needed to be purged. Adrass didn't deny any accusations levelled at him.

 

"Wrong kind of monster I'm afraid: I'm just an everyday, normal kind of monster, don't even have fangs or anything!"

 

He chuckled a little to himself.

 

"What's your name?"

Edited July 28, 2014 by Cinderscribe

[Torrent505 370]

"You're not monster at all!" She exclaimed with a giggle, his good humor had put her at ease, she reached out to play with the glove on his three fingered hand, "where did your other fingers go though?!"

 

She suddenly became a bit shy again remembering her manners, she pulled back and did her best imitation of a curtsy with her burlap dress. "My name's Sarah. I-I heard hunters always find the Mage they're looking for, is that not true too?" She looked uncertain but hopeful as clutched something near her neck under her dress, giving the slight grinding sound of metal squeezed against metal as her few coins shifted.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

Snorting at the question about his fingers, Adrass leaned back slightly - holding his hand up to the light to get a better view.

 

...

 

A streak of fire burst into existence between their linked fingers - the woman's face looking towards his own with an expression of fearful regret as he recoiled. Boot catching on a rocky outcrop, the hunter fell from the ledge while seeing the world as if in slow motion. He grabbed at the rock, but where his grip should be, there was a hole. A crack, a weak point... the woman who had changed his mind had now just proved his order correct. no witch could be trusted...

 

'...I'm sorry...' She gasped as he began to fall...

 

...

 

"Somebody I thought was a friend. A very close friend..."

 

He paused - closing his eyes briefly to deny the memories and their damnable emotions. He was over this!

 

"... uh, magicked them. Magicked them right away! First they were there, then fwoosh - missing finger."

 

Forcing a grin, he wiggled the remaining three (and thumb) between the two if them.

 

"And it's... complicated Sarah, but yes - the Witch Hunters are very good at finding people, why?"

Edited July 29, 2014 by Cinderscribe

[Torrent505 370]

Sarah had a rather sad look in her eyes, "that wasn't very nice of them... but magick always makes things complicated, my mom says that a lot when I ask her. But maybe they'll magick it back for you later." She sounded doubtful.

 

"That's why I came to talk to you..." she shifted a little uncomfortably, "my dad was a Mage and he ran away when I was little... Mom says it was because she and him had fight and it was her fault, and she misses him all the time. I don't really remember him but I dream about him sometimes." She had started slow but it all came out as a blurt at the end. To cover her embarrassment she yanked the leather string around her neck to pull out a little sack of coins. "I've been saving money from chores and that I... found." She opened the little purse and inside was a bit of copper, pences and a single gold coin. "Can I pay you to find him and send him home? Please!"

[Flying Ace 142]

Clarke could feel her bones grinding and knitting back together in his grasp, he stared as bones moved under her skin and gashes became cuts. "Marvelous," he adjusted his goggles to better observe, "simply astounding." This was the little princess and she was going to make him a rich man.

 

He looked at the armored man and 'hmm' a water Mage that were jogging to keep up with his cart. "It would seem she is healing at an alarming rate and doesn't wish to go to the doctor. I obviously can make my own conclusions from this but I might as well give you chance to be honest with me and explain what exactly is happening here."

 

**************

 

A small girl with a bit of dirt on her her face and unwashed hair stopped to curiously watch Adrass work on his guns. She stood swaying and swirling a sundress made of burlap until he looked at her, that made her stop and look a little nervous but she gathered the courage to speak. "My mommy says hunters are all monsters and everyone is whispering that you're a hunter but you look like a normal person." She gave a nervous smile, "are you really a hunter? Are you hiding it? Can I see your claws?"

 

@@Torrent505, "When our friend here is awake, she can tell you. But its not like you need to be told, at least if you are as smart as you seem." I looked at the man and decided against warning him about what would happen if he tried to play a slight of hand I think he could figure that out himself.

"You seem like a smart fellow I'm sure you can figure out what is going on, just don;t yell it out when you do." Dresden said giving a sigh of relief that Whisper will be fine, "That reminds me wheres Finn? I don't see him anywhere. I hope that little guy is also alright" 

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

Tulla got up behind Helena and held her by the waist so she wouldn't fall, she urgently nudged his hide and he strode quickly away from the Inn.  He knew where they were going as long as he had their scent. And the air was rank with the princesses' blood.

 

Whisper gasped and then turned over feebly; coughing out blood.

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

Robert, not knowing what else he could really do, simply followed Tulla. He said nothing and his face was uncharacteristically solemn. If only there was something he could do to prevent such a sudden and tragic end to their story. But alas... he found himself powerless, just as he had far too many times on this journey.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

The girls father could be dead already: it would be right to tell her that. Not to let her keep dreaming of something that was likely going to hurt her later on. He might have even killed the accursed fellow himself - certainly he would have to if their paths did cross... best not to bring that up in front of the girl though.

 

"I'm sorry Sarah, but I've got something really, really important to do first." The hunter looked at the small pile of coins that was held before him. He couldn't help but smile in spite of himself. "Do you know his name? I'll look out for him."

 

Well he had already done enough to be outcast from the order: he could at least try to avoid this girls father in the future if they ever did cross paths. Turn a blind eye to his corruption... if possible. It would be something to keep him occupied, if this sorry mess regarding the princess didn't kill him anyway.

[Torrent505 370]

@Shadow Dancer @Flying Ace

 

Clarke sighed at the armored fellow and the water Mage, "hmmm, so you're group prefers the barest attempts of subtle intrigue even when so blatantly confronted? That might serve you well in the future, though maybe silence would serve even more so if your lady's true identity does not become less obvious and the additional hints cannot be avoided." He gave a meaningful glance at the princess's blood spewing and still healing body. He slowed the cart but did not stop it.

 

He leaned over to her, "Lady... No that's no good. Whisp? Yes that will do for now." He muttered to himself before refocusing on her, "Miss Whisp, if you want this cart to stop I am going to need you to tell me aloud that you have the wounds under control, I can't have someone of such importance dying on my cart you see. It would be terribly damaging to my reputation to not give any additional aide to a pretty girl like yourself and it's quite obvious that your traveling musicians would NEVER be hired again should you die on them."

 

**************

 

Finn hung about in the clouds over the traveling cart, he could see Whisper was recovering now; Dresden and Indicus weren't attacking the strange man so he couldn't be a threat to her at least right now. So he waited for Whisper to heal completely and for her to calm things down as well as to relax herself. He had seen Whisper take more damage or at least similar wounds before, she would be find but when she was healed she would be CRANKY, she still felt the pain of the wounds and the energy to heal always left her starvingly hungry. He didn't look forward to the scolding he was in for, though seeing her snap on the strange little man and their new friends might just be worth it...

 

***********

 

 

Sarah sagged looking almost to tears when he said he was sorry expecting to be completely rejected but at Adrass's smile and request for his name she began bouncing up and down "You'll take the job! You'll take the JOB! You can find my Daddy! And, And we'll, We'll-" she jumped onto Adrass's chest hugging him tightly shivering from excitement and joy, she smelled of sweat, earth and strangely a touch of lilac.

 

She pulled away a touch of blush on her face, tears in her eyes and two fresh slightly cleaner streaks on her face. Her voice still quavered as she tried to get keep it under control, "s-ssorry M-Mister Hunter, I..." She took a breath, "my daddy's name is Jaiden, my mom says he was a handsome man, with grey eyes, black hair, a smile that could light up a room and a touch to put tingles in your heart... Is that enough to find him?" She seemed to think for a moment, "Oh and he's an el-el-elec-elelec..." She huffed in frustration as the word, "he's an lightning Mage! But momma says he's really weak and couldn't really do anything with it."

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

Tulla and Tugg sided up to the car. They were on the private road to the Lords estate now; far from prying eyes. The estate in question far in the distance still "Why are we letting some stranger cart her off" she asked, quite annoyed.

 

"Stop!" the princess yelled. With a final lurch forward; her spine mended itself, bringing back the rush of pain. When the cart stopped she pushed herself from it.

 

"SERRAFINNO YOU COME DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!!!" she yelled up at the blue sky "RIGHT NOW!". Whisper hadn't eaten yet and now she had hunger pain to go along with the rest, Finn was right. She was extremely cranky. Her clothes were sticky and reddened with blood and dirt from the fall; she still felt dirty from the journey before and now a strange man knew who she was!

 

"The princess demands food! Something good not these rotten fruits and moldy bread! Real food!" she stomped down her foot and spun around to look at Tulla "You left me Tulla! I am your princess!"

 

"Hey now, I had to help take care of the cripple...and then get Tugg..." Tugg was visibly nervous; shifting uneasily underneath his two female riders.

 

Whisper brought both her arms back and shoved them forward, when she did so, a cloud of golden dust flew at them; knocking Tulla and Helena to the ground. Tulla got the breath knocked out of her and coughed; Helena was sent sprawling in the dirt as well. They were assaulted by a minty fresh feeling; Helena regaining the feeling of her legs and Tullas ribs mended.

 

"There!" Whisper then glared at Clarke and walked up to him. They were nearly the same height; since she was tall for her age but her eyes were full of desperate anger "Thank you for helping me but one word of who I am and...and my parents will know of it! You are smart enough to know what happens when a kings rage is focused on but one, yes?"

 

"Where in the realm is Adrass?!?!" she finally yelled exasperated.

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@@RunsWithSquirlz,

 

When the princess asked for food, Robert sensed that he finally had the opportunity to contribute something. He quickly dug through his pack and pulled out a bundle roughly twice the size of his fist. "I have some of the stewed boar left over, princess. I was planning on saving it for an emergency, but since you basically just came back from the dead, I think that's good enough reason to indulge a little."

[Shadow Dancer 111]

I just watched the event before me amused at the princesses yelling. It seemed that everything has finally caught up to the little princess, and pushed her over the edge. It was not the first time seeing this happen to someone it happened to me after I killed the bandits, but I still found it mildly amusing. 

[Sekel 692]

Helena coughed when she hit the ground and felt rather relieved more than pain. She felt something hapoen to her legs and after feeling a minty-fresh feeling in them, she realised that Whisper must have healed them. "Seems like I'm no longer a cripple." Helena said to herself and slowly got up, testing to see if they were actually healed. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, Helena found that they were indeed healed and that she was, in fact, grateful to Whisper for healing them.

[Flying Ace 142]

@@RunsWithSquirlz,

Dresden jumped in the air and landed on his rump when the princess jumped and had a completely turn around of personality, "holy crap! That's one heck of a healing!" Dresden said, getting up and Dusting himself off, "well glad to see you're okay?" Dresden said in a questioning matter; not really sure if the princess is ok.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

"I'll try." Adrass stated. somewhat taken aback by the sudden display of emotion - arms held slightly out to his side as he failed to recall how to respond to the sentiment. "You can keep your coin, but I want you to do something for me though - its only a little thing."

 

The girl was as good a person as any, he supposed. Adrass wasn't overly find of children, but he didn't see them as incapable by any means. He didn't need money, but there was something that he needed.

 

"If you see a girl - a woman - come here wearing a long coat and a hat like mine. Tell her 'He's alive, but too close to the fire. He's as much a hunter as you are now'. Can you remember that? She'll have a bunch of arrows that look like this..."

 

Drawing the runic silver knife, the hunter held it up for the girl to see.

 

"See that writing? You see a girl carrying arrows like that, tell her what I said for me. 'He's alive, but too close to the fire. He's as much of a hunter as you are now'..."

 

...

 

He heard his name - it was a voice he vaguely recognised. More brattish than he recalled but...

 

"I've got to go. His name was Jaiden? I'll look out for him... " The hunter stood, gently but firmly pushing the girl away from him to keep her about an arms length away - crippled hand resting carefully on her shoulder. "... don't ever trust magic to help you: it always hurts people in the end. Take care of yourself kiddo."

[Torrent505 370]

@@RunsWithSquirlz,

 

When the Princess's response was to yell stop in his face he literally slammed on the brake and the cart jerked to a stop.  He observed her little tantrum with a nuetral face, better not to accidentally provoke her.  It didn't amuse him, actually he found it rather sad that the princess was like any other stuck up noble child he had met, demanding things, throwing her title around and even threatening to tattle on him to their powerful relative.  She had seemed like maybe someone better at the inn, apparently she was a better actor than the rest of her guards.  He tapped a compartment open, might as well act like a submissive subservent commoner if he wanted to make any money off this girl's position and power; given her apparent personality he was looking foward to that.

 

He bowed his head, "Of course I understand my Lady, though perhaps the Crown should know that your entourage is not up to par in keeping you identity secret."  He gestured toward the opened compartment, "If you're hungry I have honeyed bread and a rather fine beef jerky that satiates me duing my travels, accompanied with your handler's boar stew it should be a suitible breakfast.  I apologize for an wounds my cart caused you, it was beyond my control."  As if in response to this a thud sounded as a dragon landed rather ungracefully a ways distant from the cart, it hung its head, hiding it behind a wing and out of sight from thegroup.  It gave a little bellow and refused to come any closer, between this groups Chimera and now a dragon too large to be a proper pet Clarke began to feel nervous again.

 

************************************************************

 

Finn made the trip down from the clouds in many many lazy circles, he really didn't want to come down right now.  He didn't want to get scolded in front of all the new human friends he had made and especially not the strange man whose fault it was to begin with!  But she had yelled his full name, she only did that when she really meant something.  Finally he came to ground a little ways from the group.  He hid his face, looking at a bloody Whisper always made him feel worse and guilty even when he wasn't involved.  He gave a quiet sad call to show he was sorry, but he wasn't going to go over there; it hadn't been his fault, Whisper hadn't been out the window when he flapped and it only should have knocked the strange man flat.  He didn't deserve to get yelled at he was trying to do good, he didn't mean it to happen.  He gave a little whimper at too low of a frequency for any humans to hear.

 

@,

 

Sarah nodded her head as she repeated the words to herself.  She gave a smile, "I can keep the coins?"  she gave a little happy whoop tying the bag back to her neck.  "I can do that.  Hunters haven't come through here since I was real little, I think that was when my mom told them to find my dad too.  You're the first one I've met but if I see her I WILL tell her."  She looked a little sad as he let go of her to leave, "I won't trust it, but send my daddy home if you can.  Please."  Once he was a few feet away she ran up beside him and took hold of his three fingered hand between her smaller ones,  "And if you can't find him right away that's okay... but come back and visit again, not all adults are nice like you.  Can-can I ask your name?  I want to tell the other kids that I have friend who's a hunter and they won't believe it if I just call you Mister Hunter."  Given the way village folk nearby were staring untrustingly at the hunter talking to the local girl, who they most likely know had been fathered by a mage, it was unlikely that anyone wouldn't believe her later.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Torrent505

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

She held the portion of stew in her hands; ignoring Clarke for the moment to look up at Finn " Serrafinno! I don't care that you hurt me but who were you aiming for? Clarke,the gentleman who helped me? We do not harm others." Whisper reprimanded him "Stay on the ground"

 

Even though she was angry and hungry; Whisper took a piece of her food and gave it to Finn. She still loved him and wouldn't stay mad for long. The princess politely declined the tinkerers offer "Your cart has done enough for me at the moment." Hopefully, everyone would forgive her for her outburst once her belly had something in it.

 

"Everyone just...do something else. I'm sorry." she trudged off quickly to sit behind a far boulder, hidden from view. She wanted to throw up with pain but it was so undignified for someone like her. Though, throwing up blood in someones cart didn't have much dignity herself. Whisper sniffled and teared up a bit; she had tried being strong and inspiring; like her father was. Graceful and understanding; like her mother. Yet now she felt the weight of every ones lives bearing down on her shoulders; the whole caravan, her friend the jester and now this small scraggly group who scrambled to survive. All she wanted was the safety of her castle, to bring peace between Illia and her kingdom.

 

"Ancients, I ask you again, why? I am no warrior and my heart it not strong. I am a weak princess, why give this gift to me? Why not my mother? The more I go on, the more I believe the Hunter is right, no good can come from magic. Those souls you received were all of my doing..." she prayed sadly; the grass around her turning a sickly brown.

[Flying Ace 142]

@@RunsWithSquirlz, @@Torrent505, @@Alex Kennedy, @@Dji, @@Shadow Dancer,

Dresden looked around the group it amazed him how quick the princess could change her mood. "Well, you heard her, let's do something else, I'll talk to her because thats different then getting horses." Dresden said calmly walking towards the boulder the princess ran off to, "you know I never quite thanked you for this journey."

Edited July 30, 2014 by Flying Ace

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

"There is nothing to thank me for" she sniffled, wiping her tears with her fingers. 

 

Tulla chuckled lightly while springing back up "Well she is a princess." She took Tugg by the beak and led him over to Clarke "Now you apologize to the tinkerer Tugg. You started this mess." Tugg growled indignantly and tried to pull his beak away, but Tulla kept a firm grip "Now."

 

She then let go and grabbed Helenas cloak from the cart and threw it over to Helena "Sorry about the blood!"

 

Tugg stared down at Clarke with his piercing yellow eyes; he didn't want to apologize. It was this humans fault and he got into trouble for it. But he liked the cart; it scratched him in all the right places. So, Tugg held out a giant paw to Clarke; claws sheathed.

[Sekel 692]

Helena caught the cloak and shrugged placing it around her shoulders. It felt sticky and wet but what are you going to do when it's covered in blood? "Find something else to do? Okay, I think I can do that." Helena said, grinning to herself. She made sure she placed the cloak where she could find it again later before vanishing from view. Satisfied, Helena quickly walked away and once she was, she zoomed off to the market place. In a matter of seconds, Helena scouted out the place and was being careful to not bump into anyone or anything. 'If I were ordinary shafts ... where would I be?' Helena thought to herself and, still keeping invisible, slowly and carefully walked around the marker, trying to at least find some crossbow shafts to steal.