Rogue and El- A Chance encounter

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Tue Apr 05, 2011 4:17 pm

Zack waved a paw in agreement at Ciqala as he mentioned difficulty, looking back at Foen. “Yeah, yeah, there was this great big dragon that came out of the sky, and she was really angry and stuff, and she had an arrow in her front and one in her cheek and a big cut across her paw…” Zack looked up at the ceiling for a moment, remembering what the dragon had looked like. “And when Ciqala pulled one of the arrows out I thought she was going to eat us… And she kept saying something about an elf, it was really weird.” He looked across at Armeno, giving a smile. “You’re an elf, right? Have your people got anything against a big purple and black dragon?”

Static’s eyes widened in shock at even the mention of Tabri. She stiffened against the chair, her hand freezing half-way to her mouth with the rest of the honeyed bread. No, no, the dragon couldn’t still be alive? Surely she had killed it?
The sorcerer saw her suddenly freeze and waved at the little paper dragon to hush his prattling. He shoved his chair back with a scrape, tugging Static to her feet by her arm.
“Comeon, time for you to go and get cleaned up. I think there are some clothes upstairs you can borrow that my sister left behind last time she was here…” He steered her towards the staircase, giving her a push when she tried to stay behind. As the two started up the stairs he turned and shot Zack an exasperated frown.

“What did I say?” asked Zack, looking confused as Foen disappeared off with Static.

Foen returned quickly, having shown Static the bathroom and a wardrobe full of clothes that she started to take her pick from.

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Wed Apr 06, 2011 4:01 pm

Armeno sat up a little when the dragon mentioned another one, starting to frown and giving Kassandra a worried glance when Zack mentioned the injuries. As the paper dragon finished, Armeno looked back at Kassandra. She was stiff, shock in her eyes. Armeno instantly moved closer to her even as Foen did, and gave the sorcerer a grateful-if tense- smile as he shut Zack up and spoke to Kassandra. Armeno gently disengaged her hand from the piece of bread and gave another look after Kassandra and Foen as they went upstairs. He then sighed deeply, neatly set the bread back on the plate and drummed his fingers on the tabletop. As Foen re-entered, Armeno looked up and spoke to Zack.
'We were attacked by the dragon,' he explained a little wearily. 'It crushed my arm and burnt my chest, and Kassandra's hands and face got burnt too. She hasn't really spoken much since. It didn't bother me so much, I suppose I'm used to it more.' He grimaced and touched the bandages on his chest a little absent-mindedly. Kassandra hadn't spoken for so long now, and she had seemed better, but then Zack's words did seemed to have upset her... His eyes turned to Foen.
'Is she alright?'

Ciqala nodded in agreement as Zack spoke, particularly vigorously at the eating part. However, though he had his mouth open ready to elaborate, it slowly shut as he watched Static be led away by Foen.
'Ah,' he said after Armeno explained. 'I guess maybe that wasn't the best story to tell, then. Is she, uh, y'know, screwed up over it?' As always, Ciqala showed touching sensitivity and concern.

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Sun Apr 10, 2011 9:10 pm

Zack pulled a face as Foen returned and the elf outlined the events of the past day, twisting his paws together awkwardly. No wonder the woman- Kassandra?- had reacted so strangely when he had mentioned the dragon.
“Sorry I brought it up.” he said when Armeno had finished, his voice quiet. “I didn’t know that um.. All that had happened.” He flushed, his head fans fluttering in embarrassment.

Foen nodded at Armeno’s question as he re-entered the room, sitting down on his chair again and frowning at Zack. “She’ll be fine, but maybe you two should get out of this house for a while? The quickest way she’ll go back to normal is if everything else goes back to normal. You, my young dragon, need to watch your words a little more carefully!” He shook a finger at Zack, knowing that despite his chastening words now, the little paper dragon would probably forget them by the time a few hours had passed. When Ciquala spoke, he replied,
“Good to see you’ve found a friend with as much tact as you have Zack. As I said, she’ll be fine.”

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:57 pm

Armeno sighed.
'Well, you couldn't have known. It's fine... Just don't mention it again.' His eyes fixed upon Zack's as he finished his words, giving him a hard look to back up what he had said. Although, judging by the dragon's reactions, he wouldn't return to the topic.
As Foen spoke to him, Armeno nodded.
'I thought that might be the case... The thing is, I don't entirely know what is normal for her. I know somewhere we could go, but... She's never been there before, at least not as far as I know, but we'd be safe for a while and my arm could finish healing too. I suppose I'll just have to talk to her when she comes back down.

Ciqala shifted as the sorcerer responded to his query, unsure of the man's personality- hopefully he wasn't actually annoyed.
'Uh, sorry. I guess that's good. Well, yeah, good to hear.' His eyes flicked around the room and he traced his fingers along the grain of the wood in the table, lowering his eyes from Foen and Armeno's faces to Zack's.

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Wed Apr 13, 2011 2:27 pm

Zack cringed under Armeno’s fierce gaze, tapping his tiny claws on the table in embarrassment. He gave Ciqala a small smile, mouthing the words “He’s joking” at the homunculus. He gave a laugh as his eyes flicked upwards, the midday light catching the ends of the cutlery stuck to the ceiling.
“Foen, you’ve got cutlery stuck to your ceiling…”

“Well, you do what you think best. You’re very welcome to stay with me for a while, I like the company.” said Foen. He started to clear away the ingredients he had scattered across the table, stacking the dirty pestle and mortar with the plates Armeno and Static had used. At Zack’s remark he rolled his eyes.
“I know Zack, you put it there.” He sounded put out to start with, but as he glanced at the ceiling too, he let out a laugh. “Oh you bad dragon, what are you and your friend going to do today? Please don't add the tupperware to the ceiling.”

Zack grinned cheekily, turning to Ciqala. “I don’t know, what do you think we should do Ciqala?”

At that moment there was a light patter of footsteps on the staircase as Static slowly reappeared. She had scooped her hair back into a long ponytail, but her burnt hands had made her clumsy and a few ringlets fell around her cheeks. Instead of the black dress she had been wearing, now she was in a green one, the emerald fabric skirting around her ankles. As Foen smiled at her from the sink she gave a small blush, one hand catching at the edge of her long sleeves. Foen’s sister preferred the pretty to the practical when it came to choosing her clothes, the billowing skirt and sleeves made for a ball more than a battle, but out of everything that she had left at Foen’s, it certainly was in the practical range.

Static gave the men a small smile as she reached the bottom of the stairs, tucking her skirts around her as she sat back down.

((And because I've been oogling at way too many dresses this week, this is the one that Static's wearing now: Linky))

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:03 pm

Ciqala relaxed as Zack spoke silently to him, smiling briefly at Foen before turning his face to the ceiling as Zack spoke out loud. As Foen replied, he laughed- from what he knew of Zack, it seemed very like him.
'Hm, I don't know... What else is there round here that'd make good ceiling decoration?' Ciqala generally didn't find it easy to talk to humans, but he got on well with Zack, and the way the dragon chatted with Foen so naturally made it easier for the homunculus.

Armeno smiled at Foen.
'Thank you, it's much appreciated. I'm sure we'll figure it out.' He half rose to his feet, wondering if he should help clear things away, but he turned as he heard Static coming back down the stairs. Seeing her in the floaty dress, he took in a small but sharp breath of surprise. She looked entirely different from normal, the dress being unlike anything she would normally wear.
'That's a little different,' he said, returning her smile. 'It suits you.' He picked up a plate from the table, clearing it of all but what had been there previously, and placed it in the sink with the others, then returned to the table and sat down opposite Static.
'So, I was just thinking about where we could go,' he began. 'I know somewhere, and Foen says we can stay here for a while, but it's up to you.'

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:21 pm

Foen shook his head in disbelief at the two tiny rogues’ plans to decorate his house further- He was obviously going to have to stock up on whatever they decided to wreak. Ah well, at least it made life interesting.

Zack gave Ciqala an even cheekier grin as a thought came to him. Leaning in close so only the homunculus could hear, he whispered, “Let’s go and find that stash of butterflies that Foen’s just got. They’re pretty, some of them, and they taste really, really good!” He gave a laugh, unwrapping his wings from his sides so Ciqala could get onto his back.

Static blushed at Armeno’s approval, looking down as she fiddled with the edge of one sleeve. Then she realised what she was doing and let it go, her eyes flicking to the elf’s. She shrugged at his words, still keeping her unwavering silence. For once, she didn’t have much preference as to whether she… they… came or went.

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:33 pm

Ciqala smiled at Zack's suggestion, though one eyebrow lowered slightly.
'Well, I might not eat any,' he mumured back as he climbed onto Zack's back. 'But I'm up for looking at them if they're pretty, I guess.' He shifted, took hold of a neck plate, and gave Foen a bright grin.

[
Armeno watched Static fiddle with her sleeve, then looked up at her face when she looked at his.
'Well, if you don't mind, we may as well stay in Racksom for a day or two, get everything we need, and then head out. Does that sound like a good plan to you? We can get you a sword...' He trailed off, giving her a questioning gaze.

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Wed Apr 13, 2011 6:43 pm

Zack stretched his wings as Ciqala climbed aboard, sliding to the edge of the table and fluttering off. He headed for the staircase, knowing Foen usually kept a big cage of the colourful insects upstairs. He grinned at the thought, licking his lips expectantly.

Static nodded, the smile staying on her face. The thought of actually having a plan for a while was faintly pleasing, instead of her normal travelling from city to city on the hunt for the odd bit of work. From the sink, Foen shook his head and splashed soapy water in their direction.
"Go on, get out of here, take Miss Static to this special place of yours. If you're going a way, take those warhorses of yours, I don't want them battering my stable to pieces when they get frustrated." He gave a laugh and turned back to the sink, pushing up his shirt sleeves as they started to droop into the water.

Brushing away the water that speckled her face, Static got to her feet and pulled on her boots, wriggling her feet into them so she didn't have to use her hands so much. Next she raided the saddle that was sitting by the doorway, pulling out a pair of black gloves and slipping them over her hands. They just fit over her bandages, covering them from view.

Zack flew along the top corridor of the house, coming to rest on a little table to one side. There were a few doors either side, each one firmly closed, each hiding something exciting behind.
"Pick a door, any door!"

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Wed Apr 13, 2011 8:16 pm

Armeno's mouth stretched into a smile as Kassandra nodded complacently, a small section of his teeth flashing briefly. The smile was broken when he started as the water hit him, startled as ever by the sorcerer's joking personality.
'Well, I don't think he'd hurt the stable, more you, but all the same you don't need to worry. I never leave Velox behind.' He shook his head and arms out, dislodging the few drops of water which had landed on them. He then mimicked Kassandra's movements, pulling on his leather boots and top layers of clothing. He straightened up and glanced round the room, checking that he hadn't left anything he needed behind, then nodded satisfactedly.
'Thank you for the ointment Foen, and everything else. We'll be out for most of the day, I should think... And then come back here, if that's alright with you.' He turned his face to Kassandra, sending yet another smile her way.
'Are you ready to go, then? We'll need to sort out the saddlebags quickly before we leave, but I can't think of anything much else.

Ciqala swayed slightly as Zack fluttered into the air, catching his balance and then sitting comfortably. He looked around with interest as they flew above the stairs and into the corridor.
'Hm... I don't know, it seems like the sort of house where every room is going to be interesting.' He selected a door at randomly, extending one spindly arm to point at it.
'Does that one look good to you?'

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:54 pm

Static kept rifling through her bags as Armeno pulled on his boots, pleased at the amount of stuff the elf had managed to save from the blaze the night before. As they seemed to be returning to the house, she unbuckled the bags from Tam’s saddle, her fingers clumsy with the stiff straps. She lifted the saddle into her arms as it was freed, her sleeve bunching around her elbow until she shook it loose. Foen nodded his assent, still up to his arms in washing as they left, slightly relieved that he wouldn’t have to deal with two hyperactive horses later when they inevitably wanted exercise.

Tamarisk gave a low whicker as they made their way over to the stable, sticking his head over the half-gate eagerly. The two tacked their horses after a short brush, Static washing the bloody print out of the knabstrupper’s coat that she had left the night before, then walked him out of the stable, mounting quickly. The dress got in her way and she arranged it around her, letting the green folds droop over the back of her saddle, and on those, the brown of the cloak she had stolen off Armeno. It was more a sidesaddle dress than otherwise, but there was no helping that. She looked to Armeno as he lead out Velox, waiting to be off.

Zack laughed. “Every room is interesting!” he leaned in close, his voice conspiratory. “Once I found a cupboard full of mushrooms, all glowing, but when I went back the next day, they were gone!” He gave a deep nod, then looked to the door that Ciqala had picked.
“Any looks good to me, let’s try it!” he said, taking off again and heading for the door. He curled his tail around its handle, sliding along its cool length until it dipped below him, the locking mechanism clicking. He gave it a tug and it swung towards them, blocking his view for a moment until he flew around.

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Thu Apr 14, 2011 4:27 pm

'Thank you,' Armeno called over his shoulder to Foen as he stepped out of the door after Static.

He smiled as he led Velox from the stable to see Static tugging at the dress, trying to arrange it while sitting astride.
'I'm not sure it's really designed for this type of riding- maybe we should pick up a sidesaddle for you, too,' he teased, swinging onto Velox. The horse skipped sideways and pulled on the bit, eager to be off. Armeno tranferred the reins to his right hand to avoid straining his still-fragile left humerus, and then loosened his hold to let Velox zip off at a brisk trot, still tugging persistently to be allowed into a canter or, even better, gallop. Shaking his head, Armeno tutted,
'Honestly, he can't keep still for half a second.' This was backed up by a particularly energetic surge from Velox. The elf just sighed and looked over at Static riding beside him.
'So, to the blacksmith first?'

Ciqala raised one eyebrow.
'Glowing mushrooms aren't generally to be trusted,' he murmured back. As the door opened, he peered expectantly into the room- it was guaranteed to be interesting, after all. After a second of staring in vain at the door, Zack manoeuvered round it and Ciqala frowned.
The room didn't really appear interesting. Apart from a bit of dust and a few books, nothing actually seemed to be in there. But, close to the wall as they were, Ciqala noticed a faint outline on it. He leant over, tracing a finger along the darker line- it was thin and the groove was hard to feel, but there was definitely a crack. Upon further examanation, he realised that it outlined a door and that more covered the walls all around.
'Cupboards, I guess... Or wardrobes,' he muttered. 'But how do they open?' He prodded the door experimentally, jabbing it everywhere he could reach.
'Hey, there's a dent here,' he exclaimed, stabbing it with a tiny thumb. A quiet click sounded and the door swung open an inch or so.
'Fly round to the edge so we can open it properly,' he commanded.

Ooc: Put whatever you'd like behind the door... Or do anything to the room, really. I don't really have any ideas Smile

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Thu Apr 14, 2011 9:46 pm

Static’s eyes widened in surprise at Armeno’s jesting, huffing a silent protest as he started out of the stables. Normally that sort of remark would have earned the speaker a threat at least, but coming from Armeno, the words didn’t sting. She tapped Tamarisk’s sides after Velox, settling into his trot easily. The horse gave a snort of excitement, tossing his mane and picking his hooves up- He still seemed as bright has he had the day before, despite the long ride that they had had.

She caught up with Armeno, despite his arab’s attempts to escape at a faster pace, meeting his gaze momentarily before she looked back to the street and nodded. She looked around, trying to work out whereabouts they were in the city- The blacksmith, unlike the bookshop, was somewhere she had been for supplies before. She pointed down a nearby street, turning Tam towards it. Yes, there was a reliable blacksmith not too far from here.

They rode a short way before the blacksmith’s sign came into view, swinging from the top storey of a building. The paint was bright and shiny, showing that the man ran a good business- Indeed, the little courtyard next to his shop was bustling with horses tied to rings on the wall, waiting to be shod, one of his more profitable and regular trades, but he dealt other wares too.

Zack’s hopeful look dropped in disappointment as he fluttered around the doorway, being greeted with only the dull wood of cupboards. At Ciqala’s movement though, he obligingly moved closer to the nearest one, hovering while the little man explored the crack between two doors of one of the cupboards. His eyes raked over the room, looking for something more interesting, but there was nothing.

As the door clicked and swung slowly open, Zack backed away from the opening slightly, flicking the end of his tail around the door and pulling it open further. Surprisingly, it was light inside the wardrobe, like there was some source shining from inside. Zack frowned, resting on the edge of one of the shelves inside.
“This is weird, where’s the light coming from?” he peered underneath the shelf he sat on, squinting into the darkness to see what was below them.

A pale face stared sightlessly back at him, making him squeak in terror and nearly fall off the shelf. He recoiled, his paws paddling at the shelf to upright himself, but he suddenly realised what it was he was looking at- Why, it was just a wooden statue, carved out of some pale tree. He huffed a breath, closing his eyes in relief and straightening up. There was a faint clicking sound- woodworm probably.
“Foen keeps some strange things, I just scared the life out of me looking at this statue down there. Take a look, it’s really weird.” He grinned in relief at Ciqala, giving a nervous laugh before he hung over the edge of the shelf again. The statue was still there- of course- slightly sinister looking in the dull light. Or maybe that was just Zack’s mind playing tricks on him?

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Sat Apr 16, 2011 7:52 am

Armeno nudged Velox along the street Kassandra pointed out, happy to follow her. He nodded approvingly as he saw the blacksmith- while he didn't look like any great sword forger, Armeno could see a rack of weapons within the shop and they looked sound and well-made. A thought struck Armeno when he saw the horses tied and waiting to be reshod, and after he slid from Velox's back he picked up the horse's hooves in turn. As he had suspected, the shoes were coming loose- it had been a while since he'd last taken the horse to a blacksmith.
'I can get Velox some new shoes while we're here,' he commented to Static, tying his reins to a free ring set into the wall. Once Kassandra had tied Tam up, he headed into the shop.

It seemed noisier within than outside; the metallic clang of a hammer hitting a horseshoe which rested upon an anvil resounded through the room at regular intervals. A hot fire roared, a few pieces of metal sitting in it heating, and much more of the heat rolling through the room in waves which had Armeno unfastening his cloak and quickly steping back outside to stow it in his saddlebags. When he re-entered, the blacksmith had nearly finished the shoe- he held it up with a pair of tongs to inspect it before dropping it in a large bucket of cold water and turning to Armeno.
'How c'n'I 'elp you today?' he asked, ignoring the sizzling which emitted from the bucket behind him.
'My horse needs reshodding, and Ka-Static here needs a new weapon.' The blacksmith nodded, and strode over to the door and out to where Velox and Tam stood, whickering to each other.
'Which one'sit?' the smith asked, eyes passing over all the horses assembled there. Armeno indicated Velox, and the blacksmith inspected each of his hooves in turn.
'Yup, tha's fine,' he said, returning to the forge and beginning to look through a rack of horseshoes.
'These'll fit 'im,' he muttered to himself before stumping outside once more and calling out,
'These shoes fer the smart black 'orse over there!' An apprentice hurried over, took the shoes and warily approached Velox. Armeno smiled at his caution and followed the blacksmith back into the building, where he swept his eyes over Kassandra.
'Righ', wot sort o' weapon're you after?' he asked her.

Ciqala blinked as the unexpected light hit his face, looking up at the top of the cupboard as Zack examined the bottom.
'I don't know, it's strange...' he muttered, still trying to find a lamp or something fro the light to be emitting from. But he let out a startled yell as Zack teetered on the edge of the shelf, having to throw an arm around the dragon's neck in order not to fall himself.
'What was that?' he asked, but Zack was already answering him. Ciqala hopped from the dragon's back and knelt at the edge of the shelf, peering down to try and find the statue. As his eyes met it, he gave another yell and scrambled backwards. The statue was of a woman, quite finely carved- she had believable features and a dress which seemed to hang naturally. However, it wasn't that which alarmed Ciqala- the wooden eyes, all one material but carved to different depths and the pupil just a dark hole, were directed straight at him. The woman's pose was as if she was rising from a kneeling position, but halfway through the movement- why would anyone carve a statue like that? It would be extremely uncomfortable to hold for long in reality. The woman's mouth was open a fraction, not quite enough to reveal her teeth. And the right arm of the statue was lifted slightly, the hand rigidly directed at Ciqala. While perhaps the woman should have been serene and calm, she somehow conveyed ferocity and Ciqala didn't feel at all safe in a cupboard with her. Another thing- the statue did seem a her rather than an it, almost as if it had some personality. But the homunculus shook himself- of course not, he was just being stupid. He tore his gaze from the statue and back to Zack.
'Yeah, it's pretty creepy,' he admitted with a weak grin. 'Wait... What is that clicking noise?'

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:23 pm

Static pulled Tamarisk to a halt as they clopped into the courtyard, dismounting and tying him to one of the rings that lined one wall. His ears flicked back cautiously at the strange sounds and scents. She gave him a short rub on the nose before turning towards the blacksmith’s workshop, checking she still had the small bag of coins at her hip.

She pushed the borrowed cloak off her shoulders a little as they stepped inside the furnace-like room, the heat hitting like a wave. Despite her feeling of vulnerability of not wearing her armour (something that was as rare as a blue moon), she was suddenly grateful, for it would only make the heat worse. The room was loud and bustling, but it was easy to see exactly who was in charge. He certainly looked the part, and seemed like he knew his stuff, from the way he dealt with Armeno’s request.

When he turned to her, she took a quick look around the room, seeing if he had any weapons out on display. There were a couple, but they weren’t really what she was looking for.
“A longsword?” The man prompted, then started to rattle off a long list of different types of sword. “Broadsword? Rapier- Ladies seem to like those. Cutlass, bit different, sabre-“
Static nodded at the last. It was different to her previous scimitar, but change wasn’t always a bad thing, right? He nodded slowly back at her, looking slightly confused at her silence, but shrugged and went to hunt in his back room.

He returned quickly with a wrap of swords, lying it on a table in one corner of the room and unrolling it. The swords inside clinked, their hilts gleaming in the light of the fire.
“Are you sure you want one of these?” he asked, eying her naïve dress. She shot him a dirty look, running her fingers over the different hilts. Yes, one of these would do her nicely… she stopped on one with a wide curving hilt, fitting her fingers around the handle and drawing it slowly out of its covering.

Zack’s eyes flicked back and forth over the statue’s face as he looked at it, taking in every detail. It seemed to have a depth not far off human, which was strange for a simple statue.
“I don’t like it.” He decided, curling his tail up in knots so he could back up from the side. Something kept him from escaping her stare though, and he stayed where he was for the moment.

At the mention of a clicking sound, it suddenly dawned on Zack that there was indeed one, that he hadn’t noticed before. He shivered.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.” he said, tapping Ciqala with one paw. At his movement though, the statue moved. He gave a squeak of fear as it slowly creaked upright, moving in short jerks like a clockwork toy, her hand reaching out towards them. She turned her head to one side, regarding them with her bleak eyes. The clicking sound got more rapid as she moved, slowing a little when she stopped, but it was still faster than when it had first started. The statue stopped moving for a moment, before it stretched her hand out a little further.

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Tue Apr 19, 2011 10:27 am

Armeno smiled at the blacksmith's face, confused by her silence and slightly surprised at her choice of weapon. As he lay the swords down, Armeno examined them out of interest. As Kassandra selected one and experimentally unsheathed it, he touched a few and then picked one up as well, the blade slightly curved and more so towards the tip. He drew it from its case, laid the scabbard down on the table, and proceeded to examine the blade. It seemed well made; he gave a satisfied nod, sheathed it, and replaced it with the others on the cloth. He'd noticed the look Kassandra had given the smith; he obviously didn't realise what sort of woman Kassandra was. Seeing the looks the smith was giving her dress, he felt an explanation would be prudent before the man said anything else which would irritate Kassandra,
'Static doesn't really tend to wear that sort of thing; it's borrowed from a friend. I'm sure she'll be extremely well suited to a sabre.' He smiled as he watched Kassandra with the sabre- she really wasn't the average woman, and apparently not even average for those women who bought weapons. That was on the surface, of course- no average woman of anything except the average electricity-wielding woman would wield electricity, and Kassandra was different in other ways as well.

Ciqala shivered as Zack announced his dislike of the statue.
'Nor me,' he agreed, eying it warily. At his side, Zack too shuddered, before saying something conclusive which the homunculus was even more in agreement with that the dragon's previous statement.
'Sounds like a great idea to me,' he said, relieved, and reluctantly turned his back to the statue to climb onto Zack's back. But the speeding of the clicking and the noise which emitted from Zack's fearful mouth made him turn again, only to give another yell and take another step backwards. He tripped on Zack's long tail, and stumbled as he tried to regain his feet with wide and terrified eyes still fixed on the statue.
'What's with it?' he managed to get out breathlessly, before taking in and releasing a large breath and holding up his hands. A forcefield blossomed from his fingertips, the shimmering translucent shield arcing over their heads and encasing them almost completely in a bubble after Ciqala lifted his feet to let it pass under them; the only gaps were where Zack touched the shelf.
'I swear, that thing wants to hurt us,' he said anxiously, tearing his gaze form it to glance at Zack for a second, only to have his eyes swivel unstoppably back to the statue's blank but malevolent face.

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:58 pm

Swapping between trying a few different sabres, Static eventually decided on the one that she had picked up first, dragging it through the air experimentally. Yes, that was definitely the one that she wanted. She sheathed it again, tapping the side of its scabbard with two fingers. I want this one.

The blacksmith nodded halfheartedly, gathering up the roll of swords again in his hands and tying the roll neatly back on itself. “That’ll be seventy gold coins.”

Static’s face hardened and she shook her head, too much. She tucked it under one arm, digging in the little bag at her belt and pulling out a handful of coins. Hiding how much she had, she flicked a couple of useless coppers out of the way, counting the gold coins into her other hand. There weren’t many, maybe fifteen, or at a push with the silvers twenty, but she had other things that would pay. She dug in her pouch again, her fingers fumbling for a moment before she found what she was looking for and tugged it out, opening her palm and adding the gold.

The blacksmith’s eyes widened at the sight of a perfect emerald glittering on her glove, not large, but better than most emeralds. “Done!” he said quickly, scooping the load off Static and giving her a beaming smile. She nodded curtly, turning to Armeno.

“I don’t know, it’s weird, I’ve never seen it before!” squeaked Zack, Ciqala’s forcefield a relieving sight as it spread across the gap between them and the statue. He lifted his paws off the edge of the shelf, letting the forcefield slip underneath them. He had looked away from the statue as he lifted up his paws and tail, but now looked back, flinching away in fear as he saw it had reached up with her other arm, her palms pressed against the edge of the forcefield. Now that it surrounded them, and she couldn’t get anywhere close, the statue looked less malevolent and more… lonely.

“Are you sure, she looks sort of sad…” he said, shuffling forwards a little, and tentatively stretched out a paw. He pressed lightly against the forcefield, not wanting to distort it, but just lightly echoing the shape of the statue’s hand. She pressed against it, her lips curving down in sadness. Her eyes though, didn’t seem to portray the same emotion- although, Zack decided, it was because they were just dark pits, that was the way she had been made, no fault of her own.
“Maybe she just needs a friend?” he suggested, looking back at the homunculus.

((Sorry it took so long, muse sorta died for Static and went to dance around Rilos instead...))

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Sun Apr 24, 2011 8:26 pm

As the blacksmith announced the price of the sword, Armeno's mouth twisted slightly. Weapons were so expensive... He was glad he'd never yet had to replace his own blade, probably largely due to the magical reinforcements woven into it. He wasn't entirely sure if Kassandra would have the large sum of gold demanded in payment for the sabre, but his doubts were vanquished when she produced the emerald. Surely that plus the gold was over-payment for the weapon? He frowned and tapped his fingers on his thigh, wondering if he should say something. He almost spoke, but Kassandra seemed fine with the deal, so he restrained his words and smiled at her.
'Ready to go, then?' he confirmed. 'We might have to wait a little for them to finish Velox's shoes, though...' Despite a potential wait, Armeno could see no gain from waiting in the overheated forge, and so he took a small step towards the door.

'Well, me neither, they're not exactly common, are they?' Ciqala's voice was calmer now that the forcefield made a complete sphere around them, but still alarmed. As the woman pressed her hands against the forcefield, he tensed- any pressure would make the shield harder to maintain- but as Zack seemed to be thinking, it was merely a light touch.
'Yeah, I guess,' he said warily, taking a step closer. The statue was very much his size, and as he approached the wall of the forcefield her head turned, the mournful expression now focused on him.
'I don't trust it,' he said, shifting uncomfortably. 'It's eyes...' The thing was surely a machine, not truly living? But, he realised now, neither he or Zack were born. Neither were really made of flesh and blood. But both were people, intelligent in their own rights. What if this statue was the same, but just not as well made? Could it speak or communicate in any way? A wave of uncertainty rocked through Ciqala, and he took another step towards the wall of the forcefield and the statue.
'I don't know... Do you think it can talk to us?'

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:56 pm

Static nodded at Armeno’s question, cradling the sword in her hands as they left the little shop. It sure was hot inside, and it was even more noticeable once you got outside into the fresh air with the wind. In fact, it was a little chilly, with an autumn wind whistling through the courtyard and stirring up the leaves from the few trees that were scattered nearby. Her favourite type of weather, chill, but not cold.

She buckled her new sword to the back of her saddle while they waited for Velox’s shoes, patting Tam on the nose gently as he snorted at the hustle and bustle of the blacksmith’s. Why, the leopard spot needed to lighten up a bit, it wasn’t that frightening here! After all, Velox was near, and they were friends, and Armeno too… If anything, the elf would protect them from any danger that came their way, just like he had before.

The shoes were quickly finished, shiny silver on the arab’s feet. They could be on their way to wherever they were going now- where were they going? It was like an adventure! Static quickly mounted, shuffling the sabre into a comfortable position behind her and waited for Armeno to lead off out of the blacksmith’s.

“Yeah, I know they’re not common, but I’ve been in lots of Foen’s rooms, and I’ve never seen her before…” Zack said. He heard Ciqala’s footstep behind him but didn’t turn, watching the statue instead. She really was fascinating, almost like a human really, apart from the little fact she was made from stone…or wood... ((sorry can’t remember LOL))
“Maybe he’s just like us, made from bits and pieces and stuck on this world because someone felt like a pet?” he asked, giving Ciqala a pleading look. He didn’t want to take his paw away, but tried it for a moment- The statue flinched, opening her mouth in a silent protest and pawing pathetically at the side of the forcefield like a terrified puppy. He put his paws back where they were before, trying to calm the statue with his touch.

“Maybe you could let down your field for a moment? Just a second… Can it hurt, she can’t be able to move so fast that she’ll do much, right?”

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Thu May 12, 2011 5:49 pm

'Ready to go?'
Armeno's words were shot to Kassandra over his shoulder as he glanced back at her, Velox already sidling a step forwards without his rider. The elf grabbed the reins before his horse could get any further away and swung into the saddle, taking up the reins as he nudged the animal's sides with his heels.
'There isn't anywhere else you wanted to go, is there? If not, then we can go and see a few sights. It's a while since I've been in Racksom, but I think I can still get around most of it, and you seem to know a bit too.' He didn't really expect Kassandra to reply, but she hadn't mentioned anything else she wanted to do and so he assumed they could head straight on.

Where had the statue come from, then, if Zack had never seen one before? Ciqala still didn't trust it entirely, but he was at all sure and the tiny dragon's words only stirred his confusion. Still... For him to not trust, it, surely it had to have some personality? It might truly just be lonely, but then there was always the chance of it acting.
'Well...' He dithered for a moment, glancing between Zack and the statue. 'Okay, fine. But... Not big enough for her to actually get through.' With a small outward gesture of his hand, a circular gap appeared in the forcefield- big enough for any of them to extend a limb through, but not a whole body.
'There you go,' he said to Zack, taking a wary step back.

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Mon May 16, 2011 8:37 pm

At Armeno’s assumption that she knew her way around the city, Static cracked a small smile. Yes, she knew her way around the city, as far as it came to the blacksmith, somewhere to stay, and the way out, but other than that, she didn’t know much. Normally she just headed through the city and on to Quinsilla, which was her hometown- staying in the city for more than a few hours was proving quite the unusual occurrence for her. But strangely, she was also quite enjoying it.

She checked that her new blade was fastened securely behind her for a moment before shooting Armeno an independent look and urging Tamarisk forward, the horse shifting for a moment before he broke into a trot out of the gate. She hadn’t a clue where she was heading, but today, anywhere seemed good.

((Please timeskip to somewhere cool! Very Happy

))

When Ciqala agreed to let down his barrier a little, Zack gave a grin, taking his paws away from the side so that the homunculus could work his special magic. The statue paddled frantically as her contact was lost with the dragon, her mouth opening again.
“Thank you.” said Zack, hooking his claws around the edge of the gap that Ciqala had made and giving the statue a little wave through it. She looked at him in astonishment for a moment before she reached out and took his paw… then her face curled into a malicious smile, her grip constricting as she pulled his paw away and through the gap, her hands wrapping tight around his paper.
“Wait… no…. help!” Zack’s voice suddenly became frantic as her fingers crushed around his leg and he tried to pull free, but to no avail. “Ciqala, help! She’s hurting me!”

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Thu Jun 02, 2011 9:57 pm

As Kassandra smiled, Armeno glanced sideways at her and smiled slightly himself. While she obviously still wasn't talking, she was a lot better- and keeping in character as she rode away in an apparently randomly chosen direction. The elf let Velox follow Tamarisk, not guiding him much as they rode along. Armeno's head turned occasionally as he took in the city around them, thrumming with life and activity as people hurried through the streets. He hadn't been heading anywhere previously, but now he decided that he would take Kassandra to see a couple of sights, and nudged Velox down another street- heading North where previously they had mostly been travelling West.

They rode for a while before they reached their destination- the city was so large that it was miles from any one place to another. Eventually though, Armeno pulled gently on Velox's reins to stop the horse outside an ornate white building. It was large and lavishly decorated, with detail in gold leaf on the carved pillars which supported parts of it. The entire construction appeared to be made from marble, and heavily armed guards stood at regular intervals around it with steely faces.
'Racksom Palace,' explained Armeno with a gesture towards the building. 'Very showy, but not particularly unique. The gardens are something, to see, though... Well, chances are you've heard of them anyway.' He slipped from Veloxpes's back and gestured for Kassandra to do the same, then he led the animal onto a path paved with slabs of a fairly plain-looking stone, worn by many mounts passing through. The horse's newly shod hooves clattered loudly against the hard surface as they passed through a wide arch and round the back of the palace.

The path continued through the archway and up to a stable, where Armeno and Kassandra handed over their horses to the attendants in exchange for two slips of paper with the animal's descriptions and stall numbers hastily scribbled out. The two of them then headed out of the crowded building and into the open space of the gardens. They were open to visitors, provided you kept to the paths; stones set into patterns and kept clean, weaving throughout the huge plot of land. There were lawns, almost endless numbers of flowers, exotic plants of all manners, and a huge hill which had waterfalls, trees, zigzagging paths and many other features perched on its sloping sides. What plants couldn't naturally grow there were kept alive by magic and potions; it was a huge estate and full of amazing sights.

Armeno turned to Kassandra, sweeping an arm around the area.
'We can go anywhere there's a path,' he told her. 'I don't know if plants are your sort of thing, but I've never met anyone who didn't enjoy the gardens. Which part would you like to see first?'

'No problem,' replied Ciqala, leaning against his forcefield as he watched the flailing statue warily. When Zack reached his paw through though, he straightened with a frown.
'Is that really a goo- oh, DAMMIT.' He took a step forwards, face full of alarm, as the statue took hold of Zack's paw. He hovered about a foot away for a moment, face twisted with indecision and the struggle not to yell that he had told the little dragon so. With a curse, he darted forwards. The homunculus flicked his hand in, causing the forcefield to close around where the statue's hand was holding Zack. The shield began to try and burrrow inbetween the two beings and seperate them, while Ciqala looked through it.
'Oh, bloody hell,' he whimpered desperately, and reopened the forcefield around the statue's hand a little.
'FOEN,' he yelled at the top of his extremely small lungs, before going for the statue with his teeth- hardly a formidable weapon, but what else was he meant to do? He just hoped it wouldn't grab his head, pulling back as soon as he had crunched down with all his force- he had no idea if the statue would feel it, but he had to try. Once he had retreated, he began to try and close the forcefield beween Zack and the statue once more.

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Sat Jun 04, 2011 10:18 am

When Armeno picked a direction, Static followed willingly, noting their change in direction. It looked like he had thought of somewhere to go! She kept a close eye on where they were going, not having been through that particular part of the city before, and everything was new, and a little bit exciting, if she had to admit it. The press of people was unnerving, when she was used to the wide empty spaces of the open wilderness. Being atop Tamarisk made it seem a little better, but the sudden change from woodland to city was still strange.

She had never seen the decorated building that they came to a stop outside, frowning a little at his explanation. Surely he couldn’t think they would be allowed in a palace? She gazed at the white building for a little longer, then dismounted too with a start as she noticed Armeno slide off Velox’s back. She twisted her hand around Tam’s reins as they followed a smooth path round to the back of the palace. It was just as grand as the place itself, and she couldn’t help feel a little self-concious amongst all the grandeur. Heh, at least she wasn’t wearing her travel-battered clothes from the day before…

She pulled her new sword off her saddle as the stablehand lead Tamarisk away, strapping it over her shoulder- luckily it had come with a strap, and fitted under her cloak without showing. She followed Armeno into the gardens, her eyes bright as she took in the gardens that stretched in front of them, her eyes drawn to the waterfalls that cascaded down a rocky front, green with clinging ferns and brightly coloured mosses. She gave a smile as a pair of bird fluttered across its front, twittering loud curses at each other as they fought over the berries that hung from bushes. And she was sure, somewhere in these fantastical gardens, there might be the friendly plant she had named her horse after…

Biting her lip in excited thought for a moment, she took a sweeping look at the whole garden, then, still drawn by the waterfalls, pointed towards the tallest one, crashing into some hidden plunge pool tucked away in the undergrowth. She twisted her fingers in the edges of her cloak, then hesitantly took hold of Armeno’s hand, pulling him further into the garden.

The little paper dragon couldn’t help but yelp as the statue tugged at him arm again, trying to drag him through the forcefield. He shot Ciqala a frightened look, scrunching up his eyes as he felt the forcefield try and release the girl’s grip. She gave an angry snarl, trying to add her other hand, but the forcefield got in the way. The noise turned to a screech as Ciqala bit her, leaving a half-circle in her soft wood, and she tried to claw him back, but missed as he tightened his forcefield. There was a clatter from downstairs as Foen heard the noise, the sorcerer frowning before he started up the stairs to find out what mischief the two were digging themselves into.

“Help, help!” Zack squealed as he felt her tug him through the widened hole a little further, his long tail thrashing to get some sort of purchase on the shelf. A dusty vase went flying as his tail slapped against the other edge of Ciqala’s forcefield, his wings beating vainly like those of an insect trapped on a puddle. He felt his arm shift a little as the statue’s grasp lacked, then with a super tug, wrenched himself free of her grasp, the statue giving a scream of anger as his wrist slipped through her hands, clawing desperately at his folds. He pulled his arm away, but not before she had got hold of one edge of his paper…

There was a startling riiiiiiiip! as his paper tore. He scrambled back from the edge of the forcefield, whimpering piteously, then took one look at his broken arm and fainted clean away.

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Thu Jun 16, 2011 7:57 pm

As Kassandra looked around the garden, drinking in the many sights, Armeno watched her. He was relieved to see her smiling, the excitment spreading over her face. And while he'd been in a good mood before, her happiness was infectious and as she took hold of his hand he found himself grinning as he willingly followed her to the waterfall.

As they approached the tumbling sheet of water, the elf tilted his head back to look up to the top of the waterfall and the hill. The water held surprising power, as it always seemed to. It crashed down into the pool at the bottom with little resistance from plants; the constant force drumming on them didn't let them live for long without some magical assistance. However, a few vines stretched across which particularly daring acrobats would perform on during festival days, earning a good reward for their efforts. Armeno gestured down another, smaller, path.
'This leads to the plunge pool,' he explained. 'It's loud there, of course, but you can walk round behind the waterfall if you're careful and it's generally quite empty... I like it down there, but it's up to you where we go.' He looked at Kassandra enquiringly.

Ciqala flinched away from the statue's clawing hand, dithering once more as she and Zack continued their tug of war with his paw. The Homunculus threw himself flat onto the shelf as the vase flew past his head and shattered against the forcefield, wincing at the impact and a gaping hole flickering for a second before the shield closed up again. While the force on his shield wasn't exactly pleasant, it eas far better than being killed by a vase masquerading as a missile and Ciqala felt thankful for about a second as he scrambled back to his feet.

The relieved feeling vanished pretty soon as he saw the dragon continue to fight against the statue. As Zack seemed to get away, Ciqala brought his hands up, ready to flick the forcefield shut as soon as the little dragon was back inside it- but their attacker wasn't finished yet. As he heard the unmistakable ripping of paper, Ciqala's face contorted into a horrified expression, imagining the pain. He closed the shield into a full covering once more before he rushed over to Zack. It was hardly surprising that he had fainted... The Homunculus had no idea how badly hurt his new friend was, or what to do, and so he opened a few tiny holes in the forcefield and yelled out of them, looking worriedly at the statue which was still there,
'FOEEEEEEN! ARE YOU THERE?' He thought he had heard something outside the room, but it could just have been noise from the fight...

Subject: Re: Rogue and El- A Chance encounter Thu Jun 16, 2011 9:11 pm

The waterfall was every bit as wonderful as Kassandra had thought it- for someone who normally avoided water (electricity and liquid really didn’t like to mix), the neverending rush of water over the cliff high above them seemed to draw her like a magnet, the heavy drumming of the water onto the rocks below displaying all the awe and power of the raw element that rushed past every second. The vines and plants that hugged the rocks in every dry spot made the place look like some sort of wonderland- she imagined it to be maybe like the rainforest to the north west of the island, but Kassandra had never been up that way, so she didn’t really know.

The little side path that Armeno pointed out was like the path to an even more secret domain, and almost before he had finished speaking she was pulling him down it, pushing the thick, flat leaves that hung over the path out of their way with a rustle. The strong, heady scent of rainforest flowers hung around the place- the dampness created by the spray of the waterfall probably made it easier for them to live, and required less magic from the gardeners that tended to the Palace gardens. The roar of the waterfall got ever louder as they made their way down to the plunge pool, covering over the sound of their footsteps. The path bent around a hidden corner as it suddenly came to the water’s edge, and Kassandra eagerly pressed forwards, curious to see what sort of a place attracted Armeno to it so much to warrant his approval.

A purple banner fluttered on the end of a spear held by a guard as they rounded the corner and she shrunk back, suddenly wary. It seemed they didn’t have the place as much to themselves as they had thought… although, how could they, it was a public garden- she should have known. But… this wasn’t just the regular visitor, oh no. Her eyes widened as the prince himself headed up the path towards them, flapping in shock for a moment before she retreated back into the foliage, tugging Armeno with her behind a tree. A discussion followed between the prince and some follower of his.

“Sire… the dragon?”
“I don’t know what to do about her… She’s destroying the city bit by bit… What do you suggest?”
“Well sire, she will return, that much is clear. Yesterday’s damage was only minor, and she started on the western quarter on her flight out of the city. I would presume she was thinking to return?”
“Yes… Hmm, this is a pickle and a half… Can you not employ someone to do something about it?”
“Unfortunately there are no slayers in the city.”
“Anyone else we can pay to get rid of her?”
“Well, we could try the black market, but if we were discovered then…” The voices drifted off as the two made their way further along the path, leaving Kassandra and Armeno still hiding behind the tree, wondering exactly what had just occurred.

==X==

When there was a crash as the vase went tumbling to the floor, shattering into a thousand little pieces, Foen swore under his breath and hurried up the stairs, imagining the worst that the two tiny monsters were getting up to- it was probably Zack showing his friend the books he had used to create the little paper dragon, or the mischievous little creature was trying to get into his tank of butterflies again- that little whatsit! Fearful for the fate of his precious insects, he dashed along the top corridor, completely missing the half-open door in his rush to check his pets. When he saw that the door wasn’t actually breached, he stopped, scratching at his head, then scoured the corridor for where the two might have actually gone, going very pale when he saw what door was actually open. There was a ferocious clicking noise, then the wooden statue peered her head out of the door, one hand curving around the frame as she looked to see if the coast was clear.

He leapt for the door, too fast for the statue to move, being human himself, and her only wood, dragging it shut in one swoop. There was a horrific creeaaarrrunccch as it was squashed in the door, its joints bending at strange angles where they tried to compensate for the sudden crush. The sorcerer kicked it aside as he pushed the door open again and ran to the open cupboard, gulping in fright as he saw Zack was unconscious. He reached out a couple of fingers to stroke along the little dragon’s side, but they met with Ciqala’s forcefield and slipped off. He took one look at the carnage strewn about them, then gave the homunculus an testy look.
“When he wakes up, you two are in big, big trouble.”

((Yeahhhh, take that statue! –airpunch- Feel free to mash her a bit more if you want some anger-release, she can be dead/alive/mangled/whatever))

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