A Human Village and the Journey To

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Wed Aug 01, 2012 2:02 pm

Lyra had had enough. Her shoulder was agony, her mind had suddenly become a burning prison that she couldn't escape from, and Erin seemed to have lost all sense of control. As the innkeepers voice bellowed at them from the hallway, she made a split second decision. Before she could rethink her choice, she grabbed Erin by the arm and jerked him back, and she was fairly strong. Looking into his crazed eyes, she felt her resolve take a blow, but it was too late for regrets.

"Come on!" she yelled over the roar of the fire and the rushing that suddenly filled her ears. "We've got to get out of here! Let it die; it doesn't matter! He isn't worth it!"

She didn't care what happened to the man, but she did care about what would happen to Erin after the rage left him and he realized what he'd done. Knowing that time was limited the only way out was the flaming door, she did something that was both smart and stupid. Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, she extended left hand towards the wall and pointed with a long finger. There was a ripple as if of water and a small section of the wall burst into flames. Not waiting to see if Erin would follow her, she gave him a final tug and ran for the flaming hole. Taking a breath to steady her racing heart, she hurled herself out.

Lyra rolled as she hit the ground, instinct kicking in, and that took most of the force of impact. The bad thing? Her shoulder started bleeding even more profusely than before and she almost fell over as soon as she had bounced to her feet. The Elf steadied herself and turned to the burning inn. Erin might just kill her for it later, but she couldn't help what she did next. Left arm too injured to be of use anymore, she raised her right hand in an arc and took careful aim, spreading her fingers as she did so. The air seemed to shimmer with heat and the temperature seemed to drop twenty degrees as the fire was snuffed out as quickly and silently as a candle. All she had to do now, was wait.

She backed up a few paces, then turned and ran for the shelter of the trees. Skidding to a halt in the shadows, she turned back, heart hammering. Adrenaline rush coursed through her, making her fidgety for lack of an outlet. Come on, Erin, she thought desperately. Leave him to consequence... he isn't worth it...

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Wed Aug 01, 2012 6:07 pm

Erin growled as the Lyra jerked him back, but even with his blood lust, he knew her and what she meant to him...He grabbed the thief by the collar and raised him slightly only to crack Ro'car's head against the ground sharply. The warrior rose as the fires died. He hissed in frustration and grabbed his gear and Lyra's before jumping from the window.

He landed hard, nearly twisting his ankle as he did so, because the weight of Lyra's gear had thrown him off balance. He ran with a slight limp now towards the woods.

"Lyra? Where are you?" He called out as he ran on. His fiery anger had faded, now replaced with worry for the elf girl. He'd failed her, again...she'd been hurt and he had been asleep...that venomous worm of a thief had been right about everything...Erin felt lower than the worms that lived six feet under...He searched for the elf, his panic rising steadily with each moment he failed to locate her.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Wed Aug 01, 2012 6:39 pm

Lyra crouched on the ground, under the shade of the trees. She was cold, but that wasn't important right now. Her aura had been absorbed by the amulet, for fear that there was someone else in the area who might be looking for her. No, looking for the amulet. The accursed amulet. A light wind stirred the treetops and a Screech Owl hooted. It was an eerie sound, almost like that of a woman being tortured. Hoping against hope that Erin wouldn't hear it, she set about to fixing her arm.

First things first. She ripped her sleeve from the rest of the shirt and gathered up a handful of snow, holding it to the entry point, still without removing the blade. Her fingers were freezing from the melting water, but after a minute, she felt her shoulder going numb. Lyra shivered and gripped the handle, slowly easing it from her flesh. Warm blood flowed more freely down her arm, staining it red. She grimaced and pressed more snow to the wound. The blood flow slowed and she ripped what was left of her bloodstained sleeve into bandages. Tongue between her teeth, she tied in on clumsily with one hand. It wasn't flattering, but it would serve her purposes.

When the Elf got to her feet, she heard Erin calling. Her heart plummeted. Oh Goddess, poor Erin. She could only guess at his feelings, but she doubted that he was in a good mood. If anything, he was probably miserable, she knew that she was. Head bowed, she crept through the darkness towards the sound of his voice

"Erin?" she said tentatively. She could hear something big rustling around that definitely wasn't Shadow or another beast. A shaft of moonlight split the darkness suddenly as the moon slid out from a cloud that she hadn't known was there. The warrior's desperate and panicky face was thrown into sharp relief and she didn't know if she wanted to cry or hug him. Instead, she just stood there, unsure. She felt very small and vulnerable, but her posture was straight and her face was defiant. Lyra was mentally kicking herself for not being of more use in the fight, for not waiting for him, for being too shaken up inside to do anything but stand there. She flicked a pointed ear and swallowed hard.

"Are you okay?" she asked, then cursed herself. Her voice had come out just as shaky as she was feeling and it carried more than a hint of the emotion that she was trying to hide from him in it. Her eyes searched his anxiously and she took a tentative step forward.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:08 pm

Ro'car remained splayed out on the floor, stars clouding his vision from the blow to his head as well as his broken elbow. He turned his head to see the once flaming wall extinguish with a soft WHUMP. The innkeeper creeped into the doorframe, and immediately began to question him.

"Now you better explain to me what just happened here..." the man started.

Ro'car rolled over, and pushed himself up with his uninjured arm. He quickly slid a foot below himself, and struggled to his feet. The innkeeper made no effort to assist him, but Ro'car would have turned him away even if he had.

Ro'car began, "I could hardly believe my eyes. Those two that just leaped out through the wall, they were mages! Dangerous ones too. I thought I heard them arguing loudly, and came over to see if everything was alright. As soon as I entered the door, the black-haired man came roaring at me, igniting that very doorway! The brute snapped my arm, and his companion sought to get away before they could answer for their actions." As Ro'car was speaking, he discreetly paced the room, picking up the knives that had been dropped during battle. The Innkeeper didn't notice, staring in amazement and horror at the wall and doorframe.

"How am I going to pay for this?" The innkeeper muttered.

"I am deeply sorry for your loss, but there is nothing I can do to assist you. Now, if you will excuse me, I think I will seek a safer place to spend the rest of the night," Ro'car replied.

He had no intention of sleeping, though. He walked briskly to the stables, glad to see that Fahlo was still there. The tan stallion whickered and stamped its hoof at Ro'car's approach. Quickly, he saddled the horse, leaped into the stirrups, and spurred the horse into the night. Ro'car frowned as he felt another wave of pain from his injury.

Those two will get their reward for shaming me. They have their tricks, but I will become more than they ever were. This is no longer about mere gold. This is about my honor. I WILL find some way to defeat them.

OOC: The question is, where is Ro'car going to go on his adventure-quest for power?

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:15 pm

ooc: Merthissa is a pretty dangerous wizard that has an intense desire to capture the amulet and would probably teach him if he could earn his respect. He lives in Sylvia, but is making his way back from Caligo right now. By the time he reaches Sylvia, I think that he'll be back from Caligo...

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:24 pm

OOC: so do I need to "work my way back" through Paludem threads, or can I just say that Ro'car rode for a while and ended up in Sylvia?

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:26 pm

ooc: If you want to have a bit of fun and have your character have some adventures to give him credit, you can. But you can also just say that he rode for a bit. However, I suggest you stick with the former option because Mertissa is stuck in Caligo for the moment.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:33 am

Erin limped up to her, a look of worry the dominating characteristic of the warrior's tired face. He approached her and looked at her makeshift bandages and sighed. He gently laid her gear out next to her and then threw his own down next to her stuff. His features were drawn and haggard. He was tired of the life he lead, the power and rage he held within...and that power took so much out of him sometimes...He closed his eyes and held himself for a moment trying to rub the feeling of fire's flaming kiss from his limbs. It didn't work in the slightest and he shivered, despite the sparks that still clung to his hair and skin.

"Do you mind if i fix that for you? I'm guessing you had quite a time trying to bandage yourself up like that, especially with where your wound is." He looked over her quickly, trying to assess how badly the wound was, not trusting her to give him an accurate report. She'd down play her own pain and ask about his instead...So he didn't bother. He'd find out for himself. He wasn't about to let her almost die on him again.

He absentmindedly brushed some hair from her face and snow from her hair as he made sure that both of them were alright.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:05 am

Lyra's face felt warm, but she ignored it. Tonight had reinforced her belief that she had to leave him. Oh Goddess, she should have run while she had had the chance; while he was still fighting and looking for her. It would have been so much better for him in the long run. So why did she keep sticking to him if it would only bring grief? She had hurt him too much already, why did she want to torture him even more by staying? It would be cruel, especially when the thief was right. She could survive on her own; she didn't need Erin to take care of her. But... She looked into his chestnut eyes and wanted to cry. His haggard face looked world weary and she could have kicked herself for it. He wasn't involved with the amulet, didn't deserve any of what had just happened, but she had drawn him in unintentionally though her own selfish actions. Torn, she dropped her gaze and tried to think. Her mind, however, couldn't seem to concentrate.

"I- I-," Lyra's voice sounded just the way she was feeling; close to breaking down. She looked back up at him desperately, wanting to accept his help. But where was the divide between accepting help and letting him take care of her? She looked away, running a distressed hand through her hair. Her eyes met his again and then she looked away, unable to hold his gaze. "Alright. Sure. You can try." Her words came out quickly, with abrupt stops in between the phrases. She was terrified of losing him, but she had to leave. It was no longer safe for him to travel with her, that much had now been proved to him.

The Elf girl blinked rapidly, trying to drive away the tears that she hadn't known were there. So now she was going to start crying? No. She refused to look that weak in his eyes. Even if she was only strong on the surface, he didn't have to know how emotionally unstable she was. Lyra didn't know what to do... her world had been turned upside down and she had no idea how to navigate the new, fragile realm of her heart.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Thu Aug 02, 2012 5:05 pm

Erin blinked. Oh goddess...was she CRYING?? The warrior shook his head in shock. Now what in Goddess's name was he supposed to do?

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. His hand came up and he gently wiped her tears.

"Hey? It's okay...it's okay.." He tried to comfort her, but felt that he was not quite doing it right...he killed people...not comforted them...he just hoped he didn't push her away...

He ran a hand over her bandages. They were loose. Of course they were. She'd had to tie them on with one hand...He touched the bandages lightly. They'd come off if he didnt tighten them. But he couldn't do it now...not while Lyra was crying in his arms...so he held her and spoke softly to her, hoping, that, on some level, it would help her. He summoned his powerful aura and used it to push the cold night air back. He warmed his body and hoped, that perhaps, his warmth would help her deal with whatever demons were ravaging her heart and soul right then...

"It's not your fault...not your fault...you're safe now...that's what matters..." He looked up to the dark night skies and made a silent prayer to the goddess hoping that he'd be of some comfort to the elf maid...if only just...

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:57 pm

Lyra almost cried harder when Erin gathered her into his arms. No, she thought desperately. Oh Goddess, please, no! But the Goddess seemed deaf to her pleas, because Erin was doing what he could to try to comfort her. His compassion completely undid her and she sobbed her heart out onto his shoulder. She hadn't cried like this in years, heck, she hadn't cried at all in years. So why now? She didn't have an answer to that question, though Goddess knew she needed one. She was conscious of his warmth against her cold body and was comforted. The Elf felt safe in his arms and her heart shied away from that feeling; she couldn't let herself get close to him, couldn't let herself feel this way... Once she surrendered to the dark emotion, it would be too late.

After about a minute, she managed to get a hold on herself. Lyra had expelled the worst of her emotion and now it was time to move on... she just wished that his last memories of her hadn't been ones of her sobbing. Slowly, she dropped her arms, dried her eyes... but she didn't move away.

"You wanted to look at my shoulder," she said in a small voice, staring at the ground miserably.

Oh Erin, she was going to miss him when she was gone... a lot. Mentally, she shivered. What if the intruder had been right... what if Erin did love her? If he did, the parting would only hurt him all the more. Her resolve almost crumbled there, but then it solidified again. Better to leave sooner rather than later, before such feelings could leak into their tentative friendship. Lyra was tired of running from all her problems, but now wasn't the time to take a stand. Right now, she had to stay alive long enough until the rebellion could unfold. Then, it would be safe to fight back... not before.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Sun Aug 05, 2012 11:49 am

Erin was shocked at her tears.

Oh Goddess….what was he supposed to do? How does one handle this??

He whispered softly, “Hey, it’s okay…I’m not going to leave you. Not ever. I am here…I am here…It’s alright…”

She dried her tears and mentioned her shoulder.

Erin nodded. “Shoulder….right…of course…” he was, of course, distracted by her forlorn and miserable expression. He gently rested a hand on her bandages. They were too loose to really do any good to her…

“These will need to be changed…Are you alright with me cleaning and re-bandaging that? I don’t want it getting infected…” He seemed unsure if she wanted him messing with her shoulder. His hands were larger than hers and rougher too, though that came from years of sword play and unarmed fighting. They played gently over her velvety skin feeling the swelling that was beginning to show itself around the edges of the makeshift bandages.

His eyes closed as he felt the warmth of her soft skin. He caught himself and stepped back suddenly, shyly.

“Oh, er…I’ll find some bandages then…” he turned away and began to rummage about in his pack searching for his medicine satchel and the clean bandages that were in it.

As Erin riffled through the pack, Shadow slipped into sight, silent as a ghost. The large dire wolf noticed Lyra was hurt and began to lick her hand and rubbed his head against her, whining softly all the while. His thick grey fur was lightly dusted with snow and a few stray leaves had been caught in the long hair. He didn’t notice them in the least. His warm snout brushed against the elf and his steamy breath was steady and strong; a comforting sound in a wood full of more sinister ones. The dire wolf’s stormy grey eyes seemed to shine with an impossible light, his emotions pure and vibrant. The wolf cared for the elf. He used his massive body to shelter Lyra from the frigid winds and stinging snow that such winds whipped up. Like a desert sandstorm, Shadow knew from experience, these winter winds were just as dangerous, and so, he did his best to shelter the elf maid as best he could.

Wolf and man…why so close? Why so similar? Erin Wolf was a human turned Legacy…but his childhood friend did not go unchanged when Erin was granted his powers. The wolf, once a simple grey wolf, was made into something more, much like his master. Shadow became a dire wolf; huge, six feet tall at the shoulders, and with intelligence rivaling a humans’. But there was more. His fur changed color to allow him to blend into his surroundings, making him a fearsome predator indeed. He could leap seven yards in a single bound and has a resilient and hardy body, having taken numerous arrows and sword wounds without slowing down in the least. The most interesting aspect, however, was that Shadow was now intimately linked to Erin’s soul. He was what was called a soul creature. Soul creatures were extremely rare these days, the reason being that their soul mate tended to be weaker than they, and upon death of their soul mate, they would die with them.

Soul creatures have the ability to share their soul mate’s thoughts, feelings, emotions, pain, joy, and are able to directly communicate to the soul mate regardless of distance…

Shadow was one of the strongest linked soul creatures. That is to say, few beings had a stronger connection between one another than Shadow and Erin Wolf.

So, it comes to no surprise that, as Erin’s heart was slowly finding its way into Lyra’s hands, so was Shadow’s .

Erin was starting to realize that he was beginning to love this strange elf… for whatever reason, and with that revelation…Shadow was finding himself more and more protective of Lyra as well.

The dire huddled closer to Lyra as Erin finally found some fresh bandages.

“These should work. Are you willing to let me try to rebind the wound?”

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Fri Aug 10, 2012 4:59 pm

"I’m not going to leave you. Not ever. I am here…I am here…It’s alright…"

At those words, her heart both dropped like a stone and felt lighter than air. No, oh Goddess, no! Anything but those words, anything but. Anything... She'd give anything to not have heard those words... but at the same moment, she longed to hold onto that promise and never let go. But... No. No! She couldn't let that happen; she couldn't let herself fall for him. Not now; not ever. What had just happened proved that she wasn't safe company. Good Goddess, she'd almost gotten them killed.

By the time Erin had finished judging his examination of her shoulder, Lyra had readied her mind again. That is to say, her face was once again a hard mask of calm and her thoughts were under control. Well, most of them were, at least. Her eyes were dry and her expression was one of resignation and determination. No one would be able to guess, just from looking, at her the storm that raged inside.

The Elf girl was, in all honesty, a stranger to what is known as friendship, compassion, and simple trust. She had not a friend in the world to teach her that she wasn't alone in the chaos that surrounded her. She had never known anyone who had made her understand that her life was valuable. In all her years, she had only known Alrog to look at her as an equal with a soul... but those memories of him were growing hazy since she had fled who knows how many years ago. The old bard had been more like a father figure in her lonely existence than anything else. He had not treated her unkindly, but she had always gotten the hint that she was in his way, a constant hindrance that was tolerated and sometimes enjoyed, but little more. She did not remember her father.

Now, Lyra found herself in a situation where she was traveling alone with a man who she knew hardly anything about and he seemed to care about her for whatever strange reasons he had. She would have been a fool not to be suspicious and more than a little wary of him, but he had given her no personal reason to be frightened of him or to assume that he would try to take advantage of her. Slowly, he had begun to earn her trust... and something more.

Whether unfortunately or fortunately, Lyra was more than aware as the danger she posed, not only to herself, but to others as well. She had a reckless streak, but she was unwilling to remain with Erin if it put him and Shadow in danger. Not only did she feel partially responsible for them, she was also starting to care about Erin in a way that was anything but rational. If he got hurt or killed because of her, she didn't know what she would do. That was why she had to leave him. Tonight.

However, she could do with his help for the moment and she didn't want to have to say those words yet. In reality, she was stalling.

"Please," she whispered, not meeting his eyes, when he asked about her shoulder.

Oh Shadow... her eyes settled on the wolf trying to shield her from the elements. She could take whatever got thrown at her, hadn't she tried to prove that? He too, didn't need to try to protect her, but even the wolf seemed to have changed. From looking at Erin's small movements, his moments of shyness, the times he was over-protective when she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself... it was clear to her that he was starting to feel the same way. Lyra didn't know what to do. All she could do was hide her own feelings and hope that he would lose interest. She would be gone by the time the sun rose, for this time she meant not to turn back. He would have to lose interest. If she was right, it was already to late for her... but he could still save himself.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Fri Aug 10, 2012 6:09 pm

Erin flipped out a dagger from his belt and used the tip of his blade, with surgical precision, and cut away the loose bandages.

"That doesn't look good..." he said under his breath. Her skin was angry and inflamed. So soon? He cursed himself for having been unconscious when the intruder broke in.

His rough hands slid over the wound. It was deep. He swore at himself again. How could he have slipped up so badly? He looked at Lyra. "The wound will get infected if it isn't...cleaned." He looked at her. He hoped she'd forgive him. He held up his dagger, the tip glowing red. "There is only one way i know for treating that wound Lyra..." He looked at her, silently asking her for permission.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Fri Aug 10, 2012 6:27 pm

Lyra knew what he was getting at. She wasn't an idiot; she had treated herself for infections before he had come along.

Without even a sigh, she nodded. "Go ahead," she said.

Her voice was flat and expressionless, with little to no emotion to her words. She impressed herself with keeping the nerves out of her voice, but then again, she had always been an actress. She had always kept her emotions bottled up, probably an unwise move on her part, and rarely did much of anything show on her face after all these years of practice. Well, at least something had come out of all her years running from fate.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Sat Aug 11, 2012 5:41 pm

Erin sighed. The dagger rose up, held in his right hand. His eyes closed. No longer was the tip of the blade red...it was blue...and then...blindingly white...white hot. Erin opened his eyes and steeled himself.

"Shadow...bring a rag..." The dire wolf brought a small, clean, rag out of a bag and gave it to Erin. The warrior handed her the rag. "Bite on that...you WILL need it." He looked away. He placed his left hand near hers. His right lowered the burning blade towards her pale skin.

HSSSSSSSTT

The point drove into her wound and sizzled sickeningly. He felt her body stiffen under the blade. Erin’s expression hardened. He carefully, delicately worked the white-hot point over every inch of the wound, making sure it was totally cleaned. One couldn’t tell if the watery look in his eyes were from the heat, or from his feelings for her and what he was doing to her…

His face, seemingly etched in stone, was hard and determined to finish the task.

He closed the wound then, with a flare of flame and stepped back, sweat dripping from his brow. His face twisted as he noticed the pained look on her face. He cursed himself for having not protected her, but made sure she didn’t hear it. He placed his hand over the wound. He could summon flames…he could scorch, and burn…but could he do the reverse? Could he draw in heat? He decided to try.

His hand on her cauterized wound he began to delve deep within himself seeking his powers. He closed his eyes and imagined, not sending forth flames, but breathing them in…through his hand...

He felt tingling, but was unsure if it was his power, or just his hand going numb. He gave up after a moment, convinced his attempt had done nothing.

His expression unreadable, he whirled and flung the dagger into the ground, almost as if he loathed what he had just done to her, hated that he had had to inflict such pain on her, and stalked into a dark shadow a few feet away and sat heavily, head in hands.

Shadow, meanwhile, never left her side.

The deed was done. Erin had cleaned and cauterized her wound with his burning blade…but…at what cost?

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Sat Aug 11, 2012 8:43 pm

Lyra knew the pain was coming. As soon as he had taken out his dagger, she knew exactly what he was going to do. She herself had never cauterized wounds, but she had seen others do it, trying to save the men whom she had been forced to destroy. When he handed her the rag, she took it, but didn't bite on it like he had told her to. Instead, when he raised his hand, she closed her eyes for a brief moment, preparing her brain. She had felt true suffering before when she'd once been shot with an iron arrow... this could hardly be worse than that; and heat and fire had always been her friend. Well, if the pain was coming, she was ready.

When the blade drove into her skin, she was ready. Her eyes were open, glazed, locked on nothing in particular, but fixed into the forest. She felt her body immediately stiffen when the burning blade began its work, but her mind was far away. She had no memories to take refuge in, so she blocked it from her mind. How? Even Lyra would have a hard time explaining just how, but it was largely due to the fact that she had spent too much time taking refuge from the real world in her own head; tuning the pain out now was not hard for her. It was more than that though. The knife was what was largely causing her what pain made it through her mental barriers, not the heat emanating from it. Heat was no problem for the Legacy; she could withstand temperatures that would have most people screaming in pain without feeling the slightest discomfort. No, it was the knife that penetrated her numb mind.

While her eyes were distant, her expression was one of the body, twisted in pain from what he was doing to her. Lyra wasn't perfect, she had limits. There was only so much she could hide away. Even though her mind was locked away in another realm, her face betrayed the pain she was feeling in the part of her brain that she couldn't quite suppress.

When Erin laid his hand on her arm, she knew that it was over. Mind still numb, she managed to take a hold of her consciousness and drag it back to reality. All of a sudden, she was acutely aware of the pain that almost blinded her, numbed her arm, made her suddenly struggle not to fall to the ground. At his touch, she drew strength. In her shaky world, he was the only thing that seemed truly real.

All of a sudden, he whirled around and threw the dagger into the ground with such force that she flinched, fear flitting across her face for the briefest moment before she shut that part of her down. And then... she let it trickle back. She owed it to Erin to stop hiding. The Elf girl let out a breath that she hadn't known she'd been holding. A mixture of emotions that she no longer had the heart to fight back filled her face and she took a few unsteady steps to where Erin had gone. Her shoulder throbbed with pain, stabbing at her weary mind and body. Erin..

Before she could stop herself, Lyra sat next to him. She didn't have the strength left to look into his face, so she didn't even try. Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "Thanks," she murmured after a moment. She wasn't strong enough to utter more than that one word, but she hoped he'd understand. She had been through a lot today.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Sat Aug 11, 2012 9:56 pm

Erin looked up, warily, at the elf and then sighed. What am I to do? He rested his head on hers. Then, Shadow padded up and placed his muzzle on Lyra’s lap. They sat silently for a moment, together, in this frigid and frozen winter landscape. The moonlight made the snowpack glitter as though the ground were studded with a myriad of gems.

The Master of Flames watched as snow began to fall. It was still night and it was getting colder by the minute. The warrior stood slowly, careful not to bump the elf girl’s shoulder, and pulled off his heavy traveler’s cloak and draped it gently about her shoulder without a word. None were needed.

Erin then proceeded to draw Deathblade and set it alight with a mighty WOOSH. Crimson flames danced across the argent steel of the sword like fingers over a piano, their burning digits bright and hot. Erin twirled the fiery weapon once and then jammed it into the ground a few feet from Lyra and Shadow. Its heat was easily felt by all there and the intense flames began to melt a small ring of snow around the blade leaving the ground bare and dry around it in a matter of moments.

He nodded once at his handiwork and then sat back down by Lyra’s side and wrapped his arms around her with surprising gentleness for such a rough looking warrior. He simply held the elf maid in his arms and lay his head against hers, her silky hair brushing against his face. If this was some sort of a dreamland…he didn’t mind staying for a while longer…at least…until some monster decided to show up…

So it was with Erin Wolf. He found that he’d rarely get more than a few days of peace before something else managed to send him back out into harm’s way. He simply prayed that the elf didn’t suffer his disastrous luck, his fate…perhaps I can make it so that at least this fire legacy, this elf, will have a better life than I…perhaps…perhaps…His thoughts trailed off. His focus returned to Lyra and how she’d nestled herself against him.

Silver moon watching over them, human, elf, and dire wolf held each other, alone, in the woods of Lapidem, as flakes of snow began to twinkle and float down from the heavens above. The night may not have started off well, but with the elf in his arms, and the moon’s soft glow illuminating snowflakes to look like diamonds in miniature, making it difficult to distinguish if the sparkling lights in the black of night were stars or snowflakes, Erin felt there were few ways the night could end any better or more beautifully for that matter.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Sun Aug 12, 2012 2:19 pm

Lyra was drifting in a world between sleeping and waking. Still aware of everything around her, she nevertheless was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. After a few minutes of struggling with herself, she gave up and allowed herself to drift into a dream-like state. Eyes closed, she was acutely aware of the rest of her surroundings, even if her other senses were slightly muffled from a need to sleep.

If there was anything that was dominating her mind and senses at the moment though, it was Erin. He was still wearing his armor, and armor felt extremely cold to the touch during the frigid nights of Lapidem. At first, she had regretted her need to be near him, but then he had given her his cloak and set his sword ablaze and it wasn't so bad. How he managed to wear armor all the time, she had no idea. If she had to, it would probably drive her insane. Maybe it was something to do with the fact that he was a warrior... or maybe he was just crazy.

Crazy.... Erin? That thought brought a flicker of a smile to her face. Well, if he was crazy, then she had to be. She smiled and nestled into his embrace, content.

The Elf must have nodded off, because when she awoke, Erin was asleep and so was Shadow. Good. She felt regret in her heart for what she was about to do, but was convinced that she was doing the right thing. Gently, she eased Shadow's head off her lap and stood up. Snowflakes caught in her hair and her injured shoulder was numb from the cold. That too, was good. She covered Erin's sleeping form with his cloak and moved a step away to pick up her pack. Shadow's ears twitched slightly and she froze. After a moment, he relaxed again and she let out a soundless breath of relief. Ignoring her shoulder, she swung her pack onto her back and moved back to Erin.

For a long minute, Lyra stood, staring down on him. His face was so peaceful... she hoped her leaving wouldn't hurt him as much as she feared. Sadly, she bent down and kissed his cheek in farewell. "I'm sorry," she murmured as she straightened up. It was time. She had delayed too long already.

Leaving him was hard enough to begin with, so as she moved off into the cover of night, she did not look back. With each step she took, she struggled not to turn back around. After a few minutes, she gave up. She had made her decision and she was sticking with it. Lyra broke into a run, then a sprint. Fast as a deer and with legs just as agile, she moved through the night like a soundless shadow, feet barely touching the ground as she sped away with inhuman speed. Before the minute had passed, she had passed from both sight and sound of the warrior and his wolf... and after a few hours, she was gone. Lyra was gone. She would not come back this time.

ooc: You knew that Lyra was going to leave; don't take it personally, she loves him... she just doesn't want to hurt him any more than she thinks she already has.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Sun Aug 12, 2012 3:47 pm

Erin awoke, cold, and with an empty feeling in his soul. He looked about.

GONE

Lyra was gone. No trace, no sign of her whatsoever. Erin sighed…and then cried. He cried like he had when he’d watched his father die in the rubble of their home so many years ago.

There was nothing he could do this time. He had to let go of her this time. He had to let go. There was no other choice. He had a mission, a duty he had sworn himself to complete first. The Shadow King must die. He just hoped that, somehow, somewhere, sometime, someday he’d run into Lyra Clear-Waters again.

Erin’s tears melted tiny dips in the snow. A few hours later, after he’d slowly regained control of his emotions, after hugging Shadow close, he stood, eyes still red from the tears, heart still aching like never before.

He cursed himself for screwing things up.

And then, he swore an oath. I will be back.

The great Erin Wolf, Champion of the Goddess, and Master of Flames, lover of Lyra, looked up to the heavens and prayed that he’d survive the next several years. He prayed that he’d survive so that he could search for Lyra someday. That he could prove that he’d meant what he said to her.

Erin remembered something he'd heard King Manteron say to Elhren Grisshem once...

The thing about the past, is it has passed you by already. The thing about the present is that it's the here and now of your life; the time to chose what your future will be, and what you'll put in your past. The future? Well, THAT is the time when you look back and smile , because if you used your present right, then you'll know your past will be okay.

Erin was ready to make his choice here and now. He was ready to go make a future...and he hoped that someday, in the future, he'd be able to put aside all the pain, all the sorrow, all the frustration he had in him...to be able to to find forgiveness for his misdeed by serving the Five Realms as best as he could. It hurt. A lot. More than anything had hurt him before...but he had to swallow his pain if he wanted to make his life and Lyra's worthwhile...As long as the Shadow King lived...Erin and Lyra had no future...

It was time to go.

He began to walk away from the small patch of snow that he and Lyra and sat together in.

Erin looked back once. He sighed and then turned towards the village he’d just left. He had a family to repay. Perhaps someday, Lyra Clear-Waters, we will meet again…until then…farewell until next time.

He would not forget. He’d be back. He’d sworn. For eternity and ever, forever…and for always…He swore he’d try to come back…someday…

OOC: Yeah, i knew she'd have to leave. Erin loves her too. Like i wrote up there...he's gonna try to make good future, as much as it hurts him in the present, he knows what he wants and is willing to walk that path to get it.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:33 pm

ooc: Unfortunately for Erin and Lyra, I'm planning on killing her off.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:54 pm

OOC: As long as you do not mind Erin dying too. Good. Glad we got that settled.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:01 pm

OOC: WHAT? PLEASE DON'T KILL ERIN! HE'S SO AWESOME SAUCE! Sad

Please? C'mon, he'll never find out she dies... it's going to be very quiet and she'll be disguised too. He only knew her for a week, Wolf. He'll be fine after a few days, be realistic.

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:20 pm

OOC: I already have a good plan for it too...his death wouldn't be quiet...no...not him...not with what the Shadow King has in mind for Erin...After losing his mother, his three brothers, and his father...and Shadow (later of course...i need a good death for him too, of course), Erin's last driving force was Lyra...but after news of her death reaches him, he abandons all rational thought, and simply marches right up to the Shadow's Fortress...Burns everything in his path to get there, just FYI, and then fights the Shadow King in a battle to the death...of course the Shadow King cheats...and Erin dies...simple really...Shadow uses the one last hope in the Five Realms to take them over. Surrender or Erin dies...and of course, he emphasizes the point in each realm by public "demonstration" of torturing Erin...quite thrilling...and epic...I assure you...and riveting too...at least...until Erin runs out of fingers...but then again...i may just keep him alive to see what happens to him in this little story of his...i'm not sure yet...check back later and we'll see...

Subject: Re: A Human Village and the Journey To Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:22 pm

ooc: That's just depressing....