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Post by Leopold Martin on May 6, 2009 9:28:19 GMT 5.5
Dawn broke calmly over the Khun Mountains once again, promising a beautiful day along the snowy mountain caps. The air, thin like always, felt crisp and fresh after the night carried brisk winds over the hills. A layer of snow had replaced the old after the wind scattered the frozen flakes down the sides of Khun. Every morning brought the feeling of a brand new world at this secluded part of the mountains.
Known only by map route or guided by a scout, the Monastery is a very important part for a traveler to visit. Druid monks living here held an obligation amongst themselves to help others rest, learn, and find a righteous path during this troubled time. A few monks offer their services in making potions and healing the wounded for a reasonable “donation.” However, on this spring morning no senior monks were awake to give vows, aid, or offer help to the visitors – except for Leo.
Leopold, a druid priest, awoke long before the others at the Arysian Monastery. Always the first to rise, Leo took care of the wounded in the infirmary wing, maintained the private herb garden, and swept away lose dirt at the entrance.
At the end of the week, only two patients seeking care stayed, so investigating their progress was a light job. He trimmed and harvested some herbs, and refreshed the cold-resist plants with water. Not even an hour pasted before his chores were completed. Leo had just enough time to enjoy the sunrise while sweeping away dirt and scattered lumps of snow off the front steps.
Midway through a sweeping motion, he noticed something appear suddenly in the distance. He was unable to determine whom, or what, it was. Whatever it was, Leopold had a feeling it was heading near the monastery.
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Post by Destiny on May 6, 2009 11:29:45 GMT 5.5
It was a beautiful day to fly, and an even more beautiful day to scout around. Such days were uncommon on the Khun Mountains, where it was hard to get clear views at any time during the year, and Raelie was determined not to waste even a moment. She had been flying around for quite some time now, and had made neat notes on the map of the Khun Mountains that was already existing. It was not a very detailed map, to be a sure, and wrong in many ways, so she had to check every part of it many times. It was hard to get complete maps of the Khun Mountains. Even she was finding it an arduous task, and she was able to fly.
She scouted around a little more, then flew over to the next hill, and then gazed in wonder at the beautiful landscape that awaited her. This reminded her of the reason why she had decided to make the maps of this particular place first. It was so gorgeous that it was a delight to map, and she wanted to map it so that other travelers could also see it. She looked at the map, made a few notes. She would have liked to meet the map-maker and tell him a few choice maps on the quality of his map, it often made her feel that he had never visited the place in the first place.
Biting her lip, she saw that there was a monastery marked on the map. A monastery, in this desolate place, and mapped. She supposed she would have to check it out to see if it still existed, or whether by this time it had become ruined or buried beneath the snow. It would also be interesting to see who lived in that particular place. She looked around at the direction shown by the map, she could see a little dark spot where the monastery should be. She gracefully took flight, her white wings beating a little, and then once she had gained momentum, being still so that she could glide. It was hard to fly for long periods at the speeds at which she flew.
She went near the monastery, and then stopped in front of it, seeing a map there. She was suddenly aware of a cloud darkening the cheerful morning, and prayed that there wouldn't be a snow storm or something similar that would make it impossible for her to fly. She turned back to her task, and asked the man in her clear voice, "Is this the Monastery?" Her accent betrayed the fact that she was part of the so-called 'invaders.' She pulled out her map, and said, "I'm scouting to make a new and better map for this place." The word better was accompanied by a slight, disdainful sneer.
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Post by Leopold Martin on May 6, 2009 12:05:25 GMT 5.5
Leopold leaned the broom against the stonewall beside him as this winged woman came forth. “Yes this is the Monastery,” He nodded simply. He could see two familiar shapes as the sun shone behind her. This woman possessed the wings of a mesia. Leopold remembered the first one he saw before he lost most of his sight. His white wings, covered in blood from a battle, reflected an eerie unnatural glow from the sun’s rays. Yet a gruesome sight to behold, Leo was awestruck.
“You are welcome here; if you need any help I would be happy to assist.” He said, his eyes closed and in a friendly voice. Leo took no note in her disdainful sneer, yet figured her prided herself as a excellent mapmaker. “May I ask for your name?” He added, curious about this newcomer.
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Post by Destiny on May 7, 2009 11:34:08 GMT 5.5
A sudden wind was picking up, if it continued she would not be able to fly, it was hard for a Mesia to fly on the Khun Mountains under bad weather conditions. She looked at the man in front of her, and turned her head to a side, a sure sign of her curiosity. She took one step further into the Monastery, and then stopped, some snow had started to fall. She was sure that a snow-storm would soon start, she would have to find shelter. Perhaps she would be allowed to wait it out in the Monastery. She would have to ask the man in front of her. Something about him made her feel like something was out of place, like something was wrong.
He offered her help. What would he say if she asked to stay. Hopefully he would not mind. "I was wondering...if I could stay here...I feel that a snow storm is coming, and it is perilous for me to try and fly in that...if you don't mind," she said, hesitatingly. He seemed friendly but she still felt uncomfortable, for some reason. "My name is Raelie...and may I ask yours?" Her manners were nowhere as cultured as his, her language was not as refined, but then she was only a village girl, and he was obviously a man of the world. She was glad, at least, that he had not been hostile to her due to her accent, that proclaimed her invader status quite clearly. Try as she might she could not disguise that.
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Post by Leopold Martin on May 7, 2009 21:36:09 GMT 5.5
The few travelers who came this way held an impression of gratitude toward the benevolence he endowed them. However, something was different in Raelie’s voice. A feeling only Leo could describe as an insecure environment. Maybe this newcomer felt the Monastery was distrustful, or strange to present such goodwill to the public. In his judgment, she appeared as a self-sufficient woman. The hesitation she shown while asking for shelter guided his thoughts. Whatever his opinion, he would not judge her so quickly. On such a beautiful morning, a snowstorm would arise. It seemed unbelievable for such a gorgeous forecast above to turn against them. Nevertheless, weather itself was erratic on the most predictable days so he did not argue with someone so accustomed to the sky.
“Nice to meet you Raelie.” he said repeating her name and offering no handshake to the uncomfortable woman. He continued with a humble smile, “My name is Leopold Martin, and I am the head priest of this Monastery. We offer all explorers free residency and care during this time, including you.” However, acceptable donations were appraised he kept out, “Snowstorms usually last a while here. Maybe I can help you with your mapmaking?” Leo knew much about this land, the routes back and forth, and all the danger in-between. If she needed a traveling partner – or protector- this ex-knight had the skills required.
He understood if she was skeptical. Offering help so boldly to a stranger was unethical now days. His manners, mandatory during his military years, stayed with him and serving was routine.
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Post by Destiny on May 8, 2009 9:21:13 GMT 5.5
She took a step into the monastery with caution, but she thought it was a fairly pretty place. Not too ornate, but with a simple beauty. Her uncultured eye could not appreciate it wholly, but she still thought it fairly good. Pushing a strand of her light colored hair behind her ears, she took another hesitant step. Aryan had told her, that when touring the world, it was important to be suspicious of too much kindness. There was always some hidden motive behind each and every thing. Nothing was innocent. And yet this man seemed to be just kind because he was kind. She found it strange, to say the least.
"It's - umm...nice to meet you too," she said in a small voice, awed by him a little bit. "So you are the Head Priest here...are there many people here?" Would there be many people here in this godforsaken place at the end of the world? She did not think so. Of course there was a place beyond this, which she planned to map, southern Arysia, but before she started there she wanted to map the rest of the region first. "Yes, it can be very dangerous to be caught up in the middle of one, especially if you are flying." Thankfully it had never happened to her. "My map-making!" she was surprised that someone would show so much interest in her...why would he? She took out her map however, anxious not to miss on the knowledge that anyone who had been living here would have. "Uh...how many years have you been living here?"
She pulled out her map, the latest one, which she was carrying in her a small leather pouch on her waist belt, and then sat down, spreading out the map. She was perfectly comfortable sitting on the floor, but as soon as she sat she suspected he might not be. She looked at the map, beautifully etched, with all of the mountains mapped in neat black strokes. She then put the older map, the negligent one, beside it. It was written over a lot, though she had done it as neatly as her map, it was quite creased and worn out, unlike her map. She could not doubt it, she had bought it second-hand.
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Post by Leopold Martin on May 8, 2009 10:08:48 GMT 5.5
Once Leopold closed the doors leading into the foyer, the room settled to a warmer temperature. “There are seven people here right now; four of them live here permanently.” It seemed like a large number to most who ask. However, during the off-seasons were the weather is too cold to tolerate; people were scarcest. He listened to her eagerly answer about cartography.
“I have lived in this Monastery for three years and explored the land before then,” He clearly stated. Leo stood while Raelie sat on the floor. He did not mind standing, and preferred it rather than sitting on the ground. “I remember the map I used to find this place,” He begun. “A ripped piece of paper that blew out of my fingertips minutes into the journey. I did not release the winds were so strong here. It did not help much in the beginning anyway, so Luck helped me up and around half the mountain.”
“So,” His eyes looked in the direction of crumpling paper, “It would be helpful to others if you made a grand map of this region. May I ask you to describe what you have so far?”
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Post by Destiny on May 8, 2009 13:28:24 GMT 5.5
She shivered slightly as he closed the door, not because of the cold, since it became considerably less cold once the door was closed, but mainly because she did not like being confined anywhere, she found it extremely uncomfortable. Seven people, she thought, looking up at the man. Seven people out of which four stayed all the time, withstanding the Khun winter and the likes. "Really...how do you get supplies in winter? I suspect it must be hard." It was only Autumn then, and she planned to be as far away as she could when winter did come around. At such times one wanted to be in the abundance that was center Arysia, instead of the more harsh but more beautiful regions that were in the rest of Arysia. But with the mass exodus of people to that area due to the invasion, no one knew where exactly one might find famine or abundance.
He had stayed three years. "Wow, you must know a lot about the area then!" She smiled, inquisitive as always. "I have not stayed here a long time, perhaps six months, I came when spring was beginning, and now autumn is at an end, and I do not plan to stay here in the winter, when times become harsher." She looked out at the sky. "But no, it is going to be a harsh winter for all of Arysia and the tribes." The tribes were her people, those called the 'invaders' by the Arysians. "Ah yes, the maps of this place are quite disastrous, that was why I began mapping here. The maps of the center are almost tolerable, and the north is quite well mapped, but this place..." She stopped, wondering if she would go into the Exilarian, to the south. She thought not.
"Luck..." she said, disbelieving, "You must have been a very skilled traveler, what did you do before you ended up here?" There was a story there, and she had asked her impertinent and somewhat rude question without giving it a second thought. She continued heedless. "I have mapped most of the mountains that are in the lower regions towards center arysia quite well, with paths to come here, but it has not been easy to see paths on the other side, towards the south. I encountered too much bad weather and too much hostility there..." That place had become the Prince's place, the exiled prince, and she was unable to progress there. "Do you know much of it?"
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Post by Leopold Martin on May 9, 2009 0:12:42 GMT 5.5
“We have a small garden for herbs. Most of the plants are cold resistant and grow back annually. It does not provide us with all we need so a few weeks before the heavier snow settles two of us travel to the nearest village to gather important supplies. Once winter hits, going down the mountain is more treacherous than traveling up.” He volunteered to fetch materials every winter, and then selected another monk to accompany him. The Monks he knew were not to keen on lugging things up a mountain, so Leo always brought along his riding horse and small carriage.
Leopold paused for a few moments. No one asked him what he did before the Monastery became his life since, well, the news spread. “I was a Knight Captain for the armed forces of Arysia,” He said softly. With a light laugh he added, “I guess luck was only half of it, eh?” Trained to recognize the world around, and how to endure harsh circumstances, Knights held an advantage in the wilderness.
“The south,” He repeated. All Raelie needed to say was ‘the south’ and Leopold would have thought of aggression and risky nature. “Unfortunately, I know some concerning that direction down the mountains. Not enough to help your mapmaking.”
Dreading disappointment, he added, “I know a safer route, uncharted. You will be able to follow it and chart the unseen. Plus, the rocky terrain can not sustain large life.”
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Post by Destiny on May 9, 2009 13:44:32 GMT 5.5
Raelie nodded softly. She knew about fetching things up and down the mountain, it was tough if one had to climb but not too hard for her, if the weather complied. "Well, if you need something I could help, I can fly up and down quite fast if weather complies." She frowned. "I don't think I could carry too much though, I've never tested exactly how much, but as long as it's not too heavy.." She had never been known for being strong, just fast. "Or I could make many trips, since I'm fast...anyway, I'd like to help somehow..." That would be the least she could do to repay the kindness of the man in letting her stay there. She was beginning to trust now in his good intentions, even though she still had some doubts, mainly in the form of a prickling down her back every now and then by something that he said.
She looked up suddenly as he paused, and was tense throughout his entire speech. A knight in the army! One who had slaughtered so many of her people! For a moment she was repulsed, but then she let it go. She felt no great alliance to the people who had cast her out anyway, and he was just doing his job. She could not blame him for that. "Well...that's quite amazing...how did you end up here from being the army knight?" Another impertinent question, but one could not blame her, she knew no better. "And I'm sure that must have helped in coming here...no ordinary man could have withstood the perils of this place without even some rudimentary help."
She did not look too disappointed at his not knowing about the south, she had not expected that much anyway, few walked there, and the roads were perilous even for a Arysian. She supposed it reflected in her voice, because she continued with a cheerful, "That's no matter, I don't plan to map that anyway, maybe I'll move to the center now - wait, what? You know an uncharted route! Please, tell me about it." She glanced around apprehensively. "Perhaps, if you can be spared for a while, you could take me some part of the way there?" It would be a chance beyond her wildest wishes. Even though she had given up on South Arysia, she still did not like to leave a challenge, and this was a great opportunity, she felt compelled to take it.
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Circe
New Member
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Post by Circe on May 9, 2009 20:26:04 GMT 5.5
The mountainside was covered with a light snow that was common for mid-autumn in the Khun Mountain range. The sky that had been filled with bright morning sunlight only a few minutes before was now filled with bleak gray clouds and a promise of harsh winds and more snowfall. Circe limped through the snow, two bloodied khopesh hanging from a leather belt on her waist. She glanced down at her wounds; two arrows were embedded in her left side and another was deep in her upper thigh. Blood trickled steadily from all three wounds, staining her shirt and trousers. Circe swore under her breath as snow began falling from the heavens. It was just her luck that the one time she travelled higher up the mountain than normal, she got ambushed by a small band of dwarves. She hadn’t known that dwarves even used bow and arrows; she had always thought of them as a sword and dagger-oriented people. In a way, she was lucky – even though she didn’t have time to Change before she fought them, her wounds could have been much worse than they were. The black scales on her sides had prevented most of the arrows from being implanted in her flesh. The only dwarf who had gotten away at the end of their skirmish was the bowman, no doubt to rally more of his comrades for a second attack. The trees were already sparse this high up the mountainside, but it was not lost on her when they cleared away completely, leaving her in the shadow of a fairly large monastery. She wheezed out a small chuckle at her sudden change of luck but had to stop when the chuckle ended with her coughing up blood. She spat the blood into the snow and wiped its remnants from the corner of her mouth as she stumbled up the steps of the monastery. Circe raised the huge brass knocker two times before leaning heavily against the wall beside the monastery doors. {{Hope you don't mind me jumping into this thread.}}
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Post by Leopold Martin on May 10, 2009 0:40:32 GMT 5.5
((Like they say, the more the merrier.))
Off the top of his head, Leopold could not think of any ways Raelie could help the Monastery. Gathering supplies would not be anytime soon, however he could imply a week early expedition. “It is nice of you to volunteer to help,” He told her. “I can’t think of any ways right now. However, if something comes up I may mention it.” He knew Raelie might change her mind later so he would not pressure her with guilt.
This time Leopold did not pause. “Things happen,” He stated briefly with the same light laugh. “I guess I finally realized I didn’t belong in such a strict organization.” Rehearsed and dodging the question, Leo did not plan to open up his life story so promptly.
“Explaining is harder than traveling to the site,” He said thinking of the route. Rocky, uneven, few trees, and down a hill with icy rocks, was all he could describe. It was one of those places were words meant nothing. “I could take you there; I just need to gather my equipment. Violent pests they are--“
Leopold was interrupted midsentence by someone at the door. He opened the door seconds afterward to see a blurred, bloodied shape standing in front of him. Stepping to the side he said, “Please come in, it is frigid out there.”
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Circe
New Member
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Post by Circe on May 10, 2009 6:33:48 GMT 5.5
Circe straightened up as the monastery doors opened and a blonde monk ushered her in. She looked up at him and nodded her gratitude tiredly as she dragged her body into the warmth of the monastery. The injuries seemed to be finally taking a toll on her body. She knew that she needed to remove the arrows before she went into shock and passed out. She limped past the monk, not really taking notice of the winged woman sitting on the ground, and collapsed into a wooden chair off in the corner of the room.
She worked quickly, ripping her shirt where the arrows had pierced it. One of her hands gripped the shaft of one of the arrows and braced the other hand against her abdomen. There was a split second of hesitation as she exhaled and steeled herself. Circe let out a sharp hiss as she extracted the arrow from her flesh, letting it clatter to the floor while she repeated the process on the other two arrows. The second arrow in her abdomen came out as easily as the first; the one embedded in her thigh took a little more effort to remove, but it now lay on top of the other two on the floor.
Blood flowed from the newly opened wounds, but not as heavily as they had when the arrows first pierced her skin. Circe went ahead and removed the rest of her tattered overshirt and pressed it against the cuts to curb the bleeding. The scales on her torso were fully visible now as they weren’t covered by her undershirt.
Raising her head to her hosts, she let out a pained smile. “Sorry about that,” she said sheepishly. “My name’s Circe. I usually introduce myself before I bleed all over people’s homes.” Circe shifted, jerking her chin at her bloodied left side. “Erm, you wouldn’t happen to have bandages by any chance?”
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Post by Destiny on May 11, 2009 9:49:54 GMT 5.5
Raelie nodded quietly to Leopald, she was sure that she wanted to help in any way possible. "I would love to help, just ask me...anyway I have no idea what I'm going to do from this point onwards. Till now, I had my course charted, but now I need a new plan." Usually a meticulous planner, Raelie had failed this time to produce a plan mainly because she had only two or three places left that she planned to map today itself, and the rest she was not planning to map at all. Leo, of course, had opened up a whole new direction for her, which she was very interested in exploring.
"Yes it would be great if you could com-" She stopped suddenly. Someone had come there. She got up quickly, to look at the visitor, someone who was clearly in a bad shape, covered with blood. Had whoever it was gotten caught by the snow storm? She did not think so, the snowstorm could not do that to a person. She winced as the person came in, and sat down on a wooden chair.
She started taking out the arrows from her wounds. Raelie watched in fascination, having never seen anyone do anything like this before. Out came the arrows, to lie on the floor, with the red of blood flowing heavily. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the gruesome spot, horrified. It was a completely new experience to her. She did not notice how Leopald was handling the whole situation. Suddenly, the woman started speaking. "Hello..Circe. Umm...do you want some water or something?"
Leo was a healer, he would know where the bandages were, she was sure. She didn't even know where the water was, but she wanted to be able to help somehow. She glanced at the woman again, and saw that she had scales on her stomach...so she was a Rajegh. She was quite awestruck, and completely unsure of what to do. How could the woman be making jokes at a time like this! She grimaced and started to walk towards the inside of the monastery, then stopped because she had absolutely no idea where to go. In the corner, she spotted some cloths, and she picked them up and gave them to Circe so that she might be able to use that to stay the blood.
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Post by Leopold Martin on May 11, 2009 10:48:00 GMT 5.5
Hearing the loud click of metal against stone, Leopold already assumed she required medical support. He pulled out a key from his robe pocket, unlocked the table cabinet near the western windows, and shifted around looking for some sterile dressings. Leo grabbed some items for Crice’s arrow wounds, and walked over to her side.
“Welcome, Circe. My name is Leopold,” He said. “May I ask what happened to you?” He questioned calmly, unsure of the situation.
He glanced up at Raelie as she gave Circe some pressure cloths. “Thanks,” He nodded. Happy enough for her support as well. “We can depart when you’d like too,” He added. Leopold would of course make sure Circe was safe and mended primarily.
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