Page 4 of 4

Re: [Creeksong Cavern] Perfection of the Visage

Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2024 7:57 pm
by Elowen
Images of past and present reflected in the world around her. They were distracting. They tried to take her attention away from what really mattered. From the imposter. She couldn’t let that happen.

Her hands turned into fists. Her breathing grew more labored as she struggled against whatever was happening around her. Ultimately, she returned to her breath in an attempt to stay in control. And it worked to an extent though her body remained tense.

When the man seemed to suddenly pass, her caregiving nature was not triggered. The healer in her did not wake to rush to his side. She watched the deceased man with a mixture of frustration and rising anger. She was too worked up to think in the same ways as she did outside the caverns. So she looked at the body once and then watched the strange stone roll their way, taking a step back as the notes of a lullaby filled her ears.

That fear and longing she had always caried inside her bellowed upon hearing the melody. It flared up like fire fed unlocked, breathing fresh air. A part of her knew the song even if she did not know the words. But there was no memory she could assign to them. It was a mystery filled with pain. It did nothing but worsen her state. As unbalanced as she had been, this threatened to tip the girl over the edge again. Winston, being on her shoulder, would possibly notice that her body’s temperature seemed to suddenly rise a few degrees to near fever.

Something had to be done. She cared not for what the ferret, nor the other man wanted. All she wanted was for this to stop. This had been a mistake. She was lured here and there had been nothing but misery and trickery within these tunnels. All she wanted, was to go back to the shack, lock the door and curl up. She wanted the comfort of dark ignorance.

So driven by emotions, the girl acted. She took a step forward and then raised her foot to kick the stone as far away from her as possible with as much force as she could muster. And she would do just that if no one stopped her.

Re: [Creeksong Cavern] Perfection of the Visage

Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2025 6:57 am
by Azrael

31 Ymiden 724
Whatever the best child of Edasha (as he considered himself) saw in the light of the gem didn't matter. What he did in his moment of clarity did. The old warlock fell and expired. His words hung in the mortalborn's mind. The warlock was not committed enough. But I am. Azrael's thoughts betrayed him. His eyes revealed clear fascination with the gem.

Azrael stopped Elowen.

He stopped her for many reasons but one gripped his heart most firmly. Among the lesser reasons, he stopped her because he was bound to his word. Whether the promise he made constituted a contract his mortalborn powers would bind him to or not, he didn't want to take the chance. He stopped her because kicking a crystal might hurt her feet more than him lifting her and moving her away from it. He stopped her because he was curious. He stopped her because he had come all this way and wanted to take something back with him- rotten treasure hunter he was. He stopped her because he didn't want to have to chase after the crystal that had so fortunately fallen at their feet.

Yet the reason he believed that he stopped her, was his true mother. Edasha. Perfection was hers and hers alone. Even when he found himself to be perfect, she alone could find a flaw. He was jealous of that. He would not let this trail run cold.

He stopped her in a fairly peaceful way. He was larger. He was more practiced in combat. All he did was put out his own leg to catch Elowen's before she could strike the crystal.

"It's too pretty to waste. Be mad, not wasteful." Azrael said as if his advice was some sage revelation. It wasn't. It was almost a warning. He was going to take the crystal. He would not be stopped easily. He didn't want any conflict. Everything about how he stopped Elowen and his tone were meant to imply such, but he wanted the crystal. He was the mortalborn of desire. He always got people what they wanted. Now, he'd take what he wanted. "I will take it."

His words spoken, Azrael went to pick up the crystal.

Re: [Creeksong Cavern] Perfection of the Visage

Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2025 11:04 am
by Winston
A careful touch
When Azreal made a passing comment about 'making spirits' the ferret's ears literally pricked up a notch. "Yuh cun MAKE spirits?" Now was. perhaps not the taime for this discussion, so he suppressed the further really of questions he had in favour of making sure to find and grill the man later in life. "Yuh gonna 'ave tuh tell me about dat one some trial."

The ferret admired the man's oath, it was of course his to give as he saw fit, though being stuck down here in the cave didn't' really appear to him personally. It was, whatever the case, quite a noble offer, so decided the Cadouri, whihc formed another reason to get to know them better some trial.

As the old man fell to the ground, the feret let out a gasp of shock. "My gads! De old geeza jost DIED!" Ignoring the crystal, a trinket he was certain would just result in the next fool that touched it to die of old age and failure, he made his way to the old man to try and heal him... Nothing Winston had could cure a person of being old, but try he would anyway until futility was satisfied, the man turned to dust and he looked back up with an apologetic expression at the group. As the song of his beloved Immortal creator rang out, he let it evelop him as the mere thought of her so often did, warm and comforting.

The man had a powerful want for the crystal, an emotion the ferret could understand and as he gently prevented the girl from striking her quarry, Winston protested only in a very gentle but firm warning. "Please. Me nat asking yuh to leave et are share any part af et, bit me know a ting are two about dees tings and ef yuh will allow et, me will try to cantain et far yuh tuh take... mar safely?" Whether the man believed him or not, the offer was genuine and born of a desire to avoid him or any of them becoming trapped down here in illusions. He offered a charming smile.

If the man consented, then Winston would take some time to study it briefly to ensure nothing he did would harm it.. or them, use his
various tools to handle it without direct contact
and eventually, contain it, if only temporarily,
with his latest (if still rather unrefined) creation
.

If he did not consent, the the ferret would merely attempt to 'not be too close' when the final contact between fool and gem happened.

Either way, the gem was Azreal's to take without contest.

All template credit, love and admiration goes to Pyrre Ej'qy